Friday, November 28, 2008
New Profile Pic - Next Generation
Check out my latest profile pic on Facebook - that's the next generation Eidson, Shelton, and Pereira boys. All born within 3 months of each other. Perfect timing.....
Monday, November 24, 2008
Customer Service 101
Recently I've had three great customer service experiences, even in the crazy market. Here they are:
Logitech - the #6 on my wireless keyboard broke, I called and they sent me a new keyboard set next day in the mail.
Mr. Coffee - Our coffee pot started rusting on the outside casing, I called him (Mr. Coffee himself) and he is sending us a new coffee pot.
American Standard - our kitchen faucet started leaking from the base, and after 2 HOURS on speaker phone they are sending a new faucet with the condition that I send them a PDF of my original receipt (which I still had from 2005 thanks to the Eidson family filing system).
Logitech - the #6 on my wireless keyboard broke, I called and they sent me a new keyboard set next day in the mail.
Mr. Coffee - Our coffee pot started rusting on the outside casing, I called him (Mr. Coffee himself) and he is sending us a new coffee pot.
American Standard - our kitchen faucet started leaking from the base, and after 2 HOURS on speaker phone they are sending a new faucet with the condition that I send them a PDF of my original receipt (which I still had from 2005 thanks to the Eidson family filing system).
Get your prints
If you're like everyone you have a digital camera. That means you also are afraid to print pictures for fear of 1) killing your printer 2) killing your supply of ink 3) or killing the person in front of you at the digital picture kiosk at you local pharmacy/big-box store ("if they re-crop that picture one more time, I'm gonna....")
But I digress. My favorite option for printing photos is Walmart.com/photos. Upload, print them as 1hr and pick them up locally or have them shipped to you in 2-3 days. Prices are cheap, and nothing gets killed.
You'd think I was paid for plugs like this, but I'm not. Should probably look into it...
But I digress. My favorite option for printing photos is Walmart.com/photos. Upload, print them as 1hr and pick them up locally or have them shipped to you in 2-3 days. Prices are cheap, and nothing gets killed.
You'd think I was paid for plugs like this, but I'm not. Should probably look into it...
Giving Jay his due
I know a lot of people love Top Gear, and it is a fabulous show, but I have really enjoyed Jay Leno's Garage - it's a series of webisodes where Jay gives you the finer points about his mega-car collection all with an enthusiast's heart and soul. What's nice is the lack of Top Gear "if it's not German we don't like it" attitude and vocabulary that make you run to google search like a scared child. Each car in his collection has a special place, and you can tell he is really excited to show you the car. My favorite is the Chevy Z06 w/ crate engine- cheapest car in his collection, but he is right on with the commentary..."People I know with Ferrari's and Lamborghini's have 7k to 8k miles, but you ask a guy with a Corvette and he has 80k, 90k miles."
Here's another one of Jay's finer moments....
Here's another one of Jay's finer moments....
Soap is bad for you
I've been catching bits and pieces on One-Life-to-Live now that it's on the DVR, and I have to say I'm intensely frustrated. I'll be in the office and hear the scene play out on the TV downstairs. The biggest gripe is that words never lead to actions - it's like the mantra of this shows writers is "how can we get the characters to talk about this more, and not actually progress the plot?". It's like Lost but not nearly as fun. Example...
"Jimmy is being held hostage by Jennifer's split personality!"
"What, how? And why? And let's talk about this more"
"Should we go over there and free him?"
"We should? Wait, what?"
"Should we call the cops?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Wait, what happened?"
--Commercial Break---
And then we pick up the same conversation for another 10 minutes....someone will be in imminent danger, but no constructive action is taken until the 45 min mark.
As an antidote, take one episode of Friday Night Lights (full episodes on NBC.com) and comment on this post in the morning.
"Jimmy is being held hostage by Jennifer's split personality!"
"What, how? And why? And let's talk about this more"
"Should we go over there and free him?"
"We should? Wait, what?"
"Should we call the cops?"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Wait, what happened?"
--Commercial Break---
And then we pick up the same conversation for another 10 minutes....someone will be in imminent danger, but no constructive action is taken until the 45 min mark.
As an antidote, take one episode of Friday Night Lights (full episodes on NBC.com) and comment on this post in the morning.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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.
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...
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:
- 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
Friday, November 7, 2008
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...
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...
Friday, October 24, 2008
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.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
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.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
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?
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...
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...
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
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....
Here are some of the diamonds in the rough...current winner is the 1997 Z28....
Monday, September 29, 2008
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...]
[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...]
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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.
I submitted this to Jalopnik, maybe someone press will get this guy some decent bids.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Best of Baby Eidson
Susan will have the Baby Eidson blog updates soon, but in the meantime, here are my favorite pics...
Monday, September 15, 2008
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....
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....
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