Group training begins tomorrow

2010-11-19T21:04:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow morning we begin group training with Team in Training for Le Marathon de Paris at the CSU track. If you'd like to follow along or donate please visit http://pages.teamintraining.org/rm/paris11/bketron

Will likely sporadically post about it here too.

the beginning in the end

2010-06-25T23:53:00.013-06:00

Relaxing in the kitchen with furry feline friends and about to move the sprinkler in the backyard. Intended to make this Plum, Oat, and Rosemary Crisp, but alas what was three plums at first glance of the recipe became three pounds of plums upon closer inspection. Of course, this after the mixing bowl was set out, and vanilla beans were found in the collection of odd spices at the top of the cabinet. Should one venture forth to the grocery or not? Inevitably, a book, cup of tea, and desire to go to the Sunflower Market tomorrow will win out. Now, the water...

... and returning quite damp.

Vanilla is an orchid, by the way, did you know that?

Still surprising is that Vanilla is not one of the many orchids who have happily taken residence in the bathroom. It would have been, but during the last visit to a greenhouse my heart, and nose, were won over just before departing by a very young Cattleya

who will not bloom for perhaps another five years.

Ah, a cup of Persian Nectar. Brought along from a lovely cafe where it is possible to find not only a renewed appreciation for tea, or cup of coffee, but also many other things... For whatever reason it is these things that haunt pleasantly tonight, and again these fingers are drawn back to the keyboard and into this place. I think there are moments, where if you could take a step back and look across time you would see, from the infinitesimally small to vast, connections between that moment and others. And they feel more significant and substantial as the version of you in those connected moments looks toward that single moment in reflection. To step into yourself once more, and feel... grateful.

But the hour of vengeance falls, and I love you. ~ Neruda

Stepping back once more, and now writing the lines of poetry on a cabinet door which like all the others in the kitchen is also a chalkboard... Falling in love with a place?

... between the shadow and the soul... ~ more Neruda

Or is it also the intoxicating sensation of love. A love shared here. Seeping into the bookshelves, the scrollwork of the stone windowsill, and tiny cracks in the hardwood floor. Permeating even the breeze itself as it flows through the roman window shades. Holding gently everything in its path briefly and whirling past. A blessed respite from many months of wandering, and all the insanity that followed.

By all the power in me I do what I have to now. ~ Seal

Tea and a book. Graphic novel to be precise. Neil Gaimain's Dream Country to be more precise. But before, a bit of news, have fallen in with a lovely freelance group, PushIQ. http://pushiq.com/ and http://peacecorpsat50.org/ are two recent projects which may be of interest.

Also, there is an article or two in the works for http://pushiq.blogspot.com/, the first of which is sprite animation with jQuery for those of you with a taste for such things or who just want to see something neat.

Love...

2009-04-01T22:35:00.007-06:00

Hullo. Yo soy Fabio. Yeah...
A friend pointed out it had been quite a while since anything new appeared here. So, not dead, just waiting for things to slow down enough to catch a breath and let everything coalesce into something coherent. But the highlights... new city, fantastic new job, making slow progress on new music, even slower progress with cooking edible food, rolled a vehicle, struck by another... feeling grateful to have the opportunity to breathe, laugh, fall, cry, pray, love, and feel grateful...

... room for cream?

2009-01-26T11:02:00.003-07:00

It is probably horrible, but seeing tweets in from a vast array of people never fails to put a smile on my face. It is sort of like we are all together for coffee albeit somewhat asynchronously. Here are my favourite bits...

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/378
http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/
http://12seconds.tv/channel/imogenheap/81520
http://phodroid.com/d5kv72

And now off to add my contribution...

while trying to get back to it

2008-10-09T09:55:00.004-06:00

Had the opportunity to see Neil Gaiman read from his new book, The Graveyard Book, in Boulder on Tuesday. If you like you can see it at http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx?VideoID=8. I love listening to Neil read just as much as I enjoy reading his work. Sitting there in the packed church next to a lovely woman named Anita who was dressed completely in black I felt quite a home and only a wee bit awkward about forgetting to leave my leather jacket in the car which I bought before reading American Gods. Still, nothing says fanboy quite like imitation. He told us many interesting things like he broke his finger going down a mountain in China (other people shut their fingers in doors). Answered that his ideal breakfast is a cheese omelette, but only if he made it. Confessed that he used to be a late at night writer until he gave up coffee and cigarettes. Was surprised by the question about the imminent zombie invasion. If I understood correctly Tori Amos refers to her belly button as a blueberry and he read us a wonderful poem written for her unborn child entitled, "Blueberry Girl." And he showed us clips from Coraline... In short being there with Neil and everyone else was wonderful and I regret that we cannot turn back the clock and experience it all over again.

Interestingly, during the event I remembered a dream from when I was in high school. I sat in a theatre next to a guy in a leather jacket and mop of black hair and discussed the movie we were watching. It was wonderful because we were the only people there and he was really funny and pleasant to talk with. I wish I could remember if the movie we were watching was his.

Back to work.

the golden spiral

2008-10-04T01:14:00.004-06:00

Hullo. It feels like ages since I last wrote here. With minor variation life is very much the same from day-to-day. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go to a Microsoft event in town about presented by Rob Bagby. I try to stay as tool agnostic as possible, but had until recently not much exposure to .NET. I was favorably impressed by the presentation.

Tonight, Kiersten and I set down a flagstone sidewalk in front of her house. I just finished a cup of apple cider and pumpkin pie is cooling on the stove. Perusing Spirals on Wikipedia let quickly to a moment of experimentation with JavaScript and the canvas element yielding:


document.body.innerHTML = '<canvas width="600" height="600"/>';
var canvas = document.getElementsByTagNames('canvas')[0];
canvas.width = '600';
canvas.height = '600';
var a = 1.0
var b = 0.306349;
var e = 2.7182818284590;
ctx.clearRect(0, 0, 400, 400)
ctx.beginPath();
for (var i = 0; i < 100; i++)
{
  var x = a * Math.pow(e, b*i) * Math.cos(i);
  var y = a * Math.pow(e, b*i) * Math.sin(i);
  if (i == 0)
  {
    ctx.moveTo(x + 300, y + 300);
  } 
  ctx.lineTo(x + 300, y + 300);
}
ctx.stroke();
ctx.closePath();

and then with minor adjustment...


document.body.innerHTML = '<canvas width="600" height="600"/>';
var canvas = document.getElementsByTagNames('canvas')[0];
canvas.width = '600';
canvas.height = '600';
var b = 0.306349;
var e = 2.7182818284590;
ctx.clearRect(0, 0, 400, 400)
ctx.beginPath();
for (var i = 0; i < 100; i += 0.01)
{
  var x = Math.pow(e, b*i) * Math.cos(i);
  var y = Math.pow(e, b*i) * Math.sin(i);
  if (i == 0)
  {
    ctx.moveTo(x + 300, y + 300);
  } 
  ctx.lineTo(x + 300, y + 300);
}
ctx.stroke();
ctx.closePath();

hullo

2008-09-24T09:19:00.001-06:00

what i do with my free time

2008-09-04T23:20:00.001-06:00

which is a mystery

moving about

2008-08-16T17:46:00.003-06:00

It has been nearly three months since I moved switching apartments, cities, and most recently jobs. And there are strange moments when one thinks hey tonight I should go to the Tattered Cover, or wouldn't it be great to go to that sushi place I've not been to in a while. Momentarily it sets in that yes you could do all of these things, but it is no longer as simple as walking a few block or hopping on a bus.

Yet, today I was able to walk to a favorite coffee house and may wander to another after a while. Perhaps what is most difficult is the people which are inaccessible to me as I'm terrible about keeping in touch long distance. The person I moved to be near is not presently near and so for the first time in recent memory I have an entire weekend to myself unencumbered by work due to the rain. What I'd planned to do has a flatness to it now that these are solitary plans. [sigh and a smile] I used to be so comfortable with this sort of thing! [laughter] I guess there is nothing for it other than to make new friends and remember all the wonderful people I already know. With all the new things, and work, and recovering (an embarrassing story which will not be told here), I've been rather lax about the whole being in touch thing.

Life is strange, wonderful, and surprisingly short. Hope you are happy and well.

[peering through mostly closed eyelinds]

2008-08-01T23:42:00.005-06:00

Dad is snoring softly in the other room. We've enjoyed a good visit so far. With food, and iced tea, and getting me organized continuing his life long quest. In fact there was this really great moment when Dad asked, "Ben are those dirty socks?" and pointed beneath the coffee table. Kiersten's face lit up and she responded, "You are like me!" Great laughter was had by all and the offending socks made their way into the dirty clothes hamper.

Tired. Sore. And ready for sleep...

why? what's wrong with my teeth?

2008-07-26T00:58:00.002-06:00

hoping you would understand

2008-07-23T10:09:00.004-06:00

Quick update. Life is crazy. Actually moving. Commuting to work. The intense heat of summer. The list of things I've to do which never actually seems to get smaller. But there is also the laughter, music, and once again the feeling of home.

I've accepted a position with Wirestone. It is a fantastic opportunity! All at once, I'm very excited. Yet, after everything, it is interesting that leaving all that has become comfortable and familiar is at times a wee bit daunting. And really living here has been ... perhaps similar to what Ms. Niffenegger meant when she quoted Rilke:

Oh not because happiness exists, that too-hasty profit snatched from approaching loss. But because truly being here is so much; because everything here apparently needs us, this fleeting world, which in some strange way keeps calling to us. Us, the most fleeting of all.

... Ah, but what can we take along into that other realm? Not the art of looking, which is learned so slowly, and nothing that happened here. Nothing. The sufferings, then. And, above all, the heaviness, and the long experience of love,-just what is wholly unsayable.

another cloud

2008-07-16T15:11:00.002-06:00

2008-07-08T08:37:00.002-06:00

2008-06-17T11:55:00.000-06:00

Created using http://wordle.net/create.

before forgetting

2008-06-16T13:49:00.002-06:00

the rain collects on the hood
and splashes through the air
i see your smile reflected in mine
and i know i 'd drive with you anywhere.

in the feel of the sand between our toes
and in the salt that stains our jeans
is a bit of the rising sun
and the laughter that we've shared
through all these years.

my love.

Alright. Really, truly, seriously back to work now.

vague on purpose, with a purpose? sleepy... what?!?

2008-06-16T12:06:00.004-06:00

Listening to Fredo Viola's version of Silent Night and as if in a dream I remember that a few nights ago Kiersten and I really did spend many of the wee hours of the night singing Christmas carols and laughing. I haven't laughed such laughter in a long time. Nor have I, reflecting upon installing ceiling lamps and chandeliers, been quite so sore. This whole getting up at 6 am thing... Oh, my! But I do get to walk and sleep part of the way to work.

'even if you cannot hear my voice...'

2008-06-16T10:29:00.003-06:00

OK. While chatting with a car salesman on south Broadway I learned that one of the obstacles to an electric vehicle which moves faster than a brisk jog is a lack of proper crash testing, but that there will be one entering the market soon. So, at a whim I Google-d "electric vehicle" and discovered the Th!nk City, a non-Wikipedia link. At first glance it looks very interesting. The only downside is that the only time I really need a car is when I go home, a distance which exceeds the range. I wonder if many gas stations would be willing to let me plug it in for an hour or so. :)

it is written

2008-06-09T17:17:00.002-06:00

Friends, another music link for you. It is older, but encapsulates all that I am unable to explain with mere words.

Love,
b

"details in the fabric"

2008-06-05T11:25:00.002-06:00

Have I mentioned the Smart EV? It's not currently available to the public. From what I gather it's an electric version of the ForTwo with a top speed of 60 miles an hour and range of 72 miles in between charges. The top speed is apparently electronically limited and of course the power source could potentially be replaced one day.

It's raining which means the vanpool commute was interesting in spots. And by the time I reached the pickup point on my bicycle I was sopping wet. :) So, on my desk is a cup of tomato soup, but it may already too late to avoid the cold I've felt arriving. Perhaps, if I ignore it for a while, it will get offended and go away.

because i linger

2008-06-02T12:54:00.002-06:00

First day of van pooling today. Despite the obvious drawbacks it was rather pleasant. I really like Ken, our driver, and the other passengers are interesting as well. Also, I get to ride my bicycle a little everyday which in combination with not having to drive, thank you Ken, makes me very happy.

like listening to sunlight

2008-05-20T14:21:00.002-06:00

Currently, listening to Chega de Saudade from Yo-Yo Ma's Obrigado Brazil and partaking of a cup of Illy coffee. One of the best things about using a French Press to make coffee is that coffee breaks tend to be a little longer due to preparation time. [smile]

shell namespace extensions and things

2008-05-19T13:17:00.003-06:00

Hullo. Forgot to include a useful resource for namespace extensions: http://shellrevealed.com/. Contained therein are a number of wonderful examples put together by the Windows Client team. If you desire you can learn more about SHCreateShellFolderView, a function which simplifies life by building the ShellView for you, and in a fashion which works nicely with the common dialog in Windows XP. If you are reading this for informational purposes, then please do not forget a grain of salt as I am still sifting through loads of information about this topic.

Other exciting news.. The Autumn Film just released a new EP, The Grey EP. It's lovely and free, so you should give them a listen if you haven't.

rather than a Harry Potter film fest

2008-05-13T22:07:00.005-06:00

Instead tonight seems to be about finishing a few things at work and blogging.

I've been learning about Windows Shell Namespace Extensions. The shift back to C++ after Java took longer than I expected, but the journey has let to the enjoyment of Microsoft C++ 2005 Express as opposed to the version 6 of Microsoft Visual Studio. The version we used in AP Computer Science ages ago. The version which freezes randomly during a build. The version... [grin] In all fairness this tool is quite excellent for many things like learning or maintaining legacy applications. Actually, because something is old and still used is a good measure of its usefulness and the confidence a developer may have when using it. Still, it is nice to be able to use the latest Windows SDK. Also, the I suspect the freezing has to do with the rampant heap corruption inherent when switching one's mind from a garbage collected language to a language where one can practically frolic about in memory in a system where 0xBAADFOOD, bad food, is actually good (see commentary of Choosing a provocative debug signature).

So, tonight I finally was able to compile TinyJSON and begin to properly test out the SHCreateShellFolderView function which appears to work correctly in both Windows Explorer and the Common Dialog. Yet as a newbie at all of this tomorrow could prove completely opposite.

If you were interested in more reading about namespace extensions the following have been useful.

HOWTO: RegView.exe Contains Shell Namespace Extension Example The classic example.

Windows Shell Programming in Visual C++ by Dino Esposito. An older text and particularly good if you can get hold of an actual copy

Namespace extensions - the undocumented Windows Shell

Resizing subclassed CFileDialog and adding a 'Select All' button

These are just a few. There are of course many other helpful tutorial and examples elsewhere online.

This post was not intended to be an intro to namespace extensions. So, hopefully not complete rubbish and mildly entertaining or failing that not fraught with error. Enjoy the lovely evening.

Affogato al Caffè

2008-05-12T10:15:00.002-06:00

Yesterday there were many things. Walking around the park. Cleaning. Skipping stones. But also there was affogato al caffè at Gelazzi. And with lime gelato! Regretably, I've a lack of photos, but here is one someone else snapped.

"But summer's just a sneeze / In a long-long-bad-winter cold"

2008-05-06T13:37:00.003-06:00

Lines from a Joni Mitchell song running amok in my head which are accompanied by Sting's "A Thousand Years" and "Until." Probably just feeling wistful mid-move. Yes. It appears as though after months and months of talking about it I will actually live elsewhere. And the elsewhere in question is frankly quite more than I deserve being right across from a park and library and things, which is very exciting. Best of all it is short walk to the very reason I'm moving in the first place. So, God willing, in a few short weeks I will find myself elsewhere or somewhere very close to it.

Before closing Firefox, because it's been running nonstop for weeks now, may I direct your attention to Mr. Bean In Parking Area?

at last

2008-05-05T17:02:00.003-06:00

Waiting on my desk there is a copy of Dino Esposito's "Visual C++ Windows Shell Programming": http://www.amazon.com/Visual-C-Windows-Shell-Programming/dp/1861001843

inanimate possessive

2008-04-29T13:43:00.006-06:00

Hullo. This is something of an awkward post for several reasons. I've been acknowledged in the past for my verbosity and having "the heart of a true poet." Alas, grammatical guru is not a title I've ever attained, being the king of dangling prepositions such as the classic "where is ... at?" which drives my significant other crazy. In fact, during secondary school I was asked to leave the accelerated English course I was enrolled in. [laughter]

So, it is which a curious heart that I direct you to http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-who3.htm where we learn that using the possessive pronoun, whose, to refer to inanimate objects may be acceptable.

fun with google maps

2008-04-28T13:28:00.005-06:00

Just a few of my favourite places in Denver in no particular order.

The Tattered Cover in LoDo - I've no idea what the funny pink beam of light is all about, but great atmosphere, excellent coffee, books, and Hamantashen!
Leela European Cafe - Michael Jackson the beverage and Pac Man Pancakes!
Many of the happiest moments of my life occurred here
Home of the Dorothy Baker Project
Stella's Coffee House
Baha'i Center - I've been on the root and in the attic. Fantastic stained glass. Used to be a Unitarian Church at one point and an Seventh Day Adventist Church at another. Fantastic acoustics!
View Opposite the Baha'i Center - Spent a lovely fall afternoon here reading the Seven Valleys with a beloved friend.
Panera Bread on 13th and Grant - Hard to see from the street, but really great for people/pigeon watching!
Esquire and Mayan Theatres.
St. Mark's Coffee House
Mercury Cafe
Paris on the Platte

2008-04-15T11:01:00.001-06:00

While wandering around Fredo Viola's beautiful new site, I encountered this web badge.

as it relates to 1983

2008-03-31T16:16:00.005-06:00

There are many interesting lines in the Wikipedia entry for 1983. One of them caught my eye today:

"January 26 - Red rain falls in the UK, caused by sand from the Sahara Desert in the droplets."

While trying to find more information about this particular day, a quick Google search instead turned up Red rain in Kerala, Mystery red rain due to dust cloud from Arabia, Coloured rain falls on Kerala, Red rain could prove that aliens have landed, Dr. Godfrey Louis, and Searching for 'our alien origins'. Whether the effect is caused by a fungus entangled with dust or Panspermia, I find the whole thing fascinating.

things yet to do

2008-03-11T16:23:00.005-06:00

Hullo. Listening to Cold Truth by The Guggenheim Grotto. It's not the same as the version on Waltzing Alone, but still good. If you haven't listened this album, maybe you should. I discovered it in Barnes and Nobel at the release party for the last Harry Potter novel. It's soothing melancholy is really good for bicycling between suburbs and metropolitan areas along a chilly riverside path, cooking with, quiet contemplation, walking anywhere, and I suspect many other things. There is even a song having to do with two characters of a graphic novel series which many people who might read this are familiar. I'll leave you in suspense. ;~)

All of this followed by a trip to the Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, and then salad making in Fort Collins. Oh holy crepe am I looking forward to living mostly in one place and not being scattered about all over the place. It's like being a strange motorized intercity ping-pong ball... After a while. :)

Oof!

2008-03-10T10:57:00.002-06:00

nap with a vew

2008-03-08T23:48:00.008-07:00

Ah, blogging in bed, at home, just before sleep. It has been fantastic, being able to visit my family! A part of me feels a bit sad and overwhelmed, because once again I had so little time to see everyone and so many people didn't get visited. [soft sigh]

There was time with time with family though. Chatting with mom and dad. Piano Duets with Lacey. Lacey's cat Olive who wouldn't leave my feet alone.

Anyway, there has been this plan somewhere in the back of my head from when I still fancied myself a rock star to write a Java applet for mp3 playback complete with really cool html interface for this blog. Tonight my mind wandered again to this plan but then thought, but I'm really to sleepy right now to attempt it and don't I do enough of that sort of thing at work, it occurred that I could just post the files online and link to them. So, there is music in the sidebar just for you my friends. There may be more after a while, rough recording mostly and from all sorts of different times and things.

Tonight's music, Mini Ballad was written on the back of a change of address form while walking along the canal to Allegro Handcrafted Coffee and listening to Frou Frou. It was set to music in the wee small hours of the morning. The rest is really in the name, and of course the music.

Memories of Canterbury...

2008-02-27T14:35:00.008-07:00

Internet searches can be tricky. One moment you are humming the melody to a half remembered tune, and the next you may be actually be listening to it: http://www.david-hunt.com/music/live-ericas-8-half-better.html
And you smile for a moment at the memory of crepes and the deli, Eddie Izzard videos on a battered laptop, laughter, strange second-hand bagels and saying morning goodbyes, time with old friends, and a wholly magical evening of David's music in the living room of the Canterbury House at the University of Wyoming.

Miss you, even if you were there only in spirit...

and again [sheepish grin]

2008-02-25T18:32:00.004-07:00

yet another test

2008-02-25T18:13:00.004-07:00

a second test

2008-02-25T16:56:00.003-07:00

First Test

2008-02-25T15:54:00.005-07:00

Hullo. Below is the first test of a small, silly little Java applet I've been working on called eStipple. The resulting image is derived from an image of lightning stiking the Eiffel Tower in 1902.

There will be more after a while...

why is it falling out of my head this time?

2008-02-22T13:43:00.009-07:00

Back from lunch: cup of coffee; banter and laughter with Andrew and the folks at Allegro; a quiet corner with a novel; wondering why they were roasting coffee on a Friday; and ... So, it was a nice surprise to return and discover that the classic remedy for Windows machines, rebooting, had fixed the problem with Cywin. So elated in fact that we (Cygwin and I had a short conversation):

$ love love love
bash: love: command not found

Well, one-way relationships sometimes happen. [laughter]

Nothing really too important this time (has any post here really been of any significance? ;~) However, you should check out http://www.last.fm/music/Sara+Bareilles/_/Gravity. And thought it worth mentioning that there will be a new Wallace and Gromit episode at the end of the year. [whoot!]

PS Perhaps dramatic singing with an imaginary mic is better left for those times when your office door is closed. [sheepish grin]

Shoes that won't eat your feet

2008-01-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hullo.

A year or so ago on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the mail lady arrived at my door with a box from http://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk. Smiling while the package exchanged hands she remarked that these shoes would not eat my feet. After many miles and one trip to the cobbler latter, my feet and shoes are still intact.

Hopefully, a future post will contain a new toy. But it has barely left pages of scribbled ideas... Perhaps after things quiet down a bit. But months of telling myself this has left the suspicion that it may be time to accept things not being quiet.

Just before sleep a few weeks ago, I returned to my computer to find a reminder message from Abra: "Don't forget what you are, because what you are is love." Smiling I wrote back thank you and that she should not forget either. As Mr. Parker would conclude, "...that my friends is the truth."

prairie dog love

2008-01-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

This one might take a while to load. Enjoy!

Regrettably, it doesn't appear to work in RSS aggregators.

Well, at least not as intended. [smile]

The above animation is really a series of transparent images laid on top of one another. Each image is the result of processing the image from the previous post through a marching squares algorithm wherein each iteration of processing uses a different pivot colour. This colour is used by the algorithm to determine what is and is not an object in the image. Each pivot color uses the RGB, red green blue, colour model. Each pivot colour uses the same palindrome as its red, green, and blue value: 11, 11, 11; 33, 33, 33; 121, 121, 121; etc.

The use of palindromes in the pivot colours is merely due to wondering what would be the result. And I rather like them.

sand in shoes, cup of Joy, and ...

2008-01-16T12:26:00.002-07:00

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Kissing_Prairie_dog.JPG

Within the Target near where I live is a Starbucks. Many of you are probably making with the rolling of the eyes and mousing toward the close button, but consider that Tazo sells a tea they have entitled Joy. Now, consider the simple delight in being able to approach a barista and request a cup of Joy.

Over time, I've heard several people describe cold symptoms as being filled with glue. Until last night, I'd no idea. While she painted and I awaited the tones of the laundry finishing its cycle, I curled up on Kiersten's couch to take a nap. During the passage from consciousness to its opposite, it began to feel as though part of the inside of my head was sliding downward and to the left. So, today there is the Joy of tea, honey, and lime.

Earlier as I escaped from work to purchase the aforementioned items and soak up a bit of sun, I began to think of a dream from weeks ago. I was a Prairie Dog, terrified, and being pursued by something large and fast. A large impact woke me with a start. The next day while driving to Allegro for an afternoon espresso, I saw something with eyes and a face in a gutter. There was a quick car park and walk back to the gutter in order to discover the eyes and face belonged to a terrified prairie dog who appeared to be paralyzed from midway down. After trial and error, she eventually found herself wrapped in my coat and resting in the passenger seat of my car. Later after a bit of research and phone conversations, Kiersten and I discovered a wildlife refuge north of Longmont where we brought her the next morning.

Still, the conviction that I did the correct thing has not completely congealed. With any wild animal there is always the danger of contagion or injury during transport. Yet, as she sleepily raised her head and called softly from her towel when I checked in on her the night she stayed over in my tub, I found myself thinking if our positions were reversed, then I would want to be warm, safe, and cared for.

PS Check this out. When I rolled my car Christmas Day my parents and sister drove from Sheridan to Wheatland in order to drive me to Fort Collins and then all the way back to Sheridan... Some people believe that the souls of children choose their parents. I would absolutely choose mine.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

You ought to check out "Best Stuff In The World Today Cafe" at http://www.rhapsody.com/take6/232395_greatesthits .

It will put a smile on your face!

The past week or two were filled with accident, adventure, and time with old friends. Even the accidental bits meant a lot to me. Well, my own anyway, as others shared a similar holiday traveling fate. In theory, it's good to fall down now and again.

Which reminds me, you may also enjoy "Rolling" at http://www.rhapsody.com/seal/17122064_system.

I Miss you. And thank you.

... that you are happy and well.

2007-12-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

2007-12-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

http://benjaminketron.blogspot.com/2007/07/apple.html

Caffè sospeso

2007-10-11T13:13:00.000-06:00

Around once or twice a week, I've occasion to visit a lovely cafè near Auto-trol. The barista and I have a fine arrangement: sometimes I share music and he shares coffee. Usually, we chat and I order an espresso and raspberry danish, and then I sit near the window where one can watch the coffee beans roasting or the other patrons of the cafe. The latter can lead to a great deal of imaginings and questions which may or may not have the opportunity to be asked. This has become the ritual, and a refuge away from the complex and impossible world of adults.

My friend, the barista, keeps two books on the coffee table. The first is a history of coffee in Guatemala which I've not yet opened. And the second is a history of coffee in general in whose pages many happy hours have been spent. Today, the pages turned rapidly as I tried to find the section about Caffè sospeso: the Neapolitan custom of paying for two coffees, taking the first, and leaving the second in suspense for another who may visit the cafè and for whatever reason cannot afford to purchase a coffee.

It is a simple thing, and in the grand scheme it may not solve the larger problems. But I cannot help remembering a youth, late at night, at a dodgy bus station downtown who, if you passed looking tired and hungry, just happened to have "extra" sandwiches he could not eat, and I wonder if the sentiment of Caffè sospeso were present in every action...

on being elsewhere, if only for a moment

2007-10-04T09:19:00.000-06:00

With a hot cup of coffee, chilly hands, and old favorite autumn music in the background, one might be able to image all manner of silly things, like the way the sunlight falls in Laramie afternoons like the smell of leaves crunching underfoot. Or perhaps the feel of sitting on a soft rug and the harmonies of soft voices.

When chess comes calling

2007-10-03T14:32:00.000-06:00

Hullo!

Encountered a lovely AJAX implementation of chess, chess.labs.morfik.com/, a few days ago which led to wondering if an online version of chess similar to Chess^4 exists. A brief Google search yielded: http://fourplayerchess.googlepages.com/. Haven't tried it yet though, if you do, then please let me know what you think.

image labeling

2007-09-28T10:57:00.001-06:00

http://images.google.com/imagelabeler/

scary satchel, silly unix joke, and smashing rendering

2007-09-26T11:40:00.000-06:00

While taking a break for "general research" there were a few interesting bits.

It was the phrase "and get me a juice box" that did it for me.

Also, the interesting but really not useful unix command

yes n | rm -i *

And finally, Indigo Renderer.

Would I ever love to attend this

2007-09-20T13:49:00.000-06:00

it's the music... waves through the room like Puddle perterbations of Sentiment

2007-09-14T13:11:00.000-06:00

Listening to Télépopmusik's "Don't Look Back" from their album Angel Milk. To say it strikes a cord may be an amusing understatement.

To return many lovely phone calls missed over the past few days is what I'd really rather do right now, but alas work calls most insistently. Soon though. And thank you.

Love.

the downtown lights

2007-09-14T00:21:00.000-06:00

Union Station

View Opposite

Current Desktop

Mum and Dad on vacation in Oregon

2007-09-13T11:34:00.000-06:00

Taking a moment in between tasks with a mug of tea, Andrew Bird's new album Armchair Apocrypha, and really cold feet, it seemed like a good opportunity to post.

Discovered a pastry dough recipe I really like. Regrettably, I cannot remember where on the Internet it exists so it cannot be properly cited, but the ingredients are

2 cups of flour
3/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
8-10 tsp water

Basically, rub the butter and flour together until they look more-or-less unified. Add the salt, then gradually add the water until everything tends toward a ball. More water may be needed, but 8-10 is a good place to start. Refrigerate for an hour or so and you are ready to make pies, pasties, or whatever it is you do with pastry dough.
For example, last night Kiersten and I made tomato, cheese, tuna empanadas. They were very good.

Hope you are all happy and well.

Today's Quiet Post

2007-08-30T09:19:00.001-06:00

I miss you...

Photo Time... again!

2007-08-27T09:40:00.000-06:00

Tunnel under I-25 to Wagon Wheel Station

Penn Station, slanting slightly

Somewhere between Pennsylvania and here

"I feel the stillness of the sun, and I feel fine."
-Jamie Cullum, These Are The Days

"my dearest friend, if you don't mind..."

2007-08-23T10:21:00.001-06:00

It happens that, when combined with a cardigan with pockets, people are somewhat marsupial. In this particular instance, my pocket is playing host to Twig: a friend of a friend, who is now my friend.

Flowers in Whole Foods at Cherry Creek (random lovely couple in background).

stalwartly

2007-08-15T09:09:00.000-06:00

This is funny, because it totally happens... usually without swords.

when Monday is really Friday

2007-08-10T16:13:00.000-06:00

Hullo. Returning to work this morning for a one day week has been all about trying to sit while the energy pent up from travelling encourages limbs to flail around, get up, and do everything but get anything properly done. It's been a wonderful day, really. A wonderful week for that matter.

Also, finished the final Harry Potter novel. It's fantastic!

There's really more that could be said. Most of it has to do with challenging adventure, family, friends, laughter/tears, and that progressive journey each of us has the opportunity to take. But so much has happened that the story of it hasn't congealed... yet. Now, that I'm feeling a bit like lime jello with thoughts suspended in, back to flailing.

from the balcony

2007-08-03T14:22:00.000-06:00

discovered with a friend and shared with friends

2007-08-03T10:19:00.000-06:00

http://virb.com/tifah

They are very good.

her frog prince

2007-08-02T14:50:00.001-06:00

"always the tone of surprise"

2007-08-01T15:57:00.000-06:00

from up top

2007-07-31T10:02:00.000-06:00

with fruit

2007-07-30T16:25:00.000-06:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marching_squares

more apples

2007-07-24T17:15:00.001-06:00

apple

2007-07-12T10:54:00.001-06:00

PS What if people spoke in anagrams?

Tea and Tautologies

2007-07-06T15:12:00.000-06:00

It seemed there was more to type here, but perhaps the title explains it all.

"Because I know no other way than this" - Neruda

2007-06-27T09:27:00.000-06:00

It's a lovely day. Nothing specific really... just lovely.

404

2007-06-20T14:59:00.000-06:00

If you have the opportunity to do "research" on the web, then often you get to see interesting "404 File Not Found" pages.

Calvin and Hobbes

and

Was it with milk?

are two recent favorites.

PS An odd summer thought... Wish it would snow.

Spiraling Upward

2007-06-14T10:50:00.000-06:00

For myself and a friend, whenever we go to the cafeteria to make tea at work, we've noticed that his tea bags tend to sink and mine tend to float. Usually, they are of the same type of tea bag, and our hot water is from the same place. Why is this?

Orbiting

2007-06-08T10:44:00.000-06:00

[laughter] Walking down the hall with a fresh cup of tea, listening to Seal's "A Father's Way", watching my boss step out of the bathroom and attempt a shot at the wastepaper basket with crumpled, presumably moist, paper towel. And the look of satisfaction spread on his face as he saw it was good.

How to begin to explain what the past few weeks have been like? It feels an end to a long wait and everything is so alive. Wonderfully filled with unlikely possibilities and second chances. Late night frisbee with friends at a park last night, reunion with a dear friend, new friends, and life stepping up to a whole new level of busy while confronting with intensity things long hidden. The last bit is a bit scary, and for some reason the thought "if there is a [metaphorical] dagger meant for any heart here, God willing it will find mine" becomes a comforting one.

And of course there is love... Have a lovely day friends.

Audio Bits

2007-05-31T10:49:00.000-06:00

Probably you are already familiar with Project Gutenberg. Were you also familiar with LibriVox?

Overheard at Work

2007-05-21T13:46:00.001-06:00

Guy 1: [Odd facial hand gesture]
Guy 2: Ah. Monty Python. You actually worked for the Ministry of Brown things.
Guy 1: I like brown.
Guy 2: Me too. Cinnamon is brown.

like the smell of coffee and sunshine on skin

2007-05-14T19:06:00.000-06:00

dreaming of flying

2007-05-13T02:22:00.000-06:00

http://www.clusterballoon.org/intro/intro.html
http://www.cloudhopper.org/hoppertech/hoppertech.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/S6HII1H1JREZIXCMII/
http://www.squidoo.com/loikrathong_festival_Thailand/
http://www.ornithopter.org/archive.shtml
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oQr6efZBtw

And surprise! Ears have been lowered... significantly.

Crème Brûlée Experiment

2007-05-12T01:51:00.000-06:00

Con Alma

2007-05-09T23:30:00.000-06:00

Spent the last few minutes attempting to play along with a recording of Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma" performed as a piano duet by Mr. Gillespie and Marian McPartland. Eventually, gave up trying to reproduce everything, and just tried to keep up. Somewhere in between playing notes and music there was something comforting and feeling connected about.

Time to step outside for a moment, breathe in the rain laden air, and imagine for a moment self dissolving into everything.

http://play.rhapsody.com/dizzygillespie/marianmcpartlandspianojazz/conalma

Ok, have a nap, then... make breakfast!

2007-05-05T02:51:00.000-06:00

From The Bachelor Cooking Blog, Palak Paneer.

Tonight's Version

and

From elsewhere, Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies.

Tonight's Version

Tonight's Paneer in progress...

And we're off!

ouch

2007-05-03T12:13:00.000-06:00

This was fun.

Went adventuring downtown last night via the Platte River Trail. On the way, met former professional bicycle racer from Boston who seemed to take paternal interest and proceeded to lecture me about racing strategy, bicycles, and proper cycling attire. And thus I, for the next hour or so, was his protégé.

...

The Story of Stickboy Riding Red Bicycle

Dark, dodgy, narrow, abrubtly ending sidewalks on downtown Colorado Blvd + bicycle = the better to rack you with m'dear.

Paneer

2007-05-01T03:48:00.000-06:00

An attempt to make Paneer from the lovely instructions found here. My version is slightly smaller looking and crumbly, but tastes good (limes were used in place of lemons). And now sleep. Yes. And maybe dreaming.

love song of b james ketron

2007-04-19T23:11:00.000-06:00

Hullo. It was sometime during the spring induced romance of today, bicycling along the Platte in that space between the two side of Spear that a poem of sorts flowed from the intangible places of the heart to form words in my head. It really was quite good, containing bits about the fragrant aroma of spring blossoms, intoxicating energy of the city at night, friendship, the lovely young grocery clerk who decided she was actually going to purchase the teapot as a gift, and moments of time waiting about on street corners sometimes talking together, reading and brushing autumn leaves away from hair of the smiling listener, watching the passersby, or in one case resting her head against the cold cement near a flower bed.

Being sleepy and anticipating watching "The Girl in the Cafe" and eating a bit of chocolate and chips that most of the words fell out of my head. So, trousers rolled, tea and toast ready, and not a peach insight. There is of course time, and time now to begin the celebrating, and the missing, and the smiling, and the remembering. Happy Birthday, love.

Have been reading the Colin Beavan's blog ever since reading about his project in the paper. Have probably linked to it previously. Today's post contained interesting bits about sleep cycles before electricity and staying up late into the night: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/when_the_lights.html. The prospect of going altogether off of the electric grid and water system is personally daunting, and I wonder how it will happen.

Three Things

2007-04-13T12:08:00.000-06:00

Heroes, which is really good.

Hot Only Human. After reading a bit of her biography on the web page, I found myself wondering what it must have been like, living with her family on a 40-ft boat: crossing the Atlantic Ocean and things. And how close my romantic notions come to a reality.

And, last night, had the opportunity to go to a book club, despite having not actually read the book for that month: Prayer is Good Medicine by Larry Dossey. The discussion was really good. And at the end, there were... such moments.

It's snowing, I guess that makes it four things.

"...like the warmth of the first rays of sunlight piercing through the sky in the morning"

2007-04-11T02:42:00.000-06:00

German folk dancing this evening. And once again thoughts of Irving and Carmen. Strange to think that he is now in Venezuela. His laughter still echoes through various places in this city. Upon contemplation, it does make sense that he returned to where, for him, many things began. As we danced in a circle, I wondered not for the first time, "Am I like a shadow of him in this place? No... not really." And then smiled while looking around at the faces of the circle, each at least twice my age, but smiling and radiant.

While drifting off to sleep the thought, "I never wander off into the night to explore anymore" was accompanied by the reasoning that life is too busy, I'm too adult, and therefore much too tired and sensible for such things. and then dreaming. It was like a deja vous of today, filled with an atmosphere of cloudy discontent and then a thought, almost like a voice, "After two years in this place, perhaps it's time to say goodbye." And then abrupt consciousness.

Looking around the room, at the window rattling softly in the early morning breeze, the pile of laundry next to the two boxes of books waiting to post, the photograph waiting silently on the bookshelf where it has been:

"her name was written on the photograph,
right next to her red sunburned face..."

Jamie Cullum's voice begins somewhere between the ears where we hear things. The memory of a night of singing and smiling steps forward and appears slightly hazy, not crystal clear and fluid as I remember it remembering. Gradually, two other voices join in. If at any point, I was worried about forgetting, now they are just friends who pass by at odd moments looking older and more comfortable. The tingling excitement of their youth exchanged for familiarity.

Finding sleep elusive, there was time to indulge in "Someone to Watch Over Me" an episode of Star Trek Voyager. It's the one where the holographic Doctor gives dating lessons to Seven of Nine. They also sing, "You Are My Sunshine" as a duet. When I was a child, it was a favorite song. And as a young lad, my grandfather's nickname was Sonny, which for a while I thought was actually Sunny. So, naturally, my four year old brain assumed the song was about him.

As I pull on trousers and zip the sweater up to my chin, there is a moment for a fond gaze toward the bicycle in the kitchen. And adventure awaits.

Totally rocking the cat nap...

2007-04-07T14:09:00.000-06:00

here.

Also, mildly entertaining thoughts about feline adoption in general. Suggestions? Trivia? Concerns? Any, "please no because I'm totally considering visiting (and/or marrying) you and any cats cause me to resemble a marshmallow, etc?"

it's all for mums, really

2007-04-07T01:06:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday Lacey
(thank you for sitting patiently).

Really? This is how it might work?

2007-04-02T12:30:00.000-06:00

Picked up a copy of the unabridged audio book of Neil Gaiman's Stardust from unfortunately not the shop pointed to by the link. Coffee at Allegro. Andrew presented a surprise in the form of a pile of CDs for listening to. It was such a surprise that for a moment it was a toss up between tears and laughter. Instead, a smile and thank you occurred. The first an album entitled "Classics" by Ratatat is already really good.

After the events of the past week, my apartment feels empty. There was something satisfying about having a large group of friends squished in like sardines all at once. Hopefully, they felt the same way:

Rachel and Navead's wedding was also incredibly lovely. I am still sore from all the dancing. They began it all by dancing to Seal's "Love's Divine" and then a bit of swing music whose name I cannot recall, but how great they looked out there on the dance floor I will never forget. Getting the opportunity to be there to see old friends, make new friends, and participate in such a wonderful event was... wonderful.

Someone to bring flours to...

2007-03-29T21:39:00.000-06:00

It might be something about escaping from work. Perhaps, it's to do with the unexpected snowfall. Or the possibilities with being reunited with so many friends at once. The excitement of a long anticipated wedding. Clay is catching up on sleep in the next room. Flying from one continent to another and going from sea level to a mile up can make for quite a nap.

The supplies for making Sabzi sit on the counter top. "Stranger Than Fiction" paused midway through in a window next to Firefox. Duino Elegies by Rilke in the tab next to this one. The Time Traveler's Wife sitting atop the

There was a ridiculously cute couple shopping together in Target. For a moment, I forgot myself and paused a moment to chuckle at them. It reminded me of another couple in the park last summer. Together with their pooch and suffused in the warmth of their love... Whether it be couples, friends, family, or people who've just met. These are the moments where one might reflect and think, perhaps we are really getting it together.

And for whatever reason my hair still remains uncut...

Woobly

2007-03-27T02:04:00.000-06:00

After wonderful food and friends. During sleepy.

Initial bits...

2007-03-26T18:30:00.000-06:00

An image from a camera based upon the work of Michael Golembewski: http://golembewski.awardspace.com/, which I've had a great fondness for since encountering in a Slashdot article a few years ago. The pieces of a camera have been about the apartment for a while, it just recently that they've been assembled, and the gluing of hands together as well.

More after a while.

Starting to get Dizzy

2007-03-22T18:58:00.000-06:00

Ran across a recording of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Dizzy Gillespie. Since discovering the radio show, it has been a joy to listen to Mrs. McPartland and the various guests of the show. Being mildly crazy busy, it's been sort of hit-or-miss for myself even though it's on at the reasonable hour of 9 o'clock Wednesday night on KUVO 89.3 FM. It was wonderful to hear the voices and music of Dizzy and Marian, while listening to the CD the first time through. Anyway, as you may have already guessed, I think it's a lovely program and it's been on the air for an impressive amount of time. You ought to check it out, even if you are away from the Denver area a web cast of KUVO can be found at http://www.kuvo.org/jzstream.htm.

Wish I'd the opportunity to meet Mr. Gillespie, and yet with every recording... It would be great to meet Mrs. McPartland as well, she reminds me of a friend who lives in Sheridan, WY, where I grew up.

...

Read several interesting articles in the New York Times this morning having to do with environmental consciousness and modern life.

The first The Year Without Toilet Paper, and second Worms in the Apartment. Mr. Beavan also has a blog at http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/. I look forward to reading the book resulting from this experiment and trying a few of their ideas (don't worry even if I don't use it, I promise excellent personal hygiene and toilet paper for guests).

There... hopefully you haven't been linked 'till sore eyeballs.

Spelunking

2007-03-20T06:42:00.002-06:00

The sunrise peeking through the windows of Panera Bread near the Westminster AMC 24 is coloured a melancholy, yet majestic, sort of peach. Yesterday flowing seamlessly into today as "Magnetized" by Laura Veirs begins to play. Incidentally, she and her band are releasing a new album: http://www.lauraveirs.com/.

Last night spent both working and in quite contemplation of everything which has occurred. Like getting the opportunity to form an ensemble with my friends Doug, John, and Mahsa. It's an unlikely combination of instruments: two violins, a viola, and a trombone, playing a composition with an equally unlikely title, "For Razmick... with feet." Yet, our last practice on Sunday afternoon greeted at least myself with surprise at our collective progress. Perhaps we are not ready to perform, yet experiencing those brief moments where notes, existing previously only in mind and paper, became music was wonderful... almost intoxicating actually. Although, at that point I was nearly creeling over from the exhaustion of an already spectacularly full day.

At some point, I would like to comment in detail about how cool two web based functional testing tools, Watir and Selenium, are. But for now, particularly if you've no idea or inclination about web development, just know they are...

There is so much more to tell and so little coherency left to tell it. Belated happy birthday to Dad (just in case you read this ;-). For those participating in the Fast, may you find what you were looking for in these last few hours even if you didn't actually know you were looking for it. And wherever you are I hope you are happy and well.

Brevity

2007-03-13T16:33:00.000-06:00

Just spent a lovely week with my father. Being an early riser he would, when I was still at home, try unsuccessfully to get me out of bed early in the morning to do things like watch Mystery Science Theater 3000. Usually, this didn't work. Occasionally, I look back on not spending more time (particularly with Dad and MST3K) with a certain wistfulness. While he was here, we had breakfast together before sunrise every morning. [smile] Interesting how things change, and why.

Also, found an interesting musical group while trying to determine the meaning/origin of the word hotchiwitchi.

How often is it that you get to

2007-02-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

bump unsuspectingly into someone, listen to an excited "may I give you a hug?" tumble out of your mouth, as your arms begin to reach out before receiving the answer, and then there is the hug, smiles, and how-are-yous. Hopefully, this will happen to you everyday. Today was one of those days. The person, Anne, an old friend from high school. The place, Borders. It was lovely.

As it turns out her significant other, Ben, is performing in a band tomorrow night, which I will unfortunately miss, but they have streaming music and things available online: http://kosmosmusic.com/index.html.

"... with caution, care, and love in your hearts."

2007-02-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to Denver, as an intern, a source of solace and joy was a radio show on 98.3 KUVO, "Your Jazz Oasis in the City", hosted by Wynton Parker, called "Drive Time Jazz" which would of course be on while driving home from work. I remember listening to the end of his show for the first of many times in wonder when he would request that we "... remember to be who you really are, because who you really are is love. That's the truth. Don't let anyone tell you anything different."

The show still exists today with another lovely host; however, because I missed hearing Wynton's voice on the radio, I decided to Google him today in an attempt to discover how he was and where he disappeared to. Google didn't really provide any substantial answers, but it did offer up a surprise in the form of Mr. Chet Sisk.

Now with exciting pastel plaid flannel action!

2007-02-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hello again, waiting for Ubuntu to update so that Rosegarden will (hopefully) install properly. Yes, as pretty as the result of writing music by hand can be, realizing at the end of things that you forgot to single-side your manuscript and ink has bled through on all the pages can be both humorous (in a funny, oh my, fashion), and a bit taxing. So, Rosegarden... it looks beautiful and functional and there's actually a guide available on Amazon for those who are interested.

Yesterday after completing deliveries for the Dorothy Baker Project, Marie and I were both hungry. And there was a bit of time before a symphony orchestra concert in Brighton, so I took her to Paris... On the Platte. It's this lovely old-ish sortof beatnik cafe in an out of the way older part of downtown. Walking in a certain novelty registered of two individuals one twenty something and the other sixty something sitting down to have tea and pie together among the rest of the mostly coffee drinking, cigarette smoking, younger crowd. And yet there we were, enjoying conversation and basking in the warmth of the sun and brisk breeze wafting in from outside. While away from the table for a moment, our waiter approached me and said, "Your mother is a sweetheart." Taking a moment to think of my own lovely mum and then Marie, I smiled and said, "Yes, she is, isn't she?"

Incidentally, the concert was lovely. It was a performance of a community orchestra supported by the 1st Presbyterian Church that my friend Mahsa plays violin in. It was excellent to see her perform. One of the incredible things about this orchestra is not only did they play older more seasoned pieces of music, they also performed composition written by community members. In fact, the majority of the music played fell into the latter category. At one point, a gentleman with a guitar approached the stage, sat in front of a microphone, and did something with his instrument which was so beautiful, I cried. It was something from a series of sentimental waltzes entitled, "The Gift." And indeed it was.

For whatever reason, there seems to be a strange bug in how the mini_ballad.png is downloaded, when using the pnglink extension, so if you are interested in listening to the "Mini Ballad" here's what I recommend, until I get the change to fix it properly.

Click on the Mini_Ballad.png link to open the image in a window.

Right click on the image and select "Save Image As...".

Once the image download is complete type "file://c:/Documents and Settings/<username>/Desktop/" in Firefox's address bar. Really you are using Firefox to "explore" your file system searching for the Mini_Ballad.png file, and the location you put in the address bar ought to be where the image was downloaded to. Variations on this in clue 'file:///home/<username>/Desktop' for unix/linux systems.

Once you've found the file Mini_Ballad.png, in the Firefox window, right click on it and select "Decode from PNG to..." from the context menu. The rest of the instructions ought to be the same as the original post. If you complete the puzzle, I hope you enjoy the result, and this lovely day.

Well, off to Boulder to lose myself in a cafe and music.

Love,
Ben

PS You can find two recordings of the aforementioned guitar waltz at http://www.nesseguitars.com/Audio/Audio.htm

mini ballad and a puzzle

2007-02-15T01:04:00.000-07:00

Originally, this proof of concept was going to be totally cool, but things like time, work, and sleep have shorted it and left it as it is... Your mission, if you choose to accept it is to download and install pnglink.xpi in Firefox: pnglink.xpi. Basically, you can save the link to the Desktop and drag the file back to Firefox. For whatever reason you can't just click on the link, which appears to be the cost of using a Data URL. If this doesn't work for you, please comment on it.

Firefox ought to also have the Java Plugin installed. Then, restart Firefox, click on the mini_ballad.png link bellow, and a new window ought to appear containing an image. Now, right click on the image and please select the "Decode from PNG to..." option from the context menu.

If all works well, you ought to be presented with a folder browser where you can choose the location where the image will be decoded to. After selecting a folder, a surprise ought to appear in this location, and voila! The puzzle mostly solved with the exception of (hopefully) enjoying the result.

mini_ballad.png

For those who have no wish to solve the puzzle but would like to know what it's about consider the following, written on the back of what I thought at the time was a change of address form while walking to a cafe for lunch.

Don't cut my hair, because
Somewhere near the split ends
Is a place you may have touched
Like my hand, still they both get washed.

And I prefer to lick stamps
Not pull away
Pressing them down, lopsidedly,
To distract as they tumble through the chute.

...

And didn't we say
Whatever may come our way
Love.

would you be our Valentine?

2007-02-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

(My parents and I in a spaceship... err, Apple store. Aren't they lovely? I think so.)

from the office of doing things, peering out the window, and ingesting too much caffine

2007-02-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Hullo. Thought it was about time to give the new blogger a go.

Yesterday, around midnight, I thought, "Alright, that's finished. Only a bit more to do. Time to go home, sleep, and tomorrow I can go home early at four." Today, four hours after four o'clock while sitting at the desk, starting at a cup of yerba maté, and with one leg propped up on my office companion, a blue exercise ball, I wonder about tomorrow.

As it turns out, a friend has moved to Nashville where she is making a living as a musician. Her music is interesting. Listening, one might perceive the music as threads one could touch. One might also be tired.

In between, when other things aren't happening, there have been opportunities to learn bits of Farsi. خوشحال if I'm not mistaken is analogous to the English word for happy, which is how I hope this finds you.