12.31.03
Posted in Travels at 8:31 am by Leopoldo
What are the chances of getting two flat tires in two days? Well, last weekend the chances turned out to be 100%. The day after Christmas I came back to my car from shopping to find a tire flat. Fortunately I had parked in a covered garage so I was able to change it dry and not too cold. Now at this point I had a decision to make: Do I take the time to repair the flat tire in Seattle or do I drive down to Portland with my (full sized) spare and take care of the change with more leisure? Since it was thereatening to snow for my drive down I figured better safe than sorry so the next morning I drove the car to my local tire shop and an hour later was told that there was no charge because there was no puncture (the valve was loose). That evening as I parked the car I heard a loud pop from the front left tire. I went out and found a brass fitting was embedded in the loose wet leaves and heard a hissing sound so I moved the car to the other side of the street (so I could access the tire from the street). Sure enough in the morning I came out to find another flat tire. Another tire change and another trip to the tire shop in Ballard and I was once again set. The experience did teach me a couple of important things:
1. When you replace a tire fix the flat IMEDIATELY.
2. The lug nuts are put in place by people with pneumatic wrenches and are VERY tight.
3. The wrench that comes with the car is short and does not afford very much leverage (I had to actually jump on it to get it to budge).
4. Loosen the nuts with the tire ON the ground. Jumping on the wrench while the car is jacked up is very nervous making.
5. The jack that comes with the CR-V sucks (my arms are still sore).
Today is New Years Eve and I am driving out to the coast in snow and ice. Here is hoping the flat tires for the year are done.
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12.30.03
Posted in Music at 10:15 am by Leopoldo
Last Dance is an interesting song for me because I find it very poetic, yet I don’t believe I really understand the lyrics. I would love to hear from anyone who may have an interpretation to share.
Last Dance
From Vase[S] by Dahlia
When all art has been forsaken and your blood bleeds dry
Tell the rest of them the world is gone and you know the end is nigh
Tell them Lucifer is laughing; tell them Venus is a saint
Tell them anything just to hear the words you know that they are keeping
Call the last dance down
Chasing after justice
Pretending she is there
Blindfolded we follow her taking what we can
Have you noticed mind is makeup; well it’s made from industry
I don’t believe the way they live their life, what they’re living it next to me
Call the last dance down
So you want me to decide that you’ll be changing your mind
She said don’t you want something to believe in?
And after all this is gone you should face any wrong
Cursing the day that you were born
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call it all the way
Call the last dance
Using what you’re saving to reflect what isn’t there
Will our memory be the only thing we will not have forgotten?
All these moments we have martyred and all these faces we believe
And all the ways we twisted who we are, believing that we are free
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call it all the way
Call the last dance… down
So you want me to decide that you’ll be changing your mind
She said don’t you want something to believe in
And after all this is gone you should face any wrong
Cursing the day that you were born
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call it all the way
Call… call… call…
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
Call the last dance down
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12.27.03
Posted in Music at 9:47 am by Leopoldo
Why Worry
From Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
Baby, I see this world has made you sad
Some people can be bad
The things they do the things they say
But baby, I’ll wipe away those bitter tears
I’ll chase away those restless fears
And turn your blue skies into gray
Why worry
There should be laughter after pain
There should be sunshine after rain
These things have always been the same
So why worry now
Why worry now
Baby, when I get down I turn to you
And you make sense of what I do
And all the isn’t hard is the same
But baby, just when this world seems mean and cold
Our love comes shinning red and gold
And all the rest is by the way
Why worry
There should be laughter after pain
There should be sunshine after rain
These things have always been the same
So why worry now
Why worry now
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12.25.03
Posted in Music at 9:08 am by Leopoldo
In a minute
From Vase[S] by Dahlia
You can see me more now that everything needs to be faced
I found you leaving me like this
Would you give me more right now I said
I can get it all right in here
Give it to me all night now I said, in a minute in a minute
Would you give me more right now I said
I can get it all right in here
Give it to me all night now I said, in a minute everything’s changed
When you are in trouble you don’t have to suffer
All you have to do is call me here
I know you get angry
I know that it’s painful
I know what you see when we have these
I know you
Stood before me with love in your arms
I never knew arms open so wide
Would you give me more right now I said
I can get it all right in here
Give it to me all night now I said, in a minute I can get this
Would you give me more right now I said
I can get it all right in here
Give it to me all night now I said, in a minute everything’s changed
When you are in trouble you don’t have to suffer
All you have to do is call me here
I know you get angry
I know that it’s painful
I know what you see when we have these
When you are in trouble you don’t have to suffer
All you have to do is call me here
I know what your wish is
And somehow we’ll get through this
You don’t have to doubt I’m always here
I love you
We don’t have to come undone
Let our feelings reach the sun
Push inside when we have these
Let these moments spin ahead
When you are in trouble you don’t have to suffer
All you have to do is call me here
I know we get crazy
And sometimes it ain’t easy
But there is no place else I’d rather be
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12.24.03
Posted in Music at 12:32 am by Leopoldo
It took days of feeding CD after CD to iTunes, but I have just finished ripping my whole CD collection to MP3 format. Once all was said and done I ended up with:
3550 songs
719 Artists
288 Albums
11.4 continual days of music
18.48 GB of files
I am sure that as I go through and cleanup some of the track information I will find misspelled artist names, some duplicate tracks and other inaccurate bits.. but for now: Wow!
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12.23.03
Posted in Geekdom at 9:19 am by Leopoldo
When I started to read the TechRepublic.com article Holiday Crack the Hacker Challenge: Rudolph’s XSS Christmas I thought this should be classified under the ‘how geeky is that!’ category. By the time I was done with the story though I found myself impressed with the originality and fun (though at times a bit bitter tone) that the author had managed to infuse into what is probably usually a pretty damned stodgy subject. Check the article out if you care about web security, or just want to see an odd example of how to get people thinking about security.
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12.19.03
Posted in Geekdom at 2:46 pm by Leopoldo
In a particular display of pigheadedness I just solved the problem of having lost my USB flash drive raised in The Lion’s Den: The not-so-great USB flash drive solution with what may turn out to be the worst possible way: I bought another flash drive. This time I got a FujiFilm flash drive that is a big larger and has a bright blue cover… this theoretically should make it a bit easier to spot. How well that theory holds up remains to be seen. Until then I have taken a few steps towards risk mitigation:
1. The root level of the drive now has a file titled “If found return to.txt” with instructions on how to contact me.
2. I have a backup of the files on my PC and hereby promise to remember to keep the backup up to date.
3. I hereby promise not to thoughtlessly toss the drive in my pocket or to put it away in a ’safe place so it won’t get lost’.
4. I will look for one of those little chains to see if I can attach it to my keys.
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Posted in Music at 9:30 am by Leopoldo
Lyrics for Human Being
From Vase[S] by Dahlia
I don’t comprehend(?) everything
Somebody will take my place
So eat all the food upon your plate
Before they shove it in your face
I can’t protect everything
I try to mean what I say
Sensitive yet full of rage
I’m laughing at the things I hate
Go what you’re after
Everything matters
Feel what you’re feeling
Before the day after
Go what you’re after
Everything matters
Face what you’re feeling
Before the day after
Go what you’re after
Everything matters
Say what you’re feeling
You’re not disappointing
Human being
Human being
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12.16.03
Posted in Music at 8:50 am by Leopoldo
Movin’ On
From Vase[S] by Dahlia
Where did you two take this elevator from? Shangri-La?
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
All the glitter that has kissed her
Kept her sparkly and bright
Like a crystal in her retina, it’s got
Her tears exploding with her light
All the sadness she has lived in
All the stories she has told
All the wine that she has passed through her lips
All the drugs that she has sold
All the columns she has written
All the spells and remedies
Wish she known when she was younger
How important understanding
Glitter Goddess in the mirror
Don’t you go falling in
Here is a gem of inspiration:
How about loving what you have already lived
Glitter Goddess say
Wont you feel alive!
Can you feel alive?
Wont you feel alive!
Hey, I said it’s all right
Lets move on
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
Travels only where the wind blows
Understands how nature calls
Beauty ??? a drag queen honey
Always say it with your balls
Always good in times of trouble
Places fade and people die
Here’s a gem of inspiration:
You live and you live it all behind
Glitter Goddess in the mirror
Don’t you go falling in
Here’s a gem of inspiration:
How about loving what you have already lived
Glitter Goddess say
Wont you feel alive
Can you feel alive?
Hey I said its all right
To move on
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
Hey eh-ah
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12.15.03
Posted in Music at 9:08 am by Leopoldo
The fascination with the new Dahlia album continues. The more I listen to the lyrics the more I realize they are quite powerful and the more I want to listen to the album. Here are the lyrics for Delicacies:
Delicacies
From Vase[S] by Dahlia
Better days down the way
No more dreams no more heartbreaks
Better smile better skin
Better place your faith in us
Better do it, better stop
Better keep your spirits up
Better get it, better mood
Bet you have no right to choose
Better ask, better not have
Better know you’ll go to hell
Better get delicate
Better sound, better reception
Better not turn off your television
Better see it, better buy
Better let your free will die
Better hope, better pray
Better bet there’ll be better days
Better luck, better deal
Better realize how much better you’ll feel
Better give, better receive
Better kind, better breathe
Better office, Better job
Better like the ?
Better life, better all day
Better not let them see you sweat
Better get delicate
Better get delicate
Delicacies
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