>>2006072712.txt
Hi all!
I'm now sitting at McDonald's eating lunch thinking about weather or not
to connect to the net (probably not).
Yesterday night, I went back to the old hostel to get my money back. They
gave me only $46 instead of $69 because they said I checked out late. When I
told the person there that he told me it's OK, he agreed it's his mistake,
and he'll send me the money. I gave him my address in Israel and my e-mail
address. Then, I went back to the new hostel and went online, chatted with
some friends (you know who you are...) and filled a suggestion form on the
DC metro website, regarding their bus nomenclature (it's not a good idea to
have a bus stop with both 68 and G8 and one with both 54 and S4).
Today I woke up early and took a bus directly to the Bureau of Envgraing
and Printing to get my free ticket. At 8:15 I had a free ticket for 9:00
tour. Then, I noticed the line for tickets for the Washington Monument. I
stood in line, and if I had got tickets for a later tour at the BEP, I could
have got a ticket for the Washington Monument as well, but I have to leave
the line to get to my BEP tour.
In the BEP we saw I film about how US currency is printed, and then were
taken to see the actual process of the printing of real currency from a
viewing balcony. We actually got to see millions of dollars being printed. I
didn't take any pictures, as photography is strictly prohibited. After the
tour I went to the gift shop, and bought a bag with $150 for only $2! The
only catch is the $150 are in defective currency that was shredded :)...
In the gift shop I also saw how the BEP *really* makes money. They sell
$100 star-bills there for $125, and sell bills with special serial numbers
for even more.
After visiting the BEP, I took a bus to Union Station, where the National
Postal Musuem (by the Smithsonian Institute) is located. I took a beta-test
version of a PDA-like tour system and looked inside the museum. The museum
is quite small, but more interesting than the Indian museum...
I left the museum at about 12:00 noon and went for lunch at McD. I have
several options for this afternoon: 1) National american art museum &
portrait gallery. 2) The Smithsonain Zoo. 3) Library of Congress books.
Tomorrow morning I might try to go very early and get a ticket for the
Washington Memorial, but I will probably be online in the morning until I
leave for the airport at about 10:00 (17:00 your time). I don't know if
there's wifi at the airport, so if you want to talk to me be online before
17:00 tomorrow (Israel time).
My flight plan for your (and my own) reference (all times local):
28Jul 13:00 - 14:17 DCA-EWR
28Jul 16:05 - 09:30+1 EWR-TLV
Yours,
Alon
>>2006072722.txt
Hi All!
The time here is 22:30... none of you are online this late (or early). I'm
in the hostel now, and here is my latest update from DC, and probably the
last.
After lunch I went to the portrait and American art museum. More art that
doesn't mean anything to me. There was a room there were you could view
actual restoration of artwork being done, however no interesting restoration
could be observed when I was there. After seeing that art, I decided to go
to the Library of Congress and finish reading the books I started earlier. I
almost finished "Catch me if you Can" before the library closed at 21:30. I
took the bus back to the hostel, and here I am.
At the hostel, I checked in for my flight home. Flight departs at 13:00
here (20:00 in Israel) and lands Saturday at 9:00. I'll try to go online
again at DCA, and will almost surely be online in the morning until 10:00
(17:00 Israel time).
See you all in Israel,
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
God is love, but get it in writing.
-- Gypsy Rose Lee
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Mail from DC…
Hi all!
Long time no mail (ironically, because I had a good Internet connection).
Here is the update on my whereabouts for the last 2 days, and later I'll get
to where I am now.
Yesterday was a day of art. I decided to go to the National Gallery and
take 2 guided tours. One of French imperssionism, and one of modern art. The
tours were mildly intersting. The modern art one more so. The architecture
of the modern art building is quite unique (check out the photos in the 107
and 108 series).
After the tours I went to McDonald's for lunch and a $3/2hr Internet
connection. Some of you were online at the time, so I chatted with you using
up the entire 2 hours. During that time dad recommended I switch hostels.
There turned out to be a nice hostel within one block of the McDonald's I
was in, so I check out the place, it was $9 more expensive but had FREE
WIFI(!) and was much closer to the center of DC.
So, I went to the old hostel to check out and they could not refund my
money because they didn't have it there. They told me to come back today to
take it, which I will. I checked in at the old hostel, and spent the rest of
the evening online.
Today, I decided to fill-in the last museums that I've missed. I started
with the Hirshoorm museum of modern art (not the one from yesterday), and
had a 1-on-1 tour of the sculpture garden (no one else wanted to go on that
tour). Afterwards I looked around the art in the museum myself. I
especially liked a film of TIM-style chain reactions.
Next, I went to the nearby National Museum of the American Indian. The
museum includesvery high-quality and stunning presentation techniques.
Almost no 90-degree edges can by found anywhere in the building, and
everything is very neatly desgined. The only problem I had with the museum
is that the subject matter isn't of interest to me at all...
So, after a short visit in that museum, I went for lunch at McDonald's
(one much closer than yesterday, which I located using Google maps). After
lunch, I took the bus to 14th street and went to the museums over there.
First was the Forest Service museum, which was one uninteresting room.
Second, was the Holocaust museum, which seemed to me not as effective as
even the old Yad VaShem. Next was the Bureau of Envgraing and Printing,
which could have been interesting to tour unless they had the "Free ticket"
scheme going on (that is, you need to arrive at 6am and wait till 8am to get
inside).
I decided to continue walking and cross the bridge to see the Jefferson
and Rosewelt memorials. I am now sitting next to the tidal basin after
visiting both memorials. I intend to take a bus to the old hostel to get my
money back and then return to the new hostel for Internet and sleep.
Tomorrow is my last day here, and it is still to be planned. I think on
going to the Smithsonian Zoo and/or the postal museum, as well as one of the
free-ticket-required sites.
Yours,
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
BOFH excuse #101:
Collapsed Backbone
Long time no mail (ironically, because I had a good Internet connection).
Here is the update on my whereabouts for the last 2 days, and later I'll get
to where I am now.
Yesterday was a day of art. I decided to go to the National Gallery and
take 2 guided tours. One of French imperssionism, and one of modern art. The
tours were mildly intersting. The modern art one more so. The architecture
of the modern art building is quite unique (check out the photos in the 107
and 108 series).
After the tours I went to McDonald's for lunch and a $3/2hr Internet
connection. Some of you were online at the time, so I chatted with you using
up the entire 2 hours. During that time dad recommended I switch hostels.
There turned out to be a nice hostel within one block of the McDonald's I
was in, so I check out the place, it was $9 more expensive but had FREE
WIFI(!) and was much closer to the center of DC.
So, I went to the old hostel to check out and they could not refund my
money because they didn't have it there. They told me to come back today to
take it, which I will. I checked in at the old hostel, and spent the rest of
the evening online.
Today, I decided to fill-in the last museums that I've missed. I started
with the Hirshoorm museum of modern art (not the one from yesterday), and
had a 1-on-1 tour of the sculpture garden (no one else wanted to go on that
tour). Afterwards I looked around the art in the museum myself. I
especially liked a film of TIM-style chain reactions.
Next, I went to the nearby National Museum of the American Indian. The
museum includesvery high-quality and stunning presentation techniques.
Almost no 90-degree edges can by found anywhere in the building, and
everything is very neatly desgined. The only problem I had with the museum
is that the subject matter isn't of interest to me at all...
So, after a short visit in that museum, I went for lunch at McDonald's
(one much closer than yesterday, which I located using Google maps). After
lunch, I took the bus to 14th street and went to the museums over there.
First was the Forest Service museum, which was one uninteresting room.
Second, was the Holocaust museum, which seemed to me not as effective as
even the old Yad VaShem. Next was the Bureau of Envgraing and Printing,
which could have been interesting to tour unless they had the "Free ticket"
scheme going on (that is, you need to arrive at 6am and wait till 8am to get
inside).
I decided to continue walking and cross the bridge to see the Jefferson
and Rosewelt memorials. I am now sitting next to the tidal basin after
visiting both memorials. I intend to take a bus to the old hostel to get my
money back and then return to the new hostel for Internet and sleep.
Tomorrow is my last day here, and it is still to be planned. I think on
going to the Smithsonian Zoo and/or the postal museum, as well as one of the
free-ticket-required sites.
Yours,
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
BOFH excuse #101:
Collapsed Backbone
Monday, July 24, 2006
Hi again from DC
This is a short mail. I cannot send the long ones.
Today I visited the Library of Congress and made myself a library card.
Details to follow.
Check out the 107 photo group.
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
job Placement, n.:
Telling your boss what he can do with your job.
Today I visited the Library of Congress and made myself a library card.
Details to follow.
Check out the 107 photo group.
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
job Placement, n.:
Telling your boss what he can do with your job.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
More mails
(some mails may be repeated)
>> 2006072115.txt
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail on a Peter Pan bus from New York to Washington DC
(no internet connection here, writing it offline). This morning I woke up at
6:45 at the dorm in Boston University. I took the T (Mass. Transport) to
South Station, where I bought a ticket to Washington DC for $71. I arrived
there at about 7:45 and the bus left at 8:00, but I still managed to buy
breakfast at McDonald's in the station.
There is no direct bus line from Boston to DC, so I had to change busses at
New York. Upon arriving at New York the bus passed through the Bronx,
Harlem, 5th ave., Colombus st., and near Central Park. The bus terminal
itself is located near Lincoln tunnel. I don't exacly know what all these
names mean, but I guess you can search for them on the web.
I had a very short layover in NY, where I bought myself lunch at the diner
in the terminal. It was very strange. They spoke a language somewhat similar
to English, but not quite. I don't like New Yorkers. Anyway, after buying
lunch I rushed to board the bus to DC, which I am on now. There was a
beautiful view of the city from the bus (though I didn't film it because I
was eating my lunch). The bus passed by Newark airport, and I think we're
now in Pensilvania. The bus now went on a bridge over a broad lake or river.
I'm not sure where we are exactly, but it's about 2 hours from New York
(about halfway to DC). After the bridge, we just entered Delaware ("The
first state"). The bus has now parked. I think the driver has changed tapes
in the VCR that is inside the bus and went to take a break. During the ride
there was a lame movie on TV screens inside the bus, but thankfully it's now
over. The driver has now restarted the VCR, and I hope the next movie will
be better.
I hope I'll find free wireless access in DC so I can send you this mail
(if you're getting this - I guess I did). Oh, there are many photos from NY
and the bus ride, and some from Boston, that I will upload too (I think it's
107).
See you all next week,
Alon
>> 2006072119.txt
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail at the Washington memorial at Washington, DC. I have
arrived safely to DC and took a cab to the hostel. The hostel is OK, though
there is no wireless internet there. I got a bed, linen and a locker, and
they will pay for the cab as well. I arrived at about 18:30, so I took a bus
to the white house (it's on the same street - 16th street) and am now
walking around "the mall", where all the important buildings are: Wash.
memorial, Lincoln memorial, US Capitol, White House, etc. Great place to
drop a bomb ;). [Note to NSA: i'm just kidding here]. Speaking of NSA, their
HQ is close by. I might go visit there as well later this week.
As I arrived quite late, all the buildings here are already closed. The
weather is fine, though a bit foggy. Temperature is good and no rain,
although there was rain on the bus ride here, and rain is forecasted for the
rest of the week.
In the hostel I met two German girls from Hamburg who share the room with
me, though they are leaving tomorrow. I guess I'll meet the others later.
There is no wireless internet access there, though I can use their machine
for $0.10/min. Also, there's no wireless nets here in the Wash. Memorial.
More correctly, there are nets but these are either encrypted or too weak.
There is currently a protest going on by the Washington Memorial by some
Falun Dafa people (Chinese people who stand in strange ways to protest
something). They're just sitting there with yellow shirts handing out
pamphlets. Very weird.
I hope I could actually send you these mails (if you get this, it means
I found a way).
Bye for now,
Alon
>> 2006072120.txt
Hi all again!
It's me, searching for wifi at the Lincoln Memorial (there is none). I
walked across the reflecting pool (it really is reflecting when you reach
the end), and arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, which includes a copy of the
Gettysburg address and other stuff from American history. The airport is
really closeby. Planes in almost full-size are flying around here all the
time. This is good, since I'm departing from this aiport as well.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you about what I did on the bus rides here. I
tried to see how many different states' license plates I can find on cars on
the road. I saw cars from Florida, New Jersey, New York, Penn., Mass., South
Caroilna, Tenesee, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, and even one from Rhode
Island. But, the funniest were the plates from Washington DC, which contain
the catch phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION", and I thought I just
left a town where they made a tea party for that... (the catchphrase refers
to the fact that DC has no seats in the senate, where there are two per
state, as if I recall cannot participate in presidential elections).
More updates to come, mails will actually be sent only when I reach
wifi...
Alon
>> 2006072211.txt
Hi all!
I'm writing this mail in front of the American History Museum of the
Smithsonian. I have just completed the highlights tour of the museum, and
plan to return back in for a more through visit.
Yesterday night I returned back to the place I know I could catch a bus to
the hostel. On the way, I searched for wifi, and even found a weak signal,
but enough to upload my previous mails, but I didn't manage to actually send
them. I will try to send these mails if/when I have a cafe or wifi
connection (if you get this mail, it means I found a wifi connection). A
small hint: the filenames of the mails I send you encode the date and time I
wrote the mail, in local time (add 7 hours for Israel time).
At the hostel I showered and went to sleep. There are no laundry machines
in the hostel but there are some closeby. I'll do the laundry tonight or
tomorrow morning.
It's quite hard to get reliable information in this city. From a short
login to the Internet yesterday night, I found out that there is a $11
weekly ticket for the busses (compare to $3 day ticket and $1.25 single
ticket). I decided I'll buy one, but it turns out its sold only in
supermarkets, and is valid Sun thru Sat. In conclusion, I bought a day
ticket for today (Sat) and a week pass for next week, so I'm done worrying
about bus tickets.
On the internet, I also printed a list of wifi hotspots. There should be
one near the library of Congress, and I plan going there later today and
send the mails.
Today, I went to the White House information center and got a map, and
list of attractions. It turns out that to visit the Wash. Memorial or
Congress you need to come very very early and get a free ticket. As I wake
up quite early here, I do plan to do so in one of the next days. Then, I
went along in the direction of the Congress, and saw the American Histroy
museum of the Smithsonian.
The tour in the American History museum just started as I came in and was
very interesting. I will now re-enter the museum and tour it myself more
throughly. One nice thing that I saw here is Stanley - the winning robot
vehicle from the DARPA grand challenge. It was really interesting to see it
now after hearing all the lectures about the technonogy behind it.
Tell me about the situation at home (if you haven't done so). I'm sorry
for not staying in touch. I will when I can.
Alon
>> 2006072219.txt
Hi all!
I've just finished my visit in the Natural History Museum of the
Smithsonian institute. Didn't take too much pictures though. One of the main
attractions in this museum is the Hope Diamond which is on display there,
and a beatiful exhibit on mamals.
I also bought 3 tickes to the IMAX (1 today, 2 tomorrow) - $7 per ticket.
They present brand new films in 3D (not the ancient ones they show in
Eilat). Today I've seen a film about marine biology, and tomorrow I'm going
to see one about Mars exploration rovers and one about the moon. The
space-related films are shown in the IMAX in the Air and Space museum, which
I intend to visit tomorrow.
Now I'm sitting on a bench in the National Mall (and no - it's not a real
mall, there are no shops here, just grass and some pathways). You can find
it on Google maps (it's just East of the Washington Monument).
All in all, today was a fun day. I hope tomorrow will be fun as well. You
didn't get any of these e-mails yet, as I haven't found good wifi yet. There
should be wifi at Capitol Hill, which I am heading for now.
Alon
>> 2006072307.txt
Hi all!
Another update from me in DC... After writing my last mail, I did go to
capitol hill, however I did not find a wireless network there. What did find
me was rain. A lot of rain. I hid under the roof of the Library of Congress,
until I finally went out (in the pouring rain) to search for a bus back to
the hostel. I do not have a map of bus lines, so I had to guess. I finally
catched a bus near the National Archives, and then changed busses at I&15th
street.
I didn't have a chance to eat dinner, so I went out to find a grocery
store and bought chips there and coke (total $5). I have depleted all my
clothes reserves, so I went out this morning at 6:30 AM to a laundry center
a few blocks from the hostel, which is where I am now. Detergent cost 50c,
laundry machine use $2, and dryer use 75c for 30min.
Plan for later today: return to hostel, have breakfast, go to Air&Space
museum, visit, watch IMAX films, enjoy self.
Oh, by the way, the hostel breakfast consists of toast and butter, and you
need to make it yourself and wash your dishes.
I forgot to say: Yesterday I went online from the hostel, sent you the
mails I have already uploaded, printed a bus map of DC, and check my mail.
It turns out UMich will be happy to fund me lunch and a day at a hotel near
Ann Arbor. Many students have submitted the project early, but I cannot
start checking it without a good Internet connection.
That's all for now,
Alon
>> 2006072319.txt
Hi Again!
I'm writing you now sitting in front of the National Archives of the
United States of America. The archives contain an exhibit of the key
documents in American history - the declaration of independence, the
constitution, and the bill of rights.
But, let me restart in chronologial order. After finishing my laundry and
taking a shower, I went on to the National Air & Space Museum of the
Smithsonian institution. I arrived just in time for a Paper Planes demo and
then went on to watch the an IMAX 3D film about the Moon (from 2004). Then I
went on to see the very interesting galleries about the history aviation and
space flight. Particularly interesting, was the Wrights' original flying
machine, a real lunar lander, and Skylab - a real space station.
After a tour of part of the galleries, I went on to watch a second IMAX
film, this time about the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity (which, btw,
are still active. I met someone from JPL at AAAI who confirmed that). The
footage was beautiful, though I didn't learn much, as I've following the
news about these rovers. The movie was released in 2006, BTW.
I concluded my visit to the museum only when it closed at 17:30. I arrived
at 10:00, and still haven't seen a Planetarium show (though I think I'll
miss that) and a part of one exhibit. I guess I will not return to this
museum, but maybe I will - it's free.
After being kicked out of the museum, I went on to the National Archives
building, which to my astonishment was still open (until 21:00!). In the
national archives there was a special exhibit about eyewitness reports
(boring), the rotunda with all the important documents I mentioned above,
and a very interesting exhibition about archival works in general and the
scope of the national archives, including exhibits from the archives of
NASA.
Now I'm heading back to the hostel, maybe I'll buy some food on the way.
I will also continue my quest for wifi. If I do find it, you'll be the first
to know (and will be reading this message).
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
BOFH excuse #283:
Lawn mower blade in your fan need sharpening
>> 2006072115.txt
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail on a Peter Pan bus from New York to Washington DC
(no internet connection here, writing it offline). This morning I woke up at
6:45 at the dorm in Boston University. I took the T (Mass. Transport) to
South Station, where I bought a ticket to Washington DC for $71. I arrived
there at about 7:45 and the bus left at 8:00, but I still managed to buy
breakfast at McDonald's in the station.
There is no direct bus line from Boston to DC, so I had to change busses at
New York. Upon arriving at New York the bus passed through the Bronx,
Harlem, 5th ave., Colombus st., and near Central Park. The bus terminal
itself is located near Lincoln tunnel. I don't exacly know what all these
names mean, but I guess you can search for them on the web.
I had a very short layover in NY, where I bought myself lunch at the diner
in the terminal. It was very strange. They spoke a language somewhat similar
to English, but not quite. I don't like New Yorkers. Anyway, after buying
lunch I rushed to board the bus to DC, which I am on now. There was a
beautiful view of the city from the bus (though I didn't film it because I
was eating my lunch). The bus passed by Newark airport, and I think we're
now in Pensilvania. The bus now went on a bridge over a broad lake or river.
I'm not sure where we are exactly, but it's about 2 hours from New York
(about halfway to DC). After the bridge, we just entered Delaware ("The
first state"). The bus has now parked. I think the driver has changed tapes
in the VCR that is inside the bus and went to take a break. During the ride
there was a lame movie on TV screens inside the bus, but thankfully it's now
over. The driver has now restarted the VCR, and I hope the next movie will
be better.
I hope I'll find free wireless access in DC so I can send you this mail
(if you're getting this - I guess I did). Oh, there are many photos from NY
and the bus ride, and some from Boston, that I will upload too (I think it's
107).
See you all next week,
Alon
>> 2006072119.txt
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail at the Washington memorial at Washington, DC. I have
arrived safely to DC and took a cab to the hostel. The hostel is OK, though
there is no wireless internet there. I got a bed, linen and a locker, and
they will pay for the cab as well. I arrived at about 18:30, so I took a bus
to the white house (it's on the same street - 16th street) and am now
walking around "the mall", where all the important buildings are: Wash.
memorial, Lincoln memorial, US Capitol, White House, etc. Great place to
drop a bomb ;). [Note to NSA: i'm just kidding here]. Speaking of NSA, their
HQ is close by. I might go visit there as well later this week.
As I arrived quite late, all the buildings here are already closed. The
weather is fine, though a bit foggy. Temperature is good and no rain,
although there was rain on the bus ride here, and rain is forecasted for the
rest of the week.
In the hostel I met two German girls from Hamburg who share the room with
me, though they are leaving tomorrow. I guess I'll meet the others later.
There is no wireless internet access there, though I can use their machine
for $0.10/min. Also, there's no wireless nets here in the Wash. Memorial.
More correctly, there are nets but these are either encrypted or too weak.
There is currently a protest going on by the Washington Memorial by some
Falun Dafa people (Chinese people who stand in strange ways to protest
something). They're just sitting there with yellow shirts handing out
pamphlets. Very weird.
I hope I could actually send you these mails (if you get this, it means
I found a way).
Bye for now,
Alon
>> 2006072120.txt
Hi all again!
It's me, searching for wifi at the Lincoln Memorial (there is none). I
walked across the reflecting pool (it really is reflecting when you reach
the end), and arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, which includes a copy of the
Gettysburg address and other stuff from American history. The airport is
really closeby. Planes in almost full-size are flying around here all the
time. This is good, since I'm departing from this aiport as well.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you about what I did on the bus rides here. I
tried to see how many different states' license plates I can find on cars on
the road. I saw cars from Florida, New Jersey, New York, Penn., Mass., South
Caroilna, Tenesee, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, and even one from Rhode
Island. But, the funniest were the plates from Washington DC, which contain
the catch phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION", and I thought I just
left a town where they made a tea party for that... (the catchphrase refers
to the fact that DC has no seats in the senate, where there are two per
state, as if I recall cannot participate in presidential elections).
More updates to come, mails will actually be sent only when I reach
wifi...
Alon
>> 2006072211.txt
Hi all!
I'm writing this mail in front of the American History Museum of the
Smithsonian. I have just completed the highlights tour of the museum, and
plan to return back in for a more through visit.
Yesterday night I returned back to the place I know I could catch a bus to
the hostel. On the way, I searched for wifi, and even found a weak signal,
but enough to upload my previous mails, but I didn't manage to actually send
them. I will try to send these mails if/when I have a cafe or wifi
connection (if you get this mail, it means I found a wifi connection). A
small hint: the filenames of the mails I send you encode the date and time I
wrote the mail, in local time (add 7 hours for Israel time).
At the hostel I showered and went to sleep. There are no laundry machines
in the hostel but there are some closeby. I'll do the laundry tonight or
tomorrow morning.
It's quite hard to get reliable information in this city. From a short
login to the Internet yesterday night, I found out that there is a $11
weekly ticket for the busses (compare to $3 day ticket and $1.25 single
ticket). I decided I'll buy one, but it turns out its sold only in
supermarkets, and is valid Sun thru Sat. In conclusion, I bought a day
ticket for today (Sat) and a week pass for next week, so I'm done worrying
about bus tickets.
On the internet, I also printed a list of wifi hotspots. There should be
one near the library of Congress, and I plan going there later today and
send the mails.
Today, I went to the White House information center and got a map, and
list of attractions. It turns out that to visit the Wash. Memorial or
Congress you need to come very very early and get a free ticket. As I wake
up quite early here, I do plan to do so in one of the next days. Then, I
went along in the direction of the Congress, and saw the American Histroy
museum of the Smithsonian.
The tour in the American History museum just started as I came in and was
very interesting. I will now re-enter the museum and tour it myself more
throughly. One nice thing that I saw here is Stanley - the winning robot
vehicle from the DARPA grand challenge. It was really interesting to see it
now after hearing all the lectures about the technonogy behind it.
Tell me about the situation at home (if you haven't done so). I'm sorry
for not staying in touch. I will when I can.
Alon
>> 2006072219.txt
Hi all!
I've just finished my visit in the Natural History Museum of the
Smithsonian institute. Didn't take too much pictures though. One of the main
attractions in this museum is the Hope Diamond which is on display there,
and a beatiful exhibit on mamals.
I also bought 3 tickes to the IMAX (1 today, 2 tomorrow) - $7 per ticket.
They present brand new films in 3D (not the ancient ones they show in
Eilat). Today I've seen a film about marine biology, and tomorrow I'm going
to see one about Mars exploration rovers and one about the moon. The
space-related films are shown in the IMAX in the Air and Space museum, which
I intend to visit tomorrow.
Now I'm sitting on a bench in the National Mall (and no - it's not a real
mall, there are no shops here, just grass and some pathways). You can find
it on Google maps (it's just East of the Washington Monument).
All in all, today was a fun day. I hope tomorrow will be fun as well. You
didn't get any of these e-mails yet, as I haven't found good wifi yet. There
should be wifi at Capitol Hill, which I am heading for now.
Alon
>> 2006072307.txt
Hi all!
Another update from me in DC... After writing my last mail, I did go to
capitol hill, however I did not find a wireless network there. What did find
me was rain. A lot of rain. I hid under the roof of the Library of Congress,
until I finally went out (in the pouring rain) to search for a bus back to
the hostel. I do not have a map of bus lines, so I had to guess. I finally
catched a bus near the National Archives, and then changed busses at I&15th
street.
I didn't have a chance to eat dinner, so I went out to find a grocery
store and bought chips there and coke (total $5). I have depleted all my
clothes reserves, so I went out this morning at 6:30 AM to a laundry center
a few blocks from the hostel, which is where I am now. Detergent cost 50c,
laundry machine use $2, and dryer use 75c for 30min.
Plan for later today: return to hostel, have breakfast, go to Air&Space
museum, visit, watch IMAX films, enjoy self.
Oh, by the way, the hostel breakfast consists of toast and butter, and you
need to make it yourself and wash your dishes.
I forgot to say: Yesterday I went online from the hostel, sent you the
mails I have already uploaded, printed a bus map of DC, and check my mail.
It turns out UMich will be happy to fund me lunch and a day at a hotel near
Ann Arbor. Many students have submitted the project early, but I cannot
start checking it without a good Internet connection.
That's all for now,
Alon
>> 2006072319.txt
Hi Again!
I'm writing you now sitting in front of the National Archives of the
United States of America. The archives contain an exhibit of the key
documents in American history - the declaration of independence, the
constitution, and the bill of rights.
But, let me restart in chronologial order. After finishing my laundry and
taking a shower, I went on to the National Air & Space Museum of the
Smithsonian institution. I arrived just in time for a Paper Planes demo and
then went on to watch the an IMAX 3D film about the Moon (from 2004). Then I
went on to see the very interesting galleries about the history aviation and
space flight. Particularly interesting, was the Wrights' original flying
machine, a real lunar lander, and Skylab - a real space station.
After a tour of part of the galleries, I went on to watch a second IMAX
film, this time about the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity (which, btw,
are still active. I met someone from JPL at AAAI who confirmed that). The
footage was beautiful, though I didn't learn much, as I've following the
news about these rovers. The movie was released in 2006, BTW.
I concluded my visit to the museum only when it closed at 17:30. I arrived
at 10:00, and still haven't seen a Planetarium show (though I think I'll
miss that) and a part of one exhibit. I guess I will not return to this
museum, but maybe I will - it's free.
After being kicked out of the museum, I went on to the National Archives
building, which to my astonishment was still open (until 21:00!). In the
national archives there was a special exhibit about eyewitness reports
(boring), the rotunda with all the important documents I mentioned above,
and a very interesting exhibition about archival works in general and the
scope of the national archives, including exhibits from the archives of
NASA.
Now I'm heading back to the hostel, maybe I'll buy some food on the way.
I will also continue my quest for wifi. If I do find it, you'll be the first
to know (and will be reading this message).
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
BOFH excuse #283:
Lawn mower blade in your fan need sharpening
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Mails from DC
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail on a Peter Pan bus from New York to Washington DC
(no internet connection here, writing it offline). This morning I woke up at
6:45 at the dorm in Boston University. I took the T (Mass. Transport) to
South Station, where I bought a ticket to Washington DC for $71. I arrived
there at about 7:45 and the bus left at 8:00, but I still managed to buy
breakfast at McDonald's in the station.
There is no direct bus line from Boston to DC, so I had to change busses at
New York. Upon arriving at New York the bus passed through the Bronx,
Harlem, 5th ave., Colombus st., and near Central Park. The bus terminal
itself is located near Lincoln tunnel. I don't exacly know what all these
names mean, but I guess you can search for them on the web.
I had a very short layover in NY, where I bought myself lunch at the diner
in the terminal. It was very strange. They spoke a language somewhat similar
to English, but not quite. I don't like New Yorkers. Anyway, after buying
lunch I rushed to board the bus to DC, which I am on now. There was a
beautiful view of the city from the bus (though I didn't film it because I
was eating my lunch). The bus passed by Newark airport, and I think we're
now in Pensilvania. The bus now went on a bridge over a broad lake or river.
I'm not sure where we are exactly, but it's about 2 hours from New York
(about halfway to DC). After the bridge, we just entered Delaware ("The
first state"). The bus has now parked. I think the driver has changed tapes
in the VCR that is inside the bus and went to take a break. During the ride
there was a lame movie on TV screens inside the bus, but thankfully it's now
over. The driver has now restarted the VCR, and I hope the next movie will
be better.
I hope I'll find free wireless access in DC so I can send you this mail
(if you're getting this - I guess I did). Oh, there are many photos from NY
and the bus ride, and some from Boston, that I will upload too (I think it's
107).
See you all next week,
Alon
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail at the Washington memorial at Washington, DC. I have
arrived safely to DC and took a cab to the hostel. The hostel is OK, though
there is no wireless internet there. I got a bed, linen and a locker, and
they will pay for the cab as well. I arrived at about 18:30, so I took a bus
to the white house (it's on the same street - 16th street) and am now
walking around "the mall", where all the important buildings are: Wash.
memorial, Lincoln memorial, US Capitol, White House, etc. Great place to
drop a bomb ;). [Note to NSA: i'm just kidding here]. Speaking of NSA, their
HQ is close by. I might go visit there as well later this week.
As I arrived quite late, all the buildings here are already closed. The
weather is fine, though a bit foggy. Temperature is good and no rain,
although there was rain on the bus ride here, and rain is forecasted for the
rest of the week.
In the hostel I met two German girls from Hamburg who share the room with
me, though they are leaving tomorrow. I guess I'll meet the others later.
There is no wireless internet access there, though I can use their machine
for $0.10/min. Also, there's no wireless nets here in the Wash. Memorial.
More correctly, there are nets but these are either encrypted or too weak.
There is currently a protest going on by the Washington Memorial by some
Falun Dafa people (Chinese people who stand in strange ways to protest
something). They're just sitting there with yellow shirts handing out
pamphlets. Very weird.
I hope I could actually send you these mails (if you get this, it means
I found a way).
Bye for now,
Alon
Hi all again!
It's me, searching for wifi at the Lincoln Memorial (there is none). I
walked across the reflecting pool (it really is reflecting when you reach
the end), and arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, which includes a copy of the
Gettysburg address and other stuff from American history. The airport is
really closeby. Planes in almost full-size are flying around here all the
time. This is good, since I'm departing from this aiport as well.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you about what I did on the bus rides here. I
tried to see how many different states' license plates I can find on cars on
the road. I saw cars from Florida, New Jersey, New York, Penn., Mass., South
Caroilna, Tenesee, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, and even one from Rhode
Island. But, the funniest were the plates from Washington DC, which contain
the catch phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION", and I thought I just
left a town where they made a tea party for that... (the catchphrase refers
to the fact that DC has no seats in the senate, where there are two per
state, as if I recall cannot participate in presidential elections).
More updates to come, mails will actually be sent only when I reach
wifi...
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
The American nation in the sixth ward is a fine people; they love the
eagle -- on the back of a dollar.
-- Finlay Peter Dunne
I'm writing this mail on a Peter Pan bus from New York to Washington DC
(no internet connection here, writing it offline). This morning I woke up at
6:45 at the dorm in Boston University. I took the T (Mass. Transport) to
South Station, where I bought a ticket to Washington DC for $71. I arrived
there at about 7:45 and the bus left at 8:00, but I still managed to buy
breakfast at McDonald's in the station.
There is no direct bus line from Boston to DC, so I had to change busses at
New York. Upon arriving at New York the bus passed through the Bronx,
Harlem, 5th ave., Colombus st., and near Central Park. The bus terminal
itself is located near Lincoln tunnel. I don't exacly know what all these
names mean, but I guess you can search for them on the web.
I had a very short layover in NY, where I bought myself lunch at the diner
in the terminal. It was very strange. They spoke a language somewhat similar
to English, but not quite. I don't like New Yorkers. Anyway, after buying
lunch I rushed to board the bus to DC, which I am on now. There was a
beautiful view of the city from the bus (though I didn't film it because I
was eating my lunch). The bus passed by Newark airport, and I think we're
now in Pensilvania. The bus now went on a bridge over a broad lake or river.
I'm not sure where we are exactly, but it's about 2 hours from New York
(about halfway to DC). After the bridge, we just entered Delaware ("The
first state"). The bus has now parked. I think the driver has changed tapes
in the VCR that is inside the bus and went to take a break. During the ride
there was a lame movie on TV screens inside the bus, but thankfully it's now
over. The driver has now restarted the VCR, and I hope the next movie will
be better.
I hope I'll find free wireless access in DC so I can send you this mail
(if you're getting this - I guess I did). Oh, there are many photos from NY
and the bus ride, and some from Boston, that I will upload too (I think it's
107).
See you all next week,
Alon
Hi All!
I'm writing this mail at the Washington memorial at Washington, DC. I have
arrived safely to DC and took a cab to the hostel. The hostel is OK, though
there is no wireless internet there. I got a bed, linen and a locker, and
they will pay for the cab as well. I arrived at about 18:30, so I took a bus
to the white house (it's on the same street - 16th street) and am now
walking around "the mall", where all the important buildings are: Wash.
memorial, Lincoln memorial, US Capitol, White House, etc. Great place to
drop a bomb ;). [Note to NSA: i'm just kidding here]. Speaking of NSA, their
HQ is close by. I might go visit there as well later this week.
As I arrived quite late, all the buildings here are already closed. The
weather is fine, though a bit foggy. Temperature is good and no rain,
although there was rain on the bus ride here, and rain is forecasted for the
rest of the week.
In the hostel I met two German girls from Hamburg who share the room with
me, though they are leaving tomorrow. I guess I'll meet the others later.
There is no wireless internet access there, though I can use their machine
for $0.10/min. Also, there's no wireless nets here in the Wash. Memorial.
More correctly, there are nets but these are either encrypted or too weak.
There is currently a protest going on by the Washington Memorial by some
Falun Dafa people (Chinese people who stand in strange ways to protest
something). They're just sitting there with yellow shirts handing out
pamphlets. Very weird.
I hope I could actually send you these mails (if you get this, it means
I found a way).
Bye for now,
Alon
Hi all again!
It's me, searching for wifi at the Lincoln Memorial (there is none). I
walked across the reflecting pool (it really is reflecting when you reach
the end), and arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, which includes a copy of the
Gettysburg address and other stuff from American history. The airport is
really closeby. Planes in almost full-size are flying around here all the
time. This is good, since I'm departing from this aiport as well.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you about what I did on the bus rides here. I
tried to see how many different states' license plates I can find on cars on
the road. I saw cars from Florida, New Jersey, New York, Penn., Mass., South
Caroilna, Tenesee, Michigan, Illinois, Maine, and even one from Rhode
Island. But, the funniest were the plates from Washington DC, which contain
the catch phrase "TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION", and I thought I just
left a town where they made a tea party for that... (the catchphrase refers
to the fact that DC has no seats in the senate, where there are two per
state, as if I recall cannot participate in presidential elections).
More updates to come, mails will actually be sent only when I reach
wifi...
Alon
--
This message was sent by Alon Altman (alon@8ln.org) ICQ:1366540
GPG public key at http://8ln.org/pubkey.txt
Key fingerprint = A670 6C81 19D3 3773 3627 DE14 B44A 50A3 FE06 7F24
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=[ Random Fortune ]=-
The American nation in the sixth ward is a fine people; they love the
eagle -- on the back of a dollar.
-- Finlay Peter Dunne
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