Google Geek Pet Projects - Historic Preservation

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Sunday morning - early. Got the house to myself. Nice evening last night  - Lisa cooked dinner for two couples. Good food, good talk. Discussion touched on  what I was trying to do locally with SketchUp - using 3D models to help raise awareness of historic structures - one of the couples has a home on the national historic register.

Told the group about some of the things I learned in my trip to Google's SketchUp division, including the fact that the developer of SketchUp is legally blind. Related that I am trying to get a grant to use SketchUp and Google Earth to document historic buildings. Also that Spokane is hosting the national preservation conference in 2012. That local city officials seem unaware of the potential. One of them suggested I donate an auction item for March benefit auction - SketchUp  model of  winning bidder's home/building of preference. Great idea.

Good food, good talk, good ideas.

Make it a good day.

Google Geek - Pace is Everything

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Getting ready to jump into another couple projects - SketchUp project designing a driveway for an earthen home on a side hill (working with Sandbox tools/Ruby scripts), and a YouTube screen capture explanation of how to run a Google Earth Gallery piece  I have done. Also have to keep up with the rest of my ongoing "projects" - both on the computer and in real life. Sometimes you have to fight the feeling that there is not enough time.

I feel that pace is a key component in the quality of life. The fulfilling sense of accomplishment one gets from getting the job done needs to be accessed against what you put yourself (and those around you) through physically and mentally to achieve the goal. I guess you have a more lasting appreciation of the destination if one also enjoys the journey.

What's the point of all the tools and toys Google develops if we don't use the time saving for something other than more work. I do have to admit that I enjoy what I am doing. But I sometimes need to remind myself that there at other things to do.

Got to get cracking so I can play later. Make it a good day.

iGoogle - Google Geek Starts The Day

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Not sure why, but I noticed that I have made a shift in my internet startup process. My home page is now IGoogle, then I open GMail, then I open "My Account". Always set it up on different "tabs", not "windows". I am not sure why I mention this, but I  have been reading Sherlock Holmes (last story was about a typist) and Sir Arthur  Conan Doyle preaches observation of, and attention to detail. Think it is basically because it makes it easier to do/coordinate all the things I am doing on the internet with Google products.

I also like the look/feel of the IGoogle page - have actually started pausing/lingering there. Check out the news headlines, see what the default links are, mess with the gadget setup, look for settings. In short, I find myself acting like a geek. One of the people I spoke with at a presentation (someone else's) the other  night referred to me as the "computer guy". Given my odyssey with computers that description is interesting (remember I am still working on my keyboarding).

Got to go. Translates to got to go do something else on the computer.

Make it a good day.

Google Earth/SketchUp - Raising Public Interest

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Working on a federal grant application - National Center for Preservation Technology Training - idea is to use Google Earth and SketchUp to help raise awareness about historic preservation of old buildings and historic sites.  It is my first attempt at this type of thing - cool thing is that it is an online proposal.

You may have noticed that I am doing a number of things with Google products to help raise awareness, attract attention to issues, and provide informative material via the internet. Just finished and posted the SketchUp model of Masquers Theater - where I did Google Earth demonstration last Friday night - has a link to their website - my way of saying thanks that keeps on giving.

Went to a presentation (powerpoint) last evening on aspects of the Ice Age Flood - something that I have done a Google Earth Gallery piece on. Wanted to meet the presenter - who is charge of creating interpretive material for the state of Washington Park's Commision. Talked with him afterward about showing him what his material would look like in Google Earth.

Well, got to get moving. Make it a good day.

Google Geek - On Stage

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Well the barn is quite a bit cleaner. and I had a good weekend (they are always too short). Great day Friday on the road in Soap Lake. Weather was great - so golfing and hiking were ideal. Presentation was a real treat for me because it was the first time I have gotten to work (demonstrate Google Earth) with a high end projector in a theater environment. Result was spectatular.

I spent almost an hour during the set up process fiddling around with/in Google Earth, checking out various features with the intent to put on an entertaining as well as informative demo. Had a good internet connection, using my new MacBook Pro laptop. Everybody was impressed. Told people I felt like the great Oz - was running this all from the stage booth upstairs in the back of the theater. Enjoyed the theater/experience so much I am working on a SketchUp model of it for Google Earth.

Do enjoy spreading the word about Google Earth. In this case the software did all the heavy lifting. Got interesting feedback. More on that later.

Started filling out a grant application this weekend - more on that later.

Need to get going. Make it a good day.

The Rewards of Google Geekdom

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

I like to say that I always wanted to get good enough on the computer so that I did not have to spend much time on one. The corollary to that is that if you get good enough at doing something on the computer that interests enough other people you might get an opportunity to do something you like - that is not on the computer.

Top of the list in that regard was my trip to Super Modelers Conference in Boulder, Colorado. I checked out Boulder's unique downtown area in the off hours, walked/hiked up into their foothills park on Sunday, met a bunch of new and interesting people.

Today I am headed to Soap Lake, WA., to give a presentation to the Ice Age Flood Institute of a couple of custom kml pieces I have posted to the Google Earth Gallery. On the way over this morning, will play golf at in Harrington, WA (you have to go there, to get there) at a beautiful 9 hole golf course - "one of Washington's best kept golfing secrets". I did a 3D model of the Harrington Opera House a couple years back.

I do these things for free (admit it would be nice to tell my wife I got paid for it). Just like Google lets me use the tools to do this for free. Help raise awareness about various issues in a new manner that reaches a wide audience.

For me, I get to ride through some pretty countryside today, play some golf, and meet some new people. Three things I love to do.

Thanks Google.

Make it a good day.

Google Geek- Getting Organized (Again)

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My name is Ron Hall.

I live at the Funny Farm.

Was running an excavator most of yesterday - real life modeling. As I worked, I was constantly cleaning my workspace, keeping my work area organized. Opened 'SketchUp for Dummies" this morning and read the same thought - "learn to model clean". Good life lesson.

Jeff Jarvis's book stated that Google's mission was to "organize" the world's information for us. Keeping things  organized not only makes work flow better, but I find it makes a better decision making environment - which leads to better decisions. That said, you have to break an egg to make an omelette.

Fall is here. Ned to get cracking (burning daylight).

Make it a good day.