Saturday, December 30, 2006
New High Resolution Photo Vault
I will be posting high resolution photos of our adventures to this new Picasa Photo Web. You can download or view as a slideshow. Enjoy!
What Wii Got For Christmas
| Nintendo Wii Game Montage | |
We have had this machine since a week before Christmas and I must say it is fun! The only reason you stop playing is because you are physically exhausted. The console comes with the game Wii Sports and if you never bought another game for it, you would still get your $250 dollars worth. It is almost impossible to play the Wii sitting down as you want to get up and have free movement of your arms. You dodge, twist, lean, flail, and generally look ridiculous to whoever is watching. But you don't care!
The console is small and easy to hook up.
The controllers come in two pieces. Right hand holds the Wii-mote. This is the one everybody is saying ends up stuck in your television screen or your spouses head. I have no idea how these people are doing this! I always put on the wrist strap and have not had a single close call. As a side note: I currently have 2 of the newer, tougher wrist straps coming free from Nintendo.
The left hand holds the Nunchuck. This part is not required for all games and can be unplugged when not in use. These two parts will work in either hand by the way.
Well there you have it. Get up, go out, and get one of these. You won't be sorry.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Typo Takes Tourist 13,000 km Out
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- A 21-year-old German tourist who wanted to visit his girlfriend in the Australian metropolis Sydney landed 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) away near Sidney, Montana, after mistyping his destination on a flight booking Web site.
Dressed for the Australian summer in T-shirt and shorts, Tobi Gutt left Germany on Saturday for a four-week holiday.
Instead of arriving "down under", Gutt found himself on a different continent and bound for the chilly state of Montana.
"I did wonder but I didn't want to say anything," Gutt told the Bild newspaper. "I thought to myself, you can fly to Australia via the United States."
Gutt's airline ticket routed him via the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, to Billings, Montana. Only as he was about to board a commuter flight to Sidney -- an oil town of about 5,000 people -- did he realize his mistake.
The hapless tourist, who had only a thin jacket to keep out the winter cold, spent three days in Billings airport before he was able to buy a new ticket to Australia with 600 euros in cash that his parents and friends sent over from Germany.
"I didn't notice the mistake as my son is usually good with computers," his mother, Sabine, told Reuters.
Dressed for the Australian summer in T-shirt and shorts, Tobi Gutt left Germany on Saturday for a four-week holiday.
Instead of arriving "down under", Gutt found himself on a different continent and bound for the chilly state of Montana.
"I did wonder but I didn't want to say anything," Gutt told the Bild newspaper. "I thought to myself, you can fly to Australia via the United States."
Gutt's airline ticket routed him via the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, to Billings, Montana. Only as he was about to board a commuter flight to Sidney -- an oil town of about 5,000 people -- did he realize his mistake.
The hapless tourist, who had only a thin jacket to keep out the winter cold, spent three days in Billings airport before he was able to buy a new ticket to Australia with 600 euros in cash that his parents and friends sent over from Germany.
"I didn't notice the mistake as my son is usually good with computers," his mother, Sabine, told Reuters.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Diabetes Breakthrough
In a discovery that has stunned even those behind it, scientists at a Toronto hospital say they have proof the body's nervous system helps trigger diabetes, opening the door to a potential near-cure of the disease that affects millions...
Top 10 Gadgets for the Filthy Rich
Do you travel in private jets? Decorate your foyer with real Renoirs? Use the word "foyer"? Then there's no way you're going to get your gadget fix from anything you can get at Best Buy. You crave the most exclusive, the top of the line, the most unusual, and the most attention-grabbing technology, and price is no object. But there are expensive gadgets, and then there are expensive gadgets. We aren't talking PlayStation 3 expensive — we're talking gear so expensive you'll have your butlers pick them up in your gold-plated helicopter.
Arrowrock From Space!
Well finally you can see where we live from space! This just showed up on Google Earth and the photo must have been taken sometime in May of 2006.
The lot under the "This is us..." wording is currently under construction.
The lot under the "This is us..." wording is currently under construction. Long Wind Storm
It started yesterday at 2:20pm sounding like something ran into the western side of the house. I got up and did what is now routine: lash down the hot tub lid, bring in the shoes off of the back porch, and even if it is garbage day and they haven't picked up yet, bring in the trash.
The high gust so far has been 32 mph with it blowing pretty steadily at 21 mph. All of this just creates a low background howl that ebbs and flows.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
She's Up... Sorta.
Recovered the data on the primary drive. That means all of my music and photos survived. But, the drive is corrupt as far as booting the system. New 300 GB drive to the rescue! Problem with the Blue Screen of Death seems to have been centered around improper RAM timing. Run with performance RAM and the price is fickle timing issues! So, system is up on virgin XP install, secondary drive contains recovered data from the past, and currently installing everything from drivers to system updates. Still no sound card installed, no modem, no 3rd and 4th hard disks, and the guts to the whole system are hanging out onto the floor. It's not over 'till the beast is buttoned up and stuffed into the cubby hole.
Beginning The Task
At 7:00 pm mountain time I started the task: Rebuilding the computer that has been dead since July 10th 2006; my computer. So far things are not going well. Blue Screen of Death during the XP install cycle, about 20 times now. Different error each time. The only option I have left is a complete tear down of the system to try and isolate the problem. If that does not show me some results, it is time to go shopping for a new motherboard. I am staying calm.
The MegaPenny Project
Visualizing huge numbers can be very difficult. People regularly talk about millions of miles, billions of bytes, or trillions of dollars, yet it's still hard to grasp just how much a "billion" really is. The MegaPenny Project aims to help by taking one small everyday item, the U.S. penny, and building on that to answer the question: "What would a billion (or a trillion) pennies look like?"
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Light Snow Is Currently Falling
Statement as of 3:40 PM MST on December 23, 2006
... Snow Advisory remains in effect until 3 am MST Sunday... A Snow Advisory remains in effect until 3 am MST Sunday. Light snow showers this afternoon will give way to a short period of moderate snow early tonight. The Treasure valley will receive1 to 3 inches while the Owyhee Mountains will receive 3 to5 inches. The snow will taper off from the west in the pre-dawnhours Sunday.
A Snow Advisory means that periods of snow will cause primarilytravel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered roads andlimited visibilities... and use caution while driving.
... Snow Advisory remains in effect until 3 am MST Sunday... A Snow Advisory remains in effect until 3 am MST Sunday. Light snow showers this afternoon will give way to a short period of moderate snow early tonight. The Treasure valley will receive1 to 3 inches while the Owyhee Mountains will receive 3 to5 inches. The snow will taper off from the west in the pre-dawnhours Sunday.
A Snow Advisory means that periods of snow will cause primarilytravel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered roads andlimited visibilities... and use caution while driving.
Snow Arrives In Kuna!
Thursday morning and Deb is the first to leave! Both of us switched over to studded snow tires in October in anticipation of winter weather... and here it is.
Deb does not even look back! We both seem to be able to do just fine as long as we stay below 30 miles an hour. This results in being passed quite a bit by the hardened locals but hey, we'll at least get there in one piece.
We are looking at about 3 inches of super powder snow. When the wind blows (and you know it does just about every day) the snow piles up in drifts around rocks, and walls.
The water feature has been shut down due to bad weather. We anticipate this ride starting up again in March!
I got out and shoveled the driveway thrusday night. Yup, I'm pretty sore!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Please Let It Be Whale Vomit!
In this season of strange presents from relatives, Dorothy Ferreira got a doozy the other day from her 82-year-old sister in Waterloo, Iowa. It was ugly. It weighed four pounds. There was no receipt in the box.
Inside she found what looked like a gnarled, funky candle but could actually be a huge hunk of petrified whale vomit worth as much as $18,000.
Inside she found what looked like a gnarled, funky candle but could actually be a huge hunk of petrified whale vomit worth as much as $18,000.
Mount St. Helens Erupts, Spewing Steam, Ash Into Washington State Sky
Mt. St. Helens awoke Tuesday afternoon with a mild eruption, spewing a plume of steam and ash into the Washington State sky.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
In A Land With No Trees...
Here is the answer to the age old question, "Where do I hang a bird feeder if I don't have any trees?" This fine feeding station is the Wild Birds Unlimited Advanced Pole System. It is kind of like a lego system for feeding birds. We put it up, filled it, and now we wait for some bird to wander by, eat, and then go tell some friends. Until then, I will place a bet in my head as too how it will fair against the next big wind.
Fence = Tumble Weed Catcher
So far we seem to be in the right spot as this bend in the fence 100 yards to the east of us catches most of the tumble weeds otherwise destine for our back yard.
There Goes The Rain!
I am pretty sure we are in some type of rain shadow. This is a common site as we watch what little rain comes through our area, pass us on the right!
Northwest Storm Leaves 1.5M in the Dark
Residents of the Pacific Northwest struggled to stay warm Saturday after the worst windstorm in more than a decade knocked out power to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses and killed at least six people.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Huashan Mountain In Xian, China
Huashan mountain is located some 240 kilometers away from XiÂ’an, approximately a two and half hours drive. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. Huashan Mountain is well-known for its sheer cliffs and plunging ravines. It is the most dangerous mountain in China for climbers.
Let's Take A Short Stroll In This Chinese National Park!
Note: The padlocks are a Chinese tradition. Lovers will hike up the side of the mountain and write their names on the side of a padlock. They then lock it onto the hand rail chain, this act is followed by throwing the key off of the ledge. This is supposed to symbolize that they will never be separated. Now, if they can just make it down the mountain ALIVE!
Let's Take A Short Stroll In This Chinese National Park!
Note: The padlocks are a Chinese tradition. Lovers will hike up the side of the mountain and write their names on the side of a padlock. They then lock it onto the hand rail chain, this act is followed by throwing the key off of the ledge. This is supposed to symbolize that they will never be separated. Now, if they can just make it down the mountain ALIVE!
Monday, December 11, 2006
Distribution of Families in the US
Map showing distribution of family names in the US in 1840, 1880 and 1920.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Stop Motion Music
Can't play the piano or drums? This guy can't either... But her sure can edit video!
Weber Flame
Saturday, after a heads up from a friend, Deb and I headed over to 'Ace Hardware.' Turns out this 'Ace' is not doing so well and is having a going out of business sale. We picked up a garden hose and a snow shovel. (Never needed one of those before!) Then I started looking at a big display of fire pits. They had two types LP (liquid propane) and NG (natural gas). Since the house is plumbed for NG both up on the deck and down on the patio I thought it would be nice to get one. After some bone chilling assembly up on the covered deck (31 degrees was the high today) and a trip back to the hardware store for some quick-disconnect fittings we fired it up. Works great and even better, it was half price!
15 Degrees & The Hot Tub
Saturday night, 15 degrees outside, and the inviting thought of laying in the spa and looking at the stars: It all progressed nicely until it was time to get out. My first clue should have been the fact that steam rising out of the tub was freezing onto the side of the lid. My second clue should have been Deb's quick exit, and rapid departure from said steaming tub, with not even a parting glance back. This left me alone, sitting in the tub, splashing hot water onto my ears while I planned my exit strategy. It should have gone smoothly: exit, grab towel, throw over shoulders, quickly swing the lid down and then flip it closed, clip both latches to lock down lid and run inside. I know, you are thinking, it must have been just miserable out there in that kind of cold. Nope, the only issue to be aware of during a nice relaxing spa while the mercury hovers in the teens is, once you get your ears and neck underwater, they better stay underwater unless you plan
on defrosting them later with a blow dryer. Oh, there is just one other thing... The final task before running inside requires that I clip two metal carabiners into two metal eyes to secure the lid of the tub. With that being said, I take one wrinkled wet hand and one 15 degree carabiner, press them together and instantly get something like superglue! It was quick! I knew exactly what had happened, but it was too late! I at least had the common sense to not yank my hand away when it happened, but with the lid down my first idea of using the free hand to splash hot water onto the frozen one went straight out the window. I could feel in my hand that the bonding process was just getting started, so yelling for Deb was not an option. I then did all I could do... Started working up a really big mouth full of nice hot spit! Being careful not to touch my lips to the problem I started spitting. At first I thought I might be adding to the ice glue but quickly I could feel the bond weakening. A few more moments and the liberal application of more defrosting agent and I was free! Using the towel as a buffer I completed the latching tasks and ran indoors. By the time I entered the house the warm glow of the tub was a distant memory. I can assure you though, that I will not forget this lesson! Well I must go and dig up my copy of "Christmas Story" as I seem to remember something about a tongue and a frozen pole!
on defrosting them later with a blow dryer. Oh, there is just one other thing... The final task before running inside requires that I clip two metal carabiners into two metal eyes to secure the lid of the tub. With that being said, I take one wrinkled wet hand and one 15 degree carabiner, press them together and instantly get something like superglue! It was quick! I knew exactly what had happened, but it was too late! I at least had the common sense to not yank my hand away when it happened, but with the lid down my first idea of using the free hand to splash hot water onto the frozen one went straight out the window. I could feel in my hand that the bonding process was just getting started, so yelling for Deb was not an option. I then did all I could do... Started working up a really big mouth full of nice hot spit! Being careful not to touch my lips to the problem I started spitting. At first I thought I might be adding to the ice glue but quickly I could feel the bond weakening. A few more moments and the liberal application of more defrosting agent and I was free! Using the towel as a buffer I completed the latching tasks and ran indoors. By the time I entered the house the warm glow of the tub was a distant memory. I can assure you though, that I will not forget this lesson! Well I must go and dig up my copy of "Christmas Story" as I seem to remember something about a tongue and a frozen pole!
The Christmas Tree Is Up!
This little alcove in the dining room turned out to be the perfect spot for the tree!
Now all it needs are presents!Saturday, December 02, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
Smiling Shouldn't Be A Chore
... Unlike in the West, where a person wearing a smile would be most likely regarded as someone who is friendly, kind and can be trusted, people in China are traditionaly encouraged to be serious looking than to show a big smile to strangers. In popular literature, people who always wear a smile or smile "without a reason" may be depicted as being silly or even harbouring an ulterior motive...
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Go Ahead... Eat It!
In the scientific and medical communities, the technical name for using one's finger to extract boogers is rhinotillexis, and doing so compulsively is termed rhinotillexomania. The act of eating the resulting harvest is called mucophagy.
"As God Is My Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly"
An advertising stunt dreamed up by a local Cincinnati radio station went terribly wrong when twenty live turkeys plummeted to their deaths after being dropped out of a helicopter under the misguided assumption that they would all just fly away.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
HD-DVD vs Blu-ray: The format war explained
Whether you're new to Hi-Def or looking to improve your current set-up, you've undoubtedly heard rumblings about HD-DVD and Blu-ray. So what's the format fuss all about? Carry on reading to see the light...
Your Papers Please
For U.S. travelers desiring to hop a plane going to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central or South America, come Jan. 8, will need a passport.
And for the 73 percent of Americans who don't have a valid passport, it's time to get with the program because everyone will need one as identification by Jan. 1, 2008, when it will be required for international land and sea travel as well as air.
And for the 73 percent of Americans who don't have a valid passport, it's time to get with the program because everyone will need one as identification by Jan. 1, 2008, when it will be required for international land and sea travel as well as air.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Why Music Gives Us the Chills
For a willing music audience, the art of drawing emotion from notes is classic.
Composers play with subtle, intricate changes and rates of change to try and elicit emotion. In recent studies, scientists found that people already familiar with the music are more likely to catch a chill at key moments:
- When a symphony turns from loud to quiet
- Upon entry of a solo voice or instrument
- When two singers have contrasting voices
Composers play with subtle, intricate changes and rates of change to try and elicit emotion. In recent studies, scientists found that people already familiar with the music are more likely to catch a chill at key moments:
- When a symphony turns from loud to quiet
- Upon entry of a solo voice or instrument
- When two singers have contrasting voices
Monday, November 20, 2006
U.S. is most unfriendly country to visitors, survey says
Rude immigration officials and visa delays keep millions of foreign visitors away from the United States, hurt the country's already battered image, and cost the U.S. billions of dollars in lost revenue, according to an advocacy group formed to push for a better system.
To drive home the point, the Discover America Partnership released the result of a global survey on Monday which showed that international travelers see the United States as the world's worst country in terms of getting a visa and, once you have it, making your way past rude immigration officials.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
VHS, Dead at 30
It's official, Variety reports that VHS has died at the age of 30.
Once a groundbreaking media format, VHS has been suffering from loneliness for several years now and died of natural causes in 2006 survived by DVD, TiVo, VOD and DirecTV.
Consumers can continue to morn the passing of VHS by purchasing a piece of history at Toys'R'Us where you can still purchase "Barney" video tapes or you can find a multitude of VHS tapes at eBay.
Once a groundbreaking media format, VHS has been suffering from loneliness for several years now and died of natural causes in 2006 survived by DVD, TiVo, VOD and DirecTV.
Consumers can continue to morn the passing of VHS by purchasing a piece of history at Toys'R'Us where you can still purchase "Barney" video tapes or you can find a multitude of VHS tapes at eBay.
Sunday Decorating
Picked up this large iron wall decoration at J.C. Penny's of all places. The wall needed something and I believe that this fine hunk of metal is it.Monday, November 13, 2006
Here's Why You Hate Mondays
Scientists have discovered a cure for the dreaded Monday morning blues - stop sleeping in on weekends.
A new study has found that lazy Saturday and Sunday lie-ins can disturb your body clock, leaving you fatigued at the start of the week.
A new study has found that lazy Saturday and Sunday lie-ins can disturb your body clock, leaving you fatigued at the start of the week.
How Rich Are You?
Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world. Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
The 10 Best (and 10 Worst) Companies for Customer Service
Large companies today spend billions to manage their public image. And in many industries no part of that image is more important than how people think a company's customer service is. Customer Service is becoming a lot more than an 'industry buzzword' as large companies who treat their customers poorly are starting to lose customers right and left.
Click title to read article.
Click title to read article.
Are You Tone Deaf?
Take this online test to find out. I rank 93.3% correct. Let me know your score in the side bar.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Google Earth: Major Update
Google Earth (Release 4 - BETA)
Welcome to the newest beta of Google Earth (release 4). Since our last release (on September 13th, 2006), we have made many improvements. We have improved icon management by creating a new icon palette, added line and polygon drawing tools to our free product, added the ability to print search results and placemarks, made it easier to select icons that are overlapping, and much more. For Google Earth Pro subscribers, the premium modules are now free (up to a $600 value) and included in the basic annual subscription price.
New features (as of November 1st, 2006))
Drawing Tools: The path and polygon drawing tools are now available in the free product. You can easily sketch figures on the imagery for richer annotations and can share these overlays as KML or KMZ files. These features can be accessed from the toolbar.
Welcome to the newest beta of Google Earth (release 4). Since our last release (on September 13th, 2006), we have made many improvements. We have improved icon management by creating a new icon palette, added line and polygon drawing tools to our free product, added the ability to print search results and placemarks, made it easier to select icons that are overlapping, and much more. For Google Earth Pro subscribers, the premium modules are now free (up to a $600 value) and included in the basic annual subscription price.
New features (as of November 1st, 2006))
Drawing Tools: The path and polygon drawing tools are now available in the free product. You can easily sketch figures on the imagery for richer annotations and can share these overlays as KML or KMZ files. These features can be accessed from the toolbar.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
COLD!
It is almost 1:00am on Tuesday morning and I thought I would come down and see how cold it was outside. Friggen 11 degrees! That is a tad on the cold side if you ask me.
Monday, October 30, 2006
There's A New Skyscraper In The Works!
Upon its completion in 2008 the Burj Dubai will likely become the tallest building in the world. It will beat out the current title holder, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, as well as numerous other proposals including the Freedom Tower at New York City's World Trade Center, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Fordham Spire. In addition, it will assume the title of the world's tallest structure, surpassing the tallest freestanding structure (on land), Toronto's CN Tower, as well as the guyed KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, the latter setting a minimum height for the tower at almost 630 m.
Full Info
Full Info
Extreme Diet Coke & Mentos Experiments II - The Domino Effect
| The guys from EepyBird are back, with 251 bottles of Diet Coke and over 1,500 Mentos mints. In Experiment #137, they did a mint-powered version of the Bellagio fountains. This time, it's one giant Coke & Mentos chain reaction that has to be seen to be believed. Keywords: eepybird eepy bird mentos coke diet coke mentos experiment fountain soda science geyser experiments fountains geysers | |
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Jerky Time!
This fine Jerky Kit can be purchased from any Cabela's Store.
Lean ground beef & the spice pack is all you need.
See, even I can do it!
Deb did 99 percent of the "Jerky Squirting" but all of the photos I have of her don't include her head. So, you get me instead.
Pop your extruded raw beef and seasonings into the oven for the next 4 hours and enjoy the smell!
It's Jerky Time! I used the scissors to cut the strips into snack size pieces. I know, "How does it taste?" you ask. Tender and very tasty!
New Weather Station
Ever since Deb and I rode out the big wind storm in August, we have both been thinking it would have been nice to actually know how hard the wind was blowing. Not the wind speed in Boise, or Kuna mind you, but exactly how hard was the wind blowing right here at the house. So when we saw the La Crosse WS-2308U Professional Weather Center at Costco for only $99 dollars, we grabbed it. Buying it turned out to be the simple part. As you can see the outside setup was a little involved. Getting the device to "talk" to the computer turned out to be the easiest part. After that it was time to get our system to upload all of this new collected data to the website Weather Underground.
The system consists of all the goodies in the photo above and a receiving station inside the house that wirelessly gathers data from the sensors located in the back yard. This receiving station is connected to the computer where software logs all of the data and stores it in a history file. While all of this is happening a second program also processes the weather information and uploads it to the web.
We actually have had the weather station for almost a month but lacked the time or will to do the big set up. Last week, another one of those "We haven't had a wind storm like that in years!" prompted us to drag the pieces out of the box and set it up. Oh no, we didn't do what your viewing in the photo above. You see I couldn't, it was 9:00pm at night, the wind was howling, so Deb sent me out onto the deck with some zip ties! After way too many trips out into the gale we could at least tell you the wind speed: 30-33 miles per hour sustained, and a 41 mph gust!
Well the station is up and running, and again just in time:
Special Weather Statement as of 1:35 PM PST on October 29, 2006
... Change of airmass bringing cold conditions Monday and Tuesday...
A cold front will move through southeast Oregon and southwest Idaho tonight bringing gusty winds and cold air in behind it. High temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees colder on Monday than they were today. A chilly northwest wind behind the front will make it feel even colder. Winds diminish Monday night allowing temperatures to drop sharply. Low temperatures Tuesday morning will be the coldest so far this fall... With some locations in Baker County and the west central and Boise Mountains approaching record lows. After Tuesday temperatures will gradually moderate through the week.
Part Of Weather Underground
As you know we now have a Personal Weather Station. I figured since I was collecting the data I might as well share it. So now you can click on the title above for a complete forcast and current conditions provided by the station or click Here to see a history of what has and is happening minute by minute in Deb and Rick's back yard! If you would like to see where the station is on google maps click Here. You will find the name of my station along with other Boise personal weather stations on the right hand side of the page. Ours is named "SE Of Kuna, Idaho." If you mouse over the name you will see the station light up on the map. Once you see it on the map you can click on it to see a pop up of the current weather data it last transmitted. I will soon replace the "Accuweather" information down the left hand side of the blog with my own data. Until then you have to go to the above sites to monitor the station.
Our New Back Yard!
One of the hardest parts of leaving our Battle Ground property was loosing the 4+ acres of wild right off the back of the house. It made riding our quads more than convenient. When all you had to do was drive out of the garage and turn the corner, there was no excuse for not riding when ever you felt like it. I knew when we sold, we would never see anything like that again. Turned out I was wrong!
After deciding on our new house in Kuna, Deb and I started exploring our new territory. At some point we noticed a truck with 2 ATV's packed in the back heading down a road that seemed to go nowhere. We were sure it was some farmer heading home but then we saw another truck hauling dirt bikes on the same road. We decided to follow. Well it turned out we just so happened to move about as close to a HUGE network of riding trails as we possibly could have.
It could not have been better, it was only 8 miles from the house! All we had to do was load the quads on the trailer, haul them over there and start to ride. It was at that point I started to think about the railroad tracks. Tracks by the house, tracks by the trailhead. Hmmmm, I wonder?
So yesterday we drove the quads out of the shop, out of the neighborhood and down the road to the train tracks. There was an overgrown dirt road running along side of it. Would it continue the whole way? It sure did! It turns out to be 7 miles each way to the trailhead where we have hundreds of miles of riding available in all directions.
So, the only thing that has changed is this. We went from 4 acres to hundreds of miles, but we can still drive straight out of the garage to do it! Not too bad.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
What's Up?
Weather: Since our arrival on July 10th the sky has only produced some kind of precipitation twice! The current drill is cloudless blue sky, highs in the 60's lows 35 to 45 degrees. The reason for wiper blades in Kuna are... Wait for it... To remove the dust from your windshield.
Cat Door: For the third time in my life I have had the pleasure of sawing through a wall or door to install a cat door. This time it was through the wall and out to the garage. The job took about 2 hours and included some cursing and phrases like: "That will be okay, the molding will cover it." and "See Deb, the problem is that the house is not straight!" An interesting note is, during the entire install Mishra layed on the floor about 6 feet from all of the action. When I was done and everything put away, she looked at me, looked at the door and headed right through it without hesitation. She then proceeded to spend the next 3 nights out in the garage. Mission accomplished.
Shop: The shop is done. I know you are saying to yourself, "Wasn't that done a month ago?" The final touches have been a sink and the most valuable item on any house, the window screens.
House: Still lots to do here in the way of moving in. There are still about 20 boxes out in the garage that I am afraid to open because it will just mean work! My computer still sits in pieces on the floor. The theater room is all about storing the stuff we have not dealt with yet, and nothing to do with watching a movie.
Garage: With the impending arrival of cold weather Deb and I finally cleared out the garage enough to admit all of the vehicles! I must say that since this is the first time in my life I actually have garage parking privileges, it is nice.
Us: We are both feeling well with no apparent issues. Deb is getting comfortable with her new job and I am staying busy as usual with mine.
Yard: The grass is coming up in the back yard! While it is no work of lawn art, containing many weeds and bare spots, the "Grass Man" recently visited us and sprayed for weeds and put down another layer of seed. We will wait and see.
Cat Door: For the third time in my life I have had the pleasure of sawing through a wall or door to install a cat door. This time it was through the wall and out to the garage. The job took about 2 hours and included some cursing and phrases like: "That will be okay, the molding will cover it." and "See Deb, the problem is that the house is not straight!" An interesting note is, during the entire install Mishra layed on the floor about 6 feet from all of the action. When I was done and everything put away, she looked at me, looked at the door and headed right through it without hesitation. She then proceeded to spend the next 3 nights out in the garage. Mission accomplished.
Shop: The shop is done. I know you are saying to yourself, "Wasn't that done a month ago?" The final touches have been a sink and the most valuable item on any house, the window screens.
House: Still lots to do here in the way of moving in. There are still about 20 boxes out in the garage that I am afraid to open because it will just mean work! My computer still sits in pieces on the floor. The theater room is all about storing the stuff we have not dealt with yet, and nothing to do with watching a movie.
Garage: With the impending arrival of cold weather Deb and I finally cleared out the garage enough to admit all of the vehicles! I must say that since this is the first time in my life I actually have garage parking privileges, it is nice.
Us: We are both feeling well with no apparent issues. Deb is getting comfortable with her new job and I am staying busy as usual with mine.
Yard: The grass is coming up in the back yard! While it is no work of lawn art, containing many weeds and bare spots, the "Grass Man" recently visited us and sprayed for weeds and put down another layer of seed. We will wait and see.
The Gravity Express
About four hundred years ago– sometime in the latter half of the 17th century– Isaac Newton received a letter from the brilliant British scientist and inventor Robert Hooke. In this letter, Hooke outlined the mathematics governing how objects might fall if dropped through hypothetical tunnels drilled through the Earth at varying angles. Though it seems that Hooke was mostly interested in the physics of the thought experiment, an improbable yet intriguing idea fell out of the data: a dizzyingly fast transportation system.
Line Rider
Click on the title and play with this simple flash goody.
Only after you have had your fun is it safe to watch the movie below!
Only after you have had your fun is it safe to watch the movie below!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
New Toys: Snowmobiles!
2003 Polaris 800 RMK Vertical Edge Snow Check Select
I'll be riding this one.
2003 Polaris 600 RMK 144
This one is for Deb.
1996 Arctic Cat 550 Cougar
This is for who ever wants to go snowmobiling with us!Well, now that we're living in Idaho and most of the water that falls from the sky comes down in the form of snow... We thought it would be a good idea to get some snowmobiles. Some friends of ours are sadly moving away to a place where snowmobiling would be difficult at best. This change of scenery forced them to make the very tough decision to sell their snow loving toys. Deb and I expressed interest in purchasing them, went over and took a look, and the rest is history. We plan on selling our current ATV trailer and getting a new one that will support the sleds in the winter and the ATV's in the summer. After that, all that is left to do, is wait for SNOW!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Internet Explorer 7 Released!
Internet Explorer 7 provides improved navigation through tabbed browsing, web search right from the toolbar, advanced printing, easy discovery, reading and subscription to RSS feeds, and much more.
Internet Explorer 7 provides security through a robust new architecture, security features that help defend against malicious software (also known as malware), and new ways to better protect against the theft of personal data from fraudulent websites, a practice known as phishing.
Internet Explorer 7 has improved support for cascading style sheets, a rich RSS feeds platform, and robust tools for deploying and managing Internet Explorer 7 in large enterprise environments.
Internet Explorer 7 provides security through a robust new architecture, security features that help defend against malicious software (also known as malware), and new ways to better protect against the theft of personal data from fraudulent websites, a practice known as phishing.
Internet Explorer 7 has improved support for cascading style sheets, a rich RSS feeds platform, and robust tools for deploying and managing Internet Explorer 7 in large enterprise environments.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
It's Been Two Years!
Happy Anniversary To:
'What Am I Doing?"
It has been up for 2 years!
It has been up for 2 years!
934 article posts!
Over 300 Photos!
Many thanks to all who have left comments and contributed to the fun!
Do You Live In The Smartest State?
When it comes to intelligence, a new survey ranks Arizona dead last among the states.
For the second year in a row, an annual smartest-state ranking puts Arizona in the No. 50 spot.
The list is compiled by Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company in Kansas that also puts out annual rankings on the most livable, safest and healthiest states.
In the smart-state ranking, Vermont comes in at the top, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maine.
Arizona is at the bottom, preceded by Nevada, Mississippi, California and Alaska.
View the full list of rankings.
The ratings are based on 21 elementary and secondary education indicators, ranging from graduation rates and test scores to teacher pay and class size.
"Vermont performs very well in a number of important areas of education," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press, in a news release. "A high percentage of the state’s students are proficient in reading and math. In addition, class sizes are small and the number of teachers per student is among the lowest in the nation."
For the second year in a row, an annual smartest-state ranking puts Arizona in the No. 50 spot.
The list is compiled by Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company in Kansas that also puts out annual rankings on the most livable, safest and healthiest states.
In the smart-state ranking, Vermont comes in at the top, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maine.
Arizona is at the bottom, preceded by Nevada, Mississippi, California and Alaska.
View the full list of rankings.
The ratings are based on 21 elementary and secondary education indicators, ranging from graduation rates and test scores to teacher pay and class size.
"Vermont performs very well in a number of important areas of education," said Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press, in a news release. "A high percentage of the state’s students are proficient in reading and math. In addition, class sizes are small and the number of teachers per student is among the lowest in the nation."
Human Species 'May Split In Two'
Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said.
Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge.
The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology.
People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.
The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.
Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge.
The human race would peak in the year 3000, he said - before a decline due to dependence on technology.
People would become choosier about their sexual partners, causing humanity to divide into sub-species, he added.
The descendants of the genetic upper class would be tall, slim, healthy, attractive, intelligent, and creative and a far cry from the "underclass" humans who would have evolved into dim-witted, ugly, squat goblin-like creatures.
Astronomy Picture of the Day
In the shadow of Saturn, unexpected wonders appear. The robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn recently drifted in giant planet's shadow for about 12 hours and looked back toward the eclipsed Sun. Cassini saw a view unlike any other. First, the night side of Saturn is seen to be partly lit by light reflected from its own majestic ring system. Next, the rings themselves appear dark when silhouetted against Saturn, but quite bright when viewed away from Saturn and slightly scattering sunlight, in the above exaggerated color image. Saturn's rings light up so much that new rings were discovered, although they are hard to see in the above image. Visible in spectacular detail, however, is Saturn's E ring, the ring created by the newly discovered ice-fountains of the moon Enceladus, and the outermost ring visible above. Far in the distance, visible on the image left just above the bright main rings, is the almost ignorable pale blue dot of Earth.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor RC
Want to see if your Windows XP-based PC can run Windows Vista? Just download, install, and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor RC.
This small software tool will scan your computer and create an easy-to-understand report of all known system, device, and program compatibility issues, and recommend ways to resolve them. Upgrade Advisor can also help you choose the edition of Windows Vista that best fits the way you want to use your computer.
This small software tool will scan your computer and create an easy-to-understand report of all known system, device, and program compatibility issues, and recommend ways to resolve them. Upgrade Advisor can also help you choose the edition of Windows Vista that best fits the way you want to use your computer.
Should Everest Be Closed?
Tourism is turning the world's highest peak into its biggest garbage dump, claim conservationists, who are pressing for controls on climbing. But will this cost sherpas their livelihood? Dan McDougall in Kathmandu reports on the campaign.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Thursday, October 05, 2006
How Do Planes Avoid Colliding?
There's a little box that yells "Traffic! Traffic!"
By Daniel Engber
Download the MP3 audio version of this story here, or sign up for The Explainer's free daily podcast on iTunes.
The Brazilian courts ordered the detention of two American pilots on Monday, a few days after the jet they were flying crashed into a passenger liner over the Amazon jungle. Interviews with the pilots may help explain how the accident occurred, even though both planes were outfitted with automatic collision-avoidance systems. What's a collision-avoidance system?
By Daniel Engber
Download the MP3 audio version of this story here, or sign up for The Explainer's free daily podcast on iTunes.
The Brazilian courts ordered the detention of two American pilots on Monday, a few days after the jet they were flying crashed into a passenger liner over the Amazon jungle. Interviews with the pilots may help explain how the accident occurred, even though both planes were outfitted with automatic collision-avoidance systems. What's a collision-avoidance system?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Our Lake Is Complete!
This is the new and improved evaporation pond for our neighborhood! It has been dug out and lined with a rubber blanket so it can hold water from the waste treatment system. Just in case you are worried about smell... The water released is cleaner than a public swimming pool and is chlorinated.
It took 5 days and several fire hoses to fill this bad boy up. Not too bad of a view if you ask me!
Makes you want to go swimming doesn't it.
This is what it used to look like!Did Costco Get A Fountain?
This is what happens when a Semi-truck cuts the corner and takes out a fire hydrant! (yup, that's me looking stunned in the lower right hand corner of the photo.)
At every fire plug there is a shut off valve in the ground at a distance of about 15 feet. This way when this type of thing happens it can be shut off.
The tool in the guys hand works the emergency shut off valve.
There was a ton of water that flowed down the streets in all directions.
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