Rottweilers Ate My Laptop

Rottweilers. Computers. Cameras. World Domination. Not necessarily in that order.

Rottweilers.
Computers. Cameras.
World Domination.
Not necessarily in that order.

Transgenic animals again

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First mice, then beagles, and now marmosets.

These fluorescent transgenic monkeys differ from those developed last year in that they apparently are able to pass on the modified gene to their offspring. According to an article in UK’s Telegraph, having a non-human primate model for disease research could be extremely valuable due to the close genetic relationship of the marmosets with humans.

If, as most of the reporting on this type of research indicates, these animals are able to help us more quickly find cures to currently incurable neurological diseases such as Huntington’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, then perhaps it makes sense for we humans to play God.

There is still something about genetic modification that bothers me on a gut feeling, can’t say exactly why level.

(NaBloPoMo | May ‘09: 31 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 127 of 274)

Freya: setting a new target date

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We’ll have to set a new target date for Freya’s first Rally Obedience trial. The original plan was for NSDTC’s trial on June 14. Thanks, or should that be no thanks, to a large project at work that encroached into evening and weekend hours throughout much of the month, that trial date is no longer feasible (not to mention that the closing date for entries was last Wednesday, at which time it was obvious that we weren’t ready). Without a few more fun matches and run-throughs under our belts, it would have been way too ugly.

We were able to do some practice at home. I made rally sign holders from wire garden edging fences, using the tips from GraceGift’s rally site. For a total of $10 (2 folding fences and a package of clothespins), I got 16 sign holders. If I didn’t mention it before, I printed out the downloadable signs (from AKC’s site, and also on GraceGift’s site) on the Canon CLC Color Copier at work on 67# vellum card stock. 90# or 110# (slightly heavier card stock) would have probably been better, but I know that 67# almost never causes paper jams in that particular machine.

There is an AKC trial in DeKalb early in July, an AKC trial in Waukesha late in July, a UKC trial in Cary also late in July, and an APDT trial at the beginning of August. So those will be our next target dates. Hopefully June will be a better dog training month!

(NaBloPoMo | May ‘09: 30 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 126 of 274)

My photo in Schmap Honolulu Guide!

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Ala Moana Center 2/3/09, originally uploaded by vomviersen.

I took this photo with my BlackBerry during my last trip to Honolulu.

I was at Ala Moana Shopping Center looking down at CenterStage from the mall level, and trying to get all three levels in the photo. When I was in high school, there was a fountain where we’d usually meet to go shopping. It would have been to the left of where I’m standing to take the photo, which was an open area back then. Neiman-Marcus is there now, I think. There was not a third level then, and certainly not a Louis Vuitton store.

I was kind of surprised to get the email asking to use the photo in the Schmap guide because it was almost a throwaway photo. The reason I took it was just to post to Twitter when @AlaMoanaCenter followed me!

(NaBloPoMo | May ‘09: 29 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 125 of 274)

So tell me, web sorta-designer person…

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Why exactly do you use a free Flash intro on your website?

Maybe you think that I shouldn’t be asking this, since I’ve already admitted in earlier blog posts that I am a crappy web designer despite being responsible for the care and feeding of a few websites, and that Flash has kicked my ass hard on quite a few occasions.

I still want to hear your answer, though, Mr. or Ms. Web Sorta-Wanna-Be-A-Designer Person. I want to know why you think it is good to have some other company’s or designer’s name plastered all over the first thing that viewers to your site will see. Unless you took it off, which makes you the big giant scumbag in most cases when it comes to “free” stuff.

What exactly does a free Flash intro add to your website? The customization options on almost all of them are very minimal. Dozens of other people are using the same one, because it is free. How does it make you unique? No one thinks you did it yourself, either. Plus some of us are simply annoyed by it. I really want to know how it adds value to your website.

I actually like good Flash navigation, movies, games and occasionally even gratuitous eye candy, when it’s original and executed well. Emphasis on “good” and “original.” But I truly am clueless about the free and unoriginal stuff that’s just slapped on for no good reason I can see.

(NaBloPoMo | May ‘09: 28 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 124 of 274)

Where do you go to talk about television?

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Where do you go to talk about your favorite television shows?

I have some good conversations at work about a few shows that all, or most, of us watch. But I haven’t found many online places, with the possible exceptions of BlogHer’s TV Rants & Raves group and Television Without Pity, that I actually enjoy reading, let alone where I enjoy participating in the discussion myself.

Maybe I’m being too annoyingly picky. I just want somewhere that isn’t too squeakily fangirlish (or fanboyish), but doesn’t swing to the other extreme of overanalyzing and being unbearably pretentious. For Rescue Me discussions, I expect badge bunnies, but not an overpopulation of same. Likewise for Sons of Anarchy discussions: I’d expect some wanna-be train pullers, but again, hopefully not an overpopulation of them.

Upon reflection, the overanalyzing criteria doesn’t apply to Mad Men. I do not believe that show can be discussed without some degree of overanalysis. Just my opinion, of course.

My personal fault is being a little too nit-picky about details of cities where I’ve lived or depictions of jobs or hobbies that I’ve been involved in. But since I didn’t start working in advertising production until the late 70s, and nothing is currently filming in Chicago or Honolulu, I can probably keep it to a minimum.

So if anyone has some good suggestions for communities or forums devoted to those shows that I might enjoy, I’d love to hear them!

(NaBloPoMo | May ‘09: 27 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 123 of 274)