Gotcha, didn’t I?  It’s not polite to “kiss & tell” and I certainly am not starting here.  However, in a (long) moment of reflection over my latest birthday, I did review my own “ex-list” and broke them out according to the following characteristics:

1. birth order:  first/only, middle (meaning neither first nor last), last
2. relationship with parent(s):  mother, father, both
3. lived with:  mother, father, both

Without giving away any names, the distribution among birth order is even across all three, with 2 uncertains (one was adopted and I didn’t pry further and one I dated for only three weeks, also the shortest relationship on record).  Relationship with parents was difficult (or unknown) in some cases, but I “WAG“d it as best I could.  That was the real “mushy” part of the survey.  It was intended to illustrate whether or not a strong relationship with either parent made a difference in the relationship he had with me.  Again, nothing striking came out of the results of that survey.

Sometimes I just become very introspective and need to focus on thoughts that have been rattling around in my brain box for a while.  Once I do this, then I can put it to rest.  Then I wonder why I even had to go through the reflective process.  In this case, I think it was a way of putting things in perspective on my birthday (a classic time for these actions, as well as the source of many many movie plots).  My conclusions?

The only concrete data I had was birth order.  I’m an eldest, currently married to a “middle.”  I think - wait, know - the “only”s were the most challenging (in hindsight).  Other than that, the stereotypes tended - to a greater or lesser degree - to run true.  Of course, there’s a lot of discussion as to whether birth order matters, but in my dating history - it didn’t.  It’s good I didn’t fall into a repeating pattern and wondered why it wasn’t working …

Now that curling season has started, I am reminded of why I really enjoy the events where our northern neighbors are in attendance.  Canadian men (at least the ones from Ontario/Ottawa/Montreal) know how to dance.  I’m not talking about shuffling your feet back & forth, I mean dancing, where one partner leads, the other follows, a polite and fun kind of interaction.

Most women I’ve found enjoy dancing.  I can’t explain precisely why; for myself it’s different depending on my dance partner.  Sometimes it’s a pleasant way to pass the time and move with the music.  Sometimes it’s a chance to chat up an old friend you haven’t seen in a while.  Sometimes it’s an opportunity for some very harmless flirting, where we all know the rules but the game is still quite fun.

My advice to American men, regardless of marital/attached status - learn how to dance, even if it’s just the foxtrot or waltz.  If your partner likes to dance, imagine how surprised she’ll be when you take her out dancing!  Even my musically- and rhythmically-challenged husband learned how to dance for our first two wedding dances.  He’s as challenged musically as I am with my uncorrected hyperoptic vision: +5.0 diopters in one eye, +5.25 in the other.  (No surgery for me… )

Release date

Release date

‘Tis the season for buying them. It’s coming up on the holiday season and hordes of shoppers will be flocking to their local mega-stores to buy a computer … with absolutely no idea about how best to do so.

I’ve been in the computer/networking support industry for almost 15 years, so I do have some idea on how to do this. In my position, it’s accepted that you will advise people on what to buy. They may - or may not - listen to your advice, but here goes anyway.  There are a few “big picture” points, and then the explanation of each of them.

POINT 1: What is your budget?

I’m not kidding - so many times, people don’t set themselves a limit.  Now you may not strictly adhere to this limit, but it does directly relate to … well … everything else.  What you spend for a killer gaming machine will be different than what you’ll spend for a basic word processing/email/web surfing combo.

POINT 2: What are your essential needs?

You must know why you’re buying a computer.  “Because everyone else has one” is not a good reason.  These needs should be quantifiable - easy to identify and list.  For example: 

• “I’m going to be going back to school and I’m taking online classes.  The syllabus said I’d need a computer with XXX RAM and XXX processor, and I’ll need XXX software to complete my assignments.”
• “I want to be able to manage my money/financials/portfolio at home.”
• “I want to be able to complete school assignments at home/bring work home.”
• “I want to work with my digital camera and edit photos.”

POINT 3:  Realize the cost of software and consumables.

These are the “sneaky” costs of owning a computer.  Software is not free.  It is intellectual property, and someone, somewhere, spent their valuable time and resources developing it for use by you.  I am a very strong believer in licensed software.

SOFTWARE.  You will, at the very least, need the following software to make your computer useful.  Knowing what your needs are will help you choose the right software.  BEWARE OF MICROSOFT WORKS.  This is often bundled with computers purchased at the big box stores, or low-end budget computers.  Trust me, you don’t want it.  Last I knew, it was not compatible with anything else but itself.

• Business productivity suite.  You also know this as Microsoft Office, or WordPerfect Office.  It comes in an array of versions (from least to most expensive):
  • Home and Student:  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote
  • Standard: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
  • Small Business: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Accounting Express, Publisher
  • Professional: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Accounting Express, Publisher
• Internet Protection Software.  This is usually an anti-virus program combined with anti-spyware tools.  Symantec (Norton) and McAfee are two vendors who sell to box stores.  CAVEAT:  This software is usually only good for a period of time, for example, one year.  Then you will have to purchase it again, or purchase a “subscription” to keep it updated and working. 
• Photo Editing Software.  Okay, here is where I do recommend one software title: Corel’s Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 (current version).  It’s $60 and it works great.  If you’re not a professional artist or illustrator, you don’t need Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop - they are incredibly powerful programs and not designed for the novice/average home user - and have price tags to match ($599 and $699, respectively).

I do not mean to recommend any one software package in particular, but these are some of the ones you may be most familiar with, or are used at your school or workplace.  It’s easier if you use the same software at home that you do at work.

MONEY-SAVING TIP: If you work at a company with more than 25 employees, or at a school or university, or for a state government, check with your IT department to ask about At-Home Licensing for the Office programs.  If your workplace has a Volume License Agreement with a vendor, sometimes these agreements provide for employee at-home use.  To quote Ken Tarmac from the Bob and Tom Show: “I know, I know.  It just landed.” 

CONSUMABLES.  You will need blank CD-ROMs if you want to back up data (which you should) as well as printer cartridges (if you so choose to buy a printer) and … paper.  Ink cartridges are less expensive than laser toner cartridges but don’t last as long.  Color is always more expensive than black & white; for laser printers this is even more true.

POINT 4: Reconcile POINTS 1, 2 and 3. 

Now is where you’re going to make tradeoffs.  Here are some rules of thumb you can follow to help you out, especially if you’re ordering online:

• Choice between more processor or more RAM:  More RAM wins.  Always.
• Buy the largest hard drive your budget allows.
• Chances are, you’re not going to need that modem, if you have broadband internet.  Most systems today come with a built-in network card.  You only need a modem if you still have dial-up to the internet.
• Spend the money for a good surge protector/battery backup.  Even if it’s a small one, it’ll be OK.
• Warranty:  I usually get 3 years parts, one year parts & labor.  If a part needs replacing and you can’t replace it yourself, you probably shouldn’t try.  Sometimes you do just have to “suck it up and deal.”
• Extended phone support: I’m a geek so I never get this.  You should have at least 30 days free support (from the date of your purchase) to help you set up your system.  If you don’t, do not buy the computer.  The company obviously doesn’t value you as a customer; they just want to unload their goods on you.
• Beware of bundles.  Bundles are additional software (or hardware) combos that are offered at a special price.  Some are good; some are bad.  Depending on your needs (see POINT 1), they’re great or awful.

POINT 5:  FIND A GEEK.  FEED HIM (OR HER).  PREFERABLY CHOCOLATE.

I’m not kidding here.  You should know someone who says they know something about computers.  Here is another tricky bit.  You should feel like you trust their advice.  They should be able (and willing) to listen to you, and then ask you questions based on this list.  If they advocate one solution, and one only, find another geek.  They may say they prefer one vendor over another - I prefer Dell - but should be open to others.  However, if they say they’ve had horrible experience with a certain vendor - I would say Toshiba - then ask why.

Be nice to us geeks.  If you brought your computer into a shop to have it fixed, or paid for our consulting experience, you’d be paying $100/hour (or more, depending on your location).  We realize this, too, but the more honorable and decent of us do want to help you.

Realize that your budget directly impacts what you can purchase.  In these ever-tightening times, a computer may be more discretionary than before, but some good planning and bargain hunting can still get you a good system to serve you for a few years.

Okay, WP is now at 2.6.x and all associated widgets I use have also been updated.  Tedious but not difficult - except for the editing of the /wp-includes/widgets.php file.  To keep the hierarchy of the menu to the right at a reasonable level, there’s a line of code you need to enter, and enter in the correct place within the file itself:

 if ( $sortby == 'menu_order' ) {
  $sortby = 'menu_order, post_title';
 }

 $out = wp_list_pages( array('depth'=>'2','title_li' => '', 

     'echo' => 0, 'sort_column' => $sortby, 

     'exclude' => $exclude) );

 if ( !empty( $out ) ) {

The orange line (line-wrapped for your convenience) is the one you need to add if you only want your first- and second-level pages displayed in your right hand menu widget.  (The surrounding lines are given as a contextual reference.)  Otherwise, WP interprets that you want all the default values for the wp_list_pages() template tag function.  One of these default values is ‘depth’=>’0′, which will display all your posts and pages.

While checking up on the Culinary results, I see that the Rose Show results from the NYS Fair are in, and here they are for the MacEnroes:

Division DA (Hybrid Tea):

1. Class 258 - Veteran’s Honor:  MacEnroe, Paul, 3 (out of 7)
2. Class 269 - Pink or Pink Blend:  MacEnroe, Michelle, 3 (out of 9)

Division DI (Hybrid Tea Spray, one per vase):

1. Class 393 - Any pink, pink blend or orange-pink:  MacEnroe, Michelle, 1 (out of 4) - This was an amazing spray of Gemini’s Gone Wild.

Division DJ (Floribunda, 1 bloom per stem):

1. Class 397 - White, near white or white blend:  MacEnroe, Michelle, 2 (out of 6) - I think this was Moondance, as it’s the only white floribunda I’ve got.

I somehow don’t think that’s all of them.  I could swear I got some 3rd’s in the Shrub category, and I know Paul got at least an honorable mention or two somewhere… I’ll check the envelope at home when I get time.  You know the gardening universe is out of kilter when I don’t get Shrub ribbons but do get Hybrid Tea ones.

Release date (Hardcover)

Release date (Hardcover)

Release date (Hardcover)