Catching Up With the Last Two Friday Fives

From Scrivener's weekly Friday 5 blog are these questions and these questions:

SEPTEMBER 3 FRIDAY 5 : THE WEEK THAT WAS

1. What did you do too much of this week?

Spent too much time watching YouTube (mostly music videos) and other streaming video sites. I stay at home, away from maddening, potentially COVID diseased crowds.

2. What did you not do enough of this week?

Clean my house. I need to get rid of excess stuff, clutter.

I hate these big ass cockroaches.

3. What surprised you this week?

An intrusive, invasive, B52 sized cockroach that trespassed into my living area the other night. Could not do anything else until that bastard was cornered and killed. I hate when they fly. Ugh! Disgusting creatures.

4. What elated you this week?

Nothing really. I don't get excited about much these days. 

5. What happened this week that’ll lead to something good next week?

Nothing significant that I can think of. I will eat, sleep, do stuff (hopefully) and repeat the cycle over again the following day. Being thankful that I did wake up to see another day, everyday is a good thing.

I have plenty of cameras in my collection.

AUGUST 27 FRIDAY 5 : ITEMIZED

1. What item do you own more than one of, while most people own exactly one?

I have plenty of cameras, flashes and other photography gear. Most people today who are not photographers, are satisfied using just their smartphone as a camera.

2. What item do you own none of, while most people own exactly one?

I haven't had a TV since my CRT one died in 2011. That is the same year I cut my cable cord. I now just stream everything that is TV or video related of my Mac and Chromebook computers, and occasionally a smartphone. 

I certainly don't have a CABLE TV subscription either. I subscribed to cable TV in 1984 and discontinued in 2011 when more streaming options became available. Plus the price of the standard TV package went up annually and frankly most of the channels offered in that bundle were ones I never watched like CNN, Lifetime, all sports, shopping, and music channels that morphed into stupid reality TV show channels. Why pay for crap you don't watch? 

So streaming via the internet became a good option even in 2011 when the only options were plain old YouTube (which was free) and for me Amazon Prime video which just came with Amazon Prime. So there.

Over the years many new, free streaming TV options have showed up and I use them all from time to time. When I am not paying for channels I don't watch I don't care.

PLUTO TV is the best FREE streaming option since they have close to 300 live channels on various subjects and genres. I like the news channels, some of the older show channels like all Star Trek The Next Generation. Other free streaming options I like include TUBI TV, Peacock (their free tier), the free YouTube service (grand-daddy of video streaming), and many others.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get free over the air TV signals on my computer without having to buy expensive gear. I guess I could buy a TV for that, but I don't want a smart TV with built in apps... just a dumb TV with a tuner that can get free over the air digital signals.

I also subscribe to two services: Amazon Prime (long time), Hulu ($2/mo. special to the end of November) and Apple TV (free one year promotion through T-Mobile). 

1. 3. Among stuff you own, what item is most likely to be borrowed by an acquaintance?

Bluetooth speaker.

4. What item are you most likely to borrow from an acquaintance?

Scissors.

5. What did you most recently purchase and not use?

At this point in time, everything I recently purchased has been put into use.

Friday 5 for June 22: GEAR

Catching up with the Friday 5 here... Gear... one would think I would answer this one sooner... but alas..

1. What kind of specialized equipment do you own for a specific non-electronic hobby or job?

Well I still have my old pica rulers, a reduction scale, exacto knives and blades, scissors, blue pencils, old paper clip art and stick on lettering someplace. Used to use this stuff as a graphic artist back in the 1970s to early 1990s.

2. In what way can this equipment be upgraded or souped-up, and how difficult or expensive would the update be?

It was very expensive but a whole lot better when everything in the graphic arts field was moved to computers. The Macintosh platform was groundbreaking with the introduction of the laser printer with software (Aldus Pagemaker) that allowed people to do all of the old manual graphic arts tasks on a computer. This started in the late 1980s and was complete by the mid 1990s.

3. In your fields of interest, what’s the gear envy like?

Plenty if you are talking about cameras, computers, video and stereo gear. All in that order I guess.

4. What’s something you own the old version of because it’s better than the new version?

Most definitely my two aging MacBook Pros from 2009 and 2011. They are better than the newest models which are hated for their keyboards and the touch-bar that took the place of the f1 to f12 keys. Ugh!

Frankly I think my old Power Mac G4 tower is better than most desktop Macs because it was modular and you could easily go inside them to change and upgrade stuff. Can't do that with most all in one computers (iMac, Mac Minis) that Apple now sells.

Oh I forgot, I still have CDs and plenty of vinyl records. All better than owning only MP3s of the music.

5. What’s a hobby you don’t engage in that intrigues you mostly because of its equipment or tools?

Drone owner and pilot which would combine flying and photography. I have no money to buy one plus there are not too many places to legally fly a drone in the city. Plus there is that learning curve regarding flying... I've read about people crashing their drones and that sounds quite expensive!

Friday 5 for August 25: Five of Whatever

From Scrivener's Friday 5 blog:



1. How tidy are your kitchen cabinets?

Not too much food, so it is not very messy. I have plates, cups and a few other things in the other cabinet.

2. What’s an art project you did in school that you remember fondly?

In "Summer Fun" classes way back in 1965 we did two wood pieces that I still have back home on the Big Island of Hawaii. I think I may also have a ceramic truck and ash tray we made in 5th grade. Gotta look for that. Took photography in college, learned how to do black and white processing and still have plenty of my negatives and contact sheets. Slowly scanning those old negatives in to digital.

3. What’s the best thing you ate on your most recent trip?

Probably some cake & ice cream at my sister's place back in February since it was around her birthday.

4. What’s the dumbest non-political thing you’ve seen lately?

RAIL... oh that's political.... sorry I can't shake that one since it is the biggest, most expensive and stupidest mistake of the century still costing us way too much money and creates more problems than it solves.

Other than that I can't think of anything else.

5. What’s soemthing in your home that’s lasted longer than you expected?

I tend to buy or keep things that will last a long time. I hate built in obsolescence. That said here are photos of some old things that have lasted a long time in my home:



Above: I bought this 1950s era Kodak Brownie Hawkeye flash camera at the Salvation Army store in Honolulu for $4 back in 1979. It still works and I currently have a roll of old 620 film in it. Below is the 1960s era Minolta SRT-101 35 mm SLR camera that I've owned since buying it used in 1978 for $70. I have taken many pictures with it through my college years, and even use it from time to time today. I have since massed a small collection of manual focus Minolta 35 mm SLR film cameras over the years.





One of the best things I ever bought brand new is this Realistic 4 channel stereo mixer. I've had this thing since 1985 and it still works just fine today. There are a couple of things wrong with it... the headphone monitor output seems to have lost it, and one of the knobs broke off when something hit it in 2016.



This is probably the last of the 5 or so stereo cassette tape decks that I have owned over the years. This one still works and I should use it more often to transfer the content of some of my cassettes over to a digital format before the belts inevitably break someday.

Top photo: My 1993 Toyota Corolla which I bought used in 2000 is still runs with only 101,200+ miles on it. I drove it from Honolulu to Waimanalo Park just the other day to catch some sunrise and beach photos.

Other old things I have around my home which are over 10 years old now include: Power Mac G4 tower computer, Macintosh Plus computer, many vinyl records, cassette tapes, and even CDs, old photos, negatives, cups, plates, an old pot, and a Sears Kenmore refrigerator.

Friday 5 for January 16, 2015: Home is Where the Hearth Is!

Haven't done one of these for a while.. but Scrivener hits on a favorite topic of mine... CLUTTER! Hah!



1. What is your approach to dealing with (or preventing) clutter?

I have none. I have plenty of clutter. The only things that I got rid of in significant numbers were VHS and Betamax tapes. My place is very small.

2. What kinds of (tangible) things do you seem to have an unreasonable time letting go of?



All of them: Record albums, 45 rpm vinyl singles, cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, books, camera gear, computers (I had to trim down to laptops, desktops take up a lot of space), old photographs, negatives, a lot!!!!

3. If you could start completely over with your existing living space (and money were only a slight limitation), how would you make it more suited to you and your lifestyle?

Clean out the clutter, slim down on the stuff I have, remodel the place so that it is more of a home office entertainment center. I'd like to get a big screen HDTV put in someday with a better sound system than I have now.

4. How many standalone small kitchen appliances do you own, and how many do you use regularly?

Microwave, toaster, rice cooker... those are the only ones that qualify as small kitchen appliances. Use them with some regularity.

5. What does your current living space really need more of? ROOM!

Friday 5 for March 5 - Staples

1. Of all the hundreds of sizes and shapes bread seems to come in, what is your favorite?

Whatever is affordable and tastes good.

2. What’s your favorite thing to eat with rice?

Any plate lunch or dinner type of foods - chicken, beef, fish, etc. Fried rice is a favorite.

3. What are your feelings about milk?

I like it with cereal, but I don't like it if the cereal gets too soggy. Best to eat milked cereal quickly.

4. What was wrapped in the tortilla you most recently ate?

Probably beef and beans, maybe cheese. Been a while since I had one.

5. How many staplers are there in your house and where are they?

I have 2 staplers in my house and right now I don't know where either of them are.

Photo above: Fried rice is one of my favorite rice dishes.

Questions taken from the weekly Friday 5 blog by Scrivener.