Christmas shopping tips
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klvPY2QiLio]
Koset Surakomol
Welcome to my home page.
iPhone must-have apps
Friends, I have been promsing for a month to put this together. Here are my must-have apps. Visit this page periodically, because I’ll update it as I go. Note, all are free except where noted. Please send me your fav’s as well.
First, you can add a web site url as an app icon. Just go to the desired url in the Safari browser. Once it opens, click the + plus sign, then choose “Add to Home Screen”. Voila
* Google - you can talk to it!!! See this video.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ3Glr5Ff28]
* Say Who - you can talk to this one too! Press the big button on the screen, say a name and be amazed.
* Say Where - for finding addresses.
* Facebook – I admit. I’m hooked. The mobile web site also works well too http://m.facebook.com/
* Google talk for IM chat. Add the url: http://www.google.com/mobile/apple/talk.html
* EasyWriter so you can type emails in widescreen with a bigger keyboard.
* Flashlight lights up your screen when you’re fumbling in the dark.
* Washington Post http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/ just made for the iPhone.
* Sudoku - the one from Mighty Mighty Good Games
* Wikipanion and Wikiamo – for quick access to Wikipedia.
* DC Metro ($0.99) - map and station arrival times (for those stations that are above ground; no signal for AT&T underground … grrr.)
* YPmobile, People and WhitePages – for looking up people and businesses. WhitePages even has a reverse phone number lookup.
* Shazam - hold it up to the radio or even sing into it and it will identify the song. You will not believe this!
* Wordpress - for blogging on the go. Also uploads pics. See this page made with this app: http://koset.com/2008/11/22/home-to-detroit/
* Trapster - shows speed traps, red-light cameras and other municpal revenue generation devices … for entertainment purposes only! I mean, who would ever want to drive faster than the posted speed limit?
Home to Detroit
The cab picked me up at 12:58 and by 1:22 I’m already at my gate at DCA
At the gate
Pulling back
George Washington University
The Capitol Mall
14th St Bridge
Detroit by Air
The Future of Detroit
The future of Detroit is a bellwether for the future of the nation. Here’s a must-read article by Mark Phelan of the Detroit Free Press.
Myth No. 1: Nobody buys American cars.
Reality
General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC sold 8.5 million vehicles in the United States last year and millions more around the world. GM outsold Toyota by about 1.2 million vehicles in the United States last year and holds a U.S. lead over Toyota of about 560,000 so far this year. Globally, GM in 2007 remained the world’s largest automaker, selling 9,369,524 vehicles worldwide — about 3,000 more than Toyota.
Ford outsold Honda by about 850,000 and Nissan by more than 1.3 million vehicles in the United States last year. Chrysler sold more vehicles here than Nissan and Hyundai combined in 2007 and so far this year.
Myth No. 2: American cars are not quality products and break down often.
Reality
The creaky, leaky vehicles of the 1980s and ’90s are long gone. Consumer Reports recently found that “Ford’s reliability is now on par with good Japanese automakers.” The independent J.D. Power Initial Quality Study scored Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GMC, Mercury, Pontiac and Lincoln brands’ overall quality as high or higher than that of Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Nissan, Scion, Volkswagen and Volvo.
Power rated the Chevrolet Malibu the highest-quality midsize sedan. Both the Malibu and Ford Fusion scored better than the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
Myth No. 3: American cars are gas-guzzlers.
Reality
All of the Detroit Three build midsize sedans the Environmental Protection Agency rates at 29-33 miles per gallon on the highway. The most fuel-efficient Chevrolet Malibu gets 33 m.p.g. on the highway, 2 m.p.g. better than the best Honda Accord. The most fuel-efficient Ford Focus has the same highway fuel economy ratings as the most efficient Toyota Corolla. The most fuel-efficient Chevrolet Cobalt has the same city fuel economy and better highway fuel economy than the most efficient non-hybrid Honda Civic. A recent study by Edmunds.com found that the Chevrolet Aveo subcompact is the least expensive car to buy and operate.
Myth No. 4: They already got a $25-billion bailout.
Reality
None of that money has been lent out and may not be for more than a year. In addition, it can, by law, be used only to invest in future vehicles and technology, so it has no effect on the shortage of operating cash the companies face because of the economic slowdown that’s killing them now.
Myth No. 5: They built pickups and SUVs when the Japanese built high-mileage compacts.
Reality
The domestic companies’ lineup has been truck-heavy, but Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz and BMW have all spent billions of dollars on pickups and SUVs because trucks are a large and historically profitable part of the auto industry. The most fuel-efficient full-size pickups from GM, Ford and Chrysler all have higher EPA fuel economy ratings than Toyota and Nissan’s full-size pickups.
Myth No. 6: They don’t build hybrids.
Reality
The Detroit Three got into the hybrid business late, but Ford and GM each now offers more hybrid models than Honda or Nissan, with several more due to hit the road in early 2009.
Wednesday night race
Friends, here is a track of our race last Wednesday night. The points are about 2 minutes apart. See the cluster of points where we started (lower left). The red dot is the end point. The long straight leg has no points for the return because we lost data signal, but we were flying! There may not have been many points anyway.
Phillis Kaye Shewmaker
Phillis Kaye Shewmaker, 57, of Springdale, died December 5, 2006.
Born Dec. 28, 1948, in Lafe, she attended schools in Lafe, Hoxie and Viola and graduated from Searcy High School in 1966. She received a BFA degree from Arkansas State University in 1971 and pursued degrees in geology and mathematics.
She had lived and worked in California, Texas, Colorado and Mississippi before moving to Springdale in 1998, where she worked as a database administrator. Her previous careers included research assistant, medical illustrator, photographer, geologic technician and software engineering.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Juanita Mosbey Shewmaker.
Survivors include her father, Phillip R. Shewmaker III; a sister, LaJuana Joan Shewmaker; and a brother, Phillip R. Shewmaker Jr.
A memorial service will be held Thursday at 2 p.m., Dec. 28, at First United Methodist Church in Searcy.
Memorials may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, P.O. Box 4072, Pittsfield, MA 01202 or Stem Cell Research Foundation, Development Department, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871.
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Phillis Kaye Shewmaker began her eternal life with Jesus Christ on December 5, 2006 in Houston, TX. Kaye was born to Juanita Mosbey and Phillip R. Shewmaker Sr in Lafe, Arkansas on December 28, 1948. She is preceded in death by her mother and is survived by her father, sister LaJuana Joan Shewmaker, brother Phillip R. Shewmaker Jr and nephew Phillip R. Shewmaker III and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins. In addition, she is survived by her wonderful “Fuzzes”: Dogs – Oliver, Hailey, and Hope; Cats – Jake, Jude, Indy, and Leopold and Parrot – Mica. Kaye graduated from Searcy, Arkansas in 1966. Prior to High School graduation she attended schools in Lafe, Bono, Hoxie, and Viola, Arkansas. Kaye received a BFA degree from Arkansas State University in 1971. She pursued degrees in Geology and Mathematics. Kaye has lived and worked in California, Texas, Colorado, Mississippi and Arkansas. Careers include research assistant, medical illustrator, photographer, geologic technician and software engineering. Since 1998, she has been a resident of Springdale, Arkansas and has been working for Tyson Foods Inc as a database administrator. A memorial service celebrating Kaye’s life will be held at 2:00 PM on Thursday, December 28, 2006 at First United Methodist Church, 304 North Main, Searcy, AR 72143 (501) 268-5896. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made, in Kaye’s name, to either the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (www.leukemia-lymphoma.org or mail to Donor Services; P.O. Box 4072; Pittsfield, MA 01202) or Stem Cell Research Foundation (www.stemcellresearchfoundation.org or mail to Stem Cell Research Foundation; Development Department; 22512 Gateway Center Drive; Clarksburg, Mayland 20871).
