Category: Uncategorized

How Yellowstone National Park’s social media staff is handling a crisis

The staff at Yellowstone National Park is handling a public relations problem concerning a bison calf and doing it rather well. You can see the evidence for yourself on their Facebook page. To recap, two tourists spotted a starving and weak bison calf in the park and  loaded it into the back of their SUV… Continue reading How Yellowstone National Park’s social media staff is handling a crisis

Automatic for the people

Vehicles manufactured after 1996 have an OBD-II (on-board diagnostic) port. Wikipedia has a great explanation about the connector. The port, usually found near the steering wheel, is used by mechanics to diagnose car trouble. In addition to troubleshooting, many consumers use the OBD-II port to tune their vehicle’s performance and keep track of teenage drivers. I’ve… Continue reading Automatic for the people

Binge watch: Survivors

If you are looking for something to binge watch on Netflix, I recommend Survivors, a 2008 BBC TV series. Both Seasons 1 and 2 are available and short enough to conquer on a wintry weekend. Also available on DVD. The series is about survivors of a flu pandemic which kills most of the world’s population.… Continue reading Binge watch: Survivors

Blogging versus Social Media

I realize posts on this blog are few and far between, but I make no apologies. For one, I reach a larger audience with my social media efforts. You can follow me on Twitter (@indygadgetguy), Instagram (indygadgetguy) and Flickr. Blogs serve their purpose, and for years I led blogging efforts for local media. Even back… Continue reading Blogging versus Social Media

Spring ahead, fall back. How about neither?

I concur.

National Geographic has published an article with experts questioning the validity of DST. I’ve ordered the book mentioned in the article. There seems to be a bit of a backlash building against the concept. The Atlantic resorts to over-the top-hyperbole, but points are valid. I’ve lived in several states that observed DST. Indiana started in… Continue reading Spring ahead, fall back. How about neither?

Belated thoughts on the Federal government shutdown

One of my favorite demotivational posters.

The government shutdown cost America $24 billion dollars. Let’s put that in perspective. NASA’s annual budget is about $18 billion. Besides the political grandstanding over the issue, I was deeply bothered by the disrespect shown towards Federal government workers. One member of the House of Representatives berated a National Park ranger for following orders to… Continue reading Belated thoughts on the Federal government shutdown

Meeting Major Mancheck

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) undergoes testing at the Orbital Science Corporation's Gilbert, Ariz., location. NASA image taken August 7, 2012.

  In two weeks, I’ll be attending a NASA Social at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The event is a two-day affair featuring the launch of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission What is Landsat? It is “the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth,” states Wikipedia, and a joint effort between NASA and USGS. It was… Continue reading Meeting Major Mancheck

Fun on craigslist

Whenever I post something for sale on Craigslist, I always get the usual scammer. A person — that  can barely write — wants to send me a certified check and then have someone pick the item up. Sometimes, they even ask me to ship it. Of course, they are always out of the country. Riiiiiiiight.… Continue reading Fun on craigslist