Just upped the firefox
Just installed Firefox 2.0. Looks like my spelling just improved dramatically. It does spell checking automatically. Woo Hoo!
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Just installed Firefox 2.0. Looks like my spelling just improved dramatically. It does spell checking automatically. Woo Hoo!
I have started playing chess over at RedHotPawn.com. It is good practice because there is no shortage of competition, and you have plenty of time (Three days per move) to analyze the game.
So far, I am 1-0... You can view my game here. I started out a bit shaky, but got my act together after a while.
Blogrodent was right, Voddie Baucham's sermon was "out-of the-park"
I added a widget on that allows you to send me instant messages from fingertoe.com.
Meebo is pretty slick. It is an website that logs in to all of your instant messenger accounts and allows you to interface with them all from a single interface.
Since it is hosted on a website, there is no software that needs to be installed, and you don't have to worry about any of the typical security and firewall issues with other instant messenger clients.
I am able to log into ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, and gtalk/jabber all in one place. The downsides are having to devote a browser window to meebo, and not being able to do file transfers.
University of Miami and the Miami Dade Police put out this "Join a team, Not a Gang" press release this weekend.
Apparently the police brought 700 children to the Miami-FIU football game to inspire them to be something other than thugs. Ooops!
Note to politicians. Regulations do not prevent terrorism..
I think it is funny how the politicians are making a big stink about the Cory Lidle crash in New York, saying that a terrorist could load up an aircraft with biological weapons and crash simularly. Some are calling for that area to be closed to general aviation traffic.
This is pretty silly in my mind. It is a very busy corridor, but pilots have flown safely there for years. It is not like a suicide terrorist is going to look at his sectional and be detered from flying in there. There isn't anything that Air Traffic control could do to retaliate against a trespassing aircraft except for report it to the FAA. I doubt a suicidal terrorist is going to mind getting written up.
Basically the law abiding are inconvienienced, and the only benefit in exchange is that the politicians get to pretend like they are doing something to fight terrorism.
If somebody famous crashes thier car on the interstate highway, are we going to close that down too?
Spent the last 3 days at a church conference. It was very good to stop and take a break from the everyday grind and worship like crazy. I am ready to go. All fired up.
Took Nathan to the airport the other day during a conference break. We saw the Fuel truck pull up to deliver the 100LL aviation fuel to the pumps. Nathan was pretty excited to watch all that activity... The folks at the FBO came out and made some measurements on the fuel to make sure it was up to spec..Nathan asked "Daddy, what they doing?" I replied, "they are mesuring the density of the fuel. It is important that airplanes don't get bad gas. They are using a hydrometer, can you say hydrometer??"
Nathan loves to play chess. He is starting to get it.. Although he always opens with moving his rightmost pawn forward one space, then thee second pawn then the third etc. It is kinda funny... I have learned that I have to challenge him somehow to break up the pattern, because if you let him continue, you get a big traffic jam on the board. Often we trade sides. What a mess!
Julia is liking chess too. She gets it pretty well, but doesn't keep her focus too well. That is okay. She is 5, and her brother is 3, so I can't expect too much.
Sprained my ankle yesterday chasing the kids at the park.
Had to move my cubical today.Hobbled from one end of the floor to the other, shuttling my stuff.. It wasn't much fun. My new cube almost has a support pillar in it. (One of the walls is punctuated). They haven't stolen my stapler yet, and I am still getting paid..
Here is a short documentary about the history of Felts Field, Nathan's favorite hang out.
Spokane used to be quite the hopping place!
I have been teaching Julia chess.. I have also been helping out at her school when they play chess. Chess is a great game for kids.
It teaches them to analyze their environment and react accordingly.
It teaches them that their actions have consequences.
It teaches them to plan ahead.
It teaches them that people think in different ways.
It teaches them that there is more than one way to achieve a goal.
It teaches them to focus on the task at hand.
It teaches them to keep trying even when things are not looking great.
It teaches them that you can learn a lot from losing.
It teaches you that no matter how good you think you are, you can be humbled quite quickly.
It teaches them that sometimes you have to sacrifice something of value in order to reach your goal.
It teaches sometimes there are intagibles that are more valuable than tangibles.
It teaches that one bad move can ruin your entire plan.
The cool thing is that while they do all of this learning in a low stakes game, these lessons translate nicely into pretty much every decision making process that they go through in life.
Julia learned pretty quickly at the age of 5 1/2.. I have read that that is an ideal time to get them started. I have also found that her experience playing chess makes it easier to discuss her decision making in the real world.