Kabitzin.com

New Computer Up

Kabitzin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:00:41 +0000

Unlike last time, the computer booted straight out of the box, although of course the computer was loaded up with crapware that had to be promptly uninstalled. Of course not everything was peaches and cream:

It was very difficult to get my PCI graphics card in, due to the rather packed case.
Again, the case was clearly not meant for much tinkering. The HD cage could only hold 2 drives, and it was very difficult to take it out. You had to remove it, otherwise the edge of the case made it impossible to get another HD in. This took a little tinkering to figure out, and was quite frustrating.
I had a blank list when I pulled up the Device Manager, which is never a good sign. Fortunately, the fix worked even though the message implied that it didn’t. My Device Manager now shows my devices.
I had to take ownership of my old user files, but eventually I was able to. On the downside, I am unable to get the new computer to recognize my USB external HD, but on the upside, I can just pull them directly from the old HD since apparently the HD is not the part that caused the old computer to completely die. I want to eventually fix the USB issue of course, but for now it’s not a big deal.

Speed Up

Kabitzin — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 04:38:35 +0000

I’ve been on a tweaking spree at SSAB, so I took some time to eliminate questionable plugins here and take inventory of what could be done to speed up the site. I don’t blog nearly as often here, so I wanted things to be simple and fast. I cut the header, because on small displays you can’t even see the first post.

I slapped WP Super Cache on this site since W3TC require a VPS or dedicated server to really realize its more potent features. From what I have read, Super Cache will get you similar boosts on simple sites and that is all I need since I have no desire to trouble-shoot this site all the time.

Dead PC

Kabitzin — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 04:33:55 +0000

Well it’s been nearly half a century, but my desktop PC finally kicked the bucket. Back when I had time to play video games, and thus needed a decent system, I could never see myself using the same computer this long.

zAnyway, I came to find a light flashing on the case but with everything powered off. All attempts to power on the computer failed. Simply put, nothing happened. I’m looking to get a new computer more in the lower-mid range, since all I use it for is photo editing (of Kiwi mostly) and web browsing.

It’s kinda sad how my old Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS is still several tiers higher than even the best integrated graphics chips…

Why!

Kabitzin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:18:52 +0000

Kiwi has entered the Why phase. However, I don’t think he actually cares “why?” the way most people do when they say the W-word. Instead, the word is meant to derail the target, a verbal-interrupt if you will. As such, he says it as a declarative sentence rather than as an inquiry.

Kabitzin: Kiwi, come here so I can change your diaper.

Kiwi: WHY! *immediately turns and runs away*

Kabitzin: Becau… GET BACK HERE!!!!

He doesn’t even pretend to care what the answer is…

Zesty

Kabitzin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:13:33 +0000

Hopefully durable

A month or two ago, my ComfortFusion (more like ComfortContusion considering how tight it had to be to keep air from leaking out once the silicon was broken in) broke. A clip on the side came off, and no amount of duct tape or glue could repair it. Eventually I made do by simply tying the damn strap on with dental floss, for an extra crappy hack job that kept me on edge thinking about how the thing could break and ruin my night at any moment.

I am on a different health insurance now,s o I was excited to learn that (after I jumped through the requisite hoops) I was eligible for a free mask replacement. In fact, I could get new pads every month, and a new mask every few months if I wanted. Wow! I immediately started researching and decided I wanted the EasyLife. It had very few moving parts, and one thing I always hated about the ComfortFusion was accidentally readjusting it when I really just used it in the default position all the time. It sounded awesome.

Unfortunately, when the lady came to fit me with the Respironics EasyLife, the vaunted suction never kicked in, and it sounded like I had a jet engine strapped to my face. Obviously, this was suboptimal. She then retrieved the even simpler Fisher Paykel Zest. I am a little wary of the part that holds the strap, but since my mask no longer has to last years it’s not that big a deal. Furthermore, the fitter said the mask is very durable, and the design allows for you to turn without tugging on the straps (not a huge deal, but it was nice touch). I have yet to sleep with the mask, but during fitting I noticed how much better the padding design was. I didn’t have to tighten the mask very much, and it felt light and sturdy on my face.

More Like Craptrax

Kabitzin — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:11:41 +0000

Finished 2 hours of shoveling, during which one of my fairly new Yak Trax Pro, uh, trax..es broke. The rubber webbing snapped, and so my boot went through the middle. Boo. I’d had the regular type before and they worked fine until my cats bit them to pieces. However, this pro version isn’t really better. I wrote the company an email and hopefully I can get a free replacement. I asked for an upgrade to XTR extreme too, so we’ll see how that goes.