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Ugh…no blog posts in forever

01 Mar

The last blog post I made to this blog was around the September 11, 2011 timeframe.  I’ve been actively blogging, but just not to this blog site.  If you are interested in amateur radio, please check out my other blog sites http://kd0bik.com/blog http://kd0bik.com/sota http://kd0bik.com http://myamateurradio.com

This blog site is really designed to be my personal blog site.  It’s here when I feel like discussing something non-amateur radio related, political, a rant of some kind or just anything else which doesn’t fall into the category of amateur radio.  I do think about blogging here often.  Just in recent weeks I’ve felt like blogging about a few things which bother me.  However, either I don’t have time when the thought occurs or I get over whatever was sticking in my crawl. 

One recent encounter came just last night.  I’ve been actively working on my unfinished basement.  For the past 3-4 years this has been a project which I’ve worked on and off (mostly off), but in recent weeks have found more energy and more passion to git-r-done.  You can read two blog posts which include photos showing progress here and here.  I’ve been working weekends and one to two nights a week.  Last night was one of those nights where I started working on the basement just after 5 PM and wrapped up after 7 PM.  My wife and I were both tired and unfortunately the freezer didn’t have anything quick like a frozen pizza, so I elected to drive to a popular fast-food restaurant to pick up some burgers.  I won’t mention the establishment by name….but will say the sign out front is very recognizable.  Think golden and the letter “M”.

The experience can be summed up by thinking about Leo Getz in Lethal Weapon 2 (played by Joe Pesci) when he say’s, “They **** you at the drive thru”.  Well….he’s right.  They do and it happened. But of course I didn’t realize it until I got home and my wife asks me where’s my burger?  Grrrrr

The funny thing is, I asked the guy who handed me my food if everything was in the bag.  Of course, English is NOT his first language (a typical problem these days) and after I repeated my question two more times he finally said yes.  I should have checked the bag…but I didn’t. 

Like I said I didn’t realize I was missing an item (this fast food restaurants signature sandwich) until I was all the way home.  While I only live about 3 miles away, this was more about principle than getting back into the car and driving all the way back.  My wife called the restaurant and asked to speak to a manager.  She speaks to someone again who has very limited English language skills who informs her that he can’t refund our money (paid via debit card) for the missing sandwich and that we should return to the restaurant for the replacement sandwich.   After a few minutes of discussing the issue, my wife is told this person is not the store manager and only he can make these kind of decisions. 

Now I’m going to move away from talking specifically about the restaurant I mentioned above and ask the question of why can’t people just do their job?  Yes, I understand “stuff happens”.  However, fast-food is about as simple of a job as one can get.  It really is as simple as receiving the order entry and fulfilling it.  The individual isn’t having to manufacture the item (that is done elsewhere), but he or she does have to pull it from the rack and place it in a bag.  One of these, one of those and two of those.  Check…one, two, three four (or uno, dos, tres, cuatro).  Geez…this isn’t rocket science.

Another restaurant which I pickup to-go orders frequently serves Indian cuisine.  I call it in and drive about 3 miles to pickup.  When I arrive and walk in the restaurant to pickup and pay, the person handling the payment transaction (usually the owner of the restaurant) inspects the order.  He carefully checks each item against the ticket which was written when I called the order in.  This is top notch service.

Now I understand the volume of carry-out orders from the Indian restaurant is much, much lower than that of the fast food giant.  But at the end of the day, it is about doing your job and making the customer happy.  Another term to use is quality control. 

In closing, as I post this I’m not sure what the outcome of the refund is.  My wife will call and speak to the real store manager later today.  I will say this.  The cost of the sandwich $3-4.  We are only asking for a refund of the item we didn’t receive.  I’m not interested in receiving the actual sandwich today or tomorrow.  For health reasons we don’t eat fast food a lot and it may be several weeks or a month or more before I’m ready to return.  However, if our wishes are not granted…I’ll never spend another $ of my money with this fast food giant.  I’m stubborn like that.

Yes, I will also change my ways.  This experience will force me to inspect my orders.  So the next time you are in the drive-thru line and the car ahead of you isn’t immediately moving after being handed the order…it might be me spending a few seconds looking over the items before I pull forward. 

Until next time….

J

 
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Colorado Remembers 9/11 Ceremony

12 Sep

I think it is great that cities all across the United States and the World held remembrance ceremonies to honor those who lost their lives a decade ago.  While those terrible acts took place in New York City, Washington DC and Shanksville, PA.  It impacted all of us that day.  In the days after 9/11 we all came together as one nation.  So it is right we all want to never forget…

I blogged about what I was doing on that tragic day along with my desire to never forget.  While we as a society tend to try to put the past behind us, this part of our past needs to always be next to us.  If we forget the events which happened on that beautiful Tuesday morning, I’m afraid it’s not “if” it will happen again, but more like “when” it will happen again.

Like many cities around the US and the world, Denver held a special day in Civic Center Park.  I did not attend this ceremony.  I only read about it and saw the details on the evening news.  This news article (which caught my attention) identifies it as “Somber Denver event, flags, mark 9/11”.  The event was attended by thousands and had an interesting lineup of events taking place to mark the day.  More about this in just a minute.

I spent the morning of Sunday, September 11, 2011 just as I have each and every September 11 since that tragic day.  I get up around 6 AM MDT, I brew a pot of coffee and I watch the Fox News Channel coverage.  I listen to the families read the names of those who died that day and re-watch the footage.  I cry and I pray. 

Now this may sound strange for a person to do this when they knew no one killed in the attacks.  Yep, that is right.  As far as I know, I am not related to nor did I know anyone (who I had met previous) who was killed in the attacks of 9/11.  However, just because I was fortunate and didn’t lose a loved one or friend….doesn’t mean I didn’t lose something that day.  We all lost something on the morning of September 11, 2001.  Yes, some lost more and I’m so very sorry for their loss, but all American’s lost something that morning. 

Let me get back to the Denver, Colorado Remembers 9/11 Ceremony.  If you read the news article I linked to earlier, you’ll read where the event featured an F-16 Fly Over, military taps and speeches by Colorado’s leading politicians.  “Bells were rung for each of the planes that crashed on September 11, 2001”.  Even Interior Secretary and former Colorado Senator Ken Salazar was present.  He said, “We are reminded that we are one people, no matter what your party, no matter where you’re from, no matter what your background”.

Like I said, the event consisted of an F-16 Fly Over, military taps, speeches and a concert by the Beach Boys.  HUH?????  REALLY? 

Yes I’m fully aware that musical artists like Sarah McLachlan, Paul Simon and James Taylor all gave performances.  But each and every one of the performances were in line with honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  McLachlan performed “I will remember you”, James Taylor performed “You can close your eyes” and Paul Simon performed “Sound of Silence”.  What did the Beach Boys perform in Denver?  How about California Girls. 

I did a little more research to see if I was alone in feeling this was in very poor taste.  I guess I am.  I found this quote and will leave the name out “We paid our respects, but you can’t let them keep you down forever,” he said. “Life goes on.”  Oh??  Life goes on???  Please tell that to the 2, 977 individuals who lost their lives that day.  Explain that to the little boy who I heard step up to the podium in front of Ground Zero and say how much he loved his Daddy who he never met.  He never met his Daddy because he hadn’t been born yet. 

I realize that we as a nation must press forward.  So much changed on that beautiful Tuesday morning and so much has changed in the days, weeks, months and years since.  But there must be one day where we don’t celebrate with Beach Boys concerts, but instead remember together with prayer and tears.  In the hours and days following September 11, 2001 we became ONE.  We need to be ONE again and not be divided by political, racial or religious differences.  That is my hope and prayer.  Thank you for listening.

Jerry

 
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I’ll never forget

10 Sep

a911There have been events in history where individuals will always remember where they were, who they were with and what they were doing when the event happened.  For the generation of my grandparents, that day was December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked.  For the generation of my parents, that day was November 22, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.  As I watched the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster unfold on January 28, 1986 I was certain this would be the day which I would clearly remember for the rest of my life and certainly hoped none other would ever prove to be greater.  After all, I was only 19 years old, in my first year of college and grew up in small town Texas.  By the way, I still do remember very much what I was doing, who I was with and where I was on that tragic day.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 began just like every other day for me.  I woke up early (around 6 AM MT) I had showered, dressed and was downstairs drinking a cup of coffee and watching Fox News by 6:20 AM.  This was pretty much a morning ritual for me.  Because my commute was less than five minutes, I typically wouldn’t leave my apartment until around 6:45 or so.  On this day, I wasn’t in that big of a hurry.  I had been working long hours as I was planning to fly to London later that week.  It was shaping up to be a beautiful day in the mile high city and from what I could see while watching Fox News, New York City was also looking beautiful.

My apartment was relatively small.  From my kitchen I could hear the TV in the living room and heard the initial report of a plane hitting the World Trade Center.  The time was 6:46 AM MT (8:46 AM ET).  I stepped into the living room and watched/listened for updated news.  Initial reports was it was a small airplane (perhaps a sightseeing plane) which hit the WTC.  The Fox anchors talked about how clear the sky was overhead in NYC.  Thoughts of perhaps the pilot suffered a heart attack or aircraft malfunction were more or less what most believed had happened. 

As the time approached the top of the hour, I was really intrigued in what had happened.  I remember at the top of the hour Fox and Friends passed it off to Jon Scott who happens to be a pilot.  Again for several minutes the speculation into what had happened to the pilot or to the airplane was the topic of discussion.  Fox had switched to an anchor outside the studios and I was just about ready to turn the TV off and drive to the office.  Again, it looked like an accident and I would follow up with what happened once I got to the office.

As I was reaching for the remote, what I saw next on TV will forever be in my memory.  It was 7:03 AM MT (9:03 AM ET) when the outside live shot showed a second plane flying into the second tower of the World Trade Center. It became clear to me and to the entire nation that we were under attack.  Yes, one aircraft could accidentally hit the WTC, but two?  Absolutely not. It was also very clear the second plane was not a small sightseeing plane, but a large airliner. For the next 15 minutes or so I sat on the edge of my sofa watching the events unfold in New York City.  I (and certainly like many Americans) was in total dis-belief at what I had just watched happen. 

Part of my job responsibilities (both then and now) was/is to manage our business continuity and disaster recovery processes for the customer support organization at my company.  While we (at the time) didn’t have an office in the NYC area, I wanted to get into my office so that I could be prepared for what ever else might happen on this day.  At this time, only the two WTC towers had been attacked.  I was not aware there were two other planes.

I quickly drove to the office and of course most everyone had already heard about the attacks in NYC.  I’m asked by a colleague if I had heard of the events and said yes, I had watched the information regarding New York.  He said, but have you heard about Washington DC?  It soon became very clear this was not just an attack on New York and the World Trade Center.  This was much, much larger.

Internet access from the office became really slow with employees checking the various news sites, emailing friends and family.  We had small TV’s in the lobby of the building connected to a DirecTV feed and I went down to try to get more information.  I was not only concerned about what other attacks might be planned, but also on the WTC attack which I had watched earlier from my apartment.  I wanted to see what progress had been made on extinguishing the fires and of course get updates on the rescue efforts. 

I made it downstairs to one of the TV’s.  Smoke was still pouring from the top of both towers, within seconds  the south tower began to collapse. I honestly couldn’t believe what I was watching.  It wasn’t long after the south tower collapsed that we heard word of United Flight 93 crashing near Shanksville, PA.  I had already went back upstairs to make a few phone calls.  I remember hearing some employees talking about the north tower collapse.  Again…I just couldn’t believe it. 

At some point in the day, an announcement was made or perhaps there was a company email.  But what ever the delivery mechanism, the message was to let us all know that all employees had been accounted for.  I doubt very seriously if much work got done that day.  As I said, I was scheduled to fly to London in a few days.  After hearing about all flights being grounded for possibly a few days, I spoke to my boss and determined I would not be traveling as scheduled. 

I remember going home and making myself a fairly stiff drink.  Sometime around 9 PM I went out to the hot tub.  It was a cool evening and I remember looking up in the sky and seeing and hearing nothing.  This was odd as I lived near the flight path for Centennial Airport (KAPA) and Denver International (KDEN) is only about 25-30 miles and at just about any time of the day and evening you can see the planes coming in for landings and departing.  I do recall hearing a few jet fighters and seeing various types of military aircraft.  I’m sure this was the case over most every major metropolitan city. 

Like many Americans, I did a lot of praying and in doing so asked God a lot of questions.  I have tried to pray for peace each and every day since the attacks and pray for the those who are making sacrifices and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our freedoms both at home and abroad. 

In 2005 through the course of two acquisitions, Oracle acquired Peoplesoft who had acquired JD Edwards in 2003.  On the four year anniversary of 9/11 I learned something I didn’t know previous.  While JD Edwards didn’t lose any employees in the attacks, Oracle had lost eight employees that day.  Most will know the name of one employee in particular.  This employee, along with many other brave individuals fought back in what possibly should be considered the first battle won over terrorism and that employee was Todd Beamer.  Todd and many other brave individuals fought back on United Flight 93.  While they gave their life, they did it so many others could live.  Of course we now suspect that Flight 93 was headed for the US Capitol Building or the White House. 

In 2007 I realized a childhood dream to get my amateur radio license.  I remembered the speech which President George W. Bush made in January 2002 when he announced the creation of the USA Freedom Corps.  During that State of the Union address, President Bush asked Americans to serve a cause greater than themselves.  I answered that call by joining the Denver Police Depts. Volunteers in Policing Unit and DAREC, Denver Amateur Radio Emergency Communications.  In the course of just 3 years I had volunteered over 250 hours in that program. 

Yes it is easy to say “I’ll never forget”.  Through illness or old age there may come a time when I just don’t remember.  But for now, I will remember and each year on September 11th (as I have done for the past 9 years), I’ll wake up early and I’ll go downstairs, make a cup of coffee, turn on the TV (yes Fox News Channel) and I’ll say a little prayer and prepare myself to watch, to remember and even cry a little. I hope all American’s will remember, I hope all American’s will pray and I hope all American’s will cry a little. 

Thank you for reading and for allowing me to cross post this across my different blogs.

God Bless the United States of America.

Jerry

 
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Facebook–Account Temporarily Unavailable

17 Aug

facebook_down

I’m hearing from more and more of my friends on Facebook that they too are experiencing the dreaded “Account Temporarily Unavailable” message when visiting Facebook.  While I don’t have any “official” details on what is going on and why this is happening, there have been a few interesting things noted about Facebook recently.  These have to do mainly with Google+. 

Google+ is the latest entry in the social networking phenomenon taking the Internet by storm.  This is not Google’s first attempt at creating a social networking environment.  But by all accounts they have actually gotten it right with Google+.  I signed up for a G+ account very soon after the service was launched.  The one immediate feature I automatically became attracted to (if this is possible in social networking) is their “Circles” concept for organizing your followers.  Google+ allows you to create various circles and in those circles add people.  Then when you post something to your Google+ account you can decide which circles will see that information.  WOW Right??  I thought so too.

Unlike Google+, Facebook and Twitter use a one-size fits all bucket to throw your followers into.  When you post something to Twitter or Facebook all of your followers see that information.  This might be OK for the “I’m driving to Sonic to get a cheeseburger” type posts.  But if you want to really target your communications to those who truly want to see them, Facebook and Twitter do not allow you to do this.  A good example of this functionality is with my amateur radio (ham radio) hobby interests.  If I post on Twitter and Facebook about how excited it was to finally work a station in Australia on 20m, some of my friends might say, “But just pickup the phone and call Australia”.  If they don’t know anything about the hobby of ham radio, they won’t care and won’t be able to appreciate all that goes into making a contact in Australia on low power.

Now…back to the Facebook issues I’m experiencing.  Like I said, many have reported this and again while I know nothing official, the word on the street is Facebook is doing these page shutdowns in an effort to purge the Google+ invites we have posted on our Facebook walls.  WHOA Nelly…..Did I wake up and find myself living in China?  Now you might be saying, “Oh Jerry…you have it all wrong”.  Do I?  Please watch the Youtube video below.

Now…what do you have to say?  Oh…perhaps you are thinking, Facebook has the right to restrict content in an effort to protect their intellectual property?  Well that intellectual property or IP in this example is YOU.  The whole concept of Facebook and all of it’s value is YOU.  It’s not about you….it is YOU.  There is a difference. 

But back to more of this censoring that Facebook appears to be doing.  Of all the crap (yes I said crap) that I see stream by on my Facebook wall, you have the right to censor me?  I’ve been happy to move most of my amateur radio social media interactions over to Google+ and leave Facebook as how I stay in touch with family and old friends from high school.  I have posted Google+ invites on my Facebook page in an effort to get as many of my friends, family and other fellow hams to move over.  I haven’t had any plans (until now) to delete my Facebook account.

Over the past few years I’ve ignored most of the complaints others have had with the way Facebook deals with privacy.  I’ve always subscribed to the idea that I wouldn’t share anything on any of these social networking sites that I would be ashamed of my Mother or my Grandmother reading.  Likewise, I never post anything which would be concerning to my employer and I keep most interactions in a very PG rated fashion as I know I have many young individuals who follow me. 

Perhaps I’m over-reacting and perhaps everyone else is as well.  To say Google doesn’t have the same vested interest in each individual user using their services in the same way Facebook does would probably be false.  The idea behind Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Google+ isn’t to create an absolutely free place on the internet where you can come and waste your time chatting with friends down the street and tending to your crops.  Yes, these services are free….but so was television when you could pickup a local TV station with nothing but a set of rabbit ears.  The TV programming was free, but what did you have watch in addition to your favorite programming???  Yep…BINGO….COMMERCIALS.

As I stated earlier, the intellectual property of Facebook is YOU.  Facebook isn’t creating a website for and about YOU…..YOU are the website and YOU are the revenue potential for Facebook.  It just is that simple. 

Until next time,

JT

 
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Fedex Smartpost–Not a very smart solution

16 Aug

I recently ordered a cable online from a company since I couldn’t find what I was looking for locally.  It wasn’t something I needed overnight, but still I needed it within a reasonable amount of time.  Now, I’m old enough to remember the days when it might take an item a week to ten days (perhaps more) to reach its destination.  I remember the day when stores like Sears and JC Penney had catalog sales.  You would order whatever it was you needed and it was either shipped to your home or shipped to the store.  I seem to remember some towns had catalog only stores.  My how times have changed.

I know some people have issue with the United States Parcel Service (USPS).  I’ve had mail get lost, get damaged and show up well past its sell by date.  My Grandfather worked for and retired as a rural letter carrier (USPS mailman) and  while I know times have changed since he delivered the mail, it’s not that bad of a service when you think of what we get.  But this is perhaps another subject for another blog post.

Back to my cable order.  Upon checking out from their online store I noticed the only shipping option available was something called Fedex Smartpost.  I had never heard of Fedex Smartpost, but the cost to ship was just $6.89.  I placed my order and received shipping confirmation on Tuesday, 9 August.  The online retailer sent me several email status updates (this is very good) and I found it to be a bit odd to see in my final email update telling me my item had shipped to see both a Fedex and USPS tracking number in the email.  But I ignored it and went on about my day.

The next morning (Wednesday) I checked the status of my shipment.  I clicked on the Fedex link first and saw my package had been picked up the same day I ordered it (very good).  By the way, the package was shipped from Grayslake, IL.  Fedex stated my estimated delivery date would be Monday, 15 August.  Oh…so Fedex Smartpost must be a Fedex ground delivery method and I forgot about the shipment until yesterday (Monday).

Again, this is just a little cable (by the way not amateur radio related).  So on Monday afternoon when I got home from the office I checked the front door for the Fedex package containing my cable.  It wasn’t there but it was only 5:15 PM and I figured Monday is a busy day for Fedex and sometimes he doesn’t arrive in our neighborhood until after 5 PM.

After dinner I checked the door (around 7 PM) and still no package.  So I grabbed my iPad and dug up the email, clicked on the tracking number and it still showed estimated delivery date of 15 August.  But I noticed something odd (which I hadn’t noticed before).  In the detailed tracking information you normally see a notation “Out for Delivery” or something like that.  It didn’t show that and I began to suspect things were not what they appeared to be.  I then noticed next to the “Deliver Type” on the Fedex tracking site where it showed delivery type of Fedex Smartpost was a little (?) hyperlink.  I clicked that and it all became clear why I had both a Fedex tracking number and a USPS tracking number in my ship notification email. 

Fedex Smartpost is a service where Fedex (The World On-Time Company) handles the pickup and delivery of the package to the destination city.  In my case, it was picked up via Fedex in Grayslake, IL and delivered to Denver, CO via truck (ground service) and then handed off to the United States Postal Service for final delivery.

Now here’s what’s not so smart about this solution.  If I lived in BFE (out in the middle of nowhere) I could see where this partnership between Fedex and USPS is a good thing.  However, I live inside the City and County of Denver.  The Mile High City.  I live in what is called the Denver Tech Center.  Fedex and UPS trucks go up and down the road each and every day.  As I stated I see both Fedex and UPS trucks in my neighborhood each and almost every day of the week. 

Back to my cable.  This company which I ordered it from (will remain nameless) should have just offered and allowed me to use USPS Priority Mail.  You know those commercials you see on TV with the guy that says “If it fits, it ships”?  Not to be confused with the guy that once said “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit”.  The little cable I ordered would have fit nicely in the small priority mail box which, “if it fits, it ships” for just $4.95 and is delivered in 2-3 business days in most cases.  Had this been the case, I would have more than likely received my cable on Thursday, most certainly on Friday and at the very latest on Saturday.  But I suppose I would not have had anything to blog about today.

Again, this would have been a much more painful experience if this was something I truly needed ASAP.  In this case…it was not.  But…just as importantly, when you purchase something you want it in the most timely and efficient manner for the best possible price possible.  While $1.94 (the difference between what I paid versus what it cost to ship USPS priority mail) will not break me, it is the principle of the matter that has me left scratching my head and wondering what is so smart about Fedex Smartpost shipping?

Until next time…

JT

 
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We really did it…or did we?

08 Aug

When I learned about the closing of Borders I was sort of reminded of the ending of the 1968 version of Planet of the Apes.  The closing scenes show Col. George Taylor (no relation), played by Charlton Heston riding along the beach on horseback.  The camera pans around to reveal an image all Americans should be familiar with and Taylor certainly knows what he sees as well.  He climbs down from the horse and says “you really did it” and begins pounding his fist into the sand.  (watch below)

Of course, what Charlton was talking about wasn’t what led to the closing of Borders or any other book store.  I’m also not saying that just because Borders shuttered its doors that the end of the physical book is in jeopardy.  But times are changing.

Books in some form have been around for millennia.  Writing may actually date back to 7000 BC and of course all sorts of materials from clay tablets to papyrus to parchment to the eventual paper we know of today have been used.  The actual forming of various pages into book format may date back to 1st Century BC.  Again, books have been around for a long time.

Some press statements discuss Borders situation was brought on by the current economic times and their failure to keep up with the eReader evolution.  Of course as I continue to ponder this I’m reminded of another video clip I want to share with you. 

Well before Burgess Meredith was helping train Rocky Balboa, he started in one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes titled “Time Enough at Last”.  Henry Bemis loved books but never had time to read them.  He was criticized by his boss for reading on the job and his wife wasn’t very supportive either.  Then his town was obliterated by an H-Bomb leaving him the sole survivor.  Just before Mr. Bemis was about to end his life he noticed the sign to the public library and all the books.  He would have all the time he needed and all the time he wanted to read.  Until…..

Again, I’m not suggesting the underlying theme of these two fine clips have anything to do with what is happening in today’s ever changing media consumption climate.  I believe physical books will continue to be published for some time and much like the demise of the music store, marketing strategies will need to continually evolve.

I’m also a consumer (albeit on a small scale) of eReader content.  I have download mostly free content from Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders and even Google.  On my iPad I actually had installed eReaders from each of those providers.  Do I have a preference?  Sure….I would say for selection Amazon wins hands down.  But I do actually prefer the way the iBooks App organizes and displays the books.  From what I can tell all the apps will save your place and communicate those settings between devices.  This means if you consume content on your iPad and your iPhone, the iBooks app will stay in sync.  Likewise, the Amazon Kindle applications do the same across multiple platforms including iPad, iPhone, PC/Mac and the Kindle.

In addition to eBooks, I also consume several eMagazine type publications on my iPad.  Through the Zinio iPad app I read National Geographic and PC Magazine just to name a few.  While I think I still prefer a physical book to an eBook…eMagazines I truly believe are the future.  I think as printing/publishing and postage costs continue to rise, the eMagazine format will help keep their publications affordable and in turn keep them in business.   Not to mention being better for the environment.

Back to the closing of Borders.  My wife and I actually preferred our local Borders over Barnes and Noble.  We felt the selection was better and just preferred it.  I guess we’ll adapt, move on and in the end be just fine. 

Until next time…Happy Reading!

JT

 
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Posted in General Stuff

 

The mess…but in pictures

28 Jul

Yesterday I blogged about the financial mess we as a country are in.  I mentioned I felt most American’s just simply can’t comprehend just how much we truly owe as there are just too many zero’s behind the debt number. 

Today a friend of mine posted on Google+ a link to this website.  If you view and read the entire website it will give a better understanding of just how much money we truly owe.  Our national debt is staggering.  We can’t simply tax our way out of this. 

One point which really opened my eyes was the following, “If you spent $1 million a day since Jesus was born, you would have not spent $1 trillion by now…but ~$700 billion- same amount the banks got during bailout.” 

Until next time,

JT

 
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Posted in General Stuff, Politics

 

A Financial Mess…

27 Jul

Like many, I’ve fallen on hard times in my life.  I got caught up in the credit card mess a long time ago and part of this was due to the vicious cycle of almost never ending credit card offers.  Between the ease of use and the rising interest rates and other fees (some hidden and some not so well), it became increasingly harder to keep my head above water.  There were times I thought I saw the light at the end of the tunnel….but that was just a fast approaching train which would lead to my own eventual train wreck.

While there are many times I reflect back to my youthful years and wish I could return to those carefree days…it is my own “financial crisis” period of my life that I’m thankful is well behind me.  I learned (with help from someone very special) that being indebt is not a good thing and you’ll never get out of debt by taking on new debt.  As a matter of fact, this is exactly what most of us are taught in school and by our parents as part of our “raising”.  But again…it’s too easy to fall victim.

If you watch daytime television, there are ads which target people who have put themselves into a financial crisis by way of credit card debt.  These ads focus on taking control of the debt, paying the debt off and never putting yourself back into that situation again by learning and following a few principles in the area of budget planning.

Most individuals and families I know operate with a budget.  They sit down and plan this budget based on several known factors.  First they know approx. what their annual household income should be.  They then begin to list out all the known items which they must pay for each and every month.  Some items such as mortgage and automobile payments rarely fluctuate from month to month.  Other items such as utility payments depending on season may be more expensive.  But we must account for these and note them on the budget. 

Also, remember to include in the budget a $ amount which each month you’ll place into savings.  This can be just one line item to include everything a family might need to save for or it can break them down by category.  The point to remember is to treat the line item(s) for savings just as you would any other payment. 

When the budget is complete you look it over and hopefully at the very bottom you have a positive number.  If the number at the bottom is a negative number, then it means you go back to work on the budget tweaking a few things (but not the savings category) here and there until you have at a minimum a balanced budget or better yet…a positive number. 

Still not there yet?  Most family budgets have line items for entertainment.  Things like cable television, broadband internet, Netflix, eating out etc. etc.  Sometimes hard decisions must be made.  Do we reduce something or cut it completely out?  Only you can make this decision…bottom line is you need to either reduce something or eliminate it all together to come closer to a balanced budget.  Do you think our government thinks this way?  Should they?

While I know not all families operate on a budget, I believe the greater percentage do.  Now here is the important question.  Shouldn’t our government? 

Perhaps I’m naïve, but I doubt the individual elected leaders run their individual households without a budget.  Most are intelligent individuals and each understand living their individual, private lives outside of a practical budget is reckless.  So why do the same with our national budget? 

Now for all of us hard working type people.  If we struggle with balancing our own budgets we do have options to increase our revenue.  We can take a second job or go back to school to study in the hopes of getting a better paying job.  But as individuals we can’t arbitrarily print more money (at least legally).  We have to either trim our budget or take actions to increase the household revenue.  Buy why is it OK for our government?

For individuals and families, the closest thing to increasing our own debt ceiling is credit cards and consumer loans. In both examples, the individual and family budget should have room to accommodate the additional expense with the bottom line not going in the red.  So shouldn’t our own government operate under the same guidelines?

Enough of the comparisons of the good, hard working US citizens and they way the majority of us live our lives to our US government who simply isn’t doing the right thing.  The point in this blog posting is the debt crisis our government currently has on its plate is astronomical.  We’ve reached a point that most every day citizens don’t and can’t understand it because there are just too many zero’s in the overall number.  I’ve grown somewhat numb watching the US Debt Clock. 

Those who we have elected and sent to Washington to represent us are locked in this stalemate of what is the right thing to do.  I’ll admit it has become difficult to understand all the rhetoric.  But here’s how I understand things.

One side wants to increase the debt ceiling and increase taxes to pay for it.  OK…this is one way of going about it.

The other side understands we are in a situation and time is ticking away.  The debt ceiling needs to be raised so we do not default on our debts, but they want to trim the budget so as a nation we are living inside our means and stand a better chance of balancing the budget.  Also, it should be noted they want to do this without raising taxes.  

The increase in taxes is said to be from only the countries richest and 98% of Americans who make under $250,000 would see no tax increases at all.  While I certainly fall well below the $250K limit, I’m concerned how this tax increase would impact companies and their decision to continue to operate in the US.  In addition, I’m also concerned this is the beginning of the distribution of wealth which many are concerned this administration is trying to do.

Unfortunately, I do not have the answers to solve the crisis unfolding right before our very eyes.  All I can really go back to is the US Government is no different than a business or her citizens and should live within her means.  I don’t believe we can pay off the debt simply by increasing taxes.  While that might help, I believe the real answer is significant cuts to the overall national budget. 

Until next time,

JT

 
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iPad 2–My first look

21 Jul

Shamefully, I know I’ve not posted a blog post in a very long time.  The last blog post was wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and before that it was a Happy Thanksgiving.  Even before Thanksgiving I sort of lost the plot in mid-September.  My apologies.  I work in the tech industry and while tech is something I’m very passionate about…life sometimes is rather busy and I just have to step away for a while.  Unfortunately since I work in IT, I can’t step away from that as I need my paycheck…

Back in August of 2010, I blogged about my first generation iPad which I had purchased a few months prior.  While I’ll admit it took me some time, my iPad slowly became a staple in both my personal and professional life.  I even got to a point where the laptop stayed at home on personal vacations and only the iPad came along.  My wife and I just returned from a two week vacation to Belgium and England.  I managed to stay on top of news, sports (will the NFL strike ever end) and email.  I used it to look up local information such as British Rail timetables and checked on our British Airways return flight to Denver.  It worked great and I was pleased to not have the extra weight of my laptop and bulky AC adapters to carry around.  The iPad is small, compact, lightweight and since I also have the iPhone I only needed to bring along one power adapter to recharge the batteries.  If I only had something like that to re-charge my own batteries.  Smile

Now before I continue, let me set the record straight on something.  Plain and simple…I’m a PC.  I don’t own a Mac and the closest I come to using a Mac is either my iPhone or iPad.  While I believe the Mac has a place in the world we live…I believe it has some limitations when you begin introducing it into the corporate environment where I work.  Yes we have users running Apple MacBooks, but these users have a few additional hoops to jump through in doing their job as compared to a PC user.   But Apple is more than just the Mac and I’m proud to say that I’ve been an Apple customer for over 5 years. 

It all started for me when I (like many) purchased the iPod.  A lot changed that day…but this is another story.  When the first generation iPhone was announced, I liked what I saw…but I continued to stay with my HTC 8525 and then later the HTC Tilt.  This was more out of necessity as my company didn’t support the first generation iPhone for corporate use and I will not carry around two cell phones.  When the iPhone 3G arrived, we were finally onboard with being able to purchase, use and support this device in our corporate email, calendar systems.  While others stayed away, I saw the potential and fully integrated my iPhone 3G into my day to day work and personal life. 

It was a no-brainer to move to the 3GS when it arrived and yes, I also purchased the iPhone 4.  With exception to the antenna issue (which I never really had issues with and is corrected with a case) the iPhone 4 is truly the best of the iPhone models I’ve owned and have full faith that when the iPhone 5 arrives…it will top what the iPhone 4 has been able to do for me.  But…this blog is not about the iPhone is it?

As I explained in the above mentioned blog post, my original iPad purchase was really made easy for me based on the fact that I had been exposed to the Apple iOS and ease of use would be not a problem.  Plus the only competition the iPad had at that time was the Kindle type e-readers and of course the iPad does a lot more than just allow you to read a book. 

As you should already be aware, the iPad 2 arrived on store shelves in the late Spring of this year with much fanfare.  Some of the key differences of the iPad 2 versus the first generation iPad was the front and rear facing cameras, the thinner case design and the dual-core A5 chip.  Only one of these truly excited me and it wasn’t the thinner case design or the cameras. 

As I truly became more and more dependent on my first gen iPad, I realized the lack of horsepower it had under the hood.  This became more evident as I replaced my iPhone 3GS with the iPhone 4.  The performance difference between my iPhone 4 and my first gen iPad was noticeable.  Both featured the A4 chip but iPad was just a bit slower.  For most this would not be an issue.  But like an artist may notice an imperfection in a piece of art…I notice the differences in technology. 

So the iPad 2 hit the store shelves, but I continued to stay away.  One of the main drivers for me to distance myself from the iPad 2 was lack of case selection.  While the flip-style case that Apple debuted with the iPad 2 looks cool, in my opinion that is all it does.  It looks cool.  Because my iPad goes just about everywhere I go, I needed something with a bit more protection than what that case/cover model offered.  So I waited and I waited a little while longer.

The day finally arrived when I received a tech question from a Sr. VP of my company about how to get his iPad 2 cameras working.  I was able to bluff my way through the question and gave him a few things to try.  Luckily it worked and he was happy.  I learned a long time ago that a Happy Sr. VP is a good Sr. VP.  Plus it is promotion time and I’m his #1 go-to-guy…so it was time for me to pull the trigger and make the iPad purchase.

Now I made a serious mistake with my first iPad purchase.  I went large and got the 64GB model.  I did this based on the amount of data I keep on my iPhone 32GB model and figured I would actually need more capacity as I planned to load up the iPad with .pdf files and other knowledge documents I use on a day-to-day basis.  The one thing that I didn’t realize was I didn’t need to have my iPad be an exact duplicate (plus some) of my iPhone.  While I loaded up my rather large .mp3 collection on my iPad, I can’t remember ever playing any music on it.  So I knew I could drop down to the 32GB iPad 2 and have more than enough room for my needed data.

I looked around and found a black iPad 2, 32GB (wi-fi only) model at Best Buy.  I made the purchase and began getting it all setup.  WOW…I expected it to be faster than the first gen iPad and it truly is.  It is a night and day difference between the two.  Everything performs better.  Even video streaming from YouTube or Netflix is significantly better with almost no buffering.  But more importantly, just overall performance (including better wi-fi connectivity) allows me to be more productive at work.  After all, my iPad is 75% work.

Remember I said really the only difference between iPad and iPad 2 that I was interested in was the dual-core A5 chip.  The thinner case and the cameras didn’t initially excite me.  Actually, with regards to cameras.  I do see the use for the front facing camera.  As video conferencing becomes more popular on these types of devices that is something that I may use from time to time on my iPad 2.  But the rear facing camera…I just really don’t get it, I don’t see the need and to be honest I wish Apple would have used that real estate inside the case for something else and here is why.

Many years ago (more than 5) I didn’t get the point to integrating digital cameras into cell phones.  The image quality was terrible in the beginning and I felt if you needed to take photos then purchase a digital camera.  However, as the digital camera technology embedded into cell phones/smart phones began to improve, I completely changed my tune.  I even began using my iPhone camera to take photos at work of serial number/asset tags, or snapping a picture of a Fedex tracking number versus writing it down.  Also I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve used the LED flash on the iPhone 4 as a flashlight with the cool flashlight app. 

But all of that “thinking” is thrown out the window when we talk about the iPad 2.  Lets face it.  I believe most iPad users also own either an iPhone or some other smart phone device which is capable of taking photos.  If I’m feel the need to snap a picture of something, I’m not going to drag out the iPad and stand there and take a picture.  I’ll snap it with my smaller iPhone camera.  But this is just me and yes I was wrong about cameras in cell phones many years ago.  Perhaps I’ll also see the need for the rear-facing iPad 2 camera.

Now of all the “new” features of the iPad 2 versus the iPad, the one I actually dislike the most is the thinner case design.  Apple claims the iPad 2 is 33% thinner than the first gen iPad.  No I’ve not measured and calculated the difference.  I’ll trust the Apple engineers know what they are talking about.  But having used the first gen iPad for over a year, I know part of my dislike just comes from needing to get used to it.  Of course if you never used the first gen iPad, then you don’t know what I’m talking about. 

The first difference is the way the Apple USB dock connector cable attaches to the iPad 2.  The iPad case where the power connector attaches was flat and when you plugged the connector in, it made a flush connection which felt more solid.  Because the iPad 2 case design is slightly curved on the bottom, the connector doesn’t fit square and snug against the iPad 2 case.  It sort of feels like it’s not fully connected. 

The weight difference between the two is slightly noticeable.  Apple says the iPad 2 is 15% lighter than the previous model.  Again, I’ll trust this stat to whomever determined that.  Again this is just something I will get used to. But the iPad felt a little more solid in my hands than the iPad 2. 

Finally, while this isn’t a technically spec difference between iPad and iPad 2.  You know the first case/cover which Apple introduced with the first gen iPad that most everyone hated?  Well…I actually loved it.  Yes it seemed to collect dust and over a period of time looked dirty.  But it had some grip to it and I didn’t worry about it slipping out of my hands.  The closest thing I found at Best Buy to this case (Apple didn’t make this case for the iPad 2) is the Griffin Folio Slim case.  It’s made from what I’m sure is simulated leather (pleather) and it functions much the same way as that old iPad case/cover.  But because it’s simulated leather it is somewhat slick and the front cover is not as rigid.  Again, I know this is just going to be one of those things I’ll get used to over time.  Plus for travel I do plan to purchase the Zagg iPad 2 keyboard cover/case.  But for day to day use, I’ll just use the folio style cover for now.

Well, this blog post ended up being much longer than I intended it to be.  I’m excited about the increased productivity I’ll enjoy with this new model as well as the enjoyment from an easier and lighter device to check email and access the internet.  It’s unclear if, when or even if there will be an iPad 3.  Knowing Apple and Steve Jobs, I’m sure iPad 3 will debut sometime next year and will be even more amazing than iPad and iPad 2 combined. 

Until next time (and I hope it won’t be long)

J 

 
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Merry Christmas

25 Dec

Just wanted to wish my readers a very merry Christmas. Thank you for visiting my blog site. I hope to blog again real soon.

Jerry

 
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