Shutdown Diary
The latest stats from WaPo:
By CDC:
Other Notes
Unsurprisingly, most of my older PC's have noted (in Windows Update) that they aren't eligible for Windows 11. What does this really mean for regular users? Well the real question is how long will Microsoft support Windows 10? Short answer: until mid-October 2025. And what happens then? Well, it's not like your operating system and installed apps will go poof like a Mission Impossible tape. It means Microsoft will not fix any new security holes. And trust me, that's a problem for any machine interfacing to the Internet. What then? Well, it could be, but I think it's a fantasy, that Microsoft releases the code to the open software community. Microsoft is also in the initial stages of introducing something called Microsoft 365; at risk of oversimplification, think of it as your operating system in the cloud (tacit assumption; you're always connected to the Internet). For some subscription fee, say $30+/month, you might be able to run Windows 11 on an older machine. (Of course, Microsoft would like recurring revenues versus a one-time perpetual license bundled/purchased with your PC.) And there are some workarounds to the critical TPM 2.0/RAM/CPU requirements, typically requiring a new PC. But basically don't expect security software vendors to pick up the slack; typically software companies frown upon supporting desupported platforms, which raises their costs. I've got one machine on Windows 11, a desktop, and I'll probably buy a newer, faster, inexpensive PC with more storage in the future as a backup or my workhorse. I'll only do secure transactions on a protected PC. What will I do with my older PC's? Well, I could convert them to another OS, like Linux or perhaps to Chrome OS or simply not use them on the Internet.
I mentioned my Chromebook which has gone out of support in just a couple of years. Others have run into similar issues. I've done a little research on the topic, and the basic gist is basically planned obsolescence, that you can expect from maybe 6.5 to 8 years of OS support on newer year models--from the date of production, not of purchase. So, for example, if you bought a 2020 model recently, you might find the OS support ends in 2006, not 2007 or later. And when I've looked at Chromebooks for sale on various portals and you often won't see an expiration date for obvious reasons; I think there's a Google website where you can find out (and from the Chromebook itself).
My sports teams (except for the 8-1 UH football Cougars) are not doing well. UT/Austin has blown leads in 4 consecutive games and is below .500 for the season. The Vikings continue to lose close games and are also underwater. But the one that really hurts is how the Astros blew the World Series yet again.
Familiar readers probably know my first love is the Minnesota Twins (the name of my Little League team), even though I never set foot in Minnesota until an academic conference as a junior UWM professor.
I moved back to my native state of Texas for high school and earned all 4 of my degrees in Texas, the last 2 at UH. I finally ended up attending my first and only MLB games in Houston (this was when Nolan Ryan pitched there and broke Walter Johnson's all-time KO record). I've lived within driving range of multiple other MLB franchises (e.g., Chicago, DC, Baltimore, Milwaukee, etc.), but never really interested. I've only attended one other pro sports game (the Chicago Blackhawks: my employer had a box).
The Astros were in the NL back then and won the pennant in 2005, only to be swept by the White Sox in the World Series. The Astros moved to the AL in 2013 They won the 2017 Series and lost the 2019 Series.
Somehow they muddled their way through the ALCS, despite 3 grand slam homers, and when the Braves hit another in Game 5 in the World Series, I was like, "What the hell?" Maybe it's wrong to scapegoat manager Dusty Baker, but I would have pulled those pitchers faster than he did.
The Astros were lucky to stretch it to 6 games; they barely hit off the Braves' relief pitching and I think only 2 starters hit over .300 for the Series and only 2 home runs, both by Altuve. Bregman, one of their clutch hitters batting 3 or 4, hit under .100. Maybe it was just dominant Braves' pitching but getting shut out at home in game 6 is telling. But maybe it's better than losing by 1 run in a seventh game and replaying the game all winter, "woulda...coulda...shoulda". It was just the wrong time for a team batting slump.
I can't figure what's going on in pro wrestling. Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt's no-compete clauses have expired and I haven't seen them show up yet. There's a rumor Strowman is welcome back to WWE with a healthy pay cut. But WWE has cut or didn't resign 3 of my favorites, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, and (most recently) Karrion Kross.
I don't know what's going on with food inflation. One week a dozen eggs goes for $1 at Lidl, and then it goes to 58 cents. I bought a whole wheat loaf one week for 98 cents, and then it goes for $1.50. But Lidl runs specials, which Walmart really doesn't do. I don't have the refrigerator/freezer room, but Lidl is offering Butterballs under $1/lb. and fully cooked birds at $2/lb.
It's easier to tell at Walmart. It's odd what things will stick out. There is a certain brand of sparkling water (flavored, no sugar) I often bought at 57 cents/bottle, and it seems to now go for 64 cents. And I don't buy pizza very often, but you could often buy a Tony's for about $2.50 and now it's more like $3.
