D.V.O.’s Neighborhood

This is the closest I've gotten to the place Guinness is born.

Suggested by JM:

“Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation.  That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?

I've almost always completed books that I've started.  Maybe because I usually read books that have been well-reviewed or maybe because I'm generally an optimist and that even after a slow start I hope that it might get better, or maybe I have a stick-to-it-iveness that says if you're going to start something you might as well finish it.

Speaking of of finishing it, that does remind me of one of the few books I didn't finish -- "IT" from Stephen King.  Clocking in at over a thousand pages and at the apex of his drug-addled, no-one-will-edit-him 80s long windedness (Steve: more isn't always better) -- I plodded along in this for about 400 pages and then said, "No mas!"

Oddly, I know several people for whom this book was one of their favorites, but I couldn't stand IT.

It's been around since 2002 (I think) but it never gets old.....

 

William Kamkwamba was only 14 years old when he built a windmill that could power 4 light bulbs and a radio in his village in Malawi.  Watch his story here.

 

Recycling Extreme Art

Flatbed Scanner Mod a Work of Art

Learn How to Make the Chewbacca Noise

Back to the Future Anniversary

The Worlds Cleanest Keyboard

Random Geekiness

It was a big day for Penny yesterday as she completed and graduated from her Family Dog I class.  For the past month and a half or so, we’ve been working on sitting and staying and heeling and coming when called – all the things that are needed to be a good dog citizen.
 

I will have to say that Penny didn’t really love the classroom environment, because she couldn’t quite conceive of a place where there were half a dozen nice dogs and that she wasn’t supposed to play with them.  What else could they be there for???
 
Still – when called on to do her series of behaviors, I have to say that she did really really well and passed with flying colors.  After the final class, there was a little graduation ceremony and all the dogs received their diplomas to everyone’s cheers, though I’m pretty sure Penny was everybody’s favorite (not that I’m biased or anything).
 
After the class, Penny got an extra treat and then got to go play with her BFF Roxy the Vizsla at dog beach.  They ran and ran and ran together and just had a great old time.
 

Afterwards, we all tramped over to a dog-friendly café in Del Mar for a late breakfast, relaxing well into the early afternoon over good food, pleasant conversation and tired pups.
 
Good job, Penny!

Nine hundred dollars, (I know, only?) gets you the worlds cleanest keyboard.  Great for popular coffee shops I guess, or ultra clean electronic rooms (chip makers).  But $900?  I'd be okay with just running it through the dishwasher at the end of the day.  Yes you can do that, no soap though.

 

Xkcd is usually pretty good -- but this is genius.

Happy Friday!

Possibly one of the best movie series of all time.  It still is great today as it keeps the attention of my kids, ages 13 and 7.  They both love the series and I don't blame them, the movies are awesome.