Some Make and Beak Engines For You To Enjoy

This video will help explain what a make and break (or hit and miss) engine is, what one would do with such a thing, and how it works.


Here is one in action.


...and another.

Inaugural Podcast Post

The Make and Break Podcast is up and out there floating around in the internets! Join your host Jim Glenstein as he discusses piracy, internet infrastructure, and ancient Egyptian brewing practices with special guest The Chairman of Awesome. Fire up the mp3 player and enjoy your commute a little bit more.

Direct link to Podcast blog.


Some of the Chairman of Awesome's projects
Attack of the Monstrology
Cereal and Pajamas

Things I Enjoy Seeing On Mackinac

I see things while I am out and about living and working on Mackinac Island that would, I guess, require a lot of time spent in the mall if I were to live anywhere else.
Take these anecdotes for examples of these observations.

Last week I saw a couple with their post college age daughter waiting for the next boat off of the island. I was easily about to ascertain that two of them were mother and daughter due to their similarities. These congruences were-

Identical bobbed light brown hair.
Daughter looked like younger version of mom.
Both wore tank tops.
Both wore capri pants.
Both wore white running shoes.
Both shared an identical build.
My mind wandered, thinking of the dad and the possibilities of confusion when telling his wife that he thought she was sexy. (Shudder...)

The family of six (kids aged 4-13), all of whom wore Transitions lenses in their glasses.

The family who wore wife beaters. Ok. Mom was in a tank top. There was in this family an anomaly. The son who wore a comic book t-shirt that clearly broadcast to me, " I'm not with them."

The little girl screaming that she DIDN'T want ice cream.

In years past I have been blessed to see-
A little boy wet himself because his mother was too distracted by bicycle rental rates than her cross-legged son.
Kids having so much fun playing in Marquette Park that one of them vomited, looked down at the mess, shrugged, and continued with the amusing melee.
Seeing at least one pregnant lady a day for an entire summer. The weirdest day was 5 preggos and two pregnant sisters- might have been twins in twins.

I like living here.

Vintage Aircraft Visits Mackinac Island

The Saturday of Labor Day weekend 2009 Mackinac Island was treated by a visit from a WWII era DC-3. It flew in from the east after flying a lap or two around the Mackinac Bridge and was available for tours shortly after landing at the Mackinac Island Airport.

The Water In My Toilet Is Hot

Feet. Many of us have a pair of them. They inspire wonderful words such as, shoes, corns, and bipedalism. I can say that I am a foot enthusiast- as mine get me around pretty well and I like that feature. I protect my leg to earth interfaces with boots or shoes and socks. I walk quite a bit, and living in a town that has outlawed cars, I ride a bike daily. My feets need some covering.
I don't believe that my foot use is beyond rational expectation. I don't wear flip flops. I don't think that anyone else should either. OK. Woman can wear them sometimes because they can be cute about it, but dudes need to cover them dogs. ...hairy toes waggling around all over the place... Put 'em away bro.

I dealt with a maintenance report from a guest the other day that made use brain cells I haven't used in a while. The report stated that the DVD player that had been borrowed from the front desk displayed the film only in black and white. The first question I asked the executive house keeper was whether or not they had been watching a black and white film. Laughter ensued and I took the offending contraption to the maintenance shop for later examination. I decided to just take the miserable thing home and after hooking it up to my own television I put in a test DVD. Color! Well I'll be damned. But wait! No sound. Harrumph! Ah! I had inserted a copy of The Silent Movie.
It turns out the guests had managed to borrow the only B&W film the hotel owns.

Professional Pea Shooters

Who would have known that there was a pea shooting competition? Who would have though that in this competition there would be folks that take it seriously enough to add laser sights to their shooters? Who would have thought that the eventual winner just used a straw?

Smart cars are getting thrown into Dutch canals as pranks!

This makes me sick! Don't take the shots! Just read this! Swine flu is fake. Or not, if it gets worse.

Students build car that charges in 10 minutes... but...

Chicago and Bayview Yacht Races

Now that it is Tuesday, July 28th this season's yacht races are drawing to a close. There seemed to be a fairly large turnout as far as boats are concerned and although the weather has not cooperated 100%, the jovial crowds don't seem to mind. As long as the music is good, the liquor flows, and the ladies are wild, the
sailors don't seem to mind.