Posted By RichC on June 17, 2011

Well after hearing the latest rumor news from the Precentral blogs (Pre3 on Verizon and AT&T in July), I’m realizing that my days with a Palm Pre are numbered … maybe a good thing since I’ve enjoyed playing with a couple of the new Android phones in recent weeks.

For now I’m not in a rush to make a change nor am in a rush to make a new contract commitment with any particular carrier. As for a tablet or reader, I’m not rushing either; one of the only reasons I would have considered the HP Touchpad would have been because of its integration with the Pre3. (I did like the iPad though)

Those new $114 ad supported Kindles or $139 long battery life Nook readers are looking better all the time as a way to carry around some reading material when I travel?

Category: Cellphone, Technology | No Comments »
Tags: hp, palm, pre3, smarphone, sprint, touchpad

Posted By RichC on June 17, 2011

An interesting human/reptile interest story from Rexberg Idaho … not too far from Targhee National Forest, Grand Teton National park and Yellowstone National Park.

Some houses turn into moneys pits, but for one Idaho couple their dream home was a real s-s-s-snake pit.

Ben and Amber Sessions bought the sprawling house for a song in 2009, but when they moved, in they discovered the house was infested with thousands of garter snakes.

The ground outside the home sometime looked like it was moving, and the sound of snakes slithering through the walls kept them awake at night.

"It was like living in one of those horror movies," 31-year-old Ben Sessions said.

Experts said the home was likely built on a winter snake sanctuary – called a hibernaculum – where snakes gather to hibernate for the winter.

Read article it gets better …

Category: Misc, Nature | 3 Comments »
Tags: snakes

Posted By RichC on June 16, 2011

Many who know me are well aware that I enjoy following sailors who set out on voyages across the oceans of our world. One couple, Mark and Judy Handley, have been exceptional at posting daily updates and making their travels both easy and interesting to follow. I’ve corresponded with them over the years and have enjoyed many an informative email exchange with Mark and Judy regarding things that they have learned thoughout the years (I shared some of our exchange when during my son’s spring break aboard Encore this past spring).

The two experienced bluewater voyagers recently returned to the United States in their 6th year of sailing around the world aboard their 42 foot Tayana sailboat called Windbird – see HandleySail.com. If you are tight on time, don’t try to read their ‘logs’ until you have rested eyes and at least a week … and perhaps another few days for their photos. Judy is currently working on sorting out the very best photos in order to create a presentation … one I hope to see someday. If you only do one thing, take a minute and watch their accelerated plots on the Shiptrak Log entries map.

Currently the Handleys are enjoying a relaxing family and friends homecoming at their intended U.S. landfall of South Carolina … where Mark is also being treated for a “hopefully” minor medical issue. Get well soon Mark … I still need a more advice.

Category: Sailing, Travel | 1 Comment »
Tags: circumnavigation, crusing, handley, sailing, voyaging

Posted By RichC on June 15, 2011

Adding another update from Chris for my family regarding RHM in Constanta Romania.

===

Dear all friends and family and supporters,

Misu welcomes ALL!  Wednesday started with another incredible worship and Jessica and Lucianna song time.  Almost all the parents returned and all the kids were back along with helpers, siblings and cousins.  We bring enough crafts for all of them.

Laura and Marius (w/c), Liviu(lt), Dr. Gabi, Kim Slade and Viorica, a helper from Livius church.

We found out today that Nicu wants to be baptised and we may all be here to see it happen on Sunday……..sorry honey, I know this will kill you to miss it but I will video if I don’t break another camera….OOOoopps!  We find out tomorrow if Liviu is able to arrange it…..Nicu (picture below) is Angela’s son who can hardly speak, has difficulty with all his extremities and walking and fine motor skills but always has a sweet smile on his face and is one of the sweetest boys you could ever know, only rivaled by Vasilica.  When he is asked who he is trusting for his salvation, points to the sky and says, "Jesis".  Angela, who we have spoken about in the past is one of our foundation parents who is in great distress and poverty but has trusted Christ and on our visit to Romania LAST year, pointed to the verse in her Romanian Bible in Psalms where it says, "Blessed are those who help the poor"……she smiles through her pain because of Christ.

A very special moment for me today was when Jessica, my niece, (sister and brother in law Ann and Gary Gerber in Atlanta) choreographed her own ballet dance to "You are my All in All"……….I will attach it if I can but when we went to visit Angela and Nicu today, Angela said that was the first time she had seen a ‘ballet’……I could barely film it for the tears in my eyes…..It was amazing to see my 15 y.o. niece so confident, talented yet so willing to serve and use the gifts God has given her in ROMANIA with ME!  It was a bit overwhelming.

Liviu, our social worker, did the teaching today, or I should say ‘preaching’…we could not understand him but were drawn as were the rest,  to his passion, enthusiasm, conviction and love for Christ.   We are lucky to have him ……and his very being emanates with humility and his passion for Christ…….I don’t know to many people who actually live to serve God…….he is one! The theme was a great one today, The Cross and Salvation……..the simple gospel was presented clearly to some who have received, others who still reject, and many who can’t resist the love and faith they see.

Lt to Rt…..Carmen, Dr Gabi, Kim Slade, Angela in back rt.

Above, Dr. Gabi in back with Angela and Kim Slade, Front is Carmen, Christina’s mom and another caregiver.  Lt. photo is Christina and Katelyn in the back.  Rt. is Angela and Nicu.  They are both holding up their Superstar Posters.

Tomorrow is our last day of camp but luckily not our last day with the kids and families…..that will be Saturday at the big family picnic…..I will write more tomorrow…….hopefully we will have more home visits tomorrow…….We were to visit Lucianna today but her mother works ALL DAY and Lucianna is alone for hours except for the time she spends at the Madison Center, luckily…..but today, her mom, Elena called and was not available for the visit..  Life is hard for her and in order to make it she must work several jobs.  Perhaps we can visit tomorrow.

Our rather elegant ‘Ball Room’ setting for camp is quite the change from all past experiences…..it really gives us room to spread out, the acoustics are great for our lively music and worship and if you have a voice like mine, you don’t even need a mic.  Tomorrow I hope to join the entire group, all parents too, in the closing ‘snake’ to EVERLASTING God!  Although we can be miles apart for most of the year and an entire language apart when we are here…….there is a very special bond and unspoken yet spoken connection that you have to be here to explain and experience.  We are the privileged ones and always receive more than we give.

Until tomorrow……Chris for Team 2011

Category: Faith | No Comments »
Tags: rhm, romanian handicapped ministries

Posted By RichC on June 15, 2011

Saw this and thought it might be good to talk about with my kids … or add to that Life Lessons Learned advice book I’ve always talked about writing.

10 Biggest Money Wasters

CNN Money lists the 10 biggest money wasters as follows:

• ATM fees
• Lottery tickets
• Gourmet coffee
• Cigarettes
• Infomercial impulse buys
• Brand-name groceries
• Eating out
• Unused gym memberships
• Daily internet deals
• Bundled cable or phone services

Here’s how I stand with these:

• ATM fees — The last time I used an ATM machine was probably sometime in the 90’s. The reasons:

1. We don’t spend much cash — we use credit cards and pay them off every month.
2. When we did need cash, we’d go to the bank, get a bundle ($300 or so), and that would last us forever.
3. Since my son and I started refereeing soccer games, I am flush with cash (the teams pay in cash prior to the game being done.)
4. I have $1,000 or so in gold $1 coins left over from last year.

• Lottery tickets — Don’t buy them.
• Gourmet coffee — Don’t drink coffee. I prefer my caffeine cold, and we get free sodas at work (which I try to limit since they are not good for you IMO.)
• Cigarettes — Never have smoked, never will.
• Infomercial impulse buys — Nope.
• Brand-name groceries — We do buy generic/store brands quite often, but I do have a few brand-name items I like and will pay more for. That said, if you can combine a sale with a coupon, you can often get brand-name items for the same price or less.
• Eating out — We eat out once a week or so (if you include ordering a pizza.) We tend to eat a mid-priced (at best) places like Logan’s, Panera Bread, and Papa John’s, not higher-end restaurants. And we don’t order drinks (we have water) or desserts out.
• Unused gym memberships — I have a membership to the local pool and have been there an average of five days per week for the past two years. Why would someone buy a gym membership and then not use it?
• Daily internet deals — Ha! Guess who doesn’t like Groupon! 🙂
• Bundled cable or phone services — Note that they say these are a waste "if you don’t use the services." Isn’t everything a waste if you don’t use it?
• So I seem like a spending saint, huh? Rest-assured that I have my money wasters too — but I try to keep them to a bare minimum. 😉

How about you? Is there anything you think you waste money on (or would at least try to spend less on)?

Category: Advice, Archive, Financial | No Comments »
Tags: archive, finance, money

Posted By RichC on June 15, 2011

Not a bad week for Audi; they continue to dominate with diesel powered Le Mans racing TDIs and show of the tweaking o their diesel-hybrid technology in the e-Tron Spyder plug-in diesel as well. From my perspective the supercar styling isn’t half bad either. 

It was a big weekend for Audi, which debuted a new e-Tron diesel plug-in Spyder. And after losing two of three cars to horrifying crashes, an Audi diesel went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Audi just dominated the track and the news all weekend, starting with the debut of the e-Tron Spyder plug-in diesel hybrid concept. A twin-turbocharged 3.0 liter turbo diesel TDI engine sends 300 horsepower and 479 ft-lbs of torque to the rear wheels, while dual electric motors send 87 horsepower and 260 ft-lbs of torque to the front wheels. For those of you doing the math, that is a grand total of 387 horsepower and 739 ft-lbs of torque. Oh, and there’s a seven-speed transmission all up in there. I’d hate to be an Audi mechanic reading this right now.

Now here’s the impressive part; this concept could get as much as a 107 MPGe rating on the EPA cycle, thanks to its 31-mile all electric range. On top of that it emits just 95 grams of CO2/mile. A single fill-up of the 13-gallon gas tank can take you as far as 621 miles, which would average out to around 47 mpg on the road. Not bad for a car that can go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, and has a governed top speed of 155 mph. I hope we see more diesel-hybrids soon.

via gas2.org

 

Posted via email from RichC’s posterous

 

Category: Automotive, Diesel | 3 Comments »
Tags: audi, diesel, hybrid, le mans, plug-in

Posted By RichC on June 15, 2011

It is hard to believe, but yesterday was the first chance I had to play with an Apple iPad – thanks @jwestwood. I surprised at just how snappy the large touchscreen was on her second generation tablet as compared to my aging Palm Pre. I especially liked the optional Logitech Bluetooth cover/keyboard … although the weak key design could be improved (keyfaces break/fall off).

All in all I can see what an uphill battle there will be for competitive devices from HP, Blackberry and the variety of Android tablets. On the other hand, for a simple book reader it sure is hard to beat a non-glaring Kindle or Nook … especially the smaller, longest life new Nook if they really have the library lending thing working well?

Category: Technology | No Comments »
Tags: ipad, kindle, nook, tablet, touchpad

Posted By RichC on June 14, 2011

Category: Faith | No Comments »
Tags: rhm, romanian handicapped ministries

Posted By RichC on June 14, 2011

A story that might make more than a couple people I know smile when they go to bed tonight. (I’m thinking of my hard working brother-in-law).

The hearing to determine if Cincinnati attorney Stan Chesley will be able to keep his law license to practice in Kentucky and possibly in Ohio ended in Lexington Tuesday afternoon.

The Board of Governors of the Kentucky Bar Association has voted to accept the Trial Commissioners recommendation that Chesley be disbarred and repay more than $7 million in legal fees.

Chesley can appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of Kentucky, after which the court will have 60 days to make a decision.

READ Story

WCPO New video below

Category: Local, News | 1 Comment »
Tags: attorney, law, stan chesley

Posted By RichC on June 14, 2011

Category: Faith | No Comments »
Tags: rhm, romanian handicapped ministries