Since you're on a Computer, Read about Operating Systems!

Once again, it takes me a while to post things on the blog. I guess part of it is I'm still trying to get things back to something resembling normal. Although I highly doubt what I used to know as normal will ever be my normal again. Of course, I could try and talk about politics again, but once I realized that popularity contest known as the Presidential election is now officially underway with Senator Cruz's announcement, my brain did an automatic 'check out'. So, I'll just talk about something I've been doing that's slightly less controversial. Computers and operating systems.

I have a number of older computers in the house. At least I judge them as older when you consider the operating systems found on them. As of January, I had one operating on Windows XP, three operating on Windows Vista, one operating on Windows 7, and one on Windows 8.1.

I'm the (un)official tech support for the house. When one family member has an issue with their machine, I get either a frantic phone call at work, or a 'dad, can you look at...?' when I'm at home. I'm not a 'techno geek' by any stretch of the imagination, but I would put my knowledge level at the 'knows just enough to be dangerous'.

My method of trouble shooting is encapsulated in the phrase (and I can't claim this as my original) 'Google is my friend.' I put the operating system and the error into the search, and more often than not I can find a fairly simple method of fixing it. It may involve going to the command prompt and putting some commands in, but it's not anything I would consider 'graduate' level.

I ran into a problem with one of the children's Vista machines. The recommended resolutions for the error listed were either playing with registry keys (moving into graduate level) or reinstalling the operating system. I just wasn't comfortable with the registry key instructions. Since I didn't have a spare system disk laying around, and I wasn't about to shell out the money required for said system disk, I stared looking into alternatives.

I would dare to say people are only familiar with the Windows family of operating systems for computers. Microsoft has made it so their systems are well known and fairly easy to use. They're not perfect (not by a long shot), and they do have a number of issues. One of the reasons Google works so well for finding out how to fix problems with Windows is because of the number of issues Windows has. I had been aware of 'the other side' of computer operating systems (known as Linux), and more specifically the distribution (OS) known as Ubuntu. I started looking at how easy Ubuntu or other Linux type systems would be to use and install. After some looking and asking around, I finally chose the Linux Mint system. You can read more about it here.

I have to admit, the system itself was easy to install, the hardware worked without any issues, and the installation even recognized a Windows operating system was on the computer and asked whether I wanted to install Mint alongside (dual boot – where you choose the operating system you go into every time you boot up the computer), or install over the Windows OS. For this situation, I needed to install over the Windows OS.

The next task I undertook was to update the Windows XP computer. Although I enjoyed XP, and thought it was one of the better Windows OS's, it is no longer supported by Microsoft. And considering the machine running it wouldn't have handled an upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 (I doubt it could even handle an upgrade to Vista) I decided to switch that one to Mint. It handled the switch OK, with one issue. The wireless network card was one of those that had proprietary drivers. Now what? I went back to Google. There was also a community I could look into as well. I found the necessary commands, and got that to work.

For my final trick, I decided to put two machines into a dual-boot configuration. One Vista machine (the one I work on) and the Windows 7 machine (which is the wife's. I don't think the eldest would let me touch the Windows 8 machine). I had to do some looking into some higher level tasks to prepare them (unallocating some hard drive space in particular), but there were no problems. Both computers boot up and run Linux faster than Windows, but Windows still runs with no new issues from having Linux installed.

To me, the operating system is simply a tool for people to use. If you're using your computer to access the internet, do email, and maybe some simple writing and work tasks, then in my opinion Linux Mint (and most other Linux distributions) is a viable alternative to Windows operating systems. It doesn't require a lot of RAM or hard drive space to run the OS itself, and perhaps most importantly, it's free for download and installation. If you have a lot of games, or do a lot of gaming, then it gets a bit more difficult but there are software packages that allow you to run Windows games. Not much else, but at least you can install your Windows games and play those. Not that this was a review, but if you ask me, having choices is always better.

My goodness, it has been a long time

     I looked at how long it had been since I posted here, and it’s been almost a year. Thankfully I don’t rely on my writing to provide income, or I would have starved long before this. Anyway, the many months that went by had a lot of things going on for me and my family. Work, school, and just daily life seemed to consume the days and weeks. There were times I considered writing something, and even began to put some ideas down, but I just couldn’t seem to finalize them. Politics? I feel like I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t write something without shocking friends and family with my views, so for now I’m going to follow the maxim of ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.’

     I can’t say I did no writing at all during this time. I participated with two of my daughters this last November in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). I was able to write over 50,000 words and I have at least a (very) rough draft of a novel. I’m trying to sit down now and edit it as best I can to try and clean up some of the inconsistencies I know exist in the text. Hopefully I can do that sooner rather than later. What will I do with said novel? I’m not sure. No one other than me has read it so far, and so I’m not sure if it would have any mass appeal, or be worthy of attempting to publish it. That’s something for the future.

     Unfortunately, we didn’t have a garden this last year, as the house we rent was supposed to be painted (in the end they didn’t paint, so we will see what happens this year). We were able to purchase fresh vegetables, so we were able to continue canning. We even added some new items to our repertoire, pickles and turkey broth (yes, the last one was done with the remains of our turkey carcass from Thanksgiving). When you look at it, there are so many things you can home process/can that help you eat healthier.

     Health? That seems to have been one of the more interesting things this year. In the eye department, I decided to go back to wearing contacts. I quit wearing them due to my military career, and now that I’m done with the military, I finally went back to them. I found I prefer the clear peripheral vision they provide and they seem to make my vision clearer than glasses.

     I’ve also continued my post-heart attack recovery and life changes, but I seemed to hit a ‘plateau’ after a while. I couldn’t seem to improve my energy level, and there were also other ‘symptoms’ that seemed to indicate I had something else going on. However, I continued in true male fashion of ignoring what was going on. That worked so well for me before, didn’t it? Finally, I had some blood work done for a cardiology appointment. The day AFTER Thanksgiving, I received an email notice the blood test results were in (isn’t technology wonderful?). I go to the account I have set up for such things, and start perusing the results. Cholesterol? Better, but not where the doctor wants it. I figured that would be the case, so I wasn’t surprised.

     I start looking through the other tests out of curiosity. I finally got to blood sugar. The result? 235. Excuse me? Where did this come from? So I had to wait until Monday to talk to my regular doctor (who didn’t order the test) and say, ‘I saw this result in these blood tests, can we talk about this?’ I go in to the doctor, talk about the test and my other symptoms, do another couple tests (the dreaded A1C included) and go home with a diagnosis of diabetes. The next day, those new tests come back to include an A1C over 11 (normal is 4.5 to 6, with diabetes being over 6.5). The doctor labeled it ‘significant’ and ‘without control’ (anyone know the difference between with and without control? I have some ideas, but I’m not sure). So, what now? I get to poke myself daily, take horse pills (metformin), and hopefully keep more bad things from happening to me. I got to take one medication off my list for cardiac, so number of meds stayed the same. My Lipitor was increased (no surprise) so we’ll see how we’re doing a little farther down the road.


     I’m going to try and be better about posting things on a somewhat regular basis, and maybe I’ll even take the gag off and rant and rave about politics. Not until after Lent, though. I don’t need to add to my confessions voluntarily.

A ‘Vote of No Confidence’

 

     I know, I’m silent for months and then I start putting out multiple posts in a week.  It’s all part of the fits and starts with me.  Sometimes I can’t put things together for months and then it’s a big blaze of posts all at once.  Just bear with me on this one, as I try to work through my thoughts.

     I have some difficulty with recent events regarding the ‘outing’ if you will of Mozilla’s CEO (he gave $1,000 in 2008 to a group which did not want California to have same-sex marriage) and the subsequent reaction by both sides before and after his resignation.  It’s not whether or not I agree with his opinion (he is more than welcome to it), or his choice to resign (if you’re becoming the focus instead of the company, than maybe you need to remove yourself from the situation).  I have an issue with this concept of ‘boycotting’ a product or company seemingly for almost no reason.

     Here is what gets to me. Calling for a boycott of Mozilla products (or Chik-fil-A as another example) for whatever reason says to me that you don’t believe simply telling your friends, family, neighbors, and acquaintances that you will no longer use said product is not enough to achieve your desired result. Or, more specifically, you don’t believe your position is in the majority (aren’t we supposed to be under the rule of the majority?) and so you intend to force your position through coercion rather than reason.

     Allow me to give an example of what I mean:  I do not like Rite Aid.  I have used them in the past, and their customer service has left much to be desired.  As a result, I do not get my prescriptions from them and avoid shopping there for anything.  I also let people know (when an appropriate situation comes up) that I will not shop there and why.  Is that a boycott?  No.  In my mind, it is a choice.  I have ‘voted’ if you will with my feet and my wallet.  Now, if enough people follow my lead (or maybe I’m following someone else’s lead, who knows?) then their bottom line will suffer to the point they will either change (feedback is important) or go out of business.

     To summarize, I believe screaming ‘boycott!!!’ because a business does,or doesn’t do something you think is right is ‘quitting the field’ of persuasion because you either can’t be bothered to try and persuade others, or you’re just being selfish and throwing a tantrum to get what you want.  Either way, to the adults of the world you end up looking and sounding childish.

So this is what it takes to get me back to blogging

 

     Yeah, I know, it’s been a really long time.  I went and looked at my blog and realized it’s been almost six months (October 2013 was the last post) since I last posted.  It’s not that there weren’t things to post about.  Christmas, New Years, current events, I would see something and start thinking ‘I should post about this’. Then life would take over and it would be two weeks later and the momentum for posting was gone.  But now, I’ve latched on to something and I’m not going to let go.  So, damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, and off I go...

     Political minded individuals are aware the Supreme Court decided today that there should not be any limits to how much an individual (or corporation – I believe they can be considered the same thing for the purposes of money and campaigns) can donate to campaigns.  The bottom line is:  for those individuals and entities who are so inclined, they can contribute the maximum individual amount (there is still a limit to how much can be given to an individual campaign) to as many campaigns as they like.  So, now your favorite bogeyman (George Soros or the Koch brothers are the best known for both sides of the political spectrum), can spend as much money as they like on as many races as possible to get the government they want into power.  Does it scare you?  Maybe it should.

     There are some people who believe this is another of those decisions that signal the end of the republic (or at least the end of the world as we know it – yes I like that using that phrase just to give people the earworm), others believe this is freedom.  I tend to look at it this way:  Those who have the money can spend it on the candidates they want, as many as they want.  I do not have a lot of disposable income that I can invest in the political process, and the only thing I have is my vote.  This decision tells me that money is more important than voting.  Remember the golden rule.  No, not the ‘do unto others’ one, that’s just crazy talk, the one I’m thinking of is ‘ he who has the gold, makes the rules.’  Money has spoken, and the vote just lost part of its voice.  How long before voting has no voice?

End of the Garden Year 2013

 

     It actually happened around the 4th of October (that’s when the frost hit the plants), but I haven’t taken the time to sit down and assess the gardening this year.  But, I figure I can take the time now, after all the plants were pulled, the ground tilled (yes, I’m in at least good enough condition to till – with lots of breaks) and I can start thinking about next year.

     As far as the plants grown from seeds, they were overall a success.  We were able to get green beans, peas, and carrots to use as fresh vegetables or to can.  We still have some pints of canned green beans and there are still some peas in the freezer.  We didn’t get quite as much as I might have hoped or wanted, but it was better than getting nothing.

     The plants did not do quite as well.  The green peppers just did not ever get going.  I think it was probably their placement, as they didn’t get quite enough sun to truly produce fruit.  The weather may have also played a factor.  The tomatoes weren’t too bad, we were able to get some for salads, but I didn’t get them caged or staked and the two plants we had fell over.  They still continued to produce fruit after falling over, but I didn’t get them off the plant before the frost hit.  Lost some, but not too many. 

     The cucumbers did OK, we got a couple that we could use in salads, but not enough to consider pickling.  The zucchini did not do very well.  We only got one or two small fruit, and there were quite a few others that spoiled on the plant.  We didn’t get any squash either.  Again, that might have been placement, as I don’t think I gave the plants enough room to spread out.

     So, how am I going to fix this for next year?  I’m certainly not planning to cut down on plants, so the only choice in the matter was to expand.  I decided to mark out where I wanted the garden for next year and ‘busted’ the sod.  I didn’t have enough time or energy to rake the area out, but I’m hoping that will make it easier come next spring.  I’ll also try and have more assistance when I actually start preparing the area.

     The bottom line for this year:  It was a definite learning experience, and there were enough good results for me not to be discouraged.  Next spring I intend to be back at it with an even bigger plot to work with.

Just a rant

 

     OK, this idiocy categorized as the government shutdown has been going on for almost two weeks now.  There doesn’t appear to be an end in sight, and when there might be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out to be a freight train attempting to run us (the country collectively) over.  Both parties in power have barely moved from their starting positions.  If someone isn’t careful, or some sense of agreement doesn’t start showing, this country is in serious danger of going down in pyrrhic glory.  I’m not in as bad of shape as some, as I was one of the ‘lucky people’ to get to go back to work, but there’s no longer any guarantee of anything at this point, so that is definitely coloring my perspective.

     I thought we elected people to represent us.  Is this situation really what we wanted the people to represent us to give us?  Now that I think about it, when you look at the perspectives being expounded by those on the left and the right on the internet and across the radio and TV, maybe it is.  People want what they want, and to hell with everyone else.  Apparently we are no longer a ‘society’ but rather a group of individuals who happen to inhabit the same geographical area.

     I thought the Constitution was designed at least in part to protect its people.  Allowing things to continue like this is not protecting people.  The shutdown and the resulting furloughs, park closures, etc., seem to be designed to cause maximum harm.  And the government we have in place (and I am including all branches of the government in this)appears to be incapable of protecting us anymore.  What does that say about this country and the people we have running it?

     For those who are of the opinion that ‘the government shutdown/impending debt ceiling fight is a good thing’, take a look around when you are out and about.  The people you see are being affected by this, whether directly or indirectly.  I ask you to think about what that says about you, if you are willing to inflict suffering on other people in such a seemingly callous manner?

     You’re upset about how much the government has influence on our lives?  Fortunately or unfortunately this is how our government and society is set up today.  Want to go back to how the government ran when this country started?  That is not realistically possible.  In other words, that horse has left the barn.  Our government and society has evolved and changed due to the different incidents and philosophies that have come and gone over the years, for better or worse. 

     Yeah, Ook has really come out swinging this time.  He’s howling and banging his club.

Well, this is unfortunate

(Image Credit artofmanliness.com)

     What do I mean by unfortunate?  Well, those who know me will know that I am an employee of the U.S. Government.  That means on October 1st, because the President and the Congress could not reach an agreement to fund the government either through continuing resolution or annual budget (I know, haven’t seen one of those for a while but they are supposed to be done), then non-essential portions of the government ‘shut down’ until the situation is resolved.  I was one of those considered ‘non-essential’ and was sent home after setting up my out of office for my work email (not with the snarky comment I wanted) and ensuring there were no ‘loose ends’ to be dealt with by the military personnel who now have to do their work and the civilians.

     The bottom line of this impasse (for lack of a better term) is:  the House of Representatives (controlled by one party) is holding funding for the government hostage in order to change a previously enacted law through ‘defunding’.  The Senate and President (the other party obviously) will not let the funding pass with the defunding legislation attached.  They ‘passed’ funding bills back and forth, with the only difference being the defunding legislation.  At this point, no one is talking, the fingers are pointing, and there appears to be no end in the immediate future.  Ideological purity has taken the place of governing, and apparently every issue is a ‘hill to die on’.  Everything is a fight instead of a negotiation.  The process of lawmaking no longer fits the ‘sausage making’ metaphor.  It better fits the ‘death matches’ of the Roman Coliseum, with the fervent party supporters playing the part of Caesar, determining the fate of the combatants.  Well, if you’ll excuse me I don’t want to have the gladiators, I’d rather have the governors.

     Now, as much as that law is based on good intentions (we all know where that leads), it is really the height of arrogance to think you can hold the government or the country hostage in order to change the law.  Last time I checked, that was what the legislative and judicial branches are for.  But hey, we can just throw everything out the window I guess.  Personally, I really do not care what political party or persuasion you are. If you cannot do what is necessary in order to ensure the government functions as smoothly as possible, then you do not deserve to be in office.I know I am taking this very personally, but I think I’m allowed.