I have found my ultimate birthday present desire.

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/15/frakkin_cylon_toaster/

Also:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Installing-Linux-on-a-Dead-Badger/Lucy-A-Snyder/e/9781894953474/?itm=1

Happy Birthday Maria!

Credit to Conor Mooney for the idea

As some locals may know, the nearby Boscov's is closing. Maria and I have been stopping in every once in a while to check to see if there's anything worth salvaging. So far, we've netted in a pair of slippers, a pair of sneakers, sweatpants, and a set of dishes. But these things do not compare in value to the item which Maria spotted, and I snapped to a decision on purchasing:



There it is. A "Thunderbird" record player, CD-player, AM/FM radio combo unit. Totally destroyed by random passersby in the turmoil of Boscov's closing sales. Ripe for ... repurposing.

I've been wanting to do a unique PC design for some time. I got started with, and got absolutely nowhere on, a Steampunk PC, some time ago. But this seems easier somehow, since we've got a good start on the case. It's got this nice 50's or 60's feel. Bioshock-y. Fallout-y.

Maria's psychic intuition kicked in and she said, "That'd make an awesome PC case." I agreed.

Check behind the cut for some disassembling goodness.

( Read more... )

We've actually done some test-of-concept stuff and beyond. We made sure a certain motherboard would fit, and power supply and optical drives and hard drives, with gushes of success. We got the backing measured out and custom cut now, and I've figured out a way to mount the power supply so it won't be moving around in there. Mounting the motherboard I've sort of figured out but haven't done yet.

More pictures to come.

EDIT: Here are the aforementioned more pictures!
( Read more... )

By: Ophelia Payne

This is a handy guide for those days of the month when a man is taking his life in his hands if he opens his mouth.

DANGEROUS: What’s for dinner?
SAFER: Can I help you with dinner?
SAFEST: Where would you like to go for dinner?
ULTRA SAFE: Here, have some wine.

DANGEROUS: Are you wearing that?
SAFER: Wow, you sure look good in brown!
SAFEST: WOW! Look at you!
ULTRA SAFE: Here, have some wine

DANGEROUS: What are you so worked up about?
SAFER: Could we be overreacting?
SAFEST: Here’s my paycheck.
ULTRA SAFE: Here, have some wine.

DANGEROUS: Should you be eating that?
SAFER: You know, there are a lot of apples left.
SAFEST: Can I get you a piece of chocolate with that?
ULTRA SAFE: Here, have some wine.

DANGEROUS: What did you DO all day?
SAFER: I hope you didn’t over-do it today.
SAFEST: I’ve always loved you in that robe!
ULTRA SAFE: Here, have some wine .

http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22322/47152-handy-monthly-guide

So the other day I am spacing out while listening to a client talking about how smart with computers her son is, and how if he wasn't so busy she wouldn't have to pay for Geek Squad to come out, and I found myself thinking about the Ewoks. I realized suddenly that there were no other animals on Endor. I also realized, violently, that the Ewoks, upon capturing the cast of Star Wars, were going to cook and eat them. It then came together: The Ewoks are cannibals. They systematically caused the extinction of all other fauna on Endor, and had since turned on each other. The humans (and Wookie) were therefore... a delicacy.

Which sci-fi crew would you best fit in with? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Serenity (Firefly) You like to live your own way and don't enjoy when anyone but a friend tries to tell you should do different. Now if only the Reavers would quit trying to skin you. Serenity (Firefly) 100% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 94% Moya (Farscape) 88% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 88% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 88% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 88% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 75% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 69% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 63% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 63% SG-1 (Stargate) 50% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 38% Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) 25%

I hate to do this.

I am severely, ridiculously low on funds. Let's just say that something happened, and it hurt my finances. Let's also just say that it's bad enough that when I get my paycheck in 7 days, I'm still going to have a negative balance at my bank. I can't get an advance on pay for the next check as my hours are fluid, so no one knows how much it'd be.

I need to pay for food, rent, and medicine.

Anything anyone can do would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

It didn't occur to me until I saw a comment on my last post.

No, I am not in a deep depression.

I know, it's out of the ordinary for me to write fiction when I'm not depressed.

I'm just motivated, and I'm getting excellent, genuine feedback from people who's opinions I care about.

I'll continue posting snippets as I feel fit, but not the whole work. I intend to do something with it.

I might send some of my Blitzfict alumnis more of the work if they're interested, when there's more to it than half a chapter.

David Kriya lies on the right side of his body, glasses shoved up right against the bridge of his nose. One hand gripping the corner of his off-white, nose-bleed stained pillow, the other gripping the disheveled dark brown hair on the back of his head. His eyes are shut tightly; his lips warped into a grimace. As hard as he tries to concentrate on sleeping for another ten minutes, he can’t.

A whisper. David..?

Kriya stirs and opens his left eye. He lazily peers around the studio without moving his head. A grey and black moon shifts rapidly around in an ocean of white, marred by hairline red veins.

Wake up, David... A young girl’s hushed voice coos. With each word, a light, cool wind passes of David’s exposed ear.

A chill runs down his spine. He sits up, with a gasp, and looks around frantically.

In his peripheral vision, a shadow darts to the left. Kriya throws his pillow in the general direction involuntarily and shouts. “Who’s there?!

He balls his hand into a fist, and raises his to the same level as his jaw. There is no response. Did he really expect there would be one? Panting, the lanky, stubble-faced man lowers his fist slowly as he cautiously gazes from left to right.

He closes his eyes and leans back against the headboard, relaxing as best he can, and sighs. “No one. No one there.”

In his left ear, the girl’s voice whispers again. No, David.

And less than a second later, a deeper voice, maybe that of a black man, whispers into his right ear: We’re here, David.

And then without a pause, all around him a chorus of whispers wells up. A cacophony of pleas, of lullabies, of screams, of soothing, and of terror.

We’re all here, David--I’m here, Kriya--Why doesn’t it stop? The pain--Find us, David--He hurt me so bad—We’re here—Why did she leave me?—We’re here…

We’re all here, David.

Kriya rocks forward and back, his hands gripped so hard around his ears that blood streams from the skin beneath his fingernails. As tears start to stream down his cheeks, he mutters to himself, “I c-can’t help you… I… I can’t help… I c-c-can’t…”

On the fire escape outside David Kriya’s fourth floor tenement apartment, a crow screams out a battle cry.