Date: 2009-12-17 21:28 Subject: MST3K holiday special Security: Public

I saw RiffTrax holiday special at the theatre. They had Weird Al as a guest star and only let him do one bit. Rest of it was very funny, although I don't know if I'll get the 10 minute barber shop trio holiday pork infomercial out of my brain.

Date: 2009-12-04 12:23 Subject: Snow day Security: Public

Little house on the frozen prarie


My orange tree



Bakersfield, CA where the oil wells came before the strip malls and people, so they just built around them.

Date: 2009-11-27 08:44 Subject: Happy Thanksgiving Security: Public

Hope you all had a wonderful and filllng Thanksgiving.

Date: 2009-10-29 20:35 Subject: Sick Security: Public

I was looking forward to seeing Molly and the Ringwalds at the Museum Friday, but alas I am sick.  Boo. and not in the good halloween way boo.

Date: 2009-10-22 20:37 Subject: Not dead, just busy. Security: Public

My self improvment project is working on my weight, but spending time on the treadmill watching Craig Fergerson is not the most interesting thing in the world to post about.

Date: 2009-09-25 09:05 Subject: Rebuilt and Vaccinations Security: Public

Read Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human (Houghton Mifflin, 2005) is a scientific memoir of going deaf and getting my hearing back with a cochlear implant, that is, a computer embedded in my skull. 

http://www.michaelchorost.com/

Hey had very damaged hearing from an epidemic outbreak of Rubella while his mom was pregnant with him.  He was part of baby boom of hearning impared and deaf children because of this.  Now, because of the vaccine in the US, there are no longer these waves of deaf children that once appeared regularly based on the disease.  Like any other person my age, I got my MMR vaccination in elementary school and got it updated in college.  I never really knew what rubella did, because I never had to see it.  I think that's pretty amazing.
I bet that the people who don't believe in vaccinations don't know this history either, and aren't aware they're putting their unborn kid's hearning at risk.

From another account:
http://deafness.about.com/cs/featurescauses/a/rubella.htm

I am deaf because of maternal rubella. In 1963-1965, there was an epidemic of rubella in the United States. (Before a vaccine was developed, the United States had cyclical epidemics of rubella.) That 1963-1965 epidemic produced thousands of deaf babies like myself.

The Rubella Bulge of the '60s filled schools for the deaf, and later overcrowded colleges for the deaf. This educational impact has been well-documented in articles and studies. (In addition, when I was a NTID/RIT student, I wrote an article on the rubella bulge for the RIT Reporter magazine that was reprinted in the Summer 1982 NTID Focus magazine).

Rubella has been eliminated in the United States, according to the Washington Post (March 21, 2005). The Post reported "Fewer than 10 people a year in this country now contract the infection known popularly as German measles. Since 2002, all cases have been traceable to foreigners who carried the virus in from abroad."
 

Date: 2009-09-21 20:51 Subject: Weekend Security: Public

My family visit got cut short because my brother in law's grandma had to go to the hospital, so they went back home early.  I did get to go the Hot Sauce Festival in Stafford with my mom, and we got some salsa and had a nice time.

Date: 2009-09-07 12:52 Subject: Latest doings Security: Public

Not much exciting going on lately. I’ve been taking a two week vacation and kicking back and relaxing.
I spent a week in Orlando to see the shuttle launch which didn’t go exactly as planned. They pushed the launch back almost a week and closed the viewing causeway for the launch, so I had to watch it in Orlando.
I haven’t decided if I’ll go back and try again, but it probably won’t be soon if I do it.
Spending this weekend visiting my Dad in Baton Rouge. Nothing big planned for the weekend, just hanging and watching some sports on TV, grill up some steaks, and hang out.

Went to the Houston Howl at the Moon last Friday night with Rilee. It’s a bit different from the Howl at the Moon in LA and Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans and Orlando. Instead of just the dueling pianos, they have drums and guitars as well, which is a bit different vive. So they play more metal and hander music there. I like just the pianos a bit better.

Just got the A/C in the house replaced with something very efficient that meets the tax credit qualifications. I’m also having EAS come in and do the radiant barrier in a few weeks as that’s half off price now with some free insulation thrown in. That pretty much shoots my home improvement and big ticket budget for the next year.

I’m thinking of buying a Wii, but haven’t decided on it yet. I’ll probably get one just for the extra exercise.
Playing some Disgaea 3 recently and reading some P. Hamilton sci-fi lately. I’ve been in a bit of a hermit mood the last few weeks, and it will probably last another few weeks. I’d gone on a date or two with a nice girl a few weeks back and got my hopes up as we really seemed to click, so I took it kinda hard when she told me she wasn’t interested. I don’t think I’m that bad a reading signs and non-verbal language, so it’s the surprises like that one that really take the wind out of your dating sails.

Looks like I’ll be working more in OKC these next few months. Not too bad, but I’d prefer working in Houston of course.

Champions Online is out, so I probably won’t be hanging as much with Rilee and going out in the next few months. I tried it, but it just didn’t grab me. Still waiting for Jumpgate Evolution to come out, I’m excited about that. The sackboy 9 movie comes out soon, so I’ll go see that, as well as Avatar and Tron way in the future.

Going to see the Astros next weekend with my dad, and should be getting a visit from my sis soon as well.

Oh, and Louisiana has a tax free weekend on guns and ammo while I'm visiting. It's popular and crowded anywere guns and ammo are sold. There's definately a 'you might be a redneck' joke in there somewhere.

Date: 2009-08-28 12:04 Subject: Most popular song at Pat O'Briens this week Security: Public

Don't Stop Believin - at least once per set
Tiny Dancer - close second

Date: 2009-08-26 13:39 Subject: Orlando Security: Public

Welp, by now I had hoped to catch the shuttle lift off, but it's been scrubbed the last two times we went out to watch it take off and is now tenatively scheduled for a Friday lift=off. That means we'll do the whole thing over again tomorrow leaving around 5pm to see a 1am ish lift off. If it doesn't fly Friday I'll have to cancel my plane reservations back and stick around here. (*&(*&()*)*#%#

Universal Orlando is nice. I'm staying at the Hard Rock and going to citywalk occassionally when I get bored. I'm keeping a weird schedule since the launch tries have been at 1am. I'm like a vampire, I sleep all day and then either go to Pat O'briens or Kennedy Space Center at night. Getting kinda surreal.

Date: 2009-08-18 11:01 Subject: On the way to... Security: Public

OOO^7 + Oklahoma.

Date: 2009-08-15 11:29 Subject: Blah. Security: Public

If you ever lose your cell phone and want to get people to call you, fill out a request for a health insurance evaluation online.

Date: 2009-08-01 17:24 Subject: Project day Security: Public

So this morning I surveyed my back yard, which has a huge dead patch in the grass from the drought and the fact that the sprinkler lines leak under that patch. It was a medium dead patch before the drought. I think because of the water that sometimes leaks from the sprinkler there may be mold in the roots or something. I don't know, I'm no Hank Hill.

So whilst I was surveying my kingdom, another gorram fire ant bit me on the foot. I was in sandals, silly me. So that was the last straw. I respread fire ant killer over my entire yard, front and back, sprayed the foundation again, and then sprayed in the bathroom again, where they are still scouting occassionally.

So I have declared war on the fire ants, scorched their earth, salted their crops, poisoned their roads and paths and I feel no remorse whatsover. Fear me, destroyer of insect worlds. Of course, if I drop dead in the next week you'll know I overdid it.

Back to projects. So getting some lawn fertilizer and more ant stuff was on the agenda. I also have a large gap behind the washer and dryer between it and the wall. Since I take stuff out of the dryer and put it on top, I've been losing small items like socks and underware into the chasm. So I bought a backing board and cut a notch in it to accomodate the cords and I must admit if fits pretty well. No more sock chasm.

I have three more things I need to work on in the house.
1. Still need to get a contractor to put up something in the upstairs bedroom that I've partially removed the wallpaper from. This project has lingered because I don't know what to put up. I'm partial to getting some kind of wood panelling put up, something in a light birchy color.

2. I need to survey the attic and see if I need more insulation up there.

3. In the garage I have a drywall walls all around. It's starting to get gouges in it. I pressure washed the garage out last weekend and in some places it just crumbled where it got hit by some scattering spray as I lightly sprayed the floor down. I obviously need to do something there. Maybe it just needs a coat of exterior latex paint or something to have a moisture barrier. It's so damn humid here I'm worried if I don't do anything it will just fall apart eventually. There's also a gap between the foundation and the board that I'm worried bugs and moisture can get into house.

I also got a haircut today. I'm starting to go grey and it's advancing much faster than I thought it would.
More on my head and face than anywhere else.

Date: 2009-07-28 19:43 Subject: Ants vs. Moi Security: Public

I'm battling ants in my bathroom. Big viscious soldier fire ants. They've bitten my feet the bastards. This despite the baits and sprays. I think they may have little ant haz-mat suits just to get up in my business. For awhile I was wondering what was drawing them in as they have been spread out scouting and not in a line going anywhere. Then last night I discovered that they find some of my artisan soap tasty. Granted one has goat milk in it, but it's still soap. They must be really hard up for food if they are eating my soap.

Date: 2009-07-23 12:29 Subject: Hey Houston nerd buddies, Star Trek Amateur production this weekend Security: Public

http://www.aurorapictureshow.org/

Not So Final Frontier
Saturday, July 25, 7PM
Members of the Starship Exeter Crew in Attendance
Location: DiverseWorks, 1117 East Freeway
$7 Non-members
Aurora Picture Show and DiverseWorks members free with RSVP

PURCHASE TICKETS


You've seen the big screen version, now try it Aurora-style!

Escape the summer heat at warp speed with an intergalactic night of sci-fi and Star Trek fan films. We will take you aboard the Aurora Starship with CGI animation, appropriated hyperspace scenes, talking action figures, a boy waiting to be taken by aliens and a Star Trek fan film produced in 1969. The program concludes with a modern day original fan-produced pilot from Starship Exeter titled Savage Empire.

Would you give your spare time and money to write and film a pilot episode for a new series that would come close to the look and spirit of the original 1960's Star Trek television show? The team behind Starship Exeter did. They conducted research, wrote a number of possible story lines and chose "The Savage Empire" as their debut. The action sequences were all storyboarded, and they created all the costumes and most of the props from scratch. A warehouse studio space in Minneapolis, Minnesota was rented for two years where Jimm and Josh Johnson built sets and shot much of the production. They carefully picked friends and acquaintances to work on a voluntary basis both as actors and crew. Once the live action was completed came the long and tedious task of editing and creating visual effects true to the look of the "Original Series." It took seven years, but on December 19, 2002, STARSHIP EXETER made its internet debut.

Date: 2009-07-20 13:33 Subject: Mario sighted at Houston's Jones Hall Security: Public

Video Games live folks.

http://www.chron.com/entertainment/photogallery/lkx_0720_Video_Games_Live_event_at_Jones_Hall.html#17585695
There's a really good ghostbuster costume in there as well.

Anybody know who the character below is?

It looks like a cross between Minnie Mouse and Gaiman's Death.

Date: 2009-06-24 13:02 Subject: Today's Tweets Security: Public

• 10:08 Man, it's hot here. I got heat rash on my back at the Blues concert at Miller theatre last Friday. #
• 10:09 Heat rash sucks. It's remarkably long lived. #

Date: 2009-06-20 13:02 Subject: Today's Tweets Security: Public

• 15:56 I'm going to the Juneteenth Blues/Jazz show at Miller Outdoor theatre tonight. #
• 16:10 My rhinitis/allergies have been bothering me for a bit over a week now. I think I had a minor sinus infection earlier that I shook it off. #

Date: 2009-06-10 16:37 Subject: Twitter update Security: Public

Today
I'm thinking of going to House of Blues tonight to see Richard Cheese.

Yesterday
Going to the Tasting Room Midtown tonight for a mixer.
2:59 PM Jun 9th from Ping.fm
Good article link from Wiki: http://ping.fm/I97nP
2:35 PM Jun 9th from Ping.fm
The phrase "bésame mucho" can be translated into English as "kiss me a lot".
2:35 PM Jun 9th from Ping.fm
Babelfish tells me it means Besame much. not much help, but Wikipedia saves the day.
2:34 PM Jun 9th from Ping.fm
Listened to Bésame Mucho on Lala. Sounded familiar and I wanted to know what it meant.
2:32 PM Jun 9th from Ping.fm
It's gonna rain. I like rain but not during commute time. Rain make stupid people crash.

Date: 2009-06-10 12:58 Subject: Phonons - learn something new every day Security: Public

Interesting story on slashdot: First Acoustic Black Hole Created


From article
"One of the many curious properties of Bose Einstein Condensates (BECs) is that the flow of sound through them is governed by the same equations that describe how light is bent by a gravitational field. Now, a group of Israeli physicists have exploited this idea to create an acoustic black hole in a BEC."

Apparently there are these things called Phonon's which are the sound equivalent of photons and have dual wave particle properties as well. I did not know that.

The Wikipedia entry on Phonos is beyone my layman's understanding, but apparently these 'particles' can be measured in crystals and they may be able to find some kind of 'sonic hawking radiation' in their mock sound black hole using them.


Here's the layman's explanation on the wikipedia


"Phonons are the tiniest particles of sound. Phonons are to sound as photons are to light. It takes billions of phonons to make up a sound. Phonons oscillate, echo, reverberate etc. at the sub atomic level in the quantum soup." -Pauline Oliveros

"Phonons are quantized modes of atomic vibration that propagate throughout the lattice of a solid."[3] -Jarrett Cohen, National Centre for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois