I've been in Sin City for a week now. Seen about 25 relatives, which is real swell, since I only get out west about once every 1 or 2 years. Everybody is doing pretty well, though the living situations are never what I would have imagined when I left about 8 years ago. I really hate it here. If I didn't have family I don't think I would ever come back. It deserves its nickname, vice is a-calling around every corner. Heck, just going shopping you're tempted with not only beer, but wine and liquor too, not to mention the slot machines that tempt as you try to wheel your cart out the door. Slot machines at the grocery store, c'mon! I really want my family to get out of here too. I blame a lot of the aforementioned situations on LV. The only things I miss are the mountains, the sky, and the crazy wind.

As (e:paul) said, I managed to miss my plane home last night. I left the one thing that I couldn't leave behind: my ID. Anything else I could've had sent later, but I couldn't get on the plane without that. My brother even tried to rush it to me, but they closed the counter on me even though there was still a 1/2 hour before departure. WTF, mates?

My visit has been overall very good though. My two nephews and cousin are real trips. There's a 4 yr old and two 2 yr olds. All so so cute and rambunctious. And they all liked me too. Aiden, especially (my 2yr old nephew) seemed to prefer me to just about everyone else. Everytime he saw me he'd run up and say, "I wanna hold you" (such a cute scrambling of words). Which I was more than happy to do. I need to either move a lot closer or become a lot richer so I can see everybody more.

Lastly, I have enclosed proof of my Swedish heritage. Here is my hot Swedish grandma. She used to model back in the days of black-and-white and deep dark lipstick. She always used to call us "d'deet stevens" or something like that, when we were mischievous. She also frequently threatened us with soot-bags. One day I ought to find a Swede and find out if that's normal...

SUP QT!

New hope that PMT may be able to leave the sanctity of their home within the coming years.

A breakthrough study has found "that mice treated with a newly developed part-cat, part-human protein did not develop an allergic reaction." (e:Paul) would be so cute with cat-genes in him I think. Maybe grow a tail and learn to purr...

My question is, is that pain or bliss on her face?

So I'm in "class" reading Orientalism by Edward Said. Very nice chick next to me, actually 50ish, talkative, and utterly boring, says to me, whacha readin'? I show her the cover.

"What's that, some science fiction?"

"Errr...not so much...more like sociology or history, you know, political stuff."

Blank look ensues, "ohhhh, uh-huh."

"Well um it kinda talks about the word orientalism, you know, where it comes from and stuff. And, how we all react to the word, and the image that it evokes in our minds...yadda-yadda."

"Well, you know," with perplexed intensity, "I don't think they meant to do so much damage."

Questioning look on my face brings,

"You know, how the whole building came down. I think they only thought they would take out the one floor when they crashed into it."

"Oh! You mean 9/11?!"

"Yeah, I don't think they thought the whole building would come down and kill so many people."

Here I try to muffle my utter astonishment, "well, you know that's kinda the whole point of the book actually. It wasn't so much the oriental world that made that happen. That was a distinct group of people within the larger oriental society. Just like it wasn't America or Americans that bombed the federal building in Oklahoma. It was a single person who happened to be an American."

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"What's that you're reading terrster (i kid you not)?" An 'instructor' for the day, she likes to give me nicknames, like I'm the cute dog who does neat tricks.

"Oh just a book," I show her the cover.

"Ori-en-ta-lism, eh?"

I nod.

"Sounds pretty good. You ever read the Davinci Code?"...

I guess without the pretension of college (or any other 'elite' setting) it is impossible to be recognized for your scholarly achievements. Where were my oohs and aahhs for reading up on such a pertinent topic surrounding our present day society? They just realize I'm kinda boring, but at the same time are rather impressed that I read at all, let alone something without a plot. But there is never a recognition that I could possibly be taking something of value from these books. Ideas mean very little. Unless you can phrase them in harmless jokes. Yet, I grasp America through my workmates. I hear/see what it is like to be your so-called normal American. It is a useful experience. How can you belittle what you don't know? :) ;0

today was kinda like summer (okay, you had to pretend just a little bit). Walking was nice. Saw the oldest tree on Franklin, it's big.

The Fermi Solution's purdy good. Most of the things I've read about before, but not from this perspective. Chop the problem up into managable bits, solve those, and put'em back together. No prob. Especially if you're Einstein or the like.

Tsunami Terror mix is playing now. I'm drowning.

Happy birthday (e:Springfaerie), though I'm sure I'll get in trouble for posting you a good wish and not (e:matthew). Oh well. I'll wish in person perhaps too!

On Non-Fiscal Issues, you rank as a Strong Liberal (5)
On Fiscal Issues, you rank as a Strong Liberal (5)

Wonder where I missed those 5 point at?

All of a audden about two months ago I remembered this song. I remember traveling down ill-lit roads, staring at the desert night sky. Dad's at the wheel, mom's humming next to him, and my brother and I stare out the window. But all the while, we're listening, we're steppin out. We're dreaming...

::DOWNLOAD MEDIA::

Now -
The mist across the window hides the lines
But nothing hides the colour of the lights that shine
Electricity so fine
Look and dry your eyes

We -
So tired of all the darkness in our lives
With no more angry words to say
Can come alive
Get into a car and drive
To the other side

Me babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light

We -
Are young but getting old before our time
We'll leave the T.V. and the radio behind
Don't you wonder what we'll find
Steppin out tonight

You -
Can dress in pink and blue just like a child
And in a yellow taxi turn to me and smile
We'll be there in just a while
If you follow me

Me babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light
You babe - steppin out
Into the night
Into the light

Let's pray he can do it!

something like 24 fps?

Well that's the begininng of my thought last night, as I watched some movie or other with (e:matthew). The films we use nowadays show 24 images within every second (used to be much less, that's why old films seem to flicker). So I asked myself what kind of boundary was this. Logic tells us that every second can be broken down into an infinite amount of intervals, thus an infinite amount of scenes or frames. Our photoresistors (the cones and rods in our eyes) are only able (programmed?) to recognize a certain number of images in every second. But, I thought there are other animals that would have to recognize more. Think of a humminbird or dragonfly whose wings are beating hundreds to thousands of times per second. Our eyes can barely catch one in full tilt, yet they glide effortlessly, avoiding obstacles and visiting barely visible nectar goblets.They must see faster, right? (e:Matthew) and I couldn't agree on the answer, so I looked it up.

If you look up Frame Rate Wikipedia presents you with the very scientific-sounding term Flicker fusion frequency and its related link, Flicker fusion threshold both physiological concepts, as opposed to purely physical concepts. The flicker fusion threshold or flicker fusion rate determines the rate at which humans (and supposedly animals/aliens) percieve light. "Light that is pulsating below this rate is perceived by humans as flickering; light that is pulsating above this rate is perceived by humans as being continuous." Humans tend to have a flicker fusion frequency threshold of between 50-75 hertz (which means light pulsing between 50-75 times per second will be seen as continuous). Since this rate would require Disney to hire three times the number of animators it now employs, camera shutters are arranged to interrupt the flow of light 2 to 3 times per second which projects those 24 frames at 48-72 light blips per second. Wow!

Apparently pigeons have been shown to have a higher threshold than humans (don't ask me which tests were used to determine this), and other mammals possess more rods and cones in their eyes than humans. All of which means it's entirely possible that the hummingbird is seeing much faster than we are.

Is seeing twice as fast like living twice as long? Think of all the stuff flying by right now that you're not even bothering to perceive. Your computer could have de- and re-materialized 97 times in the last second and you wouldn't have even noticed!