Before there was Flash, the primary means of displaying movement on a web page was via animated GIFs, low resolution graphics with mostly clumsy transitions. Animated GIFs have mostly been relegated to retro-cult status, with very few serious uses for the format (although done properly, with the right graphics, they provide a quite passable substitute… Continue reading Cinemagraphs: Animated GIFs Live Again!
Some Actual Facts About Oil Industry Taxes
One of our local TV stations made a provocative post on Facebook this morning, on the subject of the Congressional hearings about gasoline prices, and whether oil companies “should get these tax breaks as oil and gas prices continue to soar, even if it impacted business here in West Texas?” The comments were predictably appalling… Continue reading Some Actual Facts About Oil Industry Taxes
Cake Break(ing and Entering)
I think Dante left out at least one important level of Hell when he penned Inferno. Surely there’s a special punishment reserved for whoever invented those plastic cake containers that you get at the grocery store. You know what I’m talking about – those blasted snap-together covers that require an advanced degree in engineering to… Continue reading Cake Break(ing and Entering)
Random Thursday – The Wednesday Edition
Random observations while contemplating an age-old question: exactly how much Angel Food Cake is the equivalent of one piece of chocolate cherry fudge cake? Oh, and reader beware. Here there be snark. In large quantities. And possibly *gasp* sarcasm. Think the EPA isn’t out of control? First, they* want to shut down the oil and… Continue reading Random Thursday – The Wednesday Edition
Reading List
Here’s what I’m reading now. Well, not right now, because I’m writing this. Don’t be so literal (pun intended). Also, because I know you care about such things, I’m including a parenthetical note about the method of word delivery. The Dark Design – The third installment of Philip José Farmer’s Riverworld saga. Riverworld is ridiculously… Continue reading Reading List
Willie Nelson: A Marvel of Musical Efficiency
Willie Nelson’s concert in a less-than-packed Horseshoe Arena last night was a model of efficiency. His bus backed through the doors of the coliseum at around 7:25 p.m., behind a stage that was a model of minimalism: one snare drum, two beat-up amps, a piano, and a couple of microphone stands. Willie appeared ten minutes… Continue reading Willie Nelson: A Marvel of Musical Efficiency
Rattlesnake Dreams
Debbie and I both dreamed about rattlesnakes last night. In my dream, one chased me as I was walking [home?] from [somewhere?] at [night?]. (I don’t always remember the details of my dreams with precise clarity.) Artist’s Rendering In a fit of terrified intrepidness, I jumped and grabbed a limb of a convenient live oak… Continue reading Rattlesnake Dreams
Avocet Video
Remember the flock of avocets that visited our neighborhood pond last weekend? Sure you do! Anyway, I finally got around to editing the video I shot and I’ve uploaded it to YouTube. You can either view it there via this link, or just click the following embed. Note that the source footage* is HD so… Continue reading Avocet Video
Awesome Acrobatic Avocets!
Debbie and I were in the front yard yesterday afternoon – she was working; I was, um, supervising – and our eyes were drawn to a flock of birds circling our neighborhood’s north pond, about two blocks away. I grabbed my video camera, and then returned and got my SLR with a long lens, and… Continue reading Awesome Acrobatic Avocets!
Fire Map
I’ve been tracking wildfires in West Texas via Weather Underground’s interactive mapping feature. If you’re not familiar with it, check it out when you have a moment. When you initially visit the preceding link, you’ll see a generic Google Map. Use the “Map Controls” located beneath the map to select which options you want to… Continue reading Fire Map