Reading (For Dummies)

Text the Vote

I've owned a cell phone with a text message plan for years. Something that has never happened to me is the Text the Vote. I've received no fewer than 5 text messages from current and past acquaintances reminding me to vote. I like it, although in Eastern Washington, all ballots are absentee (too few people live in our area for us to have voting machines). My ballot (and Laura's) are off to the races.

Mobile Dead

A while ago, my old college buddy Pete wanted me to get involved in a little development project of his. Sadly, my home stewardship, work, and other hobbies prevented me from doing a darned thing on it. He finished his project, though, and it looks pretty awesome. It's an online location-based phone game called Mobile Dead.

I find this stuff increasingly exciting. I've classically been a bit of a privacy nut, but there are some definite neat things about meeting people and playing games in this format. Besides, like Steve Rambam said at Toorcon 8: Privacy is Dead. I've been getting over it over the last six months, and inviting some new toys into my home.

Obamalantern

Apparently my friend Kat has made a groovy Obamalantern.

Hope is scary...

Finding a Rhythym

I've had a slow month or so as far as updating-the-website is concerned. Oye.

I mentioned a bit ago that I started the whole house-buying process. I have concluded the process, and took stewardship (I won't say ownership, because the bank owns the thing) of a property.

What Wood Is That?

I've been doing a lot of work to the place already, including ripping out the carpet (yuck...ugly brown shag carpet on top of beautiful beautiful hard oak floors), ripping out sixteen layers of kitchen flooring, and ripping out some hair in frustration at the tar that was used to hold the bottom layer of kitchen flooring to some Douglas Fir floorboards in the kitchen.

The view out the front window...WSU buildings and a butte beaut

Laura is back in town as well, after a summer-long hiatus. We are now surviving in the basement while we wait for the upstairs floors to dry. We're waiting as well to enjoy the view that our front window provides. She has turned into something of a slave in the kitchen, chiseling away at stubborn tarpaper while I'm at work.

The "Kilivistüdenroom", which combines kitchen, living room, study, and den...

For now we live in the basement, sans furniture, which makes life a little interesting -- spices are mingled with undergarments (clean, at least), computer cables are in boxes with dress shirts, and finding things is a bit of a chore. At least it makes me realize that I have too much stuff, so I'm starting to bleed worldly possessions...a few trips to the donation pile, and quite a few things are up for sale on craigslist. I'd like to stop acquiring so much crap...it may be my new year's goal.

Day in the Life of an Astronaut

I'm not sure why I find this video by astronaut Garrett Reisman so compelling -- possibly because his mannerisms are so geeky and remind me of myself? It's long, but entertaining in an engineering sort of way.