Meanwhile

In Serbia, they are rocking the Kawasakis...

Weekend Plans

Something like this...

Honestly

Upgrades

Here's a dull personal post for ya...

I have converted to Windows 8.

Not really sure why, exactly.  Not sure why you would even care.

I guess I like confusing myself with my own technology.
I am want to mess with settings on my phone, computer, etc...
It keeps you on your toes, dealing with new ways of doing the same things.

Since my most recent laptop fell under the cheapo Windows upgrade offer parameters, I figured why not.

After a day of messing with it, I will say OK...
It is different, for sure.  I haven't really adjusted to the whole tile deal, but I get it.
After a few minutes, I think the tile layout is smoother than the old start menu scene.
You can get back to a pretty comfortable old Windows 7 desktop fairly easily, so it isn't just wandering through shit you can't relate to, for being different...
The app bit is intuitive, if you can manage basics on a smartphone.  I imagine the app availability aspect will grow with more user adoption.

Using Windows 8 on a laptop does sorta reveal how nice it will function as a tablet interface, too.  If you are into that neato swipe/tap action on your fancy phone, well, it is built the same way.  Lacking a touchscreen, the premise does still work (you just have to adjust some of your mousing habits).

It's interesting to deal with a PC in this new way.  Windows has used the same basic interface structure for about as long as I can remember.  It takes some courage for Microsoft to change up what nearly every user over age five is comfortable interacting with.  But whatever...

I am not sure if it will exactly make me more productive, or anyone.  Maybe I will figure that out once I get more acclimated.  There is a lot of customization/information that can be layered on the new start screen.  That could either speed one up or distract a person, based on how it gets applied.  It's an interesting change, for sure.

So, yeah, that was a post about an operating system.
Totally exciting.

Thrasher Thursday

Dude hauls ass and lands the techy shit...

Nice.

Wassail Wednesday

It's getting a bit cold here, recently...

So, I am thinking about warm drink options; cider, gluhwein, toddies, etc...

It occurs to me that I don't remember ever making wassail.
Shoot me your secret wassail recipe, if you got one...

Do It

Ohio

Walter Kirn takes a moment to ponder the role of Ohio in this years election, over at The New Republic...

In my new, more realistic understanding of American democracy, gained just this year from a thousand expert sources, the role of all but a portion of the electorate is to show up at their polling places tomorrow and dutifully cancel out one another’s votes so that Ohio can choose our president.

Now, that is just the opening and his observations are bound to offend nearly anybody actually living in the state of Ohio.  I grew up there, and some of the words sting.
The whole read over here...

Having been away for some time, I do have distance and can appreciate some of the observations made.

Not posting this to offend anyone reading, who may be from Ohio, though it will get your ire up I am sure.
More just a op-ed that hit me closer to home than I thought it might.  Some cutting and, perhaps, accurate observations on my home state...

And reason to consider how much Ohio not only shaped me, but also the continuing course of our nation.

Go Ahead

Let's just go ahead and get this started...

Whatever the outcome of the election is, the other side is gonna talk about some vast conspiracy to steal the White House.
The independents are already stewing about that sort of thing.

So, let's just embrace the coming head flapping, teeth gnashing and crazy talking...

Demand a recount now.

You don't wanna be late to the party.

Motorcycle Monday

Man...



I like this thing, a lot.

Sunday Drive

Uhm, right, I'll be right down...