Slow Horses (Season 6 on Apple TV)

We watched EP1 of the new season S6 of Slow Horses and were not disappointed. It was a bit darker than previous seasons but it was gripping, and the cast, acting, and writing were as wonderful as ever. This has been since the beginning and  continues to be must-see TV.

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Second Chances

The baby boomers turned this country over to the two generations that followed them with a vibrant democracy. And they messed it up bringing us Trump. In what might go down as the most glorious election in American history, and a stunning victory for the power of free elections, we have given them a second chance. Please, don't blow it.

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New Windows 11 Customizable Context Menu

Starting with the November update, Windows 11 is getting a new context menu experience that gives you more control over the commands and app extensions that appear in the main menu. The new menu reduces clutter and makes the experience faster by moving app extensions into a separate submenu. It also introduces a "Customize menu" option at the bottom of the interface, which opens a dedicated Settings page where you can enable or disable built-in commands, add options such as "Print" and "Send to," and control which app extensions appear in the main menu or submenu. You can also display "Cut," "Copy," "Paste," "Rename," "Delete," and "Share" as individual commands instead of showing them in a vertical view. Windows 11 also lets you move "Properties" to the bottom of the menu as it appeared on Windows 10. To access these options, right-click a file, folder, or the desktop and select Customize menu, or open Settings > Personalization > Context menu. You can keep the default configuration if you prefer. Holding down "Shift" while right-clicking also reveals the legacy context menu. This article has more details.

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Free Replacements for Several Expensive Windows Apps

Replacing my expensive Windows apps turned out to be much easier than I expected. Between Affinity, OnlyOffice, PDFGear, ShareX, and Blender, I now have a powerful collection of tools that handles everything from everyday productivity to PDF management. Besides, I didn’t have to sacrifice essential features or overhaul my workflow to make the switch. Of course, these alternatives aren’t perfect, and some come with a learning curve, especially Blender. However, the money I save makes those minor inconveniences worth it. This XDA article has more details.

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Connecting Wirelessly to Apple Car Play and Android Auto

If your car requires a wired connection for Apple Car Play or Android Auto to display on the car's screen, there are adapters that take 30 seconds to set up to allow for a wireless connection and will always remember your phone. They cost under $50. The only cautionary note is that, if the car does not support one or the other app, the adapter won't fix that problem.

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How the Mid-Term Blue Blow-Out Could Change Presidential Elections

This article was sent in by a loyal reader. It's a mind-blow. There is a chance that the Electoral College, as we know it, could soon become a thing of the past. That isn't speculation. In fact, the plan is already in motion. See the article for details.

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How to Know Best Times to Go to Restroom During a Theatre Movie

Many of us shun movie theatres because, especially with longer movies, having to miss segments to frequent the restroom or the snack counter ruins the experience. That's where the RunPee app comes in. Every movie has a few minutes you can miss without missing anything. RunPee marks them: When to go, how long you have, and what you missed. And it's free.

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The Case for Buying Bonds

Although bond yields have dropped this week, this WSJ piece makes a strong argument for buying bonds. "Investors looking for a silver lining in Thursday’s ugly stock selloff can find it in Treasurys. As markets consider whether Democrats’ sweep to power at the federal and state levels will sharply curtail the artificial-intelligence build-out that has powered stocks, some investors may be kicking themselves for not locking in the yields on offer in Treasurys a few weeks ago. The mirror of the Nasdaq Composite Index’s 5.5% decline on Thursday was a classic flight-tosafety rally for Treasurys, pushing down yields to their lowest levels in almost two months. Two-year notes were yielding nearly 5% in late September. Now they are just over 4.5%. Ten-year yields got to 5.3%, now they are around a half point lower. The real mistake, though, would be to ignore the diversification opportunity Treasurys still offer. Yields might not be 5% anymore, but they could also be much lower than they are today. You hardly have to dig deep into history for a time when the 10-year yielded less than 4%. It was last at that level fewer than nine months ago. Even if they are no longer at peak levels, Treasury yields still remain fairly close to their highest levels in a generation. And although there remain risks to government bonds, like an escalation of the Iran war that could further push up energy prices, there are several reasons why [sic] they look like a hedge to an unwind in the AI build-out." 

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Flu Season Has Arrived Early

If you haven't gotten your flu shot, get it now. The flu season is well under way much sooner than usual. If you're over 50, get the vaccine tailored for that demographic. Same with the Covid shot. This Arizona Public Health Association article and CDC report explain all in more detail.

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eufy Window Cam E10

If you are thinking about a camera  to monitor outdoor activity, for about $80, the eufy camera E10 sticks to a window without any wires making installation a breeze and does not run the chance of being ripped off as outside cameras do.

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