• Episcopal - Random Access Memories - SABRE2th Tigress: Book 'em, Dano.

    The Feast of Saint Nicholas

    December 6, 2008 - By 

    St Nicholas is special to me. Not only do I attend a church named after him (he’s our “patronal saint” in liturgical churchspeak) but he’s indirectly responsible for my 20-year career in travel. As he’s the patron saint of children, sailors, and travelers, this seems more than mere coincidence. How’d this happen? When I was still living in Eugene, I was drifting along at a dead end job after I left college, working at a dry cleaners. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life or what I could do to improve my circumstances. More schooling…

  • Radio - Random Access Memories

    Zenith | Well, that’s where they make ’em

    December 4, 2008 - By 

    Chicago Public Radio just broadcast an amazing documentary about the old Zenith manufacturing plant, which closed 10 years ago. They interviewed several former employees and intercut them in a really compelling, evocative way. I was transported to another time and place as I listened. Somehow, I managed to keep enough attention on the road to get home safely. You’ve got to hear this, because it’s not just people talking about where they used to work. They’re talking about who they used to be, and what this country used to do. Today marks the 10th anniversary of a historic plant closure…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Lapcat Install Compleet

    December 2, 2008 - By 

    Total elapsed time after arrival: 10 minutes. Feed: nom nom nominal Error log: 1 interrupted install (teakettle whistle alert tone) End log: 5 minutes. Ginny I can has iPhone? Via: Flickr Title: Lapcat Install Compleet By: GinnyRED57 Originally uploaded: 2 Dec ’08, 6.30pm CST PST Total elapsed time after arrival: 10 minutes. Feed: nom nom nominal Error log: 1 interrupted install (teakettle whistle alert tone) End log: 5 minutes. Ginny I can has iPhone?

  • Twitter

    WN WIN! Southwest Rox teh Sox

    December 2, 2008 - By 

    Southwest Airlines (WN) is giving out free socks from Old Navy today at their Dallas Love, San Francisco, and Providence counters. How do I know? Because they Twittered it, of course. They “tweet” as @SouthwestAirlines and even took pictures (will add links later).. Here’s one adorable lady repurposeing her socks: UPDATE: Isn’t this lady awesome? So cute and feisty. She reminds me of a friend at Holy Moly. Same playfulness. Clearly, she loves her sox.

  • Food, Glorious Food

    Just Do It: My Turkey Anxiety

    November 30, 2008 - By 

    I admit it, I have Turkey Anxiety. I’ve never actually cooked a complete Thanksgiving meal, and in fact I very, very, very rarely cook at all. David handles most of the day to day stuff, although I have a few things that I make for the two of us. We never entertain, because the house is almost never company-ready. There’s too much stuff to put away and no place to put it, and yadda yadda. But every now and then, I get the wild urge to make a turkey dinner around the holidays, with the side items that are my…

  • Traveling Along, We're Adventurers

    Irish Georgian Society: Architectural Gems Rescued

    November 30, 2008 - By 

    We saw lots of Georgian buildings on our trip to Dublin in August, and many of the best-preserved must have benefited from the work of the Irish Georgian Society: Now observing its 50th year with a series of celebrations and a lavishly illustrated book, the revived Irish Georgian Society has been credited with restoring dozens of architectural gems across Ireland, from a former union hall for Dublin tailors to the country’s oldest Palladian house. (The society’s early preservation efforts focused on Georgian Dublin, but in later years it expanded its mission to cover noteworthy buildings from any period.) Perhaps more…

  • Geek Out!

    Image of the Day: Jupiter and Venus and Meteor, Oh My

    November 29, 2008 - By 

    Another glorious image of Jupiter and Saturn, taken in Chile: Night skies over Chilean mountain top observatories can be dark and clear, with glorious cosmic vistas. In this recent example, the plane of our Milky Way galaxy stretches parallel to the horizon, the galactic center’s star clusters, dark dust clouds, and glowing nebulae hovering in the west. Recorded after sunset, the wedge of light extending upward through the scene is Zodiacal light, sunlight scattered by dust along the solar system’s ecliptic plane. A faint meteor was also caught in the view, but approaching a conjunction, brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter…