In the News - Interesting, odd, strange, and sometimes weird news articles from various sources. Stupid Criminals - Dumb and dumber bad guys! Cold Chinese Take-out - What could be better? Laura brought me a delightful box of Mongolian Beef for my lunch today! I am drooling copiously in anticipation of the arrival of lunchtime! Enjoy! - Relax and enjoy!
Man Loses License for Driving Too Slowly
Friday, August 23, 2013
In the News, Stupid Criminals,Cold Chinese Take-out, and Enjoy!
Monday, August 05, 2013
International Assistance Dog Week, Laura's Birthday Week, and Enjoy!
International Assistance Dog Week - International Assistance Dog Week (IADW) was created to recognize of all the devoted, hardworking assistance dogs helping individuals mitigate their disability-related limitations. Laura's Birthday Week - Although Laura's birthday was Wednesday, we waited until the weekend to celebrate it. We enjoyed a very festive sushi dinner—followed in the morning with home-made Potatoes O'Brien and scrambled eggs with sausage. Enjoy! - Relax and enjoy these images and videos.
Assistance dogs transform the lives of their human partners with debilitating physical and mental disabilities by serving as their companion, helper, aide, best friend, and close member of their family.
During International Assistance Dog Week, we recognize and honor the hardworking assistance dogs; raise awareness and educate the public about how these specially trained animals are aiding so many people in our communities; honor the puppy raisers and trainers of assistance dogs; and recognize heroic deeds performed by assistance dogs in our communities. The celebration takes place each year, starting on the first Sunday of August. In 2013, International Assistance Dog Week will be August 4 – 10.
International Assistance Dog Week was established due to the efforts of Marcie Davis, a paraplegic for over 35 years and CEO of Davis Innovations, a consulting firm based in Santa Fe, NM.
Davis is the author of Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook, a resource book that captures personal stories, checklists and practical tips to provide the reader with an A-Z guide about service dogs and she is the host of the Internet radio program, Working Like Dogs, at
The Potatoes O'Brien featured several hot peppers—including a plump habanero. It was a very spicy dish!
Now, I am watching for the Big Brown Truck. It will bring Laura's Nexus 7 2013—her birthday present from me!
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Day Two with the New Nexus 7 2013 and Time to Frolic!
Day Two with the New Nexus 7 2013 - When the original Nexus 7 was announced last year, I immediately pre-ordered one and waited impatiently for its arrival. Time to Frolic! - It is now time to frolic!
I had been an Android aficianado for some time—having owned several Android phones and tablets. At that time, Laura and I both had ASUS Transformer Prime 10" tablets and Motorola Droid X smartphones. I found myself drawn to the 7" Nexus 7, imagining that its size would be ideal for daily use. The Prime is an amazingly capable device but is too large for daily carry.
I was impressed by the quality and performance of the ASUS Transformer Prime, and since the Nexus 7 was built by ASUS, I had no reservations concerning ordering one. I quickly found that the Nexus 7 became an integral part of my daily routine. I went nowhere without it. It was my constant companion.
When the new Nexus 7 2013 was announced, I immediately pre-ordered one. Although the Nexus 7 2013 was scheduled to go on sale today, I was fortunate enough to have my order filled last week, and I took delivery yesterday morning. I charged the battery and set up my various accounts. Google restored all my apps with a minimum of interaction on my part. I reset my Nexus 7 2012 to factory settings and set it aside for delivery later that day to its new owner.
I will not engage in a lengthy discourse on the Nexus 7 2013. The Internet is replete with in-depth reviews of the unit. I shall speak merely of my personal experience with the device.
The new Nexus 7 2013 is astounding. Even that adjective insufficiently describes it! The original Nexus 7 was ground-breaking, and it quickly became the most popular tablet on the market. The new Nexus 7 2013 incorporates many additions and enhancements and maintains the same basic build elements that made the original Nexus 7 so popular.
One immediately sees a great difference between the display of the two tablets. The Nexus 7 (2013) has a 1,920 x 1,200 LCD IPS panel, rated at 323 pixels per inch. The Nexus 7 2012 has a 800 x 1,280 LCD IPS display, rated at 216ppi. That is a 107ppi difference between the two devices! Numbers speak of the enhancement of the display, of course, but viewing the display is the real eye-opener! It is without question the most brilliantly impressive display to be found on any device!
Once the battery was charged and the unit was set up, I immediately opened the Netflix app and viewed a few minutes of several movies. WOW! That says it all! The display cannot be described. It must be seen!
The Nexus 7 2013 has a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, clocked at 1.5GHz. The Nexus 7 2012 has a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, clocked at 1.2GHz. The overall performance difference is very impressive. Apps open and close with blinding speed, and there is absolutely no discernible lag to be seen in any operation or game-play! For example, selecting and adding movies to my Instant Queue with Netflix was accomplished so quickly that at first I did not think they were actually being added.
The new Nexus 7 2013 has a 5MP rear-facing camera. The Nexus 7 2012 has no rear-facing camera. Both units have a 1.2MP front-facing camera.
The 2013 model doubles the RAM to 2GB. This—coupled with the much speedier CPU—greatly enhances operation efficiency and overall performance.
The new Nexus 7 has stereo speakers. The original Nexus 7 has only one speaker. The new Nexus 7 has stunning sound. The new virtual surround sound actually had me looking over my shoulder at times while playing a movie!
Android 4.3 adds some enhancements to the previous version (4.2.2), and if one has a Nexus 7 2012, I strongly recommend updating to Android 4.3. A significant performance improvement will be realized by doing so.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Nexus 7 2013, Chromecast, Caviar, and Enjoy!
Google Nexus 7 2013 - When the original Nexus 7 was announced, I pre-ordered one. I was eager to add this device to my arsenal of Android wireless handheld devices.
Laura and I have ASUS Transformer Prime 10" Android tablets. These tablets are incredible. They feature detatchable keyboards with integrated trackpads and are very capable replacements for laptop computers. They are, necessarily, relatively large and heavy (albeit only by handheld wireless device standards). The 7" Nexus 7 seemed ideal for general daily use. I had been fully satisfied with the build quality of the Prime, and the Nexus 7 was produced by the same manufacturer, ASUS, so I felt confident it would be a quality product.
I quickly fell under the thrall of the Nexus 7! Within a few days, it became the device without which I would not travel. It accompanied me everywhere.
When it was announced that the Nexus 7 2013 would soon be released, I immediately pre-ordered one. It was being manufactured by ASUS once again and featured higher resolution, a front-facing camera (in addition to the rear-facing camera of the original model), increased memory, faster processor, etc., etc.
I was fortunate enough to have my pre-order processed well ahead of the stated release date of July 30th! I tracked the shipment of my Nexus 7 2013 and determined it is on the Big Brown Truck and is due to be delivered this morning!
I fixed my gaze to the live Web cam feed on my desktop—awaiting the arrival of the Big Brown Truck!
My pulse became rapid and irregular, and soon I swooned!
Fortunately, I was tended to by clients and soon fully regained my composure and am now impatiently awaiting the arrival of my new Nexus 7 2013!
Chromecast - I have a Google Chromecast unit pre-ordered as well. It will be warmly welcomed into our family of Android devices!
Caviar - Saturday, Laura and I enjoyed some of the delightful caviar that she gave me earlier in the week. She had never eaten caviar previously. She thoroughly enjoyed it. It had been some time since I had eaten caviar, so this was a great treat for me. Enjoy! - Relax (I cannot!) and enjoy!
Friday, July 26, 2013
Hot Weather, Nexus 7 2013, and TGIF!
Hot Weather - The hot weather from which we have been suffering for what seems an interminable period is forecast to continue through the weekend! Nexus 7 2013 - I have used a Nexus 7 2012 since its release last year. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and use it throughout the day. I also use an ASUS Transformer Prime Android tablet. It is awesome, but at times the size of the Transformer Prime makes it less comfortable to use than the relatively small size and weight of the Nexus 7.
I enjoy summer, but this heat wave has well outlived its attractiveness! It is time for the temperature to fall below 100°!
During such periods, it is critical that one remains hydrated! One must be cautious to drink water throughout the day!
The weatherpeople predict that next week will see temperatures in the mid-to-high 90s in this area, and that will seem positively frosty compared to the 110°+ we have seen for the last several weeks!
One must be alert and watch for warning signs of heat stroke and what to do if one's pet becomes overheated!
Other than staying indoors, relaxing in air-conditioned comfort, it is difficult finding respite from the heat, and innovative measures must be employed!
I have a Nexus 7 2013 on order (along with a Google Chromecast dongle) and am excitedly awaiting its arrival.
TGIF - Enjoy the weekend, and be cautious of the hot weather!
Thursday, July 25, 2013
National Chili Dog Day, the New Nexus 7, Google Chromecast, and Enjoy!
National Chili Dog Day - Today is National Chili Dog Day! New Google Nexus 7 and Google Chromecast - WOW!
July is also National Hot Dog Month! According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, Americans are expected to eat 7 billion hot dogs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. And during the month of July, 10 % of the annual retail hot dogs sales occur.
There are many ways to enjoy the infamous hot dog and one of my favorites happens to be the chili dog. Here are some of the ways I enjoy them.
Laura gave me a very nice surprise upon her arrival at our nest yesterday afternoon:
This delightful burger was to follow me to the office this morning and serve as a luncheon repast.
Unfortunately, I lacked the requisite will power and gobbled the delicious beast within moments of it being placed before me! BURP!!
Enjoy! - Relax, snack on some chili dogs, and enjoy these photos and videos!
