December 02, 2004
Life is full
Lots going on around the ol' homestead and at work right now, so posting has been and will continue to be light.
Notable event: Mookie cooked last night and tried a new recipe on us. It turned out pretty good. She's an indifferent cook, so I tell her she's got a promising career in the military food services field. After dinner, she got on the PC and downloaded some software and drivers for her TI scientific calculator. She's got the same teacher for Statistics and Physics, so he expects more from her in both classes. It amazes me when I watch the kids work their magic on those things, because I can barely count to ten. We also watched a 1960's drive-in classic: Tales of Terror. Three stories loosely based on Poe, written by Roger Corman, and starring Vincent Price (in all three), Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone. I might do a review later, but if you see it in the TV Guide, it's worth watching. It was Mookie's first real exposure to Price and Lorre, and she had no idea who Basil Rathbone was. Almost forgot, I baked one of those Peanut Butter & Oatmeal pies. Pretty good and very very rich. The cookie crust burnt a little bit, and we were thinking that it might be better with a crushed chocolate 'nilla wafer crust instead to cut the sheer intensity of the peanut butter. Next time. And that was pretty much my evening. It sounds boring, but there's something special about spending it with the family. Works for me.Posted by: Ted at 04:21 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
December 01, 2004
Subtlety didn't work
Since everyone missed it in the Blogger Bowl post below, here is an explicit link to my newest fans: Rats for Rockets. Check it out.
Posted by: Ted at 06:07 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 30, 2004
A handful of ass
Unfortunately, it's mine. It was handed to me by Brendoman who scored big in this week's Blogger Bowl and stomped my respectable score like a steamroller over a grape. Still, if Jamal Lewis hadn't been a last minute scratch and woulda rushed for 485 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, I coulda beat him.
Now next week I face Victor's Rats of Chaos. He's tied for first place and on a serious roll. I have two things going for me. First off, the Rocket Jones Hot Jets cheerleaders, which I'll list in a minute. And secondly, I got an interesting email last weekend with a link I found very intriguing. This might be enough to topple the Rats of Chaos. While victory ultimately comes on the playing field, the morale-destroying effect of this kind of information cannot be ignored. They're cute! They're cuddly! They're not naked! (see how silly that looks as a selling point ladies?) They *are* the Hot Jets!annika, of annika's journal!
Denita, of Who Tends The Fires!
Gir, of Your Moosey Fate!
LeeAnn, of The Cheese Stands Alone!
Sarah, of Trying To Grok!
Kat, of Mostly Fluff!
Big Hair, of Left & Right!
Jennifer, of Jennifer's History and Stuff!
Heather, of Angelweave!
Margi, of Margi Lowry!
Nic, of Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax!
Lemur Girl, of... uh, Lemur Girl!
Lynn S., of Reflections in d minor!
Susie, of Practical Penumbra!
Blogoline, of Blogoline's Journal!
Cindy, of Dusting My Brain!
Wegglywoo, of On the Beach at the End of the World!
Dawn of Dawn Enterprises!
Stevie, of Caught In The XFire!
Helen, of Everyday Stranger!
Mookie, of MookieRiffic!
Tink, of Flitting Here and There!
Posted by: Ted at 11:18 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Wave of the future?
Check out this short transcript of a radio spot heard by the Everlasting Phelps. Pretty darn funny.
Posted by: Ted at 09:00 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Underground
From Rachel Lucas:
Suffice to say some Michael Moore fans hate me more than I hate Michael Moore. Which is kind of flattering but also really scary. John has been telling me for years to stop blogging under my real name, and you know what? I think it's time. I want to blog but I haven't felt free to truly express myself in a long, long time because of the hate mail and creepy folk who know how to do people searches. I don't live in a swanky apartment building with a doorman and security like Michael Moore does, that fat pig of a loathesome scumbag. So I'm going to go anonymous, with a new blog. How will you, my loyal readers, know that it's me? I don't know. I'm sorry. But I'm guessing, and I know it's a correct guess, that 99% of you understand completely and will support this change wholeheartedly because you probably don't want my doorbell to be rung by some psycho hippie who thinks Fahrenheit 9/11 is the greatest truth ever told.I still get the occasional comment dripping with venom over a *joke* post I made long ago about Michael Moore, so I have a teeny tiny taste of what this kind and wonderful and funny lady is going through. Go anonymous Rachel, s'ok and you're right. We understand. But I'm still gonna look for you and find you. In a non-threatening, non-stalkerish kinda way of course. And when I do, I'm gonna read ya.
Posted by: Ted at 06:08 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Because there's no such thing as too many rocket pictures
Now this guy is a rocketeer. Notice on his rocket picture page, the banner at the top that says "Rocket Chronicles". Most importantly, note that the well-dressed gentleman in said banner in no way looks like a terrorist (got that BATFE?). Also, he brought along his wife, who carries a big purse full of that little paper you trade for rocket supplies.
Cool pictures Mr. Ritchie, you'll be on the blogroll next time I venture into it.Posted by: Ted at 05:13 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 29, 2004
It's obvious, really
Q: How many real men does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. Real men aren't afraid of the dark.Posted by: Ted at 07:14 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Canada, California, one of those "C" places
Thanks to VegasBaby for this chuckle.
Posted by: Ted at 06:54 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Rocket Women
Even the most steely-eyed missile man has a lady in his life. One who keeps his feet on the ground while his head is in the clouds. I'll use the term "wife" here, but it applies equally well to moms, girlfriends, "just friends", and "other".
Wives fall into categories. "Saintly" are the ones who build and fly their own rockets. Very rare and wonderful, if you have one you should treasure her. The biggest drawback is when you sneak over to the on-site vendor to pick up that big honkin' motor, she's already in line with *her* motor, and you know you can't afford both. Que sera, you settle for a slightly smaller whoosh generator, and vow to be quicker than her at the next launch. Dishes seldom pile up in the kitchen sink with her around because that's where she does her wet sanding. Next in the hierarchy are the "Angelic" ladies. These are the ones who go to launches and enjoy flying your rockets, even if she doesn't want to build her own. You often wind up painting a few her favorite color (even pink) as a thank you for being so understanding. She might fuss a little bit about buying that gallon of epoxy instead of milk, but she understands and will explain it to the kids. And their shoes will last another month with a little duct tape. "Very Cool" wives are next, and the first of the mortals. This perfectly describes my own wife. She doesn't build, doesn't fly, and could care less (mine's never even been to a launch), but she indulges you without complaint because she loves you. Easiest to identify around the holidays when she asks you for a list of rocket-related gifts you might like. Also known to call you from the rocket-aisle of a craft store to let you know that motors and/or kits are on sale and wants to know what she can get for you. And how many. The "Ambivalent" wife doesn't fuss much, but doesn't take much interest either. As long as your rocketry doesn't interfere with home-life and doesn't become an obstacle to one of the kids' activities, she's pretty much ok with it. You are expected to miss the rocket launch this weekend because she volunteered you to mow the lawn at the church. Buck up and count your blessings, it could be worse. "Equivalent" wife *is* worse. She believes that you can spend any amount you want to on rockets, as long as she gets at least that much money to spend on her activities in return. Of course, in "equivalent" math, one dollar for you equals at least five for her. On the plus side, you get a lot of fiberglassing done while she's out on Bingo nights, and she's graciously alloted you one knick-knack shelf in the den for your stupid toys. The bottom of the scale is "Ex" or "Soon-to-be-Ex" wife. At best, she didn't intentionally bust up your rocket stuff when she left (and although she didn't give a shit about rockets, you can bet she'll zero in on the most expensive and hard to replace stuff you own), and your reputation will survive with minimal lasting damage. With luck, her bad-mouthing you will taper off over time, but face it, every mutual friend you have is going to look at you funny from now on.Posted by: Ted at 06:36 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
The force is strong in this one
I'm talking about the urge to hibernate. I can't remember a year when the onset of winter has had such an effect on me. For the last month my appetite has been mucho grande and all I want to do is sleep sleep sleep. Very unlike me (the sleep part, that is).
If I call my wife "little Boo-Boo" one more time, I think she's going to hit me.Posted by: Ted at 05:13 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 28, 2004
Two recipes at the top of my "to try" list
I'll probably make each of these within the next couple of weeks. Reportage to come.
First up, from Denita of Who Tends the Fires, this Cranberries with Orange and Ginger thingie sounds yummy. The kids and I have a serious jones for cranberry sauce. We eat it all year round. Secondly, this combination of peanut butter and oatmeal cookies baked into a pie, courtesy of Triticale. Mmmmmm, pie.Posted by: Ted at 09:03 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Lon Chaney
Introduction
While cruising the net, I ran across this image, which brought back memories:
[The stamps issued consist of] five portraits of the actors based on publicity photographs of their most famous horror films. Lon Chaney appears as the Phantom of the Opera, Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein and the Mummy and Lon Chaney Jr. as Wolf Man. The descendants had wanted stamps that carried two portraits of their famous relatives, one with monster makeup and one without. Designer Derry Noyes of Washington met their wishes by placing signed photographs of the four actors at the top of the sheets of 20 stamps. The stamps are the second to contain hidden images, using a process developed by Graphic Security Systems Corp. of Lake Worth, Fla. This time designers have scrambled an image -- not letters -- into each of the stamps: bats on the Dracula stamp, hieroglyphics on the Mummy, masks on the Phantom, wolves on the Wolf Man and lightning bolts on Frankenstein. To see the images requires purchase of a $4.95 "decoder lens" from the Postal Service.With that as inspiration, here's the second in a series of brief bios based on those classic stamps. (in the extended entry)
Posted by: Ted at 07:07 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 27, 2004
Buying a telescope?
Here's some handy tips on buying one from Space.com.
They make some excellent suggestions. Our family has one, and I did some research after-the-fact (Google is your friend) and discovered that the one we bought isn't very good. The optics are actually rather good, but the overall quality makes it difficult to take full advantage of them. We've had fun with it anyway. They do make a great suggestion though:A good pair of binoculars makes a very good instrument for the beginning amateur sky watcher.Other useful things for that astonomer on your gift list are star charts and books on general astronomy. Check out Amazon or any good book store. Something as simple as a notebook, sketchpad or red-filtered mini-flashlight are invaluable too. How about a thermos for coffee or hot chocolate? It gets chilly out there. I've also pointed out simulation software, which is perfect for those too-frequent cloudy nights. If you've never tried it, you really should. The images presented by even "toy" telescopes can take your breath away, and it's a fun and educational way to spend a family evening together.
Posted by: Ted at 05:36 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 26, 2004
New Peeps
Smoking Toaster has me on their blogroll, along with some other familiar places. I'm honored to be included in such august company. He's funny in an evil grin kinda way, and I felt an immediate kinship when I read about his battles with cute fuzzy widdle squirrels hydroencephalic tree vermin. Go check him out, it's good stuff and a nice change after all that turkey.
Posted by: Ted at 07:05 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Bulletproof diaphranous lingerie
Scientists in Isreal have created artificial spiderweb. Imagine anything (and everything) that contains thread or fiber, and note the improvement gained by using threads stronger than nylon or steel.
In a related (sorta) note, I once read a science fiction book where giant spiders were bred and used for construction purposes, spinning web the size of bridge cables. The very idea of riding a dump-truck sized arachnid like a mahout gave me nightmares for weeks.Posted by: Ted at 12:12 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
She Builds Seashells Down by the Seashore
Dr. Belcher has studied the biology of abalones and how the mollusks are able to assemble an extremely hard shell from calcium carbonate and other minerals in an ocean filled with various microbes and contaminants. The result: she and her colleagues have developed proteins that can bind to about 30 different electronic, magnetic, and optical materials, and then assemble the materials into protein structures.In other words, a very real potential for computer chips and components assembled from materials other than silicon.
One of the most promising aspects of Dr. Belcher's discovery is that the process takes place in seawater - not the billion-dollar fabrication plants and hygienic rooms required for silicon manufacturing.Every day we're a little bit closer to our giant fighting robot masters.
Posted by: Ted at 12:05 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Estrogen-laden Chaos
Women's Roller Derby is making a comeback.
Nobody's quitting their day jobs yet, but the night belongs to ladies who go by names like Syble Disobedience, Baby Ruthless and Ginger Snap. Women who leave their professional personnas at home when they lace up the skates and do battle on the banked oval. There were at least two recent attempts to revive Roller Derby, both resulting in WWF-type extravaganza's - long on style, way short on substance. Personally, I loved old-time Roller Derby (Go Bay Bombers!), and hope these ladies can grow this into something wonderful again.Posted by: Ted at 05:17 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 25, 2004
Bela Lugosi
Introduction
While cruising the net, I ran across this image, which brought back memories:
[The stamps issued consist of] five portraits of the actors based on publicity photographs of their most famous horror films. Lon Chaney appears as the Phantom of the Opera, Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Boris Karloff as Frankenstein and the Mummy and Lon Chaney Jr. as Wolf Man. The descendants had wanted stamps that carried two portraits of their famous relatives, one with monster makeup and one without. Designer Derry Noyes of Washington met their wishes by placing signed photographs of the four actors at the top of the sheets of 20 stamps. The stamps are the second to contain hidden images, using a process developed by Graphic Security Systems Corp. of Lake Worth, Fla. This time designers have scrambled an image -- not letters -- into each of the stamps: bats on the Dracula stamp, hieroglyphics on the Mummy, masks on the Phantom, wolves on the Wolf Man and lightning bolts on Frankenstein. To see the images requires purchase of a $4.95 "decoder lens" from the Postal Service.With that as inspiration, here's the first in a series of brief bios based on those classic stamps. (in the extended entry)
Posted by: Ted at 09:12 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
November 24, 2004
Hockey Whoopass Jamboree
Better late than never.
Matt's Houston Aero's defeated my Cleveland Barons, so in accordance with the rules, his team's logo will be prominently displayed for 24 hours.
Not a problem, it's a pretty cool logo ('cept for the colors).
Posted by: Ted at 09:00 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
Second helping
Who Gets the Wishbone? There's nothing better than the whole family getting together for Thanksgiving.
Posted by: Ted at 12:42 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)
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