Hypnotic Video of Cat Eating Corn

Mothoc linked this to me, he is paralyzed while watching this video.

The Fence

I'm a whiny little guy because of this fence. Not that Its super technical or been a huge pain in my side all summer long. I really haven't worked on it until recently, however our ground is amazingly rocky. Rocks half the size of your head that have to be shattered or dug out before digging to the 2 foot depth I want for each post. I'm thinking 1.5 feet with a wide cavity near the bottom of the hole should be just dandy.

I just drew up the fence specifications in sketchup. Pretty simple design with some extra make it pretty design thrown in. Yes, thats chain link.



Anyways. I'm at two posts in the ground right now. As for the planning, it took me a day or so to come up with the right dimensions for everything after measuring the slope (thanks Adam for helping me measure depth), squaring the fence to the property, using a plumbob to place markers for the posts (accurate to a quarter inch, heck yes I'm anal) and figure out which building materials we had at the local hardware stores. I was specifically interested in finding posts and planks that were pressure treated by the same company. Not only is it a costmetic thing, as in they all start out the same color and fade at the same rate, but its also an expansion thing. If I have wood that expands and contracts at different rates them my screws will slowly unscrew themselves and the fence will just fall apart. I do like that I don't have to paint the fence as well by buying matching wood.

BTW: I need you locals to come buy and contribute one dug hole to our friendship, otherwise I may never let you use my fence, ever.

Hmm.. Which designs should I rewrite for Blogger XML?

Hmm....

Which of the following designs should I rewrite for Blogger XML for my foodstuffs, techbits, and personal blog?

1. woody01
2. woody02
3. woody03
4. woody04
5. Stylevantage
6. Refresh
7. solemnity
8. CitrusIsland
9. Underground1-1
10. dkblog
11. Ablaze21
12. PixelGreen12
13. deep-blue-website-template
14. acidlemon
15. Enlighten11
16. EliteCircle11

Hey, don't blow up my house!

I just got an update from a friend back home, he mentioned a SWAT standoff at my old house in Loveland, Colorado. Apparently some nuts woman is threatening to blow up the house using a propane bottle.

Initial Story (Updated): http://www.reporterherald.com/Top-Story.asp?ID=11723

Final Story (Updated): http://www.reporterherald.com/Top-Story.asp?ID=11739

Ok, WTF, I don't really want my childhood blown to smithereens.

Monopodiness

Sorry, I like making up words - it's a lolcat thing.

For a few months I have been searching out different monopod/hiking staffs to help me get up nice screed hills and give me a hand while photographing panoramics and other still shots. I found a lot of different ones, all very expensive. Camera shops carried the top of the line ones that cost anywhere from $160 to $400. The most expensive you could easily use as a club to fend off angry bears and moose and what not. I just happened to run into the following line of products which offer similar features to the super expensive ones.

Trek-Teck: Trekpods

• Retractable small tripod legs in the base
• Light weight and suitable for hiking
• Comfort grip
• Protective cap for the threading
• Adjustable head on the camera
  

One of the cool unique features include a magnetic shoe for lighter cameras and spotting scopes to quickly connect to the monopod. I think I'm gonna start saving up now.

Also, if anybody out there has a Nikon D70 or greater and they are feeling really generous - please send it to me - Email me for shipping information, I'll handle the transportation costs :)

Slingshot Paintball

Thanks to what was most likely a whack to the head while I was sleeping, thanks babe, I believe I remember playing a fun round of Slingshot Paintball.

Now, what makes slingshot paintball desirable? Slingshots shoot further, straighter, faster than run of the mill paintball guns. Everybody has the same reload time, its hard to claim you blocked with your weapon, balls travel fast enough to assure they break on impact. You have fine control of how the bullet flies if you practice enough. Its definitely more challenging and the simplicity of it keeps your head in the game instead of worrying about "what the other team has". Tag, not Tac.

Last time I played was with ToyKeeper, Traevoli, Galen and I had some fun in a municipal park back home in Colorado. Slingshots are probably not permitted in public park land by municipal code, however it was so low profile we got away with it pretty easily. I'm excited to start playing again, infact I found a Laser Assisted Slingshot which seems pretty well built, I think that violates my own rule of simplicity - but it seems pretty neat. Check out the videos on the product page.

So, when and where? I'm ready to go snag a slingshot and a bucket o paintballs and have some fun.

Problem Bears are for the State to take care of, not you!!

This really chaps my hide. Yet another dumbshit thought he should destroy a brown bear for the sake of his family.

This story takes place in Wasilla, Alaska. Wasilla is a nice large area with tons of houses on huge multi-acre lots scattered throughout the roadways leading to other, more interesting places. Many of these lots are homesteads or parts of original homesteads where squatter rights applied for thousands of Americans in the area. Most homesteaders have what I like to call PHSS or Post-Homesteader Stress Syndrome. PHSS symptoms include, for the most part, forgetting that your property does not need to be violently defended and you are no longer living in a cabin built from your own crap, piss and assorted little sticks. Most people with PHSS deny that governments exist or can effect them, or that laws apply, and - darn tootin - their property is theirs to do with what they want. If it so happens the neighbors are doing something to encroach on your property, block your view, or cause some sort of damage to their own property which in turn negatively effects your quality of life then you have more than enough rights to handle it house to house with insults, weapons, fire, or large ugly posters instead of bringing it up to the city, state, or somebody else who is quite possibly smarter than yourself.

Today the news posted yet another story of a Wasillian who felt it was in his family's best interest to shoot a bear that liked their neck of the woods - no matter what the cost. Hunting seasons are defined for a reason by "Scientists" who study the mating and travel habits of bears and other live game in order to determine appropriate time and quantity of kills to thin out herds and packs and to control over-hunting. This person failed to really involve the government agencies responsible for this bears well being when it first started hanging around his property - instead he shooed it away himself and assumed that would be good enough. Well the bear came back, that's grounds for shooting it.. right? Below is the original story as fed down the wire to us Alaskan folk. ADN is about the only publication that's worth a dime in this state - even if they have a crappy website. I also included a related article printed last month about the same dang problem.

The Story: http://tinyurl.com/2taokh

Other Related Story: http://tinyurl.com/27wr4u

When is it O.K. to shoot a bear? I would like to think when it starts being violent or has kept you trapped in a cabin with no comms for a few days. Only then would I destroy a bear.

BOSE Vehicle Suspension Video

Taking the suspense out of vehicle suspension.

Shared Items via Google Reader

Ok, so my girlfriend is probably very sick of me instant messaging her URL's to articles I find interesting. In an effort to reduce her frustration I have opted to make all RSS related links available via my Google Reader shared items RSS feed or the handly web page Google Reader servers offer to make sharing interesting web tidbits a little less pushy. So, here you go.

URL: http://tinyurl.com/2oc4bh
RSS Feed: http://tinyurl.com/2yr2u8

Your welcome

Adsense Goal Reached!

I just checked my Google Adsense account and I have reached my yearly goal which is!

Drum roll please....

$1.69

You people rule, keep clicking my ads :)

My New Food Blog!

Skyefoil had a great idea about blogging our food experiences as we live and travel around Alaska. I just posted a recipe and a note about the blog, to the blog. Hopefully Skyefoil and I can live in peace about this blog being authored by both of us :)

Check it: http://foodstuffs.bogomip.com/

I will be severely offended if you people out there in eLand don't add the RSS for this to your readers.