End of the year wrapup...

Under gray soggy skies 2006 edges into the past. I have no pretentious words of wisdom, just a long list of things I meant to do and didn't get done. I think that is a good thing. Too many things to do means a reason to look forward to every day! I just bought myself Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell which looks as long as its title. I capitulated to the many reviews in the New York Times as well as less prestigious rags, notwithstanding the rather negative review in the Guardian. I have high hopes for an absorbing adventure. Then, for Christmas I got The Hot Rock, another Dortmunder caper. in fact the very first Dortmunder caper. So - I of course want to romp through the Dortmunder adventure rather than take on the tome! Meanwhile I am reading an older Hammond Innes title Levkas Man from 1975 or so. Having read his excellently written novels before I knew this one would be good, but hadn't realized how good. Boats, Greece, mystery, and good writing - does it get better?

My fixation on the Mac game Quinn, which is a tetris-like game in pretty colors, has resulted in my high score being so high I will never do any better, thus proving sad for me now when my games score pathetically low. Having nowhere else to say that, I thought I would throw it in here.

Technology-wise, no big news. I can't get excited about the new Zune, and living as I now do in the POST-iPod era, I have no interest in new phones that play music. Or for that matter, new phones that do anything but provide phone service. By post-iPod I mean that mine is dead - battery long gone, and I haven't the interest in seeing if a replacement for a 3d gen. iPod is even out there. So, since I live without earphones or buds growing out of my ears, I find myself playing music on the PC at work, the Mac at home, and loving my iTunes library. My friend has a Nano though and she loves it.

My Mac works so well, so quietly and so smoothly that I am now stuck in a groove and so comfy I can't believe she is now almost four! The first week of February 2007, now only a month away really, she hits four, and so far works like a charm. I have every program I need, including this year's big hit (for me) WORD for Mac.

More blogging...better music...

I read on the Blogger Blog that the number of blog posts are apparently doubling as of the first part of this year. That is probably NOT cause for glee, since most blogs are drek anyway. Perhaps the term blog is not the correct terminology for most blogs, but the more common term journal would be more appropriate because it suggest the daily entry of some random thought or observation. I mean, I feel that now that anyone can do this, as a few years ago it happened that many could do a web site, the quality will of course be subverted. And has been.

My own blog is extraneous because I have no focus, no theme, nothing that it is ABOUT, as my mentor in cataloging says about many books. Still, writing is an outlet that allows for some scope, so the excercise is good for the brain. No one wants to hear this stuff, so writing it is better.

And it gives us something to do while we listen to our iTunes Music Store playlist...right now - Freddie Fender and "Sugar Coated Love", a few minutes ago Toby Keith but - and this is great - before that it was "Limpopo - Crazy Russian Folk and Rock 'n' Roll Music" with "Midnight in Moscow". And before that Josef Strauss's "Music of the Spheres." So you see I have no focus in either this blog or in my music.

Microsoft WORD for Mac

I did it. I got MS WORD on the Mac and OH BOY. What a relief. I am sorry Nisus Writer and Mariner Write, but WORD blows away all the other word processors for the Mac. I have been soldiering onward with Appleworks and Nisus for the last three years, and now I am sorry I didn't get WORD right away. I didn't get Office because I don't need it. But I need WORD. Mactopia has a nice newsletter and lots of ideas for using the Notebook features and Articles and Tips has resources for projects. I found the interface not only Macish but prettier than the Mac apps I already have. WOW. So, I read everything I could about the Mac Business Unit at Microsoft and it was pretty interesting. Is there hope for convergence of systems? Who knows. The propaganda from Apple about Microsoft is getting a bit worn and tattered at this point. Everytime I read one of my Mac magazines and see someone take another hit at MS over the BSOD I scream. Haven't had one of those on a PC since we installed XP. Get with it, MacHeads. I love my Mac but I also use and like XP on a PC.

Project Runway and Harry Bosch

The latest hot news from this corner of space is PROJECT RUNWAY winner Jeffrey Sebelia. Didn't like him until I saw the rerun with Angela's Mom. The woman is seriously passive-aggressive, and the whole thing was a tempest in a teapot. TeeVee drama and reality show hype. Uli was terrific at Bryant Park, she will go far and sell lots. Michael's collection was stunning but not as good as some of his work on PR. He is a great guy, has a winning personality and will be successful I'm sure. Laura brings some elegance to the world, but nothing she does is really new...although the silver beaded dress with the chartreuse belting was stunning and the only original thing she did. Again, she should be commercially successful.

But then there is Jeffrey. His style, his originality and his overboard persona won the day and the prize! And I was glad. The world of fashion design isn't about us regular people, it's about verve, raw energy and the buzz of electricity that personifies youth. Some of it trickles down into what we wear or more likely into our accessories here in the doldrums of everyday mainstream life. It's fun, it's hip, and it's a whole big lot of entertainment!

And, Harry Bosch, LAPD, my latest reading obsession. Well written, steeped in angst, fast moving and still cerebral, Michael Connelly is an expert craftsman. I am on the 8th in the series and they are still absorbing and challenging. Can't say that for very many series.

One of these days...

So, I'm sitting here working and a friend comes in with a just acquired iBook. Yes, the old iBook. Lovely little laptop of my dreams. This little puppy is a sweetie, running Tiger, and ready to jump on our wireless network here. I gave her a nice little tryout. Fate has shown me two Apple laptops in one week, one brand new and one older, but both beautiful. One of these days Alice...one of these days...