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Belch.Com
Stuff about Belch.Com and General Admin stuff
Red Rock Canyon Open Space
May 25th
Red Rock Canyon Open Space, a photo by iceman9294 on Flickr.
Got out of work early today in Denver so I hauled over to Red Rocks to check out the sights. I’d post my own photos and likely will later, but Flickr’s having issues with their online photo editing software. And besides, nothing can quite compare to this high-res HDR shot of the cliff faces.
It was actually graduation day at the Red Rocks amphitheater, and all I could imagine was how awesome it would be to hold graduation ceremonies there among the landscape. Lucky kids!
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Loading ...When Smoking Was Cool
May 22nd
When Smoking Was Cool, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
Remember when getting a photographic portrait of yourself smoking a cigarette? Me neither. This dapper guy is Kermit Orander, a man who married my maternal grandmother back in the 60s. I stumbled across this photo along with loads of other Orander family pics in an album my Mom had kept in a closet.
But smoking during a portrait session used to be a thing I reckon. Looks like someone straight out of Mad Men.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Albino Peacock is Judging You
May 19th
Albino Peacock is Judging You, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
I snapped this awesome pic of an albino peacock in Hampton’s Bluebird Gap Farm. I love the contrasts of color between the red barn and the blue wheel, plus the texture of the trees and the weathered grain of the wood.
When I snapped the photo I still thought peacocks were cool. When I went to my car I discovered that peacocks had fought with reflections of themselves in my car door and had clawed scratches into our paint. Oh, and they also climbed onto the hood and shit on the car.
That was my albino peacock judgement of the day.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...What’s Wrong With Hampton
May 17th
What’s Wrong With Hampton, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
Seriously? Who duct tapes a telephone pole? This is just one more piece of evidence that the city of Hampton is in a chronic state of entropy and disrepair. That, and the public works department are hilariously redneck.
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The Last Gasp of the Potato Rock
May 17th
When we were growing up my Mom used to keep 20 lb sacks of potatoes in the garage for use in cooking. One of her favorite recipes (and my least favorite) was a Sunday Roast which required several peeled potatoes and a pot roast.
While digging out in the neighboring vacant lots, my brothers and I encountered a rounded river rock that looked surprisingly like an Idaho Potato. It had dirt caked in all the right places, felt similar to the touch and had the same mass of a typical potato, so we did what any other kid would do- we put that rock in Mom’s potato sack and just waited for Sunday Roast.
Sunday came ’round and Mom was surprised when all three of her boys watched her try to peel potatoes, each with a grin on their face. Out came the potato-rock and we watched as Mom sparked the peeler against the hard surface of the rock and we each burst out with howling laughter. “Very funny boys!” she scolded and tossed the rock into the trash.
We pulled that rock out of the trash and put that rock right back in the potato sack. This trick went on for years. Mom even tried to hurl the rock over the fence into a vacant lot, but we hunted that rock down and stuck it back in her potato sack again. If the rock got too clean looking, we would grind it into the dirt to simulate standard potato grit. The damn rock even looked like it had eyes. Mom even became accustomed to thumping each of her potatoes with a spoon to test for density, screeching at us each time she encountered that accursed potato-rock.
When Mom died yesterday morning at 2:30 AM, my other two brothers were sharing a bedside vigil. They watched as her breathing quickened, became more shallow, and gasped to a halt. This breathing pattern was a radical change from the rhythmic comatose gasps she had been taking for about 8 hours prior. They waited several minutes, coming to grips with her passing- holding her hands and telling her they loved her, and that it was okay to let go.
After ten minutes of prayer and silence, and my brothers still holding her hands, Mom suddenly gasped out a loud soprano moan- simply some built-up pressure still remaining within her lungs. My kid brother almost sharted himself at the sudden outburst. My older brother jumped too. And when their adrenaline subsided, my older brother turned to my younger brother and said, “That was for the potato rock!”
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There are Definitely Worse Ways to Go
May 15th
My Mom got to enjoy a beautiful Mother’s Day. She went to Church, taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, and enjoyed a nice lunch with my Dad, brother and sister-in-law. Then she went to the grocery store to pick up a few items, and, as is their custom, my parents took a nap on Sunday afternoon- my Mom in her big easy chair and my Dad in his reclining bed.
During her nap the Doctors think she experienced a moment of atrial fibrillation- just a simple irregular heartbeat that she had been tested for but never confirmed- and that abnormal rhythm may have caused some clotted blood to form in her heart and then get pumped into her brain, causing a massive stroke. It was as if her lights had been blinked out.
For a while yesterday morning she was partially aware of her surroundings in the hospital. Should could move one of her arms and could open her eyes and look around as best she could with partial paralysis. She understood that her family was with her, despite her inability to speak. As the doctors were explaining to us that her symptoms would render her permanently disabled, I could see a sadness or sorrow wash across her face. Her greatest fear in life was that she would end up like her own mother- disabled and speechless from a stroke, and the idea briefly dawned on her that this was to be her fate as well.
I think it was at that moment that she prayed for the Lord to take her- and she has been in a deep coma ever since. She is not on any life sustaining medical devices, or monitoring services in the quiet hospice area of the hospital. As I write this, her breathing is becoming more and more strained as the swelling in her brain pushes against the critical functions of her brainstem. Over all, it is probably not a bad way to leave the world. At one moment you are having a very Happy Mother’s Day and the next its like the snap of the fingers and lights out.
All our deepest appreciation to the staff of #Sentara in Hampton for their compassion and care for our Mom. You’ve been wonderful.
— Dr. Jones (@BelchSpeak) May 15, 2012
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(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 6) Loading ...Honest Logo ReDesign
May 14th
honest logo redesign – Apple, a photo by zero-lives on Flickr.
Zero-Lives posted this awesome Apple logo on his flickr page. I haven’t had the misfortune of having this happen to my iPhone yet, but my pal Dan has been wielding a busted iPhone with a shattered screen for months.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Dr Kevorkian’s Well Wishes
May 14th
Dr Kervorkian’s Well Wishes, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
I’m currently in Hampton Roads VA attending to family matters. My Mom had a pretty massive stroke in the left hemisphere of the brain and she is still mostly unconscious, although there have been some encouraging signs with physical therapy. But with her advanced age, full recovery is not something our family is anticipating.
Anyways, there is a beautiful courtyard at the hospital where well-wishers will commission pieces of the landscaping. Benches, trees and even the bricks were dedicated, usually, in someone’s name. This brick made me realize that Jack Kevorkian ruined Dr. Kevorkians everywhere.
Blogging will be light; appreciate everyone’s prayers and well-wishes.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Avengers Pose
May 14th
Avengers Pose, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
Saturday was a great day to visit the local Farmer’s Market at Lake Anne in Reston. Cartney is posing atop the 70s-esque concrete pyramid showing off his new Avengers tshirt.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...The Lindbergh Story in Idaho
May 7th
The Lindbergh Story in Idaho, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
I often forget how horrifying the Lindbergh baby story was. When I was in Idaho I saw the Statesman cover of this story. Heartbreaking, sad, and a travesty against a real American hero.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...The Silver Surfer Is Afraid
May 4th
The Silver Surfer Is Afraid, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
At 2:30 AM last night a powerful name hit the top of the Twitter trends. THANOS.
The name coincided with the collective gasp of moviegoers across the country as the final scene in The Avengers played out on screen. A lackey reported to a smirking Thanos that Earth was fit for Death.
Even the Silver Surfer who wields the Power Cosmic is terrified of Thanos.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Awesome Women’s Service
May 3rd
Awesome Women’s Service, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
Feel like eating out? Or did you bring your lunch box?
Is this the most awesome sign for a women’s spa or what?
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Downtown Boise Directory
May 3rd
Downtown Boise Directory, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
This is an awesome mural in downtown Boise showing the local directory of businesses at a prominent downtown intersection. If you look closely, you can see this is painted over brick and can understand that this painted directory is a couple of dozen yards long.
I used the iPhone App of Genius Scan to photograph it and true-up the trapezoid to create what looks like to be a straight-on picture when I was originally at a 45 degree angle, and level with the bottom of the sign.
And yeah, I’ve hit most of these bars by now. And the Reef Restaurant, like most in Boise, is simply top notch.
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James Arlen Anonymously Sends Death Threats?
May 2nd
Noted fat and newly unemployed information security specialist James Arlen, AKA Mycurial might be behind a recent death threat against the owner of this blog site. In an anonymous twitter account called @deadbelcher, someone proclaims that the owner of belch.com should be murdered along with his family.
don’t worry about Patrick Belcher, we’re cooking a few things up for him and his family… he won’t be happy for too much loner #freebyron
— Deadman Belcher (@deadbelcher) May 2, 2012
Is this retribution for the recent tweets by Dr. Jones mocking James Arlen for becoming unemployed and having trouble getting a new job, now that he is associated with anarcho-terrorist G20 bomber Byron Sonne?
Happy #MayDay @Myrcurial.Hope you can find a job in your weight class!Dont #freebyron
— Dr. Jones (@BelchSpeak) May 1, 2012
Any infosec jobs for terrorist suspect sympathiser @myrcurial?He loves mad G20 bombers, #Occupy, and hates corporations.
— Dr. Jones (@BelchSpeak) May 1, 2012
Here is when James Arlen complains about the loss of a job and begs twitter to help him find another:
Any Canadian infosec jobs available? Who has two thumbs and needs one? This guy. (points at self)
— James Arlen (@myrcurial) April 30, 2012
Odd that the @deadbelcher account appeared just after I pointed out Arlen’s support of Byron Sonne, and his support of Occupy Wallstreet, and his disdain for corporations. Coincidence?
Also, Arlen may have been behind a lame attempt to blow a dog whistle to attract Anonymous attackers against Belcher as well on the Full Disclosure infosec list:
The email account is faked, and the post was an obvious attempt to “Joe Job” Belcher as someone who was working against the Anonymous organization. As noted previously, Arlen has threatened Belcher with lolsuits and complaints against his certification in an attempt to silence him against speaking out online against Byron Sonne’s documented attempts to cook explosives in his basement during the run-up to the G20 in Toronto. When these tactics were pointed out on this blog previously, Arlen may have well shifted to an anonymous campaign in an attempt to silence Belcher on these issues.
Making death threats against people online is a crime, and Arlen seems to be willing to participate in this. Is it any wonder that he finds difficulty in finding employment?
I do want to point out that Madison Kelley, a friend and supporter of Byron Sonne, was so shocked by the death threat that she urged legal action against the @deadbelcher account:
It’s a sad sign that someone could be so desperate for attention. Please report @deadbelcher to twitter, let them sort it out. #FreeByron
— Digimer (@digimer) May 3, 2012
@deadbelcher is most likely an alt for @BelchSpeak. I can assure you no one behind #FreeByron feels any need to attack such a fellow as he.
— Digimer (@digimer) May 3, 2012
I thank Madison for her support of free speech, however, if this was indeed James Arlen, her tweet rings hollow as Arlen’s profile picture on his twitter account shows him proudly wearing a FreeByron Tshirt. So no one in the FreeByron movement is behind this? Sorry, but sadly, someone certainly is.
UPDATE: Arlen issues denial:
For the record. I am not unemployed. I have not uttered death threats and I have not posted to full-disclosure in more than 8 years.
— James Arlen (@myrcurial) May 3, 2012
And again uses threats of libel-
While Belcher’s comments are libellous and childish, I wouldn’t give the boy a second thought and I hope no one does.
— James Arlen (@myrcurial) May 3, 2012
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Idaho Has Good Wine- Snake River Winery
May 1st
It has been a while since I wrote about visiting a winery, and honestly, I havent had the chance to visit the Snake River Winery in Idaho, but they have a tasting room in downtown Boise with friendly staff and free tastings. You know, once upon a time you could get free tastings at Virginia wineries, but that is becoming very rare. And rarest of all when you encounter free tastings for wines that are this good.
The Snake River Winery has a huge selection of wines, and it seems that it would be hard to do a lot of different wines well. But Snake River manages it okay. Their Chardonnays are good, and their Merlots are good too, but neither are spectacular. Wonderful wines for the prices, however. But they have 21 blends or bottles to choose from. I only had the chance to tast 5 of the wines.
I settled on the Zweigelt, an Austrian grape that seems to grow quite well in the higher elevations of Idaho. It is a dry wine, but very light bodied with soft tannins, and it is quite drinkable alone or paired with- in my case- Idaho Barbecue Spareribs. Absolutely delicious!
The vintner at the tasting room told me that Snake River sells a Spanish grape, the Barbera. The last time I had one of those, I was in Australia. He mentioned that the gift shop at the Boise airport still has a few bottles of the Barbera and I’m planning on taking that one home with me as I fly out.
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Boise Has the Most GoldenTee Coverage
Apr 29th
I had thought that Wichita had a lot of Golden Tee Golf machines. Nay nay. Its Boise. I will be looking forward to hitting the GTG links over the next week while I’m at Boise.
A bit about Boise- so far its a lovely town. A bit disappointed that they didn’t give me a free bag of potatoes when I deplaned. I should speak to someone about that.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...We Make Holes in Teeth!
Apr 25th
My four-year-old boy asked me why he couldn’t eat candy before bedtime. Without really thinking about it, I explained that the Cavity Monsters would eat the sugar off his teeth and put holes in them. This shocked the boy. “Are cavity monsters good guys?” he asked. He is always concerned with the moral alignment of good versus evil and he wanted to be sure he is on the right team. “They are very bad guys,” I explained who stomp around chanting “WE MAKE HOLES IN TEETH! WE MAKE HOLES IN TEETH!” So I had to pull up the cartoons from the late ’70s and explain to him who the Cavity Creeps are.
So Cartney went to bed and brushed his teeth better than ever and when he hung up his tooth brush he declared “Cavity Creeps all dead!”
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The Nacelle Belles of ’42
Apr 23rd
Just wrapped up the birthday party of my boy’s 86-Year-Old Great Grandmother. We had bacon-wrapped meatloaf, potatoes, and a cheesecake dessert. We sipped 21 YO Scotch and listened as Granny regaled us with tales of impromptu trips to Tijuana from Long Beach in the 40′s. She would meet up to go dancing with sailors and somehow found her way south of the Border hours later, where her boyfriend was thrown in jail for assaulting the locals. Also found out that her mother, “Granny-Lou” was a riveter at the Douglas factory in Long Beach.
No, this isn’t Granny-Lou. But thanks to Shorpy for helping spur some great conversations!
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Squishin’ Cousins
Apr 22nd
Uncle Rusty had an opportunity to watch all three of his young nephews, and he very quickly had them acting their hearts out for this cute video.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Ammo and Margaritas
Apr 21st
Ammo and Margaritas, a photo by BelchSpeak on Flickr.
Now this is my kind of pub. I’m visiting family in Hampton, VA and this is the awning of the Conch and Bucket’s back patio bar. You get enough of each of the ingredients mentioned on the awning and you will be assured of a great time.
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