International Travel - Visa Required - airlines

Currency Exchange 
Currency Exchange @ Airport Main Terminal charges a huge fee and 20% off the posted exchange rate. 

Didn't have much luck with the exchange at the Warsaw Central train station either. Stepping down to the platform/track, the exchange rate was a lot more attractive.

Best exchange/fair exchange stations - Singapore airport

American credit cards may not work on most of newer European ATM machines. The newer credit card with embedded "smart card chip" is required to be accepted.

USAA - and other banks - owners need to call in to allow foreign ATM withdraws.


 UNITED Airlines - seats and fare codes
The cheapest tickets coach
M, E, U, H, Q, V, W, S, T, L, K, G, N

Full fare coach
Y, B

Business Class
J

Fare	Domestic Upg.	International Upg.	Award Miles	PQM	PQS	Price Rank	CLASS	Description
J	NA	Business Fare	175%	150%	1.5	1	B	Business Class.
O	NA	Business Award	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	B (AWARD)	Business Class AWARD TICKET (Better known as 'XC' class)
Z	NA	Business Class	150%	150%	1.5	3	B (DISCOUNT)	Heavily discounted Business Class - CANNOT (officially) be upgraded using either miles or SWU's or Sales Dept upgrade certificates.
D	Yes	Business Fare	175%	150%	1.5	2	B (DISCOUNT)	Discounted Business fare- used also on all "Business" Class Star RTW fares. Upgradeable to F domestically.
C	Yes	Business Fare	175%	150%	1.5	1	B (FULL)	Full Fare Unrestricted Business Class. Upgradeable to F domestically.
I	NA	Business Upgrade	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	B (UPGRADE)	Business Class Upgrade class from Economy (Better known as 'NC' class)
N	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	18	E (AWARD)	Economy Class AWARD TICKET (Better known as 'XY' class)
Y	Yes	Yes	125%	150%	1	4	E-1 (FULL)	1st Tier Economy. Full Fare unrestricted Economy class
B	Yes	Yes	125%	150%	1.5	5	E2	2nd Tier Economy. Almost Full Fare Economy with minimal restrictions - also used Star *RTW
M	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	6	E3	3rd Tier Economy. Almost Full Fare Economy with few restrictions. May require twice the points to upgrade than Y or B fares.
E	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	7	E4	4th Tier Economy. 'Ted' and some low web/discount fares from early 2005. Now officially elevated to above H class!
U	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	8	E-5	5th Tier Economy. Showed up Nov/03 as booking class for "TED" also in mid 2005 a high level mainline class!
H	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	9	E6	6th Tier Economy. Higher level Economy Class with few restrictions. Some "RTW" coach is H. May require twice the points to upgrade than Y or B fares.
Q	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	10	E7	7th Tier Economy. Discount Economy with moderate restrictions. (Bereavement tix are in Q)** Q can be a QUP that books into domestic F without the use of an upgrade instrument. Some Q fares are refundable.
V	Yes	Maybe **	100%	100%	1	11	E8	8th Tier Economy. Discount Fare Economy often with a lot of restrictions**
W	Yes	Maybe **	100%	100%	1	12	E9	9th Tier Economy. Discount Fare Economy often with many restrictions**
S	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	13	E9-10	10th Tier Economy. Real Lowball coach with lot of restrictions. Reports that some are not mile earning ex UK/Brazil etc.
L	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	15	E9-11	11th Tier Economy. Discount Fare Economy with a lot of restrictions
T	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	14	E9-11	11th Tier Economy.Heavy discount Fare Economy - often with a lot of restrictions
K	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	16	E9-12	12th Tier Economy. Seasonal Economy Promotional Fares/Reduced Fare Gov’t contract etc
G	Yes	Yes	100%	100%	1	17	E9-13	13th Tier Economy. Travel Industry Economy Class fares
P	First Class	NA	150%	150%	1.5	2	F	Premium USA Transcon First Class on 3 classers
X	NA	First Class Upgrade	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	F (AWARD)	First Class UPGRADE AWARD from paid Business* (Better known as 'NF').  Please reference the class of fare for your original ticket.
R	First Award	NA	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	F (AWARD)	First Class AWARD TICKET (Better known as 'XF' class)
A2	First Class	NA	175%	150%	1.5	3	F (DISCOUNT)	Two Cabin discounted Fare First Class. Round The World First is booked in this class.
A3	First Class	NA	250%	150%	1.5	3	F (DISCOUNT)	Three Cabin discounted Fare First Class. Round The World First is booked in this class.
F2	First Class Fare	First Class Fare	175%	150%	1.5	1	F (FULL)	Two Cabin full Fare Unrestricted First Class
F3	First Class Fare	First Class Fare	250%	150%	1.5	1	F (FULL)	Three Cabin full Fare Unrestricted First Class

Modern International Airport
Sydney
Kansi Japan
abu dhabi
Narita
shanghai
Frankfurt
tokyo haneda
Auckland
copenhagan
London heathaw
central japan airport???
Vancouver international
kuala lumpur
zurich airport
Munich
beijing capital
amsterdam
hong kong airport
singapore changi
incheon


Mobile phone-
[/] The teleco - stationed after passing through customs.
[/]  Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile (台湾大哥大) are the two major players.
[/]  SIM cars are available in standard and micro-SIM
[/]  To purchase SIM card, requiring two forms of official pictured ID
[/] Any prepaid plan can be top off with refill cards sold at convenience stores
[/] Taiwan Mobile/unlimited data plan (3G) // rates are similar among major companies
Mobile Broadband 1-day = NT$100 (min)  100/day avg $3.25
Mobile Broadband 3-day = NT$250 / 83/day avg = $3.00
Mobile Broadband 5-day = NT$350 / 70/day avg = $2.50
Mobile Broadband 7-day= NT$450 (max) 65 day avg = $2.25

American Express - how to run a business

Gloria MacKenzie, a 84-year-old woman based in Florida, was the single biggest winner of the Powerball jackpot last week because she said someone was “kind enough” to let her step in front of the line at Publix. As a result, the quick pick lottery ticket destined for the "nice" lady, Mindy Crandell, went to MacKenzie. Though Crandell responded with even more kindness that "things are meant to be for a reason," to most of the general public, it seems like another case where the nice guy finished last.
In small business, there are many times where being "nice" will ensure a company finishes dead last. Here are five reasons you're not winning the race.
1. Settling for sub-par employees. Small-business owners need to be aggressive in searching, finding and hiring the best people. A team is only as strong as its players, and this part of the small-business game is not for the faint of heart. No matter what state the economy is in, there is always a lot of competition for top talent. It is critical for hiring to be part of an owner’s personal mission—it should never be delegated entirely. Interview passionately, relentlessly and always pay above industry compensation. Fighting to win the battle for the best employees is a key requirement to building a profitable company.
RELATED: A Foolproof Guide to Hiring the Best Candidate
2.  Conceding too quickly. The most successful entrepreneurs are fierce competitors. Channel Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. They compete honestly, but intensely. They never give up and play to win. Successful small-business owners think their fair share of the marketplace is 100 percent. They want all the business and are unwilling to concede any profitable customer segment to a fellow competitor.
3. Not being stubborn enough. Studies suggest that men who are “below average on agreeableness earn roughly 18 percent more than men who are considered nice." Statistically, rude people get more of what they want. At the start, forget about negotiating for a win-win. Set minimum and maximum goals. Aggressively pursue the maximum goal and never quit unless the minimum one is achieved.
4. Feelings of guilt. The small-business owner has to be merciless in firing people who are not profitable for the company after a few months. Too many owners allow poor performers to linger, and they end up hurting the entire team. The "nice guy" behavior of letting them hang on benefits no one since the other employees know who the weakest links are. Never hesitate. Give the appropriate amount of severance and cut them loose even if there is no immediate replacement. This goes for employees who have shown dishonest behavior. Practice a zero tolerance policy of “one strike and you're out."
RELATED: Have You Mastered These 5 Levels of Leadership?
5. Not seizing the lead. A small business is never run like a democracy. Some may even call its structure a benevolent dictatorship. While the leader should solicit ideas and feedback from employees and managers, there is only one vote that really counts. Majority doesn't rule at a business. Employees will follow a leader who shows confidence and commitment.
In business, owners who are always nice guys can finish last. Remember that the next time you let someone cut in front of you at the supermarket.
Read more stories about leadership in small business.

Semi-Truck, to buy

Highway Tractors
I made 6-connective weekend trips to a neighboring city. I came across many 18-wheelers on the interstate highways. Some were old, boxy Peterbilts, some were very aerodynamic looking Freightliners and Volvos. Regardless of the boxy cabs, or aerodynamic cabs, they all have some kinds of "add-on" to improve the aerodynamic of overall setup. Without out a doubt, the raised wind deflector over the trailer was every one I have came across.

Another interesting observation about the trucks - there are only a few brands of truck cab integrator:

The top-selling brand of semi truck is Freightliner; it sells about a third of the 190,000 new semis sold annually. Freightliner is owned by Daimler Trucks North America, which also owns the Western Star brand. Second most popular is Navistar International, followed by PACCAR, which owns the Peterbilt and Kenworth brands. Fourth is Volvo, which also owns the Mack brand

Freightliner
Peterbilt / Kenworth
Volvo / Mack
International
Ford


Further more - Detroit Diesel, Cummins are popular engine choices for truck manufactures that don't have their own branded engines.!



Newer Semi Tractor Trucks

FREIGHTLINER COLUMBIA 120 (CL120)
Peterbilt 386 /Kenworth T2000
Volvo VNL series,  670  (Volvo 3 types of engines)

Truck operating expense
1. Payment, if any - car loan
2. Insurance, driving habit
3. Vehicle operating expense
     maintenance
     wear and tear items
     scheduled, expected repairs
     fuel tax


 Reefer - refrigerated trailer

What I had in mind was about the preventative maintenance program (PM) offered at may truck stop/commercial vehicles. In this case "Reefer" refers to the refrigerated container, or shipping trailers equipped with refrigeration system.

The refrigeration trailer/container uses combustion engine to generate the power to run the refrigeration system. It also requires the PM like tractor and trailer.


 2007 Volvo 780 - 10 speed Auto $19k 
2007 Volvo 780 0Volvo 465, Auto 10, FUEL SQUEEZER, 2 YRS AGO INFRAME MOTOR, 18 OLD TRANS, WELL MAINT, 80% TIRES, 30 DAY WARR. limited, NO OIL LEAKS, NO BLOW BY,

Arts - Basic -- Needs to Know, Muisc, Joshua Bell

Mondrian - Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan
 This consisted of white ground, upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors

Joshua Bell "Stop and Hear the Music" by the Washington Post 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

Joshua Bell's Subway experiment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyrS0GZdFps

2007年1月，美國首都華盛頓一個地鐵站內，一名男子用小提琴演奏了45分鐘Bach的作品。這段時間大約有二千名市民經過車站，大部份都是上班途中。

... 演奏四分鐘後，一名中年男士留意到這位音樂家的演奏。他慢下來，停了幾秒，然後急忙趕往他的目的地。

四分鐘後，小提琴手賺到了他第一元美金。一名女子停也不停地把硬幣拋進他帽子。

六分鐘後，一位年輕人靠在牆邊聽他彈奏，看看手錶後又離去。

十分鐘後，一位三歲男孩停了下來，他母親卻催他離開。男孩再次望向小提琴手，但母親無情地推著他，男孩只好一邊走一邊回望。幾位其他的小孩也如男孩般感到好奇，但每一位家長都催促孩子向前走，無一例外。

四十五分鐘過去了，音樂家從未間斷地表演。期間只有六人稍稍停下來聽了一會。大約有二十人放下了金錢，但依著本來的步速離開。這位男子最後共賺得32美元。

一小時後，他的演奏結束，車站恢復原狀。他離開時沒有得到任何注意、沒有任何掌聲、任何鼓勵。

沒有人知道這件事，但小提琴手原來是世界級著名演奏家Joshua Bell。他那天用一部價值350萬美元的小提琴彈奏了世上最複雜的作品之一。
兩天前，他在一個演奏廳裡以平均票價100美元的入場費演奏了45分鐘完全相同的樂章。

這是真人真事。
Joshua Bell匿名地在地鐵站裡拉奏，是為了Washington Post籌劃的一個關於品味與價值觀的社會實驗。

這項實驗引申了幾個問題：
在普通的日常生活當中，在錯的時間下，我們能感受到「美」嗎？如是，我們會否停下來欣賞它？在不適當的場合下，我們能否注意到才能的展現？

在忙碌的生活中，我們到底還錯過了些什麼？

Car Choices

Facts:
1. A typical, relative trouble free vehicle requires $60/monthly repair/maintenance budget.  (@ 25,000 year over 8 years)

2. At typical vehicle insurance ($1100/year) / registration ($90/year) and vehicle depreciation schedule of a $20K-$24K family car/small SUV $300 month OR
for a $45K luxury SUV/Sedan $500 month

3. A 25 mpg/25,000 yearly drive = $290 month fuel.

so
1. Expect to pay $660 / months to operate a vehicle or
2. about $900 /month to operate luxury vehicle, with higher depreciation schedule/maintenance cost and premium fuel, or
3. maybe $600 for smaller, less expensive compact sedan

 #     #     #     #      #      #      #

BMW 328 vs Honda Accord EX-L Auto/CVT
   38,000 - 27,100

ACCORD LX W/6M vs CIVIC EX-L W/5A
    21,500 - 21,500

Books to Read

The Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)

Sit at the foot of a native elder and listen as great wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Miguel Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making an elementary change in life, and it reads in a voice that you would expect from an indigenous shaman. The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best. It's the how and why one should do these things that make The Four Agreements worth reading and remembering. --P. Randall Cohan

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand 1957
The book explores a dystopian United States where many of society's wealthiest citizens refuse to pay increasingly high taxes, reject government regulations and disappear, shutting down their vital industries. The disappearances evoke the imagery of what would happen if the mythological Atlas refused to continue to hold up the sky.

Three Laws of Performance 
The Three Laws of Performance: Rewriting the Future of Your Organization and Your Life by Steve Zaffron
A proven system for rallying all of an organizations' employees around a new vision and ideas for making the vision stick

When something at work isn't going smoothly, managers struggle with what part of the problem to tackle first. Do they start with cost reduction? Or should they go for process improvements first? The authors—who have helped hundreds of companies and individuals change and improve—say spend time and money adjusting the systems in which people operate, rather than targeting people and their performance directly. The authors show that it's in fact possible to change everything at once—with a focus on making such transformations permanent and repeatable.

Brand-new Introduction written for the paperback edition
Filled with illustrative examples from Northrup Grumman, BHP-Billiton, Reebok, Harvard Business School, and many others
Two experts in the field show how to make major transformations happen
The book outlines a process for engaging all employees to buy-in to an improved vision of an organization's new and improved future.

The Secret and Love the One Your With.

Best vehicle for cross country..

SEATING
1. Front seats are wide and deep for comfortable thigh support
2. A deep, wide center console / arm rest
3. Rear seats can recline, for comfortable rest

WINDOWS/SUNROOF/DASH BOARD
1. Dash board is flat, so items / GPS can be place on top
2. Sunroof - for added view
3. Rear windows, fully retract, or nearly retracted for a better view

Misc Items
1. Separate A/C control for rear is nice
2. Err? Higher mileage the merrier, bigger the fuel tank - merrier
3. Direct access to rear cargo (SUV/Station wagen) is good.

Best GSM Mobile Service Plans and SIM Card Size Semi-Yearly Updates

LAST REPORT  2016 May - no contracts (SIM GSM Carriers)
LAST REPORT  2015 September - no contracts (SIM GSM Carriers)

Free phone, text and data  without monthly fees
Freedompop (unlimited talk, text, 500mb)
     Voice - bad
     Text - acceptable, with slight delay
      Data plan - good

Ringplus (best deal  2,500 min; 2,500 text, 2,500mb);
     SIM Card $18; Upgrade to plan above $25; top-off fee $30
    Voice - Good
     Text - Good
     Data - bad

Airvoice Wireless Unlimited Talk and Text  $20.00 /month
     Voice - Good
     Text - Good


H2o Wireless  (Park Phone Number) H20 Wireless, $10 / 90 days - 3 months
     Voice - Good
     Text - Good


Max out of everything - Net10Wireless $50.00 /month unlimited Talk Text MMS - 5GB data



SIM CARD Dimension     ...
Mini-SIM ISO/IEC 7810:2003, ID-000 25.00 x  15.00 x  0.76
Micro-SIM ETSI TS 102 221 V9.0.0, Mini-UICC 15.00 x 12.00 x 0.76
Nano-SIM ETSI TS 102 221 V11.0.0 12.30 8.80 0.67

Mini-SIM : iPhone 3;
Micro SIM : iPhone 4s;  Nexus 5; HTC EVO; ASUS Zenfone 2
Nano-SIM:  HTC One 8M



==========================================
==========================================
==========================================


LAST REPORT  JULY 2014
[[P]] PAY-GO, NO CONTRACTS
For just emergency - limited calling

 ...  Spot Mobile - (T-Mobile)

 ...  $5.00 refill / expires 90 days

 ...  10 cents - voice and  5 cents / text

For typical personal communication

 ...  Spot Mobile - (T-Mobile)

 ...  $12.99 monthly saver plan

 ...  250 minutes voice, and 250 text and 50 mb data (checking email/SMS?)

 ........   if needed, purchase $10 refill ($22.99 monthly) for a 350 minutes voice

For gossiping plan

 ...  Spot Mobile - (T-Mobile)

 ...  $24.99 monthly saver plan

 ...  unlimited voice and text, no data plan

For unlimited plan

 ...  Net10 Mobile -

 ...  $44.99 monthly saver plan

 ...  unlimited voice and text, and data plan

[[W]] WAL-MART SOLUTION
From Wal-Mart

The starter kit = $25 ea / per line-phone -  including a SIM card
Unlimited Talk Text Web $40  (upto 2.5GB 3G network)
Unlimited Talk/Text $30
Additional line ;   TTW = 35   &&   TT=25

[[E]]  EXAMPLE - FOR GROWING FAMILY
$25 - Kid #1  250 min / 250 text / 50 mb
$25 - Kid #2  250 min / 250 text / 50 mb
$50  - Parent #1 unlimited Talk/Text/Web
$50 - Parent #2 unlimited TTW
===========
$150 total/tax included

[[X]] OR ACCORDING TO CNET AND OTHERS

   Using mobile phone - as your home land line
   To connect mobile cell phone to home cordless phone system through
     (a) blueTooth setup - rane =    xxxxx ft
     (b) xxxx???

[[A]] MY CHOICE OF ANDROID PHONES

======================================

HTC ONE $500
SAMSUNG NOTE II $500


# # # # # ## # # 

LAST UPDATE  JANUARY 2014

For travel, internationally  - a GSM phone works great.
The basic 2G phone needs to run on two basic frequency 850mhz, and 1900 mhz


From Amazon $22.00 each

Samsung GT-E1205L Keystone 2 Dual Band GSM Phone with FM Radio, MP3 Ringtones, SMS and Mobile Tracker - US Warranty - Black

standby - 720 hours (30 days?)

talk time 2g = 8.3 hours

from amazon $30 each

Samsung GT-E1182L E1182 DUOS Unlocked Quad-Band Dual SIM GSM Phone with Dual SIM Standby Support, FM Radio and Organizer - US Warranty - Silver

2G Network

GSM 900 / 1800

# # # # #
July 2013 - The latest discount for mobile service from Wal-Mart

The starter kit = $25 ea / per line-phone -  including a SIM card
Unlimited Talk Text Web $40  (upto 2.5GB 3G network)
Unlimited Talk/Text $30

Additional line ;   TTW = 35   &&   TT=25

# # # #

[[-]] A family of 5 (two adults and 3 kids)  with U-TTW = 40 x 1 + 35 x 4 = $160 total for 5 lines
[[-]] A couple  with U-TTW = 40 x 1 + 35 x 1 = $75

[[-]] Joe 40 TTW + Cindy 35 TTW + May 25 TT + Bob (special) 5 T = $105

# # # #  What can you get for a $100 month cellphone plan from T-Mobile??




Samsung Rugby(R) II - 5 hours talk-time. rough handling allowed


Sony Slider??


Motorola - Razor Flip Phone??


Update 2012 March 8--------------------------------
iPhone voice quality is bad.  Most of the cellphone, iphone included, don't have a decent speaker phone.

Frequent use of texting, emailing compensate for the largely deficient speaker phone.  Do I want to get iPhone again? It will greatly depends on whether Apple can improve the "voice" aspect of a "phone".

# # # #

Pay Go Phone - for emergency

The best - $100, 1,000 minutes, for a 1 year

(T-mobile, and AT&T) 

# # # # #
Samsung Rugby(R) II - 5 hours talk-time. rough handling allowed


Sony Slider??


Motorola - Razor Flip Phone??






AUGUST 2012 - IPHONE
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
SCREEN SIZE - 4 AND UP (DOUBLE RESOLUTION)
CPU STEPS - 3GS, 4 AND 4S (DUAL CORE)
CELL SPEED 3G (3.6) 3GS (7.2) 4 (5.76) 4S (14.4 DUAL ANTENNA)
CAMERA 3GS (3.0 F/2.8) 4 (5.0 F/2.8 -720P, FRONT .3 480P) 4S (8.0 F/2.4, 1080P, FRONT .3 480P)
########################3

LIKE: 3GS / 4S

After 4 versions of iPhone, I still have the same wishful features in the next gen of iPhone..

1. Bigger screen.  Rich text requires big screen. Rotating screen trades for bigger text, but fewer lines.  Why can the phone simply made bigger.

2. Bigger battery. Many of us want a bigger battery for their phones, weight is a worth the weight trade off

3. Give us a non-iTune interface, or give me a memory expansion card

4. Just add a few more buttons for quick easy access.

5. Design the phone with more gripping surfaces, so phone would be slipped out of hands easily..


Update 2012 March 8
--------------------------------
iPhone voice quality is bad.  Most of the cellphone, iphone included, don't have a decent speaker phone.

Frequent use of texting, emailing compensate for the largely deficient speaker phone.  Do I want to get iPhone again? It will greatly depends on whether Apple can improve the "voice" aspect of a "phone".


# # # #

Pay Go Phone - for emergency

The best - $100, 1,000 minutes, for a 1 year

(T-mobile, and AT&T)


# ##  # 
last post August 2011

TMobile

AT&T

Others

T Mobile Text 10 cents, Voice=10 cent / minute

$100, expires in 1 year - or (10 months/average?) = $10 month = 100 minutes /month = 3-4 minutes /day.

$100 for 4 trips /year = $25.00 per trip or 250 minutes = 12 days? = 20 minutes /day.

AT&T $2/daily, unlimited

$100 for $2 day unlimited = 50 days / year or 12 days/per trip; text extra = 10 cent per message

or same as T-mobile, the rate expires after 1 year



# # ##  
Pantech Breeze II (Bob)
Phone for older people - There is only one left on the market - Pantech Breeze II. This phone has big buttons, big numbers - it means there is no need for reading glasses.


iPhone 3GS/4/4S (Josh)
The preferred phone for many people - the ease of use allow one to overlook many other short comings.
Call (voice) quality is bad.  Phone encounter software problems more often and not.


Sony Erricsion Xperia X10 (Cindy)
A powerful, well designed hardware, it just need a bit help with software

iPad 2
The oversize version of iPhone. - With the help of GoogleVoice, Skype etc, I can see this iPad2 with data plan can be a iPhone/mini-notebook replacement

new words

succinct - (esp. of something written or spoken) Briefly and clearly expressed.

sommelier - or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role is more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter.

Dopplegaenger - is a paranormal double of a living person

Jean de Tinan -


wrathe

Darien Gap – Drive to South America

How far can I drive from Northern Alaska Puerto Bay to
Darien Gap in Panama?

1. how much time?
2. when is best time to travel?
3. how far?

Lawnmore engine - AC permanent-magnet AC synchronous electric motor

Can the broken lawnmower be modified for use as an AC permanent-magnet AC synchronous electric motor?

New Transportation - cargo van? Transit and ProMaster

Ford Transit and
Dodge ProMaster, which one is better?

Ford 3.7L Ti-VCT V6
302 hp (225 kW) at 6,500 rpm and 278 lb·ft (378 N·m) at 4,000 rpm

RAM Chrysler Pentastar engine family
300 bhp (224 kW; 304 PS) at 6350 rpm  264 lb·ft (358 N·m) at 4800 rpm

 &   &   &   &  &

FORD 3.2L I-5 Power Stroke® Turbo Diesel
 Euro Duratorq 3.2 makes 200 HP and 350 ftlb of torque

DODGE  3.0L,  l4 -175hp - 295ft-lb
3.0-Liter Inline Four-Cylinder EcoDiesel

RAM MEDIUM / MID ROOF
===========================
wheel base = 136"
Length = 213" (18 ft)
width = 80"
Height = 89" (7 1/2 ft)
gross = 7,716 lb
max load =3,472lb
empty?? = 4,300 lb - nice

Merrell Men's Chameleon 2 3 4 5 Moab Stretch Ventilator

   
 
I fall in love with Merrell and the Gore-Tex.  After 9 years,
The best, the most comfortable pairs was Merrell Chameleon 2.  The quality seems to have degraded for the years, and I have accustom to the less comfortable shoes too.




I hope the latest verions Chameleon 5 will make a real comeback in my neck of the woods..



# # # # #




I used think Merrell style shoes were ugly. It doesn't look like any of the court shoes like Tennis shoes, basketball shoes etc.  After 2-3 weekends of hiking on natural, rocky trail with my favorite running shoes, I realized why many people on the trail wore the ugly shoes.


I found Merrell generally have good reviews or achieve the sweet spot for the performance and value perspective.  I like the shoes with Gore-Tex, it does wonder in the rain - keeping my feet dry.

Chameleon - a bit more serious hiking, on uneven terrain
Moab - a bit more suitable for walking on non-paved, yet even surface.

Chameleon vs Moab - Nylon arch support / sole design

Ventilator vs stretch ??

NBA 50-Games Win

What is the significance of having a 50 wins NBA season (50 out of 82,  .600 winning rate)?

Many NBA analysts commented on San Antonio's 14th connective years of 50 wins NBA seasons. The local  TV stations sports guys repeatedly referencing this particular accomplishment.

Is it about
1. almost guarantee of play-off appearance
2. few teams can sustain a winning season over a long period of time
3. ???? 

Leather, PU leather, Synthetic leather

What is PU leather, Synthetic, and


Bicast leather = PU leather = split leather = bycast leather = man made
split leather backing with a layer of polyurethane

World Radio / Internet Radio

March 2013- World Radio anymore?          

World Radio? Shortwave - (analog) the radio waves are reflected back to Earth from the ionosphere and transmit signal continuously around the earth.


Why do we need to keep the old technology?
FM-stereo / MW / SW / LW World Band PLL Radio ??
Why not satellite radio?  Is it cheaper to operate?
How many satellite do we need to relay-provide global coverage?


March 2013 - Motorola Talkabout 2-Way Radio FRS    

T5000 No voice activated feature, 5 call tone

T5500 Voice activated (VOX) 10 call tone
    a used set from ebay $20.00
    a new set $30.00 (discounted)
    a new set $45.00 (new 10 years ago)

T5550  can't tell the difference from T5500.

http://www.motorola.com/mdirect/manuals/T50-T55_UserGuide.pdf

April 2012 - Shortwave Radios, Satellite Dishes and Internet YouTube

 

Why do we still need shortwave radio? The satellite dishes (C-band, Ku-band) were the way to see the video programming, and satellite feeds.  The Internet / YouTube seems to have replaced the role of satellite.

Does broadcasting (radio, satellite) still has its advantage over the Internet (point-to-point) service?  In the time of disaster, what will work?  Is cellphone going to perform better than radio?

Sony ICF-SW7600GR AM/FM Shortwave World Band Receiver with Single Side Band Reception

March 2010 - Free-to-Air Programming

No more cables (Direct TV) for the house.

Here is my "Free-to-Air" programming, and another way to cut-down my TV watching habit.

1. Install an outdoor long pole for mounting antenna (say 24 ft pole")
2. Get an outdoor antenna (one found in Radio Shack, many elements, 120 miles range)
3. Buy a multiple Ku Band Satellite dishes (1 receiver) - for the free radio/audio programs, and selected TV programs (like FoxNews Channel), or (FoodTV network)
4. Hulu, Hulu.com- free TV programs on Internet ..

Ultra Notebook Latest Computer/Notebook Value CPU Benchmark

November 2014 - Ultra Notebooks
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sony is out of notebook/pc business.  I missed Sony


My latest computer / my highly desirable  ultra light notebooks wish list.

Sony VAIO SVD13223CXB 13.3-Inch Convertible 2 in 1 Touchscreen Ultrabook (Black)  - no more i5 $1200

Intel® Core™ i5 4300U 1.90 GHz with Intel HD Graphics 4400

• 12-Inch HD (1920x xxx) Touchscreen Display
• 4 GB RAM; 128 GB Storage Capacity
• Windows 8.1 Pro

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 12-inch with Keyboard: 128GB $1200

Intel® Core™ i5 4300U 1.90 GHz with Intel HD Graphics 4400

12-Inch HD (2160 x 1440) Touchscreen Display

4 GB RAM; 128 GB Storage Capacity

Windows 8.1 Pro

36W Power Supply and Surface Pen Included

Built-in Microphone

Integrated Card Reader

Mini Display Port

Touch Sensitive Screen

Video Recording

LCD Native Resolution: 2160 x 1440USB Ports: 1

Size (LWH): 11.5 inches, 0.36 inches, 7.93 inches

Weight: 1.76 pounds

Power Rated Charge (normal use): 9 hours

 

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch : 128GB $1,000

 

• 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
• Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz
• Intel HD Graphics 5000
• 4GB memory
• 128GB PCIe-based flash storage 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^



March 2013 Pricing
========================
$450
Lenovo G580, Intel Core i5-3230M, 15.6" Screen Display, Notebook with 4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 8
CPU = 3rd Gen Intel® Core i5-3230M processor (4069)
equiv = quard core E5450 (4500)
Graphic = Integrated Intel® HD 4000 graphics (314)
equiv = nVidia Quadro FX 4500 (245) 

$470
Fujitsu LH532, Intel Core i5-3210, 14" Screen Display, Notebook with 6GB Memory, 750GB Hard Drive, Windows 8 after $100.00 Rebate 
CPU=3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i5-3210M Processor (3835)
GRAPHIC =Intel® HD Graphics 4000 

$580
Lenovo Z585,AMD A10-4600M, 15.6" Screen Display, Notebook With 6GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive, Windows 8 
CPU=AMD A10-4600M quad core accelerated processor (3178)
GRAPHIC=Integrated AMD Radeon™ HD 7660G graphics (700)

$800
Sony E1513KCXS , Intel Core i7-3632, 15.6" Screen Display, Notebook With 8GB Memory, 1TB Hard Drive, Windows 8
CPU =Intel® Core™ i7-3632QM (7111)
equiv = DUAL CPU - INTEL quard core E5450 (7917)
Graphic = Integrated Intel® HD 4000 graphics (314)
equiv = nVidia Quadro FX 3450 (467) 

350 XW8600 - BOX
100 HI-POWER CPU FAN
050 2ND E5450 CPU
080 1TB UPGRADE
020 FX 3450 UPGRADE
040 4GB MEMORY UPGRADE
160 24" LCD MONITOR
==========
800 TOTAL - IS IT WORTH IT TO HAVE DESKTOP COMPUTER
??? FASTER HARD DRIVE?
??? BETTER CAD GRAPHIC CARD?


WANT TO BUY CPU Benchmarks (PC)
SPEED   -- COST  -   CPU MODEL
=====     ====== ================
1822      $350      Intel Pentium 2127U @ 1.90GHz
                         Dell Inspiron 15 Laptop | Intel Pentium  4GB 500GB

 2725      $360       Intel Core i7 M 620 @ 2.67GHz  2010 q1
                         (USED)    HP EliteBook 8540w 15.6 1920x1080  4GB 320GB

3066     $430   Intel Core i3-3110M @ 2.40GHz
                         Toshiba Satellite C55 8GB/500GB                    

4142    $600   Intel Core i5-4200M @ 2.50GHz
                         HP ENVY 15t Select LaptoP 15.6 8GB 1.OTB WIN 8.1

Approx   Acquired    Speed  CPU Model
======  ======== ====== ================
2009q2    2013q1     7815     [Dual CPU] Intel Xeon E5450 @ 3.00GHz
                                        $480 HP XW8600 (1-cpu/4gb/250gb/fx1700)
                                        $130 2nd E5450 cpu

2008q4    2014q1     2973     Intel Core2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.40GHz
                                        $105 Dell Optiplex 755 (1gb/8gb)
 
2008q4     2010        1304      AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+
                                           $150 HP DC5380 (2gb/160gb)

2008q4     2011        1179     Intel Core2 Duo T7200 @ 2.00GHz    
               2013                      $110 HP notebook 6910p (1-cpu/2gb/80gb)
               2013                      $110 Lenovo Thinkpad T61 wide
               2011                      $220 HP 6910 (2gb/80gb/docking station

2008q4     2010        1137     Intel Core2 Duo T7300 @ 2.00GHz     
                                         $900 (Lenovo Notebook T61 4gb/160gb)
 
2002        2008         923      Intel XEON Dual CPU 2.80GHz
                                         (IBM Intellistation Pro Z - $200)

2002        2008         494      Intel XEON 2.8GHz (IBM Intellistation Pro Z  $170)
2002        2006         436      Intel Pentium-M  1.70GHz (IBM notebook, T42    $500)
2000        2007         487      Intel XEON Dual CPU 2.0GHz (IBM x345 Server  $150)


 # # # # VIDEO CARDS # # # #

Windows         Video
Exp Index   //  benchmark //                 model    // released
=====================================================================
  4.4  win8  //     206     // Quadro FX 1700  //  2009 Q2
  2.2  win8  //     136      // Quadro FX 3450   //   2009 Q2
 
Notes:

The cards' designers aimed to accelerate CAD (Computer-Aided Design) and DCC (digital content creation), and the cards are usually featured in workstations (compared to the Nvidia GeForce product line, which specifically targets computer gaming).

ebay goodies
quadro (3700,3800, 4800, 5800)
GeForce (450, 460,465, 640)

Video Benchmark

============
Quadro FX 4600=609
Quadro FX 3700=644 (target >$55)
Quadro FX 5600=674
GeForce GT 630=726 $55
GeForce GT 530=730 $50
Quadro FX 3800=832
Quadro FX 4800=903 (target >$75)
Quadro FX 5800=1092 (target >$100)
GeForce GT 640=1288 $75
GeForce GT 450=1538 $75
GeForce GT 555=2147 $80
GeForce GT 460=2667 $80
GeForce GT 465=2914 $80


March 2013 - video graphic cards

Performance -- nVidia Model

0,086 -- Quadro NVS 140M
0,108 -- Quadro NVS 290

0,207 -- Quadro FX1700 (in my box now)

0,469 -- Quadro FX 3450 $20 (used ebay)

0,247 -- Quadro FX 4500

0,626 -- Quadro FX 4600  $50 (used ebay)
0,771 -- Quadro 1000M  $350 (pricewatch.com)
1,241 -- Quadro 2000D  $387 (price watch.com)
1,899 -- Quadro 4000  $651 (PRICEwatch.com)

GeForce vs Quadro (CAD application/OPEN G/L acceleration)

# # # # # # # # # # # # ## 

CLASSIC DESKTOP
44 Matrox Millennium G400 - English
69 Intel GMA 3150 Express

NEXT-GEN DESKTOP
161 Radeon HD 7310 ($400 All-in-One -HP Pavilion 20-b010 All-In-One)

193 Radeon HD 7340 ($400 desktop -HP Pavilion p6-2330 Desktop


CLASSIC NOTEBOOK
29     Intel PM965/GM965 graphics (Thinkpad T61)
52     Radeon X2300 graphics (HP 6910p notebook)
86     128MB nVidia Quadro NVS 140M (Thinkpad T61)
205   256MB nVidia Quadro FX 570M (Thinkpad T61p only)

NEXT GEN NOTEBOOK
473 Intel HD 4000  ($500 notebook HP Pavilion G7-2270US Laptop)
       GOOD ENOUGH FOR CAD OPERATION!! BUT NOT AN OPEN G/L


www.videocardbenchmark.net





 # # # ##

ebay
(hp, compaq) (6910p, 6930p, 8440p, 8510p, 8510w, 8530p, 8530w,8540p, 8540w, 8710p, 8710w)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


May 2011  -- $220 Notebook solution
Refurbishment of off-lease computer equipment seems to offer the best deal.

The latest deal, a HP business class notebook 6910p is listed for $220.  Consumer reports says don't buy used electronics but the deal is too good to pass, and the refurbished product look and feel like new without documentations.

Core 2 Duo 2.0Ghz  - it's has a benchmark rating of 1200.  It's faster than the $350 new notebooks which has typical benchmark rating of 900.  Most of business class notebooks seems to do better than those design for home use. 

2GB RAM - it's not enough for Windows 7, but good enough for XP

80GB hard drive - it's business class. It's not for someone want a multimedia music/video storage machine.

Docking stations - power supply and keyboard/mouse set.





2010 CPU

CPU on Radar
  1538  AMD Athlon X2 5600+ @ 2.8GHz (Used HP Desktop/Ebay $150)
    321  Intel Atom N450 @ 1.66 GHz (Notebook $300)
   1266  Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz (used, Thinkpad T61 1400x1050 ebay $350)
   1586 AMD Athlon II X2 240 @ 2.8GHz (Dell Desktop $400)
  2060  Intel i3 M 350 @ 2.27GHz (Dell Notebook $600)



Approx   Acquired    Speed  CPU Model
   2006        2008       1137      Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 2.0GHz (Lenovo Notebook T61 $900)
   2002        2008         923      Intel XEON Dual CPU 2.80GHz (IBM Intellistation Pro Z - $200)

   2002        2008         494      Intel XEON 2.8GHz (IBM Intellistation Pro Z  $170)

   2002        2006         436      Intel Pentium-M  1.70GHz (IBM notebook, T42    $500)

   2000        2007         487      Intel XEON Dual CPU 2.0GHz (IBM x345 Server  $150)