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The Ecq Review

New Computer

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Super nice to listen to my wife and have a new computer. A Lenovo laptop with a 15.6″ monitor, and Intel i3 processor, 8GB of memory and 2TB of hard drive.

It actually works and is responsive.

Have an Intel I3 and 8GB of memory makes a huge difference.

The Dell All in One I got with a Pentium processor and 4GB of memory was a total lemon.

And this keyboard is actually responsive and puts in my keystrokes correctly. Not doing that is unbelievably annoying.

And thinking of blogging every day in March. I will get a headstart by doing a blogpost for tomorrow.

Woo!

The TV Setup Blues

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My wife Lanna was very generous last night. After hearing me complain for years about the Dell All in One computer I got on Amazon, she said she was going to buy me a new computer.

And I saw a 24″ Smart HDTV at BJ’s for $100 and was going to get it, except it was actually $150. And the computer selection was very limited, saw an okay for one for around $500.

Then we went to Best Buy, which I actually like a lot better than Amazon for buying computers because there is someone to ask questions about. The last one I had a Pentium processor (why did Intel bring that name back?) and 4GB of memory. The one I got is a Lenova laptop with a smaller screen 15.6″ but 8GB of memory and a 2TB hard drive.

It’s funny that you can buy a computer and mainly use Chrome and iTunes and sometimes, you cannot enought enough memory with four gigabytes. Back when I was a kid with a TI 99/4 including the extension box and then a TI 99/4a, 16 kilobytes was a decent amount. Insane that 250,000 times more is not enough 30 years later.

So happy with our purchases last night.

Today, I wanted to get the TV setup and finally get rid of the dust collector that was our old SDTV with pretty bad picture but a DVD player included. I literally hadn’t used it in years.

So I got that very heavy TV out of the room and on the way to the dump and tried to setup the TV. Which is an Insignia FireTV edition. Unfortunately, it just had the TV and the feet. Not the remote, not the instructions and not the screws. So back to Best Buy which is super frustrating. And I did open the box before coming back here.

And then the feet were really hard to get on. Really small screw in a dark plastic hole. And I put the feet on the wrong way, so that took a long, long time.

Luckily, setting up the PC was very easy. Although, I don’t know my Microsoft wants to setup an app to change the look on your phone, and some Alexa like program. I tried the app for a minute before deciding I like the way my Android Essential works already.

Now, that I got the TV setup, it’s really good.

I’m able to get Pandora (which I can’t get on PS3 easily) and listening to that now. It defaults to Amazon Prime TV, which makes sense for an Amazon OS. And able to get Netflix and all that stuff too. I think I will be very happy. Although today was frustrating with the return and setting up the feet. So it goes.

High School Transcript

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I got an unofficial transcript sent out via e-mail from my alma mater, Montgomery High School in Skillman, NJ.

It’s an interesting record. I’m still shocked I got into the University of Chicago with it.

My worst complete grade was a C- in Graphic Arts I as a freshman. I enjoyed the class, it didn’t mean I was good at it.

I definitely wasn’t an English superstar with a B-, C, B and C over 4 years. AP English was a very tough class. I think I was better off not in Honors English like I was in Junior year.

I did do very good in gym/Phys Ed A, A+, A and A.

My German grades were pretty meh, and I don’t know it well now even though I started in 7th grade and took 6 years total: B, C+, B-, and B-.

I guess it makes sense as a future Political Science major and almost History double major that I got an A-, A-, A and A- in history.

And considering I applied to a Chicago as a physics major my science grades were just ok: B, B, B+, and B- and B (Senior Year I took AP Chemistry and Physics).

And I was very good at math and even got a 750 in math on the SAT. But I think I just did it all too fast, took Algebra 2 and Geometry in 8th grade. And then had a terrible teacher in Math Analysis/Pre-Calc, and got a C+ as a freshman, and a C in AB Calculus as a sophomore.

I ended up with a 3.074 GPA and was 42 out of 106 student. Montgomery High School is much bigger now, from 410 students in 1992 to 1687 now.

Whoa.

Geniuses Surviving

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I’m reading Roald Dahl’s “Going Solo” about working in Africa after college and being a fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force in World War II. We are very lucky he survived crashing in Libya and being one of twelve RAF pilots vs. half of the German air force/Luftwaffe in Greece. He so easily could have died and we wouldn’t have Willy Wonka, the BFG or James and the Giant Peach.

And then you have Kurt Vonnegut surviving Dresden, which help inspire my favorite book “Slaughterhouse Five.”

It make you wonder who did die in war that could have changed the world.

Pharmacy Frustration

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I had a prescription ready for the Target Pharmacy in Ansonia, CT today. It didn’t hurt to get early but unfortunately, it wasn’t the drug I actually needed.

I wish I checked my pills and did my weekly medications before I left the house.

When I did it tonight, I had enough through Sunday night of my mood stabilizer. Unfortunately, I will be away through Monday. And the Target Pharmacy which is now run by CVS in closed for Memorial Day.

So I tried to call the 24 hour CVS down the street and see what I can do. I got through to the pharmacy in five minutes the first time but before I finished my answer I was put on hold. I was then put on hold for more than five minutes and gave up. Then tried again and on hold for eight minutes. Then finally got through to someone unhelpful after 10 minutes and finally talked to the pharmacist who said I couldn’t get it filled because of no refills.

45 minute to finally learn I have no call my doctor tomorrow. I’m not impressed.

Pharmacists should have abilities to do a lot more than they usually can. They are incredibly highly trained professionals.

And I wish I checked for my weekly medications earlier. I might have been able to get this solved today.

If it wasn’t the fact that it was my tegretol, I would have just picked it up on Tuesday. I’m less worried about a statin or my lisonpril. So it goes.