Back at OSU

Vacation in Algeria?

2011-03-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finals week and I am ready for a vacation!

I have always wanted to visit Italy and I have discovered Malta, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia in all of this middle eastern upheaval. Today I have decided to look into a vacation to Algeria.

Why not? I am interested in their culture and history. There doesn't seem to be a major Aids epidemic there. I might even be up for a ride on a camel. I don't think it is doable for me this spring, but the internet is only a few clicks away.

Maybe we (Americans) should make friends with the Algerians.

General Electric decided to do just that several years ago. Here are a few links about what I learned about GE's Ecomagination projects this quarter.

Desalination Technology

Water in the desert.

Where is the water coming from?

I'm impressed.

Discrimination?

2011-01-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Okay - I am taking a Business Law class this quarter.

I am learning all about Legal Precedent and Jurisdiction (Federal vs. State). Upon review of the U.S. Constitution, I found nothing that prohibited discrimination. Discrimination is addressed in the Commerce clause. In Article I, section 8, the Constitution states that "The Congress shall have the Power ... To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes". Out of this sentence has come much of the legislation regarding discrimination towards African Americans. If any discriminatory act interferes with interstate commerce activity, the Supreme Court will say it is unconstitutional. It is the Supreme Court's role to defend and support the Constitution of the United States.

Now I am wondering if the legalization of marijuana is possible.

Medical Marijuana has been legalized by several states and it is highly likely that all 50 states will legalize Medical Marijuana during the next 10 years. The rationale used in favor of the legalization of Medical Marijuana has focused on physicians' rights of freedom of speech and limiting the power of the government in the practice of medicine. Other arguments point to the evidence of health benefits to certain people as a result of numerous studies based upon research. The main issue is where the power of regulation lies, how much regulation should be allowed, and the Constitution's distinction between national and local authority.

The Constitution authorizes Congress to regulate activities that affect interstate commerce. Medical Marijuana (or any marijuana), when grown locally for personal consumption, does not have any direct or obvious effect on interstate commerce. So, it seems that Congress does not have the authority to regulate marijuana grown locally, as long as it does not become involved in interstate commerce. When, and if, marijuana does become a legal interstate commodity, we will have to revisit the discrimination issues once more and how it affects interstate commerce.

So, consider these excerpts from the United States Constitution:

Preamble - We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

The 1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The 4th Amendment - The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, bit upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The 5th Amendment - No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The 9th Amendment - The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to dent or disparage others retained by the people.

The 10th Amendment - The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The 18th Amendment - Prohibition amendment
The 21st Amendment - repeal of the 18th Amendment

Somewhere in these laws, there is a solution.

Alas, I am afraid of how fat our country will be once marijuana is legalized. I think we may need to pass laws making junk food illegal.

Friends of friends

2010-01-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Privacy options in Facebook

What to do?

My suggestion is to create lists for groups of friends, and set your privacy options accordingly. I think one should either open something up to everyone, just friends or specific friends.

'Friends of friends' creates a sense of privacy that does not really exist.

Who are 'Friends of friends'?

Mostly they are people your friends play online games with, and may not personally know.

Water Shortage?

2008-07-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Anyone looking at my water bill would think there is a water shortage here in the midwest!

I have been looking into ways to lower the bill. One of the fastest and most economical ways I have found is to use rain barrels for home garden irrigation.

I did some shopping online and I have found a local company with reasonable prices -

RainBrothers

Other ways to lower a residential water bill are usually installed by plumbers. There is a sewer reduction meter that may be installed to eliminate sewer charges for outside water usage.

I think a home irrigation system utilizing rain water is our best option.

Paying for new sewers by adding an exorbitant sewer charge to the water bill is not a good idea!

Grand Canyon - South Rim

2008-07-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of photos I took at sunset -

My son looks very small in comparison.

Permits are required for exploring the canyon. I do not look for that kind of an adventure anymore! The National Geographic IMAX film was enough for me. The IMAX theatre is located just outside the park, along with motels and fast food.

Somehow I do not remember any of that from our visit
25 years ago....

Sedona,, Arizona

2008-07-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

One of my sons lives in Las Vegas and I try to visit him every year.

This year we visited the south rim of the Grand Canyon and Sedona, Arizona. He had not seen it since he was 3 or 4 years old, so we made the 5 hour trip from Las Vegas by car. One of the things we noted along the way were the brown trees being cleared from the Arizona forests, assuming the brown trees were caused by drought. We discussed what a good idea it is to clear the forests of those dry trees!

Here is a photo of the road between Flagstaff and Sedona, Arizona -

Here is a photo of Sedona, Arizona -

Sedona, Arizona is a gorgeous area!

Kayaking the Colorado River

2007-07-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest outdoor adventures I have had in awhile was kayaking the lower Colorado River near Boulder City, Nevada last May. It is a relaxing day with some light rock climbing, hot springs and great exercise!

Some of the photos I can share -

Two ducks befriended us

Black Canyon

Information -

Boulder City, Nevada is less than an hour away from Las Vegas.

Boulder City Outfitters

is the tour company I used.

There are also kayaks available for rental at Willow Beach,

which is part of

Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Grand Canyon West - Skywalk

2007-06-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon West Rim Skywalk

The skywalk is located on the Hualapai reservation near Eagle Point. It was built by investors with the permission of the Hualapai Nation. You can see the Grand Canyon in the background and underneath the skywalk. The skywalk is held to the canyon by cement posts that are over 50 feet deep.

Grand Canyon West is a 2 - 3 hour drive from Las Vegas, past Hoover Dam. If you decide to drive, be sure to rent a vehicle that is able to handle the gravel road from the highway to the Grand Canyon.

You will not want a sun roof.

The view from the road

a link to tour information - Grand Canyon West

Eagle Point

Can you see the eagle's head and wings?

Healthy Pet Food

2007-04-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

After inquiring about the production of various cat foods at company web sites, I did receive answers from 3 pet food companies. One only uses Menu Foods for their canned food and another one uses Ohio Pet Foods to produce their food. Pet Promise is produced in their own factories. It is possible to find safe and healthy pet food, but I am amazed at the monopoly enjoyed by Menu Foods!

Here are a few links, if you are interested -

FDA recall information

Ohio Pet Related Links

I am very thankful for this very public and widespread recall. I have learned so much about pet food in the past few weeks! Conan is still eating a variety of pet foods, and I have not settled on one brand of food for him yet. I am shopping at health food stores and pet food stores, as well as online. I am finding the prices locally to be competitive, and, in the end, I am sure Conan will grow up very healthy.

Although I feel for the owners who lost their pets, I am grateful that I have learned what not to feed my cats. I have never had much luck with cats.

More links for anyone concerned about what their pets are eating -

PetNBlog

Trilogy

Pet Promise

Old Mother Hubbard

Pet Food Recall

2007-04-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

This is my Siamese cat. He recently had his first birthday.

I bought approximately 8 or 9 cans of Nutro-Max Gourmet Classics for him the day of the first notice about the recall. Since these cans of cat food were not on the recall list (Conan loves this food!), I took a wait-and-see approach and kept them on the shelf.

I stopped checking the list on April 7, since there were no new reports. I began feeding the food to him slowly. He was fed 4 to 6 cans of the recalled food over a period of 2 weeks. I noticed a difference in him after I fed him a can Thursday evening, April 19. He threw up Friday morning and went to see the vet on Friday evening. The vet took his vital signs and did not think it was necessary to do the blood test since this food was not his steady diet. I checked the site on Friday, April 20, and sure enough, that canned food is listed now.

Conan seems fine today, and his eating and drinking habits are consistent with what he has done in the past. I did a little research online and I have decided to place him on a gluten free diet, although this approach is not a guarantee that he will remain safe with commercial pet food.

I took the remaining cans of recalled pet food back to PetSmart.

PetSmart advised checking this link daily for recalled food -

American Veterinary Medical Association

Blog #9 - Growth in Understanding and Skills

2007-03-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

I have enjoyed this class. Anything to do with photo enhancing software and video editing is extremely time consuming. I am looking forward to sleeping again after this quarter is over!

I enjoyed the class so much that I have purchased a video camera, a subscription to AVS software updates, and I am now thinking about replacing my home computer. I learned that creating a video is a lot like computer programming, except that the output is more fun.

I enjoyed the fact that I am a student and I could work with copyrighted material. There were many ideas I could not finish because I did not have the time to figure out how to do them. So, now with my video camera, I think I may enjoy this as a new hobby.

I posted a comment on Cindy's blog.

Blog #8 - Using Video Production Professionally

2007-02-18T00:48:00.000-08:00

I thought of a few ways to use video production while working on Video 1 -

Teaching in the elementary school classroom
Teaching high school English, History, Nutrition and Physical Education classes
Corporate training classes
Marketing your own videos (home workouts, nutrition, cooking, etc.)

Actually, there is a wide open market for video production.

I posted a comment on Dendinger's blog.

Blog #7 - The Final Video

2007-02-18T00:07:00.000-08:00

I am creating these videos on my own, for a few reasons:

It is difficult to find time to get together to work on the project.
I would like to learn how to do it from beginning to end.
What I find interesting may not be interesting to someone else.

I learned a lot while working on the first video. If I would have had more time, I may have been able to learn how to use Adobe LiveMotion so that it looked more realistic. This is very time consuming, especially for a perfectionist.

The final video will be easier because I have learned to use the tools. I am planning to extract film clips from a well-known movie and narrate my own story. The story is based upon what it has been like to work in the computer industry during the past 10 years, especially in a government shop with old archaic systems that date back to the early 1980's.

The tools I will be using can be found at these websites -

Adobe Photoshop

A-One Software

Online Media Technologies, Ltd., UK

Real Network

Roxio

Conversion programs help to get around most of the obstacles. I do searches for the conversion program I am looking for and then I test several until I find one that I like. The free audio conversion programs do not produce high enough quality to use in a video. I used Roxio's conversion program that is included in their music creation software. I did purchase the AVS Video Editor, and I probably should have purchased the bundle (to save money). Most of the software can be used as a trial version, but some of them have marked the output so that it is unusable, forcing a purchase.

I posted a comment on Jenni's blog.

Blog #6 - Creating a video

2007-02-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting project. I wish I had more time for it. Basically, I am doing a video that could be used in a Labor Management promotion. I put together a storyboard, and I was planning to use Adobe Live Motion to create it. When I started going through the book, I found out that Live Motion was intended for small video clips on web pages. This software was purchased sometime in 2001. I downloaded the trial version of Adobe Premier and it would not install on Windows 2000.

I looked online and found out that Windows Movie Maker needs Windows XP Service Pack 2. In fact, it is bundled with the service pack. I haven't found a version that works with Windows 2000, but there may be one out there. I put this computer together in 2001 and I have not added much hardware to it since. I know how long it takes to upgrade a computer and learn something new. So, I am going to attempt to do this project without upgrading.

I did find a trial version of video editing software called Video Edit Magic 4.2 . It looks like it might work and it is compatible with many video formats. I also installed Windows Media Player and looked through some of the free videos. I don't do much of this, although it does look like fun.

I may need to change my storyboard, but right now I am just figuring out how to do it. I may be able to use both Live Motion and the video editing software. I don't know yet.

Actually, I am thinking it is a rather difficult project. I have found another useful site , which may take some of the difficulty out of the project.

I posted a comment on Mark's blog.

Blog #5 - Graphic design and Learning

2007-02-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Knowledge of graphic design and page layout is essential in modern education. While I question the value of teaching Microsoft Office to elementary grade school children, elementary teachers use pictures in most of their teaching. Knowledge of graphic design could save them money!

The widespread usage of graphic design throughout our world makes this a very valuable skill to acquire. Flash cards have been used for many years to facilitate learning a subject requiring a lot of memorization, such as mathematics and foreign languages. Most countries are now using International road signs, which are interpreted free of a language barrier. Graphics are also being used in airports for international travelers. Graphic design is a field of its own plus a useful skill to be used in one's personal and professional life.

I posted a comment on Tia's blog.

Blog #4 - Newsletters and Page Layouts

2007-01-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

Newsletters and page layouts may be useful in a teaching portfolio, used to obtain the first teaching job. Since communication is so vital to effective teaching, a parent-teacher newsletter could be used as a tool to encourage greater achievement in a child. In our new world without free time, it could mean the difference between a child who fails and one who succeeds.

Sales is another field where newsletters and page layouts can be very effective. An introductory newsletter could be used to help a business grow, in addition to free samples, coupons and contests.

Newsletters are very useful in the corporate world. Managers use them to communicate to subordinates in a variety of ways. For instance, a project manager could use a newsletter to communicate a project plan to team members, instead of an abstract chart. VIPs use them to communicate significant events, such as new hires and promotions regularly.

I commented on Jon's blog again.

Blog #3 - Professional Image Editing

2007-01-21T18:35:00.000-08:00

Since my major is Technical Education and Training (Corporate Track), I imagine I will be able to use image editing in the preparation of a training class in the future.

In preparation for a training class, the images depend upon the topic. The topics in the computer industry are sometimes as abstract as mathematics and chemistry. Technical objects are usually pretty drab, and the addition of background and color to simple drawings is something that can enhance the content. Technical training can also be very boring, so the selective and strategic use of images as part of a presentation helps to keep the attention of the class.

If I find an opportunity while working with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, I think a fun use of image editing would be something done with the people that work there. A positive image reflected back to employees can be a huge morale booster.

I commented on Jim's blog.

Blog #2 - Image editing

2007-01-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

My experience with image editing has been limited to cropping and sizing images. I have a digital camera and I use it to post images at Amazon, where I sell Tupperware and used books under the business name of ezenuff.

I purchased the Adobe Suite in 2001, and I have played with it a little. I haven't had much need to know how to create graphic images, either by drawing, combining photos, or using a camera. I have a digital camera for online images, but I still use a film camera for travel (the digital cameras eat batteries). I am still using the 3rd scanner I purchased (Microtek).

My ideas come from what is going on in my life at the moment, browsing through photos, and using the tools we are learning to use in class. I would like to learn more about graphic artists' techniques; how and when to use the Adobe filters. The time I have to spend on creating graphic images is very limited, and this stuff is extremely time consuming!!

I think it might be fun to create images with favorite rock stars, animals, or ordinary people.

The weather might also be fun.

I commented on Mike's blog.

Blog #1 - The weather

2007-01-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

This has been a strange winter quarter in terms of the weather. When I was a student here in 1971, I can remember 7 degree weather, snow and ice. This year, we have had no snow and the temperature has averaged in the 40's or 50's.

It is supposed to rain again tomorrow. I have daffodils coming up in front of my town home.

I am also taking Chemistry 102 this quarter. It doesn't look any easier than it did in 1971. Why did I wait so long? Maybe it was the weather. Maybe I am still undecided, but no, I have committed to getting this BS. If I can manage to pass Chemistry 102, I will fulfill a University General Education Requirement.

I do like the change in weather, although I am wondering about what will happen to my daffodils this year. I would prefer the weather to be between 29 and 32 degrees because then we would have snow instead of rain.

Snow is a lot more fun than rain, unless it is over 80 degrees outside.

What is my experience with image editing?

I have looked through Adobe Photoshop 6 and Adobe Illustrator 9. I know how to do what I needed to know at the time, either crop and size or edit a pdf file. Image editing software is not available at my workplace, and I have limited time at home.

I commented on Jon's blog.