Frugal Living: Jan 25, 2009

Sunday, January 25, 2009

misc.consumers.frugal-living - 25 new messages in 10 topics - digest

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Computer crash
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/8bc95c99ebdef045?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 2:39 pm
From: im.1.maxaluminum@xoxy.net

On Jan 25, 5:05 pm, Marsha <m...@xeb.net> wrote:
> Okay, my motto is panic first and think later. I put the system disk(?)
> in and finally figured out how to boot from that. There were 5 options,
> 1 of which was check memory, which I did first. No memory problems, but
> when it re-started, everything was fine. So even though things are okay
> now, I want to know what happened. I'll try to answer in line as much
> as I can remember when the problem was still there.
>
> Dave wrote:
> > OK, we need a lot more information to help you. First, what type of
> > computer is it? Exact make and model number.
>
> Dell Inspiron 530, bought new 14 months ago.
>
> > What operating system is it running?
>
> Windows Vista Home Premium
>
> > How, exactly, do you connect to the Internet?
> > Dial-up modem? Cable modem? DSL? If you have a high speed Internet
> > connection, how, EXACTLY is that Internet connection attached to your
> > computer? Is it Ethernet cable? USB? Wireless? Does it connect directly
> > to a cable modem / dsl modem, or does it run through a router?
>
> Cable modem. Router. Wired. I unhooked it from cable and it still
> wouldn't boot, though.
>
> > More importantly... we need to know after it was shut off for a while and
> > you turned it back on, what do you mean by "it started normall"? Did you
> > get to Windows? Were you able to log into windows? Did windows start at
> > all, or did you just see BIOS splash screens (hard drives listed, memory
> > tested), and then go straight to a cursor on a black screen? When you got
> > the cursor on the black screen, where was it? Lower left? Upper Left?
> > What did it look like? Square? Bar? Did you try to type anything at the
> > cursor?
>
> It did not get to Windows. Got 1 beep (I think) and some words flashed
> very quickly in the upper left (too fast to even get one word). Then
> the cursor in the upper left - bar. Almost like the old DOS screen.
> This all took place in about 10 seconds after starting it. Pressed a
> couple keys, but nothing happened.
>
> My virus and adware programs found nothing. I haven't loaded any new
> software in the last couple weeks, but would it be a good idea do the
> back restore thing to maybe a week or so ago?
>
> Marsha/Ohio

As earlier stated, there are so many possibilities.
If you could operate it with the cover off, you could feel whether the
hard drive was running. You could listen for it too even with the
cover on. I would start by removing and replacing the power and data
cable to the hard drive for openers. If you had any recovery disk at
all, you could put that in and it might reveal whether there was a
hard drive recognized. I use Power Quest so I can check a drive
without starting Windoze.

You should have a quick flash on the screen as to the F key used to
set up the bios. If you don't see it, keep restarting and holding each
F key in turn until you get something. If the motherboard is
functioning and you get in there, you will have options that will
reveal some things about the hard drive.

Even if your hard drive were dead, you should see a message saying
either "NO OPERATING SYSTEM" or "INVALID DRIVE."

Hold down the F keys, find the bios or safe mode and go from there.

== 2 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 2:41 pm
From: Marsha

Gary Heston wrote:
> Could be a number of things. How long did you wait while it displayed
> the black screen and cursor? Can you hear the hard drive spinning up
> when you power it on? How long did you wait? A problem can cause the
> system trying to initialize something to repeatedly fail and time out
> between tries, which can run into several minutes.
>
> As Dave said, unplug everything from you system to see if an external
> device is causing a problem. If it still doesn't boot, try disconnecting
> your computers' power cord and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Occasionally,
> the circuitry which controls powering up gets confused, and this can
> clear the problem.
>
> Have you tried to boot from a CD? If your laptop has a CD burner, go to
> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ and download the ISO image for the 4.11
> release UBCB. If you can boot from it, it hasa number of tools for
> testing motherboards and hard drives. If the problem is a corrupted
> boot record (which happened to me on a system), run the TestDisc tool
> under Filesystem Tools > Partition Tools and see if it can repair it.
> At the very least, you can run nondestructive tests of the hard drive.
>
> If it won't boot from a CD, you have a serious failure; power supply,
> motherboard, CPU, or memory. If you're getting video and a cursor, I
> don't think the problem is that bad.
>
> Good luck!
> Gary

Thanks. That look like a useful site. See my response to Dave. I
answered as many questions as I could. It's working okay now, although
I really want to know what happened. Scared the bejesus out of me :-)

Marsha/Ohio

== 3 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 3:34 pm
From: "John A. Weeks III"

In article <glinnb$qpk$1@news.datemas.de>, Marsha <mas@xeb.net> wrote:

> Okay, my motto is panic first and think later. I put the system disk(?)
> in and finally figured out how to boot from that. There were 5 options,
> 1 of which was check memory, which I did first. No memory problems, but
> when it re-started, everything was fine. So even though things are okay
> now, I want to know what happened. I'll try to answer in line as much
> as I can remember when the problem was still there.

I have seen something like this happen when a computer overheats.
It may have been hot enough inside that some logic item stopped
working, or your hard disk may have stopped working properly.
After it cooled down, all is well.

Check that your fan is turning. Many cheaper power supplies have
fans with sleaves rather than bearings, and they go out. Dust and
animal fur can block airflow. Or your power supply could be going
flaky.

-john-

--
======================================================================
John A. Weeks III 612-720-2854 john@johnweeks.com
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
======================================================================

== 4 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 4:31 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

Marsha wrote:

> Okay, my motto is panic first and think later. I put the system
> disk(?) in and finally figured out how to boot from that.

You could have just hit the appropriate F key at boot time.

> There were 5 options, 1 of which was check memory, which I did first. No memory problems, but when it re-started,
> everything was fine. So even though things are okay now, I want to know what happened.

Something went wrong. Time will tell if its an intermittent fault or what.

> I'll try to answer in line as much as I can remember when the problem was still there.

> Dave wrote:

>> OK, we need a lot more information to help you. First, what type of computer is it? Exact make and model number.

> Dell Inspiron 530, bought new 14 months ago.

>> What operating system is it running?

> Windows Vista Home Premium

>> How, exactly, do you connect to the Internet?
>> Dial-up modem? Cable modem? DSL? If you have a high speed Internet
>> connection, how, EXACTLY is that Internet connection attached to your
>> computer? Is it Ethernet cable? USB? Wireless? Does it connect
>> directly to a cable modem / dsl modem, or does it run through a
>> router?

> Cable modem. Router. Wired. I unhooked it from cable and it still
> wouldn't boot, though.

>> More importantly... we need to know after it was shut off for a
>> while and you turned it back on, what do you mean by "it started
>> normall"? Did you get to Windows? Were you able to log into
>> windows? Did windows start at all, or did you just see BIOS splash
>> screens (hard drives listed, memory tested), and then go straight to
>> a cursor on a black screen? When you got the cursor on the black
>> screen, where was it? Lower left? Upper Left? What did it look
>> like? Square? Bar? Did you try to type anything at the cursor?

> It did not get to Windows. Got 1 beep (I think) and some words
> flashed very quickly in the upper left (too fast to even get one word). Then the cursor in the upper left - bar.
> Almost like the old DOS screen. This all took place in about 10 seconds after starting
> it. Pressed a couple keys, but nothing happened.

> My virus and adware programs found nothing. I haven't loaded any new software in the last couple weeks, but would it
> be a good idea do the back restore thing to maybe a week or so ago?

Nope, wait and see if it happens again.

Do you normally shut down fully at the end of the day or just let it sleep or hibernate ?

== 5 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 4:42 pm
From: Marsha

Rod Speed wrote:
> Marsha wrote:
>> My virus and adware programs found nothing. I haven't loaded any new software in the last couple weeks, but would it
>> be a good idea do the back restore thing to maybe a week or so ago?
>
> Nope, wait and see if it happens again.
>
> Do you normally shut down fully at the end of the day or just let it sleep or hibernate ?
>

Always fully shut down - at work and at home. I was told it clears the
RAM or something like that.

Marsha/Ohio

== 6 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 6:03 pm
From: Jeff

Gary Heston wrote:
> In article <43b5fb5f-be06-49cc-a0af-2594e058fac2@r15g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
> <jmhreh@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I'm posting from Google on a laptop, as my regular computer seems to
>> have crashed. I was browsing the local newspaper on line and tried to
>> go back to the previous page, and it froze. Cont/alt/delete would not
>> bring up the running processes menu. I shut it off for a while and
>> turned it back on. It started normally, then went to just a cursor on
>> a black screen. I can't even get it to boot from safe mode. Does
>> this sound like a hardware problem? I'm very careful about not
>> getting viruses. This computer is only 14 mo. old, although that
>> really doesn't make any difference, does it? Any suggestions?
>
> Could be a number of things. How long did you wait while it displayed
> the black screen and cursor? Can you hear the hard drive spinning up
> when you power it on? How long did you wait? A problem can cause the
> system trying to initialize something to repeatedly fail and time out
> between tries, which can run into several minutes.
>
> As Dave said, unplug everything from you system to see if an external
> device is causing a problem. If it still doesn't boot, try disconnecting
> your computers' power cord and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Occasionally,
> the circuitry which controls powering up gets confused, and this can
> clear the problem.
>
> Have you tried to boot from a CD? If your laptop has a CD burner, go to
> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ and download the ISO image for the 4.11
> release UBCB. If you can boot from it, it hasa number of tools for
> testing motherboards and hard drives. If the problem is a corrupted
> boot record (which happened to me on a system), run the TestDisc tool
> under Filesystem Tools > Partition Tools and see if it can repair it.
> At the very least, you can run nondestructive tests of the hard drive.

Great advice.

TestDisc rules.

This sounds to me like it is a hard drive crash or hard drive problem
(could be virus), although it could be anything. My stock advice is to
try booting into the CD, if that works, your hardrive needs work. If it
doesn't reseat the memory and unplug everything not absolutely needed
(even keyboard/mouse). I've seen bad CD's and accessory cards crash a
computer. Troubleshooting is always a process of elimination.

Jeff

>
> If it won't boot from a CD, you have a serious failure; power supply,
> motherboard, CPU, or memory. If you're getting video and a cursor, I
> don't think the problem is that bad.
>
> Good luck!
>
>
> Gary
>

== 7 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 7:40 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

Marsha wrote:
> Rod Speed wrote:
>> Marsha wrote:

>>> My virus and adware programs found nothing. I haven't loaded any new software in the last couple weeks, but would
>>> it be a good idea do the back restore thing to maybe a week or so ago?

>> Nope, wait and see if it happens again.

>> Do you normally shut down fully at the end of the day or just let it sleep or hibernate ?

> Always fully shut down - at work and at home. I was told it clears the RAM or something like that.

Yeah, thats what I was commenting on. If you do sleep or
hibernate, its well worth a full reboot to see if the ram contents
have got a bit fragmented. Even Vista will do that eventually.

== 8 of 8 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 8:49 pm
From: gheston@hiwaay.net (Gary Heston)

In article <glipr2$f1$1@news.datemas.de>, Marsha <mas@bex.net> wrote:
>Gary Heston wrote:
[ ... ]
>> Have you tried to boot from a CD? If your laptop has a CD burner, go to
>> http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ and download the ISO image for the 4.11
>> release UBCB. If you can boot from it, it hasa number of tools for
>> testing motherboards and hard drives. If the problem is a corrupted
>> boot record (which happened to me on a system), run the TestDisc tool
>> under Filesystem Tools > Partition Tools and see if it can repair it.
>> At the very least, you can run nondestructive tests of the hard drive.
[ ... ]

>Thanks. That look like a useful site. See my response to Dave. I
>answered as many questions as I could. It's working okay now, although
>I really want to know what happened. Scared the bejesus out of me :-)

I routinely use the UBCD at work, where I have to do things like making
a system boot two different versions of Linux in addition to Windows XP.
I can manipulate partitions easily with it. Also good for sanitizing an
old drive before it's discarded or reused.

If you haven't done a backup recently, now is the time to do one.

Gary

--
Gary Heston gheston@hiwaay.net http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

"Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man"
General of the Army (four stars) Ann Dunwoody

==============================================================================
TOPIC: HOWTO: Boycott Israel - the product list
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/7a0d738bb1d32c25?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 3:31 pm
From: "John A. Weeks III"

In article
<ec4b89ea-8a15-46fd-9bd5-3307d09bbcd6@o4g2000pra.googlegroups.com>,
toiyuturhfh@googlemail.com wrote:

> Brands list
> http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-brands.html
>
> Jo Malone - £240 for a scented candle! Who said "Exploitation?"
> 70p for a can of coke or 20p for a two litre bottle of lemonade?
>
> It's easy to boycott Israel!

Why would you want to do that? Israel is the victim of
terrorism, and needs all the support that you can offer.

-john-

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 4:22 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

toiyuturhfh@googlemail.com wrote

> Brands list
> http://www.inminds.co.uk/boycott-brands.html

> Jo Malone - £240 for a scented candle! Who said "Exploitation?"
> 70p for a can of coke or 20p for a two litre bottle of lemonade?

> It's easy to boycott Israel!

No it isnt, I dont buy any of that shit.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Excellent Cash Income
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/03a3248d6bc87c51?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 3:36 pm
From: "www.Queensbridge.us"

On Jan 24, 11:32 pm, sagetea <sagetea2...@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
> Thats a ponzi scheme.

But here is the GOOD part:

If your are using Google to read this newsgroup,
here is good news when you see spam:
Click on MORE OPTIONS on message top,
and report as spam

Or for Ponzi schemes, report as ILLEGAL

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 8:41 pm
From: sagetea

On Jan 25, 6:36 pm, "www.Queensbridge.us" <NOTva...@Queensbridge.us>
wrote:
> On Jan 24, 11:32 pm, sagetea <sagetea2...@YAHOO.COM> wrote:
>
> > Thats a ponzi scheme.
>
> But here is the GOOD part:
>
> If your are using Google to read this newsgroup,
> here is good news when you see spam:
> Click on MORE OPTIONS on message top,
> and report as spam
>
> Or for Ponzi schemes, report as ILLEGAL

Thanks. I needed to say something. I saw the same scam being played
off in the late 70's. That paricular scam required people to buy
series E savings bonds.
I have no idea why, But people fell for it and received zero back for
their investments.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: WSJ: Yes, You Can Live With Less Plastic
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/4a1f7f88656f37c1?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 4:01 pm
From: Dave Garland

h wrote:
> That said, anyone who doesn't pay off their credit card every month is
> really hurting themselves. Except...I did use a card with a "1.99% for the
> life of the balance" once when I was expanding my office. I got the card,
> wrote myself a check for $25,000, paid the $180 fee and took 2 years to pay
> it off. That was WAAAY cheaper and easier than taking out a home equity loan
> to finish the addition. The trick was to just never use the card again until
> the full amount was paid off.

The deal I took was 0% for the life of the balance. The gotcha was,
you need to make at least one purchase per month with the card, and
payments go toward the portion of the balance that's at the lowest
interest (0% vs 17% on purchases). I faithfully buy $0.75 of gasoline
on that card every month.

Dave

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 4:34 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
> On Jan 25, 7:34 am, mugglefug...@googlemail.com wrote:
>> The Wall Street Journal
>> January 24, 2009
>>
>> Yes, You Can Live With Less Plastic
>>
>> By JENNIFER WATERS
>>
>> If cash is now king, could Americans who give up credit cards live
>> like royalty?
>>
>> Being forced to live entirely within your means may make you feel
>> rich in a way, but trying to get along in the modern world with no
>> credit at all can be a royal pain.
>>
>> Besides the more frequent trips to the ATM, cash-only customers face
>> a much more difficult time in our plastic-dependent society when
>> buying big-ticket items like homes, cars and washing machines, not
>> to mention emergency spending for, say, a furnace that goes kaput in
>> the middle of winter.
>>
>> "Can consumers live in a cash-only world? No," says Britt Beemer,
>> chief executive of America's Research Group. "But they can live in a
>> more cash-oriented world than they do now. That's happening as more
>> and more people are willing to make an effort to do so."
>>
>> As consumers grapple with spending in an economy marred by rising
>> unemployment, growing numbers of foreclosures and what's expected to
>> be an unprecedented jump in credit-card defaults this year, pulling
>> in the reins makes sense.
>> Credit Diets
>>
>> As Mr. Beemer says, many consumers are voluntarily putting themselves
>> on a credit-card-free spending diet, while others are being forced by
>> banks, lending institutions and credit-card companies that are
>> reducing limits and in some cases yanking credit lines altogether.
>>
>> For those folks, the use of debit cards that won't accept
>> transactions larger than the available funds in an account has
>> replaced the credit card, along with alternatives means of noncredit
>> payments such as eBillme and PayPal.
>>
>> "It seems that people spend less when they don't have a credit card
>> available," says Paula Peter, an assistant professor of consumer
>> behavior at San Diego State University. "With cash, your spending
>> ability is limited."
>>
>> According to eBillme, the cash-based payment alternative, its fourth-
>> quarter online spending index found that 46% of customers said they
>> would step up their use of such methods to finance purchases. The
>> first-quarter index released this past week reported that 42% of
>> consumers have used their credit cards less in the last 90 days in
>> favor of noncredit payment options.
>>
>> "The shift from credit toward cashlike options is the desire for
>> consumers to control their financing," says Marwan Forzley, chief
>> executive of eBillme. He sees "a clear shift in attitude" to pay as
>> you go.
>> Get Practical
>>
>> So does the Federal Reserve. In its most recent data, consumer credit
>> fell at an annual rate of 3.75% in November. Revolving credit was
>> down some 3.5%, while nonrevolving credit sank at an annual rate of
>> 4%.
>>
>> Meanwhile, the most recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis
>> showed that U.S. households increased their saving rate to 2.8% of
>> their disposable income in November from less than 1% from 2005 to
>> last April.
>>
>> That's good news. But though living on a cash-only basis may be
>> healthy, it's not always practical. "There are cases when you
>> absolutely need to use credit," says Mr. Forzley.
>>
>> Using credit cards to fund purchases isn't a bad thing. In fact,
>> there are many positives to it that go beyond not having to carry
>> wads of cash. One can build a good credit history, which in turn can
>> make it easier to buy a home or car or to rent an apartment.
>>
>> And don't forget about all the perks that some credit cards offer,
>> like redeemable mileage for air travel, hotel stays or a bevy of
>> discounts. Some will even help pay for prescriptions and other
>> health- related items.
>> 'Big Challenge'
>>
>> But using credit cards to bankroll a lifestyle that's out of sync
>> with your income could be destructive to your financial health. "If
>> we keep postponing what we pay off, at what point does that crash?"
>> asks Ms. Peter.
>>
>> She warns consumers who want to shift to cash to do it slowly. "It's
>> a big challenge to change your habits," she says. Here are some tips:
>>
>> Make a plan. Use credit cards to get gas or big-ticket items, but
>> commit to using cash when shopping for everything from food to
>> clothes.
>>
>> Make a budget before you shop. If the fear is you'll carry too much
>> cash, make multiple trips.
>>
>> Trash the plastic. But do keep the debit card.
>>
>> Pay them off. If you keep any credit cards, pay them off in full each
>> month. That's not a new idea, but sticking to that resolve achieves
>> much the same result as using all cash without the drawbacks.
>>
>> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123284394918313137.html

> Actually this brings up the obvious question...
> what do you really *NEED* a credit or debit card for?

The convenience of not having to fart around with cash.

> Note there is a big difference between *NEED* and *WANT*.

> Your thoughts?

That hardly anyone is actually silly enough to just have what they NEED.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 5:48 pm
From: josejarvie@ssnet.net

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:43:47 -0600, in misc.consumers.frugal-living "John A.
Weeks III" <john@johnweeks.com> wrote:

>What do you need indoor plumbing for?

So the social workers don't take your kids away.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Contraceptives - bad for the economy! (Sarcasm)
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/5155d02987e6eee7?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 4:26 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

lenona321@yahoo.com wrote:

> 18 mainly negative comments so far - and plenty more elsewhere, I hope.
> Shall we write to our newspapers and make it clear we mean business?

> Yes, I've heard the argument that we can't afford to have any country's
> birth rate drop below a certain level - but obviously, no family can afford
> to have more children than it can afford! Not to mention that little issue
> of people maybe NOT WANTING children in the first place? Don't we
> have enough children languishing in foster care already?

Nope, if we did, we wouldnt see so many buying kids from 3rd world countrys.

> Shouldn't we be working on how to keep the country going without a
> young "slave" population - maybe through greater personal frugality?

Doesnt work, you end up with no one paying taxes and all the geriatrics starving.

> http://blogs.reuters.com/frontrow/2009/01/23/contraceptives-not-the-kind-of-stimulus-boehner-can-believe-in/

> First paragraphs:

> Barack Obama's $825 billion plan to boost the recession-bound U.S.
> economy has some elements that, well, aren't the sort of stimulus that
> House Minority Leader John Boehner says he can believe in.

> "I'm concerned about the size of the package, and I'm concerned about
> some of the spending that's in there," Boehner complained Friday after
> a meeting at White House.

> "How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives?
> How does that stimulate the economy?"

Someone has to make them, stupid.

> (click to read the rest)

I clicked there and nothing happened. I wanna refund.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Can you recommend a DVR for over the air recording?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/53f8f3e81d69dc10?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 5:16 pm
From: "hallerb@aol.com"

On Jan 25, 2:03�pm, "Bob F" <bobnos...@gmail.com> wrote:
> "OhioGuy" <n...@none.net> wrote in messagenews:glcd37$1fm0$1@news.ett.com.ua...
> > � We recently got one of those digital tuners so that our TV would still be
> > able to receive channels after the change next month. �It works great, and
> > since it has a timer, it will switch to whatever channel we want at any time
> > we want. �We are able to still use our VCR with it.
>
> > � However, I think within a few months, for simplicity, we would like to
> > switch over to using a DVR. �Here is what I'm looking for:
>
> > 1) Easy to use menu - works with over the air ATSC
>
> > 2) upgradeable - if I want to pop in a larger SATA drive to upgrade it, I can
>
> > 3) mpeg 4/h.264 compression
>
> > 4) USB Port - so I can export recorded files if I want to watch them elsewhere
>
> > � Does anything like this even exist? �I've seen some DVD burning recorders at
> > the stores, but haven't really seen a good replacement for a VCR yet. �I won't
> > consider anything that has a subscription fee. (that's partly why I avoid
> > cable in the first place, plus most things on cable are available free on DVD
> > from the library within a year)
>
> There are many PC based TV tuners available, and several options for software to
> run them. Most come with their own software, or PVR programs like BeyondTV,
> MythTV, GP-PVR, and SageTV can handle multiple brands of tuners for multiple
> channel recordings. You will need a good video card to handle output of HD
> content to your TV. You can add as big of a harddrive as you want for storage
> space.
>
> Some programs, like BeyondTV, mark commercials for instant bypassing, though
> they are not 100% accurate.
>
> Try googleing "PC PVR", "PC DVR", etc.
>
> I just found this by doing so. Even Yahoo ihas an offering.http://sites.mobile.yahoo.com/go/tv/index- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

http://www.dtvpal.com/

Simple to setup and easy to use
Amazing picture and sound quality
Record up to 150 hours of your favorite shows
Pause any show - even live TV - for up to 60 minutes
Skip recorded commercials with exclusive 30-second skip button
Create instant replay with 10-second skip back
Dual tuner allows you to:
Watch one live show while you record another
Record two live shows while you watch a previously recorded show
Available downloads keep your DTVPal DVR up-to-date

New TIVOS will do this and more, but have a monthly guide charge, of
about 14 bucks a month:( or $400 lifetime

the only limitation is the guide is time based like a VCR record
channel 4 between 8 pm and 9 pm.

name based guides like TIVO can detect a show changing time or day.

the dtvpal will record 2 shows at the same time. thats really
useful.:)

incidently people have already upgraded the hard drives for larger
storage time

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 5:18 pm
From: "hallerb@aol.com"

On Jan 25, 8:16�pm, "hall...@aol.com" <hall...@aol.com> wrote:
> On Jan 25, 2:03 pm, "Bob F" <bobnos...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > "OhioGuy" <n...@none.net> wrote in messagenews:glcd37$1fm0$1@news.ett.com.ua...
> > > We recently got one of those digital tuners so that our TV would still be
> > > able to receive channels after the change next month. It works great, and
> > > since it has a timer, it will switch to whatever channel we want at any time
> > > we want. We are able to still use our VCR with it.
>
> > > However, I think within a few months, for simplicity, we would like to
> > > switch over to using a DVR. Here is what I'm looking for:
>
> > > 1) Easy to use menu - works with over the air ATSC
>
> > > 2) upgradeable - if I want to pop in a larger SATA drive to upgrade it, I can
>
> > > 3) mpeg 4/h.264 compression
>
> > > 4) USB Port - so I can export recorded files if I want to watch them elsewhere
>
> > > Does anything like this even exist? I've seen some DVD burning recorders at
> > > the stores, but haven't really seen a good replacement for a VCR yet. I won't
> > > consider anything that has a subscription fee. (that's partly why I avoid
> > > cable in the first place, plus most things on cable are available free on DVD
> > > from the library within a year)
>
> > There are many PC based TV tuners available, and several options for software to
> > run them. Most come with their own software, or PVR programs like BeyondTV,
> > MythTV, GP-PVR, and SageTV can handle multiple brands of tuners for multiple
> > channel recordings. You will need a good video card to handle output of HD
> > content to your TV. You can add as big of a harddrive as you want for storage
> > space.
>
> > Some programs, like BeyondTV, mark commercials for instant bypassing, though
> > they are not 100% accurate.
>
> > Try googleing "PC PVR", "PC DVR", etc.
>
> > I just found this by doing so. Even Yahoo ihas an offering.http://sites.mobile.yahoo.com/go/tv/index-Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> http://www.dtvpal.com/
>
> Simple to setup and easy to use
> Amazing picture and sound quality
> Record up to 150 hours of your favorite shows
> Pause any show - even live TV - for up to 60 minutes
> Skip recorded commercials with exclusive 30-second skip button
> Create instant replay with 10-second skip back
> Dual tuner allows you to:
> � � Watch one live show while you record another
> � � Record two live shows while you watch a previously recorded show
> Available downloads keep your DTVPal DVR up-to-date
>
> New TIVOS will do this and more, but have a monthly guide charge, of
> about 14 bucks a month:( or $400 lifetime
>
> the only limitation is the guide is time based like a VCR record
> channel 4 between 8 pm and 9 pm.
>
> name based guides like TIVO can detect a show changing time or day.
>
> the dtvpal will record 2 shows at the same time. thats really
> useful.:)
>
> incidently people have already upgraded the hard drives for larger
> storage time- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

see the dtvpal DVR selection!

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Ebay alternative?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/81ad82de073681df?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 5:28 pm
From: "hallerb@aol.com"

ebays latest rules permit a rotten seller with feedback in the 80s to
take time off, sell under another name while the bad feedback ages out
of the system.

had 2 really bad seller problems in the past, both never returned
phone calls to me or other buyers. no excuse for that.......

both quit selling with feedback in 80s, now both are happily back near
100% which they gt byt their horrible feedback aging.......

just a few days ago they involuntarily changed my home page, which i
prefered.

i have just about had it with e bay.

having sold in the paST SELLERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAVE NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK FOR BUYERS

==============================================================================
TOPIC: What to do when laptop keys stop working?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/d6266bc229b8004b?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 7:07 pm
From: OhioGuy

We have a Dell laptop that has several of the keys slowly becoming
harder and harder to get them to register anything. It is really
becoming a distraction. Eventually, I feel the keys will stop working
entirely.

I was wondering if anyone ese had ever dealt with this sort of issue,
and what options there are to fix the problem? For instance, does
anyone sell replacement keyboards for them?

I'm hoping that this isn't some sort of issue where I have to decide
between spending $250 to repair the laptop or buying a new one.

Thanks!

== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 7:37 pm
From: "Rod Speed"

Fix them or if that isnt feasible, replace the keyboard.

OhioGuy wrote:

> We have a Dell laptop that has several of the keys slowly becoming
> harder and harder to get them to register anything. It is really becoming a distraction. Eventually, I feel the keys
> will stop working entirely.

Some you can pop the keycap on and clean whats underneath, some you cant.

Dunno about Dell keyboards specifically. Dell should be able to tell you if you call them.

> I was wondering if anyone ese had ever dealt with this sort of
> issue, and what options there are to fix the problem? For instance, does anyone sell replacement keyboards for them?

Yes, Dell does and there are some on ebay too for all the common laptops.

> I'm hoping that this isn't some sort of issue where I have to decide
> between spending $250 to repair the laptop or buying a new one.

A replacement keyboard shouldnt cost that.

== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 8:43 pm
From: "Dave"

"OhioGuy" <none@none.net> wrote in message
news:glj9f9$2lni$1@news.ett.com.ua...
> We have a Dell laptop that has several of the keys slowly becoming
> harder and harder to get them to register anything. It is really
> becoming a distraction. Eventually, I feel the keys will stop working
> entirely.
>
> I was wondering if anyone ese had ever dealt with this sort of issue,
> and what options there are to fix the problem? For instance, does
> anyone sell replacement keyboards for them?
>
> I'm hoping that this isn't some sort of issue where I have to decide
> between spending $250 to repair the laptop or buying a new one.
>
> Thanks!

That would be an easy choice. You can get a brand new laptop for about $300
delivered now. It's likely better in every way than the Dell you are
writing about, too.

As for the laptop in question, was anything spilled in it, like coffee or
similar? -Dave

== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 8:51 pm
From: gheston@hiwaay.net (Gary Heston)

In article <glj9f9$2lni$1@news.ett.com.ua>, OhioGuy <none@none.net> wrote:
> We have a Dell laptop that has several of the keys slowly becoming
>harder and harder to get them to register anything. It is really
>becoming a distraction. Eventually, I feel the keys will stop working
>entirely.

> I was wondering if anyone ese had ever dealt with this sort of issue,
>and what options there are to fix the problem? For instance, does
>anyone sell replacement keyboards for them?
[ ... ]

You'd have to get a replacement keyboard from Dell. They'd want to have
a technician swap it.

Gary

--
Gary Heston gheston@hiwaay.net http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

"Behind every successful woman there is an astonished man"
General of the Army (four stars) Ann Dunwoody

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Composter
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/24a04d452c00fd25?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 7:21 pm
From: artsy6@gmail.com

Do you have a favorite?

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Introduction to freeganism.
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/13ae2124fe9bf6b2?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Jan 25 2009 8:47 pm
From: sagetea

How to get free stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z94mB42hyCQ&feature=related

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Sunday, January 25, 2009

misc.consumers.frugal-living - 25 new messages in 10 topics - digest