Blog

  • Plex Fun

    Plex Fun

    (not so much)

    I had noticed that the frequency of updates to the Intel NUC that powers my Plex Media Server had tailed off (it ran Ubuntu 18.04 LTS) an indication that there was a new version of the long term support OS coming.

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  • Birkenstocks

    Birkenstocks

    As the Covid shutdown started, I needed to get my trusty Birkenstocks resoled. They had worn through pretty badly, and I wanted to freshen them up without having to buy a new pair.

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  • Whatta Week…

    Whatta Week…

    It started out bleak. A sharp pain behind my left ear, had grown and covered the entire left side of my head, I had a high, and rising temperature, and I was SICK. A quick telemedicine visit and I was scheduled for a Covid test.

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  • Ruh Roh

    Sunday, I totally over did it. Started with a 4+ mile walk with Cerberus. He was on a tear. Then I felt compelled to get the bicycle down and do a modest ride.

    I had awoken with some pain below and behind my left ear, but it was more of a discomfort than anything worrying. I truly though I had just slept wrong.

    Then middle of the night Sunday/Monday I woke up to void my bladder, and I had the shivers. Crap. About 3:00AM I took my temperature, and it was 99.4.

    Ugh.

    Woke up about 6:00 and my temperature had risen to 100.8, and I was feeling achy all over. The pain behind and below my ear had moved both up and down.

    Crap.

    So, a quick telehealth appointment, and a referral for a COVID test, and now I wait.

    Never before have I hoped that this is either an early season flu, or something else. But I have my doubts.

    Sleeping, lots of gatorade, and tylenol to help cut the fever while I await the results of my test.

    Crud.

    One thing is positive, I have no respiratory symptoms. So there is that!

  • Finally took the plunge – Airpods

    Finally took the plunge – Airpods

    I have been using wireless headsets for over 4 years, most of the time using a set of Plantronics behind the neck that worked well, until I lost them that is.

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  • Plex Maintenance – Futurama

    Plex Maintenance – Futurama

    A couple of weeks ago, I got a hankering to watch some Futurama. Fortunately, I have copied all my discs to my Plex server for ease of access.

    But there was a flaw. The in season order from the original broadcast is not how Plex see them, In particular, they screw up seasons 2, 3, 4, and 5 particularly badly, and I needed to do a lot of file manipulation to get them all to show up properly.

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  • Airbrushing – the start

    Airbrushing – the start

    As I have gone on a model building binge, one of the things I have wanted to do (ever since I was a 12 year old kid building models) was to become proficient in the use of an airbrush.

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  • The Drobo is back online

    The Drobo is back online

    It took almost 6 weeks from the first support ticket, but yesterday afternoon (July 28, 2020) the RMA unit arrived from Drobo. Ironically, it shipped from their office in Sunnyvale 4 days before via FedEx, and the total distance from their facility to my house is about 16 miles.

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  • Binge worthy: No Offence

    Binge worthy: No Offence

    If you have Amazon Prime, and purchase (or do the 30 day trial of) AcornTV, there is a show that is worth watching.

    I make no apologies for being a fan of British police dramas, but this one is a bit over the top.

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  • Building Scale Model Kits

    Building Scale Model Kits

    My last efforts were more than 40 years ago. A magical time where there were at least three outstanding hobby stores within an easy bicycle ride from my house (and my favorite, D&J Hobbies in Campbell California).

    Today, the reality is that you are lucky to have a single mediocre hobby store (I do not count Hobby Lobby, because fuck them) within an hour or more drive away.

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