Category: Computers

Categories
Advertising Blogging Computers Driving Holidays Home Shopping Television Travel Weather

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

It’s time to kick it with the final ‘Grab Bag’ of 2009. Let’s rock and roll:

1.  Technology-wise I made GINORMOUS strides in 2009. I ditched analog cable television after nearly 25 years and switched over to AT&T U-verse. That switch included my first experience with a modern DVR; thus, upgrading me from VHS (gasp !) and DVD recording of television shows. It also included my first exposure (believe it or not) with wireless technology. I now have two working computers – a fixed desktop and a roaming wireless laptop. I’ve also got a real nice digital (DECT 6.0) telephone system in place with three handsets scattered around my home. Just last week I bought my very first LCD HDTV set, and I upgraded my AT&T U-verse to enable all of the HD channels. Everything looks sparkling bright and amazingly clear in HD !  That’s a lot of technological change I can believe in for a single year !  What shall 2010 bring me that’s modern, new, and exciting ?  BRING IT ON !

2.  As far as sleek new personal hygiene products are concerned I haven’t been very successful with them in the past. I lost count of how many nose and ear hair trimmers I’ve bought that I used just a few times until I realized that they hardly worked efficiently. So you can imagine my skepticism when I saw ‘The Essential Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver’ from Mangroomer on sale at Bed Bath & Beyond. I bought it this past Sunday morning, and I used it that same afternoon. Let’s just say that for the first time in several years I now have a non-hairy and somewhat smoothly shaved back. It actually feels weird like that – and cool like that at the same time. Thank You Mangroomer for such a spectacular personal hygiene product that I can believe in !

3.  Why is it that the Christmas spirit (the decorations, the cards, the shopping, the gift giving, etc.) seems to begin earlier and earlier each year (right after Halloween it seems), but then it all comes crashing down on the first day after Christmas. I actually know people who took down all of their decorations and threw their Christmas tree out with the garbage on the 26TH of December !  What’s THAT all about ?  Aside from the whole true meaning of Christmas being lost in the first place whatever happened to the “12 Days Of Christmas” ?  They start on Christmas Day (the 1ST day of Christmas) and then continue on through January 05TH (the 12TH day of Christmas). That’s followed by Epiphany on January 06TH. Don’t be a Scrooge. Keep the Christmas spirit alive !

4.  It appears that I’ll be taking a nice long drive up to the Jacksonville Florida area sometime within the next couple of weeks to discuss local real estate conditions with the management company that’s currently managing my newly acquired home up there. I have a lot of critical decisions and corresponding actions to make soon that have a lot of legal and financial ramifications. Hopefully this situation will work out beneficially for me, my parents, and the management company.

5.  It was a cold morning this morning in and around Homestead with 47°F officially at the air base with wind chills deep down into the lower-40s !  Tomorrow morning I’m forecasting a low temperature at 7 AM of perhaps 8°F milder – right around 55°F (still a bit nippy). Our next cold front arrives with a vengeance from the northwest during the day on New Year’s Day – and it’ll be a doozy !  It’ll be the start of an extended cold snap for us that could last for 5 to 7 days with daytime highs stuck in the 60s and nighttime lows deep down into the 40s with even some 30s possible out in the Everglades. Cold weather fans (hello there Ela O.) – you’re gonna love it !

Be sure to check out my ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ LIVE this New Year’s Eve here on the blog that’s cool like that. You won’t regret it pal !

Categories
Blogging Career Computers Driving Food History Holidays Internet Music People Travel Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– For the first time ever I’ve got 2 systems connected to the ‘Net simultaneously.
– I bought a ‘Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adapter‘ for my antique laptop.
– That’s the laptop that was my main system before I bought my new desktop.
– It’s so old that wireless technology was a mere option when it was new.
– Now I can access the Internet whereever there’s Wi-Fi.
– OK so I’m about 5 years behind the times here – at least I arrived.
– This suddenly rejuvenated laptop is going on a long road trip with me !
– Next Thursday night at this time I’ll be on vacation.
– I’m actually working for about 5 hours next Thursday morning.
– After that I’m off for the rest of the month.
– I return back to work to celebrate my 22ND anniversary at the air base.
– I’ve got an early departure time to hit the road next Friday morning.
– I’ve got about 825 miles to cover on the first day of my road trip.
– I can’t wait to get out on that open road.
– Late this morning I ventured over to Beef ‘O’ Brady’s for Lunch.
– I rarely eat cheeseburgers nowadays, but when I do Beef’s is the place.
– They also serve up some mightly tasty buffalo wings !
– Pretty much everything that I’ve ordered there was hot and delicious.
– Well the cold air from the north is advecting our area as I type this.
– Once the skies clear out our temperatures will tumble rapidly.
– I’m forecasting a low of 56° for Homestead from 6 AM to 7 AM on Friday.
– But wind chills will actually be closer to 50° !
– Tomorrow (Friday) we will struggle to reach 75°.
– It’ll be another chilly morning on Saturday.
– I can’t wait until I can walk around my neighbourhood in it !
– That’s right – I’m doin’ a ‘Walk-A-Thon’ on Saturday morning.
– This Saturday night on the ‘Retro’ I’ve got a funky Neil Sedaka from 1975.
– But first before that we’re gonna do the “Jungle Boogie” at the ‘Disco Party’.
– Be sure not to miss those weekend shenanigans.
– Those are my ‘Mini Thoughts’ for this Thursday night.
– I thank you for checking them out, and I’ll see ya back here tomorrow.
– In the meantime – REMEMBER THIS !

Chris At The Beach

Categories
Computers History Internet

Monday Night Countdown

This week it’s the TOP 5 greatest Microsoft Windows operating systems of all-time:

1.  Windows 98 – It was the greatest Windows ever made, as it fixed everything that was wrong with Windows 95. I was utilizing at least one remaining Windows 98 system at work all the way up until the Summer of 2007. That operating system was tough !

2.  Windows XP – Ask me again in another year (or less) and I may declare this to be even greater than Windows 98. Over 8 years after its initial worldwide debut at retail this is still by a MASSIVE margin the most utilized operating system – Microsoft or otherwise – in the entire universe. Its current market share ranges somewhere between 60% and 70%. Most of the systems that I manage at work are dependable Windows XP systems.

3.  Windows Vista – I bought my current Windows Vista system at home during the Summer of 2008, and I’m very happy with it. I like Windows Vista a lot. We only have a few systems at my workplace that use it though. Eventually those will get upgraded from XP to Vista through attrition. From what I understand the brand new Windows 7 is to Windows Vista as Windows 98 was to Windows 95. It fixes what was wrong with its predecessor, and it adds a bunch of cool new features.

4.  Windows 3.1 – I had never heard of Windows before this version that was on my very first modern desktop computer system that I bought about 17 years ago in 1992. That was a cool little 486SX (that cost a small bundle). My original dial-up bulletin board system and subsequent web sites that were the ancestors of this here blog were born on that very first system – courtesy of Windows 3.1.

5.  Windows 2000 – This was technically the debut of Windows 5.0, and Windows XP was technically Windows 5.1. My experience with Windows 2000 systems at work was rather limited as we stuck with Windows 98 for an extended period of time and then went straight to Windows XP. Windows 2000 had its issues, but it certainly was nowhere near the debacle that was Windows ME !

Categories
Annoyances Blogging Computers Food God History Holidays Music People Philosophy Politics

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– Let’s get spontaneous.
– Let’s get radical.
– It’s another night of ‘thoughts’ here on the big blue blog.
– On Sunday it’s my thoughts from Life Pointe Church.
– On Tuesday it’s the thoughts that started it all – in paragraph form.
– On Thursday it’s my ‘Mini Thoughts’ – in 15 words or less.
– So that’s where we are.
– My telephone has been ringing off the hook lately.
– All of the calls (dozens so far) have been from people and numbers unknown.
– The joke is on them, as I never ever answer the telephone from unknowns.
– Most of the calls are City Of Homestead election-related.
– I already absentee voted – so there !
– There’s not enough love in this world.
– Some people just don’t know how to treat other people with respect.
– Why are a lot of those people on television ?
– I am a Creationist, and I always have been.
– In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
– It doesn’t get any more straightforward and real than that.
– Windows 7 is out today at retail.
– It is to Windows Vista as Windows 98 was to Windows 95.
– Windows 98 was the greatest operating system ever made.
– It fixed everything that was wrong with Windows 95.
– Windows XP was the 2ND greatest operating system ever made.
– It more than made up for the whole Windows ME / Windows 2000 debacle.
– We still use Windows XP today at work.
– Just as soon as these ‘Mini Thoughts’ are posted I plan to eat a rare Dinner.
– There’s a Marie Callender meal in my not-too-distant future.
– My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
– Don’t forget that tomorrow night is Disco night on here.
– I’ve got a special double-feature planned.
– It includes one of the funkiest Disco songs ever made – complete with afros !
– Then on ‘Saturday Night Retro’ Halloween starts a week early.
– I’m taking you back to that house on the hill.
– Be sure to be here to have some fun.
– You won’t regret it pal !
– Laterz Gatorz !