Archive for category travel
Google Street View — self-portrait
Posted by will in technology, travel on 2010/04/24
So there I was, minding my own business, looking at samples of Google Maps’ “Street View” to pique my eight-year-old niece’s interest…
And I wound up at the Deadhorse, Alaska airport. It’s not really remarkable — just a remote stretch of land, mostly. Except for two things: one is that it’s about as far north as the roaming Google-street-view cameras have been, at least in the United States.
The other is that Google sent TWO street cameras to film this remote stretch of midnight sun! Can you say overkill? This isn’t downtown Berlin, or Times Square, or Picadilly Circus, or even the outskirts of Punxatawney. Maybe they sent two in case there was an automotive breakdown so one driver could carry the other home? Or are they supposed to be checking up on each other?
Powerful travel mojo
Can many of you claim to have the mojo to delay a perfectly good flight on a perfectly sunny, calm day — for three hours? I can.
From 2008-2009 I had thirteen consecutive flights that delayed over an hour, if not outright canceled. That’s right, lucky 13. If you want a delayed flight, just fly with me and we’ll be there late, or maybe not until the following day.
In Detroit the crew calmly asked us to waste no time leaving the plane we’d just boarded. After we were off they informed us that a fuel leak had been spotted on the underbelly of the plane. I got to be on a first-name basis with the Best Western near the Detroit airport due to overnight delays.
In Toronto they cancelled my flight to O’Hare, one of the busiest and most robust airports in the world. I got to stay overnight in Canada one more night.
Here, at Reagan airport near Washington DC, you can see that my flight was being delayed more than two hours… in nice balmy partly-cloudy weather. Delay index is low, mostly sunny weather, and a two-hour delay.
I’ve got powerful travel mojo.
Why Be Multi-Lingual?
Having more than one conversational language at your disposal makes a ton of sense. You can think from a different paradigm, you can see the world from a different point of view, you can connect with a whole new people, learn from a completely different culture…
In case the advantages aren’t obvious — why be bi-lingual? — here’s a quick video clip to explain it to even the thickest among us.
A Revolution in Decision-Making
Subtitle: Information-based decision in one image
Throughout history, in any conflict, the victor is usually the one with the superior information, right? Flint, bronze, steel. Mechanized infantry beats dragoons, and knowledge of germs beats bloodletting.
It’s always been about the information. The more up-to-date your information is, the better your decisions can be. (This is where the Business Intelligence industry focuses all its attention — you’ve got the data, now pull out the patterns so you can see what’s going on, enabling you to make more effective decisions based on information, instead of basing decisions upon wishes, gut feelings or dreams.)
Amsterdam, Brussels, London
Upcoming Travels
Since I’m attending the Sakai Conference in Amsterdam this June, I’ve been doing some travel research… And I’ve finally found a travel site that doesn’t suck!
- Amsterdam, NetherlandsI’ll be at the Sakai conference for most of the stay, but while I’m there, Karen, Wanda and June hope to visit:
- Vondelpark (1883 World’s Fair)
- Rijksmuseum
- Van Gogh Museum
- Anne Frank Huis
- Westerkirk
- De Dampkring
We’re staying on a Houseboat!
- Brussels, Belgium (maybe)We’re travelling to Holland a day early, so maybe we’ll find a way to visit mini-europe or mannekin pis (1958 World’s Fair) in Belgium…
- London, United Kingdom
- Buckingham Palace
- Picadilly Circus
- London Eye
- Hyde Park (World’s “First” World’s Fair, 1851)
- Tower of London
- Tower Bridge
You’ll notice these things are very touristy. Well, we’re rather touristy ourselves, especially on this trip as most of the gang hasn’t been off the continent… ever!
School Afloat
If you’re curious about my highschool then you should probably get out more often. Way out. Keep going. Out to sea. And to see!
Recommended reading for an appreciation of Flint School mores:
At graduation each year selected students would play verious parts in reciting from the poem after which the book “Incredible Bread Machine” was named:
This is a story of success and plunder
And a man — Tom Smith — who squelched world hunger.Now smith, an inventor, had specialized
In toys, so people were surprised
To find that instead
Of toys he was baking bread.And the way to bake bread that he’d conceived
Cost less than people could believe.
The price per loaf, one loaf or many?
The miniscule sum of under a penny.A citation from the president for Smith’s amazing bread.
This and other honors too were heaped upon his head.
Yet isn’t it a wondrous thing how quickly fame is flown?
Smith, the hero of today… tomorrow, scarcely known.