The new year is officially underway and what better time to take an opportunity to just relax and offer some random amblings in no particular format, order or purpose…

It’s not as sexy as say a portable external hard disk, but my space heater is invariably my go to tool of choice–especially during winter months.

Can you wash blue jeans with white clothes? Yes and no. I’ve “heard” if you wash them in warm water they may be fine. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

Will malls as we used to know them ever make a comeback? No. Retail store malls are dying. If they don’t completely end up falling prey to the bulldozer they will need a repurposing of some kind–the likes of which has yet to be determined.

Back in the day malls were social media. It was just real life, though, so you could call it reality Facebook. You saw the best in people and also the worst. And you didn’t have to log on; you just showed up. Like real life.

Back to washing clothes…do you prefer appliances such as washers and dryers that play a melody when they complete their cycles? I do. I remember the harsh buzzers that would sound on the Kenmore branded washers and dryers that were sold in malls across the country.

Those buzzers would shock you into attending to your clothes.

Today’s tune-playing washers and dryers are more pleasant, less shocking and I still get to the clothes in somewhat timely fashion just like the old buzzer days.

And finally, if I could change the tune that signified the end of the wash cycle to “Eye of the Tiger,” that would be very nice.

I like Deepin OS for my desktop computers more and more. I find little things like not having the time displayed in one of the corners of my monitor a nice touch. If I’m not checking the clock as much (as I used to when I couldn’t avoid it because it was in my field of view), the theory is I can be more productive. I’ll let you know how that works out.

The time is next to the trash in the dock strip at the bottom of the screen in Deepin. The icon is a small circle that rests in the dock and simply displays the hour and minute; it’s located so off the beaten path that yes, I would say it is unobtrusive.

Deepin can resemble a PC (Efficient Mode) or Mac (Fashion Mode) desktop. I prefer the Mac look although I like that you can instantly get to the desktop when in Efficient Mode by clicking Deepin developers’ version of the Windows 1-click desktop transporter typically found at the lower right hand corner of the Windows app icon panel.

By any estimates, as much as 65% of Apple’s revenues are from iPhone sales. iPhone sales are down. You didn’t think the ride would last forever did you?

YMMV (see above) – one of my favorite acronyms right after NAVY–Never Again Volunteer Yourself.

If a phone is only as intelligent as the person operating it, shouldn’t we just drop the word “smart” in front of phone?

I don’t get the newspaper delivered anymore but I have a paper wall calendar for 2019 featuring pictures of pit bulls. Go figure.