Remixing classics
Dankmus makes Simpson remix mashup videos – a lot like Pogo makes remix of Disney videos.
Needing the first 5 Saturdays devotion
Fr Dan Reehil shares this very real story on how he drifted away from his faith, but later became a priest. He experienced the emptiness of this world despite his great worldly success and why we so urgently need conversion if we want to find real meaning and happiness. He shares how we can find final perseverance through the First 5 Saturdays devotion. I completed my first 5 Saturdays years ago, but never really stopped. I regularly attend the first Saturday devotion as part of my monthly cycle of confession and prayer and attest it is a very powerful practice filled with many graces and great personal growth.
Fr Reehil, like many, fell away from his faith for 20 years. He had an extremely successful life on the east coast with lots of money, fancy vacation homes, all the man toys, and even a big New York marriage to an attorney which started with an engagement in Paris. But he was terribly unhappy because as he says, he was missing the one thing: God. After the nasty divorce and emptiness, he returned to the church. He went to reconciliation, started attending daily mass, re-engaged prayer, and started spiritual direction.
His journey involved living as an ascetic monk in Nebraska for 5 years and was later ordained as a diocesan priest – later to be made the exorcist for the diocese. But his talk here also focuses on the kind of conversion he, and we, need.
In this video he shares the simple but profound conversion message from Fatima that gave us the gift of the First 5 Saturdays devotion – and why it is so important to find and live conversion and union with Jesus.
A cluster of displays
NTT describes newer advances of using scattered monitors to create an image. Robert Kooima previously wrote about using a clutter of monitors to create a image in his 2008 paper “Generalized Perspective Projection”
Interestingly, he found using just a random arrangement of monitors apparently doesn’t won’t work. The array is carefully calibrated to display a two-dimensional code on each monitor, then photographed in order to understand “the positional relationship between monitors.”
World radio
Radiocast.co lets you look at a global map, pick a country, and start listening to a local radio live.
Self testing a Roland MT-32
To self-test a Roland MT-32, turn the unit on while holding down the 3 button, Volume and turn on the unit to enter test mode. You can check all the keys and play some test tones. To test the midi, you need to have the midi cables plugged in. To play a demo song, just hold just Master Volume. The “MIDI Message” light should flicker if it receives data.
Here’s a great guide for setting up an MT-32
- MOLEX 5 Pin DIN to DB15 MIDI 92604-0001
- 3.5mm TRS to Dual 6.35mm TS Breakout Cable – 3.5mm Stereo Cable to 1/4 Y Splitter Cord
Old Maps
OldMapsOnline lets you look at anywhere in the world, set the year, and see a map of the area. It’s always amazing to see how fast things have changed over history.
Turbotax 2025 backdoor Roth
Reporting a backdoor Roth conversion isn’t always easy on your taxes. Turbotax requires a 2 part solution where you enter it as a 1099-R conversion, then characterize it in your income section as a conversion within 60 days.
As of Jan 2025, the form has *already* changed again; but this is the closest set of dialogs that matches what you need to do:
Probiotic clothing?
Rosie Broadhead has an idea – what if fashion could become skincare. She has experimented on obvious ideas like controlling odors, but she has gone further by working with a microbiologist with embedding bacteria into clothing to create probiotic textiles – despite the scientifically dubious efficacy.
It’s an interesting idea – if they can work the actual science and practicalities out. The news website has several other articles on bio-enabled technologies.
Seeing is not believing
Here’s a great side-by-side of how the 2015 James Bond movie opening for Spectre was filmed.
Mr Kitters adventures
Mr Kitters is a kitty with a webcam attached to him – and many of his adventures are posted on his youtube channel. It’s interesting to see how many adventures a normal outdoor kitty can have with his neighborhood friends.