brucine (broo'-seen), 1) n. Pharm., Chem. a bitter, poisonous alkaloid, C23H26N2O4, obtained from the nux vomica tree; 2) n. Bruce Bortin's 'low-impact' weblog

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

DA in Alameda County is a Crook


DA in Alameda County is a Crook, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

www.alamedacountyda.com
Apparently there's been some nepotism, some corruption, a coverup.

Chalked(!) in front of the Main Post Office, Oakland.

After the Quiz


After the Quiz, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Anselm Kiefer & Julian Schnabel.

Sitting in a tree?

E-x-p-r-e-s-s-i-o-n-i-s-t?

Support your answers in terms of formal qualities, social/historical context, themes explored. How do they differ; how are they similar?

Friday, April 22, 2005

Garage Doors


Garage Doors, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Dumpy Fed


Dumpy Fed, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Dumpy's Backside


Dumpy's Backside, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Dumpy


Dumpy, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Goldy


Goldy, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Goldy's backside


Goldy's backside, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Schwinny


Schwinny, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Oh stalwart companion!

Food Emporium, New Canaan


Food Emporium, New Canaan, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Zzzzz

Thursday, April 21, 2005

...from the instructional video...


IMG_0459, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

...Here's Mary demonstrating proper data-entry technique in the new PSION MX5!

New PA


IMG_0458, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The PSION MX5! Light as a feather, and it fits right in your pocket. If you don't mind sitting on the poinky spiral binding.

Cherry Blossoms


IMG_0457, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Outside the Brooklyn Museum.

Hi, Cathy!

Outside the Slaughtered Lamb


Outside the Slaughtered Lamb, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Quiet little pub in Greenwich Village where Mary humiliated me using gin rummy.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Forsythia


Forsythia, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Springtime on Summer Street

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Dead Psion


Dead Psion, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Aww.

OAK


OAK1, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

At the airport in Oakland on our way to New Canaan. Shortly before shooting this photo, my beloved Psion turned up DOA. Such a bummer.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Bad Innertube. Bad!


Bad Innertube. Bad!, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Don't ask.

Harvest


Harvest, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Makes a nice pile of (approximately) 20mg chunks of cholesterol-fightin' alkaloid when you're done, though. I feel like I've accomplished something today.

Yeah.

I've got a nagging suspicion that what I accomplished was buggerall.

Dross


Dross, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

It's not 100% efficient.

Quartered


Quartered, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

However. Without actually having told Kaiser (well, I did tell my doctor, but he can't be expected to listen to every thing that I say) I've been halving my dosage of Lipitor for the past 10 years or so. Back before they decided to send us megapills, it was easy enough to break the 40's in half along the score.

Now, I gotta use their god damned toy machine to dissect the bisected pills.

Halved


Halved, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The little guillotine they sent me does a pretty good job of splitting those 80mg pills down to a coupla 40's. Plus or minus. You know.

Kaiser Cheaps Out


Kaiser Cheaps Out, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Kaiser sent me my last batch of Lipitor at double my prescribed dosage, and along with it, they sent, free of charge, my own pill splitter. The enclosed info sheet explained that Lipitor is an expensive drug, and they get a better deal on a few high-dosage pills than on a lot of lower (correct) dosage pills.

So if it's not too much trouble, Bruce, couldja just, you know, chop 'em in half and control your dosage that way? Uh-huh.Yeah. Great....That'd be super!

Felt


Felt, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Actually, Shredded Wheat. I was into pattern this morning.

KaffeesKreutz


KaffeesKreutz, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The cross shaped fossil that the plunger leaves in the grounds in our nearly-adequate coffee maker.

Moth


Moth, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Lovely insect. Crummy sense of camouflage.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

CO2 Cartridges


CO2 Cartridges, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

These were scattered in a puddle of clear fluid in a dark corner of the Powell Street BART platform when I got out of class on Monday night.

I don't know what they're about. I have no idea what it is the kids are doing with compressed gas nowadays. But this I tell you, my friend:

I can recognize thne refuse of debauchery when I see it. I know depravity when it's staring me in the face, and this little scene was dripping with it.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

MetaGraffiti


MetaGraffiti, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Do you see what's going on here?

Somebody tagged this wall. Somebody else eradicated the tag with anti-graffiti paint, and a third party used the shape of the erasure as the basis for a new piece.

Sweet, no?

Thursday, April 07, 2005

ComcastKaiserLogo


ComcastKaiserLogo, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Oy. Such a day I had yesterday. Feh.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

The Medication Isn't Working (TM)

Towel dispenser, mensroom, bar on Piedmont Ave next to the $6.95 Indian Buffet

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Home Made Camera Stabilizer


Home Made Camera Stabilizer, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Shopped for components yesterday, assembled the rig today. I'll take it out for a test drive this afternoon.

Thank you, Make Magazine, Derek Beck & Johnny Chung Lee!

Kafka Elevator Corp


Kafka Elevator Corp, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

The elevators at the downtown campus of City College SF are brutally stark. And they hum.

Monday, April 04, 2005

box


box, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Testing. "Blogger" seems to be having some trouble. Just checking here.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Root


Root, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Near the base of one of the palms across Jackson St from our apartment.

Grid


Grid, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Outside 14th St BART stairs.

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Censored


Censored, originally uploaded by dumbeast.


Friday, April 01, 2005

Krazy Kat


Krazy Kat, originally uploaded by dumbeast.

Ray

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