23
Feb 12
Arrrrgh… Flickr down!
Here’s the scoop from the Flickr blog:
February 23, 2012
Time for a massage
1:43 pm PST: We’re having a small hardware hiccup and some servers need to get a gentle massage by our knowledgeable engineers. Apologies for the disruption, we’ll keep you posted in this space and it will hopefully not take long. Thanks for your patience.2:06 pm PST: The servers are still not comfortable, but we’re getting closer to finding the source of the lumbago. We’ll keep you updated right here, as soon as we know more.
2:14 pm PST: Our chiropractors have found the spot and are applying gentle pressure right now. If all goes well, we should be back shortly.
2:45 pm PST: Looks already better, but word is the massage session might still take a smidgen longer. We appreachiate your patience.
Posted by Kay Kremerskothen
22
Feb 12
Water pipe woes
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
18
Feb 12
Starry Night – Interactive Animation
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.
17
Feb 12
Sunshine in a Jar
Sunshine in a Jar, originally uploaded by James Milstid, aka PapaJames.
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!
17
Feb 12
Green Chile Chicken Tamale with Black Beans
I bought a few tamales at the Farmer’s Market last Sunday and tried one for dinner tonight. Doctored up some black beans and topped off with tomatoes, avocados, lemons, and sour cream.
Oh. So. Good!
17
Feb 12
Fragrance of the Lemon Peel
Fragrance of the Lemon Peel by Ilya Zomba, Oil on Canvas, 1997, Courtesy of Zombart