Have A Joyful Holiday Weekend

I’d like to take a quick moment to wish you all a safe and happy holiday weekend.

… This is not my fave holiday, as it is synonymous with the conclusion of what is, and always has been, the best time of year – Summer. (What? No school for 3 months? That gets my vote!). But.. on the bright side (I guess) football is here, and my Niners aren’t looking too shabby.

Let’s be safe. And let’s have fun.

(You did look at the Foodscapes artwork, didn’t you?)

Today’s quote: “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” ~ Leo Buscaglia

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

You Gotta See This (aka “Friday Fun”)

Folks, I came across this.. um, er, let’s call it “art” via Digg (do you remember Digg?) and I have to say, it kind of “blew my mind”. The article is 15 Surreal Landscapes Made from Food and here’s one sample image..

Click on image to see more (reco’d)

“Cheese Volcano” Artwork and Photograph by CARL WARNER

I highly recommend looking at the article, and then visiting Carl’s website itself. Who knows? Maybe it’ll stimulate your right-brain (but, regardless, I wager it’ll impress). And yes, that was constructed entirely with food.

Today’s quote: “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

CD drive won’t read discs

Folks, here is a question I received that I think is of ‘general benefit’ to all to know.

Q: Hi Tech Paul.
The disc player in my Dell Optiplex has started to ignore cds and dvds that I burned myself but still can play those that I purchased or rent. What’s going on? Do I need a new codec?

A: Dear Reader,
No, you do not need a new “codec“. I suspect that your “reading” trouble is due simply to dust/dirt on the laser’s lens. Blowing on it with compressed air (such as from a can of the venerable Dust Off) should resolve your problem. (If you cannot see the little lens unit, open the tray, and blow around in there as best you can.)

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Today’s quote: “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” ~ Isaac Asimov

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

An Antidote for The Mondays

Here’s a little something that I hope will get you through another Monday

Interesting reading:

* DOJ busted by redaction mishap, names Google in ‘gagging order’ filing

“The U.S. Justice Dept. appears to have been fooled — not by hackers, a foreign spy, or a former employee turned whistleblower — but by its own redaction tools.” Read more..

* Google’s self-certified hypocrisy

“Google’s policies for accepting SSL certificates from web sites in Chrome are getting smarter and more restrictive. Their code signing certificate policies for Android started out lax and stupid and will stay that way.” Read more..

* China suffers ‘largest’ cyberattack; Censorship makes it difficult to gauge attack scope

“Many Chinese websites are down following what authorities are describing as the “largest denial-of-service attack” it has ever faced. But because of heavy Internet regulation and censorship, it’s not clear to Western eyes how deep the attack went.” Read more..

[What goes around, comes around?]

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Today’s quote: “I have no right, by anything I do or say, to demean a human being in his own eyes. What matters is not what I think of him; it is what he thinks of himself. To undermine a man’s self-respect is a sin.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

Maybe There’s Hope For Microsoft Yet

(Keyword there is “maybe”..)

Those of you who watch the Tech headlines have heard — Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has announced he will retire. This here is the best article (of the first crop of related articles) I read on the subject:

* Five reasons why Ballmer needed to go

“At long, long last Steve Ballmer is leaving Microsoft. Here’s why.

Steve Ballmer is going to retire from Microsoft sometime within the next 12 months. Well, that’s the official story. I think Microsoft’s board finally gave him a choice: Jump or be pushed.” Read more..

Personally, I kind of doubt there will be a Microsoft in 10 years… except, maybe, as a toy company (Xbox).

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Today’s quote: “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” ~ Lao Tzu

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

A Brief Detour Into Grandpa Rock

Why? Because it’s summertime. (It’s just that simple.)

First up, a music legend (who died too young).

.. followed by another  music legend (who died too young). But, that’s how rock’n roll was born… the 60’s.

But if thinking about such things “brings you down”.. here’s an antidote.

Is it Friday yet?

Today’s quote: “Without music, life would be a mistake.” ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.

The Death of the Shopping Mall

(A quick reading reco) (Also, a fun video)

Folks, I only have time today to point you to an article worthy of your attention.

* E-commerce will make the shopping mall a retail wasteland

“There is a sickness in brick and mortar retail, and we need to understand what is causing it.” Read more..

.. ah, those unintended consequences ..

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I need a pair of shoes like this guy’s (aka “Today’s Fun Video:“) (Because it’s summer.)

Today’s quote: “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.” ~ Harvey Fierstein

Copyright 2007-2013 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.

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>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<

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All we really have, in the end, are our stories.
Make yours great ones. Ones to be proud of.