Great Experence At Blacksburg RunAbout Sports

February 8, 2020 – 1:12 am

RunAboutSportsI hate shopping for clothing, including shoes – even shoes that I need. My marathon days are far behind me but, after my retirement, I have come to a stark realization. In order to stay healthy, I am either going to have to step up my exercise routine or stop drinking beer. The obvious choice here involved the purchase of new running shoes.

I have been out of the distance running scene for a long time. My last marathon was the Myrtle Beach Marathon in 2005, so I knew I was going to have to seek out the advice of a professional to pick my new running shoes. A quick Google search lead me to the Blacksburg RunAbout Sport store (1470 South Main St., Blacksburg, VA 24060 (540)-552-9339). That is where I met Peter who spent the next hour fitting me with a great pair of new Asics Nimbus 21 shoes. And when I say fitted me I mean fitted. First, he asked me to remove my shoes and walk away from him and then back toward him. Then he put me on a machine that performed a 3D assessment of feet. Finally, I walked across an electronic mat that assessed my foot strike.

After trying on eight different shoes, I settled on the Asics Nimbus, although the Brooks Adrenalin were a close second. Now all I have to do is go out and run. If you are in the market for new running shoes, I can’t recommend the Blacksburg RunAbout Sports enough. Just ask for Peter and tell him the old guy with a beard sent you.

They also have a Roanoke store at 4600 Brambleton Ave, Suite C, Roanoke, VA 24018 (540)-989-2064.

Online Appalachian Trail Guide

January 30, 2020 – 9:07 am

Trailheads
I received an email from Kristin Harris, from Trailheads, telling about the her new online Appalachian Trail resource, Hiking The Appalachian Trail: The Complete Guide For Beginners in 2020. I took a look at it and was just blown away by the wealth of information that she has included in the guide. If you are planning a thru hike of the AT or just curious about the trail, this is a great starting point for your research.

Don’t forget to check out their gear while you are on the site.  Established in 2002 by Ed and Stephanie Raftery and based in Kent, CT, TrailHeads is dedicated to designing innovative headbands, gloves, hats and related accessories that deliver performance, comfort and exceptional quality.

Choosing To Live Simply

November 5, 2018 – 6:22 am

Cabin Life

Every now and then I run into someone that has difficulty understanding why I choose to live the life style that I do. They just can’t imagine not having indoor plumbing, having to drive a Polaris Ranger to get to the cabin after a bad winter snow, living alone on a mountain, etc. I have come to understand that I will never be able to explain my cabin life to them so I simply give them a quote to ponder:  “The dancers all look insane to the people who can’t hear the music.”

Your Vote Is Important

November 5, 2018 – 5:54 am

Decisions

Tuesday, November 6, 2018 is a decisive day. Will we stay on the path to prosperity that we have experienced over the last two years or will we go back to politics as usual in the swamp? Your vote can make the difference.

Make A Decision – Even If It’s the Wrong One

January 24, 2018 – 14:34 pm

Decisions

Keith Foskett wrote the following excerpt in his Pacific Crest Trail memoir entitled “The Last Englishman”:

“The hardest part of the PCT, and indeed any long-distance path, is actually making the decision to attempt it in the first place. The second hardest is the waiting. Once you’ve made both commitments it becomes surprisingly obvious that you should have done it a long time ago.  The apprehension you felt at making such a big decision suddenly becomes insignificant and your goal becomes clear and lucid. Make the choice and everything starts to fall into place.”

I have come to the conclusion that many people who are unhappy with their lives are simply paralyzed by indecision and so they end up leading what Henry David Thoreau described as a “life of quiet desperation.”  The hard part is trying to figure out what it is that actually makes you happy then not to just follow your dreams but to chase them.

The Results of Helicopter Parenting?

December 18, 2015 – 9:56 am

Broken EggsI have suspected that the increase in the “helicopter” parenting methodology and the decrease in holding children accountable for their actions was going to have an impact on our culture.  If you couple that is the “everyone gets a trophy” crowd so we can protect our children from ever experiencing the joy of accomplishing a goal and the lessons that are learned from failure, I thought we might be raising a generation that is ill-equipped to handle the challenges of life.

In this Psychology Today article, Dr. Peter Gray discusses the impact that the current generation of children are having on our institutions of higher learning.  This is must reading for anyone that is a parent, an educator or a university law enforcement officer.

Click Here: Declining Student Resilience: A Serious Problem for Colleges

Take a Screenshot on a Windows Device

August 6, 2015 – 13:30 pm

ScreenshotCNET recently published an article by Associate Editor Dan Graziano that details how to take a screenshot using any flavor of Windows. I thought I would re-post the article so it would be easy to find when it is needed.

CNET Article

Miranda: The Definition of Irony

June 8, 2013 – 19:57 pm

Ernesto MirandaAfter several decades, Ernesto Miranda, the namesake of the “Miranda Warnings”, is still probably one of the better known modern criminals. His case, which was combined with several other similar cases being brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, resulted in the necessity to inform suspects that they have a right to remain silent, have an attorney present during questioning, etc.

Ironically, Miranda was murdered upon his release from prison and the suspect that the police apprehended invoked his “Miranda Rights.”  Since there was no confession, the prosecutor elected not to file charges.  As a result, no one has ever been prosecuted for the death of Mr. Miranda. Karma wins again.

Autodialing Extension Numbers With iPhone

March 25, 2013 – 10:36 am

Dialing Contact ExtensionsSome of the numbers that you have listed under your contacts may require the use of extension numbers to reach the contact. Fear not, iOS can automatically dial those extension numbers for you if you know how to set up your contact.

All you have to do is launch your Contacts application and select a person who requires an extension number. Tap the Edit button, then tap the contact’s number to bring up the keypad.

In the lower left corner of the keypad is the symbols key. Tap the key to reveal the pound and star characters you need to dial typical extensions. In addition, remember the + key is used in front of international numbers.

If the system you are dialing requires you to wait a few seconds before you dial the extension number, you can use the pause or wait command to help you customize the setup for different kinds of automated answering systems.

The Pause command is a comma (,) which causes a two seconds before continuing to dial. You can enter more than one pause if you need to. The Wait is a semicolon (;) which halts dialing until the Dial button is tapped again.

Now, let’s see how you would use this technique. First, add an extension number by inserting a the pound symbol before the extension number #200. If a simple pause will work, enter ,#200 after the main number ((540) 731-5501,#200). This will cause a 2 second pause before dialing the extension number after the telephone number is dialed.

If you find that a pause is not sufficient, the wait option may be the way to go. Just enter ;#200. This will cause a Dial button will appear on your screen with the extension number stored in it (200 in our example). You can manually send the extension when it’s appropriate, but you don’t have to remember the number.

Just give both methods a try to see which one works best for your situations.

Safely Click On Shortened Links

March 25, 2013 – 9:50 am

decryptlinks.comMicro-blogging sites like Twitter limit the length of messages so it is a common practice to shorten web links using services like TinyURL. However, hackers can also hide malicious websites or programs behind these generic links. Unfortunately you won’t know until you click. Before you click on a shortened link, run it through DecryptLinks first. Just copy and paste the tiny address into the Decrypt field.

The site will reveal the long version of that address so you know if the location is legitimate before you click. It is a free service so check it out.

decryptlinks.com

Coupon Codes Make Holiday Shopping Merrier

November 26, 2012 – 6:04 am

Cyber Monday
If you are going to do your shopping online this year, online codes can help you maximize your holiday purchases. Check out KeyCode and CurrentCodes. Both have simple layouts that will take you right to codes for your favorite online stores. You can shop by a specific store, shopping category or even alphabetically to find amazing deals.

If you want more than just codes, check out CouponCabin and RetailMeNot. Not only do these sites have thousands of codes, but a network of users and bloggers that will help you save in additional ways. Both sites also have mobile apps for your smartphone.

The Best Youtube Channel In History

October 14, 2012 – 10:28 am

History Crash CourseFace it, normally Youtube.com is a time sink where you go to watch silly jackass outtakes and cute kitty videos. However, I finally found a channel on YouTube that may just give it some socially redeeming value. It’s a regularly updated, fast paced series of history lessons taught by author John Green. Remember those boring history classes when you memorized a bunch of useless facts? Yeah, well this isn’t like that.

You’ll find a series of funny, yet informative videos teaching history from around the world starting at the Agricultural Revolution. Hey, if you are gonna waste time, you might as well learn something while being entertained. Remember the old adage, “Those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it.” Check it out.

Visit World History by Crash Course

Send Your Docs To Your Kindle

June 5, 2012 – 15:19 pm

Send To KindleMy Amazon Kindle has become one of my favorite tech gadgets. I have the Kindle keyboard 3G but if you are just looking for a great e-reader to use at poolside, I would go with the basic Kindle. The 6″ E Ink display reads just like real paperback book, even in bright sunlight. It lets you store thousands of books, magazines and newspapers on a single tablet device and the battery will stay charged for up to one month.

You can also store your own personal documents on the Kindle. This makes it great for reviewing your school work or business documents when you are on the go or just lounging around in the sun.

Now it is even more convenient. Just download and install Send to Kindle. This free application makes it easy to send document straight to your Kindle over WiFi. Best of all it works with both Windows and Mac.

Download Send To Kindle for Windows

Download Send To Kindle for Mac

Fill In Any PDF

April 11, 2012 – 6:00 am

fillanypdfI hate having to complete PDF forms by hand. That is why I was so happy to discover FillAnyPDF.com. Using this website, you can fill out, sign, and send forms, all online!

There is no software needed and any PDF (or MS Word) form can be used, even if it’s not “interactive”. (They also have a desktop version for Windows users.) You can invite people or groups to fill out your forms and track the results without forcing them to download, print, scan or fax! Anyone that fills out forms or collects signatures and filled out forms from others will find FillAnyPDF.com to be a valuable time-saving resource.

Check it out at https://www.fillanypdf.com/