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Month: August 2006

Photoblogging on WordPress

August 31, 2006 • • 1 Comment

The picture is of the business school at the University of Texas at Austin. Why?

Because it’s so easy to photoblog now.

On thing that’s always been a bit annoying about WordPress is that it’s not the friendliest blogging tool when you want to use images. Typically, I’ve had to resize them in a photoeditor, then upload them to my hosting service, then import the URLs into the blog.

But, I’ve found and just installed Photopress, a very cool plug-in. I had to do some CSS tweaking to get it to work with my layout, but now when you click the photo tab on my blog (or click one of the photos) it will take you to the photo page where all the images I use (and any others that I don’t blog, but want to share) can be seen.

Best of all, uploading photos is now a one-step process.

Update: WordPress now supports proper photoblogging. Yay WordPress.

A Mysterious Fruiting

August 31, 2006 • • 1 Comment

During the days of yesteryear (the historical period immediately following ‘yore’) it is said that students would sometimes leave an apple on the desk of a favorite teacher.

Now I’m sure these weren’t organic braeburn or fuji apples fresh from Whole Foods, and were occasionally rotten ones found on the way to school, left only as a means to curry favor, but still it seems a nice tradition.

And so it came to pass in the days of, well not yesteryear, but close to yesterday, that I arrived at school to find that someone had left a lemon on my desk. It’s a nice looking lemon and it’ll probably find its way to the bottom of a martini, but what is it supposed to mean?

Backyard Trees

August 30, 2006 • • 1 Comment

I’ve always loved night photography and used to spend hours wandering the streets of downtown Austin looking for interesting shots.

I love the way light changes and colors run when long exposures are used. Everything seems more mysterious and otherworldly.

Here’s a few from my backyard the other night…

A Dark Matter

August 28, 2006 • • 2 Comments

Whilst the world quibbles about Pluto’s status as a dwarf planet, I thought I’d follow up on the real astronomy story – well covered over at Cosmic Variance – proof of the existence of dark matter. I was, however, taken aback by a matter far darker: Katherine Harris’ condemnation of the separation of church and state.

Said Harris (via the Washington Post):

Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) said this week that God did not intend for the United States to be a “nation of secular laws” and that the separation of church and state is a “lie we have been told” to keep religious people out of politics.

“If you’re not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin,” Harris told interviewers from the Florida Baptist Witness, the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention.

Yikes.

It never ceases to amaze me how easy it is for ignorant people to get elected to public office in this country. It’s especially ironic when one considers that nearly every other profession requires a working knowledge of the field. Wouldn’t it be nice if politicians were required to pass a test on political science, political philosophy, or even better the history of our country?

It’s pretty clear that founding fathers were Deists and not evangelicals as Harris and her ilk would like us to believe. Wikipedia’s entry on Deism has this, which is a good jumping off point for further exploration:

In America, Deists played a major role in creating the principle of separation of church and state, and the religious freedom clauses of the First Amendment of the Constitution. American Deists include John Quincy Adams, Ethan Allen, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.

There is debate as to whether George Washington was a deist or not.

Thomas Paine published The Age of Reason, a treatise that helped to popularize deism throughout America and Europe.

One does not need to delve to deeply into history to see that the intermingling of church and state is a terrible thing, bad for government and bad for religion. I suspect the founding fathers – a religious sounding term if ever there was one – knew that. (There are some interesting quotes from the founding fathers at Bring It On, discovered via The Gun Toting Liberal.)

If Harris is representative of the conservative movement in this country, I hope that the fiscal and libertarian wing of the Republican party will someday (and soon) stand up and take back their party. But even if she isn’t representative, she is, sadly, a Representative to the US House.

Weekend Hound Blogging: Three Dog Pack

August 27, 2006 • • 6 Comments

We almost adopted a third greyhound back in March. Last weekend while working the meet-n-greet we learned that he was still available, and so we decided to become a three hound home. The plan was that he would move in on Friday evening.

Friday turned into a heartbreaking day, though. We lost Morrison to cancer, but we decided to go ahead and not postpone the new guy’s arrival. Besides, Morrison had already met and approved of him earlier in the week when he came for a visit. Welcoming a new hound on the same day we said goodbye to Morrison seemed a bit strange at first, but Joey is such an upbeat, happy dog, that we were all quickly glad he was there.

This is Joey…

Greyhound Joey

Joey is a 71 pounder, obviously a handsome fella. He’s a velcro hound, and a true cuddle monster.

His wonderful foster mom took great care of him, helping him through a number of neuroses. For instance he no longer lives in fear of ceiling fans, but he does occasionally glance up at them to make sure they’re not coming to get him.

He knows “target,” “shake,” and “take a bow,” which makes him our best educated dog.

He ran two races, but lost them both. He’s considered a special needs dog because of his weirdness quirkiness neurotic nature, but he fits right in here at the house of weird special needs dogs.

Here’s what the Greyhound Pets of America – Central Texas adoption site said about him:

[Brindle, male, 3 years old, cat friendly, small dog friendly, no small children, special needs]
Our Joey, with a combination of medication, gentle training, and consistency, has made tons of progress. This spring, Joey completed a basic obedience class that required him to (1) leave the house, (2) ride in the car, (3) interact with strangers, and (4) learn while in the outdoors — not far from a busy highway! He has a very nice “come,” “off,” “target,” and “wait,” and a pretty good “down” and “take a bow.” Joey will also ‘woof’ to go out or come in. His house manners are very good, although a croissant left on a countertop is way too big a temptation for him. Although he no longer fears helicopters or ceiling fans, he remains somewhat anxious and obsessive, especially in new places. That’s just Joey, and he is extremely workable, given a patient guardian. This beautiful dog is very bonded to his foster mom, whom he follows everywhere in the house and yard. He kind of wishes he were top dog, but when the 17-lb., blind, elderly terrier in his foster home scolds him, Joey straightens up and flies right. Joey does well with calm children 7 years old and up, adults, and all other critters except the squirrels in the garden — he dreams of squirrel stew. 

The label on his medication says that he isn’t supposed to drink alcohol, drive or operate heavy machinery, but he can hang out on the couch and play with toys including his giant wolf.

Joey and his Wolf

Phoebe and Daphne seem to really like him, and Phoebe likes the new toys (especially that wolf) that came with him.

Joey’s been here since Friday and he fits right in. Friday was an awful day, but I’m glad we didn’t postpone his arrival because he’s already made this weekend a lot more bearable.

Friday was bittersweet, but it ended with a bit of a brown brindle lining. 

***

Want to make a fast friend by saving a greyhound in Central Texas? Check these pups out. Or go here to find a greyhound near you. You can also go here to find out why greyhounds are running for their lives.

If you have dogs who need proven leadership, go here to find a cat.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Goodbye, Little Man

August 27, 2006 • • 16 Comments

Morrison 

On Friday morning, we learned that Morrison had cancer. He’d been vomiting for a few days, and when we took him in to see the internist who had been treating his diabetes, she couldn’t hear his heartbeat because of a massive tumor. There was another one in his sinus, and she said that the best treatment would only buy him a few painful weeks if it didn’t kill him outright. She couldn’t believe he could even still breathe without oxygen.

Our little guy deserved better, and we couldn’t bear the thought of him suffering so we decided to say goodbye and euthanize him then. It’s hard to say goodbye to old friends who are such a part of the family. Morrison was my wife’s cat for two years before she met me so he really was there at the beginning. Fortunately for me he liked me as much as I liked him.

I went from being a strict dog person to a dog and cat person over the eleven years that I lived with Morrison. There are many things that I will miss such as his coming to wake us up in the morning, his unique trick of petting his face with his back paw, the way he used to lay there and chew on the dogs’ nylabones that were almost as big as him, his habit of knocking keys off the counter and looking at you like he really wasn’t trying to hit the dogs, and the way he always soldiered on despite arthritis, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and all kinds of other issues.

It was a hard two years for him, but he was never unhappy, never in pain, and always a great friend.

We’ll miss him terribly, but always cherish the time we had with him.

Update: My wife has a beautiful post about him on her blog. And a cute picture as well.

Old Photo Friday

August 25, 2006 • • 3 Comments

Today we had to have our beloved cat, Morrison, put to sleep. He’s had diabetes and arthritis for the past two years, and today we learned he had cancer and that there was nothing that could be done.

So for today’s old photo we take a look at what’s probably going on in Heaven right now (after Zephyr finished sniffing his butt that is)…

Morrison and Zephyr

Believe it or not, there’s actually very good news today too, but it will have to wait.

The Lost Book Club: Watership Down

August 23, 2006 • • 14 Comments

Watership Down by Richard Adams is probably one of my favorite books and one of the few that I’ve read more than twice.

I first read it while in college. I was in my freshman year at UT (yes, long before we were the number one party school) and Richard Adams’ heroic tale of a group of rabbits building a new home for themselves was the best thing I read all year. It wasn’t even a course requirement; it was just something I found.

The story begins when one of the rabbits, a psychic named Fiver, has a vision that the Warren will be destroyed. The elders do not heed his warning, but an adventurous group led by Hazel, a small and unlikely leader, follows Fiver’s vision to Watership Down where they establish a new warren that will be a model of rabbit civilization.

The book examines the ways in which revolutions and social change occur from within and from outside societies. It explores issues of warfare, totalitarian governance, personal courage, leadership, and religious faith and mysticism.

Not bad for a book “about bunnies,” as Sawyer described it in the Lost episode “White Rabbit.”

Watership Down was one of the first books to appear on Lost, and its story of survivors building a new life for themselves neatly parallels events during the show’s first season. It is seen in “White Rabbit” in which Jack (like a combination of Hazel and Fiver) follows visions of his dead father to the caves where the survivors of Oceanic 815 will have water, shelter, and the possibility of a better life.

Like many of the Lost books, Watership Down deals with psychic phenomenon, the establishment of a new and better world away from the old world, and the ways in which societies select their leaders.

In terms of leadership, it provides an interesting counterpoint to another Lost book, Lord of the Flies that explores the ways in which leaders are chosen and societies structured. The vision presented in Lord of the Flies is of a decidedly Hobbesian system of governance.

It’s interesting to remember at this point that the philosophical counterpoint to Thomas Hobbes is John Locke, the philosopher who lends his name to a certain character on Lost. Watership Down depicts a more Lockian basis for society where leaders such as the lame and inspirational Hazel are chosen for their wisdom and courage and their dedication to protecting the freedoms of their subjects.

In this way we can see Watership Down providing a hopeful model for what life on the island could be like for the survivors which is why the book appears in the episode in which Jack begins the process of leading them to the caves to begin building what will hopefully be a temporary settlement.

In many ways, season one focused on the Watership Down model of creating an ideal society, whereas season two, with its emphasis on the more hardened tail section survivors explored the Lord of the Flies model. I suspect that the Locke vs. Hobbes argument (that can be simplified down to liberty vs. security) will be further explored in the third season when the survivors will have to deal with the threat of the Others.

For more of my Lost book posts, please see The Lost Book Club.

The Longest Word?

August 22, 2006 • • 5 Comments

Years ago a friend of mine amazed people at parties with his ability to say and spell the longest word in the English language: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

These days, I use it at school as a way to practice dealing with unfamiliar words since it seems so intimidating to the kids, but when broken down is really easy to understand. Via Wikipedia:

  • pneumono = related to lungs (Latin, from Greek)
  • ultra = beyond (Latin, as in “ultraviolet”)
  • microscopic = extremely small (Latin/Old English, from Greek mikron, small, and skopos, view)
  • silico = silica (Latin)
  • volcano = volcano (Latin)
  • coni = related to dust (Greek: konis, dust)
  • osis = disease / condition (Greek)

So basically, a lung disease caused by breathing the silica dust from volcanoes.

Though the word has been included in dictionaries, it is considered a ‘fake’ word that has never actually been used in medical literature. Apparently the only purpose for this word is to answer the question, “What’s the longest English word?”

According to A Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia, the longest non-scientific word other than the nonsense word Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is floccinaucinihilipilification followed by antidisestablishmentarianism.

Ultimately, going back to Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, we wind up begging the question: Is a word a word if it’s only ever used as an example of a word?

Perhaps I could answer by saying, “Bkk-de skinb plewd blerty uloufopoly,” but then I’d just be making up nonsense words.

I’d have to remember that if I were suffering from a case of Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, I could use that term to describe my condition even if my doctors only referred to it as silicosis.

My verdict: if the word can be used to convey accurate meaning, then it is a word, and if you disagree, then bkk-de skinb plewd blerty uloufopoly to you!

A Box of Fire

August 21, 2006 • • 8 Comments

Hatch Chiles

I could smell it as soon as I opened the car door in the Central Market parking lot. There is nothing quite like the aroma of fresh chiles roasting in the late summer heat. I love August in Austin for the twin green chile festivals hosted by Central Market and Chuy’s, and this celebration of nature’s most perfect fruit is now upon us.

The chiles are shipped in fresh from the chile harvest in Hatch, New Mexico and roasted on site. Central Market sells them by the pound, and Chuy’s creates a special Green Chile Festival menu that runs from mid-August to mid-September.

Each year, I buy several pounds of chiles from CM to freeze and use throughout the year. Use? Hah! I usually just eat them straight with a bit of salt or wrapped in a tortilla when I’m feeling industrious. Then we eat at Chuy’s at least once a week until we’ve tried all the green chile specials and gone back for seconds of our favorites. So far, nothing has topped the green chile tortilla soup of 1996 or the Charlie Brown chicken (crusted with pumpkin seeds) of 2003.

So, yesterday it began. While selecting my bags of roasted chiles, the clerk informed me that for $22 I could get a whole case, roasted while I waited and would save a ton of money and get more chiles. How could I refuse?

Now, my freezer is full of small baggies of chiles and all day I ate chiles. Next week, Chuy’s starts up, and I wonder what delights they’ll have cooked up for us this year.

I’ll keep you posted.