Saturday, December 22, 2007

Ski 5

The skiing on Friday was excellent, due to the 12" of fresh snow.

I took a lesson and learned the secrets of skiing powder and chopped up powder. Stand tall at the beginning of each turn, then compress down like a spring at the end of the turn. Don't try to edge too much - steer instead. Stay centered on the skis.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ski 4

Wind-scoured hardpack at Bridger Bowl this morning ;-( I left after skiing a couple of hours.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

SF tropes

If you ever read SF, you might enjoy tvtropes.com.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Ski 1



This is just some of the fearsome terrain I skied last Saturday at Bridger Bowl. I took the photo at the start of Glen's Glade. The Snowflake lift is on the right; the Virginia City lift is on the left; the Saddleback Lodge is at the bottom of the slope.

Besides looping the bunny slope, I did a very awkward run down Three Bears. I fell and smacked my ribs against a chunk of ice (avalanche debris) - ouch (it still hurts).

Thursday, December 06, 2007

craigslist

I've been thinking of getting rid of some stuff via craigslist. Here's the Best of Craigslist

104 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I bowled a 104 this evening. The bumpers really helped.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Sunday, December 02, 2007

Fine Art photos 4 sale

Here's some arty MT/WY photos for sale: Etsy

Kitty in the Snow



We're finally getting a bit of snow in Bozeman, Montana.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Friday, November 23, 2007

Equinox Theatre Company

I recently saw the play Closer at the Equinox Theatre in Bozeman, Montana (across from Murdoch's on N. 7th). I really enjoyed the play - I had forgotten how much I enjoy live theater.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Monday, November 12, 2007

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Bozeman Art Blog

Here's a new Bozeman blog: Art Bozeman. It seems to be a group effort.

Review: Steak nite at F.O.E.

The local Fraternal Order of Eagles (in downtown Bozeman) sponsors a steak night once a month. For $11 you get a t-bone steak and a baked potato. The atmosphere is very informal. I liked it.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Recent Bozeman articles In USA TODAY

Recent articles in USA TODAY that are about/mention Bozeman, Montana:

1. Recreation, retirement keep demand up in Bozeman

2. Ladybugs help New York as pest killers

3. Fight over Thou Shalts won't wilt

Review: The Seven Samurai

I recently watched this movie for the first time.
The Seven Samurai really is as brilliant as they claimed.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Review: Fresco Cafe

I dined tonight at the Fresco Cafe, an Italian eatery located on N. 7th in Bozeman. The dinner was excellent. I had lasagne bolognese, and shared a brownie (fabulous) for dessert. Dinner and dessert for two (Trish and me) cost about $30.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Fall



My lawnmower




My yard-boy moved away, so I had to mow my lawn this summer. I bought a fancy push-mower. Very nice, though it tended to scare the cat.

R U LQQKing at moi?



Sunday, October 14, 2007

Cafe


Near Shelby, Montana.

Shelby & BNSF 2822



I recently visited the town of Shelby, Montana on a (one-day, 15 hour) business trip. Above you can see one of the trains I saw near the Port of Northern Montana.

(There's a whole website devoted to pictures of BNSF 2822 and other locomotives: BNSF 2822.)

I stopped in Great Falls to & from, but didn't have time to see anything beyond the environs of "Exit 0".

Review: The Gourmet Gas Station

I recently dined at the Gourmet Gas Station with my buddy, squeeze, old lady, lady friend girlfriend Trish. Their fajitas are pretty good. Not spicy like a real Texas fajita, but really good otherwise.

If you sign up for their mailing list, you get a 20% off coupon for Monday--Wednesday.

Earworms

Music for a Sunday afternoon: 1, 2, 3.

Ski pass


I got a Bridger Bowl ski pass yesterday. Based on the hair growing on my shoulders, I think we'll have a cold and snowy winter. Or maybe I'm just changing into a bear.

Coincident with buying a season pass, I visited the Bridger Raptor Festival, and bought a t-shirt from the Montana-based Owl Research Institute.

Right-brained or Left-brained?

I'm right-brained according to this interesting animated test.

Review: The Mint Bar and Cafe

The Mint (in Belgrade MT) serves a great flatiron steak, and a ginormous pork chop.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Eco-pal

I coined a new word (at least I think it's a new term in the context I use it):

Eco-pal - (n.) - a person you share showers with, thus conserving water and helping save the planet

It fits the old bumpersticker: "Save water: shower with a friend".

I encourage everyone to use the word "eco-pal" whenever applicable.


(h/t: Trish)

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Mystery solved

Who has been drinking from the toilet in the guest bathroom???
Recent forensic results (muddy paw prints) suggest it's Meara.
(I had thought that only dogs drank out of the toilet.)

The leg bone's connected to the hip bone...

Addicted?

71%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Monday, October 08, 2007

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Bozeman photo show


Bozeman blogger Trish is having a showing of her photos at Wild Joe's Coffee Shop in downtown Bozeman during the month of October.

The artist reception is Friday 10/5 6-8 pm. (If you see a tall bald man dressed in black & gray -- that's Big Mike.)

Crackers


A great cracker: Wheatables Golden Wheat Reduced Fat.

I just discovered these yesterday. If you like crackers, I recommend you give this brand a try.

Review: The Kingdom movie

I enjoyed The Kingdom, especially the way the film handled Saudi politics (princes, Police v. National Guard, "enhanced interrogation"). To me, the only weak point was the slightly cartoonish American embassy officer. The action was pretty good, though several folks have complained about the shaky camera work.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Review: Setting Free the Bears



Setting Free the Bears was John Irving's first published book. It's definitely a book of the '60s, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It has bears, motorcycles, trout fishing, bees, and sex -- what's not to like? I thought Graff's and Gallen's mutual seduction was particularly sweetly told.

(h/t Erin who convinced me to read some John Irving. She also turned me on to Jane Austen, for which I'm eternally grateful.)

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Bozeman events guides

Looking for something to do in Bozeman? Here are two events guides:

      www.bozemanevents.com

      bozone.com

Human Flipbook

Erbert and Gerbert's Human Flipbook:


(via Core77 "Industrial Design Supersite")


(I used to make simple flipbooks back when I was a kid.)

Civics quiz

Civic Literacy Quiz: I got 91.67% (55/60).
(I earned my high school's Civics Prize in 1983 ;-)

(via David)

$400 property tax refund

I filed electronically at mt.gov. Did you?

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Review: Over the Tapas

"Over the Tapas" is a Spanish-style tapas restaurant co-located with the Sweet Pea Bakery at 19th S. Willson in downtown Bozeman.

If you like tapas, then I recommend trying this restaurant. My dinner companion and I had wrinkled potatoes, spicy chicken, crab cakes, and a cheese/fruit plate. Total cost (excluding tip): $30.

Note: the Sweet Pea Bakery has a blog with a clever name: Flourish (flourish as in "thrive" and flourish as in flour-ish).

Update:
Official website: bozemantapas.com

Here little mousie



I had just given Meara a little chunk of cheese, so she was waiting with baited breath for her mouse to emerge from under the TV stand.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Blogger meetup - Saturday

At Big Mike's: details

(FYI - The weather is great right now.)

Update: "A fun time was had by all"

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Ski down the escalator



(The longest escalator I've ever seen was in a London Underground station.)

(via OuthouseRag)

Twister

I bet this woman always wins when she plays Twister.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Integer sequences

The On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences

- who knew?

Early to bed...

24 tips to becoming an early riser

WikiHow

WikiHow:
how to: "survive a freestyle rap battle", "sleep comfortably on a hot night", "save a wet cell phone", "start a blog", etc., etc.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

I pretend to pray


The go-go dancers in the bathtubs (1:16) are ... surreal.

Uber Cool Science Geek (;-)


NerdTests.com says I'm an Uber Cool Science Geek.  What are you?  Click here!


(h/t The Bandit Monco)

Official Kilt Day: 9/16/07

I bought some clothes at the mall yesterday, but didn't see any kilts for sale. So, I was improperly dressed for Official Kilt Day.

(I saw a fellow dressed in a kilt on Friday night, during the Art Walk in downtown Bozeman. He had a genuine wool tartan kilt.)

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Kilts

I've seen two different men in Bozeman wearing Utilikilts. Before you ask -- Cecil Adams lists some commons answers to The Question.

(I myself don't fancy spending $100+ on a kilt, though a kilt would show off my manly legs ;-).

$1.33

I moved my (heavy) leather sofa a little bit and found $1.33 in change. Anybody need help moving some furniture?

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Double Feature: Colorful lyrics

Music videos:
1. Green
2. Blue (includes fronton action)

(Being blue or green sounds kinda depressing, based on those two songs. Myself, I'm neither blue nor green - I'm more a pale pinkish color :-)

Monday, September 10, 2007

Blog-B-Q

What: BBQ (shish kabobs, etc.) for Montana bloggers and blog readers

When: 1-3 pm on Saturday, 9/22/07

Where: Big Mike's back deck (302 Sweetgrass, Bozeman)

(We might be pushing the season, but I'm expecting good weather.)

Review: Cosmic Pizza

Cosmic Pizza is located at 19th and Main in Bozeman (in the same building as the Loaf 'n Jug).

I had one of their pepperoni-mushroom-greenpepper pizzas yesterday. Pretty good.

Of course, MRP is the gold standard of Bozeman pizzas. But Cosmic is as good as or better than Papa Johns, for example. I'll likely order from them again.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Edam: great for picnic-lovers

I believe edam just might be the perfect picnic cheese. It's great with a baguette. For best results, let the cheese warm up to "cool room temperature".

If you want a fancier picnic, try consulting The Urban Picnic.

Review: Cafe Zydeco



Cafe Zydeco is located on Main St. in Bozeman, just west of the Roundhouse. They serve a nice and spicy Red Beans & Rice (note: the large bowl is very large). Dinner for two costs about $20.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Tipi




From atop Peet's Hill in Bozeman.

(Maybe someday I'll learn how to digitally remove those annoying telephone lines.)

Friday, September 07, 2007

More 80's music fashion

I had completely forgotten this song and video. It's a nice antidote to all those overalls, though.

Double Feature: Overalls

Two 80's classics featuring overalls (what were they thinking?):
1. Come On Eileen (Dexy's Midnight Runners
2. Cruel Summer (Bananarama)

Exotic Spoons



Wood spoons for all tastes and preferences.

Ever seen a photo of spooning?
Looks like fun ;-)

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Kiss

Science Daily reports on some research at the University of Albany: A Kiss Is Still A Kiss -- Or Is It?

The research included surveys of 1,041 college students. My comment: I think men's views of kissing change as they get older. The majority of 42 year old men that I surveyed said that osculation is a good thing in and of itself, not just as a means to an end.

Open mic night at the Leaf and Bean

Monday 9/10 is open mic night at the Leaf and Bean. It's sponsored by the MSU English Club. I've never been, so I don't know if people read poetry, rant about politics, or what. If I go this Monday, I'll be sure to file a blog report ;-)

Bluegrass

I stopped by the Leaf and Bean last night and listened to some Bluegrass. Pretty cool, if you like that kind of thing.

Attention men: I was the only man in an audience full of attractive women.

Fred's (Butte)



Fred's has a pretty good mesquite burger.

My source tells me that this restaurant was located in Bozeman prior to 2002. It was in the space now occupied by "The Garage".

Monday, September 03, 2007

Chess

I haven't played chess in years, and was never very good, but...

Here's a cool video of some grandmasters playing "speed chess":


Here are some MT links:

MSU University Chess Club
Montana Chess

A bonus link: One night in Bangkok

I come in Peace



(I found this graffiti in Lindley Park.)

Redneck

I just got in from mowing my back lawn. Note to self: wearing a hat does not protect a shirtless back.

Even though I have 12 generations of Southern ancestors, this quiz sez I'm no redneck (I'm actually relieved ;-)

You Are 15% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style.
You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

Sunday, September 02, 2007

Tater-Pig





At the 2007 Sweet Pea Festival. I actually didn't get one of these. Instead, I got a brat, and then apple pie with ice cream for dessert ;-)

Triple Feature: Sugar

From sweetly innocent, to "Rolling Stones naughty", to typical 1980's: 1, 2, 3.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Berkeley Pit (Butte MT)



I'm the third MT blogger in the past month to show a photo of this pit. You can take a photo too - admission to the observation deck costs $2.

PitWatch has done some interesting bio-research at the pit (which has a pH similar to vinegar).

Review: War

War is an entertaining, bloody movie starring Jet Li. The basic premise is a gang war between yakuza and triads in San Francisco. Jet Li is in the middle stirring up trouble. FWIW, he has a very distinctive walk in this flick.

I enjoyed this movie much more than that Rush Hour 3 crapfest, even though I do own more Jackie Chan DVDs (12) than Jet Li DVDs (9).

Saturday (;-) Cat Blogging



Thursday, August 30, 2007

Beyoncé

According to the internets (which are always true, right?), Beyoncé Knowles attended the same high school as me (for a while). Obviously a bit after my time, though.

Speaking of school, this one time, at band camp... Actually, I was never in Band; I won a trophy in Math Club once though :-) For someone so unmusical, I currently own three instruments, four if you count the saw in the garage.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Bozeman Blog-B-Q ?

Any interest out here for a blog-b-q -- a get-together in BBQ format? I think the great weather (warm but not too warm) we're currently having will hold for a few more weeks.

I think shish-kabobs would be great.

Smackdown

The other day, in McDonald's, a young boy thought I was a pro wrestling "Smackdown Artist."

I've also been mistaken for :
1) the (soon-to-be former) BHS basketball coach (who has the same name as me), and
2) the (former) MSU football coach.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Why I Blog

(Note: I was tagged by Patia).

I blog because writing helps me clarify my mind - about life in Bozeman, books, movies, etc. I find blogging to be much less introspective than keeping a journal - you'll never read any stories of angst or emotional turmoil or romantic tales of bachelorhood on this blog.

I've met some interesting people via blogs, both online and in real-life. That never happens when you just write in a personal (paper) journal.

Most of the photos I post are aggressively non-artistic on purpose (yeah, right - it's all on purpose...)

I don't blog much on politics or current events. It's not that I'm apathetic - I'm just not interested in writing about such topics.

I try to be open-minded when I read other blogs. I think blogging, for many people (especially young people) is another way to "try on" ideas.


(P.S. - I "maintain" four other blogs...)

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Review: Soon I Will Be Invincible


Soon I Will Be Invincible is a mainstream novel about super-villains and super-heroes. I thought it was good, if a bit long. If you liked The Incredibles, you might like this story.

I mostly agree with this NY Times review.

I had a pretty good comic book collection as a boy. I "inherited" some comic books from a sister's boyfriend. And, in keeping with the "Comic Book Social Contract", I eventually gave all mine away.

Monday, August 20, 2007

MSU tv ad


(I'm sure there's a UM ad on youtube, if you just look for it ;-)

Double Feature: Boot to the Head

I heard these via Dr. Demento:

1. Ti Kwan Leep

2. Last will and testament

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Review: Superbad

Superfunny - a movie about male bravado, humiliation, self-confidence, and separation anxiety. Also: alcohol-fueled parties and anatomical illustrations. The movie is raunchy (mostly verbally), but not in the sniggering, misogynistic, stupid way such movies were back when I was a teenager.

Read a couple of of reviews before you go: Variety, Rolling Stone.

The movie is rated "R", so maybe we'll be spared criticism from prigs who prefer movies that glorify torture and murder.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Friday cat blogging


(Meara eventually caught the mouse later that night)

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Elvis - 30 years ago today

I was eating at a Whataburger in Texas when I learned that The King had just died.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Fun with Photoshop

iwanexsudio.com

Select "portfolio", then click on one of the photographs. Mouse over the photo to see before/after.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Review: Water for Elephants



Sara Gruen's novel Water for Elephants is about romance, and the circus, though not necessarily about the romance of the circus. I thought it was a nice, quick Summer read. Fair warning: don't read this book if you dislike happy endings.





Here are some semi-random circus & carnival links:
1. Ringling, Montana (near Bozeman) was named after one of the famous Ringling Brothers.
2. Memoirs of a Sword Swallower is my favorite book about life in a carnival sideshow.
3. The Ringling Museum is worth a visit if you're ever near Sarasota FL. (I visited the museum during Spring Break many years ago.)
4. Circus Peanuts - a classic from The Straight Dope. (Bonus: kraut juice.)
5. The movie Freaks has a pretty scary ending (I have the DVD).

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Review: Kim


I recently re-read Kipling's Kim, and I think I've discovered how best to enjoy it. First, recognize that Kipling thought British rule was beneficial, or at least indifferent, compared to rule by other colonizing nations. Second, do not approach the book as "social realism" - that's a fast way to spoil it. Most important, think of the book as a means of getting into Kipling's head - to understand his understanding of British India, and of adventurous boyhood.

In my younger days, I would have said to just consider the story as being set in an alternate universe. Now, I think using that method to suspend disbelief has too many disadvantages.


Note: Besides being a great adventure story, Kim is also considered part of the Western Canon.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Review: Rush Hour 3

One of Jackie Chan's weakest movies (note: I'm a big Chan fan - I have a half dozen of his movies on DVD).

I found Chris Tucker's character to be particularly unsympathetic (is assholish a word?).

On the plus side, the movie did have an attractive bald woman, and an interesting statistic (34%) ;-)

Monday, August 06, 2007

Keep honking...

I saw an unlikely pair of stickers on a car in Bozeman today:

1. Keep honking... I'm reloading
2. Christian fish with WWJD (who wants jelly donuts?)

Sunday, August 05, 2007

strange voice

The narrator of this video has a very strange voice. Kinda interesting, but I'm sure it would become annoying over a long weekend.

to be or not to be?




Note: the icy-hot Julia Stiles plays Ophelia in Hamlet (2000).

Another Note: You can see a well-acted scene from Hamlet -- just search YouTube for Cat Head Theater.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

"On a stick" - 59 ways

Review: Bourne Ultimatum

I really enjoyed the Bourne Ultimatum (I also enjoyed the previous two Bourne movies).

Julia Stiles and Joan Allen both have larger parts in this installment. This is nice because, besides being good actors, they are hot-hot-hot. (Yes that's a technical term ;-)

All three movies used versions of Moby's "Extreme Ways" for the end credits.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Ousel Falls

A nice day hike in Big Sky, Montana. Here's a video I shot:

Saturday, July 28, 2007

My photos and videos

My photos @ Flickr.

My videos @ Youtube.

Spider-pig, spider-pig

I pulled a Homer at the Simpsons movie - I ate a whole bag of popcorn and a bag of Reese's Miniatures. Doh!

(If you like the TV show, you'll like the movie.)

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Fair observations

I went to the Gallatin County Fair on Saturday. Some observations:

1. the cow barn smells pretty good compared to the hog barn

2. I cannot eat an entire funnel cake

3. snapping turtles are cool

4. sugar gliders are cool

5. sheep are noisy

6. young kids like merry-go-rounds and small roller coasters

Skipping to the end

I admit it: I skipped to the end of the last Harry Potter book. In fact, the only HP I've read was the last few chapters of the last book. Based on that small sample, it seems like an interesting series.

(I have seen all the movies ;-)

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Gain weight now! Ask me how!

1. Invite Mother to visit for a week.

2. Ask her to bake a cake and six (6) loaves of banana nut bread.

3. Chow down.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Friday cat blogging

Meara watches the washing machine:

Kabbalah event - Aug. 27

Rabbi Chaim of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana informed of an upcoming kabbalah event in Bozeman: Men, Women, & Kabbalah. According to the flyer, the cost is $10, and the event is open to folks of all spiritual backgrounds.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

A+

I fed a hungry vampire, er - donated blood - today. I've been doing it off and on for the past 25 years.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Review: Sense and Sensibility


Another excellent novel by Jane Austen.

The Modern Library edition displayed above has an interesting introduction by David Gates. He makes the novel seem almost hard-boiled. Is there any wonder that I, who read all the Richard Stark and Dashiell Hammett I can get my hands on, liked this novel?

Maps

It's always fun to "mess about in" maps:
Historical Atlas of the 20th Century

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Another dream sense

I recently experienced a definite sense of proprioreception while dreaming.

So far, I've also definitely experienced seeing and hearing in dreams. I guess falling & flying relate to sense of balance, so I've experienced that sense as well. I'm not sure about touch; I'm pretty sure against smelling and tasting.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Friday Cat blogging

Review: Ratatouille

I enjoyed Ratatouille, even though my palate is unsophisticated.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Review: Transformers movie

Surprisingly entertaining. A good date movie - if your date is an engineer.

Pyrophilia (July 4)

Bozeman, Montana is the most fireworks-crazy place I've ever lived in. From my back deck, I watched a 180 degree panorama of color and fire.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Old CDs

I happen to have both these CDs (;-) (I also have plenty of macho CDs - really!)

1. Big Time Sensuality - Bjork
(I think she is pleasantly chunky in this video.)

2. Orinoco Flow - Enya

50 ways to ...

1. Leave a Lover

2. Learn to Hover (xkcd webcomic)

De-clutter

Hair is clutter ? ;-)

Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Incredible Shrinking Man

I'm down to 230 +/- pounds - presumably from eliminating soda from my diet. Actually a bit under 230. Still healthy, I think, but something I'll mention to the doc next time I see him.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Coke-free

I haven't had a Coke or Pepsi (or most any soda) for the past couple of months. It was a hard "3 times a day" habit to break, but I'm glad I did it.

Review: Panda Buffet

I recently had dinner ($10.25) at the Panda Buffet, which is located northwest of the 7th - I-90 intersection.

Of the the five Chinese restaurants in Bozeman, Panda is one them. Seriously, my meal was about on par with meals from the Bamboo Garden and the Chinese joint in the mall food court. The Panda does serve some non-Chinese food, such as roast beef and crab legs.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

ex Pussy Willow




I chopped down my pussy willow a few weeks ago - all the big branches (> 1 inch) suffered from some sort of rot ;-(.

Word of the day: coppice.

Video compilation site

Another video timewaster: http://funhouse.bubble.ro/

Potentilla



Saturday, June 23, 2007

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Double feature: whenever, wherever, forever

1. whenever, wherever

2. forever

Your yearly ABBA needs fulfilled

Sure, most politicians deserve to be mocked, but this is Cruel & Unusual...

Dang ;-(

They overlooked me again this year ;-)

Monday, June 18, 2007

Double feature: Irregular time

1. Mission Impossible theme (TV)
2. Take Five (Dave Brubeck)

Wildlife sitings - 2 new species

This past week I spotted two species I had never seen before in Bozeman:

1. Raven
2. Vole

Another movie review: F4-2

Fantastic Four 2 was better than the first movie (which is saying a whole lot, I know), and thankfully brief (less than 100 minutes). I read plenty of Fantastic Four comics when I was a boy, but somehow skipped reading about the Silver Surfer.

For some reason, I found Invisible Woman's lips to be .... disturbing. I would never tell it to her in person, of course ;-)

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Movie reviews

Some movies I've seen recently:

Hot Fuzz - if you liked Shaun of the Dead (as I did), you'll like this over-the-top British cop flick. Sample dialogue: "What's the situation? - Two blokes with a fuckload of cutlery."

Pirates 3 - over-long and over-stuffed. I must say that Keira Knightley looks very fetching in Chinese pirate garb, though. Note: there's a credit cookie.

Spiderman 3 - at least one subplot too many.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Here kitty, kitty

I saw lots of pretty cats at the Heart of the Valley animal shelter today.

I wonder what makes someone a cat-person or a dog-person? My oldest sister and I prefer cats, while my other two sisters & my mother prefer dogs.

Monday, June 04, 2007

Golden Compass movie trailer

As I've noted before, His Dark Materials is my favorite "fantasy" trilogy (moreso than LOTR, I think):



A few things seem a bit "off", but one must always remember that a film is not a book.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Silas Marner



George Eliot's short novel Silas Marner is a simple story well-told.

2007 will be another Summer of Classics. I am "building up" my novel-reading muscles to read Eliot's long masterpiece Middlemarch. In the meantime, I'm in the middle of Homer's Iliad.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Another one rides the bus

I took the Red Line bus to work this morning, and walked back this afternoon. Walking back took 50 minutes - I took a "longcut" that totaled 3 miles.

Double feature: 90s tunes

Here are a couple of tunes I remember well from the 1990s:

1. Linger (Cranberries)
2. Two Princes (Spin Doctors)

Monday, May 21, 2007

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Car usage

I average about 6,000 miles per year, or 500 miles per month, in my car. I hope to get the monthly average down to 200 miles this Summer, by means of walking, riding my bicycle or motorcycle, and riding the bus to work.

Each time I don't ride my car to work will save 6+ miles.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Brevity

How to transform a trilogy into a novella:

Monday, May 14, 2007

And the crowd goes wild

I won a game of nine-ball on the break last Friday. It's not unheard of to win that way, but I've only done it once in 41 years.

Hail the size of a cat's eye



View of the front yard.

Hail the size of marbles



A view of the back deck.

Lose weight with Photoshop

The following video is NSFW, but it's an interesting exploration of Photoshop and body image.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

No signs



"By order of the Bozeman city police"

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Design in "blogger"

Most blogspot blogs (such as mine) are pretty bland. However, if you are willing to expend the effort and smarts, you can create a nice design using blogspot's "blogger" software. Here are a couple of nicely designed Bozeman blogs:

* A thought over coffee
* www.powderfin.com blog

Centipede (?)



I refrained from picking up this creepy-crawly.

Update: It appears to have been a common garden centipede

Friday, May 11, 2007

Electro-surgery

I underwent a gingivoplasty this morning. For my case it was a purely cosmetic procedure - a "gum lift" as it were, to make my teeth seem longer.

Instead of a scalpel, the dentist used a Sensimatic Electrosurge 600.

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

George Eliot on blogging

I've recently looked at some right-wing blogs (and some left-wing blogs)...


With apologies to George Eliot:

To judge from their writings, there are certain bloggers who think that an amazing ignorance, both of science and of life, is the best possible qualification for forming an opinion on the knottiest moral and speculative questions. Apparently, their recipe for solving all such difficulties is something like this: -Take a blogger's head, stuff it with a smattering of philosophy and literature chopped small, and with false notions of society baked hard, let it hang over a desk a few hours every day, and serve up hot in feeble English, when not required.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Gift idea

Do you have a friend who swings both ways, or who is simply bi-curious? If so, here is a gift recommendation.

Thirsty?



Monday, May 07, 2007