Douglas Rehfeldt

2010 Network Field Survival Guide arrives

Douglas — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 22:42:05 +0000

My copy of the Network Field Survival Guide by Jay McGuerty arrived today!

http://www.networkrecipes.com

2010 Network Field Survival Guide(c) is out

Douglas — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:39:28 +0000

A perfect pocket reference for the IT network professional is now updated and available in 2010 release. http://www.networkrecipes.com

New iPhone ruggedized case – Magellan ToughCase

Douglas — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:18:23 +0000

As an outdoor enthusiast I got excited to discover a ruggedized case for the iPhone that extends the run-time and location accuracy. Both of which are pretty dismal on my iPhone 3GS. This case could allow me to increase the use of my iPhone to more outdoor activities.

Reminders of a Real-life Hero

Douglas — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:21:25 +0000

Today while reading about the patent wars and the “patent trolls” who contribute nothing, but instead collect patents and use them to sue others for profit, I was reminded of a childhood real-life hero, George Washington Carver. I wrote a report on Mr. Carter in middle school and the impact it had on me helped to shape the man that I am today. Mr. Carver discovered hundreds of uses for peanuts and other crops and improvements upon many other things. He only patented three things, and when asked why, he responded “”God gave them to me, how can I sell them to someone else?” George Washington Carver’s epitaph reads “”He could have added fortune to fame, but caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world.” He is still a real-life hero.

Ever wonder where you’re food comes from?

Douglas — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:28:22 +0000

Not after viewing the documentary film Food Inc.

Veterans Day

Douglas — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:06:43 +0000

To my fellow veterans who have served and those still serving, I salute you.

New Paperless Geocaching Solution

Douglas — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:42:47 +0000

Back in April of 2007 I first posted about my paperless geocaching solution. This solution has changed over the years from a Dell Axim with a handheld GPS and then with a bluetooth GPS, to a WinMo smartphone with the Cachemate software (a great little program) and a bluetooth GPS, to most recently an iPhone with Groundspeak’s Geocaching iPhone Application. The iPhone geocaching app rocks and combined with the iphone’s GPS, internet access and Google Maps it makes for a fantastic urban geocaching solution. I include urban because I haven’t tested this yet outside of the phones coverage area. My search continues for a great iPhone waterproof and protective case, something along the lines of an Otterbox 2600. The season is changing here in Michigan and protecting the phone while geocaching will be a priority. I have used zip-lock bags, but plastic bags lack shock protection and tear easily. My latest paperless is the best yet and I recommend the app to all Geocaching iPhone owners.

Where’s Waldo? Or more accurately, where’s Doug

Douglas — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:30:01 +0000

New full-time job, maintaining the consulting and a garden have been keeping me busy over the summer. What I have learned recently? Linux definitely has a growing place in the enterprise. By that I mean the recession and associated belt tightening have the decision makers looking for alternatives. And having a Linux skill set helps! Speaking of Linux, I use the Windows Home Server at home and recommend it to other Windows users, both home and SOHO types, but the Amahi Home Server version 4.0 is out. Check out http://www.amahi.org/ and discover a great solution for your home network. Now, it’s back to the books.

Rockbox Rocks

Douglas — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:47:24 +0000

After fixing the gas trimmer motor last night I needed a geek fix. So, I installed Rockbox on an older 5th generation iPod that was laying around. It was a painless experience with the graphical installer that took only a few minutes. I even uninstalled the program and reverted to the Apple firmware just to be sure.

The added features over the original Apple firmware are what make Rockbox shine. Some of these features include: support for over 15 Sound Codecs, including OGG and FLAC, themes, tagging, plugins, and a spoken inteface. Oh, do I need to mention that it’s Open Source with constant improvement? Rockbox has breathed some new life into my 5th generation iPod and I want to extend my thanks to the the Rockbox crew.

Vermicomposting

Douglas — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:21:24 +0000

Vermi what? Vermicomposting is composting with red worms. I decided to leverage the ability of the “wiggler” worm to help in my home composting. It’s incredibly easy to create and maintain a worm bin. There are five things that you need to create a worm bin: a container, bedding material, red worms, some table scraps, and a little time. All of the physical components of your worm bin should be free with a little searching so that you really shouldn’t have to spend any money on creating a worm bin.

the container could be a simple plastic storage bin
bedding material – I use shredded computer paper and cut up corrugated cardboard
redworms, Eisenia foetida, get them from under leaves in the woods. Don’t use any other type of worm.
food – there are good and bad foods for the redworm

good foods include: fruit and vegetable peels, pulverized egg shells, tea bags and coffee grounds

bad foods include: meats, dairy products, oily foods, or lots of citrus.

Remember, it’s not a garbage bin!

This is a super project to do with your kids because is so simple and it teaches them about nature and sustainable living practices. The worms become pets for the kids and little compost makers for you.

I used a variety of resources, but started with the guide called Household Composting with Worms from the Purdue Extension office. This is a great way to recycle those table scraps, at least the ones that worms can eat, which provides some excellent compost material for your houseplants, landscaping and garden. I also recommend checking out the vermicomposting videos on YouTube if need a video howto on creating your worm bin.

Resources:

U of N, Vermicomposting: composting with worms, http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/Vermicompost107.shtml

Troublshooting Worm Bins, http://compost.css.cornell.edu/worms/troubleshoot.html

the book, Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof, 1997 – look for it at your local library