Technical Difficulties

You may have noticed that The Eastern Hemisphere was not on the air last Wednesday. Well, that is, you may have noticed if you were listening. Which maybe you weren't. Anyway...

Five minutes before air time, I found out my computer's audio driver was no longer working. After much frantic troubleshooting, I called the station and the kindly DJ whose show comes before mine set the station's computer to Simian, which is our computer-generated, random-classic-rock-playing Automaton DJ. After a little more fruitless troubleshooting, I called DJ Ms Lisa and she thankfully covered the rest of my air time with actual world music.

The bad news (which is actually good news) is that I'm getting a new computer. This is something I've been wanting to do for the past two years anyway, since my old computer was fitted with a new motherboard and a REALLY LOUD fan. (Have you been wondering what that buzzing noise was in the background when I've been speaking into my mic? Yes, that was the computer. Thppt.)

So I'm getting a new desktop with Windows 7! And it *should* still be able to communicate with the station's computer! (Something that would have been impossible with Vista.) Dell's website offered 48-hour shipping, so when I bought it Wednesday evening I thought I would have plenty of time to download all the necessary installations and connect the new PC to the station in time for next week's show.

Actually, Dell sent me an email Thursday morning to say that the order had been processed, and I could expect to receive it by Monday. Hmm. Apparently 48-hour shipping does not include weekends, or 24-hour processing time.

So as of Monday morning I still haven't received it, and I'm wondering what state the machine will be in when I get home from work tonight in freezing weather, IF it gets delivered today at all.

This gives me Tuesday evening to get everything installed and set up. It's not the wide window of time I would have liked, in case there are other contingencies or little fires to put out, to ensure that I have a workable computer in time to broadcast this week.

Wish me luck! If all else fails, it may be another week for Simian to run my show.

Photo credit: CC-licensed photo via Flickr, prefade glow, by noii.