After returning home to Boise, Idaho, I exported the GPS data to several different formats, one of which I was able to launch with Google Earth. I was then able to trace the entire course from the comfort of my home half a world away and find a similar route to train on back in Boise. This capability along with having the elevation profile proved invaluable in my preparation for my Gold Medal race. It was also very nice to be able to show family members and friends the course from the excellent satellite views presented by Google Earth.

Post on Google Map team’s blog from Kristin Armstrong, 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist.

The idea and implementation is really simple.  You use Smart Keywords to search in Firefox and other browsers that you use, but how do you keep all the searches you do in sync?  What if you want to use keyword searches for the first time?

Go to the Shortwave page and drag the bookmarklet up to your browser’s bookmark toolbar.  If you don’t know what a bookmarklet is, try Wikipedia or this introduction by Matt Cutts.

Then when you want to search on, say, Wikipedia, just click the Shortwave bookmarklet and type w Earth.  This Wikipedia article will pop up.  Want to search the Internet Movie Database?  Click the bookmarklet and type imdb Top Gun.

Shaun added a lot of default searches (Google, Google Maps, Google Images, Amazon, Flickr, YouTube, whois).  Even better, you can upload your own search file to a server of your own and customize your search terms.  I added a Lifehacker search and some others to my Waves file.

The best part about Shortwave is you can use the same bookmarklet on any browser on any computer you use.  You can have the same search terms on your work and home computers, and on your iPhone or iPod Touch (as a webclip).

I emailed Shaun last week with an idea for Shortwave - I hesitated to use his contact form on his site because I hate bugging people through email, but he had closed the comments for posts related to Shortwave.  I had an idea to implement site searches with Shortwave, where you could perform a search within the site you are currently browsing on Google.  Shaun got back to me, and quickly posted this update to Shortwave implementing the functionality.  Now you can search gs Shortwave and find posts on ChrisMLindsey.com with the term Shortwave.

Hopefully you will find Shortwave useful.  If you implement any custom searches in your own Wave file, share them in the comments!

Binary solo!

I’m a 20 yearold GA Tech student who has never kissed. I have been going out with a girl online for the last 5 years and she’s finally coming down to see me on the 11th. She tells me it’s a big turn-off if a guy doesn’t know how to kiss, and she even dumped her last boyfriend because of this. I want to make a good first impression, but I’ve never kissed before! Please, I need a girl to practice kissing with, nothing else!! Just kissing lesson - nothing more nothing less!

He’s even had an online “girlfriend” for 5 years.  Ha!  Only at Georgia Tech.

He even posted his picture, along with his Georgia Tech email address.  This was reported on Fox 5 News in Atlanta this evening, according to an unnamed Georgia Tech source.  As soon as they put up a story, I will provide the link.

I love making fun of the kids at Georgia Tech, and they always make it so easy.

*Update*

The story has been confirmed, and the story is up on the Fox 5 News webpage along with a video of the story shown yesterday.

“Some people think I’m just trying to, um, get some action.”  And his mom confirms his story.  This really couldn’t get any better.

*Update 2*

This story made Fox News.

H/t to Brett.

And so does Stephen Hawking.

Damn, the commercial even has a Wikipedia page.  That’s impressive.

Bad news.  I should have realized it when I walked through the door and saw that everyone inside (except the college-aged tellers) was over the age of 50.  The kindly secretary found a banker to help me out.

He started out by telling me the wonders of their bank.  The new thing there is telephone banking.  He told me that it was great, you could do it 24/7.

Thanks, but I like internet banking.  Much easier, and no typing numbers in over the phone.  Why would anyone use telephone banking as opposed to internet banking?  Certainly not your customers under 30.  They do have internet banking, but the gentleman told me that, “It is only for checking your balance.”  Bummer.

But the real problem arose when I asked my central question:

“How about a debit card?”

They give you a passcard, but that is only good an one of their atms.  But I need a debit card.  Otherwise the checking account is useless to me.

No luck.  You can qualify for one after having an account in good standing for 9 months.  Ha!  And “good standing” means a balance over $300 for all 9 months.  Yeah, you are reading that right, you have to qualify for a debit card (I didn’t even ask about credit cards!).

I asked him to clairfy several times, telling him that the lack of a debit card was a deal-breaker.

He explained to me that, in some circumstances, they might can give a customer a debit card before the 9 months.  But the customer must meet with and get approval from the branch manager.  Oh, and get a credit check.

Yeah, right.  I ultimately went a couple of blocks down the street and opened an account at Bank of America, where a debit card is standard with a checking account.

But, there is a central problem here.  A bank, with older customers, continues to only cater to their older clientele.  Meanwhile, they aren’t gaining new clients because of some asinine rules.  This branch is in a college town.  Do they really think they can pick up younger clients without this central service?

I’m young, and a college student.  I only use checks to pay rent, utilities, and other bills.  And I don’t want to carry around lots of cash.  So I need a debit card.  Do you really expect me to just through hoops or wait 9 months, when I can walk down the street to BoA or somewhere else and get what I need?

How long does CapFed, or any other bank for that matter, expect to stay running when they are operating in the 20th century?  There is a key age-group that these types of banks are entirely missing out on, and as this internet generation gets older, these banks will have to offer modern services or shut their doors.

I think I understand how banks work: they will do anything to have you deposit your money there.  They make their money by having your money in their bank.  So why do some banks seem to push younger clients away?