Windows apps on Linux

It's been a hard week

 

 Today I learned how to run applications designed for Microsoft Windows on my Linux PC. Needless to say I was really geeking out on that ability. Allow me to explain the need for emulating a Windows operating system on a Linux computer. Almost every Linux user has made the change from Windows out of the need for better security than Windows has, today it's even more so with the buggy updates and less than appt software Microsoft is putting out. Some Linux users however have their favorite Windows based (but not Microsoft created) software. Enter Windows OS emulators on Linux designed to let you use the software you are used to in an OS you can trust.

It looks like my internet issue has been fixed by Cox after almost a week of spotty connectivity and sudden drop outs and limited bit rates. Wow what a frustrating week for someone who just about lives on the net.

My sister caught Covid-19 and developed Covid pneumonia this week and is bouncing off the walls in frustration at being quarantined. Now she is in financial straits because her husband also had to take time off from work to take care of their child. My sister is getting better (she says) but the financial setback is going to be hard to bounce back from. When will we ever get this damn virus under control and come together as a nation and get behind the science that works.

A day late & a dollar short

 This post was supposed to be made on Wednesday but Systemic internet interruptions prevented that.

Just before my internet woes I bravely upgraded to Linux Mint 20.3 and quickly started having issues with my Firefox browser. Thinking it must be a problem from my browser extensions I went to work fixing the problem even going as far as employing my cousin and fellow Linux user's help to no avail. As it turned out, the issue wasn't Linux or Firefox. It was a problem in the Mozilla web servers themselves. According to a news release someone at Mozilla activated an http3 protocol that shouldn't have been activated. Yes, that means a web3 portal is getting ready to open up. 

If you find are suddenly having issues reaching some websites from Firefox that you could get to before you can find a temporary work around here

In other life news:

I was supposed to have a sleep study done on Saturday but it never happened. This is an appointment I have had to reschedule four times for various reasons and now a fifth time

First scheduling canceled by the sleep clinic over a staffing issue but they failed to inform me till after my transportation service dropped me off and left. Being done at night it left me 11.4 miles from home with no ride and too late to get one. On demand ride service late at night is basically non existent for power chair drivers. I wound up driving my power chair all the way home after 21:30 hrs (11:30 pm).

Second scheduling: The medical transportation service never showed up.

Third Scheduling: I was on qaranteen with a Covid-19 infection.

Fourth Scheduling: The medical transportation once again did not show up.

Next attempt is on February 7th

I got a set of automotive horns for my power chair to install before we in the ALF get off lockdown. Yes we are still on lockdown (since March 15th 2020). If we ever do get off lockdown and I'm able to go places other than just medical appointments, which is difficult enough as you read above, the horns will make it safer for me to be around traffic. Many chair drivers get run over while crossing the street. I've lost three friends so far from this issue. All of them were cut off or hit by a car or truck driver that was trying to turn right on a red light.

I am still working on getting my movie collection back in order after the failure of an 8 terabyte Hard Disk Drive. I lost 4,0186 movies in total. My collection is back up to 504 movies now but I am weeding out the lesser appealing content so don't quite need an 8 TB HDD so I got a 6 TB instead. You can see a list of my movie collection here

That's it for now. Take care, be safe and I'll see you next Wednesday.

Happy New Year 2022

 HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2022

I got an odd start to the new year with no power in my ALF room when I woke up. Lucky that it was just a tripped breaker.

On the 2nd the facility had to replace a major portion of the sewer main line which gave the residents 2 days of no water or plumbing. That was loads of fun. I was always told I was full of crap but this time it was fact.

Other than that my first week in 2022 has been great but still on lockdown because of the uptick in Covid-19 new cases.

Tech Fun Coming Soon

 This week I have been commissioned to build a business server and business website for the ALF (assisted living facility) I live in. I'm looking forward to the task.

The office is preparing a location for the community computer I rebuilt for the residents of the ALF. The computer has to be locked down to a table to prevent theft. It is sad that even older and disabled people would resort to theft but one resident did break into the office and stole the administrator's laptop.

We at the ALF are still under lockdown with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 going strong in our area. I'm looking forward to the day that "new Covid-19 cases" get below 500 in my area so my lockdown can be lifted.

Thus ends the week.

Next post comes next year.

First Post

 Tuesday 12/28/2021

This blog will be updated every Wednesday .

Today I start my weekly blog about what's on my mind.

My Mental Madness! I wanted to call it "Brain Droppings" but a well known comedian already took that, thanks George Carlin.

A little about me

I am a retired, disabled telecommunications engineer. My disability started as a fall from a radio tower causing a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

More on that later.

My hobbies include 3-D paper modeling, yarn crafts of all sorts. building computers and robotics. I am also big into human space travel.

More on that later.