by Ken May

3. RAM isn’t just a type of goat

Just like the number of processor cores in a computer affects its speed and ability to multitask, the amount of Random Access Memory, or RAM, in a computer can affect just how much multitasking can go on. RAM is basically a small, extra-fast form of memory.

By having more RAM, your computer is able to keep more data close at hand, rather than having to go digging around through the slower hard drive for the information it needs. That’s why it’s useful to have more RAM if you want to keep multiple tasks going at the same time and be able to jump between them relatively quickly. If you’re also guilty of having too many web browser windows open at the same time, more RAM will make that a lot easier.

4. Hard drives aren’t hard choices

Every computer needs data storage, and though that is where your hard drive comes in. There are typically a few different options in the search for a hard drive, but what it really comes down to is how you plan to use your computer.

If you plan to just have your computer and no peripherals, you may want to opt for the biggest hard drive you can. If you don’t plan to have many applications on your computer, and won’t store media on it, then you can opt for a smaller hard drive and save yourself some money. If you can handle a small hard drive but want to it be extra fast and you have the cash, consider going for a solid-state drive.

5. Check your peripherals

The peripherals on your computer are going to be pretty specific to your needs, but there are plenty of them to be thinking about whether you’ll need them, and just how many of them you want. You may want ten USB ports but not have a care in the world about having a DVD drive. Your best bet is to decide what your needs are and follow that. There are different types of computers for different needs and I’m not just talking about PCs and Laptops! Industrial PCs are designed to be spillproof and last a long time, even though it is going to be heavily used. A supplier of Industrial computers are cksglobal, they sell fully customisable keyboards and mice to fit any business’ needs as well. Make sure you buy or build a computer suitiable for your needs as it will save you time and money in the future.

6. Oh, so you want to get into PC gaming?

To play the latest games like league of legends, which many people get accounts for from websites similar to www.unrankedsmurfs.com, with the graphics on high and keep a high frame-rate, you’ll be needing to look into a truly high-performance machine like an Acer Predator (check out this acer predator x34 review). Modern games take up a lot of space, so a big hard drive is a must – you’ll want it to be a fast drive, too. Running those games also takes a lot of processing power, so a heavy hitting processor will be important. You can do without too many cores in your processor if each is extra fast.

Unless you want to sputter out low-quality visuals on the newest games, you’ll need a dedicated graphics card – even games like Minecraft, which people consider as having bad graphics needs some decent hardware to run because of the sheer amount that needs rendering, especially if you’re on a multiplayer server where buildings and structures are usually more extravagant. (If you’re thinking of hosting a Minecraft server by the way, check out GG Servers [https://ggservers.com] for what they can do – their name is always floating around the airwaves in the Minecraft community) You can probably get by with something in the mid-range of graphics cards, but a high-end card is your best bet. Be sure to get plenty of VRAM on that card. When it comes down to making your pick, you’ll want to go with a card from Nvidia or AMD.

Thinking about anything other than Windows? Reconsider. Some games are made available for Mac and Linux, but there will be a great number of games unavailable to you if you aren’t running Windows.

Thinking about a laptop? Reconsider again. There is a premium to be paid for cramming high-end hardware into an extra small box, and a PC gaming rig requires a lot of high-end hardware. There are plenty of quality gaming laptops out there, but in most instances they will be far more expensive than an equal desktop. An added benefit of going with a desktop is that you will be able to swap out components, and upgrading to a new graphics card is much easier in a desktop.

On Sunday, October 5, the Ventura Botanical Gardens (VBG) annual “Grow Your Garden” fundraiser brunch was held in Grant Park.

The nearly 500 guests who attended the brunch, prepared by Seasons Catering, were given the option of either hiking the trail up to the lunch area or riding shuttles from the City Hall parking lot up to the site.

The cooler weather and two large tents made for a comfortable event. Several speakers talked to the invited attendees and films were shown presenting inspirational photos and additional speakers.

Entertainer Hannah Davey started the day with her wonderful signing rendition of America the Beautiful.

She was followed by welcoming speeches by Beverly McCaslin, Founding member of the Gardens’ board of directors, Kevin Clerici, Executive Director of the Downtown Ventura Partners Improvement District and a member of the board, Gavin Garrety, an 8th grade student at DeAnza Academy of Technology & the Arts and Barbara Brown, founding partner of BBM&D Strategic Branding and a Charter Member of the VBG, who currently serves as its Vice President.

Barbara Brown stated, “We have much to do for the Gardens, from putting in water and plants to creating new buildings, to building our corps of volunteers. Support from our donors helps ensure that we can create a world class Gardens for Ventura County. To build a strong foundation for our programs and to provide a stable future for our Gardens, we have created a multi-year giving society we call the Perennial Society, our most committed supporters. If you have been inspired by what you have seen today, I ask you now to consider joining us this morning as a member of the Perennial Society.”

The motto of the Gardens’ is to create and maintain public gardens for the preservation, education, cultural contribution and enhancement of the entire community”. The Gardens are already accomplishing this mission as nearly 1,500 people per month now hike the trail.

The location of Ventura Botanical Gardens is Grant Park, in the foothills above City Hall, in downtown Ventura. The first trail, the Demonstration Trail, is complete. Almost a mile long and six feet wide, with a decomposed granite surface and hand‐built stone walls, the trailhead begins at the upper parking lot behind City Hall. Planting for the Chilean Gardens has begun. When completed, the Chilean Gardens will be the largest in the world, outside of Chile. Grant Park is open from dawn to dusk.

For more information, visit www.venturabotanicalgardens.com.

What do you say about the couple that works out together? 

The Pierpont Racquet Club (PRC)is celebrating 38 years in the Racquet Sports & Fitness Industry this October.  All these years the Club has been a second home to so many in our community!  As a matter of fact, many of their current members who grew up here as little kids, are now raising families and making sure to share the same experience with their own kids that they had!  With Tennis, Swimming, Fitness and Childcare, among many other amenities all under one roof, how could you not be a member at the Pierpont Racquet Club?

What do you say about the couple that works out together?  Zack is a cradle PRC member!  He loves to stay fit at the Pierpont Racquet Club when he is home in town.  Zack says “I grew up here at the PRC! I even worked here, built my resume and networked with members; which led me to my current awesome career, following professional sports around the country!  Now Krystal, my girlfriend, and I enjoy the great facilities here together! This place has been my home for all of my 27 years!”

You too can create your own personal PRC Member Story. Come down anytime during the last October days as they celebrate 38 years in business, and get 38% off the Join Fee to become a member!  Now is a great time!  Call 648-5161 or visit www.pierpontrc.com or see PRC on facebook!

The County of Ventura Grand Jury is an all-volunteer group serving as an independent agent of the public to investigate complaints from the public pertaining to government agencies in our community.  Is your organization interested in hearing about these investigative duties and procedures?  The Grand Jury Speakers Bureau is available to educate the public in its endeavors as the “public watchdog” for Ventura County. To learn more or schedule a date for a presentation, please call the Grand Jury at 477-1800.  For additional information, you may also refer to its website, http://www.ventura.org/grand-jury

By Kevin Brannon Host

It’s definitely not your typical fishing year and that’s an understatement no one could have predicted. Although, following a strong fishing season last year El Nino brings warmer waters into our area. Exotics are the topic matched with plenty of bait fish-Sardines, anchovies, mackerel squid and even the tuna crab (AKA red crab). Yellowtail numbers have been ridiculous. Here’s a quick fact on yellowtail. They get called tuna when they’re actually from the amber jack family. Yellowfin are the tuna. Both are game fish and prize trophies. To catch them you must fight hard and they are great to eat. Mostly in the sushi style, eaten raw or Sashimi. The warm water also gets Bonito (pronounced Bonita) and another prized local game fish is the Calico Bass, or Kelp Bass. More good eats!

One negative thing about the warm water is that it can kill the kelp and destroy Calico Bass fishing as it did last time we had El Nino conditions. Nature will take its course. Nothing we can do about it except get in on all of the hot local fishing action. If you are in need of some fishing equipment for your trips, you may want to check out some carp fishing wafters online from sites like casualcarper.com, and see how you can best prepare yourself for the fishing season.

Predictions say that it has not fully peaked yet. More exotics on the way. A dozen Marlin have been hooked with only a couple making it to the deck of the boat. Possibly Wahoo and Dorado (AKA Mahi Mahi) could be coming up as well. A few other landings have been reporting them. Mixed in with some Blue Fin Tuna. So I highly recommend it.

If you’ve never done it before you can rent a rod, buy the set up and gear that’s working on the water at Ventura Sportfishing Landing. The captains and crews will set you up to catch a fish of a lifetime.
Channel Islands Sportfishing 805-382-1612
Ventura Sportfishing 805-676-3474

Note: 16 and older needs a Fishing License but no license needed for anyone on a pier.
Items to have with you: Sunscreen, sun glasses, hat, pliers, small towel for your hands.
A Fish and Wildlife rules and regulation booklet is very helpful.
Only keep what you plan to eat.
Practice CPR- Catch Photograph and Release

Kevin Brannon Host and Producer -www.reelanglersfishingshow.com

Jazz radio legend Chuck Cecil calls Ventura his home

Chuck and Edna Cecil recently sat in with the “Secret Garden Dozen” a group of local professional musicians, who meet weekly in midtown Ventura  at A Secret Garden Florist Cafe on Main Street to talk music and life. The group has been playing music for over 500 years, most starting in high school and some in military bands. They all are still actively playing in many bands in the area.

On occasion Breeze Publisher Sheldon and Alfred Lewis, who make the Breeze pretty joins them (by invitation only).

Venerable DJ and jazz guru 92 (or is it 93?) year old Chuck Cecil of Ventura has been on the air for 60 plus years, and is still going, but more slowly.

Although his show “The Swingin Years” is legendary among jazz lovers everywhere, WPPB in Long Island, N.Y. is the only station broadcasting his show. The show can be heard streaming on-line at http://peconicpublicbroadcasting.org Sundays from 5-9pm. The glory days of jazz has pasted but hopefully will return soon because many high schools have great jazz and swing bands.

He began as filler for an empty Saturday morning slot on Hollywood’s KFI station in 1956 and was later syndicated to more than 300 stations nationwide and broadcast internationally, to 240 ships and 170 military bases, by Armed Forces Radio Network.

Cecil has interviewed many of the greats of the jazz age including Tony Bennett, Harry James, Artie Shaw, Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee, just a few of the interviews he has conducted over the past 60 years.

He says that perhaps his funniest interview was Peggy Lee who he interviewed in bed (only her not him).

And he never interviewed Frank Sinatra but did shake his hand.

A Happy Halloween to all of our scary readers from our even scarier staff.

Photo by Michael Gordon

Ventura Visitors & Convention Bureau (VVCB) is proud to announce another successful summer for tourism in Ventura and more and more people discover our little piece of paradise on the Central Coast.

This summer, VVCB’s Visitors Center staff and volunteers welcomed over 8,000 visitors from 35 different countries and five different continents -an exciting feat at a time when other visitor centers are decreasing in visitation and some even closing.

The Visitors Center also continues to enjoy record retail sales which have quadrupled since 2012. Tourists and locals alike come to the Visitors Center to find Ventura-inspired gifts, souvenirs, apparel and more featuring 35 local vendors.

This summer, VVCB continued its support of community events in Ventura. The Visitors Center served as a venue for the Artwalk and sold tickets for the Ventura County Fair which complimented by beautiful weather, brought over 318,000 through its gates. “The biggest party of the summer was a phenomenal success not just in terms of numbers but in terms of smiles and happy fair-goers” said Ventura County Fairgrounds CEO/Executive Director, Barbara Quaid.

VVCB also worked on partnerships for conferences and group events that potentially generated an estimated economic impact of over $3 million this summer, and partnered with an array of travel writers from Dubai, Brazil and across the USA.

VVCB’s following has grown by 11,000 people since last year for a total of 40,000 social media fans. VVCB’s website has quickly become its number one marketing asset with over 200,000 visitors to the site this summer with top visitors from the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Russia, and Brazil.

At our hotels, our summer occupancy rate averaged 90 percent on weekends, up 2.5 percent from the same time last year, and our year-to-date occupancy rate is still growing and currently up 1.7 per cent from last year. “Great partnerships and terrific weather in Ventura led to best summer on record for the Ventura Beach Marriott!” said Ventura Beach Marriott General Manager, Shannon Hillygus.

Numbers also show that 2014 was a fantastic year for tourism in Ventura. In 2014, tourism expenditures on lodging, retail goods, meals and beverages and other taxable items brought an estimated $261 million. Of special significance is the tourism industry’s $4.7 million contribution generated through the hotels’ Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT). Without the funds collected through this tax, every Ventura resident would have to spend an additional $2,400 in annual taxes to maintain the same level of services the City of Ventura currently provides.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with our local, regional and state partners to keep the momentum going and top our success next year. We have no doubt tourism will continue to grow in and benefit Ventura, especially given rekindled community pride through upcoming celebrations for Ventura’s 150th anniversary.” said VVCB Executive Director and Central Coast Tourism Council President, Marlyss Auster.

By Veronica Johnson

Paragon Academy Jiu-Jitsu registered to the 2015 World Masters Jiu-Jitsu championship with over 30 competitors, reaching full capacity more than a month before the deadline.

The World Masters is one of the biggest jiu-jitsu championships in the world and is held on September 25-26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring over 2,300 athletes. They battle for the most prestigious medals in their age classes. This year, the World Masters was a non-stop parade of thrills that lasted almost 12 hours. Competitors gave their all on the mat in search of the gold medal, including the biggest jiu-jitsu legends.

Paragon had amazing results as a team, competitors from Santa Barbara, Arizona, Santa Maria, and Ventura winning gold and silver medals. Paragon Academy founder and coach, Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller, won a World Master gold medal in honor of his team. Ricardo continually represents his school at what is the most recognized jiu-jitsu tournament in the world by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.