I write a lot about pop (looking back on previous posts). Why is that? Well honestly, since the BeOS came out almost 2 decades ago, Pop!_OS has become my favorite desktop operating system.
Pop! just works. That's really all there is to it. It installs and updates flawlessly. It handles my NVidia card like a champ. I can play many of my favorite games either through Steam/Proton or PlayOnLinux/WINE.
If have been using Linux off and on (as well as BSD) for a decade or so. I have used Mac OS 7,8,9 and X... I have used OS/2... mostly WARP... I have used AmigaOS/Workbench... and of course I have used Windows in all its iterations.
I like Linux. It is a decent kernel and the posix libraries and interfaces that are wrapped into it are solid. I enjoy the WIDE range of software (most of it free) that is available. I enjoy the modern UIs that are available.
Over the years the "year of linux" has been a running joke. But to be straight forward, Linux is ready. It is just a "different" OS and people need to get used to it, kind of like switching from Windows to a MAC or the other way around. There are differences and similarities. But in the end Linux meets all of my needs and more and it is as cheap as air.
On top of that, POP!_OS is just the distro (distribution of linux) that speaks to me personally. I enjoy its look and feel, it's handling of proprietary drivers, its stability, etc. It is solid.
Monday, June 24, 2019
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Crying over spilt coffee
Yeah so, just before we left for our vacation last week, I had sat down to do some work on my computer and dumped my just-brewed-fresh hot coffee all into my very expensive keyboard.
I am not proud of this but I did throw a FIT. Not mad at anyone but myself. a) I had just gotten up, b) I had just made a fresh pot of coffee and poured myself a cup, c) I dumped said coffee into my favorite (relatively new) keyboard.
I don't know if I have posted this before, but I love mechanical keyboards, especially if they are well-made. I also have a terrible habit of spilling things into them and ruining them. I've gone through several keyboards over the past 4 years. This particular keyboard was my favorite, a special edition ducky that weights over a pound, has a special key switch I had to wait an extra month for, etc.
So yeah, I screamed and stomped around the house berating myself and just behaving like a rampaging two year old. But I did have the HOPE (as I have in the past but it never worked out) that I could somehow rescue the keyboard and I grabbed a bottle of distilled water and poured it into the keyboard, turned over and drained it, and repeated the process. Then I laid it upside down somewhere to dry.
I honestly KNEW that would not work. But today, two weeks later I decided that before I threw it out I would plug it in and see what happens and... it came on! And it works! Lights are on, no glitches, keys all feel fine... honestly I could cry. Anyway, I am now quite pleased. I could put my loud blue switch keyboard away and return to this smoothly performant, relatively quiet mechanical keyboard that has plenty of back pressure but not enough to over tire your fingers and it is also good for gaming.
So yeah.
OH! Also, I pre-ordered the blue-ray of Godzilla: King of the Monsters from Amazon. Yay!
I am not proud of this but I did throw a FIT. Not mad at anyone but myself. a) I had just gotten up, b) I had just made a fresh pot of coffee and poured myself a cup, c) I dumped said coffee into my favorite (relatively new) keyboard.
I don't know if I have posted this before, but I love mechanical keyboards, especially if they are well-made. I also have a terrible habit of spilling things into them and ruining them. I've gone through several keyboards over the past 4 years. This particular keyboard was my favorite, a special edition ducky that weights over a pound, has a special key switch I had to wait an extra month for, etc.
So yeah, I screamed and stomped around the house berating myself and just behaving like a rampaging two year old. But I did have the HOPE (as I have in the past but it never worked out) that I could somehow rescue the keyboard and I grabbed a bottle of distilled water and poured it into the keyboard, turned over and drained it, and repeated the process. Then I laid it upside down somewhere to dry.
I honestly KNEW that would not work. But today, two weeks later I decided that before I threw it out I would plug it in and see what happens and... it came on! And it works! Lights are on, no glitches, keys all feel fine... honestly I could cry. Anyway, I am now quite pleased. I could put my loud blue switch keyboard away and return to this smoothly performant, relatively quiet mechanical keyboard that has plenty of back pressure but not enough to over tire your fingers and it is also good for gaming.
So yeah.
OH! Also, I pre-ordered the blue-ray of Godzilla: King of the Monsters from Amazon. Yay!
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Downside of end of vacation and also Still on Pop
Took a red-eye home, got no sleep for 24 hours, then I think I caught something from the coughing folks on the airplane. Icky sore throat. Stayed home today, hence two blog posts in one day. Not sure if I should tough it out and see how my throat goes or just go to the doctor now?
Meanwhile, OS update. Still on Pop_OS!. Enjoying it thoroughly. I did download the new Lx 4 version of openmandriva to try... I will load it on a stick and see how it looks. But I won't change. Right now Pop does everything I want it to do... and I have it configured to be what I want it to be.
Meanwhile, OS update. Still on Pop_OS!. Enjoying it thoroughly. I did download the new Lx 4 version of openmandriva to try... I will load it on a stick and see how it looks. But I won't change. Right now Pop does everything I want it to do... and I have it configured to be what I want it to be.
Vacation in Hawaii
For my son graduating high school and preparing for college, and my daughter turning 16, we decided to go on one last, grand family vacation.
We always wanted to go to Hawaii so that was an obvious choice, and it would be our first time there so an all-new experience. Let's get right down to it though, Hawaii is expensive in every way. Airline tickets, lodging, transportation and food, all considerably more expensive than on the mainland. By expensive I mean be prepared to go broke.
You CAN find reasonably priced restaurants (local hamburger joints, Dennys, stuff like that) but any other type of restaurant (sit in and order) will cost you between 2 and 4 times as much as you would expect to spend. Factor that in for each meal -OR- approach your stay in a different manner that we did: rent a place that has a full kitchen, shop at a local grocery store (again, it will be expensive but still much better than eating out) and prepare all of your own meals. That is the best option and if we ever go again, that is what we will do.
Another dent in your wallet will be felt when you hit the the many tourist zones. Ticket costs are pretty outrageous. So pick and chose where you want to go and what you want to see or do. Try to find free and open hikes, drives, etc. That will also help quite a bit.
O.K. Enough of $$$ talk. We spent our entire week in Oahu. Oahu is the island with Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki, etc. We stayed in a resort on the North shore, farther from the more populous zones. Even so, you should know that the roads are simple roads and heavily trafficked by tourists from every nation in the universe. Ie. -- lots of traffic on already slow roads. But that is OK, people are generally friendly and cars let other cars out into traffic, etc. The pace felt slow so not too many people grew aggravated with traffic. I feel for the natives though. Since we are talking about traffic and travel, I would also like to take the opportunity to record the most satisfying instant-justice scene I had ever witnessed: While traveling to the Dole Plantation, traffic was a little heavy. At one point there was an intersection where you could turn left or go straight, with designated turn and travel lanes. Some yahoo decided to zip up in the left turn lane and cut in front of the line to avoid the traffic... HO HO! 3 cars or so behind us was a police officer. The second the guy pulled that move he shot out and nailed the guy. It was a beautiful sight and I wish I saw it more often on the I-17 here in Phoenix.
The island weather was amazing. There were clouds here and there and an occasional shower, but it never wavered from around 81 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. And despite the latitude, the Sun never felt overly hot (possibly because there was always a breeze). I actually slept on our balcony one night... listening to the wind and waves. Gorgeous weather. A little more humid than I was used to but gorgeous.
The water on the North shore was warm. Not too warm, cool enough, but easy to get into right away. The waves were pretty tame for the most part too. But I guess Winter is the more drastic season for water conditions, so we were there during the most calm water. We saw plenty of sea life (tropical fish, crabs, various invertebrates, sea turtles, etc.), some very interesting birds (mynah birds, very cool cardinals, and other specific island birds).
We visited several touristy hot spots (Dole plantation, Cultural Center, and another place whose name escapes me) as well as a village or two. We also hiked a valley path to a waterfall, and the trail on the way was home to a botanical garden. It was all very beautiful and I would love to go back some day, although to a different island.
So if you are thinking about Hawaii I would definitely recommend it but I would ask you to please plan your trip to make the most efficient use of your money! It will definitely make you smile even when you return home. :)
We always wanted to go to Hawaii so that was an obvious choice, and it would be our first time there so an all-new experience. Let's get right down to it though, Hawaii is expensive in every way. Airline tickets, lodging, transportation and food, all considerably more expensive than on the mainland. By expensive I mean be prepared to go broke.
You CAN find reasonably priced restaurants (local hamburger joints, Dennys, stuff like that) but any other type of restaurant (sit in and order) will cost you between 2 and 4 times as much as you would expect to spend. Factor that in for each meal -OR- approach your stay in a different manner that we did: rent a place that has a full kitchen, shop at a local grocery store (again, it will be expensive but still much better than eating out) and prepare all of your own meals. That is the best option and if we ever go again, that is what we will do.
Another dent in your wallet will be felt when you hit the the many tourist zones. Ticket costs are pretty outrageous. So pick and chose where you want to go and what you want to see or do. Try to find free and open hikes, drives, etc. That will also help quite a bit.
O.K. Enough of $$$ talk. We spent our entire week in Oahu. Oahu is the island with Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Waikiki, etc. We stayed in a resort on the North shore, farther from the more populous zones. Even so, you should know that the roads are simple roads and heavily trafficked by tourists from every nation in the universe. Ie. -- lots of traffic on already slow roads. But that is OK, people are generally friendly and cars let other cars out into traffic, etc. The pace felt slow so not too many people grew aggravated with traffic. I feel for the natives though. Since we are talking about traffic and travel, I would also like to take the opportunity to record the most satisfying instant-justice scene I had ever witnessed: While traveling to the Dole Plantation, traffic was a little heavy. At one point there was an intersection where you could turn left or go straight, with designated turn and travel lanes. Some yahoo decided to zip up in the left turn lane and cut in front of the line to avoid the traffic... HO HO! 3 cars or so behind us was a police officer. The second the guy pulled that move he shot out and nailed the guy. It was a beautiful sight and I wish I saw it more often on the I-17 here in Phoenix.
The island weather was amazing. There were clouds here and there and an occasional shower, but it never wavered from around 81 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. And despite the latitude, the Sun never felt overly hot (possibly because there was always a breeze). I actually slept on our balcony one night... listening to the wind and waves. Gorgeous weather. A little more humid than I was used to but gorgeous.
The water on the North shore was warm. Not too warm, cool enough, but easy to get into right away. The waves were pretty tame for the most part too. But I guess Winter is the more drastic season for water conditions, so we were there during the most calm water. We saw plenty of sea life (tropical fish, crabs, various invertebrates, sea turtles, etc.), some very interesting birds (mynah birds, very cool cardinals, and other specific island birds).
We visited several touristy hot spots (Dole plantation, Cultural Center, and another place whose name escapes me) as well as a village or two. We also hiked a valley path to a waterfall, and the trail on the way was home to a botanical garden. It was all very beautiful and I would love to go back some day, although to a different island.
So if you are thinking about Hawaii I would definitely recommend it but I would ask you to please plan your trip to make the most efficient use of your money! It will definitely make you smile even when you return home. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)