Hurrican Ike

Hurricane Ike came on the scene when the southern part of the country just settling down after Hurricane Gustav. Ike came through Galveston with a fury of winds and rain. The surrounding area was awash in devastation, flooding, downed power lines, business closures, and rising gasoline prices.

Many people looked to relief organizations for help and they were slow to mobilize due to clogged highways and the fury of the storm. FEMA has a lot on its hand in helping those citizens who lost their homes. Unfortunately, many are having a difficult time contacting FEMA. I recall seeing a woman on the news who was in tears. She lived close to the Baytown area and her home was completely destroyed. She saw on the news that FEMA planned to be in a certain location at a certain time. Knowing her husband and she needed aid, she traveled to the location only to find no FEMA. There was a banner that boasted a toll-free number to contact a FEMA agent. The number turned out to be a non-working number and her bleak state was so very evident on screen.

The seriousness of the damage and loss is heartbreaking. People even today are struggling with no power, minimal food, and tainted water. Though our disaster organization plan seemed to be in place after the Katrina disaster, it is evident was still have much planning to do.

My sympathies go out to all of those families and I pray they will find aid through their trying times.

Pay to Have Your Bloated Computer Slim Down

What a bunch of BS. You already have to pay an arm and a leg for your new computer. Your new computer is usually chock-ful of free software that want you to pay some sort of premium later. One retailer has took that outrage to new level. If you pay Best Buy $30, they will remove all those extras that you did not want on your computer in the first place! Can you believe that!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/technology/28software.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

What's Going on with Apple Quality?

So, everyone was all abuzz about the imminent arrival of the new iPhone. The new lower price was indeed attractive, plus the new amenities made it a steal. But, now problems seem to be plaguing the much sought-after device. First, there was the problem with users' not getting the stated download speeds from the 3G network. Some were reporting not even connecting to a 3G network. Then the dropped calls. One man in Houston, TX reported 12 dropped calls in one hour. That's insane! Now, users' are reporting small cracks are beginning to appear in the case of the phone. Many report the cracks near the metal "silent" switch and the headphone jack. Apple forums are busy with the numerous complaints. One user claimed the thread on the Apple discussion forum was deleted. What's going on? Apple doesn't want the bad publicity to get out. iPhones have become so popular that the Taiwanese manufacturer is going way over production limits to fill orders. Is this perhaps having a detrimental affect on quality?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/08/iphone_case.html

Start of the Semester

Wow the beginning of a new school semester. I took the summer off and was really appreciative of the break. The change in my work schedule was difficult to manage at the end of the last semester. I had to quickly find a new way to manage my time and effectively work my school work into my new work schedule. I now work 4-12 hour days. One would think, "Great! Four days off." But, it really doesn't equate to that. With the addition of school it equates to zero, goose egg, zilch, nada days off. By the time my work day is done, I get home, feed the dog (try to spend at least thirty minutes playing with her), take a shower, eat a bite, read the Bible, play a game on my phone and it's easily 9:45-10:15 p.m. That gives me a good 4 hours of sleep before the next work day starts. Just from getting ready in the morning, the drive to work and back and the work day itself is a whopping 15 1/2 hours up and going. I have started to notice gray hairs that I never had before and a noticeable decrease in energy. Thankfully I will be retiring in October (or near there) and can dedicate a little more time to school.

Women and the Web

Talk about girl power! Women's websites are on the rise. It seems more and more women want to read blogs posts of women and their daily trials with children, family, fashion, makeup and shopping. If only this woman's blog could get that type of exposure. The New York Times reported that a very successful Mommy blog called Dooce has been a hit with many women. The site has been so successful that the Armstrongs (of whom Heather Armstrong is the creator) have quit their jobs. That's what I call successful.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/14/technology/14women.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=technology

iPhone 3G Users Reporting Problems

The popular iPhone 3G is a wonderful device and the reduced price and improved internet speeds have made it a popular cellular phone. However, Information Week reports some users have been reporting dropped calls, problems keeping a 3G connection. The problem appears to be with the device itself and not AT&T's network. The problem is thought to lie in the chipset used in the iPhone.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=210002971

How to Identify the Wealthy

So, how does one know whether the person next to them is "well-off" or not? Just take a glance at their iPhone. The LA Times says if you see a glowing red gem, they are one of only eight people that purchased software from the App Store called "I Am Rich." The software cost a whopping $999 and has no other function than to - well, let others know you are rich...or stupid? Hmmmm....