We had fun tonight playing with speech synthesis in linux – I typed out commands and they were dutifully shouted by the computer, trying to get the dogs to obey, yelling random punishments at the kids, and performing other various stand-up schtick. Yes we’re easily amused. :> Brought back wonderful memories of my brother and me in the early 80’s filling the speech synthesizer at Epcot with [ fa q fa q ], hitting “go”, and sneaking away. Such delinquents. Continue reading “Speech goes from Epcot to the living room…”
9.5 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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From the “Chapter 19 and holding” department… Inspired by the Gillespie family experiment, the Behrns-Millers have all decided to belatedly crank through all that is Harry Potter. We’re knee-deep in the books, audio books, and movies. Maybe they’re to blame for my recent lack of posts… :> |
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Halloween!
Beatnik day for Reiley and me
Reiley and I had a fun day yesterday. Wrenny headed over to Grammy’s for a sleepover, and mom painted most of the day. So Reiley and I had some adventures! We started off playing a big game of Age Of Empires ]I[ with the Warchiefs expansion, she and I facing off against a couple computer players. She swept the game, topping every stat by the end. I guess I don’t need to fear roughing her up one-on-one any more – the inverse being MUCH more likely.
After that, we went for coffee – she’s been sneaking sips of my soy lattes, I’m horribly addicted ever since Seattle where Starbucks had me surrounded on every street corner – and she talked me into getting her own (SMALL) soy latte. We read for over an hour, really nice. She finished up her book just in time for me to take her to the book club for which she was reading. Then she continued her adventures with her drama group.
After Wrenny got home from dinner with Grammy at Crazy Fire, I went out to round up grub for everyone else – a fajita for Andrea and chinese for Reiley, and we all chilled out. It was just the right kind of busy, relaxing day.
Riptide beats us up
We headed out for a couple beach days, it was all perfect: the drive (a short hop straight east to the shore), the hotel (a cute little Holiday Inn that allowed pets – we had Roxie with us), the beach (it was savage, knocking Wren’s boogie board into her gut, landing Reiley on her tailbone, and rolling foolish bodyboarding me head-first straight into the hard-packed ground – I heard a dozen vertebrae crack)… the girls wore their life vests since the riptide was so strong, so we threw ourselves into the waves with abandon. I’ll try to post some pics, I have some great ones of Andrea and Wrenny playing surfer girls…
Wren and I get some work done
I’ve been weatherstripping the house after a recent huge electric bill. I couldn’t do a good job on the doors to the roof storage space because they were only held shut by a weak magnet. While Reiley was at her acting troupe practice, Wren and I took the time to do the job right – we added doorknobs! And she helped me with everything. Thanks Wrenny!
9.5 What Is Your Dangerous Idea?
I wasn’t far from throwing this book in the trash at times. Essay after essay from scientists condemning “God” as the dangerous idea that stands as the blockade to mankind and her progress. Blah blah blah. Be devoted to science, and the scientific method of discovery, but don’t be one-dimensional, dogmatic and closed-minded. There will always be more to life than what we can reverse-engineer. Continue reading “9.5 What Is Your Dangerous Idea?”
Post-PAX Mike is back!
My friend Gary has been waiting for PAX to end, so I will get back to reality and get my head out of the PAX cloudcover. It was worth it… here’s my PAX post… if you’re not a gamer, “move on”… Continue reading “Post-PAX Mike is back!”
PAX and DS madness
Wow. Dan and I are going to PAX! That alone makes me (and KEEPS me) giddy as a schoolgirl. But right now I’m doubled up on happy sauce – to prepare for the big adult-kidfest, I just picked up a DS lite. Continue reading “PAX and DS madness”