Archive for September, 2009

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Vinyl Flashback

September 30th, 2009, posted in Mac Stuff, Technology

A number of years back I dug out all my old vinyl and with a ton of effort and time I managed to rip most of it into mp3 files on my PC. It involved rooting out our old turntable and connecting it in the living room, then running miles of RCA cable into the bedroom where the computer is located. I’d have to bolt back and forth to manage the start and stop and the software was always a struggle to manage. In a nutshell, it was a labour borne of the love of the music…but boy did it come with some major labour pains!

Then a couple of years ago I was at a friends surprise birthday party and we ended up in the basement poring over his old records… and reminiscing about all the great music from the 80′s. Most f what we listened to wasn’t exactly mainstream. Mostly club music. Made sense since that’s where we hung out. I had brought him a stack of CD’s filled with all the stuff I had collected, but he still had a treasure trove of music I hadn’t been able to dig up, mainly because most of what I was still hunting for was relatively obscure.

I also stumbled onto a nifty toy when we were in Las Vegas two years ago, a turntable with a built-in pre-amp that could be used via USB. So when we got back to Vancouver we went hunting. We didn’t have to go far though. While the one we saw in Vegas was strictly USB, we found one at Tom Lee Music (a block away from home) that had both USB and RCA output. SOLD!

6a0109d0676996000e011015e348d6860b-500piThe problem was that when I took the vinyl from him to record, I had all the time in the world on my hands…but then I acquired two big contracts and all my spare time vanished. So the records have been languishing in a cupboard for the past three years.

Well, I have some spare time again…and I’ve been thinking about those records again. So today I dragged out the turntable and hooked it up to the Mac for the first time. I opted to use the line in instead of the USB as a test and because I can control the input volume from the preference pane. Tickity-boo and I was in action. Using Audacity I was up and running in moments and I am halfway through recording the first album, Unexpected Lovers by Lime circa 1985. Roxio Toast also worked like a charm within about 30 seconds.

All this…on my MacBook no less.

Have I mentioned that I love Mac?

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I’m a Biker Chick Now!

September 29th, 2009, posted in Scooting

Or, a scooter chick anyway. Or at least I will be in a couple of days when they have done the upgrades to it.

But the bottom line is that I bought a scooter today. On the rainiest, wettest, coldest day in months. I didn’t test drive it, I didn’t really need to. And while I was shivering outside under an umbrella while it’s hailing and pounding rain at the same time…I didn’t really want to either.

77-sr50-full

But it’s cute, and sporty, and apparently very fast! It gets great reviews everywhere I researched. (check out the entry on Wikipedia) And they are taking off the speed limiting regulator on it for me too!

So here it is…my new “get-around-the-North-Shore-and-downtown-vehicle! An Aprilia SR50.

I had to make a decision on black (see previous post) or white, I opted for white since it’s more visible and North Americans aren’t particularly conscious of scooter drivers so visible is better. And I ordered it with a steel rack for the back to be able to attach a top-box for a bit of storage if I go shopping. But other than that, there’s my new toy!

Front and rear hydraulic disc brakes, electronic fuel injection, fluid cooled, single cylinder two-stroke gas powered engine, 13 inch tires, twin 35 watt halogen headlights, about 100 miles per gallon of fuel!

I’ve been getting over the top frustrated at Toyota and trying to put a proper deal together on a truck. And with the CRX becoming more and more dicey, well, if it goes down Kirk will need the 4runner and I’ll have lost my vehicle. At least with this little thing I will still have the freedom to get around…. unless it’s raining because I really hate being wet…. to think I used to be a synchronized swimmer!

A few links.

Aprilia

Associated Press review

Another review

And, yet another review

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Elgato’s Eye-TV and the Apple TV, makes the Mac my favourite PVR solution

September 29th, 2009, posted in Mac Stuff

Awhile back (Pre-Mac) we were in Future Shop and I saw someone buying something called “AirTunes” or something like that. Kirk sniffed at it and said wireless sound wasn’t any good.

Oh how times change.

Shortly after we bought the MacPro last year, Kirk delved into the Apple TV and started to change his mind a bit.

On the PC I used to use an ATI All-in-Wonder card that had a built in TV tuner. It was supposed to work as a PVR, but it never really worked all that well. It missed shows, crapped out…basically acted like most things do on a PC…frustratingly inconsistently.

So when I got the MacPro I was looking for something to replace it, and did I ever find the ultimate solution. It takes three things.

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Car Buying: Know When to Walk Away

September 29th, 2009, posted in That's Life

I think my friendly local Toyota salesman and I were trying to wait each other out. He sent me an email on Friday that said he had someone else interested in the truck and I should come down and see him.

I suppose that was designed to kick start me and make me pony up an extra $1100 for the “spare tires” that he lied to me about. The ones he said “No problem, we can swap the tires out for a small upgrade” and then proceeded to quote me full retail price and suggested that the other tires I specifically ordered the vehicle without, should be considered an “extra set”.

So we went down and after he realized I wasn’t caving he got incredibly whiny. He then made a bit of a mistake and said they only build the Access Cab Off Road Package with another brand of tires….. which says (obviously) that it’s NOT impossible to build me a Tacoma from the factory without Dunlop tires. It’s not swapping out parts, it’s putting a different set of tires on it before shipping.

When I said that he could let this truck go to his other buyers and I would wait for the one I ordered and is due in November, his shoulders visibly sagged. I’m no lie detector, but that body language told me that either “he” doesn’t actually have another buyer… or that one of his colleagues does. Either way, it read that he had lost a relatively easy and immediate sale. It also meant he would have to do some further work to make the sale with us. I did leave the deposit in place to make sure he does know that I am serious about buying one, but only if it meets the tire issue. We also let him know in no uncertain terms that I was in no way desperate to have a vehicle this instant and that there “are” other dealerships in Vancouver.

That was Saturday. I imagine we will hear from him in the next day or two.

In the meantime… I am going to (possibly) test drive, and who knows…maybe even buy, a different vehicle today. One that I probably won’t get a ton of use out of between now and Spring, but I don’t care…I like it and it’s a sensible little thing for getting around the North Shore and downtown without using too much fuel and creating a lot of emissions. I’m going to look at a scooter!

I’ve been toying with the idea since about 2000 when we rented them in Hawaii and I discovered that I actually found them incredibly fun. Both trips to Greece involved scooter rentals and they are simply a wonderful way to get around in the city. Yes, the rains have arrived, and yes, I am a fair weather scooter-er… so if I do get one it will likely be a bit lonely for a few months. But there are nice sunny dry fall days that it would see the light.

I have always thought Vespas were cute, and then I discovered that Peugeot has brought their scooters to Canada, and then when I was poking around online at two local dealerships I found one that had a higher speed rating (it’s all about power!) and forwarded it to Kirk. He said he was giggling all day because apparently I have, in my complete ignorance of motorcycle manufacturers) chosen the Ferrari of scooters. Apparently, Aprilia (which I can never quite manage to remember because it sounds too much like Aspergillus plus sasparilla …. yes, if I get this scooter I will be thinking of it as a root beer flavoured bread mould) is a famous brand for racing bikes.

And it’s red, therefore it’s faster!

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Community Living

September 28th, 2009, posted in Random Musings, That's Life

I believe it was Jack Nicholson in one of the Batman movies who said “Why can’t we all just get along?”

Because we just can’t. Why? Because we come from different backgrounds, we have different languages, we have different expectations. And we don’t have each other’s playbooks.

Living in a Strata complex is interesting, and it is a constant minefield of potential storms. There are the “Four P’s” that always cause issues Those are people, pets, parties and parking.

People: Different cultures, different personalities, different wants and needs, different tolerance levels for different things. Out of 14 units we have two definite closet racists who also love to meddle in everything and complain about anything.

Pets: Some people love ‘em and want ‘em. Some people hate ‘em and don’t want ‘em. Always good for an annual clash. Cats are allowed, dogs are not. But we have a dog in the building that we agreed to allow. Our bylaw is no pets of any kind in the building without prior written approval from the Strata. It gives pretty good control. But having a dog makes it a bitter pill for others who want dogs.

Parties: There is always someone close by who doesn’t appreciate other people’s noise and have a lower than average tolerance for it. Luckily we don’t really have a major party building. For the most part the age bracket is over 40 (one unit is an exception) and that makes for a relatively peaceful place.

Parking: Everyone usually has their own designated spot, but use the wrong one, or muddy up yours with “stuff” and someone will be sure to grumble.

When Kirk and I looked for a place to buy years ago, we thought living in a small complex would be preferable to the large apartment blocks we had lived in downtown. Well, yes and no. In those large places you had the opportunity to be anonymous if you wanted. In a small complex, you better be ready to be a part of a community. I’m relatively private and I try to stay out of the Strata when and where I can, but sometimes you don’t have a choice but to be drawn into things.

Last week I was happy in my solitude when there was a knock on the door followed by the handle jiggling. That would probably alarm most people (someone trying to get in!), but I knew it was probably just our Strata President from upstairs, he does that…knocks and then opens the door and calls in. Freaked me out the first time, but then, I don’t usually lock the door when I am home and he’s an open door kinda person. I usually just get alarmed because I think the cats are going to shoot out.

Anyway, he wanted a bit of backup approval to get the windows cleaned that day. Sounds fine. A bit later the phone rang and I recognized his cell number. When I answered all I could hear were raised voices and he didn’t respond to my “Hello?” So I hung up. He called back a moment later and asked me to come upstairs to one of the suites where a contractor was repairing the deck. I walked into a war zone. The contractor and the owner’s wife were yelling at each other and our Strata president was desperately trying to get a word in edgewise. It took about 30 minutes of telling each one to stop talking over the other and my trying to figure out what was going on. Turned out that there was a whole lot of miscommunication going on and in the end things were sorted out and everyone calmed down. The deck was repaired, the woman finally ended up (more or less) contented and life went on.

Living in a Community can be trying, but at the same time, i suppose it is no different from any suburban neighbourhood. We just live in closer proximity, but the same principles apply.

Love thy neighbour?

Not always. But tolerance makes life easier.

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