This is the website of Abulsme Noibatno Itramne (also known as Sam Minter). Posts here are rare these days. For current stuff, follow me on Mastodon

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Curmudgeon’s Corner: A Really Big Room

On this week’s Curmudgeon’s Corner podcast Ivan and Sam spend most of the show talking about Election 2016, concentrating as usual on Trump and the craziness surrounding his campaign, including the tantalizing possibilities of a brokered convention this time around. Yeah, yeah, that gets talked about every four years and never happens, but it is fun to talk about! Around the edges we also discuss Sam’s new computer, the aftermath of San Bernardino, Zuckerberg’s charitable activities, and more!

Click below to listen or subscribe… then let us know your own thoughts!

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Recorded 2015-12-11

Length this week – 1:17:34

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Show Details:

  • (0:00:37-0:11:46) But First
    • Agenda
    • Sam’s New Computer
    • Ivan and Planes
  • (0:12:36-0:58:59) Election 2016
    • Our Detour
    • Trump Commenters
    • Poll volatility
    • Live polls vs robo polls
    • Something weird
    • Election Graphs: Don’t Underestimate Trump
    • Brokered Convention Scenarios!
    • Trump odds Improved by comments?
    • Turnout Effects
    • Prediction Fun
  • (0:59:37-1:17:14) Lightning Round
    • San Bernardino
    • Movie: Rear Window (1954)
    • Argentina Inauguration
    • Zuckerberg Donation

Pics from Aug 2014

987 pictures from August. First pass narrowed it to 75. Culling it down to 31 for this post. The last few killed were hard choices as usual.

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2014-08-01 00:50 UTC – We start out the month with Amy in a cat hat.

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2014-08-02 03:06 UTC – Alex is getting better and better at walking Roscoe.

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2014-08-02 19:39 UTC – Roscoe always likes to rest after his walks.

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2014-08-04 04:25 UTC – We sometimes put Alex in a cage.

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2014-08-04 04:33 UTC – Alex playing with a wooden car by the light of a night light.

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2014-08-09 21:31 UTC – Alex will follow his sister to the ends of the earth… or to a science demonstration for kids at my company picnic.

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2014-08-09 22:00 UTC – Alex chasing a ball at the company picnic. And yes, the “picnic” was inside. No grass or trees to be seen.

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2014-08-09 22:10 UTC – Once Alex was tired of the picnic, we walked a bit in the city. Well, I walked. Alex rode. He is about 45 pounds now, so this usually doesn’t last too long.

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2014-08-09 22:40 UTC – When we were done exploring, we hung out in Pioneer Square for awhile until Mommy could swing around with the car and pick us up.

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2014-08-09 22:55 UTC – This seagull kept watching us.

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2014-08-10 16:51 UTC – One Sunday I accompanied my mom to a church where she was doing the fill in minister thing for the day.

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2014-08-10 18:28 UTC – Here she is doing the meet and greet thing after the service.

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2014-08-10 19:30 UTC – After the service, time for a day trip to Canada! Observe the grandeur and majesty of the border crossing!

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2014-08-10 20:24 UTC – We found a small tourist town to have lunch in.

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2014-08-10 20:32 UTC – My mom was wearing this owl. It kept staring at me.

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2014-08-10 21:13 UTC – We saw some pretty views along a river.

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2014-08-10 21:24 UTC – We saw some train stuff.

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2014-08-10 23:18 UTC – Then we went to a park across the channel from the Vancouver airport. (Click to enbiggen the panorama.)

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2014-08-10 23:22 UTC – We watched some big planes take off.

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2014-08-10 23:28 UTC – And a bunch of little ones too. These were taking off from the channel of course.

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2014-08-11 03:09 UTC – Then after dinner, we headed back to the US. Much shoddier and more run down border crossing this time.

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2014-08-13 01:46 UTC – Back at home, all summer long, Alex almost never missed a day playing with the hose. He would water the lawn, all the plants and bushes, the cars, himself, and anybody crazy enough to get within range.

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2014-08-22 03:50 UTC – Later in the month I took Brandy to a concert.

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2014-08-24 18:24 UTC – At school Alex is starting to learn geography.

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2014-08-30 01:44 UTC (photo by Brandy) – Then we went to a fair. We went on this slide. Amy went first while Alex and I waited at the top.

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2014-08-30 01:44 UTC (photo by Brandy) – Then Alex changed his mind and didn’t want to go. But it was too late. So I held his hand. I was not supposed to do that. Because I essentially ended up dragging him down. And since I was holding onto his hand, he spun onto his side. This was scary and unpleasant. There were tears. But he forgave me a few minutes later.

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2014-08-30 02:01 UTC – Amy and Alex went fishing. Eventually Alex caught one of the fish and won a toy car.

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2014-08-30 03:14 UTC – After dark, there were lots of lit up spinning things to watch.

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2014-08-30 03:26 UTC – Amy won a donut, but let Alex wear it.

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2014-08-30 03:53 UTC – Alex had said for months that he did not want a haircut until he could put his hair in his mouth. Now he can, but he has changed his mind. He still does not want a haircut.

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2014-08-30 04:50 UTC – At a certain point, Alex was done and just bolted to head back to the car on his own. He was headed the wrong way of course. I caught him and we walked back to the car together. Amy and Brandy joined us awhile later. :-)

Curmudgeon’s Corner: The Kids are Alright

In the latest Curmudgeon’s Corner Sam, Ivan and Alex talk about:

  • Daylight Saving Time
  • Devices on Planes / Climate Change
  • Alex Train Interlude
  • Climate Change Continued
  • Kids and Tech

Recorded on 5 Nov 2013

Length this week – 1:09:36

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Curmudgeon’s Corner: No, No, No, It’s Not Working!

In the latest Curmudgeon’s Corner Sam and Ivan talk about:

  • Adoption / Groundings
  • Coffee / Snowden
  • Egypt / SFO Crash / Lac Megantic

Recorded on 9 Jul 2013

Length this week – 1:06:08

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Curmudgeon’s Corner: Smokes and Ladders

In the latest Curmudgeon’s Corner Sam and Ivan talk about:

  • Ladders / Google / Tumblr
  • Apple Taxes
  • Jury Duty / Proportionality / Planes

Recorded on 21 May 2013

Length this week – 1:01:22

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Saturday at Paine Field

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We were at Paine Field Aviation Day. It was fun. Alex was not very impressed by the smaller planes (or the tortoises), even when they flew fast and low (well, not the tortoise). But in between the planes that were actually part of the air show, 747’s and 787’s were taking off, landing, and doing emergency stop tests and other things… and THAT had his full attention.

It wasn’t too horribly crowded, which was great, and it wasn’t hot, also great. And the mix of planes, from the historic WWII aircraft and such, to the 787’s and Cessna’s in between was just fun. As was simply being able to stand right by the runway and watch as the big planes land and take off. You can’t really do that at commercial airports any more.

I remember when I was a kid my parents taking me to the observation deck at Raleigh/Durham airport in North Carolina, where we could just sit and watch the planes. You can’t really do that any more because of all the security theater, which is a shame.

(All pics taken by my mom.)

Edited 09:26 UTC to add photo attribution.

Disease Swap Meets

In the latest Curmudgeon’s Corner… 

Sam and Ivan talk about:

  • Shutdown Avoidance
  • Federal Budget
  • Old Planes
  • Flash

Just click to listen now:

[wpaudio url=”http://www.abulsme.com/CurmudgeonsCorner/CC20110410.mp3″ text=”Recorded 10 Apr 2011″]

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Blue Angels

Taken 2010 Aug 5 20:51 UTC