technology 1 - family 0

there was some discussion today about all of the remotes hanging around the living room television. my parents decided that there was a remote left over from VCR we didn't have anymore. mom was in the process of stripping out the batteries when i decided to take a peak at it.

it would seem that i managed to stop my parents from tossing out the remote for their DVD player. they don't watch DVDs as frequently as they watch VCR tapes so it is likely that they just didn't recognize it.

i told you that story to tell you this one. my mother wants me to figure out why the VCR isn't taping the right shows. i ran into trouble negotiating the menu and i decided to consult the users manual. what can i say? consulting the manual is usually a last step for me.

i have the manual and i still can't figure things out. in fact it is even more confusing that it was before i opened it. upon closer inspection i realized that i was looking at the owners manual for a JVC VCR. however, i was not looking at the manual for the JVC VCR that was in front of me. so we are currently in the process of turning the house upside down in the hopes of finding the correct manual.

i should also add that every and all internet searches for a manual in a PDF format has been unsuccessful. even going to the JVC website hasn't helped. that particular model has long since been discontinued and they clearly no longer have any web presence for it.

some people might suggest that i have given up... i prefer to think of this as a strategic retreat. perhaps tomorrow i will have better luck because i think it is a pretty safe bet that the manual long gone.