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February 13, 2013
SPINNING A YARN
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Beat the computer blues Five strategies to avoid PC crashes and ‘The Blue Screen of Death’ By SHEA CONNER St. Joseph News-Press
First, you notice your computer struggling a little bit. Then, your screen freezes and your machine starts making some funny noises. And, suddenly, a modern-day image more frightening than Attila the Hun or Jason Voorhees appears: The Blue Screen of Death. You furrow your brow, and your forehead starts to perspire. You try to convince yourself that it’ll be all right, but you know what happened. Your computer just crashed. And as you reach down to unplug the power cord and swiftly stick it back in the outlet, you can only sulk and hope that the crash wasn’t fatal. If you’re one of the 92 percent of computer owners who use Windows, you’ve probably witnessed this frustrating experience before. Believe it or not, there are a few fairly easy ways to avoid this awful scenario. While some computer crashes are unavoidable or require professional assistance, others can be prevented with some routine maintenance. Here are five ways that you can stop the Blue Screen of Death from taking over your PC.
Beat the heat Matt Reid| St. Joseph News- Press
Saundra Keiffer, manager of the Rolling Hills Library Savannah branch, talks and spins with the Robidoux Spinning Guild recently.
Robidoux Spinning Guild turns old tradition into popular pastime By BROOKE VANCLEAVE St. Joseph News-Press
Once a month, a group of women meets at the Savannah Rolling Hills Library to share tips, laughs and a love for a hobby that is experiencing a revival. The Robidoux Spinning Guild is composed of area women who spin their own yarn. Some are beginners and others have been spinning for years. Some don’t even come for the spinning, preferring other projects and the company of their peers over the sometimes-complicated pastime. The soft whirring and continuous turning of the pedal-powered wheels could soothe even the most restless minds. Learning how to spin isn’t quite as soothing, though. “It’s one of those things that when you fi rst start there’s kind of a learning curve, so it’s not too relaxing at fi rst,” says Saundra Keiffer, library branch manager and spinning guild member. Yarn spinning involves twisting wool or other fibers into yarn from bundles called roving using a spinning wheel. The guild has met off and on since the 1970s, but it has tried to meet monthly at the library for the past 10 years, especially since knitting, crocheting and spinning have gained more popularity. “If you go to a fiber festival and they
It’s just fun. I think it’s the camaraderie, meeting wonderful people like these people and just doing something different together. There’s spinoffs besides spinning. — THERESA WILSON, yarn spinning beginer have a class in it, those classes are usually gonna be fi lled,” Ms. Keiffer says. She says many members have learned how to spin by taking classes at a shop in Lawrence, Kan., called Yarn Barn. Although guild members will readily impart their knowledge to those eager to learn, it is better to come to meetings with a couple classes under your belt in order to have more productive spinning sessions. Only five people braved the cold at the January meeting, but Ms. Keiffer says she sends e-mails to about 25 people each time a new date is set. Members usually gather on Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and often bring food to share during
lunchtime. One of the main draws that keeps members coming back is the sense of community one can fi nd in the spinning guild. “It’s just fun. I think it’s the camaraderie, meeting wonderful people like these people and just doing something different together,” says beginner Theresa Wilson, who admits she’s only been at the wheel about ten times. “There’s spinoffs besides spinning!” “You could easily do it at home by yourself, but I mean, you get inspiration and we get to talk,” adds Marian Bryan, who says she has no interest in spinning but comes to meetings to work on knitting projects and catch up with her friends. Besides making yarn, guild members also share tips about knitting, raising sheep and chickens, gardening, dyeing yarn and other hobbies. “That’s what this is all about, is helping each other,” Ms. Bryan says. Anyone interested in learning about yarn spinning or who wants to join the Robidoux Spinning Guild can contact Ms. Keiffer at the library at (816) 324-
4569.
Brooke VanCleave can be reached at brooke.vancleave@newspressnow.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPVanCleave.
Everything inside a PC generates heat, and too much heat can cause those delicate components to become unstable. Computers are designed to crash as a last-ditch effort to protect their own internal components from permanent heat damage, so Please see BEAT/Page A2