Kayak revealed

Here's a pic of the kayak I mentioned earlier this week - it's a Scupper Pro. Sweet ride, even sweeter name. The two guys I fish with have a Scout and a Prowler, so I got the short straw when it came to the naming convention.

There is definitely a secret underground club for kayakers - much like those who road-bike, wear yellow bracelets, or even fake tan, there is a mutual respect given among people who shun modern locomotive engineering, but instead embrace modern polyethylene engineering and resort to paddles to propel them to greatness. However, I often see people with kayak racks on the top of their SUVs that look suspiciously unused - hardcore kayakers use rope and old couch cushions to get their 'yak (secret kayak term) to the water. I prefer the truck-bed transportation method, also affectionately known as the "Windshield Impaler"....

Prescreen for SuperCars

Spotted in D-town - The choice in presidential candidate is sketchy enough, but the fact that someone put a BUMPER STICKER on the fresh paint of a Porsche Carrera S leaves me no choice but advocate for an advanced pre-screening process before someone is allowed to buy any limited production vehicle over $50K. Good luck peeling that bad boy off...they must have arrived under sniper fire when entering the garage....

New Links

Check out the new links section on the right. That took me 13 hours and $4600 to create, pretty impressive if you ask me. I'll begin to add more as time goes on, but you gotta start somewhere. BTW, babyeidson is my baby, in case there was any confusion.

Blogging Hiatus

Please excuse my lack of blogging over the past week - I'm offering a full refund of $0.00 to my subscribers. Work is always busy, but my free time as of late has been absorbed by kayaking (thank you craigslist), so much so that Susan has bestowed the moniker "kayak widow" upon herself, giving me the chance to claim the nickname "kayak widower" which henceforth shall be my handle should I purchase a CB radio or become a professional wrestler. So, due to the lack of time and upcoming baby, I have decided to condense my hobby list down to the following activities - kayak fishing, Xbox, mountain biking, golf, guitar, blogging, and commemorative plate collecting. I'll have some items up on craigslist this week for your gawking pleasure as I begin the consolidation effort.

In the meantime, I have 30+ blog topics coming your way, so stay tuned....

Milk was a bad choice...

12 week Ultrasounds

Baby blog is updated with week 12 pics - check'em out....

Tivo HD Price Drop

The new TiVo HD box (retail $299) can now be found as a refurb at both Tivo.com ($199) and yesterday on Woot.com ($179 + 3 months free service - now expired). I continue to tell everyone I know to cut the cable bill and get over-the-air HDTV with Tivo HD. Here's the cost breakdown:

$179-$199 - Tivo HD Box (one-time purchase price)
$35 - Tivo Wireless Adapter (one-time purchase price)
$25 - Phillips HD Antenna (one-time purchase price)
$13 per month for TiVo service - no hidden fees, no activation fee, just 12.95+tax each month

With 40+ channels (only 10 or so that I really watch, just like cable), I have more programming than I can ever watch. Plus we now get some ESPN simulcasts on channel 55.1, Astros on 51.1, and the Rockets in HD once a month on 20.1.

If you do sign up, put my email address (Lee.[insertmylastname]@gmail.com) into the referral box. I am working on getting the TiVo slippers. Sweet.

The URL is here...

www.fullthinktank.com

Bookmark it, tell your friends, the URL is here...(if you click it you come right back)

New Car?

Got a new car! Well, not really. But I did take a picture next to the car I want - this baby is on the 5 year plan. That's 4 years of saving, and 1 year of convincing Susan that I need a 2nd car. Also notice how I defaulted to the Abu-Ghraib prison pose for the picture - double guns and everything - completely unconscious and unconscionable at the same time. Try spelling those words back to back.


It's a Roush 427 package - basically a Stage 3 Roush with 427 HP. The real blocker is the price tag - $54K. You're in Z06 and Viper territory with that price...not sure what Roush is thinking. The Roush Stage 1 version of the car runs at $35K and 325HP - a more fiscally responsible package, right?

DVR Picks

Last week I discovered Dexter reruns on CBS, and found that I really like the show now that it is toned down for broadcast television. I caught an episode on Showtime while I was on the road, and it made me a bit queasy (which is also a word that would be a great nick-name for grandma to be Sharon....grandma "queasy"...I like it).

Also check out some spots from our Arrested Development crew - Jeffrey Tambore is staring in Meet the Captain, which I am slowly warming up to - his character worked on the set of Three's Company back in the day and he constantly name-drops it into every conversation - "When I was with 'Three-Co', ..."

And Will Arnett and Will Ferrell are making the rounds promoting Semi-Pro, so set your DVRs for Conan and David Letterman this week for some good time.

Baby Update

BabyEidson Blog is updated with week 10 ultrasound pics - looking like a baby to me. Just chillin' in there, resting up before I make it do all the chores around the house. This will be totally sweet.

My Blake incarcerated...

I have been walking around the house randomly shouting "My Blake, incarcerated" (1:35 mark) in a heavy accent, followed by Susan yelling from another room "Ray-Ray and Joe!" (1:24 mark). Love it.

Wealthy Habits

Great article from TheStreet.com on habits that produce/preserve wealth. Surprisingly balanced, since usually articles from TheStreet need to be taken with a "Jim Cramer is nuts" grain of salt...

iPhone $299

iPhone 4GB Refurb from Apple for $299 while they last (usually not long...)

In my experience, the refurbs from Apple are 99% new, and you still get the same 1 yr warranty so there is really no reason to say no...

On the refurb note, I just picked up a refurbished 37" LCD from NewEgg for a sweet price - check out NewEgg's deals - lots of free shipping, and tons of discounts - you can sort by rebate type and discount amount using their nifty form.

Superbowl 42: Football

I am headed to the store to buy a Citizen watch, so my entry here will be brief.

I rooted for the Giants, but not against the Patriots - I really did not want to see a perfect season. What happens then?

Giants defense was incredible, Eli caught the breaks and made the most of every opportunity, and ultimately made this the most fun and intriguing NFL game I have ever watched.

Eli's pass to Tyree on 3rd down (w/sound!) was the most incredulous and improbable play I have ever seen.

Strahan's "stomp'd 'em out" routine (w/sound!) is kinda freaking me out. Or maybe it's his teeth.

Quick Updates

Baby Blog is updated with Week 8 pics. Still black and white. Asked the doctor about a high-def option, but apparently I am now an idiot for asking obvious questions.

Also in breaking news, someone at work used the word Ginormous in a formal meeting. Pretty sure my personality is having an unindented affect on those around me.

Superbowl breakdown coming...

I'll have a Superbowl breakdown including commercials out this week - but in the mean time, someone should review the go-ahead touchdown catch made by the Giants. I am pretty sure that Petey tackled Plaxico before he entered the end-zone...you be the judge....

Oceanic 815

Yes we watched Lost, and then Eli Stone just to see the Oceanic commercial. The skewed URL said find815.com, which was launched a month ago, but is now blank...or so it would seem. Anyone have theories on the second Oceanic 815 found in the ocean? (Patin - aren't you a Lost fan?)

By the way - this is the DVR recommendation of the week. Should be bonus replays this weekend or next Thursday...

What's your domain?

Recent conversation I had with Julie Whitaker aka "julesdwit":

Julie: "I lost julesdwit.com, can you believe it?"
Me: "Really?!?"
Julie: "I guess there's always Julesdwit.org"
Me: "I've always pegged you as a julesdwit.biz, seems more street..."

And the conversation digressed from there....the point of the story is to register your domain early and often, so in honor of julesdwit, I am registering fullthinktank.com. I will post when the site is up and running. Gotta protect the value of the name. And register fullthinktank.biz for some street-cred.

Julie is also on IMDB....apparently she is famous....

Alarm Systems

For those who might own the alarm system that came in your house, here is an interesting alternative to the $30/month+ Brinks or ADT home alarm monitoring services.

Basically, for $5 a month this service will send an email/text/call to your cell phone if you alarm is triggered or if a smoke alarm goes off. Or for $12 a month they will dial the police or fire department just like Brinks/ADT.

Here are some reviews - take them for what they're worth. I'll update the blog if we decide to switch over to NextAlarm.

Speaking of alarms, have you seen the ADT commercial where the guy puts on his hood and then does a round-house kick to the lady's front door during the friggin middle of the day? Seems pretty likely. Especially the hood part. Straight up Unabomber. These commercials are the worst at preying on people's fears....sorry, couldn't find the video....