Finally, by practically re-writing the instruction manual, I got the old Dazzle to work. If you just got here, this is the A/D (Analog to Digital) converter that alleges you can burn your old VHS tapes to DVD media. You can, but not exactly. I also had some hardware difficulties (see below) but everything is working now. In fact, it is working a little better than fine, for I’ve kept my older Panasonic and Quasar equipment in perfect condition. You would not believe what I am copying right now because you would not believe how much I dislike Sony Corporation.Marion called and we are that much closer to Colorado. They are transferred out on the 16th, to arrive on the 20th, probably Denver. (Except for Mike, that means the last person I know has left the state in the past nine years.) There may not even be enough time to complete the long-standing arrangements between us before they leave Seattle, an uncomfortable thought. Marion and I cannot cut corners when promises exist.
I’m also having the predictable trouble finding a job in Florida. They don’t want a generalist who isn’t into management. Why, if you can run a computer, the sole career path for you must be to babysit other computer operators, aka “management”. They assume you want a five ulcer job with four ulcer pay. The old “Your blood pressure is normal, so we can’t give you a raise.” I’d rather pile lumber and be happy.
The best news today is the new printer network at the shop. It does not involve the printer server, but rather that old Packard-Bell contraption that was underfoot. We finally have a remote printer connected behind the counter, meaning those who print 50 pages are no longer helping themselves. It is rough on my regulars, some of whom print pictures from dating clubs but hey, they could always ask her to beam out videos of her best material.
Have you ever got the impression there are some computer components you are just not meant to have? Try me with my DVD burner (of 2004). I finally report success with at least a few data DVDs, but it was an uphill fight. It turns out the entire process involved some peculiarities a newcomer could not solve. The DVD did not require a music cable, but the slot was there, causing the speakers to mute if you plugged in. The disk would not eject unless you hit the button three times.
The laser kept defaulting to a dual layer burn (which could not keep up with the application). The software driver (V-Stream) was in an incorrect directory. Each step of the way, I had either a factory reject, a one-off or a software glitch. I promise to now take a fresh look at DVD technology. (However, I cannot forgive device manufacturers who do not even mention the possibilities of these problems. Yes, it is up to them to test and document.)
You want to know what I have against Sony? Well, okay, but only because I can’t recall at the moment if it was ever published here, and you only get the basics. I don’t like the way Sony does business. If it does not work, provided you didn’t break it, the store that sold it to you should take it back and give you a new one. The American way. None of this “service contract” nonsense.
I had a once in a lifetime adventure filmed in the jungles of South America in 1994. Sony would not adjust a recording head because they said it was permanently adjusted, although it definitely needed adjusting. I had used a Sony precisely because they told me such a problem could never occur. Ruined a priceless set of tapes that only Sony can repair for $8,000 (around $200 per hour for the time it would take). Twice what I spent going into that jungle. I hold Sony responsible for that entire mess.
What? The jungle? That was Angel Falls, back when it was still Angel Falls. In Venezuela, it is called “Salto Angel”, and what makes my trip so special is it was one of the last excursions into the area before the place became a tourist trap. If you return tomorrow, I promise you some details.
