Summer 2014 August 18 Monday (Toothbrush Test)

79 degrees this morning.  However, there was a fierce looking storm coming in.  By the time I finished my walk, the wind was up and it looked like it was about to storm.  

Walk was 54.21 minutes.  I realized this morning that I need to develop another route, for possible stormy weather.  At the furtherest extreme, I am 25 minutes away from home.  Around here, 25 minutes can be a long time if it starts raining.  I can only run so fast!  I was surprised to see how fast it came in (from the north) on what seemed a storm a long ways off.  

I read  a quote this morning about Google’s procedure  on how to purchase companies, the “Toothbrush Test” something to the effect of “Buy it only if you are going to use it at least once or twice a day and it is going ot make your life better”.  

I think I will start using the “Toothbrush Test”  as a consideration when I buy something!  May be a way of  reducing “stuff”.  I may take it one step further and make it a test on what I keep.  While the “use it once or twice a day” may have to be relaxed somewhat (such as clothes etc.) and I would need to use some common sense (for example, luggage isn’t used every day, but it would not be smart to not have any), it still makes a good test.  

Another interesting item the story mentioned (it was a story in the New York Times), was that many tech companies have their own Investment Bankers and don’t pay the huge fees investment bankers etc.  received.  Made my heart feel good to hear that.  Ever since I heard about investment bankers ordering $8,000 bottles of wine, I figured they had to be overcompensated for what they do, and probably make huge contributions to make sure they can keep charging excessive huge fees. Same as with “Private Equity” companies.  

Anyway, I will start reviewing stuff to donate/toss/sell with the “Toothbrush Test” in mind and see how I have to modify it as I implement it.   I will also think about it before I buy anything.

Interesting program Saturday morning streaming live on the computer, the “Bagpipe finals”  (this may be a very loose translation).  Anyway, it was interesting because it was live, and the commentators gave their frank opinions of the performances.  The performances seemed to me to be perfect.  I don’ t know how they can blow so long, I guess long time practice.  

A friend who is a very accomplished bag piper mentioned it was on to me (it was streamed live, which means it was on from about 3:30 a.m..

That shows the difference in just the last few years, when I read the New York Times on my computer or iPad and watch a live bagpipe contest on my computer!  I do wish I could have recorded it , I think I can do it.  Another item for y “do do list.

My experiment at reading something I ordinary wouldn’t read  “15 minutes a day”  is not proceeding well.  It goes well when I think of it, but it just seems like there is too much to do!  I have a stack of “Cliff Notes”  (actually a lot of different summaries) about a foot high.  If I don’t start reading them I am going to give up and donate them!  Not really, not as long as the possibility exists I will eventually read them.  Maybe the “Toothbrush Test” should be applied here!  Or maybe not.  

Maybe the Toothbrush Test should be changed to “once or twice per year” for some items, such as luggage, clothes, 

I just realized my tooth implants are costing a lot more than I was led to believe and the final stage may even include additional charges.  One Dentist I had gave me detailed charges before I had anything done, and I am going to insist on that after this.  I think it is only fair. 

The “Toothbrush Test”.   It always makes me happy to find at least one thing I can use  in may daily reading etc.!

That’s it for today, Monday, August 18, 2014.

Spring 2014 April 14 Monday

61 degrees this morning, light rain (probably after heavy rain last week).

Listening to my Chinese language tape, I am somewhat surprised to learn that in the Chinese language, America means "beautiful land".  No reason I was surprised, I just was.  May mean that America was discovered by Chinese explorers!  Actually the basic simple spoken Chinese language (with the tones, which of course is something I will never learn) is fairly simple.  Of course, remembering what to say at the right time is more difficult!

This morning I read an article with the term "Grey Ceiling", to represent ageism in hiring and other personnel actions.  Four months ago, I wouldn't have believed it, or at least not understood the full prevalance of it.  Not me as such, but horror stories I have heard.

Speaking of criminals, I always get angry when I read about a group or individual that own the majority shares of a  business company (usually a "hedge fund"), who borrows a lot of money to issue a "special dividend" to themselves (I have seen as high as 3 billion dollars!), they then "spin off" the company to unsuspecting shareholders and the company is unable to operate under the debt load (which unjustly enriched the previous owners) and declares bankruptcy.  I guess in addition to wondering why these criminals aren't in jail, why do the banks (or whomever) loan the money in such a scheme?  I assume it is greed, the loan is probably high interest and they think "this time" the loan will be good.  How is this any different than looting a company of it's cash and leaving town? I get angry than realize I can't do anything about it (other than avoid their stocks) and don't worry about it.  However, I can state my opinion.  Lands End is the latest of these capers and I just read about it.  Probably the less I say about my feelings about this the better since I am sure they are well covered by contributions to lawmakers.

I discovered an app "WeChat"  (actually the person who we are consulting about our China trip told us about it, apparently it originated in China.  We will be able to make phone calls on it on wifi without using the very expensive international minutes. I have used it a little and it works well.  "Whatsapp" is another one.  (I think that was the one purchased by Facebook, so who knows what might happen with that).  Of course, the other party needs to have it also and I haven't been able to get on my iPad.

I'm debating bringing a camera with me.  The iPhone camera (or iPad camera) works so well, but it does have some limits.

Probably a rainy day today.  Made my first "Memorial" pictures of some hats that I am going to give/throw away (so I remember the event).  Trying to decide how to proceed after this, as far as where to post.  I really like this idea.

Making up some business cards in both English and Chinese for my trip, and for use afterwards.  I always have fun working on a project like this and probably spend a lot more time than I should on it.

That's it for now.

Spring 2014 April 10 Thursday

54 degrees this morning.  Looks like it is going to be a great day.

My posts may be a little different for the next week.  My beloved MacBook Air (which is absolutely the best computer I have ever used) is in the Apple hospital getting it's screen replaced, or at least a good checkup.  Not quite sure what was happening, but ever since I owned it, it "cuts out"  very rarely (probably once every two weeks at the most).  I would plug it in and it would start up again with no problems.  Sometimes I'll just hit a key.  I actually thought I was hitting the "off" key in error and it happened so infrquently that I didn't really think about it.

Then I discovered I could restart it by "shaking" the computer.  It hasn't happened for almost a month now, but I decided I needed to get i fixed, especially while i is under warrantly.  Unfortuately it has to go off and not come back for 3-7 days!!!! I kept putting it off, but I will need it for some trips and of course for China.

Of course I do have other computers, ipads etc.  This is actually being written on a 9 year old GMac i5 desktop, with an 18 year old tv beside it!  How time does pass!  

I actually got the tv right before I met Aliene (or at least right before we started dating), so I can pinpoint almost the exact date.  I didn't have cable tv, since I rarely watched tv,  and I decided I was going to stay home more and to out less, so I got cable and a new tv (also, Angela was grouching about it).  Of course, i watched it very little.  Anyway, 18 years later it is obsolete, but still works fine with the box.

I read this morning where T-Mobile was bragging about "no hidden fees" etc.  Try to get the "free" 200 mg for the new T-Mobile ipad.  They will stick you with a $10 per month charge and other "hidden" fees and even the T Mobile reps will insist you need to ake the $10 per month "fee schedule".  Even after they agree I do qualify for the "free" 200 mg per month, the $10 per month still appears (along with other charges for who knows what (such as usage charges when I only use wifi etc.  I literally have to call every bill and the original represetative can't discuss it, so I am sent to someone else etc.  

It will be interesting to see if not haveng my regular computer will make a difference in how or what I write.  

Relatively busy day.  Had an Apple appt. yesterday, learning about "iMovie" (so I can edit by "go Pro" videos and other videos, plus I left my laptop.  Going by today to pickup the backup. Also plan to finalize the China trip.  

Aliene is back on her regular exercise prograrm, which is good.  

Hopefully I can also get the VPN up and running today.

That's it for now.

Winter 2014 March 20 Thursday

46 degrees this morning.  A little colder than I expected 46 degrees to be!  However, Spring is almost here!

The "toss and pack" is continuing.  Kali and Katherine have actually been a lot of help, not bad for 11 and 14 years old.  I was surprised at how many "Hot Wheels"  cars I have (both the Hot Wheels and other brands).  Hopefully they will see the light of day in the near future. I was thinking when I got out of the Air Force and my first move to my first "real" job in Liberal, Kansas, everything I owned fit in a car trunk!  Now I have a hard time getting everything in a moving van!  Possessions truly become our masters if we aren't careful.  

Starting on the book by Joshua Zeitz, "Lincoln's Boys" about John Hay and John Nicolay who were his Secretaries.  I didn't realize that his papers were private until 1947, so basically they were the only two who had full access to his papers.  When I was in Washington D.C. over a year ago, I especially enjoyed going to Lincoln's "Country House", although it wasn't open when  we went there.  It apparently was the only place he could truly relax.

In an epic fight with T-Mobile.  Since I use very little cellular (mostly WiFi) on my iPad, I bought an iPad from T-Mobile since they offer 200 mg of free 4g if you buy a 4g iPad from them.  In this case, I cancelled my ATT service for my old obsolete original iPad which was about $20 per month and agreed to buy the iPad for about $25 a month with 200 mb free per month.  (I actually bought an iPad Mini also at a slightly less charge, same agreement, so only the iPad Air was actually somewhat "free".)  SURPRISE.  There is a $10 per month"demand" charge for each iPad. I had to talk with two people at T-Mobile before I could even get them to agree that the $10 was not mandatory and then I was shunted off to someone else and I finally hung up.  However, at least I got them to agree that the $10 per month charge was voluntary and not mandatory.  They are as bad as airlines.

I have to admit I get really tired and angry of the price gouging by Delta and Hertz, but the personnel actually performing the service are almost always great and very helpful and frequently can find me a way out of some of the bureaucracy of both of them. 

That's it for new.  May add more later today as life goes on.

Winter 2014 January 7 Tuesday

5 degrees this morning.  (yes, five degrees, single digit!).  This is the coldest it has been since we moved here, I can't actually rememberer the last time it has been this cold.  Walked this mooring, not bad.  I don't bicycle out of caution.  I did ride yesterday in about 14 degree weather, and it really wasn't that bad, except for my fingers getting cold.  +15 libs over my target weight today, although only the Monday weigh-in is recorded.

Apple store today to try to figure out my iPhoto photos.  I have a lot of photos to delete and organize.  I am also going to try a new keyboard for my iPad which is connoted with magnets. I haven't had a lot of luck with magnet conniptions, but I couldn't really find anything else.  I bought a "smart cover", which turned out to be an absolute disaster, one of the worst products Apple has ever made.  (I dropped the iPad twice due to the defective "smart cover".  Even Apple personnel recommended I go to Office Depot (not specifically, but to another store) to get a decent case. Hopefully this will work out better, but I have 14 days to take it back.  

Noted in the WSJ this morning that "ginger" may help asthma.  I need to let Angela know about that.  I have "exercise induced" (which is made worse by cold weather) asthma, but it really isn't that bad.  I cover my mouth when I exercise in the cold and do the 'puffs".

The "puffs" are a perfect example of environmental stupidly or maybe a payoff some place.  The "puffs" were working find and were cheap to buy.  THEN to minimize the "environmental impact" of all of those puffs (probably  one minute of a small jet from all of them together), the FDA changed the standards and only one company could meet the standards.  Of course the price went sky-high and it doesn't work near as good.  I strongly believe in environmental improvement, but his was simply stupid, someone had they head in a place it shouldn't be.  To be honest, I don't know for sure that this explanation is true, but I know it went from a very effective drug to a lot less effective and substantially more expensive.  A pharmanist told me about the FDA and the reason for the change was the "environmental damage" caused by the aerosol. 

"Weeded out" two file drawers yesterday.  A lot of memories in there, but very little I really needed.  I thought about scanning all of it before I tossed it, but decided not to. Probably, after not looking at it for at least 7 years, I will need it tomorrow!  There are a few items I will send to "shoeboxed" to get scanned.   I am going back to try to weed one book per day.  It is hard to do, believe it or not. 

I looked at the "Apple" remote control Ferrari on the Brookstone web site, and, sure enough, I get this creepy message about the item in my Facebook news feed.  Makes you want to get disconnected, at least don't give your real name.  I'm sure I will start getting junk mail and junk phone calls now about it.  One reason I NEVER use the "sign in with Facebook" option.  

Need to go through my papers today again and start sorting stuff out.  Actually hasn't been that bad yet.  One good thing I don't have to weed stuff, I just want to slim it down a little!