I used to think that I was the only one with Wi-Fi problems. No one ever complained about their connection to  me. It didn’t matter if I was home, at someone else’s house, a restaurant, or a hotel, the Wi-Fi was always faulty. 

I have to admit that my wireless connections at home have been much better in the last year or two. That’s  because we have boosters all over the place. I don’t want to be reminded of all of the aggravation I went through to finally be able to work without interruption. 

Much to my surprise, other folks have been suffering too. They just didn’t want to admit it. The reason why I finally know is because leading tech journalists are celebrating the birth of Eero, a new system that uses mesh-networking technology to cover every inch of a home. The writers finally admitted their wireless frustrations. 

Both Re/code and Mashable did extensive stories on this new breakthough. All you have to do is click here for Re/code and here for Mashable.

And now in Miami Beach….

  Photos by Eliot Hess 

Miami Beach unveiled four new lifeguard stands this week. They are spread out from South Pointe Drive to 87th St. These lifeguard stations are considered landmarks. That’s why this is big news.

Eliot and I took a long walk on the beach yesterday to see one of the new structures. We found one on 4th St. Pretty, isn’t it? 

It was a gorgeous day at the beach.

   
   
Then we came across these birds in formation, kind of like Beyoncé’s half-time performance at the Super Bowl. 

  That’s all for now.
 

  

  

    
   

Cousins Irene and Allen came to visit us in Miami

 

Bill and Melinda Gates on Jimmy Fallon announcing Gates Notes.  

https://www.gatesnotes.com. 

The blog of Bill Gates …. Become a Gates Notes Insider for access to exclusive content and personalized reading.

Click here to find out about this new communications newsletter. 

 

 

   

 

 

 
I picked this story off of PR Newswire, a news agency that distributes electronic press releases. If you don’t have a PR agency and you do have $1,500 plus to spare, PR Newswire will do the work for you.

I have the agency’s app and can basically read everything that is issued. I was perusing the service today and came across a story that I thought would interest you. 

The beauty of spelling it out to you is that I’m allowed to use the press release in its entirety right on my blog. Companies that issue press releases love you to use their words.

I’m not going to bore you with all the details but I think it’s important for people our age to know that cruise ships are combining vacations with volunteering. There are many people in our demographic that feel that life is not complete unless you are helping others. 

Michelle Sutter is a long-time volunteer in such activities as mentoring single mother refugees from Africa and now a staffer for the new social impact-focused cruise line Fathom from Carnival Corporation. “Fun is an understatement. The experience of volunteering feeds your soul.”

Straight from the press reiease…

“Fathom is a cruise line created specifically for people who love to travel and want to make a difference in the world. On the 704-passenger Adonia, set to debut on cruises from Miami to the Dominican Republic in April, passengers will have opportunity to spend up to three days helping locals. And starting May 1, Carnival Corporation is planning to launch Fathom cruises to Cuba with guests participating in specially designed cultural exchange activities.

“Included are on-the-ship seminars and organized experiences on land. In the Dominican Republic, for instance, Fathom travelers will volunteer to teach conversational English to kids in nearby schools, assist local entrepreneurs at, for instance, a chocolate cooperative, and make water filters out of locally sourced clay and other materials, help with forestation projects and participate in other one-on-one activities – with time, if a traveler chooses, to spend on the beach or in cultural pursuits.”

Seabourn offers tours of  “UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the World of Gaudi (including Sagrada Familia Cathedral) in Barcelona, and the line will make a small donation on your behalf to the UNESCO World Heritage Fund.

“In Germany, AIDA Cruises passengers can participate in New Year’s Eve fundraising raffles to raise money for the German-based SOS Children’s Villages, in support of refugee and disaster relief. Through the non-profit Association of AIDA Friends of the Ocean, guests and cruise line employees also have opportunity to assist environmental and marine conservation efforts including beach cleanups.

“The “Born to Knit” program on P&O Cruises Australia ships encourages socializing as a group while they knit blankets for newborn babies on the island nation of Vanuatu, one of the destinations the line’s ships visit. For $10, passengers can purchase a knitting kit and instructions. Hundreds of blankets have been completed and donated to the maternity ward of the Vila Central Hospital in Port Vila, Vanuatu.”

There are other options. Read the entire press reiease here. 
.

Just another day in South Beach. Fashion models from all of the agencies came out in droves to play quasi naked volleyball. The official name was Miami Model Volleyball Tournament. It was a photo opportunity dream.