Follow the Leaders?

Posted by Grumpy on June 15, 2017
Posted in: American Aristocracy, Culture and Humanity.

Follow the Leaders

For a long time, my biggest problem with the Federal Government has been its inability to get any meaningful work done for the American people.  I attribute this problem to both major parties making their sole objective blocking all initiatives of the other party from ever getting off the ground.  Each leaves no room for the option of sitting around a table and working out a compromise.

The “My Way or the Highway” approach does not lend itself to constructive work being accomplished.  The reason this legislative practice became the all-encompassing objective for both parties is to position themselves for the next elections, which translates to senators and representatives keeping their seats, perks, money, and their place in the Aristocracy.  For them, these selfish concerns out-weigh what we all learned in grammar school was the real job description of their office: Serving the People.  It could not be more evident that they serve themselves, not us.

Looking at the current political environment at street level, I am saddened (and somewhat fearful) to see that We the People have seemingly accepted using the “My Way or the Highway” policy towards each other.  We’re now alt-right Trump supporters or left wing Clinton liberals – no middle ground, or room for discussion.  Street protests and rallies in favor of one side or the other are met with rowdy, sometimes violent opposition from the other side, often requiring police to be called into the fray.

We have become them.

I can offer no solution.  Those elected by generations of voters have created their machine, and are keeping themselves in ownership of the government, and also our lives.  You’ve heard me say before, I hate both sides of the aisle equally.  For me, the two presidential candidates left standing after the last party national conventions are shameful examples of what has come to be.  It would have made no difference who won, we’d still be in the same hateful state we are now.

If you got this far into this post, take a minute or 2 and view this older post.  It’s a little naive and wishful, but is a companion read to this one.

The Great Automobile Shuffle

Posted by Grumpy on May 30, 2017
Posted in: Cars, Life.

Our 'new' 2013 Scion XB

We were a 2 car, 2 driver household.  A change to one driver’s health status made both of our cars not amenable to this life altering event.  Ease of entry and exit became a new requirement, as well as the need for easier access to manageable carry space for the extra things we now need to carry.

Our 2012 Camry was a joy to drive but getting things of substantial weight in and out of the trunk was not a simple task.  It was also not an easy car to get in and out of for someone with mobility issues.  The same problem existed on our other car, a 2013 Corolla S, with the added issue of a very hard ride due to the sport suspension and tires.

The Camry was sold to the Toyota dealer in town, and the Corolla was sold to CarMax.  With the purchase of the replacement vehicle we had decided to locate and buy, we came out financially ahead on the deal.

We had purchased a new 2005 Scion XB when they first became available in New England and we both loved that car, owning it for about 8 years.  My sister has driven it for the last 3 or 4 years.  They stopped selling new XBs in the US in 2015 or early 2016, so I hunted one down on CarMax, and found a very low mileage 2013 in Virginia.  I paid $300 to have it shipped to Hartford and within a week we were happily driving it home.

The car meets the requirements – easier accessibility and more, manageable carry space.  Lifting weight into the back is much easier due to the hatch back and it’s rear bumper-level sill, not requiring lifting the weight up and over to get it in the car.  With the rear seat backs folded down (forward), the extra space provided is ready for extended road trips requiring luggage and more.  In either scenario there are many hooks and loops on the inside body and rear seat backs to secure loads with bungee cords or rope.

The entry into the seating areas is a little lower to the ground than either of the 2 previous cars, making entry significantly easier.  We find the car is noticeably quieter and gives a nicer ride than the 2005 version.  The 16″ wheels (as opposed to the 15″ on the older version) and the slightly extended wheel base are the main reasons for the improved ride.

We need to wait until the honeymoon is over and more miles are put on the car to see what the actual miles per gallon will be, for both town and highway.  My initial feeling is that the newer XB may not be as comfortable at the highway speeds I used to drive the old one (70+ mph), and have been staying closer to 65 except to pass.

Time will tell if it will be as dependable and problem free as the 2005 model was, and still is for my sister, but for now we’re just enjoying the new ride.

Some IOS Apps I Use Everyday

Posted by Grumpy on November 19, 2016
Posted in: Rants Raves, Technology.

ios-apps-640x220

These are some of the Apple IOS apps that help keep an old man organized, on time, and secured.  I basically run my life off my iPhone, and these three apps help.  I have other apps I use daily and will follow up with some of them in future posts, in case they may be of interest to you.

GoodReader by Good.iWare Inc
Every computing platform has its “must have, does it all app”, and for IOS, it’s this one.  It houses files of all types in a standard folder and file structure, and I can transfer or download any of them to and from my desktops and laptops.  I set up a sync arrangement within the app I can run at will to keep a folder on my iMac identical to a folder in GoodReader.  It is a powerful PDF annotator and updater.  I use an in-app security option to have all content in the app encrypted at the hardware level (requiring a password or finger print to get into the app), and selected folders protected by a different password (same fingerprint) as well.  Check this app out in the App Store for a full list of its capabilities.  It’s well worth the $5.

TickTick by Appest Limited
This apps manages my simple ToDo list in a very workable layout.  It has all the usual functionality of a basic ToDo app (date and time settings, alerts, repeats, priority, etc) that you can choose to use or not.  It provides a helpful widget with useful features, and TickTick can manage multiple lists of tasks.  I’m using the free version which caps at 99 tasks (way more than I need), but if you’re still active in the corporate world or your own business, you can upgrade to the Pro version.  This adds almost unlimited lists and tasks, collaboration with others, attachments, a calendar interface, and more.  Note that even the free version provides syncing of the tasks and lists with other IOS devices and the free Mac OS X version of the App, as well as Android devices and a web interface.  Keep me honest and check this app out in the App Store for all the details.  Feature for feature, I think it’s among the best in class.

Enpass Password Manager by Sinew Software Systems Private Limited
This password management app has the most important feature to me – all data within it is not only securely encrypted, but it can be housed locally.  You can still keep devices in sync using WebDav and backup files with this local file feature, or choose any of the supported clouds instead (6 popular choices currently).  The app offers templates for many different account types, and you may also customize any of these templates to your needs by adding fields of different types.  It supports autofill of credentials in the internal browser or Safari, provides a free desktop version of the app for Mac and others, and there’s no signup required or subscription charges.  This full feature app is free to try (with a limited number of entries), and the full Pro version is $10.  A great app, well worth that price to me.