Flutterby™! From 2002-09-01 to 2002-09-30

Okay, so Eclipse is supposed to be this great, new, up-and-coming universal IDE for developers (I think). But the entire website reads like a cross between high level managorial-marketing-speak and a dry RFC. I'm having trouble seeing and wrapping my brain around the big picture - not to mention convincing myself that this thing is worth downloading and playing around with. Maybe something as simple as some screenshots of the IDE in action might help. I dunno. I don't quite understand why they seem to have such resistance to the idea - I'm certainly not the only one who would like to see some.

[ related topics: Free Software Open Source Software Engineering Marketing ]

After 10 hours in the left seat, pulling a trailer way too heavy for the car, and at least one wrong turn which hastened the demise of my clutch and made me back the trailer a long way with no possibility of pulling forward to undo any mistakes, we pulled in at home at 1:00 this morning. I will remember 2002 as the Burning Man I did for other people, not totally satisfying, but good enough that I haven't ruled out a return next year. It was fun camping on the esplanade with Firetown, but I won't be camping there next year. Kiki's Egeria was definitely the highlight, my piece was a total bust, the foam was incompatible with the desert, Charlene's piece got great comments, Meuon seemed to have a blast. Oxy-acetylene brazing is easier than MIG for thin bicycle tubing. It took me two showers to start to feel clean again, but I'm smiling. Lots.

[ related topics: Burning Man Art & Culture Automobiles ]

So I bought my books for school today. Went up to the campus bookstore to get a look at the books themselves. Bought the ones I didn't think I could get elsewhere and made notes about the others. Now, after a visit to both Amazon and Barnes & Noble I've already learned somethin' - you can get everything online, and usually for less. All of my books could be found at both sites and only two were cheaper at the bookstore (and one only by 50 cents). I could've gone even cheaper if I'd wanted to buy used from individual sellers but the quarter's starting too soon to be messing around with that.

Now pair this up with the "no receipt necessary for buyback" policy and I think I've discovered one of those Starving Student Tricks.

[ related topics: Books Shawn's Life Education ]

Being a Mozilla fan, I downloaded and installed the latest release; 1.1 I'd like to warn anyone who's thinking about doing the same that while this isn't clearly marked as a beta release it is referred to as "bleading edge" in passing and does appear to have a few odd quirks.

The two that stand out for me are: 1) I've had some graphic files (JPGs) load completely and then disappear, leaving me with a message that there is an error in the file. I have only noticed this behavior over on Voyeurweb though, and I suspect that it has more to do with some authentication scheme incompatiblity since they seem to be implementing such functionality lately. And, 2) invoking the browser from anywhere else (a shortcut, a link in e-mail, etc.) will randomly load the page in either a new browser window or an existing one, although most often the latter. (Behavior in previous versions was to open a new browser instance.)

[ related topics: User Interface Open Source ]

Linux & Main has a very interesting editorial on the irony to be found in the latest issue of raised tempers between KDE and Red Hat.

[ related topics: Intellectual Property Ethics Open Source Current Events ]

Just about caught up with the pace of the real world and hope to be posting more on a daily basis now. I had a good time at Burning Man this year but never achived the playa zen I had in years past. The short stay(only 4 days) and a variety of other reason kept me from hitting that spiritual bliss that usually happens. I learned a lot this year and hope to apply it to next years pilgrimage. The weather was the most perfect I have ever seen at BRC there was some cool art (although less this year). This is one of my favorites which is a large area of sod with iron sculptures thoughout.

[ related topics: Religion Burning Man Photography Todd Gemmell Coyote Grits History Art & Culture ]

Well, perhaps you can't access Google from China but you can access Flutterby

David Lazarus' column today is Cabbie has tales to tell, talking about a cabbie who used to be a .com controller. Interesting assertions, none proven.

[ related topics: New Economy Bay Area ]

Mark Morford on Burning Man:

Just a dumb expensive druggie yuppie rave party in the desert? Sure it is. Now hush up and let's watch the three-story fire-breathing light-resplendent pirate frigate cruise slowly on by as we sip our drinks inside the whale, before we go dancing under the desert stars until dawn, burned anew.

[ related topics: Burning Man Pyrotechnics Mark Morford ]

Wired reports that text messaging is now the medium of choice for school bullies in Britain.

[ related topics: Children and growing up Technology and Culture ]

Hee hee hee. Check out the Amazon customer reviews of the Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 Broom:

They play for hours in her bedroom with this great toy. They really seem to like the special effects it offers (the sound effects and vibrating). My oldest daughter (17) really likes it too! I reccomend this for all children.

[ related topics: Children and growing up Humor Sexual Culture ]

Busy day. Welcome back all you Burning Folk! :-)

Researchers believe they have discovered the neurons that trigger ejaculation - in the lower spinal cord, not the brain. They have successfully inhibited ejaculation in lab rats and believe this knowledge can be used for everything from treating ejaculatory problems to enhancing orgasm.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture Nature and environment Biology ]

Code Junkies is reporting that Temco has successfully sued a small Japanese company for selling a Playstation 2 CD that allowed players to download nude models for some of the female characters in Dead Or Alive 2. I wonder if Maxis will be on the warpath next?

[ related topics: Intellectual Property Erotic Games Sexual Culture Nudity Copyright/Trademark ]

I was suprised by the Slashdot poll showing 76% of their readers use only MP3s to the exclusion of Ogg Vorbis. Ogg devices are right around the corner but MP3 devices will always be more widely spread. So I ask Flutterby readers "Why switch to Ogg"

[ related topics: Music Cool Technology ]

Gawd, it's scary enough with a fat life insurance policy hanging over my head but when the wife finds out about this I'm dust (in a most literal sense). Well maybe this way she'll polish me daily ...

[ related topics: Politics Humor Current Events ]

For those who might be coding in Windows, I discovered last night that adding a browser window/object to your application doesn't mean you're stuck with using Internet Explorer's COM (ActiveX) object. Mozilla also has a browser ActiveX control (using the Gecko engine - which is about a third the size of the IE core) that you can use. It comes as part of the Mozilla install (so if you've installed Mozilla, you've got it available) and the best part is that its interface is designed to exactly mimic that of IE's object - so you can transparently drop it into your app in place of IE. The link provides instructions on using the control with VC++, VB, Delphi and even IE itself.

[ related topics: Free Software User Interface Microsoft Open Source Software Engineering ]

Senate votes to Arm Pilots. This seems like a "yeah duh" to me. I think the airlines are opposing this because of perceived liability of armed staff. we need start with the assumtion pilots are good and rational people. If they are not ....well the people in the plane are screwed anyhow. If I was a pilot I would be demanding the right to pack heat.BTW www.salon.com seems to suck less these days.

[ related topics: Interactive Drama Politics Aviation Salon magazine ]

So you think the US government is reactionary and stooopid? The Greek Parliament Outlawed all forms of games in an initial attempt to stop gambling but this is so freaky it looks like an internet hoax. I wish it was.

[ related topics: Games moron Net Culture ]

So the DEA raided a California medical marijuana farm, without notifying the local authorities first. The morons then had to call the Santa Cruz sherriff so that they could safely escape the angry crowd which had gathered in response to the raid.

"The people of California and the County of Santa Cruz have overwhelmingly supported the provision of medical marijuana for people who have serious illnesses," said county Supervisor Mardi Wormhoudt. "These people (blocking the road) are people with AIDS and cancer and other grave illnesses. To attack these people, who work collectively and have never taken money for their work, is outrageous."

If a set of Republicans ever wanted to stand up for local control and decentralization, this could be the issue to take a stand on...

[ related topics: Drugs moron Current Events California Culture ]

Our net connection at work, through Screw-U Net, has been up and down more often than the stock market the past few days. Yesterday they blew away a routing table, today we've had some other intermittent issues. InternalMemos.com says "We are expecting a relatively uneventful week from a bankruptcy proceedings standpoint", I wonder when it's time to start pushing the folks above me to switch providers.

[ related topics: Coyote Grits History Work, productivity and environment ]

OK I know Simon is an idiot but it looks like he has a wiley web designer on his staff. egray

[ related topics: moron ]

It's the end of the world!! The cast and crew are reporting that the Sci-Fi Channel is excercising their opt-out clause for season 5 of Farscape. Snail mail address, for expressing your displeasure, is included on the linked report.

[ related topics: moron Television ]

Charlene and I were probably the last people in the country to go see it, but last night we went to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I liked it, Charlene laughed all the way through it and could go back and see it again. It's amazing that with no real story arc (duh, she gets married) they managed to pull off a funny movie that held together well, a fun exploration of family ties and cultural identity. And normally I hate movies that end with not only a wedding, but an obligatory "and then they had kids" post-script. In this one that worked. Well. Recommended.

[ related topics: Movies Sociology ]

Pointed out in conversation last night: Most likely source of attacks on this Wednesday, September 11^th: The U.S. on Iraq.

[ related topics: Politics WTC/Pentagon attacks ]

Pictures from BurningMan are starting to be sorted, rotated, and online.

[ related topics: Burning Man Photography ]

Well, it seems that the home machine has horked up a disk drive. If you have email that requires attention today, you might want to send it to work (dan at alvanon).

[ related topics: Dan's Life Work, productivity and environment ]

Remember 10 or 15 years ago, heck, almost 20 years ago, when we used to enjoy writing widgets like pushbuttons, trying to make them generic in an age when graphics standards hadn't really happened? So, two rants: Why, in 2002, does a designer feel it necessary to create a new slightly different pushbutton widget rather than simply using the stock text one? And why, in 2002, does Microsoft's .NET framework not provide a pushbutton that works as nicely in this role as, say, the ones in VisualBasic 6?

[ related topics: Microsoft moron Graphics ]

The moves in the fight scenes seem just a touch too deliberate and contrived... but other than that, this is quite a nice piece of fan fiction cinematography.

[ related topics: Star Wars Technology and Culture Movies Macintosh ]

Keith Knight on football.

[ related topics: Humor Sports Comics Salon magazine ]

Aaron passed along as "confirmed as legit" this announcement that includes the Canon EOS-1Ds

The EOS-1Ds features the first ever full frame 35mm CMOS sensor with 11.1 million effective pixels. The EOS-1Ds capture astounding detail & colour, almost doubling the resolution ordinarily considered state of the art for a digital SLR camera in the world today.

It appears that the selling price will be about $5500.

[ related topics: Photography Cool Technology ]

"Why yes, dear, everyone knows that the lottery draw is a completely random event, why do you ask?"

[ related topics: Consumerism and advertising Marketing Mythology ]

A blow was struck yesterday for intelligence, when Astronaut Buzz Aldrin decked a nutcase who claimed that he had never walked on the Moon.

[ related topics: Antidepressants Space & Astronomy Astronomy Salon magazine ]

I've mentioned the online book Border Pilot. Maurice Bourne just dropped me a line to say that Border Pilot is now in print.

[ related topics: Books Aviation ]

So if, in two months when we make the decision, we plan on going back to Burning Man, we're going to do it differently. Anyone want the bits to make two Geometry Camp shade structures? Basically a boatload of PVC pipe, one in 2" and one in 1.75", both schedule 40, a few parachutes, and a bunch of rebar.

[ related topics: Burning Man Interactive Drama ]

Somewhere in the drive failure mess at home, I lost a link to a vice based mutual fund which someone (seth?) had forwarded me. It was a reaction to the "socially responsible" funds, and it invested in liquor, cigarrettes, and the like. I didn't link to it 'cause I thought it was old news, these things have been around (and doing fairly well) since the '80s, but I did want to acknowledge it.

[ related topics: Dan's Life Flutterby Meta ]

Some good reading if you run and/or administer an Apache web server (ver 1.3). Mostly stuff you probably already know, but still worth going over.

[ related topics: Web development Perl Open Source Software Engineering security ]

Joe Barr, of LinuxWorld reports on his test drive of Kylix. Kylix is Borland's all-in-one (RAD/IDE) development product for x86 Linux - especially now that version 3 supports C++ along with Delphi. (Think of it as C++ Builder for Linux, with your projects being source compatible between the two platforms.)

The review is short but gives a good basic first impression. I think Borland is making a good move with this. The time is ripe for bringing the development of Linux apps to a broader audience, and it might just be the final weight to tip the scale.

Oh yeah, Kylix is available as a free Open Source product. (Although there are license restrictions on the redistrobutables created with the OS version.)

[ related topics: Free Software Business User Interface Open Source Software Engineering Work, productivity and environment ]

via the Jer Zone, first there was Elgoog, the mirror Google, but when you're really ready to stare into the abyss, try Cthuugle, the H.P. Lovecraft search engine.

[ related topics: Humor Web development ]

They've found the first smiley.

Who says Microsoft doesn't fund useful research?

[ related topics: Humor Microsoft ]

Picked up a sharp zaurus.. http://www.myzaurus.com

because the price dropped to 350 at office depot. So far it rocks! Am typing this using the thumbboard with a 802.11 wireless link. The handwriting recognition is great, but I have to unlearn my bad palm habits. A minimal Opera browser works well. It is fast.Linux Powered.

Battery life sucks,, but its usable.

[ related topics: Wireless ]

I'm not sure he'll necessarily appreciate the mention, but a while ago Eric Wagoner mentioned Gabba in a discussion. He referred to them as "an ABBA/Ramones crossover band". If punk disco is your thing, worth a listen, they've got samples for download.

[ related topics: Music ]

Also in the music realm, Ulrika (whom I can't find a valid URL for right now) mentioned the key fiddle and pointed to Peter Hedlund for some sample sounds. My first listen didn't speak to me that strongly, but an interesting sound.

[ related topics: Music ]

Damn, I missed both Brad and Diane yesterday. Big cycling race in the city, and as I figured out how much time it'd take to get through that mess it seemed like way too much to deal with. Sorry, both.

[ related topics: Dan's Life ]

Daze Reader had a link to Caught in the Kid Porn Crusade, a Wired about "Operation Candyman", focusing mainly on the tribulations of one Adam Vaughn.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture ]

How many of y'all out there are Bay Area folks who might want to help maintain a site that keeps calendar and review information of good events, a less transient and more inclusive Squidlist like resource that might stray a little further, tell us what's going on in Sebastapol and San Jose? I'm not asking for much, I just want a critical mass of people who are tuned in to things that are happening, and are willing to do a little typing when they hear about something cool, or when they've been to something cool. Anyone?

[ related topics: Bay Area California Culture ]

In the Canon 1Ds thread, Meuon mentioned trying to learn more about good photography. I'll start:

• If your digital camera has a "histogram" feature, make friends with it. Ansel Adams' "Zone System" is all about manipulating contrast curves to capture the shadow detail and the highlight detail, and when the scene was too high contrast, to consciously decide what throw away.
• If it doesn't have a histogram feature, make friends with the closest thing you've got to a spot meter. Learn how far under and how far over your camera catches detail.
• Know this, then learn to trust the automatic metering. Don't always be an exposure geek.
• Learn about The Golden Mean. If you can't assimilate all that, approximate with "2/5^ths", and try to put points of detail on those places in the photo.
• Some people think that the eye scans into frame on the upper left side, goes across to the right, down, back left, up, and then exits the frame just below that point. Try to set up the lines and dominant shapes in your images to encourage that flow. When that gets boring, try to make the eye scan a different path. Remember The Golden Mean as you do this.
• Backlight. This counteracts everything you've ever been told about taking pictures with people in them, but once you understand exposure, make sure that people are always standing with their backs to the sun. Give them halos. See the light through their hair. When necessary, use fill flash, even in the middle of the day.
• Light from the side or the bottom. Yes, I know, I said "backlight", but people like images that show them things they don't normally see. They always see light overhead.

Anyone else?

[ related topics: Photography Art & Culture ]

We've been shy on the sex recently, at least here on Flutterby, so: There's a new Mind Caviar issue out.

[ related topics: Erotic Sexual Culture ]

Apologies for the parser bug that's screwing up ghasty's links. Don't know what's screwing up those particular unquoted attributes, I'll try to fix it on the ferry this evening.

[ related topics: Flutterby Meta ]

Ages ago, Jeff and I talked about adding GPS data and a searchable map to the photo database. I thought having some data would be a handy place to start, so yesterday I made a list of intersections on the bus route to work, today I grabbed a Garmin GPS 12(that I think is actually Todd's), hopped on the bus with my Palm Vx out, ready to make annotations to that list... and... got no reception. Faraday cages suck. But that leads me to a few questions:

• Is it normal for GPS units to have no reception inside commercial buildings or buses?
• Is it normal for GPS to show wild swings of a hundred plus feet in altitude? Woohoo, now we're at -75 feet, now we're at 130 feet...

It'd be kinda cool to start to put freely available map data out there, and have data sets that we could play with, but only if it's not a hell of a lot of work.

[ related topics: Photography Cool Technology Maps and Mapping ]

So that explains all the getting in bed with rich middle easterners: Dubya and Di share common ancestor, allegedly Henry Spencer of Badby, Northamptonshire, who lived between 1420-1478

[ related topics: Politics moron ]

Evolution Beta 1.2 just came out and I'm thinking about giving it a whirl. I'm actually a pretty big Office fan including Outlook but Ximian has put together some of the tightest desktop software in the linux world. Are there some Ximian simians out there that wish to evangelize or warn of stumbling points???

[ related topics: Free Software Humor Microsoft Open Source Software Engineering moron ]

OK I'm back(sort of)posting again. Along with deciding to take on more work for money I have become a little more politically active. You can now call me Commissioner Gemmell <snarf giggle> when you see me. This lack of personal time makes me cranky so I thought I'd share the pain. View the Pain and the rest of your troubles will seem rather benign.

[ related topics: Humor punishment link ]

Diane got a piercing. Which was the opportunity to go see her at that I missed. I've been getting pressure from various sides to wear some jewelry, in fact I've been hearing such things for many years now from various people, and I just can't bring myself to an earring or whatever. But she makes the navel piercing sound fun enough that that might be my answer.

The dipshits over at Weblogger.com are threatening the Rollerweblogger folks. Hey, Dave and John, these assholes are giving Manila^tm some bad vibes, you might wanna lay some smackdown on 'em before they completely spike Userland's reputation. Check out Chilling Effects for what to do when know-nothing ignoramii start to get all pretend-legal on you without having a clue about what they're spouting.

[ related topics: Weblogs Dave Winer Law ]

Had a fun Scotch Night last night, even though Leo and I were the only attendees. Went down into the Marina, where we noticed that the bar flys had the same voices and the same mannerisms, but were 15 years younger and worked out a lot more. A fun anthropological expedition into a culture that was distinctly not our own. Had dinner at Cafe Marimba on Chestnut, excellent Mexican food with very interesting sauces. Highly recommended.

[ related topics: Food Bay Area Sociology California Culture ]

Mark Morford has some musings on stock ownership and ethics, no answers, but the usual questions.

[ related topics: Ethics Mark Morford ]

I wanna live there: Daze Reader linked to an article about Armando Munoz Garcia who's built a 3 story house in the shape of a woman in Rosarito, Mexico.

[ related topics: Burning Man Erotic Art & Culture ]

Debra passed along the Nine West's "Flutterby":

Perfect evening shoe in satin material. Pointed toe and rhinestone detail at toe and on slingback strap. 2" covered slim heel.

If someone wants to model this for Flutterby, we might just have to take up a collection...

[ related topics: Flutterby Meta Shoes ]

Suggested Burning Man theme for next year: Castles in the sky. Divide the two sides of the city into the neurotics and the psychotics. Lots of good mythology and imagery, both recent and past, to draw on. And it ties in to one of the biggest challenges I have with living in Black Rock City for a week:

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them."

--- Thoreau

[ related topics: Burning Man Quotes ]

It's one of those days. I'm trying to get stuff installed on my laptop so I can escape the horrible noises of construction across the street, so a post I otherwise wouldn't make. Columbine thought the uproar over Eric Fischl's "Tumbling Woman" sculpture might be up my alley. I thought it was good that we had some transgressive reminders that we're angry because people died in horrible ways, rather than this lovey-dovey towers of light crap that sanitizes everything, but I've been trying to stay clear of the media hype and the public hysteria in general. Then, a few hours later, I come across this: NY 9/11 parade organizers couldn't get doves, so they bought squabs at a Newark market in the hopes that they could do one of those "uplifting dove releases":

Many of the birds plunged into the Hudson River, smacked into plate-glass windows on office buildings or careened into the crowd. One perched atop the hard hat of a construction worker whose company had helped clear ground zero.

Great, more manufactured sentiment by people way out of touch with reality.

[ related topics: Current Events Art & Culture WTC/Pentagon attacks ]

The headline reads "Tiger attacks boy at school". Reading a little further we find that it happened at an assembly at the Baymonte Christian School in Scotts Valley. so, let me get this straight: Someone brought a tiger into an auditorium full of Christians? Who thought that was a good idea? Someone who slept through the whole history of Rome, I'm sure.

[ related topics: Religion Children and growing up moron ]

Todays flutterby girl. Her website is iskip.com where she promotes positive energy by skipping. Yes, I skipped with her across the playa. :)

[ related topics: Photography ]

Slip o' the tongue o' the moment: Charlene said "we need to purchase a mortal and pestle." Suddenly I have this urge to dress all in black, walk into the kitchen supply store and say in a deep breathy voice: "I wish to purchase a mortal."

[ related topics: Dan's Life Food Consumerism and advertising ]

Dan and I are looking into developing products for personal pleasure. Today the guys at Tap plastics recommended BJB Enterprises for specialty silicones with great stretchiness and durability.

[ related topics: Erotic Dan's Life ]

Charlene and I went to see Rivers and Tides at The Rafael last night. I was warned not to see it if I was tired, and it did drag and get a bit repetitive towards the end, but there were some awesome images in it. Overall Charlene and I thought it spoke more of the skills of director Thomas Riedelsheimer than of Andy Goldsworthy, the Scottish sculptor and artist it chronicles, but it still has some neat images that got the mind turning, and was a good reminder to keep that child-like wonder and sense of exploration of the world around us alive. And although he blew it by repeating the shot in a way that gave away the technique, that one swooping camera move through the rapids near the end was worth the price of admission. Recommended if you're willing to sit through a long film about one person's art, with no plot, just a lot of cool imagery and some interesting talk.

[ related topics: Photography Movies Art & Culture Whitewater ]

The /. interview with Janis Ian is well worth a read if you're interested in popular music, the RIAA, and how technology is impacting audio.

[ related topics: Music Civil Liberties ]

Dancers from Papua New Guinea have been urged to take off their bras and underpants in the interests of tradition!...(oh crap now I have fiddler on the roof sound track playing in the head). I think naked is cool but I think canabalism was a tradition too. How about? Don't wear bras & panties because they look stupid with the costume?

[ related topics: Invention and Design Current Events Clothing ]

When people don't get it something more extreme than a short detention period is required. A case similar to this recently happened in the US but the drunk killed someone after he was released.

[ related topics: Law Current Events ]

I've been watching a few threads over at the Burning Man e-playa, and one thing has become clear: DJs are the script kiddies of music. At first I found it annoying that these whining kids who happened to guilt their parents out of big sound systems ran rampant over otherwise beautiful communities, but now I realize that they try to warn us. "DJ" as a prefix is like "Esquire" as a suffix, it says "I'm a leach on your culture with nothing to give, but I will make myself loud and impose myself on you, and make incoherent rantings and proclaim l33+ 5k1LLz because I can beat match", and gives us a good warning to make sure that ground loops have a higher rate of occurrence in their region.

[ related topics: Burning Man Children and growing up Music Sociology California Culture Community ]

Dan is still going to loose Our Bet but it seems that people think broadband is too expensive. The reason for my confidence is that the writting is on the wall that it will be cheaper to provide broadband than dial-up. It will take some time just like DVDs still have an inflated price over VHS despite production cost. I have 18 years for things to sort out.

[ related topics: Dan's Life Todd Gemmell broadband Theater & Plays Work, productivity and environment ]

Public gatherings in Chattanooga are fun, especially when the guy dressed as Jesus is carrying a cross (hollow, with a caster) and a sign attached that says.. Native American Craft is WitchCraft. He is better accepted by the crowd (at least he' s an X-tian) than the kewl kids harrassing him. But then, here in the "Belt Buckle of the Bible Belt" we also get the Christians protesting the adult video stores. Time to visit the left coast again.

[ related topics: Religion Children and growing up Humor Photography California Culture Chattanooga ]

After an afternoon of serious studying, Asha and I were looking for a light comedy to lull us to sleep. Browsing the new releases at LackLuster, we came across Steve Martin's recent release Novacaine. A light comedy this was not. It was more like a poor attempt at a David Cronenberg/David Lynch situational horror. Heck, it even had Laura Dern.

[ related topics: Movies Invention and Design ]

Must resist urge to post Meuon's Burning Man pictures and let him put them up himself so we can keep the spirit of wonder alive for longer...

[ related topics: Burning Man Photography ]

Okay, this fucking rocks! And it's cool that the entry on The Jer Zone that I found this on also links to a really good description of the hive mind effects of Loren and Rachel's Cinematrix (requires Flash). Anyway, over at Typophile you can participate in making a font, and look at how letters such as "D" have evolved.

[ related topics: Hardware Hackery Sociology Typography Graphic Design Cool Technology ]

Yesterday Igor, Phil and I ended up working late trying to solve what ended up being a power supply problem in our boxes which use the awesome (if you give the relay board the voltage it really wants) AR-16 controllers. So we ended up a little early for the 9:10 ferry, and had a drink at Sinbad's looking at this. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me that let me override the controls enough to get the exposure I wanted, which was probably 5 stops lower than this so there'd be some detail in the moon.

[ related topics: Photography Dan's Life Bay Area Work, productivity and environment ]

How many pixles does it take to change a light bulb? Kodak has produced a 13.8 million pixle whopper

[ related topics: Cool Technology ]

- Ronnie, showing off her butterfly/dragonfly wings and a great smile. That's Dan and the Flutterbike in the background.

[ related topics: Butterflies Photography Coyote Grits ]

Feel like your 3 ton Expedition isn't powerful enough? Try on the Kenworth Pilgrimage. It's fairly clear to me that if vehicles are used for phallus compensation that this is the ultimate car for todays female to male transexuals.

[ related topics: Humor Automobiles ]

Miss Universe fired because she placed a lower priority on mall openings and other "important" Miss Universe duties. I gotta wonder how she fooled all the matrons and got through all the barbie filters. I find it amazing that someone whos ultimate goal is other than parading around actually won.(and now a male pigdog comment to balance out my prior feminism) Hey she's a cop! Don't you want to say "hey I have concealed drugs! come pat me down."

[ related topics: Drugs Health Law Enforcement Art & Culture ]

Ya just know kids all over Mill Valley are Ordering Extra Biscuits. Maybe the police are wrong. Maybe there are 12 secret herbs and spices?

[ related topics: Children and growing up Law Enforcement ]

When I moved out to the left coast I was a fairly accomplished whitewater kayaker and I investigated taking up sea kayaking as a replacement. Then I read some statistics and some accident reports and realized that the ocean isn't to be trifled with in the same way that one might dance in class V water and soar off 25 foot waterfalls. An example: Man sets out to sail 25 miles from Long Beach to Santa Catalina island, spends 3 months adrift.

[ related topics: Nature and environment Current Events Boats Whitewater ]

It took Debra linking to it to remind me, but the SF Bay Guardian Sex issue is out. A Bay Area sex poll reveals just how similar to the rest of the country we are, except that we'll talk about it. Bunch of other good stuff.

Speaking of which, I've had some discussions about sex spaces at Burning Man, and how they relate to similar events in the city, and what's wrong and right with various sexy subcultures in the area, and how those subcultures map onto communities, and maybe some of this will be the impetus to pull Flutterby out of the techie doldrums. Just a little titillation about titillation to tell y'all that I still am interested in sex and drugs, not just the technology.

[ related topics: Burning Man Drugs Erotic Sexual Culture Dan's Life Community ]

AnimeNation is reporting that they will be the official sponsors for the theatrical screening of Revolutionary Girl Utena: Apocalypse of Adolescence at the Pride Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in Tampa, Florida. From the festival website:

REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA is a gender-bending roller coaster ride that will leave your head spinning with its compellingly beautiful visual imagery, its surreal music score and a plot centering on a young girl (Utena) who wants to be a prince - but not necessarily a boy.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture Animation Movies ]

It was a laser doppler velocimeter, and it's only $500.00 and I need a tool shed. But it also has a real electrical system (200am breakers) dual AC (probably broke) and a kewl turret (electrical motor driven) on the reinforced roof. It's nearly the perfect )^( Burning Man vehicle project only it's 3000 miles away from BM. It would also make an incredible local workshop and art vehicle... as well as a tool shed. The fact that it has stickers and signage all over it that says 'Lockheed Missile and Space Company' has a special appeal. What if were refurbed a little and covered in old motherboards and ram chips as well? Comments?

[ related topics: Burning Man Interactive Drama Photography Space & Astronomy Art & Culture California Culture ]

Eric, Asha, Charlene and I went to Millenium last night. Once again the food was very good; I hadn't thought about rosemary syrup on dessert, but oh my that goes well with fig. Service was off once or twice, but only at the "deliver the plate to the wrong person" level, and we had to wait for our entrees ("dining was unhurried"), but I forget how much I like that place. And apparently Monday through Thursday they're doing a prix fixe with a subset of the menu at like $26/person. At that price it's a steal. So if you're in San Francisco looking for eats during the week, check 'em out.

[ related topics: Dan's Life Food Bay Area California Culture ]

Ages ago I was mountain biking with Eric up on Springer's Ridge, and as we came back to his house, Mike Kite's band was setting up in Eric's barn, and life felt like it came right out of a beer commercial. I'd hoped to repay the surreality, but Eric and Asha were out too late on their trip down the coast. Anyway, two police visits later we had a really fun party. Tom and Tyler did most of the legwork, we met a lot of our neighbors, the band was good, reminiscent of the Dead, although the jam sessions weren't really happening too much. And yes, the neighbors up on the far hill were within their rights to complain, but it was a really well done loud.

Sometimes audiophiles who insist on dragging a genuine Hammond organ and a Leslie along actually do know what sound is about.

The band was Pie, and I forgot their schedule at home but they're worth a listen, I might even be able to get some downloadable stuff online later, and I'll get dates and places for their next few appearances up here soon.

I smoked a pork shoulder and a couple o' chickens, Tom took the habañeros from their garden and made a great barbecue sauce that took me right back to Tennessee, and we met a bunch of new folks. Great fun.

[ related topics: Music Dan's Life Bay Area Law Enforcement Beer Chattanooga ]

Huh. I guess you can tell from the stadium in the background that this picture from the activities of the weekend is of two Raiders players, and not from the Folsom Street Fair.

[ related topics: Photography Sexual Culture ]

Via the Daily Illuminator, a Reason Magazine article about the Information Awareness Office logos, and how they seem to be tailor made for conspiracy buffs. The IAO does indeed have a wacky logo, but taking that eyeball in the keyhole animated GIF out of context from the USPTO's April Pulse newsletter is a little too conspiratorial.

[ related topics: Politics moron Conspiracy ]