Clearly I Mis-spoke....

It must be my thick Romanian accent that is preventing my speech recognition program from understanding what the heck I’m saying.  I followed the directions and it’s not as though I haven’t tried to work with it both diligently and patiently.  I’ve spoken to it directly, cajoled it and yelled at it -nothing has worked so it must be the accent. This theory only suffers from two primary flaws.  First, I’m not in the least bit Romanian and, second, I do not possess a noticeable accent.  Still, the computer is having great difficulty in understanding my plain speech.  Clearly it is my fault. I have honestly tried to train the computer just as the manual suggested.   I’ve run through various training sessions on speech recognition included with the software.  I now suspect these are included to build a false sense of security and accomplishment.  By the time I reached the third training session, by way of example, I was able to speak at a comfortable speed.

It did seem as though the program was more interested in training me than receiving my input but I chalked that up to tweaking the program to me, the individual user.  Some break-in time is always needed whether it’s a new car or a new computer program.  I tried and, by the end of hours of work, I even managed to control some of the other programs through voice commands.    Success!

Then I tried to actually use the recognition software while writing this little article.  It turns out that I was less trainable than I had presumed.  I noticed that I was having some difficulty in making myself understood.  For example, the sentence above that starts with “It even offers the advice…” came out as “and even offers the pipes…” Now, I’m all for sharing and passing the pipe around, to recall an old John Denver song, but that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind today.  The program seems to have an especially hard time when shore birds with short words such as “it”, “the” and anything that starts with a vowel sound.

It’s not as though I’m completely hopeless with computers. I remember the old days of ms-dos with a certain degree of fondness and I even did well in the only programming class that I took in college.  Back then, computers were understood to be awfully dumb in general but very fast at adding and subtracting ones and zeroes.  People bossed the computers - not the computers bossing us.  Computers now are lightning fast at adding those ones and zeroes (but never twos and threes) but somewhere along the way, the computer became the infallible, a modern day oracle, all-knowing if inscrutable rather than a dumb machine.

The new default position when anything that goes wrong is that the fault lies with the person operating the system.  In the old days, this was known as “bad programming” and was considered bad form since the program was supposed to serve people.   In the intervening years since my first computer experiences, purveyors of such programming have decided that people are utter idiots that should under no circumstances be allowed to do more than hit a button and wait for commands. The user is the commanded, not the commander.  Control, other than to set the pretty colors of the background, was wrested away from us.

So instead of the computer actively trying to learn my speech patterns, it shows every inclination of trying to force me into speaking like some plastic smiling news anchor for the local television station, the kind whose lips make those exaggerated pulls and purses practiced in the mirror while enunciating. each. word. slowly.    It passively-aggressively refuses to acknowledge spoken words or will insert some nattering of barely phonetically related text but will enter a random “and” or “in” or “Then” at the mere sound of breathing.

That doesn’t mean that I’ve given up on beating the speech recognition into compliance.  While rotten form for raising children, I have no moral qualms about verbally abusing my computer.   I’ve gotten very good with several commands.  “Undo that” is a particular favorite along with “Correct that.”  Even then, with “Correct that” I can’t get it to recognize the phrase I am using and have to resort to “Spell it.”  Have you ever tried to spell a word to a computer program that doesn’t hear an “H” and simply cannot understand “V as in Victor?”

I have tried some other commands of the sort that you might hear the in hallway of your local high school but these don’t seem to be programed into the system and, several at least, involve organic body parts the computer does not possess.  Still, it lowers my blood pressure a bit and I’m exploring new avenues of creativity in that genre.

I remember the proper relationship between human and computer.  So when I am “training” (beating into submission) the computer, if I sound as though I’m talking to a particularly stubborn and, perhaps, not too-bright two year old, I certainly don’t feel a bit guilty.

Diabetes, Multivitamins and....flaming sunsceen?

For those of you with doctors encouraging you to eat better and exercise to help with you diabetes, The New York Times had an article Diabetes Study End Early with Surprising Result you'll want to read.  Bottom line, diet and exercise didn't help.  My questions - did they stick with the Food Pyramid which is of questionable scientific validity; and, what type of exercise? Multivitamins can lower cancer risks in males.   Good news for me....

And doctors are getting better at treating women for breast cancer.  Good news for her....

And I'm glad the summer is over.  I must admit it never occurred to me that my sunscreen might catch fire...I thought it was supposed to prevent burns.

5 Tips for Finding a Handyman

Finding a handyman - a good one - is like panning for gold in the Atlantic ocean.  Finding a handyman that doesn't charge an arm, leg is even more challenging. Most people think of the handyman as the jack-of-all-trades.   Some handymen think that as well.  No single person can know it all and the handyman that tells you he can do it all is giving you a big neon warning sign - "BEWARE!"  It might be more accurate to say that a handyman is the man - or woman! - who can do the job you need done.

The modern handyman doesn't look like a guy named Daryl (with another brother Daryl).  They are a variety of shapes and sizes, both genders, all colors, with a variety of skills.  The professional full-timer will have a larger range of skills and charge accordingly.  Part-timers are usually more narrow in their skills but cheaper.  Either might be able to help you depending on your project.  The real trick is to make sure that you don't push the handyman past his comfort zone.

Onto the 5 tips for finding a handyman...   Tip 1  on Finding a Handyman

Have a clear idea of what you want.  If you don't know how you want the project to turn out, your handyman isn't going to know.  He might be able to give you some ideas but ultimately you need to be in charge.  Make a list of all the projects you want done whether it's cleaning the gutters or building a cabinet.  Talk it over with them and make sure that they can handle the types of work and the total work load. Talk with them, discuss their experience and favorite projects.  Get a feel for what they can accomplish.

Tip 2  on Finding a Handyman

Make sure that the person you want to hire is on the up-and-up.  Any legitimate handyman will be carrying insurance to protect himself and you. He should also have the proper business licenses.  You'll want to talk to more than one handyman  - three is usually enough to get an idea of the costs and scope of the services that they can offer you.

Tip 3  on Finding a Handyman

Check their references.  Handymen live and die by reputation so don't be afraid to ask them for references - and don't be afraid to follow up on them.  You need to know who it is that you are inviting into your home.

Tip 4  on Finding a Handyman

You need a contract.  It's a nice thought to be able to get work done on a handshake and a nod but in our modern world, you need a contract.  The contract should define what the handyman is going to do, for how much, how he's planning on charging you (flat fee, hourly, etc.) and when payment is due.  If he offers a guarantee on his work, get it in writing.  It's a "Trust but verify" world out there.

Tip 5  on Finding a Handyman

Avoid the handyman that calls you up and offers any sort of special deal, sale, or "we're in the neighborhood" work.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of scam artists that are very slick at separating people from their hard earned money.  Be leery of deals that are too good to be true.  If you followed the steps above, you should be able to avoid these guys.  My first instinct if I'm getting unsolicited offers is to assume that someone wants to take advantage.  Be comfortable enough with your intuition to "just say no."

Inspecting Sidewalks

Okay, I admit it - I tried to find a duller topic than inspecting sidewalks.  It might not exist.  Insulation - close but vermiculite might have asbestos and asbestos causes cancer which is definitely worth a look-see.  Paint - maybe but at least it's colorful plus you can get it in a semi-gloss even for the exterior.  Mrs. Duffau suggested floors but that immediately brought to mind Italian tile which lead me to regular tile, hardwoods then to carpets and, ultimately to a collection of shag carpets we saw once when house shopping; deep piles of shag in every room, neon lime green in one room, neon purple in another, neon hot pink shag in the master bathroom.  We bought a different house. So we're stuck with sidewalks.  Personally, I like them.  They go places and I always seem to have a need to get somewhere.  I get the same feeling when I watch planes overhead.  Where's it going?  Planes, however seem to involve expensive things like tickets and the TSA.  Advantage, sidewalks.

When I look at sidewalks, the first thing to remember is that someone needs to be able to use them.  How they need (or want) to use them will vary.  I did not realize that a lady that I know had aged until I walked on the grass as she walked on the narrow walkway.  There wasn't room for both of us and I am, at least for now, more stable than she.  When she reached the steps she slowed, took each one deliberately. There were no handrails. She could have used them.

So size does matter.  The usual recommendation is a 36 inch wide sidewalk.  That will accommodate a stroller, a walker, a wheelchair.  Except that isn't wide enough.  All of us have seen those older couples, married for sixty years and still in love with each other.  If she is using a walker, where is he?  That's right, right next to her, a guiding hand on her elbow.  They won't both fit 36 inches of walkway.  So, when planning for senior living spaces, we should be making the walkways wider, much wider.

And they should be flat.  Seems evident but not a week goes by without me writing up a trip hazard on a sidewalk.  It doesn't take much cracking and settling to cause trouble.  A lip of 1/2 an inch has put me on my head.  Tree roots and frost heaves will do damage but the main culprit is good old-fashioned poor workmanship.  Add in weeds growing in the cracks and a flat smooth surface is not a guarantee.

Lighting is another area that we should check.  I like solar lighting for the backyard but that was for our old dog who was getting scared of the dark.  His eyesight dimmed and he worried about getting separated from the pack in the dark when the wild things were out.  I would have put them along the front too but we have streetlights and they cast enough light for now.  Later, I can add more solar or, if I have the money, put in permanent lighting running off a house circuit.

And finally, what should we build the sidewalks with?  Concrete is the old standby though with the development of stamped and colored concrete our options have grown from the standard hard grey stuff we grew up skinning our knees on.  Brick is always nicer but not as smooth and sometimes slick with growth.  Pavers are just precast concrete is thin pieces but we can make decorative shapes and styles with them to show off the sidewalks.  Wood chips?  Comfortable to walk when you still have the balance but not very practical for walkers, strollers or wheelchairs.  Young kids love them.  Wood planks?  Wood rot and slippery when wet. Each material has it's own unique advantages and disadvantages. Flagstones are pretty but treacherous because they are so uneven.

It also isn't set in stone that the sidewalk must be straight.  A curve, a gentle radius is not only attractive but can actually make the walk safer to transit.  In that same vein, the surface really does need to be non-skid.

Planning a new sidewalk or planning to adapt a sidewalk involves taking all these characteristics into account.  Inspecting them does to with the added need to understand who's walking the walk.

Gratitude 10-14-2012

Missing in action: time to publicly put out things that I feel gratitude for. So, time now to play catch-up.

I did my taxes today.  I always file on an extension because tax season hits at the same time as my busiest season in the business.  The federal government has deigned to leave me a few sheckels, a couple of simoleons, from my income this year.  The State of Idaho was somewhat more rapacious.

I am reminded of a Robert Heinlein quote about taxes - "You don't always get what you pay for but you are definitely going to pay for what you get."

My sweetie returned from a weekend trip to Portland and, along with her, the middle daughter and youngest grandbaby girl.  Everybody there and back safely.  Gratitude for safe roads.

The youngest daughter set a new personal record on Friday by believing in herself.  Grateful that she is recognizing her potential and putting in the work to realize it.

The eldest daughter and her husband are building a new business and letting me help.  Grateful that they live in a country where opportunity is only limited by your imagination.

I did some writing - and it made people cry.  Unlike my dancing, it is likely because my skills are growing.  Practice, then more practice.  After that, I think I'll get in some practice.  I listen to Stephan King and Dwight Swain who call writing a craft.  Crafts can be learned, refined, honed.  In that thought lays great hope.  And gratitude that others have written work that will help those that follow.

So, many things to be grateful for.

An Apple a Day...Helps Prevent Hardening of the Arteries

Want to avoid hardening of the arteries?  Then follow the advice of "An apple a day..." New research, funded by the apple industry, demonstrates that eating a single apple a day can lead to a 40 percent reduction in the levels of oxidized LDL's -low density lipids.  LDL's, the bad cholesterol, react with free radicals and cause inflammation and tissue damage.  This damage leads to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

The study followed healthy middle-aged adults that ate one apple per day.  Another group in the study took capsules containing polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in apples.  The effects were similar but not as large. The total effect of the apple a day regimen was superior to green tea, cinnamon (which I am allergic to based on a trial run) and tomato extract - though why one would use an extract is puzzling since a real home-grown tomato can't be beat for flavor.

If you want to read the whole study,  it was published online in the Journal of Functional Foods.

My only real complaint is that the study used a very low number of participants.  This can lead to false positives and misleading conclusions so take this with a small grain of salt.  Or not, since salt leads to hardening of the arteries too.  But be cautious.

Personally, I like apples so I'll keep eating them.  If they help me avoid hardening of the arteries, great.

Gratitude 10-9-2012

Hmmmm. Gratitude encompasses a great many things but not drop-kicking largish rocks with the left big toe.  While running. Ouch.

In the grateful ledger, on the positive side, I was running.  Plus I had a chance to coach some junior high cross-country runners.  Want to feel young?  Hang out with young people - I had them work through a pretty tough workout and then told them they could choose their own cool down.

They had piggy-back races.  If I had said, "Hey, everybody, let's work on building leg strength and balance by having piggy-back races...", they would have thought I was nuts.  Sometimes the best results are obtained by getting out of the way.  I am grateful for the reminder.

Also, I had a client who was a joy to work with and an agent who is just wonderful.  Unfortunately, the electronic key the agent uses went dead just as she arrived to let us into the house.

Gratitude can include unlocked windows and enough flexibility to climb in over the kitchen sink.  From a ladder.

Gratitude is found in a town where everybody is trusting (except new transplants from California - they take a couple of years to adapt.) and hardly anyone locks up the house - and never regrets it.

Add in laughs with a daughter - giggling gratitude.

Insomnia - Bah!

I won't be writing much this morning.  Long (13 hour) day yesterday followed by a bout of insomnia. Remember when we could fall asleep at the drop of a hat?  Got a solid 6 or 8 hours of sleep? Before insomnia clobbered the nightly sweet dreams?

Me, too.  Vaguely.

I'll write some more this evening.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Might Just Make Life Longer

Supplementing your diet with omega-3 fatty acids just may extend your life by limiting the damage done to the telomeres on your DNA.  A new study from the researchers at Ohio State University followed middle-aged and older adults on a four month trial of fish oil pills. The result was less damage to the telomeres during cell division.  Every time a cell divides a small piece of the end of the DNA known as a telomere is clipped off.  Scientists believe that this damage is the root cause of aging and cancer. Personally, I've been taking cod liver oil emulsions - the minty kind.  The flavor is very palatable and the results, in my case, very good.  I primarily started taking cod liver oil to control the swelling associated with my gout.  Omega- fatty acids also perform as an anti-inflammatory which is helpful because I can't take aspirin or advil.

Most Americans have much higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids - from things like eggs, most of our common cooking oils (but not olive oil), poultry and nuts.  Add in wheat as a source of omega-6 fatty acids and it becomes pretty clear the average diet is very high in omega-6 fatty acids and much less so in omega-3 fatty acids.  Consequently, the ratio that we have is about 15-1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.  The experts tell us that the ratio should be 2-1 and no worse than 4-1.

If you want to add in natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids, you can.  The best sources are: cold water fish, fish oils, flaxseed, canola oil, and English walnuts.  Also, spinach - Popeye would be proud.

I find it easier to supplement - the links above will take you to Amazon and the products I have used and liked.

Gratitude 10-08-2012

Gratitude is present in little things... This morning I made breakfast for my youngest daughter, the only one still at home.  My wife made my coffee.

With a new knife sharpener, cutting the veggies for my morning eggs was slick and smooth - no fighting the dull edge of a knife anymore.

It's still dark before I get up - and quiet.

My schedule for the day is full, full, full.

For each I'm grateful.

Senior Associations - AARP, ASA, AMAC

When you think "AARP", you think discounts for meals and travel, prescription drug programs, Medicare insurance - and the "gray panthers."  While widely hailed for the benefits they extend to their 37 million members, it is the last item, political activism that has sparked a change.  By taking political stands on highly controversial issues, especially on the Affordable Care Act popularly known as Obamacare, they have angered half of the senior population .  This has led to an exodus away from the largest  senior organization toward a pair of new organizations seeking to capitalize on the discontent.

AARP

Quoting the organization itself, "AARP is a membership organization leading positive social change and delivering value to people age 50 and over through information, advocacy and service."  Founded in 1958 as an out-growth of the National Retired Teachers Association, it's original purpose and still it's core business is not in providing discounts to senior but to sell insurance.

AARP is very active politically and has been actively promoting the continuing growth of benefits to seniors.  One of the criticisms of the organization has been the liberal focus of it's policy positions.  On a range of issues, from retirement programs to taxes, AARP is consistent on positioning itself to the more progressive end of the political spectrum. Indeed, on inter-generational issues, AARP has advocated policies that while protective of their core constituency, are arguable damaging to the country as a whole including continued opposition to privatization of social security despite the fact that the system is clearly in long-term decline and is unsupportable as is the case with the current structure of Medicare.  In both cases, the AARP position is effectively to tax all other individuals regardless of age to provide the benefits to the current retirees and those that are close enough to retire to benefit before the system collapses.

In 2009, AARP actively began supporting legislation that would eventually evolve to be the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) angering much of the senior population.  While publicly proclaiming that it was non-partisan, the plan that it supported was the most partisan piece of major legislation ever to pass through Congress.

Given that AARP is primarily an insurance company, the support of the ACA was a clear conflict.  Indeed, the health plan ultimately passed contained cuts in Medicare that seniors rely on but the mandatory participation in the healthcare marketplace - enforced with a tax that would be devastating to much of the 50+ age population that AARP claims to represent - should serve to increase revenues for the insurance arm of the organization.  This presents a clear conflict of interest.  Approximately 60,000 members resigned in protest from AARP at the time.

AMAC & ASA

One of the beneficiaries of the dissatisfaction with AARP was the Association of Mature American Citizens.  With a base of approximately 300,000 members, AMAC actively promotes not just the benefits packages that AARP delivers but also conservative activism.  This activism includes not just working with the senior population and issues directly related to it but also includes specifics on hot-button social issues such as abortion and immigration.

As with AARP, AMAC has insurance as its base business and offers programs that in general are comparable to AARP.  Included are life, health, Medicare, dental and auto insurance.

The American Seniors Association (ASA), founded in 2005, is similar to AMAC though less visibly active in their conservatism.  Again, the funding for the organization is through insurance.  The core principles for the ASA can be found in their "Four Pillars" which address Medicare, Social Security, Illegal Immigration and Tax Reform.

One significant difference ASA offers is a more tightly structured benefits system which does not have the range of discounts offered by AMAC and AARP.  Where the other organizations focus on creating discounts in entertainment and dining, ASA stays unabashedly focused on the core services.

Cost for each:  AARP, $16; AMAC, $15; ASA, $15.

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Paul Duffau is an expert home inspector, specializing in senior independence living. His handbook for sellers is an essential guide for any homeowner prepping their house for sale and who wants to minimize the disruption that an inspection can bring.

Gratitude 10-6-2012

Gratitude in a list.

1. I feel grateful this morning for coffee.  Apparently I'm not the only one - coffee demand in China and India is expected to jump.  Will they feel the same gratitude for coffee?
2. The dog fetched the paper.  I'm grateful for his work ethic.  He does this to get paid.  I'm pretty sure that he is grateful for the cookie he gets.
3. I will be seeing all the kids and grand kids this weekend.  I am grateful that they are close enough to visit.
4. The weather is clear and sunny with cooler temperatures.  The smoke from the fires around us has dissipated.  I am grateful that I'm not tasting the smoke this morning.
5. {reserved for the good things that I will be grateful for later today}

Westchester County Wins A Top Aging-in-Place Award

I'm not sure that I buy this.  One thing that the article is short on are specific details on what entails a successful aging-in-place community.  Given that this is being given to one of the toniest 'burbs in New York and is coming from AARP that never has seen a tax on the young that it didn't support - provided of course the benefits went to seniors; taxes on the young for the young don't concern them unless it sucks too much money away from their prized objectives.

New York's boomer population is, well, booming and as the 50+ population across the state and nation continues to soar, municipalities are faced with an array of issues from planning to public policies. Today, at the 21^st Annual Golden Harvest Awards in Tarrytown, AARP honored Westchester County with a top designation for its innovative approach in tackling issues facing the 50+, naming the county a World Health Organization's age-friendly community.

A look at the website for The Center for Aging-In-Place shows that they have an impressive amount of organizational activity and volunteer recruitment.  What's missing are details on home modifications and such that are needed for the aging-in-place community.  It's nice to give someone a ride but people spend a huge amount of time in their homes.  Aging-in-place should most directly addresses that.

But that is the hard problem.  Modifying a house is a potentially expensive issue and determining the most cost-effective means to improving the safety of the homeowner - often female, often living alone -takes time, talent and knowledge.  One of the primary issues that I have with the programs that I have seen so far it that they either look at government solutions that sound good on a regional basis but fail to get to the nitty-gritty of actually making changes in the individual's home or, much worse and fortunately rarer, the unscrupulous contractor that is looking to separate the senior citizen from as much cash as possible, as quickly as possible.

Aging-in-place means just that.  Working with the senior citizen in their home, modifying it as most feasible, to allow them to spend their remaining years at home.

It's not a cab service, garden club or a goldmine.  It's about homes - not houses - and the loved ones that live there.

Longevity - How long will we live?

This article, published in Slate, suggests that there is an upper bound to human longevity - how long we will live.  Simply put, everything eventually wears out and the body (yet!) hasn't been able to keep up repairs fast enough to halt the process.  From the article:

Last month, a 114-year-old former schoolteacher from Georgia named Besse Cooper became the world's oldest living person. Her predecessor, Brazil's Maria Gomes Valentim, was 114 when she died. So was the oldest living person before her, and the one before her. In fact, eight of the last nine "world's oldest" titleholders were 114 when they achieved the distinction. Here's the morbid part: All but two were still 114 when they passed it on. Those two? They died at 115.

The whole article is very interesting and goes into greater depth on human longevity so I suggest you head over and read the whole thing.

On the other hand, there is this from ABC News

Scientists may be able to make substantial gains in extending not only the length of human life, but the quality of life as we age, according to many researchers. That won't be limited to breakthroughs in the laboratory. To a significant extent, it will depend on how we live our lives.

But remember, time is limited and your future is yours.  We likely have only three or four decades left...

Have a truly wonderful day.