Not the college type?

It's been a looooong time since I had to decide on college but I do remember that many of my friends did not attend. They were "not the college type" or so they thought.

Some eventually headed to higher ed, some went into business or military and some have just been hanging out (you know who you are!)

A reader wrote to Ask Cathy (Cathy Horton's advice column) that she is not the college type but wants a secure, lasting career (not just a series of jobs)

Ask Cathy gave some pretty good advice as to a hot area that should be immune to economic woes. IT in health care. Hard to argue. You can read it at the above link or listen to the podcast version.

Corn maze for blondes

On Rt 6 between Sandusky & Fremont, OH.

Come on Apple - it's getting old

I prefaced my latest podcast on Windows 7 (this one features some of the new cool and fun stuff in Windows 7) with a short rant about Apple as follows:

Before I get into some of the cool and fun new features of Windows 7 I have to complain about Apple's latest attack ads. Instead of trying to demonstrate why they believe their products are better, Apple is again attacking Microsoft, trying to make the PC and PC users seem uncool.

Frankly it is starting to reek of desperation. It displays Apple's insecurities about their paltry 3% of the PC market.

It's getting old Apple - give it up. Use you marketing to convince us why we might want to choose your products, not to just attack.

Windows 7 Whopper

Burger King in Japan has released a 7 pattie Whopper to celebrate the launch of Microsoft Windows 7. Urp!

Swine Flu (H1N1) and pregnant women

Health officials have revealed that the H1N1 virus has hit pregnant women especially hard. There have been over 700 cases of H1N1 in 2009 in pregnant women since late April or early May, 100 pregnant women admitted to intensive care units and 28 pregnant women have died from H1N1 this year.

With the H1N1 vaccine just recently made available, one of the first “high-risk” groups to have the vaccine available to them will be pregnant women. As only 15 percent of pregnant women get vaccinated against the seasonal flu each year, even more are nervous about getting the H1N1 vaccine.

If you know someone who is expecting, please have them read this article so they do the right thing for them,selves and their baby.

10% off all Microsoft stuff till Tuesday at midnight

10% off everything and anything (XBOX 360, Zune, Windows 7, Office, Games, Hardware, etc) until Tuesday at midnight.

Click on box below and use the code OFFMSSTORE

Windows 7

Windows 7 launches on Thursday October 22.

So is this going to be another version like the troubled Windows ME or Vista or more like the robust and popular Windows 98 and Windows XP?

The Great Lakes Geek has been testing Windows 7 for several months and will give you the scoop in a series of podcasts on the new OS.

This first podcast deals with the 3 main problem areas of Windows Vista and sees what Windows 7 does to correct them.

We're # 2!

HP is still the number one PC maker with about 20% of the market. Dell is still #2, right? Not so fast.

Strong netbook sales have pushed Acer at 14% past Dell at 11% into the # 2 spot.

Lenovo and Toshiba come in 4th and 5th.

Sorry Apple fanatics. The Mac is still less than 4% worldwide despite their great marketing.

Batman

Sometimes it's good to be the GreatLakesGeek. Like when you get to preview a new Warner Bros Batman Animation.

A new Batman: The Brave & The Bold episode, "Mayhem of the Music Meister!," airs next Friday, October 23, at 7:30 p.m. on the Cartoon Network.

Supported by a 28-member orchestra assembled on the famous Eastwood scoring stage at Warner Bros., special guest-star Neil Patrick Harris voices the Music Meister - Batman's newest villain who is able to exert powerful mind-control through song.

Let's face it. For many of us, our first exposure to opera came from the Bugs Bunny classics. This episode has great color and animation but the sound is really impressive. In fact, the soundtrack will be available after airdate on Amazon, iTunes, etc.

The Music Meister controls both heroes and villains when his voice hits a certain pitch. He makes them sing and dance and do his bidding.

It's not your typical Batman episode. It even has a romatic component (with canary). Kind of like Batman on Broadway.

Free Firewall - Today only

ZoneAlarm will giveaway its popular security software "ZoneAlarm Pro
Firewall" for Free. The promotion will be good for 24-hours, starting
today, October 13 (Tuesday).

http://download.zonealarm.com/bin/free/sum/index.html

I must be hungry

Another food post!

I thought the Cleveland Indians did a tremendous job in one area at least this summer. Their new food options were terrific.

They teamed up with some Wellness chefs at the Cleveland Clinic for some tasty and healthy ballpark fare such as baked sweet potato "fries," guacamole with whole grain chips, vegetable chili, Waldorf salad, salmon sliders, grilled chicken breasts, chocolate bars and frozen banana chips dipped in dark chocolate.

Watch a short video with Executive Chef Jim Perko from Cleveland Clinic

But the Cavs may have trumped them - and hopefully their season will be much better too.

Quicken Loans Arena has a deal with Cleveland's own Iron Chef Michael Symon for food for Cavs games and other events. Bar Symon at The Q and The B Spot will both offer Chef Symon's award-winning fare.

How about some Pork Pastrami – a sandwich with coleslaw, stadium mustard and Swiss cheese on rye bread while watching Lebron James dunk?

Or Michael Symon's Mac & Cheese – made with rosemary, goat cheese and roasted tomatoes during a Shaq Attack?

Can't wait for tip off!

See more of the Michael Symon- Cleveland Cavaliers deal

Don't miss Iron Chef Michael Symon's first ever cookbook!
Michael Symon's Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen

Mmmmm Apples - Top Ten Varieties

The last several peaches I ate were brown inside. I guess their time is over for the season. But that means it's apple time!

When apples are in season you just can't beat them. I usually eat the entire apple - even the core. I started that as a kid even though the seeds contain a little of the poison cyanide.

I usually eat Delicious apples. I've tried a few other varieties - the green Granny Smiths. Golden Delicious and others but a good old Delicious is still my favorite.

But after reading this list of Top Ten Apple varieties I am eager to try a few others.

And I am always open to accepting apple pies and other dishes. Here's a couple books of apple recipes (Hint, hint)

Apple Pie Perfect: 100 Delicious and Decidedly Different Recipes for America's Favorite Pie


A Is for Apple: More Than 200 Recipes for Eating, Munching and Cooking with America's Favorite Fruit


The Big Fat Red Juicy Apple Cookbook

Olympics in Rio

I think this selection makes sense.

Sure it would be nice to have in the US again but it is such a drain on the local economy. Montreal is still in debt from 1968!

Plus I was in Chicago years ago when princess Diana came through. The city basically shut down. You could not travel (drive) a few blocks in less than an hour - really. A Chicago Olympics would be gridlock.

Tokyo didn't need it. Spain has had Barcelona recently but there has never been an Olympics on the continent of South America. That's crazy!

Rio is supposedly very corrupt (like Chicago is not?) but Beijing pulled it off and I am sure they will too.

Geek Test

Infoworld came out with their annual geek test. It's 20 questions ranging from net admin stuff to pop culture to computer history.

It's not an easy test.

I had to guess on a few and still did poorly.

See how bad I did and try it yourself.

3 apps enter, 2 apps leave

No this isn't Thunderdome.

But what if you had to give up one of your trusted office applications (or their equivalents)

Would you give up Word, Excel or Access?

The Great Lakes Geek wants to know

Vote here