Some Turkey Day Deals...

Well, no purchases for me over Thanksgiving, but here's a run down of some great deals I saw:

Halo 3 Legendary Edition - $60@Amazon (Retail $129) - this set has the Halo Helmet, so if you're looking to really alienate your guests, just put this baby on the mantle. Can't wait to see people's reactions - "what is that thing? what is wrong with you? we shouldn't be friends anymore.". Anyway, but it does have extra DVDs, including a mashup of all of scenes from Halo 1 and 2 that plays like a movie....

Band of Brothers (DVD, WideScreen) - $26@BestBuy (Retail $79) - an awesome mini-series by HBO, Patin got me hooked on this in college where we watched the episodes back-to-back, leading to insomnia and an addiction to Totinos pizzas.

Phillips 1080P 42" LCD TV + 1080P upconvert DVD player - $760@Phillips Outlet - this was an interesting buy, for less than the price of most other TVs of this size (regardless of resolution) you could get both the TV and DVD player. The Technophiles picked this set apart with their reviews, but my guess is that the average person would be happy with this purchase. It's still available online as I write this...

A better Black Friday...

If you read my blog, then you know I love Amazon.com, and I am on a quest to make sure everyone knows that they sell much more than books - they sell practically EVERYTHING with no tax and free shipping. Good times.

With that being said, Amazon has a great idea for Black Friday...instead of waking up at 6am this Friday to brave the craziness at the local stores, simply go vote on what deal you would like on Amazon.com (like a Wii for $80), and Amazon will hold a raffle for winners. Much easier, and a much better way to do the after-Thanksgiving sale. Enjoy that Turkey sandwich for breakfast, and then visit Amazon.com...

Note - you must vote before Wednesday this week, and must have Amazon account.

Amazon Customers Vote

Last year there was no "raffle" feature, and everyone had access to the deals, which promptly caused Amazon to crash over, and over, and over again. This is much smarter, and less stressful.

I'll give the blog a shot if I see any local deals too good to pass up, and let you know if I snag any of the Amazon deals.

Old cars, New blood.

As the baby boomers begin to retire and start bidding up 60's era muscle cars into the millions of dollars, would it be wise to now invest in a 70s era muscle car in anticipation of the next wave of retirees?

As a general rule, people always want the cars that they grew-up around - my great uncle had a Model T, my grandfather collected cars from the 30s and 40s (including a 40s Chevrolet hearse), boomers want the muscle cars from their youth (60s), and I want a 94-96 Chevy Impala (if the words "LT1" and "bench-seats" don't mean anything to you, then neither will the Impala)

So is it fair to assume that the generation born in the 70s is going to want muscle cars from the 70s? Maybe this is some stock I need to purchase...

Burger King - I wouldn't eat there by choice...

BUT Burger King did put out some Xbox games where the King (see pic) is the main character. My brother gave me the full set of BK games (4 in total), and they are great party games for big groups - especially the bumper cars of death game. Add in the creepy/funny single expression King character, and you have an A+ time.

Japanese food is dangerous...

Just wanted an excuse to post this picture from dinner last week....

How to buy a car - Part 1: Used Cars

This is just my opinion, there are always exceptions to the rule, but I wanted to put my thoughts down on paper.......

Part 1 - USED CARS:

First - always look to buy a used car (from an individual) before buying new. This is the proven method for saving thousands of dollars. I am a big fan of AutoTrader.com, as it requires someone to be vested in selling their car ($50+ listing fee), unlike Craigslist where people can post without the real intention of selling. Check listings with a wide radius - checking prices from individuals across the nation gives you a good picture of what you should pay, and will help you negotiate.

Avoid CarMax - they charge a straight mark-up over the retail price of their cars. Avoid Used Car Dealers (i.e. Jim's Auto Discounters, or the used car lot at the local Chevy dealer) - questionable vehicle histories + markups = bad deals. If you choose either of these routes, you might as well buy a new car (there's some fun math here, but it's boring). Dealers selling used cars are trying to make a profit, individual sellers are trying to cut their losses.

Whatever route you take, check the car's retail value at Edmunds.com before making the purchase. If you are nervous about the seller, get a CarFax report with the car's history.

Be careful with the "engine only has 15K miles, car has 180K" statements - a new engine in an old car still equals an old car. Exceptions here are classic cars, like dropping an LS7 crate into a Nova.

Check for any serious recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) on that model/year, and make sure the car is up-to-date. This could also be an indication of future problems...

That being said, there are times that a new car makes sense:

1) You need to finance the purchase - most credit unions have higher rates and stricter qualifications regarding financing a used car, so a new car might have the same end-cost given a lower finance rate.

2) A significant body style or feature change has just occurred, and no used models are available.

3) You take immaculate care of your vehicles and the mere thought of someone letting the car go over 3K without an oil change gives you a sick feeling in your stomach.

Buying new cars is where things get fun - I'll elaborate in Part 2....

iPhone Redux

Now that I've had the iPhone for over a month, here's my review:

Pros -
Touch screen gets the job done, keyboard is easy to use and novices can master it quickly
Google Maps + traffic feature has saved me tons of time
Seamless picture to email functionality
Calls are great, speaker phone is great
Web surfing is incredible - surfing with the touchscreen is a whole new world
Data plan is cheap ($20/month)
Text messages are stored like IM's - you can see your text history like an IM conversation
Email client for POP3 (gmail, yahoo mail) is slick, works really well
Viewing pics and videos is amazing - sharing pictures on the spot has become my new hobby...
Contact list is very cool - best integration I have ever seen.

Cons that are permanent -
Camera could be better (flash, zoom)
EDGE data speed can crawl sometimes- forget about streaming videos outside of WiFi, but EDGE is bearable for low-content web surfing
Battery life is short (2 days for me), but that is to be expected with such a large screen.
Fixed 4GB/8GB memory - I only use 3 GB, so this is not an issue for me, but would be for Susan...

Cons that could be fixed with a firmware update:
No Bluetooth stereo music support- can't send music over Bluetooth connection to car radio
No multi-media messaging (pictures, video, music)
No support (or security) for corporate email
No Office Apps (word processor, spread sheet, powerpoint reader, etc.)

Overall - if the firmware updates (above) are made, the iPhone instantly becomes a laptop replacement. But even without, it is worth every penny.

Is The Office losing steam?

You can boil The Office down to 4 core elements:

1. Hating Michael 90% of the time, but 10% of the time seeing his softer side
2. Jim playing pranks on Dwight
3. Off the wall quotes from others via the confessional segments
   
4. Struggling relationship between Jim and Pam

With the exception of #1 (which was done brilliantly this week at the end of the Survivor Man episode), all of the above elements have suffered this season. Jim has matured with fewer pranks (i.e. visiting Dwight's beet farm without incident), confessional segments are stale, and Jim and Pam have no issues.

There needs to be a burst of compelling plot lines and pranks, as my Season 3 buzz is wearing off and Season 4 has yet to deliver.

Amazon Unbox vs. Netflix

I've been a long-time Netflix subscriber (3 years), but recently put my account on hold to try Amazon Unbox. The "Unbox", whose name remains an enigma (vocab word of the day, thank you junior-year English class) allows you to rent or purchase movies online and store them on your computer or have them sent directly to your Tivo (I use the Tivo method).

Unbox pros - many movie rentals are only 99 cents, and since I usually only have time for 1 movie each week, this beats Netflix's subscription price. Plus delivery time is nearly instant, since you can now stream the movies. You also keep rentals for 30 days, but once you start watching you have just 24 hours before the rental expires. I wonder how this would work if I rented a season of 24 - would I be able to finish? are ad breaks included? does Jack still never use the bathroom? would this cause a tear in the space-time continuum?

Unbox cons - no queues like Netflix yet, and so far the movies I have downloaded were all in Cinema-scope format (ultra-wide), but setup for standard def televisions (4:3), so you get a thin picture stretched across the screen.

Verdict - I'm sticking with UnBox in hopes that they will someday soon delivery movies in HD, and since they save me money each month, I'll put up with the stretched picture...

I spoke too soon...

Looks like I spoke too soon about the Fall TV season - I may have found a new show, that will probably be canceled pretty soon.....Cavemen.

The whole anachronistic plot, cutting sarcasm, and subtle caveman racism has me looking forward to this show each week. Here is a scathing review from the LA Times...maybe I don't have a sense of humor after all.

Caveman 1: "I'm feeling the need, the need for speed. Ok, let's go."

Caveman 2: "Hold on, I'm reeling from your ultra-current reference..."

How to buy cheap on eBay...

Here's the trick: find buy-it-now items that have just been listed for a low price. Tons of people sell on eBay, but few rarely know what their item is worth, and will often list their item for much less than the market value.

Step 1 - Go to eBay.com
Step 2 - Setup a search for the item with the following filters: buy-it-now, between +/-20% of your target price, sort by "newly listed".
Step 3 - Bookmark this search, and check it every so often

Here's an example of this search set up for an iPhone - but watch out for fakes (see picture)!

Before you buy anything...

Before heading to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase a new this-or-that, do the following so that you've got the 411 on how much you should pay (or buy it online to start with...)

1) Check the web-retail value at Amazon.com - I buy almost exclusively from Amazon. Fair prices, no tax (huge bonus for us in Texas), and free shipping on orders over $25. They have everything that a Wal-Mart would have, including toilet paper.

2) Search Fatwallet.com for any recent posts regarding a price cut or hot deal. That $50 blender may have been $20 last week, and will probably return back to that lower price in a week's time.

Confirmed: Arrested Development remains the funniest show ever...

Well, I hate to say it, but no other show (not even The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, or dare I say Seinfeld) has come close to causing the fits of laughter I have when I watch Arrested Development. Even after watching all 3 seasons for going on the 5th time, I still find no comparison. Buy the first season ($20) and you'll never look back.

Missing the Camaro...

I saw a 1996 Camaro SS with T-Tops for sale the other day, and I immediately called the number to ask about a price. One owner, 66k miles, 6speed manual, leather, AND it sold for $5500!!! Already gone, too bad.

Granted $5500 isn't a great deal for a 12 year old car, but a quick search of AutoTrader and eBay revealed that it was worth about $8500 on the open market.

Upon hearing the story, a co-worker suggested a great alternative. Although the new GTO is really a Holden from Australia, and they look like a Pontiac Grad Am from 1997, you can get a used one for about $17K. That's a 400HP Corvette LS1 variant for $17K. Seems like a logical step in my horsepower progression:

1986 Olds Cutlass: 305-V8 with 7 horsepower (actually listed at 125HP or something, but I got beat off the line by a Ram Charger in a 0-60mph battle that took 13 seconds - thanks Lane!)

1998 Chevy Camaro Z28: 5.7L-V8 with 305 horsepower

2003 Dodge Ram - 5.7L V8 Hemi with 350 horsepower

2005 Pontiac GTO - 6.0L-V8 with 400 horsepower?????

I am Dwight Shrute...

Or at least I play him in real life. Here's a pic of Susan and I on Halloween. I am Dwight, she is Angela.

Randy, Tom, and the PTI guys...

So I just finished my PTI Podcasts from last week, and discovered that yet AGAIN, the PTI guys picked against the Patriots this year, this time in the Pats vs Colts game. So, the Pats have convincingly decimated opponents all year, Tom Brady has weapons, good looks, and several fatherless children, and Randy Moss has turned into Marvin Harrison's calmer brother Jeffrey, yet they STILL pick against the Pats.

Here's my take - the PTI guys are reading the lines from Vegas, then rolling with bogus picks in order to push the lines. This is the only thing that makes sense in this crazy, mixed up, Gisele Bundchen world.

Wait, I have a better joke....

If Country Music were a river, it would be out of its banks and threatening several local towns while wearing a fur coat, top hat, and flying V guitar, and history would remember this disaster as Big & Rich.

Live from the CMAs...

Country Music minus country minus music

This may go without saying, but I think Big & Rich are the modern day Kid n Play circa House Party 2.

Live from the CMAs...I'll be here all night.

A cry for (IT) help

I wore a sweater to work today. I was questioned by several people regarding my commitment to business professional attire. I claimed I was in IT, and the same rules do not apply. This is how it all starts...first the clothes, then Dilbert comics in your office, then you post a rant on why Linux is the best OS.

Please help me.

HDTV Buying Guide...

Updates for 2008

Buying an HDTV? Here are 2 quick tips from me:

1) Flat Panel (LCD/Plasma) vs Rear Projection (LCoS, DLP, 3LCD)

Rear Projection
If you have a big room, no sharp viewing angles, and want a TV 50" or more - go with DLP. New DLP sets are cheap compared to flat-panel sets, and make sure you get a DLP set powered by LED (will outlast you), not a lamp (will last 2-3yrs, $300 to replace).

LCD/Plasma
If you have a smaller room, sharp viewing angles, bright light from outside, or limited space, go with a flat-panel HDTV (LCD/Plasma). Here's the breakdown:

• If this is your primary TV, go with an LCD from Sony or Samsung
  
• If this is an alternate TV for the bedroom/kitchen/office, go with an LCD from Vizio.
• BUT, go for a Plasma from Panasonic if you are an HDTV nut - the risks here are well worth the reward - great colors, fair price, superior picture.
  
• (There are a slew of technical/cost reasons for the above, but I kept it simple.)
  

2) 1080p vs 720p Resolutions

If you're buying anytime soon, save money and stick with 720p resolution for now - here's why...

Really, that's what I want

My Amazon.com wish list....complete with a set of pans. You can really judge a person based on their wish list, it's like a materialistic window into their soul.

How boring am I that I put a shredder on my wishlist? I bet you're glad we haven't spoken since high school...

I got in a fight with 1080p...

You don't need a 1080p HDTV just yet. Here's why:

1. To the average person, 1080p and 720p look the exact same.
2. New 1080p HDTVs cost 30% more than 720p models
3. Only Blu-Ray and HD-DVD actually use true 1080p - don't waste your money here, wait for a standard.
4. No satellite/cable/tv Broadcasts are in 1080p

So go with 720p this holiday season or wait until fall 2008 when 1080p prices drop even further. If you find that the 1080p price is close to the 720p price, well then you've found yourself a deal.

Example - CompUSA had the HP 50" Plasma 720p HDTV for $899 last week. Current price of the same model in 1080p - $1800. Point, set, match.

Confession: I buy $10 video games...

Yes, I buy $10 clearance games for my Xbox 360...talk about hamstringing. I am about 12 years behind everyone else - I just bought Super Mario 3 last week. That Fred Savage is a frickin' baller, do they make the NES Glove for Xbox?

Quick recommendations for some cheap fun:

For the men - Black, $10 from Target - I compare this to a Tom Clancy game without Tom Clancy. Forgiving with shots, no crawling on the floor, and you can take some hits.

For the ladies - Hexic HD, $4 from the Xbox Marketplace - Susan is addicted to this game. We even took a picture of when she created a "Black Pearl" (see pic below), because it took longer to create than a real pearl.

Why I'm afraid of laptops...

And no, it's not the clamshell design that lends itself to anthropomorphic nightmares of laptops talking/threatening your life. It's because once something goes wrong with a laptop, you might as well throw it away. Taking a laptop apart is like trying to fix a watch - there is no chance you'll get it back together quite right. Plus the parts/labor to fix these things are usually as expensive as a new laptop...I'm smelling conspiracy here...

AFV is still funny...

While we're on the subject of tv programming....

You know what show has held up incredibly well, both in reruns and with current episodes? Americas Funniest Home Videos. It's kinda like the best of the accident/injury videos that get posted on YouTube, plus some planned pranks, plus animals dressed like people, plus a host that makes you wince between every segment!

Here's how you tweak the format and rake in even more cash - I would recommend no host, and more animals dressed like people. Call me crazy, but this has potential...

Tom Sellek is still alive...

I thought that at this point in the new TV season I would have some new favorite TV shows, but alas, my favorites remain the oldies, so to speak:

1) 30 Rock (Season 2)
2) Friday Night Lights (Season 2)
3) The Office (Season 4)
4) Magnum PI reruns on Channel 55 (Season 1985?)...thank you Tivo for this last one, and confirming once again that a Ferrari must be worn with an accompanying mustache. I saw ole Tom Sellek is now on Las Vegas, but I wouldn't go near that show with a 10-foot pole, afraid I might catch something by just watching it...

Am I missing something? Please let me know if there is a show that's new to 2007 that I should be watching.....

Petri dish of connectivity?

You know how they have those Primetime news specials where they swab the toilet handle and then tell you that your belly button lint has more disease causing bacteria? I think they should do this with the iPhone. This thing is sick nasty - covered in grease, food, spit, whatever. Looks like the bottom of my shoe after visiting the movie theater, except I then decided to put it against my face for personal conversations.

Dancing with the Stars controversy...

Susan says that Drew Lachey is way better as a host of Dancing with the Stars. I ask, what is a Drew Lachey. Susan says she's going to start a "bring back Lachey" Facebook group. I say I am going to start calling him Drew "Latchy" and drive her crazy.

$65 can save you $30,000

Had the evil check engine light come on in the Ram this week. Hoped for the best, dreaded the worst. It doesn't help that the check engine light is a menacing yellow outline of an engine, complete with detailed fan & carb as if a reminder of how many things can go wrong (apparently including a lighting bolt striking your manifold). Well, I decided it was time to buy a scanner (OBD II to be exact), and to my surprise Amazon had one for $65.

Here's my math - a $65 scanner keeps me from freaking out and buying a new car, which ends up saving me $30,000 over the 15 year life of most vehicles.

Tip - If you go to AutoZone or Advanced AutoParts they will check your code for you for FREE and give you a print out of the problem in about 15 minutes. Most dealers charge you $25-$50 for this service. Bam, I just saved you $50 AND 2 hours at the dealership.

Tip - In my Dodge, if you cycle the key from ACC to ignition 3 times while in neutral, the code flashes up on the dash. Do a google search on your car, it probably does the same thing. Bam, I just used the word bam.

There is no substitute....

Put Tivo on the list of products I waited too long to buy, and instead opted for the rip-off. See list below:

Creative Zen....instead of iPod - when I got my first iPod (20GB photo), it blew my mind, and sent my Creative player to eBay heaven

JVC DVR....instead of Tivo- silly me, when I first dumped the sat bill I bought a JVC DVR. Cost me $180, but with no sat or DVR fees I was in heaven. Well, fall TV season rolls around and the new TIVO HD gets cut in half, I decided to jump. I never looked back and also sent the JVC DVR to eBay heaven ...here's a dorky video I used in the auction:



Every other phone....instead of the iPhone - I got this right, but only by a hair. I was soooo close to buying a b-berry, Nokia n-series or e-series, but ended up with the iPhone...incredible.

Next mistake I plan to make....Vista over OS-X......

New Google phone software? Does this kill my shiny new iPhone?

My answer: no. This is the whole appeal of the open SDK coming in 2008. If Google wants to tailor their software for the iPhone, so be it. Good luck trying to add a Google apps package to other smartphones, you'll need a new one come 2008....

OTA TV is for everyone, and HDTV content is free...

What is Free HDTV? - Check out CNET's How-to guide that could save you a bundle, and pay for that new TV you've been checking out....now, onto my thoughts....

So, we ditched the dish and went over-the-air with our new 36" and 42" plamsa HDTV's and haven't looked back. Here in H-Town we get nearly 40 channels (only 10 of which I seriously watch), but the point is that they are free, over the air, pick them up with bunny ear HDTV channels that look better than any compressed HDTV satellite or cable service could ever hope to look.

90% of the shows we watch are on network TV (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, etc). These channels are available free over-the-air using a digital tuner (either built into your TV or external), and can easily be recorded using a TIVO, DVR, or computer. Sure, if you are a sports nut, this will never work for you - but for the rest of us, saving $80+ a month probably is worth having to drop by the local wings place to watch 2 games a year on ESPN 2.

I tried using a random no-fee DVR for a year, but the interface was too clunky and it kept missing our shows since we had to hard program the recording times. So, I dropped some bones on the Tivo Series 3 ($350 after rebate) and sold the JVC to cover my cost. More on the Tivo next time....

Why does this blog exist?

So, part of this will eventually become the "about" section, but I felt the need to start putting some of my thoughts out there, and this seemed like the best way to do it. I always feel I have some little bit of insight on something newsworthy, cost-saving, or regarding a technology induced foray into the unknown. Oh well, here's my advice, and some life updates mixed in....