Random thoughts, organized and categorized for your consumption.
Archive for August, 2004
TV Cut-off
Aug 28th
It’s always a fascinating experience to hunt down and eliminate bugs. It is even more so when the bug is “no satellite info” displayed on the TiVo screen. So it was with great surprise and unhappiness that I found this message on my TV last night and no signal present on the TiVo.
I checked the usual suspects: tree branches blocking the dish, loose cables, a TiVo reboot, temperature check, etc. All of these turned up empty. Since it was late I went to bed and wondered what the problem could be.
This morning I trekked out to the cable closet at More >
Daily Goodness
Aug 25th
I am constantly reminded of the absolute neccessity to watch TV on a regular basis by watching The Daily Show. Well, at least 4 days a week anyhow. I’m amazed that so much satire and information can be packed into 22 minutes (give or take).
If you haven’t watched this gem or experienced the genius that is Jon Stewart you are missing out. Go there, watch the clips, and tune in immediately, if not sooner.
When Life Hands You Lemons…
Aug 17th
For the second straight year I had a pretty sucky 24 hours leading up to and after my birthday. I spent most of the day loading equipment, moving heavy objects, and generally sweating, working to tear down a tradeshow booth. I woke up my mom early in the morning (sorry!) and hung up on my brother. I then had to rush to check out of the hotel where I was staying and sit in the lounge for 4 hours before I could go to the airport.
Although the flight back happened on time, again I had the distinct honor to sit More >
Calling it Fixed
Aug 8th
I’m sure this will jinx it, but I’ve driven the 4Runner enough by now to call it fixed. It’s still the slow, top heavy, cargo hauler it has always been, but at least it is running right. I am sort of baby-ing the shifts a bit right now, but it seems to be back to normal.
Good thing, too. All this home improvement is eating into the budget. Next car stop (hopefully) is the fabled sports car. Mmmm, sports car.
Ethernet and Phone Additions
Aug 8th
I have a new found respect for electricians, builders, and those poor guys who pull cable when building a new home. I also owe a pretty large “thanks” and “yes, you told me so” to Steve. It seems that as good as hard-wired network connections are, they are a major pain to install after the home is built. Who knew?
Now its two days later, over $200 spent, countless hours burned, time researching alternatives on the net, talking to friends, and ultimately quizzing the OSH and Home Depot guys to get the job done. It is done, although not entirely to More >
Movies: The Village
Aug 7th
I recently saw the latest visceral screen fest from M. Night Shyamalan called “The Village”. Like most reviewers, I decided early on who and what the “bad things” were and I had a reasonable idea what was outside the forest. That said, I still enjoyed most of the film and there were several moments where the movie provided a scare great enough to get most of the audience screaming.
The cast was also quite good, with the newcomer Bryce Dallas Howard really stealing the show. What I wonder is this: is Mr. Shyamalan getting lazy or are audiences just expecting more More >
Home Projects
Aug 7th
I sit here on a Saturday morning at home, a rarity to be sure, trying to decide which of the many improvement projects to begin first. I have several that would be very useful to complete, not the least of which are:
- Add a network jack in the living room (running from the office)
- Put in a ceiling fan in the master bedroom
- Touch up paint throughout the house
- Replace the 3 toilets (they are old and fairly low flow)
- Build a work desk/shelf in the garage
- X-10-izing many of the light fixtures and thermostat
I have to believe I can get some of these done. It’s More >