The view from King Mountain, Autostitched on iPhone

The view from King Mountain, Autostitched on iPhone
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

This was the steepest hike I think we've ever done! 2000ft in 2.5 miles.

Waiting for an iPad ebook reader

I've been reading eBooks for years, ever since I had a Handspring Visor in 2000 and got my books from Peanut Press and Fictionwise.com. Peanut Press became eReader.com, and I read their books on my Pocket PC when I got that, I went through two Pocket PCs, in 2005 I got a Dell Axim X50v (still sitting on my desk), and I read many eBooks on that too. Then I got an iPhone. When apps became available it took a while, several months I think, before eReader got their act together to make an iPhone app, so in 2008 I could stop using my Pocket PC. It was great! I read even more books, really long books too, and things were good. Stanza came out which was a better app, and eBooks seemed to be coming into their own. Now *everybody* is doing eBooks. Amazon Kindle, Apple's iBooks, Barns and Noble's Nook, and the venerable eReader still exists. Things started to happen:

• Amazon purchased Stanza.
• Fictionwise purchased eReader.
• Barnes and Noble purchased Fictionwise.
• The iPad came out, and Apple started iBooks.

I emailed Fictionwise last week, to find out when they were going to do with the iPad. Other people say that Fictionwise is dead, and that they have no plans to update any eReader software for the iPad. However, this is response that I got:

We have not announced a date for native support of iPad at this time. Look for future announcements in our newsletters.

Calm down people! It took a while for eReader to get their act together to get their reader on the iPhone. I reckon it will take time for Barnes and Noble/Fictionwise/eReader to get their act together to get an eReader for the iPad. I can be patient.

Green Means Go!

Green Means Go!
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

It was fun getting VIP tickets on the first Green Line train. (To get the tickets you just had to go to a store in downtown Portland and say the secret password - "Green Means Go!").

However, I imagined VIP meant champagne and nibbles. Actually it meant we got a seat, which was really great as the train was very full indeed. Very full.

Herne Bay Cat Flap

Herne Bay Cat Flap
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

That is one hell of a high cat flap.

Behind every great man...

Behind every great man...
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

... is a lawyer?

Try missing a few payments

Try missing a few payments
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

It's been a long time since I posted. Maybe it's the twittering and the facebooking....

30th sign on the B-H

Procrastinate now don't put it off
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

This is the 30th different sign I have photographed on the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway.

Who doesn't love a baby elephant?

Samudra - Oregon Zoo's Baby Elephant
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

The zoo was really empty last week. Lots of building work, but no rain. Samudra, the baby elephant was out playing with some Christmas Tree foliage. So cute!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, we need to brush the snow off thee

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, we need to brush the snow off thee
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Our Christmas Tree has been delivered...

One year ago today...

Lover's Cove Panorama
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

... we were on an Island on the great barrier reef, snorkeling from a coral beach, lazing around and relaxing.

I remember it well, as it was my 39th birthday and we were in Queensland, Australia, just hanging out.

PDX Bus application & a new blog

I've written an iPhone app! It needed a support web page, so I gave it its own blog. Here's the blurb from the iPhone app store:

PDX Bus is an application that displays arrival times for public transport in Portland, Oregon.

This little application quickly accesses TriMet's tracking data displaying arrival times perfectly formatted for the iPhone. It allows you to bookmark frequently used stops, displays recently accessed stops, and gives details for arrivals which are en-route.

It also works with Google maps, showing locations of stops, and when available, the last known position of the bus or train.

Route and arrival data provided by permission of TriMet.

Eagles may soar but weasels don't get sucked into jets.

Eagles may soar...
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

The sign is in Portland, Oregon. (On the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway, between Portland and Beaverton). I have no affiliation - I just drive or ride the bus past the sign most days. The sign is located here (via mapquest).

Oregon State Fair Pictures! Dogs, Piggies, Goats.

Dog agility at the state fair
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

The Oregon State Fair was everything I expected it to be: terrible food, fun animals and scarily maintained fairground rides!

I loved the dog agility trials. I wonder what a Great Dane would make of all the jumps and stuff?

I created a Flickr set of my favorite pictures.

Portland sign has letters stolen! Bettr Return 'Em

Stolen Letters! Bettr Return 'Em
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

Someone stole some letters from the Courtesy Autocare Sign. Please bring them back. We like the sign! I like the BETTR Internet contraction. Maybe they didn't have enough Es left?

The sign is in Portland, Oregon. (On the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway,
between Portland and Beaverton). I have no affiliation - I just drive
or ride the bus past the sign most days. The sign is located here (via mapquest).

Here is a cool link to Flash Earth which gives a satellite image of the sign!

Two rays of sunshine attract a cat each

Two rays of sunshine attract a cat each
Originally uploaded by Major Clanger.

What can I say? They likes a ray of sunshine.