Another take on the flash drive

TravelStix Each Flash Drive is loaded with comprehensive travel forms that can be easily accessed with a simple plug-in.There are various packages depending on the traveler's needs – 'Traveling with a Relative or Family Friend,' 'Child Traveling Alone,' 'Grandparent Package,' 'Traveling Parent Package,' and 'Pet Care.' The flash drives each include all the necessary forms required for travel – including authorization for medical decisions, authorization for custodial care, authorization for travel with relative, etc. 

You'd have to be careful though - wouldn't want to loose them with all that info

 

Wall Of iPads & Libraries ... Display iBooks

From ... Wall Of iPads Could Be Used In Libraries To Display iBooks, Just Like This Concept Rendering [Apple]

via Gizmodo by Kat Hannaford on 1/29/10

If only Apple had recreated its app wall from WWDC last year, but with iPads! The 300 iPads used in this concept wall from Austraian architects would cost $149,700 if it was real. Apple could've afforded it, I'm sure.ClarkeHopkinsClarke, the Aussie architects who mocked up the above concept wall, believe it'd be the perfect installation for a library, with hundreds of different ebooks displayed. But that's not the end of this story—due to the size and weight of the iPad, we could be seeing a lot of innovative uses for them, as interactive wallpaper in clubs, teaching aides in schools, and so on. There's the small hurdle of cost, of course. [ClarkeHopkinsClarke via TUAW]

I knew lists were a good thing...

"Every composer knows the anguish and despair occasioned by forgetting ideas which one had no time to write down." Hector Berlioz French composer

whatever it is, ya gotta write it down!

"I hear and I forget;

I see and I remember;

I write and I understand."

And since I didn't want to forget this quote...

How Cold?

from Resources for Tracing Extreme Weather Conditions

The numbing cold moving in on half of the country (again) leads people to talk about when it was even colder. We do the same thing in Florida when it gets hot, as in, "Oh, this is nothing; back in 1973 -- wow -- it was really hot. You should have been here then!"

The National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has a significant amount of climate data that could help you settle those barbershop bets and bar fights.

One page lets you find a weather station by name, latitude or longitude.

Another provides a clickable world map.

A different map shows monthly extremes.

Weatherbase.com displays an easy-to-use listing of averages and extremes by ZIP code. It has data for 16,400 locations worldwide.

From the NCDC Web site:
"Extreme Weather and Climate Events." Maps, tables, reports. U.S. and global historical extremes, severe weather, recent events, etc.
U.S. climatological averages and normals. Long-term monthly averages/normals for more than 270 U.S. cities.
U.S. storm events database. 1950-present. Local storm reports, damage reports, etc., from various sources
"Climate Maps of the United States." More than 700 maps of climatic elements such as temperature, precipitation, snow, wind, pressure, etc.
"U.S. Climate Normals."
"Climate Monitoring." Numerous maps and graphs depicting climate trends, etc.

 
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=175469

More Word of the Year

American Dialect Society Votes “tweet” 2009 Word of the Year; Word of the Decade “google”

http://www.americandialect.org/index.php/amerdial/2009_word_of_the_year_is_tweet_word_of_the_decade_is_google/

In its 20th annual words of the year vote, the American Dialect Society voted “tweet” (noun, a short message sent via the Twitter.com service, and verb, the act of sending such a message) as the word of the year and “ google” (a generic form of “Google,” meaning “to search the Internet) as its word of the decade.

“Both words are, in the end, products of the Information Age, where every person has the ability to satisfy curiosity and to broadcast to a select following, both via the Internet.” [Grant] Barrett, [chair of the New Words Committee of the American Dialect Society editorial director of online dictionary Wordnik.com] said. “I really thought blog would take the honors in the word of the decade category, but more people google than blog, don’t they? Plus, many people think ‘blog’ just sounds ugly. Maybe Google’s trademark lawyers would have preferred it, anyway.”


http://www.americandialect.org/2009-Word-of-the-Year-PRESS-RELEASE.pdf

Other Nominees for Word of the Year Were:

-er A suffix used in such words as birther, someone who questions whether Obama was born in the United States; deather, someone who believes the government has death panels in its healthcare reform plan; Tenther, someone who believes the Federal government is mostly illegal because it usurps rights which belong to the States, in violation of the 10th Amendment; and truther, someone who doubts the official account of the 9/11 attacks.

fail A noun or interjection describing something egregiously unsuccessful. Usually used as an interjection: “FAIL!”

H1N1 The virus that causes swine flu.

public option A government-run healthcare insurance program, desired by some to be part of the country’s healthcare reform.

Dracula sneeze Covering one’s mouth with the crook of one’s elbow when sneezing, seen as similar to popular portrayals of the vampire Dracula, in which he hides the lower half of his face with a cape.

Other Nominees for Word of the Decade Were:

9/11 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Pronounced “nine eleven.”

blog A web site for publishing a chronological and ongoing series of related entries, especially when they are all by the same person(s) or on the same topic. Also a productive combining form: blogosphere, blogerati, milblog, blogola.

green Related to ecological or environmental conservation or protection. Also a productive combining form: greenwashing, green collar, etc.

text Verb: to send a text message via a mobile phone. Noun: such a message.

war on terror A global effort to prevent terror and terrorists.

Wi-Fi abbreviation. Wireless Fidelity, a group of technical standards enabling the transmission of data over
wireless networks.


http://www.americandialect.org/index.php/amerdial/2009_word_of_the_year_is_tweet_word_of_the_decade_is_google/
http://www.americandialect.org/2009-Word-of-the-Year-PRESS-RELEASE.pdf


Previous Post: What is the word of the year?

I got a little excited when I saw this in the Capital Journal Venner to join race for Dist. 24

~

Mr. Venner's great!

~

and that reminded me of ...

This picture was taken at last year's River Light Concert (Short Grass Arts Council Praise & Worship Music Concert) in Pierre with our ever faithful leader Mr. Venner at the helm. It was great having all the groups from the area share their music -- and there was lots of great music.

I think this year the River Light concert will be February 28.

Winter weather, severe weather, ... be prepared!

The SD Office of Emergency Managment and the National Weather Service put together an informational winter weather & safety preparedness guide  as well as a severe weather guide which includes information on severe weather that occurs in South Dakota, items needed for emergency supply kits, and ways to prepare your facility for natural disasters. More Docs

When traveling this winter season:
• Listen to the forecast before departing and postpone travel if inclement weather is occurring or expected.
• Avoid traveling alone. Inform others of your timetable and planned routes.
• Keep your gas tank near full.
• Adjust your speed to the condition and increase following distances.
• Carry a Winter Survival Kit in your vehicle at all times!

The fun part - putting together a car kit. There is no shortage of lists telling you what you need to have in your car. Let's see what everyone suggests to include.

• Shovel
• Flashlight with extra batteries, spotlight, flares
• Whistle
• First Aid Kit (make sure it has adhesive bandages, first aid tape and gauze), medications
• Non-perishable, high protein, energy, calorie foods such as granola bars, nuts, dried fruit, energy bars, also canned fruit and a portable can opener are good additions. MREs, candy (suck on a hard candy to keep your mouth moist), raisins
• Candles and matches (in a waterproof container)
• Empty coffee can to be used to burn the candles or to melt snow for water
• Extra clothing, hats (keep those ears covered), gloves, coats, boots,..
• Sleeping bags or blankets
• Jumper Cables
• Tire Chains
• Battery-operated radio with batteries (or get a little excercise & keep warm with a hand crack radio)
  A NOAA weather radio would be really great!
• Cell phone with fully charged batteries
• Windshield scraper/brush
  De-icer
• Brightly colored cloth to tie on the antenna so the vehicle can be easily located
  Flares or reflective triangle
• Sand, salt, cat litter (non-clumping kind), or even carpet strips, chains
• Booster cables
• Tow rope
• Mulitpurpose tool, pocket knife, scissors,
• Cord/string
• Tool kit, screwdrivers, adjustable crescent wrench, pliers,
• Fully inflated spare tie, wheel wrench, jack, air compressor
• Exterior windshield cleaner & extra oil, coolant, fan belts, spark plugs
• Water - bottles of water in the car, but not in the trunk as they will freeze
  
• Emergency tire sealant, Canned compressed air with sealant (emergency tire repair)
  
• Emergency or camp stove
  
• Stainless steel camp cup, tea bags, some Swiss Miss  :)
  
• Paper towels, newspapers (insulation), plastic bags or jar (uh, sanitation)
  
• Maps, compass
  
• Cards, Games, Puzzles, Books, pencil, paper, safety pins
  
• Duct tape
  

Wow. The lists you can find go on and on . . . and some ideas are rather interesting.