Big Wheel

As summer comes to a close, I thought I would post this night shot of a Ferris wheel I took this year at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair. Fall is here and the big wheel keeps on turning, punctuated only by the routine of driving back and forth to work every day.

In technology news, I read this week that Microsoft will be extending the availability of their XP operating system for another five months. Right now if you order a new computer from one of the major manufacturers, you have the option of getting it with XP or Vista installed. I had assumed that the only option was Vista, but I guess there was enough concern about compatibility issues, that they have been giving customers a choice. That helps explain why I haven't used a computer with Vista yet. This is coming from someone who in years past would have been in line to get Halo3. With the first day sales success of the game, I don't think they will miss my purchase. Oh, by the way, checkout my game system poll on the right side of the screen. If I don't see any votes by next week, I will have to come up with something more interesting to vote on.

Feed on this!

I don't think the woodpecker pictured here has our bird feeder figured out yet. But you have to give him credit for looking at things from a different angle. Sometimes you need to do that in order solve a problem. I always seem to have my share of problems to solve.

Last week I mentioned that I was having a problem with my new Targus wireless notebook mouse. Well, I was able to return it to WallyMart and got one from Microsoft instead. So far that one is working out okay. I still haven't figured out why one of my old pc's won't boot from an XP installation CD. It seems like there might be a problem with the motherboard. I think it would be rare for a mobo to go out, but I can't rule that out just yet. The weather is nice here today, so my ambition to take on large open-ended projects is waining. Maybe I'll go outside and watch the bird feeder for a while ;)

September Sunset

Here is a nice photo of a sunset taken this past week as we headed west across Wisconsin. I didn't have too much time to relax, but it was nice to get out of town for a day.

This week I tried calling the cable tv company to get a few extra channels. They asked for the last four digits of my social security number, and then said that they didn't match what they had in their database. I didn't want to give some guy in a call center who I didn't know my personal information, so the next day I went down to the local cable office and they took care of me without any hassles.

Some things are still better done in person than with online customer service. I will have to keep this in mind as I take on my new role as Internet Media Product Manager. My first project will be producing a webinar for teachers. Hopefully there will be some interest out there in attending a seminar that doesn't require travel and time off from work. I will post a link here once all the details are worked out.

The web page that I created for my girlfriend's student loan troubles is getting some interest. Apparently there are a lot of people out there who are in trouble with their student loans and have questions. We haven't received any email yet, but I will post any personal student loan stories you send in. So far about sixty percent say the loan should be discharged. The other forty percent probably work for the department of education.

Labor Day Weekend

It's Labor Day Weekend! The weather is nice here today and the chipmunks are out getting ready for fall. My birthday is on Monday the 3rd. It doesn't fall on Labor Day too often. I don't know where the last twenty years have gone. I have had a lot of changes in my life during that time. Not nearly the financial success that I had hoped for, but if I had tried harder, I'm sure I would have paid a bigger price.

Well, no surprise; I didn't win the Powerball last weekend. But it did motivate me to write an article on Slot Machine Strategy, which I posted on my web site. The article is a mixture of my own experience and what I have read in numerous gambling strategy guides. It might hold more weight if I had won a few jackpots using it, but the point is that you should consider yourself a winner if you can leave the casino with more money than you came in with. Luck is still a big factor and the casino has the advantage, but there are a few things you can do to improve your results. My strategy isn't too scientific, so you will have to adapt it to your own playing style. The most important thing is to have a little fun and not to go broke.