A cron job run updater that pulls from the RSS feed to keep the MT-blacklist updated. Need to install this ASAP.
hack a day - www.hackaday.com _
This site has a lot of cool projects and links. Saved here for reference.
design in-flight: DIY Photography on the cheap
This article is a wealth of info about how to setup a photography studio/setup on the cheap. Great reference.
Another cool project that makes a giant Raid array out of cheap parts. I really need to make one of these eventually. Harold and I should cobble one together to put at his CoLo for all those things we want to store like all his albums he ripped and everything to do with games and crap.
Cruft: How to make a gyro cooker
This guy has a cool do-it-yourself for a gyro meat cooker. I think I would have done it differently but this is a good example to start from. I could see making an allowance for something like this in the permanent BBQ rig I want to make.
Plus he links to this recipe for the meat.
Sin in Linen: Try something new in bed!
Where were these when I was in college? I totally would have had some of these punk/pin-up style bed linens.
This site is an incredible storehouse of info on ancient and current Masonic orders. Some really neat pictures and other cool items.
Box Templates - Paperandmore.com
A whole collection of paper box templates. Includes one for a takeout box and a bonbon box.
RailDriver Desktop Train Cab Controller
This would be really cool to get for a model train setup. I will need to tell my uncle about this as he has an entire floor of his house turned over to a giant model train layout.
Chemical & Engineering News: What's That Stuff?
A collection of articles from the Chemical and Engineering News that explains what the composition is of some common things like self-tanners, Cheese Whiz, and Silly Putty. The self tanner thing was pretty interesting and was at a science level where the average person should not find the explanation too intimidating.
These are amazing. I love this style. I think it would be neat to do a nursery in characters in a style like this instead of the usual cutsey animals. Or do a futuristic Noah's Ark using aliens instead of hippos and giraffes. Quirky.
Ten CSS tricks you may not know : evolt.org, Code
I wanted to just file this link away for later when I am trying to make my blog look better. Neat little tips for CSS.
A gallery of pictures from various costume events. Cool stuff to check out is the Easter stuff (parades and parties), the Halloween stuff, and (NSFW) the fetish stuff.
Swimming pool control with Linux
A page showing how this guy controls his pool chemistry using a Linux setup to manage maintenace and dispensing. Excellent!
Carbonating at Home with Improvised Equipment and Soda Fountains
A great resource for someone considering home carbonation. This guy really covers all the bases explaining both the science of it and his own personal experience.
A neat catalog of parts you can buy and the projects you can build with them. Lots of fun science projects/experiments.
Yesterday was the last performance for our show and I wanted to put some thoughts here to help me remember the experience. This is one of the functions of Auxiliary Memory that I don't use it for enough of the time. Here we go; my love letter to the cast, crew, and experience of Once Upon A Mattress.
Firstly, I want to remember the lovely lady who attended the show yesterday in a beautiful ivory pantsuit, and who was sitting in a wheelchair. Her chair was in the front very near the stage so I saw her face several times during the show when she would smile or laugh at something. She motioned to me after the show as her companion wheeled her out of the theatre and she grabbed my hands and told me what a wonderful time she had. I noticed then that despite her wonderful outfit she was obviously in a great deal of discomfort from the maladies that were probably what kept her in that wheelchair. She said, "What was magical for me was when I got so caught up that I forgot being where I was and I was up there where you were, with you." This was very touching coming from someone who so obviously needed such a distraction and I was too choked up to reply for a second. These are the kinds of moments that make all the petty dramas surrounding a show go away and make all the effort and inconvenience worthwhile. Thank you to that sweet lady and I hope we really did make things better for her for a short while.
Next I want to remember two specific compliments I received on my performance. This role was a little out of my comfort zone and health issues (bronchitis and a series of head and chest infections) combined with that to make me very self-critical of my performances. Early in the run I had a nice older lady come up to me and tell me she thought I played "a wonderful cad". This was such a sweet comment and so specific to the character that it really helped me and gave me a needed confidence boost at a point where I was questioning every single thing I was doing with the character. Secondly, another lady came up to me after the last show yesterday. She walked across the room directly to me to tell me this comment and at first I thought from the way she approached me that she was someone I already knew. She came up and said. "I wanted to tell you I can't imagine anyone but you playing your role. You were wonderful." I think I actually blushed at this gracious compliment and I thanked her for letting me know how much she enjoyed it. Thank you again to both of these ladies for sharing their comments with me.
Next I want to remember the wonderful cast of this show and all the good and funny things that happened. We had our fair share of bitching about various stupid things that seem to be the norm when one participates in community theatre but the overwhelming majority of the time people tried to behave professionally and pulled together or went out of their way to make things better for everyone. I want to thank our Queen Aggravain for being such a trouper despite an early ankle injury which she unfairly blamed herself. She complained less than most and seemed to me to be an example of how someone should behave "professionally". I want to thank our Jester for his wonderful ad-libs and his positive attitude that always helped to distract people from the aggravating minutiae that occurred. Thanks to Prince Dauntless for a wacky, funny, creepy, silly, very confused little prince. I think I laughed at something you did every single performance. Thanks to our wonderful Winifred and our great King Sextimus who both gave everything they had to every performance. Thanks to my Lady Larken who always tried to make me feel better about how I was doing and never tired of trying to get slapping me "just right". Thanks to the Minstrel for never letting me miss our big "running you out of town" scene. Thanks to our Director and Assistant Director for giving me the space to find this character especially when some days it didn't look like I even knew what direction to look. A big thanks to our excellent and patient Costumer. You made a good experience great. And I want to remember that at some point almost everyone in the cast covered or faked it or just muddled through when things didn't go exactly as planned. You were all wonderful and I am glad I had the opportunity to work with you all.
Random things to remember. Marionettes princes and wagging tails. Flowers which wouldn't stay on costumes. "Transferable" body glitter. The Director appearing as one of the mattress "lumps". The night I got to hold the antlers and mug for all it was worth. The Jester having to go to the green room in search of Prince Dauntless for his Man To Man talk. The night I almost dropped/fell over kissing Lady Larken. The gentleman in the front row who did a one man standing O. The quirky audience members who sometimes surprised me at the things they did and didn't find funny.
Things with this show didn't always go as planned and there were times that things seemed specifically designed to piss people off but the overwhelmingly greater bulk of it was a good experience. As usual, really. I find that the things I try to remember are the positive things because I really only do this because I enjoy it. So thank you to everyone who was involved with this show and everyone who came to see it and all of the family members that put up with being without us while we ran around playing dress-up. As usual we couldn't do it without every single one of you.
An idiot's guide to making a Lexmark CD/DVD printer.
Not for the faint of heart. Requires some crafting skills.
Sanctum mekkanicum: Google Maps on Sony PSP
Another post in my ongoing quest to justify my purchase of a PSP. Need to remember this one next time I go on vacation. Google maps on the PSP.
ar1essay.htm: some web-searching knowledge, worked out and folded toghether
Some collected tips for searching for items people have stashed on the Intarweb in open directories. "Thars gold in them thar hills!"
Scott Thigpen is agreat artist and I absolutely love his stuff. I will need to pick up an original at some point. The above link is to his flickr gallery. Make sure to check out the Girls and Sexy sets.
Here is a link to his website.
A collection of olive oil posters. Some are humorous, some are retro. Neat site.
Hawaiian Postcards - Vintage Postcards 1
Excellent selection of Vintage Hawaiian postcards.
From the site "Pacifica proudly introduces our newest line of Postcards featuring 30 styles of unique vintage designs from the last century. Many of these images were originally produced as music sheet covers, brochures, travel posters, labels and convey the charm of this bygone era.
They are printed on Heavyweight, Chlorine-Free, 20% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper with a Matte Varnish Finish and Die Cut Rounded Corners. The size is 3.875 x 5.75 inches"
Superdickery.com: Seduction of the Innocent
Seduction of the Innocent: a collection of comic covers and panels that make you want to say "Now that's just not right." Of course if you swing that way this might be a much more exciting site for you.
I especially found this one funny.
Another Art link. This site has a gallery with lots of cool stuff. The latest show has Rat Rod pin-ups and cool tiki paintings.
Lovecraft Country Comic: Return to Arkham
A very neat graphic story done in the Lovecraftian mold. Leaves lots up to the imagination but has beautiful black and white art.
Bad to the Last Drop - New York Times
This is a great article regarding the senselessness of drinking bottled water. I've always suspected something like this. It's nice to be vindicated.
Heat & Glo - No one builds a better fire
Here's a fireplace that you can mount in the middle of your home with no chimney that uses water for fuel. Trippy. I want one.
Guide to Shooting Rubber Bands
A rather extensive site dedicated to the Art/Science of shooting rubber bands. Excellent time-waster.
A forum post with some great pictures of cats caught midflight. Nice timing. I especially like the one with the calico leaping towards the camera and the last one where he is upside down in relation to the camera. Really cute.
It sounds like a Pr0n site but it's not. Lots of freaky little critters. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for all the cool goodies; buttons, patches and jewelry (blingies). Tee Hee.
Miles Thompson's site. He has lots of strange and wonderful things here. I especially like the tikis and girls. Miles has worked on Dexter's Laboratory and Mucha Lucha. Some of his religious iconography is a little out there but it will make you think. Scroll down to the bottom and click on the gallery link to get to his Tiki stuff.
Pablo's Inferno : Rhode Montijo
Pablo's Inferno is a neat looking comic by Rhode Montijo who was also one of the people responsible for Happy Tree Friends. This looks like a really interesting comic. You can download a free PDF copy of the first issue in the freebies section and see how little Pablo gets sent to Hell in the first place. I love some of the goodies including the neat little flame stickers.
