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Christmas 2014 in Delmont

Posted on December 28, 2014 by Dave

The Gingerbread House that Wendy and Austin Built

Link to a Christmas 2014 Picture slideshow

The exchanging of gifts is one of the core aspects of the modern Christmas celebration, making it the most profitable time of year for retailers and businesses throughout the world. Gift giving was common in the Roman celebration of Saturnalia, an ancient festival which took place in late December and may have influenced Christmas customs. On Christmas, people exchange gifts based on the tradition associated with St. Nicholas, and the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh which were given to the baby Jesus by the Magi.

Virginia Beach Aquarium

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Dave

The Virginia Beach Aquarium

Go to the Picture Slideshow

Virginia Beach Aquarium

Over 800,000 gallons of fun await you! To make the most of your self-guided Aquarium tour, be sure to visit both buildings as well as the Owls Creek Path that connects them.

Admission sales and parking are available at both buildings. Your ticket and hand stamp are good all day at both buildings. Parking is available to the north of the Aquarium on the west side of General Booth as well as on east side of General Booth Blvd. across from the Bay & Ocean Pavilion. There is also handicapped parking at two of the parking lots and both buildings are entirely handicapped accessible.

Beach Selfie

Posted on September 6, 2014 by Dave

Beach Selfie

The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is responsible for promoting year-round leisure, business, meetings and conventions, international and sports travel to Virginia’s most populous city. Virginia Beach also is the number one vacation destination in Virginia. Tourism is a $1.3 billion industry in Virginia Beach, where we welcome almost 6 million overnight visitors each year. As the official destination marketing organization for the resort city, the Virginia Beach CVB is responsible for ongoing advocacy for the tourism and hospitality industry – which is one of Virginia Beach’s largest industries. To drive tourism revenue that powers our local economy, the Virginia Beach CVB also focuses on attracting tourism product development to ensure our destination stays competitive.

With 14 miles of open, public beaches – with NO fees – Virginia Beach offers a variety of unique beaches to fit every mood. The newly-landscaped Virginia Beach resort area features live music, street performers, diverse festivals, as well as outdoor cafes and nightlife. If your idea of a “day at the beach” is more relaxed, visit Chesapeake Beach (known to the locals as “Chick’s Beach”) for a more tranquil spot along the scenic Chesapeake Bay. Swimmers will enjoy the bay’s protected shallow waters. For a more secluded environment, the Sandbridge area on Virginia Beach’s southern shore is perfect. The pristine shores of Sandbridge are secluded, quiet and just 20 minutes from the main resort area. Just breathtaking ocean-view rental homes, condominiums and peacefulness fill the Sandbridge shoreline. Sand sweeps from the shore, the traffic is less and seagulls leave long-lasting footprints.

Husqvarna HU800AWD

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Dave

We bought this at Lowes for $456.05 out the door. List $499.00 – 10% coupon ($49.90) + $26.95 PA state tax – $20 rebate. The reviews were very good.

My personal review. This is a great lawnmower. (9.5 out of 10) It has lots of power, doesn’t leave clumps of grass when not using the bag, and is very comfortable to walk behind.

Also, while we were putting together the catcher bag, one of the clips broke. We contacted Husqvarna support and instead of just sending us a new clip, they send us an entirely new bag. That is good service and is greatly appreciated that they back their product.

Husqvarna HU800AWD

The HU800AWD walk behind lawn mower features all-wheel drive which provides users with balance and power to all four wheels in hilly, uneven terrain and other tough mowing conditions. This rugged mower features a 22″ heavy-duty steel deck and a powerful 190cc Honda engine. The AWD mower features a 3-in-1 cutting system allowing it to bag, mulch and side discharge, as well as a side bumper that doubles as a grass rake to pull in the grass for a clean trim. Also, it is equipped with a premium quick pin 4 point adjustment for level cutting height and a water hose connector for easy cleaning of the deck. With a premium comfort grip control bail and variable drive speed the operator is able to mow more comfortably and adjust the mowing speed according to the needs and condition of the lawn. Premium wheels with new rugged tread tires provide excellent traction without tearing the grass.

Cutting the Cord (cable or satellite)

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Dave

“Cutting the cord” refers to choosing not to pay for cable or satellite television. In my situation, by subscribing monthly to DISH, I would be paying $73.99 per month for the “America’s Top 120” package. With the additional taxes and charges that are added, my total monthly cost would be $80.00. That is $960.00 for a year.

I use the HomeWorx Digital TV Flat Antenna for FREE Digital reception on your television. The cost is $9.99 and is commonly on sale for $7.99 shipped free. I get a total of 22 channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. There are many, many choices of Antennas (indoor and outdoor). A higher prices does not always equate to a better antenna. Look here for an excellent article about how to choose an antenna that is best for you. You can use this webpage to find channels that may be available in your area.

If you have a good Internet connection (5.0 Megabits per second is recommended for HD quality by Netflix), you can choose one of the many streaming services. Here is a good article comparing Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime. I subscribe to Netflix as I feel it is a great bargain for $7.99 per month.

The End of Support for Windows XP

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Dave

The end of support for Windows XP is here. According to Microsoft, you have two options.

There is really only one viable option (assuming you want a Windows PC). Buy a new or refurbished PC with Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Dell often will have specials for new desktops for $300.00 or under. (which will include the operating system) Sample DELL PC to buy Most new PC’s have Windows 8.1 installed.

Probably the best choice is to buy a refurbished PC. On this page, you can get a nice HP computer for around 100 dollars. This computer includes Windows 7. The cost of the Windows 7 operating system happens to be also around 100 dollars.

So, there really is just one option.

Steelers Draft 2014

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Dave

Steelers Draft History

The Steelers Draft for 2014 is of paramount importance to them. After two lackluster seasons with a record of 8-8, the Steelers need to re-equip in order to make the playoffs in 2014. The stars are aging, however, they should be just fine for the short term. A few rookies stepped up last year and will be needed again this year.

My advice for this year: the offense needs to be less BEN-centric and the defense needs to be less TROY-centric. Let’s step up guys and it could be a great year!

The following are my picks (from a virtual draft):

Round 1: Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State, CB
Round 2: Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame, DE
Round 3: Kelvin Benjamin, Florida State, WR
Round 4: Ronald Powell, Florida, LB
Round 5: De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon, RB
Round 6: James Hurst, North Carolina, OT
Round 7: Isaiah Johnson, Georgia Tech, SS

I have two other considerations for Round 1: Kyle Fuller and Jason Verrett, both CB.

And the Steelers actual picks:

Round 1: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State, LB
Round 2: Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame, DE
Round 3: Dri Archer, Kent State, RB
Round 4: Martavis Bryant, Clemson, WR
Round 5: Shaquille Richardson, Arizona, CB
Round 5: Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt, OT
Round 6: Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA, LB
Round 6: Daniel McCullers, Tennessee, DT
Round 7: Rob Blanchflower, Massachusetts, TE

What really needs to happen is to have another draft like in 1974.

Round 1: Lynn Swann HOF WR played to 1982
Round 2: Jack Lambert HOF LB played to 1984
Round 3: John Stallworth HOF WR played to 1987
Round 4: Jimmy Allen DB played to 1981
Round 5: Mike Webster HOF C played to 1990

I’m sure you figured out that HOF means “Hall of Fame“

Update your Internet Browser Security

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Dave

Microsoft appears to be losing the Public Relations battle on security perception in the browser wars. If you Google “Internet Explorer Security” you are greeted with a plethora of very negative articles about Microsoft’s decades old product. But what about the other top browsers, Firefox and Chrome. How do they fare in security?

Firefox

Firefox is still the least secure web browser
Mozilla Redesigns Firefox Browser, Fixes Security Vulnerabilities

Chrome

Google defends Chrome browser’s security settings
Chrome Password Security Found To Be Flawed

I’m not trying to claim one browser is more secure than the other. The simple fact is they all have flaws. Internet browser security is not just “jumping ship” from IE to Chrome to Firefox when a security breach is identified. You must know YOUR browser and be diligent about upgrading and tweaking your security settings. I believe that Internet Explorer is an easy target because of the negative reputation that Microsoft has somehow developed in the past few years. Do not change…just read and secure your browser. (whichever one you use)
Tips for Internet Explorer
Tips for Firefox
Tips for Chrome

Internet Browser Security Update – Microsoft updates Internet Explorer to fix security problem

Windows Start Menu is coming back!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Dave

Microsoft, recognizing the disappointing truth that iOS and Android aren’t going to being chivalrous and slow down while it fixes Windows 8, is planning to speed up its release cadence yet again. The original plan was to push out a large update every 12 months, rather than releasing a whole new operating system every three years. Now, however, it seems the next major update will arrive as soon as August or September, just a few months after the release of Windows 8.1 Update 1. Yes, this means that, after a very odd 18 months in limbo, the Windows Start menu will officially return this summer.

At its Build developer conference at the start of April, alongside the official unveil of Windows 8.1 Update 1, Microsoft teased the audience with a new Windows Start menu and the ability to run windowed Metro apps on the Desktop. Everyone was rather excited: These were the two main features that keyboard-and-mouse users had been clamoring for since Microsoft first revealed the new Metro Start screen way back in June 2011. At the end of the demo, as the audience gave Microsoft a resounding why-did-this-take-you-three-years? round of applause, Microsoft’s OS chief Terry Myerson dropped the bombshell that these features would come in a “future update.”

Source – Windows Start Menu Returns

Franklin Regional Victim Support Page

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Dave

Link to Facebook page – Franklin Regional Victim Support Page

As many of you are aware our Classmate Janet Heilman Boger’s son Jared was one of the severely injured students at the terrible tragedy that happened at our Alma Mater on April 9th. The FRHS Class of 1979 has sent a donation to the “We are FR “ account that has been set up by school board officials. Also a monetary gift has been sent to Janet and her family to support her during this trying time.… All donations and gifts were paid from the class reunion account. So you ask,” WHAT CAN I DO?”

1. Repost or Share this message so we can spread the word!
2. Like the “Franklin Regional Class of 1979 – Victim’s Support Page” Facebook page! This way it will be like sending a big “Thinking of You” card to Janet and her son Jared.

3. Make a donation to the “We are FR” fund that has been set up specifically for the victims of the Franklin Regional stabbings. Go to http://frproud.webs.com/donations.

4. If you have any questions or would like to make a personal donation to Janet and her family, please private message Patti Jones McClure on Facebook or e-mail her at pmcclure@northallegheny.org for details.