Praise then darkness, and creation unfinished

new computer

2024-12-09T23:15:04Z

My shiny new Macbook Air laptop has arrived, and so far I have determined that the packaging is well designed--both the shipping box and the interior box have obvious "pull here to open" tabs that worked smoothly. I'm pretty sure the box contains everything it should, but not entirely, because I have also discovered that they assume I have another computer, or at least access to one, with which to read the online-only "getting started" guide. They also assume I have a magnifying glass: the minimal printed information in the box is printed in an annoyingly small font.

Those are both valid assumptions, but it adds some friction to the process.

I bought a new computer now because I will be needing one moderately soon: this Windows box is old, I'm not sure it will support Windows 11, and I've been vaguely meaning to replace it for a couple of years. I wanted to buy a new computer before Trump's threatened tariffs affect the price and/or availabilitu of new computers. (According to DSL, my Macbook was shipped from Shanghai.) So I'm not in full "shiny new machine!" mode because I'm going to have to move a bunch of stuff from this Windows box to a machine running MacOS, and figure out in the process what I actually need or want to keep.

It's a Mac because I asked Cattitude's advice on buying a new computer, and this is what he recommended given what I use my computer for.

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another busy day

2021-06-03T02:19:20Z

I bought a new iPhone, to replace the old iPhone SE that I'd been hanging onto because it's a good size for my hand. I was hoping to wait a little longer, but dropped it yesterday in a way that left a sharp bit sticking out from one corner of the phone. So, a couple of hours, at the T-Mobile store and then at home, setting things up, re-entering passwords, and such.
A little more paid proofreading this morning
( medical test ick )
After that, I decided I had done quite enough grown-up things for one day, and my plan for the rest of the day was Scrabble and exercise. cattitude and I played two games of Scrabble, and I did a round dozen of my PT-ish exercises, which probably also counts as being grown-up and responsible.

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redbird @ 2020-10-22T18:08:00

2020-10-22T22:15:32Z

I did another round of text banking training today, because Common Cause is using different software than the campaigns I was already working on. So I did that, did a little texting, got frustrated, and sent an email to the trainer, who said something like "I forgot to tell you that you have to use Chrome."

I may give it another try; I don't love software that prefers specific browsers, but I can live with that, if they bother to tell me.

More cheerfully, my new (wireless) keyboard, mouse, and wrist rest arrived today. I should have replaced the keyboard sooner, rather than propping it up with a notepad after one leg broke off. And the wrist rest was flattened by many years of use; I don't remember when we got it, but it has a "Software Etc." logo, and that company changed its name in 2004.

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two out of three

2017-07-21T18:13:37Z

(tasks for the day, that is)

The big thing is that cattitude and I have signed the lease for our new apartment: the realtor picked us up here, drove us to the management company's office in Allston, hung around while we read and then signed things, and then gave us a lift to Harvard Square, because I needed to go to the T-Mobile store there.

The goal of that was to pick up the warranty replacement for my iPhone. I insisted on having them load the data onto the new one, rather than bring it home and use the backup on this machine, because I hadn't tested the backup. First they had to update iOS on the "new" phone (it's a refurbished and allegedly tested used device), which was taking long enough we went to get a bite to eat.

Then we came back, and were still having trouble getting the apps onto the phone, downloading email, etc. We tried various things (none of it very interesting) before concluding that this phone was worse at data than the one that it was supposed to replace, so they're sending the intended replacement back and ordering another. And I am very glad I didn't bring it home before discovering that.

It was 12:30 or so by then, so we stopped into Tea Luxe to caffeinate me before going to the drugstore. I have my prescription, we got razor blades, and I stopped in our garden on the way home and cut a cucumber. A bit small and slightly pale yet, but having had one fruit wither on the vine, I wanted to grab it while the grabbing was good.

Also, the sunflower is starting to bloom (one plant, several more flowers developing) and I picked and ate two cherry tomatoes while waiting for the realtor.

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I have a new computer

2017-05-07T20:05:07Z

The new computer is a Windows desktop machine. It will be replacing a Mac. I suspect I am going to be discovering all sorts of interesting things about file incompatibilities, especially years of saved email.

There's at least one trip to Microcenter in my future, for speakers, a webcam, and a better keyboard, but that can wait a day or three. Tomorrow's plans involve going to a state legislature committee hearing (to show people care about a bill that will stop Massachusetts police from working for ICE or other federal agencies unless the feds pay for it. (Yes, it would be better to stop it altogether, but this might be easier to get through, and might have the same effect.) That's another political thing I've never done before, but the ACLU wants people there, I don't have conflicting plans, and the state house is now "take the T to Park Street" instead of a schlep to Albany.

Whether I shop for hardware tomorrow will depend on a combination of how I feel by then, and how annoyed I am by this keyboard in another twelve hours.

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the step counter in my iPhone

2017-03-29T13:01:19Z

not only gets the steps-to-miles conversion way off for me (if I look at its "miles" and read the distance as kilometers, it's about right), it doesn't even count the steps correctly. I just did a counted-off 110 steps (for another reason) and they were counted as 88 (starting count 94, finishing count 182).

This is no big deal for me in terms of wanting the data (when cattitude's employer sent him home with a free FitBit, I realized I didn't want to use one, without ever strapping it on), but seems worth noting.

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tech support annoyances

2014-06-10T21:41:53Z

The actual person I spoke to was very friendly and seemed to be helpful, but in the end the problem is not solved.

( scanner woes )

Conclusion from Canon tech support: there is nothing they can do here, and I should talk to Apple. I suspect Apple is going to want money for the call, and I'm not sure it's worth it: I still have a working copier and printer (mostly I use it as a printer), and if I really want a scan of my passport I can take it to the neighborhood FedEx or UPS store.

Before referring me to Apple, the Canon tech asked what version of the OS I had upgraded from. I wasn't sure (I think it was 10.6.8), but I'm not sure that's relevant to anything. If anyone has any practical suggestions, or experience on talking to Apple tech support, by all means tell me.

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AKICLDW/LJ?

2011-05-01T19:28:50Z

In the last few days, my iPod Touch has started giving the error message "charging is not supported on this device" when I plug it in to my Mac. When I google, what I find is that (a) a lot of other people have been puzzled by this message in the last few years and (b) it's what the device is supposed to say when attached to a FireWire port.

I am not using a FireWire port. I am plugging the iPod Touch either directly into the Mac, or via a USB hub, with the USB charging cable that came with the device. This is how I've been charging it, successfully, for the last couple of months.

The current situation is that the iPod will charge happily when plugged into cattitude's Linux/Windows box. It also syncs to my Mac as it should. And after a couple of days of giving me that message every time I plugged it into my Mac (though sync'ing when I told it to via the iTunes desktop), it now alternates between charging and displaying the exclamation-point-in-yellow-triangle symbol and the error message.

Cattitude has suggested that this may be a result of having, a couple of weeks ago, used the charger that came with his iPad (which plugs into the wall) to charge the iPod and that, if so, letting the battery run down a bit may help. So I am leaving it unplugged for the instant, and will see about running the battery down a bit.

However, I am puzzled. The Apple Website goes no further than "this will happen if you try using FireWire," and nothing else has told me even that much. Thoughts? Similar experiences? Chocolate?

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Computer problems, which are complicating our lives

2011-03-10T01:16:01Z

There is something badly wrong with my home PC: it needs either a new motherboard or a new power supply. We are in the process of updating a laptop for me to work with, but this may take all evening. If you need me urgently, phone. (I'm in the phone book, if you don't have my number.)

This is annoying not only for the obvious reasons, but because I had set things up to work from home on Friday in order to deal with some plumbing-related problems. Doing that requires a system with MS Word, which I have on my machine but cattitude doesn't have on his. I don't know whether it would work for him to stay home instead of me. Feh.

ETA: OpenOffice might do; I am downloading it now. I have also installed Adium, so I can IM.

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new hardware; Adrian; gym

2010-10-06T01:02:51Z

Because the perfect is the enemy of the good, I decided to stop fretting about what the perfect PDA-replacement for me would be, and have bought an iPod Touch. Because I have an old iPod I never use, the software went ahead and loaded music onto the new machine. It's possible that, if I have a reason to carry it anyway, I will find headphones that are a plausible combination of not hurting my ears, and not awkwardly huge* and use the thing as a music player. But for now, it's a PDA† that wants to hum to itself when I don't have it doing arithmetic or tracking appointments or shopping lists or people's addresses. I still need to hand it huge amounts of data; it currently contains one appointment, for Thursday evening. (And if I do solve the headphone problem, I might even start listening to music at the gym, on days I'm not working with Emilie.)

I spent last weekend in Boston with adrian_turtle. We hadn't seen each other in longer than usual, and neither of us was feeling especially energetic, so mostly we stayed home, except for a walk around her neighborhood on Saturday and a trip to the supermarket Sunday morning. We'd been planning to go out for sushi Saturday evening, but the elevator broke at an inconvenient time, and rather than walk down five flights of stairs and risk having to walk up the same number, we looked in the cupboards, and had black beans (cooked with onions and a tofu-based chorizo), rice, and a cucumber for supper. (The elevator was fine Sunday morning, or we wouldn't have gone shopping then; I would have just walked down when it was time to leave.)

I saw the very beginnings of fall color in Arlington on Sunday afternoon from the bus, just a couple of branches of orange on the tree next to the Town Hall that's always early. (The tree that used to be the first to turn red and orange near my house was cut down about a year ago; cattitude and I were not surprised, as it had been ailing for some time, but that doesn't mean we don't miss it.)

Yesterday after work, I went to the gym, as semi-usual.
( cut to avoid boredom )

*Most headphones, definitely including the basic Apple earbuds, are uncomfortable for me. I have a pair that sort of work, for a half hour or so at a time; they are very big, which both makes them a nuisance to carry around, and drains batteries quickly, which wouldn't be a problem at the gym but is for traveling. I am not currently looking for advice on headphones from anyone who isn't in a position to hand them to me and say "try these."

†On the other hand, I am looking for some apps, specifically a good calculator, and a shopping list; I'm open to other suggestions, but not looking for anything in the TV/video direction.

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Hardware; flowers

2010-09-08T23:44:16Z

A wheel fell off our dishwasher the other day. Last night, we tried to put it back on: this involved lifting the dishwasher by brute force, sliding books under to hold it up, and then attempting to get the wheel into place. This did not work. Also, it hurt my left wrist (the one I chipped a bone in back in college). It felt fine after a night's sleep, but started hurting again this evening after I held a bus pole left-handed. I should try to be careful; this may make tomorrow's session with Emilie complicated. (We're already watching out for my knees and the opposite shoulder.) We may try again, with more suitable tools so we can turn the machine on its side, but not for a few days. In the meantime, I will hand-wash some dishes, but as few as possible tonight.

We left home this morning early enough for a brief walk in the park. Well worth it: we saw a cormorant, and a patch of jimson weed (Datura stramonium). The latter was surprising: it had sprouted, flowered, and started making seed pods fairly quickly. There are four plants, growing between the paved path and the edge of the soccer field, along one of the intermittent tiny stream-beds that fill in every heavy rain. So the answer to my immediate "Where did you come from?" is almost certainly "up on the hill somewhere." I got cattitude to take a few pictures with his cell phone this morning; I went out this evening with my camera, but only one flower was left and open, from the four or so this morning. (Jimsonweed flowers don't last long once they bloom.) A parks worker was on a riding mower at the other end of the field, and it seemed likely that he'd mow most of the jimson weed (one is entirely below the surface of the lawn), but I'm guessing it wasn't prudent/safe to drive the mower over the gap.

Also, Tropical Storm Igor is now making its way east across the Atlantic Ocean. I know, generally, who names these things, but who in particular came up with this one?

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viruses grrrr

2010-05-23T03:18:44Z

This PC has been hanging, and when I did a scan a little while ago F-secure found nasties that it couldn't remove and suggested I try to handle manually. cattitude did a little research, and basically I'm stuck. So, backups and (re)install the OS. Given that Microsoft is mostly dropping XP support, that almost certainly means going to Windows 7*, which in turn means I need to buy a copy.

And there will be all sorts of unfun things I will ask Cattitude for help with, to make sure that I don't wind up porting a virus with my backups.

I will attempt to maintain normal connectivity (well, except for the part where I'm going to Wisconsin in a few days; I may take the eee, but won't be online a huge amount even if I do), but it may be grumpier.

*I'm already running a certain amount of abandonware, given that I'm not prepared to walk away from either my Palm PDA or Eudora.

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Dynamic disk? (AKICILJ)

2009-09-20T01:32:18Z

Does anyone here have experience of a "dynamic disk"? It appears to be something that can be done under Windows XP and has options including setting up RAID 5 on one disk. I asked cattitude for his opinion of that versus a basic disk, and he'd never heard of dynamic disks.

So, the questions are, does this have any clear advantages, what are the disadvantages, and is it supported under Windows 7?

ETA: spacecrab answered this: it's a server thing and not actually relevant to anything I'd be doing.

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A bit frustrated by the material world

2009-09-13T20:03:09Z

I got two things by mail order recently: my handmade boots from Catskill Moccasins, and a power conditioner for my computer.

A little while ago, I sat down with the "care and feeding of your new boots" page open, including the diagrams of how to lace the boots. I followed the instructions, got to the top of the boot, and had about a meter of lace left, and a diagram that seemed to suggest just tucking it underneath. So, instead of putting on my new boots (which are tight at the moment, or at least the right one is, but the company says they stretch a little after a couple of days' wearing) and starting to break them in, I have emailed the company to ask "How am I supposed to tie this?" I'm guessing there's supposed to be a bow of some kind, but the details are not clear. If I don't have an answer to my email in a couple of days, I may experiment again.

The power conditioner (aka uninterruptible power supply), reasonably, requires a three-pronged outlet. This is an old building, so we needed a two- to three-prong adapter, which I didn't realize until after the power conditioner arrived. Last week, in the second store he tried, cattitude got two (2) such adapters. This afternoon, he tried to install it, only to find that the tab faces the wrong way. Both adapters in the package are the same shape. So, we need to shop again, for one that either faces the other way, or has a wire instead of a tab. (We will each be tucking one of the wrong-way ones in our daypacks, for comparison while shopping.)

I am a bit grumpy about this. If we hadn't had a really nice walk in the park, I would be really grumpy. As it is, I'm thinking in terms of melon or berries, tea, and maybe Scrabble. (Neither of these is an immediate problem: I do have shoes, and while I bought this hardware after the power glitched once, that's once in the year and a half I've had this computer).

ETA: I have now rubbed neatsfoot oil into the boots, with only a little difficulty with julian_tiger. (He sat and watched but basically behaved once I tucked the laces under my leg.) I washed the floor when I was done, because of course the oil soaked through a couple of layers of newspaper. More newspaper next time? I would guess that almost everyone who does this is doing it either outdoors or in a barn or mudroom, not a city apartment; whether I do the same when it's time to rub in mink oil for winter will depend on weather/how long I put this off. I used an old T-shirt for the purpose. Given that I will be needing to do this a couple of times a year, and Cattitude has a similar pair of boots on order, maybe I won't clean out the T-shirt drawer, or at most limit it to the tattered ones, not those I'm merely bored with.

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