Happy Halloween

Nothing better than some fancy pumpkin carving!

Mission Peak

This was shot with my new Nikon D50 as I hiked Mission Peak in Fremont this weekend. I need to work on an AppleScript to produce the meaningful settings of the camera in an HTML format automatically.

Model:	NIKON D50
Software:	Ver.1.00
Date/Time:	2005:09:18 11:25:14
Program:	Aperture Priority
Metering:	Evaluative
Exposure Time:	1/4000 sec
Ev Bias:	None
F Number:	5.6
Focal Length:	55mm
ISO:	1000
Exif6 Contrast:	Normal
Exif Saturation:	Normal
Exif Sharp:	Normal
Lens:	18-55mm F/3.5-5.6
Color Mode:	MODE3a
WB Mode:	AUTO
Sharpening:	AUTO
Tone:	AUTO
AF Mode:	AF-A
Flash Type:
Flash Mode:	NORMAL

Broken Back! (Part I of II)

Several years ago, my back started to hurt. At first, it was a mild pain, mostly stiffness which I attributed to getting older or overdoing it on the treadmill. However, over time, the pain grew more and more intense. Sitting in a car for more than 30 minutes felt like my lower back was on fire. Bending over the sink to wash my face required one hand on the counter to support myself or risk falling on the ground from a blinding surge of pain through the torso. Realizing something was wrong, I went to my physician, who recommended some stretching and exercise. I was skeptical, as I was in good physical condition and already following a regimen of stretching and strength training. The newly recommended program did not provide relief, and my pain grew more intense. Having health insurance that allows me to see specialists without a referral, I went to a pain management physician. He sent me to the hospital to have some x-rays taken of my back. The next time I saw him, he pulled out the films and, as his eyes focused on them, his face immediately betrayed a look of mild horror. I asked to see the film and immediately saw what was concerning him -- one of my vertebrae was considerably out of line with the others. I had a condition, which took over year just to learn the pronunciation of it, called Spondylolisthesis. I needed to find a surgeon to correct this "gross instability" by having a spinal fusion. Like most people, I was concerned about back surgery, having heard and read many negative stories about it. I asked several physicians and surgeons who the best surgeon for this type of surgery was in my area. After seeing several potential surgeons, I decided to work with Dr. Henstorf in Fremont, California. Dr. Henstorf initially had me try a more rigorous and specialized regimen of strength training with a physical therapist. The goal was to strengthen my core muscles and the musculature attached to my spine. Hopefully it would stabilize my spine and provide pain relief. The program worked well to increase my strength, but it did not reduce my pain. After ten weeks, Dr. Henstorf and I agreed the therapy was not improving my condition and it was likely my condition would deteriorate further over time. It was time to consider surgery.

Poop!

I saw this sign in Parc Guell in Barcelona. Blunt and to the point; you don't see this style in the U.S.

Fourth of July fireworks in San Francisco. Yeah...

Finally, An All Girl AC/DC Cover Band

I went to Slim's last night with some friends and saw the very enjoyable, and long overdue, in my mind, AC/DShe.

Back In Black

It's been a while, but I'm back on the web. The impetus behind this is an upcoming trip to Europe where I'll use my blog to document the more personal aspects of the trip.

Minor Update

It's amazing to me the stark differences that have emerged in the different geographical areas of America. Case in point, does anyone in Pennsylvania know the ethnic breakdown for the population of California? If they did, would we have "A Crises in America"? On another note, this is my current obsession. It's extremely violent with gratuitous sex and cursing. What else could you need?

Now in Color!

I'm experimenting with online photos now that Tempest has a digital camera. Stay tuned.

Floating On An Eddy

I decided to change... but didn't know what or how to do it. So I cut my hair, close to twelve inches off, just like that scene in the Royal Tennebaums. I hung two sets of cabinets on the wall in my home. They are straight, level, and strongly mounted. It felt like an accomplishment; the sort that not all folks can do on their first attempt. I changed the needle in my motorcycle's carburetor and now it goes faster. I did it right the first time. Now I sit at work, empowered to do everything that doesn't matter. One day, I'll get tired of bitching about it (the whining does grow old), and climb to the far side of the hill. Also learned that a coworker hates his job with greater zeal than my own. I found a story that reminded of why I thought computer science could be cool.