Walking Tour of the Moore Tornado Path

A reporter from CNN takes a little walk.  Kind of intrusive (not too much), kind of weird (a little), kind of harassed by the police (they get it sorted out), but it's decent reporting.  That, plus a slick use of web features to get the message across.  As you scroll past the text, the described location is indicated on the map at the top and the corresponding picture shows on the right.

Well, they finally got the footage.

Direct strike on TIV2 by EF3, maybe EF4 tornado.
Everything's fine, just some minor damage to the vehicle.

Books to Movies

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Here are some that didn't:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/lost-in-translation-20-good-books-made-into-notsog,2079/

Here are some that did:
http://www.ivillage.com/best-books-made-movies/1-b-331880#496745

Now this is interesting, a list of good books that should make good movies:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/if-you-film-it-21-good-books-that-need-to-be-great,2080/
Especially interesting because the list is from 2007 and several of them have since been made -- and mostly they didn't work out.

And this is just a long list, a slushpile if you will:
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/books-made-into-movies

Finally, this post would not be complete without a dishonorable mention of the worst rip-off of all: notStarship notTroopers.  Hm, wish somebody'd actually make a movie of the book Starship Troopers someday.

Another Day in the Woods

Parts were beautiful:

For a small admission price, of course:

Meh, worth it.

A Gentle Reminder

Methodical.

No wonder Edward Hopper's painting are so good.  Read about his method over at the LA Times.  Reminds me of good coding technique.  Man, I can almost smell the coffee.

Hat tip to V. for pointing out this article.

Dangit, missed it.

Remember last weekend's post on Old Crow Medicine Show appearing on Stubb's WSM show?  Yeah, I didn't either, at least until the final freekin' fifteen minutes.  Well, at least I caught the last half of them playing Wagon Wheel, and caught their new paean to the Ryman Auditorium.  (They'll put it on a studio album sooner or later, don't seem to be in a hurry right now though.)  ARGH.

Luckily WSM archives these shows, so we're in business!  I love it when life works out that way.  Hijacking the audio as I type this.

Again, all is right with the world.

And I feel so much better.

No good reason.

Just the Ten Foot Polecats doing Chicken Head Man.
Sure, you can hardly hear the vocals in this live performance, but do you really want to hear'em that bad?  Watch the guitar player.

Another Beautiful Day in the Woods

With the obligatory bike-leaning-on-tree pic.  This one's down by Tuxachanie Creek, where the Couch Trail meets then begins to follow it.

So much other stuff to do, but the weather was just too good to miss a ride like that one.

Monday: Old Crow Medicine Show on WSM

Featured on the Stubbs show.

Not sure of the start time for OCMS, but Stubbs always starts at 7pm Central and runs to midnight.  If you don't have a decent radio (650 AM, btw), you can always stream it.  And if you can't do the whole evening, you can hijack the audio.

Now who is OCMS?  If you have to ask, you'll know this song.  (And if you don't, what the hell rock have you been living under?)

4th Ward Cleaver May Issue

Late reminder.

How planets are found, and so what if we do find'em, explained.

Explained over at PhD Comics.

Perhaps time to brush up on the Drake equation.

First Fruits

Couple of cherry tomatoes.

Yum, they had real flavor.
The pipeline is starting to fill, slowly, slowly.

Meanwhile, down at Papa Joe's...

Yeah, and it was that good.

After-the-post edit for restaurant link.

Here, make a 6yo's day

... by showing the kid today's xkcd:

But first it might be wise to familiarize yourself with the material, lest you be shown up by said kid.  The corresponding installment of explain xkcd is a good start.

Shop Sidewalk

Getting poured.

Things are really coming together.

Spock vs. Spock

It's nerd-o-riffic!  Watch here.

And a couple more Shop repair pics.

Yes, "The Shop" is capitalized.  Always has been in my mind, always will be.

Anyway, back to the pics.  Looking better...

Most noticeably in this picture, the swayback in the building is fixed.

Now we're really getting somewhere.

More Shop Repair Pics

No real comments on them, either you know where these were taken or you don't.  Anyway, it's a big job but it's getting done.

Getting this project wrapped and getting the building back online is getting close.

xkcd #1190: it's still going

Last month's 1190'th xkcd comic is still rolling.  Go figure.  But first, here are all the frames in one, easy to fast-forward web page.

I'm not sure what it's about, but then nobody else does either.

3-D Printed Guns

Alarming threat, liberator, or last bulwark against genocide?

Anyway you look at it, this genie is out of the bottle.

Weekend Roundup

What do you plant when all else fails?  Okra!

Obligatory bike-in-woods picture:

First ride on the new tires, Specialized S-Works Ground Controls (front and rear, same pattern each).  I must say, they work so well that they take a lot of the challenge out of mountain biking.  The new tread pattern has been tweaked using finite difference modeling, and brother do they grip.  Slippery roots, clay washes, damp logs, no problem.  Hardpack?  Pfft, everything works there, no challenge at all for these tires.  Loose sand?  Had one spill in a tight turn, but when I looked at where the tires washed out, it was clear that they'd gone down clawing for grip.  I'll take the rap for that spill.  (no damage, btw)

OK, I'm going to say it: these things, so far, seem to grip better than WTB Velociraptors.  THAT is something I thought I'd never see.

etaoin shrdlu

No, this isn't another sci-fi related post.

Flip to the article at the BBC, scroll down a page, and enlighten yourself.

Movie Review: Oblivion

This is a NO SPOILER REVIEW.  Read on in safety.  

Look, I'm a pretty jaundiced old hard science fiction fan, with no love whatsoever for overproduced spectacles trying to hide the fact that there isn't a coherent story within.  (Exhibits 1, 2, 3a, & 3b).  But this is a pretty damned good movie.

It actually has a story, to which was added top-notch Hollywood production and acting.  Since seeing it this evening, I've read through several lists of plot holes, and at most only one hole holds up.  (There is considerable hatred for this movie brewing out there, BTW, and I'm not entirely sure why.)  I'm going to see it again to (a) sort out that possible hole, and (b) enjoy the spectacle on the big screen again.  One more thing: long time science fiction movie buffs will recognize several plot elements from various classic movies.  Not really rip-offs, I'll argue that it's more a case of "good artists copy, great artists steal."

Beyond that, I'm not going to tell you a damned thing about the movie.  This is a movie you must see cold.  Don't go reading any list of plot holes first, don't read any more reviews that may let loose a spoiler and ruin your fun, just go see the thing.  3.5 out of 4 stars.

Bonus link to a thoughtful, non-spoiler review at Liberty. 

Note almost a week later: I thought about that hole a bit more, and it's not a hole.  I think the writers either (a) got a little sloppy and didn't explain this one (but it would be hard to do without spoiling one surprise, so...), or (b) got it right and left one tiny little hint that wouldn't be a spoiler.  OK, now I've got to go back for another showing, if for no other reason but to look for that hint.