randomwisdom.com

Looks like I'm gonna have to get a new computer. This laptop is fizzling out. Took me 10 minutes this morning trying to get it to power up at all. Here's what happens:

Push power button. Whirrrr-stop, within a second. Now the power LED is flashing on and off, like it's in suspend mode. Push the power button again, LED comes on for 3 seconds, then turns off. Then the fan comes on. Then I push the power button again, and hold it; same deal. Did this for the better part of this morning.

So how did I get it to power up at all? Hit the power button, and in the half second when it actually looks like it's going to power up, eject the CD tray. Tadaa. I'm gonna sell this POS, after a call to Dell. Time to build my own system again.

Took this one a week or two ago while eating lunch in the bottom of the ILC. I was reeeeally bored.

From the ILC

I realize that I haven't posted photos in a long time, and I especially haven't posted photos of Arizona yet. Here's what the area around my parents' house looks like.

Velocity

Agave says hello to the sky

Hiroi

Freedom to skip class
I think I'll take a day off
And compose haiku

I just got back from one of the best jazz concerts I've ever been to. Maynard Ferguson (famous trumpet player, just do a Google search) was playing in this school auditorium to a very small crowd, with first-come first-served seating. Chris and I got there pretty early, enough to get some great seats up front, but there were a couple empty seats next to us, which were quickly occupied by Jay Rees, the U of A marching director. "Are these seats taken?" he asked. I felt like responding, "Sorry, they're reserved for the President of the United States." Of course you can sit there!

Opener was a pair of high school jazz bands, one from Santa Rita and one from Sahuaro High School. While the Sahuaro band was probably more technically competent, their band director didn't seem to be challenging them; Santa Rita's had some problems in the trumpet section with attacks and confidence, but one of their numbers featured every member in the band with a solo. That takes guts, to do that in front of a crowd like that.

Of course, the main show was spectacular. They played to the crowd, with lots of popular tunes and catchy themes, but each member of the band was very talented, playing some very technically difficult pieces. And Maynard's trumpet screamed solos that flowed like melted chocolate. I've never heard a trumpet play that high while at the same time being smooth and musical and not grating on the eardrums. It was nothing short of spectacular.

Okay, let's take a look at the server logs for last month. Let's start at the top. I'll see if I can answer the questions implicit in each search query:

nishi zao koen park - I suppose such a place could exist, but I've never been there.
tokyo big rice ball - Yes, there are many of those, but I don't have any photos.
naked matsuri japan photos - Umm, no. They never got THAT crazy.
ece373 arizona - You want to go here and here.
email contacts of computer engineers only in japan 2004 - I'm afraid I'm not stupid enough to post that on my site. But if you email jeff at randomwisdom dot com, and explain your reasoning, perhaps I can help you out.
filthy food metal detector - What?
izakaya translate - It's a kind of Japanese bar or restaurant. Think traditional sliding doors, take off your shoes, et cetera.
journeys by jeff - Yep, that would be this site.
kunoichi-women ninjas - You're looking for this.
matsuri izakaya - The first is often followed by the second.
my car alarm keeps going off nissan - Good for you. Turn it off so I can get some sleep.
party decorations for farewell - Can't help ya there.
photos of fruits in japan - You mean these?
photos of presentation of japanese dessert - Nope, nothing published like that.
photos of summer dessert in japan - I never thought of taking a photo of that.
photos of women wearing yukata - Try here.
randomwisdom.com - Yep, that would be this site.
robot walking - Here.
shichi go san matsuri - That particular festival is here.
someone breaking into a car - If that ever happens in Japan, nobody talks about it.

NOW... whoever did those searches has to tell me who they were and what the search was for.

Everybody's favorite search engine is also available in Hacker, Pig Latin, Elmer Fudd, Sveedish, and yes, even Klingon.