SharePoint List Deprecation in favor of Rules

Microsoft continues to align with the Google way of doing business, abandoning processes that are user-friendly in favor of a more awkward way of doing things.  It is simply continuing technical stupidity.

Microsoft strives to deliver utmost value to our customers through modern, optimized, secure solutions in this newly evolved world focused on digital transformation. As part of this evolution of Microsoft 365 solutions, we will be retiring SharePoint Alerts and believe Microsoft 365 customers will be better served by modern notification solutions based upon the Power Automate platform or SharePoint Rules. - SharePoint Alerts retirement - Microsoft Support

Microsoft, you believe wrongly.  Alerts were simple and straightforward.  We now have to setup 3 rules to accomplish what one alert did perfectly.  Additionally, the Rule does not include information that the Alert included, which causes users to have to click-through to get to that information.  To get that information, you have to create an Automation.  I can get through it, but it is not exactly a simple process for nearly all of my user community.  This is not helpful.  Thanks for piling on more work for me, Microsoft.

I suppose that I should be thankful they are not ditching SharePoint completely.

Golden Sands Ranked First

This view greeted us in the morning during our stay at Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve last year, and just ranked first in a little photo contest for "Golden Sands" on PulsePX. 

Requirements for submission expected one to "Explore the textures of the dunes. Capture the shifting patterns of sand in deserts or on beaches. Use the low angle of the sun to highlight the ripples and ridges, creating a warm, textured, and minimalist landscape."

 It was much more than we expected to see that morning, after overnight cloud cover denied any dark sky star-gazing. 

Year One in the Crosstrek

One year in the Subaru and it has been a good car.  It is good to run down unpaved paths with a great deal more undercarriage confidence than the previous vehicle.  I remain unimpressed with the level of technology in the vehicle and since purchasing it have discovered that many others are also unimpressed with level of technology in any vehicle.  Some things are acceptable; other points are purely ridiculous.  

As an example in 2024 model year, Subaru moved the climate controls to the touch screen.  This was a terrible move and not user friendly at all.  One has to physically look at the screen to see where to touch to turn the fan up or switch the output. This is a terrible user experience. There is also the case of the frost bomb that awaits the unsuspecting solo driver in cold weather.  

There a few other things do not really live up to expectations, but are mostly tolerable.  Gas mileage is not what it should be or could be.  If Ford can get 40 mpg out of a 2015 Focus, surely we could do a little better ten years later. "Eyesight" could be a little less helpful.  There is no need for the car to drive itself.

The chief complaint is the relative cheapness of the vehicle, which is starting to stand out.

Some things are what you might expect out of cheap car.  Scratches under the door handle, from repeated use are awful.  The above image displays the issue.  It took 8 years for my previous vehicle to even come close to looking like this.   Why do other cars not have this issue?  Is it cheap paint?

Some things you do not expect to see in the upgraded version of the cheap car.  The Limited has a Leather arm rest in the center console.   The photo above displays it poorly but a noticeable impression on the corner of the side of the driver has started to appear.  The Premium version, owned by a friend just as long, does not have this problem.  It has a much durable center console arm rest.  Subaru should have used the same framework and covered that with leather.

Lastly, the backup camera, and Subaru is not alone on this front.  The only camera I have encountered that does not have a problem with dirt and grime all over the lens was the 2015 Focus.  Ford seems to be the only manufacturer that knows how to place a camera so it does not get dirt all over it; that is, at least on that year and model.  Subaru did ensure that you have some means of cleaning off the camera,  even if it is mostly ineffective, amounting to drool running over the lens.

Those are the only complains so far, for the past year.  I am sure there are some that I missed that are trivial in nature.  It is a good car though.

Tao Verse 13

Be wary of both honor and disgrace.

Last Trading Day of the 2025 Year

image borrowed from MarketWatch.com

Here is what potential last trading day purchases for me look like this year.

• O - Realty Income ... Stable with a 6.9% dividend that is paid out monthly!
• CAG - ConAgra - Low Price - 8% dividend
• EPD - Enterprise Products Partners - Stable with a 5.67% dividend!
• UPS - United Parcel Service - Under $100 and a 6.6% dividend!
• EDITAS = Cheap!  $2.  This is a slow to grow Genetic BioTech and purely speculative on my part.

Others I am watching that are purely dividend oriented

• BMY
• CL
• CLX
• CPB
• GFS
• GIS
• POR

One that I cannot figure out is ASTS.  To buy or not to buy, that is the question.  So far, my return on this one is nearly 2000%!!  I cannot help but feel it is over-priced, but it just keeps going up!

Where is NVDA?  It is over-priced.  My opinion is not to bother.  I cannot make any more of the significant gains that it already has and is a waste of time.