It's a wet day when....

You can see this big puddle in the neighbour's back yard across the street.

 And the scenery beyond looks like this today.  Not a great day for outdoor sports.

Windows 7 and its built-in zip features

Here's what an expert at WinZip has to say about this:-

Note that the windows 'compressed folders' functionality is Zip 2.0 compliant; this is the equivalent of the compression available in the winzip 8.1 release.  It is, as you note, a handy tool for dealing with the majority of Zip files you may encounter.

Another program to get.....

Is this one, called Glary Utilities, because it has some very useful tools for tuning up and cleaning up your PC in a couple of clicks. There's a new version of it just out a few days ago.
 

Here's why the afternoon nap didn't last....

 

Along came these guys, with two chainsaws and a chipper, to remove all those bushes in front of this place nearby.

The Icon-making program...

Here's that box cover as an icon, with a few colour changes to brighten it up.
 

They call it an Upgrade version because....

Because why? Well, if you got one because they are cheaper than the full version, and then you discover that to install it over the Win-7 RC you will still need to do a 'clean install' which doesn't save any of your own programs or tweaks, there's good news, Pilgrims...

And the good news is that an upgrade version really is just what it says, if you're using it on a system that already has had Windows 7 retail version installed. You can re-install using the 'upgrade' option, and it saves all your installed programs, your personal tweaks, and even that customized logon screen background you replaced the Microsoft version with. But you will need to go onto Windows Updates and restore all the updates for it, because for some mysterious reason, it doesn't save those from its previous incarnation. Can't imagine why not. Maybe Mr. Microsoft will explain that to us one day. And it all takes about 40 minutes. 

The image above was scanned from the box cover, and it also makes an icon for your programs folder, if you use IcoFX, which you can find here. 
 

Looking like Spring -

The Japanese Cherries are coming out in bloom again - must be Spring !
 

More flowers

These are the miniature ones - not the regular larger ones.

 And I don't know what these are, but they're cute little things.
 

How's this for a sunset ?

Tonight's sunset - in living colour - just for you ! 
 

Old warplanes never die.....

The Brits (and others) were roaring around in Spitfires during WW2....

 

 While their German counterparts were roaring around in Me109-Gs. And that's our little stroll down Memory Lane for today, Folks. 
 

Smile, you're on candid camera...

But only if you're stuck in the local gridlock during the evening rush-hour. 

 

Meanwhile, here's what it looks like toward Vancouver Island during the sunset tonight.

Just a reminder.... tuning Windows 7

This Ultimate Windows Tweaker can be found here, and it works fine on Windows 7 as well as with Vista. For those of you who are still clinging to your faithful old XP, there's even an older version of this for it. This carries on where TweakUI left off, with lots of goodies. And while I'm in a tune-up mode, try this one if you would like to change the background on your logon screen from the Windows one to any nice background of your own choosing. As long as you're upgrading to the latest Windows, you might as well have it looking like you'd like it to look. I think there's also a version of this for older Windows as well. 

 

Windows 7 one more time...

At last I can say that Microsoft is wasting its time nagging me about running the Release Candidate versions of Windows 7 too long after the retail versions came out. I've now got the retail version on both these PCs, and so now, I've got nothing to twiddle with until they come out with a test version of Windows 8. 

And I already have a few ideas for them to include in it. For starters, they should make it easier to import a list of Address Book names into their Windows Mail client.  And stop trying to make it all things to all users. Remember the acronym 'KISS' - Keep It Simple Stupid. We'd be happy with a mail program that just worked without an hour's struggle to get all the bits arranged properly. Another tweak that they could add would be one that would periodically and automatically dump the Windows\Temp folder's contents, and also those of the Prefetch folder, which is automatically rebuilt on each reboot, but builds up an accumulation of junk that you may only use once, and don't need every time it starts.

Most of us don't have a hell of a great need for that Windows.old folder that gets saved from a previous incarnation of Windows when you re-install your operating system. That can amount to several megabytes of wasted space on the drive, and can safely be dumped. Preferably, not saved in the first place. If we really wanted our old Windows stuff, then we wouldn't have coughed up the bucks for latest version, would we?

And why did some of us wait so long to switch? Elementary, my dear Watson: The test version was an Ultimate version, with all the bells and whistles, whereas this retail one is a stripped-down 'Joe Lunchbucket' version of the whole thing, with only the parts that might appeal to the vast majority of the unwashed and underpaid masses. Need I say more? 

More signs of Spring

The first tulip almost in bloom....

And buds on our Magnolia coming along nicely....

And this little guy keeping an eye on all of it....

Today is Chinese New Year......

The above is from the Xinhua English News of today, explaining about the Year of the Tiger.
To our Chinese friends, a Happy New Year!

For a panoramic and moveable view of Vancouver....

Try this link.....

Please click here.

You can drag the image, or use the control arrows in the lower right, and enjoy the pictures!

Your Olympics Weather Report....

Does this look like Winter Olympics weather to you? - I didn't think so either....

(Added later...) Most of the day, there's been a 4-engined maritime patrol aircraft circling around overhead. These usually look for submarines. And along with that, a very noisy helicopter, not of the usual variety we have flying overhead most days. As far as I know, Osama Bin Missing doesn't have a naval division, so what the hell do we need sub chasers over main street or our ski hill for? Does our security fund for the Olympics have to be all burnt up regardless of whether it's all really needed, or what? I've always said these Olympics were a huge expensive mistake, and it looks like I was right. This isn't the time for Olympics around here - it's time for the Slush Cup.

Today's snow report looks like this -

Once again, it's raining and mild, and definitely Spring. The proof is everywhere.

And if anyone's wondering why I haven't been writing long and yappy posts lately about this or that or the other, it's because this week, I've been exploring the Cancer Center downtown. I had a preliminary examination on Monday and some blood tests, and then again yesterday I was there for an ultrasound which is required for mapping out the area where they will be implanting those tiny little radioactive 'seeds' to treat my prostate cancer. Fortunately for me, we all agree that it's better to be doing something rather than just waiting around for things to get worse. So in a few weeks, I'll be back there to become radioactive. I won't glow in the dark, but they tell me I might set off those new alarms at the Airport, if I go travelling.  They provide an identity card which explains all about it, in case I go through airport security.

 Actually, the radiation isn't all that much. These 'seeds' have a half-life of about 60 days, and fade out entirely within two years, after which, they just sit there and stay put. And now you know what's been keeping me off the internet this past few days. And before I close this off, I want to add that I'm really impressed with the folks at the Cancer Center here. They are very considerate, and very good at what they do, and they do it as quickly as they can. There isn't a lot of wasted time when you're in there.  And I should add that it is a much busier place than I expected it to be. Evidently, there's a lot of us with these same kinds of problems.

The Camellia is beginning to bloom

Yes, we have palm trees here

 

And they survive our climate quite well, too. Especially this year, which has been milder than usual. 

 

Pictures today....

First, one of our signs of Spring here - a rhodo in bloom...

And then, some late afternoon clouds passing over some nearby peaks in the sunset...

Winter isn't only 'north and south' but also 'up and down' around here. But El Nino came at a bad time for these Winter Olympics. Too bad they couldn't plan for that.

More Freeware Programs - a list....

If you'd like a list, and a rather long one at that, of various programs that have been tested to work with Windows 7, and also on some older versions, then here's the place.

For example, if you scroll away down the list to near the bottom and look for one called Windows 7 Logon Background Changer, you can download a little zip file that will make it easy for you to get rid that logon screen's fish or squiggly lines, or whatever, and replace it with any nice picture of your choice, or you can use the samples provided. And if you get tired of it, you can change it again. Live a little...

And here's an example of an all-in-one type fixer-upper program that can scan your machine and with a couple of clicks, optimize it and clean out the junk all in one shot. You never had it so easy, really. If you don't want to be an expert before you do all that, then this is for you. Check it out on the list. This does all those jobs you might not have been aware needed doing.

"Stealin' Apples" from 'A Song Is Born'.....

Another problem solved....

During my changing of font sizes yesterday, I somehow got things a bit out of adjustment in the browser fonts, and today I found the answer to it. I was trying to reduce the size of the font for the post footer, but couldn't. The reason was that I had set the browser's setting for "minimum font size" too high. Reducing that to a smaller font size number fixed it. The two adjustments (smaller and larger) in Blogger's settings couldn't do it until the limitations of the browser settings were changed.  So if you run into this problem, where you can't fine-tune something in your blog, try checking the settings in your browser's Tools->Options->Content, on the Advanced window.

If you want to adjust font sizes in toolbars, menus, etc. -

In Windows 7, this is how to find the spot for making changes to fonts sizes for your toolbars, or the menus and buttons in them.  It's not as direct as in XP, but you end up at the same window in the end....

On a blank area of the Desktop, right-click and choose Personalize from the menu. When that new window opens, choose Window Color along the bottom, and then when that window opens, look under the other choices for the blue print saying 'Advanced appearance settings', and click on that. You'll get a familiar-looking window where you can choose items from a drop-down menu to make your changes.  It's not a bad idea to do a reboot after you are all done with that.

Having a spare computer means....

Trying to remember to get the spare one updated regularly. Like this evening, for example: it took several minutes and over a hundred megabytes of updates to get this one caught up on all its security and Windows 7 updates. And the thing about that is, I'm going to have to do this all over again, when I switch this one over from the Windows 7 Ultimate R.C. to the regular Windows 7 Home Premium, because using an upgrade installation disk (the cheapest option) means I'll have to do a "clean install" which doesn't save my programs and files. Pity - it would save a lot of work afterward. But that's how the cookie crumbles I guess.
 

"Spring Has Sprung" - want proof ?

The Whatchamacallits are out in bloom....

And so are the Something-or-others.... and they do look very nice!
 

And more from 'A Song Is Born'...

And here's the title song from 'A Song Is Born'

The window washers from 'A Song Is Born'

The high cost of health care...

I'm so old, I can remember when only one emergency vehicle came to check out a call, and then if it needed backup, they called more. These days, they're all competing with one another to see who can grab more of our health care money, or so it seems. 
 

One more boogie woogie....

And now, a little piano boogie....

More from the gardens

The rhodos are coming out already. Isn't spring wonderful?