ZachIsHere

Happy Birthday Mego!

// September 30th, 2005 // 4 Comments » // Thoughts

I would like to wish a happy birthday to my best friend Megan. She turns 21 today. I am very lucky to have her in my life. She has played a huge part in becoming the person I am today. I know what you are thinking, the previous sentence is meant to be a good thing. I hope she has a great time. I will be thinking about you!

Can’t wait until we can legally get slumberdunked together. Ha.

The first time Megan and I officially spent time together we had dinner at a place called Houston’s on the Plaza in KC. We were driving along, talking about this and that. Out of nowhere a small car drives across us while we were at a stop sign. The sun roof of the vehicle was open and hanging out of it into the air was a huge inflatable penis. This thing must have been at least 4 feet long and was wide enough to take up most the space in the car’s sun roof. If that had happened today we would both be laughing our asses off without hesitation but at the time it was kind of awkward because when you are first hanging out with someone you don’t really know that other persons boundaries as far as what they think is funny or not funny. There was a weird silence for a few minutes until we looked at each other. Both of us ha smiles beaming from ear to ear trying not to avoid laughing out loud. When we both realized we were in the same boar the giggles rang out.

Say Cheese

// September 29th, 2005 // 3 Comments » // Thoughts

I couldn’t resist posting something I saw at Mark’s place a while ago. You know how some people have those creepy family portraits? There is nothing wrong with have a good picture of you and your family but there is something strange about them sometimes. In the spirit of this Mark and his 3 roomies decided to have such a portrait made and hung in the living room.

Mr. Mark is front and center looking extra weird for everyone to enjoy…

Weird Time

// September 29th, 2005 // No Comments » // Thoughts

This week has been a strange ride. School is going pretty well. My photography class is still a great experience; I learn more things each day that seem to help the final product as time goes on even if it is in very small ways. I am trying to work out some issues in my math class. I have found that I have a lot of trouble taking tests even if I feel prepared for it. I am still plugging away at the problem so there is progress.

Its weird, every single person I spend time with and hung out with since I came back to Springfield seems to be occupied with something that has prevented them from returning my phone calls or spending time with me. It is really strange like everyone got together and decided their worlds were to busy to have me in them. The music has stopped and I have no chair. I don’t think anyone has done anything on purpose to spite me but…it gets a little old after a while feeling like you have to meet all these new people because the ones you counted on up and left. I have been focusing more on creative type stuff and school. “What the hell I am going to do with my life” seems to be a more important question than “Are we going to go to Brew Co or Ebbet’s?” Going out has not been that important but on the flip side I miss spending time with people I invested a lot in.

Doesn’t make sense.

But the last time I checked the world still turns and you never know who is around the corner…

We Are Back!

// September 28th, 2005 // No Comments » // Thoughts

ZachIsHere slipped into a small coma. Everything is doing well…

Let the celebration commense.

Empty Wall Drive 2005!

// September 24th, 2005 // 2 Comments » // Thoughts

I have been working on the decorative challanges of moving from a one bedroom to a two bedroom apartment. After I plastered all of my stuff on those walls I have found there is still a lot of off white surface looking back at me. My room has some promise but it just does not have the quality expected of a Zach room. Money is a little tight so I am starting ZachIsHere.com’s first fund raiser.

Clicking the picture below takes you to a Wish List made on Amazon.com. There are a lot of different choices. I favor the ones that are toward the bottom of the list. I ran into some cool KC stuff that is on the top but the better quality (and cheaper) posters are on the bottom. The items are set up to be shipped to my place.

It is THAT easy folks…

Thank you for your support!

Traffic Questions Answered

// September 23rd, 2005 // 4 Comments » // Thoughts

It didn’t take long at all to learn more about some of the things I mentioned in my “Green Light Go” post.

The best resource I found was Wikipedia under the “Traffic Light” page.

More sophisticated control systems use electronic sensor loops buried in the pavement to detect the presence of traffic waiting at the light, and thus can avoid giving the green light to an empty road while motorists on a different route are stopped. A timer is frequently used as a backup in case the sensors fail (they often do); an additional problem with sensor-based systems is that they may fail to detect vehicles such as motorcycles or bicycles and cause them to wait forever (or at least until a detectable vehicle also comes to wait for the light). The sensor loops typically work in the same fashion as metal detectors, small vehicles or those with low metal content may fail to be detected.

It is also commonplace to alter the control strategy of a traffic light based on the time of day and day of the week, or on other special circumstances (such as a major event causing extra traffic through an intersection).

I didn’t think about changing the settings to reflect the time of day or events happening. That is a great idea though. I remember how backwards the traffic would be when I was leaving high school. That many cars for something like that or a sporting event can change the flow of traffic for a pretty large area by everyone going at once. Here is another tidbit I thought was a good idea.

Attempts are often made to synchronize traffic lights so that drivers encounter long strings of green lights. This is done easily only on one-way streets with fairly constant levels of traffic. Two-way streets are often arranged to correspond with rush hours to speed the heavier volume direction. Congestion can often throw off any synchronization, however. In other cases, traffic lights are synchronized to prevent drivers from encountering a long string of green lights, in order to discourage speeding.

Steve read my post and dropped his 2 cents.

Zach, there’s two things involved: rudimentary cameras and something called “induction loops”.

The cameras don’t see details, but instead see objects. They detect objects moving through a “zone” of a lane headed to the intersection and maintain a green light to let traffic through or instead, trip the light from red to green as needed. They were developed in response to the poor performance of induction loops in their early form. Induction loops detect the metal of a car and trip the light, but with motorcycles (or cars that didn’t pull forward far enough) they didn’t work. Now the cameras do the job.

I am a bit suprised to learn that the cameras were so basic in nature. This little lesson will make speeding through red lights a lot more fun.

Chiefs Looking Smart For Prime Time

// September 23rd, 2005 // 1 Comment » // Thoughts

(Via Kansas City Star)

Defense confident after figuring out the Raiders

By ADAM TEICHER

The Kansas City Star

Sammy Knight had seen this one before, the pass route where the Oakland Raiders sent wide receiver Jerry Porter to the corner of the end zone.

So as the deciding play of Sunday night’s game unfolded, Knight figured he’d better get over to help Benny Sapp in coverage. Good thing for the Chiefs he did.

Knight, the Chiefs’ strong safety, wound up breaking up the fourth-down pass for Porter, allowing the Chiefs to snuff Oakland’s last gasp and hold on for a 23-17 win.

“We’re a pretty confident team,� Knight said. “We know we’re going to make plays. You might beat us once, but you’re not going to beat us twice with the same thing. We’re playing smart.�

One of the most interesting changes in this year’s Chiefs defense is the ability to make plays when it must have them. Three of Oakland’s last four passes were broken up after the Raiders got their final first down at the Chiefs’ 14.

Some of the raw numbers are similar to last year. The Chiefs were 27th in the league entering the two Monday night games in total defense and 30th against the pass.

But they are adding up to something entirely different.

The Chiefs were tied for eighth in scoring defense and, more important, 2-0 and alone in first place in the AFC West.

“This year, we’re playing a lot smarter,� cornerback Dexter McCleon said.

“This is our second year in this system, and guys have a better feel for it. We’re trying to eliminate the big plays. That was the main thing that killed us last year.

“Now we realize it’s OK to give teams a couple of passes or a couple of runs. You take away the big play, and you give yourself a chance to win a lot of games.�

The smarter play is personified most by Knight. An eight-year veteran, Knight plays like someone who has seen it all.

(more…)

Opening Night At The Moxie

// September 22nd, 2005 // 1 Comment » // Thoughts

I had a great time last night. Springfield’s new independent theatre opened up and it was a really fun time. The place is pretty incredible from an aesthetic stand point. The walls are covered with art from local artists; the use of color around the place is impressive. Congratulations to Dan and Nicole for pulling it off.

The suprise part of the evening was the quality of the movie. They ended up a showing a flick called “Me and You and Everyone We Know.” I have not responded to a movie like that in a long time. My movie watching days have been limited because there isn’t a lot of stuff I have been compelled to go see. It is hard to describe but I thought L.A. Weekly nailed it in thier review.

“By turns comic and tender, tragic and absurd. But throughout, it gives off what is surely one of the greatest of moviegoing pleasures — the sense of an artist seeing the world from some private vantage that is as original as it is truthful.”
– Scott Foundas, LA Weekly

I look forward to future outings at the Moxie. I brought my camera but only took a few shots. Below is a picture of a movie poster collage that greats you at the opening.