mental-cobwebs

Most Viewed Pictures for October 2011

2011-11-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for October 2011, a photo by rob-the-org on Flickr.

The large Boeing 747 (Evergreen Aviation cargo charter) in the center was actually from October.

Most Viewed Pictures for September 2011

2011-10-02T12:32:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for September 2011, a photo by rob-the-org on Flickr.

The two helicopter pictures (Cobra center, and Jet Ranger top left) are actually from September. What a novel concept.

Most Viewed Pictures for August 2011

2011-09-02T13:36:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for August 2011, a photo by rob-the-org on Flickr.

Some newer pictures (specifically from a Moonlight photoshoot at the Desert Botanical Garden) offset the continued appearance of the QR Code for the movie '9'.

Most Viewed Pictures for July 2011

2011-08-05T08:53:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for July 2011, a photo by rob-the-org on Flickr.

Finally starting to see pictures from this year - and even this past month (July) show up in the mosaic.

The center picture was a new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental (a new stretched version) and the first two pictures (upper left) are from the March Air Museum (in Riverside, CA).

Mistaken for a body

2011-07-09T12:30:00.002-07:00

Yes - that's me lying on the ground. I am fine. No EMT's were involved. I was trying for a 'looking up' or bug level picture of a classic P-51 Mustang.

This was the picture I was taking at the time....

This photo trip was from back in April, when the Collings Foundation was on their annual Spring trip through Arizona.

(more pictures from this and another evening photoshoot - are in my Deer Valley photoset)

Most Viewed Pictures for June 2011

2011-07-02T16:09:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for June 2011, a photo by rob-the-org on Flickr.

Some older pictures getting frequent second looks, but nothing for this year showing up this month.

And no one picture showing up over and over again, so I didn't use the large center image format.

Most Viewed Pictures for May 2011

2011-06-04T14:12:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for May 2011, a photo by rob-the-org on Flickr.

What's unfortunately telling about this month's popular photo mosaic - is that only one of the pictures is even from this year.

(it is the Mando stickers in the center)

I need to get out, take (and post) more pictures.

Blinking strobe lights

2011-05-10T16:49:00.012-07:00

If you drove past a store - when it is closed - and you saw a strong blinking strobe light, would you know what it is? What if you saw it coming from 3 closed/out of business shops in a small strip mall?

The strobe is the visible portion of the building fire alarm. As part of the American's with Disabilities Act (ADA), fire alarms in public buildings need to include a visible alert (to accommodate the deaf).

I pulled into the parking lot and there wasn't any visible smoke or fire from any of the 4 shops (this strip mall is the local 'strip mall of death'. When the economy tanked, businesses starting going under esp in this strip mall. A Italian restaurant opened there around the first of the year - and I don't know if it is going to make it). I called the property management firm listed in the window. The on-call manager didn't have this property on his list, so he didn't know who to call.

Next step - trying to find a non-emergency number for the Fire Department. And that was more of a challenge than you might think. The building was on the edge of two different jurisdictions (and I couldn't find the non-emerg number for the jurisdiction I thought it was going to be). So I finally just called 911. I explained the dispatcher what was going on and she got it to the right department (not the one I was originally expecting).

About 5 minutes later - an Engine pulled up w/ full lights and sirens going. I waited for the officer to get out - and told him that I was the one who called it in, but didn't see anything wrong. I couldn't in good conscience just walk away if there was a potential for something to be wrong.

[I had reason to be concerned. About a mile down the road, a house that had been converted to a car stereo shop - which went out of business - burned to the ground in suspicious circumstances less than a year ago.]

The crew spent a good 20 minutes walking around the building, looking in each shop (from the outside). They went into the fire alarm control room where they reset the alarm - and it came right back on. They tried to get into each shop to check, but the fire panel only had keys for 1 of the 4 shops in it.

They were able to get in touch w/ the alarm company - but even they were having trouble getting in touch with anyone who seemed to care about this building. They finally called their Chief after checking everything they could - and got the OK to leave it as they found it. With the Strobes continuing to flash.

I drove past the next day - and to no real surprise - the building was still standing. But I couldn't tell if the strobes were still going.

Most Viewed Pictures for April 2011

2011-05-01T10:36:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for April 2011, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

A couple of pictures from this year have showed up here.

- The Toy Story zoetrope (from Disney California Adventure), Top Left
- A mall moving billboard that suffered a Windows Blue Screen of Death

Most Viewed Pictures for March 2011

2011-04-04T12:48:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for March 2011, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Most Viewed Pictures for February 2011

2011-03-02T10:46:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for February 2011, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Warmer weather is right around the corner - time to get out and take more pictures....

Most Viewed Pictures for January 2011

2011-02-03T17:12:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for January 2011, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

More old pictures - still generating on-line interest......

Damn - I love Amazon

2011-01-11T15:10:00.002-07:00

Most of the time when I go to buy something, I want it NOW, so obviously that rules out on-line shopping. But after checking a couple of places, I will usually end up on Amazon.

What makes Amazon special in my mind, is that they have a major distribution/warehouse here in the Phoenix Metro area. So if I happen to order something that is in stock, and even if I only pay for 2-day shipping, I get it in a single day. It never leaves Phoenix.

(which of course now that I have said this - they will go out of their way to hold the package so that I stop getting this extra special/speedy delivery)

I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Most Viewed Pictures for December 2010

2011-01-03T10:57:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for December 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

It was an unusual mosaic for December. The were only 13 'Top' pictures. Several were multiple day top pictures. So the last image (#14) is blank.

Is the Thriller genre over?

2010-12-19T13:17:00.001-07:00

I read a lot. All three of the walls in my home office have Ikea bookcases filling them. And of course - you would be hard pressed to find any room on any of the shelves for anything new.

A sizable number of those books are action adventure or military thrillers. And when you talk about military thrillers - you have to include Tom Clancy. The first Tom Clancy book I read - was the Naval Institute release of "The Hunt for Red October", and I was hooked. Ever year or so from that point one - there was a new Clancy thriller to look forward to, and a new copy would get added to the bookshelf.

[one of the early books, actually was personally signed by Clancy when one of my friends got it at a book signing]

As the Cold War changed, so did Clancy's novels. Gone were the Soviets, replaced with terrorists (way before 9/11), or by greedy idealistic corporate leaders. But Clancy changed outside of the novels as well. His 10th novel - Rainbow Six - crossed over to become a very successful video game series.

After an absence of several years, Clancy has finally released a new book this holiday season - Dead or Alive.

A follow-up to 2004's Teeth of the Tiger.

The irony of all of this - in the 6 years since the last Clancy book, I have moved on. I saw the new book listed as a Future Release on Amazon a couple of months ago, but there was no excitement in finding it. Because the book was listing a co-author.
One thing I have seen w/ several other thriller author's in the last couple of years, is that unless the co-authors have the same style, the book becomes a mess.

So I am sitting on the sidelines and just wait for this to come out as a paperback next year (or maybe I will just get it as a Kindle download).

Most Viewed Pictures for November 2010

2010-12-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for November 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Even though my picture taking in Nov was pretty busy, I still have most of the pictures backlogged on my PC waiting for review/processing/posting.

I will be glad when 2010 is finally over, and maybe life will settle back down to normal.

Most Viewed Pictures for October 2010

2010-11-10T08:31:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for October 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Another wild mix of pictures made the Most Viewed list for October. The B-36 Peacemaker at Pima is 4 of the 25 pictures.

How many miles will I drive....

2010-11-02T23:03:00.006-07:00

Using up more of my accumulated vacation for the rest of this week. And I am going to be doing some driving between different photography outings.

The challenge is to guess how many miles I rack up between now and Saturday evening. Closest guess wins a 8x10 of print of my best shot of the week.

The only hint - I will only be going to one other (besides Arizona) state.

Any takers?

Most Viewed Pictures for September 2010

2010-10-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for September 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Every single picture for September - was from http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KPHX" TARGET="flightaware">PHX Sky Harbor in the last 60 days.

I have done other things in the last month, but the pictures are still on memory cards waiting to be edited and uploaded.

Most Viewed Pictures for August 2010

2010-09-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for August 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Yes - I was at the airport a couple of times taking pictures - as the majority of August mosaic's shows.

Unplanned photos are the best

2010-08-24T07:24:00.008-07:00

My major project at work is starting to wrap up - so I have some more free time to get out and take pictures. There were rumors of a unique plane coming through Phoenix on the 2nd, so I took the day off to take pictures at the airport.

The rumored plane didn't show - but I stuck around to see what else went on during a weekday (since normally only get out to the airport on weekends or in the evening).

I was rewarded almost immediately when one of the Air National Guard KC-135's took off - right past my vantage point in the Terminal garage. [click any of the pictures below to see the image at full size].

Then I caught the daily Hawaiian Airlines flight to Honolulu (this is the 2nd largest passenger airplane that regularly operates in and out of Sky Harbor).

But the airplane I was the happiest to see flying - was the Honeywell 757 Engine Test bed. It took off and flew racetrack patterns for a couple of hours before returning to Phoenix.

I had gotten fleeting pictures of this plane before - but never its right hand side - where the extra test engine is mounted. The slideshow includes some of these older pictures - as well as pictures of the Boeing coming back into its parking place (directly off the runway).

Definitely a great way to spend a day taking pictures.

My number is.....

2010-08-19T08:07:00.001-07:00

34 1/2. That's the number of vacation days I have to use (or lose) by the end of the year.

I better get busy ;

Just an ordinary Air Canada Airbus A319

2010-08-16T13:19:00.001-07:00

Air Canada Airbus A319, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

This is another one of those ordinary looking airplane pictures - but it obviously got someone's interest. Because in less than 24 hours - it has over 300 unique views from outside of Flickr.

(reminds me of this photo of a Delta Airbus from last Fall - that got over 400 views in a very short period of time)

Most Viewed Pictures for July 2010

2010-08-02T13:37:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for July 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

The end is in sight for my work project - so I have started to venture out and take pictures again.

The large central picture - was of a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 transport heading back down under - after being in England for the Farnborough International Air Show.

And this is why I won't use Facebook

2010-07-29T07:47:00.003-07:00

Details of 100 million Facebook users were published the other day on several file sharing sites - including Pirate Bay.

Link to BBC story

Old Time Memories

2010-07-21T19:53:00.006-07:00

The other night my wife and I were having root beer floats after dinner and I got out some old glass mugs that my family had picked up when I was a kid in the mid-70's. At that time we were living in the Seattle area. As I was making the floats - I realized that these mugs had survived a couple of coast to coast moves and four different teenagers, and were actually older than my younger brother.

I don't know if Farrell's still exists up in Seattle (another photographer told me that there used to be at least one Farrell's in Arizona).

Of course Murphy had to strike after these memories - and he did. As I was taking another glass and one of the mugs to the sink, I dropped the mug. It bounced twice on the tile floor and I thought it might survive - but on the 3rd contact w/ the floor - it came apart.

Oh well - I still have two left. But it maybe a while before I pull them out of the cupboard again.

Most Viewed Pictures for June 2010

2010-07-06T12:41:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for June 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Another quiet month for airplane photos (busy with everything else) and the Most Viewed photos reflects that. Only a few of these pictures are from this year - and even those are from back in March.

Happy 234th Birthday America

2010-07-04T09:09:00.001-07:00

Flag Bearer for the National Anthem, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Here is to another 234 more.....

Its summer already?

2010-06-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

Lockheed_C-130_Hercules-8040, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I realized the other day - that May was over - and June is almost half over. May just flew by. The good included my daughter finishing another year of school, advanced another rank in her Karate for Kids class. There was drama with family hospital visits (everyone is alright) and I flew back to the East Coast for a day and a half vendor meeting (in NYC which was new to me).

And with all of that activity - I still got out a couple of times to take picture of airplanes (and even that will start tapering off for the summer - since 100+ degree temperatures isn't the right time to stand around at airports).

The picture above - was taken at the monthly Coolidge Breakfast fly-in. As the fly-in was winding down - one of the corporately owned C-130 Hercules returned from being 'elsewhere' conducting some drop tests. Some of the other photographers were braver than I in their choice of locations to capture the landing.

The crew was nice and let us climb on-board and take pictures once they had finished unloading their personal gear (their 'gear' included their personal trucks - the joys of having your very own air lifter).

Then - on the way back to town - the Honeywell 757 engine test bed was doing touch and go's at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (aka ex-Williams AFB). I had never actually seen it flying - only parked at Sky Harbor. Unfortunately it only flew one direction (so you can't see the small bizjet engine mounted on the right side of the fuselage).

Not to be outdone by Honeywell (who is actually providing components for the Dreamliner) - Boeing brought one of their brand new Dreamliners (787 #4) for some low altitude hot weather testing late in May.

Now the weekend that Boeing was in town - there was a cool front going through Phoenix. So we learned that Boeing's 'hot weather' temperature was only 80 degrees (Phoenix normally hits 80 in April). So the Dreamliner had to wait for the temperature (and a mechanical issue) before they could fly. Both the airport and Boeing were very tolerant of the curious visitor as well as the aviation photographers (incl me). The airport opened up one of their overflow parking lots to allow a relatively unobstructed view of the airplane on the tarmac.

Hopefully Boeing will bring the new 747-8 (a stretched 747 w/ highly efficient engines) to town some time soon to test it as well.

And I will try to do a better job of posting on a regular basis.

Most Viewed Pictures for May 2010

2010-06-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for May 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Another month gone - and another set of pictures.

It has been a very busy month - and nothing has jumped out as being worth of blogging.

Must be the heat getting to me.

Most Viewed Pictures for April 2010

2010-05-05T13:55:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for April 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

All in all - April wasn't a bad month for photography.

A Beriev firefighting seaplane at Sky Harbor.

A Mig-17 Fresco outside of Tucson, along with a B-17 and a P-51.

Say goodbye to Launch Complex 39-B

2010-04-12T16:56:00.001-07:00

Launch Complex 39-B, in transition, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

It was announced today - that NASA was going to go ahead and start demolishing the Shuttle-specific structures on Launch Pad 39-B at the Kennedy Space Center.

This is not unexpected since the Shuttle program is in the process of winding down. But it just seems short sighted. 39B (pictured) and 39A are the ONLY pads that the Space Shuttle can launch from. If something happens to 39A between now and the end (however unlikely) - there is no backup plan.

Once the Shuttle program is over - the only way US astronauts can get into orbit would be the Russian Soyuz capsules - and the Russians (taking a page from the Capitalist playbook) have already raised the cost of a flight on the Soyuz from the estimated $31million (paid by Cirque du Soleil's founder for his trip in Oct 2009) to $45 million for Tourists and $56 million for NASA astronauts (for flights in 2011-2012).

Please let SpaceX's Dragon/Falcon 9 combo work - when they fly it next month. Please.

Have you done your Census form yet?

2010-04-10T19:34:00.006-07:00

If you feel the every 10 year US Census is asking for too much information - take heart. It could be worse.

It could be the Indian census. According to the BBC - the Indian census will be collecting biometric information for any person above the age of 15 to add to the Indian National Population Register.

Biometric info is being defined as;

.. such as photograph, 10 fingerprints and probably Iris information will be added for all persons aged 15 years and above.

If those are my options - I will happily fill out the US version.

An unusual plane

2010-04-07T17:48:00.003-07:00

One of the other aviation photographers I travel with - got the heads up on a very unusual plane that was going to be coming through Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). But instead of it being an airline or aircraft that we don't normally see here - it was a completely new type of airplane.

Here it is coming into land on Tuesday night;

It is a Russian designed Beriev Be-200 'Altair'. It is a multipurpose amphibious aircraft. It was in the Western Hemisphere to try to drum up sales for it. It was on its way to California where it was going to be shown off for potential use fighting forest and wild fires.

[For other pictures of the Beriev coming in and leaving Phoenix - take a look at the Photo club's site here]

Most Viewed pictures for March 2010

2010-04-02T05:52:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed pictures for March 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

For a change - every single picture shown is from this year (2010). And I didn't have to fudge it to get rid of the continually annoying QR code for the movie '9'.

Cable modem upgrade

2010-03-23T13:16:00.001-07:00

network-speed_home_20100321, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I joke w/ my wife all of the time that I get better speed at home on my Cable Modem then she gets at her office (where they have two T-1's for Phone and Data).

This was despite the original Motorola Surfboard that I had bought when I first got cable high speed back in Virgina (that supported the DOCSIS 1.1 standard). That modem was no longer supported by my provider - so I finally went ahead and upgraded to the new Surfboard modem that supports DOCSIS 3.0.

The upgrade was a snap. Connected it it up the cable line, powered it up, called Tech Support so they could update the MAC address of the new modem, reboot my wireless router - and I was on-line.

My next step was to perform a speed check to see what I gained. The download speed shown isn't the overall download speed - but the peak speed once the Download Boost kicks in (on larger files). The real gain - was on the upload speed. It went from 1.5 up to the 6.5 shown.

Either way - if your provider offers DOCSIS 3.0 compatible service - go ahead and upgrade to a new Cable modem. It is worth it.

Eva Air Boeing 777

2010-03-19T16:13:00.001-07:00

Eva Air Boeing 777 returning to Phoenix, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Not a normal visitor to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport. In this picture it is arriving for the 2nd time in a week.

[no scheduled airline currently flies a Triple 7 in or out of Phoenix on a regular basis]

Early last week - it flew from Taipei direct to Phoenix, to pick up the LA Dodgers for a set of exhibition games to be played in Taiwan.

[LA Dodgers are in Phoenix - as part of Cactus League Spring Training. About half of the Major League Baseball teams are in Arizona right now.]

Then last Saturday (Mar 14th), it brought them back and I got this picture as the plane was about to land before sunset. It only stayed long enough to drop the team off, refuel and then it left later that same night.

F-22 Raptor - High speed pass on the tower

2010-03-15T19:44:00.001-07:00

F-22 Raptor - High speed pass on the tower, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I posted this picture a little over 3 days ago. I took it last weekend in Tucson (AZ) watching the Air Force rehearsal some of the demo routines they will fly during air shows around the country.

Someone who saw the picture on Flickr, Digg'd it - and it ended up on 2 different blog posts (freerepublic.com and rotter.net) and now is my #2 most viewed picture w/ over 1,700 views.

Maybe there is something to this Internet thingy.....

Most Viewed pictures for February 2010

2010-03-02T06:11:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed pictures for February 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

About half are new, and are from either this years or last years trips to Florida.

The picture of the different cruise missiles at the US Air Force Museum (lower right hand corner) was the winner for the month - but I couldn't get it to show up in the center block no matter how many times I tried.

My most recent rental car - a Kia Rondo

2010-02-28T10:07:00.001-07:00

A Kia Rondo, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Unlike the Nissan Versa I had back in the fall (and positively hated it), my most recent trip involved this Kia Rondo.

At first I was like - great another cheap small car. But it pleasantly surprised me. It had a 3rd row (which got used during lunch breaks) that folded down easily for carrying luggage. And it didn't feel underpowered (I could accelerate onto the highway just fine). My only complaints were that the windows weren't tinted, and there was no cover for the back (w/ the 3rd row folded down), so I had to make sure my stuff was secure when I parked the car.

Surprise upgrade

2010-02-18T04:31:00.001-07:00

Upgrade to a large SUV, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

When I travel on business - usually one of the first questions my daughter asks me when I am on the phone with her is "What kind of car do you have?"

So I started taking pictures of my rental car with my Blackberry so she can see them.

Last month - even though I reserved an Intermediate (read that small/mid-size car), when I got to the counter the clerk asked if I wanted a mini-van or SUV. Since it was just me - and I normally drive a SUV, I took the SUV, and got this Jeep Commander.

[basically - it sounded like the car rental company had already rented out all of the cars that size, and didn't have a lot of demand from families - for the large SUV.]

Smooth highway ride w/ power when you need it. A 3rd row for extra people - which folded down easy to carry luggage. But it was the interior that really turned me off. It was plain black plastic. It felt cheap.

If someone gave me one, I wouldn't turn it down - but I don't think I would buy one myself.

Most Viewed Pictures for January 2010

2010-02-01T08:50:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for January 2010, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I did the Mosaic as 5x5 this month instead of 4x4 (w/ one large image in the center) because there were fewer repeats this month. Usually I get one or two images that constantly get a large number of views - but this month the Top daily views were spread across pictures old and new.

Almost stopped

2010-02-01T08:47:00.001-07:00

Almost stopped, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

The New River channel still has water in it - but there isn't much left to come downstream.

(this was taken just about a week and a half after the major storm came through)

We are due for more rain later this week, but I expect that it won't be enough to get the river flowing again.

Same riverbed - 24 hours later

2010-01-24T08:50:00.001-07:00

Same riverbed - 24 hours later, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Same (New) river channel - 24 hrs later.

Taken on Thursday after the rain had stopped about 12 hrs earlier.

It will probably be dry by the end of the week.

After 3+ days of rain - even Phoenix is wet

2010-01-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

New River - not dry this week, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

This is day 3 of rain in the Phoenix Metro area this week.

One of the forecast's I saw - was calling for up to 5 inches of rain by the time this system moves out tomorrow (Friday) night.

For comparison - Phoenix normally only averages 10 inches of rain for the whole year.

Noah hasn't made an appearance yet.....but I am keeping an eye out for him.

Most Viewed Pictures for December 2009

2010-01-01T16:36:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for December 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I keep waiting for the QR code/movie poster to finally stop getting views - but it keeps showing up.

Travel Trivia

2009-12-28T08:21:00.001-07:00

US Airways Airbus A319 "NFL/Arizona Cardinals", originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I was traveling over the Christmas holiday - and picked up a couple of mostly useless trivia;

The US Airways "Arizona Cardinals" plane (pictured above), has not had it interior updated since America West and US Airways merged in 2005. It still has an America West interior.
The airport code of YYC is Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
A bowling ball - is considered by the TSA as a possible dangerous item and must be checked (not allowed as a carry-on item).
And finally - even though for the last 5 years - the TSA has been hitting us over the head w/ the '3-1-1' rule for liquids apparently some people still don't get it. A man behind me was trying to bring a full size bottle of wine in his backpack.

Priority handling - NOT

2009-12-23T10:49:00.001-07:00

Slow baggage, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

It seems whenever I am traveling to Dulles (Washington Dulles - IAD) and I get an upgrade ahead of time - it means that my bags will be handled extra slowly.

(the orange 'Priority' tag on the bag is supposed to mean that the bag is one of the first ones off the plane and delivered to baggage claim).

Our plane landed at 4:05pm ET, and we were at the gate by 4:15pm. The gate was on the 'Z' concourse - right up against the main terminal so we didn't have to take a shuttle bus from the gate to the terminal. But the first bags didn't start showing up until 4:40pm and our last bag (pictured) didn't show up until 5pm (and we were the next to last passengers to get their bags).

I had the same thing happen to me 5 years ago - when I was flying back to Dulles from a business trip to India. I flew back on Christmas Eve and got upgraded to First Class for the flight from Frankfurt and so my bag was Priority tagged. And it was one the last ones off the plane (so I was slow getting through Customs).

I am beginning to think that ground crew at Dulles must just work differently or really don't care about those tags - and it is there just to make me the customer feel like I am getting something special.

787 flies!

2009-12-15T11:43:00.001-07:00

dreamliner_take-off, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner finally got into the air today for its very first flight after 2 years of delays.

Now all that remains is to see if any problems crop up during flight testing - and that Boeing can now ramp up production to meet the existing customer orders.

A Classic?

2009-12-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was walking through the bookstore the other day - and noticed that the staff had displayed several of Douglas Adams' books as "Sci Fi Classics" and it got me thinking. What makes a book or a movie a classic?

For those of you who don't recognize the name - Douglas Adams' created the off-beat/cult science fiction series "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". "Hitchhiker's" has appeared as a BBC radio show, a television series, a Hollywood motion picture and recently was resurrected by a different author who has released the 6th book of trilogy.

I discovered "Hitchhikers" in the early 80's and quickly became one of my favorite reads. I think I liked the quirky feel of it - like Monty Python in outer space (w/ an actual plot).

But when you think of Science Fiction "Classics" what comes to mind are the giants of Science Fiction. Arthur C Clarke. Issac Asimov. Frank Herbert. Robert Heinlein. Groundbreaking authors who defined Science Fiction as a literary genre. But Douglas Adams?

2009 marked the 30th anniversary since "Hitchhikers" was first published, but unfortunately Douglas did not live to see this milestone. He died of a heart attack in 2001.

He has left each of us to determine if "Hitchhikers" deserves to be called a Classic of Science Fiction.

Most viewed pictures for November 2009

2009-12-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Most viewed pictures for November 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Only a couple of repeats from last month (and this maybe the last month that the '9' movie poster shows up).

Space bytes

2009-12-01T16:28:00.003-07:00

Notable space-related items I have seen on-line over the last couple of weeks;

Assorted video footage of what appears to be a meteor disintegrating over South Africa

Soviet Star Wars programs, in this month's issue of Air&Space/Smithsonian (article provides more detail on a Soviet orbital laser, that I touched on in a post a couple of years ago).

Two articles about the 'Shuttle Jr' (X-37) that appears to be finally heading into orbit as a technology demonstrator. One article on SpaceFlightNow, and the 2nd article is also in this month's Air&Space/Smithsonian.

Looking for a place to watch airplanes?

2009-11-12T16:49:00.002-07:00

US Airways Airbus A319 "NFL/Arizona Cardinals", originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Yesterday's USA Today published an article on some of the best places to watch airplanes come and go at major US airports.

They didn't list any for PHX - but since all of the runways go the same way - it isn't hard to find them.

Now that's a Corporate jet

2009-11-06T15:13:00.001-07:00

"Googleplane" Boeing 767, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

When the company you found is worth over a hundred billion dollars - and your personal worth is estimated at over 10 billion dollars - its not hard to see how you want to avoid the TSA screening lines to go out of town.

But a Boeing 767? That's a twin aisle jet normally reserved for international routes or a countries head of state - not a personal/corporate jet. Unless your are Larry Page and Sergey Brin - the co-founder's of Google.

The plane have been rennovated, so instead of 180+ passengers, it is now equipped for 50, and is based at NASA's Moffett Field (near to Google's Mountain View CA headquarters).

Most viewed pictures for October 2009

2009-11-02T12:28:00.001-07:00

Most viewed pictures for October 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Sorry for the low volume of posts for October. It was a busy month - a week of vacation (family in town), and then a business trip back to the East Coast.

I was looking over the calender and realized that the end of 2009 is getting closer. Amazing how time flies.

My first 'Explore'

2009-10-05T08:18:00.001-07:00

McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier II+, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

On Flickr, there are on average over 700,000 pictures uploaded every day. The top 500 pictures - as determined by 'interestingness' - are listed in a section of Flickr called 'Explore'.

After 3 years - one of my pictures finally made Explore for a brief period of time. My picture of a China Lake AV-8B Harrier taking off from Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport was in Explore at #369 for Tuesday, September 15th.

(I didn't find the picture on Explore until last Friday, Oct 2nd, and then as of this morning - other pictures had climbed up and bumped me out of the top 500).

But now I know that it is possible for pictures other than babies, cats and sunsets to make it into Explore.

Most Viewed Pictures for September 2009

2009-10-02T09:37:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for September 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I think every picture - except one - in this picture are from this year.

Oops - its actually two pictures. Any guesses on which two?

Its a winner!

2009-09-30T16:56:00.001-07:00

Phoenix Sky Harbor Control Tower at Dusk, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I submitted this picture to a Flickr Challenge - Air Traffic Control towers at airports that Alaska Airlines flies to, and it was chosen as the winner.

There was only one other picture submitted - and then only the two submitters voted for their own pictures. So the moderator broke the tie.

Too bad it didn't come with any free tickets. But it still a win.

Antonov AN-124 Heavy Lift Cargo aircraft

2009-09-21T12:57:00.005-07:00

Last weekend (9/19) I spent most of Saturday out at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway airport (aka Williams) on the other side of town - waiting to take a picture of an Antonov AN-124 'Ruslan' departing - after being parked at the airport for the last week.

The AN-124 was the Soviet equivalent of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy - and was given the NATO codename of 'Condor' during the Cold War. But unlike Galaxy's that have reached the end of their militarily useful lives (and have ended up on the disposal side of D-M AFB aka the Boneyard), the Ruslan has gone on to a successful life as a heavy-lift cargo aircraft - in the private sector. One of its jobs has been to ferry components of the Atlas EELV from Denver, CO to Cape Canaveral, FL.

I didn't find out about the Ruslan coming into the Phoenix area - until after it had already landed. But some of my fellow aviation photographers did manage to catch it as it was coming in.

Even though the Antonov has visited Phoenix, in the past, it isn't something that is regularly scheduled - so I was determined to get some pictures of it. On the ground - and preferably - when it took off.

[I went to the airport the day after it landed to take pictures of the Antonov on the ground]

The problem was - there wasn't any good information on when it was supposed to take off. A story about the plane being in the Valley had been published in the newspaper on Friday - but that was saying the plane was going to leave Friday night (after dark). But the plane didn't leave then.

So I packed up and went to the airport Saturday morning and joined some of the other photographers who had the same thoughts. Part of the flight crew showed up around lunch time and the word was that the plane was going to leave between 3pm and 4pm. Then at 3:30pm - the flight plan was filed with a departure at 5:30pm.

There was still one unknown that could make or break the pictures - which direction was the plane going to take-off. We had a plan to cover either possibility (the three runways are parallel to each other, so we were less concerned about which one).

Once it started taxiing - it was clear it was going to come back towards us - and then take-off going to the Southeast - so after a couple of quick shots of it taxiing - we jumped in the cars and headed to the South end of the airport. The problem was - the Ruslan taxied faster than we expected, and then didn't hold at the end of the active runway before taking off. So we didn't get to our planned location, and ended up just pulling over on the side of the road and quickly taking pictures.

All of my pictures - both on the ground, a quick taxi shot - and then a series on the actual take-off are in the slideshow (link embedded below).

No one knows if the plane was carrying any cargo. Based on how quickly it was taxiing - I was thinking it wasn't. But then based on how slowly it climbed after take-off - it could have been. Only the flight crew knew for sure.

Super Typhoon Choi-Wan

2009-09-16T17:25:00.001-07:00

Super Typhoon Choi-Wan

Storms like this - sure make me glad I live in the middle of a desert.

Shared via AddThis

See anything special about this picture?

2009-09-14T17:11:00.004-07:00

Delta Airbus A319, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

There must have been something special about it - because it was viewed more than 400 times on Monday (9/14). It looks like someone or something was just trolling through Delta group on Flickr, because the referrals to my picture were from the adjacent pictures in the group.

Such a waste - considering I posted pictures of the Antonov AN-124 heavy lift aircraft that is waiting for cargo over at Phoenix-Mesa.

Special Chartered Aircraft in Phoenix

2009-09-09T11:32:00.012-07:00

Phoenix Sky Harbor airport is a hub for US Airways (after its purchase by America West) and Southwest Airlines. Because those are the primary users of the airport - the majority of the aircraft that go in are Boeing 737's and Airbus A318/A319/A321's. So aside from the daily British Airways flight from London (a Boeing 747), or the UPS or FedEx cargo planes (767 and MD-11 respectively), the opportunities to plane watch get pretty boring pretty quickly.

A friend found out that an Air China Boeing 747 was going to be coming into Phoenix over the Labor Day weekend. It was going to arrive on Sunday, fly up and back to the Grand Canyon on Monday, and then depart on Tuesday. So trying to capture a picture of this jumbo coming in and out of Phoenix, became a 'Photocall' for the aviation photography group I am part of.

The embedded link below goes to a slideshow of my pictures from both the arrival on Sunday and then the departure up to the Grand Canyon on Sunday (more details below the slideshow link).

During a pre-arrival drive through of the airport - it looked like it was going to be something more than just a normal charter. A reception tent was set-up out on the ramp - and the Police were out and just waiting.

Then there was the flight path this plane had been taking. It started in Beijing - and flew to Toronto (fuel stop), and then on to Havana (Cuba). From there it went to Nassau (Bahamas) for three days before flying to Phoenix.

One of the other photographers finally found a story on-line about this trip - on a Chinese web site (local press didn't have a clue). It was the Chinese equivalent to the US Speaker of the House - on a fact finding tour of the Americas.

Which would explain the next stop the plane made after leaving Phoenix - Andrews Air Force Base, outside of Washington, DC. [for those of you who don't know - Andrews Air Force Base is the home to another rather famous Boeing 747 - Air Force One].

Most Viewed Pictures for August 2009

2009-09-07T11:14:00.001-07:00

Most Viewed Pictures for August 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

A mix of old and new pictures highlight the most viewed pictures for August 2009.

Maybe it is time to upgrade to Blu-Ray

2009-08-31T11:29:00.003-07:00

Amazon just announced the release date for the entire "Prisoner" series on Blu-Ray DVD (scheduled for release at the end of October).

Will the Dreamliner (787) ever fly?

2009-08-05T07:26:00.001-07:00

Boeing Dreamliner, originally uploaded by ojour.

It has been over 2 years since Boeing rolled out their newest, revolutionary airliner - the 787 Dreamliner.

This plane is revolutionary in that instead of being constructed of aluminum - most of the plane is carbon fiber. This makes the plane lighter and means it can go farther on a load of fuel.

But the design and assembly of this plane has not been without its issues. Boeing has outsourced the major assemblies of this plane to other, foreign manufacturers - and just performs final assembly at the Boeing Everett plant (in an attempt to speed production, and lower Boeing's own labor costs).

They even retrofitted a set of 747's - the Dreamlifter - to shuttle Dreamliner pieces from manufacturer site to Everett.

The assembly issues seem to be behind them now - but everyone is still waiting for the plane's first flight (since that's what airplanes are supposed to do - FLY). But in late July - Boeing announced that the first flight was delayed again - this time for a structural/design issue where the wings join the fuselage/body and did not give a new estimated date for the first flight.

A week later - the Seattle Times published a story saying that this structural/design issue was worse than was being reported, and had occurred at an earlier point in the stress test.

There are normally challenges that face any new design - but more so in this case because of the new materials being used. And you know its bad - when the current poll on FlightGlobal asks which might fly first - the 787 - or a Pig.

Most viewed pictures for July 2009

2009-08-02T08:49:00.001-07:00

Most viewed pictures for July 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

One of the things I do each day as part of my Flickr addiction - is look to see which pictures are attracting peoples attention.

Considering the majority of my pictures are of airplanes - it isn't any surprise that the most viewed pictures are of them. But what is sometimes surprising - is when an 'ancient' picture - like the JSF prototype at the Smithsonian (UHC @ Dulles, VA) - from 5+ years ago - gets high views.

Even more surprising - is when something completely outside the aviation environment gets a lot of views. Like the Ringling Bros Circus clown. But I think that was due to the fact that the clown's father is on Flickr too - so I am pretty sure the picture has gotten back to her.

Editor wanted for BBC web site

2009-07-30T10:53:00.004-07:00

BBC published a story this morning that the proposed (UK) National ID card had been unveiled, and provided a shot of the sample - w/ each field labelled.

Obviously - no one actually looked at the picture and matched the field description with the actual numbered call outs.

Compare my reading of the call outs and the card (below) to what the BBC published;

Symbol meaning a chip is embedded in the card
National Identity Registration Number
Citizenship. (was #4)
Place of birth (was #6)
Signature - digitally embedded
Date of Card issue and date it becomes invalid (was #3)
Photo taken to biometric standards
Biometric chip holds fingerprint record
Swipe zone. Information which can be automatically read by computer

HA! - since I first read the story - the BBC went back and updated the graphic to have the correct labels. Wonder how many complaints/comments they got over it.

Movie Poster QR Code

2009-07-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

Movie Poster QR Code, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I took my daughter to see the Disney/Pixar movie "Up" yesterday and on the way out of the theater there was this green movie poster w/ a large QR code, a date (9-9-09) and a rating (PG-13) on it.

I took a picture of it w/ my Blackberry (obviously) to see what this movie was for. I wasn't able to find a QR decoder for my model of Blackberry - so it had to wait until I got on-line this morning. I uploaded the picture to ZXing's Decoder and got the following URL;

http://9.msite.tv/qr1

After making sure my security software was up to date - I went ahead and went to the URL. Turns out this goes to an exclusive trailer for Tim Burton's new animated movie "9".

White Knight 2 - aka "VMS Eve" leaving Phoenix

2009-06-20T20:24:00.004-07:00

I got up and out of the house at an ungodly early hour this morning to get to the airport on the otherside of the Valley where White Knight 2 (aka VMS (Virgin Mother Ship) "Eve") had spent the night after its unscheduled landing on Friday.

I met up with some of the other local aviation photographers and waited to see when she was going to leave. Since the payload (Spaceship Two) wasn't being carried - WK2 was in the air in less than half of the runway.

The pictures below are from her departure almost right over us.

Ssshh - its a secret

2009-06-19T15:48:00.004-07:00

Richard Branson's Rocket Launcher, originally uploaded by joe_stremph.

Richard Branson's newest toy (complements of Burt Rutan & Scaled Composites) - is hiding in a hanger outside of Phoenix.

It diverted there after a warning light came on - while they were on the way to overfly the groundbreaking on the Spaceport in NM.

It is now scheduled to leave sometime tomorrow morning and the crew would prefer no one take pictures of it on the ground. Waaah!

[UPDATE - 5:27pm MST - the unscheduled landing made the local paper's website, so I guess it isn't much of a secret anymore. The guy who took the picture that's not shown above any more (it was being used by another web site w/o giving Joe credit, so the picture got removed) - made the local news Friday night.]

How does.... a cockpit window catch fire?

2009-06-11T15:28:00.003-07:00

VH-EBB Jetstar Airbus A330, originally uploaded by stef747.

The Airbus A330, operated by Jetstar, was flying from Japan to Australia when a window in the cockpit caught fire.

Until they can determine what caused Air France #447 to crash - I think any Airbus operator will err on the side of caution for any seemingly minor problem.

Underwater picture update - The article with my picture is on the website

2009-06-10T05:50:00.001-07:00

Pop photo homepage - June 9, 2009, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I found that the article that my picture was used for got posted to the PopPhoto.com website yesterday.

My picture was used for the "How To... Dive In Using A Compact" tip.

But what I didn't expect - was that my picture would headline the whole article on the PopPhoto.com website.

Cool!

Can you see the 3rd plane in this picture?

2009-06-09T10:54:00.001-07:00

Can you see the 3rd plane in this picture?, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

As I was going through and reviewing this recent picture I shot at Sky Harbor (Phoenix) airport, I found a 3rd plane in the frame of this picture.

Click on the picture to get to the picture on Flickr - where you can view the full size version (it helps to find the 3rd plane).

Underwater picture

2009-05-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

Cassidy - just below the surface, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I took this picture last summer in our backyard pool - with a simple disposable Fuji (film) underwater camera. Cassidy has been taking swimming lesson's since she was a toddler - and each session they try to take a underwater picture to sell to the parents. Emphasis on 'try' because it is an indoor pool and unless the light is just right - the pictures are usually pretty murky. So I was trying to take a half decent underwater picture to share with family and friends.

Skip ahead to this Spring. I post and share my pictures via Flickr. On Flickr there are groups for different interests. Several months ago I had come across the Popular Photography magazine group on Flickr and joined it. Every couple of months the staff from PopPhoto will post requests for specific types or themes for pictures that they need for upcoming issues.

In March - there was a request for an underwater picture taken with a compact camera (not with a high end SLR in a housing) and I submitted this picture. The staff at PopPhoto contacted me and asked me to sign a release for the picture.

I didn't find out that it was actually going to be published - until the June 2009 issue was published. My picture appears on page 55 as part of the tip on "How to... Dive in using a compact".

[The tips should be published on the PopPhoto web site at some point in the next couple of weeks. When it is - I will include the link to the article].

Air Force One comes to Phoenix

2009-05-16T07:54:00.004-07:00

On Wednesday, the President came to Phoenix to give the Commencement address for ASU's graduation.

So for aviation photographers - that meant a chance to take pictures of Air Force One as it came into land. I had some vacation to use up - so I took the day off and went down early to find a good place to take pictures from. I ended up on an upper level of the airport parking garage - with a good view of the north side runway.

Below is the link to the highlights of this mini photo trip on my Flickr photostream.

Summertime - its here now

2009-05-11T19:17:00.001-07:00

IMG_5849, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Its mid-May, the temperature has hit the triple digits for several days in a row now - and the pool is warm enough to go for a dip.

Time to start the post-work, pre-dinner swim.

I hope it never gets this far...

2009-03-31T12:45:00.001-07:00

Rules.jpeg, originally uploaded by and.arnold.

I think Arizona must be leading the nation in the number of deployed photo radar cameras. It is a very divisive issue.

Lots of people see this as a method to 'enhance revenue' - while others say it has improved highway safety. I will admit - I have seen fewer accidents on roads with the cameras in place. But I also don't see the camera flash that often. Most of the cameras are in fixed locations and all of the camera (even the mobile/truck mounted ones) have to have warning signs posted in advance of the camera.

One jurisdiction has actually started turning them off - because the cost isn't covered by the $$$ from the tickets.

Mainly because most people aren't paying the tickets. And the local media encourages it.

So who knows - maybe they will have to go back to a actual police officers in airplanes flying over w/ radar guns to monitor the traffic flow. Or they could just start using Apache's. After all - Boeing is building them just over in Mesa, AZ.

No one home...

2009-02-23T19:31:00.002-07:00

No one home..., originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I was leaving town last week on a business trip - and I had the first flight of the day. Too bad no one told the airline that they had a full load of passengers ready to go flying with them. TSA was ready to screen the bags - but they can't screen them until they get checked in.

[Standing around waiting for someone to check bags - is only obnoxious - when you arrive at the airport at 4am, and would rather have been sleeping longer instead of standing around waiting].

90 minutes before the flight - at least 6 staff members streamed out of the behind the scene's hideaway and proceeded to check everyone in and direct us up to the 'B' gates.

Where the security checkpoint - wasn't open yet. So it was time to walk to the other end of the Terminal to go through the 'A' security checkpoint. And then walk back to the 'B' gates (because the moving walkway inside of security was being replaced on the A -> B pathway).

Oh - and when I walked past the 'B' checkpoint - there was at least enough TSA staff to have a lane open.

I hope this trip gets better.....

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2009-02-15T09:55:00.004-07:00

What's with the weekend of February 21st? It seems like there is no shortage of things to do all at once.

Blackbird Symposium - Pima Air & Space Museum (Tucson, AZ)
Digital Days Photography workshops - Phoenix, AZ
Stargazing - Challenger Space Center - Peoria, AZ

Why couldn't this all be spread out across a couple of weekends?

[UPDATE - 16-Feb] - I just need to stop looking for things on this coming weekend. I keep finding more;

Presentation on the MQ-9 Predator drone - Arizona Wing of the CAF (Mesa, AZ)

How to display your State Quarter collection

2009-01-23T10:25:00.001-07:00

Red, Wood, and Blue, originally uploaded by Roger Smith.

I don't like how the program was extended to include the Territories for 2009.

At least DC got slapped down when they tried to put 'Taxation without Representation' on their design.

Fiber optic cable - the backbone of the Internet

2008-12-24T14:49:00.001-07:00

fibre optic cable, originally uploaded by spore2002.

If you are looking for something to read when the holiday overdosing kids put you are the verge of a nervous breakdown - just find a warm browser and bring up the following article by Neal Stephenson (author of the Cryptonomicon) about the construction of the FLAG (Fiber Optic Link Around the Globe) cable.

Service through the FLAG cable was disrupted earlier this week - when what has been termed a 'seismic event' off of Malta.

Another section of this same cable network was cut in off Egypt back in January - probably by a ship's anchor.

Winter in the Desert - rainy season

2008-12-16T08:35:00.001-07:00

Large waterdrops on glass, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Winter has finally arrived in the desert - which means rain isn't just a dream in the weatherman's eye. It started with just a sprinkle yesterday and has been a steady rain overnight.

I wonder how many overconfident SUV drivers will have to be pulled from their vehicles after driving through flooded washes.

But now I have bigger fish to fry - one of those overconfident SUV drivers has just rear ended my wife while she was driving to work.

Beautiful.

Roadside service for a Commercial Airliner

2008-11-17T11:22:00.005-07:00

In the November 2008 issue of Air & Space (Smithsonian) Magazine had an interesting article on Boeing's Aircraft on Ground (AOG) team. The author was able to follow the team as they repaired a Boeing 767 that had been damaged when it had been backed into a jet blast fence and the rear pressure bulkhead had been punctured.

[Air & Space said that they were asked not to disclose whose airliner this was and what airport that this took place at]

Here's a picture from Boeing - showing the vertical stabilizer being put back on (contrary to the caption). If this was the only picture you saw - you wouldn't know that the caption was wrong. I'll explain how I can tell in a minute - the hint is in the lower left hand corner of the picture.

This past weekend on the National Geographic channel - their (HGC) series "World's Toughest Fixes" featured this specific 'fix'. NGC wasn't nearly as shy about saying where this was all taking place. It was in Paris, at Charles DeGaulle airport. The damage occurred on Chrismas Eve (2007).

If you can catch this episode either this week or in repeats - set the Tivo/DVR for it. Its interesting to see what goes into a job like this. If you don't get NatGeo or don't have the time for it - click here - for a quick 2 minute summary of the repair.

Ok - so back to that first picture. The lower left hand corner is a video camera (filming the NGC episode), and the green section of the underside of the fuselage is what gives this picture away as being post-repair. That green section of the fuselage is the section of skin that was replaced as part of the repair.

Also - look at this picture - showing the pressure bulkhead being replaced - the guy on the right in the red hat is the host of "World's Toughest Fixes." You can pick him out because he is the only one with chest pouch/toolkit.

Finally - to answer the question 'whose airliner was this' - I present links to two pictures;

It actually wasn't too hard to find pictures matching this airline livery on-line. The TV show helped somewhat - when they had a close up of the vertical stablizer being put into its temp cradle - you could see what looked like two white birds in flight (in between the red and green fields).

BTW - the airline really wanted to get the plane back in the air. They only have two 767's in service. So while this one was laid up for 3 weeks - they long range fleet was at 1/2 capacity.

How to - make your own QR Code

2008-11-16T16:13:00.008-07:00

[if you watch CSI:NY on CBS, the episode last week featured QR codes on the back of the 'tell all' stationary that was part of the murder investigation]

I have already shown how you can decode a QR code - and now you want to create a QR code of your own. Start by going to the Google Chart API developers guide. In addition to the standard line charts, bar charts, pie charts, Venn diagrams and maps - the Google Chart API also supports QR codes.

You call the API just as you would call any other image that you would link to;

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=qr&chl=URL:http://www.strongholddigitalservices.com&choe=utf-8&chs=200x200&chld=Q|10

Chart AP - http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?
Chart type - cht=qr
Data to encode - chl=URL:http://www.strongholddigitalservices.com
Encoding - choe=utf-8
Size (in pixels) - chs=200x200
Error correction | margin - chld=H|5

Note - the amount of data will determine how many bits are in the QR code. The size just determines how big the output will be.

The Error correction letter says defines how much of the QR code can be missing or obscured, while still allowing the data to be retrieved. The 'H' code allows up to 30% of the image to be missing or obscured, and still able to maintain the data.

Here are some samples to illustrate the differences.

Size 200x200, Error Correction = H

Size 100x100, Error Correction = H

Size 200x200, Error Correction = L (worst, only 7% error/missing/obscure)

All three images contain the exact same data - but they differ only in size (between 1st and 2nd) and data correction (1st and 3rd).

Now - why has Google gone to such trouble to include the QR code in their Chart library? I don't know for sure - but it happens to be part of their Android mobile phone OS on TMobile's G1 handset. Beyond that - we will have to see if these start showing up and get adopted by more than just the twenty-something's.

Veterans Day - 2008

2008-11-11T11:52:00.001-07:00

Flag in the wind, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Don't forget to thank a veteran for their dedication to making the US a better place to live.

Getting an early start on her technical education

2008-11-02T20:43:00.001-07:00

Getting an early start on her technical education, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

Get Out and Vote

2008-10-30T09:15:00.001-07:00

Get Out and Vote, originally uploaded by videoal.

Yes - this is a real sign - no Photoshop.

This guy is running for state house on the other side of town. Drove past one of these signs a couple of weeks ago when I didn't have my camera. He even ran a couple of TV ads before the primary.

Minor Challenge results

2008-10-22T11:19:00.012-07:00

Last week - I posted two images - one of which is above - and challenged someone to decode it. No one rose to the challenge.

This is a 2-dimensional bar code - in the QR Code format. One of the leading uses of QR Codes is to;

QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that users might need information about. Users with a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL.

If your phone isn't set-up to translate the above image - then there are on-line websites available to allow you to decode the image.

Save image to your computer
Go to Zxing decoder online site
Browse to the location of the saved image file (or if the image is posted on-line - you can point the web page to the URL of the image)
Submit query
Decoded text is returned to the web browser as a line of text

Performing that decode on the above QR Code should display the following information;

geo:33.635801,-112.232906

The 'geo:' denotes geographic co-ordinates. So go over and open Google Maps and enter the Co-ordinates (actual lat-long) in the search box at the top.

You should get a image/map (depending on your settings) that looks similiar to this image;

That location - denotes my local Chick-Fil-A. Where you can find me getting breakfast during the week between 9am and 9:15am MST (about 1/2 the time).

Decoding the 2nd barcode is left as an exercise to the reader.

[Next - how to create a QR code of your own]

So what is BOINC?

2008-10-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Down the right hand side of this blog - is the following graphic;

What this is - is the CPU workunits/progress and standings/statistics about my participation in different BOINC projects. BOINC - stands for 'Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing'.

Basically - it is a framework under which different distributed applications can be run. When SETI@Home first started - it was its own dedicated application. That would only have a single workunit in process at a time. I have been running SETI@Home since 1999. And from the table above - you can see that it is the project I have my 2nd highest total credit with.

There are a large number of projects that are available, so if searching for ET to phone home isn't your idea of a good use of spare computer cycles - there are plenty of other options.

I look for projects that are contributing to the general good, and not contributing to something that someone can patent and sell (several of the bio-sciences projects were looking for gene mappings or drug interactions - no thanks).

A couple of the newer projects have skipped the idea of a screensaver. And just have a simple logo to display instead. I like the idea of the screensaver - if it pertains to the project. LHC@Home's - just seems to put bouncing balls on the screen that changes color. But when I am running it at work - an interesting screensaver will prompt people to ask what I have running. That curiousity - could ultimately result in another computer or two working on that project.

Every time a work unit for a project is completed - the user's account gets credit for the work done. But - since the dawn of man if you give him a way to compare himself to others - he will find a way to gain an advantage for himself. For some - this can include installing BOINC 'quietly' on extra computers, writing a code module to increase the speed at which a workunit can be completed or even just buying more computers to run.

Now the credit granted to the participants - has gotten controversial. Some sites have revised the credit they grant - downwards. These 'Kredit Kops' - have been trying to get all of the projects to grant credit based on similiar work.

I don't agree with this policy. Let each project set their own limits. That would allow the less popular or mainstream projects give out more credit as a way to attract more participants.

Remember - these are all volunteer projects. The credits are the only thing that the participants get in return for donating their computer cycles (and power bills) to the project's goal.

Bored? Here's a minor challenge

2008-10-16T06:55:00.006-07:00

Figure out what information is encoded in this graphic;

And then send your answer using the following contact information;

Explanation will be posted next week.

Urban Camoflage - Cell towers

2008-09-29T10:23:00.004-07:00

Most people take the NIMBY ('Not in my backyard') approach - especially when it comes to the area around their homes.

They want to have reliable electrical power, but not have a power plant in their backyard, or high voltage transmission lines.
They want a quality TV signal, but don't want to live next to the transmission tower. Or they want a clear satellite signal, but don't want to see the dish.
They want go get anywhere quickly, but not live right next to the highway (or an airport).
They want to be able to get their calls all of the time - but don't want a Cell tower right next door.

Out here in the Phoenix area - towers in general, and cell phones specifically can be a sore subject. The Phoenix metro area - is largely flat terrain - which means cell towers pop-up on the horizon - and have nothing to blend in to.

The slide show below - is the start of a photo collection of different ways that Cell Towers are or are not disguised around Phoenix.

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-11T11:33:00.007-07:00

I remember 9/11....

I was late going into work. The office was in Chantilly, VA - and one of the non-standard routes I would use took me along the backroads around Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD).

Since I was on the backroad - I wasn't listening to News radio (it was WTOP's FM feed - only one I got decent signal on that far out from the city). I switched over as I got close to the airport - and I heard about the first plane hitting New York. At that point it wasn't clear from the reports about what type of plane it was - or what the weather was like.

[Just after World War 2 ended - a B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into the Empire State Building while lost in fog. And the building (obviously) withstood it.]

At that point I was just curious for more details on the plane crash. A few minutes later - I got into the office to find everyone huddled into the boss's office watching streaming video of the scene from New York. It was obvious from that coverage - that it was a large jet - and that weather had nothing to do with it. And then the 2nd jet hit the other tower.

Now - it was pretty clear that this wasn't an accident. The talking heads w/ on the coverage were starting to talk about Hijacking's and Terrorism. Several of my co-workers decided they would rather be at home with family - or just didn't want to be in the office.

You have to realize my office was about 3 miles South of the end of the east side North-South runway at Dulles. When the weather was nice - a couple of us would take a walk around the circle and watch the planes from Europe coming in.

[there was one other item of interest within a mile of our office. An office building that didn't exist - and Congress was royally miffed when they found out how it was paid for. The planes were going after symbolic targets - and an office building wouldn't stir anyone up.]

I guess I can't blame them - especially after the Pentagon was hit. And then the panicky reports of another plane headed for DC - I didn't blame them at all.

[it wasn't until a couple of days later - that I realized that my wife and I had been on the flight that had crashed into the Pentagon - earlier in 2001. American Flight 77. We took it out to LA and then on to Vegas in January. It was a nice flight. First thing in the morning. Maybe a third full. Crew relaxed after an overnight in DC. A perfect target for a hijacking.]

After trying to do some work - and checking in with family - I finally went home. And on the way back by Dulles - as I was turning onto a backroad to go home - there was a Loudoun Co Sheriff's Deputy sitting (in his car) just about in the middle of the intersection. He wasn't doing anything - just sitting there.

Just a show of force - in a small way - to show that the world had changed.

Out with the Old - In with the New

2008-08-22T15:07:00.001-07:00

Out with the Old - In with the New, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I finally did it. I finally upgraded my basic point and shoot (which I originally bought for my wife) to a D-SLR.

I have already started just shooting at anything - to get used to the camera. The Canon has the new 'Live View' - but I haven't turned it on yet. Don't know if I will.

Airbus A380 flight to no-where (SFO)

2008-08-05T09:40:00.001-07:00

Tailcam Video: Airbus A380 Landing at SFO
Originally uploaded by Telstar Logistics

If you don't travel internationally - and don't expect to be able to fly on the new Airbus A380 anytime soon - then take a look at the Telstar Logistics blog and photostream.

Will the rush to Electric cars - short-circuit?

2008-07-27T15:05:00.002-07:00

EV-1 Cutaway, originally uploaded by 85Gripen.

As the price of a gallon of gas has risen dramatically during the summer of 2008 - more and more consumers are looking for alterntaives to the internal combusion engine. Several manufacturers, some new to the car industry and some established players have accelerated their plans to bring the Electric car to the mainstream.

One of the manufacturers getting the most press - is Tesla Motor's Roadster. This is a true electric - which will require a plug-in to recharge. But will run you over $100,000.

Even GM's Chevrolet Volt - while originally touted as an all electric (plug in) vehicle - is actually going to have a small 3-Cylinder engine on board (to recharge the batteries due to the Volt's short range (~ 33 miles) on a charge). An initial estimate (since retracted) was $40,000.

And you know the push for a plug-in Electric car is getting serious when the Electricity Industry has to put out a press release saying that they have enough capacity on the grid to handle Electric car being plugged in at homes across the country.

But - Electric cars still have an achilles heel. The batteries.

I live in Arizona. The Arizona weather (heat) kills batteries. It doesn't matter if you have 3, 4 or 5 year battery. The average life span of a battery in Arizona is 22 months. I will have had my truck for years next month - and it is already on its 3rd battery.

How many batteries need to go into a hybrid or all-electric car?

GM maintenance estimates for their EV-1 all-electric (pictured above) was that the battery pack would have to be replaced every 25-35,000 miles. Reduce that by 50% - and you are starting to look at replacing the battery pack every year - even w/ moderate driving.

Let's figure 15 Die-Hard sized batteries make up a 'pack'. A Die-Hard Gold goes for $80 (list price - prob another $5-10 for the assorted municipal recycling fees). So $90 per times 15 batteries = $1350. That's 3x what I have spent on maintenance for my truck each year.

This is the hidden cost of a hybrid/electric vehicle - which I don't think anyone has realized is part of the cost to be Green.

Until the capacity and cost of the batteries improves (more miles per charge) - an electric vehicle won't be able to replace the internal combustion engine - at least in my garage.

Jedi Swiss Army knife

2008-07-09T08:07:00.001-07:00

n1291140192_17042_1242, originally uploaded by illallangi.

The caption says it all.

I would pay Amazon for next day shipping if they had this.

Optical Illusions / Subliminal messages

2008-06-13T16:20:00.002-07:00

A long time ago in a Galaxy far far away - I went to school to get an education. Still trying to figure out how that happened, and why I still remember the craziest things.

But one of the more creative things I was exposed to - was Subliminal advertising. That was the idea that images are retouched ever so slightly to impart a theme to the viewer, w/o the viewer actually realizing or consciously recognizing what they were seeing.

There were some doozey's - but you have to realize it was the late 70's/early 80's - and there was no such thing as 'Photoshop' - so any images either in stills or motion pictures - had to be altered by hand.

Two of the examples that have stuck w/ me all of these years are;
- skulls in the ice cubes of liquor ad's
- the word 'Sex' in Lincoln's Beard (on the old $5 bill)

Now all of that said - I came across the following link to Mighty Optical Illusions today - and all I could think about was that old 7th grade class (it was part of English - still trying to figure that relationship out).

Let me warn you - if you 'see' the allusions in these pictures - you might be offended by what they are suggesting.

I found my Dayton pictures!

2008-06-03T15:07:00.001-07:00

Boeing Bird of Prey, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I had this set of pictures (and there are several more than what I have posted to Flickr so far) that was MIA somewhere on one of my PC's.

They were taken when we blew threw OH - on the drive out to Phoenix in 2004, so they would have been on my older laptop or my big desktop. But I couldn't find them.

Obviously - I finally found them (they were in the Shared Pictures directory - because I put them somewhere that Pam could get to them since she always says she never sees the pictures I take), and have started to post them.

And I have found a really quick way to get hits/views on your picture - is to include a Star Trek reference in the tags/descriptions. Because there is a Star Trek fan site - http://trekweb.com searches Flickr for Star Trek related pictures. And in the course of a couple of hours - I had over a hundred hits on this particular picture. Now - enough pictures of peoples cats named 'Spock' have taken me off their home page.

:(

Yes - I live in a desert

2008-05-07T17:07:00.001-07:00

DBG - a young Cactii, originally uploaded by rob-the-org.

I think I have finally adjusted to life in a desert environment. Yes, Phoenix is a desert. Don't let all of the trappings of civilization fool you - it is still a desert.

I think I finally realized this the other day. I was driving back from running one errand or another - and I went past a block where they are putting in a new planned development (yes - I know the housing market isn't the best in the world right now - but some builder's insist on trying to build and sell new homes anyway). I passed a street sweeper going down one of the streets trying to keep the dust under control (this is serious - local govt's fine the builders if they don't keep the dust down from their building sites. So there is a whole industry of street sweepers and water sprayers out there soley for keeping the dust down). And as I passed by - I could 'feel' the increase in the humidity due to the water that the sweeper was spraying on the road.

There are a couple of fountains at the entrances to some of the other neighborhoods - where I have noticed the same thing the last couple of times I have gone by.

[Click to see historical temp/humidity from Phoenix during a week last July (2007)]

My father-in-law has joked that when he gets out of the bath - that by the time all of the water has drained out of the tub - he is usually dry.

My how Stealth has changed in 20 years

2008-04-10T11:03:00.001-07:00

DSC06729, originally uploaded by PlaneJared.

In 1978 Northrup engineer's started to work on 'Stealth' as an idea to allow aircraft to fly places that other people (i.e. the Russian's) didn't want our planes to go.

Usually those no fly zones were strictly enforced with AAA and SAM's - as shown by the Vietnam War. And Air Force planners wanted to limit the chances of the opposition to harm their pilots and their pretty planes.

This was their first attempt. Northrup's Tacit Blue aka the Whale. It is currently on display at the US Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH.

If you go to the Museum page for the Whale, and click on the More pictures, you can see a better look at the wings and tail surfaces. The canted tail surfaces have carried through to the F-117 and the F-22. The JSF (aka F-35) has canted surfaces - just not as dramatic.

And then there is the B-2 - that decided they didn't need a tail at all. But it shares the curves that the Whale tested.

When I first saw this plane - it was parked over in the main building - under the wing of the XB-70 Valkyrie. And at first glance - all I could think of - is a Star Trek Shuttlecraft.