Cantaloupe!

I've been meaning to post this for at least a week and keep getting distracted, but if you're seeking Pecos canteloupe*, we've found some excellent specimens at HEB. I'm usually leary of anything in a chain store labeled "Pecos canteloupe" but these have been as good as any we've ever had, and that's high praise.

Picking out a good canteloupe is more art than science and everyone has his or her own technique or criteria, but I've had good success with the sniff test...the fruit should taste as sweet as it smells, and one without an odor will likely show up without flavor, as well. But, YMMV.

And for those not of this region who are wondering why we make such a big deal out of this, you might check out this post from about this time last year.

*I'm told that the proper designation is now "Pecos County Canteloupe" because much of the truly wonderful fruit is grown around Coyonosa, which is in Pecos County, while Pecos is...as everyone knows...actually in Reeves County.

Speeding up Firefox

Here's a performance tip for those who are using Firefox (and why, pray tell, wouldn't you be?): to speed up the loading of webpages, turn on HTTP Pipelining.

HTTP Pipelining essentially allows your browser to send multiple requests to the server at one time -- during one connection -- as opposed to the more usual behavior of sending one request, closing the connection, opening a new connection and sending another request, and so on. Since your browser makes a separate request for each object imbedded in the webpage you wish to view, these requests and connections can add up and cause perceptible delays. (An object can be an image, a script or stylesheet, an audio file or a number of other things besides the simple HTML coding that forms the basis for a page.) HTTP Pipelining cuts down on the lag between the browser's requests and the server's fulfillment of those requests.

You can do this by typing about:config in your address bar and in the resulting window (which displays a long alphabetical list of browser configuration variables) scroll down to "network.http.pipelining" and click on it to toggle the setting from "false" (off) to "true" (on). The setting for "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" can then be set for any value from 1 to 8; the default is 4. (Visit this page for documentation about the various Firefox configuration variables.)

There are a couple of caveats. Not every server supports HTTP Pipelining and even though the latest standards are such that non-support is not supposed to cause a detrimental effect, you could experience problems with a given page. If you set maxrequests to 8 and experience problems, try changing it to a lower number.

More likely, you might find that you don't notice a significant improvement in page-loading speed. Tests have shown that the theoretical improvement in speed of HTTP Pipelining is signficant, but this doesn't always translate into practice.

However, in my limited testing thus far, I think some pages, especially those with a lot of images like SI.com, seem to load quicker. If nothing else, you'll perhaps understand a little more about your browser and how to control it.

Tip o'the hat to SitePoint's unfortunately named "You Don't Know Jack about FireFox"

Technorati tags: HTTP Pipelining | Customizing Firefox

Ground Crew Humor

My pal Tommy, he of the SS 396 fame, is also a pilot-in-training. It worries me a bit that he sends me stuff like this:

After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget* pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget*

*Note: For the record, let it be understood that the staff of the Gazette does not condone the use of the term "midget" in this context, and we understand that some might get queasy seeing it used like this. For those whose delicate sensibilities are affronted, please substitute the word "fromage" in place of "midget." Thank you.

Technorati tag: Midgets With Hammers | Fromage

Friday on the 'pod

Thanks to Scott over at The Fat Guy, I'm a little lighter in the wallet but much richer in music. Scott reminded me (even as he was reminded by someone else) of the genius that is Delbert McClinton, yet another reason why Texas music and musicians are unmatched in variety and skill.

As a result, I have "One of the Fortunate Few" looping on the iPod while I try to concentrate on some mind-numbing work (creating PDF forms).

If you think blues music can't be fun, you haven't spent much time hanging out with Delbert. (Ooh...I like that line: If you can't lie no better than that, you might as well tell the truth!") And if you think you can listen to Delbert without twitching to the beat, then you need a medical checkup...stat.

Technorati tags: Delbert McClinton | Texas Blues

Emotion and Transparency in the Blogosphere

It's funny, the way that people you've never met and likely never will begin to, well, matter to you, simply because they've shared important pieces of their lives via their journals. And even though you know they've written those things explicity without having you in mind, you still feel that they subconsciously were really writing to you, personally.

And thus you become sensitized to the same things they're experiencing, and when a day like this one comes about, where memories hurt and changes unsettle and prospects worry and mistakes catalyze...you realize that we're all in this boat together, somehow, and we have more in common than we often admit.

So, tonight, I share Patti's grief for a lost child and Rachel's for a lost grandfather*; I share Bill's trepidation at what comes in the next phase of life; I share Julie's aching for something better; I share Jim's realization that the worst we can do is be self-sufficient.

*Update: Rachel's blog is having link problems; you'll have to go to her main page and scroll down. Sorry.

Quote For the Day

The best way to have quiche for dinner is to make it up and put in in the oven to bake at about 325 degrees. Meanwhile, get out a large T-bone, grill it, and when it's done, eat it. As for the quiche, continue to let it bake, but otherwise ignore it.
    -- Texas Bix Bender

No more comments about women drivers...

...not after this maneuver by Commander Eileen Collins.

Like I'd be foolish enough to make such comments to begin with. I might have been born at night, but I wasn't born last night.

Another weather post (sorry)

[Editor's note: I tried to talk him out of this, pointing out the lameness of weather-related posts, second only to posts about dreams. He said that his dream about yesterday's weather was next on the list. I give up.]

Most summer "cold fronts" aren't, really. We're pleased when they drop the high temperature from 98° to, say, 90. But, the one that rolled through yesterday was the real deal.

Tuesday's high was an even 100°, then the front came through late that afternoon. With a steady rainfall overnight and thick clouds all day yesterday, we topped out at 68°...a one-day swing of 32 degrees, which is an amazing phenomenon for the middle of summer. That's the kind of temperature swing we expect for a winter "Blue Norther."

The rainfall was excellent, although I'm feeling a little ignored as our backyard was apparently the region's driest spot. My gauge had 1.4" while the official total for Midland (measured at the airport, 15 miles to the west) was over 2". Monahans got 4" and Fort Stockton received around 3".

Coming tomorrow: An in-depth report about my dream that I'm a TV meteorologist reporting on the weather from the hallway of my high school while wearing only my underwear. Oh, and there are vampires.

I'm too sexy for my lens

Do the lenses come in amber? 'Cause Bono wants to know...

Technorati tags: RazrWire | Oakley | Motorola

Rain!

I trust you'll forgive those of us blogging from west Texas for exulting over a seemingly mundane thing like water falling from the sky, but it's such a rare and welcome event that we just can't help it.

The rain has arrived as predicted (a miracle in itself), and has been falling steadily for twelve hours, with more in the forecast. This means (1) a break from the heat, (2) a reprieve for our sprinkler systems (although my next door neighbor has apparently forgotten to turn his off) and (3) a rejuvenation of some badly flagging landscape, especially in the city parks where many trees are left to fend for themselves and aren't up to the task.

The downsides? Hmm. Well, I did hand-wash MLB's car on Sunday. (Sidenote: A workable example of true love is washing your wife's car even though yours needs it much worse.) And Abbye really, truly, desparately hates the rain, as has been well documented. But, other than that, I can't think of any.

So, for now, the sound you hear from thousands of square miles of the Llano Estacado is a collective "ahhhhhhh..."

Blogathon Update and Reminder

Just a quick note to let you know that the Gazette's Blogathon 2005 pledge total is right at $250, and I appreciate very much those of you who have made a commitment to support Midland Fair Havens via the Blogathon event.

If you haven't yet made a pledge, I'd really like to have you on board, and you still have plenty of time before Blogathon kicks off at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, August 6. You can register and make a pledge online at the link shown above, or you can just email me with the amount you'd like to pledge and I'll do the rest.

Remember, anyone pledging $5 or more is automatically in the running for some free Official Fire Ant Gazette Merchandise ("Cheap...yet not inexpensive"), and I know how you lust after that stuff.

Thanks for considering participating in this worthwhile fundraising event!

Technorati tag: Blogathon

Customizing Photoshop's Web Photo Gallery

Part of the fun of working as a freelance web designer is that I'm continually challenged by clients who want me to translate their vision into reality. I long ago got comfortable giving this answer to many of their questions: "I'm not sure how to do it, but I'll try to figure it out." And in the process of "figuring it out," I invariably learn something new that will help me and my clients in the future.

I experienced this again this weekend as I was gnawing on a request by a client to come up with an easy way of creating a gallery of photographic proofs that could be reviewed online by her clients. As a professional photographer, she also wanted to be able to put a watermark on each of the images.

I hit upon Photoshop's automated Web Photo Gallery feature as the best way to proceed. It's relatively simple, allows a fair bit of flexibility as far as the image processing goes, and it also has a very competent automatic watermarking feature built in. The only problem is that the default styles are, well, ugly...and we wanted something that would match the cosmetics for the rest of the site.

One option would be to edit the Gallery HTML files once they were generated, but that seemed like a lot of work. With up to 300 photos per proof gallery, even a global edit would be time-consuming.

Fortunately, there's a much better solution, one that I never knew existed: creating a new Web Photo Gallery template for Photoshop to use.

If you've used this feature of Photoshop, you know that it provides you with a choice of half a dozen or so templates. Each of these templates is stored in a directory within the Photoshop application directory; for Photoshop 7 (Mac), the templates are located in the Presets directory, inside a directory with the non-intuitive name of WebContactSheet. (In the latest version, CS, this directory name has the more appropriate title of "Web Photo Gallery.")

Creating a custom template is as simple as duplicating one of the existing template directories whose basic layout you like, renaming it to match your project, then editing the various HTML files within it to put them inside the cosmetic "wrapper" that applies the look and navigation of the site within which the gallery will reside.

Photoshop uses a series of variables to identify things like next photo, previous photo, photo index, image title, image date, and so on. In fact, these variables are very similar to those used by most blogging programs, and if you've worked with blog templates, you'll feel right at home modifying Photoshop's templates. The variables use percentage signs as opening and closing "tags," so they're easy to identify.

Once you've created your new web gallery style, it will show up in Photoshop's dropdown Styles menu the next time you use the Web Photo Gallery feature.

For more detailed explanations of the function of the various HTML files used by Photoshop, and the associated variables, take a look at this tutorial provided by Private Web Designer. With a little experimentation, you'll be able to easily create photo galleries that blend seamlessly with your website.

Technorati tags: Photoshop | Web Photo Gallery

Preview: "The Hummingbird's Daughter"

You may recall that last month I and a number of other Texas bloggers were contacted by the Time Warner Book Group (TWBG) offering free recently-released books with the implied request that we post reviews of them after reading. I took them up on their offer, reading and reviewing "Potter Springs," a novel that I would not otherwise have read. It turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable, and I emailed Miriam Parker, the Manager of Online Marketing at TWBG to thank her for the opportunity to read it.

Miriam responded with an offer of additional books, and provided a wide range of choices in a variety of genres. I was somewhat taken back by the offer -- some of the books are currently best-sellers whose titles and authors you'd immediately recognize -- but I didn't want to take for free books that I or my wife might otherwise buy anyway. That just didn't feel right. So I asked Miriam for her recommendations of any new "sleeper" books that she thought I might enjoy. She replied with three selections, and she made one of them sound so intriguing that I agreed to read and review it. My new ángel de libros immediately Fed Ex'd it to me and I'm just getting started with it.

The book is entitled "The Hummingbird's Daughter," by Luis Alberto Urrea. I'm only 25 pages into it and I can understand Miriam's fascination with it. It's a novel set in the Mexico of the late 1800s and already I can see that it will be full of memorable characters, mystical phenomena and sly humor. (It's also challenging my limited Spanish vocabulary, especially in the area of colorful cursing!)

I'm looking forward to spending more time with the book, and sharing a review with you. And I want to thank Miriam Parker for expanding my literary horizons beyond CSS, PHP, HTML and web design!

Technorati tags: TWBG | "The Hummingbird's Daughter" | Luis Alberto Urrea

Apple makes inroads on corporate desktops

According to this report from Macworld, Jupiter Research has just released a report showing that Apple's OS X is increasingly showing up on employee desktop's in some of the world's largest corporations:

Further, according to the article, "Microsoft’s Windows Server operating system saw a marginal decrease in installed base this year..."

This is sort of deja vu all over again, as my first encounter with a GUI on a desktop machine was at ARCO in 1986 when we got our first set of Apple SEs. Apple was the platform of choice for the company for several years, until some bad decisions by both Apple and Corporate IT forced a switch to Windows. I was always fascinated by the fact that the last corporate Mac holdout was also the company's biggest moneymaker: the Alaskan production unit. But by the time I left the industry, Macs were nowhere to be found in oil company offices, unless they were tucked away in executive suites.

Perhaps the pendulum is beginning to swing in the other direction.

Bloggelganger

As I read his careful planning, his anticipation of crowd and traffic movement, his studied nonchalant reactions to his wife's suggestions, his childish glee over their successful "extraction," it occurred to me: "I'm James Lileks." Well, minus the writing talent, standing talk show invitations, hot-selling books and A+ list blogging status. Oh, and the 200K or so daily readers.

But plop him in downtown Midland during the Fourth of July fireworks dealio, and he'd be right at home in my schemes and strategies for the most important part of any such event...getting the heck out of there before everyone else.

Gazette Reader Gets Good Press

I wanted to draw attention to Jimmy Patterson's profile of Gazette reader/commenter Janie Snelson in today's MRT. Janie's list of volunteer activities is long and laudable, and it's the abundance of folks like her that make Midland a great place to live.

Janie's a Halliburton employee, and if you'll permit me a bit of editorializing, whenever I see those ridiculous protestors slamming that company, I think of two things: first, how ignorant they are, and second, how their actions show disrespect to the thousands of employees like Janie who are not only professional in the way they go about their work, but compassionate and generous in the way they live their lives.

She and husband Steve are truly two of the Good Guys in west Texas.

Technorati tag: Halliburton

Joys of Homeownership - Pt. 63a

Sometimes I think I was placed on earth to be an encouragement to others, and the way God wants me to fulfill that role is by showing people that no matter how stupid they may sometimes feel, there's always someone who really is more stupid than them.

Think I'm being overly modest? How's this for lowering the intelligence bar. Remember that water heater we replaced this morning (see previous post)? Nothing wrong with it. I paid hundreds of dollars to get a perfectly good water heater replaced...and now I'm waiting to pay another plumber more money to replace the leaking pipe in the wall behind the water heater.

Here's my excuse, if you're finished with the derisive laughter.

When I found the leak this morning, it was in the form of a steady spray emanating from behind the water heater. I couldn't see behind the unit, so I tried to locate the leak by touch. What I felt was the stream of water from the leak in the wall bouncing off the water heater in such a way as to convince me that was the source. Of course, by the time the plumber arrived to replace the heater, I had shut off the water, and he assumed that no one could be so ignorant as to mistake the source of a water leak. If I insisted the water heater needed replacing, he wasn't going to question it.

As it turned out, there was a pinhole in the copper pipe carrying hot water to our washing machine. Fortunately, the hole pointed outward, into the garage, or we would be looking at replacing a bunch of newly painted drywall in the laundry room, instead of being able to do a simpler patch job in the garage closet.

And on the positive side of things, I'm now quite accomplished at shutting off the water supply at the meter, in case a real emergency arises. Oh, and I'm also now on a first name basis with all the spiders in the meter box, so I've got that going for me.

Now, don't you feel better about your own life?

Joys of Homeownership - Pt. 63

I love early Saturday mornings during the summer. The neighborhood is quiet, except for the birds, and the muffled sound of a lawn-mowing overachiever in the distance. The air is calm and cool, and the sunlight sparkles enchantingly, reflecting off the water's surface in our garage.

Say what?!

Yep, that's what greeted us this morning as we prepared to leave for our long-standing tradition of Saturday morning breakfast with friends at IHOP. Our water heater had sprung a leak and the garage floor was beginning to puddle in front of the closet where the infernal contraption resided.

I hurried out to the water meter, grabbing a pair of leather gloves on the way out to ward off the hordes of black widows I knew would be defending their territory, pulled off the meter cover, frantically dug out the accumulation of leaves and insect carcasses covering the valve and rammed the long valve tool down...only to find that because of the angle, it didn't work. Great.

I ran back into the garage and grabbed my trusty channel-lock pliers. It took some serious contorting to get the right angle on the valve, but I was finally able to shut off the water supply, and apparently escaped without any fatal spider bites in the process, always a good thing in my book.

We're now waiting for the plumber to arrive to install a new heater. This is one of the drawbacks to living in Midland: the mineral content of our water apparently reacts like acid with the innards of heaters, and one feels fortunate to get three years of life out of a new unit. In our case, we didn't quite make 36 months. Of course, it was a warranty replacement for the previous unit, and so the warranty doesn't apply to the new replacement.

But, on the bright side -- and it's a very bright side, indeed -- we caught the leak early enough that there was no damage to anything. These things can be disastrous if the timing is wrong (OK, there is no right timing for a water heater leak, but you know what I mean).

So, it's still a beautiful morning. Especially now that the new lake in the garage is gone.

Napoleon's Dance Lessons

I understand that among the really kewl kids, "Napoleon Dynamite" has jumped the shark, but I don't care. And thus I think it's important that you at least know where to turn in case you want to Learn to Dance with Napoleon Dynamite.

Technorati tag: Napoleon Dynamite

Make 'em laugh...

Via Wallace over at Streams comes word of a new posse in town, The Venue, a self-described "Sketch Comedy and Improv Troupe located in Midland, TX."

Most if not all of the members of The Venue will be recognizable to Midlanders, as they include Hilary Evitt, news anchor and reporter for the local ABC affiliate; Cody and Jena Tumlin, frequent performers in MCT and other area productions; Phil Tytanic, a Summer Mummers regular; and Justin Tate, a stand-up comic and occasional blogger.

The Venue is available for private bookings. I think this is a great service for our area, and a good example of an economy that's "growing up." I hope they knock 'em dead!

The Gazette in San Antonio?

Don't think I've yet mentioned this inexplicable occurrence. The Gazette has somehow made its way onto a short list of Texas blogs on MySA.com, a website jointly produced by the San Antonio Express-News and KENS-TV, the local CBS affiliate.

While we never look a gift horse in the mouth, the honor is somewhat suspect in that the list doesn't include our pal Roscoe Ellis, whose LiveJournal offerings originate from right there on the Riverwalk.

Nevertheless, this is another example of the sometimes strange melding* of MSM and blogs.

*I initially and accidentally (I think) typed that as "meddling." Heh.

Blogathon Update

I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to make a pledge to my Blogathon 2005 campaign on behalf of Midland Fair Havens. We're at $175 as of a couple of minutes ago, pretty good for just over 24 hours since the pledge process was opened.

If you want to track the pledge progress, you can do so via this page at the Blogathon website. If you'd like to make a pledge, you'll need to register (which can be done via that link as well), which is a quick and simple process.

However, to make it as easy as possible, if you find that you don't have the time or inclination to go through the registration process but would still like to make a pledge, just email me and I'll handle it for you and send you a confirmation via return email. And keep in mind that the donations go directly to Midland Fair Havens; you don't have to worry about me grabbing the loot and skipping to Kermit or some other exotic location. You can also choose to donate anonymously, in case you want to keep your identity secret from my other five readers.

I also want to acknowledge those other folks on my blogroll who will also be participating in Blogathon 2005. They include Julie at Lone Prairie Blog, Jen at Lintefinel Musing and Nic at Morfablog. Um, you might want to study up on your Welsh before visiting Nic's place. Anyway, they're all blogging on behalf of very worthy organizations and if you have any spare cash – after making a pledge here, of course ;-) – you might want to consider them. I've submitted a nominal pledge to each, myself.

If you're on the Gazette's blogroll and I've somehow missed your participation, let me know and I'll correct it, toot sweet.

I'm still working on the Gazette's special program for August 6th, but I'll give you a hint: I'm practicing my left-handed guitar. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Technorati tag: Blogathon

Photo Seeks Caption

This must be Photo Phriday (as my friend Phyllis would put it). MLB forwarded the following pic, having received it from her sister. It purports to be an image of canines being taken by bus to a doggie daycare center just outside of Bogota, Columbia.

Now, I don't know about you, but I immediately become suspicious whenever I see such anthropomorphic behavior from a diverse set of mutts. I continue to be skeptical that those dogs playing poker, for example, weren't coached. Of course, since this is Columbia, what are the odds that the dogs aren't feeling really mellow due to extracurricular chemical enhancement? Just asking.

Feel free to weigh in with a suitable caption for this photo.

And, in case you were wondering, Abbye has informed us that she wouldn't be caught dead on public transportation. She goes nowhere without her crate and assorted accoutrements.

I gave 'em six weeks to fix it...

This speaks for itself:

Technorati tag: Why Johnny Can't Spell Gud

It's Not a Game

The more I think about the word games being played by the manufacturer of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," the more steamed I get.

By now, you've surely heard about the decision by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to reclassify the video game from M (for "mature 17+" audiences) to AO ("adults only 18+") because of the presence of pornographic "mini-games" that are accessible to anyone with an internet connection and the knowledge to download and install the third-party software that unlocks them. That would include about 90% of the pre-teen and older kids in America who own the game, I'd guess.

As you may recall, the manufacturer first claimed that the illicit material on the game wasn't its fault; it was being made available by "unauthorized third parties." Now, Take-Two Games, the parent company of Rockstar Games, admits that the porn was included at the factory on all the game disks.

However, in an amazing display of chutzpah, Take-Two claims it's actually the victim here. This is from a news release on its website:

Say what?

It gets better...

The company fails to address the rather significant question of just why it was putting the pornographic scenes on the disk to begin with. I don't buy the explanation that "The editing and finalization of any game is a complicated task and it's not uncommon for unused and unfinished content to remain on the disc.", as Take-Two spokesman Jim Ankner told The Associated Press. Somebody at Rockstar went to a lot of trouble to create that content and make sure it got included on the disk...and that it could be unlocked and accessed.

If there's any justice to be found in this story, it's that the market reacts swiftly to such shenanigans, and Take-Two will take a significant hit to its bottom line, possibly to the tune of $50 million in decreased revenue as many retailers discontinue carrying the AO-rated game, even as it rushes to create a "clean" version that might reclaim the M rating.

It's obvious that some companies need a swift kick in the pants to do the right thing. Let's hope that Take-Two and Rockstar will learn a lesson in forthrightness. Cleaning up their games is probably too much to hope for.

Technorati tags: Grand Theft Auto | Take-Two Games

Finally, an explanation for The Donald

A study conducted conducted by a team of researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the University of Iowa suggests that people who have an impaired ability to experience emotions due to brain damage often make better financial decisions...and more money.

According to a report in today's Wall Street Journal, good investors may actually possess what's known as a "functional psychopathy."

But, before you rush out to get a lobotomy so you can start earning the big bucks in the stock market or at the WSOP, you might want to consider this:

There's always a catch, isn't there?

Technorati tags: Neuroeconomics | Behavioral Economics

Dear God, not again...

This on the Fox News website: Smoke, Evacuations in Three London Subway Stations.

No details yet, but it doesn't sound good.

Blogathon 2005: Sponsor Signup is now live!

After a long delay, the sponsor signup for Blogathon 2005 is now up and running!

To refresh your memory, a brief FAQ:

• What is a "Blogathon," anyway?
  It's a worldwide event taking place on August 6 when people will blog for 24 hours straight in order to raise money for charity.


• Which charity are you blogging for?
  I've chosen a local organization called "Midland Fair Havens." Midland Fair Havens serves women with pre-teen children who are homeless or who are in danger of becoming homeless. They come from all types of backgrounds but share a past history of unhealthy relationships and limited life skills. They are highly motivated to become better parents and to provide their children a more stable home and a brighter future. Its mission is to equip single mothers and their children for self-sufficient living by addressing their educational, vocational, spiritual, and emotional needs in residential and non-residential settings.


• What can I do to help?
  Glad you asked! The most important thing you can do is sign up as a sponsor, if you agree that Fair Havens is a worthy cause and you have the means to provide a one-time donation.


• How do I become a sponsor?
  You'll first need to register at the Blogathon website; visit this page and read the Sponsor FAQ, which provides instructions for registering as a sponsor, and for making the actual donation after the conclusion of Blogathon 2005. Once you've registered and logged in, click on the Fire Ant Gazette Campaign link to make a pledge.


• What do you get out of this?
  The satisfaction of helping a worthwhile organization. That's plenty. OK, I do expect to have some fun at the same time!


• What do I get out it?
  Oh, so all of sudden it's all about you, is it? ;-) Well, actually, beside the satisfaction (see above), there will be an opportunity to win Fabulous Prizes™. Details will follow, but only sponsors who make a pledge of $5.00 or more will be eligible. Um, did I mention the satisfaction thing?


• What now?
  Jump over to Blogathon.org and make a pledge! I'll be grateful, Midland Fair Havens will be grateful and your tax return will be grateful. (Did I mention that this is a tax-deductible donation?)

I'll be happy to entertain any questions via comments. I'll also post more permanent information about the sponsor link over in the sidebar when I get more time.

Thanks for considering being a sponsor for the Gazette's participation in Blogathon 2005. And even if you can't be a sponsor this year, be sure to check in beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 6 and see what's cooking!

Technorati tag: Blogathon

Flip-flops: Comfortable footwear or a harbinger of the End Times?

It's nice to see that we can still be distracted from tragedy and disaster by the most mundane of issues. In this case, the footwear choice of some members of the Northwestern University's national championship women's lacrosse team during a visit to the White House has got some folks all riled up. Even CNN's coverage of the flip-flop flap is filed under Inside Politics, proving that there is nothing under the sun that cannot be blown out of proportion if we just put our tiny minds to it.

Now, I'm not your go-to guy for sartorial advice, but I don't understand the hoo-haw over some chicks wearing thongs (sandals, that is..as far as I know) with dresses and skirts. Jiminy Christmas...you add another piece of leather or plastic around the ankle and an old thread spool under the heel and you've got a $600 sandal, and nobody's going to argue about whether that's appropriate or not.

Besides, these women play lacrosse. I mean, they run around on a big field of grass swinging baseball bats at each other's heads for fun. They have other things on their minds...like, say, concussions...than whether Manolo Blahnik will approve of their foot coverings. And, frankly, I don't know who has the guts to point out a fashion faux pas to a lacrosse player, especially one who had to get up early and put on a dress just for a five minute photo op, even if it is with the Prez.

Anyway, if they want to wear flip-flops to the White House, I say good on them. Extrapolating from what I see around town, they've got lots of company, including yours truly.

Update: Some agree with me; Some don't.

Technorati tag: Flip Flops

Bored with Tour? Well...

I must admit that this year's version of the Tour de France is lacking a certain something...like drama...suspense...tension...anticipation.

Color me blasé, but the workmanlike manner in which Lance Armstrong demolished the competition in the earlier stages makes the race now seem like it's being ridden on cruise control. For some riders who are not used to the spotlight and who are not threats to the overall leaders, the latter stages are good opportunities to try to pick up a stage win, and to the extent you enjoy watching those subplots, the stages have some entertainment. But, really, the only question left is whether Lance will win yellow jersey #7 without actually winning an individual stage.

It's weighing on his mind a bit. He's already put the field on notice that he's going to be focused and aggressive during Saturday's individual time trial and I'm not going to bet against a victory for him.

But, other than that, even the prospect (guarantee?) of a seventh straight overall victory, extending his already amazing record, seems almost anticlimactic.

Even OLN's non-stop "Tribute to Lance" programming seems like a desparate attempt to build some enthusiasm in the absence of any meaningful competition. Here's to the prospect that a worthy successor will appear next year to capture the public's imagination.

Update: In case you think I'm exaggerating, the OLN TV coverage just spent a couple of minutes spotlighting and discussing the implications of the fact that the support vehicle caravan just got caught at a train crossing. We got to watch until the train passed by and gates opened, allowing the cars to begin the chase to catch up with the riders. Talk about pulse-quickening! ;-)

Technorati tag: Tour de France

BP dodges a bullet

Energy consultant John S. Herold, Inc. reports that BP's tilting Thunder Horse Platform has been leveled and is once again in normal functioning mode. As you may recall, earlier this month BP discovered that the world's largest offshore production platform -- costing more than $1 billion -- was listing at a 20° angle following the passage of Hurricane Dennis through the Gulf of Mexico.

Fortunately, Thunder Horse was not yet operational, so there was no loss of production. But the field which the platform will produce is expected to provide a significant portion of BP's production growth over the next few years (an estimated 4.5% of 2006 total production, in fact), and a loss of the platform would have sent shockwaves throughout the company, not to mention its investors (full disclosure: that last group includes yours truly, thanks to a rather signficant allocation in a 401K). BP owns 75% of Thunder Horse; ExxonMobil owns the other 25%.

It was reported that 900 workers and 15 support ships were engaged in leveling the platform.

BP has yet to announce the cause of the tilt. I'm sure a whole squadron of mechanical engineers is scrambling to identify it and figure out how to keep it from happening again.

This episode underscores the fact that regardless of the level of oil and gas prices, there's still significant risk to being in the business...regardless of how big you are.

Technorati tags: BP | Thunder Horse

Rooting for Emily

As Hurrican Emily makes its way across the Gulf Coast toward northern Mexico and the southern tip of Texas, many of us in the western part of the state find ourselves in the conflicted condition of (a) wishing no ill upon our fellow Texans or Mexican neighbors while (b) hoping that Emily stays organized and strong enough to travel up the Rio Grande Valley in order to dump some much needed rainfall on us.

It's an interesting meteorological phenomenon that our land-locked location gets a significant benefit from hurricanes, whether moving in from the Gulf Coast or from the Pacific Ocean, up through Baja California. In the past, such hurricane-related rainfall has replenished our lakes and stock tanks and given farmers and ranchers relief even as it's proved disastrous for other parts of the state.

Such is the sometimes unfortunate accounting system of nature.

Update: The latest forecast seems to render the whole discussion moot, as Emily is now predicted to make landfall near the southern tip of Texas, but then turn westward where she will likely dissipate over north central Mexico.

ITMS Contest Trivia

I suppose that by now, everyone has heard that Apple's iTunes Music Store (ITMS) has surpassed 500,000,000 purchased music downloads, with the milestone being achieved by one Amy Greer of Lafayette, Indiana. With her purchase of "Mississippi Girl" by Faith Hill, Amy won ten iPods of her choosing, a 10,000-song iTunes gift card, four tickets to hear Cold Play in concert (something tells me Cold Play might not be Amy's cup o'tea, however) and other great stuff.

But, what you might not know is that during the run-up to half a bil, Apple gave away an iPod mini and a 50-song gift card to the purchaser of every 100,000th song, starting with 480,100,000. The complete list of winners is posted to Apple's website.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Eric," you're thinking, "I'll just bet there are some really interesting facts to be gleaned from that list of 187 winners. But, who has the time -- or the statistical analysis skillz, for that matter -- to ferret out those fascinating details?" Wonder no longer, kiddies, for I have focused a large portion of my not inconsiderable resources on just that problem, using the most advanced of Excel spreadsheets, an insatiable curiosity and the abundance of time that accompanies most moribund business ventures, and offer the following hard-hitting exposé that the MSM won't touch:

• Californians apparently have nothing better to do than download music. That state had 22 winners, more than twice as many as the nearest runner-up.
• In a freakish coincidence, the burg of Centennial, Colorado (population of around 100,000) had two winners.
• On the other hand, Los Angeles (population of, well, a lot) had zero winners. (Keep those tacky comments to yourselves.)
• In a telling and somewhat sad commentary on the demographic that frequents the ITMS, Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" was the most frequently downloaded song among the winners, with three. Seven others had two downloads each, including Charlotte Church's "Crazy Chick" (and to no one's surprise, both purchasers were from Great Britain).
• Continuing with the preceding theme, Kelly Clarkson led all artists with five winning downloads (3 different songs). But, providing a small redemptive gleam of hope, The All American Rejects were downloaded three times, with three different songs, as were the Rolling Stones.
• Of course, the variety of downloads was wide-ranging. Megan Keller of Battle Creek, Michigan, went for the classic "Mr. Roboto" by Styx while Steven Sandford of Coconut Creek, Florida was a winner with the Bar-Kays' "Freak Show on the Dance Floor." One can only wonder why Larry Beck of Pierre, South Dakota felt a need to purchase "O, Christmas Tree (Samba)" by Brave Combo, but it was a winner for him, regardless.
• Really, the only person who has some 'splainin' to do would be William Collins, who claims to be from Kerrville, in the great Hill Country of Texas. William downloaded song #479,400,000 and claimed his new iPod and gift card, so he's got that going for him. But the fact that the song he purchased was Lindsay Lohans "Rumors" is...well, let's just hope that William was shopping at the behest of his pre-teen daughter and leave it at that.

Next up: Acronyms formed by selecting discontinuous entries from the phone book sorted by the second letter of the last name. Don't miss it!

Technorati tag: Abyssmal Wastes of Time

Blogathon 2005 Update

I'm hesitant to post this given their poor track record of meeting deadlines, but the organizers of Blogathon 2005 say that sponsor registration will be available via their website beginning sometime Wednesday (July 20).

If you're interested in either sponsoring a blogger or participating, feel free to check the website on Wednesday, or drop back by here where I'll try to have the latest information available.

Technorati tag: Blogathon

Midlander wins national film award

I returned to Midland this afternoon after a pleasant weekend at a family reunion in Cloudcroft, NM and found this story buried deep within today's edition of the local newspaper:

OK, how cool is that? Jon is a longtime Midlander and owner of ViaMedia, an advertising and video production company. Much of his is work focused on projects with Christian themes. His winning entry in the Tribeca Film Festival, while not overtly Christian, deals with the fundamental struggle between good and evil that played itself out in the Columbine High School shootings. The Rachel referred to in the film's title is Rachel Scott, who testified to her belief in God even as she lay wounded and immediately before she was executed by one of the teen-aged killers.

You can view the seven-minute film on Amazon.com's website. Even viewed via the tiny window on a monitor, the production values and creativity of Jon's work shines through. I think Midland should be very proud of his accomplishment and I hope he gets well-deserved additional publicity from it.

Update: Jeff McDonald has provided a link to an earlier local news story about this film.

Technorati tags: Tribeca Film Festival | Jon Lindgren | Rachel's Challenge

Another short break...

The Gazette will be silent once more this weekend, beginning tomorrow morning (no, you don't have to thank me). Hope yours is a good one, and we'll catch you on the flip side.

West Texas Oasis

The current issue of Texas Highways has a good article about Balmorhea and Fort Davis, both of which are favorite year-round destinations for many west Texans. Balmorhea is a literal jewel in a grand and rugged setting, with a large spring-fed natural bottom swimming pool and unique surrounding ecosystem (together forming a rare ciénega or desert wetland). San Solomon Springs flow more than 20 million gallons of water each day, an amazing sight even to the jaded native.

The pool at Balmorhea State Park (which is actually located in the booming metropolis of Toyahvale, pop. Not Very Many) is a mecca for scuba divers. Thousands of newly-trained divers have done their final certification dives in the crystal constant-temperature waters, and thousands more have gone there to check out their equipment before heading for warm water dive trips. MLB and I have chalked up more than a score of dives in that pool over the years and it never fails to delight us (even when surfacing to the sight of snow flurries over the steaming water!). Catfish, turtles, crawfish, minnows and other species of freshwater fish abound. You can drop down to the bubbling sand and thrust your arm downward as far as you can reach, in an underwater pantomime of letting your hand fly in the breeze from the window of a moving car.

The magazine article brings back memories because the last time they ran an a similar article, 15 years ago, they included photos of two divers in full gear, in and out of the pool. One of the divers was an exceedingly cute woman, dark hair and quite shapely in her wetsuit; the other was obviously out of his league, tall and dorky, but still resplendently attired with all sorts of scuba goodies.

I'll give you two guesses as to the identity of those two divers, and the first one doesn't count! ;-)

Technorati tags: Balmorhea State Park | San Solomon Springs

1973: A Most Excellent Year

A number of significant events took place in 1973, the year I began my junior year in college. The infamous Roe v. Wade decision came down from the Supreme Court; President Richard Nixon announced the cessation of offensive action in Viet Nam, which was quickly followed by the first release of American POWs and the complete withdrawal of American soldiers; Watergate became a household name; the Arab Oil Embargo was our first introduction to gasoline price shocks and long lines at the pump; legislation was approved authorizing the construction of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline.

The big movies of the year were The Sting, American Graffiti and The Exorcist (which continues to this day to be #1 on my list of scariest movies of all time). Elton John, Led Zep and the Stones released new albums, as did The Carpenters, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.

But the only memory that really stays with me, the one I still cherish and replay in my mind, is the warm July evening, 32 years ago on this date, when I stood wearing a tux -- and not well, I might add -- for the first time in my life, and was awarded the unfathomable privilege of claiming a lovely and loving girl (she wasn't quite 21) as my mate-for-life. Why I was selected by God to receive such a wonderful blessing is still a mystery to me to this day, but not one that I examine too closely.

She continues to be my best friend and the best living example of a "Proverbs 31" wife I've ever seen.

Happy anniversary, sweetie!

Funky 403

In case you don't recognize it, "403" is an error message that's generated when you try to access a webpage or file for which you don't have the proper authorization (not that you'd ever do such a thing). Most of those error messages are pretty dull, but every now and then you get one that's a bit more, um, edgy. Be sure to stick around for the DJ Kitty.

Tip of the yarmulke to Stephen over at Wild Olive Branch.

Write Lightning Turns Two

And as long as we're in recognition mode, I want to congratulate Deb Thompson on her second anniversary at Write Lightning. Deb is, to the best of my knowledge, the only Seventh Day Adventist on my blogroll, but she also happens to be a professional writer (unlike most of us hacks) and it shows. You really should be dropping by her place on a regular basis.

I also recommend reading her very first post, as she has managed to stay true to her original mission.

Foat Wuth Blogger Makes Good

I wanted to give her swelled head time to go down a bit, but it's worth noting that the ever-so-spunky Cowtown Pattie over at Texas Trifles has garnered an award in an online short story contest. You can read her entry via the preceding link.

From my perspective, it's hard to go wrong by including a gold dog in your story.

You done good, little lady!

How sensitive are your ears?

Or, perhaps more appropriately, how deep are your pockets?

I don't know about you, but I don't think either my ears or my pockets justify a pair of 60-watt tube-driven* amps priced at $5,600, however cool-looking they may be. That's about $93/watt, by the way; you'd need gold-plated music to do 'em justice.

Of course, if all you want to do is listen to your iPod, you can go the low rent route with these little jewels for a mere $3,700. And that includes a set of speakers.

Tip o'the earbuds for the Concertino link to Book of Joe, the proprietor of which makes an astute observation about such expensive whimsies.

*Uh, what, exactly, is the function of vacuum tubes in an amplifier? I don't know if "drive" is the proper terminology or not. It's the best I could come up with. It's obvious that in addition to my hearing and my wealth being insufficient for these amps, so is my vocabulary.

Programming Conundrum

OK, here's an assignment for those of you who do quantum physics in your head while waiting for the next spin on "Wheel of Fortune." For those of you who understand the US Tax Code. For those of you who not only read books, but memorize them, without meaning to. You know who you are.

I need a simple way to normalize time.

OK, perhaps that's a bit misleading. What I want to be able to do is serve up a web page based on the time of day. Now, I've already done the groundwork to accomplish that; that was easy. Sort of. What I now need is a way to make the web page that gets served tie to the time of day on MY COMPUTER, not the visitor's. (You may already see where I'm going with this.)

IOW, I want one page to display at 1:00 p.m. and another to display at 3:00 p.m., but I want 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to be MY time (which happens to be GMT-6 or Central Time), regardless of what time it is in the part of the world the visitor happens to be.

I'm sure there's a way to use something like the PHP gmmktime function to return the GMT time and then compare it to GMT-6 and use the difference to return a value which can then be used in a routine to select the page to be served up. But, gosh, I'm sure busy, not to mention lazy, and thus would really like for someone else to work out the nasty little details while I focus on the Big Picture (which at the moment happens to be "Sabretooth" on The Sci-Fi Channel).

A short snippet of Javascript or PHP coding would be ideal. Well, Javascript, preferably, since that's what I'm using for the rest of the deal. But, I'm not choosy.

Okey-doke. I think that about covers it. I'll just wait quietly over here.

Blogathon back on track...sort of

According to an announcement just posted on the Blogathon home page, the backend coding that will allow sponsors to sign up will be working no later than July 20. That's just 2 1/2 weeks before the Blogathon itself, which is not exactly optimal timing, but that's the way it is so we'll make the best of it.

I'm still working on plans for my Blogathon project, and they do include Fabulous Prizes, albeit related to Lame Contests. So, be sure to stay tuned for more information. Remember, no matter how lame my part is, it's for a good cause: Midland Fair Havens. So when the time comes, if you feel led to do so and have the means, be generous with your pledge, either out of support for Fair Havens or pity for me.

Technorati tag: Blogathon

Overactive Spam Filter

Wallace, the proprietor of Streams, just informed me that he tried to leave one of his usual witty, perceptive and amusing comments on a Gazette post and it was refused because it contained a word that raised the ire of my zealous spam filter. Actually, it's a blacklist of more than 2,500 words and URLs which have accompanied various messages of the spam persuasion over the years. Once added to the blacklist, any future messages containing them are stopped dead in their tracks and consigned to the Place Where Bad 0s and 1s Go.

Most of those words and URLs cannot be repeated in polite company (or even most impolite company, for that matter). So it was sort of surprising to me that a gentlemenly guy like Wallace would be guilty of slinging such verbiage onto the hallowed pages of this here blog-like thing.

What was the word? Um...well, it was "Texas."

OK. Obviously, the blacklist isn't perfect. I suspect that "Texas" got added to the list during one of the not infrequent deluges of pøker spam referring to Texas Høld-ém or some other variation incorporating the name of our Great State. Anyhoo, I've deleted Texas from the blacklist, so I've got that going for me now.

I'm thinking about adding Wisconsin in its place. It's not that I have anything against Wisconsin, nor can I recall ever getting any spam which incorporated Wisconsin (which in itself is sort of a sad commentary for the state, don't you think?). I just like the idea of exerting that kind of power.

TDF 2005: Quick Note

Wish I had more time to dissect Lance Armstrong's personal demolition derby during today's first serious mountain stage. Suffice it to say that any reports you've read probably understated the methodical dismemberment of the competition, first by the Discovery Channel team as a whole, then by The Man himself as he pulled the last 11km at such a pace that only three other riders could stay with him...and none of them are the pre-race favorites. Hannibal Lector would have been proud. How bad was it? The yellow jersey leader from stage 9 is now about 30 minutes behind Mr. Armstrong.

The only mild disappointment was that Lance was outsprinted for the stage win by an impressive Alejandro Valverde, a young rider who could well be Lance's heir apparent.

But 2005 belongs to Lance. He made sure the world understood that today.

Tomorrow's stage 11 is highlighted by two climbs so tough that they aren't categorized. The only question that now remains is whether Lance is content with simply humiliating Jan, Iban, Andréas, Alexandre and the rest, or if he really wants to say grace over their graves.

Technorati tag: Tour de France

Every penny counts at Best Buy

I just used a Best Buy gift card to purchase some Sony earbuds (replacing those awful ones from Apple) and a miniplug-to-miniplug patch cable (for which I'm sure a use will eventually arise; you can never have too many patch cables and adapters). The total was $49.28, leaving a balance of $0.72, which I assumed I would receive in the form of cold hard cash.

Nope. If I want access to those six bits and change, I've got to use that gift card again. I told the cashier that I hoped I could find something to spend it on, and he looked at me as if to say "why don't you try putting it toward a refill of your Alzheimer's meds?"

I wonder how many hundreds of thousands of dollars a year Best Buy makes from people tossing their gift cards with just a few cents left on them rather than dealing with the hassle of depleting them on a fraction of a future purchase? I also wonder how and when their accountants decide to reclassify those unused balances from liability to revenue, since the gift cards don't expire.

Yes, I know; it's really sad that I think about these things. Blame it on my accounting degree, which, thankfully, I use only as an excuse to think about these things.

Plunging headfirst into a new week...

Hope your Monday's going well; mine seems to be exceptionally fine, thus far. I've already had a productive morning, work- and chore-wise, and also took advantage of the gorgeous weather and got in a quick bike ride (in honor of the rest day in the Tour de France).

Today is the rarest of meteorological phenomena in west Texas: a calm day. Days without wind are so infrequent, in fact, that I have a special flag for them in my workout log. Now, if you're not a cyclist, or if your primary riding terrain is very hilly, you probably don't see why the wind is such a big deal. I assure you that riding in the wind on flat terrain is like, well, like the sensation of a bucket of lemon juice poured on a sucking chest wound.

Besides the calm riding conditions, I got to flush a beagle-sized jackrabbit on the way out of town, a shoe-sized cottontail rabbit on the way back into town, and a pair of quail herding a covey of about a dozen babies across the street just inside the city limits. The quail family was an unusual sight; I can't remember the last time I saw one. I just loved the sound of their little bones crunching under my front tire! JUST KIDDING!!

When I got home, I had a message on the machine from a client who wants me to do some more product photography. That's always a nice change of pace from code-wrangling, and it's doubly nice when it's a client providing repeat business. After all, I'm not a professional photographer, so I don't underestimate the compliment implied by the request.

And, last but not least, I've been playing with MLB's birthday present, which is very cool. No, I'm not going to tell you what it is, partly because her birthday isn't until Saturday but mainly because I know you guys are a bunch of blabbermouths. Sorry; it had to be said. And, yes, I need to play with it so that I can make sure it's in good working condition for her. Really.

Anyway, you're now up-to-date on my thrill-a-minute life. Now, jump over to The Fat Guy's joint, where he finally reveals his true colors. (Here's a hint: he may be a cheerleader for Billy Joe Shaver, but he tends to hang out with a different set of cheergals.) Scott is well known for saying that he'd sell his soul for some minerals under Barnett Shale. Too bad he forgot to ask for a rig to go along with 'em!

Busy Weekend

Wow...is it almost Monday already? Seems like Friday was only day before yesterday. Or something.

Yesterday was almost completely consumed by a minor home improvement project that I managed to transform into a major undertaking. I'm building some decorative cornice boards for three windows and instead of doing the wise thing and ordering a kit, I'm creating them from scratch out of baseboard moulding. This wouldn't ordinarily be a huge deal, but because MLB's specs call for a wider (taller?) cornice, I'm having to mate two pieces of moulding lengthwise, and it's a real chore to bevel and join them relatively seamlessly with the less-than-professional grade hand tools I have at my disposal. And, of course, I managed to select a fairly warped piece of moulding to use for the longest cornice, and it took some extra manhandling to get it to cooperate. I suspect I violated several provisions of the Geneva Convention as it applies to the Treatment of Decorative Processed Wood Products.

But, with a sufficient amount of caulking and a few coats of paint, I think the finished product will stand up to casual scrutiny. And, really, that's all the scrutiny anybody should be giving to cornice boards anyway. I can't worry about the reactions of over-scrutinous people.

That project took place over a period of about six hours (longer if you count the trip to Home Depot to get extra braces, wood screws and carpenter's glue) and occurred in our garage, where the ambient temperature never got below 95°. That's a fairly draining way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It's now Sunday afternoon and I've just finished caulking the cornice boards, which have passed MLB's inspection with flying colors (well, what's she going to say, really? "Boy, you really reek at carpentry, you know?" She knows better than to say that; she has a birthday coming up!). We're now watching dark clouds encircle us and praying that they'll dump some rain. We'll even take lightning and small hail (pea-sized or smaller, God, and only for about seven minutes, please) if that's the price to get some rain. It's been more than a month since our last meaningful precip and we can feel ourselves slipping back into drought mode. Unfortunately, the nearest rain is 17 miles from us and moving away.

Got a short week ahead as we have our final family reunion next weekend in the cool climes of Cloudcroft, NM. More on that, later.

Running Shoe Lacing Patterns

In response to a comment thread from my earlier post about new running shoes, below is a scan of a flyer that Road Runner Sports includes with each shipment of shoes, showing how different lacing patterns can help solve common fit problems. I use the pattern shown for heel slippage control, and it works very well for me.

Technorati tags: Running Shoes | Lacing Patterns

WOTW: Overhyped

Update: Cowtown Pattie over at Texas Trifles now has her review posted. She has a different -- and better articulated -- take than me on the movie, so you'll want to read hers if you're seeking "fair and balanced" coverage.

MLB and I did something out of the ordinary (for us, anyway) last night as we paid full price to attend an evening showing of War of the Worlds. She'd spent the last three evenings standing in the kitchen preparing the bushel of peaches we'd brought back from Fredericksburg, and she was ready for a change. I heartily approved.

WOTW was a good choice for an escapist escapade (as the first ominous scenes appeared on the screen, we simultaneously whispered to each other, "I love a good disaster movie!"). It's a breathtaking achievement on a technical level, incorporating special effects and real people in such a seamless manner as to cause a continual mental loop of "how did they do that?" We did not find the human story to be as dark as some of the reviews we'd read, but it also wasn't as compelling as we'd hoped it would be.

It's not a fun movie, in the spirit of, say, Independence Day. The inevitable defeat of the invading force (everyone knows the story by now) brings nothing like a sense of victory or achievement, just a sense that the human race inexplicably dodged a bullet, not because of any intrinsic merit (despite the solemn closing intonations of Morgan Freeman's voice), but simply because of dumb luck. Or illogical screenwriting.

Awesome technical effects aside, the classic plot of this movie was not improved in its updating. I don't want to drop any spoilers here, but suffice it to say that just because a storyline is decades old doesn't mean it needs to be "modernized" or otherwise tweaked to appeal to a modern "enlightened" audience.

Of course, having said that, I am still puzzled by the retention of the tripedal characteristics of the aliens, both physiological and mechanical. I realize that it's primarily a device to underscore the alienness of the invaders, but robotic research (PDF document) suggests that tripedal mechanisms are less stable and efficient than quadrapeds. So, am I being inconsistent with my critique? Absolutely!

Overall, WOTW was good, but not great. It will stand out this year primarily due to the lack of worthy competitors, but it's not a movie for the ages.

Oh, and if you have young children, take the PG-13 rating seriously. There are some really intense scenes which I think could generate nightmares for younger kids, not to mention more profanity than was absolutely necessary.

Technorati tag: War of the Worlds

New Shoes

Yesterday was supposed to be a rest day. After ten consecutive days of cycling, running or strenuous hiking, my aging joints and muscles deserved a break. But when the regular workout time rolled around, I felt fine. In fact, I needed a workout...the London bombings had me on edge and I needed to run off some nervous energy. Plus, I had new fresh-out-of-the-box running shoes.

I'm pretty easy on running shoes, since most of my mileage is done on a treadmill. My current shoes are only about 16 months old, and have around 700 miles on them. (I know, that's not much mileage over that length of time, but running isn't my primary workout.) Shoe manufacturers would have you believe that the high tech material in today's shoes breaks down fairly quickly and that you should replace them every six months or so. I suppose that if I was running 60 miles a week, that replacement schedule might work, but I tend to believe it's the mileage, not the calendar, that drives the replacement decision. (Sort of like oil changes in your car; does anybody really change the oil in an infrequently driven auto every three months?)

I'm also picky about what shoe I run in. I wear nothing but New Balance 1122s, size 11D (they run small...really). This is a workhorse of a shoe, meant for heavier runners (which certainly isn't me) and high mileage types (again, not me). It's heavy and clunky-looking and stable as the Rock of Gibraltar, and it's the one shoe I can run in for several consecutive days without knee or foot pain, and thus I stick with it. Some people absolutely hate the 1122 (many cite a lack of cushioning or the weight as major drawbacks), but one's preference in running shoes is quite subjective, as you might imagine.

Anyway, I pulled on the new shoes, laced 'em up and hit the treadmill, putting in four miles while watching Stage 6 of the Tour de France. The shoes felt good, I felt good (well, relatively speaking), and I'm glad I took the time.

Today, however, I think I'll rest.

Probably.

Book Review: "Potter Springs"

In the interest of full disclosure, let me state upfront that my copy of "Potter Springs" was provided free of charge by the publisher, who apparently contacted a number of bloggers (primarily in Texas) and made the same offer. There was no accompanying request for a review; no strings attached. The publisher is obviously hoping for a positive blog buzz over the book and is willing to take a few risks with this experiment.

There's nothing in the jacket description for "Potter Springs" that would normally tempt me to read it:

"Poignantly rendered" is code for chick lit, especially when combined with the adjective "star-crossed." It shouldn't surprise you to know that I'd never before read a romance novel, nor have I acquired a taste for the genre after reading this one. But, you might be surprised to learn that I had a hard time putting this book down, and in fact started and finished it over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

I agreed to read the book primarily because of its Texas setting, but that ended up having little to do with the appeal of the story. The author, Britta Coleman, is a Texan currently living in Fort Worth, and so she pretty much nails the contrast between Houston and the fictional Panhandle town of Potter Springs, but, really, the story could have been set in any location without losing its impact.

This is a story about the consequences of married couples who can't -- or won't -- talk to each other about the "elephant in the room." In this case, it's the loss of a baby through miscarriage...but in real life, the syndrome plays out around any number of subjects, large and small: money, sex, household chores, problems with kids or parents -- you name it. Why we find it so difficult to talk to our spouses about such things is a mystery, but it's not an exaggeration.

Potter Springs is Coleman's first novel and it seems to struggle at times to figure out what it wants to be. On one level, it's a farce (in the literary sense, of course) wherein miscommunication, misinterpretation and improbable situations create tension between the main characters. On another level, it's one of those romance novels I mentioned above, where you know everything is going to be fine in the end, but only after the "star-crossed lovers" have to drag themselves through the muck of life to realize what they're missing.

This book also has clear Christian undertones. Part of that is because one of the main characters is a Baptist minister, but I suspect it's also an intentional decision based on the author's values. That's not to say that anything is sugarcoated, and it's definitely not "preachy." In fact, this may be one of the more realistic depictions of how life is for most Christians: messy, stressful, complicated, prone to foul-ups, most of which are due to our own stupidity and pride. In short, just like life for everyone else, with the significant exception that there's always Someone there to pick us up and pick up after us.

The book provides an unflinching look at the additional complications that come with being a pastor (and a pastor's wife). The stress of unrealistic expectations can be crushing.

I have a few nits to pick with the book. As a guy, I have a tendency to overanalyze, and when I read a plotline that has a character driving eleven hours from the Panhandle to Houston (which is about right), but later includes a reference to being "over 300 miles away," well, that inconsistency bugs me. (I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and suggest that perhaps an editor in New York changed the mileage, because no one would believe that Texas is that big.) I also thought the characters sometimes were caricatures, painted with too much black or white. And, in the end, every last one of them was redeemed, his or her character flaws either explained or flipped or fixed.

But, the book had the important effect of making me think beyond the characters or even the plot. Some authors are artists who paint with words; their work is enjoyable primarily for the aesthetics of how they string those words together. Tom Wolfe comes to mind. Others are workmen for whom the plot is everything; they'll use the bare minimum of words to get that plot fixed. That's how I view Stephen King. Then there are those who don't fit neatly into either category; they have an idea that needs to get out, off the page and into the reader's brain, and the words and the plot exist to serve that idea. That's how I see Britta Coleman's rendering of Potter Springs. And that's a good thing.

I'll be interested in reading the thoughts of other bloggers who accepted the publisher's offer of a review copy of this book.

Technorati tags: Potter Springs | Britta Coleman

TdF Analysis: Stage 6 - An unlikely winner

Lorenzo Bernucci is a 26-year old Italian rider who has never won a race as a professional...until today, when he got an improbable victory during the soggy-but-fast 6th stage of the Tour de France.

Bernucci managed to avoid a massive pileup of riders a few hundred meters from the finish and broke free for the victory, just ahead of Alexandre Vinokourov, who also missed the crash but had to briefly unclip from his pedals, which probably resulted in his losing the stage.

With his uncanny sixth sense for such things, Lance Armstrong had dropped back into the peloton just before the rain-slicked turn that provided the excitement and thus did not go down. He lost a couple of seconds in the overall standing, but is still more than a minute ahead of the nearest challenger.

Tomorrow's stage 7 is one of the longer legs of the race, at 228.5 km. It has two categorized climbs, one of which is a cat 3 -- the first of the race -- but overall, the stage should be another fast one. However, Lance observed after today's race that the peloton seems to be weary, presumably due to the winds, rain and fast pace of the stages up to this point.

A random observation (It's What We Do™) today's stage: The podium girls for stage 6 were, well, exceptionally beautiful, especially the two who presented Armstrong with his continuing yellow jersey. Not that that's important. But, still...

Just a reminder that your best source for live updates is the official TdF website, and your best source for analysis and extended blog coverage is TDF Blog.

Technorati tags: Tour de France

Two predictable things: Islamic terrorism, and Daily Kos commenters

I won't even bother linking to the Daily Kos; if you really want to find it, it's easy, but I wouldn't recommend looking for it if you tend to blame terrorists for their attacks rather than the victims of those attacks.

It didn't take long for the terrorist sympathizers to start speculating about how Bush will spin the London bombings to his political advantage, how Rove is gleefully plotting to use this latest "windfall," how Blair is now exposed for the gullible idiot they've always known him to be, and how, frankly, this is what we deserve for not rolling over.

"Oh, the deaths are certainly regrettable and our thoughts go out to the victims and families, but..."

Disgusting.

Flying the Union Jack

The Gazette will be "flying" the Union Jack for an undetermined period of time, as a show of support for and solidarity with our British friends.

It's not much, but it's what I can do.

American blogger arrives in London at bad time

Patti over at the elegant White Pebble arrived in London with her son for a vacation just in time for the apparent terrorist attacks.

I suspect we'll be reading some fascinating first-hand accounts of the aftermath. And, as a cautionary note to any would-be terrorists, and to paraphrase Johner in Alien: Resurrection, she is not one with whom you wish to mess.

I'm glad she and her fellow travelers are safe.

States Meme

Jim over at Serotoninrain posted his results on a new meme, and after seeing his, I decided that my life rates a minus 6 on the gypsy scale. Here's what I'm talking about:

Bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C. /

I haven't set foot in well over half the states in this great nation. And some of those I've visited were of the changing-flights-at-the-airport type of encounter.

[OTOH, I have been to Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Honduras, Guanaja, Mexico and the Turks & Caicos. Surely that counts for something.]

Go here to have a form generate the HTML for you.

Update: I just realized that my mother is probably going to leave a comment and point out that we did live in Arkansas for a few months when I was just a tyke. I've spent decades trying to block that out of my mind...and have apparently succeeded. (No offense to any readers from Arkansas. You have a very lovely state.)

TdF Analysis: Stage 5 - Another day, another sprint

As predicted, the finish of today's 183 km stage provided all the excitement. There was the usual small breakaway about 30 miles into the course and the group managed to lead the peloton for much of the rest of the way, but they were inexorably reeled in and caught well before the finish, setting the stage for the usual frantic sprint for the line.

Today's sprint went to Australian Robbie McEwen, by centimeters over Tom Boonen, the Belgian rider who has already collected two stage victories in this year's race. McEwen did a good impression of an NFL wideout after catching a TD pass, beating his chest with both hands as he cycled past the finish, a gesture apparently aimed in the general direction of the race officials who stripped him of a third place finish in an earlier stage, deeming him guilty of head-butting another rider (and you didn't think cycling was a contact sport?).

Despite the drama in the finish, none of the overall race leaders changed position, so Lance Armstrong will wear yellow for the start of tomorrow's 199 km stage. It's interesting to note that he tried not to wear the yellow jersey for today's start, in an attempt to honor the tradition of not taking up the leader's jersey the day after the previous wearer lost it due to a fall (as did American Dave Zabriskie in yesterday's team time trial). But the race director issued an ultimatum to Lance -- wear it today, or miss the start tomorrow -- and Lance, being the intelligent guy he is, got dressed.

Tomorrow's stage could get a little more interesting, as it has four category 4 climbs (the easiest of the categories), with the longest coming only 13 km from the finish. These are not the killer climbs that make or break most riders, but they will present some tactical opportunities if a team wants to probe the resolve of any of the overall leaders. The weather could also become a factor, as the forecast is for a slight chance of rain early in the stage and possible thunderstorms near the end.

Oh, and here's a bit of trivia to end the day: the heaviest rider in this year's race is Sweden's Magnus Bäckstedt, who weighed in at a whopping 209 pounds (he's also about 6' 4" tall). In the cycling world of stage races, that's the equivalent of a 400 pound offensive lineman. Don't look for him to be a factor in the mountains, unless he gets started downhill and can't stop!

Technorati tag: Tour de France

Rock the Desert 2005

I just noticed that the 6th annual Rock the Desert Christian music festival is scheduled in Midland County for August 5-6, at the same venue off Highway 1788 as last year. The line-up of musicians is incredible, including Third Day, Mercy Me, Toby Mac, Salvadore, Pillar, Jeremy Camp, Tree 63, Sanctus Real and others.

Last year, I volunteered as a member of the TV camera crew and thus had a better-than-front-row seat as well as a backstage pass. I assume that I'm not needed this year, as I wasn't asked to work, but it's just as well. August 6 happens to be the date for Blogathon 2005, to which I've already committed my time and resources.

Still, some of my favorite groups are on stage Friday night, so I have a decision to make: do I head out and catch the music, or make an early night of it and get as much sleep as I can before the 24-hour Blogathon? As usual, my heart and my head aren't in agreement.

Technorati tag: Rock the Desert

Too cool to click?

Dontclick.it gets major props for imaginative use of a domain name (almost as good as del.icio.us), but it leaves me scratching my head as I wonder "why?"

I mean, it's not like clicking a mouse button is so much harder than moving a mouse in a certain pattern in order to navigate a website. In fact, for me anyway, I found that clickless navigation (via the Mouse Gestures extension, here for Firefox and here for Mozilla) was a real pain. I was constantly jumping somewhere else unintentionally as the extension misinterpreted my mouse movements as navigation commands. After about a week, I disabled the extension.

Dontclick.it is, however, an interesting experiment in how we interact with our computers, and how our intuition may or may not be sufficient for optimizing that interaction. Most