Musings from the Mothership

UT 3, 4 & The Milky Way [video]

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:31:00 +0000

UT 3, 4 & The Milky Way [video]
Originally uploaded by josefrancisco.salgado

Wonderful time lapse video.

Good explanation of the oil spill and the quantities involved.

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 12:49:00 +0000

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Solar Rebates in Florida Expire. A crying shame.

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:01:00 +0000

Patrick Detscher: Don't let utilities determine the future | tallahassee.com | Tallahassee Democrat: "The Florida legislative session has ended and our leaders have returned to their districts without fulfilling a responsibility near and dear to your hearts, wallets and future. As things stand, Florida's only renewable energy incentive will expire at the end of June. With nearly $30 million in rebate money owed to more than 85,000 Florida family members and businesses that installed solar systems, the Legislature chose to turn its collective back on us."

Live Owls

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:31:00 +0000

ISS ground track

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:31:00 +0000

I have seen four very bright passages of the ISS since this one. I have an Iphone app named "ISS Visibility" that predicts when these passages will occur. The ISS appears brighter than the brightest star on most of these passages and is moving faster than the fastest plane in the sky. I can imagine that anyone not knowing this was the space station would think they were seeing a UFO.

First Recorded Senior Moment

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:43:00 +0000

Impressive Results From New Cancer Drug - New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:22:00 +0000

NYT: After long fight, cancer drug suddenly effective - The New York Times- msnbc.com

Love Hot Dogs? Watch This.

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:11:00 +0000

Redirected Blog

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:46:00 +0000

I have setup a subdomain and have redirected my blog to it. The new location for this blog is http://mothershiphq.bbbrown.com/ . Will it work? That remains to be seen. I believe I have to wait until the DNS for the new subdomain is propagated throughout the Internet. That can take up to 48 hours so it might be a while before this can be seen. I am posting here to see how long it will take for the subdomain to appear.

Roku Rocks

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:31:00 +0000

I have been using my Roku a lot. I turned on debugging mode by using 5 times 3 times 3 times. After watching it for a bit it seems that the box is learning my network's capacity and is now streaming much more reliably. I have found a lot of content in the channel store and am liking Roku more and more.

One Sentence archive - story #3516

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:56:00 +0000

One Sentence archive - story #3516

Can you tell a story in one sentence? That was an interesting challenge. My favorite is number 3516. Click on the link above to read it.
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Linus' blog: Happy camper

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:50:00 +0000

Linus' blog: Happy camper

Interesting argument for using a smartphone and for the Nexus One in particular. Linus Torvals, known for creating the operating system, Linux, comments:

Michael Paul Smith's Awesome Dioramas and Models

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Michael Paul Smith has posted photos of his models on Flickr. As one who has enjoyed building scale models for most of his life I am awed by his skills. Check a slideshow of his photos here.

For more info on his modeling and photos please click here.

Mixed Results with Roku

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:37:00 +0000

I have had mixed results with my Roku video streaming device. When it works it delivers really nice video to my TV and sound system. But, the problem is the device is totally dependent on the quality of your network connection. Sometimes I can stream an entire HD movie from Amazon with no problems. Other times I get reloads and stumbles. Searching the Roku forum revealed that there were some settings that might help. These settings set the minimum bandwidth for the device rather than leaving it to be automatically set. I received mixed results from those tweaks as well.

I am still testing and tweaking trying to find the optimal setting for my network. My ISP is AT&T. I pay for 6mbps DSL which should be more than adequate for most people. I think the problem might be that I have five computers, a Wii, the Roku and an Iphone grabbing bandwidth from my network. Not all of them are on at the same time but I did find that when my Iphone is using WiFi in my house that it grabs a big chunk of bandwidth.

My results with the Roku are mixed. When it works it is very nice delivering 5.1 sound from Amazon and HD video. I can stream my Netflix Instant Que and watch a lot of techie video podcasts such as TWIT.TV and others. Because of my network situation it is not a spontaneous experience since one never knows what quality video one will get. When the device has to rebuffer because of problems with the network it drives me crazy.

Citation Manager

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:15:00 +0000

How to Clip, Sort, and Cite the Entire Web with Zotero - Information - Lifehacker

If I were really serious about research this Firefox plugin would be very valuable. At this point I am not motivated to be so disciplined about researching anything.

Is Facebook Useful?

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:28:00 +0000

I have had a lot of email discussions with friends and family about the value of Facebook. Many complain that it is difficult to manage and one must do a lot of tweaking to get it to filter the barrage of unrelated comments that are posted.

One suggestion was to reduce the number of friends. That probably defeats the concept of having all of your friends accessible in one location. I don't like this option.

I personally use lists. Lists on Facebook are basically filters. You give the list a name and then assign friends to them. So, if I have one called coworkers and only include people who work with me in the list I can click on coworkers and show only those conversations. You can create numerous lists and use them to filter what you see.

One could create a Facebook group that would be targeted to a particular topic but I have had only a little success with that. Many businesses use Facebook groups for fans of their products and in effect get free advertising.

The process that seems to have evolved among a few friends involves migrating an interesting topic that pops up to email or Facebook messaging where it can be continued in more length.

In short, it takes some work to configure Facebook to be more useful. Some think it is not worth the effort. I will probably stay with Facebook because it is the only single place where all of my friends and family can be reached. Since some are discouraged by the techie aspect of tweaking it to be more useful we will probably lose one or two Facebook Friends but overall I find it more useful than annoying.

Apple Iwhat?

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:47:00 +0000

Leaks by Jason Calcanis, ubergeek, have revealed some fascinating aspects of the new Apple tablet, the I?. With all of the details revealed such as the fact that it uses the Apple Iphone Operating System and many others, it is weird that the name has yet to be disclosed. I guess Jason had a non disclosure agreement that expired today before the big release at 6pm in San Francisco. Even the pricing was revealed with options ranging from $599 up to $799 depending on memory and options. All in all it sounds like the tablet device to beat. It is reported to be great for reading newspapers and magazines.

Personally, I think that the Kindle will still be hard to beat for book reading. Why? One word. Amazon. Others also agree saying that the black and white E-Ink used for the Kindle is easier on the eyes. For me, the enormous library that Amazon offers gives the Kindle a lot of points. But, knowing Apple as I do I will not count them out. I am confident that they will have negotiated a block buster deal of some kind with a large book publisher. That would be the only way they could stand a chance of competing with Amazon and the Kindle.

Margaret Designs 23 Stories High

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:40:00 +0000

Design Studio | CANTONI.COM

I knew that my cousin Margaret was a very talented woman. I knew that she had impeccable taste. Now, I have seen all of that expressed in a beautifully designed penthouse apartment. I am very proud of what she has accomplished here.

Dirty Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Wunder Blog : Weather Underground

Frank Cerabino

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Pond-lovers casualties of all-out war on piranhas
I love Frank Cerabino's columns but this kind of title is not good journalism. You nhave piranhas in a local pond and you are coming out defending those who just want to leave the pond alone? Any one who knows anything about ecosystems and exotic invasions would say this kind of statement is nuts. I am saddened that journalism has deteriorated to this "Fox News" kind of sensationalism.

Solar panels an even better investment

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:23:00 +0000

BBC News - Solar panel costs 'set to fall'

My Dad

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:21:00 +0000

My dad is in Clarendon Memorial Hospital in Manning, SC. He will be 90 in January. About four days ago he had a bad case of diverticulitis and was admitted through the ER at the hospital. He had emergency surgery to correct the problem. I finally got to see him yesterday after a lot of travel obstacles reported previously here. He looks as though he has been in a fist fight but by all reports from doctors and nurses he is doing remarkably well. Yesterday he had a steady stream of visitors by friends and family and is now talking and entertaining the nurses in the ICU. Luckily at this time he is the only patient in the ICU and the nurses are wonderful. He has all of the ICU staff focused on him and they are providing excellent care. The surgeon visited last night and said he was going to try to get him on his feet today and thinks he will be taking a few steps on his on. He told me that dad is doing remarkably well for someone his age. They are amazed at his rate of recovery.

The surgery went well in Tampa too. Barbara is there caring for Kim. We are thankful we are able to be retired and can divide our forces to cover all the bases. This has been a logistical challenge for us and we still face some travel. The Mothership was left behind in Tarpon Springs, Florida for repairs of the damage done by the tire blow out. So, at some point I will travel back to Tampa to retrieve Barbara and the RV. Perhaps we will then come back to SC depending on how well dad does and the situation with mom and dad. They are likely to need us for a while even after that. We shall see what we shall see.

Gridlock on I-95

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:10:00 +0000

Yesterday, Tuesday, we awoke at 5am. My stepdaughter was having surgery at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, Florida. Our plan was for Barbara to go with her daughter and her daughter's husband to the hospital with Kim. I packed to travel to South Carolina to see my dad who had surgery two days before. All went smoothly and I left Palm Harbor, Florida near Tampa for the trip to SC. It is about an 8 or 9 hour trip depending on the traffic. The route chosen by my GPS seemed a good one as all of the roads were good and traffic at that time of the day was steady but not bad. All went well until I was 20 I26. I thought that perhaps it was a bad accident but almost two hours later when I reached the bridge the problem was a crack or hole in one lane of the bridge. They had reduced the two lanes down to one to repair it and that was the reason for the grid lock.

Adventure on Florida's Turnpike

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:52:00 +0000

On Sunday we heard that my dad was going in for emergency surgery. We had already planned to go to Tampa because another family member was also scheduled for surgery. We had originally planned to drive just the car thinking it would be a simple trip to Tampa, stay to help out, and then return home. But, the call about my dad required a change of plans. I decided to take the Mothership, our RV, and tow the car. I would drop Barbara off to stay in Tampa and then I would drive the RV on to South Carolina where my dad was having surgery. That way, if we had to stay longer in SC I would be able to take the car back to Tampa, pick Barbara up, and then return to SC where we would have the RV to live for as long as we could stay. So off we went.

At about Mile Marker 134 on the Turnpike we heard a loud bang. Imagine what it must have been like flying a WWII bomber to be hit by Flak, the anti aircraft artillery used by the Germans against allied aircraft. It sounded as if we had been hit by Flak. It also sounded like something was thrashing loudley as if part of the RV was coming apart. We had blown an inside rear tire. The remenants of the tire were thrashing around and around as it came apart. I wrestled the big beast to a safe landiing on the side of the road and we called AAA. We have the AAA Plus road coverage so that the RV would be part of the service. Barbara also heard a hissing sound which I quickly traced to our propane tank. The line leading to the rest of the coach from the tank had been severed. I turned off the main valve leading from the tank to the rest of the coach.

They dispatched a truck at about 2:30 as soon as we called after rolling to a stop. First a small repair truck arrived but that one did not have the equipment to do the job so they dispatched what is known as a "Rotator." It is a gigantic tow and repair truck. The driver told me that the vehicle cost $750,000. I believe it. That thing could lift an 18 wheeler with its crane and I guess they are called upon to do so.

The driver, a wiry but strong and
intense guy, surveyed the damage. Not only had the propane line been severed but the tire tentacles had thrashed around and grabbed the back of the wheel well pulling it inward toward the tire. That in turn pulled the outside fiberglass wheel well fairing and the wheel well structure inwards towards the wheel. Before the tow guy could change the tire he had to get all of the bent metal and fiberglass clear of the tire. He wrestled and fought with hands, arms feet, and legs until it all came free. It is now in the back of our car. He then proceded to retrieve the spare and change the tire which was another big job but with the right skills and tools he made quick work of it. All of this took about three hours so by now it was 5:30 pm. Damage done included gas line severed, electrical marker light wires severed and possible the electrical line supplying power for lights on our car which we tow. Who knows what else but we at least were underway. We finally arrived in Tampa at 10:00 pm tired and ready for bed.

Today we face finding a place to do quick repairs and buying a new spare tire. Meanwhile my dad is doing well in ICU and my cousin who is a doctor called to fill me in on the details of his situation which sounds very good considering his age, 90. I hope my solo leg is more uneventful than the first leg of this trip. Life is an adventure.

Amazing interactive video

noreply@blogger.com (The Browns) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:57:00 +0000

This is an amazing video application. Pan left and right while flying around Mt. St. Helens.