Saturday, December 31, 2005
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Google Holiday Logos
Google is doing some thing interesting and continuing for their logo this holiday season. Now I'll have to check every day to see what the cat and mouse are up to!
Google is doing some thing interesting and continuing for their logo this holiday season. Now I'll have to check every day to see what the cat and mouse are up to!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
I created fire.
Ok, I exaggerate.
The past few years a network station has broadcast a 'Yule Log' dealy on Christmas morning. This year, I decided I was going to do the same. My plan is to air it not only Christmas morning, but also Christmas eve, all of Christmas day, and New Year's eve.
Fortunately my aunt and grandmother both have gas fireplaces, which I thought would be the best for looping video. I went over to my aunt and uncle's last night for dinner and filming. (good thing I wasn't filming audio!)
This morning I sat there and tried to figure out how to film audio AND video without looping audio. I pushed buttons on the DVD players and figured out how to do looping with a quick succession of rewind/play commands, but something just didn't seem right. What if I loaded the video onto the bulletin board computer? I poked about some more. Windows Media Player was on the PC, but I couldn't figure out how to get it to loop. Same with that funky Dell Media program. I finally went online and found Videolan.org. Downloaded it, and did some awful contortions trying to get the video onto the PC. It doesn't have a DVD player! I had to fix the network problem that the editing system has had for some time.
Everything has now been put in place and was tested for about 45 minutes. All's I can hope is that running it for two days won't crash the system.
Next year I just set stuff on fire and air it live.
Ok, I exaggerate.
The past few years a network station has broadcast a 'Yule Log' dealy on Christmas morning. This year, I decided I was going to do the same. My plan is to air it not only Christmas morning, but also Christmas eve, all of Christmas day, and New Year's eve.
Fortunately my aunt and grandmother both have gas fireplaces, which I thought would be the best for looping video. I went over to my aunt and uncle's last night for dinner and filming. (good thing I wasn't filming audio!)
This morning I sat there and tried to figure out how to film audio AND video without looping audio. I pushed buttons on the DVD players and figured out how to do looping with a quick succession of rewind/play commands, but something just didn't seem right. What if I loaded the video onto the bulletin board computer? I poked about some more. Windows Media Player was on the PC, but I couldn't figure out how to get it to loop. Same with that funky Dell Media program. I finally went online and found Videolan.org. Downloaded it, and did some awful contortions trying to get the video onto the PC. It doesn't have a DVD player! I had to fix the network problem that the editing system has had for some time.
Everything has now been put in place and was tested for about 45 minutes. All's I can hope is that running it for two days won't crash the system.
Next year I just set stuff on fire and air it live.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Siegler & Co. Unique gifts, gear, collectibles, memorabilia
Cool site, nice looking stuff. They organize it by theme! American Railroad, Pirate's Booty, and Secret Agent Spy are just a few of the categories.
Cool site, nice looking stuff. They organize it by theme! American Railroad, Pirate's Booty, and Secret Agent Spy are just a few of the categories.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Friday, December 16, 2005
What's My Pirate Name?
This was actually a pretty cool quiz. What's better than muppets and pirates? Except, of course, for elvish vampire pirate ninjas?
Bloody Anne Rackham
Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
This was actually a pretty cool quiz. What's better than muppets and pirates? Except, of course, for elvish vampire pirate ninjas?
Bloody Anne Rackham
Every pirate lives for something different. For some, it's the open sea. For others (the masochists), it's the food. For you, it's definitely the fighting. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Looks to be a snowy winter this season. Ack!
No need for panic. I'll just make a list of plans for this year's snow creations.
Snow Castle. Y'know, like a sand castle, except, well, made out of snow? Too bad I never bought those sandcastle molds. Think it's too late?
Snow Pirate. I still have the eye patch and cap from my pumpkin! However, a high possibility of them being stolen.
Nutcracker. Particularly if we get a good snow before Christmas.
Cat. One of those long, stylized retro cats from the 50's & 60's.
Panda Bear. Me and my silly addition to watching Tai Shan.
I found a 'snow kit' at Bed Bath & Beyond. It was a nice wooden box, and inside it held a wooden carrot nose, eyes, pipe, and buttons, and a felt hat and scarf. Too cute! I bought it. For my cousins. No, really! I prefer oreos for the eyes. If I even include eyes.
Yes sir, it ought to be interesting driving by our house this winter.
No need for panic. I'll just make a list of plans for this year's snow creations.
Snow Castle. Y'know, like a sand castle, except, well, made out of snow? Too bad I never bought those sandcastle molds. Think it's too late?
Snow Pirate. I still have the eye patch and cap from my pumpkin! However, a high possibility of them being stolen.
Nutcracker. Particularly if we get a good snow before Christmas.
Cat. One of those long, stylized retro cats from the 50's & 60's.
Panda Bear. Me and my silly addition to watching Tai Shan.
I found a 'snow kit' at Bed Bath & Beyond. It was a nice wooden box, and inside it held a wooden carrot nose, eyes, pipe, and buttons, and a felt hat and scarf. Too cute! I bought it. For my cousins. No, really! I prefer oreos for the eyes. If I even include eyes.
Yes sir, it ought to be interesting driving by our house this winter.
Friday, December 09, 2005
My orthodontist says I have 6 to 7 more months, so long as my molars keep moving. Right on schedule.
Let's hope she's right!
Let's hope she's right!
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Thursday, December 01, 2005
I bought a winter coat this evening. If it doesn't snow this winter, you now know why.
I went in to the store, determined to purchase a fancy-schmancy, long, tailored, wool, businesslike coat, with just a little bit of something to make it unusual. A formal coat. As I've probably mentioned before, I can't wear wool, but I was planning to at least test the extent to my inability to wear it.
I should probably explain. Several years ago I had a wool skirt and sweater set, rather cute. I wore it one day. After a bit I felt strange, hot, and then started feeling itchy. When I finally took it off, I discovered I had huge red welts all down my back and arms. The outfit left the house very quickly.
Back to the store. I found a beautiful maroon coat, Jones New York, beautiful lines, decent price. So I wrapped my scarf around my neck, and put the coat on while we explored the rest of the racks, looking for a "snow and muck" winter coat. I didn't feel itchy, but was rather warm. Then mom pulled a short black coat off the rack - it had a hood, pink fleece inside, down lining, hidden cuffs, and INSIDE POCKETS. I removed the maroon coat to try on the new one, and instantly felt relieved to have it off. Bad sign. I tried on a few more wool coats, and finally decided not to buy the maroon one after I tried on a wool/cashmere coat. It felt, well, cool. Soothing. The wool was uncomfortable, even though it wasn't directly against my skin. I don't understand. I also can't seem to find a coat that has the look of those coats without being wool. It's annoying.
The black and pink coat came home with me. The price was fantastic, and I've always wanted a coat with inside pockets. It just doesn't seem fair to me that only guy's coats had interior pockets. I think it's a teenybopper coat, though. The pocket on the left was designed and labeled for cell phones, the one on the right for a CD player.
I'm surprised it didn't say iPod.
I went in to the store, determined to purchase a fancy-schmancy, long, tailored, wool, businesslike coat, with just a little bit of something to make it unusual. A formal coat. As I've probably mentioned before, I can't wear wool, but I was planning to at least test the extent to my inability to wear it.
I should probably explain. Several years ago I had a wool skirt and sweater set, rather cute. I wore it one day. After a bit I felt strange, hot, and then started feeling itchy. When I finally took it off, I discovered I had huge red welts all down my back and arms. The outfit left the house very quickly.
Back to the store. I found a beautiful maroon coat, Jones New York, beautiful lines, decent price. So I wrapped my scarf around my neck, and put the coat on while we explored the rest of the racks, looking for a "snow and muck" winter coat. I didn't feel itchy, but was rather warm. Then mom pulled a short black coat off the rack - it had a hood, pink fleece inside, down lining, hidden cuffs, and INSIDE POCKETS. I removed the maroon coat to try on the new one, and instantly felt relieved to have it off. Bad sign. I tried on a few more wool coats, and finally decided not to buy the maroon one after I tried on a wool/cashmere coat. It felt, well, cool. Soothing. The wool was uncomfortable, even though it wasn't directly against my skin. I don't understand. I also can't seem to find a coat that has the look of those coats without being wool. It's annoying.
The black and pink coat came home with me. The price was fantastic, and I've always wanted a coat with inside pockets. It just doesn't seem fair to me that only guy's coats had interior pockets. I think it's a teenybopper coat, though. The pocket on the left was designed and labeled for cell phones, the one on the right for a CD player.
I'm surprised it didn't say iPod.
