New Mac for the MUG

The MUG that I'm President of, finally decided to buy a new computer and more importantly what type to buy.

We decided to get a MacBook Pro and I picked it up last weekend. 

Got to unpack it and build it out on Sunday and did the now standard 'unboxing' ceremony complete with pictures. 

The pictures are here:  http://gallery.mac.com/applesbc#100008 .

 It sure is a nice machine though. I really like the new touch gestures on the larger trackpad. True that I haven't used them much yet, but we'll get used to them eventually.

This all means that we can now keep all the club documents in one place and have a decent machine for people to give presentations on, rather than limiting our presenters to those that have their own laptop, which is what has happened in the past.

More later.

It moved!

People that know me also know that we're pregnant. Expecting on September 2.

Anyway, last night I experienced the baby move! One of those monumental moments in any parents life.

Amazing.

More soon.

Ahh, Friday

Well today was supposed to be another 'layoff day', but it seems that the communication lines got crossed somehow. It didn't happen anyway.

It turns out that the heads of my company are meeting in one of our overseas offices and are determining what the company is going to look like going forward. We already know that whatever it looks like, it doesn't include the video editors and other post-production people that have already been let go (what do you mean, you haven't been following along?). But it waits to be seen as to what the rest of it looks like.

Am I worried? Yeah, a bit. Someone told me the other day that you shouldn't worry about the things you cannot change. And that you shouldn't worry about the other things either. So I'm trying to live by that right now.

Anyway, it's Friday. Went for a one beer lunch with my boss and a couple of his peers which turned into a three beer lunch. And beer time in the office is due to start in about an hour. And I'm leaving at 4 today to meet some friends for drinks. So it's kindof like a beer Friday for me.

More later.

Score one for our team!

I'm a Macintosh Administrator by trade. And I love it when I convince someone to switch.

This morning I was talking to one of our Project Managers, who was telling me the problems he was having with his StinkPad. I told him that he should switch to a Mac. He said that he would love to, but that the budget for his group wouldn't allow it. Well with the layoffs we've had lately, I just happen to have 5 Mac laptops sitting in my desk, depreciating and gathering dust, so I told him he could have one. I like how I'm so free with the company's money?

He checked with his Manager, and she said 'go for it'.

So I'm building it for him right now. Sweet.

Another good thing about this is that his Manager is having problems with her StinkPad too (umm, isn't everyone?), so he's put himself in the position of 'pilot' for Macs in the PM office. So when they all see how trouble-free it is, we'll be rolling more out, you can take that to the bank.

Check one more off the list Redmond.

More later.

Shutdown Day 2008

The second annual Shutdown Day is happening May 3 of this year. I honestly didn't know that there was a first annual, but whatever.

Anyway, I've signed up, and will shutdown my computer for the day. 

Problem is, it's Saturday so it's going to be tough. I've always got lots to do around the house anyway so I'll get over it. It's a strange feeling though, having no computer for the day. Just goes to show how much we've come to depend on them.

More soon.

What the hell is going on?

Yes, this all looks a bit odd doesn't i?

It's been a long time since I posted to blogger, since then I've been working with Wordpress at my own site (but not very much) and have realised that I really don't like how the wordpress editor doesn't work with Safari. So, given that I'm not changing from what I think is the best brower, period, my blog location had to change instead.

So here we are. I've included some of my more recent posts, but not everything.

More soon.

A good day? Maybe...

Some of my friends got let go from work today. We (actually, I, now) work (or worked) for a media company in downtown Vancouver. The company is ‘restructuring’ and ‘getting back to core values’ and this meant that the video editors that have been there for a long time, were no longer required.

I understand that it’s just business and as such I fully support the company. I agree that we should re-align ourselves with the core values and that in that case, these unfortunate people were surplus to requirements. But I feel so bad for them.

I guess I wouldn’t feel as bad if I too had been let go (yeah, no kidding, I’d just be worried sick about making mortgage payments) but I do feel really bad. But here I am anyway, still ‘with job’ and with job that I love too I might add.

Well, when I say here I am, I’m not actually working right now, I’m at my MUG. For those that don’t read this trash normally, I’m the President of the Vancouver Macintosh User Group (MUG). And tonight (actually, as I type this), we’re being treated to a great presentation from a member of the MAC BU which is the Macintosh Business Unit at Microsoft.

I like how Microsoft and Apple are able to still work together given there vast differences and the (in my opinion) very funny and pointed Mac vs PC ads currently running on TV. They try really hard to make Office look good and work really well on the Mac. And they’ve almost got it. They went through a lot of changes to Office for this new version and for the most part it’s great. Word takes a long time to load for me, but apparently this is a known issue and is being addressed by MS. So stay current with your patches.

Saw Sarah Silverman a few weeks ago, it was great to see her. I’m a huge fan of her comedy. The only disappointment I had with the show was that I had heard or seen more than half of the material that she did that night.

I’m going to see Rush and The Cure in May too. And now Oasis had added Vancouver dates in August. Tickets are expensive! But that’s not stopping me.

I’m buying a new computer from the MUG on the weekend. We’ve decided on a nice, shiny new 15″ MacBook Pro. So I’m going to have an ‘unboxing’ ceremony, complete with pictures which I’ll put up on the MUG web. I’ve unboxed a few Mac’s now and have never taken pictures, everyone should have at least one unboxing. Sounds rude, but it’s not. Well, it is if you want it to be anyway.

Tonight is also the big draw at the MUG. We’re raffling off $1500 in Apple hardware the winners choice). I have $200 in tickets and am going to buy a BlackBook if I win it. The BlackBook is for my Daughter in Calgary. She runs a PC right now and nobody deserves that!

More soon.