Maurice Jarre 1924 - 2009

Why so slow?

A month old cut and paste news article about a punk rocker that died constitutes a blog?

I check the statistics and see that there are the faithful that return to my writings, or lack thereof - with incredible patience. So why am I so slow in updating, in writing, in musing? Simply, because like much of this country, nay, this world - I am desperately looking for work. I haven't had the time to write and if I had - it would be useless, ponderous tripe. Proof is this entire previous paragraph.

So... what exactly is happening? What news is there to tell?
I am developing a new project. It's a reality show. It's for kids.

Here's a quick sneak peak.






There will be more. For now, I am leaving with that.


Oh, okay... here's some more. This is just me griping and is not of much use...

1. This blog entry is being written on a Mac. Yes, I, the PC (as in Microsoft XP based) user is writing this entry on a thin aluminum MAC keyboard, looking at an OSX Leopard screen on a 26 inch monitor. My latest system is a screaming fast 3.0ghz quad-core monster that can do either OSX or XP. On this beast, I've been using primarily OSX Leopard. My faithful laptop is an XP Pro machine.
   
2. I haven't decided that I prefer OSX. I do see that there is a certain organic user experience -- a "this is not really a computer" feeling, that doesn't exist with XP. Good Bad? Eh.
   
3. I have found that I can't find certain software I need -- and that the alternatives are very expensive (and not really better). The OS is a lifestyle -- an expensive one. And therein lies the annoyance I've always had.
   
4. While it is a smooth OS, I maintain that most impressive feat of Apple is their branding. They have worked hard and successfully to create the perception that they are the originator and innovator of everything. While there is absolutely something beautiful about the system - the fluidity of Leopard -- I am also continually annoyed by the "Appleness" of things that have no reason, right or rhyme to be considered such. The entire, "we are different, we are unique, we are artsy" attitude of true-blue Apple users is so misplaced as to be frightening.
   
5. Here's a news flash: there are things that work and are ergonomically better on the PC than on a Mac. An example: If one wants to see how large a folder of stuff is on a PC, one only needs to hover their mouse over it to bring up a little info bubble. On a Mac you have to right (or control) click and then scroll down to the 'get info' and then click on that to bring up a window that tells you the info. Don't tell me that Apple has Microsoft beaten on everything ergonomic.
6. Right clicking to create new stuff - like txt docs, etc. OSX - nope. not unless you get an after market product. PC does it out of the box.
7. In the Finder, if you click on a folder - rather than tell you how much space the files within it are taking, it tell you how much space is remaining on the drive. Come on. What's that about? Once again, one must right click, blah blah...
8. The spotlight, while wonderfully fast, is kinda sucky if you want it to do something crazy like -- find something. Sure you can launch things from it with no problem but if you want to use it to find where something is located, forget it. Why can't there be a simple right click function to actually tell you or take you to where the found item is? At least you can do that in the Finder.
   

okay... this blog wasn't supposed to be entirely Mac bashing. The fact of the matter is that I do this because the OS is so beautiful. I am enough of a user now that I can't imagine ever buying a computer again that isn't capable of using both OS's. There are just some things that XP does better.

Well, for anyone still with this -- I do hope to write more and of better quality. I hope your economic situation is faring fairly and that you will return.

Bye.