Kibbles & Bytes Blog

The temperatures here in the Green Mountains are supposed to get closer to normal this weekend but still warmer than the average March. With the snow melted and the roads thawing, we have entered one of Vermont’s “shoulder” seasons–mud season. This year seems to be a bit milder than last, but I still needed to use my 4-wheel drive pickup truck to get up Prickly Mountain a few times.

Thank you for reading this issue of Kibbles & Bytes. We know it is you, our loyal customers, who pay our salaries and we thank you for your support and patronage. Please let us know if there is any way we can improve our customer experience!

Your Kibbles & Bytes Team,
_Don, Kali & Dawn_

I’m “one of those” people who doesn’t start her taxes until about April 14th (I’m joking. Sort of.), so for those of you…

Here’s a special in honor of the Manchester store. (If you go in to see the crew there, be sure to ask to see them crash their helicopter).

*For one week only, get the Griffin HELO Helicopter for iPod, iPhone and iPad for $10 off!*

I have been in love with Keynote since Steve Jobs first announced it back in 2003 at Macworld EXPO. During my time at The Warren School, Keynote was THE application that I could use with any aged student and any ability teacher. This application just makes sense. Unless of course you tell 7-year-old kids, “We’re going to make a slide show” and they respond, “What’s a slide?”

One of the exercises that I did with the first and second grade was to have them take three pictures of themselves in Photo Booth being happy, sad, and silly. Then I’d have them create the Keynote presentations where each slide had their picture and the word that described their emotion.

Bing, bang, boom–they would pick things up within 20 minutes. This 20 minutes of playing was usually enough to get them using the software without any assistance from me. Getting them to stop using PhotoBooth is a completely different story!

Keynote is also a great app to get less brave adults using presentation software. There’s just something about the interface that everyone just understands. And it’s a great way to get people to learn about the Inspector palette that Apple uses in all of their iWork software.

If you don’t yet own iWork and want to purchase *Keynote for the Mac, $19.99,* “*click here.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id409183694?mt=12%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30
__(opens the Mac App Store)__

To purchase *Keynote for iOS, $9.99,* “*click here.*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/keynote/id361285480?mt=8%26uo%3D6%26partnerId%3D30 __(opens the iTunes Store)__

*Start Soapbox*

This week marked the end of the 20-year operating license for Vermont’s only nuclear power station, Vermont Yankee. Even though the Vermont legislature voted overwhelmingly to deny a renewal of the plant’s operating license, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission overruled the state and granted the aging plant another 20-year license despite a series of safety issues including a cooling tower collapse and leaks of radioactive material into the ground water. The owners of the plant misled legislators and now the issue will likely be tied up in court for years to come.

Vermont utilities have already made other contractual arrangements for power for the state and as of today, none of the power from Vermont Yankee will be coming to Vermont. The Vermont Public Service board must issue a Certificate of Public Good for the plant to continue and it is a stretch to find public good if our citizens do not even get the power generated from the plant.

Without the subsidies including limitation of liability from the government, this plant would not be economical to run. One of the main reasons that more nuclear plants are not being built is our current economic state.

The reality of nuclear waste is even more disconcerting to me. There is no long term solution to the storage of the nuclear waste generated by this plant. This plant is of the same antique design as the Fukushima reactors and I have serious concerns about what we are going to do with tons of nuclear waste sitting on the banks of the Connecticut River. It seems that this issue is constantly swept under the rug but without a solution, there is no way to call nuclear energy a “clean” energy source.

The alternative is the continued development of renewable and dispersed energy sources. Wind, solar, biomass, geothermal are only some of the energy sources that are better suited to serve our energy needs. Even more vital is the acceleration of conservation and efficiency programs. The least expensive and cleanest energy we can get is the energy that we do not use.

There are endless ways that energy is wasted, from those gigantic outdoor patio heaters to advertising lighting that remains on all night. A concentrated and urgent conservation and efficiency effort can reduce our energy requirements with little impact on our lifestyle, and it would make the dangerous use of antique nuclear generators unnecessary.

It is time for Vermont Yankee to be closed on schedule and the decommissioning of the plant to begin.

*End Soapbox*

“*Weigh in on this topic on our blog, Barkings!*”:http://blog.smalldog.com/article/close-vermont-yankee-on-schedule/#comment

Well, I finally made it to Small Dog Electronics store in Manchester, NH. I spent Wednesday meeting with several media contacts, got a tour of the WMUR-TV station, and generally enjoyed the incredibly warm weather while I got a first hand look at Manchester.

The first things that you notice driving through or into Manchester are the enormous mill buildings. These buildings originally housed the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company which was started in 1831 and existed for just over a century. The Amoskeag, as the company is known, was the largest producer of cotton textiles in the world in the early 20th century. “*Here is a link*”:http://www.manchester-chamber.org/wp-content/uploads/ManchesterWalkingTour.pdf to a walking tour of Manchester that has some great photos and history of the city.

Our store is located in the Mall of New Hampshire which is just off of Route 101. Route 101 is the east-west highway that connects Hampton Beach on the east to Keene, NH* in the west. One of my first driving experiences in Drivers Ed was driving from my hometown of Townsend, MA to the Mall of New Hampshire. Good times, as they say. Good times.

What struck me most about my first visit to the store were how much I enjoyed the staff. Everyone is an Apple fan and they went out of their way to share their expertise. The store experience reminded me of the early days of Small Dog when everyone was a salesperson. I was struck by feeling of camaraderie and people working as a team. I had a great day and can’t wait to spend more time there. Be sure if you are within driving distance to get to the store. You won’t be disappointed.

*Check out an NH store-inspired special below!*

__*Editor’s note: Keene was my first New England town–great memories! (-KH)__