tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84726952024-03-13T13:57:05.163-07:00Barney's BendBlogA Certain Reporter in Central Oregon vents, jokes, pokes fun and gives you a laugh or smile (he hopes)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-76514518071722816752010-03-13T01:06:00.001-08:002010-03-13T01:06:27.622-08:00Testing the new options hereAnd of course, running into problems - the new looks don't show! Argh!Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-76108638845620632732008-06-07T11:31:00.001-07:002008-06-07T11:32:01.260-07:00ScaryMy darling wife Deb has been looking for a job for 18 MONTHS, and no luck.<br /><br />Now, with the economy suffering, well... unemployment running out and ... if you can spare a prayer or three, please send them our way. Thanks.Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-13638770811183692182008-05-31T11:32:00.000-07:002008-05-31T11:37:03.738-07:00This is a test... of the video embedding systemFrom KTVZ.COM:<br /><br /><object id="WNVideoCanvasDEFAULTdivWNVideoCanvas" height="240" width="300"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="wmode" value="windowless"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="movie" value="http://www.ktvz.com/global/video/flash/widgets/WNVideoCanvas.swf"><br /> <embed src="http://www.ktvz.com/global/video/flash/widgets/WNVideoCanvas.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="windowless" width="300" height="240" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="isShowIcon=true&affiliate=KTVZ&affiliateNumber=588&backgroundAlphas=100,100,100,100&backgroundColors=212121,676767,676767,212121&backgroundRatios=0,25,130,255&backgroundRotation=270&borderAlpha=100&borderColor=212121&borderWidth=1&clipId=2544229&closecaptionPaneLabelText=&closePaneLabelText=&commercialHeadlinePrefix=Commercial&controlsBackgroundAlphas=100,100&controlsBackgroundColors=212121,676767&controlsBackgroundRatios=0,255&controlsBackgroundRotation=270&controlsBorderColor=212121&controlsBottomPadding=8&controlsButtonLeftBorderColor=616161&controlsButtonRightBorderColor=232323&controlsHeight=40&controlsOffFaceColor=9c9c9c&controlsOverFaceColor=ffffff&controlsSidePadding=8&defaultStyle=dark&disableTransport=false&domId=WNVideoCanvasDS76WNWidgetVideoCanvasDS76&emailErrorBorderColor=ae1a01&emailErrorMessageFaceColor=ae1a01&emailFormFieldAlphas=80&emailFormFieldColors=212121&emailFormFieldRatios=0&emailFormFieldRotation=90&emailInputFaceColor=9c9c9c&emailMessageLabelText=&emailPaneLabelText=&emailSentConfirmationMessage=&errorMessage=&fullScreenControlType=none&hasBevel=true&hasBorder=false&hasBottomBorder=true&hasFullScreen=true&hasLeftBorder=true&hasRightBorder=true&hasTopBorder=true&helpPage=/Global/story.asp?S=4925699&hostDomain=www.ktvz.com&idKey=DS76&imgPath=http://KTVZ.images.worldnow.com/images/static/video/flash/&invalidRecipientFieldMessage=&invalidSenderFieldMessage=&isAutoStart=&isMute=&landingPage=&loadingMessage=&offFaceColor=afaeae&overFaceColor=ffffff&overlayBackgroundAlphas=92&overlayBackgroundColors=676767&overlayBackgroundRatios=0&overlayBackgroundRotation=90&overlayOffFaceColor=9c9c9c&overlayOverFaceColor=ffffff&pauseButtonText=&playAtActualSize=0&playButtonText=&playerHeight=240&playerWidth=300&recipientEmailLabelText=&sendEmailButtonText=&senderEmailLabelText=&senderNameLabelText=&shareListItemHighlightBorderColor=767676&shareListItemOffFaceColor=afaeae&shareListItemShadowBorderColor=3c3c3c&shareListListItemOverFaceColor=afaeae&sidePadding=3&smoothingMode=auto&staticImgPath=http://KTVZ.images.worldnow.com&summaryGraphicMessage=&summaryGraphicScaleStyle=stretchToFit&summaryPaneLabelText=&tabBackgroundAlphas=100,100&tabBackgroundColors=888888,383838&tabBackgroundOverAlphas=100,100&tabBackgroundOverColors=595959,212121&tabBackgroundOverRatios=0,100&tabBackgroundRatios=75,255&tabBackgroundRotation=90&tabBackgroundSelectedAlphas=100&tabBackgroundSelectedBorderAlpha=100&tabBackgroundSelectedBorderColor=595959&tabBackgroundSelectedBorderWidth=1&tabBackgroundSelectedColors=595959&tabBackgroundSelectedHasBevel=true&tabBackgroundSelectedHasBorder=false&tabBackgroundSelectedHasDropShadow=true&tabBackgroundSelectedRatios=0&tabBorderAlpha=100&tabBorderColor=212121&tabBorderWidth=1&tabFontSize=10&tabHasBevel=true&tabHasBorder=false&tabHasDropShadow=true&tabHeight=26&tabLeftBorderColor=a7a6a6&tabOffFaceColor=dcdbdb&tabOverBorderAlpha=100&tabOverBorderWidth=1&tabOverFaceColor=ffffff&tabOverHasBevel=true&tabOverHasBorder=false&tabRightBorderColor=404040&tabShadowColor=333333&topPadding=3&videoSliderBackgroundColor=828282&videoSliderKnobBackgroundAlphas=100,100&videoSliderKnobBackgroundColors=828282,828282&videoSliderKnobBackgroundRatios=0,255&videoSliderKnobBackgroundRotation=90&videoSliderKnobBorderColor=5a5a5a&videoSliderKnobOffFaceColor=444444&videoSliderKnobOverFaceColor=212121&videoSliderKnobShadowColor=5a5a5a&videoSliderLoadIndicatorColor=b2b2b2&videoSliderProgressIndicatorColor=212121&volumeSliderOffColor=5a5a5a&volumeSliderOverColor=828282&"></embed><br /></object>Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-79653388427192967442008-04-19T11:11:00.000-07:002008-04-19T11:13:51.267-07:00Why don't I blog more?I guess it's becuase I write for a living, so... no excuse, just the facts.<br /><br />I have lots to say, but twice a week, get to say it on teevee and consider my Face for Radio very lucky to have that!<br /><br />How can I bug my KTVZ comrades to start blogs we can incorporate into <a href="http://www.ktvz.com/">the Website </a>if I don't even post to mine every week or two? Hypocritical I suppose.Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-44770510151247383702007-09-09T12:51:00.000-07:002007-09-09T17:39:19.830-07:00Testing 1-2-3...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEAJegbDuIvzXupRO4Ws2lVarSS6hoi_hurcwazx5zvaVE864rd_IxKtTGnQQL1CnM6TJZo6ja7SvPGzYpkLH2ZAsQAFI98nKeFE0e2NJvdKQDbN_E9HPpUym232Vb4-6tDNU/s1600-h/barneytalk67.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEAJegbDuIvzXupRO4Ws2lVarSS6hoi_hurcwazx5zvaVE864rd_IxKtTGnQQL1CnM6TJZo6ja7SvPGzYpkLH2ZAsQAFI98nKeFE0e2NJvdKQDbN_E9HPpUym232Vb4-6tDNU/s320/barneytalk67.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BACKGROUND: 0% 50%; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial" alt="Posted by Picasa" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" align="middle" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="CLEAR: both"></div><div style="CLEAR: both">A wee bit cumbersome (why you can't just upload a photo directly through Blogger rather than through Picasa but.. anyway, here's one for posterity, as they want me to wark dark suitcoat from now on (but thankfully they let me skip the tie and makeup;-)</div><br />Oh for goodness sake, you can add pix easier now - they sure didn't explain that the route I went from profiles, but... here!<br /><br /><div></div><div>Whoops! I want that pic down HERE... I mean there! Oh well, that's what HTML cut/paste is for;-)<br /></div><div style="CLEAR: both"></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaj4dOj8ZhipdlO3PdZowErS60d9pzOuQV98ZHSa1_0aTZqwBOO-RvsDIEi8LL6vRg-dBhb6jLFxtT4FqOGd4xA2IfcXVlOE22RLOd8dRBuXkiDktEYrrIIvTK3XjkZTo7Yns/s1600-h/petebday3307-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108367854760298674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaj4dOj8ZhipdlO3PdZowErS60d9pzOuQV98ZHSa1_0aTZqwBOO-RvsDIEi8LL6vRg-dBhb6jLFxtT4FqOGd4xA2IfcXVlOE22RLOd8dRBuXkiDktEYrrIIvTK3XjkZTo7Yns/s320/petebday3307-1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />There's me on right, brother Rick in middle and brother Pete on left, back in March. Hard to believe he was gone two months later. Still hurts my heart to think about it..Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-66955424696090419972007-09-09T11:26:00.000-07:002007-09-09T11:33:34.612-07:00Back in the saddle again...Many months ago, after Blogger upgraded itself, I got stuck in a user name/password vortex that made getting back into this blog impossible without divine intervention.<br /><br />Or the passage of a few months. Now, the system seems to have been ready for someone like me, and voila, a password reset and I'm back (see title line;-)<br /><br />With all my irons (I've run out of fire), who knows how often I'll update here, but at least I now have this orphaned blog back in my control!;-)<br /><br />So suggest stuff to write about - not TV-related but well, anyway, now that I'm <a href="http://www.ktvz.com/Global/category.asp?C=100232&nav=menu578_11_4">on air twice a week (gulp)</a> - I don't need this avenue, but what the heck, one can never have too many ways to say howdy and vent or whatever. (And it's a lot cleaner than <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MySpace</span> and less depressing/limiting to a seemingly man-of-few-friends than <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Facebook</span>.)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1150058027204496352006-06-11T13:26:00.000-07:002006-06-11T13:38:34.496-07:00Why are manual publishers so spineless?I just installed WillMaker Plus 2006 on my PC (hey, ya turn 50, you think of such things), and before I even looked at the manual - hey, it's nice to even <em>get</em> a manual on paper these days - I knew that if I turned it sideways - the way one puts a manual on a bookshelf - it would say... nothing.<br /><br />And it does. I mean, it doesn't.<br /><br />When in the name of Random House did makers of software/hardware/devices (cell phones for example) decide that even if a book is thick enough to <em>have</em> a spine, there should be no words on it to help people <em>find</em> the blasted thing later? Talk about lack of user-friendliness!<br /><br />And there's another thing - why do folks like HP, who are in the same boat in terms of the Empty Spine Syndrome, also decide not to put everything in <em>one</em> manual, but instead to have two, three or four? Let's see, there's the Getting Started Guide, the PC Troubleshooting and System Recovery Guide, the Warranty and Support Guide, the PC Basics Guide, the Upgrading and Servicing Guide, the MONITOR Warranty and Support Guide....<br /><br />Get the picture? Just try to figure out which has what. Of course, most of them are so thin, they are, well, spineless. And it may save <em>them</em> a dime or two, not to have to reprint everything when updating one of them, but ... c'mon folks, where's the <em>usability</em> in so many different guides to sort, stash, thumb through and, of course, lose the one you're looking for? (I will give them credit for putting them all in a zippered plastic bag, but... still...)<br /><br />Oh, I know, its all on the PC, or on the CD/DVD, or online, so no worries! Poppycock and balderdash. If you're GONNA make paper manuals, which I do like, PLEASE make them useful and usable. And amongst all the useless shortcuts, desktop or start-menu-wise, why not create one to THE place online where all these manuals reside, in constantly updated fashion?<br /><br />Dream on, I suppose. It's like asking why I need the French, Spanish and German version of every consumer manual I get. Not.<br /><br />Still, if blogging is good for anything, it's good for venting.<br /><br />So there!;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1145681830203619212006-04-21T21:50:00.000-07:002006-04-21T21:57:10.216-07:00Serendipity calls: New Paul Simon, Chicago AND Toto?!?Well, as I pour my heart and soul into my work, for TV and online, once in a while a burst of joy in other areas, the best kind - unexpected.<br /><br />For example, I had no idea that <a href="http://www.toto99.com">Toto</a> was still at it, and has a brand new album out, called "Falling in Between." Their "Seventh One" album from '88, I had on CASETTE (remember those?) and almost wore out, that band of "studio musicians" has always been a favorite.<br /><br />And <a href="http://www.paulsimon.com">Paul Simon</a> has a new one, too, called "Surprise" - and it will be, no cuts were available at Amazon, which kindly informed me by e-mail of the album's existence.<br /><br />And noodling around Amazon, found <a href="http://www.chicagotheband.com">Chicago</a> XXX is out. I grew up with that band, and while not every song is hit material, I'm a loyal, true-blue fan, for the history and all they've meant to so many over the years.<br /><br />So they're all on the way, and I'll share one thought: These musicians, still at the height of their creativity, tell this newly 50-year-old journalist to keep on rockin' at the news;-)<br /><br />Nothing makes me smile as much as good music from old friends -- well, except maybe beating everyone else in town to a good story;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1135552932145950282005-12-25T15:19:00.000-08:002005-12-25T15:22:12.156-08:00Merry Christmas!Wow, what a year. Lots of change and ups and downs and good and bad and...<br /><br />Well, that's normal, huh?<br /><br />Sorry I haven't posted lately. Been real busy working on the new NewsChannel21.com Website, coming to a PC near you Real Soon Now.<br /><br />I have lots to be thankful for, and I don't mean the toys that have come my way this fall. I'm thankful the snow melted so people don't kill themselves traveling to visit friends and family. I'm thankful the folks at the TV station have welcomed me with open arms and in true family fashion (read between the lines, folks;-)<br /><br />And I'm thankful my brother Pete is still with us, despite some terrible health challenges. And I pray with all my heart he's here to yak about gadgets for many years to come.<br /><br />And I wish all of you health and happiness in '06. It's not a novel wish, but it's heartfelt.Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1132986065386221652005-11-25T22:20:00.000-08:002005-11-25T22:21:05.396-08:00Eureka, I solved my OWN PC problem (for a change;-)It's always a triumph when you find the source of a baffling PC problem all by yourself.<br /><br />I'd noticed for a few days through the ZoneAlarm traffic icon that I was getting a lot of constant outbound traffic, ALL the time.<br /><br />Uh-oh, I thought - the folks who go looking for free WiFi had started slurping my bandwidth by the megabit. I ran spyware programs - nothing. I ran Shields Up! from Steve Gibson - great lil program - and it said "hey, you are one STEALTHED PC!" Cool! So what was going on?<br /><br />I have a Maxtor One-Touch external 100Gig hard drive that uses Dantz Retrospect HD backup software. That, too, was acting up - hanging and unable to show my restore points. I figured the two problems were connected somehow, but the first efforts to find stuff on either company's Website were fruitless.<br /><br />Tonight, I tried squelching any nefarious WiFi users by trying the MAC filtering on my Linksys. Took some futzing - but nope, the traffic still was going hot and heavy, outbound only.<br /><br />So I went back to the Maxtor Website and finally found answers to my questions - it appeared it was either .NET Framework 2.0 (an "optional" update I should have skipped - it's NOT the first time .NET Framework has given me grief over the years) or ZoneAlarm itself that was causing my grief.<br /><br />I futzed with ZoneAlarm for a bit, but then uninstalled .NET Framework 2.0, which apparently restores it to 1.1 with hotfixes (since those also are in Add/Remove Programs). One reboot later, the external hard drive was just fine and I was seeing ZA in my task tray, not a solid green bar.<br /><br />Basically, the Retrospect Express software uses .NET to communicate, over TCP/IP. So it got stalled on the newer version and was screaming at itself, or something like that.<br /><br />I couldn't fix my own car if I had to. I leave back-breaking (oy, I've had pains there in recent weeks) jobs like a wonderful new paint job inside our home (and crown moulding!) to the pros (and pay what it's worth.) But once in a while, it's nice to solve my <em>own</em> tech problems, without even needing my brother Pete, the tech-wiz of the family, or my friends who were too busy to lend a hand.<br /><br />I don't blame ZoneAlarm - in fact, it gave me a clue something was amiss. And Maxtor's site DID have the answer, once I really started looking for it.<br /><br />Huzzah!!!;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1132890404229895572005-11-24T19:32:00.000-08:002005-11-24T19:46:44.243-08:00Thanks and givingI'm sitting on my sofa, next to my brother Rick, watching an episode of "The Prisoner" I recorded off BBC America. Ah, what a great series, full of symbolism and allegory and hidden meanings.<br /><br />Dinner was wonderful, as usual. My wonderful wife's a great cook.<br /><br />This year has brought many challenges, and many blessings. Far be it for me to tally whether one topped the other. The coming year promises more of the same, Lord willing.Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1131257351504612842005-11-05T22:07:00.000-08:002005-11-05T22:09:11.513-08:00Speaking of great music...My niece Jenn tonight turned me onto a young piano virtuoso named <a href="http://william-joseph.com">William Joseph</a>. They heard him the other night when he opened for Clay Aiken at the start of his tour, in Portland. Beautiful stuff, do check it out!Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1131170099433271822005-11-04T21:49:00.000-08:002005-11-04T21:54:59.443-08:00Fine fall for albumsAny fall with new music from <a href="www.steviewonder.net">Stevie Wonder</a> and Paul McCartney can't be all bad.<br /><br />But what do I know? I also loved Elton John's "Peachtree Road," out late last year, which didn't exactly set the singles chart ablaze. But I could live on those three artists' amazing music catalogs and never need another album.<br /><br />Old fogey, I suppose;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1129524311439511792005-10-16T21:44:00.000-07:002005-10-16T21:45:11.476-07:00Technolust Pt. 2 (laptop edition)Ah, Websurfing from the comfort of my easy chair. Long dreamed, now realized, thanks to that home refinance (making possible a Linksys wi-fi router) and my brother Pete, who handed off a 5-year-old HP OmniBook 6000 that was gathering dust.<br /><br />It got a bit tricky to swap out the router (instructions never presume you already have one - that'll change in the future, I presume) but I'm VERY impressed by the speed I'm getting with this "prehistoric" notebook (Pentium 3, "only" 256MB of memory, etc.) It shows to go ya - the upgrade we did to the new DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem and top-tier Bend Broadband service (4.5 mbps at least, for about $50/month) is FAR more important than the processor in terms of surfing enjoyment.<br /><br />Even before I try it out at a Starbuck's or somesuch, I'm free! Untethered from the "computer room" at last. Big thanks to the bro, who faces the next step in his cancer battle this week, and is in a whole lotta folks' hopes and prayers.<br /><br />I'm also again impressed with HP. I've always been a big fan of their printers, and now with the new MediaCenter PC (it's on the Nov. Computer Shopper cover - first time I've had a cover PC since my Tandy 1000 20 years ago!) with my awesome 19-inch flat screen, and this old but so nice OmniBook, I've deepened my respect and admiration for the company.<br /><br />I've had a not-great reason to try out HP's tech support: the new PC's remote doesn't work. Without going into all the messy details, at least for now, I have found their online live-chat with techs very helpful, several times. Yep, for now, I've gotta say; HP stands for Helpful People. (And no, they didn't pay me to say it;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1128237001896244082005-10-02T00:09:00.000-07:002005-10-02T00:10:01.906-07:00Woohoo! Technolust!OK, first off, I do feel guilty. I bought my last 2-3 PCs locally, from DSI, and they do great stuff.<br /><br />But a confluence of events led me in a new direction as I replaced my pretty darn trusty 3-year-old machine. New issue of PC Mag gives Editor's Choice kudos (for the value end of "content creation" PCs) to the HP Media Center m7160.<br /><br />I decide on a what-the-heck to check Costco - and there it sits, with a big 19-inch monitor drawing me in - in fact, it's the m7167c and that has a 300-gig HD (up from the 250) in the review. A Pentium dual-core processor, gig of memory, etc. for $1,499.<br /><br />So I did it, with all the trepidation of a John Dvorak (who writes in the same issue of PC Mag how lousy it is to upgrade PCs and move stuff over, etc.)<br /><br />I've been down that often bumpy road, but tonight - knock on silicon, again - the smoothest I've ever had. (Getting a 100-gig Maxtor external HD earlier made the whole transfer much easier). Even Microsoft is in for kudos - again (I gave them some earlier for their real strong effort to help me solve my old PC's woes) - as the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard actually did its thing.<br /><br />I had looked at Shuttles - the small-form factor PC, so cool, quiet too - though some tech friends bemoaned the relative hassle for any later expansion (I don't usually expand, I just upgrade and hand off the old PC to someone in need.) All the nasty talk about Dell led me in another direction.<br /><br />So here I sit, just after midnight, using my new, pretty darn quiet wireless keyboard and mouse and staring in awe at a screen that is like an IMax compared to my old 15-incher.<br /><br />I do have stock in HP - OK, just one share;-) - and have always loved their printers. But dang, can you color me impressed. We all hear the horror stories, but rarely hear from those who are blessed to get a box that works right out of the box. Ya never know what tomorrow may bring, but for now - hats off to them.Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1127671381227862412005-09-25T11:04:00.000-07:002005-09-25T11:04:50.213-07:00ARRGH! How dare you, Blogger!Oh that's RICH. I get some Deep Thoughts in my Blogger editing tool, and for the very first time since I started this, the damn thing craps out on me - I get a page-error and back up and the words are all gone.<br /><br />Wise, wonderful words.<br /><br />No wonder people write this stuff in Word or notepad or whatever and then cut/paste. I just hadn't been bit til now!<br /><br />Okay, I'll try again....<br /><br /><strong>Update:</strong> How about that! It didn't eat my words after all, there they are, down below! Maybe they survived cuz I just laughed, rather than get mad, and the Karma Gods decided "oh what the heck...";-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1127671285881202332005-09-25T11:01:00.000-07:002005-09-25T11:06:03.816-07:00Guilt wise: Is blogging like parenting?I have no kids, but I do have this <a href="http://releaseme.squarespace.com">(and this</a> - when WILL Squarespace and its easy Website tool get the attention it so richly deserves?) so ... pardon me if this is old philosophizing, the thoughts are there...<br /><br />It's the 21st Century version of "do we own or stuff, or does our stuff own us?"<br /><br />Blogger-style.<br /><br />Come on, folks, admit it - if you go more than a day or three without updating your little corner of the blogosphere, you can practically hear it wailing at you from every Net-enabled PC: "Feed me!" (Insert basso profundo voice of "Little Shop of Horrors" carnivorous plant here;-)<br /><br />I have <a href="http://www.utterlyboring.com">a friend </a>who has taken to actually taking his two days away from work also away from blogging. (I can't blog at work because, well, it just wouldn't be kosher!) And when I go there, and there's nothing new, I try not to "harrumph." Cuz we all deserve, need and want our time away from these infernal PCs (I really DO want something where I can mix the two, and am still debating the cheap notebook vs. Cybook vs. Pepper Pad thoughts.)<br /><br />Of course, Jake has kids, so he MUST have more important things to do with his days off than blog. But what's my excuse? Laziness? No. Nothing to say? Ask anyone who knows me - that's NOT it.<br /><br />But just maybe, I want to own my blog rather than the other way around.<br /><br />It reminds me of what happens in journalism ( and probably every other working situation), where the little day to day stuff just slides into and out of your life like no problem, but the Big Project just sits on your noggin like a Ton O' Guilt, and is harder and harder to avoid, but also harder and harder to make any progress on, because you've made A Very Big Thing out of it, and you CAN'T just whisk that out in an hour or a day, can you?<br /><br />I keep meaning to join Procrastinators Anonymous but (insert punchline here).<br /><br />Anyway, one doesn't have to go all Thoreau or Gandhi to realize that the Path of More and More Stuff is inherently dissatisfying. My wife and I, we pray, are turning over a New Leaf and not sliding back into the Pit of Endless Credit.<br /><br />I'm rambling. I can do this, I own this blog. It does NOT own me. On the other hand, if I want people to read it, I have to make a point ONCE in a while.<br /><br />And yes, I've read some things somewhere that talk about how blogging is NOT about the reading but the writing, about putting one's voice and thoughts Out There. But come on, be honest, don't we all cry for a Gold Star on our forehead, a fervent round of applause, a simple "ya done good!" from someone whose views you admire and respect?<br /><br />So maybe blogging isn't like parenting.<br /><br />It's just like life. The good, the bad, and hopefully not the ugly.<br /><br />Religions have been based on less;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1127670401931254862005-09-25T10:46:00.000-07:002005-09-25T10:46:41.940-07:00Busy, in a good waySorry so long between posts.<br /><br />Deb and I gave up trying to find a house we liked in Bend (more than our own) for anything CLOSE to what we could afford.<br /><br />Instead, we did what I bet a lot of folks are doing - a refinance, to get the equity out (after just three years - such a boomtown, why not take advantage?) and put it into both paying off bills and upgrading the house - new, more energy-effieicent appliance, a new computer for Yours Truly, etc.<br /><br />We're also in need of (finally) putting in a backyard fence, and are eyeing some remodeling in both the kitchen and the master bath. All that'll boost this place's resale value - that is, if we can ever find another place we can afford that we like;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1125416286732508152005-08-30T08:30:00.000-07:002005-08-30T08:38:10.003-07:00Hurricanes and heartache: Memories of BetsyThis week has brought back memories of when I was 9 years old and living in New Orleans when Hurricane Betsy stormed in, 40 years ago next month.<br /><br />Our family left our mobile home and stayed the night on the second floor of apartments where my folks had lived previously. As everyone says, you never forget that roar of wind - especially in the dark, especially as a child.<br /><br />Our station wagon was totaled, but miraculously, our mobile home floated during the storm, coming down almost on its blocks. The following year, in Cocoa, Fla., my stepmom was actually IN the same trailer (let's be honest -a 60-by-10 foot mobile home IS a trailer) when tornadoes tore through C. Florida and blew up trailers to either side of ours (unoccupied, with windows closed - the big air-pressure difference sealed their doom.)<br /><br />Anyway, my heartfelt prayers for better times goes out to all hit hard by this tragedy. As a "Betsy veteran," I'm not thinking of the other impacts right now (high gas prices for example), but all the poor (literally in most cases) people left with so little. God tests us all in varied ways, but ... some worse than others;-/Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1125029549475384042005-08-29T20:38:00.000-07:002005-08-29T20:39:46.290-07:00I (maybe) FOUND my 21st Century Etch-A-Sketch!A few days ago, I wrote:<br /><br />I still remember the Oregonian piece, about 8 years ago, with a photo of a red-framed Internet tablet, about the same size/shape as the old Etch-A-Sketch of days of yore.<br /><br />I still want my cheap ($300 or less), lightweight, long-lasting, droppable, broadband Net surfer, that can sit in my lap (without roasting it) in the living room, surfing while my wife reads or watches TV or whatever.<br /><br />THEN the world will change.<br /><br />Well, I spotted a brief blurb in <a href="http://www.mobilemagazine.com">Mobile magazine</a>, and lo and behold, something much like what I want is about to hit the shelves - albeit, almost three times my desired price point. It's called the <a href="http://www.pepper.com">Pepper Pad,</a> and looks pretty nifty (an Amazon reviewer pointed out a couple flaws, but nothing's perfect;-)<br /><br />So maybe I don't have to buy a $750 laptop that has stuff I don't need/want, or is too darn heavy. I just may sign up for <a href="http://www.bendbroadband.com">BendBroadband</a>'s new home WiFi service (about to upgrade to their 6mbps cable-modem service - wow!) - and I settle for the compromises. (One question I faced: Do I avoid Dell, or presume <a href="http://www.buzzmachine.com">Jeff </a>and others like him have had a bad experience? I can't spend $2,000 on something like this.)<br /><br />I previously said: I surely hope the battery, display and broadband (WiMax, please! My brother's an Intel consultant on that very issue) matters get solved in the next few years. I want my window to the world, cheap, in my lap - capable of reading any book or magazine I own or subscribe to, bright, sharp, clear, etc. Maybe not even always connected, but more cell-like, as I ride in a car or such. Oh boy!<br /><br />Then again, another way to possibly get there from here, without spending over $400 or so, is <a href="http://www.bookeen.com">the Cybook</a>, which again has tradeoffs (slow processor, not a lot of RAM) but is at the right pricepoint if one is willing to download eBooks into a bright, color screen and not needing to be connected to the Net at all times.<br /><br />So there's options, and hopefully more on the way. Hey, a guy can dream - and maybe dreams can come true, slowly but surely?;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1125255222420464392005-08-28T11:50:00.000-07:002005-08-28T12:27:45.343-07:00Typewriters never say dieFun piece in The Oregonian today (found it online at <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/08/28/build/nation/80-typewriters.inc">another site</a>) about how young people are rediscovering the simple joy of pounding on keys that actually strike a page.<br /><br />Best line is from a Portlander, Jake Shivery of Blue Moon Camera and Machine: "There is no button on a typewriter which will lose your documents." ;-)<br /><br />My Smith-Corona electric typewriter had that nifty slide-in ribbon cartridge - having spent many an evening changing messy ribbons on UPI teletype machines, it was nice to avoid getting ink-stained hands - plus, there was a correct-type cartridge that you could use to "white out" mistakes without having to use those little bottles of White Out and blow the paper dry.<br /><br />Ahh, memories. Computers can do so much more, of course, but ... simpler can be betterBarney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1124856140533882722005-08-23T20:59:00.000-07:002005-08-23T21:03:12.826-07:00We're No. 1, and pass the pizza please...So we're the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/diet.fitness/08/23/obesity.state.rankings.ap/index.html">only state </a>that didn't get fatter last year?<br /><br />How about that, I'm part of a trend - my docs (after a REAL fun Fantastic Voyage up and down my body) are telling me to lose weight, eat better and have smaller, more frequent meals, get more exercise - and, of course, cut down on stress. (Oh, and pay that bill pronto;-)<br /><br />I'm workin' on it. Cut <em>waay</em> back on Coke, even found a Diet 7-Up Plus Splenda-fueled cherry drink that doesn't make me gag. Elliptical trainer is getting more use, and ... nah, I won't say it here, I'll just jinx myself. But I'm working to get better - not perfect, just better.Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1124852771432773002005-08-23T20:05:00.000-07:002005-08-23T20:06:11.436-07:00Yahoogle, or GooGoo?What IF Yahoo! and Google were to merge, or one were to acquire the other? Which name would it be?<br />I read today that Google is looking at getting in the IM business. They could do a lot worse than buying Trillian. Maybe they could call it Gillian? Or would it be Troogle?<br />Aren't words fun?;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1124555148876706422005-08-20T09:23:00.000-07:002005-08-20T09:25:48.883-07:00Nobody doesn't like Sara Lee's mathFrom the "nutrition facts" on the side of a loaf o' bread (do they <em>really</em> ship it all the way from Mo.? Should I feel guilty for not supporting local bakers? But I digress...)<br /><br />Calories: 110<br /> Calories from fat: 10<br /><br />Then, ever so helpfully, they add:<br /><br />Calories per 2 slices: 210<br /> Calories from fat: 25<br /><br />Huh??? The calories per slice DROP when you eat two slices? But the calories from fat go UP? I'm no food scientist, or mathematician, but ... that's pretty durn bizarre;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8472695.post-1120716527421007932005-07-06T23:08:00.000-07:002005-07-06T23:08:47.426-07:00Long time no talk so sorryHmm, well, some very eagle-eyed folks might know <em>one</em> reason why I haven't had much to say here.<br /><br />Let's just say I naively had to be reminded that I work for a company again, and that it's really not smart to ... well open one's mouth and insert one's foot. I can be so naive, but I try not to be a <em>total</em> lamebrain.<br /><br />Anyway, am still settling into my TV job, after about five months, and each day brings its little successes and frustrations and ... hey, it's a job, ya know?<br /><br />After three months, the foot (see my car-crash post) still isn't quite normal, so for that and other reasons I've gone to see a new doctor, with whom I did one of those awful things: total honesty. So now, even before the big 5-0, I'm going to have a <em>real</em> joyful Fantastic Voyage trip up my whoohoo and down my big fat mouth. If that doesn't teach me, nothin' will.<br /><br />Enough. I'll weigh in more often, I think. Just have to find the right words. Oh man, that sent me to the crates of LPs, and a 1978 album - yes ALBUM, not CD - by a guy named Mike Finnigan. In the days when liner notes didn't require bifocals or electron microscopes. No lyrics posted, but the song The Words - I remember them so well:<br /> <br /><em> Where do the words come from when you need them</em><br /><em> They make themselves so hard to use</em><br /><em> Well I wouldn't have a date with the blues</em><br /><em> If I could only find the words ...</em><br /><em></em><br /><em> I would shout out my story</em><br /><em> With a heavenly glory</em><br /><em> If I could only find the words</em><br /><em></em><br /><em> What is it like, Capt. Steinbeck?</em><br /><em> Do you worry about the things you missed?</em><br /><em> Well I do and I hurry</em><br /><em> Like a fool from 9 to 5</em><br /><em> Trying to keep my words alive</em><br /><em></em><br /><em> I would shout out my story</em><br /><em> With a heavenly glory</em><br /><em> If I could only find the words...</em><br /><em></em><br /> And that's what I do, even now. The words are important on TV, though for me, they come far easier than all the technical/procedural pieces of the video puzzle.<br /><br /> Anyway, hope all's well with all of you. Off to bed...;-)Barney Lertenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179212358506382546noreply@blogger.com2