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Fourth Fireworks

Posted on July 6, 2008 By Tom 1 Comment on Fourth Fireworks
Local, Miscellaneous

Fireworks 11

Our family was somewhat scattered, and the drought was causing some concerns about lighting fireworks in the Upstate, so we decided on a different path for this year’s Fourth.

First, we headed over to Paul’s for some of his world-famous ribs and blistering rounds of bumper pool and bocce balls. No mercy was spared on either account.

For our fireworks, there were several option. We could brave the crowds downtown, or we could brave the religious nutjobs over at Redemption World Outreach Center. John Ellenberg has a hanger at the municipal airport, which would have a great view of the RWOC. Chip and I remembered his access code, and toyed with the idea of using his parking lot to view the fireworks.

We loaded up the convertible and headed to the Haywood Road Area. It was already a zoo, and there was stepped up security, so we decided not to try John’s place. As it turns out we parked on the road overlooking the hanger. It was a good thing, because they were launching from the end of John’s building, so we were actually in the fallout zone for the fireworks. The display was pretty cool.

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July 4th Reflections

Posted on July 4, 2008 By Tom 2 Comments on July 4th Reflections
Miscellaneous, Music

Military OK, I get it. Our military history is inextricably linked to our pursuit of freedom and democracy. Even the very fireworks we use to celebrate this day are a reflection of the munitions used to secure such freedoms. While July 4th was the actual Signing of the Declaration, only a long and bloody conflict … Read More “July 4th Reflections” »

Cuss-o-Meter

Posted on July 4, 2008 By Tom No Comments on Cuss-o-Meter
Miscellaneous

Just thought you should know… Created by OnePlusYou

Libraries and Museums – Not There Yet

Posted on July 3, 2008 By Tom No Comments on Libraries and Museums – Not There Yet
EdTech, Internet

This photograph of Nina Simon over at Museum 2.0 pretty much sums up my experience with museum and library websites over the weekend. This was also the conclusion of Simon’s paper describing museums and libraries in the 21st Century.

This all got started this past weekend as I was reviewing websites for a graduate course I’m taking. I was not only looking at museums and libraries, but historical societies, as well. My intent was to see what actual resources were offered on their various websites and to see how they have bought into social networking. What I found was a bit discouraging.

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Cone Flower with Texture

Posted on July 2, 2008 By Tom 2 Comments on Cone Flower with Texture
Photography

Cone Flower with Texture

Here’s my obligatory annual close up shot of a cone flower. It seems that just about every one of my Flickr photographer friends has a shot like this, most including some sort of insect – bee, etc. Here’s a small sampling…

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Where to Direct the Outrage??

Posted on July 1, 2008 By Tom 2 Comments on Where to Direct the Outrage??
Rants

This morning I found myself truly outrage, but the target of that anger kept shifting. First, the setting… I dropped by the media center of one of our schools where we are holding summer school. There was a teacher there with two students, one watching a music video and one a boxing match, neither of … Read More “Where to Direct the Outrage??” »

Two Quick Earthly Diversions

Posted on July 1, 2008 By Tom No Comments on Two Quick Earthly Diversions
Geocaching and Maps

Here are two quick video links that I found while browsing my RSS feeds this morning. Oddly enough, both are hosted on Vimeo.com, but I found them linked from different sources. First is the video “Where the Hell is Matt?” found link in an article on BoingBoing.net. Matt is a 31 year old slacker who … Read More “Two Quick Earthly Diversions” »

A Cautionary Technology Tale

Posted on July 1, 2008 By Tom 2 Comments on A Cautionary Technology Tale
EdTech, General Technology

This is an absolutely true story which took place last Thursday, June 26. The names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent because we enjoy giving Noel Kane-Maguire grief about this. Every summer the Furman Chemistry Department hosts a corporate luncheon to show appreciation for the sponsors of their summer research program. Professor Noel … Read More “A Cautionary Technology Tale” »

Paddling Lake Fairfield

Posted on June 29, 2008 By Tom 1 Comment on Paddling Lake Fairfield
Local, Paddling

I had been paddling on Lake Cunningham twice in as many weeks, so I decided it was time to give our little backyard lake another try. Large snapping turtles and burrowing water rodents had made a mess of our bank, so I really don’t have a good canoe/kayak launch anymore. Also, the siltation has gotten … Read More “Paddling Lake Fairfield” »

Paddling Resume’

Posted on June 26, 2008 By Tom No Comments on Paddling Resume’
Geocaching and Maps, Paddling, Uncategorized

Tom Kayak OOB

In case you haven’t noticed, I love to paddle. My preference is for moving water, but a nice flatwater paddle on a river or lake can be fun, too. I started this obsession when I was about fifteen, running the Enoree River with my high school buddies in an army surplus inflatable raft that had more patches than original material. College years were more adventurous trips in large whitewater rafts, or lazy floats in inner tubes. When I started teaching I could afford a cheap Coleman canoe (which I still have), and now I paddle a Perception Torrent sit-in-top whitewater kayak. This being said, I have now put together my paddling resume’ in Google Earth KMZ format.

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