Failure, failure, failure, success, failure, failure, failure, success

Man, I don't have luck with computers. First, the two macs fail (fixed). iPod sort of working again (natural healing processes). iPod shuffle (dead, but they say they'll pick it up in a couple weeks.) Oh yea, and vid cam (memo to self: take to Canon repair center.) So I'm super safely backing up my school iMac (which has been behaving a leetle funny) to the iomega 250 GB drive (which has been making a whining noise), and the drive just won't read a good number of the files (keeps giving me dozens of -36 error messages.) So I can either copy all that stuff to a number of CD's or risk copying it to the 10GB iPod and hope it doesn't fail again (whew, worked. I actually managed to transfer an entire 3.6 GB of files from one computer to another.) And thankfully Belle made a CD of 500+ iPhoto library files for X-Mas pics and I can just input them into iPhoto (oh wait, something corrupt about the files. OK, so iPhoto never, ever will be able to read them again. I'll  copy them over to a different folder, use Photoshop to view them til the end of time.) Speaking of which, I lost my Photoshop and GoLIve update discs in the office move 16 months ago, so I didn't know what I was going to do about restoring them. And then I just opened this drawer and ... there they are. Right next to the Expression2 disc I lost 16 months ago. (OK, install those.) Then I looked behind a shelf and found this library book I lost last year, and had to pay the library to replace. And now I've lost this other library book. It's not like the place is a mess. Don't know how I do it. Found my Essential Dr. Strange. Okey. I'm just going to watch some quality cinema and drink a tall Tiger. Wokah-chika-woka-chika-wokah-chika-Waaaa!

Oh, and hey. I just noticed that you can download a free version of Creature House Microsoft Expression. It says it's for 'loyal users' but doesn't ask you to prove it with a serial number. It also says it's a beta even though version 3 has been out a couple years. But who argues with free? (But you do have to sign up to Microsoft's password thingy.) You can read reviews here and here. Here are some instructions. The 'help' function doesn't seem to work on the beta. I've used Expression 2 a lot. I draw my illustrations for teaching purposes with it. I find it works better than other tools just for making eye-catchy scribbles, which are more or less my 'never took drawing' signature style. (I'd send you to the website but it's down. Don't ask. But I've got a copy of the 'writings' site up on my .Mac site. You can see my Plato stuff, for example.) The department had me make a big banner, 1 meter by 2, for this open house thing. It was sort of fun and I made it in Expression, mostly. I've put an image under the fold. The guy who looks like he's wearing a pineapple is supposed to be Confucius.

Comments

[ben wolfson]

Don't disturb my squares!

[Kristy]

Oh yes, the banner was lovely, sir. I almost took it home :P

[jholbo]

Ha-HA! Now that banner file is backed up on three different machines again! You steal it I'll just make another!

[jholbo]

Don't know whether you know this, Ben, but 'don't disturb my circles' is still a common saying in Italian (if I recall what my Italian-speaking friend said. I wouldn't know how to say it, though. Woof, you told me about this?) You're a classics and Latin-type guy, Ben, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm preaching a sermon to Buddha (as they say - but I don't think the Italians do) in telling you what the descendants of Romans say.

Someone wants to change the channel and you are busy watching James Coburn as Serrano: don't disturb my circles. Very good line to have ready. On the other hand, it didn't really work for the inventor, did it?