10roll1 - 24
Shop Historic Downtown Fort Scott, Kan., Feb. 20, 2010.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Shop Historic Downtown Fort Scott
10roll1 - 24
Shop Historic Downtown Fort Scott, Kan., Feb. 20, 2010.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
City Scales
10roll1 - 23
The City Scales in downtown Fort Scott, Kan., Feb. 20, 2010.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Was able to wander around Fort Scott a little yesterday while visiting the Grands.
Osage Prairie - 2
Osage Prairie - 2
Blue sky over the Osage Prairie Conservation Area near Nevada, Mo.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Camera problem solved
I think, maybe.
In my review of my iPod I lamented the fact that it does not include a camera.
But I think that problem can be solved by finding the right cellphone. And I think I might have found that phone in the LG 290C.
The phone is being offered on the new Straight Talk service which offers very reasonable rates. And the sample photos from it are very nice indeed.
I think I'll have to give it a try.
~ posted from my iPod.
In my review of my iPod I lamented the fact that it does not include a camera.
But I think that problem can be solved by finding the right cellphone. And I think I might have found that phone in the LG 290C.
The phone is being offered on the new Straight Talk service which offers very reasonable rates. And the sample photos from it are very nice indeed.
I think I'll have to give it a try.
~ posted from my iPod.
Monday, February 15, 2010
iPod Touch
Part of my job driving busses is driving activity trips. These are longer trips (sometimes overnight) where I drive the students to some activity (sports, museum, etc) and then bring them back.
I've been longing for something to take with me on these trips so that I can having something to do while waiting for the kids to finish what they're doing and return to the bus.
There were essentially three choices, Nintendo DSi, Playstation Portable, or the Apple iPod Touch.
My four main objectives with one of these devices were: music, movies, games and internet.
I went with Apple's 8GB iPod Touch for the following two reasons.
Music: All of the music I currently own has been purchased through the iTunes Store. Which means that most of it has digital copy protection which prevents you from playing it on non-Apple devices. The DSi doesn't play music at all to my knowledge, but the PSP does; but I wouldn't be able to use the music I already own. So there's one notch for the iPod.
Internet: The iPod Touch offers as close to a real web experience as you can find on such a small device. The Nintendo and PSP -- from what I understand -- only offer stripped down browsing capabilities. Not to mention the many apps you can download for the iPod that allow you to have great access to your favorite web sites on the smaller device.
Now for some review notes.
I had reservations about the kinds of games I would be able to get for the iPod, but a couple days use quickly put away those fears. The games that I've tried have been very well done and work wonderfully.
A couple of game suggestions: Bejeweled2, Blackjack World Pro, Warheads, and Skee-Ball.
As I said above, the internet experience on the iPod Touch is very nice. Most of my internet activity is centered around a few web sites. Primarily Gmail, Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.
Gmail and Google Reader have web sites optimized for the iPod that are very slick and work very well.
Facebook has its own free app you can download that I like very much. In fact, I had pretty much quit using Facebook before, but I've really come to like it again since getting the app.
Twitter has a good mobile web site as well, but I highly recommend AteBits' application Tweetie 2 if you do a lot of tweeting. It's a very well-made program.
Flickr I'm a little torn on. I've got their free app, and I've used their mobile site. And I keep going back and forth between the two. I can't decide which I like better. And it's not really because they're both really good. They both have some real issues as far as I'm concerned. They do work, I just don't care -- yet -- for how they work.
My one big gripe -- and to me it is a big gripe -- is that my iPod does not have a camera on it like the iPhone. The case has the cut outs for it since they apparently use the same shell, but they just won't put one in. My digital P&S is a pretty tight fit for my pocket so I don't always carry it with me, and I'm always seeing stuff I wish I could shoot a picture of. A camera in my iPod would make me very happy.
So why didn't I just get an iPhone? I'd get my camera, and I'd be able to access the internet anywhere I had cell signal, I wouldn't have to hunt up a wifi hot spot. I didn't get the iPhone because it requires a two-year contract and the iPhone plans start about $60 per month. I'm simply not willing to pay that much money per month. Wifi hot spots are everywhere nowadays, I don't need to have constant access to the net.
And when I can't find a hot spot, that's what the music, movies and games are for.
I chose the 8GB over the faster, larger capacity models because I simply don't need the speed or the space. The $100 I saved getting the smaller iPod could buy a lot of music, and I don't mind not being able to put my entire library on the thing at once anyway.
When Apple announced their iPad a couple weeks ago, that put a new kink in my decision making process. But ultimately I decided that I wanted something that would go in my pocket.
So that's that. I really like the thing. It does take a bit getting used to. But it works very well for what it does. I really should have bought one of these things a long time ago.
I've been longing for something to take with me on these trips so that I can having something to do while waiting for the kids to finish what they're doing and return to the bus.
There were essentially three choices, Nintendo DSi, Playstation Portable, or the Apple iPod Touch.
My four main objectives with one of these devices were: music, movies, games and internet.
I went with Apple's 8GB iPod Touch for the following two reasons.
Music: All of the music I currently own has been purchased through the iTunes Store. Which means that most of it has digital copy protection which prevents you from playing it on non-Apple devices. The DSi doesn't play music at all to my knowledge, but the PSP does; but I wouldn't be able to use the music I already own. So there's one notch for the iPod.
Internet: The iPod Touch offers as close to a real web experience as you can find on such a small device. The Nintendo and PSP -- from what I understand -- only offer stripped down browsing capabilities. Not to mention the many apps you can download for the iPod that allow you to have great access to your favorite web sites on the smaller device.
Now for some review notes.
I had reservations about the kinds of games I would be able to get for the iPod, but a couple days use quickly put away those fears. The games that I've tried have been very well done and work wonderfully.
A couple of game suggestions: Bejeweled2, Blackjack World Pro, Warheads, and Skee-Ball.
As I said above, the internet experience on the iPod Touch is very nice. Most of my internet activity is centered around a few web sites. Primarily Gmail, Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.
Gmail and Google Reader have web sites optimized for the iPod that are very slick and work very well.
Facebook has its own free app you can download that I like very much. In fact, I had pretty much quit using Facebook before, but I've really come to like it again since getting the app.
Twitter has a good mobile web site as well, but I highly recommend AteBits' application Tweetie 2 if you do a lot of tweeting. It's a very well-made program.
Flickr I'm a little torn on. I've got their free app, and I've used their mobile site. And I keep going back and forth between the two. I can't decide which I like better. And it's not really because they're both really good. They both have some real issues as far as I'm concerned. They do work, I just don't care -- yet -- for how they work.
My one big gripe -- and to me it is a big gripe -- is that my iPod does not have a camera on it like the iPhone. The case has the cut outs for it since they apparently use the same shell, but they just won't put one in. My digital P&S is a pretty tight fit for my pocket so I don't always carry it with me, and I'm always seeing stuff I wish I could shoot a picture of. A camera in my iPod would make me very happy.
So why didn't I just get an iPhone? I'd get my camera, and I'd be able to access the internet anywhere I had cell signal, I wouldn't have to hunt up a wifi hot spot. I didn't get the iPhone because it requires a two-year contract and the iPhone plans start about $60 per month. I'm simply not willing to pay that much money per month. Wifi hot spots are everywhere nowadays, I don't need to have constant access to the net.
And when I can't find a hot spot, that's what the music, movies and games are for.
I chose the 8GB over the faster, larger capacity models because I simply don't need the speed or the space. The $100 I saved getting the smaller iPod could buy a lot of music, and I don't mind not being able to put my entire library on the thing at once anyway.
When Apple announced their iPad a couple weeks ago, that put a new kink in my decision making process. But ultimately I decided that I wanted something that would go in my pocket.
So that's that. I really like the thing. It does take a bit getting used to. But it works very well for what it does. I really should have bought one of these things a long time ago.
Bi-polar weather
We came in to church Sunday morning, then we had lunch at McD's and sat on the internet for a while.
Then we went home with a couple movies and sat in the camper all afternoon/evening.
The weather outside was simply crazy.
I was sitting there in the bed and the sun would be shining and there wouldn't be any wind.
Then the next thing I'd know the camper would be shaking with wind and I'd look out the window and see snow blowing almost horizontally.
Then five minutes later the sun would be shining. Then five minutes more and it'd be back to the blizzard.
It went on like that for most of the afternoon.
Crazy.
Then we went home with a couple movies and sat in the camper all afternoon/evening.
The weather outside was simply crazy.
I was sitting there in the bed and the sun would be shining and there wouldn't be any wind.
Then the next thing I'd know the camper would be shaking with wind and I'd look out the window and see snow blowing almost horizontally.
Then five minutes later the sun would be shining. Then five minutes more and it'd be back to the blizzard.
It went on like that for most of the afternoon.
Crazy.
Changes
Since August of last year I've been working two jobs. Which means that I've pretty much had no time off in the past six months.
And now that I've quit Wally World, I'm finding the adjustment to having time off harder than I figured.
Suddenly I have nothing to do in the weekends. And it's kind of maddening.
Sure when the weather warms up I'll be able to start working on the house, and doing stuff around the yard (digging a garden). But with this crazy winter we've been having, I'm stuck pretty much sitting in the camper.
It sucks.
We went to the Grands' house in Fort Scott Saturday, spent some time with them, did a load of laundry, watched some Olympics. Then we headed out to Joplin for a Valentine's date. Went to some of our bookstores, went to the mall. That was about it.
Can't wait to get home in order so that there's things to do and I don't get to feeling so restless (i.e.- internet, TV, garden).
And now that I've quit Wally World, I'm finding the adjustment to having time off harder than I figured.
Suddenly I have nothing to do in the weekends. And it's kind of maddening.
Sure when the weather warms up I'll be able to start working on the house, and doing stuff around the yard (digging a garden). But with this crazy winter we've been having, I'm stuck pretty much sitting in the camper.
It sucks.
We went to the Grands' house in Fort Scott Saturday, spent some time with them, did a load of laundry, watched some Olympics. Then we headed out to Joplin for a Valentine's date. Went to some of our bookstores, went to the mall. That was about it.
Can't wait to get home in order so that there's things to do and I don't get to feeling so restless (i.e.- internet, TV, garden).
Big bada boom!
I found the movie "The Fifth Element" in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart the other night, and it is one of my all time favorite movies, so I picked it up.
I simply love this movie.
The music is awesome.
The world is so detailed, it is apparent to me that quite a bit of thought went into its creation.
And it is a unique world. Not some perfect dream of what we hope for, but a dirty, smelly, over-crowded world where trash workers go on strike.
And the characters are awesome. Not generic, perfect "evolved" clones, but real human beings with hopes, and feelings, who succeed and fail, and who don't call their annoying mothers.
And the story is my favorite of all. Behind all the show is a simple story telling us that if we don't love one another evil will destroy all life.
Gotta love it.
I simply love this movie.
The music is awesome.
The world is so detailed, it is apparent to me that quite a bit of thought went into its creation.
And it is a unique world. Not some perfect dream of what we hope for, but a dirty, smelly, over-crowded world where trash workers go on strike.
And the characters are awesome. Not generic, perfect "evolved" clones, but real human beings with hopes, and feelings, who succeed and fail, and who don't call their annoying mothers.
And the story is my favorite of all. Behind all the show is a simple story telling us that if we don't love one another evil will destroy all life.
Gotta love it.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Soundsational Singers
show choir - 49
The Nevada, Mo., Soundsational Singers performs a number titled "Miss Behave" at Troy Buchanan High School in Troy, Mo., Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Here's why I was in Troy this weekend. Show choir competition.
This ain't a bad photo for an $80 camera!
Feb 5 snow storm
Feb 5 snow storm
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
A little video blog about my thoughts on all this snow we've been getting this year.
hand sanitizer
hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer station.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Folks up near St. Louis are a lot more worried about H1N1 flu than we are down here.
We haven't heard hardly anything about it all winter, but up yonder there were signs and TV commercials all over the place.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Weight
I had to have a more intensive physical for the new job and I got a very pleasant surprise.
When they had me step on the scales I found that between Christmas and now, I have lost another 10 pounds!
Woot! Woot!
I am very much liking the new body. It really does make a difference.
Just to give folks an idea of where I'm coming from ...
When I quit my last photojournalist staff job (July 2008) I was wearing 46-inch waist pants. I quit weighing myself when I hit 240 so I'm not sure exactly how much I massed on the scales, but after one year of riding my bicycle about 3 miles a day I was down to a 38-inch waist.
Last Christmas while at The Sister-in-Law's I used her scale and it told me I was at 210 pounds. Now I'm right at 200, and I didn't think I had really lost any more weight lately.
I'm very happy.
PS - When I got married I weighed about 160. I wonder how much the doctors would say I should weigh now?
When they had me step on the scales I found that between Christmas and now, I have lost another 10 pounds!
Woot! Woot!
I am very much liking the new body. It really does make a difference.
Just to give folks an idea of where I'm coming from ...
When I quit my last photojournalist staff job (July 2008) I was wearing 46-inch waist pants. I quit weighing myself when I hit 240 so I'm not sure exactly how much I massed on the scales, but after one year of riding my bicycle about 3 miles a day I was down to a 38-inch waist.
Last Christmas while at The Sister-in-Law's I used her scale and it told me I was at 210 pounds. Now I'm right at 200, and I didn't think I had really lost any more weight lately.
I'm very happy.
PS - When I got married I weighed about 160. I wonder how much the doctors would say I should weigh now?
post office - 01
post office - 01
At the post office in rural Missouri.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Ian Axel - This Is The New Year
Here's another Tunesday entry that's not on a Tunesday!
I don't know how I managed to get this track and not realize it. The computer says I purchased it on Jan. 12, 2010. I don't remember it. Must've been a giveaway on iTunes.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this song. The lyrics are excellent. The video is great.
This song gives me great hope for the future.
Employment
I am happy to announce that yesterday was my last day at Wal-Mart.
I am now only a bus driver. But not only for the school district.
I will also be driving part-time for Cottey College, a two-year women's college here in town.
I am extremely excited about this position. It will be very good.
I am now only a bus driver. But not only for the school district.
I will also be driving part-time for Cottey College, a two-year women's college here in town.
I am extremely excited about this position. It will be very good.
Tunesday: Robert Francis - Junebug
Okay so a little late for Tunesday but here's a song I've been enjoying immensely.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
hoar frost - 3
hoar frost - 3
Hoar frost on a foggy February morning.
Originally uploaded by Nick David Wright
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Answer Man
We watched "The Answer Man" over the weekend.
It is an immensely enjoyable movie.
The acting is good, the photography is incredible.
I liked the story line very much, and over all it is very humorous.
I especially enjoyed what the lead character had to say about children, very nice.
You should watch it.
It is an immensely enjoyable movie.
The acting is good, the photography is incredible.
I liked the story line very much, and over all it is very humorous.
I especially enjoyed what the lead character had to say about children, very nice.
You should watch it.
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