By Grabthar's Hammer, by the suns of Warvan, you. . .will be. . .remembered

[rolanni]

Or, to riff off of Oscar Wilde: To lose David Bowie is a tragedy; to lose David Bowie and Alan Rickman inside of one week can only be carelessness.

. . .Well.  And no one ever said that the universe cared. . .

#

So, today.

Today was vacuum the house day, and make lentil stew for lunch day.  Since I'm a linear girl, I was going to vacuum first, then make stew.

That plan got kicked out when Dyson (the vacuum cleaner is a Dyson, name changed from The New Vacuum a couple years ago when I realized that we'd purchased it with royalty money from Meisha Merlin, which has been closed for eight years). . .when Dyson screamed a mighty scream, which usually means that a string has gotten 'round the rollerbar, or cat fur. . .

Well, it was cat fur -- about a coon cat's worth of cat fur -- and it looked for a while there that the cats' clever plan to murder the cat-eating machine had borne fruit, because I couldn't even get the face-plate off to begin to deal with the problem.

Steve saved the day, with Trooper and Sprite close at hand, to observe the process.

I fear they may have a upgraded murder plan in the works.

While Steve was working on Dyson, I started the lentil stew, and observed progress on The Leeewit, which I had resurrected in order to try my hand at Linux one! more! time!

. . .this may require some background.

See, like Everyone Else on PC World, I have been being badgered by Microsoft for months and months, to take my "free" upgrade to Windows 10 (I run Windows 7).  In addition to being a Linear Girl, I am a Girl Who Does Not Like to Fix What Ain't Broke, and I have been ignoring these importunate messages.

However, it seems that Microsoft will eventually just be pushing 10 down as an "upgrade," which is horrifying beyond belief.  The desktop is my work machine. And though it is backed up, my life is on this machine.  I cannot risk losing anything.

So, I figured that I would install Windows 10 on Number 10 Ox, the Acer laptop, also running Windows 7 Pro, and Pay Attention.

The installation went smoothly, though it was slow (by today's standards; I'm old enough to remember having to pretty much block out a day to sit in front of the computer and swap out a quarter-zillion disks-then-a slightly lesser number of CDs), but it was after the install that the fun began.

That was when I tried to find and turn off all of the spyware and "helpful" options in the "free" software.  Stuff like -- if a computer on the internet is updating to Windows 10 and your computer happens to be on the internet, too, it may be pressed into server duty, in order to serve software to this other computer.  And -- oooooh, keystroke logger! and we'll helpfully send those keystrokes to Microsoft, so your computing experience can be "fine-tuned".  Dude!  I work on this machine, and the internet is more often on than not.  Are you really going to be pushing ads for the Quality Inn Solcintra to my computer?

Long story short, the experience left me wanting to never do it again.  Apple is too expensive for me, and subject to its own slings, if not outright arrows, so the obvious answer is -- Linux.

Long-time readers of Eagles Over the Kennebec, will recall that I at one point had a Linux box.  There was an uneasy peace between us, and occasional flashes of real affection, but we never loved each other.  And eventually, I went back to Windows, as being easier on my brain.

I am told that nowadays Linux Mint is Doing The Thing Right, so I pulled the Leeewit, the by-today's-standards-ancient Asus eeePC, out of the closet and downloaded the newest Mint (which for some reason is called Cinnamon) to it.  Then, of course I couldn't install it, because even the best software can't wipe the drive it's living on, then install itself.  Duh.

Steve once again came to the rescue, downloading the OS to a stick.  We then had to go 'round the barn three times in order to convince Leeewit to actually boot from the stick, but we got there eventually, and as I type, I have a functioning 32-bit Atom-powered netbook running a full edition of Mint Cinnamon (Rosa) 17.3.  LibreOffice comes with, so I'm ready to rumble, and?

We shall see.

Somewhere around all those adventures, lunch was served and eaten, and vacuuming was done.

I wanted to talk about vacuuming.  Well, actually, I want to talk about Trooper.

Let it be said upfront that Trooper is Not Dyson's Biggest Fan.  When the machine roars to life, he immediately runs to my office (my office being, despite innumerable demonstrations to the contrary) considered by catkind to be Safe.  Sprite makes right for the basement, and Scrabble -- poor Scrabble -- freezes on top of the file cabinet in Steve's office, and (unless I want a drooling, shivering basket case on my hands, which I don't) must be picked up and brought to the basement stairs.  When you put her down, she wails piteously, runs down to the bottom of the steps, and gazes up at you, still wailing, until you close the door and get on with things.

Today, however, when I escorted Scrabble to the stairs, and she descended, crying -- Today, Trooper came out of my office, and went downstairs, pausing a few steps above her, and spoke to her in his mid-range, not-squeaky voice -- and here's the amazing part -- Scrabble not only didn't lay into him with ears back and claws extended, she actually stopped crying, and accepted a head-butt.

I am amazed.

I also learned today that Belle?  Can levitate.

I thought she'd gone downstairs, like the practical mom-cat she is.  I thought wrong.  She had retired into the basement of the Cat Castle; all the way in the back corner of the basement, where she was apparently determined to wait it out.

Then the vacuum entered the living room, approaching the Cat Castle, and -- she lost her nerve.

Remember that I thought she'd gone downstairs, and thus was completely taken by surprise by the Very Large Orange Feline bursting out of the basement and into the air.  I swear she was heading directly for my head, did a mid-flight adjustment, landed on the far side of the Mencken table, and bolted for -- downstairs?

Silly person.

Under the bed.

I collapsed, heart pounding.

And Belle has a new nickname to go along with "Mom."

Flying Lion.

And so that.

Time for me to get to work.

Here, have a picture of Trooper, bird-watching.

Comments

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Exciting times! You will have to keep us posted on the Linux thing. Can it reach the web and email accounts? My experiment with it left me feeling like I was in a straight jacket.

I AM SPEAKING TO YOU FROM LINUX

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

...seriously, the internet is built on the backs of Linux servers.

Cinnamon comes with Firefox built in, for instance. Gmail, therefore, will work with Linux. I had Thunderbird on the Linux box of unfond memory; it received and sent korval mail just fine.

My issue with Linux is internal. It files things in bizarre places, and then I can't find them -- which is Poor, since I live and die by files over here. Linux also expects you to be a lot more hands on with functions that Windows just does for you, and I can't always usefully get my head around the protocols. Which is why it's Just Been Easier to avert my eyes and use Windows...until now.

Re: I AM SPEAKING TO YOU FROM LINUX

[kalimeg.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I can see that if I am ever forced toward 10 I will head for Linux. I am not terrible at hands-on ... I was a computer programmer for 16 years, and if I need to figure things out I suppose I can manage. If I go over, I'll see what I can do about illuminating file processing. The little part time things I do are all file based.

[malkingrey.livejournal.com]

Truly, it does seem as though everybody's experience with Windows is different . . . I've been upgrading Windows on a regular basis ever since 3.1, and the Windows 10 upgrade was the first one that didn't have me tearing my hair out in frustration at least once during the process.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

Oh, the install went fine. Finding and turning off all the invasions of my privacy and threats to the health of my machine after the install had me pulling my hair out.

[gerald heaton (from livejournal.com)]

Agreed.
We had XP on the workstations and loved it.
Seamless integration with Server 2013, found the printers without a hitch, and loved Thunderbird.

However the powers that be at Microsoft said they WOULD NOT SUPPORT XP in the small office environment (big offices and .gov could buy support), so we were semi-forced by Dell to Windows 10. (free, but the spyware is cr*p).

When you handle financial data, you sure don't want big brother watching you.
Trying to learn the quirks of a new OS AND the new rules for Obozocare AND the new rules for taxes at the same time?

Where's the Jack, Mack?

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

Down the street in the roadwork department *points*

Linux & W10

[susan beaty (from livejournal.com)]

There is a Dell Latitude 630 sitting around that we installed Ubuntu on a while back, but DH & I both find it frustrating to work with since we've been with MS since the days of DOS and Linux/Ubuntu is just enough different to make me nuts sometimes. I took advantage of the free upgrades to W10 on all my other computers, and found that if the machine was stable running W7 it runs well under W10. On my work machine, which I use to input client tax data, I installed Zemna Anti Keylogger a few years ago. I wonder if it can defeat Microsoft. BUT a laptop and the desktop I built a couple of years ago had problems running 7 (BSODs, etc) and 10 has killed them both. And I haven't been able to reinstall W7 for various reason.

Maybe I'll check out Mint on the dead laptop; it's only sitting around gathering dust right now.

[attilathepbnun.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about the inexcusable carelessness of the universe in this matter. I think I'm going to dig out Labyrinth and Galaxy Quest and watch them all weekend

On the other paw, kudos to Belle for her excellent piloting skills! Not to mention to Trooper for comforting Scrabble and to Scrabble for being comforted!

[margotinez.livejournal.com]

Yikes! I've gone from a 2003 Dell with XP computer to a 2013 Dell with W8 to W8.1 and finally accepted the W10 load. Finally managed to find where they hid most of the stuff I'd finally learned to use on W8/8.1. And now you tell me that nefarious MS (I'm no fan) will use my computer as a temp server, without my permission???! Would you be able to give me a clue to where to start looking for this, or what this "feature" is called, so I can dump it?

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

The folks over on Facebook were generous with pointers. Let me see if LJ will let me put them all in one place...

Disable Windows 10 Spying - Privacy & Security: https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=u1kGMCfb2xw

Windows 10 Tip: Understand and Configure Privacy Settings:
https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/5337/windows-10-tip-understand-and-configure-privacy-settings

How to kill Wi-Fi password sharing in Windows 10:
http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-kill-wi-fi-password-sharing-in-windows-10/

The very first one -- the guy is manic and he says "skeevy" 'way too often, but his information is very clear. It's a lot to take in, but hey, you can always refer back again.

Good luck.

[margotinez.livejournal.com]

many many thanks!

Reaction less drive?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Given the well-known phenomena surrounding cats always landing on their feet (cf. Experimental Verification of Pedal Landing in Felines, and the attempts to develop a buttered toast and cat powered generator) along with the apparent ability to maneuver in mid-flight evidenced in such anecdotes as the above, we would like to propose a full-scale research project investigating the likelihood of a biological reaction-less drive being part of the feline inheritance.

Incidentally, given the way cats handle themselves in a gravity well, imagine how cats raised in weightless (or sometimes weightless) surroundings will act? Levitate, catch a claw on the nearest handy surface, twist, and shove... And there goes the cat, zooming happily along, grooming its paws.

RE: Reaction less drive?

[6-penny.livejournal.com]

Or licking other parts!

RE: Reaction less drive?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Well, yes, that leg straight out, and twist and turn, and ah! Now I can lick there! Yeah, that boneless twisting act would be amazing as a flying object.

You will be remembered

[ireneha.livejournal.com]

Though I am really interested in the windows-10 discussion, and how my new HP printer & the computer now report back to the evil empires.....

I will really miss hating the roles played by Alan Rickman. Your title says it all. Thank you.

[rolanni.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.

I didn't hate all his roles (I haven't seen all his roles). I rather liked him as Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility, and I'm actually very fond of Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus.

What I meant

[ireneha.livejournal.com]

Is that a villain isn't anyone unless the watcher hates him.... And oh how I hated the bad guys as they were played by Alan Rickman. [Villain in the Bruce Willis movie]

His GALAXY QUEST character was Marvelous... Especially after the makeup started to shred.

I loved his easily recognized Robot voice in HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE movie version

AND I really loved his Professor Snape in the HARRY POTTER movies. I was always ambivalent about the professor, not being able to decide if he was on the side of "he who must not be named".

I never saw that version of Sense & Sensibility. Or at least I don't think so. I'll have to go to the video guide.

PS: Thank you for the links to de-connecting my Windows 10 "dial home" utilities. I'll check into those.