The View From Space

Perhaps not widely known (although in this country it should be), today, September 17 is Constitution Day. It commemorates the formation and signing of one of the most influential documents in world history, The Constitution of the United States of America.  On September 17, 1787, 39 individuals signed into existence a document that changed the world.

In addition today also recognizes all who are citizens of the U.S., whether born or naturalized.

And last but certainly not least, today is also known as POW Day.  A day to remember all who’ve served and were taken Prisoner Of War or who are Missing In Action.  A solemn reminder of the sacrifices many have made for our country.

The Big Bang Theory, now in it’s fourth season, celebrates all that is Geek.  They have taken those much maligned and persecuted throughout the ages and have given them status on par with the beautiful people of the world.  No longer is Howard’s helmet with sideburns haircut a source of ridicule (hey I sported one back in the day).  Nor is Sheldon’s obsessive need to explain everything to the nth degree a sign of mental instability (my wife says I do it all the time.  I personally don’t see it.  Sheldon, being a theoretical physcist, takes a much more tangental approach to his diatribe.  Choosing to enhance his illustration by linking them to events in Star Trek episodes.  In talking to normal beings, he likens his elucidation of everyday physical phenomena to that of Spock explaining warp drive physics to tribbles.  I on the other hand, being an engineer, tend to take a more direct and practical approach.  Like Scotty replying to Kirk’s request for more power out of the warp drives, “I cant push her any harder Captain, she’s gonna blow”.  Short and to the point.)  But I digress….

Most of the characterizations are spot on, from the dress code employed by Sheldon.  To the hinted at bromance between Howard and Raj.  The only thing that is not quite believable is the relationship between Penny and Leonard.  C’mon, a geek having sex with a REAL girl…. who’s gonna believe that.

Happy 44th Birthday Star Trek!  Who knew that this show would still be going strong after 44 years? There is still a large fanbase loyal to the show as seen by the countless conventions and memorabilia.  Not to mention the numerous movies and spin-offs created from it.

To borrow my favorite Spockism …. FASCINATING!

In a preemptive strike leading up to the upcoming flu season my office recently installed this hand sanitation dispenser.  Or is this a late reaction to the previous H1N1 scare?  With a government agency you can never tell.

Like The Mighty Casey in Mudsville, I’ve struck out in my search for a hard case for my Samsung Vibrant.  The only thing available at the moment is one made of soft silicone sold by T-Mobile.  Even though the basic model (Galaxy S) was released internationally a few months earlier I guess there’s enough of an external difference to make cases for each model unique.

So like the iPhone 4 early adopters  I’ll have to wait for the market to catch up.

Recorded this short video, vibrant and crisp colors.  Looks even better on the AMOLED 4″ screen.

Just got the new Vibrant (T-mobile) and was instantly awestruck by the beauty of the phone.  Sleek, lightweight and a gorgeous screen.  Just starting to use it’s many features, like the 720p recording capability.  For now here’s a pic I snapped.  Will upload a short video once I find a good converter program.  It records in .3gp format which apparently WordPress doesnt like.

More about my Vibrant in a later post.

Have you previously missed the boat trying to get an acting job on a Hawaii based movie or TV series?  Well, here’s another shot at the big screen!  If you’re in the Military, a family member or a civilian DOD employee you’ll get first crack.  Universal Pictures will be filming the movie Battleship on Oahu later this summer and will be looking for actors and extras.  Check out the details here.

Now that the new iPhone 4 has been announced there will be folks standing in line for hours to grab one once it becomes available.  Me?  Nope.

I’ve found new life and capabilities in my aging G1.  Through various hacks I’ve been able to increase the internal memory and allow WiFi capabilities.  Talk about squeezing “you know what” from a stone.  Hardware wise the G1 can’t hold a candle to the new iPhone 4.  But amazingly it is a very versatile platform, and with the open source android OS there is much that is available to those that know how to access it.  Now, I haven’t programmed since I was in college, so I usually leave the heavy lifting to those that do it for a living or as a serious hobby.  I just leverage off their amazing work.
So I’ll be holding onto my behemoth G1 for a while longer, hoping to squeeze every last ounce of performance from it. And you know what? I’m pretty sure I’ve still got a ways to go…

Normally when a Hawaii resident plays tourist it’s spent staying overnight in a Waikiki hotel and enjoying the concrete shopping of our southern shore. However, if you never venture past the standard postcard locations you’d be missing the heart and soul of Oahu.

On a regular basis we take a drive out to the country (Northern side) just to view the raw beauty of the island.  It’s amazing how much the scenery changes after a short 1 hour drive from town.  Here you can see the mountains without having to peer between buildings.

Hungry? There are still roadside stands selling everything from fresh caught fish to fruits and vegetables from a family farm.  Or a quick stop at one of the popular Kahuku shrimp farms will get you freshly caught prawns cooked to perfection.  Years ago there were even oyster farms here.

Continuing the drive along the Northeastern part of the island will allow you to enjoy a closeup view of the ocean which at times breaks only a few feet away from the edge of the road.

So if you’re eager to “get away from it all” a short drive to the northern end of the island should be on your itinerary.

Oh and dont forget to stop in Haleiwa and grab some shave ice.