Kittens Give Morbo Gas

If you haven't seen the video from the marriage elite:

They call marriage equality The Gathering Storm that will wipe out their choices...

Choices to discriminate

Choices to ruin lives

Choices to force ignorance on others

Let the storm come, let equality wipe out their narrow-mindedness

Accept nothing less

"You WILL Obeyyyyyy....!!!!"

Get that dirty thought out of your mind,

I'm doing another Welsh Cooking Demo.

We are making a huge pot of Cawl: kinda the Welsh version of Irish Stew. I have a friend with connections in the Amish community that has this really nice mutton, yes, mutton. It smells so good stewing on the stove for hours.

The menu for Saturday's cooking class:

Welsh Cheeses (damn, why is Caerphilly always sold out?)
Cawl Cennin (Leek Soup)
Cawl Mam-Gu (Lamb Stew, Grandmom Style)
Ffagoddau (Faggots: Pork Dumplings in gravy)
Mushy Peas
Picau Ar Y Maen (Welsh Griddle Cakes)
Glamorgan Sausages (Welsh Cheese Sticks)
Penderyn Whisky
Tea

I'm hungry again

Wales beat England this Saturday 23-15.

It was a great game, both sides played well with some exciting runs.

We watched it at Fadó, an Irish pub, in Philadelphia.

Let's see if the get the Grand Slam again like they did in 2006!

So today was TV Day getting ready for the big (delayed) Digital TV switchover.

I got up this morning and went out with Dad to buy mom a new flat-panel DTV for her den. We also got a converter for the old CRT in the guest bedroom.

Then off to the neighbours to set theirs up. The reception was awful so we had to make a run to RadioShack to get a better aerial.

Finally everything works.

Now to do my Welsh Society Minutes for tomorrow.

I don't ever want to see a TV again!

For those that missed it Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon put on a great show at the end of December, early January.

My SD Card Palin'ed up so I lost my pictures of the conjunction.

My schools Astronomy Club has been re-invigourated so I am helping their advisor by providing materials and resources.

We are going on a field trip to a friend's planetarium in Feb.
When the weather warms up we will do some observing. Hopefully Saturn's rings will be visible again.

Rittenhouse is going along; we have some good programs coming up.

Sunday was busy as all get-out. We had full shows at the Fels every show after the first and we had to turn people away. I did two encore shows, one live, and didn't get home until 7pm.
I was wiped but it was rewarding.
The Bloom Observatory was open, still no Sun Spots, and the H(alpha) filter has been in the shop *forever* so we can't see those details. Oh well, we are only a year into the upswing of the solar cycle.....

So, since October(ish),
my last post, Matt and I have been busy.

I have been studying for my CCNA

Survived the holidays

Trying to get my job to recognize my marriage as a marriage and not some lame "domestic partnership".

Organizing our Saint David's Day holidays coming in March.

Visiting a sick friend in the hospital.

Trying to keep my shit wired shut, but I think I have a leaking "O" ring (ref Jan 1986 thx).

Oh, and organizing my pictures for posting, but *NOT* on ScrapeFaceBOOK.

More to come, like salmonella tainted processed peanut products

Pictures of Matt And Dalex Rampaging San Francisco

Full sized versions available upon request.

It occurred to me today that besides being a blatant diversion as a choice for former Maveric John McCaine as Vice-President the real reason for choosing Sarah Palin is her solid track record of fighting Big Oil.

Besides being an anti-family, anti-choice (one can not be "Pro-Life" and vote for war. PERIOD, Double Stop).

I appreciate anyone who can field dress a moose...

But the meat is: She has made a recored on revoking the excessive privileges that Big Oil enjoyed in Alaska; revoking tax incentives, etc...

If Jonh McCaine becomes President then she would no longer be standing in the way of Big Oil.

All of the other stuff aside; the choice is clear.

Keep the Maverick of Alaska on the job keeping Big Oil from running amok.

DX

This weekend I did a bit more experimenting with Welsh food for the Harriton Welsh Heritage Festival this past weekend.
Topping of the day were Picau Ar Y Maen (Welsh griddle cakes) that I cooked on an iron griddle over an open fire. They are yummy if you get the chance to try them do; they are something like a cross between a scone and a shortbread, tasting of currants and nutmeg. I do them every year.

On the more experimental side I tried my hand at two classic dishes from the Gower (coastal South Wales):
Ffagodau ("Faggots" which are pork and liver meatballs) and Cocsen yn Lawr (Cockles and Laver).

Since Cockles cannot be had in Philadelphia for love nor money, despite all of the other really *weird* seafood that is imported, I used cherrystone clams. For the Laver (Porphyra Umbilicalis) I used dried sheets of Nori that I reconstituted with water; it is much cheaper and more convenient than importing the same sea vegetable imported in cans from Wales. The results were delicious: sweet shellfish on a bed of tender savoury Laver sprinkled with vinegar and salt and pepper. Next up is frying in bacon fat for breakfast.

The Ffagodau were technically "Ffagodau Saes" (False Faggots) because my butcher could not get pigs' liver in time so I had to make due with only fatty ground pork. The recipe calls for equal parts ground pork, pigs' liver and suet or fatback, mixed with chopped onion and seasoned with sage. The meatballs are rolled in flour and baked until brown. A gravy is made of the drippings and served with Mushy Peas. Truly yummy.

The curator of Harriton House and I are working on holding a recipe testing night that will also include Welsh LLanelly spring water and Penderyn whisky.

Stay tuned!

The Bad News:
In Tredyffrin Diesel Oil is selling for $5.17 a Gallon

The Good News:
Last cycle I *averaged*, stop and go, commuting traffic: 49mpg
Cost: 9.5 cents a mile

TDI

Rah!

RAh!!

RAH!!!

Regarding my previous post:
New Camera
+
Cold Fingers
+
Very Sleepy
=
Lousy pictures of Saturn.
I'll post one, but they are no where near as good as others I've taken, and not a patch on the view through the eyepiece.

We had over 70 people out last night to hear Dr. Anne Schmiedekamp,
NASA Solar System Ambassador, show "Postcards from Saturn". Great presentation on Saturn, his rings, and the latest data back from Cassini. The timing was great because: 1) Last night Cassini dove through the water-ice geysers of Enceladus to take measurements of their composition, and 2) It was a clear night and we had all 4 telescopes in the Bloom Observatory focused on Saturn and you could even see Titan and 3 smaller moons.

The only downside is that the seeing was so good we didn't leave the Bloom until 23:00.

Worth every minute, now if the pics. turn out I'll post them.

Trying the Leopard, and finding it spotty....

I was working in iCal, I live in iCal...
I was bashing my brains in trying to figure out where the old "Notes" (comments for an event) field went.
well, it turns out that it was right under my nose; only the wise HID gurus at the new Apple decided to make editable fields look non-editable.



BTW, notice that Notes is not capitalized? Just another indication that it is hidden. Not even showing as a box to give you a hint!

I *am* generally happy with Leopard. My only beefs are:
1) iCal hides stuff that should be obvious (see above)
2) I have a few games that are "Classic" only. Burning Monkey Solitare 3 and Railroad Tycoon 3 are not as good as Burning Monkey 2 and RT2, sorry guys, the flavor was lost with the new editions...
3) Piles (oops, I mean "Stacks"), in the dock are great, but I wish I had the option for Spring Loaded folders for things like "Favourites" and "Applications".

The Rittenhouse Astronomical Society came back from Summer Break with a presentation by Dr. Robert Nemiroff, the creator of Astronomy Picture of the Day. Very cool pix. I also learned some new programming of our SkySkan Digital Sky interface to bring up a live animation of the Andromeda Galaxy in our simulated sky. 55 people turned out, not including our student crowd who were missing in action; probably because their school astronomy clubs haven't yet met for the year. We hope to see them next month.

After the presentation 30 visitors came up to the roof to view the Moon through the Zeiss Jena telescope in The Joel L. Bloom Observatory. The new computer controls behaved themselves and we were able to view Crater Tycho and some mountains on the Southern limb. Visitors ranged from 8 to 80, no kidding. After most of the public left the AstroGeeks went searching for some more difficult targets: the planet Uranus, globular clusters M92 and M13. Due to humidity Uranus was too dim, we were able to pick up M92 but M13 was obscured by too much haze.

Pix soon.

All in all a good night

Despite my omnivorous eating habits, its not what you think.

On the other hand I have quite a few friends that will tell you about the abnormal squirrel population in East Falls; apparently the mild winter didn't *deprive* them of their usual weaklings and now they are everywhere, eating everything. They are in the eaves of at least two of my neighbours' houses.

Well this morning The Circle Of Life started back up. I was driving down to our main arterial and saw a bird in the road. A funny looking bird. Acting Funny. Very Funny.

Next thing I know a see a squirrel dart across the road (I think towards the bird).

The bird jumps up onto the squirrel although they are about the same size; Bix, post your kinky comment here!

It spread its wing and it turns out that it was a *very* young Red-Tailed Hawk trying to get a bite to eat. It flew off without the rodent in hand, but man, I'll build that thing a nest just to keep it around!

Are you afraid of heights? Don't apply for my job. I spent most of my day 2 floors above the ground on shakey ladders focusing security cameras; boy was *that* exciting.
The view is kind of cool.... I could do without the humidity and the rain.
Hopefully I will be done by the end of the week.
The worst part is the hired help aren't all that cute.

Well,
so here we are. George W. Bush feels that it is OK to override his own Justice Department when they issue a fairly middle-of-the-road sentence to someone whom they found had lied to Congress in an investigation on a matter of National Security.

If 2.5 years is "Excessive" (as defined by G.W. Bush) for undermining justice, then it is much to excessive for citizens, or immigrants, found to poses minor amounts of recreational chemicals.

Please contact your Congressional (http://www.house.gov) and Senatorial (http://www.senate.gov) representatives and demand the reduction of sentwnces for victimless crimes; don't forget to tell them that President Bush said it's OK.

DX

So my parents took Rafecub our to dinner for his birthday at a brew-pub in Manayunk (Philadelphia) next to the river. We had a perfect table on the deck by the river, the weather was great, our server was excellent, she was never off the floor exept to get something. We had a wonderful view, and since this is where the college kids on the 'rents expense account and the Nouvelle Riche come to grub the human scenery was amusing.
So...
just after our first round of in-house beers arrived in strawddles (strut+waddles) this ThirtySomething lawyer type in a $500 linen (looked like burlap to me) suit, dripping with cheeszzzey jewelry. He sits down with his friend and shortly an order of sushi arrives (ummm, yeah, a mill town brew-pub that serves Sushi, Schuylkill Catfish and Crappie platter anyone?) and without misisng a beat, nor putting down his Razr, picks up a fork and stabs into the Maki.

Wow

I really couldn't make him up; maybe Jerry Seinfeld could....

To beat the band he ate the varous Maki but left the Flying Fish Roe roll on the plate to be taken away.

Did he even care and respect what he ate? I should'a told the chef who probably would have come out and made sashimi of him on the spot.

On the other hand I recommend the restaurant on the corner of Main Street and Shur's Lane any time!

P.S. Except for Sashimi, because it is delicate, I recommend eating Maki and Nigiri with one's fingers rather than chopsticks because of the sensual connection between the food and the diner. I'm just kind of an aesthete that way.

So,
today, on my way to work at the Fels Planetarium I was stopped by the Transit Police.
First of all I love my city and like to document it through photography in all of its subtle forms; especially the small details of urban design that go unnoticed and disappear.

Second I was trying to create a photo guide for suburbanites trying to get to the Franklin Institute by Mass Transit (particularly the one who's acronym is "Systematically Elimitating Public Transit Availability"). Mind you many of these people are not comfortable in the city so I wanted to find the least scary route out of the old Pennsylvania Railroad Suburban Station. So there I am taking pictures, walking around in a shirt an tie, boldly going from one spot to another and the TP come by and question me.

They were, to their credit, polite when they asked me whom I worked and a number of other questions. I told them exactly what I was doing and why. They said that they became nervous from seeing flashes. Atomic attack? Duck and Cover? Of course, that must be it! After explaining myself they let me go. Then again I am white an displaying plenty of visible identification.

I seem to recall my brother's trip to the Soviet Union (nee "Evil Empire") where one was forbidden from photographing the transporation infrastucture. And a couple of years ago some art students in Philadelphia had their cameras confiscated and their film destroyed for taking pictures of the Sunoco plant. So thank you GWB, our history will go unrecoreded, people will get lost in the caverns of Suburban Station, and we will slide into a culture that we fought against for 50 years. I can just hear good Ole Uncle Ronnie (aka "The Gila Monster in a Pompadour") spinning in his grave. "Mr. Bush, TEAR DOWN these Laws."

So, Southwest Airlines has this great new add comparing a trip on SWA from PHL to PGH to driving it on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The add features *lovely* pictures of traffic on what can only be a LA area freeway, and pictures of B-737/500s taking off. No pictures of lines at parking and security, or toll booths for that matter.
They say that there are TWO ways to make the trip; and let's mercifully kill the idea of using either US-30 or I-80:Southwest and the PaTPK. And that SW only costs $34 on special fare.
Ummmmm...
what about "The Hound" and Amtrak?

So a brief trip to my fav travel sites for some consumer research.....

***Insert Blinking Lights and Star-Trek Beeping sounds****

>>DING<<

Results as follows (Alphabetically:)

Carrier Service Type Cost Time Amenities? Web Site

Amtrak #43 Pennsylvanian, Coach $45 7hr Snack Car www.Amtrak.com

Greyhound #1685 $31 7hr Rest Stops www.Greyhound.com

PA TPK Driving own car $58 (17 tolls 41 Gas) 7hr Rest Stops, convenient www.PATurnpike.com

Southwest #737 w/ Promo Fare $34 1hr None www.Southwest.com

It's worth noting that Amtrak and Turnpike prices are pretty stable but Greyhound and Southwest go up on short notice or if promo fares aren't available. Greyhound "anytime" is about $41 and SW goes up to $87-91!

The only way driving the TPK works out is if you need a car at the other end; otherwise either SW or Greyhound are the way to go on price (GH) and speed (SW). Neither are very comfortable, that goes to Amtrak; which is not the arm and a leg is is in the Northeast Corridor.

To suggest that there are only 2 ways to travel between PHL and PGH is pretty sleazy on SWs part tho' and they could have at least uses actual pictures of the PA Turnpike which has some pretty nice scenery and some pretty hairy traffic.

Check out one of my favourite travel sites: The Passenger in Seat 61