The Phydeaux Speaks Experience

Happy Moonday!

2012-01-30T08:44:00.004-06:00

Musical Interlude

2012-01-17T19:03:00.001-06:00

Can't help but hear Robin Williams announcing this song using his Lawrence Welk voice....

(cropped because the imagery is ... very 70s and all that goes with that)

New Desk Done

2012-01-06T14:30:00.001-06:00

So I'm back from my border run, and have got my new desk all set up. See previous post for photos of the creation of the new desk. I was able, before heading to Nicaragua, to get a good finish of polyurethane on the desk, and then to allow it to dry thoroughly for three days, so this morning I got busy (with Jen's help) making the switchover.

Before (actually a few months ago)


After

The shelf unit is the same, so you can see how much more space I have on the desktop. Not only is the new one deeper, but it is also wider.

Umm, that's it.

On a (Building) Tear

2012-01-01T14:25:00.000-06:00

For Christmas this year, Jen's folks gave us cash, with which to do nice things for ourselves. Jen used her bit as a lion's portion of the price of a "like new" netbook computer, and I decided I would use mine to buy materials for a larger computer desk, as the one I built when I first arrived in Costa Rica is small, because I had a small space in which to put it.

The first step was to go to the neighborhood lumber yard and get some planking for the top. I wanted to go as wide as possible (and here in CR it's easier to get really wide boards), but I ended up getting 1"x10"s, as they were the most reasonably priced. I also went with pine, although I did think about using the laurel (accent on second syllable, please) like I used for the folding tables last time.

I already had some 2"x3"s, that Jen's former boss gave me (along with some other lumber) when they closed down shop, so I decided to use them for the under-top frame and legs.


Top planks 'joined' using cleats and screws, and under-top frame assembled and temporarily in place.

Legs and low back brace added, pondering computer shelf placement.

Same thing, viewed from the other end (note the 'park' bench I made in the background).

The top with a nice coat of poly on it.

Close shot of the wet-polyed top, showing the dowel peg anchors.

Not a whole lot left to do before bringing this one into the house... decide final placement of the shelf for the CPU, more poly on the top (and legs and shelf) and attaching the upper shelf unit that is on the old desk, but all that will have to wait until I return from my quarterly trip across the border to get my visa re-stamped. I leave in the morning, and will return on Thursday.

Pictures to follow!

Buildering Stuff

2011-12-27T11:05:00.000-06:00

I decided to make some folding TV tables, now that I have all the tools. I began by looking online for free plans, but the hundreds of "leads" all led to the same page, which was just written instructions which were difficult to follow. So, of course, I just started making....

First, I cut the pieces for the top (1"x4" ripped [using my new table saw!] on the small dimension to get ½"x4" pieces), the frame (1"x2" ripped to 1"x1") and legs (1"x2"). The legs have the angle cut so they'll sit flat on the floor when the table is in use, and the frame pieces are mitred so no end grain will show (which is why I wanted a frame in the first place, to hide the end grain of the top pieces).

After cutting a rabbet for the top pieces to lay into, I put the frame pieces together with glue and brads and had this.

I then started work on the underside,... the cross supports for the top (to which the outer legs would be attached) and to which the top pieces were glued. This took some time, because I had to reconfigure the pieces a couple of times to make sure everything would be strong enough in the end.

And then the inner legs, with braces and ½" dowel hinge pins (and a stop board I had to add so the legs wouldn't splay all the way to the top frame).

And VIOLA!!! One folding TV tray.

I still have to put a finish on it (polyurethane varnish), and build another one, but at least I finished this much by Christmas morning for an 'official' unveiling.

The End.

Christmas Song

2011-12-12T19:59:00.000-06:00

No, not Mel Torme's classic, but a classic in its own right....

"Dear Nuala" (12 Days of Christmas).

Conversational Scottish, Lesson 10

2011-11-02T10:45:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite comedy bits of all time:

From the old SCTV.

I Haven't Forgotten About You, I Promise

2011-10-20T20:42:00.001-06:00

Hello, my dear blog. How've you been lately? I miss you sometimes, and I hope to get back to posting on you, but you know how it is. There's this other site that's so much more 'in the moment' and, frankly, more responsive, but it has its problems, so....

Anyway, just wanted to say hi.

Loves me some Phydeaux. :)

Beauty Full

2011-09-07T16:29:00.003-06:00

The haunting harmonies....(posting mainly so I'll have it in an easily accessed location)

Not An Abject Failure

2011-08-04T14:24:00.000-06:00

One day last week I wanted to make a chocolate pie with a pastry crust. It had been a very long time since I made one, and I forgot that when baking an empty pie crust, one needs something to hold down said crust so it doesn't puff up, burn to a crisp, fall over and then sink into the swamp.

So guess what happened.

Today, I tried again:


Golden Flaky pie crust!

The edge isn't all purty and stuff, because a) I didn't know if what I tried would work (I used rice to fill the pan, after lining it with aluminium foil ) and b), I ain't sellin' it, I'm makin' it fer to eat!!

Chocolate Pie!!!.

I suspect that even Emerson Cod would enjoy this pie, but we won't know for sure until after dinner tonight -- because this pie is for dessert. :)

Happy Birthday, Jerry

2011-08-01T09:10:00.000-06:00

Jerry Garcia was born 1 August 1942. Not much else to say, 'cause if you don't know I can't teach you. :)

The Grateful Dead -- Ripple

Jazz is Dead -- Morning Dew

Best Punch Line in Cartoon History?

2011-07-30T12:54:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday!

2011-07-04T08:33:00.001-06:00

Today is, as everyone knows, the 125th anniversary of my Grandfather's birth... oh, and it's some kind of national holiday in the United States. ;)

Today is the one day that I can quote / refer to/ post clips from my favorite movie ever, 1776, without people thinking me exceedingly odd... and so without further ado....

Converstional Scottish, Lesson 10

2011-06-30T12:08:00.001-06:00

I, For One, Welcome Our New Furry Overlords

2011-05-13T13:45:00.001-06:00

This Blog Is Not Dead Yet

2011-05-04T19:37:00.000-06:00

So I haven't posted anything in a month.

Other things and all that.

I'm sure there'll be more before too long, as I'm working on another piece of furniture, meanwhile....

Today in Building Stuff

2011-04-03T17:47:00.002-06:00

So Jen's had this futon couch for almost 15 years, and over the last few months (exacerbated, no doubt, by almost-a-teen angst-flopping) it has been getting pretty creaky. Today was the day to fix it:

Not good.

The supports, they are missing.


"Wait. What?" We managed to move the cushion without moving the cat.

Cushion moved to table, and cat content, off to the lumber yard I betook meself.

Rule is: Measure Twice, Cut Once

Got the needed dimensional lumber, made some cuts....

A bit of analog cipherin' to figger spacing...

Pondered some....

Some screws, and it's ready for cushion!

Assembled some....

Ta Da!

A usable couch, and the first part of building a Brand New Couch is done. For what ever time we decide we want a Brand New Couch.

Still Here

2011-03-23T08:14:00.000-06:00

Two years -- that's 730 days -- ago I posted this. I made it that day, with no problems, as you can see here.

And I'm still here (although we're in a different house).

And still loving it.

And Jen.

:)

Time To Shelf It

2011-03-17T18:33:00.000-06:00

My current makin'-sumpin' is a small shelfy thing for on to put my computer tower (with our UPS under, and then my external disc drive on top). After some measurement problems, I got this done.

Photos taken after dark, better ones tomorrow:

(and, yes, that is a pile of onions in the background of the second photo)

Because I Haven't Even MENTIONED Bagpipes Lately

2011-03-04T01:55:00.000-06:00

Al-Cat-Traz

2011-02-28T11:15:00.001-06:00

Our neighbor/landlord recently got a herd of chickens (yes, I do know it's "flock"... I just prefer herd), and Jamba was quite intrigued....

Then one of the hens started hanging out in the next door carport, in one of the crates, a-cluckin' and a-scratchin' and a-doin' what hens do, namely:

Well, this sent both kittehs into a frenzy... fresh meat that close and yet inaccessible.

Or maybe not.

Jamba, she of the 12.7% EVIL, remembered that climbing the mesh was possible, and might even gain her access to Snack. And yesterday, up and over The Wire she went. And ended up into the ceiling crawlspace, which took me, Jen, Julia, a cardboard box, a step ladder and several kitteh treats to get her down. Sorry, no pictures of that.

And this morning, when Jen was checking to make sure the cats were inside afore starting the car to leave, she discovered Jamba, "strolling around outside the gate, nibbling on grass and completely nonchalant."

Which caused me to Spring Into Action... after morning coffee and InterWebs check and all... to Fix the Problem:

It may not be the prettiest, but it has already proved to be effective.

"Fine. If you won't let me out, I'll just lay on the log and sun myself."

I'll say this for Jamba... she's pretty smart. She tried her escape route, was blocked by the angled mesh squares, tried once from another angle, was blocked again, and has since ignored the whole thing. Now, if Snack gets into the crate again to lay another egg... we'll see.

The Places I've Lived

2011-02-23T18:11:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure what set me off on this journey, but I went through Google Earth and found all the places I've lived in my life, except for two. The first one - we moved when I was barely a year old, and I don't remember it -- and another that was in a trailer park that is no longer there. So without further ado...

Boonville United Methodist, the parsonage is the lower right structure. The house to the left of the parsonage was owned by Mrs. Johnson, who would give me sweets and occasionally take me to lunch.

Boonville "Little House", nothing to do with Laura Ingalls, we just called it that because it was wee. The back "yard" was a concrete slab, and I remember using big chalks to draw lines for streets that I rode on my li'l John Deere (pedal-powered) tractor. I was five.

Boonville - Fleming Farm The house is the building lower left-ish, the rest are barns and grain silos. This was where I learned to ride a bike, and I did the driveway loop many, many times.

Laurelledge - My dad's from Texas, and they name homesteads/farms/ranches there, and he named this one Laurelledge (Mountain Laurels & Rutledge = Laurelledge). This started life as a "trailer house", but we added onto it several times over the years, until there was very little left of the trailer.

Gold Hall NCSU (center of pic) - I attended NC State for three semesters, majoring in Dungeons & Dragons... okay, technically I was a computer science major, but in reality... hench the only three semesters

Elkin - Apartment, the complex had a name, but I don't remember it. I was the very first tenant in my apartment, which was number 80B (BOB)... very apropos

Ferguson - Leesa's place, my first live-in girlfriend, I was here for just over a year. It was much less blurry in real life.

North Wilkesboro - 6th Street These apartments also had a name, but I don't remember it. After I moved out of Leesa's I moved in here. They were the oldest apartments in town, built sometime around (or just after) WWII.

Valdese - another apartment complex, another non-remembered name. I lived here while I worked as an assistant manager for Domino's Pizza in Morganton.


N. Wilkesboro - Holly Hills Apartments... I remember this name.

Here a second time, in a different apartment

Yet another apartment in N. Wilkesboro, don't remember the name, but it was across the street from the Mental Health clinic.

Then I lived here, in a basement apartment...

Then here, in the little building in the middle (it, and the house above-left of it, were built of stone, and looked way cool)

Hmmm... can't really see anything, but that's an a-frame on the Watauga River outside of Boone. It was nice living there, the deck hung over the river.

Boone is, apparently, a blurry town. These were round buildings, and my apartment was a semi-circle.

Laurel Branch Road - Vilas. I lived in this house for three years, on a rent-to-own plan that I couldn't maintain long enough to actually have ownership... but was the closest I got.

More with the blurry... this was a HUGE A-frame house in Powderhorn Mountain. Very nice house.

Apartment in Boone, 3 months...


Expressions of Asheville (arrow), my head shop... I lived upstairs. 1100 sqft of open space. I build half walls for privacy around the toilet and shower, but other than that, it was wide open. Was once a Harley-Davidson shop, and the upstairs was storage... still smelled like oil. :)


The Secret Lair (aka '73 Winnebago)... can just sorta see the roof there in the middle under the trees, with my tarpaulin porch roof at the top.

All the above were in North Carolina... while I was in The Secret Lair I met Jen and moved to...

San Rafael de Heredia, Costa Rica. Jen and the girls lived in the upstairs apartment, I in the downstairs ( so as not to overwhelm the girls with my presence at first)

San Rafael de Heredia - And now we live here.

Convoluted Familial Connections

2011-02-22T18:52:00.000-06:00

This song came up (in my head, anyway) in a thread over on the Book of Faces, and in searching for the lyrics for to copy and paste, I found that Jerry Garcia and David Grisman did a version of it. Couldn't find that one, but here's Dawg (that's Grisman's nickname) doing it:

David Grisman - I'm My Own Grandpa

Found at abmp3 search engine

Breadsday

2011-02-16T22:15:00.000-06:00

Today I baked stuff.

First, I made two GINORMOUS loaves of whole wheat:

Okay, it's a closeup of reg'lar sized bread.

Then I made some burger buns, for tomorrow to have wrapped around veggie burgers. Here's what the counter looked like after I kneaded the bun dough (it's in the bowl under the towel):

And here's the outcome of all today's baking:

I've been trying different recipes for buns, and they've all met with the approval of Teh Girls of teh House, but they weren't what I was after. So today I got a link from he who is known as Brave Sir Robin, over on Teh Book of Faces, which was thus: LINK If you go over there, you'll note that they say one can sub some whole wheat for somea the white. I did. And I recommend you do, too.

So I tried it, and lo, it were guuuud!

Ladles and Jellyspoons, I believe we have a winner in the bun category.

And now, off to Anno 1701....

Lluvia

2011-02-08T23:53:00.002-06:00

It's February here in Costa Rica, just like everywhere else (that follows the Julian Calendar, that is), which means we're smack dab in the middle of the dry season -- normally, from December until late March or early April.

Well, someone forgot to tell the weather gods that yesterday afternoon....

It rained hard for about 15 minutes, then it ended. A nice break in an otherwise hot day.

Bob el Jardinero

2011-02-05T17:53:00.001-06:00

Hey, what're y'all getting ready to do out here?

Well, as you know, the guy who owns the house is building some more here on our l'il cul-de-sac...

...over by the banananana trees,

and we've got this spot that we (okay, Jen did, 'cause I was on my visa run) bricked in for a raised bed last year.

So we're gonna get somea that dirt they've dug up,

put it in a wheelbarrow,

and dump it in the bed...

until it's all nice...

and filled up ready for planting!

You did WHAT??

But... it's all different and stuff.

I'm not sure about this, guys...

seriously, I don't know if I like it.

Hey, what's this???

Wow!! This litter box is HUGE!!!

No, Jamba, we got some plants and veggie seeds to plant in there.

I better inspek it, then, give it the sniff test...

...and see what's under here, and...

...look at it from all angles.

Yeah, I think this spacing is all right, Fuzzy Hooman.

And these will make excellent snacks.

And then they were watered...


and watered some more.

Teh End

Hooman and Kitteh Treatses

2011-02-04T16:15:00.001-06:00

So I've been a bakin' fiend this week. Okay, I've baked some bread. I'm making whole wheat bread to sell to friends and neighbors, which is cool, and also been making some for us here at home. A couple weeks ago I tried a cinnamon bread, which Jen and the girls liked, but I knew it just. wasn't. right. So today I decided to try a different recipe, called, most humbly,

"World's Best Cinnamon Raisin Bread"

That I found at food.com. Only I'm not a big fan of the shrivelled grape, so I just left them out. I don't know if it's truly the world's best, but it did turn out pretty dang good. Almost like my mom used to make (which, face it, is the goal).

Cinnamon bread ready to bake

Cinnamon bread ready to eat

But I haven't been baking just for us hoomans. Oh, no. I also made some "Catnip Crackers", or, as I've dubbed them, "Kitteh Biskits". I got the recipe from a friend on Facebook, and she saw it here, at the end of a(n) unrelated to kittehs blog post.

Here's the recipe for those who don't wish to click through:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons dried catnip
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 egg
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the flour and catnip, then stir in the yogurt, egg, honey, and vegetable oil. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut into small bite-sized pieces with a pizza cutter or small cookie cutters. We have a small dogbone-shaped cutter and a tiny duck-shaped cookie cutter we like to use. Place them on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until they start to brown.

Kitteh Biskits in the oven

Kitteh Biskits ready to munch

And for anyone who knows, or is FB friends with, our two kittehs, it came as no surprise at all that Jamba scarfed her taste down and Raxi sniffed and walked away. We'll see if that continues.

I should also mention that all the baking is practice at this point, as we got a "new" stove a couple weeks ago... so now I'm cooking with gas -- which I love -- but we're waiting on the next "shipment" from the states which, I'm told, will include a really nice oven thermometer from Jen's dad Dick. Apparently oven thermometers are very hard to find here in Costa Rica and when one does find them they're way expensive. Until then I just wing it (although, I'm starting to get a good feel for the look of the flame as it relates to the baking temperature), which, as you can see from the dark, dark crust on today's cinnamon bread, is not perfect.

Once More Into the Breech Granada

2011-01-28T13:20:00.000-06:00

Again with the trip outta the country to satisfy my legal status, and this time I managed to remember to take a few pictures:

At the border (on the Nicaragua side), waiting for the immigration process to finish...

They're redoing the immigration station on the Nica side....

Most of the houses in the old part of Granada have blank outer walls, with only a large door opening on to the street. Not so this house, which has been under renovation all the times I've been in town. I think it's done.

Part of the second floor of the house, open to the breezes (and views)

The rest of the front of the house. Not modest, at all, eh?

The "new" pedestrian mall just to the east (that's the lake side) of the Parque Centro, just behind the yellow cathedral.

another view of the mall. I had dinner in the restaurant in the right foreground (where the menu lectern is). They had a whole page of tipico (typical) Nicaraguan plates, and the food was quite good.

Looking back on the ped mall, as the day ended....

Looking toward Parque Centro (cathedral on the left) and the west, as the sky darkened

The courtyard of Hotel El Club, where I always stay.

The rest of the courtyard.

Part of the wind farm just north of the Costa Rica - Nicaragua border. On the other side of the highway (and the other side of the bus, hence no picture) is the rest of the farm... and Lake Nicaragua with the Ometepe voclano in the middle (here's a picture I didn't take, showing that view)

Waiting in line on the Costa Rica side of the border....

Waiting for customs to search the bus (and all the luggage... except mine for some [*cough* Gringo *cough*] reason)...

Finally, back in Costa Rica for another 90 days, the sun setting over Guanacaste.

Framed!

2011-01-15T09:09:00.000-06:00

As mentioned earlier, I'm working on a rolling board, as all our counters are tile with 1/8"+ grout seams, which, if I wanted a large waffle design on my biscuits and such would be fine. Since I don't though, I make this:

Here's the four pieces of the frame laid out after cutting. Not bad for doing it without clamps and such. (Also shows the dining table which was out in the "shop" for a couple new coats of poly)

In the previous post I showed the blocks in the "cut" arrangement. Here they are in the "hold the pieces in place for drilling" arrangement. I simply screwed them to the worktop. This is the final corner, and it came together pretty well.

Closeup of the above, showing ... it closer. (also note my carpenter's calculator at top :) )

After putting the frame together I realized I needed a center crosspiece, so I half lapped it into place (should have been done before assembly, for those keeping score, but I managed to not break anything) and then glued the top onto the frame. Then stained and poly'ed the underside.

And here's the thing on the counter, waiting for me to use it (the plywood top is poly'ed, but not stained). Pretty, eh?

And now I think I'll go make some cinnamon bread.

Half a Lap Is Better Than No Lap &etc....

2011-01-12T13:03:00.000-06:00

So what has Bob the Builder been up to since finishing the bunks, you might ask. If you did, then here's the answer -- with PICTURES!!

(and if you din't, then why are you reading this? Huh?)

Okay, I didn't do this, but I took the picture: Looking north from the front door (and across the neighbors privacy wall)


...and looking west.

Then I knocked together a "Tater Bin" -- happy coincidence was that I didn't have to do any cuts at all, these pieces were all cutoffs and ends from the bunk bed

Tater Bin (showing workbench -- which I think is so pretty... shame it's gonna get all beat up as I continue using it, but that 's the nature/purpose/ "raisin deeter" of a workbench

Tater Bin laden (that's LAY-din) and in position (the counter isn't level at that point, which exaggerated the angled rough end of the back board and makes the thing look somewhat Dali-esque, I think)

Today I'm working on a frame for a rolling board -- all our counters are tile, with depressed grout lines, so it's hard to roll anything smooth. I've got some leftover plywood from the beds (see large piece in background above) and I'm doing a half-lap frame on which to mount the ply so it stops curling (it's only 5mm thick).

What you see is what I've got -- no clamps yet -- so I've rigged some blocks to hold the pieces as I cut the laps. Then I'll move the blocks around to use as a "frame holder" as I do the assembly.

My "workshop", showing the one power tool - a non-reversible drill.

Now That's a Bunk Bed

2011-01-01T10:53:00.001-06:00

On The Sixth Day of Christmas....

2010-12-31T17:31:00.000-06:00

We (and it's we now because Jen has been doing most of the painting) finished [basically] the bunk beds!

Since my last posting, this has happened:

After removing the old bunks, Raxi helped us carry in the new pieces


I had decided to reuse the old side rails and slats, so we had to line up and drill holes for those bolts

once the bottom was in place we brought in the top

18 majillion bolts later, it was all together!

And now it's mostly painted!

Stay On Target, or Bunk Bed Saga - Part Foot

2010-12-28T18:01:00.000-06:00

Back on track today, I went to the lumber yard to get some 1x10s for the shelves that will be at the foot of the bed (I had bought 1x6s originally, but we decided that deeper shelves would be better). I cut and sanded the shelves, then began the assembly:


shelves laid out, ready to begin bolting

The semi-tedious part, tightening 24 4" lag bolts*, begins:

12 down 12 to go


them bolts is tight

Then the really tedious part, tightening 24 6" lag bolts:

thassa lotta bolt

But I did have help, feline:

"I getchu a bolt"

and torque:

kitteh say "puuush"


a wrenching experience

Finally, it were done:

This footshelf unit is 9 Jambas high

Tomorrow, the headboard and, hopefully, some assembly in the bedroom!

Wherein the Track Gets Sided

2010-12-27T19:13:00.000-06:00

Where were we...

Oh, right, I was building bunk beds for the girls for Christmas.

Well, that didn't get done, thanks of a combination of a spell of vertigo on my part and lack of the exact right tools (I needed an auger bit to get the holes drilled properly). So, on Christmas day, the girls each got a 1x4, and I showed them the drawing of what will be their new beds. They were/are thrilled. :)

Also, with my new monitor I had to remove the shelf unit on my desk, as it was built to fit around the old, smaller monitor. So today, I decided to build the new shelf unit (because all the stuff I had on the old one is in a box, and, as it's pretty much all stuff I use on a regular basis, I don't like being able to get to it). And the girls are at their dad's until Saturday, so I've got time.

But first, I decided to [finally] build my workbench, some of the material for which has been in the carport for several months. Using that and the cut-offs from the bed lumber, I put together a workable workbench (is there any other kind?).


legs and top frame assembled


cutting the top boards

instant (almost) worktable!!

Ahhh, now I can cut/nail/screw/sand/assemble up at a comfortable height and not on the floor (or on the kitchen counter)!

On to the shelf unit, which I had drawn up on Google Sketchup:


new shelves on old desktop

My photographer was busy elsewhere while I was putting it together, so no action shots, but here's the thing, done and in place (varnish still just a bit tacky so I haven't loaded it down yet):

ta da!

As you can see, although I got sidetracked, I still accomplished a good bit. Tomorrow, it's back to the bunks. But now I'll be able to use my new workbench!!

...Our Story So Far...

2010-12-23T10:44:00.001-06:00

Following up on yesterday's post, I've now done all the cuts (thanks to Jen's NB1 for the loan of the Skil saw - cutting 4x4s with a handsaw wouldnae been much fun) and now have ....

Pile o' Bed

Pile o' Bed 2

Next step, drilling all the holes and, as Norm Abram would say it, "assembuly".

Then it's off to the finish room -- oh, wait. This isn't The New Yankee Workshop, and I don't have a finish room. But I will be staining and polyurethaning my li'l brains out this afternoon and in the morning.

Stay Tuned...

2010-12-22T12:43:00.000-06:00

... as I turn this:

4x4s, 2x4s, 1x4s, and 1x6s awaiting their fate

which is also this:

and a sheet of plywood, which

and also too as well this:

is in the trades called a "potato chip" because it's all warped (not a problem)

into this:

for Robin and Julia's Christmas present.

First Blog Christmas Song of the Season

2010-12-13T20:43:00.000-06:00

Frank Kelly's "Christmas Countdown" (heard on the LiveIreland Celtic Christmas Radio )

Quote of the .... However Long It's Been Since I Posted Anything

2010-11-21T17:39:00.000-06:00

On the myth of "Liberal Media":

Furthermore, as far as I can tell, this 'liberal media' meme is not just a necessary article of faith for the culties, but also increasingly a total fallacy. The rest of the media follows along the news cycle that starts with the Conservative cult media - they are still looking at it from a traditional perspective, where they're trying to 'outscoop' by getting to these stories first. They have yet to realise that this is futile, because FOX and the cult media manufactures these stories, and thus they cannot be beaten to the scoop. And so they continue following along, reporting on the stories that appear to be catching public attention, apparently oblivious to the fact that these stories are created out of whole cloth by an agenda-driven propaganda machine.

By the commenter Renaissance_Man at Little Green Footballs

Today in "Things One Doesn't Often See"

2010-10-31T13:55:00.000-06:00

No, not a sane Teabagger.

No, not a coherent Democratic Party.

No, just this:

PROOF! that there's practically NO climate change.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

2010-10-09T15:21:00.001-06:00

I'm a bit late with this one, but last night there was a strong earthquake.

USGS data from their earthquake site:

And the 'graph from OVSICORI, the Volcano and Seismic Center at the National University (UNA)

The center of the quake was about 20 miles from here, and if you know anything about Costa Rica, about 2 miles west of the caldera of Poas Volcano.

My experience of this one was: a low shake for a moment, which grew to a large shake and then strong side to side movement for about 3-4 seconds... just long enough to make you wonder if it was gonna stop any time soon. Certainly the most ... impressive ... quake I've experienced in the 19 months I've been in Costa Rica.

All in all, pretty dang cool. :)

Where I Steal Funnies From Lockwood (Again)

2010-10-03T18:37:00.000-06:00

He's got this week's Sunday Funnies up, and they're great !!

And, of course, I steal my faves:

Two LOLCATS

And the reason why Star Trek beats Star Wars every time :

I'd Buy That

2010-09-19T21:16:00.000-06:00

I laughed out loud at several this week, including two really good ST:TNG-based ones... and I especially liked this one:

I'm speaking of Lockwood's weekly feature, The Sunday Funnies, of course. Go ye and check it out!

Hey...

2010-09-18T19:12:00.000-06:00

Remember when I lived here?

Me, too.

Cool, Cool Considerate Men.... or, "Why I'm Glad to Live in Costa Rica, Part 3,235"

2010-09-16T08:59:00.000-06:00

Because the following are all candidates for election who have already passed the primary hurdle:

Via Dr. Monkey

Post title from this:

Ze Science, Eet Is Cool

2010-09-14T18:30:00.000-06:00

Roman medicine found in a shipwreck:

[...]

Within the kit, the archaeologists found a bleeding cup, a surgery hook and a mortar. They also recovered 136 drug vials made of boxwood and several tin containers carrying circular, flat green tablets -- each about three centimeters wide and half a centimeter thick. Because they were sealed, the pills were completely dry even though they had been laying on the sea floor for millennia.

[...]

After comparing the sequences to the GenBank genetic database maintained by the US National Institutes of Health, he identified many plants typical of a vegetable garden, including carrot, radish, parsley, celery, wild onion and cabbage. Alfalfa, yarrow and the more exotic hibiscus were also part of the mix.

"The plants match those described in ancient texts such as those by the ancient Greek physicians Dioscorides and Galen. However, more work has to be done since we do not have the complete sequence for each plant, but only fragments which could belong to other species as well," Touwaide said.

I didn't know that pills had been around for that long....

Yup, This is What All Political Ads Look Like to Me

2010-09-14T10:31:00.002-06:00

If It's Sunday, ....

2010-09-12T19:40:00.000-06:00

...then Lockwood must have his weekly laugh-fest posted:

Good as ever, Mr. DeWitt!

Blog Note

2010-09-09T00:21:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to point out that I've added a new page to the blog, "In Remembrance of my Mom", the link to which is just below the header picture. I have the post below, her obituary, and the text of one of the tributes from her memorial service. As time passes I will probably be adding more memories of her life.

Click on it if you feel like it, but by no means feel that I will be offended if you don't. It's mostly there so I'll have it all in one place. (Although I will say that the tribute contains some perfect images of my mom :) )

Thanks again to all who have expressed their condolences, both here and elsewhere.

Loves Ya, Mom

2010-09-03T21:39:00.000-06:00

This is the oldest photo, of which I know, of my Mother... from around 1946, possibly a year or two earlier. She was attending Duke Divinity School, where she met my Dad. In the lower right, you might (if you click to embiggen) be able to make out the words, "Loves Ya, Mary" that she signed on the picture for my Dad. Mom was the first woman to graduate from Duke Divinity, and in fact had to push the dean of the school to create a "Women's Program", because back then there just weren't any women ministers.

There is a matching photo of my Dad, and the two were framed and hanging on the wall of their bedroom when I was a kid.

The photo to the right was taken about ten years later, still before I was born, when my family lived in Alaska. There still weren't any women preachers in the Methodist Church, so Mom was a Preacher's Wife, and mother of four young kids. Well, in Alaska she was an Administrator's Wife, because the family moved up there for Dad to be Administrator of the Jesse Lee Children's Home, which was then in Seward.

We skip about forty years, to the mid 1990s. In this photo we see Mom dressed as Mrs. Claus, with my Dad as Ole St. Nick himself. It was taken the first or second Christmas that my folks spent at the Arbor Acres United Methodist Retirement Community. (That is Dad's real beard, by the way, and hence the Mr. and Mrs. Claus bit)

In this last photo we have Mom, taken this past Christmas when Jen's parents stopped by for a visit with my folks. Mom was already in the Special Care Hospice of Arbor Acres, suffering from congestive heart failure.

Mom lived a life pledged to service: to the family as mom, to the church as minister's wife and lay leader, to the community as teacher and volunteer. She was a wonderful woman (not that I'm biased) and lived a long, full, happy life, and she told me several years ago that she was looking forward to what came next... and now she knows.

My Mother, Mary Luke Rutledge, passed away this evening.
10 February 1921 - 3 September 2010

Years and years ago, I asked Mom what her favorite tune was. She didn't hesitate a bit before telling me it was Finlandia, by Jean Sibelius -- also known as "This is My Song" or "Be Still, My Soul". I hoped to post either audio or video of the hymn being sung in memory of my dear mother. But since this is the internet (and because I couldn't find such), I have a video of a group Chinese university students in Hong Kong singing the original words, which can be seen over at Wikipedia -- in, apparently, Finnish (I don't speak either Mandarin or Finnish, but based on the comments at YouTube... well, you get the point).

Here are the words, as written in the Methodist Hymnal, that I know for the tune, and that Mom knew and loved:

This is my song, oh God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine.
But other lands have sunlight too and clover,
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
This is my song, oh God of all the nations;
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my prayer, oh Lord of all earth's kingdoms
Thy kingdom come on earth thy will be done.
Let Christ be lifted up till all shall serve him.
And hearts united learn to live as one.
Oh hear my prayer, oh God of all the nations.
Myself I give thee; let thy will be done.

Loves Ya Mom,
Your Baby Boy

Want Want WANT

2010-08-31T18:50:00.000-06:00

Photos taken by some friends of mine, interpreters at the Hickory Ridge Homestead, on a "field trip" to Old Salem, in Winston-Salem, NC.

Woodshop

Woodshop

In Which I Am In Agreement With Abraham Lincoln*

2010-08-28T19:42:00.000-06:00

(via Lockwood DeWitt)

*Me being in agreement with Abraham Lincoln, as I know him to have been, is not especially noteworthy, but I needed a title for this post.

Latest Projects

2010-08-28T12:19:00.000-06:00

It's hard to see, and this is the best shot my poor li'l camera could manage, but at the left end of the kitchen bar, there is a shelf (covered with stuff already, of course). The new shelf allowed us to move all the spices and such from on top of the microwave and thereby move the coffeemaker from the bar to the microwave. Which allows a lot more open space on the bar. Which, I'm told, looks better. :)

Another project, a bit more complicated (c'mon, a shelf is just a chunk of board after all), was to build a little desk for the girls' room, so we could put the computer that had been living on one end of the dining table -- with its massive CRT monitor -- in their room.

Jen's boss gave her a couple of old (non-funcional) solar panels -- or, as Julia calls them "panner solos", with the remark "Bob could use one to build a desk." And so I did. To the right we see one of the panels.

And here are some of the pieces/parts, preparing to be assembled into the new desk.

And, finally, a shot of the (mostly) finished desk, set up in the girls' room, where it is being enjoyed immensely. Well, not at the moment, because it's the weekend, which means the girls aren't here. The girls will be painting the desk (the panel/top lifts right out of the framework, so they won't paint it)... I believe the latest plan is "black with white musical notes".

We hope to do some upgrades soon and be able to get rid of the CRT, which will make the desk even more usable.

The End.

Introducing.....

2010-08-21T11:18:00.000-06:00

The New Kitteh on the Block:

Yet to be named, 'cause for we just got her from the shelter an hour ago.

She and Raxi have been introduced, and the expected growling and hissing has commenced -- although Raxi's protestations are already seeming a bit de riguer, so I 'spect all will be well very soon.

Эти образы невероятно! (Eti Obrazy Neveroyatno!)

2010-08-21T09:25:00.000-06:00

Well, that's what Google Translate says the Russian is for "These Images Are Incredible!" and I must agree.

Stealing the blockquote, as I have the post, from Lockwood DeWitt:

...Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944) undertook a photographic survey of the Russian Empire with the support of Tsar Nicholas II. He used a specialized camera to capture three black and white images in fairly quick succession, using red, green and blue filters, allowing them to later be recombined and projected with filtered lanterns to show near true color images.

Go to Boston.com's Big Picture to see the whole incredible full-size gallery of images.

To Boldly Evolve...

2010-08-03T22:46:00.000-06:00

Via FB....

2010-08-01T19:45:00.000-06:00

From Lockwood DeWitt's Sunday Funnies. You must check them all out.

All-Time Obstructionism

2010-07-31T18:53:00.000-06:00

I knew the Republicans in Congress were doing all they could to block presidential nominees, but holy crap!!

And so the government limps along, not being able to be effective, and the same Republicans who cause the problem claim -- without admitting they caused it -- that it's proof that government is ineffective.

Sheesh.

Tiny House Movement

2010-07-30T11:06:00.000-06:00

This makes the old Secret Lair ( aka '73 Winnebago) look big... and the house we live in here in Costa Rica positively HUGE!!

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Pics from Granada

2010-07-29T21:45:00.000-06:00

Here's a sampling from my latest "border run" to Granada, Nicaragua (to satisfy my passport status):

Mid-day in Parque Central

Capitalism at work

The garden (courtyard) at the Garden Café

Waiting for the bus outta town, there's a lumber yard across the street

The municipal building, complete with helpful policeman.

More Childish Childhood Memories

2010-07-24T20:25:00.000-06:00

Remember LPs? Records?

I know all of you do.

When I was a kid, I used to listen to records all the time. My parents' and my "own" (I didn't buy them , and many of them were a part of the household before I even came along, but as my sibs were all muuch older [or so it seemed at the time] than me, the records were mine). So at a young age I was well-versed in The Sons of the Pioneers, Harry Belafonte, Bing Crosby -- and lots of the Walt Disney records.

Which brings us to tonight's memory:

Kipling's Just So Stories, read by the inimitable Sterling Holloway (who was also the voice of Pooh Bear).

Can't you just hear him saying "the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River"?

Kitteh Pics

2010-07-24T15:13:00.000-06:00

Guard Kitteh -- "protecting" the front step

Carred Kitteh - Raxi likes to be in the car, as long as two conditions are met. 1) no one else is in the car and, 2) the engine isn't running... because if those two things happen, that means she's going to the place with the metal table and the man who pokes and prods at her. Kitteh no like that.

Does Your Dog Bite?

2010-07-21T20:41:00.002-06:00

One Years Ago

2010-07-11T08:18:00.002-06:00

A year ago today, I got a kitteh:

Look how much smaller I am now:

Oh, wait. I guess it's Raxacoricofallapatorius has gotten bigger.

Happy Raxi Day*, everyone!

(*aka, my birthday)

Something About This Isn't Right

2010-07-06T17:04:00.000-06:00

...but I can't quite put my finger on what it is.......

Can't Let the Opportunity Pass By...

2010-07-04T08:57:00.000-06:00

...to post something from The Bestest Movie EVAH^tm, aka 1776.

Happy Independence Day to all you ~~subjects~~ citizens!

And now we're off to the beach....

Photo Dump

2010-06-23T20:26:00.000-06:00

I used my camera today, and found some left-overs from ... the past. Some were worth posting, and so here they are:

Two months ago I went on a "Passport Run" to Nicaragua. It was a three day visit and I took a grand total of four photos, all at the bus stop crossing the mountains between here and the Pacific region in Costa Rica....

This one is from about two weeks ago, when I managed to catch Raxi chillin' on the car....

And these last two from today. It got very foggy and then rained hard for about 20 minutes, then cleared off....

Almost A Shame They Changed the Name....

2010-06-21T19:52:00.000-06:00

Anyone remember what the former name (in the US, at least) of the petrocompany responsible for the current oil disaster was?

Irony, it is here.

This'll Make You Smile

2010-06-15T08:22:00.000-06:00

I've Seen The Mountains of NC... They're Real

2010-06-09T14:40:00.003-06:00

As all'a y'all know, before I moved to Costa Rica I had lived my entire life in Teh Mountains of North Carolina. Now, what most'a y'all don't know is that as far as the State (as in official, gummint-type things) is concerned, the mountains and, indeed, most of "Western North Carolina" get short shrift. Politics by the rich and for the rich is far from a new concept in NC and, historically, it was landed gentry in the eastern portions of the state that controlled things.

I had thought that was not so much anymore, but I followed a link to a news story earlier today, and couldn't get past the banner at the top of the page:

Here's a map of NC (with some crude annotation):

(Sandhills area is part of the Coastal Plain)

Does anyone notice what part of that map is missing from the banner of "N.C.'s only statewide news channel"???

Oy.

Ever wonder how fast your connection really is?

2010-06-07T23:31:00.003-06:00

I like to doublecheck from time to time, and make sure we're getting what we pay for.

(click the pic to test your own connection)

We are.
.

Memory Lane

2010-06-03T11:35:00.004-06:00

I remember reading, when I was a wee lad, a book about a steam shovel that dug a hole it couldn't get out of. Now, when I say remember, I really mean I have vague recollections, so I couldn't recall any more of the story (and I know that the memories were from over 4 decades ago). Every once in a while I would recall these snippets, but couldn't ever remember more.

Just now, I had a thought of it and -- finally -- used Teh Google to see if I could find it.

Anyone else remember this book?

Here's the Wikilink for the book.

And the first page of the story:

And a funny re-reading of the story (which shows the illustrations from the book):

Out Like a Lion?

2010-05-31T21:53:00.003-06:00

Okay, it's May, not March, but we just had another temblor here. This one a 6.1 magnitude in basically the same spot as a 5.9 mag a couple weeks ago. There was also a 4.9 last week, near the same location, and a 4.8 about 100 miles up the coast, off Nicaragua, within the last week.

Tonight via Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (National University Vulcanology and Seismic Observatory):

The one tonight wasn't as strong here in the house as the 5.9 the other day, but the waves propagate differently ... or some such thing. I really need to become more knowledgeable about terrremotos (earthquakes), since I'm now a first-hand observer on (apparently) a regular basis.....

Science: Still So Cool

2010-05-21T19:15:00.003-06:00

(photo taken by Cassini spacecraft, click to enlargimacate)

The big moon is Rhea, seen from 1.2 million kilometers (750,000 miles) away, and the little one below it is Epimetheus, from 1.6 million km (990,000 miles) away. Perspective makes them look right next to each other, but in reality the distance between them is the same as the Moon from the Earth! Saturn and its rings provide the backdrop for this stunning alien portrait.

From here, with more info for the spacially-inclined.

It's Not News Unless It Fits the Narrative

2010-05-19T15:46:00.000-06:00

Did you hear about the terrorist attack in Florida last week? Unless you live in Jacksonville, you probably haven't. Outside of local news (and, now, online), there's been no mention of this act -- even dismissed as a "deranged individual" or a "one-off".

Despicable.

This is the direct result of profit-driven news divisions.

Revisionist Much?

2010-05-17T16:32:00.001-06:00

You may remember the Texas Board of (mis)Education, controlled by people with -- at best -- a tenuous grasp of reality ... and a huge rightwingnutty bent? We've seen before that they removed Thomas Jefferson from the Enlightenment influences, the term "capitalism", and inflating the importance of Conservative Causes over the last 30 years.

Well, I just came across this tidbit:

The education board has dropped references to the slave trade in favour of calling it the more innocuous "Atlantic triangular trade", and recasts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as driven by Islamic fundamentalism.

As disgusting as this is, it does give me the opportunity to post a clip from Teh Bestest Movie EVAR, aka 1776:

Pay No Attention, For This Shall Likely Be Deleted Momentarily

2010-05-16T14:29:00.002-06:00

Having issues with the page and the refreshing thereof.

Don't Hear This Much Anymore

2010-05-15T12:11:00.001-06:00

Reading this post by Zymurgian over at Pygalgia's place, about the use of recordings of train horns at railroad crossings (because the real thing is, apparently, too much for the neighbors to bear) reminded me of a couple things.

This:

Tweetsie Railroad (located just outside of Blowing Rock, NC)

which I used to love hearing when I lived in Boone (and the wind was blowing in the right direction),

This All Things Considered piece from 2005 about recordings of train whistles (and photos),

And visiting my (maternal) grandmother in West Virginia. Her house was next to the railroad and the trains whistle sound is an integral part of my memories of my Grandmother.

What IS the Nature of the Danger?

2010-05-13T09:43:00.002-06:00

Via Crooks & Liars, Ezra Klein interviews economist James Galbraith (Washington Post online):

EK: You think the danger posed by the long-term deficit is overstated by most economists and economic commentators.

JG: No, I think the danger is zero. It's not overstated. It's completely misstated.

EK: Why?

JG: What is the nature of the danger? The only possible answer is that this larger deficit would cause a rise in the interest rate. Well, if the markets thought that was a serious risk, the rate on 20-year treasury bonds wouldn't be 4 percent and change now. If the markets thought that the interest rate would be forced up by funding difficulties 10 year from now, it would show up in the 20-year rate. That rate has actually been coming down in the wake of the European crisis. [emphasis by Bob]

So there are two possibilities here. One is the theory is wrong. The other is that the market isn't rational. And if the market isn't rational, there's no point in designing policy to accommodate the markets because you can't accommodate an irrational entity.

Hmmmm, does that mean all the "Reduce The Deficit NOW!!" cries are simply a magician's flourish to distract from what the other hand is doing????

C&L has a video that goes along with this also, of another interview (link above)

An Amusing Little Quiz For D&D Geeks

2010-05-12T08:53:00.001-06:00

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Druid (7th Level)

Ability Scores:
Strength-12
Dexterity-15
Constitution-16
Intelligence-18
Wisdom-18
Charisma-14

Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.

Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.

Class:
Druids gain power not by ruling nature but by being at one with it. They hate the unnatural, including aberrations or undead, and destroy them where possible. Druids receive divine spells from nature, not the gods, and can gain an array of powers as they gain experience, including the ability to take the shapes of animals. The weapons and armor of a druid are restricted by their traditional oaths, not simply training. A druid's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that they can cast.

Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

USA: Home of the Proudly Stupid

2010-05-11T20:24:00.001-06:00

Oy. Via LGF, comes this:

Today’s right wing jawdropper: in Alabama, the “True Republican PAC” is running an advertisement mocking Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne for supporting the teaching of evolution in schools.

Yes, you read that right — these “True Republicans” are so proudly, invincibly ignorant that they’re making fun of a fellow Republican for not being a moron.

Except — Byrne actually is a moron too, just like the “True Republicans.” And he’s outraged that his moron credentials were questioned.

Byrne responds to this “despicable attack” with a statement: “I have never wavered in my belief that this world and everything in it is a masterpiece created by the hands of God… I fought to ensure the teaching of creationism in our school text books.”

[...]

The group that’s funding the “True Republican PAC?”

The Alabama Education Association.

Kitteh Tacks!!!!

2010-05-09T17:29:00.001-06:00

Lockwood's weekly feature, Sunday Funnies, is up and here's my personal fave of this excellent batch:

Go have a look-see fer yerselves....

The Empire NAS Strikes Back

2010-05-08T12:50:00.002-06:00

Via Little Green Footballs, I find this:

Open letter: Climate change and the integrity of science

We are deeply disturbed by the recent escalation of political assaults on scientists in general and on climate scientists in particular. All citizens should understand some basic scientific facts. There is always some uncertainty associated with scientific conclusions; science never absolutely proves anything. When someone says that society should wait until scientists are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never take action. For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet.

[snip]

Many recent assaults on climate science and, more disturbingly, on climate scientists by climate change deniers, are typically driven by special interests or dogma, not by an honest effort to provide an alternative theory that credibly satisfies the evidence....

The letter is signed by 255 members of the (US) National Academy of Sciences, and the complete text is available at The Guardian online.

Resistance is Futile

2010-05-01T09:45:00.001-06:00

I'm not normally a big fan of GIF animated images, because the go and go and go and go, but the intersection of ST:TNG and the BSOD is irresistable. (h/t to Lockwood)
GIF moved to here.

As the Man Said, Like...

2010-04-23T18:19:00.001-06:00

(click image to read small print)
"the Man" being Lockwood DeWitt, over at his blog.

Sangin'

2010-04-18T19:39:00.002-06:00

I think I might have posted this here before, but the subject came up in discussion elsewhere,... so, here again by popular -- well, not unpopular -- demand, me singing as part of a quartet, during the pre-show entertainment for Horn in the West, August 1996:

The song is "Knock Under", which is a sometime part of the play (it wasn't at that time). Also, apologies for the bad quality, it's a recording of the TV playing the VHS tape.

Lluvia Grande

2010-04-16T16:15:00.001-06:00

Remember that video I posted about a year ago, of a torrential downpour? Well, it's that time of year again. My camera batteries need recharging, so I couldn't do video today, but I did take a couple still photos afterward, one of which turned out okay....

That catches the darkness of the rain-soaked wall and the fog off towards the mountaintops rather nicely, I do believe.

Why I Like Reading the Christian Science Monitor

2010-04-14T19:55:00.000-06:00

The option included destinations such as asteroids, Lagrange points on the Earth's orbital path around the sun that could be sites for space stations, and Mars.

How many of you know what a "Lagrange point" is?

(it's this)

I'm not so thrilled with the Obama Administration's plans for the US' future presence in space -- not so much the whats, but the whens... article here.

Monday Music

2010-04-12T19:44:00.002-06:00

Little Feat - "Let It Roll"

Ominous Wallbird Breaking; A Post in Three Pictures

2010-04-09T20:14:00.000-06:00

Looking North just before sunset a couple days ago


There were four birds, three of them fighting, and a gust of wind blew one off the wall.

Raxi is weird. And broken often.

Yea Duke!!

2010-04-05T21:46:00.002-06:00

Congrats to the Blue Devils, 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Champions!!

...You Know Where To Find Me

2010-03-23T14:09:00.002-06:00

A year ago today, I typed "If Anybody Needs Me...", clicked PUBLISH POST and got on a plane bound for San José, Costa Rica.

The plane landed a year ago and a couple of minutes.

Guess I'm not a newbie any more!

And Now I Know -- Finally

2010-03-19T20:30:00.005-06:00

About 12 years ago, my good friend Micheal burned me a mix CD before moving from Asheville, NC to Albuquerque, NM. It was filled with all sorts of musical goodness, including, of course, a couple of tracks by the Grateful Dead, and ended with a beautiful track that combined percussion, cellos and Navajo chants.

When I listened to that track I was mesmerized. It was so totally different and fantastic. Unfortunately, Michael didn't get the name of the track (he found it online), and ever since then I've been trying -- on and off -- to identify it.

Enter tonight. Jen's sister is here for a visit and has an unidentified CD that we were trying to find out what it was (we haven't been able to yet), and in the course of that attempt, I came across a free program that claims to be able to id songs by the sound. After I tried Lisa's CD, I put in that mix CD and ....

The song is Yehe-Noha, on the album Chants and Dances of Native Americans, by the German artist Claus Zundel, performing under the name "Sacred Spirit". It was apparently a worldwide sensation when it first came out. A couple years ago I uploaded it to a free music hosting site that has since gone out of commission, but there's a sample of the song here.

Where's My Coonskin Cap When I Need It?

2010-03-18T18:40:00.002-06:00

I guess it depends on your age (and where you're from, to an extent) as to which of the following means most to you, but the singer of the first and the one who appears in both videos is Fess Parker -- Davy Crockett or Dan'l Boone, your choice -- and he died today at the age of 85.

Being from NC, and having lived just a few miles from where Daniel Boone lived before moving to Kentucky and opening the Wilderness Road, I'll always identify Parker with "ole Dan'l".

Chanelling Copying Roger Ebert

2010-03-18T15:58:00.002-06:00

From a couple days ago comes Roger Ebert's masterful takedown of Glenn Beck. Here's my favorite bit:

Beck even went so far as to cite Jesus Christ, saying, and I quote: "Nowhere does Jesus say, Hey, if somebody asks for your shirt, give your coat to the government and have the government give them a pair of slacks." Well, Beck has me there. It is quite true that nowhere does Jesus say that. Nor, for that matter, does he ever say, A wop bop a lu bop, a wop bam boom!

Tutti Frutti, thy name is Glenn Beck.

(h/t to PZ Myers, who needs me linking to him like I need to gain a few pounds, but there it is)

I Wonder If Any Of Them Were Moving?

2010-03-18T15:21:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time, I drove a Volkswagen Beetle (1974 model). It was a dozen years old or so when I bought it, and, as was normal for them, there were little things that would go wrong with it from time to time. A couple of times I literally fixed it with duct tape and/or bailing wire. I loved that car and drove it to death -- when I traded it in for the first of two Suzuki Samurais I owned, I coasted the last 1/2 mile to the dealership with a completely dead engine.

I used to be pretty handy at fixing things on whatever vehicle I owned, up to and including adjusting timing and replacing head gaskets and such.

But not any more. Cars today are run by computers, and the mechanical parts are supplemental to the computers. Which makes this story pretty much inevitable:

In the college town of Austin, Texas, a disgruntled hacker apparently managed to override a remote vehicle-immobilization system called Webtech Plus, effectively shutting down dozens of cars and setting off alarms on dozens more.

I tried to convince some people with money (aka potential investors) that the time was right to bring back the Model T -- well, a comparable but not-quite-the-same vehicle, because I wouldn't be doing it for the Ford Motor Corporation's benefit.

Think about it. A car that gets you to where you're going without all the extra crap that all cars have now. And could be fixed by the owner without a computer hookup. Maybe I should try again.

There Is No Pie in This Post, But If There Were It Would Be Green

2010-03-17T07:23:00.004-06:00

Céad Míle Fáilte!*

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!**

Erin go Bragh!*

And other various Gaelic sayings apropos to the day!

Reel Around the Sun (the opening number from Riverdance)

Kiss Me I'm Irish, Gaelic Storm

Johnny Tarr, Gaelic Storm

Midnight Walker, Davey Spillane

Derry Air (aka Danny Boy), Davey Spillane and Sinead O'Connor

*a thousand welcomes
**the blessings of St. Patrick upon you
***Ireland forever

Your Daily Pie Update

2010-03-16T16:08:00.001-06:00

Today's update is ... there's no more pie.

We done et it all.

4.1415927 or Pi Day Plus One

2010-03-15T19:41:00.003-06:00

So we shared some of The Pie with the girls for dessert tonight (they were at their dad's last week), and a) they pronounced it The Best Pie Ever (can't really argue with that as it's always been the favorite of all the pies my mom makes, and b) they wanted to know why it's called "Chess Pie" (the chocolate part was self-apparent).

Turns out no one really knows why it's called Chess Pie. There are theories, including the possibility that it's a corruption of Cheese Pie, and that in the South, whence comest this culinary delight, pies used to be stored in a piece of furniture called a "pie safe":

But my favorite theory (which, as a native Southern speaker, makes total sense) is that the name derived from saying it was "just pie" ---> "jes' pie" in the vernacular, and that became chess pie.

Anyway, I also found (whilst searching for the why) this old recipe from Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery

To make very good chee[secakes without] cheese curd
Take a quart of cream, & when it boyles take 14 eggs; If they be very yallow take out 2 or 3 of the youlks; put them into [the] cream when it boyles & keep it with continuall stirring till it be thick like curd. [Then] put into it sugar & currans, of each halfe a pound; ye currans must first be plumpt in faire water; then take a pound of butter & put into the curd a quarter of [that] butter; [then] take a quart of fine flowre, & put [the] resto of [the] butter to it in little bits, with 4 or 5 spoonsfulls of faire water, make [the] paste of it & when it is well mingled beat it on a table & soe roule it out.. Then put [the] curd into [the] paste, first putting therein 2 nutmeggs slyced, a little salt, & a little rosewater; [the] eggs must be well beaten before you put them in; & for [your] paste you may make them up into what fashion you please..."

Pretty cool ,eh?

The Time Has Come, The Walrus Said

2010-03-14T17:19:00.003-06:00

To speak of many things.... ...Of Broken Cats and Pi(es).

Happy Pi Day, everybody!!

In honor of this estimable day, I baked a Chocolate Chess Pie, using my Mom's recipe (which I've uploaded to AllRecipes.com, btw). When it came out of the oven, I got Jen to take a couple pictures (hers is the better camera for indoor close shots):

And here's a shot of Raxicoricofallapatorius ("Raxi", for short), in her usual "broken" sleep pose:

(click on the photos to enlarge them)

Quick Note

2010-03-13T22:35:00.002-06:00

Blogging shall resume, my phriends. Never fear. I've been a bit frustrated by the sheer inanity of what's happening up there in the United ~~Corporations~~ States of America lately, but I'm sure the words will start flowin' soon.

Plus I was feeling puny a good bit of the last week, so....