Monday, March 16, 2009

Blogging is stupid.

Yeah, I don't touch this thing, and I really never did.

Best bet is to catch me on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1015006760

And Micro-Blogging is much easier:
http://twitter.com/aressa



Ressa Out

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Four Monkeys Dream

I had a strange dream last night. It was the very early 80's and I was in the audience for Saturday Night Live. It was before the show, and Eddie Murphy was on stage priming the audience with some stand-up; he was doing the usual thing where he picked out some groups in the audience and razzed them about what they do or who they are. One group he picked out were three guys from the MPAA; he had his fun making fun of movie ratings and the such, as that's all people really saw the MPAA as at the time. I remember freaking out, everyone was laughing at the jokes while I broke into a cold sweat. At one point I broke and stood up and started ranting at them, going on about how the MPAA and RIAA were going to control all media in the future and how they were going to take over all entertainment. A few nervous laughs later and Eddie incorporated it into his shtick and sent a few jokes directed at me as security took me out.

It was a classic Cassandra Complex, I knew the future and I was laughed off as insane.

Then the dream shifted to Penn Jillette's flat, years later. It was his bedroom and the bed and room were covered with notes and papers. At some point he was having sex with someone, but that's not central to the dream (I didn't even see who he was screwing, it was just a few seconds of the dream). Then he was going over the notes piled around the room, maybe they were notes for his skits or whatever, and he came across the notes about me. It seems that I had kept trying to get attention to the problem of the MPAA, but there was never any evidence to support it. He was saying how I was onto something, but there was likely nothing that could be done about it.

Then right before I woke up (or after I woke up in the state of delirium after you come out of REM too fast, my alarm had gone off) and was pondering a president (not one in particular) holding a press conference and announcing the creation of the Department of Media and assigning Jack Valenti as the first Secretary of Media.

Am I just paranoid?

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Metro Paralyzed, Again.

So here's the commute on this beautiful snowing Tuesday morning:

I left the house at about 6:55am. There was about an inch of snow on top of the ice that is around our condo in Kirkland. 124th Ave sounded pretty quiet, so I was expecting a quick drive in. I started down 124th Ave, no problem, down to 85th St and towards 405. Roads were covered with snow, but traffic was light. I decided to skip the freeway because I wanted to have options to change routes depending on conditions, so I went under the freeway and took a left down onto Kirkland Ave.

Kirkland Ave was a bit slippery, and I saw an Explorer spin out under the railroad bridge. It was slick, but not THAT slick *sigh*. I took a left from Kirkland Way onto 106th, heading south, I got a bit sideways going up the hill but that was mostly because there was no-one else around and I put the power down to see what I was dealing with; nothing I could not handle.

I got up to the stoplight in Houghton (68th St?) and had to stop. I noticed glare-ice tire tracks in the lane I was in, as there is a tiny incline into the intersection. When the light turned green I started out in 2nd and still ended up sliding the back-end a foot sideways before the front wheels pulled me through.

Heading down 106th Ave there were a few more cars, and the road was still slick with new snow. When I got to the top of the hill (at about 50th St?) there was a line of cars stopped. I was up far enough to see three cars sideways and jammed against the curbs just down the crest of the hill; I didn't want to even try to deal with these people. So I ducked off onto a side-street, and pulled into someone's driveway to turn around. The side-street was a pretty decent up-hill, and when I backed out of the driveway into the street I started sliding perfectly sideways down the hill. I just pointed the wheels over and gave it a bit of gas and got pointed back down the hill.

I headed back towards Houghton and got back up to the stop light. I was planning to take a left and head down towards State St. and Lake Washington Blvd; it's a much more gradual incline that way. While I was sitting in the left-turn lane waiting for the light, the opposing light went green. Two vehicles, a pickup and a BMW 3-series, were sitting in the lane that I had a bit of trouble getting started on. The pickup pulled away with just a bit of wheel-spin, you could tell that he had weight in back. The Bimmer on the other hand was out of luck. No matter how much the feathered it their tires spun, more and more the car when cock-eyeed, and eventually both back tires were backed up against the curb, the nose of the car across the main lane and into the left-turn lane. Any throttle they gave just spun the tires against the curb.

I made my left, and made it down the curve and eventually to the intersection at Lake Washington Blvd. I was taking an unprotected Left, but there was someone coming towards me. I was having trouble stopping on the down-hill, but then I noticed that they were not moving at all (or rather their back-end was insisting that it gets to go first), so I just took my slow gentle left. I did have to duck around another Explorer that had slid half-way into the oncoming lanes in front of me.

The rest of the trip was uneventful after that, other than getting in and having my co-workers ask "People arn't abandoning their cars ALREADY are they?"

Yes, yes they were.

That prompted us to draft some new legislation that we hope to get before the state before next winter:

If a driver should abandon his vehicle due to adverse weather conditions he must leave the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked (RCW132.43.56a). If a second and unrelated licensed driver can remove said vehicle without the use of a tow vehicle or similar; said vehicle's ownership and title will be transferred to second driver legally and in whole. Previous owner shall be liable for all liens and debts incurred before abandonment related transfer (RCW132.43.56b). It is the responsibility of the previous owner to trace the new owner and remove all personal contents within 72 hours of abandonment related transfer otherwise personal contents may be disposed of by new owner (RCW132.43.58).

We can dream, we can dream...

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Myers-Briggs Personality

Digg had a link to this Myers-Briggs Personality Test tailored for Programmers. It takes about 10 minutes, and it pretty spot-on (although, if it is tailored for programmers, how much does that influence the results?)

E=2 Extraversion
I=9 Introversion
S=4 Sensing
N=16 iNtuition
T=14 Thinking
F=5 Feeling
J=6 Judging
P=13 Perceiving

You are an INTP

INTP - Physicists, chemists, biologists, photographers, strategic planners, mathematicians, university professors, computer programmers, computer animators, technical writers, engineers, lawyers, forensic researchers, writers, artists, psychologists, social scientists, systems analysts, researchers, surveyors. Highly analytical, they can discover connections between two seemingly unrelated things, and work best when allowed to use their imagination and critical thinking.

Thanksgiving Pics

Thxgvng_2006_16

I finally got all 250+ pics from thanksgiving through my workflow and uploaded to Flickr.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

E-I-E-I-O

Momma is teaching Enzo to sing. He actually replied with E I E I O at the right spot in the song all on his own tonight.

We'll have him talking before not much longer! Oh wait. Shit.

Friday, November 17, 2006

2006 Christmas List

(I AM having trouble with line-break formatting, so I turned off the "auto" feature which broke the rest of my blogs, dammit.)

Everyone's been starting to bother me about christmas list stuff, so here it is, my 2006 Christmas Wishlist. True, I could use Amazon or some other crap like that, but it just ends up being 1000 DVDs.

Practical Options

Tamrac 5374 Photo Backpack
Tamrac Adventure 74 Photo Backpack
www.tamrac.com
$69.95

I got my Lensbaby tonight, and along with the 10-20mm Lens, I have no room for all of my glass, and flash, in the old bag I have. I need something that will store and keep ALL of my gear together. This will do.



Gorillapod SLR
Gorillapod SLR
www.joby.com
$39.95

I'd like a new little tripod, and these look like the best of the bunch.



The Slanket - Hunter Green
The Slanket
www.theslanket.com
$48.95 - Castle Rock or Hunter Green

Honestly, this is a really cool idea. Perfect for a lazy couch potato like me.



Khet Laser Game
Khet Laser Game
www.khet.com
$37.99 + $11.95

This would be a fun game to play with Aiden. They have extra beam-splitter pieces that would make the game a bit more interesting too.



Powerball Techno
Powerball Techno

www.powerballs.com
$47.99 - Blue

My sister got me one of the standard models a few years ago, but of course my kid was curious and destroyed it within a month of getting it. This one has a bad-ass LED marquee display on it. I promise to keep it out of the hands of the childrens.



A New Yo-Yo
You have a choice here, choose wisely:


Yomega Metallic Missile

Yomega Metallic Missile

www.yomega.com
$29.95 - Black

My Saber Raider is getting a little torn up around the edges, and I just broke the last string I had. I've been looking at the rim-weighted bearing yos for a while and wanted to pick one up.

OR
Duncan Mondial
Duncan Mondial

www.yo-yo.com
$99.99 - Black

Honestly, I can't think of any practical reason to have the Mondial except that it is so frickin' cool.




Expensive Stuff

ScanGauge II Auto Computer
ScanGauge II Auto Computer

www.scangauge.com
$169.99

Ok, I'm pretty sure I have to have one of these. If Santa does not bring this for my I'm going to go up and strangle his tubby elf neck.




Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM
Sigma 10-20mm F4-5.6 EX DC HSM
www.sigmaphoto.com

I rented a wide-angle lens a while back for the auto show and I fell in love with it. Very nice and versitle. I've been checking the reviews, and for the money it is either this or the Tamron 11-18mm. The Sigma is a touch cheaper and quieter (and I have other Sigma glass...). NOTE: There is no need to buy this one. I knew I was going to be the only one to buy this one too, so I picked it up today. Nice lens!



Lensbaby 3G
Lensbaby 3G
www.lensbabies.com

Someone mentioned that taking pictures with one of these things is like putting neons on a Pontiac Sunfire, but then again that person said I should buy a medium-format view camera and develop my own photos... blah blah grain of salt. I rented one of these at the same time as the wide-angle lens and just played with it for a few hours and had a lot of fun with it. So, pretentious photo nerds be damned, I want one of these. NOTE: There is no need to buy this one. I checked the online store and to get it shipped by Christmas I had to order it already. So if you want, just send me $270 :)


SanDisk Extreme III 8.0GB CompactFlash
SanDisk Extreme III 8.0GB CompactFlash
www.sandisk.com
$379.99

My 2GB Microdrive is proving to be too slow. I can only shoot four or maybe five shots before I have to wait for the buffer to clear. I've tried a couple of other pro-series CF cards and I can shoot much faster, so I want to upgrade. I've researched it quite a bit, and the Extreme III cards are probably the best for what I want. I want an 8GB so that I just "never" run out of room.



Wii Console
Nintendo Wii
wii.nintendo.com
$249.99

It's time for a new console, the XBox is getting old and boring, and besides, I'd like to return to my Nintendo Fanboy Roots. I'm just not in to the whole PS3-hype and never really was interested in the XBox360 games. Nintendo games will always keep me busy, though!


--To be updated as late as December 24th--

Friday, October 20, 2006

Caffeine

I decided my post in a thread on SA was worth blogging...


I started drinking a handful of Mt. Dews a day (starting with grabbing a can from one of the cases under my bed) when I was in high school. I transitioned to coffee by the time I graduated from high school, and was into caffiene heavily in college.

By the time I got though 5 nice years of college, I had some serious anxiety (mostly stress related), and I decided to give it up. At this point I was at 12-16 shots of espresso a morning (over 6 hours or so), and coke in the afternoon, and Redbull-Vodkas at night (sleep? what sleep?). I gave this up cold turkey. It sucked. I had a pounding headache and could not think straight for two weeks or so. Eventually it got better. I was able to concentrate more, and get through the last sets of finals for school (with a few hits of xanax from the doctor... had I found those beauties sooner I would have had another problem on my hands).

After I graduated college, I got a job and moved to Seattle, Land of Coffee, and Land of Dot.Com. I started in a job that was venture funded, and required long hours (for no pay!). I started to transition to half-caf americanos in the morning (2x2), then the eventual digression into 8+ shots of espresso a morning and 64+oz of drip a day.

Two jobs later, a marrige, and one kid later (and one on the way), I still had a pretty good habit going. Then one night when I went to bed, I laid down and my heart started racing like mad, it was a nasty fluttery feeling, and it was enough to scare me into the ER. I spent the night there getting my first big Atrial Fibrillation attack under control. After talking to three cardiologists, none of them said that caffiene was directly responsible at any time, but it would not hurt to cut back. Over the next six months I was on and off the juice, but it did not make much of a difference (that I noticed).

I eventually got my meds worked out, and made a decision to cut out the caffiene altogether (regular sleep cycles are critical in managing the heart issues). One of the biggest things I did was not cut out coffee. I love good coffee, and I just could not stand taking that out of my life.

So, Decaf it is.

I have a little espresso maker, and a good burr-mill-style bean grinder. I can have a coffee after dinner, a bunch in the mornings on weekends, and I can still sleep great (sometimes a small decaf espresso right before bed will help me sleep better). I drink about 32oz of decaf Seattle's Best medium-roast coffee in the morning at work (I prefer it darker, but that's what they have).

I do know that I can concentrate better. I sleep better. I don't get jitters, and my A-Fib is under control. I don't push my "way" on anyone, I'm more than happy to brew my wife a strong pot of French Press, but for me, I'm happy without the caffiene.

My mom (also a big coffee drinker) has asked "Just HOW do you wake up in the morning!?" I just explain that I don't NEED the caffiene any more. My first cup of Decaf has enough psycological effect to wake me up, and none of the headaches when I miss a coffee in the morning.

I don't miss it at all!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Holy Fast!

Holy Hell, when did this happen?



Verizon, I'm really glad I ditched your bitch-ass to the curb.

I'm SO Done Traveling

I'm done.

Travel to two different cities in a month has really worn me out.

First we went to San Francisico for the Columbus Day celebrations, with the ultimate purpose of scattering my grandmother's ashes. That was a nice weekend with just my Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Uncle, and Sister. Lots of walking, good airshow, and some great food.

SanFran_Family_77 SanFran_Family_63

Then I just got back last night from Detroit. Now I know why they call Detroit the Armpit of the Midwest. But hey, if you want to talk car stuff, that is the place. The most unfortunate stuff is that it is the ONLY thing in town. Cars, cars, cars. Not many pics from there, but once I get the few I took cleaned up, I'll post them up.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Enzo and Aiden


Enzo and Aiden, originally uploaded by aressa.

Went to the baseball game this last weekend. The boys, of course, were screwing around and rough-housing.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Frell You, TiVo. Frell you!

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TiVo Package, TiVo® HD Series3™ Digital Media Recorder, Prepay 3 years

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