Manton's Test

For some reason, today, I have been pondering a return to Microsoft Products. I mean, I’ve been running Windows for some time now. I’m not sure if that is going to end anytime soon for that matter. Things like Linux have lost their luster for me.  I like Apple devices, but I think Macs are a rip off. Microsoft/Windows is like that “jack of all trades”.

I’ve been paying for Office365 for years and don’t even use OneDrive, mainly because it’s a Microsoft Product; Instead I jump around from pCloud, Mega, Proton Drive, and various others. None that I am completely happy with in the end. At least OneDrive is seamless with my OS, and if I use it, Windows will stop nagging me to. It’s pretty much cross-platform also. 

I jump around note-taking products regularly also; none completely satisfy me. OneNote again integrates well with my OS and is cross-platform pretty much. It’s not the best, but if I’m going to be dissatisfied, it may as well not cost me extra. 

Outlook mail, now that is another thing.. I don’t think I will ever use it as my main mail service, I love “Hey!”, but I can use it for may alternate junk address instead of paying for SimpleLogin. Why the hell not, I already have it. It makes me wonder why I keep paying extra for things I already have a solution for. 

I’ve been using Apple Reminders for my to-do lists for groceries and such. It is 100% not cross-platform, I can only use it on my iPhone or the iCloud web interface, which blows! In comes Microsoft To-do, possibly? It’s cross-platform and pretty much provides the same functionality. Again, why am I forcing myself to use apps that make my life more difficult. 

And there are other things, like being able to access my desktop from my phone, which is pretty cool, though I don’t know if I would ever need to use it. I already use all the office apps, let’s not kid ourselves saying the alternatives are better or that anyone else will ever take that market share anytime soon. 

Maybe it’s because I’m old, and I’m sick of fighting with things. I don’t really know, and as the title states, I’m considering, not doing. It does sound like the right course at this point, though. I will ponder it further while I wait from the replies of the masses telling me how evil Microsoft is and how they are selling all my info. I’m pretty cynical these days, and I’m pretty sure everyone is selling our info if they can. It’s just assumed at this point. Let loose with the explanations of my insanity. I am awaiting. 

Cheers!

Why have I not heard of this until today? InCoWriMo or International Correspondence Writing Month sounds to be right up my alley. I love writing letters and there seem to be so few willing to get one, or want to respond to one at least. This is a whole group of folks who want to do just that. 

It seems the idea is just to try to send out a letter every day of the month of February. They also do an address exchange every year for those looking for folks to correspond with. It really seems like a hoot, at least to me.  

I’m late on it this year, not officially in the mix or anything. But I’m going to try to send as much snail mail out as I can this month in the spirit of things. I have a bunch of nice writing paper just sitting and waiting to be used. I will have to run and pick up some stamps. 

If by chance you want me to babble to you with a pen and ink instead of on here, feel free to visit my contact  page and include a mailing address, and I’ll write something to you. If you know I have no clue who you are, go ahead and maybe add some things of interest or even how your week or day has been, so I have something to start with. Oh, and a warning, my penmanship stinks. 

Cheers!

So, I don’t use ChatGPT for anything serious these days, but today I discovered this guy crawling on one my dog Hazel’s prize turds. 

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I uploaded the picture into Copilot, and it initially said an Assassin bug. So then I started searching and found nothing matching. So then I searched Assassin bug larvae and bingo it showed up. 

Come to find out, with further questions to ChatGPT it was a Wheel Bug larvae, and they are cold killers of other pesty insects and invasive species. They are said to have a very painful bite, but are non-aggressive. 

With this information I spared said bugs life and separated him from the turd that did need to leave the yard. Copilot is now this bugs hero. 

Note, the title is purely click bait; because, why the hell not!

As the sun burns brighter each day I notice what could only be a beach ball appearing behind the profile of my shadow, or is that just me? Well yes it is me. 

This winter, I have gotten a bit more rotund, and I’m not happy about it. Being in my 50s, the weight comes much easier than it leaves. So drastic change is warranted I feel. I think I’m going to try to drop sugar. Yes, you heard me, no more sweet stuff. I may very well fail at this by tomorrow, but I’ll give it a go. 

Hot drinks are my biggest problem. I drink coffee or tea all day long, and I like it sweet. I’m going to have to condition myself to black coffee and water. Oh, the misery, but it must be done. 

Wish me luck!

Chris Ledoux came on my radio while I was driving this morning and of all things it brought me back to Germany. Germany you may say, hell Chris Ledoux is a person most likely many that would read this have not heard of. Nonetheless, Chris Ledoux and Germany do have a link in my lifetime. 

It was around 2001 not long after September 11th. I was currently serving in the Illinois National Guard and trying to get back on active duty. To our surprise, while everyone else was going to Afghanistan, we were sent to Germany. Basically to reinforce the European bases since the units on them were the ones sent to Afghanistan. 

At this time, I was in my peak country music phase, and Chris Ledoux was an artist shared with me by one of my buddies. Chris was a real cowboy, and a musician. I still knew little about him, but he had some great songs about riding horses, the rodeo, and cowboy life. I really loved that "Cowboy" dream I guess. Needless to say, I brought a ton of Chris Ledoux music with me to Germany. Mini-Disk players were the big thing at the time, and I loaded some minidiscs with Chris's whole darn discography. I listened to them constantly while deployed there. 

I spent a lot of time daydreaming about being a cowboy and rodeoing. Mind you, I was already in my early thirties, and I was born and raised in the Chicago area; cowboy was not in my future. But the daydream of it all, the romantic picture of the lonely cowboy on the range; it really seemed to comfort me while away from home. 
 
At one point during the time in Germany, there was even a rodeo, yes, a rodeo in Germany. The US Army rodeo team was there and to my ignorant surprise, there were German Cowboys. Little did I know the culture spread as far as to have Europeans willingly getting on the back of an unhappy bull. 

Myself and a few other guys were actually put on security for the event. We had M16s with no ammo, and instructions of "If an animal gets loose, try to get him back in the arena". Like we were going to point our unloaded weapons at a thousand pound bull and say "bang!bang!" if he got out, with the hope he would come to his senses and return back to the arena. Luckily, it never did happen. 

It was a fun tour, with some good memories, stuff I hadn't thought of for a bit, until Chris Ledoux came on this morning. We had a lot of good times and Germany was such a beautiful country with some of the friendliest people. I would love to go back again someday.

Well that is enough of memory lane this morning. 

Cheers!