Month: August 2005

Okay, first off, I don’t want any names thrown about on the board if you know the project I am talking about.

I am working on a musical project right now, for some people whose opinions I really care about. I am writing music for a company with which I have a very positive relationship, but for whatever reason, while they have always liked my music before, I just can’t seem to get it right this time around.

Its frustrating, and disheartening. The people for whom I’m making the music, just don’t seem to dig my new stuff, which is their right.. but I can’t seem to tweak it to the point where they do.

Its not their fault, and they are being very nice about it.. and well.. still.. all the composers on here (Matt, Ben, Sam, Kevin, Rowan, Brusco?, more..) know that each piece of music has a little piece of you in it. You wouldn’t send it out to be heard if you weren’t a little proud of it, and thought “yeah, theyll dig this” – and when they don’t, it kinda hurts..

Yeah, I know, suck it up, brush it off, back to the drawing board, bootstraps and stiff upperlips, but its hard creating art and having it not resound with its intended audience.

So, anyone out there ever have a similar experience, where they just couldn’t get it quite right, or made a piece of art they thought would be really good, but it just fizzled?

I found this thing floating around the internet… supposedly it’s spreading around the web… It looks to be a video transcript of some kind of therapy session, maybe a psychiatric evaluation of some sort. Something tells me this wasn’t meant to get out of the medical facility it was taken from… it’s a little creepy.

Warning, this is not for the faint of heart. But there were some people on this board (Justin, Matt, I’m looking your way) that I felt would want to see this, for whatever it’s worth…

Session 416

You’ll need quicktime.

I know that Slashdot already covered it, but this is a development which affects two of my hobbies:

singing wing reduces airplane stall speeds. Sweet. I think I want my plane to play Evanescence. Good landing music.

Burmester Model Airfield

(Grantsville #1)

8000 Burmester Rd

Grantsville, UT 84029

The Burmester Model Airfield is a dry lake bed located a mile from Burmester Road on an unpaved road, with a landable area of roughly 4000′ (N/S) x 2000′ (E/W). The field is state-owned free-range land. Watch for livestock.

The channel board is readable and well-maintained, with colored clips to hang your tags. It even has pegs for 27MHz transmitters. The windsock is a length of crepe paper attached to the channel board pole. Large carpet scraps indicate a pit and/or camping area, with a fire pit toward the south. Although the hard-packed sand should generate nice thermals for soaring, there are no convenient slopes nearby for sloping.

The major disadvantage of the field is power lines immediately east of the lake bed. There is no shade, water, power, or toilet facility, so come prepared. The site can become very muddy after rain or a snowmelt; please avoid flying this field at these times, since driving on the mud exacerbates ruts.

The main benefit of Burmester is its accessibility and the large landing area. It’s a 20-minute drive from downtown Tooele and the Salt Lake Airport.

Directions to Burmester Field from RC Evolution in Tooele:

1. Head south on UT-36 (Tooele Main Street); go 1.2 mi

2. Turn right (west) on Utah Avenue, which becomes UT-138; go 8.5 mi

3. Turn right (north) on Kearl St. Signs indicate this is the way to I-80; go 0.3 mi

4. Turn left (west) on E North St; go half a block

5. Turn right (north) on Burmester Rd; go 4.5 mi

6. Proceed straight on the dirt road where the road veers sharply right. Go slowly, and watch out for deep ruts.

7. Open the cattle gate to allow your car through. Be sure to close it securely behind you, as this is free-range land for cattle, and if you cause someone to lose their herd, you endanger the future of the flying field.

8. Go 0.8 mi further to the flying field.

From I-80:

1. Take Exit 88 toward Grantsville; go 0.3 mi

2. Continue on Burmester Rd under the overpass; go 1.5 mi

3. As you approach the sharp turn to the left, get on the dirt road heading North.

4. Follow steps 6-8 above.

This field is flown regularly by the Ute R/C club (http://www.uterc.org/), and is located on Utah state land. If you can, please bring a pick and shovel; fill a road rut when you fly!

This document written by Matthew P. Barnson <matthew@barnson.org> http://barnson.org/ .

Mistway Model Airfield (Grantsville #2) Mistway Rd Grantsville, UT 84029

Located half a mile off abandoned Highway 40, the Mistway Model Airfield offers a rudimentary but wide-open flying experience for sailplanes and powered model aircraft. The airfield is a 4000′ (N/S) x 2000′ (E/W) dry lake bed in the midst of marshlands at the northern tip of the Stansbury Range, and is part of the Timpe Springs State Wildlife Management area.

The flying facilities are two large electrical spools used as the pit, a rusting channel board, and a faded windsock. The facilities have obviously been used for target practice by shooters from time to time. The closest food, restroom, and potable water supply is ten minutes away in Grantsville. Come prepared.

Be aware that the land south of Ellerbeck Rd is privately-owned until you reach the federal parkland marker a mile west of the field. The trailheads for the good sloping cliffs are just beyond, and require a 4×4 to climb them. If you’re sloping, be sure to put a fresh marker on the channel board at Mistway Field along the way so you don’t get shot down.

The airfield is a thirty minute drive from RC Evolution in downtown Tooele.

1.Head South on UT-36 (Main Street, Tooele); go 1.2 mi 2.Turn Right (West) on UT-112 (Utah Avenue); go 8.5 mi 3.Turn Left (West) on UT-138 (Main Street, Grantsville); go 9.3 mi 4.Turn left (West) on Ellerbeck Rd (referred to as “Misty Way Rd

So I’m posting this in the hopes that Matthew or some other techno-savvy person might be able to help me. Also because I can’t help but notice that barnson.org is drupal-powered.

I’m trying to set up a web site for my church. The idea is to have a public side, which is all html, that links to a private members-only side, which is run through a civicspace(aka drupal) portal.

Someone else has already set up the drupal portal, and I’ve designed the html, but right now the web address links to the drupal index, and I’m trying to figure out how to make it link to my index.html page instead. Placing the index.html page in the same folder as drupal’s index.php doesn’t work, and when I move or rename index.php, when I type in the URL it tells me I don’t have permission to access the server anymore.

I’m hoping there’s a way to solve this without having to re-install the drupal portal, because I’ve got even less clue on how to do that.

In other news…. mmmmm…. pie…. it’s yummy because it’s round…

I’m becoming a wine snob, I think..

That is to say, that I think that drinking wine makes me a snob. In high school I was anti-alcohol, in college, I was a non-drinker who binged rarely, in my early 20’s I loved beer, by 25, I liked making mixed drinks..

But in the last two years, I have grown to appreciate the tastes and textures of wines, and I feel a little fru-fru about it. I mean, holding thaing that little glass stem, savoring a piece of dark chocolate or cheese.. its not exactly beer and pizza.

Now, I have a myriad of wines in my house – from 2 boxes of Corbet Canyon, to a nice oregon Pinot Noir and a good 20 dollar bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. The boxes and the 1.75 liter bottles I keep to have with dinner, an accent to the food, but like the breadsticks, really, not part of the real dining experience. The bottles, especially the good ones, are for right before I go to sleep – with the dark chocolate or a shortbread cookie – or if company is coming over – these are meant to be tasted, and I love it.

I like pinot noir because I saw Sideways, and I learned to appreciate it. I know its cheesy, but its true. It starts with one flavor, and like Willy Wonka gum, it changes while in your mouth, and changes again after the swallow – its wonderfully complex when its good.

I also like Sauvignon blanc for the same reasons when I want a cold white wine. I will have Cabernet or Chardonnay with food, because I dont want tastes overwhelmingly complex in those cases.

Now, I make a point to have no more than a glass a night, except with company, and then its no more than 3 or sometimes 4, and I take a break 2 nights a week, subbing in herbal teas. So its not the alcohol.. besides there are easier ways to get drunk.

No, its just fun to have this tasty entertainment and a shared experience with people you like. and if its snobby or not too masculine, so be it.. its still fun.

That all being said.. I would love good ideas for tasty wines (include prices).. here are some of mine..

BOX – It will neve rbe very good, but Corbet Canyon is better than franzia.

1.5 Liter inexpensive Bottles – Stay away from Gallo, try the Sutter Home, it will be pretty good for the price

Inexpensive Regular Bottles – Meridian makes a nice Pinot, Turning leaf makes a nice Cabernet. And my new discovery, Yellow Tail, I haven’t had a bad one yet.

Finally, I found hat Oregon Pinot Noirs are generally better than Californias.. I don’t know why.

Okay, any takers?

(Christy, do you like pie?)

Thanks to Deb for sending this:

The Ten Worst Album Covers of All Time (warning: some strong language).

Well gang, it’s transition time. That time in a person’s life when they leave behind everything familiar and take a step into the unknown.

Blah blah blah and all that crap.

Anyway, my last day as a legal secretary is Wednesday, and then next week I start law school at Georgetown! I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m as prepared as I can be, so off we go! Wish me luck!

Kevin, Georgetown Law is two blocks down from the Capitol Building – we should meet for lunch sometime!

I have no idea what to say about this other than to simply post it:

Harry Potter takes over Guantanamo Bay

I’m speechless, for better or for worse. I’ll let others comment on this one.

EDIT by matthew: Modified link to fit in lower-resolution browsers.