MERRY CHRISTMAS

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL......

Will Your Holidays Be Pop-Ups?

Although those ads and promotional pennants that shows up while using your computer are bothersome, they are needed. Until they find a better way to finance the use of the Internet, it will be like this for a while. So beware of spams and their friends.
Maybe if you included them in your gift giving they won't be so harsh in their displaying methods. Pop-up relatives are a lot like spams this time of year. Enjoy them and have a blessed and joyful Holiday Season.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/12/24/

Amazed?

Are you still infatuated with technology and what it has done to make things better and faster or are you less thrilled at all the new gadgets that are constantly bombarding our existence. As they say "you're only as good as your last turn at bat" and technology hasn't hit many home runs lately.
Don't get me wrong. I believe our lives have bettered since the chip but certain transitional periods are very annoying. Hopefully as things continue to develop we will see better results.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/12/23/

Do The Locations Of Some ATMs Concern You?

I truly believe the way things are going the ATMs will soon be a thing of the past. From judging where some of them are placed, the sooner they are discontinued the better. Recently I had to do a double take when I viewed a unit in the middle of an alley near where I live. Who in their right mind would use an ATM in an alley?
Today's panel, drawn up years ago, was never officially printed until now.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/12/16/

How Well Are You Connected?

In today's Compu-toon, my castaway friends are trying to prepare for a joyful Christmas. They are hoping they will be easily picked up by Santa during his eve travels across the globe. After all, there are not too many beach type Christmas trees with sea shells as ornaments out in the middle of nowhere.
Here's hoping they're not off the radar.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/12/13/

Do You Need Help In Having A Negative Feeling About Your Balance?

It would be great if terminologies for certain things could be more uplifting. When you go to the doctor and they tell you your results were negative, doesn't that immediately make things look worse? But then you realize you're in a medical environment and the language there is totally opposite. You jump for joy.
Why shouldn't that same angle be used when displaying the conditions of your funds on an ATM monitor.
A robotic voice can say "We're positive you're in the red". This way it brakes the news to you better.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/11/30/

Are You Stuffed Yet?

Today's panel is obviously referring to Thanksgiving and how you can easily get stuffed. Your computer wants you to know that happens to them all the time. Those sluggish moments when that certain file has trouble transferring or the saving function seems to take forever are indication that things are stuffed. Time for file management and deleting things that are not needed.
Don't you get stuffed today. Try and enjoy your blessed meal without getting indigestion.
Enjoy your day.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/11/25/

Do You Socialize Well On Social Networks?

I've never been a person who looked for a crowd to make me feel wanted or needed. Long before social networking, I have always been my own self and in some cases a model that some may try to imitate.

Social networking is a little different. You can't see them and they can't see you unless of course you send photos and things. It's easy to stretch the truth on these networks and that should be a flag to warn you immediately not to believe a lot of what you read. You can get caught up in it.

My social networking is for business only. It helps to move promotional information pertaining to things I'm involved in. 

My own self image is very hard to project on these networks so I must come across as very dull. I've noticed that no one has tried to imitate me lately.
http://www.gocomics.com/compu-toon/2010/11/22/

Are You Still Holding On To Your Landline Phone?

I find it hard to believe that the landline phone has become another dinosaur. I still have mine and will hold on to it as long as I can. It doesn't have all those features on it which can detour you from it's main purpose. It also reminds you not to wonder off for the cord has got your back. You'll never end up driving and talking on a landline phone.

Are You A Pack Rat When It Comes To File Management?

If you were to see my desktop right now, you would immediately wonder how do I know where things are? I have file folders on top of each other and all kinds of graphic elements here and there so much so you can barely see the beautiful floral picture I have as a desktop screen saver.
I'm normally fairly neat and can not understand why I'm not more tidy than I am. I guess I will continue to conduct  things this way until I misplace or lose a very vital file or content.
Being aware of this short coming, let's me know that I have recognized it.
The first sign of overcoming it.

Do Phone Cards Do More Than What They Were Created For?

I was watching the movie Enemy Of The State the other day and started wondering how much data is on us out here. The picture is so big it would be hard to wrap your mind around it. Now when you even sneeze someone will know about it. The big brother operation has been in play for years but now it's on steroids.
Instruments like phone cards, driver's licenses, and anything with a bar code are becoming more saturated with personal data.
The next time I use my phone card I'll block it's view by covering the front of it with my thumb.

How Comfortable Are You With Your Retirement Data?

I remember when my father retired and the image that sticks in my mind was him coming home with a slight grin and announcing the news. He handed Momma an over sized envelope...gave her a kiss, and went to his chair in the living room to take a nap. He loved his naps. There were no tech tools around to help remind him of how his retirement plans were going. He relied on his company to do that.
What a difference years make.
We have become overly saturated with tech data about what we have coming in our golden years. Like the panel today indicated, I'm thinking about plan B.

Every Dialing Is Speed Dialing Now.

There used to be a time when speeding dialing was an exceptional feature on phones. Now every call can be swifted and direct. Sort of mimicking the patterns and pathways the industry is blazing through to keep us on the fast track. I really never find the need to call up a number or make a call in such a fashion. I think about my calls before I make them. That way I won't regret anything I might say during a converstion. I think before I speak.
With speed improving, I will need to think faster.

How Upgraded Are Your Ideas?

Competition in today's world is more frightful than ever. With the global population tripling every five years or so, you really have to stay on your game if you want to succeed. I had never heard of the term upgrading until this digital era introduced it to us and now I use it a lot to describe my daily advances.
The panel today has Murphy wondering why his thoughts and ideas are not being recognized. This concept comes from my personal battle of constantly trying to prove that some of the ideas I'm working on are workable.
People can only see what you see. The objective is to project your visual so it's in the most highest level of resolution. Like Murphy...my ideas seems to be popping up as a flickering candle instead of a high voltage light bulb.
I need another upgrade.

Non-Sense Technical Instructions

Today's Compu-toon panel tried to poke fun at the non-sense instructions you can find when dealing with hi and low technical instruments. A friend of mine recently landed a project manager position at a highly visible utility company and his first project was to re-program the company's voice system...the program that tells you to push 1 for English or 2 for Spanish.
He indicated that not all scenarios that do come up in a conversation can and will be covered. It's just not logical. He went on to say there are misdirect information fed into these systems that later cause a problem
and they are very seldom corrected. So much for perfect instructions.

The Cutting Edge

Being on the cutting edge of technology has always been my profile. I like to think of myself as "on top of it" or "part of the mainframe". I'd like to think of myself as such. The swiftness of today's technical achievements have made me think differently and question my progress.
I've fallen along the waste side and can't get up. The cutting edge of technology has become my Holy Grail.

Heads Up To "Drop Calls"

Since I still don't depend on a cell phones, my landline is my main tool for communication. I get calls from all over where people are driving through a dead zone or they hit a spot on the planet where no kind of transmitting is allowed. Now my landline is experiencing all sorts of weird sounds and moisture on the line.
I tried to pick the brain of a tech geek friend of mine about how all this works and I walked away with nothing. I believe I had a drop conversation while taking with him. I should have expected that.

Masking Your Identity

This is really the only time of the year where it's legal and fun to mask your identity. Think about it. If you were to walk into a bank dressed like Darth Vader and it wasn't Halloween or go a political rally dressed like Osama bin Ladin and wasn't Halloween, what would happen? Five-O would be called in. The joy of forgetting who and what you're about is always fun. It's called escape.
It would be great if the escape key on the keyboard could actually help us do that.
Happy Halloween!

The Games We Play

There was a computer game that I was hooked on and hated to admit it. It was one of those earlier version where the animation wasn't as sophisticated as it is today. But that didn't stop me from getting entrenched in it. I was a mess.
That experience taught me to stay away from all computer games. Can you imagine how mushy my brain would be today if I got involved in these latest models. They would have to peel me from my computer.

Have You Hit The Jackpot With Your Computer?

I often imagine how exciting it would be if the monitor to my computer was a one armed bandit and all of a sudden I struck it rich. I would be in lah lah land. No telling what my next move would be.
I would probably buy my own tech support group and all the latest digital equipment.
Technology can really enhance your imagination.

Does The Digital Look Help Enhance Your Family Pictures?

One of the ways of feeling that you're in a family environment are pictures. Every time my wife and I visits her Aunt, I'm always entertained by the family pictures on her coffee table, the end tables, the walls and the various book albums laying here and there. There's a warm feeling you get when you look at them even if you've seen them before.
This digital revolution we're experiencing with pictures hasn't been able to encourage that warmth. It's something that can't be programmed.

Why Is It Called A Mouse?

" On December 9, 1968, Douglas Engelbart of the Stanford Research Institute unveiled the computer mouse, though no one called it so then. It was known as 'X-Y Position Indicator for a Display System'.
Once Engelbart could point with his 'Position Indicator', he was able to develop on-screen windows with menus and a hypertext system. The 'Position Indicator' was made of wood, had two wheels on the bottom and a single red button on top. Englebart's team thought the device looked like a mouse, and the name stuck. "
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/151072#ixzz13BT3MzAD


So much for facts. I'm not a big fan of rodents and I would surely have given it a more favorable name. Like "buddy".
That way you'll feel like it would have your back in time of trouble.
Just one more thing to think about. Signing off. CLICK.

Do You Think Outside The Internet Box?

No matter how I try to wing myself from posting notes here and there...I'm just not successful at it. You would think with all the digital files and systems that are around to help you organize your thoughts it would be a piece of cake. NOT.
As I'm working on today's blog, there are all kinds of notes and messages on bits of papers surrounding my computer. It drives my wife crazy when she wants to use it.
I was in a meeting just yesterday and I have notice people saying "let me make a note of this" and actually pull out an iPhone or something similar and start typing without a blink. It a mindset thing. You're either condition to think or collect your thoughts outside the box or you're not. I haven't gotten there yet.
I still say "have you got a pen and paper?".

What Kind Of Dinosaur Are You?

Tyrannosaurus Rex

Do you remember those plastic pre-historic dinosaur toys that came in different colors and sizes?  I always favored the Tyrannosaurus Rex. It looked so intimidating. When any of my friends would come over to play, we ended up playing around on the floor positioning the various pieces in fighting modes. Of course I 

always won.

As the digital jungle we are now living in continues to grow, I 'm feeling more and more like that old Rex. Only...I'm not winning this time.  

System Crashes.....

Back in the early days when system crashes were a daily thing it constantly kept you on your toes. The environment I was in was extremely tech driven and was always in need of some tech support. I got to learn a lot of secrets and tip aids that these tech crews would only share among themselves. They would speak a whole different language.
Today's panel was drawn up several years ago but was never officially printed due to some disagreement with the term "system crash". Some thought of it as an external thing as oppose to an internal one.
At one point I was so use to the crashes I would set my watch by them.

What If GOD Emailed You?

There is no doubt that the creation of man and his surroundings dwarfs the experience we are going through with this technological explosion. I often wonder what GOD thinks of all this. Does he have an email address or a FaceBook account? I'm sure he's got a lot of friends.
The developments that we have shown in our communication has to please him. I'm sure there are several points that can and will improve in time.
If I ever recieve an email and the sender is one of the trinities, I will probably call tech support and tell them to stop fooling around with my machine. If they have no idea of what I'm talking about I will most likely go into a Holy Ghost dance.

CD-ROMs

From vinyls to 8-tracks to vhs to cds and who knows, when will it all come to a completion? Never.
It's amazing watching how various inventions and discoveries evolves. I was watching TED, a very profound program that welcomes presenters to come on and talk about their ideas and achievements. The ideas that are out there ready to be launched is very impressive and mind boggling.

How Out Of Reach Are You with Technology?

No matter how I look at it...I'm still constantly looking and reaching to stay ahead of the digital experience around me. Compared to how I first felt about my introduction to the keypad world, my maturity hasn't grown that much.
You really do have to have a knack for this stuff and the ones that do have no trouble maneuvering between the transitional stages of adjustments. In the meantime I'll just make sure a booster chair is nearby.

How Much Memory Can Your Memory Lane Hold?

Simon the Game

There's a digital game called Simon that I like to play whenever the time allows. It really test your ability to retain things. My retention is not impressive. I can only go so far. Check it out and so how far you can go

and how much memory you can hold.
http://www.freegames.ws/games/kidsgames/simon/mysimon.htm

How Do You Indicate Your Friendship?

The other day I was thinking how we physically greet each other and today it seems like the fist bump is the most popular. I'm still stuck back when handshakes were still in. I will automatically extend my hand
in the ready to shake hand but once I see the party I'm greeting is getting ready to get down with a series of fist bumps I adjust myself so as to look like I'm with it.
The procedures on these social networks are more humane when it comes to displaying friendship than how we do it in real time. Are we going backwards in how we greet each other?
I bet you the cavemen had some interesting greeting habits and we if keep diverting backward, we will soon witness some of those greetings in person.
Bring back the handshake...Please.

Have You Been Upgraded Lately?

One thing I have no tolerance for is constantly being reminded that the computer needs to be upgraded. I understand the need to stay current but shouldn't that pattern be something we as user have a say so about without being forced too. 
We all know that if you don't go along with the flow nothing seems to work when it comes to procedures and functions. I can't understand why there's not a lot of noise being made from consumers about this. Everyone seems to be like zombies. 
Why not reverse the process and have upgraded software for users. If you think about it, I really haven't seen any of those dummy books they would publish occasionally during major transitions.
Today's panel shows a user being upgraded. In a way this does happen for we're suppose to be learning everyday. Being uncertain about what version I am, I never know if I'm compatible or not.

Do Your Computer Make You?

I often wonder where would my situation be if computers hadn't come along. I know we were created to adjust to whatever the condition is that surrounds us but some of us lack that adaptability. I sometime question my "up to speed" qualification.
I hate to admit it but if it wasn't for technology my profession could have gone either way. You  really have to know the tools out there to make them work for you.
I guess my knowledge of what I've learned about my computer has helped me to market my wares better.
Yes...my computer do make me.

Making Your Point With The Help Of Digital Aids.

Recently I've had several opportunities to talk about my profession...cartooning. Initially people perk up when they find out that's what I do. Our industry is really struggling right now so the glamour this industry once possessed has faded somewhat.
In my talks, I bring along lots of visual aids to help stimulate the audiences mind. No matter what visual you may have the points you want to get across can fall flat on its face if you don't present it right.
That's happened to me many of times.
It makes me wonder if I need to elevate my presentation with the help of something like a karaoke machine.
This thought is what provoked today's panel.

How In Tune Are You With This Digital Age?

The last headsets I owned were to a cd player. They were so large it look like I was trying to coach an airplane into a terminal. The headsets are so small today you forget you have them on and that can invite all kinds of mishaps.
No matter how good a tune sounds there is a time and place to enjoy it. Until they invent headsets that has built-in sensors to warn you when danger is near, I would suggest don't be mobile while wearing them or you may hit the high note way before you're suppose too.

Do You Miss The Old Day Planner?

I'm not much of an organizer but I do miss the simplicity of items like the day planners. You didn't have to worry about charging it or keeping it upgraded. It was what it was. A data collector with no bells and whistles.
I tried to tackle a calendar program on my mac a few days ago and had everything that I needed to mentioned in the right place with notes included and then it happened. I hit the wrong key and lost it all.
I truly believe that the simplier a device is the more useful it becomes. If something has too many buttons and flares to it, it takes away the true principle of its purpose and you grow weary of it. Being simple has a purpose...lets try to work it back into these new toys we're being flooded with.

Have You Been Looking For Your Best Side Lately?

This guy is really looking for his best side.

                                        












I can remember the time if someone would ask me "which is your best side?"
... I would immediately respond. NOT anymore. My best side days or little and far apart.
I was at an important gathering a few days ago and everyone had their camera phones out and pointing them all over the place. The ham in me tried to strike poses that I though were projecting my good/best side.
I think my best side was incognito that day for all the pictures I saw didn't resemble what I thought my best side looked like. I don't think these new camera phones have the capabilities to find it.
They may need a special chip.

Psych!

I really believe that a large percent of working with your computer stems from being psyched out. We are living in an odd and adventurous time and the way we communicate is slowly being altered which makes us approach how we think and react differently than the way we used to even five years ago.
Everytime I seat down in front of my computer I have to go through a metamorphosis to feel capable and productive.
The idea of reversing the process made me come up with todays comic panel.

Do You Feel Abandon By Technology?

                













I sometime feel like I'm on an island with no kind of way to comfortably communicate. The two castaways that appears periodically in the strip reflects my solitude side.
One of the worst experience is not getting immediate reaction from a tech team to help troubleshoot a
tech problem. You have to jump through a lot of hoops to reach someone who knows what the problem is. You begin to wonder if its worth it.
I'm sure Gilligan didn't have this problem.

Are You A Rabbit Ears Die Hard User?

                The Rabbit Ears

I'm still a rabbit ears user. We went the way of the converter box instead of going out and purchasing   

a HD television. There truly is no big difference in how the signal reaches the tv, but the picture is better. I find that having cable or any other carrier providers is a waste of money. I've been working the rabbit ears theme in the strip for a while now. There's something about them that I find humorous and meaningful at the same time.

Here's to rabbit ears everywhere.

Are You A Terrible Loser To Digital Games?

I find it hard not to show emotion when I lose a game to any computer. I always think the system is programmed to beat you no matter what your skill level is.
I must win is my motto.

Are You Hooked On Your Tech Gadgets?

I don't want to believe that I can't live without my emails, blogs, social sites and games that I might run across. I want to think that I can stop any time I desire.
Who am I fooling.
I can set in front of a screen for hours and literally lose all sense of time. It's embarrassing. With curiosity and inquiry being so much a part of our makeup, we are designed to get hooked. We're fish with legs.
So sooner or later you will take the bait.
Bon appétit.

Firewall Is Such A Scary Sound.

Whenever I think of the computer system program "Firewall",  I start looking around for a hose or something to help keep it under control. I have this vivid imagination and begin to think about how identity thieves can pole vault over them to do their dastardly deeds.
I love watching track and field events and it's amazing how much science plays into events like pole vaulting. I was watching it last night....that's how todays panel came about.
If I ever see pole vaulting demonstrations being done at Best Buys, I think that's when we should all start worrying.

Are We Over Doing It When It Comes To Communication?

In drawing up todays Compu-Toon panel, I can recall back in the day how the only way to get any important message out was through the grapevine. The source of the "grapevine" was word of mouth. Whatever you put out there it spread like wildfire.
What happened to that grapevine? Did it wither away? It was so dependable. Now we have gadgets to move things along. Nothing is juicy and gossipy anymore.
Farewell grapevine.

Does Instant Messages Make Your Time Go Faster?

Ever so often I will receive an instant message from a friend or close relative. I always feel inadequate when answering it for I'm a two finger typist. To make them think I'm smooth with it, I pretend like I'm doing other things like multi-tasking which is causing me to not be quick to reply. It does work.

Join the opportunity to help others -

The KeyPad Kid Project is in the process of developing new networks.

How Do You Really Feel About Technology?

Is it a love and hate matter?