Blogrilla

When I was a consultant for KPMG Peat Marwick we used Macintosh laptops and desktops exclusively for one reason. They were EASY to use. Back in the early nineties not everyone (accountants) knew how to use a computer. So KPMG standardized on Macintosh computers, which had a much more gentle learning curve than Windows-based computers.

I remember going to client-sites where a team of five or six consultants would run telephone wires between each computer and we instantly had a network set up! Each computer recognized all of the other computers, servers AND printers on the network. We could all instantly share files and work on the same documents as needed on the same AppleTalk network.

It was elegant and simple and it just worked. Every flippin’ time.

Then Windows won.

And network managers were needed for even the smallest network. Things got very complicated and the world went dark for many years. It was like one of those post-apocalyptic, Mad-Max movies. Every computer was cut off from the other and each struggled to survive.

But I have found some sunlight! Its like in Waterworld when Kevin Costner finds land! (don’t give me a hard time for the Waterworld citation)

Apple’s Bonjour is JUST like that.

You know that i have been struggling with a new network printer at home for a couple of months. I had a hard time getting it to connect to my network and I spent hours and hours on it. It wasn’t pretty. There was a lot of swearing and howling and gnashing of teeth. But I finally got it connected to my network and when I went to my Macintosh to install the printer, it was already there. Mac OS X had already discovered it! It was a thing of simplicity and beauty.

I lamented that Bonjour wasn’t available for Windows. hah! What a silly idea.

But it isn’t silly. Its for real! They actually make it for Windows! This is amazing!

Here is Apple’s description of Bonjour in a nutshell:

The automatic connection.

Computers and devices with Bonjour automatically broadcast their own services and listen for services being offered for the use of others. Your computer might see a printer available for printing, an iTunes playlist available for listening, an iChat buddy available for video conferencing. Or even another computer available for file sharing.

I installed it on my primary desktop and it added a little find-the-printer wizard to my desktop. I ran it and it instantly discovered my Brother HL-2170W! I asked it to add the printer and (get this) it did. No hassles. No questions.

Its nothing short of miraculous!

I wonder what else it can do? I’m hooked. Go getcha some.

(Is there a downside to Bonjour? I dunno - I’m not sure if I want know either. I think I’m smitten!)

Sphere: Related Content

Tags: Uncategorized by Private Idaho
1 Comment »

One of my son, Gabriel’s favorite pastimes is whittling.  Not the kind where you come up with anything useful at the end, but he loves cutting up sticks.  I keep hoping that one day a work of art will emerge, but thus far we have only a massive pile of shavings and several pointy sticks to show for all his effort. 

He’s a funny guy with a sense of humor that is very different from any of the rest of us.  Last week we were at an antique barn and he and I were rooting around the old tools and gizmos when he popped up from a pile of detritus holding, what looked like an old style blackjack.  He was grinning like an idiot and asked if he could have it.  Before the sentence was out of his mouth I told him

“hell, no”

He offered to pay the $10 for it.  I reiterated my previous stance on the topic and explained that the for the same reason mommy was was prohibited from owning a cattle-prod, he was prohibited from owning a billy club.  It just wouldn’t be good for the rest of us.

Like I say: funny kid.

I got a call from home today saying that Gabriel was in trouble at school.  Gabe has never been in trouble at school.  When I say “never” I mean it.  He’s a great kid and I’m lucky to be his Dad.  The short version of the story is this:

Yesterday, he accidentally forgot his pocket knife in his pocket.  So, he accidentally brought it to school with him.  When he realized that he had his knife with him he knew that he had made a big mistake.  So he told his buddy Owen.  Owen thought this was great and threatened to tell the principal on Gabe for bringing a pocket knife to school.  Well, he forgot to say anything until today.  So he told the principal that Gabe had brought a pocket knife to school … YESTERDAY.

When the principal heard that Gabe had brought a knife to school he said “Gabe?!  The one in fourth grade?!  In Mrs. L’s class?!  GABE?!”  He couldn’t believe it either.

So Gabe got dragged down to the principal’s office where he got a stern talking-to.  Because it was the end of the day, my wife was called in from the playground to see the principal and Gabriel.  When she arrived Gabe was in tears.  Not because the principal had been hard on him but because he never gets in trouble and he was all upset about it.  The principal was really very good about it and understood how it could happen and told Gabe that if this sort of thing ever happens again:

1. Gabe should go straight to the principal and ask him to hang on to the knife for him
2. DON’T TELL OWEN

Sounded like good advice to me.  I’m not upset with Gabe because it sounds like a pretty innocent mistake.  I make it all the time, in fact.  Gabe needed to understand that kids get suspended over things like that.  One kid, who really did bring a knife to school for nefarious purposes got expelled (which is good).  And I think he got that.  I don’t intend to punish him - I think he’s upset enough.

On the way home from school his mother asked him what lessons he had learned to which he replied:

1. Don’t bring a knife to school
2. DON’T TELL OWEN

Owen is a punk who shits on his friends for fun.  We have been trying to get him to find other friends.  I think this will sink in like our previous advice did not.

Dopey kid.

Sphere: Related Content

Tags: Uncategorized by Private Idaho
No Comments »

ThinkGeek :: Super Pii Pii Brothers

Omigod! Its a game about peeing. Well, virtually peeing. If you have a Wii game system, you purchase this game, which comes with some kind of waist-harness that enables the user to insert the Wii-remote so it can function as a … well, as a penis! Then the game presents different toilets, surfaces and animals on which you can pee. I didn’t catch what the challenge is, but it sounds HILARIOUS! In a crazy japanese kind of way.

Genius.

NO WAIT!!  Its an April Fool’s gag!!  Holy canoli, that was funny!  I totally fell for it.  Until I looked at some of their other items. 

Sphere: Related Content

Tags: Uncategorized by Private Idaho
No Comments »