Patterico's Pontifications

8/13/2006

Our Weekend

Filed under: General,Real Life — Patterico @ 10:53 pm



It has been a fun and largely computer-free weekend.

I spent well over three hours on the phone with Linksys support today. It turns out that the problem was that the cable modem was connected to the desktop through an Ethernet cable and a USB connection at the same time.

I’m not sure why that took three hours to figure out, but I’m happy to be back online. Meanwhile, we had a fantastic weekend largely removed from the computer.

Mrs. P.’s very pleasant mother has been in town, and Mrs. P.’s aunt and uncle joined us for the weekend. We went to the Hollywood Bowl Friday night to see the Tchaikovsky program and the fireworks, and to the Magic Castle last night, courtesy of Justin Levine (who couldn’t join us, because he was celebrating his birthday with some friends. Happy Birthday, Justin!)

By the way, Justin may be doing some guest blogging here in the not-too-distant future, and may have some news for us regarding our old friend Stephen Yagman. Stay tuned.

Today we hung out at a friend’s house in the area. I biked over while the rest of the family drove over. We hung out around the pool while the kids swam, and I biked back for more calls to the Linksys people.

Yesterday, we finally got our new TV hooked up — after two previous abortive weekend attempts in which Direct TV screwed up the work order. We now have a stellar 50 inch picture, and TiVo. Oh, man. It looks like I’m going to be watching more TV now . . . and I hardly watch any TV. But now, when I sleep through Fox News Sunday, I just TiVo it — and next thing you know, I have fodder for a blog post (see the post immediately below this). I’ll never miss Brit Hume again. I can see where a fella could get used to this.

10 Responses to “Our Weekend”

  1. GAAAAH you JUST got TiVo? No wonder you used to hardly watch any TV. Used to.

    Anwyn (1c7c77)

  2. Welcome back to the real virtual world. It’s hard, sometimes, to remember that I survived without a phone on my hip and the world’s knowledge at my fingertips.

    Gee, I used to have to go the library.

    Glad you had a good time with family and friends… they are both the best, hands down.

    Chris from Victoria, BC (9824e6)

  3. My husband loves TiVo because now, when I want to natter at him, he can simply pause the show, listen to me, nod and make the appropriate noises, then, when I’m satisfied, hit the unpause button. 😉 My oldest daughter also has the habit of pausing all live TV long enough that she can fast forward through all the commercials. TiVo is my favorite of the new electronic gadgets.

    sharon (63d8f8)

  4. I have TiVo in my brain. My wife is always under the impression that if she waits till the commercials, I’ll pay heed to her. So, at the commercials, which are actually the most interesting part of television viewing for me, because it’s what television is about, she’ll ask me something, like whether I’d prefer peas or carrots. It then goes on a loop in my brain until the commercial is over, at which time I listen to it and decided I’d prefer carrots. By then, of course, she’s decided we’re having peas.

    Dan Collins (208fbe)

  5. …turns out that the problem was that the cable modem was connected to the desktop through an Ethernet cable and a USB connection at the same time.

    Yesterday, we finally got our new TV hooked up — after two previous abortive weekend attempts

    My off the cuff diagnosis is middle age dementia compounded by techno-operatio-itis. In simple terms this is the swelling and inflamation of the brain in people over 35 when confronted with recent technological advances.

    The syndrom was first recognized in the early 1980’s when normally functional and intelligent adults found they could not set the clocks on their VCRs but their children – incapable of making their own breakfast or washing their own clothing – could seemingly walk in the room and point a finger at the device and cause it to begin working properly.

    Ironically those same children – now adults – find themselves unable to even connect a television or computer.

    Dwilkers (a1687a)

  6. TiVo and a 50″ or larger television is in my near future as well.

    You ended up going with plasma, didn’t you? I’m considering a DLP television myself.

    Angry Clam (fa7fff)

  7. …turns out that the problem was that the cable modem was connected to the desktop through an Ethernet cable and a USB connection at the same time.

    Yesterday, we finally got our new TV hooked up — after two previous abortive weekend attempts

    My off the cuff diagnosis is middle age dementia compounded by techno-operatio-itis.

    Well, now, hold on there, hoss.

    The issue with the TV, as I said, was that Direct TV kept messing up the work order. I don’t personally install new lines from satellite dishes (we had to get an HD line) and I doubt you do either.

    The cable modem issue is different. It has been working fine for weeks, and I didn’t just plug in the USB line. Yet for some reason, the router just started going on the fritz over the weekend. Once we found the source of the problem, it baffled me that I ever connected two lines from the cable modem, but apparently I did.

    So you can chalk that one up to your pet disease, but not the TV.

    Patterico (50c3cd)

  8. it baffled me that I ever connected two lines from the cable modem, but apparently I did.

    A key symptom. Not to worry though, I have been suffering from this problem for a few years now myself. Fortunately although there’s no known cure its rarely fatal. At worst, at least in my case, it only results in embarrassment.

    Oh and:

    I don’t personally install new lines from satellite dishes (we had to get an HD line) and I doubt you do either.

    HAH! Actually I do, or did at one time, I’m a registered communications distribution designer (network/telecommunications cabling, coax, fiber, blah blah). For some reason that didn’t help me get my HDTV working. 😀

    Dwilkers (a1687a)

  9. Well, you got me there.

    Patterico (50c3cd)

  10. Clam I wanted a DLP myself but the wife liked the Sony LCD more so…

    I’d guess you’ll like whichever one you get just fine. If I remember correctly what I liked about DLP was the way the picture looked as well as the angle of viewing issue. In actually application though how often is it important that you be able to see the picture well when viewed from an acute angle?

    Did anyone else try to watch the Redskins game last night in HD? I am pretty sure it was in HD 16×9 format but not in actual high definition…I’m just curious if anyone knows.

    Dwilkers (a1687a)


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