September 2010
1 post
May 2010
2 posts
“They don’t even have Mr. Pibb; they foist Dr. Pepper on you with a...”
– David Foster Wallace, Shipping Out
This may be why I don’t particularly care for DFW.
April 2010
1 post
Nesting Dolls
I’m in the middle of installing Windows XP in VirtualBox running on Ubuntu Netbook Remix, which is running in VirtualBox on Windows 7. There is a method to my madness, I promise.
Update: I somehow ended up running two simultaneous software updates and didn’t notice until I tried to reboot while the first update was still going. Result: Broken system. I guess it’s going to...
March 2010
1 post
“It’s ‘Anaconda meets Jurassic Park,’ ” says Jason Head,...”
– NPR: Snake Vs. Dinosaur Deathmatch Preserved In Fossil Find
February 2010
1 post
December 2009
1 post
On Cleaning
It took me three years of living on my own, but I’ve finally figure out The Basic Truths of Keeping My Place Acceptably Clean:
Just putting my shit away gets me 75% of the way there.
Vacuuming, dusting, and wiping down the flat surfaces takes care of the next 20%.
The last 5% is serious sleeves-rolled-up scrubbing, but I hardly ever actually have to do it. A couple of times a year for...
October 2009
3 posts
Cell Size and Scale →
From coffee beans to carbon atoms.
WatchMust see.
September 2009
4 posts
Crystal Cave of Giants - Naica, Mexico →
August 2009
2 posts
jQuery and XML namespaces workaround
From Kevin Whinnery:
After some Googling, I figured out a round-about way to get at this tag using an attribute filter for nodeName:
$(this).find("[nodeName=namespace:tag]").text();
Attribute filters, FTW! Hopefully if you find this post first, it will save you some Googling.
23 days without Internet or cable
Despite my and my landlord’s best efforts, we just can’t convince Comcast that sometimes after a house burns down it gets rebuilt.
On the plus side I’m making really good progress on all of those DVDs that I bought and never watched, and I’m getting to bed really early.
June 2009
1 post
Sony wired remote pinout / voltages →
A reference for wiring up your own Sony remote commander for car stereos. With this, a SoundGate Zune Core System and a little PIC magic, I should be able to wire my Zune up to the steering wheel controls of the new Mazda. Oh yeah, I got a new Mazda 3.
May 2009
1 post
Haskell Platform →
All-in-one, easy Haskell installer for Windows. Maybe this will finally push me into checking it out.
April 2009
1 post
Celebrity Lookalikes Where I Work
Kurt Vonnegut
Ernest Hemingway (before he shaved his beard)
Skinny Michael Caine
Stuart Scott (he even has a lazy eye!)
70s Porn Guy
90s Porn Guy
Ok, those last two aren’t really specific celebrities but take my word for it, they fit the stereotypes. The even sit together at lunch sometimes!
March 2009
1 post
Getting SATA drives working under Windows 7
This is mostly a note to myself, but if you have SATA drives, an Asus P5B Deluxe motherboard, and Windows 7, it might be of interest to you as well.
Enter then BIOS and put the drives in IDE compatibility mode.
Install Windows 7.
Open regedit and set HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\msahci\Start to 0 (zero). This enables the built-in AHCI driver in Windows (see note...
February 2009
3 posts
Vacation Photos: Puerto Rico →
Including pointless panoramas!
WatchTwin Otter buzz-job on the beach in Puerto Rico.
Workplace Tip
Get a headset for your phone, even if you don’t need it. Put it on when you don’t want to be bothered. People will walk over, think you are on a call, and walk away without saying a word.
January 2009
3 posts
Dear Internet
Can somebody make me a version of the Daring Fireball RSS feed that filters out all of Gruber’s “I told you so” posts?
Airline Seating Strategy
No connection - All the way in the back, so I board as soon as possible and don’t have to fight for overhead space that is perpetually overstuffed now that everybody charges for the first checked bag.
Connecting flight - As far forward as possible, so I can get off the plane and get to my next gate.
Of course the only time I tried the “connecting flight” strategy it backfired...
CHDK →
Hacked firmware for Canon PowerShot digital cameras.
December 2008
6 posts
Zune Number Two
I just picked up a brand-new 120 gig Zune after I wrecked my old 30GB first-gen. I liked the old one just fine and the new one is quite a bit better.
The whole package is thinner, lighter, and not brown. The battery seems to last longer. The input switch has a built-in touchpad so you can flick through lists of songs, but it is also still a physical switch so I can use it with gloves on. There...
The Blumenburger — The Most Labor-Intensive... →
Pizza Hack: Broil Your Pies →
October 2008
3 posts
Basic of Space Flight: Orbital Mechanics →
The mysterious location of the Fonzie statue in...
Somehow references to the Fonz statue are all over the Internet, but nobody bothered to include the address or the cross streets. So here it is:
Fonzie is located on the east side of the river, just south of Wells St. Check out the map below.
View Larger Map
September 2008
1 post
August 2008
1 post
July 2008
3 posts
“Donkey Punch is the vilest film I’ve ever seen.”
– Amanda Platell, Daily Mail
Hmm. Somehow I expected a lighthearted family romp.
“If you think there is some terrible injustice in being asked to pay, say, $1,000...”
– Patrick Smith
WatchWhat happens when you smash a can of WD-40.
June 2008
1 post
Bachelor food ideas from Ask Metafilter →
May 2008
3 posts
Cream →
“A modern configuration of the Vim text editor.”
April 2008
8 posts
Sounds Of Nature →
“One of the great secrets of the nature doc, is that virtually all sound design is created in post. Sync sound, excepting commentary by Sir David Attenborough as he crouches next to a Bower Bird, is virtually never available. Wild tracks and atmospheres may be recorded at the location, but in most cases it falls to the sound editor to create the entire soundtrack from scratch.”
59 images of galaxies colliding →
Celebrating Hubble’s 18th anniversary.
Nontransitive dice →
The Race to Save the Cougar Ace →
Completely insane high-seas salvage work.