The General List

February 5, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

            The latest in Metcam’s arsenal is a rather inexpensive video camera that records to an internal hard drive. Portable video media has come a long way since the days of VHS and BETA. I’m still waiting for the dust to settle on the latest battle between HD and Blue Ray. At the end of the day you still have to pop one of those shiny discs into the drive and press play. 

            I’m looking forward to the day when my home server that controls my climate, turns on my shower in the morning and warns me that I have w...Read More

January 22, 2008 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

I have been using Windows Vista for some time now with much angst. It doesn’t matter if I configure a program for compatibility mode or not just like all Microsoft products Vista has a mind of its own! Vista plays God of my computer and only allows me to “innovate” as it sees fit. I’m tired people!

            I know you will say that I had a choice to stay with XP or go to Vista. I was foolish and chose the latter for which I am paying for daily! I remember the days of seamless three dimensional designs with Autodesk Inventor and Solid Works on my XP machine then I decided to get the latest, the greatest operating system in the world. Vista my friends is a flop, a ...Read More

December 20, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (2)

A coworker of mine, specifically our customer service manager refers to me as her favorite mad scientist. Another coworker our senior estimator constantly stops in to check my latest concoction of automation wares he affectionately refers to as my toys. This attention most likely stems from the fact that my office is part office part automation lab. A habitat I developed long ago.

Modern offices are adorned with framed art and motivational wares, family pictures, and the occasional once-in-a-lifetime event such as a sky dive or an Everest accession. My office, well I do have the one framed poster of the American Bald Eagle with the caption “Lea...Read More

October 23, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

It has been some time since I have blogged about anything. Unfortunately the latter part of my summer and first part of the fall have been inundated with private matters that have reduced the amount of time I have had to blog. A long weekend in the big apple trains planes and automobiles style and I am still playing catch up.

As engineers we try to plan ahead for future events. We maintain contingencies to accommodate unforeseen circumstances and we always have a best-case / worst-case scenario in our back pocket. There are some things even our scenarios will not account for; there are those things such as life that there exists no control plan.

September 14, 2007 | Link This | Email this | Comments (0)

Seeing Norm Abram’s picture on the cover of the September 3^rd issue of “Design News” was a pleasant surprise. I have been a Norm fan for a long time. I can’t remember when I started watching “This Old House” and “The New Yankee Workshop” but I do know I was young and captivated by the quality craftsmanship presented in these shows.

Everyone in manufacturing could learn ...Read More