Tuesday, December 27, 2005 10:44 am  <|>
<242> Tech To-Do: There's nothing like the few days after Christmas prior to the New Year to kick start a tech nerd like me into a frenzy. The arrival of new toys combined with the resolving nature of year's end promises to make me feel even more inspired to get some things done that are well overdue. Warning: Very nerdy and computer heavy post... those who want to read something of interest might need go elsewhere for today! ;)

For starters, the main thing I've been trying to get back on track has been my Tivo situation. Tivo is a great invention to those who like TV, an evil occurrence for those who can't stand it. I've always been in the middle of the TV debate and have swung quite heavily to either side at one point or another. I went a whole year or so barely watching any during college and now I don't mind watching hours and hours of Law & Order back to back... but the key thing is I'm rarely doing only one thing at once... so watching TV has never felt to me like something that was completely wasting my time unless I wanted it to. For example, in high school I always had my TV on, but I was also always on my computer or doing something else. Half the time I watched TV back then it was news anyway (back before I had rejected most main stream news sources that is)... so having it on as background noise didn't bother me. For some reason (and some people will fight me on this one) I can have a TV on in the background and be less distracted by it than I would having music on... because with music in general I am almost always distracted. I just want to sing along, at least in my head, and this keeps me from focusing on say, writing a paper... but with TV I just have the ability to tune it out if I want to. I dunno why. I guess because with music the sound is the main focus, with TV it is often the visual and if I'm not paying direct attention to the visual, I have no problem disregarding it entirely.

So that debate aside, I like my TV. I've come to accept it and truly do believe it has its good uses. There are things to be learned and, I of all people, you think would be in support of audio and video coming together to create useful things... yes plenty of it is stupid and mind numbing, totally pointless, but there is enough of it to me that warrants true entertainment. Reading is great. Creating is great. I do both in the ways I enjoy... so why should someone else not indulge in something they enjoy like watching TV if that is the case? Anyway, I actually don't end up watching much besides Law & Order and various shows on Adult Swim... but until they implement buying just the channels you want someday, I'll be looking to my Tivo to expand my options by putting the control of when I watch what I want back into my hands.

I've had Tivo for awhile now... but since we moved in May (yes I know that was quite a long time ago don't remind me) I haven't had my Tivo set up. I also bought a new box in August, which I thought would give me an even better fresh start. It's a long story, but basically we switched to Vonage (VOIP) right before we moved and had problems getting that into place (you need a phone line to connect to the service) so once that finally worked - in between trips to Austria and England - I came to discover that I couldn't use VOIP with my Tivo because it wouldn't transfer the data correctly. The best solution was to "take it to a friend's house" who has a regular phone line still and "connect it once there"... yes that was actually written in the help text directly. So I finally found time to do this at my parent's house as they are one of the only households I know that still use a wired phone and have a regular phone line (which is also soon to change). So I got the new software on it that allows me to select 'use network' instead of phone as an option, only to discover last night that the wireless adapter I have for it - that I bought FROM TIVO's list in August mind you - no longer works with Tivo... how this can be when I bought it from the list on their website is beyond me since the box itself hasn't changed and months ago I was able to get it to recognize that there was a net connection through it, just not a strong enough one for the download... they are trying to make this hard for me. Now I have to spend some of my hard earned gift card money on a new adapter, which will be about $60 bucks (forgetting that I spent at least $50 or more on the other one before) Hopefully this will be done today and then this BETTER be the only other road block I encounter. I've been paying for service, those lucky ba... ahem, for two Tivo boxes actually (my old one and new one) because it's a pain to call and cancel the account and furthermore I couldn't accept doing that because it would mean I had given up on fixing the problem. In that sense, I'm glad I never did, but it still sucks to waste the money.

So that's one project I've resolved to take care of this week if at all possible. I'm further inspired thanks to my super surprise present from my parents of a new video iPod!! Of course I wanted one, but I definitely didn't expect one anytime so soon. It'll be really nice though. Plus I'm giving my iPod Photo to Dan, who would never actually admit to wanting an iPod, but who was quick to take it to work today now that it's 'his'... My video iPod is still at home loading everything up as we speak... now for even more distraction with video podcasts in addition to my continued investigation into finding the best regular ones. The argument is that to listen can be done at work or while walking, but video needs more attention time. This is true... but it also might mean I will use the iPod more overall by using it at home too just away from my computer when I can watch a short podcast or am waiting in a waiting room, enjoying a nice episode of a show or some such. We'll see the impact, but with Tivo you can basically put any video you want on there, so this I think, will be useful.

My other big Christmas present, the main thing I was hoping for, is my new printer. This too, has practical implications. Mainly, it has an autodocument scanner, which will help me organize the crazy collection of papers I am forced to keep around. Right now medical papers, like explanation of benefit sheets from insurance, abound, but really most of them could be kept digitally as 1) if you ever REALLY needed them you could request them (though being that I'm having such trouble getting ones from an old provided from a couple years ago right now I don't want to ever have to do it that way again) so a better way to store and keep them organized it digitally... well I have a small Canon scanner that's never really worked right on my computer (though I haven't tried to hook it up lately) This new all in one from Canon is firstly a quick color copier, this autodoc scanner to store these papers, and also a fax machine when I'm so inclined. Plus, it can't hurt to have another good general purpose printer as my only newish printer right now is my Canon i9900 which is a wonderful printer, but wide format and I sometimes feel like I should be saving it for the good stuff. Since both the printers are Canon they take the same type of inks, which also helps me by allowing me to just horde more of these great single tank inks (guess I'm about due for another order of those soon too). Ahh, I'm such a nerd, but I can't wait to get it all setup. Last night I was all ready to hook it up too when I realized I have no actual place to put the thing. I'm out of top shelf style computer tables. The one I have next to my computer desk has the wide format on it and under that my old HP printer which has served me quite well but doesn't work that great anymore... the new printer needs a table top space too because it's big and needs a lot of room... so I guess I'll need to setup something (and put it where I also don't know) My studio is getting pretty crazy and is in need of some rearranging I think. I could also use a new computer desk all together, but a brief search online last night left me wanting. Nothing seems to really suit my needs unless it costs thousands of dollars, which is most definitely ALWAYS out of the question. Why would someone ever spend so much on that, you could build a great one yourself for much less! I like the desk I have, it's just getting very worn and doesn't fit everything I need it to either. I guess I'll keep looking and worry about it when I have to. For now it looks like my new printer is finding its first home on the floor...

Speaking of new... I've been thinking a lot lately about all these different situations I'm in and I think the solution is really to learn to be happy with where I'm at right now. Yeah, work has plenty of issues, but I will make a little more after the new year and the freedom here might be hard to match. The healthcare issue will come up, but really maybe I should be seeing what options exist outside of COBRA right now. Maybe it isn't the cheapest option even with all my other health issues... Maybe Dan's new job will be good with benefits and it won't really matter. But all of that will be determined with time, so it can't be my only factor. I am in need of making up money, but after the new year will help a little hopefully and I've been cutting back other ways too. If I get a couple things on the side that'll further boost the difference and I'll just go from there. Money is a pit most of the time, but you just have to keep working to get out of it before it becomes a permanent ditch. I've been getting job interests lately... meaning opportunities without official offers - either because they end up not working out or they don't sound that great, etc... but I'm torn everytime one comes up because it causes me to question everything all over again and try to weigh out my options. One just came up today and I just feel in my gut that I shouldn't worry about it for now (it is also contract and the issue would be more money solely to move there but me probably liking the job a whole lot less). It seems like if I have doubt I shouldn't even consider it, but again there is always that problem with a new option that makes you wonder if you are missing out on something by passing it up. There's little more than some time wasted to follow up on these things, but it's still not really a pleasant process.

As for other aspects this same thing applies. I want to try to work with what I have - it saves time, money, and sanity.. all things I could use more of anytime! :) I think it's quite manageable too... but it's hard not to want for things once in awhile I guess. Especially when you feel like the investment of certain things will improve other things for the future... but for now I think I need to just focus on what I've got where I can. What better time than the new year to make such resolutions? This next year stands to bring in a lot of happy memories and life changing events... I hope 2006 is a great year for everyone around me. I really do.