Tag: iPod

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List #2 – The Bucket List for Travel

whale watch sign
Whale Watch
  1. Cross North America by train.
  2. Circumnavigate the globe
  3. Visit the Maldives (before they sink)
  4. Go to the Seychelles islands while I know the ambassador
  5. See the “May Day” parade in Moscow
  6. Take the train across Australia
  7. Check out Dubai or Qatar
  8. Motor around the  Marquesas Islands on the Aranui
  9. etc

It was chilly here today – so we had chili with rice underneath and avocado, sour cream and salsa on top.

iPod note to self: The first time you fire up Music after  you copy new tunes from the computer – the iPod wants to “organize” the library or some such thing. LET IT FINISH. If you don’t let it finish – it iPod will insist that it has no tunes to play. The only thing to do seems to be to reconnect the Pod to the computer and make some change to the iPod’s library – it is still there on the iPod. Disconnect the iPod, fire up Music again and this time LET IT FINISH organizing.

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Fall Watch…

fall - oct 10 - old fx01
fall - oct 10 - from the balcony - old fx01

Four weeks from now – we will be on our way to Kona. But, until then… Let us enjoy fall in the mid Atlantic.

Adventures in technology-land. For years I have used the very simple, very cheap “TaxAct” software. It doesn’t hold your hand. It doesn’t offer advice, hints or tips. It sort of assumes that you know WTF you are doing. It only works on PC’s. Last year’s version ran OK with WINE. I was hoping it would again this year. But, no luck. Not with Linux WINE, not with Apple WINE. So, I’ll just use XP on the big dell box for taxes in the spring of 2010.

I know, I know, I am supposed to be this fan of cloud computing. BUT, I’d rather not have my taxes in the clouds. And, I REALLY don’t want to have Carlton’s taxes in a cloud. Imagine trying to explain to Mr C how “the cloud ate your tax return”. If my computer catches on fire or if it gets stolen – that he could understand. He wouldn’t like it. But, he would understand it. A problem with “the tax cloud” – well – that would be ugly.

Upgraded the iPod Touch s/w from 2pointwhatever to 3.1.2. But, I did decide to leave well enough along and keep it attached only to the PC version of iTunes. The old iPod – it can be the switch hitter. But, like all of my technology decisions – this one is subject to change.

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Now, this is disconcerting…

“Everyone”, even the Apple Genies say that if you connect a Windows formatted iPod to a Mac – it will be reformatted and you will lose everything on the iPod. Well, I decided that I was going to connect my old iPod to the Air and reformat, reload, etc… Well, I connected. And nothing happened. iTunes said if was Windows formatted. But, that was all. Everything else worked. It charged. I removed files. I added files. I copied playlists. It might as well have been connected to a Windows machine.

When something works that isn’t supposed to work … it is almost a disconcerting as having something not work that should work. I haven’t tried connecting the Touch. It has lots of data stored on it. I’d hate to lose all stats etc etc.

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flu shot madness

Our little staff in employee health gave over 800 flu shots today. Of course I didn’t shoot anyone. Just fetched supplies. Tomorrow – I’ll warm up my fingers for a “little” data entry. Then we do it all over again on Wednesday. At this rate we’ll be out of vaccine by Friday. Which will not cause me any problem – but it might upset folk who missed out. That is why a work for free. Not my problem.

Been thinking about my iPods. Yes, I have two – and still use both. An old “classic” and a “touch”. I could and might sync my “classic” with the Mac. But, the touch is a different story. It has lots of data in it that are tied to the apps. And I am as yet unsure if the data can be safely migrated to the Mac.

For dinner – after a long day of volunteering – we are having butternut squash with chicken sausages.

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division of labor?

Ok, we have the $199 pickup truck Dell computer which dual boots Ubuntu and XP.  It has 500gig disk drive. Is slow as can be. Has no bluetooth or wireless.  As of now the work is divided up as follows:

  • Online stuff – Ubuntu (except for iTunes)
  • Personal record keeping and finance – Ubuntu (except for taxes)
  • The Paperless Project – Ubuntu
  • Photo catalog – XP
  • iTunes – XP
  • DVD collection and copies – XP
  • Taxact software – XP – but last year’s version did run fine under WINE. But, the fonts were funky – so, I copied it over to the XP side for the final tweaks and printing.
  • Downloadable audio books from the library – XP.
  • Travel – the little Fujitsu U810 with Ubuntu. This boy will be retired to the closet shelf.

At this instant the new $$$ MacBook Air’s only function is “Travel”.It has a 128gig solid state disk.

Still basking in the glow of my new computer – I think I would like to move the personal record keeping and finance over to the MacBook Air. Not a problem – Open Office is running fine on the MBA. And my records don’t take up much space. The MBA isn’t connected to the printer and my old printer doesn’t network very well. But, I can print to PDF’s and use the Dell to any actual printing.

I would like, I think to move iTunes to the MBA. Which would require converting my iPod touch at least to a Mac iPod. That is a little spooky. Also, my tunes library is lavish. 35gig – takes up a lot of disk space. But, if I don’t do the conversion – well then my Touch can not be tweaked when I am traveling. I can still download apps and single songs – but no books or movies. I can live with this.

The photo catalog is just too big for the MBA. Some day I absolutely must finish the never ending photo organizing project. At this instant I have done 2000, 2001, 2005, and 2007.

If the MBA were connected to the scanner it would do a good job handling the Paperless Project – but we have the space problem.

The DVD business involves some highly suspect Windows software. It might run under Bootcamp. I might should spring for a  copy of XP.

So, this is how I see things evolving… For now the MBA will be the Travel Toy and maybe the personal finance computer. Long range, I see replacing the Dell pickup truck with a Mac mini or iMac with lots of disk space. And run Bootcamp for the DVD’s and library audiobooks and using some flavor of Windows.  This is sort of like the old Soviet Five Year Plans.

Also need to look into some sort of external drive action for the MBA.

Sometimes it is good to have girl plumbing
Sometimes it is good to have girl plumbing

CYSTOSCOPY tomorrow.

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iPods

The good news from Apple is that I do not have to have a new iPod. The new Touch isn’t all that much better than the one I got last fall.

Clipboard01A happy mistake? I snagged 35 hours of Anna Karenina for 95 cents. We’ll see if Apple comes looking for more money. Or if they try to ZAP my book like Amazon did to some Kindles.

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Saturday

old utility pole

Found some more pictures to sort. No surprise there. I am no where near finished. 2005, 2006 are all done and 2001 is almost done. 2001 is all cataloged. But, some additional deleting is required.

Been thinking entirely too much about getting a new camera. I want a new lens for my L1. But, the one I want isn’t available. I am on a wait list for one. Sort of like being on a list for Hermes bags. We know that Hermes will keep making bags. Not so sure about my lens, not much market for thousand dollar lenses for an extinct line of camera.

So, I went an snagged a couple of songs from iTunes.  As if 6 days of music isn’t enough. But you can never have too many tunes.

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Nobody is Promised Tomorrow

MomIda - December 2001
MomIda - December 2001

I am finishing up the photographs from 2001. Came upon this snapshot of “MomIda”. She was looking happy and healthy. Thirteen months later she was dead. Which reminds us – Nobody is Promised Tomorrow.

So, Peg, keep deleting those photos.  Keep simplifing your life. Keep stuff organized. Never know when you’ll be shipping out.

Carlton and I have reached the age where – as a friend’s father says – “Keep your blue suit pressed”. Well, I don’t have a blue suit. But, I do have a “Final Exit Play List” – suitable for listening to while on route to funeral/memorial service.

A Change Is Gonna Come  –  Neville Brothers
The Far Side Banks Of Jordan –  June Carter and Johnny Cash
In This Life – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole
Looking Forward  –  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Goodbye My Friend  –  Keali’i Reichel
Lullabye (Good Night, My Angel)   –  Billy Joel
Someday Soon –  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Dress Sexy At My Funeral –  Smog
St James Infirmary –  Louis Armstrong
Tears In Heaven –  Eric Clapton
Will The Circle Be Unbroken  – Neville Brothers
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean – B.B. King
Only Good Times  –  Keola & Kapono Beamer
The End of the End – Paul McCartney

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OK, this is scarey

ipodappDid you know that there is an iPod app for Jehovah’s Witnesses? It allows the faithful to keep track of all the folk they are pestering. Sorts them out by street, tells you when to go back and leave off another issue of the Watchtower.

I happened on this app when looking for an app to record what I am doing while I am volunteering. Decided that a scrap of paper and a pencil is all the app I need for that.

And, my iPod developed a problem connecting to my wifi network. This seemed to fix things:

Reset the network settings for your iPod touch or iPhone

In some cases you may need to reset the network settings for your device. To do this, choose Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

(From Apple Support on Web)

Looked at 3 apartment complexes this afternoon. One was rejected because the units are too small, the other as too old and musty, the last one costs as much as our current digs – but  the kitchen isn’t as nice.

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Back to sorting photos

poorfishpix
hello humans, you are stepping on the fish

Back to sorting out photos. I must have been having trouble with my underwater camera settings in 2001, because most of the photos were seriously overexposed. The above water photos were fine. Just way too many of them. This image belongs in the trash. It isn’t focused or exposed anywhere near correctly. But, I just liked the silly humans… Standing around – missing the show just around their toes.

Got an unexpected day off today. That is the good news. The bad news is – the nurse that I work for is sick. Hopefully she gets well soon and I stay well.

Took advantage of the day off to figure out WordPress Tags and Categories – after a nudge from the favorite daughter.

Also made a 30 minute playlist of suspect Oldies – that will be my powerwalking timer. Its Raining Men and Hey Mickey are not what I would want to be caught listening too – but, if they were good enough for aerobics classes 20 years ago, I should be able to use them to keep my walker going. Also, Sugar Sugar by the Archies and Rocket 88 by Ike Turner. (Since he is dead -Ike is now allowed on the iPod.) Plus some other questionable – but perky tunes.

Still haven’t a clue about my Blog’s melt down the other day. Except for that unfortunate event – WordPress is proving satisfactory.

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Making a Child Theme – testing…

eAnesthesia - an iPhone App
eAnesthesia - an iPhone App

This is more than a little scary. An iPhone app that does the anesthesia calculations. Think about it. What was iPod thinking when they approved this app? Do we really want our anesthesia person playing with their iPhone while they are supposed to be keeping us alive but out of it. What if they drop the iPhone during your operation, what then?

I am learning to make a child theme this afternoon and the results will be “indeterminate”.

Well, I think I have learned enough for now. Just made a few little “starter tweaks”.