Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Google City Tours

Why should trip planning be any more complicated than opening your browser and entering the name of your favourite city? Six months ago we launched City Tours on Google Labs with the goal of making vacation planning as easy as searching the web. After all, Google knows the top sights in many cities around the world and we've been providing directions on Google Maps for years, so Google Labs seemed to be the perfect way to test out a combination of these two capabilities, with our computing power thrown in to sift through the thousands of possibilities.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Someone With Just A Little Bit More Free Time Than Myself

Spoiled


Well, They Certainly Are Cheerful!

Santa Brought Us A Popcorn Machine!



A big "Thank You" goes out to this Eugene based Santa!

The New Weather Station Is Up!


After 3 hard years the weather station finally gave up the ghost.  Today I set up the new La Crosse Weather Pro WS-2810U-IT and everything seems to be working fine.  You will note I activated the weather Icon on the Right sidebar above the radar map.

The Cocktail Cost Calculator... Or "What Does It Really Cost The Bar To Make Your Drink"


60 Cents!?
 Click on the article title to see how much your drink costs the bar.

An astute observer notes: "Actually this only calculates the pour cost, there is also labor, overhead etc..."

Monday, December 28, 2009

How Long Until Paper Books "Go Away?"


You Don't Need to Regularly Reinstall Windows; Here's Why

One of the most persistent myths about Windows is that you need to reinstall the operating system regularly to keep it running at top performance. Let's take a look at the real problem and how to fix it.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Amazon Sold More Kindle Books Than Physical Books On Christmas!

Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that Kindle has become the most gifted item in Amazon's history. On Christmas Day, for the first time ever, customers purchased more Kindle books than physical books.

Christmas Light Wonder Land!


Thursday, December 24, 2009

Finally!

After 4 hours we are finally flying.  I am typing this as we head north to Lewiston, Idaho with our final destination being Orofino.  The irony that the total travel time by air will now equal the time it would have taken to drive there is not lost on us.  I am ready to be done travelling!
I was at : Lewiston, ID 83501,

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

And we are sitting in the abandoned Boise Airport.  We were so close!  Boarded, buckled up, whistling Christmas tunes and then the mechanics started rushing the cockpit.  When the power to the entire plane is cut and they are using flashlights to see, you know it's going to be a long night!  We were asked to de-plane and here we sit waiting for an update.
I will keep you posted.
I was at : 2877-3399 W Wright St, Boise, ID 83705,

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Christmas Boom... Alright This Has NOTHING To Do WIth Christmas

Ah, The Stupidity Of The Holiday Shoplifter

Your DROID Is About Ready To Get It's Ass Kicked!

What To Look For When You Are Dining Out

Some restaurants use what researchers call decoys. For example, they may place a really expensive item at the top of the menu, so that other dishes look more reasonably priced; research shows that diners tend to order neither the most nor least expensive items, drifting toward the middle. Or restaurants might play up a profitable dish by using more appetizing adjectives and placing it next to a less profitable dish with less description so the contrast entices the diner to order the profitable dish.

Alright Everyone, Time To Stop Paying For Your Anti-Virus Protection

Anti-malware testing group AV-Comparatives.org not only gave Microsoft Security Essentials a top rating for malware removal, but now they've given it their best ranking in their performance test as well.

NORAD Santa Tracker!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

For My Sister

And it was on December 22nd that she spoke with a wisdom beyond her 40+ years... "Rather than messy bird strikes portrayed during the holiday season, why not beautiful Christmas lights or various recipes on how to make fruit cake? Just a thought..."




Friday, December 18, 2009

SMF Tops California Airports For Bird Strikes

More bird strikes are reported each year at Sacramento International Airport than any other airport in California.

November to February is the most dangerous time of year for bird strikes at the airport, as winter is the time of year when birds migrate.

Cessna Citation Versus Duck









This is what is left after a 22,000 pound plane meets a 6 pound duck during a landing in Sacramento California.  A sound like a door being slammed, everyone ducking, followed by an uneventful landing.  The good news is the duck never knew what hit him and there was no damage to the plane.  As usual, any event that ends well and produces a good story is always welcome in my book!

At this point some of you may be asking:  Rick what am I looking at here?  The answer my friend is Snarge.

The residue smeared on an airplane after a bird/plane collision. The snarge is generally all that is left of the bird. Every day numerous samples are taken off of airplanes and sent in for DNA testing to help map out what kinds of birds are colliding with airplanes. Both the FFA and military have a vested interest in these results
 
Each day, the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory receives about a dozen packages from around the country, each containing tissue swabs of snarge for DNA analysis to identify the species of bird. The bird/plane collision data is used to improve aviation safety by having flight plans that are less likely to encounter birds and by engineering more bird-resistant planes. For example, jet engines must now be able to withstand the ingestion of an 8-pound waterfowl without failing (this is tested in the lab by firing a chicken from a cannon at point-blank range).

Stitch Photos Into Panoramas with Free Software

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Human Cannonballs Recreate Intel Chime

Evernote For The Droid


Evernote turns your Android phone into an extension of your brain.  This award-winning app lets you remember and recall anything that happens in your life. From notes to ideas to snapshots to recordings, put everything into Evernote and watch as it all instantly synchronizes from your phone to the Web to your PC.

McDonald's Offering Free Wi-Fi Starting in January

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Just Another Shot Of The Christm... WHAT THE HELL?


The Snow


With each newscast comes news of "The Big Punch" and "Significant Event."  What has really happened is best described as a fine, continuous dust descending from the sky and slowly piling up.  Still plenty cold out and very pretty.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The Return of Retail: Holiday Spending 2009

Looks Like Snow!

The Winter Weather Advisory for snow in the upper Treasure valley of southwest Idaho is now in effect until 5 PM MST Sunday.

* Snow amounts... an inch or so early this morning... then several impulses bringing 3 to 7 additional inches this afternoon through Sunday afternoon.

* Snow levels... surface... rising to 3000 to 4000 feet by Sunday afternoon.

* Winds... light winds.

* Timing... today through late Sunday afternoon.

* Impacts... total snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches through Sunday.