The Squamidian Report – July 20 / 13
Issue #582
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
I haven't written anything computer related for quite a while now so its time to give it a go again. Actually, this is more of a software topic but most computer stuff is software related anyway. So, here's the thing, I've been a faithful user of Microsoft Office for well over 15 years. I'll qualify that by saying Òa faithful user on my MAIN machinesÓ. But now I've grown tired of the bloat and the slowness and the glitches. As you know, or should know if you've been paying any attention at all, is that I've been using the free, open source office programs such as OpenOffice.org on my other computers for years, with great results. OpenOffice.org is no longer in production. It has was replaced a while ago by LibreOffice, which is basically the same software but carried forward with new code and features. And, it is still open source and free. Like its predecessor, it is a fully functional, full featured, modern office suite. It does anything and everything the over-priced resource hog MS Office does, and more. It has no problem working with MS file formats, and many other file formats. Try that with MS Office. While it has its own proprietor file formats, it can be easily set to always use and save in MS format for easy sharing and backward compatibility. Many of the basic formatting and layout functions are easy to find and use, not buried under layers of sub menus.
I've been running LibreOffice on both my Linux setups and on a fairly new Windows laptop that was intended to replace 'The Wife's' desktop but hasn't yet. There is virtually no learning curve at all when switching between the office suites. Some minor resizing of document windows for existing files at most, thats about it. It doesn't matter whether its a word document of a spreadsheet or a presentation or database or whatever, its there and its free and it works. So, now I've installed LibreOffice on my main Mac system and I'm weening myself off of MS Office. Its sort of like breaking a useless habit, no reason to keep doing something and every reason to stop. In fact, this issue of the Squamidian has been written and put together using LibreOffice and I'd bet you can't even tell the difference.
*
Ok, I needed something else to write about as well, and I needed a nice 'day ride' on the bike for both me and the bike. The solitude of riding alone for several hours for me, and a good highway run though the mountains for the bike. So, the bike and I did a nice ride to Lillooet for lunch on Thursday, round trip just over 400 kilometers. For various reasons I couldn't get away as early as I'd have liked, but I was finally on the road by about 10, or shortly there after. The day was hot (west coast standards hot) and mostly sunny. Traffic was light except through Whistler. As I dropped down into Pemberton I could feel it getting quite a bit hotter, the further inland you get from the coast, the hotter it gets, and the mountain valleys can get quite toasty. I stopped to top up my gas tank and down a bottle of water and then headed for the Duffy. Thats what the section of Highway 99 from Pemberton to Lillooet is called. It is a high mountain road, narrow and winding and runs right past Duffy Lake. There are numerous ice fields and glaciers visible all year round and the vegetation changes as you climb out of the Pemberton Valley. You start the climb by Lillooet Lake where the whole end of the lake is now filled from the mud and rock debris that came down the Lillooet river a year or so ago when the Meager Creek slide took out a huge section of mountain side and wiped out the hot springs. According to the signs along the side of the highway, the climb is about 15 degrees for about 10 k. The climb has numerous tight steep switchbacks that require full attention. Something else that requires full attention are the tar snakes. The pavement is broken and cracked and the cheapest way to repair a remote section of highway is to just fill the cracks with tar, hence, tar snakes. Problem is, tar snakes, especially new ones, are incredibly slippery for 2-wheeled vehicles. Hitting a patch of fresh tar on a steep curve could very well be deadly, you try very hard to miss as many snakes as possible. You can't miss them all, and you can feel the front wheel slip every time you run over one. I was glad when I got past that section although I knew I'd have to run the gauntlet again on the way back down.
There are only a very few places along the whole 100 k of the Duffy that anyone can safely pas other vehicles. The drivers who use that highway regularly like to hoof it. The tourists etc tend to crawl along through some sections with white-knuckled grips on their steering wheels. Problem is, just like on the Sea To Sky, when they get to the passing areas, they tend to go like hell, blocking anyone trapped behind from getting past. Some motorhome drivers and bus drivers will actually realize they are blocking traffic and pull over. Many will not. Traffic on Thursday was light but there were a few vehicles crawling along with no intention of letting anyone by. Being on a bike does make it easier to scoot past and once ahead of the slow drivers, that highway is a dream to ride. Steep hills and tight twists, high mountain scenery. Thats what its all about. But don't get me wrong, I'm not a fast rider and certainly not the fastest vehicle on the road. I am aware when someone behind me wants past and I always let them by at the first safe opportunity. I ride faster than the slow traffic and slower than the fast traffic. That often gives me the whole road to myself.
Anyway, I had a very enjoyable crossing of the Duffy and rode into Lillooet. I've gone past Lillooet many times but had never actually gone into the little old railway town. It's kind of neat, like an old half-forgotten northern Ontario town in a western setting. Lillooet is on a high bench above the Fraser River. Getting there from the coast puts you right through the Coastal Mountains and into the sagebrush, dry and heat of the Interior. Its a really interesting place but wow was it hot there. Temps in the 40's are very common and its usually incredibly dry although I have ridding past in the rain more times than seems right. After a light lunch I mounted back up and headed back up onto the Duffy. The climb at that end is just as long and steep and twisty as the south end, and just as fun on a bike. Once back over the Duffy, I rode on through Pemberton and Whistler and got home in time for supper. A very enjoyable day ride. I didn't take any pictures. Picture taking seems to not be as popular as it had once been. Everyone, including me, have helmet cams that shoot video. I had my GoPro mounted on my helmet and took about 11 gig of video. It will take me a while to edit all of that down into a little 10 minute movie but once I get around to it and get it done, I'll post a link to it for your specific enjoyment.
doug
****
****
THE ONTARION
REPORT
Hello
everyone!
WOW! Has
it ever been a scortcher the past week! I gather itÕs
going to continue for a couple more days at least. They tell us itÕll be cooler
on the weekend so weÕll just have to wait and see! IÕve been working on a
project out in the garage over the past few days and I should be finished in
another day or two. ItÕs so hot even in the garage that IÕve had to have a
large fan blowing on me and venting the heat out the main door to be able to
stand working out there in this heat. I managed to tough it out though! Some
would say: ÒWhy work out there if itÕs so darned hot?Ó To which my answer is:
ÒBecause IÕd like to finish what I started, heat or no heat!Ó LOL! Just a tough
old buzzard I guess!
*
I guess
I havenÕt reported on the latest with our Bailey since his last time at the
University of Guelph! To fill you all in, heÕs been back over as you know to
have his original incision reopened and cleaned of the infection and had a
large cyst removed from his neck as well. Well, as it turns out when we took
him back over to have the stitches removed from both locations all went well
and the Doctor informed us that they did the tests on the lump from his neck
and the suspected cancer is totally clear! The cyst was just a benign lump that
was created by a blocked hair pore and it got infected from his scratching of
the site. SO, looks like heÕll be around for another few years! We made the
right decision having the surgeries done and Bailey is back to his old happy
self once again! The Drs at the U of G sent a report to us and also to our
regular Vet stating that after his surgery, Bailey is in very good health and
they predict heÕll live an extended life and they were happy to see that his
family didnÕt just give up on him!
WeÕre
happy that we didnÕt give up on him too! HeÕs back to his old self and itÕs
great to see that heÕs doing so well!
Although
I donÕt envy him having to wear that fur coat in this hot weather! LOL! HeÕs
lucky that he lives in an air conditioned home and by the way, so are we! LOL!
ThatÕs
it for this week folks!
Thanks
for tuning in and IÕll look forward to talking to you all again next week in
The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now É Greg
PS:
Something To Think About>
When you
receive an e-mail that sounds a bit fishy, check out the validity of the topic
on a site called Snopes.com it may just save you the embarrassment of having to
send out retractions after youÕve passed on that fishy information to others!
****
Have a good one..
the doug
The Fine Print!
The articles in these issues are the sole property of the persons writing them and should be respected as such.