Peter's Blog 23.5.2004

More Spambayes

I've set up a horribly complex email system:

• fetchmail polls four pop email accounts and forwards them all to a single account under exim.

• qpopper provides pop access to the mail account

• SpamBayes pop3 proxy provides spam checking

• IncrediMail accesses the single pop account

• IncrediMail messages rule split the messages into various folders and also filters out the spam based on spambayes markup.

Seems like a lot of complexity, even more considering the URL redirection going on to give the email nice names. I could have exim pass the mail through Spambayes but the pop3 proxy includes a nice web-based review, training and configuration server.

I use IncrediMail because I get a stupid kick out of having little animated men in my email. It's also a nice robust email client. I used to use mozilla email it had trouble cancelling hourglasses which annoyed me. I was talking to someone recently who says ThunderBird is still doing that.

I find the Spambayes technology interesting. I'd like to run it on RSS feeds and the like to sort wheat from chaff.

Rowing Machines

I quote the link above as it helped me a lot in my choice of rowing machine and where to buy it. I bought a Tunturi 710 Air Rowing machine from Exercise Zone (this link doesn't work for Mozilla or FireFox). I'm giving up going to a gym for various reasons so I wanted to buy a rowing machine to avoid turning into a blob.

THE benchmark rowing machine is the Concept 2 which is very well made and is calibrated so rowing 2km on two machines in different countries is directly comparable. If you look in the rowing machine newsgroups the advise is always to buy a Concept 2, nothing else is considered. I used to use a Concept 2 at the gym.

The problem with this advise is that in the UK a Concept 2 costs £939, about twice as much as in the US. The article I link above goes into this, the importers give themselves a nice markup and do not allow anyone to sell it for any less here. Looking on Ebay, even second hand ones cost £700-£800.

I wanted a good quality machine as I have worn out cheap crap exercise equipment before, a stepper that snapped with metal fatigue in 2 months. Again inspired by the article above I went to the site they mentioned and found a 'Catalogue Return' machine for £399, normal price about £520. The machine was brand new, all it's bolts and things were sealed in plastic bags. I have no idea why it was so cheap. Here is my bullet point review for anyone else considering NOT buying a Concept 2:

• It is fairly well made, solid, it does not feel flimsy. I think it will last. It isn't as solid as a Concept 2. 2 year manufacturers warranty.

• The computer is very basic. It gives strokes, strokes/min, distance, elapsed time and pulse rate. Concept 2 gives also calories/hour and metres/minute which are very useful.

• Free heart monitor strap

• No difficulty adjuster. In the manual it just says to work harder you just pull harder!

• The footrests pivot which may stop my feet coming out of the straps. However there is nothing to stop feet slipping sideways.

• It is huge. The rail folds up but it is still big.

• I rowed for 20 minutes and the indicated distance was about 500m. On a Concept 2 I can row 2500m in 10 minutes. Don't bother comparing your performance on one of these to a concept 2.

Conclusion: I'm happy with my choice.

Rowing Status Report.