RECOMMENDED: Dinner at the EWR Marriott

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

On recent trip, Frau and I decided to stay at the EWR Marriott on the return trip.

We wanted to go to the city the next day to visit Mom. So rather than trek an hour down the turnpike to home at some late hour — with the potential for being really late if the gooferment FAA decided that weather was involved — and then back up the turnpike an hour the next morning, we bunked over at the airport hotel. It wasn’t cheap. But, having a accident is much more expensive. And, if the flight was ever delayed badly, we could have been going to the city REAL early. :-)

Anyway, it was basically a good decision. Not cheap. But good.

I was moderately wrankled that they charge 27$ to park to go to their hotel.

But, it was clean, neat, and comfortable.

The highpoint was that the restaurant was open for dinner until 11PM. So we had a very nice dinner that was modestly priced. I recommend the restaurant there and the staff that was also very good.

I’d rate it as an “I’d stay there again”! My highest rating.

:-)

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Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Paying for inet access

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

From my recent trip, the hotel wanted $11/day for inet access. (The one at EWR wanted $9!) Figuring times 30 days, that’s a month inet cost of $330/month. Given a home account on an broadband is $50/month. That means that the hotel is pocketing a kool 280$/month. Pretty sweet. That a lotta R for very little I! As in ROI.

Taking a place like the big vegas hotel with 4k of rooms. Assume that they are 75% full each month. Assume that half will buy inet access from them. That’s 280 * 4 * .75 * .5 = 420k$/month!!!

Wow!

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Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Laptop rescue business

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

From my recent experience, I’m going into the “rescue business”. If you find yourself stranded “electronically isolated”, then let me know. I’ll overnight you an old hunka junk. It’ll be enough to keep you going until you get home. In my recent experience, I have willingly paid $200 to use a laptop for a week. Plus shipping and handling. :-) Would you? Sounds like I have a business model. If the price of a new laptop is $500 to $750, then all I have to do is stay under that price point. I have an inventory of one right now. If demand warrants, I increase my inventory, hire staff, and retire rich. No?

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Retire “Retirement!”

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

http://www.smartmoney.com/retireretirement

***Begin Quote***

Retire “Retirement!” Today’s retirees are more active than ever, moving
forward with their lives and pursuing a wide variety of interests and passions.

Suggesting retreat and withdrawl, the word “retirement” no longer does this lifestage justice.

***End Quote***

Re-focus-ing

Originally, one had to focus on the wolf outside the door. Daily bread earned thru the daily grind. Now, when reaches the “land of critical mass”, the point where 5% interest equals enough to live comfortable for the rest of one’s lifespan, one can now focus on what gives you joy, makes the world a better place, or “cashes” all those “LATER” ious.

So it’s refocusing from the daily grind to achievement. How ever one defines it?

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: www dot if I am offline dot com

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Lessons Learned: I need a service that notifies others who could help me.

So where is www dot if I am off line dot com?

If could be as simple as a flurry of emails that go out, if I don’t reset the clock. Say, every X hours.

For a inet o holic like me, it could be every twelve hours. If I don’t check in, send the emails out.

I’ll offer the service for 29.99 per month and stuff ads in the emails and on the websites.

I’ll be a grazillionaire in no time.

:-)

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH HARDWARE: DELL Insipron power converter (The missing black brick)

Monday, September 24, 2007

FOR THE RECORD:

The DELL LUGGABLE is aka an Inspiron 9100

DELL 130 w ac adapter
model pa – 1131 – 02d dp/n 9y819
input 100-240v 50-60 hz 2.5 A
output 19.5 v 6.7A

A big power brick imho.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH HARDWARE: Carry a second laptop

Monday, September 24, 2007

Under the heading of “lessons learned” recently, one really has to test one’s personal dr plan. In this case, I COULD have just carried a second laptop. That was probably the easiest solution. I COULD have completed my “uninstalled life” project where everything would have been backed up on the inet. I COULD have printed my fob’s password list. And, there are probably other things that I could have done. I’ll be working on all of those couldas in the coming weeks. It’s not that I travel much, but one should be prepared.

Upon reflection, the cheapest, easiest, no brainer solution would be to carry the second laptop.

Note Bene: For all those who say use the hotel’s business center, all the one’s that I checked only offered you a common screen – mouse – keyboard – inet connection at fifty cents a half-minute. Argh! That could run into real money very quickly. In the Golden Nugget, their “business center was two units side by side in the lobby. Not private. Not comfortable. Not conducive to work. As someone who “clocks” hours on my computer, that’s $60/hour. If I wanted to do 40 hours, then that’s $2400!! Buying a new laptop was on 500$. (It was a Gateway.) After further review, I should have pulled the trigger on Sunday night and been done with it. But, now I know.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECH SERVICE: Microsoft updates Windows without users’ consent

Monday, September 24, 2007

FROM A WINDOWS SECRETS EMAIL

Microsoft updates Windows without users’ consent
By Scott Dunn

***Begin Quote***

Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users’ knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates.

Many companies require testing of patches before they are widely installed, and businesses in this situation are objecting to the stealth patching.

Files changed with no notice to users

In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users’ systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC.

It’s surprising that these files can be changed without the user’s knowledge. The Automatic Updates dialog box in the Control Panel can be set to prevent updates from being installed automatically. However, with Microsoft’s latest stealth move, updates to the WU executables seem to be installed regardless of the settings — without notifying users.

When users launch Windows Update, Microsoft’s online service can check the version of its executables on the PC and update them if necessary. What’s unusual is that people are reporting changes in these files although WU wasn’t authorized to install anything.

***End Quote***

Yup, just like Darth Vader. And you wonder why I’m departing the Microsoft fold?

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INTERESTING: Internet equivalent of “sensory depravation”

Monday, September 24, 2007

I am just coming off a week of enforced “radio silence”. It felt strange. Like I had lost a large part of my mind. I had many interesting things happening and no place to record them. A pad of yellow paper is no substitute for a keyboard and this podium. Over the coming week as work, time, and attention permit, I’ll try to transcribe the ramblings of the “crazy man” in the electronic isolation booth.

An electronic version of a “sensory deprivation” tank?

I have eleven pages of notes. I’m not sure that all of it will make it to the keyboard. A whine looses something after it ages. Also, not being “in the moment” means the subtle details are lost. The mind plays funny tricks with what it chooses to remember. It’s probably the Intelligent Designer’s gift to us that failures are forgotten and successes are remembers.

I’m in the process of doing my after action “lessons learned”. And, boy, do I have a lot of “learning” from this trip to do!!

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Dick Morris’ says Hillary is trying to slide her health care program by the electorate

Monday, September 24, 2007

FROM DICK MORRIS’ EZINE

*** begin quote ***

The public face of Hillary Clinton’s new health care plan is sunny, filled with choices for consumers and bright with promises for better health care for all. But a close examination of the proposal alongside other initiatives of Sen. Clinton in the past few years reveals a dark side she wants to hide from public view until after the election is over.

*** and ***

Hillary speaks of the importance of stopping health insurance companies from raising premiums on those who are sick. But she does not mention the inevitable flip side of her proposal — to raise premiums on those who are well. On the one hand, she would cover all those with chronic conditions with low cost health insurance and, on the other, would stop insurance companies from “cherry picking” healthy and young people for their insurance plans. The net effect would be a major increase in health insurance premiums for the vast majority of Americans.
In effect, her plan would turn “insurance” into “subsidy.” The concept of insurance is that one pays a relatively low premium to guard against catastrophic expenses that are outside of our ability to meet financially. But Hillary’s program would really be nothing more than a cash transfer from the healthy to the sick, not an insurance program at all.

*** end quote ***

Hey, if the bull doesn’t see the sword behind the cape, then he’s dead. Just as dead the American health care system, if the voting public can’t see thru the Democratic smoke ‘n’ mirrors around “free” health care.

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Posted by reinkefj

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