Top Shelf Geek stuff but Really Freaking Great

Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the WiiRemote

The Golden Compass hype

So I went and saw the film last night. I was the only one in the Sherwood Regal for the 10:30 showing so that alone made the ticket price worth it. I laughed out loud at the Semi-Pro
preview.

Anyway, I thought it was a good story but it needed more detail to bring me up to speed on the kind of world that surrounds the plot. Having never read the books I still really enjoyed the story. But because of all the hype, I was looking for the anti-religion message and I found the pieces that could make it up when I really extrapolate the plot out.

I think if the hype wasn't made no one would have noticed. heck, my well read buddy didn't know the Narnia symbolism until I mentioned it after the movie, and he had read the books.

Maybe the hammer will really be brought down on the "stupidity of people with faith" in the following installments. I hear Book 3 is the Big Crusher for that. But really i am looking forward to seeing the Golden Compass again and pick up on the pieces I missed.

Let me know who wants to go...

Welcome to the Jungle

A teacher in Roxbury, Conn. was working late the other night after
school. A young custodian cleaning up after hours had no idea anyone
wa around when he invited some of his friends in to watch him mop
up. One of them grabbed the PA speaker and sang guns N Roses into
the loudspeaker.

"Welcome to the Jungle, Baby, you're gonna dieeee!!!!"

The teacher freaks out and barricades her door and calls the police.
A bunch of cops show up with dogs, etc and arrest the good-time clean-
up crew. I guess they were cuffed for about 15 minutes before they
finally just dropped the whole thing with everyone a little shaken.

you can read about it here from WCBSTV.com

All the fundamentalists will agree whose at fault here... Rock and
Roll - that's who. If we just banned that kind of evil then the
world would be a much safer place I am sure.

Or wait, didn't God give rock and roll to you, and put it in the hearts and souls of everyone?

Mythical Half-Breed -A Dang Good Plan

So I am trying to figure out what the deal is with this bachelor party I am going to on Friday.
Overnighter in Dungeons and Dragons attire. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? But the whole point is that the groom is all about moving a group of people in a certain direction. He writes and plays music in a local rock group. It's a band that still has that local feel, yet they have Gold and Platinum albums in other countries. How do you pull that off?

Anyway live shows are all about creating a movement in a group of people for him and that is what they are really good at. But now this bachelor party for the lead singer is an attempt at seeing what he can really get away with. The saving grace is the people who surround him- they will do it. And what's more it'll probably be more fun than a dozen, couch-surfing rockers should have.

So I will be a Cleric/Elf with a simple cloak and bring my hand-made long-bow. Bone-tipped and made from layers of African Kingwood and ewe or something. Neil Russel out of Parma, Idaho made it and it is quite a piece. Competition shooters use his stuff ...or did in the 90's when Mr. Russell tailored this bowyer's-beauty.Too bad I don't really take the time to fling arrows with it. I see why guys finally sell their red, mid-life crisis purchase after a few years of still-working-too-hard coupled with not-having-the-time for the attention it deserves.

Anyway, I can be a half-breed can't I? Let's say my mom was an elf who gave it all up to live the rest of her mortal days with a clergyman from a village faraway known as Huskershire. This marriage evidently didn't work out. (Nor did the other one since I remember playing D&D with an ex-step brother. Man we were into it- until the day we burnt about 400 bucks worth of D&D books and crap in the wood stove. This was done ceremoniously after one of our parents heard some radio show story about a kid who committed suicide because his 25th level Ranger was sliced by the flaming sword of an Ogre or something. Anyway, the half-clergyness was obviously part of the new family as well.)

Whether there are half-breeds in D&D or not, I am going to the party as a half-elf and half human cleric. Hopefully bringing a crucifix into the party will be a good reminder for everyone anyway. And the gear can be removed if we decide to go out and get some Super-G's at Sevvy.


DANG GOOD PLAN

Press 1 for what?

In many ways we are like the French. And remember this: they are the ones who helped us remove ourselves from tyranny.

The Return of the Cafe Racer

FinChaser's Growler

The growler, perhaps the greatest name in beer terminology, is a jug used to hold 64 ounces of the wonderful nectar known as beer.  We regularly maintain up to eight beer varieties on tap on a rotation basis with a new beer or two every hour.

The Growler Station serves as a showcase for new arrivals, seasonal releases and customer favorites. Of course, should you be considering a brew purchase outside that of your standards, this is also where you can sample some truly fantastic beers some international, mostly Northwest, but some from reputable home operations- regional club types.  I can't take the time to master the art, but patrons and staff pay their dues and enjoy being the connoisseur.

Silverdreamer.be

".be" is Belgium, everyone knows that. Well, someone kinda spammed
my blog with a "hey I like your site- check mine out" and I know
right away that he didnt like my site since it is really not for
anyone to like but me and is pretty much irrelevant and useless
unless you are me.

But I absolutely loved Brugge, Belgium so I went to his site and what
do you know... he has some great pictures of Brugge. plus REM plays
right off the bat which Bmag will dig.

If you scroll down on the first page after the intro it says
something like "Een wandeling en Brugge" and you will find the
pictures that really highlight this unsung gem of Europe. Notice how
there are like no people or cars in this amazing city of the coolest
buildings you have ever seen.

Yeah maybe that is why I like the place -completely beautiful and
unknown. The kind of town that will get destroyed when this life is
all over and we can only hope that God recognizes the value and
rebuilds it just for the few of us that know.

I had a bucket of steamers in this main square in the picture above. I think it
might have been that joint pictured below that I found on the
interwebnet.action.

The funny thing is that this guy at silverdreamer.be doesn't seem like the spammer type. he has a ton of links to webcasted operating room procedures like "Prostatectomie radicale par laparoscopie extrapéritonéale" and yes if you get into the right places you can watch some of that happening on a rel live human.

Firearms Refresher Course

FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE

'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.'

~ Thomas Jefferson

(This is why Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton want gun
control so badly!)

FIREARMS REFRESHER COURSE

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

3. Colt: The original point and click interface.

4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?

6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.

7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.

9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.

10. The United States Constitution (c)1791. All Rights Reserved.

11. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you not understand?

12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore
the others.

13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.

15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.

18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.

20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control
them.

22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.

23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.

24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

Fun times at Dr.Bott

eliot and Aaron round 1;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZyTb7XyliQ

The fitness ball incident: (afterwards)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNzr-doMCO8

which led to Round 2 with Aaron and the broken arm here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVRlaiqSiko

Directed by Dave Baehler who captured:
Eliot the Monkey Boy

Half Mooned Productions

It is truly inspiring to have friends who are able to express how
much they just dont give a crap about what other people ultimately
think. Sometimes the only art they produce is found almost entirely
within themselves somewhat akin to Andy Kauffman.

Half Mooned Productions

PS- he and Dustin are working every wednesday in Dustin's garage
building a segway... which ends up being some guitar playing and then
some beers down at the Wild Hare in Canby.

Eagle vs. Shark

from the guys that have brought us so much joy in Flight of the Conchords on HBO.

PIR's fastest mini-van

2009 CBX-GP

6 Cylinders is what is going to dominate the future of MotoGP.  the way they have perfected the weight requirements between cylinder per weight, etc. it just makes sense.

Who is going to have the sack to ante up that kind of cash for the R&D at the current level?  one would need a budget that rivals NASA to start from scratch at this day and age.

Once again- Thank you, wikipedia

One L and One T

All of my life I have had to correct people when they were spelling my name. No big deal, lots of people have spelled their names against the norm. Mine is simpler than the "norm".... so I actually like it. What I would never do is name my daughter "Lisa" but spell it like "Lheesah" or somethng just to be different and make her life an unending spelling bee for everyone who is writing out her name. She would never find a license plate in the Honeycomb box with her name spelled that way.

Well, when I google my name I actually find a kid who plays baseball for his high school- And his name is spelled perfectly... with one L and one T- nice work by his parents. But what is more amazing is that his last name is Sprague as well. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES!!!!
this is ridiculous!!!

If you go to Baby Name Voyager (which is a very cool site) it will tell you that in the US the name "Eliot" reached it's peak of popularity in 1970 or so and at that time it was 7 per 1 million babies- a pretty rare name and spelling.

And then we get this guy first on the left in the front row. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES!!!!!

The Chinese Holiday Schedule

What a work force they have over there- if they didn't take a few weeks off every quarter they may actually be able to take over the world.

I finally got my packaging images emailed to me. They went a little different route than I was asking for. Instead of a blister pack that is adhered to the cardstock they have this slip deal molded up for the plastic cover. I wanted it glued like a battery pack because those plastic lips are cumbersome and the individual pieces interlock on the retail shelf so that when you pull one off you might get two extra ones and the whole shabang falls to the floor. Not a good "user experience" in my opinion. I emailed them to get them back on track.

They also seemed to have moved the "FinChasers" name down a bit on the front, and I put the graphic of the emblem on the final, but told them that was just for reference on how to place the actual emblem. well they printed it so that needs to be removed.

Someday this thing may actually be done. Hopefully before Christmas. Of course they probably don't take Christmas off.

Waffle House Waitresses and Snake Handlers

http://www.coastnews.com/bizarre/serpents/serpents.htm

Thank you, Andrea. This is an amazingly informative report on a place that I don't really need to go to now, but if I was retired early enough to have the energy I might just have to venture there.

... but only if Justin goes with me. He tells so many waffle-house stories I would be remiss for not bringing him along.

Welcome to Idaho

Poppy's Red Shed

I hope I am allowed to retire in this state of mind. Is there a
Target Store near the Clearwater?... That'll be the deciding factor
for my wife, and the proximity to her parents would be the second
deciding factor for me.

Until I can get Stylaphone out of the UK...

Wes Anderson Hotel Chevalier iTunes download

You should have iTunes so you can download the new Wes Anderson short film Hotel Chevalier

It is a prime example of how little Wes needs when telling a story or get the voyeur intrigued to find out more. I doubt just anyone could make a short like this and get someone to back them for the project. Lucky for us Wes does this sort of thing perfectly for art's sake and can ride on his past portrayal of talent to seal the deal on getting us to commit to see the film in it's entirety.

Radiohead New Release - In Rainbows

I hope they make a good amount of money. It would be nice to have a good example of getting it done without a major label taking the cabbage. If you download the album you pay whatever you want. Please give them a few bucks. It is worth it.

They are also selling a vinyl set and hardback deal that will start shipping in December.

In Rainbows is the name of the new release and can be downloaded from the link there.

Never Know

When I retire and can just have a business for fun and stand to lose
a few 10 large but have a good time doing it... that is when I start
the Never Know Cafe. A 24 hour joint, known for it's 3 options on
the breakfast menu, and it's fresh daily Gyro-Rack-omeat (rotated
every day and the left-overs donated to the Union Gospel mission
daily or something). We serve liquor at every legal hour. Priced a tad higher to
keep out the riff-raff- but delivering the best in town of only two food
options, amazing drinks and perfect background music.

Massive collection of books line most of the walls. Cards are being played here and there. A few ratty instruments are scattered around where patrons left them. There is a fly-ting bench that one patron can bring to their lap, but hardly anyone knows about it. There are
couches galore, and booths, and fat chairs with a small stage in the corner. If no one is playing then the perfect
playlist rolls from whomever, I can personally veto gigs and
playlists, but that's about the extent of any real formal rules about
what kind of place it will be at any given hour. Electronic
ambient, country (Pre-90's or Hank III), feedback-infested shoegazer..etc. You never know
what you're gonna get. But it will be perfect.

1st gaurantee: You never know what mood the place will be in as people come and go and the day turns to night. Might
be dark, might be light but the mood will be surprisingly comfortable
both ways. The people that are wanted will gravitate and it grows
only by word of mouth. We might get known for a certain atmosphere at certain times of the week, but you just can't be sure.

2nd Guarantee: Stevie Nicks videos play silently on one big screen on a side wall in the back. well okay, maybe not just Stevie nicks since there just isn't enough footage. We'll mix it up with Debbie Harry, etc. but you get the gist. Hottest chicks of rock, media etc. in color or black and white or digitally-twisted personally by the staff.

Once in a while, at a perfect time we let Stevie's sultry vocals fill the
place. Rare special occasions, which may happen several times per
week if the place goes well. And rumors will spread about the guy
they know who's brother worked at some other joint but this guy's
brother said that he stayed so long on one day that he heard Stevie
sing twice. But nobody can really believe the story- hard to imagine
what a perfect day that would be.

Of course this is the place in the basement or first level of my residential apartments downtown. Small studios to large penthouses as you go up. And all residents have access to the Workshop. The Workshop is a membership driven, open to the public, collection of spaces consisting of painting, pottery, welding, woodsmithing, video production, recording studio areas, etc.. Classes are sometimes held but it is more of a figure-it-out-yourself and work together type of Bohemia.

Today's Quote

If people concentrated on the really important things in life,
there'd be a shortage of fishing poles.

-Doug Larson

Some effects in iPhoto

this was fun

So I am finally getting things organized so that we can have a DVD
just about in time for us to do something again in november 2008...
down under??

The Finalized Packaging

With much help from my buddy at Thompson Transportation and an approval from my very good friend at Castells and Asociados I have the final packaging for the emblem.

Isle of mann in a Super kart

The new phonebooks are here!!

Well it's not the new phone book but I am as excited as Navin Johnson seeing his name in print. I don't know if this is what makes me "somebody", but it might make me into "somebody who doesn't work for someone else". And that's all I want to be.



I got the pics from China of the samples of the emblem in both anodized aluminum finishes. They will finish the packaging pieces and send the whole shabang to me for approval in a week or two. Hopefully that is just a funky reflection across the face of the silver one.


And just for fun I throw this clip in to see if Lisa gets interested in taking coronet lessons:

Caa! Hey guys!

Just thinking of Pete and Jim when i ran across this today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qXM0nZq0RA

Fwd: 1982 CB650 parts

I have been posting the miscellany stock parts for free (but listed my favorite beer) and look what came out of CL...

Who the heck writes big nice emails other than someone who is interested in the same two wheeled machine as you. I've read shorter and less interesting Christmas letters.

Motorcycles and craigslist classifieds are probably the two most powerful conventions for connecting our modern society.

Begin forwarded message:

Subject: 1982 CB650 Cafe projects

Hi Eliot,

Your craigslist posts are interesting, because I'm in Garden Home and am building a cafe racer from my '76 CB550, into which I have transplanted a CB650 engine with a Jardine pipe, but otherwise stock. I've installed Raask rearsets, CB650 forks, aftermarket shocks, and changed a lot of other stuff. My aim is to build a retro bike that looks like I think it ought to, with dependability. I'm a single dad and am not interested in keeping up with new bikes, nor even with going very fast, just want to have a bike that feels right, makes the right sounds, and gives me enjoyment while being responsive enough to dodge our current generation of irresponsible drivers. (I suspect that's why you, too are converting to two-caliper front brakes.) I haven't polished anything on it, just concentrated on getting the right parts in place. Shine can come when it's running.

It appears that we are working in parallel. Few of my friends are bike-oriented, and I don't know where to look for things locally. My bike could probably be done in fairly short order if I put my mind to it, and I'd welcome

Incidentally, I have a second '76 CB550 that was converted to a full-out road racer. When the first bike is streetable, I hope to make a 'real' cafe racer out of it, possibly with my other CB650 engine in place of the highly-tuned CB550 which has every possible thing done to it. That bike has a Ducati tank, braced frame, laid-down shocks, twin disk front end, Kerker exhaust, Mikunis, the whole shebang. It was built by "Dr. Les Barker" who has apparently been a top local bike builder for many years.

There may be ways we can help each other, and possibly one day ride these suckers somewhere! If you're interested, please let me know. I'd like to hear from someone involved in a project like mine.

Best,

Joe Cxxxxxx

503-XXX-XXXX

A little self-deprecation goes a long way

I am just going to take a minute to show the proper way to beat yourself up. It's all in the finish.

Looking at my latest entries with a little scrutiny and I realize that I haven't take the time to formulate good thoughts; complete in every part and cohesive in composition. I frantically throw some rough words together because I have too much I feel I need to be doing. The (cough) writing is weak. I tell myself that I will revisit the verbal wreck and give it some prose but I never do.

Shame. Shoot.

I think I am going to check out a yoga deal at the gym. I need to teach my body how to relax and maybe my mind will follow suit. I have taught my body how to work. I enjoy the uncommon task of moving a unit of dirt by wheel barrow for a few days. And I still enjoy the day to day garbage of figuring out the pricing structure of some companies iPod case that is one-of-a-million. I tend to believe I prefer the former but it doesn't pay as well. But the point is i could be doing a better job by taking the time to relax. So I am just going to show up at a couple class sessions and pick up some skills. Some stretches or whatever that I can do on the floor of my living room by myself. It may help me focus a bit in the day, but moreso I am looking for an answer to my penchant for late nights of just wanting something to do.

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I am still a conservative independent- I have just been moving faster than anyone else in the party. I am not looking for Oregon-style spiritual enlightenment. I have already found That. I just need a tool that gives me the ability to focus on It.

Breakdown on Chronic(what)cles of Narnia

The four kids all represent the parts of a person's personality. The
little boy in us gets us into trouble, temptation is easy to deal
with because that part of you lives for the danger in all things,
good and bad. It is his ability to live in danger that gives him the
audacity to believe he can defeat the witch and his irreverance for
the outcome that allows him to try. It is the younger brother the one who lives for danger in all he does, who finally has to be the one to concur the mental side of sin by making the decision to "want" to defeat it, shattering the scepter, the only real power that the witch has. But its the older wiser brother who has to do the battle physically to make the decision definitive.

The older brother defeats sin through good choices and doing the right thing (maybe reading the Sword and having it with you at all times is the key to success). Sin is the wolf that obeys
the White Witch and finds it's fate by the Sword which allows the younger brother to escape once the little punk finally understands that he needs to get away.

Let's see if this works. I just uploaded video from my camera phone and my powerbook made things real easy. Bluetooth on, discover phone, grab video, and upload to blogger with one last click.

What an amazing turn of events tonight. great dinner with my very lovely wife. No kids so I invited her out to see an eclectic show at Viva l'arte or hear some DJ's spin down out Somedaylounge. Either would have been great, but she is leaving for the weekend and had to pack for her 7am flight to Napa Valley for a wedding so i dropped her off back home and headed out. I am looking forward to being daddy 24/7 and be completely on my game but beforehand I wanted- no needed to go out.

I was supposed to meet up with the Trueb brothers who were heading up the Carolines but now the other brother's project TAT is what is being rehearsed. I wish they could have come down to experience this night with me.

I went down to the Odditorium while TAT finished rehearsing and got to have the Warhol's play for me alone. I got to catch the tail-end of the perfection that happens every time I hear them live. But this time there was no one around but me. The stage was a perfect 30 ft away and nothing but floor betwixt me and a heavy wall of the best of new and old classic sounds from the PDX quartet. I sat down and they were kinda jamming something new. Then they launched into 2 concert level songs that seemed like Courtney was doing it as a favor just to me. At least I would like to think so. Phenomenal. Sometimes I can't believe my undeserved good fortune on this earth.

There were others when I first showed up. Rob was in the library listening to his master that he got back today with Sarah Jane. His stuff alone could have made my night. I had to let the Truebs know that it wasn't a scene i could squeeze them into but that I may meet up with them later. Shortly I went in to feel the Dandy Warhols and found myself immersed in the most amazing live show ever. But just a random Thursday for this crew.

I am truly blessed, and that is all there is to say.

After a few different jams I wandered around back and found the remnant perfection on display from The London Police show at the Wonder Ballroom surrounding an inviting circle of couches and coffee table. It was so dimly lit that it turned out black as my camera phone peered around the 2-ton velvet curtains that divided the two areas. It was the perfect place to lay on the flat concrete floor listening to the most amazing live music in my life and just stretch my back and relax. My girls and I will have a much better weekend thanks to these guys and their personal venue they let me into.

Well... Just take a look at the crappy phone vid below.

The amount of sugar in Coke

We have cut out the Big Gulps and Super G's that use to be [part of
our daily routine and have noticed dranatic changes in the way we
feel and how well we sleep. (weel my wife noticed the better sleep.
Could be her new found passion for running as well.

But I just ran across this video of someone cooking down a can of
coke to the sugary syrup. Pretty glad I just drink my jack D with
water or pellegrino now.

Must See This!!!! The Amount Of Sugar In Coke - More amazing video clips are a click away

Regan's quote of the morning

"I weally want to go skiing in daddy's pack-pack."

Sprague Rant

I don't get too fired up over the little things in my fortunate little life, but in a dark bathroom at 3 am I spent more than a minute looking for the end of the toilet paper roll only to finally loosen one of the two plies that Charmin wanted me to receive. At that hour of the morning a minute is an eternity.

And then today at work it happened again. Hence the world will now hear my frustration through this-here blog.

Toilet Paper must be unwrapped, then the adhesive end needs to be broken so that you can determine which way to install the new roll:
It should go over the top so that the tag end hangs in front of the roll toward the user.

There I have spoken my peace.

Off He Goes

While I was in the garage this weekend and tinkering with the idea of actually finishing the mobile drill press/tool rack/router table cabinet, a familiar old song from way back in the day came on my iPod as it shuffled. My first introduction to this song was when Toby told me to go find it and said Eddie wrote it about me. Oddly I have spent the last decade a bit disturbed when I would hear it, because Toby and I never got to talk much about why he thought this way. But when I listened again this weekend I realize that there was no intention of his to offend... as if Toby has ever said anything to deliberately offend anyone.

I am reading about it online and the consensus seems to be that Eddie wrote this song about himself. I even found one video from a concert in Katowice where he says the song is about being friends with an asshole and points to himself and smiles. Shoot. But like I said, I don't think Toby meant to offend. Besides, I think he was right.



I know a man
His face seemed pulled and tense
Like he's ridin' on a motorbike
In the strongest winds
So I approach with tact
Suggest that he should relax
But he's movin' much too fast

Said he'll see me on the flip side
On this trip he's taken for a ride
He's been takin' too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes

He's yet to come back
But I seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack
We go way back
I wonder 'bout his insides
It's like his thoughts are too big for his size

He's been taken...where, I don't know
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes

And now I rub my eyes, for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles... And he's still strong
Nothing's changed but the surroundin' bullshit
That has grown

And now he's home and we're laughin'
Like we always did, my same old, my same old friend
Until a quarter to ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and I know just what is going to happen next

Before his first step, he's off again

He Won't Sit Still

Speaking of loss I have been importing family video footage into the powerbook finally. Just as a safeguard, as if I am actually going to find the time to produce a DVD. i could just hit teh "make magic movie" script, but of course my personality wants to do something so beyond my means that I can't even get the confidence to start it. Once i do I will get it 83% complete an then let it sit in my laptop. I rule.

Chase is the guy who would do it and see it all the way through. He doesn't have kids and his wife is very independent like any self-respecting, well-educated hippie produced from the lower valley, UofO and OSU systems. I am surprised he never followed through with the fishing show we manufactured in our heads while fishing 3-4 times per week when we should have been in class. He is the kind of guy who could make that happen, if he decided that is what he was going to do. We both share the high energy gene that keeps gears cranking well into the morning hours most nights. I haven't a clue what he is going to do now, but I doubt he will just sit still.

Painted Faces- The makep of the story

More tears are shed from answered prayers than unanswered ones.

Fitting that i just watched Capote.

A man who made his life's fame on the death of someone else. Isn't that terrible of me to put it that way. Without reservation, I am merely stating the facts. I don't believe he was as heartless as that sounds, hoever. Actually he seems to be portrayed as one of the most sensitive individuals in history. His heart was definitely in his work as well.

It's amazing people's reaction to death. I am not at the age where I have to think about it (as far as I am concerned) except when it happens to your friend. You know, one of those flukes that you only hear about through a friend of a friend of someone else who went to church with them and she heard some one else praying about the situation. That is the only way to get all the details. Sheesh.

Two day ago Toby and I were running around in the woods in goofy, leaf-patterned clothing. 15 miles of hiking -half uphill and half down. I saw the hind ends of 4 fleeting blacktails. Across the canyon Toby spied 4 elk 30 yards below me straight down the gulch... unbeknownst to me of course. It was a great day none-the-less. We talked of family and future and caught up on the last 6 months the way friends of 20+ years need to at 3 year intervals. Family is such a priority that we don't seem to hang with friends the way we want, but neither of us fault the other because the priority is mutual... If it weren't, reciprocal respect would be lost as well.

If we would have hung out on Sunday the conversation would have bEen much different. During the course of 15 miles and two hours of car ride we had the opportunity to ask about all the extended relationships as well. Toby asked how Chase was doing and I relayed the latest info- blah, blah, married, blah, good kids, blah, great wife, doesn't fish much anymore, but we manage to get out once in a while. It's the same story for us all and none of us are actually complaining. We traded the wilderness of our previous lives for the comfort of family. After I dropped Toby off I got my voice mail and learned that Chase lost his wife that morning- a brain tumor had taken her in her sleep according to the initial report.

Tragedy.

I am lost of further words.

Mag Light Laser Hack

Turn your mini-mag light into a lazer that burns holes in stuff and pops balloons


Laser Flashlight Hack! - Funny videos are here

The Barefoot Boy

John Greenleaf Whittier
1807-1892

THE BAREFOOT BOY
Blessings on thee, little man,
Barefoot boy with cheek of tan!
With thy turned-up pantaloons,
And thy merry whistled tunes;
With thy red lip, redder still
Kissed by strawberrys on the hill;
With the sunshine on thy face,
Through thy torn brim's jaunty grace;
From my heart I give thee joy,--
I was once a barefoot boy!

Prince thou art,--the grown-up man
Only is republican.
Let the million-dollared ride!
Barefoot, trudging at his side,
Thou hast more than he can buy
In the reach of ear and eye,--
Outward sunshine, inward joy:
Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!

Oh for boyhood's painless play,
Sleep that wakes in laughing day,
Health that mocks the doctor's rules,
Knowledge never learned of schools,
Of the wild bee's morning chase,
Of the wild-flower's time and place,
Fight of fowl and habitude
Of the tenants of the wood;
How the tortoise bears his shell,
How the woodchuck digs his cell,
And the ground-mole sinks his well;
How the robin feeds her young,
How the oriole's nest is hung,
Where the whitest lilies blow,
Where the freshest berries grow,
Where the ground-nut trails its vine,
Where the wood-grape's clusters shine;
Of the black wasp's cunning way,
Mason of his walls of clay,
And the architectural plans
Of gray hornet artisans!
For, eschewing books and tasks,
Nature answers all he asks;
Hand in hand with her he walks,
Face to face with her he talks,
Part and parcel of her joy,--
Blessings on the barefoot boy!

Oh for boyhood's time of June,
Crowding years in one brief moon,
When all things I heard or saw,
Me, their master, waited for.
I was rich in flowers and trees,
Humming birds and honey-bees;
For my sport the squirrel played,
Plied the snouted mole his spade;
For my taste the blackberry cone
Purpled over hedge and stone;
Laughed the brook for my delight
Through the day and through the night,
Whispering at the garden wall,
Talked with me from fall to fall;
Mine the sand-rimmed pickerel pond,
Mine the walnut slopes beyond,
Mine, on bending orchard trees,
Apples of Hesperides!
Still as my horizon grew,
Larger grew my riches too;
All the world I saw and knew
Seemed a complex Chinese toy,
Fashioned for a barefoot boy!

Oh for festal dainties spread,
Like my bowl of milk and bread;
Pewter spoon and bowl of wood,
On the door-stone, gray and rude!
O'er me, like a regal tent,
Cloudy-ribbed, the sunset bent,
Purple-curtained, fringed with gold,
Looped in many a wind-swung fold;
While for music came the play
Of the pied frogs' orchestra;
And, to light the noisy choir,
Lit the fly his lamp of fire,
I was a monarch: pomp and joy
Waited on the barefoot boy!

Cheerily, then, my little man,
Live and laugh, as boyhood can!
Though the flinty slopes be hard,
Stubble-speared the new-mown sward,
Every morn shall lead thee through
Fresh baptisms of the dew;
Every evening from thy feet
Shall the cool wind kiss the heat;
All too soon these feet must hide
In the prisons cells of pride,
Lose the freedom of the sod,
Like a colt's for work be shod,
Made to tread the mills of toil,
Up and down in ceaseless moil:
Happy if their track be found
Never on forbidden ground;
Happy if they sink not in
Quick and treacherous sands of sin.
Ah! that thou couldst know thy joy,
Ere it passes, barefoot boy!

Nadja Solerno-Sonnenberg

Ok I have finally seen the true beauty of classical music thanks to some serious ass-kicking done by Nadja. Nice work.

Eco-Tech on The Science Channel

Man, I am addicted to this show. As far as I am concerned there should be an Eco-tech Channel. I would pay extra for it if it also removes the commercials. In fact they should just make a reality show out of following the EarthShip crews around 16 hours per day.


FineLiving does a good job having commercial breaks since they give you a snippet tip in the middle of the break.

Anyway, I got a bit more stuff together for running around in the woods this Saturday. I put Langlitz on my holster and found that a bit rubbed into the wood grips of the Ruger. Lisa and I hiked up there last weekend. Although she was glad to see where it is that I go and get a feel for what the heck I spend my time doing up there, I think she saw her life's fill of cougar and bear poop. We took the westerly route and moved along

Photo Credit: Jeffrey Rich Nature Photography

parallel to (Nameless) Creek. It's mostly old growth timber so it's not going to be where the Elk are. But I found what I was looking for, hence the Ruger during archery season, and the corresponding tags to fill. Like always though, I will head straight into the harvest area of the clearcuts where the fierce scent of Roosevelt is everywhere.

So much more to pack but it really can't happen fully until I am packing my truck. And now I am stuck watching a documentary on this Nadja violinist-chick whose ability to play the solo parts in classical music is tortuously powerful. Just hearing her play I can tell why they are doing a documentary on her. It's mesmerizing actually.

But of course my mind wanders wondering toward the small white towel that is under her chin in one shot. Not a handkerchief, but something specially made to rest sometimes between the chin and the violin's chin-rest. So why does it have to be white? It takes away from the scene of the concerto. Make it an unassuming black so that it doesnt look like half of a cloth diaper.

Brent at Madame Tussaud's?

Okay so I know my bro-in-law opened for the Stones for the last three weeks but I think this photo was taken at the wax museum.

Just kidding, Keith. You still rock really hard. Or is it Keef?



Here's a little shot in Austria:

Watda heck... stupidest firearm ever invented without a truck mount bi-pod or something

Stephen Kretchmer's Brillliant jewelry design

Fitting that I should happen upon this lovely set of golden motorcycle tires on my anniversary yesterday while thumbing through the Robb Report