Change of pace for both tech and a minor one for diet!

Linux

After more than a year for my Desktop, I have moved away from Windows 7 and returned to Linux Mint with Mate. I just feel...cleaner...with an open source operating system. My Windows install became what Windows always historically does, no matter what the prior OS—get buggered down by its own weight. I don't know about any versions after 7, but it didn't matter what it was, after a long enough period, a Windows machine just needs a fresh install. Sure, for some users, I had to run down some extraordinary situation, temp files that sized in the GB's and of course malware/virus or some kind of wacky driver hitting the processor. But, I never have that kind of problem with my own PC because...well, Weird Al said it best, "Can't you see I'm white and nerdy?" I mean, c'mon:

I really love the Mate window manager. It gives off that vintage feel of Gnome 2. I'm wistfully reminded of my days with Ubuntu 4.10 in early 2005, ol' Warty Warthog. Not that I didn't dabble with Linux before that—as an intern, I'd fool around with Corel Linux, sometime in '99 or '00 on a Compaq 166 mhz.

Now clearly, Linux Mint is a modern OS, another feature that I like: an updated OS. I don't know where Windows 7 is on its support cycle—at this point in my life, I don't really care— but, I like an OS with regular updates that help my system—and you can't beat a Linux update manager that looks up updates for EVERY application. On the flip side, my poor iPad from 2012 received an update from Apple that just about crippled it. I'm really surprised Apple doesn't provide a downgrade path, even if it is just to wipe the machine or just a frakin' factory reset. They could learn a thing or two from Google and its Chrome OS.

But, I get it: they're trying to remove the user from the process for a vanilla environment while returning value to the shareholders. But, what if I'm not interested in riding in that paddle-less canoe?

Coming home to Linux isn't too far of a departure for me. Though on Windows, I was regularly using open source software like Gimp, Gnucash, Clementine, Filezilla, Freemind, and Libre Office (kinda—I can't ignore the convenience of Google's office suite). No Notepad++ without Wine, so maybe I'll return to Bluefish.

And while my intent has been to a return to C programming, I've just pursued other interests. Coming back to Linux makes compiling ultra easy.

Lastly, and quite most importantly underscoring fitness, I've got it set up on a counter as a standing desk.

Diet Update

Yesterday, I prepped 8 lunches of spinach and broccoli, followed by my AM and PM soymilk blends for the next 6 days. I also made a shift in my supplementation routine, removing B12; Vitamin D, 5000 IU; and VitaminShoppe's Ultimate Man multivitamin from the MWF rotation. For those three days, I'm adding VitaminShoppe's Ultimate Man Gold. Sure, I could wait a little more than a couple of months and stay on my former vitamin, but I'd rather work in the new one and still not waste anything.

Normally, it's $20 more a bottle than Ultimate Man and lasts for 30 days less, but there was a sale of 25% off, plus an addition 20% off that. So, in practice, it was $3.44 more. Now, as to the day amount, there's not a lot I can do about that as Gold requires 3 tablets and the other is only 2.

The gold version is superior to standard version in A, B1, B2, B3, B12, biotin, folate magnesium, chromium, potassium, and choline.

The gold version also organizes its approach with additional supplements for digestion, men's health, antioxidants, and eye health.