Tuesday, November 13, 2007

You Matter.

I was browsing around some of the science sites tonight and got captivated by one of the hubble telescope galleries. Just imagine, peering into an almost infinitely minute sliver of the sky, then seeing what looks like millions of stars. In actuality, these are galaxies! Each blob and spec is billions of stars. Click on the picture to see more detail and be amazed more than ever that you matter!

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Treehouse update


Ok, it's not finished, but it's far enough along to show and tell. The treeHOUSE is appx 7'x9', and has 6'-3" ceilings. The 4 roof trusses used are 12' from tip to tip and will have green ribbed steel roofing applied once I figure out how to get it up there (which will match the house). I found 3 miniature windows that were display models at Fleet Farm in Hudson, and have two 14" barn 4 light windows. The siding will be stained red to match the house. The support system is bolted with slots to allow the trees to move where they need to in the wind without destroying the treehouse. There is a trapdoor in the floor to get inside. I plan on insulating and weather-proofing so that we can use it year round. The thoughts of electricity and lighting have also been bounced around. Why not.

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Comet 17P Holmes

I heard about this comet a couple of weeks ago, but it was only observable by high power telescopes, because by the naked eye it was just a spec. The other day something neat happened: the core had an explosion, which forced a large cloud of dust and vapor around it larger than Jupiter. So, now, you can see it with the naked eye, and even better with binoculars. The kids and I went out last night and found it right away. If you know where the constellation Perseus is, look to the left of his leg, or use this map. This is in the Northeast sky just after total darkness. Photo courtesy Philippe Boeuf.

Monday, September 10, 2007

F...ing Deer.

I've been driving (legally) for over 20 years. Up until last October, I had never hit a deer. I watch for deer as if they are on every road around here. Because the damn things are. We were on our way into church in October and took out the front end of our Bravada with a deer. Luckily we were insured. (defn. of Insured: Gambling a recurring amount to wager that you will hit a deer, while the insurance company takes your money to use it to bet that you will not. You still lose.)

This morning, I was fortunate enough to have a deer poop on my windshield. Of course, a few things happened immediately before this astounding event.
  1. deer races from thick dense brush into the path of my Saturn.
  2. Saturn breaks 3 of the deers legs and disembowels the deer.
  3. Saturn continues to move underneath the deer, propelling it onto my windshield.
  4. aformentioned deer poops.

I need to find another car or find a hood, windshield, and fender for this one. But I'm ok. The deer is not. I still win.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Summer's (almost) over

The dreaded Labor Day weekend has passed, which marks the unofficial end of summer. The schools are all open as of tomorrow (if not before). It seems like it goes so fast, but did it really? I have to stop and list what has gone down over the last three months so I'm not so depressed that winter is coming (just think, snow in less than two months). So here we go:
  • Graduation from Stout
  • Trip to Colorado to see my brother
  • Trip to House on the Rock/In-laws in Milwaukee
  • Church Campout at Chetek
  • 12 yr anniversary
  • Trip to Big Top Chatauqua/Bayfield and Madeline Island
  • Swimming at Wakanda/Geocaching/Picnicking
  • Trip to my Aunt & Uncles 25th anniversary in Ripon
  • Cooking out / friends / etc...
  • Cucumber Fest in Boyceville
  • etc...

If I'm missing a couple, you get the point.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Greatest show on Earth...

Last Wednesday, Anne and I left after lunch to head up North, drop the kids at my parents, then kept driving up to Bayfield. We had tickets to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones up at Big Top Chatauqua. If you haven't heard of Bela, he is one of the top three banjo players in the country, aside from Steve Martin(click this one). Alone, he tends to play traditional bluegrass and even true classical music, but with the Flecktones, there is a mix of genres that can't be described. Click on the Flecktones link above to listen and watch them. These are pictures I took during the show. After the concert was done, we took the car on the last ferry out to Madeline Island to stay at the Island Inn. On Thursday, we bummed around the island until we left for the mainland. After staying in Bayfield Thursday night, we got up in the morning and went picking berries then on to a wonderful 5 star breakfast at the Rittenhouse Inn. After buying more trinket souvenir crap, we stopped at Newago's Fish Market on the way out of town for some fish spread and smoked whitefish. I now have a year's supply of mercury flowing through my blood.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

A couple of laborious projects

This past week, I finished two of the most important projects that any man could complete. I finished the cedar trim around the new window, then installed the flowerboxes. The flowers were all annuals that were on clearance at Fleet Farm in June. Then Mr. Bear got a new coat of paint, including brown for the nose. I need to do things like this to remind myself that once in a while I can finish something.

Monday, July 2, 2007

My own poll.

Why do I even try?
I am impressing someone.... don't know who yet.
Below median income is shabby chic
I like it when my boss calls me $%#$ing stupid.
Longer hours, no sleep, less free time.
My kids. ha ha HA ha HA HA HA ha HA HA HA HA!
I've been seeing this girl, but then she started closing her drapes
So I can afford the therapy at Meadowview
Otherwise, I'd have to resort to answering foolish polls with all of my free time
  
pollcode.com free polls

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Tulsarama!!!

In response to the below article on the Tulsarama 1957 Belvidere, they have opened up the vault and the car is on display. Unfortunately, it has been under water all of this time! The vault flooded full of mud and water and the vacuum seal package around the car failed. Still, this is a neat thing. Here is the CNN article about the unveiling.

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Tulsarama!


"On June 15, 1957, a new gold and white 1957 Plymouth Belvedere Sport Coupe was buried in a time capsule in downtown Tulsa, OK. The time capsule was part of Golden Jubilee Week: Tulsa's celebration of Oklahoma's semi-centennial. The car is buried under the sidewalk in front of the Tulsa County Courthouse, approximately 100 feet north of the intersection of Sixth Street and Denver Avenue. " -www.buriedcar.com

On June 15th (two weeks from now for those of you who are challenged), this car will be dug up and removed from it's vault after 50 years underground, and all of the contents of the enclosed time capsule will be opened also.

This absolutely facinates me for two reasons:
1) Time capsules are cool ways to show how we live and who we are (we put one in the cornerstone of our church, which included a two pack of Hostess Ho-Ho's)
2) The fact that we over-estimate how far the world will move on in the future, but it actually doesn't that much (they put a can full of gasoline with this car assuming that we wouldn't use gas or cars in the future)

Monday, May 28, 2007

We Have A Yard Now.


After toiling for years now, our front yard actually has turf. Thick enough to lay down in without getting dirt all over your heinie. I have some paver work to do, some gravel to place along the edge of the house, but for the most part the effect is there already.
Last summer we decided to do it right. Since the house was built on a slope, we had to build a retaining wall along the front of the yard. Then we wheelbarrowed up to a foot and a half deep of fill sand in place. Six inches of black dirt got raked out, seeded, then thatched with hay. Finally this spring, the perenial grass has come back, to which we overseeded again. After fertilizing, liming, and watering, it is growing like mad.
Notice the added touches: bird bath, tiki torches, and solar lights. I feel so suburbia.

Friday, May 25, 2007

No Sh&*, this is real.


1,051 pound boar.
9'-4" from snout to rump
Shot by an 11 year old, with a pistol.
in Alabama.
with more balls than I'll ever have.

Monday, May 14, 2007

My Citizenship Test

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 9 out of 10 correct!

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Once again...

Once again, I am done with school, almost. Once again I graduate. This is just another bachelors, I don't know if I could've handled grad school. Classes are done, graduation is Saturday, and my finals are on Monday. DONE. Tuesday begins full time for me again at work. No driving back and forth between Menomonie, Hudson, and home every day. (BTW, it's 126 miles 'round the loop) DONE.
This seemed so far away a year and a half ago. Even last week, it felt like it was a long way off, especially after UW-Stout lost my graduation packet that contained all my forms and signed substitution sheets. I had to fill them all out again, have them all signed, but this time I took them personally to registration and records and waited while the lady keypunched everything in.
I have met a bunch of real wonderful teachers who give a %$#& about their students and they are excited about their job. It rubs off on you and it makes you take interest in what you are learning if the teacher has slightly more than a pulse. My teachers in general do not share my view points on "the truth", but I have made known where I stand, and have been bluntly shown where they stand. I think it facinates some of them to see someone who has been through the college mill and still thinks in terms of creationism. Shame on me.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Technical Writing. Or not.

So, yesterday I sent a material certification to a customer. Basically, a cert tells them that you did what they wanted to the material. Around 4pm yesterday, the customer called with a group of their stuffed shirts on conference call. They were concerned about a portion of the cert that said:
"etc..."
That's right. They were worried about the letters "etc". They wanted to know what etc stood for or what it's metallurgical meaning was.
I couldn't wait. I interupted "et cetera". The phone call went silent.
It was then that they realized that not everything is all that complicated in life.

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Brian's summertime iced latte

I have experimented for a long time with espresso drinks. I don't always drink espresso concoctions, nor do I know what the hell a mochafrappucino is. Nor do I care if it's grande size (pronounced grand-day, which you will be corrected by the snooty Starbuck's dork that it's not a medium, who will also let you know many other things that you don't know about coffee, but I digress because it irritates me).
I do know how to make good iced latte's and cappacinos.

My summertime iced latte:
(try anything, anytime, in any amount if you like)

Dump the following into a 1½ - 2 quart heat resistant pitcher in this order

4 to 6 measures of very hot espresso (get to know how much a measure is)
1 - 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups of hot steamed skim milk
Fill pitcher to the top with ice. Stir. Enjoy over more ice.

For those of you who have read the nutitional label on a can of sweetened condensed milk, you realize why eating the stuff could clog your arteries, make you fat, and give you a stroke from just one serving. Therefore, I have created the "light" version, which I think is just as wonderful:

4 to 6 measures of very hot espresso
5 cups of hot steamed skim milk
Sweeten to taste with clover honey, or you could even try maple syrup (I know where to get some)
Fill pitcher to the top with ice. Stir. Enjoy over more ice.

I know it's not complicated, or very top secret to those of you who know how to make coffee drinks, so what's your point?

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Oh Sh&*$%!

The picture is almost self-explainatory.

So, I'll explain anyway. Just before leaving work to head to class, I sat down at my office desk. The fibers of denim in my jeans decided to part ways, for good. My quick thinking, intellect, and intuition at a moment like that was just about useless. All I could do was stretch my polo shirt downward...really far down. (I am amazed at how far a polo shirt will travel south). I then left work, heading to the convenient Fleet Farm next door to my plant in Hudson in search of a pair of Wranglers. Don't make fun of Wranglers by the way, I haven't had any of them do this to me yet...
"Here comes Wrangler and he's one tough customer, and he knows what he likes when he sees it....WRANGLER!"
I apologize to the cashier at Fleet Farm who was subjected to embarassing emotional scars left upon her cerebrum that day. The therapy might help her.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Desensitized

After the horrific murders at Virginia Tech, I thought the next day might be different. I thought that students that sit around me in class would be mournful, sad, concerned, angry, maybe even bitter, but they weren't. A few mentioned "that sucks" in passing, which only sounded like what you say right before you try to get out of a crappy boring conversation.
One of my professors (that I really look up to) asked that we spend the first 10 minutes of class talking about the Virginia Tech shootings. One of the guys said "what happened in Virginia?", to which I thought of how someone who stares at his laptop connected to the internet through entire class periods could not know! Two others claimed they heard about a shooting, but said they didn't know much about it. A few more had read the online updates and knew how many people were dead, and even the order of events, but still they were talking about it as if it was just another news story.
I was baffled and wondered if I was the only person in there who really knew the extent of what happened by it's effect on me. Then it dawned on me (and this is only my theory, I'm not a sociologist), this era of students have never known a world without regular school shootings, post office massacres, and the like. To them, the world works like that. And that's how it is. And they can't change that. If they could, they won't.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Watch this with someone you really love.

I'm sorry for the You-Tube post. Deal with it.

From MTV's classic show "The State"

Thursday, April 12, 2007

What the hell happened? Follow up story.

Remember a few months ago I posted a picture of a mouse stuck in a tree? In fact, here it is.

Anyway, I heard that this might be a common way for birds of prey to store their food safely until they are hungry enough to eat it. So, I introduce you to:
The Loggerhead Shrike
<--notice the mouse in the fence

"The Loggerhead Shrike is a predator, but it does not have the strong feet and talons of a raptor. It does have a strongly hooked bill for gripping flesh, and a strong notch or "tooth" near the bill tip that helps sever the spinal cord of its prey. It uses thorns and barbed wire to hold large prey while it rips it up, and may wedge prey into a fork in a branch for the same purpose." -Cornell Lab of Orinthology

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

How important the weather really is.

Now that we are about to enter the "weather forecast season", here's a few thoughts.

"Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning." -George Carlin

"No matter how rich you become, how famous or powerful, when you die the size of your funeral will still pretty much depend on the weather." -Michael Pritchard

BTW, I took the photo...then went home to change my shorts.

Sunday, April 1, 2007

No longer a hypocrite - April Fool's edition

After much deliberation and reading at the PETA web site, I have made the decision to eliminate having pets. PETA's extensive research and investigation has revealed that "animals have an interest in leading their own lives; therefore, they are not ours to use—for food, clothing, entertainment, experimentation, or any other reason." So, we have done the only responsible thing we can do. This morning our goldfish and African Mbuna were released into the creek so they may live outside of a cruel cramped tank. Both dogs, the guinea pigs, and rabbit have been released into the woods where they naturally belong. I will miss them and tearfully hope that they will visit our yard someday.

Update: Both dogs made it to highway 64 and were struck by an SUV at 8 a.m. The rabbit and guinea pigs were happily chewing on twigs right before they were torn to pieces by two red-tailed hawks. The goldfish and Mbuna are lying frozen on the creekbank. At least I can say that I am not a hypocrite and have allowed nature to be nature.

I go to Lakewood Church now. - April Fool's edition

When life gets you down, and you just can't find hope in Christ, remember, there's always Joel Osteen from Lakewood Church. Keep in mind that prosperity and good health are promised to all Christians and that we should focus on the goodness of God instead of our sin. After all, isn't the church all about what we can get out of it? Let's milk it for all it's worth and suck all the marrow out of every bone the Church has, because Joel has promised us our prosperity. Why have I been working so hard, just to find out that the answers were this easy? I think Joel rocks and you should too. Take a moment to reflect on the Joel and what he has done for you.

Why Evolution Works - April Fool's edition

I would like to introduce you to the world of evolution. I can't believe I haven't fallen in love with this concept sooner. All we are is just cells, did you know that? And in each of these cells is the chromosome data to create an entire being. In each cell, there is approximately 5 or 6 feet of DNA within the chromosomes. After all, DNA is just a chemical (sugar chain) that undergoes a few simple reactions. In fact the shortest chromosome we have (the X) is only 58 million pairs long. In total, all of the DNA only totals about 3 billion pairs of molecules. Such small numbers as these easily could form on a petri dish somewhere. When DNA splits to form into two cells, there is a massive 170 mutations while the 3 billion pairs replicate. When there are errors, they are repaired with DNA glycosylases. These repairing chemicals run up and down the strands of DNA to find an incorrect sequence, then repair it. They allow 1 defective letter in 40,000 pages of text. Remember it's no big deal, it's just a chemical reaction that anybody could do. I can't understand why you believe in anything else.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Done for now.

The long awaited syrup is done, for now at least. The trees stopped running sap the other day so it was time to finish up. Next weekend it will be cold again with freezing at night, which makes the sap run. This is surprising, considering we are under a tornado watch with a tornado warning 30 miles from here. Anyway, enough with the weather report. The photo of the blueware pot is the syrup just before canning. A total of 2.5 gallons was what we ended up with. After washing the jars, lids and rings, I canned it all up. the grand total is 30 half pints, 12 4oz jars, and 3 pint jars.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Home Burial
















I can repeat the very words you were saying ,
"Three foggy mornings and one rainy day
Will rot the best birch fence a man can build."
Think of it, talk like that at such a time!
What had how long it takes a birch to rot
To do with what was in the darkened parlor?
You couldn't care! The nearest friends can go
With anyone to death, comes so far short
They might as well not try to go at all.
No, from the time when one is sick to death,
One is alone, and he dies more alone.
Friends make pretense of following to the grave,
But before one is in it, their minds are turned
And making the best of their way back to life
And living people, and things they understand.
But the world's evil. I won't have grief so
If I can change it. Oh, I won't, I won't'
-Robert Frost

By the way, click on the picture to see full sized and notice how eiree the branches look. They don't look that way when the air is clear and sunny...

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Saul's Treehouse Plans

It was kind of weird to see Dani-Hermit's blog article on treehouses. The eldest boy and I are planning on building one this summer. We have a couple of real neat books about how to build tree homes, not tree houses. I do happen to have a bunch of windows, boards, a pack of shingles and many jars of nails. Note: In the drawing, the things with triangles at the ends are dimension lines.

Saul will finish this:
"I'm planning on it to be 18 feet wide and 6 feet tall and it will have 8 rooms and a big hallway and a closet. It will have a rope ladder. There will be two doors and a dozen windows. To sit on there will be benches, cots, and chairs. There might be a woodstove hooked up to a brick chimney. It will be painted my favorite shade of red with a little deck outside. It is going to have a shingle roof, a smooth wooden floor and I think that's it."

Saturday, March 17, 2007

mmmm...That's Maply!

"We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup."

Some of you may know that we do a small maple syrup production run each spring. I went to Fleet Farm this afternoon to buy more spiles (taps) so I could add more trees to my evil maple empire. Tomorrow, I will buy a few more spiles and consider that enough. I don't sell the syrup, but it saves me hundreds of dollars by giving in lieu of gifts for just about any occasion. So far we have about 50 gallons of sap collected, which will produce about 1 gallon of syrup. I intend to have about 4 or 5 gallons of syrup this year. You can do the math

Friday, March 16, 2007

Where the h-e-double hockey sticks am I?

Take it easy, settle down, I took a week off from the blog. The university is out on spring break and I neglected to get on the party bus with the buxom young UW-Stout chicks heading to Myrtle Beach. My only other option after missing the bus was to show up at work all week.
Work was great, it was nice to spend the whole week getting a bunch of stuff taken care of until I'm back officially in May. (currently I'm only there about 12-15 hours a week because I'm full time at school, which technically is part of my job).
The maple sap started to run this week. Last week I tapped about twenty maples and have a total of about 25-30 buckets hanging out in the woods. I will start boiling tonight, which will continue just about nightly for a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to this years batch of syrup.
The snow is melting, the yard is a swamp of mud and sod. The driveway has managed to stay firm. Spring is a few days away.
Out of things to say. See you all later.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

A new whatzit

Here's your newest what-is-it. A few of you might just know this, maybe not. The first person to correctly identify this animal will get a free smart-alec comment on your blog from me, and a possible credit in my next post.
My wife is not eligible for this, nor will she be helping anyone.
I will give you two clues.
1) I have seen them.
2) They are vicious.
Dani has correctly identified this critter. Yay Dani. Way to Go Dani. You rock Dani. Anyway, here's what Wikipedia has to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_(animal)

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Snow, Plagarism

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

-Robert Frost

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Can't think of a title for this yet.

I'm not much of a nature freak, I like to cut a tree down like the best of them. But, I think that we all should stop for 5 minutes each day to just observe what's around us. In that short time, you will see more than you were able to comprehend the entire day. After you're done, you can start the chainsaw up again.

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes. "
~e.e. cummings

"In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia."
~Charles A. Lindbergh, Life, 22 December 1967

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars."
~Martin Luther

"This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it"
~Psalms 118:24