January 29, 2010


RockComp


NEWS

 

The newsletter of the RockComp Computer Club

Edited and published by Chuck Rickard 
chuck@rockcomp.org

 Click buttonNewsletter to view park newsletter for January 29, 2010

 

ROCKCOMP COMPUTER CLUB

 

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 is a club business meeting. The annual election of officers will be conducted at this meeting so be sure to attend and make your contribution.

Microsoft Office 2010 Professional edition is now available to download in the Beta edition. Beta software is test software and is not ready for release. It is a free download and will probably be active through the summer until the final release is made. At that time it will no longer function. If you are adventurous, download it and give it a try. I have and it seems to be pretty good. You will even be given the opportunity to give Microsoft your thoughts and opinion. If you have any reservations using Beta software, contact me and I will discuss it with you. If you do install it and you currently have some version of Office, choose the custom option during install and select to keep your current version rather than replace it. When you are done with the Beta version, simply remove it and go back to your old version. Have fun!

Please Note: A new page has been added to the RockComp web site. It is special announcements. The page will contain all news or announcements that pertain to the clubs daily activity. Check it often. There is currently one class on hold which is listed there. This is the way you will be informed of class changes.

The clubs bylaws have been added to the Mission page. We are in the process of updating/correcting the bylaws so read them over and send me any changes/corrections that you would like to suggest.

Two new classes have been added to the Activity page. Beginning Graphics and Database. Contact the instructor if you would like to join a class.

Frequently check the Activities button for updated class information. Check the News button at the top of the page for information on club activities and general meeting speakers. Both of these pages are updated as new information is received.

 

 

 

 

The Days of Black & White

 

Red Skelton 

"Good night and God bless.."


--Go all the way to the bottom past the pictures. I think you'll enjoy it.

 

Whoever wrote this must have been my next door neighbor because it totally described my childhood to a 'T.' 

 Hope you enjoy it.

  

Black and White

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black and White
(Under age 40? You won't understand.) 

You could hardly see for all the snow, Spread the rabbit ears as far as they go. Pull a chair up to the TV set,


'Good Night, David.

 

Good Night, Chet.' 


My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread Mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning. 
My Mom used to defrost hamburger on the counter and I used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice pack coolers, but I can't remember getting e.coli. 
Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.  The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail cell, and a pager was the school PA system.  We all took gym, not PE...and risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors.

I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. 


Flunking gym was not an option... Even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym.
Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention. 
We must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses?

Ours wore a hat and everything.
I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself. 
I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.
 

Oh yeah... And where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting?
I could have been killed! 
We played 'king of the hill' on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked.
 

Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

We didn't act up at the neighbor's house either, because if we did we got our butt spanked there and then we got our butt spanked again when we got home. 

 

I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off. 

Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house. 
Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof.  It was a neighborhood run amuck.

 

 

 

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family.
How could we possibly have known that? 

We didn't need to get into group therapy and anger management classes. 

We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac! 

How did we ever survive? 

Business meeting minutes of the RockComp computer club for Wednesday, January 06, 2010 (Corrected)

 

President Dale Clark called the monthly RockComp business meeting to order at 9:30 AM in Rock Shadows’ main recreation hall followed by all members standing and pledging allegiance to the American flag.

Dale C requested that everyone present with cell phones make a habit of turning them off during our meetings as they interfere with the signal needed when we are having presentations which use the internet. 

Next, Dale C introduced the members of the executive board … Vice President, Winston Heogh; Secretary, Carol Hayden; Treasurer, Dale Fosjord; trustees, Chuck Rickard, Irv Swanson and Jim Lettenmaier who was absent. 

Dale then asked for new attendees to stand and be recognized. 

READING OF THE MINUTES:  Secretary, Carol Hayden read the minutes of the previous business meeting held on December 2, 2009.  Carol Hattery made a motion to accept the minutes as read and Dave Lovejoy seconded the motion and the motion was passed.  

READING OF THE TREASURER’S REPORT:  Dale C gave the treasurer report for treasurer, Dale Fosjord.  The balance as of 1/4/2010 is $1120.81 which includes deposits of $1,290 and disbursements of $1,628.54.  Fred Kudym made a motion to accept the treasurer report; the motion was seconded by Penny Swanson and passed. 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

AZACC … Dale C explained that Arizona Alliance of Computers Clubs is an organization of the Valley computer clubs of which our club is a paid member.  AZAAC meets quarterly to address issues of the computer clubs and help us find speakers for our meetings.  The next AZACC business meeting will be January 23rd. 

Instructor and Classes … 

Winston listed the instructors and their computer classes and schedules:   

Hugh Neideffer’s class on Computer Basics scheduled to begin last Monday, at 1PM in the Rickard Lab was cancelled due to Hugh’s illness.   Dale will let us know when it will resume. 

Penny Swanson’s Basic Internet class is now full.  It will commence on Tuesday, January 12th at 1PM in the Rickard Lab. 

The Genealogy class held by Geneva Seitz and Diane Puukila will start on Wednesday, January 27th at 1PM in the Rickard Lab. 

Jean Frey’s Camera User Group starts on Thursday, January 7th at 1:30PM in the Hamilton Room.  This class was incorrectly listed on the calendar in the weekly Rock Shadows newsletter as a daily class.  

Barbara Hocking will be teaching a Beginner Graphics class in the Rickard Lab but the day and time has not been scheduled yet.

Jim Lettenmaier’s class on transferring VHS tapes to DVDs has been suspended until his return in February.  It was previously held on Thursdays at 11:30AM in the Hamilton Room.

 A ‘geni.com’ class will be held in the Rickard Lab by Carol Hayden sometime in February.  This class differs from the Genealogy class as it is internet genealogy sharing of known information vs genealogy research that is discussed in Geneva and Diane’s Genealogy class.

 When signing up for any class members should list their name, space #, phone # (if available) so you can be notified if there are any changes of meeting date/time/location.

 Winston also mentioned that a calendar of classes will be posted on the patio.

 EVACC … Dick spoke briefly about East Valley Association of Computer Clubs stating that the January meeting will be at Road Haven.

 Membership …  Don Hamilton reported that we have 91 paid members.

 Special Events … Fred Kudym explained the Monday coffee hour 50/50 raffle and the set-up for the coffee hour.  He also told us to mark our calendars for the annual RockComp potluck on Thursday, February 25th starting at 4PM.

 New Members …  Grace Lunt nothing to report on new member books.

 Webmaster …  Chuck Rickard reminded instructors to coordinate class scheduling with him.  If teachers need software they should let Chuck know and he will get the software and install it on the computers in the lab. 

 Currently in the computer lab there are 3 computers with Windows 7 – 2 with XP and 5 with Vista.  If you would like to check these systems out come to the lab on Tuesday or Thursday nights from 7 – 9.

 www.RockComp.org is the RockComp’s website.  This website is the official means of dispersing information such as the club’s business meeting minutes, newsletters as well as the park’s newsletter, etc.  In the summer we can read what is going on around the country by reading the e-mails Chuck post from residents across the country. Also on the RockComp website on the ‘member only access’ is a member list and the bulletin board

 Chuck is going to add an announcement sheet to the site.  This sheet will list updates, announcements, changes and any other pertinent information.

 Chuck reminded us that there are two INTERNET ONLY computers set up in the foyer of the computer complex.  There are also two plug-ins for laptop use.  These have all been furnished totally by the computer club; not by the park.  Chuck inquired if people have to wait to use these computers because, if needed, a third computer could be added; all we need is a monitor.

 It was mentioned by users of these computers that better instructions for opening and shutting down of these computers would be helpful.

 Computer Lab Monitors … The computer lab is open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 – 9 PM if users are there.  If there are no users, the lab will close.  Penny Swanson and Don Hamilton monitor the lab on Tuesday and Chuck Rickard and Don Hamilton Thursday. 

 OLD BUSINESS:  

 AZACC workshop February 20 & 21, 2010 … In the executive board meeting January 5, 2010 a motion was made by Chuck Rickard and seconded by Carol Hayden to reimburse Jim Lettenmaier and Dale Clark $100.00 each for their re AZAAC registration fees plus expenses.  The motion was carried.

 .NEW BUSINESS:

 Nomination Committee …

 At our Executive committee meeting, the Board recommended the following members serve on the Nomination Committee:  Ruth Klassen, Darlene and Eldon Johnson, Delores Woodrow – substitute: Grace Lunt.  Dale asked these members if they would serve on the Nomination committee and Ruth and Delores accepted.  Eldon Johnson spoke for Darlene who was absent and said that he would take her place on the committee.

 Election of new officers will take place at our next business meeting, February 3, 2010 with installation of new officers at the March 3, 2010 business meeting.  The trustees serve 2 year, overlapping terms.  Trustee, Chuck Rickard’s term expires this year; however he said that he would be willing to run for that office again.

 Review of RockComp Bylaws …

 The Board asked trustees Irv Swanson and Chuck Rickard to review the latest copy of RockComp’s bylaws to make certain that all terminology is correct and amendments have been included.

 The board also decided that it would be a trustee’s responsible to annually update the bylaws once amendments are passed, and then give them to Chuck to post on the RockComp website.

 Meanwhile, Chuck will post the club’s current bylaws on the RockComp website for all members to view.

 Club Historian …

 Dale C brought up the fact that the club used to have a Historian.  Delores Woodrow asked where the book with the club history is.  No one seems to know where it is.  Don Hamilton said that he has all that information on his computer.

 Re ‘Members Lounge’ on RockComp website …

 Chuck mentioned for new members that to get into the Members Lounge on our website they need to contact him so he can set their entry up.  He needs 1) user name, 2) password, 3) space number, 4) telephone number, 5) e-mail address.

 Only paid members can access the Members Lounge.

 Secretaries 3 ring binder/notebook …

 Carol Hayden asked if anyone has seen the club’s Secretaries book (large blue 3 ring notebook).  It was left in the Rickard Lab last March and is now missing. The notebook contains past meeting notes, bylaws and other information pertaining to the RockComp Computer Club. Perhaps it was accidently as picked up by someone working in the lab and they don’t realize that they have it. 

 Carol then read an e-mail from Ruth and Mel Fisher in which they asked to tell everyone ‘hello’.

 A motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Chuck Rickard and seconded by Pat Mueller.  Motion passed; the meeting was adjourned at 10:42.

 Respectfully submitted by Carol Hayden, Secretary

 Corrections/additions

 Corrections/deletions

Chuck