New Photos from our San Francisco Trip!

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New Photos from our San Francisco Trip!

Cal Poly and SF Updates Due soon

Hi Friends,

We had a tremendous time at Cal Poly and the subsequent mini-vacation in San Francisco.  We are still unpacking our bags and uploading photos and still have to keep up with life too, so as soon as we can, we'll upload the stories and the photos and share it all with you.

Peace, Love and Mini-adventures,

Rich

Bradley's 11th birthday!

Today is Bradley's 11th birthday! Hard to believe it was eleven years ago that he completed our family! I remember that when the doctor arrived to check on Em they were surprised how quickly Bradley was coming and the had to rush to set up for the delivery just in time!

Bradley is such a tender hearted kid who is generous, and thoughtful and loves music and games and laughter! Happy 11th birthday Bradley!

5,000 Twitters milestone.

GeoTagged, [N21.44553, E158.01993]

Hi all!

I know many of you noticed when my blogging habits changed and it seemed I fell off the face of the earth. What have I been doing? Micro-blogging on a service called Twitter. I've alreadt written about Twitter and Facebook before, so you can scroll back to find that, but I just wanted to share that I just passed the 5,000 twitters mark! Wow, who knew I had 5,000 comments to make about anything!

Anyways, mostly with this entry I am testing the paid version of Blogwriter for iPhone to see how the photo attaching and geotagging functions work.

Peace, Love and 5,000 Alohas,

Rich

My Journey to Geekdom

I'm trying to figure out what influenced me so strongly toward geekdom.

I suppose it started with being rather unsuccessful at sports. I was fearful of being hit by the pitcher when I played baseball, and I hated running which limited most other sports. I played (and loved) volleyball and tennis in high school, but that faded away after college.

I loved Star Trek as a kid. It appealed to me very deeply, and I'm not sure I could tell you why. I had the Enterprise blueprints and all sorts of inane facts memorized. Star Trek was soon followed by Star Wars and it was all over. Yeah, I had the Star Wars bedsheets, what's it to ya!

I think the first real computer I saw was during a field trip to the National Weather Service. Buttons, lights, satellites, faxes, radios, meters, dials,... I was in geek heaven. It was on that day I decided I wanted to work with "buttons and lights". That's exactly how I phrased it!

At the time, the biggest job involving buttons and lights was at Houston's Mission Control for NASA. That seemed like the dream job to me!

I think my future geekdom was set in concrete though, when my parents sent me to Computer Summer School at JAIMS (Japan American Institute of Management Science) in Hawaii Kai with my best friend, David. It was also the first time I learned how to ride the bus by myself! We had 3 weeks of BASIC training on TRS-80s, and 3 weeks of FORTRAN on the schools giant mainframe computer! The computer guys wore lab coats! It filled a large room and required using a card punch to program! I am so glad I had that experience, even though I never again touched FORTRAN.

David's dad was a lawyer, and they had a WANG computer! He invited us over on a weekend once and we logged onto "The Well" (an early Compuserve-like service) and played a rudimentary Star Trek like game in all it's green monochrome text-based goodness. All resistance was futile from that point on!

TRS-80s, Apple ]['s, our family's first Mac (512k Fat mac) and the story continues on to today, as I sit in a Starbucks, reminiscing with you via my iPhone, about to go to work as a computer graphics artist. Amazing!

Peace, love, and dreams which come true,

Rich

What if I Died Today? (I almost did)

Today I was nearly flattened by a bus.

OK, so that is the most dramatic way I could phrase what really happened. I was getting off the bus downtown and I was getting my bike off the front rack. I like this driver and I told her I was getting my bike. Usually I'm very fast getting my bike off, and this time was no exception, but a part of the rack that is spring loaded didn't retract normally and was sticking out. I set my bike down on the sidewalk and went back to fix the rack (changed my pattern). I was still fiddling with that spring loaded arm, when the engine fires up and the bus starts moving toward me, and not just a little! She's leaving! I jumped back to the curb, the bus literally brushing my backpack! The sudden movement catches her eye and she stops the bus, and we trade good intentioned nervous looks. I returned to fix the rack which only required a good thwack to retract (nearly my dying act!) and waved aloha to the bus driver.

Then I sat down. Wow. What if....

The good news? I was OK with the what if's. Yesterday, I told my parents I loved them (each personally).

Last weekend I told Bryan how proud I was of him and that I love him. I also told him no matter how successful he is in life, it is his relationship with God that is most important, and how happy I was that he has already begun that relationship. My last words to him were words of thanks.

Last night I gave Bradley his cough medicine at 4am, gave him a big hug and sat on the edge of his bed until he fell back asleep, stroking his hair and humming "Amazing Grace".

Yesterday, I gave Em a smothering hug too (she was trying to tell me something and I wasn't listening) and held her hand while I fell asleep (she was already fast asleep). I regretted the little "nipping at each other" that we do when life pressures get the best of us.

Our family is (recently) out of consumer debt, own our own home, and my life insurance is paid up. My family would be fine financially.

I hold nothing against anyone and I don't think anyone is holding anything against me. Other than for being a general selfish clod, my forgiveness slate is clear.

KITV would miss me, initially, but no one is indispensable and Trish or someone new would take my place.

Lastly, I live in the confident assurance that if something happened to me, my eternity is secure. Not because of any goodness on my part, but based solely on my faith in Jesus, with whom I have a deep and very real relationship. I have no doubt that for me to be "absent from the body, is to be present with the Lord" and I still hold on to that inevitable future ahead of me.

Now let's be clear, I have no desire to die early, but today's bus close-call made me check how I'm living, against what I value. I am relieved at what I discovered, and I think that is rare.

Still, I think it might be healthy to treat everyday here forward as a gift, and make the very most of whatever time I have left, be it a day or another 60 years. Clearly God isn't done with me here yet.

Peace, Love and... Peace,

Rich

Video from tonight's EARC meeting

We had a great time tonight at the Emergency Amateur Radio Club and we tried something new. We live streamed the meeting to the internet! Here is the video. If you watch the whole thing it will take 2 hours, so maybe just scan through and watch the SSB radio technology presentation Ron Hashiro (AH6RH) gives.

Aloha!

Bryan Demos his Cubesat at U.H.

We are so very proud of Bryan tonight! Because of some very generous offers, Bryan was invited to present his Cubesat to Dr. Wayne Shiroma and his team at the Hawaii Space Flight Lab on the University of Hawaii campus. Dr. Shiroma, who is a leader in this field, said that as far as he knew, no one has ever built their own Cubesat and was looking forward to seeing Bryan's.

We had a great time there having one the the geekiest Show-and-Tells I've ever had and we loved every minute of it.

One thing that they made very clear was that they wanted Bryan to attend UH when he gets to college. It is an exciting time at the University because they may be the ONLY university to have the capability to build AND LAUNCH their own Cubesats.

Anyway, check out Bryan's Scienze Blog for his perspective and all the photos.

Peace, Love and Opportunities,

Rich

Photos from Paintball! Splat Splat!

        

Bradley took a nasty hit to his finger!

WalMart Vision Center Rocks!

Hi Friends,

Many of you don't know that I have been wearing half eyeglasses this week because the arm (temple) broke off and I am still waiting for new contacts.  It has been annoying and kind of embarrassing and was really getting on my nerves this week.

I just want to share my experience with all of you about my chance visit to WalMart Vision Center tonight.  I was passing by as I was headed into the store and saw Matteo hanging out behind the otherwise quiet optical counter.  For some reason I changed course and without a plan or a clue entered the optical section at Walmart.  Right away Matteo greeted me and set me at ease.  I told him I had a problem, showed him my broken glasses and asked him if there was anything he could do to help.

He kindly took my glasses and without making any promises, began to rummage through a box of old glasses and spare parts.  Eventually we found the right combination of a temple and a screw and he had my glasses fixed!

But then he continued on and replaced my gross old nose pads and adjusted their position.  He cleaned the lenses for me and fitted the glasses to my head until they were just right.  All this took him a little past his closing time, but he didn't complain at all.

After all of that time and above-the-call-of-duty service he even posed for a great picture for me with a smile!  

Thanks to Matteo for an awesome job helping me see clearly again and renewing a pair of old glasses to feel like new! Everyone should go visit my new friend Matteo at the Walmart Vision Center!

Peace Love and Clear Focus,

Rich

KIPO Bytemarks Cafe Appearance

Hi Gang,

Ron Hashiro (AH6RH) and I appeared on KIPO's Bytemarks Cafe to talk about amateur radio yesterday.  It was an hour long program and our part began about 20 minutes into it.  Listen near the end for my mental derailment when I totally blanked for a moment!  I lost my train of thought, then PANIC ensued!  Took me a moment to get rolling forward again, but fortunately didn't sound nearly as bad as it felt.

Here is the link:

Bytemarks Cafe - February 18, 2009 - "Amateur Radio's Role in Emergencies"

It was great fun and I am so grateful to Burt and Ryan for having us on, and giving us an opportunity to talk about our hobby.  The feedback has been encouraging too.

Peace Love and Opportunities,

Rich

BlogWriterLite

Been busy, especially this week. 

I have good news!  I have replaced the LifeCast blogging app (FAIL) with BlogWriterLite (so far so good).  I'm hoping this leads to me showing up here in my own blog more often.  The problem wasn't that I wasn't blogging, it was that my wonderful blog creations in LifeCast were not posting, and there was no other way of getting them out of the LifeCast app.  It was so frustrating.

The only problem with the BlogWriterLite app is that if I receive a call while I am composing a blog entry, when I return to the app, everything is lost!  I discovered that this morning!  I hope they fix that bug because that could become very annoying!  It needs some sort of autosave feature before switching to the phone app.

If I like the Lite version, I may spring for the full version which will let me do photos too.  That would be sweet.  I am shocked that it has taken me so long to find a decent Blogger app.  Still not sure if I have yet or not, but I am hopeful.

Peace Love and new App-isodes to come!

Rich

Testing a new blog app

I just want to see if this will work. No news to report... Yet!

More Experimenting

Well, I just poured my heart and soul out into another post, and yet again the mobile blogging program failed me. Can I get any recommendations for a blogger app that works on an iPhone and with Blogger?

Posted with LifeCast

It's Emily's Birthday! Happy Dance!

Happy Birthday Emily!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Science Fair Projects Completed

 

(Click on photo for larger view)

Many of you know that Bryan and I have been working long nights on his satellite for the Hanalani Science Fair.  It is completed and you can learn all about it on his project journal / blog Bryan's Scienze (http://brysci.blogspot.com)  Wish him luck!

Bradley has also completed his first ever Science Fair and presented a beautiful board titled "Is a Rat Smart".  He tried to train the rats to ring a bell when they wanted to be fed.

I am so proud of both of my boys!  We are looking forward to a little relax time now that these big projects are completed.

Peace, Love, and Science,

Rich

Bryan's Science Fair

Aloha to all,

It is science fair time at the Fewell house and we have been putting almost all out free family time towards completing the projects.  This is the first year we have 2 projects to do, as Bradley has come of science fair age.  Brad is doing his about rat intelligence and Bryan is doing the usual electronics thing.  This year he is building a CubeSat, a 10x10 cm satellite.  He is building it from scratch!

No doubt we have some very late nights ahead of us, and we all wish we had started earlier.  (Mom & Dad are resisting the urge to say "I told you so!").  

Brad's project is due on Friday and Bryan's next Thursday (fortunately due to an unexpected extension!)

If you'd like to follow along on Bryan's project, check out his personal science blog, Bryan's Scienze.  If you do check it out, leave him an encouraging comment!  Every one helps it seem worthwhile.

Peace, Love and Science,

Rich

iPhone Blogging Not Working

If I ever get this iPhone blogging app working I'll start up again here. Meanwhile, patience I plead.

Rich

Posted with LifeCast

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!

(I promise to blog more this year)

Peace Love and a Great 2009,

Rich

Rain, and lots of it

We just weathered a massive rainstorm last night!  It rained a total of 5.4 inches on our house, with 90% of that coming between 3am and 7am.  It was wild!  I collected a few of the photos I took on my iPhone and put them in a gallery.  Check it out:

Rain of December 11th Gallery

When I got up in the morning, I discovered my weather station gear wasn't posting to the internet.  I fixed it and got data from 4:30ish on.

Peace, Love and Dry Days Ahead,

Rich