Slightly Off KIlter

Normal is overrated

  • Fair Use?

    PSA: Avoid cartoonstock.com. I thought use of a cartoon, with full attribution on an unpublicized personal page constituted "fair use". Cartoon Stock disagrees. Fair enough. But without first offering me a chance to take the cartoon down or pay for a license, they sent a threatening letter insisting on a "settlement penalty". My attempt to… Continue reading

  • People Leave Managers

    Axiom: People join companies, but leave managers We had dinner with a friend last night. She was feeling the relief that comes from having made, and accepted, a major decision. She's giving notice at her job on Monday. Her manager has been creating a hostile work environment. It probably would not be considered "hostile" in… Continue reading

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  • Quake?

    The best place to be in an earthquake is where you can say "What was that?" — Rick & Ruby, 1970s comedy group I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since Sept. 1984. I've noticed several small earthquakes and one large (the Loma Prieta, in 1989). Earthquakes are "normal" here. Buildings are designed… Continue reading

  • Brass

    I love brass music. From 4th through 12th grade, I played the cornet in school. I stopped playing when I graduated from High School, but I love the sound of brass instruments, trumpets and cornets in particular. Rich and I have been going to a lot of guitar showcases, house concerts, larger concerts, over the… Continue reading

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  • Looking for Coffee in All The Right Places

    We occasionally drive up into the North Bay Area (Marin and Sonoma counties) for a concert or some other entertainment. On the way up, we typically get a coffee drink for the trip before heading north. On the way back home, we'd like to do the same; however, our options are more limited in the… Continue reading

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  • Mac Cannot Connect to Messages

    Following a communications SNAFU the other day (I was not logged into Skype), I decided to set up Messages on Spouse's Macbook Air, so we'd have a guaranteed way to communicate Mac to Mac. His Macbook is running 10.9; how hard could it be? Answer: surprisingly difficult. Although he regularly connects to iTunes (no issues… Continue reading

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  • Loma Prieta – Remembering 1989

    October 17, 1989. 17:04 Pacific time. 25 years ago. I was on CA 85, having left work (at Apple, in Cupertino), heading north to pick up hubby Rich where he was working in Mountain View. The car bucked; I pulled over, thinking I had a blown tire. A lot of cars pulled over. Hmmmm. At… Continue reading

  • Hello Ello

    I recently joined Ello. It's still in Beta, by invitation, but gaining users (and features). I'm enjoying it. I especially like the mix of Twitter-like discovery and non-reciprocal following with FB-style conversation threads. Most of the early users of Ello are designers, artists, photographers and writers. It has a very creative feeling. Every time I… Continue reading

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  • Macbook Air does not wake from sleep as expected

    Recently, I discovered that my 13-inch, Mid 2011 Macbook Air was not waking from sleep as expected when I opened the cover, even if I tapped the spacebar. I needed to press the power key. This was annoying because if the power key is held down too long, the laptop restarts. Ugh. Continue reading

  • My Brain on EEG

    (Originally posted in Slightly Off Kilter on July 19, 2014) I’m a Science Geek. I’ve loved Science, of all kinds, for as long as I can remember. In College, I discovered Psychology and participated in as many Psych labs as I could, whether for extra credit or not. I also love learning about how the… Continue reading

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