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November 30, 2006
Local Music: Hour Past
I went to see Hour Past. They have a very well defined and well rehearsed sound. It makes other bands sound like amateurs. To bad they did not start playing until midnight. Too many people have jobs to go to in the morning and can not stick around long enough to hear them.
Posted by binhqx at 11:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 29, 2006
Ancient clockwork calculator.
This is just too cool. A device that can mechanically calculate solar and lunar eclipses. Oh, and it is 2000 years old. It is a staggering piece of engineering.
Read more about the Antikythera Mechanism
Posted by binhqx at 4:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 28, 2006
It's my birthday!
Today is my birthday!
I got a cool present from Pedro. He sent a shirt with a with and my name and a picture of a wold embroidered on it. He also sent a DVD full of the DDR songs he found online, a "MUSIC = LIFE" button and a very nice letter.
Anita made a cake and Jen cooked me up a delightful birthday dinner of pasta with hot sausage. The only other thing I wanted to do is go to the Coat of Arms for some curry fries. But after the big dinner, no one, including myself, wanted to go out to eat.
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November 27, 2006
I hate the DMV
"...some days, we just don't let the line move at all."
"Yeah, we call them 'weekdays'."
There is nothing worse then getting to the DMV to file some simple paperwork only to find a line of people going out the door. I got there thinking that I had just caught the mid day rush and that the line would get moving if I was just patient. However, after a half hour with out making ant progress at all I gave up. Apparently all but one of the license making machines where broken. So the chances of anything getting done today where slim to none.
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November 26, 2006
Just getting stuff done.
I used this Sunday to catch up on all that paperwork that builds up in one's life. File bills and statements, etc. We are supposed to be in the digital age, but there is something about a physical paper-trail that I like to maintain. Perhaps it is because I know all too well about the fragility and mutability of digital media. So I have a filing cabinet tucked away in LaTour with my life's history of monetary transactions and contractual interactions. Some day it will save my butt.
I am also modifying my exercise regiment. I noticed that two hours of 9 foot DDR was not doing much to give me a hard cardio workout. So I have stared mixing in a few 10 foot songs to fix this. I can now regularity get rank C in Max 300. I never thought I would ever have Max 300 as a part of my daily routine. Someday I will need to practice on a real arcade machine. I thought it might be fun to put on a bit more muscle on my arms. I have started doing a bit of weight lifting. We will see the results later.
Posted by binhqx at 2:37 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 25, 2006
Driving home.
I made it from Bar Harbor ME to home in recored time today. It took just over 4 and 1/2 hour to make the trip.
I do not feel like doing anything now, so here is a image of a road in Maine that I did not take.
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November 24, 2006
Photographs From MDI
We whent out for a walk to Ship Harbor today.
Also, check out this panarama.
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November 23, 2006
Thanksgiving day!
This is a Thanksgiving day of firsts. it is the first time having Thanksgiving at the house in Maine. More Importantly, it is Tory's first Thanksgiving.
The food was par excellence. Mom and Dad cook up such wonderful food.
Posted by binhqx at 1:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 22, 2006
North for Thanksgiving
I love holidays that center around the consumption of food. This Thanksgiving will be spent at my parents home in Maine. I will be leaving just after work today. It is a long trip but well worth it.
Here is a image of Boris sleeping in a box next to my workstation.
Posted by binhqx at 4:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 21, 2006
Milton Friedman provides a different perspective on government
Milton Friedman is a economist who won Nobel Prize in Economics in 1976. He advocates laissez-faire capitalism and limited government power. In this video he explains how laws like minimum wage and social security have go intentions but terrible execution. The main point of his argument is government programs should not be judged on their intentions but on their results.
Watch this video from a old PBS program. It provides a interesting perspective on the the economy on the United States.
There is what Mr. Friedman has to say about the argument that government needs step in to control the economy:
"Its a false argument. It assumes that somehow government is a way where you put unselfish ungreedy men in charge of selfish greedy men. Government is a institution where by the people with the greatest drive get power over their fellow man, get into a position of controlling them."
Posted by binhqx at 2:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 20, 2006
How to cheet Quizno for $5.00 discount
Quizno's Subs offers a $5.00 discount after making six purchase over $5.00. This is handed by a little cardboard card that you can pick up near the cash register . Every time you make a purchase the cashier stamps the card. Once the card id full you can redeem the discount.
However, by accident, I found the card can be filled with only three purchases. The ink that is used in the Quizno's stamps takes a little time to dry. By folding the card over, some of the ink can be transferred to another stamp spot.
After only three stamps the card will be full. Of course this stealing, so I would never intentionally do it.
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November 19, 2006
Wii Day!
Jesse came home with a Nintendo Wii late last night. This thing is incredible. It is so mush fun to play Wii sports with other people. I can not wait to dig into some other games.
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November 18, 2006
Hanging with Go Yuki
I got the opportunity hang out with the band before and after the show. Here is a photo of myself, Yuki (singer of Go Yuki), and Mike.
Posted by binhqx at 2:58 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 17, 2006
Thursday night music with Go Yuki and Lourds
It is great when you find that two of your favorite bands are playing just down the street. Last night it was Go Yuki and Lourds.
Unfortunately the band that played before them was very boring. I suspect that because of this a lot of people left early. It is too bad for them, they missed some great performances. Go Yuki is as energetic as ever. The lead vocalist of Lourds plays a incredible electric violin.
Go Yuki is playing again over at the Tin Palace on Saturday. We will probably go there and lend our support.
Posted by binhqx at 12:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 16, 2006
Try out SimpleDox
edgarverona has finished working on a program called SimpleDox. Here is the description from the web site.
Download the trial version here:
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November 15, 2006
Specialty drinks of LaTour
You would think beer would be the drink of choice at a bachelor pad. However, at LaTour we have slightly more sophisticated tastes. Here are a few of the house special cocktails at LaTour:
Irish Chi Tea:
2/3 - Hot Chi Tea
1/3 - Baileys Irish cream
(Served in a mug)
Bat and One:
1/4 - Bacardi Rum
3/4 - Pepsi ONE
Matt's Jackhammah:
1/4 - 100 Proof Vodka
3/4 - Orange Juce
(it is like a screwdriver but much stronger)
Blue Kamikaze:
1/3 - Vodka
1/3 - Blue Curacao
1/3 - Lime juice
White russian:
1/3 - Vodka
1/3 - Kahlua
1/3 - Cream or Milk
Ivan Drago: (a strong white russian)
1/3 - Vodka
1/3 - Kahlua
1/3 - Bailey's Irish Cream
The everything:
1 part every liquor found in the cabinet
(served in a shot glass because it is really disgusting)
Posted by binhqx at 2:39 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
November 14, 2006
Communist Manifesto illustrated by classic aniamtion
Karl Marx and Walt Disney might make odd bedfellows but check out this rendition of Communist Manifesto.
Posted by binhqx at 4:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 13, 2006
Baking for British Night
Tonight I am going to take a crack at making Scones .
update:
Yum! they came out great.
Quick tip. Most wax paper have a waxy and non-waxy side. Make sure the waxy side is facing the scones or they will stick to the paper.
Posted by binhqx at 5:01 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 12, 2006
I hate PCs
One of my tasks for today was to get my sisters laptop running with StepMania. However, it was having all kinds of problems. It was loaded with spyware and some viruses even though it had anti-spyware and anti-virus software. Worst of all the internal ethernet card stopped working. There is something wrong with drivers that prevents ethernet from activating.
So the whole song library is a few gigs in size. Without the ethernet I had to send the files over wireless. This can be less then reliable connection type. So I set up rsync between the two machines so I could stop and start the transfer.
However, it still takes hours to do the transfer. I did not have the time to wait for it to finish and test out StepMania. So in the end I did not get to play DDR with my sister. How depressing...
Posted by binhqx at 1:56 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 11, 2006
Cooking up a storm at Kate and Nate's house.
Kate and Nate are two of Jen's friends from many years back. They have a house in Bangor that they share with some room mates. Kate and Nate where kind enough to put us up for the night and use thier kitchen for a cooking extravaganza. It all stated as a birthday party for Jen's friend John, then it just snowballed from there. The simple party became a feast with chicken alfredo, pumpkin pies, apple pies, garlic bread, and pumpkin cookies all mad from scratch.
For lunch, Kate and Nate's roommates had a BBQ. There is nothing better then meat cooked over a open wood flame. Then we got started on making the pies and cookies. As the afternoon drew on, more and more people started showing up. We recruited anyone we could find to help with the cooking. It was hot and trusrty work, but there was plenty of wine to keep everyone in high spirits. By the time everything was finished the party was in high gear.
A fantastic time was had by everyone.
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November 10, 2006
Pretending to be a U Maine student
I spent most of today hanging around the University of Maine campus pretending to be a student. Jen showed me around campus. Unfortunately it was a Friday afternoon so there where not many people around. I also met many of Jen's friends and acquaintance from school. They are some very nice people.
Apparently if one hangs around the student union building long enough something interesting is inevitable to happen. This evening happened to be International coffee hour. It is just a fancy name for free pizza provided by the International coffee hour club.
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November 9, 2006
Going up north for the weekend
I am catching a ride with Jen up to Maine this evening. I plan on seeing my family and playing some DDR with my sister. I will also have the opportunity to visit the the University of Maine in Orono.
The "whens" and "wheres" oth these events have not yet been nailed down. We are just going to play it by ear.
Posted by binhqx at 3:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 8, 2006
Political blogging and me.
I am not much of a political blogger. I do not feel that I have enough political know-how to advise other people. Most of my ballot choices come from how I feel about a candidate.
However, if you do want to read a good political blog, check out Live Free or Die.
Posted by binhqx at 4:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 7, 2006
Voting day.
Today is the 2006 midterm general election. Here in New Hampshire, there were only two candidates on the ballot that I had any strong options about.
First was Carol Shea-Porter for the 109th U.S. House of Representatives. She has some good things to say about civil liberties and energy independence. However most importantly, she is not a Republican. I have nothing against Republican values. I just do not believe that the entire federal government should be run by a single political party.
The other name I made sure to vote for was Emma Rous for the New Hampshire House of Representatives Strafford District 07. Ms. Rous was one of my favorite high school englich teachers. She is a very nice person.
Posted by binhqx at 1:40 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 6, 2006
Monday is Britsh Night at LaTour
Every monday night at LaTour we watch our favorite BBC programs. Right now it is Torchwood. IT is like the british version of the X-Files set in the Dr. Who universe.
We like to get the whole British experience, so while we are viewing the tele we sip onn hot tea and munch on hot fresh pastries (muffens, tea cakes, that sort of thing). It is a good chance for me to test out my baking skills.
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November 5, 2006
Pizza Party Day.
Anita and Kelly, my bosses, where kind enough to host a pizza party for employes, family and friends. However, it was not just an ordinary come-and-eat-pizza party, it was a make your own pizza! Anita is a fantastic cook, and had spent all morning preparing her mother famous Italian pizza dough.
I was absolutely thrilled. It is not everyday I get to cook pizza without doing the boring parts. Unfortunately SB was still feeling ill and Cap said he hates making pizza. So the only ones who actually made any where Anita, Jen and myself.
Jen set to work on making a pepperoni pizza while I made a Hawaiian one. I happen to like green peppers on my pizza so I through a few on mine. Cap heard what I was up to and denounced my Hawaiian pizza as a abomination. Apparently he also hates green peppers, so I threw a few more on. I also put some on Jen's pepperoni pizza so that no one would eat those pieces but myself. However, I later found that SB and Sean also loves green peppers and they ate all the pieces I put them on.
For my next pizza, I thought I would try something new. I noticed that Sean's kids where not eating the pizza crust. I remembered when I was their age I did not eat the crust. I never found anything about the crust as appealing as the rest of the pizza. I thought I could fix this by making a stuffed crust pizza. The concept is simple, while making the crust, role sticks of mozzarella into the edge then pinch it closed.
I made two pizzas this way, a plain cheese and a meat lovers. Just like a normal pizza, the dough is flattened onto a round pan or pizza stone. I found after placing the mozzarella sticks about a inch from the edge of the dough and the folding the edge around it, the enter crust could be stretched more. Additional stretching caused the overall thickness of the crust to be reduced and the surface area of the pizza to increase.
The result was just as I expected. Once the pizza was cooked, the crust was full of hot melty cheese.
Posted by binhqx at 1:26 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 4, 2006
Curry fries at the Coat of Arms
In Portsmouth NH there is a British Pub called the Coat of Arms. It is very British, you can get a pint of stout with banger and mash and no one will think you strange.
One particularly fine appetizer they have there is Curry fries. Thick french fries slather in delightfully spicy curry sauce. I must find where they get this sauce from or how to make it. It is so good! Just be careful about getting any on your lips and face, it burns...
Posted by binhqx at 4:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 3, 2006
Now showing: NCIS
NCIShas become the favorite TV show here at LaTour. Cap got hold of seasons one, two, and three. We watch it just about every night.
Posted by binhqx at 7:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 2, 2006
Paying to heat LaTour
W talked to our landlord, Ann, about how much it takes to heat the place. She stated that we can expect to go through about 1000 gallons of fuel oil per year. That makes figuring out how much it will cost to heat the place very easy.
With my current estimations, we expect to pay at least $2500 this winter for heating.
Some people have said it would be cheaper to use electricity to heat the place. This should be relatively easy to figure out.
Fuel oil - 138,000 Btu/gal (source)
LaTour uses 1000 gallons per winter.
So it is safe to assume that the house will consume 138,000,000 Btu this winter.
Electricity - 3,413 Btu/kWh (source)
To get 138,000,000 Btu will require 40,433.64 kWh.
Residential New Hampshire electricity costs $0.1249 per kWh.
So to heat LaTour with electricity is:
40,433.64 kWh x $0.1249 per kWh = $5,050
So The cost of heating LaTour with electricity is twice as much as with fuel oil.
Posted by binhqx at 6:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
November 1, 2006
Cool game: Shadow of Destiny (PS2)
I was looking through Cps's PS2 game collection and found a game called Shadow of Destiny.
It is a puzzle mystery game where the player id given the opportunity to save the life of Eike Kusch. Someone is out to kill him and you must use time travel to prevent it from happening. Most of the time is spent having Eike die then going back into the past to change something to prevent it.
I like how the game make the player think four dimensionally. How events in the past change the present. This also can make the game feel exceedingly complicated. However, there are plenty of hints to keep everything on track.
The game is about making choices and their results, so there are many ways for the game to end. The choices the player makes determine which end they will see. Some ending are better then others.
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