I think I actually solved the photos import! After trying to import photos from the OLD mac to the NEW one and letting it process for 3 days (!), I gave up and clicked on "stop importing". It obviously wasn't working.
So I shut down both computers and looked at the possible cable connections. HDMI cables give the faster connections, but each has only one and the new monitor I bought only uses HDMI. So I couldn't connect the 2 macs that way.
And trying to import the OLD photo folder to the 4TBMy Passport external drive wasn't working.
So I had the thought of just COPYING the OLD iPhoto folder to it. Took 10 minutes! Then I ejected and unplugged the My Passport external drive and plugged it into the NEW mac. And restarted the NEW mac. (Always a good idea to restart after attached a new device)
Then I went to iPhotos and tried to import from the My Passport. Nothing... Gloom... The iPhoto Library folder stayed "greyed out" (not recognized) on My Passport. But I went back to Finder, and opened the file there. It opened there just fine!
So leaving it open, I went back to the NEW mac and opened iPhoto, chose "import", and moved my mouse to My Passport. The iPhoto folder was BLACK (recognized. I clicked OK (import)
AND IT STARTED IMMEDIATELY COPYING THE PHOTOS!
I can see the photos flashing by on the screen. Apparently there are 65,000 files. After an hour, there are 30,000 remaining, but IT IS WORKING! As the Scarecrow said in 'The Wizard Of Oz' "Oh Joy! Rapture!
Monday, February 10, 2020
Friday, February 7, 2020
Computer Problems 1
I'm going to just list the Title by numbers until this misery is over. And not try to list too much at once. This is all getting too bizarre.
The Mac Migration Assistant app says it will migrate all the OLD files, apps, photos, mail and user settings to the NEW computer. It didn't. I tried that twice. It did make me create several new user accounts. So I did some net searching and found a forum thread that said you have make sure to have only one admin account. OK, I checked and I had 3 on the NEWEST. I learned how to delete 2.
So Migration Assistant should have worked then. No. Just the Mac OS and the apps (I think). It's hard to tell; the NEWEST has apps.
So I decided to try to manually transfer my photos. Those are the most important files. I found they were actually in 3 places. On an old windows computer, on an "unnamed album", and in the primary iPhotos library. I imported the files from the old windows computer using a flash drive. So I started importing the "unnamed album" to the primary iPhoto library on the OLD Mac mini.
So far, it has been "preparing to import" for 12 hours. I know it is doing SOMETHING because my Activity Monitor app says it has read 215GB and written 190GB so far. So I dare not stop it. It MIGHT just be a horribly slow process. I mean, I have about 7,000+ photos in the "unnamed album" original size (1-5MB each).
It may just fail entirely. I'm going to bed soon, so I'll let it run overnight and see what happens.
Meanwhile, I'm getting quite an education about how Macs operate. In fact, while searching for answers on a Mac Help Forum, I was actually able to answer someone else's question about where the iPhoto files are stored!
Oddly, the NEWEST Mac is functional. It just has no OLD files on it, working as a brand new computer. So I can use Firefox to open my blog accounts and dashboard and any site I can find or recall the URL of.
*SIGH*
The Mac Migration Assistant app says it will migrate all the OLD files, apps, photos, mail and user settings to the NEW computer. It didn't. I tried that twice. It did make me create several new user accounts. So I did some net searching and found a forum thread that said you have make sure to have only one admin account. OK, I checked and I had 3 on the NEWEST. I learned how to delete 2.
So Migration Assistant should have worked then. No. Just the Mac OS and the apps (I think). It's hard to tell; the NEWEST has apps.
So I decided to try to manually transfer my photos. Those are the most important files. I found they were actually in 3 places. On an old windows computer, on an "unnamed album", and in the primary iPhotos library. I imported the files from the old windows computer using a flash drive. So I started importing the "unnamed album" to the primary iPhoto library on the OLD Mac mini.
So far, it has been "preparing to import" for 12 hours. I know it is doing SOMETHING because my Activity Monitor app says it has read 215GB and written 190GB so far. So I dare not stop it. It MIGHT just be a horribly slow process. I mean, I have about 7,000+ photos in the "unnamed album" original size (1-5MB each).
It may just fail entirely. I'm going to bed soon, so I'll let it run overnight and see what happens.
Meanwhile, I'm getting quite an education about how Macs operate. In fact, while searching for answers on a Mac Help Forum, I was actually able to answer someone else's question about where the iPhoto files are stored!
Oddly, the NEWEST Mac is functional. It just has no OLD files on it, working as a brand new computer. So I can use Firefox to open my blog accounts and dashboard and any site I can find or recall the URL of.
*SIGH*
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Losing my mind
You know how you think you have a problem solved and it isn't? Yah. Me too and really lately.
I spent most of Thursday night trying to migrate the old Mac Mini to the new one. I can follow instructions, but it wouldn't work because I didn't have enough of the right cables. No matter what I tried, I needed a USB to USB cable. It was a surprise that I didn't have one.
Rule 1. No matter how many cables of various combinations of connections you save in a box, the one you need won't be in there.
Rule 2. Walmart won't have them.
Rule 3. "Best Buy" will have them at 2x the price.
I bought a Best Buy cable.
And it was weird. The cable itself has software. For file transfers between Macs, it has a program that opens "GoBetween" and "Easy Site" It wanted internet acceptance. I refused. I couldn't figure out what they wanted annyway.
But I figured out how I could migrate a different way. I have an external drive that has 4 TB. So using Migration Manager on Mac I copied the old Mac Mini to the external drive and then "restored" the external driver to the new Mac Mini (and it promised that it would save all files and even individual program settings),
It didn't.
I can copy files from the old Mac Mini to the new one, but I have to keep both on separate active Mac Minis and monitors to do that. And guess what? I'm lacking a cable.
That's why I'm losing my mind!
I spent most of Thursday night trying to migrate the old Mac Mini to the new one. I can follow instructions, but it wouldn't work because I didn't have enough of the right cables. No matter what I tried, I needed a USB to USB cable. It was a surprise that I didn't have one.
Rule 1. No matter how many cables of various combinations of connections you save in a box, the one you need won't be in there.
Rule 2. Walmart won't have them.
Rule 3. "Best Buy" will have them at 2x the price.
I bought a Best Buy cable.
And it was weird. The cable itself has software. For file transfers between Macs, it has a program that opens "GoBetween" and "Easy Site" It wanted internet acceptance. I refused. I couldn't figure out what they wanted annyway.
But I figured out how I could migrate a different way. I have an external drive that has 4 TB. So using Migration Manager on Mac I copied the old Mac Mini to the external drive and then "restored" the external driver to the new Mac Mini (and it promised that it would save all files and even individual program settings),
It didn't.
I can copy files from the old Mac Mini to the new one, but I have to keep both on separate active Mac Minis and monitors to do that. And guess what? I'm lacking a cable.
That's why I'm losing my mind!
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Fixed Computer Problem
Well, I HOPE I have solved my computer problems (both Mac and Windows actually).
1. I brought the Mac Mini that won't start to a local computer store today. They are really a Windows shop, but they will do simple repairs on Macs. After a half hour, they determined that the CURRENT Mac Mini was not repairable by them. Some of the spilled wine got inside and shorted out some circuits. Too complicated and time-consuming to clean and no guarantee that would solve the problem... They did say they could pop the drive out and migrate it to an external storage device if I provided the device.
And they didn't even charge me for the diagnosis work!
They also advised me not to bother shipping it to an Apple repair store; saying that Apple doesn't actually repair hardware anymore, they just migrate the drive to a new unit and charge you for it.
The OLD Mac Mini I'm limping along with right now is making fan noises (which assures that it will fail soon). And it is SLOW (well it IS a 2010 model).
So I went to Amazon and looked at new ones. They are all designed for Cloud use, meaning they have less storage on the hard drives. I'm not ready for the Cloud yet. So I did a google search for Mac Minis and found there were more powerful standard Mac Minis. One site lead me back to Amazon, where they also offer 3rd party "diagnosed, cleaned, renewed" Mac Minis guaranteed by them, 90 day warranty and 3 year repair guarantees (for under $60).
I ordered and renewed Mac Mini with a faster Intell chip, 1 TB storage, and 2x the Ram of my current one. That should last a while, and it will arrive in 3 days. Plus I get 5% back using my Amazon Cedit Card!
AND, I got no flak this time requesting to return the underpowered128 GB Mac Mini I bought last month. They even sent me a free shipping label.
So I am returning a useless new 128 GB Mac Mini at $720 for a fully renewed faster 1 TB one at $560 that will probably serve me well for many years. I will migrate the OLD Mac Mini I'm using right now to the new one. And I will have the local computer place copy my drive on CURRENT one that wont start to a 512 GB external drive I saw at Walmart for $50.
That way, I will have all my OLD files saved onto the new one and can pick and choose which newer files to save to it from the CURRENT one. That's not as complicated as it seems. I migrated the backup of the CURRENT Mac Mini to the OLD one (which is sort of why it works at all).
So, cheers and drinks all around!
1. I brought the Mac Mini that won't start to a local computer store today. They are really a Windows shop, but they will do simple repairs on Macs. After a half hour, they determined that the CURRENT Mac Mini was not repairable by them. Some of the spilled wine got inside and shorted out some circuits. Too complicated and time-consuming to clean and no guarantee that would solve the problem... They did say they could pop the drive out and migrate it to an external storage device if I provided the device.
And they didn't even charge me for the diagnosis work!
They also advised me not to bother shipping it to an Apple repair store; saying that Apple doesn't actually repair hardware anymore, they just migrate the drive to a new unit and charge you for it.
The OLD Mac Mini I'm limping along with right now is making fan noises (which assures that it will fail soon). And it is SLOW (well it IS a 2010 model).
So I went to Amazon and looked at new ones. They are all designed for Cloud use, meaning they have less storage on the hard drives. I'm not ready for the Cloud yet. So I did a google search for Mac Minis and found there were more powerful standard Mac Minis. One site lead me back to Amazon, where they also offer 3rd party "diagnosed, cleaned, renewed" Mac Minis guaranteed by them, 90 day warranty and 3 year repair guarantees (for under $60).
I ordered and renewed Mac Mini with a faster Intell chip, 1 TB storage, and 2x the Ram of my current one. That should last a while, and it will arrive in 3 days. Plus I get 5% back using my Amazon Cedit Card!
AND, I got no flak this time requesting to return the underpowered128 GB Mac Mini I bought last month. They even sent me a free shipping label.
So I am returning a useless new 128 GB Mac Mini at $720 for a fully renewed faster 1 TB one at $560 that will probably serve me well for many years. I will migrate the OLD Mac Mini I'm using right now to the new one. And I will have the local computer place copy my drive on CURRENT one that wont start to a 512 GB external drive I saw at Walmart for $50.
That way, I will have all my OLD files saved onto the new one and can pick and choose which newer files to save to it from the CURRENT one. That's not as complicated as it seems. I migrated the backup of the CURRENT Mac Mini to the OLD one (which is sort of why it works at all).
So, cheers and drinks all around!
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Serious Computer Problems
OK, I am partly offline for a while. At least a week, probably 2, maybe 3. It is a comedy of errors. I'm only online using my OLDER Mac Mini (which will make sense soon).
Here's the situation...
A. I have 3 Mac-Mini computers and a Mac LAPTOP. One is an OLDER one I used until about 3 years ago. One is the CURRENT one. One is the NEWEST one I bought last month to migrate to (thinking the CURRENT one was obsolete). I will using those as names for reference
B. While setting up the NEWEST computer, there were 2 accidents. The first was that I left one cable connected to the CURRENT one (which was working perfectly well), and as I removed it from the desk, the cable snagged my wine bottle and pulled it over onto the NEWEST one sitting on the floor below.
C. The 2nd was that, trying to catch the wine bottle, I dropped the CURRENT Mac Mini onto the floor.
D. The CURRENT one will no longer start.
E. The NEWEST one will start but not display to the monitor.
F. The consequences are that neither of the 2 newer computers work AT ALL! And the LAPTOP is not set up for much other than visiting websites.
That's the summary. Now here are the gory details. If you don't like to read about details, I completely understand. I'm partly writing further for anyone who wants to know more, partly, so I have the events documented (details fade), and partly so I can organize my thoughts on solutions. So read on if you want...
1. The OLDER Mac Mini was retired in March 2017. It was about 6-7 years old and was struggling to adapt to new Mac OS and newer programs.
2. I bought the NEWEST Mac Mini last month or 2 and hadn't gotten around to using it. It was still in the box.
3. I bought the NEWEST one because I misunderstood what the disc scanner was telling me about the CURRENT and available memory and processing capability (32 bit vs 64 bit). After receiving the NEWEST one, I realized the CURRENT one was just fine.
4. I decided to download the newest version of Mac OS ("Catrina") on the CURRENT one, expecting that if I didn't like it, I could revert to the previous Mac OS (which I have done before without difficulty).
5. Immediately, half my programs failed or demanded upgrades. My iPhoto program was changed to Photos and it started reorganizing my existing photos. I may have authorized it do, I don't remember. Probably did. It kept doing so for 3 days until I finally stopped it; no program needs 3 days. I discovered I had lost half my full-size photos from 2008-about 2011. My Windows Office For Mac (Word and Excel) programs failed completely and the updated versions are only available for an annual fee and I couldn't download them anyway. Firefox and email kept working.
6. When I tried to revert to the previous Mac OS (Mohave or High Sierra, I forget which) I couldn't. Not even the Time Machine restore program would work. After several days of trying online suggestions, I started finding sites that said "You can't, Apple won't permit it". And those were independent sites that help users with this sort of thing.
7. So I surrendered. I posted about that twice in frustration and actual rage. I decided I would unbox the NEWEST Mac Mini and set it up and migrate the CURRENT one to it. It IS more powerful (like any newer version is). I would tolerate the annual subscription for MS Office For Mac (now called MS Office 365 for Mac) because MS Word and Excel have features I like that Mac's version (Pages and Numbers) do not.
8. I couldn't. The NEWEST Mac Mini would turn on, but not communicate with the monitor. Total blank screen. Well, I have 2 monitors and a 24" HDTV (bought that for temporary use when my 60" HDTV failed 2 years ago). None would recognize the NEWEST Mac Mini. So I went to reconnect the CURRENT Mac Mini. Somewhere in that process, the 2 accidents I mentioned in the summary occurred.
9. I tried every combination of connections I could think of. No matter what I did, the NEWEST Mac Mini would not communicate with any monitor. I tried VGA to USB connections, VGA to HDMI connections, and HDMI to HDMI connections. No luck.
10. So I decided to hook up the CURRENT Mac Mini again. It wouldn't even turn on! I assume it is because I dropped it trying to upright the wine bottle and something broke in the power connection (I even tried 2 different power cords - I keep stuff). I also tried different electric outlets in case my backup battery had gone bad. No luck.
11. So I tried my OLDEST Mac Mini. It came right on. I tried it with the 2 monitors and the 24" HDTV. They all worked (I did have to figure out how to tell the HDTV it was connected to a computer using the 60" HDTV remote control, but it actually DID work too). I tried out the 2 Mac power cords and they worked. I tried out the battery backup. It does have a problem with the non-surge-protected outlets, but the protected ones work fine. I will replace the unit.
12. So I'm on the OLDEST Mac Mini. It works, sort of. I can't access email. Weird story - Verizon dropped email service a couple years ago and sold it to AOL. AOL had agreed to make old Verizon email addresses continue to work (and they do) but it was a long convoluted process that took several tries over successive nights and consider mental struggle, I dare not touch it. If fact, I can't. All the details are on the CURRENT Mac Mini and I can't get it to start.
13. Apple used to refuse to license anyone else to repair their equipment. But I saw some ads that said a chain store "Best Buy" had gotten a license. There is one nearby, so I brought the CURRENT Mac Mini to them last evening. They work by appointment only. I didn't know that, so I just showed up (expecting to just leave the CURRENT one for them to call later with a repair estimate. No such luck.
14. Best Buy (aka The Geek Squad) is really only licensed to do software fixes. They aren't allowed to open a Mac for hardware fixes. For hardware fixes, they ship the unit to an Apple store for repair. For person did take the CURRENT Mac Mini in the back and confirmed that it wouldn't start. That may seem like nothing, but it confirmed that I was correct and that it also wasn't some monitor/power problem at my end.
15. So I mentioned that I have the NEWEST Mac Mini that would start but not communicate with a monitor. Ooh, that's something they might be able to fix! But I needed a reservation (which, if I understand things correctly) merely means they take a person off-floor to do repair work. I made one. Next Tuesday 1-29 at 7:40 PM! A full week before they can even look at it...
16. So I'll wait and bring it back to them them. Meanwhile, I do not have email. I REPEAT, I DO NOT HAVE EMAIL. But I can post on my blogs and I can comment on yours. And if it is anything sensitive, I have a secret one. Vishus Deer... http://vishusdeer.blogspot.com/ You can post there and I will move it to Word and delete from the blog...
17. I can add new photos to the LAPTOP, if I download the old iphotos program. But the OLDEST Mac Mini just started making some noise and I better get this posted!
Here's the situation...
A. I have 3 Mac-Mini computers and a Mac LAPTOP. One is an OLDER one I used until about 3 years ago. One is the CURRENT one. One is the NEWEST one I bought last month to migrate to (thinking the CURRENT one was obsolete). I will using those as names for reference
B. While setting up the NEWEST computer, there were 2 accidents. The first was that I left one cable connected to the CURRENT one (which was working perfectly well), and as I removed it from the desk, the cable snagged my wine bottle and pulled it over onto the NEWEST one sitting on the floor below.
C. The 2nd was that, trying to catch the wine bottle, I dropped the CURRENT Mac Mini onto the floor.
D. The CURRENT one will no longer start.
E. The NEWEST one will start but not display to the monitor.
F. The consequences are that neither of the 2 newer computers work AT ALL! And the LAPTOP is not set up for much other than visiting websites.
That's the summary. Now here are the gory details. If you don't like to read about details, I completely understand. I'm partly writing further for anyone who wants to know more, partly, so I have the events documented (details fade), and partly so I can organize my thoughts on solutions. So read on if you want...
1. The OLDER Mac Mini was retired in March 2017. It was about 6-7 years old and was struggling to adapt to new Mac OS and newer programs.
2. I bought the NEWEST Mac Mini last month or 2 and hadn't gotten around to using it. It was still in the box.
3. I bought the NEWEST one because I misunderstood what the disc scanner was telling me about the CURRENT and available memory and processing capability (32 bit vs 64 bit). After receiving the NEWEST one, I realized the CURRENT one was just fine.
4. I decided to download the newest version of Mac OS ("Catrina") on the CURRENT one, expecting that if I didn't like it, I could revert to the previous Mac OS (which I have done before without difficulty).
5. Immediately, half my programs failed or demanded upgrades. My iPhoto program was changed to Photos and it started reorganizing my existing photos. I may have authorized it do, I don't remember. Probably did. It kept doing so for 3 days until I finally stopped it; no program needs 3 days. I discovered I had lost half my full-size photos from 2008-about 2011. My Windows Office For Mac (Word and Excel) programs failed completely and the updated versions are only available for an annual fee and I couldn't download them anyway. Firefox and email kept working.
6. When I tried to revert to the previous Mac OS (Mohave or High Sierra, I forget which) I couldn't. Not even the Time Machine restore program would work. After several days of trying online suggestions, I started finding sites that said "You can't, Apple won't permit it". And those were independent sites that help users with this sort of thing.
7. So I surrendered. I posted about that twice in frustration and actual rage. I decided I would unbox the NEWEST Mac Mini and set it up and migrate the CURRENT one to it. It IS more powerful (like any newer version is). I would tolerate the annual subscription for MS Office For Mac (now called MS Office 365 for Mac) because MS Word and Excel have features I like that Mac's version (Pages and Numbers) do not.
8. I couldn't. The NEWEST Mac Mini would turn on, but not communicate with the monitor. Total blank screen. Well, I have 2 monitors and a 24" HDTV (bought that for temporary use when my 60" HDTV failed 2 years ago). None would recognize the NEWEST Mac Mini. So I went to reconnect the CURRENT Mac Mini. Somewhere in that process, the 2 accidents I mentioned in the summary occurred.
9. I tried every combination of connections I could think of. No matter what I did, the NEWEST Mac Mini would not communicate with any monitor. I tried VGA to USB connections, VGA to HDMI connections, and HDMI to HDMI connections. No luck.
10. So I decided to hook up the CURRENT Mac Mini again. It wouldn't even turn on! I assume it is because I dropped it trying to upright the wine bottle and something broke in the power connection (I even tried 2 different power cords - I keep stuff). I also tried different electric outlets in case my backup battery had gone bad. No luck.
11. So I tried my OLDEST Mac Mini. It came right on. I tried it with the 2 monitors and the 24" HDTV. They all worked (I did have to figure out how to tell the HDTV it was connected to a computer using the 60" HDTV remote control, but it actually DID work too). I tried out the 2 Mac power cords and they worked. I tried out the battery backup. It does have a problem with the non-surge-protected outlets, but the protected ones work fine. I will replace the unit.
12. So I'm on the OLDEST Mac Mini. It works, sort of. I can't access email. Weird story - Verizon dropped email service a couple years ago and sold it to AOL. AOL had agreed to make old Verizon email addresses continue to work (and they do) but it was a long convoluted process that took several tries over successive nights and consider mental struggle, I dare not touch it. If fact, I can't. All the details are on the CURRENT Mac Mini and I can't get it to start.
13. Apple used to refuse to license anyone else to repair their equipment. But I saw some ads that said a chain store "Best Buy" had gotten a license. There is one nearby, so I brought the CURRENT Mac Mini to them last evening. They work by appointment only. I didn't know that, so I just showed up (expecting to just leave the CURRENT one for them to call later with a repair estimate. No such luck.
14. Best Buy (aka The Geek Squad) is really only licensed to do software fixes. They aren't allowed to open a Mac for hardware fixes. For hardware fixes, they ship the unit to an Apple store for repair. For person did take the CURRENT Mac Mini in the back and confirmed that it wouldn't start. That may seem like nothing, but it confirmed that I was correct and that it also wasn't some monitor/power problem at my end.
15. So I mentioned that I have the NEWEST Mac Mini that would start but not communicate with a monitor. Ooh, that's something they might be able to fix! But I needed a reservation (which, if I understand things correctly) merely means they take a person off-floor to do repair work. I made one. Next Tuesday 1-29 at 7:40 PM! A full week before they can even look at it...
16. So I'll wait and bring it back to them them. Meanwhile, I do not have email. I REPEAT, I DO NOT HAVE EMAIL. But I can post on my blogs and I can comment on yours. And if it is anything sensitive, I have a secret one. Vishus Deer... http://vishusdeer.blogspot.com/ You can post there and I will move it to Word and delete from the blog...
17. I can add new photos to the LAPTOP, if I download the old iphotos program. But the OLDEST Mac Mini just started making some noise and I better get this posted!
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Weight
I had a surprise a week ago. The bathroom scale had said I was losing weight. Well, I eat healthy.
It said I went from 170 to
I was thrilled!
But then it said I went to
And I knew THAT wasn't right. Even replacing the batteries didn't change it though.
And then a couple days later, it was 173 again. That's right. I weighed myself on the vet dog scale. and then on the home scale. It agreed. Mine is inconsistent. I need a new scale...
To the tune of Huey Lewis and the News "I Want a New drug"
"I need a new scale,
One that weighs like it should.
One that doesnt make me feel too bad
One that doesn't make me feel too good...
I wanna a new scale,
That tells me the truth.
So I don't get too happified,
So I don't feel fat or thin..."
LOL!
It said I went from 170 to
But then it said I went to
And then a couple days later, it was 173 again. That's right. I weighed myself on the vet dog scale. and then on the home scale. It agreed. Mine is inconsistent. I need a new scale...
To the tune of Huey Lewis and the News "I Want a New drug"
"I need a new scale,
One that weighs like it should.
One that doesnt make me feel too bad
One that doesn't make me feel too good...
I wanna a new scale,
That tells me the truth.
So I don't get too happified,
So I don't feel fat or thin..."
LOL!
Monday, January 20, 2020
Apple Has Won
Apple has won. Apparently, it is no longer possible NOT to upgrade their programs. I've read enough sites that say they have given up trying to revert to previous Mac OS systems. I've sure been trying and I can't find even deceitful ways to revert.
I have an older Mac mini that has one of those older versions, and I am NOT putting it online! From my experience this month and from what I've read online, even if you specifically order the Apple system preferences NOT to update, they detect old versions and do anyway.
They examine your Mac computer whenever it is online and force the updates. even if you choose NOT to.
I don't know how to get around it. Not that I'm a Apple tech, but when the sites that seem to specialize in "how to" can't, what hope do *I* have? Persistence has lost.
I will explore Linux, but I doubt I have the skills required to set up programs and email and security that isn't built in. I can work REALLY hard at some things, but there are limits.
And I will set up the newish Windows PC I bought last year just to play some old games (and discovered I couldn't, and then discovered I couldn't make sense of the way Windows works these days. Maybe I can used to that again.
But it seems that the days of forced upgrades and annual program subscriptions are upon us forever. I hate that. I was perfectly satisfied with old versions of most programs. But of course, that doesn't provide revenue to Apple or Windows.
So, for now, I am going to go along (kicking and screaming) into the future of the annual subscription universe. I see little choice other than to go offline, and I'm not ready to do that. 10 years and a few months, maybe. Not today...
I'll subscribe to "MS Word and Excel on Mac ", to basic Mac Apps, to forced upgrades.
But I am SO UTTERLY PISSED!
There may be a user revolution coming. I've often wondered what gives Microsoft or Apple the right to invade my owned hardware and implant cookies and now lately whole programs into my hardware that I bought?
But that is for the future. I can give in for now to stay online and fight for future changes in the political world to make government return freedom to users...
-----------
I have an older Mac mini that has one of those older versions, and I am NOT putting it online! From my experience this month and from what I've read online, even if you specifically order the Apple system preferences NOT to update, they detect old versions and do anyway.
They examine your Mac computer whenever it is online and force the updates. even if you choose NOT to.
I don't know how to get around it. Not that I'm a Apple tech, but when the sites that seem to specialize in "how to" can't, what hope do *I* have? Persistence has lost.
I will explore Linux, but I doubt I have the skills required to set up programs and email and security that isn't built in. I can work REALLY hard at some things, but there are limits.
And I will set up the newish Windows PC I bought last year just to play some old games (and discovered I couldn't, and then discovered I couldn't make sense of the way Windows works these days. Maybe I can used to that again.
But it seems that the days of forced upgrades and annual program subscriptions are upon us forever. I hate that. I was perfectly satisfied with old versions of most programs. But of course, that doesn't provide revenue to Apple or Windows.
So, for now, I am going to go along (kicking and screaming) into the future of the annual subscription universe. I see little choice other than to go offline, and I'm not ready to do that. 10 years and a few months, maybe. Not today...
I'll subscribe to "MS Word and Excel on Mac ", to basic Mac Apps, to forced upgrades.
But I am SO UTTERLY PISSED!
There may be a user revolution coming. I've often wondered what gives Microsoft or Apple the right to invade my owned hardware and implant cookies and now lately whole programs into my hardware that I bought?
But that is for the future. I can give in for now to stay online and fight for future changes in the political world to make government return freedom to users...
-----------
Sunday, January 19, 2020
My Favorite Statement Of 2019
You can’t fight corruption without pissing off corrupt people"
'Nuff said...
Friday, January 17, 2020
Marvel VS DC Comics
I grew up reading Marvel Comics. DC Comics were beneath me. I once read a newspaper article explaining that Marvel was aimed at college students while DC was aimed at high schoolers. That may have been an understatement. I could tell the difference when I was 14. Marvel all the way!
DC: Superman was invulnerable unless he was exposed to some dozen forms of Kryptonite. He learned to fly by floating with balloons. His opponents were silly people. He had a supergirl, a superdog and there may have been other superpets too. As Superman, he had muscles like a pro weightlifter, but as Clark Kent he was "less built". He had no personal problems other than women who's initials were always L.L. His eyeglasses deceived everyone...
Aquaman was a joke. Green Lantern couldn't handle anything yellow. Batman had promise in his darker aspects. None of the characters were actually adults and most had children as sidekicks.
Marvel used to be (I think) "Timely Comics". They had the worst junk I ever spent a dime on. I recall a giant eraser smoothing the surface on the Earth until some genius threw paint in front of it and revealed a weerd creature damaging the Earth (the eraser could then finally erase it). How it followed the creature just behind was never explained). And one where a creature on a planet grew to control the whole thibg glorying in its power until a human turned on the tub faucet and washed it away to drown. REALLY BAD STUFF!
But then Stan Lee came along with some broke artists. The owner changed the name to Marvel. And he had seen a new DC comic book of heroes getting together (Justice League) and told Lee he wanted a team. In a week. The group created the Fantastic Four. And later The Avengers. They later created Spiderman.
Te cause of their superpowers was kind of lame. Cosmic Rays for the Fantastic Four, Gamma Rays for the Hulk, a radioactive spider for Spiderman. Antman had a shrinking/expanding ray.
But the point was that they had "problems? And as teenagers, we understood "problems". The FF were normal except for Ben Grimm (the Thing). Spiderman had to hide his powers from friends and family and was a dud (early on) with girls. The Hulk had no self control.
Iron Man was at least self-created, but a real jerk. Sub-Mariner and Captain America returned from some old 1940s comics. New villains and heroes were created, and THEY had personal problems. EVERYONE in the Marvel world had problems. Thor was originally lame Dr Blake who struck his cane in a special cave and became Thor and had to go back and forth (the cane was somehow Thor's Hammer).
Both DC and Marvel had a letters page at the end of each comic book early on. DC spoke to children; Marvel spoke to adults.
But I partly wrote all that to say this... The movies of the DC and Marvel characters are relatively equal in quality. That's mostly because the movie-makers aren't the DC writers. Give a telented production team, and they can do almost as much with Wonder Woman or Superman as Spiderman or The Avengers. But "relative" is not "equal".
I liked the Superman movies. They actually made a fairly real person out of him. Batman seems the realist of the DC characters. But Marvel has really done it right. I can't rewatch the Superman movies (I can rewatch the Batman ones, sometimes), but I can rewatch the Marvel ones. And that includes the critically-panned FF movies. *I* liked them! Though they really did mess up Dr Doom and Galactus a bit.
I haven't watched the 2 last Avengers movies. Cable wants too much. I may check out streaming on my Amazon account...
DC: Superman was invulnerable unless he was exposed to some dozen forms of Kryptonite. He learned to fly by floating with balloons. His opponents were silly people. He had a supergirl, a superdog and there may have been other superpets too. As Superman, he had muscles like a pro weightlifter, but as Clark Kent he was "less built". He had no personal problems other than women who's initials were always L.L. His eyeglasses deceived everyone...
Aquaman was a joke. Green Lantern couldn't handle anything yellow. Batman had promise in his darker aspects. None of the characters were actually adults and most had children as sidekicks.
Marvel used to be (I think) "Timely Comics". They had the worst junk I ever spent a dime on. I recall a giant eraser smoothing the surface on the Earth until some genius threw paint in front of it and revealed a weerd creature damaging the Earth (the eraser could then finally erase it). How it followed the creature just behind was never explained). And one where a creature on a planet grew to control the whole thibg glorying in its power until a human turned on the tub faucet and washed it away to drown. REALLY BAD STUFF!
But then Stan Lee came along with some broke artists. The owner changed the name to Marvel. And he had seen a new DC comic book of heroes getting together (Justice League) and told Lee he wanted a team. In a week. The group created the Fantastic Four. And later The Avengers. They later created Spiderman.
Te cause of their superpowers was kind of lame. Cosmic Rays for the Fantastic Four, Gamma Rays for the Hulk, a radioactive spider for Spiderman. Antman had a shrinking/expanding ray.
But the point was that they had "problems? And as teenagers, we understood "problems". The FF were normal except for Ben Grimm (the Thing). Spiderman had to hide his powers from friends and family and was a dud (early on) with girls. The Hulk had no self control.
Iron Man was at least self-created, but a real jerk. Sub-Mariner and Captain America returned from some old 1940s comics. New villains and heroes were created, and THEY had personal problems. EVERYONE in the Marvel world had problems. Thor was originally lame Dr Blake who struck his cane in a special cave and became Thor and had to go back and forth (the cane was somehow Thor's Hammer).
Both DC and Marvel had a letters page at the end of each comic book early on. DC spoke to children; Marvel spoke to adults.
But I partly wrote all that to say this... The movies of the DC and Marvel characters are relatively equal in quality. That's mostly because the movie-makers aren't the DC writers. Give a telented production team, and they can do almost as much with Wonder Woman or Superman as Spiderman or The Avengers. But "relative" is not "equal".
I liked the Superman movies. They actually made a fairly real person out of him. Batman seems the realist of the DC characters. But Marvel has really done it right. I can't rewatch the Superman movies (I can rewatch the Batman ones, sometimes), but I can rewatch the Marvel ones. And that includes the critically-panned FF movies. *I* liked them! Though they really did mess up Dr Doom and Galactus a bit.
I haven't watched the 2 last Avengers movies. Cable wants too much. I may check out streaming on my Amazon account...
Thursday, January 16, 2020
2019 Words I Don't want To Hear Again
Every year brings some new word or phrase and becomes popular on TV political commentary. Over-used and often inaccurately-used... I don't want to hear them in 2020!
1. "Quid Pro Quo" - In Latin, it means "this for that" or "a favor for a favor". Let's say my neighbor is good at basic engine repair and has a 2 acre yard he mows with a regular rotary push mower. Takes him a coupe hours. I have a riding mower I can't get to run (old gas, curburator needs cleaning). I offer to mow his yard once if he will clean the carburator to get it running.
We agree and both are happy. That is a Quid Pro Quo. But the idea is often wrongly applied to politics. As in, "you donate cash to my campaign and I will get your law passed that benefits you". Or "if you don't pass the law I want, my friends will trash your campaign headquarters".
Neither is truly a Quid Pro Quo. The first is a bribe; the second is extortion. Those are both illegal.
I did notice that some TV commenters started to realize the difference and started referring to bribery and extortion.
2. "Inflection Point" - Too many TV commentators seem to use this term to mean "a developing disagreement" or a "change in political momentum". An "inflection point" is a mathematic term describing a change in a graph:
I suspect the misuse comes from business types using it to describe graphs showing changes in company profits if certain new strategies are adopted. But those were still graphs.
When I was working in Government, I had a steady stream of higher-ups who were always seeking terms to make them look smarter than they were (and in fairness, some few WERE smart and well-respected among us lower-downs) and grabbed onto to any phrase that was new. And they loved that the phrases sounded impressive and no one else quite knew what they meant. "Unicorns, in the pipeline, move the needle, pain point, ladder up", and my favorite, "silos". The latter means keeping control over your office functions and information and was supposed to be bad but they all did it relentlessly.
3. "Tranch/Tranche" - Tranch/Tranche means "a portion of money, a slice, a portion". In TV commentary parlance, it has lately been used to mean "previously unreleased information held by a person". Why not just say "new information"? I have no objection to foreign words with nuanced meaning being introduced into English (which actually means almost all of them). Besides, "tranch" is a really awkward-sounding word in English.
Those are my "annoying 3" of 2019 (and they will probably continue in 2020). Have you any favorite bad ones?
1. "Quid Pro Quo" - In Latin, it means "this for that" or "a favor for a favor". Let's say my neighbor is good at basic engine repair and has a 2 acre yard he mows with a regular rotary push mower. Takes him a coupe hours. I have a riding mower I can't get to run (old gas, curburator needs cleaning). I offer to mow his yard once if he will clean the carburator to get it running.
We agree and both are happy. That is a Quid Pro Quo. But the idea is often wrongly applied to politics. As in, "you donate cash to my campaign and I will get your law passed that benefits you". Or "if you don't pass the law I want, my friends will trash your campaign headquarters".
Neither is truly a Quid Pro Quo. The first is a bribe; the second is extortion. Those are both illegal.
I did notice that some TV commenters started to realize the difference and started referring to bribery and extortion.
2. "Inflection Point" - Too many TV commentators seem to use this term to mean "a developing disagreement" or a "change in political momentum". An "inflection point" is a mathematic term describing a change in a graph:
I suspect the misuse comes from business types using it to describe graphs showing changes in company profits if certain new strategies are adopted. But those were still graphs.
When I was working in Government, I had a steady stream of higher-ups who were always seeking terms to make them look smarter than they were (and in fairness, some few WERE smart and well-respected among us lower-downs) and grabbed onto to any phrase that was new. And they loved that the phrases sounded impressive and no one else quite knew what they meant. "Unicorns, in the pipeline, move the needle, pain point, ladder up", and my favorite, "silos". The latter means keeping control over your office functions and information and was supposed to be bad but they all did it relentlessly.
3. "Tranch/Tranche" - Tranch/Tranche means "a portion of money, a slice, a portion". In TV commentary parlance, it has lately been used to mean "previously unreleased information held by a person". Why not just say "new information"? I have no objection to foreign words with nuanced meaning being introduced into English (which actually means almost all of them). Besides, "tranch" is a really awkward-sounding word in English.
Those are my "annoying 3" of 2019 (and they will probably continue in 2020). Have you any favorite bad ones?
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
A Day in The Basement
I have mentioned cleaning and/or rearranging the house. You wouldn't believe how little difference that usually makes. Time spent is like cleaning up 10% after a tornado. I try. And while *I* can tell the difference, few others would.
So today was cleaning off the accumulated stuff on the table saw. I wanted actually USE it. The rule is that before you can do ANYTHING you have to do something else first. So I wanted to use the tablesaw that had stuff on it (any horizontal surface collects stuff). That meant I had to move that stuff. All sorts of gardening stuff.
To do THAT, I had to but them where they belonged on a shelf under the stairs, But to do THAT, I had to clean the sawdust and junk from there. And to do THAT, I had to get stuff out of the way. And to do THAT, I had to move THAT stuff. You see where this is going...
So I put the damn bicycle I bought (because I thought I would ride it for exercise) out of the way. It ended up leaning against the fireplace I don't use these days.
THAT meant I could push a cabinet on wheels into a corner.
Which meant I could actually take stuff OUT from the understairway shelf to Of course, the table saw. Progress comes and goes...
But with the shelf empty, I could vaccuum the sawdust out. Which meant dragging out the shop vac. And I found stuff in there I had forgotten existed. Arrows. Posters. One was a 70's poster about comic strip characters all drawn together. Another was even unopened. I opened it. It is a map of the LOTR Middle Earth. Given that it is untouched after 30 years, it is probably worth something. I have stuff like that all around.
But I cleaned the shelf. And started sorting out the various garden bottles by type. I'm generally organic, but I have poison ivy (not organic) and mole repellent stuff (organic). More than I realized, in fact. The moles are going to have a VERY BAD 2020 here.
And I had cleaned a dozen boxes I was saving because they were all the same size and decided I didnt need the from in front of the internal heat pump part.
And I have organic fertlizers and fruit sprays (a clay spray). And finally, I have all my rooting hormones in one place. 3 bottles (I kept losing them). And several pH sets of test strips. Useful if I ever get the 8' pond set up again. Point being that I have too much stuff in duplicates. Cleaning reveals that.
So the table saw was clear. That meant I could vacuum it clean. And the metal part could use an auto wax... Since my car never gets waxed, I'll have to buy some. Maintenance is NOT MY BIG THING. I drive a 15 year old SUV with paint rubs, dents and scrapes. The battery only works because I have a trickle charger on it. I could easily buy a new one, but I hate all the stuff that come with new cars. Tell-tale equipment, auto brakes, internet of things... I don't want that.
But there ARE pictures...
From left to right, mole stuff, herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, and test equipment...
The cleaned tablesaw. And yes it is a fancy one. I need all the help I can get.
The cleaned area in front of the internal heat pump unit... And yes that is the cat PTU in red on the right. I don't dare bring it upstairs until they are all outside. They panic seeing it. And they haven't all been outside at the same time. Some days are like that.
My lettuces under lights... And some ivy I intend to pot up.
That damned bike... The tires are both flat. The sellers tricked me on that, pumping them up just before I bought it. But it didn't matter. It turns out you CAN forget how to ride a bike. I gave it a go and fell over twice. I need to donate it somewhere.
So today was cleaning off the accumulated stuff on the table saw. I wanted actually USE it. The rule is that before you can do ANYTHING you have to do something else first. So I wanted to use the tablesaw that had stuff on it (any horizontal surface collects stuff). That meant I had to move that stuff. All sorts of gardening stuff.
To do THAT, I had to but them where they belonged on a shelf under the stairs, But to do THAT, I had to clean the sawdust and junk from there. And to do THAT, I had to get stuff out of the way. And to do THAT, I had to move THAT stuff. You see where this is going...
So I put the damn bicycle I bought (because I thought I would ride it for exercise) out of the way. It ended up leaning against the fireplace I don't use these days.
THAT meant I could push a cabinet on wheels into a corner.
Which meant I could actually take stuff OUT from the understairway shelf to Of course, the table saw. Progress comes and goes...
But with the shelf empty, I could vaccuum the sawdust out. Which meant dragging out the shop vac. And I found stuff in there I had forgotten existed. Arrows. Posters. One was a 70's poster about comic strip characters all drawn together. Another was even unopened. I opened it. It is a map of the LOTR Middle Earth. Given that it is untouched after 30 years, it is probably worth something. I have stuff like that all around.
But I cleaned the shelf. And started sorting out the various garden bottles by type. I'm generally organic, but I have poison ivy (not organic) and mole repellent stuff (organic). More than I realized, in fact. The moles are going to have a VERY BAD 2020 here.
And I had cleaned a dozen boxes I was saving because they were all the same size and decided I didnt need the from in front of the internal heat pump part.
And I have organic fertlizers and fruit sprays (a clay spray). And finally, I have all my rooting hormones in one place. 3 bottles (I kept losing them). And several pH sets of test strips. Useful if I ever get the 8' pond set up again. Point being that I have too much stuff in duplicates. Cleaning reveals that.
So the table saw was clear. That meant I could vacuum it clean. And the metal part could use an auto wax... Since my car never gets waxed, I'll have to buy some. Maintenance is NOT MY BIG THING. I drive a 15 year old SUV with paint rubs, dents and scrapes. The battery only works because I have a trickle charger on it. I could easily buy a new one, but I hate all the stuff that come with new cars. Tell-tale equipment, auto brakes, internet of things... I don't want that.
But there ARE pictures...
From left to right, mole stuff, herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, and test equipment...
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