J.P.

Good Enough?

As I get older I’m finding I have less tolerance for things that are “good enough” or “fine”, especially when it comes to using technology.

As mentioned a few weeks ago, I have a Lenovo ThinkPad t460s laptop. It’s a nice little rig and I’m able to swap out parts and upgrade it all I want, which is the direct opposite of an Apple experience. Unfortunately, the overall computing experience with the Lenovo hardware is several notches below the quality of the experience on an Apple device. Linux works great and does everything I want it to do, and this older laptop has plenty of horsepower for what I expect it to handle, but the trackpad and the quality of the display are a bit of a mess.

I often run into this sort of thing with the computer provided for work. While I am much more productive in a Mac or Linux environment and work insists on everyone using Windows, it’s not Windows slowing me down as much as the cheapest laptop hardware possible. Like my Lenovo ThinkPad, the work provided computer has a tiny trackpad requiring a crazy amount of pressure to click anything, the keyboard is sized slightly off from normal, and the display is just too dim for my aging eyes.

I’ve been using my 2018 iPad Pro in tandem with the Linux laptop and I’m finding I’m getting more acclimated to using the iPad as my daily driver that I carry around with me. If I want to get into full geek mode I still have the Linux laptop, the experience just doesn’t have the fit and finish of an Apple experience. Doable. Good enough?

Sometimes I feel like I’ve earned better than “good enough”. Now, if my budget would only cooperate with my plans.

I know, first world problems.

5 May 2022 by J.P. Apple. Geek 0

Opinions.

My opinions on abortion are really not that important because I’m never going to have an abortion and I’m never going to be in the position of being involved with that sort of decision.

I do believe a woman should absolutely, without question, have 100% authority over what she wants to do with her own body, and for the U.S. Government to reconsider legislating otherwise is regressive, absurd, and down right stupid. In no way does any American have the backing of using the phrase “Land of the Free” when there’s active legislation, against the will of the majority by the way, to take away a woman’s right to choose. There’s nothing free about that.

How about this: if a man rapes a woman, instead of forcing the woman to carry a pregnancy to full term and then raising a child that was forced upon her, we give her the right to choose what to do with her own body and then let her decide what to do with the man’s penis.

The Supreme Court justices that were jammed through at a record pace during the dark ages known as the Trump Administration lied. And the Republican women (Collins, etc) that touted “I believe them” and voted for their confirmations knew very well they couldn’t be trusted. They are as much to blame for this mess as the idiots we are stuck with on The Supreme Court. I have little faith the Democrats will be able to rectify the situation and we’re going to be stuck regressing the United States back to the mid 20th century. Ladies, get out your pearls and get ready to give up your careers, because they’re not going to stop with reversing Roe v Wade. These crazy men in power want you back in the home peeling potatoes.

And of course, there’s a decent chance these reversals won’t stop at Roe v Wade and they’ll start coming for other landmark decisions around racism, education, and gay rights.

One of the things I can’t help thinking about is the women I know personally that have had an abortion and continue to vote Republican because they simply couldn’t vote for Hillary or they don’t like Biden raising gas prices (which he absolutely has no control of). I don’t understand how any woman that’s had a safe and legal abortion can vote for a party that is actively trying to take this right away from current and future generations. Where would these women be in their life if they had to carry their aborted pregnancy to full term?

And just so I’m clear, if the GOP and their cronies in SCOTUS start coming after gay marriage, and/or the ability for future LGBT folks to get married, I will cut any and all ties I have with folks I know that continue to vote Republican. No stop, no explanation necessary, good bye. You do not get to be on friendly terms with me and continue to vote for people working to reduce the rights of Americans.

Unfortunately, the Democrats are as entrenched in corporate donors as the Republicans and I don’t have a lot of hope that any of this will get sorted out within my lifetime. The U.S. has been on a downward spiral, especially after 9/11. It’s too bad so many are trying to push things downward at a faster pace.

4 May 2022 by J.P. This Ain't No CNN. 0

Interlude.

I had written a long post about modern day Christianity and my thoughts around it. I found the post to be extremely hostile and “loud”, something I’m trying to avoid this week.

Instead, here’s a video of Samantha and Endora arguing over the Stephens’ living room furniture.

3 May 2022 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 0

Close Up.

When I was a young gay living in Boston (late 1980s), there were a couple of gay-oriented magazines that would have photographers milling around the bars on the weekend and taking photos for their publications. I never made it for one of my closeups back then as apparently I wasn’t photogenic enough for the use of the film.

Now there’s cameras everywhere with the vast majority of them on smartphones. Everyone has a camera. Still, there were one or two “event photographers” milling about the bar on Friday night. Some of the photos have come out today. Here’s one of them, with my husband and I standing with our friend Marshall (he’s the one in front) and a couple of other guys we were chatting with.

2 May 2022 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept Gayish. 0

Buzz.

I’m a little concerned that the Vanilla Latte Buzz was spelled “Vanilla Late Buzz”, but it was still enjoyable for brunch over the weekend.

1 May 2022 by J.P. Fun and Games Dept 0

Zesta.

I thought Keebler made Zesta crackers? For some reason I do not remember a Kellogg’s logo being adjacent to a Zesta crackers logo. Ever.

1 May 2022 by J.P. Geek 1

Caturday.

Truman has become more relaxed around puppies Lucky and Jinx. He occasionally gives them a growl or a swat, but we’ve noticed the claws are always in when he’s giving them the what for. The puppies still want to play rough with him from time to time but Truman sets the tempo. It’s what cats do.

Most of the time he is relaxed, observing from afar.

30 April 2022 by J.P. He's A Feline. 0

Party.

We are at a Bear Event in Phoenix this weekend. It’s been a very long time since we’ve been able to socialize in this manner. While it was mentioned that I tend to stand in the corner and observe (I kind of do that), we still engaged in chit-chat with folks and are having a great time.

29 April 2022 by J.P. Bears. 1