ThreeMediaDesign

Computer vs Human; Apple Chess

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:58:00 +0000

Is this a legal move?

Basically I move my pawn from e2 to e4, and "computer" moved his pawn from d4 to e3 taking my pawn. I didn't know that could be done?!

White House apple juice comes

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:43:00 +0000

White House apple juice comes from China!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:38:00 +0000

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:02:00 +0000

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 19:01:00 +0000

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime® 6.5 or higher is required.

Anyone else get this on Sept 1

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:36:00 +0000

From My Vegan Post

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:41:00 +0000

For breakfast today I was strewn with anxiety as I rummaged through the fridge to find a vegan dish. Upon giving up for to wait on lunch to come around, I decided to walk the dog to contemplate my dilemma. Before that, I ground some beans for the coffee machine; must grind to a very fine consistency with reusable filter in an auto drip- doesn’t work at all like a french press. After 2 ruined pots over the last 2 days, I finally get it right. With that brewing I’m out the door. Butche is strewn with excitement as his clairvoyance tells him my plan before I even grab the leash. He has been savoring the moment when he can use the facilities of the woods as opposed to the yard; “how uncivil it is to use my yard as a latrine” he must think. Halfway to our normal turnaround point I get the sharp pangs. Now my mind is racing; what to eat what to eat. Toast and...ouch no vegan butter....peanut butter [is it safe?].....hummus.....okay I know I’m making toast but what else; can’t exactly have crab bisque on it today. We walk past the neighbor’s house and their dogs are howling at us from inside the house. Butche immediately dignifies himself by thrusting out is chest and raising his head; his pace picks up searching for the perfect marker location. We get to our turn-around and he slows his pace all the way back; I think he wants to stay out for a bit however now hunger is pulling at my leash. Back inside I find a container of leftover chili paste-coconut milk sauce with tempeh and stir-fry squash. Can that be breakfast? I toasted the bread, the dry bread, and instead of using it to sop up sauce I created an “s” on shingles type breakfast- however it was oddly bland yet spicy hot. Then I made it again, this time with a slice of tomato on top of the toast, then the tempeh with sauce. With a cup of organic mango lemonade (on sale AND used coupon) it made for a good jungle breakfast. Now: house repair anyone? My unorthodox approach to carpentry was borne of unenthusiasm towards working with wood. However, I called the recession carpenter: myself. The work itself takes no time. The learning curve takes all day. So I’m priming some bare wood that was underneath some water damage. Amazing how a drip over several years can take out an entire outside siding face! Fix those gutters! Just finished replacing some plywood, now it is pouring down rain. Lunch anyone? So far it has been dairy-free crackers. Time to go deeper...

So crackers and bean salad it is. As deep as I could get. And no crab bisque to be found. Plywood is cut, up on the side of the house; and one or two drops fall. No problem, we keep working. Then the feeling in the gut; that Watauga county feeling; so I scramble to put the tools up, get the circular saw in the house, break down the saw horses, wind up the drop cords. And it comes. Sheet upon sheet of rainwater pummel my bandaid of a repair. [Good thing I primed it.]

Raining, cooling off, no reason to be outside. Time to tackle the rotted bathroom floor; do toilets normally have a 45deg lean? With cat's paw and crow's foot, the truth is revealed. Worse than I thought. Someone hire a carpenter!

My recipe for today is the best yet. The EASIEST yet. Cheapest? Not sure. Add to a big pot, the following:

Lots of agua; fill the pot close to 2/3rds full.

Salt; plenty of kosher salt.

Beets. Add beets.

Now boil. Set your timer for 7:00pm so you can watch Seinfeld syndicates. By the time it is over, beets are ready (I watched 2 episodes tonight before it was done.)

With my beets, peeled at the table, absolutely no crustaceans were harmed, I also took part in a brown rice with vegan boullion; what a day. Is CSi on yet???

VISIT 7 Shades of Vegan***

Ben

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:20:00 +0000

Tempeh

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

Saab 900 Idle Issues

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:17:00 +0000

Dana began to report another strange issue with my 900. She was driving it over the winter as her Cirrus was in serious need of work; because I work on all of our vehicles, and due to the lack of a garage, we downsized for a bit. Dana would make an excellent race car driver; she is sensitive to car performance, and she is correct, so far, 100% of the time that a problem exists. Then it is up to me to diagnose, and treat. It is our arrangement, and it works. In the end, that is- there have been some arguments over the course of this deal- and I will admit they are usually over me not really wanting to do the work. Well that stuff stops as soon as you get THE call: "stranded.... tow truck on the way.... I missed my concert solo." Blurgh.

Being “armed to the tee,” as my father likes to put it, is the essential first step. Never go into battle unprepared or under-armed. And guess what that means: one can never have too many weapons when lives are at stake. So if your boss will let you, ask to splurge majorly on highest quality tools in highest quantity she lets you afford. (Don't argue about the she [or he] part, you know it is true. And if it is not true for you now, my friend, it will be true one day.)

Think you have enough tools? You're Wrong. Go out and buy some more. Then go online and find some weird highly-specialized gadgets and buy those too. Keep them organized in nice tool boxes, and hide your precious weaponry inside your house (this is guaranteed to start an argument however you must hold your ground) and not outside in a shed. And lock 'em up. Never leave them in an unlocked car or truck, like I did. Especially if you live in a “safe” area. Unless you feel like buying a new set.

OKAY-NOW. So back to the strange problem. The 900 would drop out RPMs when at a stop after highway driving. It would barely idle, however she would let you get back on the road after some hesitation. It was a bit scary. After a bit of research into my trusty Saab Manual I found that this was known officially as “limp mode” and that it probably had to do with throttle body components. My toyota truck was notorious for throttle body issues, so it wasn't a surprise. Step one, according to the book, was to clean AIC valve. So I spent one of my mornings doing that. It was a little gummy in there after 104k miles, then I had the dilemma of what to clean it with and whether to leave it clean-dry or clean-lubed. I'm not going to answer that. Send me an email or leave a comment and I'll personally send you the answer. What is your opinion? Why?

Step 2 was to test the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS.) I just tested the one on my girlfriend's Cirrus (oh yeah winter is over- now it is summer) and hers was way out of range. The test for the bosch TPS was a little different than hers; it was a continuity test rather than voltage (I had to insert small straightened paperclips like syringes into her test harness!) so it is EASY with a proper multimeter. It is a good idea to disconnect power to battery & wear safety goggles or glasses before attempting any work on a vehicle. Simply test ohms between terminals 1 and 3 with engine off & wiring disconnected. My omegas were out of range, by 100-200 ohms, and inconsistently out of range. I would open the throttle and I would get different base numbers each time I returned to closed position. Hmmmmmmm. So I checked prices on a TPS and decided to get one. I also had to order a coolant hose as another pin-hole leak formed. The date on the hoses indicated they where 19 years old. So I ordered that too.

I swapped out the upper coolant hose (sensor manifold to head- the shorter hose) and took a peak at the TPS job. I could find no way to get my T15 driver in there without removing the throttle body. Well I had to get back to my house-sitting job to check on the doggies so I decided to limp it over there so I would have more time to work on this thing. After loading the back seat and my trunk with tools, “armed to the tee,” I headed over. Hmmmm- cleaning the AIC valve seemed to have helped, however the 900 did not see highway speeds on the way so it is not over yet. After relaxing for 5 minutes and focusing my mind, I went out to spray some pantherpiss on the 3 throttle body bolts and the back of the TPS (just a drop) to make life a little easier. Then I went into a meditative guru state, and saw something:

The Promised Tool:

Use a ¼ inch box-end along with a T-15 bit and a bit of electrical tape. Remove the two AIR (no clamps) hoses from the top of the throttle body (DO NOT REMOVE THE RIGID COOLANT HOSE!) and one will be granted enough access to use your chosen tool to remove the TPS.

The Promised Tool Manufacture List:

Check OHMS

Manual OPEN condition to check OHMS (use your hand, yo!)

When I put everything back together and started the car, there was hesitation on punching the throttle. Blurgh. Looks like another meditative state is in order to see into the top end. Clogged injectors? Plug gaps off? Something deeper? I pulled plug #1 just to see; it wasn't perfect, however it wasn't fouled either- the business surfaces were very clean. The outer surfaces had a bit of brown deposit. I gapped them myself last time I did a tune up.......was it 5 years ago already!? Not my daily driver by the way- I used to bike to work, and now I work from home. So over 5 years she's seen very little mileage; until she met Dana.

Was this article helpful? Have you any tips on tps? Please comment & leave your email address.

Happy 4th!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:23:00 +0000

Firework show seen at Baker Park. Quite impressive, louder than I expected! The next day we found tons of chaff all over the place from the spent shells. Here ducky ducky! Hopefully unbleached firework paper and cardboard won't make too much of a dent on the wetlands.

Same photos retouched:

What do you think? Leave me a comment.

Browser issues resolved

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Quick note - if you are not a Firefox user, you may have had issues viewing our web sites. As of today we resolved the non-scrolling and the blog mis-alignment issues when viewed from other browsers. Seems we had an extra h1 tag; a dangling chad if you will, that was hanging up certain browsers and making the text REAL BIG! Also, changed the anchor tag JavaScript from h reference = # format to a _blank target to clean up scrollability issues. If you happen to find issues please email me!!! Or write a post (I'll have to review it before it can publish anyway.) Thanks!

Scenes from my uneventful morning walk:

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Picture “0602091026a”

View from base of second street; 2 or 3 flags in flight. Very patriotic street this morning!

Picture “0602091017a”

Crossing the street with meter man ahead. I'm sure he's getting plenty of business what with trash night on odd numbered streets last night- most of these cars probably tucked away for the night on second street. Not many people out this morning; only slightly humid. Sunny and a bit hazy- very pleasant. School-crossing sign looks radioactive in the photo!

Picture “0602091015a”

The last leg before the apartment. Two more American flags. Seemed more scenic in real life- maybe a decent camera would be better than this cell phone; however I'm trying to stay simple. Seems a little oversaturated- need to change the brightness setting.

I'll Enjoy This On My Time, Thank You Very Much

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Dana- not at work! How is that possible!? Where is she? She's at La Pa'z guzzling virgin margaritas, on the rocks, no salt; however somehow Bubbles got this one past the salt police. Great place to munch on tortilla chips and guacamole. Marci's choice salad always a good addition.

Boone Florist On The Move To New Location Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:58:00 +0000

BooneFlorist.com

Looking forward to a simple, simple website to help our girl out!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Just checking in!

SEAFOOD Recommendations

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:49:00 +0000

I love going out for Sushi, and even though I eat primarily vegan I still enjoy fish on occasion. I've had people make comments that one should eat this fish, or shouldn't eat that; farm raised vs wild-caught, Alaskan vs Asian... and because I don't have the luxury of catching fish from the river or ocean behind my house (oh to dream) I decided I would explore the topic; actually I sort of stumbled upon it, and I've posted the link here for you to explore for yourself. It is simply a chart and a fold up card that you can take with you when shopping or dining out:

Seafood Recommendations

National Grammar Day

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:22:00 +0000

"What did you bring that book up here for me to read to you from for?"

SPOGG

Editing Tips: Fonts

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 19:55:00 +0000

Fonts to me are a pivotal foundation for the effect and tone, even inflection, of the written or typed word. I typically use Times New Roman for the straightforward no-nonsense look and feel. Helevetica is a nice runner up when the tone is less formal.

Each bit of editing software has its quirks regarding font selection. The built-in blogger editor has a down arrow inside a button that allows selection of a very few fonts. OpenOffice uses a similar selection method with many many choices, however it lacks smart selection [doesn't keep track of recently used fonts.] Gnu imaging software is by far the most difficult. It involves selecting layers as well as multiple windows, and double clicks to activate each one. Oye. Check their help pages for an in-depth explanation. CS4 is also not the most straightforward text manipulator. Those of you familiar with UNIX probably shed a tear when you think back to CRISP editing software; mostly geared towards code however it was by far the most logical and powerful in its small code size. The current commercial version I have not tested, however I would imagine the code is now inflated (text editing requires only a few k in theory- how they stretch it out to 1/2 a gig is beyond me and should be an embarassment to the coders- you know who you are.)

On a lighter note, arial is a nice "airie" font [eagle's nest?] however because it is the default on the most popular editors, I tend to shy from it.

Good day all!

Orange Juice

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:18:00 +0000

This is real simple: save your orange juice carton for just a sec before you recycle it (probably can't recycle the cap; check with your county) and type in the code at the top. Each time you do that, you save a chunk of oxygen (that's what we breathe, yo!) producing rain forest. Easy- do it. Bookmark the link if you like or just add me to your RSS feed (see "Atom" on side bar.)

Save 100 square feet of rainforest

More Sun in the forecast?

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:38:00 +0000

Solar collector

Cwa Twak

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:29:00 +0000

A living organism- that is how one should view their vehicle. That may be natural for some, and possibly something that might somehow get overlooked when the years go by rapidly. Reading the owner's manual is a good first step. Reading the Preventative Maintenance section of the repair manual, then reading it again, then looking back at what you paid for the vehicle, then looking at who rides in the vehicle in case you forgot, then memorizing the preventative maintenance section, and preaching it to your friends, may possibly be a pretty good idea. Following it to the letter would be an even smarter idea. When I was 16, I got an oil filter wrench, a gallon of oil, and a pocket repair manual for my birthday. I went out and bought the thicker manual. I treated that book as if it were gospel. I followed all the maintenance items I could afford. Friday I went to check on a vehicle that I had in storage. Okay, actually it was parked for a very long time, and according to the manual..."Thou Shalt raise the vehicle and support Her Lovingly with jackstands such that none can put assunder. If thou hasn't the means to do this, by all means push the car a foot or so ONCE A MONTH so that her beatiful tires won't get flat spots. Take precautions to prevent pestilant Dry-Rotting of thy $400 meats. Shower thy love in WAX before you COVER vehicle with the correct fitted cover and keep her in an Environmentally Controlled home, er, garage. REMOVE her battery and keep it in a temperature controlled place- charge it tenderly with a nice car charger. POUR EXACTLY 1 TBLSPN MOTOR OIL INTO EACH CYLINDER after you remove, carefully, one by one, each spark plug that you thoughtfully check gap clearance with your 89cent spark-plug-gap-tool, and lovingly sponge, er, brush copper anti-seizing compound on each thread before you set your $150 torque wrench; if you go cheap and get the 15 dollar one, HE WHO ART IN HEAVEN shall know exactly that you did this, and Punish you. Now son, or daughter, liberally spray all underhood hoses and rubber parts with silicone protectant. Oh. And never, never, ever, overlook this one: BE SURE TO FILL TANK AT LEAST 3/4 FULL WITH FRESH GASOLINE MIXED WITH STA-BIL. STA-BIL. STA-BIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Amen."

I did exactly NONE of those steps, yet I know them ALL by heart. As I furiously attempted to jump start the vehicle in 18 degree weather, nothing happened. Then gas was dripping-flowing-purging from underneath the vehicle.

"Oh Goodness- please please please"

Oh fearless son, thou hath committed many wrongs of negligence... You shall be punished for your "oversight."

I opened the fuel filler and shone my flashlight down into it- I thought I was seeing an afterimage. Inside the tank was coated with the most beautiful crystallized brilliant crimson iron-oxide. It was EVERYWHERE. And you know what our hero thought?

"Should I keep trying?!"

Then God Himself reached down and pulled me away. "Drive away from here! Call your mechanic! GO NOW!" And as it was spoken, so I obeyed. When the tears stop flowing, I'll be able to decide when I can write about how this all turns out. Goodnight!

2:46 AM

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:59:00 +0000

Insomnia. What a delight to have a case of it tonight (this morning.) Seems I haven't followed my Circadian cycle this week, so it's not surprising to be experiencing this. One thing that keeps me awake at times is just a calorie deficit; and it may be over a few days of just not getting enough net energy. I've been eating mostly vegetarian and because that type of food tends to be low-cal, one needs to be sure to get enough. Usually my day goes like this:

Get up early
1 cup soy or rice milk
3 tblsp protein powder(vegetarian)
Whisk it up and throw it back.
After fully ramping up:
1 egg
2 toast
Maybe a slice of cheese
1/2 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup fruit
6oz orange juice
2 cups coffee(8oz) with agave or Maui sugar
[the coffee I consume over the course of the morning- not all at once]
At this point I get as much work done as I can before lunch.
I usually take my lunch hour to run:
25-35 minutes seems to be a good compromise between getting drained & revamping. This amount really wakes me up. 45 minutes and I'm toast for the rest of the day so I'll save that for the weekend.
Then for lunch after cleaning up:
Homemade hummus sandwich; plenty of L & T, no sprouts please.
OR
Micro-meal: they've got these great Indian dishes that are totally vegan. Yum.
OR
Heat up leftovers from last night, if any exist!
Then munch away at the desk. There is this great book that explains these Circadian cycles of which I've been taking suggestion from. Apparently that mid-afternoon blah IS what your body is Supposed to do! AND the book says to Embrace it! Whether one knaps or meditates or just gets away from the computer for 15 min or so is really good for the body. When you "come to" have a nice healthy snack:
The other half of hummus sandwich
And/or more fruit.
8oz rice milk
***I haven't mentioned this: I fortify my system with lots of water all day long. About a pint every couple of hours or so, and more so if I've been exercising over lunch.
This book is great at explaining our Circadian rhythms in a simple way, and on an anthrophysiochemohomeostasical level. I plan to add a link to this book shortly.

So for the fellow insomniacs, write it out of thy head, and maybe read something funny.

Fire Trucks on 3rd St

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:54:00 +0000

Street View during Maxwell Ave house fire 12-15-2008 in Frederick, Maryland.

Maxwell Ave Firemen

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:05:00 +0000

Brave souls! Frederick, MD 12-15-2008.

Burning House Maxwell Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:58:00 +0000

Maxwell Avenue house fire, 12-15-2008. Frederick, MD.