HP’s 9827CL Laptop – Short Right-Shif keys

 Technology  1 Response »
May 252008
 

So,

Imagine getting a new laptop loaded with everything you wanted and you come to find the right-shift key is cut too short and then to add to it, the key next to it is an arrow up key. Typing sucks on it. So I went on the net to see that there were a many  pissed off and frustrated persons that did not like the defective layout.

I saw lots of comments that you could tweak the registry or the keyboard mapping layout but nobody stepped up to tell you how. Some said be careful messing with the registry. Well, after a few days of searching I found a registry tool that you can use to remap the Keyboard to have the up arrow key be a Right Shift key along with the original one. That makes the size of the key almost the same.

I have Vista Installed and the keyboard is called a 101/102 keyboard. The program I found gives you keyboard layout and it is freeware. Sometimes I am not big on freeware, but this one is great. It is called “Auto Hot key“.  It is a little tricky to use at first, but you can figure it out.

Install autohotkey and look in the right system tray and see the green Icon. This Icon has to be there whenever you want the key to work. You are not permanently modifying the registry. MAKE SURE YOU DO A FULL BACKUP OF YOUR REGISTRY before doing anything like this.

Steps – for the HP 9827 and most of the HP’s that have this similar issue

  1. Install the program
  2. Look over the keyboard ID’s in the help area
  3. Look for the Green Autohotkey icon in the system tray
  4. Right click the icon in the system tray and select edit
  5. Type this at the end of the info in the end of the page that opens –  up::RShift
    You are basically telling the computer that the Up Arrow key = the Right Shift Key
  6. Save the page
  7. Test it

Your done, Enjoy

BTW – Links Page

Horizon Pregnancy Center

 Health Care  No Responses »
May 252008
 

Teen pregnancy is one of the topics that is avoided like the plague and not openly discussed. With the ever changing world pregnancy is not limited to teens and is spreading to Women later in life for various reasons.

The team at HPC has been in service for the past 5 years, approximately since 2002. They provide pre and post pregnancy prevention and awareness along with caring support for Women.

I have a young daughter got on board when I understood that HPC HorizonPC.org placed an emphasis on pregnancy prevention. They go to organizations and churches and open the door to a discussions that is rarely discussed.

Great group and they are in transition to raising funds to bring a clinical doctor and an imaging machine. The imaging machine has a high percentage of taking the baby full-term whe n the patient sees that the baby is real as ownership starts to take place, preventing Termination.

Get involved, visit, donate, or volunteer

Seniors in Transition

 Health Care  No Responses »
May 042008
 

Ok, dealing or finally facing the reality of seniors in transition with your aging family member(s). Your Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, there are some things that you really need to know. It seems that someone always gets elected in a family to be the primary care giver or to be the one in charge of the Senior. (It really sucks, but it is a reality and being aware of can help you and others to break this bad habit). This has a profound impact on the care giver family as the direct or indirect costs slowly cut in to the family’s recreation money. This is rarely planned and it is a plus if the Senior has money stashed which makes things better. The Senior’s money is another subject.. Let’s not go there now.

The one thing you have to work on during this process when you see that YOU alone are that you feel like you are doing 99% of the work, and covering all the incidental cost to make it happen. And of course nobody in the family sends checks or offers to pay for something. Most of the time it’s all YOU.. What is up with that? This one-sided deal is repeated all of the world, specifically in the U.S. because most family members just can’t or do not want to participate…they just don’t get it.

Unless you have a perfectly functional family I suggest you do the following.
“BUILD A BRIDGE…AND THEN GET OVER IT”

There are many stages of the moving, storing, and managing your Senior(s) crap. Caring for their stuff is one of the biggest pains and ongoing issues you will ever experience. Word to the wise…start tossing some of your own stuff to make room for theirs when it happens…

If you are in your late 40’s and 50’s, try asking a friend what they did with their parents stuff when they were around or alive. I am certain you will get a sigh or a snicker, or a even a blirt of emotion, followed by a colorful story. Listen to their story, it will help you better understand them.

I will do my best to give you a chronological list of the stages and highlights of the Senior in transition process. Hopefully, you can wrap your head around this being an ongoing process. Understand that you are not alone. There are many many others that are going through these things they have had the the same or similar things happen to you, …. Trust me, you will live through it with grace so you can keep your shrink bills will be at a minimum.

My wife’s side of the family has a very good sense of humor. Moving my mother-in-law could have been worse, and yes, we had our moments. My Mother-In-Law, I will now affectionately refer to as “G-Ma”. G-Ma went kicking and screaming moving all the way from Las Vegas Nevada, to our home in Huntington Beach / Fountain Valley…LOL.

As the caregiver, we do it all with love and determination. Please free to comment in this blog and let me know if you would like to be an author. I think this part of life’s stages is fascinating and it is rarely openly discussed.
I think that the responses to this blog will be active. Below are the general stages of a Senior in Transition.

  1. 911 Long distance Health Care
  2. Driving costs, now gas considerations
  3. Stress on the job or at work
  4. Alternatives – Discussions
  5. Brothers, Sisters, and Relatives
  6. Making room and Alternatives
  7. Family meetings
  8. Denial
  9. Finances – Reality
  10. Downsizing – Tossing, giving away, selling, buying stuff back….LOL
  11. More Stress
  12. Local Doctors
  13. Friends, leaving friends
  14. Moving to a better place
  15. Settling In
  16. Pill Control – “Pill Nazi”
  17. Reaching out…..Stay-tuned

Recap Video – 12-25-2008 –

Jabsco Marine Pump 18220-1123 pumps, Defective Wiring

 Boating  No Responses »
May 032008
 

Jasbco Incorrect Pump wiring . It was a journey to gather information about how to make a better wake by installing water bladdars called Fat Sacs. FlyHigh makes some pretty sweet ones and the guy that works there is pretty knowledgeable.

When I finally decided to order my stuff from Rhonda at http://www.waterskiworld.com , I had to then talk to the FlyHigh company for the right sacs for my 18′ ski boat. I did not want to control the filling of the bladdars by sticking  a hose and a pump in the water at the river.

Instead, I opted to order 2 killer 1″ pumps and panel switches so I automate the fill and empty of the sacs. It turned out great, but this article is to lessen the hartaches that I went through.

Pretty much, most are clueless. I have an inboard outboard boat and you can read old posts about people getting mangled too close to the boat. Last week we busted that myth. Not that it is possible, just that is it not probable.

 Anyway back to the nightmare from Jabsco. I have a degree in practical electronics and after two hours of reading on the web about how to wire the switches, I found that Jabsco sent the panel switches, incorrectly wired. Now, I have been seeing posts from 2005 on the same topic and the guys at Jabsco still have not fixed. The fact that it was not addressed with a note or revision on the ones they sent me tells me volumes about Jabsco’s quality control.

Please find the Jabsco’s corrected wiring diagram here or in a PDF in this posting.

I have enclosed a link that you can see the wrong wiring and the correct wiring diagram so you will not end up spending hours to install and otherwise simple installation. I think ALL their wires should be marked and tested.

I will scan the wiring diagram soon for you but in the meantime, here are  some visual photos of the complete install.

Caring for the aging is NOT easy

 Health Care  No Responses »
May 032008
 

Ok, so I grew up in a home that had my Grandmother live with us most of my life, like 15 or our 18 years while I was at home. I escaped to Hawaii at 19.

I am happily married guy with a family of three. Two years ago my wife’s mother moved in with us and it was my idea. We built a room for her to live in with all the amenities. Everyone who hears my mother-in-law lives with us freaks out as you always hear most mother-in-law’s are nightmares.

I got a gem with my mother-in-law who although is always sick, but she is a gem. We call her “G-Ma”. Grandma said the nick name would never stick…..then one day, at a weeding reception, all the kids were referring to her as “G-Ma”.

Living and caring for any family member is never easy. My wife is patient, but still it wears on a person. She is truly a care giver and devoted to her family and a homeschooler. I try to help when I can. Luckily, I am able to stay home at times to help her.

But this is really about G-Ma and all the G-Ma’s in the world. As time goes on, the baby boomers are having to deal with this growing trend. Most do not handle it too well. If you are still reading this, I have struck a nerve. Well, I have assembled some anecdote’s that you may be able to totally relate.

The Car –

The car, with respect to elders is just like you were 15 years old. It is like when you were 15-16 years old and it was one of the most important things for a Senior. As an adult, you get to re-live this feeling all over again. You will feel like you just left the Twilight Zone.

For example, your family and the Senior cannot figure out where all the car dents and tire scrapes came from. And Oh… the way the Senior reads the paper or reads the mail makes you wonder….how come she has not driven off a bridge, light post, or into the ocean….

Then, reality sets in…. something big happens…the Senior does not pass their driver’s test or they get multiple dumb tickets or run hit your own car.

Now what are you going to do if she lives with you? When your Senior gets in an accident, who’s house do you think the the cops going to come to? …Yours, that’s right…

Your Senior’s eyes start fading anywhere from 60-85 years old. My parents are still driving and I think they got a minimum of five more years of driving to go. They live two hrs away. If they start having trouble with their sight, then you and your wife need to discuss what your going to do. You will need to discuss when you have to tak the car away from your MOM or DAD,….that is NOT a fun one.

This is where the the reference to 16 year old comes up. When told they can no longer drive, your Senior says something like…”You can’t take the car away from me!!”,,,,”it is MINE…I paid for it!!!!”, your not in charge of me!!..I am not dead yet.

It’s not easy as you really are taking away their independence. The suggestion of taking the car away has it’s tool, but you know it is right. So…One day, maybe you cave in give them keys back for a short trip to the store. You then realize you might have made a mistake when your watching them pull out of the driveway or steet. It is all guilt. .REMEMBER, Your an adult and you know what is best for the aging Senior. My advice….Stick to your guts, and use your instincts on this one. You will be glad you did. You can be liable if they hurt or kill someone on your watch..

Stay Tuned for Moving and Storage of their Crap –

Old Fashioned Sports Service

 Stuff, WakeBoarding  1 Response »
May 032008
 

Pat and Rhoda Kenelley run WaterskiWorld.com. Wakeboard, Skiing, Wakesurfing, and whatever you need, they give the customer first class service.

Call them….yes, they have a phone number and they encourage you to call. 26 plus years in the boat and outoor boarding business, they get how to treat and give customer service and still have reasonable prices.

Both Rohnda and Pat are knowlegeable on Boots, bindings, boards, fatsacs, and accessories. When you looking for stuff for your boat, they got the answers and the support. A DYIer? Do It Yourselfer?. 

I have been a Wakeboarder, Wkesurfer for many years and I was looking for boots and a new Wakeboard. I Wakeboard with my friends and kids and needed some advice on boots and boards.

I have spent hours looking at sites getting a good idea of what’s out their. In less than 10 minutes I learned about the bindings and board that would be right for me.  Even with my extensive surfing background, I learned more about Wakeboard rocker from Rhonda than any site. They will even offer to send you a binding or a board and if you do not like it and take care if it,  you can send it back and they will get you another one.
Old Fashioned Service is not dead. Check out their site here

More later….

Wakeboarding Videos and River Shots