
As my last post of 2007, I thought I'd purge some to-be-blogged photos from recent walks around town. Without a doubt, it's been a strange year. I never thought people I've never met would come and visit my blog regularly and actually send me presents and [things](http://www.bitwrathploob.com/). When I was fifteen, a friend and I chatted up some girls in Colorado over AOL and even got them to send us some photos of themselves (or two girls anyway...it could have been one fat old man screwing with us), but that was as close as I'd ever gotten to knowing a stranger via the internet. The fact that I now have a handful of people whose lives I follow and comment on on a daily basis would have surprised the me that entered 2007.

Alas, my [Year of Bond](/2007/01/02/not-stirred/) idea did not spread like wildfire across the English-speaking world. Oh well. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144942018_911e0e8b45_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Story Lines">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144942018_c5c54821d7.jpg" alt="Story Lines"/>
</a>

When it rains, this building that you can see from my apartment shows each floor. Weird, huh?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144943104_5fee23f99d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Rebar">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144943104_ff416269c2.jpg" alt="Rebar"/>
</a>

In case you were wondering how houses are built in Spain, they put rebar in the columns, fasten plastic crate-looking boxes around it, and pour cement in to form the supporting columns of all the buildings.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144943436_5f738c7b86_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Copter">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144943436_6b3f78f092.jpg" alt="Copter"/>
</a>

It's _very_ rare to see a helicopter over Colindres.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144153121_15452cde0c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Candle Decoration">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144153121_459e903989.jpg" alt="Candle Decoration"/>
</a>

The Christmas decorations around town have been extra-spectacular this year. Not a single hint of Biblical imagery in all the decorations.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144156145_5bf92dc9d7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Muddy">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144156145_aaf35ee852.jpg" alt="Muddy"/>
</a>

A muddy puddle.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144954528_93ae67d015_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Tubular">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144954528_c5b50e8937.jpg" alt="Tubular"/>
</a>

At least the skater punks deface their own areas too.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144163489_d325726b0e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Low Tide">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144163489_8c04b7c262.jpg" alt="Low Tide"/>
</a>

This boat, of which I will undoubtedly post more photos, makes me laugh every time I see it. It's so sunk that, when the tide goes out, it holds more water than the area around it.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144960894_e11480ac3b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Frosty Butcher">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144960894_8a488bd05a.jpg" alt="Frosty Butcher"/>
</a>

I don't think this snowman would be so scary if he wasn't standing in front of....a butcher's shop!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144966198_0a9da9c119_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="New Growth">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144966198_dc94173ea0.jpg" alt="New Growth"/>
</a>

Pre-solstice and new growth already. You go, fig tree!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144969692_4e841163a0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Tied Column">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144969692_a8e32c3cff.jpg" alt="Tied Column"/>
</a>

This poor column on this wall had to be tied to a tree with rope to prevent it from falling over and blocking traffic.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144970768_8505ffd9a5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Nativity">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144970768_8d68d25920.jpg" alt="Nativity"/>
</a>

I liked this artwork on the window of a local pre-school, depicting the baby Jesus, his virgin parents, and the three wise men coming to visit.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144179117_97578b5b19_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Tractor Santa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-29-random-photos-to-end-2007/2144179117_9c7e266ded.jpg" alt="Tractor Santa"/>
</a>

Santa and Rudolph decided to ride a tractor this year. Yee haw!! Merry Christmas!

May you enter the new year as inebriated, or at least as happy, as I. No one knows what 2008 will bring, but I'm ready for it!

Peace, y'all.


Random Photos to End 2007


I thought this marriage thing was going to be really nice, but it's been almost 11 weeks, and I just can't take it anymore. Things have just spiraled out of control. My lawyer says that the percentage of the house that I can get depends entirely on the paternity test, so we'll know sometime next week. December 28th is the [_Dí­a de los Inocentes_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Innocents), marking the Christian legend that, a few days after Jesus' birth, King Herrod had all the male infants slaughtered to prevent losing his throne to a newborn "King of the Jews". In the Spanish-speaking world, today is the equivalent of April Fools Day, where people play practical jokes on others and try to get them to believe incredible lies. Exactly how mass infanticide translates to fooling people is unclear to me. Is it a day "not to be fooled into giving your newborn to the jewish police" (the grieving parents are the fools)? Or a day "not to be fooled into thinking you can prevent what is destined to happen" (King Harrod is the fool)? Who knows. Either way, not very funny.

Consequently, the Spanish do _not_ celebrate April 1st in this manner.

So there, now you've learned something today. Just to be clear, nothing about the title or first paragraph is true except for the number of weeks of marital bliss experienced so far.

Go on, fess up in the comments if you were fooled.


I'm getting divorced.


One of my favorite songs has got to be John Prine's _Angel from Montgomery_. I've mentioned it once before here when there was, well, [a fly in the kitchen](/2007/08/07/musca-mucus/). It never ceases to amaze me how songwriters and novelists can write about someone else in the first person, to _become_ someone else and really feel their emotions. This song also touches a special chord with me because I work from home and have spent some time with my wife being the sole breadwinner of the household. Even though I am obviously a lot happier with my life than the protagonist of the song, I feel a kinship with her that's hard to explain. I have experienced the lethargy and loneliness of the last verse. So when I went to play with my new microphone that I got for Christmas, I chose _Angel from Montgomery_ as a song to record. It's clear that this microphone, a [Blue Snowball](http://www.bluemic.com/modules.php?op=modload&amp;amp;name=Products&amp;amp;file=index&amp;amp;prod_id=18), is the most professional piece of recording equipment I've ever owned. The sound quality is excellent. A little _too_ excellent for the quality of my voice, really.

Once I got the guitar and vocals into GarageBand, a wide range of editing possibilities opened up to me. I got to playing around with reverb and echo and distortion and overdrive. And then I found that there's an effect to convert a male voice into a female voice and vice versa. I've never really seen this feature that didn't make the person sound like one of the chipmunks, but I was very impressed. So I have a female backup singer that helps out with some of the chorus and verse lines. I threw some prepackaged drums on it and put down a pretty lame attempt at a bass riff and I was done!

But then I realized that, in order to host my song file on my website, it needed to be in video form, either on YouTube or Revver. I considered just a single frame of video and the song as the soundtrack, but I figured I'd better make a video where it looked like I was playing the guitar. So I got out my headphones and played along to the song I'd recorded. Keep in mind that the guitar being played in the video is _not_ that heard in the song! Since I was in my pajamas (after all, I ain't done nothin' since I woke up today!), I did my best to only show the guitar and strumming.

It was a little trickier than I'd hoped to get the video and music synced up in iMovie, but once it was synced, it looked really good. But the video was kind of boring-looking, so I decided to play with all those video effects that I never get to use in iMovie. There are some pretty amazing effects available. So I split the video into verses and choruses and did a different effect for each one, just to make it somewhat interesting to watch.

So anyway, here it is... The more I listen to it, the less I like it in general. The whole thing is over-processed, but it was so fun to play with in GarageBand, I got a little carried away. If you have any musical creativity in you at all, GarageBand is a toy you can play with for _hours_!

revver(585849)

> I am an old woman named after my mother My old man is another child that's grown old If dreams were lightning, thunder was desire This old house would have burnt down a long time ago
> 
> Chorus: Make me an angel that flies from Montgom'ry Make me a poster of an old rodeo Just give me one thing that I can hold on to To believe in this living is just a hard way to go
> 
> When I was a young girl well, I had me a cowboy He weren't much to look at, just free rambling man But that was a long time and no matter how I try The years seem to flow by like a broken down dam.
> 
> There's flies in the kitchen I can hear 'em there buzzing And I ain't done nothing since I woke up today. How the hell can a person go to work in the morning And come home in the evening and have nothing to say.

Just so you know how the song is _supposed_ to sound, here's the original author, John Prine, singing it and explaining a little about who it's about.

Due to it's awesomeness, this song has been covered by hundreds of artists. For instance, you've got the red-headed country and blues goddess, Bonnie Raitt:

And this Susan Tedeschi woman that I used to own a CD of and I'd forgotten how much I love her voice and style. She adds some extra lyrics on the end, which is risky when dealing with such a classic, but I think she pulls it off.

Thanks for listening, and I hope I've either made you aware of this great song or added to your appreciation of it a little bit.


Angel From Montgomery


In Spain, the most important time around Christmas is the family meal on the evening of the 24th, called _Nochebuena_. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2138018822_c264cc7568_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ready for meal">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2138018822_7dd590f3ed.jpg" alt="Ready for meal"/>
</a>

By noon on the 24th, the table was already set for the dinner that would happen ten hours later.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2138023402_9879db9fee_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Emailing">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2138023402_50e3bc9ba1.jpg" alt="Emailing"/>
</a>

My sister-in-law sends an email to my mother.

Then we went to the Centro Extremeño for some Christmas carols.

revver(585440)

"...y celebramos juntos, la llegada del niño dios!"

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137233771_0eaa2cc0d2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Olentxero">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137233771_63677acf56.jpg" alt="Olentxero"/>
</a>

Similar to the [Santa Cat Burglar epidemic](/2007/12/17/santa-is-a-cat-burglar/), in the Basque Country they hang _Olentzeros_. [_Olentzero_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olentzero) is a coal miner that brings Basque kids presents on Christmas morning instead of Santa Claus. The Basques just have to be different, you see.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137244349_87ce9163e7_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Family Meal">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137244349_a50375e760.jpg" alt="Family Meal"/>
</a>

Everyone seated for the meal.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137244677_5450960109_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Olive pit butterfly">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137244677_d573d40161.jpg" alt="Olive pit butterfly"/>
</a>

This olive pit attracted a butterfly...or is in the other way around?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137247077_0a3c582725_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ãƒï¿½am Ãƒï¿½am">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137247077_2fde4f42c6.jpg" alt="Ãƒï¿½am Ãƒï¿½am"/>
</a>

What a great way to serve mayonnaise: you have to pull down _í‘am í‘am_'s trousers and squeeze him until he excretes a fine white cream all over your food. Who comes _up_ with these things??

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137248561_d609ec4ae3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mousse">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137248561_8c99585631.jpg" alt="Mousse"/>
</a>

I figured that, after the last caption, you were ready to see a big slab of chocolate mousse.

On Christmas Eve, we played bingo until about 4:30 AM. I was the _banquero_ who took the money for the cards and called out the numbers. It was good practice for my Spanish number pronunciation (1-90, anyway). Bingo would be a good game to play in a class teaching foreign language numbers.

I got up at 12:45 PM on Christmas day, opened some presents, and then it was time to go back to Grandpa's house to attack the leftovers.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137253177_ae1dd5df60_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Drunks">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137253177_91d7248041.jpg" alt="Drunks"/>
</a>

Aunt Manoli and my mother-in-law finish off the champagne.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137256587_9a1c429e19_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Wine Pear">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137256587_3a07510820.jpg" alt="Wine Pear"/>
</a>

Aunt Marga had boiled a couple dozen pears in some frustratingly good quality red wine and some cinnamon sticks for a few hours the night before. The result was delicious!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137259851_503f98f11e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cinnamon Brothers">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137259851_7c24f7c9f9.jpg" alt="Cinnamon Brothers"/>
</a>

Mmmm! Wine-soaked cinnamon sticks....

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137263631_02aeda216d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sleepy Juan">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-navidad-2007/2137263631_79c9b8a13c.jpg" alt="Sleepy Juan"/>
</a>

More bingo commences and Juan dozes off with an unjustly incriminating foreground.

All-in-all it was a pretty great family holiday. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't any [singing](time.http://revver.com/video/44022/affiliate/20700/traditional-family-spanish-christmas-songs/), but we had a good time. Olentzero brought me a bathrobe and a [snowball](http://www.bluemic.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Products&file=index&prod_id=18 "not the fictional pig") among other things.


Navidad 2007


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137704336_d6cf499761_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Basque Chap">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137704336_9b935fdf22_t.jpg" alt="Basque Chap"/>
</a>

The main feast day for Saint Thomas in the Catholic church falls suspiciously close to [the winter solstice](/2007/12/22/happy-winter-solstice-everybody/), and is celebrated on December 21 with a huge fair in San Sebastian, Spain. In Mondragón, my wife's home town, Santo Tomás is also an important day. But since San Sebastian is so close and so much bigger, no one ever came to the fair in Mondragón, so they moved it to December 22 and the event exploded into a huge annual fair of crafts and livestock and dancing and drinking and general merriment.  I don't know much about Saint Thomas, but from the following two quotes from [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Apostle), I think he's now my favorite apostle.

> He also speaks up at The Last Supper in John 14:5. Jesus assures his disciples that they know where he is going, but Thomas protests that they don't know at all.

> In Thomas's best known appearance in the New Testament, John 20:24-29, he doubts the resurrection of Jesus and demands to feel Jesus' wounds before being convinced.

An apostle with critical thinking skills and an emphasis on evidence-based belief!??! Go Tommy-boy! It's too bad he's just a literary tool to silence future skeptics.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137656480_281dd3586b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Traditional Bread">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137656480_e6e7db87c0.jpg" alt="Traditional Bread"/>
</a>

These are _talos_, flat bread that meat, typically _txistorra_, is wrapped in. The lines were at least an hour long, so we didn't have any.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136876777_be6d9b4c26_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cider">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136876777_c80c024367.jpg" alt="Cider"/>
</a>

The _txistorra_ is typically consumed with a glass of _sidra_.

revver(585296) <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136879387_e3c89574d8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Trademark Rip-Offs">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136879387_14a76fc770.jpg" alt="Trademark Rip-Offs"/>
</a>

These knock-offs of trademarked personalities always crack me up. Check out Pooh Bear Dog.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136883917_c2dd3b147e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crowded Streets">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136883917_22487a0f92.jpg" alt="Crowded Streets"/>
</a>

This is the path, looking towards the hotel, my wedding procession walked. I said to Marga, "This festival would be a lot more fun with about 70% of the people." And she said, "Yes, I'm sure they feel the same way about you."

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136888063_0132f8a79f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Porky">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136888063_15e400250f.jpg" alt="Porky"/>
</a>

Some future _txistorra_ napping in a crate.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136892415_efd2055f7c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crowded">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136892415_6bc0039a83.jpg" alt="Crowded"/>
</a>

The masses gather to see crafts booths under the horrible gray structure they built last year that looks like a gas station.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137676412_828dbc7c29_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Baaa">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137676412_dc8ce06557.jpg" alt="Baaa"/>
</a>

Baaaaa-shful.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136898409_4eb5550dc1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Little Goat">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136898409_6bd189fac5.jpg" alt="Little Goat"/>
</a>

An adorable little baby goat with his adorable little hornlets.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136900307_3aa9520908_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Boar Cheese?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136900307_108c9010a2.jpg" alt="Boar Cheese?"/>
</a>

A disturbing boar creature that will come get you while you sleep if you don't buy cheese from this booth.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137685678_0919185934_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Puppets?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137685678_d0c8223584.jpg" alt="Puppets?"/>
</a>

Henson knock-offs.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137688390_a9c8db4e8c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bread and bacon">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137688390_752109b6e7.jpg" alt="Bread and bacon"/>
</a>

A better view of the _talos_ with some sweet, sweet bacon frying in the background. I think the _talos_ are corn-flour-based.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136910205_00b728438f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Oh my deer!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136910205_79cb7afa22.jpg" alt="Oh my deer!"/>
</a>

Doh! A deer! A female deer!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137694828_b07b5f3108_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Burrito">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137694828_cb1b758a01.jpg" alt="Burrito"/>
</a>

This little week-old burrito got a lot of attention.

(here come the "is it okay to eat a week-old burrito?" googlers...)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137697726_8bf8da0cba_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Suckling Burro">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137697726_2c56e631a2.jpg" alt="Suckling Burro"/>
</a>

Mmmm!!! Donkey milk!

My sister-in-law, Belén, insisted that I get certain activities on video to show my mother, to whom she had proudly written an English email about the Santo Tomás festivities, particularly the dancing. So here they are.

revver(584884)

revver(585282)

For lunch, we were invited to join Belén and about 25 friends to a meal in a restaurant.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137699882_1857461532_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cider Pouring">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137699882_98ce4d714c.jpg" alt="Cider Pouring"/>
</a>

This is how _sidra_ should be poured. I love the captured droplets in this shot.

Sing along with me here:

> Cider Man, Cider Man, Fills a glass with cider, man! Pours it high, let's it fall! Not a splash on the wall. Here comes Cider Man!!!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137702958_6e99f1417a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sisters">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137702958_9b6d86ecc4.jpg" alt="Sisters"/>
</a>

Basque sisters.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137704336_d6cf499761_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Basque Chap">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2137704336_9b935fdf22.jpg" alt="Basque Chap"/>
</a>

Some handsome Basque gentleman that stopped by.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136924065_e989f01d9b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Belen dress">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-26-santo-tomas/2136924065_6c78a5e2c1.jpg" alt="Belen dress"/>
</a>

Belén was beaming all day because she'd received flowers and a digital camera from her boyfriend for their third anniversary. Man, time flies!

We literally spent from 2pm to 2am between bars ordering drinks. When our feet and livers couldn't take anymore, we walked home briskly through the brisk night air.


Santo Tomás


Today the sun is at it's lowest arc in the southern sky, something our ancestors have been celebrating for many millennia. We are headed to the in-laws to celebrate the solstice in the typical Spanish way, with food, wine, and merriment. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-22-happy-winter-solstice-everybody/2126040848_7f50983cd9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Christmas Tree 2007">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-22-happy-winter-solstice-everybody/2126040848_91d8e134c7.jpg" alt="Christmas Tree 2007"/>
</a>

Our meager little tree with our modest collection of gifts. The big one is for me! This photo was taken with no flash nor any lights on in the room other than those of the tree.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-22-happy-winter-solstice-everybody/2126042616_c4a68053ab_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Evil Christmas Tree Star">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-22-happy-winter-solstice-everybody/2126042616_b0c4351da4.jpg" alt="Evil Christmas Tree Star"/>
</a>

The star at the top of the tree is a little evil-looking. It would make Charlie Brown flinch, anyway.

The following are some videos of the kinds of festivities we will hopefully be partaking in this year.

revver(44021)

A Christmas procession in Mondragon, Spain Basque Country. Those crazy Baaaa-sques and their anthropomorphized sheep!

revver(44022)

Marga's family and a dumbfounded me singing typical Christmas Eve songs with typical instruments.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-22-happy-winter-solstice-everybody/2122500472_e22a7fc7ee_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Golfing Santa hit is ball into the trees">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-22-happy-winter-solstice-everybody/2122500472_6edeffd8be.jpg" alt="Golfing Santa hit is ball into the trees"/>
</a>

Golfing Santa and I wish you a wonderful penultimate weekend of [2007](/2007/01/02/not-stirred/).


Happy Winter Solstice, Everybody!


My sister-in-law recently purchased a new computer that came with Windows Vista pre-installed. She couldn't stand it. She said, "I can't find anything anymore!" The first thing she did with her new computer was have her boyfriend come over and install Windows XP on it. I suspect that this scenario has played out for thousands of surprised computer customers. People vehemently dislike change. This change-hating inertia is exactly what keeps people using such a crappy operating system in the first place. Within the first week, she called me and said, "Whenever I try to run a google search in IE a box comes up and says something about 'spyware has blocked something'. What do I do?" Upgrading software to provide more features without confusing the user is a very delicate balancing act and Microsoft has really screwed things up (and is frustratingly not yet [bankrupt](http://www.bbspot.com/News/2007/12/tech-disappoinments-2007.html)).

The three or four people that I have spoken to about their recent upgrade from Mac OS X Tiger to Leopard, when asked what they think of the new operating system, all have said, "\[shrug\] Meh, looks pretty much the same". This is a _huge_ compliment to the designers of Leopard. It's _supposed_ to look exactly the same! Of course some things have changed. Very few people like the translucent menu bar initially. The firewall settings have moved and gotten dumber, etc. But no one that is familiar with Tiger will say, "I can't find anything anymore!"

Wait, what was I talking about....oh yeah, windows upgrades... The cheapskates that built our building made our windows out of wood. The wood is really gorgeous. But it doesn't last very long unless carefully maintained with waterproofing varnish, which no one has done over the 12-year lifetime of the building. Three of the windows in our house are starting to leak, and the moisture is causing paint to peel. So we've decided it's time to install a new version of windows.

We got quotes from several places around town, some that specialize in aluminum windows and others that specialize in PVC windows. Aluminum is more expensive than PVC. I recall news stories from a year or so ago about people stealing highway guard rails to melt them down and sell the aluminum. The places that specialize in PVC explained, "PVC is much better than aluminum. It lasts longer and is easier to clean. I mean, it's _plastic_ so it's going to last forever. Aluminum, at the end of the day, is still just metal." And the people that specialize in aluminum explained, "Aluminum is much better than PVC. It lasts longer and is easier to clean. I mean, it's _metal_ so it's going to last forever. PVC, at the end of the day, is still just plastic." We'd like to think that, after listening to the details from both sides, the aluminum people just made more sense about exactly why their product is better, but I suspect that the truth is that the PVC people were cold and haughty and the aluminum people were warm and friendly. So we've decided on aluminum. I prefer to do things right, even if it costs a little more, and then not worry about it anymore.

The aluminum folks chopped off a few samples for us to take home and pick a color. The way they can make metal look like wood these days is incredible. One of the samples was a little shiny and was obviously metallic, but with the other one you can't even be sure whether it's wood or not even when you touch it. Amazing.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-21-windows-upgrade-part-i/2126021243_88e04c70c9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Aluminum Samples">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-21-windows-upgrade-part-i/2126021243_9317d28fc2.jpg" alt="Aluminum Samples"/>
</a>

What's on top is our current wooden window frame. Bottom left is the shiny metallic-looking sample. Bottom right is the color our new windows will be.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-21-windows-upgrade-part-i/2126023069_a0c16e5fd1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Wood or metal?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-21-windows-upgrade-part-i/2126023069_bb12a16248.jpg" alt="Wood or metal?"/>
</a>

Crazy, huh?

So sometime in January, we're gonna get a newer, more modern, version of windows. Hopefully the user interface will be the same.


Windows Upgrade, Part I


I've sent a few packages abroad lately, and for every single one of them, the shipping cost more than the value of the items being sent. That's pretty frustrating, but I guess it's obviously true for the base case of a single sheet of paper, so maybe I can't complain. And something simple like a cookie or a cigar that is easy to purchase here goes up in value when sent to a place where it can't be easily purchased. Perhaps my annoyance is irrational. I received packages of Christmas joy from my Uncles Neil and Steve today. I haven't opened the wrapped present from Uncle Neil, but I loved the photo attached to it and I thought the envelope was pretty funny.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-20-international-shipping-sucks/2124528409_05db0a0b56_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Stamp Mania!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-20-international-shipping-sucks/2124528409_9648de96dd.jpg" alt="Stamp Mania!"/>
</a>

These stamps look just like [this one](https://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10152&productId=31353&parent_category_rn=), which costs $0.41. By my calculations, that brings the total stampage on this package to $7.20. I love how the guy that stamps that red seal over the stamps, in Schroeder, MN, in this case, had to go all crazy on this package. I can just hear the THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! as he hammered out red ink enough to cover all the stamps.

My scanner doesn't have drivers yet for my shiny new operating system, so I had to take a photo of the photo he sent.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-20-international-shipping-sucks/2124528771_78e158224a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="From Uncle Neil">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-20-international-shipping-sucks/2124528771_5fffe6f04b.jpg" alt="From Uncle Neil"/>
</a>

The description given for the photo:

> The sunrise over the water vapor over Lake Superior as seen through our window. December 8, 2007, \-8Â° F, [Grand Marais](http://grandmarais.com/), Minnesota

There's something very intimate about sharing [the view out your own window](/2007/06/15/bedroom-window-panorama/).

Thanks to both uncles for sharing.


International Shipping Sucks


Electronics prices in Europe are really insane. When I [visited the US in Feburary 2007](/2007/02/13/at-the-office/), I also purchased my MacBook Pro, which I feel like I've had forever now. It cost me $1,000 less in the US than it would have if I had bought it in Europe. At the time of this writing, the cheapest new MacBook Pro is $1,999 at the [US Apple Store](http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B723642&node=home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro) and 1,849€ at the [Spain Apple Store](http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/esstore.woa/9964042/wa/PSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=7B723646&node=home/shop_mac/family/macbook_pro&wosid=QW1pPppfFPp32kfVRdT5mCDHsum). That's a difference of $663.56. This year, my late Christmas gift to myself in February is going to be a [Canon EOS 40D](http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos40d/) DSLR camera. I've spent a few months now reading reviews, learning about lenses and shutters and apertures and focal lengths, etc. and it's time to take my photography hobby to the next level. The price for this camera in the US is $1,499. The price in Spain, with a slightly superior lens is 1,779€. That's a price difference of $1,062.76, which happens to be a couple bucks more than my airline tickets.

[![Canon 40D](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-19-electronics-prices-in-europe/1190580687_8707d43f18.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanfalkowski/1190580687/)

Isn't that gorgeous?

So if you're living in Europe and you're going to make an electronics purchase for more than a thousand euros, you really should look into flying to New York for a weekend and buying it on [Fifth Ave](/2006/10/17/fifth-avenue/). It'll probably be cheaper.


Electronics Prices in Europe


The other day during a morning walk around Colindres, I found this very waterlogged album cover lying on the wet pavement. So I took a photo and forgot about it until today. Using the all-knowing internet tubes, I've found some information about the album. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-19-lio-bebe-vampire/2122546954_1eb1cc9b5f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Lio, Bébé Vampire">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-19-lio-bebe-vampire/2122546954_b458b07cb2.jpg" alt="Lio, Bébé Vampire"/>
</a>

Only 100 pesetas! That's 0.60€. Or $0.86 as of today.

From [SpikedCandy](http://spikedcandy.blog-city.com/treats_no_tricks.htm):

> Portuguese-born Wanda Ribeiro de Vasconcelos is better known as 80s Belgian pop sweetheart Lio. 'Bébé Vampire' appeared on Lio's 1980 debut album, released in 1980, and like most of the songs on that album, was created by celebrated Belgian songwriter Jacques Duvall. Duvall was also wrote her infamous, 2-million-selling 'Banana Split', which she says, like France Gall with 'Les Sucettes' before her, she was too innocent to understand the double entendre behind.

Less than a fortnight ago, someone posted this classic song to [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NfjsecfA6w) for your "enjoyment". Ahhh, 80's europop...

ytaudio(7NfjsecfA6w)

Or if you prefer, here's an [MP3](http://spikedcandy.com/-Songs-/Lio%20-%20Bebe%20vampire.mp3).

The SpikedCandy review nails it by calling it "a fizzy synthpop confection".


Lio - Bébé Vampire


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-18-im-a-real-driver-now/2119531139_cebdbcaabd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="L">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-18-im-a-real-driver-now/2119531139_b7a6c7fc19_t.jpg" alt="L"/>
</a>

Today marks the one year anniversary of [me getting my Spanish driver's license](/2006/12/18/i-remembered-how-to-drive/). This means that I no longer have to display that stupid L1 on my forehead the car. In Spain, you see, for the first year that you have your license, you have to display this L sign which means that you also have to go 90 kph on the 120 kph motorway. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? And all this is still true _even when you have been driving for 11 years in other countries **and** one full year in Spain_. Because you're "inexperienced". Poppycock! <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-18-im-a-real-driver-now/2119527357_3edb75cdbf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Learner Plaque">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-18-im-a-real-driver-now/2119527357_0df1a633c8.jpg" alt="Learner Plaque"/>
</a>

I never _once_ displayed this in my car and never got pulled over. And now I can keep it as a trophy of my insolence.

1What's funny is that the L doesn't stand for anything in Spanish. It's just a European standard which I've always assumed meant "Learner".


I'm a real driver now!


Only in the last decade or so, American movies and television have brought the concept of Santa Claus into Spain. Previously it was the sole job of the Three Wise Kings to magically bring presents to children. The main problem Santa faces in Spain is that none of the houses have chimneys. Children aren't stupid. They might be able to side step rational thought when it comes to a fat man flying through the sky visiting every house in the world, but it would be _ridiculous_ to expect the intruder to be able to walk through walls. But every Spanish house has one clear entry point to a gravity defying invader: the balcony.

Although I've only been living in Spain for 2.5 years, I've been visiting Spain for Christmas for over five years, so I can be fairly certain that what I'm about to describe is a new phenomenon only about 2-3 years old. Someone, a couple years ago, had the idea to make a little stuffed Santa Claus (called _Papa Noel_ around these parts) and hang him from the balcony as if he were trying to get into the house with a sack full of presents. The cleverness of this idea was appreciated it spread like a highly contagious meme. Now all the decoration shops contain various versions of this cat burglar Santa, sometimes he's just grabbing hold of the balcony railing, and other times he's on a ladder. Being a native of the country that popularized this image of the jolly old myth, I find this adaptation particularly amusing. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116981727_a774642f62_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5314.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116981727_466bec240c.jpg" alt="CIMG5314.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116983257_936c12c4f2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5315.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116983257_953dcc5bf6.jpg" alt="CIMG5315.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116989097_fd58c94d9c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5320.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116989097_a916b399ee.jpg" alt="CIMG5320.JPG"/>
</a>

They really do come in all sizes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117770254_832a7f6a01_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5323.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117770254_387b16361c.jpg" alt="CIMG5323.JPG"/>
</a>

Look at this little guy!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116995027_ca4b31c0ac_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5324.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116995027_962f29b0bd.jpg" alt="CIMG5324.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116998127_143ca451a1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5325.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2116998127_5d16b7e7b4.jpg" alt="CIMG5325.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117779796_2c6f05406b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5326.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117779796_275e97c0d5.jpg" alt="CIMG5326.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117003237_726d414da2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5327.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117003237_17b5fa4917.jpg" alt="CIMG5327.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117006659_8f23121022_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG5347.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117006659_e627676512.jpg" alt="CIMG5347.JPG"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117785660_57a8b59583_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Balcony Snowmen">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117785660_29e3b51ed6.jpg" alt="Balcony Snowmen"/>
</a>

No Santa here, but what the heck is hiding behind the Christmas tree?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117765660_163738586a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Santa takes a rest">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-17-santa-is-a-cat-burglar/2117765660_a0552bb12b.jpg" alt="Santa takes a rest"/>
</a>

This last one is really well done. Old St. Nick needs a breather every now and then.


Santa is a Cat Burglar


I have this desk lamp that I really love. I bought it from IKEA. It's the same lamp they have on their desks at [CTU](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/24_%28TV_series%29#Counter_Terrorist_Unit "Counter Terrorist Unit"). It must be some really crappy craftsmanship, because [this particular model](http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00081058 "FÃ„RJA") of lamp lasts for about one year and then breaks. I know, because this is the second one I've owned. The frayed wiring inside is in such a tight little spot, that I'm pretty sure that getting it repaired will be impossible. So for the past few months, it's been more of a desk adornment than a real source of light. Knowing this, you can imagine my surprise when I turned my head and saw this the other day: <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-16-bright-lamp/2114974370_623b4e3f4f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bright Lamp">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-16-bright-lamp/2114974370_a5cfff2b98.jpg" alt="Bright Lamp"/>
</a>

Pretty cool, huh? It's actually light from the setting sun, forming a perfect illusion.

I'm not sure what's up with my obsession with electromagnetic waves between 400 and 800 nanometers lately.


Bright Lamp


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-15-whats-the-point-of-facebook/5432100262_4012f96d71_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Facebook Exclamation">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-15-whats-the-point-of-facebook/5432100262_32938fb031_t.jpg" alt="Facebook Exclamation"/>
</a>

Many of you already know that I signed up for [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/) the other day. Several people have shown their surprise that it took me so long to jack into the matrix. I'm still learning about it, but so far I'm impressed. I've heard it called "MySpace done right", and I have to agree to some extent. But what's the point of these social networking sites?  The best argument I've seen so far was in a July [blog entry](http://extempore.livejournal.com/189087.html) by Paul Phillips.

> It's pathetic that when my contact information changes, there's still no simple way for me to change it one place and expect the people I know to be able to find my phone number. There was/is a company called Plaxo that tried to address that but who they faced the giant chicken-and-egg problem that everybody does; unless most everyone uses and knows about plaxo, it's of little use. But Facebook has thirty million users and is signing up 100,000 a day. Mission mostly accomplished.

At the very minimum there is some value in that. I have my contact information entered and I control who can see it. If my mobile number changes, I change it in my Facebook profile and everyone I care about gets an update.

Another value I immediately notice is that it serves as sort of a "blogging light" platform where people that don't have the time, energy, interest, or technical savvy to maintain a real blog can easily post updates about what they're up to and the people that care about them can check up with them.

The other ingenious idea that is causing Facebook to succeed is that they have a public API that allows anyone to write applications that can use the social networking structure of Facebook to do interesting things. Writing one of those goes on the enormous "if I had the time" pile of my interests.

How much I will use it remains to be seen, but I decided it was worth signing up if only for the address book sharing system that it provides. My profile is [here](http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1069836824), but they cleverly make it so that you have to sign up to see anyone's profile. And even then you can only see the profiles of your friends or other people in your geographical region.

So anyway, for any of my readers who are not yet plugged into the hive mind, I would recommend that you spend 15 minutes giving it a try. At the very least it's interesting to see how old people you knew in high school look now.

P.S. Can one of you seasoned 'bookers explain WTF "poking" is all about?


What's the point of Facebook?


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2111601020_e36772141e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Quarter Munk">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2111601020_323358a892_t.jpg" alt="Quarter Munk"/>
</a>

Earlier this week, I received a shipment of spices from the New World. That is, after all, why Columbus went that way in the first place back in the early 90's. As so often happens when shipping things, somehow a little rodent got in there and hitched a ride with the goods. He really is a tiny little guy, as you can see from the photo on the right.

Anyway, he's been sitting on my desk staring at me all week, and I've been noticing how his shadow moves around him as various light sources hit his little porcelain body. So I got my flashlight and a piece of paper and experimented with lighting him from various angles. My favorite is the last one, since his surprised look makes him look like a prisoner that was making a run for it before the spotlight caught him.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2110818841_effa5c2d27_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mini-Munk Lighting 1">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2110818841_3d19a53789.jpg" alt="Mini-Munk Lighting 1"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2111598562_ef69cccf0c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mini-Munk Lighting 2">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2111598562_868c5ee8a8.jpg" alt="Mini-Munk Lighting 2"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2111599772_e3f7dbcc89_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mini-Munk Lighting 3">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2111599772_d7fe94cfdd.jpg" alt="Mini-Munk Lighting 3"/>
</a>

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2110822163_da40f94b68_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Mini-Munk Lighting 4">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-dramatic-lighting-starring-mini-munk/2110822163_9963196766.jpg" alt="Mini-Munk Lighting 4"/>
</a>

Does he remind you of [anything](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw)?


Dramatic Lighting, starring Mini-Munk


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-light-caterpillars/2110609778_2c1480d0c4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Light Caterpillars">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-light-caterpillars/2110609778_7ddc21954b_t.jpg" alt="Light Caterpillars"/>
</a>

Yesterday, I noticed how lovely the little dotted lines of sunshine were on the wall of our upstairs hallway. So I took a photo. But then it occurred to me that these dots would move up and down on the wall over the course of the day, so I put the camera on the floor and recorded forty-five minutes of the wall. It turns out that the light doesn't move up and down at all, but completely horizontally, because the arc the winter sun makes in the sky is so flat. I'm always delighted when my expectations and hypotheses are proved wrong (which happens daily). It must be the scientist in me. When that happens, it means that you're learning. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-light-caterpillars/2110609778_2c1480d0c4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Light Caterpillars">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-14-light-caterpillars/2110609778_7ddc21954b.jpg" alt="Light Caterpillars"/>
</a>

revver(526373)

I'm not the only one that thinks this stuff is cool, right?


Light Caterpillars


These are some photos I took the other day about 150 meters from my house. Actually, I'm beginning to expect that these aren't ferns, but I like the title, so... I would _love_ for someone to identify them for me. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108912028_a952c027bc_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ferns and Lichen">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108912028_7ba0caaf51.jpg" alt="Ferns and Lichen"/>
</a>

This one almost comes out of the screen at you.

Did you know that lichen is [symbiotic controlled parasitism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichen)? I learned that [the other day](http://isoglossia.com/2007/11/14/lichen-25-minutes/).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108915950_41906b3f44_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ferns">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108915950_2857038595.jpg" alt="Ferns"/>
</a>

See all those little circles on the leaves?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108919486_5ddf81271e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fungal Fern">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108919486_0d9e2e4e46.jpg" alt="Fungal Fern"/>
</a>

What the heck are those? Part of the plant or some sort of fungal parasite? Did you notice them in the first picture above?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108921396_acc53e8fa6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Vertical Vine">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108921396_98558fe4d5.jpg" alt="Vertical Vine"/>
</a>

Vertical depth of field vine.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108925092_4a0c37bb09_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Crumbling Mansion">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108925092_5e6515704b.jpg" alt="Crumbling Mansion"/>
</a>

After the photo above, I figured I should give you an in-focus shot of this beautiful crumbling mansion. I'm not a construction expert, but I suspect this house is not salvageable.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108925964_ffb4337271_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Berries?">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-13-ferntasia/2108925964_fd02162d58.jpg" alt="Berries?"/>
</a>

Are these berries?

I feel so ignorant...


Ferntasia


This is a little excerpt from a screenplay I'm writing:

> 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-12-whats-in-a-name/2105471268_07eb904700_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Rose">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-12-whats-in-a-name/2105471268_2d8c946cb4.jpg" alt="Rose"/>
</a>

I have long enjoyed using the verb "don", but I was unaware of its obvious, and humorous sounding, antonym, "doff".


What's in a name?


Just a few photos I've taken a few months ago that remind me of abstract art. They've been collecting dust in iPhoto, and I just remembered them because I accidentally took another one just now. The night sky is particularly clear tonight (gonna have frost tomorrow morning) and I made a feeble attempt to photograph the stars. My little camera has very limited shutter control, you see. It just won't stay open long enough to let in enough of those million-year-old star photons. I made five attempts to photograph the night sky, setting the camera on timer, so that it would be perfectly still at the time of the shutter opening, etc. And when I finished, I had five perfectly black jpegs and a sixth photo that I don't remember taking. It's the last photo on this page. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104520848_93d465d26e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Sparco">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104520848_c8bea09205.jpg" alt="Sparco"/>
</a>

Sparco. I wonder what that spells backwards?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104522910_b62e4575ae_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Brick and Glass">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104522910_c839cce1ee.jpg" alt="Brick and Glass"/>
</a>

Brick and Glass

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104523996_68895c0ae2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Roofies">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104523996_d72b1fee67.jpg" alt="Roofies"/>
</a>

If you stare at this one long enough you can see the elephant.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104526616_e53cc52cd5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Lighting the Path">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-abstract/2104526616_c69f482d67.jpg" alt="Lighting the Path"/>
</a>

Now how in the world could this have been taken? I would understand that it was just normal shutter motion blur if the lines were parallel, but some diverge, some converge, and others actually _cross_! Plus, there weren't any green lights around. I think Occam's Razor is voting for an alien spaceship on this one.


Abstract


I went for a rainy December walk yesterday, snapping a few photos along the way. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103230142_294cb15f1f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Wet Oranges">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103230142_cf56de52aa.jpg" alt="Wet Oranges"/>
</a>

Wet oranges.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103231146_af9d7d48c9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Party Hat Done Partied Out">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103231146_db3e118cff.jpg" alt="Party Hat Done Partied Out"/>
</a>

These hats are purchased during festivals and then seen atop drunk people in bars. This one looks like its owner had a pretty good time.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2102452737_13874841dd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Overflow">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2102452737_95c0c5e127.jpg" alt="Overflow"/>
</a>

Roof drainage.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103233688_ed74de9c52_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Heavens Open Up">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103233688_831889ce55.jpg" alt="Heavens Open Up"/>
</a>

As I was approaching home, the sky opened up and it began to pour.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103235392_e0d1b1a748_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Lifting Rocks">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-11-rainy-walk/2103235392_93faa1c257.jpg" alt="Lifting Rocks"/>
</a>

In case you were wondering how a pallet of bricks was raised on a crane... This image doesn't capture just how precarious it looked dangling back and forth.


Rainy Walk


Computers store the current time as [a single integer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_epoch): the number of seconds since 12:00 AM on January 1, 1970, Greenwich Mean Time. From this integer value, a very complex algorithm must be applied to arrive at the current date and time for your timezone, counting leap years and all that other arbitrary stuff that our Julian calendar has evolved over the centuries. This date determination algorithm exists in all operating systems, all programming languages, and many many types of microprocessor-based hardware. So any time the rules change on how to determine the current time, _**ALL**_ those algorithms have to be updated. This is why, earlier in 2007, your operating system asked you to download an update, because the US Congress decided to [change when Daylight Savings Time begins and ends](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005#Change_to_daylight_saving_time). The resulting nightmare for computer programmers everywhere was cheekily dubbed [Y2K7](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2007_problem). I'm not going to debate whether Congress's decision was the correct one or not. The motive was to save energy, similar to the motive of the original concept of daylight savings time. It's quite possible that the change and resulting confusion only cost a few million dollars and that billions of dollars in energy costs will be saved in the future because of it.

As you might imagine, due to my career as a computer programmer, it takes a lot of convincing to get me to agree that a change in the algorithm is a good thing. There's nothing a computer programmer despises more than having to modify a program that is working perfectly on the arbitrary whim of some administrator somewhere. Which, by the way, constitutes about 30% of the job...the other 70% is fixing the bugs caused by these changes.

With all of this in mind, you can imagine the loud smacking sound my palm and forehead made this morning when I read the following article:

> **Venezuela Creates Own Time Zone**
> 
> Venezuelans have set their clocks back half an hour as the country adopts its own time zone.
> 
> Speaking ahead of Sunday time change, President Hugo Chavez told reporters that he doesn't care if people think he is crazy. He said the new time will go ahead anyway.
> 
> The Venezuelan leader has said the time change will give schoolchildren more daylight.
> 
> The change was first announced several weeks ago but had been delayed for technical reasons.
> 
> Clocks will be set to Universal Time (UTC) minus 4.5 hours. The change is likely to affect time/date entries on computers and other devices.
> 
> by [VOA News](http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-12-09-voa24.cfm)

[![Hugo Chavez visit](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-10-sunrise-at-530/1439455531_c2b25bad9e.jpg)](http://www.flickr.com/photos/idealterna/1439455531/)

Hugo "Fascist [Donkey](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3392652783578267863)" Chavéz explains how big his ego _used_ to be.

I know from my recent trip to Venezuela that the sun rises and sets there at 6:00 and 18:00 respectively all year round. I guess now it will rise and set at 5:30 and 17:30.

As a great man once said, "¿Por qué no te callas?"


Sunrise at 5:30


As a direct consequence of some recent [pimento cheesery](/2007/11/30/pimento-cheese/), a plan was hatched among some bloggers I have gotten to know to hold a [Sandwich Party](http://www.hillbillyplease.com/blog/?page_id=2237), a weekend in which everyone makes a sandwich that's unique or special for them and blogs about it. I figured I would go for the most uniquely Spanish sandwich I know, the _bocadillo de tortilla de patata_, or the Spanish potato omelet sandwich! It's really nothing more than a typical Spanish omelet that you place between two pieces of bread, and it's an item that you'll find at almost any tapas bar in Spain.

I've made a variation that I enjoy that includes onions and peppers, although any ingredients beyond egg and potato are superfluous to the recipe.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098934116_f334f80755_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eggs, onion, peppers, and potatoes">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098934116_686de353e9.jpg" alt="Eggs, onion, peppers, and potatoes"/>
</a>

A blurry flash-less photo of the raw ingredients. These peppers are exactly like regular old bell peppers in flavor and texture, but these just happen to be a little cheaper in Spain.

Step 1: Peel the potatoes and chop up all the veggies.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098939036_ff6f42848b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Chopped potatoes">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098939036_b8585a8237.jpg" alt="Chopped potatoes"/>
</a>

It's important that the potatoes be sliced very thinly like this.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098165127_3575e9144b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Frying">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098165127_4a482cd7b3.jpg" alt="Frying"/>
</a>

Step 2: Fry the potatoes, onions, and peppers in plenty of oil for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. When the potatoes begin to fall apart due to your stirring, they're probably done.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098170395_6f72fa7056_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Fried and draining">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098170395_57ca388b82.jpg" alt="Fried and draining"/>
</a>

Step 3: Dump entire contents of frying pan into a colander, collecting the oil in a bowl beneath. Step 4: Put 2-3 tablespoons of the collected oil onto a smaller frying pan and put it on the stove to heat up. I usually save the remaining oil in a jar for future potato frying adventures. Step 5: Beat 5-6 eggs in a bowl and add the fried vegetables. Add salt and optionally a little pepper.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098955778_28ecea35f8_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Cooking omelet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098955778_bcca45b831.jpg" alt="Cooking omelet"/>
</a>

Step 6: Pour mixture into the smaller frying pan and let cook on low heat for 5-10 minutes. Step 7: This is the extremely difficult part that takes lots of practice. You have to place a plate over the frying pan, flip it over, and slide it back onto the frying pan to cook the other side. The really good chefs can flip it in the air, but that can get kind of messy.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098961912_d84e518037_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Finished Tortilla">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098961912_4fcdcd0144.jpg" alt="Finished Tortilla"/>
</a>

The finished _tortilla de patata_. At this point, it can be eaten with a knife and fork and any number of sauces, including ketchup, mayo, and/or Tabasco.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098964874_9f030eb809_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="On bread with ketchup">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098964874_fea5f9ec31.jpg" alt="On bread with ketchup"/>
</a>

Step 8: Cut a bit to fit on your bread and put some ketchup on it.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098190941_4f631b25c2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ready for consumption!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-09-bocadillo-de-tortilla-de-patata/2098190941_b2f1fec062.jpg" alt="Ready for consumption!"/>
</a>

You're done! Time to eat!


Bocadillo de Tortilla de Patatas


This is a joining of two recent posts, [Frame Breaking 2](/2007/11/30/frame-breaking-2/) and [Domestic Destruction in Colindres](/2007/12/06/domestic-destruction-in-colindres/). I liked this photo so much that I thought it could use some 3D-ifying. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-07-number-16/2093703978_d76de0a911_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Destruction at #16">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-07-number-16/2093703978_9535d25f43_b.jpg" alt="Destruction at #16"/>
</a>


Number 16


There are two main gyms in Colindres. Or at least two with a specific, well-defined company logo. I think they are perfect examples of the varying opinions people have on what the ideal shape is for a human body. Now, I understand that a large part of gym marketing is based on making potential customers feel as if their bodies are inferior of what they could/should be. That's natural. That's why they pay those people that work out for five hours each day to film those infomercials about the little product that fits under your bed and you only have to use for 3 minutes a day twice a week to look hot and sexy. And, just like you can't have an uncombed barber or a poorly-dressed tailor, the people that work at these fitness centers have to be in good shape themselves. What's funny is that the people that run the two gyms look just like their logos.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-07-the-perfect-human-form/2092864863_dc9c01948e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Trans World Gym">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-07-the-perfect-human-form/2092864863_5d40e631f6.jpg" alt="Trans World Gym"/>
</a>

The guys that you see entering and leaving this gym all look top-heavy like this.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-07-the-perfect-human-form/2092865923_33be522714_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Korpos">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-07-the-perfect-human-form/2092865923_9bd5cbabcc.jpg" alt="Korpos"/>
</a>

The couple that runs this gym are small and pure muscle. The guy that works there competes in taekwondo and kick boxing competitions and could probably put anybody from the other gym on the ground before they could raise their bulky arms to fight.

Our business goes to the latter, of course.


The Perfect Human Form


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090285931_f82f5681c0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Number 16, tweaked">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090285931_90049ceb35_t.jpg" alt="Number 16, tweaked"/>
</a>

Today is a holiday in Spain. I explained it pretty well [last year](/2006/12/06/constitution-day/), I think.

On my walk to the grocery store yesterday, I noticed some rubble on the ground on a side road that I don't normally take, but have walked down several dozen times. So I went to investigate.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091062560_b0cddf8d15_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Domestic Desctruction 1">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091062560_1a7232c39d.jpg" alt="Domestic Desctruction 1"/>
</a>

Here you can see the town church, and the building on the far right, under the cherry picker arm is the one I live in. The cherry picker had a guy in it washing the general construction site dust off the brand new apartment buildings that they are just finishing on that side of the street. I always sort of knew that this street would have to be widened when the new building was complete, but it's still kind of sad to see.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091064006_d8db4dec91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Domestic Desctruction 2">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091064006_cb0110817f.jpg" alt="Domestic Desctruction 2"/>
</a>

The windows aren't even broken!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091065938_3c2b100c63_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Domestic Desctruction 3">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091065938_2e23cb9542.jpg" alt="Domestic Desctruction 3"/>
</a>

Rubble lining the streets.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091067272_9208eab63a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Number 16">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091067272_669ca24f19.jpg" alt="Number 16"/>
</a>

I'm sure that several generations of children grew up at Number 16, scampering into an out of that door. How many romantic good night kisses happened at this threshold? All destroyed.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090287297_25db55ced4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Number 18">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090287297_c0fa230e1d.jpg" alt="Number 18"/>
</a>

Check out the view inside the window at Number 18.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090288291_a95e2ed8d6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Domestic Desctruction from Afar 1">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090288291_0671a67592.jpg" alt="Domestic Desctruction from Afar 1"/>
</a>

This is the view from across a rare green area in Colindres. You can see the brand spanking new apartment complex and the destruction lying at its feet.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091072218_2db80647ed_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Domestic Desctruction from Afar 2">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091072218_1461a51128.jpg" alt="Domestic Desctruction from Afar 2"/>
</a>

Another victim of the new construction is this other house. It's the house with the most character in the whole town. The top part has been designed to look like a boat, complete with live preservers and radio antennae.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091073266_f5bacd4954_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="New building">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2091073266_36c789b624.jpg" alt="New building"/>
</a>

And finally, this is a different view of the building site behind my house, with the two cranes. They've got several stories built already.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090285931_f82f5681c0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Number 16, tweaked">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-06-domestic-destruction-in-colindres/2090285931_90049ceb35.jpg" alt="Number 16, tweaked"/>
</a>

Number 16 is the only photo that it's ever occurred to me might look better in black and white. Not that there were many colors in the original, but...

Progress: getting rid of the old and bringing in the new.


Domestic Destruction in Colindres


This morning, random curiosity caused me to search YouTube for "Colindres", and I ended up finding a [video blog](http://scottfromsouthdakota.blogspot.com/) by an American, named Scott, living in Laredo, the next town over from me. He arrived in late October. It's funny to see him explore and discover his new surroundings, just as I did two years ago. His charisma, silliness, editing, and creativity immediately reminded me of [Ze Frank](http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/), which is a huge compliment to any vlogger. He's got a great apartment right on the beach, and works at a preschool in Colindres, presumably teaching English. Before coming here, he spent a few years in Norway, for which he also had [a blog](http://scottinnorway.blogspot.com/).

What's weird is that, Scott and I were at the same little town festival thingy (one of these where they give out food for free) the other day where I took this photo of the _arroz con leche_.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-05-local-ze/2046745808_d29f1d9e0e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Arroz Con Leche">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-05-local-ze/2046745808_39910d750f.jpg" alt="Arroz Con Leche"/>
</a>

Here's his video of the event: (those of you that have visited me here should recognize the tunnel)

And his Halloween party at his school is a pretty great video too:

Glad to have ya around, Scott! We'll have to catch a cerveza sometime and talk about Scandinavia.


Local Ze


On Sunday, we took a casual walk around town. Here are a few things that caught my eye. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-04-stuff-around-town/2085615943_344dd7121c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Bringer of Christmas Spirit">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-04-stuff-around-town/2085615943_0af240fb98.jpg" alt="Bringer of Christmas Spirit"/>
</a>

This bringer of Christmas spirit was quite emotional. There was quite a bit of swearing going on up there. I heard him say to his partner on the ground, "Yeah, you laugh now, you little $&\*#@%, but you're doing the next one!" Ahh, the holidays!

This year, for the winter solstice celebrations, our streets are lined with five-pointed stars pentagrams. Praise Venus!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-04-stuff-around-town/2086402278_68ae071ea9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Beware of Right Angles">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-04-stuff-around-town/2086402278_61a00ca20a.jpg" alt="Beware of Right Angles"/>
</a>

When right angles attack!!! Ninety degrees of mayhem!!

And now, for the grand finale....just when you thought garden gnomes couldn't get any creepier...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-04-stuff-around-town/2085619827_09eafb6678_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Satan-Worshiping Garden Gnomes">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-04-stuff-around-town/2085619827_8742273a67.jpg" alt="Satan-Worshiping Garden Gnomes"/>
</a>

No one _really_ knows what they do at night, but I think it has something to do with these masks.

May the Goddess make all your ratios [golden](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagram#Golden_ratio).


Stuff Around Town


Yet another sunset timelapse video. I don't like this one very much. The only interesting thing that happens is that two jets, that look like meteors at this speed, zing by above the right-hand crane just as the video starts. And we have more crane activity in this one. I made it, so I figure I might as well share it.

revver(502496)

I do like the music though.


Cranes at Dusk


For our dinner party with Marga's coworkers last night, Marga was tasked with making desert. She made a wonderful cheesecake and another pudding-based pie with fruit on top. Sorry, no photos of the desserts. When we were at the store trying to find berries (preferably straw- or rasp-), we found these strange yellow fruits labeled "Phisalis". The true name is [physalis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruviana), and for some reason the Spanish name changes the 'y', which would be pronounced the same in Spanish, and keeps the "ph" which doesn't have any business in the Spanish language at all. They are strange little berries, shrouded in golden leaves. My favorite of its alternate names is "Inca Berry", which sounds like a character in a children's book. Another name, Cape Gooseberry, sounds like where Inca and his friends might get into all kinds of adventures. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-02-inca-berry/2080763882_2b1dd4e1ce_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Physalis">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-02-inca-berry/2080763882_10cdc28cd2.jpg" alt="Physalis"/>
</a>

One in its little leafy prison, and one that I liberated.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-02-inca-berry/2079979299_378661e6ea_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Physalis (open)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2007-12-02-inca-berry/2079979299_4ec3485179.jpg" alt="Physalis (open)"/>
</a>

Freeing the golden orb.

Unknown to the guests (they are native to South America), we received comments such as, "Did you put _cherry tomatoes_ on the pie!?!?"

Strange fruit is fun.


29 posts from December, 2007