Check It Out

Links to cool places or things.

There are 1,524 posts filed in Check It Out (this is page 124 of 153).

Sad, sorry newspaper

There was a bank robbery this afternoon on Six Forks Road near North Hills Mall. This kind of thing happens from time to time but usually they aren’t violent. Usually the robber implies he has a weapon, or brandishes one but never fires it.

This afternoon’s robbery was different: the robber toted a shotgun into the bank and then fired on witnesses as he fled. No one, fortunately, was hurt.

Tonight this story is prominent on WRAL’s website but there is no mention of it whatsoever on the News and Observer website. Clicking on the “Crime/Safety” link shows no story, either. The N&O completely dropped the ball. It’s been over six hours since the incident.

I suppose the N&O staff has been too busy chasing Mike Easley out of office to cover anything else. It’s sad to see how far the N&O has fallen.

Southwest will fly to Panama City

I found out today that Southwest Airlines will begin service to my hometown, Panama City, Florida this May. I can’t begin to tell you how psyched I am about this!

Getting to Panama City is an 11-hour trip by car. One can fly there, of course, but that means you’re stuck with flying Delta Airlines and that’s it. As such, there’s little or no competition – and prices are high. Southwest moving in will definitely slash the cost of getting to Panama City, possibly making it worth flying there rather than driving.

On the other hand, the tremendous growth that this will bring the city will forever change it. I’ll miss the hometown feel of my hometown. All in all, though, I think this is a good thing for Panama City. Way to go, Southwest!

IBM’s computer archives

IBM-5520

As a kid I remember my dad taking us to his office at IBM on an occasional weekend. While he’d fetch something from his office we’d all look around at the technology around us. The darkened offices were full of mysterious, silent computer displays and massive copiers. In those days before the IBM PC these strange, exciting boxes always fascinated me.

I recently stumbled again upon IBM’s Computer Exhibits Archives, where IBM’s earlier computers still live on, if only as webpages. It was fun checking out the hardware I remember as a kid.

Back on the map, sort of

On a whim I checked my address again in Google Maps. After first having it in Google Maps, then finding it missing, I wasn’t sure whether when my neighborhood would “exist” again as far as Google was concerned. Looks like my submitting it to Google’s map company affiliate finally did the trick. It’s been exactly one year since I alerted them.

But all is not happy in Mapland, oh noooo. Seems that even though typing the address in will correctly highlight my house, the map itself shows my street as Bennett Street. It seems that Tonsler Drive exists enough in Googleland to pinpoint my house but the street name still doesn’t show up on the map view. And Street View is still broken, though it once worked.

I give up!

Celestial sunrise show

Saturn, Mercury, and Venus at sunrise

On my Thursday morning walk through the neighborhood park, I saw a particularly spectacular sunrise. Three lights in the sky hung above the rising sun. I recognized Venus of course, but the two smaller lights were a mystery.

My copy of Stellarium told me today what they were: Saturn and Mercury! If you’re up at sunrise, you should take a look at this wonderful celestial show!

LCROSS go bye bye

NASA’s LCROSS mission to the moon comes to a crashing halt around 7:35 AM ET this morning. You can watch it crash into the lunar pole on NASA TV.

Update 08:00: LCROSS is no more. I couldn’t see much of anything significant when it crashed. Also, I find it funny that NASA applauds this kind of moon landing: a crash! Hey, this is one NASA mission even I could be in charge of!

Netflix’s plan to take over the world

200px-Netflix_Logo.svg

This month Wired magazine spills the beans on how Netflix plans to take over the world – or at least make your cable company irrelevant:

Today, nearly 3 million users access Netflix’s instant streaming service, watching an estimated 5 million movies and TV shows every week on their PCs or living room sets. They get it through Roku’s player, which was successfully launched in May 2008 …. They get it through their Xbox 360s—Microsoft added Netflix to its Xbox Live service last fall. They get it through LG and Samsung Blu-ray players. They get it through their TiVos and new flatscreen TVs. By the end of 2009, nearly 10 million Netflix-equipped gadgets will be hanging on walls and sitting in entertainment centers. And Hastings says this is just the beginning: “It’s possible that within a few years, nearly all Internet-connected consumer electronics devices will include Netflix.”

You know your Time Warner stock? I’d suggest you short-sell it, pronto. Netflix isn’t through with changing the media game – permanently!

In like McGuinn

Guitar legend Roger McGuinn is also an accomplished techie, and maintains a blog devoted solely to his various gadgets. Last month, Roger shared his journey into solar power.

What started with the purchase of a small solar panel to charge his cell phone led to him to fully convert his home to solar power. In doing so, he didn’t give up anything but a power bill: he’s got enough juice to power his two refrigerators and 5-ton air conditioner.

An amazing set of alternative-energy rebates and deals are being offered this fall to North Carolina residents. I’ll post about these soon but the deals have me seriously considering following Roger’s lead and putting panels on our roof.

The ARRRRR! Line pub crawl

I’m looking for a few good pirates for a pub crawl Saturday night. I sent this email out to some neighborhood lists today:

Whereas, Saturday, September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

Whereas, Raleigh has downtown circulator bus known as the “R Line.”

Whereas, Saturday marks the first International Talk Like A Pirate Day since the R Line came into being.

Whereas, said R Line has served as transportation for many a downtown pub crawl.

Whereas, it’s been a while since the last organized R Line pub crawl.

Whereas, pirates like to spend their silver on grog in pubs.

Whereas, Raleigh being miles from any sea is no excuse not to drink grog.

Whereas, Raleigh could use an annual costumed event like the one in that
Triangle town over the horizon.

Therefore Be it Resolved That, Saturday, September 19th is hereby declared the start of the First Annual Raleigh ARRRRRR! Line Pub Crawl.

Meet at the Seaboard Station ARRRRR! Line stop at 9 PM (Peace St at Wilmington). Pirate costumes optional this time around, but lack of them next year t’will be a flogging offence.

See you there, mateys!

Mark Turner, a.k.a.
Scowlin’ Bailey Hornigold