Elder Daughter lives behind us, maybe 200 feet as the crow flies. Even if the crow has to walk and ask for directions, it's just not that far. Her domicile is a mobile home. We wanted to set up a network for the computer system that could include her home. That way, if it's late and the boys need to do some research for school, they can do it from the comfort of home. I just thought it would be neat to increase the range.
We spoke to one of The Computer Guys in the downtown area yesterday. They recommended going from a Wireless G to a Wireless N Router. They said it would have a stronger signal. (This is the same advice that Ranger gave - thank you Ranger!) So, I got the WSN2000 N Router from Netgear. Elder Daughter got home earlier than I did so she hooked it up. When I got home, the lights were on and the mini-tower was sitting on my desktop where the little Belkin used to dwell.
Elder daughter said the signal was stronger. Today, I noticed her sitting in the grass about halfway between our two places.I made out her netbook in her hands. I'm guessing that's where she got the best signal. At least we pushed the range that much farther out, but I don't want her to have to set up a halfway house in the back yard for her netbook and peripherals. So if anybody knows of a way to boost signal even more - all suggestions received will be gratefully entertained. Now, those suggestions that include using tinfoil will be entertaining, I suppose. But we're only going to implement the ones that don't require the use of tape and knitting needles. And don't even mention moving the mobile home 150 feet closer - !
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Travel, Troubles, The Economy, Politics and Tea
I was just ruminating on how busy life gets and how many changes can occur in just the 10 days since the last post to my weblog. In those 10 days we have had some major events happening to people in the family. Ranger and J have driven 900 miles, one way - to attend a memorial service. They were heading back home and got word that, someone in the family where they had been visiting fell and broke her femur.
Elder Daughter's car has developed a problem with overheating and they noticed a sheen in the water for the cooling system. Oil in the water indicates you are on the way to a blown engine if the problem isn't fixed. This was definitely not good news.
The Alabama Contingent had a problem with their car stopping and the two of them had to walk to a gas station and then return to the car, bringing gas. They had to wait a while before it would start again.
The economy has forced changes to the workplace and my office has gotten word that the entire group of all county employees will have to give up 3 furlough days to make up a shortfall in local government income this year. That means that 3 county holidays will be given without pay. The furlough days are going to fall on regular holidays - like Veteran's day and two others to be named. We would normally have the dates off anyway. But we would also normally be paid a regular salary for the holiday. Now, that's going to be our contribution to the county coffers. When asked to take part in the furlough, the county's Board of County Commissioners declined, saying that they are State funded and even if they did participate in the furloughs, it would only add about $1700.00 to the amount saved. Um hum.
In the same vein, our insurance plan is going to start charging for individual member plans. Heretofore, a single participant would have their policy paid for by the county. Additional family members on the plan were paid by the employee. Going solely with Social Security may be be my best option. Then I can drop the work plan. Um hum.
On the upside of all this - we are praying for the family member with the broken femur. God still is in control.
Ranger and J are taking a rest day and will be home soon, with God watching over them all the way.
Elder Daughter's car problems are being solved by a member of their church who sold them the car in the first place. They will shortly be driving a VW Bug of a newer variety and the old car will be repaired and then sold at auction. Word has it there will be a birthday celebrated in this family, soon.
The Alabama Contingent of the Family has solved her vehicle problems for the moment and is concentrating on birthday shopping for her child - soon to be a big 04. Word is there will be a party.
And, I still have a job. My county commissioner has retired, so we can't vote him out. He didn't agree to the furlough days anyway - so we might not have taken aim at his head after things settle down.
We have a strong Tea Party movement in the county and, while I'm not a member and have never attended a rally I may take to driving around with a teabag dangling from the rear view. That way if we pass a corner where there is a candidate holding a sign and waving for all he is worth - I can point to the teabag on the mirror and smile as I watch for a reaction. I just love living in a small town where you can get up close and personal with your politicians and gauge which way they jump.
Elder Daughter's car has developed a problem with overheating and they noticed a sheen in the water for the cooling system. Oil in the water indicates you are on the way to a blown engine if the problem isn't fixed. This was definitely not good news.
The Alabama Contingent had a problem with their car stopping and the two of them had to walk to a gas station and then return to the car, bringing gas. They had to wait a while before it would start again.
The economy has forced changes to the workplace and my office has gotten word that the entire group of all county employees will have to give up 3 furlough days to make up a shortfall in local government income this year. That means that 3 county holidays will be given without pay. The furlough days are going to fall on regular holidays - like Veteran's day and two others to be named. We would normally have the dates off anyway. But we would also normally be paid a regular salary for the holiday. Now, that's going to be our contribution to the county coffers. When asked to take part in the furlough, the county's Board of County Commissioners declined, saying that they are State funded and even if they did participate in the furloughs, it would only add about $1700.00 to the amount saved. Um hum.
In the same vein, our insurance plan is going to start charging for individual member plans. Heretofore, a single participant would have their policy paid for by the county. Additional family members on the plan were paid by the employee. Going solely with Social Security may be be my best option. Then I can drop the work plan. Um hum.
On the upside of all this - we are praying for the family member with the broken femur. God still is in control.
Ranger and J are taking a rest day and will be home soon, with God watching over them all the way.
Elder Daughter's car problems are being solved by a member of their church who sold them the car in the first place. They will shortly be driving a VW Bug of a newer variety and the old car will be repaired and then sold at auction. Word has it there will be a birthday celebrated in this family, soon.
The Alabama Contingent of the Family has solved her vehicle problems for the moment and is concentrating on birthday shopping for her child - soon to be a big 04. Word is there will be a party.
And, I still have a job. My county commissioner has retired, so we can't vote him out. He didn't agree to the furlough days anyway - so we might not have taken aim at his head after things settle down.
We have a strong Tea Party movement in the county and, while I'm not a member and have never attended a rally I may take to driving around with a teabag dangling from the rear view. That way if we pass a corner where there is a candidate holding a sign and waving for all he is worth - I can point to the teabag on the mirror and smile as I watch for a reaction. I just love living in a small town where you can get up close and personal with your politicians and gauge which way they jump.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Sunday Nights
Funny how you can go along without watching a show for a while and then a new season starts and you suddenly find yourself enmeshed in finding out who will be the next Food Network Star or - in my case, the next Design Star. The winner will get his own show on HGTV. There were 10 contestants in the beginning. The show is down to the final four and I have the timer set for tonight's show. I have even been voting for my favorite. You can go online and vote for a favorite designer too. If you do, I urge you to support Courtland Bascon. No, really. Go. Vote. You can vote up to 10 times a day. This is one election you can influence and see it happening right then. Not unlike Chicago politics. Apparently nobody liked Nina - she has zero percent of the vote. And you can vote for a designer even though he has been removed from the competition by the judges. Sort of like when an election is held and the people elect a politician who has been run over by a bus and is no longer among the living. I'm telling you - this show is a slice of real life!
The judges are usually Vern Yip, Candace Olson and Genevieve Gorder. In the event one of the judges can't be on the show in a particular week, another HGTV star fills in. That's fair, right?
Last week, Alex got removed. He really wasn't standing up for his design choices. He needed to go.
The final four are Courtland Bascon, Emily Henderson, Casey Noble and Michael Moeller. I haven't liked Michael's attitude over the life of the show. He's kind of a cocky guy and was the main reason Alex got removed last week. After tonight, there will be three designers left. Even if Courtland gets removed, I'm going to keep right on voting for him as a fan favorite. Maybe he can get out of the 4 percent range. Come on, people - go over to HGTV and help push Courtland Bascon into a higher bracket.
Then we'll get busy on the mid-term elections in our own communities. Remember, Early Voting starts next week. Practice at HGTV for the real thing! Go Courtland!
The judges are usually Vern Yip, Candace Olson and Genevieve Gorder. In the event one of the judges can't be on the show in a particular week, another HGTV star fills in. That's fair, right?
Last week, Alex got removed. He really wasn't standing up for his design choices. He needed to go.
The final four are Courtland Bascon, Emily Henderson, Casey Noble and Michael Moeller. I haven't liked Michael's attitude over the life of the show. He's kind of a cocky guy and was the main reason Alex got removed last week. After tonight, there will be three designers left. Even if Courtland gets removed, I'm going to keep right on voting for him as a fan favorite. Maybe he can get out of the 4 percent range. Come on, people - go over to HGTV and help push Courtland Bascon into a higher bracket.
Then we'll get busy on the mid-term elections in our own communities. Remember, Early Voting starts next week. Practice at HGTV for the real thing! Go Courtland!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Good points & bad points.
I enjoy using my cell phone to access the social networking websites and to send messages back and forth to family and friends. Our parents kept in touch using a clunky black telephone with an uncurly handset wire and a wire that plugged into the wall, tethering them to the unit when they wanted to reach out and touch someone. It had a 3 digit number when I was small. That number went to 5 digits and sometimes the old telephone number, 27155 - floats to the top of my mental soup when I least expect it. By the time we moved from the house where I was raised - the phone number had enlarged to 7 digits. The cord had become curly at some point along the way. And, the phone came in many colors, to match your decor.
We never could have dreamed of all the improvements to come in telecommunications, much less the computer advancements that lay ahead. Nowadays, I can dial the phone from any place there is a signal. I carry it with me in the car, the grocery and the office.
With all these advancements, would you think someone could have standardized the keyboard shortcuts so that a person could move from the cellphone keyboard to a computer keyboard without having to think about things like punctuation and capitalization? Do you realize how many times I've been forced to backspace over my typing because I forgot I was on my computer instead of thumbing the phone. There are not shortcuts on a computer or typewriter that allow a quick double spacebar to place a period at the end of the sentence. It is a good idea on a cell phone but you have to actually do some work and put that little dot at the end of the computer generated line.
You can't just hold down a letter key until the capital letter comes up. You have to shift it into place.
The letter U doesn't replace the written word You.
You're is not shortened to U R. At least it isn't done that way in a formal message to the boss.
The person who comes up with a button that recognizes the keyboard and tells the computer to repair those lines of type will probably be otw to making a ton of $$$, imho!
We never could have dreamed of all the improvements to come in telecommunications, much less the computer advancements that lay ahead. Nowadays, I can dial the phone from any place there is a signal. I carry it with me in the car, the grocery and the office.
With all these advancements, would you think someone could have standardized the keyboard shortcuts so that a person could move from the cellphone keyboard to a computer keyboard without having to think about things like punctuation and capitalization? Do you realize how many times I've been forced to backspace over my typing because I forgot I was on my computer instead of thumbing the phone. There are not shortcuts on a computer or typewriter that allow a quick double spacebar to place a period at the end of the sentence. It is a good idea on a cell phone but you have to actually do some work and put that little dot at the end of the computer generated line.
You can't just hold down a letter key until the capital letter comes up. You have to shift it into place.
The letter U doesn't replace the written word You.
You're is not shortened to U R. At least it isn't done that way in a formal message to the boss.
The person who comes up with a button that recognizes the keyboard and tells the computer to repair those lines of type will probably be otw to making a ton of $$$, imho!
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