I have found that the best heat setting is about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way up between the medium and high dots. They truly are perfect waffles every time. It is amazing. Just as good as the hotel breakfast bar where I first used a waffle maker. If you like waffles you need this device. I chose this device over the Presto 03510 Flip-side because this one had adjustable heat and didn’t require a separate battery to operate the timer. Plus it is made by Oster (I’m sure you have their blenders in your kitchen like I do) and the flip function seemed more durable. You can’t go wrong with this waffle maker. You will be very happy with it. One tip is to use tinfoil underneath for an easy clean up and be sure to oil the inside waffle plates before the first use. Other than that the rest is all self explanatory. Stay tuned for durability updates.

http://www.amazon.com/Oster-3874-0-Flip-Waffle-Maker/dp/B0012S8OWA/

The tilt mechanism works perfect and will constantly hold at any angle. One side note that I discovered is that the washers (between the knobs and the receiving female threads) have square insets that must be lined up with the square parts of the receiving female threads in order to obtain a tight functional fit. This may have been the root of those that have problems with the tilt function.

With only the basics of handyman know-how this is a very easy install (find a stud, level, drill with a 3/16″ bit, then use the supplied hex wrench to screw in the supplied screws). It does come with drywall anchors to mount without a stud but I would be careful about trying that, especially if a stud is accessible.

http://www.amazon.com/Sanus-Systems-Mount-Articulating-Displays/dp/B0002ZHF0G/

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-19PFL3403D-27-19-Inch-HDTV/dp/B00140U1LS

Question:

I recently updated my Creative Sound Blaster sound card (PCI Express X-Fi Xtreme Audio) on Windows Vista Home Premium (on a Dell XPS 720) and now I no longer have any sound from my Logitech Z-5500 speakers via the optical cable. How did I fix it?

Solution:

The answer is to repair (NOT re-install) the driver via the provided software CD. The original update brought my driver version to V. 6.0.1.1283. I then promptly lost all sound, except with headphones in to the computers auxiliary jack (not the sounds card’s jack). I then checked “roll back driver,” in device manager, but still no sound. Re-installing also did not help. For some reason, the only thing that brought my sound back was to select the repair option on the driver CD. It brought my diver version down to V. 6.0.1.1281 and then all sound was restored on the Logitech Z-5500 speakers via the optical cable.

Here is the Download Driver section of Creative for the SB X-Fi PCI Express:

http://support.creative.com/downloads/welcome.aspx?nDriverType=0&nOS=26&nLanguageLocale=1033#Drivers

GPS Coordinates:
South Start: 28° 33.428 N / 81° 20.150 W
North Start: 28° 34.738 N / 81° 19.446 W

This trail is 4.5 miles long following a paved bike path and a linking sidewalk on the north side through Baldwin Park around Lake Susannah and Lake Baldwin in Orlando, FL.

This trail starts with and intersects with the Cady Way Bike Trail. It also leads to and continues through the Fleet Peeples Dog Park (28° 34.555 N / 81° 19.562 W) and the Central Florida Veterans Memorial Park (28° 34.673 N / 81° 19.445 W), both on the north shore of Lake Baldwwin.

Please visit my MotionBased.com activity page to view more detailed GPS information about this trail.

Pictures from this trail:

(PDF map of this trail)

GPS Coordinates:
East Start: 28° 40.279 N / 81° 12.524 W
West Start: 28° 42.306 N / 81° 17.670 W

This rail trail is 7 miles long following a paved bike path. This is the middle and longest section of the Cross Seminole Trail in Orlando, FL.

This trail intersects with the Cady Way Bike Trail via the south segment of this trail. The trail segment on this page does not currently link up to the Cady Way Trail directly, however you can follow State Road 426 north for 3.75 miles to connect the current south segment of the Cross Seminole Trail with the segment on this page.

This trail is also part of the Florida National Scenic Trail and connects to several hiking paths that split off of the paved bike trail.

Please visit my MotionBased.com activity page to view more detailed GPS information about this trail.

Pictures from this trail:

I am assuming that from this point you have already installed the Blackberry Desktop software version 4.1 or later and that the modem is correctly installed (this is part of the standard install for the desktop software).

To verify this, from the start menu, select control panel:

1. In the top right corner, type “phone modem” in the search box.

2. Select Phone and Modem Options

Select the Modems tab.

You should see “Standard Modem”. This is the Blackberry Modem.

Select “Standard Modem” from the modems tab and click the Properties button.

In the General tab, select Change Settings on the bottom (you must be an administrator to change these settings).

Click Continue on the User Account Control Security warning that follows.

Under the Advanced tab, you must be sure to enter the Extra Initialization Commands:

AT+CGDCONT=1,”IP”,”wap.cingular” (remember this is for AT&T phones only, for others go here)

Click OK.

Next, from the start menu, select control panel:

1. In the top right corner, type “set up connection” in the search box.

2. Select Set up a dial-up connection

Next select Connect to the Internet.

Select Next.

If you are prompted to use a connection that you already have select No, create a new connection.

Select Next.

In the “How Do you want to Connect?” box, Select the last option: Dial-up.

Select Standard Modem as the modem to use.

Enter the following information in each box:

Dial-up phone number: *99#

User name: [leave blank]

Password: [leave blank]

(I renamed my connection name to: Blackberry Connection, you can pick your own creative title)

Select Connect.

Now you have to Turn Off IP Header Compression.

To do this, from the start menu, select control panel:

1. In the top right corner, type “connections” in the search box.

2. Select View Network Connections

Next, right click on the Dial-up connection that you have just created and select Properties.

Then go to the Networking tab.

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) (be sure to not uncheck the box) and then click Properties.

Then click the Advanced… button.

Within the PPP link section, uncheck Use IP header compression.

Click OK to close all open dialog boxes.

That’s it. You’re done!

If prompted by the message “Internet connectivity test was unsuccessful”, see the Blackberry Forums. For other Blackberry models and other carriers follow these instructions. If you still get an error after checking all settings you can try to resend your service book by clicking your Blackberry Options >> Advanced Options >> Host Routing Table. >> HIT MENU, then register (on your Blackberry device).

REMEMBER: The Blackberry Desktop software must be running while you have your Blackberry Curve 8310 tethered via the USB cable to use the device as a modem. A few people have said that they can use the modem without a data plan without any extra charges however I have not personally tested this.

(PDF map of this trail)

GPS Coordinates:
East Start: 28° 34.985 N / 81° 12.477 W
West Start: 28° 34.535 N / 81° 17.665 W

This trail is 7.25 miles long following the Little Econlockhatchee River in Orlando, FL on the paved Little Econ Greenway Bike Trail. It passes (from east to west) University High School, the YMCA complex at Blanchard Park, Blanchard Park, Union Park Middle School, the Econ Soccer Complex and Faith Christian Academy.

You can go north (right turn) on Forsyth Road, up to just before Aloma Avenue/426, to connect to the Cady Way Trail.

Please visit my MotionBased.com activity page to view more detailed GPS information about this trail.

Pictures from this trail:

Legally Blonde, the book by Amanda Brown, has been masterfully adapted as both a major motion picture and a Broadway play. Both adaptations of this story have a similar plot breakdown and many of the same settings. The dramatic production, by necessity, had fewer characters; however all of the main characters essential to the story remained the same in both works. The dramatic work is a musical which allowed it to trade complex settings and scenery with deep emotions. Although the two works were almost identical in length, the musical was more entertaining, while the motion picture allowed for a more complex storyline and more characters.

The plot of Legally Blonde is in classic form. It starts with a short exposition explaining the background of the story and informing us that Elle is about to be engaged. Then during the crisis we find out that she actually gets dumped for a more serious girl. The story climaxes with Elle winning the murder trial and saving the day. It resolves with Callahan getting fired, Warner getting rejected and Elle getting together with Emmett. There are many static, flat characters in this film such as Professor Callahan, the UPS Guy, and Warner Huntington, III. However, there are also several dynamic, flat characters as well including Paulette Bonafonte, who gains self confidence with the help of Elle. There is also Vivian Kensington, who at first is Elle’s foil, but later becomes her friend. Elle, of course, is a round character. She is a static character because she remains true to herself and does not let others force her into their mold. She refuses to trade her morals for a successful job at Callahan’s Firm and keeps the trust of her client against the advice of her legal mentors. Elle was an admired character because she was herself and didn’t change.

The dramatic adaptation of Legally Blonde is a work that interacts with the audience much more profoundly than the film version was able to. This is due mainly to the fact that the Broadway production is a musical with rhyming dialogue between characters and music that sets the emotional stage. The settings of the musical were also critical to the work. For instance, in one scene the sorority sisters are all excited about Elle getting engaged. During this scene each sister sings her line after popping out of a life size window in the two story stage prop. This simple stage setting was critical to portraying the unity and peppiness of the sorority. The stage production did not have the resources or ability to show all of the physical settings of the story, a fact which seemed to be one of the reasons that the plot was different in the play. They did, however, effectively use techniques such as spotlighting and audience redirection to keep the story and settings flowing. The play also uniquely used a purple lighting effect to indicate to the audience that the sorority trio later in the play was in Elle’s imagination rather than physically in the scene.

I believe the greatest connection between Legally Blonde and another work is its relationship to Trifles by Susan Glaspell. Both works have a relatively simplistic plot with a fairly predictable conclusion. More importantly, both seem to be written from a feminist perspective. Legally Blonde has the cliché dumb blonde who turns out to be smarter than the lawyers around her. Trifles is about two unassuming housewives simply at the crime scene because of their husbands. However, it is they, not their husbands, who figure out the crime and save the day while at the same time saving their likeminded counterpart who is in legal trouble (another parallel with Legally Blonde). Both works have the same basic plot: an unlikely girl overcomes the preconceived assumptions about her and figures out the crime before those men around her whose job it is to do so. She then gains the trust and saves the reputation of her counterpart. It is this common theme which leads me to believe that both of these works are from the same feminist perspective. Even though my mindset starting both works was less than optimistic, they both turned out to be entertaining and surprisingly well written.

In conclusion, both the dramatic and film adaptations of Legally Blonde were unexpectedly engaging. The plot, especially of the play, effectively immersed the audience in the story and by the end of the production the audience too was happy for Elle’s victory. Viewing both the Broadway play and the film version of this story allowed for a much deeper understanding of the differences, as well as the strengths and weaknesses, of each venue. This was a very effective way to learn an appreciation for the many forms that a single story may take and see the interpretation that each director seeks to convey to the audience.

34°07.837′ N / 085°39.995′ W

Pearl Harbor Survivors Association

Daily Rides to Remember

I would like to honor two wonderful people in my life. When I was in seventh grade, my family moved from Lay Springs Road in the county to north Gadsden. My mom tried to get me to go to a local school when we moved, but I loved Etowah High and did not want to change.

Every day, I went to Grant’s 10-cent store on Broad Street to catch the bus. Mr. Norman Parker came by each morning and picked me up. If I missed him, Mr. Joe W. Floyd would pick me up. They did this for six years. Mr. Parker was principal and Mr. Floyd was driving instructor. Mr. Parker would sometimes say, “Nancy, you need to change schools.” I would say, “Mr. Parker, I will quit.” I guess I was selfish because I never thought of the trouble I would have gotten them into. I was living in the city, going to a county school. My only excuse is that I was one of those crazy ’50s teenagers.

I saw that Mr. Parker went to heaven recently. Please, if you both get to heaven before me – pick me up – I don’t want to go to the other place. You two were wonderful to me, and I’ll always have you in my heart.

Nancy (Hammond) Vice

(From the Gadsden Times)