24 June 2009 Technology Tips
Here are a couple of new things I found on the web. Check it out and see if they help you at all.
Things To Do At Home Or Travel: If you are planning a trip or going to stay close to home this summer, NextStop.com is a site that may help you find things to do. There’s plenty to see and explore nearby. It will help you find the most interesting attractions in your area. There are also plenty of restaurants you will enjoy trying. Check it out. http://www.nextstop.com/
Your Webcam Help With Software: There are many things you can do with a Webcam. And the software you use should allow you to do it. You can take photos and record video with your Webcam. Those photos can be directly uploaded to the Web. You could use motion sensing to activate your Webcam. And there is a whole lot more. Yawcam is free program that can do everything you need. Most of it can be automated. You can also schedule the recording of photos and video. Couple this with motion sensing and you’ve got a security camera. It can record while you’re out. But it won’t bother when you’re home http://www.yawcam.com/
One I have shared before is www.AbeBooks.com as a place to order books online for a great price. They offer used books on all subjects and in good condition. I get almost all my books from them now. Check them out.
Have a great summer and check back here for news on the market and other technology tips.
It’s a Good Life!!
Jerry W. Robertson
It is happening right now…
There are things in our lives that we can predict. Sometimes it is based on the past as in ‘the sun rises in the east’ and ‘it will rise tomorrow’. We are all pretty sure we can count on that. We know from school about the Law of Supply and Demand. It is called a law because it works every single time. It is like the Law of Gravity. It works every time.
Sometimes there are things we can show are likely to happen. My dad used to say ‘nothing good happens after midnight’ and he was right. While not a law it was a principle that we could apply and frankly I said it to my own boys while they were growing up. Another principle is to buy real estate and hold on to it and the value will increase. Some are questioning the validity of that statement but we are beginning to see the tangible evidence that it is true.
We have had a big adjustment the last few years and it has been painful for lots of people but frankly this adjustment was delayed and inevitable. There are signs that it just may be over.
From The Good News Economist come two articles that you need to see. Home prices are up in a dozen cities is the US is the first article and it shows real data about price increases. The second article shows us that sales numbers are increasing in and inventory is dropping. Even better news is the decline in the number of sales that are foreclosures. It dropped from 50% to about 33%. That is good news for homeowners that have to sell.
The Law of Supply and Demand apply to housing just like anything else. We are going to see some more foreclosures although maybe not as many as some would predict. I just read how the LIBOR rate (used to adjust some mortgage rates on the ARM type) is falling and many home owners are seeing their rates adjust DOWN and that saves them money every month. With the inventory decreasing and the demand increasing as buyers finally get out there as they see interest rates begin to rise; we are seeing offers become more reasonable, prices stabilize and rise again. I am even seeing some multiple offer situations happen again.
It is happening right now so check out the data for yourself and let me know how I can help. If you know anyone having trouble buying or selling in this market please call me. I can help.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
Been a busy weekend
Sometimes things turn out differently than we think. Thank God they do cause it would be bad if everything we worried about actually happened.
On Thursday Susan (my wife) said “It’s hot up here” indicating the temperature upstairs in our house was not what she expected it to be. Sure enough, the air conditioner was not working correctly. We managed to sleep in the heat with the help of a window fan and a cooler evening.
Friday morning I pulled the fan motor (that was not turning) out of the unit outside and found it to be really stiff but not burned up. I made a few calls and found someone to help me with it but when I got in my car it refused to start. Acted like there was no gas. At this point I was beginning to hate mechanical things. Another call to a friend who came a picked me up, helped me get my car fixed and got me on my way but I still did not have AC upstairs and it was 2pm. Things are not looking good.
My thoughts were that the fan motor needed to be replaced and perhaps a new capacitor installed but I did not have the parts and was not doing well finding them. I called an HVAC company that shall remain nameless and I got the ‘our techs are on time and a half now. Do you want me to send one out??’ response and frankly it ticked me off a bit. It is still Friday afternoon at this point and I felt a little trapped.
I thought of one more person that might help and made a phone call. I was right. He said ‘I think I have a motor. Come on over.’ Well, he did not have a motor for me but it was even better. He showed me how to fix the one I had. I bought a capacitor from him for $15 and put it in before dark. It worked!!
Here is the point. Friday morning started out with an AC unit not working, a car not working and worry about two big repair bills. The result. My car fixed and my AC fixed for a total of $25. Yes, $25. Not at all what I expected.
Thank God.
Don’t focus on the problem when you are challenged. Focus instead on the solution. It is easier to find the solution if that is what you are looking for.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry Robertson
June 15 Technology Tips
Here is a new collection of tips and just cools things from the web. Check them out and let me know of any useful sites you use. I’ll post them here to share.
Brighten Up Your Computer’s Desktop: Many of us use family photos or whatever your computer has. National Geographic is a great place for landscape and animal photos. It provides free desktop wallpaper for download. You can also download a nice selection of photos taken by National Geographic readers. The photos in the Your Shot collection are simply amazing. There are also puzzles, games and contests. You can even submit your work! http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/wallpaper
Site Features Job Postings For Veterans And Their Families: Companies posting to VetJobs are specifically targeting veterans. So, they realize the challenges veterans face. More importantly, they realize the contribution that veterans can make in the workplace.Veterans who are looking for a job can’t afford to miss this site! http://vetjobs.com/
Legal Issues Help: State and federal laws are often complex and confusing. Nothing will beat the advice of a good attorney. If you’re faced with serious legal issues, that’s the way to go. Sometimes you just need a question answered or need some help deciding when to call your attorney. Nolo Press is known for publishing legal guides. This site features advice on a wide variety of legal topics. You’ll also find answers to frequently asked legal questions. Also, can help you select an attorney in your area to help you. http://www.nolopress.com/
Calendar That Sits On Your Desktop: You can view scheduled events and to-do lists right there. It’s convenient and easy to use. Or just roll over a day to see its events. You can set alarms for upcoming events. You’ll get a reminder when you have something to do. Current and upcoming events are also displayed in the Events pane. So, there are several ways to stay on top of your schedule. Free http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php?option=com_rny_download&Itemid=30
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
P51 Mustang – A great story!!
This is a good little story about a vivid memory of a P-51 and its pilot by a fellow who was 12 years old in Canada in 1967. You may know a few others who would appreciate it.
It was noon on a Sunday as I recall, the day a Mustang P-51 was to take to the air. They said it had flown in during the night from some U.S. airport, the pilot had been tired. I marveled at the size of the plane dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied down by her. It was much larger than in the movies. She glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days gone by.
The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver, and then stepped into the flight lounge. He was an older man; his wavy hair was gray and tossed. Looked like it might have been combed, say, around the turn of the century.
His flight jacket was checked, creased and worn – it smelled old and genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders. He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance. He filed a quick flight plan to Montreal (Expo-67, Air Show) then walked across the tarmac.
After taking several minutes to perform his walk-around check the pilot returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone would be available to stand by with fire extinguishers while he “flashed the old bird up, just to be safe.”
Though only 12 at the time I was allowed to stand by with an extinguisher after brief instruction on its use — “If you see a fire, point, then pull this lever!” I later became a firefighter, but that’s another story.
The air around the exhaust manifolds shimmered like a mirror from fuel fumes as the huge prop started to rotate. One manifold, then another, and yet another barked — I stepped back with the others. In moments the Packard-built Merlin engine came to life with a thunderous roar, blue flames knifed from her manifolds. I looked at the others’ faces, there was no concern. I lowered the bell of my extinguisher. One of the guys signaled to walk back to the lounge. We did.
Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre flight run-up. He’d taxied to the end of runway 19, out of sight. All went quiet for several seconds; we raced from the lounge to the second story deck to see if we could catch a glimpse of the P-51 as she started down the runway. We could not.
There we stood, eyes fixed to a spot half way down 19. Then a roar ripped across the field, much louder than before, like a furious hell spawn set loose—something mighty this way was coming. “Listen to that thing!” said the controller. In seconds the Mustang burst into our line of sight.
Its tail was already off and it was moving faster than anything I’d ever seen by that point on 19. Two-thirds the way down 19 the Mustang was airborne with her gear going up. The prop tips were supersonic; we clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellish fast into the circuit to be eaten up by the dog-day haze.
We stood for a few moments in stunned silence trying to digest what we’d just seen. The radio controller rushed by me to the radio. ” Kingston tower calling Mustang?” He looked back to us as he waited for an acknowledgment.
The radio crackled, “Go ahead Kingston .”
“Roger Mustang. Kingston tower would like to advise the circuit is clear for a low level pass.” I stood in shock because the controller had, more or less, just asked the pilot to return for an impromptu air show!
The controller looked at us. “What?” He asked. “I can’t let that guy go without asking. I couldn’t forgive myself!”
The radio crackled once again, ” Kingston, do I have permission for a low level pass, east to west, across the field?”
“Roger Mustang, the circuit is clear for an east to west pass.”
“Roger, Kingston, I’m coming out of 3000 feet, stand by.”
We rushed back onto the second-story deck, eyes fixed toward the eastern haze. The sound was subtle at first, a high-pitched whine, a muffled screech, a distant scream. Moments later the P-51 burst through the haze. Her airframe straining against positive Gs and gravity, wing tips spilling contrails of condensed air, prop-tips again supersonic as the burnished bird blasted across the eastern margin of the field shredding and tearing the air.
At about 400 mph and 150 yards from where we stood she passed with the old American pilot saluting. Imagine. A salute! I felt like laughing, I felt like crying, she glistened, she screamed, the building shook, my heart pounded.
Then the old pilot pulled her up and rolled, and rolled, and rolled out of sight into the broken clouds and indelibly into my memory.
I’ve never wanted to be an American more than on that day. It was a time when many nations in the world looked to America as their big brother, a steady and even-handed beacon of security who navigated difficult political water with grace and style; not unlike the pilot who’d just flown into my memory.
He was proud, not arrogant, humble, not a braggart, old and honest, projecting an aura of America at its best. That America will return one day, I know it will.
Until that time, I’ll just send off this story; call it a reciprocal salute, to the old American pilot who wove a memory for a young Canadian that’s lasted a lifetime.
If you made it this far and want to see some pictures and other stuff on the P51, then click here.
Thanks for listening,
Jerry W. Robertson
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