John Lennon is my hero

imaginenoreligion, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

From "The God Delusion"

"If God is omniscient, he must already know how he is going to intervene to change the course of history using his omnipotence. But that means he can't change his mind about his intervention, which means he is not omnipotent."

Trillion with a T

War, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

No health care for kids, that kind of stuff gets vetoed.

No funding for federal highways

No funding for bridges and construction.

No we have to pay for a useless war. Its more than what they say. Look at the hidden costs

Watch These

Fat Cat

Back home tonight

After a long day I am ready for a relaxing weekend. I am just going to post some photos from today:


Whispy Clouds


The Long and Winding Road (damn my iPod is broken I can't just bring that song up when I want to)


Fantastic geology

I was on site and heard a jet I already had my 55-200 lens on to take a photo of the bird, so I swung around and quickly focused and snap! caught him. You can look at the original flickr photo on flickr (linked) and look at original size to see more detail.

This bird was hanging on the side of the tree like a woodpecker. I went to get my camera and then he moved, and I couldnt get a good photo of him.

Among all this natural beauty, the view gets completely ruined and spoiled by:

Shit like this

Back in Nashville:

Thursday

Before my first post this morning, I was on site. The site was in the median and it had been pissing it down with rain.

I had to park as close as possible next to the roadway surface, and yet still be safe. And also park in a place, where the truck wont get stuck as it is a weak rear wheel drive.
In other words, I parked here: (bear in mind that and other semi trucks are blazing past at 70-80mph)



So I wouldn't get stuck in this:



After I left the hotel, I drove up to Byrdstown. The clouds cleared a bit.





I found that some rednecks got a lot of joy out of shooting a sign.





Checked out the bridge.





Saw some really cool slate.



Now in the hotel room.



In the background is some lame-assed show called well, I dont know what its called but it is on Speed TV and it pretty much has a shitload of cars and girls and tits and ass. In a channel lineup filled with the most mindless shit ever.

I really haven't been paying attention to it, but I did see the part where they were talking to a girl called Meyli Yu. This bizzatch apparently drives a BMW M3 -and I don't doubt for a second that she paid for the car with her own money. But its kind of sad that she has achieved more with her tits and ass than most people in the country have with real hard work.





I have been doing some work, and will go to bed soon. I actually have to wait here in the hotel again tomorrow for another package from Colorado. So I think now is a suitable bedtime.

Rain that we need.

Its been a particularly hard week, starting off with the death of the iPod (again there is one more thing I need to try - the proverbial nuclear bomb - removing and re-installing iTunes).

We have been getting pounded with rain but all the time this is happening I am remembering what a hot and dry summer we had, and this water is going back into the reservoirs and lakes.

Last night I stayed in Cookeville, and tonight is uncertain, but I do know tonight is the last night away as I will be coming back home on Friday.

I still have about 350 snaps available on my 2GB card and when I get a chance (probably this weekend I will import them to my PC at home and burn backups of them onto CDs.

The no iPod thing really has a big impact. From the old adage "you don't know what you got till its gone" is ever true. What I have been doing is getting my podcasts and placing them on their own playlist (well I have been doing that before) but I burn them onto a CDRW as data and I dug up the old Sony Walkman CD player that reads mp3 data as audio. So I still get my new shows. The scroll feature is the most important thing though. Also if I am driving along, and all of a sudden want to listen to "Help" from the Beatles I can't do it. Also all my purchased music (protected AAC) and a whole shitload of my other music that I have imported (as AAC) along with my audiobooks (even ones bought from audible that are in an audible format) cannot be burned to a cd, -well they can but I have no way of listening to it cause they are not mp3s.

kind of a pain in the ass. But I have unearthed a lot of old mp3 cds I burned back from 2003 (pre-iPod) a lot of which has since left my computer's hard drive.

Now I am sitting in the Hotel's breakfast area waiting for the tech to finish at Monterrey and then we will make our way to Byrdstown.

Will blog later tonight.

hotel

made, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

My lodgings for tonight.

road trip

road trip, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Yet another road trip...

The cross

The cross, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Left the house at 5 A.M. this morning and it was pissing it down with rain. I saw this and thought it would be a great addition to the bible belt collection.

The final day

The final day, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

I normally don't listen to the iPod on the weekends. I just happen to pick it up on Sunday and there was an icon with the website

http://www.apple.com/support/ipod/

This was the icon on the display. I then read the website and t says I have to reset the ipod, well, I did so and now the ipod is cleaned off -0 files. And the computer will no longer recognize the ipod. After 3 years of faithful service, the iPod may have finally bitten the dust.

There is still one more thing I have to try -and thats to deinstall iTunes and then re install it, killing all my playlists and everything. Major pain in the ass.

SO for now, I am copying my daily shows to a cd and listening to them that way. it sucks I cant listen to any audiobooks or any music.

Work

Work, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Busy with work, and this week is a travel week.

Not much else to say except that -the only time I can sit on here and blog, I should be sleeping cause I have to get up in 4.5 hours.

Not freaking fair.

Flash Video - The Story of Stuff

This needs to be broadcast as far and wide as possible. If you are an environmental skeptic, at least get through the whole film (20 minutes).

Public Schooling

Kellie Pickler apparently was allowed to graduate high school in North Carolina according to her wiki entry.

I just got done watching a video that made me cringe, (according to the wiki entry its a you tube hit) Absolutely disastrous. What does this say about education in America?

The video link (from Hungary)

thanks to Al.

eternity

eternity, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Fear mongering from our evangelical pals. Why not visit the Bible Belt group for some more fun?

I24WB@SR2

I24WB@SR2, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

What I have been doing lately. Sitting on the side of the road.

I440@I65

I440@I65, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Tried to take some good night shots.

HUGE ass cross

HUGE ass cross, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

And of course no road trip would be complete in TN without the sighting of a HUGE ass cross!

Gazebo

Gazebo, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Great shot of a Gazebo at Opryland

Christmas time

Christmas time, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

This one wasn't as big as it usually is. Oddly enough there was some lame ass company get together or conference or whatever, where you had some asshole boss or big wig barking orders at people to "come on get over here!" on the staircase immediately to the right for a group photo.

Pissed!

Pissed!, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Today,

I am sure these people were plenty pissed, but the lane closures were approved by the Commissioner, get over it.

I took this with a 55-200 at 200mm if you look at the original size you can see pretty far. Waves of distortion in the far distance.

ORION

ORION, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Lots of new photos up

Coda

Coda, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

This is Dakota. Daniella for the longest time would tell us about "Coda". This is the dog of an acquaintance. (on Thanksgiving)

Christmas is fast approaching

Tree, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

The tree has been put up for a week, only to show to my dad for his visit. But outside of America, most other countries put up Christmas trees prior to the American Thanksgiving.

Of course, myself being a free thinking secularist, I do not object to a tree in the house or the giving of gifts. I was raised in the tradition of Christmas.

Pacific Coast Hellway

I have been a listener now since Jan 2006. The show is very funny, sometimes in poor taste but all the time very enjoyable. Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff has such a creative mind he produces the most entertaining shows and audio books.

Go Daddy Have sponsored his show and are offering Promo codes, for discounts on Domain names.

They can be found HERE.

women

women, originally uploaded by Durandal-2079.

Found on the atheism group at Flickr.

Listen

Must...Be...Quiet

Must...Be...Quiet, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

New photos added to flickr.

Incredible Christians & the death of Twitter

Mean Christians, originally uploaded by Jacob Krejci.

As seen on my bible belt group on flickr.

This is in Gatlinburg, TN. I started this group to document these sorts of in-your-face preaching that is prevalent here in the south.

I haven't blogged lately because I have been incredibly busy with my new job, and also, no laptop to be had, (hence the flickr blogpost)

I also wanted to blog about the death of Twitter. Well, twitter is alive and strong, but I can no longer contribute, as my new cell phone from work has had text messaging disabled. was it Cinderella or Motley Crue who had the song "You don't know what you've got 'till its gone"?

Anyway, It was a non-essential segment to my every day life, that I miss dearly. -Twitter and the ability to text my wife.

Not a very big deal, but adjusting is, just plain weird.


First disposable income purchase: Macbook

This DJ

Headphones, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Friday is my last day, I have to return the company vehicle and the printer. And then worry about how I am going to get a ride home.

Next Tuesday is a new job. I feel bad of course for leaving but people do this every day.

I have so much I have to do - hence, the twitter-esque feel of my recent blog posts.

Things will cool off soon hopefully.

107

107, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

I cant answer to the accuracy of the thermometer, or the calibration status or certificate, but there is a shielded probe underneath the sign.

Heat wave, day 20

No rain. 20 straight days of temperatures higher than 95 F (35 C) and some days as high as 105 (40.5 C)

everything is dead around me. Please make it stop.

LA Hip Hop

I am considering buying this track. I was looking at some last.fm scrobbles I had lately. I long ago bought the Phaycyde album "Bizarre Ride II" and never bought the second album labcabincalifornia.

I do remember this single, it must have been 1995 - the second album came out. I am going to give it a listen.

... OK I bought it, $10 you cant beat it. Back in 1995 it was more than that at record shops.

Compact digital excursion

Wolf Creek Dam, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

took the compact digital out today as I knew I would be passing by some interesting stuff. (Wolf Creek Dam and some really funny religious signs)

Uploaded majority to flickr.

New Flickr Group

Warning?, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

I see so much of this stuff I decided to start a new flickr group.

To further document bible belt tackiness.

Scared

Scared, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Just thought I would mini-photoblog about something tonight before bed. I was revisiting some of my flickr photos (which need to be cleaned up BTW) and this one made me laugh.

That girl in the red shirt offered to take a photo of me and Daniella. She took the one called "Rope" Have a look at that kid in the Orange shirt. He is scared. You gotta love the facial expressions of those two kids on the right though.

Forecast discussion 20070806 -1910Z

000
FXUS64 KOHX 061910
AFDOHX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
210 PM CDT MON AUG 6 2007

.DISCUSSION...
SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS SFC RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE GULF COAST WITH A
STATIONARY FRONT LOCATED OVER NE/IA/NRN IL. SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATE
A LARGE UPPER RIDGE CENTERED FROM THE LOWER PLAINS TO THE
TENNESSEE VALLEY. ONLY A FEW ISOLATED PATCHES OF WEAK CONVECTION
NOTED ON RADAR.

MODELS INDICATE THAT THE H5 RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE
LOWER PLAINS AND TENNESSEE VALLEY THROUGH FRI. AN H5 SHORTWAVE IS
EXPECTED TO MOVE SEWD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES ON FRI. AS A RESULT...
THE UPPER PATTERN AMPLIFIES WITH A TROUGH POSITION SETTING UP OVER THE
EAST COAST BY SUN AS THE H5 RIDGE RETROGRADES WITH THE CENTER OF
THE RIDGE LOCATED OVER THE CNTRL PLAINS BY MON AFTN. A WEAK FRONT
SWEEPS SEWD ACROSS THE MIDSTATE LATE FRI WITH A LITTLE BIT OF
RELIEF FROM THE OPPRESSIVE HEAT THIS WEEKEND.

MORE BAD NEWS...CPC 6-10 DAY AND 8-14 DAY PROGS CONTINUE TO
INDICATE ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIP. SO UNLESS
THERE IS A NICE WET LITTLE TROPICAL STORM IN OUR FUTURE
(PLEASE NO HURRICANES) THE DOG DAYS OF AUGUST ARE HERE TO STAY.

MOS TEMPS WERE FAILY CLOSE WITH MOS POPS ALSO IN GOOD AGREEMENT.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
NASHVILLE 77 99 77 100 / 10 10 10 10
CLARKSVILLE 74 99 74 99 / 10 0 10 10
CROSSVILLE 70 92 71 93 / 10 10 10 10
COLUMBIA 76 99 75 100 / 10 10 10 10
LAWRENCEBURG 75 99 74 99 / 10 10 10 10
WAVERLY 75 99 74 99 / 10 0 10 10

&&

.OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HEAT ADVISORY FROM 1 PM TUESDAY TO 7 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR
TNZ005>009-022>029-056>062-075-093>095.

&&

$$

JLM

No Relief in sight

000
FXUS64 KOHX 042028
AFDOHX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
328 PM CDT SAT AUG 4 2007

.DISCUSSION...
UPPER HIGH CENTERED NEAR THE ARKLATEX REGION TODAY WHILE A WEAK NW
FLOW ALOFT PREVAILS OVER TN. DYNAMICS ARE WEAK BUT THERE IS JUST
ENOUGH INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON TO PRODUCE AN ISOL TSTM OR TWO.
ISOL ACTIVITY WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS THE
PATTERN CHANGES LITTLE.

IT WILL BE QUITE HOT WITH THERMAL RIDGING SETTING UP FROM WESTERN TN
SOUTHEAST INTO AL. OTHER THAN THE 1ST PERIOD...MAV NUMBERS LOOK
GENERALLY OK WITH HIGHS IN THE MID/UPPER 90S. FOR PERIOD #1...THE
MAV CONTINUES TO COME IN TOO COOL. WILL THEREFORE TAKE THE OVER AND
GO WITH MID 70S FOR LOWS FOR BNA.

IN THE EXT FCST...UPPER RIDGING BUILDS EASTWARD AND BECOMES CENTERED
ACROSS TN BY TUES AFTERNOON. THICKNESSES APPEAR TO REACH THEIR
HIGHEST VALUES ON WED AND THU. IT WILL BE AT THAT TIME THAT WE COULD
SEE THE MERCURY APPROACH AND MAYBE EVEN SURPASS 100 DEGREES.

TEMPS ALOFT THROUGH THE EXT WILL BE WARM ENOUGH TO ESTABLISH A
RATHER STRONG CAP AND PREVENT MUCH...IF ANY CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT.
WILL THEREFORE KEEP THE EXT DRY.

THE UPPER RIDGE MAY RETREAT BACK TO THE WEST BY NEXT WEEKEND. THIS
MAY EQUATE TO MID 90S TEMPS AS OPPOSED TO UPPER 90S TO 100 DEGREE
TEMPS.

Velvet Ant Death

Velvet Ant Death #1, originally uploaded by Chris1051.

Background:

I came home from work today as usual, I sat on the porch and took off my boots. I slipped on my crocs and was about to step inside. I saw this bad-ass mean velvet ant trying to make its way in the house via the front door. Trying to crawl in. This thing had to be eliminated. They have a painful sting and if it was allowed to get in the house, and if Daniella saw it, she might be inclined to pick it up. So I grab the nearest thing I can find (a flip flop) and start beating it. It starts making a very weird sound. I continue to beat it for about 10 times. (its a very tough bug) I guess I injure it enough to where I can pick it up using my leatherman. I place it on the trunk of my car and the damn thing starts moving again. I run in and get my camera. The resulting set is what happened. The "ant" kept moving so I had to burn it. In the pictures you can actually see the stinger. File this under the "holy shit" file.

Info:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutillidae

They are known for their extremely painful sting, the venom of which was jokingly stated to be powerful enough to kill a cow, hence the nickname "cow killers." Additionally, it has been stated cows occasionally would be stung while rolling in the sands of Florida. The resulting sting would fester, allowing the screw-worm fly to enter the wound. This would result in the death of the cow. The name hung on to the velvet ant even after the screw fly was eradicated in Florida in 1982. As with all Hymenoptera, only the females sting, and like all other wasps and bees (except honey bees), they can sting multiple times. If handled, they also have a structure called a stridulitrum on the metasoma which they use to produce a squeaking, chirping sound (more like a high pitched hum) to warn would-be predators.

The family can be recognized best in the female; they are the only wingless female wasps that have hair-lined grooves on the side of the metasoma (called "felt lines") and in which the segments of the mesosoma are all fused dorsally. Only one other vespoid family (Bradynobaenidae) has felt lines, but the females have a distinct pronotum and an elongated ant-like petiole. The earliest-known velvet ants are believed to be specimens from the Dominican Republic preserved in amber for some 25 to 40 million years.

www.whatsthatbug.com/velvet_ants.html