If you roamed the Earth in the time when every household had a personal computer but only a few had ever heard of something called the Internet, then you probably remember using a modem to dial into a Bulletin Board System or BBS. At that time, unless you were among the lucky few with access…
Beethoven’s Ninth
I am always amazed when I have some time to really listen to Beethoven’s Ninth symphony and imagine him composing that beautiful complexity while being stone deaf. May you all master your own craft to such an extent that you can create great work without the full faculty of your senses! Check out this amazing…
8-Bit Computing in the 21st Century : Part 2
Let the fun begin! Now that I had a working Commodore 64, I was extremely excited to explore the programs and games from a earlier time in personal computing. I didn’t have a floppy disk drive for this Commodore, but I did have the original data cassette (or datasette) tape drive and using that I…
8-Bit Computing in the 21st Century : Part 1
One of my earliest memories of using a personal computer was hanging out at my friend Mike Wolter’s house in 1986 and playing the text adventure game Zork on his Commodore 64. I vividly remember the ritual of taking the floppy disk out of its paper envelope and inserting it carefully into the disk drive….
Have Coffee Will Travel
Thank you to my friend Brian Headlee for the idea on the Have Coffee Will Travel car kit! Ready to grab and go for any contingency—just add coffee, water, and fire. Equipment List Have Coffee Will Travel See also: The Commodore 64 N.O.O.C.U.L.A.R futbal project.
The Russian and the ZombieSat
This is the sort of nerd obsession that my family has to put up with. On my birthday in 2019, I knelt down on a grassy hill on Antelope Island jutting out into the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and pulled from my pack a stack of electronic gear and snaking cables. Although the clouds…
Working LilacSat-1
Working LilacSat-1 (LO-90) Overview The following instructions detail the steps for working the amateur radio repeater on the LilacSat-1 (LO-90) satellite using a FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio (SDR). Computer Setup Read the LilacSat-1 Overview first: LilacSat-1 Radio Info Download the LiveCD, burn, and boot. For instructions on this, go here: Chertsey Radio Club…
The Evolution of Human Locomotion -or- Wheee!
A few months back, I was walking down an airport concourse when I saw a little girl glide by me. At first I thought she had mastered some form of dark sorcery. Upon further observation, though, I saw that she could accomplish this feat of apparent levitation because she had small wheels in the soles…
Autumn Musings
Some are impressed by the exuberance of spring or the radiant joy of summer. A few even have fallen in love with the quiet beauty of winter. While I love all of the seasons, it is autumn that strikes a chord in my soul. It’s a season in which transition is subtle and yet compelling….
National Balloon Classic
Jessica and I worked as crew members for two hot air balloons during the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, Iowa from July 29th to August 3rd. The National Balloon Classic is a week long hot air balloon competition that has been taking place in Indianola since 1969. The balloon pilots compete both for points and…