Nice day to drive home
Posted By RichC on August 17, 2012
Paul Ryan is crisscrossing Ohio this week
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.
My mom is not recovering from back surgery as we had hoped
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?)
Looking forward to reading Motorola Photon Q reviews
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
In Apple iPhone 5 anticipation, iPhone 4 and 4s prices drop
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.
Happy 25th anniversary to Discovery Channel’s Shark Week
Posted By RichC on August 12, 2012
After posting the gentile dolphin video clip for today’s blog post, I remembered that Sunday is actually the beginning of Shark Week 2012 on the Discovery channel … and it’s not just any week, but the 25th anniversary. 
The attraction is most likely programming such as “Air Jaws” highlighting video of the Great White Sharks off South Africa rocketing up from 20 or 30 meters underwater to hit a seal on the surface or the shark attack stories of amputees that, in my opinion, overly frighten beachgoers. That said, they do have programing that educates in a way that differentiates sharks and what some are doing to protect endangers species.
Personally I’m looking forward to learning a little more about Megalodon and just how large they may have been; some paleontologist suggests that this prehistoric shark with 7+ inch teeth was large enough to fit the entire head of a T-Rex in its mouth in one bite (tooth video below).
Using the GoPro to film dolphins underwater
Posted By RichC on August 12, 2012
Beautiful! Thanks for the link Steve.
Romney’s great choice, his small gaffe and quick recovery
Posted By RichC on August 11, 2012
An interesting morning watching Mitt Romney announce his Republican running mate Paul Ryan … hopefully some video that can be recycled in the 2020 campaign. 
Mitt Romney’s VP choice of Paul Ryan expected today
Posted By RichC on August 11, 2012
So much for the “Mitt’s VP app” introduced by the Romney campaign last month. While paying attention to Twitter last night (and sharing a few tweets – right), the app on my iPad sat quiet. Each cable news channel was speculating who would be announce as Gov. Romney’s running mate and Foxnews campaign follower, Carl Cameron, pretty much confirmed that it would be Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan (my first post back in 2009).
While I wait for the announcement this morning aboard the USS Wisconsin in Norfolk, Virginia, I finally notices something appear on the “Mitt’s VP” app … a single photo of Romney and Ryan, but no announcement. So far a disappointment in the use of mobile technology, but a positive and bold pick by Mitt Romney and his campaign. Let’s hope that adding Paul Ryan to the ticket will bring real substance to the campaign mudslinging nonsense we’ve been seeing in recent weeks.
Mitt’s VP app on the iPad 8:10AM 8/11/2012 (below)
Trying to reduce the number of snapping turtles
Posted By RichC on August 10, 2012
I’m not sure every enviro-type defines having large snapping turtles as problem, but we’ve lost more ducklings to turtles than I can count. In fact, of the 10+ years of ducklings that have hatched and were spotted swimming around their mother, I don’t think one has made it into the air? Each day the ducks would paddle around behind their momma … and then the 5 or 6 became 4 … then three, two … one and then just the mom. The next year, the same thing would happen again.
So over the years my neighbor and I have been trying to reduce the snapping turtle numbers … who knows how many we have? Today, one more is headed for the garden graveyard. Besides snapping for my fingers, he gave me the “evil eye” one last time before the trigger was pulled. 