Monthly Archives: February 2010

It’s harder than it looks

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Jim

Imagine that you have a web site that, among other things, allows your users to search for media (audio and video) using a simple query language.  So, if you want to find Britney Spears videos, you’d just type britney spears … Continue reading →

Posted in Programming | 1 Comment

Plane crash in Austin

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Jim

Updates and corrections (full story below): The pilot’s name is Joseph (Joe) Stack.  He was a software engineer from Austin.  The airplane, a Piper Dakota tail number N2889D, was registered in his name.  He posted a suicide note on his … Continue reading →

Posted in Odds 'n Ends | 1 Comment

Carving Simple Simon the Penguin

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Jim

I have other projects on my bench at the moment or I would have tried this one already.  A great beginner project, or a quick and fun little project for the more experienced carver, is Simple Simon the Penguin. Dave … Continue reading →

Posted in Carving | Comments Off

Spalted Maple Dog

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Jim

Spalting is discoloration of wood caused by fungus, most often during decay.  It can happen to diseased or stressed trees, and rarely in live, healthy trees.  Spalting can create some very beautiful colorations in the wood, as it did in … Continue reading →

Posted in Carving | Comments Off

Out of Control

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Jim

The President unveiled his new budget today: 3.83 trillion dollars. The numbers fairly boggle the mind. The total budget works out to just about $12,500 per person in the United States, or about $47,500 per family. Or $34,800 for each … Continue reading →

Posted in Finance, Rants | 1 Comment