Snow on a tree at my apartment on February 16, 2004:
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Today's Snow
On my way home from GIS lab this afternoon:
Snow on a tree at my apartment on February 16, 2004:
Snow on a tree at my apartment on February 16, 2004:
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
The wonders of computers
I'm taking an Advanced GIS class this semester and no I'm not advanced because this is my first GIS class and I should be classified a novice or tyro for you Word Power Made Easy folks out there. Here's a 2d version of a 3d model I made for this week's homework that depicts areas of "leftover" residential density (units/acre) that could be used for infill in Silver Springs, MD. The higher the column and darker the color the more density that is available for infill. It doesn't look that great because for this assignment we didn't have to make a nice map but if I figure out a way to easily make it look better I will.
On another note I took a quiz at Match.com that I saw posted at MyStupidMouth.com tonight that supposedly tells you the type of person to which you are attracted. Here are pictures of my "types."
My Type:
Maybe my type:
Not my type:
Second time doing the survey.
My type:
Maybe my type:
Not my type:
Comments:
Ben ( / www.benshead.blogspot.com ) (IP: 167.192.8.9)
Looks like you like older women
2004/02/26 @ 08:03:14
[ Edit - Delete ]
katie ( http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 128.61.58.77)
that is really weird
2004/02/26 @ 11:25:19
On another note I took a quiz at Match.com that I saw posted at MyStupidMouth.com tonight that supposedly tells you the type of person to which you are attracted. Here are pictures of my "types."
My Type:
Maybe my type:
Not my type:
Second time doing the survey.
My type:
Maybe my type:
Not my type:
Comments:
Ben ( / www.benshead.blogspot.com ) (IP: 167.192.8.9)
Looks like you like older women
2004/02/26 @ 08:03:14
[ Edit - Delete ]
katie ( http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 128.61.58.77)
that is really weird
2004/02/26 @ 11:25:19
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
What Jack Sparrow Quote am I?
'Now..Bring me that horizon.'- You've gotten what
you wanted, but you still seem a bit
melancholy. Maybe what you really want is for
things to just keep changing.
Which of Captain Jack Sparrow's Quotes are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
Monday, February 09, 2004
Is that snow or do you have a dandruff problem?
Well this weekend I went on the WCF Transforming Vision Retreat at Woodruff Scout Reservation in Blairsville, GA. It was definitely worth the 12+ hrs of driving there and back. I hadn't been to Woodruff since 8th grade so it was great to see the camp and the changes that have been made for the better. The drive there was interesting because it rained for about half the trip and then when I got to the W. NC mountains it was just fun driving until it got dark. After dark the wet roads caused a bunch of fog and I soon realized I need better headlights. After a freak wrong turn I ended up on some really curvy road that apparently paralleled the Nantahalla River because there were a bunch of rafting companies along the road, though it was dark so I couldn't see what was on the other side of the guard rail. I followed the road, occassionally checking the gps and map while trying not to crash. It was definitely an adventure and thankfully I didn't see any slow moving rafting busses that the road signs warned me about. Eventually I found my way to WSR and drove around a little because I didn't see anyone then Laura and Lauren found me since they had been driving around for awhile too. After getting stuck in wet grass and getting pushed out by L and L the rest of the group arrived. As always it was great to see everyone since I only get to seem them every few months now.
When everyone got there it seemed that there was some tension, maybe due to the drive, school stress, or a general lack of communication. However, the tension was quelled soon after and everyone got settled in.
Saturday brought a day full of flurries and fun...at least for me. It was really cold but thankfully I was prepared whereas most of the retreaters weren't (more to come below). We did the COPE course under the guidance of really good and entertaining scouting volunteers. The course was really difficult and the cold didn't help at all. After a morning of COPE we had lunch and a devotional and then free time. During free time I walked around the camp and realized that my legs are longer now and things didn't seem as far away as they used to feel. Dinner prep went well and with the help of some people Jake and I cooked Shark Patrol chicken and dumplings and strawberry shortcake for 24 people. I'd vent about the dinner cooking and initiative of the group in general but I don't really feel like it and I'll blame it on the cold. It was definitely nice to have my mummy bag and I actually used the cinch cord around the hood so I slept well after the tiring activities of the day.
Sunday brought a beautiful sunrise and more tension as we were getting ready to leave. Communication and thoughtfullness seems to be the key to having a successful retreat.
The drive home was more fun than the drive down. The weather was perfect and the roads weren't icy. I saw ice climbers and frozen tree tops in the national forests. It was my first time really driving in the mountains and it was great fun.
From my outsider perspective WCF seems to have grown cliquish. It may have been that way for awhile and I'm just now noticing it since I'm not there all the time anymore. With any group there will be subgroups, especially in a school setting where you have cohorts by grades and more importantly personalities, but this was very prevalent this weekend. With 24 people attending the retreat there was bound to be some conflict but this time it seemed more malicious than normal and thus wasn't easily forgiven or forgotten. While it's easy for me to say forgive and forget it is an essential quality to possess when working in and being part of a group of people and especially friends. I'm chalking up most of the problems this weekend to the weather and people's school stress. I just hope that people can get along better and talk out their problems or it's going to be a long semester at WCF.
Now for all of you that have read this far and don't want to be cold in future outdoor pursuits here's a list of suggested clothing. Take in mind that, yes being prepared gets expensive, but if you shopping wisely and over a period of time it's not that bad. Plus quality gear will last you a long time. This was my clothing that kept me warm this weekend, that has been accumulated over a period of over 5 years.
The key is synthetic materials. Cotton is the enemy. This is the order of materials you should try to wear.
Synthetic: polyester, nylon, etc
Blends: poly/cotton and some natural fiber such as wool
Cotton (boooooo)
Undergarmets:
Cotton boxers
Poly/cotton undershirt
REI MTS Midweight Bottoms
Outerwear:
Cotton t-shirt, yeah yeah I know it's cotton
Gramicci Quik Dry Pants (Not warm but dry really quickly)
Columbia Fleece Shirt similar to this
Bridgedale AT Plus Socks
Fox River X-Static Liner Socks
REI Hurricane Ridge Jacket (out of production) similar to today's softshells but not breathable
Asolo 535 I have an older version
I wore a baseball hat but Ashley wore my Mountain Hardwear Micro Dome so you can ask her how it was.
The North Face Pamir WindStopper Glove
Outdoor Research Basic Shell Mitts
Outdoor Research Crocodile Gaiters I didn't break them out but was ready if we got more snow.
Sierra Designs rain pants (couldn't find a link)
Sleeping:
REI Down Time +15 - Long
Now if you've made it this far you're ready for some cold weather camping.
Comments:
katie ( / http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 128.61.58.77)
wcf has definitely changed. sometimes change is hard to accept if you were there before the change. i just wonder if i came to wcf now if i would feel the same acceptance that i did freshman year. sadly, i think with a few notable exceptions of people who are really welcoming, i would not get as warm of a reception. maybe it's just me being cynical. school stresses everyone out, but to the point that we are not even civil or considerate of each other anymore. to me that is a problem. i don't know how to solve it. i just wish people would step back from their own problems for a moment. the people at wcf have stepped back from themselves and helped me many times. i never want that to go away, and i'm scared that it is.
2004/02/12 @ 13:33:47
[ Edit - Delete ]
Melissa ( / http://amaryllismagicshpot.blogspot.com ) (IP: 67.33.108.229)
The tension was so thick this weekend that sometimes it seemed you could cut it with a knife...for once I wasn't in either group of people- I wasn't mad, nor was I one of the people they were mad at...being outside it all was a completely different perspective than I usually have, and it really showed me how silly it can all get. I know I was cliquish, since I stuck to Susan or Plinkey the entire weekend, but I know I just needed a break from my usual crowd (I love my girls, but I need my space sometimes) I have felt the difference around WCF lately...and it scares me sometimes...but there's so many factors that are contributing- it's hard to pin down what's really changed/changing. The biggest thing I notice is that people don't seem to trust each other...I'm including myself when I say that we tend to do things behind others backs and without always considering how our attitudes and actions affect the group as a whole. WCF means so much to me, and I have made some of my best friends there...it hurts to see things falling apart the way they have been...
2004/02/13 @ 20:11:16
[ Edit - Delete ]
Adam Edwards ( thefro.net ) (IP: 128.61.107.112)
I have noticed a lot of the group thing too, but I am not at all sure of how much of it is real. It could largly a change in perspective, kinda alike in your being away from the group in effect, but from about the oposite cause. Mine is from coming in knowing not that many people, and I have never been one that can really tell the interactions of groups that easily, especialy when have not been around them that much. So I am wondering how much of this groupishness is new in the past half year, and how much of it I was just not seeing when it was there before. Another thing is the retreat coulda been pretty atypical, I was not in the best condition to pay attention cause of the sick thing, so didn't much. Just some thoughts and observations, I waited a day or so for them to coalesce into something more coherent, but it didn't happen, so you got what you got.
(the guy with really big hair who got sick on the retreat)
2004/02/16 @ 23:30:10
When everyone got there it seemed that there was some tension, maybe due to the drive, school stress, or a general lack of communication. However, the tension was quelled soon after and everyone got settled in.
Saturday brought a day full of flurries and fun...at least for me. It was really cold but thankfully I was prepared whereas most of the retreaters weren't (more to come below). We did the COPE course under the guidance of really good and entertaining scouting volunteers. The course was really difficult and the cold didn't help at all. After a morning of COPE we had lunch and a devotional and then free time. During free time I walked around the camp and realized that my legs are longer now and things didn't seem as far away as they used to feel. Dinner prep went well and with the help of some people Jake and I cooked Shark Patrol chicken and dumplings and strawberry shortcake for 24 people. I'd vent about the dinner cooking and initiative of the group in general but I don't really feel like it and I'll blame it on the cold. It was definitely nice to have my mummy bag and I actually used the cinch cord around the hood so I slept well after the tiring activities of the day.
Sunday brought a beautiful sunrise and more tension as we were getting ready to leave. Communication and thoughtfullness seems to be the key to having a successful retreat.
The drive home was more fun than the drive down. The weather was perfect and the roads weren't icy. I saw ice climbers and frozen tree tops in the national forests. It was my first time really driving in the mountains and it was great fun.
From my outsider perspective WCF seems to have grown cliquish. It may have been that way for awhile and I'm just now noticing it since I'm not there all the time anymore. With any group there will be subgroups, especially in a school setting where you have cohorts by grades and more importantly personalities, but this was very prevalent this weekend. With 24 people attending the retreat there was bound to be some conflict but this time it seemed more malicious than normal and thus wasn't easily forgiven or forgotten. While it's easy for me to say forgive and forget it is an essential quality to possess when working in and being part of a group of people and especially friends. I'm chalking up most of the problems this weekend to the weather and people's school stress. I just hope that people can get along better and talk out their problems or it's going to be a long semester at WCF.
Now for all of you that have read this far and don't want to be cold in future outdoor pursuits here's a list of suggested clothing. Take in mind that, yes being prepared gets expensive, but if you shopping wisely and over a period of time it's not that bad. Plus quality gear will last you a long time. This was my clothing that kept me warm this weekend, that has been accumulated over a period of over 5 years.
The key is synthetic materials. Cotton is the enemy. This is the order of materials you should try to wear.
Undergarmets:
Outerwear:
Sleeping:
Now if you've made it this far you're ready for some cold weather camping.
Comments:
katie ( / http://ktbeal.blogspot.com ) (IP: 128.61.58.77)
wcf has definitely changed. sometimes change is hard to accept if you were there before the change. i just wonder if i came to wcf now if i would feel the same acceptance that i did freshman year. sadly, i think with a few notable exceptions of people who are really welcoming, i would not get as warm of a reception. maybe it's just me being cynical. school stresses everyone out, but to the point that we are not even civil or considerate of each other anymore. to me that is a problem. i don't know how to solve it. i just wish people would step back from their own problems for a moment. the people at wcf have stepped back from themselves and helped me many times. i never want that to go away, and i'm scared that it is.
2004/02/12 @ 13:33:47
[ Edit - Delete ]
Melissa ( / http://amaryllismagicshpot.blogspot.com ) (IP: 67.33.108.229)
The tension was so thick this weekend that sometimes it seemed you could cut it with a knife...for once I wasn't in either group of people- I wasn't mad, nor was I one of the people they were mad at...being outside it all was a completely different perspective than I usually have, and it really showed me how silly it can all get. I know I was cliquish, since I stuck to Susan or Plinkey the entire weekend, but I know I just needed a break from my usual crowd (I love my girls, but I need my space sometimes) I have felt the difference around WCF lately...and it scares me sometimes...but there's so many factors that are contributing- it's hard to pin down what's really changed/changing. The biggest thing I notice is that people don't seem to trust each other...I'm including myself when I say that we tend to do things behind others backs and without always considering how our attitudes and actions affect the group as a whole. WCF means so much to me, and I have made some of my best friends there...it hurts to see things falling apart the way they have been...
2004/02/13 @ 20:11:16
[ Edit - Delete ]
Adam Edwards ( thefro.net ) (IP: 128.61.107.112)
I have noticed a lot of the group thing too, but I am not at all sure of how much of it is real. It could largly a change in perspective, kinda alike in your being away from the group in effect, but from about the oposite cause. Mine is from coming in knowing not that many people, and I have never been one that can really tell the interactions of groups that easily, especialy when have not been around them that much. So I am wondering how much of this groupishness is new in the past half year, and how much of it I was just not seeing when it was there before. Another thing is the retreat coulda been pretty atypical, I was not in the best condition to pay attention cause of the sick thing, so didn't much. Just some thoughts and observations, I waited a day or so for them to coalesce into something more coherent, but it didn't happen, so you got what you got.
(the guy with really big hair who got sick on the retreat)
2004/02/16 @ 23:30:10
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Where in the world was Brian Oxford?
Where have I been? Well now you know. I've been to the red places.
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
WTF, MATE!?!
Ok this is just messed up. Here's the link and the text.
One disturbing story
Man Lives with Dead Brother for 18 Months
Thu February 5, 2004 07:39 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - A British retiree did not notice his brother had been dead for 18 months despite sharing a mobile home with him.
When Herbert Silver, 72, finally called police and told them his brother George, 75, had died, they went to the bachelors' home expecting to find a body. Instead they found a skeleton, British newspapers reported Thursday.
"I admit that I didn't go into his room for a few hours, a few days...well quite a while actually," Herbert Silver told the Daily Telegraph.
Silver said he had thought it a "bit odd" when his brother failed to emerge from his bedroom in the tiny home they shared in Blissford, southern England, but told the Daily Mirror:
"George liked to keep himself to himself, and to be honest so do I." A postmortem indicated George Silver had been dead for up to 18 months.
One disturbing story
Man Lives with Dead Brother for 18 Months
Thu February 5, 2004 07:39 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - A British retiree did not notice his brother had been dead for 18 months despite sharing a mobile home with him.
When Herbert Silver, 72, finally called police and told them his brother George, 75, had died, they went to the bachelors' home expecting to find a body. Instead they found a skeleton, British newspapers reported Thursday.
"I admit that I didn't go into his room for a few hours, a few days...well quite a while actually," Herbert Silver told the Daily Telegraph.
Silver said he had thought it a "bit odd" when his brother failed to emerge from his bedroom in the tiny home they shared in Blissford, southern England, but told the Daily Mirror:
"George liked to keep himself to himself, and to be honest so do I." A postmortem indicated George Silver had been dead for up to 18 months.
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