Random Connections – Page 67 – A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

Spring Break in Florida – Part Three, Indrio School

March 15, 2015March 27, 2015 Tom 1 Comment

I’ve been coming down here now for over a quarter of a century. Each time we exit I-95 and take Indrio Road over to Old Dixie Road. The speed limit drops drastically on Indrio Road as it passes through the community surrounding Taylor Dairy. Live oaks drape over the road and while enchanted looking, they cause something of a bottleneck on this major route to the Interstate.

There have been some attempts to widen the road, but it would destroy the beautiful trees. Alas, time and disease may do what thwarted plans were not able to do. The trees are dying, and it may be just a matter of time.

Spring Break in Florida – Part Two, Island Hopping

March 13, 2015March 26, 2015 Tom No Comments

Paddling, Photography, Travel

Of course I brought a boat with me. Amy has a boat ramp in her back yard, so I would be foolish not to take advantage of multiple paddling opportunities. That is, as long as the weather cooperates.

And the weather was being a bit persnickety. Sunday the breezes kept me off the water, but Monday morning I headed out. The water was still choppy. The wind was coming from the south, blowing the same direction as the incoming tide. I headed south, planning to paddle against the current and wind early in the trip, then take advantage of it on the way back.

Spring Break in Florida – Part One, Kissimmee Prairie

March 12, 2015March 26, 2015 Tom No Comments

Family, Paddling, Photography, Travel

This week is Spring Break for Furman. Spring Break doesn’t have much meaning for me since I’m now retired, but Laura has had a busy term now that she’s chair of Furman’s Chemistry Department. She needed the break, and wanted to check in with her mom, so we headed down to her sister’s house in Florida. Of course, this happened with a car loaded down with camera gear, paddling gear, and my favorite kayak strapped to the roof.

The trip down on Saturday was uneventful. There were lots of other spring breakers headed south, including some from Furman. I think one spotted my FU on the side of my kayak (which stands for Furman University, and not any other perceived meaning) and gave me a thumbs up. It was also bike week in Daytona, so we passed LOTS of bikers.

The Bells of Europe

March 5, 2015 Tom 2 Comments

Entertainment, Miscellaneous

Many years ago my brother Houston told me about a radio documentary entitled “The Bells of Europe,” which came out in 1973. Houston liked it so much that he ordered a cassette tape of the show, which I listened to, as well. It was an excellent show that documented the history of the bells of the cathedrals of Europe, from their creation to the destruction of many to build cannons for war.

The drama was the creation of Peter Leonhard Braun, a German radio pioneer. Braun’s intent was take radio outside of the studio. With audio recording equipment improving and becoming more portable, Braun wanted to explore the possibilities of creating audio documentaries on-site, and the Bells of Europe was the first of these documentaries.

GeoPodcasting Revisited

February 28, 2015 Tom 1 Comment

Geocaching and Maps, Internet, Music, Podcast

Back in 2007 I wrote an post entitled “Geopodcasting – Adding Location to Audio.” I had just given a talk at SC EdTech on geotagging, and the post was meant to explore the idea of geotagging audio files.

There have been lots of changes in the seven and a half years since that post came out. I wanted to revisit the subject and see what tools and options are now available for for adding location data to audio.

Back in 2007 photo geotagging was just taking off. It was (and still is, to some extent) a tricky process. Back then smart phones weren’t as prevalent, so not too many people had a hand-held device that could combine GPS, imagery, and audio. Today we have iPhones, Androids, and various tablets that can do all of this. So you would think that the process would be much easier. But is it?

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Farewell Spock

February 28, 2015 Tom No Comments

Entertainment

Yesterday the world learned of the death of Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock of Star Trek fame. As you might imagine, there has already been a tremendous amount of eulogizing about a beloved character, actor, and human being. I don’t intend to repeat that, or post yet another image of the funeral scene from Wrath of … Read More “Farewell Spock” »

Sacred Music, A Sacred Space, and a Remembrance

February 22, 2015February 23, 2015 Tom No Comments

Music

Today was our concert with the Greenville Chorale Chamber Ensemble. This is the small, 20-voice ensemble directed by Bing Vick. The concert, entitled Sacred Music for a Sacred Place, was held at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Greenville. For me, it was a bittersweet experience. This morning I learned of the sudden death of … Read More “Sacred Music, A Sacred Space, and a Remembrance” »

Podcast Episode 2 – Feedback Wanted

February 22, 2015 Tom No Comments

History and Genealogy, Podcast

taphophile (plural taphophiles) A person who is interested in cemeteries, funerals and gravestones People often wander through old cemeteries, and they do so for different reasons. Some are interested in genealogy and finding ancestors. Some are interested in the history represented by the lives lived within the cemetery. Some like the artwork of the headstones, … Read More “Podcast Episode 2 – Feedback Wanted” »

Lost Roddenberry

February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 Tom 2 Comments

Entertainment

gene-roddenberry-star-trek-birthday — Gene Roddenberry

Quick, let’s play a game. What do the following actors have in common?

OK, that one was probably too easy. Each of these actors played a character named James Bond.

How about another one? What do all these characters have in common?

Right, that one was too easy, too. All of these actors played Batman at one time or another.

Now let’s make it a bit harder. What about these actors? They have something similar in common.

If I told you that the three actors above are Alex Cord, John Saxon, and Kevin Sorbo, would that help? (And, no, they didn’t all play Hercules.) OK, I’ll tell you. All three of these played a character named Dylan Hunt. More on that a bit later.

Here’s one last one. These three also have something in common. Two should be very recognizable.

The inclusion of Leonard Nimoy and Brent Spiner in the last set might make you think Star Trek. (Well, that, and the title of the post) But who’s this third guy? It turns out that all of the actors in those last two sets have been involved with projects created by legendary Gene Roddenberry. As Dwight and I were working on our list of science fictions predictions we started talking about Roddenberry projects, and Dwight suggested a blog post on Lost Roddenberry. So, here it goes…

Days of Future Past

February 16, 2015January 28, 2024 Tom No Comments

Entertainment, History and Genealogy, Internet, Podcast

Here it is! Here’s the first episode of the Random Connections podcast! The first episode is based on one of the earliest posts on the blog. I had made a list of science fiction predictions that would have come to pass by 2004 in a post entitled “Yesterday’s Tomorrows.” Ten years later I updated the … Read More “Days of Future Past” »