Author: Paul
Apple Updates
Last week Apple updated both it’s PowerBook line and it’s iBook line of laptop computers. I wasn’t as impressed with the speed stats as I could have been. None of the new stats make me want to go out and replace my current 17 inch PowerBook with something new. At times I think my 17 inch is a little too big but I love it. It’s fast, I have it packed with ram, it’s got bluetooth and airport extreme. If and when I update the laptop, I think I will go down in size to the 15 inch PowerBook and load it with ram and goodies. Maybe next year.
As for a desktop, I’m still holding out for a G5 iMac. The iMac is the only model that hasn’t been updated since the 20 inch model. This summer should see an update. That’s when I’ll get a new one. I currently have the 17 inch iMac. I got it in September 2002. In computer years, it’s old. I still love the design and how well it works. It’s only an 800 megahertz G4 so it’s not the fastest but it still does everything I want it to do.
Today Apple updated iTunes, iMovie, and QuickTime. When I got home from work I used the software update and updated them all. The new iTunes has a few new features that I like. I like the ability to print CD covers of the songs I have in my play lists right from iTunes. I tested it out and it’s pretty cool. I also like the ability to see movie trailers and music videos right in the iTunes music store. You can’t, however, download the trailers or videos if you have QuickTime Pro. If you go to the Apple web site to see the trailers and have QuickTime Pro you can download and save the trailers. This doesn’t work for the music videos however. The update for iMovie is rather minor. It improves performance and reliability with iMovie 4.0. I haven’t created anything to see if it actually improves anything.
All in all, decent updates from Apple. Keep ’em comin, Apple!
Wondering
The pea green numbers on the clock just blinked 7:23 PM. The digital cable is tuned to channel 31 and WGN out of Chicago is showing a rerun of Will & Grace. You remember seeing that episode years ago. The wind has picked up and you can hear the screen on the window rattle behind your head. The computer has two large windows open. One on gay.com and one on AOL. No one is chatting…with you. Flashbacks of your day, your past, your future rush through your mind. Cheney and Scalia. The book you keep meaning to finish. Brad not calling. Shawn calling. Your dermatology appointment next week. What you'll do with your time off this summer. You can't keep your mind on one topic. Your brain flits from one image to another. What time should you go to bed? Should you take your lunch tomorrow? Why hasn't Brad called you back? Should you take that guy up on his offer for coffee this weekend? Woody Harelson was awful on Will & Grace. The wind is supposed to calm by morning. Why can't your mind focus? Do you need to focus or can you just spend time thinking about a million things without care? You decide nothing needs to be done, accomplished tonight. Thinking, worrying, transient thoughts are fine for the time being. Or are they? Fickle.
Rain
It’s a nasty, rainy day.
We can’t go out and play.
I wish it’d go away.
That’s all I have to say.
Old Photos
I was at my mother’s house yesterday cleaning out old boxes of photos when I ran across several photos I thought were cool. She also gave me several photo albums of old relatives that are no longer alive. We sat at the kitchen table and went through a big box of photos. We looked at every photo in the box. From time to time she would stop and tell me about who was in the photo or what was going on when the photo was taken. Of course I didn’t know any of the people in the photos. She said at one point that she’s the oldest living person on her father’s side of the family. That didn’t scare me. Seeing relative after relative in the photos with captions saying their ages in their 90’s, I’m sure my mother has many years left in her life.
I found a series of photos of guys together. My mother had no idea who they were or why she had photos of them. I’m not sure how old these guys are or what their relationships are but I found the poses to be interesting. Might any of them be gay? Maybe not. Just interesting to see guys in poses like this in the very early 1950’s. My mother said all of these were probably taken in 1951 or 1952.
Here is a picture of my mother at one of her showers before she got married. The photo is dated October 9, 1958. The caption says “Shower-Office Group”. It’s amazing how things have changed. In this photo all the women are drinking and smoking. Were they are work at the time? Probably not. It looks like someone’s house. My mother is in the middle opening the gift.
Here is a picture of my father. The photo was taken in 1960. Maybe he was in his bohemian phase. The hat would suggest so. The funky curtains must have really been in style.
I’ve got tons of photos of my parents taken in the 50’s and 60’s. They are all pretty wild like this. I’ll hang on to them for awhile I’m sure. I only scanned the photos you see here but I think this summer I will scan many more and create some kind of visual family tree.