Wonderflonium

Things that will never happen to me

2009-06-23T00:50:30Z

I've always dreamed about finding an amazing Hammond Organ at a garage sale, for a discount price, and fixing it up nice and good.

But now, that dream is cast aside for the dream of finding a Hammond Novachord.

I saw this and thought, hey, it'd be cool to do that. But then I realized this guy is a professional analog synth restorer and modder, and it's likely way out of my league. Which means there's no way you could afford a restored one. And used ones, well it sounds like that after 70 years the electrolytic capacitors leak PCBs all over the place and basically make the things toxic as well as unplayable (whereas an old Hammond Organ usually just needs a good cleaning and lubrication and the tonewheels will still work.)

But still, wow. The thing sounds cool. And it'd look great in the living room.

mrfantasy @ 2009-06-12T20:44:00

2009-06-13T00:53:58Z

I've mentioned my Aunt Fay before here, and I still think about her a lot even though she's been gone over a year. Such an inspiration in so many ways.

About ten years ago, just before my aunt moved to Florida, we went to visit her in Brooklyn, where she cooked for us and we had good food and company. As she was starting to go through her things to figure out what she needed and didn't, she was going through her cabinets, and found this huge cast iron pan. She looked at it and said "I bought this for a recipe, and never really used it again. It's big and heavy and probably not worth bringing to Florida. Do you want it". I said yes, and we've been using it ever since, and every time I do I think of her.

The weird thing is I assumed, for whatever reason, that she had bought it recently. Today when I saw something in my Google Reader feed about seasoning cast iron, I decided to do a little research on the Griswold company.

Turns out the last time Griswold cast iron was made was 1957. So this pan is at least 50 years old, maybe more (although less than 70 or so from what I can see). In fact there's whole societies devoted to collecting Griswold cast iron. Cast iron is also one of those antiques that's worth the most if it's been actively used and seasoned. I guess this pan is worth $50-100 to a collector.

This pan rocks, especially on the new stove, and I'm so glad I have it. And I'm even more happy now, except for that I may never know when she exactly bought it and how long it had been in her kitchen.

Breaking Bad Season Two

2009-06-04T04:39:06Z

Oh my.

This is one brilliant piece of TV. Bryan Cranston is a national treasure. So is Vince Gilligan.

I just saw the season finale, and I don't want to give anything away, but the way everything was woven together was frustrating and satisfying all at once.

They'll probably start rerunning them on AMC. If you missed it the first time, watch it. I don't know if I've ever seen a TV drama that is as intense.

A real blog post. A meme, even

2009-05-03T03:00:58Z

To combat LJ neglect, I asked nemo_wistar to tag me for a meme:

The meme goes like this: Comment to this post and I will give you 5 subjects/things I associate you with. Then post this in your LJ and elaborate on the subjects given.

Marillion - My most favorite band ever. Why? Hard to say, and I've spent some time deconstructing it. I got into them in high school, a little bit. But it was in 1987 that it went critical. "Clutching At Straws" came out that summer, and I bought the cassette before I went off to college. I listened to that tape nearly every day, all the time. It tore me apart, it's still one of the most brilliant things ever. I missed seeing them with Fish my freshman year--I found out they were playing in NYC the night of the show, and didn't think I could handle just going into the city with no ticket and no plan (this is before cell phones, before I had an ATM card, before GPSes, and before the Internet). I did see them in 1989 with Steve Hogarth, and have seen them a dozen times since, including once in England, and just a month ago in Montreal for the Marillion Convention.

As to why I've remained a loyal and rabid fan for so long, it's because what they do and how they do it resonates with my personal and cultural milestones. First, their music has all the elements I like--complexity, hardness, melody, emotion. They're a bit geeky and so am I. Also--and I freely admit this--my musical tastes run very, shall we say, white. Marillion are a very geeky, white band. And that's who I am, and I should just embrace it.

Aide Station - A part of my life for over 20 years now. I started working there October of my Freshman year--I came to Drew with a bank account filled with a $1000 scholarship I had won in high school (from something like the Kiwanis Ladies Auxiliary or some such). After a few weeks--after books, travel, and life stuff--I realized it wasn't going to last all year and I better get a job. I applied and interviewed with Les Lloyd, who was the director of the Computer Center at the time, and got a job. Apparently most people didn't start their freshman year (and I was beat out by yesthattom who had applied the first day of school), and I worked there every summer and most Jan Terms. When I went to grad school, I was basically the computing manager for my research group. I left grad school to help manage the helpdesk I had worked at as a student, and the rest, they say, is history.
That Medieval Thing - I don't feel my participation in this was as hardcore as the typical Medfest crowd--although many of them are my good friends. Basically, I was in the chess game one year and another ran around the festival calling myself "Michael The Loud"--which was a hell of a lot of fun.

I was also there for the first Revels, which is when I made myself the promise I would never participate in another one. Basically, we were doing all the cooking and food prep ourselves, and it was only through the grace of a non-existent superior being that we didn't poison everyone. The experience was so harrowing that I can't face the event again, even though it sounds very nice and well-run these days. Oh, and also, I was a character in the evening--I decided about 20 minutes before guests arrived that I would play a mute. Also a hell of a lot of fun. The kids loved it. And no, they didn't get me to mess up.

So, senior year, I agreed to be the King at the chess board, playing the game. I was to win the game, step on to the board, and be struck with an arrow. My friend Jerry worked out an elaborate system of fishing line, a hollow arrow, and a metal-backed foam breastplate. What was supposed to happen was that the arrow was fired, lodged in the foam, and I fall down injured. What actually happened is that the arrow was fired, bounced off the plate, and remained floating in air. I still fell appropriately (I was wounded but would survive in the story), but the arrow had to be explained by "magic" and such. Some of the kids were very worried about me.

So yeah, that sounds like a lot, but I was a dilettante, and really didn't put in the effort that the more serious MedFesters did. And yet, they kept asking me to participate, and didn't care that I wasn't really taking it seriously.

Tofurky! - I think nemo_wistar meant "tofu jerky" but I'll bite. I'm not really a vegetarian but I play one on TV. I was a member of the George Street Co-Op for several years and enjoyed it. When I was in grad school, I bought some tofu jerky at the local health food store. It was good but it was like $4 for a little pouch, and I thought, "I could do this" and I did. I posted it to Usenet and the recipe morphed all over the net, sometimes attributed to me, sometimes not. I have to work on it more, but http://www.tofujerky.org/ is where I documented my recipe.
A kindred passion for politics - I think I was always liberal but didn't know it. Before the 80's both my parents were solid Democrats. In the 80s my dad started the journey through being a Reagan Democrat to the very conservative person he is today. My mom always stayed more lefty--she voted for Dukakis. College was the stereotypical solidification of my latent liberal tendencies, and I've been pretty progressive ever since. Which is odd because the rest of my family is very conservative. Well, my immediate family--I still think of my aunt, who raised my mom, once when my brothers and father were visiting. We were sitting around the table, and politics came up. My dad and brothers started discussing typical conservative viewpoints. My aunt gradually became more and more concerned, and finally blurted out, "You're Republicans!" with more than a hint of contempt. I like to think I didn't disappoint her so.

So there you go. If you reply, I'll give you five things to talk about. Revive your LiveJournal, it will be fun.

Why I went to Montreal this weekend

2009-04-06T18:01:10Z

Besides great music, because there's a chance something like this would happen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8faAk8W242I

And in one sentence, my son unknowingly skewers Wikipedia

2009-02-18T18:57:58Z

Today at breakfast (we'd been staying at a hotel while our floors were getting finished at home):

Boy: This hotel is made out of pork chops and steak!
Me: How do you know that?
Boy: I read it online!

Hi-larious

2009-01-31T14:10:22Z

I'm a 3rd degree connection to Barack Obama on LinkedIn.

Also, a 3rd degree connection to Kevin Bacon.

Wegmans

2008-11-27T16:17:49Z

Those of you who have a nearby Wegmans that's a special, exciting grocery store don't appreciate that in Rochester, it's just a regular grocery store.

I went shopping yesterday. I wanted to drive to the "nice" Wegmans near my in-laws since they have a better selection. Last year when I did this at Christmas, I thought I knew where it was, but I didn't. I went the wrong way. Thing was, it was no big deal because I just ended up at another Wegmans and shopped there. This year I made sure I got directions.

Name the Band, part 2

2008-11-10T14:17:49Z

DSC04210
Originally uploaded by Jedimentat44

Okay, you know the game. Name this band. Although it looks like they (update) fired the ironically eyeglassed prettyboy since the last time I saw them.

This is very funny

2008-11-06T19:41:39Z

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Not to be a pessimist, but

2008-11-05T04:59:26Z

All the anti-gay marriage questions are winning right now, as well as a gay adoption ban in Arkansas.

At least South Dakota is doing the right thing.

what it's looking like

2008-11-05T02:47:52Z

Political humor

2008-11-04T15:34:23Z

I've always liked this:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/futurama-207-nixons-back/2460605255

Voted

2008-11-04T14:44:01Z

Voted just before 7 this morning. In my comfortable suburban district there's never any problems, or any line. It was busier than usual but by no means crowded.

I took the kid. He took a very big interest in coming with me. He double checked my choices and pushed the "Cast Vote" button (he even noticed I went off-ticket in a local race).

I've been thinking a lot about my aunt. We lost her this spring. She was 92 and lived in Florida. We were going to visit her for the last time when she passed away. While visting with my cousin (there was to be no service, just cremation and spreading of her ashes back in Sicily), she told me my aunt had been giving $25 a month to Obama since he announced his candidacy. My aunt was an amazing woman for a lot of reasons, and the thought that she had seen something in Obama worth committing to really meant a lot to me. So in a way, my vote was for her too.

Please don't forget to vote today.

mrfantasy @ 2008-10-31T14:48:00

2008-10-31T18:48:23Z

I like this song.

30 Rock season 3 premieres at 9:30 tonight

2008-10-30T14:57:20Z

And just to remind you, this is one of many reasons you should be watching it.

Steve Martin rental

2008-10-29T02:10:53Z

Steve Martin is asking $28,000 a week to rent out his villa on the Caribbean island of St. Barthelemy.

I'm so totally thinking this is a great idea. If I could get 10 friends or so to go along with me it's even not completely outrageous.

Oh, wait. Steve Martin probably won't be there? It won't be like that movie? I won't be able to have him do my favorite scenes all week, or have him say "WELL EXCUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" every time he tries to walk by me?

Never mind.

The last debate

2008-10-16T02:35:46Z

Obama was calm, rational, collected. He didn't let McCain goad him at all, responding only when necessary,and in a way that was reassuring and reflective.

The question is which one of these people do you want sitting in the Oval Office making tough decisions during a crisis? I think it's pretty clear.

Next time I'm in Oklahoma

2008-10-10T01:14:07Z

I'm going to seek out Wayne Coyne's house. Interestingly, when I lived in Oklahoma City I knew a lot of people named Coyne. Perhaps they were related. I also appreciate that his wife worked in a Long John Silver's when he met her. We used to eat at LJS all the time when I lived there.

Test post

2008-10-09T23:29:32Z

They added last.fm music detection to the "music" field!

Joining the bandwagon?

2008-10-05T21:55:31Z

http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=46832&altf=Njlf&altl=Sjdijdij

wow

2008-10-03T02:54:05Z

Palin was great. No, really, she was charming, flirty, "aw, shucks" down to earth, and just a folksy delight. She'd be a great neighbor, or perhaps someone to work along side at a PTA meeting, or a church committee. She has a lot of strong opinions and a few facts to back it up.

I can see how some people would respond positively to it. It's dazzling theatre, and she's pleasant to look at.

BUT SWEET MOTHER OF MERCY SHE'S RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT! I DON'T CARE ABOUT HER HOMESPUN VALUES! I WANT TO KNOW HOW WELL SHE COULD ACTUALLY RUN THE DAMN COUNTRY IF SHE'S CALLED TO, AND HOW WELL SHE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE SENATE AND WORLD LEADERS!

I'm watching CNN with their panel. It was pretty much a landslide for Biden in the panel. I'm guessing the Palin show was only appealing to those for whom you would expect it to be appealing anyway.

So this is good--Palin showed she's at least able to remember and recite talking points, and do it with relative ease, Biden showed he's a policy wonk (which honestly is what I want from a VP), and the momentum of the Democrats will continue unhindered.

C-SPAN

2008-10-03T00:43:03Z

I'm following BoingBoing's advice and watching the debate on C-SPAN to get the split-screen coverage.

But, fascinatingly, now, they're showing the pre-show in the debate hall at Washington University in St. Louis. They had the president of the debate commission, and now the chancellor of the school.

Palin all the way!

2008-10-01T00:10:50Z

I mean, we have to vote for this woman. She has superpowers.

She can read ALL NEWSPAPERS EVER WRITTEN SIMULTANEOUSLY ALL OVER THE WORLD!

Tactics vs. strategy

2008-09-27T19:58:39Z

This post spins off from McCain's comment in the debates that Obama didn't understand the difference between tactics and strategy, and clearly states that in fact, Obama knows the difference far better than McCain.

Also another great article linked from the above link.

Remember, kiddies, a common Republican technique as of late is to accuse your opponent of your own weaknesses.

Very interesting.