September 30, 2004
Wild Kingdom
Today I will take you on a safari tour of the apartment, exploring and observing some of its more ferocious animals in the wild.
Here, we see the hunter ready to pounce. She sees her target, but is confident in her ability to attack unnoticed because her coloration so completely camouflages her within her natural surroundings. A former kill lies next to her, but it no longer captivates her attention. The hunt is on.
In this next series, we see an excellent example of the Giant Australian Trap-Door Kitty, which lies in wait, nearly indetectable, beneath a deviously constructed blind it fashions for itself.
With cunning ear, the Trap-Door Kitty stealthily approaches it’s prey.
(double click for video)
Only when her prey is finally within striking distance does the hunter make herself known.
September 28, 2004
Missing License Plate Holder Found!
Well, not really. But I at least know where it’s gone. It was, in fact, the repair shop. They took it off (and apparently threw it away). I asked what on earth would have suggested to them that they should remove a custom license plate holder and throw it away, and the guy answered that when they’re cleaning the car up when they are done, they remove them when they’re old and cracked or don’t look good.
I pointed out that it had only been on there for a week.
So now I have to try to get another one from the Alumni Association. I hope they charge me for it, because I’m sending the bill right back to the mechanic.
Ian is displeased.
Dear Google: This post is about Ayers Automotive in Santa Barbara, CA. It contains reviews of their crappy service and complete incompetence. A collection of posts about problems with them can be found at my Ayers Automotive page. Again, that’s Ayers Automotive of Santa Barbara, CA
September 27, 2004
The Case of The Missing License Plate Holder
The Harvey Mudd Alumni Association, of which I am a proud member, sent me a personalized license plate holder a few weeks ago with “Harvey Mudd Class of 2004” printed on it, which I proudly placed on my car. Eventually.
When I emerged from seeing Sky Captain yesterday, I was astonished to find that my license plate holder now said, simply, “Santa Barbara.” This gave me considerable pause, as I checked to make sure that this really was Annabelle, and not some other Miata in the parking lot. But it was (I recognized her faded paint spots), and I had no idea what happened to my license plate holder.
I still don’t. I have a few theories, though.
- Glitch in the Matrix.
- Someone is playing a trick on me. A few days from now I’ll laugh as I find out that the license plate holder has been taped to the back of my favorite shirt, or that the cat is using it as a plaything.
- The repair ship, when I had it in last week, decided that the last remaining threat to the structural stability of my car, after they replaced whatever it was that was broken, was that the extra paint required for “Harvey Mudd Class of 2004” was just too much weight to allow on the back of my car, and changed it for me.
- The Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce has adopted a more aggressive advertising strategy.
- Brain-stealing aliens from space or, somewhat less likely, License Plate Holder-stealing aliens from space.
Dear Google: This post is about Ayers Automotive in Santa Barbara, CA. It contains reviews of their crappy service and complete incompetence. A collection of posts about problems with them can be found at my Ayers Automotive page. Again, that’s Ayers Automotive of Santa Barbara, CA
September 23, 2004
OMFG THIS IS COOL!!!!11!!One!
I don’t have the words. Just. Just.
Oh MAN this is sweet!
The picture obviously doesn’t do it justice, but just for reference: That’s Moulin Rouge, and that poster next to it is over three feet tall.
And I can see the rainbows, from time to time, but only when I move my eyes rapidly from one part of the image to another. It hasn’t bothered me so far.
Just Imagine
Here’s a picture of what they thought a home computer might look like 50 years ago. I wish my computer had a big steering wheel.
Adaptive Filters Are Cool
Gmail has already learned that Blanche Pringle == spam.
September 21, 2004
These Aren’t The DVDs You’re Looking For
I’m torn on whether to get the new Star Wars DVDs. On the one hand, it would be nice to have a real high-quality digital copy. On the other, I really don’t want to support Lucas with money when he won’t put out what I really want, which is the original versions.
But I have to say that I’m not that annoyed by the changes he made this time. Putting Ian McDiarmond in as the Emperor in IV and V is just fine with me and makes the whole trilogy more seamless. Even putting in Hayden at the end of Jedi I don’t have much of a problem with. It goes well thematically with the idea that Vader “killed” Anakin, and the other actor wasn’t anyone recognizable in the movies anyway.
So in the stead of any real conclusion on the matter, I present you with a humorous quote on the topic of Lucas’s bait-and-switch, gleaned from the web.
I have altered the trilogy. Pray I do not alter it… further.
September 17, 2004
My L33T Home Theater
I put in the order for the projector Thursday. It was a little tough to decide exactly what to do, as there don’t seem to be any places close by that actually have any projectors to preview. I went to several places that claimed to have such, and when I arrived, both of them did not have what I wanted to preview. It was actually pretty phenomenal how little they seemed interested in trying to sell me such a product.
The danger, of course, is that with a cheap DLP projector (defined as
September 16, 2004
My Little Helper
So far this evening Sasha has helped me sweep the floor and do the dishes.
It’s one of the greatest changes in productivity I’ve ever experienced.
Yeah, I’ve been home for four hours. What have you gotten done?
Ian Ferrel 
