I don't know (yet) if the Apple is all what it is cracked up to be. Perhaps what I have seen simply isn't taking advantage of the dual 2GHz processors, but when it comes to SETI@Home, my 2.6 GHz (single processor) PC runs rings around the Mac.

My PC processes a SETI@Home packet at a rate of just over 4 hours. The Mac takes well over 5 hours to process a packet. Now, an interesting thing happened (not sure if it was a glitch or what), but I applied the latest service pack to my PC yesterday, and I saw a SETI@Home packet complete is less than 3.5 hours afterward. However, the current packet looks like it's going for the full 4 hours. But I wonder what happened there and how I can create the conditions again to allow it to process packets in 3.5 hours? Hmmm! Maybe it was just a fluke...or a small packet.

Who knows?

Anyway, the reconfiguration of my shop has begun. Yesterday, I chopped my workbench down to a smaller size (and I figured out a way to do it without dismantling it, first, or clearing everything off the shelves!). It was quite a feat, but I was successful. The next step is to fill the available space with some shelves so I can put stuff up (making use of vertical space) to make room for the remaining modifications.

It looks like I might not get that technical writing job I applied for...but I'm not completely out of the running, yet. On one hand, I don't want to go back to working full-time (especially now that I am taking some classes), but on the other hand, it sucks not to have money coming in. Especially since we just spent over $600 this week to get a cyst drained out of our cat (a cyst that returned after being drained two years ago when it was discovered when he broke his leg). My wife and I also went to Santa Cruz over the weekend and spent some money for a motel and for rides (and a parking ticket) at the Boardwalk. That was a lot more fun than taking the cat to the vet.

I haven't been on amusement park rides in probably twenty years. It was so much fun. Here's a shot of us on the Logger's Revenge ride. It was the first ride we went on, and unbeknownst to us, it automatically took our picture on the way down. Not having been on a ride in twenty years, our expressions clearly showed that we were not quite prepared for the experience. But it got us off to a good start.


There is a ride there called the "Fire Ball" that looked totally frightening, and I avoided it for a long time. But then I decided I had to try it. I waited in line for about half an hour (it was now Saturday night and the place was packed) and of course it was DARK by the time I got on - and it was the last ride I got on before we headed home - but it turned out to be the greatest ride of them all. It was so cool - especially at night! So now I have a reason to go back -- I must ride it again!

You can see some pictures of it here.

We stopped to see the Manchurian Candidate (sp?) in Campbell on the way home (we happened to arrive at the theater JUST in time to get a [good] seat before the movie started). It was pretty good, but didn't totally wow me on any level. Oh, we also went to see Open Water the other day - what a waste of time and money that was. I expected something with some substance, and I got some kind of public access film (I kept thinking of Astrology with Tony for some reason). One has to wonder how it got distribution. It said it was based on true events, but it left me wondering who returned to tell the story in the first place? That is, if it was, indeed, true.

Speaking of truth, what is truth these days? Gads - I certainly can't find it in the political campaigns! I wish everyone would stop telling me who NOT to vote for and start giving me reasons why I should vote FOR someone! It's all about smear campaigns and bashing the competition anymore. Jesus. Nuke the moon, already, before we nuke ourselves! Well, you know, it's OK for *us* to have nukes.

Anyway, I still haven't installed a computer on my now-radio-controlled Trike, yet. There's so much to do, and so little time. I wonder if time travel is possible? I'd sure like to have a time machine! It's on my list of things to invent, but I'll never get around to it. :-) This guy at the robotic club meeting last night has created this IMU (inertial mesurment unit?) that provides "six degrees of freedom" as he put it. It can measure pitch, roll and yaw, and also acceleration along the three axis. I'd like to eventually have one of those to put on an airplane...perhaps if my Ohohia project ever takes flight. Ha! There's that time issue, again.