Steve Wozniak Event at USF

We saw Steve Wozniak at the USF Leadership Lecture Series.

Tickets were free. We got there early, because we wanted rock star parking and seating, and were treated to some random trivia questions about "The Woz".

When The Woz got on stage everyone cheered. Moez Limayem, the dean of the USF Muma College of Business, asked him several questions. 

I recorded some of the conversations to share. Please excuse the shaky video and poor audio quality.  :-)

Dean Limayem started the afternoon by asking Woz some A or B type questions.

Wozniak is also a prankster! Here is a quick video of him discussing one of his pranks.

Wozniak then started discussing how Steve Jobs and Wozniak started Apple. He talked about how he built things for fun, and that he would charge 5 cents for everything he built, including writing term papers for his peers! Wozniak was working at HP, and Jobs tried to get him to start a new company. What I found very interesting is how Wozniak was shot down at HP. 

Wozniak was asked about his recipe for happiness from a Twitter user. I found his approach interesting, but I don't think I could let everything just roll off me like he says, lol. Heather wants to adopt his idea that Fun + Friends + Food = Happiness. 

Woz talked about his thoughts on ethics in technology. I completely agree with one of his points, which I recorded. I hear people talk all the time about how technology is isolating the youth of today. But, Woz disagrees. He said that technology is helping the shy find like-minded friends online, and bringing them together.

Finally, the last video is Woz's thoughts on Net Neutrality. On these points, I both agree and disagree with him. I strongly disagree with his statement on voting for our leadership. But, I do agree with his stance on Net Neutrality, though I think his comparison to Google Search is comparing apples to oranges.

I'm very glad that Heather and I were able to take the day off to see The Great and Powerful Woz! I added his book, IWoz to my reading list, and can't wait to read it!

Anyone have any thoughts on what he said?

Staying Healthy During Cold/Flu Season

Unfortunately, it is cold and flu season. Everyone knows it is difficult staying healthy during this time of year unless you live in a bubble. For many years I got sick multiple times a year, and it usually took me out for two weeks or more. Frustrated with this process, I researched ways to increase my immune system and decrease the chances of contracting a virus.

We all know washing your hands for 20 seconds is one of the best defenses.

Hand sanitizer is another option when you don't have access to running water or soap. Some of the products I like are Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Portable Bottles which I put in my purse and Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes which we store in our cars. We use Lysol Disinfecting Wipes around the house, at work, and when we travel to wipe down hotel rooms. 

Allergies are a huge problem for me. I am allergic to almost all outdoor allergens. Therefore, I use a Neti Pot every morning. When more people around me are sick, I use the Neti Pot twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. The brand I use is NeilMed Nasaflo Porcelain Neti Pot. Because I use them so often, I buy NeilMed Sinus Rinse All Natural Relief Premixed Refill Packets. You may want to do this behind closed doors, it is not pretty. 😨 However, if you have children and want to gross them out, by all means, have them join you. 😉



I noticed small changes after switching to a vegan diet in January 2010. Increasing my vegetable and fruit intake was a game changer.  If I start feeling a scratchy throat or start sneezing more often, I also us Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup before bed, which needs to be refrigerated after opening. If we are traveling, I bring along Sambucol Black Elderberry Gummies, which are vegan and don't need to be refrigerated.

Unfortunately, I still get sick, but it is now a rare occurrence. Please note I am not a medical professional, I can only tell you about my experience; so please consult a medical professional before attempting any of these remedies at home. What works for me may not work for everyone; however, I felt it was important to share.

How are you surviving cold and flu season? Let us know in the comments below. And, as always, if you found this helpful, please share with your friends and family.

If we all take care of ourselves, maybe we can reduce the number of people infected every year.

Stay healthy!

Heather

The Music of Star Trek and Star Wars

On Saturday, we took a day trip to St. Petersburg, FL for brunch and to see "The Music of Star Trek and Star Wars" presented by The Florida Orchestra, accompanied by the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay Rebel Forces at the Mahaffey Theater.

Brunch was at The Cider Press Café. The food was very good and the atmosphere was enjoyable. We plan on returning soon, so many choices we have to try!

Heather had the Cheesecake Stuffed Banana Maple Pancakes with eggplant bacon, which were both very sweet, but delicious.

I had the Country Benedict, which was very good and very filling!

We "shared" Mac & Cheese and Potato Salad. I say shared, but I ate most of both, those long Saturday runs really gets me hungry!

After a delicious brunch, we headed to the Mahaffey Theater for the show. We both love St. Pete, both for the food and for the beautiful waterfront. The Mahaffey is also a great place to watch a show. The seats aren't uncomfortably narrow, and parking isn't a PITA !

 

Michael Francis, the conductor, supplied clever anecdotal quips before each musical selection. His stories were insightful with a whimsical touch which added brevity to the event. The show spotlighted the music of Star Trek then after intermission explored Star Wars songs.

Of the Star Trek songs, my favorites were the Wrath of Kahn, and the STTNG - Inner Light songs. I definitely MAY have started searching for ways to stream both the movie and the TV show on Sunday ;-)

But, I'm a Star Wars guy, and I LOVED the Star Wars set. Everytime I hear the music, I get transplanted to the Star Wars universe. I just love it. May 4th weekend can't come fast enough, so I can watch them all over again! With Solo coming out this year, I may just OD on SW nerdyness.

During the Star Wars production, Darth Vader along with Storm Troopers invaded the stage while the conductor disappeared. The Emperor appeared taking the place of the conductor. We soon discovered the Emperor was the conductor in disguise. In the process of revealing himself to us, Mr. Francis misplaced his baton, so he finished conducting the last song with a lightsaber.

I managed to take a short video of the ending of the Imperial March. Excuse my poor vidcamera skills...

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the performance. The Florida Orchestra is impressive! If you have an opportunity to see them live, we highly recommend it.

Dave and Heather

Samsung Watches

My favorite electronic device I own right now is the Samsung Gear S3. Samsung has two styles for the Gear S3 version. I have the Frontier style, but it also comes in a Classic version. It took me hours to decide on which one I wanted. I selected the Frontier because I wear more active clothing, so it suited my lifestyle.

My friend has the Samsung Gear S2 in the Classic Platinum style. It also comes in Classic Rose Gold, Classic, and last, but not least, Dark Gray. The Classic Platinum is perfect for my friend because she is a girly girl who attends lots of fancy parties. She liked the Classic Platinum and the Classic Rose Gold.

I never leave the house without my watch on my wrist. It notifies me if someone is calling and I can decide if I want to accept the call without removing my phone from my purse. When you are shopping with your friends and don't want to be disturbed by a pesky telemarketer, this feature is your best friend. With Gear S3 version, I can also answer the call and hear and speak to the person through my watch, again without hunting for my phone. (I don't use this feature often because I don't like other people hearing my phone calls, but is fun to use.) 😊

Another great feature is e-mail and text message notifications. Once again, if something urgent comes up, I can take care of it immediately. I can respond to a text message through the watch using quick reply features or the microphone to speak into the watch which transcribes my reply. This watch is impressive futuristic technology! 😊

The watch can be customized in so many ways, it feels like a new watch every day. You can change the watch bands, watch faces (even design your own), or track your fitness. I plan on writing more posts detailing the fabulous features of this watch. Follow our blog to see future posts.

What do you think? Are we getting closer to the Jetson's realty? Do you want life to be like the Jetsons? Let me know what you think.

To the future and beyond!