Sunday, November 17, 2002

Why Does Windows Rot? I have had this install of Windows XP for about a year now. I figure I have installed an uninstalled hundreds of applications over that time. I am pretty good about defragging and keeping the registry clean. It seems that no matter how well you keep your Windows install it will eventually rot. Weird things just sort happening out of the blue once an install reaches a certain point. I have been pretty lucky at dodging rot with this install, up until now. For some reason Outlook hangs for 30 - 60 seconds every time I open it. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Office with no luck. I manually wiped out all Office XP's registry settings and files then reinstalled and still the problem persists. The Office XP Service Packs will no longer install because there is residual SP2 files littered all over the disk. SP1 refuses to install because it detects a new version somewhere on the system. I give up. It's come to the point where a full reinstall of Windows is in order. That really sucks because now I have to reinstall all my apps and get all the patches and services packs all over again. It's going to take a full day and of course there are going to be some apps I have lost the CDs or the registration keys for. Is the minute it takes me to load Outlook three times a day worth the day I am going to lose reinstalling Windows? 8:51:16 PM

More Whining About Buying in Manhattan So I tell my real estate broker this is what I want; A new apartment (as in not ever lived in) anywhere between Houston and 23rd Street. Don't call me unless you find it. She calls to tell me there is a great place in Battery Park City that I just have to look at. It's in a new building she says, give it a shot. Begrudgingly I agree. Friday at 6:00pm I get on my bike and ride over the Brooklyn Bridge into downtown Manhattan. What a wonderful experience it was. Seeing the skyline after dark while doing 20mph down the bridge on a crisp evening is what it means to be alive in my book. I get there at about 6:15 or so. For those who don't know, Battery Park City is (for the most part) Ground Zero. While waiting outside the building for my broker a couple (a really beautiful Russian woman with dorky middle-aged white guy -- WTF?!?!) is walking their dog and meet up with a middle-aged gay(?) guy walking his dog. I am listening into their conversation because a) I have nothing to better to do b) did I mention the Russian woman was hot? They start talking about how the building lied to them, how the government lied to them. How they don't want to turn on their air-conditioners. How they are going to hire private inspectors. Needless to say all I kept thinking was, “fuck this.” Long story short. Broker shows up, place is a dump and smells bad (not of body parts -- curry). Next. Then I looked at one more apartment in the building I really want to live in. It's the only one in the building that does not have at least three people in queue for contract. I walk in and the place is huge (huge in NYC == ~600 sq ft). Then looking out of the living room window I see why nobody wants it. The view is basically a 100ft billboard for "8 Mile." Me sad. There was a bit on SNL a while ago claiming Al-Queda prison cells at Camp X-Ray would be really good apartments in NYC. Too true. Next time I will whine about my experiences looking on the Upper East Side. Joy! In the end it's all ok. A lot of people are living in trailers in East Bumblefuck USA wondering how to make the rent. The fact that I even have a remote chance of buying property in what is IMHO the best place on Earth is reason enough to count my blessings. 11:22:20 AM

© Copyright 2003  Chris. Last update: 8/19/2003; 2:42:55 PM.