Computer nonsense

Two words: Vista stinks. Hubby has a new laptop with Windows Vista, and aside from the onboard diagnostic tools, I can't think of anything nice to say about it.

It bears mentioning that I am not a gamer. I play the occasional game on the computer, but they are mostly of the pinball/rollercoaster tycoon types that have little in the way of combat or need for networking with other users. I generally use my computer for writing and surfing the Net. I use it for e-mail and watching old Duran Duran videos on YouTube.

When I got my new computer at work in 2005, I upgraded from 98 to XP. Although I really liked 98, XP is a good OS for my needs. Notice, I said "my needs." Other tech-heads and geeks may scoff at this idea. And for their needs, XP may not be the best thing. But it works nicely for me.

I like important features to be in the same places when I want them. Vista scatters them all over creation. As a matter of fact, I like having stability so well, that when I got my new computer, I changed all the display settings to the "Classic Windows" version. That way, I know where everything is and it looks like how it is supposed to look. I griped in an earlier blog about XP's cartoonish graphics, but even those are better than the tiny little icons on Vista. At least the user could see the cartoons!

Man, the ganja in the Microsoft offices in Seattle must be going from "Maui Wowee" to "Toledo Window Box." Those dudes are trippin', and not in a good way. For the Home Basic version of Vista, are all the security precautions REALLY that necessary? Having to click on an authorization box every 5 minutes is a productivity killer.

I read in the techie mags that the reason for all this is that MS is trying to copy the best of the MAC OS. Trouble is, I don't like Macs. I own a PC because I like PCs. I've used Macs and find them frustrating beyond words. Some people I know have called the OS "elegant." I call it "clunky." Macs are just not my favorites.

My advice to the gadget gurus in Seattle is to allow users to configure their own OS. WOW! What a concept! Without a bit of programming knowledge, we could shop for what we want. MS could offer the basic Windows, and users could then choose what features they wanted. Don't need the graphic-intensive features of Vista? Don't install it! You like the "Classic" visuals from Windows? Install them! Want a "widgets" option? Just click the box. I mean, who am I buying my computer for? Am I buying it for other gamers? People in my office? Bill Gates himself? No, friends and neighbors, I'm buying MY computer for MY use, and to meet MY individual needs! So, there are bound to be features on Vista I neither need nor want, nor do I even care about them. Call a make-your-own OS Windows Buffet, Windows Cafeteria, Do It Yourself Windows. I don't care. But it should be more open platform for 2 reasons: I might want to play older games, and second, having to upgrade software so frequently is for the birds. It goes from being good old-fashioned capitalism to being little short of coercion.

So Bill, listen up. Your new OS stinks. It's ugly. It's inefficient. I don't like it and MS laid a great big egg with this OS. Spruce up XP some more and allow us ordinary computer users to work in peace and stability!

Future revgal?

A revgal, for those who are not in the know (as I wasn't a week ago), is a woman who has a vocation in the ministry. From the blogs I've seen, these vocations can range from minister to Catholic sister.
Well, much as I hate to admit it, I'm discerning that very vocation, myself. Minister of some kind, that is. I like preachers, and have no objection to women in the ministry--I just never thought I'd be one of them. In fact, I proclaimed vehemently to my parents when my sister went to seminary that I. Was. --NOT-- called to the ministry. I was going to teach college English. And I may yet. I don't know.
I talked to my pastor about it, after having the Lord poke me several times with various things, including a posting for a scholarship specifically for women over 35 who are considering a second career. I don't know if that would exactly fit me, since I never got my first career off the ground--I've just been working at the same place for 14 years.
A week ago, I went to a conference on church growth, and in looking for some feedback on that conference, ran into a blog by a woman pastor in this area. I left a comment on her blog, she left a comment here, I e-mailed her, and she said I could join the revgal ring if I wanted to. Sometimes, the Lord's sense of humor is downright mean.
There are things that don't excite me about pastoral ministry. I don't know that I could sit with parishoners at the deathbed of a loved one. Hospitals depress me and make me nervous. I admire those souls who are hospital chaplains. They are true angels of mercy.
I feel like I'm too blunt and opinionated to be very diplomatic with some difficult people. It's generally acknowledged in my family that if you don't want to know what I think, don't ask me, because I will absolutely tell you. Perhaps not in the terms I would have told you 20 years ago, but clearly and with emphasis. My dear hubby is the same way.
There are other aspects of my personality I don't feel are very compatible with pastoral ministry. I just don't know exactly what else the Lord might have in mind for me. Sometimes, I do wish His habit was to send me a note in the mailbox! E-mail, maybe? IM? It would help.
On cold days like today, it would be nice to have an appointment to the Tahiti Conference. No luck there, either.
So, I pray, I discern, I go to work in the media jungle every day. Just a-waitin' on the Lord.