October 22, 2009 by dave.

As the popularity of down-loadable audio has grown (typically music) it seems other media outlets are also starting to embrace this concept.  I recently discovered that my local library offers audio books in a down-loadable format that can be played on a computer, Ipod, or other media device.  Upon investigation I discovered that a number of libraries actually subscribe to this service.  One would think that the books they offer in this format are the less popular / obscure titles that most people would not be interested in anyway….but this is not the case.  Examples of the books they offer are…general books for children, books by authors such as Ken Follett, James Patterson, Stephen King, and others…

The service itself is provided by overdrive.com and is pretty easy to use.  Libraries subscribe to the service and in turn offer it to their patrons.  There is verification involved so only patroms of subscribing libraries can use the service.  Basically an individual gets to the site from their library or they can go directly to the site, find their library, and enter their library card number.

Individuals can download a few books at a time but they do expire (and unfortunately the checkout period seems to be only a week).  The good thing is you can simply re-download it after the period has expired and continue listening.

The only drawback to this system is the software involved and how it interfaces with devices such as Ipods.  The software is not very intuitive and takes some experimenting to master.  Adjustments to your Itunes settings are also typically necessary but are not too difficult.  Another complaint is how the media breaks into multiple files / parts.  Unfortunately it breaks the media into multiple arbitrary parts that do not necessarily coincide with chapters in a book….very odd.

Despite the drawbacks this is a great service.  I have been contemplating ‘reading’ a Ken Follett book called World Without End but the book itself is 1024 pages!  I knew I couldn’t get myself to read it so instead I listen to it on my Ipod (45 hours worth of audio!).  So check out your library and see if they offer this….it’s really a terrific thing.

Posted in Fun!, Web Sites, Technology | 2 Comments »

August 30, 2009 by dave.

As I contemplate the volatility of gas and oil prices over the recent years and also observe the recent ‘Cash for Clunkers‘ program’s attempt to remove some of the very poor-mileage vehicles from our roadways, I am reminded of my first vehicle (and a bit dumbfounded by our ineptness to create good quality, very high mileage mainstream vehicles).

My bright red 1985 Honda CRX-hf (the ‘hf’ stands for ‘high fuel efficiency) listed at about $6,500 new and was rated at 49/54 mpg - and was able to meet those ratings!  It was a peppy little car (yes - lacking many of the safety features of today) but it was my favorite car, best value, and fun to own.  Over the years I’ve laughed at attempts by car companies to improve gas mileage of the vehicles they product and find it humorous when I see a commercial ‘bragging’ that a particular vehicle gets more than 30 mpg!  I give full understanding to the fact the CRX didn’t have all the safety features and probably wouldn’t meet a number of today’s EPA standards but one also needs to consider that technology has evolved over these 24-25 years and should easily be able to make up for these things…..but it hasn’t.  Car companies need to take a very good look at the 1985 CRX-hf and go back to the drawing board with it in mind…to create new, refreshing, safe, and high-mileage vehicles.

I recently stumbled upon an Automobile Magazine ‘review’ comparing my old CRX with a 2010 Honda Insight.

It’s a very interesting article that should really make many of us think.  I only hope some of the car companies read it and contemplate how far they have (or haven’t) come in 25 years.

Posted in Health & Environment, Technology | 1 Comment »

March 23, 2009 by dave.

I occasionally get into conversations with friends, colleagues, and others about what is best in the area we work and live in.  When I use the term ‘best’ I refer to everything from services, to food, to resources, to entertainment.  The list below highlights the various things I feel are ‘the best’ and they are all accessible around the mid-NH towns of Plymouth and Meredith.  I chose these areas because I spend most of my time here (between work and home).  This is one of many installments for ‘The Best’….I welcome comments and additions:

[Best Breakfast]: The Village Kitchen (no web site), Moultonborough……This small restaurant is known to locals as ‘The VK’.  It serves what many individuals would refer to as ‘home cooking’.  The service is extremely fast, the prices are very low, and the staff are wonderful.  Though many New Englanders are not familiar with ‘biscuits and sausage gravy‘ I have to say it’s my favorite breakfast meal and they have the best.  Note that the VK also serves lunch and dinner…so check them out!

[Best Deli]: Biederman’s Deli, Plymouth……This is a fixture in Plymouth.  The sandwiches they put together are of the highest quality and their daily specials are usually very unique and creative.  I’d have to say 75% of the time I get whatever is ‘on special’ because the combination of ingredients that the staff put together always result in a top-notch meal.

[Best Tire & Car Repair Service]: Salta Tire (no web site), Laconia……Other than going ‘to the dealer’ for car repairs it can be a difficult decision to find a regular car repair service that is reasonable, of quality, and trustworthy.  I’ve found such a shop in Laconia.  Salta Tire has actually won a number of ‘best of’ awards for the Laconia area and I further endorse them based on my own experience.  I’d have to say the key reason I like Salta Tire is their staff’s integrity and their prices.  They are my ‘regular’ repair shop and I highly recommend them.

[Best Local Newspaper]: The Laconia Daily Sun….This is a daily paper that is free.  I’ve blogged about this before so check out the details here.

Posted in New Hampshire, Food / Beverage, Household Stuff, Fun! | 1 Comment »

February 19, 2009 by dave.

I’m new to the Ipod world; having finally succumbed to that urge to acquire a new piece of technology.  I’ve held off for quite a while because I couldn’t really justify the expense.  I finally lost my willpower about a month ago and started researching which model I should buy.

I initially focused on a Shuffle because, being frugal, I didn’t feel I needed to spend a lot on a device that held hundreds (or thousands) of songs.  As I started to price the Shuffle I realized that I could get a used model with a display for a little more money….so I changed my focus to a low end model with a display.  I was then tossed into the complex world of new and used Ipods on Ebay….and I had to decipher the various ‘generations‘ of each model along with capacities and styles.

I ran the numbers and finally decided on a mid-generational model (for those that are new to Ipods, when Apple releases an improved version of an existing model they increment it’s generation).  I settled on a 3rd generation Ipod Nano with a 4GB capacity….and I set myself a price limit and bought one on Ebay for about $70.  This is about half the price of a comparable new one.  Strangely enough it turned out to be the same exact one that my wife has….and I kinda messed up because she wanted one with a higher capacity so I really should have taken hers and got her an 8GB model…..oh well.

What does ‘Scott Sigler‘ have to do with my Ipod?…keep reading:  The final thing that pushed me to get an Ipod was the ability to have Podcasts at my disposal.  I had seen what was available (for free) when looking at my wife’s Itunes and I have always been a fan of NPR’s Car Talk so I am one of the few individuals that mainly listens to Podcasts on their Ipod.  If you have never listened to a Podcast you are missing out.  Grab a couple and try them out….

When I got my Ipod from the seller on Ebay I proceeded with configuring it and loading it with various Podcasts (I have since started ripping some select music onto it from my CD collection…so I’m expanding past Podcasts).  I discovered a number of Audiobooks (organized into episodes & chapters) were shown via Itunes that were…..well…FREE!

They were from an author named Scott Sigler.  Wow!  They are terrific….it seems the author is well known for Podcasting his books.  Strangely enough, in this case, free does equal very high quality!  The style of the books he produces are what I would call ‘action-based freakish science fiction’.  He’s a great author (though ‘twisted’ by his own admission) and I strongly suggest you investigate his work, either in hard-copy or via his Podcasts.  I finally got to check out his web site but haven’t yet dug into it too deep.  I feel like I need to send some money his way….to compensate for all his ‘free stuff’ (hey - the guy needs to be able to live) and once I have more time I’ll be looking into it via his site. Check out his stuff - he offers it from his web site or you can subscribe to it via the Itunes Podcast section….and if you like it send him some money or buy his books.

Posted in Fun!, Web Sites, Technology | 2 Comments »

February 13, 2009 by dave.

Several months ago my wife discovered that Ben & Jerry’s was producing a much smaller version of their ice cream ‘pints’.  She happened to be in a supermarket and saw them in the freezer section….so of course she had to buy some for the family to try out.  I am not sure what the exact size is but I believe they are about 1/4 cups and they are selling for anywhere between 99 cents and $1.19 depending on the location.

In terms of cost they are no real bargain; especially when comparing them to the original pint containers but they are ideal for a few reasons.  When I eat from a pint-sized container I know I eat much more than I should (have you ever read the nutritional information for a pint of this stuff?).  I can easily eat half of the pint….and on some occasions I’ve eaten more.  These 1/4 pints help you to control how much you eat while still satisfying your craving for the ice cream.

Another bonus with this product is they include their own little plastic spoon that is stored in the cover of the container (you can see the spoon in the picture on the left).  This helps when you want one and do not have a spoon available.

I’ve been looking for information on this product at the Ben & Jerry’s site but have had no luck. This surprises me.  I wonder if they are here to stay or just a special item they are trying out. regardless…it’s a great idea and I do hope they stay.

Posted in Food / Beverage | 3 Comments »

January 8, 2009 by dave.

Why should our lives focus on advancement in a particular career?  Since I work in Higher Education this may come across as being an odd question.  It seems that so many individuals (whether they like or do not like what they are doing) are seeking to reach very high positions in their field.  Societal pressure also seems to encourage us to seek higher roles.  Individuals very young in their careers are setting long-term goals of being a ‘Director of….’ or a ‘Dean of….’ or some other high level position.

Don’t get me wrong….it’s great that some individuals seek and achieve these levels but I hope those that do are able to maintain a good balance in their lives.

I sincerely enjoy my current job; it provides a decent salary, allows me to be very autonomous, it’s flexible, and it is very family-friendly.  Society and pressure seems to push us to always seek more money or advancement to positions having a higher status and more responsibility.  I believe some of this is a status issue where an individual wants the perception that they are important (because of societal or peer pressure)…or in some situations it’s solely because they’ve never ’sat back’ and asked themselves why they want this overly stressful position.  I see a combination of this in higher education where it seems some individuals are ‘proud’ of the fact that their job requires them to do some work in the office each weekend…..or that they need to work extra hours each day to get their job done….or that they bring work home every night.   The traditional work week is 40 hours and we should work towards fitting all of our work into those 40 hours.  This isn’t to say that there won’t be times when an individual would need to work a bit extra (which is why many at this level are salaried)….it just should not be a norm.  We all need to start taking pride in the fact we work normal hours and have no stress at work.

I believe our priorities should focus on building a life where we have a strong family structure and quality time to do the things we want to do.  Career should come second to this (with the understanding that one does need a stable occupation that provides enough financial stability to support the main priorities). In my 25 years of being in the work force I have seen individuals perfectly happy with their jobs ‘move up the ladder’ and become miserable because they no longer like their jobs and are always stressed out.  I also see some who ‘move up’ and are able to balance things well and succeed.  I’ve also recently seen some individuals ‘downgrade’ to lower positions because they finally recognized that happiness and balance is more successful than status and stress.  I applaud these individuals.

A very interesting concept referred to as The Peter Principle (Dr. Laurence J Peter, Jan. 1967) supports the concept of being happy and competent in your work.  I won’t go into much detail since I feel the basic principle speaks for itself:

“In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence.”

There are a number of interpretations of Peter’s concept.  One that I contemplate and fits well with my entry is a statement by Dr. Edward P. Lazear that states:

“…employees work harder than normal to get a promotion, and then relax once the promotion is attained”

 We all need to stop worrying about ‘career advancement’ and focus on mastering and enjoying our jobs….so work becomesa less important focus of our lives.  We work so we have money and stability…..to support ourselves, families, and the things we want to do.  It’s time to change the mindset….

Posted in Higher Education, Parenthood, Annoying Things | 3 Comments »