Geeky Tip

This is a rediculously geeky tip. Since upgrading to Vista, the backup program I use (Second Copy) slows down the whole computer to a crawl--the CPU is at 100%. This tip makes it bearable to still use it while it backs up and "fixes" the program using 100% of the computer.

Start the Windows Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. On the "Processes" tab, right click the program that is using all the CPU and select "Set Affinity" from the menu. On the window that shows, uncheck one of the boxes (but leave at least one still checked!)

This works until you close the program, or restart Window; then you'll have to do the same thing again.

What this really does: Most newer computers really have more than one "core" in the main chip, this lets them do several things at once. Doing that Affinity sets the program so it will only use one of the cores in the chip--which lets the other core have a break and let you do something. After doing that, on the graph page in task manager, one will be at 100% while the other isn't---where before the program would have them both at 100%.

Star Wars Awesomeness

My wife ordered an old iron-on transfer book on eBay. She originally thought whe might use it for a quilt for me...but when it arrived, we realized there's no way we'd do that. It's far too cool as an old book.

(c) 1977 and I'd guess very early because of the text and pictures. A few decades pre-Photoshop, so I'm sure they had Darth Vader and the rest in these t-shirt for the cover.





They're all backward, and over the 30 years, the transfers have copied themselves to the opposite page a bit.

"Artoo Detoo" instead of R2-D2.

Same for "See Threepio"


One of our favorites...the old promotional poster that don't really look anything like the real characters.