Check It Out

Links to cool places or things.

There are 1,530 posts filed in Check It Out (this is page 131 of 153).

MT.Net Lair?

fryingpanshoalslight12_thumbThis would be the perfect place to launch my diabolical schemes to rule the world: the Frying Pan Shoals Light Tower. It’s done its job protecting sailors from the dangerous shoals but now it could be mine for $515,000.

The problem, of course, is that I don’t have a half a mil to throw away on a decrepit, rusting hulk 25 miles offshore. And, with real estate being what it is, I can’t really place the value on a property that I can’t land my helicopter on or climb onto because the ladder is missing. Then there’s the fact that you can’t really run real estate comps on a property with no homes within 25 miles of it. Then again, it does has amazing, unobstructed ocean views. Hmm.

I think I’ll stick with hatching my evil plans to take over the world from the comfort of my own home.

Raleigh to host international web conference next year

I’m pretty excited to learn Raleigh will host the 19th annual International World Wide Web Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center next year. A number of people who helped give birth to this thing we call the Internet will be in town collaborating with other techies to plot the future of the Web.

The conference will be a wonderful showcase for our area’s technology and talent. I’m psyched about it. Plus, the esteemed webmasters of the WWW2010 conference website obviously know a fine photograph of downtown Raleigh when they see one.

Paul Harvey

As a kid I traveled with my family on many road trips to Florida, listening to squabbling siblings and the crackling of whatever AM radio stations we could pick up in the family car. Inevitably, a familiar voice would crackle through the radio: that of Paul Harvey. I was sad today to hear Harvey died yesterday. He was 90.

I didn’t always agree with his politics, but Paul Harvey always had something interesting to say. He was a blogger decades before blogs.

Good day, Paul.

Cookie and Coco update

Here’s a Washington Post Express article giving more details on the Cookie and Coco story.

I’m glad the dogs have a new home but it really puzzles me how the animal activists could be so mean to her. Read this comment from the article link above:

Thank you for finding out the real story. However, I would hate for this woman to get any financial gain from giving up her dogs when millions of dogs lose their lives in shelters every day.

I mean, WTF? This woman tries to find a home for her beloved dogs, happens to gain a lot of attention for it completely by accident, and now she becomes the target of hate? She’s the reason thousands of dogs are euthanized every day? Wait just a doggone minute!

What these activists should be doing is learning from her. There are 10,000 people who responded to the dog ad: that’s 10,000 potential homes for needy dogs. Instead of dissing her, these activists should be asking her for that contact information so other dogs can find homes. Spreading hate is no way to win people to your cause.

I love critters, too, but some of these animal activists should learn how to become social with humans first.

GPS Prof Rock Star

I came home to a surprise package in the mail from my favorite fifth-grade class, Mrs. Jarrett’s at Conn Elementary. In it was a big thank-you card from Mrs. Jarrett and her class as well as 14 handwritten papers from the kids saying what each learned from my GPS talk.

Here’s a sample letter:

Dear Mr. Turner,

Thanks for coming to my school. From what you taught us I learned that their are 4 satellite signals for a GPS to work. Another thing learned was in 1978 the first GPS satellite was launched. I also learned how the earth rotates 360 times a day. I didn’t know GPS couldn’t be used indoors. On more thing I learned was Sputnik was the world’s largest sat. in space. Thanks for coming!
Sincerely, C

Here’s another one:

Dear Mr. Turner,

Thank you for comeing to are school. I learned a lot from you like 1978 the first GPS satellite was lanched. I was glad that we saw you. I think your teachings will help me in the future. Please come back for the next qurter to show them what you know.
Sincerely, S

Getting a packet full of thank-you notes made me feel like a rock star! The talk sure was a blast, and the kids might actually have learned something. I’m pretty sure, though, that I described Sputnik as being basketball-sized. I’m amused to read how it’s become the world’s largest satellite!

I look forward to being invited back!

Jack In The Box outsourcing order taking

Apparently minimum wage is not low enough pay for San Diego based fast-food restaurant Jack In The Box. The chain is testing outsourcing its order-taking. The company claims it speeds ordering.

So if it wasn’t hard enough before to understand what the drive-through order-taker was saying, try adding 12,000 miles worth of latency and a foreign accent to the mix. I don’t see how it could speed anything if each party has to repeat what was said each time an order is taken. Want to speed up ordering? Try training (and paying) a bright person to run the register.