June 2008

There were 72 posts published in June 2008 (this is page 6 of 8).

Any itch is anywhere

Lookie! I got an email from the director of the FBI!!!11!! I guess he has to use a free email account due to government cutbacks or something. I guess the FBI had to close its Washington office, too, as the bureau now observes Central European Summer Time.

To: mark@localhost
Subject: FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION. Anti-Terrorist and Monitory Crimes Division
From: Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
Reply-To: Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
Date: Sat, 7 Jun 2008 19:13:08 +0200 (CEST)

Anti-Terrorist and Monitory Crimes Division.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
J. Edgar. Hoover Building Washington D.Crobertmuellers01@washingtondcfbi.com
washingtondcfbi@fastermail.com

Attn: Beneficiary,

We have noticed that you have not received your ATM CARD.

Update the office so we investigate and see if any itch is anywhere. Keep us posted for vital advice.

FBI Director

Robert S. Mueller

Why its still biking weather

Yes, the temperature was above 100 degrees today. That didn’t stop me from riding my bike to work, however. I’m actually in a position where the heat doesn’t affect me much.

The secret’s in the route. Our house is downhill from downtown. Thus, I do my climbing in the morning: while its still cool. When its quittin’ time its also very warm … but, my trip home is all downhill. So, I don’t put myself at much risk when the weather is hot.

Now, when it turns cold … that will test my resolve!

Raleigh Neighborhood College graduation

My Raleigh Neighborhood College graduation was on Thursday. If being elected valedictorian wasn’t enough, the flattering comments my classmates made about me were enough to make my head not fit through the door. I’m starting to think that might I have what it takes to play this game.

My speech was two pages, double-spaced and it was nothing special. I speak much better when I have a few points to make and can improvise how to move from one to another. When I’ve got a script to follow I’m hopeless. Ah, well, everything’s a learning experience.

As I said in my speech, its inevitable that I’ll be getting more involved with Raleigh. To what extent, we’ll see.

Balloon man flies office chair for 50 miles

Remember my mythical weather balloon project? Its become totally lame in light of Jonathan Trappe’s trip in a chair tied to 55 balloons. Saturday, he strapped himself in at the Franklin County Airport and flew 50 miles east, reaching an altitude of 14,000 feet. My put-a-camera-on-a-balloon idea just doesn’t measure up.

And how is it that a guy can risk his life tied to an office chair floating at 14,000 feet but he can’t put up a webpage chronicling the project? There’s not even anything on Youtube yet.

Update 28 May 2010: Jonathan’s crossed the English Channel!

Heat blankets everything

After a morning a bit lazier than I’d planned, I went to the backyard to put our newly-acquired tomato plants into the ground. I got as far as digging holes and putting down weed blocker before the blazing heat chased me indoors. It was 11 o’clock and already I felt drained of energy. The plants will have to wait until the evening.

When we arrived downtown for our movie, you could’ve heard a pin drop on the streets of Raleigh. It was a sweltering ghost town. Its a good day to lie low.

Three digit temperatures call for three dimensions

There are few places better to be when its sweltering outside than a cool movie theater. We took advantage of our Marbles membership and hot-footed it over to the IMAX theater for the noon showing of Bugs! 3D. We had cool prime seats in front of a five-story tall silver screen.

It was the Travis’s first theater experience, and Hallie’s second. For both it was their first time at a 3D movie. They had me laughing as they reached out and grabbed the butterflies appearing to fly right towards them.

We then moseyed over to the museum for an hour or two of play. All in all it was a great way to escape the heat.

(Incidentally, 3D movies are a great way of scratching the 3D itch I had.)

August weather in June

Today’s temperatures are expected to soar to 102 degrees F. Its barely the second week of June! I suppose we’re now paying for those weeks of mild weather where we kept our windows open and the air conditioning rarely ran.

This stifling weather’s got Kelly and I missing the cool weather of the San Juan Islands. Upon our return last year, we traded the Islands’ low-70s high temperatures for Raleigh’s oven-like 100s.

Its a shame that it now costs an arm and a leg to fly anywhere.

Classical gas

I had to smirk last weekend when I put five gallons of gasoline into my 5 gallon lawn mower gas can for the price that would once fill up my car.

Time to get that Segway. Or that scooter I’ve been meaning to buy. Biking to work in 100 degree weather isn’t that appealing.

Hey makers! Check out the FlyCamOne2!

Remember the Neuros Recorder2, the tiny MPEG4 recorder I’ve raved about?

Old and busted! The new hotness is the FlyCamOne2. It is a gadget with 640×480 video and audio recording, built-in camera, and an infrared motion sensor. It records straight to an SD card. Heck, it even charges from a USB port! And the whole thing is just 100 bucks!

This thing might be small enough to mount on my mythical weather balloon project.

Update: Nevermind….the FlyCamOne2 is old and busted, too. That didn’t take long. The new hotness is the Oregon Scientific Action Cam, which apparently has better video (and the upcoming 3K release supports 4GB SD cards). The 2K model can be had for $92 at Circuit City.

Check out the videos [warning: self-playing flash] from the ATC 2K, including this cool model rocket video.

A happy accident

Remember when I said Raleigh’s downtown was becoming a place known for happy accidents? I got to witness one Friday.

As I watched from my office window two people, apparently strangers, met on Hargett Street. When the scruffy, T-shirt-clad man stopped the better-dressed woman, I thought “oh, here goes. Another panhandler incident.”
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