Search results

  1. kalrith

    WTV Compress - What do you use?

    I record a lot of shows in Win7 Media Center, and I need to compress them. I've looked into using MCEBuddy (http://www.hack7mc.com/2009/04/save-hd-space-using-mcebuddy-with-wtv.html), but I haven't looked much beyond that. I don't mind converting them to something else, but I want it to play...
  2. kalrith

    1,000 feet to closest neighbor...OK to run unsecured WiFi?

    I recently moved to a house on 10 acres. My closest neighbor's house is 1,000 feet away. I've been running my wireless network unprotected. Are there any security problems with that? We're on a private lane that ends at our house, so there's never any traffic other than FedEx/UPS deliveries.
  3. kalrith

    Advice on buying house on "busy" road w/ poll

    Update 9/6/2012: Bought a different house and moved in last weekend. The house is on 10 acres on a private lane about half a mile off of a non-busy 55mph highway. When outside my house, I can't hear the highway most of the time and can't see or hear my neighbors (other than the occasional dog or...
  4. kalrith

    '92 Cougar Repair - May 4 Update - Important Control Arm Question

    May 4 Important Question: Do I have to compress struts to replace lower control arm? I have a ’92 Mercury Cougar that I’m getting ready to fix up to be my daily driver. The engine and transmission are very solid (5.0, 130k miles), but the steering, suspension, front wheel bearings, etc. are...
  5. kalrith

    Upgrading Polk R50 to new front 3 for $500...suggestions?

    Here's my current setup: Receiver: Denon 1610 Mains: Polk R50 Center: Polk CSi25 Surrounds: Polk R15 Sub: Polk PSW350 Now, it might look like I'm a huge Polk guy, but it's more that I'm big on getting good deals, and also Polk is the only brand I have experience with. I'm thinking about going...
  6. kalrith

    Canon Rebel T2i video - confused about lack of continuous focus

    Update 05/16/11: Ordered refurb Canon T2i with kit lens for $544 after tax with the Canon Loyalty Program. According to the DCResource review on the T2i: First of all, I'm confused about the AF system being seen and heard in the movie. Also, I'm wondering what the real-world impact of no...
  7. kalrith

    Worth it to spend $1500 on repairs for an SUV with 162k miles???

    Update 04/06/2011: Bought 2006 Suzuki Forenza with 73k miles for $4,500 I'll try to keep this short. I have a 2001 Mazda Tribute V6 AWD with automatic transmission and 162k miles on it. It will currently only use 1st and 3rd gears, which probably means a band has broken. The transmission shop...
  8. kalrith

    How to handle job & salary offer by phone? (Update: Got the final offer and accepted)

    Update 9/1: I got the job! They wouldn't budge on salary, but gave me an extra 9 days PTO on the first day I begin (normally there would be 0 PTO until after 6 months). That works out to about $1400 in PTO, so I think the negotiation paid off well. I had an interview today and think I might get...
  9. kalrith

    What Salary Information to Include on Job Application?

    I'm applying for a job and want ATOT's take on how much salary information to include. I sent my resume with a cover letter and landed an interview with that; however, the HR rep sent me an application to fill out first. The following is the requested information: "Salary Acceptable" (for the...
  10. kalrith

    What could cause horrible gas smell for past 2 weeks?

    Sorry about the gross thread. For the past 2 weeks, my gas has smelled really, really bad and not at all like it usually does. It has a very strong rotten-egg smell. I haven't changed my diet, other than decreasing the quantities of the same food that I've eaten for months. I've been...
  11. kalrith

    Which Glucosamine for Joint Pain?

    My wife's been experiencing some joint paint as a lasting side effect of a birth-control shot she had 6 months ago. She's not going to get the shot again, but she's read that the joint pain can last for a year after getting the shot. We're planning to get some glucosamine to help, but I'm not...
  12. kalrith

    Do older 775 mobos support C2D and C2Q CPUs?

    My friend has an Asus P5GD2-X motherboard and wants to upgrade the CPU. He thinks since it's socket 775, he can just buy an E6500 or Q6600 to pop in there, but I don't think that's right. I don't want to steer him in the wrong direction, so can somewhere please tell me whether his mobo supports...
  13. kalrith

    Any tips for running with a stroller?

    I bought this bike trailer/jogging stroller and have used it a few times now (jogging, not biking). I've improved my form a lot, but I'm still looking for ways to improve it more. What I do now is run to the left of the stroller with my right hand on the handle. This allows me to not inhibit my...
  14. kalrith

    4870 in PCI-e x1 mode

    Update: I noticed GPU-Z reporting that the cards in PCI-e x1 mode. Any thoughts on how to fix that? It seems that it must've been in x8 or x16 mode to give the 9100 GPU score, so I'm wondering what changed. Cliffs: Upgraded from 2900XT to 4870 512MB without uninstalling/reinstalling drivers...
  15. kalrith

    Couch 2 5k in Ten Days: The Tale of a Procrastinator

    I've mentioned on here a couple times that I'm running a 5k on May 22. I found out about this 7 weeks before the race and planned to do the Couch 2 5k program. Other things kept coming up, and I found it hard to find the time to go for a run. Fast forward to yesterday, and I finally went...
  16. kalrith

    Which Cormac McCarthy novel(s) to read first?

    I want 1 or 2 stand-alone novels to read before diving into another series. The novels by Cormac McCarthy (esp. The Road and No Country for Old Men) seem to be very well-reputed. Which one(s) would you recommend reading first? If you have any other stand-alone novels to recommend, that's fine...
  17. kalrith

    ATOT Effect Requested (no registration)

    http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/245586 Please vote for my son's picture at the above link. Click Vote for Me Enter the quoted text Click Submit My Vote If he wins, then we'll get a free trip to New York for a photo shoot and might wind up on the cover of Parents Magazine...
  18. kalrith

    snip

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  19. kalrith

    Update (04-19-10): Ordered Denon 1610

    Update (04-19-10): I ordered the Denon 1610. More details below. Update (04-16-10): For $370 I could get a pair of ELT525 towers and an ELT525 center. Would these speakers totally blow my Polk R50 towers and CSi25 center out of the water? For the same price, it seems that I could make a much...
  20. kalrith

    ATI 4890 for $149 ACB or ~$134 AR (ebillme)

    TigerDirect has an ATI 4890 for $169.99 shipped here: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...570&CatId=3669. Note that this card is new, unlike the refurb 4890 that was available a while ago for the same price. You can get 12.3% cashback ($20.91) by going to www.bing.com, searching for...
  21. kalrith

    VFFs - Socks or no socks?

    I was going to hold off a while, but I'm really thinking about getting a pair of VFF KSO soon. I had planned to wear them barefoot, but I read of some other people wearing these toe socks with them. Has anyone worn socks with their VFFs? What's your take on doing so?
  22. kalrith

    How would you train for a 5k in 8 weeks? (assuming you're completely out of shape now

    I am absolutely and completely out of shape, but I plan to run a 5k on May 22. I haven't been doing any sort of exercising other than various housing projects in at least a year. I have access to running outside (who doesn't?), a bench, 5-50 lb. dumbbells, and a bike. My only goal is to get the...
  23. kalrith

    Antec Earthwatts EA380D Green PSU 380w ATX Power Supply $40 + FS

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Pro...6817371033 I've been waiting for this to drop to $40 to snag one for my HTPC. Don't forget about 2% BCB. Comes out to $39.19 ACB.
  24. kalrith

    What are the legal options when a company overpays an employee by 33% for 1 yr?

    Update: They're not making us pay it back. My wife's always been on salary, and she used to work 40 hours per week. She dropped to 30 hours per week, and her pay was supposed to drop to 75% of what it used to be. However, it didn't drop, and we didn't notice it. Her boss just noticed it...
  25. kalrith

    Proper Screen Height for Computer Monitor?

    I just bought a 32" 1080p TV as my main computer monitor, and I'm going to wall-mount it. Obviously I want to determine the preferred screen height before mounting it. I'm going to test a few different heights, but I wanted some other opinions on this subject. I want to place it at the best...
  26. kalrith

    lock

    lock Locked at OP's request. -vi OT Mod
  27. kalrith

    I have some really, really, really bad news...

    ...we're out of tomato soup. That's verbatim what my wife said to me tonight. I was bracing myself for her to say something awful like she lost her job, a family member died, a pet died, etc. Nope...just the lack of tomato soup. She had mentioned earlier that we could have grilled cheese and...
  28. kalrith

    Is 8.5' x 8.5' large enough for a home gym?

    I'm contemplating sectioning off part of my unfinished basement as my home gym (mainly to keep the pets out of the space, so I don't drop weights on them :)). All I want is to have room for a barbell routine (SS for the foreseeable future). I'll do my cardio elsewhere and have no plans of doing...
  29. kalrith

    Refurb 4890 for $125...good choice, or should I pass?

    Update: I ordered the card :) Here's a link to the hot deals thread on this, and here's a link to the refurb card on Tigerdirect and for reference a link to the card on Newegg. It comes with a one-year warranty, and I don't need any accessories with the card. The card will wind up being $124.50...
  30. kalrith

    Lock, please

    Argh! Took too long to post.
  31. kalrith

    Post Pics/Description of Your Home Gym

    We have a post like this in the AV Forum, so I thought I'd start one here as well. I mentioned in another thread that I'm looking to build my home gym in the near future. I'd like to see what kind of setup you guys have. Pics would be great, but even a list of equipment would suffice. Also...
  32. kalrith

    How much can I sell this PC for?

    My friend has a hardly used PC (probably used for 2 months) that he wants to sell. All parts were purchased new from Newegg and Chief Value, have never been overclocked, and are still under warranty. I'm going to try to list it on the FS/FT forums for him, and he might sell it locally. I...
  33. kalrith

    How do you keep your opened wine/liquor bottles fresh?

    I had seen reusable corks like this one before and was thinking about getting them for wine/liquor bottles that I take a few days to finish. Then, I happened upon the Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump and Stopper. It goes a step beyond just recorking it and pumps the air out. It has good reviews on...
  34. kalrith

    Is bulb grease necessary? (installing turn-signal and headlight bulbs)

    One of my turn signals went out, so I picked up a new on at AutoZone. As I was checking out, he asked if I wanted to buy bulb grease for it. I figured it was one of their high-profit, useless items that they try to sell, so I declined. I searched online and found conflicting information...
  35. kalrith

    Will 3.5mm extension cables reduce the sound quality of my Klipsch Promedia speakers?

    I'm in the process of rearranging my office, and it would work best if I could use two 6' or every 12' 3.5mm extension cables to connect my Klipsch Promedia v2.400 speakers to my computer. Would doing so result in a decrease in audio quality? Would there be a difference between the 6' and 12'...
  36. kalrith

    I'm 28 & I've never had a beer before

    Update 11/11/09: I've tried many of the recommendations, and I just want to say thanks for helping me get started on a nice journey. Update 10/21/09: I've tried 7 different beers now, with 6 of them being from the Boulevard Sampler. I would rate them as follows: Lunar Ale...
  37. kalrith

    Anyone Homeroast (coffee beans)?

    I'm very much into coffee: I have my own espresso machine, coffee-bean grinder, and french press. The one thing I had not done until recently is roast my own coffee beans. My friend bought a $10 popcorn popper, ordered some green coffee beans from http://www.sweetmarias.com/, and started...
  38. kalrith

    Need Advice: How to live without regret/remorse

    Cliffs: I live with remorse and regret over many of the decisions I make. Tell me how to not do that, or share some of your own experiences either with remorse/regret or the lack thereof. For as long as I can remember (I'm 28), I've had a problem with regret and remorse. Not just a little...
  39. kalrith

    I'm looking into buying '09 Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix sister vehicle)

    Update: Not buying a car right now :( I have a '92 Mercury Cougar that qualifies for the cash-for-clunkers program. With that plus the current promotions, I can get a base 1.8L Pontiac Vibe with MT, A/C, cruise, and keyless entry for $11k OTD. I'm considering jumping on this deal, but I...
  40. kalrith

    Please help identify this book

    Update: Credit goes to Turin39789 for identifying it: I read an excerpt of a book (or possibly even a short story) in my high-school literature book in '97 or '98. It was a story of a society that tried to make everyone equal. Those who were stronger than average had to wear weights. Those who...