My Desultory Blog

Posted By RichC on November 27, 2016

Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC is one of the automotive programs I record and one my dad would have enjoyed watching with me … too bad it is just a couple years late. Anyway, last week he had musicians who love cars on the program and country music star Brad Paisley shared his first car … and I shared it with Brenda.

This was the lower priced commuting car we bought new to replace her college car, 1978 Chevrolet Monza Wagon (as usual, I had a variety of odds and ends used cars … eventually plan on creating a post). The “new” 1984 baby blue 5-speed Cavalier was yet another disappointing Chevrolet from the late 1970 thru 1980s. About the only thing good about this car was that it was $6200 (still more than either of us ever spend on a car before).

Posting problem — adding photo of Brenda in her 1984 Chevrolet Cavalier
from our first Aurora, Ohio house in the Spring of 1984

Category: Automotive, Memories, Video-TV | 1 Comment »
Tags: brad paisley, brenda, cavalier, Chevrolet, jay leno, monza, musician

Posted By RichC on November 26, 2016

No visits to the mall, stores or even online shopping for me on Black Friday, but I have started the process of looking for a new camera "system" to replace my aging DSLR.

With my first granddaughter on the way, it might be time to get back to my roots and revisit my old hobby of photography again. I have been thinking about upgrading my Canon and have looked at the improvement since the early 2000s (last upgrade) but I really needed an excuse to buy something modern. Oh there were the TDIClub and CinciTDI HowTo videos that I would have enjoyed a better camera, but the Canon was good enough up to this point.

The most desirable for me at this time is the Lumix GX8 mirrorless 4K camera (above). There are a few standout features like the smaller micro four thirds format, 20.3 MP, 4K video, and being "splash proof" … but really the fantastic software feature built into the system take optics and quality to the next level (although most modern cameras do as well). As someone who has learned photography fundamentals since my first darkroom even before high school, I still wanted the ability to apply my "dying" skills manually and have offer a near professional level platform to enjoy the hobby now. As for a current single lens,  I’d be happy pairing it with a fair all-around lens like the Lumix G Vario Lens 14-140mm F3.5-5.6 powered Optical zoom.

Could I live with a less expensive camera … yes, but this may be my last so might as well enjoy something nice and start learning the MANY feature associated with the Lumix system while I can still grasp it!

Category: Personal, Photography, Shopping, Technology, Tools | No Comments »
Tags: camera, hobby, lumix, panasonic, photography

Posted By RichC on November 25, 2016

It is easy to forget just how much software one ends up with after 9 years using a computer. There was everything from odd ball utilities to a variety of outdated Adobe Creative Suite design software that I occasionally need. These were all versions installed from CD and are not openly supported anymore. Unlike my prefer subscription based business model I prefer for web hosting, I am not a fan of software companies employing it … especially for lessor used software.

Adobe software aside which I have somewhat installed on the new Lenovo, I may opt for Microsoft Office 365 when the trial runs out. A big reason is for the large chunk of OneDrive cloud based storage and Skype minutes that comes with the subscription. I still have a copy and "I think" acceptable license to an older version of Office, but would not mind the up-to-date suite on not only the Lenovo, but my iMac and iPad too.

Category: Computer, Software, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: adobe, Computer, lenovo, microsoft, office, tech friday, windows

Posted By RichC on November 24, 2016

Because my kids are out of town and Brenda is working today, I didn’t intend to post anything for Thanksgiving this year; I just figure I would just let an uneventful day pass. BUT, after mentally reflecting on this past year, I realized just how much I have to be thankful for … considering what a difference a year can make.

So Thankful … praise God:

• Brenda has recovered unbelievably well from her injury … not 100% but well beyond what the surgeon expected.
• My mother-in-law is good, dementia stable and she is happy
• My niece Sarah graduated high school and started college; she is smiling and adjusting to another round of chemotherapy between classes and college fun.
• One cousin has successfully beaten back her cancer while my other cousin “survived” a stroke and is on his long road of recovery.
• My children are employed, healthy and enjoying life. They are thoughtful and do for others … including making their mom and dad happy with regular calls and messages (and I’m thankful for “Baby Oostra” too — it’s a girl!).
• After my dad’s passing, my brother and I were able to take our time to finalize his estate, sell, his house and amiably divide treasured memories, etc.
• My friend Keith whom I help with GroupBibleStudy is back to 100% after his heart surgery
• That I’ve been blessed with good health, a great family and comfortable life.
• … and finally I’m thankful for the prayers and hard work from like minded, freedom loving, commonsense, patriotic Americans who love their fellow citizens and country … AND that voted for new leadership in Washington DC which better reflect (and respect) those who founded and fought to build this country. May President-Elect Trump make good on his intent to “Making America Great Again” … so far in staffing appointments he is off to a GREAT start. As I did for President Obama in 2008, I will give him my support and pray that he will govern this country with wisdom and the values penned by our founders.

Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

¹ Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
² Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
³ Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Category: Faith, Holiday, Personal | No Comments »
Tags: prayer, thanksgiving, thoughts

Posted By RichC on November 24, 2016

On the recommendation of Carolyn Goodlander (wife of Fatty Goodlander), I’m giving the FastSeas.com weather routing and passage planning online tool a try. Not that I’m planning a bluewater passage to Bermuda just yet, but it is interesting how technology has changed route planning.

Where it seems to help is in tweaking departure dates and routes depending on changes in weather patterns. Although forecast models are only "so good," it is better having something rather than nothing at all. The Goodlanders are currently in South Africa waiting for a weather window to safely sail around the Cape of Good Hope.

Category: Archive, Sailing, Travel | No Comments »
Tags: encore, fastseas, fatty goodlander, goodlander, planning, sailboat, sailing, trip, voyaging

Posted By RichC on November 23, 2016

A little “behind the scenes” history and commentary from my family’s favorite TV show of the 1990s — Home Improvement. Of course anything that Tim Allen does is a favorite of mine. I love his current Last Man Standing show too.

Category: Entertainment, Video-TV | No Comments »
Tags: abc, home, improvement, television, tim allen, youtube

Posted By RichC on November 22, 2016

I couldn’t resist sharing one of my son’s photos from his Thanksgiving trip to Hawaii. The first few days have been spent at a friends house on Oahu not to far from Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Kaneohe Bay, but they are not sitting still. Each day after the morning rain, at least the two visitors (Taylor and Cam H) head off to see something new. I suspect their host is working until Thanksgiving when they leave for Kauai and their planned Na Pali Coast hike.

Taylor did mention that on Sunday they were off to watch the professional surfers on the North Shore since the waves were 25 feet … although they also made several stops to get in the water themselves. The photo above was definitely enough to make me green with envy! Sure looks relaxing (map of eastern Oahu below).

Category: Archive, Personal, Photos, Travel | 1 Comment »
Tags: backpacking, CamH, family, hawaii, oahu, taylor, vacation

Posted By RichC on November 21, 2016

Last weekend my friend Jeff told me his old grill was mine for the taking, but that it was in need of some cleaning, some repair and new burners (besides the fire department tag it as unsafe for his apartment patio). I ordered new parts and a cover for under $50, repaired the rust holes and painted the non-stainless steel sheet metal. It isn’t a new grill, but is A LOT better than our old one.

The first burgers this weekend were great even as the weather turned cold.

Category: Misc, Personal, Photos | No Comments »
Tags: barbeque, cooking, grill, jeffp, outdoor, patio, porch

Posted By RichC on November 20, 2016

I couldn’t take the continued typos anymore and had to map the "right-shift" key on my new Lenovo Yoga 710 to the "arrow-up" key. So as not to lose my "arrow-up" key, I mapped that to the rarely used "right-ctrl" key.
Now all is well with the world.   … although I really struggled coming from the Apple iMac and iPad Brydgekeyboard.

Category: Computer, Tablet, Technology, Tidbits | 3 Comments »
Tags: hack, keyboard, keys, lenovo, microsoft, registry, remap, windows10, yoga

Posted By RichC on November 19, 2016

I just couldn’t pass up burning my $280 Best Buy credit on a new mid-level Windows  10 Lenovo Yoga notebook computer. It is going to take some time tweaking it before I’m comfortable with it, but I decided that a new MacBook Pro was not in the cards for me (too expensive and missing so many features). Besides, I’ve been super comfortable using my iPad for sales and traveling … and have the iMac at my desk for heavier work. Unfortunately there are a lot of things that an iPad will not do efficiently and I just can’t bear the old 7 pound 2007 Gateway laptop any longer.

The deciding factor for this 15.6″ Yoga 710 was being able to convince Best Buy to correct a previous shipping mistake and match an upcoming “Black Friday” $699 price (actually slightly different Lenovo). I also had to use my returned Asus credit before year end. This model is a larger screened, thin but not super-light, touchscreen 2-in-1 notebook/tablet in black, with backlit keys (I like). It has the business oriented fingerprint security reader for easy and secure access and Bluetooth 4.0 so I can still use a wireless mouse and headset. Since I didn’t want to duplicate the iPad, I felt a full 15.6" touch screen model would work great as when the small tablet screen sizes won’t do. I do have software to install and tweaks before it is ready to travel with me, but spec wise, it is about perfect. We always want more memory and SSD space — 8GB and 256GB will work though. Two annoying issues so far: the lousy trackpad and tiny shift key at my right pinky-finger — a big deal! (who knew, keyboard issues again!)

Windows 10 operating system

Windows 10 brings back the Start Menu from Windows 7 and introduces new features, like the Edge Web browser that lets you markup Web pages on your screen.

 

15.6" Full HD 10-point multitouch screen for hands-on control

The 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity. Touch, tap, glide and make the most of Windows 10. IPS technology. LED backlight.

 

7th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-7200U mobile processor

Ultra-low-voltage platform. Dual-core processing performance.

 

8GB system memory for advanced multitasking

Substantial high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once.

 

256GB solid state drive (SSD)

While offering less storage space than a hard drive, a flash-based SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production and power draw on the battery.

 

360° flip-and-fold design

Offers four versatile modes — laptop, tablet, tent and stand. Lenovo Transition automatically switches specific applications to full screen when changing from PC to tablet, tent or stand position.

 

NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics

Driven by 2GB DDR3L dedicated video memory to quickly render high-quality images for videos and games.

 

Weighs 4.19 lbs. and measures 0.7" thin

Ultraportable design, featuring a smaller screen size and omitting the DVD/CD drive to achieve the compact form factor. 4-cell lithium-polymer battery.

 

Bluetooth interface syncs with compatible devices

Wirelessly transfer photos, music and other media between the laptop and your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or MP3 player, or connect Bluetooth wireless accessories.

 

2 USB 3.0 ports maximize the latest high-speed devices

USB 3.0 ports is backward-compatible with USB 2.0 devices (at 2.0 speeds).

 

Micro HDMI output on the display expands your viewing options

Connect the laptop or tablet to an HDTV or high-def monitor to set up two screens side by side or just see more of the big picture.

 

Built-in media reader for simple photo transfer

Supports SD, MultiMediaCard, SDHC and SDXC memory card formats.

 

Dual-band wireless network connectivity

Built-in high-speed wireless LAN built into the screen, so it connects to your network or hotspots on all current Wi-Fi standards in both laptop and tablet modes.

 

Built-in HD webcam with two microphones

Makes it easy to video chat with family and friends or teleconference with colleagues over Skype or other popular applications.

 

Backlit keyboard

Allows you to enjoy comfortable and accurate typing, even in dim lighting.

 

Additional port

Headphone/microphone combo jack.

Category: Business, Computer, Travel | 1 Comment »
Tags: Computer, lenovo, notebook, touchscreen, yoga