JAB- JustABout Everything

Special Gifts

Alan — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:48:19 +0000

There are certain things that usually fall into the category of “special” gifts. Whether they are diamond earrings for women, a new game system or television for men, there are plenty of these that will really brighten someone’s day. When was the last time you got one of these “special” gifts?

Of course, there is another kind of special that has nothing to do with the size or monetary value of the gift. We probably get these special gifts much more often than we realize… keep that in mind. Twenty years from now you may appreciate a handmade card more than you will appreciate those earrings or that once-new car.

Commemorative Coins

Alan — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:45:02 +0000

There has been a trend for a while now (quite a while in America, especially) of buying/making commemorative coins. These coins have been made for dozens of purposes: they have been made to commemorate states, presidents, and treaties. There have been military challenge coin collections, historical figure coin collections, and even simply coins made for special anniversaries.

When it comes to non-money coins (for personal use) you will find even more options. You can even have a custom coin made with your image, name, or whatever else suits your fancy!

The Nintendo Network?

Alan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:00:46 +0000

Nintendo used to market their online game functionality in terms of the “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection”, and have even done so recently. However, there has been news for quite some time that Nintendo was working on upping their online presence in order to offer competition to the likes of Microsoft and Sony. A recent box art photograph from an upcoming game saw a “Nintendo Network” text and logo on the box, which implies that this could be the rebranding of the service. Now all that we lack is proof to see if this is simply a rebranding, or if Nintendo is truly upping their game in the online world.

Either way, I hope to see some new features especially on the Wii U that is due for release sometime in 2012, between June and December.

Calgary - the Eco City

Alan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:56:33 +0000

I think that the trend of moving towards “green” building and lifestyles is going to continue, especially as people begin to find new innovative ways to further this goal of sustainable living. Cities such as Calgary, in Alberta, Canada, have done a great job at incorporating eco-friendly operations into the daily life of the city. Even many of the great homes for rent in Calgary offer environmentally friendly features (so much so that third-party rating organizations rated Calgary as the #1 eco-city in 2010).

The great thing about Calgary is that they seem to have achieved this environmentally friendly standing without pushing up the cost of living too high for residents. Many of the homes that are being rented out in Calgary are extremely affordable, while still offering great amenities and construction quality. This push has also resulted in job growth in the area, meaning that prices are being kept down while income is up. If you are looking for a great place to live in Canada, Calgary seems to be one of the leading options.

Tornadoes and the EF Scale

Alan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:31:47 +0000

I watched the movie “Twister” yesterday. While some parts of it were a bit cheesy, it wasn’t that bad (I had seen it a long time ago, but it had been as many as ten years since I had last seen it).

I admit that seeing this movie reminded me of the days when I was much more obsessed with the weather. People today still tease me about being obsessed with the weather, but as a kid, I was *really* into the weather. One of the things that I loved learning about was the Fujita scale for tornadoes, listed below.

0 40-72 45-78 0 65-85
1 73-112 79-117 1 86-109
2 113-157 118-161 2 110-137
3 158-207 162-209 3 138-167
4 208-260 210-261 4 168-199
5 261-318 262-317 5 200-234

As you can see, EF5 tornadoes are quite powerful. Scary stuff, but quite fascinating, too!Q

Living Further North

Alan — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:57:20 +0000

I have always thought it would be cool to live further north than where I do now - here, there seems to be only two seasons rather than four. When it comes to northern cities, Edmonton is about as good as you can get. Edmonton is the northernmost city in North America with a metro population of over 1 million people. Apartments for rent in Edmonton are high in quality with fairly competitive prices, making it a great place to live. Jobs are also growing in the Edmonton area, meaning it would not be too difficult to find a great job in the region.

Edmonton has a fairly nice climate, too. The winters do get a bit cold, with highs (in F*) in the teens and lows near zero. The summers, however, look like they would be absolutely beautiful, with highs in the seventies and lows in the fifties. This would make for great outdoor exercise, working, or vacationing. If you are thinking about moving to or within Canada (which is a bit further north than I would live, partially because changing countries can be quite complicated), Edmonton looks like it would be a great place to go.

Goodbye Dublin Dr. Pepper

Alan — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:19:00 +0000

I must admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of Dr. Pepper. But as a Texan, I have to be at least somewhat partial to the company, especially the Dublin bottling plant that - up until a few days ago - was making the world famous Dublin Dr. Pepper. They used real cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. While Dr. Pepper plans to start bottling “cane sugar Dr. Pepper” in Tyler, it just won’t be the same.

It’s weird that I care, seeing as I’ve only had Dublin Dr. Pepper a couple times, and only prefer it mildly over regular Dr. Pepper. I think it’s less of a matter of taste and more of a matter of culture and Texas history.

Memories: Kids Soccer

Alan — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:13:05 +0000

Did any of you play sports when you were little? I played several, but the main one that I stuck with was soccer, which I played over the course of several years. I was always excited at the end of the season to get the trophies engraved with our team name and year. In fact, even though that was over a decade ago, I still hold onto those trophies as a reminder of some of the many happy times in my childhood.

Now, though, I can’t play soccer worth anything - haha!

Keeping Cables Organized

Alan — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:06:55 +0000

I recently got a new TV, and one thing I have realized already is that I will want to do my best to keep the cables as organized as possible, especially as I begin to add on more and more peripherals and game devices. One way to do this is using cable trays - which seems to be quite effective. I have also seen a simple way using “cable ties”, which help organize the cables and keep them at an angle that is not visible from in front of the TV.

Speaking of… I should probably consider a similar type of organization for my computer as well.

Producing a Professional Product

Alan — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:51:49 +0000

If you want to make a sale, and you have any sort of literature that you are going to be using to promote your product, then you want to make sure that what you deliver is as professional as possible. Don’t just use black and white ink on plain paper - use cardstock, full color, and quick step laminate at least on the front and back cover (or on a folded brochure, menu, etc). This will make your literature seem much more professional and trustworthy, an investment that you surely will not regret.