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Thursday Night Open Thread: Non-Election Edition

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Jul 28, 2016 at 06:57:08 PM EST
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Windows 10 free upgrades end tomorrow. I've been dreading installing it on my office computer, because like everything these days, text is an afterthought to graphic icons and video. I have been using Windows 10 on my laptops for 6 months and I still waste far too much time trying to find things. I like text, not pictures. I rarely find the icons intuitive.

Here's the good news. This morning when I got the message "Your computer is ready to upgrade" and it told me all my files would be in the same place and I could switch back if I didn't like Windows 10, I took a deep breath and hit the "OK" button.

For a few hours I worked on documents while it was doing something in the background. Then I left and forgot about it. When I got back around 5 pm, there was a big message on the screen saying I was ready to go. The best part was it asked me if I wanted to use custom settings (like for Groove music and Windows photo program) and had a very small button to click that said "no, use my existing programs to open everything." So I clicked the very small button and lo and behold: My desktop looks just like it did in Windows 7, my photos open with Adobe Photoshop and my music and video is in iTunes. It also gave me the choice to turn off all the notifications to Microsoft and syncing apps and location services, which of course I chose to do. [More...]

If you upgrade, realize that the default settings are to share everything in with Microsoft and your other computers and devices and your location, so be sure to turn all that off if you don't want it.

For now I'm happy, and going to turn on the TV. Here's an open thread for all topics unrelated to the 2016 presidential election.

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    Thursday Night Open Thread: Non-Election Edition | 32 comments (32 topical)

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    Breaking: (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by jbindc on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 11:38:26 AM EST
    Appeals court strikes down NC voter ID law...

    nc lawmakers (none / 0) (#11)
    by linea on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 08:48:59 PM EST
    mostly lawyers i assume; have great difficulty authoring bills that make any sense. the bathroom bill and now this which resulted in a total slap from the judges reviewing.

    Parent
    It's (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by TrevorBolder on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 03:27:40 PM EST
    a world wide movement.

    U.S. politics and its voters are often insular and inward looking, but right now the same issues Americans care about are creating a firestorm in other parts of the world.
    By now, it's undeniable: America's frustration with political elites is upending party loyalty. And now, this phenomenon is taking on global proportions.

    http://tinyurl.com/h5576te

    A while back (none / 0) (#1)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 28, 2016 at 08:26:42 PM EST
    I decided to upgrade to 10.  I commented about it here.  Soon after I found out there is a problem, apparrently, with VGA to HDMI with Windows 10.  If I had known this I would never have switched because the main reason I have a desktop is to view NETFLIX and such on my TV.  It did not work.

    So I went back to 7.   I'll be staying there.

    FYI (none / 0) (#2)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 28, 2016 at 08:36:01 PM EST
    they talk about updating drivers to fix this.  

    I tried that.   And everything else I could find online.  Including ordering three different kinds of adapters.  Nothing ever worked.

    Just sayin.  Be aware.

    Parent

    Any other issues with 10? (none / 0) (#3)
    by McBain on Thu Jul 28, 2016 at 08:37:46 PM EST


    Parent
    Not for me (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Jul 28, 2016 at 08:49:35 PM EST
    But I only had it for a few days.  And like I said that's pretty much why I have a desktop.

    I liked it at first.

    Parent

    I upgraded a couple days ago (none / 0) (#12)
    by McBain on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 11:22:04 AM EST
    So far so good.  

    Parent
    OK, I just tried to open Neflix in Firefox and (none / 0) (#15)
    by McBain on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 08:17:09 PM EST
    Internet Explorer.  It won't let me sign in.  Did you have this problem or was it only when trying to view a film?

    Parent
    I could not get a picture (none / 0) (#16)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 08:31:58 PM EST
    On my HDTV .  At all.  The VGA-HDMI out put simply did not work.  It was a huge painintheass cause I had to keep going back and forth with the smaller computer monitor.

    I tried everthing, every workaround I could find on line,   There were several.   This could be because of the hardware?

    I just got a refurbished PC from Amazon.  But it's pretty new and has lots of memory and processing power.

    Shrug.

    Works fine with 7.

    Parent

    Adding (none / 0) (#17)
    by CaptHowdy on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 08:34:46 PM EST
    My TV at the time did not have a VGA input.  Since then I got a new be that does and moved the other to the bedroom.  So presumably it would work now since I would not need to convert to out put from VGA to HDMI.  

    I think I'm still staying with 7.  Not liking what I hear from J.

    Parent

    Hmm.... (none / 0) (#18)
    by McBain on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 09:45:12 PM EST
    I like the look of 10.  I think I can switch back to 7 before some time period.  I'll give it a few more days and see what else isn't compatible.

    Parent
    Apparently, the Netflix problem (none / 0) (#19)
    by McBain on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 12:04:04 PM EST
    was a temporary glitch that many people experienced last night.  Probably, not something to do with Windows 10.  But, for now, every time I have a problem I'm going suspect my new operating system.  

    Parent
    I agree with what J said (none / 0) (#20)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 03:15:43 PM EST
    About all the superfluous krap.  It was hard to find what I wanted because of all the nonsense I didn't care about.    

    Parent
    yes, the print to adobe pdf (none / 0) (#14)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Jul 30, 2016 at 03:54:39 PM EST
    won't work -- Windows 10 doesn't recognize the Adobe printer. And the Print to Microsoft pdf doesn't work. Even something simple like when you pay a bill online and want to print the receipt.

    I have Adobe 10 Professional on this computer. I've already shelled out $269 to put Adobe DC standard on one laptop (it's worthless, you can't redact (black out) or do OCR) and I'm paying $15 a month for Adobe DC Professional on another laptop (so I can redact and OCR scanned discovery) and I refuse to pay it again for this desktop.

    Supposedly, if you use the Microsoft Edge browser there's a way to print to PDF but reading the windows and adobe help forums, it doesn't seem to work.

    It takes forever to find anything on windows 10 -- there's no "my computer" button, just windows explorer.

    And I hate that programs are now called "apps" as if Wordperfect is the same thing as an online app like Twitter.

    I will probably go back to Windows 7 as soon as I back up all the files on an external hard drive. Windows 10 sucks as a work computer or if you are a private person that doesn't want to share things or get beeps and notifications.

    I want to see the C and D drives on my desktop, the programs and files in a tree-format, and none of Microsoft's baloney like Xbox and one drive and one note and whatever else it's pushing. I don't want my desktop in the cloud. I don't want to sync this machine with anything, I don't want to share my contacts.

    Even finding the calculator from Windows Accessories takes too long. Windows 10 gives you too little information about the important things you need to access and too much information about the inconsequential and its unwanted features.

    Parent

    Since Mariska Hargitay (none / 0) (#5)
    by jbindc on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 07:55:32 AM EST
    narrated the Joe Biden intro video, Joe's returning the favor.  He will make an appearance on "Law & Order: SVU"

    Vice President Joe Biden plans to carry his message against sexual assault onto a television episode of the hit series "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit."

    The vice president was scheduled to tape his appearance in New York Friday, according to his public schedule. He's seeking to advance his message on winnowing down the backlog of untested rape kits, and more broadly his efforts to end violence against women, the White House said.
    So very cool (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 04:05:27 PM EST
    We have 18 questions (and answers) about Matt Damon's Great Wall of China movie

    It's directed by legendary Chinese director Zhang Yimou. (After you're done here, go watch Hero And House of Flying Daggers. Trust us.)
    {and I would add A WOMAN A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP which is a remake/homage to the classic Coen brothers BLOOD SIMPLE and is btw shot in the same insanely beautiful multicolored striped hills you see in the opening shots of the trailer}
    But the studios are equally as interesting: Legendary Pictures is behind The Dark Knight trilogy and Gareth Edwards' Godzilla, and Le Vision Pictures is the movie studio arm of LeEco -- the company that just bought Vizio for $2 billion. And this is just the beginning: Le Vision alone has a slate of 20 English-language films it's working on

    TRAILER

    PS
    It also stars Oberyn Martel

    Looks like (none / 0) (#8)
    by ragebot on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 05:22:02 PM EST
    we may dodge this bullet, but it probably is not the last one.

    Coral Gables and Fishcamp I am looking at you.

    Uh oh, didn't see that this morning, (none / 0) (#9)
    by fishcamp on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 05:56:07 PM EST
    Now going to my various weather and hurricane sites.  Gotta get the generator going again.  Thanks ragebot.

    Parent
    Civilized Policing (none / 0) (#10)
    by Mr Natural on Fri Jul 29, 2016 at 06:11:26 PM EST
    in in a civilized country.

    PREACHER (none / 0) (#21)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 04:31:04 PM EST
    80 min season finale tonight.  I love this series.  Jessie has promised to bring God to the church for a personal appearance.  I'm there.

    AMC 8

    Tulip wants french fries. (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 09:11:45 PM EST


    Parent
    THAT WAS A HELLUVA FINALE (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 10:05:05 PM EST
    Season 2 is officially coming.

    I'm so there.

    Parent

    Meat Baby! (none / 0) (#28)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Mon Aug 01, 2016 at 08:12:14 AM EST


    Parent
    That guy is such a great actor (none / 0) (#29)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 01, 2016 at 08:39:17 AM EST
    From Fred Krueger to Rorschach in the Watchmen he is always the best.  He really shines in this.

    Also the mousey little assistant who feeds her boring boyfriend (the mayor) to the vampire.  That little speech to the kids was amazing.  I so hope they somehow survived the methane blast.

    And God was just......awsum.

    Parent

    The are currently (none / 0) (#22)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 04:32:13 PM EST
    Doing a marathon on AMC.  We are in (I believe) episode 6 of 10

    Parent
    VULTURE via MY Mag (none / 0) (#23)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 05:09:06 PM EST
    HOW SETH ROGEN TOOK AN EXTREMELY UN-PC COMIC AND MADE IT SAFE FOR TV

    Parent
    Not exactly what... (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 08:37:56 PM EST
    you'd expect from a stoner doofus like Rogen.

    Parent
    EXACTLY WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS!! (none / 0) (#24)
    by CaptHowdy on Sun Jul 31, 2016 at 06:30:12 PM EST
    A KING KONG REBOOT

    With Samuel L. Jackson and John Goodman.  From the same people who did the recent Godzilla reboot (which was AMAZING) and, oh, by the way.....

    Kong: Skull Island stomps into theaters on March 10, 2017. Legendary's monstrous slate also spans a Godzilla sequel in 2018, followed swiftly by the main event - Godzilla Vs. King Kong in 2020.

    Oh my god
    Oh my god
    Oh my god
    Etc

    If it half as good as the poster which looks like a lost work of Frank Frazetta it will be worth the price of admission

    TRAILER

    Hope you like it (none / 0) (#30)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Mon Aug 01, 2016 at 04:13:32 PM EST

    As for me, I'm a bit tired of perpetual remakes.

    Parent
    A reboot done well (none / 0) (#31)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 01, 2016 at 07:59:47 PM EST
    Like Godzilla.  Is not a remake.   also there is every reason to remake effects movies from before the age of CG effects.  Or in the case of Godzilla that had been butchered by the likes of Roland Emmerich.

    Are there a few to many remakes ans sequels, sure.

    Kong-Skull Iskand will not be one of them.  It's a reimagining and back history of the creature.  He will be 3 times as tall for the first movie as he has been in previous movies and is expected to be bigger than that (long story-Google) for the showdown with Godzilla who is 300 ft tall.  And is not an ape but a separate species.  You can tell in the trailer it's not an ape.

    Parent

    Gotta say (none / 0) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Aug 01, 2016 at 08:05:39 PM EST
    I love that quick shot in the trailer were the you think the dragon fly is a helicopter until it lights on a branch.

    These people have a great feel for the artful and the iconic.  There are some truly iconic shots in Godzilla.

    Parent

    Thursday Night Open Thread: Non-Election Edition | 32 comments (32 topical)

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