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Author: Tom

One Eye or Two?

Posted on January 3, 2012 By Tom 3 Comments on One Eye or Two?
Gear

When we got married our good friend Joyce gave us a pair of Nikon Travelite binoculars. She knew we enjoyed birding, and would get good use from them. Too much use, almost to the detriment of our marriage, as it turns out. We fought over who got to use them. So, we bought a second … Read More “One Eye or Two?” »

iPad After Six Months

Posted on January 2, 2012 By Tom No Comments on iPad After Six Months
EdTech, Gear

IMAG0067.jpg

It’s been over six months since I’ve had my iPad (well, nearly seven, actually) and has been about that much time since I first wrote about it. Since then I’ve had a chance to put it through its paces and see what apps I like best.

I’m still frustrated by the lack of Flash. There are just too many online applications that I use on a regular basis that need it, from Aviary.com to Audioboo.fm to Flickr to…, well I think you get the point. Even though some of these sites advertise themselves as iPad compatible, or have apps, the embeddable players for blogs still run on Flash. I hope they are able to fix these.

I’m also still concerned about the “appification” of the web. Rather than making their sites HTML5 compatible, some sites are just creating apps to host their content, then charging for the apps. Content that use to be free on the web is now hidden behind an app fee if you want to read on an iPad. I’ve seen a couple of other editorials in the past month lamenting this practice, so I know it’s not just me.

That being said, I’ve found a whole host of other things that make the iPad an outstanding device, and one that I’ve come to rely on all the time. As one might imagine, I’m finding new uses beyond the traditional laptop/netbook that really make it a game changer. I guess the real clincher was when I recently reached up and tried to touch my laptop screen to select something.

Read More “iPad After Six Months” »

RandomConnections Calendar 2012

Posted on December 31, 2011 By Tom 1 Comment on RandomConnections Calendar 2012
Photography

Looking Glass Redynamix

Each year I do a calendar from some of my photos for my family. I use Qoop to create my photos because (A) they do a pretty good job and (B) they are a bit cheaper than some of the alternatives. What they lack, though, is a good space for text, so the photos have no descriptions. Therefore, I’ve started putting the descriptions here each year.


Cover – Looking Glass Falls

Looking Glass Redynamix

This is a photo of Looking Glass Falls in Pisgah National Forest north of Brevard, North Carolina. Normally, there are tons of people here, and it’s hard to get a shot. We were there on a spring morning in the middle of the week, so it wasn’t very crowded.

The photo was taken with a longer exposure time to give the falls that silky look, then processed in Photoshop with the ReDynamix plug-in to bring out the details.

Read More “RandomConnections Calendar 2012” »

An Old Fashioned Blog

Posted on December 27, 2011 By Tom 2 Comments on An Old Fashioned Blog
Uncategorized

Laura was with me in Barnes and Noble when I lingered over the leather journals. Later she apparently read my blog poston the subject. Subsequently, I received a beautiful leather-bound journal for Christmas. As I wrote earlier, the temptation was to put the journal away and use it for a special project. In my heart … Read More “An Old Fashioned Blog” »

Florida Christmas 2011

Posted on December 27, 2011January 25, 2020 By Tom 1 Comment on Florida Christmas 2011
Family, Paddling, Photography, Travel

Santa's Florida Sleigh

Another Christmas has come and gone, and again this year we’ve spent it in Florida with Laura’s sister, Amy. It’s been a busy week, with boat trips, paddling trips, and explorations of the area. Normally I would have done several posts, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. So I’ve combined a few items in one long post. Here are a few highlights and photos…

Beaches

We took a couple of trips to the beach. First was a trip up to Avalon Beach on North Hutchinson Island after a shopping trip to Vero Beach. The wind was whipping, and the waves were higher than usual. We didn’t stay long at the little park, but just parked so that Laura’s mom could look out over the ocean and we could walk on the beach.

Laura at Avalon Beach

Avalon Beach on North Hutchinson Island

Wright Family at Avalon Beach

Read More “Florida Christmas 2011” »

Winter Solstice Sunrise Paddle

Posted on December 22, 2011 By Tom No Comments on Winter Solstice Sunrise Paddle
Paddling, Photography, Travel

Solstice Sunrise

Last night was the longest night of the year. The Winter Solstice occurred at about 12:30 am. That meant sunrise would also be the latest of the year, and I could paddle out to enjoy it without having to get up too early. It also helped that both my kayak and body of water on which I’d be paddling were only about 100 ft away from my bed.

…but backing up a bit…

We arrived at Amy’s house in Fort Pierce earlier this week. In addition to luggage, my electronic gizmos, and Christmas presents, we had strapped the tandem kayak to the top of the car. While the weather down here is spectacular – hovering in the 80s during the day – paddling conditions have not been ideal. It’s been breezy and very choppy out on the Indian River.

Indian River Panorama

Returning

I tried a couple of solo trips. On one a large sea turtle came up next to me and kept me company for awhile.

Sea Turtle Head

Read More “Winter Solstice Sunrise Paddle” »

Christmas Kitsch

Posted on December 16, 2011 By Tom No Comments on Christmas Kitsch
Weirdness

The Chia Pets have emerged from their long hibernation. The gaudy decorations having been springing forth in stores for the past month and a half. We have now hit the peak of the season for Christmas Kitsch. Laura and I make regular trips to Garden Ridge this time of year to supplement our light supplies … Read More “Christmas Kitsch” »

In Praise of Old Tech

Posted on December 5, 2011 By Tom No Comments on In Praise of Old Tech
Gear, General Technology

This time of year I get lots of questions that go like this: “What’s the best [insert current popular tech device type here] to get for my [insert spouse, sibling, offspring, parent, or pet name here].” I know the reputation I have as a gadget guy, and more often than not I feel like a … Read More “In Praise of Old Tech” »

O Tannenbaum

Posted on December 3, 2011 By Tom 1 Comment on O Tannenbaum
Recipes

…or, the development of a theoretical cocktail… The Christmas party for Furman’s Chemistry Department was looming, and my friends Greg and Paul thought that a new drink was needed to celebrate the season. Both had agreed that Bombay Sapphire gin would be the base. Greg had lots of rosemary left over from Thanksgiving, and wanted … Read More “O Tannenbaum” »

Saying Goodbye to Misty

Posted on November 27, 2011 By Tom No Comments on Saying Goodbye to Misty
Family, Miscellaneous

Today we said goodbye to our cat, Misty. She was our oldest, and at 15 had lived a good, long cat life. She was the last of our cats to come with us from our old house off of North Main. Misty and her brother Rascal came to us by way of my father. Unbeknownst … Read More “Saying Goodbye to Misty” »

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