Monthly Archives: May 2008

Snow sticks to artificial turf

Posted on by
Reply

I was really excited at the potential of a photograph of the snowy lawn at the state capitol last Saturday. Sadly it was not to be so; the snow wasn’t sticking to the grass as it was some other surfaces, so the white coat wasn’t quite what I had hoped for. While looking for a nice spot overlooking the river, however, I spotted a surface that was quite conducive to a blanket of white: the field at the Bismarck Community Bowl. I’m sure it has to do with the height of natural grass as opposed to the artificial playing surface. Oh well, there will be May snow some other time..despite what the global warming hoaxers want you to believe.

How it’s spelled

Posted on by
Reply


I took today off from work because I’ve got some guys here working on my house. I happened to get sucked into the Discovery Channel program How It’s Made for a little bit. I’m a curious sort, so this program tends to draw me in quite handily. I hit the program guide on my satellite remote and immediately spotted an easy typo: aluminium. That’s a misspelling to us Americans, but in many other places it’s the proper spelling of good ol’ element #13.  In any case, it caught my eye.

It’s a disorder. Really. I often spot typos in a flash, many times in my peripheral vision. Last night when Jay Leno was doing funny newspaper clippings, I spotted a typo in something that was up for two seconds or so and wasn’t related to the joke. The National Atomic Museum I posted about earlier? I spotted typos on the placards there right away. I even took a picture of one, because I’m a nerd:

I’m not saying I don’t make the occasional typo, or otherwise plant my foot firmly in my mouth. On the rare occasion when I go back to proofread my work, I tend to spot most of those as well. But it is an odd “gift” to possess, and can cause one to find one’s self nitpicking the Discovery Channel.

Where Eagles Fly

Posted on by
Reply

I couldn’t get the Sammy Hagar tune out of my head Saturday as a friend and I hiked our way up to an eagle’s nest…thus the title of this post. It was COLD, too! We stood nearby as a pair of eagles nervously checked us out. We kept our distance in an effort to minimize our disruption of their routine, and took lots of photos of them perching in the trees and circling overhead. Sadly, it was a very gray day…so I blued up the sky a bit in Photoshop. Now that my friend has clued me in on the location of this nest, I hope to be able to visit them often! Maybe I’ll come away with some cool eagle photos, and if I’m lucky they’ll grow accustomed to being photographed.

Rocket, baby…yeah

Posted on by
Reply

I couldn’t resist dropping a Def Leppard lyric into the title of this post! I had some time on my hands Monday, so I geeked out and perused the National Atomic Museum, also known as the National Museum of Nuclear Science and Technology. What can I say…I’m a nerd! While there were large sections of the museum devoted to nuclear medicine, nuclear power, and even nuclear weirdness, I of course focused on the fireworks. If it’s space-based or makes a very big explosion, I’m there!

Ever wonder what a GPS satellite looks like? Wonder no more. There was also a display highlighting the different types of satellites used to detect other nations’ nuclear tests and stuff, such as the Vela and DSP (Defense Support Program) satellites. They even had sample payloads on display.

These are the three stages of rocket motors of an ICBM. Note that the fourth stage has cones where the warheads would go. I didn’t see anything resembling Boston hanging around the third stage, probably because I would make an 80s music reference if they did. Oops, I did it anyway!

The portable, or “suitcase” nuke. Designed to be humped into enemy territory by SEALs or other special forces. Doesn’t look very light… I’m not sure I’d want to have to lug that thing into a hostile area!

Cones. These are nose cones from missiles, the left having been tested to see the effects of reentry from space. I can’t believe I actually touched something that’s been in outer space! Hey, there weren’t any signs…

I won’t bore you with all the rocket, missile, bomb, and warhead photos I took. This is just a sample. The one in the back is released from a plane and parachutes down. That wicker-looking bundle in the background is the chute. The chute decelerates the 2,500 pound bomb from 920mph to 50mph in about two seconds!

Fat Man, right. Little Boy, left. Just like the ones that stopped World War Two. Thankfully it only took two, since there were some extras left to put in the museum I guess we probably had some more queued up and ready to drop.

The Titan rocket. This was my last stop before the gift store. I somehow resisted the urge to buy all kinds of positively geeky things there! That left just enough room in my carryon bag to bring home some toys for my little boys.

The museum is working toward building a new facility and expanding quite a bit. They also have a lot of science classes and special activities there, something that would be really cool for the kids. So if you’re in the mood to fly to New Mexico, stop on in! The geek in you will be pleased.

Home Depot closure leaves dozens homeless

Posted on by
Reply

Upon hearing the announcement of Home Depot’s impending closure, my thoughts immediately jumped to two things: first, where do I get my Cable Cuffs? That one was easy: here! Second, what happens to the birds?

These little birdies make their nests in the bottom of the pallets on which much of the merchandise is shipped and stored. At one point I saw three little fledgelings poking their heads out of one of the pallets… what’s going to happen to such feathered fellows once Home Depot goes away?

They’re also going to lose a good source of valuable nutrition, as nobody will be leaving bags of seed around or spilling it on the concrete floor. Sadly, these little birdies will have to go back into the harshness of the wild world.

Many employees are going to be impacted by the closure of our beloved Home Depot. We loyal customers (I hate Lowe’s) are going to feel the effects as well. But who thinks of the birds? I do.

By the way, Home Depot claims it is closing fifteen or so of its stores because they’re underperforming. Could I possibly have been a little clairvoyant when I banged out this joking blog post a couple years back?

Best. Movie. Ever. (with ties to Bismarck-Mandan, even)

Posted on by
Reply

Some coworkers and I took the afternoon off today and went to the opening matinee of Iron Man at the luxurious Grand Theater in north Bismarck. Wow.

First off, this movie was so amazing and so…well, COOL that I was ready to pre-order the DVD before I walked out of the theater. I’d also like to give some props to the Grand Theater. The place is a true movie house, and the way its decorated an operated pay a suitable tribute to movie history. The place is well kept, attractively designed, and those giant curved screens are the only way to see a movie like Iron Man. I know, I like to complain about spending eight bucks for a movie (six for today’s matinee) but if I’m going to spend eight bucks, it’s going to be at the Grand. No place else comes close.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, and chances are you haven’t since it just opened, GO. The characters are awesome, Jeff Bridges is bald, and I think it holds true to the comic book story. I haven’t collected comics since the 90s; I mostly bought what I liked to read, but I have a lot of extremely valuable comics boarded, bagged, and sealed in a safe place. From what I remember of Iron Man comics, this movie does it justice. I’m sure there will be a comic geek out there to disagree, but I don’t care. This movie is at the top of my list, and I want to see it again.

By the way, did you know that this movie has a tenuous link to Bismarck-Mandan? Yes, it’s true. One of the characters, a reporter who also has a make-out scene with Robert Downey that I won’t let my kids (or myself) watch, is played by Leslie Bibb. While she apparently never lived here, IMDB claims that she was born in Bismarck. What a small world, eh?

Throwing copper

Posted on by
Reply

I couldn’t resist throwing the title of a Live album in for this post’s title. Technically we were throwing lead, too…at high velocity! This isn’t my ammo, I was shooting something a bit more beefy.

I don’t hunt other than with my camera; I’m strictly into recreational target shooting. I’ve shot more this year already than the past couple of years combined, and plan to do a lot more. Thankfully my accuracy with a handgun doesn’t appear to have suffered. There’s no replacement for practice, however…I am getting plenty of that!