tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39237292011-07-17T14:43:56.600-07:00Sporadically ConsistentN!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.comBlogger1801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-30091359466476278692011-05-31T00:13:00.000-07:002011-05-31T00:13:07.860-07:00

That may be a record for me. I was recently diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and have been learning to live with a CPAP machine. It has been a little hit and miss over the last couple months, and have decided to re-purpose this space into a log of my successes and struggles with the machine. Not that anyone cares. Or is reading. Anyway, it is currently just after 1am and I need to give the

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-67686723000950719472010-02-03T23:22:00.001-07:002010-02-16T21:31:19.569-07:00

Was just listening to an On The Media segment about the history and  uses of the "Ambush Interview" and believe that I've come up with the perfect defense to them. The goal of most modern ambush interviews is not to actually get an interview, but to get the spectacle of someone you've already established to your audience as being the Bad Guy in the narrative being off guard and flustered and not

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-12899054104778369602010-02-01T23:55:00.000-07:002010-02-01T23:55:19.769-07:00

We're considering buying the house we live in from our landed lords, so I swung over to the assessor's web site to see what it was appraised at. See if you can spot the where the housing bubble began in this table of valuations: Year Assessed Value var cnt=0; var gyear[]= new Array(); var gval[]= new Array(); 2009 $146,900 gyear[cnt]="2009"; gval[cnt]=

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-67737523822264294212009-11-28T22:45:00.000-07:002009-11-28T22:45:53.920-07:00

"Nomi?" "Yeah?" "How much do you love me?" "....Why?" "Cause I left my book in the car and I don't want to have to put on clothes to go get it." "You want to know if I love you enough to go out into the cold and rain and get your book, which you left there, so you don't have to put on pants?" "Yes." ...... "What have you done for me lately?"

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-893939052391630612009-11-28T22:39:00.000-07:002009-11-28T22:39:47.864-07:00

Had some friends over this evening, and while we were talking I fired up Super Mario World on my Wii's Virtual Console. While I played, one friend asked a question to the effect of, "Do we still play games like this one because it's truly a great game, or is it not actually that great and we just play it for nostalgia? I mean, when your [my] kids [who are 2 and 4] hit that magic video game

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-83033924630374345562009-08-18T23:03:00.002-07:002009-08-18T23:13:52.791-07:00

This is what passes for discourse on health care.Via.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-75131321037975628492009-08-16T14:34:00.002-07:002009-08-16T14:56:29.551-07:00

The method that Google uses to scan books for their Google Books project is pretty interesting. Basically, they take a photo of each pair of pages as the book lays open on a table. Then they use software to digitally "unbend" the image so that it looks like a flat scan. Anyway, it looks like sometimes the person doing the scanning doesn't move quite quick enough for the camera. Check out page 492

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-77651655006281287782009-07-27T23:54:00.000-07:002009-07-27T23:55:00.517-07:00

since I felt this raw hunger for more knowledge.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-53017589354261760122009-07-27T10:48:00.002-07:002009-07-27T10:53:00.425-07:00

This just in:"In a study released last week, Markus Jokela, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, found beautiful women had up to 16% more children than their plainer counterparts."From; Via

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-11389131424116336662009-06-04T10:29:00.002-07:002009-06-04T10:45:55.630-07:00

My friend Andrew Goodman just sent me a link to his latest project "Exhumation" - go watch it here.This piece is particularly well served by reading the abstract/artist's statement, part of which I'll quote hereExhumation is an interactive piece exploring the role of the image in the creation and perpetuation of scientific racism in the 19th century. Just as a body may be exhumed in order to

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-10204797618159170972009-04-15T21:54:00.001-07:002009-04-15T21:56:30.544-07:00

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-27624208299782766562009-03-23T11:19:00.000-07:002009-03-23T11:21:37.790-07:00

Me and the kids.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-37625138967297721062009-01-30T09:32:00.002-07:002009-01-30T10:19:36.645-07:00

I came across the following sentence in this article in the NYT MagazineIn the International Academy of Sex Research, the 35-year-old institution that publishes Archives of Sexual Behavior and that can claim, Bancroft said, most of the field’s leading researchers among its 300 or so members, women make up just over a quarter of the organization.Not be overly critical (every writer turns a sour

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-70558596166228799122008-12-29T00:18:00.001-07:002008-12-29T00:19:31.704-07:00

A physical card-file in a library.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-49097690888136576972008-12-24T21:13:00.002-07:002008-12-24T21:20:06.728-07:00

He always has to be the good guy.Always.Even when he's playing a fucking Nazi, he has to be the good guy.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-49547245660295869902008-12-21T21:27:00.001-07:002008-12-21T21:27:58.199-07:00

Occasionally I come across articles about some person or organization trashing Wikipedia, particularly its appropriateness in an educational settings. I used to be sort of in line with these people, thinking that Wikipedia was fine for casual research and for getting a start on a topic or finding your way to better sources. I feel like my position on that subject is changing or softening, and I

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-51174875475579594382008-10-02T23:02:00.005-07:002008-10-03T00:34:12.163-07:00

I picked up the Adventurer's Vault for 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons the other day and finally got my first good look at it.I must say I am impressed. It is packed full of goodies, mundane and magical (tho mostly magical) and has a very impressive variety, with something for every class (including a few that haven't been released yet), every level and every style of play.It kicks off with a

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-16331960067663467902008-10-02T19:30:00.002-07:002008-10-02T19:42:22.566-07:00

My 3 year old daughter has a word that uses often in place of "later." She'll say things like, "We're going to Gran-ma Shari's tuhlader" or I don't want to go to sleep now, I want to go tuhlader"I've been wondering about that and I've come up with 2 explanations.1. She's blending the phrase "until later." I'll have to listen for it, but I suspect we often tell her that she can't do something "

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-31355723015178652952008-05-10T00:23:00.004-07:002008-05-10T01:04:27.104-07:00

The OED is the Oxford English Dictionary, a dictionary unlike any other in any language. Most dictionaries catalog the most common words and their most common uses, spellings and pronunciations. As languages change, new words arise, old words fall out of common use and the dictionary updates to reflect these changes.The OED is different in that once a word goes into the OED, it never comes out.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1575891071194739902008-02-12T00:17:00.000-07:002008-02-12T00:20:49.533-07:00

Check this out. This is what happens when you don't have some kind of filter on your comments. I counted more than 375 spam comments to about 15 legit ones, and most of those legit comments were comments on the spam itself.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-28467395116261924342008-01-12T00:27:00.000-07:002008-01-12T00:54:19.261-07:00

There are lots of words that we say and hear everyday, but don't necessarily find an opportunity to write down or see in print. With words and phrases like this, people apply what they know about the patterns and structures of their language to come to an interpretation of the word to be able to continue to use it. Occasionally, this kind of interpretation is very different from what could be

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-45554546321091440722007-12-20T23:40:00.001-07:002008-05-10T01:25:26.332-07:00

Some weeks ago I read a headline in the local paper that read something along the lines of "Local Teen to be Tried as Adult." I didn't read the article so I have no idea what this particular case was about, but the headline and the notion of trying children as adults stuck with me.I've given it some thought, and I am categorically against trying children as adults, at least the way we go about it

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-73118527131827325622007-09-10T22:51:00.000-07:002007-09-10T23:23:31.168-07:00

capitalizing on the endless mirth that can be had by referring to General Petraeus as "The Surge Protector?"

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-60095125153197905582007-09-05T23:40:00.000-07:002007-09-06T00:32:36.725-07:00

This is pretty cool. While marketed towards conservative Muslim women, it has growing appeal with other groups, such as conservative Christians, people with various ailments that make them sensitive to sunlight, as well as women who are just plain uncomfortable in a more modern 1 or 2 piece swimsuit.Some of the reactions have been interesting as well. One in particular that caught my eye was this

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-72723462162688084032007-06-26T15:33:00.001-07:002007-06-26T15:47:09.717-07:00

(Chinglish?)We got Chinese take-out on Sunday, and the following was printed on my chopsticks.On the front:Welcome to Chinese Restaurant.Please try your Nice Chinese Food With Chopsticksthe traditional and typical glonous historyand cultual.And the backLearn how to use your chopsticksTuk under thurnband held firmlyAdd second chopstickhold it as you holda pencilHold first chopstickin originai

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-75921947610061827322007-05-06T01:08:00.000-07:002007-05-06T01:13:23.639-07:00

that if Jesus came back this tomorrow and started doing whatever it is that he needs to do during his second coming, that the vast majority of the people today would be just like the vast majority during his first go round in that we would simply not understand what he was up to.The things that hold his attention, the places he goes, the people he talks with and the stuff he does would completely

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-20480919256391753752007-05-04T13:49:00.000-07:002007-05-04T14:24:39.526-07:00

[Hundreds of Email addresses in the header had to be edited out because people don't listen to me]Subject: DON'T PUMP YOUR GAS ON MAY 15TH 2007MARK YOUR CALENDERS AND DON'T PUMP YOUR GAS ON MAY 15TH 2007Don't pump gas on May 15thIn April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.On May 15th 2007, all AMERICANS

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-36418846137015284082007-04-23T10:59:00.000-07:002007-04-23T11:04:37.052-07:00

is probably the only con in existence where everybody involved (and most people who aren't, including me) hope that it doesn't happen again next year. That being said, it sounds cool and I hope everybody who attends has a good time. Check it out here.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-7216622136603018862007-04-14T08:31:00.000-07:002007-04-14T08:32:08.695-07:00

the machine doesn't care if you're angry with it.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-62728083885031010632007-04-12T20:04:00.000-07:002007-04-12T20:07:30.229-07:00

In the interest of broader race relations, we must allow for the fact that people will make the occasional bone-headed remark that will upset others. When this happens, the offender should be allowed to offer an apology and, more importantly, that apology should be accepted.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-38254444902687165202007-04-09T21:04:00.000-07:002007-04-09T21:20:44.505-07:00

I like this better than my eariler thoughts. This is along the same lines, but much clearer and more robust than the other post.Racist, prejudiced thinking comes very easy to people all over the world. I would venture to say that most, if not all, cultures around the world have at some point in their history engaged in stereotyping "Them" as generally negative, if not outright evil. A possible

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-47775223245113058052007-04-09T20:57:00.000-07:002007-04-09T21:02:36.574-07:00

the foreign press compares your country's foreign policy to an an episode of Seinfeld.It's a worse sign when they appear to have a point.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-13357286828476100712007-03-09T23:58:00.000-07:002007-03-10T00:57:01.720-07:00

Wow, that's a pompous title.Anyway, just got back from seeing 300 (it rocks, highly recommended) and there were two references to Catholicism in the previews (300 itself predates Catholicism by a fair bit). First, there was a Catholic priest, recognizable by his collar in a trailer for The Reaping and, evidently, Eddie Brock in Spiderman 3 is a Catholic too (he was shown crossing himself with

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-17821631549974089632007-03-07T23:23:00.000-07:002007-03-07T23:28:53.930-07:00

"The World is too much with us"Truer now than thenwe scramble for purchase, footinglike frightened ants and busy men"The World is too much with us"it's never left my sidea constant nuisance, ever-presentas inexorable as a tide"The World is too much with us"I'd like to leave awhileto let my thoughts collect themselvesand gather life more fertile"The World is too much with us"Wm Wordsworth once did

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-46413136521023982562007-01-11T14:43:00.000-07:002007-01-11T16:02:05.097-07:00

I have come across the phrase "global warming deniers." "Global warming deniers" yields 238k results on Google and searching the exact phrase (" 'global warming deniers' ") yields 133k, so the phrase is in fairly wide usage. It struck me as a very powerful thing to call someone, for several reasons.The first is the word "deny." To deny, in this sense, is to be contradictory, to refuse

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-79260227313076627832007-01-09T06:53:00.000-07:002007-01-09T06:54:53.531-07:00

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-92159853813105089272007-01-05T20:50:00.001-07:002007-01-05T20:50:59.489-07:00

We actually had a decent snow here a few weeks ago. Several inches, lasted more than an hour (couple days in fact) all in all a kind of rare treat for us down in the valley.Anyway, it wasn't until I saw the rain-eaten remains of a snowman yesterday that I realized it never occurred to me to make a snowman. It never occurred to me to go sledding or make snow angels or have a snowball fight or any

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-57781211653693467652007-01-03T20:12:00.000-07:002007-01-03T20:38:40.620-07:00

My friend and I have a theory that there may be an evolutionary component to prejudice. Bear in my I do not submit this as means for someone to excuse their prejudice, or to try and make prejudice OK, merely as an attempt to explain why prejudice in humans is pretty much universal, and so easily acquired.First off, we define prejudice: as a noun, prejudice is defined by the American Heritage

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-68819774070865649702006-12-18T19:03:00.001-07:002006-12-18T19:07:38.158-07:00

about getting a haircut is how every person I meet for three days has to comment on it.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-91095473973614299192006-12-15T20:50:00.001-07:002006-12-18T19:07:23.928-07:00

You can tell it's going to be a weird post when I feel that I need to establish that right off the bat.Earlier this week there was a conference of sorts in Tehran. Iran invited people from all over the world to share papers and research they had conducted regarding the holocaust, pretty much exclusively research that concludes that the holocaust was either faked or exaggerated. Iranian President

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-87134175563859419942006-11-29T20:51:00.000-07:002006-11-29T21:27:18.322-07:00

do a Google search for ZuneChannel.com. What you won't find is a result for ZuneChannel.com the website (that's here, if you're curious). What, or rather who, you will find is Gene From ZuneChannel.com. Gene's a busy man, it seems. Where ever on the web there is an article discussing the Zune, he's there. Relentlessly optimistic, fiercely protective and always polite to a fault, this man loves

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1163352508510772532006-11-12T10:28:00.000-07:002006-11-12T18:33:03.813-07:00

of the Sunday Herald, wrote a very interesting article on how James Bond is something of a constant in Britain, despite five decades of massive change. The full article is here but what I want to point out is his conclusion:"It is part of the weird circularity of watching Casino Royale that here is the same character, far closer in many ways to Fleming’s intentions than even Connery (Craig looks

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1161142341307275832006-10-17T20:25:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:19.249-07:00

but still a very junior one. One day, I hope to find this funnier than I already do:Q: Two linguists were walking down the street. Which one was the specialist in contextually indicated deixis and anaphoric reference resolution strategies?A: The other one.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1158291981160858552006-09-14T20:46:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:19.156-07:00

but I do anyway.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1157657227739222122006-09-07T12:27:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:19.072-07:00

Well, this is interesting.... I'll have to play with it and see if it's cool....

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1157259219330744822006-09-02T21:53:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.904-07:00

.... a lot.I just opened my browsing history, and was struck by how long it was. After a moment or two, I determined that today alone I have visited 181 seperate webpages on 48 different hosts. I didn't quite expect the numbers to be that high. I haven't even done any really hard researching or anything today, just normal surfing.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1156167199497659642006-08-21T06:33:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.825-07:00

Bearing in mind that I am not an economist, I came up with the following.In economics there something known as transaction costs. These are all the costs involved with any kind of economic exchange, above and beyond the actual price of the item or transaction. For example, the transaction costs associated with buying a gallon milk is not only the price of the milk itself (pushing $3.00 a gallon

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1155526410573882392006-08-13T20:33:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.658-07:00

has proved to be fairly quiet, which is nice, but I fear that will come to an end at noon on Friday. You see, we live in student housing now, and while our building and the ones immediately around us are family apartments, the majority of the complex consists of quad style dorms. Currently, only one dorm building is open, but rest will open up at the end of the week for the fall semester, and I

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1154758468254368152006-08-04T23:14:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.578-07:00

claiming God is on your side, as opposed to someone else's, is approaching the height of hubris. God is on His own side, if anything, and all we can do is our best to stay on it.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1154484329789397872006-08-01T19:05:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.497-07:00

Was watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and got to the point where the other Golden Ticket winners are introduced and found myself a little upset that Americans in the movie are portrayed so negatively. The kids are violent, disrespectful and a little amoral; their parents are either spineless and ineffectual or worse than their kids.These thoughts were quickly followed by my wondering why

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1153472429817398712006-07-21T02:00:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.417-07:00

Open your preferred e-mail client, either on your computer (Outlook Express, Apple Mail) web-based (too many to list) and open up a blank email. At the top of the window, there should be three boxes: "To:" "Cc:" and "Bcc:" If there is no Bcc box, hunt around for the option to enable it; these boxes in general and that one in particular, will be our focus today."To:" is simple enough; the

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1153202503416083932006-07-17T23:01:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.331-07:00

I'd ever be at a place in my life where I have a strong preference on my measuring cups and spoons, but here I am. The size of the cup or spoon must be stamped, engraved or printed in raised letters, not merely painted or printed on. The printing wears off after a few washings, and before long you have no clue if you're holding a 1 or 1/2 teaspoon utensil. Getting older does strange things to you

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1152420323475737692006-07-08T21:45:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.250-07:00

what we're going to do with our "dream house," that is the house we build once we win the lottery (almost certain to never happen because we don't play the lotto) and after moving into our new apartment I've decided that our dream house will have a stupid number electrical outlets. I'm talking a pair of outlets every four feet in every room, hallway, garage, shed and even outside (Probably not

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1152257368578111922006-07-07T00:29:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.177-07:00

In high school, did your friends call you Egg?

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1151991487494070792006-07-03T22:38:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:18.090-07:00

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1151687367214174482006-06-30T10:09:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.989-07:00

an interesting theory regarding homosexuality, and how people truly opposed to homosexuality should actually be in favor of gay marriage. The argument goes something like this: It is generally argued, at least by thoes who are themselves gay, that being gay is not a "choice;" I certainly have never heard someone say, "Well, I could have been straight, but I just prefer to be gay." This implies

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1151650785403754952006-06-29T23:59:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.911-07:00

makes me happy.Guantanamo Bay has never reallly sat well with me, and has sort of become a symbol of the ever-expanding power of the executive branch. Of course, this does not mean that "Gitmo" (in military parlance) will be shut down; merely that the president's preferred method of bringing the suspects held there to trial is illegal, and he will either have to persue conventional means of

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1151464546077976042006-06-27T20:15:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.831-07:00

understanding how self-described conservatives can still support the Republican party. From what I'm told being conservative (broadly) means you support smaller, less intrusive government and a conservative social agenda. As near as I can tell, this is not was the GOP is about anymore. During the past six years, Republicans have contolled the white house, enjoyed a majority in the House and at

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1150958603573218572006-06-21T23:43:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.759-07:00

and it was the greatest $15 we ever made, and now ranks 3rd on my personal list Greatest Things Ever (#1 is marrying Nomi, #2 is Sydney). If I had known that not having a TV is the great, I would have given it away. If there were no takers, I would shot the damn thing. It's really hard to see how much time was wasted on that stupid thing until you get rid of it. I propose a challenge to (all) my

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1149081470472368722006-05-31T06:15:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.684-07:00

The melding of famous couples first names. First we had "Bennifer," now witness, "Brangelina."Ugh.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1144352334623630342006-04-06T12:38:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.525-07:00

You can tell the bands that people really like because they go to the trouble of actually paying for the music.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1144304382887331072006-04-05T23:19:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:17.449-07:00

I just saw a Trojan condom commercial that stated "50,000 people a day in America get an STD." If you follow that logic to it's conclusion, in just over 16 years every single person in America will have an STD.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1141794264508851802006-03-07T22:04:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.816-07:00

This is really fascinating. First off, let me serve up the relevant websites. You can find many articles on the web or you can visit the official web site but I recommend this article. It's almost a year old, but it's the most in depth article I've come across and it's where I draw most of my information.Now, on to a summary and my thoughts.Thomas Monaghan, founder and former owner of Domino's

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1141351276402956632006-03-02T19:01:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.739-07:00

that hasbrowns are a breakfast food, but tater tots, which are exactly hasbrowns but with a different morphology, are not?

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1141276012563996912006-03-01T22:06:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.586-07:00

Yatta, both the original and the Irrational Exuberance version (neiter of which makes much sense but this translation of the lyrics takes the edge off) and all she had to say was "Monstera deliciosa! Thoes aren't fig leaves! They're split-leaf philodendrons, they are!" She went on to explain that they really aren't philodendrons.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1140723877011025142006-02-23T12:44:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.513-07:00

He sounded really worried that the two endcaps, featuring mostly Bud, Coors and Keystone, was all the beer in the store."The rest is on aisle 8.""Aisle 8," he repeated with a sigh. "Excellent." And off he went.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1138766848437269152006-01-31T21:07:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.416-07:00

some random blogs, something I haven't done a while, and was upset to find 4 spam blogs in the 20 or so that I visited. I flaged them, and hopefully Google will have the good sense to remove them.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1138437733650188162006-01-28T01:42:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.331-07:00

The UPC Database online. Plug in a UPC and see what it belongs to. You can also add UPCs that are not in the database. It knew what my copy of H&R Block TaxCut was, but I had to add the Brita filters we just bought (though it did know that it was form the Brita company). There is also and interesting (to the geekish type anyway) explaination of what the numbers in a UPC mean.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1138246467833890492006-01-25T20:34:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.188-07:00

Google just launched Chinese version of it's search engine. In a major concession to Chinese government, it is self-censoring. For a company who's unofficial motto is "Don't be evil," the fact that they bent over in the name almighty dollar raises some interesting moral/ethical questions. By the way, I checked it out and tried some very risque image searches and it was like the internet was

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1137783540973716542006-01-20T11:16:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.120-07:00

I have long wanted to buy some genealogy software and begin tracing my roots. Recently, I came across some info on my great-great uncle, Rev. William Ferree, S.M., Ph.D. (1905-1985), that clinched it for me. It turns out, in addition to being a Catholic Priest, he was a professor of philosophy and greatly interested in social justice. here is a short bio of the man, and here (.pdf)is something he

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1135659620865321862005-12-26T22:00:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:15.051-07:00

so I implemented some a couple of things so ensure that never happens again. If you care to leave a comment, you now have to enter a word verification before it will be published (something a spam-bot can't do) plus I'll have to approve them all on a comment by comment basis. It's not like I have a deluge of comments on this narcissistic little webpage, so it won't be any trouble.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1134969527563622782005-12-18T22:18:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.973-07:00

The above debate has occurred, with precision, this time every year, but this time around people on both sides of the fence seem especially boisterous, if not exceptionally intelligent. My two cents follow: 1. The Tree. I find it fascinating that self-described Christians are fighting so hard to keep the ancient Greek work for 'mesiah' attached to a pre-Christian Druidic symbol for spring and

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1133244756291549712005-11-28T23:12:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.905-07:00

A lady customer approached me at the self-checkout I was manning, carrying a bottle powdered instant breakfast."Can you buy this with food stamps?"I checked on the computer and said no, you can't."Well, you should fix that, because I have this for breakfast every morning so it's food." She inflected the word you, as if I, personally, could effect the change."Oh ma'am, I don't make that descion.""

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1132603746459787612005-11-21T13:09:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.827-07:00

will be six months old this week, and I can hardly know where to begin. First of all, she's the wrong age. I can't tell weather it feels like we've had her forever, or only a few days, but it really seems she's the wrong age. Syd is turing into a little person, as opposed to a baby. Babies just eat, sleep, cry and crap themselves, and while Sydney does her fair share of that, she is also

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1132125830916340062005-11-16T00:23:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.738-07:00

about half past midnight, we found ourselves on Main Street in Nyssa, OR. We had been driving since about eleven, more or less randomly, and philosophizing, as is our wont. We were immeaditly struck by how cool Main Street was under the streetlamps, when we saw an illuminated sign reading "Nyssa Tavern." Someone said, "We should stop and get a beer." "Are they open?" "Yes!" "I'm there!" So

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1131121220624200122005-11-04T09:20:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.668-07:00

Was chatting with my Phillip the Wise (he can quote Gollum in Polish; it doesn't get wiser than that) and he was wondering why rural areas of the country and world tend to have more children than in urban places. I expained that out on the farm, another kid is another pair of hands to get some work done. It you live in a place where you must walk three miles every day for water, then extra legs

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1129961395567390532005-10-21T23:09:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.593-07:00

A few weeks ago, I had Sydney in my arms while we walked through the park. A mother with her young child point our way and said, "Look! There's a daddy with his baby!"I actually turned to see who she was pointing at before I realized she was pointing at me. I had to fight the urge to run over to this woman and explain that I'm not as old as I look.Also:I walked in on two of the younger people at

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1129959581593651232005-10-21T22:39:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.510-07:00

I saw a forgotten pink balloon, barely able to float three inches off the ground for the weight of it's ribbons. I picked it up, trimmed the excess ribbon, and taped it to my work station. For some reason, it was important to me to save this balloon, and it made me happy to place it where others could see.When I got back from break, someone had thrown it away.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1128144868876115462005-09-30T22:34:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.433-07:00

Today, I sold my first Christmas-themed magazine, and saw two seperate ads on television for CDs of Christmas music.There are 86 days until Christmas.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1126886262467153722005-09-16T08:57:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.358-07:00

You oscillate his tit a lot.(This joke was stolen)People often ask me how fatherhood is, and the best adjective I can come up with is weird. I still really don't identify myself as a father, and it's bizarre to think of my father as a grandfather, and my grandparents as great-grandparents.I have noticed that I'm beginning understand parents more. I'm sure all my readers can remember their own

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1125602217867073032005-09-01T12:16:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.286-07:00

is very crowded. It contains myself, my wife, my daughter, my sister, her fiance, and my buddy from Vermont who just moved out West and is looking for a job and a place of his own. There is also my dog Lou, two beta fish, a cat and two ferrets. Today, for the first time since I don't know when, I am the only human in the house. It's quiet and wonderful.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1125129944599387272005-08-27T01:05:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.213-07:00

Is three months old now, and largely the reason I haven't written anything in so long. She pushes herself up onto her elbows whenever she's on her stomach, and pretty much has the whole 'holding my head still' thing down. She loves to sit up (still have to prop her; she dosen't quite got the hang of that yet) and be a part of the conversation, insofar as she is able. About that: she id highly

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1123391982138372712005-08-06T22:19:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:14.132-07:00

that fatherhood has required me to make any uncomfortable sacrifices. I've heard that some new fathers really resent the responsabilities and personal limitations that come with having a child. For the most part, I just accept them as things that I have to, and I do them quite gladly. There is one exception, however. Being married (to a certain extent) and have a baby (to a much larger extent)

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1119678358599655932005-06-24T22:45:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.891-07:00

I've been a little busy, as you can imagine. Sydney is now more than a month old and, for all of us, it has been a month of firsts. First poopy diaper, then shortly, first empty pack of diapers. First (of many) sleepless night. First car trip where we forgot to buckle the baby in her car seat. etc. I'm not very inspiried at this point, so we'll close it here.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1117770721607355122005-06-02T20:52:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.810-07:00

vainglorious moments regarding Sydney. On Memorial Day, we were sitting in the Rose Garden gazeebo, enjoying the afternoon as people passed us by. After about ten minutes, Nomi leaned into me and asked in an irritated whisper, "Why aren't people telling me how cute my baby is!" The next day, we were riding in an elevator to Syds first pediatric visit. Another woman got in the lift and Nomi

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1117643306745490362005-06-01T09:28:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.737-07:00

and we're settling in nicely. I'm waiting for God to yell "Not!" and Syd to develop a six month case of colic. She sleeps well, dosen't fuss for no reason, and nurses like a champ.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1117516530098084882005-05-30T22:15:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.662-07:00

fir the future of videogames. Read this (and this) and fear also.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1117469980260112332005-05-30T09:19:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.578-07:00

No, you idiots, it's my daughter.Here is the story of how my daughter, Sydney Elizabeth Ferree came into existence. You can go here to see some pictures online (click 'sydney elizabeth' in the left hand column). On the evening of Thursday, May 25th, we checked into St. Alphonsus Hospital. Nomi was given a drug to help her cervix dilate, and it required about 12 hours to work. The next day, she

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1117405303064798042005-05-26T00:12:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.461-07:00

it's a little past one am, and I'm sitting in the hospital room while Nomi sleeps. We got here at about five pm, and are now on the thresh hold of giving birth. In the morning, she will be given a drug that starts contractions and... and then we wait. The worst part about inducing labor is how up in the air everything is. The doctor can't tell us what will happen because there too many variables.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1116178699074899782005-05-15T10:38:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.386-07:00

does teaching your children what you believe to be right become brainwashing? This was the question I asked after I saw a lenghty news article about how it appears that a group of polygamists have plans to set up a community in Northern Idaho. Before I go further, allow me to say that if you think polygamy is the key to everlasting life, by all means, go for it; it's certainly not the strangest

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1115653089318732732005-05-09T08:38:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.304-07:00

about Oregon's mileage tax. Basically, because cars are getting more fuel efficient, revenues from gasoline taxes (used to fix roads and fund projects) are falling. As a possible solution, Oregon department of Transportation is conducting a study where drivers are charged for the miles they drive via a specialized GPS in their car. Here is another article, and here is a disenting opinion.I'm glad

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1114276544050955182005-05-08T14:00:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.159-07:00

has caused me to reevaluate my positions on some things. Most recently, I've been thinking about registered sex offenders. In Idaho, as many other places, convicted sex offenders must register their address with local law enforcement. Ada County even has a website where you can get the address and picture of offenders in your zip code.This registry has me conflicted.On one hand, arrests and

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1115395785118614302005-05-06T09:09:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.236-07:00

I feel lucky. Other than the diabetes, this seem sto have been an extremely easy pregnancy, for me at least. There have been no weird 3 am cravings for sardines and bean sprouts (she has had some cravings, but they've been fairly mundane, and nothing that she hasn't craved before) and with one exception, we've managed to avoid any highly emotional pregnant outbursts. The one exception is kind of

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1113071777703972182005-04-09T11:36:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:13.076-07:00

Position #1 High prices at the pump could be good for the country, in the long run. First off, the US has some of the lowest gas prices in the world. In Europe, prices regularly run $4 and $5 USD a gallon, so quit bitching. Second, gas prices are not coming down in the foreseeable future. Why? Two words: 'China' and 'India'. With a combined 2 billion (just under 10 times the population of the

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1112997456737707802005-04-08T14:57:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:12.993-07:00

Today marks one year of continous employment with one company. This is the longest I've worked at one place since 2000.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1112460132529401222005-04-02T09:42:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:12.905-07:00

The wife and I were just figuring what our newborns AC would be: 10 (base) + 2 (tiny size) - 5 (dex 1) = 7

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1112078646714211662005-03-28T23:44:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:12.816-07:00

8 bit music videos.

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1111894984887356662005-03-26T20:43:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:12.732-07:00

what topics become poilte conversation when you're expecting a kid. The other day I was chatting with a co-worker who has a son of her own. We've worked together for about a year, and I would only consider her an acquaintence, but there we were, taking about her Cesearean Section stiches. I can casually mention that my wife has been to the hospital twice since the pregnancy began; once for some

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1111808648424651572005-03-25T20:44:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:12.638-07:00

I come across an artist who simply seizes my attention and will not leave it be. The last time it happened was in the 10th grade (Holy shit! That was 8 years ago!) and it was this guy, though this search will probably give you a better idea of what he's about.Today I came across this guy via this article. Here's some more stuff in the same vein.(Sure I could have explained it out for you, but

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3923729.post-1110907577400033232005-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:002006-11-12T10:22:12.552-07:00

an odd routine. The routine in and of iself is not odd, what's odd is that it is my routine. I wake up at about nine. Not 'set an alarm for nine.' The alarm is set for ten, but recently my body has decided that nine is when I wake up. Even last night, when I didn't get to sleep until ten hours ante meridian (a prize* for the reader who can tell me what time I went to bed), I just kind of woke up

N!http://www.blogger.com/profile/12108396797760302104noreply@blogger.com0