Made macaroni and cheese for dinner today; have never been able to successfully make a smaller, “limited leftovers” version without it either growing to a larger portion or turning into a disaster, but I got it right today… Great way to use some otherwise over-sharp, slightly bitter Edam. Add pecorino and a sharp vt. cheddar, and … yum. About a Wonder if Nadia will like the leftovers tomorrow.
Continue reading “A good day for cooking.”
A quick bit of FFMPEG magic to improve VHS rips
fmpeg -i Old_VHS_copy.avi -threads 0 -aspect 4:3 -vf "pp=ac/lb/ha/va/dr/al,frei0r=brightness:0.625,frei0r=contrast0r:1.05,frei0r=saturat0r:0.10,hqdn3d=4:4:7,scale=480:-1,unsharp" -codec:a libfaac -b:a 64k -codec:v libx264 -profile:v high444 -preset:v placebo Much_Better.mkv
Found the frei0r contrast/brightness/saturation controls MUCH better than the MP2 ones.
Amount of de-noise (before downsize) and sharpening (after) is to taste, obviously, as is the amount of brightness/contrast improvement. This source was AWFUL!
Grumpy-sysadmin SSD recommendations
I got asked on FT for some SSD recommendations, and since this got lengthy, I posted a really short answer there. Here’s the longer write-up, below the break:
Continue reading “Grumpy-sysadmin SSD recommendations”
A nice homage to older porn parodies…
IO9 posted a nice homage to older porn parodies (back before they were just “This Ain’t (insert original film’s name here)” or “(insert original film’s name here): An XXX Parody.”
The Greatest Science Fiction Porn Movies of All Time: 1961-1991
Continue reading “A nice homage to older porn parodies…”
My ranking of Presidents
This is based on accomplishments and problems from memory, although some of the 19th Century ones (mostly tied for #15) had to be reminded of from a list…
List and more comments after the break.
Continue reading “My ranking of Presidents”
A second fragment of fiction
“This is my boomstick,” yelled Bob.
The villagers looked at him incredulously and returned to their business, if perhaps a bit more slowly. Bob cycled the bolt on his rifle, which made a satisfying thunk as it fed a cartridge into the chamber.
The villagers continued going about their business with nothing more than a few wary looks, but the apparent tranquility was swiftly broken as Bob raised the rifle to near-vertical and fired a shot into the air. With the loud report, several villagers ran from the square; others stopped what they were doing and dropped behind cover.
However, one tall woman simply turned towards Bob and said, “That wasn’t funny.”
“Well, at least it got someone’s attention.” Bob returned the rifle to a relaxed carry. “I take it you know what this is?”
“Yeah, and ‘Boob Stick’ was only funny when Bruce Campbell said it.”
Bob looked at her for a moment. “Whoever you are, you’ve sure gone native. How long have you’ve been here?”
“Put that away and we’ll talk.”
Bob removed the clip, then opened the bolt and slung the rifle on his back. “This good enough?”
“For now, yes,” she said, nodding. She gestured with her hands for the villagers to get up, then spoke briefly in their language. They slowly began to get up and resume what they were doing.
“Seems like you’re American too,” she said, “and recently arrived from your behavior.”
He nodded. “Mind answering how long you’ve been here?”
“Nine years. It was 1997 back when I appeared here. Is it 2006 over there?”
Bob shook his head. “Twenty-twelve. Does that mean time passes quicker here than there?”
She muttered something under her breath, then replied, “I don’t know. You’re the first person I’ve met who might have been from the same Earth, or at least one close enough to get a recent movie reference. Some of the others have had calendars which were just … different … or come from the 1500s.” She shook her head. “So I don’t know; maybe your Earth was always six years ahead of mine.”
“Fair enough.” Bob sighed, loudly, and extended his hand. “My name’s Bob.”
“For now, you can call me Alice.”
PETA takes on Pokemon
While I am not a huge fan of PETA, they have a pretty interesting and entertaining way of getting their point across in this case.
Link below the break as it decided to auto-play for people…
Continue reading “PETA takes on Pokemon”
Romney loves Big Bird?
The line of the night at tonight’s presidential debate reminded me of this wonderful bit of Robot Chicken.
(eta: link above if embedding below doesn’t work)
Canada to Ban Foreign Strippers
via FlyerTalk OMNI:
Canada Stripping Visas for Foreign Strippers
What’s this debate over Canada’s move to ban foreign strippers, escorts and massage-parlor workers really about? On one side, you have the Adult Entertainment Association, which is upset that the government is stripping away a pool of potential moneymaking workers, whereas on the other side, you have the government, which is saying that cutting back on human trafficking and exploitation is at the heart of the decision.
The Conservative Party government’s Immigration Minister, Jason Kenney, announced that starting next month, Canada will no longer renew visas for foreigners working as strippers. Already the government has cut back on how many new visas it grants, down to just 12 in 2011. But it had been continuing to renew previous visas. Not anymore.
“‘Depraved’ sex acts by penguins shocked polar explorer”
‘Depraved’ sex acts by penguins shocked polar explorer
9 June 2012 Last updated at 20:36 ET
By Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service
Accounts of unusual sexual activities among penguins, observed a century ago by a member of Captain Scott’s polar team, are finally being made public.Details, including “sexual coercion”, recorded by George Murray Levick were considered so shocking that they were removed from official accounts.
However, scientists now understand the biological reasons behind the acts that Dr Levick considered “depraved”.
The Natural History Museum has published his unedited papers.
Mr Levick, an avid biologist, was the medical officer on Captain Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole in 1910. He was a pioneer in the study of penguins and was the first person to stay for an entire breeding season with a colony on Cape Adare.
Who knew? (Or, as someone on Flyertalk put it “Fifty shades of penguin?”
I (heart) weird government publications
Obliterating Animal Carcasses With Explosives
There are times when it is important to remove or obliterate an animal carcass from locations such as recreation areas where a carcass might attract bears, at a popular picnic area where the public might object, or along the side of roads or trails. Large animal carcasses can be particularly difficult to remove, especially if they are located below a steep cut slope or in remote areas.
Explosives have successfully been used by qualified blasters to partially or totally obliterate large animal carcasses (horses, mules, moose, etc.). It is important to consider location, time of year, and size of the carcass when selecting the quantity and type of explosive to accomplish the obliteration task. Consult a qualified blaster when explosives are to be used.
The following examples illustrate partial obliteration (dispersion) for a horse that weighs about 1,100 pounds (453.6 kilograms). In the first example, urgency is not a factor. Perhaps a few days are expected before the public is to visit the area, or perhaps bears will not be attracted to the carcass. In any case, in this example, dispersion is acceptable. [Figure 1]
[…]
In situations where total animal obliteration is necessary, it is advisable to double the amount of explosives used in the first two examples. Use 20 pounds (9 kilograms) on top of and 20 pounds (9 kilograms) underneath the carcass, depending on the type of explosives used. Total obliteration might be preferred in situations where the public is expected in the area the next day, or where bears are particularly prolific.
via FlyerTalk (OMNI, so may not be publicly accessible?)
Flyertalk really needs a “Like” button…
In reply to: Does the $20 or $50 trick (bribe) work for upgrades
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