smokerblog

Site Redesign

If anyone notices anything funky with the display of the site, please post a comment below.

I think I now have it working for those using Windows Internet Explorer, my apologies if anything was/is displaying strangely.

UPDATE 03/31/04:
There is a problem with floating elements (the haiku box) in IE on the Mac. If you're is interested, this site gives the details. This site should now be readable to Mac IE users now, although the blog text doesn't wrap around the box like it's supposed to.

If you're using OSX, you really should check out Safari or one of the Mozilla variants. They really are superior to IE.

Other users should not have this problem. If you do, please let me know.

Meet Flat Stanley

This is Flat Stanley Lambchop.

He is a friend of our nephew Caleb and has come to visit us for a couple of weeks. Flat Stanley is on vacation and Caleb has asked us to act as hosts and tour guides for Flat Stanley as he travels around town seeing the sites and generally relaxing and having a good time.

Here are some pictures of some of the fun Stanley has already had here on his first day as our guest. Stay tuned for more adventures with Flat Stanley!

Check Your Batteries

My parents had a bit of excitement Saturday morning when the ashes my dad had cleaned from the wood-burning stove caused the basement to catch fire. Thankfully, the smoke detector alerted them in time and everyone was able to get out safely.

The wiring, the plumbing, and the ductwork all need to be replaced, but there does not appear to be any structural damage. The cement block basement walls kept the fire somewhat contained. Everything in that room was destroyed, but luckily nothing vitally important was stored there. I don't know the extent of the smoke damage yet, but all told, we are thankful that the fire did not spread any further.

My mom and grandmother are staying with friends, while my dad insisted on returning to the house last night, no doubt to stay close to the business. He plugged the tv and lamp into the gas-powered generator and watched some NCAA basketball before going to sleep in his own bed. I hope he kept warm in the unheated house... Lows may have reached the single digits last night...

Tristan's Song

My brother, Ted (father of Abby), has written a short piece for "electronic ensemble" inspired partly by this picture of our nephew Tristan and also by last summer's tornado. This piece will be performed by Duquesne University's Electronic Chamber Music Ensemble on April 28.

Eagle Eye

We spent this past weekend at my parent's house enjoying the warm (and wet and muddy) spring weather. The dogs had some fun (and wet and muddy) exercise, and I was able to drive around some of the lesser-travelled (and wet and muddy) roads to snag some pictures. (Don't hold your breath waiting for me to get them developed.)

Saturday night we got to visit with some old friends (hi Ann!) and learned about a groovy board game: Eagle Eye Agency. Not only were we able to enjoy the company of friends, but the game was also a welcome contrast to the fierce competitions of ping-pong and pinochle I had been engaged in all day with my dad and brothers.

See, the Eagle Eye Agency is a "cooperative" board game. You still divide up into teams, but the teams all work together to reach a common goal, which in this case is to solve a crime. At the begining of the game, you choose a crime to solve and then travel around the board (a map of Big City) collecting clues, debating their relevance and red-herring-ishness, and eventually agreeing on a scenario on which to base an accusation. Think of it as a game of Clue where everybody shares their information, but the crime is much more complex than just "Professor Plum in the Library with the Candlestick." (Who would ever try to commit a murder with a candlestick, anyway?)

Part of the fun lies in the goofiness of the clues and crime scenarios. Mike and Seth presented their theory that the game was actually created by Canadian stoners, possibly during late-night dorm room conversations. This theory is supported by the convoluted solution to our case, which if it were a real-life scenario, the expense involved in committing the crime would likely far exceed the rewards of pulling it off. This isn't a complaint, though. It's part of the charm.

blogito ergo sum

This week's Economist has a brief review of Henry Beard's handbook for coping with modern life by using the world's most popular dead language: X-treme Latin: Unleash Your Inner Gladiator. The book sounds quite amusing, especially for those of us who voluntarily sat through Fr. Griffin's after-school Latin classes. Here are just a few of the Economist's favorite phrases:

Heia, amice, utrum illae sunt sarcinae tuae, an modo Carthaginem despoliasti?
"Hey, pal, is that carry-on luggage or did you just sack Carthage?"

certamen inter mammosas tunicis madefactis vestitas
"wet T-shirt contest"

taberna Iaponica pulpamentorum incoctorum marinorum
"sushi bar"

crapulentus sum
“I'm wasted!”

Nisi mecum concubueris, phobistae vicerint
“If you won't sleep with me, the terrorists will have won.”

So but then I saw the link on the amazon.com page to Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis. Here's my internal monologue:

How much of a geek am I?
[reading amozon.com reviews]
How much of a geek am I?
[mouse hovering over "add to shopping cart" button]
How much of a geek am I?
[click!]

Oscar Who?

I totally missed the Oscars telecast last night. Other than the Lord of the Rings sweep, nothing really interested me this year. We only saw two of the best picture nominees and only a handful of the other nominees, so I don't feel all that bad about missing the ceremony anyway.

Besides, I was still digesting my recent viewing of The Passion and busy watching Patton for the umpteenth time. Time to update the top five list!