On The Fly

Podcast, " Summer 2021 - PV Solar ” Ah - summer is upon us; officially, the summer solstice occurred in the Northern Hemisphere on June 20, 2021, Father’s Day, at 11:32 p.m. EST. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, The June solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, when the Sun reaches its highest and northernmost points in the sky. Translation, daylight lasts until after 8:00 p.m. in Southern California. So, if you have a Photovoltaic (PV) Solar System on the roof of your home, you can expect the best production (usually between 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) from your system through the summer and early fall. And - you should bank some credits with your energy provider. Provided that you pay attention to Peak Time of Use (TOU) hours and the following two tips. Let’s start with peak Time of Use. In California, PG&E's peak rates occur from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., SDG&E and SCE are 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. These are the highest rates charged when your PV...

Podcast - " Acronyms ." In today's language, we're bombarded with acronyms. And every profession has its own unique list of them. ICYMI (in case you missed it), acronyms, and abbreviations are ways to shorten phrases and ideas both in normal speech and through texting and email. But a common FAQ (frequently asked question) explains the nuanced difference between the two ways to save time LOL (Laugh out loud).  So, what is the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation? According to Lucie Turkel in a Readers Digest article, an acronym is a way of shortening a phrase by combining the first letter of each word to form a new pronounceable word. A common acronym is NASA, which stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It's easy, to form the acronym NASA, you take the first letter of each of the words in the phrase "National Aeronautics and Space Administration" and then pronounce the collection of letters as a new word, which is why we ...

Podcast, " We Remember Moments. " "We don't remember days; we remember moments." Wrapped in the cozy warmth of a down bag, I'm jolted awake from a deep slumber - nature calls.  The rustle of my sleeping bag shatters the silence. The sweet aroma of the mountain air fills the senses, and that ever-present biting cool crisp air on your cheeks! It's day three of my first wilderness-backpacking trip in the High Sierra Mountains (elevation 10,500 feet), 20 miles southwest of Bishop, California, camped at  Dingleberry Lake . The zipper moans as you free yourself, then the struggle to find your wool sweater, pants, and shoes to stumble into the brisk morning air. Another zipper whines as you quietly crawl to escape the protection of your mountain shelter. Darkness surrounds you. It's early morning, late summer. It's tranquil, except for the soft gurgle of the trout stream that lulled you to sleep last night. Finally - clear weather, the rains have stoppe...

Podcast -  Happy Birthday, Richie ! As hard as it is to believe, Rock-n-Roll legend Ritchie Valens would have turned 80 years old this past Thursday. He was born Richard Steven Valenzuela on May 13, 1941, in Pacoima, CA.  Among his peers, Sunny & the Sunglows, The Sir Douglas Quintet, and Thee Midniters, Ritchie Valens created themes heavily based on 1950s R&B music. Ritchie is considered a forefather of the  Chicano rock  movement and modern Latino rock music. And one of the pioneers of contemporary rock-n-roll music. As a young man, Ritchie Valens was a gifted guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Among his most recognized hits, Come on Lets Go, Donna, We Belong Together, and La Bamba, to name a few.  He made his national debut on American Band Stand hosted by Dick Clark on October 6, 1958, in Philadelphia. Sadly, Ritchie Valens' career was too short. His recording career lasted eight months, professionally active from 1957 through 1959. Along w...

Podcast - Cruise Vacation . Memorial Day is just days away, May 31, 2021. The beginning of summer vacations. Have you thought about what your summer vacation will look like this year? Some of you may opt for a cruise ship vacation. Now, I'll be candid here, a cruise vacation? I'm not too sure about all this. For readers of this blog, our holidays always involved hiking the mountains, bicycling, driving cross country, exploring, and physical activity. Our Jersey neighbors had convinced us we needed a "real" vacation. Time for relaxation; live music, Broadway shows, wandering the ship, people watching, enjoying the majestic scenery, and pampering. Allow me to take you back to June 2013. "Good evening, Patrick and Lori. Did you have a fabulous day?" says our head waiter AJ as Charles, the assistant waiter pours our drinks. "Tonight, the chef recommends the lobster tail. We begin with a fresh seafood salad, prawns, shrimp, and mussels. Of course, you'r...

Podcast - Freedom 7; 65th Anniversary . "Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives." - Socrates, 500 B.C. May 5, 2026, marks the 65th anniversary of Freedom 7's launch. Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space. A 15-minute sub-orbital flight, a day for the history books; the entire world was watching. NASA and the world had witnessed many trial runs explode violently on the launch pad. The space program was in its infancy. Unlike today, there were far too many unknowns. This prompted me to pull out one of my favorite books from my office library,  Light This Candle , by Neal Thompson, copyright 2004. Light This Candle is a biography of Alan Shepard, Jr., you won't be able to put down. It's - "Story-telling at its best . . . every page is alive," says David Hartman, U.S Naval Institute. In the opening pages, you read endorsements fr...

In this episode, Our First Podcast Anniversary . Wow! It's hard to believe the first episode of On the Fly went live one year ago yesterday! In my subconscious, the seed for this project was planted many years ago, listening to the radio program Our Changing World by Earl Nightingale. When challenged with the question, "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Without hesitation, Host a radio show . Then we discovered podcasts. An On-demand radio program. How cool. Was it easy? No. It took many years to refine my writing skills, purchase the right equipment for a working studio, find the right music, learn to record and edit my program. And - find a way to deliver it. I'm proud to say; this podcast became the medium to express my voice. The absolute joy of discovering what motivated me. An exciting, rewarding, life-changing experience. Was it fun? Absolutely! Preparing a weekly production kept me learning, growing, and encouraging myself to explore just ...

Podcast - Charge Your Phone Faster . . .  Such agony! You're forced to stop playing your favorite online video game and plug your phone in to recharge its battery. And face it, some phones can take hours to charge. Are you a heavy-duty smartphone user? I think this includes just about everybody these days. According to Patrick Kiger in an article on How Stuff Works , the average American spends 4.7 hours a day staring at and tapping that tiny screen. However, there is good news. You can reduce your phone anxiety by following this tip. While charging, switch your phone to airplane mode. This way, the phone won't slow down the charging process by continually burning energy, trying to connect with cell phone towers, and plot your location with its GPS function. T his trick works. So dependably, that mobile provider Verizon recommends it. The reason why is this, while your phone is in its regular mode, it's continually trying to signal the cell tower and pinpoint your locatio...