Creativity, engineering, design and modern woodworking
Posted By RichC on April 14, 2015
How cool is this project and design? Check out Manifattura Italiana Design or for more images look at DesignBoom.com’s post.
SpaceX Dragon CRS-6 launch postponed due to weather
Posted By RichC on April 13, 2015
It was interesting while it lasted … the launch of the SpaceX Dragon CRS-6 Falcon9 
was scrubbed this afternoon and scheduled for tomorrow, April 14 at 4:10PM; weather could be a problem again.
My daughter Katelyn and her husband Drew were at Kennedy Space Center (photo below) to watch it on their 2nd wedding anniversary (1st). Katelyn, who went to Space Camp and had a NASA Sharp scholarship while in high school, has always wanted to be at a launch. 
The day before they toured the Kennedy Space Center … great fun for both!
Debating the Apple Store App review process – Medium article
Posted By RichC on April 13, 2015
An article in published in an online story on Medium this past week shared the growing discontent from software developers over Apple’s dominance and authoritative control over “app” reviews. Dave Kushal believes that the slow review process hurts the reliability as well as “impedes the pace of innovation.” While I’m somewhat in agreement with Dave, I also am happy with Apple keeping iOS devices reliable, fast and safe from garbage (yes, their opinion). Could Apple do more to speed up the review process and be quicker to help developers quickly fix bugs … definitely. BUT there hasn’t been a huge outcry from users about buggy apps or that the slowish day or two fix is too slow. I other words, most users who spend their money are satisfied with Apple’s current approach to their testing and releasing of new apps.
One area I am becoming more and more concerned with is over Apple becoming the “arbiter of taste and speech,” just as I am with Google. Personally, I prefer a clean from porn and violence Apple Store, but am growing concerned that one companies point of view does dictate their views on users … this is particularly concerning when their view is different than mine – half joking and smiling! (isn’t that the way it always is?). The point is that it is a slippery slope when it comes to one company’s religion, politics or having a “points of view” different than others. The issue has even become more noticeable in recent months as companies, and high profile CEOs, interject their POV and corporately threaten states over divisive issues.
Then there is the “in app advertising and purchases.” At what point does Apple garner too much control over where someone purchases items. Kushal’s example highlights users not being able to bypassing Apple’s “30% cut” when clicking links to buy books for the Kindle app (Amazon being a competitor) or videos in the YouTube app (owned by Google). There is a point where Apple prowess nears predatory business behavior.
Finally there is the criticism that Apple’s “rules are subjective and poorly enforced.” This would be difficult to prove although developers can throw Apple’s own comment the comment back at them … “we know it when we see it.” On the other hand, this kind of criticism in true for all but the most “open” open source software portals.
Disclosure: I might have a slightly biased opinion since I am a long time Apple shareholder and have purchased and used their products since the 1980s. I do TestFlight pre-release and early build testing for several iOS apps and have enjoyed beta testing software for developers in Mac OS, Windows, Linux, Palm, WebOS and iOS for decades.
Selling coupons on eBay … very entrepreneurial
Posted By RichC on April 12, 2015
Selling coupons on ebay is very entrepreneurial.
While I’m not a regular ebay seller, I often check prices and buy parts for cars and the boat. When my search screen stated to display pages of ads “selling discount coupons,” it sounded crazy.
But people must be finding a market for clipping and selling those unique deep discount coupons?
For example, the normal Harbor Freight online coupon for their 3 Gallon Pancake compressor is $59.99 … but with a “special coupon” – for $4.99 plus 49 cents postage on ebay — you could save another $20! How creative is that!
One person’s “crazy” is another person’s “genius.”
When pigs (or pugs) fly …
Posted By RichC on April 11, 2015
Perhaps there is a little innovative Cincinnati (Porkopolis) marketing inspiration here?
Americans have a positive outlook for a rich country
Posted By RichC on April 10, 2015
Jared Keller’s article in The Atlantic last month focused on the observation that “outside the U.S., fewer people in rich countries describe their day as a good day.” For the most part, Americans are hopeful and optimistic as compared to their peer in other first world countries. (the graphic below is interesting on several levels)
It’s been noticed by foreigners and social observers throughout the centuries that there is “energy, enthusiasm and confidence” in America (Irish philosopher Charles Handy) and that it contrasts with the world cynicism in much of Europe.
Alexis de Tocqueville, a French observer of American life at the beginning of the 19th century, observed that the Americans of his day “have all a lively faith in the perfectibility of man … They all consider society as a body in a state of improvement.” Political and social observers have echoed this sentiment for centuries, enshrining optimism as an essential feature of not just the abstract ‘American Dream,’ but also of the social and economic institutions of American civil society.
That Tocquevillian optimism has certainly dimmed with the Great Recession: People in advanced nations including the U.S. are far less optimisticthan those in poorer ones about the financial future of the next generation of citizens, in part because emerging and developing nations weathered the global financial crisis better than anyone expected.
So why are Americans so optimistic? A growing number of psychologists and sociologists believe it’s the Western world’s distinct tradition of individualism—and Americans’ fervent embrace of it—that helps the U.S. respond to uncertainty and turmoil with an eye towards a brighter future.
“It’s actually not that people are inherently optimistic or pessimistic; we’re wired for both,” says Dr. Edward C. Chang, a clinical psychologist who runs the Perfectionism and Optimism-Pessimism Lab at the University of Michigan. “It’s a dual process mechanism, the sort of daily meditation that helps people regulate their expectations. It’s this psychological process that keeps people from becoming so optimistic they’re like Mr. Magoo, or so pessimistic they fall into a pit of despair. The two compliment each other; whether you’re more or less optimistic or pessimistic is heavily dependent on the culture you live in, the culture that shapes your values.”
Read the entire article here.
These Great White Sharks could use a little Botox treatment
Posted By RichC on April 9, 2015
Nothing like being it the water while photographing Great White Sharks to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing (hopefully in a cage). With views this close (click for slightly larger) you can even count the freckles or maybe get a price for Botox!
A school teacher, Amanda Brewer, took this picture while cage-diving
in South Africa a couple years ago.
Impressive sky after the thunderstorms passes tonight
Posted By RichC on April 8, 2015
The spring thunderstorms are right on time now that we’re into April and decided to give the new LIVE broadcasting app called Periscope a try. Unfortunately capturing lightning on an iPhone is not as easy as one would think. Below is a file save from the short live broadcast stream.
An update on my dad …
Posted By RichC on April 8, 2015
Our family has been pretty focused lately on my dad's declining health and I know a few of my parents' friends who check my blog might appreciate a short update.
After a brief hospital stay in February for two fractures in his pelvis after a fall, DadC entered rehab near my brother Ron's house in Tipp City, Ohio (south of Sidney — my dad's home). His spirit is good and he is handling the physical therapy and “mental prodding” pretty well. I spent a few hours on Easter with him and will include his photo — looks good, eh? He is nearly ready for release, but after the hospital detect he may have had a couple small strokes on top of his dementia, he will require a bit more care than we are capable of providing by visiting. That means he will not be able to move back to his house and live independently.
Next is a big decision as to what we can do for him? The next step is looking at assisted living and nursing type facilities. Not an easy decision even IF they have openings. Stay tuned.
Job openings are up … but hirings are down
Posted By RichC on April 8, 2015
Very confusing numbers in a recent Wall Street Journal graph noting that the number of job openings being posted are way up (green line) … up to the highest level in 14 years. That’s good news right?
Unfortunately a look at the red line shows the number of hiring. Hmm, that trend has moved down, as have the number of Americans who have quit their jobs … helping to create the lowest workforce participation rate in 37 years according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
EDIT: Added some CNBC video and “my” audio below.
Alan Krueger, Princeton University, and Eric Spiegel, Siemens U.S.A. president and CEO had a slightly contentious debate on CNBC’s Squawkbox over wages and the skills gap. Academics would like to see the private sector accelerate wages to attract workers while businesses claim its not a wage issue but that workers don’t have the needed skills. (the included segment on the CBNC archive was missing an “interesting exchange” below. Very telling for the WSJ graphs above.)
| CNBC Squawkbox Alan Krueger and Eric Spiegel – 4/8/2015 |
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.