Merry Christmas Amy, Chip and Linda

Learn more about this project

turkey day

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

all my love

"I will seek & find u. I shall take u to bed and have my way w/ u. I will make u ache, shake & sweat until u moan & groan. I will make u beg for mercy. I will exhaust u to the point that u will be relieved when I'm finished w/ u. And when I am finished, u will be weak for days. All my love, The Flu

MISSING YOU

WHERE OH WHERE IS TOBEE AND DIDI? AM MISSING YOU BOTH!!!
HOPE ALL IS WELL, INCLUDING SMOBRIETY EFFORTS AND LIFE IN GENERAL. COME ON BACK!!!! LUV FROM BUBE


MY LITTLE CORNER OF THE EARTH IN LIVING COLOR:

Max and TcT

Max & TcT start a race @ point S. Max runs from S to F to T, turns around and runs back to F. TcT runs from S to F @ 8 min/mi and from F to P @ 13 min/mi. He meets Max coming back @ P. TcT turns around and runs w/ Max to F @ 8 1/2 min/mi. How far does TcT run if they finish in 3 hrs 45 min.?

Calculator Challenge

Think of a number between 2 and 3, like 2.37. Fire up your favorite calculator. Compute

(2.37)^(1/2.37)

where ^ means "raise to the power" and / means "divide."

You should get something like

1.439201705

Challenge: Play with this choice, namely 2.37, so that when you calculate

(choice)^(1/choice)

you obtain the biggest value you can. For example:

(2.62)^(1/2.62)

should give you something like

1.444298571

It turns out, the choice that makes the calculation bigger than any other choice is a very very famous number.

What's your choice? As they say on tests, "show your work."

Extra credit:

What is the famous number? How did you determine this?

Hartford 1/2

Did a 1:43:08, 7:52 pace, 2nd in 65-69 division, a personal best in recent years.

Complete results at
http://www.coolrunning.com/results/09/ct/Oct10_IngHar_1_set1.shtml

Garmin 305 record at http://connect.garmin.com/player/15782388 (hit the Play button)

Photos by LBrad


Lee, Rose and Judi after the race.

Andie, Rose, Lani and Lee before the start.

Jo Marchetti finishing.

Ran back after my 1/2 and then ran it in w/ Rose.

My finish.

My trophy.

Notes ...

Libra walked, Karen A ran, John C beat me by 2 minutes, Carol did 5K, Judi did 5K and placed, Rose missed 3rd by seconds, weather got sunny and cool toward end of marathon, Barb K placed, Eddy ran, Andie did 1:41 and placed 4th (wore LP).

Wood Stackin'

Bought a cord of wood and stacked it last night ...

Tea Bag Words of Wisdom

Bube inspired me to look for words of wisdom tonight. I found this one and also discovered something in the process. It turns out that Zee (more so than Atom) LOVES Yogi Scenna Tea bags. He went completely nuts -- kind of like a cat might on catnip only a LOT more noticeably! I actually had to take the tea bag away because he was wrestling with Atom so much. Maybe Zee knows how to read tea bag messages and takes them to heart!

Morning Routine

My favorite thing is one of the lines on the Yogi Tea box itself ...
"This effective blend of green tea and kombucha is designed to enhance your immune system, fight fatigue and detoxify your body. Not to mention that simply saying 'kom-boo-chaw' will make you smile."

' HAPPY FALL TO YOU'
From one pumpkin to another!!!!!!!
A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"
The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."
This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. (Sort of like us passing on the "good" seeds )

See if you can figure out what these words have in common.
1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess
This is so cool.....

Calculations for Tiny-c's Pumpkins from Max

So, would these answers be in the ball park?

The Great Terra Tiny Pumpkin Weigh Off

Me on bathroom scale w/ running clothes on : 140.6 lbs
Me on bathroom scale w/ running clothes on plus big pumpkin : 163.2 lbs
Me on bathroom scale w/ running clothes on plus little pumpkin : 155.8 lbs
Dimensions of big pumpkin : 1 ft high by 1 ft wide
Dimensions of little pumpkin : 1 ft high by 9 in wide



Quiz: What's the average weight of the pumpkins?
Extra credit : What's the volume of the big pumpkin?
Extra extra credit: What's the volume of the little pumpkin?

Hint: volume of a sphere = (4/3)*3.14*r*r*r where r is the radius
Hint: the volume is proportional to the weight

test this

Cityscape

Ize printed dais imudge yestahday and awl ov a sudden Ize relised id lookeed lyke a cityscape, a nighttime glowing sequence ov skyscrapers. Id wuz da awl ov course doo tah da black background and da multicolored standing sekshuns and da fact dat id wuz being viewed horizontally and "zoomed owd" (da printing audomadikalee resized da imudge down by aboot 1/3 ov da full size). If u clickz da imudge, anothah veeyou ov id wiyill be seen. Dais wun iz full size and in "portrait" orientation.

Note: Aftah clicking da abuv imudge you'll prolly hav tah clickz wat comez upe awn yur screen tah veeyou id full size.

Da troo nature ov wat id iz wiyill be revealed; id iz da source code in Scratch ov da script dat controls da monkee sprite in da "Speedy Monkee" gayme menshuned in da preevius poast. (Axshully skimming ova dais weird code might amuse u, egzpecialy if you've played da gayme and seen (and hurd) Speedy in akshun.) Coding in Scratch iz a bit lyke playin wid Legos, colored blawks dat cayne be stacked togetha in awl sorts ov indereztin ways.

Translation by http://primepuzzle.com/blog/jspeek.html using a 1531 word dictionary.

Speedy Monkey

first day of school

Corn in the Mist (09-09-09) on the morning of the first day of school for Emma.
This is the view out the back of the school. The local farmer makes a maze for the children.

This is Miss Anne, Emma's main teacher, and as you can see Leo has made himself right at home, even though we had to bribe him with a second breakfast to get him to leave.

This was a nice surprise when Emma walked out the door this morning.

New Haven 20K

Chas and Ize (and a bunch ov frends) had a grate race yestahday...

Clickz da pic!

Visitors to Interpres (per Birdie)

As some of you know, I'm into Text to Speech (and vice versa). Here's "Birdie" reading the list of countries that have dropped by here since I added the "widget" that detects such things (ClustrMaps). I usually use Peedy the Parrot to do such things, but "Birdie" seems to be able to handle it. If you have an interest in such things, look into Speak

Speedy Monkey

I'm in the early stages of writing a game. Click the image to see what's cooking so far.

Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

From Low Anthem. Just too beautiful / interesting / thought provoking not to share.

Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

1. Charlie Darwin

Set the sails I feel the winds a'stirring
Toward the bright horizon set the way
Cast your reckless dreams upon our Mayflower
Haven from the world and her decay


And who could heed the words of Charlie Darwin
Fighting for a system built to fail
Spooning water from their broken vessels
As far as I can see there is no land


Oh my god, the water's all around us
Oh my god, it's all around


And who could heed the words of Charlie Darwin
The lords of war just profit from decay
And trade their children's promise for the jingle
The way we trade our hard earned time for pay


Oh my god, the water's cold and shapeless
Oh my god, it's all around
Oh my god, life is cold and formless
Oh my god, it's all around


2. "To Ohio"

I left Louisiana on the rail line, oo oo
I left Louisiana on the rail line, oo oo
I was trying to get to Ohio
Trying to get to Ohio


Lost my love before her time, oo oo
Lost my love before her time, oo oo
On the way to Ohio On the way to Ohio


Now every new love is just a shadow, oo oo
Every new love is just a shadow, oo oo


'Cause once you've known love you don't know how to find love, oo oo
Yeah once you've found love you don't know how to find new love
All the way to Ohio All the way to Ohio


Heard her voice come through the pines in Ohio
I heard her voice singing in the pines in Ohio


She sang bless your soul you crossed that line to Ohio
Bless your soul you crossed that line oo oo
All the way to Ohio
All the way to Ohio


3. "The Horizon Is a Beltway"

The horizon is a beltway that we may never cross
The tops of buildings tremble like children lorn and lost
The stain runs deep it's deeper than the blood upon the cross.
The horizon is a beltway that we may never cross.


You'll hear that distant love song when the wind blows right
Hear the whistle blowing put a tear into your eye
You hear the distant love song but widows know the lie
The horizon is a beltway, the skyline is on fire.


The skyline is on fire, the skyline is on fire
The horizon is a beltway and the skyline is on fire


You come up from the lowlands to the city on the air
Where pilgrims and commissioners currate Christian fare
From Havisu to Brownsville feel the long unbroken stare
I wonder what it smells like in that city on the air


You'll hear that distant love song when the wind blows right
Just the same blue love song made my grand dad cry
You'll hear the whistle blowing put a tear drop in your eye
The horizon is a beltway, and the skyline is on fire.


The skyline is on fire, the skyline is on fire
You'll hear the distant love song, when the skyline is on fire
The skyline is on fire, the skyline is on fire
The horizon is a beltway and the skyline is on fire


This old house stood empty now for fifteen years or more
Willows falls half way to meet the weeds around the door
Time throws up her curtain and we know not who we are
The horizon is a beltway, the skyline is on fire


You'll hear that distant love song when the wind blows right
Hear the whistle blowing put a tear drop in your eye
Jagged as the jaw bone once the flesh expires
The horizon is a beltway the skyline is on fire


4. "Home I'll Never Be"
by Jack Kerouac and Tom Waits


5. "Ticket Taker"

Tonight's the night when the waters rise
You're groping in the dark
The ticket takers count the men who can afford the arc
The ticket takers will not board
For the ticket takers are tied
For five and change an hour
They will count the passers by


They say the sky's the limit
But the sky's about to fall
Down come all them record books cradle and all
They say before he bit it
That the boxer felt no pain
But somewhere there's a gamblin' man
With a ticket in the rain


Mary Anne, I know I'm a long shot
But Mary Anne, what else have you got
I am a ticket taker, many tickets have I torn
And I will be your arc, we will float above the storm


Many years have passed in this river town
I've sailed through many traps
I keep a stock of weapons should society collapse
I keep a stock of amo
One of oil and one of gold
I keep a place for Mary Anne
Soon she will come home

CHORUS
CHORUS

I don't pretend to understand the lyrics. I heard about Low Anthem on Public Radio. Per my usual practice, I took a few notes. What you see / hear is what became / is becoming of this experience.

 

xkcd etc.

I've just rediscovered the xkcd comic site and want to share a couple of things. I'm still confused how our universe can be 13.5 billion years old yet we are observing things 46 billion light years away (something to do w/ the expansion of space ...)

Other xkcd masterpieces ...

http://xkcd.com/622/

http://xkcd.com/620/

Sunflowahs and Punkuns - Awgezt 26, 2009

Sunflowahs and Punkuns - Awgezt 26, 2009

your turn will come

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lSliucgygc

Death To Coffee

This was drawn by my Scratch buddy from Australia.

Death To Coffee!!!

In the spirit of BuBe's recent penchant for listing things, as in units of measure, and on the lighter side of coffee jokes, have you seen this list? I defy you not to laugh.

Too Much Coffee?!

fun with math and science

For those of us with a more shallow understanding of the facts and figures, I present:

**Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi2.
**2,000 pounds of Chinese soup = Wonton
**1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope
**Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the ground = 1 bananosecond
**Weight one evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram
**Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong
**16.5 feet in the Twilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling
**Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon
**1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz
**Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower
**Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line
**453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake
**1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone
**2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles
**365.25 days = 1 unicycle
**2,000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
**52 cards = 1 decacards
**1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton
**1,000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen
**1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche
**1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin
**10 rations = 1 decoration
**100 rations = 1 C-ration
**2 monograms = 1 diagram
**4 nickels = 2 paradigms
**2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale Hospital = 1 IV League
**2000 pounds of laundry = a washington

My 2009 Bee Sunflower Movie

This is my Bee movie for the 2009 year. Here we see my Siamese Sunflower -- meaning it seems to exhibit a genetic mutation of sorts. I think the way this works in
horticultural is that the division of the initial impregnated ovary involves a splitting of all genetic material into two primary parts (during what is called "mitosis"). Each part grows into a separate whole flower yet each are joined like Siamese twins.

My single Bee is a bumble bee. If you listen carefully, you will be able to hear him fly away with a big buzzing sound.

I have also shown my 2009 "up to 300 pound" pumpkin. He is not a Max pumpkin, sorry to say. Powdery mildew seems to be getting the upper hand on the leaves as does a major infestation of borers on the primary stem (where it descends into the ground. The leaves this year MAY also be affected by too "hot" a horse manure. They are yellowing a lot.

But I am still watering when I can in all this hot weather and it appears I have a healthy LITTLE pumpkin here. It looks about 8" in diameter.

Punkun Updayt

That's our LP so I guess we'll call her Lucky Punkun!

There's a video of this on Facebook.

Garmin 305

Bought me a Garmin 305 and used it on the Newington 'Nihilator today. This is one awesome watch. I paid $150 for it. It's only slightly bigger than a regular watch. It comes with a heart rate monitor. And, when you cable it up to your computer after the run ...

If you do the arithmetic for that 1/2 mile up hill starting at mile 1.5 you find it has an average grade of 9%. I have always wanted to know what the grade, elevation, distance etc. etc. was on this stretch. One section of this hill is way steeper than the average.

Facebook commentary on this post at Garmin 305.

Usain Bolt!

9.58

Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt set a new world record today (August 16, 2009) as he cruised to a stunning victory in the 100m at the World Championships in Berlin. He ran it in 9.58 seconds.

Da Miniahchur Urth

Path Way to Life

I made some graffiti this morning and hope this link works. It's called "Path Way To Life." I hope you like it.

Wee Lyke Da Moon

Wee Lyke Da Moon - Da Spongmonkeys (zumtimez, erroneously, nown az da Spongemonkeys) zing their wundahfull Moon Song aboot ow mach dey lyke da moon.

Graffiti

My Australian Facebook friend Aoife (pronounced ee-fa) created this with "Graffiti." I thought the artists among us might find it interesting. Maybe even mess up your own walls with it.

Truel

Zee ("Da Gud"), Tobee ("Da Badd") and Luna ("Da Ugly") hav had a dispute and hav dasided tah settle id in a truel. Zee iz da worst shot, hitting 1/3 ov da tyme. Tobee iz twice az accurit, getting hiz target 2/3 ov da tyme. Luna iz an awezome markscat, nevah mizzing. Itz bin dasided da firing order iz Zee denn Tobee (if alive) denn Luna (if alive). Awl three r yntarezded in staying alive az long az pawzible and fire accordingly. If 2 or mowa r ztill purring at da end ov a round, da survivors goe anothah round. Intentionally mizzing iz allowed. Wat shud Zee's strategy be and what's da probubbillitee he'll survive?

Translation by http://primepuzzle.com/blog/jspeek.html
using a 1530 word dictionary.

Rose of Sharon

Dais Rose ov Sharon starded lyfe in mye landlord's gahdin way back whin Ize wuz living awn da edge ov da Trinity College campus. Id gets a "haircut" eweree yeer by da hed gardener at 24 Eezt Cedar (dat wud be mye wife) and eweree yeer grows back bigger and mowa beeooteefull dan ever. Da videeoh iz a yiddle shaky butz Ize couldn't resist inclooding id. Be zur tah clickz awn da ztill foah a hieye resolution veeyou ov dais magnificent bush.

Translation by http://primepuzzle.com/blog/jspeek.html
using a 1530 word dictionary.

My Garden on August 6, 2009

PART ONE



PART TWO



Due to "insufficient Memory" I had to abruptly end this CiniMax film shortly after the filming of my rain gauge. These kind of technicalities can often happen in CiniMax Film productions.

53 Curlicues

Talk about "Structure and Chaos." A single, rather short, script in Scratch drives this thing. Click the image below to see more. There's a link at the top of the page you'll get to which shows this baby in action, complete with Mission Impossible music and a dynamic generation of each of the 53 "curlicues." All I've got to say is "this is a most interesting computer program!"


Now that I really look at the above image, I can honestly say "there is a bug in this program, and an extremely well designed one at that!"

WORDS

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY (as well as the Idiosyncrasies of the English language)
1. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR......
2. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.
3. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?
4. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
5. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE’S THE SELF-HELP SECTION?' SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.
6. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?
7. IF A DEAF PERSON SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?
8. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?
9. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?
10. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO 'GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?'
11. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?
12. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?
13. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?
14. WHY DO THEY LOCK GAS STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?
15. IF A TURTLE DOESN’T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?
16. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?
17. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?
18. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?
19. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.
20. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?
21. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DOES THE REST DROWN TOO?
22. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?
23. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?
24. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE AN “S” IN IT?
25. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED 'HEMORRHOIDS' INSTEAD OF 'ASSTEROIDS'?
26. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?
27. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON 'SOUR' CREAM?
28. IF YOU SPIN AN ORIENTAL PERSON IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES DO THEY BECOME DISORIENTED?
29. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD?

Zee & Toilet Paper

In an attempt to post long movie of my garden today, I realized I needed some review of the Windows Movie Maker program. I've consulted with others on how to shorten it, and will post it when I learn how. For now though, I thought I'd post this funny image of Zee trying to completely demolish this role of toilet paper in my bathroom sink. Fortunately (for me) I was able to catch the mischief before too much damage was done.

Sunflowahs and Punkuns

Here's a ztill ov wun ov mye medium-sized sunflowahs, a moovee ov mye punkun vine and a moovee ov mye tallest sunflowah witch juz burst into veeyou in da lazt cupel ov dayz!

Creative Kids

It's funny about new things ... how they grab you, open you up to new ideas. You now know I'm a "Scratcher," so far "only" an admirer, for I have yet to create anything worth paying attention to.

I have been browsing what mostly waaaaay under 20-year-olds are putting out. What part of creative do you want to immerse yourself in? The first one, below, is little more than a great I guess they call it Reggae song plus an animated background to look at. Realize this: some "kid" drew every frame of this, cartoon by cartoon.



I recommend you just leave this on, as I currently am doing as I compose this, and listen. I imagine I will tire after a while, but I'm probably up to my 10th go thru and each time thru I get closer to the lyrics. Here comes number 11.

It's impossible to explain what I am trying to explain with words only. Best to throw one more example out and then leave it up to anybody who happens upon this to to take it to whatever next level works for them.

"Escape From School " is totally different but, again, by a young kid who clearly has the "creative gene." Try to imagine how much time she spent on this. I'm at level 5. Really hard. The Scratch code behind this is unbelievable. And the various rooms, sprites, etc. etc. are really good.