Computer (bullshit) update

My computer will not be ready until Tuesday or Wednesday at the earliest and I am beyond pissed off. First, this was not a complicated task. Replace the chipset fan. That's it. They called last night and told me I could pick it up soon. Then they called back to say that the fan they had didn't fit but they would have one that did this afternoon. I called them today and they said it would be ready in an hour. I went by to pick it up and of course there is a problem. It seems my video card is extra large and they cannot fit the replacement fan and large heatsink that they had ordered. Well, I could have told them that my video card was big and that it sits above the chipset fan. Amazingly, they took out my fan and didn't notice that size would be an issue until it was time to put the new fan in. IDIOTS! So not only will they not have a new fan in until Tuesday or Wednesday, but I couldn't take my PC back home and use it in the interem because the had completely removed the chipset fan. Before I could hear if the fan started failing and immediately shut down the PC with no harm done. That's out the window.

So for a simple fan replacement that should have taken 1 day I am now going to be without my computer for a week. I did pick a USB mouse to use on my wife's laptop so it's not such a pain in the ass to use. But all of my e-mails, bookmarks and info (including iTunes) is on my PC and I can't get to it. My daughter Jess just bought an new iPod Touch but she can't hook it up until I get my PC back. This is a real pisser.

More computer problems

Well, my chipset fan has become a real problem. I can't leave my PC on unattended. So I took it in today to get it repaired. They told me that 1st they have to diagnose the problem (what the hell does that mean? I know the damned problem, the chipset fan needs to be replaced!) and that it may be done by the weekend. Bravo.

I would have done it myself but it is hard to get to and I am not sure how to actually get it out. I am sure I could have managed, but I thought I'd let someone who knows what they're doing work on it. I just had no idea it was gonna be such a project. I called this morning and explained the problem and I asked them if the fan was something they would need to order. If so, I wouldn't take the PC in until they had the fan on hand. They assured me they had a fan that would work. Then when I got there of course, they said they may need to order the fan. Ugh.

This is really a simple problem and if I don't get my PC back by the weekend I am going to be super pissed. When I asked if they thought it would be ready by the weekend, they said "hopefully." No shit.

They work on a first-come-first-serve basis. Apparently I am set for a "diagnostic exam" tomorrow. When I told them there was no need, that I knew exactly what the problem was, they said they need to run it through some tests to make sure no damage was done. Argh! Just replace the chipset fan, take my money and let me be on my way!

Why does something so easy have to be so damned complicated?

My favorite baseball story

Spring training is underway so I thought I would share my very favorite baseball story. Whether it is true or not, I do not know. I hope to hell it is. I read about this in the Bill James Historical baseball abstract and it has always stuck with me. I may have a couple of minor details wrong, but this is the gist of it:

Back in the nineteen-teens, the Detroit Tiger's manager got a cable from some farm kid saying that he was a great pitcher and that he could strike out Ty Cobb on 3 pitches, guaranteed. He wrote a couple of times a month, always saying he could strike out Cobb on 3 straight pitches. Since the Tigers needed pitching, the manager decided he would send for the kid, knowing that the worst that could happen was he would have wasted money on the cost of a train ticket.

The kid shows up before a game and the Tigers' manager lets him get ready and informs Cobb of the situation. Finally the kid is ready to go and Cobb steps up to the plate for the showdown. The first pitch is right down the middle and Cobb smacks it down the 1st base line. The 2nd pitch is hit nearly to the outfield wall (and Cobb was a slap hitter in the dead-ball era) and the 3rd is right back up the middle and knocks the kid off of his feet.

The Tigers' manager is clearly disgusted and he walks to the mound shaking his head. "Well kid, what do you have to say for yourself?"
The kid considers just for a moment and then points toward home plate. "You know," he says, "I don't think that's Ty Cobb."

A very worthy music plug

If you are a fan of singer/songwriters, you owe it to yourself to check out Sarah Harmer. She released a CD back in 2000 called You Were Here. I listened to it constantly back then and I stumbled upon it again recently. It still packs a wallop. She has a tremendous voice and a real gift for melody. Many of the songs are just pure heartache and resonate for a good long time. Some of my faves from "You Were Here" include Basement Apt, Capsized, Lodestar, Don't Get Your Back Up, Uniform Grey and Coffee Stain. As you can see, I hard a hard time paring down the best tracks. The whole album is fantastic.

I just downloaded her followup, All Of Our Names, and it is terrific as well. I will be ordering the catalog of her old band, Weeping Tile as well. This is all great, great stuff that you probably would never have heard of anywhere else. I love discovering "new" music and I hope you do too.

You can see several of Sarah's music videos on Youtube, along with some live performances as well. Check her out!

Street Fighter IV

Picked it up today and it's top-notch all the way. In news that is sure to shock the entire gaming community, I completely suck at it. I am trying to learn some of the more difficult moves and either I am not doing something right or I am misinterpreting what I am supposed to be doing. I'll have to keep trying and hopefully find some tips somewhere. The controller works great for it as well.

Nice deal

Well, I satisfied my gaming jones and got a pretty good deal in the process. Thanks to a nice gift card from work and trading in some older games I no longer play, I was able to pick up Soul Caliber IV (used) and a new Mad Catz Street Fighter IV controller, *plus* pay in full for Street Fighter IV (which comes out tomorrow morning) and MLB '09: The Show, which comes out the first week in March. Not bad if I do say so myself.

I went with the PS3 versions of SCIV and SFIV mainly because the Mad Catz controller is wireless on the PS3 and wired on the 360. My only concern about going with the PS3 is online lag. The Playstation Network has never been able to compare in my experience. But considering online play will take up about 5% of my total time with the games, it's not that big a deal.

Now if I can only find some time to actually play...

The gaming jones

I am getting the bug again. Must...get...new...game! Every once in a while a game comes out of seemingly nowhere to pique my interest. That was certainly the case with Far Cry 2 last year and now the same thing is happening with Street Fighter 4. I am not a huge fan of fighting games; I like them okay but don't get into them very much. But SF4 has me seriously intrigued. First of all, the reviews are stellar. Everyone is raving about the way it looks, plays and feels. Anytime a game gets almost unanimous raves I start getting the jones. Second, in the IGN review, they talk about how accessible the game is, whether you are a Street Fighter veteran or just starting out. They say beginners should be able to pick up a controller and have tons of fun right off the bat. Speaking of the controller, there is a new game pad put out my Mad Catz which is supposed to be absolutely superb for SF4 (and all other fighting games). It costs $40, so it is a little pricey, but luckily I have a large gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

MLB '09: The Show comes out in early March, but as of right now there are no other games on the horizon that I am looking forward to. So just maybe I'll spring for SF4 and that new game pad. Now I just have to decide which console, Xbox 360 or PS3, to get it on. The 360 version supports 1080p while the PS3 does not. On the other hand, if I skip the new game pad, the PS3 controller is said to be a lot better than the 360 controller for this game. Decisions, decisions.