Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Green Edges
Wednesday
January 4, 2006
I bought a new television for the main room of my apartment on Monday. This wasn't me making an unwise purchase; I only owned one working TV, and the entertainment center I have only fits a 24" TV. Problem: the TV I have has a 27" screen. So it is located in my bedroom (which, with my computer near it and my Sirius radio nearby, works out great) but it left me with nothing to fill the spot in the main room.
As usual, I did my research online, and I found that the Samsung 24" TV was highly-reviewed... and available at a reasonable price. So I went to Best Buy, bought the TV, and somehow got the thing in my car. It wouldn't fit in the mafia trunk, and just getting it in the front passenger seat (with the seat back lowered all the way back) was quite an undertaking. Driving it home wasn't the safest thing, with the big box blocking my view. But I made it.
Once home, I hooked up the TV with the cable box... and much to my dismay, I noticed on the blue screen that came up that there were green edges in each top corner. I fiddled around with the color settings, but it didn't seem to do any good. Flummoxed, I figured that the TV would have to be returned to Best Buy.
However, when I came home from work yesterday evening, I was very happily surprised to find that the Samsung TV worked just fine, with no color oddities. It makes me wonder if the green thing from Monday was a symptom of it being the first time I'd used the television, or if it was a problem that might creep up again. Any of you electronics experts have any idea?
I leave for New York on Sunday; I won't be back until Saturday, 1/21/2006. That trip is really going to be interesting. It should be fun, but there will also be a great deal of work involve. But, finally, the BTLS show will be back on the air! Here in Tampa I've heard widespread reports that they can't keep Sirius receivers on the shelves, which is a most encouraging sign.
Here's a very interesting article that articulates my thoughts on grading and the education system in a nearly perfect way: Competitive Grading Sabotages Good Teaching. It was written ten years ago (and it pains me to think that 1996 was ten years ago, but then I think that 2000 was six years ago, and that REALLY weirds me out) but I think it's still very much right on the mark.
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