Posted By RichC on August 22, 2012
As expected, tropical storm Isaac has formed in the tropical Atlantic, about 500 miles east of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles. The storm is expected to intensify into a hurricane Thursday or Friday in the Caribbean.
Posted By RichC on August 21, 2012
Lame subject line … I know, but one of the issues for those of us who regularly wear boat shoes is that the insides wear out (or just smell bad) before the leather shoe gives out. Thankfully the older I get, the longer my shoes last … probably because my pedes don’t sweat as they did when I was a teenager?
Still I would like to find quality insoles to replace the removable inserts that are now in several of my aging Sperry Topsiders or an evolution of them. Sperry is “thee” name in consistent quality boating shoes year after year, but they unfortunately do not make it easy to “self renew” a pair of their shoes. Sure I can go out an buy Dr. Scholls shoe inserts or pick from several of the other brands of foam, rubber or gel pads, but I’d like the original stitched insert of old or would settle for the recent (last decade) Wave Comfort System insoles. The ones in my shoes have degraded and the fabric separates from the cushion … to the point that repeated gluing won’t keep the “liner” in place. It would be so much easier to just buy a couple of the pre-lined foam inserts. I have tried a web search and called Sperry, but for now I’m coming up empty. Can anyone point me in the right direction or am I being too picky?
While on the topic of sailing and sailboats, I’d like to plug one of the best written and edited sailing blogs – check out Windtraveler. Congratulations Scott and Brittany on your baby girl Isla AND on your new home … another sailboat of course, but a bit larger in order to support their “future deck swab” (their term, not mine). Keep me updated.
EDIT: Giving the SofSole product a try and will report back (LINK). So far, they are excellent, although I’ve heard the insole has been changed for 2013?
EDIT 2: Follow up post about a year later LINK
Posted By RichC on August 20, 2012
Our Tivo records the 30 minute weekend broadcast of the Journal Editorial Report (JER) and I enjoyed hearing from the team that manages the Wall Street Journal’s editorial content. 
Generally the week’s review is a rehash, but the conservative oriented look at what was in the news is something I look forward to each weekend
Kim Strassel is a long time WSJ Editorial Board member who’s comentary that both Brenda and I enjoy … opined on NYC Mayor Bloomberg’s recent concern over bottle vs breast feeding. She commented that if he is really concerned with the health of NYC babies, perhaps he should encourage they move out of the city.
| WSJ Journal Editorial Report (mp3) — Kimberley Strassel |
After receiving a little heat for targeting NYC restaurant serving large soft drinks, he is now going after new mothers questioning their decision to bottle feed formula. Hmm, really Mayor, don’t you think this should be left to parents and their doctor? Are you really that bored running the City of New York that you need to micro-manage moms and their newborns?
Posted By RichC on August 19, 2012
Ah yes … Brenda is working night shift hours this weekend so it gave me a chance to monkey around with her new Samsung Galaxy S II Epic … purloined it while she was sleeping today. 
One of her ploys to keep me from playing with her new smartphone was to add the new protective case in a feminine color … and while this may keep me from using it in public, it has little affect on me at home. 
So far I found Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) — Android 4.0.4 — easy to use, even for someone resistant to learning something new. Still there are things I like and dislike coming from WebOS (Palm Pre) as well as using iOS on the iPad. In time though I suspect that one adjusts to the change as Android has come a long way and is improving everyday. I’ll probably resist rooting Brenda’s phone since the extent of her use is pretty basic. Her biggest complaint so far has been the lack of a physical switch to stealthily turn off the audible ringer.
After updating and installing a few apps from Google Play, I tested the weak 4G (WiMax – not 4G LTE) Sprint connection at the house. My daughter’s EVO 4G had trouble, but it looks like using it will be do-able on the Samsung (perhaps there has been some tower tuning?). Nevertheless, a house 4G connection isn’t all that important with wifi available – unfortunately she doesn’t have wifi or 4G at work.
Included the speed test as a macro photo from the excellent 8mp camera. Nice!
Posted By RichC on August 18, 2012
It seems like I’m driving a bit more than usual this summer and am working to pay more attention to the road than to my gadgets inside a the car. This is not to say I’ve been a terrible driver, but I certainly have been prone to using technology way more than is safe. Driving smarter doesn’t mean I don’t glance or tinker with a GPS address or even snap a photo (yesterday), but I am putting an effort into not using some features on my phone as often and am delaying adding that important note to my “to do list.” Phone calls and conversations, well I’m not as convinced yet that an attentive driver talking on the phone is as distracted as someone reading and sending text messages and emails … so I’m not ready to give that up.
If you need a little reinforcement, take a look at what happened to this Corvette in Bend, Oregon … “they found his cellphone still in his hand and his head in the back seat” as the FB caption goes.
Posted By RichC on August 17, 2012
Posted By RichC on August 16, 2012
Although I’ve been focused on my mom’s care and hospital stay (again at OSU Medical Center last night), I am still paying attention to the political campaigning going on in Ohio as well. Some may be getting tired of the nastiness, particularly coming from the Obama campaign, but am glad to hear Romney and Ryan focusing in on the real problems facing the country – that’s leadership. If we’re electing and paying their salaries, the least they can do is do the work of the people.
Taylor sent me a couple photos from the Ryan rally in Oxford yesterday (glad he went and is enthusiastic) and CNBC reported on the move to Canton Ohio this morning (video below). Glad to see the crowds and excitement.
Posted By RichC on August 15, 2012
It has been a tough week so far running back and forth to Columbus and OSU Medical Center to check on my mom and doesn’t look as if the next week will be much better. She is back in the hospital after never really recovering from her back surgery in May. 
Rehab in a nursing facility has been difficult and the pain too much for her to take – and for me to see. After another visit with the infectious disease doctor, he indicated that he could not in good conscience send her back without some new images and testing. So since Friday she has been poke and prodded, imaged and scanned … and questioned to the point of frustration by the excellent doctors and staff at OSU.
Thankfully while in the hospital they have given her stronger pain meds, but the results and conclusions have not been promising. The surgery to relieve the pressure on the nerves due to the compression fracture and infection(s) have not improved and she is having additional deterioration. The vertebrae are collapsing and squeezing the spinal column causing pain, numbness and loss of bladder and bowel control. The prognosis is that there can be no additional surgical repair and that medicating for pain is the only option. The is some hope that additional antibiotics could improve the infected tissue and vertebrae, but the question is becoming “quality of life” oriented. Mom’s asking every time they want to do something new, “what for?” Sadly, she is right … just suffering longer wouldn’t be my desire either. So today I’ve been making the hospice calls to see how to best proceed … those who have been through it know just how difficult these decisions are.
On a brighter note, I received an email invite (below) from a fellow Miami University alum inviting me to stop in and see him tomorrow night. No promises “Paul” … I’d love to be there! 
(sent the info to Taylor since he was moving back into his house for the school year … maybe he’ll go?)
Posted By RichC on August 14, 2012
Still pondering the new Motorola Android phone for Sprint’s LTE 4G … obviously no rush since this phone is not available yet, nor has the LTE service been rolled out.
http://www.sprint.com/landings/motorola_photonq/index.html
Posted By RichC on August 13, 2012
If you really want an iPhone, this could be the time to buy … although prices could go even lower towards the end of the year? It seems the older iPhone 4 and 4s are selling slower than most retailers (and by assumption, Apple) would like and so retailers are doing what they can to stimulate sales preceding the expected 
iPhone 5 release. As of last week, Sprint lowered their contract pricing and started selling the older iPhone 4 at $49.99 with a two-year contract and the current model, the iPhone 4s at $149.99 (a $50 change).
Interestingly, it seemed like just the other day (last year) we were talking iPhone 5 when Apple surprised us with the 4s model. This time they better go with “5” … but who knows, Apple does play games with their product naming – they could shake things up again? Whatever they call it, customers will most likely stand in line to buy the new one … that is unless they truly disappoint and don’t really have the rumored larger screen and offer higher 4G data connections. It does seem they are currently a bit behind Android phones when it comes to 4G and screen sizes. Being a Sprint customer, I’m curious just how a Sprint iPhone 5 will handle 4G. I assume they will only offer the LTE version even though most customers only have access to 3G or 4G Wimax in 2012. For those with a need for speed and openness to different carriers, I’d be closely looking at Verizon’s LTE offerings as some of the real life speeds are amazing … particularly uploads in 4G LTE cities.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said that speculation over Apple’s next big device may have hurt the sales of its current products, which grew at a slower rate than in previous quarters.
"There’s a lot of speculation out there," Cook said. "It’s difficult to sort out. But I’m fairly convinced based on what I’ve seen that there’s an incredible amount of anticipation out there."
The iPhone 5 is rumored to be released sometime in September, but Apple needs to be concerned that the slower rate could have to do with the improving Android products than anticipation of their new product. Frankly I’m have a déjà vu moment when it comes to Apple … the iPhone and iPad vs the Android phones and tablets … the OS battle remind of of the 1980s-90s. Once upon a time the Apple Macintosh with its mouse and graphical display were superior to the IBM and the DOS clone computers just as the iPhone “has” been. Eventually Microsoft and their Windows interface then OS equaled Apple … and the battle nearly sunk Apple. After recently playing with a few current phones running Android I realized that the Apple mobile dominance isn’t what is was. The advancements in Samsung, LG, Motorola and HTC devices and Google’s continually improving mobile OS Android has gained ground on Apple devices and their iOS (in my opinion) and unless the new iOS and iPhone are “homeruns,” I see their mobile dominance starting to slide … reminiscent of 1990s before Steve Jobs returned. Hmm … and this time I don’t see a Steve waiting in the wings … so Apple better stay focused and continue with their innovative ways.