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Archive for the ‘personal’ Category
It Was a Beautiful Day Today in Northern California
Friday, September 3rd, 2010REVIEW: Millbrae Karaoke House
Monday, May 31st, 2010I went to the Millbrae Karaoke House for the first time last night. We had a good time there. I have every intention of returning.
There are multiple rooms of various sizes. We had a group of 4 and paid $25/hour. The room was comfortable and had plenty of space for our group.
You could see the lyrics on screen easily from any location in the room. The sound system was good and loud, though this also meant you could hear sounds from other rooms if you didn’t have any music playing.
The selection of music in English was adequate. The background music for the songs wasn’t the best that I’ve heard, but it wasn’t the worst either. It definitely doesn’t sound as good as CD+Gs that you might buy yourself. Also, the songs were only listed by title. It would have been nice to have them cross-referenced by artist and genre.
They sell water, soft drinks, and beer at the front counter. It’s reasonably priced – water is $1. There’s no food.
The bathroom was clean.
You park on the street, so you might want to leave the big SUV at home.
Technology and Me – A Day in the Life of
Saturday, March 13th, 2010This is the third post of three about technology changes over the last decade. First I covered what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010. Second I covered what I consider to be the biggest changes for me over the last decade. Today I’m covering how these changes have affected me on a day-to-day basis.
A typical day for me begins with the following before getting out of bed:
1) turning off my alarm (iPhone 3GS)
2) start download of the day’s WSJ This Morning podcast (iPhone 3GS)
3) checking the temperature (iPhone 3GS)
Once I get out of bed:
1) I get dressed to take my dog for a walk while listening to the WSJ podcast that has finished downloading.
2) I feed myself and my dog while continuing to listen to the WSJ broadcast.
3) I connect my iPhone to some powered speakers and finish the WSJ podcast as I shower and get dressed for
work.
As I leave the house to go to work:
1) I listen to music on my iPhone as I walk to bus stop.
2) While waiting for the bus I check my personal and work e-mail.
3) After checking e-mail, I play games and listen to music on my iPhone until I reach work.
It’s amazing how fast time seems to pass when you have so many productivity and entertainment options
available.
Depending on what I’m doing that day at work, I might listen to music, Pandora, or local sports talk from
Dallas (the ESPN Radio iPhone app is great) as I work.
At work I’m always connected to the Internet and most of my collegues are located remotely or at another
office. Work is done primarily via e-mail and chat. I’m on the phone no more than once or twice a day.
Prior to heading home from the office, I start the downloads for a few ESPN podcasts which keep me company
until I get home and walk the dog.
Once, I walk my dog and feed the two of us. Then I catch up on TV shows waiting for me on my DVR. I’ll
typically surf the web and read the days news and tech blogs on my laptop as I watch TV.
When I crawl into bed at night I set my alarm, plug in the charger, and turn on some relaxing tunes on my
iPhone 3GS.
As you can see, the iPhone has been deeply integrated into my daily activities. I have a hard time seeing
how I’d get by without it.
A typical day for me begins with the following before getting out of bed:
1) Turning off my alarm (iPhone 3GS).
2) Starting the download for the WSJ This Morning podcast (iPhone 3GS).
3) Checking the temperature (iPhone 3GS).
Once I get out of bed:
1) I get dressed to take my dog for a walk while listening to the WSJ podcast on my iPhone that has finished downloading.
2) I feed myself and my dog while continuing to listen to the WSJ podcast.
3) I connect my iPhone to some powered speakers and finish the WSJ podcast as I shower and get dressed for work.
As I leave the house to go to work:
1) I listen to music on my iPhone as I walk to bus stop.
2) While waiting for the bus I check my personal and work e-mail.
3) After checking e-mail, I play games and listen to music on my iPhone until I reach work.
It’s amazing how fast time seems to pass when you have so many productivity and entertainment options available.
Depending on what I’m doing that day at work, I might listen to music, Pandora, or local sports talk from Dallas (the ESPN Radio iPhone app is great) as I work.
At work I’m always connected to the Internet. Most of my collegues are located remotely or at another office. Work is done primarily via e-mail and chat. I’m on the phone no more than once or twice a day. I used the phone far more when I was doing Business Development.
My primary applications include Outlook, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Excel on a 10″ Dell laptop running Windows XP docked with dual 20 inch LCD monitors. I use Word and PowerPoint far less in product management than I did in Business Development.
I also keep Meebo’s web-based chat application open all day on a small USB monitor to access AIM, Live Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger. I keep up with industry news using Google Reader and Techmeme.
Prior to heading home from the office, I start the downloads for a few ESPN podcasts which keep me company until I get home and walk the dog.
After I walk my dog and feed the two of us, I catch up on TV shows waiting for me on my DirecTV DVR or stream some music using my Apple TV.
I’ll typically surf the web and read the days news and tech blogs on my laptop as I watch TV or listen to music. I have a 17″ Dell laptop running Windows 7. I primarily use Google Chrome to browse the web at home.
I actually have print subscription to Business Week (it was free).
When I crawl into bed at night I set my alarm, plug in the charger, and turn on some relaxing tunes on my iPhone 3GS.
As you can see, the iPhone has been deeply integrated into my daily activities. I have a hard time seeing how I’d get by without it.
Top Tech Changes For Me Over The Last Decade
Sunday, March 7th, 2010This is the second post of three about technology changes over the last decade. Yesterday I covered what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010. Today I’m covering what I consider to be the biggest changes for me over the last decade.
The four biggest technological changes of the decade for me were:
1) Time-Shifting TV (TiVo and later generic DVRs)
2) Combo of Broadband, Wi-Fi, and Laptops
3) Mobile Voice, Internet, and Apps (iPhone)
4) NFL Sunday Ticket
The Internet was old news for me coming into 2000 having been online since 1993. I was primarily using a
company-provided laptop with dial-up access to get online. I made calls using a landline and a Nokia
cellphone. I was watching TV with basic cable and a DVD player.
The most significant change came a few years into the decade when I added digital cable and a TiVo. Watching
TV has not been the same since. Other than sporting events, I no longer watch live TV. I also used the TiVo
to connect to my server so I could navigate and listen to my MP3 collection using my entertainment system.
It worked amazingly well for this purpose. In fact, it was better than the current version of Apple TV.
Unfortunately TiVo dropped the ball by not partnering with the cable providers and not launching an HD
version soon enough. I ended up using the HD DVRs that were provided by Comcast when I bought my first HDTV
- a 34″ widescreen, CRT from Toshiba. I’m now using a DirecTV dual tuner HD DVR with a 65″ plasma HDTV from
Panasonic.
Moving from CDs to MP3s wasn’t significan’t until I got my first iPhone. I had an iPod but I didn’t take it
with me everywhere. More on that later.
Netflix came along pretty early in the decade, but I’m not ready to say it changed the world very much for
me. I dropped it after about a year. I later took up Blockbuster’s offer during a period of unemployment
when they were giving 2 free in-store rentals, free swaps in-store, plus 3 movies out at a time. With this
setup I was able to have as many as 8 DVDs at a time if I was willing to drive a mile to return my movies in
store. It was worth it. Blockbuster clearly was not making any money on me. They’ve since repriced this
option from about $16 to $35 a month. Since moving from Dallas to Alameda, I’ve given Netflix another try.
I’m unimpressed with their streaming content so I probably won’t remain a member past the start of football
season in Fall 2010.
The second most significant change came in the form of DSL from SBC with a wireless router and a new laptop.
No more dial-up. This was a MAJOR change for me. It was fast and portable. I could be online in any room in
my house or even outside on the patio. My Internet usage skyrocketed with this change. Once you’ve had
wireless broadband with a laptop, there is no going back.
Over time, I used my landline less and less. When I moved from Arlington to Dallas in 2007, I had a landline
that I seldom used. The ringer wasn’t turned on and I didn’t give the number to anyone. I stuck mostly with
my Nokia semi-smart phone running an early version of the Symbion mobile OS. Now that I’m in California, I’m
without a landline.
In late 2007 I added my third most signifcant change in the form of an iPhone. I was devastated when my
Nokia died. It was my 3rd Nokia. I tried the latest Nokia smart phone, but I hated it so I gave the iPhone a
shot. The iPhone was great with a nice web browser and decent web-based apps (this was pre App Store). I
soon forgot all about my Nokia. I’ve since upgraded to an iPhone 3GS. I love having music, Internet, games,
and e-mail (personal and work) all in one small device. Having all my music as MP3s is great now that I have
my iPhone with me at all times.
My fourth most significant change came in the form of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket (I know, I was a late
adopter). I spent my first year in California not being able to watch Dallas Cowboys games and frequently
being limited to just 2 afternoon games dedpending upon the Raiders’ and 49ers’ schedules. I did not want to
watch the local teams. I dropped cable for DirecTV prior to football season in 2009. It is GREAT! Of course
if your local market team is your favorite team, then there’s really not much reason to get the Sunday
Ticket or DirecTV. DirecTV is over-priced.
The four biggest technological changes of the decade for me were:
1) Time-Shifting TV (TiVo and later generic DVRs)
2) Combo of Broadband, Wi-Fi, and Laptops
3) Mobile Voice, Internet, and Apps (iPhone)
4) NFL Sunday Ticket
The Internet was old news for me coming into 2001 having been online since 1993. I was primarily using a company-provided laptop with dial-up access to get online. I made calls using a landline and a Nokia cellphone. I was watching TV with basic cable and a DVD player.
The most significant change came a few years into the decade when I added digital cable and a TiVo. Watching TV has not been the same since. Other than sporting events, I no longer watch live TV. I also used the TiVo to connect to my server so I could navigate and listen to my MP3 collection using my entertainment system. It worked amazingly well for this purpose. In fact, it was better than the current version of Apple TV. Unfortunately TiVo dropped the ball by not partnering with the cable providers and not launching an HD version soon enough. I ended up using the HD DVRs that were provided by Comcast when I bought my first HDTV - a 34″ widescreen, CRT from Toshiba. I’m now using a DirecTV dual tuner HD DVR with a 65″ plasma HDTV from Panasonic.
Moving from CDs to MP3s wasn’t significan’t until I got my first iPhone. I had an early generation iPod but I didn’t take it with me everywhere. More on that later.
Netflix came along pretty early in the decade, but I’m not ready to say it changed the world very much for me. I dropped it after about a year. I later took up Blockbuster’s offer during a period of unemployment when they were giving 2 free in-store rentals, free swaps in-store, plus 3 movies out at a time. With this setup I was able to have as many as 8 DVDs at a time if I was willing to drive a mile to return my movies in store. It was worth it. Blockbuster clearly was not making any money on me. They’ve since repriced this option from about $16 to $35 a month and quit sending you new DVDs at the same time that you exchange one in store. Since moving from Dallas to Alameda, I’ve given Netflix another try. I’m unimpressed with their streaming content so I probably won’t remain a member past the start of football season in Fall 2010.
The second most significant change came in the form of DSL from SBC with a wireless router and a new laptop. No more dial-up. This was a MAJOR change for me. It was fast and portable. I could be online in any room in my house or even outside on the patio. My Internet usage skyrocketed with this change. Once you’ve had wireless broadband with a laptop, there is no going back.
Over time, I used my landline less and less. When I moved from Arlington to Dallas in 2007, I had a landline that I seldom used. The ringer wasn’t turned on and I didn’t give the number to anyone. I stuck mostly with my Nokia semi-smart phone running an early version of the Symbian mobile OS. Now that I’m in California, I’m without a landline.
In late 2007 I added my third most signifcant change in the form of an iPhone. I was devastated when my Nokia died. It was my 3rd Nokia and I loved it. I tried the latest Nokia smart phone, but I hated it so I gave the iPhone a shot. The iPhone was GREAT with a nice web browser and decent web-based apps (this was pre App Store). I soon forgot all about my Nokia. I’ve since upgraded to an iPhone 3GS. I love having music, Internet, games, and e-mail (personal and work) all in one small device. Having all my music as MP3s is great now that I have my iPhone with me at all times.
My fourth most significant change came in the form of DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket (I know, I was a late adopter). I spent my first year in California not being able to watch Dallas Cowboys games and frequently being limited to just 2 afternoon games dedpending upon the Raiders’ and 49ers’ schedules. I did not want to watch the local teams. I dropped cable for DirecTV prior to football season in 2009. It is GREAT! Of course if your local market team is your favorite team, then there’s really not much reason to get the Sunday Ticket or DirecTV. DirecTV is over-priced.
Technology and Me – 2001 through 2010
Saturday, March 6th, 2010This is the first of 3 posts that have to do with technology changes over the last decade. I’ve been thinking about this since January but finally got around to writing it down this weekend. We’ll start with the basics – what I was using in 2001 and what I’m using in 2010.
Technology I used in 2001:
- Nokia cellphone for mobile and long-distance calls
- landline for local calls and Internet access
- dial-up Internet access
- company provided laptop with Windows NT 4 for getting online at home
- basic cable
- standard definition 20″ TV
- cheap battery-powered alarm clock
Technology I’m using in 2010:
- iPhone 3GS for all calls, MP3 player, Pandora, yellow pages, maps, mobile web access, gaming, e-mail (personal and work), controlling my Apple TV, alarm clock, calendar, and contacts.
- NOTE: no landline
- cable Internet access with wireless router
- Apple TV
- Mac mini
- 17″ HP laptop with Windows 7 (personal)
- 10″ Dell laptop with Windows XP (work)
- Samsung Internet-connected Blu-Ray player
- 65″ Panasonic Plasma HDTV
- DirecTV with dual tuner HD DVR, NFL Sunday Ticket, and ESPN Game Plan (no premium channels)
- Hulu for catching up on shows that I may have missed
- Netflix for DVDs and streaming video (but I’m unimpressed with their streaming content, so I’ll probably cancel with football season resumes in Fall 2010)
- PS2 used primarily for Karaoke games
- Harmony remote that controls my Sony receiver, Samsung Blu-Ray player, DirecTV DVR, Apple TV, and Panasonic HDTV
Technology I used in 2001:
- Nokia cellphone for mobile and long-distance calls
- landline for local calls and Internet access
- dial-up Internet access
- company provided laptop with Windows NT 4 for work and for getting online at home
- basic cable
- standard definition 20″ TV
- cheap battery-powered alarm clock
Technology I’m using in 2010:
- iPhone 3GS for all calls, MP3 player, Pandora, yellow pages, maps, mobile web access, gaming, e-mail (personal and work), controlling my Apple TV, alarm clock, calendar, and contacts.
- NOTE: no landline
- cable Internet access with wireless router
- Apple TV
- Mac mini
- 17″ HP laptop with Windows 7 (personal)
- 10″ Dell laptop with Windows XP (work)
- Samsung Internet-connected Blu-Ray player
- 65″ Panasonic Plasma HDTV
- DirecTV with dual tuner HD DVR, NFL Sunday Ticket, and ESPN Game Plan (no premium channels)
- Hulu for catching up on shows that I may have missed
- Netflix for DVDs and streaming video (but I’m unimpressed with their streaming content, so I’ll probably cancel when football season resumes in Fall 2010)
- PS2 used primarily for Karaoke games
- Harmony remote that controls my Sony receiver, Samsung Blu-Ray player, DirecTV DVR, Apple TV, and Panasonic HDTV
My Gift to You – Cowboy Junkies
Saturday, March 6th, 2010My favorite band is the Cowboy Junkies. Have been since the late 80’s. What can I say, I’m loyal. I’ve seen them in concert a few times (they’re great) and even got some autographs. I had a major crush on Margo Timmins (the lead singer) for years.
They’ve got a great web site with access to all of their music. Here’s one of my favorite albums:
Happy 14th Birthday Gretta!
Sunday, February 28th, 2010
Gretta in September 2008 on our first day in California.
A Beautiful Winter Day in San Francisco
Saturday, January 16th, 2010
It’s always nice to break up the work day to take a stroll through the Financial District to the pier. Wednesday was a particularly nice day.
This shot is a view of the Ferry Building and Coit Tower. It was taken with an iPhone 3GS.
Texas 51, Kansas 20
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Colt McCoy becomes the winningest QB in NCAA history.
Texas moves to 11-0 after thumping Kansas by 31 points.
After passing for 396 yards, 4 TDs, and 0 interceptions, Colt McCoy now holds the record for most wins by a quarterback in NCAA history with 43 wins. He is also the only quarterback in NCAA history to reach 4 ten win seasons.
Texas is 2 more wins away from the National Championship Game. Hook ‘em Horns!.
My Hometown Team Looked Great
Sunday, November 15th, 2009TCU smoked Utah 55-28! They looked great!
I grew up in Fort Worth going to TCU games with my Dad (a Texas alum), mostly to watch Texas beat TCU back in the old Southwest Conference days.
In college, despite not going to TCU (I went to Texas Wesleyan), I lived a few blocks from Amon Carter Stadium where I could hear the TCU crowd on Saturdays if I opened my windows.
I’m very happy for TCU and the city of Fort Worth. With that said, Hook ‘em Horns!
