Get rid of Microsoft Windows

I wrote this a few weeks ago but I waited to post it since Ron Paul was more important ;)

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Having spent too many years in the tech industry I feel that I am qualified to say that it takes a fair amount of hubris to insist that for personal use a PC is better than a Mac. There was a time when Microsoft Windows was superior to anything Apple offered, but that time has passed and people should begin to realize that it isn't in their best interest to blindly embrace the past. Instead we should strive to buy the best product on the market and right now there isn't anything better than what Apple offers.

Last year Anne and I decided that our next computer would be a MacBook Pro. This decision was born out of a frustration with Windows and my corporate experience with Apple products. We choose the MacBook Pro because a) we only buy laptops now and b) I needed to be able to use the laptop for work purposes.

My experience has been that what I want in a work computer is completely different than what I want in my home computer. As a Network Administrator I wanted a computer that I had complete control over as a home user I want a computer that works without any effort on my part. There is no question that Apple has a clear advantage as a home computer, because of their attention to details that really make their product shine.

So without further ado, here are a handful of those superior “details” found in a Mac.

Hardware:
1. Magsafe Power Adapter.
On a typical laptop the power jack uses a physical "pinch" method to hold the power cord in place. There are two problems with this method, first over time that "pinch" wears out and the jack no longer establishes a firm connection with the cord. Second, if you or your children should trip over the cord than the entire laptop crashes to the floor. The Macbook uses a magnet, all you have to do is bring the end of the power cord close enough to the side of the laptop and "presto" it snaps into place. The beauty of a magnet is that the "strength" does not fade and the magnet is strong enough to easily hold the power cord in place but weak enough that it releases before your computer is pulled off your desk.

2. Illuminated Keyboard
Once you have used a keyboard that gradually illuminates as your environment darkens, you'll never go back. Simple as that.

3. Two-finger Trackpad support
Drag one finger to move your cursor, tap one finger for a left click, drag two fingers to scroll a window, tap two fingers for a right click…never use your trackpad buttons again.

Software:
1. Stable
Because Apple doesn't have to worry about thousands of possible hardware configurations, they can design their operating system to work perfectly with their hardware. The result is no more crashes, no more restarts and no more hassle. Seriously.

2. Authority
Have you ever installed a spyware off the Internet, without even knowing it? Well if you had a Mac it wouldn't be a problem, because software can't install without a username and password! Why Windows didn't have this option before Vista is beyond imagination (although even in Vista it isn't properly implemented).

3. Simplicity
Mac OS X is frankly far simpler than Windows. An example of this is plugging in a USB mouse. When I'm on my Windows laptop, I get three pop-up messages when I plug in my mouse "USB device detected", "USB Human Interface Device Detected" and "Your new hardware is installed and ready to use". When I plug the mouse into the Mac a grand total of 0 message are displayed…the only thing that happens is that the mouse works and that is all I care about! OS X does an excellent job of only alerting you if there is a PROBLEM. Not so for Windows, I can't even count how many messages you receive when you first use Windows that give you some pointless information plus the option to never display that message again. Apple has the mindset that if the information doesn't need to be displayed "ever again" than it didn't need to be displayed in the first place. Bravo!

4. Ease of Use
The location of everything on a Mac makes sense. Preferences are all stored under preferences. Applications are all stored under Applications. Documents are all stored under Documents. You are never left wondering where something could be. How about searching? Can't remember what you named that document with the chicken recipe? Begin typing recipe into the search field on the title bar and results begin to instantly appear, no more waiting for that timer to stop spinning…


Macs are far from perfect yet and some differences are particularly annoying if you are a Windows user (Hello, no delete key?!?), but the overall Mac experience is FAR superior to anything else available! In the past finding applications for the Mac was one of its biggest
detractions…that isn't an issue now, not only can you run Windows programs on a Mac there are also many MANY more native Mac applications available! (ie. there is a nifty recipe program that operates like iTunes, automatically scales any recipe for any size
group, creates custom shopping lists based off the recipes you choose, will export that shopping list to your ipod and will respond to voice commands by reading your recipes out loud to you while you are in the kitchen! Nice!)

Plus with the new version of OS X coming out October 26th, why waste your money on a Windows PC? Do yourself a favor and try something new!

Republicans

I've been intending to post this for a while...because Anne never would ;) But it is about time people started to consider what it means to actually be a conservative. Here is a simple point system...if you think of Ronald Reagan as a conservative, you get points but if you think George W Bush is a conservative, you lose points...lots and lots of points...every point you ever had ;)

Anyhow, the lack of conservative principles in the current "first-tier" Republican presidential candidates is amazing. Although the eagerness of evangelical conservatives to embrace an apparent nominee in the name of "beating Hillary" is also amazing. If we actually want to reform the Republican party, why not take a look at some of the second-tier candidates? For that matter why not take a look at Ron Paul? It would be nice to once again have a President who actually thinks the Constitution is more than just an ancient document. Don't let neo-conservatism bias your opinion of him..below are links to his speech at the Value Voters Summit...it should be educational.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGu-da6XvJQ
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swkqhsp1syo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTRWqJvBm9U

- Caleb

i woke up from a strange rain and it was dreaming outside.

~ I went in to Erin's room the other morning and she said (in a calm voice) "Mom, there are monsters in this bed - get me OUT of here." She has taken to theatrics and seems to know how to maximize the affect.

~ When Erin wants something that Caleb or I am eating, she sits really close and says "Mom/Dad, I love you so much!" This is occasionally accompanied by patting or holding our hand.

~ She won't often acknowledge that she's gonna have a brother (I guess impending doom is not something she likes to dwell on) and will only talk about him in her prayers. I've been trying to get her to call him by name (Judah) but she'll have none of it. She still thinks his name is "Sister", probably from the pre-ultrasound days when we'd say "Do you want a brother or a sister?"

~ I am still behind on getting ready for Judah, with stacks of hand-me-down clothes still unsorted and unwashed. The guest room (that is being transformed into the new nursery) looks like one big closet and every time the door is opened I am instantly exhausted just thinking about the organization that needs to happen. I need Dok, Mom or Aubrey here to boss me around!

~ Caleb is still my hero, helping with dishes, meals, laundry, and taking Erin off my hands in the evenings so I can put my feet up and rest. He is graciously accompanying me to birthing classes (something we both opted out of last pregnancy), and has even offered to do the grocery shopping this weekend while I go with a friend to get a pregnancy massage. He's the best!

~ College football has been welcome respite from the mindless blather that seems to plague television these days... Is no one turning out creative programming these days? Come February I'd be ready to give away my TV if it weren't for the Food Network and The Simpsons (don't gag, Mom).

~ I am already behind on Christmas shopping, since I had pledged to have it all wrapped up by November. How many days do I have? AHHH!! Shouldn't I be able to opt out of Christmas this year???

round here we're carving out our names...

I've got to get better about updates! Last month seemed to fly by and this month is shaping up to be the same - too bad the pregnancy doesn't seem to go as fast ;-) I'm now 31.5 weeks and counting down. I've gone from feeling like it will never end to wondering if I have enough time to get my pre-baby checklist done! I also don't feel prepared AT ALL to be a mom to 2 children and feel overwhelmed just at the thought... I got so lucky with Erin in so many ways (perfect nurser from day one, born with perfect circadian rhythm, etc) that I'm bracing myself for a real challenge this time. I figure pessimism will prepare me for the worst, and if I'm wrong I'll be pleasantly surprised :-)

Last month we made it to a VT game (well, to Blacksburg anyway - go Hokies!!) with Caleb's family, went to Bethany Beach for a fun/relaxing weekend with friends, and got another home improvement project completed. This month we've been to a Redskins game and already (probably prematurely) carved our Halloween pumpkins (pics to follow soon). This weekend we'll head to a local vineyard for a chili and wine tasting festival with some friends.

The weather has finally turned cool, although for how long I'm not sure. But we're enjoying it while it lasts and look forward to having open windows and a break from running the A/C.

Erin continues to push the boundaries AND still surprise us with her capacity for absorbing new information. These last few weeks she has mastered the sounds of all consonants and the short vowel sounds. I'm still trying to decide whether I should spring for teaching her to read, but then what fun would first grade be? :-) And there's also the other matter of worrying that we'll be sending her off to school still wearing diapers... Despite a great attitude and willingness to sit on the potty for hours on end, she still doesn't seem to be getting the concept of 'letting go' while up there. Ah well, we'll try again closer to 3. I don't see myself coping well with a newborn and a semi-potty-trained toddler!

That's it here, all else is quiet on the eastern front.