Oliphant Parts

Reframing Reality

Categories: Whatever

The Dark Side

by Nathan

Categories: Family, Linux, Rants, Raves, Whatever

Tags: Apple, dark side, it just works, mac, seduction, simplicity

Comments: 1 Comment

Published on: September 2, 2011

My conversion to the Dark Side is complete. I watched my wife go over and scoffed at her, how easily-led she was, how willing to lock herself in to a predetermined path. Then came Vally, showing me the power and ease of using the dark side. I liked my freedom, liked being able to do things my own way and on my own terms, but the structured world they offered was tempting.

Something is seriously wrong with you, boy . . .

After years of struggling on my own, dealing with the aftermath of unmatched freedom and competing ideas, I finally did it: I bought my own MacBook Pro and joined the Dark Side. And I have to say, I love it. A trackpad that actually works? A trackpad that provides useful navigation and input? What novel ideas! A UI that is stable, and programs that don’t mysteriously crash or include text that matches the background (I’m looking at YOU, VLC on LXDE!!!)? What a novel idea! Yes, I still love my various Linux laptops, but I think I’m stuck in the beauty and simplicity of the Mac world for a while now. I’d better be, now that I have the wireless trackpad, keyboard and number pad.

Spastic Avenger

by Nathan

Categories: Family, Photography, Whatever

Tags: boy-child, goofing off, spastic avenger

Comments: 1 Comment

Published on: May 20, 2011

Spastic Avenger

Okay, I’m hiding this image before it gives my viewer (viewers?) siezures. (more…)

It’s My Birthday

by Nathan

Categories: Whatever

Tags: absolutely nothing

Comments: No Comments

Published on: April 29, 2011

I’ll eat pie if I want to, pie if I want to . . .

Conversations With Myself

by Nathan

Categories: Beach, Dining, Family, Green Energy, Rants, Whatever

Tags: banana slugs, Coeur d'Alene, complaining, humboldt county, overpriced gas, Spokane

Comments: No Comments

Published on: April 27, 2011

Oh Marmaduke, you’re such a card . . . what are you doing no- f**k me, is this thing on? Oh hey there . . . so, what is today’s topic? Oh yeah, California versus Idaho. I like California, I really do. But I also like paying a dollar less per gallon of gas, half per kilowatt of electricity, and not having to dodge piles of ~~shi…~~ feces while walking in public places.

So, California, or more precisely, Humboldt County, California: Majestic redwoods, foggy mornings and sunny afternoons, beautiful windswept beaches, and the mighty banana slug. I do not think I could give up the ocean again. Humboldt is beautiful, but suffers from a poor economic base and the high cost of California living. Everything from land to gas to milk to taxes is more expensive here, even though so many here are poor. Maybe if we weren’t paying $4.47 per gallon of gas, we would have more money for more important things, like cookies.

Idaho, or Coeur d’Alene anyway, is flat and cold and filled with people who believe the current President is a Kenyan Marxist Socialist Nazi Communist Manchurian Candidate (i.e. “the sheriff is near”). It is also quite affordable. And unlike Humboldt, Kootenai County has no shortage of doctors and great libraries. It may not have as many breweries as Humboldt, but it does have Trader Joe’s, Lowes, Home Depot and Spokane, WA nearby. I would sell my wife for a Trader Joe’s in my area (hey, TJ’s people, are you listening?) . . .

If I switch to driving a UEV and move the family into one of these, California might just match Idaho on the affordability front. Idaho will never match California on the oceanfront and banana slug front, however.

What-ever

by Nathan

Categories: Whatever

Tags: No Tags

Comments: No Comments

Published on: April 15, 2011

Drinking away the moments that make up a work day
You stagger and puke the hours in an awkward way.

Stumbling around on a piece of ground in your home bar
Waiting for someone or something to blow you away . . .

Some Days . . .

by Nathan

Categories: Family, Whatever

Tags: goat, Pearls Before Swine, vomit

Comments: No Comments

Published on: April 11, 2011

Not only do I smell like goat, but some days I feel like him. Fortunately, the exhausted, vomiting girl-child lying on the couch behind me shows me that it could be worse.

You are my love, you are my dreams, you are my everything

by Nathan

Categories: Beach, Family, Livestock, Politics, Rants, Soay, Walking, Whatever, Work

Tags: lambing, political nonsense, telecommuting, walking to the beach

Comments: No Comments

Published on: April 1, 2011

There are many advantages to a home office: Short commute, no gas costs, no traffic jams, a comfortable work environment, no pants . . . Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages. The refrigerator is only a short walk away. It is easy to forget to shower, or even get dressed for the day. Six dogs in a small house inevitably leads to the overwhelming aroma of dog flatulence . . . (more…)

Search Terms

by Nathan

Categories: Blogging, Whatever

Tags: bad searches, nudity, tennis, what is wrong with you people?

Comments: No Comments

Published on: February 16, 2011

Well this is disturbing: Two of the top five searches used to reach my site appear to be attempts to get to child pornography, beating out the search for “flushmaster plungers.” I wish the stats page would show who actually did these searches. I guess I could look through my access logs, but that would require too much effort on my part. Anyway, for you folks trying to get to “preteens” and “preteen Topanga” you have reached the wrong site. Unless you are here to hear me discuss my preteen days in Topanga, sacking up for nude tennis. If so, you’re welcome. And for the rest of you, I will try to make brain bleach available to rinse that image from your minds.

Falling Apart

by Nathan

Categories: Whatever

Tags: aging, I like to complain, sciatica

Comments: No Comments

Published on: February 16, 2011

Sciatica? Really? When did I turn old?

Green Doom

by Nathan

Categories: Green Energy, Rants, Whatever

Tags: compact fluorescent, electric car, environmentalism, going green, green cost versus benefits, green energy, hidden costs of going green, light bulbs, pitfalls

Comments: 3 Comments

Published on: February 14, 2011

Incandescent Heaven

And with a crackle-pop, another compact fluorescent bulb explodes in a cloud of mercury and burning plastic. I get to air the house, clean up the mess and reflect on the differences between packaging (“bulbs last 10 years or more”) and reality (bulbs die a flaming, smelly death in a year or less). This probably explains the two year warranty on the ten year bulbs. Is it wrong of me to think the warranty should last as long as the bulb is expected to last? These bulbs are supposed to be built to strict energy efficiency guidelines. Hopefully some day they will be built to strict quality guidelines as well. I also hope that I have saved some money on electricity, because the yearly replacement of CF bulbs is definitely lightening my wallet. (more…)

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