chuckers wrote:
> On Apr 2, 11:30 am, CL <flot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> chuckers wrote:
>>> On Apr 1, 6:22 pm, CL <flot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>> chuckers wrote:
>>>>> On Mar 31, 11:06 pm, CL <flot...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Received this link on another list.  I got it to work in WIN and will
>>>>>> try it in Linux soon.  Thought it might be of interest to other people
>>>>>> who enjoy BBC content.
>>>>>> http://bit.ly/dx4zCL
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> http://lifehacker.com/5504681/how-to-access-the-bbc-iplayer-and-tv-li...
>>>>> It *is* interesting but the Internet is my Tivo.  As long as there are
>>>>> torrents for what I like.
>>>>> Will try to keep it in mind though.  Thanks!
>>>> I have been disappointed by the quality of some torrents that I have
>>>> D/L'ed, had credits stolen at some sites, and learned a lesson about
>>>> some of them having trojans and trying to follow me home (ONE of the
>>>> reasons my torrent box runs a *nix).
>>> Of late, I have been D/L-ing on the Windows box and then transferring
>>> the file to a Mac OS X laptop so I can lounge about in the futon to
>>> watch rather than sitting in front of the computer screen.
>> Heh.  I bought an old desktop box from Otto (P4/3.0Gb, Intel onboard
>> video/sound) threw in a 1Tb HDD, Nvidia video card, an old SoundBlaster
>> 1040, and 4Gb of ECC memory.  I use a 32" flatscreen TV for the monitor
>> and Yamaha 5-speaker system to ease that "sitting in front of the
>> computer" problem.  I _may_ get around to a wireless keyboard and mouse,
>> but the room is small enough so that I don't mind running across from
>> the couch.
>>
> 
> I have debated whether to update the box I have to either Windows 7
> or Ubuntu but looking at all the things I would want to throw in as
> well plus the learning curve associated with either one (being a
> Solaris/Mac OS X/XP user) it got to be more hassle than it was really
> worth. 

With any flavor of WIN I always feel as though there is a target painted 
on my back.  I use an Ubuntu variant (Xubuntu which uses an XCFE video 
interface) and found that it does not have as much of a learning curve 
as I'd feared.  It gives you Debian, which I believe to be the most 
stable and best developed Linux flavor, without the problem of having to 
deal with the pure-Debian assholes.  If you understand the mechanics of 
WIN it is mostly a terminology thing.  Plus, it has a lot of good 
education programs that my daughter loves.

> Would be better off buying a new stand alone system for that
> but can't really justify the cost to the person that would say NO to
> it. Actually, I could buy it anyway as I am sure I could get
> management approval but I wouldn't be able to justify it to myself.

I think I paid JPY 10,000 for the box, JPY8,500 for the vid card, and 
the rest of it came out of the parts bin and barter.  There is a PCI 
card that lets you convert desktop to a remote controlled media center, 
but a wireless keyboard and mouse are cheaper.

> I use VLC as well and uTorrent with an IP block list downloaded from 
> Bluetack to keep away some of the undesirables. Don't know if it
> actually works or not.

Bluetack seemed to work when I tried it out about a year~year-and-a-half 
ago.  You could D/L lists that would also work with Peer Guardian and I 
just automated the process and didn't have any attack issues thereafter. 
  So, I _assume_ it worked well.

> I have been watching "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" on 
> Fuji. They took a 42 minute programme (w/o CM) and stretched it into
> a 45 minute time slot WITH CMs. There are a LOT of important plot
> points being cut out of it. Didn't bother D/L it when it was
> available due to the lack of time to actually watch it.

One of the up/down-sides of Scapa is that you get to ignore a lot of the 
local crap.  There are a whole new set of one year wonders in short 
skirts that I don't recognize and most of the ones I do all seem to be 
playing mothers, managers, and aunts, now.  The scripts haven't gotten 
any more intellectual and there are too many remakes of shows I first 
saw in their first or second remake incarnation *mumble*mumble*mumble* 
years ago.

> I watch way too much TV as it is and I don't feel the need to pay for
>  it. If I were to do something like Scapa, I would probably never
> leave the house which would cause a GREAT deal of trouble and strife
> from the trouble and strife. We have changed a lot of our viewing
> habits since the wee one came along. We try to limit her TV time as
> much as possible.

After about two weeks you will narrow down your choices to half-a-dozen 
or less.  We bought a multi-system DVD + VHS recorder / player at the 
Navy Exchange (using a friend's ID) for about 65% of the Japan price for 
a Japan-system-only version of the same thing.  Now, we watch about an 
hour a night and about three hours on Saturday.

We've found that the kid's channels, Discovery Channel, and The History 
Channel have actually helped our daughter's interest in both learning 
and in speaking English.  But there has to be a strict limit on cartoons 
that is enforced or the TV becomes a baby sitting machine, like the 
Japanese content providers want it to be.

The downside has been that she's the only native English speaker in her 
school, so she ends up having to translate a lot of stuff in shows and 
DVDs when her friends come over.  Having military base access usually 
means we can get the English-language version of DVDs before the same 
movie is shown in Japanese theaters, so we have a lot of home theater 
evenings for her friends. complete with popcorn (a Presto hot air corn 
popper can amuse six or seven third graders for at least an hour, all by 
itself).

> I never really thought it worthwhile to torrent sporting events. In 
> the time it takes to get it all downloaded, you could easily find out
> the result (even accidentally which is the main problem with it.) I
> let the locals provide me with my "baseball" fix as much as I am
> allowed but since the spousal unit HATES "baseball" I don't get to
> see it on telly much. I have got the wee one slightly hooked on it so
> as she gets older, we might be able to assert a majority rule.

American football is a weekend event ... for the most part.  I only D/L 
the Vikings games and watch them even when I know the final score.  For 
the rest, BBC does an excellent weekly all-games wrap-up that is about 
40 minutes long.  It explains a lot more of the tactics and strategy, so 
my Boss also can understand a lot more of the reasons why I am screaming 
and jumping up and down ... or swearing at the guy in the striped shirt.

One of ways you _might_ also be able to sweep back the tide of 
disapproval toward baseball is to head out to Jingu on warm summer 
evenings and buy a handful of outfield bleacher tickets (used to cost 
around JPY 1,000) and watch the Swallows lose to whoever they're playing 
in an outdoor stadium.  Lots of excuses to eat bad food, drink excessive 
amounts of beer, and enjoy good camaraderie (not to mention the large 
numbers of tipsy and friendly OLs who go there ... but, that was more 
important before I got married).  We love the Swallows because they're 
Not-The-Giants and they actually seem to have talent, even though it 
doesn't seem to be very well distributed.

> And I am more of an Essendon fan myself. It is annoying that I am 
> finally in a reasonably close time zone but can't manage to see a
> footy match (or especially the GF) in the comfort of my own home
> without resorting to torrents. Which goes back to the point above.

Essendon???? (Makes warding motions with hands)

I originally got into watching because the Research Manager at the 
Melbourne office of our Oz affiliate had once played as a back (of some 
sort) for Carlton.  It was official office policy to Despise Essendon 
... or else.  This was A Lot of Years Ago, so I am not sure what has 
changed since then.

-- 
CL