FROM WHERE I SIT

Flying car lifts off in maiden flight!

2009-03-19T19:19:00.001-07:00

Boston-area start up is developing what may be the ultimate hybrid

It was one short flight for a car, one significant step for a Boston-area start up developing what may be the ultimate hybrid.

Terrafugia's Transition is part-car, part-airplane and as of this month, a flight-worthy creation. The vehicle successfully completed its first test flight earlier this month, the company announced on Wednesday.

The flight was short -- just 37 seconds -- and right over the runway, but as Anna Mracek Dietrich, a Terrafugia co-founder and its chief operating officer, pointed out, flying wasn't the key goal.

"The first flight is great, but first landing is what matters," she told Discovery News.
That apparently went well too, according to Phil Mateer, a retired Air Force test pilot who took the wheel for Transition's debut flight on March 5 at Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

"The flight was remarkably unremarkable," Mateer said.
Transition's aerial debut followed six months of road tests and years of design. The goal is to create an airplane that can be driven to and from a runway and parked in the family garage at night.

Transition runs on regular unleaded gasoline and can travel up to 500 miles on a single tank of gas. It takes less than 30 seconds for the vehicle's wings to fold up or extend to transform from plane to car or vice-versa.

"The point of the test was to prove that this could both fly and drive," Deitrich said.
Information from the test flight will be used to tweak the Transition's design for a second prototype. The company plans to begin selling the vehicles, which cost $194,000, in 2010, said Richard Gersh, Terrafugia's vice president of business development.
The company has taken deposits for 40 vehicles already, Deitrich said.

Spring Time

2009-03-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

Well I guess it's finally arriving. We've had a few nice days here in Michigan and just this morning I saw two robins in my back yard. And now my wife is itching to start working in the yard.

The robins have built a nest under the deck every year since we built this home 6 years ago.

I'm always amazed at how they come back every year and lay eggs and raise their young. They usually have about 3 babies each time. They have two broods one around the end of May and again in mid July.

My son is here from the Philippines and has never had the opportunity to watch eggs hatch close up and see baby birds learning to fly. This ought to be good.

My Favorite Navigator

2009-01-24T18:49:00.000-08:00

Captain Morgan, He's the guy.

I never usta drink booze before, I was always a Bud guy. then I had my gastric by-pass and I lost me taste for beer. so.. I went with The Captain. It was a good move.

The Captain has proved to be a good navigator and I never leave home alone.

New Girl Games And Dress Up Games For Girls

2009-01-20T04:30:00.000-08:00

Now you can Beautify Angelina Jolie and other celebrity stars with this hot new online game for kids and adults with too much time on their hands.

Among other things you can do the following, HAVE A BALL KIDS!!!

Action Games
Adventure Games
Animal Games
Barbie Games
Bratz Games
Boy Games
Cards Games
Cartoon Games
Cooking Games
Christmas Games
Decoration
Dress Up
Driving Games
Girl Games
Fun Games
Kids Games
Makeover
Music Games
Puzzle Games
Skill Games
Sports Games
Simulation Games
Flash Games

http://www.hotgamesforgirls.com/

Turbo Tax

2009-01-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

I have used Turbo Tax since 1992 and it makes tax time very easy. I have always had rental properties and usually never had to pay any tax at all because of deductions that Turbo Tax helps you find.

It's always good to have some kind of business for deductions. Even if you have a Tupper Ware distributorship you can deduct all kinds of every day expenses.

If you learn how to work with the system tax time should never be a negative day for any one.

http://www.turbotax.com/

Carmen Electra, Finger Licking Good!

2009-01-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

Here's more Carmen Electra. What an amazing girl.

Jesus Saves

2009-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:00

We have Jesus and Carmen Electra on the same page, that's life.

He loves us all, and died for every one of us. Praise God.

As I travel down lifes road I meet a lot of truckers. They are a humble group of people doing a thankless job. It does pay well for the most part. Truckers make 55 to 60 K per year. Most burn out after a couple years.

Through the rain, sleet and snow the freight must go, and for most truckers they hold on to Jesus to get through.

Jesus is the way, the truth

and the light.

http://www.needhim.org/

Baby Shower

2009-01-18T19:14:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the baby shower of our neighbor who is going to give birth on Feb 3rd 2009. (By the way, for you numerology people the address was 7777 Division.) We don't know the exact time yet, but the mom to be is excited to have the baby soon. She is as big as a house and cute as ever, has that expectant mother glow and ever one was fawning over her at the party. The gift table was over loaded and spilling on to the floor. And it's going to be a girl! Ultra sound images are like GPS of the womb.

Target Store was the place of registry for the expectant couple. What an easy deal it was, we went to Target like every one else, and zeroed in on the gifts. It really made it simple and took the stress out of finding a gift.

It was a fun time with lots of food and drinks, not for the mom of course, Captain Morgan was well represented. I always say never leave home with out the Captain, he is a good navigator.

Not one of the guests had a camera there, except of course me, as I am a photographer.

I'm 58 and babies are cute, I'm glad it's not mine tho.

If you hate this cold weather...

2009-01-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

I live in Michigan and yesterday I woke up to ZERO degree weather. I don't like that. I have a house in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. Look up the weather there on Google and you'll find that on most days it is about 82 degrees there.

It really is a nice place, you can walk the ocean every morning about 6 AM and watch the sun come up and by 8:15 you are nice and warm. The clouds are nice and white, puffy and beautiful. The people are very friendly and courteous. It's a great place to retire. There are lots of Westerners there to keep you company.

If you want more info get hold of me through my blog and I will give you more details and show you pix of my new house. There are also some business opportunities there in real estate and other ventures for the shrewed business man.

See that picture above? It really is like that every sun set. It's awesome.

I got some Chili for you!

2009-01-18T13:33:00.000-08:00

It's a freezing cold day in Michigan and the best thing for that is my Chili. Everyone who has ever tried it loved it a lot and lived to tell about it!

So here's the recipe.

2 lbs of lean hamburger
one large onion chopped
6 celery stalks diced
3 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans of light kidney beans
one pack of Frenches Chillo Chili seasoning
6 of those little packs of Wendy's Chili seasoning.
salt and pepper to taste

Ok, so get a nice big 6 quart pan and start by cooking the meat. Cook it until it is browned all the way, then add the onion, diced celery, Frenches Chillo mix and salt and pepper. Keep cooking until the onion is cooked.

When the meat is cooked all the way drain the grease if necessary. If you use a good ground 96/4 Sirloin meat you won't have any grease to drain.

Add the three cans of diced tomatoes.

Drain and add the 4 cans of kidney beans.

Add the Wendy's Chili seasoning packets.

Let all that cook for about 2 hours stirring and sampling as you go and then serve with crackers and Coke.

E N J O Y

My son and I play Xbox 360

2009-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

We play Fight Night 2009 once in a while...it's the only fight around this house I can actually win!!

Here's all the info on the Xbox 360 from their web site.

Xbox 360 Records Its Biggest Year Ever

Redmond, Washington—Despite a tough economy, the gaming industry held strong in 2008 and Xbox 360 recorded the biggest year in Xbox history, with more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences sold than any previous year. It was a year in which life-to-date unit sales of Xbox 360 systems climbed to 28 million consoles worldwide—expanding the product’s lead over Sony PlayStation 3 to more than 8 million units.

"Worldwide, a record number of players flocked to our broadest games and entertainment lineup ever, while the New Xbox Experience thrilled millions of fans."—Don Mattrick, Microsoft
The Xbox LIVE community also grew to more than 17 million active members, as online consumer spending increased 84 percent from last year. Since the launch of the Xbox 360 three years ago, more than $1 billion has been spent on Xbox LIVE. This amazing growth was fueled by the launch of the New Xbox Experience*; the broadest selection of hit games, TV shows, and movies available; and mass-market price points, starting at $199.
Record-Setting Global Sales

Xbox 360 is experiencing record-setting sales around the globe, particularly in Japan and Europe, nearly doubling market share in these key territories. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) specifically, Xbox 360 has now sold more than 8 million units, extending its lead over the PS3 by more than 1 million units.

"For Xbox, 2008 will be remembered around the world as a pivotal growth year at retail and online—even in the face of tough economic conditions," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "Worldwide, a record number of players flocked to our broadest games and entertainment lineup ever, while the New Xbox Experience thrilled millions of fans by making our console even more engaging. And yet, we’ve only provided a glimpse into the new world of interactive entertainment that we’re imagining. The best of Xbox 360 is yet to come."

Digital Distribution

One of the biggest trends in 2008 was consumers taking advantage of the convenience and value with digital distribution of games and entertainment content. One of the most popular offerings this holiday was Netflix on Xbox 360, which as a Netflix member provides users with access to unlimited viewing of more than 12,000 movies and TV shows in DVD quality as well as many in high definition.** In addition, Xbox LIVE is home to the largest library of downloadable games, game add-ons, movies and TV shows.

Between Christmas and New Year's Day, Xbox LIVE experienced its busiest week ever, with a record of more than 1.5 million concurrent members online. During that week, some of the most popular movies, TV shows, arcade games and game add-ons included these:

Movies
The Dark Knight
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (unrated)
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
Tropic Thunder

TV Shows
South Park
Family Guy
The Office
House
Heroes

Arcade Games
A Kingdom for Keflings
Castle Crashers
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
Puzzle Arcade
Worms

Game Add-Ons
Rock Band
Guitar Hero
Halo 3
Gears of War 2
Call of Duty 4

Canon 50D, my next camera

2009-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

I currently use a Canon 40D and have a Canon 20D and a Canon Rebel as a back up. But the new 50D has all the bells and whistles, so this will be my next camera.

EOS 50D EOS 50D Digital SLR Camera Item Code 2807B006 Suggested Retail Price $1399.00† Price reflects camera body only. Canon's new EOS 50D bridges the gap between the novice and the seasoned pro with a perfect combination of high-speed and quality. Pick up the EOS 50D and you'll experience true digital inspiration!...

Verizon BlackBerry Storm 9530

2009-01-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

What an amazing phone!!

Verizon BlackBerry Storm 9530 Quick Facts
The Storm is Research in Motion's first touchscreen smartphone
The Storm features a "click" touchscreen, making it easy to input text precisely
The resolution on the Storm will be the highest ever produced by RIM
The BlackBerry Storm features a 3.2 mega pixel camera
The Storm is a global device with quad band architecture, good in 195 countries
The Storm features full HTML web browsing, visual voicemail and will be VZ Navigator capable (with audible turn by turn capabilities for directions)
And the BlackBerry Storm will only be available on Verizon, so go to your local Verizon dealer today and get you one.

Carmen Electra

2009-01-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love Carmen Electra? Here's the info on her, she's my "Hot Babe of the Week"

Carmen was born Tara Leigh Patrick but later changed her name when the artist formerly known as Prince told her she looked like a Carmen after she signed with his record company. Her last name also changed and means a Greek goddess. She was born on April 20, 1972 in White Oak, Ohio near Cincinnati. At age five she entered in and won her first dance contest. She went on to be in over 100 tap and ballet contests. She attended the School for Creativity and Performing Arts at age 9. She also went to Princeton High School in Sharonville. Click here to go to my Betcha' Didn't Know This page about Carmen Electra.Later on in her life she signed with Prince's music company Paisley Park Label and became one of his Protege's. Her first album was self-titled and she released a single Go-Go Dancer after many delays. The album never took off because of problems with executives. It was remixed and new tracks were added and finally released in July of 1992. Her video had came out in March 1992.

After that she occasionally appeared as a dancer in Prince's Glam Slam Clubs and also performed in front of the October 28 1996 MTV Rock N' Jock B-Ball Jam audience.Then she appeared in the May 1996 Playboy issue. She made a video called Cheerleaders for Playboy also. Then she got her big break when just three weeks after auditioning for Singled Out she was offered the job. On February 10 1997 she became Co-Host of Singled Out. Since then she has been in many TV and Movie appearances including Good Burger, Loveline, Baywatch, All That, Baywatch Nights and of course Singled Out. Click here to go her Accomplishments Page!She also had a relationship with one of the members of Cypress Hill, B-Real. He was producing her second album appropriately titled, Carmen Electra II.But after the break up who knows what happened to the album. Click here to check out more news on Carmen Electra.

Now she's shooting a calender by Landmark due out at the end of 1997. Can't wait for that one. She's also in the running to star in her own network primetime show. What the theme will be is still unknown but MTV Productions is testing her out in many different show genre's like Sitcom, Sketch Comedy, Drama, Etc.If you would like to get an autograph of Carmen Electra your best bet would be writing to this address below

Drink Coke !!

2009-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

I have always drank Coke most of my life. Growing up every one called me a Coke-a-holic. There's no other taste like it, and billions of peeps on this planet agree with me.

Carmen Electra drinks Coke too! She's my "Hot Girl of the Week"

What to eat?

2009-01-18T11:45:00.001-08:00

On the road it's very hard for truckers to eat healthy. It's very easy for truckers to fall into a trap of eating all the time out of sheer boredom on the road. Some days you are in the seat for 12 to 15 hrs and all there is to do is flip through the channels, unless you have XM Satellite radio or Sirius Satellite radio, and eat. Actually it's more like grazing. A lot of drivers are obese and some are helpless to do any thing about it. Truck stops have full blown restaurants with everything on the menu. They always serve very large portions and it's way more than any one should eat, yet I see a lot of truckers eat the whole thing and still have room for desert.

I was the same way, I ate all the time when I drove. Since I had my Gastric Bypass surgery I have changed my eating habits drastically. When I head for the road my first stop is Wal Mart and I load up on high protein foods like beef, shrimp, ham and cheese. I eat very small portions several times a day. This keeps the metabolism going and burning up what you eat. I have some carbs but mostly in fruit form. I do eat chocolate and have a Coke to drink as well, but always in moderation.

To conclude I will just say it is possible to eat healthy on the road, but it takes an effort. Yes the surgery made it possible to eat small portions but it's still up to me as to what enters my body. I have lost about 80 pounds since my surgery one year ago Jan 21st 2008. I am now 165 pounds and have remained there constantly since June of 2008.

Sunday Night Blues

2009-01-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

Another week end passes like a bullet. Time with family and friends passes quickly and I must now leave the sanctity my warm home and loving family to take a load of merchandise to Chicago. Its a cold dark night here in Michigan, we have really been hit with snow and ice. It's not fun to drive in.

The only thing that keeps me going is the love of my family and the promise of a warm life some day in the Philippines. You see my friends, I have a very nice house waiting for me in the Philippines, and it's paid for! Its warm there all the time. I wish I could tell you more about it, but for now I must ride off into the blue black night.

I have added years to my life.

2009-01-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

By having my gastric bypass I have added years to my life. I'll get into this more from the road. I just wanted to put this up now as a reminder. I'll continue this from the road.

Meanwhile be at peace with each other. It's a NEW YEAR be kind and loving to everyone you meet.

Gone for Two Weeks

2009-01-04T21:29:00.001-08:00

Monday morning and I'll be out for 2 weeks. My lap top was down for 6 months because my neighbor and I spilled a beer on it, but my friend Stan got it going again so I'll be blogging from the road.

Be kind to truckers because they bring it all.

The Best Fudge in the world

2009-01-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the best fudge recipe in the world. My grandma used to make this fudge and passed the recipe to all us kids as we grew up. Really it's the old fudge recipe from the Hershey's Cocoa can. OK, so here it is.

2/3 cup of Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups of sugar
1/4 tea spoon of salt
1 1/2 cup of whole milk

Mix all that up in a 2 quart sauce pan and add heat. Heat to a rolling boil until the soft ball stage, or 234 degrees. Test the mixture by taking a spoon full and let it dribble into a cup of cold water. It will be kind of stingy and form a soft ball.

When you get to that stage take the pan off the burner and add the following;

a nice gob of peanut butter
1/2 stick of real butter
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
10 full sized marshmallows

Mix that all up together until it starts to thicken, then pour it out on a buttered sheet pan and you got fudge.

Let it cool and cut into 1 inch squares. Your peeps will love it and love you for it.

It was the best day of my life.

2009-01-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

About 4 months after the Gastric Bypass Surgery I had a major problem. None of my cloths fit me any more. Let me tell ya, it's a great problem to have.

I started buying new cloths, mostly inexpensive stuff from places like Steve and Barry, in case I gained all the weight back I wouldn't have too much invested in cloths. So I got all new stuff; new shoes, a new life and a great new attitude to go along with it.

Then, I think it was a Sunday in May, I went through the closet and got rid of all my size 42 pants and XXL shirts and took them to Good Will. It was four big black garbage bags full of cloths along with a couple arm loads of stuff on hangers.

It was the best day of my life knowing that I would never be that size again. It was a defining moment in my life and a major confidence booster as well. You never realize it when your obese, but people can be a bit discriminating towards you. After the weight loss people seemed to treat me differently, a little more friendly and a little less prone to ignore me or look away from me.

Life is good and getting better. Stay tuned....

We do weddings!

2009-01-04T03:04:00.000-08:00

This my friends is a shameless plug. We are Grand Rapids Wedding Photographers and this is our 5th wedding season coming up this summer. We are completely digital and very reasonably priced. If you're a bride you want to go HERE. You can see some of our work and our price list. We still have many summer dates open.

Gastric By Pass surgery works!

2009-01-04T02:17:00.000-08:00

I had my Gastric By Pass on January 21st of 2008, almost one year ago. Prior to having the surgery I tried many things to lose weight and some of them worked for a while but none had a lasting effect. I loved my food too much to give it up. I remember being wheeled into the operating room thinking "This will probably not work either".

The nay sayers.

When I told my friends and family I was going to have the surgery most of them wished me well. Many of them told me of someone they knew who had the same procedure done and it didn't work for them, 'oh it will work for a while' they said, 'but you'll gain it right back'. I remember being wheeled into the operating room thingking they were probably right and it won't work for me either. I had nothing to lose but a hundred pounds.

It worked!

At the time I weighed 250. Now maybe 250 doesn't sound like a lot, but when you carry that much weight on a 5'5" frame it's a lot of extra baggage to haul. Currently I weigh 165 and have been there since June of 2008. So that's 85 pounds I've lost give or take a couple. To get an idea of how much weight that is, the next time you're in Home Depot go to the garden department and pick up a couple 40 pound bags of cement mix and walk around for a minute with one under each arm.

Yes I feel great.

Before the surgery I had a lot of problems. High blood pressure, snoring, constant pain in my feet and knees, and I was type 2 Diabetic. Now all of that is gone and I get a great night's sleep for a change.

Family reunion.

This past summer my family had three weddings back to back in June and July. I was there and the best time I had was when a few of my family members walked past me and did not recognize me. Oh you look great! They said and I just smiled and said thanks.

Continued later......

Group Unlocks Apple's New iPhone

2009-01-02T19:05:00.000-08:00

A band of independent programmers says it has "unlocked" the latest generation of Apple Inc.'s iPhones so the devices can be used on unauthorized wireless networks, in a move that could threaten Apple's carrier partners.

Since the original iPhone was launched in June 2007, Apple has struck partnerships with wireless carriers world-wide, such as AT&T Inc. in the U.S. and France Telecom SA's Orange unit. Under the agreements, the iPhone can generally be used only by subscribers to those carriers.

But on Wednesday, a group called the iPhone Dev Team released a free piece of software called "yellowsn0w" that unlocks the iPhone 3G. The software lets users reprogram the phones so they can work on any wireless network based on the same technical standard.

Several users said they successfully installed the software on their iPhone 3Gs and were able to make calls on non-authorized networks.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the iPhone Dev Team's work, only saying that Apple doesn't support unlocked iPhones in the U.S. Apple offers such phones in Germany and Hong Kong "where government regulation requires it" but they usually come at a steep price.
Getty Images

A team of independent programmers said it "unlocked" Apple's iPhone 3G, allowing use on unauthorized networks.

Software programmers have been trying to unlock the iPhone 3G since it came out last July.
The development could lead to a loss in revenue for Apple's wireless partners. International travelers would be able to buy airtime for their iPhones on local wireless networks when they travel abroad, so they don't have to incur steep roaming charges.

Consumers in markets where Apple hasn't yet launched the iPhone could also buy the device elsewhere and use it in their home countries. In China, for example, consumers can already buy previous generation iPhones that have been smuggled in and come unlocked.

In the U.S., "the iPhone is meant to be used exclusively on the AT&T network. Any other use of the device is inappropriate and would void the warranty," said an AT&T spokesman.

The iPhone Dev Team is the same group that unlocked the original iPhone model more than a year earlier. The team didn't immediately

I Was Morbidly Obese

2009-01-02T18:15:00.000-08:00

The truth is I was in denial. I was 5’ 5” and at the time I weighed 250, and have the photos to prove it. I gained about 3 to 5 pounds per year since I was 25. I started drinking Miller Beer at the age of 25 (back in 1975) that’s when my metabolism changed.

Before 25 I could eat any thing I wanted with out worry. I started drinking beer at age 25 I gained weight. The reason I started drinking was because my girlfriend broke up with me, so I spent the weekend with my sister and her husband. We went out to shoot pool at the local saloon and I started drinking beer. And it was good! About 2 months after that my size 29 Levis didn’t fit and my sister looked at me and said, “You’re getting fat”. From then on I gained about 3 to 5 pounds per year, and didn’t care either. More on this later, It will be worth coming back to read I promise you…

Over The Road

2009-01-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

I'm also an over the road trucker. Just remember this; Everthing you got, everything you wear, everything you eat, everything you handle has come to you by truck. we own the road, stay out of our way. When you see our turn signals on we usually mean it, so let us pass so you can go to Wal Mart and get your stuff.

I Had a Gastric By Pass and Lost 80 Pounds!

2009-01-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

This blog is about the life and times of me, Frank Poinell. I'm just an average guy with many life experiences that are relatable to many other people.

Most recently I have had a very successful Gastric By Pass operation and lost 80 pounds now I am here to help and get along with others who may have an interest in getting a by-pass done or have had one and need support.

I have just started blogging and will go into more detail in the coming weeks.