flyinggalindo.com

My guess is that it is readily apparent I haven’t been putting a lot of effort into this site in recent months. Sure, I’ve been fiddling with this and that behind the scenes, but I haven’t really shared much. The Twitter Tools WordPress plugin has become a lazy crutch to create posts each Sunday with a digest of my tweets from the previous week. Other than that and a few random posts here and there, I haven’t really contributed much here.

If I was going to come up with some kind of excuse, it would probably be “I’ve been really busy” or something like that. In reality, I think I am just getting a little bored and haven’t felt like I’ve had all that much to talk about.

I could spend some time talking about the well of creativity running dry or the struggle to find inspiration. Not today. Life is just like this sometimes. I’ll deal with it.

• @nienburg My thoughts exactly. in reply to nienburg #
• "no life or death is more important, more monumental…human life is human life." http://tinyurl.com/mdw7cg #
• @rosewater Didn't you know "You can still rock in America"? in reply to rosewater #

Running around doing errands this past Saturday morning, I stopped at the local Home Depot. The weather was beautiful that morning. Looking up as I walked into the store, this is the sky I saw.

• @sassyd That sounds like the perfect vacation. Have fun! in reply to sassyd #
• @jacysmith Not sure what type of creativity jam you're having but check this out: http://bit.ly/QniR7 in reply to jacysmith #
• Surprised by swarm of killer bees around the compost bin in my backyard. Well, perhaps not "killer" but there were at least 9 or 10 of them. #
• Sometimes that last bit of toothpaste in the tube just doesn't want to let go. #
• @KnittinKnerd That's the mark of a true training professional. in reply to KnittinKnerd #
• Taking out the earbuds, pulling out the big guns and putting on the Bose cans to get some serious work done. #
• RT @PhxREguy Scam Alert: Tempe-Mill, LLC and Monster Impound & Recovery. Park your car at 7th … http://tinyurl.com/mdfpgf (via @tweetmeme) #
• Real World Test of Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3G vs. iPhone 3GS http://bit.ly/eMHCM #
• RT @GoDaddyGuy: Blogger's log 20090618: WordPress 2.8 is now available for install and upgrade in the GoDaddy.com Hosting Connection. #
• "Free Bird" just started playing on my @pandora_radio. Shouldn't I be flicking my Bic right about now? #
• RT @evo_terra Am now claiming & describing the Twub for #evfn at http://twubs.com/evfn <- Very cool. @evo_terra blazing new trails again. #
• Running around doing errands didn't produce the results I expected. Frustrating. Feel like I've wasted my Saturday morning. #
• I finished soldering & assembling my MintyBoost from @adafruit. http://twitpic.com/7z26o It's charging my #palmpre now. #
• @shollenback The kit is available here http://bit.ly/nM9PL for about $20. The only other part I had to buy was the Altoids gum tin! in reply to shollenback #

I’ve spent about a week and half with my new Palm Pre and I’m still enjoying using this phone. This happens to be the week the new iPhone 3GS is being released with all the fanfare you’d expect from an Apple product release. I’m sure it’s a good phone with some nice new features and a lot of people will buy it. That’s cool. I’m not going to compare the two phones – you can find plenty of that information in countless other places. The Palm Pre is what works for me.

Palm Pre (keyboard open)

What I’m excited about today is the the MintyBoost Kit I ordered from Adafruit Industries. What’s a MintyBoost Kit? It’s a make-it-yourself portable battery pack and USB charger in a mint tin. Once assembled, the MintyBoost will charge my Pre and many other rechargeable USB devices. I learned about this little $20 device on the PreThinking Blog.

MintyBoost battery pack & USB recharger

My MintyBoost Kit shipped today and I should be receiving it via USPS Priority Mail within the next couple of days. I’ll get it all put together and post an update on how it’s working for me.

• RT @palm: New apps for new Palm Pre: http://bit.ly/18vSQ5 #
• @jollyroger Why is Sprint’s use of CDMA a disqualifier for you when considering the Palm pre? #sprint #pre in reply to jollyroger #
• Was upset about the stone that cracked my windshield until I saw a PT Cruiser start spewing out clouds of smoke. Perspective changed. #
• http://twitpic.com/70deb – I recommend these wasabi & soy sauce almonds. They’re BOLD. #
• RT @ChrisAltman: interesting… http://bit.ly/dplnn <– Good share, Chris. #
• If you like Joe Satriani & Sammy Hagar, you HAVE to get the new Chickenfoot album. Downloaded it to my #palmpre from Amazon MP3. It rocks! #
• Oh, & check out Chickenfoot’s site: http://chickenfoot.us/album. @pandora_radio: Thanks for sharing. I might not have discovered this one. #
• The Red Wings lose the Stanley Cup the same day we say farewell to analog TV. Coincedence? This Michigan native thinks not. #
• Just sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” at karaoke bar. Tribute to the fallen Red Wings. #
• Think we’re on the verge of a #twitpocalypse? Relax. We’re not. http://bit.ly/7yOQp #
• RT @mashable Facebook: Over 3 Million Usernames Claimed – http://bit.ly/OjbcP #

I’ve had the new Palm Pre for about a week now. I am really enjoying using this phone. In fact, I’m writing this blog post on the Pre.

• Listening to Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” on @pandora. Great song as I’m checking stuff off my list before a long weekend. #
• Realized after reading @_n’s tweet http://is.gd/MEan how much I overused exclamation marks. I now try using this punctuation mark sparingly. #
• Palm pre. I have you now. #palmpre #pre #
• @evo_terra Welcome to the Palm Pre fold. in reply to evo_terra #
• If you had to limit yourself to just one tweet today, one that was informative, insightful, & genuinely useful, what would it be? Could you? #
• @PreThinking Count me as another new, blown away, palm pre owner. I love it! #palmpre in reply to PreThinking #

• I want to have a Coke and smile. #
• Make that a Diet Coke and a Grin. #
• I’m glad I drive 15-25 mph through my neighborhood. Kid’s on cell phones & skateboards are oblivious to the world around them. #
• http://twitpic.com/69sya – Finished an easy-going, 12-mile morning bike ride along the canal before it got too warm. Beautiful weather s … #

Reveille

The award-winning 35mm short film,”Reveille”, starring David Huddleston and James McEachin, was released in 2004 and is the work of my long-time friends at Brothers’ Ink Productions – Donovan Montierth, Adam Montierth and Jason Walters. As I remember my grandfather, Wilmer Kiser, who served our country during World War II, I think “Reveille” is a fitting tribute on this Memorial Day.

Reveille

Changing of the Guard

In a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, I was able to view the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Here is my video of that ceremony:

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Changing of the Guard