2 Months
The time to get money back from the government.

Yeah.. That was it. Please excuse my brevity. WordPress Mobile

Living Room

What I have…

• AV Receiver
• DVD Recorder / Digital Tuner
• Blu-Ray Player
• HD DVD Player :( (I was an early adopter)
• Apple TV
• Projector
• Projection Screen

I had learned about home automation control options with the Harmony and though perhaps I could control my projection screen too.  Who would not like to press one button and have the lights dim, screen lower, pop corn machine start and movie play right? LOL.  I am exaggerating a bit of course.  You need to watch the popcorn, but a auto grinding coffee maker…..hmm.

Software

There were many “advanced features” I wanted and was able to read about in online discussions.  After talking with level 2 support, they were not able to assist me.  I did however find a link to an old version which I installed.  Sadly, it did not work with the web site it was supposed to enable, but I was able to just open up the application file on my Mac and was ready to go.  It scared me a bit because it insisted on updating itself before it allowed me to use it.  If I did not allow the update, it would just close.  I was concerned because the version I was using seemed like just a few minor revisions away so it would likely be updated.  For example I installed 7.1.3 based on what I saw online to get the functions I needed and when it was done updating I was at the current version 7.1.6.  It was not like I installed 6.0.1 and upgraded to the latest 6.1.2 in which case I would not have been worried.

To my happy surprise the application opened and viola!  I had access to so many more advanced features.  Granted the software is not nearly as intuitive as the new online version, but for the advanced features, is quite necessary.  Your average user would do well with the simplified and very quick to setup version.

End Result

So I needed to choose the devices that I controlled with the remote and came up with the following.

A nice thing about the remote as there is an “All Off” which turns all devices off and puts up the projection screen.

If you switch an activity the appropriate devices are turned on (if not already) and any that are not used are turned off.

• TV Activity
  • Screen
  • Projector and Select Input
  • DVD Recorder
  • AV Receiver and Input
• DVD Activity
  • Screen
  • Projector and Select Input
  • Blu-Ray DVD
  • AV Receiver and Input

• Music Activity (Apple TV – Manually Control)
  • Screen
  • Projector and Select Input
  • AV Receiver and Input

• Custom Activity (HD DVD – Manually Control)
  • Screen
  • Projector and Select Input
  • AV Receiver and Input

As you can see I was limited on the 5 devices I chose to use, but have the other settings automated on the HD DVD and Apple TV.

GRRRREAT Product Logitech!

So I would highly recommend these remotes to those with lots of devices that need to be used for multimedia systems, but not for the user with TV speakers.  HDMI control of the TV input by new HDMI devices would make that input switching on your TV automatic and not really worth the money :)

Swiss Army Branded Backpacks only have a 1 year warranty.

Does any one have a suggestion for a good backpack?  Something relatively light and frameless that has a large capacity and a real lifetime warranty that covers wear and tear?  Otherwise I may head to Wal-mart and get the cheapest one I can find expecting it to last only 9 months.

Read the entire lease in the presence of the leasing agent.

While I don’t usually read the entire lease, I will from this point on.  I will also do it while the leasing agent is waiting for me to sign the lease.  Who knows what kind of goodies there are in there.  I know that they have the right to terminate your lease at any time with no reason, but you cannot end your lease early without being penalized.

We will sue you if you are late with rent for a month.

This is the kicker I found out the other day.  With the terrible snow storm, and my online bill payment originating from Pennsylvania, it is no surprise that my payment for rent did not arrive on time.  It was sent on Feb 2, for payment on Feb 5, but as of this date, has not arrived yet.  We received a note under the door on February 13 that said “we have not received your rent payment and we will take you to court for none payment.”  Looking beyond the grammatical error, I was quite surprised the payment had not made it yet.  I am convinced it is sitting in a snow covered postal service truck and will eventually make it to the management company someday. 

What really urks me is that the leasing office of my building operates separate from the management company.  The management company apparently filed a court case for non-payment on Feb 11.  This is one day after the final due date for rent each month.  Now this is the first time I have ever been late for rent and have been living at this address for close to 15 months now.  One would think that perhaps someone should contact me and see if everyting was okay since it was my first time?  Apparently not.  The leasing office is responsible for notifying.  They put a note under my door 2 days after the lawsuit was filed!!!!!  Now isn’t that helpful?!

Late for rent one month when ontime for 14 others. 

I was able to get my bank to waive the cashiers check fee for payment and the management company is going to waive the late fees since it was scheduled on time and no fault of mine for the lateness.  This is good, but very frustrating that the management just sends every reputable renter to court.  This seems much like what the credit card companies are doing…. “Thank you for being a loyal customer for 15 years.  We are sorry, but during economic hardship, we need to double your interest rate.  Thank you again for being a loyal customer.”

Time to buy a house again.

I have learned my lesson.  Be your own rental agent!!!!  I will be looking for a new apartment soon and better yet a house again where I don’t need to deal with late rent payments :)

I like how Microsoft tells you that “the following information may help you resolve the error.”  I was expecting a “disk full” error or something.

The error message….”Catastrophic Failure” seems quite terminal and would certainly scare me if I relied on the backup.

]]> http://blog.jasonclock.com/blog/2009/12/11/windows-vista-helpful-error-message-of-the-day/feed/ 0 http://blog.jasonclock.com/blog/2009/04/02/pasta-miaperhaps-another-day/ http://blog.jasonclock.com/blog/2009/04/02/pasta-miaperhaps-another-day/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:25:21 +0000 Jason http://blog.jasonclock.com/blog/?p=200 After hearing so much about Pasta Mia, I took my partner out to celebrate his new job.  Forgetting that the restaurant in the Adams Morgan section of DC opens at 6:30, we waiting in line about 30 minutes early.  We were not the first in line!

After proving to not be “Smarter than a fifth grader,” we were seated and glanced at the menu.  A few things stuck out…

1. Cash only (Quite a problem for me with no local bank ATM near by.)
2. No Substitutions (Perhaps this was to be authentic, but seriously?)
3. $14 minimum per person (Hmm….this was not a no cover bar.)
4. No Chicken Parm? (This really was a pasta only establishment.)

So….after not seeing anything that really struck us as a must have, we left and celebrated at the “Duplex” diner at 18th and U street.

Having owned our own restaurant…..and not requiring a minimum charge amount or a minimum per person food cost, we were a bit discouraged.  Seriously…Mc Donald’s and Subway accept charge cards!  Based on the prices, I don’t think it would break the business if they were to accept the service fees associated with charge cards.

I do think that I will try Pasta Mia someday since so many talk about it, but will certainly have to be in a 100% pasta mood and have hit the ATM :)

While I will likely take the day off from work being a Friday and all, and I have never gotton into the habit of making that day each year a “Holiday.”  This year would be perfect.

A little history about my biking….as a child….LOL…Yeah, I had a Thundercats big wheel plastic trike, and the little red 3 wheel bike and finally a bike with training wheels which eventually became a 2 wheel bike once I learned to balance.  I do remember those days..not too long ago.  Oh, perhaps I should not admit it took me a very long time to learn to ride a bike.  :)

Now in the 2 wheel world….I had a mountain bike for most of my life…as I got into high school and college, I tended not to spend much if any time biking, I did not even have a bike when I was at college.  The last bike my parents bought me was a Yellow Huffy.  I wish I could remember the model, but I cannot even locate it online.  It was in good shape, I even took it on a road bike trip with Camp Casowasco from the camp location on Owasco Lake to the Adirondack’s location in upstate New York.  That trip was thankfully shortly after my trip with the Boy Scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimaron, New Mexico because my parents had filled by bike tubes with a green glop, the kind that prevents flat tires by automatically sealing them, and I had to pedal even when going DOWN a hill!  LOL.  If I could go back in time and have a road bike with a few spare tubes instead :)

Skipping very far forward….about 14 years….April 2008.  I happily took public transportation from Dupont Circle to Georgetown University using the GUTS Bus.  It was just a short walk from my apartment to the bus and a crowded, but quick ride to the campus.  Apparently there was a meeting and it was decided by the yuppies and other non-working retired folk with 3 housekeepers, a butler, and likely a gardener, that only public transportation, that was truly usable by all was to travel through Georgetown between 20th and 37th streets NW.  Since the GUTS bus was only usable by those employed by the University and the Hospital, it was to be routed up Mass Ave until it hit Wisconsin Ave and then come back down on Wisconsin to Reservoir and into campus.  WOW.   Last time I checked, one side of a triangle is always less than the other 2 combined which is basically when we were asked to do.  So…this means more gas, longer ride to work, longer time between the busses, and frustrated riders.  After one day on that new route…I had had it!  Apparently this route is the non-rush hour route…but when you are needing to get to work….we want the shortest trip available.

I walked to work the following day…and checked out bikes that night.

I never rode the GUTS bus again.  I had ridden it for close to 2 years every day and stopped cold turkey.  No, I did not have any kind of withdrawl, though some days I did take the city bus which was allowed to travel down Q st.

After trying out a few bikes I settled on a Giant TCR C2.  It is an all carbon frame, fork, and seat post with mostly Shimano Ultegra components and a few 105 and Race Face parts too.  Weighing in at just 17 pounds, I probably would not have been at the end of the bike camp trip!  Last year, on May 14, my coworkers birthday, was my first Bike to Work day.  At that time I had only been riding to work for about 3 weeks so I have many more stories to tell this year..including the incident with ice, and my bell replacement air horn!  Just for fun I think I will need to give a toot when I am in Freedom Plaza Bike Day this year.  I can use the excuse that it is my birthday :)

Dust of your bike and join me!

Not only does biking to taking public transportation benefit the environment, it also has a physical benefit too!  So leave the car parked at home, pump up your tires, and hit the road, yes you should not be on the sidewalk….  As a famous comedian put it…”We park on a driveway and drive on a parkway.”  In this case….walking should be done on a sidewalk :)

The following image was taken from an email sent by waba.org.  It was so nice and of course has by birthday on it.

Today’s Safety Tip…..

Bikes obey the same laws as motor vehicles

While not needing a drivers license, cyclists are to ride on the road or bike paths where available.  This is really for your safety.  Of course on highways, I think there are signs prohibiting horses, bikes, and pedestrians.

I won’t get into the issues here..but let’s just say, I have been disrespected by cars enough times that I ran out and ordered an Air Zoud air horn!  All it takes are a few pumps from your bike pump and the light bottle of air is ready to give you 115Db of Soccer Mom attention!

Wow..excellent show!  We had 3rd row center seats.  Was so cool!  After watching the movie many times, it was hard to not sign along.  The songs were great and the acting excellent.  While the movie was good, I was almost in the action!

Movie vs Broadway

A few differences I noticed

1. Bill Anderson in Movie and Bill Ausin in the show.
2. 3 additional songs in the Musical.

1. Lights go out.
2. The store is pitch black, there are no emergency lights and no generator.
3. After realizing emergency lights are not coming on, you work your way to the front where you hear an employee ask for you to leave your cart and exit the store.