north carolina
clock | September 8, 2007The first blogger meetup of the season will be this Wednesday, September 12th, at 6pm at Tyler's Tap Room in the American Tobacco Warehouse District. Come in large numbers, bring your friends!
To stay informed about this and other local bloggy events, sign up for the BlogTogether mailing list.
clock | September 8, 2007I rarely wish to be 14 again, but I certainly did when I read this news today, that N.C. Zoo and the Asheboro City Schools have just started something called AHS Zoo School. As Russ Williams explains:
"Students have unprecedented access to a 1500-acre, world-class facility ideal for environmental and biological exploration. Beyond routine science, the zoo offers relevant experiences in zoology, horticulture, marketing, retail, hospitality and art as well as wildlife and plant conservation and research. The AHS program is only the fourth zoo school in the country with similar schools located…
clock | September 8, 2007Back in January, there were rumors around town about Google opening an office in Chapel Hill. Then, a couple of days ago, I went up to the John Edwards HQ to pick up some bumper stickers for my new car and I noticed there was construction in the offices next door. The sign on the door sported the "Google" logo.
I told Paul about this and so he got in his car and provided the photographic evidence:
clock | September 5, 2007Before we focus on science, and while the weather is still nice, we (and by "we" I mean "bloggers in the Triangle area of North Carolina") will have some other kind of bloggy fun, the one that involves taste buds!
Yes, join us for a three-day Foodblogging event on September 23-25, 2007, with the special guest-star: the famous chef-author-blogger Michael Ruhlman. We'll eat, drink, read, chat and blog while celebrating and promoting the locally grown food prepared by local chef celebrities.
Anton has all the details - the seating is limited so sign up quickly. Yummy!
clock | September 3, 2007Telecommuting is a great concept, providing flexibility of work-hours, availability when there is a family crisis, etc. But it is difficult to be self-disciplined at home. So many other things vie for attention, including that most excellent invention of all times - the bed.
That is why I spend many hours every day in my 'office' in La Vita Dolce. I love the place - it is quiet most of the time (though I do find myself softly singing along the oldies, including the inevitable "If you're going to San Francisco" and infamous "Only You"), coffee, bagels, cakes and gelato are the best in…
clock | September 2, 2007The August blogger BBQ traditionally kicks-off the new blogging season (see the pictures from the BBQ on Flickr). So, we now have a new schedule for the 07/08 meetups. Instead of having all the meetups in Carrboro, we will rotate between two venues each month: the second Wednesday of the month in Durham, the fourth Wednesday of the month in Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
Anton has all the details on places, dates and times.
So, if you live in the area, or are just visiting, please come by. It is informal and fun. You don't have to write a blog of your own - you can just be a reader or a fan. If…
clock | September 1, 2007Beautiful green lawn that covers up the water shortage, kills all insects and irritates the asthmatics!
clock | August 31, 2007If you were amazed the other night to find I was not online for a long time, not blogging, not commenting, not responding to e-mail, not on Facebook, now you know where I was - spreading Brotherhood and Unity in the Triangle area blogging community. And if the same phenomenon happens tonight, here's a hint where I can be found.
clock | August 27, 2007Yesterday I had lunch (and coffee and another coffee - this lasted a while because it was so much fun) with Tanja and her husband Doug. Regulars here probably recognize the commenter who goes by the handle "tanjasova" - that's her.
They just bought a nice house in Winston-Salem and will completely move to North Carolina next month, so we'll get to meet each other and indulge ourselves in Serbian cuisine often in the future. They have three teenage boys (from their respective first marriages) and they live on his salary as she is still looking for a job. Now that she will be here, she can…
clock | August 27, 2007Brian Russell, the tireless fighter for public wireless in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area, recently wrote two blog posts on the widely read local blog Orange Politics: Chapel Hill WiFi Pilot needs different Hotspots and Where is the WiFi?
This received quite a lot of attention both before and during the Chapel Hill Town Council meeting where public wi-fi was discussed. Some pilot locations may get altered due to Brian's advice. Today, Brian has a front-page article in Chapel Hill News on the topic. He has been building a Google Map of local wireless (on which I made sure to include a good…
clock | August 25, 2007This morning bright and early, I went to Weaver Street Market (the one in Carrboro, not the one a block away from me), where I met Paul Jones for coffee and a session of people-watching - a Saturday morning tradition.
Carrboro is like a miniature version of San Francisco in a sense. While Chapel Hill is populated by Birckenstock liberals (hey, I am one, so I feel comfortable), in Carrboro you can wear, figuratevily, anything you want: Birckenstocks, sure, but also sneakers, clogs, slippers, high-heels, army boots, cowboy boots, loafers, sandals, Tevas, or go barefoot and, no matter what,…
clock | August 11, 2007Since I came back from California, I've been trying to get Time Warner to remove one of the firewalls from my cable connection so I can get into the belly of the beast of PLoS. The wifi in the apartment complex is pitiful. I also tried at Town Hall Grill, but the loading of every page was very slow on their wifi.
The absolutely best wifi in the area is at La Vita Dolce. It is superstong and superfast, both inside and outside, and I've been going there every day to do my work. In addition, I just love the place - since new owners took over several months ago, this little cafe has become…
clock | August 9, 2007Earlier today I had coffee with Anton Zuiker so we could catch up on everything, e.g., my new job, his new job, scifoo, etc.
So, the news to watch out for regarding local blogging events:
On August 31st, we will start the new blogging year with a party, of course, so come and eat and blog about it.
Then, on September 23-25th, the big three-day FoodBlogging series of yummy events (also see the write-up in the Independent) so come and eat and blog about it.
The blogger meet-ups will, next year, move away from its exlusive Carrboro location and start alternating between Chapel Hill/Carrboro and…
clock | July 21, 2007Duke University, after years of being behind the curve, is now striving mightily to establish itself as a leader in online science communication. As a recent news article shows, the school is activelly encouraging its students to keep blogs and make podcasts.
I have already mentioned Sarah Wallace and her blog about genomics research in Chernobyl.
Nicholas Experience is a blogging/podcasting group working on environmental science (OK, Sheril is their most famous blogger, but she did it herself, without being prompted by the Nicholas Institute).
At the Howard Hughes Precollege Program…
clock | July 18, 2007BlogTogether, the central online spot for Triangle (NC) bloggers, just got a new look. More to come....
clock | June 27, 2007My friend (and the driving force behind all bloggy events in the Triangle area) Anton Zuiker has a new job! And not just any job - but a perfect job:
In August, I will take a new job at Duke University Health System as manager of internal communications. This will be a chance for me to mold a communications strategy that uses traditional tools (magazines, newsletters, posters) with new media tools (blogs, videocasts, wikis). I'm looking forward to the opportunities and challenges.
They really, really need Anton. Finding information online about anything that has to do with Duke University…
clock | June 12, 2007The other day, Anton Zuiker and I met at Weaver Street Market in Southern Village to do some planning for the Science Blogging Conference and Anton took this picture of me holding the brand new promotional postcards (want one? e-mail me) that he has designed and printed:
clock | June 12, 2007About a month ago, Ruby Sinreich quit her job and posted about looking for a new one. And today, she reveals that she landed a perfect job, telecommuting from Carrboro, working for the Fellowship of Reconciliation. They were smart to hire her!
clock | May 24, 2007Good news for two local schools:
Two Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools have received grants to fund school projects.
Carrboro High School received a $5,950 grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Science teacher Robin Bulleri applied for the grant to fund a biotechnology project at Carrboro High.
Smith Middle School received a $5,000 Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant from the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. Teachers Kelly Sears and Melinda Fitzgerald received the grant to fund a proposal entitled, "Sediment Rangers: 8th Grade Stewardship and Outdoor Classroom Project."…
clock | May 24, 2007Fortunately, Janet Reno is still OK.
The police brought Bill Clinton to the Orange County Animal Shelter, where he later died.
With perfect quote-mining, I made you look, didn't I?