Coping: With Sticky Notes Friday

If you have Windows 7, or newer, and have not discovered the little utility program (Sticky Notes) you are missing one of the most useful little tools of computing out there.

Not like it’s a breakthrough, or anything like that.  My personal experience with this kind of thing goes back to my earlier days when Gaye of www.backdoorsurvival.com owned a successful computer company in Bellevue, Wa. that was sold off to a Baby Bell Operating Company (BBOC) in the late 1980’s. 

Back then, there was a program called “SideKick” which featured the (then new) ability to operate in “terminate and stay resident” mode. 

Called TSR, the features of SideKick originally included things like a calculator and it was from this, and a few other TSR programs and early PIMS (personal information management systems) that much of today’s modern computing “ease of use” came into being.

Before Windows, however, Borland’s SideKick was the serious computer geek’s secret weapon.  And it operated under DOS:

Sidekick 1.0 included Calculator, Notepad, Appointment Calendar, Auto Dialer, ASCII Table and other tools.

1.0 Plus[edit]

Sidekick 1.0 Plus included a broader selection of calculators (Business, Scientific, Programmer, Formula), a 9-file Notepad text editor, Appointment Book and Scheduler, a terminal communication tool and ASCII Table. In addition to variants on and enhancements to the 1.0 features, Plus included a 9-file Outliner, q file and directory manager, Clipboard, and supported Expanded Memory and a RAM disk. Control+Alt is the default shortcut to open sidekick 1.0 plus

The program was eventually rolled out as compatible with Windows (before they adopted year-dates, we’re talking 3.1 and earlier).

Anyway…for some reason I thought you’d get a kick out of knowing where some of us old-schooler’s got out taste for Sticky Notes….before the first mouse (and it wasn’t Apple’s) escaped from X-PARC.

But enough of history…on to my Friday notes collection.

Don’t Sue Me!

It occurred to me with all the solar power articles I wrote this week that I didn’t include our typical lengthy disclaimer.  The one where we say something like:

WORKING ON ELECTRICITY IS DANGEROUS:  All articles presented on this site are to stimulate thinking and discussion of  the art and science of alternative energy only.  We do not intend for you to actually do any of this work yourself.  Hiring a licensed professional electrician is the only way to go and if you ignore this advice you do so at your own peril.  This warning applies to everything on this site.  The electrician may even be a better stock-picker than most.

There; all happily disclaimed now.

Where’s the Dream?

Following yesterday’s discussion of Robert Shiller’s assessment of problems facing the global economy, a reader  (young/successful) took me to task:

The American people aren’t afraid of the future, they aren’t afraid of the road ahead, AS LONG AS GOVERNMENT (POLITICIANS, LAW ENFORCEMENT & CORPORATIONS AREN’T WAITING ON THE ROADSIDE TO POUNCE ON THEM), If we are afraid of anything it’s our corrupt, outlaw government taking over & destroying the world along with their crony parties in the Vatican, City of London & Israhell!

Hmmm…was I off base? 

I called my son to talk it over…had I misunderstood him, his friends, and lots of other 30-somethings?  I’ll paraphrase…

“Look dad, the guy probably makes good break..like 4-grand a month take home.  He’s lost the roots.

The reality is that even taking home $2,200 a month is about the least someone can work for here (Seattle) and break even.  That’s with a passable studio apartment, Obamacare, a little bit of food and not much else.

When you bring home less than $2,000 a month, there is not American Dream…you don’t get a bite at that because you’re just working your ass off all the time.  Student loans, insurance…I mean at less than 2,000 a month a single person is pretty well screwed here.

Sure, you can find cheaper housing in other places, but the pay’s lower and you’re not around as much opportunity.

Thing about you is, you remember what poor is, and that’s what makes your column relevant.  People with money, who’ve forgotten their roots? Forget this guy’s whining.  I bet he takes home a lot more than $2,000 a month and is one of those people who forgets what  poor’s all about.

That’s something I don’t expect to ever lose.  Having been lower income is actually an asset.  Teaches a person how to think and how to make value decisions.

And as for the City of London and Israel?  Easier to find (and blame) externalities than look in the mirror for the source of all results in life.

I’m quick to point out the crooks in office, government, law enforcement, etc.  But their not all bad, not all crooked, and I’d guess well over 50% are still trying to do the right thing.

Populism ain’t popular with the high take-home pseudo-sufferers who blame first and ask questions later.

I will grant you that the two corporate patsy parties have a sweet deal going:  The R’s are mining the would-be Hitler Youth with high incomes and the D’s are working the poor with more free lunch deals.  They wouldn’t be successful, if people would figure out that both sides are full of crap, but that’s a much longer rap.

Cruise Points

Back in the day BG (before George) Elaine did a fair amount of cruising. Somewhere between 8 and 24 cruises, but we’re not sure.  Well, turns out, thanks to the miracle of computers, she was able to update her history so we may end up doing more than the Norwegian Jewel cruise this year.  Turns out we’re already “Ruby” level on Princess thanks to running into an old paper card with her earlier cruise history keyed to the number on it.

I was just thinking – idle thoughts kind of thing – there must be 50 cruise ships out there nowadays.  And if each carries 2,000 passengers,  that’s like having a city of 100,000 people coming and going every week.

If you’ve been on a cruise in the past, don’t forget to keep your profile current and guard them points.  They didn’t offer me any special deals for living on a sailboat I skippered myself for more than 10-years.  A fella just can’t get no respect.  A well quaffed blonde on the other hand…

Radio Adventures vs. Dancing

My buddy Gaye and Survival Hubby are committed to (finally) getting their ham radio licenses.  She’s asked me to do a quickie guide to programming their radios for them.  So that will be on an upcoming www.backdoorsurvival.com article.

I haven’t mentioned to her that even though it’s not required, high speed Morse code (30+ WPM) is still a worthy art form.  They’re more the ballroom dancing types, and live only partly in the mental headspace geek set. 

When comes to dancing, I have two left feet…a disappointment to Elaine who was queen of the disco set.  I’ve been telling her that a T.O. Keyer and a Vibroplex Vibrokeyer Deluxe paddle is way cooler than a sequined mini-dress, but who am I kidding?

I mean maybe if 20 meters isn’t open to Europe, I suppose and it’s not a contest weekend……

Flying the Checkbook

Meantime, for weekends like that, we have the old airplane which should be out of the shop today, or tomorrow.

When it comes out, I always take the mechanic along for the ride.  I figure if the mechanic knows up front that he will be in the plane, everything will be perfect.

It’s called have skin in the game.

On the other hand, if the test flight doesn’t work out well, it will certainly make for shorter columns.  Plus, I won’t have to get up early and I won’t have to pay income taxes, anymore.

Around the Ranch:  Martini’s on the Poop Deck

And why is it called the Poop Deck?  Well, it’s right outside the master bath, is why.  And talk about a marvelous “false spring.”  Thursday was our first outside sitting this year.  Local weather broke into the high 70’s and it passed 80 up in Dallas.

Freezing temps will be back shortly, but for now, global warming doesn’t seem like such a bad thing.  We use more ice, though.

Sweat Equity

We think Zeus the cat may be courting.  Out on the tractor lately, there’s been what looks like a white spotted female cat wandering around on the lower part of the property down by the creek.

Old Zeus doesn’t seem to understand that he’s been fixed, so he’s been looking all over the woods for this pussy of his dreams.

I’ve tried to explain to him that women select men on the basis how what their skills are in terms of providing for a family, and so forth.  I mention that there are two moles tearing up the front yard, and no woman can resist a male’s advances if he’s got something to show for his sweat.

I then explained that’s why having something in the checkbook makes a man appealing and why a fresh mole offering might impress the new puss.

Sweat equity is a marvelous thing – and it’s what weekends are for…unless 20-meters is open or weather is VFR.  Ever notice how remarkably similar pets and their owners are?

Write when you break even

George  george@ure.net