TxDOT Hurricane, Storm, Emergency and Donation info

! DONATE DIRECTLY, rather than through a ‘Fundraiser’ !

Donate to:
houstonfoodbank.org (Houston)
foodbankcc.com (Corpus Christi)
galvestoncountyfoodbank.org (Galveston County)

Excellent list: https://t.co/cNBr0vggSP  found via @ChelseaClinton on Twitter

Here is an example of a ‘Fundraiser’ on Facebook which keeps 5.75% fee.
“Fundraiser for Houston Food Bank by Stephan Dumothier”

Watch out for and avoid Facebook Donate Invites !

Jim Coupal said, “I donated but am not too happy about the 5.75% fee – I think I’d rather just donate directly to the food bank”. (links above)

 

* Official Sources of Flood, Storm and Emergency information *

TxDOT will continue to use Twitter feeds and Facebook to deliver storm preparedness, road condition and evacuation information to social media users. Follow these for up-to-the-minute transportation news and local traffic information.

http://www.facebook.com/TxDOT
http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/media-center/txdot-twitter-feeds.html

Storm-related Twitter hashtags will be provided for an easy way to find important hurricane information.
http://support.twitter.com/entries/49309-what-are-hashtags-symbols

The time to be prepared and make evacuation plans is now. Start by reviewing our hurricane evacuation maps below and selecting an evacuation route for you and your family.

Statewide Highway Conditions
https://drivetexas.org/#/7/32.340/-99.500?future=false
or call toll free (800) 452-9292

National Hurricane Center http://www.weather.gov/hgx/

http://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/traffic/safety/weather/hurricane.html

Use these official flood guages to check travel routes.
https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/index.php?wfo=hgx

Another page that might be useful:

https://www.facebook.com/hurricaneharveyofficial/?ref=br_rs

 

Please review this list of tips :

+ Call 911 only if you need them, not for info
+ Elderly or disabled who need evacuation assistance, please call 2-1-1
+ This is a survival event for the greater Houston area and many more
+ Do NOT move into your attic when water rises, move to roof if needed
+ If you don’t have a life-jackets, find something now to help you float
+ As long as you have house electric, keep your phone charging
+ If you have multiple devices, conserve batteries, use only one device
+ Keep spare devices off and charging
+ Add emergency numbers (see above) in your device contacts
+ Stay focused, prepared, find escape route(s) … links above
+ Conserve drinkable water and durable sealed food
+ Stay at least 50 ft away from power lines
+ Anticipate, spot and avoid submerged obstacles and hazards
+ Ask for rescue and share your location if you need to. Just do it.

Consider:
+ Send ‘Still Ok’ or something to keep worried love ones informed
+ Share your location with someone safe & dry
+ Minimize watching scary and battery burning video (imo)
+ If your battery runs down, try to let someone know before you loose it
+ Ask safe & dry friends or family to do research and send updates

– – –

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?cone

http://grist.org/article/irma-the-strongest-atlantic-hurricane-in-history-keeps-getting-stronger/

* Always, grammar and spelling corrections are appreciated.

Are you new to twitter?

Finding a twitter app for your phone:

Don’t spend much energy on this yet. Your requirements will shift as you use Twitter.

Pick something free to start.

Finding people to follow:

Look at who your friends follow.

Ask people if they are on Twitter when gathering contact info.

Follow interesting lists like http://Ez.com/shrt

Finding poeple to follow you:

Don’t sweat it yet. They will find you.

Invite interesting friends & family to try it with you.

Miscellaneous:

Set twitter prefs to notify you via email or SMS when someone follows or @mentions you.

When a tweet includes @username that is a mention. Most Twitter apps will help the user see all tweets that mention them.

When a tweet starts with a @mention that is a reply; which will only be seen by the sender and the person mentioned AND tweeps who follow them both. Read more here: RT @adamsconsulting: Twitter 101 | A Refresher In @ Replies – http://Ez.com/replies

When you see RT what follows is a Quoted ReTweet. I included a ReTweet in the tip above.

Tweeps or tweeple or twpl or ppl are Twitter users.

Hashtags are words that start with # to tag a tweet so it will be found via searches for that tag. #ThisIsATag #thistoo #twitterTips

Bill Gates, “We’re approaching the second decade of (the) digital age”

“Microsoft’s Bill Gates talks tech, Web in South Korea“, By KELLY OLSEN, Tri-City Herald

The Internet is about 30 years old … and Microsoft’s first OS to ship with Internet awareness was Windows 95, late in 1995, almost 2 decades after the party started.

Sheesh … WHY do people buy products from this person? PLEASE … PLEASE … STOP! Please do not buy a car that has Microsoft software inside. I don’t want to wait while you reboot it in an intersection.

Scobleizer: “12 reasons Web 2.0 entrepreneurs like Ross tell me that they aren’t using Microsoft’s stuff”

Well … that list certainly proved to be accurate … here three years later.

solid vs stranded wire RJ45 crimp-on connectors

What a day … I’ve just learned something that should end years of anguish!

For years I’ve built my own ethernet cables, hundreds of them. From time to time I would struggle getting a reliable cable made, crimping on many connectors sometimes only to clip them off and try another before getting a reliable cable built.

Today a colleague taught me that there are two kinds of RJ45 crimp-on connectors and that when you try to use connectors designed for stranded wire but the cable is solid wire it is very difficult to build a reliable cable.

Sheesh! I can’t wait to toss my stranded wire connectors and get new ones that should work much better with my solid wire cable!

When buying connectors be sure to ask for the right ones.

When you view an unused RJ45 connector from the side the solid wire design has a single tip on the bottom of each contact to pierce the insulation to make contact when crimped and the stranded design has two piercing tips.

fyi

Senduit.com for sending a file to someone

Need to send a file to someone? Try Senduit

Snapshots – to clipboard rather than Picture files

Mac OS X Tip of the Week: Secret Screen Capture Shortcut
You may already know about the keyboard shortcut to capture a picture of your screen. But did you know that there’s a keyboard shortcut to snap a screenshot and automatically copy it to your Clipboard?

Snapshots – cancel

If you want to cancel a snapshot without taking one, just hit the escape key before clicking anywhere

Snapshots – menus

To get a snapshot of a menu:

Click the item to display a menu
Then hit Shift-Command-4
Then hit Space
Then Click on the displayed menu

Snapshots – Shift-Command-4 … Space

When using Shift-Command-4 to make a snapshot, if you follow Shift-Command-4 with Spacebar, the cursor will change from a cross-hare to a camera. Move the camera over and click any window to get a perfect snapshot of that window rather than having to drag to select an area.

Shift-Command-4
Then Space
Then Click the window you want (even if it isn’t the front window)