December 14, 2006
December 13, 2006
Swanky digs
Tourism replaces terror at Latvia's Soviet 'ghost bases' - Europe. I can think of better places to stay, but it might be an interesting visit. I think it is ironic that the Latvians probably still don't know where all the bases were. I wonder if there were more Soviet soldiers than Latvians at some point.
December 03, 2006
The good we can do.
Paulding's big greenspace deal 'amazing' | ajc.com
This is the kind of public private leadership we need. Many decisions are based on such short-sighted thought. This will cost Paulding in the short run, but like the Silver Comet it will drive a huge amount of long term value. It will make Paulding a more livable county.
June 07, 2006
Death of the Cul-de-sac?
NPR : Cul-de-Sacs: Suburban Dream or Dead End? I have lived on one, and on a regular street. I think cul-de-sacs are popular because the street becomes common space. i think there are better ways to accomplish this.
June 04, 2006
HP and telecommuting
MercuryNews.com | 06/03/2006 | HP cuts back on telecommuting show how a once forward thinking company can turn back the clock telecommuting.
May 06, 2006
Air Force success
From the Washington Times Inside the Ring
Army protector
Gen. T. Michael Moseley, the Air Force chief of staff who ran air wars against Afghanistan and Iraq, had this interesting fact on air dominance when he met with reporters recently. "The United States Air Force is very good at defending Army troops," he said. "The last time an Army soldier was killed on the ground was April of 1953 by an attack from the air, in Korea. So we take this very serious about our partnership with the Army."
April 10, 2006
Rainbow
I saw a rainbow
Oer the new shopping center
The kids stared quietly
April 07, 2006
Latin fun
Common Latin Phrases because you never know when you need the power of latin...
March 24, 2006
March 21, 2006
Octomatics
I still haven't been able to decide ifoctomatics is a joke or if it is serious. It is interesting though. It might be a good way to learn octal and binary math.
January 26, 2006
Make your own graph paper.
Free Online Graph Paper / Grid Paper PDFs
Tumbling Block - Trapezoid
December 20, 2005
Westville
Westville is a is a living history museum which depicts an 1850 west Georgia village. It looks pretty neat. If it were a little closer I would have gone already. I also would like to go back to the Agrirama again as well. I haven't been in a long time. I really love living history museums like this. It astounds me the deprivations of the past, and how easy we have it today. I would also recommend The Museum of Appalachia.
These museums helped me learn more about my father's childhood. He grew up in a share cropping family, and went on to go to college. I am still amazed at what he did with his life.
See also foxfire.
October 31, 2005
HDTV antenna
October 18, 2005
Tracking a flight
FlyteComm is a great way to track a flight. It gives you position, speed, eta, altitude, etc. I was tracking my brother's flight into DFW and it was very accurate.
October 06, 2005
Netflix cost analysis
The Netflix Analysis Spreadsheet is a great tool. I used it to calculate how many rentals per month I have averaged (seven). It looks like you need to average five rentals a month to make it pay, although the variety of netflix makes it worth it even if you break even.
September 25, 2005
September 21, 2005
Emergency notification
Emergency Email . . . . The Emergency Email Network
This is handy. It will "provide notification to citizens of local, regional, national and international emergencies utilizing the Internet and electronic mail (email) in a secure and expedient manner"
September 20, 2005
Heymath!
HeyMath! is an open learning environment for Math. I found it after reading the latest article from Thomas Friedman. This looks like it might be a good resource for a curriculum for 5-12th graders.
Read the NYT article for more details.
Roll with it baby
Packing Tip II: Roll Your Clothes details how to pack using rolled clothes. I know it sounds strange, but it works great. You can get more into your suitcase, and it comes out less wrinkled. Try it and you will be surprised.
September 13, 2005
Benchmarking
I have noticed a trend in American business to benchmark your company against your peers and aim to by "Competative with our industry peers." If your company does everything inline with your peers does that make you average? What happened to striving for excellence? Are American companies striving for mediocrity? Iif mediocrity is your goal you will acheive it.
Neat solar products
Lpic level 2 prep
Solar cookers
Market forces clean up the air
"Burning Atlanta " by David Whitman is an interesting article. It details how cap and trade markets are cleaning the air where regulation failed. It talks about Plant Bowen in Cartersville.
September 12, 2005
Huh?
Georgia's New Poll Tax from the NY Times defys logic. Somehow ensuring that people are REALLY who they say they are is Jim Crow. Who in modern society doesn't have a photo id? How could you survive? This is nuts!
September 09, 2005
I found my xmas present
September 08, 2005
Sudoku craze
Sudoku Online : Sudoku of the Day
Sudoku is the latest in puzzle crazes. It is a numeric puzzle. Check it out.
PBS, NPR, and the BBC podcasts
September 07, 2005
Biomass options
I have wondered why we aren't looking for alternative crops that can provide fiber, fuel, etc. This article talks about buffalo grass as a fuel option. I think we are going to see more about biomass in the near future.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Tall grasses set to power Europe
"If we grew Miscanthus on 10% of suitable land in [the 15-member] Europe, then we could generate 9% of the gross electricity production," he told the British Association's Festival of Science.
September 06, 2005
Back again
Back after yet another failure. Remind me not to buy the cheapest disks. I lost a month's worth of posts. crap.......
July 05, 2005
I signed what?
Anyone think some of the founding fathers woke up on July 5th wondering what they had done?
Thank God they did. The price paid for liberty can be painful. The signers all paid dearly, but thankfully they did.
July 02, 2005
Learn a little latin
Learn Latin from this great website. It has tutorials from basic to advanced.
June 27, 2005
mmmm bacon clock
What better to wake up to than a grease fire.
June 24, 2005
Nice google cheatsheet
June 14, 2005
Disabled trackbacks
I have now disabled trackback pings. They were pretty useless and have become a major spam conduit.
June 12, 2005
WTC 2
I have hated all the designs for the new WTC site. I ran across this site the other day. I think this would be a perfect replacement.
On the Freedom Tower: "The last thing we need in New York is a skeleton representing the World Trade Center. I think it's not an appropriate design." - Donald Trump
May 24, 2005
More respect than ever.
I have gained even more respect for the genius behind the Creative Commons License. Larry Lessig is already a hero for his work on intellectual property. Now we can add anti pedophilia crusader:
The Choirboy
As head boy at a legendary choir school, Lawrence Lessig was repeatedly molested by the charismatic choir director, part of a horrific pattern of child abuse there. Now, as one of America’s most famous lawyers, he’s put his own past on trial to make sure such a thing never happens again.
May 23, 2005
Link Dump
- The TCP/IP Guide
- Partition Logic (a free partition magic clone)
- Ziplinq
- Article on booting tje Linux Kernel
May 16, 2005
Link dump
May 13, 2005
YA button maker
Good news meets the NYT
Arthur Chrenkoff the author of Good News from Iraq has made it into the NYTimes. I highly recommend reading both his blog and the NYTimes pieces. It is a nice antedote to the media negativism. All the news that's fit for toilet paper.
May 07, 2005
April 24, 2005
What Kind of American English Do You Speak?
Your Linguistic Profile: |
| 65% General American English |
| 30% Dixie |
| 5% Yankee |
| 0% Midwestern |
| 0% Upper Midwestern |
April 07, 2005
Inaugural podcast
I am testing out somesfotware and trying my hand at a podcast. Check it out and let me know what you think.
show notes.
best buy.
skype / at&t voip
shameless
hd radio
March 22, 2005
March 15, 2005
Quotes of the day
I don't get upset that easily, so I can't say that there is any in particular that I find galling. One myth that I find interesting, but which has nothing to do with Linux or even the IT sector in particular, is the myth of how a single person or even a single company makes a huge difference in the market. It's the belief that things happen because somebody was visionary and "planned" it that way. Sometimes the people themselves seem to believe it, and then the myth becomes hubris.
I have to continually try to explain to people that no, I don't "control" what happens in Linux. It's about having an environment that is conducive to development, not so much about any particular leader. And I think that is true in most cases, be it the "great sport coach" or the "great spiritual leader.
Linus Torvalds
From the beginning, Bill Hewlett and I have had a strong belief in people. We believe that people want to do a good job and that it is important for them to enjoy their work at Hewlett-Packard.... In the highly technical fields in which we operate, little details often make the difference between a quality product and one that isn't as good. So what we've tried to engender among all our people is the attitude that it is each individual's business to do the best job he or she can. I recall the time, many years ago, when I was walking around a machine shop, accompanied by the shop's manager. We stopped briefly to watch a machinist making a polished plastic mold die. He had spent a long time polishing it and was taking a final cut at it. Without thinking, I reached down and wiped it with my finger. The machinist said, "Get you finger off my die!" The manager quickly asked him, "Do you know who this is?" To which the machinist replied, "I don't care!" He was right and I told him so. He had an important job and was proud of his work.
David Packard from The HP Way -- p.126-7, on Trust in People
No operating policy has contributed more to Hewlett-Packard's success than the policy of "management by objective".... MBO, as it is frequently called, is the antithesis of management by control ... [it] refers to a system in which overall objectives are clearly stated and agreed upon, and which gives people the flexibility to work toward those goals in ways they determine best for their own areas of responsibility.
David Packard from The HP Way -- p.152-3, on Managing the Organization
March 09, 2005
What kind of intelligence do you have?
| Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
March 03, 2005
I am so proud.
My wife knitted this cool cell phone holder. Anyone want one?
Spring is starting
A picture I took a week ago at KSU. I love spring, and especially the Yoshiino cherry trees when they bloom. I took this with my new LG vx6100 camera phone.
March 01, 2005
Another version of places I've visited
Where I've been
bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...
Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /
Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.
February 28, 2005
BBC language resources online
February 08, 2005
VOIP wired to your house.
January 19, 2005
Word of the day
Uncanny valley is actually a phrase, but what the heck. it means 'Feelings of unease, fear, or revulsion created by a robot or robotic device that appears to be, but is not quite, human-like.' A perfect example is in CGI movies. It seems the more photorealistic they get the humans just get creepier.
January 17, 2005
It's the grades, stupid!
I have been following the story of Ahmad Al-Qloushi. He is the student who wrote a pro-US essay in class, and was given a failing grade. He was subsequently berated by the professor and told he needed therapy.
I have to say that the essay is not written that well, and he was not too smart to write it. You have to pick your battles and a test is not one. If you think the goal of a test is to find the objective truth then you are naive or slow. The object of a test is to regurgitate the answers that the professor is looking for.
I was originally a political science major. I thought that political science was going to be the study of government and politics. I soon learned that by and large it was the study of marxist ideology and the grand failings of the United States. I learned quickly that the correct answer was the one that parroted the professor's ideology. In 1989, after a couple of semesters of this and working full time I realized that it was time to change to a different major. I graduated with a BBA in accounting.
I must thank Dr. Thomas Mongar in particular. In the late Eighties he was singing the praises of the Great Soviet. I never took any of his other classes after that, but I hear his ideology changed after the USSR fell. He began stating that the fall of the Soviet Union will allow true marxism to emerge. He was the straw that broke the camel's back. I am sure there are conservative or libertarian political scientists, but I haven't met them. I am not afraid of hearing liberal, socialist, or marxist ideas, but I am afraid when that is all you hear.
January 16, 2005
Currently Reading
The United States Of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy
The Year 1000 : What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First MillenniumJanuary 10, 2005
Daily link dump
- A horrible tsunami photograph. More information about the photo at snopes
- The best before and after satellite photos of the tsunami. They have been matched up and your can click between the before and after instantly.
- Mass graves not necessary for tsunami victims. From Nature.com
- Linux - windows single sign on
- Sitzpinkler
January 05, 2005
Daily link dump
Things to accomplish this year
An incomplete list...
- Get RHCE certified
- Finish my book
- Pray more
- Do more for others
- Give my family more undivided attention
January 04, 2005
Link dump
I hate....
comment spam. MAn it is annoying. Even with the blacklist plugin it is a time sink.
January 03, 2005
De-pimping hip hop
A good piece from the NY Daily News on the backlash against the portrayal of women in hip hop.
Doctor Zhivago
We just finished watching the Masterpiece Theater remake of Doctor Zhivago. I thought it was well done and worth the five hours. I have not seen the original and plan to watch it tonight. I sometimes wanted to slap Yuri. I couldn't believe that he would do so many things to put his family in danger.
I think it did a great job portraying the horrors of Soviet Russia. It makes you realize how easy we have it today. Even with the war on terror, and all the other calamities of the time, we still have had little turmoil inside our country. It also makes you laugh at the cries of totalitarianism from the left. Lenin and the Reds (as well as the Tsarist Whites) were real totalitarianism. The Reds just seem to be an equal and opposite reaction to the repression and terror the Tsarist brought. The seemed to all be playing by the same twisted rules. This is also echoed in the Shah and the Islamic revolution.
It makes the Afghan miracle even more amazing.
December 31, 2004
Link Dump
December 30, 2004
Moving RSS feed
I am moving my RSS feed to feedburner. Please change your feedreader to point to http://feeds.feedburner.com/ArcanusMaximus
thx
December 28, 2004
Link dump
December 21, 2004
Daily link spew
December 20, 2004
Tivo to Go
Look like Tivo is about ready to release Tivo to Go. I am anxious to get this out there. Being able to move programs to pcs (especially laptops) is going to be a big selling point for Tivo.
December 18, 2004
Lots O Links
December 14, 2004
Could I have one more tacos please? 24 wasn't enough!
My friend Michelle Vernon has written a great book Last Suppers: Famous Final Meals from Death Row. Check it out. It is a funny and oddly poignant book. For the up to the minute scoop on last meals check out Dead man eating. That is a great site.
From the Inside Flap
How's this for a last meal: 24 tacos, 2 cheeseburgers, 2 whole onions, 5 jalapeno peppers, 6 enchiladas, 6 tostadas, one quart of milk and one chocolate milkshake? That's what David Castillo, convicted murderer, packed in the night before Texas shot him up with a lethal injection. Or how about this: A dozen steamed mussels, a Burger King double cheeseburger with mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato, a can of Franco-American spaghetti with meatballs, a mango, half of a pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and a strawberry milkshake -- all that went down the hatch of killer Thomas Grasso on the eve of Oklahoma's giving him the needle.
The United States remains one of the few "civilized" nations to utilize capital punishment as a crime-fighting tool. Execution rituals have always varied slightly from state to state, not only in the method of death but also in the care and treatment of the accused during his final hours. One ritual that remains constant throughout all 38 states which have the death penalty is the act of feeding the condemned man a special last meal before the execution. The quantity and quality of the food available to the inmate does vary, but each man or woman is always allowed to partake of one final feast before they shake hands with the Grim Reaper.
The ritual seems to be important not only to the inmate and to prison officials, but to the general public as well. Almost every newspaper article documenting an execution lists the condemned man's last meal alongside his last words and the other details of the execution, making one wonder why this tidbit of information is so greedily sought after. Regardless of the reasons, it can truly be said that criminals aren't the only ones with an appetite for "last suppers." So dig in and enjoy!
November 26, 2004
Top ten writing mistakes
November 25, 2004
More thanks..
I also wanted to give thanks for those willing to give their life for their country. May God bless them and their families.
Giving thanks
I just wanted to give thanks to the Lord for my family, having such great friends, having a job I like and can make a good living at, my health, and well.... everything.
Deo gratias!
A few neat sites
November 22, 2004
Cornell note taking
A reminder why I am glad I graduated....
Actually this is a modified version of how I learned to take notes in high school. Not that I used it ;-)
October 18, 2004
Daytime hours for Atlanta Radio
From http://www.radio-info.com/
Here are the "Day Time" hours for Atlanta. This is when a station is at it's highest power.
These are all in EST so during Daylight Saving Time add an hour.
Jan 7:45 - 5:45
Feb 7:30 - 6:15
March 6:45 - 6:45
April 6:15 - 7:15
May 5:30 - 7:30
June 5:30 - 7:45
July 5:30 - 7:45
Aug 6:00 - 7:30
Sept 6:15 - 6:45
Oct 6:45 - 6:00
Nov 7:15 - 5:30
Dec 7:30 - 5:30
Better weekend for football
It was a nice weekend for football. The weather was really nice, and the two teams I follow here did well. Georgia did what they should have beating Vandy and the Falcons pulled it out in the 4th quarter. I want to know who was wearing Vick's jersey and playing for him in the first three quarters. I am glad he took it back in the 4th.
October 12, 2004
More Marillion pictures
Pictures from the Philly
and DC gigs
October 06, 2004
Neat gadget of the day.
I want one. It is just too easy to throw a clock.
September 27, 2004
Phrase of the day
The SEP field is a fictional technology from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy" by Douglas Adams. It is a cheaper alternative to an invisibility field.
The letters stand for "Somebody Else's Problem". An SEP field can be erected on, or projected around a bizarre and unbelievable scene so that the unconscious minds of the observers instantly abdicate responsibility for its existence, assert that it's "somebody else's problem", and therefore don't perceive it at all. The primary example of this was given in the third book Life, the Universe and Everything, when a UFO (a spaceship powered by the Bistromathic drive owned by the character Slartibartfast) landed in the middle of a cricket ground during a match, and the assembled crowd failed to notice it.
Neat site of the day
20Q The online twenty questions game.
September 25, 2004
Bike in Campground
I ran across this campground next to the Silver Comet Trail. It would be nice to camp there and bike out, or to bike to it and camp.
September 24, 2004
Iron Maiden is gonna get ya
An article by my friend John Miller about Iron Maiden. A good read... I listen to Powerslave or any other albums from that era and it brings back nice memories of high school. I saw them on the Powerslave and Live After Death tours. Both were great shows at the now deceased Hollywood Sportatorium. Man that place was a hole.
September 13, 2004
Fun, free, and online
My scary halloween costume.
I found it. Man is it scary. Check it out
September 12, 2004
The best seat in the house..
Seatguru is a great reference if you are going to be flying. It helps you find seats on each airline that are the best situated. For example, the well known exit row seat....
August 22, 2004
Amy Langenfield's emergency kit.
Word of the day
sub al tern Audio pronunciation of "subaltern" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sb-ôltrn, sbl-tûrn)
adj.
1. Lower in position or rank; secondary.
2. Chiefly British. Holding a military rank just below that of captain.
3. Logic. In the relation of a particular proposition to a universal with the same subject, predicate, and quality.
August 18, 2004
Word of the day
August 17, 2004
IF
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
--Rudyard Kipling
My photos on Morguefile
I don't think I have posted this before. I have been uploading my pictures to morguefile.com. Please look at them an comment if you see anything you like.
August 12, 2004
Word of the day
sui generis \soo-eye-JEN-ur-us; soo-ee-\, adjective:
Being the only example of its kind; constituting a class of its own; unique.
Sui generis is from Latin, literally meaning "of its own kind": sui, "of its own" + generis, genitive form of genus, "kind."
August 02, 2004
What will they learn from Gilligan's Island?
Los Angeles Times: A Crash Course on Irate Calls
The Times has an interesting story on how Indian workers doing telephone customer service for American countries are having to not only assimilate our lingual nuances but the cultural. I wonder if it is possible to gain more than a superficial understanding of us from Friends?
Neil Boortz will be happy...
The Tweezer's Edge v3: Michigan overturns landmark eminent domain decision I have been following the eeminent domain cases with interest. Neil Boortz has been a very vocal opponent of it being used to take land from owners to build shopping centers or malls. I tend to agree. It should be a choice of last resort, and not something to push small land owners out. Usually they are just holding out to get a well paid for their land.
Word of the day
n. 'cry of heart'; deeply-felt, passionate request or complaint.
July 30, 2004
Tivo 30 second skip hack
When playing back a recording, hit the following buttons on your remote, one at a time:
Select
Play
Select
3
0
Select
Bottle cap tripod
Here is another iteration of the recently ubiquitous Bottle cap tripod.
July 12, 2004
My lame air travel tips.
Advice I gave a friend:
They will give you free soft drinks (including bottled water) during the flight but I alway bring a bottle of water. I usually bring a bag lunch on the flight if there isn't lunch service (or breakfast depending on the time). Sometimes you can buy food on the flight. She can bring on a carry on bag and a purse. The carry on will need to fit in the overhead bin. The room in the overhead bins is limited so she will need to get on quickly if she want to use them (assuming the flight is full). Otherwise, her carry on will have to fit under the seat in front of her. If she can get away with just the carry on then she won't have to wait at baggage claim on the other end. I would make copies of my license and credit cards and keep them somewhere separate from a wallet or purse (like in baggage). That way if you lose them on the trip you have the information you need to get them replaced. The copy of the license and a police report would be enough to get back on the plane for the return trip.
Don't lock checked bags. The TSA will cut them off. There are TSA approved locks you can use, but I have heard of cases of those being cut off as well.
She can check in, confirm her seat, and print her boarding pass on line within 24 hours of her flight. That is a very good thing to do. Then all she will have to do is check her baggage (which she can do curbside) and then go to the gate. With the credit card used to buy the ticket, or the frequent flier card you can check in at the airport and print your own boarding pass. This saves time. If you don't have your frequent flier card, but you have the number you can type that in.
As far as going through security:
1. Wear shoes with no metal in them.
2. Wear shoes that slip off easily.
3. Everything else will have to go through the x-ray.
4. I would have the first person go through and be waiting on the other side before I put anything of value (like purses or laptops) on the conveyor belts to the x-ray machines. There have been problems with people putting stuff through and having it stolen before they clear through the metal detector. Usually it is laptops that are targeted, but I would watch anything.
The lines for security can run up to 2 hours at prime time. Prime time is usually 8am to 11am
June 15, 2004
Holy cow
Who knew This is a some what explicit picture, but the offending articles are almost 100 years old and in a jar. Poor Rasputin.
May 25, 2004
Pictures for the taking.
From the NY Times:
I recently searched the Web for a banana photo. Google Images, as is its wont, provided me with more than 100,000 examples (the first page of results included a person in a banana costume and a banana-shaped futon).
But I wanted a high-resolution photo of a banana - the actual fruit - for my own purposes. A public-domain banana, in other words.
I found one at morguefile.com, a site that offers free stock photos with no strings attached. (It is politely suggested that photographers be credited, but it is not mandatory.) Don't let the site's name put you off: a "morgue" is a term commonly used by media companies for a repository of photos and materials stored for future reference or reuse.
MorgueFile has more than 15,000 images that can be downloaded by pretty much anyone for just about any purpose. A helpful search log reveals that recent photo subjects sought by visitors include cement, France and a lemon. Popular searches include people, food and flowers.
Other sites offering free stock photos (with few or no restrictions) include www.imageafter.com and www.bigfoto.com. But Michael Connors, the founder of MorgueFile and a Flash programmer for Grey Interactive in Manhattan, insists on very high-resolution images. He added that MorgueFile was "not just for free photos, but to see what something looks like from different angles - I like to think of it as an image reference archive."
Apologia
Sorry about the wierd traffic. I had to reload my Linux system and restore everything. You may have seen a lot of old posts again. Maybe time to revisit them ;-)
May 19, 2004
Rebuilding St. Nicholas
A story from the NY Times about the rebuilding of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at ground zero. I find it amazing whenever I hear stories about rebirth and renewal. One of the details that grabbed me is that the Church contained relics of St. Nicholas, St. Catherine and St. Sava. The bones of the saints of old have mingled with the ashes of the newly martyred
Richard Perry/The New York Times
Among the items that were salvaged from St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church were, from top, a book and a bell from the altar, and a gong from the bell that was atop the church. The most precious of the old church's possessions were never recovered.
May 17, 2004
Where the names have no streets.
The NY Times discusses street names that have outlived their usefulness. I love reading about how areas in cities evolve. It is interesting to see the same spot in a town photographed over time. I also love when you find anachronisms like old signs or lampposts.
It is also time again to plug one of my favorite sites: Forgotten NY
May 04, 2004
Gas price over time and adjusted for inflation
April 28, 2004
I got my Marbles
I received my preorder copy of Marbles by Marillion.
I am pleased so far. It is a good album. I can tell that they have included some songs that might not have made a typical Marillion album since it is a double album. This is a good thing. For example, "The Damage" strikes me as very Beatlesesque. I have also purchased the "You're Gone" single in all three formats. I really like the video on the dvd.
The preorder and the singles campaign seems to be making an impact. You can read more details about it from the Register.
Marillion: appetite for resurrection
April 27, 2004
A nice place to stay in the Smokys
Blue Smoke Cabins is a great place to rent a cabin for a few days away. We have stayed there before we had the kids and it was nice. It is peaceful, and away from the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge mess.
April 20, 2004
More about TDP
A National Geographic article about Thermo-Depolymerization (TDP).
a process by which waste materials are broken down by intensive heat and pressure to produce natural gas, fuel oil, and minerals.
This is also discussed in MIT Technology Review.
April 19, 2004
Word of the day
Muezzin NOUN: Islam The crier who calls the faithful to prayer five times a day.
[Listening to: Rush Limbaugh (WSPD) - 02 Apr - 0_Replay Radio - Rush Limbaugh (WSPD) (30:02)]
April 06, 2004
Sloganator for Bush
A cute toy on the web allows you to build custom Bush/Cheney campaign signs.
March 29, 2004
The degree confulence project
March 18, 2004
From the AJC
Jordan Rubin isn't the first to base a diet on biblical teachings. Here are books recommending other religion-based diets:
"What Would Jesus Eat? The Ultimate Program for Eating Well, Feeling Great and Living Longer" (Thomas Nelson, 2002, $22.99): Dr. Don Colbert promotes a diet that Jesus might have eaten: whole grains, fish, fruits and vegetables with modest amounts of olive oil, meat and wine. The diet also bans shellfish and pork, as does the Old Testament.
"3D: Diet, Discipline and Discipleship" (Paraclete Press, 2002, $25): This program, designed by pastor's wife Carol Showalter in 1972, puts spiritual guidance first, in the form of weekly support meetings and devotional materials. The food plan borrows from the American Diabetic Association. Millions have completed the 12-week program.
"The Weigh Down Diet" (Galilee, 2002, $12.95): No menus, no special foods, no calorie-counting and not even any exercise. This faith-based diet, designed in 1997 by registered dietician Gwen Shamblin, preaches weight loss by getting right with God. Dieters study the Bible and learn to eat only when they're hungry and only until they're satisfied, not stuffed.
March 17, 2004
Atlanta ymca
Places to use YMCA in ATL
March 15, 2004
The pain in Spain...
A heart breaking story of the impact of the Madrid bombings on one man. I can't imagine the pain.
March 09, 2004
Fishing for trout in GA
The Chattahoochee is a good place to fish, particularly for trout. You can choose to fish either above or below Buford Dam—both spots boast plenty of fish and great people, should you need equipment or guidance during your expedition. North of Buford Dam, from Highway 75 Alternate and the bridge in Robertstown to the Helen city limits, the Chattahoochee is open year-round to the public. Cane poles, spinning poles, or a fly rod can all be used. A fishing license is a must. Below Helen and downstream there is much private property. Check with landowners before fishing in this area. Approximately 1.5 miles of private property is occupied by Unicoi Outfitters, a full-service fly-fishing shop and guide company. Unicoi specializes in wade fishing, particularly fly, and they offer day and half-day fishing trips in the Chattahoochee and surrounding creeks (half-day trips are great for novices). Also check out The Gilligan’s Tour, which is designed for two people to spend three hours with a guide, all equipment provided. Catering to fishing enthusiasts of all levels, they offer rental equipment and fly-fishing lessons. They also sell equipment. Fishing with Unicoi is done on a catch and release system and barbless hooks are used. The most popular time of the year for fishing is fall and spring, but trout can be caught year-round. For more information and prices, call (706) 878-3083.
Below Buford Dam to Peachtree Creek is a 50-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee River ripe for trout fishing. Here, River Through Atlanta Guides can be found. This is a reservation-based business offering full-day fly or artificial lure fishing trips on a drift boat. All trips are guided, with the guide providing information on trout behavior, entomology, fishing techniques, weather and river conditions, and drinks (you have to furnish your own lunch). The advantage of this kind of trip on the Chattahoochee is the amount of river you get to see. Also, individual service is a priority, with only one client per day. The maximum capacity is two anglers and kids are catered to. Fish are caught on a catch and release system, but there is a limited harvest rule. River Through Atlanta Guides is open year-round. The best time to fish is the spring. For more information and prices, call (770) 650-8630.
More information about the Chattahoochee River and its recreational opportunities can be found in The Riverkeeper’s Guide to the Chattahoochee. This book is the leading guide to the Chattahoochee and a great resource for people interested in enjoy
March 06, 2004
Chernobyl photo blog
I have seen http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/page2.html referenced on several blogs in the last few days. I think Boing Boing is the first place. It is a harrowing read.
March 05, 2004
I like traffic lights
but only when they're green!
How to Stop Receiving Credit Card Offers
From kuro5hin:
Tired of annoying "pre-approved" credit card offers? I sure am. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) of 1970 as amended in 1996, the four major credit bureaus have the right to sell your information to companies that want to offer you a credit card. Fortunately, the amendment also stipulated that credit bureaus must provide a way for consumers to have their names excluded from pre-approval lists. If you're a United States citizen sick of getting pre-screened credit card offers, this article will show you how to avoid receiving them.
Continue reading "How to Stop Receiving Credit Card Offers" »
March 01, 2004
Trail Journals
I found an interesting site over the weekend. http://www.trailjournals.com You can read the trail journals for people currently through hiking the AT.
A great book about this is also available "A Walk in the Woods"
i-bonds
Investors can buy individual inflation-protected bonds from the Treasury (www.treasurydirect.gov) or from issuing companies through LaSalle Broker Dealers (www.lasallecdips.com) in Boca Raton, Florida, or Incapital (www.internotes.com) of Chicago.
There are also several mutual funds that specialize in inflation-protected bonds. Among the most cost-effective are the Vanguard Inflation Protected Securities Fund (www.vanguard.com) and the TIAA-CREF Inflation-Linked Bond Fund (www.tiaa-cref.com). And the exchange-traded iShares Lehman U.S. Tips Fund (www.ishares.com) specializes in these securities.
February 28, 2004
From the AJC: Alton Brown on New Iron Chef show
Marietta foodie Alton Brown has an "Iron" clad new gig at Food Network. "The Good Eats" host will be the commentator for his network's new "Iron Chef America" series of specials. The shows are slated to feature original "Iron Chefs" Masaharu Morimoto and Hiroyuki Sakai facing off against Food Network faves Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Buckhead eatery namesake Wolfgang Puck.
Our fave food historian/scientist/TV host/author (Oh, OK: Brown's also the only one we know. . .) will fill the role of Dr. Hatori in the original Japanese version of the hit show, providing play-by-play and insights on the ingredients being utilized.
Taste-test judges for the shows will include "NYPD Blue" actor Dennis Franz, "Trading Spaces" host Paige Davis, actor Vincent Pastore (formerly of "The Sopranos") and Bon Appetit editor Barbara Fairchild.
The specials will tape next week in Los Angeles and will begin airing on the Food Network on April 23.
A Neal Boortz movie suggestion
I usually don't look to Neal for movie reviews but he seems to be raving a lot lately about Sister Mary Explains It All.
from imdb.com:
Plot Outline: A bigoted, fannatical nun comes face to face with the lives she ruined through her teachings when a quartet of her traumatised former students crash her Christmas Eve church lecture.
If you haven't listened to Neal he is great fun. He is a Libertarian talk show host who broadcasts from wsb radio in Atlanta.
February 07, 2004
Quote of the day
Sir Walter Scott. 1771–1832
SOUND, sound the clarion, fill the fife!
To all the sensual world proclaim,
One crowded hour of glorious life
Is worth an age without a name.
February 03, 2004
MIT Open Courseware
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html is a link to MIT OpenCourseWare a free, open, publication of MIT Course Materials.
January 29, 2004
When to buy LTC insurance
From clarkhoward.com
Clark has talked a lot about long-term care insurance, and when you
should or shouldnt buy it. Long- term care insurance pays for care in
your home or in a nursing home in the event that you are not able to
take care of yourself anymore. And a lot of people think social
security will pay for long-term care, which is not true. Clark often
gets calls from people in their 30s and 40s, asking if they should buy
LTC insurance at their age. And he has said that the right age to buy
is in your late 50s and early 60s. But Consumer Reports has taken it a
step further. The magazine is now telling people to buy LTC insurance
at age 65. The magazine disagrees with the insurance salespeople who
say you must buy young to qualify. They claim that the older you get
the less likely you are to qualify for it. But Consumer Reports found
that 84 percent of people will still be able to buy LTC insurance at
age 65. And remember that if you have $1.5 million plus in assets or
you are impoverished, you dont need long term care insurance. But
everyone in the middle class will need LTC insurance. For help on
usually cost you $300 to $400 a month, so you want to make sure you
sign up at the right time with the right company.
Using debit cards can be deadly to your wallet
From Clarkhoward.com:
Over the years, Clark has heard tons of horror stories about fake Visa
and Master Cards. With these cards, the biggest problem usually
involves things of a clerical nature. With a credit card, if a
clerical error is made its corrected before your statement goes out
and there is nothing really to worry about. But with a debit card,
once someone makes a mistake, it takes a lot of work to get it
resolved. First of all, its unlikely that youll get any of the money
back once its been removed from your account. And under Visa and
MasterCard guidelines, the bank has no duty to pay you for any of the
insufficient funds charges you may incur. The shocking part is that
even though Clark talks about this repeatedly, one of the staffers
Kevin recently used his debit card to pay for a cruise. That in itself
was risky. But when he tried to use his credit card for other charges
on the cruise, the ship charged them to his debit card anyway. So, it
racked up about $600 in charges on his checking account that he didnt
have. Luckily, the people at the bank know Kevin and they are going to
waive all of the NSF charges. Kevin has learned his lesson and will
never give anyone his check card when services are supposed to be
rendered later.
Protecting yourself against ID theft
From clarkhoward.com:
Clark recently published a poll on his site about identity theft. One
of the questions he asked was, How common do you think identity theft
is? About 75 percent of Clarks respondents said ID theft is either
extremely common or fairly common. Clark also asked how likely you
think it is that ID theft could happen to you. Almost half of you
think you definitely could be a victim, and another 40 percent think
you probably could be a victim. These numbers are much higher than the
typical public response, so Clark feels good that hes done a good job
of scaring you about ID theft. We need to be concerned. Only about 10
percent are not concerned at all. So, what should you do to avoid
being a victim? The first thing is to buy a paper shredder. Identity
thieves have no qualms about going through your trash and filling out
pre-approvals for credit cards in your name. Another thing you can do
is to call 1-888-5-OPT-OUT, which tells the Direct Marketing
Association that you dont want pre-approvals from credit cards in your
mailbox. Youll stop about 93 percent of credit card offers with this
option. And if you carry a checkbook, dont. If someone steals your
checks and writes checks as if they are you, you could wind up in
jail. It doesnt matter if you will be cleared later, you will suffer
massively if a thief gets a hold of your checkbook. So, keep your
checkbook at home, and pay cash or credit instead. Even though Clark
doesnt like fake Visa or Master Cards, they are much better than
checks.
January 21, 2004
What is our future in space?
A great article by William Langewiesche about the future of US space exploration. In my estimation he is asking all the right questions. We are way too focused on short term goals that have no longer term strategy. Bush has changed that somewhat with his intention to go to the moon and mars but there doesn't seem to be much backing it up atthis point.
January 20, 2004
Ugly!
January 19, 2004
Voices from metafilter
An couple of interesting posts from metafilter.com First is a post that references a site that has audio interview with former slaves. I could not imagine how hard their lives had been.
There is also a post about "Healthy Dietary Life In Japanese Style." I have been evolving some rules for eating and health. One concept to define is "Vacant Foods". These are foods (or beverages) that provide only calories and no appreciable nutrients. For example, candy bars, cake, non-diet colas, etc.. The rules are still evolving, but here they are for now. I am sure they will change or be amended:
1. Exercise 3-5 times a week
2. Eat lean meats (especially chicken, fish, venison, bison)
3. Eat Vacant foods once a week as a treat. Avoid drinking vacant drinks.
4. Try to limit fruit juices. Eat fruit instead
5. Eat whole grains only. Avoid potatoes as much as possible.
6. Eat MORE THAN 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
7. Try to eat 30 or more different types of fruits and vegetables in a week.
8. Drink 1% milk.
9. Watch the cold cereals. They are full of calories.
10. It is all calories. Carbs., Protein, etc. don't matter beyond the fact that they are all calories. Protein rich diets just fill you up easier and keep you full longer (IMHO).
11. Don't eat anything other than fruit after dinner. It is too easy to just sit there and munch.
12. Try to go meat free one day a week. Watch the calories though. Meat free doesn't mean pasta-fest or cheese-fest. I know lots of fat vegetarians.
13. Eat fish at least once a week.
14. Try to contain cheese. It is very caloric dense.
15. Soups can be great for you. For the serving they are less nutrient dense.
16. When you look at labels divide the calories by the serving size in grams (or mL). This gives you an idea how dense the nutrients are. 200 calories of apples is a lot more food than 200 calories of cheese.
17. Try to eat nuts once a week. Not a lot though. The oils are heart healthy.
18. I tend to shy from nutritional supplements. I take a regular multi-vitamin, two cod liver oil capsules, and garlic pill. I know people that take a lot more. I am nervous to take a lot of things that I can get in food.
more to come I am sure
January 15, 2004
Urban Dictionary
http://www.urbandictionary.com/ is an interesting read.
January 14, 2004
Optical illusion: This is cool!
optical illusion This is cool!
Online shopping with a luddite bent.
Lehman's is your source for old-fashioned, hard-to-find items such as pickle kegs, grain mills, wooden barrels, hand water pumps, wood cookstoves, heating stoves, canning supplies, and much, much more.
There is also a thread running on Kevin Kelly's blog on various catalogs that are people's favorites. I love catalogs. I don't know why. I just like browsing what trinkets are out there. It must appeal to my acquisative nature. I have to fight that urge constantly. At least with the web, blogging, etc I can collect things electronically. Saves space at home.
Here is the rockfarm weblog.
Here is the rockfarm weblog. This is the weblog for a u-pickem farm near here. I love fresh fruits and vegetables. Each thing in their own season.
odd site: runningonempty.com
With a modest collection of quality hand tools, even an inexperienced person can make vital repairs. You can disassemble obsolete equipment, build things. Imagine trying to "double dig" a garden bed (see Jeavon's books) without a shovel, or taking any device apart without a screwdriver or pliers.
Stainless steel and cast iron cookware have a much longer and varied useable life than aluminum, teflon, and plastic ones.
There is useful information on technology for primitive situations at http://www.vita.org and http://www.attra.org You can print this web site and those, for future reference.
Books, or other printed means, are the simplest means of accessing knowledge in a crashed society.
Microfiche, once a popular means to store large volumes of information, has become "old fashioned". But in microfiche, a person or community can carry hundreds, indeed thousands of books. Microfiche can be adequately read using even a child's toy microscope. Electronic media, whether CD's, tapes, disks, etc., all require a functioning appropriate player which may become defective. The authors mentioned earlier, Jeavons for agriculture http://www.growbiointensive.org, and Reynolds http://www.earthship.org/nav/index.htm. for housing, are good examples of places to begin. Visit your local library regularly, and keep organized notes. Ask about interlibrary loans of books you need to see, but are not held locally.
Used bookstores, and web sales, can yield out-of-print "gems". Try ABE at http://www.abebooks.com or Powell's at http://www.powells.com/home.html, or Amazon at www.Amazon.com.
This leaflet is also displayed in full on the Web at www.RunningOnEmpty.org/whattodo.htm
The oil crash is explained in up-to-date detail at www.hubbertpeak.com, and www.dieoff.org Both sites are keyword-searchable, with scientific and oil industry literature about this topic. It is heavily annotated with authoritative references.
Discussion forum - Technical/scientific: www.egroups.com/group/energyresources Discussion forum-Implications, action: www.egroups.com/group/RunningOnEmpty2
Author of this sheet: Ronald Greek, one of the moderators of RunningOnEmpty2 forum at www.egroups.com/group/RunningOnEmpty2 and helped by members of those groups.
More proof that deforestation is a bad idea ;-)
Not only does it appear that cutting down forest causes erosion, species loss, etc. it also causes malaria. This article details that for each 1% decrease in forest cover there is a 8% increase in malaria mosquitos.
December 14, 2003
A great reference site
November 18, 2003
I guess PT Barnum was right.
Why would anyone allow their child to be alone with this man?
November 04, 2003
The original version of this blog
The original and sparse Arcanus Maximus. It was located on blogger which I never liked.
November 02, 2003
Thought for the day...
A good quote on the nature religion.
The purpose of religion is to show humanity the way to union with God. So fragmentation is always a falling short of our human calling. And if it happens? Then we must remember that sometimes only the pain of division teaches us how sweet was our association. If we can remember it before our ways part, then thanks be to God."
Mission impossible. (The day of the skinned knee)
I was watching Letterman the other day on my tivo. The guest was Pamela Anderson. I thought about how pretty she was in her early "Home Improvement" days, and how she has ruined herself since then. She looked like a plastic Barbie doll. It is like she was trying to obliterate the imperfections in her soul by trying to perfect (or at least in someone's eyes) her body. This doll-like hyper-sexual image is just not appealing. We are all flawed (morally, spiritually, and physically). It is what makes us human. It started with Adam and Eve's choice to eat the fruit, and continues today.
I was thinking about this on the way to church. My daughter had fallen in the driveway and skinned her knee. It was like it was the biggest thing that had ever happened in the world. High drama! I realized that it is by our scars we know we are human. It is by our scars we can know joy. It is by our scars we can understand others pain and imperfections. It is by His scars we are healed.
October 30, 2003
All the marbles.
I wanted to mention my favorite band Marillion is preselling their next album Marbles. As they say:
By pre-ordering marbles before 31st December 2003, your album will ship a month before the scheduled release date (currently 26th April 2004*). Pre-orders placed on or after 1st January 2004 will not ship UNTIL the scheduled release date. In short, if you order early, you get your album early - it's that simple!