Sunday, August 25, 2013

Phone Home - home phone alternatives

Even old farts like me realize that the world of phone service has changed substantially from the old days when there was typically one choice.  For many, particularly single individuals, a single cell phone may do it for both your home and mobile phone.  There are many reasons for some of us to cling to the traditional home phone.  Some families do not provide cell phones to every family member or for others, a cell phone may not provide the coverage that you want such as having a phone in a bedroom or kitchen, etc. so that you can easily put another family member on the phone rather than being stuck on a single cell phone.  Also, there are some of us who still have issues remembering to turn on a cell phone, charge a cell phone or bring the cell phone with us.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

I’m not speaking to you

I was one of those optimists when President Obama was first elected.  Worn down by 8 too many years of George W and hopeful that a new administration would translate to new ways of doing things; and in fairness, some things have been new.  I’m sure paying much more for my health care than ever before, so that’s different.  Thinking back to that first election following the George W stint, I recall the Republican candidates all trying to avoid being painted as “Busch Lite”.  So it is with irony and chagrin, that in some ways, our Democratic president might have taken a sip of “Busch Lite” in his foreign policy.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Tips for Federal job seekers

I have discussed the topics of employment in the past and spoken of jobs I was happy that I didn't get and I have also discussed differences in employment between for profit, not for profit and government positions.  In this post I am going to hit on some tips specifically for Federal job seekers.  For all Federal job seekers, the search generally begins at USAJOBS.  This is the job site for the Federal government.  Creating an account is easy and I will forego the details in this posting.  Within USAJOBS, you can build a resume, create and save searches and upload related documentation.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

iPad 2 Music from the Cloud

I use my iPad 2 on nearly a daily basis and constantly look for new ways to get more enjoyment out of it.  I knew that I could sync music from iTunes on it by using the cable as is done with iPods, but I don't know if I would listen to music enough from my iPad to make it worthwhile.  Over the course of the years, I have converted my collection of around 100 CDs into the MP3 format using iTunes.  For those who may not be aware, MP3 is one of the most common music file formats, but you need to go into your iTunes settings and designate this choice as the default is Apple's proprietary music format.  I'm glad I read one of those "For Dummies" books early on to learn about this as it has paid off.  I have been able to copy this music onto a mini-SD so I can listen to it on my cheap Android phone at work and also onto a memory stick so that I can listen in my car.  I guess it would follow that at some point I would get to the iPad.