Author Archives: tig

Book: The Dead Hand – The Untold Story of the Cold War…

February 6, 2010
Books, Uncategorized
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I haven’t posted a book review in a while. Not because I haven’t been reading, just because I’ve been lazy. My most recent book was The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy by David Hoffman. I had heard about this book in a mention on a National People’s Radio story about Ronald Reagan. In that story the book was presented as a story about Reagan and …Continue reading →

Back on Twitter

January 18, 2010
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On April 4, 2007 I got on twitter to check it out. I didn’t see the value and bailed. Then in June of 2008 I gave it another try.  At that time I was using @ckindel and I bounced between it being private and public.  My use of twitter finally settled into one where I was only tweeting between a small (15-20) group of pretty close friends who I knew I could trust.  We use …Continue reading →

Longer battery life for the Kindle 2

November 24, 2009
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Today Amazon announced that they have released a firmware update for the Kindle 2 that dramatically increases battery life (from a perfectly fine 4 days to 7 days, even with wireless turned on).  They also added native PDF support to the Kindle 2 (this was only previously available on the Kindle DX). I continue to us my Kindles almost all the time. Of all my electronic devices the Kindle remains the one I am the …Continue reading →

In 50 words or less: What the 2nd Amendment Means to you

August 8, 2009
Firearms, Kindel
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Gun Digest ran an essay contest in 1964:  In 50 words or less write what the Right to Bear Arms means to you. The winner would get an all expense paid hunting safari to Africa. I had known my father (Charles E. “Ted” Kindel) had won this contest when I was a kid but didn’t really know the details. All the family knew was that it was an essay contest in “some gun magazine”, that …Continue reading →

Porsche 911 Gauge Removal

July 10, 2009
Cars, Uncategorized
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My 1998 Porsche 911 Carrera has several unique factory options including sunroof-delete and 15” Fuchs (most ‘88s were ordered with 16” Fuchs). When I purchased it in 1997 I needed to replace the tires and because I was autocrossing I appreciated the slightly lower gearing provided by the 205/55R15 (F) and 225/50R15 (R) that were recommended to me. In the end I actually really liked the look of these slightly lower profile tires as well. …Continue reading →

Windows Home Server makes for a happy family

June 17, 2009
Smart Home, Uncategorized
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Once again the most amazing consumer product Microsoft has ever created, Windows Home Server, has saved my family [disclaimer].  Today I was in a meeting and I got a text message from my 15 year old daughter. It read (spelling and txt errors verbatim): “daddddd o my god. i think i just deleated all my pictures from freshmen year. please call meee!” I texted her back “Ok, don’t touch anything. I’ll call you when I …Continue reading →

Kindle Tips & Tricks

June 15, 2009
How To
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Here’s a list of tips, tricks, and hacks for the Amazon Kindle that I’ve uncovered. Some of these are valid for the original Kindle and some are valid for the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX. Keyboard Shortcuts Alt+Shift+M – Start a game of Minesweeper.  While in the game you can press G for a version of “Go” Alt-T – Shows time (only on the original Kindle; does not work on the Kindle 2 or Kindle …Continue reading →

Peter F. Hamilton

June 13, 2009
Books, Uncategorized
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Last year I discovered sci-fi author Peter F. Hamilton and have now read the following books by him on my Amazon Kindle 2: The Night’s Dawn Trilogy: The Reality Dysfunction The Neutronium Alchemist The Naked God Pandora’s Star Judas Unchained The Void Trilology The Dreaming Void The Temporal Void It’s taken me a while to read all these because I read a few other books in between (see list below) and because they are all …Continue reading →

Kindle DX Review

June 13, 2009
Books, Uncategorized
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Yesterday my new Amazon Kindle DX arrived and here are my initial impressions. I’ve owned a Kindle since November 2007 when they were first released. We currently own 4 of them: CJ has an original, Julie has a Kindle 2, and I now have both a Kindle 2 and the new DX. The moment Amazon announced the Kindle in the fall of 2007 I was enamored with the concept and have been a fan ever …Continue reading →

Kindle Support

June 4, 2009
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Amazon continues to impress me. This time it is their customer service. This week CJ somehow (he claims he has no idea how it happened…Really!?!?) broke the screen on the original Kindle I had handed-down to him. It was completely toast. At the same time I realized that my Kindle 2 was not working right in sunlight. The text on the screen would appear faded if there was direct sunlight on it. Covering a portion …Continue reading →

Windows Live Photo Gallery rocks

March 8, 2009
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Lacrosse 2009-03-07 203 Stitch Originally uploaded by ckindel I love digital photography but not so much that I feel like I need to become an Adobe Lightroom whore. I just like really simple tools that just work. I’ve found Windows Live Photo Gallery simply Just Works for 100% of what I do with digital photos (which is probably 80% of what hard core amateurs do). For instance, take this panoramic stitch. I shot 6 photos …Continue reading →

Amazon Kindle for the iPhone Review

March 6, 2009
Books, Uncategorized
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Amazon is brilliant. They released a version of their Kindle reader for the iPhone the other day and it’s just brilliant.  Wow. I have an iPhone (that I currently don’t use as a phone; my job requires that I play with other phones) and I immediately downloaded it to check out. It is very cool. What I like: Super easy to download books you’ve already purchased for your Kindle onto your iPhone. I can read …Continue reading →

Mini Book Review – Use of Weapons (Kindle Edition)

March 3, 2009
Books
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I just finished Iain M. Banks’ Use of Weapons on my Amazon Kindle 2. First book I read (actually I started it on my original Kindle and finished it on the Kindle 2). I don’t think I’ve read a Banks book before so I’m not sure where all the context around the characters is, but I’m guessing he uses “The Culture” and other aspects of this universe a lot because the thinking on it is …Continue reading →

You Can Buy the Amazon Kindle 2 Now!

February 7, 2009
Books, Uncategorized
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It looks like Amazon is very close to announcing and making available a 2nd generation Kindel electronic book device. Did you know you can pre-order it now!?! As you know, I love my Kindle. Besides my phone and laptop it is, by far the electronic gadget I use the most an is easily my favorite. I am a veracious reader and I can’t image buying or reading books "the old way" any more.  But the …Continue reading →

Best Free Sci-Fi…Ever!

August 11, 2008
Books, Uncategorized
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I don’t understand. I keep blogging about Cheesburger Brown and his amazing sci-fi books but he remains un-discovered. You would have thought this blog, which is read by billionsdozens of people, would have elevated him to Asimov status by now. Oh, well, I’ll just keep trying. Seriously, his stuff is really good and almost all of it is FREE: The Darth Side: Memoirs of A Monster (Darth Vader’s Blog). Written in 2005 leading up to …Continue reading →

Stop using Google!

August 11, 2008
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[Update June 15, 2009 – Updated with Bing info] Use Bing! Bing is sooo much better. Yes, I know "Google" has become a verb but the reality is Bing’s search results are (finally) better. Live’s mapping (http://maps.bing.com) is far superior. Better directions, better satellite imaging, better local information, better looking, and easier to use. The bing.com search page loads just as fast as Google’s and is far more interesting (see below; every day the image …Continue reading →

I Love Amazon.com

August 11, 2008
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I’m pretty vocal about products, services, and stores that I love.  I’m just as vocal about those that frustrate me. I’ve had an iPhone 3G since last Thursday and, frankly, I’m frustrated by it. So frustrated that I’m composing a pissy review in my head that I plan on posting here soon.  But I want to skewer it right, so I’m prepping by posting this rant which is about just how great Amazon.com is.  Charlie’s …Continue reading →

The Wicked Witch Is Dead!

July 21, 2008
Smart Home
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From the Windows Home Server Team Blog: The team is pleased to announce that Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 has been released to manufacturing (RTM) and is now available on the Microsoft Download Center! This update fixes the data corruption bug that was found in Windows Home Server in December (and has great new functionality too). From Wikipedia, regarding the song “Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead!” from the movie The Wizard of Oz: The …Continue reading →

Great car photos by Sandro

July 17, 2008
Cars, Uncategorized
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E-Type Jaguar Originally uploaded by smenzel An old co-worker of mine, Sandro Menzel, has been doing an amazing job capturing fine automobiles and then doing really great digital touchup. Check out his Flickr collection here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smenzel/

Extreme auto paint care

July 16, 2008
Cars, Uncategorized
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In 1997 I had "Stongard", a clear 3M film applied to the lower 12" of the hood and other leading edges of my 1988 Porsche 911 Carrera  to protect the paint.  After 11 years the film started to yellow and corners were coming up in spots so I had it professionally removed (to avoid risking having the clear coat come up).  Unfortunately the edge of the film on the hood left a horizontal line all …Continue reading →