Caffeinated Gonzo!

It’s cheesy, it’s a waste of a good three minutes and it’s on MySpace. 

MySpace’s first attempt at original video programming is a 3 minute per episode production of “Roommates” a “video blog” featuring recently graduated college girls on the prowl and starring in their own reality show.  It’s boring drivel and the only redeeming thing I think it has going for it is that it is fake. 

I am sure that it will catch on… after all this Fall’s new television line up includes a new comedy series based on the equally cheesy 30 “Caveman” second television spots by Geico.  So why not put fake Reality TV on Myspace?

I can’t wait for MySpace to introduce the first in a series of inevitable Roommates inspired ringtones.  I am sure they too will be a big hit.  I am sure it won’t be long before I can hear them being played between commecials  every time I slip and turn on the Top 40 radio station in my car. 

Sky Over the Monzono’s, originally uploaded by caffeinatedgonzo.

Hands down… what I love most about my native state of New Mexico is the wide open skies. I can sit for hours just watching the clouds and the light play over the plains and the mountains. Today I was rewarded with this picture of a developing early evening thunderstorm hovering over the Monzono Mountains near Albuquerque (looking east from Los Lunas).

The views from Sandia Peak are breathtaking, and for some … so is the elevation (2 miles above sea level). On a clear day, the view is more than worth the drive up from Albuquerque or the fare on the tramway.

The view on day of my family’s last visit (late August 2007) was a bit hazy due to the heat in Albuquerque, but the views were still impressive.

If you have the chance to go there on a really clear cool day… and especially if you are taking the tram I suggest going around sunset so that you really get the full effect of the views of the city at dusk and beyond.

See more progress on: Sandia Peak

If you are ever in New Mexico for a visit, or if you are lucky enough to live here, I highly recommend making a visit to the New Mexico Natural History Museum; located conveniently next to Albuquerque’s more famous tourist attraction; the Old Town district.

While visting my folkes here in New Mexico this week, my dad drove us into Albuquerque this afternoon to visit the Natural History Museum and the National Atomic Energy Museum. These museums, along with a children’s science museum, and my local favorite, the Albuquerque Museum, are located within easy walking distance of the historic Old Town Albuquerque district.  I highly recommend taking a day and visiting all four.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science was the family favorite on this day.

The  New Mexico Natural History Museum has several large permanent exhibits that highlight not only the regions prehistoric natural history, but also the history of the universe and the Earth from it’s origins until present time.  There is also a nice exhibit that explorers volcanoes, how they are formed and their geology.

I have visited the Natural History many times since my youth, and return often when I visit.  I always find something new to discover, and this year was no different.  It was especially fun this trip to explore the exhibits with not only my Dad who I enjoy going there with often, but also my fifteen year old son, who went there for the first time with us today. Three generations… each of us learning something new and exciting!

This year the museum featured a new temporary exhibit designed to teach about the history of computers; from their humble origins and on into the age of the Internet. The exhibit takes great pride in highlighting the contributions that Albuquerque has made to the history of computers, and in particular the personal computer.  How many people know or remember that Bill Gates, Paul Allen and indeed, Microsoft began their quest to conquer the world in a humble office building in Albuquerque?  Aside from this little tidbit of  local history, the exhibit allows today’s children and indeed all of us to see how the computer evolved from simple adding machines to giant complicated mainframes with less computing power than a handheld video game, to micro computers and the now ever-present PC and Macintosh’s connecting us all together over the Internet. Exhibit attendees are even given a chance to see hands-on what it was  like to operate those lowly little Altair 8800’s that got Bill and Paul so excited about the future way back in 1975.  My son was fascinated by all he learned in his time exploring this exhibit and to my amusement wished he could have stayed longer. So did my wife.  And I thought I was the computer geek in the family!

If you get a chance to see the START-UP: Albuquerque and the Personal Computer Revolution, I highly recommend taking your time and your kids. If you miss it, I still recommend a visit to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science for anyone with an interest in how the natural world works.

Historic San Felipe de Neri church, originally uploaded by caffeinatedgonzo.

The historic San Felipe de Neri church is the standard by which I measure all historic churches that I visit. This 300 (plus) year old Catholic parish is located in the Old Town section of Albuquerque, my old home town.

Long before I became Catholic myself, San Felipe represented to me what a Catholic church was meant to be… old, yet dignified… somber, yet uplifting… close to God, yet the closeness and color of earth.

There are a lot of places I want to take my family to see here in Albuquerque while we visit, and some we just won’t have time to get to, but visiting the San Felipe was something I hoped to share ~ more importantly had to do for myself. I am glad that we made it here.

Found on YouTube: My favorite coffee commercial… featuring a few good brother and sister firefighters…

Downtown Chicago, originally uploaded by caffeinatedgonzo.

My family enjoyed our recent, albeit brief visit to downtown Chicago Town. We had about six hours to spend in downtown Chicago on a stop over at Union Station. We road in early in the morning on Amtrak’s Lakeshore Limited passenger run. Having a few hours to kill before catching the Southwest Chief, heading west, we explored a bit, had l a great lunch on the 95 floor of the John Hancock Center with my cousin, and vowed to come back soon to explore some more.

[This photo was taken by my son in the resturant near the top of the tower.]

Just in time for our family trip to New Mexico ~ I stumbled across this HowTo on how to survive in a Sand Storm. I have spent a fair amount of time in New Mexico and never needed this information, but it’s good to know just the same.

[Sand Storm in the Distance, Photo originally uploaded to Flickr by Echo_29.]

John Baichtal, wrote a nice piece in GeekDad reminding us of the important role that amateur radio operators play in times of crisis and disasters; particularly when the traditional civilian and emergency services communications nets become saturated. 

The recent Minneapolis bridge collapse once again highlighted the important role of RACES, the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service and other communications volunteers play in times of crisis.

Wired.com’s DangerRoom report’s that the US Army is close to sending in to battle in Iraq… armed robots.

[Courtesy of DangerRoom is this YouTube link to a Future Weapons segment on the robots.]

Can any one else hear the faint strains of “Danger Will Robinson… Danger!”?

Here is more on the story on GizModo.