spring is here

[lennygoran]

At least in washington dc! Len the gardener

[John F]

Not by my calendar! But with high temperatures in the 60s this week in New York, I'm not complaining.

[smitty1931]

Having lived in the D.C. area for 50 years I agree that Washington is indeed beautiful in the spring. The walk around the Tidal Basin under the cherry blossoms is a must!

[rwetmore]

It's great isn't it? If we can just get through March without any snow......

[lennygoran]

Not by my calendar! But with high temperatures in the 60s this week in New York, I'm not complaining.

Strange year-people in wash dc are
Still trying to ice skate despite the puddles!
A lot of people tripping! Len

[jbuck919]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

[lennygoran]

Having lived in the D.C. area for 50 years I agree that Washington is indeed beautiful in the spring. The walk around the Tidal Basin under the cherry blossoms is a must!

That walk can be a zoo on a weekend-the metro cannot handle it
-ask me how I know! Len

[lennygoran]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

[lennygoran]

It's great isn't it? If we can just get through March without any snow......

My feelings exactly! Len

[jbuck919]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

I only hope some of them are skating on thin ice.

I have never quite figured out that skating rink on the Mall. I have never known it to be particularly popular (certainly never saw it crowded), and Washington rarely has winters cold enough for much outside skating, never mind this particularly warm one. It seems to me that the space could be put to better use. Of course, if the Republicans take power they will find a use for it, probably as the national Ronald Reagan Memorial.

[lennygoran]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

I only hope some of them are skating on thin ice.

I have never quite figured out that skating rink on the Mall. I have never known it to be particularly popular (certainly never saw it crowded), and Washington rarely has winters cold enough for much outside skating, never mind this particularly warm one. It seems to me that the space could be put to better use. Of course, if the Republicans take power they will find a use for it, probably as the national Ronald Reagan Memorial.

More garden shrubs-less ice! Len

[jbuck919]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

I only hope some of them are skating on thin ice.

I have never quite figured out that skating rink on the Mall. I have never known it to be particularly popular (certainly never saw it crowded), and Washington rarely has winters cold enough for much outside skating, never mind this particularly warm one. It seems to me that the space could be put to better use. Of course, if the Republicans take power they will find a use for it, probably as the national Ronald Reagan Memorial.

More garden shrubs-less ice! Len

As I'm sure you have already observed, landscape gardening is not a major feature of the Mall (nor should it be). We may have been over this before, but have you been to the National Arboretum, which is adjacent to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (now is obviously not the best time)? You have to leave the wonderland part of DC to find them, but there they are.

[nut-job]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

I only hope some of them are skating on thin ice.

I have never quite figured out that skating rink on the Mall. I have never known it to be particularly popular (certainly never saw it crowded), and Washington rarely has winters cold enough for much outside skating, never mind this particularly warm one. It seems to me that the space could be put to better use. Of course, if the Republicans take power they will find a use for it, probably as the national Ronald Reagan Memorial.

To be strictly accurate, that skating rink isn't on the Mall, which is controlled by the National Park service. It is in the National Gallery sculpture garden, which is under the control of the National Gallery of Art, a distinct private/public entity sanctioned directly by Congress. (Remember the old days when Congress could do things?) I believe the rink serves as a fountain during the warmer months, and the conversion to a skating rink in the winter creates a wonderful atmosphere in the sculpture garden, I think.

[lennygoran]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

I only hope some of them are skating on thin ice.

I have never quite figured out that skating rink on the Mall. I have never known it to be particularly popular (certainly never saw it crowded), and Washington rarely has winters cold enough for much outside skating, never mind this particularly warm one. It seems to me that the space could be put to better use. Of course, if the Republicans take power they will find a use for it, probably as the national Ronald Reagan Memorial.

More garden shrubs-less ice! Len[/quote
Yes we have been to both-we passed the arboretum on us 50 as we headed toward
Annapolis.

As I'm sure you have already observed, landscape gardening is not a major feature of the Mall (nor should it be). We may have been over this before, but have you been to the National Arboretum, which is adjacent to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (now is obviously not the best time)? You have to leave the wonderland part of DC to find them, but there they are.

[lennygoran]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

Are they even trying to skate? Len

I only hope some of them are skating on thin ice.

I have never quite figured out that skating rink on the Mall. I have never known it to be particularly popular (certainly never saw it crowded), and Washington rarely has winters cold enough for much outside skating, never mind this particularly warm one. It seems to me that the space could be put to better use. Of course, if the Republicans take power they will find a use for it, probably as the national Ronald Reagan Memorial.

More garden shrubs-less ice! Len[/quote
Yes we have been to both-we passed the arboretum on us 50 as we headed toward
Annapolis.

As I'm sure you have already observed, landscape gardening is not a major feature of the Mall (nor should it be). We may have been over this before, but have you been to the National Arboretum, which is adjacent to the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (now is obviously not the best time)? You have to leave the wonderland part of DC to find them, but there they are.

[lennygoran]

Strange year... in wash dc...a lot of people tripping!

Yes, describes the House of Representatives pretty well.

My last message got caught in the middle of the reply
-I blame the new droid! Anyway we know both the arboretum
And kennilworth-aamof we past tyhe arboretum yesterday on us50
On our way to annapolis. Len

[John F]

My last message got caught in the middle of the reply-I blame the new droid!

Does this mean you've tossed the Blackberry? Why? Just curious.

[lennygoran]

My last message got caught in the middle of the reply-I blame the new droid!

Does this mean you've tossed the Blackberry? Why? Just curious.

John, the blackberry suffered a fatal crash--it couldn't be saved--we were going on this trip and I wanted a new cell phone--at the Verizon place I use they said I could continue with a newer Blackberry but they said that moving into the newest best line meant going with an iphone or a droid--I chose the droid--the learning curve is for me high. Regards, Len

[living_stradivarius]

My last message got caught in the middle of the reply-I blame the new droid!

Does this mean you've tossed the Blackberry? Why? Just curious.

John, the blackberry suffered a fatal crash--it couldn't be saved--we were going on this trip and I wanted a new cell phone--at the Verizon place I use they said I could continue with a newer Blackberry but they said that moving into the newest best line meant going with an iphone or a droid--I chose the droid--the learning curve is for me high. Regards, Len

oh no why didn't you get an iphone? there's hardly any learning curve

[John F]

My last message got caught in the middle of the reply-I blame the new droid!

Does this mean you've tossed the Blackberry? Why? Just curious.

John, the blackberry suffered a fatal crash--it couldn't be saved--we were going on this trip and I wanted a new cell phone--at the Verizon place I use they said I could continue with a newer Blackberry but they said that moving into the newest best line meant going with an iphone or a droid--I chose the droid--the learning curve is for me high. Regards, Len

Such things happen. My computer monitor died last week, meaning that my computer might as well have been dead. Got on the phone to Dell and ordered a replacement "blind," with immediate shipment top priority because I couldn't stand being out of touch with the world any longer than I had to. It turned out to be a wide-screen high definition monitor, an unwelcome change from the old monitor with the screen proportions of a standard TV set - a lot of wasted screen space at the sides, and a few lines less text than before. But they don't make many of the old-style monitors any more, and Dell didn't have any in stock. Not exactly a steep learning curve, everything works as before, but I have to keep adjusting my software's display to suit the way I use the computer.

[lennygoran]

oh no why didn't you get an iphone? there's hardly any learning curve

It cost a little more. Regards, Len [cheap]

[lennygoran]

It turned out to be a wide-screen high definition monitor, an unwelcome change from the old monitor with the screen proportions of a standard TV set - a lot of wasted screen space at the sides, and a few lines less text than before.

One of my biggest problems right now is that the Samsung screen shows this forum too small and right now the only way to read the messages is by touching the screen at both ends and extending the screen--then you can move the screen around to read things but it would be better to have just one steady readable screen--now for other sites like google and wiki and the NY Times the screen is just fine. A new problem developed on the trip--the battery ran out of juice twice despite a lot of charging of it on my part--even driving in the car and charging it didn't stop the battery from getting lower than I would have liked after maybe 5 hours or so. I gotta call Verizon and see what devices to cut off in order to save power on the battery. OTOH this droid lets me send photos to the forum--something I couldn't do with the blackberry. Regards, Len

[John F]

By the way, the Droid is a Motorola product, right? (The name is short for Android, a mobile operating system that Google was involved with.) There's a comparative review with the iPhone that might interest you, especially if there's something wrong with what you have and you want to consider making a change.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/199844/i ... rison.html

The iPhone wins most of the comparisons, but the Droid is cheaper and costs less to use, says the review. I guess you'd have to make your own comparison in the store, if you can, to see which suits you best. Or maybe you've already done that and the Droid was the winner.

[nut-job]

One of my biggest problems right now is that the Samsung screen...

By the way, the Droid is a Motorola product, right?

[John F]

That's why I asked.

[nut-job]

That's why I asked.

I don't get it. It's like reading.

"I don't like the steering wheel in by Chevrolet."
"It's a Ford, right?"

If he said he has a Samsung, why would you think he has a Motorola?

[John F]

That's why I asked.

I don't get it. It's like reading.

"I don't like the steering wheel in by Chevrolet."
"It's a Ford, right?"

If he said he has a Samsung, why would you think he has a Motorola?

What's your problem, nut-job? I was asking, not saying, and Lenny will tell me.

[lennygoran]

and Lenny will tell me.

John it's a Samsung Stratosphere--they say it's an android--what's the difference between android and droid I couldn't tell you! Anyway I looked at another review from CNET and it's blazing fast--too darn fast for me! Regards, Len

[John F]

Thanks! I'm still not in the market for a mobile phone, but the time will come, and meanwhile I like to know about others' experiences with their cell phones.

"Droid" is slang-short for "Android" and identifies the phone's operating system. The iPhone's OS is different, developed by Apple for their best-selling cell phone; the Blackberry has its own OS; and there are others too. As far as I know, they all work just fine, but some are more friendly to add-ons ("apps") than others.