Hands For Good Health

Click above image and view from the YouTube site.

PUR® 3 Stage Horizontal Mount Faucet Water Filter

Provides up to 100 gallons of clean water with the flick of switch…

• Built-in Electronic Filter Life Indicator simplifies filter replacement.
• Each PUR filter provides up to 100 gallons of clean water, and the built-in indicator flashes green (go), yellow (close to change time) or red (change filter) so you'll always know when it's time for a replacement filter.

The filters cost around $8 each. We can buy distilled water in 2.5 gallons containers. The cost is $1.12 per gallon. However, to get one-hundred gallons from a filter comes to 8.3¢ per gallon.

I am on my second cup of coffee with this filtered water without wishing I was back to distilled from the container. How long between filter changes? The label claims it would be around three months of filter service. That, of course, is an estimate based on average use. Yet, it does not matter because one-hundred gallons is one-hundred gallons. The choice for savings is a no-brainer.

Laser Pointer Purchase — It Was Easy — Not

How easy should it be to find a laser pointer? Best Buy had the technology built in to a hand-held device that could support advancing and back-tracking the slides in a video presentation. I have seen only one of those and the laser beam was weak. And I needed only the pointer.

Best Buy people who were standing around made no effort to assist me in finding a device. Two of them said I "might" find a laser pointer in the 'computers' section. My immediate recollection of Circuit City staff walking me to an isle and then helping me search came to mind. Sad comparison.

I had to go back to one of those staff and request a little more assistance. She asked if I wanted to find the item in the store. I told her I had not planned to look outside the store. Obviously if I wanted their online retail method I would have remained at home and done that.

Wal-Mart! I just knew that Wal-Mart would have it. An employee there pointed me in a direction and said look where the stationery items are displayed. Nothing there. I elected to not search further because I expected a bit better support in trying to find something.

Office Depot had only one model of Quartet's product. It is their 'Class 3A' standard laser pointer. Red in color spectrum and quite powerful. It will be perfect for my needs. I do some instructing of our Safety presentations at work and the pointer from Education Development is not always available. Nor is it as strong.

The cost was $22 after tax. Similarly priced (as well as less costly) laser pointers at the online venues had reviews whose pros were consistently balanced with cons. It was hard to believe that two people were talking about the same product. I elected not to go that route.

So, yes, I am happy with my purchase. I have a strong red laser beam that will work perfectly, and the item's price shouts "bang for the buck."

Clarified: What does "genetically modified" salmon mean?

Photo: AquAdvantage® Salmon in the background; a non-GMO Atlantic salmon of the same age in the foreground.

" 'AquAdvantage® Salmon' grow into full-sized fish in half the time that it would take a regular salmon, and if approved, would become the first 'transgenic' or genetically engineered animals to be approved for human consumption."


Below is a poll result asking those surveyed if they would eat genetically modified salmon. I believe I would wait to see how others fared over several years of consumption. Clearly half of those people said 'Never'.

Protecting My Kindle

Highbrow protection (above) versus basic inexpensive safeguard (below).

Whooda thought? The written evaluations by a Wired publications author pointed out that the commercially available Kindle cases all have their pros and cons. Then this guy points out a solution by one of his acquaintances that costs next to nothing and gets the job done.

I shall gladly give this method a try. I believe the bubble envelopes in various sizes are available individually at Wal-Mart. w0w… I almost spent $35 for the leather case. Reading the article was rather eye-opening.

Product Features Latest technology for strengthening and protecting your teeth MI Paste enhanced with a formula of sodium fluoride, calcium and phosphate Helps to maintain a normal pH level and healthy teeth Helps condition, protect and rebuild your tooth surfaces Releases vital minerals into your mouth when and where they re needed

My dental professional recommended this product to help relieve discomfort from a sensitive area at the base of a tooth. This is the second night of applying the paste. After reading several reviews from users I am encouraged.

Twin Brothers J David & E Craig Crawford

Descendants of John R. Charlesworth 1st International Reunion — August 2010 — Dayton, Ohio

Front–Seated: Cousin Phil Charlesworth from UK. 2nd Row (L to R): Scott Charlesworth, Susan Hageman, Cathie Abkemeier, Virginia Salmons. 3rd Row (L to R): E Craig Crawford, J David Crawford, John B Williams.

The family reunion picnic was held in Dayton, Ohio at the beautiful Art Van Atta Park. There were approximately 80 people in attendance, including grandchildren, great grandchildren, and extra-extended of family members.

Shirley and I spent ten full days in Dayton, excluding the arrival and departure travel days.  Our picnic day was one of several terrific vacation days that provided wonderful opportunities to spend time with family.

Between Iraq and a Hard Place

Click to Enlarge Image

Nature's Beauty

All the world is beautiful.

Bedtime Reading

I will need a good reading light for my Kindle when I read at night. Once it arrives I shall order the night-light at a cost just under $20.
Product Description

"The Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Light is a battery operated clamp-on accessory that is custom designed to illuminate your Kindle Wireless Reading device. Two Super LED lights in one head gives you the lighting power of 6 normal LEDs. You have the option of using one or two of the Super LED lights with just a simple tap of the proprietary sensor switch. The flexible neck allows you to position your lighting anywhere you want it. With the XtraFlex2, you can take your Kindle anywhere--in bed, on the bus or train, and have proper illumination at your fingertips."

The lens of this light eliminates the 'hot spots' seen with other reading light devices. I am looking forward to using this item. I wonder how often I will need to change its battery.

Academic Loans Consolidated

Today's mail offered a letter from the people who administer student loans consolidations. The matter has moved forward to finalization in 10 days. Yes, my loans are nearly consolidated.

This means my approximate $250 per month payment will drop to $110. That will be nice. And my adjustable rate changes to a 2.5% interest that remains unchanged throughout the term of the loan.

This is great news.

Say Hello to the Newest Kindle DX

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

All New, High Contrast E-Ink Screen: Our graphite Kindle DX uses our all new, improved electronic ink display, with 50% better contrast for the clearest text and sharpest images

Beautiful Large Display: The 9.7" diagonal E-ink screen is ideal for a broad range of reading material, including graphic-rich books, PDFs, newspapers, magazines, and blogs 

Read in Sunlight with No Glare: Unlike backlit computer or LCD screens, Kindle DX's display looks and reads like real paper, with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room

Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines

Books In Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds; no PC required

Free 3G Wireless: No monthly payments, no annual contracts. Download books anywhere, anytime

Long Battery Life: Read for up to 1 week on a single charge with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for two to three weeks.

Carry Your Library: Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents

Buy Books Once, Read Them Anywhere: Kindle books can be read on all your devices. Our Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes your Kindle library and last page read across your Kindle(s), PC, iPhone, Mac, iPad, Android phone, and BlackBerry device 

Social Networks: Share your passion for reading with friends and family by posting meaningful passages to Twitter and Facebook directly from your Kindle

Global Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. See details. Check wireless coverage map.

Built-In PDF Reader: Carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go. Now with Zoom capability to easily view small print and detailed tables or graphics

Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages

Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable

Large Selection: Over 630,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including 109 of 112 New York Times® Best Sellers, plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability and pricing will vary. Check your country. 

Out-of-Copyright, Pre-1923 Books: Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available to read on Kindle, including titles such as The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, and Treasure Island. Learn more 

Low Book Prices: New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases from $9.99. 

Free Book Samples: Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy

The Rogue

My Jawbone Bluetooth headset was providing poor connection to the party on the other side of conversation. It may have been time for a 90-minute charge. However, I did not consider that when Shirley and I shopped for a replacement.

The new Jawbone technology not only cancels noise, it dampens the effect of wind. So Shirley decided to upgrade her headset as well. Hers was falling apart, if you will. Our new Jawbone devices are getting the initial full 90-minute charge. Yet, the literature states that the headset is partially charged when purchased and ready for use right out of the box.

We did the linking to our phones, then began the charging session. I did dial the home phone and spoke briefly with Shirley. The connection seemed crisper, clearer on the new device.

Delivers On Promise of Fresh Breath

Here is a product that seems to deliver on its promise. Whether it is used immediately after breakfast or at end of day, the result is fantastic. Of course, flossing and brushing precedes its use.

No more morning mouth. Not even a hint of unpleasant breath upon arising. Another product I have used is BreathRx. It does a superb job over the common consumer-level mouthwashes. Nonetheless, TheraBreath tops the list, in my opinion.

One testimonial stated, "I can't wait to tell my family dentist that he's wrong that Halitosis sufferers usually have it forever. It is preventable!"

TheraBreath is one product I will never hesitate to praise and recommend.

Cutco Spatula Spreader Knife

"Is there anything this knife can't do? Mix, spread, slice and serve with this singular member of our line. With the flexible, Double-D® edge blade, it will quickly become a major player in your cutlery collection. 


"To Use:
Grasp the handle between your thumb and forefinger, allowing your fingers to follow the curve of the handle.

"Choose It To:
Spread and cut sandwiches, muffins and rolls; frost and cut small desserts; slice and remove pie and brownies from pans; spread filling on canapés; fold ingredients into soufflés."


I never thought I would use this utensil so soon. My Cutco shipment arrived today. About thirty minutes ago I decided some peanut butter on Ritz crackers would be just right. The blade is flexible, but not overly so. I removed all natural chunk style peanut butter with the spatula and spread that delicious stuff onto a cracker. A generous cup of cold milk made it all the more delightful.


The sandwich pictured above can be easily cut in two with the spatula spreader knife. The total length of this utensil is ten inches. The cutting edges on all cutlery are awesome.


By the way, Cutco is made in America.

Tanzania Ruvuma Peaberry

This one seems worth a try. The coffee bean is a single round berry, not typical of the coffees I have been getting from Old Bisbee Roasters.

To Err Is Human

I could not renew my driver license online. Because I had a change of address it would be necessary to mail back the renewal form after entering my new address on it. Never mind that it seems to make no sense that online address change is unavailable.

So, enter the human element. Wherever humans are involved there is room for error. Luckily our youngest son (and his wife) live at our old address. That is where my renewed driver license showed up. And with the old address on the license. Aarrgh.

An immediate 'heads up' on the matter was good to get. And the line at DMV moved steadily. Still, it was more time than I wanted to spend over someone else's mistake. The original renewal fee covers this latest corrected replacement, as it should.

And what about the online renewal policy? There was a numerical code to be entered when renewing online. Why would that not suffice as an element of identification for change of address as well? It makes no sense to me that a restriction exists when change of address is part of the process. Maybe I am unaware of a security issue here. Please clue me in if I am missing something in my assessment.

Life goes on. We must always be willing to deal with necessary interventions to keep our world turning. What will it be tomorrow?

Biometric ATM Gives Cash Via 'Finger Vein' Scan

Before you ask, no -- it doesn't work with fingers that have been chopped off.

"The ATM runs on the latest in 'finger vein' technology, with an infrared light detecting a unique pattern of micro-veins."

This is said to be more accurate than finger-print scanning technology. The important aspect is the matching of a scan to specific demographic information on the ATM card's magnetic strip.

The required blood pressure indicates that a chopped off finger would not work for the scanning. That immediately makes this method superior to finger-print scanning.

The best approach would be an ATM that passes 120,000 volts of electricity at 300 Amps through the body of an individual whose scan does not match the card information. (I expect Fry's Electronics could patent that method.)

The question is how far behind Poland will the U.S. be.

Ready For August Family Reunion

The Descendants of John R. Charlesworth International Family Reunion • Dayton, Ohio • August – 2010

Cutco, Where the Cuts Go

Click Image To Enlarge

The table knife (immediately above) serves as a steak knife. Still it will perform in all the ways a table knife should.

Our new Cutco cutlery will last us our lifetime. These items are backed by the Cutco Guarantee when passed to future generations. Cutco has been in business since 1949.