gridlore: Doug looking off camera with a grin (Default)
Douglas Berry ([personal profile] gridlore) wrote2009-12-18 04:50 pm
Entry tags:

Meme off the port bow!

Nicked from [livejournal.com profile] claidheamhmor

1. Elaborate on your default icon. It's a picture taken at Silicon. It sums up my life. Fandom, metal, beer, and the Giants.

2. What's your current relationship status? Married for 18 years

3. Ever have a near-death experience? Several.

4. Name an obvious quality you have. My sense of humor.

5. What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now? ELO - The Way Life's Meant to Be

6. Name a celebrity you would marry: Wendy O. Williams

7. Who will cut and paste this first? No clue.

8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity? Nope.

9. Do you wear a watch? What kind? A Dakota Atomic Timer

10. Do you have anything pierced? Nope.

11. Do you have any tattoos? The World's Worst Grateful Dead Tattoo

12. Do you like pain? Not in the least. I can deal with it, accept it when necessary, but do not like it.

13. Do you like to shop? No, I'm a complete dude when it comes to shopping. Get in, get what I need, and leave.

14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? A couple of books.

15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card? Work sodas, beer, and mouthwash.

16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? A survey taker.

17. What is on your desktop background? Neptune and Triton

Desktop 18DEC09

18. What is the background on your cell phone? Just a red background.

19. Do you like redheads? Yes.

20. Do you know any twins? Not that I'm aware of.

21. Do you have any weird relatives? All of them.

22. What was the last movie you watched? Wow. I can't remember!

23. If you had £100/$100/R1500 to spare, who would you give it to? [livejournal.com profile] eleri
claidheamhmor: (Default)

[personal profile] claidheamhmor 2009-12-19 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
You an ELO fan? Nice wallpaper...

Oh - that atomic timer watch sounds really cool.
Edited 2009-12-19 17:52 (UTC)

[identity profile] gridlore.livejournal.com 2009-12-19 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Not a huge fan, but I like their music. Especially Time.

I'm a fanatic for precise timepieces. I just need to aim it in the vague direction of Colorado Springs each night to pick up the signal from the national atomic clock for synching.
claidheamhmor: (Default)

[personal profile] claidheamhmor 2009-12-20 04:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I love Time - my favourite ELO album, and one of my top ones of all time. I find "21st Century Man" especially amusing this decade...

How does the watch communicate with the atomic clock? I guess it wouldn't work outside the US, would it?

[identity profile] gridlore.livejournal.com 2009-12-20 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Every night the atomic clock sends out a calibration signal intended for all the "official" master clocks in North America. The watch picks up that signal and makes any adjustments necessary. Needless to say, getting a signal is hit or miss. The watch is a very small receiver.

I didn't even try to calibrate when we were in Montreal for Worldcon. I imagine that outside the US you'd need a watch set to read the nearest equivalent facility.
claidheamhmor: (Default)

[personal profile] claidheamhmor 2009-12-20 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Heh. I'm not sure we even have such clocks; maybe only in Cape Town or somewhere, a little far away...

[identity profile] gridlore.livejournal.com 2009-12-20 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
It's 936 miles (1507 km) from here to the broadcasting station. This was origianly designed to keep the clocks in our SAC and NORAD bases on the exact same time. Those are spread out across the entire midwest/west of the country.