Saturday 10 February 2007

Bugs

I had been expecting to feel pretty physically exhausted at the end of my first full week back at work after 18 months of leisure. But I don't.
I was going to allow myself that indulgence, in spite of secretly feeling that it would be a little pathetic. After all, when I last worked, not counting the couple of weeks' hell at The Office in the summer, I was putting in sixty hour weeks plus weekends when there were reports or a myriad of other extra paper-pushing jobs to be done. I didn't have lunchtimes and twice a week I didn't have a break. So, a four-day week, with nothing to be done outside of work hours and a full hour for lunch and coffee breaks twice a day sounds like Nirvana. Hmmm...sounds like Teen Spirit.

But in fact, the week raced by, I felt less tired as it progressed. Sadly now I have succumbed to some bug or other. Not surprising really. The one volunteer we have came in a sniffled and croaked, Lori's been under the weather all week, and one particular class we had in was just wall-to-wall snot. I disinfected everything they had touched after the programme.
And it's the start of the 'flu season. On the TV last night, some kiddie in Vancouver has already died of it.

Kevin is a bloke and he is an electrical engineer. In his spare time he contributes software to an American company that produces digital music servers. So it won't surprise anyone to learn that he is the remote control king. I know that most houses these days have an assortment of the devices, Kevin's aim is to have one, programmable remote that does everything and without my having to memorise complicated button combos.
Well, finally we have a remote from Logitech that looks like a mobile phone. It has an actual screen. The screen lights up on activation and you can choose from a series of options like 'watch TV', 'watch DVD' etc, complete with pictures.
It's hi-tech for idiots, so long as you have someone in the house with an engineering degree who can programme it in the first place. I keep wanting to place it back in the phone holder.

But will it be the last word in remotes? Yeah, I'm thinking maybe not. The next one will be voice activated and will say in a chocolaty, silky voice,

'Good evening Schneewittchen, let me entertain you, what is your pleasure? I do have an episode of 'Entourage' for your delectation, but 'Thirty Rock' is one you've already seen. However, may I recommend 'Most Haunted'? Although Yvette's hair has been dyed an unfortunate shade of red that sucks all the colour from her face, there is a particularly interesting scene with David Wells that I think you'll want to watch more than once. If you do choose this option, then may I also recommend you partake of a small glass of the Cockburn's port?'

What-ho Jeeves. The one after that will be back to square one. It'll involve me walking over to the TV set and pushing something with my finger.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

k, as soon as I read about your remote, I started looking into it. I assume it's a Logitech Harmony? What model? Pros, cons? Maybe Kevin should step in here :)

Anonymous said...

Harmony 880. Easy to set up but a lot of clicking through web pages, so it takes time. You have to select all devices, then collect them into activities. It keeps track of what's on and what's not, turning off what isn't used. It is probably overkill for most, where the much cheaper 689 might fight (not sure what features are given up, however). 890 adds RF (works anywhere, vs IR which requires line of sight) but very expensive. Lucky me, I got the 880 for free. Might have been hard to spring the $230 for it otherwise.
-kev

Sleepy said...

The pair of you are frightening me....

Schneewittchen said...

Be afraid, be very afraid,....muahahahahaha !!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the info, Kevin. Hmm, don't think I can stomach $230 for a device that ensures I sit firmly on my ass. I'll stay with my $20 job from London Drugs.