Tim BirdTim Bird

Website re-design

Tim — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:49:11 +0000

I have made a few changes to the website structure today. Hopefully you will think the changes are a step in the right direction. I would like to hear your comments or feed back… so feel free to contact me.

Cycle Update

Tim — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:00:54 +0000

In the last 7 days I have Cycled a total of…. 11.6 Miles
Commute: 11.6 Miles (Cycle)
Fitness: 0.0 Miles (Cycle)
Training: 0.0 Miles (MTB)
Next Weeks Goal: 20 miles

I missed this weeks target of 30 miles by quite a long way, mainly because of the weather. Its no fun cycling when it’s -7°C. I have put next weeks goal down to 20 miles hopefully the weather will hold out and this will be achievable.

Really Pleased with my TMA result

Tim — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:17:47 +0000

After waiting nearly 2 weeks for my third Tutor Marked Assessment (TMA) to be marked I have finally received my mark. The TMA is part of the Open University course I am taking in Design Thinking (U101).

I was really surprised when I opened my email to find I had received 94% for the design project I had to complete for TMA02. The project started with a group stage where members put forward design problems that need to be solved. We then voted for the design problem we liked the best, which for our group was a Salt and Pepper grinder that kept wearing out.

My design was simple, easy to make, and would also be very cheap to manufacture. I plan to put a little more effort into my proposal in an attempt to make a working prototype for the End of Module Assessment (EMA) in May.

Disappointed with progess

Tim — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:49:08 +0000

Last week I managed to cycle a total of ZERO miles. Mainly due to bad weather, while I don’t mind cycling if it’s a little cold but I tend to draw the line at cycling when it’s minus 7.

Hopefully this week will be a little better, I have already put 12 miles on the clock, so I have at least got a few miles under my belt. Fingers crossed I can get at least another 12 miles in before the end of the week.

How to Prototype: The Awesome Guide | thesquigglyline.com

Tim — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:16:15 +0000

This is really interesting article I roundabout the usefulness of prototypes.

How to Prototype: The Awesome Guide | thesquigglyline.com.

UK Photographers Rights v2 — Royalty Free Stock Photography by Simon Moran Sirimo.co.uk

Tim — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:30:21 +0000

I found this information as part of my Open University course, and thought it worth sharing. If you are interested in photography you may find the document available at the link below very useful. It details the rights of photographers and lets you know what you should do to stay the right side of he law when taking photos.

FREE Download – UK Photographers Rights v2
UK Photographers Rights v2 — Royalty Free Stock Photography by Simon Moran Sirimo.co.uk.

Two New Pages Added

Tim — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:43:42 +0000

I have just put the finishing touches to two new pages in my engineering hints and tips sections, please take a look…..

How to grind TIG electrodes.
How to avoid and cure chatter on a lathe.

Cycle Update

Tim — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:19:08 +0000

In the last 7 days I have Cycled a total of…. 26.8 Miles
Commute: 26.8 Miles (Cycle)
Fitness: 0.0 Miles (Cycle)
Training: 0.0 Miles (MTB)
Next Weeks Goal: 30 miles+ (Mixed)

I missed this weeks target of 40 miles by quite a long way, probably because I worked from home one one of the days I planned to commute to the office by train / cycle. As I know I am working from home at least once next week I am going to give myself a goal of 30 miles.

A mixed week so far…

Tim — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:55:07 +0000

Working Hard

This week has been rather disjointed. I have spent most of my time either working, commuting or studying, with little time to relax.

On the plus side I have already cycled 28 miles this week so an on course to meat my weekly goal of 40 miles, however I have not managed any Mountain Biking yet, and it is unlikely that I will get a chance before the end of the week. I am enjoying the commute to the office by train, and am finding cycling 10 plus miles a day to be a great stress buster.

Hopefully the traffic will be nice to me tomorrow, I am driving into the office, for the second time this week as I do not want to over do the cycling until i get fully “match fit” so to speak. Keep checking back for regular updates.

Weekly Cycle Update

Tim — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 11:00:21 +0000

In the last 7 days I have Cycled a total of….33.3 Miles
Commute: 24 Miles (Cycle)
Fitness: 9.3 Miles (Cycle)
Training: 0.0 Miles (MTB)
Next Weeks Goal: 40 miles+ (Mixed)