tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70436938278059562862009-12-20T18:16:44.856-08:00An expat Brit in California, with a wife and two cats.Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-46610138129671402412009-12-06T10:19:00.000-08:002009-12-06T10:24:52.994-08:00

The LA prefers to sit in the front seat. She gets a better view, she avoids motion sickness, and in my car, that seat has a heating grid under the seat squab and in the lower backrest, which she makes use of. Unfortunately, the front passenger seat of my car is currently out of commission. The seatbelt latch has given up the ghost.Yes, you read that correctly. A part related to safety has worn

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-30839517545922353792009-11-28T12:22:00.000-08:002009-11-28T12:46:06.079-08:00

It's been a good year, and for Thanksgiving, the LA and I were invited to a friend's house. We decided to accept; the serving of goose was not a small factor in that decision. We spent the day playing games, and had a great deal of fun.Then, on Friday (traditionally the day on which you Don't Go Shopping if you have any sense; America starts its January sales the day after Thanksgiving, for the

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-65453514486254677152009-11-13T14:13:00.000-08:002009-11-13T14:20:59.194-08:00

I haven't been saying much. It seems that how much I have to say here is inversely proportional to how much time I spend with people out in the real world - and that has significantly increased lately, as I've taken to attending the regular Tuesday night board games sessions at the local gaming store. It's generally an older-feeling crowd than Magic or D&D seem to attract (which does mean that I

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-91905962794632215762009-10-22T09:43:00.000-07:002009-10-22T10:03:11.747-07:00

It seems a lot of people have trouble understanding insurance. However, I'm pretty sure everyone understands the concept of a bet, and that's all insurance really is. You say to the insurance company, "I bet that I will need money to repair my car after an accident". The car insurance company looks at your driving record, and at the records of other drivers similar to you, and at their books, and

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-75560796816830292732009-10-16T12:13:00.000-07:002009-10-16T12:18:29.820-07:00

Small details that make the difference.In general, food shopping here is very similar to in the UK. However, some things differ. For instance, vegetables. I cannot find runner beans here. It's as if they don't exist. On the other hand, celeriac is easy to find, if only I had a really good use for it.Sausages; I can't find sausages such as I grew up with. Nor can I find back bacon.Lamb is very

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-35874632924201160252009-09-29T13:23:00.000-07:002009-09-29T13:28:48.500-07:00

It would seem that this has occurred. Today is not as hot as it has been of late (today's forecast high: 70°F/21°C) and so I'm moping around, complaining of it being cold, with long trousers, socks, and a tucked-in t-shirt. I'm even contemplating putting on a light sweater.

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-85979885359196681852009-09-27T13:26:00.000-07:002009-09-27T13:35:41.053-07:00

One of the things Americans will often claim is that cricket is boring. This is almost always based on a lack of understanding. Yes, a cricket match can last for up to five full days, but that does not mean it's slow. It doesn't mean nothing's happening.The other day, I was in a restaurant, and upon their multiple televisions there was a baseball match. Now that truly IS a boring sport;

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-29839037013122911482009-09-21T21:53:00.000-07:002009-09-21T21:55:56.111-07:00

So now, I've actually got something I can put on my resume. I'm volunteer tech crew with Actors' Ensemble of Berkeley, who are currently working on a production of As It Is in Heaven.This'll mean a few more miles on the old brick, and some fun times. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-24899385492618688622009-09-14T19:33:00.000-07:002009-09-14T19:48:58.380-07:00

My birthday falls on the 26th of next month. I wish to emphasise at this point that gift-giving is entirely voluntary; if you don't want to, or don't have the money to, that's entirely OK by me. I have everything I need at the moment, so gifts are just a bonus.With that said, if you do want to give me gifts, I maintain an Amazon wishlist. Receiving things from that list, and probably suggestions

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-41103359325397245342009-09-12T10:36:00.000-07:002009-09-12T10:38:19.215-07:00

Now would be a very good time to check and correct your tyre pressures. Rainy weather and bad inflation pressures are a nasty combo. If you're under, I have a nifty little electric pump that runs off the lighter socket, and anyone within a reasonable distance is welcome to borrow it!

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-76433235838876882342009-09-01T15:40:00.000-07:002009-09-01T15:43:37.011-07:00

Last time I went to the Big Shop, I got some basil and chives to grow in the kitchen. The chives are as I expected, but the basil is... well. This is how things currently look:I'm wondering if I should repot it, remove the smaller seedlings, or what.It's not harvestable yet, but I'm very much looking forward to when it is...

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-25174164653236425442009-08-31T15:28:00.000-07:002009-08-31T15:35:23.566-07:00

My local game store is a great place. The owner's cool, and the staff have been uniformly excellent. Despite that, he's struggling. Struggling to the point of putting coupons in Valpak, which is a blue envelope full of mostly useless coupons that drops into the mailbox about once a month.I applaud his effort, but I think he's made a slight mistake: giving gamers access to money-off coupons. We

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-19353370769865623352009-08-27T15:23:00.000-07:002009-08-27T15:26:55.487-07:00

Yes, I did have my camera with me, and I'd pulled in to the side of the road for this, on a residential street. Nobody passed me while I was taking photos of my odometer.Really, that reading is no more significant than any other, but on the other hand, it's aesthetically pleasing to see a row of twos.

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-75096139073753585392009-08-15T17:52:00.000-07:002009-08-15T17:58:36.424-07:00

So, I have quite the collection of recorded music. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of my actual CDs are still at my parents' home, and so I only have intangible versions. All well and good until I want to listen to an album in the car, at which point (thanks to the demise of the remote control for my mp3 player) I'm rather less than well-off. However, this Windows box does have a CD

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-3615167271604158252009-08-14T18:17:00.000-07:002009-08-14T18:26:35.595-07:00

Yes, I've been back to Ikea. Now I have my own pans, a wok, and suchlike.I also have... little better understanding of the roads surrounding it. They were the cause of a minor row between the LA and me last time, and this time, well, I got lost. Eventually I found myself on the right freeway, but heading the wrong way. Fortunately, I had a plan for that, and wound up taking the scenic route home.

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-70329990812977526352009-08-13T09:05:00.000-07:002009-08-13T09:17:54.866-07:00

Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt. The three allies of the entrenched, the vested interests, when they know that they are in the wrong, and on the losing side. It frankly sickens me to see the amount of FUD being spread in the health care reform debate.The thing that's really gotten to me is the "death panels" rubbish. Leaving aside for a moment the fact that the legislation contains no provision for

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-76095423828057500572009-08-08T16:58:00.000-07:002009-08-08T17:15:53.156-07:00

In the dark, you can't see. This is a problem when driving, which is why we have headlights, illuminated instrument panels, and illuminated shift gates.Except that the shift gate light in my Volvo has burned itself out.Now, I'm rather a fan of the Swedish Bricks mailing list's 700/900 maintenance FAQ, and it does cover this situation. The procedure listed is quite simple:Shift Indicator Bulb

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-11475366603040129402009-07-31T20:23:00.000-07:002009-07-31T21:06:06.321-07:00

Now, some of you may remember that about all I watched by way of television before the Move was Top Gear. Since the Move, I've not seen a single episode, and I don't miss it. What I have been missing, though, is Time Team. Time Team has been around for a long time in the UK.The British readers will undoubtedly be familiar with Time Team. For those readers who aren't, however, here's a summary:

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-45192945040413021682009-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:002009-07-25T14:37:38.593-07:00

So, my local gaming store has Gamescience dice in stock. Their pitch is precision.Which is why, when you buy a set, you get free use of a marker to fill in the numbers, and free use of a file to remove the burr from the injection moulding.Also, their d6s are interesting. Not only are they left-handed, they're spindown. The 3 and 4 are adjacent. This really upset Michael - he has a serious thing

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-28173796075279648632009-07-24T11:04:00.000-07:002009-07-24T11:10:15.075-07:00

The LA and I thought that the big slab of cement outside the back door needed to be shaded. So we got a cheap gazebo.This turned out not to be all that good. We couldn't secure it, and so the wind moved it. This caused parts to break. Today, I finally took it down and packed it into its box.This involved a LOT of swearing, and quite a few nipped fingers.

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-24298732428600375542009-07-23T11:48:00.000-07:002009-07-23T12:09:00.036-07:00

Healthcare reform is all the rage here in the US. However, people keep talking about it in the wrong terms. There's talk of building a "safety net". We actually already have a safety net - they're called emergency rooms. However, a safety net is like the airbag in your car - it's there for when things go very wrong, and ideally, you want to never, ever use it. I will be extremely happy if I never

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-60499539401426208752009-07-10T13:58:00.000-07:002009-07-10T14:13:40.630-07:00

ARGH.Here is what happens, folks. Assumptions made in the following:- The treadmill is automatically controlled to operate against the plane's speed, and is perfect in said control.- Friction can be ignored.Case #1: plane's speed defined by body and wings of plane with respect to undisturbed surrounding air.The plane is started up, and as it increases power, it moves forward as the treadmill

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-10220569999059643692009-07-07T18:11:00.000-07:002009-07-07T18:29:44.029-07:00

Everyone seems to be concerned about such things as drilling for oil, logging, air pollution, light pollution... the big, high-profile things. What I find more annoying are small effects on the environment.For instance, take car alarms. Please, take them far away. They're annoying enough when they're themselves (loud, piercing, and less useful than the nipples on a man's chest, since everybody

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-88488457017515833052009-07-05T20:40:00.000-07:002009-07-05T20:49:34.992-07:00

As those of you with a calendar will have noticed, this weekend was the 4th of July. Notable for any number of events, but of course the one which got all the attention was in 1776, when the United States of America declared their existence and their independence from the rule of the United Kingdom. This act rather upset the British, and there was a somewhat nasty war over it, but in the 200 and

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7043693827805956286.post-28252019862345657862009-06-27T14:14:00.000-07:002009-06-27T14:22:27.035-07:00

I can't promote them either. However, I CAN note URLs and use them, and I recently did for one that appeared in response to my posting about my Volvo's busted turn signal. Their local BBB gave them a good rating, and so I invested $30 in a new turn signal (as opposed to $75 plus shipping for a junkyard part) and was expecting it to receive it by about Thursday next week. It arrived in the mail

Silashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639832677140104872noreply@blogger.com0