Computer Problems

 

The computer shown above is similar to that I used in college and on my first full time computer position.  And if it weren't for bad marketing, the manufacturer might have stood a better chance of surviving the consolidation of the early mainframe industry.  

Today's post is a short one. It's about problems which will always plague  the computer industry - no matter hard one tries, computer bugs will get into the field and cause havoc.  In my case, I was one of 5 people for whom a network change paralyzed our computers - and kept from doing any meaningful work for a couple of hours.

Normally, I get to work somewhere between 8:00 and 8:15.  (I'll make up any lost time at the end of the day.)  It takes me about a minute or two to log on to the computer, activate a service, log into a batch of work, and start working that batch.  Today, I couldn't do so.  My computer couldn't connect to the network.  

Although it took about 2 hours to fix the problem, I started thinking - do we really want things like self driving cars?  Given that everything originates from the mind of a human at one point of creation or another, and that humans are flawed, can we trust any machine designed by a human to act perfectly?  No!  There are cases where Tesla automobiles using the autopilot mode have crashed into stationary objects.  This is why Tesla instructs the driver to remain alert behind the wheel when this mode is used - they know enough not to give unlimited trust to their own computer systems in their cars.  (And I'm one of the people who would trust Tesla's systems, as they are the best in the field.)

Later on, I thought about the story behind the book/movie "2010".  When the HAL-9000 computer (from "2001") was given the order to keep its mission a secret from the people on board, the computer thought the best way of keeping the secret would be to kill the crew. Again, human failings caused a computer malfunction.  Although this is fictional, it should serve as a warning to people who put blind faith in computer systems - they will fail when least expected and cause the most damage.

The difference between two friends.

 

 

Today, I sent a picture of RQS to TCL and Vicki and got two very different types of responses.  Unlike most of  my posts, I plan to adapt the normal format to account for two different conversation threads....

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I started out by sending a picture of RQS to my two friends.  She was wearing a purple coat and colorful leggings.  Vicki responded with:

Pretty. Love all the purple and colors. Makes me think she's a fun person 

 

We then talked about where RQS and I were meeting, with nary a mention of RQS's background.  Contrast this with TCL's responses:

Does she know you took the picture and sending it to me?
What does she think about you wanting to send it to me?
What ethnicity is she?
Is she taking a picture of you? I see she's holding a cell phone.

Notice the difference?  Vicki is focused on who RQS is, while TCL is concerned about whether I have permission to send the picture to her and what ethnicity RQS identifies as.  Who do you think is the more accepting person?

I'll admit that RQS is far outside of the type of person I usually find attractive and want to date.  My wife (and most of the women I've dated in middle age) was a "dirty blonde", and I am attracted to women with this color hair.  RQS is anything but.  This is not the time and place where I plan to tell my readers more about her.  But both of us are surprised that we get along together so well....

I didn't get no premium candy....

 

OK, you'll have to pardon me for my terrible grammar in this entry's title.  But I had to make a mention of my recent visit to Economy Candy, and I wanted to catch your attention....

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RQS and I had planned to go into NYC today.  Sadly, it looked like rain, and we didn't want to risk going to the Nom Wah Tea Parlor and getting caught in the rain going back to the subway station on the way home.  So we ended up deciding to go to Katz's Deli for a nice pastrami sandwich and looking for something else to do while in Manhattan.

We decided to take the M train into Manhattan, as its last stop was at the one train station we would have normally used to go to Katz's.  (The M train terminates at Essex Street on weekends, and this complicates weekend subway travel a little.)  Across from the two of us were two young women, and both of us were saying that they were cute. Given the usual characteristics of a subway rider, it was nice to see two young people enjoying themselves as if they didn't have a care in the world.

Upon arrival at Essex Street, we climbed up several levels of stairs to reach the street.  RQS commented that this station is hell for a visually impaired person due to its complexity - and I found that easy to understand.  This is a major interchange station which is not well adapted for the needs of the handicapped.  Thankfully, both of us were in good enough shape to climb the stairs and then walk to the new site of the Essex Street Market.

Having visited the old Essex Street Market once, I found that the new market was much more inviting than the old one.  However, both of us were shocked by some of the prices being charged for meats, fish and cheese.  Yet, if I lived nearby, I'd shop here now and then, as all of the expensive goodies were of top notch quality.

Once done with the market, it was off to Katz's.  We didn't plan it, but we stumbled into Economy Candy just before it closed.  Although we were interested in candy, neither of us succumbed to temptation.  We both knew that we'd soon be at Katz's, and that a Pastrami Sandwich would be waiting for us.  The candy was tempting us, especially the almond butter crunch pieces.  (I used to love Loft's version of these treats, and could easily finish off a whole box of 12 or 16 when I was young.)  However, at $22/lb. I was not going to spend my money on candy when I could get a tasty and humongous Pastrami sandwich for the same price.

Finally, it was off to Katz's.  I'm sure that most of my readers do not know this, but one has to take a ticket upon entering the place.  One needs this ticket to exit, as it tells the cashier how much food you consumed, and how much you have to pay for that food.  Instead of getting our tickets and finding an available seat before going to the counter to get our food, we decided on going to the back for waiter service.  This was the best decision we could have made.  Although the waiter didn't seem to pick up on our order (he didn't bother writing down our order, nor was he giving us his full attention), he got everything right and had it on our table quicker than expected.  The man was simply very good at his job, and had no need for pleasantries - a pure professional.  

This is what we got for our meal.  We shared a giant pastrami sandwich, and I still had leftovers for the next day.  The only thing I felt lacking (and this was no fault of the restaurant) was that the split pea soup was missing something - ham flavor.  (This can not be expected in a Jewish style deli.)  So, I added a little salt, and most of my concerns were addressed about the soup.  As expected, the pastrami was top notch, and we'll be here sooner, rather than later.

All too soon, the day had to end.  So it was a trip back home with sunset views across the East River....

Odds and Ends after breakfast

 

I didn't know what I was going to say when I started writing this entry.  And I realized that notes I've taken at work for blog posts are often needed by the time I get around to writing anything for public consumption.  So, I might as well write about some miscellaneous odds and ends in my life.

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It's hard to believe, but I haven't seen my brother since Thanksgiving. I realized this when I was talking to RQS about the situation at my brother's house, trying to recall which holiday we spent together with takeout food.  Since I was away cruising at Christmas, I figured out that the holiday was Thanksgiving. But this made me a little sad.  My brother does not have a happy home life, and it seems to have reached a constant low.

Last year, I felt it important to find a way to restore communication with XGFJ.  Over the past year, I realized that as much as I'm glad that we were able to resume communications in a friendly way, I no longer am hurting from our breakup.  Would I have preferred it if we had never broken up?  Yes.  But, I'm not sure if I'd want to revisit that past.  I like where I am now, and do not miss having to guilty about fulfilling commitments I made for myself appearing in a feminine presentation.

Work is a constant soul suck. But I have a set of target end dates for which I will end employment at this place.  My nest egg is large enough to get me through retirement.  Yet, I want to find ways of preserving it as long as possible. So I've kept working.  One of my target dates is for when I've officially been employed by my firm for 12 months. Another target date is the beginning of the month I turn 65. And the last target date is just before my Hawaii cruise.  So far, I'm leaning towards the latter date.  This will allow me to preserve enough savings, so that a 1 time distribution from my 401k will get me through to when I turn on Social Security payments.

The mother of a girlfriend I had from before I was married just passed away.  Even though I haven't seen this woman in years, I'll soon be sending a condolence card to my friend. In addition, an acquaintance from college passed away recently, so I'll be sending a condolence card to his widow as well.  The older I get, the quicker people seem to be passing away.  Although this is a normal feeling for people my age, I am still saddened by this fact.

Since I'm writing this post on a Saturday, I am looking forward to seeing RQS again.  The big question is: When the bloom is off the rose, will it still bring back warm feelings?

A meetup that I didn't plan on attending.

 

Last night, I forgot to cancel a meetup.  So, instead of going home for the night to relax, I had dinner out at a local Hibachi steakhouse with the group.  

But first....

In the past, when most of my life was in male mode, I'd be rushing home to change into female clothing, apply my makeup, and transfer my legal id into my feminine wallet before going out for the evening.  Tonight, I drove home from work, changed into a dress, freshened up my makeup, and made sure that I had my ATM card in my purse.  Same stuff, but different starting wardrobe.

I made it to the restaurant on time, and saw several people that I knew from other meetups.  It was nice to see them again, as well as meeting someone new.  I was lucky that the people I most wanted to speak with were near me, as the noise from the kids in the other room made it almost impossible to be heard over the din.  Luckily, one of those 2 birthday parties ended by the time our main courses were served, and we were able to chat over dinner without shouting.

All too soon, the night ended, and I was back at home.  

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Tomorrow, my coach turns into a pumpkin.  It is possible that RQS and I go to the Museum of Sex.  If we do, we'll be sure to visit Super Funland.  (I'll let you follow the links on your own for more information.)

Now my telephone chats are getting in the way of posting here

 

Now that I have a life, I have lost some of the time I usually spend blogging.  As a result, I feel that the length of my entries has gotten shorter, but reflect more of what's gone on in my life.

Since it looks like RQS is going to be a long term girlfriend, I'd like to find a way to keep CWS as simply a female friend. The way we have gotten along so far, this might be possible, as so much of her life has been dedicated to the care of people not related to her.  If it isn't possible, it made sense for me to delay making a decision between these women as long as possible.

The last time I had a regular nightly call with a woman other than TCL (who is a platonic friend), it was with MWL.  I'm hoping things work out between me and RQS, as I'd hate to go through their early stage of dating again.  But only time will tell - and her reaction to seeing me in person as Marian for the first time. 

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If I had more time, I would have been writing about how a problem I see between two people reflects at a micro level a problem I see between nations.  Hopefully, I will get the chance to write that post over the weekend.

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

 

I wasn't planning on going to a meetup tonight.  However, I ended up going as a space freed up at the last minute - and I wanted to try out a new restaurant.

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Normally, I wear some kind of tunic and leggings when I go to work.  However, I wanted to look a little nicer when going to an upscale restaurant.  So I went home and stripped, then put on some stockings and a dress before going out again.

It took me a few minutes to find a parking spot near the restaurant in White Plains.  No, it wasn't that crowded in that area of town.  It was because the streets had me going way out of the way to effectively go half a block in the wrong direction on a one-way street.  But once there, I met the group and sat down to have a nice dinner.

You'll notice that I haven't mentioned the name of this place.  The food was good, but the service was inattentive.  They simply did not have the staff to maintain a pre-covid level of service, and it showed in our post-covid environment.  There were several times that we had to ask the wait staff for help, and even then, some tasks were left incomplete.  The one I noticed most was when the waiter filled the water glasses of 3 people, leaving the 4th with an empty glass. I was also affected, when the wrong dessert was brought to me. Then, when the desired dessert was delivered, I didn't get a fork with which to eat it.  I ended up using my spoon to do so.

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Although I had signed up for another meetup tomorrow, I bailed out on it.  I have enough things to do that will have me eating out.  So why add more calories to the waistline?