CrimeReports Maps

CrimeReports Maps Out Local Crimes:
"If you want to check out a neighborhood you're planning on moving to or just want to see how things are looking in your corner of Sunnyvale, CrimeReports mashes up local police reports with a map of the area."

I tried this out on my home address and thankfully nothing showed up. Some people might like this for keeping track of what's happening in the neighborhood, but I'm sure most people don't want to know ;-)

Peugeots Latest Quirky Electric Car

Peugeot draws inspiration from the 1940s for its latest quirky electric car design:
"It may not give you 'The Drive of Your Life', as its makers Peugeot may try to claim, but the latest micro electric car is creating huge excitement in the automotive industry.The Peugeot BB1, a cross between a scooter and a car, is powered by two electric motors which are mounted in the rear wheels."

I'll tell you the truth, I kind of like the car but I agree with one of the posters that it's not good for open road travel. However as an ex-Long Islander I would have given anything to use it as a station car, cheaper and more comfortable than the bus. I'm sure that there are a lot of Urban and Sub-Urban uses for the BB1 other than Express Way driving. As a matter of fact this car would work well for me in Durham NC as a grocery getter, which is all I do right now with my car.
I wouldn't mind the 1940 version of the car that is pictured in the article, but then I'm the kind of guy that had an old VW Bug  that I bought used in '72 and drove it until I got a new '82 Volvo. I then proceeded to drive the old BolVo until 2004, twenty two years, not too shabby.

Reminder Tools for Forgetful Minds

Reminders - Lifehacker:

"Tweak your workflow and inboxes all you want, but your mental memory might always be the weakest link in your day-to-day life. These 10 tools take some of the workload off your brain, and prevent a few forehead slaps."

Actually this article isn't about The Dreaded Senior Moments, but it's comforting to note that even the younger folks fall prey to "forgetfulness". The article contains some down to earth ways to remember "those little things that you'll regret forgetting just as soon as it's too late."

Pancake Breakfast

I usually don't do Public Service announcements, but I just received an invitation from an old friend to an event sponsored by the Tobacco Land Kiwanis of Durham NC, and thought I'd share it with you. It is an "All You Can Eat" Old Fashioned Pancake and Sausage breakfast at the Durham Armory Nov.3rd and 4th. The event benifits the Tobacco Land Kiwanis' local Children and Community Programs. For tickets call Wendell Hull (919) 416-1086. Tickets are $6 for adults, children under 6 admitted free.

This is the first time I've written anything about Boomers and Community Service, but now that I think about it, the subject is so relevant I'll do more of it in the future. Volunteering for a lot of my friends is a way of life, a hobby, a need to share, you name it, the list of reasons for doing it are endless. The venue that they use varies greatly, Churches, Business Groups, informal social groups, and structured national groups like Kiwanis.

What about you? If you have any stories about volunteering, or just want to make some comments I'll be glad to hear from you.

Wallpaper Roundup

Color Splashes and Cooler Days: 
"Fall is a colorful time of year and the vibrant hues of fall foliage and holidays lend well to livening up your desktop. Take a stroll through our collection of fall-themed wallpaper to find a new look for your workstation."

For those of you who like wallpaper for your computers, this one's for you. I happen to live in a three season area so I get to have a beautiful fall season. But for you folks in Florida or out west, these will remind you of home. When I was younger (when Plato was a pup) a few of my friends and I would take a weekend trip up to Hunter Mountain to see the fall foliage. It always amazed me that we'd leave Queens and all the trees were green, we'd ride up the through-way and watch the trees change colors as each mile went by, and when we arrived in Hunter most of the trees were bare. The ride back was just as amazing, only in reverse.

Portable Hard Drive with USB Dock

My Passport Elite | Ultra-Portable Hard Drives with USB Dock, Capacity Gauge And Drive Lock Indicator: 

"One of the storage industry’s pioneers and long-time leaders, Western Digital (WD) has launched its new ultra-portable My Passport Elite portable hard drives, which feature a convenient USB dock for storage on the go, as well as illuminated capacity gauge and drive lock indicator that let users check at-a glance how much space is left and whether their data is secure or not."

I have two external HDD's on my home network, one USB one ethernet, and they work out well for my SOHO PC needs. Traveling is a different story, I own two  old  vintage laptops with limited disk space so I've been looking at these personal portable hard drives for quite some time.  The security functions work out great when you're traveling, and it has quite a bit of storage for your pictures, music, and videos. Keep your eyes open for some pricing deals on this one by following the Bargain Blogs listed on the left hand column. For those of you who are more technically orientated, it's also possible to put a Linux OS on one of these drives and use it to boot any computer you come across in your travels.

No Knead Bread

I ran across this video a few years back and thought that with everyone cutting back to save money I'd share it with you. It's from the NYTimes and it's by Mark Bittman, a.k.a. The Minimalist. Mark shares the recipe on how to make no-knead bread, where the secret is letting the time do the work. The recipe was made famous by The Sullivan Street Bakery (NYC my home town) and has been reproduced and modified on many a baking web site since the video and NYTimes article were published. I use the recipe myself for both bread and pizza, and I highly recommend it. However, in the spirit of full disclosure, I prefer active dry yeast to instant yeast which seems to be in vogue these days. Active dry gives the bread/pizza a better taste than instant. The ultimate is cake/block yeast, but unfortunately it is almost impossible to find in "beautiful downtown Durham" or most anywhere for that matter.

Baking bread at home saves hundreds of dollars on groceries every year. With this easy method, you can still have that deliciously crusty-on-the-outside, moist-and-chewy-on-the-inside, rustic bread with out the gourmet price tag.

Reverse Mortgages

Declining home values squeeze Reverse Mortgages:
"Declining home values have put a serious squeeze on one of the mortgage market's most popular and fastest-growing financing concepts: the Federal Housing Administration's reverse mortgage program for seniors 62 and older. In a letter to reverse mortgage lenders Sept. 23, FHA Commissioner David Stevens said his agency must reduce the maximum amounts seniors can receive on reverse mortgages because of a $798 million estimated deficit in the program in the coming fiscal year."

I don't know about you but I've always felt that these financial vehicles were a bad deal for both parties.

1. The banks made them thinking they could rob seniors of future equity growth in the house. What a shock when they found out that real estate doesn't always go up in value.
2. The seniors made them thinking it was free money, but never considered; the Medicaid implications of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, other tax benefits associated with having a mortgage, and complicated inheritance issues.

The last 15+ years of tinkering with housing by the Federal Govt. has turned out to be a disaster. 

Grand kid's first bike without the training wheels

Gyrobike's Gyrowheel stabilizes bike without the training wheels:
"Being the fine physical specimens that we are, even from an early age, we of course had little trouble learning how to ride a bike without external help, but we're sure **some hapless child out there will welcome the Gyrowheel as salvation from the embarrassment of training wheels. The 12-inch wheel (a 16-inch version is in the works) replaces a standard front tire and has an adjustable-speed spinning disc inside, powered by a rechargeable battery. The idea is that you get the kid started on a high stability setting, and step them down until they're not using the gyro at all. It goes on sale this December and should retail for around $100. Video of it in action is after the break."

For you grand parents out there, here's something to make Christmas magical for the grand kids. Check out the video in the article, it is awsome. I'm working on a method that will allow me to embed a video directly into the post. Check back in a couple of days and I should have a YouTube video up and running.

Weight loss - Lifehacker

Five Best Weight-Management Tools:
"There's no magic bullet for fitness and weight loss—although most would argue 'eat less, move more' is a excellent starting point. One pattern that is definitely prominent among the comments of Lifehacker readers in our call for contenders for this week's Hive Five, however, is that if there is a magic bullet for weight loss, it's tracking. Whether you're using a spreadsheet, a notebook, or some of the great web and mobile phone-based solutions you'll see below, the biggest element in our readers' weight-loss success has been tracking their food intake and exercise activity."

I felt I was getting too Gloomy Doomy with the economy stuff so I thought I'd lighten it up (no pun intended) with some health news. Since almost everyone I know is trying to lose or control their weight, this article on management tools caught my eye and I thought I'd pass it on to you.
Enjoy!