My thoughts on the Apple iPad

I always take things too iPhonetically.

Imaginary Kayak Trip

This one is just for fun.  I can’t say that I understand it, even though I made it.

32 Kayaks

As promised, here’s the first of some additional kayak images.  Click the image for best viewing.

Technical notes:  The non-downsized original is suitable for printing large, it’s 8800×14400.  In gimp, this is 33 layers, and one of few images that is cumbersome to edit on my humble macbook (just 2g of ram). If I were to print it, I would likely add some bold text running vertically, and try to get the aspect ratio closer to 3:4.  That would make it even larger… 10800×14400 = 155 megapixels.  Yikes.  In ten years, I’m going to be laughing at those numbers.

California Kayaker Magazine

Unlike most of the fake stuff I spew on here, this post is actually related to a real entrepreneurial effort.  Good luck on the new venture, Peter.  Link

In addition to the pic below, you can expect a few more kayak images in upcoming posts.  (For some reason, wordpress compresses some of the highlights out of this image, so give it a click if you want to see it as it should be.)

A final post on the acorn topic, I promise

I’ve been trying to identify the species for the Johny Oak in my yard, but it turns out oaks are promiscuous. Hybridization is rampant. Some species can be identified from the leaves and acorns, but Johny’s family history is a mystery. This is evidenced in the picture at the right. These three acorns were under the same tree. This tree gets around. To be clear, this was a wild oak from Henry Coe State Park. And this motley batch looks like the result of an oak orgy.

Photographic note: I got some great photos from the park during that visit. http://picasaweb.google.com/surlypeach/CoeRainyDayDec122009#slideshow/5415161790923624594

So I this thought would be my third post on the topic of acorns. But my roommate pointed out that there were acorn like shapes in even more posts, and that I’ve got a “Acorn Aesthetic”, whatever that is. To which I agreed that many things look like acorns to me, including her head. After reflection, I have to take that back. Her head looks more like a pineapple.

I’ll be moving on to a different topic soon, uh, abruptly.

Acorns, some numbers

The bombardment of brown torpedos from the sky continues.  The weather has become wet and with it the rate of pummeling has increased.  But how much pummeling, you may wonder.  Earlier today, I made an attempt to answer this question.

First by counting the number of oak nuts in several random patches of the so called lawn, I determined the average number of quercus seeds per square foot.  This number is 17.  Then I paced the diameter of the tree span.  This is 30 feet.  Now at this point, I could adjust for the number of oak babies abducted by the neighborhood squirrel population, but frankly I think the squirrels are avoiding the bounty until the chances of getting an acorn on the noggen declines.  Just remember an acorn is as big to a squirrel as a watermelon is to a human.  You wouldn’t walk under a fully loaded watermelon tree would you?

Anyway, the numbers add up to 12000 acorns.  That seems like a lot to me.  And the tree is not done.  I dared to eyeball the tree from below, and it looks as if a third to a half of a harvest is still yet to launch.

Fertile Free Range Oak Eggs

(This post is dedicated to the Johnny Holms of Oaks, who just happens to have taken up residence in my front yard.)

In Spring, the facilities of SurlyPeach central are carpeted with a fine yellow dusting. This is the not so gentle reminder that in Fall we will be gifted with an outpouring of Free Range Oak Eggs. This year however, Johny has out done himself. (And technically herself too, but that’s another story.) One must only stand beneath with hands cupped and the gift of oaken life will be granted. And gazing down at the feet will reveal thousands of brown jewels.

Thanks to an unusually prodigious supply of Grade AA Oak Nuts this year, SurlyPeach Inc has decided to launch a new line of breakfast cereal. Samples of the first harvest are free for the asking. We’ll also be giving away kid sized boxes at local farmers markets. Look for us!

These Oak Fruit are also fertile, but “Fertile Free Range Oak Eggs” doesn’t roll off the tongue. We’re very conscious about these kind of marketing decisions here at Surly Peach. We’d just like to let you know that our Oak Berries are the best quality available. They’re 100% Organic, Free Range, Fertile, Grass Fed, and Phosphate Free.

As a personal note, I also want to thank all the neighborhood canines that supply a constant stream of nitrogen fertilizer that make this Oak Love real.

Chris, out of hiding

It started like this:

From: Chris
Subject: I am coming out of hiding!!!
Date: November 16…

Hey Coe Fanatics!!!! I cannot believe that I have not been to Coe all Fall. So it is time and the time is Saturday. Will you guys be there?

The early joiners were strong, many emails were exchanged. Then it got slightly cold, and only one die hard made it to the park. The next week featured National Turkey Binging Day and National Shopping Weekend.  The word went out again for December 5, and Chris made good on her promise. A dozen riders showed at Hunting Hollow for one of the chilliest Coe loops I’ve ever volunteered for.

So this is for you Chris.  You are now out of hiding.

Pictures

NewPhysicist Magazine

Thanks to the bagette bombing bird of the LHC, I got the idea for the cover of this fake magazine. If you are a physicist, it’s hard to make up something more funny than this. (2) (3). I’m not a physicist, but I can still try…
Physics jokes are like magnetic monopoles, they might exist, but no one knows which Diraction they are Poynting. (If you aren’t cracking up at this point, you are obviously NOT a physicist.)
I’d better stop before I get any deeper into this gravity well.

It’s Abstract Friday

I’ve got a bunch of abstract 2d pieces that I’ve created.  I’ll be posting these occasionally.  They are cluttering up my hard drive and I must get them out.  I don’t know why I make these images, I just do. Perhaps it’s just a form of entertainment, or maybe my left brain has taken total control.  Or maybe it’s my right brain.  After reading the wikipedia article, I am totally split brained.

These images usually contain no underlying meaning, if you see something in them I’d be interested in your interpretation.  The Halloween iPod post was an exception, I’m not afraid of absurd interpretation.  Let me know what you think, and if I should post more.

Click to zoom to a larger image.

What I see?  This reminds me of burnt reeds. At one point, I toned down the colors to match, but then later backed off because I found the color range more interesting and I didn’t want to marry it to that concept.