tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80487062024-03-06T22:58:28.331-05:00Etch A Sketch Attention SpanBut will I still have time for Portal?MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.comBlogger1593125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-54700305605052394562011-02-07T21:24:00.003-05:002011-02-07T21:26:14.995-05:00Bye!I'm going to be posting at Tumblr now.<br /><br /><a href="http://etchasketchattentionspan.tumblr.com/">http://etchasketchattentionspan.tumblr.com/</a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-63182602650474886062011-02-02T07:42:00.004-05:002011-02-02T07:49:04.101-05:00Fire up the Zed PMAs I have tweeted, I've been on a Stargate Atlantis kick lately. I've been watching at least one episode a day for weeks.<br /><br />It's had a cool byproduct - more sci-fi dreams (which never happens to me, so it makes for more entertaining nights).<br /><br />I was in bed this morning, thinking. I was wondering: since dreams are basically your brain unspooling and processing your day, exactly how would it find the sci-fi content useful or applicable?<br /><br />Moments later, Michelle stirred and I thought to myself "Better take my shower now, so the engines have time to re-heat the water for her". <br /><br />Heh.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-85294535350001008482011-02-01T07:49:00.002-05:002011-02-01T07:50:49.014-05:00BOGO or not, I just don't know<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q1XDR-5LyK2Lfi2zLS1fxKcx8Qj6WaGPLd0O6bSeKlP2NU3wR3xaSHS7RWDmfxo1ObjSYNCKzxyvHQoLxkhpgSXssIpeRsbue9eisgMLZEsMZhTDv9bZ4R8id7Ad0KS_c4-L9w/s1600/whites.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q1XDR-5LyK2Lfi2zLS1fxKcx8Qj6WaGPLd0O6bSeKlP2NU3wR3xaSHS7RWDmfxo1ObjSYNCKzxyvHQoLxkhpgSXssIpeRsbue9eisgMLZEsMZhTDv9bZ4R8id7Ad0KS_c4-L9w/s400/whites.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568702547912486450" border="0" /></a><br />That's a lotta egg whites, Darlin...MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-31170758965233022722011-01-27T20:14:00.007-05:002011-01-27T20:29:28.226-05:00I dub thee: BeardyNet!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLdRuDwmGQx6LJ8tU90G2uVZaaOJcJ5bb5c993J5-09zx9FBJxDhplFCnahUKuVho2XqC1980VJ2voNjdbK9rJiFeQ57im41FBbajkZhgmncc_9NspSDUIAW9isKZMmliSDSeVw/s1600/BeardyNet.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 580px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLdRuDwmGQx6LJ8tU90G2uVZaaOJcJ5bb5c993J5-09zx9FBJxDhplFCnahUKuVho2XqC1980VJ2voNjdbK9rJiFeQ57im41FBbajkZhgmncc_9NspSDUIAW9isKZMmliSDSeVw/s400/BeardyNet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567041483406784962" border="0" /></a>Spanish Moss is taking over. I found some trying to break into the house Tuesday night and was forced to devour it whole while it was still wriggling. Some may say Spanish Moss doesn't wriggle, that it was all the bugs inside it - but I disagree.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-37704753038359630952011-01-25T20:14:00.002-05:002011-01-25T20:27:46.024-05:00Hello StrangerI had every intention of getting back into blogging in a big way this year. The past few weeks have not been a good demonstration of that, and I hope to do better.<br /><br />I work, I sleep, I do laundry... You know how it is. Really, I had plenty of time this weekend to blog but I was too busy watching episode after episode of Stargate Atlantis. Did you know that Jewel Staite was on an episode of SG-A as a Wraith before she played Jennifer Keller? I didn't.<br /><br />I've been training for the 5K that's coming up, and also taking a lot of walks during lunch. I wander around in this housing development behind my work during these walks, and I discovered this very cool path - it's about five feet off the ground - like two walls that have been filled in and turned into a path, it just goes on and on.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8KdYD-il6qEnWznGJANN05yGD9eBMdogUi_XU9hG1vLTrftrTqMXtaDN-uz8lBaScAyJUC2lBxJIzijAyVBu6UBAJNqe63Tlah1WYlfCHxNr9ly7eL4PyMhxiQgoS1OBlJf_Ug/s1600/raised_path.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 381px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8KdYD-il6qEnWznGJANN05yGD9eBMdogUi_XU9hG1vLTrftrTqMXtaDN-uz8lBaScAyJUC2lBxJIzijAyVBu6UBAJNqe63Tlah1WYlfCHxNr9ly7eL4PyMhxiQgoS1OBlJf_Ug/s400/raised_path.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5566300002298489106" border="0" /></a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-4691955737693545422011-01-17T18:20:00.005-05:002011-01-17T18:23:49.446-05:00"By the red bridge"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ1wJKSqntLbuDQOhPUkCJRXV9pefmu2B4Xv48Z53ci1emPmcHBNZW3V9KR7Ydnty6LkrBaZpjZy6Tn3WY2LTKGIqlEh_aJp-OXj67gH_wCy0lj48j3ckpO6wCFpC1F22bbY2-w/s1600/shelves.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 380px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ1wJKSqntLbuDQOhPUkCJRXV9pefmu2B4Xv48Z53ci1emPmcHBNZW3V9KR7Ydnty6LkrBaZpjZy6Tn3WY2LTKGIqlEh_aJp-OXj67gH_wCy0lj48j3ckpO6wCFpC1F22bbY2-w/s400/shelves.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563298985054642322" border="0" /></a>I love addresses like this.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-90500319099776392022011-01-16T18:24:00.002-05:002011-01-17T18:29:18.306-05:00I see you!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MdnTLj-gNvFA4YF8BvVeHCpTC9velChKESdveT9rfvH-a-SkyjyoIHSjvWQ8F7CJNmIXJJYyI1SRZIUSbeexvSaV7K-KA9stLlF-a64vQ_hdw3oKGFRSAQLQuT1Z9ejmBOqvyA/s1600/sockmonster.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MdnTLj-gNvFA4YF8BvVeHCpTC9velChKESdveT9rfvH-a-SkyjyoIHSjvWQ8F7CJNmIXJJYyI1SRZIUSbeexvSaV7K-KA9stLlF-a64vQ_hdw3oKGFRSAQLQuT1Z9ejmBOqvyA/s400/sockmonster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563299844699050818" border="0" /></a>The cat and I play a game under the door where she snags a sock out of my hand. She's so cute and inquisitive!MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-67043779788894851322011-01-09T08:02:00.002-05:002011-01-13T08:11:37.862-05:00I love 'How I Met Your Mother'!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInf4sid5nUkcMmGpYyvcBXwFoZVHH5fayT7_aELZwM_6l2_dNLOpnkrd0z-lJN2dGhb6s0o5q0bDgPZ36-jMRAFVrfUSOTdsJ6-_dKLNsQVOlStDyLwfDJmUTXNXZYDrMLddhPg/s1600/himym-teen-wolf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 510px; height: 354px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjInf4sid5nUkcMmGpYyvcBXwFoZVHH5fayT7_aELZwM_6l2_dNLOpnkrd0z-lJN2dGhb6s0o5q0bDgPZ36-jMRAFVrfUSOTdsJ6-_dKLNsQVOlStDyLwfDJmUTXNXZYDrMLddhPg/s400/himym-teen-wolf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561657234546394050" /></a><br />Great, great <a href="http://www.cbs.com/primetime/how_i_met_your_mother/">show</a>. I love the episode with the Teen Wolf.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-47195055013616961732011-01-08T07:51:00.000-05:002011-01-12T07:54:05.694-05:00I was cleaning the aquarium at work...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfpj2OIrrc9_CSyO7bFJ_sjO8UOy_cgq5Q0zq_-e0aEWRWIbN52RbQ5_aCoC5siWxzWnWjtcFZNbhPBZTUGMoZ_K-_PmQuYZdjjK5hmLlqLloGamVlNeZSiWOpxzj9mjg9bJFSg/s1600/ring.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 510px; height: 369px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfpj2OIrrc9_CSyO7bFJ_sjO8UOy_cgq5Q0zq_-e0aEWRWIbN52RbQ5_aCoC5siWxzWnWjtcFZNbhPBZTUGMoZ_K-_PmQuYZdjjK5hmLlqLloGamVlNeZSiWOpxzj9mjg9bJFSg/s400/ring.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561281745709300642" /></a><br />And my wedding ring slipped off my finger. The thing is extremely loose if my hands are wet. I paused just long enough to snap the photo, then fished it out with the net.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-41277253567004255342011-01-07T07:40:00.000-05:002011-01-12T07:49:54.045-05:00I call it 'Kitty Sideways'<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEC7hrs564vjLKUH3Kss0AcT4WV776FiL3GaVRrpnp0WIhLBdET1Tl7xbXSlmG41OvtvOdfbe8qIOR9nLsSysv2XTdFf51GdBaIbvfQTNmhokYNZXDhZMaSyIHU8YV8VkP3LnXTA/s1600/kittysideways.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 510px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEC7hrs564vjLKUH3Kss0AcT4WV776FiL3GaVRrpnp0WIhLBdET1Tl7xbXSlmG41OvtvOdfbe8qIOR9nLsSysv2XTdFf51GdBaIbvfQTNmhokYNZXDhZMaSyIHU8YV8VkP3LnXTA/s400/kittysideways.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561280686057492194" /></a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-78548628189180691912011-01-06T07:33:00.000-05:002011-01-12T07:39:00.182-05:00Snow Peas Rule!I finally gave in to the hype and installed <a target="new" href="http://www.popcap.com/games/pvz?mid=pvz_pc_en_full">Plants vs. Zombies</a> a few days ago. It's a very cute game, well designed, great music, and all elements designed and delivered with a grin.<br /><br />If you haven't checked it out yet, you should really do so!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9fIuHHHyUUrx5tT5cUlVkl00TI2rXEpfPpIpX0Ji4vwlc1r09CZScHXRhT6Ap1_F7B2mmkEiuvReyqMHQhjgB1RyklX_m18guZnM-1zTsv_ser6U2X28_xC3GAzWsyYPOGKQnQ/s1600/pvsz.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 383px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9fIuHHHyUUrx5tT5cUlVkl00TI2rXEpfPpIpX0Ji4vwlc1r09CZScHXRhT6Ap1_F7B2mmkEiuvReyqMHQhjgB1RyklX_m18guZnM-1zTsv_ser6U2X28_xC3GAzWsyYPOGKQnQ/s400/pvsz.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561277345513226770" border="0" /></a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-45416518340623780592011-01-05T07:15:00.000-05:002011-01-12T07:17:45.868-05:00HmmI'd really hoped to post a little something every day, but for some reason that's harder than it should be. For one thing, I'm sleeping in later than I used to. Is blogging worth getting up an hour earlier?<br /><br />Not that it takes an hour to write a post (though it certainly can) but I like a little time elbow room, you know? Who wants to feel rushed?MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-15437168884036038102011-01-04T08:40:00.002-05:002011-01-08T08:44:51.061-05:001) So Cute! 2) What's wrong with me?This penguin is super cute! I couldn't help thinking maybe he had a parasite on his butt that he was trying to shake off. Hopefully he was just a happy penguin.<br /><br /><object id="player" height="403" width="510" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://cdn1.static.videobash.com/flash/player.swf" style="visibility: visible;"><param name="movie" value="http://cdn1.static.videobash.com/flash/player.swf" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="flashvars" value="autoplay=false&image_url=http://cdn1.pics.videobash.com/thumbs/000/009/748/large2.jpg&autoreplay=false&video_url=http://media1.ord.videobash.com/mp4/000/009/748/480_9748.mp4&options=http://www.videobash.com/&related_url=http://www.videobash.com/video/player_related?id=9748&link_url=http://www.videobash.com/video_show/happy-little-penguing-9748&video_title=Happy+little+penguin+Celebrating+The+Holidays" /></object><br /><a href="http://www.videobash.com/video_show/happy-little-penguing-9748">Happy little penguin Celebrating The Holidays</a> brought to you by <a href="http://www.videobash.com/">Videobash</a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-71541090080043117452011-01-03T08:02:00.001-05:002011-01-04T08:05:04.223-05:00Um. Good to know?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQMbZY8L5nRIZhJnzXihcaOd0dHrXACs3YMgB5Hl8fZstUeFnCqlEovQ9rPeW2HeinDqqYmqkDUqrXJP523elugMH61TdNI4PICr-zlVta9AngBMRWT1kvdOFGlCq5SAj1shD0w/s1600/YouMayNot.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMQMbZY8L5nRIZhJnzXihcaOd0dHrXACs3YMgB5Hl8fZstUeFnCqlEovQ9rPeW2HeinDqqYmqkDUqrXJP523elugMH61TdNI4PICr-zlVta9AngBMRWT1kvdOFGlCq5SAj1shD0w/s400/YouMayNot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558315661510774514" /></a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-24477514819221010122011-01-02T08:11:00.004-05:002011-01-02T08:15:52.264-05:00Strange NewsMore than 1000 <a target="new" href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hR5yNrCf_J3vwK_xXRBmb56cfkEw?docId=fcb1e6568b6742fe99a4e9cb318cda86">blackbirds fell dead</a> from the sky over Arkansas. My theory is a sudden blast of freezing wind from a high altitude air current.<br /><br />Also, we call Arkansas "Arkansaw" but Kansas is "KanSes". Did they call it "Kansaw" back in the day?<br>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-81422671514773820002011-01-01T08:45:00.005-05:002011-01-02T09:50:33.994-05:00Rock BandAs with most trends, I have come late to <a target="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band_%28video_game%29">Rock Band</a> - I played for the first time a few weeks ago at friends Kelly and Brandon's house.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />It's a surprisingly (<a target="new" href="http://www.amazon.com/Wii-Beatles-Limited-Premium-Bundle-Nintendo/dp/B001TOMQXA/ref=sr_1_3?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1293976974&sr=1-3">expensive</a>) fun game, considering all it really consists of is pressing a matching colored button when a moving blob of color hits just the right position onscreen - and repeat repeat repeat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzrCeuoK4pncVdtmqFsp_IucLyzDyblJLl3KmQ1cUoDgrJQ7hOU5YnfhjCRPL_yh0GLOTiaGt0Z04i0P-MVI_mhUN-pyPsB6MXOJiJrbHVPrL0CC2JghWxAPGlprYU_hy5HnCmw/s1600/Rock+Band+2+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzrCeuoK4pncVdtmqFsp_IucLyzDyblJLl3KmQ1cUoDgrJQ7hOU5YnfhjCRPL_yh0GLOTiaGt0Z04i0P-MVI_mhUN-pyPsB6MXOJiJrbHVPrL0CC2JghWxAPGlprYU_hy5HnCmw/s400/Rock+Band+2+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557591954501955234" border="0" /></a><br />The fact that you're playing with controllers that seem to be the real thing is a big part of the immersion. If I wasn't playing with a very realistic guitar but instead just tapping buttons on a normal XBox controller, the impact would be a lot less and a lot different.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb7QYXGfjjMa80Z8BjdtC-cxDivVvan7eQqEKy_Yub9bFkwgbQIGjWXbvCThmMgLKQ6cgPHR_fEn7bfrJOBw9geH1rjmW3beuI129Og5MPvI8DRMvyXKasLycceNSSuaRSlYiiw/s1600/RockBandGuitar.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 340px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb7QYXGfjjMa80Z8BjdtC-cxDivVvan7eQqEKy_Yub9bFkwgbQIGjWXbvCThmMgLKQ6cgPHR_fEn7bfrJOBw9geH1rjmW3beuI129Og5MPvI8DRMvyXKasLycceNSSuaRSlYiiw/s400/RockBandGuitar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557599487408252146" border="0" /></a><br />Somehow when I'm playing the guitar controller, it really feels as if I'm performing the song that's playing - it's a weird sensation especially since I have zero musical skills, no coordination or dexterity, and no rhythm. Playing a Jimi Hendrix song to a virtual crowd of screaming fans is not something my psyche was prepared for. Is this what a flying dream would feel like? I don't have flying dreams.<br /><br />For the moment, I'm stuck on 'easy' mode, since my cold limp yellowed withered claw of a left hand is about as responsive as a coma patient. It's my own fault - my left hand does a little typing, a lot of scratching, and not much else. For some reason, chords that require two widely separated buttons to be pressed simultaneously are as out of my reach as a Nobel Prize (red and blue, my old nemesis, we meet again for the last time!). If I want to graduate to medium without making all my bandmates fail out, I might have to resort to the kid buttons closer to the body of the guitar.<br /><br />We played for about five hours yesterday, and I'm ready for more!</div>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-44331993480691483822010-12-31T09:54:00.002-05:002011-01-02T09:55:34.785-05:00Dec 31st? It's a myth!Come on everyone! Together we can disprove this silly theory of a December 31st. It's an old wives tale. Disbelieve with me now, join hands...MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-75530318861084650312010-12-30T08:27:00.003-05:002011-01-02T08:41:42.061-05:00Nom Nom Nom<div style="text-align: justify;">How long has it been since you've had <a target="new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho">Pho</a>?<br /><br />If you're not familiar, it's a Vietnamese noodle soup, and is very delicious. Here's my bowl from last night, with tofu. I don't know if you can tell, but this is a huge bowl, and I devoured most of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04jQsDaSF4XK45CWShlVXwEAAU5isxmFJrwYYvE8-Sq8E34AYKtw77Pu5GSXg3YOEJYSd8oE9pTgOm3VQkDGwkdz3n2PJ6WkCMaKPM8gF0dXoZIwuj65IQtmFlk0iPWx5zgwDdA/s1600/pho.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 366px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj04jQsDaSF4XK45CWShlVXwEAAU5isxmFJrwYYvE8-Sq8E34AYKtw77Pu5GSXg3YOEJYSd8oE9pTgOm3VQkDGwkdz3n2PJ6WkCMaKPM8gF0dXoZIwuj65IQtmFlk0iPWx5zgwDdA/s400/pho.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557582904725578722" border="0" /></a>Get a load of this <a target="new" href="http://www.wright.edu/%7Etdung/pho.htm">article</a> about Pho:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In the 1950s, writer Nguyen Tuan was condemned as a bourgeois reactionary and banned from publishing after he wrote an elegy to pho. Writers were supposed to focus on the glorious onward march of the revolution, not trivialities such as food. Mr. Tuan's essay was in fact a sly criticism of the Communist Party and the damage its thought police were inflicting on Vietnamese culture. Framing his attack in terms of pho was an effective way to tap into a deep vein of Vietnamese identity.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Communist government closed most pho stalls back in the 1950s when they represented the insidious force of private enterprise. In the 1970s and 1980s, food was so scarce in Hanoi that most of the speakeasy soup joints that served pho in a semiclandestine way closed down...</span><br /><br />Can you imagine having to sneak into an illegal back alley dive for some soup? Crazy.</div>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-42603597985163367862010-12-29T08:21:00.003-05:002011-01-02T08:27:01.605-05:00Blog TemplateAfter spending years making my blog template more and more busy - adding columns filled with links, widgets, and goo-gaws, I've decided it's time for a simple template.<br /><br />I enjoyed learning the HTML and CSS I used to set up my custom template of about a year ago, but now I'm in a mood for simplicity.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-13487647752062554522010-12-28T08:08:00.007-05:002010-12-28T08:14:29.804-05:00Bad Idea<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXGEIkWKxg99O25ZzmxfHG0ebTQQ8PAInmv-jR_DYycJQokqGsS4aKCIk-u2d-JzBUGzgxMS9pR-_y8Ry_TysbAP_pHQuxjPXypecJ1vo_koBkMCUOk5BbfltlfqZ8w0zOdUmIQ/s1600/First_Aircraft_Carrier.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 510px; height: 358px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXGEIkWKxg99O25ZzmxfHG0ebTQQ8PAInmv-jR_DYycJQokqGsS4aKCIk-u2d-JzBUGzgxMS9pR-_y8Ry_TysbAP_pHQuxjPXypecJ1vo_koBkMCUOk5BbfltlfqZ8w0zOdUmIQ/s400/First_Aircraft_Carrier.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555719725149595026" /></a><br />Here's a picture of a test flight from the <a target="new" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/photographs-of-the-worlds-first-aircraft-carrier-resurface/68567/">first aircraft carrier</a> - the whole prospect seems rickety at best.<br /><br />What gets me is the little boat that is directly in the path of the biplane. I can appreciate having boats in the area to help the pilot if he splashes down, but directly in his path? Was this a dare? Was he planning to crash into the little boat?MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-59375814568442079172010-12-27T08:36:00.004-05:002010-12-27T20:42:32.780-05:00Not Photoshopped<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZtDdh5ojSzazJiuh2hPz83UV7jy7H0QGo-_SHrzW-WFHz3Zjj8vtmb99hHHCntt381EEdFtpAlJnEV4j_6OljrSpQ5VqFEnYjvZRwsoe9Y9UnaoEMVOThici2oRQ2qERHz34Mg/s1600/fr_57.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 381px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZtDdh5ojSzazJiuh2hPz83UV7jy7H0QGo-_SHrzW-WFHz3Zjj8vtmb99hHHCntt381EEdFtpAlJnEV4j_6OljrSpQ5VqFEnYjvZRwsoe9Y9UnaoEMVOThici2oRQ2qERHz34Mg/s400/fr_57.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555541433025271282" border="0" /></a><br />Click on the image to see it full size. The red looks almost like a cluster of blood colored butterflies. Probably the prettiest picture I've ever taken.MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-6384048062393270392010-12-26T08:15:00.005-05:002010-12-27T08:23:01.889-05:00ANOTHER ONE?Just how many chest freezers are <a target="new" href="http://mikeramblings.blogspot.com/2009/12/evidence-is-stacking-up.html">too many chest freezers</a> for a single guy living in a one bedroom apartment?<br /><br />This neighbor is always coming and going at odd times. Shovels and black bags are a common sight in his back yard, I shit you not. Zero gardening.<br /><br />At what point do we call the authorities? I mean really. He now has at least three chest freezers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqaJzaAg88JXI0GB9AQfpmftxWo2ltiDggdLRp9TTeby3sCcA4DM6hoGgexQ88-QvlyvmtyB5jg_Cak-31rqEMYpYQb-X-1uI7hfha1AAP7hBQ6LVvdEkWIheAwzqrpHirnYfMw/s1600/fr_37_size1024.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 386px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUqaJzaAg88JXI0GB9AQfpmftxWo2ltiDggdLRp9TTeby3sCcA4DM6hoGgexQ88-QvlyvmtyB5jg_Cak-31rqEMYpYQb-X-1uI7hfha1AAP7hBQ6LVvdEkWIheAwzqrpHirnYfMw/s400/fr_37_size1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555351262541342306" border="0" /></a>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-74108822774503659622010-12-25T11:30:00.002-05:002010-12-27T07:49:22.552-05:00Credi-Bull #23<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Credi-Bull - a story that might be fact, and might be fiction. When playing, please avoid definitive answers like "I know this is true, I saw it on the news last night". Instead, couch your vote as a "guess" - this will help ensure that everyone gets an unbiased chance to play!</span><br /><br />A team of interns with NASA's Lunar and Planetary Science Academy is investigating a phenomenon called 'roving rocks' at Death Valley in California.<br /><br />These stones are a sedimentary rock called dolomite, and range in size from less than one pound to a maximum of seven hundred pounds. The rocks have a very unusual property - they move thanks to a mysterious force.<br /><br />The rocks aren't rolling downhill - most specimens actually travel uphill, some moving in pairs several hundred yards and negotiating around obstacles.<br /><br />The NASA research team has a number of theories to explain the roving rocks - everything from high winds to moist, low-friction clay, to ice and snow, but nothing has been definitively proven.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So - the mysterious roving rocks of Death Valley - credible, or just bull? Vote in the comments.</span></div>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-39707931871488681812010-12-24T09:07:00.003-05:002010-12-24T10:47:35.430-05:00Real Life Conversation #56<span style="font-style:italic;">Cookies! Um, are these supposed to be the holy spirit or something?</span><br /><br />They're not ghosts - they're snowmen. I'm taking them to work.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(Munching) Yummy either way. </span><br /><br />But one came out weird, he looked like some hooded KKK member.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ah. I assume he was eaten?</span><br /><br />No... I think he's in one of the wrapped plates already.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I don't have a comeback for that.</span>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8048706.post-30892848445733475302010-12-23T10:15:00.002-05:002010-12-24T10:39:04.782-05:00On Second Thought<div style="text-align: justify;">I want to go see the new Tron Legacy movie - Michelle has never seen the first one, and I thought it would be good to give her the backstory. I borrowed a copy of the original 1982 <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084827/">Tron</a> from a friend.<br /><br />(Why is the original so impossible to find, buy, rent right now? I have a theory.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJDqjIr_B-TjGJI-OC4gMwKxoAD-br0rDFgtAkZBd-UbMqMU9VMls0lUvAY3ktzHO58jq9clblrp_WHn7RUnnFsc2enYvPL7BfZwog8B3qeOn4LMBkvhgpncYa8Y9IW-g2D3CJQ/s1600/tronBruce.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJDqjIr_B-TjGJI-OC4gMwKxoAD-br0rDFgtAkZBd-UbMqMU9VMls0lUvAY3ktzHO58jq9clblrp_WHn7RUnnFsc2enYvPL7BfZwog8B3qeOn4LMBkvhgpncYa8Y9IW-g2D3CJQ/s400/tronBruce.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554270669041663874" border="0" /></a>Michelle was out doing some last minute Christmas shopping last night, so I watched the original on my own.<br /><br />Wow. Bad movie. For its time, the environments and animations were amazing, but the story, the action, the costuming, the dialogue and anything else you care to mention were stiff and ponderous. Why did I remember the movie so fondly? I guess it was because I was 11 when it came out.<br /><br />I don't recall seeing it in the theater, though it's possible. I probably saw it on TV a few years after it came out, so I was still pretty young. I think I remembered the arcade game more than the movie itself. I'll bet it's so hard to find the original right now because the movie studio doesn't want to turn people off.<br /><br />A couple of easter-eggish things struck me - the poster in Alan's cube and a Pac Man on one of the MCP displays.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3rT9uJPIVZ9pJa-089U-W5OEmqaYZJWwbK07PT5zuliViMUxB4CMzdPwSKmTejSodhZCMNaEkghzgn8aA6U5ensim6NjcwtnE2PGayT91dJpcoDjF5Mw1sC7dhp9G8RD-e0woQ/s1600/klaatu.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3rT9uJPIVZ9pJa-089U-W5OEmqaYZJWwbK07PT5zuliViMUxB4CMzdPwSKmTejSodhZCMNaEkghzgn8aA6U5ensim6NjcwtnE2PGayT91dJpcoDjF5Mw1sC7dhp9G8RD-e0woQ/s400/klaatu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554272298470154194" border="0" /></a>I've heard good things about Tron Legacy - I'll be going to see it in the next week no matter what.<br /></div>MC Etcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15561113882604526611noreply@blogger.com0