Time to open the pool and enjoy a fire on the back porch

Posted By on April 20, 2010

timetoopenthepool100419It was a pleasant spring evening on the back porch after opening the pool on Monday. We are a bit late this year in getting the cover off and I expected to see some pretty grungy water … but was pleasantly surprised; I think it’s the best it has ever looked after pulling the cover off. While filling the pool I starting to think we were experiencing an earthquake since the water in the pool began sloshing even withoutIt's a perfect evening for reading a book by the fire. on Twitpic anyone in the water, although it turned out to be the level of water rising to just the right level to where the pump pressure caused the sloshing action. (Palm Pre photos both direct and using Twitpic as well as non-audio cellphone video embed of the ‘sloshing’ below)

All in all it was also a nice evening to put the cushions back on the chairs and enjoy a fire in the outdoor fireplace. The wind was light to non-existent as evening approached and the fire just about perfect for taking off the chill and reading a book.

Category: Personal, Photos, Video | 2 Comments »
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Slower than expected release reinforced by Adobe’s CEO

Posted By on April 19, 2010

Delayed or no delay? In an interview with Fox Business News, Adobe‘s CEO Shantanu Narayen commented that Flash 10.1 for mobile devices would be available in the second half of 2010. Earlier this year many Palm webOS users expected to have Flash available much sooner (link) and have been disappointed in the delay. Some suggest that it is because of a public beta for Android devices that will soon to be available — sign up here. Others, like InformationWeek‘s Eric Zeman says “everyone has it wrong” and that Adobe will release Flash for mobile devices by “the end of the first half of the year — by June 30th.” He writes: Adobe spokesperson Stefan Offermann told InformationWeek via email, “Adobe is still on track making Flash Player 10.1 for first mobile platforms including Android available before the end of the first half of 2010.”

Posted via email from richc’s posterous

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Spoof: ‘Mission Accomplished’ Reporter Mike Tobin returns to US

Posted By on April 19, 2010



Letter from Mike Tobin:

“… this trip is the one that ends more than half a decade of living in Jerusalem and moves me back to the US. It is with no small amount of doubt that I packed my bags and left the Middle East. The threat of a conflict with Iran is still out there. Gilad Shalit has yet to be released by his Hamas captors. Hizbollah has re-fortified its weapons stockpiles on Israel’s border. Any of these factors could spark a major news event. It’s hard to explain the mindset of a reporter, but as horrible as these events could be, I’d hate to miss a chance to cover it.

However, 6 and a-half years ago, I shook the hand of one of our network VP’s, promised to do at least 2 years in Israel and fell in to the trap so many US Presidents have. I got studied up on the Israel/Palestinian conflicts and reached the conclusion that the solutions were easy; draw some lines on the map, make some compromises and everyone moves on to a better future. That is why we saw both President Clinton and President Bush make a concentrated effort on the conflict at the end of their terms. It seems like an easy win. I foolishly thought I could be the guy who could stand there and announce to the world ‘It’s over.’ Everyone leaves frustrated.

The flaw in the thinking comes at the compromise. All parties are painted into a corner and so concerned about the perception of weakness that they cannot make a move. Taking the lead from President Obama, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas put out his ultimatum: ‘No peace talks without a freeze on settlement construction’ and now he can’t back down. Prime Minister Netanyahu can’t stop building for fear the right wingers in his government will leave his coalition and his government will be toppled. The way Roger Cohen wrote it in the New York Times, “Day by day, square meter by square meter, the physical space for a second state, Palestine, is disappearing.” Sitting here today the two state solution seems out of reach.

I’ve watched the lives of Palestinian families go from limited to miserable. I’ve watched Israelis protectively pull themselves into a shell like turtles fending off an attack and I’ve watched journalists covering this conflict slip into bitterness, alcoholism and worse. People talk about conflict journalists suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome because of the violence they witness. The violence never got to me. It’s the hopelessness that breaks your heart.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d never trade the experiences gained over the last 6 years and I’m grateful to Fox News for presenting me with the challenge. Through it I’ve gained the friendship of brave people like Jennifer Griffin and the crew out there. We went through the good, the bad and the ugly. We were rocketed, mortared, shot at and stoned together. We froze on the hilltop and sweltered in the desert. When some got married, we danced at the weddings. When others had babies, we attended the christening/briss together. While we covered everything from Christmas to Kytusha rockets, we argued, had heart to heart talks and always found occasion to laugh so hard our ribs got sore.

Moving forward, I think I’ll be able to serve you much better from Chicago. My humble beginnings as a broadcaster came in 1986 as a disk jockey in a bar there on Division Street. I’ve been a spectator to bare knuckles Chicago politics before. That region has a talent for producing red-meat type of news. Reporting from the same side of the globe, I’ll be able to hit Greta’s show without staying up till 5 am. And if the boys start playing rough overseas again, I’ll be first to put my hand up and ask for a plane ticket.
In the meantime, take a look at the spoof video the Jerusalem crew put together for my departure. Slathered in an extra helping of machismo, it should give you an idea of the sense of humor we shared out there.

All the best and thanks for all your feedback, it put a lot of wind in my sails.
Mike

Posted via email from richc’s posterous

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Already pinched taxpayers needed to fund ‘green’ jobs

Posted By on April 19, 2010

Although I’d like to see new jobs in our country, it sure would be nice if they were not on the backs of taxpayers.
In a WSJ article this morning, cities looking to transform themselves into ‘green central’ are finding out that it isn’t easy and that they are pinning success on incentives from government.

“Joliet is discovering what cities across the U.S. have found: Declaring that a city is going to replace yesterday’s lost jobs with new green ones is a lot easier than actually doing so. Cities from Tulsa to Honolulu proclaim themselves destined to become leaders in green jobs, a broad classification for work tied to renewable energy and energy efficiency that includes insulators and solar-panel installers.”
Full WSJ article

Posted via email from richc’s posterous

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A reminder to clean the camera lens on your phone

Posted By on April 18, 2010

Cleaning smartphone lensAfter noticing the color saturation and sharpness in photos coming from my Palm Pre smartphone were not the same as the first photos I took,  I realized that just a cursory wipe of the lens wasn’t good enough.

So let this post serve as a reminder to clean the lint, oils, dust, etc. out of your cellphones tiny camera lens with a cotton swab or eyeglasses wipe once in awhile. Many experts recommend avoiding alcohol or any harsh glass cleaners, opting instead for a plastic surface flat screen TV or computer monitor ‘safe’ cleaner. While alcohol may not hurt most plastics, I’d error on the side of caution and use something intended for delicate plastic surfaces … when in doubt, a dab of bottles water with a drop of vinegar is excellent. Remember too, plastic displays and lenses on most cellphones scratch easily.

As a test, below is an unretouched photo merge (besides resizing and adding text) taken on a bright sunny day (click photo for larger view).

Before and after cleaning of Palm Pre lens

Category: Cellphone, Photos | 1 Comment »
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Lt Dan Band to be at EAA Airventure 2010 in Oshkosh WI

Posted By on April 17, 2010

airventureheader2010

It’s hard not to appreciate Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band and what they do for veterans as they travel around the country (and world) supporting causes that benefit our troops … and the children our soldiers find themselves protecting: Operation Iraqi Children both in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For aviation advocates, and in particular Warbird lovers, his band will be performing at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh Wisconsin this summer. They are a perfect fit for the crowd and will be an outstanding way to show appreciation for those who have, and continue, to put on a uniform to defend our country and freedom. (The concert, sponsored by EAA Warbirds of America and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), is scheduled for Friday, July 30)

Brightcove Video archive was removed ☹️

America Supports You is a website launched by the Department of Defense to provide a resource for supporting our troops in service around the world.

Operation International Children

Operation International Children was created by Gary Sinise and author Laura Hillenbrand to enable Americans to send School Supply Kits to Iraqi children.

USO

USO.ORG – The USO mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform.

CD For the Troops

The CD "For The Troops" is a free compilation of songs exclusively for the American Armed Forces. Approximately 200,000 hard copies of the CD, funded by TriWest Healthcare Alliance, will be distributed to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and on U.S. military hospitals and bases, to USO clubs, and Fisher Houses.

 

More Links – Veterans Resources

Adopt a Soldier

American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial

Boaters Of America Say Thank You

Blue Star mothers of America

Disabled American Veterans

Disability.gov / Mesothelioma

Give to the Troops

Guardians of Glory

Hero Box

Honor Flight Chicago

MOMS Cookies

Operation Homelink

Operation Support Our Troops Illinois

Pentagon Memorial Fund

Salute America’s Heroes

Strumming for Vets

Treats for Troops

United State Vietnam Arts Program

USO of Illinois

Vets Tribute

EDIT ADD: A link to add on the request of a wife of a vet: Online Resources for Veterans Seeking Remote Work

Category: Aviation, Entertainment, Video | 2 Comments »
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Yard and dishwasher projects and a little reading

Posted By on April 16, 2010

dishwasherscratchedChecking my list for the weekend and it looks as if there is a bit of work in the yard … yes the grass is growing, as are the weeds. But higher on the priority list is installing our new “cash for appliances” energy efficient dishwasher. Unfortunately the delivery was not without an issue … a scratch on the front. 
🙁
Not to worry, the dealer ordered a new front panel and said that theloomingtower_lawrencewrightI can install as planned and just replace the front panel when it come in.

Also on my list is a new book, well new to me. I’ve been planning to read The Looming Tower, the Lawrence Wright Pulitzer Prize winning narrative detailing the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda and the failures in the intelligence community preceding the airliner attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The historical perspective is said to be the “definitive history of the long road to Septemeber 11.”

And to light the mood …  the latest issue (May) of Cruising World was in the mailbox today … ahhh, back porch reading.

cw_cover_may2010

Category: Books, History, Personal, Sailing | 2 Comments »
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Palm shares rise after RBC runs buyout numbers – BusinessWeek

Posted By on April 16, 2010

Shares of Palm Inc. rose Friday after an analyst said the cell phone maker might be worth more then generally thought if it is bought out.

The Sunnyvale, Calif., company’s stock has dwindled from January’s high of $14.17, with even Palm’s latest phones selling poorly. It brought out a completely new operating system, and phones based on it, last year in an attempt to revitalize its portfolio.

Earlier this week, media reports said the company had hired investment banks to look for buyers.

Mike Abramsky at RBC Capital Markets wrote in research report Friday that a buyer might pay as much as $14 per share for Palm, if it really wants Palm’s well-reviewed new operating system, webOS.

“Potential acquirers may look beyond Palm’s struggling hardware business and capital structure … and see a rare opportunity to acquire a modern Smartphone OS, unique R&D team and budding developer ecosystem,” Abramsky wrote.

Shares rose 16 cents, or 3 percent, to $5.56 in afternoon trading.

Top potential buyers, in his view, are Hewlett-Packard Co. and Sony Ericsson. HP has only a modest, business-oriented phone portfolio, based on the aging Windows Mobile system. Sony Ericsson uses three different operating systems right now, none of which are unique to its phones, and might be interested in a chance to differentiate itself and simplify its product lineup, Abramsky wrote.

Other potential acquirers, in Abramsky’s view are Nokia Corp., the world’s largest maker of phones, and HTC Corp., which specializes in smart phones.

via businessweek.com

Posted via web from richc’s posterous

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Idol like talent Lin Yu Chun generates millions of YouTube views

Posted By on April 16, 2010

chun_parton_houston Although I’m not a fan of the “idol” television program(s), I archived the impressive performance by UK’s Susan Boyle who shocked the world about this time last year – by the way the online web video of that has generated over 90 million views. As shocking as it was to hear Susan Boyle, a similar Taiwanese talent is triggering the same kind of response and generating views in the millions on YouTube as well.

The unlikely looking bow-tied young man with a bowl hair cut, Lin Yu Chun, has wowed judges in a program called Super Star Avenue with his pitch perfect Whitney Houston (watch) rendition of the Dolly Parton (watch) hit “I Will Always Love You.”

He can certainly sing (below).

Category: Archive, Entertainment, Social Media, Video | No Comments »
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Didn’t think I’d go without an April 15 TAX day post, did ya?

Posted By on April 15, 2010

This content is restricted.

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Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog