Thanks for reading.
Someone actually complained that I hadn't posted in a while. Gee, that warms my cockles.
12.29.2003
Fucker.
See George screw the environment.
See George screw soldiers.
And while we're making more of them, see George screw veterans.
See George screw soldiers.
And while we're making more of them, see George screw veterans.
12.16.2003
A quick darkroom update.
Quick, because I've got to get a bit more work done today.
Here you can see that I screwed up the second wall of the light trap when I put it up:
It was sooooooo square side to side--that wall was perfectly vertical when I put it up. Unfortunately, it was leaning over along its length. Here's a detail that exagerates the problem, and shows how the wall is actually attached to the ceiling. I though I was being clever by just having the little blocks in there, but what it did was throw the wall off as I pounded them into place:
Fortunately, I took the time to drill pilot holes and screw these into place, rather than nail them. Here's the view of me and my gut fixing my mistake:
And finally, part of the reason the drywall went so slowly was that every time we moved to a new surface, some other problem crept up. So here is the view of the completed framing of the decompression chamber, including the light fixtures that are getting added. Since then, I've also added two outlets: one facing out, which makes a lot of sense and I appreciate the input dear, and one facing in--I still have no idea why we'd ever need to plug something in inside the light trap:
Yes, we did do drywall that weekend. Here's the first photo from that:
Progress is slow. The flesh is weak. But the will is strong.
Here you can see that I screwed up the second wall of the light trap when I put it up:
It was sooooooo square side to side--that wall was perfectly vertical when I put it up. Unfortunately, it was leaning over along its length. Here's a detail that exagerates the problem, and shows how the wall is actually attached to the ceiling. I though I was being clever by just having the little blocks in there, but what it did was throw the wall off as I pounded them into place:
Fortunately, I took the time to drill pilot holes and screw these into place, rather than nail them. Here's the view of me and my gut fixing my mistake:
And finally, part of the reason the drywall went so slowly was that every time we moved to a new surface, some other problem crept up. So here is the view of the completed framing of the decompression chamber, including the light fixtures that are getting added. Since then, I've also added two outlets: one facing out, which makes a lot of sense and I appreciate the input dear, and one facing in--I still have no idea why we'd ever need to plug something in inside the light trap:
Yes, we did do drywall that weekend. Here's the first photo from that:
Progress is slow. The flesh is weak. But the will is strong.
Psychogeography at socialfiction.org
Found this quote today:
Wasn't Kramer talking about the situationists recently?
Anyway, the article being quoted talks about psychobibliography, which is probably what inspires anyone to become a librarian. Everyone I know has experienced a 'library sojourn' at one point or another. One of my first was probably discovering a bunch of early 20th century art periodicals in compact shelving at my university library. It appeared that I was the first person in years to open them--although at least 100 classmates were hearing this publication mentioned day after day.
You probably don't even have to have become a librarian to have had this experience. As the author of the above says: it's a lot like surfing the web.
In short, psychogeography is the study of how physical environments and settings directly effect the mood and behavior of individuals. Like most post-modern theories and Situationist-derived practices it was mildly interesting. Unfortunately, in most cases, psychogeography resembles the majority of modern cultural and literary theories. The persons discussing it are usually far more interested in proving their own cultural capital via an obtuse vocabulary and over-inflated sense of place, presence, ego, and impact. Basic truth is that if you’re not Umberto Eco you’ll never be able to write like him. Or be as smart as him. So why try and pretend that you are?
Wasn't Kramer talking about the situationists recently?
Anyway, the article being quoted talks about psychobibliography, which is probably what inspires anyone to become a librarian. Everyone I know has experienced a 'library sojourn' at one point or another. One of my first was probably discovering a bunch of early 20th century art periodicals in compact shelving at my university library. It appeared that I was the first person in years to open them--although at least 100 classmates were hearing this publication mentioned day after day.
You probably don't even have to have become a librarian to have had this experience. As the author of the above says: it's a lot like surfing the web.
Winter break.
There's an old joke that the library would be a wonderful place if only we could get rid of all those people that take the books off the shelf.
Well, we're doing a pretty good job of that right now. Public Safety (our local useless campus cops--they proved it recently, but I haven't shared the story) forgot to open the outside door to our building today. Not that there were people lined up waiting to get in, but still, we are open for business.
Anyway, it's currently very pleasantly quiet in here. Yesterday, I succeeded in getting ESRI's ArcGIS installed on my machine, received some good advice for add-ons from the geography department, and am now embarked on a little mapping project. If only I could get so excited by organic chemistry.
(ok, I take back what I said about the uselessness of Public Safety, they did save my bike for me a while back. I'll have to write down that story sometime too.)
Well, we're doing a pretty good job of that right now. Public Safety (our local useless campus cops--they proved it recently, but I haven't shared the story) forgot to open the outside door to our building today. Not that there were people lined up waiting to get in, but still, we are open for business.
Anyway, it's currently very pleasantly quiet in here. Yesterday, I succeeded in getting ESRI's ArcGIS installed on my machine, received some good advice for add-ons from the geography department, and am now embarked on a little mapping project. If only I could get so excited by organic chemistry.
(ok, I take back what I said about the uselessness of Public Safety, they did save my bike for me a while back. I'll have to write down that story sometime too.)
12.08.2003
Calpundit--example of new-style homepage.
As I prepare to teach this stuff, I keep getting reminded of just what a blog is good for--taking notes.
I remember back in the day (we used pico and vi and gas had lead in it) a lot of people put their bookmark files online.
Is that so different from people like this that have so many links on their blog? He couldn't possibly read all those newspapers everyday, could he? This is really just a list of links.
I didn't read too deeply at calpundit, but he posts a heckofalotta stuff. Seems well reasoned, if a bit middle-of-the-road. All those newspapers though--who is this guy?
I remember back in the day (we used pico and vi and gas had lead in it) a lot of people put their bookmark files online.
Is that so different from people like this that have so many links on their blog? He couldn't possibly read all those newspapers everyday, could he? This is really just a list of links.
I didn't read too deeply at calpundit, but he posts a heckofalotta stuff. Seems well reasoned, if a bit middle-of-the-road. All those newspapers though--who is this guy?
12.04.2003
Airport mural artist Joyce dies
Airport mural artist Joyce dies at 57 - The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA
That's a shame--it's a nice piece of art, and with my ever inwardly-spiralling small world, I'm sure I would have met him at some point in the future.
Speaking of small world, one of the people quoted in his obituary was Lotti Streisinger, who we were talking about in the big library recently also. It turns out that this widow of a world famous biologist is also a local arts luminary. Small town or small world?
That's a shame--it's a nice piece of art, and with my ever inwardly-spiralling small world, I'm sure I would have met him at some point in the future.
Speaking of small world, one of the people quoted in his obituary was Lotti Streisinger, who we were talking about in the big library recently also. It turns out that this widow of a world famous biologist is also a local arts luminary. Small town or small world?
