The day after...

Well Christmas has come and gone. I got some awesome presents from Shawna! First my stewie Christmas collection is growing! Last year I received a Stewie gift card holder, this year I got Stewie Pajamas that say “The more you disapprove the more fun it is for me!”
Also I'll be far more organized with my brand new laptop bag! Green with lots of pockets. Gifted with love from my wonderful Shawna.
Christmas day she had to work :( but we watched Scrooged with Bill Murray before she went, and I had 'Put a little love in your heart' stuck in my head for hours.
2010 will be a great year for us! I just have that feeling. Operation Piggy Bank will go into full effect by the end of January. That involves ways to save a little money and earn a little money.
Also started Farmville last week as you can see. Its very addictive. My strategy is to have the animals and trees pay for the plowing of the field, and have the harvesting pay for more plants. So far its working wonderful.
I also want to say thank you every one who has helped my farm as much as you have.
Also in 2010 my website will be getting redesigned as I play with CSS and figure out how it works.
Stop by and let me know what you think of it.

Christmas lights

Welcome once again to GNGTech001 blog!
This week Shawna and I drove around and saw Christmas lights. There must be some rule that states the more money you have the fewer decorations you will put out. We went through a few housing areas
some in the economically friendly areas, others in the ego house central.
We saw trailers with more Christmas lights than some of the people who had money to celebrate. Come to think of it, that may be the real reason the rich get richer and the poor stay poor. Christmas decorations. Apparently who sells the decorations? Rich people. Who buys them? Poor people.
Its a vicious cycle. Oh well can't take it with you. So drink hot coco and be merry this Christmas!

Blog date: 11302009

Welcome to The GNGTECH001 blog! Or for those of you who know me, Joe's Rant Page. Thanksgiving has come and gone until next year when we will repeat it all over again. My wife made an outstanding turkey yesterday. I helped, get it out of the pan. That is the extent of which she will let me in the kitchen. Speaking of repeating, I have decided to make the blog a once a week event for a while. I have been to busy with work lately to really focus on my blog, so I am cutting it down to once a week, so I can have better focus on it. Rather than having several topics all week, you'll now get them all at once. Lucky You!

My website, is coming along nicely if I do say so. It has a background and a purpose on the main page.

It now has buttons I made in MS Paint. I will be putting more content on there and also joining affiliate programs from companies I know and trust. Such as Inkgrabber.com for example. If there are any questions you have about computers or programs please send me an email and I will help as much as I can. It will also give me something to write about on my website. If your having a problem, other people are having the same problem, and I may be able to help them by helping you.

Shawna and I went to watch A Christmas Carol last week. It was pretty cool. The visual affects were cool. Yes it was animated but the way they showed some scenes was different. I didn't care for the ending though. It felt rushed. It was as if, you get the idea here is the cliff notes of what happens from here on out. I much prefer the old Scrooge McDuck ending, it was more comical to me.

Our recycling soda can project is 2 buckets full now. Not sure how much it weighs our scale doesn't measure that low.

My car went the shop again. last week while going to a company meeting a kid riding his bike just flew out in front of me. I slammed on my brakes and stopped in time. I made it to the restaurant where the meeting was just fine. When leaving though I felt my brake pedal hit the floor and my car barely stopped. Long story short. It has a bust brake line, two bad brake pads and a broken motor mount.
Thankfully no one was hurt.

That's it for this week instalment of GNGTECH001 Blog.

Why I like windows 7

There are a few features that I enjoy on Windows 7

1)the User Account Control (that annoying thing that pops up when you do anything in Vista) the reason I like it in windows 7, is because it is user friendly. The default setting is that Windows will ask you ONLY if a program (like a virus) tries to do something without you approving it.


2)The Next time you are in Best Buy and looking at Windows 7 PC's. Go crazy and open like 8 different programs. Solitaire, notepad, office, explorer ect... then the fun part! Left click on the title bar and hold it. Now move it back and forth and watch the other programs run in terror of your awesomeness!


3)Show desktop is a similar feature people don't use often enough. Windows 7 has placed the button for that next to the clock in the bottom right hand corner. Rather than minimise 4 or 5 separate programs one at a time, just click that button once. This once is also in Vista and XP but if may be faster for you than the second feature.


There are other reasons I like windows 7, but most of them I have only read about and not yet used myself. So until I do use them I won't be saying how much I like them.
Such a feature is windows PE. You can make a boot able CD or DVD to help fix PC problems or pull data off the PC. Linux has had this capability for years. I haven't tried Windows PE yet but it sounds promising.

Again if you want to purchase a computer for Christmas with Windows 7, feel free to contact any one of the qualified technicians at www.gem-systems.us

Windows 7 from a PC tech point of view

Part 1 Why I do not like it.

Windows 7 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. The only problem I have with it, is that its just Vista 2.0. If you liked Vista you will love Windows 7. If you Like Windows 7, but hated Vista, you clearly weren't shown how to use Vista very well.
From what I have seen of the Windows 7 commercials, the 'I'm a PC' elements of Windows 7 are also available in Vista. Except Homegroup, thats new to 7.

The reason I think Vista was a flop, was because it got hit by bad publicity from the 'I'm a Mac I'm a PC.' commercials. When it first came out it did indeed have some problems. Service pack one fixed those issues.

Now that those issues are fixed, rather than push out an update that would make Vista operate like Windows 7. They release a brand new operating system. Charge hundreds of dollars for it and make a profit and get people to love it!

Its insane because Windows 7 is built off of Windows Vista. Making it Vista 2.0. Windows 7 is the latest operating system from Microsoft. Chances are it won't be the last. In two or three years the next OS will come out. Probably be hated as must as vista was and then a few years later, a new OS that people love will come out.

The real reason I have a problem with Windows 7 is that I spent over $200 in books on Vista to learn as much as I could about it, so I could get certified in it. Well, when I heard 7 was coming out I stop training in it. Who wants to see Windows Vista Certified on a resume when everyone hates Vista.

Join me next time when I discuss why I like Windows 7 and recommend it, even if it means buying a new PC. (preferably through GEM Systems)

www.gem-systems.us

Playing catchup

Hello

Welcome back to Joes Blog!

Well its been a few days since my last blog which brings up to the current thankful item(s)
1: I am thankful for rest

2: I am thankful for my health

3: I am thankful for my families health (even though Shawna is sick right now it could be worse)

4: I am thankful for innovative ways to earn a little extra cash.
For example, Soda Cans. 1 pound of aluminum cans is going for about 40 cents. Yes it takes a lot of cans to make a pound. However look at it from this perspective.
If you bought a single stock of Johnson and Johnson for $60 you would get a dividend of 60 cents every three months.
If I buy enough can soda I can hope to make 40 cents every month. $1.20 in three months. Granted I have no idea how much I'll have to spend in cans to get a pound. But thats what coupons are for.

And I think that catches me up to today for thankful things. I am also thankful for work. So remember if you have any computer problems and live in SC or NC call GEM Systems.

TGIF

Friday

Not much happening today that I am aware of just yet. Netflix should be coming in the mail.

Day 6 of being thankful: I am thankful. Today I am thankful for Fridays. While this may not be the end of the work week for me since I may or may not have to work tomorrow. Non the less, Fridays are still something that make all the little pains of the week seem bearable once you get here. So I am thankful for that. After driving on I 85 in 5pm traffic I am also thankful to be alive.

Pizza rules!

Thursday

Well I started the day on a down side. Woke up thinking it was friday. My wife then told me, no its only thursday. Thats ok though cause its pay day.

Day 5 of being thankful: I am thankful for Pizza! Pizza is awesome! Its good warm or cold. It can come with any kind of meat on it. It has cheese. And the crust is good too. Add the tomato sauce for your veggies and you have one well balanced meal in hand held slices! So I am thankful that some one thought it up and made it to where we can just go, place an order and get some one else to make it for us. In fact I am having Pizza right now for breakfast! Its that awesome!

Just so you don't forget, Shawna call Jake.

Jake Happy Birthday!

Wednesday not much to tell

Wednesday

Ok the middle of the week, two more days till sat morn cartoons. Whats left of them anyway...
Before we get to those we have to go through tomorrow and Friday.
I am thankful for our cars. We have two of them and both run well, (When all the tires stay on them)
and life would be very difficult without them. Since I am an on call tech and all that.

Haven't had much time to catch up on anything other than just a few shows. So thats it for this blog.
See ya tomorrow

Tuesday is here

Hello again and welcome to Joe's blog!

Day 3 of things I am thankful for: Computers
Yes I am thankful for computers. Without computers I would not have as fun of a job (sometimes).
The nice thing about working with computers is there is always something new to learn. The bad thing is there is ALWAYS something new to learn. But its fun none the less.

Not much going on in the today, just plan on working.

Just another crazy Monday

Mondays, the day of the week when you have to go back to work, after a relaxing weekend of doing nothing. Or cleaning up your yard from Halloween.

Which brings me to day two of things I am thankful for. I am thankful for our house. It was a tad annoying getting it, I had no idea what to do. I let shawna handle the details. I was just there for a yes no, I like this I don't like this.
However with all thats said and done. I am thankful we now have a house. (kinda wish we had waited a year when house prices to dropped like a rock)

Major advantage of being a home owner is control. No one telling you what you can't do inside your house. Want to paint the bathroom any color? Go for it!

Disadvantage: Mowing the yard. But we outsourced it so its all good now.

Post Halloween

Well its November and near the end of this month will be a feast of a dead bird, or in our case an unlucky pig. Truth be told, they may have revenge depending on if you have to use any ant-acids.
More than just mouth watering food though, this is a time when we take inventory of the good and the bad that has happened this year, and focus on the good.
We give our thanks once a year to God in saying that yes bad things have happened to us this year and good things, but we are still here. It could be worse.
Then just before we set to carving the animal of our choice ( or animal in our budget ) we bow our heads and say thanks for this or that, like an acceptance speech for an Oscar. Well I decided, while trying to figure out what to blog about, that this month, I'm giving thanks for one thing in my life that I am thankful for. Every day for my blog.

So here it is day One:

I am thankful for my family. My wife, parents on both sides of the tree, our two cats, and siblings as well as grandparent, crazy aunts and uncles.
My family is what has made me who I am and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

To them I say thank you.

Now about Halloween, is it just me or are the trick or treaters getting older and less traditional?
Most are no better than common beggars! Ringing the door bell, NOT saying trick or treat just holding their bags open as if to say 'give me'.

Maybe its just the neighborhood we live in there aren't that many little kids, maybe the parents are trying to take them to more safe trick or treating places. Maybe the parents of little kids are too lazy to take them out for more than 30 min. What ever the reason, we the home owners are the ones who suffer. We get the reject teens that are just looking for candy and not really even trying to make a costume.
What do you think? Am I being to picky? Too selective? Too high expectations or is there anyone else who feels the same?

Halloween Tme for candy

Well here it is Halloween! The one night a year kids get to dress up and beg for candy without being told to go home. I don't have a great costume this year, maybe next year. What I do have is a very wallet friendly Graveyard. We cut the tombstones out of card board and covered them with duck tape.
Then Shawna wrote:
Tricker Treater 1- 2008
Tricker Treater 2- 2008
Tricker Treater 1- 2009 Is it you?

I wanted to have a hand coming out of the ground for the 2009 tombstone but we ran out of cash. So we have a spider web with no spiders. I have no problem with that since I am not a fan of spiders. Besides plastic spiders really look to fake to be creepy.

Next year we will add a few more decorations and things to creep kids out. One idea is to get a gross mask, put a foam ball inside it and put it on the end of a stick with fake blood running down the stick.
Any one else have any good ideas?

Blog date 30 Oct 09

OK

1st blog just to see how this thing works. Halloween is tomorrow and don't have decorations up yet. Working on it though.

I need to call around to the local recycling centers to see if there are any that recycle cans for cash.