Gmaps Pedometer

My newest time waster.

I used to jog but now I walk because my knees give out otherwise. Being the obsessive compulsive computer geek that I am, I was delighted to find a website that would calculate the number of miles I walked by using a hack to Google Maps. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of it, but once I got started it was pretty easy. I chose the hybrid option so I could see the street names along with an aerial view of the route I usually take on my Saturday walks (click here to see an example). I was delighted to see that I walked about 4.3679 miles.

The cool thing is that you can save the URL and send it to someone else or keep in in a spreadsheet.

Here is the what it says in the FAQ section:

What is this?

This is a little hack that uses Google's superb mapping application to help record distances traveled during a running or walking workout.

Why?

As a runner training for a marathon for the first time, I found myself wishing I had an easy way to know the exact distance a certain course is, without having to drag a GPS or pedometer around on my runs. Looking at Google Maps, and knowing there was a vibrant community of geeks hacking it, I knew there had to be a way. So here it is.
Note that there's a reason this is called a pedometer. Considering that you have to choose all the points in your route individually yourself, it's probably not suitable for driving trips and the like. But I've found it suits my purposes pretty well for getting running distances.

Something I hadn't thought of either but makes a lot of sense.
What McClellan's revelations tells us about McCain's judgment

At first blush, Scott McClellan's criticism of the Bush White House wouldn't necessarily have anything to do with the 2008 presidential race. McClellan hasn't had anything to do with John McCain, and most of the people McClellan calls out are not part of McCain's campaign.

But perhaps that's an unimaginative approach. McClellan's book apparently has quite a bit to say about the war in Iraq - clearly, a key campaign issue this year - including charges that Bush relied on "propaganda" to sell the war. The former White House press secretary added that the president failed to be "open and forthright on Iraq" and worse, "rushed to war" with inadequate planning and preparation for its aftermath.

What does this have to do with McCain? Chief Obama strategist David Axelrod knows:

"What does all his experience get us?" asked Obama's strategic guru. "What do all those visits [to Iraq] get us?"

He continued: "The fact that he goes to Iraq and gets a tour apparently does little to provoke the kinds of questions that should be asked, and what Sen. Obama has been asking since the beginning. So it is not a question of longevity in government. It is a question of judgment, it is a question of a willingness to challenge policies that have failed. And he seems just dug in." […]

"We are talking on a day where the president's press secretary released a book where they frankly acknowledged that they engaged in deception and propaganda to essentially lead America to war. Senator Obama saw through that and raised the appropriate questions. Sen. McCain didn't," he said.

In this sense, the timing of the McClellan book is pretty helpful - it offers the Obama campaign a chance to reinforce the fact that when the White House was making a bogus argument, McCain bought it and Obama didn't. McClellan was, to borrow a phrase, catapulting the propaganda. McCain embraced it from the outset, and never let go.

McClellan helps put all of this on the front page, right where McCain doesn't want it.

Garrison Keillor, Mutterings over the graves of soldiers | Salon

Great quote.

"The Current Occupant tossed Nazis into a speech last week, something he rarely does since it only reminds people of Dick Cheney."

Here is another from the same piece. Less humorous though more true.

"On Memorial Day we'll hear about men who gave their lives for their country, but many lives were not given, they were taken, and taken stupidly and carelessly. And there has been great public piety about those men and their "sacrifice" on the part of politicians who blithely sacrificed them."

Great Cartoon

One of those things that make me realize I am getting older, I am just not into text messaging, especially with a cell phone. I guess my fingers are too fat.

And Rachel did not reference any text messages when she spoke at her graduation last month.

Rachel gets a job

Way to go Rachel!

Click on the link above to get to Rachel's blog and read all the details.

One of the nice things that I hadn't thought of before is that James, Rachel and Russell can all network information about opportunities that they may not have otherwise known about. Russell found out about the Presidential Management Fellowship at UT where he goes to school, and passed that information along to Rachel.

Recently someone at work told me (and I hope he was joking) that some of my co-workers hate me because all of my children have turned out so well. I took that as a great compliment to my wonderful children.

Slate V- How To Spend Your Tax Rebate

Finally, a test I answered correctly.

1 in 5 US Households Never Used Email - I4U

Fox51

1 in 5 US Households Never Used Email I4U - 3 hours ago According to a new study from Parks Associates 1 in 5 US households have never used email. That is pretty hard to fathom for technophiles out there. Survey: 20% in US have never sent an e-mail Computerworld Digital divide in US closing slowly but still 'significant' Bizjournals.com VNUNet.com - WebProNews - TG Daily - TMCnet all 68 news articles

Interesting article that points out what is the same and what is different between Mormons and born-agains.
Who's that knocking on the door? Research examines Mormons and ... - Church Executive Magazine

Who's that knocking on the door? Research examines Mormons and ... Church Executive Magazine, AZ - 2 hours ago The Mormon faith perspective parallels the prevailing born again view in various ways. For instance, more than nine out of ten Mormons have made a personal ...

What a horrible nightmare for the family. A parent's worst fear is to lose their child. When Russell was two, I took him to the mall with Rachel and he decided it would be great fun to hide in a rack of skirts. I was not as amused as he was.
Forgotten tot left behind at Vancouver airport
(AP)



AP - An immigrant family left a 23-month-old boy in the Vancouver airport and learned he was missing only when contacted during the next leg of the trip.

Colbert imitates O'Reilly's vintage meltdown

Instead of sending this to everyone....

Not for the easily offended: Rev. Grampa Simpson

Spot Award

At work today in our weekly status meeting I was surprised to be presented with what is called a 'Spot Award.' Carla, our technical writer (and anyone who reads my posts know that she earns her money) had nominated me for this award for helping her out on a project.

I was happy to receive the award and the Traveler's check. It is kind of funny, one can do all sorts of things that go above and beyond, but then get rewarded for doing something that is pretty easy.

Craig Ferguson

Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson hosted the White House Correspondents Association annual dinner Saturday night.

Rachel's Graduation - The Day After

It was kind of weird staying at Barbara's mother's house this time around since Barbara's mother had passed away a few months back. A lot of things were still the same, but a lot of other things were different, for instance, the phone and cable had been turned off.

One of the things that stayed the same is that a lot of people gathered at the house last Saturday. Barbara met with her other six siblings to divide up some of the books and the jewelry. Being of sound mind, I met up with an old friend and went out to breakfast. My friend afterwards took me around downtown to show me what was new since my last trip. The Union Pacific Depot is now part of a downtown shopping district. I explained to my friend that I had a lot of memories about the depot, since I had gone on a number of train trips as a child to Milford and points west.

I got back in time to see all of the in-laws busy at work deciding who got what. James, Emily and the boys had stayed over at the house also. Rachel drove up from Provo to spend the day with us. My brother Richard came in with my mother around noon for lunch and visiting. He helped his son and daughter-in-law move things to Idaho Falls, where of course James and Emily currently reside, and then Richard came down on the bus to visit for a couple of days. I believe he flew back up to Portland Sunday evening, after Barbara and I flew back to Austin. It was nice to visit and to show off my beautiful grandchildren.

That evening all of the Murdocks present went to dinner at the local Sizzler Steakhouse. Grandpa was pleased that the boys were on their very best behavior, and great-uncle Richard was very impressed. A good time was had by all.

Rachel stayed over on Saturday night, and the next morning before we had to go to our separate locations, Helen and Joan came over and treated us to a nice brunch. Emily was surprised to discover that one of her brothers was going to be in town, so he came over for a short visit also.

There is something about that house where people seem to connect. I am going to miss visiting there. It is fun to fantasize about Barbara and me buying the house and moving to Salt Lake City to be closer to family, but from a practical point of view it doesn't make a lot of sense. To modernize and 'John proof' the house would require a substantial amount of time, effort and money. I joked with James and told him that if we bought the house he could could come down every weekend from Idaho Falls and help us remodel. The joke is of course that I would have no clue what to do to remodel a home except write the checks to pay for someone else to do it.

Rachel's Graduation - The Trip Up

Barbara was able to get us a good deal on the airlines going up to SLC. On the trip up, we flew up on Continental Airlines from Austin to Houston to SLC. The plane from Houston was very small, two seats on one side of the aisle and then one seat on the other side. It kind of reminded me of being in an MRI. I didn't used to be so claustrophobic, but as I get older I am getting more and more so.

We have lost several pieces of luggage through the years as the luggage has gone off to college without us, and some of the pieces have fallen apart. For this trip Barbara selected an old hard sided Samsonite suitcase .

When we picked up the luggage, Barbara's piece had been smashed so badly that there is no way it could be used again. She took it over to the Continental Airlines baggage booth. The agent took one look and exchanged the battered suitcase with a brand new piece. Granted, it did not look like it could have been used as a prop in the movie Airport, but it was pretty darn nice.

Rachel's Graduation - Thanks to Russell and Sarah Jane

for watching John while we were gone. Taking John to the graduation would have been counter productive, I don't think he was going to sit quietly during the ceremony so Barbara and I were very glad that Russell and Sarah Jane agreed to move in for a few days and be there with John.

Rachel's Graduation - One very proud dad

Barbara and I got back last night from an action, fun packed four days in Utah. The main purpose of the trip was to motor down to Provo, Utah and see Rachel graduate. Not only did she graduate from the BYU law school, but she was also one of the two student speakers, and she participated in the law school choir. Her talk of course was wonderful.

Besides Barbara and myself, many friends and family came to the ceremony to honor Rachel. My niece Lucinda was kind enough to drive my mother down for the ceremony. We were joined by my son James, his lovely wife Emily, and my youngest grandson Will. My other two grandsons, Harry and Jack (ages 4 and 2) were left with some friends of James and Emily.

Barbara's two sisters Helen and Joan drove down to Provo with us from Salt Lake City. We were joined by Barbara's brother Jim and his wife Sharon, and Barbara's brother (Elder) Bill and his wife Vickie. Since Bill is a member of the First Quorum of 70, he had front row seats, so Barbara, Helen and Joan sat with him while the rest of us enjoyed the view from the balcony.

It seemed half of the audience was there to see Rachel, she has so many friends and admirers. I didn't get to see them, but there were folks who previously lived in our ward here in Austin that had moved to Utah who also came to the convocation.

There is so much to say about this trip so I will break it up into smaller posts. In closing, I just would like to say how proud I am of Rachel. She not only managed to make it through law school, she also was able to make a lot of friends and have a good time.

Stupidity

Sent to you by davidaustex via Google Reader:

Stupidity

via LiberalLand by Alan on 4/21/08

Pastor Roger Byrd of the Jonesville Church of God put this sign up outside his South Carolina Church. He says:

"His name is so close to Osama I have a feeling he might be Islamic therefore he doesn't recognize Christ."

His congregation voted to keep the sign up. None of the members are African-American.

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to LiberalLand using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Anything worth doing....

I had to smile, Jack and Harry spent so much time at our house playing with marbles.

Inspirational work meeting

This was supposed to jazz us up today. It didn't.

One of my co-workers asked me how I liked the meeting, and I decided the best thing to do was to use a quote from Bambi.