Family buzz

I just got word that the last of our family members in my Father's generation died last night. My Aunt, Therlo Innes (Trudy, she was called by the family). My dad's youngest sister.

This is the Aunt who lived with us while she went to high school in Morgantown, Ky., because her father (my grandfather) lived quite a way out in the rural part of the county, and in those days they didn't run school buses back in those woods.

This is the Aunt who, with her 1 year old daughter (Laura), stayed with us while her husband (Uncle Larry) was in the Korean War.

This is the Aunt who's family I lived with while I was in college in Arizona, in the early 60's.



Trudy was more like an older Sister to me than an Aunt. The wife (Connie) and I made several trips to Arizona through the years to visit, and always had a warm welcome, and great time. (even our pups) We had a really nice visit last October in Farmington, NM., where Aunt Trudy was staying with her Daughter's family. It's good that we were able to have that time.

The funeral will be Tuesday in Thatcher, AZ., and I won't be able to go. I have a serious sinus infection and a blocked estuation tube in my right ear. It's filled with fluid, which prevents me from hearing in that ear, and the Doctor advises me not to do any traveling that involves altitude changes, .... no flying at all.

I certainly would like to go, to be with the family and pay last respects to a close, departed , family member.

Goodbye Aunt Trudy, ..... we'll miss you.

Very small computer

I have a Windows XT desktop PC, a MacBook running OSx, ..... and an EEE PC.

The EEE PC is not a replacement for a full fledged computer, but it sure is handy to have.

With it's WiFi ability,I use it to:

Surf the net
Play internet radio
Check email, and respond
Read forums, and post
Watch youtube entries
Watch movies ( http://mytheater.org/allmovies.php )
Post to my Blog
Work with my "on-line" genealogy file
Review photos by plugging my camera's SD card into the slot on the PC
Access my bank account for money transfers and bill paying
Check intellicast radar for conditions, where ever I am
List items on ebay, and make purchases (including access to my PayPal account)
Instant messaging with my Grand kids
And a bookmark listing of favorite web sites

In addition it has an Office suite that is compatible with MS Office, .... Word processor,.... spreadsheets, etc.
It has PIM manager for your contacts and calendar entries. It comes with Skype software that allows free world-wide internet phone calls to other skype users. A built-in web cam, speakers and microphone. ( I pay a $100.00 a year fee to allow my unit to make and receive calls to and from "ANY" telephone in the U.S. - with no additional charges or fees.)

Yes, there are things that I cannot (at this time) do, but the list of things that I "Can" do is too great to discount this little jewel.

It's small, light, and unlike some believe, .... it's quite fast. I also have a small 20GB USB hard drive (these can be found at Target, Staples, Office Depot, and Best Buy in much greater capacities) that I can plug into one of the USB ports. This drive is no bigger than a medium sized Cell Phone and requires no power except the USB cable.

At the moment I have not found a need for regular use of an external drive, or a USB flash. I do have a 4GB SD card plugged into the slot on the EEE PC, but to date have put nothing on it. What files I have created are currently in the internal memory.

Will the EEE PC replace a full blown computer?, ..... Depends on what you use your computer for. In some cases, ...Yes. In many cases, ...NO. But as you can see by this post, .... they do a good job within their own capabilities.

(Brought to you by Larry's ASUS A701 EEE PC )

Internet tablets

I'm still playing with Internet Tablets. From a previous post you may remember that I acquired an Apple iPod Touch to use as a WiFi based Internet Tablet. I was riding high and totally pleased with it's performance, until I tried to display a local weather radar with an active loop display. Guess what, ..... the iPod Touch has no Flash Player. At least not for general internet applications. The only Streaming Video you can see on the iPod Touch is 'YouTube", and only if you use the Apple supplied applet to access YouTube. If you access YouTube via the Safari Browser it's a 'NO GO'.

Gee, ... you would think that they would include a Flash Player in the Safari Browser too. So far the iPod Touch Geeks haven't come up with a Flash Application that can be added. So, if you get an email that contains a streaming video, .... Good Luck Charlie, ..... it's not gonna work. And this is a crying shame ! I mean, this little bit of Techno Fodder has so much going for it it practically yells back to the Apple Barn (from whence it came) "I need a Flash Player!"

OK






I previously had tried the Nokia N810, Nokia's latest in their offerings of Internet Tablets. First came the 770, then the N800, and now the N810.
The N810 sports a new slide-out mechanical keyboard that the previous models did not have, anew operating system (OS2008) and , by virtue of the new OS, a faster operating clock.

I was impressed with functionality of the N810, but the mechanical keyboard left something to be desired for me. Plus the extra layer of sliding mechanism to house the keyboard added bulk and weight. I let this one go and replaced it with the iPod Touch.

Once I discovered the lack of a Flash Player in the iPod I began looking for still yet anther piece of kit to act as my Internet Tablet. I now am trying out one of Nokia's earlier units, .... the N800. This is a single layer device with two on-screen keyboards, a small one for stylus use and a larger one for finger use. I really like the larger one. It's easy to use and I find the touch screen to have just the right sensitivity to make entries smooth and effortless.

I upgraded the OS from OS2007 to the newer OS2008 and now have the look and feel (including faster clock) of the N810, without the bulk and weight. The only problem now is, I have become accustomed to the snappy smooth action and quick loads on the iPod, and the N800 feels slow.

So now I have a choice to make. Which is more important to me, ... Fast action and ease of use, .... or flash player? Hmmmmmm.

Oh, I forgot to mention another fly in the ointment that further muddies the decision process, ...... the N800 has 'Skype" VOIP on it, as well as a built-in microphone and speakers. Yep, ... when I'm in a 'Hot Spot' I can use it as a telephone. And, it also has a web cam that I can use as a snapshot camera, by virtue of a piece of software I downloaded from the Net.

Decisions, decisions. What to do, What to do.

Life sure is tough on a Hillbilly !

Down Time - My time

Peace, ... quiet ... solitude. In my case, ... the things of dreams.

Am I weird ?

I am, at this moment, fully engrossed in my favorite time of the day. It's 12:30 AM, ... the wife is in bed, ... the pups are in their kennels, ... and I am enjoying the absolute quiet. No talking, .. no TV, .. no questions, ... no pups barking at the mailman, ... no telephone.

I guess I would have made a good hermit. While I do enjoy people and get along with most folks without much fuss, .... I would be perfectly happy living in the mountains in the middle of mother natures beauty, away from everyone else, and only seeing another human being once a month when I go to town to pickup the mail and other needed supplies.

A small simple house with a wood burning stove, ... near fresh running water (river, stream, large year-around creek)and a garden spot.

Understand, ... it's not that I dislike people, ... that's not the case. It's not that I prefer my own company at the exclusion of others. It's just that I place a high premium on quiet. The wonderful, peaceful, quiet that allows your mind to float through your thoughts and memories unfettered, unobstructed, with a serenity that is not possible when others are in your proximity.

Am I different in this regard ? Do others not share this trait with me, .. even to a small degree?

OK, .... don't answer that. Maybe I don't want to hear the answer.

Maybe I'm just weird.