Kicking it up a Notch in Space

Apparently our friends at NASA have been reaching out beyond their own kind lately.  First it was working with OCC to build space bike; now they have reached out to Emeril Lagasse to “kick it up a notch” in space.  Thanks to Papa Joe for the link..

Another day in the life..

It’s been a while since I blogged about what’s going on.  For those of you who don’t know, we have two daughters.  Cierra started first grade, and is so far liking it, albeit she says it’s not as much fun as Kindergarten was.  I was surprised to learn that she has homework nightly.  I can’t think back to first grade to remember if I had homework everyday, but I don’t think so.  Cierra has been a wonderful help to the family – she helps out a lot when asked to clean her messes and she tries to keep her sister on track… although even “mom and dad” have difficulty with this task.   Savana is going through a defiant stage, and Pamela and I have had some difficulty in getting her to comply with even the little things, like brushing her teeth etc.   Savana has been less shy lately, and I can see she has a lot to say about life.  

We decided to try using a ”code word” to alert the kids that we were about to resort to yelling to get their attention.  So far, this tactic has helped to get their attention so we can at least be sure they are hearing what we are saying.  Like Pamela quotes from a tv commercial, “There are no problems in life, only solutions.” 

It’s hard to be a kid.  :-p 

All this da** construction..

Missouri has more road projects in motion this year than ever.  Did you know that MODOT has a website that shows where construction is?

Best line I’ve heard in a while

So we had our outdoor A/C unit replaced recently.  The contractor who came over was a nice chap; we talked a while after the job was done.  One of the topics that came up was getting bit by electricity.  I mentioned that I used to tie in 300Amps of 220 for bands when they brought their own show.  I always kept the area clear and one hand behind my back.   We traded some scary stories.  The idea of using a power tester came up (you know, those pen-line devices that you press a button and if there is an electromagnetic field it will alarm that power is nearby.  His response was not to trust them, as they use batteries.  Of course these units will beep briefly when you start using them so you know they have power but.. then the one-liner came:

“Don’t be the dead guy holding a meter.” 

Ok, so I guess you had to be there, but I haven’t laughed that hard in a while..

Miles per Dollar for your car

Type in your MPG for your car, and the current gas price to get how many miles you can drive per dollar.

Home values adjusted to inflation over the last 100 years..

WikiCharts

Heard of Wikipedia?  No?  Perhaps you havn’t been clicking on my links of things then..  Wikipedia is an on-line encyclepedia that anyone can edit/add their own content.  So big deal right?  Well, sort of.  If memory serves, my father posted the first iteration of RaceTrack graph-paper game.  If  you click on the history tab, and the bottm entry you can see his original posting.  it’s been edited dozens of times and enhanced since then. 

So what are people searching on the wikipedia?  interesting results, albit they aren’t sure if they are accurate. 

America’s Drunkest Cities

Yet another public service for you!  Forbes has ranked America’s drunkest cities  St.Louis is ranked #11.  Careful on the roads for the holidays..

Japanese IQ test – Game

 

To play, click the link below, then click the blue circle to start.

The following rules apply:

• Only 2 persons on the raft at a time
• The father can not stay with any of the daughters, without their mother’s presence
• The mother can not stay with any of the sons, without their father’s presence
• The thief (striped shirt) can not stay with any family member,if the Policeman is not there
• Only the Father, the Mother and the Policeman know how to operate the raft

http://www.robmathiowetz.com/

"Wash me!"

Impressive twist on the familiar note to drivers of unwashed cars..

A story only a geek could love..

One of my passions is photography. I have a Digital Rebel 350D (or XT) which I bought prior to our latest vacation.  I’m amazed how digital photography has changed my proficiency as well as making it a lot more fun.   A few sites that I use are:

http://www.dpreview.com – A fantastic resource for camera hardware / ratings if you are in the market for a new camera.

http://www.prophotohome.com – A new site that is like wikipedia for photography. 

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showcat.php/cat/2 - Lens Reviews

Both sites have a forum for discussion, albeit many topics are over my technical proficiency. 

Ok, onto the story only a geek could love:  one member on the prophotohome site has written up several technical papers on hardware / photography, but he also apparently worked for Ma Bell back in the day.  He had an interesting write up on how AT&T moved from rotary to touch-tone and a joke on the * and #’s that were added to the phones.

  

Finding Fares

I’m starting to see Web 2.0 sites that are more interstied.  What is web 2.0?  It’s the next-generation websites that basically are more “read-time” and interactive. 

One that caught my eye is www.farecast.com which has an eaiser way of finding low air fares.

Note the options on the left-hand side after you enter the dates etc.

hilarious art work

One internet phenomena that has gained popularity is the art of taking a photo, and then using graphics tools to change the photo t put it in ridiculous situations etc.  This one made me laugh..

Also, if you’ve not seen this website before, it’s a lot of fun to browse: www.fark.com

Need a Lawyer?

On occasion folks ask me if I know a good lawyer.  Well, thankfully ever since a certain someone got a new vehicle and bumped a parked car without realizing – at least until an officer appeared at their front door talking something about hit-and-run… I’ve not needed to know of one.    Well, here are sites to find one for your needs. 

taken from http://law.enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/ho…  BTW: On this page they have a great list of questions to ask the lawyer.

America Online (AOL) Anywhere Lawyer Directory URL: http://aol.lawyers.com – Besides acting as an online aid to finding an attorney, this site also contains a link to answer questions that need to be asked by those seeking legal representation.

Martindale Hubbell Lawyer Locator URL: www.martindale.com – This is the most frequently used lawyer directory on the internet.

Lawyers.com URL: www.lawyers.com – This site also belongs to Martindale–Hubbell, but it differs from the preceding web site because it targets individuals and small business people. This site allows searches to be narrowed to those attorneys practicing a particular specialty in a given locality. It also has links to help a consumer determine whether they need a lawyer, how attorneys bill their clients and how much they charge as well as a list of questions to ask an attorney before you decide to retain them.

Chambers and Partners URL: http://www.chambersandpartners.com – This organization’s home page has links that enable you to find evaluations of lawyers and law firms as to their legal skill in various areas of business and corporate law.

New speed test for Internet connectivity

Speed tests have been around for some time.  Most are pretty basic and hard to use.  Not anymore.

Trying new blog posting software.. and a new game

Microsoft just released new software for posting to a blog called “windows live writer” beta.  We’ll see if it’s any better than the firefox plug-in I have been using. 

A new game for you to try.. It’s a balancing act.  2600 is my high score

 

Wallpapers..

Ever get board of the same background on your computer?  Check this site out for some great ones

Time Fountain

When I first heard of the Time Fountain, I didn’t think twice about looking.  But I saw the link posted in a few places now.  Amazing stuff.  Watch Check out the video here and instructions to build your own!

 

 

Where are all the fat people in America?

It amuses me to watch movies from the 60’s and 70’s – look at how skiny everyone is compared to now.  So what has changed so much?   Working parents; fast food?  It’s only getting worse.

Animator vs. Animation

Video of a struggle..