Arr, the Kraken

I've got two projects that I'm far too excited about for what they actually are - so much so that I've given them semi-sinister sounding names because all good projects require names.  And henchmen, but I'm still a little lacking on that front.

Project Arcturus is my scattershot random picture project - I'm going to scatter 100 disposable cameras around the city in neat little yellow boxes that say, "hey, congrats on being one of the less than 1% of folks even willing to pick up a box like this let alone look inside.  Now comes the fun, you're part of a participatory art project.  Take some pictures of you, your friends, your family, funny looking dogs, whatever, and mail them back to me in the envelope provided (don't worry, I'm covering postage) and together we'll make something cool.  Look at this website for more info and updates".  I think it'll be smashing and I hope that I'll get fewer than 5% pictures of people's junk (both literally and scatalogically).  So Arcturus is progressing nicely with a source for cheap disposable cameras, cheap remailing envelopes and potentially cheap boxes to put them in (though I'll probably have to spray paint them yellow).  Now the only problem is where to get 100 rolls of film developed somewhat cheaply.  I looked into doing it myself at home and despite the opportunity to play with caustic chemicals it's just too expensive still.

Project Aurae is much less interesting but probably more useful overall - with the iPhone SDK now out I've been working on a scrabble dictionary application for it - with "find me a bingo with these letters" functionatly and everything.  "But zack, what use is that application when your iPhone already has teh interwebs and there are free dictionaries online?" you say.  Well, yes, that is a rather huge gaping hole in my plan and part of the reason this idea is unlikely to make me massively wealthy.  Mostly it's because finding quick ways for a computer to find words that match your letters is just an interesting problem to me.

Lastly - you now have to think ever so slightly harder if you want to comment here.  As Mikey rightly pointed out the russian mafia/spammers had sucessfully migrated to the new format and my anti-spam-fu is weak.  However I read recently about reCaptcha and I like what they're doing.  It's one of those "squiggly words" tests (captchas) except what these folks do is use it to help digitize old books for the library of congress or google or whomever.  They give you two words, one of which they already know the answer to and the other their computers have had a hard time with.  If you get the one right they assume the other is also good and - tada - you've helped digitize a book.  Swanky no?  If you get a particularly hard one (I got a giant black box one time) just click the little refresh button and they'll happily send you more words.

Standing up high, towering, surveying the landscape around me. I enjoy standing above things, somehow solitary and unified with everything all at once, probably the reason I perch on rocks when climbing or stand on chairs for no reason.  Straddling the gap, one foot on rotting canvas covering rusting chain, the other firmly planted on rough plastic rhino-hide, protective shell for the utility beast.  Stare out for a while and take in the landscape as it were then turn and grab the sheet.  Clear and razor sharp, old glass gently removed and transported to meet its final fate.  Steady myself against the ridges and bumps of the bed and press out against the rope barrier I hurl the glass out into the abyss.  It slices smoothly through the air before gradually coming to a stop and only then starting to descend.  It falls with remarkable grace, far more slowly than expected, teasing out anticipation as only an inanimate object can do.  Closer to the ground now, any second now - it's gone.  No transition from one state to the next, just glass one moment and a cloud of blue the next.  Beautiful really.

I wrote that last night just as my mind transitioned to sleep.  Actually it wasn't quite that but this is what I could make from my scrawled notes.  Note to self, work on penmanship.

Every now and again I get absolutely entranced by the little bits of nature that scurry and hop about my yard in the morning - usually to the detriment of my commute.  While the squirrels are ever vigilant against Addie, she and the birds seem to have drawn up a tentative truce (even with the crows).  We spent probably a good half hour this morning watching a little robin hop around gathering up bits of sodden twig for a nest presumably.  It saw us and was initially scared but quickly realized we meant no harm and went about its business.  It's possible I've started noticing this more since the last two movies and book I've read have had a lot to do with folks living in the wild but who knows.  I like my little urban forest.

Also, the best thing about heart ache, waffles for dinner.

I'm recently home from burying someone else's pet out in discovery park - that's just how strange this unplanned weekend has progressed. 

With 2/3 of the folks I normally hang out with out of town this weekend (or so it felt like) I was a bit resigned to an uneventful memorial day, but the world would have none of that.  Saturday I had agreed to let Abby use my kitchen to cook Justyn dinner.  Then it was dinner for a few people, there had even been an eVite about it but I (as is my style) knew nothing of this.  10-12 people, no problem.  I think all total we probably had about 30 show up, which isn't a terribly large party but it was surprising that my tiny little house managed to house that many people fairly comfortably.  The Wii was played, motorcycle ogled, fajitas grilled and by pure happenstance (one of the guests older sisters went to my highschool in my class) we broke out the old high school year book and I was mercilessly mocked.  It was great.  Plus I finally met a few of the folks in some of Justyn's stories that I hadn't met before.

Sunday as an enjoyable day burning myself at the park and game night followed by insomnia which lead nicely into the email greeting me this morning - one of Allison's rats hadn't survived the 4 weeks she's gone in wales and Chavie wasn't entirely certain what to do.  We decided on burial (as opposed to 4 more days in the freezer) so I went and found the makings of a little coconut shell coffin and prepared for the trip out to discovery park.  If I ever suddenly need to bury a body again (one never knows) I think next time I'll wait until not the middle of the day on a somewhat sunny holiday because let me tell you, nothing is more suspicious than seeing someone walking around a park with a stuffed bag and a shovel and nothing is quite more surreal than digging a grave in a small copes of trees while little children giggle and run all around you.  Please don't look over here.

Vegas the previous weekend was enjoyable too, especially the Cirque show Ka. 

Dishonor gnome came traveling with us and managed to experience both the highs and lows of Vegas.  Seen here getting some play and relaxing in the pool.

Then of course here losing it all on slots and laying dead or destitute in the gutter.

Taking that little gnomey punk with us was probably the best idea my manager has ever had.  He may just have to become a regular traveling companion.  He, or one of his plastic and thusly less breakable siblings.

I spent the last weekend at the MAKE magazine "Maker Faire" in san francisco and I have to say, I'm hooked.  I tried everything from blacksmithing and welding to making felt finger puppets.  I have no shame about the finger puppets either, they were cool.  I got to hear one of the Mythbuster folks talk for a while (though it was crowded and there were ultimately more interesting things to do).  Basically I got to do all but one of the things I really wanted to do.  I didn't get to drive around in a motorized cup cake.  They wouldn't let me, I did ask.  And now, pictures with commentary!