Lee

You know what they say, "_________________________________________________."

http://gizmodo.com/5397485/cookie-monster-sang-about-google-27-years-ago

Boston area folks:

Who's planning to go to Dust and Illusions at MIT on Thursday?

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/10/iss-flyby-tuesday-evening/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3183

Tuesday evening the International Space Station will be flying by San Francisco. Join a contingent on Bernal Hill or just look up at the right time. I caught it once before and was cooler than you’d initially imagine.

Tuesday evening starting at 5:29pm sharp for just 3 minutes. Starting in the southwest, going high in the sky and ending in the northeast.

Join us on Bernal Hill! Call me or comment on the blog or just show up

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Find out when the International Space Station will be in San Francisco.

and

Find out when it’s coming to YOUR town.

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/09/maker-faire-2009/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3179

I shoved together all the video footage I took at Maker Faire 2009 and… well, here you go. Enjoy!

Maker Faire 2009 clips by Lee Sonko

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/09/free-wikis/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3178

My friend Karen asked me about free wiki software. Here is my response

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Well, PBWiki (http://pbworks.com/) offers advertiser supported wiki services but I really really really (really!) recommend using Mediawiki instead. Mediawiki is the software that runs the FLG wiki. It’s really good software and it’s what users are familiar with. I run it on Dreamhost.com. If your friend has an ounce of geek in them, they should sign up and run their own wiki. And if they don’t have an ounce, they probably shouldn’t be running a wiki, really.

Dreamhost service is like $8/month. I have a coupon-thing where they’ll get $48.50 off a $96 1 year membership or $25 off a monthly. My promocode: SPLITITWITHLEE

Oh and I see that they have a free trial thing on their homepage: http://dreamhost.com/

If your friend can find a friend that already has a hosting plan at Dreamhost or another provider, they might let them mooch off them for free since it probably won’t cost any money extra. That’s what I do for SWARM and FLG and some personal wikis I run.

Today's "Classic Peanuts" involves Linus talking to a big brick wall and repeating a phrase about trying to get along since we are one big family.

It was published on Nov 11, 1962.

The Berlin Wall construction began a year earlier.

http://comics.com/peanuts/2009-11-08/

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/08/the-departed-the-four-hour-work-week-dr-karl/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3177

I just saw The Departed. Good cop. Bad cop. Entertainment!

I’ve been listening to The Four Hour Work Week. I just made it to disc 3 and all of a sudden I’m getting disappointed. When the author says he checks email once a week for an hour and checks his voicemail once a week without any adverse effects, I begin to doubt. But I won’t stop listening. He is saying a lot of good stuff.

And I still love listening to Doctor Karl on Australian radio. Catch the RSS audio feed of his shows here

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/07/queso-fresco/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3173

I was chatting with Schuyler and I was reminded of his fantastic Stranger Eats, the site is predicated on him asking total strangers online for recipes. The results are sometimes delicious and often hilarious.

Most recently, he made queso fresco so I gave it a try. Let me just say that 10 minutes ago I had milk, salt and vinegar and right now I am eating my very own home made queso fresco! And it’s good!

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/07/join-me-for-outdoor-lasertag-in-san-mateo-nov-14th/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3169

I’m excited about going to this outdoor lasertag game I’ve heard about in the Bay Area for a while now. I heartily welcome you to join me!

Check out BattleSFO lasertag either on the website or Facebook

Here is the invite from Facebook

Capture-the-flag lasertag and potluck picnic party
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Time: 11:00am – 4:30pm
Location: Junipero Serra Park- Isis lasertag group picnic site
Street: 1801 Crystal Springs Rd
City/Town: San Bruno, CA
View Map
Description: http://sflasertag.org/battlesfo/participate

BattleSFO is an intense afternoon of outdoor lasertag and a potluck picnic party in the park. Six Teams will be playing 12 minute games of capture-the-flag in a 2 acre wooded area of Junipero Serra Park.

We’ll provide the latest in mil-spec outdoor lasertag equipment and radio headsets for each player.

This is lasertag at its finest. We’ll be playing with some of the best lasertag equipment available, running around in the open woods. The radio headsets help you know what’s going on, making the games much more thrilling. Between games we’ll be having a potluck BBQ picnic party at our private group picnic area, and watch the other teams play from above. It’s going to be a high-adrenaline afternoon of fierce competition and fun times. Spectators welcome

Cost:

* Player: $50 per player covers all lasertag and radio equipment rentals, park rental fees, and staffing
* Youth Games: $15 per youth (with a registered adult)
* Volunteer: There are 8 openings for volunteers who will play for free in exchange for refereeing games and helping setup.
* Spectator: People are welcome attend the potluck picnic for free without playing, but please register so we know you’re coming.

Please register on the event website to confirm your space. Thanks! Volunteers should also register, as there are only 2 more spaces.

http://sflasertag.org/battlesfo/participate

I'm relaxing onthe couch with a lap full of Kitty, listening to music that makes me happy and contemplating eventually getting up and being productive ... but not feeling rushed about it. It's pretty darn great.

What's awesome for you today?

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/07/recent-music/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3167

Some artists I’ve heard recently…

I saw Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley in concert at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View on September 25th. Charlotte, Rick and I went along with 40,000 screaming Daisy Dukes. It was a lot of fun! I enjoy his common-man lyrics.. (IE I’m Gonna Miss Her starts, “Well, I love her, but I love to fish…”) (photo credit)

On October 3rd, I got to sit 5 feet from and listen to Yacouba Diarra from west Africa play. Awesome!

I give a hearty “Thank You!” to the Mission Arts and Performance Project (MAPP)! They get people excited about San Francisco art and local performance!

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/07/food-recommendations/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3166

Charlotte and I went to the San Francisco Greek Food Festival in September. We met up with a very nice guy who got us talking about good food in the area. He gave us several restaurant reviews…

Rainbow Pizza in San Mateo has tyropita and possibly galactoburikos (I have no idea how to spell that!)

Emil Villa’s Original Hick’ry Pit in Campbell – has the best bbq sauce. The guy who was talking to us offered to go to the place and mail us a bottle of this elixer! I see there is one in Walnut Creek which is a little closer.

Cafe Rouge in Berkeley was recommended.

Alice’s Restaurant in Noe Valley for the best Chinese food in San Francisco.

As people who have had to deal with me around bedtime with any regularity or who interact with me after a bad night of so-called sleep know, I have intermittent but significant problems with insomnia. I'm lucky because it's intermittent, and I rarely have more than two bad nights in a row, and the vast majority of my nights are fine, but good sleep is hugely important to my mood and functioning (how do you people who are parents survive??), so when I have a bad night or two, I'm not all that much fun to be around.

( You are getting sleepy ... )

What muppet are you, and why?

Poll #1480974
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 40

Am I a...

(thanks to patgreene for her ideas on what my assemblage of garments might collectively comprise, this past Saturday ;-)

(yeah, I know there's no bi option in the poll. After all, I was going as something different! ;-)

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/04/outdoor-lasertag-november-14th-san-mateo/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3159

Wanna shoot me? Here’s your chance!

I’m going to BattleSFO along with Sai from Noisebridge on November 14th. I’ll likely be volunteering to help run the games.

Join me!

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/04/lets-go-to-this-economics-talk-together-thursday-night-at-swissnex/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3158

They always have the best little Swiss finger food at these things!

You should register at the site below and write back to me if you’re going.

It’s free :-)

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COMPETITIVE MARKETS: BEAUTY OR BEAST?
Thursday November 5, 6.30pm-9pm
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In the aftermath of the financial meltdown, the virtue of competitive markets is being questioned. It is little appreciated, however, that the economic concept of “competitive markets” is abstract—just as a “vacuum” is an idealized environment for physicists—and that the theory rarely spells out how to implement markets in practical terms.

Peter Bossaerts, professor of finance at the California Institute of Technology, explains what economists mean by the term “competitive markets,” what the markets are theoretically supposed to do, and where they fail. He’ll also evaluate whether or not eBay, the New York Stock Exchange, the real estate market, the Over-the-Counter credit derivative markets, and other institutions are really instances of “competitive markets.” Audience members participate in hands-on demos of market behavior, so laptops are encouraged.

Details & Registration: http://www.swissnexsanfrancisco.org/activities/events/competitivemarkets
Location & Parking: http://www.swissnexsanfrancisco.org/aboutus/contact

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/04/on-not-saying-bah-humbug/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3015

A friend wrote to me…

>Fiend me on facebook!

Several years ago during Christmas I tried saying “Bah Humbug” as a joke whenever anyone wished me a merry Christmas. After a few days, I suprised myself when I said it to someone and actually meant it; it kinda freaked me out. The power of suggestion, even to yourself, is very real.

http://lee.org/blog/2009/11/04/air-gun-laws-in-san-francisco-california/

http://lee.org/blog/?p=3052

For the most part, San Franciscans are a bunch of dance-around-the-peace-tree hippys. That’s ok, I like dancing. And when the zombie revolution comes, it’ll be easy to repel their sorry undead asses with my patchouli scented bullets.

(Don’t stop at the following sentence, read the whole post because it gets weird)

In San Francisco, it is illegal to buy or have in one’s possession a BB gun / air gun / pellet gun.

ARTICLE 9: MISCELLANEOUS CONDUCT REGULATIONS
SEC. 602. SALE OR POSSESSION OF SLING SHOTS OR TOYS PROJECTING MISSILES BY AIR OR GAS PROHIBITED.
It shall be unlawful for any person, except for a peace officer authorized under California Penal Code Section 12600, to buy, sell, offer or expose for sale, barter or exchange, have in his possession or use any sling shot.
It shall also be unlawful for any person to buy, sell, offer or expose for sale, barter or exchange, have in his possession or use any toy by which, whether used singly or in combination of units, missiles may be projected by force or compressed air, carbon dioxide, or any other chemical, gas, or other element, or combined thereof. Nothing in this section is intended to be inconsistent with Government Code Section 53071.5 or any successor statute regulating imitation firearms, BB guns or air rifles.
(Amended by Ord. 4782, Series of 1939, App. 1/6/48; Ord. 260-04, File No. 031932, App. 11/4/2004)

The state calls an air gun a “BB Device”. It is a form of “imitation firearm”.

California Article 1, Section 12001, subsection G: For purposes of Sections 12551 and 12552, the term “BB device” means any instrument that expels a projectile, such as a BB or a pellet, not exceeding 6 mm caliber, through the force of air pressure, CO2 pressure, or spring action, or any spot marker gun.

The state says you can’t just tote an exposed imitation firearm (which includes BB guns) around.

12556.
(a) No person may openly display or expose any imitation firearm, as defined in Section 12550, in a public place.
(b) Violation of this section, except as provided in subdivision (c), is an infraction punishable by a fine of one hundred dollars ($100) for the first offense, and three hundred dollars ($300) for a second offense.
(c) A third or subsequent violation of this section is punishable as a misdemeanor.

So you can’t run around with a BB Gun in California unless…

(d) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to the following, when the imitation firearm is:
(1) Packaged or concealed so that it is not subject to public viewing.
(2) Displayed or exposed in the course of commerce, including commercial film or video productions, or for service, repair, or restoration of the imitation firearm.
(3) Used in a theatrical production, a motion picture, video, television, or stage production.
(4) Used in conjunction with a certified or regulated sporting event or competition.
(5) Used in conjunction with lawful hunting, or lawful pest control activities.
(6) Used or possessed at certified or regulated public or private shooting ranges.
(7) Used at fairs, exhibitions, expositions, or other similar activities for which a permit has been obtained from a local or state government.
(8) Used in military, civil defense, or civic activities, including flag ceremonies, color guards, parades, award presentations, historical reenactments, and memorials.
(9) Used for public displays authorized by public or private schools or displays that are part of a museum collection.
(10) Used in parades, ceremonies, or other similar activities for which a permit has been obtained from a local or state government.
(11) Displayed on a wall plaque or in a presentation case.
(12) Used in areas where the discharge of a firearm is lawful.
(13) A device where the entire exterior surface of the device is white, bright red, bright orange, bright yellow, bright green, bright blue, bright pink, or bright purple, either singly or as the predominant color in combination with other colors in any pattern, or where the entire device is constructed of transparent or translucent materials which permits unmistakable observation of the device’s complete contents. Merely having an orange tip as provided in federal law and regulations does not satisfy this requirement. The entire surface must be colored or transparent or translucent.
(e) For purposes of this section, the term “public place” means an area open to the public and includes streets, sidewalks, bridges, alleys, plazas, parks, driveways, front yards, parking lots, automobiles, whether moving or not, and buildings open to the general public, including those that serve food or drink, or provide entertainment, and the doorways and entrances to buildings or dwellings.
(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude prosecution for a violation of Section 171b, 171.5, or 626.10

… you can’t run around with a BB Gun in California unless you keep it in a box, you’re shooting it somewhere that it’s legal to shoot a gun, or the BB gun is painted some crazy ass color like bright purple! (Yes, the image of the Hello Kitty assault rifle above is real. Sanrio asked the maker of the rifle to remove the kitty and he did a while back. Then there’s the bARbie-15 :-)

So in brief, BB guns are more illegal than real guns in San Francisco. California law is more lenient, saying that as long as you keep it under wraps (or paint it bright purple), it’s not a big deal.