kmunis

I need to purchase a new computer and I am also looking to upgrade to HDTV. Already have an HD TV set and standard Directv sat service. Assuming I upgrade to HD with Directv or Dish and I get a computer with a TV tuner, can I somehow run the HD sat signal through my computer and back to my TV (in another room) and use Media Center as my DVR? I've gotten a ton of conflicting answers - Dell tells me flat out "No", HP said "absolutely" with full functionality from the next room, Geek Squad at Best Buy said "Yes, but you have to be pointing the remote at the computer" which will be in the other room so it defeats the purpose. Hoping someone out there knows enough to help me so I can make an informed purchase. I don't want to pay the extra $$$ for a DVR and its service through the sat company if I don't have to.

Will be going on a Caribbean Cruise in the spring and want to start planning my day trips for the 4 islands we will be visiting.

First stop is Aruba, then Curacao. What are some good beaches to visit on these islands? Preferably one that little kids can swim at and have some type of restaurant or beach bar.

Next stop is St Maarten. I'm thinking of taking the ferry to Anguilla for the day but I'm not sure yet. I've heard the beaches on Anguilla are fantastic, how are they on St. Maarten? Has anyone been to both islands and can tell which they preferred and why?

Already planning on going to St John when we stop in St Thomas.

Are they any other tours or great experiences on these islands anyone can tell me about? Keep in mind we'll have three kids with our group - ages from 4 to 6.

I have an unmountable boot volume error no matter how I try t o start my computer (recovery, safe mode, etc). HP wants me to give them my first born to put a technician on the line to help me so I am hoping to try to do this myself. My XP was preinstalled so I was not provided one of the standard XP Recovery CDs. However, I have a vague recollection of my computer telling me to create one when I set it up a few years ago. I do have a 5 CDs I set aside which all have BOOTCAT and BOOTIMG on them but I cannot find any info to confirm if these are the recovery discs I need and if so how to use them. Assuming these are not what I need, should I cough up the dough to HP or do I have another option? I have a lot of data on this computer that I really do not want to lose - please help!!!!

I was getting ready to book my Haleakala sunrise tour when I realized I could not find any tours that operate on the weekends. Due to my itninerary, Sat or Sun are the only days I could schedule this trip. Does anyone know of any tours that do the Haleakala sunrise on the weekends? If not, is there any other way I can get there without a car of my own?

We'll be on Oahu (near Honolulu), Lanai and Wailea on Maui. Hubby and I are foodies and want to know were we can get the best. We love sushi, steaks, tappas, cajun/creole and Thai/Pac Rim. Also, were can I get the best Mai Tai and watch the sunset on Waikiki?

I'll be there for two weeks in late October, spending 5 nights on Oahu, Lanai, and Wailea in Maui. Hubby and I will have our 6 year old son and 4 year old daughter with us. Already planning on visiting the Arizona, Garden of the Gods, Shipwreck Beach, Haleakala (by myself) and poss taking my son for a day trip to TBI to see the volcano.

But I want to know if there's anything off the beaten or not in the guide books that would be great for us to do/see. One thing I'd really like to see is a huge waterfall, but with the kids with us I think the road to Hana is out of the question.

Can anyone tell me if its worth it to book an aft cabin on Royal Caribbean Voyager ships? I am looking at a junior suite on the Adventure of the Seas. Is the balcony that much bigger than the standard balconies? Is there much noise from the engines below?

We will be visiting Hawaii in Oct and staying on Oahu, Lanai and Maui. However, my 6 year old son is dying to see the volcano so I'm thinking of flying over to TBI for a day. I've been looking into the tours and because he is so young many of the sites recommend not doing a walking tour but an air tour. Wanted to see if anyone out there has been to Volcanos National Park and agrees or disagrees. Second, if we do have to take an air tour, is there much difference between the planes and the helicopters? Thanks!

I am planning to plant a garden in the shady area around the back of my house which will include primrose and lily of the valley. I also wanted to use some ground coverings and was looking at Cyclamen and Tradescantia. Can I plant both of these (since they bloom at different times) or will one choke the other one out? And if I have to chose, which is more managable - in other words, more containable?