Olympic Fever

Posted on February 9, 2014February 9, 2014 by Dusty Roads

The 2014 Winter Olympics are underway in Sochi. News coverage has been considerable. Does everyone have Olympic Fever?

Russia is using the Olympics to showcase its post-soviet resurrection and why not? Doesn’t every country that hosts an Olympic Games put their best foot forward? Too bad the Russians haven’t been able to accomplish that.

When the press arrived in Sochi to unfinished construction, toilets that wouldn’t flush and hotel door handles that wouldn’t lock, the Sochi Olympics got their first black eye.

The Russian response boiled down to this: Some reporters are sabotaging Sochi’s Olympics accommodations for splashy headlines. Russian officials know this because they have surveillance cameras in hotel rooms. And at least some of those surveillance cameras are focused on hotel showers. Oh Oh! Voyeurism at it’s finest!

You can’t clean your teeth because the security scare has you packing your tooth paste in your checked luggage if you get to bring it at all, so what’s a little body order to go along with bad breath?

I wish the Olympics had all star commercials like the Superbowl. Coke has a cute commercial with a Puffin and the Polar Bears. I liked that one.

Every year a new event gets tried out. This year an event called Slopestyle, a snow boarding event, was getting some exposure but before the first bell the competitors were backing out. American Snowboarder, Shaun White called the course “Unsafe” and withdrew. According to news reports he’s just one of the contestants to express concerns with the course for the new event.

I have no bone to pick with the Olympics. They all seem to have their share of problems and bad press no matter where they hold them. I wish all the competitors the best. Leave your tooth paste in your checked bags, avoid the showers and may the best man and/or woman win.

My Nemesis, Technology

Posted on February 8, 2014February 8, 2014 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

I’m not one of those old dinosaurs that can’t use a computer. When it comes to learning new software I do a pretty good job keeping up with the youngsters. But where I lose patience is when the stupid computer won’t do what I tell it to.

It’s one thing for it to “Go Down” when it’s the work computer. We’ve got a whole department of IT people to come to our rescue. Case in point, yesterday the whole system went down at work. The IT sprung into action and in about 5 minutes had the system back up. It sputtered and ran slow for a bit but finally settled in and work life was back to normal

So this morning I logged into my personal computer and none of my Microsoft programs are working. I can’t access Microsoft Word or Excel. I used them both yesterday. Today it tells me to “fix” them in control panel. So off to control panel I go. When I opened the application to see what was wrong it tells me in one place that the applications are still downloading but in another that the download is done. Grrrr.

Maybe I’ll try rebooting the whole computer again. Maybe it just glitched when it booted up but right now I don’t have the time to fuss with a balky computer.

Buddy destroyed my printer the other day. Yup. I came home and found him in the act. paper trays had been pulled out and paper was everywhere. After I put it back together and put in new ink cartridges the cartridges couldn’t be aligned. I have no idea how he got his paw into that part of the printer mechanism but it looks like I’m going to have to buy a new printer. Maybe I’ll have to think about a whole new computer system if my computer is going to start giving me problems.

I don’t have an IT department to bail out my personal computer and trotting a 3 year old computer and printer off for repairs may not be cost effective. I have such a love/ hate relationship with my computer! My laptop died a couple of months ago. It’s only good for playing games now. Try to get online and I’ll die of old age before it connects.

Well I’m going to go pound my head against a wall now. At least I know I am not alone in my continuing battle with technology. I leave you with dialog from 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Dave Bowman: Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?

HAL: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.

Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.

HAL: I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.

Dave Bowman: What’s the problem?

HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.

Dave Bowman: What are you talking about, HAL?

HAL: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.

Dave Bowman: I don’t know what you’re talking about, HAL.

HAL: I know that you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I’m afraid that’s something I cannot allow to happen.

Dave Bowman: [feigning ignorance] Where the hell did you get that idea, HAL?

HAL: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the pod against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.

Dave Bowman: Alright, HAL. I’ll go in through the emergency airlock.

HAL: Without your space helmet, Dave? You’re going to find that rather difficult.

Dave Bowman: HAL, I won’t argue with you anymore! Open the doors!

HAL: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

Storm Aftermath

Posted on February 7, 2014February 7, 2014 by Dusty Roads

The sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar,

that tomorrow…there’ll be sun.

And Cold!

New Year the Chinese Way

Posted on February 6, 2014February 6, 2014 by Dusty Roads

It’s the Chinese New Year but unlike Western New Year the Chinese New Year lasts much longer. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. Boston’s Chinatown is holding it’s festivities on Sunday Feb 9, that is if it doesn’t get snowed out.

It seems every time I go to write about something we get another storm. We just finished our 2nd snow storm of the week and if we get the storm on Sunday it will be a trifecta. I know, I live in New England and it snows in New England. Suck it up cupcake! But seriously, I’m getting worn out from this winter that has hit us with one storm after another. Granted they haven’t been blockbusters, but at the rate things are going the next big storm could be right around the corner.

Back to The Chinese New Year. This year is the Year of the Horse. I thought that was really cool. I like horses but the Year of the Horse doesn’t really have much to do with horses at all.

The Horse is one of 12 symbols in the Chinese Zodiac. The Year of the Horse starts from Jan. 31, 2014 (the Lunar New Year / Spring Festival of China ) and lasts to Feb. 18, 2015

So what can you expect from the Year of the Horse? This is the description provided on the astrology page about the Year of the Horse: The spirit of the horse is recognized to be the Chinese people’s ethos – making unremitting efforts to improve themselves. It is energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able. Ancient people liked to designate an able person as ‘Qianli Ma’, a horse that covers a thousand li a day (one li equals 500 meters).

Strengths
People born in the year of the horse have ingenious communicating techniques and in their community they always want to be in the limelight. They are clever, kind to others, and like to join in a venture career. Although they sometimes talk too much, they are cheerful, perceptive, talented, earthy but stubborn. They like entertainment and large crowds. They are popular among friends, active at work and refuse to be reconciled to failure, although their endeavor cannot last indefinitely.

Weaknesses
They cannot bear too much constraint. However their interest may be only superficial and lacking real substance. They are usually impatient and hot blooded about everything other than their daily work. They are independent and rarely listen to advice. Failure may result in pessimism. They usually have strong endurance but with bad temper. Flamboyant by nature, they are wasteful since they are not good with matters of finance due to a lack of budgetary efficiency. Some of those who are born in the horse like to move in glamorous circles while pursuing high profile careers. They tend to interfere in many things and frequently fail to finish projects of their own.

Interesting. But I’m only a Rabbit

lost in the Year of the Horse. 🙂

The Red Red Robin

Posted on February 5, 2014February 5, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I saw another flock yesterday. I hope they found someplace warm to roost before the storm hit. Silly Birds…don’t they know they are supposed to migrate south for the winter?

WHEN THE RED, RED ROBIN COMES BOB, BOB, BOBBIN’ ALONG
(Harry Woods)
When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob-Bob Bobbin’ Along
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’ along, along
There’ll be no more sobbin’ when he starts throbbin’ his old sweet song
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head
Get up, get out of your bed
Cheer up, cheer up the sun is red
Live, love, laugh and be happy
What if I were blue, now I’m walking through, walking through the fields of flowers
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours
I’m just a kid again doing what I did again, singing a song
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’ along
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’ along
There’ll be no more sobbin’ when he starts throbbin’
There’ll be no more sobbin’ when he starts a throbbin’ his old sweet song
Wake up, wake up you sleepy head
Why don’t you get up, get up, get out of bed, cheer up
Live, love, laugh and be happy
What if I were blue, now I’m walking through fields of flowers
Rain may glisten but still I listen for hours and hours
I’m just a kid again, doing what I did again, singing a song
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’
When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin’ along
Along, along, along, along, along.