Ten Tips on Using Sect of Homokaasu's Rasterbator

In a previous post I showed an image of our completed wall art. I've compiled some tips to help anyone who wants to get the same results themselves:

1. Use a printer capable of borderless printing. My Canon PIXMA MP160 can do this only with a stiff paper (like the matte photo paper I used). Otherwise you're stuck with thin white margins on each panel-sheet.
2. Use a laser printer if financially possible. Looking back I regret not choosing a laser printer. I chose to use the Canon PIXMA MP160 because I didn't know how financially efficient it was. After printing 60 sheets and going through two color cartridges, the total cost came out to ~$60 ($28/each + tax). That's $1/sheet. If you can purchase comparably-priced color printing at a copy shop, do so. You won't have to worry about liquids dissolving the water-soluble ink used in inkjet cartridges. You'll probably have to request printing each 8.5"x11" panel-sheet on a 11"x17" sheet and then cutting it to size (full-bleed).
3. Don't use masking tape to stabilize the panels on the wall (in addition to a foam core hanger). I didn't think about this until after I finished, when my understanding property manager informed me that masking tape only comes off easily from the wall when it's fresh. When masking tape sits for a while, it bonds with the paint/wall and becomes difficult to remove. x_x An efficient alternative solution--use two hangers on the back of each board instead of one.
4. Use double-sided tape and affix it about 1/4" inside the edge of the paper. First, double-sided tape versus adhesive spray--we used adhesive spray on a trial project and noticed the edges didn't stick very well to the posterboard. We also noticed the over-spray left a bit of a tack on our fingers, and we didn't want any of that getting onto the panel-sheets. x_x Your mileage may vary. Second, don't attempt to affix the double-sided tape right on the edge of the panel-sheet. We found affixing the tape about 1/4" inside the edge of the paper much more forgiving. Start in a corner, dispense about three inches, press it into place, then repeat until done with the side. Dispensing anything longer than that and you risk the tape clinging in the wrong place--resulting in torn paper as you attempt to remove it and reaffix it. x_x
5. Use a spreadsheet to calculate the locations of the nails. I used this Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to calculate the hole locations. Feel free to use it and modify it to your specifications.
   
6. Mark center location of each foam-core panel. Based on a suggestion from an artist, we found the center of each panel by drawing two diagonal lines (between opposite corners) using a straight edge. Where they intersect represents the center. More efficient than measuring. I placed each foam-core hanger here to ensure the foam-core panels hung consistently.
   
7. Mark holes vertically first, then mark each row horizontally. With the help of a laser level and a tape measure, we marked the height of each row. Then, marking the distance between the nails onto a sheet of paper (since it was only 9.5") we used that instead of the awkward and inconsistent tape measure to mark the location of the horizontal nails in each row. We used a laser level and made a pencil mark every 9.5" according to the sheet of paper. Do this for each row--much, much more efficient than measuring each hole manually.
8. Number each sheet and foam-core panel. We had 60 panels, and we found it confusing to know how to orient them and in which order to place them. To simplify things, we laid out the panels on the floor to put together the image, then stacked them, numbering each one lightly on the back (consistently in the same corner). You can also do this as you print them. After using tape to affix the panel-sheets to the foam-core panels, re-number them consistently in the same corner to ensure correct orientation on the wall.
9. Use masking tape to outline the placement of the artwork on the wall before nailing. We didn't know quite where to place it on our wall until we used masking tape to get a visual idea of how big it really was. We weren't sure how to center it horizontally and vertically, but after affixing the tape-frame to the wall, we came up with our decision relatively quickly. The laser level once again helps with placement of the tape.
   
10. Take precautions if placing artwork in high-traffic areas. Will wind blow your 60 carefully-leveled pictures askew? Will your kitten find the low-hanging foam-core boards a lovely new scratching post? Will you feel paranoid about bumping and damaging the panels each time you pass them? We solved these problems on the fly with a loop of masking tape on the back of each panel and raising the panels a bit higher. Take your time, think things through, then affix the panels.
    

Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave Off Kanagawa (1831)

From the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art:

The Great Wave at Kanagawa (from a Series of Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji), Edo period (1615–1868), ca. 1830–32
Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760–1849)
Japan
Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper; 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in. (25.7 x 37.9 cm)
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (JP1847)

Description

The preeminence of this print—said to have inspired both Debussy's "La Mer" and Rilke's "Der Berg"—can be attributed, in addition to its sheer graphic beauty, to the compelling force of the contrast between the wave and the mountain. The turbulent wave seems to tower above the viewer, whereas the tiny stable pyramid of Mount Fuji sits in the distance. The eternal mountain is envisioned in a single moment frozen in time. Hokusai characteristically cast a traditional theme in a novel interpretation. In the traditional "meisho-e" (scene of a famous place), Mount Fuji was always the focus of the composition. Hokusai inventively inverted this formula and positioned a small Mount Fuji within the midst of a thundering seascape. Foundering among the great waves are three boats thought to be barges conveying fish from the southern islands of Edo (modern Tokyo). Thus a scene of everyday labor is grafted onto the seascape view of the mountain.

Tools used:

• Sect of Homokaasu's online The Rasterbator (creates PDF from source image)
• 60 8.5"x11" foam-core boards (eBay)
• 60 8.5"x11" Canon MP-101 matte photo paper sheets
• Canon Pixma MP160 Multifunction Printer (used two color cartridges on this project)
  
• 2,340" of 1/2" double-sided tape (holds photo paper to foam-core boards)
• 60 foam-core board hangers (Abreu Gallery)
  
• 60 picture nails & hammer
• Ryobi AirGrip Laser Level
• One roll of masking tape (holds foam-core boards in place on wall)
• Rubbermaid 3-Step Project Ladder

UPDATE:



A pic with IKEA Sansa low-voltage halogen track lighting system.

Cooking In the Backyard

Local organization Solar Cookers International make ovens that cook food in the backyard without using gas or electricity! Very efficient financially, but I'm not so sure about how efficient it is with respect to time.

The organization advocates for use of the cookers in areas where gathering scarce wood for cooking fuel represents a time-consuming source of labor. They also advocate cooking with the sun to pasteurize water. Clever!

Link: http://solarcookers.org/

Yallavva

Meet Yallavva. She lives in India, in the Bijapur district of the southern state of Karnataka, tahsil (county) Basavana-Bagevadi, in the community of Devalapur. She speaks Kannada, a Dravidian language, and I assume she also speaks Hindi, an Indo-European language. Hindu represents her families religion.

Born in 1995, she does not celebrate her exact date of birth, as is custom in her culture.


Her father Mariyappa (born 1960). I have never seen photos of her mother Durugavva (born 1965) or her brother Parashuram (born 2000). Both parents work as laborers. You can see their home behind them--crafted from stone with a corrugated metal roof.

Though she's healthy, Yallavva currently does not attend school due to economic conditions caused by poor rainfall in the last year. Her family receives water from a borehole operated by an electric pump year-round.

She's wearing her best dress and her nicest bracelets, necklace, earrings, and nose ring. Her hair looks neatly combed and tied back. She wears no shoes, as is customary.

I support Yallavva and her community through Plan.

Opting Out

From FindLaw:

For instance, as early as 1970, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Rowan v. United States Postal Service that a government regulation allowing citizens the choice to refuse to receive unwanted commercial mail was constitutional, despite a First Amendment challenge, for it protects individual privacy. As a result, a consumer has the right to affirmatively go to the United States Post Office, fill out a form and to ask never to receive unsolicited mail from a particular marketer.

This evening I called Comcast to opt-out of receiving their commercial postal mailings, and the representative informed me that I'd have to "throw it away"--they don't have a way for people to opt-out of their mailings.

I began this journey to become free of unsolicited postal mail after reading the inspirational story of local resident Matt Conens in the Sacramento News and Review. The article lists 41 Pounds and Green Dimes as two companies which help stamp out unsolicited postal mail.

According to Wikipedia, the USPS uses junk mail revenues to subsidize low-cost stamps for letters. So, in theory, the effect of eliminating junk mail on a wide scale might be the increase of stamp prices.

Junkbusters also exists as a helpful starting point. They note:

A U.S. Federal law gives you the power to stop any non-governmental organization from sending you further mail. You can download a copy or Form 1500 or ask for a copy to be mailed to you by telephoning a major Post Office in your area. Fill it out (it's very short), attach it to one of their opened letters, and lodge it at any Post Office. The form was originally intended to stop pornographic junk mail, but the Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed your right to stop any mail that you don't want. If the company continues to send you mail or sell your name they risk being prosecuted as criminals. Burnett comments that with this move ``name removal is virtually assured.'' (They will still store your name in their databases, but they are unlikely to continue renting it.)

This evening, I ordered the Green Dimes kit, paid the $1 to the DMA to have them remove my address, submitted my info to https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ and geared up to swat down local junk mailers with USPS Form 1500.

Wishing you a junk-mail-free existance!

Others:

• http://phonezilla.net/permanent/form1500.php
• http://www.planetmike.com/journal/category/advertising/junkmail/
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=794wbpg7A3Y
  

Leibniz Named Calculus

A simple question: Where did the name calculus come from?

It took us about 45 minutes to find the answer this evening. Apparently Leibniz came up with the word calculus in conjunction with various suffix words to describe the new concepts he had worked out:

calculus differentialis became the method for finding tangents and the calculus summatorius or calculus integralis the method for finding areas.

The etymology of calculus comes from the Latin calx meaning stone. The diminutive, calculi, indicates tiny stones, which people used for counting purposes. The words calculation thus came about to describe all manners of addition, subtraction, and so forth. Leibniz apparently chose the word calculus to describe a new manner of counting to arrive at solutions to problems. He used the phrases in his works published in 1684 and 1686.

Link:
http://www.math10.com/en/maths-history/history5/origins-differential-integral2.html
http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/PrintHT/The_rise_of_calculus.html

Annie

Coming home from the gym Saturday night Dawn and I caught two songs from the original Broadway recording of Annie on Capitol Public Radio 88.9. Wonderful, one of my favorites.

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-07-30

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-07-30
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 08:10-09:00
Terrain: flat

Comments: Treadmill exercise at the California Family Fitness gym at I-80 and Madison. Watched Pokemon and Ben 10.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.03 km (4.25 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 742.55 km (472.95 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 81.63 kg (180 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none

SomaFM Songs

San Rafael-based Two Seconds' Make A Run For It from their 2007 album Until We're Legal on the Popsmear Records label. Available on iTunes.

Seattle-based The Lashes' New Best Friend from their 2006 album Get It on the Red Ink label.

Bertrand Russell For Teh Win!!!

Late night silliness with Dawn :)

SomaFM Songs

Los Angeles-based Shiloe's The Rat from--their 2006 EP Please Remove Your Teeth From My Neck, distributed independently.

SomaFM Songs

June of 44's Doomsday from their 1998 album Four Great Points on the Quarterstick Records label. Math rock! ^_^

Tucson-based Calexico's Quattro from their 2003 album Feast of Wire on the Quarterstick Records label. Great guitar instrumentals.

Glasgow, Scotland-based Camera Obscura's Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken from their 2006 album Let's Get Out Of This Country on the Merge label. Female pop! :) Video.

Brighton, UK-based The Kooks' She Moves In Her Own Way from their 2006 album Inside In/Inside Out on the Virgin Records label.

I also heard Teddy Thompson on NPR's Fresh Air on July 18. What a voice!

SunRocket Member Bill of Rights

The founders of SunRocket moved on earlier this year and Ms. Hook took over the helm. SunRocket has a "Member Bill of Rights" page that states:

Dignity & Respect: You will be treated with the utmost dignity and respect in all dealings with SunRocket and company personnel.

Integrity & Trust: We endeavor to fully inform you of available options so you can make timely and informed choices. We will never abuse your trust through deceit, exploitation, neglect, manipulation, or discrimination

Goes to show the words in the contract only matter how well people adhere to them on any given day!

Original story

SunRocket VoIP Shuts Down Service

SunRocket Voice-Over-Internet phone service closed shop this afternoon. I began subscribing to SunRocket in 2005--I only wish they might have delayed the end until mid-August, when we finish moving! :)

Overall I found SunRocket's quality so-so, and the cost savings so-so. The service cost less--but I ended up paying more for bandwidth. Numerous people mentioned the cell-phone-like signal quality. I really enjoyed using SunRocket's web interface though--checking voice-mail anywhere, checking phone records, and so forth. SunRocket also provided a lot of extras--for free! Caller ID, voice-mail, call forwarding, call blocking, for example.

Happily, I'm moving to a location with fiber-optic internet and phone in a few weeks! :)

Regrettably, SunRocket failed to notify any customers in advance--so this afternoon the phone went dead as Dawn used it. We had advance notice of the impending closure due to rumors posted at dslreports.com over the weekend--but I'm feeling disappointment at the leaders' failure to exit gracefully.

Password Requirements

I've noticed this past month that some web sites enforce insecure passwords--even financial web sites!

Bruce Schneier writes about choosing an appropriately secure password here, capturing what the latest and greatest password crackers check for.

Some web sites fail to allow secure passwords for one of the following technical reasons:

• Only accept alpha-numeric passwords
• Passwords limited to x digits

Lame!

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-07-05

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-07-05
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:45-19:35
Terrain: flat

Comments: Treadmill exercise at the California Family Fitness gym at I-80 and Madison. Watched the end of a recent (2006) Ethics In America II, Choosing Justice: Elections and Judicial Independence. Then I caught the end of Class of 3000--a hilarious episode filled with fantastic plots like a Ren-fair crowd attacking a school. Lots of fun one-liners. I used my upper legs a lot on this run--no knee weirdness!
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 6.03 km (3.75 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 736.52 km (468.70 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 80.73 kg (178 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none! :)

Secondary Car Purchase Update

Dawn and I have investigated the purchase of a second daily driver car for some time as our primary car gets up in mileage (160K+). I figure better to stay ahead of the curve in case this car breaks down.

I've spent the last few days researching used cars in the range of 1999-2005, which seems to represent the price range we can afford right now. Top considerations (in order):

1. Safety
2. Reliability
3. Insurance cost
   
4. Looks
   

I first visited the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) which operates SafeCar.gov. SafeCar reports driver/passenger frontal and side impact assessments, as well as rollover assessments. Next, I visited the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) which reports similar information on impact ratings.

For local and national pricing information, I relied on Edmunds.com and their partner site, autotrader.com.

For reliability information, I visited MSN Autos which lists reliability for the current and previous years in a table.

And I enjoyed reading Samarins for used-car buying information (and reviews).

Initial picks (in no particular order, in the range of 2000-2005):

• Volkswagen Golf
  
• Five-star frontal- and four-star side-impact safety ratings from NHTSA, reliability seems pretty good.
• Honda Civic
• Nothing really needs to be said that hasn't already been said--great safety ratings and reliability.
  
• Dodge Neon SRT
• Vroom-vroom! ;)
  
• Honda Accord

I've said since college that I planned to purchase a low-emissions vehicle as my next car purchase. I still want to make that a reality--and the later-years Toyota Prius seems the likely bet, if I can afford one!

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-07-03

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-07-03
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 18:35-19:15
Terrain: flat

Comments: Treadmill exercise at the California Family Fitness gym at I-80 and Madison. Watched more of Code Lyoko. First time running in about 11 days!
Exercise Time: 40 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.36 km (3.33 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 730.49 km (464.95 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 79.83 kg (176 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: right knee felt a bit tender afterward

Soma FM Songs

Sorel, Quebec-based Malajube's Le Crabe from their 2006 album Trompe-l'oeil on the Dare to Care Records label.

Chichester, West Sussex, UK-native Antony and the Johnson's Free At Last from their 2005 album I Am a Bird Now on the Secretly Canadian label.

New York City-natives The Natural History's Telling Lies Will Get You Nowhere from their 2003 album Beat Beat Heartbeat on the Startime International label.

Portland, Oregon-based The Shins' Reb Rabbits from their 2007 album Wincing the Night Away on the Sub Pop/Transgressive labels.

Glasgow, Scotland-based The Fratellis' Flathead from their 2006 album Costello Music on the Drop the Gun Recordings label.

Happy Canada Day!

The Logdriver's Waltz. ;) I'm told this flushes Canidians out of the crowd. ;)

Forbidden Zone

Watched this cult movie yesterday--overwhelming.

I enjoyed Marie Pascale-Elfman's facial expressions as Frenchy as she hams it up! ^_^

KYDS Songs

Essex, UK-based Gorillaz' Tomorrow Comes Today from their 2000 album Tomorrow Comes Today on the Parlophone label. Video.

Los Angeles-based Silversun Pickups' Well Thought Out Twinkles from their 2006 album Carnavas on the Dangerbirds Records label. Video. I heard this yesterday and today when I heard it again I didn't enjoy it quite as much, but I enjoy the guitar-work at the ending!

I heard this one on Soma FM's Indie pop rocks! :

Athens, GA-natives Elf Power's O What A Beautiful Dream from their 1998 album A Dream In Sound on the Arena Rock Recording Co. label.

Austin, TX-natives ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead's The Best from their 2004 album Worlds Apart on the Interscope Records label. Kind of loses me after the intro but I like the driving guitars!

Liverpool, UK-based Clinic's Harmony, from their 2002 album Walking With Thee on the Domino Records label. Mix of meloncholy and sort of dark.

Radio Songs

Heard today on Soundscapes:

Boston-native Suzanne Ciani's The Velocity of Love from her 1985 album The Velocity of Love on the RCA label. Audio (accompanies video)

Swansea, Wales-native Karl Jenkins' Adiemus from his 1995 album Adiemus on the Jenkins Ratledge label. Audio (accompanying video)

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-06-21

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-06-21
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:15-22:10
Terrain: intervals

Comments: Treadmill exercise at the California Family Fitness gym at I-80 and Madison. Felt hungry!
Exercise Time: 55 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.74 km (4.81 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 725.13 km (461.62 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.4 kg (172.87 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-06-19

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-06-19
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 19:00-21:00
Terrain: flat

Comments: During Dawn's class I headed over to the California Family Fitness gym at I-80 and Madison for the first time. I watched Code Lyoko (#68) and Pokemon: Diamond and Pearl. The treadmill I used seemed to have problems maintaining a smooth transition or even a current speed. I like the other gym better.
Exercise Time: 120 minutes

Goal Time: none
Distance (running): 16.09 km (10.0 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 717.39 km (456.81 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.4 kg (172.87 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today:

Wedding Congrats

To my cousin Lynsi who married in Wisconsin today. Congratulations!

Rolling Rolling Rolling

I rolled down a grass hill today for the first time since...well.... My stomach felt queasy for about 30 minutes after but I loved it. Itchy.

During a search for someone rolling down a hill I encountered the Gloucestershire Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake. Video. Intense.

Weird Al In Concert: Stockton

Dawn and I traveled to the San Joaquin County Fair on Friday to see Weird Al. Sat down in great seats (free admission after paying Fair entrance price of $8) around 5:45 with umbrella for shade, plenty of water, funnel cake, lemonade, and Clif bars. The place filled up completely by showtime.

Sequence:

1. Intro--Fun Zone (song)
2. Live action video sequence on tri-screen
3. Polkarama! from Straight Outta Lynwood (bubbles screensaver video on tri-screen, black shirt and pants with red tie)
4. Canadian Idiot from Straight Outta Lynwood (maple leaf screensaver video and nuclear explosion on tri-screen at end of song; exploding streamers into crowd timed with bomb)
5. Drum solo--drummer hits drum once
6. Close But No Cigar from Straight Outta Lynwood (loses red tie, wears hat, plays vibraslap)
7. Why Does This Always Happen To Me? from Poodle Hat (loses hat; gets drink and reads paper during bridge)
8. Jessica Simpson interview from Weird Al TV on tri-screen
9. It's All About The Pentiums from Running With Scissors (outfit from video; band members have white shirts and black ties; sparkly screensaver video on tri-screen)
10. Mariah Carey interview from Weird Al TV; Celine Dion interview from Weird Al TV; Crimes of Carelessness retro movie short on tri-screen
11. You're Pitiful exclusive online single (Al starts with black coat and pants and rips off sequence of clothing: removing black coat reveals gold sequin shirt; removing gold sequin shirt reveals white tee with red accordion; removing accordion tee reveals yellow Atlantic Records Sucks tee; removing Atlantic Records Sucks tee reveals white Spongebob Squarepants tee; removing black pants reveals pink tutu over white boxers with red hearts)
12. Madonna interview from Weird Al TV; Weird Al TV sketch of Al throwing fruit off of high building
13. Wanna B Ur Lovr from Poodle Hat (red suit with black and white tie; Al went into the crowd and up and down the aisles)
14. Eminem interview from Weird Al TV
15. Begins song medley:
1. Couch Potato from Poodle Hat (red hoodie and blue coat with blue shorts)
2. Do I Creep You Out? from Straight Outta Lynwood (loses blue coat and red hoodie, revealing red shirt)
3. I'm In Love With The Skipper exclusive live medley song (puts on white hat with red shirt; Gilligan video on tri-screen)
4. Headline News from Permanent Record: Al In The Box (loses red shirt and hat revealing ?)
5. Confessions Part III from Straight Outta Lynwood
6. A Complicated Story from Poodle Hat
7. eBay from Poodle Hat
8. Bedrock Anthem from Alapalooza (Flintstones video on tri-screen)
9. Ode To A Superhero from Poodle Hat (plays accordion and harmonica)
10. Pretty Fly For A Rabbi from Running With Scissors
11. Trapped In The Drive-Thru from Straight Outta Lynwood (song video animation on tri-screen; Weird Al interrupts and says No need to play this song; radio radio)
12. Radio, Radio a "rescue" song that seems to be a rip off of Elvis Costello's SNL performance. Forum discussion.
13. Gump from Bad Hair Day (Forrest Gump on tri-screen)
14. Eat It from In 3-D (puts on red jacket)
16. Sexiest video sequence from Weird Al TV; Keith Richards interview from Weird Al TV; Gandhi II from UHF--on tri-screen
17. I'll Sue Ya from Straight Outta Lynwood (dreads, camo jacket with red star on arm; green smoke screensaver on tri-screen; song ends with explosion of money confetti (Yanko Dollars) over the crowd)
18. Paul McCartney interview from Weird Al TV; King of the Hill cartoon bit featuring Al reference; Snoop Dog interview from Weird Al TV; Leslie Nielsen bit featuring Al from The Naked Gun
19. The Saga Begins from Running With Scissors (robes outfit from video)
20. Yoda from Dare To Be Stupid (ragtime piano intro; bubble screensaver video on tri-screen; removes brown robe; Yoda Chant half-way through, then finishes)
21. Cher interview from Weird Al TV; Barber video from Weird Al TV; Justin Timberlake interview from Weird Al TV
22. Weasel Stomping Day video on tri-screen from Straight Outta Lynwood
23. Smells Like Nirvana from Off The Deep End (Kurt Kobain wig, black short-sleeved tee with yellow stripes over white long-sleeved tee; song video playing on tri-screen; two cheerleaders in black outfits with red poms upstage; gargles water and throws rest of water in cup on front rows)
24. Michael Stipe interview from Weird Al TV; cartoon; Avril Lavigne interview from Weird Al TV
25. Amish Paradise from Bad Hair Day (song video costumes; video on tri-screen)
26. Kevin Federline interview from Weird Al TV
27. White & Nerdy from Straight Outta Lynwood (enters on Segway, black hoodie with "White & Nerdy" in red letters, silver sparkly chain)
28. Weird AL changes his look segment from Weird Al TV--plays Unplugged
29. Fat from Even Worse (black fat suit with red belts, grommets, silver chains; says Hoe! and stage manager comes out with hoe, wearing skirt and platinum wig--lifts up skirt as exits stage)
30. Encore: We All Have Cell Phones, So C'Mon Let's Get Real exclusive live single from Weird Al TV Michael Stipe interview
31. Albuquerque from Running With Scissors (red, yellow, and blue pattern shirt, black pants; words of final bits on tri-screen; explosions of small confetti squares over the crowd at the end)

Show lasted from 8:32-10:47 (scheduled start was 8PM but technical problems with projectors delayed the start)

Great show.

Songs by album:

Straight Outta Lynwood: 9
Poodle Hat: 6
Running With Scissors: 4
Dare To Be Stupid: 1
Alapalooza: 1
Bad Hair Day: 2
In 3-D: 1
Off The Deep End: 1
Unreleased songs: 6
Total songs: 31

Al didn't come out for autographs after the show, though a crowd of about thirty or more waited for about 15 minutes. The bassist came out and broke the news.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-06-14

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-06-14
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 10:15-11:00
Terrain: flat

Comments: Standard 45-minute maintenance run at California Family Fitness.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: none
Distance (running): 6.03 km (3.75 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 701.30 km (446.81 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: None
Foods eaten today:

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-06-12

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-06-12
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 06:19-11:02
Terrain: mostly flat

Comments: Started early, but the heat still caught up with me today. For some reason my legs itched like crazy for the first three miles--something with the heat and the cold and not running for several days, I think. The blackberries have budded, soon they will ripen. I didn't see any Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillars today. At mile two, I passed two female wild turkeys and 11 baby wild turkies. Near mile three, I passed 11 female wild turkies. On the other side of the pathway I saw another female wild turkey and a coyote walking parallel to one another. They went up to the top of the placer bank and stood there. I saw another coyote trotting down the horse path near mile eleven. I clicked with my tongue and it cocked it's ears toward me and looked at me as I passed. As I returned I realized how important proper respiration is.
Exercise Time: 4:43 minutes

Goal Time: none
Distance (running): 32.19 km (20 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 695.27 km (443.06 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: pain in left knee, sore muscles, fatigued
Foods eaten today:

KYDS Radio Song

Heard this song on KYDS 91.5 tonight:

Seattle-based Minus the Bear's The Pig War from their 2005 album Menos el Oso on the Suicide Squeeze label. Video.

Private Data

Yesterday I received a piece of postal mail stating a major international corporation I worked for almost a decade ago lost backup tapes containing private data about me, including my social security number. That ups the number of companies I've worked for that have lost my data to two. x_x

KYDS Radio Song

Heard this song on KYDS 91.5 tonight:

Los Angeles-based Moving Units' Scars from their 2004 album Dangerous Dreams on the Palm Records label. Video.

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-06-07

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-06-07
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 23.082
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 22:15-23:00
Terrain: intervals

Comments: Felt tired tonight exercising with intervals on the bike. My joints felt sore, so I exercised lightly. I watched a History channel show Modern Marvels about metallurgy--they covered iron, steel, aluminum, and titanium, plus a new liquidmetal (a glass metal, really) that they can mold like plastic. They also covered a nickel-titanium alloy that remembers it's shape.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (cycling): n/a
Total Running Distance For Year: 663.18 km (423.06 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 79.0 kg (174.19 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: back of right knee sore, upper and lower right leg stiff
Foods eaten today: low-fat cinnamon and raisin granola cereal with soy milk, crumpet with strawberry jam, Tofurky sweet italian sausage sandwiches, blackberry smoothie, jasmine rice with thai peanut sauce, sugar snap peas

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-06-07

Running Journal, Wednesday, 2007-06-07
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.907
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 22:03-23:43
Terrain: intervals

Comments: I exercised at the California Family Fitness gym in Orangevale this evening on the Matrix treadmill. I chose a 6.5% grade for the five toughest intervals and ran through them at 5.0 mph.
Exercise Time: 40 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.83 km (3.62 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 663.18 km (423.06 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.4 kg (172.87 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: back of left knee sore, upper and lower left leg stiff
Foods eaten today: scrambled cheesy eggs, orange juice, cottage cheese, jasmine rice, homemade mac & cheese, seasoned fried potatoes, Gookinaid

Bud's Fish, Tackle, and Guns

I discovered Bud's Sporting Goods and Fountain (10043 Donner Pass Road--that is, on the main drag) in Truckee, CA a number of years ago--I love the fountain drinks, especially the pineapple shake. On the other side of the store they sell fishing tackle and guns! I take people there on trips to Lake Tahoe or Reno. In 2004 I struck up a conversation with the current owner, and he told me that he played guitar like Chet Atkins and that he had won a number of awards in his youth.

Dawn and I stopped by there on Tuesday around 16:00 but the owner had closed up shop for the day. No hours posted. A small sign above the store on the boardwalk reads, Bud's Fish, Tackle, and Guns.

A quick web search revealed the history:

Bud's Sporting Goods is an old-fashioned soda fountain and sporting goods store owned by Bud Owens until his death. He operated the store for over 40 years. For many years it was owned by Don and Pat Callahan. Previously the location was an ice cream, candy and variety store owned by Joe and Hazel Lewis, which also served as the town's bus depot. Before that it was a saloon.

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-06-05

Running Journal, Tuesday, 2007-06-05
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.849
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 22:22-23:07
Terrain: intervals

Comments: We exercised late at California Family Fitness in Orangevale this evening. I'm enjoying how interval training gets my heart rate up and lets me relax a bit before challenging me again. I exercised on the cycles on Hill Plus level 10 for 45 minutes, choosing to watch the re-run of the CNN-sponsored Republican Debate in New Hampshire. My average heart rate was 99 bpm. I used the foot straps.
Exercise Time: 45 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (cycling): 19.29 km (11.99 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 657.35 km (419.44 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.2 kg (172.43 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: left lower-back stiff
Foods eaten today: maple sugar frosted mini-wheat cereal with soy milk, peanut butter sandwich, rice crackers, veggie panini sandwich, chocolate, Tofurky Italian sausage

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-06-04

Running Journal, Monday, 2007-06-04
Resting heart rate: n/a
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2))
Weather: n/a
Temp: n/a
Time: 21:15-22:10
Terrain: intervals

Comments: Exercised at the California Family Fitness Gym in Orangevale this evening. I haven't set my next exercise goal yet. I started at a setting of 10 (out of 15) for intervals at a speed of 5.5 mph on the treadmills on the south side, with a stiff wind coming from a barn fan. Half-way through the workout, I reduced the speed to 5.0 mph. A few minutes later, I gave up on an elevation of 10 and reduced it to 6.5. I found the interval training challenging--the hot tub felt sooooo nice. On television I watched soccer highlights, then switched to the end of The Italian Job.
Exercise Time: 55 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 7.74 km (4.81 mi)
Total Running Distance For Year: 657.35 km (419.44 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 78.4 kg (172.87 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: homemade stuffing, Tofurky Italian sausage, Hershey's chocolate Nugget, Trader Joe's Mexican Quiche, Bing Cherries, peanut butter sandwich, soy milk, Gookinaid

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-06-01

Running Journal, Friday, 2007-06-01
Resting heart rate: 92 bpm (60-second test, mid-afternoon after exercise)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.615
Weather: sunny, 47% humidity, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 28.33 C (83.0 F)
Time: 12:29-13:19
Terrain: flat

Comments: Really high heart rate after finishing--something I'll keep an eye on. We started from the Sunrise Bar parking lot today, watched the Canadian Geese and Mallard Ducks swimming next to Jim's Bridge. One of the geese had wrapped red string around it's feathers. I watched the trees as we ran, noting the Interior Live Oaks and the Valley Oaks (no Blue Oaks), an Acorn Woodpecker, and a Red-Tailed Hawk. We found a baby sunflower plant next to the side of the road near the 19.5 mile mark. We noticed many people putting rafts into the river at Sunrise Bar when we returned. A new sign marks the fire road north of Jim's Bridge--Sac-B, 5. Noticed construction at mile 18--digging a ditch for something, it appears. We ran by a few white trumpet flowers (not sure what the appropriate name is).
Exercise Time: 50 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 5.03 km (3.12 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1008824
Total Running Distance For Year: 649.61 km (414.63 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.4 kg (170.67 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: honey oats and almond cereal with soy milk, banana, Gookinaid

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-05-31

Running Journal, Thursday, 2007-05-31
Resting heart rate: 74 bpm (60-second test, mid-afternoon after exercise)
Body Mass Index (BMI): (kilograms/(meters^2)) 22.4397
Weather: sunny, 38% humidity, 3 m/s wind
Temp: 30.56 C (87.0 F)
Time: 12:18-13:08
Terrain: flat

Comments: Ran at the American River Parkway today, our first run in about two weeks. The Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars still cross the path in smaller numbers. We noticed about 12 birds, either white-throated swifts or bank swallows, darting above the grasses. We also saw a small, yellow-breasted bird that might have been a lesser goldfinch. On the way we saw lots of butterflies, and we wondered about the etymology of the word. Apparently dictionary.com mentions: "Word History: Is a butterfly named for the color of its excrement or because it was thought to steal butter? It is hard to imagine that anyone ever noticed the color of butterfly excrement or believed the insect capable of such theft. The first suggestion rests on the fact that an early Dutch name for the butterfly was boterschijte. The second is based on an old belief that the butterfly was really a larcenous witch in disguise." Fun!
Exercise Time: 50 minutes

Goal Time: n/a
Distance (running): 4.85 km (3.01 mi), http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1006213
Total Running Distance For Year: 644.58 km (411.51 mi)
Weight (after exercise): 77.0 kg (169.79 lbs), 16% body fat
Any irregular feelings, aches, pains, heart rate, and so forth?: none
Foods eaten today: honey oats and almond cereal with soy milk, bananas, smoothie

Exploratorium

While on a trip to the Exploratorium a few weeks ago, I tested out my hearing range--27 Hz-14KHz.

I also found a book, "Cool Stuff and How It Works," ISBN 0756614651.

IKEA Shopping

We visited IKEA on Monday and found some things we liked:

• BRYNE Mosquito Net
• SARITA Dark Lilac Curtain
• LISBET Blue rug and table runner
• BEVARA Sealing clip set
• BURKEN Vacuum-sealed jar (for coffee)
• IGGE Shower Curtain
• RATIONELL Pot lid rack
• GRUNDTAL rod over the sink with s-hooks
• FINLIR picture holders
• KIRP wall shelf
• ANDREA RAND cushion cover
• FREJA LABYRINT cushion
  

I wrote down the cool wall colors from one room I enjoyed: Benjamin Moore Pearl Finish #2135-60, #2067-70, and #OC-13:

Living Room: Color Preview Summer Shower 2135-60

Bedroom: Color Preview White Satin 2067-70

Bathroom: Off-White Colors Soft Chamois OC-13

The room mixed these cool colors with cool red accents like this:

and white cabinets. The furniture was from the RIBBA, NON, HOL, LACK, DOCKSTA, SKRUVSTA, and AKURUM sets. The flooring was Tundra.

Bone Marrow Donation

I've thought about bone marrow donation since I noticed an informational sheet at American River College. It turns out that Caucasian donors have to pay a non-trivial fee to donate bone marrow, unfortunately, so I'm thinking it may have to wait.

More information:

http://www.marrow.org/HELP/Join_the_Registry/Join_in_Person/index.html?src=text
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bone_marrow_transplant
http://www.bloodsource.org/AboutUs/ServicesPrograms/NationalMarrowDonorRegistry.cfm

Yosemite Vacation Products

We noticed a bunch of things one or both of us might like to own someday:

• Royal Robbins
• Women's 35059 Global Traveler Skort #603 Grape
• Women's 33001 Backcountry Short #603 Grape
• Aventura Clothing
• Women's Yosemite Rowan Bag
  
• Icebreaker Clothing
  
• Women's Skin Superfine 190 Mako Zip in Dusk/Space
• Prana Clothing
• Women's Tech Ringer in Grape (not sure if this is the right design), #W2HERI-Grape, #47388
  
• Paul Strauch Studio
• Door knocker and door bell
• Tarax Infinity Products, Ltd.
• Dandelion glass globe paperweight
• Kaleidoscope Pottery
• Plates, dining ware
• Charles Cramer Photography
• Maple Leaves, Lily Pads, Long Pond, Acadia, Maine
• Nature's Leaf
• Napkin Rings
• Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite, ISBN: 0970097360

Degnan's Deli Menu

Last time I failed to find the Degnan's menu anywhere on the intertubes, since Delaware North Corporation's web site neglects to provide that amount of detail:

1. El Capitan--Ham, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, Dijon mayonnaise
2. Lost Arrow--Tukey, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, cranberry mayonnaise
3. San Joaquin--Roast beef, cheddar, lettuce, red onion, tomato, horseradish mayonnaise
4. Three Brothers--Salami, ham, pepperoni, provolone, lettuce, tomato, red onion, creamy pesto
5. Cloud's Rest--Grilled chicken, Swiss, tomato, lettuce, cranberry mayonnaise
6. Tuolumne--Swiss, cucumbers, tomato, carrots, lettuce, sprouts, red onion, creamy pesto
7. Yosemite Sam's--Pastrami, Swiss, red onion, lettuce, tomato, Dijon mayonnaise
8. Star King (Starr King?)--Tuna with mayonnaise and relish, lettuce, tomato

They also have a breakfast Deg Muffin--Turkey, ham, bacon (choose one).

Breads: sour dough, sweet French, wheat, or multi-grain

I'm getting hungry writing about it!

Yosemite Vacation Journal

2007-05-23, Wednesday

Arrived at Yosemite Lakes Campground at 17:00. We both feel tired from six hours of sleep and stress from hurridly packing and planning after completing our finals the day before. To my surprise, I found campsite #52 vacant. Lanna and I stayed at this site about four years ago, and we found it quiet--being at the end of the campground road--and scenic. The site sits on the top of an overlook, with the hill dropping about seventy feet on three sides to a river below. The sandy area for tents lies underneath what might be a mature Valley Oak. It's most likely one of the biggest lots at Yosemite Lakes. The campground lies five miles west of the Highway 120 entrance, about 30 minutes from the Valley.

The trip to Yosemite took us down a few wrong turns. We felt confusion driving through Angel's Camp, wondering whether to continue on Highway 4 (we drove in from 99) or to follow Highway 49. We chose Highway 4, then discovered 20 minutes later that we had taken a wrong turn. In Sonora, we again felt confusion about which way to go and took the right path, second-guessed ourselves and double-backed, then corrected our mistake. Google Maps directed us up Old Priest Grade road--only 1.8 miles, narrower, and steeper grade than the Highway 120 route, which offers a milder grade for larger vehicles. The Old Priest Grade road offers an inside lane going up the hill--I think I'll take this route in the future, and take the Highway 120 downhill, also an inside lane, on the return.

Upon arriving at Yosemite Lakes we took another wrong turn (did I mention we felt tired?) and ended up at the RV check-in. At least there we discovered the ice cream for sale and the complimentary sports equipment. Quickly setting up our tent, Dawn napped for about one hour.

Around 19:00 we entered Yosemite Valley and parked at the Yosemite Lodge to have dinner. We hurridly ate, drove to the Yosemite Store parking lot, and walked the short distance to the Theatre. We arrived during the intermission and entered without payment. The show was "Sarah Hawkins Contemplates a Fourth Marriage: Stories of a Pioneer Woman," a monologue featuring Connie Stetson. From the handout: My first husband, the only one of the three I ever learned to love, died of snake bite after four years of marriage; my second, may he roast in hell, drowned, dead drunk in the mud of a street two years after; and my third was blown up in a steamboat after only a year. So if I should marry Apple Abbott, I calculate he should last about six months." Striding across frontier America, she has known starvation, loneliness, disease, manual labor, the loss of children, bleak deserts, and general abuse. In all, she is still sharp of eye and tongue, with an earthy humor and a hard-fought independenc. Sarah is now in Yosemite Valley, and invites you over this evening to tell of her wagon train trek and adventures in the gold fields of California. Sarah Hawkins is a fictional character, but her story is true, a crazy-quilt of real life incidents, funny and tragic, stitched together from the diaries and other accounts of pioneer women who managed to cross 2,400 hazardous miles of the Overland Trail from the early 1840's through the late 1860's. Generally the women survived the rigors of the trail better than the men, as feisty Sarah Hawkins will be quick to tell you. About the Performer: Connie Stetson's starring roles include Gypsy, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Importance of Being Earnest, Misallience, among others. She was with the Los Angeles premier improvisational ensemble, "The Groundlings" for several years.

After the show we walked back to the car among dimly lit walkways, under a blanket of bright stars eclipsed by a brilliant half-moon. The drive from Yosemite Village to our campsite takes about one hour. We arrived and went promptly to bed.

2007-05-24, Thursday

The alarm went off at 6:30--but neither of us felt obliged to pay it much attention. At 10:00, we arose, Dawn first due to hunger. I felt cozy and would have liked to stay in the tent all day long relaxing. We walked the quarter-mile up the steep grade to the showers only to discover that PG&E had disconneted electricity and power--from 8-12! Ugh. My hair, being thin and long, always looks like it's gotten the worst end of a fight each morning, sticking this way and that, up and down. We decided to stop at a restroom in the Village and fix things up as best we might.

We arrived at the Village a little after 12 due to a 15-minute wait outside the Highway 120 gate. That wait gave us pause--the crowds of Memorial Day weekend between 10:30-5PM are brutal. We resolved to arise early and avoid them as best we might.

The mid-day weather was bright, hot (80F), and dusty. I wet-shaved without soap, having left it back in the tent, and combed my unwashed hair. What a scruffy sight! We walked over to the Sports Store to look at wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses, but only ended up purchasing Deet and a product that claimed to remove itching from mosquito bites. I purchased a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread from the Store, and Dawn purchased a Lost Arrow sandwich--turkey, cheese, and cranberry sauce (light on the sauce)--from Degnan's Deli. We also had the pleasure of trying Honest Tea's Pomegranate Goji Berry tea.

We decided to stroll up to Mirror Lake--a lake that fills with the seasonal waters from the mountains, then dries up by summer. We found the waters flowing at a swift pace, and the lake full. Taking off my shoes and socks and rolling up my pants, I waded into the frigid mountain-fed lake. It took about five minutes for my feet to adjust, or numb, I'm not sure which. After that I waded from sandbar to sandbar, then across to the other side of the small lake, getting my pants wet in the process. I decided to wade back across what seemed to be shallow, but then turned out to be deep, getting wet up to my waist, gritting my teeth at the chill. Dawn decided to join me, and we waded together. Around us crowds of small children submerged themselves fully in the frigid water, along with tourists from all corners of the earth. Dawn and I dried ourselves, then walked around the loop trail and back to the bus stop. Getting off the bus at the Store, we walked to Degnan's and purchased Pomegranate and Blueberry Honest Ade and Fig Newtons. We strolled over to Lower Yosemite Falls, seeing two black-tailed deer on the way. The Lower Falls looked like a stream of flowing white hair, waving back and forth in the winds, streams of water bursting outward from hidden features of the sheer granite face. The spray reached us with the wind, and the roar of the current flowing past made it difficult to speak clearly. We wondered which of the cliffs John Muir had attempted to get close to the Falls to see the moonbow. Traveling back down the trail, we arrived at the Yosemite Lodge, where we browsed the shops and settled down for dinner--hot soup, cold sandwich, and a parfait dessert.

We returned to the car to collect our things, deposited it again in the Store parking lot, and walked to the theatre for the John Muir performance by Tom Stetson. From the program: "Actor Lee Stetson shares John Muir's exciting and memorable experiences in two different weely presentations. Depending upon the night you attend, you'll feel like you are with Muir as he ries an avalanche down one of the Valley's 3,000 foot canyons, conducts a dangerous interview with a curious Black Bear, or climbs up the 500 foot ice cone at the base of the upper Yosemite Fall. You amy also join him around the campifer while he shares his amazing adventures. These witty accounts of Muir's remarkable life led him to his sprited defense of wild places. About the Performer: Lee Stetson has performed the role of John Muir in Yosemite National Park for the past twenty-five years. Stetson has written these performances directly from Muir's own writings. Conversations with a Tramp: A moving performance detaliing Muir's 25 year battle to save Yosemite's beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley. Drawn from Muir's articles, letters and unpublished journals, it also includes tales of his adventures, including the amazing story of climbing a 100-foot fir tree in a wind storm. This is vintage Muir--very funny, warm-hearted, yet capabel of a towening rage in defense of his beloved Yosemite. "Tramp" will capture your heart in 90 minutes.

Two things of the show caught my interest--the first, the political nature of the piece spoken through the desparate and crestfallen voice of Stetson's Muir--I've heard these opinion oratory pieces in person from people in the past, and never paid them much mind because they usually deal with topics I'm not interested in--but this time, something clicked in my head, and I thought, I'd like to know more. The second, Muir's description of his love of discovering favorite lines in the works he read. And third--ok, one more, Muir's condemnation of tourists who stay in the lobbies of the Yosemite hotels, who like to "hike" (a loathsome word, to Muir) instead of stroll. I saw Mr. Stetson perform his Campfire Muir performance a few years ago, and it's just as good.

After the show we returned to camp, showered, and went to sleep.

2007-05-25, Friday

Woke up at 7AM, showered, shaved, left camp and arrived at Ahwahnee for breakfast at 9AM. We met Frank the busser and caught up with David the waiter who we met in December. David's father worked for JPL, his son is a physicist starting his career with the JPL; he's left his second wife, but has met a new girl; he hurt his knee and hasn't recovered. After breakfast we toured the hotel, noticing a private party of rangers off the Great Hall. I walked up to the second floor for the first time, walking up the spiral staircase outside the eastern patio to the third floor, where we took the elevator down. In the gift shop I met a man behind the counter who told us how he enjoys running to the top of Nevada Falls and can make it to the top in 1:05. x_x I think he realized after a minute or two that not everyone can run as fast as he can! We walked out to the south and sat in a cozy alcove in the middle of the bridge, then continued and walked past the cabins. Returning to the car, we drove to the Day Use parking lot and stashed it away. We took the bus to the Happy Isles stop, then got out and proceeded along the trail to the top of Vernal Falls. I started out slow, plodding up and down the grades to warm up my muscles. By the time we reached the Vernal Falls lower bridge, I had sweat all over my face. We took a picture, then continued up the grade toward the top along the Mist Trail. It starts out easy, then gradually gets steeper. I counted roughly 550 granite steps. The spray from the Falls buffeted the steps, sending streams of water cascading down the slope, forming pools in depressions. Vivid rainbows arced in the sunlight and the mist as the roaring Merced River plunged hundreds of feet (~five seconds) from top to bottom. Step, step, step--I kept counting. As we neared the top, the grade became steeper, until each step raised us about one foot. We reached the top, triumphant, heart-pounding, sweat mixed with spray, and relaxed, enjoying the view and the Silver Apron and Emerald Pool. I noticed a White-Headed Woodpecker flitting from tree to tree in search of a tasty meal. Dawn and I saw Nevada Falls in person for the first time as we continued up the trail, a towering drop of over five hundred feet. We recalled how a person slipped and fell off the bridge above us just last Saturday, and how the newspaper reported the body was never found. We decided not to go back via the Mist Trail based on my previous trips, and to save Nevada Falls for another day. We headed up John Muir Trail west, passing incredible views of Nevada Falls and unknown wildflowers. On the way up, two small boys and their family passed us, warning us that there were "5,000 switchbacks" to go. We laughed--how naive we were at that point! We ascended to Clarks Point, passing a breathtaking view of Vernal Falls from above, then descended back toward the bridge. After slipping on the thin layer of gravel several times, I remembered the proper way to descend was to put more weight on my heels. After this point I had no troubles descending. The downward slope pounded our joints much harder than the uphill climb. A string of a dozen trail mules passed us going uphill. We reached the bottom and refilled our water bottles, then trudged back to Happy Isles. It took us 1:05 to reach the top of Vernal Falls, then another 2:30 to return via John Muir trail. I felt all right physically, though my legs felt sore and I felt a soreness in my stomach as I drove later in the day. After Happy Isles, we rested, and made the acquaintance of a long-term employee of the Park who told us of a way to scramble up to a hidden trail. It sounds like a video game, but he said that if you get to the second sign on the trail (the Rock Piles sign), then scramble upward, you can't help but hit the old trail that was left unrepaired after a rockslide. He said the views there are the only ones where you can see many of the falls simultaneously. We thanked him, then went to the Village Store and purchased a few sweets and rested. We then decided to drive to Glacier Point. We made it about five miles into the 16 mile trip before Dawn's nerves gave out. We turned back and saved it for another day. We had supper at the Yosemite Lodge, then attended the showing of Ron Kauk's film about rock-climbing and environmentalism. Returning to camp after quiet hours, we noticed our new neighbors up drinking and playing their radio and playing cribbage. The dogs began howling loudly as we unpacked. Lovely. Around 11PM the party broke up and they went to bed.

2007-05-26, Saturday

Rolled out of bed at 8AM. Showers took longer than normal due to the larger Memorial Day weekend crowd. We left the campsite around 10:20AM, after eating peanut-butter sandwiches and fig newtons. We reached the gate and waited nine and one-half minutes to get through--less than I expected. On the way to the Valley, we drove slowly due to the large traffic volume. We noticed a broken-down CruiseAmerica RV blocking the highway on the opposite side of the road--no shoulder, going uphill, traffic streaming steadily in both directions; a major arterial block. We reached the Valley in perhaps 10-15 minutes longer than normal. I felt surprise at the lack of the millions of people I expected--the numbers of people we saw corresponded to what the author of yosemitefun.com wrote--lots, but not overwhelming--unless you drive by car! Tourism seems to bring out the worst in humanity. Our first objective, after saturating ourselves with sunblock, was to ride the bus to Curry Village and rent a raft. "We're leaving in just a minute" said the female bus driver at stop number two, as she smiled and took a drag on her cigarette. Departing the bus, we walked to the raft rental, filled the form, got our vests, stashed our stuff (after losing $0.50 figuring out how the rental locker with the broken door worked...err...didn't work), listened to the overview, and we were off--dragging our heavy raft to the beach. An employee helped us into the river, where we paddled in circles for a while figuring out how to effectively paddle the raft in the slow current. With spirits high we floated for an hour under bridges, past beaches, downed trees, and campgrounds, over sandbars, and finally arriving at the Sentinel Beach. We loved it, and began thinking through how to get out on the water closer to home. On the bus ride back to Curry Village, our bus driver pointed out all the tourists' mistakes--double parking, parking illegally, parking with their car butt into the oncoming traffic, attempting to park on the bike trail, drifting into the right line--a sea of tourists all competing for the opportunity to capture the majesty of Yosemite. "Here comes the ranger" our bus driver remarked, as a bike ranger approached some of the illegally parked vehicles we had passed. Our bus driver noted that no one really lives in the Valley--you only live there as long as you are employed. As you gain seniority, you get the opportunity to live in the Valley longer than just the summer. One woman, she remarked, probably will die here--though she still needs to keep working. It meshes with the conversation Dawn and I had on Friday with the night security guy going into the recycling job--he left, but came back to Yosemite because he couldn't stay away.

After returning our vest and retrieving our stash, we walked down the road to the Valley stables. There we petted the horses, stroking their noses and manes. The owners had trimmed some of the horse manes to two-inches, leaving a mohawk look, while other horses had their full manes. We noticed a group of white-helmeted people preparing to take a ride. The prices range from $50 per person for a two-hour ride to $100+ for a four-hour and full-day rides. They also offer overnight rides, guides, freight, and so forth, I assume for overnight rides to other stables in the Yosemite National Park.

After the stables we walked back to Curry Village and explored the Mountaineering Shop and the Store, the Lodge and the cafeteria. We found the Pizza Shack and ordered a black olive pizza. The line was long and the pizza mediocre. The most interesting thing about the experience was the jingle the order notification devices made as orders were ready.

Leaving Curry Village around 4:30PM, we discovered the true impact of the tourist influx--many of them had discovered the public transit system. It took three buses to get everyone from Curry Village to the Day Use Parking and then to stop #4, the Village Store. We hopped on the third bus and stood for the short trip. We passed lines of cars beginning to stream out of the Valley--I've never felt so happy to use public transport. On the way a woman pointed out rafters to her husband and exclaimed she wanted to do that tomorrow. We talked about our positive experience and another gentleman asked about taking children, which we told him he could as long as she's over 50 pounds. Despite being packed in like sardines, the attitude of our fellow travelers was light and positive.

Walking to Degnan's Deli for coffee at 4:40PM, we discovered that the coffee pots were empty. Flipping up the cover on the top of the industrial coffee maker, I noticed a switch saying Start. Pulling out the metal filter-holders revealed a fresh filter and grounds. After discussing with Dawn I walked over to the cashier, buried behind a line of 15 people and offered to start the coffee-making process, informing her of everything we had discovered. Never have I seen such a smile of relief on her face as she watched us press the start button on the coffee machine! She thanked us again as we checked out, and we joked about how there was only 20 minutes until closing. Before I left I jotted down the menu, since the DNC doesn't seem to publish it on the Internet anywhere.

We walked next door to the Ansel Adams gallery, looking at all of the beautiful art pieces--glazed stoneware, a striking postcard of a smiling Georgia O'Keefe, children's books, jewelry, photography, original Silver Gelatin prints of Ansel Adams worth $28,000, napkin ring holders, bookmarks, beautiful wood work with the mysterious label "Made in Montana", and so forth. We left without purchasing anything, and decided to walk into Cook's Meadow.

There we saw red-winged blackbirds, Brewers Blackbirds, an American Dipper, milkweed, bracken fern, and Acorn Woodpeckers. We made our way to the Yosemite Lodge, past a private dinner buffet for the Hausner School, where we wandered into the Gift Shop, where I bought a pair of sunglasses. We then purchased a bowl of butter-pecan and chocolate ice cream, which we ate while watching children play in the Lodge amphitheater. We walked back through the meadows, then to the parking lot where we put on warmer clothing for the evening movie in Curry Village.

Arriving there at 8:30PM, we watched a movie on the Mariposa Grove--by the same bus driver I had several years ago when I visited the Mariposa Grove! It was the same schpiel he gave then. Afterward, we drove to the Village Store and purchased a few foodstuffs, ate in the car, then headed back to the tent. Our neighbors from last are still up playing cribbage and drinking, their dog Tucker barking as we arrived...only one more night!

2007-05-27, Sunday

Woke up at 7:30AM to the sound of our neighbors. Showered, shaved, packed up our campsite and left by 09:00AM. Split a peanut-butter sandwich and a chocolate bar for breakfast. The drive to the Valley floor took no longer than normal, and the ascension out of the Valley to Wawona was uneventful. Spirits were high as we sang songs and made jokes.

At the Wawona Store, we parked and purchased coffee, then took a horse and buggy ride to the Wawona Hotel and back across the covered bridge. Burrl, the driver, remembered Lanna and me after some discussion from a few years back. "Tell her I'm still going in circles," he said, "and to write." Wawona, according to Burll, a Ranger celebrating his 30th year, means "Hoot of the owl," though according to a film we saw on Saturday night at Curry Village, Dawn says it meant "Big Trees." After the ride, we took a Park shuttle ride to the Mariposa Grove.

There we quickly passed through the store, ate two Clif bars, refilled our water bottles, then began hiking up the trail. We stopped at the Grizzly Giant tree, the Tunnel tree, the Faithful Couple, the Clothespin tree, the Museum at the top, and then the Fallen Tunnel tree, the Galen Clark tree, and the Telescope tree. Between the Faithful Couple and the museum we noticed a tree not getting enough attention so Dawn gave it a big hug, though her arms barely even wrapped a fraction of the way around it. We both loved the hike to the top. Though the incline proved strenuous, the views took our breath away. Returning to the bottom, we noticed the tram ride to the top costs $16/person for adults.

We caught the shuttle back to the Wawona Store, then drove south out of the Park to Oakhurst, where we stopped at the El Cid mexican restaurant and enjoyed a fast and tasty dinner. As we ate, a five-year old girl with two pink circles painted on her cheeks saw us through the glass partition and played peek-a-book with us. Fun. We decided to take Highway 49 north to Mariposa, then Highway 140 west to Merced, where we caught Highway 99 north back home. The journey home from the Store took about five hours, including dinner. Exhausted, we left our things and went straight to bed!

Final Exam Notes

Syntactical error possibilities:
operands consistent with operation? (e.g., byte/long)
parameters allocated correctly? (order)
local variables allocated correctly?
storage space allocated on the stack for local vars?
loops have unconditional jumps back to beginning?
operands correct? (e.g., memory to memory)
local/parameter memory access consistency
jumping to correct labels? (e.g., begin while, not repeating init while)
pointer operations correct? (e.g., gets pointer address, not pointer value)
operands for add/sub/cmp correct? (e.g., addl %eax,$5)
void * dereference without cast?

Strategies:
comment code
read ahead and find out use of registers
no assembler-catchable errors


Exit code:

movl $1,%eax
movl $0,%ebx
int $0x80

Function entrance code:
//functionFoo(int *paramOne, char *paramTwo);
oldEbp = 0
retAddr = oldEbp + 4
paramOne = retAddr + 4
paramTwo = paramOne + 4
localOne = oldEbp - 4
localTwo = localOne - 4

pushl %ebp
movl %esp, %ebp

addl $localTwo,%esp

pushl %ebx
pushl %ecx
pushl %edx

... function body ...

popl %edx
popl %ecx
popl %ebx

subl $localTwo,%esp

popl %ebp

ret

Function call:
// functionFoo(int *paramOne, char *paramTwo);

pushl paramTwo(%ebp) // if paramTwo is char *
pushl paramOne(%ebp)
call functionFoo
addl $8,%esp


Moving data:
// if X_size defined statically
X_size: .fill 4, 1, 0xff // X_size is a memory address
...
movl X_size,%eax // eax is 0xffffffff (go to the address and get the value)
movl $X_size,%eax // eax is 0x804909c (treat the address as a literal)
// if X_size defined as a value
X_size = 4 // X_size is a value
...
movl X_size,%eax // eax is 0x8049090 (go to the value's addr and get data)
movl X_size+3,%eax
movl $X_size,%eax // eax is 4 (treat the value as a literal)

Incrementing pointers:

q = p + 1 // q is int32 *q; p is int32 *p
movl p(%ebp),%eax
addl $4,%eax //4 because sizeof(int32) = 4

Popping an element into memory:
popl Y_f1+X_f1(%eax)

Comparing byte:
cmpb $'\n',a+X_ch(%ebp)

$L1-2 evaluates L1-2 first

Silver Sake Sushi

Going through my class notes and dumping out things that I wrote down. One student suggested that a great place to eat is Silver Sake, in Sacramento.

vimdiff

Very cool! Link

I used to use TKDiff and on Windows a program called apples & oranges, among others.

diff -y <file-one> <file-two> works similarly, displaying the diff in two columns.

Sexidecimal

While reading about the history of hexadecimal this evening on Wikipedia, I noted that IBM decided early on that the proper term sexadecimal was too risqué. So they renamed sexadecimal to hexadecimal--the rest is history.

I guess the same principle works for hexagon and sexagon.

GDB and Ignoring Break Points on the First Instruction

I wondered this semester why GDB ignores breakpoints on the first instruction:

GDB normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already existed when your program stopped. Source.