Another "information age" entry

I have often thought how I don't feel like I belong in this time. I wish I had been born in the 1920s or before. I would have done well there. I am glad however that I was here to witness the information age. It amazes me every day how we can now find any information in seconds on the internet. 20 years ago (or even less) if someone wanted or needed to know something, most would probably ask someone. Maybe go to a library. I have to assume the majority of people would simply give up and never find out the information. We can now just grab a wireless phone, laptop, or sit down at a computer and find anything in seconds. I cannot believe we live in such times. I also cannot believe there is still a relatively high percentage of people (even in the U.S.) who don't see what a benefit this can be.

I am sitting here with two computers that I don't even use because they are too slow. I could give to one of these people who don't have the ability to use the amazing tool called the internet. I work with a man who is about 10 years older than me. He is a very thoughtful individual. He likes being able to find information at will and uses the internet for entertainment when he has a break at work. I have offered to give him a computer so he can access the internet at home. He refuses. He knows what a wonderful tool it can be but is still refuses. I don't know if he's afraid of change, or thinks he will spend too much time on the internet. It confuses me. Anyone under the age of about 50-60 will not be able to make it through the rest of their life without the help of the internet in one for or another. It may be a very small device like a "smart phone" or "net book" but one way or another we are all going to have "on-line lives" whether we want it or not.

I have embraced this reality and have tried to find out about the hardware and software that makes this all possible. I hope I never deny reality. I'm sure I do in a lot of different ways. People probably look at me and think the same types of things as I think about my friend at work. Maybe people think I am denying myself some of the best life has to offer by not having a family of my own or limiting myself in other ways.

I still remember the best thing I ever learned in school. I don't remember much about school, but I do remember one thing an English teacher said to me many times. "Be honest with yourself" is what she said. At first I didn't understand, but it didn't take long before I did understand what she meant. Most people (including me) are not honest with themselves. They may be the most honest people with everyone else, but not themselves. That's the most important lesson I learned in school. Everything else falls into place if you will do that one thing.

I'm not sure what that had to do with the information age but it seemed to fit at the time. That's my thought of the day.

The holiday season is almost here

The holiday season is coming fast. Halloween is almost here and Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it. It's astounding how time passes the older we get. I can't understand time. Anyway, the holidays are not so bad I guess. I used to really hate them. I could do without them, don't get me wrong. However I can tolerate them as I get older. This is just a reminder to turn the lights out October 31 because snot-nosed brats will be knocking on your door. (unless you have a sign like me)

How would it be

There is nothing I would rather do than quit my job and work for myself but when I consider the benefits I have at my current job, it is hard to imagine myself giving it up. Health insurance alone is worth hundreds each month and the 401K is also worth a lot too. It would take a lot of balls for someone like me to quit their job and start a business. I would be giving up a decent wage and all kinds of benefits. I can see how starting a business when you're young would be the best time to do it. The chances of your business failing are very high. You would most likely be begging for your job within weeks or months. I have seen it happen with some of the guys I manage at work. One guy has tried it twice. Once with a window washing business and another time with selling insurance or something.

I have done a few side jobs in the past two or three months and can't imagine replacing my job. It sure would be nice to work for yourself but I am under no illusions of how it would be. I would be working twice as hard for less money. I have a lot of respect for people who start their own business. It would have to be the right blend of luck, hard work and a damn good product or service. The type of business I would start would be a computer business (shocking I know) Almost everyone who has a computer needs work done but most just wait until their machine fails instead of doing maintenance over time to make it last. I could make a computer last for as long as possible. I have one now that is in better condition as when it was new in 2005. It's slow by today's standards but I could still be using it.

What's the first thing most people do after their computers fail? They go to Best Buy or RC Willey where they can get a sub par product and get it financed. What they should do is upgrade over time and do regular maintenance so they get everything they can out of it. This takes a lot of knowledge and time however. That's where I come in....I could provide this service (cleaning, upgrading, and maintaining) and it wouldn't cost too much. With the proper advertising, I think this type of service could succeed.

A small business could provide a better product and service but certainly could not provide financing and advertising would be the main problem. I guess it's back to work for me on Monday but how would it be to work for yourself. It might not be the best thing for me. My job keeps me out of trouble. It sure would have a lot of good points and be a lot of work.

That's my thought of the week/month

End of summer! Yahooooo!

I have been slacking lately. I've been very busy. These are fun to read months later.

I have been working and then working some more after work on building and upgrading computers. I have built one system for a guy at work and upgraded 4 others. I have been surprised how many people need work done. I have also been into cleaning viruses and malware. Some people are better off just saving their music and pictures and having me restore the computer to the state when they bought it new. Most need new ones but this helps and it's not expensive. Anyway, I have just finished building a computer for a rich guy. The picture is of some parts for that build. (Intel Corei7 - one of the fastest CPUs made and Mushkin RAM - some of the fstest RAM made) I am installing Windows right now so I'm almost done. I hope I can get a side business going. In plan to try.

I am at the point now where I can do just about anything hardware related. I still struggle with the software a little bit.

The statistics are amazing when you hear them.

The average life of a computer is 3.(something) years. If yours is more than 3-4 years old, it's at the end of life and you had better start looking.]

It all depends on what type of use you are however. If you just use a couple of programs and use e-mail and Internet, you can really stretch the life out a bit. A good rule of thumb is if your machine starts getting errors or can't do what you need....it's time. Always save your important pictures and music, documents, etc.

This has been my thought of the day/month.

Summer

Here's what comes to mind when I think of summer. Hell would be another thing that comes to mind. This HAS been the best summer in a long time however. It's nice to be able to move around a little without almost passing out. This loosing weight thing really has some good benefits. I hope all of you "Summer lovers" are enjoying the intense heat. About 8 weeks and it's fall.

Hooked on YouTube

Since I got a higher Internet connection speed I have been watching YouTube videos. Everything is right there on video. I spent nearly the whole day watching people put computers together and overclock CPUs and video cards. I don't think it healthy for a long period of time but for a Sunday I guess it's okay.

I am still working on my computer. Every week I think of some cable or connector I need to make thinks better so I am still working. I am not even using the new one full time yet. When Windows 7 ships on October 22nd I will be ready to slap it on and start using it full time if I can wait that long (witch I doubt)

That's my thought of the day. Have a good week.

Playing with my new computer

I have my new computer build running great and am now doing more advanced things like "overclocking" the CPU and RAM and GPU. These terms mean nothing to most but some of you know what I'm talking about. I didn't get the fastest CPU made so.....I am making it faster by changing certain settings in the BIOS. (among other methods) I have squeezed about 35% more speed out of my CPU (the brain of the computer) therefore getting more bang for my buck (so to speak) Plus, it's a lot of fun. There's a lot more to learn so I had better go read my motherboard manual and read overclocking guides on the internet. haha I somehow knew I would be like this some day (a nerd) but whatever floats your boat....

I built a computer!

I have been into computers for years. I love tinkering with them and using them in general. I have been ordering parts one or two at a time for a few months and reading about how to build and configure a computer. I have been interested in computers since my dad got an Apple IIc when I was about 10 years old. I remember sitting at that computer for hours typing in code! I'll bet he forgot about that. Anyway, I got my last parts last week and just finished building it. I am "stress testing" the CPU right now. It's a great feeling to build something I will use for years. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

Summer is here

Before the punishing heat hits I got a few pictures of some flowers in moms yard. For some reason I like to take pictures of flowers. I want to say for the record "I am not gay" (not that there's anything wrong with that) I like to shoot pictures of flowers and I shoot AR-15 semi automatic rifles too so here are a couple of okay ones. That's my thought of the day.

Click for larger pics.

Deer in the headlights

I have said this before but people just are not right. A lot of people just seem like they have a mild case of autism. (not making fun of that affliction) They have a "deer in the headlights" look. I'm sure they are all just having bad days. We all have days that we walk around with a blank look in our eyes. Or do we? Maybe they didn't get enough sleep. Early to bed, early to rise. That's my thought of the day.

Dual monitors

I was forced to start using two monitors at work. It was about 18 months ago. They thought we would be "more productive". Turns out they were right. I love it and would never go back. If you have room....get a cheap monitor about the same size you have now and hook it up. It's easy and you'll love it.

Time - Gravity - Space

Have you ever thought..."this is the "modern" age. We know almost everything about the universe in which we live" I have....when I was younger. I thought this was a time where scientists knew almost everything and would surely know everything in my lifetime. However the more you look around you and look into space, the more you realize we know almost nothing. Most deep. important things taught today in schools are hypotheses. Even plate tectonics...let alone the nature of gravity, time, space and the relationship between them. This is a big deal. If we learn the truth of this relationship it would be the biggest discovery ever in history.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacetime

Anyway, I just get thinking about this stuff on Sundays when my brain is not full of useless crap from the day to day horse shit that fills our lives. If more people thought about it, maybe we would figure it out. Think about it.

I happen to believe mankind knows more than we think possibly from reverse-engineering alien spacecraft and has probably explored our solar system and has advanced knowledge about space, time and gravity. I believe they (whoever they are) are suppressing the knowledge for reasons unknown.

This is my boring (for most of you) thought of the day #2.

Windows 7

I have been using Windows 7 for a few months now. I have switched a couple of friends over to it. Microsoft is letting us use it free for a year. I found a little 5 minute video that shows some of the changes you will see. There are a lot more changes but these are some of the ones you will notice first. (plus I am practicing putting videos in my blog)

So watch this little video if you want. It's pretty good if you want to know about the user interface changes you will find on your next computer. Anything you buy after about October of 2009 will probably come with Windows 7

How much of your life is on line?

I came across this little video and there is some truth to it. You never know what's going to happen and the last thing I want is to be a burden on my family if I got into a car accident or had a stroke. There are people thinking of this stuff.

Bank accounts , e-mail, Flickr, operating system are all examples of things you would want someone to have access upon your demise. It's interesting to think about it anyway.

Mom....don't say "you're freaking me out" I already know. Also HAPPY MOMS DAY!!!!

How do blind people dream?

I have never though about how a blind person might dream. Think about that. If you were born blind, would you "see" anything in your dreams. If you became blind during your life sometime I would imagine you would "see" in your dreams but how about the person who has been blind all their life? I am sure there is research about this but what an interesting question to contemplate. That's my thought of the day.

More about dreams. Have you ever heard this?

I have strange dreams as do most people. The range of subjects in dreams is astounding. I have had one 3 times now in which I see nothing. I wonder if I am dreaming because it "feels" like I am just lying there about to fall asleep or just waking up.

This dream is all audio. We would call it music I suppose but there are no words for this "sound". The closest sound I can come up with is a few thousand people (or beings) making unbelievable sounds that are all in harmony and make the most beautiful sound I have ever heard by far. It sounds like voices but not normal by any means.

I have thought that maybe I am hearing music from a radio station and somehow my mind is picking it up. This is not an option as this "music" is not like anything I have ever heard. Like a choir times a million.....I have also had "angels"(I know it's strange) pop into my mind.....has anybody heard this? I have had many strange experiences while sleeping and have learned that I am often not the only one having them. This is among the strangest. It just happened again about 3-4 days ago.

Leave a reply if you have heard anything like this, know what it is, or heard others talk about it. I have searched the internet and can't find anything. That's my though of the day.

The next Windows

The next operating system from Windows is called Windows 7. I have been testing the beta for about 5 months. It is great! Let’s get with the program and update before the end of the year. You’ve got to be on the “cutting edge” to keep up with our changing world. Haha I just want to quit working on old versions. I am forgetting how after not running them for months. Anyway that’s my thought of the day.

Here’s a shot of one of the desktop backgrounds it comes with and the new “Superbar” at the bottom. (I love this background…it’s almost disturbing with the faces. haha)

Windows Live Writer test

I am just being a geek. I am testing the Windows Live Writer downloaded from the new version of Windows 7 release candidate 1 leaked to the internet April 24, 2009. What a GREAT operating system. Most of you reading this will be buying a new computer at some point in the next year or two. Wait for Windows 7 to be released before you buy. If you don’t get a new computer….spend $150 and upgrade to Windows 7. This concludes the test of the Windows Live Writer.

Society needs geeks

I have realized lately that I have become a geek! I always had geeky tendencies but I am a fully developed geek now. The world needs geeks. It takes all kinds of people to make society run smoothly I suppose. I don't know if it's just a phase....I hope not. I really enjoy being geeky. Maybe it's time to get a pair of thick "Coke-bottle" glasses and put some duct tape in the middle where they rest on your nose. I have already embraced the anti-social hermit-like behavior years ago. If society implodes and we loose electricity here's what I will be doing. (Pedaling a generator with a computer in front of me)

Life is short. So is this post.

Life IS short. I never believed this when people told me but it's true. Get some hobbies. Launch model rockets. Get a massage. Get a bigger hard drive. Take a walk. Go goose hunting. Jump in a lake. Fly a freaking kite. We should all have more fun.

Dec 21, 2012

If you haven't heard about this date, you're probably normal. It's the end of the Mayan calendar. The Mayans were an ancient culture from south America. They seemed to have advanced knowledge about the earth revolving around the sun and the fact that we're part of a giant galaxy with a super-massive black hole in the center. They seemed to think something was going to happen on or near this date. I hope there is a rip in space and another dimension meshes with ours and there are strange creatures coming through holes in the space-time continuim. That would give me a chance to do some shooting. Whatever happens, I guess we'll all find out in about three years. I hope we can still have our computers and a coke in the morning and maybe some macadamia nuts. (I love those)

Spring is almost here!

What the hell is so nice about spring? The grass starts to grow...you have to mow it. The weeds start to grow....you have to spray or pull them. Everything seems to start moving faster. It seems like it's hectic in the spring and summer. Summer...there's another great season. It gets so hot you can't even breathe. I think I'll stick with winter. I can't wait until November gets here. I would even take mid-September. Goodbye winter...I'm going to miss you.

What's happening?

The U.S. government has spent more money in the last two months than all the money combined since the founding of the nation? We have been through the "Great depression"  Two world wars, and countless periods of "crisis". This is a scary time. The people of the United States are going to have to fight to get our freedom back. We have lost it. I hope it does not get as ugly as I think it will. We are going to end up eating vegetables we grow in our gardens, eating sheep and cows we raise and drinking goats milk. You can get a good goat on the KSL classifieds for about $60 by the way. That's my thought of the day.

Age of the internet

Why do all people not have internet access? If we don't kill ourselves as a race, we will be the last generation that can say "I know people who don't have internet access" I know we are all busy but this world wide information center we call the internet is becoming a necessity. I know why people resist it. It is overwhelming. There is so much information you could never see a millionth of it. I understand why people don't even want to start but what's better, laying on a couch watching TV or learning something new? The net will keep evolving and will be a lot different in ten years or twenty years but we are living in an amazing time. The explosion of the internet. It will probably be the way we get out education some day soon. It will change almost everything. It's as big or bigger that the industrial revolution that happened in the 20th century. I hope this revolution brings as much prosperity as the last one.

What are we doing here?

If you think about it, the universe is a huge place. So big we can't even comprehend it. We have vivid imaginations as humans, yet this thing we call the universe is incomprehensible to us. That is saying something. How did it form? Has it always been here? Thank goodness for people lke Albert Einstien who has given us a "human" way to look at this unimaginable place. We read books and watch movies about far away lands and magical places and beings. The most far away and magical place is above our heads. Even looking up is magical. If you look up, a person on the other side of the earth would have to look down to be looking the same direction. We are on a big ball moving through space with a strange force called gravity pulling us toward the center of the ball and holding the atmosphere in place so we can live. There are probably billions of other planets hurling through space somewhere doing the same thing. I see why people don't like to think about this stuff. It makes us feel small. We are small but having consciousness makes us significant. 

So what the hell are we doing here? Who knows. Is it a fluke? I doubt it. Is someone telling you THEY know the answers to these questions? Don't believe them. They don't. That's my thought of the day.

Elephants and dreams

I don't know what significance elephants have for me but I keep having dreams about elephants. What the hell is going on with that? I told a co-worker about one of those dreams and now he constantly teases me about it. I have these dreams about elephants messing with me as we walk down a dirt road. There are two elephants and they keep putting their trunks on my shoulder. I walk faster to get away from that elephant and another starts with the same thing! What the hell kind of dream is that? Last night I had that one and a dream in which me and 2 or 3 other guys walked into a village and shot a bunch of cats and birds. Then we took off on our motorcycles. One of the injured cats and one of the injured birds were following us so I slowed to help them. I fell behind the others guys so I left the injured animals behind. I started going so fast that when I hit a small bump, I jumped into the air and started flying (on the motorcycle) I never landed. Just kept flying. Dreams have to serve some purpose. I sure wish I knew what it was and what the elephants mean. I am always flying in my dreams too. Write your dreams down. They are fun to look at later. That's my thought of the day.

More on idiots.....

Here's what we should do. Give everybody an IQ test before they apply for a job. If you score 146.....you shouldn't be asked to work amongst idiots. 68% of people have IQs within 15 points of 100. They should be our workforce. Those below 85...we can find some ditches for them to dig. Those above 115 can be the managers of our companies. Those with IQs above about 130 can join "think tanks" to decide what the other people should do. I think everything should be decided by your IQ score. The people with high IQs should not be asked to mingle with other people. This way we would have fewer people go insane. People with high IQs should just be shut-ins who shop at Wal-Mart at 2:00 A.M. on Sunday morning and never talk to anyone (except the "think tank" and their families) and should not have to work! (except at the "think tank") That's my thought of the day.

Time - gravity - space

Time is a man-made way to keep track of changes that happen around us. Time is an illusion. It sure seems real but time passes differently for all people. Why is it that in 2009 we do not understand time?

Space seems to have a close relationship with time. It's easy to understand. If you are on the earth looking at a distant star, you are seeing a different point in that star's life than someone on another planet light years from here looking at the same star because of the "time" it takes for the light to travel to your observation point. That's the easy part....I think we can all understand that. It gets complicated from there. Why does time pass differently on the surface of the earth than on a satellite orbiting the earth? It must be gravity, which is another thing we don't understand. It is amazing to me to know how little human kind knows. These are fundamental laws of the universe, which is another thing we don't understand. 

We (humans) have a lot to learn. With all this technology we think we know it all. We don't know a damn thing.

Tax thought

I find myself thinking about the idiots in Washington since it's tax season. If we all had to write a check at this time of year, there would be more people that cared about this issue. Instead, most of us have our taxes taken out of our checks each pay period and we have learned to live with it. There was a reason the founders of our country put in the constitution something about the government not being able to collect tax by withholding. It dumbs us down and they can take more money and get too big. They have become too big and they are out of control! The government should be there to provide money for local police, fire departments, roads, bridges, and schools. That's just the STATE government. The federal government should be there to make sure we are not invaded and that's about it. If these idiots keep spending money like they are....there will be revolts. Try stopping withholding, saving your money all year and write a check next April 15th to the federal government for the tax you owe and see if I'm wrong. 

With the economy the way it is, the federal government is about to SPEND one trillion or more of your money. Common sense tells me this is not right. This will mean higher tax forever or until people put an end to this madness. We are turning into France. The people in Washington need to ask themselves what any socialist country has ever contributed to the world. The problem is they don't care as long as they have power. If you take all the people's money by taxing them....you leave them no incentive to invent. We are moving the wrong way too fast.

People...

I have noticed that about 80% of people are stupid. Why is this? Were they not breast fed when they were babies? Did they all touch lead paint when they were kids? Do they all just not care? I don't think so. I think common sense is a gift like being able to play music. Most people don't have common sense. This is a concern. How are we supposed to keep progressing as a society with so many stupid people. 

Common sense tells you not to elect a guy as President of the U.S. who goes to a church where they teach that the U.S. sucks. It does not matter what else he does. That one thing is enough. To think that America is populated with one hundred million people (at least) who think this is okay is disturbing. There is something wrong in the brains of these people!

Look around at the people you interact with at work or school or church and tell me they are smart, normal people. About 15-20% that's about all you'll find. The more people you are around, the more pronounced the stupidity. If I was in charge, everybody would have to take an I.Q. test to even leave their houses.

Joys of living alone.....

Living Alone

As of 2000, the most common household type in the U.S. is people living alone. 27 million American households consist of a person living alone, compared to 25 million households with a husband, wife, and child.
- Hobbs, Frank. "Examining American Household Composition: 1990 and 2000." U.S. Census Bureau, 2005.

More than one in four American households consist of an adult living alone (25.8%).
- Hobbs, Frank. "Examining American Household Composition: 1990 and 2000." U.S. Census Bureau, 2005.

These are some stats for people's living arrangements. They don't surprise me at all. I am not the "norm" here where I live. Apparently, there are a lot of like minded people throughout the U.S. I can't even imagine having to live with someone else after about 12 years of living alone. It's great! You can walk naked from the shower to the bedroom to get dressed. (for that matter you can dance around naked on the way, not that I would, but you could) You can get up at 2 A.M. and turn up the radio....the list goes on and on. The only down side I can see is you could possibly choke to death on a piece of meat. I am willing to take that risk. I can see why a lot of people like to live this way. That is my thought of the day.

My theory of the universe

I think mankind on the earth is like a small colony of ants on the middle of the desert. They have never seen other life. (except some crazy ants that say they were out looking for food and saw a small lizard and all of the other ants make fun of them) We think we may be the only life that exists. Actually the earth is full of life. The ants just don't have the ability to travel hundreds of miles. The ants live their whole lives never knowing the true nature of the universe. They would never understand if you told them the earth was a sphere and they could walk forever and never get to the end. There is no end. I think the universe is like a reverse sphere. Very few (if any) people would be able to understand the universe even if they knew the truth. There are probably things out there like a guy on a four-wheeler blazing through the desert one day and running right over the ant colony. I hope (in a way) that I'm here to see the "guy on a four-wheeler" when he rolls over the earth. We know nothing!

Trying to live a "balanced" life

How are we supposed to live a "centered" life? Are we supposed to be good at work, relationships, spirituality, family, community, take care of our bodies and minds and then try to balance all of these things and find a "happy medium".  I can barely find a way to balance one or two of these things and I can't even do that! Is life a cruel test designed to drive us all to madness? Some days I think it may be. We should try to "better ourselves" and "keep learning". I guess that's all we can do. Hopefully some day we can find a way to master life. The problem is....I think it will be over before we know what hit us. Good luck. That's my thought of the day.

Windows XP - Vista - 7

I have been a Windows user for about 10 years. I started with 98 and have used XP (a lot) and now Vista (which I love) and will go to Windows 7 next. I had one issue moving from XP to Vista. A driver issue with Nvidia like everyone else. I LOVE Vista. I understand the people who think it's the worst thing ever but also am pretty sure those people 1. don't like change 2. had out-dated hardware 3. had new hardware and drivers were hard to find or did not exist. I understand the issues somewhat. We all know what our choices are. Windows or Mac. I know there are others out there but they really aren't on the same plane as Windows and Mac. I am not going to pay Apples prices...period. I got my system on sale on line for $350 and got Vista Home Premium 64 bit, 500GB hard drive, 4GB of ram, and an AMD Phenom CPU. You just can't get this kind of system if you want a Mac without forking over the $$. I have no issues with XP, Vista, and doubt I will have any issues with Windows 7. Microsoft will continue to rule the OS world and that's that. If you have extra money and want a Mac....more power to you. I'm sure it's a fine (maybe better) OS. The rest of us will continue with Microsoft so we can get software that runs on our computers and a platform we are familiar with so we can help our friends, families, and co-workers with their computer issues. That's my thought of the day.

Dreams

I had a dream last night in which I was planning to go somewhere with my brother and sister. I woke up late and they had already left. I found when I woke up (in my dream) and they were already gone....I was trapped in a house I didn't recognize. I went from room to room and there were 2 "crazy" people in the house with me. I tried to exit the house and found at each exit there was an animal (I thought it was the devil) waiting for me with a cardboard box. I knew if I exited the house, he would throw the box over me and I would be trapped in darkness. I stayed in the house....trapped with 2 "crazy" people and woke up (for real this time) in a sweat.

I know I am not the only one to have dreams like this but they are interesting.... Why do we have them? What do they mean? Are they good or bad? Do they release tension? There are a lot of questions. I can tell you right now nobody knows. They may tell you they know because they studied this or that but they don't know for sure. It will always be a mystery....just like the existence of god.

Photography

I have been into photography for 25 years. I still don't know anything about it. I go through phases where I get very excited about it, and then it becomes less important then back again. I got a Canon G9 a year ago and have really been into digital photography for almost the whole year. I have learned more in the past year than in all the past years combined. Photography can be very simple and fun. It can also be very complicated. I just tried some RAW (.CR2) photography. My Canon G9 will record in .CR2 RAW files. It was a lot of fun "developing" the RAW files into .JPG files. If you don't know what the hell you're doing...it can be quite a task. You always have that RAW file if you don't get it right or want to change the outcome in any way. I will be shooting more pictures in RAW format. I may need to get a bigger hard drive as the files are about 3X bigger than a 12 megapixel file. Anyway whether you are a point and shooter or an enthusiast...the G9 is a great choice for both types of users. I have found using my G9 has been great....I am not really an artist but it seems to pry art out of me. If you're thinking about getting into (or back into) photography, do it. 

Relationships....

I look around me and wonder...Why do men and women still get married? It is painful to even witness. Do people just need someone to fill their empty lives? Life is too short, why be unhappy day after miserable day? Every married couple I know has big problems. They may put on a show in public but when they are home and nobody is looking it is chaos. Do people need the drama to fill in the emptiness in their lives?. Does it work? It sure doesn't work for me. People put up with a lot to not be alone. Admittedly, I would rather be with someone who loves me and worships the ground I walk on....however, this kind of game is reserved for dating and it goes away quickly. Stay single. Date. Don't let those funny feelings in your gut effect your long term decision making ability. That's my thought of the day.