Monday, July 30, 2007
Go Google!!!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072901259.html?hpid=topnews
In my opinion, what ATT&T and Verizon want you to do or continue to do rather is like being limited to GE televisions if you want to watch NBC programming.
We have been able to choose from any number of long distance telephone carriers for a number of years now. Why not do the same thing with wireless phone? Let me buy the new iphone for example and use it on Verizon system if I can get a plan without paying for data service I may not utilize 100%.
Certainly google wants to be able to offer its services on the new bandwidth but that would be the same as buying your GE television, watching CBS and watching commercials?
Doesn't it come down to freedom of choice?
Anything that breaks the stranglehold felt by consumers I am in favor of.
Go Google !!!
Google wants to end that restriction and has urged the FCC to require the winner of the auction to build a network that will be open to all cellphones and services, so any consumer can have access to Google's array of offerings.
In my opinion, what ATT&T and Verizon want you to do or continue to do rather is like being limited to GE televisions if you want to watch NBC programming.
We have been able to choose from any number of long distance telephone carriers for a number of years now. Why not do the same thing with wireless phone? Let me buy the new iphone for example and use it on Verizon system if I can get a plan without paying for data service I may not utilize 100%.
Certainly google wants to be able to offer its services on the new bandwidth but that would be the same as buying your GE television, watching CBS and watching commercials?
Doesn't it come down to freedom of choice?
Anything that breaks the stranglehold felt by consumers I am in favor of.
Go Google !!!
Hot Sauce Antics
We've gotten along pretty well with our new neighbors. Saturday Shelly was making stuffed peppers from the peppers she has gotten from a couple of neighbor's gardens. I was having a beer with the neighbor next door and had him come in inside to show h8im what he was getting later when the peppers were done.
We proceded into a conversation about hot sauce. It seems as though his son Noah puts hot sauce on everything. I said I have some hot sauce for ya...and proceeded to break out my stash of Dave's Insanity Sauce.
I got the report later that Jim offered it to his son Noah and he warned him it would be hot. Noah proclaimed he was the one who puts hot sauce on everything....even his pizza. Ok,....so he puts some on his finger and puts it in his mouth. A few moments later he was chugging a glass of water and then was at the kitchen sink letting water run into his mouth...not drinking it but cooling it off.
Later, Shannon stops over. Shannon lives acrosse the st from Jim and was telling myself and Shelly how her husband (Roy) and Jim's neighbor (Andy) some how think they are hot sauce gods. So...she ended up with the hot sauce I gave to Jim and offered it to Roy first...I guess he was the smart one and just tried a little on a chip but Andy wanted to chug it. Andy took alot!!! He initially said there was nothing to it.
Initially...
See the first few moments after eating Insanity Sauce are nothing but that is when the heat kicks in. I mean REALLY kicks in. I was told his eyes started watering and tears started flowing down his face as he ran for all the water he could find.
And if you think that was hot....wait til later when you get to experience the heat for the second time.
We proceded into a conversation about hot sauce. It seems as though his son Noah puts hot sauce on everything. I said I have some hot sauce for ya...and proceeded to break out my stash of Dave's Insanity Sauce.
I got the report later that Jim offered it to his son Noah and he warned him it would be hot. Noah proclaimed he was the one who puts hot sauce on everything....even his pizza. Ok,....so he puts some on his finger and puts it in his mouth. A few moments later he was chugging a glass of water and then was at the kitchen sink letting water run into his mouth...not drinking it but cooling it off.
Later, Shannon stops over. Shannon lives acrosse the st from Jim and was telling myself and Shelly how her husband (Roy) and Jim's neighbor (Andy) some how think they are hot sauce gods. So...she ended up with the hot sauce I gave to Jim and offered it to Roy first...I guess he was the smart one and just tried a little on a chip but Andy wanted to chug it. Andy took alot!!! He initially said there was nothing to it.
Initially...
See the first few moments after eating Insanity Sauce are nothing but that is when the heat kicks in. I mean REALLY kicks in. I was told his eyes started watering and tears started flowing down his face as he ran for all the water he could find.
And if you think that was hot....wait til later when you get to experience the heat for the second time.
Bless You
I had smoked a pork loin all afternoon for dinner last night and afterwards Shelly and Zack went out onto the front porch to have some watermellon.
After a few moments I heard Shelly laugh. Then, Zack came inside and was sneezing. I mean like sneezing every 10 seconds or so. He came into the living room to get a tissue.. sneeze, sneeze, sneeze
I guess that happens when you inhale a watermellon seed through your nose.
Bless you Zack.
After a few moments I heard Shelly laugh. Then, Zack came inside and was sneezing. I mean like sneezing every 10 seconds or so. He came into the living room to get a tissue.. sneeze, sneeze, sneeze
I guess that happens when you inhale a watermellon seed through your nose.
Bless you Zack.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Hearing Date
We just received a certified letter today saying that we have a hearing September 21st in Lycoming County Court for involuntary termination of parental rights and adoption.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Did The Bubble Burst?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070726/bs_nm/homebuilders_dc_2;_ylt=ApS1JiyL4ceNVCf3W1PTUxkE1vAI
Timing is everything in a market...whether that be stocks or real estate.
We sold our home a couple of months ago and although the housing market in that area of the country is strong due to Ft. Drum, one has to wonder if the recent downturn in the market has effected the areas of the country where housing was a sellers market.
First there was a shakeup....lenders in sub prime loans were facing more and more foreclosures. This happend because generally speaking, people were looking to buy more house than they could afford and getting into variable APR mortgages to do it. As interest rates started to climb, so did the interest rated on those mortgages.
If a home buyer took out a mortgage for the most the bank would lend with little or no downpayment then that buyer is probably looking at a crisis if he isn't in one already. Certainly the monthly payment of a 250k loan at 5 % variable rate is much less the 6.5% fixed for the same amount. So when that introductory rate of 5% climbs to 6, 6.5% the house of cards can come falling down.
This makes the overall real estate market a buyers market, for now.
That house I sold for $99,900 just a couple months ago may actually be worth less and the buyer who financed 100%, well it will be some time before he has any equity.
Timing is everything in a market...whether that be stocks or real estate.
On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department said June single-family homes sales fell 6.6 percent from May, as the median sales price dropped 1.3 percent.
We sold our home a couple of months ago and although the housing market in that area of the country is strong due to Ft. Drum, one has to wonder if the recent downturn in the market has effected the areas of the country where housing was a sellers market.
First there was a shakeup....lenders in sub prime loans were facing more and more foreclosures. This happend because generally speaking, people were looking to buy more house than they could afford and getting into variable APR mortgages to do it. As interest rates started to climb, so did the interest rated on those mortgages.
If a home buyer took out a mortgage for the most the bank would lend with little or no downpayment then that buyer is probably looking at a crisis if he isn't in one already. Certainly the monthly payment of a 250k loan at 5 % variable rate is much less the 6.5% fixed for the same amount. So when that introductory rate of 5% climbs to 6, 6.5% the house of cards can come falling down.
This makes the overall real estate market a buyers market, for now.
That house I sold for $99,900 just a couple months ago may actually be worth less and the buyer who financed 100%, well it will be some time before he has any equity.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Dunkirk, The Aquarium and Niagara Falls
My sister-in-law had a little girl who is nine months old. Her husband, Shelly's brother is with the 3rd inf division at Ft Stewart and is in Iraq for his third tour. Summer and the kids were comming up to western NY for a wedding so our original plans were to meet he and take her kids for a week while she goes up north for her wedding.
Then they announced the extension of combat tours. Then we found out that Todd would be home during this period so taking the kids would be out of the question so the thought was to head up north and meet them there and see everyone. Todd's leave was cut short a week or so in an emergency so we had to go back earlier than expected and from what we've heard since he was still in Kuwait a week later waiting to catch a ride back to his unit near Ramadi.
Hurry up and wait is what they tell you in the Army. It is time missed with his children and his family and we are sad that he didn't get to spend that time with his kids. It's sad that they called him back midway through his leave just to have him wait in Kuwait. So I guess we'll have to wait until next summer and we'll all get together then.
Somehow being in Kuwait and far removed from the shooting isn't much of a consolation from being with your loved ones.
So we still went up to Dunkirk and Shelly's parents did as well and spent a long weekend from Friday til yesturday morning. Friday evening we took all three kids while Summer and her parents went to a wedding on Saturday.
So Saturday we took a side trip to Niagara Falls.
We also went to the Aquarium...well, originally went to Niagara for the Aquarium for the kids and for Jacob (3 yrs old) to see penguins.
We originally didn't think of the falls but since we had time to kill and no other plans and the falls being right there, why not.
The next time we get up that way and get to see the falls we will have to take The Maid Of The Mist Tour.
After seeing the falls we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.
\
Here is a photo of 9 month old Ava looking over the menu at the Hard Rock
And another of her fixing her hair for the photo.
So we came home yesturday....and it is always nice to sleep in your own bed. No more overnight trips are planned until November and the trip to Hawaii.... 12 hours of flying time ought to be interesting.
Then they announced the extension of combat tours. Then we found out that Todd would be home during this period so taking the kids would be out of the question so the thought was to head up north and meet them there and see everyone. Todd's leave was cut short a week or so in an emergency so we had to go back earlier than expected and from what we've heard since he was still in Kuwait a week later waiting to catch a ride back to his unit near Ramadi.
Hurry up and wait is what they tell you in the Army. It is time missed with his children and his family and we are sad that he didn't get to spend that time with his kids. It's sad that they called him back midway through his leave just to have him wait in Kuwait. So I guess we'll have to wait until next summer and we'll all get together then.
Somehow being in Kuwait and far removed from the shooting isn't much of a consolation from being with your loved ones.
So we still went up to Dunkirk and Shelly's parents did as well and spent a long weekend from Friday til yesturday morning. Friday evening we took all three kids while Summer and her parents went to a wedding on Saturday.
So Saturday we took a side trip to Niagara Falls.
We also went to the Aquarium...well, originally went to Niagara for the Aquarium for the kids and for Jacob (3 yrs old) to see penguins.
We originally didn't think of the falls but since we had time to kill and no other plans and the falls being right there, why not.
The next time we get up that way and get to see the falls we will have to take The Maid Of The Mist Tour.
After seeing the falls we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.
\Here is a photo of 9 month old Ava looking over the menu at the Hard Rock
And another of her fixing her hair for the photo.
So we came home yesturday....and it is always nice to sleep in your own bed. No more overnight trips are planned until November and the trip to Hawaii.... 12 hours of flying time ought to be interesting.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Just Plain W R O N G !!!
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/NEWS02/70716022
Toledo mom pleads guilty to having sex with son
A Toledo mother pleaded guilty this morning to sexual battery for having sex with her adult son.
Terry Walker, 54, of 3527 East Manhattan Blvd., agreed to plead guilty to the third-degree felony and there will now be a hearing to determine the level of her sexual offender registration.
When she is sentenced Aug. 23, Walker could face a maximum of five years in prison. Toledo police said she had engaged in a long-term sexual relationship with her son, Kevin Ware, 28.
Toledo mom pleads guilty to having sex with son
A Toledo mother pleaded guilty this morning to sexual battery for having sex with her adult son.
Terry Walker, 54, of 3527 East Manhattan Blvd., agreed to plead guilty to the third-degree felony and there will now be a hearing to determine the level of her sexual offender registration.
When she is sentenced Aug. 23, Walker could face a maximum of five years in prison. Toledo police said she had engaged in a long-term sexual relationship with her son, Kevin Ware, 28.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Nickelback, Staind & Daughtry
Saturday was our concert at Hershey Park. We have seen Nickelback before and this time I was looking forward to Staind and Shelly was looking forward to seeing Daughtry.
We live about 1.5 hours from Hershey Park and the concert starting at 6:30 we left the house at 3pm thinking that should leave us plenty of time.
Nope.
Everything was fine through Harrisburg but the closer we got to Hershey the more the traffic. You expect a bit of traffic but it took up 2.5 hours to go the last 2 miles and were able to park our car. We got into the stadium at 7:30 and Staind was already playing.
When I buy my concert tickets I am online and logged into my Ticketmaster account when the tickets go on sale at 10am so I usually can get very close to the stage. This was general admission and I didn't realize that until after I had bought the tickets. I don't know if that would have made a difference or not since this was the only PA stop on the tour. As it was they were playing at a football stadium and it was sold out to about 30,000 fans.
I bought 2 beers for $12 and a t shirt for myself and Zachary for $70 and it was out to the concert area.
Now we have been to a few concerts...Saratoga, Montage Mountain, Pepsi Arena, NY State Fair, Syracuse War Memorial, Carrier Dome, etc etc but what happend after the concert Saturday left a lasting impression.
Never again will I go to Hershey Park to see a concert at the Stadium or most likely to any even at the stadium for that matter.
We left the concert during what was to be Nickelback's last song before their encores. We got to the tram and waited in line for that but all in all from the time we left the stadium to the time we were on the highway (less than 1 mile away) and heading home was 2 whole hours....and we left before the end of the concert and the fireworks. There still must have been 25,000 or so people behind us. We left the concert at 10 and made it home at 1:30am.
Traffic management getting out of the park and to the highway is completely unacceptable.
Even at the Carrier Dome for Elton John & Billy Joel (which was sold out) NY State Police had control of the traffic right from interstate 81 which runs right through Syracuse. Did we see anything like that in this instance, nope. We saw plenty of security but nothing, and I mean nothing until you were immediately in front of the park.
I don't recall any PA State Police until after the show. One was manually operating a traffic light at one intersection and one had a lane of highway blocked so traffic could exit an onramp easier.
You need some sort of control further out from the park when they are expecting large volumes of attendees to an event. I am suprised there weren't more accidents as some people lose all sense of rationale when they have to sit that long.
Never Again
We live about 1.5 hours from Hershey Park and the concert starting at 6:30 we left the house at 3pm thinking that should leave us plenty of time.
Nope.
Everything was fine through Harrisburg but the closer we got to Hershey the more the traffic. You expect a bit of traffic but it took up 2.5 hours to go the last 2 miles and were able to park our car. We got into the stadium at 7:30 and Staind was already playing.
When I buy my concert tickets I am online and logged into my Ticketmaster account when the tickets go on sale at 10am so I usually can get very close to the stage. This was general admission and I didn't realize that until after I had bought the tickets. I don't know if that would have made a difference or not since this was the only PA stop on the tour. As it was they were playing at a football stadium and it was sold out to about 30,000 fans.
I bought 2 beers for $12 and a t shirt for myself and Zachary for $70 and it was out to the concert area.
Now we have been to a few concerts...Saratoga, Montage Mountain, Pepsi Arena, NY State Fair, Syracuse War Memorial, Carrier Dome, etc etc but what happend after the concert Saturday left a lasting impression.
Never again will I go to Hershey Park to see a concert at the Stadium or most likely to any even at the stadium for that matter.
We left the concert during what was to be Nickelback's last song before their encores. We got to the tram and waited in line for that but all in all from the time we left the stadium to the time we were on the highway (less than 1 mile away) and heading home was 2 whole hours....and we left before the end of the concert and the fireworks. There still must have been 25,000 or so people behind us. We left the concert at 10 and made it home at 1:30am.
Traffic management getting out of the park and to the highway is completely unacceptable.
Even at the Carrier Dome for Elton John & Billy Joel (which was sold out) NY State Police had control of the traffic right from interstate 81 which runs right through Syracuse. Did we see anything like that in this instance, nope. We saw plenty of security but nothing, and I mean nothing until you were immediately in front of the park.
I don't recall any PA State Police until after the show. One was manually operating a traffic light at one intersection and one had a lane of highway blocked so traffic could exit an onramp easier.
You need some sort of control further out from the park when they are expecting large volumes of attendees to an event. I am suprised there weren't more accidents as some people lose all sense of rationale when they have to sit that long.
Never Again
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Coversations With Zack And Other Things
I was at my computer a couple of days ago and the kids were in the bedroom playing playstation 2 when I heard something about a hot chick. I realized what they were playing and told them I didn't think they needed to be playing the Sims. I had bought the game and never got into it. Now it sits in a drawer at my desk, waiting to be tossed into the circular file.
So we had an intereting converstation at last nights dinner table. I tried to ask Zack about what he learned at the scouts meetings in the prior two nights. Ok, I already knew he learned S I X things but he must have picked up more. I wanted him to talk about it.
So I asked him what happens when we die. I was trying to get at what happens to the spirit, etc. I am not sure the exact response but the conversation that immediately followed is what is funny.
On the same lines as "hot chick" some how Zachary brought up "making out" and of course we discussed how a seven year old shouldn't be concerned with those things yet.
So somehow and I don't remember how, it must been brought up on what happens if Shelly dies.....Zachary without hesitation says I would get remarried. Thanks for looking out for me lol. Then it was asked what happens if I die, should mommy get remarried? Zachary had to think about that one and after more than a few moments he gave his approval.
LOL
Adoption - Still awaiting word on the first two siblings we had an interest in. The last thing we heard is that they will meet some time this month to go over all of the home studies they received. I am sure that because we are in another state that we won't be the lucky ones but we'll keep our fingers crossed anyway. One can only hope. We haven't heard anything on any of the other 3 or so children that we have expressed an interest in. I am sure its a long process all the way around.
House - We heard that our landlord is buying the lot next to us. We have gotten to know they neighbors over the past couple of months and really like the neighborhood so we put a bug in the landlord's ear that if they decided to sell this house that we would be interested in it along with the side lot as well. It would be big enough to add onto this house plus room for a pool.
If they don't decide to sell we are on track with our financial plan. So far I've paid down my debt by $4,500+ in the last month or so...only another $23 to go aside from the cars lol. The plan for now is to be debt free by June of 08 and to start saving for a house.
Shelly - Proceeding nicely on her Masters Degree. She is only taking one class at a time and is taking Fall semester off due to our trip and I seem to remember she should be done with her degree in another year and half. She was approved for VA educational benefits so if and when her school ever sends out the certification she will have 17 months of back pay comming.
I think we may have some good news on Shelly's job comming soon.
So we had an intereting converstation at last nights dinner table. I tried to ask Zack about what he learned at the scouts meetings in the prior two nights. Ok, I already knew he learned S I X things but he must have picked up more. I wanted him to talk about it.
So I asked him what happens when we die. I was trying to get at what happens to the spirit, etc. I am not sure the exact response but the conversation that immediately followed is what is funny.
On the same lines as "hot chick" some how Zachary brought up "making out" and of course we discussed how a seven year old shouldn't be concerned with those things yet.
So somehow and I don't remember how, it must been brought up on what happens if Shelly dies.....Zachary without hesitation says I would get remarried. Thanks for looking out for me lol. Then it was asked what happens if I die, should mommy get remarried? Zachary had to think about that one and after more than a few moments he gave his approval.
LOL
Adoption - Still awaiting word on the first two siblings we had an interest in. The last thing we heard is that they will meet some time this month to go over all of the home studies they received. I am sure that because we are in another state that we won't be the lucky ones but we'll keep our fingers crossed anyway. One can only hope. We haven't heard anything on any of the other 3 or so children that we have expressed an interest in. I am sure its a long process all the way around.
House - We heard that our landlord is buying the lot next to us. We have gotten to know they neighbors over the past couple of months and really like the neighborhood so we put a bug in the landlord's ear that if they decided to sell this house that we would be interested in it along with the side lot as well. It would be big enough to add onto this house plus room for a pool.
If they don't decide to sell we are on track with our financial plan. So far I've paid down my debt by $4,500+ in the last month or so...only another $23 to go aside from the cars lol. The plan for now is to be debt free by June of 08 and to start saving for a house.
Shelly - Proceeding nicely on her Masters Degree. She is only taking one class at a time and is taking Fall semester off due to our trip and I seem to remember she should be done with her degree in another year and half. She was approved for VA educational benefits so if and when her school ever sends out the certification she will have 17 months of back pay comming.
I think we may have some good news on Shelly's job comming soon.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
God And Me
Just when I thought Zachary was done with his religion requirement with scouts when he came home from day camp and he told me he learned about Scientology I get an email saying they will be meeting Monday and Tuesday this week with the pastor at the church where we hold the meetings.
Now I don't mind but just how long is the attention spans of 12 of your average 7 or 8 year olds down in the basement of a church when it is 95 outside? I am not sure but for some of them it was rough.
Needless to say I did not burst into flames myself comming face to face with a member of the clergy.....but the bmw 5 series he drove up in was nice.
Zack learned about his spirit and....well, he named six things and said that's all he knows.
...and all is good.
Now I don't mind but just how long is the attention spans of 12 of your average 7 or 8 year olds down in the basement of a church when it is 95 outside? I am not sure but for some of them it was rough.
Needless to say I did not burst into flames myself comming face to face with a member of the clergy.....but the bmw 5 series he drove up in was nice.
Zack learned about his spirit and....well, he named six things and said that's all he knows.
...and all is good.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
iPhone Review Part Deux
Comment
Do some research. At between 300 and 400 charges, the battery will be at 80% of its original capacity. Poor journalism.
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html
Posted by bng | 8:02 PM
I was going to put this as a comment to one that was posted but thought I would include the comment and my remarks in a new post.
From:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html
Maximum Battery Life
iPhone offers up to 8 hours of talk time,(1) 6 hours of Internet use,(2) 7 hours of video playback,(3) or 24 hours of audio playback(4) on a full charge at original capacity. In addition, iPhone features up to 250 hours of standby time.(5)
Charge Cycles
A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.
Let It Breathe
Charging your iPhone while in certain carrying cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your iPhone gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first.
I don't recall making a statement that anything I post should be even remotely associated with journalism at all but thanks anyway.
In any case. The maximum battery life must surely be "best case scenario" and of course there is no way to prove this at this point in time and only time will tell. I stated right off that I am not an apple fan...so I am biased.
However, with a slight note (I did say slight) of objectivity, there will be a group of people who will discover that they need to replace their battery at some point prior to the ending of their contract.
I have had my RAZR since it first came to the market. I have not lost any noticable amount of battery power but then again I don't use it even remotely close to what is hoped for with the iphone. Even so, should I lose acceptable battery power a replacement costs under $20 and I do not lose my phone for any period of time....assuming it is still functioning.
Now of course my product is 2+ years old and the iPhone being new to the market a battery would cost more than mine at $20....perhaps $40?? ok, even an initial $50 I don't have a problem with but let the battery be replaceable....even at an AT&T or Apple store, not at the factory. I suspect that in 1.5 years or so or definately within the 2 year period we will see this issue come up again and the more real world use these phones get with internet, video, etc we'll see how this plays out.
On another note
Shelly had over 440 songs on her iPod. This is her second iPod and of these songs there are 40 or so that she does not have backed up anywhere.
With a little help from a $29 software purchased from Amazon.com she was able to not only recover all her itunes purchased music but transfer them over to REAL player which supports many many brands of mp3 players.
http://www.valusoft.com/products/tunetoolsmm.html
in part...
You may be asking yourself....since Shelly is a die hard iPod devotee, what is she doing?
Well my friends to steal a phrase from the Dokken song she is "Breaking The Chains" and is switching to Creative 30GB Vision M which won two awards in 2006 from CNET.
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331
Do some research. At between 300 and 400 charges, the battery will be at 80% of its original capacity. Poor journalism.
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html
Posted by bng | 8:02 PM
I was going to put this as a comment to one that was posted but thought I would include the comment and my remarks in a new post.
From:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html
Maximum Battery Life
iPhone offers up to 8 hours of talk time,(1) 6 hours of Internet use,(2) 7 hours of video playback,(3) or 24 hours of audio playback(4) on a full charge at original capacity. In addition, iPhone features up to 250 hours of standby time.(5)
Charge Cycles
A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.
Let It Breathe
Charging your iPhone while in certain carrying cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your iPhone gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first.
I don't recall making a statement that anything I post should be even remotely associated with journalism at all but thanks anyway.
In any case. The maximum battery life must surely be "best case scenario" and of course there is no way to prove this at this point in time and only time will tell. I stated right off that I am not an apple fan...so I am biased.
However, with a slight note (I did say slight) of objectivity, there will be a group of people who will discover that they need to replace their battery at some point prior to the ending of their contract.
I have had my RAZR since it first came to the market. I have not lost any noticable amount of battery power but then again I don't use it even remotely close to what is hoped for with the iphone. Even so, should I lose acceptable battery power a replacement costs under $20 and I do not lose my phone for any period of time....assuming it is still functioning.
Now of course my product is 2+ years old and the iPhone being new to the market a battery would cost more than mine at $20....perhaps $40?? ok, even an initial $50 I don't have a problem with but let the battery be replaceable....even at an AT&T or Apple store, not at the factory. I suspect that in 1.5 years or so or definately within the 2 year period we will see this issue come up again and the more real world use these phones get with internet, video, etc we'll see how this plays out.
On another note
Shelly had over 440 songs on her iPod. This is her second iPod and of these songs there are 40 or so that she does not have backed up anywhere.
With a little help from a $29 software purchased from Amazon.com she was able to not only recover all her itunes purchased music but transfer them over to REAL player which supports many many brands of mp3 players.
http://www.valusoft.com/products/tunetoolsmm.html
in part...
You love your iPod, but it comes with built-in limitations. Get quick and easy access to all your owned content and more. Tune Tools™ allows you to transfer songs between iPods, make instant back-ups, recover missing files and even create podcasts!
Transfer - Move songs, videos, podcasts and other files
easily from your iPod to a computer or another iPod.
File Recovery - Restore files that occasionally disappear
from the iPod database with the click of a mouse.
Detect & Fix - Find your iPod’s problems before they
find you and correct them with a click of a mouse.
Create - Easily import sound files, edit them, and
combine them with other files or new recordings
for personalized podcasts.
Clean Up - Remove duplicate songs, correct incorrect
tags and detect inconsistencies between your library
and your iPod.
Protect - With instant back-ups, your songs, videos and podcasts are safe!
You may be asking yourself....since Shelly is a die hard iPod devotee, what is she doing?
Well my friends to steal a phrase from the Dokken song she is "Breaking The Chains" and is switching to Creative 30GB Vision M which won two awards in 2006 from CNET.
http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331
Monday, July 09, 2007
iPhone media blitz missed battery 'fee'
Red Tape Chronicles is MSNBC.com's effort to unmask government bureaucracy, corporate sneakiness and outright scam artists.
Bob Sullivan covers Internet scams and consumer fraud for MSNBC.com. He is the winner of multiple journalism awards for his coverage of online crime and is the author of the book Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2007/07/why-was-iphones.html
iPhone media blitz missed battery 'fee'
Posted: Monday, July 9 at 06:00 am CT by Bob Sullivan
While hundreds of thousands of eager consumers waited anxiously for the iPhone last week, most probably didn’t know about the hidden fee attached to their purchase.
Now the obvious question is this: With all the words spoken and written about the iPhone prior to launch, why didn't someone tell them?
The iPhone battery will only survive about 300-400 recharges, the company says. Because the unit is sealed, consumers can't swap out dead batteries. Instead, dead phones must be sent to Apple, where battery replacement will take three business days and cost $79 plus a $6.95 shipping charge. Those who can't live without their cell phones for those three days can rent a spare iPhone for $29.
This pricey, and apparently inevitable, aftercharge never made it into any of the voluminous news stories written and filmed about the iPhone prior to its launch on June 29. Why not?
According to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, Apple's Web site made no mention of the battery fee on the morning of June 29, when thousands of Apple faithful lined up all around the country to buy the phone, which costs $500 or $600, depending on model.
Harvey Rosenfield, director of the foundation, is calling on Apple to promise free battery replacements to the estimated half a million iPhone buyers who may have purchased the phone without knowing its true costs.
"This was insensitive, inappropriate and possibly illegal," he said. "We're going to monitor their response carefully."
Explanation of the fee now appears on Apple's Web site, although it's not clear when that was posted. Published reports indicate the notice was posted as early as the evening of June 29, though it was not easy to find.
Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for an interview for this story.
One week later
Blogs began mentioning the battery replacement fee early last week, after the launch. The first prominent reference to it seems to be in a Wall Street Journal column written by Walt Mossberg, which appeared in the newspaper on July 5.
Hmmm, Lets see.....I included this bit of info in my post on July 6th.
Bob Sullivan covers Internet scams and consumer fraud for MSNBC.com. He is the winner of multiple journalism awards for his coverage of online crime and is the author of the book Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2007/07/why-was-iphones.html
iPhone media blitz missed battery 'fee'
Posted: Monday, July 9 at 06:00 am CT by Bob Sullivan
While hundreds of thousands of eager consumers waited anxiously for the iPhone last week, most probably didn’t know about the hidden fee attached to their purchase.
Now the obvious question is this: With all the words spoken and written about the iPhone prior to launch, why didn't someone tell them?
The iPhone battery will only survive about 300-400 recharges, the company says. Because the unit is sealed, consumers can't swap out dead batteries. Instead, dead phones must be sent to Apple, where battery replacement will take three business days and cost $79 plus a $6.95 shipping charge. Those who can't live without their cell phones for those three days can rent a spare iPhone for $29.
This pricey, and apparently inevitable, aftercharge never made it into any of the voluminous news stories written and filmed about the iPhone prior to its launch on June 29. Why not?
According to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, Apple's Web site made no mention of the battery fee on the morning of June 29, when thousands of Apple faithful lined up all around the country to buy the phone, which costs $500 or $600, depending on model.
Harvey Rosenfield, director of the foundation, is calling on Apple to promise free battery replacements to the estimated half a million iPhone buyers who may have purchased the phone without knowing its true costs.
"This was insensitive, inappropriate and possibly illegal," he said. "We're going to monitor their response carefully."
Explanation of the fee now appears on Apple's Web site, although it's not clear when that was posted. Published reports indicate the notice was posted as early as the evening of June 29, though it was not easy to find.
Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for an interview for this story.
One week later
Blogs began mentioning the battery replacement fee early last week, after the launch. The first prominent reference to it seems to be in a Wall Street Journal column written by Walt Mossberg, which appeared in the newspaper on July 5.
Hmmm, Lets see.....I included this bit of info in my post on July 6th.
Can You Say H O T !!!
95 today and that isn't counting the humidity.
Another hour the pool opens. :)
Of course it isn't as hot as where my brother lives in Las Vegas where they had a temp of 116 last week. Now that's hot.
We saw a couple of very good movies over the past week or so. We took Zack to see Transformers. I was very impressed. It was a very good movie. One that I would definately buy of Blu Ray.
The other movie we saw Saturday was the latest in the Die Hard series. Live Free or DIE HARD. That is another one that will look good on Blu Ray playing on the home theater.
All I can say ...to borrow a line from Die Hard is "Yippee Ky Yay Mother Fu*ker."
Another hour the pool opens. :)
Of course it isn't as hot as where my brother lives in Las Vegas where they had a temp of 116 last week. Now that's hot.
We saw a couple of very good movies over the past week or so. We took Zack to see Transformers. I was very impressed. It was a very good movie. One that I would definately buy of Blu Ray.
The other movie we saw Saturday was the latest in the Die Hard series. Live Free or DIE HARD. That is another one that will look good on Blu Ray playing on the home theater.
All I can say ...to borrow a line from Die Hard is "Yippee Ky Yay Mother Fu*ker."
Friday, July 06, 2007
To iPhone or Not To iPhone
Being a gadget family we...um, or should I say Shelly was looking at getting the iPhone when it came out. I say Shelly cause I am not a big fan of Apple in general and in specific....the iPod.
Show me the money.
The first concern I had was that it was not going to run on the 3G or "third generation" network. That is mainly because for Cingular, 3G is only available in very limited areas. I'll steal a term I have read and will consider the network the iPhone will work on as 2.7G. The past several months AT&T was busy "tweaking" their infrastructure to make it run a bit faster.
I have a Motorola RZR phone and have at times...well in extreme cases of boredom when I am away from home, have accessed the Internet. It is undeniably pathetically slow. It's like waiting for ice to melt, water to evaporate, something like that. I did not buy the phone to surf the web so that was not and is not an issue with my current phone.
I think a salesman would have to show me exactly how fast this baby is for internet if that is one of their selling points. I mean don't show me in the store where you are obviously working with Wi Fi...no, take me into the parking lot and bring up a favorite web page of mine, then some click throughs, etc etc. Let's see how it works in the real world.
I have WiFi in my home as both computers are wirelessly connected so the connectivity issue is moot in my home but if I am out and about whether walking or a passenger in an auto (I wouldn't encourage driving while texting) and feel the urge to check on a hot stock or see what the latest damage Hamas has done in Gaza I should be able to, not because I necessarily want to but because I can and they said so. I should be able to do this without running to the nearest hotspot to make it happen at a reasonable and prudent speed.
The second issue I had was that AT&T was going to charge you for the wireless data plan. I admit I have no clue as to how many of us actually use our phones to surf the internet aside from the occasional ring tone download. Considering the issues above, what if I just want the two features that make the phone??? You know....combining the iPod with the phone... a la iPhone??
You can't do it. You had to purchase the unlimited iphone data package that adds another $20 to your bill. Considering I now pay roughly $100/mo for two phones and minutes I never use up in a month I think I don't want to pay for more services that I will not use thank you very much. Maybe its the "build it and they will come" mentality or in this case make it available and they will use it but I am skeptical. Most people have internet available to them at home or the office or both so I don't see a big mobile internet on demand amongst the working folk. I may be wrong. In any case, why not offer the phone without a data plan would you please?
I won't go on to list the activation delays or the inability for the owner to swap out the battery which are temporary although painful when it happens.
My main issue with this device is...well, apple.
Now don't get me wrong. I am all for the David vs Goliath (Apple vs Microsoft) but Apple is very highly proprietary and so much so its almost to the point of monopolistic. Take the iPod. You buy from iTunes and transfer to iPod but you can't buy from iTunes and download to any other mp3 device than from Apple.
You cannot buy music from another service other than iTunes and put on the iPod easily. You have to jump through hoops...meaning there are 2-3 steps you need to take to place songs from others services onto the iPod or from iTunes onto foreign devices.
You might suggest converting to Apple.
I like a little competition in the market place and I don't want to pay for the privelege in owning an Apple product down the road. Meaning, if the battery dies, I don't want to be without my product while it gets shiped to Apple, repaired/replaced and shipped back. That is likely the time you would want to use the product the most.
So, in the end this gadget was not bought. Not due to any of the reasons above but because Shelly couldn't justify the price. So, it was price alone.
To have an 4GB or 8GB mp3 playing phone with that screen size I would have given some amount of consideration to if it were lower in price.
Show me the money.
The first concern I had was that it was not going to run on the 3G or "third generation" network. That is mainly because for Cingular, 3G is only available in very limited areas. I'll steal a term I have read and will consider the network the iPhone will work on as 2.7G. The past several months AT&T was busy "tweaking" their infrastructure to make it run a bit faster.
I have a Motorola RZR phone and have at times...well in extreme cases of boredom when I am away from home, have accessed the Internet. It is undeniably pathetically slow. It's like waiting for ice to melt, water to evaporate, something like that. I did not buy the phone to surf the web so that was not and is not an issue with my current phone.
I think a salesman would have to show me exactly how fast this baby is for internet if that is one of their selling points. I mean don't show me in the store where you are obviously working with Wi Fi...no, take me into the parking lot and bring up a favorite web page of mine, then some click throughs, etc etc. Let's see how it works in the real world.
I have WiFi in my home as both computers are wirelessly connected so the connectivity issue is moot in my home but if I am out and about whether walking or a passenger in an auto (I wouldn't encourage driving while texting) and feel the urge to check on a hot stock or see what the latest damage Hamas has done in Gaza I should be able to, not because I necessarily want to but because I can and they said so. I should be able to do this without running to the nearest hotspot to make it happen at a reasonable and prudent speed.
The second issue I had was that AT&T was going to charge you for the wireless data plan. I admit I have no clue as to how many of us actually use our phones to surf the internet aside from the occasional ring tone download. Considering the issues above, what if I just want the two features that make the phone??? You know....combining the iPod with the phone... a la iPhone??
You can't do it. You had to purchase the unlimited iphone data package that adds another $20 to your bill. Considering I now pay roughly $100/mo for two phones and minutes I never use up in a month I think I don't want to pay for more services that I will not use thank you very much. Maybe its the "build it and they will come" mentality or in this case make it available and they will use it but I am skeptical. Most people have internet available to them at home or the office or both so I don't see a big mobile internet on demand amongst the working folk. I may be wrong. In any case, why not offer the phone without a data plan would you please?
I won't go on to list the activation delays or the inability for the owner to swap out the battery which are temporary although painful when it happens.
My main issue with this device is...well, apple.
Now don't get me wrong. I am all for the David vs Goliath (Apple vs Microsoft) but Apple is very highly proprietary and so much so its almost to the point of monopolistic. Take the iPod. You buy from iTunes and transfer to iPod but you can't buy from iTunes and download to any other mp3 device than from Apple.
You cannot buy music from another service other than iTunes and put on the iPod easily. You have to jump through hoops...meaning there are 2-3 steps you need to take to place songs from others services onto the iPod or from iTunes onto foreign devices.
You might suggest converting to Apple.
I like a little competition in the market place and I don't want to pay for the privelege in owning an Apple product down the road. Meaning, if the battery dies, I don't want to be without my product while it gets shiped to Apple, repaired/replaced and shipped back. That is likely the time you would want to use the product the most.
So, in the end this gadget was not bought. Not due to any of the reasons above but because Shelly couldn't justify the price. So, it was price alone.
To have an 4GB or 8GB mp3 playing phone with that screen size I would have given some amount of consideration to if it were lower in price.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Block Party
We live in a very quiet part of town. We don't get any traffic here at all unless it is someone lost. Most of the houses are at the opposite end of my street, the other side of the intersection. We live on the corner. There are seven families that live on the opposite end of the street and some 9 children.
All told there were 89 people at the party yesterday. I got up at 6:30 and started my smoker at 7am and had the meat on at 7:45. I had 8.5 lbs of sirloin tip. Half was marinated in a south west sauce from Wegmans and the other was plain. Aside from my grill there was 4 other that cooked 8 lbs of kielbasa, 54 lbs of hamburgers, and 12 packages of hot dogs. Wow. I also counted about 4 dishes of salads and I don't know how many deserts that everyone brought. Food was ready at 3pm
We capped the evening off with horseshoes and a few games of volleyball before the fireworks started. Everyone pulled a chair up and sat in the neighbors yard or across the street or on the street itself.
All told there were 89 people at the party yesterday. I got up at 6:30 and started my smoker at 7am and had the meat on at 7:45. I had 8.5 lbs of sirloin tip. Half was marinated in a south west sauce from Wegmans and the other was plain. Aside from my grill there was 4 other that cooked 8 lbs of kielbasa, 54 lbs of hamburgers, and 12 packages of hot dogs. Wow. I also counted about 4 dishes of salads and I don't know how many deserts that everyone brought. Food was ready at 3pm
We capped the evening off with horseshoes and a few games of volleyball before the fireworks started. Everyone pulled a chair up and sat in the neighbors yard or across the street or on the street itself.
Monday, July 02, 2007
ARE YOU NUTS????
Look what $69,000 will buy you.
http://www.villagerrealty.com/listings.php?listid=07-33185
That's right, You read right....$69,000 for an abundant amount of floor space totalling a whopping 475 sq ft. Click the link above to see the listing.
Ya know I saw a guy working on this for some time. I thought it was a garage they were siding.....then I saw a for sale on it...private sale.. Then I saw the Coldwell Banker sign on it and needed to see what the owner was asking for this little piece of nirvana.
You do get a completly updated home, yup...everythng is brand spanking new, 475 sq ft. You do get very low taxes at $277/yr, 475 sq ft. You do get 2 parking spaces and although I am not certain whether they are meaning bikes or cars, 475 sq ft. I guess at least you have all the utilities, 475 sq ft.
Can you see the theme here?? 475 Sq Ft... That's 145 $$$ (US Dollars, not Canadian or Australian ---- US freaking greenbacks) per square foot!!!!
Let's just say at that rate....if this house were say, 2000 sq ft you would be looking at $290,000 and that's not including land my friends.So it is very conceivable that if this house were bigger and with a decent lot of land you would be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $370k.
At least you have a commanding view of the rail road tracks!!!
http://www.villagerrealty.com/listings.php?listid=07-33185
That's right, You read right....$69,000 for an abundant amount of floor space totalling a whopping 475 sq ft. Click the link above to see the listing.
Ya know I saw a guy working on this for some time. I thought it was a garage they were siding.....then I saw a for sale on it...private sale.. Then I saw the Coldwell Banker sign on it and needed to see what the owner was asking for this little piece of nirvana.
You do get a completly updated home, yup...everythng is brand spanking new, 475 sq ft. You do get very low taxes at $277/yr, 475 sq ft. You do get 2 parking spaces and although I am not certain whether they are meaning bikes or cars, 475 sq ft. I guess at least you have all the utilities, 475 sq ft.
Can you see the theme here?? 475 Sq Ft... That's 145 $$$ (US Dollars, not Canadian or Australian ---- US freaking greenbacks) per square foot!!!!
Let's just say at that rate....if this house were say, 2000 sq ft you would be looking at $290,000 and that's not including land my friends.So it is very conceivable that if this house were bigger and with a decent lot of land you would be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $370k.
At least you have a commanding view of the rail road tracks!!!
Happy 4th of July!!!
Ahhh, another 4th is upon us and what better way to honor the occasion than with a festive roman candle fight. My hat is off to these members of our military who see a good training opportunity in any environment.
anyway, We had a busy weekend. Saturday Zack went with Shelly early so he could walk in the Lewisburg parade. I found a spot at 9:30 and waited for the parade to start at 10. Just in the one area I was at there must have easily been a couple 1000 people and I know the parade stretched for a couple miles. I left after a marching band dressed as indians went passed me at 11:45. I don't know how much was left but it was enough. ConAgra had a trailer and handed out 15,000 packages of Crunch N Munch. Zack was in the back of the trailer filling the baskets that the group was handing out the product from.
Later that day it was down to Lancaster and a couple of Outlet Malls and dinner then back home. We didn't get to take an Amish buggy ride since we started late.
When we got home about 10pm the neighbors....well all the neighbors were next door winding down a cook out so they asked us over. Most of the neighborhood is very, especially the ones with kids. So we went over and hung out for a while. It was really the first time Shelly got to talk to any of them since she's gone most of the day.
We all got to bed around midnight....way way beyond our collective bedtimes.
So much so that we all took a nap yesterday afternoon. I got up to find this...
What's he doing in MY chair???
Zack has to march in our 4th of July parade here in Watsontown with the scouts. I will be busy tending to a couple pieces of beef I am marinating for the block party. We live on a corner of two dead end streets. The families with children are closing off the street and throwing a party. Everyone is bringing a dish...I am smoking 8.5 lbs of tip roast, one-half marinated, one not. I am hearing there will be about 80 people here and we'll be able to see the fireworks from our backyard.
Sounds like a good time.
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