Techie Dad Hosts an Exchange Student

Now my RSS feed list should work. So if any of you would rather read my little blogs in your own RSS reader, you can click the little RSS button up at the top and get my feed. Yay!

Personally, I like the flock browser, but there are may ways to get this done.

I’ve wanted to buy the LDG AT-897 Auto tuner for my Yaesu FT-897d for about a year now. Although I’ve had my technician class licenses for over two years now, I’ve barely done anything with the hobby because I’ve been so busy with grad school. Fortunately I’m finishing things up, and so I want to begin pursuing my outside interests before the baby come and my personal time drops considerably. Oh sure, I hope to pursue the work/life/self balanace, but you never know what may happen…

Why do you need an auto tuner? Well you don’t *have* to have one. However, it makes things a lot easier and protects my radio from getting damaged due to my ineptitude at making antennas. Power comes back into the system and can burn up sensitive parts within your radio.

The best price I’ve been able to find is at Gigaparts for $179. Don’t get into HAM radio unless you’re ready to shell out initially for expensive equipment. Hopefully, I’ll be able to contact several Spanish speaking countries. My bachelor’s degree was Spanish- it is one of my motivations for picking up the hobby. Once I get the autotuner, I hopefully wont have to buy anything else terribly expensive.

This was a week with interesting events in babyland.

We met with the only nurse practitioner in our area who would possibly consider delivering at home. She was not very encouraging or enthusiastic about home birthing. This left Sara discouraged. However, if she was a candidate, the NP would do it. However, she was going to be gone one week during the last month of the pregnancy— not a good sign.

We heard the baby’s heartbeat – It was strong in the 160s– Sara says that means in the wives tales tradition that it is going to be a girl. I feigned disappointment. Obviously I want a boy, but a healthy girl would be great as well. They both have advantages and disadvantages. I just don’t want to be stuck in My Little Pony hell for the next decade. I would rather play matchboxes or Tonka Trunks. Of course tomboys happen all the time.

Another impediment to us using this NP is that her usual hospital is in Frankfort, which is quite a distance from our house. If things go wrong it basically means we’re using a different hospital, and possibly a different staff all together. These are some big impediments, so Sara decided to have the baby with a NP that practices at Saint Joseph East Hospital. They have an excellent womens’ facility there with birthing rooms, whirlpool tubs, and other amenities that make the birthing experience more geared toward less invasive procedures such as C-sections, episiotomies, epidurals, and a host of other controversial procedures. We’re no polyannas- If something needs to be done, then we will do it. But why risk the health of the mother and child if these things aren’t really necessary.

We left the Hospital with me feeling much better about things and Sara feeling somewhat disappointed.
However, I think we’re making the best decision we can under the circumstances.

Head over to http://blog.ecorrouge.com and vote for my niece. My sister gets a big portrait if she wins. Of course I’m a little biased as to who the cutest baby is. Vote number 3!

Agave syrup is apparently becoming a popular sweetener. I’ve seen it in the Kroger organics section at a very high price, but never seen the need to shell out six dollars a bottle.

A fructose sweetener extracted from the agave plant – the same one used to produce Tequila – the syrup has been consumed for thousands of years in Mexico and Central America, but is only now becoming a recognized commodity in the United States. Practically unheard of five years ago, it has begun to show up recently in health food stores and Bay Area markets.

This really good Anderson Cooper/60 Minutes story on child starvation/malnutrition features an interesting/unusual product: PlumpyNut.

This could definitely be a place to put some of our aid dollars. The reality is that the federal government doesn’t really give much in the way of humanitarian aid. Wouldn’t it be nice to turn all that money we spent on this stupid Iraq war and save a few million kids with PlumpyNut??

I don’t know if Don Imus is a racist or not. I wish I had the ability to objectively look into peoples’ hearts. However, I find it more than a strange coincidence his latest comment could pretty easily be construed as racist by a reasonable person.

Now Imus says that people are picking on him. I’m a little more than incredulous after the Rutgers university comments. But I think one thing is certain- his career is over, or should be.

The Wall Street Journal Online reports Cold Stone Creamery is experiencing massive losses in franchisees due to a poor business model.

I always liked that ice cream concept, but I agree with what the franchisees had to say: It isn’t worth $4 a scoop day in and day out. I’d rather just get some Ben and Jerry’s from the grocery store.

This article on saving money at the movies claims that popcorn prices are going to go up 25 cents a bag. This is ridiculous. You can buy a bag of popcorn kernels at Kroger for around a dollar. The markup must be around 4000 percent. No wonder people sneak in their own snacks.

I like all kinds of burgers. Fortunately for my arteries, I rarely eat a hamburger. However, I love turkey burgers, and all sorts of sandwiches that mimic the hamburger- chicken burgers, veggie burgers, and even tofu burgers.

Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub: Home of the belly buster challenge hamburger

Best Burgers in the Northeast