Dimming those HR20 blues (lights, that is)

I was studying the DirecTV HR20 DVR user manual over the weekend to try to find out how to get the best quality sound out of it and into my new Harman Kardon AVR245 (this is the subject of a forthcoming post, and a preview is: WOOHOO! It's here!).

Tucked in amongst all the not-so-friendly troubleshooting tips was this little gem:

To dim those blindingly bright blue lights on the "light wheel" on the front of the HR20, simply press both the left AND right arrows on either side of the wheel at the same time. The light intensity of the wheel will cycle through varying levels of dimness, eventually turning off completely. I count four cycles of brightness.

Needless to say, after causing our living room carpet to fade from the intensity of the status lights (I'm only partly kidding), they're now as dim as they can be without not lighting up at all.

they should call it american DENIAL

Now that I'm fast-forwarding through my DVR's collection of shows from the sixth season of American Idol, I've finally come to understand why I'm so fascinated by these lead-off cattle-call shows yet so very uninterested in the subsequent "you made it to Hollywood!" shows that eventually winnow the pool down to the winner. My fascination comes from realizing I sit watching, mouth agape, at how deep in denial the lionshare of these contestants manage to live.

This season's opening cattle-calls in Minneapolis and Seattle have illustrated like no others just how powerfully (painfully?) an individual's denial can separate them from reality. It seems like the worse the auditioning singer, the more adamant they are that everyone else just can't appreciate how superbly talented they are. Now, I'm no expert in spotting singing talent, but even I know when I hear folks that, to put it plainly, sing real bad. Equipped with this knowledge, I can also spot when a given "talent" (methinks) doth protest too much at being told they're awful.

And that's what makes the cattle call shows that open each season of American Idol so very much fun for me. It's an illustration over and over and over just how delusional these kids are that they possess some kind of singing talent. If only they'd expend a similar amount of energy opening their minds to feedback and redirection, they might become something. Alas and alack they don't: they're in heavy denial, and seemingly happily so.

And like every other season but the first, I'll quit watching AI once they convene the contestants in Hollywood (dawg!). It's at this stage that the talent consistently acts in diva-like ways to sabotage their own futures, and I think that's even worse than fate befallen those in denial who never made it out of the first round.

(thank goodness the HR20 seems to be recording the shows as intended... fingers crossed)

parallels install on mac mini

Six and a half months after blogging about Parallels software being released for the Mac (to rave reviews), I finally installed it yesterday on our Mac Mini.

The process was rather painless: it took all of 20 minutes to do the actual install (from opening the shrink wrap on the software box to hitting the "done" button). The Mac Mini itself acts as our AV center (holds approx 40GB of iTunes songs and acts as our primary DVD player) using the Toshiba 42HP66 as a 42" HD monitor. The Mini has access to the internet via wireless connection through an Apple AirPort Express.

So, Parallels, in "easy install" mode, claimed an 8GB partition (half the remaining free space on the hard drive) for itself, and I successfully installed WinXP in that partition. I'd used the WinXP install CD that came with our dearly departed Gateway PC, and I have 30 days to get a new authorization code to get full functionality. I'd forgotten just how confusing the Windows install could be and am glad I don't have to do that again anytime soon. Given my past difficulties getting Windows to properly install on a PC (or three), I was pleasantly surprised at the error-free install on the Mac!

Why do I bother to run Windows on our Mac? So that we could install Microsoft Money 2006 and manage our finances. I've done some research and it seems true that the available mac osx personal finance software available leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you've been spoiled enough to use either Quicken or Money on a PC. Having Money installed on our Mac Mini will allow both Mel and I to manage our finances (instead of having the files on one of our laptops). Of course, "access to" doesn't mean "regularly uses." But we'll see how well it goes.

Money was a breeze to install, and after 20 minutes of setup, all our accounts had been configured and the last 90 days of transactions had been successfully imported. No hiccups with the Parallels WinXP accessing the internet (which was a worry pre-install). All in all, very pleased with the experience.

Get your copy of Parallels software on Amazon.

my technical quest: 100 day update

I posted last fall about my technical quest, and updated the experience a few weeks later.

Now we've had our new HDTV/DVR/Mac Mini setup for 100 days, and here's my report card on the performance:

• HD programming and the DirecTV HR-20 HD DVR. The HD television experience is still a dream. But, as I've been blogging here, I've been entirely too inconvenienced by the bugs infecting the DirecTV HR-20's performance to leave me anywhere close to satisfied with this experience. The HR-20 has been so unreliable that I've taken to programming the old Standard Definition TiVo to record the same programs as backup. The DirecTV folks don't quite seem to understand that a satisfied customer doesn't set aside time to reboot their equipment (losing 10 minutes of live TV) when they plan to watch live TV. And by no means does a satisfied customer think it's acceptable that the DVR "lost" programs it was set to record. I don't record twelve weeks of Amazing Race only to have the DVR fail to record the finale due to a "known issue." Perhaps I'm spoiled by the fact we own a TiVo series one DVR that has never (I mean never) failed us once. If only the TiVo Series Three was reported to be just as reliable as the one, I'd quickly make the switch. Seems we're all on the bleeding edge of HD DVR technology. I feel bad for folks who don't have a technical inclination like I do (the DirecTV help forum is crawling with them, btw). grade: C- (down from a B- 90 days ago)
• Plasma as Mac Mini monitor. I got the Wireless Mighty Mouse and the Wireless Keyboard (both are Bluetooth devices), and the setup is working great. Still using the analog switch to go back and forth between DVR and Mac Mini, but we've grown used to it. Given the TV's 42" size, I can sit at the dining room table fifteen feet away with the keyboard and mouse on my place mat and use the TV as my monitor when I forget to bring home the power adapter for my MacBook Pro. The Mini recognizes our Toshiba 42HP66 TV as a monitor in the setup, so the picture is sharp and clear and lossless. Well, the only nit I have to pick is that it looks like there's a 15 pixel band that's hidden from top and bottom of the display. Not enough to compromise functionality, but I can't see the bottom of the icons in my dock. Oh, and a bonus to the HD tv as monitor: we now iChat with folks via the big screen TV instead of huddling around a small laptop monitor. grade: A- (from an incomplete 90 days ago)
• Mac Mini as music source. Still haven't bought a new optical cable to improve sound quality from the Mac Mini to the Receiver, but that's because I'm still waiting for the Harman Kardon to come in. Amazon notified me that it was backordered and then notified me a couple weeks later that they no longer had any units to sell. So I've ordered a Harman Kardon AVR 245 (due in four weeks) and will get the optical once that's come in (no sense doing it on the Yamaha at this point). I'll admit it's great having all my iTunes available on the Mini... and as a super-duper Laserium-laced flashback bonus, I turn on the iTunes Visualizer and put it on full-screen mode to get a high-def stoner special on the Toshiba. While I should really keep this at incomplete, I'm giving it a grade on the current setup (with the Yamaha HTR-5140) expecting it to get better with the HK hooked up. grade: B (from an incomplete 90 days ago)
• Mac Mini as DVD player. This has continued to be the high point of the experience. I've had no problems using the Mini as our primary DVD player. grade:(steady from a A+ 90 days ago)

So what's left to do? Not that I'm in any hurry, but I could see the following items happening in the next year or so:

• Hook up our new Canon Pixma 530 printer to our Airport network so we can print from any computer in the house
  
• As mentioned above, acquire and install the HK AVR 245 receiver. It's a 7.1 receiver, so I'd be interested in getting another 2 speakers for 7.1 sound (or sending the signal to speakers to be installed above our patio out back)
  
• Change the HDMI switcher to be an automatic switcher instead of a manual one.
• Get out of the DirecTV HR-20 contract and get into a TiVo Series 3
• Consolidate the four remotes controlling the system into one multi-function remote
• Permanently install our rear surround speakers instead of having them on stands that we move into place when it's a movie night and then "store" at the front of the room all other times
  

save time calling DirecTV technical support

Bookmark this entry if you want to cut ten minutes off each call to DirecTV Technical Support.

Call 1-800-695-9251. At the prompt use PIN 1337 (see update below)

Why am I sharing? Well, with tonight's call, I've now spent over ten hours of my life on the phone with DirecTV.

Up until now, I've always called their published 800‑824‑9081 number and had to navigate the IVR system to sit in the queue waiting for a Customer Service Rep to tell me they need to transfer me to Technical Support so I can wait in yet another queue.

After I got the standard "you'll need to reboot your receiver" solution to my latest problem, I asked how to get directly to Technical Support instead of having to wait for the transfer from the main line. And that's how I got the number above.

I wonder if their choice of "LEET" as the PIN was intentional?

Of course, if it's not tech support you need, follow the workaround published by the folks over at the GetHuman database. (HINT: don't respond to the IVR request to say "yes"... don't press or say anything)

UPDATE (3/3/07): The PIN they give out only lasts five days so bloggers like me can't give everyone the workaround. Since I'm still pissed at the way I was treated on today's call, I'll share with you the PIN good for the next five days. It's 1537

i am The Flash

Thanks to the folks over on the LifeDev blog, I took a superhero quiz this morning to find out I'm Flash of all heroes. I guess I'd better get used to wearing red spandex.

I am The Flash Fast, athletic and flirtatious.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...

idea for the Gmail team

I'm a huge fan of the Gmail interface, and I especially like that its so easy to access from my Treo 650.

If I could change but one thing, it'd be the "delete all spam" function in the spam folder.

I try to keep my spam folder clean, and I love the "delete all spam messages now" button that appears at the top of the page. However, when I click the button, I'm challenged with an "are you sure?" prompt that requires yet another click. Two clicks to delete all the spam.

However, if I choose to select all messages from the selection menu (that's one click) and then choose delete (that's two clicks), I get the same result.

IMHO, the "now" function should be a one-click function, n'est-ce pas?

Maybe they have those lazy users with pages of spam in mind for the now function?

My DirecTV HD DVR bug workaround

As posted earlier here and here, I'm still having trouble with my DirecTV HR20 HD DVR. In talking with Customer Support and poring over the DBStalk Forum, I've discovered a troubleshooting sequence for the IKD bug (aka the Instant Keep or Delete bug):

• If your program is infected by the IKD bug (when you try to play, it immediately asks you to keep or delete the program), try to play the infected program several times in a row, answering "no, don't delete" each time. There are reports that this technique has gotten the programs to play... I'm still waiting for the magic to happen to me.
  
• If the above doesn't work, try a soft reboot (press the red button in the compartment where the card slot is, front right bottom of the HR20) to see if they'll work... DirecTV Customer Support has this trick in their support script.
  
• If all else fails, do a hard reboot (i.e., unplug it from the wall, wait 20 seconds, plug in and power up) to erase the IKD-infected shows from the play list.

Yesterday, the IKD bug struck my HR20 again. Before calling customer service, I tried the above steps and finally had to do a hard reboot and I lost the 12 programs that had been "recorded" in the last day. So, no Scrubs, The Office or 30 Rock this week. And no Windtalker off the HDNet Movies Channel.

I spent 20 min on the phone with Theresa at DirecTV Customer Support last night and she apologized for the inconvenience and reported that the IKD is a known bug and they'll be releasing a software update again soon (per DBSTalk.com forum, the IKD bug was first reported on 9/27/06). Interesting, I'd heard that promise before.

My HR20 DVR has been running the "latest" software upgrade (ver. 0x10b) since Tues, Dec 19, and according to Jamie, the Tier 2 support rep I spoke with on Dec 15, the latest upgrade was supposed to solve this IKD bug. Needless to say, it hasn't.

I told Theresa (phone call on Dec 28) that I still hadn't been called back by a service tech (from phone call on Dec 15) to help resolve my "disk almost full" problem. She said that's unacceptable and someone will call soon. I'm not waiting for the phone to ring today.

They've once again failed to follow through. I've decided I'm going to call in each time I have problems so as to build a case for their failing to uphold their end of the service contract I've signed. In case I want to switch back to TiVo and splurge on a Series 3, natch.

100 things we didn't know last year...

The BBC has pulled together its list of trivia, pulled together from its Magazine's weekly "10 Things We Didn't Know Last Week" segment.

Among the full list of 100 facts, my favs include:

• The lion costume in the film Wizard of Oz was made from real lions. (more details)
• When filming summer scenes in winter, actors suck on ice cubes just before the camera rolls - it cools their mouths so their breath doesn't condense in the cold air. (more details)
• Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobiacs is the term for people who fear the number 666.
• Music can help reduce chronic pain by more than 20% and can alleviate depression by up to 25%. (more details)

... and to settle the argument once and for all:

• The egg came first. (more details)

DirecTV HR20 HD DVR problems, cont.

Grumble, grumble.

It's now four days since Tier 2 Support at DirecTV informed me I'd be getting the software upgrade that will prevent my DirecTV HR20 HD DVR from skipping recording the shows I've asked it to. Turns out that's not a bad thing, as once the software upgrade comes through, I've been warned I'll lose the ability to get help from Customer Support because they won't know how to support the build (why doesn't this bother me more than it does?)

The good news: I've only had to reboot the machine once since then (because the remote decided to stop functioning, even after fresh batteries were installed). And I've found the DBStalk forums for lots of geeky advice on how to work around issues related to the HR20.

The bad news: My progress bar shows that we have only 15% of our hard drive free due to the phantom "new items" that were recorded but I can't get to thanks to the software bug. And I don't have the frickin' time to be trolling the DBStalk forum trying to get this device to work.

When I visited the DirecTV.com web site, I was more than a little surprised to see that "due to unprecedented demand," the DirecTV HD DVR is waitlisted. It's either high demand, or they're still trying to iron out the bugs before shipping more of the units (see what's happening in the DirecTV HD DVR forums).

I see there's a deal over on Costco.com for a new TiVo Series 3 for "only" $649.99. If I get my purchase price refunded from DirecTV for the malfunctioning equipment, the gap closes to something palatable. It's sorely tempting to jettison the DirecTV HD DVR and go back to good old TiVo, but I'll have to read the fine print on the HR20 purchase agreement to see how long I'm shackled to a poorly functioning device... I'm sure the large switching penalties are tucked in there somewhere.

DirecTV HD DVR recording problems

I just got off a 65 minute call with DirecTV trying (unsuccessfully) to retrieve the last week's worth of "recorded" shows on our DirecTV HR20 HD DVR. Even though I've been credited with a month's worth of programming on our bill, I'm pissed that we've lost a week's worth of shows. What's the use buying a time-shifting device when it's unreliable?

The playlist on our DVR has been filling up as it's supposed to with the names of shows we've asked it to record. Since I've been gone on business, Melanie didn't watch any of the shows so we can watch them together.

When we went to watch the season finale of Amazing Race (recorded last Sunday), we chose the show from our playlist, pressed play and were greeted by a grey screen and an immediate popup of the "Delete Recording?" message that usually comes up when we reach the end of a show that's been recorded.

WTF?

We tried it on a few other shows in the list, and it was the same thing, no matter whether the show was in Hi-Def or standard-def.

I called the DirecTV support line and the first thing it tells you to do is reset your receiver (the old "reboot" solution). So I did... And I went back to the playlist to find that every single show that was "recorded" since Dec 8 has mysteriously disappeared from our playlist.

Again, WTF!?!?

The disk space indicator on our Playlist indicates that the shows should be there. The History list indicates that the shows were recorded. But there's no way to watch them.

By this time, I'd been shuttled forward to "Tier 2" support for the new-fangled, complex equipment supplied by DirecTV. After 10 minutes on hold I finally spoke with Jamie and described my problem. She indicated this was a novel one and put me on hold again (with my consent) while she looked up the solution.

When she came back, she asked me what software version I'm running (version 0acf, downloaded on 11/22/06) and this seems to be the problem. Since this software was downloaded, several others have encountered the same issue with "phantom recordings" in their playlist.

BUT, no one else seems to have the disk space anomaly that I've got.

We did a hard reset (unplug from the wall for 15 seconds) of the system so that the next software patch will initiate within 24 hours. At that time, we'll be upgraded to version x10b, which is the new version that has supposedly fixed the Nov 22 version's phantom recording glitch.

Whether or not this is going to resolve our faulty disk space indicator is unknown, and Jamie was kind enough to forward the details to the engineers to take a look at (and hopefully resolve). Part of me hopes the shows are still on the drive, but just in need of some remote button hack sequence to free them.

However, given the fact that Jamie says the next step is usually to reformat the hard drive, thereby erasing all my recorded programming, I'm not holding my breath.

As I told Jamie, this really feels like a horribly designed product. Why should I be forced to give up months worth of saved television programming as a "troubleshooting technique"? The DirecTV product design folks really missed the mark on this thing.

I want my TiVo back.

back in the city

Landed at JFK airport about 90 minutes ago and am back in NYC for the first time in a little over a year.

The view out my taxi's window on the BQE looking toward the Manhattan skyline at dusk was stunning. All the skyscrapers are in their holiday light finest.

Odd to notice I've been here so infrequently, it's still suddenly odd to find the WTC towers missing.

the perfect gift for your cook

It seems like years ago that I saw a blurb in the San Jose Mercury News Food section announcing that there was a cookbook editor seeking recipe testers. Thinking it'd be fun to test recipes, I submitted my contact info and a short bio asking to be included as a tester. The promised mention of "credit" in the book as well as a copy of the book for my own collection wasn't my prime motivator: I wanted to see what it was like to take a draft recipe and give feedback that'd help idiot-proof the thing for the next user.

I remember testing recipes for broiled chicken (where I learned how to get the skins extra crispy), a blueberry pie (waaaay too sweet), cheese sticks (came out a little on the salty side) and submitting my comments to the editors. Unfortunately, I lost my recipe printouts with notes scribbled on them while mixing/sauteeing/baking, but I have the originals in my gmail box.

And now the book has been published, and I have my very own autographed copy on the shelf alongside all my other cookbooks. As a tester, I've been forwarded the following special deal to share with you all. You can get a copy of this book for yourself (or to give as a gift) and you'll find me and the other testers in the Appendix in the back.

Get your autographed copy of The Good Home Cookbook for only $15! You will also receive a FREE retro magnetic grocery pad!

Plus you will be entered to win a FREE gift box containing our best-selling Retro Diner and More Retro Diner cookbooks, a large diner-style coffee mug, and The Good Home Cookbook apron.

Offer expires December 15 so don't delay! Order at:
www.collectorspress.com. Enter the code "DEAL" to receive this generous offer. Order a few extra for gifts at this incredible price!

Of course, if you ask nicely, I'm happy to autograph your copy, too. ;^)

giving away united premiere status

Thanks to my having flown over 40k miles on United this year, I've been given the privilege of bestowing United Premiere Associate status on someone.

Here's what being a Premiere Associate will get you:

• Access to United Economy Plus - Stretch out with up to five extra inches of legroom in the special seating section in the front of economy. Available on a first-come-first-serve basis at the time of booking
• Dedicated call center lines - Provides single-source convenience and enhanced customer support
• Premium check-in - Access to airport Premier check-in lines
• Priority waitlist - Higher priority than general members for waitlist clearance (e.g. upgrades, access to Mileage Plus membership benefits)
• Priority security - Ensures speed and convenience by providing access to elite-level security lines (where available and permitted by local airport authorities)
• Priority standby - Gives priority above general members for same-day standby travel
• Priority boarding - Permits boarding in Seating Area 1, allowing you to board earlier and have access to overhead bin space and extra time to settle in pre-departure to relax
• Alliance Silver - Allows access to priority waitlist and priority standby benefits across the Star Alliance network
• Upgrades at Elite Level Pricing - purchase upgrades at a discount elite price
• Earn more miles with the Mileage Plus Visa - Premier Associate members have no limit to the miles they can earn with the Mileage Plus Visa
• Preferred upgrade clearance on 500 Mile Upgrades - Upgrades are confirmed 36 hours before departure, based on availability
• Non air awards - Redeem miles for car rentals and hotel stays. For more information visit www.united.com/carawards and www.united.com/hotelawards
• Unlimited Confirmed Y/B Upgrades* - With the purchase of a full-fare Economy-class ticket (on select Y/B fares*), elite members, plus one companion traveling on the same reservation, can upgrade one class of service for travel within United States, Canada, Hawaii, Caribbean, Mexico and Central America free of charge, using no miles. Subject to availability and specific fare codes. Not valid on Government fares.

If you, or someone you know, would like this perk, just drop me a line at hvytkblog@gmail.com

First come, first served.

:UPDATE: and the offer has been taken. Thanks for all who pinged me. Will let you know if the opportunity arises again.

travel humor most needed

Given the amount of time I've spent on planes recently (Premier Executive, here I come), I'm hugely appreciative of the humor invoked in creating the SkyMaul catalog.

I wish I weren't so familiar with the pages of the real SkyMall, but when my MacBook Pro battery dies, the Hemispheres magazine in the seat back is too quick a read (and someone has undoubtedly messed up the crossword AND the sodukus beyond repair), so I'm forced to flip through pages and pages of crap-I-don't-need, but are a free AirPhone call away.

Enjoy the preview pages of SkyMaul online, and buy it today.

my milky way writes back

Well, what do you know.... even though I've fully digested my Milky Way bar, star of a previous post, I got an email response to my query today. In all, I'm rather impressed with the tenor of the response (tho note the lack of mention of Snickers):

In response to your email regarding MILKY WAY BAR.

Thank you for your email.

Although peanuts are not part of the recipe for MILKY WAY BAR, we have added the statement "May Contain Peanuts" to our packages. Consumers who are highly allergic are accustomed to reading the ingredient declarations of products to look for the allergens to which they are sensitive. We feel it is important to provide these consumers with all related allergy information.

Masterfoods USA provides products that consumers who are allergic to nuts can safely enjoy. They are SKITTLES BRAND Candies and STARBURST BRAND Candies.

Sincerely,

Consumer Care
Masterfoods USA
A Division of Mars, Incorporated

MM/BEVITIMO007487617A

While I'm not entirely sure what the string of letters and numbers at the end of the message means, it may just be the poor milky way bar banging its head against the keyboard for having to recommend another Masterfoods USA competitor in case I'm one of those allergic-to-nut jobs. ;-)

And here I thought my Milky Way had a name like "Mike" or "Michelle" instead of the corporate-esqu "Consumer Care."

Maybe my Milky Way needs its own blog?

emailing the milky way folks

So much to do tonight, I just couldn't help the procrastination kicking in...

Craving something sweet, I stuck my hand in one of our big bags o' leftover Halloween candy and came up with a fun size Milky Way bar. Not my first choice, but a satisfactory candy-roulette result so I flipped it over in my paw to begin to tear open the wrapper when an email address caught my eye.

Specifically, the exhortation:

Questions or Comments? call 1-800-551-9985 or email us at AskMilkyway@MMMars.com

My candy now has an email address? What would a candy bar say if it could talk? What would a candy bar write if it could email? What the hell would I ask my candy bar?

Inspiration greeted me on the other side of the wrapper:

MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS

So I responded to my muse and sent the following off as my introductory email to my (now fully digested) Milky Way:

Hi,

Love your Milky Way candy bars. I was looking at the wrapper of a fun-size bar I got for Halloween and noticed it says "MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS"

Who decides whether a Milky Way bar will contain peanuts or not? Wouldn't including peanuts make it a Snickers?

Your fan,
Thomas

Will let you know what comes back my way. It's already been to long for the old auto-reply trick, but I think the email/call centers in Bangladesh are running at full steam at this hour.

clouds at sunset off waikiki

clouds at sunset off waikiki
Originally uploaded by thomas pix.

Made it out of today's meeting in time to dash upstairs and grab my camera to rush out and take pictures as the sun set.

Our meetings have been really productive, but at the cost of not being able to enjoy the sun and sand here in Hawaii.

I'll get some time Saturday to go out and about, but the enjoyment will be a little hollow since I won't have the family with me. Traveling solo is fine and all, but I'd much rather share the experience with Melanie and the girls than take it in on my own.

Aloha

treo 650 sync to meetingmaker universal - success!

Last spring, I volunteered to be the MacBook Pro guinea pig at our office: the first one to move to the new Intel chip and all the delightful challenges the new chip presented. You see, my 12" PowerBook was in the midst of its death throes, and I just couldn't take losing days of data (in between backups) anymore. Much as I loved the take-it-anywhere size of the 12" PB, the overheating and constant crashing and general surliness of a machine that's lived beyond its time got to me. I was at the top of the list to get a shiny new MBP the day they were shipped.

The biggest hurdle at the time (the day the MBPs were delivered to the public) was that we at the office run MeetingMaker as our group calendar, and the Universal version of MeetingMaker wasn't released when the MBP was shipped. To satisfy my role in guinea pig-dom, I had to run two different calendar apps:

1. MeetingMaker - to participate in the group calendaring exercise at work
2. Palm Desktop Calendar - to have a portable version of my calendar on my Treo for those times (read: most of my life) when I wasn't carrying around my MBP

Quite a pain-in-the-ass setup, really, but after years of having my calendar at my fingertips, it was the only way I could respond properly to someone when they asked what I was doing Saturday next other than to shrug my shoulders and say "I don't have my calendar with me."

I got in the habit of reserving 15 minutes at the end of each day to pull up MeetingMaker and Palm side-by-side on my desktop and making sure they mirrored each other before synchronizing the Palm version to my Treo 650. Not a bad deal when the changes to my schedule were confined to just the upcoming week, but as we started scheduling more and more things weeks and months out, it was a pain to try to remember how many invitations I'd received in a given day and therefore needed to mirror in both apps before going home each night.

About 3 months into this setup, our IT guy announced the MeetingMaker Universal client had been released and I could go back to one calendar. I resisted taking him up on the offer because I didn't want to sit through hours of downtime because so many times before it'd been an ugly mess when trying to sync one calendar program to another.

Now, it's five months later, and I've just installed the Universal client. And I've just sync'd my Treo directly to MeetingMaker with great success (it only took me 15 minutes to clean up all the dups).

I'm giddy knowing I've just reclaimed over an hour of productivity each week now that I no longer have to mirror two calendars.

Now, if I could just figure out those damn S01, S02, S03 files... I have it on reliable source they're generated by SnapperMail, though. Maybe I'll spend my bonus hour poking around the site for info.

in praise of opposable thumbs

Those who've spent any time in the same physical space as me have noticed I have a thumb thing... actually, it's a complete lack of respect for my own thumbs.

Or, what's left of them. I've joined an elite group of folks who can count to ten by half-digit increments. Actually, that's not true. I can only make it to 9.5, thanks to a rather unfortunate (read: dumb) run-in with a fast-spinning motorcycle chain when I was 20.

So, my left thumb ends in a nice smooth curve at the end of the first phalanx (at the knuckle), thanks to the skillful surgical handiwork for Dr John D Smoot, the plastic surgeon on call that day at Scripps Medical Center. The second phalanx (thumb bone) and its tell-tale thumb nail are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry... (Clementine)

For the longest time, I went through life half a thumb down and thought that was the worst it could get. Then, on a crisp August morning in 2001, I was a little overzealous trying to pull a flag during flag football practice and managed to tear in two the ulnar colateral ligament (UCL) in my right thumb... what had, until that point, been my "good" thumb. I now have a two inch scar at the V between thumb and forefinger indicating where they drilled a hole through my first phalanx to reattach the UCL. It's been over five years now, but I still don't have my full grasping power on my right hand (or my left, for that matter).

All this is back story for why I'm writing about thumbs today. I spent all day yesterday building a retaining wall to keep the dirt under our concrete patio from washing away in the winter rains. As part of building the wall, I used a post-hole digger to dig eleven post holes into the clay and rock below our patio.

I was prepared for sore muscles after this effort, I just had no idea how much my forearms would hurt from post-holing. Specifically, the muscles that flex when you grasp a handle: the abductor pollicis longus and extensors pollicis longus. These are the two muscles that traverse from the back to the front of your fore-arm just above your watch band. I never realized just how much I use them until I strained them post-holing yesterday. Even this morning, my left pollicis longus (longi? longa?) are swollen and fiery.

Just another reminder at how useful it is to have opposable thumbs (what's left of them)... and a sharp reminder I need to respect them a bit more if I plan to keep them working as best they can until I take my last breath.

A blurb from Massage Today caught my eye while self-diagnosing this morning via Google (can we call is google-nosing?).

We have two sesamoid bones associated with our first metacarpophalangeal joint. These bones serve as attachments of thenar muscles. The abductor pollicis brevis and flexor pollicis brevis attach to the lateral sesamoid and the proximal phalanx, while the two heads of the adductor pollicis attach to the medial sesamoid and the proximal phalanx. Both of these attachments continue on to the extensor hood, as well. It seems that over evolutionary time, some carnivore taxa had a more developed lateral sesamoid bone. This developed into a large sesamoid bone, as seen today in the Giant Pandas. Other mammals, like the raccoon, have sophisticated grasping function, but not nearly as sophisticated as ours.

Perhaps those not as intimately familiar with degraded thumb power aren't as enthralled with the anatomical bits as I am... but trust me when I say the folks at Massage Today couldn't have picked a better closer than this:

Take good care of your thumbs. They serve you well.