Giant Noisy Cat-Eater

I haven't been happy with my "old" vacuum cleaner (isn't "vacuum cleaner" a misnomer? I mean, by definition, isn't a vacuum already clean?), and got a shiny new one with a couple of additional features some time ago. It isn't a heavy-duty industrial strength job, but that's okay - my apartment is less that 500 square feet, and only a little more than half of that is carpeted.

Today, I took it out on its maiden voyage and commenced to discover that the old machine had left behind enough cat hair that I could easily make a whole new cat if I wanted to. The spiffy attachments for it also made short work of previously troublesome areas. For the price, I'm rather pleased with it.

The cats, however, were considerably less than impressed with it. Elf took station at the farthest point in my apartment from it, while Radar sought refuge in the bathtub (!). It took a good twenty minutes before either of them was willing to see if the Giant Noisy Cat-Eater had gone away, and both of them are still a bit skittish.

Laundry Day

It was, as the title of this post might lead you to believe, Laundry Day here at The Hovel.

Three loads were run, with the usual Whites and Colors (that's as discriminatory as I get), plus a Miscellaneous category that consisted of some towels, cleaning (shop) rags, and a light blanket that I use when the temperature is only close to Winter.

Of course, this was all met with considerable interest by the cats -- as long as nothing got actually tossed ON them during the sorting process, they felt obliged to make sure the dirty clothes didn't float up to the ceiling. Radar DID develop a fixation on one of my socks, making it necessary for me to mount a rescue operation when she ran off with it.

After I brought the dry stuff back, it was obligatory to lay on the warm piles while I hung and folded, then put things away.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Peeves - I've got a pet one

I can kinda-sorta tolerate poor spelling (I think it's essentially laziness, not wanting to bother to get something right), but it sets my teeth on edge when someone either uses a word incorrectly or gets words "backwards".

These are my biggest two, but there are others:

• loose (not properly contained or improper fit) vs lose (lost or misplaced)
  
• insure (warrant against damage, i.e. get paid if it breaks) vs ensure (take action before an event, i.e. keep it from breaking in the first place)

Okay, they MIGHT be spelling errors -- which just means that they should receive more attention so as to get them right.

Another thing that annoys me is the folks that tsk-tsk over crimes, but can't/won't take the time to get involved in stopping or preventing them. A couple of years ago, I was leaving the public library when I heard some guy yelling a block away. As I got closer, I could see that he was directing his ire at a young woman -- and more, that he was physically intimidating her (getting in her way when she wanted to leave, etc). I didn't witness any actual physical contact, but it sure sounded likely. When I got close enough to see what was going on, I set aside the other things I had to do in favor of keeping myself available in case the guy DID start any physical abuse; I also got a passer-by to call the situation in on their cell phone. The cops showed up, and it turned out that there were actually a couple of us ready to intercede if the guy had started anything -- out of the several dozens of people that simply stood around watching, and looking stupid. The other person and I both gave statements to the cops, and indicated that we were willing to testify in court if necessary. Nobody else could be bothered, or wanted to get involved. As far as I'm concerned, it's a lot like the political process: if you aren't ready and willing to be an active participant, you don't have any right to bitch about the results.

Maybe best not to f*ck with me...

What military aircraft are you? EA-6B Prowler You are an EA-6B. You are sinister, preferring not to get into confrontations, but extract revenge through mind games and technological interference. You also love to make noise and couldn't care less about pollution.

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

via the Presurfer

Pets = Family

Sigh.

My cats (Elf and Radar) are industriously involved in a rousing game of "ambush": one of them will go 'hide' somewhere, and the other will wander around in search of the first. When found, the one that was hiding gets to chase the searcher for a little while before they swap roles.

It's usually somewhat noisy game, and I just caught myself telling them "If you two don't knock it off, you're both going to bed without supper!"

Yeah, pets are family, alright...

Absentee Parenting

My Primary cat, Elf, learned quickly and easily that she wasn't allowed to go certain places -- kitchen counters, bathroom sink, dining table, my electronics workbench, and so on. Whether it's because she's more stubborn, or dumber, I'm not sure; but my emergency backup cat, Radar, isn't learning as well.

Rather than have to try and catch her in flagrante delicto to punish her (so she associates the punishment with the place/action), I'm trying something different: booby-trapping the places I need/want her to stay off of.

The booby-traps consist of multiple squares of highly adhesive tape (I'm using package strapping tape, since that's what I had handy; duct tape or similar would have done as well) along the jump-able edges of things -- sticky side up, so that they'll adhere to her foot(s) when she lands or steps on one or more of them. That way, the unhappy thing (getting something stuck to her hoof) will happen regardless of whether I'm home and/or paying attention.

This may turn into an "interesting" experiment...

UPDATE:
(11:32) Would anybody like to guess who just came wandering through the living room with tape stuck to her two back foots? Fairly radiating innocence and outraged indignation while trying to shed the tape by shaking the taped extremeties at every step?
As much as she apparently doesn't like it, I figure I'll leave her to get it off on her own -- driving the point home with a sledgehammer, as it were.

Demonstrable Geekiness

While I'm nowhere near "professional grade" at programming, I have managed to finish my little learning-to-program-in-Java project.

It's a simple, basic little utility to let someone interested in building a small (home/cabin) solar panel (Photo-Voltaic) to generate and store some amount of electricity.

The program lets the user enter and adjust a variety of different loads (a fridge, TV, etc), how many of what sizes of solar panels and batteries, power inverters for those things that NEED regular "line" power, and a few other little helpful options. As the different user-input values change, the program recalculates everything. The user has the option to either print the information to a printer, or save it to a computer file that can be imported to a spreadsheet (where they can get serious about playing with the numbers, if they want). The program is called PVcalc, and is available for download from my website.

If you're interested, curious, or just like to watch trainwrecks, go on over and get yourself a copy and let me know how bad I suck at programming :-)

Charity telemarketing

In the last few days, I've received several calls from assorted charitable organizations seeking donations.

The thing is, each and every one of them has started out with the person on the other end asking for someone other than me ("Marsha", "John", etc).

I'm wondering: is this simply a case of several telemarketers individually trying to recover from an error (mis-dialed or erroneous number), or an example of a new technique in telemarketing -- an attempt to somehow get past most people's initial negative reaction to being solicited for money?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Goofy Weather

One of the common sayings here in Montana is that if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes, and it'll change.
Well, it's going to take a bit longer than 5 minutes, but we're looking at a nifty little change in the next few days: from the high-70's of today to a chance of snow this coming Friday.

Ya gotta love it...

Well, yeah....

When looking at one of my favorite web comics this morning, I kind of got slapped up-side the head with a perfectly valid point. That 165 Million in bonuses by AIG? Sounds pretty impressive, when compared to the 170 Billion they received -- but it's actually less than a 0.1%.

See for yourself:

Flexing your brain

I'm not sure if this could be called a meme, or not. It's pretty simple in concept, but something of a challenge in implementation:

List all of the things that you could think of to make from a block of wood (generic; nothing exotic) that was three feet on a side (in other words, a three-foot cube). You aren't limited on what tools you can use -- anything you can imagine to do to it is allowed.

I'm going to tag...

The Blonde Goddess
Good Sir Jimbo
LeeAnn and
Erica

Pbbbbbbbbbbbbt!

So that there isn't any "cross-pollenation", I'll post MY list on Sunday morning.

---

Scroll down to see what I came up with...
















I could make:

1. table
2. chairs
3. table AND chairs (triangular cuts in from sides to leave top and legs)
4. sawdust for padding/cleanup/etc
5. grind up and make into paper/cardboard
6. cut into really thin sheets and make a 'home'
7. sets of steps
8. dishes (cups, saucers, plates, etc)
9. ball(s) (such as for croquet)
   
10. toy blocks for kids
11. dominoes
12. playing cards
13. chess set
14. step ladder/stool
15. boat & paddle/oars
16. barrel
17. firewood
18. charcoal
19. sculpture
20. landscaping accent
    
21. couch
22. shelves
23. tools (i.e. yardstick, clamps, shovel, etc. -- nothing requiring a cutting edge)
24. ashtray
25. cut into pieces, carve, and make totem pole
26. eating utensils
27. cooking utensils
28. storage cabinet
29. door(s)
30. fence
31. sled (winter)
    
32. sledge
    
33. clothing
34. toothpicks
35. tire chocks
36. clubs
37. sign
38. bed
39. podium
40. jewelry
41. sieve
42. paperweights
43. trash can
44. pool
45. water tank
46. desk
47. cabinet
48. dresser
49. locker
50. airplane (glider)
51. dice
52. deck
53. floor
54. box
55. steps
56. musical instruments
57. fishing floats
58. fishing rods
59. fish hooks
60. archery (bow, crossbow, arrows, quiver, etc.)
61. footstool
62. roofing shingles
63. railing
64. ladder
65. flowerpots
66. toolbox
67. deadweights for traps
68. blocks for pulleys/tackle
69. atlatl
70. pegs
71. hooks
72. bench
73. shoes
74. stilts
75. cage
76. comb
77. sundial
78. windmill
79. plumbing (rough pipes/troughs)
80. slingshot
81. wheels
82. tablets
83. umbrella
84. wheelbarrow
85. wedges
86. waterwheel
87. fasteners (pins, etc.)
88. shield
89. assorted weapons
90. handles for non-wooden tools
91. counterweight
92. stylus (like for clay tablets)
93. fan
94. pump
95. cold chest
96. fishtank
97. door latch
98. brushes
99. rollers
100. raft
101. buoy
102. bridge
103. basket
104. bucket
105. snowshoes
106. shutter(s)
107. cart
108. yoke
109. pillory
110. chopping block
111. plugs
112. plow
113. rails
114. gallows
115. guillotine
116. fertilizer
117. mulch
118. shepherd's crook

I know some of this stuff may seem a little strange (clothing?) but it could be done (thin sheets laced together. Uncomfortable? No doubt. Covering? Yup!). I also didn't include every variation on a basic premise (i.e. a horizontal surface can be a table, chair, shelf, cutting block, desk, etc).

Comforting thoughts...

These could well be the "Good ol' Days" that a future generation wishes they could go back to.

Don't wanna hear it...

Questions that you probably don't want to hear:

• Where's our fire extinguisher?
• Have you ever been immunized for _____?
• Do you know where the free clinic is?
• What's that noise?
• Do you have your will made out?
• Is this thing real?
• What does this button/switch do?
• Was that _____ important to you?
• Remember when you said that letter wasn't important?
• Do you know where I left the instructions?

Are newspapers dying?

Yeah, they are -- at least, that was the general consensus on the News Hour on PBS this evening, in response to the news that the Chicago Trib was in bankruptcy.

There was a bit of discussion on what the problem was, and I think all of the guests they had kind of missed the point -- particularly after one of them said "news is free".

Well, no, news isn't free; at least, not while it's still news. There are some silly expenses associated with collecting news: for starters, the salary of the person doing the collecting. Then there's the cost of maintaining the infrastructure (hardware, staff, communications, and that kind of silly shit).

From my perspective, "news" is a service, not a product, and I think that's where the newspapers are going off into the weeds. Sure, Back In The Day, they HAD to print newspapers -- the Interwebs simply didn't exist. But the newspapers simply haven't adapted (physically or mentally) to the technology. They've still got those same big-ass presses (that can crank out a couple hundred thousand copies of the same newspaper overnight) and think that they still have to use them.

They don't.

Instead, what I think the newspapers should be doing is getting leaner and more flexible: instead of offering everyone the same copy of the same big-ass newspaper (which most folks don't read half of), they should try customizing their news-delivery service. For example, I don't subscribe to the local rag (the Billings Gazette) simply because they want more than I'm willing to pay for what I'd get (but with a twist): as mentioned, for my half-dollar a day, I'd get the whole damn paper, which I don't want to deal with; I NEVER read the 'fashion' section, and rarely read the classifieds, for example. I'd almost certainly go for subscribing for a hardcopy of the sections that DID interest me, though: news, comics, and editorials. Hell, go fully customizable, and let me select what regular columnists to include (i.e. Dear Abby/Ann Landers, but no horoscope), and they could likely charge a little more for the 'trouble' (remember, they're doing damn near all this with computers).

Most of the online editions of the papers that I've seen have gone one of two ways: making ALL of their content online for free, or trying to charge for the "premium" features. Again, I think both of these examples have missed the point, and that the way to go would be to offer the (common) basics for free, but charging (much smaller prices, of course, since online costs should be so much lower) for the things that people want, when they want them: access to some classified ad sections, for example, with online payment (such as PayPal). Shucks, even for online classifieds, they could charge a little extra for more features: seller-provided digital photos of that house/car/boat for sale, for example).

The last part of the problem, as I see it, is that newspapers are lumped in with Main Stream Media and perceived (usually correctly) as being biased one way or another. They need to knock that crap off, and go back to reporting the NEWS without any bias or slanting: if an apple falls to the ground, don't report it as the big bad ol' Earth picking on a small defenseless apple, or as a renegade apple being brought to justice by the forces of Good Ol' Mother Earth -- just tell me the damn thing fell off a hundred-year-old tree in Farmer Jones field, okay? I got at least two brain cells to rub together, and I'm quite capable of deciding what I think about it without your "help".

Basically, I think that the newspapers would be doing fine IF they could make the transition to providing us the information we want, when we want it, in the way we want. As long as they're going to insist on thinking like dinosaurs and using dinosaur sales methods, they're going to continue losing out to those dinky little upstart mammals.

On the road

This test, of course, presupposes that the person answering is actually honest about their driving -- and aware of their own actions. I only scored 93%; I think because I (honestly) answered that I sometimes drive faster than the speed limit -- the test didn't ask if I drove faster than the folks around me (I don't), and most places I've been, it's pretty common for the Thundering Herd to do 5-10 miles over the posted limit as a matter of routine. Oh, well...

Created by The Car Connection

No, you're not hallucinating

Yes, I switched to a different theme for my humble little abode here on Blogger.

I selected the previous one when I had a regular CRT-type monitor, and it worked fine -- right up until I got a widescreen LCD display, at which point it sucked. Still, I didn't bother trying to 'fix' it until today, when I decided that enough squinting to read my own damn blog was enough.

Consider yourself suitably advised that I may still change things: a different theme, or adjusting the colors, or god-knows-what.

Modern Medicine

I had the "pleasure" of a physical at the doctors office today.

Blood pressure - OK
Pulse - OK
Temperature - OK
Heart - OK
Lungs - OK (even for me being a smoker)
Cholesterol - OK
Weight - OK (even lost a few pounds since last time)
General health - OK

I did manage to cause mild hysterics with the nurse when she took my temperature: instead of a regular thermometer (or even one of the sexy digital under-the-tongue jobs), she used one that took my temperature via an ear -- which prompted me to comment "Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'stick it in your ear', doesn't it?". Once she'd settled down again, she said she'd be using that for the rest of the day...

All in all, it has been determined -- to some degree of certainty -- that I am not, in fact, dead.

w00t.

Good ol' Days

If you're old enough to remember the existence of such things as Lawn Darts and the myriad of other considerably-less-than-safe toys that we were given, I would strongly encourage you to go over and have a read this bit of nostalgia about old playground equipment (and the comments that follow it). I remember having experienced almost all of the stuff he describes.

And if you've got kids yourself, I'd suggest you give a little thought to the consequences of how you may be raising them...

AARP and me

Yes, that's the American Association of Retired Persons - a.k.a. The Geezer Club.

Some months ago, they sent me an invitation to join (I'm soon to turn 53, if it matters); I responded by sending their invitation and application back to them with the explanation that I don't agree with their positions on just about everything(1). I also told them that I didn't want to be bothered again. Yes, I know that I could get a host of various benefits were I to join; however, joining would also add my membership fees/dues to their resources, and thus enable them (that much more) to espouse positions that I don't agree with.

Yesterday, I got an offer for AARP life insurance.

I've sent the (un-completed) offer back with the handwritten annotation that I don't want any, ever, and asking that I be removed from their list.

I've also sent them a digitally-signed email advising them that I wish to be removed from any and all AARP mailing lists, offers, products, proposals, or anything else AARP-ish. Here's hoping the senile old gits get the message this time.

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(1) The AARP is against the idea of requiring proficiency testing for older drivers and against the idea of 'means testing' for eligibility to receive Social Security benefits, for example.
Yes, pulling someones drivers license is denying them a measure of freedom - but it's also protecting the public at large from a possibly dangerous driver. I wonder if they'd fuss if the DL laws were written so that alternate license renewals required proficiency testing...
And I don't see any reason why someone with a 7-figure (or more!) bank account should be collecting Social Security checks: they clearly have quite enough 'security' methinks...

Posting frequency

Well, now I've gone and done it...

I've set things up so that I can post to this by email -- meaning that posts will turn up whenever some Random Thought pops into my head.

Stand by to be amazed, disgusted, amused, horrified, pissed off, entertained, or anything else :-)