tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138601572024-03-19T05:27:16.468-07:00The Front PorchAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-62251889951745307162010-01-01T17:45:00.000-08:002010-01-01T17:49:52.381-08:00It's been awhileI know I know, I've ignored this blog, therefore relegating it to the blog graveyard. My apologies, but between LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and my dissertation - there is not much time. Got to work smarter, not harder. <br /><br />More to come.<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-21205485982890791352008-06-09T14:34:00.001-07:002008-06-09T15:30:12.664-07:00I Knew It!Just saw that Apple is releasing a new version of the iPhone next month. A new version of the iPhone at half the price of the current iPhone. A new verson of the iPhone at half the price of the current iPhone and it has 3G capability. <br /><br />Were I an Apple user, I'd have to admit to being pretty happy at hearing this. Were I one of the drones who stood in line to pay top dollar to be the first to get one of these beauties only to hear that a year later the phone was being updated to something faster, sleeker, and dare I say - cheaper, I'd have to be pretty ticked. <br /><br />I know that technology marches on and that faster, better, cheaper is an inevitability (nee Moore's Law), but I'm wondering how long Apple can keep doing this and keep the love affair going. Apple suffered a near mutiny last Summer when they had to issue rebates to existing iPhone users who found themselves behind the adoption curve in an abnormally short period of time.<br /><br />From my perspective, I was probably one of the last people to get an iPod. I have to give Apple props for design and utility, but I can't give them much more than that. Their business model is intriguing as it's built partly on user devotion; something that Microsoft, Dell, or any of the other OS and hardware developers cannot claim (Linux being the big exception here). I can't give them props for longevity. I realize the very nature of the computer industry is built upon needing the latest and greatest thing but is that always the case? A few years back, Microsoft introduced Windows XP. Not as groundbreaking as the introduction of Windows 95, but to date it's been their best selling (and best designed in my opinion) operating system. Vista was introduced but Microsoft soon discovered that it's biggest competitor was not the Macintosh or Linux, but venerable Windows XP. It still worked and didn't require a hardware upgrade to take advantage of all that the OS had to offer. Makers of the Blu Ray DVD format are realizing that their biggest competitor was not HD-DVD, but the huge installed base of traditional low cost standard definition DVD players that can be had for well under $100 and look surprisingly good on even a high definition television (with the appropriate connections - props to Ensign Eddie for that observation). All this to say that maybe it's time that high technology look at the next quarter century, and not the next quarter. <br /><br />I've got no problem paying a fair price for something that will be useful in the long term. I also think that I am not alone in that thought.<br /><br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-86607882855382090042008-06-03T06:37:00.001-07:002008-06-03T06:55:57.678-07:00Summer is here.Those who know me know that I work in academia and have been here for a long time. Not dead sure why I stayed this long other than I really couldn't find any other place that would have me. In my line of work things are seasonal. There is a definite ebb and flow to things that I have to admit lends some comfort to life. May is insane with papers coming due, grading to get done, and events that need to happen. We get through graduation, handle a few other incidental events, then it's all over. I taught a class the last two weeks in May that helped me to "walk off" the term and now even that is over. Summer is here. Yes I am working all of it, but now is a time to rest, relax, and reflect about the future. Fall will be a killer with me taking nine hours, but I'm looking forward to it. I've discovered that I like research, and my writing can always improve.<br /><br />This Summer I need to:<br /><ol><li>get more active. I spend way too much time sitting down in front of a computer.</li><li>work on personal relationships that are near to me. I had to put a lot of stuff on a back burner last Spring because of my schedule.</li><li>watch less television. It interferes with the above.</li><li>work around my house. I've got a great place. Time I put some effort into it.</li><li>learn to cook a few more dishes. I've got my standards, but there's a lot of stuff out there that I don't know about.</li><li>learn to really relax. Life is short and I feel like sometimes I've wasted too much of it worrying about things over which I have no control. God will hold me accountable for these days so I might as well make better use of them.</li><li>prepare for Fall. I need to work smarter and that takes preparation.</li></ol><br />Here's hoping!<br />=DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-37954023167715597102008-05-07T20:19:00.001-07:002008-05-07T20:19:56.371-07:00It's done . . .Just finished my last final for the Spring Term. Not sure how well I did, but I've got massive amounts of catch up to do, including getting on a regular blogging schedule.<br /><br />=DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-49124142813403862932008-02-14T10:49:00.000-08:002008-02-14T10:57:20.972-08:00I'm Still HereIt's been two months (and a little change) since my last post and to the throngs of fans out there I humbly apologize. I've started my residency at UNT in addition to teaching and working full time, so my downtime is pretty much nil. I am writing, and will try to post some of this stuff over at my other blog, but in the meantime posts here will be a tad infrequent.<br /><br />I do want to brag about one thing I have been able to do recently that I'm rather proud of. I tried to declutter and simplify some things this year, (and a near hard drive crash can assist with that task, trust me) and I have been able to take control over my myriad of email accounts and render them all to a backup as well. I keep two basic email addys: one for personal and one for academic use. My gmail account is my academic email but the address is a little nonprofessional for my resume/vita. I do have a nice address at school which is short and easy to remember. I was able to have that address forwarded to my gmail.com account and since gmail now uses IMAP, all my email stays on the server. This means my email is available through Thunderbird wherever I am. I also was able to do the same thing to my ISP email and forward it to my non-academic email account which also boasts IMAP access. Four addresses and only two accounts to check.<br /><br />Cool, eh!<br />=dAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-54617479120625735112007-12-12T07:56:00.001-08:002007-12-12T07:59:48.259-08:00Okay, enough with the cold and rainI vowed I would never complain about the abundance of rain we've been getting, but combined with the cold and the lack of sunlight, I'm about to say Uncle! It's dark when I come to work, it's dark when I go home. I work underground so I have to confess that I'm looking much paler than usual. <br /><br />I need sunshine, I need temps in the 90's , I need to be able to put on a swimsuit no matter how bad I look in it.<br /><br />Spring won't come soon enough!<br />=DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-60919994166204743902007-11-24T12:44:00.001-08:002008-12-10T22:33:06.459-08:00Thanksgiving at the Geek HouseFall is a time of year that has always held a certain, almost intangible, fascination for me. I'm not sure if its the changing of the seasons, the rapid fire sequence of holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years), or the general vibe of those around me, but I love the Fall more than any other time of year.<br /><br />Last Spring I was able to buy my first turkey frying rig for about half what one would normally pay and have been waiting to properly break it in. I fried a whole chicken a month ago as a test run with decent results. At the beginning of November I stocked up on peanut oil and was duly surprised as to how ubiquitous it's become lately. The two weeks prior to Thanksgiving had me reading everything I could get my hands on to make sure I was prepared for the task that lay ahead, and Tuesday night I found myself sequencing the entire meal in my head to make sure that I'd not left out anything important. Wednesday night I got all the hardware in one place, and Thursday morning I did a final check and lit the fire. I did happen to learn a few things along the way.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iRycrwwhI/AAAAAAAAAEE/wNbzNAXz01c/s1600-h/DSC00217.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iRycrwwhI/AAAAAAAAAEE/wNbzNAXz01c/s320/DSC00217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136515670895280658" border="0" /></a><br />1) Make sure you have EVERYTHING you need, and it's best to either have someone out there with you to run for the occasional need that arises, or in lieu of that, a very patient wife will also do the trick. I lit the fire and put in the peanut oil. I did do a displacement test with the bird in water beforehand and got a good idea as to how much oil I would need (which is VERY important step). In went the oil and my thermometer. I watched as the temp crept up and learned lesson number 2:<br /><br /><img src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Spooky/Desktop/Cell%20Phone/DSC00217.JPG" alt="" />2) Be cognizant of the weather. It was a cold day and there was a breeze blowing. In retrospect I should have setup near the garage (but not IN the garage) for more protection from the wind. The previous time I used this rig I had to turn down the flame to almost nothing to make sure I didn't smoke my oil. This time I ran it full out the entire time, and thankfully it stayed at 350 due to the wind.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iTlcrwwjI/AAAAAAAAAEU/_ZZSkFHoWNs/s1600-h/DSC00218.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iTlcrwwjI/AAAAAAAAAEU/_ZZSkFHoWNs/s320/DSC00218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136517646580236850" border="0" /></a>Once the oil hit 350 the bird went in. Five minutes later I realized that I had not started the timer, so I did that and kept a close eye on the thermometer. It's amazing how the temperature dropped when I inserted the turkey, and I was also pretty stunned at how full the pot suddenly became. When the oil started to splash over I realized that I was in for some serious stains on my concrete so my patient wife brought me some cat litter (something I left off the checklist). The bubbling subsided and I was left to my own devices as the bird continued to cook.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />My in-laws showed up soon there after and my wife was able to get these which include the finished product (and which I have captioned <span style="font-style: italic;">Two Turkeys</span>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iWB8rwwkI/AAAAAAAAAEc/S6e5WTEBwSw/s1600-h/IMG_4384.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iWB8rwwkI/AAAAAAAAAEc/S6e5WTEBwSw/s320/IMG_4384.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136520335229764162" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iWicrwwlI/AAAAAAAAAEk/l4UapTfRkgo/s1600-h/IMG_4385.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_S-Ntpe826BM/R0iWicrwwlI/AAAAAAAAAEk/l4UapTfRkgo/s320/IMG_4385.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136520893575512658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Overall it was fun with the only burned flesh being on the bird itself, thankfully.<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-2415846719585799162007-10-21T19:52:00.000-07:002007-11-24T11:48:08.195-08:00Also testing out this new blog program I just downloaded.<br /><p>Just found a program that will let me post without having to log into the website. Here's hoping. . . .</p><p><br />=D</p>AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-9091102503795766282007-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:002007-10-21T19:33:30.814-07:00Hellooo Open SourceI finally took the plunge. After about a year of window shopping, I'm finally making my first blog post from a computer (my laptop) running the Linux operating system. It was a tad scary, and I had a buddy of mine present when the hard drive itself got partitioned, but I just made my last hurdle: getting the wireless configuration to work at my house. <br /><br />I'm still getting my feet wet, but everything looks good so far. I have to add that there is a certain perverse thrill in downloading an operating system and installing it legally. Here's hoping the fun continues.<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-67742094368943318512007-10-07T19:48:00.000-07:002007-10-07T19:57:59.893-07:00Things that I think are coolI know that it's been well over a month since my previous post, but it's been kinda crazy. Figured that I would jump start the creative process by continuing a post that I started a few years ago.<br /><br />For this post, it's the Discovery Channel TV series <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/last-one-standing/last-one-standing.html">Last One Standing</a>. Take some normal athletes and take them to a tribe living in the rain forests of Brazil and let them compete as warriors. No pads, no going back. I stumbled across this gem a few nights ago and had to record it tonight. Haven't watched it all the way through, but what I saw grabbed me. I know it's not completely unique, but it is something that I do intend to follow.<br /><br />Now, if you're reading this, you are officially tagged. Post something in your blog that you find irretrievably interesting and way underrated.<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-42974570184913047232007-08-22T20:00:00.001-07:002007-08-22T20:07:47.968-07:00Farewell Top Chef!One huge problem I have with reality series' is that I get tuned to one person and if that person gets voted off, I'm done.<br /><br />Tre Wilcox was a Dallasite who consistently performed in the top half of the show. Yes, I know Casey is also from Dallas, but from what I've seen, Tre appeared to have what it took to win. Apparently I was wrong, or didn't see everything that the judges saw. <br /><br />Regardless, I gotta find a new show to watch. Here's to next season.<br /><br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-8684227353518209552007-07-28T19:06:00.001-07:002008-12-10T22:33:06.941-08:00We're back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI10PPgqOkzVQNeQ10pK5TiI-JSAeNtbk2mZ745T-BO4NS7MGGfkDMpjmCO2E337kKzpIQthX7rsQBLDfs0d2u6QivkYa_DxuPNLdjvDXXlr_mn9wuuqdHsPSU7WsTvxySJLKCw/s1600-h/IMG_3655.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI10PPgqOkzVQNeQ10pK5TiI-JSAeNtbk2mZ745T-BO4NS7MGGfkDMpjmCO2E337kKzpIQthX7rsQBLDfs0d2u6QivkYa_DxuPNLdjvDXXlr_mn9wuuqdHsPSU7WsTvxySJLKCw/s320/IMG_3655.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5092436790834568850" border="0" /></a><br />I don't ever recall coming back from a vacation feeling like I do right now. I am emotionally spent and both physically and mentally exhausted and yet a part of me feels like a new man. Wife and I just got back from a five day cruise and we spent two days in Mexico. One day in Progreso and the other in Cozumel. Cozumel was a great experience as we spent the day snorkeling and kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico and had some of the best fajitas outside of my grill. Progreso, however, was the one place that I don't think I'll ever forget. There I got my chance to touch a piece of history: I got to climb on an actual Mayan ruin in Dzibilchaltun on the Yucatan peninsula.<br /><br />Who woulda thought?<br />=DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-72389158711186665732007-07-23T08:17:00.000-07:002008-12-10T22:33:07.161-08:00A Pre Cruise Photo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckYBo1kdeaMjvtqTEpBwkw-hxbUJLCrm2iBsGGXMxLV01nm_SzNWkGKXGiKxSdVyYA1qC2TQjYOPgoL7RkIyA81ivy0SajHmnnmGoDRDJLwQlFvtBHDmWgmtupS_87mEsa8qndg/s1600-h/harborhousemp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckYBo1kdeaMjvtqTEpBwkw-hxbUJLCrm2iBsGGXMxLV01nm_SzNWkGKXGiKxSdVyYA1qC2TQjYOPgoL7RkIyA81ivy0SajHmnnmGoDRDJLwQlFvtBHDmWgmtupS_87mEsa8qndg/s320/harborhousemp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090412705891950210" border="0" /></a>I am the blue blob in the lower right hand corner. Image is from the webcam atop the Harbor House Hotel. I'll post more photos when we return.<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-72752120019504425242007-07-20T13:50:00.001-07:002007-07-20T13:53:35.510-07:00A test post.<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5996/696121964914757/1600/z/559627/bm-image-745159.jpg"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/5996/696121964914757/320/z/142990/bm-image-745159.jpg" width="320" /><br /></a></p><br /><p class="mobile-photo">It's amazing what one can do nowadays with a cell phone and a small data plan.</p><p class="mobile-photo">=D<br /></p>AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-60243052710921726382007-07-16T08:37:00.000-07:002007-07-16T08:56:18.709-07:00IPTV Anyone?It's not often that I get to be on the cutting edge of something (at least on my budget), but I've never minded playing lab rat, especially when there is a financial incentive to do so.<br /><br />Last Friday my wife and I tried out AT&T's (sorry, at&t's) new Uverse video service. In a nutshell it delivers television to your home not over standard cable or satellite, but over your standard telephone line. I will admit to being a little flummoxed when I first heard of DSL, but when I got it a few years later I was pretty astonished at what it could do. Now they are compressing Internet AND Television over that same line: one of the benefits of deregulation apparently.<br /><br />Install Technician showed up on time and proceeded to check out everything. Since my house is older, there was no telling how easy or how complicated the install would go. I told him that the house was a pier and beam foundation and that easy access could be had to most all of the house (except the office). First hitch was the phone interface (or NID as he called it - it was probably 60 years old and was original to the house) and the phone line running from the pole to the house. Both needed to be replaced. Apparently since at&t is handling all this, they have linemen on standby. A guy was there in two hours to replace the run to the house followed by the interface box. Once that was done it was simply an issue of mapping out the existing video lines and configuring everything. Install did take a little over six hours and we had to call tech support the next day regarding missing movie channels. Last night I did notice a stuttering in the box that required a reboot, but other than that it works pretty well.<br /><br />Upsides:<br />the cost is less that what I was paying for Dish Network.<br />The channel lineup seems to be a bit more comprehensive.<br />I can record four shows at once (compared to two on DN).<br />Set top boxes are much smaller than those from DN.<br />SD video quality looks very nice.<br />Got a brand spankin' new RG and Access Point.<br />Access point came pre configured with a WEP key already in it.<br /><br /><br />Downsides:<br />The service currently allows only one HD video stream at a time. Apparently there is a fix for this coming down the pike.<br />HD quality seems to be a bit blocky.<br />Recorded shows can only be watched on the main STB. Supposedly there is a fix for this coming down the pike as well.<br /><br /><br />So far I'm pleased. Here's hoping.<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-74672629111906265352007-07-04T20:18:00.001-07:002007-07-04T20:26:26.049-07:00A Changing of the GuardIf you read my previous missive you saw what we went through to update our uber-reliable SD Dish Network account to one that would take full advantage of our new HD television. We finally thought that we'd cornered all the little gremlins in the system, but alas two days ago was the last straw. We lost signal again (apparently our switch was bad) and it was going to be almost a week to get someone out here to fix the thing. After two install attempts and more calls to tech support in the last month than I'd made in the previous 3.5 years, we finally pulled the plug. Wife called Dish Network today and requested that our service be discontinued. The poor folks at DN tried their best to keep us, but as wife said it was "too little, too late".<br /><br />Looks as if we're going to run with AT&T's new U-verse system. Apparently it's a fibre-based system that delivers both HD programming AND broadband internet. Free install and free movie channels for the first year are very appealing.<br /><br />Here's hoping . . .<br /><br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-79499847675003866512007-06-17T20:25:00.000-07:002007-06-17T20:36:31.541-07:00Just an update:I'm happy to say that the folks at Dishnetwork came through for us. Friday morning they were at the house and basically switched out our receiver box. I am also happy to say that we were able to see the last *&*^&amp;amp;^&*^%&%$&%^$%$%$$ episode of the Sopranos in Hi Definition: including the 5 seconds of black that jarringly ended the episode. First thought was satellite had gone out. Second thought: that there is a special place in Hell for David Chase.<br /><br />On a less antagonizing topic: Summer is almost midway over, and I cannot believe the amount of rain we're getting. I resolved never to complain, but sheesh. Glad I took the four hour window between storms I had yesterday to mow my lawn.<br /><br />Hope that the Summer is good to all of you. I'm taking six hours this time, so free time is at a premium. Wife has promised to make me a London Broil tomorrow night. Not dead sure what it is, but she's cooking and it's red meat: OhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOh<br />BoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoyOhBoy!<br /><br />Also, don't forget that September 19th is <a href="http://www.talklikeapirate.com/">National Talk Like A Pirate Day</a>!AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-84363192215333430542007-05-30T06:58:00.000-07:002007-05-30T07:05:06.451-07:00Welcome to the 21st Century - sort of.<p class="MsoNormal">In my family, things often have a ripple effect.<span style=""> </span>Someone gets something and immediately others in the family get the “itch” to get caught up with the times.<span style=""> </span>I started it with a computer back in<span style=""> </span>college, my brother did it with his turkey fryer ($40 at Amazon, couldn’t pass that one up), and now the spectre of HD television has finally hit the Geek household.<span style=""> </span>Wife saw it recently at my parent’s house and she (and later I) were (or was) hooked.<span style=""> </span>As a ceremonial ending to the end of a long and arduous Spring term, my wife hit our local electronics retailer and scoped out the scene while I looked into getting our satellite TV updated to handle the newer HD format.<span style=""> </span>Heck, the Federal Government itself is requiring everyone to switch over to digital so who am I to disobey the Government (and I know digital and HD are two different things, but this entire missive writes better if I do it this way, so bear with me).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>TV arrived at the house on Friday, and we got it connected Friday night (which was a learning curve in its own rite).<span style=""> </span>I was up until 1am figuring out the intricacies of surround sound (and yes, you would think that I would already know this in my line of work, but home audio and what I do are markedly dissimilar in many respects) and got the low end rumble that all us AV techs dream about.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Saturday was spent tweaking and cleaning and Saturday night the first official (i.e. non test) DVD was spun.<span style=""> </span>Image was clear and finely detailed; my little 8 inch sub was pounding away; and all appeared to be right with the world. In a few days the satellite people would arrive and complete my part of the world, ergo ushering my household past the velvet ropes of 525 lines of resolution and into club HiDef, where it is my God given right to see every pimple on Tony Soprano’s face at a native resolution of 720x480 (and in progressive scan, mind you).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>The ushering was to commence at some point between 12-5 yesterday.<span style=""> </span>I had hoped for a 12:05 admittance, but at around 4:45 the guy finally pulled up.<span style=""> </span>He looked tired (not a good sign) as he came in and I showed him the layout of the house.<span style=""> </span>We’d moved some stuff since I called the request in but had the workarounds all figured out. First sign of trouble was the cable run. He wanted to run a cable across the floor. I told him we couldn’t do it because of foot traffic, but that he was welcome to drill a small hold in the corner behind the entertainment center and run a cable underneath the house.<span style=""> </span>He said it was too wet (second bad sign). I told him we’d have to reschedule if that were the case (we have a pier and beam house and underneath is always dry and easy to access – I’ve been underneath myself a few times).<span style=""> </span>He took a look and decided it was dry enough, so we’re back in business.<span style=""> </span>Since cabling was basically there, I figured a two hour install: problem number three.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>An hour later, a more experienced installer showed to lend a hand.<span style=""> </span>Problem number four was the installation of a second dish mount on my garage.<span style=""> </span>At this point I figure I’ll add a few aerials to it and grow myself a first class antenna farm.<span style=""> </span>I tried as I could to stay out of the way. I offered beverages as needed and pushed dinner at 8:30.<span style=""> </span>The rear TV was not picking up correctly (this is being wired to control two TV’s) and that caused another delay. Combine all this with my factory remote to the rear TV deciding not to work and dinner got pushed again.<span style=""> </span>Once the receiver/DVR was in place, we began to hold out a glimmer of hope.<span style=""> </span>At 10PM, it was in place and was working (except for one little glitch that they tried to solve with some apparent success).<span style=""> </span>They packed up, I signed the form, and they were headed home.<span style=""> </span>Wife and I sat down and began to explore the new world in front of us.<span style=""> </span>Maybe the worst was over. We had finally paid our dues and would be rewarded with movies in their entire digital splendor and in surround sound (which my wife finally got working).<span style=""> </span>Ten minutes after they left, the unit dropped signal completely and required a reboot. I rebooted and got it on its feet again.<span style=""> </span>We tuned in with anxious anticipation, hoping that our patience would finally be rewarded.<span style=""> </span>We were wrong. Another ten minutes passed and it rebooted again. I called Dishnetwork Customer support: they will have a person out Friday.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Uncle!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">-D</p>AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-19940177140536772712007-05-12T18:44:00.000-07:002007-05-12T19:04:33.347-07:00I'm Back!Yesterday at around 5:45PM my year officially ended. I unplugged the intercom, disconnected the sound system, and put things as "away" as I could convince myself to.<br /><br />One of the advantages of working in academia is the seasonality of the work: there is a definite ebb and flow to things. Summer is almost here, and for the next two weeks I get what is usually (and still hopefully) a proper run up to Summer.<br /><br />Here's hoping . . .<br /><br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-19020809072028787602007-02-28T09:06:00.000-08:002007-02-28T09:17:28.054-08:00What is the downside?I've been trolling around the behemoth known as Google for the last few days exploring the very nooks and crannies that make them what they are. I got a gmail account a few years ago thanks to a good friend who sent me an invite. I now use that address for all my academically related items. I started blogging a year and a half ago just to see what all the stuff was about, and have enjoyed the creativity that it affords me. I recently started probing around and have discovered a slate of features that make me both excited and a little cautious:<br /><br />Google Calendar is a very nice feature that will send me an SMS message when I have an appointment listed on their service.<br /><br />Google Reader is an RSS aggregator that is surprisingly easy to use, and lets me keep all my usual haunts (at least those with RSS functionality) in one place.<br /><br />Google Earth is a wonderful way to kill time while zooming in and out on your favorite vacation spots. People have actually plotted points of interest here that include (among others): airplanes photographed in flight, cruise ships docked in multiple places simultaneously, and people doing ordinary things outside.<br /><br />Google also has a docs and spreadsheet feature that they basically bought outright from Writely. The concept is cool, but the funcionality of it has me thinking a lot about the need for, and future of, group based software. <br /><br />On a larger scale, with all this free stuff, what is in it for Google? The old adage of <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing is truly free</span> reverberates with me much more than usual on this. Yes, the basic structure of the Internet was built on getting free stuff (browsers, video clips, music, etc . . .) but from a business sense, what is the bigger picture here?<br /><br />I would love to hear some other viewpoints on this.<br /><br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-12389111207957247992007-02-07T18:15:00.000-08:002007-01-22T19:20:59.866-08:00Yeah, I knowI've been ignoring my blog. Actually, I've been spending time with my other one over on wordpress as it's currently been tasked for a class I'm taking.<br /><br />It's February and it looks to be a busy month. March has Spring Break, and April has Good Friday. I know that February has Valentine's Day, and I am very fortunate to have someone with which to celebrate, but right now I'm also looking at days off.<br /><br />I wish you all well!<br /><br />MTC<br />-DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-67424520157699176632007-01-09T19:48:00.001-08:002007-01-09T19:48:02.778-08:00MMMMMM<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Hey ya'll. Just an unsolicited ad for something wonderful. I had one of these pies a month ago and had another one a week ago. I almost wanted to curl up inside one of these and take a nap. One of the best apple pies around, period!<br></br><a href='http://www.tootiepieco.com'>Tootie Pie Company</a><br></br>-D<br></br><br></br><br></br><p class='poweredbyperformancing'>powered by <a href='http://performancing.com/firefox'>performancing firefox</a></p></div>AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-23675466951970015092007-01-03T15:12:00.001-08:002007-01-03T15:12:41.236-08:00Just a test post<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Got my hands on a cool little FireFox extension that allows one to post from within the browser.<br></br><br></br>I hope that 2007 is good to all of you, and don't sweat the small stuff!<br></br><br></br>-D<br></br><br></br><br></br><p class='poweredbyperformancing'>powered by <a href='http://performancing.com/firefox'>performancing firefox</a></p></div>AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-19645296861263283372006-12-30T21:17:00.000-08:002006-12-30T22:02:02.361-08:00Dear 2006This is it. Today is your last day and tomorrow we start the whole process all over again with your successor, 2007.<br /><br />I lost some very good friends, 2006. I didn't get a chance to say farewell. Some were due to job issues and I hope our paths will cross again. For another I had the honor to serve as a pallbearer at her funeral. Regardless, I never had the chance to say farewell to any of them.<br /><br />There were other pitfalls as well. From a personal standpoint I hit some of the lowest points of my 39 years. I got my priorities screwed up: I devoted way too much time to worrying about things over which I had no control; and I didn't worry about some things that I should have. I let myself go both emotionally, spiritually, and physically and probably spent too much time worrying about my own backside.<br /><br />On a positive note, when you're in the valleys of life you tend to get a better appreciation of mountain tops. This last Fall, I decided that I'd had enough of Top 40 and spent an entire week listening to, and discovering Country music. Yes, I'm tuned to the newer guys like Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw; but found a certain refuge in some of this stuff. I was songs like <span style="font-style: italic;">Mountains</span> by Lone Star and Kenny Chesney's <span style="font-style: italic;">You Had Me From Hello</span> that gave me perspective on what was important in life.<br /><br />In all honesty 2006, you weren't a complete bummer. I did successfully fulfill my residency requirement for my degree and in the process made some new friends over the Communications department at UNT. The classes weren't easy, but I learned much and view them all as time well spent. I also completed one of the goals I set for myself as I complete my degree. I was able to spend some good times with my wife, and thanks to her found a few more haunts down around Austin and San Antonio. We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary, and we had some good times in the process. I was able to spend some time with my father, brother, and nephews this Summer and I walked my first 5k on Thanksgiving day.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>As a closer to today's missive, here are the lyrics to another song that got to me this year. My wife made me a mix CD this last Summer and this song had me listen to it about a dozen times. It's on the <span style="font-style: italic;">Cars</span> Motion Picture Soundtrack and I recommend an iTunes download if you are so inclined.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brad Paisley</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Find Yourself</span><br /><br />When you find yourself<br />In some far off place,<br />And it causes you<br />To rethink some things.<br />You start to sense<br />That slowly you’re becoming someone else<br />And then you find yourself.<br /><br />When you make new friends<br />In a brand new town,<br />And you start to think<br />About settling down,<br />The things that would have been lost on you<br />Are now clear as a bell.<br />And you find yourself<br />That’s when you find yourself.<br /><br />Well you go through life<br />So sure of where you’re heading,<br />And you wind up lost<br />And it’s the best thing that could happen.<br />‘Cause sometimes when you lose your way<br />It’s really just as well.<br />‘Cause you find yourself;<br />That when you find yourself.<br /><br />When you meet the one<br />You’ve been waiting for,<br />And she’s everything<br />That you want and more,<br />You look at her<br />And you finally start<br />To live for someone else.<br />And then you find yourself;<br />That’s when you find yourself.<br /><br />We go though life<br />So sure of where we’re heading,<br />And then we wind up lost<br />And it’s the best thing that could happen.<br />Sometimes when you lose your way<br />It’s really just as well.<br />Because you find yourself;<br />Yeah that’s when you find yourself.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Here's to 2007!</span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">-D</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div></div>AVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13860157.post-37859198811163981442006-12-25T06:28:00.000-08:002006-12-25T06:33:02.049-08:00Merry Christmas To All!Hey folks, just a quick Merry Christmas to you. 2006 has been a heck of a year (and more on that later), but to all who are out there here is to 2007!<br />-=DAVGeekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554841330456404191noreply@blogger.com0