Posted By RichC on October 2, 2014
Finished spreading the last of the topsoil – then seeded and put the straw down just as it turned dark. Hopefully we won’t have to dig up drainage pipes for a while.
Now it’s time to sit back and "slow" down … (playing with the slo-mo mode on my iPhone 5s)
Posted By RichC on October 1, 2014
Posted By RichC on September 30, 2014
Residents and businesses in Ohio “choose” which companies provide the energy used by their utility company, which can in most cases reduce their bills. This competition should be a good thing, one would think, but each year consumers go through a multi-step process to confirm our energy provider choice … and each year it is getting more and more cumbersome and time consuming. In my case, I call for each utility account or bill received and “waste” time making the same selection. This last natural gas selection took 23 minutes to renew with the same company I used in the previous few years.
Here was my 2014 process:
I opened a computer browser window and navaigated to the Ohio Apples To Apples website in order to compare offers from different energy suppliers after receiving a contract expiring letter (below). 
This should be done for both your electric and natural gas energy supplier otherwise by default the energy cost will be high (in my case the current Duke GCR rates are nearly 20% higher). Once a rate, term and promotion is mentally calculated, the selection process begins. In my case, I’ve been choosing yearly to stick with the same 1 year contracts and same supplier … unfortunately that decision needs to be confirmed each time – BY PHONE (or in the case of this last selection, 6 month term – rate was lower than a 1 year contract). On one bill alone this required a 12 minute phone call to select I wanted to stay with the same supplier … then a “hold the line” so another person can come on the line to read the company’s legal pages and verify the terms again while recording my “yes” selection. My “verifier” read clear and slow as if I was writing down every phone number in which to cancel within 30-days, another for asking a supplier a question and others. Then finally after requiring a “YES” to all the questions (repeated because I said “CORRECT” instead of “YES”), a 10 digit, plus backslashes, confirmation number was issued. All in all it took a total of 22 minutes to RENEW the energy supplier with the same company again … and I’m expected to do this with every utility bill.
Hmm… and I thought the federal government held the prize for the procedural bureaucratic waste of time. Come on people… there are better ways … who’s in charge? LINK
Posted By RichC on September 28, 2014
I hate thinking it is an Indian summer, but the weather in SE Ohio has been beautiful. Besides working around our yard (many projects) I was up to Sidney and helping my brother work on dad’s out-building. The combination workshop/garage/barn is showing its age with a few areas under the rear west-facing eves decaying. Ron and I scabbed a few truss ends and screwed in place 60 feet of new pressure treated fascia board. My sister-in-law made a delicious and I still made it home as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Posted By RichC on September 27, 2014
The WSJ printed an interesting article by Jeanne Whalen earlier this month listing the benefits of s-l-o-w-e-r reading. A Wellington, New Zealand book club calling itself the Slow Reading Club consists of members who “miss old-school reading” and may be on to something. They get together at a café and spend an hour reading in silence, with their electronics or cellphones turned off. The goal for them is to get back to reading for enjoyment ; the benefits for all of us, besides pleasure, is that reading slower “improves ability to concentrate, reduces stress levels and deepens ability to think, listen and empathize,” this according to advocates of slower reading.
Screens have changed our reading patterns from the linear, left-to-right sequence of years past to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information.
More academics and writers are advocating a return to absorbing, uninterrupted reading—slow reading, as they call it. WSJ’s Jeanne Whalen discusses with Tanya Rivero. Photo: Getty
One 2006 study of the eye movements of 232 people looking at Web pages found they read in an "F" pattern, scanning all the way across the top line of text but only halfway across the next few lines, eventually sliding their eyes down the left side of the page in a vertical movement toward the bottom.
None of this is good for our ability to comprehend deeply, scientists say. Reading text punctuated with links leads to weaker comprehension than reading plain text, several studies have shown. A 2007 study involving 100 people found that a multimedia presentation mixing words, sounds and moving pictures resulted in lower comprehension than reading plain text did.
Slow reading means a return to a continuous, linear pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions. Advocates recommend setting aside at least 30 to 45 minutes in a comfortable chair far from cellphones and computers. Some suggest scheduling time like an exercise session. Many recommend taking occasional notes to deepen engagement with the text.
Posted By RichC on September 26, 2014
As a iPhone, iPad and iMac Apple customer, it is challenging to know what products to upgrade and at what time. As much as I would like an iPhone6 or 6plus, I’ve opted to stick with the current iPhone 5s (and 5) in order to save a few dollars on our cellphone plan as we will most likely be switching to Ting, as
mentioned previously. My son called and asked me if I thought he should get the offered “free with a contract extension” upgrade and since only two carriers cover Williston ND, my answer was “yes” unless he wanted or was planning to leave Verizon.
My current desktop Mac is just fine and after a Parallels Desktop 10 update, which runs Windows 7 Pro on the iMac ($50), I’m ready for the new Yosemite OSX.
The more challenging decision is whether to update my much enjoyed and much used aging iPad2 to the soon to be released iPad Air2, or to hold off for a new lightweight notebook to replace my almost 8 year old Gateway. I’m still shocked that I’m comfortable using this hefty PC … and still relatively happy with it after the SSD drive and memory update. The other option is to pick up a second hand iPad Air “if” I can find one?
Below is video review of what seems to be a rumored photo comparison of the current fourth generation iPad Air (4?) and possible “Air2” due out this fall. Even though his conclusion is that “he wants” the larger screen model, I’m pretty satisfied with the current iPad screen size (I’m not sure where the iPad Mini comes in … one might as well get the iPhone 6plus)?
Posted By RichC on September 25, 2014
One can help but chuck at the excessive talk and coined term #bendgate regarding damage being hyped in the media regarding bending iPhones (there were 6 user complaints officially reported to Apple). The video below has been used around the world on news programs … who does this with their phones?
Anyway, after the 23+ million hit viral YouTube video by Unbox Therapy, another iPhone, the iPhone 6 (not “plus”) was put to the test along with a few competitors (below). Short answer … the larger iPhone 6 plus seems to be the most susceptible to bending IF someone uses significant force.
Posted By RichC on September 25, 2014
Here’s another Giphy.com test after using it for a Facebook share yesterday. I’ve found it a little be better than gfycat.com that I’ve used before since the purpose was to post to a social network. Besides, I thought this was an interesting demo: A technique for carrying a person/body quickly in an emergency.
Posted By RichC on September 25, 2014
I posted a question on a Facebook group today for liveaboard sailors regarding sailing knives using Giphy.com’s animated GIF to Facebook posting. I’m not sure how many other GIF hosting services are out there for Facebook but Giphy worked well.
There are times on a rolling sailboat where using both hands to open a folding knife is not possible. The other hand may be needed to to hang on or to keep an something from getting away … like a mutineer [smiley]. I have a nice SS Myerchin folding knife with marlin spike, but it would be nice to have a sheepsfoot sailor’s knife that opens with one-hand like a tactical knife. Thoughts (see animated GIF below)?
