These things used to go in the front of two D cell batteries (remember those?) and actually lit up! They got dimmer and dimmer as the batteries wore out. They eventually stopped working at some point either by simply getting old or when they got bumped too hard. Now they’d be LEDs and would use… Continue reading If you know what these are, you are old. Part 25.
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If you know what these are, you are old. Part 24.
A long, long time ago, banks (remember those?) used to issue these. You could get plain blue ones for free, sometimes, but you could also order them with different backgrounds, like this bald eagle. You used to write on them with a pen (remember those too?), put them in an envelope with a stamp (still… Continue reading If you know what these are, you are old. Part 24.
If you know what these are, you are old. Part 23.
It used to be that these were absolutely everywhere! For a dime, or then a quarter, you could reach your home to update your parents on your schedule or on your whereabouts or to ask for a ride home. New York City removed its last one of these on May 23, 2022. Cell phones helped… Continue reading If you know what these are, you are old. Part 23.
Best of, post 5: Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your ire. The network is down.
Originally published April 25, 2020 I ran across an old list of computer error messages written as haiku. (“Haiku”? “Haikus”? Whichever…) They continue to amuse me. The one I recalled was: A crash reduces your expensive computer to a simple stone. I went back to my hard drive and found a few more I had written myself: Is that your… Continue reading Best of, post 5: Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your ire. The network is down.
Best of, post 4: Two popsicles and a cup of coffee
Originally published April 13, 2021. Sometimes the punch lines for jokes are better than the jokes themselves. Actually, sometimes the jokes aren’t even worth telling. One of the most famous punchlines is, of course, “Wrecked ’em? Dang near killed him!” But that is only tangential to my point. My point is that there are a lot… Continue reading Best of, post 4: Two popsicles and a cup of coffee
Shameless self-promotion: Part 1, Code Name Generator
MRAnates LLC just released a new version of Code Name Generator™ on the Apple App Store. It will also run on an M1- or M2-based Mac. So, when you need a code name for your secret, or not-so-secret, project, you’ll want to have the Code Name Generator ready to go. “Annoying earwig”? “Expeditious pony”? There… Continue reading Shameless self-promotion: Part 1, Code Name Generator
Best of, post 3: “You’re on mute”
Originaly published August 17, 2020 here. “You’re on mute.” – Pretty much everybody You’re on a video conference call. You just finished a brilliant defense of your position. The other attendees are stunned into silence at your eloquence. Just before you take a virtual bow, you hear: “You’re on mute.” Mute. That isn’t the four-letter word you were thinking. You… Continue reading Best of, post 3: “You’re on mute”
Best of, post 2: Bingo!
Originally published September 5, 2020 here. You may remember Bulls**t Bingo or Buzzword Bingo from the late 1990’s. That was a Bingo card with phrases you were likely to hear in the dot com era like “Omnichannel” and “B2B” and “Portal.” Well, this is my take on an updated Bingo card for Video Call Bingo! Feel free… Continue reading Best of, post 2: Bingo!
Best of, post 1: Fox & Hound & Duck?!
Originally posted October 15, 2020 here Here is your animal update for the day: I had new internet pulled into my home office. I got tired of fighting with everyone in the neighborhood, and so I sprung for gigabit service. The installer whose name was Elvis (no lie) left the building without completing the installation, so I… Continue reading Best of, post 1: Fox & Hound & Duck?!
Things for which there should be a vaccine. Part 8.
An in-depth subject here. Be flexible. Don’t get stuck on one point of view. Work hard and come up with a solution to the deep knee bends.