Art Car Parade

Nikki and I went to Houston's Art Car Parade on May 10th. Lots of fun. There's a Picasa album below. I wanted to test out Animoto. 'cos, you know. New toy! It seems pretty cool, and I uploaded 15 of the photos to build a 30 second video, but it's been sitting in the render queue for over 12 hours, so either they're getting slammed or I'm doing something wrong. I'll post it if it ever finishes. Meantime, enjoy the pics below, the old fashioned way.

How Dare You?

I got a strange book recommendation from Amazon.com today:

"As someone who has purchased or rated books by John Sandford, you might like to know that Como Tranformar El Hombre Interior will be released on March 4, 2008."

Strange title for a book from one of my favourite thriller writers. A little digging suggests the book is actually by John L. Sandford, editor of the gripping mysteries "Statistical Methods for Physical Science, Vol. 28" and "Biology of the Mycobacteria, Vol. 1". (Once you put it down, you'll never pick it up. No. Wait...)

Simple database mistake on Amazon's part, I'm sure. Funny thing is, it's long been an ambition of mine to be proficient enough in another language to read a book in it. When I was in Bahrain I worked with a guy from Pakistan who lent me his English language copy of 'One Hundred Years of Solitude'. He'd written definitions of words he didn't understand all over the margins. I asked him about it and he told me it was the first English language book he'd ever read and had improved his understanding of the language no end. Amazing.

Since, over the course of life I've attempted and failed to learn Gaelic, French and Spanish, it's probably not going to happen for me, but I like to think that one day I'll find the time to get back to it. Amazon sending me this link made me think, 'Sandford would be an easier place to start than Gabriel Garcia Marquez'. Hilariously, these customers are massively insulted. I mean, how dare Amazon even think they'd consider reading a book in a language other than English? 'Just what are Amazon trying to imply? That we studied languages in School?'

Yeehaw!

It's rodeo time in Houston. The festivities always start with the World Championship BBQ Cook-off. Nikki and I went along last night. It was crazy busy, even in the hospitality tent we had tickets for, but at least in there the food was good and free and the beer, even if it was Miller Lite, didn't cost anything either. The thumping bass did drive us outside, where the beer cost money, but Shiner Bock was available. A very fair trade. Also, we had funnel cake. Mmmmmm. Some pics...

For Jen and Thomas

None of the rest of you will get this. Some of you will probably try to get it, but won't, unless you've played BioShock. The link is to a comic that is, at the best of times rude and that not only contains, in this particular instance, two sweary words, but, since you haven't played BioShock, it may seem even more offensive than it is, so don't click on this:

Funniest. Thing. Ever.

Now, I realise that's cruel. It's like a big red button that has no other explanation than a huge sign saying "Do Not Press". So, you've clicked on it, you've read it and you didn't get it. You may even be offended. You're probably annoyed at me for not warning you or something.

Anyway, passing off someone else's work, that I didn't even pay for, as a present is pretty cheap, but I don't think Jen and Thomas would have found it on their own, because they're not nerds like me, and today's their anniversary and it will make them laugh, so it's worth it. Happy Anniversary guys.

Still Geeky, After All These Years

There was no tape on my glasses, I didn't have a pocket protector full of pens, nothing. I was giving off no signs, as far as I knew. But as I walked up to the check-out at Best Buy last night, the registrar glanced my way, reached under the counter and handed me a copy of BioShock, before I said a word. How did he know? What gave me away? I'm cool, people! Not geeky! Cool!

(By the way, it's awesome. Heart-poundingly, skin-jumpingly, nervous-sweatingly, awesome)