Upgrading from Mojave: Keyboard, Audiobooks, etc.

About two years ago I wrote a series of posts on why I didn't want to upgrade the operating system on my 27-inch iMac. You've guessed it: I had to upgrade last October. That 2013 iMac was showing increasing problems, and there were software incompatibility issues that become too much to overlook. In this post, I'll review…

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Return to Monkey Island

This is a review of Return to Monkey Island from someone who never played the original games in the Monkey Island series. The TL;DR version: My apologies to the Monkey Island fans out there, but I don't understand what the fuss is about. While I enjoy the occasional hunt-n-click game, such as the various Telltale games, I'm…

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Ironies and charities

As many of my friends know, my mother passed away about two weeks ago. My father passed away just a little over a year earlier. My brother pointed out to me several ironies in connection with their deaths: Both of them had lived in homes they were comfortable in, but were forced to move to assisted living…

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Vallejo shifters, space dwarves, and ISS Vanguard

I originally thought that I'd never had to write this post. At the time I wrote this post on shading Tainted Grail miniatures, I was growing a bit tired of the exercise of airbrushing minis. I knew that painting the second wave of Etherfields minis was ahead of me. That was about the same time that I…

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Etherfields Wave 2: Zenithal Prime and Contrast Paints

This is another post in my series on my adventures in painting miniature figures. You can see the entire series by clicking on the CRAFTS link in the tag cloud to the right (if you're reading this on a desktop) or below (if you're reading this on a phone). Once again, I offer you lots of pictures…

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Horizon: Forbidden West

I've put off writing this review, because it's going to sound more negative than I really feel. I've said many times that my favorite console video game is Horizon: Zero Dawn. For me, it had the ideal combination of graphics, story, and gameplay that suits my limited gaming skills and love of a good story. I looked…

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A Mac user tries Windows

It had been a long time since I tried to use Microsoft Windows. Occasionally, there'd be times at work when someone with a Windows machine had a problem. I'd look at the screen, do a web search, and followed instructions. (That's what they pay me for!) But I really didn't work with Windows. I haven't actually fiddled…

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It’s a Grand Old Flag

I normally exercise indoors, as part of my general pandemic-related isolation. However, today I decided to walk around the neighborhood instead. I had to go outside anyway, to mail a letter. I figured it was an opportunity to get some exercise into this sagging body that I've abused for a few decades. I walk outside, only to…

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The transplendent adventures of Bill living an ordinary life, Part 2: That sinking feeling

This morning, I dreamed that I had to go to the bathroom. Bill, we all love to hear details about your personal life. But maybe this is a little too personal? Perhaps, but it's relevant to the story. My "DO NOT WET THE BED" instincts, developed in childhood, kicked in. I woke up, got off the bed,…

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