Idiomatic Expression

After about four months of having zero time to touch a computer (other than writing a reports for work) I took the time to upgrade my personal laptop. I now have a working installation of OpenBSD 3.2! I have even gotten a couple of the problem programs (from my past installations) installed and properly configured. As always OpenBSD was a breeze to install and configure, of course now I know most of the gotchas, and where to find good example configs (Thanks Monkey.org).

In late December I posted about our bathroom threatening to collapse into a muddy hole eroding the foundation of our house. Luckily things have been progressing a lot smoother than I expected. We didn’t even have to move in with my In-Laws during the work. With a little bit of work Katherine was able to make the scary upstairs bathroom usable, although we still haven’t decided what to do with the full sized window in the middle of the tub/shower wall.

Today a federal judge threw out what I would term a nuisance lawsuit against McDonald’s. Do you think people will start getting the idea that they should be responsible for their own actions? Too bad they didn’t sue Taco Bell; we all know they put crack in the refried beans. If they didn’t why would I keep eating there?

In a move that will make couch potatos all over the world scream with delight… fox renews their last remaining watchable show! Well other than that Man vs Beast special, any show with both an elephant and midgets is top-notch in my book. Full details here!

Now if I could just get new episodes of the Family Guy, The Tick (live action), Greg The Bunny, and Futurama, I would be a happy happy man.

The Bush administration keeps saying that the war with Iraq isn’t about oil, trade, or money, but what about this?

Recently I was talking with a friend (lets call him Ndugu) and Ndugu mentioned that he had seen Kurt Vonnegut Jr. shilling for Nissan, after recovering from my initial shock I hypothesised that he may have seen an ad for the new 03 Nissan Murano. I must have mentioned that I kind of like the styling of the SUV because the next thing I knew Ndugu was giving me a “If you buy an SUV we will mock you mercilessly!” Now I knew my friend’s were anti-SUV but this was a bit much, so I started taking a closer look at this particular SUV. The Murano has two drivetrain, options all-wheel dirve (AWD) and front-wheel drive (FWD), both drivetrains are equipped with a continuous variable transmission (CVT) codenamed the Xtronic CVT.

Since the biggest problem my friends seem to have with SUVs is their poor fuel economy an SUV with a CVT could make for some interesting comparisons. Time for a little more research.

Well if you are thinking about visiting the DC Metro area in the coming year, or you are like me and miss most of the fun stuff going on in the area, the Washington Post has compiled a list of this year’s events and exhibits in an article titled”
Got Plans?”

Keep reading for my favorites.

This week Katherine and I have taken a step into the past by purchasing a Video Cassette Recorder (VeeCeeArr), and signing up for a land-line (POTS). At least we have a nifty Phillips PH-838 cordless phone set from Taiwan. I am pretty sure that the phones do not operate on the appropriate FCC band, so hopefully I won’t be picking up police radios or broadcasting to the local Burger King.

Although I am sure the phone line and VCR will come in handy when I need to do things like make an International call while taping “When Buildings Collapse” I still feel like I have stepped back into the 80’s and should specify whether I bought a VHS or BetaMax VCR.

Taipei has an amazing variety of goods for available for sale. Fresh produce, including fruits and veggies i have not seen in the U.S., is available in the outdoor markets. If you don’t enjoy the chaos, sound, and smell associated with these markets there are also a number of modern super-markets (just like your neighborhood Giant) with a slightly decreased number of goods available. The Night Markets have a shocking array of goods displayed in the most chaotic display of capitalism you may ever see, but more details on those will have to wait. Shopping malls, department stores, and movie theaters in Taipei dwarf their American counterparts.

I’ll be in Beautiful Middleburg Heights, OH for a week to attend some training. Also extended my stay at home as I will get a chance to work locally for a bit, so I might actually get to see my bathroom through to completion.