Are they serious?

Hi
Ever since President Obama took office, there seems to be a rise in racial slurs and a widening of the racial divide in the USA.
Then I read this article and I thought "are they serious".
Why would anyone think the same way as in the late 60's and 70's toward race?

I quote  ....... we now hear that school children from Maine to California are talking about wanting to “assassinate Obama.” .... say what?

Then we have Pat Buchanan spewing this diatribe and we need to ask will it never end?

Until next time
Walk Good and God Bless

Windows 8 -Upgrade

Hi
I usually do not like to give my opinion on technology issues, as there are so many who have no clue what I am talking about or get upset because I expressed my constructive feedback, so here goes.
Microsoft's Windows 8 became available to the public on October 26th, and many have had no problems upgrading or doing a clean install, while others have had nightmares doing the upgrades.
I have been using Windows since it was Win256, which pre-dates Win98, and I can say without a doubt that Windows 8 is a game changer as far as all the previous iterations are concerned. It is totally different and to those who do not like "change" do not use it, but those who embrace "change", then the problems are challenges to overcome and not "I don't like it" but have not used it syndrome.
If Microsoft's Windows 8 Upgrade Advisor tells you that your present AV is compatible, take my advice and uninstall it before doing the upgrade, if not you will only get grief. After the upgrade, then you can re-install your AV, but here is a word of caution ... make sure that the AV is totally compatible with Windows 8. Check the forums and search the internet to make sure of compatibility. Some well respected AV's (up to a week ago ..Avira) were not compatible and gave BSOD when they were installed on a Windows 8 OS, however, Avira has fixed it and it is now working, but it took them almost 19 days, after the OS was released,  to patch it.
Some other AV's are still having problems Reference1 Reference2
Windows 8 Upgrade Advisor does a fairly good job and ALL the incompatible items (hardware/software) MUST be updated before you attempt to install Windows 8. Before you install, go on the Internet and read as much as you can on what to expect when installing Windows 8.

Windows 8 is not for everybody, because a lot of stuff that you maybe familiar with in Vista/Windows7 is not where you expect them to be. Please remember that support for Windows 7 will not end until 2015, so you have time. It is vital that you visit this web site or others like it to familiarize yourself with Windows 8.

There are lots of articles which outline the pitfalls of Windows 8, so read this one also .

So until next time
Walk Good

Ungratefull

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude:
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.

William Shakespeare, As You Like It (c.1599-1600), Act II, scene 7, line 174.

I find it disingenuous on the part of some comments in both the Jamaican Observer and the Jamaican Gleaner, which they have stated with negative remarks towards Olympians Asafa Powell and Veronica Brown.
One went as far to state that Asafa was not worthy to wear the colors of Jamaica, how dare them demean the efforts of someone who is/has represented his country with pride and dignity.
There are some calling on Veronica to hang up her sneakers and stop running, who are they to tell her when to quit.
Both of these proud Jamaicans have been the torch bearers for Jamaican athletics, they have paved the way for all the younger aspiring Jamaican athletes. They are the mentors for all the participants in Champs.
All the people making and sprouting these negative diatribe towards Asafa and Veronica, should be ashamed of themselves and I say to them .... you are repeating history as you did the same with Merlene Ottey.

Here are some of the comments, and I ask you to read the article(s).

"Just call it a day young man... your no longer worthy to wear those colours!!!"

"Its for reasons such as these why Merlene Ottey left. It doesn't matter what you do for your country there will always be these people."

Please read this article

Read this with the comments 

“Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it”

Walk Good and God Bless

 

Single Cup Brewers

Well, here I am again, After an extended hiatus, I decided to return ... "play the drum roll". I decided I wanted a single cup coffee/ tea brewing machine, and it would appear that there are two main ones on the market, the Keurig B70 and the Tassimo T65, all top of the line.

It would appear that when looking for one of these machines, you must consider your lifestyle and how these devices fit into that lifestyle. So it is an individual preference, so not everyone will like both or even one instead of the other. Most of all you are paying for the convenience.

My opinion of the Keurig B70
Pros
-It is easy to make. All you have to do is add some water to the reservoir if needed - because the machine can hold more then just one cup -, insert a K-cup (that has the coffee inside) in a slot, put a cup on the plate of the machine and push a button.
-It is a fast brewing. After the above steps, the coffee brews right in the cup, in under a minute. No more waiting. In a hurry, just pop a lid on the cup and hop in the car.
-It is available in many flavours. Let’s say you’ve heard of a new flavour or you’d like to try something new but you don’t know if you like it or not. All you have to do is to buy a sample pack for a small amount of money. Don’t like it? at least it didn’t cost a small fortune. Want to switch flavours tomorrow? Then chose the variety pack for something different every day.
-It only makes one cup. If that’s all you need to drink, then that’s all it makes. No more left over coffee that gets wasted. If you need another cup, then you have to start it all over.
-It is fresh, as fresh as the coffee inside the K-cup. The K-cups are air tight sealed, this way they are not supposed to lose any flavour. The seal is broken at the very moment of brewing, allowing steamy water to wet the grounds and extract your coffee.
Cons
-It is not a very strong coffee. That is, to be nice, a diluted cup. It is like a short Joe, instead of a long Joe. Even if you use My K-cup, which is a reusable plastic container that can hold coffee of your choice and works like a K -cup, the coffee will still be weak. If you’d like a stronger coffee you will have to go with something else then Keurig and its K-cup coffees.
-It is expensive. The cost of an average cup of coffee brewed in a Keurig with a K-cup is at least 50% more expensive then a regular cup. They do not usually go on sale and the only discount offered is when you enroll in a club through an online retailer.
-It is not available everywhere. That means you are, probably, not going to find it at your gas station. Even some grocery stores have only a limited range of flavours and then you have to check the expiration dates on it. Though, it is available at Costco and Sam’s Club.
-It cannot make drip coffee. For a traditional coffee you will have to go somewhere else or buy another machine, that brews a filter drip coffee.
My opinion of the Tassimo T65
Pros
-Machine is sturdy and well designed and built, exactly what you would expect from German manufacturer Bosch.
-The included optional water filter is great for creating a consistent tasting cup every time. Note: You can purchase a water filter for the Keurig.
-Produces quality beverages with ease. You don’t have to know all of the ‘proper’ water, temperature, and such, settings for all of the specialty drinks this brewer can make because the brewer does that for you. Also, you don’t have to measure out grounds, and make sure you are getting the correct amount for each beverage, because the grounds are already pre-measured in the T disc. You can get consistent great-tasting coffee, lattes, cappuccinos and espressos without any guesswork. That is why they call it a Brewbot.
Cons
-The bar code reader needs cleaning fairly frequently, especially if you make a lot of lattes or cappuccinos that require the milk disc. If you don’t keep the reader clean it won’t read the bar code. You will get an error that the product label cannot be read, or it may actually misread the label and brew with the wrong settings. Not too big of a hassle, but it is noteworthy.
-Tassimo does not have a large selection of T discs for decaf drinkers. If you are one who drinks decaf often, then you should really consider that your options will be very limited. -You cannot use your own coffee. Some single cup coffee makers will allow you to use your own coffee grounds with an accessory; however, Tassimo has yet to come up with something. Having the option to use your own coffee provides you with greater variety in what you can brew and also lessens the expenses of single cup brewing. Note: The Keurig B70 does allow you to use your own coffee with an accessory.

As you can see, both the Tassimo T65 brewer, and the Keurig B70 like any other product, has it fans and foes. It is up to you to determine if its features are important to you and if the set-backs are things that you can live with. If the Tassimo LCD Premium T65 OR Keurig B70 does not sound like the right brewer for you, then the search goes on, but if it does, then congratulations on finding your single cup coffee brewing system.
Conclusion I decided to choose the Tassimo T65.

Watch This Video

WALK GOOD and GOD BLESS

Technology Snafu

Hi Anyone who has read this blog, knows that I ventured into the Smartphone realm about a year ago, and bought a Samsung Galaxy SII. The phone worked as it should and sync'd with the Bluetooth in the car and all my contacts were downloaded to the car. This was great as I was able to call anyone on my contact list (or make a phone call) with out taking my eyes off the road. This "eyes on the road" is very important in the country where I live, if you are cought, while driving, using a mobile phone, in your hands, to your ears you are fined big time and a few demerit points. The Android market is so fragmented, that new OS (operating systems) come out but because the fims that make the phones "individualize" them to such an extent that newer OS's may not function properly on a phone that is a year old. That has been the proverbial complaint with the Android phones/Tablets. Luckily, Samsung and the Canadian Telecom (Bell) decided to release the newer OS for the Samsung Galaxy SII. This update improves the phones functionality and makes it easier to use. With those promises a lot of people (myself included) updated our mobile phone to the new OS, called Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS for short) Version 4.0.x. The upgrade disconnected the pairing of the phone(bluetooth) with the car, therefore I had to do the "pairing" all over again, which managed to work after many tries, however, the contact list will not "transfer". The phone in useless in the car if the data is not tranfered to the car. Samsung then talls us (who have complained) to delete a file on the phone and it will then transfer the data, however, this method does not work. So Samsung has upgraded the OS for the Android phone, but screwed up the Bluetooth functionality, then telling us to delete a file AND to go back to the car manufacturer, for them to fix this problem. The annoying part is that if you only have a "bluetooth" speaker in your ear, the phone will not work with ANY bluetooth devices so it is NOT the fault of the car maker, but the fault of Samsung, and they will not acknowledge that there is a problem OR offer to fix the problem. What a load of BS.

I got a new toy, and it is the Blackberry Playbook. I know, I know, everyone is buying the iPad & iPad2, but I am not an Apple guy and I am uncomfortable with the Android Tablets. A lot of people are dissing RIM/Playbook, however, let me state right now (up front) the Playbook (with the new OS 2.0.x)is an amazing Tablet and compares favourably (and in some cases surpasses) with the iPad2. The main complaints I have read is that there are not enough apps for the Playbook. If you are familiar with the Apple App Store, then it does not compare with volume, however, it sure does compete in quality AND it can now support (most not all) Android apps. On a personal note I hate clutter, so I don't like to have so many apps that I hardly use most of them, that is just silly IMHO. It is sometimes counter productive to buy a device for &500-$800 anduse it two or three times per day. With the playbook, it may cost you $250 and you will use it many times per day. I will provide my personal opinion update(s) on this device in the coming months. In the meantime I intend to enjoy it. Walk Good God Bless

Happens In Toronto

This is a scene that is happening on a regular basis in the Toronto (GTA) area. This is how it works; Driver A, stops on the highway (this case 401) and reverses into Driver B, all the while Driver B is blowing his horn to alert Driver A. After Driver A hits the car, he demands $500 to fix his bumper as he maintains that Driver B ran into him. The police will ALWAYS charge Driver B and his insurance will be negatively affected.
To stop this, Driver B must have proof (a witness, highly unlikely on a busy Highway)) or the camera footage to show his insurance company and/or the courts to resolve him/her of any wrong doing.
See more on this here


Walk Good

Long Road To Justice

This historical event, may not appear very important to some, but to many thousands, it is a valuable historical lesson. Canada did have her own Rosa Parks, and it happened 9 years before the Rosa Parks incident in the US, her name is Viola Desmond.

Viola Davis Desmond was born on July 6, 1914 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The beautiful and elegant African-Canadian woman owned and operated a successful beauty parlour and beauty college in Halifax. She led a relatively unassuming life until one particular day when she held on tight to her convictions and stood up to the world. What she did became one of the most publicized incidents of racial discrimination in Canadian history.

On a cold and blustery day, November 8, 1946, as Viola Desmond drove from Sydney to Halifax for a meeting, the weather worsened until it became a full-blown Canadian blizzard. As if the weather wasn't enough, her car broke down in town called New Glasgow.

The local mechanic took a look at her car and shook his head. He told her he could not repair it until the next day. A resourceful woman, Rosa booked herself into a local inn and looked around. What better way to wait out a blizzard than to catch a flick at the local movie house! Her decision was to alter the course of her life forever.

Viola made her way to the Roseland Theatre, stepped up to the wicket, and asked to purchase a ticket for house seats. Instead, the teller sold her a ticket for the balcony. Unbeknownst to Viola, the house seats were designated for whites only. The balcony was where blacks were to sit.

Viola made her way into the theatre and settled into a seat on the main floor. Before long, the manager approached and ordered her to move to the balcony.

Indignant, Viola refused. Outraged, the manager called the police who immediately arrested her, dragged her from the theatre, and placed her in a jail cell to spend the night.

Bruised and enraged, with her immaculate elbow-length white gloves on herhands, Viola sat primly upright on the hard bench in her cold jail cell the entire night, a total of 12 grueling hours.

I plead with the visitors to this blog, to take the time to read about it in this publication.

Here is a re-enactment of the racist treatment of Viola Desmond (it is long, but shows the strength and character of Viola)



AH SAH
WALK GOOD