Daily Prompt: I've become my parents

Do you ever find yourself doing something your parents used to do when you were a kid, despite the fact you hated it back then?

I had no real inspiration to do this prompt. I have written so much about my renegade spirit in growing up that it is even  boring me.  This bee in my photo is doing what its mum and dad did, and what generations of bees have been doing, gathering pollen. Does the bee know why? Probably something called instinct, which is a useful word when you do not really know the answer.

i have never found myself doing what my parents used to do when I was a kid, because I always had the intention of not doing what they did when I was a kid. Now that’s a short answer, but you see I live in the 21st century and things have changed a little since 1946 when I was born. In  1946 Europe was recovering from a war to end all wars, but it was not, and wars continue. In those days people from oppressed countries fled to other countries, adopted their life style and stayed there. Today they are fleeing again and no-one knows how to react, how to deal with the situation because the oppression is universal and we all have different opinions. It seems that half the world in moving and at the moment Europe has reached its limits. 

My main problem today is that Windows might decide to update my Windows 7 computer to Windows 10 all on their own without asking me first. I got the permission to do it about a month ago, but decided to wait, no rush. Now I read that Windows 10 has become an independent programme and is doing it all on their own. Proof: Mr. Swiss updated his new little computer to Windows 10 a couple of weeks ago. Everything is fine it worked and it was a new computer. Today his main computer, which is about a year old, running on Windows 8.1, has gone independent. It did not ask for permission, but is now merrily downloading a programme which Mr. Swiss did not yet want on that computer. I read some accounts of this in Internet.

Perhaps my windows 7 machine might also decide to become Windows 10.  I hope not because on Monday evening I am awaiting my documents from the Swiss airline by mail to get me through the barriers at the airports. You know you now have to do it all by yourself. At one time there was a nicely dressed stewardess at a desk that would prepare it all for you. If Windows decide to overtake my computer when this important document is to be printed then I will not be a happy bunny. There is also a problem that the built in photo programme on Windows 10 is definitely not to my liking.

So parents, you did it OK as far as you were concerned. It’s my turn now and it will soon be the turn of my children. I wonder what they will write in ten years on this theme. Perhaps they then have windows 20 to deal with and their kids will be showing them how to do it.

Windows 10

I was going to post this in Facebook, but decided no, I am not one of those facebookers that tell everyone what I am doing all day - although a crossposting will occur, so facebookers watch this spot.

They did not forget me after all. Today I got a message from Bill Gates (at least his followers). Your free Windows 10 upgrade is ready to go. In the meanwhile I am not ready to go. I will not do this to my windows 7 computer, because it is not broken and needs no repair work. I will be patient and wait. Am aiming for a new computer with Windows 10 already installed later this year (with SSD drive).

And now to finish my breakfast, tidy up the place and yes, clean the bathroom. No matter how good a new Windows system is, it does not clean my bathroom or hoover my home.

Have a nice day everyone wherever you are, and don't forget, your computers are waiting.

Windows 10? No thankyou

Looking out of the window of an aeroplane is probably a lot safer than uploading (or downloading - I never know the difference) Windows 10 on your computer. I must admit I was still thinking about it before take off arrived, so I did not reserve my entrance to the magical world of Windows 10. The little emblem at the bottom of my ageing Acer computer was ignored, left in expectance of a click and reservation.

On the second day of the Windows 10 appearance a colleague proudly showed a screen capture of his newly arrived Windows 10. He is an expert, knows the difference between a download and upload, and it looked very neat. The tiles had been removed and it looked quite friendly, just like my Windows 7, which I love with all my bytes and online feelings. I began to think about it and did a click. Windows told me I was in the waiting line. It might be tomorrow, a week, or perhaps a month and yes I will get it eventually. 

Mr. Swiss found he would rather wait, after reading all the horror stories about the privacy sphere, which no longer existed with Windows 10. Windows were collecting vital information about your life from your eating habits, to the way you slept as well as your health condition and were keeping it in their records for distribution to the advertising agencies of the world, the FBI, Deuxieme Bureau and the CID : at least it seemed like it. 

I mentioned to Mr. Swiss I was now in the queue and he found “OK, I will wait until you have it, take a look and make a decision.” In the other sense of the word, I was to become the Windows 10 guinea pig.

This is now history and I am still waiting, but no longer with impatience.  In the meanwhile I have read a blog from my blogging colleague with the comments. She knows what she is talking about, having experience with the computer world. In the meanwhile a colleague in Facebook uploaded it (in India). Afterwards his computer refused to work, so he unloaded it, back to his old programme, but the computer decided to strike. You cannot hold a carrot in front of a donkey and afterwards take it away. The donkey wants his carrot and probably this was the feeling Windows 10  had waiting to be eating and digested. Now he has given his computer to the repair shop - an expensive task.

To sum it all up,, when my invitation for an up/down load arrives from Silicon Valley, or wherever the windows central is, I will ignore it. I will not have my Windows 7 machine contaminated with a Windows 10 killer programme that will spy on my secret files to tell Bill Gates all about it. Mr. Swiss finds this a wise decision, taking into consideration how old my computer is. 

I can wait until the first computers arrive with a built in Windows 10. By then all the glitches and problems will be solved perhaps by Windows 20.

Daily Prompt: Windows 10 and other things

Today is your lucky day. You get three wishes, granted to you by The Daily Post. What are your three wishes and why?

Please read my first answer to this subject in 2014 Lucky Star. Otherwise I have nothing new to add.

At the moment I feel a bit like his flower in my garden. I think it is called Echinacea.but not sure. I am certain someone will correct me if I am wrong. Anyhow it is a bit rough at the edges like me. Otherwise life at the villa Angloswiss is not very inspiring at the moment. 

Windows 10 or not, that is the question? Actually not an urgent question for me, because I am an Apple person. Of course, it is always nice to be able to upgrade a Windows computer when it costs nothing, but my Windows computer is suffering from the dreaded Acer problem. I think a gremlin or bad karma has infected its inside. On the other hand, when you have a problem you go for a wander in Internet and discover that many others have the same problem, and you do not feel so alone and abandoned.

It all began about a year ago when I noticed that certain letters on the keyboard refused to work: generally in the morning when I switched it on. I consulted with Mr. Swiss, who bought his Acer about  week before I did, and he said his computer was suffering from the same symptoms. In the meanwhile he has replaced it. However, I continued ignoring the missing “i’s” and “o’s” and a few others and discovered that with patience, five minutes later they again appeared. Consulting in Internet I discovered that my problem was a minor one, as other users of the Acer computers were suffering with lost alphabets and number keys that were printing letters. I continued regardless and really the symptom disappeared after I had issued a few curses over the computer and cleaned the keys, which were somewhat stained from breakfast cereal. Perhaps my Acer computer had an allergy to milk and cornflakes? Who knows? Eventually my Acer was again healthy and I forgot the problem.

It was then that Mr. Swiss brought a smaller Apple macbook home at a special offer (for me to use as well he said). The result was I got infected, and the Apple was the answer to my fruity dreams. How could I have manage without an Apple computer? This was so much the fact that I treated myself to the best Macbook available and have been using it since, although not in the morning. I did not want my new Macbook to be covered with memories of breakfast. I got used to “pages” instead of Word, although I have not yet got so much acquainted with “numbers” instead of “Excel”. but I rarely use the programme. Up to when I retired I was doing the complete accounts for our local first aid group in Excel, but I decided when retired I no longer needed more work than I already have. Retirement is not such an easy job sometimes, and a certain logistic plan has to be made. The day revolved on getting enough sleep.

If ever life gets boring I will try to get to grips with numbers. My only problem, which is not a problem, are photographs. Windows have such a nice little programme for doing basics to uploaded photos. My general size from the camera is 4000x3000 (I think in pixels, but again am not sure - am certain someone will correct me if this is not the case). Anyhow I generally chop my photos to 2000x1500 before saving, as such a large photo is not necessary on my computer and half the size saves space. I am still saving my photos on my Acer and am searching for a free, simple resizing programme on my Apple, which I have not yet found.

In the meanwhile I was away from my Acer computer for five days in Germany and when I returned I realised the dreaded missing letters syndrome had returned and it takes at least 30 minutes daily until they appear. Today it only took 10 minutes, so things are getting better. I am convinced that my Acer felt neglected and forgotten and has now realised I am back to stay (for a while) and will improve its behaviour.

In the meanwhile I am still thinking about converting my Acer to Windows 10, although it is really not necessary at the moment. I have now been spoilt by having an Apple and a Windows machine. I love my Apple and would never part with it. On the other hand it is always useful to have a Windows as a side line. Perhaps I will wait until the new computers arrive with integrated Windows 10 and think it over. 

Appreciate any constructive ideas about my dilemma. Not bad or someone who did not know what to write.