So, a little about our trip to the coast hey?

Yeah, we couldn't even wait until Saturday to start up this trip so we hit the road right after Darlene got off of work and headed for Cranbrook BC, our first stop. That allowed us to get a nice early start on the US border and on to Spokane. Although Spokane is a nice city and all, I was anxious to get on our way to the Oregon coast. So our stopover was just an excuse for me to twiddle my thumbs waiting for the next morning so we could head out on our way to....

...Seaside Oregon! It was cloudy when we arrived but I didn't care. I was there to be lulled by the sound of the surf once again and I was indeed lulled. There was much lulling. All day and all night too (the ocean never closes ya know....). The last time we were out this way, we stayed at the most popular place in Cannon Beach listed on Trip Advisor. Nice place, but I can't afford $500-700 per night. Yeah. We chose a considerably less expensive beach property in Seaside well away from the touristy part of town - meaning it was nice and quiet. What an awesome place. Darlene got her comfy bed in the form of a memory foam mattress. The staff were awesome and did whatever it took to make guests happy. Sure, I'll name drop - Inn of the 4 Winds. The scene isn't quite Cannon Beach, but it's very nice just the same (photo album is posted on Facebook). We managed to visit Astoria, downtown Seaside and Cannon Beach. We had originally booked a stay at the SurfSand Resort in Cannon Beach, but found a better deal in Seaside. After visiting, it turns out that the room we initially booked had no view to speak of and we would not have been able to hear the surf. We both agreed that if we could have transplanted the hotel we stayed at over to Cannon Beach, things would be perfect.

A pleasant surprise in Seaside was their factory outlet mall. I was a bit miffed that we wouldn't be able to fit in a visit to the Doc Marten store in Portland this trip because I need new shoes. Well, what did I find but the exact shoes I was looking for at an outlet store for half price. Sweet.

After a couple days on the beach, it was off to Bellevue Washington. A quick stop at Jimi Hendrix' grave site (also in my Facebook photo album), then off to the hotel in Bellevue. Here we ran into some trouble. The hotel we booked is basically part of a massive high end fitness facility. The hotel doesn't quite live up to its billing or its price though, at least not from our experience. The room is forgettable. The TV suffered from massive background interference noise - you could barely hear the sound. The bed was....... well, not suitable. Darlene suffers from a debilitating kind of ailment that requires a good mattress with some give and this bed was causing her serious numbness. There was no way we would be able to stay the night, let alone two. So at 11:30pm, we made the decision to flee for a better hotel. To the staff's credit, they were very understanding about the situation and didn't flinch about cancelling our reservation and fees.

The challenge was finding a new hotel. We accomplished that in 5 minutes. Tragedy turned into victory and we stumbled across a wonderful hotel in Kirkland that we would never have thought to stay at (The Heathman). Much better room, better bed, better TV, better view, better neighbourhood, better food choices.... The staff even lend out laptops for wireless internet access. How cool is that? Kirkland is a nice little city and our hotel was right in the middle of it, only a couple blocks from Lake Washington. Nearby was a great pancake place (The Original Pancake House) where Darlene had what she referred to as 'the best buckwheat pancakes I've ever tasted'. I tried the coconut pancakes and I couldn't argue with her assessment.

Later, we visited friends in Lake Forest Park (thanks Mitch and Carla for your hospitality) and then it was time to work our way back home. All the driving was starting to wear me down, but the highlights of the trip were worth it. I think next time we'll consider flying out to enjoy more 'destination time'.

So nice to see the wind being exploited

Along our drive from Spokane to the Oregon coast, we drove along the Columbia River gorge. In past trips, I had noticed windmill farms before, especially on the Washington State side, but this time, things had really ramped up. Now there are countless numbers on either side of the river (Washington and Oregon), high up on the cliff tops, with plenty more visibly under construction. I can't say for sure how many windmills there were, but if I had to venture a guess, there had to be at least a few hundred. The Biglow farm already has 141 turbines with 76 more coming. The Klondike wind farm has more than 240 turbines. The Shepherd's Flat wind farm (billed as the biggest on-land wind farm in the world - for now) is expected to have 313 turbines, but I don't think that is built yet! All this doesn't even count the ones on the Washington State side.

On the Interstate highway, parts of new windmills were en route to their new perches somewhere along the river valley. It was so awesome to see this untapped resource finally being put to good use.

P.S.: The blades on the turbines in the Biglow farm are 155 feet long. Each. Imagine how tall those towers are.....

Beat by a burger for the first time ever

Morris' Fireside Restaurant in Cannon Beach where I had the Beau's Bodacious Half Pound Burger (pictured). If I had a white flag to wave at our table, it would have been flying by the end of my meal. Two fresh quarter pound patties, Tillamook cheddar, at least a full clove (I swear two or more) of tender roasted garlic. I had to slice this thing in half to eat it and I could barely fit it in. Yes, Karl was bested by this burger. That was a first my friends. And the fries! Giant home-cut fries. Like seriously - put your two smallest fingers side by side - these fries were as big or bigger in girth than that, but much much longer. Yet still fully cooked (there's nothing worse than giant fries that are raw inside).

Darlene had a giant BLTC sandwich (also pictured - you can see one of the fries on her plate).

We need to 'phone-ify' the web

After using my iPhone for 8 months, I have come to the realization that the next revolution that needs to take place online is the restructuring of web pages for mobile devices. The forward thinking web sites have already figured this out and automatically send you content tailored for your mobile device. But we still have a long way to go on this. Web content providers need to offer alternate versions of their pages that are easier to use and formatted to fit a small screen. One could argue that it's the consumer that has created this need, but web content providers must understand that ignoring the rapidly growing segment of the internet community that now accesses their content through mobile devices simply leaves that community to surf elsewhere.

So come on web site owners..... let's make 2010 the year we 'phone-ify' the web.

Is your bank doing enough to protect your account?

In what is likely a precedent-setting case, a judge has ruled that a couple who were fleeced out of more than $26,000 from their line of credit can sue their bank for its alleged failure to implement the latest security measures (via online access).

Attention Walmart shoppers.....

There's a web site getting a lot of traction right now called 'People of Walmart'. Essentially folks are encouraged to send in their pictures of the Walmart shoppers who maybe didn't look in the mirror with a serious eye before heading to Wally World. It's not just about the clothes, but the cars too.

What is it about Walmart that...... I mean you'll never see these folks in Nordstrom's or William Sonoma, right?

P.S.: I love this camo beetle. It's so..... I dunno...... nature-ey.

Don't push that button!

Re-worded crosswalk sign gives button a whole new purpose.

More crosswalk hacks here.

On the beach

I'll tell a more detailed story about our trip soon enough, but in the meantime, there be pictures on Facebook.

Set course for 225 degrees (SW)

To my wonderful readers and any drive-by blog cruisers, you will notice a period of inactivity on White Noise. Darlene and I are about to begin a well-deserved break - well, more well-deserved by her than by me. On the agenda - shopping, walking on the beach, good food, the sound of surf and visiting friends.

Will see you again on the 5th of September at the latest.

Friday funny

The letters G and T are very close to each other on a computer keyboard. Consequently, it may be a good idea to check your outgoing emails closely if you typically end your messages (especially at work) with the phrase "Regards".

Totally stolen from my friend Cameron.

Power Kart

What do you get when you put the engine of a Honda CBR 900RR motorcycle into a go-kart?

1. A Mario Kart in real life.
2. Wicked acceleration.
3. A kart that drifts like a dream.
4. The need to buy a lot of replacement tires.
5. A death wish.
6. All of the above.

Why computer lock-downs aren't so good

Great article on why computer lock-downs in the workplace aren't such a great idea. Highlight:

"The restrictions infantilize workers—they foster resentment, reduce morale, lock people into inefficient routines, and, worst of all, they kill our incentives to work productively. In the information age, most companies' success depends entirely on the creativity and drive of their workers. IT restrictions are corrosive to that creativity—they keep everyone under the thumb of people who have no idea which tools we need to do our jobs but who are charged with deciding anyway."

Because things have more meaning as visuals

If you're not getting your fill of visualizations to help understand the world around you, visit this site and go to the SNOGs tab, where you'll find all sorts of amazing visuals depicting:

Who's responsible for all the space junk in orbit and how much of it is operational; the Walled World; McFood from around the McWorld; the reach of budget airlines; cities with one million people or more.

Storytelling with sand

Watch as this artist tells a story with sand as the drawing medium. She certainly taps into the emotions of this Ukrainian audience.

Endless Aitch

I think it's quite possible (if you exclude those who don't care) to divide the TV watching public into two camps. Those who think David Caruso's acting in CSI Miami is the bomb (great), and those who think it's a bomb (not so much). Either way, this video clip of one-liners he uses at the beginning of the show will either thrill or annoy.

That's so square

If you're a Lego fanatic, then you may have already seen this awesome Lego rolling cookie cutter. It makes 2x2 cookies.

Your home - battery operated

A new deep storage battery technology out of Salt lake City promises to revolutionize home power. If you can produce electricity on your property, via solar, geothermal, wind, and so on, you now have the ability to store whatever you can produce for later use. The battery will cram 20 to 40 kilowatt hours of energy into a package about the size of a refrigerator.

I use about 20kWh of electricity per day. That means if I could produce at least 20kWh of electricity per day from alternative sources, I could go totally off-grid.

New wrestling move

I found some more great tee material.

It was never about the lithium

In case you've been following the emergence of electric vehicles that require batteries, and in case you've heard about countries with lots of lithium getting power hungry and creating their own lithium cartel, and in case you've been told that the world's lithium supplies will be quickly depleted - it's all B.S.

Read more here.

Hasn't anyone learned anything yet?

Yet another country has threatened a (pick a number)-strikes law against alleged file sharers, yadda yadda, not learning

any lesson supplied by other countries who have tried, yadda yadda, can you tell I'm getting tired of all of this?

This time it's the UK.

Idiots.

How a sewing machine works

All this time I had no idea how a sewing machine actually works. That's because the real magic is happening underneath y'all. Now I know the secret of the lock stitch.

I loves the internets.

Best Buy selling motorbikes?

Yes.

You can now buy an electric motorbike at certain BestBuy stores in the US on the west coast. Best Buy has invested $10 million in the Brammo bike named Enertia. It offers a top speed of 55 miles per hour, with a 45 mile range and a three-hour charge time. It costs $12,000 which is a bit pricey.

Bicycle superhighways

Here's something you'll never read about a North American city: "[Name of city] is planning to expand the existing, extensive network of bike lanes to extend farther out into the suburbs. A network of 13 high-class routes - 'bicycle superhighways' - dedicated to bicycle commuters and aimed at encouraging more to cycle to work."

But this is what's happening in Copenhagen. 500,000 people (55% of its citizens) cycle to work or school. The new bike routes will have the following features:

- Smooth, even surfaces kept clear of leaves, ice and snow.
- As direct as possible with no detours.
- Signage and trademark blue bike lanes through larger intersections.
- 'Service stations' with air and tools along the routes.
- Designed to attain a high speed and with sufficient width to overtake other cyclists.
- Safe and quick crossing priority for cyclists when they approach cross streets.
- Green Wave for cyclists through sections with frequent stop lights. (The Green Wave is in place on three main routes into Copenhagen already. Cycle 20 km/h and you hit green lights all the way)

What's so bad about a clothesline?

By 2010 almost 50 million residents of the US will live in communities where clotheslines are banned. What kind of a society do we live in that real estate value is determined by the appearance of clothes drying in the sun? Using a dryer contributes roughly 6% to the average home electric bill. I think drying clothes naturally is the environmentally logical thing to do.

Ontario used to have such a ban, but I read it was lifted in 2008.

Sticks and stones.....

Should we care if an anonymous blogger calls out a model as a skank and a ho'? Should the model even care? Well, apparently one such model cared enough to go to court to force Blogger (Google) to reveal the person behind the offending blog, because apparently there are possible issues of libel here. More on that in a moment. The blogger was outed.

Unfortunately, there are major privacy issues here as well and this sets a dangerous precedent where people who choose to remain anonymous to protect their identity may no longer be afforded that luxury. Or is it a right? Do people have the right to remain anonymous online? As Xeni Jardin at BoingBoing says, "switch the parties around to, say, Iranian political dissidents, or torture witnesses, or fraud whistle blowers -- and you can see how the privacy issues involved (and liability issues for Google) are worth considering."

The model calls it 'cyber-bullying'. The lawyer for the blogger calls it "hyperbole" and suggests that blogs "have evolved as the modern-day soapbox for personal opinions," adding that blogs have "mere venting purposes, affording the less outspoken a protected forum for voicing gripes, levelling invective, and ranting about anything at all."

Anyway, I'm not a legal expert, but as far as a libel suit is concerned, I think it could be argued "If there is third-party communication, but the third-party hearing the defamatory statement does not believe the statement, or does not care, then there is no injury..." I doubt it would be hard to argue the 'does not care' part, the 3rd party in this case being the blog readers.

So the blogger is suing Google for wrongly outing her. I hope she wins the battle.

Zombie cat

This picture made me laugh.

But does it work?

Hey Canadians! Did you know that there is a Commissioner for complaints for telecommunications services in Canada? A site where you can officially register a complaint about service from your phone, wireless or internet provider, assuming you already complained to the provider without satisfaction?

Me neither.

I decided to give it a try. I have an outstanding issue with my mobile provider. So I registered a complaint with this commission and they passed the buck, saying they don't get involved in providers' business practises. Yeah - why am I not surprised?

Ways to make work better - Vol 2

This seems to be evolving into a series of thoughts about the workplace.

I am not the world's foremost expert on leadership. But I know what works after being in the workforce 30+ years. Here is a brief but succinct list of what makes a good boss:

• A true leader's primary responsibility is to provide the resources necessary to enable workers to do their job better.
• Effective leaders lead by example. They deal honestly, react predictably, control their emotions.
  
• A sign that a great leader is in charge is that everyone knows what is expected.
• Leaders 'spread the fame and take the blame'. A leader is humble and tries to elevate everyone.
• Leaders hate the status quo. They ask "What if...?" They embrace challenge and encourage necessary change.
• Leaders help workers entertain new ideas. They are able to suspend judgement while listening to others' ideas, able to accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of.
• Leaders are fair. They deal with others consistently and justly. They check all the facts and hear everyone out before passing judgement.
• Leaders motivate their people to develop their latent capabilities, learn new skills.
• Leaders transition a group to a new condition or paradigm with minimal opposition and loss and know how to sell something that has never been done before.
  
• People need feedback. A leader lets them know when they're doing well and when they're not. Once a year doesn't cut it.
• A leader has a sense of humour.

Voodoo tape

Watch this video and listen as your brain does a micro short circuit. Then ask yourself - how dey do dat?

It's not magic. The tape's adhesive fills in imperfections in the frosted glass that scatter the light, making it more transparent. But it's still one of those things that makes your brain go "WTF!?"

Bonding with nature

Here's a picture taken just the other day of our 15 month old grand-daughter Olivia while her family were out camping.