Strange Tattoos

Check out the dude on the right.

Windows XP – Home v Professional

Recently, I was talking to my brother about Windows 7 and the difference between the various versions.

He told me about a time he was in a Louisiana WalMart during the time he was attending LSU.  There were 2 hillbillies (one White and one Asian) staring at the various versions of Windows XP through a display case.

White Hillbilly: “What’s the difference between XP Home and Professional?”

Asian Hillbilly: (pointing at the XP Home version) “That one over there, has some  sheeeeet.”

Asian Hillbilly: (pointing at the XP Professional version) “That one over there, has the GOOOD SHEEEEET.”

Now I need him to explain to me the difference between Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate.

Charter Update

UPDATE to my rant below: 2 Charter guys came over yesterday.  Cool guys, we talked about the Lakers, Dodgers, how bad the Raiders suck and watched a bit of SportsCenter.  The cable is now fixed.  I’ve never been so happy to see a soccer match on my TV screen.

Midas can now watch the Lakers in HD in peace.

Turns out in Victorville, someone killed a Charter cable guy with a freaking hammer.

I talked to the Charter guys about that and it seems, although this is one of the first times, if not the first time, a Charter cable guy was killed on the job, attacks on them have happened in the past.  A cable guy was attacked in a customer’s home and the customer even went out to the van and started beating down the van.  They also told me about another time where an obese lady was so mad she wouldn’t let a cable guy leave her house.  The cable guy distracted her and he high-tailed it out of her house.

Craziness.

Keeping It Close

Still within double digits.

Collison v. Davis

Clippers v. Hornets. Chris Paul just jacked up his ankle clearing the way for this classic UCLA guard matchup!

Microsoft is Forcing Me to Buy a 27″ iMac

My oldest running computer at home is a Sony Vaio Desktop that runs XP.  It’s about 8 or 9 years old. I pretty much stopped using it awhile ago but recently decided to fire it back up to log onto my office computer from home because the screen is a bit bigger than my 15″ MacBook Pro and my 12″ Dell XPS laptop.

It took a few hours to download the various XP updates that were released since the last time I turned the Vaio on.

Once the Vaio finished updating, it began to ask me for a serial number for Windows XP.  And that I had 30 days to “preview” the software. Thanks so much Microsoft for allowing me to preview an OS that was installed on my computer when I bought it.

The version of XP I have on the Vaio was preinstalled on my computer.  I never received any serial numbers.  A quick look at the original installation discs (yes, I still have them) contain no serial numbers for me to input.

I guess I’m SOL and there’s no other option than to buy an iMac.  ***sigh***

 

Charter Cable, Is This Acceptable Customer Service?

About a month ago, I noticed that we were no longer receiving FoxSportsWestHD.  For those of you that don’t know, that’s the channel that airs, among other things, Laker home games in HD.  So I call Charter, I get a guy with an Indian accent telling me there’s nothing that can be done and to periodically check the local Charter website for updates.

Grinding my teeth, I said, “Thanks” and hung up.  I decided to give it a week or 2, maybe there was some sort of glitch that would take care of itself.  Did it?  Nope.

So a few weeks later, I call Charter back.  This time, they agreed to send out a technician.  I told the rep that he should tell the technician to bring extra cable cards as I suspected it may be necessary as I have a TiVo XL HD.  He said he would.

The technician failed to show for the appointment.  No call.  Nothing.   They even had my cell phone number and still didn’t call.

So I call Charter again.  This time, the technician shows up in the 4-hour window they gave me (keep in mind, this is midweek so I had to take time off of work).  He starts fiddling around with the TiVo and says, “Sir, I need to go get some cable cards.”  WTF?  Uhm, hello, moron?  You should have known to bring some.

Inexplicably, he needs 3 hours to retrieve a cable card.

He comes back, tries the cards and it doesn’t work.  I should have been tipped of about this guys technician skills when I had to explain to him what a Slingbox was.  He then tells me he needs to come back Sunday at 9:00 a.m. to run tests on the line with a supervisor.  I asked him if I or he needs to call anyone to make sure that the appointment is in the system.  He tells me, “Nope, the appointment is already in the system.”  So no paddling for me Sunday, I’m stuck at home but it’s worth it, because I’ll finally be able to watch Laker home games in HD.  Right?

You think the technician came on Sunday?  Nope.

So I call Charter again.  They agree to send someone out, apologize and give me a $50 discount.  Big whoop.  So I have an appointment set between 1 and 5 today for Charter yet again.

A new technician comes.  Cool guy, we talk about Rome, Bubba, Stern and my extreme dislike for the Myers & Hartman show. He takes one look at the TiVo and tells me I need a “black box”.

“Huh?”, I ask.

He tells me there was a memo that went out awhile back that said the cable card would stop working and all TiVo users and others that use cable cards (as opposed to the standard cable box) would need a new black box to attach to their TiVos or other devices so that they could get all of their programming.

I ask why the technician from last time didn’t know.  He just looked at me and started nodding.  I knew what he meant.  The first guy was a moron but this technician didn’t want to say anything bad about one of Charter’s technicians.

“Great, do you have a black box out in your truck?”, I ask.

“No, I don’t.  I’m a Charter contractor.  Only Charter employees can install them.”

Perfect.  Can you get one of those guys to come out today, after all, it’s on 1:30.  He calls around.  No dice, a technician will be coming over tomorrow to install the box.

ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

Why do I choose to stay with Charter?  Simple, I have TiVo and it will not work with DirecTV.  If Charter doesn’t fix this problem tomorrow, I might just sell my TiVo and move to DirecTV.  I only have so much tolerance.

 

Keyees & Midas

Phil let me sample one of his Canon lenses on Monday.  After taking these pictures, I ordered one.  It arrives today!

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Is It Acceptable to Call Someone a Chinaman?

Is it acceptable to call an Asian a Chinaman? An NBA commentator does at the 50 second mark.

http://www.nba.com/video/games/nets/2009/10/30/0020900027_orl_njn_recap.nba/

Truly despicable.

In case the NBA takes the link down, here it is (at the 34 second mark).

Folding OC6

Yes, a folding OC6.  There appear to be some laws in Australia regulating the size of canoe trailers.  The folding Mirage OC6 spawned from this law.

Go to here for more details.

If that’s not small enough, how about a three piece OC6?

Do I hear 4?  What about 6?  That way each person can take home their section of the boat!

 

 

A REAL Race

Check out this race European Paddling Marathon Race.

You will see the following:

1. Dragon boat racing kayaks, c1, canoes, etc. at 3:04;

2.  Volunteers passing out beer (4:04) and Red Bull (4:27);

3.  Running with a dragon boat at 4:08; and

4.  Whitewater rafting (Class III) in a dragon boat at 5:26.

We are wusses for paddling in flat water and not drinking beer while paddling.

The clubbing music is annoying so I’d recommend you watch it while it’s muted.

@Target In/Near Irvine. So classy.

Installing the Fabled Windows 7 on a MacBook Pro

Here’s a review on Windows 7 with a spin – installing it on a Macbook Pro using VM Ware. For the first time ever, I laughed reading a review of a piece of software.  It’s clearly written by a Mac Fan Boy but an entertaining read nonetheless.

Here’s a taste:

Even thinking about installing Windows on my beautiful, pristine MacBook Pro makes me feel dirty. Dirty -like “walking-in-on-a-sibling-in-the-shower-and-finding-yourself-aroused” dirty…

Show this every time is the default option??!!! Who the fuck in their right fucking mind would ever want to see that useless fucking fuck box ever fucking again?

Although I rarely, OK, never, use it, I have Windows 7 RC installed on my MacBook Pro.  I haven’t had any problems with it (maybe because I don’t use it?).

I also have Windows 7 RC installed my my Dell XPS 13 inch laptop.  We use it primarily to stream our mutts on ustream.  It’s pretty damn solid.  The computer boots up fast and once I press the Google Chrome shorcut, it takes only a few seconds for the ustream page to come up.

We’ve been using Windows 7 RC for a few months now and it has only crashed two times.  There are a few annoying windows that pop up – for instance, a window that ask me every couple days if I want to allow Java to run on my computer.  DOY.

But from my limited use of Windows 7 RC, it seems pretty solid.  I can’t wait until Vi gets her new Dell laptop with Windows 7 preinstalled.

Just don’t get me started about Microsoft Office’s Ribbon… I’ve never missed the File Menu so much.

How People Find ReadyandReach

Here’s a search that led to someone finding ReadyandReach: “rectovesical fistula”

SWEET.

Midas Flossing with Yarn