JonesWare Central

"Jonesware Shredder" on the Move

2012-01-29T09:43:00.000-05:00

The little windup toy that I tagged with a travel bug, has been very active lately making its way to Ohio.

Various stops in America's Heartland...see the full details here.

My Grandson's Tiny Foot

2011-10-22T23:15:00.004-04:00

Posted via email from jonesware's posterous

Sponsor a Space on My T-Shirt

2011-08-28T13:55:00.000-04:00

Sponsor this Space!

The Walk to End Alzheimer's for the Greater Boston area is fast approaching on September 25th. There is still time to sponsor Phyllis' Gang and help end this terrible disease. For every donation $25 and up, I'll include your loved one's name on my t-shirt and feature it in this year's video.

Last year's video is here.

Biking in the National Seashore Park. Provincetown, MA.

2011-08-21T16:18:00.001-04:00

Finally got around to driving out to the tip of Cape Cod to bike the trails out there. Beautiful day for a nice ride thru the park. The bike path is well maintained. There are some pretty substantial hills with some tight curves. Have to look out for drifting sand as well.

The visitor center has a nice video of how the Cape was formed and very knowledgeable rangers on duty.

Walk to End Alzheimer's - Now More than Ever

2011-05-04T18:44:00.000-04:00

Geocaching Tale

2011-04-14T11:28:00.000-04:00

One of my hobbies is geocaching. I have a couple of caches and my most recent one was visited recently. The geocacher posted the attached photo. Seems he left his GPS on the running board and drove off. 3.21 miles later, (which he found out by checking the GPS), he stopped and it was still there.

Jeff Probst Tweeting During Survivor

2011-03-17T10:10:00.001-04:00

Regardless of what you think of the reality show, Survivor, I thought Jeff Probst, the host and producer of the show, did a great job tweeting during the show. It would be interesting to know if the exercise caused a spike in viewers. It does seem to lessen the impact of the commercials, since you find yourself reading and contributing to the twitter stream during the breaks using @JeffProbst and #survivor. I thought his comments did add to the viewing experience. Also interesting is the fact that he did it twice, once for the east coast and once for the west coast.

Sports Humor

2011-01-15T07:47:00.002-05:00

BREAKING NEWS: Practice at the Jets Stadium was delayed 2 hours yesterday after a player found a white powdery substance on the ground. Police and Homeland Security investigated. Experts determined that the white substance, unfamiliar to most of the players, was in fact the goal line. Practice will resume since the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again. All Pat's fans please post

LotusSphere 2011

2011-01-13T16:19:00.000-05:00

The 18th LotusSphere is happening Jan. 30 thru Feb. 3rd in Orlando as usual. Also, as usual, they have more ways to collaborate than you can shake the proverbial stick at. I especially like the @LotusCab Twitter ID for people to share a cab from MCO. Hash tags are #LS11 and #lotusknows.

Windows 7

2011-01-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got around to upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7. The machine is a ThinkCentre desktop model M57p, dual core, about 3 gigs of RAM running 32 bit Vista and serving mostly as a media extender to an Xbox360.

Just for fun I tried to an upgrade and that took about 8+ hours. Surprisingly, everything more or less worked with a few qlitches here and there. The system still had a lot of junk loaded and sofware in various states of disrepair as usually happens on a Windows machine. The boot up time has been painfully slow, etc.

So, I figured, what the heck, and got another SATA drive, so I could have the old drive as is, and went with a fresh install of Windows 7 64 bit.

This took about an hour and again, surprisingly, everything "just worked". Response time is much improved and the GUI is much improved. Of course, it took me a while to get my head around "libraries" and getting my network attached storage to behave, but all in all, a worthwhile endeavor.

Memory Walk 2010

2010-08-22T14:49:00.000-04:00

We're doing the walk again this year. Donations are very much appreciated to help fight this terrible disease. Jean's mom past away from Alzheimer's not too long ago.

See videos of past walks on YouTube here:
2008
2009

Post Aggregator

2010-06-22T11:35:00.000-04:00

I find with multiple ways of posting stuff, its gets a little confusing. There is also multiple was to post in multiple places. The latest one I'm trying out is twitterfeed.com. Works off the RSS feed to post to multiple places. I'm trying it with Twitter and Facebook.

Lego Matrix Trinity Help

2010-04-05T19:14:00.001-04:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

Sent from Dave's iTouch.
Google Voice (339) 200 9005

Posted via email from jonesware's posterous

Back from Oz

2010-03-19T16:14:00.002-04:00

We returned from about 3 weeks in Oz recently. I was moderately successful in updating the blog while traveling. Connectivity was limited in a few areas. I've been posting media as time permits here. The plane ride is sure a killer.

Photo from the Great Barrier Reef near Hamilton Island taken with one of those cheap disposal cameras.

The New Yorker Animated Cartoons

2010-01-12T13:44:00.001-05:00

Check out this podcast on iTunes:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=214356260

Sent from Dave's iTouch.

Google Voice (339) 200 9005

Posted via email from jonesware's posterous

Check this out: Twitter Co-Founder Aims to Change the Way You Pay | theledger.com | The Ledger | Lakeland, FL

2010-01-01T07:47:00.001-05:00

I thought you should see this story I found on MeeHive:
Twitter Co-Founder Aims to Change the Way You Pay | theledger.com | The Ledger | Lakeland, FL

http://www.theledger.com/article/20091231/news/912315077

By RACHEL METZTHE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN FRANCISCO | Jack Dorsey revolutionized online socializing by co-founding Twitter in 2006. Now he wants to transform the way people exchange money.

Sent from Dave's iTouch.
Google Voice (339) 200 9005

Posted via email from jonesware's posterous

Twittelator Tweet by jonesware

2009-11-30T17:26:00.001-05:00

Lunch at Kuby's in Snider Plaza. Not bad at all. http://schmap.me/3zztk5

Sent from Dave's iTouch.
Google Voice (339) 200 9005

Posted via email from jonesware's posterous

Twittelator Tweet by ScotteVest

2009-11-15T21:55:00.001-05:00

Bugatti Veyron wrecking into Lake - Actual Film http://post.ly/CghQ

Sent from Dave's iTouch.
Google Voice (339) 200 9005

Posted via email from jonesware's posterous

2009-10-30T14:32:00.001-04:00

Not a very productive day.

Sent from Dave's iTouch.
Google Voice (339) 200 9005

2009-10-23T21:46:00.001-04:00

Ping.fm - Trackin' Away ( http://ping.fm/BNOcI )

2009-10-23T19:58:00.001-04:00

Getting ready for Portland , ME.

2009-10-23T19:44:00.001-04:00

Friday at last!

Alzheimer's Walk 2009

2009-09-28T13:34:00.003-04:00

Phyllis' Gang did the walk again this year. Although a little soggy, not nearly as rainy as last year. Many thanks to all who sponsored us this year, it really does make a difference in fighting this terrible disease. This year's video is below:

Alzheimer's Walk -- 2009

2009-08-03T11:18:00.002-04:00

Phyllis' Gang is doing the walk again this year. Many thanks to all who donated to this most worthy cause last year. Hope everyone can contribute this year as well and get their name in the Honor Role!

My personal page is here.

Highlights from last year's walk below:

Google Location

2009-07-17T06:58:00.001-04:00

Latest gadget from Google added. Shows your current location from a mobile phone with GPS enabled automatically, etc. See righthand panel.

Tall Ships Sail Boston 2009

2009-07-13T22:32:00.000-04:00

Took a short trip into Boston to see some of the Tall Ships. Very impressive. Usual photos and short video clips posted on YouTube.

Gadgets

2009-05-30T07:57:00.003-04:00

There seems to be no end of "shiny" web gadgets that you can add to web pages. We seem to be getting to a point of visual overload. So says the guy who just added a twitter badge to this site.

Rational Software Conference in Orlando

2009-05-29T15:42:00.001-04:00

Well I'm off to Orlando for RSC 2009. Check out the You Tube promo material below:

Balboa Park, San Diego, CA

2009-05-18T18:37:00.000-04:00

Jason and I hang out with the guys who designed Balboa Park in San Diego, California. They seemed kinda "stiff", but we got along famously.

Help the Old Ship Church Get a Grant

2009-04-19T22:18:00.002-04:00

Shameless plug: Help out the Old Ship Church in Hingham, MA get a grant, by voting at: http://bit.ly/VMTHi. The Old Ship Church is the oldest church with continuous worship in the country, and also happens to be in my hometown of Hingham, MA.

Please vote early and often.

Consolidate Content

2009-04-19T12:40:00.003-04:00

Added yet another gadget to the sidebar for Friendfeed. I truly believe we're getting to content overload and will go thru a period of consolidation as folks gravitate to an application that stays up the longest and is the easiest to use.

Discuss amongest yourselves.

Xbox Live!

2009-03-28T08:29:00.004-04:00

In a further use of techno weenie stuff on the web, I've added my gamertag stuff on Xbox Live to the righthand menu of this blog. I may regret this. :)

Is it me, or are there way too many gadgets and what not on the web these days?

Twitter,
Facebook,
MySpace,
Blogs,
etc.

Dave in Costa Rica Launched

2008-12-27T21:14:00.003-05:00

Our latest adventure is in Playa Flamingo, Costa Rica. Follow all the details at http://home.comcast.net/~daveincostarica/. We're trying out Comcast's tools for blogging and managing a personal web site. The website also includes a poll. Drop by and check it out.

El Sultan Carpet School - Saqqara, Egypt

2008-11-27T06:44:00.003-05:00

As part of the tour, we stopped at a carpet school in Saqqara. These schools were founded as a way to teach local peasant children a trade. The school we stopped at was call El Sultan. The head of the school gave a brief talk on how the carpets are made. This video shows the children making a knotted carpet, a demonstration of shearing the thread ends, and a clip of a weaver working at his loom. As usual, there is an attached store where you can buy rugs. I've included a couple of photos of the rug we bought.

The Monastery - Petra, Jordan

2008-11-17T08:37:00.003-05:00

Although the major tourist attraction at Petra is The Treasury, the other major site is The Monastery. This one is reached via the infamous "800 Steps", and is in one of the so called "high places" at Petra. The climb is not that difficult, just long and steep. You do have the option of using a donkey, but I didn't take that option and I'm glad I didn't as you'd miss a lot during the climb. You do have to watch your step as there are no guard rails, etc. As you ascend, at every reasonably flat space, there are usually natives selling handicrafts. The rock formations along the way are spectacular.

At the top there is another short climb to the Spring Desert view. The attached video includes a clip of the view along with a short clip of a goat herder.

Amman to Petra

2008-11-01T15:23:00.007-04:00

The "Treasury"

We drive by bus from Amman to Petra. On the way we stop at the river Jordan where John the Baptist did his thing and supposedly Jesus got baptised. Its a pleasant walk down to the river and when we get there you can actually look across the river and see Israel a mere 10 feet away. They're busy building a tourist trap on their side of the river as well.

Continuing on our way we stop at a mosaic shop where there is an explanation of how the mosaics are made. Of course, there is a gift shop next door, but here the sales people are far less pushy than in Egypt. We browse thru the shop, but don't buy anything. I do, however, pick up an Arab headdress for myself and my son at a rest stop on the way. This one is red to match the black one I got in Israel many, many years ago. It actually comes in handy later on, as its gets a little chilly in the mountains.

We proceed to Petra and check into our hotel to arise bright and early the next moring for the big event...Petra, "The Rose City". As you can expect, its difficult to put into words what the place looks like. The gradual walk down thru the Siq, a split in the mountains, abruptly opens into a sureal view of the "Treasury". That's me to the left making new friends just outside the doorway.

We proceed further down into the city and take many, many pictures, which will need some serious editing as Jean and I seem to be taking the same shots.

After lunch, our guide informs us that we have free time to either hike back or take the 800 steps to the monastery. I of course opt for the 800 steps and get a terrific workout. The photo to the left is me finally at the top admiring the Jordanian flag flapping in the breeze. The views from up here are breathtaking. Seems like a craggy grand canyon. The monastery seems better preserved than the treasury.

The "Monastery"

"Dave in Egypt" Tourist Photos

2008-10-28T02:43:00.006-04:00

This has to be the "classic" tourist shot from a trip to Egypt. How I got talked onto the camel and put in front of the pyramids is a story in its self. When I get back to the States and get organized better, I'll post all the details. Riding a camel is definitely an acquired skill. There is very much a side to side, rolling motion. I like the fact that my camel is looking right at the camera. I think he/she has done this a few times.

The second photo is self explanatory. I think I'm just trying not to fall off, even though the camel is standing still. All the while the camel driver is taking pictures and telling me what a great camel rider I am...right.

The Sound and Light show at the pyramids does have a gimicky feel to it, but the site is so impressive, that is hard to not get a little moved by the lights and lasers. The photo to the left is right after the show where they still have the sphinx illuminated. Does have an other worldly look to it at night and I'd have to say I don't regret going to it.

The next photo was taken down at Abu Simbel. This is the momument moved to higher ground when they built the Aswan High Dam. The mountain is artificial, but done so skillfully, you'd think the site was all original. The statues are all of Ramses II. To say he had an ego, is an understatement. This is a major tourist site, but not that easy to get to, so the crowds are manageable. I seemed to want to take pictures of everything.

The Tour Continues

2008-10-27T14:42:00.001-04:00

Day 4 – October 24, 2008 (Cairo)

The tour officially starts today. The group assembles in the lobby, meet our Egyptologist and it’s off to the Egyptian Museum. On the short ride to the museum we get to know our guide for the remainder of our stay in Egypt. He tells us about the traffic, the lack of traffic lights, the 4 minute driver’s test which gets you a license good for 9 years, etc. We are informed that cameras are not allowed in the museum, so I the pictures I took are from outside the museum and I leave my gear in the bus. However, once I get in the museum I see numerous teenagers clicking away with their camera cell phones.

Prior to entering the museum, our guide equips us with these “whisper headsets”. These allow him to broadcast to us while in the museum to be heard above the general commotion in the halls. As we test them out in the bus, we are temporarily flummoxed on hearing anything, until Jeanie advises turning the volume up. All works perfectly after this valuable technical advice.

The museum is stuffed with antiquities, most of it poorly labeled, if at all, but still excellent stuff. The highlight is the Tutankhamen exhibit that has the golden caskets, the gold death mask and lots of “stuff”. It seems the Egyptians believed that life on earth was temporary before you went to the afterlife, so you spent a lot of time preparing for the afterlife. You brought with you duplicates of stuff just in case you lose something. There is a recurring theme that Egyptian’s always have a “Plan B”. The coffins found within coffins that you often see, is designed to discourage looters. The coffins found in King Tut’s tomb where all built in place. King Tut’s mummy remains in his original tomb in the Valley of the Kings, which we’ll be visiting latter in the tour.

We go thru the Royal Mummies room which is cool. King Ramses II mummy is the main attraction here. His mummy is extraordinarily well preserved. You can see his fingernails, eye lashes, white hair, and so on. While milling around there is much commotion and video filming going on and we find out that the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Montenegro is looking at the mummies as well. As we move around, he actually says “Excuse me” to me as we squeeze by the display cases.

Giza Plateau and the Pyramids

We make our way to the pyramids. Words cannot describe what its like to see these monuments. Even with the numerous vendors trying to sell you stuff and the circus atmosphere, the pyramids are awesome. I go for the extra ticket to climb inside the Cheops pyramid to the royal tomb in the center. The entrance used today is not the original one, but a tunnel that was dug thru by the Arabs to meet with the original passage. It’s a fairly strenuous climb, with a lot of stopping over and climbing up a ramp with iron rungs built in. The space is close and hot, but the section thru the “Grand Gallery” is really something. This thing is massive in all respects. We finally get to the king’s chamber, and it’s very large, but empty with an empty coffin and the walls are unadorned. The finish on the blocks in the chamber is impeccable, looking almost modern in finish.

The way down and out is much easier, but you could see how a misstep could be dangerous. It’s also very difficult to climb up while people are coming down the narrow passage. Along the way you can see various side passageways and air shafts. The engineering that went into the pyramid is truly mind blowing. On the back of the pyramid, midway up, you can see a pocket of large stones missing. It seems a British general used cannon to fire on the pyramid to try to blast a way in. Yipes.

I exit the pyramid and search for Jean, who’s nowhere to be found. I finally find with a camel driver, having just gotten off a camel. I immediately get sucked into getting on a camel for a short trot and pictures along side Jean with the pyramids in the background. These guys have parting tourists from their money down to a fine art. I just wanted to find Jean and rejoin the tour and I end up on a camel posing for pictures in an arab headdress and several hundred Egyptian pounds poorer.

We had to the Solar Boat museum which is very impressive and right beside the Cheops pyramid. The boat is remarkably well preserved and almost looks like it could set sail tomorrow. From the Solar Boat we had over to the Sphinx. This time we can see it in the daylight and it too seems unworldly and it is hard to describe the impact it has sitting in front of the pyramids.

Day ?? (Abu Simbel, Aswan)

There’s a wakeup call for 4:00AM this morning. Luggage needs to be outside the door by 4:30AM for a 5:15AM departure to the airport to get a flight south to Aswan. The hotel thoughtfully packs us a box breakfast that we can take with us on the bus, although we had straight to the regular breakfast buffet and chow down on muffins, cereal and juice anyway.

The trip down to Aswan is uneventful and we stay on the plane as passengers leave and embark and we head further south to Abu Simbel. This is the site of two temples that were moved to higher ground when the Aswan high dam was built. They truly are spectacular featuring prominently Rameses II and his wife. The figures are huge and totally dominate the cliff they are built into. One could easily imagine someone coming from the south down the Nile and seeing these imposing figures. The effect is stunning.

We take numerous digital photos and video outside the temples and tour thru them in about 1 ½ hours. The scenes inside depict Rameses as the warrior king vanquishing his foes. A common scene is Rameses hold his enemy by the hair with his club upraised in his other hand poised to come down on the enemy’s head. This theme is repeated throughout the temples.

From here we board the bus for the trip back to the airport and the flight back to Aswan. At Aswan we board our cruise ship, Sunboat IV. The rooms are very nice and the service is impeccable all around. We have cocktails at 6:30PM and dinner at 7:30PM; the trip seems to get better and better.

Day ?? – October 25th (Aswan)

Wake up call is for 6:00AM. The shower is like a mini transporter tube; somewhat tight quarters, but gets the job done. We have breakfast and head out to the island of ??? and the temple of ???. This area has the most street hawkers to date and is something like running a football play on the ground and its goal and 1 yard to go. We get to the dock and board a boat for a trip to the island. Our guide introduces some local vendors that are selling handicrafts at fixed, reasonable prices to try to get the locals to be less aggressive and see that they can make just as much money without haggling from a ridiculous starting price.

The temple is one of the monuments moved when the high damn was built. You still can see the water marks halfway up the walls where the water reached during the yearly floods. Before the temple was moved, it was already underwater by several feet year around. This temple was the last temple in Egypt used for worship in the traditional ways. The temple complex is covered in graffiti from folks like Naploeon’s army and the British army. Several of the carvings are obscured when Christianity started to take hold and they took out their revenge of years of oppression on the temple carvings. The temple served as a church most recently.

From the temple we head back on the bus to ride to the unfinished obelisk. Aswan is known for its red granite and the site was a major quarry for the stone. The obelisk is huge and reflects the method of driving wedges to split the stone gradually to get the piece out you need. There’s a large crack down the center which accounts for the project being abandoned.

We leave from the quarry to board the bus back to the boat, where we are greeted by moist cold towels and lemonade. This routine is repeated several times while we are on the Sun Boat IV; ie. Leave the boat, board a bus, short ride to a temple, back to the boat to be greeted by cold moist towels and lemonade.

The Valley of the Kings

This is a major tourist destination and is jammed with tour buses when we arrive. We are definitely in the desert, but its not uncomfortably hot. There a small electric trams that take you a short distance from the parking lot to the tombs. We receive tickets for King Tut’s tomb and another ticket good for any 3 tombs. The trick is to gauge the various tour groups and pick a tomb of interest that has the shortest line. We tour xxx, yyy, and zzz tombs. They are cut right into the mountain side and have fairly high ceilings. The wall decoration is amazing.

Some tombs are unfinished as the occupant died before it could be finished. In some cases the decoration is just painted on and not carved and then painted. King Tut’s tomb is not lavishly decorated as he died unexpectedly. His mummy and original coffin are still in the tomb. The mummy looks very small in the grand space of the tomb.

Dave in Egypt Journal

2008-10-23T12:48:00.001-04:00

Egypt and Jordan – 2008

Day 1 – October 19, 2008 (Boston, New York)

We arrived at Logan with plenty of time to spare for the flight to NY LaGuardia Airport. Out first minor mishap reveals that if you do your pre boarding over the web, the gate on your boarding pass may change on the day you actually leave. We found this out when we noticed the departure board had our flight at a different gate than the one we we’re slipping our Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at. A brief hustle to the right gate, and all was well.

I come across a kiosk that is pitching movies you can download to go right there onto a thumb drive. Of course I have a thumb drive and insert it into the kiosk to get free sample videos for Jordan and San Diego that we can all enjoy on my laptop or Palm pilot. I find this very cool. The Jordan videos have some nice information on Amman and Petra. I also appreciate the new Logan waiting area seats that include power outlets and USB ports under them.

I spend a good amount of time trying to figure out how to thread my headphones into my spiffy new Scot eVest. I’m still finding miscellaneous pockets in the vest and pants.

Day 2 – October 20, 2008 (Cairo)

Flight to Cairo from NY is about 9 hours and uneventful. Watched about 3 movies, of which, Swing Shift, was the only one a can remember with any clarity. The plane lands 45 minutes early, and since there are no jet ways; you walk off the plane onto buses. I immediately get on a bus, turn around, and notice Jeanie is not right behind me; opps. We get back together at the terminal and are greeted by the A&K representative who whisks us thru customs, etc. We begin to bond with our fellow travelers.

On the bus ride to the hotel, we’re offered ice cold bottled water and told that throughout the trip, bottled water will be available. We are told, “do not drink the tap water, do not brush your teeth with tap water”, etc.

The weather in Cairo is pleasant, the traffic is bad, but no where near as bad as say, Bangalore, India. The hotel room is excellent with a nice view of the Nile and air conditioning that works. I soon find out that the wireless is not free and can’t seem to pick up the access point anyway.

Day 3 – October 21, 2008 (Cairo)

We arose around 9:00 and have breakfast in the hotel. Numerous discussions ensue on plan for the day. I suggest walking from hotel to the railway station and then down to the gardens. 5 minutes into the walk, we’re deep in what looks like the iron and auto parts district. Rutted dirt streets with small shops stacked with pieces of iron and steel or specific auto parts; ex. Shock absorbers, cylinders, tools, etc. There are virtually no women on the streets except for Dave, Jean and Debbie. Seems like lots of staring from the men sitting on chairs outside the various shops. We see donkey and horse carts and various livestock wandering around. In several places the curbs are almost a foot high. We believe this is to discourage parking on the sidewalks. There are cars parked literally, everywhere, with no rhyme or reason. We decide this is less than ideal plan and opt for returning to the hotel and trying a boat ride on the Nile.

We negotiate a deal with a limited English speaking driver who takes us to the boat ramp. Furious negotiations ensue and we’re off for a 2 hour cruise on the Nile. Our boatman speaks no English, but we get along ok. See the photo album for associated photos.

At the turnaround to come back to the ramp, we are stopped by Egyptian police. Some discussion with our boatman and the police take place, a license is produced, a form is signed and we’re on our way. I mentioned this encounter to our taxi driver on the way back and it seems it has something to do with the police, rich tourists from the Conrad, and cruising the Nile. I’m still not sure how it all fits together.

We meet our fellow travelers in the lobby at 5:15 for the Light and Sound Show at the pyramids. The last of the tour members arrive and introductions are made all around. The usual, “what did you do today?”, conversations take place and we’re off to the Giza plateau.

The traffic is horrendous and we find ourselves inching along as there are no traffic lights in Cairo and general chaos rules the day. Eventually we get to a place where we need to make a left-hand turn to the main street to the pyramids, but the traffic is not allowing any such maneuver. Our tour guide exits the bus and goes to the intersection to talk with the traffic police on moving things along and polls the cars next to us in the left-hand lane on their intentions of making a left. We bull our way left, make the turn and race to the pyramids.

We miss a few minutes of the show, but have front row seats for a surprisingly entertaining show. The sound is full Dolby stereo and the lasers, lights, etc. are top notch. The pyramids are impressive, even in this somewhat circus atmosphere. We’ll be seeing them in daylight later on the tour.

People in the audience flash away with their digital cameras, thinking somehow their puny cameras can make a dent on illuminating the scene. There must be some serious lights arranged around the monuments to illuminate them they way they do.

On the way back, our tour guide produces some miniature pyramids that he purchased at the site, in a way of an apology for getting us there late, a nice touch.

Day 4 – October 24, 2008 (Cairo)

The tour officially starts today. The group assembles in the lobby, meet our Egyptologist and it’s off to the Egyptian Museum. On the short ride to the museum we get to know our guide for the remainder of our stay in Egypt. He tells us about the traffic, the lack of traffic lights, the 4 minute driver’s test which gets you a license good for 9 years, etc. We are informed that cameras are not allowed in the museum, so I the pictures I took are from outside the museum and I leave my gear in the bus. However, once I get in the museum I see numerous teenagers clicking away with their camera cell phones.

Prior to entering the museum, our guide equips us with these “whisper headsets”. These allow him to broadcast to us while in the museum to be heard above the general commotion in the halls. As we test them out in the bus, we are temporarily flummoxed on hearing anything, until Jeanie advises turning the volume up. All works perfectly after this valuable technical advise.

The museum is stuffed with antiquities, most of it poorly labeled, if at all, but still excellent stuff. The highlight is the Tutankhamum exhibit that has the golden caskets, the gold death mask and lots of “stuff”. It seems the Egyptians believed that life on earth was temporary before you went to the afterlife, so you spent a lot of time preparing for the afterlife. You brought with you duplicates of stuff just in case you lose something. There is a recurring theme that Egyptian’s always have a “Plan B”. The coffins found within coffins that you often see, is designed to discourage looters. The coffins found in King Tut’s tomb where all built in place. King Tut’s mummy remains in his original tomb in the Valley of the Kings, which we’ll be visiting latter in the tour.

We go thru the Royal Mummies room which is cool. King Ramses II mummy is the main attraction here. His mummy is extraordinarily well preserved. You can see his fingernails, eye lashes, white hair, and so on. While milling around there is much commotion and video filming going on and we find out that the Minister of Foreign Affairs from Montenegro is looking at the mummies as well. As we move around, he actually says “Excuse me” to me as we squeeze by the display cases.

Dave in Egypt

2008-10-17T23:12:00.002-04:00

Yours truly will be vacationing in Egypt and Jordan the next two weeks. Visit Dave In Egypt for all the details. The plan is to attempt to blog each day of the trip and post photos and video clips as appropriate on the website. We'll see how long the plan lasts. Comments and suggestions welcome.

Memory Walk 2008

2008-10-02T18:32:00.002-04:00

We recently completed the Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association in Cambridge, MA. Phyllis' Gang raised over $5,000. The day was overcast and raining, but didn't dampen the spirits of the folks who've been touched by this terrible disease. Visit: http://www.alz.org/ma/ if you'd like more information on the association.

See below for a video of our walk.

Torrey Pines Beach Artist at Work

2008-01-06T13:52:00.000-05:00

While walking the beach at Torrey Pines State Park, we came along this beach artist, working his magic with native materials. This rare opportunity to see a master at work, was priceless. Countless hours must have gone into the artist acquiring the high degree of skill that he demonstrates in this all too short clip of the "master at work". We were indeed blessed to witness this "work in creation".

Alzheimer's Walk - 2007

2007-12-22T07:17:00.000-05:00

The Alzheimer's Association in Massachusetts is the largest in the country. I did the walk for my wife this year in honor of my mother-in-law, who recently passed away from the disease. The walk started at the Cambridge Galleria and looped around the Esplanade, past the Hatch Shell, over the Massachusetts Avenue bridge, and back down Memorial Drive to the Galleria.

Along the way there were folks encouraging the walkers on, food and water stations, and even entertainment. At the end was a BBQ put on by the Outback Steakhouse. See the same photos in a photostory with related video clips and music: here.

(Note: we came in third in the amount of money rasied by an individual. Many thanks to all who supported us.)

Vista Ultimate First Looks

2007-12-03T13:07:00.000-05:00

Recently ordered and received a new machine from Lenovo, formerly IBM, that came with Vista Ultimate installed. Out of the box, the machine came up flawlessly and had a fair amount of additional help/ supported stuff loaded by Lenovo, that integrated fairly well with Microsoft's stuff.

The integrated graphics driver was able to display the Aero interface, but did bring down the overall score on performance, due to its lack of support for Directx 10 and rendering capabilities. I upgraded with an nVidia based PCI Express 16 card and now get scores in the 5's all around.

Adding a HD TV tuner card and an analog card for the Media Center stuff went smoothly. I previously had a Microsoft Media Center based machine and I find the MCE built into Vista, much nicer to use and more powerfull. I was able to get my Xbox360 to work as a MCE extender with the Vista machine with a little of bit of hassle, since it had been previously configured with the old MCE 2005 box.

Overall, I give Vista 4 stars out of 5. More to come as I get more time to update this blog.

The Simpsoniser

2007-08-05T14:13:00.000-04:00

So there's this Simpsoniser thing that takes a photo and turns it into a Simpson's character. To the left is the results of this exercise. Its actually a pretty sophisticated web application with tons of options for changing body, hair, etc. It also creates a "buddy icon" which looked like the image in the upper righthand corner. Check out the application here.

The Mount

2007-07-22T11:33:00.000-04:00

We recently took a day trip to the Berkshires to see the summer cottage and restored gardens of Edith Wharton. See this link for their website: http://www.edithwharton.org/. The estate is called "The Mount" and was very impressive. The 1 1/2 guided tour is well worth the money as the guide really knows the place inside and out. You can take a free self guided tour if so inclined. The house is modest in comparison to other "cottages" in places like this and Newport, R.I. The interior is mostly restored to its former grandeur. They did have some designers do the dinner room over as they figured Edith would have done at the present time.

We had a nice lunch on the back patio that you see in the photo. Very peacefull, with a gtreat view of the river in the back.

Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Competition

2007-07-20T15:29:00.000-04:00

Went to the Sand Sculpting Competition at Revere Beach, MA. Stuff was amazing. Turns out they use a special sand from New Hampshire, so don't try this at your local beach. Click on the photo for the complete album.

Trouble with Video Links

2007-07-20T11:47:00.001-04:00

Seems when you move things around in Photobucket, it breaks links. Doh! This will be fixed in the previous The Movies posts. Heads will roll.

"It Came from Hingham Harbor"

2007-07-05T10:57:00.000-04:00

Here's the latest effort at creativity using The Movies game. This one has a little more action sequences. References to a local pub is purely coincidental.

"He's dead, Jim"

2007-06-23T16:43:00.000-04:00

Here's my first attempt at making a movie using The Movies. Different setting, but you can see the similar actions with The Hingham Horror, just the props and costumes change.

The Hingham Horror Part I

2007-06-12T13:46:00.001-04:00

The latest attempt at creating a movie with the The Movies game. I received the Premium Edition as a birthday gift and immediately updated it with the Stunts & Effects expansion package. I have to admit, I'm more interested in the movie making part than the role playing game. You can get some fairly cool effects, but often times you find your self trying to "make do" with the precanned scenes and actions to fit what you're trying to accomplish.

Kitty Play Part II

2006-09-18T21:51:00.000-04:00


More kitty play.

Kitties Playing

2006-09-18T09:43:00.000-04:00


Kitties playing at JonesWare Central.

New Feline Addition to Jonesware

2006-09-17T09:10:00.000-04:00

Winston,
originally uploaded by jonesware2000.

We picked up two mixed breed cats from the Animal Rescue League in Bedford New Hampshire. They are a brother and sister. They were named Winston and Sara. This is Winston. Still need to name the female since we already have another cat called Sara. More to come.

Photos from the adoption center can be found here.

GPS for the Palm T/X

2006-06-27T12:34:00.000-04:00

For my birthday I recently got a GPS addon for my Palm T/X. Its called the Palm Navigator from TomTom. Comes with GPS software, maps for USA and Canada, car power adaptor for the Palm and GPS, and the GPS "puck". The "puck" is the little black thing you see in the bottom of the picture.

Installation of the software on the Palm is somewhat tedious, as it has this validation/activation thing you have to go thru on the web. You need a fairly hefty SD card to install the software and maps onto, which is key. I tried installing on a 512MB SD card and the software consistently crashed the PDA causing a rest, until I installed everything on a 1 Gigabyte card. After that, the system worked flawlessly,

Installing in the car, involves a suction cup cradle that goes against the windshield and the PDA is clamped into it. This is the best arrangement as you can drive along with the display right there without taking your eyes off the road. Interestingly, when you fire up the program on the PDA it has a bunch of text saying you shouldn't use the device while driving, all bets are off, yadda yadda.

The display is razor sharp and updates very quickly as you move along. Your selected route is in red on the map, and the bottom of the display lets you know what's up next, what the street name is, when you'll arrive at your destination, etc. The geekest part is the voice. You can select what type of voice to use that tells you when to turn, etc. I downloaded a John Cleese voice that really is him telling you when to turn and when to get on the "motorway". All the voices tell you when you're at your destination. The John Cleese voice says, "You've reached your destination, but please do not expect me to help with your bags. From now on, your own your own". There is a Darth Vader voice that says for the destination bit, "You're journey to the Dark Side is complete". You get the idea.

A very cool feature is the recalculate function. If you get off the track, the software immediately recalculates from where you are and starts you on another track. It does this extremely fast. In rare occassions, it will tell you to make a U turn. This is very usefull when you hit a detour or alot of traffic, etc.

We spent some time in Charleston, S.C. and I took the GPS along. Once it got the satellite fixes, it work perfectly. We didn't get lost once, driving around the city and out to the beach.

There are other programs that will work with the GPS, that are freely downloadable from the web for doing things like geocaching, etc. There are also numerous POI, (Points of Interest) files that you can download to use with the maps. I downloaded all the Starbucks in the US. I can set the unit to sound a chime whenever I'm close to a Starbucks or just tell it to plot a course to the nearest one. Way geeky.

Highly recommended.

2006-02-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

There is a fairly new PC game out called "The Movies". Its in two parts. The first part is your usual Sims type game where you build up a movie studio and keep things running smoothly as best you can. As you progress in the game, more functionality is unlocked. You make money by creating movies and keeping your stars happy.

The second part of the game is pretty much the movie making tools accessed by the "sandbox". Click the big box below to get a sample of my first attempt at creating a movie using the tools. I was surprised at how quickly you can get a passable movie, but it is difficult to get just the effect you want when you dive into the details.

I give it a 3.5 star rating out of 5.

Star Wars at the Museum of Science

2006-01-02T17:16:00.000-05:00

The Museum of Science in Boston, MA is currently running an exhibit called "Star Wars Where Science Meets Imagination" thru April 30, 2006. The exhibit is filled with props from the various Star Wars movies, which by themselves, are pretty cool for the usual Star Wars fan. Of more interest, is the various handson exhibits interpersed with the props and costumes that explain real world science that is related to the Star Wars universe.

The short video clip above shows the exhibits surrounding the landspeeder featured in Episode IV: A New Hope, in which Luke Skywalker speeds around with Obi Wan and the droids, C3PO and R2D2.

King Kong Review

2005-12-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

Here's my take on the latest version of the "Ape-woman-Empire State Building" movie. In short, the movie is visually stunning. The attention to detail in every frame is nothing less than astounding. From the depiction of 30's New York to the nasty looking, Skull Island, this is truly state-of-the-art film making.

Although, the film is a tad over 3 hours long, you are continuously entertained. I was surprised at the beginning of the movie that spent a far bit of time on showing the effects of the Great Depression. These scenes seemed new to me from the previous films. Just watching scenes unfold of 1930's New York, was enough for me in this part of the movie.

When the film moves to Skull Island, the pace picks up considerably. There did seem to be a recurring motif: folks walking thru the jungle looking timid, folks come upon terrible beast/insect/native, beast runs at them, attempts to eat/step on/kill them, general mayhem ensues, repeat. There is also the device of having the action die down, with the lead actor recupperating while the audience is clued in on yet another terror just out of camera sight, and the cycle is repeated. Just when you thought you seen all the dinosaurs, etc., the movie introduces giant insects.

In the Kong battles, the main goal seems to be how many different ways Kong could fight the baddie and continue to hold onto Naomi Watts. There had to be at least half a dozen scenes of her falling and Kong catching her at the last moment. The action scenes are all first rate and you can see that all the Lord of the Rings type stuff, director Peter Jackson's prior epic, was out to good effect here.

Shot wise, I was surprised by how many extreme closeups are in a movie of this scope. Alot of dewey eyed Naomi closeups and Kong closeups throughout the film. There was a great deal of effort put into getting emotion from Kong's eyes and expression and it paid off. Didn't take long for me to identify with the big ape and sympathise. It is strange seeing the film knowing the how it ends, etc. Like when is he getting to the Empire State Building, already?

All the actors were great. Black was OK, but the wide eyed "oh-my-god" look gets old after awhile. Naomi does a good job screaming and emotes well with the hairy one. Adrien Brody is just right as the love interest, but the majority of his time is spent running after Naomi and showing up after all the mayhem has occurred. The film really is a tragic love story with alot of really neat CGI effects.

4.5 Stars from this reviewer.

The Guys Rules

2005-11-28T16:33:00.000-05:00

The Guys' Rules

At last a guy has taken the time to write this all down. Finally, the guys' side of the story. (I must admit, it's pretty good.) We always hear "the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from the male side. These are our rules! Please note...these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!

1. Men ARE not mind readers.
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.
1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have absolutely no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will Be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say nothing, we will act like nothing's wrong. We now you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear. 1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics is baseball, the shotgun formation, or golf.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!
1. Thank you for reading this.

Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight; But did you know men really don't mind that? It's like camping.

Pass this to as many men as you can -- to give them a laugh.

Pass this to as many women as you can - to give them a bigger laugh

Celtics vs. Bobcats

2005-11-27T18:07:00.000-05:00

The crew attended the recent Celtics game against the Bobcats after the Thanksgiving chow down. Yours truly remembers Celtics games of days gone by with his father in the old Boston Garden. He had a pair of seats in the third balcony. These were the days of Bird, Cousy, Russell, Sam Jones, Cowens, etc. So it was interesting to return to the new TD Bank North Garden to see the latest edition of this storied franchise.

Alas, the glory days are indeed gone by, but the "product" is still entertaining. These days the sight lines are all great, the sound system superb, restrooms are clean and so on. There is much more distractions from the game: unicycling, hip hop groups, gymnastic teams, neighborhood group recongitions, tee shirt shooting into the crowd, parachute drops of goodies, and so on.

The Celtics and the Bobcats are definitely not in the top tier of the NBA, but they put on a good game. It came right down to the wire and hinged on a final in bounds play with Paul Pierce making the game winning layup. You think the Bobcats would have triple teamed him.

My son, Jason, was able to go down to the floor and get some pictures of the teams warming up and of Tommy Heinson (sp?) former Celtic great and current TV commentator for the team. I found it interesting, he could just walk down to the court and start snapping away.

The place was reasonably full and very enthusatic. The noise level seemed to be very much like the old Garden, which is great. Not a bad night of entertainment, just wish the current product was of a higher caliber.

Thanks for Your Time

2005-11-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

Thanks for Your Time

     A young man learns what's most important in life from the guy next door. It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way.  In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams.  There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no  time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him. Over the phone, his mother told him,"Mr. Belser died last night.  The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days."Jack, did you hear me?" "Oh,sorry Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said. "Well, he didn't forget you.  Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing.  He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence, as he put it," Mom told him."I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said. "You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said. "He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I would'nt be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important..  Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

     As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful.  He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away. The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.  Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing  over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories.  Every picture, every piece of furniture.... Jack stopped suddenly. "What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked." The box is gone," he said. "What box?" Mom asked." There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk.  I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most, '" Jack said. It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had  taken it. "Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom." It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died.  Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox.  "Signature required on a package.  No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

      Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and   looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago.  The handwriting was  difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope.  Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside. "Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett.  It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.  There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.  Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.     Inside he found these words engraved: "Jack Thanks for your time!  - Harold Belser."  "The thing he valued most...was...my time." Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked. "I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet...thanks for your time!"  "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,"

Harry Potter and the Gobblet of Fire

2005-11-21T13:39:00.000-05:00

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

We went to the latest installment of the Harry Potter series at our local Cineplex. This was the second day of the film’s release. I went with the Moviephon deal to preorder the tickets. Good thing I did, since the line started forming outside the designated theater ½ before the start of the show.

This release seems much darker than previous outings. There is a fair amount of teenage angst that just borders on the tiresome. There does seem to be a recurring action theme: natsy things happen to Harry, Harry gets morose, Harry gets knockaround abit, Harry finally “wakes up” and does something heroic, general “atta boys” all around at Hogwarts ensue. You think Harry would know he’s the “chosen one” and start kicking butt a little earlier and save himself a lot of pain up front.

The movie is a good 2+ hours long and is jammed packed with special effects and so on. There does seem to be a tendency for the film to setup a spectacular scene, establish it, then immediately dump it for the next setup. Case in point would be the scene where our heroes trek off to the world Quidditch Cup. A lot of setup to get there thru a port key, getting into tents that are small on the outside, large on the inside, going to the immense stadium, introduce the crowds, then…. Cut to next scene and repeat.

All in all the film moves along at a nice clip. There are some introspective moments that seem to drag on, but not for too long. The characters appear comfortable in their roles in this episode, although the acting expertise varies from Ron to Hermione to Harry.

I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Mr. Science Explains the Presence of Mica Along the French Broad River

2005-11-17T09:11:00.000-05:00

Mr. Science, also known as Don Jones, explains the presence of mica in the sand along the banks of the French Broad River in North Carolina. Mr. Science explains where the mica comes from and some possible uses in our modern society. Click here to see an amazing video of this lesson in science.

Flickr

2005-11-10T14:09:00.000-05:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Jones Boy Ahead of His Time

2005-10-22T18:18:00.000-04:00

Northville Record. June 9,2005.

Northville resident Donald Jones, right, prepares to hand U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, left, a petition with more than 800 signatures urging Congress to fire Hous majority leader Tom Delay. Jones and 27 other MoveOn members from McCotter's district met in the Livonia office last Wednesday afternoon. Delay has been accused of unethical practices by democrats who say his political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, violated Texas campaign laws according to a recent Texas civil court ruling.

"He was admonished three times by the House ethics committee. He's under investigation by the district attorney in Texas." Don Jones, Resident, Northville Township.

Man and Beast at Rest - Asheville, N.C.

2005-10-22T14:29:00.000-04:00

Don and friend relaxing in front of the boob-tube in Asheville, N.C. Name the dog for extra points.

Posted using the new BlogThis! of Picassa. Will wonders never cease?

Replacing the Calipers (cont.)

2005-10-17T13:13:00.000-04:00

Replacing the Calipers on a Honda DX Cont.

So, I finally get the Honda down to the local Mobil station. It’s a short, but soggy walk, (been raining a lot here lately). Around late afternoon they check in with the following: “Well, we are having problems getting that left caliper off, but more importantly, you’re missing both front control arms. I wouldn’t drive that car 1 more mile.” I was wondering what the rattle in the front end was. Now I know. So I ok replacing the front control arms and late the next day pick up the car a few, well more than a few, dollars poorer.

Bottom line, the car stops very well now, does not have the ominous rattle sound it used to exhibit, and is considerably safer for number 2 son to tool around in.

End of saga…..(for now).

Brake Caliper Adventures

2005-10-09T15:39:00.000-04:00

Trials and Tribulations on Replacing Brake Calipers on a Honda Civic DX 1991 Vintage

So the vehicle in question is a Honda Civic DX, four door sedan, 1991 and a gazillion miles on it.  In the course of normal maintenance, I figured the front pads are due for replacement.  So off to my friendly neighborhood Autozone to pick up a set of front pads.  Back to the driveway, jack up the car, remove the left front wheel, remove the lower guide pin bolt, bang the caliper so it pivots up out of the way, and…..  Yipes, the piston inside the caliper looks like it has moved in years, gasket torn, piston has ominous rust to its outside edge.  The rotor is is good shape, but that’s probably due to the brakes not working on that side at all.

So I get the piston moved back in and install the new pads in any event and move on to the left-hand side.  Jack up the car, remove the wheel, remove the lower guide pin bolt, and….  Well, in this case the piston actually looks like its working.  The pads are worn, but the rotor is again in good shape, so I think I’m golden for this side.  Put the pads in and attempt to lower the caliper onto the pads.  No go.  The caliper is too narrow.  What the?  Seems in this case the caliper rusted onto the upper guide post and work move back out to allow newer pads with larger thickness.

Ok, this isn’t good or safe, time to replace both front calipers.  Back to Autozone and order up a pair of calipers.  They run about $40 a piece with another $40 core charge.  This means you get the core amount back when you return the old part.  Seems the core is reusable, it’s just all the other stuff that craps out.

So the calipers come in, I pick ‘em up and notice that one box is heavier than the other, but continue home anyway.  Sure enough it turns out Honda used two types of calipers, one the slipes off the upper guide post and another that just blots on.  I ended up with the correct one for the left and the wrong one for the right.

No problem, I’ll get proceed on replacing the one I’ve got on the left.  Not so fast.  The rusting of the guide post has made it impossible to get it off.  At least for this Saturday morning mechanic.

I admit defeat and arrange for the local garage mechanic to install the left hand caliper.  For the right-hand side I go to three different Autozones, before I find one that has the appropriate part.  The right hand one comes off smoothly, the new one goes on smoothly, the pads fit nicely, so some progress is being made, but there is no brake pressure since the system needs to be bled, etc.

Stay tuned for what transpires from the garage mechanic getting the left hand one installed.

Autotap Scanner for OBDC II

2005-10-06T10:23:00.000-04:00

Highly recommend an OBDC II scanner from www.autotap.com. Plugs into your car’s Onboard Diagnostic Computer and shows you various statistics on what going on in the enginer, etc. If the engine light comes on, it’ll dump the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). Also lets you clear the light. Connects via a USB cable to a laptop. Very techno weenie.