For the record

OK, sometimes I think I'm a computer smart guy.  Capable.  And all that.

Today I spent 30 minutes trying to figure out why Google Reader doesn't save my password.  I started with my browser, telling it to autofill.  When that failed, I updated my keychains and removed the entry for Google so that I could make a new one with the right properties.  When that failed, I reset my browser, deleting all cookies and stuff.  When that failed, I didn't know what to do.

All of this takes 30 minutes because fixing problems on a computer is mainly about perseverance.  It still didn't work.  So I persevered.

Ultimately, the fix was to adjust my bookmark.  It took me to a login page instead of to the general page where it would remember my login.

Fixing problems isn't about knowing the solution.  It is more about trying and trying and not giving up.

Fat Guy in a Little Coat

The movie Tommy Boy had a scene where Chris Farley puts on David Spade's coat and starts to sing "Fat guy in a little coat, fat guy in a little coat."

I wouldn't remember it except for a guy in my 9th grade biology class who thought it was the funniest scene ever, and he'd sing the song and swing his arms around.

This weekend I've been assigned a short paper, 1600 words, no framework provided, and the topic is big enough to write a book about.  My problem is that I've got to lose 1000 words before it fits.  And I've been holding my breath in to get this far!

Windows

I installed MS windows on my mac today.  I've got some old games that I want to play.

Here's a record of my problems:

• The bluetooth keyboard tool gives you two seconds to type eight character passwords.

• I installed to an unformatted partition.  It didn't work.  It wouldn't ever work.  But it let me try for 30 minutes.

• I connected to the internet and went to windowsupdate.  The first thing I could do, before actually updating the computer, is verify my computer by downloading WGA.

• In the 10 minutes I needed to handle WGA, my computer was passively infected with a virus.

• The virus wouldn't let me install SP3 or the windows virus remover.

• Thank Steve Wozniak that I can figure it out on my own.

• Four reboots to update to the latest files.

Thanks for reading.  This one was for me, not you.