I’m not a hip hop fan.   Some of it has depth and most of it is just rage that rhymes.   This post isn’t about hip hop or all the stars at the Coachella music festival .   It’s about the idea that someone mainstream (Not Japanese) introduced a (almost) hologram into a major production.  I happen to believe that holograms are going to be a big entertainment value added component.

Dr. Dre paid $10 million dollars to have the hologram of Tupac Shakur do a number at the festival.  No so tough except Tupac is desceased.   Many threads I read about this think it was disrespectful others think it makes Tupac immortal.   My 2 cents is  this is just the beginning of new venue.  My prediction is that in the future we will have entire concerts that are holo generated.  Can’t wait to see Janice, Jimmy and Jim together in concert again.

Happy 100th Wernher,  you helped make the US space program something cool for me when I was kid.     Checkered history aside without Dr von Braun we wouldn’t have the space program that we …. shit we don’t have a space program…. never mind.

This is the display you get when you hose a system up with a virus so bad that even the bootable USB “Windows Defender” is powerless to help.   Let this be a lesson kiddies…. always practice safe computing, wear a virus protector when playing with strange unknown files.   Looks like I’ll have to find  Edith “E” Johnson to go into zone 7 and find me another system.

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Found something I did…..   the Dark Side complete with a virus which did its work because my virus scanner was waiting to get updated.

Now I have a system (My main one of course) which is less than helpful right now.   Had a spare which I put into place and because most of my stuff is in the cloud I was fairly good to go.  I also had used SpiderOak just a week before for all the non-Cloud files.

This damaged PC is now sitting in the corner reflecting on what was done to it.  To the rescue comes a version of Microsoft’s Security Essentials (Windows Defender) which can be loaded to a bootable USB.  (Special shout out to Dan for the link)  By booting from the USB with Windows defender you can avoid any of the nasties that get loaded during the Windows boot process.  The little USB stick is now in my kit of USB drives to help me make things right.

Don’t know how well the recovery will go but I’m more confident now than I was at 9PM New Years Eve when I was looking for more of Melanie.

Lessons Learned

• The interweb is an evil place with sand people everywhere
• Files you download with an (EXE) extension are probably not that video you wanted, don’t be so danm quick with the (Enter) button
• Always do your backups, always
• The cloud is your friend, remember friends can be fickle too
• Virus checkers only work when they are turned on, just like lights
• Microsoft the king of evil empires does have a few good ideas
• Cute redheads in leather and spandex, with fast cars, guns and a geeky disposition are still hot

Pretty much sums it up.   Thank you (LP) Laura Pergolizzi.

After years of ranting about how evil Apple was and that I would never buy anything Apple I am now the owner of a Macbook Air.   Yep I drank the Kool-Aid and I’m liking it.

Most of my dislike for Apple was about the politics and the control they exhibited over the products and the environment.  I needed a ultra book for carrying around because my job has changed.  I tried, I really tried to not by an Apple.  I looked at Samsung, Acer, Asus, etc and did all the research and it came back to the Mac Air was the best implementation of the ultra-book design.  Expensive but Mac Air did what it was intended for and did it with a little more class than the others.

I’d like to thank Dan and Monty two of my cohorts at the gig I’m working now for helping me make the decision by temping me daily with their Mac Airs.  It helps to have friends who have gone through that door before you.  I’d also like to thank my wife for telling me it was OK to give in on my principles and spend a little extra money for something that was right.

I ordered my Mac Air (Still sounds a little wrong to me) from the Ann-Arbor store’s business unit from a young lady named Phoebe.  She said I could use the contractors discount for the company I am currently doing work for.  She would put one aside with all the adapters I wanted and I could come by and pick it up.   It’s only an hour drive away and Saturday was a nice sunny fall day.

So this is my first time even near an Apple store.  OMG it looked like a riot, it was crowded and noisy and people everywhere.  In today’s economy that is actually a good thing.  There were as many blue shirts as customers and with 5 minutes I located Phoebe and she had my unit out on a chunk of open space.   She helped me get it started and registered and even installed the clear “Speck” cover for it.  I plan to carry the Mac Air either in my day bag or just out in the open and to avoid damage to it within the first 3 days (My current record for damage).

While the store was teaming with activity the whole transaction took 20 minutes.   No cash registers, no waiting in line, no time to get buyers remorse.  Quick, simple and painless.  Maybe one of the reasons Apple does so well is that stores are not just built they are engineered for taking care of business while making it look like a trip to a hands-on science museum.

I have the Mac Air set up with a bunch of Business application including Libre Office, Filezilla, Dropbox, Spider Oak and VM Fusion with a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate running for those must have Windows applications (SQL Server Management Studio, Log Me Ignition).   I still have a bunch more to do but so far I have to say while it was a difficult choice it was a good one.

When the rest of my people need Apple hardware I will be going back to the Ann Arbor store because they “Just made it work”.

I have always been outspoken about how I think Apple is evil and on and on.   But I agree with Chris Hetzog from Computer Geeks Tech Tip #335 Steve Jobs has changed how the world thinks and uses computers and media.

Many friends ask me for advice and what tablet or phone to buy and while I won’t buy and iPad or iPhone I suggest to them to get that shinny iPad or new iPhone because for them it “Just works”.   This is what most people want and need “just works” and Steve was good and figuring how to deliver that and the content.

I never quite understood the cult status and fanboy attitude when a new Apple product was about to be announced.   But when you help to define the industry and legitimize technologies that have struggled to get started I can  get the excitement myself too.

I know a lot of folks will miss Steve Jobs and so will I.  Give Saint Peter an iPad when you pass through the gates Steve.

Couches are designed for sitting or, preferably, napping.

But a team of crazed speed freaks in Sydney, Australia, who are driven to put a motor to anything have turned what would ordinarily be a leather two-seater couch perfectly suitable for sleeping away a Saturday afternoon into a racing vehicle capable of reaching speeds of 101 MPH.    Wonder if I can pick the color couch I’d like?

This is one of the few videos that can raise my spirits on a consistent basis. Special thanks to Pink and the CosPlayFever crew for making me… oh shit, my glass is empty, that sucks….