My father was one of those people who understood that to achieve greatness could only be done through maintaining strength of character in all that you do.  He instilled in his children the unerring credo that you must always do the right thing.  It doesn’t matter if doing the right thing is difficult, or if doing the right thing is the popular thing to do.  What matters is you always stay true to your convictions, and your actions must be consistent with your beliefs.

My father was a very simple man.  Some people might say he was too simple in this world that is growing ever more complex.  But he understood that in everything there is a right way and a wrong way to do things and the only option is to do the right thing.  He once told me you build your reputation in the world by always taking the higher ground.  You build that reputation one positive action at a time and you are the only one who can tear that reputation down through your own actions.  Not your detractors, not your enemies, only you can tear your reputation down.  He once confided in me that he didn’t understand why people didn’t just treat others with respect and compassion.  He was continually confused by this fact so obvious to him but one that is often not followed by others.  It’s a question I cannot answer, in fact I’m not sure there is an answer.

My father instilled in me a strong work ethic, for working as hard as you can is the only way to have no doubts about yourself at the end of the day.  He taught all his children to always help others, for some day we might need help ourselves and good deeds have a way of getting repaid when the time is right.  He taught us to be strong for those around us, but not to be afraid to bend when you have to.  He was a man that others knew they could depend on in their time of need.  He taught us that leading by example was the best way to be true to yourself, and to those around you.

My father lived a hard life, but he took that in stride and did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt.  And in so doing, he taught us to do the same.  Don’t cry about it, fix it was his philosophy, and it was a lesson hard learned, as important lessons often are.  He showed us that when you have troubles, the best course is often to set your own troubles aside and help those less fortunate than yourself.  Most importantly of all, he taught us that we are not the most important thing in the world.  Instead, the most important things were those around us.  He lived his life being there for the people that needed him, and those who knew and loved him will always thank him for that.

My father always led by example and to those of us fortunate enough to know him that example was a very good one.  He was not a man to get lost in the fluff of life, instead he believed you lay a solid foundation in the life that you have and then you build on that foundation until the structure is a good, strong structure.  You build your character one deed at a time until the structure defines the person behind it.  And then you open that structure up to your loved ones so that they might be protected by it too.

My father was a great man.  He touched everyone around him in such a positive way.  He loved his family with a passion that was unquestioned, and he was proud of each of us in so many ways.  He is the reason that we have become the people we are today, and I thank him for that.  For I can think of no better thing in the world than to be the legacy of this man.  Thank you Dad for all that you’ve done.  Thank you Dad for showing us to always think of others.  Thank you Dad for all the examples you set for us.  And thank you Dad for being there for me when I needed you.  You are so missed but you live on in all those you have touched.

James Grady Kendrick

November 1, 1916 – November 21, 2004

This is Taylor. She wants to be a geek when she grows up. Honest. So far she likes Android and Intel as you can see.
 

I am a Type 2 diabetic like millions in the US. I was diagnosed a decade ago and have been successfully treating it with the help of a good endocrinologist. Until two months ago, when I was told by this doctor’s staff upon arrival for my standard quarterly visit that my health insurance was no longer accepted. I was shocked by this unexpected change, and left untreated.

This put me on a quest to find a new endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes. I figured that wouldn’t be difficult given the constant news that millions have the disease. Silly me.

What I found was that even in a large city like Houston, there aren’t enough of these specialists to go around. The practices that specialize in this treatment are full, and everywhere I turned I was told that no new patients are being accepted.

While my search was ongoing, I was going through the last of my prescribed medications for diabetes, running out of one after another. Eventually I was down to standard insulin, and began using it alone to keep my glucose level under some semblance of control.

Today I finally badgered an endocrinologist’s office to accept me as a new patient. The caveat was it would be three weeks before I could be seen. I explained to them that was fine, but I had exhausted all of the medications I have been using successfully for 10 years, and had just run out of insulin; my glucose level would quickly be at a dangerous level. It was explained to me that prescribing me even insulin was out of the question before seeing me the first time. If my glucose level reached a dangerous level then I would have to go to the emergency room for treatment.

I understood their stance on this, but it didn’t help me at all. So I called the cardiologist who has been treating me for a decade and explained the situation. I asked them to prescribe the insulin for me so I could last until the appointment with the endocrinologist in three weeks. They couldn’t do that since they are not treating me for the diabetes and they were not willing to assume liability for complications.

Again I could understand their position, but I was still in a very bad position. Then I remembered that standard insulin doesn’t require a doctor’s prescription, so I headed to my local pharmacy to get some, along with glucose monitor test strips to properly control the dosage.

Imagine my surprise when the insulin and test strips together cost me $200! The test strips alone were $125 per 100 (I use 4/day), and the insulin $70. These two items under prescription cost me maybe $20 total.

This clearly shows how broken our healthcare system is, when items cost so much without insurance. I doubt that my health insurance makes up that much of a price difference and can buy drugs and covered items for far less from the major pharmacies than they sell them to me, the patient without insurance. That is just wrong.

This keyboard is only slightly bigger than the TouchPad’s length, but it is very comfortable for typing, even rivaling my Apple keyboard. It is probably no accident that the HP design is similar to that of Apple, except in the webOS black, of course. 

I am putting the keyboard through its paces for a review and find it well designed for heavy usage. It is extremely light and small as you can see in the photo, so throwing it in the bag is a no-brainer if I believe a blogging opportunity might present itself during an outing.

I’ve been playing around with both Reader’s Hub and Zinio, and both work as advertised. Zinio provides a nice magazine reading experience, complete with pinch/zoom and landscape 2-page support. Here are a few snaps of my Tab enjoying Zinio. Note that this is the only way I am aware of to get Zinio on Android as the company has not released an app directly.

I am anxious to hear what T is using these days to draw the Over the Hedge comic strip he produces with his partner. T was an early Tablet PC adopter, and was using a Toshiba Tablet PC to draw the comic strip as of our last visit. He’s the perfect example of one who is perfect for the old-school Tablet PC: cartoonist who loves gadgetry.

I jumped right on it and it blows me away how beautiful it is on the Tab and how fluid it runs. What is especially sweet is how it responds to the accelerometer and the library tilts with the device. It may not be perfect as it’s an early build but give it a try if you want to see where Android is headed with Gingerbread. Just take a look at these pics from my Galaxy Tab running the new Music app.