How Pat Saved Christmas (Pie)

Well, my mother had a biopsy this week and don't worry too much it is expected to turn out fine. But because she is in pain after the minor surgery she is unable to bake pies for Christmas.

I have stepped in and as I type I am finishing up my apple pie. I have already completed the pecan pie. So Christmas (Pie) is saved. No store bought crap for us ;)

I NEED a cloaking toaster!

from the News Briefs section of my ASCE Civil Engineering Magazine:

Researchers at Duke University have developed a device that bends microwaves around an object in such a way as to make it seem that the object is not there at all. The device cloaks a 0.4 in. (10 mm) tall metal cylinder that is overlaid with patterned metallic materials called metamaterials, which enable the device to bend the waves around the object. The device uses microwaves instead of visible light because microwaves have longer wavelengths and interact better with metamaterials. The researchers are no working on a larger version that will cloak an object approximately the size of a toaster.

In the news...

• Bush wants to enlarge the military.

• A Virginia congressman refuses to apologize for Islamphobic comments.

• Immaculate Dragon conception?!

More Alternate History

A few more items from my alternate history book:

• President Blackford (a socialist) is in power (U.S.) when the stock market crashes... so we have Blackfordburghs!
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• Japan bombs Los Angeles but the U.S. is able to protect Hawaii and occupied Canada from Japanese attacks. The war never really develops... or at least not yet.
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• Calvin Coolidge (Dem) wins the 1932 U.S. election but dies before inauguration. his VP, Hoover, becomes president.
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• The new C.S.A. party mentioned in my last post (the Freedom party) sweeps the 1933 C.S.A elections (fyi, the CSA has 6 year terms for president but limited to one term). Jake Featherston is the new CSA president.
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• I am not sure about Okies, but a couple from Toledo is about to venture to California looking for work.
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• References to FDR are building but his name has yet to be mentioned. First, he was seen with his cousin TR. And apparently, he is the current secretary of war for President Hoover.
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• There are parties similar to the Freedom party in France and England. Not much has been said about the English one, but the French party seems to be founded by some radical catholics.

I am nearly through the second book in the second trilogy... so just 4 more books to go!

Christmas In My Apartment

Last week my apartment did not have a Christmas feel to it (though it did feel like winter thanks to my reluctance to heat it ;) ). The past week has brought many changes... ok only a few but still... I bought some Christmas lights to hang in the window and my mom got me a little artificial Christmas tree for $2.50 and also some little snowmen ornaments.


So, I guess it is going to be Christmas in my apartment after all!

Can a straight guy talk about shoes? I hope so...

I just decided to share a pic of my new running shoes. A pair of Asics Nimbus VII's. When my ankle started hurting after runs I decided that I needed a new pair of shoes (my old pair of asics are at least 2 years old and are shot). Let me tell you, the nimbus line may cost a little more, but it is well worth it (and they are well named). This is possibly the most comfortable show I have ever worn.

And shiny! (Barney would be proud)

Piracy Invaded Pierre

Some of you may recall I promised a "Piracy Invades Pierre" post a while back. Well, I came across the pics that inspired that thought. So here they are... better late than never.

Any good pirate keeps a parrot around. Not so much as a pet than to act as a tape recorder/bug. It is always good to know what your crew is saying behind your back!

The Sea Dog has even been dressing the part this winter! Just don't mess with his ration of biscuits if you value your hand! ;)

Bow before me...

fore I have consumed the General Tsao's Chicken of the Golden Phoenix. The best Chinese food in Rapid City, SD and, in my opinion, the best Chinese food between South Dakota and Washington!

Feast your eyes on it's glory!

Btw, they do not deliver to Pierre :( My parent's brought it back for me (they were in RC for a doctor appointment).

Pie Day 2006

No, I do not mean Pi day (March 16). Today was pie day at the Capitol, here in Pierre, SD. Free pie was given to anyone visiting the Capitol and the Christmas Tree displays.

Capital Journal

Attorney General's Office

I am not entirely sure but I believe it started because some group in the state was not allowed to give pie out at the polls on election day. It was considered to be paying people to vote. Seems like a crazy notion, but I got free pie today... who cares ;)

Celtic Woman: A New Journey

Well most people know that I am a huge fan of irish/folk music. While I was in Washington I started listening to the Celtic Woman CD and purchased the DVD. The women making up this band... er show have beautful voices that could soothe anyone. Is there any doubt why they have been number 1 on the World Billboard chart for over 60 weeks. Currently, the Celtic Woman Christmas albulm is #1 on the World chart!.

On Wednesday night, I saw the second PBS special by these lovely ladies and it was GREAT! They have even added a new member, Hayley Westenra. It even got me thinking a little. The best fiddlers are the ones that can move around considerably. Screw Charlie Daniels. I would rank Natalie MacMaster and Máiréad (from Celtic Woman) as two of the best fiddle players the world has seen!

from laptops to pillows?! WTF!

After seeing my friend's couch pillows, I decided that the blogdom (or is it a blogocracy? I prefer blog 'verse!) needs to see mine!
This pillow was a Christmas gift from my parents couple of years ago and displays he railroad bridge over the Missouri river between Pierre and Ft. Pierre, SD. Actually, his pillow was always a nice reminder of SD while I was in Washington ;)

Bow before me...

...for I am a great cook!

This morning I made a great breakfast!

• normal pizza crust
• country gravy
• scrambled eggs
• bacon
• cheddar and mozzarella cheese

The picture didn't turn out very well. But trust me it was delicious! Though I think I can improve upon the crust. We'll see.

Alternate History

Well, I have good news regarding my laptop... I am now dual booting between Windows XP Media and XP 64bit. The wireless internet is even working in XP64 (thanks to a driver from Gigabyte). Also, it seems Acer's Europe site has a ftp link to a better supply of drivers than their U.S. site ( I am still exploring it a bit though). But this is not my planned blog today so...
.
As some of you already know, I am reading a series of alternate history books by Harry Turtle dove.

The series is really a trilogy of three trilogies (what does that make it?). To be even more correct there is a single novel to begin the series. But I am jumping ahead...

Imagine what the world would be like if the Confederacy had won the American Civil War. That is exactly what the author does in the Great War Series. A few minor points before the great war itself:

• The South won the Civil War.
• After a second loss in a major war, the republican party is in turmoil... Abraham Lincoln breaks off and forms the Socialist Party. Making the major parties in the U.S. the democratic and socialist parties.
• Most of Europe backs the C.S.A. so when the Mexican War breaks out the U.S. loses again.
• The major parties in the south are the Whigs (similar to republicans) and the Radical Liberals.
• General Custer is the oldest officer in the U.S. Army (Yes, he is still alive!)
• Philadelphia is the de-facto capital of the U.S.
• The Statue of Liberty was never built, rather Remembrance was built. A female figure holding a scale and sword. Remembrance Day is celebrated in the U.S. to remember the two losses to the C.S.A. U.S. citizens are ashamed of the past losses.
• Teddy Roosevelt (Dem) is the president of the U.S. to start the great war and Woodrow Wilson (Whig) is president of the Confederate States.
  

Borders at the breakout of the Great War.

At the breakout of the great war (WWI and it is started the same), the U.S. allies with Germany, etc. while the C.S.A allies with England, France, and Russia. Canada is a British province, so the U.S. and Germany are faced with two front wars. Let me not forget that Japan is also allied (loosely) with England, etc.

In Europe things, progress (early on) as they really did. Germany invaded France, but slowly through trench warfare. In America, the Confederates quickly took Washington D.C. But it is nothing to look at after relentless shelling from both sides. The U.S. pushes into Kentucky, Texas, and even Sonora. In the Great White North (hehe), The U.S. pushes into Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba.

The story of the war is told from various perspectives... soldiers for both the U.S. and C.S.A. Also, politicians and women behind the lines.

As you may have guessed, the U.S. and Germany prevail and win the war. Kentucky is forced back into the Union, Houston is a new state in the U.S., Sequoyah (Oklahoma), Quebec is now the Republic of Quebec, and Canada is occupied by the U.S.

Post-Great War Map

A few things that occurred during the war:

• The U.S. squashed a Mormon uprising in Utah.
• The C.S.A squashed a Red revolution attempts by blacks all over the C.S.A but primarily in South Carolina.
• Russia withdrew from the war due to a Red Revolution.
• Ireland is freed from British control.
• Custer finds the best use for barrels (tanks). Rather than just one or two used with infantry, Custer lined up numerous barrels and had infantry follow them as they 'charged' (rolled?) forward.

After the war, the second trilogy begins (I am currently reading this one).

• The heavy reparations forced upon the C.S.A. destroys their economy. A new political party, blaming incompetent whigs and Red blacks for the loss, emerges in the C.S.A..
  
• Upton Sinclair wins the U.S. presidency for the Socialist party.
• U.S. economy is booming.
• Canadian Uprising squashed by the U.S.
• Northern Ireland uprising squashed by the U.S.
• Military occupation of Utah (to prevent another Mormon uprising).

As I continue to read i will ry to add more tidbits from this series for everyone.

My lap is warm, is yours?

Well guess what! I am typing this blog on my new laptop! But not any laptop, this baby has a AMD Turion 64bit dual core cpu (1.6GHz), among other great features:

Operating System Windows XP Media Center Edition
CPU Type AMD Turion64 X2 TL-50(1.6GHz)
Screen 15.4" WXGA
Memory Size 2GB DDR2
Hard Disk 120GB
Optical Drive DVD Super Multi
Graphics Card ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 IGP
Video Memory shared memory
Communication Modem, LAN and WLAN
Dimensions 14.1" x 10.6" x 1.2-1.3"
Weight 6.2 lbs.
CPU Type AMD Turion 64 X2
CPU Speed TL-50(1.60GHz)
CPU L2 Cache 2 x 256KB

Not mentioned is the nifty (but not necessary in my mind) web cam on top of the screen.
This is a great laptop, but when I installed Windows XP 64 I lost much of the functionality thanks to driver issues (wireless nic, webcam, among others). So I used to restore discs to go back to Windows XP Media Center. But don't worry folks! I will install XP64 on a different partition and try to resolve the driver issues ( I wasn't patient enough last night).

As one of my readers (one of two I believe ;) ) posted earlier this week I was not alone looking laptops. Actually, he found the same laptop for much cheaper at Circuit City for their day after Thanksgiving sale, but as you already know (you do read the blogs i link to, right?) that he did not get it because CC only carried one in stock and he was 2nd in line! Sounds like a reason to avoid CC (or take over for the incompetent management ;) ).

Man, it is nice to actually use my wireless network myself for a change and, did you know, that google talk allows me to be logged in on multiple machines (unlike MS Messenger)? Well my lap is warm enough, so I will go ahead and post now ;)