Time for

an update on my various

projects, experiments and personal evolvement. To prove to anyone out there and especially myself that I do not just exist in an electronic world.

I've received my rain barrels...two of course..the model's described as "english" with spouts-hoses and screen guards... the UPS man really, really hates me now having to tote these rascal's around for the day in the back of the truck, they are big....tomorrow I am going to set one of them up on the back portico...i have to standby on the one designated for the front portico until the new grass has taken root. These are perfect for my intention of having water on hand for emergency usage-- when the powers that be finally run us as a nation into a ditch. Of course once the barrels were delivered i fought the urge to immediately set one up--wanting to think the whole concept through properly. That night it rained for the first time in 2 months!! So much for being adult like and thinking--i missed a great chance to test the system--so when i do get around and set one up i actually have to put some water in it by hose to insure that it does not blow about with the high winds we have here in New Mexico---putting water in rain barrels is pure strangeness but it's a start on a water recovery system.

My new/old lifebook p-1032 i just purchased off ebay works perfectly! it is an excellent item--i tested the wireless card system at a coffee shop today(pulling up this blog)-- the mini-notebook is a little cosmetically rough but who cares? I need to complete the system with a battery pack for the portable printer and i am totally good to go with an eye on useful software. I believe now that my mobile system is complete. I can compute anywhere with my own solar power source if necessary.The next step is replacing my desktop with my dell xps laptop---

I am in bookvana with plenty of excellent books on hand. The toughest job at the moment is refraining from grabbing up each and reading small pieces of them in random moments...Here's just a small list of what i am reading or have recently finished:

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
by Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin

simply excellent--Oppenheimer the genius, the polymath who would not play by the conservative,paranoid government rules. An excellent bio even if you are not into physics--but if you are better still..a tragic personal tale of how the government and society wants you to fit in a box---that real genius and real scientists do not seem to understand.. Stalin's Ghost: An Arkady Renko Novel
by Martin Cruz Smith Arkady Renko the chain smoking, depressive, russian investigative prosecutor i have followed for years through all the books and through renko's banishment to siberia to cuba to enduring the change of his society to capitalism. Martin Cruz Smith's character renko's daily life makes me feel way better when i fall into a depressive state every renko book is perfect the newest stalin's ghost is no different--wonderous.

The Children of Men
by P. D. James currently reading the original children of men by pd james...from which the movie was based. Interestingly different from the movie the world they inhabit is somewhat different in the book. More depressed, less revolutionary. an interesting, intelligent read however, and very,very well written..tremendous usage of words to paint pictures of a world where women push dolls in carriages pretending they are alive.

Make Magazine: The First Year
by Mark Frauenfelder Outstanding bathroom reading--the collected first year of make magazine in 4 paperback books--very very neat projects by gearheads of all descriptions robots-electric cars, kite camera's,home physics labs, hacking your ipod---wonderous things you can make and do with items around the house or by hacking electronic personal items you already have on hand--love it and it is the type of book you return to again and again--a great way of putting this type of material out as well---combine a years worth of the best stuff in four books. plus it's easy to handle in the bathroom-----good job! I have a huge stack of other books next to the bed just waiting for me---calling me---i have much to learn.

i continue with these projects--along with others---i tremendously enjoy this lifehacking process. the concept that the projects i work on educate, inform, interest my brain and keep it firing in the right directions...as i get older. There was a 62 year old guy in the front of the line for the new iphone---more power to him, way to go. All of these items are pursued as best as possible on a random basis caused by the intruding demands of normal life....some can be combined--the pursuit for over 50 mpg during the daily commute--personal mobile computing at lunch, square foot gardening, water recovery, solar power at the house--science and weirdness with day to day life----einstein at the patent office...with this i publish

http://www.computerhistory.org/