Meta: blogroll updates

1. I added killerliving.com. This blog is by a real-estate person whom I know from meetings of the Bozeman InterNeighborhood Council.

2. I deleted a bunch of defunct blogs.

3. I decided not to add some Bozeman-based MySpace blogs. Although there are some exceptions, MySpace blogs tend to suck big time, IMHO.

4. I'll keep Revolving Duck on the blogroll for a few more weeks even though it has gone on (probably permanent) hiatus. The proprietor of this "personal journey blog" wrote an informative final post.

Argentum

I received a 1948 quarter in change today. The silver in the quarter is worth about $1.50. Woo-hoo!

Tomato

My two tomato plants now have at least one tiny tomato. I hope it develops into something like the "tomato with a human face".

Muttonchop mania

OK, not exactly a mania, but - at the bagel shop, I saw a guy sporting muttonchop sideburns and a soul patch. The guy was about 30, and his girlfriend looked completely conventional. I'll report back if I see a trend developing...

Here's an amusing article: "Feline reactions to bearded men". I haver never simultaneously had both a beard and a cat, so I am unable to report any personal anecdotes.

Talledega credit cookie

Talladega Nights has a funny credit cookie that explicates Faulkner. Well, I thought it was funny.

80's music videos - animated

Animated music videos from the 1980s:

A-ha: Take on me - cheesy song, but great rotoscoping of a parallel universe

Genesis: Land of confusion - puppet-mania

Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer

Dire Straits: Money for nothing

---
Shining - not a music video, but funny use of Peter Gabriel's song "Salisbury Hill"

Washington Post article

Driving Across Montana, From Old West to New

Two more Austen novels

My summer of Great Novels is nearing an end, but I have a backlog still to blog.

Jane Austen's Emma and Persuasion are considered the greatest of her novels, and among the greatest of all English novels. My endorsement: I will be re-reading these novels with care in the years to come.

If you are a beginning "literary reader" (like myself), I would recommend starting with one of Austen's earlier novels, such as Pride and Prejudice. Emma is 100% characterization, 0% action; and Persuasion has a set of inter-related characters worthy of a Tolstoy novel.

Ready to rumble?

I saw this SCA guy at Bozeman Pond Park. And no, I did not challenge him to a sword fight...

Recondite

Since I had read so much science-fiction as a kid, I felt pretty cocky when I added the H.G. Wells novella The Time Machine to my summer reading list. The very first sentence sent me to a dictionary to look up an unfamiliar word...

Anyway, the Time Traveller travels 800,000 years into the future and meets the eloi. These descendants of modern-day humans are all 4 feet tall and androgynous. The loss of sexual dimorphism in humans transformed this SF tale into a horror story for me ;-)
---

Update (8/2) - In the recent movie adaptation, the eloi Weena is decidedly non-androgynous. This reinforces my view that movie adaptations of books should be considered on their own merits.

Asinus aureus

The Golden Ass is a proto-novel from the second century AD. The main plot concerns the misadventures of a young man magically transformed into a donkey. If you like stories with plenty of sex and violence, try this one. (Note: the story might be shocking to this blog's more delicate readers.)

Nerdlings

Monster House is a fun movie, and even scary in parts ;-)

The only thing that marred my trip to the movies was my missing part of the show due to a projection error (I'm always the one to inform the theater management). Back in the 5th grade, I was one of the students tasked to run the film projector, so I'm sensitive to projection errors. Do schools even have film projectors any more? If not, how are geeks-in-training recognized in elementary school ? ? ?

Sing-along & dance-along

Two amusing videos from YouTube:

1. After watching this video, who am I to feel foolish about singing along to the Eagles? : Crazed NUMA Fan !!!!

2. Dance around the world: Where the hell is Matt?

Pink champagne on ice

My favorite track on The Big Lebowski soundtrack (a recent purchase) is The Gipsy Kings' Spanish version of "Hotel California" - unfortunately, I don't have enough Spanish to sing along. Actually, that may be a good thing, since I always felt a bit foolish crooning about "pink champagne on ice."

Bonus: The Straight Dope explains the meaning of "Hotel California".

Free books - mostly Science Fiction

Someone said the mark of a good book is how well it bears re-reading. With that in mind, I have culled my library of books that I did not find interesting or entertaining the last time I re-read them.

I have a box of 50+ paperbacks - mostly "classic" science fiction - Niven, Heinlein, etc. (Somehow I ended up with two copies of The Mote in God's Eye.) Anyway, out it goes.

If anyone out there is interested in classic SF (and some Tom Clancy and Stephen King for good measure), let me know and you can pick out what you like before I take the box to the thrift store.

Fourthmeal

The meal between dinner and breakfast, according to Taco Bell.
(I had a #1 Combo about an hour ago.)

Leave No Trace

I saw an ad in the paper today for "scooping services" - $6/week for one dog, $9/week for two dogs.

Pinery

Some years ago in Atlanta, I visited an orangery - a greenhouse devoted to growing oranges and other citrus trees.

You may imagine my delight in reading about another sort of greenhouse, the "pinery", in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. A pinery is a greenhouse devoted to growing, not pine trees, but pineapples. They were apparently quite the rage among wealthy landowners in 18/19th century England.

The heroine in Northanger Abbey is similar to Don Quixote, in that she confuses fictional books with real-life. The book is generally considered a minor Austen novel, but it's minor only in relation to her masterpieces. I think it's a fine introduction to the author's work.

Margherita 230

I weighed myself today: 230 pounds, which means I've lost 10 pounds since my shoulder surgery. No big deal. However, I did take leave to eat an entire margherita pizza at Mackenzie River. OK, it was a "buckaroo size" pizza, but still.

Aasheim Field

Last summer I saw some young adults (20-somethings, I guess) playing kickball here. The main requirment seemed to be that one hand had to hold a drink at all times. Looked like fun.

Horsey neighbors

These horses live about 1/4 mile from my house. The folks who own the horses have about 15 acres of land for them to roam.

Movies from books

As I read classic novels this summer, I've found that most of them have been adapted into first-rate movies.

I included Starship Troopers in the photo as a bit of a joke. I'll leave it to those who have read Heinlein's book and/or watched the movie to ponder the nature of my little joke...

Ringneck pheasant

He came with his whole family to enjoy seed that I scattered under my bird feeder.

Pirates 2 - credit cookie

Pirates 2 has a credit cookie that ties up one of the minor loose ends.

I enjoyed the movie, though it was very long. Keira Knightley does not get as much screen time as Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom. IMHO, though, she is by far the most alluring of the pirates ;-)

I do not drink coffee

And the latest Folger's ad won't get me started. For the scary video, see the 6/23 posting at www.strongcopywriting.com.

Three novellas

A novella is shorter than a novel, but longer than a short story. I recently read three classics:

Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea helped push him over the top in winning a Nobel Prize in Literature. The mystical tone of the story is somewhat reminiscent of the short story "The Big Two-Hearted River", which is a good thing.

In Candide, Voltaire savagely indicted the notion of "philosophical optimism" - that everything happens for a good purpose and that "this is the best of all possible worlds." After enduring much violence and misuse, Candide and his companions finally find a reasonable existence in performing useful work as a household community. In the last line, Candide says that "we must cultivate our garden."

Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is filled with unappetizing characters. It's a good study of how not to live one's life.

callbeforeyoudig.org

Back home

I'm back home after spending 5 long days (and nights) at Bozeman Deaconess Hospital fighting a staph infection. It's a relief to be home, believe me.

Lite blogging

Blogging will be light as I try to recover from recent shoulder surgery. The surgery was fine; the post-op is not so fine.

302

My office number and my house address are the same: 302. It only took three years for me to realize this...

Treasure Island

As part of my summer of classic novels, I read Treasure Island (by Robert Louis Stevenson). To me, the novel seemed a pure adventure story. However, on the back cover of the B & N Classics edition, Prof. Angus Fletcher sez:

The unexpected and complex relationship that develops between [Long John] Silver and Jim helps transform what seems at first to be a simple, rip-roaring adventure story into a deeply moving study of a boy's growth into manhood, as he learns hard lessons about friendship, loyalty, courage, and honor -- and the uncertain meaning of good and evil.

On a side note, the name of the "Long John Silver" quick-service seafood restaurants now makes sense. Long John Silver was the ship's cook on the journey to Treasure Island. (I don't know if they have any of those fast-food joints here in Montana.)

Evinrude at rest

Can you find the outboard motor?

Road construction

Fowler was widened at its intersection with Huffine. Eventually, the intersecton will get a signal.

Pride and Prejudice

My Summer reading plan for fiction is as follows: read classic novels that I've never read before. Luckily (?), my engineering education leaves me plenty of options to choose from.

I read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice on the advice of a fellow Montana blogger. A great novel - sparkling wit, a very appealing protagonist (Elizabeth Bennet), great sense of irony, awesome authorial stlye. Unexpected reading for Big Mike?

On tap: Northanger Abbey, Candide, and Treasure Island.

#713 of 1001 ways to use duct tape

The latest trend in tree surgery, no doubt.

Cathodic Protection Test Station

I sleep a little easier knowing that the local gas pipeline has Cathodic Protection...

Leaning trees

On W. Babcock, near Fowler. I wonder if/when they'll finally topple?

Y2Y

"Yellowstone to Yukon" requires "sex across the highway."

CAT vs. willow tree

The CAT won.

I am kitty...

...hear me roar.

Cars - credit cookie

Cars has a credit cookie - a short clip after the credits. I thought the movie was funny, but about 20 minutes too long.

Vacation home?

Lot's of folks buy vacation homes in Montana. What about those of us who live in Montana? -- castles for sale.

(h/t boingboing.net)

Yard art

IIRC, these windmills have South Dakota license plates.

City right-of-way

This strip of land will be dug up later this Summer so that a sewer line can be installed.

(My house is 4 blocks north at the very end of the photo.)

Canoe

If my neighbor let me borrow his canoe and then snapped a picture, this is what I'd look like.

No longer leaning

My neighbors had a Bobcat for some patio construction, so they used it to straighten this tree.

New apartments

I thought they were going to tear down the red brick house in the background, but apparently they'll convert into a duplex instead.

(SW corner of Babcock and Fowler.)

Photo for blogger profile

This photo should show up whenever I make a comment on a blogspot blog.

Funny tattoo

Heh.

Barn on stilts

You can see this barn on I-90, between 19th and 7th.

A close shave

You ask for "a little off the top" and look what the barber does!

(My neighbors' cat is friendly, but won't sit still for a photo.)

190 BPM

I reached a pulse of 190 BPM today after 30 minutes on the elliptical machine at the gym. For some reason I didn't feel so good afterwards ;-) (not sick, but definitely worn out)

In related news, my weight seems to have stabilized at 240 lbs (all hard-packed muscle - well most of it, anyway ;-). The least I've ever weighed as a full-grown adult: 195 lbs; the most I've ever weighed: 265 lbs.

Shoe

Can you find the lost shoe beside the I-90 frontage road?

My piebald lawn

Should improve now that I've started watering it.

Big Mike

I would tone down the reflection off my head if I knew how to use photo-editing software ;-) At least my contact lenses aren't reflecting.

Video chat - connection trouble

Anyone out there have video chat set up on their computer? I'm trying to debug my video connection so I can v-chat with my sister down in Texas. If I could verify that my video chat worked with someone else, that would help.

My .mac name also functions as an AIM name: mhcole@mac.com

Jazz

allaboutjazz.com - free downloads, etc.

Meta: Blogroll updates

Here are some blogs I'll add to the blogroll (at somepoint):

collected nothingness

WDAMA (What Dreams Are Made Of)

Shawn

Meg's Schemes

Heather

K*U*R*T (actually a Belgrade blog)

Montana Diva (actually a Belgrade blog)


I'll delete the following blog:
Montana Man has moved back to Norway (?)

X-Men

I just saw the new X-Men movie and really liked it. If you go, stay 'til the very end 'cause there's an important "credit cookie."

Wine: Pascual Toso Sparkling Brut Mendoza

It's been a long time since I had sparkling wine. This $9 Argentine wine was very tasty with grilled pork shoulder steak.

(I'm finishing this bottle alone, but bought two champagne flutes because it'd be a shame not to be prepared for any eventuality ;-)

rose

All of my roses came back! This one was the straggler.

Polygyny

I watched Horsefeathers earlier this night. In the last scene, Groucho, Chico, and Harpo all marry the same woman. (I'm not sure what happened to Zeppo.) Seems kinda daring for the time period. Anyway, checking the local blogs, life imitates art. I'm glad we live in a free country where people can live their lives like they want.

Yoga

I went to yoga class at Gold's Gym today (the second time, ever). I'm the least flexible person in the class, but I try ;-)

Washarama

Washarama by The Judy's - this band was popular in the Houston area back when I was in high school

Aggie ring - size 12

When I bought this ring, it was the right size for my middle finger. Now it's too small for that finger, and just a bit too big for my pinky finger.

Motivating a racehorse

News from Preakness:

Hemingway's Key was a major bust this season until he rallied for third in the Preakness.

Zito admitted the colt, owned by George Steinbrenner, was a puzzle he could not solve. Zito suggested the horse might be gelded if he didn't perform better.

Hemingway's Key, a 29-1 shot, fended off that drastic action with a strong run through the lane for his first in-the-money finish in five races this season.

Havre

Much of the action in this hard-boiled crime novel takes place in Havre, Montana.

Here's a description of one of the security guards:
"[she] was Net crazy, lurking in chat rooms all her waking hours, adding her address to more and more monster mailing lists, receiving endless dumb jokes or chain letters through the ether and dutifully passing them on."

My home office

Here's my new iMac 20". Everything works OK, except that I had to swap out the wireless keyboard ;-(

The creature from Flanders Mill Road

I saw a big (about 20" long) ratlike creature crossing Flanders Mill Road the other day. It was moving from one irrigation ditch to another. I did some research..... it was...... a common Norway rat. I didn't know they grew that big. I'd hate to see one that size in my house.

Opera kid

The boy has pipes.

My vegetable garden

I just planted a "Better Boy" tomato plant.

The green plastic around the plant is filled with water and acts as a mini-greenhouse.

Hungarian partridges

The two birds near the fence are Hungarian partridges, according to the local bird expert.

(Click on the photo to see the flickr notes.)

Surface area

Fun (?) fact:
I have a surface area of 2.43 square meters according to http://members.nuvox.net/~on.jwclymer/bmi.html.

Pop art

I received my new iMac today! As you can see, it has a built-in camera.

I also downloaded a tool that integrates flickr uploads with iPhoto. Very convenient for us Mac users.

Mike's law of movie multiplication

I saw Mission: Impossible III at the matinee yesterday. I was disappointed that the movie's music was not in 10/8 time like the TV show's music.

Did I ever explain "Mike's Law of Movie Multiplication"? It works as follows. Going to a movie alone costs X dollars and gives Y units of pleasure. Going to a movie with a date costs 2X dollars and gives 2Y units of pleasure. Since the single-o can attend twice as many movies, the total amount of pleasure is the same.

This Law doesn't hold if each person pays for their own ticket, though. Or if the other person pays for both tickets. Or...

Cinco de Mayo

A festive Cinco de Mayo to everyone. I think I'll drink a couple of Coronas tonight in celebration. Or maybe a Negro Modelo. Maybe some Dos Equis for old time's sake - I drank that back when I was an undergrad at Texas A&M - always in moderation, of course.

20" iMac

I ordered a 20" Apple iMac yesterday. It should arrive this Friday...

The perils of a being Big

It seems that "big" men are a major source of ethical conundrums, at least according to this BBC article.

(h/t Crooked Timber)

I teach a course in Engineering Ethics, but never get to cover extreme cases like those discussed in the BBC article.

Ferguson Avenue

Just north of the intersection with Durston Road. Those trees are not long for this world ;-(

Cadastral map of Montana

A cadastral map shows real estate boundaries and ownership information. So, if you are interested in who owns a particular piece of land and the most recent appraised value, look at a cadastral map.

How to use the official cadastral map of Montana.

Bisson meat

If you do a google search on "bisson meat" you get this good story by Terry Bisson: "They're made out of meat".

Bloggers I have met

I met Wulfgar! today for the first time. He saw me lusting over a 20" iMac at the MSU Bookstore, figured out who I was, and introduced himself. It's cool to be able to put a face/voice to a blogger.

I've seen several student bloggers around campus, but I've never identified myself - don't want them to get weirded out that a professor has seen their blogs.

Meta - defunct blogs deleted from blogroll

I removed the following defunct blogs from my "Bozeman Blogroll":

• Bozeman's Beaten Path


• Life in Bozeman Montana


• Montana Ramblings


• Wisdom Journal

Gopher hole

There seems to be a new gopher hole about every 15 feet on the land behind my house.

Historical photos of Bozeman

• Historic Bozeman and Gallatin County
  


• Postcards at ePodunk
  


• Penny postcards from Montana
  

Dirty dancing

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle: Dance debate divided on grinding. Basically, the kids at Bozeman High dance a bit more "expressively" than their parents ever did.

Several years ago, I chaperoned a group of college students to an out-of-state conference. If the dancing at Bozeman High is like that which I observed on that trip, I can see why parents would be a bit concerned. It certainly would not have been acceptable at the Methodist-sponsored dances I remember ;-)

Meta - kinja.com

Kinja.com has lots of blog-related goodies. For instance, you can find out more than you ever wanted to know about this blog.

Stormy weather

In northwest Bozeman, Montana.

Newspaper article on Bozeman scuba shop

Re my previous post, the 3/30/06 Bozeman Daily Chronicle had an informative article about the "Sports Cove" scuba shop.

In addition to sponsoring trips to Fiji, etc., the shop hosts scuba diving in Hyalite Reservoir - even under the winter ice. Sounds chilly to me....

Meta - recent changes

1. Comments now require "word verification." I could handle spam comments manually except Blogger doesn't tell me exactly which posts have received comments. I hope this doesn't reduce the extensive commenting on my blog posts ;-)

2. Comments now show the commenter's "profile photo." Now I need to upload a "profile photo" of my own...

MSU: landscape/architecture

MSU is developing some long-term campus plans. See this article for links to photos of what people like & don't like about the campus architecture and landscape.

Amusingly enough, some of their photos are the same as some of my photos.

Peach-Pineapple salsa

So, I went to a student picnic this afternoon. I got some chips and salsa (so far so good). But.... whoever heard of peach-pineapple salsa?!? I'm an old-fashioned Pace Picante man.

Ruff-ruff

I enjoy walking around the neighborhood. This dog barks at me every time I go by.

Stuck

This is what happens if you ignore the sign that says "no vehicular traffic"...

Read the sign...

Sounds like good advice to me.

Riparian grammar

According to Language Log, Missoulians go "up to Hamilton".

RIP - blogger style

This site is slightly unnerving: www.mydeathspace.com.

These hounds are "greyt"

I saw some beautiful greyhounds at the Bozeman Petsmart last week. I forgot to take my camera (of course), but you can see some pics at the Gallery of the Greyhound Pets of America - Rocky Mountain Chapter website.

Gate

This pasture (behind my house in NW Bozeman) will developed later this year.

(I need to learn how to better "frame" my photos - it has a nice view of the sky, but where's the bottom of the gate ;-6 )

MSU - Danforth Chapel

I've been to this chapel a couple of times to attend honor society initiations.