Monday Musings...
Score one for the Ft. Wayne Komets hockey team for winning their SECOND Turner Cup.
Two in a row...that's the way to do it.
I haven't seen anything like this since the Philadelphia Flyers won back-to-back Stanley cups in 1974-1975!
WTG, people.
Glad to see the city get a lot more ON BOARD this year than last, too.
Nice job, and one helluva way to kick off the weekend here. But it wasn't all sunshine and lollipops at out house, sadly.
Score another victory for technology.
We are now the recipients of another "new" computer.
The good news is that it's HALF the size of the former CPU.
It's also so DAMN quiet, I can't tell if it's on most of the time.
The bad news is that we spent the better part of the weekend getting the stupid thing to recognize our BROADBAND connection with AOHELL!
Don'cha just LOVE technology?
After much angst, some technical perspicacity, and a bit of luck, by late yesterday afternoon, it FINALLY decided to function as intended.
So let me issue a word of caution:
Be VERY careful when using BOTH AOL and AVG software.
They don't like to "play nicely", apparently.
Fortunately for US, we do have a fantastic computer tech with a Masters degree in computer engineering, along with a Bachelors in Information Systems and he's a grad of Purdue. Can't really beat THOSE kind of credentials, can you?
I told him he should get a job TEACHING at M.I.T. of Cal Tech...they could LEARN from this man, believe me.
And "on the side", he designs robots that can CLEAN FLOORS!
Interestingly enough, the weekend DID start out on a better note.
As I was pumping gas, after we had finished our shopping and were heading back home, The FWPD's COMMANNDO V-100 (armored vehicle, like the one seen here) drove right past me at the pump. Now my first thought was "gonna tank up?"
But it continued through the station, located along Bluffton Road, across the street to the EAGLE LODGE, where the police and fire departments had a get together of some sort.
My wife commented that "I bet that made your day, hmm?".
Tell you what...it came DAMN close!
I was jazzed for some time over that.
Now...if I could get a RIDE-ALONG in it...LOL!
As to the balance of the weekend?
The good news was that I didn't have to chase any kids off the property.
The bad news is that we had way too many boomcars in the area.
But I still have my "plan", if the FWPD agrees to consider it and implement it.
But back to all this technology...
You regular readers KNOW that I'm not too fond of technology, and with good reason.
I dislike anything that is put to market without proper testing.
I think all this "planned obsolescence" that's built into most everything today needs to be placed in check.
Not everyone is fortunate (or rich) enough to replace or repair anything and everything they own that has any smattering of electronics on board way before any and all warranties expire.
You don't buy something ONLY to replace it less than a year later.
And you don't go changing up "technologies" for the sole purpose of bilking the public.
I found that BETA VCRs worked damn well...better than VHS. Yet I still have BOTH in working order.
I like my DVD player just fine, but don't see the "need" (nor reason) to get a BLU-RAY.
I'm one of those people that thinks that "If something works and works well, WHY mess with it?"
And that can truly be said for "digital" television.
I loved the old ANALOG version just fine. Never had ANY problem with it.
But "someone" must think we're all made of money, so off they go, creating digital TV, and in HD as well. Sorry, but as I've said before...If I want to have HDTV, I just PUT ON MY GLASSES...!
I don't need to play "count the blemishes" with every person doing the 6 O'clock news, do I?
Yet here we are...FORCED into getting something we really don't need (and many don't even want), all because "someone else" thinks we DO need it (so they can make money off of us).
Now excuse my "French", but that's been pretty f*cking presumptive AND selfish.
Computer software seems to change (I prefer to say mutate...like a virus) almost HOURLY, so who the hell can keep up with all that anyway, hmm?
I'm not competing with anyone to see who has "the most" of anything, so I'm really not partaking in all this "fun".
Many others DO, however.
Damn shame. That (wasted) money could be put to better use...IF ONLY they'd pay attention to the people reaching into their pockets and emptying their bank accounts.
Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE the free enterprise system and capitalism. Hell, it's what is supposed to keep THIS nation economically viable (though you wouldn't know it by today's' news).
But provide me with something that WORKS...and works AS DESIGNED. And, for God's sake, don't make it so it fails before the shine wears off of it, OK?
Doesn't seem like too much to ask for, does it?
Most of all, TRY and make it...IN AMERICA!
I suppose there is a market for CHEAP labor, but when I buy something that's made in a country that pays it's workforce less than several hundred of OUR dollars a YEAR, I just don't think that quality is gonna be there.
Conversely, I also think that when America pays it's workers obscenely LARGE amounts of money for (hourly) work that is worth less than half the money it's actually worth, THAT also needs to be addressed.
And that's why car companies HERE are in the situation they are...
We've been too long playing the "Wheel of Torture" when it comes to our economy. Endless years of inflation, pay raises, cost increases, tax increases, layoff, more inflation, more of the rest, all designed to make the few very wealthy...at your expense.
Sadly, this is one puzzle that has no easy solution, no matter how many vowels you buy.
But, we CAN be frugal.
We CAN be attentive and read up on things before we buy them.
We CAN comparison shop.
We can do ALL these things, and perhaps more.
When it comes down to it, you will see that the true test of any economic problem will be solved by the PEOPLE.
It's the "everyman and everywoman" that make the REAL difference, but never let the powers that be know that...they think THEY run the show. And they're not adverse to telling us as much all to frequently.
We know differently, though...don't we?
Finally, this week is NATIONAL POLICE WEEK...so get out there and go thank an officer (or two).
And while you're at it...
Stay safe out there, America.