I've moved...

I've moved entirely to Facebook....if you know me, find me there!

Bing

I have to say, Bing.com is pretty slick. Although it somehow reminds me of Matthew Perry, Bing takes a great concept and implements it well. Under the banner of a "decision engine", it organizes results based on purpose. For example, if you search "Xbox" it gives you the categories Buy, Fix, Games, Support, etc, and organizes the results into these groups. No one is going to catch Google's algorithm, but Bing instead looks to pull the rug out from under the established norms for search, much like Apple did with the iPhone I am using to write this post...

Coolest iPhone accessory to date

This is only cool because it appeals to my practical side. I picked this up today at a local store after seeing it on the checkout isle. It's a Griffin "Window Seat" iPhone cradle that mounts to the windshield/dash of your car. It's made for the iPhone, so it has a perfectly molded holder, not like the universal mounts. Right now I have my iPhone mounted to the left of my steering wheel, and with GPS running it looks and works unbelievably well. Next is to wire an input to my radio via mini-jack and I've got tunes at my finger tips - no more scrolling thru the sluggish radio controls. AND with iPhone 3.0, turn by turn GPS should be here soon...

The Transition

With the DTV transition this last weekend, I had to spend some quality time with the Tivo finding the new old channels, then the old new channels, and then back again. It was confusing. It was like the broadcasters said "We know we're confusing people without DTV boxes, but we also need to confuse people who are ready for the DTV transition. Let's swap all the channels with new ones, then swap back! Yeah!". This all lead me to a great question - has anyone ever named their kid "Tivo" ? If not, I have dibs.....

The thrill is gone

You may be all flowers and mother earth with the planned fuel efficiency standards (35.5 mpg), but I am freaking out. I love cars and hate to see them die off. This whole plan stinks, and here's why...

1) Every fun and spacious vehicle will disappear from the road, and will be replaced in the interim with cars made from subpar materials and 0-60 times in the double digits. Remember the 70's? I wasn't even alive but still cringe when I see cars from that decade. Check out Jeremy Clarkson's review of the new Honda Insight, you'll see what I mean.

2) If people wanted more fuel efficient vehicles, and to be more prepared for oil price spiking, they would buy those cars. Fact is, we hate those cars (check sales in relation to gas prices). Stop telling us what we should want. Same goes for how we should be charitable - I should decide where my financial support goes, not the Gov, but that's another topic for another time.

3) "After 3 yrs the initial investment pays off". Big caveat here - what about depreciation? Do the math, new cars are always a big loss. Also consider that many people dump their cars after 3 yrs (typical warranty period). I did the math on my truck. Gas would have to be $6.55 before it makes sense to take on a new car payment.

4) I'll leave you with this prediction - as all these mandated vehicles come out, those who choose to remain in their old vehicles instead of buying new ones will be targeted with taxes to push us to new cars. Call it an emissions fee, a gas guzzler tax, a vehicle weight limit fine, a killing polar bears levy, whatever. The Gov owns a stake in global car companies, and now has the power to force us into their cars.

All Aboard

Thanks to some muscle from Ty, the boat is now ready for the water. Check out the pic...

Time drain

I have been down right weak in posting on the blog the past couple weeks. That's partly due to having fun with William, but now also do to my new boat, or as I shall now refer to it as the USS Time Drain.

Boats are no joke. This is one is even really simple. No electronics, simple clamp on motors, small trailer, etc. But the list of things to do before I can get her on the water is staggering. I've now spent an additional 30% of the purchase price on repairs, accessories, spare tires, and it goes on. Even longer than the purchase list is the to-do list which is now at 16 items long in my handy Google widget. Today I looked through a Cabela's catalogue and thought of 4 more things.

The next big items:
Sand/Pressure Wash/Re-Paint Boat
Replace rusty trailer brackets and change wheels/tires
Install seats, install motors, install my money at the local Academy

I'll post an "after" pic in a few weeks. My goal is to have her water-ready by June.

Free has a price

You probably thought this was a political commentary on the 2009 stimulus plan. Sorry to disappoint...

After cleaning out after our garage sale last month, I had a few items that I could not donate but also could not throw in the trash, the biggest of which were several glass table tops each weighing over 50lbs. So, I decided to post them in the "free stuff" section of Craigslist. I put a description, and was clear I would delete the post once the stuff was gone. In just under 5hrs all of it was gone and I felt I had contributed something great to society. Unfortunately, there is a darker side to the "free stuff" as illustrated by FoxNews...

Low Water-mark for Muscle Cars

We're hitting some never seen prices on some muscle cars out there:

2005 GTO (400HP) - $15,899

2007 GT500 (500HP) - $36,980

Dad's in charge

Who said Dad's can't dress their babies?

Reset a Mac Admin Account Password

If you ever plan to buy a used Mac, bookmark this page because you will need it. Both Mac's I've purchased on eBay came with default Admin accounts without a password - but here's the catch - to update any software (new or existing) you need a password. What to do? Usually you can just pop in the OS disk and go on with life, but if you bought used then you probably don't have that oh so important disk.

Here's what you do...delete Leopard's setup completion marker and make it start over. Basically, you fool the OS into thinking that this is the first time you've turned the computer on, and it let's you create a new user account and password upon reboot.

Follow the steps on this blog post then complete the following to keep the programs and data:

Once you're back in the system with your new account, you can then reset the password on the original Admin account, and then switch users back to the original Admin account. This ensures that you preserve all the programs and files associated with the original Admin account. You're only at risk of losing the programs/files if you delete the original Admin profile (so don't do that). Simple, eh??

Making Space

Garage sale went down this weekend - sold a ton of stuff (literally). We probably sold 2000 pounds of merchandise. The biggest win provided by the garage sale is my newly clear garage. I now have space back for both vehicles, or for one vehicle and a boat, or one vehicle and a 2010 Camaro SS, or.....I digress. One other factor in the clean-up was building-out the attic above the master bedroom and garage. Both were huge open areas, and now with the help of Craig and Dad they are now walkable and ready for storage. Here' s a couple pics after the fact:

Pearland Garage Sale April 4th 2009

April 4th 2009 8AM- This Saturday we're having a big garage sale at our home in Pearland - not just our stuff but merch from relatives, neighbors, and friends. The garage is stacked high....

For a complete list and directions, see our craigslist post or 1006sale.com

Drop by and you can tell your friends "Lee or Susan or someone they knew used to own this!"

The Route less travelled

I've had a heck of a time getting wireless internet coverage in our house, and I've tried just about everything - moving the router to the middle of the house, installing a signal repeater where the signal goes week, and lastly upgrading to a router with increased coverage distance. All have failed. Then, with the help of a post on Amazon I may have found the solution:

1) Router settings - dive into the router's settings by typing it's IP address into your web browser, and set the router to the following:

Broadcast Power - High
Channel - 11
Wireless protocol - set it to broadcast only the version you need (a,b,g, or N). I found that setting it to a mixed broadcast mode (g and N) was causing all sorts of drop issues.

If that doesn't do the trick, consider a router with external antennas, or with Wireless N (fastest, strongest protocol) as even your old Wireless G devices benefit from the advanced coverage Wireless N provides. These routers can be found for $20 (g) or $40 (n) from newegg.com.

Obama Bracket Doppelganger

March Madness is upon us, and I'm doing my part. I made my bracket, and since I know zero about college basketball, I put together my bracket based on Obama's picks - except, I picked the opposite. Every first round pick he chose, I chose the opposite team to win and then filled in the remaining rounds based on seed number. I'm calling it the "Rush Limbaugh" Bracket, or Rush Bracket for short. Will this be a referendum on the stimulus package? Will this be a harbinger of things to come? Stay tuned and find out.....

[Update] - Tuned back in? OK, my bracket failed miserably, we're talking last place. So, let's hope this means 2009 will be a great economic year....

The dollar is back!

Susan and I hit up the Sonic $1 menu last night...$3.40 later we were full. Meals start with a decent sized burger or chicken sanwich, taters, and a drink for $2.97....

iPhone 3.0

Besides the much awaited cut&paste feature, new iPhone 3.0 software has the promise of turnbyturn GPS (probably will be an app you can purchaes from TomTom, Garmin, or the like), and stereo Bluetooth which offers a couple cool scenarios:

1) Sit down in your car, iPhone pairs with your car's system, and not only can you take calls with your iPhone buried in your purse or pocket, but now your whole music library is also available via the stereo. No cords or cables...

2) Wireless headphones - Motorola, Jabra, and others make Bluetooth headphones for under $30, again no wires at the gym, on the plane, or anywhere you travel...

Other ground breaker app is now also available - Amazon offers the Kindle app for the iPhone, which syncs with your Kindle and let's you read your books on the go. For Amazon, it's not about selling Kindles, it's about selling books...

First Hand

Really interesting piece on the validity of eyewitness testimony - how during moments of intense stress the mind doesn't act like a video recorder, it behaves much differently and visual recognition of the criminal can be influenced quite dramatically by suggestion. This piece also doubles as an incredible story of mercy and grace, as a woman learns that the man she accused of rape was innocent (she fingered him based on flawed line-up techniques), DNA evidence clears him after 11 years in jail, and they meet together to reconcile. Chill factor = 10

Part 1: The Backstory, Grace and Mercy

Part 2: Flawed Eyewitness Techniques

Travel with Wii

If you've ever tried to pack up a game system (Xbox, Wii, PS3) and take it on the road, you know what a pain it is to unplug all the cables, especially with the Wii since you have six miles of dental-floss-thin wire connected to the sensor bar that sits glued to the top of your TV. Solution? Double up on the A/V cable, AC adapter, and sensor bar using a straight from China reseller for under $20. This way you just unplug the Wii and go, leaving your home setup intact.

Wii AC Adpater
Wii A/V Cable
WIRELESS Wii Sensor Bar

Cashback is back

Live.com cashback is backcash! Looks like 8% is the magic number now - still decent if you're shopping at ebay prices. Here's my old blog post on how to use it. It really works. Here's a screenshot of the $ I've saved since December - most of it on normal everyday purchases like baby supplies...

[update] Now up to 14%

Wii Roddick

I've been working my way up the Wii points scale in tennis, feeling a bit like a prodigy as I beat the likes of Marco, Claudia, and Ralf (all of whom have crossed the 500 points mark), until this past weekend. I lost to two 700+ players and it all fell apart. My backhand lost its flair, I got lazy on my serves, and my returns were overall below average. This led to a slide greater than that of the Dow Jones. After I lost to the 700+ players, I then lost to a pair of 600, 500, 300, and 200 players. All in a row. I could not return to my former greatness. I've lost my edge. I am the Andy Roddick of Wii tennis.

At least this didn't happen:

DIY Baby Monitor

Well, our video baby monitor hit the skids and stopped transmitting, which has lead to some long nights for Susan (while I sleep away...sorry!). It will work for a few hours then "SCREEEEEECH" it loses the feed. I checked for interference, overheating - you name it, and could not find the issue. Sooooo...I'm building my own as a replacement:

1) Wireless 2.4ghz camera system - $45 via Amazon marketplace - this is a step up from the 900mhz of the old setup, but it might interfere with the Wifi in the house...it also has nightvision....sweet...

2) 22" LCD HDTV - $115 via NewEgg - not content to go with a 6" or 7" screen, we're now rolling on 22" in HD. We are going to be able to see the individual hairs on his head. I love the Viewsonic products - they are relatively cheap, well made, cool designs, although sometimes lacking in the contrast ratio....

So for about $20 less than the going rate for baby-specific video monitors ($160 versus $180) I now have a multi-use setup that can grow with more kids. When Willameana comes in a few years I can just add another camera and we can watch both of them. Will post pics of everything once it's up and running.

Update - everything is hooked up, had some interference from the wireless network, but a bigger antenna solved the issue. Here's the final product - or BabyVision as Sue calls it:

ebay selling guide

For anyone who would like to dive into the eBay world and start selling stuff, I found this guide, and it's free for download (for now, so save it to your computer). Overall, I found it to be the most realistic and practical guide to selling on eBay. It's aptly titled "The Stay at Home Mom's Guide to eBay".

One rule of thumb I will share if you are purchasing items for resale - don't pay more than 33% of the retail price, otherwise you will not make any money. For example, if the watch retails for $100, don't pay more than $33 including tax, because on eBay it will only sell for $50. This works for the vast majority of items.

Fatherhood pt 3

We're getting close to 6 months with William, and here are three more observations...

1) I almost accidentally put Mylicon in my coffee today while preparing his bottle. Then I reconsidered, then deconsidered it and went on my way.

2) Putting a breast pump together is like putting a rifle together. Always treat it with respect and keep the safety on.

3) You only taste baby food once. Then you never ever try it again.

Car rankings revisited

While watching my weekly installment of a PBS show called Motorweek, I saw a very cool opportunity to get on the race track for cheap. I have always been intrigued by amateur racing, and part of my current motivation to buy a manual transmission vehicle is to improve my driving skills. BUT, racing is expensive. Usually very expensive. After tires, gas, entry fees, and the proper equipment you were looking at $1k-$2k for a Saturday afternoon at the track. But Motorweek featured a racing group called NASA that gets you on the track for about $50. All you need is a track capable car and a helmet.

In lieu of this, I may need to add a "track-ready" factor the the fun-with-v8s spreadsheet. Here's a prime example of a car that would rank high - a 2002 Z06 for $19.5k.

Cool Stuff on DealNews

The following caught my eye this past week:

1) South Park Poker Set - when we were in college we would either a) watch South Park or b) play poker. We should have invented this. I am peeved.


2) iPod dock+toilet paper holder = the true genius bar


3) USB rechargeable AA batteries - what you say? On the road and need to power your [insert mobile device that still uses AA batteries]? Very elegant solution

Home Theater PC Installed

In the never-ending crusade for free (or near free) video content, the Home Theater PC has now been installed. Here's the list of what I needed:

1) PC with lots of USB connections, decent processor (i.e. no more than 3yrs old), and preferably a small form factor. Also check that the onboard video card supports widescreen (see the comments for a discussion on resolutions), which comes close to filling a 16:9 screen. Cost - $112 from PacificGeek.com

2) Wireless network adapter. Cost - $10 from Amazon.com

3) DV to VGA cable - my TV only had VGA available, so I had to make the adjustment. There's every cable you could ever need on ebay. Cost $4 from ebay.com

4) Wireless Keyboard/Mouse - I wnet optical, but suggest you go with a laser mouse for better tracking across flooring/coffeetables/legs AND check the rated distance. My setup said 15 feet, but I only seem to get 5-8 feet. Cost - $30 from Amazon.com

So, here are the pictures. The PC is 8x11x4 inches, very small, with a p4 2.4ghz and 256 DDR RAM. Connections were easy, and very clean looking. I could even put it behind the flat screen if needed, but figured it better to keep a Windows system within reach for any hard-resets.




Pros - lots of content from the network sites and Hulu, plus if you have Netflix (base $8.99/mo) you can stream some movies from your queue (about 12,000 titles) including full seasons of The Office and 30 Rock....very nice. Add Pandora radio and you have the full package.

Cons - wireless keyboard/mouse don't go the distance, network could be faster - we seem to be at the end of the range

Overall, for a one time cost of about $150 you have a very cool setup that in itself nearly replace pay-to-play cable/sat/fiber options.

Fav Jan/Feb posts

A couple favorite posts from Jan/Feb

You know how Capital One let's you customize your card's picture? I had a hypothesis that they probably had to reject quite a few pics based on corporate standards, but it seems one got through...
Favorite SuperBowl ad was for the Hyndai Genesis Coupe. Good strategy showing a majority male audience 3 seconds of your new sports car. It's like getting a taste of a nice steak, and then having the entire meal removed. Well played. Most funny had to be Conan for Bud Light...





Speaking of superbowl ads - Cash4Gold did a fun spot with Hammer and the Mac ("a gold medallion of me wearing a gold medallion"). I had heard from some blogs of how this is a huge scam, and indeed consumerist has a tell-all up. Must read if you want to understand how to run a shady business

We met online?

This is how Susan and I met.....



credit consumerist

Blogging from the EU

Thought i'd get a quick blog post in before I end my trip here in The Netherlands - overall it's been a great experience. It's a lot like being in a Jason Bourne movie - weird sirens going off, people walking everwhere, sidewalks that turn into streets which turn into dangerous situations, and a covert US agency trying to kill you....or maybe it's nothing like that. I digress.

This place is a bike heaven, everyone rides their bikes to school, work, or out for the evening all dressed up. No helmets mind you.

I used a pay toilet just for the fun of it, not as awesome as I thought, although you should never get your expectaions up when using a public toilet.

Prices are out of control here. Most evident are the electronics and cars. Add up the taxes and difference against the Euro and I'm not sure I could survive.

Will post pics soon....

The eBay garage

Car prices on eBay are falling from the sky. Here's three picks:

1) 2002 BMW M5 Sedan - $12k auction - the fact that you can get a car of this caliber for under 20 large is phenomenal. 0-60 in 4.6, 1/4 mile in 13.08 (that's almost a 12 second sedan....). AND you can pretend to be Jason Statham from the first Transporter movie (the only good one in the series) and charge people to ride with you.
2) 2006 Dodge Ram SRT10 Quad Cab - $22k auction - basically you get the fastest truck on the road for under $25k. Plus you can tell your friends "yeah, I was changing the oil in the Viper engine this weekend, whew, 10 cylinders uses a lot of oil. Or Maybe it's the 500+ horsepower. Who knows...."
3) 2005 Pontiac GTO - $15k BUY IT NOW! - with 400hp, that's under $38 per horse. For comparison, a Corvette of the same model year has the same engine for about $80 a horse, and with the GTO you don't need to go into retirement, live on a golf course, and wear a wind jacket to drive it.

Fail Blog Favs

Over the past couple weeks I've become a big fan of the Fail Blog. I compare it to the cartoon strip "The Farside" where you have to think about the picture to really get the point, then you laugh. No pain no gain. FYI - best to stay on the main page, it's PG while the "Vote" pages earn a PG-13. Here's a couple favs:

Home Theater on a Budget

Here's some thoughts on creating a nice home theater on a shoe-string budget:

1) 37" HDTV - Price $500 - It's more screen than you realize. When you're in the store and the 72" DLP is staring you down, the sizes under 42" look tiny, but when you upgrade from a standard square screen to widescreen you are gaining considerable ground. Widescreen content on a 32" square TV is really only about 27" of viewable content, that means an upgrading to a 37" gives you a 10" boost. Here are the latest deals - and look for low cost 720P sets, at 37" I can't tell a difference between 720P and 1080P.

2) Upconverting DVD - Price $40 - Can't say enough about these players, they take your old movies and make them look incredible. Plus those $5 bargain bin movies at WalMart are still fair game. Just stay away from the straight-to-DVD releases or anything with Mario Lopez in it.

3) The Woo-Woo (see below) - Price $40 - 5.1 stereo surround is nice, but actually using it is rare. Basically, unless it's a Rambo movie with a Russian helicopter bearing down on you, the 5.1 rarely kicks in. The easiest setup I've found is using a nice set of 2.1 computer speakers. The key is running all your sources (Cable, Ant, Game system, DVD) directly to the TV, and then running the sound from the TV to the speakers. That way all your sources get to use the subwoofer and speakers without having to mess with an expensive amplifier and mess of wires that come with.

Total - Less than $600, and you are watching in style.

As promised, the Woo Woo ("we does it for decorations")

Christmas 2008

Christmas this year was a whirlwind of delight - we had snow, I got a fishing knife that reminded me of this web gem (sound!), I finished Halo 3 by playing in 12 minute increments over a 3 week period, and I watched an episode of Friday Night Lights Season 1 each time I fed William (22 times in all) in preparation for Season 3. Overall a 10 outta 10.