Broken PS3 - Repair or Replace ?

My PS3 decided to just stop working a few months ago. For anyone who has this happen, you need to ask yourself if it makes sense to replace or repair it. If you don't use it anymore, then you can also consider moving to another type of device, i.e. Wii or Xbox 360.

In my case, I decided it makes more sense to repair it. We love the functionality it provides for both playing games and movies. The PS3 store lets us download movies and TV shows, as well as games. We also love being able to watch HD content on Blueray DVDs.

The repair made more sense than replacing it because we still play a lot of PS2 games that just aren't compatible with the new PS3 units. The unit we have has hardware emulation, so the old games play great. A new unit with a much larger hard disk would cost considerably less than a replacement unit with the same features. Repairing the unit after the warranty period expires costs around $150 plus any applicable local sales tax. You pay via credit card on Sony's secure site and they ship you a box. You make sure to backup you hard drive, if possible, and only send the PS3. No cables, controllers, games, or anything else, just the PS3. They include a shipping label and you send it off.

A few days later, Sony sends it back to you. UPS requires a signature for pickup, so plan on being home or have it shipped to your office.

To wrap this up, it works great and we are really enjoying the games and movies again. It was quick and painless and I just wish I hadn't procrastinated for so long.

Turkey Frying Checklist

I know, I know, everybody knows how to fry a turkey.

But I would be remiss if I didn't caution you in the strongest words I can that frying a turkey -- a whole bird -- is not safe for small animals or little children. In fact, it's a tad dangerous.

So here's a quick checklist of things to remember when frying a turkey, especially if it's your first time. Tape this list to the refrigerator and keep it until next year when I do this again.

Send any kids or pets into the house and lock the door. The last thing you want is a bunch of small creatures running around a pot of boiling oil.

Likewise tell your favorite uncle, the one who gets into the Christmas cheer a little earlier than most folks, to stay inside with the kids. You don't want anybody who can't pass a field sobriety test anywhere near the pot.

Make sure the turkey is thawed completely before you dunk it in the oil. Any ice -- any -- still in the bird will react violently with the grease and the outcome won't be pretty.

Don't overfill the pot. Fill it no more than half way and a little less is actually bettter. It can boil over.  Another way is to put the turkey in the empty pot and fill with water to get the level.  Make a mark and don't fill more than the mark.

Concentrate. Timing is critical in turkey frying so either pay close attention to the time (3 to 3½ minutes per pound) or find somebody more reliable than you and charge them with the task of time keeping.

Take the oil's temperature regularly. Try to maintain a temperature of about 340 degrees if possible. Don't let it drop below about 320 or get above 360 degrees.

Pinewood Derby Links

Here is a list of links for some Pinewood Derby websites I visit.  They all have good info, but some are more for the Mom's and Dad's and others who take Pinewood very seriously.

Message Boards

• http://pddr.proboards51.com
  
• http://www.derbytalk.com
  
• http://pwdracing.proboards91.com
  
• http://pinewoodp.proboards29.com
  

Vendors - Supplies

• http://www.maximum-velocity.com/
  
• http://www.derbydoc.com/
  
• http://www.derbydad4hire.com/
  
• http://www.winderby.com/
  
• http://www.pinewoodextreme.com/
  
• http://www.derbychamp.com/
  

Vendors - Track & Software

• http://grandprix-software-central.com/
  
• http://www.besttrack.com/
  
• http://www.pinewoodderbytrack.com/
  
• http://www.microwizard.com/
  

PS3 Hard Drive Upgrade

Follow the link for a walk-through of a PS3 HD upgrade.

http://vgstrategies.about.com/od/ps3cheatsandcodes/a/PS3HDDDriveSwap.htm

There are many choices, but the Western Digital WD3200BEVT is a good place to start.  Any SATA 2.5" drive should work.

TIVO 30 Second Skip

ENABLE THE 30 SECOND SKIP ON YOUR REMOTE

The 30 Second Skip

Every TiVo can do a 30 second skip - you just have to enable it. Here's how you do it:

1 Start playing any recording.

2 During playback press:

Select - Play - Select - 3 - 0 - Select

3 You should hear three bongs (if you don't have the TiVo sounds disabled), and you're done.

Your "skip to beginning/end" button (the arrow pointing to a line) is now a 30 second skip button. During fast-forwarding or rewinding, the button will still "skip to tick."

The button looks like this: 

 

To turn the feature off, repeat the three steps.

Important note: this feature is set to "off" at default on restarts. So if your TiVo restarts or loses power, the feature will be turned back off. Just enter the code again while watching a recording to re-enable it.

The most importaint word...

A Boy Scout Troop's Scoutmaster asked the question, "What is the most important word in the Scout Law?"

After all the Law had been shouted out, Trustworthy? NO, Reverent, NO, Helpful and so on. The Scoutmaster answered by saying the most important word in the Scout Law is "IS". 
"The Scout Law doesn't say A Scout might be, or maybe be or sorta could be.  Remember you are a Scout and a Scout IS Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, etc..."

"Go be a Scout."

Mark Murray, Scoutmaster

Troop 753, Carrollton TX

democracy

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those others that have been tried. - Winston Churchill

This quote was used in an episode of Law & Order ("King Maker") to describe the political process of the advisors who make things happen for the candidates and elected officials behind the scenes.