Last night was a typical evening. But with atypical results.
I’m in the hot tub 2 or 3 evening each week. It’s very nice to relax and just look at the stars. Especially during the colder winter months.
I usually check out Heavens-Above to see what satellites are going to pass over as well.
Heavens-Above . . . . . Kind of sounds like a cult doesn’t it?
If you like to look at stars, comets, satellites – that’s the site to use.
So, my plan was to finish a movie on DVD; watch NCAA basketball; take a break and spend some time in the hot tub and maybe see a satellite; at some point fix my lunch for work Friday; and probably head to bed around 10 PM or so.
Checking Heavens-Above I saw that 3 bright satellites would come over in about a 30 minute period, the TRMM, the ATV and the ISS.
First, I’m watching the NCAA basketball games which started just after 7 PM. Then around 8:30 I went outside and hopped in the tub (with a glass of Pellegrino mineral water).
It was so clear that when the TRMM came over, I also saw another much fainter satellite at the same time. That was cool.
So I’m watching planes and waiting for the ATV and ISS when a really bright meteor streams across from west to east. This sucker was bright with a varying and multi colored fireball. Since it was west to east – it may have been a small piece of space debris.
So I’m sitting there thinking, wow, that was so cool.
Then, the ATV comes into view (low to the south and west) and shortly behind it is the ISS.
After all this, I was just laying back in the hot tub thinking how cool life can be sometimes. A nice clear evening with a great show in the skies – and good NCAA basketball to watch when I go back inside.
I was even wondering if airline pilots get to see meteors on a regular basis while flying?
When just like that – bam! Another meteor. Just as big and as bright as the earlier one - this time going south to north.
Evenings like this just don’t happen every day. Serendipitous evenings like this happen maybe once a year - or two – or three.
I usually see a meteor about once a week. They’re there – you just have to be outside watching – a lot (like in a hot tub).
But bright ones like these 2 are rare.
All in one night in about a 30 minute time period with extra bright visible passes from satellites.
It may sound simplistic – but evenings like this just knock my socks off.
I live out in the middle of nowhere – with a long commute to work – and it’s a pain to go grocery shopping or to movies and such – but overall, life in the country isn’t too bad at all.
Boring Movie
Earlier I finished watching Atonement.
And I thought The English Patient was overrated and boring . . . . . .
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
New Camera
My Casio S600 camera has had some lens extension problems. It doesn’t always focus and I finally decided to get a replacement.
Casio’s newest model is the Exilim EX-S10. It’s basically the same as before with a better display and better user interface.
Retail for the camera is $250. I found it on sale at Dell.com for $212 with free shipping. I went to Best Buy on the way home from work and showed them my printout from Dell.
Normally Best Buy will only match prices for other local hard site retailers and not internet stores. In this case though, the manager said he’d knock $30 off. So, I ended up purchasing the camera for $220.
On top of that – Casio is running a Trade In / Trade Up promotion. You can send in your old camera and depending on condition, spare battery, docking port, cables and what you send end – Casio will send you a rebate check. The on-line estimate the Casio site came up with for my old S600 was $36. The site prints out a pre-paid shipping label.
The bottom line is a new camera for about $185. That’s pretty good for a digital point and shoot with video capability.
The price is especially amazing when I recall that my first digital point and shoot was a Casio EX-S3 from about 5 years ago. I think I paid $350 for it. All it did was take pictures (basically). But it was great and simple to use. I wish I still had it.
There has been one major downside to the new camera.
It records video in h.264 / MPEG-4 / .MOV format. Which my PC / Windows MovieMaker does not recognize / work with.
I wish the S10 had the option of selecting the video output format. Oh well.
The old S600 recorded in a format (MPEG-2 I think?) that created .wmv files. So MovieMaker, which is included in PC software, worked just fine for my simple editing needs.
The camera’s video format is idiot proof – in that – if you’re one of those idiots who wants to upload every video you've ever taken – without editing out the crappy stuff – then it’s super easy. God knows, the internet is overloaded with this kind of drivel.
However, if you want to do some minor editing – such as cutting out the blurry stuff or extraneous footage or if you want to add titles / credits – then you basically have to purchase Apple’s QuickTime Pro. Or third party full featured editing software.
I found freeware on C|Net that converts .mov to .avi (and similar MicroSquish friendly) formats so it appears that I’m in business with MovieMaker.
Of course, I had a fight with Microsoft One Care World Domination when downloading. It didn’t recognize the software origin and I had to keep overriding the blocks.
Plus, the freeware is very basic and doesn’t utilize install wizards and such. So I’ve got to put it in the program location (instead of cluttering up the desktop) and put on a desktop shortcut. No big deal – just not automatic with refined software.
But it works.
Muscat Manor
Heard from Nuke. He had good flights to Oman. He was in Muscat for a couple of days (waiting for lost luggage) before heading off to desert camp.
Haven't heard from him since so I guess he's in the desert with limited connectivity.
Or, maybe he's been kidnapped.
Here are photos he sent of the local town taken from the Global Geophysical offices and the hotel where he was staying.
NCAA
I'll be watching the NCAA games again this weekend. It's down to 16 teams so it's time to get serious.
I'll be pulling for the ACC teams, Duke and Carolina.
Plus - I've got Davidson College to pull for.
Over at Davidson College, their making it to the Sweet 16 is a once in a lifetime event.
College Hoops are so important down here that some wealthy Davidson alumni have stepped up and are footing the bill for any Davidson student that want to go to the games in Detroit. They are arranging for and paying for the charter buses, hotel rooms, and tickets. All the kids have to pay for is their own meals.
The kids leave Davidson on Friday morning and will get to Detroit in time for the evening games. They'll stay in Detroit through the Sunday games (even if Davidson doesn't win Friday night) and return to NC overnight Sunday in time for Monday morning classes.
According to the newspaper, several hundred students are making the trip. Davidson officials said they had to scramble to find enough basketball tickets but they think they'll have everybody taken care of.
Now that is some pretty serious basketball.
Casio’s newest model is the Exilim EX-S10. It’s basically the same as before with a better display and better user interface.
Retail for the camera is $250. I found it on sale at Dell.com for $212 with free shipping. I went to Best Buy on the way home from work and showed them my printout from Dell.
Normally Best Buy will only match prices for other local hard site retailers and not internet stores. In this case though, the manager said he’d knock $30 off. So, I ended up purchasing the camera for $220.
On top of that – Casio is running a Trade In / Trade Up promotion. You can send in your old camera and depending on condition, spare battery, docking port, cables and what you send end – Casio will send you a rebate check. The on-line estimate the Casio site came up with for my old S600 was $36. The site prints out a pre-paid shipping label.
The bottom line is a new camera for about $185. That’s pretty good for a digital point and shoot with video capability.
The price is especially amazing when I recall that my first digital point and shoot was a Casio EX-S3 from about 5 years ago. I think I paid $350 for it. All it did was take pictures (basically). But it was great and simple to use. I wish I still had it.
There has been one major downside to the new camera.
It records video in h.264 / MPEG-4 / .MOV format. Which my PC / Windows MovieMaker does not recognize / work with.
I wish the S10 had the option of selecting the video output format. Oh well.
The old S600 recorded in a format (MPEG-2 I think?) that created .wmv files. So MovieMaker, which is included in PC software, worked just fine for my simple editing needs.
The camera’s video format is idiot proof – in that – if you’re one of those idiots who wants to upload every video you've ever taken – without editing out the crappy stuff – then it’s super easy. God knows, the internet is overloaded with this kind of drivel.
However, if you want to do some minor editing – such as cutting out the blurry stuff or extraneous footage or if you want to add titles / credits – then you basically have to purchase Apple’s QuickTime Pro. Or third party full featured editing software.
I found freeware on C|Net that converts .mov to .avi (and similar MicroSquish friendly) formats so it appears that I’m in business with MovieMaker.
Of course, I had a fight with Microsoft One Care World Domination when downloading. It didn’t recognize the software origin and I had to keep overriding the blocks.
Plus, the freeware is very basic and doesn’t utilize install wizards and such. So I’ve got to put it in the program location (instead of cluttering up the desktop) and put on a desktop shortcut. No big deal – just not automatic with refined software.
But it works.
Muscat Manor
Heard from Nuke. He had good flights to Oman. He was in Muscat for a couple of days (waiting for lost luggage) before heading off to desert camp.
Haven't heard from him since so I guess he's in the desert with limited connectivity.
Or, maybe he's been kidnapped.
Here are photos he sent of the local town taken from the Global Geophysical offices and the hotel where he was staying.
NCAA
I'll be watching the NCAA games again this weekend. It's down to 16 teams so it's time to get serious.
I'll be pulling for the ACC teams, Duke and Carolina.
Plus - I've got Davidson College to pull for.
Over at Davidson College, their making it to the Sweet 16 is a once in a lifetime event.
College Hoops are so important down here that some wealthy Davidson alumni have stepped up and are footing the bill for any Davidson student that want to go to the games in Detroit. They are arranging for and paying for the charter buses, hotel rooms, and tickets. All the kids have to pay for is their own meals.
The kids leave Davidson on Friday morning and will get to Detroit in time for the evening games. They'll stay in Detroit through the Sunday games (even if Davidson doesn't win Friday night) and return to NC overnight Sunday in time for Monday morning classes.
According to the newspaper, several hundred students are making the trip. Davidson officials said they had to scramble to find enough basketball tickets but they think they'll have everybody taken care of.
Now that is some pretty serious basketball.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Sunday March 23
Finished up my work at NC A&T State University this week.
Here’s a statue of the Greensboro Four. These guys defied Jim Crow laws and sat at the whites only Woolworth Lunch Counter back in 1960 to order lunch. Their actions lead to other peaceful civil disobedience sit ins across the country.
That may not sound like much today, but back then, the KKK was very active in the south and midnight beatings, or worse, and house burnings still happened. NC was never ever nearly as bad as places like Alabama and Mississippi – but still – at the time it was quite a risk.
Friday
Had Good Friday off. Went into Raleigh early to get a haircut. Then to The Reader’s Corner and picked up some books for myself (John Irving, Joe McGinnis and Jerry Bledsole) and a couple books for Nuke to take while working in Oman (Dave Barry). Stopped at the post office and grocery store on the way home. Picked up pork chop steaks for dinner as it will be the last time for 6 weeks that Nuke can have pork chops or bacon.
Watched NCAA basketball for the rest of the day and evening.
Yaaay Davidson!
Saturday
Met up with Dave to look at some potential store locations in Raleigh and Durham.
While in Raleigh we dropped Nuke off at the airport. His itinerary is RDU to Boston to London to Dubai to Oman to desert camp. His 5 flight trip will take about 24 hours.
Later, Dave and I met up with Chip and Erica for dinner.
Watched NCAA basketball, of course, Saturday evening.
Sunday
No plans. Watching NCAA basketball.
Addendum
Davidson, apparently, did not get the memo.
Go Wildcats!
And let's not forget Western Kentucky.
A 10 seed and a 12 seed in the Sweet 16! Two underdogs are making a run.
Here’s a statue of the Greensboro Four. These guys defied Jim Crow laws and sat at the whites only Woolworth Lunch Counter back in 1960 to order lunch. Their actions lead to other peaceful civil disobedience sit ins across the country.
Friday
Had Good Friday off. Went into Raleigh early to get a haircut. Then to The Reader’s Corner and picked up some books for myself (John Irving, Joe McGinnis and Jerry Bledsole) and a couple books for Nuke to take while working in Oman (Dave Barry). Stopped at the post office and grocery store on the way home. Picked up pork chop steaks for dinner as it will be the last time for 6 weeks that Nuke can have pork chops or bacon.
Watched NCAA basketball for the rest of the day and evening.
Yaaay Davidson!
Saturday
Met up with Dave to look at some potential store locations in Raleigh and Durham.
While in Raleigh we dropped Nuke off at the airport. His itinerary is RDU to Boston to London to Dubai to Oman to desert camp. His 5 flight trip will take about 24 hours.
Later, Dave and I met up with Chip and Erica for dinner.
Watched NCAA basketball, of course, Saturday evening.
Sunday
No plans. Watching NCAA basketball.
Addendum
Davidson, apparently, did not get the memo.
Go Wildcats!
And let's not forget Western Kentucky.
A 10 seed and a 12 seed in the Sweet 16! Two underdogs are making a run.
Monday, March 17, 2008
We Are The World - We Are The Children - We Forget The Rest Of The Lyrics . . . .
There's no real rhyme or reason.
Nuke and I were discussing Tibet and the current Chinese repression via Google Chat.
And the conversation went from serious to sarcastic commentary involving Berkley's Code Pink and the movie Into The Wild - and it ended with Nuke sending me the link to this.
There is no valid reason to post this other than anytime you get a Japanese Michael Jackson impersonator singing We Are The World - you just have to embed the clip. It's like a law or something.
Oh - I'm working in Greensboro again this week.
Nuke and I were discussing Tibet and the current Chinese repression via Google Chat.
And the conversation went from serious to sarcastic commentary involving Berkley's Code Pink and the movie Into The Wild - and it ended with Nuke sending me the link to this.
There is no valid reason to post this other than anytime you get a Japanese Michael Jackson impersonator singing We Are The World - you just have to embed the clip. It's like a law or something.
Oh - I'm working in Greensboro again this week.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunday, March 16
I worked last week at NC A&T State University in Greensboro.
Here's a photo I took. It looks more impressive if you click on the shot and see it full size.
I call it Air Conditioners. lol
When I got home Friday, the daffodils were starting to bloom. Tulips are probably a couple of weeks behind the daffodils.
Movies
This weekend watched 3 movies: No Country For Old Men, Lilo & Stitch and Into The Wild. All 3 are excellent movies.
Into The Wild is especially deep. Bring your hip waders.
Here's a photo I took. It looks more impressive if you click on the shot and see it full size.
I call it Air Conditioners. lol
Movies
This weekend watched 3 movies: No Country For Old Men, Lilo & Stitch and Into The Wild. All 3 are excellent movies.
Into The Wild is especially deep. Bring your hip waders.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Cape Fear River Ferry
On NC Highway 87 just south of Elizabethtown is a little cross roads named Carver. At Carver you can take the side road towards the Cape Fear River where you'll come to a small 2 car ferry operated by NC DOT.
Couldn't take the ferry across the river today though - the heavy rains of the past few days and high winds today kept the ferry closed.
We've been in an extreme drought for well over a year now. To not be able to cross the river due to high water is actually kind of a nice turn of events.
Still - it's a pretty cool little river crossing.
Friday, March 07, 2008
I've Got Nothing
Absolutely nothing worth blogging about.
So – for lack of anything else – here’s a couple of photos of my cube / office I took this morning.
Let’s see . . . .
I watched a DVD last night that I normally wouldn’t discuss on the blog . Meaning – I’d rather not admit to having seen it.
The first time I watched Team America: World Police, I actually turned it off. It was that disgusting, vile and made me sick to my stomach.
The second time I played it – there were parts I still couldn’t watch – as being too repulsive – but it was pretty darn funny.
Last night was the third time. I laughed so hard my side hurt. It’s full of sly little jokes I didn’t catch before.
But still - there are some scenes that just turn my stomach. Some of the puppet sex stuff is just . . . . sick. Yuck.
Something's wrong with those guys . . . .
I’m not recommending it. But damn, that’s a funny movie.
So – for lack of anything else – here’s a couple of photos of my cube / office I took this morning.
Let’s see . . . .
I watched a DVD last night that I normally wouldn’t discuss on the blog . Meaning – I’d rather not admit to having seen it.
The first time I watched Team America: World Police, I actually turned it off. It was that disgusting, vile and made me sick to my stomach.
The second time I played it – there were parts I still couldn’t watch – as being too repulsive – but it was pretty darn funny.
Last night was the third time. I laughed so hard my side hurt. It’s full of sly little jokes I didn’t catch before.
But still - there are some scenes that just turn my stomach. Some of the puppet sex stuff is just . . . . sick. Yuck.
Something's wrong with those guys . . . .
I’m not recommending it. But damn, that’s a funny movie.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Brackets
I've posted a link to Joe Lunardi before. He's the ESPN guy who obsesses over basketball. So much so that he updates his NCAA bracket picks all year long.
Even in the summer - based on recruiting, injury reports, wild ass rumors - he keeps the brackets updated.
A few weeks ago I figured only 4 ACC teams deserved to be in this year's tournament. Since then, play has improved and here's what I think, as of today:
UNC, Duke and Clemson are the obvious locks with high seeds. Maryland is a solid invitation. Miami and Virginia Tech are the bubble teams but should get in.
The only question is how many teams will the selection committee allow the ACC? Overall, the ACC is 'down' this year and the committee may want to limit the ACC to 5 teams - which leaves VT or Miami out.
This week and next week are put up or shut up time.
If you've got game - time to bring it on.
Even in the summer - based on recruiting, injury reports, wild ass rumors - he keeps the brackets updated.
A few weeks ago I figured only 4 ACC teams deserved to be in this year's tournament. Since then, play has improved and here's what I think, as of today:
UNC, Duke and Clemson are the obvious locks with high seeds. Maryland is a solid invitation. Miami and Virginia Tech are the bubble teams but should get in.
The only question is how many teams will the selection committee allow the ACC? Overall, the ACC is 'down' this year and the committee may want to limit the ACC to 5 teams - which leaves VT or Miami out.
This week and next week are put up or shut up time.
If you've got game - time to bring it on.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Sunday, March 2
Picked up Nuke Thursday after work. He’s back from Algeria for his 3 weeks off between assignments.
We had a friend over for dinner Friday. With fava beans and a nice Chianti.
Saturday, FG and I went to the Duke at NC State basketball game (FG pulls for Duke). What an exciting and wonderful game. The Wolfpack lost – by 1 point – but it was an effort that was appreciated by everybody in the RBC.
Sunday (today), Nuke’s parents came by; had lunch; and Nuke went to Southport with them to visit for a few days.
This weekend Nuke and I watched 3 very excellent movies – all 3 of which I can strongly recommend: In The Valley of Elah, Eastern Promises, and The Lookout.
We had a friend over for dinner Friday. With fava beans and a nice Chianti.
Saturday, FG and I went to the Duke at NC State basketball game (FG pulls for Duke). What an exciting and wonderful game. The Wolfpack lost – by 1 point – but it was an effort that was appreciated by everybody in the RBC.
Sunday (today), Nuke’s parents came by; had lunch; and Nuke went to Southport with them to visit for a few days.
This weekend Nuke and I watched 3 very excellent movies – all 3 of which I can strongly recommend: In The Valley of Elah, Eastern Promises, and The Lookout.
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