One possible fix to Windows 7/Vista freezing/hanging upon waking up from sleep

Many people with computers running Windows 7 or Vista have experienced the system freezing/hanging when trying to wake it up from sleep, with many solutions proposed.  The following procedure has almost eliminated the problem for me, with such episodes being very rare now.

1.  Go to Control Panel –> Hardware and Sound –> Power Options.

2.  For whatever power plan you are on, click on Change Plan Settings.

3.  Set Turn Off the Display to Never.

4.  Set Put the Computer to Sleep to 20 minutes (or similar timeframe).

5.  Click Save Changes.  You may need to repeat steps 3 and 4 until Windows believes you are serious about these settings.

This fix appears to work if the problem is caused by issues when only the monitor is shut off but the computer is still active.  Since the monitor will turn itself off if the computer goes to sleep, there is really no need to shut off the monitor early if the computer is set to sleep within a short period of time.

A (non) conversation with the Pharisee church pastor

I was visiting the Pharisee church pastor (“PCP”) in his office the other day when the following exchange took place.  He was working on some sermon, while I was reading the newspaper:

Me – Check out this profile of a senior executive in the global investment banking firm “Sack Them Goats”.  He has been accused by the regulators of knowingly selling crappy financial products to his clients, while making bets that pay him lots of money when those products fail.

PCP – Uh huh. (Eyes remained focused on his work)

Me – One of the state attorneys general has also accused this executive of knowingly setting up and promoting unfair mortgage schemes, which resulted in thousands of families losing their homes during the financial crisis.

PCP – Um, ah huh. (Corrects some typo in his draft sermon)

Me – According to an investigative documentary, this Sack Them Goats executive was also instrumental in artificially suppressing the price of gold for many years, which contributed to the impoverishment of many African nations, making millions of children malnourished or even dead due to hunger.

PCP – Hmm. (Looks up something from a thick reference book)

Me – Last year, this executive collected over $100 million in cash bonuses alone, stock options extra.

PCP – Sure. (Gently taps his pen while pondering his draft)

Me – On the personal level, however, this Sack Them Goats executive is a dedicated family man.  He has been married to his same sex partner for over 10 years, and they have adopted two children from overseas orphanages.

PCP – What?!  An evil homosexual?!  (Screaming)  He is going to burn in hell for eternity!!!  Homosexuals like him are what’s wrong with society today!!!  (Followed by a tirade about “the demonic gay agenda”, “corrupting children”, “destroying marriage”, etc.)

It appears that, to some people, the speck of homosexuality is more significant than the log/plank of rapacious greed.

How Rona lost (at least) $50 in guaranteed sales

Recently, I was preparing to visit some friends who are in the process of moving house.  Knowing that they will have a need for home improvement products, I decided that a gift card from a home improvement store would be an appropriate gift.  So I went to my nearest Rona Home & Garden store, and asked to buy a $50 gift card.  When I took out my credit card to make the payment, I was told by the cashier that Rona only accepts cash or debit when purchasing gift cards, and does not accept credit cards.  I asked her if she is sure, and she insisted that a Rona gift card must be paid for by either cash or debit.  So I bid her farewell, and proceeded to a Home Depot store.  There, I quickly bought a $50 Home Depot gift card with my credit card, and was on my way within minutes.

My friends were happy to receive the $50 Home Depot gift card.  They told me that they do need to buy quite a few things for their new house – at least a few hundred dollars worth, if not a thousand or two.  With my gift card, they intend to visit Home Depot first.

In this case, then, it is obvious that Rona’s loss is Home Depot’s gain.