Posted By RichC on September 18, 2017
Hurricane Maria is seeing rapid intensification and is now a Cat 5 with 160mph winds. Looks to be closing in the Leeward Islands slightly further south than Irma. The U.S. Virgin Islands are again in the hurricane’s path again, but this time Puerto Rico may not be spared — it very well could be a direct hit.
Posted By RichC on September 18, 2017
Shifting back into the "oldies" mode, here’s a Music Monday song that practically everyone knows from Gary Wright. The Dream Weaver is a 1975 hit recently being used in an insurance advertisement.
I still think the decade of the 1970s produced the best music?
In 1972, my friend George Harrison invited me to accompany him on a trip to India. A few days before we left, he gave me a copy of the book Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. Needless to say the book inspired me deeply, and I became totally fascinated with Indian culture and philosophy. My trip was an experience I will never forget. During the early ’70s while reading more of the writings of Paramahansa Yogananda, I came across a poem called God! God! God!. One of the lines in the poem referred to the idea of the mind weaving dreams and the thought immediately occurred to me, weaver of dreams… Dream Weaver. I wrote it down in my journal of song titles and forgot about it.
Several months passed, and one weekend, while in the English countryside, I picked up my journal and came across the title ‘Dream Weaver.’ Feeling inspired, I picked up my acoustic guitar and began writing. The song was finished in an hour. The lyrics and music seemed to have flowed out of me as if written by an unseen source. After the record was released and became successful many people asked me what the song meant. I really wasn’t sure myself and would answer ‘it was about a kind of fantasy experience… a Dream Weaver train taking you through the cosmos.’ But I was never satisfied with that explanation, and as years went by I began to reflect on what the song actually meant and then it came to me: ‘Dream Weaver, I believe you can get me through the night…’ was a song about someone with infinite compassion and love carrying us through the night of our trials and suffering. None other than God Himself.”
Just one more … since Love Is Alive from a year later in 1976 popped up when I was linking the above!
Posted By RichC on September 17, 2017
One of these days I’m planning to archive a post that summarizes all the cars I’ve owned. One that I had forgotten was a favorite "company supplied car" when I worked in purchasing and sales at Knight-Ridder/Portage Newspaper Supply out 
of Akron, Ohio in the early to mid-1980s.
The first car was a white Chevrolet Celebrity but the second a sportier gray Eurosport Celebrity. What a great company perk for a young married couple with a baby who lived 4 hours from grandparents. Since we drove through Lima Ohio, I’m glad we didn’t cross paths with a one of the tanks built there!
Posted By RichC on September 16, 2017
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Posted By RichC on September 15, 2017
In anticipation in receiving new iDrive display and components from a "group buy" on the BMW diesel group I belong to, I made a new CD/DVD slot bracket for the previously installed Nato Smart Mount. The previous location was fine for the older small iPhone 5s, but after updating to the much larger iPhone 7 plus, it wasn’t all that easy to use … but that aside, the eventual new higher resolution and larger iDrive display will take that space (stay tuned).
The new homemade aluminum bracket fits into the "rarely used" CD/DVD slot, but will come out as needed IF the slot is required. For now, the iPhone 7 plus is much sturdier to the touch when on the magnetic mount since it also rests against the dash (we’ll see how the wiggling is later as I’ve not taken a trip with it yet). About my only real concern is that my rather tall wide mouthed Klean Kanteen stainless steel water thermo may not fit in an out of the cup holders under the mounted phone? Coffee cups, cans and 16 oz water bottles are fine, but the 10-inch tall insulated container is too large … but I usually toss it in the door pocket anyway.
I’ve rerouted my Apple lightning charger cord temporarily since I also opted for the add-on Apple CarPlay adapter in the "group buy" in order to interface the iPhone to the new iDrive display (should be here soon) because it requires a plug connection – will not function fully via wifi or bluetooth. Hopefully the extra dollares will be worth it, but it may be more of a limiting nuisance than useful add-on?
Posted By RichC on September 15, 2017
So you want the new iPhoneX? Wouldn’t that be nice, but can you handle the new features?
Posted By RichC on September 14, 2017
While driving this week I had a opportunity to scan through a few SiriusXM stations and picked up on part of a Bloomberg interview between philanthropist David Rubenstein and National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins (looked up the video so I could listen to the entire interview later – below).
Dr Collins seemed extremely bright and humble … and quickly captured my interest … and even more so when talking about how he came to Christianity. Like CS Lewis, Ron Carlson and Lee Strobel, the story was even more intriguing coming from such a bright scientist. So much so that I ordered a hardcopy of his 2006 book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, just so 
I can lend it out.
I’m sure I’m not the only Christ follower who appreciates well respected doctors and scientists that are comfortable embracing faith and having a willingness to publicly share it … at risk of being academically ostracized. If someone as brilliant as the guy who heads the 20,000 people who research at the NIH, under both Democrat and Republican presidents, and previously head of the Human Genome Project to its completion, concludes there is a God and Christianity makes perfect sense to him, then I shouldn’t stumble when belittled by academics and science types wondering how I could have faith in an unseen and unprovable God of the universe (hence "faith"). It is far easier for those of us who are not PhD science educated to defend our faith knowing we are in such bright company knowing there are a few science geniuses following Christ too.
Posted By RichC on September 13, 2017
And the number one reason to upgrade to the latest Apple iPhone (8, 8plus or X) … the talking Poophead emoji. (see WSJ video)
Now personally I don’t have a need for this new latest and greatest iPhone, but know many of my fellow Apple gadget addicted friends will definitely find a way to scrape up $1000 to buy the iPhoneX (ten) whether they need a new phone or not. The smartphone has become the clothing accessory or jewelry item people adorn themselves with … and frankly is much cheaper than an expensive “jeweled” watch, diamond bracelet or pendant. In that kind of comparison a item you use 3 hours per day (national average) is easily worth $1000.
In comparison to “my” early computer days, it wasn’t uncommon for the basic personal computer to cost over $2000 and have roughly the same technological lifespan as a smartphone with far less capability. I also know from personal experience that some of us have closets full of old computers, expensive suits that we “might” wear once a year … or specialty tools in our workshops that we only occasionally have need for … cough, cough – my Lincoln TIG welder.
So buying the latest and greatest Apple iPhone is probably not the worst purchase you can make … if you want it, order one … and help Apple become the first $1 Trillion dollar company.
Posted By RichC on September 12, 2017
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Posted By RichC on September 11, 2017
By now those turning on the TV to watch updates on Hurricane Irma are tired of seeing news reporters heading out into 100+ mile per hours winds and pelting rain — enough already!
Still the destruction and danger are sickening especially in the areas where building codes are not what they are in the US. The Caribbean Islands and 3rd world countries are truly fortunate to have come away with their lives.
South Florida as the storm surge flood Miami
Havana Cuba the day after Hurricane Irma passes and St Martin with a boat on building