Every key on this proof-of-concept keyboard is an individual display that shows it’s current fuction. Keys can be programmed for different applications and languages. I just hope it doesn’t turn out to be vaporware.

One of the major projects I’ve been working on is migrating all of our shares off of the old hardware to new NAS appliances. As part of this, we’ve been reviewing and correcting folder permissions, to sort of help clean up as we go. Here’s an example of some of the totally awful permissioning I’ve been finding (identifying names have been obscured to protect the stupid):

“\\[server]\[share]\[dept]\2003 Secure Area STAY OUT\2003 Budget Info” /S “[domain]\Public”:RWXD /S “Everyone”:RX

Discussing a nearby elk farm
Her: “I’m from Montana, and I’ve never seen elk in the wild.”
Him: “I’ve been bear hunting, and I’ve never seen a bear in the wild.”

I’m thinking, if you’ve never even seen a bear in the wild, then maybe bear hunting isn’t for you. Maybe he should start with, say, bearspotting and work his way up.

This story from my friend Kristine is too good not to share. As Bill Cosby would say: those of you with children, you’ll understand. The rest of you, think of it as cheap birth control.

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FINALLY!, originally uploaded by olivander.

We’ve been weeks without rain. We needed this storm so badly. The Indians were pow-wowing today. I wonder…

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Giant Machine, originally uploaded by Alfie1.

I’m going to buy me one of these things, and with it I shall rule the world! [insert evil laugh here]

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E Pluribus Unum, originally uploaded by olivander.

I went to the Bear Creek pow wow today. And I thought Kansas City was bad–it was just as hot, with humidity. It’s amazing the pow wow dancers didn’t pass out from the heat. As it was, they were doing shorter dances, taking frequent breaks, and alternating dancers so no one spent too much time out in the circle.

Unfortunately, I got paged and had to go into work 1/2 an hour into the ceremonies. The photos I took in that time were few and not very good. The handful that I uploaded to Flickr were the best of that crop, doing what I could with the material I had to work with. I’m not very happy with the results. I may go back for the 2nd day tomorrow, but it’s supposed to be even hotter (97), so I don’t know if I will or not. But I want to buy one of those linen shirts, and Arvel Bird’s Totem Animals CD. Dammit.

This Friday’s theme: the ’80s.

Something from the ’80s you can’t let go of.

Yes, it’s that legendary ball team of eternal suckiness rivaled only by the Chicago Cubs: the Kansas City Royals. They did win the World Series once. Twenty years ago. They will again. Someday. Really. Stop laughing. Accompanying the Royals is my faithful, fuzzy companion Gizmo. For some reason, wherever I have set up shop, Gizmo has not been far away. Hmm… Perhaps if we fed the Royals after midnight…

A picture of you from the ’80s.

Seriously, I couldn’t find any others. Not even my graduation photos. Sure, I could’ve scanned the yearbook, but how awful would that have looked? Certainly not worse that what I’ve posted, you say? Well, yah, you’re probably right, but I definitely look cooler in this photo.

A CD or movie you have from the ’80s.

I didn’t own any CDs during the ’80s. I do, however, own lots of vinyl, most of it as dorky as this stuff.

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High-rent hotel, originally uploaded by olivander.

This was posted in the bathroom of the motel we stayed at outside of Kansas City last weekend. The motel was not far from Kansas City International Raceway, and perhaps not surprisingly, the room key-cards had NASCAR advertising on them.

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Battersea Power Station Pt. 2, originally uploaded by Susan B..

The historic Battersea power plant is being turned into a shopping mall/condo/cineplex. No doubt, there will be a gift shop selling Pink Floyd CDs, and t-shirts bearing the Animals album cover art–maybe even pink pig balloons for the kiddies!–totally oblivious to the screaming irony of the band’s messages of non-commercialism.

Or perhaps the complex’s owners just don’t give a shit, which seems entirely likely.