Another unfortunate wording choice.

Ball permit?
Really?

I am not sure if it is more upsetting that they expect you to get a permit to play on an unused diamond or that they call the aforementioned "Ball Permit".
At least they used snazzy 80's graphics to distract you. 

Of watches and other resons I might not be entirely right in the head.

Last night we watched the movie Limitless a decently entertaining move.

But after the hero of the story meets a DiNiro and you catch a glimpse of his watch... I had to find out exactly what it was.

Simple
Elegant
Classic

Breguet Classique Automatic 5197BA

It's a sickness I know.

Hellofa

Predicatively unpredictable. The new math and other reasons my brain hurts today.

I have been thinking a lot lately about math... and in particular predictive models and algorithms, calculations, fluid dynamics you know that kind of math that makes sense out of things behind the scenes.

Not exactly sure why it has been on my mind. Maybe its because I get sucker punched on a daily basis by that kind of math or maybe its because a good unsolvable problem makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. Maybe its because that kind of stuff scares me… just a little.

That’s right I said it this kind of math scares me. Not just because its way past the line of my understating. Hell you cant even see that line where I live. Why then you ask? Well that is because:

Most people have no idea how much this kind of stuff is creeping into our lives. I see a little but what I really see is that it is going to be way more invasive in the very near future.  I just ran across this interesting link *here* on gizmodo. 

You should watch it.

Then think about this.

How much math is running you life?

I bet you it’s more that you think. 

They put that Starbucks on that corner, because MATH told them to do it. The tread pattern on your tires, the amount you pay for services. The interest you pay on things… all math. Its not sympathetic, its not emotional its defiantly not logical. That’s right I said that too, its not logical. That is because this kind of math requires data processing and number crunching in ways that don’t have to be logical they just have to work.

That kind of ruthlessness is awesome… and Scary.

Mostly it’s scary because, its not like normal math. This kind of math makes mistakes and because it’s not logical the predictive models do things that are well…ironically unpredictable.

This kind of math is powerful, that is why this kind of thing is all the rage in financial circles. So what it boils down to: he (or really they) that has the best math wins.

Like I said I have been thinking a lot about math lately. I cant help but get a wry smile when people complain about things not making any sense. They don’t have to make sense they just have to work.

Sure we had to move stuff from the girls apartment...

But it was worth it as I was rewarded with this awesome bribe of fried cheese at The Prickly Pear, one of our favorites place. It was so money they had to put a little dollar sign right on it. I almost forgot about the work.Yum.

Someday my friend will stop sending me photos....

Someday my friend will stop sending me photos.... of him catching fish.

Until that day I will continue to photo shop the fish out and send them back to him. I would say much improved.

Kitty does not play well with others...

and we have had a lot of people in and out of the house the week and this weekend.
This does not make her happy so she sits in the shop watching me for a while tail twitching bank and forth until that to seems to bother her.
So she sits on her tail, I think to keep it from moving back and forth as if this is just to much for her to take. In this way she extends her control over her environment even if it is just in this symbolic way.  

Of course that does not begin to assuage her frustration at the whole situation, but its a start.

Finally... Some Gingerbread love for my Atrix

I have to say... its been a while but Moto finally came through with some Gingerbread love for its Atrix owners. A software update make me happy like no other. Cant really explain it.

Damn I am a geek.

Shop time: cabinet faces

Got a few minutes to work in the shop today knocking out this cabinet face. One down , about 50 to go.

Its been a hard couple of days

But they are over and I'm looking forward to the weekend .

Word of the Day: Fairsterical

Fairsterical:
A person (or group) who his hysterical about and/or has unrealistic expectations about the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Also any crazy person attending.
Example:
Person one: Are you going Downtown?
Person two: Seriously? There is no way I will get getting 100 miles of all those fairsterical morons.

Its Ann Arbor Art Fair time again.

Its a hot and hazy summer day in Ann Arbor and what else could that signal but the start of the art fair.

Art Fairs would be more accurate as it is really three fairs rolled into one giant seathing sea of people and art.
You can read about it *here* or cruise by A2 and see it for yourself.

Best comment of the day: How to be a winner.

RE: How to win at Rock Paper Scissors

comment from PixelSnader.


"When I play rock/paper/scissors I always choose rock.Then when somebody claims to have beaten me with their paper I can punch them in the face with my already clenched fist and say Oh shit, I'm sorry I thought paper would protect you Asshole"

As I said before.....

I take a lot of photos... and every once in a while I get a good one.
Tanner and I were at the park, the rain had just gone through and the air was clean and fresh. The heat and abated slightly but it was sill warm, just no longer oppressive.  This barn swallow was out hunting bugs  flying a foot off the deck and zig-zagging back and forth between us and the trees. Tanner sat and waited patiently as I took a couple shots trying to catch this speed demon in mid-flight.

Shot with my cell phone. Sharpened up slightly. I love this shot. Not because it is perfect, its not. Not because its composed well, it really is not that either. I love it because I caught it in motion: me moving with the bird trying to get him in the frame. Awesome.
Click to enlarge.

Overheard today at the office:

Me:  Was that change process automated or was there time to correct it? If so that would be awesome!

Home Office: That was not processed, so you CAN correct it.

Me: That’s great, not automated…. it was AWESOMATED.

*crickets*

(maybe I need to work on my delivery)

My neighbors are in western Canada....

and they are blogging about the experience.
 I can honestly say in am totally jealous.
Not just because they are on a 3 month vacation, but that is certainly part of it.  Mostly it is that the photos they are taking are amazing and the adventure they describe is truly once in a lifetime.
The amount of raw nature they are capturing is almost unbelievable. Like this black wolf cub that they found wandering by the side of the road.
Just.
Amazing.
I can only stand back and take it all in.
You can see the blog yourself *here* if you want but I warn you… its intoxicating.
(Hint- check out the archives)

Suddenly this morning….

Suddenly this morning, before coffee and without warning I ran into this Ford GT.
Figuratively of course, as it would have been a much worse day if I had literally ran into her. Nice to see something unexpected once and a while.

R U Happy?

Sometimes I get a good shot...

I am always taking photos and for every one I like there are 5 that are not so good. Like a lot of things its a numbers game.

Saying all that... I like this one.
Today at the park.
Nice.
Simple.
Pleasant.
Just like the day
(click photo to enlarge)

Uncrate must be reading my blog again...

Swingers, the movie just to be clear, just popped up on the Uncrate site just a few short days after my post about it. 

click *here* to check it out .

Coincidence? Maybe.

Weird timing with the blue Blu-ray release... likely.

Still in my reality they are checking in with vaporlife. I am flattered guys, just leave a comment once and a while.

I am so geeky....

I am excited for windows 8 to be released.

Such
A
Geek

Calm before the storm

I watched out the back door at the office as this line of clouds approached menacingly… the obvious harbinger of rain and lightning.

Minutes later it was coming down in sheets sending the dog under my desk for refuge and me hoping we don’t loose power. Here or at home.

Shop Time: Finger Joint Jig

I has some shop time today and I made this jig make finger or box joints quickly and accurately.

I turned out pretty well as you can see in this quick demo piece of oak.

Speaking of Summer Fun

Here is a quick shot of my nephew on the water slide.

Think he is having any fun?

Lunch with my friend Jeff at the Jolly Pumpkin.....

Lunch with my friend Jeff at the Jolly Pumpkin..... awesome!

I recommend the BLT. Get Downton and get one for yourself.

The stupid power is out

so stupid.

Tuesdays Rant: absolute douche edition.

(start rant)

Photo credit to Ken Gillies.

A long time ago I learned that words like “always” and “never” were not my friends.

Such absolutes are tough to back up because we really do live in a world of grays, a place where there are exceptions and reasons that sometimes we can not see or maybe even understand.

You should NEVER KILL- what if you are saving a million lives by killing one tiny insect?

You should ALWAYS be kind to others- what about if causes you or your family harm.

Sure some of these might be just intellectual concepts, situations we would likely not encounter but still there are reasons. Reasons, possibilities, things you haven’t considered.

Really the big problem, besides the fact the only time you can be so absolute is to say you would NEVER be so absolute, is most of the time you come off sounding like a giant douche.

When you sound like a giant condescending tower of turd-tastick absolutisms I just want to hit you along side the cranium with an aluminum baseball bat.  Even if what you are saying, is mostly right, you self centered self-righteous ego-maniac. Especially if that person has a soapbox to reach the masses, Mr. think-you-know-everything.

I don’t want to name names, so I wont, but it drives me CRAZY that people will say things like:

There is NEVER any excuse to (do something)

Or

People should ALWAYS  (do something)

I just wish people would acknowledge that no matter what they think they know, there can be an exception or reason or scenario that maybe, no matter how remote, just might contradict what you know.

(end rant)

Happy 4th of july everyone.

A little fishing with my nephew was more fun than productive  still we got outside in the sun for awhile.

This morning I woke without the alarm.

This morning I woke without the alarm. In a slight panic about what time and day it was I remembered it was sunday. Relief poured back into my body from head to toe as news spread down from my brain. Ahhh.... More sleep.

Overheard tonight on the couch.

Me: “Have you every watched swingers”

The Girl: : “I don’t think so.”

Me :“You Don’t think so?” “Seriously?”

The young girl: “ Me either.”

Me: (trying to describe): “Its some old school hipsters…. Its  Pre-hip-storic “

*crickets*

(OK I thought it was funny)

   

A quick trip to the farmers market.

Before the day got stupid hot, a quick pleasant trip to the farmers market was a nice diversion.
Then the day got STUPID hot.