lost?

Maybe this pic will help. It is the first photo of the earth taken from the surface of another planet (namely Mars, and not counting the moon). It was taken by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit. Worth posting? Well, I think so, but I'm a geek.

Gotta love the rovers. The ultimate remote control vehicles. Sweet.

hurricane katrina...

What can be said. I wish I was already trained in search and rescue and could go help. But there's one thing we all can do: donate to the Red Cross. To double your donation, visit your local Lowe's Home Improvement Center. They have pledged to match all customer donations up to $1 million.

Next, go out and get yourself some useful training, like CPR and first aid. The Red Cross offers classes like these all over the United States. Classes are even offered on weekends and in the evening, so no whinin' about "I've got a job and can't take a class". No matter where you live, some sort of natural disaster or accident can happen, so prepare yourself. Maybe you'll save someone.

kill bill...

Here I sit, watching Kill Bill: Vol. 2 for the billionth time. I can't help it. I can watch the Kill Bills over and over (and have been) without getting tired of them at all. I love me some David Carradine & Uma.

Homer sez: Mmmm...... Uuuuummmmmaaaa...... {NSFW}

New Orleans: damn it!

Well, damn it. It looks as though I may have put off going to the Big Easy a little too long. By daybreak I think a good portion of it will be in a sorry state, courtesy of Katrina. That bitch!

If my procrastination wasn't bad enough, we've been considering doing a multi-stop vacation this fall which may have included New Orleans (well, I hadn't really discussed that stop with the rest of the family unit, but it had occurred to me). With only a month and a half until fall break, I think it's safe to say "nevermind".

To add insult to injury, Katrina's current projected path aligns her for a near-perfect head-on collision with our house. Of course she'll be considerably weaker at that point, but since she's currently a Category 5 she could still pack a considerable wallop when she shows up. We could definitely use the rain, but not the wind. I'm not going to complain, though. Those on the Gulf Coast will have it a lot worse that us no matter how it goes. Go ahead and visit the Red Cross and make a donation, folks. This one's gonna be big. And expensive.

hackin' ain't just for computers anymore...

Actually, it never was just for computers. Ever since I was a kid I have disassembled, hodge-podged and slapped together everything from toys to clocks to bikes to cars & trucks to... well, you get the idea.

Now, at long last, there is a publication that caters to weirdos such as myself: MAKE. It covers everything from embedding a MacMini in your VW to rigging cameras on kites for low-budget aerial photography to home-built backyard monorails. Geek heaven!

When is a magazine worth $15? When it's MAKE. Never has a publication inspired me to spend more money and time on useless but nonetheless entertaining things. If this publication looks even halfway entertaining to you, subscribe! It would be a shame to see this mag not make it due to financial reasons.

Sure, they could have just launched a website, but there's just something about having a physical publication to flip through. It won't be long 'til some of these contraptions and projects start showing up here.

boat buildin' and other enormous projects

Well, being a professional tinkerer/hacker/jack-of-all-trades, I've wanted for some time to build a boat. Naturally, I'd love to just jump in and start some colossal wood craft, but lack of financing and workspace prohibit that!

That's where Uncle John's Classic Cajun Pirogue kit comes in. It's simple. It's cheap. It actually looks pretty damn good. Best of all, my daughter Z said she'd like to help build it. So I guess our winter project is all lined up for this year. Progress will, of course, be charted here and/or a project-specific blog.

Now if only a truly cheap kit plane could be had. But I suppose flight instruction and a pilot's license might be in order first. At least they finally passed a new sport pilot certificate requiring less instruction (and therefore expense) which limits the pilot to only smaller, slower, 2-seater aircraft. I'm in, baby! Well, when the wallet says I can, anyway.

oh, quitcher cryin'! I finally got around to posting again.

For someone who is ALWAYS online, I have no idea why I find it so difficult to get around to posting. Maybe it's the general dissatisfaction and depression of having to deal with my main freelance client. Maybe it's my AADD (adult attention deficit disorder). Maybe I'm a lazy bastard. Hmm... I think I'm zeroing in on it...

Anyway...

Some good news! Funky (the other half) is pregnant! Found out midnight Saturday, which is probably pretty close to the time that the illustrious Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's earthly remains were launched towards the heavens courtesy of some enormous fireworks shells created by the Zambelli folks.

Is it a boy? Is it a girl? Is it a they? Who knows! We're only at 4 or 5 weeks.