My old friend Ken Thomas recently did an article that sung the praises of the Google Android as a GPS device.  The Android is a very impressive phone, but in my view it’s still a phone, not a GPS. I don’t like cell phones and I really like a GPS, so naturally, I was skeptical at Ken’s claim that you may want to sell your Garmin stock.

Ken brings up some good points, the most important being that Google constantly upgrades and that means a constant update for traffic and maps, an important part of traveling with GPS. In my area though, a Google Android also constantly loses connection! This usually happens when you need the connection the most.

Ken based his article on a Garmin Nuvi 1370. It’s a fine GPS, but it’s no comparison the Garmin Nuvi 1690 with NuLink. NuLink may have changed Ken’s mind had he compared this to the Google Android. NuLink is a new feature that uses AT&T’s network to gain access to Google. This allows the GPS to draw information from Google. When you’re in coverage, you get many features from Google that work with your phone. For example, if you’re looking for an auto parts store, you just type in “auto parts” and it will give you that search from Google and a choice can be made from the returned search. Fuel prices, traffic information, and more are all pulled in from Google.

The Garmin 1690 GPS navigator–with Bluetooth and included Traffic Receiver–features an enhanced user interface, ecoRoute, public transit mode, and text-to-speech. Plus, pedestrian navigation capability is enabled through optional CityXplorer maps, which are available for select tourist destinations in North America and Europe and can be downloaded easily directly to the nüvi. more…

The result is that you get Google data for free for 2 years with the purchase of a Garmin Nuvi 1690, then $60/year after that. Compared to the high cost of data plans, this is a tremendous savings. Sure, the data plan does more, but for those of us who just want to get to where we’re going, NuLink provides just the data you need without the distractions that you don’t need.

There’s even more that maybe the Android can do, but I don’t know about. For example, a monitor can connect to your vehicle’s engine computer and feed engine performance data to your GPS. Error codes and information to improve your MPG are sent to the device. Even without the engine data, the Garmin 1690 will give detailed information to help improve your driving habits and warn you if you’re speeding.

The main reason that I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 1690 GPS is something that many people may not need. It sounds simple, but few GPS systems can do it well, and unless I’m wrong, Google cannot perform at all. This the multi-destination routing capability that allows you to input many destinations and sort them into a route that is optimized for the shortest distance and time. This is a simple but time consuming task for humans, but a very intense process for a computer. A GPS that does this well, which Garmin’s advanced models do, takes a high power processor to complete. I was very impressed with this capability.

An added bonus with the Nuvi 1690 is the bluetooth capabilities that allow for hands free cell phone use. The unit is an adequate tool for this. The driver has to speak up just a little, but the caller can be heard very clearly.

I read many reviews that stated that the Garmin Nuvi 1690 was not worth the money and that the NuLink service was poor. I’ve found these reviews to be completely inaccurate and I would recommend the GPS to anyone. If deciding if a GPS will take care of your travel needs or if you need the data plan to support an Android, I would seriously consider a Nuvi 1690.

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You're looking at about $200 worth of motorcycle tire. Image by grendelkhan via Flickr

 

People that do not ride motorcycles are often surprised to hear that motorcycle tires cost about $200 installed. If you want to mount tires and balance them at home, you can get that down to about $100. Even more surprising to many is that a rear motorcycle tire only last about 10,000 miles and a front motorcycle tire last about 20,000 miles. To make matters worse, motorcycle shops have this “boutique” and specialized ambiance. They want you to make an appointment so that you shop on the drop-off and repair of the bike. Replacing tires is more of a sideline business for them.

I didn’t want to go through the motorcycle dealership routine and wait 2-5 days to get a tire replaced and I wanted a choice in tires. I decided to try the ever-expanding Iron Pony Motorcycle Superstore. For the exception of spending $385 on a set of mounted tires, I was happy with the service.

Iron Pony is a little different than most motorcycle shops. They started by selling parts. I found them in 1988 when I wrecked a 1982 Honda Silverwing and placed a hole in the valve cover. I went to the Honda dealer where they didn’t have the parts in stock. and the price was outrageous. I went to a motorcycle junkyard where I was attacked by bees and came up empty handed in the search for a new valve cover. Finally, a stop at the Iron Pony had everything I need at 1/4 of the Honda dealer’s price and they had the parts in a few days. This was before the days when you could order online and just finding someone who knew where to find parts was a challenge.

Since those days, Iron Pony has steadily grown into this huge store that offers everything related to motorcycles. The bulk of their stock is discounted merchandise that may be a little dated, but MUCH cheaper than a motorcycle shop. There is a parts center and you can order online. They’ve recently added a Piaggio, Vespa, And Yamaha dealership section and a repair shop.

The repair shop surprised me when they told me the job would be done in less than 2 hours, and it only took an hour. They had a rail around the shop and you could talk to your mechanic while he worked! Simply unheard of in the motorcycle industry. Other shops I’ve frequented roll your motorcycle off to some unseen area where you will not see it again until they are done. The last tire change required me to tell the mechanic how to remove the tire because he was stumped. The Iron Pony mechanic acknowledged me when I told him that this setup was tough AND showed me 2 other ways to remove the rear tire. I know it’s easier for a mechanic to work without the bother of the customer watching, but I appreciate seeing what is going on with my bike.

They did only have 2 choices of tires for my 2006 Honda Shadow Aero, but explained that for unknown reasons, it’s a tough bike to get tires for. I was not impressed with the last set of Dunlop motorcycle tires and the Bridgestone name brings to mind the exploding tires that Ford was using. The salesman assured me that the Bridgestones were a good tire. I can’t tell how they are going to where yet, but these tires handle great.

If you’re in the Central Ohio area, I would recommend Iron Pony. If you’re not, their online store has a wide selection of merchandise for a good price. I would warn against their discounted helmets. Helmets only have about a 6 year life span due to the degradation of their materials. Iron Pony tends to get helmets a few years old that they sell for discount. The helmets are less money, but they’re not going to last long if they are already dated when you buy one.

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I took a friend to a farm and was waiting on him the other day. While waiting, I noticed from the looks of the double Martin bird house that this farmer was really into birds. There was a peacock running around and a Martin bird house that was loaded with Martins. The noise of the peacock and the Martins was all that you heard on this quiet farm. It was beautiful to set in this relaxing setting and listen and watch.

Peacock struts around on the farm

The Martins were hunting insects. The birds would all perch for a few minutes, then suddenly, bolt all at once. A few minutes later they would all return in an orderly fashion. Those that had found food, would feed it to the young Martins inside the bird houses. This scene just kept repeating over and over. It leaves me curious as to why they all return, even if they had found no food. I’m wondering if they didn’t regroup to allow for the insects to gather back up or decide on where they would hunt unsuspecting insects next. I would guess that all of the chirping was communication over the landing pattern. There’s many things about the Martins that I could only guess about with my limited bird knowledge.

The Martins have their purpose, but they fail in their reputation for a method of mosquito control. They fly to high to eat mosquitos and live off of a diet of high flying insects like moths, wasps, flies, butterflies, dragon flies, beetles, and other higher flying insects. Companies that make Martin bird houses like to make the claim about mosquito control, but their is no evidence or study to prove it. They’re still great for farms to have for fly control and other pest insects.

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I found this old picture from when I drove for J.B. Hunt‘s Flatbed Division. I made good money, but just about everything else about that job and this truck was bad. In this photo, I stopped at my cousin’s house just off of the interstate. I was probably looking for someone to feel sorry for me driving this cabover.

J.B. Hunt Flatbed Division Truck. Click to make bigger.

For those, not into trucking, a cab-over beats you to death, but they were much easier to get in and out of tight spots. This cab-over had a stretched out frame to make room for really long pieces on the trailer. This made the truck good for almost nothing, except occasionally hauling long stuff.

J.B. Hunt’s flatbed division has long disappeared, and rightfully so. This job ended when a driver came right out of their school with no experience and backed into the cab so hard it knocked the cab off of the frame, with me in the sleeper! Somehow the company decided his accident was my fault. They said I should have woke up and guided him in and that I should not have did some other things to him after he hit the truck and nearly killed me. Things were just never right with me and this company after that and I moved on. Ahh, the good ole’ days.

Holmes County, Ohio Farm

I shouldn’t complain, it’s July, but it was hot. Only a fool would expect different in Ohio.

I took some friends up to Charm, Ohio to take care of some business and had the time to wonder around on the farm while I waited on them. The Amish were out in the heat working without missing a beat. I was sweating and swatting the flies. I had a good time and with some good hard-working folks today. A day on the farm brings back some great memories and puts things in perspective.

Amish Horse And Buggy

Hay Field

Friends of mine wanted to buy a horse, so I borrowed a horse trailer and went to Sugarcreek, Ohio to a livestock auction with them. There were some sad folks there selling their horses. More than a few times, the auctioneer would say,

Young lady sells her horse due to financial situation.

“This is a good sold horse used for trail riding. The people just can’t afford to keep it anymore.”.

I don’t know much about horses. In fact, they scare the crap out of me because they’re 1500 pounds of animal with a mind of their own. I’m sure lack of knowledge is the problem here. The people here did know and love everything about horses. Equestrian pursuits are expensive, but I can see where people would fall in love with these noble beasts. Seeing these good people losing their horses was like watching someone parting with a loved one. I seen beautiful horses selling for $500.

On a less emotional level, this is where where start to see the effects of long term unemployment and a down economy hits everyone. They’ll sell the horses and no longer buy feed, riding gear and clothing, trailers and trucks to haul them, riding lessons for the kids, excursions to other places where they would buy lodging and food, and everything else that goes with the horses.

How many other worthwhile enjoyable pursuits are being foregone and the same effects further crippling the economy? Is this just an adjustment from a previous time when people were to lavish with their spending on things like this?

Here is a picture I found humorous. A pony and cart next to Amish buggies.

Pony with cart next to Amish buggies.

I hadn’t seen an Austin-Healey of these since I was a kid. Cool car. They wanted $7,000 for this one and it needed a new interior.

1960 Austin Healey I seen sitting in Utica, Ohio for sale.

Dad shows his bicycle jacket with patches from many years of bike riding.

Anyone that knows my Dad, Jim Spearman, knows about his love for bicycling and his family. Besides over 40 years of working at the same company, biking and family or anything he could do to combine them, like camping, were pretty much what life in small town Mount Vernon, Ohio was all about. As far as Dad was concerned, there wasn’t really much more that you needed in life than a job, family, a house, and a bicycle.

I remember Dad taking to bicycling in the mid-70′s. I was young, but I remember it was rough times. Cooper-Bessemer had laid him off and he had taken a job with a long commute and lower pay at HPM. A work related accident at HPM caused a back injury that required extensive surgery. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse. The doctor told him that walking or biking were exercises that would relieve the pain. Dad got on his bicycle and it worked. Not only did it relieve pain, it saved us money, he enjoyed it, and he made friends doing it.

Not long after all of this Coopers started to boom with business from the Alaskan Pipeline project. Money started coming in and Dad worked all the overtime he could, cut lawns for extra money, and worked night shift janitor jobs to get caught up. He would ride his bike to and from these jobs, even when they were in the middle of the night. Things greatly improved and a few years later, he had time for more bike riding.

In this photo, he’s holding the numerous patches from organized bike rides he was on. I don’t think any of them were less than 50 miles. Sign-up money usually went to a good cause and you’d receive a patch. The oldest one he had was from 1977 and they kept going up to the present. In his retirement, he still keeps biking whenever he gets a chance. When he’s not spending time with his friends and family, he’s usually on the Kokosing Gap Bicycle Trail.

On Fathers’ Day, I’d like to thank Dad for all the hard work he put in over the years and everything he’s done for all of us in the family. Just as he’s never waivered on his bicycling hobby, he’s never waivered on taking care of the family either. We love you Dad!

I don’t like the computer jargon and acronyms. They make things that are really not that complicated seem that way. Sure, some things like COBOL, they’re complicated. There’s no reason for a person to see the word COBOL and get excited. It’s a 50 year old computer language that’s miserable, so who cares?

RSS isn’t like that. This is more exciting than “Blue Ray“, DVD, IPAD, or IPOD combined. What RSS does is allow you to pull in “feeds” from websites. A “feed” is something that occurs every time a post is made. It’s a little excerpt of the post that can be sent out to millions of “readers” every time a new post is made.

For example, I’m going to make this post on my website, and because I’ve done the work, it’s going to go out to thousands of readers that have chosen to accept my “feed”. You can have your own reader to take in these feeds. Some of the most popular readers are

• Google Reader
• Bloglines
• NewsGator Online

There are more and a Google search for “RSS reader” will find them for you. I use Google Reader because it’s simple enough and works with my e-mail. It’s not the best, just handy and good enough.

The benefit is that you can take all of the feeds from websites you like and put them in a reader. At a quick glance, you can see all of the new posts. It eliminates taking the time to go to the website looking for a new post. It also gives you the title and preview before you decide if you would like to go to the website. In short, content comes to you instead of you going to it.

As you’ll see in the video, the most difficult part is getting the feed address. Most often, right clicking the link and using “copy link location” is the best way to get the address of the feed. Many are simple. For example, markspearman.com’s feed is http://markspearman.com/feed. You just place /feed on the end of the address.

A nice feature in Google Reader is that you can save searches as RSS feeds. For example, if you do a search in Google’s Blog search, scroll to the bottom and you’ll see that you can save this search to Google reader. Everytime a new blog post from any blog comes out about your search, it will be stored in reader. It’s a nice way to compile information on a subject.

Here’s a movie that explains RSS a little better.

I don’t think anyone cares that I never got a tattoo, but some have been shocked when I told them that I don’t have any. I fit the mold I suppose -

• Army Veteran
• Truck Driver
• Motorcyclist. We’ll leave it at that, I don’t consider myself a “biker”.

I almost did get a tattoo once. As me and a few Army buddies pulled into the lot to go into the tattoo parlor, I noticed something odd. “Customer Parking” was spelled “Custumer Parking”. I’m not a grammar and spelling fanatic. One could probably find errors all over this blog. When it comes to tattoos though, I want perfection. I passed on the tattoo.

I did get a kick out of this post of misspelled tattoos. I’ve embarrassed myself a few times when a tattoo owner shows off their tattoo and I let the question, “What is it?”, slip out. Many tattoos I’ve seen barely pass for anything recognizable, let alone something I would want to consider as “artwork”. I would really be embarrassed if I told them that it was misspelled.