Doug Wyatt's Musings

Deer scarers

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:06:25 -0700

Recently a mother deer with two fauns began making forays into a number of the neighborhood back yards, including mine. The first time I saw them, I think I scared them away by stalking them with the cameras. The second time I saw them, one was right up next to the house eating the geraniums, and I yelled at them to go away. Then they scampered away, seeming to defy gravity by jumping forward with all four legs at once. I felt guilty, as if I’d lost my temper with my kids. ...

(176 words)

Last modified: 22 June 2009, 04:14

Free association

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:37:36 -0700

On one of my mailing lists, there’s a thread titled “Inspirational Gear.” (I wasn’t the only one to reply and mention non-electronic instruments.) I stared at the title and it rolled around strangely in my head. This was my chain of associations: ...

(48 words)

Last modified: 09 June 2009, 17:37

Climate change

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 20:45:50 -0700

There was a recent article about how climate change would remain an abstract concept to most people without some sort of concrete visual representation. “Earth 2100” on ABC last night was just that. I remained disturbed by it today. ...

(111 words)

Last modified: 04 June 2009, 03:53

Of babies and bathwater

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:54:22 -0700

For reasons that are getting harder to remember as the years fly by and I look at the code less, this blog is run by a piece of custom software that has grown organically as a little programming playground. It seems the only thing that sends me scurrying off into the code these days is to find new ways to block a new pernicious comment spammer. ...

(183 words)

Last modified: 03 June 2009, 06:54

Operation Fuschia Liberation

Tue, 12 May 2009 10:25:19 -0700

About 45 minutes ago I was sitting at my desk, working, looked out the window, and noticed that the fuschia flowers were on their way. The entire hillside is covered with ivy, and, while it does keep the soil on the hill, it was entangling itself (and strangling?) the fuschia, and everything else trying to grow there. So maybe I was just procrastinating on putting together a presentation for work, but it was pretty fun to go out there and hack away a full garbage can of ivy. ...

(88 words)

Last modified: 12 May 2009, 18:15

Condi's Conspiracy Confession

Mon, 04 May 2009 22:50:47 -0700

Carelessly candid, Condi criminal conspiracy confession caught on camera. From Harpers: ...

(115 words)

Last modified: 05 May 2009, 05:55

A Better Way To Restore The Banking System

Mon, 04 May 2009 22:49:35 -0700

Dr. Thomas Hoenig, President of the Kansas City Federal Reserve, wrote in the Financial Times: Troubled banks must be allowed a way to fail: ...

(216 words)

Last modified: 05 May 2009, 05:50