Here I am up all night again. When things back up in my mind there is just no sleep. Even the pain killer I take for my back seems to keep me awake (driving on the other hand is out of the question). Now that we are celebrating Jesus' birth I thought it might be interesting to go over a few things pertaining to Theism, Philosophy and Psychology; in other words, light reading.
I am a fervent believer in any writings dated to the time of Christ which shed additional light on the life and times of the Saviour. My copy of the Nag Hamadi Library is yellowing and well thumbed. I have been through that collection of religious thought many more times than I have read the bible. It is a revealing read. I can understand why the patriarchs of the new church did not want any part of it leaching into the few works assembled as the 'Bible'. Even Constantine was happy to close the door effectively on any writing not sanctioned by his little committee of censure.
Perhaps staring at Da Vinci's "Last Supper" to see if there really is a V for vagina between Christ and the shadowy creature on his left is not the way to go. Scripture of the time had more information about Mary Magdalene which we do not see today. Is it possible that the new church elders realized that elevating Mary without care might make the position of women more imposing in the new Christian world? As it is, women are still a minority in too many places around the world. It's kind of like; "What have you done for me lately?" Does carrying the children of the next generation count for anything? Man just leaves the seed and then goes to sleep. No wonder some female creatures kill off the male. It has one duty. It sometimes screws that up too.
Man can get a lot from the Bible just so long as it is read and interpreted by that man. Paying (tithing) someone else to interpret the bible is like asking the question, "Is it raining?" while standing in a downpour. Will no be a suitable answer; or is there more necessary? Flipping through the myriad of cable channels this early Christ Mass morning leaves one very empty.
Too many men are 'making hay while the sun shines' now that there is so much uncertainty in this world. I think of the television ad relating to the portion of the bible that tells us that one day your next door neighbor will be there and then perhaps a few minutes later he and millions of others will be returned to God. It goes on to show planes falling out of the sky because the captain and crew were called back 'home'. That's a hell of a way to run an airline. It's a hell of a way to run a world. This God they paint for us is not a nice person. "Hey fella, I need you to prove your love to me by sacrificing your son". Sweet! Now what would you do in this situation? What would Jesus do? After all he is purported to have been human. I know, the God head has spoken. What are the last words to sonny jim? See ya after judgement kiddo; that is if I make it through in one piece.
I personally like the idea of lots of people disappearing. Maybe the dummy who borrowed all that money will go up in smoke. The physician who prescribed a cast when none was needed is invited to pray to God and then go. I stopped into a Seven Eleven many years ago where the words "Git it and Git' were emblazoned on the counter under a slab of glass. It didn't hurt that the owner sat behind the counter with a gun in a shoulder holster. That explained lots of things to uncaring folks. They for sure......got. It's sure funny to see these preachers on TV. They believe in the garbage they are serving up. Benny Hinn is one funny S.O.B.
I have seen him many times with other do-gooders sitting around a coffee table filled with pounds of paper. They hold their hands over the paper and agree together in Christ. I'd be more impressed if they started a fire. Do you think that God is laughing at us every time he turns around to hide his face?
Then there is the problem of the multiple God head. There's the father, the son, and then the holy spirit (I learned it as ghost......not appreciated in today's speak). It is somewhat appealing to put all of ones egg in one basket and then say that it is not our purpose to second guess God. He knows what our purpose is on this Earth. I'll be damned if I have figured that one out yet. And even today, as we celebrate his son's? birth too many questions exist without answers. Are we all still Jewish? How did we slip into Christianity. I swear that Jesus was still a Jewish prophet when he died. Ah well......the mystery of it all.
Even as a child I was trying to dispell the mystery of the weekly ceremony in out local Catholic Church. Once when my mother had to visit the church to speak with one of the priests, I was left in the church. I had always wanted to push those damned buttons and play a tune all by myself. This attempt at musicianship hurt me considerably for many days. I never attempted to play any instrument after that even though my father tried to force the piano down my throat. I was happiest playing the bells at St. Kevins. What is real and what is a dream?
I think that it is simpler than many of us would want to admit to. If it looks like a base ball, feels like a baseball, and throws like a baseball; it's a baseball. God is harder to pinpoint. Christ is ever elusive as he flows from town to country to stream passing on his words of wisdom. The people of Israel had the Romans to contend with. The new conservatives in our house and senate would tell you that we are being punished with higher taxes foisted on us all by the Democrats. Nuts. What garbage. O.K. Where is God. Let's have a show of strength. All I want is a couple of thunderbolts up Rush Limbaughs........
Putting this all togeether is rough too. There is no good answer; but don't ask the people who bring the Watchtower magazine to your front door. They are filled with zeal and perhaps drugs which help perpetrate the lie which is religion.
It's easy. We are born. We coexist with other human animals for a short period and then we die. Take it from someone who coded blue three times in one day at a hospital. After I recovered they told me that I was considered a goner. There was a nurse who kept pestering me late at night asking me what I had seen. I 'seen' something. I never have told what I 'seen'. Suffice it to say that I will never divulge my little secret. There was no white light because Jesus had been entrusted to pay the electric bill. He claimed he was in India trying to turn over some Hindus.....
Merry Christ Mass to you all. It's time for me to get up and bring all my newly wrapped presents downstairs. I'll make some coffee, put on Radio Paradise and when everyone wakes up I'll turn on the Christmas music. Let's continue this discussion next year. It's just plumb tuckered me out.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Years ago when I managed a Radio Shack in Chesterfield County, Virginia, all the hours or toil and trouble never seemed to make a dent in my paycheck. Just tonight, while looking at some owner reviews on NewEgg.com, did I realize that my path was chose by a higher power.
The reviewer (owner of the product) was saying how the speaker wire to the new alternative speaker next to his bed might just be a little short. Then he said those wonderful words, "....that's why God created Radio Shack." Now I KNOW he was speaking about me and the twelve hours or more I put in each day I managed that little hole at the end of the shopping center
I do mispeak myself. The Army and Navy store next to me was the last store on the strip. The anchor was the A&P around the corner on the hypotenuse side of the L. If you were bleeding to death and still had the wherewithall to scream, not one housewife entering or exiting A&P could ever hear ..... I didn't bleed to death.
Because sales were so slow and customers were so few, I kept busy cleaning and moving merchandise around. I also kept my eyes on the plate glass window for a quick glimpse of the types of customers wending their way past my window into the A&N next door. There were many of God's lovely creatures passing by; but nary a one had a question about speakers, or portable am/fm weather radios, or even male and female connectors ( a subject I became fascinated with during that period of time).
Other managers knew full-well that this was a store which should have been closed years ago. On a monthly basis, I would receive the award for fewest sales in thirty days. The award was a large size bowling ball without the holes drilled. I suppose that the regional manager wanted to see a manager loading up and getting the arm ready to throw underhanded without the use of the holes for stability and directionality. I guess he was just saving his hide.
I often prayed to God to make those finger holes appear. It was also my fervent wish to Him to send in a young thing needful of instruction in male and female jacks......or something like that. There was a bet around with the other store managers that I could walk around naked in the store through the day, finish the paperwork, close up (get dressed first) and no one would be the wiser. HE would know.
HE used to send me all the refuse looking for the parts of some project in Radio and Electronics which appeared two months ago on some page near the back. I would dutifully go with them (males of course) to the parts wall and fling open the magic doors of profit. Each bag contained over 60% mark up. It was said that one could float the store if there were enough of the little bags sold. The area manager would always inspect the parts wall first. it was a good policy to keep all the hangers filled with happy little bags of resistors, capacitors, and assorted hogwash needed to build that new version of the phono preamp you always wanted.
So, it was tonight as I was ruminating about God creating Radio Shacks that I came upon a salient thought regarding God. He must be very fallible. And we must be very much like him. If he knows all, why in H did he not put this store where it would make the most profit for a poor lonely manager? Why does God have us swimming against the current at all times?
Irritation. HE wants us irritated so that we may come to understand his noble purpose. After all, planting Radio Shacks is something like creating bedbugs; you don't always see them, but there they are. HE can make a mistake That's great news. That should make you all sleep soundly this evening; even though after I take my back pill I will still be up ruminating about some other damned thing. I wish he would create something to stop THAT.
'nuff said......Nighty night...
The reviewer (owner of the product) was saying how the speaker wire to the new alternative speaker next to his bed might just be a little short. Then he said those wonderful words, "....that's why God created Radio Shack." Now I KNOW he was speaking about me and the twelve hours or more I put in each day I managed that little hole at the end of the shopping center
I do mispeak myself. The Army and Navy store next to me was the last store on the strip. The anchor was the A&P around the corner on the hypotenuse side of the L. If you were bleeding to death and still had the wherewithall to scream, not one housewife entering or exiting A&P could ever hear ..... I didn't bleed to death.
Because sales were so slow and customers were so few, I kept busy cleaning and moving merchandise around. I also kept my eyes on the plate glass window for a quick glimpse of the types of customers wending their way past my window into the A&N next door. There were many of God's lovely creatures passing by; but nary a one had a question about speakers, or portable am/fm weather radios, or even male and female connectors ( a subject I became fascinated with during that period of time).
Other managers knew full-well that this was a store which should have been closed years ago. On a monthly basis, I would receive the award for fewest sales in thirty days. The award was a large size bowling ball without the holes drilled. I suppose that the regional manager wanted to see a manager loading up and getting the arm ready to throw underhanded without the use of the holes for stability and directionality. I guess he was just saving his hide.
I often prayed to God to make those finger holes appear. It was also my fervent wish to Him to send in a young thing needful of instruction in male and female jacks......or something like that. There was a bet around with the other store managers that I could walk around naked in the store through the day, finish the paperwork, close up (get dressed first) and no one would be the wiser. HE would know.
HE used to send me all the refuse looking for the parts of some project in Radio and Electronics which appeared two months ago on some page near the back. I would dutifully go with them (males of course) to the parts wall and fling open the magic doors of profit. Each bag contained over 60% mark up. It was said that one could float the store if there were enough of the little bags sold. The area manager would always inspect the parts wall first. it was a good policy to keep all the hangers filled with happy little bags of resistors, capacitors, and assorted hogwash needed to build that new version of the phono preamp you always wanted.
So, it was tonight as I was ruminating about God creating Radio Shacks that I came upon a salient thought regarding God. He must be very fallible. And we must be very much like him. If he knows all, why in H did he not put this store where it would make the most profit for a poor lonely manager? Why does God have us swimming against the current at all times?
Irritation. HE wants us irritated so that we may come to understand his noble purpose. After all, planting Radio Shacks is something like creating bedbugs; you don't always see them, but there they are. HE can make a mistake That's great news. That should make you all sleep soundly this evening; even though after I take my back pill I will still be up ruminating about some other damned thing. I wish he would create something to stop THAT.
'nuff said......Nighty night...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Birthdays and the like....
Here I was happy when I got into my head to find out if there were any famous people born on September 24. The year didn't much matter. If I hit it on the head for 1946; all the better. So I went on-line and asked the question.
AOL came back with something called Brainy History with a list of all the greats and not so greats who populated the world on that fateful day no matter whatever year it happened to be; and I went from mildly happy and curious to a deep depression and funk.
I wanted someone out there sharing the same time space with me on that happy day when I skid down the chute of life into the overly bright operating room (we didn't believe in home births or mid-wives at that time). A list of also rans might have been good. This list does not help. I'll get back to AOL in a moment.
Hopefully, I pointed the mouse at another possible list of more exalted souls. The heading just reads, "September Birthdays" in white on a blue night sky. September the 24th. is a short list. It is comprised of the following souls: Nia Vardalos, Phil Hartman, Linda McCarthey, Jim Henson, Anthony Newley, Sheila MacRae, Jim Mckay, and F.Scott Fitzgerald. Were my name added to that list, some bright light out there would say something like, "I seem to remember Nia Vardalos. Who is this Genco guy?" I don't even recognize Vardalos.
The rest of the list is memorable if not forgetable in some way. Jim McKay broadcast sports for ABC many years ago. Sheila MacRae was and may still be a well know jazz singer. Folks who frequent Broadway will remember Anthony Newly in "The Smell of the Greaspaint and the Roar of the Crowd". There were some memorable songs there.......all gone from memory. No one can forget Jim Henson. He brought us all those cuddly puppets which some of us grew up with. I liked Grover. He didn't settle for a cardboard box. His home was a garbage can; sturdy, reliable, and dry. Rockers and most music buffs or even elevator music buffs remember who Linda McCartney was. Just because she married into the family didn't make her a great musician; but later in life, she held her own with the band. Phil Hartman became know to the American public because of his appearances on Saturday Night Live. Phil was a funny man with a distinctive voice. Here was another murder. Lastly all students who have been forced to read through his tomes know F.Scott Fitgerald. I was born on same day Fitgerald winked into this world.
And that's really it. I missed Mickey Rooney by one day (September 23). The same goes for Mary Kay Place (TV..half hour sitcoms), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Julio Iglesias, Ray Charles, Johnn Coltrane and the Boss; Mr. Bruce Springsteen. That is all on September 23!
One day later and I could have rubbed shoulders (so to speak) with Michael Douglas, Wil Smith, Glenn Gould, Barbara Walters, Shel Silverstein (cartoonist..mostly Playboy), Dimitri Shostakovich (now don't tell me you don't remember who Shostakovich was), and William Faulkner. William Faulkner was the author of "long Day's Journey into Night". In high school I took that book out of the local library several times and matched it up with a record of the stage play. I thought that one day I would find myself playing the drunken son. Ain't never happend. I probably stood a better chance of pairing up with Mickey Rooney. My bet is that I'd be the jerk screaming, "Let's put on a show". That there ain't never happened neither.
I gave up reading the famous people in September after seeing Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and Gould. I have always loved his variations on piano. My father hated concert music; so I liked it LOTS more; and loud yet.
Happy birthday to you all. All I want to know is, "Where's my cake?" I'll be looking for you to supply that answer. I can wait. I can out wait all of you.
AOL came back with something called Brainy History with a list of all the greats and not so greats who populated the world on that fateful day no matter whatever year it happened to be; and I went from mildly happy and curious to a deep depression and funk.
I wanted someone out there sharing the same time space with me on that happy day when I skid down the chute of life into the overly bright operating room (we didn't believe in home births or mid-wives at that time). A list of also rans might have been good. This list does not help. I'll get back to AOL in a moment.
Hopefully, I pointed the mouse at another possible list of more exalted souls. The heading just reads, "September Birthdays" in white on a blue night sky. September the 24th. is a short list. It is comprised of the following souls: Nia Vardalos, Phil Hartman, Linda McCarthey, Jim Henson, Anthony Newley, Sheila MacRae, Jim Mckay, and F.Scott Fitzgerald. Were my name added to that list, some bright light out there would say something like, "I seem to remember Nia Vardalos. Who is this Genco guy?" I don't even recognize Vardalos.
The rest of the list is memorable if not forgetable in some way. Jim McKay broadcast sports for ABC many years ago. Sheila MacRae was and may still be a well know jazz singer. Folks who frequent Broadway will remember Anthony Newly in "The Smell of the Greaspaint and the Roar of the Crowd". There were some memorable songs there.......all gone from memory. No one can forget Jim Henson. He brought us all those cuddly puppets which some of us grew up with. I liked Grover. He didn't settle for a cardboard box. His home was a garbage can; sturdy, reliable, and dry. Rockers and most music buffs or even elevator music buffs remember who Linda McCartney was. Just because she married into the family didn't make her a great musician; but later in life, she held her own with the band. Phil Hartman became know to the American public because of his appearances on Saturday Night Live. Phil was a funny man with a distinctive voice. Here was another murder. Lastly all students who have been forced to read through his tomes know F.Scott Fitgerald. I was born on same day Fitgerald winked into this world.
And that's really it. I missed Mickey Rooney by one day (September 23). The same goes for Mary Kay Place (TV..half hour sitcoms), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Julio Iglesias, Ray Charles, Johnn Coltrane and the Boss; Mr. Bruce Springsteen. That is all on September 23!
One day later and I could have rubbed shoulders (so to speak) with Michael Douglas, Wil Smith, Glenn Gould, Barbara Walters, Shel Silverstein (cartoonist..mostly Playboy), Dimitri Shostakovich (now don't tell me you don't remember who Shostakovich was), and William Faulkner. William Faulkner was the author of "long Day's Journey into Night". In high school I took that book out of the local library several times and matched it up with a record of the stage play. I thought that one day I would find myself playing the drunken son. Ain't never happend. I probably stood a better chance of pairing up with Mickey Rooney. My bet is that I'd be the jerk screaming, "Let's put on a show". That there ain't never happened neither.
I gave up reading the famous people in September after seeing Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and Gould. I have always loved his variations on piano. My father hated concert music; so I liked it LOTS more; and loud yet.
Happy birthday to you all. All I want to know is, "Where's my cake?" I'll be looking for you to supply that answer. I can wait. I can out wait all of you.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Tony's List of Comedies...In No Order of Preference
I was sitting at work one long and slow six month period and just started scribbling names of favorite movies, songs, musical groups, television shows, and comedy full-length movies. I found that I had a more extensive list of comedies on film and television than anything else. Herewith findeth thou suchth a litht. Whatever....
"1942"
Any Laurel and Hardy Talkie
Any Charlie Chase Talkie
Never Give a Sucker an even Break
Airplane I
Noises Off
Mr. Mom
Revenge of the Nerds I
Police Academy I
S.O.B.
Victor Victoria
Moonstruck
Caddyshack I and II
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
In and Out -- (Kevin Kline)
I Love You To Death (Kevin Kline)
A fish Called Wanda
Drop Dead Gorgeous
The First Wives Club
Big Business
Ruthless People
Every Which Way But Loose
Any Which Way You Can
Cannonball Run
Smokey and the Bandit
Moving Violations (John Murray -- Bill's younger brother)
Spaceballs
The Horn Blows at Mid-Night (Jack Benny)
To Be or Not to Be ( Both Versions...Jack Benny first, and then Mel Brooks)
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
Scavenger Hunt
The Mouse that Roared
The MOney Pit
Mouse Hunt
"10"
Seems Like Old Times
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (Jimmy Stuart)
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (French Film)
Vacation and European Vacation
Spies Like Us
Summer Rental
American Pie I, II, and III
Hollywood Knights
Used Cars
Big Trouble in Little China
Blazing Saddles
History of the World Part I
Silent Movie
The Seven Chairs
Saturday the 14th.
Christmas in Connecticut (Barbary Stanwyck in the '40's vesion in b/w with Sidney Greenstreet
Groundhog Day
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The Russians are Coming
Animal House
That's where I left the list of comedy movies. Scrooged comes to mind as I write this. Bill Murray was fantastic in the film. Liar Liar comes to mind as a film I missed in the list. There are others. If you can think of more and better candidates, please feel free to add.
A.F.G.
"1942"
Any Laurel and Hardy Talkie
Any Charlie Chase Talkie
Never Give a Sucker an even Break
Airplane I
Noises Off
Mr. Mom
Revenge of the Nerds I
Police Academy I
S.O.B.
Victor Victoria
Moonstruck
Caddyshack I and II
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
In and Out -- (Kevin Kline)
I Love You To Death (Kevin Kline)
A fish Called Wanda
Drop Dead Gorgeous
The First Wives Club
Big Business
Ruthless People
Every Which Way But Loose
Any Which Way You Can
Cannonball Run
Smokey and the Bandit
Moving Violations (John Murray -- Bill's younger brother)
Spaceballs
The Horn Blows at Mid-Night (Jack Benny)
To Be or Not to Be ( Both Versions...Jack Benny first, and then Mel Brooks)
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
Scavenger Hunt
The Mouse that Roared
The MOney Pit
Mouse Hunt
"10"
Seems Like Old Times
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (Jimmy Stuart)
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (French Film)
Vacation and European Vacation
Spies Like Us
Summer Rental
American Pie I, II, and III
Hollywood Knights
Used Cars
Big Trouble in Little China
Blazing Saddles
History of the World Part I
Silent Movie
The Seven Chairs
Saturday the 14th.
Christmas in Connecticut (Barbary Stanwyck in the '40's vesion in b/w with Sidney Greenstreet
Groundhog Day
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The Russians are Coming
Animal House
That's where I left the list of comedy movies. Scrooged comes to mind as I write this. Bill Murray was fantastic in the film. Liar Liar comes to mind as a film I missed in the list. There are others. If you can think of more and better candidates, please feel free to add.
A.F.G.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Flat Plasma Color
Now that we have had the Samsung 42" up and running for several months, it is time to say a few things about the choice of this entertainment marvel. It sure is flat. It sure is cool running. It sure is faithful to the colors transmitted. It still is a thrill to hear the tinkel of the Samsung jingle as the unit turns on. Then, it is even more a thrill to watch the crisp clear picture (even at 720p) and thoroughly warm and beautiful color rendition.
Because I had read that the speakers were going to be the weakest link in this system, I had an older (2 years) Yamaha receiver, two small Sony bookshelf speakers, and a combo of center and rear speakers supplied by The Speaker Company {more about them later}. The Yamaha is a smallish unit and not too complicated. It has one digital audio input which is set up to work with a DVD player. Since I do not have a high definition DVD player at this time, I hooked the second audio output from the Brighthouse Network box there. There are several choices for surround sound with the Yamaha starting with Prologic and working through various combinations of PLII for movies and music to something called Neural. The Yamaha can pump out up to 100 watts rms. into five speakers running at 8 ohms if necessary. I never get it up above half volume. As small as they are, the Sony 3 1/2 inch woofers deliver AMAZING bass for the size. This is not to say that a stand alone woofer may not be necessary down the road; but for right now, this system delivers amazing clarity and sound.
I mentioned the digital input because the Yamaha has the ability to ignore one's own choice of de-coding when a digital dolby source is detected. It automatically switches over; a fantastic turn of events. Earlier I also mentioned The Speaker Company in passing. I am as cheap as the day is long, but recognize good value when I see it. I purchased the three speaker combo (center and two rear) for a closeout price of $45 with shipping included. If you are just starting out ...... GET THEM! Polks they are not. Good center definition and rear ambiance will be delivered even after pumping up the volume. Check them out on the web. They have many other choices which are equally as good.
Now ..... That Samsung is fantastic. I shopped for a full month. I looked at as many as I could in the surrounding Orlando area. The problem here is that this kind of television is now only available at a few larger retailers. Since Circuit City closed, there is only Best Buy and a newcomer to this area called H.H.Gregg. I don't mention Sears because for the last few years everything Computer or Television has been over-priced even by our local standards. I mentioned in another Blog that I purchased through Amazon. I have purchased many items through Amazon. Do it! If your local store is over-pricing, why put gelt in their pockets????
Since the first night when we turned on the TV using my own local antenna on our NBC station to today, the picture is crisp and clear. Why pay one hundred fifty to two hundred or more dollars for the same unit at 1080p when MOST of what is broadcast today is still available at 720p or lower? If you are shooting for a THEATRE experience with upwards of sixty inches diagonal, perhaps you should pay through the nose for the set. I personally cannot understand that. Fifty inches was the largest I might ever consider. In fact, a unit became available at our local BJ Warehouse from Samsung for $899. I had set a price of $650 - $750. Delivered to my door the set came in under $730. In addition because I use an Amazon Visa Card, I had two certificates of $25 each which subtracted $50 from the price......and if you remember correctly.....there was NO shipping cost. Amazon predicted one week and gave me a definite day to receive the unit. It came right on time.
Color rendition in this Samsung Plasma is warm and toasty. The television arrived at a medium setting for brightness and color. I have not touched nor changed the color setting in any way whatsoever. Everything is good. All the old Mash's on Hallmark still make the hairs on the back of my neck crawl; and the rendition of those scenes with Hawkeye and his group are fresh, crisp, and clear. Shows on the Travel channel now come in with a brightness and contrast that is unbelievable. There are no sharp edges as in the led televisions. Everything is crisp clear and with the look of a just finished high definition movie. Great! Even the shows on The Food Network liven up with this set. The people at WESH channel 2 (NBC) have an HD news set and color scheme that just keeps me watching. The weather maps are unbelievable in HD.
So far Samsung, and Panasonic are keeping the Plasmas coming. The next price plateau is two to three hundred dollars more for led sets at 1080i or 1080p. Don't be fooled. If you are going bigger....then maybe. At fifty inches and below plasma is the most satisfying.
Don't believe the garbage you will hear about the Plasma screen disappearing over time with use. If you are used to watching CNN or MSNBC all day long ... DON'T. Don't do it with an led television either. No matter what you do you will end up with dark patches on the sides, tops, or wherever they leave their crawl. Just get used to watching something else. You will notice that the ubiquitous crawl is gone from your local TV station. They understand that they are damaging your set if the dark bands are left in place for a long time. In short, change your viewing habits.
I hope that this newness never wears off. I get kind of excited everytime I switch on the TV and go to the HD channels. It is almst spine tingling. Everything just looks better in plasma.
Happy shopping......
Because I had read that the speakers were going to be the weakest link in this system, I had an older (2 years) Yamaha receiver, two small Sony bookshelf speakers, and a combo of center and rear speakers supplied by The Speaker Company {more about them later}. The Yamaha is a smallish unit and not too complicated. It has one digital audio input which is set up to work with a DVD player. Since I do not have a high definition DVD player at this time, I hooked the second audio output from the Brighthouse Network box there. There are several choices for surround sound with the Yamaha starting with Prologic and working through various combinations of PLII for movies and music to something called Neural. The Yamaha can pump out up to 100 watts rms. into five speakers running at 8 ohms if necessary. I never get it up above half volume. As small as they are, the Sony 3 1/2 inch woofers deliver AMAZING bass for the size. This is not to say that a stand alone woofer may not be necessary down the road; but for right now, this system delivers amazing clarity and sound.
I mentioned the digital input because the Yamaha has the ability to ignore one's own choice of de-coding when a digital dolby source is detected. It automatically switches over; a fantastic turn of events. Earlier I also mentioned The Speaker Company in passing. I am as cheap as the day is long, but recognize good value when I see it. I purchased the three speaker combo (center and two rear) for a closeout price of $45 with shipping included. If you are just starting out ...... GET THEM! Polks they are not. Good center definition and rear ambiance will be delivered even after pumping up the volume. Check them out on the web. They have many other choices which are equally as good.
Now ..... That Samsung is fantastic. I shopped for a full month. I looked at as many as I could in the surrounding Orlando area. The problem here is that this kind of television is now only available at a few larger retailers. Since Circuit City closed, there is only Best Buy and a newcomer to this area called H.H.Gregg. I don't mention Sears because for the last few years everything Computer or Television has been over-priced even by our local standards. I mentioned in another Blog that I purchased through Amazon. I have purchased many items through Amazon. Do it! If your local store is over-pricing, why put gelt in their pockets????
Since the first night when we turned on the TV using my own local antenna on our NBC station to today, the picture is crisp and clear. Why pay one hundred fifty to two hundred or more dollars for the same unit at 1080p when MOST of what is broadcast today is still available at 720p or lower? If you are shooting for a THEATRE experience with upwards of sixty inches diagonal, perhaps you should pay through the nose for the set. I personally cannot understand that. Fifty inches was the largest I might ever consider. In fact, a unit became available at our local BJ Warehouse from Samsung for $899. I had set a price of $650 - $750. Delivered to my door the set came in under $730. In addition because I use an Amazon Visa Card, I had two certificates of $25 each which subtracted $50 from the price......and if you remember correctly.....there was NO shipping cost. Amazon predicted one week and gave me a definite day to receive the unit. It came right on time.
Color rendition in this Samsung Plasma is warm and toasty. The television arrived at a medium setting for brightness and color. I have not touched nor changed the color setting in any way whatsoever. Everything is good. All the old Mash's on Hallmark still make the hairs on the back of my neck crawl; and the rendition of those scenes with Hawkeye and his group are fresh, crisp, and clear. Shows on the Travel channel now come in with a brightness and contrast that is unbelievable. There are no sharp edges as in the led televisions. Everything is crisp clear and with the look of a just finished high definition movie. Great! Even the shows on The Food Network liven up with this set. The people at WESH channel 2 (NBC) have an HD news set and color scheme that just keeps me watching. The weather maps are unbelievable in HD.
So far Samsung, and Panasonic are keeping the Plasmas coming. The next price plateau is two to three hundred dollars more for led sets at 1080i or 1080p. Don't be fooled. If you are going bigger....then maybe. At fifty inches and below plasma is the most satisfying.
Don't believe the garbage you will hear about the Plasma screen disappearing over time with use. If you are used to watching CNN or MSNBC all day long ... DON'T. Don't do it with an led television either. No matter what you do you will end up with dark patches on the sides, tops, or wherever they leave their crawl. Just get used to watching something else. You will notice that the ubiquitous crawl is gone from your local TV station. They understand that they are damaging your set if the dark bands are left in place for a long time. In short, change your viewing habits.
I hope that this newness never wears off. I get kind of excited everytime I switch on the TV and go to the HD channels. It is almst spine tingling. Everything just looks better in plasma.
Happy shopping......
Friday, May 22, 2009
TV or Not TV, That is the question!
Here we are almost exactly ten years after the last television acquisition and we have embarked on the purchase of another. What fun! Ten years ago a diagonally measured 32" went for from 450 to 600 dollars. We found a Toshiba at that time at Sam's club and purchased it for around $460 before tax. It has been an very very uneventful ten years. Nothing has gone wrong until recently. We are now watching the equivalent of a TV egg-timer. The picture fits nicely inside those encroaching black bands.Is it worth it to fix? NO. The cost is prohibitive even when comparing against the price of a new set.
In an earlier blog I discussed the on-coming switch to digital HD broadcasting. We are still looking, as of today, at a date in June 2009. It looks like this family will ready to herald in the change with a new set. As I mentioned at that time, I upgraded our sets to digital buy using the money back vouchers from the Federal Goverment to buy two set-top decoders. Digital makes the older sets look even better.
I will start with the conclusion of the story first. This is so that those of you who wish to start looking up prices and what-not on the net can do so without reading about how the 'butler did it' with the candlestick in the pantry. I'd like to see that scene myself!
After a lot of shopping the local Orlando area and looking all around the Internet for a good price we settled on buying from Amazon again. I have had NOTHING but good luck with Amazon and its' suppliers. I have purchased full-sized speaker systems, stereo and Dolby receivers, and other sundries over the past five years. What has made that decision easier to do is the usage of the Amazon Visa (Chase Manhattan) card. After spending a pre-set limit in a given period of time, a voucher for $25 credit is mailed to me. We had two of these waiting in the wings.
The winner in the TV sweeps is Samsung. We purchased a 42" Plasma (the newest model in this series) for a listed price of $709.96. Remember that I can deduct the $50 in vouchers directly from the price of the unit. We looked at the set at local stores and even at our BJ Warehouse (which I highly recommend to you over Sam's). There was no question that upon REALLY close inspection, the brightness and sharpness of an LCD set beat out the plasma. No one has yet built a set that will beat the plasma for black blacks and incredibly warm and lifelike color. The sharpness is there too, but just a LITTLE subdued. On the other hand, our local stores could not even come close to the price from Amazon (even discounting the vouchers we had).
I checked the UPS website last night and was pleased to see that the set is on its' way. We anticipate an arrival shortly. Just before it arrives, I will double-check to make sure that I am here to help the driver lug this thing into the house......IT CANNOT IN ANY WAY TRAVEL ON ITS' SIDE...ESPECIALLY A PLASMA. Please remember that. The picture tube we all remember no longer exists. The tube is the whole screen which you see from the front. Imagine what would happen if the screen were to crack. They might as well just take the thing back on the same truck. It remains vertical at all times. I will just have to wait until my wife gets home so that we may put it in its place together. BTW....The old Toshiba has to weigh over 120 pounds. This unit is coming into the house in a shipping carton at 74 pounds. New technology has meant a drop in the weight.
New technology also means a cooler operating set. If your flat screen is too hot at the top cooling vents you NEED to find out if there is a problem. Early plasma sets had mini-fans built into the sets. You can imagine what kind of a racket they made when going bad.
Buy a name brand. Buy as expensive as you can and still be in your budget. Don't jump at names which sound familiar, but now have been taken over by unpronounceable companies from South East Asia and China. These sets may SEEM familiar, but I guarantee that there will be heartache down the road.
Use your computer and find reviews. They are available. Read them. Observe what others are warning about. And then digest this little gummy bear; no matter how careful you are with brand names, even the best ones may arrive D.O.A. The better brands will replace the set instead of fighting about repairing it. Now I am going to tell you to do something I have NEVER done.....Buy the extended warranty. Don't be foolish. These machines are no longer televisions. They are computers with viewing screens designed to do only one thing. If the manufacturer saves money along the way to save you in the purchase, the likelihood is that a half-baked part has been installed in a place of great importance....hence....D.O.A. I will not print the names of any such TVs. You must do your own homework.
Meanwhile, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the television. I want to run it for awhile on the Dish Network SD box before calling up about a switch to HD programming. I have an antenna good enough to get me excellent HD from my locals including all the PBS stations in the area. This will have to be the test of the set.
I wish you all luck. If the Gods are with us, it will be another ten years before I have to buy a new TV. This one seems to have about 22,000 hours on the plasma screen (some will say lots more...don't believe them!). By being careful when using the set (moving...moving in the living room....painting....rugs...flooring etc.)the set may just last 8? years......
Until next time ....
In an earlier blog I discussed the on-coming switch to digital HD broadcasting. We are still looking, as of today, at a date in June 2009. It looks like this family will ready to herald in the change with a new set. As I mentioned at that time, I upgraded our sets to digital buy using the money back vouchers from the Federal Goverment to buy two set-top decoders. Digital makes the older sets look even better.
I will start with the conclusion of the story first. This is so that those of you who wish to start looking up prices and what-not on the net can do so without reading about how the 'butler did it' with the candlestick in the pantry. I'd like to see that scene myself!
After a lot of shopping the local Orlando area and looking all around the Internet for a good price we settled on buying from Amazon again. I have had NOTHING but good luck with Amazon and its' suppliers. I have purchased full-sized speaker systems, stereo and Dolby receivers, and other sundries over the past five years. What has made that decision easier to do is the usage of the Amazon Visa (Chase Manhattan) card. After spending a pre-set limit in a given period of time, a voucher for $25 credit is mailed to me. We had two of these waiting in the wings.
The winner in the TV sweeps is Samsung. We purchased a 42" Plasma (the newest model in this series) for a listed price of $709.96. Remember that I can deduct the $50 in vouchers directly from the price of the unit. We looked at the set at local stores and even at our BJ Warehouse (which I highly recommend to you over Sam's). There was no question that upon REALLY close inspection, the brightness and sharpness of an LCD set beat out the plasma. No one has yet built a set that will beat the plasma for black blacks and incredibly warm and lifelike color. The sharpness is there too, but just a LITTLE subdued. On the other hand, our local stores could not even come close to the price from Amazon (even discounting the vouchers we had).
I checked the UPS website last night and was pleased to see that the set is on its' way. We anticipate an arrival shortly. Just before it arrives, I will double-check to make sure that I am here to help the driver lug this thing into the house......IT CANNOT IN ANY WAY TRAVEL ON ITS' SIDE...ESPECIALLY A PLASMA. Please remember that. The picture tube we all remember no longer exists. The tube is the whole screen which you see from the front. Imagine what would happen if the screen were to crack. They might as well just take the thing back on the same truck. It remains vertical at all times. I will just have to wait until my wife gets home so that we may put it in its place together. BTW....The old Toshiba has to weigh over 120 pounds. This unit is coming into the house in a shipping carton at 74 pounds. New technology has meant a drop in the weight.
New technology also means a cooler operating set. If your flat screen is too hot at the top cooling vents you NEED to find out if there is a problem. Early plasma sets had mini-fans built into the sets. You can imagine what kind of a racket they made when going bad.
Buy a name brand. Buy as expensive as you can and still be in your budget. Don't jump at names which sound familiar, but now have been taken over by unpronounceable companies from South East Asia and China. These sets may SEEM familiar, but I guarantee that there will be heartache down the road.
Use your computer and find reviews. They are available. Read them. Observe what others are warning about. And then digest this little gummy bear; no matter how careful you are with brand names, even the best ones may arrive D.O.A. The better brands will replace the set instead of fighting about repairing it. Now I am going to tell you to do something I have NEVER done.....Buy the extended warranty. Don't be foolish. These machines are no longer televisions. They are computers with viewing screens designed to do only one thing. If the manufacturer saves money along the way to save you in the purchase, the likelihood is that a half-baked part has been installed in a place of great importance....hence....D.O.A. I will not print the names of any such TVs. You must do your own homework.
Meanwhile, we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the television. I want to run it for awhile on the Dish Network SD box before calling up about a switch to HD programming. I have an antenna good enough to get me excellent HD from my locals including all the PBS stations in the area. This will have to be the test of the set.
I wish you all luck. If the Gods are with us, it will be another ten years before I have to buy a new TV. This one seems to have about 22,000 hours on the plasma screen (some will say lots more...don't believe them!). By being careful when using the set (moving...moving in the living room....painting....rugs...flooring etc.)the set may just last 8? years......
Until next time ....
Friday, March 6, 2009
Social Networking
I am an educated person. To keep up with world events I keep my eye on Reuters, The Financial Times, The NYT electronic edition, France 24 (on my satellite downfeed) along with Deutsche Welle and the Russian news program. I thought I was up-to-date regarding everything in the world of PCs including software. There is a person lurking in the shadows. His name is Jack; and I don't know Jack.
Jack, to me, is this world of social computing which is taking up tons of room on our phone lines, satellites, and wireless LAN connections. From the rocket scientist flying down I4 on the way to Tampa from Orlando with a phone in his or her hand, pressing the buttons as fast as the mile-markers pass by and completely oblivious to the eighteen wheeler that has just pulled into the space in front in the center lane..............to the person at home with a desktop PC now using up to one TB in the hard drive just to keep all the pictures, music, and junk which we used to stuff into drawers, I am a complete stranger.
Why, in this age of stolen identities, would I want to post all of my families' private vacation photos up in the ether where not just my own friends but anyone can see them? Worse than that, the identity thief just has to read about Jorge Gonzalez a little bit to be able to put all the pictures together with names and faces. Down the road, the thief will find that Jorge has conveniently left hints, clues, or even just the plain old password for him somewhere in the miasma of social networking.
I thought email was a great idea.....ten years ago. Now it is a place where things have to be erased and monitored so as not to come back to the account at the end of the day and find a friend's email drowning in 99 other postings of just...let's face it...pure garbage. Only a few days ago, I took my personal email addresses (people) and separated them off to one server. The original online email account will stay active only to continue serving me with inquries I might have regarding a product or service. The third mail program (I use Mandriva Linux and can leave these up on virtual desktops so that when I log off, they are still ready for me when I come back) will be used solely for my DSL carrier's email service. Theoretically I can have five different addresses with them, but I will not make any more changes. I am happy with the correction I have made.
Then there's FLOCK. When and If I get someone to point me in the direction of a logical and understandable instruction manual for this thing I will get back to you. Until then....
Tony
Jack, to me, is this world of social computing which is taking up tons of room on our phone lines, satellites, and wireless LAN connections. From the rocket scientist flying down I4 on the way to Tampa from Orlando with a phone in his or her hand, pressing the buttons as fast as the mile-markers pass by and completely oblivious to the eighteen wheeler that has just pulled into the space in front in the center lane..............to the person at home with a desktop PC now using up to one TB in the hard drive just to keep all the pictures, music, and junk which we used to stuff into drawers, I am a complete stranger.
Why, in this age of stolen identities, would I want to post all of my families' private vacation photos up in the ether where not just my own friends but anyone can see them? Worse than that, the identity thief just has to read about Jorge Gonzalez a little bit to be able to put all the pictures together with names and faces. Down the road, the thief will find that Jorge has conveniently left hints, clues, or even just the plain old password for him somewhere in the miasma of social networking.
I thought email was a great idea.....ten years ago. Now it is a place where things have to be erased and monitored so as not to come back to the account at the end of the day and find a friend's email drowning in 99 other postings of just...let's face it...pure garbage. Only a few days ago, I took my personal email addresses (people) and separated them off to one server. The original online email account will stay active only to continue serving me with inquries I might have regarding a product or service. The third mail program (I use Mandriva Linux and can leave these up on virtual desktops so that when I log off, they are still ready for me when I come back) will be used solely for my DSL carrier's email service. Theoretically I can have five different addresses with them, but I will not make any more changes. I am happy with the correction I have made.
Then there's FLOCK. When and If I get someone to point me in the direction of a logical and understandable instruction manual for this thing I will get back to you. Until then....
Tony
Friday, February 13, 2009
SiriusXM Bankruptcy -- What to Do?
The news is that SiriusXM is going to file for bankruptcy protection. I cannot say that I am in any way surprised.
A few years ago, XM showed up on my DirecTv subscription. I thought it was the best thing since packaged white bread. There were so many channels, and so much music to ignore ....uh...enjoy. A few years later, I realized that I was getting short-changed by DirecTv on basically the same package from Dish Network. For the same monthly subscription charge, I could have the same (except for three or four) channels available plus all of the Encore network (Encore West) and two western feeds of The Movie Channel AND lots of additional educational programming which was not available on DirecTv at all.
Dish Network did not carry XM. It had its' own aggregation of music channels, in addition to some older monaural channels from Muzak. It did carry the same amount of musical channels from Sirius. Therefore, I had no reason to go out and buy any decoder for either company. I listen to my own cd compilations and local news in the car. Why buy another subscription?
Then, I discovered WI-FI. I had been building my own computers for some time. An old Compaq/HP was just about to go out the door with the still-working monitor when I started to actually think. I upped the memory a bit, and found that the Celeron already installed plus the lan card I had installed made this machine ready to do one thing very well. It could bring all of the music available in the world into my home at no cost. At no cost sounded good (I had the memory sticks available from earlier builds).
I made sure that XP was up to date. Then I downloaded the next version of Winamp. I also learned along the way that there was a program called MediaMonkey which also had a listing of radio sites and other available tools. I downloaded the free version. Both Winamp and Mediamonkey offer a paid version which includes other 'top notch' tools. These programs in their free versions are all I need.
From there on, I only had to decide where plug in the computer on my Onkyo and Yamaha (I set up a way I could switch between the two receivers). All one has to do at this point is kick on the computer, open Winamp, and go to the Shoutcast page. Shoutcast is a fat list of music available from commercial broadcasters and free broadcasters around the world. Of the commercial broadcasters I enjoy Radio Flemme (France), and Radio Rouge (Italy). There are many others. You make the choice. Of the non-commercial broadcasters my favorites (at this time) are Radio Paradise, Pandora, all the offerings of Swiss Radio, and a smaller broadcaster calle IP from Swizerland. You will find the Swiss offerings more easily in the Mediamonkey program. Go to the Icecast compilation and you will find Swiss Radio immediately. Type slow in the search bar, and all the IP offerings will appear. Once again, please remember how many others there are. You will be amazed.
I have to mention that if you decide not to use Winamp or Mediamonkey, there are tons of free and commercial stations available just using your browser. I do not use anything Windows. I use firefox. Type in a search for AOL radio. It may even come in as CBS Radio (all the AOL stations are being hosted and produced by CBS). Once their program comes on the screen make a new account up (no charge) and follow the instructions. You will be able to choose from dozens upon dozens of lightly commercialized music stations. In addition, if you miss your home town, you will be able to listen to most of the larger cities in the U.S. over your computer by just finding the city, and choosing the station you want. This is where you will find out how many stations exist in one place owned by only ONE company. That is a let-down. On the other hand, having lived on Long Island for so many years, it is nice to hear WINS or WCBS am come in as clear as a bell. I get to laugh at the traffic tie-ups on the Van Wyck, or the Southern State Parkway.
Finally, I should mention that the music, and anything else you hear in this manner will be marked as to its headroom. That is to say that a 24 mb is probably alright for speech where a 128 mb will be generally the bottom for good music listening. Try the highest you can find and work down. I found that the Icecast listing on Mediamonkey has an IP station at 256. Presently, I am listening to their soft rock at 160 which is already excellent.
That's it. When you think that old computer is a goner, look again. There are companies ready, willing, and able to sell a machine which will ONLY tune in the stations (not all of the stations available to your PC) to the tune of about $200 or more. Stand back for a second and see what is good for you. I grew up with shortwave. That's all about screams, and pops and lots of hissing before a staion comes in sounding like it was canned at a Green Giant plant. I like my music as close to the original CD as possible.....PLEASE. Plus, I also enjoy picking up what other countries try to pass on as Rock and Roll. You'll be amazed how many European radio stations play "Trance" music. You'll also be surprised (using Winamp) how many German stations there are broadcasting music and a live picture of the DJ in the studio. It is a learning experience to say the least.
The sky's the limit. You say you want to get rid of that old 486? I have a junked power supply..........Good luck
PS: For Linux users, the same rules prevail except that Mediamonkey and Winamp do not exist in any Linux distro. You can get a listing of radio channels off the Firefox web browser. You can also fire up AMAROK in both the Mandriva and Ubuntu distributions ( I am not familiar with other distros as I use only Mandriva and Ubuntu on my personal machine). AOL/CBS has now been tweaked to work correctly with the Firefox browser in Linux. The sky is still the limit. BTW...the AMAROK listing is VERY complete. Good luck
AFG
A few years ago, XM showed up on my DirecTv subscription. I thought it was the best thing since packaged white bread. There were so many channels, and so much music to ignore ....uh...enjoy. A few years later, I realized that I was getting short-changed by DirecTv on basically the same package from Dish Network. For the same monthly subscription charge, I could have the same (except for three or four) channels available plus all of the Encore network (Encore West) and two western feeds of The Movie Channel AND lots of additional educational programming which was not available on DirecTv at all.
Dish Network did not carry XM. It had its' own aggregation of music channels, in addition to some older monaural channels from Muzak. It did carry the same amount of musical channels from Sirius. Therefore, I had no reason to go out and buy any decoder for either company. I listen to my own cd compilations and local news in the car. Why buy another subscription?
Then, I discovered WI-FI. I had been building my own computers for some time. An old Compaq/HP was just about to go out the door with the still-working monitor when I started to actually think. I upped the memory a bit, and found that the Celeron already installed plus the lan card I had installed made this machine ready to do one thing very well. It could bring all of the music available in the world into my home at no cost. At no cost sounded good (I had the memory sticks available from earlier builds).
I made sure that XP was up to date. Then I downloaded the next version of Winamp. I also learned along the way that there was a program called MediaMonkey which also had a listing of radio sites and other available tools. I downloaded the free version. Both Winamp and Mediamonkey offer a paid version which includes other 'top notch' tools. These programs in their free versions are all I need.
From there on, I only had to decide where plug in the computer on my Onkyo and Yamaha (I set up a way I could switch between the two receivers). All one has to do at this point is kick on the computer, open Winamp, and go to the Shoutcast page. Shoutcast is a fat list of music available from commercial broadcasters and free broadcasters around the world. Of the commercial broadcasters I enjoy Radio Flemme (France), and Radio Rouge (Italy). There are many others. You make the choice. Of the non-commercial broadcasters my favorites (at this time) are Radio Paradise, Pandora, all the offerings of Swiss Radio, and a smaller broadcaster calle IP from Swizerland. You will find the Swiss offerings more easily in the Mediamonkey program. Go to the Icecast compilation and you will find Swiss Radio immediately. Type slow in the search bar, and all the IP offerings will appear. Once again, please remember how many others there are. You will be amazed.
I have to mention that if you decide not to use Winamp or Mediamonkey, there are tons of free and commercial stations available just using your browser. I do not use anything Windows. I use firefox. Type in a search for AOL radio. It may even come in as CBS Radio (all the AOL stations are being hosted and produced by CBS). Once their program comes on the screen make a new account up (no charge) and follow the instructions. You will be able to choose from dozens upon dozens of lightly commercialized music stations. In addition, if you miss your home town, you will be able to listen to most of the larger cities in the U.S. over your computer by just finding the city, and choosing the station you want. This is where you will find out how many stations exist in one place owned by only ONE company. That is a let-down. On the other hand, having lived on Long Island for so many years, it is nice to hear WINS or WCBS am come in as clear as a bell. I get to laugh at the traffic tie-ups on the Van Wyck, or the Southern State Parkway.
Finally, I should mention that the music, and anything else you hear in this manner will be marked as to its headroom. That is to say that a 24 mb is probably alright for speech where a 128 mb will be generally the bottom for good music listening. Try the highest you can find and work down. I found that the Icecast listing on Mediamonkey has an IP station at 256. Presently, I am listening to their soft rock at 160 which is already excellent.
That's it. When you think that old computer is a goner, look again. There are companies ready, willing, and able to sell a machine which will ONLY tune in the stations (not all of the stations available to your PC) to the tune of about $200 or more. Stand back for a second and see what is good for you. I grew up with shortwave. That's all about screams, and pops and lots of hissing before a staion comes in sounding like it was canned at a Green Giant plant. I like my music as close to the original CD as possible.....PLEASE. Plus, I also enjoy picking up what other countries try to pass on as Rock and Roll. You'll be amazed how many European radio stations play "Trance" music. You'll also be surprised (using Winamp) how many German stations there are broadcasting music and a live picture of the DJ in the studio. It is a learning experience to say the least.
The sky's the limit. You say you want to get rid of that old 486? I have a junked power supply..........Good luck
PS: For Linux users, the same rules prevail except that Mediamonkey and Winamp do not exist in any Linux distro. You can get a listing of radio channels off the Firefox web browser. You can also fire up AMAROK in both the Mandriva and Ubuntu distributions ( I am not familiar with other distros as I use only Mandriva and Ubuntu on my personal machine). AOL/CBS has now been tweaked to work correctly with the Firefox browser in Linux. The sky is still the limit. BTW...the AMAROK listing is VERY complete. Good luck
AFG
Notes on Switching Over to Digital Television
by Anthony F. Genco M.Ed.
Now that the date for the switch to digital television has changed from February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009 it is still important to review and explain what this is all about. Besides having been with Radio Shack for some years as a manager, I have also learned how to build my own computers; and have done so on the side for friends and family. My interest in television (I was born in '46) goes back to the point in time where CBS was side-swiped by RCA for a color television system (CBS was first and had been mandated by the FCC in the early '50's). Had we gone with CBS at that time, the selling price of their color television system consoles was just under $500. When RCA won its' case in front of the public their sets in 1953 cost over $1000.
The system we use now is called analog transmission. Analog only means that what you see on the television screen is transmitted as an analog of the real program in electrical form on a radio frequency. Small oscilloscopes abound in a television control room. There one might see the result of what is picked up by the camera as a series of bars jumping and oscillating as the scene changes; matching the exact same thing in real life. Analog television really squanders lots of radio frequency to do the same thing that can be done in digital form.
Digital television is very different. The pictures picked up in the studio, say of your favorite news program, are converted to digits. Digits are the numbers 0 and 1. Everything can be digitized. It is only a matter of time before one will see analog radio transmission go the way of the gooney bird.
Presently, in analog television, the receiver gets a picture which can be influenced by many things. Ghosts and flickering pictures are a result of the analog signal bumping into buildings, moving planes, and even cars; thereby making a copy of itself and sending it along with the original transmission. Ghosts are not possible in digital transmission.
This is an important point to remember. When receiving analog transmissions, one might be able to erect a taller antenna on the roof of the house and extract a snowy but acceptable signal from a distant station. This cannot happen with digital television. It may be possible to erect a taller antenna, but the signal being received is the thing. If there is not enough signal, there will be a blank screen on the receiving end. This, or course, has prompted many returns of the digital converter boxes because the owners were expecting to be able to see the same kinds of pictures using the antenna they had on their older analog televisions. It they lived close enough to the station, and the antenna were aligned correctly, the digital signal would be adequate and look exactly like the product being produced in the studio. In short, not enough signal, no picture or sound.
On the other hand, as an example, your local PBS station when transmitting in analog form could only transmit one program on one prescribed frequency. Because the digital signal uses so much less space, the same television station can now broadcast five different programs in the same space they used to use for one. This is a great advantage to the viewer of over-the-air television. Here in the Orlando area, channel two broadcasts its' regular NBC programming on one channel dubbed -01 and has a 24 hour weather cast including local radar on channel 2-02. The same goes for channel six which transmits its' CBS offerings on 6-01 and Spanish language programming on 6-02. Since I installed my own decoders and connected them to my own televisions, I am able to watch over twenty channels of programming which were never available to me before. The best part is that if the signal is correct, and the antenna is aligned correctly, there are no ghosts and the picture looks exactly as it did coming out of the transmitting studio. This is the greatest advantage of digital television broadcasting.
Let's go down the options of the normal television viewer in the Orlando area.
Firstly, if the TV is attached to the local cable system, the local channels will be part of the programming paid for each month. Will they pass on all the digital channels available? That is a question to be answered by the cable company.
Secondly, if TV is connected to DirectTv, the package chosen is usually priced with the locals included. They do not have to include the locals. If you have your own antenna and a decoder for each television, you do not have to pay them for what you can get for free. This is important to remember because they will not advance this information to you. DirecTv presently charges $3 for the local package, and $5 for each one of their boxes in your house. Ask questions by all means!
Thirdly, Dish Network prices its' services differently. A package for 250 channels which includes movies, music, and lots of sports will be priced only for the satellite programming. Dish Network asks that you request the locals at $5 per month. Remember, their pricing does not include the local programming. Further, Dish Network's system is different than its' competitor. In a two room system, there is only one satellite box. It alone decodes the program individually for each room. The second room will have its' own remote and will communicate with the box in the living room via a UHF system. Both rooms can be using the same box at the same time, yet be watching different programming. The rental of the first box is part of the program package. There is no charge for the second room at all. This is a small advantage over DirecTv. Please investigate this on your own.
In the fourth place is over-the-air television. I ordered the coupons for the decoders early last year. By last Summer, I had installed them on my televisions. I take Dish Network programming, but do not take the locals. One does not need any special antenna for digital television reception. Do not be fooled. Do not let someone sell you something you do not need. If your exterior antenna is in good shape, or you are satisfied with your indoor set-top rabbit ears, then try these first after installing the decoder.
The coupon you will receive in the mail has a 90 day shelf life. If you do not use the coupon in the ninety day limit, then it will not be any good whatsoever. Access to the Federal Governments' website is available on all the major television stations' websites. The major retailers including Sears, Best Buy, Radio Shack and HH Gregg to name a few carry the decoders. It is simple to connect the decoder between the antenna and your older analog television. You know it is analog if there is no large protrusion in the back for the extension of the picture tube neck. If your screen is flat, is one and one half inches or less in width, you probably have a digital television. Look at the instruction manual of the television if there is a question. If your TV is newer than just a few years, it may already have a digital over-the-air tuner included. Read you televisions instruction manual. It will tell you a lot.
Finally, and most importantly, as I mentioned earlier, the signal is everything in digital television. In my case, I have mounted the set-top antenna in a corner on and end-table so that it might be where the signals from many stations cross in the living room. Even so, channel 9 in the Orlando area has its' problems. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. There will always be some way you can adjust the antenna, or move it in some way so that all stations will come in with adequate signal power. When in doubt, an outdoor roof antenna is really the best. Any antenna from Radio Shack will do the job. Remember no special antenna is needed for digital television.
That's it. Be strong. Be willful and resourceful. The only thing to be gained is great television reception and a crisp and clear picture which is hands above anything I ever could receive using analog TV and a nine year old 32" Toshiba.
Enjoy your new viewing options. I'll be back again when digital radio sneaks into our midst; perhaps in three years?
by Anthony F. Genco M.Ed.
Now that the date for the switch to digital television has changed from February 17, 2009 to June 12, 2009 it is still important to review and explain what this is all about. Besides having been with Radio Shack for some years as a manager, I have also learned how to build my own computers; and have done so on the side for friends and family. My interest in television (I was born in '46) goes back to the point in time where CBS was side-swiped by RCA for a color television system (CBS was first and had been mandated by the FCC in the early '50's). Had we gone with CBS at that time, the selling price of their color television system consoles was just under $500. When RCA won its' case in front of the public their sets in 1953 cost over $1000.
The system we use now is called analog transmission. Analog only means that what you see on the television screen is transmitted as an analog of the real program in electrical form on a radio frequency. Small oscilloscopes abound in a television control room. There one might see the result of what is picked up by the camera as a series of bars jumping and oscillating as the scene changes; matching the exact same thing in real life. Analog television really squanders lots of radio frequency to do the same thing that can be done in digital form.
Digital television is very different. The pictures picked up in the studio, say of your favorite news program, are converted to digits. Digits are the numbers 0 and 1. Everything can be digitized. It is only a matter of time before one will see analog radio transmission go the way of the gooney bird.
Presently, in analog television, the receiver gets a picture which can be influenced by many things. Ghosts and flickering pictures are a result of the analog signal bumping into buildings, moving planes, and even cars; thereby making a copy of itself and sending it along with the original transmission. Ghosts are not possible in digital transmission.
This is an important point to remember. When receiving analog transmissions, one might be able to erect a taller antenna on the roof of the house and extract a snowy but acceptable signal from a distant station. This cannot happen with digital television. It may be possible to erect a taller antenna, but the signal being received is the thing. If there is not enough signal, there will be a blank screen on the receiving end. This, or course, has prompted many returns of the digital converter boxes because the owners were expecting to be able to see the same kinds of pictures using the antenna they had on their older analog televisions. It they lived close enough to the station, and the antenna were aligned correctly, the digital signal would be adequate and look exactly like the product being produced in the studio. In short, not enough signal, no picture or sound.
On the other hand, as an example, your local PBS station when transmitting in analog form could only transmit one program on one prescribed frequency. Because the digital signal uses so much less space, the same television station can now broadcast five different programs in the same space they used to use for one. This is a great advantage to the viewer of over-the-air television. Here in the Orlando area, channel two broadcasts its' regular NBC programming on one channel dubbed -01 and has a 24 hour weather cast including local radar on channel 2-02. The same goes for channel six which transmits its' CBS offerings on 6-01 and Spanish language programming on 6-02. Since I installed my own decoders and connected them to my own televisions, I am able to watch over twenty channels of programming which were never available to me before. The best part is that if the signal is correct, and the antenna is aligned correctly, there are no ghosts and the picture looks exactly as it did coming out of the transmitting studio. This is the greatest advantage of digital television broadcasting.
Let's go down the options of the normal television viewer in the Orlando area.
Firstly, if the TV is attached to the local cable system, the local channels will be part of the programming paid for each month. Will they pass on all the digital channels available? That is a question to be answered by the cable company.
Secondly, if TV is connected to DirectTv, the package chosen is usually priced with the locals included. They do not have to include the locals. If you have your own antenna and a decoder for each television, you do not have to pay them for what you can get for free. This is important to remember because they will not advance this information to you. DirecTv presently charges $3 for the local package, and $5 for each one of their boxes in your house. Ask questions by all means!
Thirdly, Dish Network prices its' services differently. A package for 250 channels which includes movies, music, and lots of sports will be priced only for the satellite programming. Dish Network asks that you request the locals at $5 per month. Remember, their pricing does not include the local programming. Further, Dish Network's system is different than its' competitor. In a two room system, there is only one satellite box. It alone decodes the program individually for each room. The second room will have its' own remote and will communicate with the box in the living room via a UHF system. Both rooms can be using the same box at the same time, yet be watching different programming. The rental of the first box is part of the program package. There is no charge for the second room at all. This is a small advantage over DirecTv. Please investigate this on your own.
In the fourth place is over-the-air television. I ordered the coupons for the decoders early last year. By last Summer, I had installed them on my televisions. I take Dish Network programming, but do not take the locals. One does not need any special antenna for digital television reception. Do not be fooled. Do not let someone sell you something you do not need. If your exterior antenna is in good shape, or you are satisfied with your indoor set-top rabbit ears, then try these first after installing the decoder.
The coupon you will receive in the mail has a 90 day shelf life. If you do not use the coupon in the ninety day limit, then it will not be any good whatsoever. Access to the Federal Governments' website is available on all the major television stations' websites. The major retailers including Sears, Best Buy, Radio Shack and HH Gregg to name a few carry the decoders. It is simple to connect the decoder between the antenna and your older analog television. You know it is analog if there is no large protrusion in the back for the extension of the picture tube neck. If your screen is flat, is one and one half inches or less in width, you probably have a digital television. Look at the instruction manual of the television if there is a question. If your TV is newer than just a few years, it may already have a digital over-the-air tuner included. Read you televisions instruction manual. It will tell you a lot.
Finally, and most importantly, as I mentioned earlier, the signal is everything in digital television. In my case, I have mounted the set-top antenna in a corner on and end-table so that it might be where the signals from many stations cross in the living room. Even so, channel 9 in the Orlando area has its' problems. Don't try to re-invent the wheel. There will always be some way you can adjust the antenna, or move it in some way so that all stations will come in with adequate signal power. When in doubt, an outdoor roof antenna is really the best. Any antenna from Radio Shack will do the job. Remember no special antenna is needed for digital television.
That's it. Be strong. Be willful and resourceful. The only thing to be gained is great television reception and a crisp and clear picture which is hands above anything I ever could receive using analog TV and a nine year old 32" Toshiba.
Enjoy your new viewing options. I'll be back again when digital radio sneaks into our midst; perhaps in three years?
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