Month: June 2004

Simpsons Season 4

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I am a Simpsons fan. Not OJ, Homer and his family. I may not be as fanatical as I used to be, but it is still one of the best TV shows ever. I may not watch it ever time it is on TV anymore, but I can still riddle off quotes from a decade ago. Yes I may be a bit crazy.

I was very happy to open my mailbox today and find my Amazon.com box containing the Simpsons Season 4 DVD box set.

As Entertainment Weekly put it this week, season 4 is probably one of the best seasons ever. I think it has some classics, and it it the beginning the style of show we know today.

I begin watching this weekend…

iMac or Not to iMac

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I am still pondering the sale of my iMac when I move next month. I can still get a large amount for it, so I keep thinking will I be better served by a different computer? If I do sell it I would need a DVD burner for my powerbook or some other solution. I would also want a larger flat panel screen for my desk at home since I use the 20″ most of the time.

Too many choices. Pondering continues…

New Cable

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I got a call from the cable company that provides service in the building I am moving to. They said that the management company sent them my name. I currently use Time Warner, and for the most part I am happy. This place uses RCN.

First impression is that they are more money for less services. I get 4 premium packages, digital cable and a cable modem for under $100. These new guys offer you digital cable, a cable modem, and 1 premium package for $101. I am loosing 3 premium packages. To get them, I need to pay $13 more per channel That is a racket. Extra cable box’s are also more money per box than I currently pay. The only plus side is that I can buy a static IP address for $4 per month. I don’t think I can do that now. Of course my current provider only changes your address if you leave your modem off for extended periods of time. I have had my same IP for over a year.

In a nutshell I think I am getting a worse deal than I currently have. Only time will tell, but as I like to say “i think this will end badly”.

Productive Day

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I got allot done today. Some days I get allot done, but it doesn’t feel that way. The majority of days feel that way. It is the nature of what I do that the work I do in a day is not always (almost never) what I plan on doing when I get up in the morning. I mean some of what I plan on doing usually gets done, but there are always things that pop up.

Today I was able to work through my back log of issues. I got allot of the requests done. I only have a few more to clear out. I am under 10 issues in my “ticket box”. that is good for me. That does not include the 57 open tasks my department has. I am just talking about issues that crop up throughout the day.

I also was able to go out for lunch with cari and jayson. We went to the Old Town Tavern. it was nice. We don’t normally get to go out for lunch.

I am off to home to do my laundry, and take a nap. I have to be up by 1AM to do some work on our Fulfillment servers. I need to put them on our automated update schedule.

I hope I can nap. But I am not holding my breath.

The Treoless Day

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I went the day without my Treo. I mean I didn’t use it as my cell phone, and I didn’t carry it around wherever I went. Here is what I realized.

The all in one device is a great idea. I found myself walking around with my Pocket PC fishing in my pockets for my cell phone when I wanted to make a call. Not everyone I know fit into my T610. I walked around with the Pocket PC since I keep my To Do list on that or my Treo. So I saved weight by only carrying a light cell phone, but ended up with my bigger Pocket PC in hand most of the time when I left my office.

This is a well known conclusion. A combined device is better if you DO carry around a phone and an organizer. I thought I would save on some weight by using the T610. For part of the day I was right, but for the rest of the day I was not.

The other point is that the screen on my iPaq 1945 Pocket PC is 10x better than my Treo. I would use that if the device wasn’t so dam big. yes I know that is the smallest pocket PC out there, but it is still big compared to my Treo. A Treo with bluetooth and a better screen would be nice. Please?

Tomorrow I will go back to my Treo. Actually as I sit on the train now, I ponder swapping my SIM card back into the Treo.

The only advantage the T610 has over the Treo is the fact it has bluetooth so I can use a wireless head set, and that the camera is better. it takes smaller photo’s, but they are clearer. Man can you tell the difference.

The Waiting For Approval

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Friday I went looking for an apartment again, and I found something I loved. It was in my price range. Near the subway, had a doorman, and even had a health club and pool in the complex. Basically everything I wanted and more. I was surprised to find I could afford what I got, in Manhattan. I didn’t think it was possible.

I signed papers last friday. I brought my deposit of a first month’s rent and the security deposit. I now await final approval. The building needs to finish running my credit check. I am not worried about that, but I still don’t have a definitive yes or no yet. That is what drives me crazy.

I am ending up eating the cost of a deposit I put down on a place on Tuesday. I am not happy about that, but if I ate the $400 deposit, I can goto the nicer place. The original apartment I tried to get had a small bedroom, and the building was not as nice. I think I am definitely upgrading in my choose.

I am very excited. I heard good things about the location and the building. It is a small world since Mark from work also lives in the same building, and Molly who used to work with us also lives there. So far I have heard only positive things from people that have lived there.

The commute will be about 20-30 minutes. On the long end of what I wanted to do, but it is all one train. And the train stops close to work and to the new apartment. It looks like there is places to eat and buy stuff nearby also.

My issue is that I have to wait till July 15 to move in. It saves me from paying a full month of double rent, and I am happy about that, but I want to get the move over with already. I have been wanting to do this since late April. I like to move fast on stuff like this. Oh well. For now I can just plan and prepare for the move.

The Treo is Off

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I did the unthinkable. I turned off my Treo today. I took the SIM card out of it and placed it in my Sony Ericsson T610. I am doing this for the day. Why you mask ask? Or you may not give a crap. I am wearing shorts today, and pocket space is limited. Carrying my Treo, & wallet it fells like I am carrying rocks. I have my new blackberry. It is big, but clipped to my belt. So for now I don’t need this huge phone. I still love it, and need it. I will leave it on my desk and use it as a palm when needed. But I want to keep my cell on me during the day. I can do that easier with the T610. This is the weight dilemma that I have always had. It is a bigger issue in the summer time when I have no jacket.

What I really need is the Blackberry software on my Treo so I don’t need this new big Blackberry I have. But this big blackberry is great. it has a nice wide keyboard, and direct connect. I am in technology heaven, but I now have too many devices. each one is great, but only does some of the things I need:( I need the pocket knife of smart phones, but it hasn’t been made yet. Come on PalmOne, make me a better Treo. I will buy it!

Another Pool Day

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I did some scanning of bills in the AM. I got up at 8AM again. that is killing me. Then I went to the pool with Jayson for the afternoon. We watched Aliens the movie afterward. That is one of my all time favorite movies. So many awesome lines in that movie. Bill Paxton rocked. I was so happy when the DVD version came out with the deleted scenes. Saw it for the first time with my surround sound system. The explosions really do sound better. Not sure if family next door to me liked it though?

I took another 2 Butabitols today. I started feeling shitty by the pool. I feel great now with them in my system!!!

I am also almost out of guest passes for the pool club. Thank goodness I move by 7-31-04. More later, I am off to bed. Maybe I will get a good night sleep tonight???

Saving Month

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I am trying, and partially succeeding in not spending allot of money this month. I am moving in July (hopefully) and it costs allot. So I want to save a chunk of cash this month and next. Won’t talk about how much, but it is enough to make me stop and think before I buy anything.

I looked at my credit card balance and almost freaked because it was so high. Then I realized that it was 90% work related stuff. That got me to do an expense report. I hope my fiscal responsibility holds up for 6 or so more weeks. I don’t want to be down in my savings because of a move. Right now I don’t know if I can pull it off. I am keeping my fingers crossed…

Got Rid Of Backups

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Several months ago I read that CD-R’s and DVD-R’s won’t last as long as most people orginally thought. The personally recorded disks may only be good for 3-5 years. No one knows. I have been using CD-R’s and more recently DVD-R’s as my only form of backup of my computer data.

I keep everything on the computer now a days so those backup’s are important. Knowing these CD’s “rot” I decided to take all my backups dating back to 1998, and put them back on a hard drive. I then backed up that directory to another hard drive. Drives are cheap so I figure if I keep all my crap on 2 drives I will be safe from problems. Or so I hope. I took some of the really old backups and destroyed the CD’s. I still have my recent DVD’s of backup’s for 2002-2004, but older stuff is getting destroyed since I don’t really need the CD’s with them back on disk. I use a Lacie firewire drive with 200 gig of storage space.

I also decided to buy a new Firewire drive every year for backup’s of crap. I realized that I bought my 200-gig drive less than a year ago and I have only like 50-gig’s left. It is cheaper to buy a new drive than to worry about removing crap off the existing one when it gets filled up.

I still have some more archiving to do, but I am getting things cleaned up virtually and physically before I start packing to move!