Sunday, July 31, 2005

How to repair the Master Boot Record in Windows

How to repair the MBR for Windows XP when you screw it up like I did by deleting the Linux partition.

1. Download the Windows Recovery Console ISO.
2. Burn this ISO to a CD (making it bootable) using Nero, Record Now, etc. (Don't just burn the file, actually burn the image)
3. Launch the Windows Recovery Console
4. fixmbr is the command that replaces fdisk /mbr , so run fixmbr

If you need more details, let me know. but this is more for me

More things that are silly

Eric said yesterday "I never use Linux on the work laptop, so I am going to blow it away to get the space back for Windows"

I thought this was a marvelous idea! So I went into Partition Magic and deleted the Linux partitions.

I forgot to reformat the Master Boot Record. So now the laptop's dead in the water until I make a bootable disc for it and reformat the mbr.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Funny story

I keep locking myself out of my car. I did it 2 times last semester, and then I did it again this summer.

This time, since it's warm out, I left my windows slightly ajar. Well, I discovered a way to break into my car: I took off one of my windshield wipers and pressed the unlock button on the inside of the passenger door to unlock my car.

Important lesson: if you leave your windows cracked, make sure it's not too much that someone could stick a windshield wiper through. Though I guess someone could always stick a coat hanger wire in through a narrowly opened window.

(I guess the more important lesson is don't lock yourself out of cars, but that one seems more obvious)

Lappy takes a break

Randomly, the left half of my PowerBook lost a lot of brightness. It only happens when the brightness is set low (which I always do, because it used to still be really crisp and legible. But now I can't see everything that I used to be able to. So I had to bring her in to the ol' Apple Store to see what they'd say.

They said that there's nothing they can do in store (slight surprise) and so it's been shipped off to Apple's maintainence location, hidden in some remote mountain location. I'll be Apple laptop-less for 2 weeks, but at least I have the IBM ThinkPad to tide me And hopefully the display will be fixed & like new when I get it back. I can deal without the Apple while I have the ThinkPad. I don't want to have a faded screen in the fall.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

When you blog

When you blog, be prepared for your mother, your roommate, your enemies, the government, your school administration, anyone on earth to read it. If you don't want a certain person to read it, make it private.

Stand by what you write, stand by what you say.

It reminds me of this old thing someone once told me - "If there is one person you could not tell what you are currently doing, you're probably doing something wrong." It doesn't mean that everyone has to accept what you're doing, but it does mean you must be able to stand up to anyone who might confront you on your actions.

distances

East coast
Portland ME to Boston: 106.8 miles
Boston to Providence: 50.7 miles, Providence to Hartford: 85.9 miles
Boston to Hartford: 101.2 miles
Hartford to New York: 117.6 miles
New York to Philadelphia: 100.2 miles
Philadelphia to Baltimore: 102.2 miles
Baltimore to Washington DC: 44.1 miles
Washington DC to Richmond: 104.9 miles

Yeah. You get a major city every 100 miles out here. It's pretty different in the southeast, things aren't as close. I hear New Mexico & Texas have even longer drives between places.

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Polenta

Polenta is great. Just thought you should all know, and try it sometime.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

My next car

The Thunderbird is in the shop. It needs power steering work, oil pump work, and brake work.

I'm thinking the cost of the repairs might be more than the car is worth. I'm therefore considering my next car.

The requirements are: all wheel drive, wagon, manual transmission, sporty. That narrows it down to Subaru, Audi, and BMW. (The Dodge Magnum only does auto with AWD, Lexus IS 300 is RWD, and Volvo is decidedly un-sexy)

I am not a fan of Subaru, for no good reason. So the WRX is out.

I've decided on an Audi. Now the question is S4/A4 and new/used. If my car's dead, I might have to settle...

Friday, July 15, 2005

Song of today

"What a Good Boy" - performed by Duke's Men of Yale

(Thanks to Katie Dana for getting me hooked on them)

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Grocery stores

In Durham, we have 4 choices for grocery stores. From lowest to highest cost, we have Food Lion, Kroger, Harris Teeter, and Whole Foods.

This is quite the nice departure from Pittsburgh's single source of food - Giant Eagle. There is a single Whole Foods in the Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, but it doesn't really make a dent in Giant Eagle's monopoly.

And now it's time for me to decide where I want to be, full time, when I grow up. I have to figure out where I'm going to work, and start work in February or July, depending on whether I go to Qatar to TA.

Honestly, I'm not extraordinarily fond of the idea of living here in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina after I graduate. The combination of low 90s and high humidity makes me not want to go outside much during the day. In the bay area, to contrast, the mid 80s with low humidity made it easy to be outside during the day.

I really enjoy Chapel Hill's Franklin Street. However, I don't really feel a community feeling here otherwise.

I was asked this week to specify where I want to be when I graduate. I said California Bay Area, followed by Boston and Pittsburgh. I also said I'd go anywhere for the right job.

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Tornado Watch

I don't know what's up with this, but I didn't sign up for a Tornado Watch here.

Sunday, July 03, 2005

The Delinquent

So I've been delinquent posting. I'll give you the highlights, in bullet form.Have a good Fourth of July everyone! I have to pack and take out the trash and sleep now!