technology

None Technological.

2010-10-02T16:57:00.003+01:00

Dear Readers,
I am cheating a little this time.This is really nothing to do with my computer progress, more to do with my lack of writing over the past few weeks. It is also a simple way to let all my friends know why I have been almost incommunicado since the middle of August.
On the 14th August, a Saturday,I was walking from my living room into the kitchen and the carpet seemed damp beneath my feet. I thought at first maybe I had spilled a coffee or something similar, but I could not recall doing so. On Sunday morning there was a wet patch on the carpet and it was stained. On lifting the carpet I found the chipboard flooring was soaking wet. Not knowing where the water had come from, I decided the best thing was contact my insurance company as early as possible. This I did first thing Monday morning. They advised me to contact a builder or plumber who arrived within half an hour. He ripped up four sections of flooring about two feet square and found 1/2 an inch of water under the polystyrene insulation. We eventually traced the water source to a leak from the bathroom toilet cistern. I immediately
informed the insurance company who said they would send round an assessor. He came on the Wednesday morning, the 18th. He found water under the flooring in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, hall and both bedrooms. He also took a sample of tiling from the kitchen to test for asbestos before any work could be done.He sent them to a laboratory on the Thursday, the results (Negative) coming back on Monday 23rdAugust. On the Monday afternoon I had a visit from a drying company who installed a dehumidifier. The remainder of the week I was telephoning the insurance company and their various agents before I was contacted by a storage firm on the Thursday who arranged to pack all my worldly possessions the following Tuesday.On the 31st two storage company staff arrived and started packing my belongings. I will give them credit, they were highly efficient and very thorough.On Thursday 2nd September the last of my goods were taken from the house. After almost continuous phoning, on 21st Sept,a joiner arrived to rip out the flooring from kitchen, living room. bathroom, hall and both bedrooms. On 27th a plumber arrives and rips out bath,toilet, and cistern. On 28th and 29th I had another plumber and a carpenter come to take out the vanity unit in the bathroom, all kitchen cupboards, sink unit and oven also the hot water tank. Friday 1st October I had dryers and dehumidifiers installed.
I have been living at my youngest daughters since 31st August, spoilt rotten, but still not the same as being at home. I have been frightened to go anywhere or do anything in case anyone tried to contact me. I have had no inclination to do anything or write blogs, emails or anything for six weeks now.
Technology does rear its ugly head, but apparently not in simple household disasters.Hopefully now things have started to happen I will feel more inclined to spend more time on the computer. If this blog sounds as though I'm slightly depressed or down in the dumps, believe me, that's not the half of it.I could spit feathers. Until next time, hopefully in a better mood. Dinosaurdoug.

Proofreading.

2010-08-14T14:56:00.003+01:00

Hello Readers,
After a space of three weeks I'm back. I wrote recently of Tom's efforts to teach us something about Excel and Words. With a little bit of hard work on both our parts, something has gradually sunk in. My youngest son who lives in Germany, periodically sends me copies of brochures in English and German and asks me to proof read and check for mistakes. I do occasionally find some minor errors, and previously I have noted these on a piece of paper, and when I have finished reading, have written an Email listing my findings. This has been very time consuming, and left room for more errors. Thanks to Tom I can now go over to Excel and with the help of the REVIEW tab I can make notes on the original copy immediately, and post them straight back to Germany. I know it's bolting the stable door after the horse has fled, but I wish I had taken up computers years ago. At long last I am finding more and more how useful they are. I am beginning to feel a minor sense of achievement as the weeks go by.I am still communicating over MSN with my daughter in America every Sunday and enjoying it. Seeing the great grandchildren is an added bonus. I advise anyone slightly interested to take up the challenge and have a go. I am also browsing a lot more than previously and finding so many things of interest on the net. I'm just going to browse now. Instead of watching the gogglebox I'm going to watch the googlebox for a change.Until the next Blog, Take care. Dinosaurdoug.

Deviation.

2010-07-23T12:11:00.003+01:00

Hello again Readers,
I'm back into circulation once again. I've just had a quick scan over my last couple of entries, and I must apologise for deviating from my original title of Technology. I think my holiday in the States must have given me a touch of sunstroke or something, because the last couple of entries reads more like pages from Facebook, or my personal diary than to do with the learning process. I will attempt to return to the original theme now.
Since returning from my holiday, school was closed for a couple of weeks due to holidays, cleaning and refurbishment etc, so the learning lapsed.
Before I went on holiday, Tom introduced us to Microsoft Word 2007, and then I was away for nearly a month during which time no schoolwork was done by me whatsoever. On my return we were given handouts and allowed to work through them at our own pace. Tom was missing for a couple of weeks due to other commitments so I struggled on alone, finding it sometimes rather difficult. He did however turn up again on Wednesday and things returned to normal. Wednesday he spent the whole morning revising the Office pages, and without doubt it was the best and most interesting morning we've had for a long time. So many things we had forgotten were brought back to mind, and so many other new things were learnt. At lunchtime we all went home in a happy frame of mind and feeling as though we had accomplished something. It was a great day. I don't know if it's just me, or some of my classmates feel the same way, but sometimes I feel almost despondent because of the lack of absorption. I suppose some of it sticks, but it never feels enough.
I did use the net this week though, to look for a new telephone. There was a power cut last Friday, and when the current was switched on again there must have been a surge or something, because it blew my phone. It went completely haywire and there was nothing I could do with it. As I've said before, modern technology is good, but it has its drawbacks. At least on the internet I was able to compare the various products and their prices without having to traipse round the shops for information. Technology does have its pro's and cons as I am gradually finding out. The deeper I go into it, the more I am finding myself in favour. Time now for Emails, so until the next instalment, keep on trucking. Dinosaurdoug.

Amendments.

2010-06-17T14:22:00.003+01:00

Hi Readers,
Sorry about the formation of Tuesdays Blog, but I tried to copy it from an Email I sent earlier in the day, and I'm afraid the spacings didn't line up. Something else I will have to talk to Tom about. I realise more than ever, the more I learn,the less I know. There is a long, long way before I reach the end of the road. I shall have to buckle down now I'm home again, and get the nose down to the grindstone. Regards, Dinosaurdoug.
P.S. For the uninitiated, Dummheiten means stupidity, or stupid actions. Having read the Blog, self explanatory.

Dummheiten and firsts.

2010-06-15T09:35:00.002+01:00

DOUGS DUMMHEITEN and First Times.
As many of you will know, I have just returned from a three week
holiday in the U.S. I havent't seen daughter Anne and son in law Bob
since Christmas 1995, so as you can imagine it was quite an eventful
trip. For the uninitiated she lives about 12 miles from Deer River
(Pop 903), set on Federal Highway 2, almost halfway between Wisconsin
and North Dakota, and about 90 miles from the Canadian border. As you
can see, not exactly a thriving metropolis, and to get anywhere one
has to drive.

I was picked up in Twin Cities on the Friday night and delivered
safely home. Saturday we discussed what would happen whilst there,
and I said if I could borrow one of the family cars, I would like to
visit an old friend from my Iranian days who was summering in
Wisconsin. Anne thought it was a long way for a young lad like me to
travel on my own and offered to drive me there. I said it was only
about 400 miles, so a quick check on Yahoo travel search, showed 393
miles. After much deliberation, it was finally agreed that I'd be
allowed out on my own. On the Tuesday I set out bright and early,
having had my first lesson in the use of GPS, or Sat Nav as we call
it. Having mastered it, I was gaining confidence in modern technology
and having travelled through mist, drizzle, heavy rain, sunshine and
then in Duluth, thick fog with visibility down to about 20 yards I
had complete trust in it. Before leaving, Bob warned me to watch out
for roadkill. On the journey I saw two squashed skunks, two run over
racoons, about twenty dead deer and about thirty commercial tyre
carcasses scattering the highway. The Sat Nav was a detachable one, so
it lay on the passenger seat and I couldn't see the screen and only
listened to the spoken directions, which to my mind was quite
satisfactory. Arriving at Wisconsin Dells about 20 miles before my
destination I had a near miss. The Dells is a cross between a
miniature Las Vegas and Blackpool. All amusement arcades, casinos,
water slides funfair attractions, roller coasters, even lake trips in
ex army DUKWS. It is extremely busy. I was on the main street (Max
25 mph) doing about 20 mph when from the right, about three yards in
front of me shot a deer doing a high rate of knots. A school bus on
my left also managed to avoid it, and I believe the two lanes of
oncoming traffic also avoided it. One lucky little animal.
I arrived at my pals in good order, and had a couple of wonderful
days, eating, drinking and reminiscing. I left early on the Friday
morning to avoid traffic and set off for home. After a couple of
hours, and just over a hundred miles I reached a little place called
York. The name sounding familiar, I thought it would be a good place
to stop, have a snack and tank up. Horror of horrors, I realised I had
left my jacket complete with credit cards in my mates wardrobe. I
could have spit feathers. Having to return to his place stuck over
200 miles and four hours on my journey back. It is said stupidity must
be paid for, and I certainly paid that day, with over 600 miles and 12
hours travelling. Good job I didn't have a Tacho.That was stupid act
No 1.

My youngest granddaughter graduated with honours from high school on
6th June, so a large house party was in order. It was also one of my
great granddaughters fifth birthday, so we had quite a houseful. It
was also another first for me. I met my ten American great
grandchildren for the very first time. I will admit a few tears were
shed on both sides.

Stupid act No2 came after my arrival back in England. After an
uneventful flight I arrived back in Heathrow and took a hopper bus
back to the hotel. Sleeping on my feet, I got off the bus and went to
enter the hotel foyer. Walking through bright sunlight into the dim
foyer I walked straight into a glass door breaking my specs. I'm
beginning to think the kids may be right when they say I'm not fit to
be let out on my own. If anyone would like an unabridged version, I'll
only be too happy to continue whenever we meet.

Doug.

Crazy car crashes

2010-05-11T11:43:00.000+01:00

Photostitch.

2010-05-11T11:28:00.002+01:00

Hi Readers, Today I'm writing my short Blog during lesson time. This morning we learnt how to stitch photo's together to make a panoramic view from a series of still photo's. Extremely clever. The remainder of the class are at the moment leaning how to create a Blog. Being a Smart A!!! and having having learnt this last year, I am now going to find out how to add photo's to my existing Blog, add scenes, videos etc. Tom also wants me to incorporate my Blog with the Link Trusts Blog. I don't know how this will work, or even work out. Being a gambler I am going to give it a whirl. Oh Oh, time to start listening again, playtimes over. Till next time, Dinosaurdoug.

Educational visit.

2010-04-27T20:01:00.002+01:00

Hi Readers,

Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to be invited to a day out to the Multi Media Museum in Bradford. It was a very successful and interesting trip. The museum covers everything from old time cameras to the latest in modern day television technology, filming and 3D projection. There are so many things computer controlled in these modern days I would imagine it is impossible for any one person to comprehend, let alone master it all. If you get the opportunity to go there, it is well worth a visit.

I am still pressing on with my weekly tuition, even though it is still a bit slow to sink in. I do however feel a lot more confident than I did last year, even giving my youngest son and his partner some instruction on the uses of the computer and it's free advantages. Today at school we learned how to clean away some of the stored rubbish that is no longer used or needed enabling the computer to work faster and more efficiently. I am just in the process of doing that now, hopefully effectively. I am still spending a couple of hours every Sunday night speaking over MSN on the webcam to my daughter in America and still getting the same buzz as the first time I managed it. I must confess , I am now a confirmed addict, which at one time I would have said was impossible. A few more jokes to send, and then bedtime, school tomorrow. Goodnight all, until next time. Dinosaurdoug

Phoenix Night..

2010-04-10T23:24:00.002+01:00

Hi Readers,

I'm back in business. I have been out of circulation for quite a while due to a couple of Trojans working their way onto my computer. For the uninitiated like me , a Trojan is like a virus, only more so. Thanks to a friend of mine, who now is more than a friend, but a life saver, I am back in the world of telecommunications. He worked on my box of tricks for a couple of weeks, almost every night to clear all the rubbish that was fouling it up, and finally got it working in some sort of order so that I can again send and receive messages.

I never realised a year ago that it was possible to become so addicted and dependant on a piece of electronic equipment.

I feel as though I have made progress over the past twelve months, even if it's not as fast as I would have liked. I must hold my hands up and admit I am becoming addicted. There isn't a day goes by without me switching it on to see if any one of my friends has tried to contact me. Having friends and relatives in Germany, America, Spain and New Zealand, I shudder to think how much it would cost me in phone calls. There is also the beauty of being able to see some of them, as well as just speaking to them.

I have had no lessons for the past two weeks due to the school holidays. Three more days, and it's back to the discipline of the classroom, and try to remember what was taught before we broke off. I will admit it is not easy to start a new enterprise when one gets a little more senior in life, but for anyone who fancies it, I say go for it. You won't regret it. It's bedtime now, and I definitely need my beauty sleep, so Goodnight All. Take care, Dinosaurdoug.

Tonight.

2010-03-04T23:36:00.002Z

Hi Readers,

I know this is only a short while after writing my last blog, but I saw something interesting on the Tele tonight which I think deserves sharing with you all. I watched "Tonight" at 7.30 on ITV. It was about the number of the UK public who have no knowledge, or interest in the use of computers and the internet. I must own up to being one of multitude mentioned. Last year I had no interest in computers, or modern technology, but thanks to the persistent nagging of my number two daughter, I am now one of the growing number of so called "Silver Surfers". I am still finding it hard work, but the interest is still very much alive, and I am slowly improving. If you are interested in the programme you will find it on the internet at . It makes good watching.

Since having my computer sorted out I feel a lot more in touch with the world. I spoke to my daughter in America on Sunday, also my oldest granddaughter on webcam, and saw one of my younger great grandsons for the first time. There is no doubt about it, webcams are a wonderful invention.

Yesterday at school we started delving into voice and speech control of the computer. This is really one of the modern techniques, and my mind boggles at future possibilities in technology.It certainly is a long way from smoke signals and semaphore. That's it for now folks.Goodnight and keep at it. Dinosaurdoug.

Phoenix Night..

2010-02-28T18:10:00.004Z

Hello Readers,
I think this episodes title is most apt. I have been out of commission for six weeks now, and I feel as though I am rising from the ashes. As I said in my last blog, I was suffering from various viruses, and they increased in number and severity. It got that bad that I was getting a pop up window saying it was closing down in 60 seconds, and that was what would happen. It would stay shut down for three or four minutes, and sometimes open up on its own again. Sometimes not. Everything I had written would be lost, which was infuriating to say the least. A friend of mine took it away and worked on it with a little success. He took it for a second time for almost a fortnight, borrowed a disc from my number one daughter and started it up from scratch again, and I believe I will get the final proof of success when I MSN my daughter in America tonight.Thank you Alan once again for the time and trouble you spent on my behalf.
Back to school.We missed a week because of school half term, but last week we started on Power Point. I found this very interesting. Whether I shall ever use it or not I don't know, but for anyone having to use a computer in a professional theatre I would think it to be of great value. You must realise I am only learning computer use for my own interest and amusement, not to earn a living. I am however, at least in my own opinion getting better at the everyday usage and feel of it.
A couple of weeks ago I made my first purchase over the internet. I bought a used dictionary from Amazon. I ordered it on the Tuesday and received it through the post on the Friday. No complaint there. I have an awful lot of Emails to catch up on due to being out of action so long so I will close off now until I have more time. Keep trying, wishing you all the utmost success. Dinosaurdoug.

Starting the New Year right.

2010-01-14T22:54:00.002Z

I would like to wish all my readers a Happy New Year and update them on my progress. Over the Christmas holiday period I hardly touched my computer because of a large number of virus threats, and a slowing down of all operations. It was taking up to two minutes to get a response from the mouse, and I just got fed up with the delays. Luckily one of my granddaughters has a husband who is quite computer literate and he came round and eliminated most of the threats which were present, so the machine is alomost working at its normal speed now.
Classes started on Tuesday again, and as normal I was first in the queue. I felt a little guilty starting at the beginning again, especially as there was a full classroom, but as the morning wore on I felt quite happy as everything Tom spoke about I had remembered from last years lessons. We covered parts of the computer, how to switch on and off, how to go onto the internet, search the maps for various locations, street views and how to find personalities on the net. I had a young lady sitting next to me who was a complete beginner, and I was able to assist her in some of the operations, and to be honest it made me realise I am not quite as thick as I thought I was. It gave me a feeling of satisfaction being able to help someone else. I suppose that's how a supply teacher must feel. Satisfaction and achievement.
Over the next few weeks I shall have to spend more time on AVG and cleaning the computer.
On Wednesday we learnt about EXCEL and how to make a spreadsheet. Very interesting. As usual, on Sunday night I spoke to my daughter in America on MSN Live using the webcam. I was in contact for nearly two hours. I wonder what that would have cost in phone bills. The internet certainly has its uses. This month I have six birthdays in the family, so some of them are sure to receive Email cards. That's it for now folks. Take care and keep on trying.Dinosaurdoug.

End of year.

2009-12-27T13:18:00.002Z

Hi readers,
I have a few spare moments after Christmas, so I'll write a couple of lines to finish the year off. This has been an eventful year as far as computing goes, because way back in April I had only seen a computer in passing, never mind touched one, or let alone trying to operate one.
I know I have been extremely impatient with myself at times. I don't know if that is a sign of ageing, or frustration or whatever, but so many times I have felt like throwing the towel in and going back to pencil and paper. That I have persevered,is due to Tom, my instructor. Without his help, perseverance and patience, good tuition and encouragement I would have jacked it in long ago. I would at this time like to thank Tom for all his hard work over the past few months, and hoping I don't embarrass him I would like to say a big THANK YOU.
There are so many things I am now capable of doing alone that I wouldn't have dreamed possible a short while ago. I have reached the stage where C A T and D O G are no problem now, next year I hope to go on to proper joined up writing. To anyone thinking of becoming a computer nerd, I say go for it. Easy it is definitely not, but the results are well worth while. To all budding Technology apprentices put your nose to the grindstone and have a go. I would like to wish all my readers a Happy and Prosperous New Year. Until the next time, all best wishes Dinosaurdoug.

Apologies.

2009-12-13T22:45:00.002Z

Hello Readers,
I must apologise for my absence over the past few weeks, but no classes and a lot of private business are to blame.
We had a couple of very interesting and informative lessons last week though. We learnt how to upgrade our AVG security, and help to make out computers safer. I am pleased to say this went into my noddle and stayed there for once.
We also learnt about .This is a method of recording the picture on your screen and being able to forward it in an Email to someone else, so they may offer advice on something you may be having difficulties with. I found this extremely interesting, and in my case very useful. Regrettably this wasn't absorbed as well as AVG. The key to learning is constant practise and repetition which isn't always easy or practical. I know now I should have learnt computer use 70 years ago, alas we were still using smoke signals and semaphore then. I shall just have to keep my nose to the grindstone and practise whenever I have the opportunity. Until next time, Regards from Dinosaur Doug, and in case I don't manage another page before Christmas, I wish all out there a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
I have just had a look on Preview at what I have written, and the same has happened as in one of my previous blogs. A trade name has not appeared. I will try spelling it.The word is S C R E E N T O A S T E R. Hurrah, it worked. I must be doing something right at last. It is said a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. I must be Public Enemy No1, because I certainly have little knowledge. Fare thee all well.

Almost caught up.

2009-11-25T20:55:00.002Z

Hi Readers,
Today we had a full classroom. Three additional young ladies turned up and filled the classroom to its capacity, meaning there was a shortage of computers available for use. It worked out pretty well though, it just meant Tom multitasking.
The first thing Tom introduced us to, was 123 Greeting cards. Hurrah, having been using them for a few months now, I was well within my comfort zone. I did learn a little more however, which I will find very useful in the future.
The next thing he taught us, or in my case tried to teach, was making our own greeting cards. I just could not get the hang of it. As he explained it to us, it appeared so simple. Leaving us to our own devices I found it a little more difficult. As I have said many times previously "Works well under supervision." There are occasions when I get so despondent I could tear paper. All I can do is sit back, take it easy and keep trying. Luckily I reckon I'll be able to find time this weekend to have a bit of practise.
We had a Digital Competence Certificate test last week which I apparently successfully completed. Be thankful for small mercies. I still haven't got the hang of all this technical jargon. Why can't computer speak be put into plain English? I find understanding the questions more difficult than answering them.
Mo has asked me to be one of her friends on Facebook, but with the utmost diplomacy I had to refuse. The grandkids have been trying for months to get me on their Facebook pages but without success. I have enough problems making a fool of myself on my Blog without broadcasting my ignorance far and wide on other peoples pages. That's it for now. Back to the grindstone for another hour. Take care everyone and keep trying. Dinosaurdoug.

Catch up time.

2009-11-14T15:10:00.003Z

Hi readers,
I must apologise for being a little lax over the past couple of weeks, but personal matters took precedence. To start with, at the end of October I reached my seventy severalth birthday. As you can imagine it was a small celebration for me. On the Thursday,my youngest daughter and eldest daughter and her husband and I went for a Chinese meal, plus a couple of bevvies. On Friday morning my doorbell rang, and there stood my youngest son and better half from Germany, with a handwritten sign wishing me a Happy Birthday. Friday night bevvies were again in order. On Saturday night my youngest daughter had arranged a surprise party in my local for me and a friend who was eighty seven on the day after me. Newcastle Brown shares certainly rose that week.
On the following Friday I flew to Germany for six days to attend my late brother-in-laws funeral, returning late on Wednesday night. Apart from checking Emails, this is the first time I have touched the computer since I came back.
I did however manage to book my flight, and arrange car parking at the airport over the internet, proving that technology in this modern age does have it's uses. I suppose I must be a little proud of what I have achieved since April.
My real problem I think is impatience, I believe I want to run before I can walk. Whenever I think I've cracked it, the machine takes me down a peg or two. I haven't really learned anything in the past few weeks, but I have been practising what I do know.
If you can remember,I wrote a long time ago patience and practise are important. How true that was. Maybe now I'm home again I can settle down and get back to normal. I am certainly looking forward to next weeks lessons.
I would like to thank all Blog readers for their kind and heartening comments, they certainly give me inspiration and the will to carry on. There are times when I feel despondent and more like throwing it into touch than carrying on, but with so many people wishing me well, that would be unthinkable. Hoping I will find a bit more time in the near future all I can say in closing is "KEEP AT IT". Dinosaur Doug.

Fear and trepidation.

2009-10-22T16:45:00.003+01:00

Having no class today, I thought I would catch up on my now beloved Blog.
Yesterday, arriving for lessons, we were all given a warm welcome by Tom, with the words " This morning we're going to have an exam ".
Immediately panic started to set in. When seeing the test paper for the first time, I started thinking how difficult it appeared.
It is many years since I last sat an exam, but I remember being told to read the paper properly first. First I has difficulty reading the esoteric language and understanding the technical jargon. Going back a long way, we used to say BBB. This stood for Bulls**t Baffles Brains. I then realized that this is what it was all about. A simple matter of understanding the questions. Once I understood what was requred I found it relatively easy. I can't have been the only one because everyone passed.
At home I have been preparing an article for our local I.A.M. newsletter. On advice given, I wrote it on word processer and not in Email format, and sent it off as an attachment. I even managed to copy and post a photograph.
I sent my daughter a copy of the Email, and she returned it to me, but for some reason it has not appeared on my Inmail. That is a question for Tom at the next class. Why. That's all for now folks. Until next time. Dinosaur doug.

Sensibility.

2009-10-09T11:18:00.000+01:00

Dear Blog Readers,
Once again I'm about to post a bit more rubbish on the ether. I haven't made a lot of progress this week, but I did learn how to correct some of my mistakes by CUT @ PASTE. That was a whole new experience, and I saw how I could save a lot of time and effort instead of having to rewrite complete paragraphs.
I would at this stage like to thank my avid readers for their kind and complimentary comments. It makes nice reading and gives me heart to continue at the computer keyboard. I must admit at this stage I don't really deserve all the compliments I have received, as most of the work was ghosted or prompted by Tom, and the handouts from Casey who has been a godsend overe the past couple of weeks.
I did receive an offer last weekend to write another Blog, but I don't feel confident enough yet to do it commercially. I shall just keep throwing this page together until I run out of steam or ideas.
My greatgrandkids thought my dancing superb, and it really tickled their fancy, but as my title suggests, it's time I settled down and got back to serious work. The agenda for the next few days will be shortcuts, and anything else I can assimilate.
Take care, and have a nice day. Dinosaurdoug.

Mad Half Hour.Part 3.

2009-10-01T16:04:00.000+01:00

Hello Readers,
The past two days have been more than hectic to say the least. Yesterday was extremely interesting. Tom split the class into two groups and gave us different tasks to complete. My group was on photoshoot. We had a photo posted onto the computer,and then we set about altering it. Different sizes, shapes, colours, frames highlighting etc. We then cut off all the rough edges from around the portrait itself, similar to using an eraser on a pencil drawing and picked various backgrounds to set off the picture. I hope later to give you an example.Don't ask how it is done, I cannot remember things like that overnight. At the time all works well, and suddenly it's gone. Like they said in the army "Works well under supervision". It seems such a lot to assimilate in such a short lesson. As I have said on numerous occasions earlier, the main thing is practise and keep practising until perfect.
Today we went over JibJab again as you will already have seen. I'm a sucker for punishment. It is good for a laugh though, and the grand children and great grandchildren will find it highly amusing. We also started making our own greeting cards. Again it seems highly technical, but under supervision it's not too bad. On Thursdays there are only four of us so Tom can spend a little more time on individual training. It definitely helps.
I shall have to get more practise in this weekend if I can, Tomorrow my youngest granddaughter in the U.K. has her 30th Birthday party, so I suppose I can write Saturday off as a lost day. It's time I had a night out though, but if I ask her enough questions while I'm there I can always put it down as training time. Take care readers, Nulli Desperandum Carborundum. Dinosaur Doug.

Mad Half Hour Part 2.

2009-10-01T14:57:00.000+01:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Mad Half Hour

2009-10-01T14:53:00.000+01:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Improvement.

2009-09-25T12:45:00.000+01:00

Dear reader,
Further to my Blog from last week, I have finally got round to reading the handouts we were given. As I stated previously, they are such a help in the learning process. They have answered most of the questions I have forgotten to ask. I now know the difference between a tool bar and a task bar and the address bar and the local bar. All this technical jargon really had me confused, but at least it is now slowly sinking in. There is no doubt the older one gets,the more difficult it is to absorb knowledge. Short term memory still has serious lapses though, I shall just have to concentrate more.
Yesterday afternoon we spent a long time on powerpoint presentation. I suppose it is just a modern form of overhead projector, and if one is computer literate, an awful lot easier. It is certainly easier then drawing on skins by hand and attempting to project photographs onto a screen. The deeper I go into the world of technology, the more interested I become, and the greater the search for knowledge. I suppose I am acting childishly, and being very impatient as results seem to be coming very slowly. I shall just have to take things at walking pace instead of trying to run too early.
I have been at it now for nearly five months, and I am disappointed I am not further along the learning curve. My family however are very ego building and reckon I am doing O.K. for the time I've spent on computers. I don't know whether they are being patronising, or hoping that flattery will get them everywhere and a mention in the will.
I wish I could spend more time at it, but something always crops up that requires my attention first, or more urgently. I intend to spend some time this afternoon tapping the keys to see what appears on the screen. Until next time, keep persevering. Best wishes, Dinosaur Doug.

Improver Class.

2009-09-16T16:35:00.000+01:00

Hello readers, I'm back again. Today was a more eventful day, we started an improver class this morning. We started the morning by having a mini test. It was a recap on what we have covered over the past few weeks in the basic computer class, and just showed how forgetful the majority of us students are. I cannot swear to the results, but I don't think anyone achieved more than 70%, I reckon my results were about 65%. I'm sure the questions were written in a foreign language.
We covered a host of subjects this morning, one of the most important I think was how to report Illegal Content. Anyone with young children who have access to a computer should make it their business to find out how it is done. Go to www.iwf.org.uk/ and that will give you all the information you require.
We also had a look at Google Streetviews, which was very interesting, and will be even more so when Hull gets on the map. We had a look at parts of Cardiff, and Knightsbridge and the Albert Hall in London. I still don't see why I was charged £3 an hour for parking there though.
We also found out how to check our internet speed, and how overloading can clog up the works so the machine works at a much slower speed.
One of the greatest attractions as far as I was concerned this morning, was the issuing of handouts. It is so much easier than trying to keep abreast of the lesson and trying to make notes at the same time. I hope the practise continues.
I contacted my daughter in America on Sunday, as has been my habit for the past few weeks, but this Sunday my number two daughter tried to come into the conversation at the same time.I discovered I couldn't get both on line together using the webcam and speaker. I did find out however I could converse with both,using the keyboard to type out messages.Apparently one can have as many as five or more conversations going using the keyboard.
Today was a good day and progress was made. I'm looking forward to next week. I will continue to keep you informed when and if progress is made. Until next time keep at it. Dinosaur Doug.

Continuation.

2009-09-04T13:52:00.000+01:00

Dear Reader,
Sorry about the rather abrupt closure yesterday, but it was a busy day for me. The interruption yesterday was my neighbour visiting, it was her birthday. It was also my oldest daughters birthday, and it would have been my late wifes eightieth birthday too yesterday, so apart from being the seventieth anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war, it was a memorable day as far as I was concerned.
I am undergoing a difficult patch at the moment with my Emails. Living in Hull I am with Karoo for my broadband connections, but when I became a computer owner, for ease and the sake of simplicity my whizz-kid daughter set it up so I had a Google Email address as well. Most of my incoming mail goes straight to Google, and I have no problems with it. However, some of my grandchildren still send mail to my Karoo address, and I just cannot manage to retrieve it. School starts again next Tuesday. so that will be question number one on the agenda for Tom to answer.
I am still plodding away in my own fashion, still learning a little along the way, still realising the older you get doesn't make you any the wiser. I must admit I get a little jealous when I see so many teens and pre-teens clicking away with such confidence and skill. That's the worst of being born a couple of generations too early.
I am going to have a look at Google Earth now and see how much the world I knew has changed in the past half century. It is nice to look back and revisit some of the places one has lived and visited. It's called "A trip down memory lane", and on the internet it's cheap. I'll write again when the mood takes me. Take care. Dinosaurdoug.

Apo0logies.

2009-09-03T11:27:00.000+01:00

Dear Blogreader, I must apologise for my tardiness over the past few weeks, but with the class being intermittent due to schoolchildren being on holiday I haven't been spending as much time on my computer as I normally do.
I have however been experimenting when I have been on the machine and discovered a couple of things I never knew. While talking to my daughter in the U.S. I noticed a rightangle about half an inch large in the top right hand side of my screen. Being naturally nosey I clicked onto it, and instead of a picture three inches square of her, and another three inch one of myself , I got a full screen picture of her with wonderful clarity. I think amazed is the word to describe it.I must admit I felt a great sense of ACHIEVEMENT for such a little operation. I never cease to feel a sense of wonder when something turns out right. It is said simple things amuse simple minds, obviously it was me in mind when that phrase was coined.
This coming Sunday I am going to try and hold a three way conversation on MSN, and see how that turns out. I feel as though I have mastered the art of sending greeting cards now, because I am having great success with them. If the opportunity arises in the near future, I intend checking some of the comparison sites, also some of the film and TV sites. Have to close now, I have visitors. Until next time, keep mouse clicking, Dinosaur Doug.

Further advancement.

2009-08-09T14:59:00.000+01:00

Dear reader,
The more advanced and proficient I become, the more I realise just how little I know. I feel as though my brain is solid sponge, and has reached saturation point. At Fridays lesson we learnt about [wordpress] and the ability to write a blog on there, as well as on google. It was suggested I attempt a blog on there as well to run alongside this one. To be honest I don't feel confident enough at this moment in time to run two blogs simultaneously. Maybe later in the year I will try.
I am however having a lot of success with MSN and contacting my daughter in the States. The past couple of Sundays I have called her about midnight, which is 18.00hrs there, and had almost immediate contact, audio and vision coming straight through. It is such a pleasure to see one another over such a great distance with so little effort. I am also quite proud of myself in having remembered how to send Greeting Cards. Once again I forgot one of the great grandchildrens birthdays and had to send a greeting two days late.
Yesterday my eldest daughter and I sent for a renewal driving licence from DVLA. It was not quite as hard as I thought it would be.The more I use the Internet, the more I see the advantages. My first Blog was Technology, which on reflection I think was a good title. Until next time, keep hard at it. Dinosaur Doug.

Success.

2009-07-29T14:27:00.000+01:00

Hoorah, It worked. Wonders never cease. Dinosaurdoug.

Confusion.

2009-07-29T13:56:00.000+01:00

Dear Reader,
Further to my Blogs Frustration, More Frustration and Realisation of the 18th and 19th July I haven't progressed very far.
Last Friday at my weekly class, I discussed the problem with my instructor who suggested it may be the spellchecker which deleted the unwritten word, but could not guarantee it. I have had so many different theories put forward, from trade names and fear of free publicity, to the computer simply not recognising the word. Why I am making so much fuss about it I really don't know. I doubt if I shall ever use the process, but I hate being beaten by a machine that I am supposed to be in control of. I am going to have one last attempt to spell it it out, and if that doesn't work, I am resigning myself to the fact I'm beaten.
I am going to spell it out phonetically with spaces, and see how that works. The only problem is I won't know until it's published, because it always appears O.K. on the preview. Here goes, one last attempt.
Mike India X-ray Mike Echo India Sierra Tango Echo Romeo.
Well that was it. I'll wait for the result when I publish Not a lot of news except I spoke to my daughter in America on Sunday and saw and spoke to my No2 grandson who was home on leave from Afghanistan. It made me realise it is fifteen years in December since I saw him last, and I wonder where the time has gone.
That's it for now, publish and be damned. Until next time, keep at it. Dinosaurdoug.

Realisation.

2009-07-19T10:39:00.000+01:00

Have just read my latest effort. Absolutely O.K. On printing however it has failed to copy the word I had written. I am beginning to wonder if that is because it is a Google trade name or something similar. I shall inquire at my next lesson. The word was . One last try. Dinosaur Doug

More Frustration.

2009-07-19T09:47:00.000+01:00

I have just read yesterdays Blog and realise I have omitted an important word. In the second paragraph I wrote "we learnt to use" and somehow I missed the word which was the whole object of the exercise. I must tender my sincere apologies for this error. I don't know whether to put this down to haste, or senility.
The troubles didn't stop there though. Later in the afternoon I wrote a letter using the computer as a typewriter. I believe the correct term is word processor, but don't quote me on that. After previous troubles with letter writing, I managed eventually to get the heading and the margins correct. A great job, well done. I went to print it. Absolutely nothing. I tried everything without success for almost a quarter of an hour. In desperation I phoned my eldest daughter who I sometimes use as a technichal adviser, who spent over twenty minutes explaining various procedures, equally without success. She suggested contacting my second daughter who I got the computer from, in the hope she could throw some light on the matter. I contacted her, and in less than ten minutes she was at my house. I switched the printer on again, and it suddenly rattled off three copies of my letter trouble free, with no adjustments whatsoever. Do you ever get the feeling you'd like to spit?
By this time I had had enough. They say sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof, I'm realising what it means. I never had this trouble with semaphore.
It used to be "gremlins", I think the term now is Glitch. Whatever the terminlogy, by this time I had had enough, The computer was switched off, and the television on, and I did nothing for the rest of the day. Today I feel slightly better, even if humbled by my experiences. Again I apologise for yesterdays omission and I will continue to write of my experiences, good and bad as the opportunities arise. I have found out, the more I learn, the less I know.Tecnology is the future. Hope I live that long. Keep persevering, Dinosaur Doug.

Frustration.

2009-07-18T15:56:00.000+01:00

This week has been disastrous.
School on Tuesday went swimmingly, almost a walk in the park. It turned out I had done all the objectives previously, so it was more a case of revision for me. I even spent some of my time assisting other students with their Emails and logging in procedures and how to sign out when finished. I went home with a feeling of contentment.
Wednesday was when things started to go wrong. We started to learn how to use . It is a method of blending tunes together. I found it exceedingly difficult to bring the music into line with another tune, and it didn't go well at all.
In the evening I tried to contact my daughter in America via MSN. The computer told me she was online in the US, but she wasn't answering. I tried a couple of times to no avail. On Thursday I received an Email saying she had been in the garden with some of her grandchildren and so had missed me and to try again this weekend. So far,so good.
Today I tried to tidy my Inbox and Sent Mail pages. They were cluttered with something like sixty entries over the two pages. Letters I had sent and received, jokes, and some marvellous photos of animals, houses and carvings, some of which I wished to keep. I thought I would store them in files under the various headings. I sorted them into the files and deleted the original mail. It was then everything collapsed and disappeared. DISASTER. I can find no trace of them anywhere. I shall have to contact all my friends and ask them if they are still holding them, and if so would they kindly forward them to me.
I had one success though, I contacted a friend in New Zealand who I was stationed with in 1958.I haven't seem him since 1971. He sent me some photos of his wife but he was conspicuous by his absence, so I'm left wondering if he has weathered the past half century in the same way I have, or if the years have been kinder.
That is it for now, I'm going to find a quiet corner and weep.
School is on Friday next week because kids are on holiday but I don't suppose it will make much difference to our lessons. One must take the rough with the smooth, as I said in a previous Blog, perseverance is the name of the game. Until next time, Dinosaur Doug.

FurtherTechnology

2009-07-07T22:38:00.000+01:00

Hello Readers,
Once again I am metaphorically putting pen to paper to try and write something interesting. Over the past couple of weeks I have had mixed results. Last week I spoke to my daughter in America over the internet.I am not sure if it's called HOT MAIL, or MSN, but we had a good natter, and it was nice to see each other. That was one of the successes, and I am going to try again tomorrow.
I have tried umpteen times to try and write a letter, but without success. I cannot seem to get the margins correct. If the right hand side of the page is O.K. I cannot seem to get the letters over to the left, and vice versa. That is one of the things I will have to get Tom to show me.
Reading my Blog, I see that Tom has put a comment on it. It makes nice reading, but he exaggerates slightly. If he was an M.P. I would call it spin.
I have spent a lot of time on Google World looking at old stamping grounds. It has made me realise how much places have changed in the past fifty odd years.
At the moment my learning curve seems to have levelled out. Some people might liken it to a plateau, but to me it seems like a cellar floor. At times I think my brain is boiling, or like a sponge has reached saturation point. As I wrote a while ago, persistence is the name of the game, and one must keep on trying.
Back to school next week and see what delights await. Keep on trucking, regards, Dinosaur Doug.

Just a little progress.

2009-06-11T13:51:00.000+01:00

In my Blog of 29th May I wrote how good the internet was for coming up with excuses for late Birthday Cards. At the time I was only kidding. Last weekend I did actually forget one of the great grandchildren in America's birthday and had to send a belated birthday greeting. After a lot of searching I eventually found a funny one suitable for a four year old and sent it off three days late.I suppose three days late is better than the fourteen it would have been if it had had to go Royal Mail. As I said last time, internet has its uses.
I find as the weeks go by I am spending more and more time on the computer gaining confidence if not competence. I am no longer afraid to delve into the unknown. I still occasionally press the wrong keys and lose complete sentences and have to rewrite what I have already done, which to say the least is annoying. Going back to my army days I could think of more suitable language expressions, but I have to be on my best behaviour. We had no intermediate lesson this week, so I have been doing a lot of search practise which I found entertaining. There are so many facts at ones fingertips.
I see I have had a couple more visits to the blog last week. It is nice to see someone has found it and taken the time to read it. I would greatly appreciate it if some one other than family would make a comment or two. I don't mind if it is critical or not, luckily I'm thick skinned. Until next time keep at it, if you don't master it, at least you will be better than before. Dinosaur doug.

Technology

2009-05-29T12:08:00.000+01:00

Hello Readers,
I am rather stuck for words today. There were no classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I was left to my own devices. I had a good scout round the machine when I had the opportunity, experimenting with various programmes and learnt a little bit more. With the assistance, or should I say, under the direction of my eldest daughter I managed to send an Ecard to one of my great grandsons in America. This is only one of the advantages of the computer, should you forget a birthday card, one can immediately rectify the problem without looking a forgetful old man. I am beginning to find this, should I say hobby or interest addictive. It's even worse than smoking. One sits at the keyboard for ten minutes, and before you know there's an hour gone. I am going to bed later and later now, even worse than when I was a youngster. Hopefully I'm back at school next Tuesday, we'll see what that brings. Keep at it all you apprentices, Good Luck. Dinosaur Doug.

Progress.

2009-05-21T12:38:00.000+01:00

Dear Readers,
Yesterday I attended my second intermediate class, which was about letter writing. Some of it was absorbed, some went over my head.
I would like to publicly thank both readers who forwarded comments about my blog. Even though they are family members, it was very much appreciated that they took the time and trouble to read the rubbish I've written. I'm afraid Iwill never make a reporter or newspaper correspondent able to write comprehensible articles.
I feel an impostor when I read my blog myself, because without Toms help and guidance it would never have got off the ground. For the uninformed, Tom is my teacher at the computer classes. I don't really know if teacher is the correct terminology, whether it should be tutor, instructor or even mentor, all I know is that without his help I would still be wondering how to switch the machine on. I feel the past few weeks have been worth the trouble and effort.
I have definitely improved in the last few weeks, even I can see that myself, I shall just have to try a little bit harder. For all would be computer geeks or nerds, whatever the correct term is, all
I can say is keep on trying. Perseverance is the name of the game. Until the next chapter, keep your nose to the grindstone, Best wishes, Dinosaur Doug.

2009-05-17T11:44:00.000+01:00

The weekend is almost over, and I've spent a couple of hours on google reminiscing over the past sixty odd years. I've looked at places in the world where I have lived, where the kids were born, also some of the memorable places I have visited. I have also looked at most of the cars I have owned in my lifetime. It has brought back many happy memories. All this was unthinkable a few weeks ago and was made possible by one of my daughters passing on her old computer and nagging me into taking lessons. It just proves you are never too old to learn, even if the process is slow. At first I was doubtful about going to all the trouble, but it was definitely worth it, and I shall persist in my efforts until I feel reasonably confident enough to go it alone. I shall try and keep you updated periodically to let you know of any progress. Dinosaur Doug.

2009-05-16T13:41:00.001+01:00

2009-05-13T11:32:00.000+01:00

Advancement.

2009-05-13T11:14:00.000+01:00

The computer lessons are slightly harder today. The capability to create blogs has been explained, along with blog information and updating, and with a little luck some of the information may be retained.Perseverance is the name of the game.

learning technology

2009-04-28T10:39:00.000+01:00

Since starting the course I have recently acquired a mobile phone,and am still finding this hard to master, so computers is a completely new ball game for me. At my age Iam finding it rather difficult to learn new tricks, but with Tom's help and guidance (and patience), I seem to be getting some knowledge tucked into the grey matter.The few weeks I've been attending this course my abilities have increased tenfold, and the effort has really been worthwhile. It has been time well spent.