Google in Africa

Google is setting up shop in Kenya. Hopefully, this means that Google is committed to development and wants to see Africans embrace the opportunities offered by technology. While in Rwanda, I really got the sense that people understand that the Internet can be a vehicle to prosperity. Technology is the key to a level playing field with the rest of the world for these people.

Chief Timothy State Park

Last weekend I went on a solo camping trip to Chief Timothy State Park. I needed to go test out my new camping gear, and this was a perfect opportunity. After work on Friday, I threw all of my gear into my car and drove south to Lewiston/Clarkston. I got to the campsite around 7PM and spent the rest of the evening setting up and cooking dinner. Surprisingly, I didn't really forget any of the essentials. I made a list of supplies to include for next time, but the stuff I brought on this trip got me through just fine.

On Saturday morning I took a walk around the campgrounds and ended up going on a little hike. The park itself is an island in the middle of the Snake River, and there is a dirt service road for "authorized vehicles only" that circles the island. It took me about 90 minutes to walk the whole thing. I didn't know I'd be gone so long, or else I would have put on some sunscreen. (Needless to say, I have some pretty respectable sunburns today.) Along the trail, I saw some very interesting sights. First there was a man-made podium that housed a big eagle's nest. Two big eagles were perched on the sides, and I stopped to take some pictures of them. As I zoomed in for a better shot, I noticed a tiny little head sticking out of the middle of the nest. It was a baby eagle! After spending some time birdwatching, I stumbled across some interesting solar-powered devices. The first was a red beacon, to alert boats at night, I guess. The second was a couple of radio antennas used to track salmon migration patterns. The third was a pretty complex looking weather station. After doing my senior design project, which involved solar power, I was intrigued by these installations.

After lunch (meat, cheese, and crackers), I went to the museum operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. It explained Lewis and Clark's discovery of the area and the Native Americans who once lived there. The museum curator was very nice and interesting to talk to. In the afternoon I went swimming and did some reading. I had beans for dinner and went to bed around 9PM.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I made some scrambled eggs and began packing up all of my gear. I took 95 back up to Moscow because I had to return the cooler I had just bought. It was leaking water, so I got a refund. Then it was back home to Pullman.

I've posted some of the better pictures I took in a DupyPics album called "Chief Timothy State Park." These include a pretty good shot of the eagle family I saw.

New Feed Format

Today I changed the Dupyshon.com homepage a bit. Now the blog snippets are displayed using the Google AJAX Feed API. Now I have a lot more control about how my blog appears to visitors.

World's Fastest Indian

I just finished watching The World's Fastest Indian last night. It was a great movie! Anthony Hopkins is always an excellent actor and the storyline is very interesting. If you like to root for the underdog, you'll love this film.

Illinois Pictures Up

I just got back from Illinois. I was there for five days visiting Kristen and her family. She and I had a chance to go to Chicago for a day to go see the musical Wicked. It was very fun, and the whole trip was really enjoyable. I posted a picture album of the day in Chicago under DupyPics.

Summer Temperature

It's getting hot in Pullman. Yesterday the high was 92 degrees (Fahrenheit), a temperature which set the all-time high for that day. This summer could be a scorcher, no thanks to An Inconvenient Truth.