Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Money and Business

We’re in the Money Now!

big moneyLast month, we finally had our landline telephone service discontinued. I called AT&T to inform them that their services were no longer needed since we each now have a personal wireless device that does everything (and much more) than their service can provide.

I was reluctant, at first, to discontinue the service, since it has been our telephone number since before 1979 – we kept the same number from the previous owner when we moved here.

But, after doing all the trade-offs, it just had to be done.

Then, after all the smoke settled, I got this fantastic refund from the accounts payable folks at AT&T. Woo Woo. Where will I spend all this money? Maybe a lead 7½ shot ball in a 12 gauge shell? Yeah! That’s a great idea!

23 Jan 2009 by Money and Business Technobabble

Contented

Going through the electronic photo album, I ran across this image of “Bear,” our Lab-Shep family companion. She just finished her “Frosty-Paws” doggie ice cream treat and rolled onto her back in her characteristic gesture of contentment. After a tough week on Wall Street, this is something we should all do – have some fun and be contented. Click the image for big.

contented.jpg

26 Sep 2008 by Critters Money and Business

Barbie’s Piano

barbie-piano.jpgWhy is this Barbie Piano special? Well, because, this one has provenance.

You see, back in 1980, I worked for Mattel Toys in Hawthorne, CA as an engineer in the preliminary design department. I designed electronics for prototypes of all sorts of toys, including remote control cars, self-guided racers, sound effects for a hot wheels airborne transport toy, and the piano sounds for Barbie’s Piano.

I collaborated with another prototype designer who did the mechanical development. My job was to develop an electronic piano sound. I actually got a patent for the ‘decay modulator’ circuit, which was the heart of the semi-realistic sound. When a key is struck, the tone fades out gradually just like a real piano.

When it came time to demonstrate the toy to Mattel’s president, we brought the model in, sat Barbie down on the bench and I made my first and only professional musical debut as I plunked out “Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ using Barbie’s hands on the keys.

keyboard.jpg“I love it,” said the president as he clapped his hands with approval, “let’s get it into toy development and go with it!” After the piano went into production, even though I was not working at Mattel, they called me in and gave me this one when it was new.

I saw an original Barbie Piano on eBay today with a selling price of 160USD. And that was without the bench and the instruction/songbook. I imagine that this particular one might be worth a bit more with my signed statement about its development and my role in it.

While this one has never been owned by a child, I used to indulge my granddaughters and let them play with it. As a consequence, it’s not completely pristine and the little wands used to play the tiny keys are missing. A mistake, to be sure, but you should have seen the pride in their eyes knowing granddad invented this toy.

Please, click either image for a wallpaper-sized close-up.

Cross-posted from our family blog.

02 Jul 2008 by Money and Business Music Technobabble

You Can’t Ride a Polar Bear to Work

bear partyI just read a pretty good editorial in the Orange County (CA) Register. The title, “You Can’t Ride a Polar Bear to Work”, intrigued me and so I read the item (hat tip Opinion Journal). So, I thought I would pass it along here. Plus, it gives me another chance to post this silly polar bear picture.

The article starts with this news item about the reversal of John McCain’s attitude toward offshore drilling:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain this week reversed his position and drew environmentalists’ wrath when he came out in favor of lifting the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Mr. McCain apparently realizes he needs motorists’ votes more than environmentalists’ endorsements. Better late than never.

And concludes with this encouragement for McCain to similarly reconsider drilling in ANWR:

We hope that even if it’s only a crass appeal for votes, Mr. McCain rethinks his opposition to drilling in ANWR and also pledges to overcome Democrat opposition to leasing interior federal lands that may contain 1.8 trillion barrels of oil in solid shale rock, which a RAND Corp. study estimates could be enough to meet U.S. energy needs for centuries.

The U.S. realistically can’t become energy independent, but it can become energy self-sufficient by drilling closer to home, reviving shunned technologies such as nuclear power and by encouraging private companies to seek new technologies and approaches in support of that goal.

There are a lot of good points made in between the start and finish of the article. Take the time to read some interesting things about energy consumption and production in our country.

19 Jun 2008 by Environment Money and Business

California Leads the Nation

big winner . . . in the cost of fuel, that is – $4.35 per gallon of regular.

On the way to the indoor target range today, I stopped to fill up the truck. The tank was a little dryer for my bi-weekly fill-up because of the trip out to the gun show yesterday. I lost the bet to Damsel that it would take over a hundred bucks to fill the tank – barely.

I blame the asswipes in government that disallow drilling, refining and production of petroleum products domestically.

Specifically (update 6/9/08 14:38z):

ANWR Exploration
House Republicans: 91% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Coal-to-Liquid
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 78% Opposed

Oil Shale Exploration
House Republicans: 90% Supported
House Democrats: 86% Opposed

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Exploration
House Republicans: 81% Supported
House Democrats: 83% Opposed

Refinery Increased Capacity
House Republicans: 97% Supported
House Democrats: 96% Opposed

Hat Tip Redstate

Update: The Pelosi Premium . . .

pelosi-premium.jpg
08 Jun 2008 by California Congress Money and Business

Welcome, President Bush

President Bush will be paying a visit to Robinson Helicopter in Torrance, California tomorrow. That’s about a mile and a half from our house. We’d like to go see and hear the President, but admission is by invitation only.

Bush to visit Torrance on Wednesday

r22President Bush will pay a visit to Robinson Helicopter Co. in Torrance on Wednesday as he urges Congress to pass three free trade agreements.

Bush will take a tour of the company, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of civilian helicopters, and deliver remarks to employees.

Robinson Helicopter posted a record year in 2007, largely on the strength of its exports to 55 countries. Much of that success is due to the declining value of the dollar, which makes American exports less expensive to foreign customers.

“We’re an unusual story because we’re not outsourcing everything,” said Kurt Robinson, a company vice president. “I think it’s pretty exciting that we get the president here. It’s fun to show off American manufacturing.”

In his State of the Union Address on Monday night, Bush urged Congress to approve trade deals with Colombia, Panama and South Korea, which would reduce or eliminate tariffs on American-made goods.

“These agreements will level the playing field,” Bush said. “They will give us better access to nearly 100 million customers. And they will support good jobs for the finest workers in the world: those whose products say ‘Made in the USA.'”

Read the article in the South Bay Daily Breeze.

29 Jan 2008 by Aviation California Money and Business

Categories

Archives