Why is Your Computer Slow?

I work in front of a PC all day and lots of the stuff I do at home revolves around the computer as well. It's imperative for my sanity that my computers run efficiently and quickly, and I've compiled a few key (free!) tips to keep them humming. These tips will work for you, too.

1. My favorite maintenance tool is CCleaner. Formally known as Crap Cleaner, it does exactly that. You have control over specific things you might want to keep, like browser cookies, via a simple checkbox list.

I run this weekly at least; sometimes more frequently. I also use the registry tool on occasion, but unless you're having problems that aren't resolved by the rest of the tools in this post, it's probably safer to leave this alone.

2. Windows comes with a defragmenting tool built in, but it takes forever and does a mediocre job. Auslogics or Defraggler (from the makers of CCleaner) do a much better, quicker job. This probably doesn't need to be done more than once a month. I wait until I'm done for the day, then check "shut down PC after defragmentation" and let it roll.

3. By now, you must have some kind of antivirus installed. I've been using Avast for many years with only minor hiccups (software bugs, not virus compromises) and will stick with it because it doesn't hose my system like the Symantec (Norton) programs do. I'm also hearing great things about the free Microsoft Security Essentials. If you're wary of a third-party developer, this might be the ticket.

Those are the basics. You can set them all up to run a full scan/defrag/cleaning while you sleep so that on Monday morning, you're starting with a fresh system.

Two more quick tips:

SugarSync: Downloaded a song at home and would like to have it available at work instantly? SugarSync does that. 5 GB of storage for free and you can access it from any of your computers or smartphones. Definitely quicker than carrying a USB key everywhere.

Google Chrome: If you use Internet Explorer, the most recent version is not bad. Firefox (my favorite) has more features but can run a little slower. Google Chrome was built for speed. If your speed issues revolve around web browsing, try Chrome.

Politics, Football, and Video Games (AKA Wife Repellent)

My official stance is that I'd like to see all new management and coaches for the Bears. I don't care if the players love Lovie. I presume they also love their checks. I bet they'd love winning a Super Bowl, too. Honestly, I'm getting tired of hearing about the '85 Bears.

Maybe this is too cynical, but I feel like anyone can pull off anything in politics, regardless of the rule of law, if they have the right connections. Hell, even if they don't - all it takes is to just do the thing that seems so far out of bounds it couldn't possibly work, and then everything just continues on as if it never happened. That doesn't work for me, but then again, I'm not running for office.

I set up the new, improved home theater over the weekend. We now have the Dish box, the PS3, and the stereo receiver in the cabinet with the television on top. The PS3 replaced the Wii, a big computer, and an upconverting DVD player.

I also got an IR to bluetooth converter (very small) which allows the universal remote to control the PS3 as well. So, to watch TV is one button, to watch a movie, play a game, or surf the Internet is one other button. That's it.

Last, I re-connected the speakers with better, newer wire, and now the whole thing looks and sounds fantastic. The next upgrade won't happen for a while, but it'll be a fancy receiver that can aggregate HDMI cables and separate out the subwoofer signal.

In the meantime, I still have to figure out what to do about the garage door opener. It's never just one thing.

Addendum:

Dear "The Shack",

We're totally over. Lose my number. I needed guidance and you sold me down the river on a lie. I still don't need a $70 HDMI cable and those banana clips were the wrong size. Jerks.

Those Grapes Were Probably Sour, Anyhow

A few things.

1. I'll not miss Lovie Smith. It's great that he's a player's coach. Players work hard for him. (I'm sure it has nothing to do with the money.) I won't miss the miscues (timeouts to freeze his own kicker or negate a 3rd down conversion, allowing the OC to put Todd Collins ahead of Caleb Hanie on the depth chart, etc.) or the disdain for the media and, vicariously, the fans. If the Bears are not feeling the love right now, the wall he's put up has a lot to do with it.

2. We're still two linesmen and two top-tier receivers away from having a premier offense. Cutler is as good as we've had in my lifetime and Forte makes things happen with even a tiny seam. Oh, right. We also need an offensive coordinator. I think Martz is good, but needs a very specific recipe for success. This offense isn't built for him.

3. I really don't understand the vitriol towards Cutler and his ailing knee. Fighting to stay in when you can't plant your lead leg and make accurate passes is purely selfish. I'd much prefer see him admit he can't make throws and get the backup in (unless, of course, the backup is Todd Collins). I watched Cutler get POUNDED all season with nary a complaint. He might not be the most warm person, but he's not here to win a beauty pageant.

4. Along the same lines, why in the hell have we not seen Caleb Hanie more in the regular season? In any of the games where the score was either up or down enough (including vs. Seattle in the playoffs), he should have gotten a few reps. I'm not selling him as the answer to anything, but he's better than Todd Collins and we might need him some day.

5. Give the Packers some credit. They kicked to Hester and bottled him up pretty well. They made the our improved O-line look like rookies, and they completed passes and made plays pretty much at will, even against our venerable defense. They also show a certain confidence, from head coach to QB, when they take the field. It's not a rushed style of play, nor is it pure business - it looks like they're having fun. You know, they were picked by lots of people to be in the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, and ultimately, they got there.

6. This season has been great in many respects and very frustrating in many others. There was an early bout of losing football which made me lose what little hope I had. Then, there was the Martz and Cutler we had hoped for, the Forte we had seen the year before last, and the defense looking almost as good as it did last time we went to the Super Bowl. The knock all along was the soft schedule and the inability to close out elite teams, but the Bears handled their business (with the exception of New England and Green Bay at the end of the season). With all players healthy for the majority of the year, 11-5 is still not the 13-3 of the previous Super Bowl team. In fact, only 2 or 3 of the 11 wins was decisive. The losses left more doubt than the wins did confidence, I think.

7. In the past three or four years, I've called for the job of Lovie Smith, and I still stand by it. I think Jerry Angelo needs to hit the bricks as well. We need new leaders that draft well and fill needs on both sides of the ball, expect and demand the best out of players whether they like them or not, and not only say they'll beat Green Bay and win the Super Bowl, but actually do those things. I think there's a nice roster of talent to cherry pick and plenty of fat to cut. I think the first thing we need is an Offensive Coordinator that will take Cutler, Forte, and Olsen to the next level. The next thing is help on that O-line. Then one or two premier receivers. Defensively, one more hot CB might be good, but we're pretty well stocked otherwise, assuming Chris Harris recovers from the torn hip muscle. My big concern for the future is that the stars are getting older.

8. I hope there is football next year, but I hope the Bears have a new management regime. Yes, it'll be Cutler's fourth OC in five years, but maybe that one will finally bring the best out of him and cause the offense to win games for a change. That would be great.

This IS the Super Bowl

Hard to believe it hasn't come to this before in my lifetime. For that matter, it hasn't happened in my dad's lifetime, either. He has never been a big fan, but I can guarantee he'll be watching this one.

This year's Bears have already way surpassed my expectations by finishing the regular season at 11 and 5, then crushing the Cinderella Seattle playoff team after losing to them earlier in the season.

The losing streak at the beginning of the season had me thinking that the former loser head coaches were spent as coordinators as well. Urlacher is not getting younger, and the offensive line was a total mess. Somehow, after the bye week, everything fell into place.

The special teams unit has been consistently excellent for years, but that's not enough to win championships. It can get you over in a few games, though, and it did this year.

Defense has been the anchor of this 2010 Bears team. Solidifying safety was the number one issue. Having so much depth at LB with Brian Urlacher at the helm again makes that one of the best LB squads in the league. Picking up Julius Peppers has changed how teams plan for the Bears, and the acquisition of Tim Jennings came in under the radar, but I'd debate whether or not that's the second best pickup of the off season. We have DBs to cover any group of wide receivers now.

The offense went under a major transformation. Mike Tice is coordinator of the year, in my estimation, for taking a line with only 2 better-than-average players and making them solidify. Cutler took a few steps this year, too. Instead of throwing the ball when the read is not there, he just takes the sack. Sucks for him, but that shows that he's a team guy and is learning. Still tons of upside, and so far he's 1-0 in the post season.

The Packers are where I'd expect the Bears to be next year. They had a terrible year for injuries and their record shows it. Despite all of that, they got in to the playoffs by beating the Bears, although I don't think there was any urgency on the part of the Bears. This game should be a real monster.

The Packers still have a few key injuries, but both teams seem to be peaking at the same time. The Bears have home field advantage, and including a terrible turf surface, we also have a loud, disruptive crowd. Can't wait for kickoff.

I got an e-mail from a friend this morning; his prediction - Bears 100, Packers -7.

Bears.

More Projects Getting Done

On the heels of an excellent holiday, January hit us with a solid dose of reality. I'm back on track to losing 40 pounds (despite a slight setback I blame on casserole) and the house is getting some necessary updates.

We put off the bathrooms when the kitchen sink broke, but then only days after putting down the payment on the sink, a toilet broke. So, in essence, we did both. The toilet was affordable and easy (thank you Kohler!) but the kitchen required more of a lifestyle adjustment, if only for a few days.

It's funny how when everything worked fine, we were never in a huge hurry to get the dishes done. We're busy and I'm pretty lazy, so until the sink is pretty full, sometimes they sit. Once the sink wasn't around for a day or two, we had a designated bin for the dirty dishes, and it was stressful.

Here's what the kitchen looked like before we started:

Here's what it looked like torn apart:

And the final product:

Counters by Lowe's and H+H Woodworking, plumbing by yours truly. Only minor leaks so far!

(Note the sink - it already has dishes!)
((They were just what wouldn't fit into the dishwasher from the three days without a kitchen.))

Next project - catching back up on credit card bills.

2010 Recap (Good, Bad, and Ugly)

2010 started out with the revelation that we were likely going to have a baby. That sure raised the bar for the rest of the year, and now that the dust has settled, it was far and away the most important news of the year. Of course, the August arrival of Elias John was the most significant improvement to my life since Jennie agreed to marry me all those years ago.

This baby brings out the best in everyone. It's remarkable, really. We were as ready for him as we could be and the reaction from our family and friends has gone way beyond what we expected.

It's also fun to track the firsts. For example, in one day, Eli visited Wisconsin for his first Christmas with the extended family and also had his first hotel stay when Kenosha became too snowy to traverse that night. (He did great, for the record.) I'm not sure if we should count his trip to Los Angeles as a first since he wasn't born yet.

We also had plans to do some remodeling before Eli was born, but he came three weeks ahead of schedule and so we put it off indefinitely. That didn't last long. The kitchen faucet snapped, so we decided to do the last steps to bring the kitchen up to snuff (countertops/faucet) instead of the bathrooms.

Shortly after we put down the cash for the counters, the toilet broke in the bathroom we put on hold. Figures. Then the garage door opener crapped out. Then my car started running rough. Long and short, the end of the year was expensive.

I lost 12 pounds from October through December, but I think I lapsed enough to wipe out much of that progress. The holidays are difficult with all of the family dinners and baked goods. My family is especially good at this last part. I need to get back on track.

Another unexpected twist at the end of the season was my manager taking me into a conference room to let me know that he was giving me a promotion and raise. I hadn't even asked for it yet. The long hours and stress finally paid off.

Despite the bump, we still have some financial figuring to do, but 2011 should be fun.