iam.begging-for-an-injury

OK, so I measured the barn, and with his approval, Rob's Skate Barn could be functional soon. Basically it's two 9.5' vert ramps, a bit tighter than a standard half-pipe, with a mini-ramp running perpendicular to it, all fit inside a big old barn (yee-haw!). It's set up so that in the future a full bowl, or at least a quarter of one, could be built.

No, there's no way this thing will be built for New Year's, but it'll definitely be there for the next spring BBQ, so bring your board to that one. Thanks to everyone who's been offering me advice on this project!

Update: Being realistic, those will probably end up as 7' vert ramps, just because of size constraints in the barn.

I'm not MUCH of an inventor…

So in the pictures above you can see the contraption I made to pass sound to the outdoor speakers. Four speaker wires hook up to the stereo as normal, but then the negative lines merge (since they're just a ground basically). I pass those three lines into a standard female three-prong power plug (so the ground wire carries the negative foundation, and the left and right positive/negative terminals represent the two positive speaker connections), and then at the other end do the same in reverse but with a male plug.

As a result, I can use standard three-prong extension cord, rather than speaker cable, to pass the signal to the speakers out in the field. Not only that, but if I want more than one speaker pair, all I have to do is use a power bar or something to split the signal. Or if I want to I can even use a power bar with a breaker in it to protect the speakers from getting blown.

Meh, it's beautiful in its simplicity.


In other news, the US admits to using torture (more and more) as a means of obtaining information from potential witnesses and enemies of the state, ignoring the fact that they're Geneva Convention violations. Add to the big picture the 50% tax cut for the rich… The fall of the United States from first world independent and free nation to failing third world oppressive superpower is very sad to watch. Very sad.

At least Bush has now slipped back to 55% approval (according to CNN). He hasn't been that low since September 10, 2001 — seriously, I'm not making that date up — on September 11th, 2001 he jumped up to 86% (show me the logic there; allow your people to get sacrificed so you can get richer and they like you more). Anyway, the problem is that under the ultra-limited two-party right-wing political spectrum that the American people have to choose from, there isn't really much alternative provided at election time anyway…

Obligatory feel good story.

On the other hand, developments in Asia are increasingly disturbing. Lots of nuclear bombs (or maybe not) in North Korea… but what's interesting is that South Koreans don't particularly fear the North — they fear America, as to them, and most of the world, America has become a warmongering nation that bases its foreign policy on lies and extortion. Seriously, what a sad comment that a literally insane dictator with nuclear weaponry is considered more safe and sane than the US government.

I wonder… When did the people of Rome realize that Rome had fallen?

BBQ Shirts

Below are photos of the New Year's BBQ shirt (link to the BBQ above), as well as the misprint (weird colors) hoodies we'll be selling for (I think) $20 CDN (about $13 US) at the BBQ. Seriously: $20 for a high-quality hooded sweatshirt!

Also, Ryan has a pile of giveaways of various odd BME shirts that will be given to folks who buy BBQ shirts, and I have a stack of the temporary tattoos (take a bunch). In addition, he's got a stack of toques put aside… So it's goodie-o-rama!

PS. The Greyhound bus does go through Tweed since Tweed is on the short-cut to Ottawa. If people can get themselves to Tweed, I'm sure we can get them here. Post in the event forum if you want to do that.

The work never ends… but that's a good thing

My mentionable plan for today:

  • Complete another DVD master
  • Finish updating the image adder software to handle 2003 properly, and fix a few known problems affecting time-distributed updates
  • Start working on the update content itself

Even if Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction hidden under his bed, he's very quickly learned how to play the international politics game. Some recent statements from him include:

[The world is entering the new year] under unique circumstances ... which have been manufactured by forces of evil and darkness in order to create a situation of instability, chaos and tension. [The US seeks to wage war on Iraq as a first step to spread their authority] across the world and control fortunes and futures [of other countries]. We are confident that the outcome of the inspection operations will be a big shock to the United States and will expose all the American lies.

He's very cleverly echoing the statements that are being voiced by radikal voices around the world, and is repeating the fears of many other nations, including European nations. If the inspections turn out well for Iraq — and so far they are, including the interviews with the Iraqi scientists — it could flip everything against the US. I really wonder how history will record the US in the long run… Nations are remembered for their low points, not their high points, so in a millenium, will people look back and remember the US as the bad guy? Will history record the US not as the nation of freedom, but as an oppressive force that held it back?

As Al Jazeera's international power rockets up (it's only about seven years old), one has to ask oneself more pressingly — does it's North American English language debut represent the beginning of this age of the fall of the American Empire? The developing nations are coming of age. Forced in part by US pride and aggression they are becoming nuclear nations, and their citizens have long since overrun Western borders.

Pride goeth before destruction,
and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18

We need to remember that cultural change is good. As long as individual freedoms are retained and have their sanctity protected, styles of dress, eating, and behaviour will change with time anyway — why worry if skin colours change as well? The more diversity the better. The world would be a boring place otherwise.

Via Keith PLEASE INCLUDE THE INTRO

The questionaire of Marcel Proust (1871 – 1922)
“At the age of fourteen, Proust was given an English album 'Confessions: An album to record thoughts, feelings'. Seven years later Marcel Proust published this questionaire. In the literary salons in nineteenth century paris, this parlour game was a popular amusement.”

The main traits of my character.
Passion, Faith.

A quality I desire in a man.
Intelligence.

A quality I desire in a woman.
Survivability.

What I appreciate most among my friends
Fraternity.

My principal defect.
Faith.

My favourite occupation.
Creation.

My dream of felicity.
Time.

What would be the biggest misfortune for me.
Not fulfilling my responsibilities.

Who I would like to be.
Me.

Were I would like to live.
Be Here Now.

The colour I prefer.
Truth.

The flower I love.
“I believe that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who know they are this [a daisy] yet let themselves be treated as that [a homogenous field of daisies].”

The bird I prefer.
Penguin.

My favourite authors.
Nearing, Thoreau, Nietzche.

My favourite poets.
Cioran, Bukowski, Bataille (well I think they're poets).

My heroes in fiction.
Dave Bowman.

My heroines in fiction.
(Sorry, drawing a blank).

My favourite composers.
Yauch, Diamond, Horowitz.

My favourite artists.
Gauguin, Grunewald, Bruegel the Elder.

My heroes in real life.
Jesus, the people of Gaviotas.

My heroines in history.
St. Joan of Arc.

My favourite names.
(For obvious suspense reasons I leave this blank).

What I dislike the most.
Sloth.

The historic characters I dislike most.
Lincoln et al.

The military enterprise I like the most.
Guerrilla-based homeland recovery.

The reformation I appreciate the most.
Reform is an illusion.

Natures gift I would like to have.
Clean water and fertile land.

How I would like to die.
We are immortals and do not die. I don't believe this is a relevant question.

My soul's present condition.
Universal.

The faults I can bear.
I don't believe in having faults. As long as I am the best I can be, nothing is a fault.

My motto.
“All the interesting roads are one way”


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