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Does the bizarre end of Microsoft Windows XP mean the end of useful PCs?
Submitted by John L. Hawkins on 5 July, 2008 - 15:00.HawkTrek
Windows XP is gone, but Windows Vista is not an acceptable replacement. What now? Is Microsoft's forced death of XP also ending the era of useful Windows PCs?
My Close Encounters with Bill Gates
Bill Gates got involved with microcomputer software in 1975, and he built Microsoft by seeing, seizing and maximizing key opportunities.
My first use of Microsoft software was in 1978, and my first personal brush with Bill was in 1981.
During Microsoft's most influential period, the '80s and '90s, I had a variety of face-to-face Bill Gates experiences. Here are some of my Boomer Years stories.
Windfall Taxes on Big Oil Exposed as Economic Lunacy
Submitted by Richard Rider on 22 June, 2008 - 09:07.Richard Rider Rant
Here's an excellent article from an odd source: Karl Rove. Printed in the Wall Street Journal, this piece exposes the economic nonsense of both Obama and McCain when it comes to raising taxes on oil companies. Good stuff.
How Competition Can Benefit You – Starting NOW
Submitted by Richard Rider on 27 May, 2008 - 15:00.Richard Rider Rant
A small financial tip for these hard times: If you have cable TV service, AT&T is starting to compete in some areas. Not to say they are necessarily better, but the competition itself is indeed beneficial.
I just called my cable company, Time Warner, and told them that I was considering switching to AT&T cable and high speed Internet services. That prompted the sales clerk to suddenly note that I was under an "old" plan (established less than a year earlier), and that now there are better deals.
California Leads by Example -- Highest Gas Taxes in the Nation
Submitted by Richard Rider on 10 May, 2008 - 11:54.Richard Rider Rant
Did you see the excellent map of gasoline taxes, state by state, across America, May 6 on the front page of the San Diego Union-Tribune? If you didn't look too closely, or read the entire story you might have missed a salient fact -– we're number one!
Yup, California has the highest total taxes on gas of any of the 50 states (not just "among the highest" as the newspaper writes). As of January, we wealthy West Coast folks paid 63.9 cents of federal and state taxes a gallon, vs. the national average of about 47.0 cents.
Thinking of leaving California? You're not alone.
Submitted by Richard Rider on 17 April, 2008 - 15:00.Richard Rider Rant
The recession is upon us.
While still not official, most agree that we are in an economic downturn. Unemployment is rising, housing prices are plummeting and energy costs are soaring. As a result, in this election year, the federal government is offering tax rebates (admittedly ill-advised) to lessen the pain.
But in California, politicians think there are only two times to raise taxes -- good times and bad times. Oddly enough, this is one of those times.
RV Travel: Is It For You?
AdvisorAudio: Click to hear this story.
To begin at the end, I now have an RV, a Monaco Diplomat motor home that gives me an office on wheels, a meeting place for customers, a way to avoid the hassles of flying and dirty hotel rooms. And yes, it's a home on wheels.
But why, after racking up more than a million flying miles (as an airline passenger, and doing my own piloting), do I now want to plod down the road instead of zooming over it?
Keep in Touch: Setting Up a Webcam
Keeping in touch face-to-face with family, co-workers and friends is not easy. So we often fall back on communicating by phone and e-mail. But there's a better way: video chat. It's easy and virtually free!
Californians: Want Great Jobs? Leave the State.
Submitted by Richard Rider on 23 June, 2008 - 15:00.Richard Rider Rant
The California unemployment figures for May 2008 constitute some misleading good news. We moved from the third worst state in April to the fifth worst state in May.
The bad news is that California's improvement is due to the fact that a handful of other states' unemployment rates are rising even faster. Michigan -– which used to build cars -– is in the toilet with an 8.5% unemployment rate.
Feel any better?
Search Engine Optimization - SEO Webpage Basics
Once people have a website, they start to realize the importance of search engine optimization. Why? Because without it, you just have a website, and what good is a website if you don't get lots of targeted traffic looking for products and services which you provide.
Will Reduce My Carbon Footprint for Cash
Submitted by Richard Rider on 10 May, 2008 - 15:00.Richard Rider Rant
Much is being made of "reducing our carbon footprint." I'm in favor of that -– to a point. I look for carbon-reducing steps that also save me money and/or make my life more pleasant! As I see it, if a carbon reducing strategy costs more, then often the wisdom of selecting that option is highly suspect.
For instance, I like using energy-saving florescent bulbs. I've used the big florescent lights in my fully equipped, professional office in the home for about 30 years. I also use the newer compact florescent bulbs whenever they fit with the demand, which fortunately is most of the time.
Companies Must Work to Avoid Boomer Brain Drain
In 2007, leading-edge Boomers turned 62 and reached potential retirement age. By the end of 2008, 17 percent of the Boomers holding executive, administrative, and managerial occupations in the private sector are expected to have left. Where will this brain drain leave U.S. companies?
Boomers Pursue Entrepreneurial Ventures
For Boomers who prefer to do things their own way, the entrepreneurial road is full of ups and downs. Boomers have advantages in savings, business experience, wisdom, and connections made over the years. But, launching a business is always risky, and Boomers have a lot to lose.
Are You Thinking About Retiring Retirement?
Retirement is one of the most significant life transitions, and current Senior "retirees" and the 78 million Baby Boomers just behind them are re-writing the rules. No longer satisfied with just a retirement dinner and commemorative watch, then endless days of golf, or arts and crafts at the local Senior Center, many of us want a lot more out of our "golden years." In fact, many of us aren't planning to retire anytime soon -- if ever.
Flying United's unfriendly skies: Is airline loyalty a sucker bet?
Submitted by John L. Hawkins on 29 March, 2007 - 08:25.HawkTrek
My wife and I used to fly United Airlines a lot. For many years our status was Premier Executive. We accumulated a huge quantity of frequent-flyer miles. We liked the people who worked for United, and we enjoyed giving them our business.
That all changed yesterday.
A few months ago I used a big chunk of United Mileage Plus points to buy three tickets from San Diego to New York for a family trip in April. I had to pay extra miles to get the dates I needed. I picked out some decent seats, and expected my trip to go well.
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