Month: July 2006

We know him as a perceptive observer and craftsmanlike writer, and now we see a glimpse of his temper. Add him to the list of people in whose sights you don’t want to end up.

To be clear, he doesn’t sink to the naughty words the pearl-clutchers complain about, but delivers a measured, well-reasoned demolishing of two fawning warbloggers who are realizing — too late — that they should have chosen their principles and their friends more carefully.

Working on a cigarbox 4×5 camera today. I just painted the inside surfaces with Ultra-flat black paint, hence the aroma. Forgot how strong that stuff can be.

So far, I have

• cut a 4.25 x 5.5 inch hole in the bottom
• framed it on three sides with 1/2 x 1/2 basswood strips
• cut a hole for the pinhole to be mounted
• cut a square of brass shim stock and glued it to a larger square of cardboard.

To do:

• make the pinhole (carefully): needs to be about 3 nanometers
• glue it in place
• make a shutter
• hmm, guess it’s time to test it out, once I try loading sheet film in a film holder.

I don’t have any tattoos but I know parents who do — some discreet, on the ankle or shoulder, some not so, like all across the skull — but skin art is by no means a mark of poor parenting. So this — Reaction: ‘If Israel is behaving like a psychotic bullying child, Britain and the US are like its mad tattooed parents’ — seems a little strong.

Sometimes a tattoo is just a tattoo.

Silver Linings and a Cross of Gold (Harpers.org):

It turns out there’s an upside to the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah—if you’re waiting for the second coming of Christ. Here’s a selection of excited messages spotted over the last few days on the Rapture Ready/End Times Chat online bulletin board.

Praise God! We are chosen to be in these times and also watch and spread the word. Something inside me is exploding to get out, and I don’t know what it is. Its kind of like I want to do cartwheels around the neighborhood.

* * *

In another thread, someone brought up the fact that the kidnapping of the first Israeli soldier that started this whole thing was on June 25th and if you count from that day to August 3rd…….it is *EXACTLY 40 days!!!!!*

I find that to be a HUGE coincidence.

* * *

A question just popped in my head. Do you think children of around say 7 or 8 (but before the age of accountability) that have been indoctrinated up until that time by their parents religious beliefs will be raptured? . . . For example, would a 7 year old muslim be raptured? I know G-d will do right but I was just wondering everyone’s thoughts. I hate to think of kids being left here.

* * *

Got that dancing feeling on the inside of me.

* * *

This is the busiest I’ve ever seen this website in a few years! I have been having rapture dreams and I can’t believe that this is really it! We are on the edge of eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

Whoa! I can sure feel the glory bumps after reading this thread!

* * *

I too am soooo excited!! I get goose bumps, literally, when I watch what’s going on in the M.E.!! And Watcherboy, you were so right when saying it was quite a day yesterday, in the world news, and I add in local news here in the Boston area!! Tunnel ceiling collapsed on a car and killed a woman of faith, and we had the most terrifying storms I have ever seen here!! But, yes, oh happy day, like in your screen name , it is most indeed a time to be happy and excited, right there with ya!!

* * *

I am excited beyond words that the struggle of this life may be over soon and I can finally be FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
* * *

This is so exciting….I’m having a hard time believing this is ‘real’!

Continue reading “glory bumps”

Car racing, whether it be F1 or NASCAR, seems to spark debate as whether it’s a sport (I can accept that) and whether it’s practitioners are athletes (not so sure on that).

Even if one were to concede that the strategy and tactical aspects make it a challenge akin to chess, how to take the news that going from an oval to a three-cornered track poses a “puzzle” for the teams.

roval: n. The Pocono Triangle — Typically referred to as a “roval,” Pocono Raceway is one of the most unique tracks that the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series travels to. With its long straights and three distinct corners, Pocono Raceway is a puzzle for most teams and crew chiefs. — “Pocono II: Robby Gordon preview” Motorsport.com July 18, 2006. Categories: English, Automotive, Sports — More information about roval and related words at Double-Tongued Word Wrester.

And it’s not like the turns come all that close together:

Pocono Raceway has long been recognized as one of NASCAR’s most competitive speedways. Pocono’s unique 2.5-mile track features three turns, each with its own degree of banking (Turn 1 – 675 ft., 14 degrees, Turn 2 – 750 ft., 8 degrees, Turn 3 – 800 ft., 6 degrees) and three straights (Main Straight – 3,740 ft. (or 7/10ths of a mile), Long Pond Straight-3,055 ft. and the North Straight – 1,780 ft. (or 1/3 of a mile).

Granted the cars are going 200 mph meaning the turns come up pretty fast, but still, does a track with one fewer turn and one fewer straight bit really pose that much of a challenge? Is the issue that Pocono is different or that all other tracks are unchallengingly dull?

Technorati Tags: C112, C112, C57, C57, C87, C87, roval_1, roval_1

Continue reading “Friday cat blogging: meet Cadbury”

Picture an image like this to convey the almost universal adoption of Kyoto, the world’s almost complete rejection of the death penalty, the near-complete rejection of torture or land mines.

There’s a CafePress item (or three) I would happily buy and wear. I’m sure someone is making them right now.