StuntHusband, does your cable operator offer DVR's in their services? Although I admire Tivo (it's intuitive!) but I am currently using Tifaux (someone here coined this term, I think) from Time Warner and it's really a good compromise.

We get digital cable, and we can record shows, and program recording options that will record all new episodes, all episodes, etc. with the touch of a button.

Sure, it doesn't search out and find things I might like but I decided against the initial bigger investment of buying a Tivo and subscribing. Mine's all done with rental and no long term committment.

t delusional I can quit any time I want to t /delusional

So: suggestions? Is TiVO the way to go?

Why did I think you & Alfredo already *owned* a TiVO?

(Er, and I meant to post this in the Tech room, but I'm still recovering from a small cold that did 2 things: gave me a gravelly voice, and made me VERY SPACY IN DA BRAIN.)

Anyway: we have cable, no DSL - DSL implies phone line somewhere. And yeah, perusing the TiVO website a bit more has info for Guided Setup for Folk Without Phones (i.e. walk to someone's house who has a phone.)

Once Setup is done, it wuuuuuvs broadband. And our broadband is tres magnifique. Of course: He works for Microsoft, I work for Nintendo, we both play online games constantly. Without strong broadband, we'd both snap ("ka-PING!") and blood would flow in the streets like today's rain.

Yep. Too much caffiene before work.

We're on Comcast - not digital, not enough TV-watching to warrant it, and our tastes are very narrow - and I'll have to poke about a bit to discover an answer to that.

Jilli, I know why you thought so: it'd MAKE SENSE if we did. :)

Are parents still being told to be worried about cuddling their children too much, about making too much of a fuss if the kidlet is dinged or scared etc.? I've heard arguments saying that "coddling" the child will make it harder for them to go out and experience the world, but I have a hard time imagining a self-respecting ten-year-old afraid to leave his mother's side.

I often heard from "helpful elders" that I coddled my boys by letting them sleep with me, picked them up when they cried, etc. I am a big fan of tranquility and held them until they fell asleep every day. Any time they wanted to be snuggled I was there. They never cried for long, because I really hate to hear a kid cry. The boys are 10 and 13 now. They are the most independent kids I know. Heaven forbid I suggest they need help fixing breakfast. They no longer want to sleep with me and (thankfully since they are so big) almost never want to sit in my lap. Neither one of them ever had a temper tantrum in the grocery store. I figure it was because they didn't need to get my attention. Yep, I spoiled them. Yet I don't think anyone would think of them as spoiled kids.

Aw. Now I want Laura to spoil me.

It would be my pleasure Karl! Particularly since you are a guy who clearly knows how to spoil.

There are different ways of "spoiling" kids. If a child has its needs met within a reasonable time of making them known, either by complaining or crying, that child will have reasonable trust and expectation of fairness in the world, and will operate from a feeling of security.

A child who is ignored, let cry, petted and cooed over at the caretaker's convenience rather than the physical or emotional need of the child, that child will be less ready to believe that its needs are going to be met. It will operate from a position of suspicion, uncertainty and fear.

I think, anyway.

Is TiVO the way to go?

Is the sky blue? Is water wet?

Once Setup is done, it wuuuuuvs broadband.

This is true. I wish they'd upgrade it so it didn't need that one phone call, though.

It doesn't! There's a secret code that you can press in that will make it do the initial set-up through the wireless connection. It took some fiddling, but it worked.

Of course, if it can do it, why the fuck they make it so hard to figure out is a mystery.

eta

The TiVO specs suggest a land line is absolutely imperative for the very first hookup call.

Not so. Trikssy Tivo, we hates...ok, not really possible to hate Tivo. I can dig the Super Seekrit instructions up for you if you decide to take the plunge, StuntHusband.