I wanted a simple but sweet Valentine to give out to my students.  I searched Pinterest and did not find anything that had the degree of simplicity I wanted.  That is when I decided to make my own.   I used the paint program that comes with Windows 7 and I was pleasantly surprised with the versatility and ease of use of this program.  I’ve had a thing for owls recently, so naturally I made my own owl graphic.

I like to say I am not cheap, I am frugal. I like quality and I would rather pay a little more for something that would last, but I also love to save money.  Buying eyeglasses online was a bit of risky territory, but I did my research and put in  my first order from EyeBuyDirect in February of 2011.  I ordered a pair of glasses for $36.12 (including shipping!).  I added a “Tint Key” of “Grey 60%” so I could use these glasses for driving.  Essentially I created a …

The first time I purchased glasses online, I was very uneasy because it was new territory. If you are ordering glasses online for the first time, or just want some tips to help make a repeat attempt go more smoothly, read the following tips:
 

Get an updated eye exam.  It is no good buying new glasses if your prescription information is different from your last visit.
Have your doctor measure your Pupillary Distance (PD).  This measurement from one pupil to the next is generally recorded in millimeters (mm).  Eye doctors will take …

Today as I got into my car I realized that someone had broken into it and ransacked my glovebox and center console. I couldn’t nail down exactly when it happened but I couldn’t help but feel violated.  Someone else in my neighborhood also had a break in. I decided to do something about it. I immediately went to the closest store and grabbed a cheap webcam and prepared to make a motion triggered surveillance system. (Man, I love Linux).

I’ve recently gotten into astronomy and astrophotography since I got an 8″ telescope for my birthday in 2010.  Since then I have found that my Android phone is a must have tool! This is a list my favorite and most useful Android apps for astronomy. All of the ones mentioned here are free or have a free version. I suggest donating or upgrading on all of them if you like them to help compensate the programmers for their hard work.
UPDATED with new app (see end of post for the new …

Working with a professor at my college and Carolina Edge of Space in May of 2010 I, along with a small group of friends, sent a weather balloon 74,642 feet into the sky.  This post is mainly about the payload I designed, built and tested for the project.
This project was inspired by many seen recently online where students have been sending cheap payloads into the stratosphere. It started around December 2009 when we all met for the first time to discuss the project. It turns out that one of the …

I have deliberated about paint colors for so many hours that I may just be in the days (quite possibly weeks) range now.   I would like to add that this process would have taken less time if Adam liked all the color choices I picked out.  Of course, that would have ruined some of the fun.  I enjoy discussing color choices AND everyone needs a good healthy debate when it comes to decorating.  Plus, in the end I am hopeful it will turn out for the better.
Honestly it wasn’t that …

When creating a color scheme for a blog (or any artistic endeavor), a great place to see your colors side by side is COLOURLovers.  Even better, if you are at a complete loss, you can view other people’s color suggestions.  In a moment of serendipity, the colors I had in mind for the SheekGeek.org redesign of *blue* and *green* were in a palette on Color Lovers.  Not only that, the palette had been created just 7 minutes before I visited the site.  (Not surprisingly, these are also common colors used …

Many people are curious about linux, or maybe have even tried linux at some point. There is a huge difference between people trying linux, and people using linux. Hopefully this article will sort of ease your transition into using linux, either as a full time OS or even just enough to get around if you ever encounter it. Once you are familiar with software on one OS, its tough to move on but with this article I hope to list out some linux software that replaces many of the …