Hicken Bleg: The Conclusion

Here's what I did:

Took the mushrooms, as per Butch Cassidy's instructions from my last post, and sauteed them in some butter with some chopped onion, about equal parts.  After they got soft and brown, I added another about equal part chopped leftover chicken, and a bit of chicken broth.  Simmered it for a while (maybe 7 minutes, probably too long) and then added some red wine that was handy in the fridge (yeah, I know, white goes with chicken... I'm not a snob, give me a break).  Simmered it a few more minutes and put it in a bowl to serve.  It was very good, and was very good with the other dishes served.

Other dishes:

I peeled, chopped, and boiled two russet potatoes and two sweet potatoes.  Added some butter and cream, some salt and pepper, and some garlic, then blended it with a hand mixer until it was fairly creamy, but still with a few little chunks.  Served in a nice orange bowl, which complemented the orange shade of the dish, in my opinion. This, my friends is the way that all mashed potatoes should be served.  It should be the signature side at some restaurant.  The sweet taters add a little bit of color and sweetness (duh), but not enough to be distracting.  Seriously, try it sometime.

Also, I made some asparagus.  This, I chopped off the stringy ends, and put on a cookie sheet that had melted butter on it.  I laid the asparagus out so it was in a single layer, lightly coated in the butter, and sprinkled some sea salt on it.  I baked it in an oven at 475 degrees Fahrenheit, for about 10 minutes (be sure to keep an eye on it, though, and take it out when it is done to your likeness.). This, also, was very good.  I ate more asparagus than anything else, I think...

With the meal we had a nice Riesling from a local vineyard, because as it was already a pretty fancy meal we had to turn it up to 11.  My mom said she felt like the husband out of one of those 50's homemaker magazines, that always tell the wives to have a drink and a meal ready for the husband when he gets home from work, since she walked in about the time the meal was ready.  I think that's a complement...

Chicken Bleg

So, we roasted a chicken for supper last night, and now have a bunch of leftovers.  I'm not sure what I should do with them, but it's pretty certain that they will be supper tonight, and I am liking the idea of mashed potatoes, too.  So now the question becomes, should it turn into a pot pie, which I've never done before, or just chicken and potatoes?  Anyone got a good pot pie recipe?

Oh, and the split pea soup is on the list for this week, so you can expect that at some point.

Kim Jong Il

Did you know that  the Dear Leader was born under a... DOUBLE RAINBOW!  ALL.. THE.. WAY... ACROSS THE SKY!  So bright! So vivid!  *Cries* WHAT DOES IT MEAN?


Okay, enough of that.  Move on with your day.

Hat tip, Gormogons, whose wisdom is unsurpassed on Earth.

An In Joke

If you get it, you're "in." If not, look up Minecraft.

I finally broke down and bought an account, so I could play it with some friends.  Who woulda though that something so simple could be so engrossing.  It's even simpler than LEGO's...

Sunday Music

Superchick, "Stand in the Rain"



Superchick is always good for some overly dramatic, yet catchy with a good message, music. This song is one of their best.

Bottles

If it all goes according to plan (why do I always say that? It never does...) we will be bottling that beer that was started at Christmastime today. Oh, and you may remember that I was missing my slippers? They were out in the garage in a box full of bottles--some empty and some full. Both the slippers and the full bottles should not have been out there. I think some wires got crossed when I was putting stuff away... in any case, I now have both more beer and my slippers back, which is a win in my book.

Growing Colors!

Can you tell me what this is a picture of? I got it in a random email--

Sorry, I got no prizes for any winner, but you can go around smugly and congratulate yourself for how smart you are.

Secrets

Turns out that Anonymous is no such thing.

I have said this at other times, but the only reason I use a pseudonym is so my name doesn't show up on any old Google search.  I have no expectation of real privacy.  If it's on the internet, it's fair game.

Forever Plaid

Forever Plaid.  If you haven't seen it, you're missing out.  Go forth, seek it out, and watch it for it's amazingness!

Moving right along...

Mouse hunting

As I was driving through town yesterday running errands and looking for a new mouse (the old one was 5 years old and still works at a level of 95%, I'd say, but that missing 5% is just so frustrating...), I saw three Statues of Liberty, one Captain America, and two homeless guys holding signs, all adverting for some store or another.  Since when did that become a good way to advertise?  Are they going for the pity vote, or what? All it did to me was bug me.  Since when did "mascot on a street corner" become good career choice?

Oh, and I did get a new mouse.  It's amazing how far we've come in 5 years in regard to mouse technology--my old one had a left, right, and click wheel, and the new one has a left, right, and a click wheel.  Sometimes I just feel let down by the future.

When would be a good time for political dissent?

1) Joe Lieberman wants to give the .gov an internet kill switch.

2) Egypt uses internet kill switch to eliminate outside communication.

3) These guys wouldn't recognize a slippery slope if it punched them in the face.

What he said

ASM826 has a great post up about compromising the Constitution. Making laws that go around the very simple and explicit things laid out there will only create new and exciting ways to circumvent other rights--yes, all you progressives out there, even the ones that you like.

There was a reason why the founders had such arguments over whether or not to include a bill of rights in their document--you start naming rights, someone will say "Well, this isn't laid out, so it isn't a right, and this isn't specified, so it isn't a right..."

Front Page News

The mystery surrounding a piano that showed up on a Biscayne Bay sandbar has apparently arrived at a grand conclusion: It was the work of a teenage boy, with a little help from his friends.

That's right. A piano on a sandbar out in the bay around Miami.

What? You say that this isn't "front page" worthy? Obviously you haven't been reading my local paper...

At first I thought, "Oh, good, nothing too important is going on in the world," but then I thought "What if something important is going on in the world and this is all they see fit to publish?" And then I realized, printed media isn't just dieing, it's actually killing itself...

Goes right along with my current downtempo techno phase

Dangerous Words

Right as my mother left this morning, she said "Do Something with this roast!"

So here's what I did.

First, I saw that we still had some rosemary that was left from my herb pot last summer. Chopped it up (I love the new sharp knives my mother recently bought!) and soaked it in some gin and angostura bitters. Cut deep channels in the roast (love those knives, again!) and filled them up with garlic from Penzeys Spices. Chopped/peeled half an onion, two potatoes, two sweet potatoes, and some carrots (sharp knives--try some, won't you?). Put the veggies in the crockpot, put the roast on the veggies, put the rosemary concoction on the roast. Salt and pepper over everything. Cook on high for a couple hours, then turn it down to low and let it go all afternoon.

Now I might make some gravy out of the juices, even though there isn't really anything to put it on.  I just like gravy, I guess.  Time to get the OMNOMOM on!

Added:  Wow.  That gravy was amazing.  Sweet and tangy and savory.  Not to mention that the roast was great, and the veggies were delicious.   Write this one down, folks; it's a keeper!

Hey, is that even an option?

If so, can I sue my congress people for my loss of enjoyment?

Politics Question, and Politics Suggestion

Why do Democrats so desire civil discourse? Our country's politics have never been civil! Think back to the arguments that pounded out our constitution--they lasted half a year, where delegates did nothing but complain, argue, and make personal attacks on one another. Or how about the election of 1800, where Adams was cut down by his opponents and by his own party! I would say that the only "civil" period we had in our country was the Civil War, and only because of the name. The ignorance that our politicians show about history is one of the most frightening things in politics. If anything, today's politics are too civil.

Why don't we say that political arguments should be settled by fisticuffs?  Think about it--it would increase the turnover rate, bring in young blood, and make our politicians really stand behind what they believe. Children would then love to follow politics, and the CSPAN ratings would go through the roof!

Things to do

The old theater in town has a deal with the main street restaurants to give you two free tickets if you eat downtown. In the past I have seen such classics as "MST3K: The Movie" and "Ghostbusters." Tonight they're showing "Serenity," so I'm hitting the downtown with my Firefly buddies and we're going to see it on the big screen!

Summing Up

Whew! The past month or so has been pretty crazy, and I thought I might sit down and briefly hit the highlights, because I don't think I was all that clear during the madness.

December--after four and a half years of college, I graduated with a degree of Mechanical Engineering with Mechanical Option (and a math minor, but that hardly counts). I had a short internship with a group from California working on a hybrid rocket, which was pretty much the coolest thing ever. I rolled my jeep on the way home, and had a lovely time in Idaho that cost me a thousand dollars immediately and another large chunk for a new vehicle. It was a great graduation present. Of course, that meant my dreams of a graduation gun evaporated... Christmas was the usual crazy time, and the oven crapped out for the third time in two years.

January--Being offered another two week stint working on the rocket, and needing to get the rest of my stuff that couldn't fit in the Jeep, I went back to Montana for a couple weeks. One of my friends in Colorado who had nothing else to do came along with me. The new truck performed flawlessly on the way up, and got gas mileage that was hardly worse than the Jeep. After a week and a half of working ten hour days to set up the rocket, the first test experienced an "Equipment Malfunction Incident." My non-disclosure agreement prevents me from saying anything else. I shed all of the junk that I couldn't pack into the truck and headed south. I lost my favorite slippers (homemade out of felted wool by my mother) in the move, but seem to have kept everything else. Can't figure that out.

And now I am unpacked enough that I can sleep in my own bed (as it isn't covered by boxes). And I'm going to start looking for jobs and/or grad programs. Any recommendations welcome. And there you have it.

Yeah, that's pretty realistic!

The saddest thing, I think, is all the comments from people who apparently think that The US Navy used F-14's to fight back the Japanese during WWII. I love my country, but I am coming to hate its history curriculum.

Still Unpacking

I know all three of you regular readers are probably wondering why I'm not posting my usual inane observations and weird music videos, but I am trying to get mostly unpacked. And unpacking to Madness is better unpacking.



By the was, ska isn't dead.

Random Sunday Afternoon Thought

Despite the general consensus of the gun blogoshpere, if the ATF keeps this up, I'm going to have to buy a Judge just to piss them off...

Okay, back to unpacking.

So tired...

I spent the day unpacking--or starting to unpack. I feel like I accomplished nothing, but I'm so tired.

I guess I did get the truck emptied out. That's something.

I guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow...

Unremarkable

Got home in the same orientation as I left, with the same number of holes as I had when I left. I'm going to be unpacking, organizing, and repacking, for the next couple days...

Heading south (again)

Pray that the truck stays upright in a way that the jeep never could.

Everything that I care about has been crammed in the truck and covered with a tarp. It's amazing how a person can condense their life down-- I mean, I basically packed it all yesterday, with a few phone calls to friends to get rid of some of the bigger things. I tried--and succeeded, mind you--to avoid a UHAUL trailer.

I'd post a picture of my amazing packing job, but I'm posting this from my phone, as my computer has already ben packed...

Anyway, let's see what happens next, huh?

More Random, this time with fish.

So many fish--seriously, it starts out slow, but by the end...

I'll help out everyone!

Linoge is asking for anyone and everyone to assist Ramon Castillo, who was shot multiple times defending himself and his wife from armed attackers down in Texas. In return, he will enter you into a drawing to win a copy of Dead Zero, by Steven Hunter. Head over there and check it out.

I can neither confirm nor deny...

You didn't hear this from me.  It was a pretty neat experience.

"I am," he said.

I'm in Montana, soon to be moving back to Colorado, and I don't have to put up with too much in the way of idiotic, wannabe police states. Even so, with something that arguably affects me only very indirectly, I can recognize a slippery slope with the best of the libertarian crazies. And so, I link to Borepatch, and say here (figuratively) loudly:

Just like that

My internship is over. Turned in the paperwork, and now I get to decide what I really want to do with my life...

NDA

Link

As promised...

I recieved my bumper stickers from Life, Liberty, etc. in good order, and there was finally a day that was warm enough and dry enough that I thought they might actually stick to the window, so I put one on the truck:

$1.50, baby, and you can't go wrong!  Just understated enough for multiple double takes.  Oh, and in case you were worried, these stickers were bought and paid for with my own money, and any advertising I do here is free in reward for a quality product.  So suckit, FCC.

Testing... testing...

We're testing the big rocket tomorrow. So if you hear in the news of a large explosion that killed a team of 15 scientist/engineers from California (and one intern from Colorado) up in Montana, tell my mother I loved her.

This will be the first test--it has never been lit before.

Terrible, Terrible Joke

A Homeless Man's Funeral

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director
to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or
friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical
man, I didn't stop for directions.

I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone
and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew
left and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of
the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out
my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.
I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I
wept, we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and
started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I never
seen nothin' like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for
twenty years."

Apparently I'm still lost... it's a man thing.

I was not expecting that.

Nice

This lady sang on some of the songs off of this album. Turns out she has done some of her own stuff, too. I may have to look into getting one of her albums...

Oh no, it's true...

I put on some clothes and went into the living room, at which point I actually thought about what I was wearing--hiking shoes, corduroy pants, and a Hawaiian shirt.  I asked "Do I look like an engineer?"  My friend replied "You... look like you should be interviewed on NOVA."

"Crap," said I, and went to find some other clothes. 

What's the deal?  Is there some sort of subliminal messaging engineering school does to steal away any fashion sense, or is it just the type of people who go into it?

Not Boring Sunday Music

I'm a sucker for rockin' Christian music...


And on an only slightly related note, I am taking today off.  Keeping the Sabbath holy, and all. I don't know about you, but I think that's my favorite commandment.  The weekend commandment.

Gun Control Question

When, exactly, was the last time that the human race un-invented something? I really need to know, so I can figure out how any sort of gun control would work.  The cat's out of the bag, as they say.  It's not like the technology would just... fade into black:

ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION OF HOW GUN CONTROL WORKS. THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. NAMES, CHARACTERS, PLACES AND INCIDENTS EITHER ARE FIGMENTS OF PAUL HELMKE'S IMAGINATION OR ARE USED FICTITIOUSLY. ANY RESEMBLANCE TO ACTUAL EVENTS OR LOCALES OR PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD, IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL, AND, FRANKLY, BLOODY UNLIKELY.  

I may have no faith in the inherent goodness of the human heart, but I sure believe in the unfailing resourcefulness of it.

Hurry Up and Wait

Yeah, it's ben one of those days.

Working on a Saturday? Blaspheme!

I know that most of you out there will think that I'm a wimp, but working on a Saturday is a novel experience for me. Probably going to mostly be playing errand boy again, though, so nothing too extreme.

In the meantime, enjoy some singing fruit:

An exlosion or two

This time, the explosions are wrapped in a Monty Python sketch. Just because I haven't been following Larry Correia's advice lately.

Ah, the glamor.

So today, as a rocket scientist (ten bucks an hour, baby!) I shoveled snow. Then I chipped ice. Then I spread some sand. I then untangled some wire, retangled some wire, untangled some more wire, retangled some more wire, untangled some more wire, retangled some more wire, took some wire from one test and tangled it up, then moved it to another test and untangled it. I discovered that I hate that type of wire. I played errand boy and ran into town to pick up some packages and some drinks, then I went searching for some AA batteries. Then I was told that AA's won't work, so I went searching for some AAA batteries. Then I unhooked some actuators and hooked up some other actuators. I looked up a manufacturer's phone number. I went searching for a female hose end and kluged a fitting onto it. And it sounds like they'll need me again tomorrow.

I bet you thought that rocket science was all about fire, didn't you?

Oh, but at least I discovered that I get reimbursed mileage for all of the trips into town I do, so that's nice.

There is a reason that I have a "Random" label

The random label is primarily for videos like this.



And yes, I do go out deliberately looking for things like this. As George Mallory said, "Because it's there."

Books of 2011: Quantum Connection

I finished up the sequel to Travis Taylor's "Warp Speed,"  called "Quantum Connection." It turns out that I actually read this one before, probably five or six years ago.  I didn't much like it, but now that I have read them in the correct order, everything follows much better and it was more enjoyable.  You can still tell that it is only his second book, as the writing is still a little rough. Lot of theoretical physics, but I never really like aliens in my Sci-Fi.  It usually feels like a big cop-out, and this book is no exception.  The whole premise of "human takes over alien space ship by accidentally coming into control of alien's nanobots" was very forced, and the main character was no where near as engaging as the professor in "Warp Speed."

I give it a 5.5/10, and would only recommend reading it if you are trying to read all of Doc Travis's books.

Good News!

You'll be glad to know that the system we're building went through its test run admirably today, and though there are a few valve issues, the fire stayed where we wanted it! Of course, this was only the ignition motor, so no big fire was involved. I think that is scheduled for next week.

4x4

I am reminded of my Grandpa's old saying: "Four wheel drive just means that you can get stuck with all four wheels."

Ok, move along, nothing else to see here.

Finger Again!

Boy, it sure doesn't look like an improvement from where it was, but it does hurt less.

This was from the first unwrapping (I wasn't supposed to remove the bandage for two days after the surgery). I'm glad to see that it has lost that black, charred, third-degree burn look that made me so queasy right after it was done. Now it just looks like a big scab. Hopefully my nail won't turn black and fall off...

Cold--Be Defeated!

Hahaha! Not only am I wearing the full set of wool long underwear, two pairs of socks, insulated boots, three layers of long sleeve shirts/sweatshirts and a Carhartt jacket, the high today supposed to be above zero!

I. Will. Not. Be. COLD!

Off to work!

Wait...

What just happened?

So Cold...

Do you know what's cold? Working in sub-zero temperatures (with blowing winds--with the wind chill it was about -20 °F) on and around lines running liquid oxygen (which is at -300 °F or somesuch)(not licking that pipe even if you quadruple dog dare me) for ten and a half hours. I wore my thicker long underwear, but I think tomorrow I will have to wear my thick and thin sets. I don't want to hear anyone complain about the cold weather in their neck of the woods--just, don't. No sympathy here.

And I will give these Californian rocket scientists their due; they are chugging along through the cold, gamely.

Again?

It's 11:11 1/11/11

Ok, you can now forget about anything like this 'till November...

Ever heard of this band?

The're called the "Orthodox Celts," they are Serbian(!), and they are pretty good!

...

Just one more, a little less traditional:



Ok, I'll stop now.

I aim to please... I guess

The other day when I was installing a stereo in my brother's truck, I gave myself a nasty jab on my right pointer finger. Right next to the nail, it hurt like the dickens. Instead of scabbing over, it started growing a weird little globule:

Now back in Montana, at church I ran into a friend who works at a dermatology clinic, and just to see what she would say I showed it off. After hmm-ing and ha-ing, she said, "You know that will probably just keep growing and getting more painful. I could take it off!" She always likes seeing weird skin conditions, and cutting them off. "Why not," I said--figuring that if it was just going to keep getting bigger and more painful, now would be the time to leap into action.

So now I have a nice--conventionally healing--cauterization burn in place of a weird skin growth, and my friend is happy that she got to "practice" on me. I am always amazed at how much enthusiasm people in the medical profession have for blood and gore. There is a reason I'm an engineer and not a Doctor...

Here we are again

This afternoon I'm going back out to the Rocket People. Should be more wiring and such, doing little odd jobs around the facility. I hope I don't have to do anything outside, though; the high today is supposed to be 5 degrees F... definitely a long underwear day.

Yesterday's Big News

Never doubt the power of crazy.

Never doubt the ability of the press to use a bloody headline to push their brand of propaganda.

--------

Always doubt the "innate goodness" of the human heart.

Tired

We're here. Every thing went according to plan, for a change. The weather cooperated, even, for the most part. More later, for now, bed.

Make a break for it

I'm going north today.  A friend here in Junction decided to come with me, as he has nothing else to do at the moment.  Now I can kill two people with one car crash.  Seriously, the weather looks fine until you hit Idaho.  We may get that far and bivouac for a couple days, I don't know.  

So enjoy some ridiculous winter music while I ridiculously go and try to break though a winter storm. Again.

Quote of the day

Gun control can render a populace incapable of doing a damned thing about a totalitarian and subjugating government. Gun control can keep average human beings defenseless, and thus easy prey for those who are stronger, faster, or more ruthless. Gun control can create the unfortunate unintended consequence of making the police forces unprepared for armed resistance, and thus more likely to take casualties when encountering it. But when it comes to its publicly stated goals, gun control is doomed to failure from the very outset, whether its supporters are willing to admit it or not, and this incident is a prime example of why.

Linoge, "How do you say 'unpossible' in mandarin?"

It's late, so I'll leave you with that.

Frustrating Weather...

I wanted to go back up to MT tomorrow or Sunday, but it appears that it will be snowing once you hit the Idaho border--and then the rest of the way to Canada.  I'm supposed to show up for work on Monday (but I am not afraid to tell them, "Not coming unless you are willing to buy me a new vehicle of equal or greater value when I go off the road!"), but then if I wait till next week when it isn't supposed to snow, it is supposed to get up to a high of about 5 degrees F, which is not enough to melt off any ice, and the roads won't be any better. So I may damn the torpedoes and wind up going tomorrow, and hope that every thing stays warm enough that the roads don't ice up.

Do it yourself

I installed my new stereo, and it works just fine.  Of course, it wouldn't be a DIY project if you didn't have three extra screws and an entire unattached wire harness with mysterious purpose.

But hey, I can now hook up an MP3 player and rock out, so I guess it's all good!  Not to mention that I saved about $100 in parts and labor...

More Cheese!

My brother got a cheese-making book for Christmas, so Wednesday he decided to do something about it. He picked a couple of easy looking recipes and made cheese. It's now in the fridge, looking tasty. I'm glad that he has finally gotten out of the video game 24/7, consumer mentality and is actually producing things. Especially things like cheese, which he shares with his family!

$1 Movies: Princess of Mars

A long time ago I picked up ten movies for ten dollars.  I finally got around to watching the one called "Princess of Mars."

This, my friends, is truly a B Science Fiction Movie.  Complete with stupid dialogue ("That didn't come from your body?!?!" and "We can back you up on this 16 gigabyte flash drive."), rubber alien headwear, countless shots a lady wearing a stupid bikini/loincloth thing running toward the camera, a flying kayak, and that same boiler room that has been in pretty much every other B movie I've ever seen--probably best illustrated by the famous "Space Mutiny":



("I am on the EDGE of my SEAT!" "You should probably scoot back, then.")

Anyway, back to the Princess of Mars. It is completely ridiculous, pretty darn bad, and MST3K-worthy. It was well worth the dollar I paid for it, but probably not the hour and a half of my life I spent watching it.

Best Headline Today

"Curses! Romania's witches forced to pay income tax."

I really couldn't care less about Romanian witches, but that headline is pure gold!

Neighbor's New Horse

Or should I say "Miniature Horse?"

He's a cute little guy. About the size of a Great Dane, if a little more barrel chested, and with a dog's temperament, too. He comes right up to the fence and wants you to scratch his chin. My neighbor likes him so much he's thinking of getting another one.

Pretty Sunset...

Nope, nothing else to say. Just wanted to share a pretty picture.

Drum 'n Base 'n a Big Horn Section

Ah... good stuff.

Rockets Continued

Looks like the rocket people are going to be back in MT next week, and told me that they would welcome my help while they're there.  So, pending on the weather, I will probably be going up this weekend.  I needed to go up to get more of my stuff anyway, so this could work out real nicely.  Or I could crash the new truck somewhere (I'd put my money on Idaho Falls, since that seems to be where all of the accidents happen) like I did the Jeep.  I have discovered a new found hate for winter driving.

Finally, I'll stop yacking about this

I ordered a couple "Peace Through Superior Firepower" bumper stickers. About five bucks, including shipping. Not bad at all, and I'll be able to move on from this subject and you won't have to listen to me anymore. It's a win-win-win!

But where should I put them?  On the bumper?  That's pretty low, and hard to see.  On a rear window?  But what if I get a topper?  The tailgate?  It's kinda beat up, and if I could replace one part of the truck,  that would be it...

Uh oh.  There I go again...

Good Country Music

You may or may not know that I really don't like country music.  Sure, I'll find the occasional song that I like, and I get a good dose from Borepatch, but really, It's not my cuppa tea.  This song, however, based off of "Jesus Take The Wheel," is just amazing:



Come on, admit it. You liked it too, didn't you? Check out some of Tim Hawkins' other videos, while you're at it.

Blue Velvet

Yes, that is Lawrence Welk remixed. Yes, I do own the album. And yes, I do listen to it.

Books of 2011: Warp Speed

I found "Warp Speed." by Travis Taylor, on my Kindle the other day (I can't remember all the stuff I've put on it, give me a break!) and zipped right through it.  A good, entertaining Hard-ish Sci Fi book, in which the characters invent warp fields and the events that follow, including war with China and making a Moon base.  You can tell that it is Doc Travis' first book, as it is a little rough, but I still found it enjoyable.

I rate it at 7.5/10.  And I'm going to go read the next one!

Cold Dog

It was -6 out this morning. I kinda expect this weather when I'm in MT, but in CO it only seems to have been getting this cold for the past couple years. Needless to say, the dogs were not happy. This little guy went under his "fuzzy blankie," and he's not coming back out.

Sunday Music: Stars

You know, technically, we are still in Christmas, until January 6. Notice, however, that I did not find a Christmas Carol for today's music. Going to try to avoid that stuff until next November...

Cursed Road

You know that stretch of road where I rolled the Jeep? It was also where my transmission went out two summers ago. And now my friend whose house I stayed at after the accident was on the same stretch of road and hit a deer. Oh how I wish that there was a viable alternative to the I-15 Idaho Falls route...

Bumper stickers

This one:

This one:

This one:

(or the traditional Gadsden Flag?)

Or last, but one of my favorites, this one:

Or other recommendations?

Because you will doubtlessly see this elsewhere...

It's 11:11 on 1/1/11.

There you have it.

A new year's eve retrospective

It seems that everyone else was doing retrospectives of some sort or another, but I decided to just do a retrospective of last night:

Next year we really, really need to buy some nicer champagne. Going into the liquor store and saying "What's the cheapest you got?" is not a valid method for choosing...

That stuff was fuzzy vinegar with a pleasant aftertaste of "eau de horse."

2011, Here I Am!

Do your worst--



--And we will do our best!