learning .....

In your Pocket .....

Since I wrote this, I've acquired and rebuilt an older G3 so that it would run OS X v. 10.2.6 'Jaguar'-I've Acquired and tested a G4 ( An early 'chromed-bay door' model ) and bought a dual-processor G5 running OS X v. 10.3 'Panther'.

The only windows box I have left in-service is my Gateway 650 XL 'Desktop Replacement' running Win XP Professional. Believe it or not, I still use it to edit *.jpg's & *.bmps. I look forward to learning Adobes new Creative Suite Professional .........

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I have it on good authority that none other than Rush Limbaugh is now using the Dual-Processor G5 as well.

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Less than two hours- That's how long it took me to input some six-hundred songs ( 600 ), about three gigabytes ( 3 GB ) into my G4 ( and simultaneously, my 30 GB iPod ) Details At 18 songs per hour, that's about thirty-three and a third hours worth of non-stop listening . In my pocket and on three additional desktops- the current limit of Steve Jobs' generosity. In all fairness, I must report that the original batteries leave much to be desired- The software on the personal computers, alone, is well worth the price.

Latest Twist's & Turns

Maslow .........

All the time I'm doing this, I'm doing laundry- Washing, drying, folding and putting away- Sheets, Towels and my Wifes, plus a son's collection. Okay- I'll admit it. My heart attack has changed things a little .....

Have you ever noticed how no sooner than you've done all this- In the immortal words of Arlo Gutherie," It'll all comes around again ....." ?

Endless. Never-ending. And yet-

Not only do I take care of the Wife & Kids as a stay-at-home-dad, but I do a few well-chosen blogs, co-administer a couple of list-serves, build a data-base and ........ What's Next ?

learning .....

The first computer I ever laid eyes on was a hand-wired prototype ( we ) called the 'Alpha' in 1969.

Yeah- That's right, 1969. Almost twelve years before the IBM Personal Computer's are commonly held to have made their debut.

[ To be honest, IBM had their 'hand-wired prototypes' as well, almost everyone does, even today. In Hollywood, almost all of the post-production tools are a.) 'Hand-Wired' and b.) 'Hand-Wired' or re-wired, to be more accurate, on a daily basis. Most of the earlier 'post-production' tools, actually came to us by way of pre-press proofing- Which actually brings us back to the subject at hand- What appeared to be today's Personal Computers in 1969- And MY experience ......... ].

Index with Commentary

[ While I'm typing this, I'm feeding every CD my Wife & I own into my Power Mac G4, the one with the chromed drive-bay doors and simultaneously < Yeah, I checked the spelling on that one!> loading it onto my 30 GB iPod. " 7,500 songs in my pocket " ]

Long before anyone even dreamt about computers ( Okay, we're not talking about mechanical adding machines here !! ) many of us used to lay awake at night, under the covers, tuning an old tube-type radio. In my case it was a cast-off cathedral-shaped monster I wish I had right now. It'd be worth a small fortune, even without 'Antiques Roadshow'.

There was something magical about those early days. Even in the mid to late fities it was magical. ( My Grandfather had an older, carbon-arc transmitter up in the attic. He'd take it out every year or so and jam every radio & TV station in town. ( There were, at least, two of them. In the case of radio, maybe three .)

I can still remember the first DJ that captured our attention- 'Jumpin-Jack Sanders' on W.A.K.Y. Not only was he a legend in his own mind- He was a legend in ours, too.

[ I'm getting a little closer to my point here.]

All the girls, of course, had collections of 45's. Dozens of little pink and blue boxes, most of them handed down from their older sisters. Stacks and stacks of 'stacks' as I recall and at least once, maybe twice a week we'd gather in someones basement, converted to a recreation room for this precise purpose, and just listen- Sharing a collective experience. The radio & the records ..........

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Now- It all fits in your pocket. Comfortably .........