Quote for Monday 3

"I began to enjoy the exhilarating delight of traveling, a life of desire, gratification, and liberty." -Jules Verne in A Journey to the Center of the Earth

Monday July 7 2008

File under: quote

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Green Juggling in the Parade

Last year, I posted about Anacortes's 4th of July Parade, the quintessential small town parade. The big highlight for me was the Beat the Heat group who marched to advocate living a lighter impact life specifically through less carbon emissions. This year, since I've become a member(ish) of the group, I decided to walk with them and effectively restart my annual tradition of juggling in the parade. Since just juggling wouldn't really make any sense in the context of beating the heat, I had to get a creative. My solution: themed juggling clubs. And for those who couldn't really tell what the idea was, I made a little sign I wore on my back. While I don't think anyone really got it*, people seemed to at least enjoy the juggling. The point of the exercise was as much to have fun both in the artistic endeavor of creating the clubs and walking in the parade as it was to influence/get people to think. I think the whole thing can be called a success. Thanks to Gretchen, Ma, and Ron for snapping a few photos while I walked.

Saturday July 5 2008

File under: juggling, Anacortes

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on Sat 05th Jul, 2008 07:36 pm PDT Wren said: P.S. A shout out thanks to Andrew as well who carried my repair supplies in the trail electric car. ************************ on Sun 06th Jul, 2008 07:20 pm PDT Joe Wilbur said: very cool wren. i totally got the sign ;-) ************************

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FC 39 - For the Birds

This comic is for bird nerds*. If you aren't a bird nerd, you probably won't get it, at least not right off the bat. Maybe you will. I don't know you. For the non-bird nerds in the audience, I've left a bit of an explanation in the comments section below. I really like how this one turned out, both graphically and otherwise. It feels good when a mini-project comes together so nicely (even if it did take way longer than it should have). Maybe one of these days I will do a comic out on paper. Perhaps it would allow me to be less finicky about details and technical conundrums (anti-aliasing vs. non) and complete a comic in less than 4 hours. For now, however, I enjoy my Paint Shop Pro 5.0. Besides, you would not want to see my free hand interpretation of a bald eagle.

Thursday July 3 2008

File under: comic

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on Thu 03rd Jul, 2008 11:52 pm PDT Wren said: The olive-sided flycatcher's call is distinct in the bird world. It sounds like the bird is saying "Quick, three beers!". It is one of the few bird calls I know. The other one is "cheeseburger, cheeseburger", but I don't remember what bird that is from. ************************ on Fri 04th Jul, 2008 12:38 pm PDT Andrew said: My mother should know. Kathleen? ************************ on Fri 04th Jul, 2008 09:29 pm PDT Root Mama said: a goldenarcher - of course. ************************ on Sat 05th Jul, 2008 01:58 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: Very funny! Well done! ************************ on Sat 05th Jul, 2008 08:18 pm PDT Mom said: Good call, R. Mama. These birds are easily identified in the field by the bright ketchup colored feathers around their beak, usually found sitting on the wires around fastfood parking lots. ************************ on Sat 05th Jul, 2008 10:37 pm PDT Wren said: Har har, ladies. I was thinking of the Black-capped Chickadee.1 ************************

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Web Project Olio

To keep myself sane in between periods of travel, I find myself getting involved in quite a number of computer/web projects. While I know not all of them are super exciting, I figured if I compiled them all into one post, it might pass muster on the interesting scale. Firstly, I've just finalized creation of a website for Jai Guitars, a guitar refinishing project run by friend, frisbee great, and occasional BdW commenter Joe. I think the site turned out great and was a lot of fun to make. Check it out, and if you end up ordering a guitar, tell him you heard about it on BdW. Other projects I've been dinking with: I'm helping out the Elect Bill Turner campaign by maintaining their website. It is my first involvement with a political campaign and I think it will prove to be eye opening*. After it initially getting a fair amount of press, I'm continuing to update North Sound Transit Guide. Recently, I added Frequently Requested Routes (fully planned routes mostly between Seattle and major North Sound cities), a feature that I think should be very useful. I hope to be adding more features soon. I threw together this little game for Luke (of Sponsor My Loans, Blog About Beer, and Real World Really)*. It's about as hokey as web browser games can get, but also kind of fun. I think he's putting it together for his boss or something, so if you happen to pass through Portland, Maine, don't go advertising it from rooftops. I continue to work towards getting a crossword published. I've submitted two for publication but haven't heard back. If you want to check out the new ones, they can be found on the games page. (I'm told these latest ones are both better and easier than the first couple, so if you tried before and were dissuaded, think about having another look.) I've got a few other projects in the works including adding a new product to troothpicks.com*, a face-lift/added feature set for BdW*, and maybe another small business website or two to add to my resume. If you've got some web related project you've been pondering, maybe I can help. Have your people call my people.

Thursday July 3 2008

File under: work, coding

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on Thu 03rd Jul, 2008 11:37 am PDT Joe Wilbur said: you did a great job wren *applause* ************************ on Thu 03rd Jul, 2008 05:43 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: I will be available to shoot for anyone here at BdW, when we win that camera! Wren gets first dibs :) ************************

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Quote for Monday 2

"Give me slow food and fast internet!"

Monday June 30 2008

File under: quote

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on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 10:14 am PDT Andrew said: Great quote. But who is the author? ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 10:18 am PDT Wren said: Mira is responsible for this quote, although I think she meant it as less of a piece of wisdom for the ages than merely to inform me of her position on the matter. Little did she know it would be immortalized here on BdW. ************************

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Phototastic

I like having pictures of where I've been and what I've done. Who doesn't? As for actually taking them (getting people all lined up, making sure there are batteries in the camera, etc.), that's another story. Esp. when traveling, I really try to force myself to take as many pictures as I can because I know I will appreciate it later. This blog has been a great help in the motivation category on that front. (It is also worth noting that I've had many great people contribute their photos of shared experiences to this blog and for that I'm quite grateful.) But those are more documentary type photos. Rarely do I think I capture something that can stand on its own without explanation or context. I'm slowly learning the art of photography, or at least producing pictures that I like, and as my skill grows, my interest grows. Someday I will have a photo that I will like well enough to enlarge, have framed, and put on my wall*. Speaking of fancy photography, my friend and your fellow BdW reader Sweet Julie has a photo in the finals of Nikon's Big Deal Photo Contest*. It is a great photo and worth checking out. Winners of the contest get a fancy new camera, so share the love and go vote! (Yeah, so this post was a combination of having little going on in my world and wanting to help a friend win a free camera. If you've got a cause you want promoted to the throngs* of BdW readers, send it my way.)

Sunday June 29 2008

File under: misc

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on Sun 29th Jun, 2008 10:16 pm PDT Sweet Julie said: Thanks, Wren! I am so excited cause there were tens of thousands of entries, and 120 finalists. The grand prize is a trip to Hollywood... about 40 min from my house! I would settle for being one of 60 finalists that gets the new Nikon camera!! You can vote once a day until July 15th. Woo Hoo- Schralping the Gnar, Brha! ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 11:21 am PDT Ryan Walters said: Dude, check out Windows Live Photo Gallery -- it does an awesome, one-touch panorama. ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 11:44 am PDT Wren said: I usually use Panorama Factory, but I hadn't switched it over from my old computer. In the interest of spurning anything "Windows Live", I went and retrieved said program and made this. Just a skosh better than the other one, eh? ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 07:25 pm PDT dave said: wren, i think your photographic goal is a great one. julie or wren, can you help me narrow down which photo is yours at the photo contest? i want to vote but my internet time isn't plentiful enough to allow me to sort through them. ************************ on Mon 30th Jun, 2008 11:09 pm PDT Wren said: Dave, if you click on "share the love and go vote" above, it should take you directly to the image. (It's a photo of a whale's tale.) If that link doesn't work, try this one. If neither of those work (which wouldn't entirely surprise me because the site is written in flash which doesn't play well with others*), you can find it by filtering for only the finalists in the Nature and Landscape category. It is the first image on the second row (at least on my screen.) Happy voting! ************************ on Wed 02nd Jul, 2008 11:48 pm PDT dave said: oh, that DOES work. sorry, didn't look closely enough at the name the first time i linked through. awesome photo, julie (for real). hope you win a camera! (what lens were you using for that shot?) ************************ on Thu 03rd Jul, 2008 07:31 am PDT Sweet Julie said: Thanks, Dave (and again, Wren) I was probably using my 80-200 on my Minolta X-700 SLR (old school!). Remember to vote every day, if you can! :) ************************

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FC 38 - Everybody Poops

Before you condemn me for the sacrilegiousness of this comic, let me make a case: everybody poops. Back in the day, toilets were hard to come by. At some point in his life, Jesus must have found himself in this situation. So while the bible didn't specifically mention it*, this week's comic could very well portray a scene from history. Okay, okay. I know that is pretty weak. My true defense is something along the lines of humor, and the pursuit thereof, being a divine thing and the value in the ability to not take things too seriously. And while I know that defense won't appease all, I'll just leave it at that. As per her request, the artist of this week's comic will remain nameless. (Unfortunately, the powers that be already know and I'm sure that this will be recorded in the "bad" column in that big scoreboard in the sky, both for the artist and me.) (Other allusions I tried to work into this post somehow were something about a religious "movement"* and something clever about the pope doing something in the woods.)

Thursday June 26 2008

File under: comic

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on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 09:47 am PDT Saxtor said: OH YEAH!* ************************ on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 10:15 am PDT Joe Wilbur said: lol....that's awesome. nothing wrong with that I say. it's all good if it's funny. ************************ on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 12:29 pm PDT Sean said: If you want some world-wide publicity, make this comic with Mohammed instead. ************************ on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 05:36 pm PDT Nesbitt said: What is on Jesus' butt? It looks like he is growing a beard down there. ************************ on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 09:41 pm PDT Amanda said: I think it's funny, Wren. And anyone with any biblical sense must appreciate humanity along with deity. i'd say your remarkably theologically correct :) ************************ on Sat 28th Jun, 2008 09:39 am PDT cardboard said: Dude i highly doubt Big J would even like toilets, he strikes me as the type who would rather head to the bush to take care of his business. ************************

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Apple Splitting Fun

In a further attempt to keep this blog at least somewhat interesting between my travels, I present you with this video I took of myself the other afternoon. A couple years back, a friend taught me how to split an apple with my bare hands. I hadn't done it in quite some time, hence the less than smooth performance. Still I think it is pretty neat. Do you know any good food tricks? I was thinking of trying to work up a vaudeville-ish style act to demonstrate a bunch of food-related tricks. So far, I've got the t(r)oothpicks/saltshaker/forks balance, the speedy hard boiled egg peel, various grape toss/catch tricks, and this apple thing. I think I will need to find a few more before I am ready for Broadway.

Wednesday June 25 2008

File under: misc, video

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on Thu 26th Jun, 2008 12:06 am PDT Sweet Julie said: Wow! Wren! How neat-O. You should take a bow on camera, that is quite a feat. Can you do that spaghetti-up-the-nose-out-the- mouth-trick that the male species has seem to perfect? ************************ on Thu 26th Jun, 2008 05:02 am PDT Nesbitt said: Blowing milk out of your eye. ************************ on Fri 27th Jun, 2008 10:17 am PDT Joe Wilbur said: cool wren. nice clean split. ************************

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Quote for a Monday

"Trust your heart. Follow your feet. You'll know when you get there." -Stuart McLean, Vinyl Cafe

Monday June 23 2008

File under: quote

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on Mon 23rd Jun, 2008 08:07 am PDT Wren said: I'm trying out a new weekly* feature. Just like we can all use a laugh on Fridays to get the weekend off to a good start (hence the Friday Comic), I figure an inspiring(/funny/poignant/etc.) quote on Monday might get the week started off right. We'll see how it goes. ************************ on Mon 23rd Jun, 2008 08:01 pm PDT Root Mama said: He will be in Paramount October 10th - last year's show was outstanding. ************************

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Happy Summer!

Summer here in Skagit County starts at 5:00pm (and 14 seconds). According to my watch, that is right about....NOW. I celebrated a little early by busting out the hammock and lounging back for some reading and a short little nap. I hope that is a harbinger of the next few months. Summertime and the livin's easy.

Friday June 20 2008

File under: Anacortes

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on Mon 23rd Jun, 2008 01:28 pm PDT Todd said: Was that pic taken by the Goodyear Blimp? ;) ************************ on Mon 23rd Jun, 2008 01:41 pm PDT Wren said: Oh SNAP! Mom, are you going to take that? ************************ on Mon 23rd Jun, 2008 08:25 pm PDT Mom said: Nice, eh? Not revealing any secrets but beware flying objects peering through your upstairs windows. ************************

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