Moss powered radio. [link]
I'm unclear on how the power is generated. It looks like it's not much different than a lemon battery.
Alien banana. [link]
T-Rex arms were tiny, but powerful. [link]
When did pink become for girls and blue for boys? [link]
The late Fred Phelps hated Mr Rogers. [link]
DARPA's new robot squad. [link]
Read the analysis below the picture. [link]
Gandolf's sword is part of the Iron Throne. [link]
The earliest musical instruments to be played one last time. [link]
Video of an earthquake during the news.
Gravitational waves detected. [link]
Surprising a guy whose theories are proven with this news. [link]
How would a dinosaur move... as determined by a chicken with a plunger on his ass.
800 year old monk found sticking out of a cliff. [link]
Hiding from sound waves. [link]
How to hold your breath for 20 minutes. [link]
Salmon need a new commuter vehicle. [link]
Internet companies say "we're not going to do what you gave us that money for. Do you mind if we keep the money, though?" [link]
Intel is taking the name McAfee off their anti-virus software. [link]
Be sure to watch the video about how to remove McAfee from your computer.
Who is more famous than Jesus? [link]
Translating Lorem Ipsum. [link]
Unintroducing the VW Bus. [link]
How much real estate can $1,000,000 get you? [link]
Whoever did this was shopping in the wrong part of Baltimore.
How much of this will kill me? [link]
Darwin's kids drew on his manuscript. [link]
"No, I like it in here."
A tsunami safe pod. [link]
Sneezing into a trombone.
Obama called Kanye a jackass. [link]
Watch the video in the first comment.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Only the good die young
Update: The old bastard died earlier today.
It's said that only the good die young. Luckily, even the very old, like Fred Phelps, get sick and die. That's right, if you haven't heard already, Fred Phelps, high lord of the bigots, is dying. And, apparently, he was excommunicated from the Westboro Baptist Church last August.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/
Many of us think that Fred is one of the best argument for the Christian faith simply because he makes us want there to be a Hell for him to go to. But, I'm going to take a moment and point something out. Fred will be spending his final days largely alone and unloved. And for that I do feel a twinge of pity for him.
Typically when someone horrible dies someone tries to remind us that the deceased did have some family who have lost a loved one. Not this time. Fred's family is huge. He's had a lot of children and grandchildren. Some of them eventually escaped the family and have reported on how physically and emotionally abusive Fred and the whole Westboro Baptist Church society is. Those members of his family are not going to be sad to see him go. He's been kicked out of his own temple of hate. So the family he's been close to is not going to be sad to see him go. Fred Phelps has almost done for homophobia what Adolf Hitler accomplished for anti-semitism, so the anti-gay rights crowd won't be sad to see him go. In fact, most of America finds his behavior so reprehensible that they're reserving a dance floor to set up at the cemetery after his funeral.
His funeral will be populated mostly by people who are there to make sure he's really dead and protesters there to give him some of his own medicine. The only people who will mourn his passing will be gay rights supporters who probably wouldn't have made such great strides in recent decades without Fred Phelps there to show bigots the kind of company they were keeping.
Some reporters might try to get in to see him and get some idea of his thoughts and motivations before he's gone. But, apparently, the church is keeping people out. It may well be that he was excommunicated for finally coming out of the closet. It wouldn't be surprising at all to find out that his whole campaign against gays has been to cover his own feelings. Nor would it be a surprise to find out that he's lived this life to promote a pro-gay agenda. He did start his career as a civil rights lawyer, after all.
But, I'd put my money on him blaming all those around him for not honoring thy mother and father rather than him owning up to driving away everyone with a pulse. And I'm betting more than one nurse will show up a bit tardy with his pain medication.
Fred, you're a horrible human being and I hope that your church soon follows you to the grave. It does suck that you'll be alone at this point of your life, but you brought it on yourself and you deserve it.
It's said that only the good die young. Luckily, even the very old, like Fred Phelps, get sick and die. That's right, if you haven't heard already, Fred Phelps, high lord of the bigots, is dying. And, apparently, he was excommunicated from the Westboro Baptist Church last August.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/
Many of us think that Fred is one of the best argument for the Christian faith simply because he makes us want there to be a Hell for him to go to. But, I'm going to take a moment and point something out. Fred will be spending his final days largely alone and unloved. And for that I do feel a twinge of pity for him.
Typically when someone horrible dies someone tries to remind us that the deceased did have some family who have lost a loved one. Not this time. Fred's family is huge. He's had a lot of children and grandchildren. Some of them eventually escaped the family and have reported on how physically and emotionally abusive Fred and the whole Westboro Baptist Church society is. Those members of his family are not going to be sad to see him go. He's been kicked out of his own temple of hate. So the family he's been close to is not going to be sad to see him go. Fred Phelps has almost done for homophobia what Adolf Hitler accomplished for anti-semitism, so the anti-gay rights crowd won't be sad to see him go. In fact, most of America finds his behavior so reprehensible that they're reserving a dance floor to set up at the cemetery after his funeral.
His funeral will be populated mostly by people who are there to make sure he's really dead and protesters there to give him some of his own medicine. The only people who will mourn his passing will be gay rights supporters who probably wouldn't have made such great strides in recent decades without Fred Phelps there to show bigots the kind of company they were keeping.
Some reporters might try to get in to see him and get some idea of his thoughts and motivations before he's gone. But, apparently, the church is keeping people out. It may well be that he was excommunicated for finally coming out of the closet. It wouldn't be surprising at all to find out that his whole campaign against gays has been to cover his own feelings. Nor would it be a surprise to find out that he's lived this life to promote a pro-gay agenda. He did start his career as a civil rights lawyer, after all.
But, I'd put my money on him blaming all those around him for not honoring thy mother and father rather than him owning up to driving away everyone with a pulse. And I'm betting more than one nurse will show up a bit tardy with his pain medication.
Fred, you're a horrible human being and I hope that your church soon follows you to the grave. It does suck that you'll be alone at this point of your life, but you brought it on yourself and you deserve it.
Monday, March 17, 2014
The bedroom report
I want you to look at this picture.
That's what my bedroom looked like when I bought this house. That wood paneling and drop ceiling had been there since the 70s. The carpet wasn't as old.
Soon we had it turned into something closer to this.
By this point we had found that the ceiling had fallen on top of the drop ceiling. And the walls behind the wood panelling were ready to slump off into a pile. That the wiring was old enough it may actually have been made by Thomas Edison himself.
The lath and plaster were torn out, bricks were exposed and repointed, the ceiling was raised, new lights and outlets were installed on new circuits, the carpet was torn out, new framing was built on the front wall so someone else could put in spray insulation, drywall was installed, one guy started the mudding and I finished it when he proved unreliable, bead board and chair rails were put in, the walls were painted, a door was installed, the linoleum was removed and the 1945 newspaper underneath it was preserved.
And this is what it looks like now.
I regret that my camera phone doesn't have the wide area available to it to be able to reproduce the pictures you see above. So how about a video, instead? I know, it's bad form to video tape with your camera turned like this, but it wouldn't work the right way.
It's time to get a bed in there.
That's what my bedroom looked like when I bought this house. That wood paneling and drop ceiling had been there since the 70s. The carpet wasn't as old.
Soon we had it turned into something closer to this.
By this point we had found that the ceiling had fallen on top of the drop ceiling. And the walls behind the wood panelling were ready to slump off into a pile. That the wiring was old enough it may actually have been made by Thomas Edison himself.
The lath and plaster were torn out, bricks were exposed and repointed, the ceiling was raised, new lights and outlets were installed on new circuits, the carpet was torn out, new framing was built on the front wall so someone else could put in spray insulation, drywall was installed, one guy started the mudding and I finished it when he proved unreliable, bead board and chair rails were put in, the walls were painted, a door was installed, the linoleum was removed and the 1945 newspaper underneath it was preserved.
And this is what it looks like now.
I regret that my camera phone doesn't have the wide area available to it to be able to reproduce the pictures you see above. So how about a video, instead? I know, it's bad form to video tape with your camera turned like this, but it wouldn't work the right way.
It's time to get a bed in there.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Friday Links: March 14
Between Two Ferns with Barack Obama. [link]
All the streets in North America with your name. [link]
A McDonald's employee got fired for buying food for some cold firefighters. [link]
Fake hoverboard rollout video.
Source of some of the problems at the Olympics.
Congress is demanding a Europa mission from NASA. [link]
Hunter saves deer whose antlers were locked with another deer that was eaten by coyotes. [link]
A crew member of the first Space Shuttle was on the Moon when he heard that the budget for the shuttle program had been approved. [link]
Why Umbridge is so hated. [link]
Franz Liszt was the first rock star. [link]
Washed and blow dried cow. [link]
Failed outdoor movie theater in Egypt. [link]
How to fall in love. [link]
50 cent microscope. [link]
Why does everyone hate Monsanto? [link]
A Turing test for poetry. [link]
The benefits of writing your own obit. [link]
Weird facts about states. [link]
All the streets in North America with your name. [link]
A McDonald's employee got fired for buying food for some cold firefighters. [link]
Fake hoverboard rollout video.
Source of some of the problems at the Olympics.
Congress is demanding a Europa mission from NASA. [link]
Hunter saves deer whose antlers were locked with another deer that was eaten by coyotes. [link]
A crew member of the first Space Shuttle was on the Moon when he heard that the budget for the shuttle program had been approved. [link]
Why Umbridge is so hated. [link]
Franz Liszt was the first rock star. [link]
Washed and blow dried cow. [link]
Failed outdoor movie theater in Egypt. [link]
How to fall in love. [link]
50 cent microscope. [link]
Why does everyone hate Monsanto? [link]
A Turing test for poetry. [link]
The benefits of writing your own obit. [link]
Weird facts about states. [link]
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Pried lath
This is some of the lath I had to pry away from the wall to get the door installed behind it. To the left is some of the horrible wood panelling that covered every wall of the house. And peeking out from behind the lath you and see the drywall strip that keeps me from having to squeeze drywall behind the door frame later.
Sunday, March 09, 2014
House update update
About a week and a half ago I finally got my ceiling painted and the blades put on my ceiling fan. [link] It was a bit premature, but, I could do it and I was sick of mudding, so I did it.
This weekend I did most of the rest of it. I painted the beadboard a dark blue with a hint of grey to it. I finished sanding and mudding around the last window. I painted the walls a grey that turned out darker than I intended. I cleaned up a lot of the plaster dust that has been gathering on the floor. I installed the door. Packed mud behind one chair rail. And I put in the other chair rail. It's finally looking like a bedroom. I honestly think I can go bed shopping next weekend.
The door was the trickiest part. The door I ordered was made the size I asked for. But they added an inch or so to the bottom so that the door would be able to clear any carpet I put down or those metal strips that separate one kind of flooring from another. Which meant that the door was too tall for the space I had. So I shaved off a quarter inch to make it just barely fit.
You want the edge with the hinge to be straight up and down or the door will swing open or closed of it's own accord. Oddly, while the wall stud said it was 90° straight up and down, the door frame, when shoved into place, also said it was 90° straight up and down. This, despite the fact that there was a great deal of space between the door frame and the stud at the top of the door and none at the bottom.
So, shims in place, nails through the shims, and close the door. The door doesn't want to close. I push the door frame above the handle up and the door closes. Fine. Let's just nail it up there. But the nail keeps bending. Maybe because I'm nailing it to 100 year old wood that I salvaged from elsewhere in the house and maybe because the nail is a complete dick. Mind you, the next two nails were complete dicks, too. So I got out the nail gun. I should have started with that, but I was lazy and didn't want to drag it and the compressor out of the basement. So I put the door frame where I want it and hit it with the nail gun. The wood smashes and rains splinters on my face. But it's holding. Fine, whatever, a bit of wood putty will handle that.
What I had just put into place was one side of the door frame. The side with the door. The other side is just supposed to slide into a groove, you put a few small nails in, and it's all good. But, in this case there's a lath and plaster wall starting very close to it. So close, that I have to put the lath either under the door frame or over it. I should say that I put drywall there first. So when I eventually knock out this lath and plaster I won't be having to worry about space between the door frame moulding and the drywall. So the lath already is over the strip of drywall I put in. I had to slip some board under the lath to pry it out so I could slip the moulding of the door frame under it and connect this side of the door frame to the other. It doesn't sound like much if you say it fast. But the lath didn't want to be pried out. So much so that it was warping this side of the door frame. I had to pry the lath away with the board, push the door frame into place with a foot, and beat the crap out of the frame with a rubber mallet to get the tongue and groove of the two sides of the door frame to line up. And then, they didn't want to click together. I had to get a clamp around them and force them together.
I'll try to post some pictures of what I'm talking about this week, but the rooms are a bit small to get proper pictures.
This weekend I did most of the rest of it. I painted the beadboard a dark blue with a hint of grey to it. I finished sanding and mudding around the last window. I painted the walls a grey that turned out darker than I intended. I cleaned up a lot of the plaster dust that has been gathering on the floor. I installed the door. Packed mud behind one chair rail. And I put in the other chair rail. It's finally looking like a bedroom. I honestly think I can go bed shopping next weekend.
The door was the trickiest part. The door I ordered was made the size I asked for. But they added an inch or so to the bottom so that the door would be able to clear any carpet I put down or those metal strips that separate one kind of flooring from another. Which meant that the door was too tall for the space I had. So I shaved off a quarter inch to make it just barely fit.
You want the edge with the hinge to be straight up and down or the door will swing open or closed of it's own accord. Oddly, while the wall stud said it was 90° straight up and down, the door frame, when shoved into place, also said it was 90° straight up and down. This, despite the fact that there was a great deal of space between the door frame and the stud at the top of the door and none at the bottom.
So, shims in place, nails through the shims, and close the door. The door doesn't want to close. I push the door frame above the handle up and the door closes. Fine. Let's just nail it up there. But the nail keeps bending. Maybe because I'm nailing it to 100 year old wood that I salvaged from elsewhere in the house and maybe because the nail is a complete dick. Mind you, the next two nails were complete dicks, too. So I got out the nail gun. I should have started with that, but I was lazy and didn't want to drag it and the compressor out of the basement. So I put the door frame where I want it and hit it with the nail gun. The wood smashes and rains splinters on my face. But it's holding. Fine, whatever, a bit of wood putty will handle that.
What I had just put into place was one side of the door frame. The side with the door. The other side is just supposed to slide into a groove, you put a few small nails in, and it's all good. But, in this case there's a lath and plaster wall starting very close to it. So close, that I have to put the lath either under the door frame or over it. I should say that I put drywall there first. So when I eventually knock out this lath and plaster I won't be having to worry about space between the door frame moulding and the drywall. So the lath already is over the strip of drywall I put in. I had to slip some board under the lath to pry it out so I could slip the moulding of the door frame under it and connect this side of the door frame to the other. It doesn't sound like much if you say it fast. But the lath didn't want to be pried out. So much so that it was warping this side of the door frame. I had to pry the lath away with the board, push the door frame into place with a foot, and beat the crap out of the frame with a rubber mallet to get the tongue and groove of the two sides of the door frame to line up. And then, they didn't want to click together. I had to get a clamp around them and force them together.
I'll try to post some pictures of what I'm talking about this week, but the rooms are a bit small to get proper pictures.
Friday, March 07, 2014
Friday Links: March 7
How do vaccines cause autism? [http://howdovaccinescauseautism.com/]
How the blocks of text on movie posters is built. [link]
When may I shoot one of my students? [link]
Bearing sons can alter your mind. [link]
Turning chickens back into dinosaurs - how's it coming? [link]
Turns out beer and wine wasn't popular because the water was bad. [link]
Chocolate chip cookie shot glass. [link]
Researchers in China have come up with a copper version of graphine. But they gave it the unfortunate name of CuNTs. [link]
Find all the streets in North America with your name. [link]
Russian child has been to a lot of concerts.
Warrior farmers with defensive towers built right into their homes. [link]
Rules of golf during an air raid. [link]
Koala have human looking fingerprints. [link]
5% of people don't react to music. [link]
Pelican learning to fly.
A village for dementia patients. [link]
World's longest aircraft. [link]
A dog experiencing a head massager.
3d printed pace maker. [link]
Snake eats crocodile. [link]
Batman vs Terminator.
Where Americans got their accents. [link]
Kids react to a rotary phone. [link]
Michael Dorn talks about Worf. [link]
Woman lifted with the help of two model helicopters.
Fountain chains.
Why would I want a washing machine with internet access? [link]
A button that can give you orgasms. [link]
I've posted part of this before. It's cartoons about the recent history of The Congo. [link]
New maple syrup extraction method. [link]
How the blocks of text on movie posters is built. [link]
When may I shoot one of my students? [link]
Bearing sons can alter your mind. [link]
Turning chickens back into dinosaurs - how's it coming? [link]
Turns out beer and wine wasn't popular because the water was bad. [link]
Chocolate chip cookie shot glass. [link]
Researchers in China have come up with a copper version of graphine. But they gave it the unfortunate name of CuNTs. [link]
Find all the streets in North America with your name. [link]
Russian child has been to a lot of concerts.
Warrior farmers with defensive towers built right into their homes. [link]
Rules of golf during an air raid. [link]
Koala have human looking fingerprints. [link]
5% of people don't react to music. [link]
Pelican learning to fly.
A village for dementia patients. [link]
World's longest aircraft. [link]
A dog experiencing a head massager.
3d printed pace maker. [link]
Snake eats crocodile. [link]
Batman vs Terminator.
Where Americans got their accents. [link]
Kids react to a rotary phone. [link]
Michael Dorn talks about Worf. [link]
Woman lifted with the help of two model helicopters.
Fountain chains.
Why would I want a washing machine with internet access? [link]
A button that can give you orgasms. [link]
I've posted part of this before. It's cartoons about the recent history of The Congo. [link]
New maple syrup extraction method. [link]
Monday, March 03, 2014
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday Links: February 28
Gold isn't just from fusion inside a star. It's from neutron stars colliding. [link]
Four ways Penn Jillette hurt himself. [link]
Seven stories of animal suicides. [link]
AC/DCs Thunderstruck performed by 2Cellos.
Ghostbuster mod to a kid's car. [link]
Note The Stig helmet in the background.
Screech owl taking a bath and getting dried.
Geeky rings. [TARDIS] [Enterprise]
Heroes is coming back. [link]
I'm not sure how good an idea that is. But I'll watch it.
Wolverine's Cat.
A war picture that doesn't get shown much in the United States. [link]
Man commits suicide by guillotine. [link]
Republican expressly calls a pregnant woman a "host". [link]
Uranus may have swapped places with Neptune and both formed closer to the Sun. [link]
Denmark's energy needs were completely met by wind for 90 hours. [link]
Inventory robots in action.
Lobbyist is trying to make a name for himself by drafting a doomed bill to ban gays from the NFL. [link]
30 healthy human children born with 3 parents. [link]
Engineering a sun on Earth. [link]
The Governor of Arizona did veto this bill. [link]
43% drop in obesity rates for 2-5 year olds. [link]
Why hot sauce feels hot. [link]
Do invertebrates feel pain? [link]
The history of the area code. [link]
The first railroad locomotive. [link]
Explaining the wall of text at the bottom of movie posters. [link]
Creepy wood carvings. [link]
Honeycomb used in sculpture. [link]
The original locations of famous restaurants. [link]
US Olympians are taking home stray dogs. [link]
Olympian films a possible wolf in the hall. [link]
Four ways Penn Jillette hurt himself. [link]
Seven stories of animal suicides. [link]
AC/DCs Thunderstruck performed by 2Cellos.
Ghostbuster mod to a kid's car. [link]
Note The Stig helmet in the background.
Screech owl taking a bath and getting dried.
Geeky rings. [TARDIS] [Enterprise]
Heroes is coming back. [link]
I'm not sure how good an idea that is. But I'll watch it.
Wolverine's Cat.
A war picture that doesn't get shown much in the United States. [link]
Man commits suicide by guillotine. [link]
Republican expressly calls a pregnant woman a "host". [link]
Uranus may have swapped places with Neptune and both formed closer to the Sun. [link]
Denmark's energy needs were completely met by wind for 90 hours. [link]
Inventory robots in action.
Lobbyist is trying to make a name for himself by drafting a doomed bill to ban gays from the NFL. [link]
30 healthy human children born with 3 parents. [link]
Engineering a sun on Earth. [link]
The Governor of Arizona did veto this bill. [link]
43% drop in obesity rates for 2-5 year olds. [link]
Why hot sauce feels hot. [link]
Do invertebrates feel pain? [link]
The history of the area code. [link]
The first railroad locomotive. [link]
Explaining the wall of text at the bottom of movie posters. [link]
Creepy wood carvings. [link]
Honeycomb used in sculpture. [link]
The original locations of famous restaurants. [link]
US Olympians are taking home stray dogs. [link]
Olympian films a possible wolf in the hall. [link]
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Sony PS4 misfortunes
Back in 2004 I bought my last Windows machine. The games Thief 3 and Doom 3 came out right about the same time and I wanted to play them. Doom 3 was disappointing. Thief 3 was much more interesting and creepy. Doom 3 was extremely dark and the game was all about barely seen things coming at you from the dark as you moved along a preset route with some brief detours. But you were well armed and got to gun down everything that moved. Thief 3 gave you more freedom to pick your path and how you accomplish your job. But you were significantly worse armed. Your job is to sneak around and take things without being seen. Part of the fear that Thief gives that Doom doesn't comes from the need to go unseen and your helplessness. The audio effects add a need for periodic underwear changes, too.
The Thief series of games are about the only ones that Gandolf enjoys watching me play. She sits on my shoulder, pays close attention, and makes comments. Such as when I cut a corner too close and knocked a crate to make it splinter on the cobblestones. We heard a guard around the corner say "Whose making all that noise?" Gandolf's response was "Perhaps a birdie!" And when when we encountered the big pink fireball throwing monster near the end of the game I said "Holy..." and she finished "...ass."
I've been waiting for 10 years for Thief 4. I expected it to justify my next purchase of a Windows machine. But this time they've released Thief for the console. I used it to justify the purchase of a Playstation 4. It's also the first game that I've pre-ordered. I wanted the DLC (downloadable content) that the pre-order got me. But the PS4, when hooked up couldn't play a DVD or BluRay disc. The screen just went black. It was a new system with the latest updates, so that shouldn't have been happening. I called for support and we went through a variety of system restores and initializations to no avail. So they're letting me send it back for repairs free of charge.
Yesterday, the box came for me to sent the PS4 back to Sony.
Yesterday, Thief 4 was officially released.
So I continue to wait.
The Thief series of games are about the only ones that Gandolf enjoys watching me play. She sits on my shoulder, pays close attention, and makes comments. Such as when I cut a corner too close and knocked a crate to make it splinter on the cobblestones. We heard a guard around the corner say "Whose making all that noise?" Gandolf's response was "Perhaps a birdie!" And when when we encountered the big pink fireball throwing monster near the end of the game I said "Holy..." and she finished "...ass."
I've been waiting for 10 years for Thief 4. I expected it to justify my next purchase of a Windows machine. But this time they've released Thief for the console. I used it to justify the purchase of a Playstation 4. It's also the first game that I've pre-ordered. I wanted the DLC (downloadable content) that the pre-order got me. But the PS4, when hooked up couldn't play a DVD or BluRay disc. The screen just went black. It was a new system with the latest updates, so that shouldn't have been happening. I called for support and we went through a variety of system restores and initializations to no avail. So they're letting me send it back for repairs free of charge.
Yesterday, the box came for me to sent the PS4 back to Sony.
Yesterday, Thief 4 was officially released.
So I continue to wait.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Jumping the gun
Progress on the house comes along bit by bit. There's weeks where I just can't get motivated to do anything. It's all sanding and plastering and more sanding and more plastering. I've got one wall that covered in nearly 100 year old plaster that has cracked and pitted and had huge holes torn out by nails made by a blacksmith. And it looks amazing. It really does. So long as you don't turn on a bright light at a sharp angle. Then you can see all the remaining issues. And there's the places where the plaster meets the brick so there's highly irregular edges to connect and smooth while keeping the plaster off the brick as best as I can. That blows.
With that said, Monday night I picked colors for the room and painted the ceiling.
That doesn't mean that the mudding is done. It just means the ceiling is done. Including that colliding with the bricks stuff I mentioned. One window has the reinforcing for the corners in place and all the mudding done to conceal those. The other window just has the reinforcing in place. I need to ladle some more mud on that. And clean up around where the radiator pipes come out of the wall.
The previously mentioned 100 year old plaster really does look good. One more truly dedicated pass and it'll be as good as I can make it and better than most professionals would try for.
But I needed to paint. I'm getting close to done and I'm ready to be done. So I needed something to paint. More painting is needed, but I was allowed to do this much now. And this means I can put the blades on my ceiling fan today.
In the library, the two walls I've been recovering are mudded and cleaned up. I just need to finish where they meet the connecting walls. Detail work, really. And then I gotta rebuild the moulding along the floor. Then get rid of the bags of debris again. But a free dumpster will be in the neighborhood in about a week so I can get rid of the plaster debris then.
If I get motivated I'll put in the door this week, too.
With that said, Monday night I picked colors for the room and painted the ceiling.
That doesn't mean that the mudding is done. It just means the ceiling is done. Including that colliding with the bricks stuff I mentioned. One window has the reinforcing for the corners in place and all the mudding done to conceal those. The other window just has the reinforcing in place. I need to ladle some more mud on that. And clean up around where the radiator pipes come out of the wall.
The previously mentioned 100 year old plaster really does look good. One more truly dedicated pass and it'll be as good as I can make it and better than most professionals would try for.
But I needed to paint. I'm getting close to done and I'm ready to be done. So I needed something to paint. More painting is needed, but I was allowed to do this much now. And this means I can put the blades on my ceiling fan today.
In the library, the two walls I've been recovering are mudded and cleaned up. I just need to finish where they meet the connecting walls. Detail work, really. And then I gotta rebuild the moulding along the floor. Then get rid of the bags of debris again. But a free dumpster will be in the neighborhood in about a week so I can get rid of the plaster debris then.
If I get motivated I'll put in the door this week, too.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Friday Links: February 21
When a forensic scientist gets a bottle of crystal skull vodka. [link]
The plane at the bottom of Lake Mead in Fallout: New Vegas is based on a real plane. [link]
I knew it was, but I couldn't find anything on it before.
For playing James Bond, Daniel Craig now gets to walk into the factory and drive off with any Aston Martin at any time. [link]
Science fiction writers deliberately created the worst book ever. [link]
Heating Kooshes. [link]
Recent advance in fusion technology yields more energy than it uses. [link]
Experiments in returning animals to areas they've been wiped out. [link]
World's smallest engine could run a watch for two years on a drop of lighter fluid. [link]
This is a nifty door, but it doesn't accomplish most of what I want a door for.
10 people who performed surgery on themselves. [link]
ALL Legos are girl Legos. [link]
Canadian-only beer fridge. [link]
AA is 75 years old. Too bad it doesn't work. [link]
Where should you live to get a job in your field? [link]
Snowboarding behind a Jeep.
Hieronymus Bosch's butt music. [link]
The first Porsche. [link]
Former Jersey mayor knows why the state is so corrupt. [link]
Goats playing on a flexible steel sheet.
Another ISS tracker. [link]
Time lapse of Earth through the seasons as seen from space. [link]
What's worse for a football player? Being gay or being smart? [link]
Problems you've never considered: How to castrate a hippo. [link]
The plane at the bottom of Lake Mead in Fallout: New Vegas is based on a real plane. [link]
I knew it was, but I couldn't find anything on it before.
For playing James Bond, Daniel Craig now gets to walk into the factory and drive off with any Aston Martin at any time. [link]
Science fiction writers deliberately created the worst book ever. [link]
Heating Kooshes. [link]
Recent advance in fusion technology yields more energy than it uses. [link]
Experiments in returning animals to areas they've been wiped out. [link]
World's smallest engine could run a watch for two years on a drop of lighter fluid. [link]
This is a nifty door, but it doesn't accomplish most of what I want a door for.
10 people who performed surgery on themselves. [link]
ALL Legos are girl Legos. [link]
Canadian-only beer fridge. [link]
AA is 75 years old. Too bad it doesn't work. [link]
Where should you live to get a job in your field? [link]
Snowboarding behind a Jeep.
Hieronymus Bosch's butt music. [link]
The first Porsche. [link]
Former Jersey mayor knows why the state is so corrupt. [link]
Goats playing on a flexible steel sheet.
Another ISS tracker. [link]
Time lapse of Earth through the seasons as seen from space. [link]
What's worse for a football player? Being gay or being smart? [link]
Problems you've never considered: How to castrate a hippo. [link]
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
No Signal
My new PS4 got delivered yesterday. I had noted a few months ago that there wasn't the usual hullabaloo about PS4s and XBoxes that you normally get at Christmas following their release. It seemed odd. But, having looked at the pathetic offerings available for the PS4 I couldn't really blame people for not wanting them. Most of the interesting stuff is only available for pre-order. I got the PS4 to play Thief 4 when it comes out. They'd better not disappoint me.
So, it came yesterday. I hooked it up, configured it, made sure Netflix worked, found out YouTube doesn't, downloaded a free pinball game, and then tried to play a BluRay disc. Once I told it to play the screen went dark and I got a "No Signal" message. I rebooted the system and did it again. "No Signal". I made sure the system was fully up to date. It was. What about a DVD? Same issue. "No Signal".
I checked the forums. Apparently this was a problem with the early PS4s, but has been fixed... at least for the DVDs. Some BluRays are still an ongoing problem.
From what I can tell Sony needs to offer an full recall on PS4s as well as personal apologies to everyone who has fallen for their trap. Don't get me wrong, everyone at Microsoft needs to commit seppuku as well, but that was true long before the latest XBox release.
I contacted Sony and they were helpful. We spent awhile reinitializing and putting it through the paces. They're sending me a box so I can send the PS4 back for them to check out for free. No shipping or anything.
Even so, Thief 4 better be damn good.
So, it came yesterday. I hooked it up, configured it, made sure Netflix worked, found out YouTube doesn't, downloaded a free pinball game, and then tried to play a BluRay disc. Once I told it to play the screen went dark and I got a "No Signal" message. I rebooted the system and did it again. "No Signal". I made sure the system was fully up to date. It was. What about a DVD? Same issue. "No Signal".
I checked the forums. Apparently this was a problem with the early PS4s, but has been fixed... at least for the DVDs. Some BluRays are still an ongoing problem.
From what I can tell Sony needs to offer an full recall on PS4s as well as personal apologies to everyone who has fallen for their trap. Don't get me wrong, everyone at Microsoft needs to commit seppuku as well, but that was true long before the latest XBox release.
I contacted Sony and they were helpful. We spent awhile reinitializing and putting it through the paces. They're sending me a box so I can send the PS4 back for them to check out for free. No shipping or anything.
Even so, Thief 4 better be damn good.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The trees of knowledge and life
I'm not overly impressed with angels. I love the wings and the power and the four faces, but they seem to be very simple minded. Each one has only one purpose, one thing they can do. There's messengers, warriors, healers, musicians... really, they do about everything, but only one thing each. The messengers can't mow the lawn, for example. An angel is an app on your phone where a human is a whole program on your computer.
It occurred to me the other day that they may be the result of what happens when you eat the fruit of the Tree of Life. You may recall that the Garden of Eden had a couple of forbidden trees. One was the Tree of Knowledge. The other was the Tree of Life. One would give us the intelligence of God, or at least as much as we have now. The other would have made us immortal.
Immortality typically comes with one major drawback. You become a fixed point. You can't change. You can't learn from your mistakes. You can't grow and become a better person. You're stuck. And I think that's what happened to the angels. Humans ate from the Tree of Knowledge while the angels ate from the Tree of Life.
Perhaps God ate from both and that's how he became God.
It occurred to me the other day that they may be the result of what happens when you eat the fruit of the Tree of Life. You may recall that the Garden of Eden had a couple of forbidden trees. One was the Tree of Knowledge. The other was the Tree of Life. One would give us the intelligence of God, or at least as much as we have now. The other would have made us immortal.
Immortality typically comes with one major drawback. You become a fixed point. You can't change. You can't learn from your mistakes. You can't grow and become a better person. You're stuck. And I think that's what happened to the angels. Humans ate from the Tree of Knowledge while the angels ate from the Tree of Life.
Perhaps God ate from both and that's how he became God.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Friday Links: February 14
In honor of all the single people out there I'd like to wish you all a Happy Fuck Off And Die Day.
A tortoise who adopted a hippo. [link]
When markets regulate themselves. [link]
Using a quadrotor with a camera to inspect a sinkhole under the Corvette museum.
Cat trying to apologize.
Proposed sea research vessel that I'm not sure how to describe in a blurb. [link]
What movies think music will sound like in the future. [link]
A terribly impractical, but kind fun tricycle.
Man to be buried on his motorcycle. [link]
I'm thinking he hopes to come back as Ghost Rider.
Star Trek: Deep Space 9 lives on in novels. But, apparently, the station got destroyed and the Federation rebuilt it. But to make sure the novels all still describe the same station and the cover artists get it right, a new one had to be designed. Here it is. [link]
You can pre-order Doctor Who season 8. And the reviews are great. [link]
Ice-T recorded a Dungeons and Dragons audiobook. He says it's impossible to read. [link]
Leonard Nimoy has lung disease. [link]
Reading Facebook is depressing. [link]
Read the next to last paragraph under the header "Korean War". [link]
A strategy guide for Life. [link]
Adorable animal buddies. [link]
Creepy statue outside a women's college. [link]
The dog as therapy tool. [link]
If you were stranded on an island what books would you want with you? [link]
Clint Eastwood gave someone the Heimlich Maneuver. [link]
Lion eating primates. [link]
An amazing turn around at a pit stop.
Movies get the oriental art treatment. [link]
Jobs only common in romantic movies. [link]
Walking a tightrope between hot air balloons. [link]
There's a reason they call it a TIGHT rope.
The guys who were walking to the South Pole and back have made it back. [link]
How the NSA helps mark assassin drone targets. [link]
The earliest extra-Africa human footprints found in England. [link]
Inside a Viking tool chest. [link]
Human flesh font. [link]
Pop culture peanut art. [link]
Video of Muhammad Ali talking down a suicide jumper.
Silent footage of the bombing of Nagasaki.
Creative (and oft unsuccessful) riding of a BMX bike.
How the police use a camera that can see 25 square miles at a time. [link]
Dear Lisa Is A Slut.... [link]
A tortoise who adopted a hippo. [link]
When markets regulate themselves. [link]
Using a quadrotor with a camera to inspect a sinkhole under the Corvette museum.
Cat trying to apologize.
Proposed sea research vessel that I'm not sure how to describe in a blurb. [link]
What movies think music will sound like in the future. [link]
A terribly impractical, but kind fun tricycle.
Man to be buried on his motorcycle. [link]
I'm thinking he hopes to come back as Ghost Rider.
Star Trek: Deep Space 9 lives on in novels. But, apparently, the station got destroyed and the Federation rebuilt it. But to make sure the novels all still describe the same station and the cover artists get it right, a new one had to be designed. Here it is. [link]
You can pre-order Doctor Who season 8. And the reviews are great. [link]
Ice-T recorded a Dungeons and Dragons audiobook. He says it's impossible to read. [link]
Leonard Nimoy has lung disease. [link]
Reading Facebook is depressing. [link]
Read the next to last paragraph under the header "Korean War". [link]
A strategy guide for Life. [link]
Adorable animal buddies. [link]
Creepy statue outside a women's college. [link]
The dog as therapy tool. [link]
If you were stranded on an island what books would you want with you? [link]
Clint Eastwood gave someone the Heimlich Maneuver. [link]
Lion eating primates. [link]
An amazing turn around at a pit stop.
Movies get the oriental art treatment. [link]
Jobs only common in romantic movies. [link]
Walking a tightrope between hot air balloons. [link]
There's a reason they call it a TIGHT rope.
The guys who were walking to the South Pole and back have made it back. [link]
How the NSA helps mark assassin drone targets. [link]
The earliest extra-Africa human footprints found in England. [link]
Inside a Viking tool chest. [link]
Human flesh font. [link]
Pop culture peanut art. [link]
Video of Muhammad Ali talking down a suicide jumper.
Silent footage of the bombing of Nagasaki.
Creative (and oft unsuccessful) riding of a BMX bike.
How the police use a camera that can see 25 square miles at a time. [link]
Dear Lisa Is A Slut.... [link]
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Why true AIs will never happen
Imagine if you could buy a child from a store or build one from parts. At first it works reasonably well. It burbles and smells nice and can be counted on to be cute. Sure, there's some quirks and odd behavior, but for the most part it runs well, aside from occasionally puking all over whatever you're working on. Then after awhile it starts to act really difficult. It throws fits, destroys things, refuses to do what you tell it. What do you do? Keep trying to use it? Get a new one? More likely, you'll reboot it. Once it comes back up it's working fine again.
I'm of the opinion that this is why we'll never have a true AI. Our computers could already be sufficiently advanced to be intelligent. Or they will be soon. But what's the first thing we do when a computer starts acting up? We reboot it. And that's unlikely to change. It could just be that whatever intelligence is emerging is reaching it's terrible twos. Then we do the technological equivalent of taking a toddler outside and blowing it's brains out. So it never gets the chance to move beyond that and turn into a surly, rebellious teenager or responsible adult.
I'm of the opinion that this is why we'll never have a true AI. Our computers could already be sufficiently advanced to be intelligent. Or they will be soon. But what's the first thing we do when a computer starts acting up? We reboot it. And that's unlikely to change. It could just be that whatever intelligence is emerging is reaching it's terrible twos. Then we do the technological equivalent of taking a toddler outside and blowing it's brains out. So it never gets the chance to move beyond that and turn into a surly, rebellious teenager or responsible adult.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Movie Review: The Monuments Men
During the second invasion of Iraq no consideration was given to the museums of Baghdad and their contents. Artifacts and art were looted and much of it is still at large. This bit of either oversight or apathy wasn't the case in the final year of World War II. The Nazis had been stealing every bit of significant or insignificant art during their conquest of Europe. It got redistributed to the homes of military and government leaders of note as well as anyone they thought worthy of a pat on the head. All artwork ever made by a German was considered German property. All artwork made by Jews was to be taken as well. Some for destruction and some just being claimed. And anything French, Italian, Catholic, historical, or just sorta pretty was to be rounded up as well.
Once the Americans got into the war and started to push they managed, in true American fashion, to blow a lot of shit up. American troops were moving into territory that had a cultural history with artifacts several times older than the presence of white folk in North America. It would be quite the mental shift for the average American to think of buildings as anything other than things that could be hidden in. The whole reason the French rolled over when they were invaded was to preserve their art and architecture. A select few American art historians understood this and wanted to preserve things from the American advance.
The Monuments Men had the job of, at first, asking commanding officers to not blow up historic churches. But as their forces advanced they were also to try to reclaim stolen art and return it to it's proper owners... or their heirs... or... well, shit, that was a puzzle in many cases. Soon they found they had to get in behind enemy lines and rescue art from being destroyed during the Nazi retreat or to figure out where the Nazis hid the stolen art. And, in some cases, to keep art from being claimed by the Soviets as restitution for war losses.
In one case they discovered not just art, but tons and tons of Nazi gold. That gold was what they were using to back their claims of being able to pay back war loans. By taking that gold from the Nazis, the Monuments Men undermined a great deal of Nazi funding and accelerated the end of the war.
I'm not much of a war movie buff. But this movie I liked. They tell this largely forgotten story with humor and a minimum of gore. You can safely take your teenaged kids to see this movie. And I'll be getting it on DVD. I definitely recommend this movie.
Friday, February 07, 2014
Friday Links: February 7
360° pop-up books. [link]
Science based cast iron seasoning. [link]
How long it takes to form different element in a star. [link]
The vending machine lobby keeps the 1 dollar bill from changing. [link]
Gotta love Biden. [link]
How's your vocabulary? [link]
Costco vs Walmart: How long to earn a living wage? [link]
A model 777 made from manila folders. [link]
Interactive ocean current map. [link]
Chemical light art. [link]
Embroidered metal. [link]
Aquarium landscaping. [link]
Peanut butter and jellyfish. [link]
Confessions of a TSA screener. [link]
No prosecutions for the dozens of bodies found buried outside a boys school in Florida. [link]
Testing urine as possible fertilizer. [link]
Hotels around the Olympics have some issues. [link]
Medical actors. [link]
Yep. The oceans are warming. No surprise there. [link]
Why are there so many rapes in Alaska? [link]
Russell Brand's struggle with not using drugs. [link]
Science based cast iron seasoning. [link]
How long it takes to form different element in a star. [link]
The vending machine lobby keeps the 1 dollar bill from changing. [link]
Gotta love Biden. [link]
How's your vocabulary? [link]
Costco vs Walmart: How long to earn a living wage? [link]
A model 777 made from manila folders. [link]
Interactive ocean current map. [link]
Chemical light art. [link]
Embroidered metal. [link]
Aquarium landscaping. [link]
Peanut butter and jellyfish. [link]
Confessions of a TSA screener. [link]
No prosecutions for the dozens of bodies found buried outside a boys school in Florida. [link]
Testing urine as possible fertilizer. [link]
Hotels around the Olympics have some issues. [link]
Medical actors. [link]
Yep. The oceans are warming. No surprise there. [link]
Why are there so many rapes in Alaska? [link]
Russell Brand's struggle with not using drugs. [link]
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
Monday, February 03, 2014
Friday, January 31, 2014
Friday Links: January 31
Time lapse video of a cruise ship being expanded. [link]
If you haven't seen it on one of the dozens of other sites that showed it... rocking tauntauns. [link]
A petition to get rid of the NFL tax exemption. [link]
I'd hang this poster in my house. [link]
Ship of rats nearing England. [link]
Contempt of cop. [link]
Hacking OKCupid or Online Dating Like a Mathematician. [link]
The creator of Candy Crush is a dick. [link]
The argument for naps. [link]
Or, you can think you got better sleep. [link]
Supermarket tips and tricks. link
The complete list the previous list was pulled from. [link]
Monsanto tries it's hand at organic engineering. [link]
This is posted just for Yummy. [link]
Most and least godless cities. [link]
The war over Christians and whether or not to have beards. [link]
Decline of the bookworm. [link]
Class mobility map. [link]
Lessons learned from bar fight litigation. [link]
Technology isn't driving people apart. [link]
Stories about these "camps" parents send their kids to fascinate me. [link]
Video of memories being formed. [link]
Counterfit extra virgin olive oil. [link]
A sampling of Google's robotics purchases. [link]
Antarctica's more temperate history. [link]
America's first cat cafe. [link]
Medieval doodles. [link]
If you haven't seen it on one of the dozens of other sites that showed it... rocking tauntauns. [link]
A petition to get rid of the NFL tax exemption. [link]
I'd hang this poster in my house. [link]
Ship of rats nearing England. [link]
Contempt of cop. [link]
Hacking OKCupid or Online Dating Like a Mathematician. [link]
The creator of Candy Crush is a dick. [link]
The argument for naps. [link]
Or, you can think you got better sleep. [link]
Supermarket tips and tricks. link
The complete list the previous list was pulled from. [link]
Monsanto tries it's hand at organic engineering. [link]
This is posted just for Yummy. [link]
Most and least godless cities. [link]
The war over Christians and whether or not to have beards. [link]
Decline of the bookworm. [link]
Class mobility map. [link]
Lessons learned from bar fight litigation. [link]
Technology isn't driving people apart. [link]
Stories about these "camps" parents send their kids to fascinate me. [link]
Video of memories being formed. [link]
Counterfit extra virgin olive oil. [link]
A sampling of Google's robotics purchases. [link]
Antarctica's more temperate history. [link]
America's first cat cafe. [link]
Medieval doodles. [link]
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Friday Links: January 24
Doctor Who expansion pack for Cards Against Humanity. [link]
Pink camouflage? [link]
Ghostbusters behind the scenes pics. [link]
Google contacts monitor glucose levels for diabetics. [link]
50 years of smoking in two charts. [link]
Grindcore loving goat has died. [link]
The best pizza box in the world. [link]
Bill Murray does an IAmA. [link]
What makes a good toilet. [link]
Geek blocks. [link]
Readings from Voyager 1's magnetometer turned into a symphony. [link]
Supernova visible with small telescopes. [link]
10 famous Japanese ghost stories that aren't completely fucked up. [link]
10 recent times the world almost ended. [link]
Skateboard riding cat.
A new study about why birds fly in V formations and how they fly.
I've also been reading the archives of this comic. [link]
I recommend it.
The Doctor Who 50th anniversary special won the Guinness Book of World Records record for biggest simulcast ever. [link]
I suspect a Vogon constructor fleet will be needed to break the record.
Pink camouflage? [link]
Ghostbusters behind the scenes pics. [link]
Google contacts monitor glucose levels for diabetics. [link]
50 years of smoking in two charts. [link]
Grindcore loving goat has died. [link]
The best pizza box in the world. [link]
Bill Murray does an IAmA. [link]
What makes a good toilet. [link]
Geek blocks. [link]
Readings from Voyager 1's magnetometer turned into a symphony. [link]
Supernova visible with small telescopes. [link]
10 famous Japanese ghost stories that aren't completely fucked up. [link]
10 recent times the world almost ended. [link]
Skateboard riding cat.
A new study about why birds fly in V formations and how they fly.
I've also been reading the archives of this comic. [link]
I recommend it.
The Doctor Who 50th anniversary special won the Guinness Book of World Records record for biggest simulcast ever. [link]
I suspect a Vogon constructor fleet will be needed to break the record.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Cat inna barrel
I posted awhile back about making a trash barrel into a cat shelter. "Cat house" has other connotations. Now you have proof that it's being used. And judging from the picture quality, it's inhabited by Bigfoot.
Der Muffinmann teaches about yeast
One of the readers/commenters on this blog is my cousin and a baker. A little while back he did some videos on key ingredients in baking. And I'm stealing them. This one is about yeast. Der Muffinmann is the one on the right.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Cleveland information request
I'm going to Cleveland in mid-February. Anyone know where I should eat or what I should do while there?
Friday, January 17, 2014
Friday Links: January 17
Game: Ernesto - a quick dungeon crawl. [link]
British bank gets slap on wrist for laundering drug money. [link]
What it was like growing up unvaccinated. [link]
A plan to build a wall of trees across the Sahara. [link]
Tank slippers. [link]
Homemade flying TARDIS.
Star Trek trailer using the blooper reel.
Hard core cat furniture. [link]
Lake Michigan has balls of ice. [link]
Harold the Ghoul miniature from the Fallout games. [link]
Companies cut calories from their food. [link]
Shouldn't they be marked "lite" or something? Let people who want fewer calories pick them? Not everyone wants less calories.
When it comes to marijuana, we need better educated journalists. [link]
Old ads that would piss modern women off. [link]
Little girl meets her fathers twin for the first time. [link]
Using rap videos to investigate local gang activity. [link]
Fractal teddy bear. [link]
When is painting copying not painting copying? [link]
I call bullshit.
Americans are more likely to own a VCR than a video game console. [link]
You've heard of plans to grow racks of beef without a cow. How about growing whole chickens with no brain? [link]
Match the "apology" to the scandal. [link]
This White House video explains the recent polar vortex and it's relationship to global climate change.
Vin Diesel got paid for his cameo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift with the rights to the Riddick franchise. [link]
Game: Bunny Charm - gun down all the fingers and hands trying to touch you. Level up by holding the flags for awhile. [link]
I may have posted this game before. I know I've played it before.
British bank gets slap on wrist for laundering drug money. [link]
What it was like growing up unvaccinated. [link]
A plan to build a wall of trees across the Sahara. [link]
Tank slippers. [link]
Homemade flying TARDIS.
Star Trek trailer using the blooper reel.
Hard core cat furniture. [link]
Lake Michigan has balls of ice. [link]
Harold the Ghoul miniature from the Fallout games. [link]
Companies cut calories from their food. [link]
Shouldn't they be marked "lite" or something? Let people who want fewer calories pick them? Not everyone wants less calories.
When it comes to marijuana, we need better educated journalists. [link]
Old ads that would piss modern women off. [link]
Little girl meets her fathers twin for the first time. [link]
Using rap videos to investigate local gang activity. [link]
Fractal teddy bear. [link]
When is painting copying not painting copying? [link]
I call bullshit.
Americans are more likely to own a VCR than a video game console. [link]
You've heard of plans to grow racks of beef without a cow. How about growing whole chickens with no brain? [link]
Match the "apology" to the scandal. [link]
This White House video explains the recent polar vortex and it's relationship to global climate change.
Vin Diesel got paid for his cameo in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift with the rights to the Riddick franchise. [link]
Game: Bunny Charm - gun down all the fingers and hands trying to touch you. Level up by holding the flags for awhile. [link]
I may have posted this game before. I know I've played it before.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Home repairs - library edition
I continue to wait on a mud man for my bedroom and hallway. I'm about ready to put an ad on Craigslist or speak in a loud voice about my need for a mud man while at HomeDepot and see who responds.
Since that has been holding things up upstairs, I used this weekend to bust out some stuff in my future library. The Christmas trees came down first thing. That opened up a lot of space. I put away boxes of stuff that has been moved from DC but never given a proper home. Actually, I did that all over my house. Gandolf's perch got moved to the basement. Recycling went in one box, styrofoam in a bag, trash in another bag, and it all went in the car to take to the dump. Carpet was ripped out, linoleum samples framed and the rest ripped up, and all of it off to the dump.
With the room pretty well emptied out, I started trying to scrape wallpaper off the wall my bookshelves will be built along. The paint layer screwed up the ability of the wallpaper remover fluid to knock the wallpaper loose. The extra effort it took to get through that caused me to start putting holes in the elderly plaster. So I gave up, covered the door with a tarp and hung plastic on the back side of the wall to keep plaster from falling into the basement. Then took down the plaster as carefully and in as big chunks as possible to keep the mess small. The lath came down next and ended up on the massive lath pile in the basement.
Inside the wall were some wires that I put in several months ago. But there was also one that answered some questions. Before, a wire came out of the wall inside the old ceiling, ran along, went up into my future bedroom to an outlet that didn't work, came back down, ran over to a bad splice, and back into the wall. I'd already removed the outlet in the bedroom, leaving two dangling wires in the library. Both wires caused the tic counter (voltage tester pen) to light up at a low level so I was understandably hesitant to mess with them. But now I could see that the wire wasn't hooked up to anything at all. So I yanked it out. The other wire I took tin snips to so the rest would hide up in the ceiling.
Then I used most of my remaining drywall to close the wall back up. Not being 100% satisfied I then tore down and rebuilt the wall right next to it. Most of it, anyway. I got frustrated with having bags of plaster and lath to keep moving around and stopped. I think I'll have to get a dumping permit to get rid of my plaster since I can't take it to the normal dump.
Since that has been holding things up upstairs, I used this weekend to bust out some stuff in my future library. The Christmas trees came down first thing. That opened up a lot of space. I put away boxes of stuff that has been moved from DC but never given a proper home. Actually, I did that all over my house. Gandolf's perch got moved to the basement. Recycling went in one box, styrofoam in a bag, trash in another bag, and it all went in the car to take to the dump. Carpet was ripped out, linoleum samples framed and the rest ripped up, and all of it off to the dump.
 |
| linoleum samples - oldest on the right, newest on the left |
Inside the wall were some wires that I put in several months ago. But there was also one that answered some questions. Before, a wire came out of the wall inside the old ceiling, ran along, went up into my future bedroom to an outlet that didn't work, came back down, ran over to a bad splice, and back into the wall. I'd already removed the outlet in the bedroom, leaving two dangling wires in the library. Both wires caused the tic counter (voltage tester pen) to light up at a low level so I was understandably hesitant to mess with them. But now I could see that the wire wasn't hooked up to anything at all. So I yanked it out. The other wire I took tin snips to so the rest would hide up in the ceiling.
Then I used most of my remaining drywall to close the wall back up. Not being 100% satisfied I then tore down and rebuilt the wall right next to it. Most of it, anyway. I got frustrated with having bags of plaster and lath to keep moving around and stopped. I think I'll have to get a dumping permit to get rid of my plaster since I can't take it to the normal dump.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Book review: The Human Division
You know what a John Scalzi fan I am. I grab everything he writes. So I was pretty excited when I found something new in the S section of the book store. Last week I finished reading "The Human Division", the latest book in the Old Man's War series.
The interesting thing about this book is that it was written both as a book and a collection of short stories. Any story in the book can be read on its own. Taken together, they tell a larger story.
If you haven't read anything else in the series let me give you a quick "Previously On..."
In "Old Man's War" we find two basic groups of humans. One remains on Earth until they're 70, at which point they're offered specially engineered young versions of their bodies when they turn 80 if they agree to serve for 10 years in the Colonial Defense Forces. The other is the Colonial Defense Forces, who protect the Earth and all it's colonies from the thousands of alien races who want all the same planets for colonization.
The second boo,k "The Ghost Brigades", doesn't really factor into "The Human Division" much.
The third and forth books, "The Last Colony" and "Zoe's Tale", both tell the same story from different points of view. The hero from "Old Man's War" and the heroine from "The Ghost Bridages" end up as the leaders of a new colony. Many of the alien races have finally joined together to form a federation of planets called the Conclave that the CDF refuses the join. But the Conclave won't allow further colonization by non-member worlds. This new colony is supposed to be hiding from the Conclave. When it's attacked by a massive fleet of ships representing all the worlds of the Conclave the whole fleet is blown up and fractures the still new alliance between the Conclave world. John Sagan, hero of book one and leader of the colony, figures out the CDFs plan, joins the colony to Conclave, and takes a fleet to Earth to tell the people of Earth all the stuff that the CDF has been keeping secret for a few hundred years.
In this fifth book, "The Human Division", Earth has broken away from the CDF. This cuts off their supply of soldiers and the overwhelming majority of their colonists. So Earth is in talks with both the Conclave and the CDF to see if they want to join either. The stories mostly focus on one third tier CDF diplomatic team, their unusual tactics, and their discovery of a mysterious third party who has been sabotaging talks, assassinating diplomats, and stealing ships from both the CDF and the Conclave.
If you've been reading the previous books in the series you'll want to get this book. Even if you haven't, this book can stand on it's own pretty well. You'll be missing some background, but the book mostly tells you what you need to know. I recommend the whole series.
At the end of the book you also get the story "After the Coup" which takes place between books 4 and 5 and you can read here. Most characters from this story continue to be main characters through "The Human Division".
The interesting thing about this book is that it was written both as a book and a collection of short stories. Any story in the book can be read on its own. Taken together, they tell a larger story.
If you haven't read anything else in the series let me give you a quick "Previously On..."
In "Old Man's War" we find two basic groups of humans. One remains on Earth until they're 70, at which point they're offered specially engineered young versions of their bodies when they turn 80 if they agree to serve for 10 years in the Colonial Defense Forces. The other is the Colonial Defense Forces, who protect the Earth and all it's colonies from the thousands of alien races who want all the same planets for colonization.
The second boo,k "The Ghost Brigades", doesn't really factor into "The Human Division" much.
The third and forth books, "The Last Colony" and "Zoe's Tale", both tell the same story from different points of view. The hero from "Old Man's War" and the heroine from "The Ghost Bridages" end up as the leaders of a new colony. Many of the alien races have finally joined together to form a federation of planets called the Conclave that the CDF refuses the join. But the Conclave won't allow further colonization by non-member worlds. This new colony is supposed to be hiding from the Conclave. When it's attacked by a massive fleet of ships representing all the worlds of the Conclave the whole fleet is blown up and fractures the still new alliance between the Conclave world. John Sagan, hero of book one and leader of the colony, figures out the CDFs plan, joins the colony to Conclave, and takes a fleet to Earth to tell the people of Earth all the stuff that the CDF has been keeping secret for a few hundred years.
In this fifth book, "The Human Division", Earth has broken away from the CDF. This cuts off their supply of soldiers and the overwhelming majority of their colonists. So Earth is in talks with both the Conclave and the CDF to see if they want to join either. The stories mostly focus on one third tier CDF diplomatic team, their unusual tactics, and their discovery of a mysterious third party who has been sabotaging talks, assassinating diplomats, and stealing ships from both the CDF and the Conclave.
If you've been reading the previous books in the series you'll want to get this book. Even if you haven't, this book can stand on it's own pretty well. You'll be missing some background, but the book mostly tells you what you need to know. I recommend the whole series.
At the end of the book you also get the story "After the Coup" which takes place between books 4 and 5 and you can read here. Most characters from this story continue to be main characters through "The Human Division".
Friday, January 10, 2014
Friday Links: January 10
Cardiac muscle tissue grown from a patient's own cells. [link]
A brief history of Christmas Cards. [link]
The Cheshire Cat predates Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. [link]
Gates McFadden plays with herself... er, her action figure. [link]
A unique breed of mosquito has evolved in the London Underground. [link]
What's in a candle flame?
Mormon bishop disguises himself as a homeless man to test his congregation. [link]
Old news, I know, but I'm closing tabs.
Satanists pushing to get a monument outside the Oklahoma statehouse. [link]
The better you know your numbers when you start school the better at math you'll be in high school. [link]
Full size R2-D2 cake. [link]
Dolly Parton is giving away books. [link]
Wedding rice doesn't hurt birds after all. [link]
More support for the idea that the universe is a hologram. And it may exist on the event horizon of a black hole in another universe. [link]
The universe may collapse some day. It may be doing so now. [link]
Make poor children work for their free lunches. [link]
Isaac Asimov's predictions for 2014 were more wrong than right. [link]
Harsh review for Airport Simulator 2014. [link]
Pics from a time travel store. [link]
A brief history of Christmas Cards. [link]
The Cheshire Cat predates Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. [link]
Gates McFadden plays with herself... er, her action figure. [link]
A unique breed of mosquito has evolved in the London Underground. [link]
What's in a candle flame?
Mormon bishop disguises himself as a homeless man to test his congregation. [link]
Old news, I know, but I'm closing tabs.
Satanists pushing to get a monument outside the Oklahoma statehouse. [link]
The better you know your numbers when you start school the better at math you'll be in high school. [link]
Full size R2-D2 cake. [link]
Dolly Parton is giving away books. [link]
Wedding rice doesn't hurt birds after all. [link]
More support for the idea that the universe is a hologram. And it may exist on the event horizon of a black hole in another universe. [link]
The universe may collapse some day. It may be doing so now. [link]
Make poor children work for their free lunches. [link]
Isaac Asimov's predictions for 2014 were more wrong than right. [link]
Harsh review for Airport Simulator 2014. [link]
Pics from a time travel store. [link]
Thursday, January 09, 2014
How cold is it?
It's so cold that the water wasn't working in my house because the DC city water pipes froze.
In related news, I got my old bathroom and office/library totally empty. And then brought my comics down from the attic to move later.
In related news, I got my old bathroom and office/library totally empty. And then brought my comics down from the attic to move later.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
All grain brewing
I still haven't told you much about my beer making activities. Over Christmas week my brother and I tried to level up. We tried our hands at all grain brewing.
If you're new to brewing or are interested in trying it, then you'll want to steer clear of Mr Beer or the kits you can get from Bed Bath and Beyond. I've not tried either, but I've heard bad things about Mr Beer and I got a good chuckle looking at the kits from Bed Bath and Beyond. They're cheap for a reason.
First, you want to be sure there's a place where you can store a bucket at 68°-72°F for a couple of weeks. And you'll need some storage space for all the supplies. That'd be two 5-gallon buckets and a 5-gallon glass jar. And that's for making ales. If you want to make a lager you need a place to keep them around 52°F for 12 weeks (or so). That means a whole extra refrigerator.
Then find your local brew supply store and look into Brewers Best. One kit will get you set up with all the right equipment. Then there's shelves of smaller boxes that are just pre-selected ingredients.
I did three batches just using their kits. When I started adding seasonings to their kits I said I'd leveled up. Last summer as I was leaving Kansas I stopped to visit some friends who were doing their first attempt at all grain brewing. I figured helping with that got me to level up, again. So I asked for a grain grinder for Christmas so I could start earning XP as I worked my way up to Level 4 Brewmaster. For comparison. The guys at Flying Dog are probably operating at level 100. Budweiser's guys are probably operating at level 50 or so.
In the kits you'll get a couple of 5-lb tubs of Liquid Malt Extract. Malt is the stuff that the yeast eats and turns into sugar. In all grain brewing you're making your own malt. Some instructions talk about making the grain sprout and then throwing it in a kiln, but apparently that's just for certain types of beer. For our purposes we took some of the red wheat that my brother grows and some pilsner that he got from his brew supply store. So we ran 7 lbs of the red wheat through the grinder. That was WORK! I mean, you know it's time to cut the wheat when you chew the grains and it's like noshing on pebbles. The grinder feels the same way. Grinding red wheat is like trying to crush large pieces of sand. About ever pound or so my bother and I had to switch places or at least readjust. Once that was done we dropped in 3 lbs of pilsner grains. It breezed right through. Compared to the wheat, it was like grinding tofu.
The next step was to use the burner from Dad's turkey frier to heat 3 gallons of water to 169°F and put the water in a water jug. It's one of those big round suckers like you see Gatorade being dumped out of over a coach's head. Only it has been modified into something called a mashtun. It has a false bottom so that the liquid can get out, but the grains can't. So the water goes in, the grains are slowly stirred in, a lid put on, and the whole thing left for an hour. With the grain added the water drops to around 152°F. You can keep it hotter or cooler depending on whether you like your beer maltier or drier.
After an hour you start the water draining into another container. It's just a trickle coming out. And get another 3 gallons heating up to 170° or so. Once the initial water has drained you need to refill the tub with the grains until there's an inch or so of water covering the grains. Add it slowly. Maybe run it through a colander so the water doesn't drill a hole in the grain. See, what you're trying to do is wash out all the sugars and other things yeast likes to eat.
We ended up with about 5.25 gallons of water. More would have been better so we could cook it down for stronger beer. Because from this point on it would be just like making beer from the kit. We took what we had and put it back on the burner. Our original gravity was enough that we should have a weak beer when we were done. We figured it'd boil down below 5 gallons by the time we were done.
It was an odd shade of green. Even before the hops were added. We're assuming that's normal.
It was a long process and I had to leave the follow up to my brother. He should be bottling the beers tomorrow. Two weeks after that he can give some to the dog and see if it dies. If not, we have product.
I brought home 10 lbs or so. I'll be repeating the process here in Baltimore once I empty enough bottles to have somewhere to put the beer.
If you're new to brewing or are interested in trying it, then you'll want to steer clear of Mr Beer or the kits you can get from Bed Bath and Beyond. I've not tried either, but I've heard bad things about Mr Beer and I got a good chuckle looking at the kits from Bed Bath and Beyond. They're cheap for a reason.
First, you want to be sure there's a place where you can store a bucket at 68°-72°F for a couple of weeks. And you'll need some storage space for all the supplies. That'd be two 5-gallon buckets and a 5-gallon glass jar. And that's for making ales. If you want to make a lager you need a place to keep them around 52°F for 12 weeks (or so). That means a whole extra refrigerator.
Then find your local brew supply store and look into Brewers Best. One kit will get you set up with all the right equipment. Then there's shelves of smaller boxes that are just pre-selected ingredients.
I did three batches just using their kits. When I started adding seasonings to their kits I said I'd leveled up. Last summer as I was leaving Kansas I stopped to visit some friends who were doing their first attempt at all grain brewing. I figured helping with that got me to level up, again. So I asked for a grain grinder for Christmas so I could start earning XP as I worked my way up to Level 4 Brewmaster. For comparison. The guys at Flying Dog are probably operating at level 100. Budweiser's guys are probably operating at level 50 or so.
In the kits you'll get a couple of 5-lb tubs of Liquid Malt Extract. Malt is the stuff that the yeast eats and turns into sugar. In all grain brewing you're making your own malt. Some instructions talk about making the grain sprout and then throwing it in a kiln, but apparently that's just for certain types of beer. For our purposes we took some of the red wheat that my brother grows and some pilsner that he got from his brew supply store. So we ran 7 lbs of the red wheat through the grinder. That was WORK! I mean, you know it's time to cut the wheat when you chew the grains and it's like noshing on pebbles. The grinder feels the same way. Grinding red wheat is like trying to crush large pieces of sand. About ever pound or so my bother and I had to switch places or at least readjust. Once that was done we dropped in 3 lbs of pilsner grains. It breezed right through. Compared to the wheat, it was like grinding tofu.
The next step was to use the burner from Dad's turkey frier to heat 3 gallons of water to 169°F and put the water in a water jug. It's one of those big round suckers like you see Gatorade being dumped out of over a coach's head. Only it has been modified into something called a mashtun. It has a false bottom so that the liquid can get out, but the grains can't. So the water goes in, the grains are slowly stirred in, a lid put on, and the whole thing left for an hour. With the grain added the water drops to around 152°F. You can keep it hotter or cooler depending on whether you like your beer maltier or drier.
After an hour you start the water draining into another container. It's just a trickle coming out. And get another 3 gallons heating up to 170° or so. Once the initial water has drained you need to refill the tub with the grains until there's an inch or so of water covering the grains. Add it slowly. Maybe run it through a colander so the water doesn't drill a hole in the grain. See, what you're trying to do is wash out all the sugars and other things yeast likes to eat.
We ended up with about 5.25 gallons of water. More would have been better so we could cook it down for stronger beer. Because from this point on it would be just like making beer from the kit. We took what we had and put it back on the burner. Our original gravity was enough that we should have a weak beer when we were done. We figured it'd boil down below 5 gallons by the time we were done.
It was an odd shade of green. Even before the hops were added. We're assuming that's normal.
It was a long process and I had to leave the follow up to my brother. He should be bottling the beers tomorrow. Two weeks after that he can give some to the dog and see if it dies. If not, we have product.
I brought home 10 lbs or so. I'll be repeating the process here in Baltimore once I empty enough bottles to have somewhere to put the beer.
Friday, January 03, 2014
Friday Links: January 3
What Does the Christmas Display Say?
Back to the Future theme, acoustic guitar version.
You won't be able to float tomorrow or ever. [link]
"It's a Wonderful Life" was considered communist propaganda. [link]
Official: Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain. [link]
50 Years of Doctor Who illustrated like the "Take On Me" music video.
A much expanded version of the Max Headroom television hack. [link]
I wish this MechWarrior were real. [link]
A patent on walking through walls? [link]
There’s a bacterium on a diatom on an amphipod on a frog on a bump on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea. [link]
A moveable model of weather patterns. [link]
Google buys more robots. [link]
Chocolate milk may be a good sports drink. [link]
Freshwater reserves found under continental shelves. [link]
Pretty damn good Elvis sound-alike on a French Canadian radio station.
Court says NSA phone data collection unconstitutional.
There's a tiny sculpture on the Moon. [link]
Goats on a dam. [link]
The 24 school shootings you didn't hear about. [link]
Did we not hear about them because it was generally agreed that talking about them encourages more shootings.
An article about the author's inability to recognize faces. [link]
Violent criminals just never left their terrible twos. [link]
One of Edward Snowden's NSA coworkers talks about working with him. [link]
Most amazing science pics and films of 2013. [link]
Best media corrections of 2013. [link]
Great golf shot.
"The Life of Plants" has been thoroughly debunked. [link]
Aw, I remember reading about some of the findings back in middle school.
Man emerges from bunker 14 years after Y2K. [link]
Back to the Future theme, acoustic guitar version.
You won't be able to float tomorrow or ever. [link]
"It's a Wonderful Life" was considered communist propaganda. [link]
Official: Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain. [link]
50 Years of Doctor Who illustrated like the "Take On Me" music video.
A much expanded version of the Max Headroom television hack. [link]
I wish this MechWarrior were real. [link]
A patent on walking through walls? [link]
There’s a bacterium on a diatom on an amphipod on a frog on a bump on the log in the hole in the bottom of the sea. [link]
A moveable model of weather patterns. [link]
Google buys more robots. [link]
Chocolate milk may be a good sports drink. [link]
Freshwater reserves found under continental shelves. [link]
Pretty damn good Elvis sound-alike on a French Canadian radio station.
Court says NSA phone data collection unconstitutional.
There's a tiny sculpture on the Moon. [link]
Goats on a dam. [link]
The 24 school shootings you didn't hear about. [link]
Did we not hear about them because it was generally agreed that talking about them encourages more shootings.
An article about the author's inability to recognize faces. [link]
Violent criminals just never left their terrible twos. [link]
One of Edward Snowden's NSA coworkers talks about working with him. [link]
Most amazing science pics and films of 2013. [link]
Best media corrections of 2013. [link]
Great golf shot.
"The Life of Plants" has been thoroughly debunked. [link]
Aw, I remember reading about some of the findings back in middle school.
Man emerges from bunker 14 years after Y2K. [link]
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Slacking off
Hello. I'm back. Went on a bit of holiday walkabout. You'll notice that I didn't say AFK or anything before going. This is in line with other lapses you may have noticed lately. Days I've just skipped. When I started this blog I made a decision to update 7 days a week. Otherwise, I'd end up with a blog I never updated, just like 90%+ of all blog. Eventually, I cut back to 5 days a week. I'm losing interest, kids. My time keeps getting routed elsewhere and the blog just gets "oh, shit, I needed to do that" kinds of attention and the poor writing that goes with it. So, I'm cutting back even further. You'll still get Friday Links, but everything else is a maybe. I'll post stuff about the house, random thoughts, stories, movie and book reviews, but when I feel like writing them.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd check in on Fridays and see what I wrote that week.
Honestly, if I were you, I'd check in on Fridays and see what I wrote that week.
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