August 26, 2009

There were 4 posts published on August 26, 2009 (this is page 1 of 1).

More public service

25mph-sign (c) FreeFoto.Com
I got a little more public service in during the last few days. I decided to help my neighbors on Edmund Street get the speed limit changed to 25 MPH. This requires 75% of the residents to sign a petition agreeing to the change. I spent parts of Saturday, Sunday, and today walking the street with a clipboard in hand and asking people to sign.

Tonight I got the 30th signature, making the petition valid. Now it’s off to the Transportation Services department of the City of Raleigh to be checked, after which it will be sent to the City Council for approval. The new speed limit signs should appear.within seven days of Council approval. Yay!

Happy Birthday, Linux!

150px-Tux.svg
Today is Linux‘s 18th birthday. On August 26, 1991, Linus Torvalds announced Linux to the world:

Hello everybody out there using minix –

I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) among other things).

(h/t Warren Myers)

Cheviot Hills Golf Course virtual edition

Cheviot Hills Golf Course

I put up the last webpage of the now-defunct Cheviot Hills Golf Course that formerly stood on Capital Boulevard between Gresham Lake Road and Durant Road. I’ve had this floating around for three years and figured I’d finally find a home for it. The webpage mirroring isn’t perfect as it missed some of the Javascript mouse-over graphics, but most of the content and photos are there.

Revisit the long, gone Cheviot Hills here.

Ted Kennedy

Ted_Kennedy,_official_photo_portrait_crop

One one of our weekend trips early in our marriage, Kelly and I were waiting at the Boston airport for our flight back to Raleigh. I happened to look up from my Boston Globe long enough to see an older gentleman in a suit walking with an assistant up to the gate.

My jaw dropped. It was Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy. Before me was a living legend, one of the most powerful politicians in America. This man had seen so much history in his political life (and had so many triumphs and tragedies in his personal life).

I just stared at him because one does not approach a living legend unless invited. I kept a respectful distance as he finished up his conversation with his assistant and then boarded his U.S. Airways flight to Washington. I know Sen. Kennedy was holding up his flight but I still was kicking myself for not asking for his autograph.

Early this morning, Ted Kennedy succumbed to brain cancer at the age of 77.