by JIJ on March 10, 2008
In stark contrast to my own writing habits, some of my friends have blogs that they actually update at least once every couple weeks. In the past, I bookmarked their blogs so that I could check them about once a week and see if there were any updates. Of course, once the chosen blog loaded, I would quickly scan the top of the page for the most recent post, either checking the content or the date to determine whether or not I had already read it. With the combination of loading up many of my friends’ blogs and my spending quite a bit of time reading some other blogs as well (Engadget and Lifehacker), I realized that I need to find an RSS reader to help me save some time in getting through the latest posts.
I searched around on Google and a few technology-related sites where I knew that I could find information and write-ups on both online and offline RSS readers. Eventually I arrived at Google’s very own “Google Reader.” I quickly signed in with my Google account and began “subscribing” to some of the feeds of blogs that I like to stay abreast of.
I added technology blogs, friends’ blogs, some of Maranatha’s blogs, and soon enough started searching around for some blogs of my favorite Milwaukee radio talkshow hosts as well. Subscribing to blogs is simple. All you have to do is click the “Add subscription” link, enter the web address of the blog, and click “Add.” After finding that I could create folders, I began filing each feed away into its proper location.
Now Google Reader shows me which blogs have new posts. I’m able to load up the post inside of the Reader, with photos and even videos (as I discovered with one of my my college professor’s video posts of his newborn son). Like Gmail and Picasa, I am able to star the posts that I feel are of special importance so that I can easily refer back to them at a later time.
If you find yourself wondering which of your friends have updated their blogs today, and you’re sick of constantly clicking through your bookmarks to their blogs, or even trying to remember the web addresses to their blogs, set yourself up some subscriptions through Google Reader.
by JIJ on April 16, 2007
Log Entry
| Date |
Aircraft |
Ident |
From |
To |
T/O |
LDG |
HRS |
| 4/16/07 |
C-152 |
N68954 |
RYV-SBM |
RYV |
4 |
4 |
1.6 |
Remarks
I definitely just keep moving right along. Last week I did my first two cross countries (on Thursday and Friday). Today I did my own. I had originally planned to just fly one of the same ones that I had already done, but my instructor recommended going to Sheboygan (SBM). I figured, why not, it’ll be a whole lot more interesting exploring new air than flying the same stuff I just did last week. So I planned the flight out after classes today and headed out to the airport. Kevin checked over the planning while I preflight’d and gave me the endorsement to go ahead. It was a pretty good flight; after getting up to cruising altitude (3,000 MSL) I could see the Milwaukee skyline and Lake Michigan while heading to the northeast. I found the airport after keeping an eye on time and checkpoints and set up for a downwind on runway 31. As I descended a couple of hawks came pretty close to the airplane, which is always cool, but I just know one of these days I’m bound to hit one of them. I passed one up and it had to have been within about 50 feet of my right wing. Anyways, I did a touch and go and headed on back to Watertown. I didn’t really want to just land and go back to campus, so I did a couple touch and go’s first. I still need to work on just getting those wheels to the pavement. I float way too much, but I’ll get it still.Below is the aerial view of Sheboygan (SBM).
by JIJ on April 13, 2007
Log Entry
| Date |
Aircraft |
Ident |
From |
To |
T/O |
LDG |
HRS |
| 4/12/07 |
C-152 |
N68954 |
RYV-DLL |
RYV |
2 |
2 |
1.6 |
Remarks
My first cross country…. Kevin and I headed out to Baraboo’s airport by Wisconsin Dells later in the evening, so on our way back it began getting fairly dark. After the sunset it was pretty cool being able to see all the lights in towns and small cities and landing with the runway lights on. Very cool, definitely a good little trip.
by JIJ on April 10, 2007
Log Entry
| Date |
Aircraft |
Ident |
From |
To |
T/O |
LDG |
HRS |
| 4/10/07 |
C-152 |
N68954 |
RYV |
RYV |
4 |
4 |
1.2 |
Remarks
Alright, today went pretty well! We (my instructor Kevin and I) went through all of the maneuvers: slow flight, stalls, steep turns, ground reference, s-turns, everything, and they all went pretty well. We did a simulated engine failure and that was the best one I’d done so far. We did a simulated engine failure over the airport and that went well. And then we mixed it up with some short and soft takeoffs and landings as well. Pretty good lesson; we’ll probably start cross-countries on Thursday.
by JIJ on April 9, 2007
Log Entry
| Date |
Aircraft |
Ident |
From |
To |
T/O |
LDG |
HRS |
| 4/9/07 |
C-152 |
N68954 |
RYV-UNU |
RYV |
9 |
9 |
1.4 |
Remarks
I solo’d back on March 16, but today was the first time I’d been up by myself since then. I took off at Watertown on 29, did a touch-and-go, flew through a tiny bit of snow, and then headed out to the north to do some maneuvers. I saw some smoke so I headed over towards that first to see if a house was on fire; there wasn’t, just a field being burned. Then I set up for some maneuvers with clearing turns, following by practicing a full 360° steep turn to the left, then one to the right. The right one didn’t go as well as I wanted it to, so I did another one that went much better. Then I tried some power-on stalls, because they’re just a lot of fun. Well, the first couple went alright, then the third one didn’t. I went up, stalled, and then I don’t know what happened exactly, but the plane rolled towards the left and started heading towards la tierra firma. I think I didn’t push forward when I should have. Anyways, I did come out of it (I had probably 2500 feet to spare), but that one shook me up a little bit. So turned back to the west for a few miles, then back to the north to head up to Juneau’s Dodge County airport. I had fun there just doing some touch-and-go’s. On one of my downwinds, I actually saw a pair of hawks flying below to the left, and then I saw what I’m pretty sure was a bald eagle! I’ve never seen a bald eagle in the wild before, or, at least not that I recall. After finishing up there I headed back to Watertown for two more touch-and-go’s and then finally landed and taxied off the runway. Other than the stall incident, that was a ton of fun, just being up there, calm wind, minimal turbulence, and some fun landing practice.
