25% off Everything ever made

Here's how to save on your online purchases, including 25% off ebay until Christmas. One really good idea - tires. They max out the discount (about $200), and tire prices on eBay are already very competitive. Here's how it works:

1) Sign-in to Live.com with your Hotmail account (or create a new account)
2) Activate the Cashback feature by clicking on the "Cashback" link at the top of the page
3) Search Live.com for "cheap wii" or "cheap anything" - we just need to activate the cookie
4) Click on the ebay "cashback" link in the suggested search results (see screen-grab below)
5) Once you're in ebay, search for anything you'd like. Tips - it needs to be buy-it-now since the cookie expires in 60mins; to check if an item qualifies for cashback, clcik "Buy-it-now" and before you commit to buy the Live Search cashback will be calculated.

More on Mr. Baby

By popular demand, here are more of my fatherhood musings....

I've taken to calling William "Mr. Baby", and by default started calling Susan "Mr. Mom". Not my best hour as a husband.

Putting lotion on a baby is like waxing a car. I should invent a lotion applicator that's really nothing but a car wax applicator in baby blue or girly pink. Patent Pending as of Nov 19th.

To prepare for holding a baby, practice by holding a football for a couple months and carry it everywhere you go and ask people to try and knock it out of your hands ala "The Program". I also recommend laying in the middle of the road so that when you are run over you can empathize with pregnancy pains.

How to start a fire

The Kindle has been getting a lot of press recently thanks to a Jeff Bezos PR stunt on Oprah (well done Jeff, well done), after all who better to hock your e-reader to than the woman whose book recommendations drive the best sellers list? I got my hands on the v1.0 Kindle a few weeks back, and have to say it was very cool - the e-ink was very natural, and felt easy to read unlike staring at back lit lcd screens. The interface could use some adjustments like adding a touch pad, but overall the ability to quickly scroll thru books and turn pages (the killer app) was right on. Also, it has a FREE 3G connection for downloading books and limited web search.

With v2.0 the Kindle gets a price drop AND the market strategy begins to adjust towards not just casual readers, but education as well. No more printing - type up your book in Illustrator and publish it on Amazon. This also means no packing or transportation costs - only limited infrastructure support and storage on Amazon's cloud.

In the end, I'm not so sure the profit margins on the Kindle are very large. My guess is that it is like an iPod - moderate profit on the device and KILLER profit on the digital content, which is in this case books. If the Kindle takes on publishing like the iPod did music, get ready for some incredible competition, cheaper college textbooks, and an independent publishing boom.

Year of the cheap

Hope you saved a little cash, cause the sky is falling on all sorts of cool stuff...

• Panny 42" 720P Plasma - $693 shipped - still one of the best TVs on the market for the $
• OR Vizio 42" 1080P LCD - $698+tax - Sams has this in store....not bad....
• OR Vizio 37" 720P LCD (refurb) - $499 shipped - this set is only 36.3 inches wide, so it might fit in your current entertainment center
• LG Shine (candy-bar) - $90 shipped - unlocked GSM phone (no contract!) 2MP camera w/flash, MP3 player with MicroSD, stereo Bluetooth, (no 3G)
• Phillips Dual DVD Screens - $99 shipped - for those with kids, this digital pacifier is half-off
• Leathal Weapon (all 4) - $10 shipped - need I say more?
• Polk 10" Powered Subwoofer - $99 shipped - boom goes the dynamite

Another easy way to have the deals spoon-fed to you - sign up for the Buy.com email list. Here's a few recent deals I jumped on:

• HK iPod Drive & Play - $18.95
• Belkin Wireless Game System Adapter - $19.99
• B&D Portable USB Power Pack - $9.99

Keep on truckin'

Yes, another blog post about my truck. The blog is free so deal with it. I've just hit 6 years and 70,000 miles on the Ram, and there's a litany of service items that need litanagizing. Here's some tips from my recent work...

Also, checkout my current crush - 500hp, 22" wheels, 10 cylinders, 9 mpg, 8 liters, and $17k

Tip #1 - Find your service manual online - Usually in PDF form, the service manual will be 2,000+ pages long and tells you everything you ever wanted to know about your car. From how to fill up the windshield wiper fluid to rebuilding the engine. The site http://carservicemanuals.blogspot.com/ is a great starting point, or google "Year Make Model Service Manual"

Tip #2 - Aftermarket pans/covers - If you're lucky, changing the fluids in your transmission and differential is as easy as unscrewing a plug and watching the oil drain. But, if you've got a domestic there's most likely no conventional way to change these fluids without busting the whole pan off and getting covered in oil and RTV. This is the real reason GM/Ford/ChryslerCerebusDiamler are in the hole - no drain plugs. If you're in this boat, you can get aftermarket pans with drain plugs from your local autoparts store for $20-$30. This way you can change the fluid regularly (every 30K) without your garage looking like the Valdez.

Tip #3 - Change your battery every 40K - even if it still has the green light, drop the $30 and get a new one. Odds are the battery will fail when you are most vulnerable - out late, far away from home, lacking Triple A service, and no one is around to give you a jump. $30 now will save you a long night and towing charges later on...

Tip #4 - Walmart is cheap - if you know what you need, hit up Walmart. They're in-house brand car products are cheaper than the autoparts stores. But if you are at all hesitant about what you need to purchase just hit up the autoparts store and be done with it.

Tip #5 - Always give yourself plenty of time. Even when you've done the job before, start early 'cause things will go sideways on you. Don't think "Hey, it's only 4pm, and dinner isn't until 6pm. I have time to put in a new camshaft." That's what she said, and it will not happen before dinner...

Father knows best

Here's a few things I've learned in my 6 weeks of fatherhood:

1) Nothing is as frustrating as dressing your son up for a night on the town (e.g. 6pm-7:15pm) just to have him poop his pants mere seconds after finishing the last button on the three-layered Winnie-the-Pooh outfit. The best analogy I can give is when you get ready for work, take a shower, get dressed, put on your suit, shoes, and belt, and as you are tightening the knot on your tie....you poop your pants.

2) You think you can do things one-handed, but you can't - don't fool yourself men, you can't eat dinner while holding the baby in your lap, change the TV channel while feeding him, or try and get his bottle ready while he cries in your arms. You'll end up with a baby who is covered in dinner scraps, full of gas, and who is really upset. Not that I have done any of these things, I'm just saying...

3) Projectile vomit/poop is not as funny as you thought it was. Peeing in the air however lives up to the hype.

4) Farting is now cute and funny. Take advantage of this.

5) The DVR is now your common-law relative. You might be thinking, there's lots on TV at 4am, right? Wrong.

6) Truck accessories now include a car seat, baby mirror, and emergency diaper kit. If the truck breaks down I am in a pinch, but if the baby has a blow-out we're all good.

7) Every three hours he needs to be fed and changed, much like me.

Pappa needs some new shoes

Amazon has some great deals on Kenneth Cole Reaction shoes - don't confuse these with their "Unlisted" brand, the Reaction line is higher quality with wood heels, top grain leather, etc. My current pair have been meeting the business casual dress code since 2002, but need to be retired. I went with the T-Flex Oxford for $23.99. Add some batteries to get free shipping, or spend $100 and get $20 off.

New profile pic...

Check out my new profile pic on FaceBook. William and I crashed on the couch after my Dad's birthday party....

Spread the Wealth

I discovered Google Docs today, and really love the functionality. I had seen a short video on how it works (see below), but I am really impressed with how it could simplify my file management. For example...

Based on my friend Bryan's approach to monthly expense, I started a spreadsheet (in 2005) that Susan and I use to track costs each month. The hard part is entering in every small expense into the sheet each day - but, if you want to spend it you need to log it. The mere thought of having to log another $7 for lunch keeps me brown-bagging it every day, and overall it keeps you aware of your expenses and thrifty (some would say cheap).

It works very well when you have time on your hands, but with the new baby it is a challenge. A couple bucks here, a diaper or two there and you start to give up. This is where Google Docs comes in - Google keeps a copy of your spreadsheet on their server, and you can access it from anywhere, including your phone, and make updates. Very slick. I find myself wanting to make updates but the file is at home and I'm on the road. This solves that problem...now how do I buy diapers on the cheap?

Fall Baby Fall

If anything has been reaffirmed for me during the stock market plunge the last two weeks, it's that if you need the money soon, don't invest it in stocks. I've been a little loose with this rule buying up Apple and Google with some extra cash, and it costs me. I got out of Google at $400, taking a 16% loss - Google is not around $350. I waited too long on Apple, and now I must wait for a rebound - my current loss is 36%. So, here are the rules I should have played by, and it would have made for a much calmer week:

1) If you need the cash in the next 12 months, invest in a money market account
2) If you need the cash in next 12-24 months, invest in CDs or bonds/t-bills
3) For a term longer than 2 yrs, consider a mix of the above plus lower risk mutual funds
4) For retirement use your IRA/401K account and get risky- in my case, I don't need the money for 40 years - and that is a long time in market standards. Knowing that your funds have 4 decades to mature can give you some peace of mind. Plus if you get nervous and want to pull the money back into your checking/savings you'll be rebuffed by the tax penalty. PS. I've lost 30% of my retirement fund this year - I can't imagine the pressure on the millions of people who were planning to retire soon or already retired...

Fun with V8s

As the market tanks, its time to revisit my muscle car reviews and see if these fuel devouring, totally impractical, pompous rides have dropped in price. In pure engineering fashion, I keep a spreadsheet of cars I see in the paper, Autotrader, ebay, etc, so that I can track the market on these bad boys in case, just perchance, I should opt to purchase one. To qualify for the sheet the car must be a V8 coupe with a manual transmission. I then make my assessment based on dollar per horsepower - this keeps it less emotional.

Here are some of the diamonds in the rough...current winner is the 1997 Z28....

	Year	Make	Model	Package	Miles	Cost	Horsepower	$$$/HP	Link
	2005	Ford	Mustang	GT - Roush Stage 1	47000	17900	305	$ 58.69	http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=233332109&dealer_id=565730
	1998	Ford	Mustang	Cobra	60000	8500	305	$ 27.87	http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=246608526&dealer_id=570024
	2004	Pontiac	GTO		40000	16880	350	$ 48.23	http://north.beckmasten.com/Pre-Owned-EDP.aspx?InventoryId=25106195
	2003	Ford	Mustang	Cobra	33000	20000	420	$ 47.62	http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=251307916&dealer_id=598860
	2004	Pontiac	GTO		74000	12000	350	$ 34.29	http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=247225806&dealer_id=100016426
	2004	Pontiac	GTO		23000	14000	350	$ 40.00	http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=252424086&dealer_id=63362563
	2004	Pontiac	GTO	Borla, Tires, Black/Red	40000	15000	350	$ 42.86	http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/849504773.html
	1999	Pontiac	Trans AM		74000	8000	305	$ 26.23	http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=252918977&dealer_id=19505290
	1997	Camaro	Z28	30th / Stripes / Rotors	65000	6500	285	$ 22.81	http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cars-Trucks___1997-Chevy-Camaro-30th-Annversary-Edition_W0QQitemZ180296767763QQddnZCarsQ20Q26Q20TrucksQQddiZ2282QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item180296767763&_trkparms=72%3A727%7C39%3A1%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245

Piggy goes to market

Here's a great explanation of how not approving a $700 billion bailout/loan plan cost us $1.2 trillion on Monday.

[Ed. Things have gotten even more volatile since I posted this. It is becoming apparent that the gesture of loaning $700bln did very little, but hopefully the details of the implementation will calm fears and open the credit markets again...]

Ike's other victims...

The cars. Abandoned amidst the storm. This is the saddest classified ad I have ever seen....not just the picture, but read the item description.

I submitted this to Jalopnik, maybe someone press will get this guy some decent bids.

Best of Baby Eidson

Susan will have the Baby Eidson blog updates soon, but in the meantime, here are my favorite pics...

Baby Eidson Update

The hurricane that is William Henry Eidson was unleashed upon the world on Monday September, 8th at 7am, and was followed shortly thereafter by hurricane Ike. Susan's recovery was incredibly fast and almost pain free, and we left the hospital just in time to take cover from the storm. Here's a timeline:

Monday - William born
Thursday - discharged from hospital at 12pm, go to JV (northwest Houston)
Friday - Wait for storm
Saturday - clean up 2 massive trees that fell in parents' yard
Sunday morning- check on our house in Pearland - no fence, damaged roof, and water spots all over the ceiling (mostly upstairs)
Sunday evening - pack up again and head to Edna Texas..... two nights without power + newborn + wife recovering from major surgery = pandelerium, so we decided to head south and get some AC and safe drinking water.

On our way out we saw some chaos - hundreds (yes, hundreds) of people lined up outside of a Walmart, gas lines 30 cars long, and no power all along the west Beltway. But, Hooters on 59 South had power and was serving people - if there was ever an excuse to go to Hooters (never been myself) now would be the time....

I've got it covered

Literally. I think I've finally entered into adulthood with the purchase of a truck bed cover off craigslist. First question, does it give you better gas mileage? No. Does it allow you to keep a stroller, dirty diapers, and puked on clothes out of the truck cab? Yes. Mission accomplished...

Get Smart

I keep seeing more and more of the Smart cars running about town. Their US model, named the FourTwo (which either refers to the four-wheels/two-passengers or the actual height/width of the car in feet) looks like a coffin on wheels. They tout an advanced safety frame similar to an F1 car, but I don't think F1 cars would hold up too well under an 18 wheeler. Houston is a dangerous city for drivers, especially motorcyclists, and now add Smart FourTwo owners to the mix. Today one was parked at the stoplight waiting for the light to turn and I wanted to knock on his window and ask "Why? Why did you buy this? A Nissan Sentra is 2 grand less, has a back seat, is not a coffin, and get the same 35mpg." Buying a Smart car is like smoking in high school. Sure it's cool and it draws attention to your rebel ways, but it will kill you.

Long lost family member?

I think I might be related to this guy...I even like the name of his blog....

I'll admit it....I went to CarMax

Even though I've slammed CarMax for their straight markups over blue-book prices, I've found them useful for something - pressure free test drives. Doing a quick online search (and CarMax's new website is perfect - it has the simplest search algorithm and refinement process - it just works) I found that the local CarMax had a number of GTO's that I could walk in and test drive, and here's the good part - then I could leave without being hassled.

So behind the wheel of the GTO for the first time, the interior is really simply, tight finish lines, feels sturdy. Many of the reviews praise the GTO for being "squeak-free" even after 50K miles. Other highs - lots of legroom, INCREDIBLE seats with heavy bolstering, and overall really comfortable in the front seats. Not so sure about the back seats, but at this point who cares.

Now the test drive began, and I have to say that in comparison to the F-Body cars (Camaro, Trans Am), the GTO got everything right except the outside styling. It has a more cab-forward feel, with a windshield that has a normal pitch instead of the F-Body's 2 degree windshield and three-mile long dash. The only drawback I found as I moved from 1st thru 5th was how long the shift throws were. It was a mile between gears, which left the 2-3 and 4-5 shifts in no man's land and gave a first time driver nervous twitches of "I hope this isn't reverse...oh well, here we go...."

In the end, great performer, very comfortable, but not a looker like it's namesake. I showed Susan two GTOs on the road the other night, and I felt underwhelmed as they passed by. Not sure if you want a muscle car that could be confused for a G5 coupe....

My past is for sale

If you wanted to purchase a part of my pre-baby past, here it is:
Wakeboard
Exhaust
Guitar
Bike

My fight against Hallmark

No more shall we pay $3.50 (or $3.99 Canadian) for a piece of paper with a joke that no one thinks is funny, Hallmark! Yes, I'm talking to you Hallmark, you paper-pushing price-gouging peddler of chicken soup for the soul messages which are marked up 3,000% and sold as greeting cards. It ends today. I vow to make all my own greeting cards, and I will not be stopped.

Here's a sampling..... (click to read)

The Disc is Dead

I've talked about BluRay and HD-DVD before, and advised everyone to wait and see who wins (BluRay did), but I realized the other day that both have lost. Digital media on spinning discs is soon to be dead. When's the last time you bought a CD? Probably been a while. Pretty soon you'll be thinking the same thing about DVD's. With HD movie downloads from iTunes and Amazon, there's no need for a $500 BluRay DVD Player. 'But what about 1080P?' you ask - Dish Network now has 1080P on-demand pay-per-view, and this is just a taste of things to come. Although we are years away from 1080P coming over the free airwaves, it will soon be available for download purchasing as bandwidth becomes faster and cheaper...

There's even economic and environmental factors at play. Downloads in contrast to DVDs have no transportation cost and no packaging (no more using your car keys, a hanger, butter knife, and non-stick cooking spray trying to pry open the DVD case!)

Your email is open.....

I just realized today that reminding someone that their "Out of Office" email reply is still on is the office equivalent of "your fly is open" or "there is toilet paper on your shoe" or "there is something in your teeth/hair/face/whatever".....

Car of Choice

Car of Choice

In line with a previous post on always being one-up'd in H-town, I have started to compile a list of "dream" cars that I would really enjoy. Please notice that I indeed dream small. No need to buy a DB9 when a cruise down Westheimer will yield a DBS...

I am really looking for something that is unique, with a V8 engine and manual transmission, and has some staying power. Here's the list:

2005-2006 GTO - 6.0L V8 / 2004 GTO - 5.7L V8 - $14k-$23k
Highs: Unique - only a 3 year production run; great handling, huge power numbers for the price (400HP)
Lows: G6 styling....it's a muscle car wrapped in Grand Am packaging

1998-2003 Camaro SS (F-Body) - 5.7L V8 - $10K-$19K
Highs: I had the Z28 variant of this car, and would love to reprise it with an late model SS; mods are cheap
Lows: New Camaro is on the horizon, and this generation was prone to transmission and differential problems (which I attribute to people ragging them out...)

2005+ Mustang GT - 4.6L V8 - $14k-$19k
Highs: Reliable, plentiful mods allow you to create a custom ride, plus a 2010 redesign is due out soon, and will push the value of the 2005 models lower, plus plus I could challenge my father to a race...
Lows: the Shelby GT500 is to GT as an orca whale is to a seal (thank you SAT prep), dash hits my knee, less horsepower than the above cars, but how much do you really need? I feel like less of a man for asking that question

2002 Corvette Z06 / 2003-2005 Corvette Z06 - $20k-$29k
Highs: Track ready car for a bargain price - my European counterparts couldn't get a car like this for under $75K...wait for it....EUROS!
Lows: I would be "that guy with the corvette", I would need to wear a windbreaker or leather jacket, possibly a mustache

The New Breed....

2009 R/T Challenger - 5.7L Hemi V8 - $29K-$33K
Highs: Head turning design, and I could put two Hemi's in my garage
Lows: constantly telling people "no, I bought a CHALLENGER not a Charger....it has two doors, I promise", knowing that an SRT model might find me and make me feel insignificant

2010 Camaro SS -$30K?
Still a glimmer in Chevrolet's eye, although the V6 has already been out and about for press runs. I'm afraid Transformers may have ruined it for me...

Grey Market

I love new terms from the internets (correction, this is universally know as the Parallel Market). First and foremost is the Grey Market. These are "retailers" who setup websites to sell products they may or may not own and are certainly unlicensed to sell, but offer such great deals you can't resist giving them a try. If you've ever used Google Shopping, your search for a name brand product ultimately gives way to some interesting results. Let's say you search "Playstation 3"....this would give you some of the following hypothetical hits:

$399 - Sony Style
$449 - Best Buy
$378 - Computer City USA
$284 - Refurb Depot

Those last two are Grey Market - unauthorized retailers who offer savings on usually fixed priced products. Shopping grey market can be a mixed bag, but if you follow a couple rules you can shop successfully:

1) First off, never use a check or money order - look for Google Checkout, PayPal, or other 3rd Party credit app service
2) If you use a credit card, make sure you are protected against fraud - this means your credit card company not only has a fraud policy, but have a history of acting quick and siding with the consumer
3) Another credit card tip - some credit cards offer additional warranty protection on certain purchases (i.e. electronics). Here's a list...
4) Don't pay any outlandish shipping/handling fees - if you pay $50 for the iPod and $50 for shipping, and the iPod never shows up - you may only get back your purchase price, not the shipping
5) Check seller ratings on Google or Yahoo shopping. Also do a quick search of the company's name followed by "fraud" or "scam".

As of late, my favorite Grey Market site is Meritline.com.They have scores of accessories for all sorts of devices, and they often ship for free....

Reverse Materialism

If I've learned anything from Houston (I like to think I've learned at least 3 things), it is that no matter what you buy, someone will always have something better. Whether its a house, or the location of the house, or a car, or a phone, or anything - someone always has something better. This is a great lesson in materialism, for as much as I focus this blog on stuff you buy, I try to keep it under the guise of "how to buy stuff as cheap as possible, then sell it on eBay when you're done and break even". My materialism does not take the form of having the most expensive item, but from finding the largest percentage savings on an item you would personally enjoy...

Here's some great examples
42" Panasonic Plasma + 5.1 Phillips DVD + Install for $690
Razr batteries for $.99
JVC MP3/CD Car Stereo with built-in HD Radio for $30

Truck Rehab Step #2

The new exhaust has arrived and has been installed. Overall, it is nearly as loud when you put the pedal to the floor, but the cruising and start-up are much more quiet and smooth. It has a straight-thru design with fiberglass insulation to deaden the sound. The old Flowmaster setup had welded chambers that redirected the exhaust to reduce drone/resonance. The biggest difference is that the new setup exits behind the rear wheel, and putting the sound well behind the cab.

Want a piece of history, it can be yours for $250.....I just need to find a big enough box to ship it in.

And this post wouldn't be complete without some before and after video:

Learn to merge...

I have a couple pet peeves on the roadway, and for the most part you've heard them before, but #1 seems to come up every day now...

3) Cell phone talker driving 10 under the speed limit

2) No blinker random lane change guy

1) But my most passionate gripe is MERGING TOO EARLY! If you decide to merge 1/2 a mile before the merge point, don't straddle the lanes and penalize me for using COMMON SENSE. Utlilize the entire lane until it merges, keep every one queued properly, and stop the madness!!! Here is a someone who saw the light...

Dilemma (feat. Shell/Exxon)

Both Shell and Exxon posted record profits for the last quarter, but today our stocks got thrashed. Why? Here's a great explanation of the dilemma we now find ourselves in.

Truck Rehab: Step 1

So while I wait for the new exhaust system to arrive, it's time to install new door speakers. I picked out Alpine Type-S full range speakers (6x9 and 6.5") that have pivoting tweeters. If you need some car speakers, these things are incredible, and right now they are half-off at Crutchfield.

Speaker installs are pretty straight forward - take off door, take out old speaker, put new speaker in, put door back on, and listen to your tunes. I didn't realize this until my first car stereo project, but car interiors are put together like Legos. Taking the door panels off on the Dodge takes 3 minutes tops.
Here's a pic of the old speakers:




Next the empty speaker hole, which this time around I lined with weatherstrip (the kind you use around your doors) to make sure that there were no rattles:

And lastly the new speakers installed, wires neatly tucked behind inside the door:



My tip - always double check the clearance between the back of the speaker and the window. This includes the wires. I once installed a set of speakers, put everything back together, then rolled down the window only to hear a hideous scrape as the window ripped the wires from the back of the speaker.

Ink on your face

Here's your free computer tip of the day:

Notice how ink-jet printers seem to cost almost nothing? You can get an entry level one for $30 and a nice all-in-one for less than $75. Why you ask? Because they gouge your eyes out with the cost of ink. My new Epson CX8400 came with HALF-FULL ink cartridges, that lasted less than 100 pages of printing. New cartridges are from Epson are $19.99 each. Unless....

There are a couple options for getting new ink for your printer:

1) Buy the name-brand stuff and eat nothing but rice for the following month
2) Buy the gray-market stuff (Amazon) that is "compatible"
3) Or refill your cartridges using a syringe (you can buy kits online, or stores like Walgreens will do it for you).

Methods 2 & 3 will save you a bunch of money. Another tip - if you only print black and white you should consider a Laser Jet Printer. Their toner often gives you more pages than ink-jet printers.

If you have an ink-jet and only want to print black and white, you can adjust the default settings to do so, or switch out the micro-chips on the ink cartridges. Place the color micro-chip on a new black cartridge and BAM, you're printing in B&W in no time....

Homeless Gauntlet

I made a run through the Homeless Gauntlet today (no it's not some wacky new reality show, but it could be, and no it has no relation to the MTV Gauntlet, although those participants are most likely homeless too). This gauntlet was encountered on my way from the office to the parking garage in downtown (this was not my first brush with the homeless).I have created an illustration for your viewing enjoyment.

Let me explain how this perfect storm of homelessness happened. I decided that on my way home from work that I would cut through the library courtyard, then across the City Hall reflection pond, and then traverse the park under which my vehicle was parked. Bad moves all around.

Passing through the library courtyard, first was the long-range panhandler, or LRP. LRPs asks for change while seated at a distance greater than 50 yards. I give him the obligatory "no thanks, sorry" wave, and he unleashes a torrent of indecipherable profanity while explaining how I don't understand. It's not that I don't understand, it's that I can't even hear what he is saying. You're just too far away to make me feel uncomfortable, so I keep going...

As I pass through the library courtyard I feel the eyes of all of them looking at me and my tucked-in shirt. I'm not sure what to do. Just keep moving. Keep moving.

Finally across the library property, I pause at the cross-walk with a young lady. As we both wait for the traffic to pass, I notice that she is looking at me. So I glance her way and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary - normal clothes, hair, etc.. But then, she cracks a smile. We will just call her "Teeth but no Teeth".

Now lightly jogging across the park in front of city hall, up ahead lies a man feeding the pigeons. I gently cirsumvent (look it up, or even better listen to #20) the situation but manage to scare the pigeons off. This elicited a cackle from the man feeding the birds, and I have to say he kind of resembled a bird. Let's call him "The Penguin". I think the birds returned, but maybe they didn't and I feel socially responsible.

Getting across the last park is the last step. Everyone is asleep like lions in a den, but one misplaced step, crack of the twig, or swoosh of the pants will awaken them. I am now in the homestretch, and as I wind the blind corner and dive into the stairwell I come across the last of the sleeping lions. Stepping around his bags I make a clean break for my car. I hope to see all my new friends tomorrow.

Wall of Shame

Stumbled upon this web-gem while perusing the news feeds. It's the Nassau County DUI Wall of Shame! These pics are incredible. My favorite is Tamas (pictured) with Spenser (also pictured) coming in a close second.

I know you're out there...

I have been feeling a little lonely on the blog - 3 comments this past month - so I checked my page hits on Analytics....bam....2K hits since July 1st. So you're reading, but afraid to comment for fear of associating yourself with my writings. I don't blame you.

BTW, I have continued to incorporate "bam" into my everyday speech and writing.

DVR Picks - Oasis in the Desert Edition

You know your Tivo is running lean when you get excited that a new Antiques Road Show has been recorded - "Please, please be in HD! Please, I need to see people excited or disappointed in the value of their personal items in full HD....please.....come on.....dangit!!! 420p......

As an aside, next time The Roadshow (as I call it - when you've seen enough episodes you can call it "The Roadshow", it's a write of passage for young males in the US)...anyway, next time they film in Houston, I am buying a vase at Garden Ridge , walking behind their camera while they are filming a scene, then slip/trip/stumble and bobble the vase until it comes crashing to the ground, and then proclaim "Mam-Maw, Mam-Maw, I knew I shouldn't have taken you out of your jar! I just wanted to see how much it was worth! WHYYYYYYY!!!! WHHHHHHYYYYYY Mam-Maw...."

Since there is nothing on TV, I have set the Tivos to record any HD movies. Last night it picked up Man on Fire, which is very re-watchable. Ever notice how it parallels Gladiator? Girl stolen from man, man wounded mortally but must avenge girl, man must sacrifice himself even when he doesn't have to, man just wants to get to the afterlife, man convinces Ethan Hawke to smoke a controlled substance...wait....what?

Truck Rehab

So I have slowly come to realize that the exhaust I put on my truck is about 100db to loud, and the vibrations are such that the speakers I installed have slowly come apart, sounding like a rattle snake den in each of my front doors. How to solve this? Buy another exhaust system!

So, using the magic of eBay, I will turn my Flowmaster 50HD Muscle Truck side exhaust system into an MBRP full-length system and hopefully curtail the violent exhaust note that plagues the interior of my ride like a banshee. First, order the new system on eBay, then sell the old system on eBay for a similar price. I am also pulling this trick with my old door speakers and buying new ones as well. Will update the post later when/if my old gear sells. Last time my gear had actually appreciated.

Note to self - next time you put in a custom audio system in your car, don't install an exhaust system that drowns out the music. Counter-productive....

Baby Advice

Best baby advice I have gotten to date - pack a cooler with beer and keep it in the truck of your car so after the baby is born you can go relax in the parking garage and have a cold one. Awesome.

Conspicuous Consumption

I'll be the first to admit that my Dodge Ram truck doesn't get the best fuel economy - I am that guy with the $90+ gas bill that's left on the pump screen when you pull up in your car and think, "Wow, $93.51! It only costs me $72.13 to fill up my car....poor guy with a truck". I did love the reactions that $3.55 gas received while we were in Victoria - people were amazed, like finding manna on the ground, such is $3.55 gas.

Being in Texas (and America in general), I can get away with a big truck since it has been our lifestyle for 50 years. But, my international co-workers love to stick it to me. Pity the truck owner whose full-size behemoth is flanked by a Z3 and and 911 at the restaurant's valet. Not to mention when the exhaust starts up and all 5.7L rumble out onto the ground in cacophony of gas fumes and carbon footprint. I am just making up for the rest of you who have decided to slack off on your daily carbon deposits.

Doing some quick math, it only makes sense to buy a new fuel efficient car (i.e. Civic, Focus) if gas reaches $5.00 (which it will likely not as summer is winding down). The truck is paid off and gets 15 City / 18 highway. I did some recent mods to help out the fuel efficiency, and I have a couple more planned...

This is a strong blog

We all know car dealers use some slight of hand tactics to separate you from your money when it comes time to buy a car (I like to think that I am immune, but it has probably happened to me). But it is a bit different when a kid from your old church sends you a form letter spewing a half-truth trying to get me into some new debt:

"Dear Lee,

I was just reviewing your records and noticed that your Xterra has almost 36,000 miles on it.

Are you interested in selling your Xterra? If so, there is a strong used car market and we may be able to give you more than you would expect.

Should you choose to purchase another vehicle from Baker Jackson Nissan South, we have many new models to choose from.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully,
Brad Baker
Sales Manager
Baker Jackson Nissan South"

Strong market for my used SUV? If we are talking it's value as scrap metal maybe so. This just in: Nissan is having a strong quarter...

2.0 Software

Welcome to the iPhone 2.0 live blog - I'm going to go step by step as I upload the new software and apps.

Ok, I waited until the initial rush was over to get the iPhone 2.0 software loaded on my phone. It appears that my strategery has worked - it took me 1 hour to install 2.0 - no issues so far. I also didn't rush out to ATT to buy the new iPhone as I was waiting for the 2.0 software to become available and test it's features - 2.0 upgrade is free...

Don't despair if you have the old iPhone as I do, and wish you had waited for the new one. Here's some reasons why I am not yet upgrading.....

Reason's why the original iPhone is fine with me:
- My web browsing speed is just fine - the sites I spend my time on have very few pics/graphics, and they load fast over the old Edge network. They could always load faster, so this is the only reason I would upgrade...

- I don't need GPS - I know where I am going, but if I need help the original iPhone's map and faux-GPS are just fine

- The new iPhone plane is $15+ more a month including an SMS bundle

-The iPhone 2.0 software is available for free, no need for a new phone...

Ok, so I have 2.0 installed and here's the review:

First let's go to the Apps Store - AHHHHHH! There are too many apps! Guitar Tuner, Remote Control emulator, eBay, MLB, MONKEYBALL....yes, MONKEYBALL!!!!! (I don't know what Monkeyball is) and each one has it's own Applized icon....my mind is blown. I need to get some Advil. Be right back.

Alright, I'm back - I'm going to start with the key apps I need - eBay and PayPal - and go from there.

The first test - do these Apps speed up my normal experience on eBay and Paypal? Normal ebay page takes 15 seconds on EDGE - but the new App is blazing fast. Loads lists of items in mere seconds, but it missing some functionality. Since this is v1.0, I'll let it slide. PayPal is the same way. Viewing my balance once took 3 web pages and 60 seconds, but now it takes less than 5 seconds.

So my initial verdict is that the original iPhone is just fine now that 2.0 software is loaded. Sure I'm missing some location-aware GPS apps, but other than that I am fine. Plus the original phone will be somewhat of a rarity, and you'll be the early adopter of a product that will be as ubiquitous as the iPod itself. Now on to Monkeyball...

A true American

When people across the pond think of Americans, do you suppose this guy comes to mind? I found this picture in CNN's coverage of the iPhone 3G release

Exhibit A - Yankees hat...wait, this just in, it's a VISOR...a Yankees VISOR everyone...wow, what a stunning moment

Exhibit B - Jon Bon Jovi concert t-shirt - this tells us two things - that he likes Bon Jovi, and that he is from New Jersey (or he spent 4+ hours there for the concert - either way he is from Jersey)

Exhibit C - unbridled enthusiasm for commercialism as demonstrated by the iPhone being held up high as an object of worship, although his face is not as enthusiastic as I initially thought. If you look close, into his eyes, you see that voice in his head is saying "I'm not really sure how much I just spent" or perhaps "my girlfriend Tina is going to be upset that I blew our Bon Jovi fan club membership dues on this iPhone"....

Frying Pan Challenge

Anybody want to do this?

The second coming...

I smirked a bit when I saw today's Consumerist iPhone post - the second coming indeed....

OxyMoron?

Just saw a guy outside with a LiveStrong bracelet smoking a cigarette. Isn't that like wearing a WWJD bracelet in a strip club?

Amazon $5 MP3 Albums

Amazon has weekly specials on MP3 albums ($4-$8 each) that download directly to iTunes or Windows Media player to be burned to CDs or put onto your iPod.

I recently purchased Cold Play and Feist albums both for less than $5 each using Amazon. This is a great example of how digital downloads are going to fully replace digital media in the near future. Why waste all that money making and distributing CDs when you can make them available online for a fair price and still make profit?

Same goes for Blu-Ray DVD - I can download HD movies for less than Blu-Ray. True they don't come with a cool jacket or disc to show my friends, but they are a fraction of the price and give me the same HD movie.

(Yes, iTunes has been doing this for sometime, but combining this approach with a largely discounted price as compared to CD/DVD media is truly a Amazon trait)

Event though CDs/DVDs have incredible profit margins, digital downloads should become the most profitable form of media delivery since they lack physical packaging and shipping/delivery mechanisms - even if they sell for half as much....

Subscribe to the Blog

To subscribe to the blog, simply add the site URL to as a feed to your iGoogle site (or other reader).

For iGoogle, click on "Add Stuff", then click on Add Feed or Gadget at the botton of the left hand column, then paste http://fullthinktank.blogspot.com/ into the form and click submit.

The Attic

Warning - this will be boring if you're not a homeowner. Just letting you know. With the baby on the way and Susan working from home, we now keep the house a cool 75 degrees during the day, but our upstairs has not been very cooperative. Lately it has been only able to cool to 79 during the peak heat of the day (usually 95 degrees outside), so I've been forced to take some measures to keep things cool. My first thought - the AC needs to be charged or cleaned, but after speaking with my father I found the best place to start is attic ventilation.

There's a couple things going on here - first, you need to have enough ventilation that air moves through the attic and keeps it cool. This prevents hot air from leaking into your home and thwarting your AC. Now it's time for some Beakman's World up in here....

Through convection (basically hot air rising), air flows through the soffit vents on the underside of the roof and up through the turbine, square, or ridge vents on the top of the roof. If either the top or bottom doesn't have the right amount of flow, then you're attic becomes hotter than normal.

Ok, so how do you tell if your attic has enough ventilation? Use this simple calculator to find out how much intake/exhaust ventilation you need, and which vents you should add. If you need a roofer, I just used Technology Contractors (Houston) who charged me $200 to install 3 turbine vents (I provided the turbine vents from Home Depot for just $36 each)

Result - we are now at 75 degrees all day long - we are expending the same energy as before, but now we get to enjoy it. Only problem is that the AC never shuts off, meaning that it is barely keeping pace at 75. So, here are the next options:

1) Insulation - make sure the attic is properly insulated, including the attic door. Insulation comes in rolls or in "blow-in" cotton-candy style packages that you can distribute yourself (use a mask) to help fill any gaps.

2) Radiant barrier - this is basically a foil sheet or spray on lining that can be applied to the underside of your roof to help block the radiant heat from the sun and keeps things even more cool in the attic. I am installing this soon and will report back.

3) Have your A/C checked - I have heard this both ways - yes, have your A/C checked every year, and then I have heard no, only if it breaks. So I am going with a compromise - if the A/C ever begins to under perform it's normal benchmark I will call for service. Otherwise, it will ride as is.

There you go - boring if you don't own a home, and probably boring if you do own a home. But hey, I'm not sweating it...(sweet pun intended).

Random things I'm a fan of...

Bill Simmons - Patin introduced me to the Sport's Guys' column about 6 years ago, and it's become my lunchtime reading ever since. I'm also addicted to the podcasts that started last year - he does 2 a week. Basically, Bill blends sports and pop culture together and surrounds himself with people who know their stuff and don't take themselves too seriously.

Wired Magazine - I cashed in all my airline miles for magazines a couple months back (should have spaced it out, as I know have 5 subscriptions including ESPN, MotorTrend, Road&Track, BusinessWeek, and Wired and trying to read them all is overwhelming). Wired really captures the culture we're in today - a blend of the highly technical, everyday convenience, and bleeding edge ideas for the next big things.

Kenneth Cole - the shoes and watches are great and you can find them at Ross....which leads me to...

Ross - If I ever need a dress shirt, belt, or watch I go to Ross. It's like a garage sale, but with less order and more screaming children, but you can find some serious deals. Or as it was once said, it's Rossome...

Old episodes of King of the Hill - anything from 2000 or earlier is classic stuff. If you were raised in small town Texas (or married someone who was), check it out...

Oil changes at NTB - for $20 you can get a full Pennzoil oil change at NTB, and their wait is usually short since most people think they just sell tires. And they are open Sunday. Heathens.

Adidas Climacool Shoes - They are like feathers on your feet, but not at all like that. What?

Coupons - this sounds weird because it is - I look through the coupon mailers to figure out where we should eat out. I do this so much that our friend Nolan gave me an Enterntainment Book (that big coupon book they sell as a fundraiser) as a gift. I am that guy.

Online Coupons - just before I make a purchase online, I check retailmenot.com for coupon codes - everything from free shipping to $5-$10 coupons are there for the taking.

LOLCats - unreasonably funny...

I think I've said too much...

Updates to HDTV Guide

Now that we are well into 2008, I need to update the 2007 HDTV guide....

LCD/Plasma Flat Panel HDTV prices have fallen so low that DLP/Rear-Projection has been priced out of the market. A 50" LCD/Plasma is now $1200. Go with the flat panel, even for larger sizes.

Bigger isn't always better (insert a comment by Kyle here) - you generally want about 4 inches of screen size per foot of viewing distance. That's what she said. So if your couch is 12 feet away from the TV, go with a 46" to 50" TV. Be careful not to be that person with a 72" TV in a six by seven room. Unless you are a big IMAX fan.

If I had to buy a TV right now, it would be a close tie between a Panasonic Plasma or a Vizio LCD. I am still a Plasmas over LCD kinda guy, but if I was going to get one I'd buy a Vizio and save some cash...

First post from the iBook

I got the iBook up and running - as a reminder, here are the specs:

500mhz G3, 128MB SDRAM, 10GB HD, Airport, 12" LCD

I've decided I am getting that whirring rainbow beach ball of death too much, so I bought a 512MB SDRAM stick from ebay for $30. That should do the trick and get me up to speed. I am really impressed with the condition of this iBook - it is 7 years old, but looks 90% new. It has a mark from an asset tag in the back, meaning it was probably sitting in a library or school somewhere and nobody was sure how to use it. This also makes me question if it's origins are truly legit - the ebay seller had a number of lots of other used equipment, but that is not proof positive.

At any rate, in order to spruce up the old iBook, I gave it the new Leopard background - the Northern Lights, or as those of us who attend dinner parties call it, the Aurora Borealis. I had to Photoshop it for the standard 12" screen (it came in the new widescreen 13.3" format). So if you have an old iBook that is not widescreen, here's the background for you:




I also created one for my iPhone - just click the picture and save it in your computer's picture folder, then sync your iPhone and apply as background using your iPhone's menu:

This blog is brought to you by....

The Stock Market, which has been punching me in the face since Jan 2008...

Computer Buying

When buying that shiny new computer, the first question to ask is not what brand, but what do you want to do? Travel light, create music/dvds, surf the web and manage your music collection, replace your desktop PC? Buy based on how well it supports your activities. If you are like 99% of the world, you just need it for web surfing so go cheap!

On brands, most computers have the same pass/fail rates since all of their components come from the same place (China) and likely the same factory. Go for cheap. Pay no more than $500 for a laptop or $350 for a desktop. Just don't. In 2-3 years you will either spill coffee on it, drop it (laptop), or just want something new. Treat your computer like a 3-year purchase.

Where to buy? Check out the dealnews.com streams for laptops/desktops to find the best deals on PCs, and then if you're of the turtleneck persuasion you can check out Macs refurbs at the Apple store.

My Movie Theater is dying...

Tickets are now $9.25 at my local AMC theaters here in south Houston. Unreal. Is this New York City? I could buy two dvd's for the price of a single ticket and just stay home. The theater is smelly, people are making noises, I can't pause it, it's out of focus half the time, and now it is $9.25. Alas, this must be Bush's fault.

Reading, but not reading

Inevitably, someone someday will ask you " Have you read book xyz?" and then tell you that you need to read this book because it "changed the game" or is "so far outside the box that it destroyed the box" or something like that. To that I say - it's time to read books via Wikipedia or WikiSummaries. The Wiki is our new Cliff Notes - short summaries of the themes and impact of books (new or old) that can be digested within minutes. Here are a couple I hear about often in my world:

Tipping Point and Blink
Freakanomics
World is Flat

Or for even more depth - check out the chapter summaries at WikiSummaries.org. Here's an example:
Good to Great

Too good of a deal?

Every now and again one of those deals comes by that spits in the face of retail sales. This is one of those deals.

New iBook (new to me...)

I had been putting off purchasing a Mac laptop due to the upscale pricing (basically, you get twice as much for half as much with PC laptops), but finally found my price point - $150. I bought an iBook 500mhz 128mb 10GB with Airport today on eBay. The failure rates for these bad boys are over 50% (motherboard) but I still jumped based on the price. It's a good opportunity to learn the Mac OS X (10.3 to be exact) for a small price.

I did a quick youtube search on the iBook, and found a great video of Steve Jobs introducing it in 2001 - his presentation style is the exact same as today. Another great hit is the iPod Nano introduction (listen to everyone oooohhh and ahhhhh when he takes it out of his pocket). And then of course, there is the recent MacBook Air intro...

Stuff Christians Like

I am a big fan of #17 - just because it melds the personal commentary "meth dealer, money laundering" with the stellar photo of LL Cool J telling us to keep our prayer requests on the DL...

iPhone 3G

You've heard me talk and talk and talk about the iPhone, and let me tell you that the new iPhone is going to take over the world. $199 + new software + ultra-fast = the best mobile device hands down. The new software is effectively a shot across RIM's bow (maker of BlackBerry) saying that Apple is going after the corporate world, and any developer that wants to help can join in for near zero or even free.

You know it is unstoppable when even the naysayers can only cite 2 issues, both of which could be solved with a 5 minute software update - 1) It's only on AT&T, 2) iTunes store is only available over WiFi, not cellular "3G" signal

You know that it is unstoppable when Apple has been in the cell phone business for less than one year, and the biggest and baddest cell phone makers (Samsung, HTC, Nokia) constantly tout their new phones as "iPhone Killers"....in market cap, that's like Lexus saying their newest model is a Kia killer...well done international conglomerates...

You know it is unstoppable when their model for adding features is now left in the hands of anyone, anywhere to meet any need- the possibilities are endless, endless possibilities...

All that being said, here is a reality check on the cost of ownership compared to other "similar" models.

DealNews

Last week Ty and I were discussing just how wonderful DealNews.com is. Naturally, it let's you know if there are any deals in the news. Which is great and all, but the best part is that it keeps a history of deals, so if you are about to make a purchase, you can do some real quick comparison shopping and get educated. I'm a big fan of the laptops....

Some of my favorite recent deals:

$799 - Panasonic 42" HDTV Plasma (best plasma on the market at any price, not just my opinion)

$399 - The $400, all you need laptop from Dell

And of course, the Amazon list

Learning Golf

Well, over the past year I have been learning how to golf. Giving up my putt-putt ways, I am now a complete sellout. Dress pants, shoes, shirts, gloves, you name it. Learning how to golf is like having your first baby - well maybe not in every way, specifically one way, no make that two ways, either way they are similar. When you tell someone you are learning to golf or that you are having your first child, they invariably have some great advice that you must use immediately. So after 12 months on people getting in my head about my golf swing, I finally took it back to the basics...on youtube. Here's the video that has given me some hope...



AND here's a video of how I used to be (a well done video I might add...)


AND if you ever feel that you'll never learn golf, and your swing is just too bad, there's always Charles Barkley:




Last week, Dan Patrick asked Charles, "Don't they make medicine for that type of thing?"...

It's droppin Monday

Rumor is the new iPhone drops Monday (you probably know this unless you've been stuck somewhere since January), and I am interested on three fronts:

1) Faster 3G data rate will give a true mobile broadband experience, and make taking a laptop on the road thing of the past...

2) Rumored $199 starting price (with contract) - AT&T is supposedly going to subsidize this version of the iPhone, since they are raking it in on the monthly fees...

3) Apple's stock price - Wallstreet was doom and gloom this past Friday (down 3%), but Apple keeps chugging right along - my hope is that the new iPhone release opens even more eyes to the potential dominance of this device - both for corporate and personal use - and pushes stock to $200+

Salvation for $40 a month

I haven't quite wrapped my brain around this one yet...hopefully I'll have an opinion soon...

Step 1 - Have an idea

Step 2 - Make it into a website

Step 3 - Profit...