mudcub

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Quiz time: I was trying to read a building schematic yesterday, and there was an interior wall that was 7 3/8 inches long on the blueprint. In the upper-right corner of the page, it said 1/4" to 1'.

Question: how long is the wall in real life?

Answer: scroll down to see. Or, give the answer in the comments, along with an explanation of how you got it

The teacher gave out a one-page sheet "explaining" how to do the problem. Here is the entire method he wanted us to use (copied verbatim)

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Calculation 1
------------------
This calculation deals with the whole number measurement. In this example, the whole number is 7.

The formula is
4 feet x ____ = ____

Therefore, the calculation is
4 feet x 7 = 28

Calculation 2
------------------
Before presenting the calculation, here are some charts that the calculation will use:

Partial Measurement Translation
If the measurement equals Then the Actual Footage equals
1/2 inch = 24 inches or 2 feet
1/4 inch = 12 inches or 1 foot
1/8 inches = 6 inches or 1/2 foot
1/16 inches = 3 inches or 1/4 foot

Handy Guide
If the calculation result is Then the Actual Footage equals
12 inches = 1 foot
24 inches = 2 feet
36 inches = 3 feet

The formula is
1. Check the measurement for the partial number. In this example, the number is 3/8.
2. Check the Partial Measurement Translation for the amount that the bottom part of the fraction matches (denominator). In this example, the number is 8 and the chart says that 8 equals 6 inches.
3. Check the partial number for the top part of the fraction (numerator), In this example, the number is 3.
4. Multiply 6 (the chart translation for the bottom part of the fraction) by the top part of the fraction which is 3. The answer to 6 x 3 is 18 inches.
5. Check the Handy Guide. 18 inches is bigger than 12 inches but smaller than 24 inches. Therefore, the measurement equals 1 foot 6 inches or 1 1/2 feet (18-12 = 6 inches and the 12 inches = 1 foot)
6. Here is the calculation in numerical format:
a. Bolded Step 2 x Bolded Step 3 = Step 4. (6 x 3 = 18)
b. Handy Guide Smaller Number - Step 4 = A complete foot/feet measurement and a remainder.

Calculation 3
------------------
This calculation provides the final answer.

The formula is
Result of Calculation 1 + Whole Number Result of Calculation 2 + Remainder Result of Calculation 2

28+1+6 or 29 feet and 6 inches or it may be expressed as 29 and 1/2 feet.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Rant: Are you kidding me?!?!?! Are you FRICKING KIDDING me? This is the way they teach kids to do math? I hope you realized that the whole problem is just multiplying 7 3/8 by 4.

Now, I understand that a lot of high school graduates may not be good at math and don't understand fractions. But judging from the above, I can understand how someone could develop a huge FEAR of mathematics. It definitely doesn't promote understanding the calculation. The instructor's answer took seven steps and TWO LOOK-UP TABLES! There is no reason that this problem should require two look-up tables.

It turns out talking to some construction workers that some guys keep a cheat sheet with their tools listing the most common wall lengths and how long they would be on a blueprint. Or, if something is 7 3/8", they just cut the wood at 28' and add "a little extra". But I can imagine with a foreman yelling at you and knowing any mistake could cost the company lots of money, the measurements could get really screwed up.

Maybe we should all try to go metric and then give everyone calculators.

How can a designer put this out? I realize CDs don't have the real estate of an LP anymore... but these examples are just huge wastes of space.

Here is the best CD art of 2012 (in my opinion)! And it's not just the cover... most of these CDs had beautiful liner notes, inserts, and even CD tray art!

I saw the rock group Cowboy Mouth tonight. Here are some photos of the lead singer/guitarist/drummer (!) Fred LeBlanc that I found on online:

Dammit! I took time out of my vacation to buy tickets for Coachella Friday morning. They had an awful website, and the terrible wi-fi at the hotel was giving me time-outs and 404 errors. But my VISA company said a $336 charge went through, so I didn't worry. But this morning I called the ticket site to verify, and they said I DON'T have tickets, and now they're all sold out. So, no Coachella for me - I think TicketMaster and all these bootleg reseller sites (eBay, StubHub, TicketExchange) are a huge rip-off.

The bear community now has a bad genre rapper! I am so proud.



More information can be found here, in case you're interested.

Last week, I went and saw Ted Leo and the Pharmacists... a local punk band. Ted Leo was in fine voice, singing his crafty little pop punk songs. But my heart went out to Chris Wilson on drums. The guy looks the a cross between an Allman brother, Mick Fleetwood, and animal the muppet drummer. Above is my bad iPhone photo, but ( check the cut below to see more of his beardy goodnessCollapse )

Here are my favorite movies of the year. However, the list is incomplete, because I haven't seen everything. Who knows? Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked may turn out to be my favorite movie of all time. I'm lucky because I live in New York City, and I get to see things before they come out to the rest of the country. But don't be jealous - think of us as an early warning system.

Ten Best Movies of 2011
-----------------------------------
1. Midnight In Paris
2. Hugo
3. Red
4. Rango
5. Four Lions
6. Crazy, Stupid, Love
7. A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
8. The Lincoln Lawyer
9. Winnie The Pooh
10. Cave Of Forgotten Dreams

( Cut for also-ransCollapse )

( Movies I haven't seen yet... who knows, they could be great!Collapse )


Ten Worst Movies of 2011
-----------------------------------
1. The Expendables
2. Conan the Barbarian (2011)
3. Devil
4. Cool It
5. Green Lantern
6. Burlesque
7. Sucker Punch
8. The Sorcerer's Apprentice
9. Season Of The Witch
10. The Tree of Life

( Cut for more time I regret wasting at the theaterCollapse )

I used to make a list of the worst CD each year, but that wasn't really fair. It was just the worst CD I purchased and tried to listen to. So, I think I should rename the category to "the most disappointing CDs of the year". You really let me down. I know you can do better. look at my face. LOOK AT MY FACE! See the sad look in my eyes? That's because of you. Now my heart is breaking. I hope you try harder in the future.

Best Techno CDs of 2011
------------------------------------
1. Austra "Feel It Break"
2. James Blake "James Blake"
3. M83 "Hurry Up We're Sleeping"
4. Skrillex "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites EP"
5. Diplo/Dave Nada "Blow Your Head" (volumes 1 and 2)
DJ Shadow "The Less You Know The Better"
Beastie Boys "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2"
The Rapture "In The Grace Of Your Love" Body Language "Social Studies"
Bassnectar "Cozza Frenzy"
Frankmusik "Do It In The AM"

Best CD Reissues of 2011
------------------------------------
1. Pink Floyd "Dark Side Of The Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" (Immersion editions)
Stephen Merrit "Obscurities"
Toad The Wet Sprocket "All You Want"
Chris Isaak "Beyond The Sun"
Sigur Rós "Inní"

Worst CDs of 2011
------------------------------------
1. Everclear "Return To Santa Monica"
2. Destroyer "Kaputt"
3. The Lonely Island "Turtleneck & Chain"
4. The Orb and David Gilmour "Metallic Spheres"
5. David Lynch "Crazy Clown Time"

Best CD Cover of 2011
------------------------------------
1. Battles "Gloss Drop"
The Felice Brothers "Celebration Florida"
My Morning Jacket "Circuital"
Manchester Orchesra "Simple Math"
Thomas Dolby "A Map Of The Floating City" (Deluxe)
TV On The Radio "Nine Types Of Light"
The Strokes "Angles"
Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto"
Mastodon "The Hunter"
Kasabian "Velociraptor!"

Worst CD Cover of 2011
------------------------------------
1. They Might Be Giants "Join Us"
Wilco "The Whole Love" (deluxe)
David Lynch "Crazy Clown Time"

Miss Piggy and Adam Lambert - separated at birth? I see the resemblance!

When I was a freshman in college in 1987, there was this weird record shop above a bar in the "Stadium Village" part of Minneapolis. They only sold import CDs of dance music. I imagine it was a forward-thinking student who went to Belgium and fell in love with the early version of techno.

Each CD was thirty dollars... an unheard-of amount when I was a college student. So, I only bought one. It wasn't very good, but I played the heck out of it. Here is what it looked like:


(Front cover)


(Back cover)

And here is a sample song, "Me My Dream" by the forgotten artist "Off"

BE MY DREAM - OFF

( Cut for musings...Collapse )

What I learned from seeing Duran Duran in concert tonight:

Lead singer Simon Le Bon now looks EXACTLY like Wil Wheaton (Star Trek's Wesley Crusher)

When Thor and I were in Durham, North Carolina last weekend, we went to an amusement park named Freddie's and they had one of those karaoke machines where you could record your own song. So. I present to you, "Thor and Mud" singing a cover song from the Talking Heads:



MP3: Thor And Mud - Wild Life by the Talking Heads

nipperdawg told me that he tried to get a bad of custom M&Ms printed at the web site http://www.mymms.com/. He used a graphic of two guys kissing that was copied from a Tom of Finland piece that he liked. However, Mars Corp refused to print them.

So, I tried the idea myself using the graphic below. It's from a photo that liftinmoose  found in a piece of graffiti street art in San Francisco. I liked it, and now I have three bags of candy that have that photo engraved on it! Thor likes to add M&Msto his special recipe of Chex Mix, and sometimes to popcorn. Yum!

I was messing around with Photoshop, and this is what I came up with!

When this photo was taken, I hated my body and thought I was obscenely fat.

Yay! Delaware's governor signed a civil union bills last week. Three cheers for Delaware! Hip, hip...

...wait a minute. Fuck Delaware. The whole thing can suck my balls.

I'm tired. I'm tired of the water torture of endless drips of equality. One minute, gay marriage is legal in Maine. Then it's outlawed. California gets marriage equality. Then prop 8 takes it away. It's exhausting to follow all these individual states.

Want to feel old? The original Massachusetts gay marriage ruling is NINE years old as of May 7, 2002, and we are still waiting for a ruling from the Supreme court. In contrast, the time between Brown v. Board of Education and Kennedy's historical Civil Rights Act was only ten years.

Add up all the legal costs - the millions of dollars donated by the gay community to fight for each of these state battles. It's like a "gay tax". The only ones winning in this battles are the lawyers earning fees and the advertising agencies selling commercials.

It is time - no, it's BEYOND time - for federal action for gay equal rights. This is not a "state's rights" issue any more than black civil rights was. We shouldn't have to wait until every state goes through a long and expensive process to argue against our existence.

Last week, Thor and I went to see Tim Minchin.



Tim Minchin's YouTube page

If you haven't heard of him yet, he's hilarious, like a modern-day Tom Lehrer. If you love funny intellectual piano songs sung by an Australian wearing black eyeliner, then he's your man!

Cut for more Minchin... and ( one for the gingers!Collapse )

I saw the rock group Low at the Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday night. Thor didn't want to go... he said he caught them a few years and and they were boring. Low specializes is really quiet "shoegazer" music.

However, in the last few years, they seem to be struggling intentionally against that label. They expanded from a trio to a quartet with bass, guitar, drums, and keyboard, and many songs on the their new CD "C'mon" are actually quite raucous. But the crowd seemed to like the dramatic plodding songs the most, where one phrase was repeated over and over again like a mantra:

Oh majesty, oh magic,
Oh majesty, oh magic,
Oh majesty, oh magic,
Oh majesty, oh magic.

or

I'm nothing but heart
I'm nothing but heart
I'm nothing but heart (repeat 20x)

Was Ghandi Gay? Please read this article:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2011/03/dissent-of-the-day.html

and then let me know what you think! Straight people must get tired of the question. Was Lincoln gay? Was James Buchanan gay?

If you think of homosexuality as ONLY about the sexual act, then the correct answer is = we will never know. We don't know if Ghandi ever had gay sex because we weren't there. Photo or it didn't happen. However, as a gay man, I sometimes look at historical figures and think, "Oh yeah... I can really relate to that behavior... when I was closeted, I did those exact same things."

For example, read this section from a new book about Ghandi:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The love of his life was a German-Jewish architect and bodybuilder, Hermann Kallenbach, for whom Gandhi left his wife in 1908. "Your portrait (the only one) stands on my mantelpiece in my bedroom," he wrote to Kallenbach. "The mantelpiece is opposite to the bed." The two pledged "more love, and yet more love . . . such love as they hope the world has not yet seen."

But when Ghandi thought about male-female relations, he wrote this:

"I cannot imagine a thing as ugly as the intercourse of men and women."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you are a straight man reading this post... can you read the above and see yourself reflected in those quotes? That straight sex was "ugly", but with a male friend you could make love as "the world has not yet seen"?

I think Ghandi might have been asexual. Bisexual maybe. Gay probably. But definitely not straight.

As a treat for myself, I thought I'd buy some CDs from the seventies folk-rock period. I am most impressed by female singer-songwriters who wrote, sang, and recorded their own music. In this age of vapid synthesized American Idols, I find it refreshing to go back thirty years and enjoy the originality of the women artists of previous decades.

Here are some CDs I don't own but think I should listen to:

Carole King "Tapestry"
Joni Mitchell "Court And Spark"
Carly Simon (I'll but a best-of CD)
Joan Armatrading "Walk Under Ladders"
Janis Ian (best-of, with "At Seventeen")

What about these artists? Can they be included in the genre?

Laura Nyro
Karla Bonoff
Patti Smith
The Carpenters
Kate Bush
Helen Reddy
Anne Murray

Can you recommend any others? Aren't there some famous lesbian singers I'm missing like Suede and Ferron and Holly Near and Cris Williamson?

I feel like a self-centered dick when I post on LiveJournal that I'm having dark thoughts. So, I'd like to post the opposite - I'm doing really well lately. I haven't been depressed since that week in January. I haven't heard any suicidal voices in my head, my new job is fun, and I am very much in love. Sure, I could use some more money and I'm heavier than I've ever been. but I'm actually having fun paying off bills and jogging every day, and I feel that I have a good sustainable plan.

I hope everyone else out there is doing well, too. Here are some photos of statues around my work building: the Rockefeller Plaza statue I've always loved, and a bunny on top of an elephant.





The bunny/elephant was done by the artist Barry Flanagan. You should check out his work!

Here I am at Nintendo World. I got to play the new 3DS handheld unit. I was impressed by the glasses-free 3D effects, but the games were all lackluster. So, this toy seems *really* like just a toy.

I am blessed that Nintendo World is just a few blocks from my new office, so I can walk there over lunch. I also hit Lego World and Times Square. Now that it's getting warmer, it's a delight to be able to explore New York City without freezing my ass off. So, I am learning a lot about the city.

( Here are some things I discovered about New York City!Collapse )

Now I know why some of my LiveJournal friends take photos of themselves at the doctor's office with tubes up their nose. I think it's because they hook you up to these machines, and then leave the room, leaving you alone with your cell phone and nothing else to do. As a youth, I would take that "alone time" to plunder the office for medical supplies that I would use for kinky fun back in my college dorm room later.

I'm having a few medical issues, but hopefully nothing to worry about. This was an EKG test for an enlarged heart, which is ok. I need to exercise more and lose weight - at 235 pounds, I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life. I'm more worried about my upcoming colonoscopy. I've never had one of those before. I'm worried I will like it too much!

Kinda of disturbing, no? But Thor and I have been watching RuPaul's Drag Race on Logo, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to create a drag inage of your own, you can go to http://dragulator.com.

My first day on the job. I took the six month contract without benefits. I know, I know, maybe not the smartest financial move I've ever done, but I think this will lead to better work in the future. Plus it's a really fun job doing math stuff. I really love numbers.

I work downtown Manhattan, just south of Central Park, so there are a lot of fun things to do during my lunch hour: Times Square, Jim Hanley's Universe comic book shop, The Compleat Strategist boardgame shop, great restaurants, and more! Now I just have to make a lot of money so I can afford the nice stuff...

A perfect Saturday morning! First, donuts from Donut Plant. Here are Valrhona chocolate, vanilla bean, "blackout", and carrot cake. Then, cartoons! If you aren't watching Turbo Dogs, then you should. Finally, we are going to the circus! Circus Incognitus... one man doing amazing things on stage.

Donuts and anime and a clown. What am I... twelve? I should go play more Plants vs. Zombies right now!

Today I scored a ticket to WNYC radio's Live in the Greene Space. I got to see Thomas Dolby play a set of some new songs he will be releasing this summer. I love Dolby (his Golden Age of Wireless is my favorite CD of all time). Unfortunately, I had to sit through a bad reggae band first. But it was an "only in New York moment"... just a day before I walked by the studio and wondered what kind of music they played in the storefront. The next day, I was there!

Had a wonderful time last night with goreyboy. Dinner and a movie. Too bad the movie - "I Am Number Four" - was kind of dumb. While I liked the pretty red and blue explosions (red for the bad guys, blue for the hero), the plot made very little sense. Why are the bad aliens trying to kill the last two (four?) good aliens? Does it not count as genocide unless *everyone* is dead?



Thanks for the movie! Next time Thor will come with us (that is... if we choose something he would want to watch {grin})

Lots of news on gay marriage lately... so much that you may not have been able to keep up. Here are some of the more exciting news items from the US and abroad:

Washington
On Valentine's Day, legislators introduced a bill in the house and senate to legalize gay marriage. However, this seems merely a gesture, as it's not expected to pass.
http://blog.senatedemocrats.wa.gov/ed-murray-news/a-legislative-valentine-to-gay-and-lesbian-families/

Colorado
Gay civil union bill introduced, although it probably won't go anywhere.
http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2011/02/colorado-civil-unions-bill-introduced.html

Arizona
Attorneys for the state filed to eliminate benefits for the 800 state employess who asked for coverage for their gay partners and children. Benefits will remain in place until the federal court reviews the case years from now... I'm not sure why this is a federal issue.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_75cc370a-3464-5388-97df-b83fc5359c43.html?mode=story

Maryland
Has support lined up for gay marriage bill, so that might happen this year.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021406442.html

New Jersey
A gay marriage bill died in January, with no plans to revisit the issue in 2011.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/nj_senate_rejects_bill_legaliz.html

Rhode Island
Last week's contentious debate will probably not bring full gay marriage to the tiny state, but it's great there is momentum.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/same-sex_marriage_hearing_02-10-11_B5MD4HC_v36.1a1c347.html

New Hampshire
A hearing Thursday to decide if the legislature should go ahead with plans to repeal their gay marriage law. No decision yet on what would happen to the gay couples already married in that state.
http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/240341/voters-dont-want-gay-marriage-repealed

Illinois
Got civil unions in January
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/illinois-civil-unions-gov_n_816685.html

Hawaii
House and senate approved civil unions. Plus the new Democratic gov said he'd sign it, in contrast to the Repub gov who vetoed it last year. So, this seems like a lock.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/115987444.html

Great Britain
May convert gay civil unions to full marriage by the end of the week.
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2011/02/13/british-government-reportedly-set-to-introduce-full-gay-marriage/

Thor and I went and saw the Decemberists last night. A great show... I've always wanted to see them in concert.



Here are a few concerts I'm thinking of seeing in 2011. I was a little sad to think I wouldn't be attending Coachella this year, until I realized that almost every single band that will be there is visiting NY for a warp-up before going to Indeo. If you live in the New York City area, please let me know, and we can go see a show together!

( 2011 Tentative Concert ScheduleCollapse )

When I lived in San Jose, my best friend lived a block away from a store that specialized in Australian gifts. But for some reason, he and I never went in. Then, last Christmas, I wanted to send him a box of Tim Tams, so he could learn how to do a Tim Tam Slam.

Imagine my surprise when the top google reponse was that store we overlooked called "Australian Products, Co." So, I bought my friend an oilskin jacket, that box of Tim Tams, and a ton of other Australian food besides. I couldn't resist sending some to myself as well:

Fruit Tingles
Cadbury "Picnic" bar
Cherry Mash
Tim Tams (both original *and* double coated!)
Violet Crumble
Arnott's "Shapes" biscuits
and Vegemite (I haven't had the courage to try this one yet!)



Until the day I get to visit Australia myself, this box of goodies will have to do!

1. Hit random on wikipedia.com. The page that comes up is your band name.

2. Hit random on quotationspage.com. The last 4 or 5 words of the LAST quote on the page make the album title.

3. Flickr.com - click on the last seven days link at the very bottom, then click on interesting photos from last seven days. The 3rd picture is your album cover.

4. MSPaint or Photoshop it and post in the comments.

The best song for 2010? Steven Page's "A New Shore". Or specifically, it's my favorite moment in a song.

You know what I'm talking about... "the moment". That split-second noise that comes out of nowhere and shoots into your soul. The high screeching guitar skronk in Tool's "Sober". The accidental guitar rhythm in Radiohead's "Creep". Kurt Cobain snarling with a bent guitar note in "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

In this case it's the coda of the song which start at 2:48. Steven sings two words over and over again. "Land". "Ho". First as a solo in the center channel. Then his singing moves to the right speaker as he's doing a duet with himself with the left channel. Pretty cool, right? But wait.

The melody bounces back and forth between the two sides, and Steven is hitting the high A on a regular basis. Most songs would end here, but now a THIRD voice comes in. Tentative at first. But then for the last refrain, the trio hits a high note. Not the high A... that had already been sung before. No. The last note of the song is a D above high D. Sung operatic, slightly straining. I mean, there's castanets and strings, but that's not what you are listening to. It's the singer... cynical about his past, and weary about his future, but seeing terra firma once again. And it just kills me.

I was so busy moving from Washington DC to New York City that I forgot to post my "best of" list from last year. Oh well, maybe you've got more time to check out these in the new year!

( Best CDs of 2010Collapse )

( Best Techno CDs of 2010Collapse )

( Best CD Reissues of 2010Collapse )

( Worst CDs of 2010Collapse )

( Best CD Cover of 2010Collapse )

( Worst CD Cover of 2010Collapse )

( Best Movies of 2010Collapse )

( Worst Movies of 2010Collapse )

So, I finished my first week of "funemployment". I packed my things up in Washington DC last week, and Thor moved them into a storage unit a few blocks from O/our new apartment. I'm glad all my stuff is safe and secure. The new place is great... spacious, and full of everything I need right now. Moving took up all my energy in December, and now I'm without a job but with tons of free time.

( Actually, that's not true. I'm not doing "funemployment"...Collapse )

This is what I wear all day since I don't have to shower or leave the apartment anymore: a red union suit and fuzzy bear slippers.

If you're free this Sunday and you live near Washington DC, you may want to stop by our Sale of Curiosities and Other Sundries.



I'm having a garage sale on December 19, 2010 from 10 am until 4 pm. I live at 426 North Union Street in Alexandria, Virginia - about 10 minutes from downtown DC. Stop by if you need a last-minute Christmas gift, or if you just want to say "hi" to mudcub  or thornyc , who will be in town for the weekend.

Here is the ad on Craiglist:

( Plus uniforms, rubber, sports equipment, and moreCollapse )

Sorry guildmates, I can't play the upcoming Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft coming out tomorrow, because I'm too busy playing ProgressQuest.



Seriously, you need to check it out. Click on the picture. You don't need to install anything. In fact, you don't need to play the game at all... try it and you'll understand what I mean.