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Is it worth it? It's not exactly expensive and I got an iPad and Mac for air play, pretty much all I was going to use it for. Any other hidden featurs which makes it awesome ?
  • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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    Originally Posted by butters View Post

    Is it worth it? It's not exactly expensive and I got an iPad and Mac for air play, pretty much all I was going to use it for. Any other hidden featurs which makes it awesome ?
    Hi. Purchased it with my new Mac Pro but have not taken it out of the box. I think my reason for getting it was to easily integrate Netflix, but my interest in that has waned.

    I get enough TV, but someday I'll hook it up.

    Cheers. - Frank
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    • Profile picture of the author butters
      Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

      Hi. Purchased it with my new Mac Pro but have not taken it out of the box. I think my reason for getting it was to easily integrate Netflix, but my interest in that has waned.

      I get enough TV, but someday I'll hook it up.

      Cheers. - Frank
      I feel disappointed Frank, thought you would be all over this!!
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      • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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        Originally Posted by butters View Post

        I feel disappointed Frank, thought you would be all over this!!
        Yeah. A few months ago that would have been very true. I recently found out that one of my closest childhood friends checked into hospice without telling a soul and died. I feel like a piece of myself died along with him. Our friendship helped shape my life.

        I'm having a hard time finding any significance and/or maintaining an interest in anything at all - even the things that have brought the most joy into my life. I find myself staring blankly out the window, having to force myself to move on to the next task of the day. It's like someone threw a light switch and turned off my vitality.

        I keep telling myself that I'll be back to normal, tomorrow, when in reality the sense of loss is becoming more pronounced with each passing day.

        I'm afraid that this was a signpost that reads, 'Danger, ahead. You're next!'

        Not feeling very cheery. - Frank
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        • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
          The latest smart tv's have stuff built in that allows for a wireless hookup from your PC (Don't know about the Mac) without any extra hardware. Thing is, all our tv's are a few years old, one of them is a smart tv but does not have this feature. The push2tv devices are fast dissapearing because of this though. On Saturday I bought a Microsoft device (about 60 bucks) that was a little bigger than a thumb drive. You plug it into the tv's hdmi and usb port for power. I connected my laptop to it to display picture and sound from it on the big screen, so can stream movies on my tv wirelessly from the laptop or my main pc. Worked well.

          Be mindful of the fact though, the latest smart tv's dont need extra hardware. So if you were thinking of buying one....
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        • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
          Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

          Yeah. A few months ago that would have been very true. I recently found out that one of my closest childhood friends checked into hospice without telling a soul and died. I feel like a piece of myself died along with him. Our friendship helped shape my life.

          I'm having a hard time finding any significance and/or maintaining an interest in anything at all - even the things that have brought the most joy into my life. I find myself staring blankly out the window, having to force myself to move on to the next task of the day. It's like someone threw a light switch and turned off my vitality.

          I keep telling myself that I'll be back to normal, tomorrow, when in reality the sense of loss is becoming more pronounced with each passing day.

          I'm afraid that this was a signpost that reads, 'Danger, ahead. You're next!'

          Not feeling very cheery. - Frank
          Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend Frank, you are in mourning for him and it was sudden. which makes it worst. It also brings home the mortality bit. Best you can do is find something to throw yourself into, a distraction, get a job with a deadline or something. Keep busy. It helps.

          Best to you
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          • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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            Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

            Sorry to hear about the loss of your friend Frank,
            Thank you.
            you are in mourning for him
            In typical selfish fashion, probably more in mourning for myself. I can only be happy for him. He had a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his liver.
            and it was sudden. which makes it worst.
            Honestly, I'm a bit pissed. He spent a good deal of his time in Cuba over the past decade and we swore to each other that is anything ever happened to either of us, we would make a supreme effort to get word to the other. He did not do that and I feel betrayed. He could have easily gotten word to me. I guess you can't trust anyone, regardless of how long you know them.
            It also brings home the mortality bit.
            That's not a big deal, actually. Losing my dog 2 years ago has brought that fact more into focus with each passing day. My cat is soon to go and yet I am inexplicably detached from the impending sadness. I started crying over my dog around 3 months before she died.
            Best you can do is find something to throw yourself into, a distraction, get a job with a deadline or something.
            Fortunately my largest remaining client has a huge launch on the horizon. That should keep me busy for a few months. It has begun already, but I am having a hard time staying focused. I have outsourced a large amount of what I was going to do so as not to hurt the project.
            Keep busy. It helps.
            I'm already looking for what to do when this project is completed. I bought the new Mac Pro so I could relegate the Mac mini to a dedicated workstation for my radio show, I put everything together, but after 8 years of doing the show and playing music that I have been listening to for over 50 years, I can't bring myself to turn it back on. If there is a larger 'been, there - done, that' item in my life, I just don't know what it could be. lol I just can't muster any enthusiasm for anything.

            I don't really have a bucket list, but I will admit that my lifelong interest in all forms of mass communication and the performing arts has always had me in a state of perpetual contemplation regarding starting an on-line TV show. While it can be done on the cheap, you know me. That word is simply NOT in my vocabulary. To do it the way that I would want to do it would require an investment of approximately $20k. That's to create a product that would have required $200k in equipment less than 10 years ago. Newtek has a new product called the Tricaster Mini. It, along with all the accouterments is around $14k. Add a couple of decent cameras, some lights, monitors and another dedicated Mac and you're right at $20-22k.

            My client is interested in doing live webinars and a TV show in his niche. He just put the retail part of his business up for sale for $1.2m to go totally on-line. I have the distinct feeling that a Tricaster Mini is in his future - and by proxy, in mine. lol

            That should get my creative juices flowing, again and give me something to focus on. The only question now is, what type of TV show I would like to do for myself? If it doesn't offend a fairly large number of people, I just can't see any reason to do it. I'll come up with something. Maybe I'll interview infamous dead people from the great beyond and ask them what the hell they were thinking. That could be fun.

            All suggestions are welcome. I'm serious. I built my green screen studio over a year ago and haven't shot one minute of video. I always figured I would live forever so there was never any rush. I have shelved that belief. :-(

            Best to you
            I very much appreciate the comforting words of your post.

            Cheers. - Frank
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            • Profile picture of the author tagiscom
              Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

              The latest smart tv's have stuff built in that allows for a wireless hookup from your PC (Don't know about the Mac) without any extra hardware. Thing is, all our tv's are a few years old, one of them is a smart tv but does not have this feature. The push2tv devices are fast dissapearing because of this though. On Saturday I bought a Microsoft device (about 60 bucks) that was a little bigger than a thumb drive. You plug it into the tv's hdmi and usb port for power. I connected my laptop to it to display picture and sound from it on the big screen, so can stream movies on my tv wirelessly from the laptop or my main pc. Worked well.

              Be mindful of the fact though, the latest smart tv's dont need extra hardware. So if you were thinking of buying one....
              Yes, looked into that, my Mother has a smart tv, but can't get certain programs online, but with a phone or new laptop she could. My Laptop can't do it, unfortunately.


              Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

              Yeah. A few months ago that would have been very true. I recently found out that one of my closest childhood friends checked into hospice without telling a soul and died. I feel like a piece of myself died along with him. Our friendship helped shape my life.

              I'm having a hard time finding any significance and/or maintaining an interest in anything at all - even the things that have brought the most joy into my life. I find myself staring blankly out the window, having to force myself to move on to the next task of the day. It's like someone threw a light switch and turned off my vitality.

              I keep telling myself that I'll be back to normal, tomorrow, when in reality the sense of loss is becoming more pronounced with each passing day.

              I'm afraid that this was a signpost that reads, 'Danger, ahead. You're next!'

              Not feeling very cheery. - Frank
              Sorry to hear about that Frank, take care.





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              • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                Originally Posted by tagiscom View Post

                Sorry to hear about that Frank, take care.
                Thanks. :-) Don't worry. There are two other words that have been purged from my vocabulary; quit and moderation. lol

                Cheers. - Frank
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                • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                  Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

                  Thanks. :-) Don't worry. There are two other words that have been purged from my vocabulary; quit and moderation. lol

                  Cheers. - Frank
                  Frank, don't know if you will read this as the thread has dropped down, about your friend not keeping contact. Happened to my Father. Life long friend was on is way out and losing weight. He communicated by letters but did not want a visit or even a phone call. My father did not go to the funeral either, cant remember if he was invited or not.

                  I think this must be more common than we think. Not all people want to be fussed over or even seen when they are ill and going down hill fast. Some feel differently when they actually get to that stage despite earlier promises. They just want to go with the minimum of fuss and perhaps just want to be remembered by their friends as they were.

                  Just a thought.
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                  • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                    Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                    Frank, don't know if you will read this as the thread has dropped down, about your friend not keeping contact. Happened to my Father. Life long friend was on is way out and losing weight. He communicated by letters but did not want a visit or even a phone call. My father did not go to the funeral either, cant remember if he was invited or not.

                    I think this must be more common than we think. Not all people want to be fussed over or even seen when they are ill and going down hill fast. Some feel differently when they actually get to that stage despite earlier promises. They just want to go with the minimum of fuss and perhaps just want to be remembered by their friends as they were.

                    Just a thought.
                    Yes, I have taken all of that into consideration and I have no reason not to accept all of that as a more thank likely scenario. Michael and I were polar opposites, emotionally. He was cold, calculating and loathed sentimentality - a trait of mine that he ridiculed me for over my entire life. lol

                    When I think about the chain of events, I get it. I'm just not happy about it.

                    All but one of my oldest and closest friends are now gone and the one remaining has worse heart problems that I do. Every time my home phone rings I get a terror pang.

                    Last night I had a dream that I was diagnosed as being terminally-ill. I already have Agent Orange poisoning which brought on congestive heart failure. I'm on my third pacemaker/defibrillator. Am I not already terminally-ill???

                    Frank
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                    • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                      Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

                      Yes, I have taken all of that into consideration and I have no reason not to accept all of that as a more thank likely scenario. Michael and I were polar opposites, emotionally. He was cold, calculating and loathed sentimentality - a trait of mine that he ridiculed me for over my entire life. lol

                      When I think about the chain of events, I get it. I'm just not happy about it.

                      All but one of my oldest and closest friends are now gone and the one remaining has worse heart problems that I do. Every time my home phone rings I get a terror pang.

                      Last night I had a dream that I was diagnosed as being terminally-ill. I already have Agent Orange poisoning which brought on congestive heart failure. I'm on my third pacemaker/defibrillator. Am I not already terminally-ill???

                      Frank
                      Are we not all terminally ill and destined to to go at some point as soon as we are born, just a question of when. I'm sure you have an ipacemaker. :-) My Windows one is always performing an illegal operation and shutting down, not to mention the constant updates and operations to reboot it.

                      In the not so sunny Houston area we have tropical depression Bill bearing down on us this morning, from the Gulf, should be a rough 24 hours or so (landfall about 8.30). Working for a community college, all ISD's are closed today, possibly tomorrow too. So, day off today. Looking forward to the electricity going off later.
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                      • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                        Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                        Are we not all terminally ill and destined to to go at some point as soon as we are born, just a question of when.
                        I considered asking that question, but decided it was too rhetorical. lol From a theoretical standpoint that is of course, very true. Medically it has a totally different context.
                        I'm sure you have an ipacemaker. :-)
                        iPacemaker Pro, to be precise. :-)
                        My Windows one is always performing an illegal operation and shutting down, not to mention the constant updates and operations to reboot it.
                        FYI - you should not purchase those off of Craigs List nor have them installed at Jiffy Lube.
                        In the not so sunny Houston area we have tropical depression Bill bearing down on us this morning, from the Gulf, should be a rough 24 hours or so (landfall about 8.30). Working for a community college, all ISD's are closed today, possibly tomorrow too. So, day off today. Looking forward to the electricity going off later.
                        Was this info an attempt at having the thought of you being washed away by a Texas tsunami bring a sense of hope and possible elation into my bleak.existence?

                        OK. I confess. I do feel a wee-bit better, already. :-)

                        Cheers. - Frank
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                        • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                          "Was this info an attempt at having the thought of you being washed away by a Texas tsunami bring a sense of hope and possible elation into my bleak.existence? OK. I confess. I do feel a wee-bit better, already. :-)"

                          You saw through my little ruse. :-)
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                          • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                            Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                            "Was this info an attempt at having the thought of you being washed away by a Texas tsunami bring a sense of hope and possible elation into my bleak.existence? OK. I confess. I do feel a wee-bit better, already. :-)"

                            You saw through my little ruse. :-)
                            Well, the 'hope' factor has kicked in, but the possibility of elation is fully dependent on what transpires. I'll be glued to the Weather Channel.

                            Cheer. - Frank
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                            • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                              Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

                              Well, the 'hope' factor has kicked in, but the possibility of elation is fully dependent on what transpires. I'll be glued to the Weather Channel.

                              Cheer. - Frank
                              Stay tuned for updates, the heavens have just opened, it has begun! (worst tomorrow)
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                              • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                                Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                                (worst tomorrow)
                                That infers that you are expecting a tomorrow. Rumination required.

                                Cheers. - Frank
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                                • Profile picture of the author lanfear63
                                  Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

                                  That infers that you are expecting a tomorrow. Rumination required.

                                  Cheers. - Frank
                                  You might say I'm having a Tropical Depression at the moment, 8-10 inches of rain. Enjoy my anxiety.

                                  Actually we survived hurricane Ike going right over us in 2008 (the eye no less) and were not flooded out or had any damage. This is a damp squib compared to it. :-)

                                  Does not stop the local tv channels abandoning normal programming and spending the whole day wittering on about it (like Claude)
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                                  • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                                    Originally Posted by lanfear63 View Post

                                    You might say I'm having a Tropical Depression at the moment, 8-10 inches of rain. Enjoy my anxiety.
                                    I will think of you as I head down to Wildwood to treat myself to a nice lunch at an outdoor cafe. I just washed and waxed the Bimmer, the top is down and I am ready for some cruising on what should be some very empty back roads.
                                    Actually we survived hurricane Ike going right over us in 2008 (the eye no less) and were not flooded out or had any damage. This is a damp squib compared to it. :-)
                                    Torrential downpours expected here, late today.
                                    Does not stop the local tv channels abandoning normal programming and spending the whole day wittering on about it (like Claude)
                                    Yes, lately they make everything sound like the end of the world. All graduates of the Diane Sawyer School of Broadcasting. Breathless twits.

                                    Cheers,

                                    Frank
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        • Profile picture of the author AprilCT
          Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

          Yeah. A few months ago that would have been very true. I recently found out that one of my closest childhood friends checked into hospice without telling a soul and died. I feel like a piece of myself died along with him. Our friendship helped shape my life.

          I'm having a hard time finding any significance and/or maintaining an interest in anything at all - even the things that have brought the most joy into my life. I find myself staring blankly out the window, having to force myself to move on to the next task of the day. It's like someone threw a light switch and turned off my vitality.

          I keep telling myself that I'll be back to normal, tomorrow, when in reality the sense of loss is becoming more pronounced with each passing day.

          I'm afraid that this was a signpost that reads, 'Danger, ahead. You're next!'

          Not feeling very cheery. - Frank
          I'm very sorry that happened to you, Frank. I know it's very difficult, but time will help heal the wound. Give yourself permission to grieve, but separate that time from the work you have to do. You will be okay, sad perhaps, but things will get better for you.

          My SIL died in a hospice last week, only checking in on Friday before last and dying on Monday a week ago. Our family is trying to keep tabs on my BIL because this is his second wife to die tragically from cancer and neither of them were old. The one consolation now is that the first wife's children are all grown and one still lives with BIL, so he has somebody around.

          My SIL only relented getting help from the family recently when she became too feeble to get out of her hospital bed herself and couldn't get around to do anything.

          Dying is very personal, and perhaps he had his reasons not to contact you, as distressing as that might sound. Reasons like he not only felt, but looked awful. There is also the possibility that the tumor that killed him had spread a lot, and he wasn't thinking clearly. It's not that you two weren't close friends, sometimes things just happen the way they did even though that was not the original intention.

          Fill your life with things to do and go do them. Stumbling around sick at heart will drag you down and will not change what happened. Forgive your friend for leaving you so sick at heart.

          Remember the good times and the good friendship. I'm sure he never meant to hurt your feelings.
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          • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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            Originally Posted by AprilCT View Post

            I'm very sorry that happened to you, Frank.
            Thanks.
            I know it's very difficult, but time will help heal the wound. Give yourself permission to grieve, but separate that time from the work you have to do. You will be okay, sad perhaps, but things will get better for you.
            No doubt. I take these events hard, initially, put the psychic trauma dissipates over time. It never goes away fully, though. My last two closest friends that died still haunt on a daily basis. One was from suicide, which I still have not forgiven him for - and never will and the other was an accidental recreational drug overdose. I have not forgiven him for his stupidity and never will. I always told him it would happen, someday. He once laughed at me and commented that I had been telling him that for 30 years. That was true. Unfortunately I didn't get to tell him that for another 30 years.
            My SIL died in a hospice last week, only checking in on Friday before last and dying on Monday a week ago. Our family is trying to keep tabs on my BIL because this is his second wife to die tragically from cancer and neither of them were old. The one consolation now is that the first wife's children are all grown and one still lives with BIL, so he has somebody around.
            Yes - I'm quite certain that my total isolation from others makes the situation worse for me as I don't have anyone except my VA therapist to discuss my feelings with.
            My SIL only relented getting help from the family recently when she became too feeble to get out of her hospital bed herself and couldn't get around to do anything.
            I have a bottle of Vicodin stashed for the day I find myself in that situation.
            Dying is very personal, and perhaps he had his reasons not to contact you, as distressing as that might sound. Reasons like he not only felt, but looked awful. There is also the possibility that the tumor that killed him had spread a lot, and he wasn't thinking clearly. It's not that you two weren't close friends, sometimes things just happen the way they did even though that was not the original intention.
            Yes, I tell myself all of those things and more. It has minimal effect. lol
            Fill your life with things to do and go do them. Stumbling around sick at heart will drag you down and will not change what happened. Forgive your friend for leaving you so sick at heart.
            I have fully forgiven him, intellectually. I don't know if I will ever be able to, emotionally.
            Remember the good times and the good friendship. I'm sure he never meant to hurt your feelings.
            I spend a lot of time remembering our childhood years. I don't believe he gave my feelings very mush consideration. I imagine all of us at that stage can be quite selfish.

            All of this has reaffirmed my belief in something that I work constantly to achieve. Lots of people oftentimes ask me why I act like I do and they comment that it seems as if I work very hard and go quite out of my way to be disliked. They're right about that. I have closely studied the effects from the pain and sadness that people have to contend with when they lose someone that they were close to and genuinely liked. I have spent the better part of my adult life doing everything possible to make those that know me, not like me very much. I have no interest in my death bringing sadness to anyone. My goal has been to have everyone not care that I am gone.

            Success would be hearing the following refrain from everyone that knew me. "That's one little prick I'm never going to miss."

            How am I doing??? :-)

            Frank
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            • Profile picture of the author AprilCT
              Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

              ....
              I have spent the better part of my adult life doing everything possible to make those that know me, not like me very much. I have no interest in my death bringing sadness to anyone. My goal has been to have everyone not care that I am gone.

              Success would be hearing the following refrain from everyone that knew me. "That's one little prick I'm never going to miss."

              How am I doing??? :-)

              Frank
              I think you are missing your "goal," Frank. You know others will care, so stop denying it and stop pretending you are one tough sob. It ain't working...seen that act before. Here's a hug for you, Frank [[[[[[[Frank]]]]]]] --so there!
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              • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
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                Originally Posted by AprilCT View Post

                I think you are missing your "goal," Frank.
                Thanks for the heads-up. I shall up my game. I honestly thought I was doing fairly well. :-)

                Cheers. -- Frank
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