Water pipe woes

Posted on by
Reply

20120222-101212.jpg

Had a bit of excitement yesterday. The main water pipe leading into the house broke sending a 20 foot geyser into the air. I had some trouble turning the water off as the valve is right next to the break. Talk about a face full of water. I got thoroughly soaked from head to toe.

Roger, the park maintenance guy got there just as I finally got the water turned off. He didn’t even get wet! But he did get it fixed right away.

Turns out that all the underground water lines are PVC and coupled to copper when they come out of the ground. The coupling is the weak point in the system and that’s where it broke.

See the “water pipe” ground wires attached to the riser? I’m thinking that they are not quite up to code. The PVC is just a few inches below and is not conductive. Hmmmm

Starry Night – Interactive Animation

Posted on by
Reply

When today’s technology is used to “improve” masterfully created artwork from the past, the results are normally disastrous. The old form of manual creativity flowing from mind to eye to brush to canvas is an intimate engagement that yields results no computer could ever duplicate even in the hands of the most skilled graphic designers.

There are exceptions.

Greek artist Petros Vrellis took the iconic panting of the night sky over Saint-Rémy in France and applied a combination of creativity, interactivity, and subtle enhancements to bring the painting to life in ways we’ve never witnessed before. Using openFrameworks, an open source C++ toolkit for creative coding, Vrellis takes one of the most famous interpretations of movement and flow ever created and allows it to realize the extent of its motion.

Instead of desecrating the masterpiece, it is brought to life.

Sunshine in a Jar

Posted on by
Reply

I started a couple quart jars of Preserved Lemons today. Used primarily in Moroccan cooking, but they also find their way into any food that is enhanced with lemon… which in my opinion is pretty much everything!

Made from fresh lemons, lots of salt (I used Kosher salt), and lemon juice, they’ll be ready to eat in about a month. I’ll turn them over every few days. Can’t wait to try them!

Google Preserved Lemons for all you ever wanted to know about them.

Thank you Nan for suggesting Preserved Lemons!

Von Johin at The French Quarter in Second Life

Posted on by
Reply

Von Johin is one of my long-time favorite artists. He’s had a successful career in the music industry, but now chooses to play only in Second Life.

Major and his best girl, Harris, attended this fan-appreciation concert on February 4, 2012. And what a concert it was! A three-hour marathon, Von played and sang his heart out. Many of the songs I’d never heard him sing before. Much to his fans’ delight, he seldom adheres to the normal one hour time slot and this was no exception!

You can friend Von on Facebook… http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1493545055

These vids were from the live fan-appreciation concert… just crank up your speakers and enjoy!

Watch live streaming video from vonjohin at livestream.com

Watch live streaming video from vonjohin at livestream.com