Apex DT250A DTV converter

Last week my Digital TV converter box, an Apex DT250A, refused to power up. When I'd press the power button, instead of the light going from red to green for GO, it simply blinked red. Bah! After contemplating replacement which I can ill afford, I used Google to find a thread on an online help forum where my exact problem was detailed along with a possible solution. It seems the power supply may have a bad capacitor. A closer look:


















Aha! The bad component was all swollen just like a human injury! Scrounged through my parts box for a 470uF 25V cap - zilch.

Hannah mentioned that what she often does with discarded electronics in incorporate them into her art projects . Reuse, repurpose...this got me thinking: discarded components, hmm...I have some little power supplies in parts box. Scrounge, scrounge..yes! And as luck would have it, one power supply actually had the very component needed..sweet! After about 45 minutes of dorking around inside the little black box to replace the capacitor, cursing the observed phenomenon that a little knowledge can be dangerous, postulating that a sane man would have just chucked into the trash and moved on, yadayada - my Apex POS had been given a 2nd lease and will provide it's digital link to the broadcast television medium again, for better or worse*

Then Hannah, home by now, wrote that I might look in the butter compartment...and behold: at tasty morsel of chocolate from the neighborhood shop. It was consumed hastily it was, and with celebratory glee!

*2011 update: The Apex DT250A is shite! Another el cheapo Made in China DTV box (Magnavox E172516) was recently inherited from my late step father so I gave it a whirl. Picture quality is greatly improved! Channels 3 and 47 no longer glitch out when there's stormy weather. The Apex also used to 'forget' channels 3.1 and 3.2 and required retuning to bring them back. Next time I'll know better than to waste time with this nonsense. Magnavox E172516 is OK.


listen:
Tatooed Love Boys (Pretenders tribute) live

read:
Smithsonian March issue

view:
Spike Jones Colgate Comedy Hour episodes

have some oatmeal

and start your day braced for the aforementioned nasty elemental forces. You have time for breakfast, really, you do. It helps bucking up for the day to be much easier. After years of avoiding the oats cuz instant is like cardboard porridge and not so good for you with the artificial 'flavorings' included. Tom has decided to be good to his heart and circulatory system with this yummy meal. It takes even less time than eggs 'n' toast. My hippie 'whole-y-er than thou' self suggests to use organic ingredients if possible, to look after our planet's health in the process. And they taste better too - you get what you pay for in both ways.

Tom's Oatmeal with Nuts and Fruit

I like these:















..any whole grain raw oats would be fine.
Measure out the oats, 1/2 to 3/4 cup is plenty, then pour into the bowl you will use to eat them.
Measure out double that volume of water, bring to a boil in a medium size pan.
While the water is coming to a boil, gather the following:
5 or 6 walnut halves
1/4 cup raisins
small ripe banana
honey
1/4 cup milk
Getting out the milk early and letting it equalize to room temp is also recommended.
Add oats to boiling water, lower heat to keep it boiling but not boiling over.
Stir occasionally while you separate raisins, break walnut pieces into quarters or kernels and slice up the banana.
When the the water has boiled away and the oats are fluffy (usually 10-12 minutes), cover the pan and remove from the burner to let sit for a minute.
Finally, scoop oats into your bowl, add nuts/fruit/milk and drizzle some honey:














































Enjoy with your bevvie of choice. Been trying to switch over to breakfast tea. Stash's English Breakfast or Earl Grey. Still, it's hard to resist that morning coffee since Madison has an abundance of great roasts. Here's one:






















A fitting way to close this post might be to quote my old pal Dmitri:
"Never regret the extra expense and trouble of having high quality food."
Over the years I have found this to be very good advice.

listen:
Ornette Coleman - To Whom Who Keeps a Record, The Shape of Jazz to Come
T-bone Burnette
David Bowie - Outside

read:
Andy Summers - One Train Later

view:
Terry Gilliam's latest, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassis (!)
Spalding Gray - Gray's Anatomy
Coen Bros' Oh Brother Where Art Thou

more snow and ice for the holidays

blizzard

We've had a foot and a half of snow here, Madison was specifically mentioned on CNN. I guess we are in the thick of it.

















































Dug a path to the street and cleared the sidewalk this morning.

Just got a call from the boss: tonight's show is cancelled..yay!
Only wish planning had transpired to be snowbound with my sweetie.
Hope we can still have our dinner date tomorrow..

Arboretum

Last Saturday Hannah and I with Tim and Bess hiked our beautiful nature preserve for a nice sunny jaunt around the marsh in our lovely Arboretum here. Ahh, sunshine, fresh air and good company.

and Sunday a return to Cherokee Marsh

H and I visited again for the second time since we've been seeing each other. These hikes in the wilds of Wisconsin are very nice and relaxing, can't get enough.

view:
The Commitments

listen:
Rasputina

A visit with Dr. Evermor / Eleanor & Natural Bridge

It was a very nice weekend to be out and about, temps in the high 60s all weekend. Saturday had to be the bluest sky ever. Hannah and I journeyed out at noon and headed up Hwy 12 to Dr. Evermor's sculpture park
PBS story on the Forevertron and Dr. Tom Evermor
















The pics above are from the net, I neglected to bring my camera.

We lingered until about 4PM, chatting breifly with the Doctor and Eleanor. Then doubled back on Hwy 12 a bit and west on County C to Natural Bridge State Park. It was great to be out in the woods on such a gorgeous day. A nice little hike around the perimeter and a visit to one of the oldest firepits on this continent at the foot of the formation.