We can't wait to meet her!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Fetus Navidad!
Merry Christmas from the expanding Bowker Family!
Please click here to see more information about this year's Christmas Card, or click the "Our Christmas Cards" link in the right sidebar to see our previous cards.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Baby Name Suggestions
We asked some of our friends kids what they thought we should name our baby-to-be. Here are the responses so far:
Monday, December 1, 2008
Cool Product: GotVoice
Read Your Voice Mail as Text
GotVoice is a voice mail consolidation service that allows you to retrieve (for lack of a better term) voice mail from several different sources and handle them all through your email.
You can either set up your cell phone to forward to the GotVoice service instead of your provider's default voice mail service, or you can have GotVoice call in to retrieve your voice mail periodically through out the day. (If your provider supports it, forwarding is a much slicker option. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all support this.) Then GotVoice converts your voice mail to an MP3 file and emails it to you for you to listen to, forward on like regular email, or save and cherish for years to come.
Where the real fireworks begin is that GotVoice also transcribes your voicemail to text and includes that in the email as well! This not only makes voice mail much faster to process, but also makes it searchable!
And if that wasn't enough, you can also opt to have them send that transcribed message as a text message to your cell phone for no additional cost! How's that for handy?
The Voice-to-Text service is pretty accurate, too. Propper names get a little mixed up (Ray Schulz became Ray Charles) but the rest of the text is, for the most part, spot on. (I suspect they have a bank of human typists -perhaps in India- manually transcribing random messages all day long.)
I have been using the service for nearly a year and I'm extremely impressed. I don't see how I could do with out it now, especially since we have two cell phones and never remembered to check for new messages when we got home. This makes it all fast and easy and and infinately more manageble.
Combining this service with Gmail adds another level of powerful versitility as we can then also opt to have voice mail for our home phone automatically forwarded to Kristi's work email so she can get it too. And the searchable nature of Gmail makes finding past voice mails easy as pie (you can also search by phone number which makes it very exact). Gmail also allows to to play MP3 attachements right from inside the browser with out needing to open a separate audio player, which you will realize is extremely nice if you've ever waited for iTunes to load just to hear a few seconds long sound file.
The service costs $5/month for up to 3 phones and 20 voice-to-text transcriptions, and $10/month increses it to 40 transcriptions. There is also a free version of the service, but it's so limited that it's hardly worth noting.
www.GotVoice.com
GotVoice is a voice mail consolidation service that allows you to retrieve (for lack of a better term) voice mail from several different sources and handle them all through your email.
You can either set up your cell phone to forward to the GotVoice service instead of your provider's default voice mail service, or you can have GotVoice call in to retrieve your voice mail periodically through out the day. (If your provider supports it, forwarding is a much slicker option. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon all support this.) Then GotVoice converts your voice mail to an MP3 file and emails it to you for you to listen to, forward on like regular email, or save and cherish for years to come.Where the real fireworks begin is that GotVoice also transcribes your voicemail to text and includes that in the email as well! This not only makes voice mail much faster to process, but also makes it searchable!
And if that wasn't enough, you can also opt to have them send that transcribed message as a text message to your cell phone for no additional cost! How's that for handy?
The Voice-to-Text service is pretty accurate, too. Propper names get a little mixed up (Ray Schulz became Ray Charles) but the rest of the text is, for the most part, spot on. (I suspect they have a bank of human typists -perhaps in India- manually transcribing random messages all day long.)
I have been using the service for nearly a year and I'm extremely impressed. I don't see how I could do with out it now, especially since we have two cell phones and never remembered to check for new messages when we got home. This makes it all fast and easy and and infinately more manageble.
Combining this service with Gmail adds another level of powerful versitility as we can then also opt to have voice mail for our home phone automatically forwarded to Kristi's work email so she can get it too. And the searchable nature of Gmail makes finding past voice mails easy as pie (you can also search by phone number which makes it very exact). Gmail also allows to to play MP3 attachements right from inside the browser with out needing to open a separate audio player, which you will realize is extremely nice if you've ever waited for iTunes to load just to hear a few seconds long sound file.
The service costs $5/month for up to 3 phones and 20 voice-to-text transcriptions, and $10/month increses it to 40 transcriptions. There is also a free version of the service, but it's so limited that it's hardly worth noting.
www.GotVoice.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Geometric Name for a Hula Hoop
I had trouble finding this information online, so I'm going to post it here to make it easier for others to find.The geometric name for the shape of a Hula Hoop or a smoke ring (which are hollow) is a torus. If the shape is solid, like a donut or a ring, it's called a toroid.
Put another way, a torus is the surface area of a toroid, and a toroid is the shape enclosed by a torus.
You might hear a geometry geek at a basketball game root for the players to "put the sphere through the toroid!" (and now you'll know what they mean.)
Friday, November 7, 2008
We Are Living in Exponential Times
This video is staggering. How does one keep pace in a world like this?
And at the same time, what an exciting time to be alive!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Star Wars Toaster
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Why NOT to vote for Obama
This is a really, really good essay by a guy explaining why he didn't vote for Obama. 100% worth the short read.
It's a New Day in America!
The View from Bellingham, WA: Kristi and I watched the election at a friends house who lives off of Alabama St., an arterial in Bellingham. When CNN called the race for Obama we heard a ruckus outside. We opened the door and heard people yelling, screaming with glee! And they carried on like that for some time!
On our drive home we passed through downtown Bellingham, and even then, several hours after Obama's acceptance speech, people were shouting, climbing up street signs, and waving Obama signs in the air. One young lady we saw was running down the sidewalk, hugging people, apparently strangers, as she went along!
Fireworks and explosions could be heard late into the night. Cars were honking as they drove by our house even into the early hours of the morning!
I've never seen anything like it. I've never seen MY generation in particular get so excited, so inspired, by a political candidate. (I have to give at least some thanks to Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney for all they have done to invigorate the political interests of American youths.) I never thought I would feel so proud of the president that my country selected! I feel like we have a chance to regain our respect from the rest of the world community again.
Congratulations, Mr. Obama! My sincere prayers are with you.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Huge Victory!
The FCC voted 5-0 today to approve the unlicensed use of the "TV White Spaces" radio spectrum!
(You can read the full story here.)
This is a huge win for the future of wireless communications and should lay the groundwork for some really cool products and services in the future. Thanks to everyone that participated in signing the petition! Our Voices Were Heard!
Now, wasn't there some other voting-thingy going on today...?
Saturday, November 1, 2008
How to Fix the US Presidential Election Process
In just 4 easy steps!
Are you as tired of the campaign bombardment as I am? I mean seriously, we've been dealing with this for almost two years now! I just want it to be safe to watch TV or turn on the radio again with out being assailed by negative campaign ads!
And to make matters worse, it's hard to get really excited about voting because with the two party, electoral college system it doesn't really feel like our individual votes actually count.
In an effort to open a conversation about how to improve the situation, I'd like to offer 4 things that I would do to fix our presidential election process here in the US if I were King of the World* (an office that would probably be appointed rather than elected).
1) Shorten the Campaign Season
The campaign season needs to be limited to a much shorter time span, like 6 months (the Canadians get it done in just 2 months!). So much time, energy and money is wasted during our long presidential campaign season. It only takes so long to get to know where a candidate stands of the issues, and with so much extra airtime to fill it almost always turn negative. It's become a complete media circus that only seems to achieve the result of riling up the radical ends and driving the moderate voters away from the process through sheer annoyance.
Having a shorter campaign season would force the candidates (and hopefully the media) to focus on why they are qualified instead of leaving them enough time to start making up ridiculous reasons why the other candidates are not qualified. I believe this would promote a more intelligent discussion, and help prevent the campaigns from turning sour.
2) Get Rid of the Electoral College System
The Electoral College system was put in place by the founding fathers to solve the problem of having a largely ignorant populace, and also partly because communication was slow and difficult back then making it hard to educate the populace on the candidates and the issues. Today we enjoy communication that's extremely cheap and bordering on almost too instantaneous, and while I won't say that there aren't still some pretty ignorant people around, for the most part the population is much better educated. The time has come to elect our presidents based on the popular vote like a true democracy. Electing people to elect the president for us isn't really a democracy anyhow, it's a republic.
3) Change to an Approval Voting System (This is the big one so hang on!)
The US currently uses the plurality voting system, which basically means that each person gets to vote for only one candidate per office in an election (not that it matters much since we also have the electoral college system for our presidential elections, see above). The plurality system sounds very nice and patriotic; "One Person, One Vote" and all that. But it also has some significant problems, the two biggest of which being that it strongly promotes the use of negative campaigning, and it's also very susceptible to letting a less popular candidate win. I'll explain...
When each person can only vote for one candidate it forces the candidates to fight for that one vote. It's very difficult to convince people that are already tending toward your opponent to switch their vote over to you, no matter how much positive spin you throw on yourself. But it's relatively easy to convince those people not to vote at all through the use of negative campaigning. Think about what percentage of political ads you see that are designed to make you not want to vote for an opposing candidate versus the number that are designed to make you want to vote for a candidate. Now imagine how that translates into the percentage of campaign dollars spent trying to get you to vote versus not vote. Pretty disheartening, huh? But they do it because it's very, very effective.
The way the plurality voting system can end up electing lesser popular candidates is through splitting the vote. This happens if you have two or more very popular, but also very similar, candidates plus at least one that's less popular. The vast majority of voters might prefer the two popular candidates, but if half of them votes for one and half of them votes for the other, neither candidate will get enough votes to beat the less popular candidate that has less divided supporters. An example of this can be seen in the most recent republican primary where both Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney were widely regarded to be more likely to win the Republican nomination than John McCain, but John McCain won out, partly because Huckabee and Romney split the "faith based" voters (among other reasons). This is why, for the presidential election especially, it's preferred to have only two main candidates, so that a split is less likely to happen. This has the effect of concentrating the vast majority of power into just two parties (and I doubt too many people would disagree that both the Republican and Democratic parties have far too much political power these days).
An approval voting system is a system where instead of having a ballot where it lists all the candidates and you only get to vote for one of them, you get to vote once each for every candidate that you feel is qualified for the job. The votes for each candidate are tallied up and the one with the most votes wins. While it is somewhat more likely that you could end up with a tie that would require a tie-braking election, the tie would always be between the most popular candidates.
The approval voting system also has several other neat side effects: It discourages negative campaigning (candidates want to convince you to also vote for them instead of not vote for someone else). The results would provide a more accurate picture of the political values held by the population (because they would be free to also vote for independent, reform, or even socialist candidates if they were so inclined). It better distributes political power (because there would then be room for more than just two parties). It encourages a more intelligent election dialog (because it allows for a spectrum of views to be discussed as valid options instead of boiling issues down to black-or-white, hot-button talking points). The simple design would be fairly easy to switch to (because even if a voter didn't understand that the method had changed and only voted for one candidate it would still count as a valid vote).
And the list of positive effects goes on from there. But it's unlikely that this system will ever be adopted because the parties in power prefer to keep their power, and the plurality system is easier to game.
4) Always Have a Paper Trail
I'm not against electronic voting systems. I think they have a lot of potential to make elections much more efficient. But electronic voting is too easy to cheat with, and there should always be a paper trail that can be followed manually if any funny business is suspected. The machine should print out two receipts; one that it gives to the voter and one that it keeps in a securedballot box. The one that goes into the ballot box should be reviewable by the voter before it gets dropped in.
The way to tell if there's been any cheating is fairly easy by looking at the exit polls; if the exit polls are off the election results by more than about 2% then there needs to be an investigation. But you can't do an investigation unless there is some sort of hard copy to refer back to.
Conclusion
So those are my ideas for election reform. Please let me know in the comments what your ideas for fixing the system are, I'm genuinely interested to know!
And please remember my name next time you vote for King of the World.
* I was happy keeping my mouth shut about this, but then I told Dustin and he said I had to blog about it. So this blogs for you, Dustin.
Are you as tired of the campaign bombardment as I am? I mean seriously, we've been dealing with this for almost two years now! I just want it to be safe to watch TV or turn on the radio again with out being assailed by negative campaign ads!
And to make matters worse, it's hard to get really excited about voting because with the two party, electoral college system it doesn't really feel like our individual votes actually count.
In an effort to open a conversation about how to improve the situation, I'd like to offer 4 things that I would do to fix our presidential election process here in the US if I were King of the World* (an office that would probably be appointed rather than elected).
1) Shorten the Campaign Season
The campaign season needs to be limited to a much shorter time span, like 6 months (the Canadians get it done in just 2 months!). So much time, energy and money is wasted during our long presidential campaign season. It only takes so long to get to know where a candidate stands of the issues, and with so much extra airtime to fill it almost always turn negative. It's become a complete media circus that only seems to achieve the result of riling up the radical ends and driving the moderate voters away from the process through sheer annoyance.
Having a shorter campaign season would force the candidates (and hopefully the media) to focus on why they are qualified instead of leaving them enough time to start making up ridiculous reasons why the other candidates are not qualified. I believe this would promote a more intelligent discussion, and help prevent the campaigns from turning sour.
2) Get Rid of the Electoral College System
The Electoral College system was put in place by the founding fathers to solve the problem of having a largely ignorant populace, and also partly because communication was slow and difficult back then making it hard to educate the populace on the candidates and the issues. Today we enjoy communication that's extremely cheap and bordering on almost too instantaneous, and while I won't say that there aren't still some pretty ignorant people around, for the most part the population is much better educated. The time has come to elect our presidents based on the popular vote like a true democracy. Electing people to elect the president for us isn't really a democracy anyhow, it's a republic.
3) Change to an Approval Voting System (This is the big one so hang on!)
The US currently uses the plurality voting system, which basically means that each person gets to vote for only one candidate per office in an election (not that it matters much since we also have the electoral college system for our presidential elections, see above). The plurality system sounds very nice and patriotic; "One Person, One Vote" and all that. But it also has some significant problems, the two biggest of which being that it strongly promotes the use of negative campaigning, and it's also very susceptible to letting a less popular candidate win. I'll explain...
When each person can only vote for one candidate it forces the candidates to fight for that one vote. It's very difficult to convince people that are already tending toward your opponent to switch their vote over to you, no matter how much positive spin you throw on yourself. But it's relatively easy to convince those people not to vote at all through the use of negative campaigning. Think about what percentage of political ads you see that are designed to make you not want to vote for an opposing candidate versus the number that are designed to make you want to vote for a candidate. Now imagine how that translates into the percentage of campaign dollars spent trying to get you to vote versus not vote. Pretty disheartening, huh? But they do it because it's very, very effective.
The way the plurality voting system can end up electing lesser popular candidates is through splitting the vote. This happens if you have two or more very popular, but also very similar, candidates plus at least one that's less popular. The vast majority of voters might prefer the two popular candidates, but if half of them votes for one and half of them votes for the other, neither candidate will get enough votes to beat the less popular candidate that has less divided supporters. An example of this can be seen in the most recent republican primary where both Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney were widely regarded to be more likely to win the Republican nomination than John McCain, but John McCain won out, partly because Huckabee and Romney split the "faith based" voters (among other reasons). This is why, for the presidential election especially, it's preferred to have only two main candidates, so that a split is less likely to happen. This has the effect of concentrating the vast majority of power into just two parties (and I doubt too many people would disagree that both the Republican and Democratic parties have far too much political power these days).
An approval voting system is a system where instead of having a ballot where it lists all the candidates and you only get to vote for one of them, you get to vote once each for every candidate that you feel is qualified for the job. The votes for each candidate are tallied up and the one with the most votes wins. While it is somewhat more likely that you could end up with a tie that would require a tie-braking election, the tie would always be between the most popular candidates.
The approval voting system also has several other neat side effects: It discourages negative campaigning (candidates want to convince you to also vote for them instead of not vote for someone else). The results would provide a more accurate picture of the political values held by the population (because they would be free to also vote for independent, reform, or even socialist candidates if they were so inclined). It better distributes political power (because there would then be room for more than just two parties). It encourages a more intelligent election dialog (because it allows for a spectrum of views to be discussed as valid options instead of boiling issues down to black-or-white, hot-button talking points). The simple design would be fairly easy to switch to (because even if a voter didn't understand that the method had changed and only voted for one candidate it would still count as a valid vote).
And the list of positive effects goes on from there. But it's unlikely that this system will ever be adopted because the parties in power prefer to keep their power, and the plurality system is easier to game.
4) Always Have a Paper Trail
I'm not against electronic voting systems. I think they have a lot of potential to make elections much more efficient. But electronic voting is too easy to cheat with, and there should always be a paper trail that can be followed manually if any funny business is suspected. The machine should print out two receipts; one that it gives to the voter and one that it keeps in a securedballot box. The one that goes into the ballot box should be reviewable by the voter before it gets dropped in.
The way to tell if there's been any cheating is fairly easy by looking at the exit polls; if the exit polls are off the election results by more than about 2% then there needs to be an investigation. But you can't do an investigation unless there is some sort of hard copy to refer back to.
Conclusion
So those are my ideas for election reform. Please let me know in the comments what your ideas for fixing the system are, I'm genuinely interested to know!
And please remember my name next time you vote for King of the World.
* I was happy keeping my mouth shut about this, but then I told Dustin and he said I had to blog about it. So this blogs for you, Dustin.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I Support Barack Obama
Watching this short video it's easy to see why Barack Obama is so popular, and the right choice for our country. Cutting through the ridiculous claims made by the republican campaign that he's a terrorist, a socialist, or (the most racist claim) that he's a Muslim (Who decided that Muslims can't be patriotic Americans anyhow?!), Obama just seems to get it.
But regardless of my political views, please be sure to get out and vote next Tuesday.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wassssuuuuuuup? (8 years later)
What ever your political bent this election season, you have to admit this is a pretty clever political ad:
(If you haven't ever seen the original "Wassup" beer commercial, you should really watch it first. Here it is.)
(If you haven't ever seen the original "Wassup" beer commercial, you should really watch it first. Here it is.)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Please Sign This Petition for Me!
On Nov 4th the FCC is going to vote on what to do with the "TV White Spaces", which is the wireless spectrum that will be freed up once the analog TV broadcasting channels are discontinued on 2009. This spectrum is extremely long range, and penetrates trees and walls easily. It's been in use by TV broadcasters for many years.
Almost every tech company out there wants to see this wireless spectrum opened up for unlicensed use, the same way that the part of the spectrum that WiFi devices use today are unlicensed so that anybody can use them. Look at what a technical revolution WiFi has brought in the short time it's been around! This new spectrum would greatly expand the range and capabilities of WiFi type services, as well as open the door to new applications we haven't even thought of yet.
The major broadcasting companies don't want to loose their control of this spectrum. They would rather keep this spectrum licensed for their own uses, probably for more digital TV channels (like we need more of those...).
Please, as a personal favor to me and everyone else in North America, and I swear I'm asking this in light of the greater good, please go to this web site and sign this electronic petition:
http://www.freetheairwaves.com/
I'm very excited about the potential new inventions and services this could provide in the future that could create new jobs and opportunities and learning in our country. Especially for people in rural areas where houses are too spread out for current WiFi applications to be practical.
I'm also concerned about the short sighted greed of the broadcasting corporations and the influence they are putting on members of the FCC to sway the vote in their favor. Numbers are our only advantage, so please sign up and be counted right away!
Thank you,
-Brian Bowker
Almost every tech company out there wants to see this wireless spectrum opened up for unlicensed use, the same way that the part of the spectrum that WiFi devices use today are unlicensed so that anybody can use them. Look at what a technical revolution WiFi has brought in the short time it's been around! This new spectrum would greatly expand the range and capabilities of WiFi type services, as well as open the door to new applications we haven't even thought of yet.
The major broadcasting companies don't want to loose their control of this spectrum. They would rather keep this spectrum licensed for their own uses, probably for more digital TV channels (like we need more of those...).
Please, as a personal favor to me and everyone else in North America, and I swear I'm asking this in light of the greater good, please go to this web site and sign this electronic petition:
http://www.freetheairwaves.com/
I'm very excited about the potential new inventions and services this could provide in the future that could create new jobs and opportunities and learning in our country. Especially for people in rural areas where houses are too spread out for current WiFi applications to be practical.
I'm also concerned about the short sighted greed of the broadcasting corporations and the influence they are putting on members of the FCC to sway the vote in their favor. Numbers are our only advantage, so please sign up and be counted right away!
Thank you,
-Brian Bowker
Monday, October 20, 2008
Housing Values Projection Graph
Wow - This graph is really cool once you read what went into adjusting it. It's of the US Housing Values, and any home owner or prospective buyer should take a look. But honestly, with data this cool I don't much care what it's of:
Housing Values History and Projection
The data only appears to go to 2006, but I think most people are aware of where the market has been heading lately, which would seem to prove this projection to be fairly true.
Thanks Chris P!
Housing Values History and Projection
The data only appears to go to 2006, but I think most people are aware of where the market has been heading lately, which would seem to prove this projection to be fairly true.
Thanks Chris P!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Blender Defender
This website is dedicated to a very clever solution that a guy used to train his cats to stay off the kitchen counters. It also includes a few video clips that are funny beyond words:
http://www.plasma2002.com/blenderdefender/
Seriously - I can't stop laughing every time I look at it! If they ever make a TV channel that just plays this guys clips over and over I'll get cable again!
http://www.plasma2002.com/blenderdefender/
Seriously - I can't stop laughing every time I look at it! If they ever make a TV channel that just plays this guys clips over and over I'll get cable again!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Google Android
...and wished you'd never asked.
Tuesday of last week T-Mobile announced that they will be the first US Cellular provider to offer a Google Android phone (It will be available October 22). It will cost $179 with a two year cellular contract. Since then there have been a flurry of news articles about it, but nobody seems to give all the info in one place, and reliable info has been hard to pin down.
Also complicating matters for the average consumer is the confusing new way that Android further divides up the development of the device. Who is releasing the Android? Is this Google's Phone, or is it T-Mobiles? And why is this phone such a big deal? These are some of the details I'm hoping to clear up with this post.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear that I have not actually touched an Android phone. My information and opinions are based on personal research and reading/watching other peoples hands-on reviews.
The Basics:
The first thing you need to understand about the Android phone is that there is no such thing as "The Android phone". While cell phones in the past have been made by Motorola or Nokia, or have been offered by AT&T or Verizon, Android throws a new conceptual wrench into the works. Now you'll need to think of cell phones as belonging to three distinct categories: the Hardware, the Software (Operating System), and the Service Provider.
With this first Android phone offered by T-Mobile, the hardware (named the G1, previously called the Dream) is made by HTC, the operating system (named Android) is made by the Open Handset Alliance (lead by Google), and T-Mobile is the cellular service provider. But don't bother memorizing that because it won't always be this way for every Android phone...
Openness Is the Big Deal:
Because Android is an open piece of software, and is being offered for free to anyone that wants to build hardware for it, many companies are expected to offer many different varieties of Android phones to meet various consumer needs.
It's also this openness that makes this phone such a big deal because anyone that cares to learn how to program will be able to write applications that will run on the phone, just like anybody can write an application for a computer, or a page for the Internet. This gives Android an unlimited amount of potential as a platform.
In comparison, the iPhone is a closed system where Apple gets to control both the hardware and the operating system, and they also work closely with AT&T who controls the cellular service. Average consumers can write software for the iPhone, but it can only be distributed through Apple, and Apple gets to block or allow any software it chooses (which it has already done to great controversy in the developer community).
The Blackberry is even more closed than the iPhone, and therefore even more limited in the scope of future development.
On the plus side for Apple and the Blackberry, that tight control of hardware and software means that they can have a higher degree of quality control throughout, and in theory, their products should work with fewer bugs because of it. But as the early purchasers of the 2nd generation iPhone found out, that doesn't always happen when a company is rushing its products to meet market pressures. (To be fair, I'm certain Android phones will have similar problems as the operating system matures and the diversity of hardware increases.)
The Hardware:
The basic specs of the HTC G1 handset are that it is 4.60 in x 2.16 in x 0.62 in and has a 528 MHz processor. The OS is housed in 256 MB of ROM and it has 192 MB of RAM to work with on top of that. It also has a MicroSD card slot for further storage expansion, currently they are available up to 8 GB.
It has a 3.2 inch 320 x 480 TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen that slides out of the way to reveal a small QWERTY keyboard. It also has a tiny track ball controller. It has a true GPS receiver, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 (though Google announced earlier this year that the first version of the Android OS will not support it), a 3.2 megapixel camera, a digital compass and an accelerometer (motion sensor).
The reviewers that have played with it so far have reported that the touch screen is accurate and that the phone is reasonably responsive. While the screen is technically multi-touch capable, the OS does not support it (due mostly to patent restrictions by Apple, but we'll see how long it takes some third party developer to add that capability). It's slightly smaller than the iPhone's screen, but the same resolution, so if anything it will seem the same, or very slightly sharper.
Some really nice features of the handset are the inclusion of a full QWERTY keyboard as it will make typing emails and using applications (like the very powerful Google Docs) much easier. But it also adds to the thickness of the overall handset. The handset has a removable battery which makes it possible to carry a spare if you'll be away from a power outlet for an extended time. HTC claims the battery will give a user between 350-400 minutes of talk time and between 320-400 hours of standby time. Using the handset in the real world, with all the gizmos like GPS turned on, it's likely to be much shorter than that.
Two obvious detractions with the handset are that it does not have a standard USB port or headphone jack. Instead it relies on a proprietary 9-pin mini-USB port that requires an adapter that ends in both a headphone jack and USB port. It may also come bundled with a proprietary set of headphones that does not require the adapter, but that's just my speculation.
The Software:
So far the reviewers that have played with the Android OS have been very impressed, though some of them note that it has room for improvements (mostly that it isn't as "smooth" as the iPhone). But regardless of how good the OS is out of the gate, it's bound to gain improvements from third party developers very rapidly once hardware that will run it is out in the wild.
Google announced earlier this year that it would not include Google Talk (Google's voice over IP client) in the first version of Android, chiefly because of time constraints. However, T-Mobile lists Google Talk among the included features on it's specs page, so I'm not sure what to make of that.
It does not include built in support for a Microsoft Exchange mail server, which is a major detraction for corporate users. But the included mail client does support IMAP and POP, and most speculators agree that it won't be very long before someone figures out how to solve that shortcoming.
It does for sure include built in support for Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Maps (with GPS and live traffic integration), a music player, a real web browser, and support for YouTube videos.
YouTube... I've heard some reports that Android will not ship with a full featured video client. This is somewhat troubling, but I think Google might have done this on purpose. Sifting through all the legal stuff to create a video player that will play the most common formats is a hassle these days. I'm betting Google is banking on the hope that someone like VLC will create an Android version of their excellent app to fulfill that need better than Google legally could.
The bundled music player allows the user to purchase music through the Amazon Music Store, which is an interesting choice to compete with the iTunes Music Store. The Amazon Music Store is smaller than iTunes, and does not have as many top artists as iTunes, but all the music that Amazon sells is in the MP3 format, which does not include the much derided DRM (Digital Rights Management). This means that the music you purchase is free from restrictions that dictate where you can and can't play your music and, in theory, you should be able to copy it from your phone to your computer or other music players with out much trouble. That is a very welcomed development in my mind, but in the realm of online music stores content is king, and iTunes has that in spades.
But the real jewel in Androids crown is the third party software that you can add to it after you buy it. Google held an Android Developer Challenge earlier this year where they awarded $25,000 to the teams that submitted the top 50 applications, and then awarded an additional $250,000 or $100,000 to the top twenty teams that won the second round. As you can imagine, this produced a lot of excitement and some really innovative apps came out of the other end. I won't list them here, but if you appreciate cleverness it's worth following this link and skimming through some of the winners!
Beyond that, once Android is out in the wild and the Android Market application store is opened, more apps are sure to flood in. Google has promised not to interfere with what apps are offered through the store, except that applications can't be harmful to the operation of the phone or to the users' data (like viruses or particularly poorly written apps).
The Service Provider:
I have to confess that I like T-Mobile as a company. (I did an extensive research project into cellular providers a few years ago and I feel that they are a measure less crooked than AT&T and Verizon.) But I am also a little disappointed with how they've handled their exclusive roll out of the first Android phone.
First off, they offer a service that I think is truly forward thinking called Hotspot. Or, at least it used to be called that, and now I think it's called Unlimited Minutes @ Home or something... Anyhow, it basically lets your Wi-Fi enabled cell phone connect over an available Wi-Fi connection and allows you to talk over it using their VOIP service. This does not count against your monthly minutes in your calling plan! And if you walk out of range of the Wi-Fi hotspot it will seamlessly transfer you back onto your regular cellular service. Brilliant!
With the G1 handset being Wi-Fi enabled, I thought it was only instinctive that T-Mobile would include this service and preempt the inevitable third party VOIP apps with the great advantage of being able to use your regular cell number. Also brilliant, right?
Apparently not so much. T-Mobile did not include this functionality in their soon-to-be-flagship product, the Android G1. I can only guess that they have either hit their collective heads and fallen down somewhere, or that there was some hardware/software restriction that I'm not aware of that is preventing them from exercising good strategy. Maybe it will be a software update later; one can only hope.
Another thing that I felt T-Mobile could have done to further milk the press cycle during the launch was to simultaneously announce contract-free calling plans. Long contracts with exorbitant early release fees have been the bane of cellular customers and the object of several recent legal battles. The mandatory contract service structure appears to be coming to an end, and the first company to "do right by the customer", I think, will win much love from customers and press alike. But T-Mobile did not announce contract free calling plans during the launch.
Frustratingly, Engadget was able to get a sneak peak at T-Mobile's plans to offer contract-free plans in an informal, post-launch conversation with T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman where he said it would be available in a contract-free version for $399. Which is great news, but it's never been officially announced. So Verizon decided to step in and steal the thunder by announcing their own contract-free plans first. Whether Verizon's offering will be worth while or not remains to be seen, but, regardless... Way to miss the opportunity, T-mobile!
I will give T-Mobile props for working hard to expand their 3G service (high speed wireless data service) in time for the Android launch, even if it's only available in 21 metropolitan areas so far. It's a good start and will expand with time.
Conclusion:
Android is a big deal and will likely change the cellular phone landscape in the US (and elsewhere in the world). It's off to a good start and things look like they will only get better. I'm excited about where it's heading, and really, really want one. It just depends if T-Mobile can get their act together before someone else offers something better.
Have questions about the upcoming first Android phone? Know some info that I've missed here? Post it in the comments!
Tuesday of last week T-Mobile announced that they will be the first US Cellular provider to offer a Google Android phone (It will be available October 22). It will cost $179 with a two year cellular contract. Since then there have been a flurry of news articles about it, but nobody seems to give all the info in one place, and reliable info has been hard to pin down.Also complicating matters for the average consumer is the confusing new way that Android further divides up the development of the device. Who is releasing the Android? Is this Google's Phone, or is it T-Mobiles? And why is this phone such a big deal? These are some of the details I'm hoping to clear up with this post.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear that I have not actually touched an Android phone. My information and opinions are based on personal research and reading/watching other peoples hands-on reviews.
The Basics:
The first thing you need to understand about the Android phone is that there is no such thing as "The Android phone". While cell phones in the past have been made by Motorola or Nokia, or have been offered by AT&T or Verizon, Android throws a new conceptual wrench into the works. Now you'll need to think of cell phones as belonging to three distinct categories: the Hardware, the Software (Operating System), and the Service Provider.
With this first Android phone offered by T-Mobile, the hardware (named the G1, previously called the Dream) is made by HTC, the operating system (named Android) is made by the Open Handset Alliance (lead by Google), and T-Mobile is the cellular service provider. But don't bother memorizing that because it won't always be this way for every Android phone...
Openness Is the Big Deal:
Because Android is an open piece of software, and is being offered for free to anyone that wants to build hardware for it, many companies are expected to offer many different varieties of Android phones to meet various consumer needs.
It's also this openness that makes this phone such a big deal because anyone that cares to learn how to program will be able to write applications that will run on the phone, just like anybody can write an application for a computer, or a page for the Internet. This gives Android an unlimited amount of potential as a platform.
In comparison, the iPhone is a closed system where Apple gets to control both the hardware and the operating system, and they also work closely with AT&T who controls the cellular service. Average consumers can write software for the iPhone, but it can only be distributed through Apple, and Apple gets to block or allow any software it chooses (which it has already done to great controversy in the developer community).
The Blackberry is even more closed than the iPhone, and therefore even more limited in the scope of future development.
On the plus side for Apple and the Blackberry, that tight control of hardware and software means that they can have a higher degree of quality control throughout, and in theory, their products should work with fewer bugs because of it. But as the early purchasers of the 2nd generation iPhone found out, that doesn't always happen when a company is rushing its products to meet market pressures. (To be fair, I'm certain Android phones will have similar problems as the operating system matures and the diversity of hardware increases.)
The Hardware:
The basic specs of the HTC G1 handset are that it is 4.60 in x 2.16 in x 0.62 in and has a 528 MHz processor. The OS is housed in 256 MB of ROM and it has 192 MB of RAM to work with on top of that. It also has a MicroSD card slot for further storage expansion, currently they are available up to 8 GB.
It has a 3.2 inch 320 x 480 TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen that slides out of the way to reveal a small QWERTY keyboard. It also has a tiny track ball controller. It has a true GPS receiver, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 (though Google announced earlier this year that the first version of the Android OS will not support it), a 3.2 megapixel camera, a digital compass and an accelerometer (motion sensor).
The reviewers that have played with it so far have reported that the touch screen is accurate and that the phone is reasonably responsive. While the screen is technically multi-touch capable, the OS does not support it (due mostly to patent restrictions by Apple, but we'll see how long it takes some third party developer to add that capability). It's slightly smaller than the iPhone's screen, but the same resolution, so if anything it will seem the same, or very slightly sharper.
Some really nice features of the handset are the inclusion of a full QWERTY keyboard as it will make typing emails and using applications (like the very powerful Google Docs) much easier. But it also adds to the thickness of the overall handset. The handset has a removable battery which makes it possible to carry a spare if you'll be away from a power outlet for an extended time. HTC claims the battery will give a user between 350-400 minutes of talk time and between 320-400 hours of standby time. Using the handset in the real world, with all the gizmos like GPS turned on, it's likely to be much shorter than that.
Two obvious detractions with the handset are that it does not have a standard USB port or headphone jack. Instead it relies on a proprietary 9-pin mini-USB port that requires an adapter that ends in both a headphone jack and USB port. It may also come bundled with a proprietary set of headphones that does not require the adapter, but that's just my speculation.
The Software:
So far the reviewers that have played with the Android OS have been very impressed, though some of them note that it has room for improvements (mostly that it isn't as "smooth" as the iPhone). But regardless of how good the OS is out of the gate, it's bound to gain improvements from third party developers very rapidly once hardware that will run it is out in the wild.
Google announced earlier this year that it would not include Google Talk (Google's voice over IP client) in the first version of Android, chiefly because of time constraints. However, T-Mobile lists Google Talk among the included features on it's specs page, so I'm not sure what to make of that.
It does not include built in support for a Microsoft Exchange mail server, which is a major detraction for corporate users. But the included mail client does support IMAP and POP, and most speculators agree that it won't be very long before someone figures out how to solve that shortcoming.
It does for sure include built in support for Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Maps (with GPS and live traffic integration), a music player, a real web browser, and support for YouTube videos.
YouTube... I've heard some reports that Android will not ship with a full featured video client. This is somewhat troubling, but I think Google might have done this on purpose. Sifting through all the legal stuff to create a video player that will play the most common formats is a hassle these days. I'm betting Google is banking on the hope that someone like VLC will create an Android version of their excellent app to fulfill that need better than Google legally could.
The bundled music player allows the user to purchase music through the Amazon Music Store, which is an interesting choice to compete with the iTunes Music Store. The Amazon Music Store is smaller than iTunes, and does not have as many top artists as iTunes, but all the music that Amazon sells is in the MP3 format, which does not include the much derided DRM (Digital Rights Management). This means that the music you purchase is free from restrictions that dictate where you can and can't play your music and, in theory, you should be able to copy it from your phone to your computer or other music players with out much trouble. That is a very welcomed development in my mind, but in the realm of online music stores content is king, and iTunes has that in spades.
But the real jewel in Androids crown is the third party software that you can add to it after you buy it. Google held an Android Developer Challenge earlier this year where they awarded $25,000 to the teams that submitted the top 50 applications, and then awarded an additional $250,000 or $100,000 to the top twenty teams that won the second round. As you can imagine, this produced a lot of excitement and some really innovative apps came out of the other end. I won't list them here, but if you appreciate cleverness it's worth following this link and skimming through some of the winners!
Beyond that, once Android is out in the wild and the Android Market application store is opened, more apps are sure to flood in. Google has promised not to interfere with what apps are offered through the store, except that applications can't be harmful to the operation of the phone or to the users' data (like viruses or particularly poorly written apps).
The Service Provider:
I have to confess that I like T-Mobile as a company. (I did an extensive research project into cellular providers a few years ago and I feel that they are a measure less crooked than AT&T and Verizon.) But I am also a little disappointed with how they've handled their exclusive roll out of the first Android phone.
First off, they offer a service that I think is truly forward thinking called Hotspot. Or, at least it used to be called that, and now I think it's called Unlimited Minutes @ Home or something... Anyhow, it basically lets your Wi-Fi enabled cell phone connect over an available Wi-Fi connection and allows you to talk over it using their VOIP service. This does not count against your monthly minutes in your calling plan! And if you walk out of range of the Wi-Fi hotspot it will seamlessly transfer you back onto your regular cellular service. Brilliant!
With the G1 handset being Wi-Fi enabled, I thought it was only instinctive that T-Mobile would include this service and preempt the inevitable third party VOIP apps with the great advantage of being able to use your regular cell number. Also brilliant, right?
Apparently not so much. T-Mobile did not include this functionality in their soon-to-be-flagship product, the Android G1. I can only guess that they have either hit their collective heads and fallen down somewhere, or that there was some hardware/software restriction that I'm not aware of that is preventing them from exercising good strategy. Maybe it will be a software update later; one can only hope.
Another thing that I felt T-Mobile could have done to further milk the press cycle during the launch was to simultaneously announce contract-free calling plans. Long contracts with exorbitant early release fees have been the bane of cellular customers and the object of several recent legal battles. The mandatory contract service structure appears to be coming to an end, and the first company to "do right by the customer", I think, will win much love from customers and press alike. But T-Mobile did not announce contract free calling plans during the launch.
Frustratingly, Engadget was able to get a sneak peak at T-Mobile's plans to offer contract-free plans in an informal, post-launch conversation with T-Mobile CTO Cole Brodman where he said it would be available in a contract-free version for $399. Which is great news, but it's never been officially announced. So Verizon decided to step in and steal the thunder by announcing their own contract-free plans first. Whether Verizon's offering will be worth while or not remains to be seen, but, regardless... Way to miss the opportunity, T-mobile!
I will give T-Mobile props for working hard to expand their 3G service (high speed wireless data service) in time for the Android launch, even if it's only available in 21 metropolitan areas so far. It's a good start and will expand with time.
Conclusion:
Android is a big deal and will likely change the cellular phone landscape in the US (and elsewhere in the world). It's off to a good start and things look like they will only get better. I'm excited about where it's heading, and really, really want one. It just depends if T-Mobile can get their act together before someone else offers something better.
Have questions about the upcoming first Android phone? Know some info that I've missed here? Post it in the comments!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Project 10 to the 100th; Those who help the most win!
This is a project / contest being put forward by Google where anybody that wants to can submit an idea that they feel will help lots of people. The idea that is judged to be the best will get funded by Google!
I LOVE to help people! It's a huge motivator for me... My mind is practically paralyzed with excitement right now! Why didn't I think of this contest??! (And have billions of dollars to throw at it...)
Does Google ever stop thinking of cool stuff? More info at this link.
(Thanks for the tip, Erin K.!)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Our Salty Economy
With all that is happening with the US financial sector these days, and with talk of a possible $700 Billion bailout of Wall Street, I thought I might be able to depress you all a little more by re-posting this earlier blog post I did about the scale of large numbers.
But first, on a personal note, I wholeheartedly urge any Americans reading this post to do a little studying and understand what is about to happen in our country. The "Wall Street Bailout Plan" being proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is extremely frightening to me for these five reasons:
And if you don't like reading you can watch this surprisingly entertaining 5 minute video from C-Span where Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur sums it up:
But enough about my fears for American life as we know it, here's my original post about visualizing large numbers (like 700 billion). Enjoy!
--------
April 29, 2008
What do you think of when you think of a million? How about a billion? What picture pops into your head when someone complains about the US National Debt being over $9 trillion? How can a person even wrap their head around numbers that big?
I can't. And it got me thinking about how I could go about forming a better perspective for these mathematical concepts. The idea I came up with was to put the numbers into a smaller scale that I could more easily visualize. So I started counting grains of salt.
Sound boring? Oh, it was, I assure you. But I found the results to be very helpful, and surprising:
1 Hundred grains of salt is about how many come out of a salt shaker if you shake it once (if the shaker in question is not very generous). It's a very small pile.
1 Thousand grains of salt is about how many you get if you take a really generous pinch of salt. This is still a pretty unimpressive pile as piles of salt go.
1 Million grains of salt is slightly less than what fits in a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Still not a whole lot, but quite a bit bigger than 1,000.
1 Billion grains of salt is equal to 25 gallons. If you can picture a 50 gallon drum filled half way with salt, that's about a billion grains. That's a lot more than the million that fit in the 1/2 cup!
1 Trillion grains of salt is equal to 25,000 gallons, or 3,342 cubic feet. That will completely fill a 21x20x8 foot room, roughly the size of a small classroom or a large living room. That is a lot bigger than that half of a drum that the billion fit into, and a whole lot bigger than the 1/2 cup that the million grains fit into. At that rate, would you even notice if a few million were added or subtracted?
1 Quadrillion grains of salt is equal to 25 million gallons, or roughly 3.3 million cubic feet. If you took a football field, including the end zones, and piled salt onto it, all the way to the edges, 60 feet deep, you would have roughly one quadrillion grains of salt! Or, if that's a little hard to visualize, imagine 10 football fields all covered 6 feet deep with salt... The perspective kind of breaks down again, doesn't it? (Author's note: Please don't try this at home; the grass on those football fields will never grow back again.)
Not wanting to wax political here, but thinking back to the question about the national debt being roughly $9 trillion... In salt-grain terms, that's 9 small classrooms filled with salt. Except each grain costs $1. The US Population is about 304 million, which means that each person in the US would have to pay roughly $30,000 to pay it off.
But before you get too worked up about the $30,000 you owe, realize that it only represents about a half of a teaspoon of salt. And that's barely enough to make cookies with.
[Postscript: My good friend Taylor gave me the idea to do this same exercise using seconds. Here are the results using lengths of time!]
You can check my math and my methodology here at this Google Spreadsheet.
But first, on a personal note, I wholeheartedly urge any Americans reading this post to do a little studying and understand what is about to happen in our country. The "Wall Street Bailout Plan" being proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is extremely frightening to me for these five reasons:
- It's being rushed through the Congress by the Bush Administration.
- It has a section (8) that rejects any legal or administrative oversight. (No joke; that's the language it uses!)
- It does not limit the amount of compensation or "bonuses" for Wall Street Execs. (Why should they be getting any bonuses after they've run things into the ground??)
- It does not include relief for struggling homeowners.
- Paulson is too close to Wall Street. (He was previously CEO of Golman Sachs)
And if you don't like reading you can watch this surprisingly entertaining 5 minute video from C-Span where Ohio Representative Marcy Kaptur sums it up:
But enough about my fears for American life as we know it, here's my original post about visualizing large numbers (like 700 billion). Enjoy!
--------
April 29, 2008
What do you think of when you think of a million? How about a billion? What picture pops into your head when someone complains about the US National Debt being over $9 trillion? How can a person even wrap their head around numbers that big?
I can't. And it got me thinking about how I could go about forming a better perspective for these mathematical concepts. The idea I came up with was to put the numbers into a smaller scale that I could more easily visualize. So I started counting grains of salt.
Sound boring? Oh, it was, I assure you. But I found the results to be very helpful, and surprising:
1 Hundred grains of salt is about how many come out of a salt shaker if you shake it once (if the shaker in question is not very generous). It's a very small pile.
1 Thousand grains of salt is about how many you get if you take a really generous pinch of salt. This is still a pretty unimpressive pile as piles of salt go.
1 Million grains of salt is slightly less than what fits in a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Still not a whole lot, but quite a bit bigger than 1,000.
1 Billion grains of salt is equal to 25 gallons. If you can picture a 50 gallon drum filled half way with salt, that's about a billion grains. That's a lot more than the million that fit in the 1/2 cup!
1 Trillion grains of salt is equal to 25,000 gallons, or 3,342 cubic feet. That will completely fill a 21x20x8 foot room, roughly the size of a small classroom or a large living room. That is a lot bigger than that half of a drum that the billion fit into, and a whole lot bigger than the 1/2 cup that the million grains fit into. At that rate, would you even notice if a few million were added or subtracted?
1 Quadrillion grains of salt is equal to 25 million gallons, or roughly 3.3 million cubic feet. If you took a football field, including the end zones, and piled salt onto it, all the way to the edges, 60 feet deep, you would have roughly one quadrillion grains of salt! Or, if that's a little hard to visualize, imagine 10 football fields all covered 6 feet deep with salt... The perspective kind of breaks down again, doesn't it? (Author's note: Please don't try this at home; the grass on those football fields will never grow back again.)
Not wanting to wax political here, but thinking back to the question about the national debt being roughly $9 trillion... In salt-grain terms, that's 9 small classrooms filled with salt. Except each grain costs $1. The US Population is about 304 million, which means that each person in the US would have to pay roughly $30,000 to pay it off.
But before you get too worked up about the $30,000 you owe, realize that it only represents about a half of a teaspoon of salt. And that's barely enough to make cookies with.
[Postscript: My good friend Taylor gave me the idea to do this same exercise using seconds. Here are the results using lengths of time!]
You can check my math and my methodology here at this Google Spreadsheet.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Potty Panic
Kristi went on a two week work-related trip to Japan in October last year. This is the email I sent to her after I dropped her off at the airport, reprinted here by request:
Sunday, October 14, 2007 11:17 PM
From: Brian Bowker
T0: Kristi Bowker
Subject: Potty Panic
Dear Kristi,
I miss you already. Here's one of the many reasons why:
So today when we left to go to the airport I kinda had to go to the bathroom, but I expected it to be a pretty quick run to the Bellingham terminal. When your flight was canceled I got distracted and we started off driving to SeaTac in a hurry (as you remember). But no worries: I'm pretty good at holding it and it wasn't an emergency yet.
By the time I dropped you off at SeaTac I definitely needed to go, but instead of having to pay for parking and fight my way through the airport I figured I would just find someplace for lunch on the way home and go there. Nuvi to the rescue; I found a sandwich shop that sounded good and off I went, gritting my teeth ever so slightly.
The GPS started telling me that the exit was coming up, and there was a fair amount of traffic so I started merging to the right in preparation. But it turns out the exit was on the left so I missed it! I cried out a little bit as I went by, now really needing to go!
I quickly picked a new Deli and headed to the next exit, a few miles down the freeway. This time I made the exit, but then missed a turn and was on a road that didn't have a way to turn around. I think I used a mild swear word at that point.
So now I was getting desperate, and decided to pick the closest restaurant on the way, which was about 1.5 miles down the road. I found the street, parked around the corner and hustled my way towards where the GPS had assured me would be a diner. After I walked about two blocks along a very busy road I came to realize that there was, in fact, no diner on that street! Now in pain, I ran back to the car, cursing under my breath all the way.
When I got back to the car I quickly put in the next closest place, which was a teriyaki place another 1.8 miles away, and when I got there it was CLOSED! Now in accute pain I cursed the very ground I was driving on!
A little ways further was a filling station... SALVATION! I screeched the tires on my way into the lot and ran into the mini-mart. I asked the lady behind the register if they had a restroom and she said no. NO!?? "Well," she says, "we do have one but there is already someone else using it. Oh wait - he's coming out; you can use it now."
My heart about jumped through my throat! A flood of emotions rushed through me; I would finally get to pee!
But wait - there were TWO GUYS ALREADY IN LINE FOR THE BATHROOM! There are NEVER lines in front of mens rooms!! THE UNIVERSE HATES ME!
Disgusted and agitated, I tell her I'll find somewhere else and storm out of the parking lot, determined that there should be another filling station in the vicinity. But no - there wasn't. I was deep in the middle of some industrial park in the middle of north SeaTac where there were no public restrooms.
It might as well have been Hell.
Somewhere around this point I started praying in earnest for the salvation of my bladder. Tears were starting to form in my eyes as I desperately selected the next nearest restaurant, which turned out to be, coincidentally, a sandwich shop. I was speeding as I drove towards it!
The sandwich shop was inside a business park where nothing was open, NOT EVEN THE SANDWICH SHOP! I parked the car in front not knowing what to do but knowing that I could not drive any further. My teeth were no longer just "floating" but starting to feel as if they might start leaking out of my mouth! At this point I was about 3 hours overdue to go to the bathroom and I was actually starting to get tunnel vision!
I was in a bad way.
But then I noticed that the sandwich shop had converted a few of their parking spots in front into an outdoor dining area. There were even trees planted around three sides of it...
Now, it's important to me that you understand that I was not in control of my actions at this point. I was quite mad from the pain and frustration and I'm certain that I had foam beginning to form in the corners of my mouth.
And so I peed. Behind a groomed shrubbery, alarmingly close to a table where someone would someday sit and eat their sandwich, I peed. I peed with such relief that waves of dizziness coursed through my body. I peed for all the times I had ever needed to pee ever before in all of my childhood. I peed for what seemed like an eternity.
And when I was finished I couldn't even move. I just stood there in a daze, with my mouth agape, my trousers open, holding my penis, in front of a sandwich shop somewhere in north SeaTac.
And so this is how I came to commit the crime of public urination. Less than 45 minutes after you had left and I could not even find a bathroom on my own! The next two weeks with out you are looking pretty grim.
I love you and I miss you. If you get the opportunity while you're in Japan, please come home.
-Brian
Sunday, October 14, 2007 11:17 PM
From: Brian Bowker
T0: Kristi Bowker
Subject: Potty Panic
Dear Kristi,
I miss you already. Here's one of the many reasons why:
So today when we left to go to the airport I kinda had to go to the bathroom, but I expected it to be a pretty quick run to the Bellingham terminal. When your flight was canceled I got distracted and we started off driving to SeaTac in a hurry (as you remember). But no worries: I'm pretty good at holding it and it wasn't an emergency yet.
By the time I dropped you off at SeaTac I definitely needed to go, but instead of having to pay for parking and fight my way through the airport I figured I would just find someplace for lunch on the way home and go there. Nuvi to the rescue; I found a sandwich shop that sounded good and off I went, gritting my teeth ever so slightly.
The GPS started telling me that the exit was coming up, and there was a fair amount of traffic so I started merging to the right in preparation. But it turns out the exit was on the left so I missed it! I cried out a little bit as I went by, now really needing to go!
I quickly picked a new Deli and headed to the next exit, a few miles down the freeway. This time I made the exit, but then missed a turn and was on a road that didn't have a way to turn around. I think I used a mild swear word at that point.
So now I was getting desperate, and decided to pick the closest restaurant on the way, which was about 1.5 miles down the road. I found the street, parked around the corner and hustled my way towards where the GPS had assured me would be a diner. After I walked about two blocks along a very busy road I came to realize that there was, in fact, no diner on that street! Now in pain, I ran back to the car, cursing under my breath all the way.
When I got back to the car I quickly put in the next closest place, which was a teriyaki place another 1.8 miles away, and when I got there it was CLOSED! Now in accute pain I cursed the very ground I was driving on!
A little ways further was a filling station... SALVATION! I screeched the tires on my way into the lot and ran into the mini-mart. I asked the lady behind the register if they had a restroom and she said no. NO!?? "Well," she says, "we do have one but there is already someone else using it. Oh wait - he's coming out; you can use it now."
My heart about jumped through my throat! A flood of emotions rushed through me; I would finally get to pee!
But wait - there were TWO GUYS ALREADY IN LINE FOR THE BATHROOM! There are NEVER lines in front of mens rooms!! THE UNIVERSE HATES ME!
Disgusted and agitated, I tell her I'll find somewhere else and storm out of the parking lot, determined that there should be another filling station in the vicinity. But no - there wasn't. I was deep in the middle of some industrial park in the middle of north SeaTac where there were no public restrooms.
It might as well have been Hell.
Somewhere around this point I started praying in earnest for the salvation of my bladder. Tears were starting to form in my eyes as I desperately selected the next nearest restaurant, which turned out to be, coincidentally, a sandwich shop. I was speeding as I drove towards it!
The sandwich shop was inside a business park where nothing was open, NOT EVEN THE SANDWICH SHOP! I parked the car in front not knowing what to do but knowing that I could not drive any further. My teeth were no longer just "floating" but starting to feel as if they might start leaking out of my mouth! At this point I was about 3 hours overdue to go to the bathroom and I was actually starting to get tunnel vision!
I was in a bad way.
But then I noticed that the sandwich shop had converted a few of their parking spots in front into an outdoor dining area. There were even trees planted around three sides of it...
Now, it's important to me that you understand that I was not in control of my actions at this point. I was quite mad from the pain and frustration and I'm certain that I had foam beginning to form in the corners of my mouth.
And so I peed. Behind a groomed shrubbery, alarmingly close to a table where someone would someday sit and eat their sandwich, I peed. I peed with such relief that waves of dizziness coursed through my body. I peed for all the times I had ever needed to pee ever before in all of my childhood. I peed for what seemed like an eternity.
And when I was finished I couldn't even move. I just stood there in a daze, with my mouth agape, my trousers open, holding my penis, in front of a sandwich shop somewhere in north SeaTac.
And so this is how I came to commit the crime of public urination. Less than 45 minutes after you had left and I could not even find a bathroom on my own! The next two weeks with out you are looking pretty grim.
I love you and I miss you. If you get the opportunity while you're in Japan, please come home.
-Brian
Thursday, September 18, 2008
How T-Mobile Can Gain Ground -OR- My Predictions for the Google Android Launch
I don't like to make a lot of predictions (I like my data to be accurate!). But I'm so excited about the upcoming launch of the first Google Android powered phone by T-Mobile that I want to get some of my thoughts down in black and white.For those of you that might not have heard yet (where have you been hiding??) T-Mobile is about to be the first cellular carrier to release a phone based on the new, open source Android operating system, pioneered primarily by Google. This new "mobile operating system" is expected to be an industry changing development. The handset hardware is being made by HTC and is called either the Dream or the G1. T-Mobile has called a press conference for Sept. 23rd to release the specifics, and everyone and their dog is speculating about what those specifics will be. And I am no different.
But I think I see some gaps in the general conjecture, some possibilities that are being missed. So here's a few strategies that I hope T-Mobile will use in the coming weeks to make the most of their big announcement and start to move up from being the 4th place US wireless provider:
Make the Dream a "Hotspot" enabled phone.
T-Mobile took a big risk and showed some real boldness when they announced their new "Hotspot" enabled phones a few years ago. Basically this allows Wi-fi capable handsets to make and receive calls over an available Wi-fi network with out using up a person's minutes. T-mobile charges a flat rate (about $10/month) on top of a regular plan and allows the user to make unlimited calls over Wi-fi.
This idea terrifies the other three big carriers because it means that people will pay for less "overage" minutes and will purchase smaller calling plan packages. But it's tremendously good for the customer for these same exact reasons.
With this service already in place, and the HTC Dream being a Wi-Fi enabled phone, it's pretty much a no-brainer that T-Mobile will do this. But strangely I haven't heard anyone out on the net getting excited about this probability. What if you could pay for a minimal plan but have unlimited calls on your iPhone? If AT&T announced that it would be a huge deal!
Announce the roll out of a 3G network.
This is also a fairly easy prediction to make since it's been rumored that T-Mobile will do this for the last couple weeks. But that doesn't diminish the fact that T-Mobile really needs to come through on this to keep from getting dinged in the press for not having it (like what happened to the original iPhone). If T-Mobile doesn't do this I'll be pretty disappointed in them. Not because I necessarily need 3G speeds on a phone, but because I think it's virtually a strategic necessity at this point in the game.
[Update: 9/19/2008 T-Mobile has now announced that they are indeed rolling out a 3G network across 27 major metropolitan areas, which will include Seattle by mid October. I've also heard rumors that the phone won't actually be available for purchase until Oct. 17th, which would line up with this time line. One prediction in the bag!]
Offer contract free calling plans.
Now this one I haven't heard anyone talking about, but I think it would be a killer feature for T-Mobile's forward strategy. US cellular consumers are becoming more and more disgruntled with the two year contracts and high "opt-out" fees that carriers charge these days, and for what? So you can over-pay for a phone that you get slightly cheaper up front? The time for mandatory two year cellular contracts is coming to an end, and I believe the first carrier to take steps away from them will reap great rewards for it in the press.
I think T-Mobile would do best to offer the Android phone via two options: $199 with a two year contract, or full price ($599?) with out a contract. This would protect them on both fronts: It would compete directly with the iPhone's $199 price point, but also give forward thinking customers a stress-free option that doesn't tie you down. The irony is that I believe customers would stay with a carrier longer if they weren't obligated to do so ("if you love something set it free...").
And for Google's part:
Roll out a new, improved Grand Central service.
A few years ago Google bought a telephony company called Grand Central that basically allows you to consolidate your many phone numbers into a single, intelligently controlled contact point. You sign up for the service and receive a single, local phone number and then link it to ring multiple other phone numbers depending on who's calling you.
For instance, you might want your wife to be able to reach you at your desk, at your cell, or at home (if she's at work) so you can set her caller ID info to ring all those locations when she calls your Grand Central number. But you might want your Boss to only ring you at your office and your cell. Or you might have someone that you want to go directly to voicemail with out ever ringing any of your phones. Or maybe they can ring you at home, but only after 5pm... You can accomplish all of this with Grand Central.
It also serves as a central hub for your voicemail, and will email MP3 recordings of your voicemails to any email address you like, so you don't even have to call in to listen to them.
The major downfall of Grand Central so far has been the lack of support for SMS text messaging. This means that your "single number" doesn't work when someone wants to send you a quick text message.
Since Google bought Grand Central there's been very little written about it,and they haven't really developed it any further. Which is why I believe this could be the perfect time for Google to release an updated version of the service and create some synergy along with T-Mobile's announcements.
If they add SMS text messaging support, and possibly also offer a service that will translate your voicemails into text (so you don't even have to listen to them) this would be a killer program for Android integration. I see no reason why Google wouldn't want to take this opportunity to create a bigger splash for the Android pool.
In conclusion, the new Android-running Dream is going to be put on a very hot seat when it comes out as it will be compared ruthlessly to the iPhone. T-Mobile and Google need to do everything they can to wow the community with a stellar roll out. Frankly, although I think the new Dream will be a spectacular phone, I don't think it's going to be able to stand up to the already mature iPhone on hardware and software alone. I think they are going to need to think about the value added services that make it not just a cool phone, but an undeniably beneficial complete package.
T-Mobile is the 4th place provider in an industry that only has 4 big players in the US, and they won't have exclusive dibs on the Android OS for very long. I believe their best strategy will be to play on the negative feelings that many consumers have towards the other carriers and offer services that are uncharacteristically good for the customer. I hope they do and I hope it changes the industry for ever.
They have very little to loose, but everything to gain. Go get 'em, T-Mobile!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Slam Dunk Your Trunk: Episode #2
HEY FRIENDS!
Last time on Slam Dunk Your Trunk we spent a little time on the often forgotten muscle groups of the face! That was so much fun that we decided to dedicate this entire episode to working on some even more forgotten body parts like the Lungs, Kidneys, Colon and Pancreas!
Crazy Golden THC Buddha will explain:
Thanks Chris P!
Last time on Slam Dunk Your Trunk we spent a little time on the often forgotten muscle groups of the face! That was so much fun that we decided to dedicate this entire episode to working on some even more forgotten body parts like the Lungs, Kidneys, Colon and Pancreas!
Crazy Golden THC Buddha will explain:
Thanks Chris P!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
This Post Could Save Your Life
With all the natural disasters happening lately, and being reminded that we live in an earthquake prone area where scientists have been predicting "The Big One" for more than 20 years, Kristi and I decided to update our emergency supplies (which I think we last looked into just before Y2K). I came across a concept in emergency preparedness that I think is worth sharing:
The Bug Out Bag
The basic idea of a Bug Out Bag is to put all of your emergency supplies together in a portable container and keep it near your door. This way if you have to leave your house in a hurry (say for a house fire) you can grab it quickly on the way out and know that you have basic supplies for your family.
Most Bug Out Bag "experts" agree that it should be in a backpack so that it can be carried long distances if necessary. A scenario that might necessitate this could be a large earthquake that closes roads, collapses many buildings, ruptures gas lines and burns down your house. That, in my mind, would be a pretty bad day.
A Bug Out Bag can also be used at home if it's a lesser disaster, like if the power were to go out for several days, or a snow storm traps you inside.
Another advantage of the Bug Out Bag is that if a disaster strikes while you're not at home, like a large earthquake, things can often turn into a huge mess. The Bug Out Bag will keep your basic emergency supplies contained together so you don't have to spend a lot of time searching for a lot of scattered, separate stuff in a potentially dangerous pile of debris.
In any case, the standard rule is to be prepared with the minimal supplies necessary for you and your family to survive for three days.
To that end, I've compiled a list of items that most experts agree should be in the bag. I've also broken it down into categories, and added notes explaining the reasoning behind most of the items.
I hope we never have to use it. I hope you never need to have one either.
The Bug Out Bag
The basic idea of a Bug Out Bag is to put all of your emergency supplies together in a portable container and keep it near your door. This way if you have to leave your house in a hurry (say for a house fire) you can grab it quickly on the way out and know that you have basic supplies for your family.
Most Bug Out Bag "experts" agree that it should be in a backpack so that it can be carried long distances if necessary. A scenario that might necessitate this could be a large earthquake that closes roads, collapses many buildings, ruptures gas lines and burns down your house. That, in my mind, would be a pretty bad day.
A Bug Out Bag can also be used at home if it's a lesser disaster, like if the power were to go out for several days, or a snow storm traps you inside.
Another advantage of the Bug Out Bag is that if a disaster strikes while you're not at home, like a large earthquake, things can often turn into a huge mess. The Bug Out Bag will keep your basic emergency supplies contained together so you don't have to spend a lot of time searching for a lot of scattered, separate stuff in a potentially dangerous pile of debris.
In any case, the standard rule is to be prepared with the minimal supplies necessary for you and your family to survive for three days.
To that end, I've compiled a list of items that most experts agree should be in the bag. I've also broken it down into categories, and added notes explaining the reasoning behind most of the items.
I hope we never have to use it. I hope you never need to have one either.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Breaking News: Mutual Grooming!
We figure that cuddling / sleeping together is the next step in their budding sibling relationship!
Edison also licked Scooter a little later on (when we didn't have the camera ready).
There might have been a little biting in that last photo...
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Slam Dunk Your Trunk!
HEY FRIENDS!
Welcome back to another EXCITING episode of Slam Dunk Your Trunk! We've got some really amazing work out routines for you today so grab your leg warmers and let's get movin!!
People who see me on the street often tell me that the hardest part about maintaining a regular work out routine is keeping motivated. "If I could just find a work out tape that I would want to watch again and again..." they tell me.
Well this first routine we have for you is all about replay value! Just watch it and you'll see what I mean. Feel free to "sing" along with Judi if you like:
Wasn't that great? Don't you just feel motivated all through your boogie body? I know I do!
Ok! Now let's move on to something a little more advanced. Here's a routine that focuses on an often forgotten part of the body: your face!
Whew! Feeling the burn? Feel all that blood rushing to your face? That's called embarrassment! Feels good, doesn't it?
Welcome back to another EXCITING episode of Slam Dunk Your Trunk! We've got some really amazing work out routines for you today so grab your leg warmers and let's get movin!!
People who see me on the street often tell me that the hardest part about maintaining a regular work out routine is keeping motivated. "If I could just find a work out tape that I would want to watch again and again..." they tell me.
Well this first routine we have for you is all about replay value! Just watch it and you'll see what I mean. Feel free to "sing" along with Judi if you like:
Wasn't that great? Don't you just feel motivated all through your boogie body? I know I do!
Ok! Now let's move on to something a little more advanced. Here's a routine that focuses on an often forgotten part of the body: your face!
Whew! Feeling the burn? Feel all that blood rushing to your face? That's called embarrassment! Feels good, doesn't it?
Monday, August 18, 2008
Powers of Ten
Friday, August 8, 2008
Bedding Fail
I few days ago I sat down to use the toilet and felt something furry brush by my leg. I look down and see our new kitten, Scooter, curl up in my underpants and start to purr."This is funny," I thought.
The next day I go to use the toilet again and in runs Scooter, patiently waiting for me to drop trou.
"This is really funny," I think to myself.
Tonight when I went to get ready for bed I decided to take the camera with me, just in case. Sure enough, there is Scooter, waiting for me in the bathroom, looking up at me as if to say, "Step it up, buddy; Where's my bed??"
Now I'm not sure what to think.
Anybody want to come over and hold/kiss/cuddle our new kitty??
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
A Stroll Through the Solar System
I'm very interested in organizing difficult to conceptualize information into more digestible formats. I get a lot of satisfaction when I can help someone realize something new about a complex subject, or gain perspective about something that's too massive to easily visualize.
One of those things, believe it or not, is our solar system. Most everyone has seen little models of the solar system, usually set up as a mobile and made from painted styrofoam spheres. Or maybe you've seen pictures with all the planets in the correct order, but very few people have ever seen a model of the solar system to scale. The reason for this is the immense size of the distances in between.To this end, I decided to construct an accurate scale model, and it takes nearly two miles to do it!
If the sun is 27 inches across, then Pluto is 1.8 miles away and is the size of the smallest candy sprinkle you can find!
Earth is a little smaller than a pea and is 240 feet away! The distances in between objects in space are really quite amazing!While we walked we discussed some of the lesser known facts about some of the objects in our solar system. For instance, did you know that the sun rises and sets twice each day on Venus? Did you know that Mars is actually red because it's rusty? Did you know that scientists believe that one of Jupiter's moons might have twice as much liquid water as Earth under it's surface? Did you know that there are three dwarf planets in our solar system? And one of them is closer than you think! (If you like raw data, feel free to peek my compilation of facts about the solar system here.)
I've done the walk twice now, once with friends in Bellingham in May (which was a cold walk down the South Bay Trail), and a second time with my family in July (which was a cold walk down the beach at Fort Flagler). It was really interesting for me and I think the other people involved as well. Learning is fun!If you're interested in doing one, I'm available to lead solar system walks at birthday parties, bar mitzva's and funerals.
Super Special Web-Only Bonus: Here's a compilation done by NASA of some of the moons of the solar system with the Earth for comparison. Pluto is roughly the same size as Europa (in case you were wondering.)
Monday, August 4, 2008
Intoducing Scooter!
This weekend Kristi and I went to the Whatcom Humane Society and found a little brother for Edison. She's been really lonely since Oscar passed away a few months ago, and we thought it was time.Turns out it's going to take time for her to warm up to her new little brother; she's always been so sweet and easy going, but this weekend has been full of hissing and growling and generally being a poor host. (We'd never even heard her growl until this!) So we're taking it slow, and only letting them hate at each other under supervision.
He's five months old and shares his birthday with my dad. He's really playful and very sweet. He might end up being our first "lap kitty"; He's already taken a good long nap on Kristi's lap!We're looking forward to being a family of four again and hope Edison eventually sees him as the cute little ginger tabby cat playmate that he is instead of the hideous redheaded stepchild that she sees him as now.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
6 Must Have Free Programs
It seems that a lot of commercial software, including the "free" stuff, has become a lot more complicated than it needs to be. And most people that aren't steeped in the industry don't realize that there are better, simpler alternatives out there. Here's a list of my favorite 6 pieces of free software that can make your computing life a little easier:
Firefox Web Browser (Windows, OSX, Linux)
Faster, more secure, more flexible, and uses less resources than Internet Explorer. Need I say more?
AdBlock Plus (Any system that runs Firefox)
Along with Firefox, make sure to install the handy AdBlock Plus add-on. It prevents Firefox from loading or displaying most of those annoying, flashing, bandwidth-steeling ads.
Foxit Reader (Windows, Linux)
Adobe Reader (former Acrobat Reader) was meant to be a simple, ubiquitous tool for displaying PDF files. But somehow Adobe has managed to bloat it out into a slow-loading resource hog with a myriad of bugs and security holes. Why? What else is it supposed to do? I don't know, but I know what Foxit Reader does: It just displays PDFs quickly and flawlessly.
PDFCreator (Windows)
Capping off the other end of the PDF world is PDFCreator, which installs a virtual printer that creates a PDF file from any program that prints to it.
VLC Media Player (Windows, OSX, Linux)
Tired of the bloated monsters that media players have become these days? And the worst part is that most of the big name players dont' play all the formats, so you have to install them all. Lame! Enter VLC Media Player - lightweight, quick to load, plays practically every video format there is. The default user interface is a bit sparse though, so I recomend also installing one of the optional skins.
CCleaner (Windows)
A very good maintanance tool for Windows. Cleans out the left over temp files, tidies up the registry... You'll be amazed at how much performance / stability you can regain by running this.
UPDATE! I forgot one other must have piece of free software. I use it so much I didn't even think about it...
Picasa (Windows, Linux)
An excellent photo management and simple editing tool from Google. It's super easy to use and works with your previous photo organization scheme instead of forcing you to reorganize all your photos for it like some other popular photo organization tools.
Firefox Web Browser (Windows, OSX, Linux)
Faster, more secure, more flexible, and uses less resources than Internet Explorer. Need I say more?
AdBlock Plus (Any system that runs Firefox)
Along with Firefox, make sure to install the handy AdBlock Plus add-on. It prevents Firefox from loading or displaying most of those annoying, flashing, bandwidth-steeling ads.
Foxit Reader (Windows, Linux)
Adobe Reader (former Acrobat Reader) was meant to be a simple, ubiquitous tool for displaying PDF files. But somehow Adobe has managed to bloat it out into a slow-loading resource hog with a myriad of bugs and security holes. Why? What else is it supposed to do? I don't know, but I know what Foxit Reader does: It just displays PDFs quickly and flawlessly.
PDFCreator (Windows)
Capping off the other end of the PDF world is PDFCreator, which installs a virtual printer that creates a PDF file from any program that prints to it.
VLC Media Player (Windows, OSX, Linux)
Tired of the bloated monsters that media players have become these days? And the worst part is that most of the big name players dont' play all the formats, so you have to install them all. Lame! Enter VLC Media Player - lightweight, quick to load, plays practically every video format there is. The default user interface is a bit sparse though, so I recomend also installing one of the optional skins.
CCleaner (Windows)
A very good maintanance tool for Windows. Cleans out the left over temp files, tidies up the registry... You'll be amazed at how much performance / stability you can regain by running this.
UPDATE! I forgot one other must have piece of free software. I use it so much I didn't even think about it...
Picasa (Windows, Linux)
An excellent photo management and simple editing tool from Google. It's super easy to use and works with your previous photo organization scheme instead of forcing you to reorganize all your photos for it like some other popular photo organization tools.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
20,000 Liters Under Tennant Lake
Last night our Couples Group went to Hovander Park and Tennant Lake in Ferndale. Tennant Lake is a remarkable park where they've built wooden boardwalks through a very dense wetland area. It's fascinating to walk through and see a marsh from this unique perspective.But I wanted to see the lake from an even more unique perspective - from under the water!
To that end, during this trip I tried out my new invention; Camera-On-A-Stick!
This is basically a camera in a waterproof enclosure that's been stuck to the end of a pole along with a Zebralight. I put the camera (my trusty Canon SD10 "Adventure Camera") into video mode and dunked it into the muck.
I was completely blind as to what I might be filming, or if it was even working. The footage, although clearly revolutionary, I'll admit, is not spectacular. I've added a little of William Shatner's crooning to help make the video more palatable.
The exceptionally observant observer may be able to spot three fish, a water bug (from below), myself, Taylor Swedberg's pointing finger, and a triceratops:
Things I've learned from this experiment:
- What I thought were slow, smooth movements translated into quick, herky-jerky footage. I will have to be more careful and hold still more if I do this again.
- A shorter pole would have helped as this long one had trouble getting caught on the above-water foliage.
- The water in the marsh is much clearer than I expected, as long as you don't stir it up too much.
- My SD10 locks the exposure when you start taking video; A camera that would continuously adjust exposure would be a huge benefit.
- Zebralights are awesomely versatile headlamps.
- William Shatner's singing can take anything from weak to WOW! Even videos of the bottom of a swamp!
Monday, July 7, 2008
All The Summer Camps I Went To As A Kid Were Crap
For the 4th of July this year Kristi and I went to Bainbridge Island to visit with her family at her Uncle Bob's property. While we were there, Uncle Bob gave us a tour of the IslandWood Camp where he is a docent.IslandWood is an educational camp that runs programs for school children, graduate students and adults and specializes in education about natural ecosystems and environmental technology. It was founded by the Brainards, who also founded Aldus, the creators of the Pagemaker software that has since been sold to Adobe. There are seven separate, natural ecosystems on the 255 acre grounds; a marsh, a bog, a pond, a seasonal stream, an estuary, a saltwater harbor, and woodland areas. It's very rare for so many ecosystems to exist in such close proximity, which makes IslandWood a real treasure for studying the natural sciences.
And everything about the camp is completely over-the-top amazing!
To give you an idea of what the grounds are like I'm going to start by describing the student sleeping quarters. In any camp I ever went to we had "cabins" that were basically glorified woodsheds crammed full of bunk beds. I think I went to one camp once where each cabin had it's own toilet and sink, shared by 8 to 10 people.
At IslandWood they have three Lodges, each of which has 24 separate rooms (I think) and each room has four bunk beds and one queen size murphy-bed for overflow. So there's a maximum of 6 people in each room, and each room has a private bathroom, and each bunk has it's own window that looks out into the forest and an LED lighting fixture that allows the kids to write in their journals with out disturbing their roommates. All the bunks, railings, and furniture are handmade out of natural tree limbs, the floors are all cork, and everything is gorgeous!Plus there is a common area with vaulted ceilings, handmade artisan furniture, fireplaces and metalwork sculptures. I want to emphasize again that these are the lodges where the kids sleep! And if that wasn't amazing enough, I should point out that all of the buildings, classrooms and educational structures are built like this. It's absolutely mind boggling!
One of the other buildings is called the Learning Studios, which houses several classrooms where students can participate in science projects and demonstrations to learn about how the environment works. Notice that there are solar panels on top. Many of the buildings also make use of solar water heaters and unconventional sewage treatment, like the "Living Machine" next door...
The Living Machine is an autonomous natural sewage treatment plant. It looks like a big green house full of big tropical plants. Black water** is pumped into three giant tubs filled with Purple Taro plants. They grow like crazy (over 12 feet tall) and clean the impurities out of the water. The water can then be used for gardening and flushing toilets and
such. Amazingly, there is no foul odor inside the greenhouse. The greenhouse is also completely computer controlled - opening and closing vents, raising and lowering shades, etc. It's really, really impressive!
Other educational structures include a 75 foot suspension bridge, a bird blind that over looks the marsh, a tree house that overlooks the bog [*Bonus Question: Do you know the difference between a marsh and a bog? Check at the end of this post for the answer!], a 150 foot aluminum frame tower that allows kids to study the tree top canopy, 
a hand-crank cable boat on the pond, various team building ropes-type courses... Plus lots and lots of wild life that freely roams the grounds. It's truly unbelievable!So you are probably assuming, as I did, that this is a luxury camp for rich kids. No. According to Uncle Bob, most of their campers are schoolchildren from the inner city. These are kids that many of whom have never planted a seed and eaten what it produced. Kids that don't know where food comes from past either a can or a microwave oven. What an amazing, perspective changing experience it must be for those kids! I can hardly imagine.
Here's a link to their website if you want more information on how to either get involved or help support this truly amazing facility.
I'm impressed, if you hadn't picked that up already. And also a little upset that all my fond, childhood camp memories have now been dashed by the grandeur that is IslandWood. Other camps in the area must really hate this place.
*Bonus Question Answer: A Marsh has water flowing both in and out of it, a Bog has just enough water coming in that there is no outlet. Nutrients, acids, and whatever else flows into a bog tends to build up since there is no outflow, and it supports a very different, and much more fragile ecosystem.
**Am I the only person that thinks it's hilarious that the Blackwater contracting company that our military has been using to do much of the dirty work in Iraq is named after water that's contaminated with fecal matter?
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