First United Airlines Experience

image1288408209.jpgFirst time flying United Airlines... Ever.

A couple of things that I have noticed that are different than Southwest.

  • We had 4 flight attendants.
  • Our seating was predetermined. 
  • The drink choices are better and they give you the whole can. 
  • On this flight to Vegas the attendant sounded fed up with some passengers which was apparent over the intercom. 
  • Better seats, more ergonomic. 
  • They show an inflight show (an episode of the office) on the automated swing down LCD panels. 
  • There are lavatories in the front and rear of plane. 
  • No really bad seats.
  • The United terminal in Vegas was a lot 'cleaner' but that may be due to a remodel. 
  • Overall seem less efficient than Southwest in checkin, flight service, baggage claim and being on time. 

Mobile Blogging from here.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

New PR for bowling

image1871067822.jpgI bowl maybe once every 2 years. It was just never on my list of things to do and I've never had friends that were really into it.

So today with the power of my iPhone, google, and the need to do some physical activity after a huge meal I got my personal PR. Thanks also to wikipedia or the tips.

I also discovered what a huge bowling city Reno was. Next time I will visit the famous bowling lanes in the building shaped like a bowling ball here.
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[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]


Ditching shampoo may be the best thing you do to your hair

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MSNBC posted a story on the topic.  Its not really a new one, being a photographer I've learned some inside secrets to beauty.  For instance, ask models to not wash their hair for a day or two before they come out for a shoot helps retain the natural shine.

I admit to shampooing every day, or twice a day but I have short hair so I don't get any of those split ends women always complain about.  What I do have is an oily scalp which may very well be caused by shampoo!

I'm going to try out the baking soda / conditioner only idea for a while and see how that goes.

Digsby combines Trillian + Email + Social Networking IM for FREE

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Well free doesn't mean there isn't some cost.  Digsby does show you ads which aren't too bad, and I'm pretty picky about such things.  Still a small price to pay to combine everything in one application.

When you install make sure you decline all the extra toolbars and applications (except maybe FFDShow which is good to have).  Read what each screen says carefully before you click next, accept, deny though.

www.digsby.com

Panoramic, high resolution shots with your phone's camera or cheap camera

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If you have an iphone, the solution is simple and cheap.  Buy Pano from the Apple store for $2.99.  I've stitched some pretty good examples using it which I will post later.

There is also the gigapan robotic panoramic head which I used to create these gigapans. The robotic head with software will set you back $400.00 (you supply a compatible camera) so it's not for everyone.

There is another good option at a much more reasonable $49.95. i2align's Quickage software takes all your random handheld shots from your phone, cheap camera, or regular digital camera and automatically stitches them together, color corrects, exposure corrects, distortion corrects and presents you with one big high resolution image. 

7 day free un-handicapped trial.  Check it out!

When I get a chance, I'm going to have one of my computers process some shots I took from Tahoe over the weekend and compare them with Autopano, and gigapan's own software.

Inside scoop on the swine flu outbreak

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All weekend long I've been hearing reports about the swine flu.  Yesterday there were reported 149 deaths in Mexico due to the swine flu.

Swine flu... serious epidemic or just hype?  (CDC raised it to a level 4 alert yesterday).

BBC News has a tracker and inside scoop about the experiences of the swine flu.

Tires, wheels, alignment, and transmissions

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On the way up to Tahoe, I dropped by a friend's shop who run Big O Tires in Tracy, CA.  (The reviews are off as they took over in mid-2007, and for some reason they aren't listed in Yelp, but I'll help them with that). 

So we have the expensive sports tires on the Lexus, and little did we know they are run down to the bare wire on the inside. 

Here are some tips I got from him over lunch:

1. Do regular maintenance (duh).  Keep your car properly maintained and it will last you at least a decade.

2. Dodge vehicles always need to have their ball joints replaced - expect a $800 minimum bill for that if you value your alignment.  Its only a matter of time.

3. If you had to pick all wheel drive vs four wheel drive.  Go for the four wheel drive.  All wheel drive and their complicated transmissions which try to compensate for things such as poor alignment, or uneven tire wear really stress the mechanical structure of the drive train / tranmission = expensive repairs.  With the expensive all-wheel-drive vehicles, if you have to buy new tires, you must replace all four to prevent premature wear.

4. Volkswagon Passats can only have their brake pads replaced by an authorized dealer because of the electronic controls on the brakes.

5. High performance tires / wheels really need to be changed often.  They only go about 20,000 miles so expect to change them often if you are addicted to the performance.

Snowboarding and Hiking in Tahoe pictures this weekend

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I will be sharing some pics and panoramics from Tahoe this year.  I'm hoping to catch the last bit of snow before the season ends this weekend.

First some important IT visits this morning then off to Tahoe!

I'm still deciding on what equipment list to bring this time around.  I will be focusing on scenic panoramics.  Well off to finish packing now.