Tech Support - How We Computer People Actually Do It

Like most technically-oriented computer people, I have friends, relatives, co-workers and acquaintances who are not computer people... they tend to regard computers, and software running on them, as difficult-to-understand mysteries.

This view of computers and software is especially noticeable when they want to accomplish something specific but cannot immediately determine how to do it. The non-computer person will then ask the computer person for assistance. The computer person then, often, "magically" provides a solution to the frequent amazement of the non-computer person...

"How did you do that/figure that out?", asks the non-computer person.

For the benefit of all the non-computer people I know, here's an explanation from the xkcd webcomic on how we work our magic:

source: http://xkcd.com/627/

Wish List 2012 - Hobbit Edition

For those interested, here's my birthday/Christmas 2012 wish list. Be sure to check back here often, as I will update it through the remainder of 2012.

Updates

• 12/28/12 - crossed out sausage, crackers, Dilbert: The Complete Series and The Hobbit music soundrtack

Things I Always Enjoy Receiving

These are not in any particular order.

• chocolate chip cookies, soft & chewy, preferably with walnuts
• gift cards: Barnes & Noble, any restaurant
• cheese puffs (not the crunchy ones)
• summer sausage + Ritz crackers + block cheese (sharp cheddar and aged white cheddar are good choices)
• flavored coffees... sampler sizes are okay (i.e. those teeny tiny 1.5oz packages)... especially seasonal or holiday flavors
• instant cappuccino mixes, various flavors
• mixed nuts (NO peanuts)
• M&Ms... right now they have a chocolate cherry/cherry cordial flavor that is SUPER tasty! Chocolate Mint is good, too.
• Reese's Pieces

Things I Would Like

movies

• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - 2-deluxe edition: $4.82 at Amazon 
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine - if possible, the Walmart 3-disc set, otherwise the Blu-Ray/DVD combo $9.96 at Amazon 
• An American Carol: $4.47 at Amazon 
• Dilbert: The Complete Series: $19.99 at Amazon 
• Up - Blu-Ray 4-disc: $29.49 at Amazon 

video games

• 24: The Game for PS2, $15.96 at Amazon 
• Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for PS2, $17.98 at Amazon 
• Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest for PS2, $10.47 at Amazon 

music on CD

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Special Edition $17.98 at Amazon 
• A Midwinter Night's Dream by Loreena McKennitt $13.99 at Amazon
• An Ancient Muse by Loreena McKennitt $13.99 at Amazon
• A Mediterranean Odyssey by Loreena McKennitt $10.99 at Amazon
• The Wind That Shakes The Barley by Loreena McKennitt $10.99 at Amazon 
• Christmas Songs by Anuna $10.97 at Amazon 
• Christmas Memories by Anuna $6.71 at Amazon 
• Troubadours On The Rhine by Loreena McKennitt $9.99 at Amazon 
• Nights from the Alhambra - (2 CD + DVD) by Loreena McKennitt $23.47 at Barnes & Noble 

books

• Try Rebooting Yourself [Dilbert] - $10.39 at Amazon
• Cubes and Punishment [Dilbert] - $16.99 at Amazon
• This Is the Part Where You Pretend to Add Value [Dilbert] - $10.74 at Amazon
• What Would Wally Do? [Dilbert] - $12.71 at Amazon
• Your Accomplishments Are Suspiciously Hard to Verify  [Dilbert] - $11.55 at Amazon 
• Teamwork Means You Can't Pick the Side that's Right  [Dilbert] - $10.39 at Amazon 
• How's That Underling Thing Working Out for You?  [Dilbert] - $10.39 at Amazon 
• Stick to Drawing Comics, Monkey Brain! by Scott Adams - $6.00 at Amazon 
• The Tyranny of Cliches: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas by Jonah Goldberg - $18.48 at Amazon... alternatively, I'd be interested in the unabridged CD audiobook
• No, They Can't: Why Government Fails-But Individuals Succeed by John Stossel - $17.30 at Amazon... alternatively, I'd be interested in the unabridged CD audiobook... paperback's okay, too

big ticket items

• Google Nexus 7 tablet 32GB version - $249 at Google

Wish List 2011 - New Fridge Edition

For those interested, here's my birthday/Christmas 2011 wish list. Be sure to check back here often, as I will update it through the remainder of 2011.

UPDATES

• 11/27/11 - added items under "Miscellany"
• 12/18/11 - crossed off some things, added music (audio CD)
• 12/26/11 - crossed off more things
• 1/2/12 - ditto

Things I Always Enjoy

These are not in any particular order.

• chocolate chip cookies, soft & chewy, with walnuts  Thanks!
• gift cards: Barnes & Noble, any restaurant (so I can go out with my wife)
• cheese puffs (not crunchy ones)
• summer sausage + sharp cheddar cheese + flavorful crackers Thanks!
• flavored coffees... sampler sizes are okay (e.g. 1.5 oz packages)... especially seasonal or holiday flavors Thanks!
• instant cappuccino mixes of various flavors
• mixed nuts (NO peanuts) Thanks!
• bagel shop bagels with appropriately-flavored cream cheese... I especially like cheddar jalapeño bagels
• M&Ms
• Reese's Pieces Thanks!

Things I Would Like

Within each section, items ARE in order.

Each item has a link for it to Amazon or another online retailer with their listed purchase price. This information is included just for comparison purposes.

movies

• The A-Team (unrated extended cut) $14.99 at Amazon  Thanks!
• Robin Hood (two-disc unrated director's cut with Russell Crowe) $16.50 at Amazon  Thanks!
• Sherlock Holmes (widescreen) $10.99 at Amazon   Thanks!
• The Lord of the Rings Trilogy extended edition on Blu-Ray: $49.99 at Amazon 
• The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - 2-disc deluxe edition (widescreen) $14.14 at Amazon 
• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (single-disc edition) $4.99 at Amazon
• Captain America: The First Avenger (2-disc Blue-Ray & DVD): $19.99 at Amazon 
• Thor (2-disc Blue-Ray & DVD): $19.99 at Amazon
• The Bourne Ultimatum (widescreen edition) $9.49 at Amazon  Thanks!
• An American Carol - $8.99 at Amazon
• Dilbert - The Complete Series - $18.49 at Amazon
• The Office: Overtime (Digital Shorts Collection) $7.49 at Amazon
• Up - Blu-Ray 4 disc $30.99 at Amazon 

Video Games

• 24: The Game for PS2 - $20.87 at Amazon
• Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures for PS2 - $19.99 at Amazon

Music on CD

• Mannheim Steamroller: Christmas Symphony: $11.88 at Amazon  Thanks!
• Andrea Bocelli: My Christmas: $12.85 at Amazon
• A Midwinter Night's Dream by Loreena McKennitt $13.26 at Amazon
• An Ancient Muse by Loreena McKennitt $16.16 at Amazon
• Nights from the Alhambra - (2 CD + DVD) by Loreena McKennitt $61.77 at Amazon
• A Mediterranean Odyssey by Loreena McKennitt $12.99 at Amazon
• The Wind That Shakes The Barley by Loreena McKennitt $11.99 at Amazon
• Michael Buble Christmas - Target Exclusive edition $16.99 ONLY at Target (NOTE: This "Target Exclusive" version contains extra songs not on the regular CD that's available everywhere)
• Christmas Songs by Anuna $8.99 at Amazon

Books

• New Birth or Rebirth? by Ravi Zacharias - $10.19 at Amazon (paperback would be okay)
• Sense and Sensuality by Ravi Zacharias - $9.98 at Amazon (paperback would be okay)
• The Chronological Study Bible - hardcover edition $24.49 at Christian Book

Dilbert Books

• 14 Years of Loyal Service in a Fabric-Covered Box - $10.39 at Amazon  Thanks!
• Try Rebooting Yourself - $9.84 at Amazon
• Cubes and Punishment - $12.87 at Amazon
• This Is the Part Where You Pretend to Add Value - $9.84 at Amazon
• What Would Wally Do? - $12.71 at Amazon
• I'm Tempted to Stop Acting Randomly - $10.18 at Amazon  Thanks!
• Problem Identified: And You're Probably Not Part of the Solution - $11.55 at Amazon  Thanks!

Miscellany

• snow globe - preferably a nice one, containing a winter or Christmas scene of some sort  Thanks!
• jar candles - peppermint, pine/evergreen/Christmas tree, apple cider, pumpkin pie/pumpkin spice
• Star Trek Warp Speed travel mug - $6.99 at StarTrek.com 
• Star Trek Command stainless steel travel mug - $15.99 at StarTrek.com
• Star Trek Klingon Cloaking Ship mug - $14.99 at StarTrek.com
  

Things Not Inexpensive

• Asus Transformer table at Best Buy's Black Friday Door Buster sales for $249 ($150 off... it's like an Apple iPad, except better) + keyboard docking station for an additional $100 ($50 off)
• Sony PS3 gaming console - $250 for regular 160GB model

Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek Round Two

"Fight of the Century" is the new economics hip-hop music video by John Papola and Russ Roberts at http://EconStories.tv.. It is really really good... it depicts the core differences between the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek (known for the book The Road to Serfdom).



And here's a Q&A with Russ Roberts from Reason.tv's Nick Gillespie.

Blizzard of 2011

Tuesday overnight (2/01/11) a blizzard hit our region. We received 12" - 16" of new snow.

That evening I was out driving around for a little bit. My car nearly got stuck leaving a subdivision. And the high wind gusts made it difficult to determine whether there was oncoming traffic when I was trying to get out. But it all worked out okay.

Later I went to a store to get milk, etc. Amazing how empty stores get once a blizzard has started!

Next morning, we woke up to discover over a foot of new snow. SNOW DAY! Except for Sarah, who really needed to go in to work. Unfortunately, the van got stuck in the snow on the road in front of our driveway... just too deep. But we got the van back up the driveway okay.

The county plowed our road around mid-afternoon. Sarah was finally able to leave for work! I left after her to clear my parents' driveway. Their little snowblower valiantly removed lots of snow from their driveway!

driveway, with lots of snow

ducks' creek is starting to freeze

bush with snow