Very Remote Posting

Halftime

Today is that day. The weather is nice in the Pacific Northwest, and I found a secluded place to unwind for a bit. For those who do not know, I am halfway through a very difficult information security program at Norwich University. For the last nine months, I have been busting my rear with academia while working full time. My head needs a rest. My body needs a rest. Sleep deprivation is not something the body or the mind can handle for a long time. Something other than security for a while would be nice. I do not want to end up like the character in Hurt Locker.

About Norwich University

Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont. It was founded in 1819 and is the oldest private military college in the United States. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a variety of fields including engineering, business, and history. It is known for its strong ROTC program and its Corps of Cadets, which is mandatory for all full-time students. Norwich also has a strong emphasis on leadership and civic engagement, and many students participate in service learning and community service projects.

Diversion

Today, I forced myself to sleep at least six hours, and I headed for the hills. I am sitting in a forest with no phone or internet connection (sort of). This article is being written while I listen to wind blowing, and hawks making noise.

Technology can be used on my terms. This posting is written on a new old stock Neo2 keyboard from AlphaSmart Renaissance Learning. In my pursuit of a second master’s degree, I found that distraction free writing is the way to go when faced with lots of papers to write. The Neo2 keyboard is awesome. I can type with the only the goal of writing on my mind. Nothing else is there to distract the mind. No shiny objects, dings, bells, or dreaded emails. It is amazing what you can accomplish without a bunch of garbage being thrown in your face every ten minutes. This thing is a writer’s dream. The keyboard lends itself well to writing in Markdown. With Markdown, I can format this post as I see fit. I did the same thing with my papers. Footnotes, citations, tables, and etcetera can be composed in a simple text file. Check out the following online: Zotero, Markdown, Academic Writing. A powerful combination. Once I am finished writing, I can connect the Neo2 keyboard to my laptop with a USB cable and send the contents to the application of my choice. Pretty cool.

How this got to you

I write a lot about technology. Most of my posts and videos are centered around these areas. As time goes by, I have been adding to the suite of tools to communicate and bring interesting content to you. Pause for a moment, A woodpecker is making some noise. While I get away from the world for half of a day, I am using technology to post. Yes, I escaped the craziness and left it behind for a bit, and I am writing about technology. I guess it is a conflict of my mind. I am using technology tools when I need them, and on my terms.

This message is being sent to WordPress using their Post by Email tools. The email of this post is being sent from my global Winlink account. I am in an area without internet coverage using an HF radio to send the email over 100 km from my location to a radio station that has internet coverage. Once the email is received, the post makes its way to my WordPress site.

Pretty cool.

What is Winlink?

Winlink is a worldwide radio messaging system that uses amateur radio (Ham radio) frequencies to provide email and file transfer services. It allows users to send and receive messages and files using radio frequencies and the internet, making it a useful tool for emergency communication and remote locations where traditional internet access may be limited or unavailable. It also supports voice messaging, position reporting, and weather reporting. Winlink is used by both amateur radio operators and organizations such as emergency services, the military, and maritime operators.

Later

I am done, now to put all of the technology tools away and get back to reading Lee Child’s book The Midnight Line.

Thank you for reading my post. Take care technology fans.