Astro-Drummer

Windows 7 is promising to redeem Windows Vista in offering a stable, secure and fast operating system. On my end, I have had little issue with Vista, but the promise of a faster OS is something I will always welcome. I downloaded Windows 7 RC to give it a good run-through and I must say that Microsoft is holding true to its word of a better "Vista."

Firstly, I would like to introduce the 64 bit version of the Microsoft OS. The problem with the Vista (or XP for that matter) we all use on a day to day basis is the 32 bit version. What does that mean? For us users it really means nothing other than it limits how much RAM we can use. Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista (all versions) will only recognize and use 3 GB or RAM. Vista SP1 will tell you how much RAM is installed – for example, I have 8GB of RAM so the computer properties will display 8GB of RAM. However, it will only use 3 GB of it. To break this barrier, you must switch to the 64 bit version of the OS.

Microsoft introduced the 64 bit OS with Windows XP. Microsoft offers the 64 bit version of Vista in its Home Premium, Business and Ultimate versions (but I could be wrong). I recently switched to Vista Ultimate 64 bit and I love it. It sees and uses all of my 8 GB or RAM and is noticeably faster as a result. The only problem is you must find the 64 bit versions of all the drivers on your computer. I bought a Dell Precision M6300 Mobile Workstation and Dell is nice enough to have online access to 64 bit drivers. In fact, any new Dell purchased will have 64 bit versions of their drivers on their web site.

As for software, I had to get a 64 bit version of Dragon Dictate, but just about all of my software installed and run just fine. 16 bit software (old MS-DOS for example) will not even be allowed to install. I highly recommend upgrading your machine to 64 bit. Since my computer was under warrantee, Dell sent me the 64 bit OS install disk for free!

Now, back to Windows 7. I don’t care what anyone might say, or report or advertise, Windows 7 is not a major upgrade. I would call it a service release on steroids. It still uses the Aero theme, expanding on it a bit by offering a few themes to choose from. There are refinements within the computer browser and UAC (user access control) has been very much improved. What will make this release a must have is the fact that it will actually make things run faster. I took a few screen grabs of the more prominent features.

At first blush, the computer browser looks the same, but notice the addition of "Libraries." No matter where audio, video and documents are stored, they will be listed here. I think this is a great idea that should have been implemented a long time ago.

This is especially helpful if multiple users have some songs you want to access. No searching needed – just open the desired folder.

Windows Update offers a few more options. Of course if you set yours for automatic install, you will have little ned to visit this screen.

UAC has a much need fixing. No longer is it either on or off, there are now levels of protection you can choose. My evaluation of UAC shows that it does indeed work and it is far less annoying. Thank you Microsoft!

I apologize for the small image. The task bar has been changed a bit as well. The quick launch area and open tasks area are somewhat blended together. An open program displays the program icon instead of text. This makes things look less cluttered. As for aesthetics, the preview window on the task bar now fades between programs and display what the program is doing in real-time.

There is nothing dramatic added to the star menu other than the shutdown button. I really didn’t like the Vista version which put the machine to sleep.

A feature I really like is the taskbar "safely remove" icon. Windows 7 makes the choice of removing a drive much clearer than listing the drive letter only.

The right-click menu has more system choices. There is no more sidebar; instead there are gadgets. These can be placed anywhere on the desktop and can be on top of all windows or below them.

Screen resolution is a bit more user friendly as well. I never had a problem with the old version, but this is nice anyway.

Going back to Areo, personalization offers themes, both visible and audio.

Going "under the hood," There are tools to help with program compatibility.

As well as a beefed-up alert center to help you troubleshoot.

Solutions are easily searchable with its own browser.

And access to system properties are listed in just about all of the personalization windows.

One interesting thing about Windows 7 is that during the installation, a second hidden partition was created.

Only visible in the disk properties, this partition is system accessible only and serves as the recovery partition

As for performance, the Windows Experience value has gone up to 7.9 for all of those newer, faster machines.

The values are the same, meaning that if your score was a 5.0, the new score will also be a 5.0. This would be the case here but there is one key point: Windows 7 is faster than Vista and it shows on my score. In Vista, I am a 5.0 while in Windows 7 I am a 5.3. I like it.

So what is the bottom lime? Well, I’ll knock out the key points as I see them

• Not a major Windows release
• Areo has been upgraded to include new themes
• Computer browsing now has a Library feature to easily access documents, music and videos
• Personalization is more accessible
• Taskbar is cleaner
• Overall system performance is improved.

One thing I did find to be a blessing is the Magnifier. OS X’s access ability features a full screen zoom. Windows has the really lam two inch bar on top that served as the zoom. A work-around was the zoom program I mentioned in an earlier post. Windows 7 now has a full screen zoom with no limitations and that is a good thing.

So, will I buy it – yes! Do I recommend it – yes! And be sure to go 64 bit, it’s worth the effort.

The core issue in this post has bugged me for some time…

The topic of Miss California in the news caught my attention. I don’t keep up with beauty pageants mostly because I find them shallow and narcissistic. But sadly enough the state of our great nation can be summed with this tempest in a teacup. It seems that some openly gay judge asked the question “how she feels about gat marriage.” It was her answer that caused her to lose the Miss USA crown, as it was later revealed.

It doesn’t stop there…

There is rumor that she may lose her California crown as well, but that is up to the Donald (Donald Trump, you know, the guy with the funny hair and gold plates everything).

The key part of the infamous question is “how she felt.” Well, since when do we get penalized for having a thought and opinion that does not agree with the mainstream media? What happened to freedom of speech and freedom of religion?

Miss California has no issue at all with the gay community but does have issue with marriage between them. She was brought up in a traditional home, one that worships regularly (or so we are told) and that marriage is between a man and a woman. Her feeling is that she does not agree with Gay Marriage. So why penalize her?

Oh I get it, its OK to have freedom of speech as long as that speech is in line with the majority. Isn’t this called Communism? I think the Nazi’s followed this line of thought as well.

So to all of you Nazi, Communist Media Whores, guess what? I have many opinions that does not follow main stream thought. What are you going to do about it?

I have worked with some wonderful gay people and I even have some gay friends. In some respects, they value their partner more than some straight couples, but I do not agree with gay marriage. Does that make me racist or anti-gay? No, it simply means I am an American with an opinion. If the laws pass that do allow gays to marry, so be it – and I will still have my opinion on the subject.

So lets open up a can of Guinness and calmly debate while we agree to disagree – the way it was meant to be.

Every now and then I get into these philosophical modes. My friends and family seem to enjoy these moments so I thought I would share one with the world. If this goes well, I may include more of these.

I enjoy art – mostly painting of the past. So much emotion is swept in by the brush of the Masters that sometimes our own emotions can be stirred. I saw a wonderful painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder called the Triumph of Death (c. 1562). The painting depicts 16th Century Europe – but things haven’t really changed much, have they.

Our modern society has embraced this final state of life that sometimes I think we have no idea what it really means. I have a special insight on this in that I was a soldier. I wasn’t in Bosnia or the Gulf or Afghanistan, I was in one of the small ones that no one can talk about. I won’t divulge the date or time this happened other than it was at night. Our group was fired upon and I fired back. As quickly as it started the exchanged ceased. The morning search revealed the body of a soldier – not ours of course! It can be argued that I was responsible for his death.

The mission was such that these sorts of engagements could happen. So I did my job and defended those with me, I just happened to fire first. I looked at the body and thought to myself “were is the honor?” All I see is a smelly pile of sweat, blood and shit. The remnant of a job well done.

The evening news is filled with death, be it war or gang violence. When will it ever end? Sure the idea of peace is extremely naive as there will always be the one thirsting for power. But that aside, I wonder when there will be peace among our young?

All I ask is that we look at each other as a person. We all have a mother and father, or some family member that loves us – be it an aunt or uncle, grandparents, brothers and sisters. Some out there have a spouse or a significant other, or even children. I still feel guilt over the firefight because that soldier had a mother and father. Perhaps his wife was waiting for his return, a return that will never happen.

Death affects so much more than the people involved. We just have to think past the moment. Be it war, revenge or violence, think of the Triumph of Death and see what I see – the loss of life of not just a person, but a family, a lineage, history.

We can change things. Revenge only ends more life and becomes a continuous loop. Justice and violence are their own double-edged sword. The young must understand death and respect life. Parents must love and respect their children – they must come first.

The solution is simple, and we must begin today!

After three weeks of agony, I am happy to say my dad has survived the surgery and is now home recovering. They found the problem with the rapid heart beat and apparently cut the nerves responsible. They also replaced the old pacemaker with a new model that does everything. It even has a built-in defibulator so that if his heart stope, the unit will shock it back to life – I hope!

Now I can go back to worring about other things, like how in the hell I am to pay my $16,170 tax bill for 2008! I will galdy accept any cash help!! Too bad no one owes me money.

It’s March 28, 2009 and I have not posted anything for several months. I want to change this. If I have fans out there, which I doubt, I am sure they would like to know what’s up.

Not much has changed for me. My vision has decreased even more a few months ago but it now seems to be holding steady. I have recorded a few drum clips on my trustry M-Audio Microtrak II that I still need to edit in Samplitude. I would very much like to share them with you.

The biggest concern now is my father. He is not doing well at all. In 1969, he was exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Since then, he has had a host of health issues, mainly his heart. One half of his heart does not function properly and he has to be on a host of medication to make sure his heart stays beating. Having the standard quadruple by-pass surgery and several angioplasties, his condition has continued to deteriorate. He also has several bits of cancer in a variety of places in his body, none of which aree harmful at this time. The most recent surgery was the implacement of a pacemaker.

Two weeks ago, his heart began to beat very rapidly. His pacemaker is designed to work if the heart beats slowly. A result of the rapid heart beat was another heart attack. He weas in ICU for 5 days. They had to shock him back to life three times. The plan is to replace the current pacemaker with one that controls both slow and rapid heart beats. However, last week he complained of severe pain, the cause of which was an infected pancreas. It turns out his raft of medication was too much. They had to remove about a gallon of stomach acid and he had to go back to ICU. THis time they had to shock him back to life twice – to be expected since his medication has to go through some changes.

On Monday, he is off to Austin, Texas (a three hour ride in an ambulance from home) to have the pacemaker surgery. I am so worried I may loose him, so for those out there I ask you pray for him and keep him in your thoughts. He is a good man – honest to a fault, trustworthy and faithful. His family still needs him.