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It must have been a stormy night. This is not what you want to find when you walk outside to go to work. Ugh.

A compound lens (a lens made of multiple glass elements, like basically any camera lens) has two nodal points. The front nodal point is the point in the optical system in which all the rays of light which enter the lens converge. The rear nodal point is the point in the optical system from which all the rays of light leaving the lens seem to radiate. That is, it’s the point on the optical axis from which the emergent ray leaves. The focal length of the lens is measured from the rear nodal point. The rear nodal point is also important for photographers who want to take VR panorama images, since the lens must be rotated around the rear nodal point to avoid parallax error. Simple lenses made of one piece of glass, such as magnifying glasses, have one nodal point - or the front and rear points are the same, depending on your point of view.

Where is the money tree? Well, the Texas Lotto is $100 million this weekend, so you know they have $1 of my money. Disgusting, isn't it? Anyhoo, I am buried today. Too much to do and no time. I'm wiggin' out. It sure would be nice to have a dual 2.5Ghz G5 though, no? Zoom!

First the battle scars on his back... now he's back to show me his finger problem. Poor fella has had a rough life.

The Return of the Peanut

me: "So, I lost 2 pounds." Bob: "That's encouraging." me: "Of course, I did cut back on beer." some stranger eavsdropping: "That's just crazy talk right there..." These lunchtime gym trips (all 3 so far) are good and bad at the same time. I feel great... have a lot more energy at the end of the day, but man it is tough to get up in the morning. My body isn't as elastic as it used to be. EL and I watched Last Comic Standing last night. The comic that spoke of an indication of aging is when you start doing "old guy stuff" like carrying TUMS in your pocket for no apparent reason. "Obviously I feel I have a better chance of getting a stomach ache than getting laid." Heh. If you guys could see my gray hair, you would laugh. So anyhoo, an afternoon filled with meetings is all I have to look forward to until the whistle blows. Ugg. No fun.

You need sound for this.

he's a wee 6 months old now

Hmm.

Motherfucker. The Boys are playing Friday and we're not going to be here. Shit.

So the days are ticking down to my departure for the northern wilds of Minnesota. I can't wait. The compression has started at the office and I have so very much to do before I leave and not a lot of time to accomplish it. I've started going to the fitness club at work over my lunch hour to utilize the indoor track. I'm not a runner. I don't enjoy it for an instant, but I need to do those thirty-something year old things like watch my cholesterol, blood pressure, and all that crap. I'd also like to lose a few of the kilos put on by the heavenly Mexican food found in the south... specifically Texas. I haven't forgotten about your tortilla Lisa. The opportunity hasn’t presented itself in recent weeks. Speaking of the south and Texas, we're off to the Corpus Christi area for EL's birthday on Saturday. What do you get a woman who deserves the world? My budget just won't cover that, I'm afraid. I think the biggest excitement of our forthcoming trip is just getting away from metropolis for a bit. I am fed up to my noodle with traffic and the latex skins everyone drapes over their personalities in this town. It's not as bad as Dallas, but still. Actually, Houston overall isn't bad. It's just the professional world in Houston. Find you some simple folk from the rural edges and they are as real and it gets. People with titles by their name are the one you have to watch out for... sometimes I wonder if they've lost all objectivity from eating shovels of their own shit for so long. Yes... a break from that facet of society is what I want. I think that's why I enjoy nature photography so much. There isn't any of that around. Anywhere. The biggest thing about the corporate environment that really boggles me is why we do it. I mean, bills and stuff... sure. The house. The car(s). The material stuff. But why else? I've mentioned it before, but it's worth saying again. There is nothing that I do from the time I leave for work until the time I get home in the evening that is nurturing to the soul. Nothing. It's an empty existence really. I live for time at home with my wife and gaggle of four legged family. The only reason I get up and go to work is to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table (or kitty/doggie dish). Other than that, I hate the rut. Greg mentioned doing something different... a 180 degree career switch to break the trudging mess up. I don't think that's the answer. First off, it is never an easy transition. Secondly, you'll probably find yourself feeling the same way in your new career within a short period of time. Pessimism. Actually, I think if you find something you really enjoy, and then find a way to support yourself with it, that's the way to go. My problem is I enjoy doing nothing. I don't mean "nothing" as in I don't enjoy anything. I mean "nothing" in a Peter Gibbons kinda way. Look out chair, here comes my ass! I've been playing Texas Hold'em on my BlackBerry when time seems to hang occasionally. I'm at the finals table at the World Series of Poker. It's me and another dude. Well, his head is about 3 or 4 millimeters big and he lives on a cell phone, but still. I have $22,320,886 dollars in chips and he's only got $16,721,000. Useless info... I know. Anyhoo, I need to get back to the daily grind. I just wish I was working from home and had a completely flexible schedule getting paid to do nothing. *sigh* That would be something.

I'm going to the show courtesy of Mike. What a nice guy.

US Code, Title 4 (Flag and Seal, Seat of Government, and the States), Chapter 1 (The Flag), Section 8 (Respect for the Flag) Sec. 8. - Respect for flag No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor. (a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. (b) The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise. (c) The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free. (d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general. (e) The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way. (f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling. (g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature. (h) The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything. (i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown. (j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart. (k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning

The Texas quarter should hit the streets of Houston today.