The air is alive with the wireless network

When wireless works I love it. When it doesn't it introduces a whole new layer of inscrutable mystery to minor computer problems. My computer thinks the printer is offline. D's computer thinks it is fine. So I'll just use skype to send him the link...

A life of sacrifice is the pinnacle of art

I got an email my cousin (who is directing a feature film) saying:

Dear folk,
As you are no doubt aware we're trying to finish the film and it is getting down to the wire.

The people in fx have just told us that their lives would be considerably easier - ie they might get the fx finished - if they had 6 more computers with a minimum of 1 gig of ram.

They would want to borrow these for the next four days...

Anyone got a (some?) lendable computers with 1 gig of ram they can lend us.

ed

So my wee laptop (which is like this) is off to help.

Gandhi said "A life of sacrifice is the pinnacle of art, and is full of true joy." So having sacrificed blogging over the weekend for art I am waiting for the joy.

In which Sony are given brickbats and bouquets

Until last week I had a wee computer that I was very fond of. It was little, fast, wireless and copper.

It had a problem though. It was very picky about DVDs, particularly burnt DVDs from friends, particularly burnt DVDs from friends with TV shows that I am very keen to watch (Regenesis and Heroes to be precise).

So I took it into Sony on 2 March. I told them about its problem and they told me that it was the disks. So I took it into Sony on 5 March with two disks of different makes that both had the problem and showed them that they were OK on other computers but not mine and they told me to come back with the recovery disks. So I took it into Sony on 6 March with the recovery disks and they sent it up to Auckland.

I told Sony it must be back by 14 March for i to take away with her. They said OK.

I rang Sony in Auckland on 12 March and they hadn't even looked at it yet. Sony in Auckland rang me later that day and told me that it was a codec problem and I explained to them that the files can't copy (which it said on the job description). Sony in Auckland rang me on 13 March and told me it was the disks so I explained to them slowly in words of one syllable that the disks work elsewhere and that it is disks of different makes burnt by different people. Sony in Auckland rang me on 14 March and told me they would replace the DVD drive but they didn't promise that would fix the problem and they'd courier it back to Wellington to arrive on the 15th.

Note: 15 ≠ 14.

I talked to Sony in Auckland on 15 March and they told me there appeared to be a problem with the motherboard as well so they'd replace that and courier it down to me to arrive on the 16th. Then they rang me and told me that there appeared to be a problem with the hard disk drive and was it OK if I lost all my data? Go ahead I said. Just get it back, fixed, by the 16th.

Note: 16 ≠ 14 but I had some contingency built in to my original estimate.

Then they rang me to say that they were no longer sure what was wrong with it and they weren't sure when it would be fixed by. So I asked them to provide a replacement, either for i's trip or permanently and they said "I'm sorry but we can't do that".

So I went into Sony in Wellington full of the righteousness of the just and Sony in Wellington were lovely, understanding, calm and kind.

Until last week I had a wee computer that I was very fond of. It was little, fast, wireless and copper.

Now I have a new computer that I am very fond of it is little, wireless and copper. On the outside it looks just like my old computer but the windows have a new vista. The vista looks sexy and so far all the things I've tried on it work. I haven't had enough time with it to know how fast it is but i told me my computer "is being VERY good and super convenient!"

There is more to the saga of why I haven't been posting so much. The second part involves other computers which I am not fond enough of to tell you about and will now blow a raspberry at:

*pbthpbhprtbp*

[I still haven't worked out how to do angle brackets without blogger eating them.]
[This post seems to have mysteriously unpublished itself sometime.]

Ordinary person, extraordinary powers

Normally I am one of those super efficient people who mere mortals either avoid or are organised by. Currently the combined forces of the alignment of the planets, a scientific experiment gone wrong, radioactivity from my glow in the dark alarm clock, D being away for two weeks, not having a permanent nanny, H, K and my temporary nanny having colds, and being overloaded at work have turned me into Flakey Woman.

Flakey Woman has special powers. These include:

• causing technology to malfunction (my cellphone, laptop and blogger)
• losing small important things (my watch and driver's license)
• forgetting appointments (one yesterday and one today)
• driving slowly and gently into another car
• forgetting to call people back.

Unfortunately I don't have glasses so I can't nonchalantly put them back on.

Why can't IT be easy?

I was going to post something about how on earth are normal people supposed to use modern technology if I, with a computer science degree and 14 years experience working in Information Technology, find it takes over 3 hours to get my new wireless router set up (and I'm still not happy with the security).

Then I spent over half an hour trying to get any one of three identical nightlights working with either one of two brand new bulbs and I thought maybe I'll just post on the orneriness of technology.

Then I chased the neighbours cat outside and locked myself out.

Do doors count as technology?

The allure of the new

Yesterday when I got home H & K told me very excitedly that there was a parcel. I opened it and it had their new pyjamas inside. They were in them in two seconds flat.

Maybe we should get new pyjamas delivered more often :-)

I don't have new pyjamas but I do have a new computer. I'm not so bouncy with enthusiasm but I have shown it off to everyone in range. I'm going home to play with it soon and I expect I'll post more about it later (and show you too).