Day: 6 November 2012

First Day Back in The Office

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Today was the first day back in the office since before Sandy.  I got up early since i was concerned about the commute as well as the fact that I had an early meeting.  The trip in to work was fine.  I even got a seat for part of the way.  The guys I work with in NJ didnt fare as well.  Some had 3 hour commutes.

Before I headed home I went to get a hair cut.  That delayed my leaving Manhattan till after 6pm.  I am not sure if that was the reason why the subways were packed, but I had to wait a while for the train and then it was super crowded.  The train also moved a lot slower than normal.  Due to the storm projected to happen tomorrow I am going to work from home tomorrow.  My mom is supposed to come over and watch the baby while MC has a doctor apt.  If she can’t get fuel I want to make sure MC can still go.  Add the storm to the mix and I think its the smart choice to work remote.

The Story Why I Can’t Watch The News

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I am not a fan of TV or radio news.  I used to be as my mom likes to say.  She is right.  I used to love the news and current events and would soak it up on TV.  I have been quoted at 5 years old giving opinions of who I thought would presidential race at the time.  Reagan vs Carter if you are wondering.  By the time I was in my 20’s In the 90’s I started watching less regular news and more financial news like CNBC.  After a while I couldn’t even watch that.  Back then I am not sure what made me stop.  I think it was just that news was depressing and repetitive on TV.

 

It turns out that if you blog long enough you will cover the same or similar topics again.  I found a post I wrote in August 2005 about another reason why I don’t watch the news.  For the record that post confirms I was reading the news from Reuters long before I worked there so I think its ok for me to say I think they are a great news source even though I work in there.  As always the opinions expressed on this blog are my own and not those of my employer.

The Decision To Get Another Mac Mini

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I know that I waffle on what approach I take with regards to my computer equipment.  I have been known to swing between wanting one laptop I use for everything to a laptop and desktop, to just a desktop and using works laptop.  Right now I have a semi-new 2012 Macbook Air.  I sold my main desktop, a 27″ iMac that I bought and tricked out in 2011 over the summer.  I also am selling my old 2011 Macbook Air because I wanted one computer, a laptop.  At the time my thoughts were I wanted a single machine so I can go between work and home and have my stuff with me.  I had the iMac because I previously worked from home 2-3 days a week and having the more powerful desktop made sense.  Since I am in the office most days as of early summer that didn’t make much sense anymore.  I also have a 2010 Mac Mini I have been using as a media center.  Its no longer plugged directly into my TV but is hosting all my media and acts as a headless server that my Apple TV or Macbook Air connects to.  I can’t use it as a desktop since the Thunderbolt display I have is not compatible with the older Mini.

Flash forward to now, and I am happy with my Air however I am finding myself wanting a desktop that is always on.  I still need my laptop for now for if I need to work from the bedroom or anywhere else if the baby is in the area were my computer is, but having a desktop for me and the family has its advantages.  Having a super powerful iMac still doesn’t make sense.  My current solution is to get one of the new Mac Mini’s that were just announced.  It is 1/3 of the price I paid for my iMac, and if i need to I can unplug the Mini from my display and plug in my laptop as needed.  The 1TB Fusion drive looks like a good compromise for speed and storage space.  The new Mini’s looked good enough that I ordered a new one on the 5th.  It arrived Friday.  So far the Cinema Display and the Mini is a great alternative to a laptop or an iMac.  I still have to carry around a laptop to work but I like having a flexibility the mini provides vs an all in one iMac.  Only time will say if I remain happy.