[EDITED] Zune Harakiri [Apple Fans Not Welcome :)]

Apparently the internet is abuzz with the recent bricking of thousands of Zunes. The phenomenon is being dubbed as Z2K9, Zunicide, or Zunepocolypse and results in a 30GB Zune basically crapping out. Reports are that at about around 2AM this morning the fated Zunes reset and tried to reboot, once the status bar reached 100%... nothing, they just freeze there. At this time no solution has been found and it only seems to affect 30GB Zunes (regardless of firmware version). If you have a Zune 30 my advice is to hold off on using it until the problem is solved. Keep an eye on the Zune support page for any updates: http://www.zune.net/en-US/support/default.htm (Top right corner).

There is a workaround at this point, but it requires you to open up the Zune (which voids the warranty), but if you're feeling daring here's the link: http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/zune/zuneassemblyguide.htm. My advice is to just wait and see what happens. The software still works without a hitch (Don't plug the Zune 30 in though), so if you're dying to listen to music do it at your computer.

I still think the Zune as a whole, trumps the iPod (hardware, software, and marketplace), probably because I haven't been affected by any of the Microsoft trifecta (BSoD, RRoD, Z2K9). Its bad enough I have to hear all the smack talk about Microsoft's Windows OS and their infamous Xbox 360 RRoD, now THIS? Come on guys, I'm trying to fight the good fight here.

ETA: The problem seems to be isolated to Zune 30s manufactured in 2006 and the problem should resolve itself. Matt Akers from the Zune team posted an update to the support forums stating the following:

"Early this morning we were alerted by our customers that there was a widespread issue affecting our 2006 model Zune 30GB devices (a large number of which are still actively being used). The technical team jumped on the problem immediately and isolated the issue: a bug in the internal clock driver related to the way the device handles a leap year. The issue should be resolved over the next 24 hours as the time change moves to January 1, 2009. We expect the internal clock on the Zune 30GB devices will automatically reset tomorrow (noon, GMT). By tomorrow you should allow the battery to fully run out of power before the unit can restart successfully then simply ensure that your device is recharged, then turn it back on. If you’re a Zune Pass subscriber, you may need to sync your device with your PC to refresh the rights to the subscription content you have downloaded to your device."

So it was more of a hiccup that got blown out of proportion... put that iPod back on the shelf!

Here's a link to the thread on the support forum: http://forums.zune.net/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=408989

Tech Tuesday: D+Caf

Wow! Not all "advances" in technology are as impressive as the LHC, but this may come close.

Essentially a test strip for your beverage to "detect the decaf scamsters". You simply place this strip in the questionable beverage and it uses the same immunoassay technology of pregnancy tests to determine if the concentraction of caffine exceeds 20mg (in a 6 oz. serving).

I don't know where these people have been getting their coffee? I haven't really seen any news regarding scores of people dying from drinking caffinated coffee or evil corporations making money hand-over-fist by selling the leaded version verses decaf (especially since decaffination is an added process that removes the naturally occuring caffine in coffee/cocoa beans and is therefore more costly).

I understand that there are people with caffine sensitivities and others with moral/religious convictions preventing them from drinking the legal stimulant, but is there really enough of a market for these things?

On a side note, speaking of pregnancy tests, I wonder if I ingest enough caffine in the day for one of these strips to come up positive? Hmmmm...

If you're interested in purchasing a 20 pk. of these babies here's the link:
http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/12/how_to_detect_the_decaf_scamsters.html

Source: Gizmodo via Discover Testing via MIT Technology Review via Medgadget

Meet my nemesis at work

I'd like to introduce you to my nemesis.

"It looks like a chair" you may say. Not true. It's a torture device that tests ones resolve and patience disguised as a chair.

First of all, when I sit down on it, the "lean back" lever kicks out and basically throws the chair forward almost knocking me on to the ground.

"Why don't you just sit down more carefully?" Because I shouldn't have to think just to sit down! Secondly, the "lean back" lever likes to randomly pop out, usually choosing the moments when I have a mug of hot coffee at my lips.

"There are probably a ton of other chairs, why don't you switch?" The chairs in the office are kind of a mishmash and are not all the same, so if I take another person's chair, they'll know. The extra chairs have terrible lumbar support (wow, I sound old).

So I basically have to make the choice to either have a sore back or look like an idiot. I have way more experience with the latter.

Baking: Take the good with the bad

My wife has found a new love for baking. This holiday, batch after batch of delicious treats and confections have rolled off the stove and out of the oven. My tough job is that someone has to "test" them and verify that they are of "gift-giving quality".

Unfortunately for me, I am responsible for keeping the kitchen clean (since we both work full-time, and I admit I slack sometimes). So I present to you:

One of the many reasons I love when my wife bakes (the picture doesn't do them justice!):

And the only reason I hate when my wife bakes (not really though):

Santa's Landing Strip

Despite how dirty the title sounds, this is a clean post. :) This is one of the things I really look forward to during the pandemonium that is the Holidays. Its hard to tell from the picture, but the little white lights are luminaries. There is a neighborhood between our house and my parents' that line all of their streets with these luminaries. It is one of the coolest things, and its even better when there is the classic Fresno fog. There is just something surreal about the soft glow in the chilly, damp air. I did some rough math and I estimate there is at least 6,000 little lights guiding Santa to people's homes to drop off his "wares".

Winning Wednesday: SSF2THDR

Ahhh... this game brings me back. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is exactly what it says, a remake of the old Street Fighter II with updated graphics and "more balanced" characters (exempt Cammy who now apparently has super powers). It features the original eight characters, the four boss characters, and the four added characters from Super Street Fighter II. The added online play is a nice addition and seems to work flawlessly. It is sometimes hard to find a "quick match", but if you host a match it usually takes only a few seconds to find an opponent. On the downside its not possible to just invite a friend and play them directly. You can get around this by hosting a player match and then inviting them. You'll end up playing with strangers also, but you actually get to watch the fight of the people who are playing. The biggest draw back is not the games fault, but the crappy US Xbox controller's D-Pad. Once you get used to it the game is definitely worth the points. Available for 1200 MSP ($15) on Xbox LIVE arcade.

Low Tech Tuesday: Amish Paradise

I got a call today from my wife alerting me that she "broke our house". What she meant by this was that the power had shut off again (not really her fault) but this time it wouldn't come back on. We'd been having some trouble with one of the circuits in our home for the last few weeks, flickering lights, breaker constantly popping, etc. Normally the quick fix for this is to go to the breaker and switch all of the 15 amp breaker switches off and then. We end up having to do all of the plug breaker switches because the wiring in our house is RI-DIC-ULOUS, as it seems the builder/contractor decided to play a game called "confuse the electrician". I know it confuses electricians because my grandpa came over (a Master electrician) and he we looked for the problem for about four hours and the prognosis came up "inconclusive". So at this point we have no Kitchen lights (the stove, refrigerator, and other appliances including the coffee maker, still work) and several plugs are out (one in our playroom, two in our dining area, and four in our bedroom).

The real gem was getting to explore my attic space again. Notice I say attic space and not attic, there is a big difference. An attic is a place that usually has a floor and you are able to stand up and store stuff in. Our attic space is basically what I imagine hell to be like. In the very center of the space there is about four feet of clearance (I am 6'1" tall), and the clearance decreases with the slope of the roof. Boy! That sounds like it sucks... yeah well it gets better, the ceiling/backside of the roof has staples sticking about and inch and a half out everywhere just waiting for you to impale yourself when you forget there is a low ceiling. The "floor" is really just the drywall for the actual ceiling below you (which cannot support the weight of an adult male). There are piles and piles of fiberglass (what itching powder is made of) insulation with 20+ years of dust caked on. The wiring up there is pulled so tight that I was scared I'd pull something out while wiggling around, and to take up even more space there are heating ducts everywhere. Oh and spiderwebs... lots of spiderwebs.

So to recap, I was squirming around with spiders and itchy fiberglass up to my neck, gasping for breath between huge clouds of possibly toxic dust, all the while simultaneously trying not to stab my head or fall through the floor below as I shimmy and shake over ducts, pipes, and wires. Good times. I felt like Indiana Jones and was basically waiting for this guy to pop up underneath a pad of insulation:

And the best part. Round 2 tomorrow.

Wow! This blog is so popular that...

...Target has begun to market for Tepid Coffee. Okay so not really, but a week ago or so when I was in Target I saw this "Commuter Mug" in the "oh crap I don't know what to get section". You know the section that has all of the random gifts and gadgets in the solid red boxes. Well for ten bucks you can pick up this mug that plugs into your car's accessory outlet (formerly known as a cigarette lighter) and it will keep your beverage at one of three tempertures: Hot, Warm, or Tepid. Honestly though, who wants their coffee tepid? I just get busy working and forget its there so it ends up becoming lukewarm. No word yet on the accompanying "Stale Muffin paper bag" though.

Winning Wednesday: The Target Demographic

Last Friday night we had one of my wife's former co-workers, Bekah, and her husband Wayne over for some dinner and gaming. As we got to talking I found out that Wayne and I had a lot in common (almost to an eerie degree). During our conversation I found out he does a weekly podcast with some friends called The Target Demographic. The subject matter runs the gamut from movies to music to gaming all from the perspective of those in their respective medium's target demographic (males ages 25-34). I subscribed and had a listen. I have to say its quite entertaining and I really appreciate the lack of BS fluff (as$ kissing, "advertisement interviews", etc) that fills some of the studio's and developer's podcasts. You should check it out if you have an opportunity, heck even if you don't have an opportunity you should check it out.

The Target Demographic Website

The Target Demographic Show #39 (latest show as of this post)

Tech Tuesday: Windows Mobile Apps

These days often I hear of the many cool things the iPhone can do and I have to admit its a pretty cool phone. However, other than a far superior UI (user interface), I haven't really heard of anything it can do functionally that my Windows Mobile phone can't. I am currently using the HTC Kaiser (aka AT&T Tilt) running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The Tilt is what is refered to as a Pocket PC meaning that it has a touch screen, I will let you know if the Smartphone (non-touchscreen) equivalent is also available.

I wanted to share with you a few of the additional applications I use on a daily basis (the total of which cost me $0.00), not including basic things like calculator or text messaging. One major thing to note is that I subscribe to an unlimited data plan and some of these applications are data intensive (meaning if you don't have an unlimited plan it could cost you a bit in data fees).

One of my all time favorite apps just got better. Google Mobile Maps (available for several platforms including Blackberry and Symbian 60 (Nokia Smartphones)) now offers "Street view" along with its typical map view, satellite view and turn-by-turn directions. GMM also works with my phones built in GPS (also works with an external GPS reciever), or (if you don't have GPS) it can use network towers to approximate your position.

Next up, I use a program called iContact (yes I know it has the stupid "i"). Its an application that runs on top of the normal contacts application but is much more finger friendly. Also you can quickly go directly to contacts starting with a certain letter with the alphabet pad and it supports "favorites" so you can quickly access people you call often.
*There is no smartphone version of this app

Since I'm not always at my computer I also like to keep up with the blogs and podcasts I follow with an application called BeyondPod. Its a nice little RSS reader that will automatically download the latest feeds from the sites you choose. One of the big advantages of this app is it will also download the lastest podcasts OTA (over the air) right to the phone, without the 10MB limit like some "other phones" have to deal with. (Smartphone Version)

Another app I really like is called PockeTwit. It is basically a Twitter client that lets me update my status on twitter/facebook, and receive friends' updates. One nice feature is that it uses a unique notification (like when you get a text message) that works outside of the program itself. (Smartphone version/Additional download site for Pocket PC)

Live Search is an application from Microsoft itself that has maps, traffic, and directions also (I use GMM for that), but I do use it as a quick way to pull up the cheapest gas prices in town and movie showtimes. Another cool feature is the voice search. You press a button and say what and where you want to find something and it will pull up a list that matches, for example "Starbucks in Fresno California". (Works for both Pocket PC and Smartphone)

One of the major areas of improvement for Windows Mobile is its crappy browser (Internet Explorer Mobile, not good on the PC not good on a phone). This is where Opera comes in! A great browser that surfs the entire internet, not just the mobile net. Has a great zoom feature and supports flash and java content. Which is funny since Microsoft's Xbox.com and social.zune.net both require java to login and are therefore inaccessible through IE. If you download one app for your phone I would say do this one! (I am currently using Opera Mobile 9.5 Beta 2, but only the last stable version (8.65) is available for smartphones.)

So that's a sample of what I use on a daily basis. If there's something in particular you are looking for let me know. A great site to find all sorts of applications (all free) is freewarepocketpc.net for Pocket PCs or smartphone-freeware.com for WM smartphones. Hope this helps!

Maybe you can reward us with some floppy disks too!

A few weeks ago, my wife applied for a Buy.com Visa to get a pretty sizable discount on my Christmas gift (with the intention of just paying it off immediately). The other day it came in the mail along with the standard disclosures and pamphlets. I took a look at the "Directory of Benefits and Services" and a few things caught my eye. Now I love buy.com because they have some really amazing deals on some cool products, but I think they need to update their marketing "collateral". This is picture of the inside flap of the brochure showing what kind of cool products you can "find" on buy.com:

There were two lines that stuck out like sore thumbs. First: "Hollywood Blockbusters on VHS and DVD"

VHS?!?!? Seriously in 2008?

The second (mind you we got this in the mail in December of 2008): "The Hottest PC and Console Games including Playstation, Dreamcast, and Nintendo64".

Um... The Sega Dreamcast was discontinued in March of 2001 and Sega no longer even makes consoles! And the Playstation and Nintendo64? Sony and Nintendo have released TWO generations of console since those were on the market (Playstaton 2 and Playstation 3/Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo Wii).

I'm surprised the new Milli Vannilli "record" wasn't available.

Long's Cash Cow

My son has been a little under the weather with a cold these past couple of days. The other night we ran out of cold medicine and so I made a trip to the Long's Drug Store across the street to pick some up. I perused the cold and allergy aisle, and to my dismay they were out of children's decongestant. I grabbed my phone to let my wife know (she had already made an attempt at Target, where they were out too), and was apparently very focused. As I was putting the phone to my ear a man shouted at me four inches away from my head scaring the bejesus out of me. My heart was literally pounding. I turn to look at who this a-hole yelling at me is, and I am greeted by the evincii PharmAssist machine (I believe evincii is Italian for evil).

Now here is where I think the conspiracy is. This particular Long's is frequented by an "older" clientele, and this machine is conveniently located within close proximity to both the Adult diapers and heart medicine. So this little machine on the back of the end cap quietly sits until some unsuspecting victim turns the corner and then it blasts information at you causing you to either poop yourself or have a heart attack. Coincidence? I think not.

ACCUweather huh?

The weather in Fresno is a bit screwy, especially in the wintertime. Some days its really cold (relatively) and others you have to layer your clothes so you can peel them off during the day (usually ending in a T-shirt). My phone has a handy little feature that allows me to quickly check the current conditions, and daily highs and lows with data provided by accuweather. So I make it a habit to check the weather on my phone as I'm getting dressed in the morning so I can choose the correct ensemble. This morning I picked up my phone and hit the weather button and was greeted with this:

What the hell? Its snowing right now?!?!? Um... as much as I like the novelty of it snowing in Fresno (it only happens like once every 10 years), I've never heard of it snowing when its 38 degrees outside. I'm no meterologist, but I'm pretty sure you need freezing conditions (<32 degrees) in order to have snow. I shrugged it off and went about my business. Later as I stepped outside, this is what I saw:

Typical Fresno winter fog. This is what I get for trusting a weather service based 3,000 miles away in State College, PA. Should have watched the local weather forecast. (Anyone catch the irony here? Look at who provides their data.)

Analogy of the day

Earlier in the day when I left my desk to take a quick pee pee break, I entered the restroom and found that the only urinal was in use and I had to use the toilet. It made me stop to do a little introspection: why was I disappointed by this? The same job gets done no matter what kind of receptacle is used, and in the case of men (and some women) a porcelain box isn't even required. Then it came to me in the form of an analogy.

Urinal:Toilet = Chopsticks:Forks
(urinal is to toilet as chopsticks are to forks)

Let me explain. At home I have a toilet, this is what I use on a daily basis. There is a certain novelty to urinals. Its similar to going out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. You could use a fork to eat your chow mein, but you still ask for the chopsticks. 'Nuff said.

Oops! Wrong link!

I just realized that on my Holiday recap post I posted the wrong link for Holly Jones' photography website. This is the correct link www.hollyjonesphotography.com. If you haven't, take the time to check out her site. She does amazing work (like the fine specimen above). Sorry Holly.

photo by Holly Jones.

Confession of a Cheating Heart

My Sweet White Chocolate Raspberry International Delight,

I am sorry, but I must end our torrid affair. I've run our situation through my head time and time again. I thought I wanted more, but now I realize I was wrong. French Vanilla Coffee Mate and I were having some problems and then you came along. I was weak and partook of your raspberry goodness, but nothing will ever be as good as the vanilla I know and love. I apologize, but this is how it must be.

-Brandon

A walk in the mist

Its sort of a tradition for us to walk down Christmas Tree Lane every year. For those of you who don't know what Christmas Tree Lane is, its about two miles of decorated houses in an affluent neighborhood. Most of the season (December 1-24) they turn it into a one-way street and you drive down it (slowly), enjoying everyone's decorations. They even used to broadcast Christmas music into your radio (like the old movie drive-ins did with the audio). I haven't driven down it since I was little. Nowadays most cars come with daytime running lights and about 1% of people know how to manually override them, so you end up being blinded from behind, all the while asphyxiating on the exhaust of the cars in front of you. Not really what I'd call a fun time.

Two times a season they close the street off and allow only pedestrians. Most years this involves a clusterf**k of people, rambling the street, bumping into everything that moves. And the decorations had slowly been becoming less and less spectacular. I had even begun to dread the tradition the last couple of years.

But something happened this year. I was genuinely excited about the walk this year since Keegan was now old enough to enjoy all the lights. We avoided the usual hour long wait for a drink at the Starbucks closest to the event, instead opting for "extra hot" beverages at the one closest to our house. Then we avoided the frustration of trying to find a parking spot by meeting our friend's at their parent's house (right by the event). There were still a TON of people, but instead of the zombie like stupor everyone normally was in, everyone "respected the double yellow" (meaning people going north stayed on one side of the road, people going south stayed on the other). We met up with some friends who we don't get to see often enough and enjoyed a walk on the brisk, misty, evening. And to top off the experience, it seems that the lights, sound system, and decorations had been improved since last year. I had a great time!

Cereals of the future

The other day as I poured myself a bowl of Marshmallow Mateys (a pirate themed generic knockoff of Lucky Charms), I snickered to myself. Its strange how some of history's most notorious villains are now plopped into everyday life as children's mascots of sort. A few centuries ago pirates were feared for raping, killing, stealing, etc, and their eastern equivalent, ninjas, were a group of secretive assassins. Yet today they are cartoon characters and even heroes in some cases. Don't get me wrong I still think ninjas and pirates are cool, but it makes me think: what will the children of 2200 eat for breakfast? Nazi Nuggets? Facist Flakes? Klan Krisp?

I guess only time will tell.

A lesson about homonyms

If you know me or have read any of my posts you probably think I say some pretty cheesy things. Well now I have proof that I not only say cheesy things, I also think cheesy things. So I present you with my lesson of homonyms:

That's right: I was paring a pair of pears!

The sad thing is, as I was preparing some lunch for the little one and peeling the pear I actually went back to the fridge to to get a second pear just to take this picture. I know: LAME!

Holiday recap

This year was nicer/crappier than last as far was the four-day weekend. On one hand we had Thanksgiving at our house and everyone came to us so we didn't have to travel to four-baghillon different places this year. Natali organized the evening and it went swimmingly, good food (cookies and desserts for days), minimal family annoyance, all around good time. Not to say it was not without drama, a family incident here, forgetting the cranberry sauce there, etc... The latter was a BIG deal. I cannot eat turkey without cranberry sauce on it (if you haven't tried it I don't want to hear anything).

But just as every year, the peace and fellowship of Thanksgiving gives way to... bum... bum... bummmmm... Black Friday. This year being in the middle of a recession, meaning both: people have less money to spend for the holidays and stores are needing as much business as possible, made it a deadly combination (literally). But we thought we'd give it a shot anyway since it is becomming a bit of a tradition and its nice to have all of your shopping done a month in advance (so I can procrastinate wrapping for 30 days as opposed to one).

The short version of the story is drove around from store to store finding very few good deals, went home found great deals online and realized I could have slept in. sigh.

We also had Holly of HollyJones fame come by and take family photos yesterday. It was probably a little more than she bargained for, but we really appreciate her patience and are very excited to see how they turned out!

As far as today... TBD :). Hope everyone else's weekends went well. How about you? What did you do for the infamous Black Friday?

Ghost in the Machine

Our garage door opener recently went kaput, so we picked up another one and opted for the professional installation. Aside from a shipping hiccup, the installation went smoothly. Once we got our new opener (which is ninja quiet), things started acting up.
The new opener does a lot of cool things like the standard opens up if the beam is crossed, turns the light on if the beam is crossed, has a thermometer on the control button, has battery backup (in case the power goes out), etc... The only problem is that the signals for the opener to communicate with its various parts is on the same frequency as several other appliances at our house. Here is a list of what else has been affected by our new opener.

• Downstairs TV - Randomly switches to the satalite input while playing Xbox (annoying!)
• Downstairs light - turns on the light in the middle of the night
• Standalone heaters - cranks up the heat, causing us to check on the baby's room often (went in there the other day and it was 84!!!)
• Upstairs TV - randomly turns off
• Xbox 360 * - Save file for Call of Duty disappeared (don't know if this was just a coincidence)

It was annoying enough that our heaters and TV were on the same frequency (when you turned the volume up or down the heater would go up a degree every time you pushed the button), now we have to deal with the other anomalies. As soon as it starts unlocking doors or vomit split pea soup we're taking it back!

Help Wanted: Game ideas

So last week when the new Xbox 360 UI debuted, a feature I forgot to mention also debuted: XNA Community Games. These are games created by smaller developers (from teams of 2 - 20 people) with tools available from Microsoft, and sold on the Xbox marketplace. One of my dreams has been to take my passion for video games and translate that into a game I helped create. I've been taking some time (about the past 6 months) learning C# and the XNA framework, and have a pretty good understanding of how to code (program) games now. My brother is really good at Adobe products and has also been learning 3Ds Max (a 3d modeling program) and other graphic programs to do art/assets for the game. Our only problem, and this is where you can help, is we need an idea for the game.

What would you like to see in a game? What did you really like about some of the games you played? Any ideas would be appreciated and of course credit would be given. :)

Dad Moment: 10 things I've learned

Keegan turned 18 months old last Saturday, and I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the past year and a half. A lot has happened in the time the little guy came into the world, new house, illness, learning, etc...
Here is a quickly compiled list of ten things I've learned as a dad for in from my son.

10. Do not be deceived by newborn poo
For months before K was born (pretty much as soon as Nat got pregnant), people teased me about poopy diapers. I wasn't ever too worried about it. When K was first born he had the typical meconium (tar poo) which was completely odorless, I knew this would pass in a couple of days. When his first real number twos came they were completely tolerable. No bad smell, and easy to clean up (once you get over the fact that you are getting crap all over your hands). Here is where my warning comes in. This does not last!!! As soon as K moved on to solids the smells moved in. Sometimes I wonder how a boy so small could make a smell that could gag an ox! Potty training here we come.

9. Their brains never turn off
It amazes me how when you just sit back and watch, you can almost see the gears turning in their heads. Eyes constantly moving, hands always feeling things, switching switches, pushing buttons, dropping things just to watch what happens. I only hope this kind of curiosity continues (at least until I find my cell phone in the toilet).

8. Nap time is fleeting
Routine is a integral part of parenting, but don't get too comfortable. When K was first born he slept all day. As he grew a little older he would take two nice long naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This consolidated to one 2-3 hour nap around noon. Now that nap has moved to around 2:00 and only lasts 1-2 hours. *sigh*

7. Baby Einstein is both educational and magical
I don't know what the people a Disney do to these DVDs. But no matter how upset K is, putting on a Baby Einstein DVD is enough to calm his nerves and put him in sort of a trance. My wife uses this trick to get ready in the morning in an attempt to avoid the Q-tip tornado.

6. When you are a baby talking funny is cute
The same things that get you shoved in a locker in high school are adorable when you are two and a half feet tall (NOTE: not sure if this is true of adult little people). Also, you can get away with saying curse words or crass euphemisms. For example, calling sticks "dicks".

5. No matter how many "cool" toys you buy, its the simple things
Keegan has a ton of toys that we (Nat and I) think are cool and end up purchasing because
a) its something we wanted as a kid
b) its something we think we would have wanted as a kid
c) its something we want to play with as an adult
d) K played with it the entire time at the store

D usually ends up in Keegan forgetting about it 12 seconds after he gets home. A and B work out for a little while (a few weeks usually) and C, we end up playing with the toy more.

Yesterday, I was playing with K in the playroom and out of nowhere in the middle of making a block tower he asks for his stick. So we spent the next fifteen minutes looking for his stick (Me: "Keegan where's your stick?", Keegan: "Doah Know"). The rest of the afternoon (until Nap time, err Nap attempt) I watched him hit whiffle balls around the room with his stick (which was the cardboard tube from a wire hanger).

4. Food preferences change
The quickest way to make a toddler not like something is to buy a lot of it.

3. They expect you to know what their gibberish means
My advice, if you don't understand what they're saying, fake it. I've read it teaches them how to hold a conversation (taking turns talking) and if you don't you are likely to have a frustrated little one on your hands.

2. They'll imitate anything they see you do/say
For the most part this isn't a problem and it's neat to see how quickly they learn. The first time Keegan picked up a toothbrush and started "brushing" his own teeth was hilarious. But Be Careful! One slip up and your toddler will likely recite your choice words at the most inopportune time.

1. The conundrum of growing up
On one hand you want them to get just a little bigger so you can do this or that, but they'll never be the same age again. This hit my wife and I the first time we cleaned out his dresser. We wanted him to get just a little bigger so he could tell us what was wrong, or when he was hungry, but as we took out the clothes that were too small for him we realized he'll never wear this again. Enjoy them at the age they are right now. They'll grow up eventually, so don't miss the moments you have now.

Classic battle of good and evil

Natali, who is super mom/wife/worker, baked some cookies the other night. Not just any cookies, evil demon cookies who possess your thoughts and lure you into eating them. Butterscotch Gingerbread cookies... mmmmmm...

If you can't tell they're really good. So this morning I'm getting ready to leave for work, I've been notoriously bad about eating breakfast (I know, "the most important meal of the day"), but I've tried to be better about it. Even when I don't have time to make a full "balanced breakfast", I'll still try to grab some toast with peanut butter and a banana or something similar. Well this morning I go to grab an apple and come upon this veritable fork in the road:

That's right: fruit on the left... demon cookies on the right. I felt as if tempted by the snake himself. I think we all know who won that battle (I told you they were evil).

Hold on I'm gonna run back home and grab another...

Tech tuesday: NXE (Xbox Update) a day early!!!

A few weeks back the director of programing for Xbox LIVE, Major Nelson, announced a preview program of the upcoming "New Xbox Experience" which is the new UI with added features for the Xbox 360. There was quite an interest and the application process was completely filled within a few hours. A hand selected group of people, based on their geographic location, ISP, and router make and model, were added to the preview program, which allowed them to download the update early and check it out. I was not selected.

Then about a week later the a "second wave" was announced, this time from the same pool of people, but randomly selected. I was not selected.

Last Thursday an unexpected third wave was announced. My brother, and my friend were both selected. I was not. (The thing that was most disappointing was that I told my friend about the program, and actually filled out my brother's form).
I had pretty much given up on getting it early since it is released worldwide Novemeber 19th (tomorrow).

Last night some friends were over for dinner and I wanted to show my buddy the new Call of Duty game (Call of Duty: World at War). As I signed in I was greeted with a notification of a system update. Confused, I checked my phone (I subscribe to Major Nelson's twitter), and lo and behold there was a tweet indicating that even though it was only a day and a half early everyone who successfully applied to the preview program was now getting the update. Yea!

Other than the UI being updated there are a some cool features added to the 360 now. Here's a list of my favorites:

• Ripping games to your Xbox Hard Drive (quicker load times, and quieter play since the disc drive doesn't have to spin)
  
• Streaming Netflix movies through the Xbox (all of the Netflix "instant queue" is available to view on the TV instead of the little computer screen)
  
• Avatars (á la Mii for the Wii, but better looking)

Here's the new dashboard (kinda like the Xbox homepage):

And here's my avatar (what do you think?)

Um...this better be a misprint!

We bought a "pre-owned" home a year ago and part of the fun is fixing it up the way we want it. So in the spirit of home improvement we applied for a Home Depot card because of the special financing offers (12 months no interest, etc). This morning I got an email reminding me that our payment was due, so I jumped on to make a quick payment. Last month one of our financing offers ended and I wanted to ensure that the it was paid off so we didn't get charged all the accured interest. I opened the statement up (which I hardly ever do) and checked to make sure that everything was right. Then my eyes came across a box with the summary of the accounts APR (annual percentage rate)... this is what I saw:

If you can't see it, this is what it says:

ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE on this account: 251.59%

Yeah, just in case you aren't familiar with credit card interest rates 21% is considered really high. I'm assuming this is because we have differed interest due to the promotions, but it was still enough to freak me out for a second.

Tech Tuesday: Crazy gift cards

Those of you out there who like to buy gift cards as holiday gifts to either A) take the safe route or B) are too lazy to decide, are in luck this year. Now your gift card can not only give your loved one some extra cash to spend as they please, but can also double as a gift itself. So far two of the big box stores have decided to reward their gift-card-giving-patrons by adding some cool little gadgets to them. Best Buy will be offering gift cards that double as a mini speaker (comes included with a 3.5 mm [regular headphone] jack). But Target tops that. They will be offering gift cards that have an included 1.2 MP camera (comes with a USB cord, and a certificate for 40 free prints) at no additional charge. The only catch is you have to buy the two AAA batteries and the minimum denomination for the camera card is $50. Still if you were going to give a $50 card anyway, not bad at all. Well played... well played.

Sources:
http://gizmodo.com/5083112/best-buys-gift-card-is-a-tiny-audio-speaker
http://gizmodo.com/5082383/target-gift-cards-double-as-digital-cameras

If all dogs go to heaven... its okay then right?

So I've been out of the blogosphere again lately (I'll write a post soon explaining why), mostly because my kiddo has been sick. As a result of his illness, there have been many nights that either myself, my wife, or both of us have been up tending to our feverish, oozing, child. After three and a half weeks of his ailment, we were glad that he was feeling better (and not waking up in the middle of the night covered in poo), and we excited at the prospect of a full night's rest. We were so tired both my wife and I nodded off a couple of times during Heroes last night, so you know we were tired! We went to bed at a modest time, around 11:30 and gently drifted off to slumberville. Not 20 minutes go by and we hear this subdued whining. Like trained dogs, both my wife and I pop off of our pillows and she goes to check on the kiddo to make sure he's not sick again (it kept coming and going). She comes back a few seconds later and tells me K's asleep still. Then WTF is that sound? Turns out it was our neighbor's dog. We've had problems in the past with the dog being let out in the middle of the night, presumably to do her business, and then barking to be let back in (at 4 am!), but at the time we had Zoe who was equally annoying and were hesitant to say anything for fear of looking like hypocrites. Well Zoe is gone now and this crap went on ALL NIGHT!!!!! Like clockwork every 20 minutes there was whining, loud sniffing, and what sounded like the dog trying to break down the door to get in. Needless to say neither of us got any rest last night and we now officially hate that dog. Eff the SPCA!!! That bitch is going down!

I'm off to light a bag of dog doo doo and put it on their doorstep.

One...Two...Three...CRUNCH

I finally did it! I made it all the way to the middle of a Tootsie Roll Pop! I have a habit (much to my co-workers' dismay) of immediately biting suckers as soon as they touch my mouth and crunching away. But today through sheer determination and will... I made it. Unfortunately it was a bit anticlimatic since al I was left with was the boring faux chocolate center. :(

Follow up: Exotic?

In case you were dying to know. These are the Hollister exotic.

Exotic?

I came across this "pumpkin patch" on my way to work the other day, and finally snagged a photo of it.  Two things struck me about this particular location. 

First of all, the use of the term pumpkin patch.  Last year our family went to a pumpkin patch to pick out K's first pumpkin.  It involved getting into the car and driving 15 minutes into the rural outskirts of town.  Arriving at a family's farm and picking out pumpkins that were in a field, on the vine.  I hardly consider throwing down some straw on an asphalt parking lot a pumkin patch.

Second, the inclusion of this sign:

If you were driving by and saw this sign out of the corner of your eye, you might think the "Premium Exotic Pumpkins" were from Hondurus, Hong Kong, maybe even Holland.  Nope, the full sign reads: "Premium Exotic Pumpkins from Hollister"... WTF?

Hollister is two hours west of Fresno.  What's so exotic about that?!?!?!?

(BTW, I looked up exotic thinking I may have misunderstood its actual meaning... nope, the sign is just full of sh*t).

Return of the TWO!!!

Just when it had given up hope of ever being set free from the bottom of its box, the flap opens...

from above, as if by the hand of God himself, the imaciated and weary digit is plucked from its grave.  Then lifted upon high to oversee and beckon all that see it.  The two has returned.

At least for now.  Unfortunately I didn't need gas today and by the time I do (in the next two or three days) I'm sure the price will jump up to over $3.50 again, c'est la vie.

Winning Wednesday: Fable II (Late)

Fable II hasn't really been given great reviews because of its story, but instead its choice and consequence system.  Basically you are given free reign to do anything in the game.  Each decision you make effects everything else in the game.  In the very beginning of the game you begin as a child and are asked to help find some [arrest] warrents for a town guard.  After collection them, you are approached by a theif, who says he'll pay you to give him the warrents instead of the guard.  The decision seems small, but it has lasting ramifications.  Once you grow up and return to the same town, you learn the consequences of your decision.  If you gave the warrents to the guard, the town is a bustling center of business with many new shops.  If you gave the warrents to the thief, the town is a desolate, lawless, dark place.  Each decision you make also effects your good/evil meter, pure/corrupt, and beautify/ugly meters, and the townsfolk react to you differantly depending on your "ratings".  Its an interesting game, and I'm only about a third of the way through it, but I am continually impressed by the depth of the good vs evil system.  On top off all that the visuals are amazing beautiful scenery and very detailed environments.  I'd definately advise picking this one up even if you don't like RPGs.

Swing by the Xbox website and check out the minigame.  Its a little violent, but the animation style is worth watching in itself (A Hero's Tale).  

NOTE: When asked to put your birthday in, the format is DD MM YYYY, not MM DD YYYY.

Tepid Coffee and Stale Blogs

I realize I've been out of the blogosphere for a few days now, but unfortunately I don't have anything clever to say this morning either (well I do, but I don't have the pictures to go with it), so instead I'll give you the Reader's Digest version of what happened in the 10 days since my last post.

• My sunglasses went "missing" from a party for my Grandparents 50th anniversary (#1 suspect is my uncle)
  
• New sunglasses purchased for a ridiculous amount of money (*sigh*)
  
• Got an offer for a new job (back in engineering, w00t!), start next Monday.
  
• Pre-ordered Fable II (comes in tomorrow).
  
• Went and saw game five of the NLCS and watched my Dodgers get walloped.  :(
  
• My little guy got a high fever and didn't feel well most of the weekend.
  
• Went to a wedding with an open bar and fully utilized it.
  
• Had our family (and then some) over for dinner last night and watched game seven of the ALCS.
  

That's it for now.  I'll be back with something worth reading soon.  Thanks for checking in!

Did you know...

...the dollar sign ($) had never been used on any US currency until 2007?

sorry for the wikipedia reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar_sign

Spare me your marketing drabble

While I was at "Club Save Mart" (where I spotted the XXX soda aisle), I also saw a sign for their pharmacy's "19-Minute" Guarantee".  While its nice they make a promise like that, they are one of the newest entries into what I call "arbitrary number marketing".  Following Circuit City's 24/24 guarantee (pick up ready in 24 minutes or you get a $24 gift card) and the countless rows and rows of retail products ($xx.99) Save Mart steps up the psychological assault.  I have absolutely no problem with service speed guarantees, in fact I am apt to go some place that has one versus one that doesn't.  The problem I have is the stupid time-frame.  Why 19 minutes?  Do they really think people are going to go shopping for their groceries and then drive across the street to Long's to pick up their prescription?  It would take longer than a minute just to get across the street!

My list of approved time related guarantees:

• 60 seconds (1 minute is also an acceptable denotation)
• 3 minutes
• 5 minutes
• 10 minutes
• 15 minutes
• 20 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 1 hour (60 minutes is not acceptable in this case)
• 2, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 hour guarantees are also acceptable for longer services
• anything that takes longer than a day an a half really shouldn't brag about how "quick" they can get things done

Have you seen any other gimmicky time guarantees?

Tech Tuesday: Instant Art

Digital picture frames have been out there for a while.  If you're unfamiliar, its basically an LCD screen and memory card reader with a frame around it.  Its a nice way to display a slide show of pictures in your living room without having to tie up the TV.  But most of the time you have to take the memory card out of your camera or plug the frame into your computer via USB to load the pictures.  Not really an inconvience, but T-Mobile is soon to release the first GPRS enabled digital picture frame.  Basically the Parrot DF7700 branded under the T-Mobile name, you can send a picture message (MMS) to the frame and it automatically downloads the photo and displays it.  The price point is on the higher end of the average for normal digital picture frames (~$100 at release), but where TMo is going to try and stick it to you is the $10 per month fee to use the GPRS function.  Granted you get a new SIM card and "phone" number for the frame,  but I'm not sure its actually worth $120 a year to have that capability.  If you like the idea of a digital picture frame, my suggestion is purchase a digital picture frame with Wi-Fi capabilities (assuming you have wireless internet where the frame will be displayed).  You can have it sync to your Picasa Web Albums or any other photo hosting site as well as using your memory cards (and the best part is there are no additional subscription fees).

RE:FW:FW:FW: I HATE YOU!!!

Of the many annoying things that occur in day-to-day office life, the “mass e-mail forward” has to be the worst!  At least three times a week I receive an email that is either marginally funny (hardly a snicker, usually an eye roll), a “see who your friends are/you’re wish will be granted/you will be cursed/you will die tomorrow if you don’t forward this”, or a “warning” email.  Don’t get me wrong, if you send me a genuinely funny email/video I appreciate it.  Problem is the people who send these emails out tend to send them to either “All-Recipients” or a huge list of people.  Not content to let the annoyance pass, several people feel the need to reply to these messages a la “reply to all”.  So it wasn’t bad enough that “Gang members in Fresno are getting into minor fender benders around town and then carjacking people when they confront them” now I have 20 additional emails that range from “that’s so scary!” to the simple “OMG”.

To compound this, my [personal] mobile phone is set to synchronize with my work’s Microsoft Exchange server (I get my work email on my phone).  A few months back my wife had to call AT&T wireless (our provider) to take care of an issue.  After her problem was “fixed” the operator told her that my line was well over its allotted text messages (200).  That raised a flag.  I do text message more than I make phone calls, but I’ve never gone over my 200 messages.  I called AT&T back and after several flip-flop answers it was determined that when my email is sent to my phone it counts as a message.  Now you may be thinking “Brandon isn’t email part of your data plan?”  I thought the same, and questioned this (as I have an unlimited data plan).  Turns out, yes indeed syncing with the Exchange server is counted on the data plan, but also counts as text messages (i.e. we get dinged twice!).  Blarg!

To make it simple I have devised some rules/guidlines for sending forwards:

1.  If you didn’t shed a tear from laughing or at least literally laughed out loud, don’t forward it
2. If you are my friend, you know it and don’t need an email back from the friend fairy (or whatever the “blessing du jour” is)
   
3.  The only wish that will be granted by including me in your “10 people by midnight” is if you wished to get smacked!
   
4. As far as curses, see #3
   
5.  If you think not sending an email will kill you, make sure a psychiatrist is one of the people you forward the message to, but change the subject line to “I need help”
6. Do not send ANY warning emails without at the minimum checking snopes.com 99% of the time it will be there, and you can thank me for preventing you from looking like a gullible dipsh*t.  Also if there is a link to snopes in the email, for GOD SAKE click it and make sure the link refers to the same story!!! (http://www.snopes.com)

This concludes my rant.  Now forward this to 10 friends by 5:00 pm or a dingo will eat your baby.

(ETA: Ironically as I type this I just received two more!!!)