Thursday, February 25, 2010

Chrome Bliss!

  I was surfing a few different sites a couple of days ago, doing some research for one of my books, when everything froze-up and I got a message, “Internet Explorer has encountered a problem, and needs to shut down….” This was not the first time this has happened to me, but in a moment of inspired genius I decided that it was going to be the last! I have been watching my browser get steadily slower and crash more frequently, and like a lot of people, I just chalked it up to the fact that my computer is old (never mind the fact that it was ten years ahead of it’s time in 2005), and full of stuff that probably made it harder to do it’s job. I’m sure many of you are with me so far, and have experienced the same thing. Well guess what, there is a way out. It’s called Google Chrome, and after using it for a few days I’m sorely tempted to just remove Internet Explorer completely from my system.
  Chrome’s interface is user-friendly, and it has all the features that Internet Explorer has. The biggest difference is that it isn’t as vulnerable to hacking as I.E., and so far it seems to be crash-proof. I say this because I’ve literally tried to crash it, and it’s stood up to my worst browsing habits.
  I’ve also been extremely impressed by the quality of any video when using Chrome. Video seems to buffer a little quicker, but even better than that, the actual viewing area when viewing in full-screen mode is a little bigger. Bigger is better, trust me.
  So, the next time you get shut-down by Internet Explorer, maybe give Google Chrome a try and see for yourself how well it works. To be fair, I should also mention that Mozilla’s Firefox browser is pretty nifty too, but I think that Chrome is going to be the standard we hear a lot more good things about in the next decade. 

Monday, February 22, 2010

Tales of the Strange?

  Do you have something unexplained that you would like investigated? Are you seeing something in the night sky that you are unable to identify or explain? Or maybe your just experiencing phenomena of an extremely unusual nature, and you’d like some answers. If so, then join me on my quest for truth as I search out the answers to some of life’s great mysteries.
  If you have something of interest, be it stories, photos or videos, please email me at: bugb869@gmail.com for consideration in my upcoming book or my blog.
  I’ve noticed a conspicuous lack of paranormal/UFO activity on or around the Central Coast, and I credit it to a lack of anyplace credible to report such activity. So, you (the reader) may now consider Jeff’s Central Coast a repository for just such encounters. I promise that I will give everyone a fair un-biased platform to tell their story, and I will research to the best of my abilities all information submitted for verification.
  With any luck, I will have some interesting stories to share with all of you, and a new way for us all to look at life here on the Central Coast!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Test Results for MS Word as Webpage

  As I said yesterday, I was testing the usage of MS Word as a web page for my blog, “Jeff’s Central Coast.” Just so you, the reader, know and can benefit from my experience, it was a total failure. At least for this blog, other sites might be different. Here though, the phrase ‘make work’ seems appropriate.
  When I copied and pasted my blog into the proper form used by blogspot, none of the formatting used by MS Word was copied with it. In fact my nifty little picture of me playing at farmers market didn’t make the trip either! I ended up having to re-format the whole page and import the photo all over again, so it ended up being nothing more than a huge waste of time. I still recommend typing the original in MS Word because it’s just plain smart to keep track of your writing this way. It makes it a whole lot easier to find later, as long as you make each writing exercise a separate file. I’m also keeping separate files for all my images, again because it’s easier to find later that way.
  So, I hope this helps someone. If nothing else it will serve to remind me of the little hurdles I had to overcome on my way to the top!
  It has taken a while, but I’ve finally realized that there is no escaping my artistic roots. Although I have tried many vocations, none of them were as satisfying as when I was creating, be it music, writing, photography or graphics. Other jobs might have provided the money to pay the bills, but that was the end of their benevolence. I have received much more satisfaction from writing a song or performing than I ever have doing anything else. The question now is: How can I make it profitable?
 
  For those of you that have the talent, you might try posting your resume on TheLadders.com or follow this link: http://www.theladders.com/job-search
 
  The sad fact is, while many of us are blessed to have jobs that we (that’s you, not me) love doing, many of us are stuck in dead-end jobs that we hate. I have been there myself, hated every minute of it, and in some cases even became very ill as a result of bad hours and no sleep. Don’t get me wrong, I have had a couple of good experiences in retail, but they were so rare and short-lived that I couldn’t possibly think of building a life in those conditions. No, I’m afraid that my spirit cries for something far greater.
 
  Thank God for blogs. At least I can write now, feel like I did something, and maybe someone else will read my writing’s and get something out of them. That would sure be nice, but it isn’t why I write. I write because like every other form of art, I am compelled to, and it fills an inexplicable need to create something. I definitely get more out of writing this blog than I would working a cash register or swinging a hammer. It all comes down to where your heart is.
 
  So it should be no surprise to any of you that I am reaffirming here and now, my artistic integrity. I really have to admire the Nike slogan, “Just do it.” Those three words really say a lot, especially when applied to anything involving a creative process. I could sit and wish I was a writer, or wish I was a musician, or wish I was a photographer, but instead I think I’ll just keep on being those things and believe once again that I am truly doing what I love.

Friday, February 19, 2010

I guess that I’m not only done with any semblance of a vacation, but I’m also driven to work even harder lately. So as a direct result, my blogs are going to increase in frequency, perhaps even to the point of multiple postings in a day! This is a test though of how my blog would look if written in MS Word as a web page. The obvious advantage to doing it this way is that I can save the original for other publication a lot easier, and any graphics I add may turn out a little better or easier to edit. This is a perfect time for me to insert a picture of myself playing guitar at last weeks Farmer’s Market in San Luis Obispo.






As you can see, this doesn’t relate to a darn thing except that I was having fun then, just as I am now! Aren’t you glad I shared this?

Back From Vacation...?

  Well, it's been a while...I guess one could say that I was on vacation, although truth be told it was nothing that glamorous. In fact I only made it as far away as our PS3, with occasional side trips to my PSP. To those in the know, further explanation is unnecessary. For the rest or you, let me enlighten you.

  A PS3 is a Playstation 3, made by the Sony corporation, and quite possibly one of the most wonderful items one could have in their home. The technology extends way beyond it's ability for gaming...it's also a useful internet tool that just happens to also be a great Blu-Ray player. So with all it can do, is it any wonder that I've been missing in action for so long.

  The PSP is a Playstation Portable, which is basically just a smaller handheld version of the PS3. It too has wireless internet capabilities, plays movies (UMD format), plays games, stores pictures, and stores and plays mp3's. In fact I use it in the morning to read the news from New York Times, BBC News and MSNBC while I'm watching the local morning news on T.V., before the Today show comes on.

  So yes, while it appears that I've been 'lost' in Playstation land, the truth is that I've been learning and using a new (to me) technology, with all sorts of benefits. In fact, I've been able to increase my job search efforts using these tools, simply by being able to check my email more frequently, and see job postings sooner and apply for jobs quicker simply by having the extra tools. In fact I'd compare the PSP to a Blackberry without the annoyances of having to answer a telephone!

  For those of you that have the talent, you might try posting your resume on TheLadders.com or follow this link: http://www.theladders.com/job-search.