diary16

PAGE SIXTEEN OF MY DIARY

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Saturday, 11 January 2003. At last, those b*****ds at Mesh have refunded my money! Seeing that the computer was due for delivery on 20th November - what do you think? I can now get my 42" back projection TV. It will cost about £1,500 - but I can afford it. "Loads 'a' money!"
Had a hit from Zimbabwe - interesting!
The power unit fan has been making a noise again, so I have ordered one from Maplin - expensive - £4.59 - hope it goes in OK.
I sometimes wander around my site, and I am amazed at how it has grown. Browsing through Chloe's 'special' section, after doing my marathon answer to her letter, I read this again. Ah, she loves me! Or, she said she did, a few months after I had attempted to murder her, after her 23 years of bullying me. You must agree, I could not have been a bad husband. If I had, she would have been pleased to be rid of me. After all, I was giving her the same money when I left her, as when I was there! She must have missed her punch bag! You will notice that she confirms that Lesley has abandoned her. You must wonder why! Other loving letters are here
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Sunday, 12 January 2003. That's me ordered my 41" projection TV from Comet. It has an integral digital tuner, Nicam stereo, and is complete with stand and free delivery. (Wednesday afternoon) All for the attractive cost of £1394.79. (All paid for out of my £98/week - after rent & CT -with some left in the bank!) Well, if you've got it, why not flaunt it! Picture of it here. My tapes of all the old B&W classics should look good on it. I can play DVDs on it via the computer. I'm hoping that I don't have the same trouble that I had with Mesh Computers!
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Monday, 13 January 2003. Life is strange - especially mine! Two things.
First. Last night, I was sitting relaxing, with the cat on my lap, listening to 'Stewpot' on the radio. He was giving out dedications for the listeners, and one was for an estranged brother. Dolly, my sister, and I have not had contact for over three years. Lesley, my daughter, seemed close. I have had the thought of writing to Dolly, many times in those years, but have placed them aside. This time I had a very strong urge to write to her. So, I have written, and I hope that it leads to a pleasant reunion.
Second. I could not get off to sleep last night. I had had a 'funny' day. Did a good clean and polish, and other bits and pieces. (I never clean on Sundays!) Just could not settle. Even went for a chat with a couple of my neighbours. The 'flywheel' of my mind would not stop. All manner of things went though my mind. My sister and other family members - the past - the future - could not sleep. Somehow, my thoughts wandered to my ideas of free will. I have dealt with these before, and have set out my ideas in my 'Ramblings' pages. The theme is continued here.
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Wednesday, 15 January 2003. I can now tell the truth .

That's me got my 42" projection TV. Set it up and all seems OK. Got to work out how to record digi TV. Don't know how ordinary people work it all out! Description of my £1394.79 Projection TV

I use Visual Route to trace the location of my visitors. Here is an screen shot of an example of a trace to India. Notice how it is routed via USA!
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Thursday, 16 January 2003. Well, I have hit a snag with my projection TV. You can only record the program that you are watching! So, I have had to use the Pace digibox that I was using with the other TV. Problem is, that I had half promised it to Margaret, as she is having my old TV for £70. The digibox was going to be a present! Never mind! Because of the value of the TV, I have had to increase my insurance cover by £0.20/week!
I spent a pleasant night viewing 'A Matter of Life & Death' and 'The Red Beret'. That's the film I was in, with Alan Ladd, while in the RAF. But, They cut out that scene for the TV version! Videos recorded at double play do not play too well. At single play they are OK. I also played the camcorder recording of our Jubilee Party. It played very well. The TV is a 'Smart' TV in that it fits the format to the picture. Gave a good wide screen version of the 'Jubilee Party'.
Other that the record problem, it is a great TV. Carol Vorderman's bum is four times as big!
DVDs played via the computer are quite good.
Maplin have let me down in the delivery of the computer fan - et. al. It made a bit of a noise at start up just now. Hope it is OK until I fix it.
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17 January 2003. Well, I've done it now! Spent more money on a computer. Saw this bargain - Novatech - never to be missed. But as they say, "If it's too good to be true - it most likely isn't!!??" Anyway, spent £431. Here is the spec. Should be delivered next week. Unless Amrtak are doing it!
Now using the new TV as an amplifier. Putting my HiFi and music keyboard through it. The TV has a lot of bits and pieces for me to play with! It even takes a computer card for d/lg info. The DVD audio link, at the moment is mono, will have to modify the connection sometime. Maplin still not answered my emails - poor show!
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Monday, 20 January 2003. (Just to annoy a certain person!) I again tell the truth .
Phoned Maplin on Saturday. They said probs with emails. Should get the fan tomorrow, rest of goods after. (Thing is, the fan is not making a noise now!)
Ordered a shelf and brackets from B&Q, for above the projection TV. Get it tomorrow. I'm no good at DIY - see how it goes.
Thought you might like to see a pic of my projection TV. - a bit on the skew - must have been drunk!
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Wednesday, 22 January 2003. Put up my shelf - See here.
Got the brochure from the "Alandale Holiday Estate", Kessingland Beach, Lowestoft. Seems very attractive. Better than a holiday camp. Works out a bit expensive for single occupant, but I can afford it. Be nice for my 70th birthday.
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Saturday, 25 January 2003. Got my computer from Novatech yesterday. Wonders will never cease - Amtrak delivered the day after collection! It's not too bad - monitor not too posh tho' - will be OK as a back up.
Putting all the files from the old one to the new one. Going better than I thought it would, but it is tedious. Most likely will take a week to complete. I have had to do a bit of fiddling to get those progs over that have a 'key'. Don't think that I should buy them again, when I am just using another computer.
I will put a bit of detail about the swapping on my technical section, in case it comes handy for visitors. I will be transferring the CD-WR and DVD player to the new one. At the end I hope to have an updated computer plus a back up.
Also got the power unit fan from Maplin - it seems OK now though - I won't change it unless I have to, or when I have done the changeover.
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Tuesday, 28 January 2003. Sorting out the new computer. See my log here.
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Thursday, 30 January 2003. New computer saga continues - here -.
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Sunday, 02 February 2003. What a busy bee I've been! See here for the computer story,
Another anniversary tomorrow. That's 12 years since my heart attack. And see here, if you haven't before, for a quiet smile!
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Thursday, 06 February 2003. Phew! What a time it has been. Main prob is the Matrox Graphics card - Dual head. Can't get the 'clone' head to run the TV - therefore no DVD. See here for the message board.
The next prob is the HP Photosmart Camera - can't d/l the images. May finish up getting a Compact Flash card reader £25.
Just installed the extra 256meg Ram that makes 384meg.
Also made a rough and ready noise suppresser for the computer, with a towel and some cardboard! Makes a lot of difference, may improve it by using felt. The high frequencies were 'doing my head in' - very fatiguing.
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Saturday, 08 February 2003. Given up on the DVD/TV facility. May spend £112.55 to restore it. Though may go all the way and get a Radion graphics card with composite video on/out. Given up on the HP camera s/w and ordered the Compact Flash card reader. Hope that sorts it out!
All in all it's been a trying two weeks. But, I may have had similar probs if I had got the £1400 computer.
Looking at the Windows recovery disc, I saw that there is a prog on it to transfer files between computers. Just get a suitable cable. Should have seen it first! Never mind all done now.
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Friday, 14 February 2003. Been very busy and am very tired. I don't have the 'horse power' now. My latest on setting up the 'new' computer is here. It has cost under £500. I have also done a comparison of my new set up with the old set up. See here.
Something wrong with the cat. She is limping on her front right paw. It seems to be hanging loose. Eileen, our warden, is sorting out how to get her to the vet tomorrow.
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Saturday, 22 February 2003. Took the cat to the vet last Saturday, and she was given an injection of cortisone. Today, the cat had to be put to sleep. She lost the use of her back legs. Seems she must have had a stroke. She was with me for only four months, but we were very close. I did not realise how much, until we were in the vet's. I broke down. Last night I had a little cry, and thought then that I had come to terms with losing her. Even now I miss her. Eileen, our warden, and her husband, Trevor, have both been a tower of strength, and help. With few family, and friends, these times are hard. But, 'life goes on'.
Not been feeling much like doing anything on the computer. I have got the mic pre-amp, and it seems to work. Also I have the Pinnacle TV card for the computer. I'll put it in and see how it performs.
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Wednesday, 26 February 2003. Won't need the mic pre-amp to do my video clips now, as I can use my camcorder, not the Kodak web cam!
Also got the DVD s/w decoder from thePCman, and it works. I thought that they had forgotten me. I also ordered a DVD player from Comet for £116! Never mind, "Easy come, easy go." Plenty more from where that came from!
Have a look at this test that I did with my new video set-up --- looks good.
I can now record from my digital TV tuner, into the PCTV computer software and make DVDs. (Super Video CDs). You get half an hour of Super Video CD onto a standard CD. (An hour at standard Video CD) These can be played on a standard DVD player. Quite a novelty!
You may need to d/l the latest RealPlayer Get it here
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Friday, 28 February 2003. Bad news about the DVD player, it is very restrictive about the MP3 files it plays. Won't play the V-CDs I make that play on my neighbour's player, and that only cost £99 including 10 DVDs! Comet have agreed to take it back. I want a player, so when I get the refund, I'll talk to the sales people and get technical advice on one that does all V-CDs.
Contacted Novatech about putting a faster CPU into the computer. Seems that I'll have to change the power supply to do it. If I can spare the cash, I'll do it out of interest. It's been a bit of fun buggering about with the 'new' computer. (Though sometimes frustrating!)
I have had very bad lower back pain for about three weeks. Nothing shifts it. Used co-codamol and Brufen, but no good. If it persists, I'll see what the doc says.
The cat is a bigger nuisance dead than alive. I 'saw' her come into the bedroom and try to get up on the bed!
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Saturday, 01 March 2003. Here are the stats for my site for the 12 months to March 1^st 2003.
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Sunday, 02 March 2003. Getting the hang of this Pinnacle h/w and s/w. Now found that the settings to record V-CDs gives an hour playing time - not bad - and reasonable quality.
Also 'grabbed' some photos from the Queen's Jubilee Party video that I did, (See here)
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Monday, 03 March 2003. I continue to learn how to use the Pinnacle PCTV with a 'grab' from a VCR. (See here)
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Tuesday, 04 March 2003. …. And frames grabbed from the TV …. See here.
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PAGE SIXTEEN OF MY DIARY