JDPFu.com 2024

to be clear, this device is not not used anymore.

I have a Linksys WRT54GX-v2 that was available for just a few months before all the "pre-N" routers became available.

There are many, many good things about this router and only 2 bad things.
Bad Things about this router:

1. QoS is a feature, but it doesn’t work. Cisco support could only say – send it back.
2. $180!!!

My really old site was WebAPP based. There are many plugins available, but for most folks, it just isn’t worth the effort. That’s what I’ve found. Anyway, get it here.

My old site was TiddlyWiki based.

The current site is SoloWiki based. We’ll see how long that lasts. So far, so good.

The new site will be Typo based.

Voice Over IP – Voice Over Internet Protocol.

Basically, using your Internet connection for really cheap phone service.
Sunrocker and ‘Vonage’:http://vonage.com/ are popular providers. Sunrocker has gone out of business.

There’s also a free one-number service . These folks give you a local number (u chose it) that you control where and when it rings on other phones. I use it to ring the house, cell, and work phones simultaneously. It also announces callers, so i can send folks to voicemail if I can’t speak to them right then. The system has many other features and is currently free.

I came across a video editor – not fancy, but it works.
The name is ‘cbreak’. It is a MS-Windows command line utility – no don’t be afraid. It has a manual mode that goes through the entire AVI file (only works on AVI files) and figures out where the black frames are. Then it can ask you to confirm each segment to remove or keep by showing you the segment in question. It knows about key frames, so your cuts happen on them.

Sounds dumb? It is. Get it here What do you want for free?

I’ll keep a local copy in case he decides to stop publishing it. It is available in C source code and is released under the GPL

If you’re looking for MPEG file commercial skip, check out ComSkip – not nearly as useful, but with more features for detecting commercials. Eh.

April 2007 Update: I’ve given up and purchased VideoRedo, yes, it was worth it to me. It uses the same commercial location methods that all the other programs use, but with the added TiVo file reading benefit.

Get it here
Good tips are here

Swanson’s Rules shamelessly stolen written by Tyrone Taborn

William H. Swanson, CEO and President Raytheon Company Raytheon’s CEO Does Management Right, by the Numbers.

There are two things on which Raytheon’s William H. Swanson doesn’t need a lecture. One is management skills. The other is the value of diversity.
As diversity champion turned chief executive officer, president, and member of the board, Swanson has an unwavering commitment to increasing the number of minorities in the field of technology. And, as if to underscore the point, an appearance at Tuskegee University was his first speaking engagement on a college campus since he became CEO of the nation’s fourth-largest defense company.

That’s typical Swanson: setting the bar and jumping over it himself. On his staff are more than 40 Tuskegee alumni, not including interns, who, Swanson says, "fit very well into our structure because of the foundation that they learned here on campus."

Working for Swanson means facing perhaps the toughest defense executive in recent history. But according to Tuskegee alum Gaynelle P. Swann, M.Sc. in engineering, he answers 99.9 percent of his own e-mail and endears himself to those around him by remembering details such as the names of their children.
When Lester L. Lyles, then the Air Force’s only Black four-star general, received Lifetime Achievement honors at the 2003 Black Engineer of the Year Conference, Swanson sent personal congratulations. Such attention to the human element has made Swanson an admired executive.

Says the now-retired Gen. Lyles: "Raytheon is clearly in the top echelon of DoD contractors because of his leadership!"
Swanson’s success is no accident. He is highly principled. He hits the ground running well before 7:00 a.m.; his typical day ends 14 hours later. More than half of his weekends are spent away from home, and, if he could, he would shake hands with each of Raytheon’s 76,000 employees.
Swanson’s leadership is based on management rules he developed over his 30-plus years at Raytheon. "Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management" are 25 straightforward directives that also provide insight into what it takes to be successful.

"Swanson’s Rules" might explain how Raytheon emerged as the leader in high-tech warfare and remained a corporate powerhouse during a time of economic contraction.

Many inside and outside of Raytheon credit Swanson with saving the company. And some say it wasn’t just the business he rescued but Raytheon’s sense of social mission as well. As the company’s first executive champion for diversity, Swanson worked to build an inclusive culture. As he says, "Our commitment to diversity has made us a better company. To have diversity of thought and opinion expressed by the people in your organization is incredibly powerful. If you’re able to harness that, there is no [limit to] what you’re able to accomplish."

In 1997, as a corporate vice president, he received one of the toughest of assignments: integrating the newly acquired defense businesses of Texas Instruments and Hughes into Raytheon.

A lot was riding on his managerial acumen. Raytheon’s overall revenues nearly doubled with the acquisitions. The commercial groups, which had produced nearly 60 percent of total company sales in 1995, and close to half of total earnings, suddenly were eclipsed by the defense business groups. It was up to Swanson to assimilate the former rivals into the company.

It was probably at this point that Swanson’s third rule kicked in: "If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much." Swanson definitely got his share of criticism – from employees caught in painful layoffs and irate members of Congress disturbed by their states’ economic losses – but he was busy laying a foundation that would pay great dividends in just a few short years.

Swanson’s efforts would not be fully appreciated until Sept. 11, 2001, when the world was changed fundamentally with terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Then, it became clearer that the $3.3 trillion the U.S. spent on defense in the 1990s could not guarantee security. Our nation needed a new military that would fight a new kind of war. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld called it the era of "transformational military" initiatives.

Another of Swanson’s Rules came into play: No. 9, "Persistence or tenacity is the disposition to persevere in spite of difficulties, discouragement, or indifference…." Swanson’s role in handling the mergers was a thankless, seemingly no-win job. He found himself in California running a smaller division than he’d left. But those who expected him to fade from the scene were wrong. Swanson’s new unit, Raytheon’s Electronic Systems, provided key products to the new high-tech military, and, under his leadership, it ramped up to about 40 percent of Raytheon’s sales.

Rule No. 4 also applied: "Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what’s there, but few can see what isn’t there." According to Carl Conetta of the Project on Defense Alternatives, military transformation meant moving away from capital-intensive armadas of heavy mechanized ground forces, artillery and missile systems, and advanced combat aircraft, toward full adoption of new information technology and restructuring of the armed forces to produce an "Information Age" military.
Bill Swanson saw this future. Acquiring the defense businesses of TI and Hughes proved him right and made Raytheon the company that provides the defense world’s most high-tech offerings.

This year, Swanson rose to be Raytheon’s president and CEO. But as his Tuskegee visit proves, one of his top priorities will be dealing with the disturbing reality that women, Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans, and persons with disabilities now make up two-thirds of the U.S. work force but hold only about a quarter of the technical jobs.
Another priority will be Swanson’s Rule No. 25: "Have fun at what you do. It will reflect in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump!"
Seeing Swanson at Tuskegee, happily chatting about the future with young students, it was clear he had learned his lesson well.

Bill Swanson’s 25 Unwritten Rules of Management

1. Learn to say, "I don’t know." If used when appropriate, it will be often.
2. It is easier to get into something than it is to get out of it.
3. If you are not criticized, you may not be doing much.
4. Look for what is missing. Many know how to improve what’s there, but few can see what isn’t there.
5. Viewgraph rule: When something appears on a viewgraph (an overhead transparency), assume the world knows about it, and deal with it accordingly.
6. Work for a boss with whom you are comfortable telling it like it is. Remember that you can’t pick your relatives, but you can pick your boss.
7. Constantly review developments to make sure that the actual benefits are what they are supposed to be. Avoid Newton’s Law.
8. However menial and trivial your early assignments may appear, give them your best efforts.
9. Persistence or tenacity is the disposition to persevere in spite of difficulties, discouragement, or indifference. Don’t be known as a good starter but a poor finisher.
10. In completing a project, don’t wait for others; go after them, and make sure it gets done.
11. Confirm your instructions and the commitments of others in writing. Don’t assume it will get done!
12. Don’t be timid; speak up. Express yourself, and promote your ideas.
13. Practice shows that those who speak the most knowingly and confidently often end up with the assignment to get it done.
14. Strive for brevity and clarity in oral and written reports.
15. Be extremely careful of the accuracy of your statements.
16. Don’t overlook the fact that you are working for a boss.
    • Keep him or her informed. Avoid surprises!
    • Whatever the boss wants takes top priority.
17. Promises, schedules, and estimates are important instruments in a well-ordered business.
    • You must make promises. Don’t lean on the often-used phrase, "I can’t estimate it because it depends upon many uncertain factors."
18. Never direct a complaint to the top. A serious offense is to "cc" a person’s boss.
19. When dealing with outsiders, remember that you represent the company. Be careful of your commitments.
20. Cultivate the habit of "boiling matters down" to the simplest terms. An elevator speech is the best way.
21. Don’t get excited in engineering emergencies. Keep your feet on the ground.
22. Cultivate the habit of making quick, clean-cut decisions.
23. When making decisions, the pros are much easier to deal with than the cons. Your boss wants to see the cons also.
24. Don’t ever lose your sense of humor.
25. Have fun at what you do. It will reflect in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump.

jdpfu notes: Swanson borrowed his rules from other really smart folks, which I like. Over the years, he didn’t keep track of who he got the rules from, which I don’t like – never take credit for ideas or work that isn’t your own.

SunRocket was my VoIP provider. They’ve run a number of specials – most recently $199 for 2 years of unlimited service
Let me know if you want to sign up. A referral would be much appreciated.

August 2007 Update — They’ve gone out of business. I kept my Gizmo and moved to a new, monthly only, provider. That provider has some problems. If I figure them all out, I’ll post an entry here.

Investing for retirement made simple. I’m not an investment advisor nor do I have any certifications related to investing.
If you don’t enjoy working with numbers, tracking down "cheap" companies selling at a good value and monitoring them daily, weekly, monthly, then here’s a simple set of ideas for doing reasonable well investing for retirement.

• Pay yourself first – whatever the monthly amount is that you are going to invest, consider it a bill just like your rent or mortgage.
• Save at least 10% of your GROSS income for retirement – this applies to both husband AND wife in a marriage. If you are single, you need to save more.
• Start saving early – it is amazing the difference that starting at 25 years old makes when compared to starting at 35 years of age. At age 55, the total amount is staggering.
• Asset allocation (putting a little money here and a little money there) is very important to ride the ups and downs for each part of the market.
• Unless you are 5-10 years away from retirement, avoid bonds. Some people will disagree with me on this.
• Ok, the target asset allocation for someone under 50 years old (in my opinion) is:
  • 50% Large CAP stocks (an S&P500 fund or ETF) These are the core of your investments, steady, predictable growth well above inflation is needed. If you want to be a little riskier, find a "value" Large CAP fund or ETF. Morning Star LrgCAP Funds
  • 30% Overseas (EFT or worldwide fund) You might ask why? Growth rates overseas are likely to be higher than in the USA over the next 30 years, IMHO. Morning Star Worldwide Funds
  • 20% Small/Mid CAP stocks (ETF) Smaller companies tend to grow faster than large companies, but they also tend to fail more. Morning Star Small CAP Value funds
• Be certain to take enough risks – Certificates of Deposit are not risky enough for your retirement, unless you are retiring within 5 years. Then you should ladder your CDs every year so that for any 5 year period, your income from your investments is completely guaranteed.
• Don’t put any money into any stock, mutual fund or ETF that you might need in the next 5-10 years. Sufficient time is important for risk management.
• Avoid market timing, something called Dollar Cost Averaging really does work – basically, this means send the same amount in every month. When the price is high, you buy fewer shares. When the price is low, you buy more shares. Simple. Be certain to buy those stocks that are cheap with your monthly inputs. AND don’t forget diversification! Never forget that.
• If you aren’t willing to do the time monitoring and researching, stay away from HOT TIPS from the gym and water cooler.
• Save for your retirement before saving for your child’s college education – college loans are easy. There’s no such thing as a retirement loan.
• A good enough guess for how much money you should have before retiring is 12x your annual salary. $50K calculates to $600K needed at retirement. There are many, many assumptions and your needs will be hirer or lower based on too many factors to assume. More conservative estimates go with 25x your annual salary – that’s $1.25M. Which do you think can better weather a 10 yr bear market or critical health issue?
• Here’s a retirement calculator that might be helpful to estimate how much you need to save to reach your goal – both IE and MS-Excel is required for it to work (sorry, it was too easy for me using these tools).
• Try to keep fees to a minimum by using a discount broker with lots of No Transaction Fee Mutual Funds and low fees to purchase stocks (Under $13 per trade). Avoid churn.
• Never buy a fund that requires a front-end or back-end load or 12b fees.
• Avoid high fee ETFs and Mutual Funds with fees over 1%.
• Look for top ranked mutual funds followed by Morning Star – try to purchase the mutual funds in the top 25% of short term and long term performance for the type of asset class you are trying to get. Mix Value and Growth AND Large, Mid, and Small CAP companies. Asset Allocation is critical.
• Be certain that you have 6-12 months of living expenses saved and available outside your retirement investments.
• You should be in good overall financial shape before you begin investing – no credit card debt, no long term car loans (over 3 years total), you get the idea. If you aren’t certain, you have a problem to be solved.
• Never have more than 20% of you total investments in a single investment – once you have $50K total. This includes the company stock that you work at. I count my annual salary towards this 10% rule and don’t have any company stock where I work – my salary is enough of an investment.
• Your house is only an investment if you can sell it. You will still need someplace to live.
• DO review your investments every quarter and verify you are in investments in the top, say 30% of the class for performance.and DO rebalance your portfolio annually to get back to the 50/30/20 allocations (approximately).
• If you do these simple things, anyone can retire with over $1M saved by saving $250/month. It just takes consistency over the 30+ years of saving. Average returns in your investments will get you there.
• Keep the market ups/downs in perspective with this graph

Some helpful links:

• Dollar Cost Averaging
• Asset Allocation | Asset Allocation is more important than the actual investments selected!=
• Yahoo Finance
• Mutual Fund
• EFT
• If you are looking for more Links … I currently use NAIC stock selection methods and Manifest Investing and have used The Chartist advisory service for multiple years. If you’re looking for an easy way to learn NAIC investing methods, check out.

• http://jdpfu.com/pda/
• http://www.google.com/palm
• http://mobile.wunderground.com/
• http://news.google.com/news?output=xhtml&hl=en
• http://wap.oa.yahoo.com/raw?dp=quote&ySiD=HdTxRBSirLiWxV1UdgjG
• http://www.schwab.com/wireless
• http://myganav.com/www/pda/

Cisco has a handy table
that compares quality (subjective) with bandwidth based on most of the popular codecs used by SIP VoIP ATAs today.

Codec	BR	NEB
G.711	64 Kbps	87.2 Kbps
G.729	8 Kbps	31.2 Kbps
G.723.1	6.4 Kbps	21.9 Kbps
G.723.1	5.3 Kbps	20.8 Kbps
G.726	32 Kbps	55.2 Kbps
G.726	24 Kbps	47.2 Kbps
G.728	16 Kbps	31.5 Kbps
iLBC	15 Kbps	27.7 Kbps

BR = Bit rate
NEB = Nominal Ethernet Bandwidth (one direction)