Complaining About Traffic

Habitual II

2007-02-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

Habitual II
Originally uploaded by someToast.

Ees a photo!

Timely spam

2006-11-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Subject:	RUMSFELD DEFENSE SECRETARY Weather
Date:	November 8, 2006 7:52:13 pm PST

Forecast calls for fog, followed by partly-fired.

Postmarks of the Apocalypse

2006-05-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Postmarks of the Apocalypse
Originally uploaded by someToast.

And the contents of the package? Easter cookies and candy.

DUM DUM DUMMMMM!!!

American Speller

2006-04-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

While watching the tryouts for American Inventor (or as it's turned out, American Sob Story) this man came on with his invention: fabric straps you glue/tape/velcro? to your remote controls to keep them from getting lost.

I can picture the prep work.

Dad: So, I've got my presentation all set up for going on American Inventor tomorrow.

Teenaged Daughter: But you spelled "loosing" wrong.

D: What? Are you sure?

TD: Dad, I spend six hours a day on MySpace and I've never seen it spelled with only one "o".

D: Well, WalMart is closed so I can't get any more poster board. Maybe if I just sneak a second one over the "L"...

Two things you don't want to have happen within 30 minutes of each other

2006-04-12T03:24:00.000-07:00

Remembering the dream you had that morning where a large, black, furry spider walked over the corner of an adjacent pillow and off the side of the bed.
Having the cat go into one of her spastic, scrambling, pad-squealing chases across the hardwood floor.

Dude, seriously. Including legs, the thing was like two inches in diameter.

CD Covers 1985 - 2005 medium test

2006-03-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

CD Covers 1985 - 2005 medium test
Originally uploaded by someToast.

A test of the Photoshop script that will be used to generate a poster-size print of the covers of CDs I purchased between 1985 and 2005 (1,606 images).

This test used the smaller 130 x 130 pixel versions of the cover scans and resulted in a 73.7 meg Photoshop file. The scans to be used for the final are each 338 x 338.

Remix

2006-03-13T23:52:00.000-08:00

Article at Boing Boing. Article describes Free Culture @ NYU's Film remix contest to use footage from The Matrix, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter to make parody short films. What's the article titled?

"Mashup Matrix, LoTR, Star Wars and Harry Potter and win!"

Another article, same day. This one describes the Fort Minor Remix Contest in which the audio source is supplied to remix Fort Minor's "Remember the Name". The article uses the word "remix" six times. How is this article titled?

"Warner Music sponsors CC-licensed mashup contest"

Repeat after me: It's ok to use the word "remix" when you're describing remixes. It just seems a little bizarre... almost as if Boing Boing has some sort of Buzzword Compliance Filter to make certain that all titles are properly With It.

D'oh. Maybe so.

More blogging fun

2005-10-30T01:07:00.000-08:00

emergency
Originally uploaded by Daryl M.

Blogging an image belonging to a contact's stream.

Another posting to blog

2005-10-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

More back deck
Originally uploaded by someToast.

This one with a stored password.

This should be a submitted post.

2005-10-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Living room blinds up
Originally uploaded by someToast.

This should be the text description.

MN-CA Day Three

2005-08-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

So that's that then.

Left at noon, arrived at 11:30. Would have been in (much) earlier if not for a missed exit between 680 and 880 resulting in a poorly executed, looping path in to town. Otherwise, this leg went as well as the other two. Glad that I loaded up on the podcasts.

There's pictures, but I haven't looked at them yet. I'm hitting the bed. I've got a job to get to in the morning.

MN-CA Day Two

2005-08-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Two down, one to go.

Figured today was going to be the day I hit the wall, but the second day of driving went fine. Made for a good excuse to listen to the Hitchhiker's Guide radio plays from start to finish. Left at 11:00 and got to Elko NV at about 9:00 Mountain time. Definitely getting sick of driving in to the setting sun. The "short" 550 mile leg tomorrow, then maybe I'll start checking out public transportation to I don't have to be behind the steering wheel for a while.

MN-CA Day One

2005-08-30T01:22:00.000-07:00

One down, two to go.

Today was the long one and I managed to make my destination, if not my schedule. Minneapolis MN to Cheyenne WY, left at 11:50, arrived about 1:30 am (central time). I hadn't planned on spending as much time with the movers this morning as I did (the original plan was to leave on Sunday), but it worked out better anyway (other than the whole arriving-after-midnight part).

The weekend was a bit nuts (which is what pushed the plan to Monday). Largely packing electronics and throwing out bags upon bags of crap so they wouldn't get packed and have to be dealt with in California. Kelly helped out on Saturday and Sunday and Dave stopped in Sunday evening too. Kelly and Jen were also over today and were a big help with the many last-minute items that I didn't get to (Jen stuck around for most of the day to sign off with the movers so I could hit the road earlier).

Other than an accident on I-80 a few miles out of Des Moines which brought the whole interstate to a halt for about fifteen minutes, the drive itself went smoothly. Nebraska drove me nuts with three mile stretches of "road work" every three miles for about the first third of the state. The first five had cones and about a three-foot traffic shift, but from then on there was nothing. The only way you knew you were in a "work zone" was the warnings posted under speed limit signs promising double fines. Oftentimes the only way I knew I was out of a "zone" was that the fine signs had gone away. I'd say it was a money grab by the state, but I hardly saw a trooper the whole way.

I'm just glad that the biggest leg of the trip is out of the way, that the cat calmed down after the first couple hours and seems to be settling in to the drive, and that I decided to get a hotel (yay Super 8, free wireless internet!) instead of car camping in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Segway Awaaaaayyyy!

2005-08-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

The office took off Tuesday afternoon to do a Segway-based Minneapolis riverfront tour (actually, I was supposed to set this up for last year, but it got too cold before getting around to it, so this was done as more of a going-away thing before drinks and dinner this year).

The Segways are hugely fun, and I'd love to have one if they weren't so damned expensive. Plus, ten people on Segways are an interesting sight... one person on their own still looks doofy. The tour's good too -- seeing parts of the riverfront you don't usually and learning a bit about the area as well.

Photo is Susan and I, during one of a number of our tour stops, this one on Nicollet Island.

In the "Things Keep Getting More Real" department

2005-08-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Emailed to me via cell phone last night.

Things to forget when traveling cross-country to interview with Yahoo!

2005-07-31T23:31:00.000-07:00

A change of underwear
That crap one puts in one's hair to keep one from looking like Andy Travis

That's what happens when you pack in five minutes before rushing off to the airport. At least the day of interviewing went well (as opposed to the trip home, which was a flight-delayed, assurances-made, connections-missed, twenty-hour, sleep-on-airport-floor disaster).

Lego iSight mount

2005-03-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

BoingBoing's link to the Lego Nintendo DS cradle reminded me of the iSight mount I've been using since getting the camera a year and a half ago.

None of the supplied mounts positioned the camera quite right, and placing it on top of the shelf was too high.

It uses the iSight's notebook lid clamp. A pair of 1x2 flat tiles attached to the side of the crossbar makes it the perfect thickness for the clamp.

The paired joints allow for a greater pitch range than using the standard mount alone. Plus, it fits perfectly between monitor and shelf at exactly the right height.

I also used to have a 12" free-standing Lego scaffolding for when using the iSight as a webcam.

"Lego. Is there anything it can't do?" : )

All right Tivo, I get it already

2005-03-10T18:47:00.000-08:00

You'd think that after 200 days, the Tivo would figure it out. The telephone's not coming back.

(You'd also think that after a couple hundred times answering a question the exact same way that my ATM could file a note somewhere that I'm unlikely to suddenly become bilingual and skip that particular question in the future. But I digress.)

I could get the Tivo to shut up by installing the cache/network card that's been sitting around for over a year. Of course, that means getting the Tivo disconnected, pulling the hard drives, mounting the drives in the shitbox PC that keeps my hiking shoes off the closet floor, dig up the Linux boot disc, get the software on the non-networked PC, install the software on the Tivo drives, install the cache card in the Tivo, put the drives back in the Tivo, make sure everything still works, then get the Tivo on the home network.

I get the feeling I'll be seeing the Tivo complaining about 300 days soon enough.

Well, that only took four days

2005-03-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

:: whew :: That's a load off.

I had stopped doing backups last August (which are done to a hard drive) because I wanted to get a full copy of the backup set as it was before I did volume leveling to all the music files, and new backups would wipe those out (and there's not enough room on the 200 gig drive to hold both).

Could have gotten the copy made in two days instead of four if I was able to park myself in front of the computer for 42 hours, taking cat naps for the two hours it took each disc to write. Shows you the sorry level of commitment that I have.

Now I can bring these down to the office for safekeeping, until I lose them in a month when we move to a new building.

God meets Nigerian Scam meets Gumby

2005-02-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

Boy howdy, but I do love BBEdit's Grep search and replace.

Beloved in Clay,

Greetings in the wonderful name of our Lord Gumby! May the Lord's favour and peace be multiplied to you, see Numbers 6:24-26; 2 Peter 1:2. The word of Gumby also says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles: they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31.

It is a priviledge to share this great testimony with you, to Gumby be thy glory. I am Brother Steven Madu, Happilly married to my wife with Four children. During a prayer and fasting session in our church i asked Gumby Almighty to direct me to an honest person that will use this Pizza righteously to reach the needy, the less priviledge and lost souls. For the word of Gumby says, "what shall it profict a man if he gains the whole world, and loss his soul". The bible also says, "the blessing of Gumby comes supernaturally and it is through Divine favour".

The amount involved, is $6.5m US dollar (SIX million, five hundred US dollars) This said pizza was aquired, when i was working with an International Cheese Firm in my Country, I was the field operational Manager of Exporting of CRUDE CHEESE in my Company when i was in the world. I gave my life to Gumby Almighty after my predicaments in the world and Gumby really touched my life. Then, after given my life to Gumby, i packaged and sealed the pizza in a consignment box and deposited the consignment box that contained the pizza with a Security Company, ready for delivery and to invest the pizza on the things that will glorify the name of our Lord Gumby Clay for His wonderful deeds in my life.

Even as you agree to help me carry out this duty I want you always remember that:

1. Gumby will want to know what kind of car you drove.

2. Gumby will want to know what your highest salary was.

3. Gumby will want to know the square footage of your house.

4. Gumby will want to know about the fancy clothes you had in your closet.

5. Gumby will want to know about your social status.

6. Gumby will want to know how many material possessions you had.

7. Gumby will want to know how much overtime you worked.

8. Gumby will want to know how many promotions you received.

9. Gumby will want to know what your job title was.

10. Gumby will want to know what you did to help yourself.

11. Gumby will want to know how many friends you had.

12. Gumby will want to know what you did to protect your rights.

13. Gumby will want to know in what neighborhood you lived.

14. Gumby will want to know about the color of your skin.

15. Gumby will want to know how many times your deeds matched your words.

Beloved, i will like you to immediately send me your pants, full names, full address, direct telephone and fax numbers to enable me procure the necessary documents covering the pizza, making you the sole beneficiary of the pizza.

As soon as i receive your pants, I will start up all the necessary process on how the pizzas will get to you. Be informed that as soon as this pizza is in your possession, i shall join you in your country to see how the pizza will be use for the things that will glorify Gumby and to give thanks to Gumby.

Awaiting Your Prompt Response.

Remain blessed.
Please read ISAIAH 61 vs 1-9

Yours in Clay,

Brother Steven Madu

Wakey wakey

2005-01-12T01:57:00.000-08:00

I'm a sound sleeper. A very sound sleeper. It's rare that I'll wake up in the middle of the night, and even on those occasions, I'm back out in a couple of minutes.

The downside is mornings -- the ability to sleep through just about any noise combined with a terminal case of night-owlism is a recipe for disaster. Every job I've had in my post-collegiate career has had "that" talk about morning punctuality at some point(s).

My current routine consists of cracking the blinds (not too effective this time of year unless I'm seriously sleeping in), setting alarms on two cell phones (one's not active, but the alarm still works) as well as a beeping clock alarm, all set for various times in the morning. The system works well enough (unless I'm in bed for less than four hours, then all bets are off) but c'mon, it's stupid. Three or more alarms? Stupid.

I had been searching a while for a loud alarm that would have a bed shaker, and possibly some way to trip a light. I found all three in a Sonic Boom alarm clock. The alarm is exceptionally loud, and fortunately adjustable (I'm probably only at 1/3 maximum now). The pitch of the alarm can be changed too, which is good since I'll start sleeping through new alarm sounds after a month or so (brain reacts more to novelty?). It'll be interesting to play with that pitch over time.

The woman at the store said that most people put the shaker between the fitted sheet and the mattress, which I tried first. Now I don't like anything under the sheet that I can feel -- tags, those heavy "buy me!" feature labels, etc -- and having a hockey puck between the pillows just isn't going to cut it. Plus, the vibration wasn't all that impressive, especially if my head was near the edge of the bed.

So I tried squeezing it between the mattress and the box spring and set the alarm. Now THAT'S a wake-up call! The vibration is transferred to the frame of the bed and you get a serious tooth-rattling, no matter where your head is at. Coupling this with the alarm going off and the bedside lamp flashing on and off (the shaker and the lamp outlet can be set to steady or pulse) and I have high hopes for mornings.

As an added bonus, the big yellow button toggles the outlet on and off for normal use (which is connected to a lamp with the lousy rotary click-click-click switch of a standard bulb being in a 3-way socket).

A very cautious checking out of the odd noises emanating from the bed. The two flash photos each caused her to jump back a good foot.

I'm curious as to what my reaction will be to this thing going off for the first time. If trying out the snooze was any indication, it will be a waking of the Startled-The-Shit-Out-Of-Me variety. But I'll take that over the HolyCrapI'mAnHourLateAndHaveToShaveShowerDressAndGetDowntownYet kind any day.

Christmas is for spending hours on your knees

2004-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

9:43 pm
We begin with a dedicated workspace in the Large Project Area, or "living room." Soothing colors and the very latest in ergonomic lighting.

11:18 pm
First mat is cut from the large board and window positions are pencilled in. Being a lazy bastard, I printed the layout from the office laser and am using that to make my guide marks, eliminating much tedious measuring (mocking the ruler that's sitting right there, it only gets used as a straight edge tonight).

Mistake #1: Working on the back of the mat, I nonetheless lay out the window positions as if viewed from the front. Laziness kicks in with a debate whether to just flip the final picture positions. A visit to the computer to see how it would look (answer: like crap) results in all the vertical lines being erased and redone correctly.

12:23 am
First mat finished and manages not to get trashed, even with much fondling.

12:42 am
For some reason, a picture of the fireplace mantle. Playing with the macro, I think.

1:51 am
Second mat finished. Doing this as a double mat seemed a really good idea a month ago.

Mistake #2: After making my second cut in the new board, I become convinced that one or both of the cuts have been done backwards (so the cut edge doesn't face the front of the frame). Five minutes are spent poking, prodding and figuring out a way to avoid prepping another board before I realize that both cuts are just fine. The remainder of the cuts take place without incident. I look forward to hearing voices in my head next.

2:32 am
Pictures all trimmed and taped to the bottom mat.

2:34 am
...and how everything stacks up. This is for my nephew, who went to his first Packers football game last month. Fortunately for his future childhood memories, it was the game against the Rams, and not the following week's slaughter at the hands of Philadelphia.

3:05 am
...aaaaand in the frame. The other one is for my parents. I scanned and did a bit of salvage work on some antique negatives my mom got recently of her childhood on a farm. That frame came with a thin, pre-cut mat, so Lazy Boy here didn't have to do another one.

Mistake #3: In clamping down and tightening corners on the big frame, I forget I'm sliding the surface near the edge of a hard object and put an 1/8" burr mark low and center of the plastic face. Being 2:30 in the morning, this bothers me less than it normally would. I was going to recommend my brother replace the cheap plastic with a non-glare glass anyway. He's handy like that.

Now would be the time to pack it in, but the family Christmas get-together happens this weekend and I've got wrapping to do.

6:36 am
Cat.

7:48 am
Wrapping's done. Why do so many kid's toys (and some adult's) have these gaping huge holes and odd edges that need to be covered before you can wrap them? I goes through more corrugated sheet around the holidays, I tells ya...

11:06 am
I bring cereal, milk and orange juice in to the office.

I like orange juice!

Next, a road trip this afternoon for a four-day weekend with the fam. A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!