tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26911144406581029532024-03-19T05:56:11.293-04:00I Have A Rate For ThatThe uncensored view of the IT Channel, industry, and life around it.
Everything posted here is entirely my own opinion. Nothing on this blog is intended as any official statement from any organization, and the views expressed here are entirely my own. This is my personal blog, with musings and ideas that are mine. DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-66642199936944155782020-04-04T17:50:00.002-04:002020-04-04T17:50:39.823-04:00New Retro & Modern Gaming SetupI redesigned my office, and it deserved a new post to discuss the layout and the setup.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.ihavearateforthat.com/2019/04/retro-and-modern-gaming-setup.html" target="_blank">old design</a> worked great, but didn't look great. I didn't show off my office very much, so I didn't care. Now, I show it off all the time for streams and video calls, so I cared a lot more. <br />
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The fundamentals of the system are pretty much the same, but time to revise and lay it all out.<br />
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My basic premise was to try and get the best signal I could out of the systems, and have things set to just work when turned on. Originally I thought I would do everything on the one main TV in the bar, but I was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYZHMgNY50" target="_blank">inspired</a> by the guys at My Life in Gaming that I didn't need everything on one system, particularly because I couldn't come up with a physical layout to fit everything. With that idea, I decided to break it into two parts, with the older retro systems in my office.<br />
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I stuck with this on the redesign.<br />
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Additionally, I decided to focus on two standards for the video signals to try and make things easier. For modern systems, the familiar HDMI cable would do. For retro systems, I would focus on RGB, which is supported by many, but not all, of the older systems. For those that didn't support it, I would get the systems modified to support it.<br />
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With that, I couldn't decide about doing a CRT or HD, and so decided to do both. My idea there is that the CRT is the "original" image, the way the system was designed. That's a full RGB video signal, but thus also standard def. Next to it is the HD TV, showing the upscaled image -- converting the SD signal into a HD one. The SD signal is the way the consoles were designed, so if you are a purist that's the signal of choice, as well as being a reference for the HD one next to it when I compare. The SD signal has "scan lines", which are an SD artifact. The HD signal does not.<br />
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The CRT is a Sony PVM-20M2U. It has RGB inputs. I've connected that to a par of <a href="http://www.gretrostuff.com/store/pre-order-gscartsw_lite/" target="_blank">gscartsw_lite</a>, units, each daisy chained in via a SCART to RGB cable. (Running off that is the audio signal which goes to the speakers). Each console in the rack is hooked up to that switcher.<br />
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For the HD signal, the primary gscartsw uses one of it's two outputs, to send a signal via SCART cable to the <a href="https://www.videogameperfection.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">Open Source Scan Converter</a>. The OSSC does the work of taking that RGB signal and making a nice HD signal out of it. The secondary gscartsw runs to the first.<br />
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That gives me side-by-side SD and HD signals, both for playing and for reference. <br />
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I dropped the overly complicated cross runs -- this is all self contained.<br />
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In the retro section, starting at the top left, down and then to the next column, I have a a TurboGraphix-16 with <a href="https://stoneagegamer.com/engine-block-av-turbobooster.html" target="_blank">TurboBooster</a> to get RGB, a stock SNES (as it supports RGB), a Sega Genesis (RGB!), a Sega Dreamcast, some of my handhelds, a RGB modded NES, a RGB modded Colecovision, a RGB modded Intellivision, an original Xbox, a RGB modded Nintendo 64, a PS2, and a Nintendo Wii (connected to the gscartsw via a <a href="https://www.beharbros.com/garo" target="_blank">GARO</a> component to SCART converter). The last column is three collections of handhelds, and then the RGB modded Atari 2600.<br />
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Moving from my office to the bar, there is the second setup. This focuses on the HD systems.<br />
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The TV is a 4K LG, which has four inputs. The first is for the TiVo, and the second is the OSSC line from the office for doing the big screen version. There is a 4K HDMI switch which handles the Xbox One X, the PS4 Pro, the 4K Apple TV, and the Nintendo Switch, so the modern systems are on one switch. The final HDMI input is connected to a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/DVDO-iScan-Definition-Video-Processor/dp/B002Q8HQHE" target="_blank">DVDO Duo</a>, which handles the switching of HD systems. Connected are an Xbox 360, the original PS3 (which handles PS2 and PS1 backwards compatibility), and a HDMI modded Nintendo 64. <br />
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Finally, going into the analog port and upscaled is a Nintendo GameCube. <br />
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Back in my office, I have a several shelves dedicated to the portable systems, which you saw. The games are relocated to the ceiling line in the office. <br />
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In my office, I keep the NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, Sega CD, Dreamcast, OG XBox, Wii and Atari games, as well as the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, 3DS, Sony PSP, Atari Lynx, and Sega Game Gear Games. And yes, I have all those portable systems. <br />
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There's a shelf in the bar that handles the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, GameCube, and Wii U games. Everything has a case. The NES, SNES, N64 and Genesis games all are in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Game-Cases-Super-Nintendo-Genesis/dp/B00MBOXQFO" target="_blank">Universal Game Cases</a>, and I replaced the CD cases for the PS1 with DVD style cases. Covers come from <a href="http://www.thecoverproject.net/" target="_blank">The Cover Project</a>, and the UPS store has been nice enough to print everything.</div>
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I've gotten wireless controllers for the NES and SNES which also have charging stations. The Atari, Genesis, N64, and original Xbox controllers are in bins below all the retro systems. The PS2 controllers are wireless now as well. In the main room are stations for Apple TV, XB360, Wii, Wii U, XB1, PS3 and PS4 controllers all under the MAME cabinet, which Sharon has very deftly hidden.<br />
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Essentially, everything is ready to turn on and play. A labor of love to get everything working and setup. I have most of the "core" games for systems, and own SD card carts for everything that makes one, so you can load ROMs if needed. I own most of the games from my childhood, and am working on completing collections of "every" Castlevania, Star Wars, and Star Trek game, and am missing just a handful of Street Fighter games. (For those interested, <a href="http://www.sortitapps.com/items.php?username=djdave&type=videogames" target="_blank">my game list is here</a>, although that's only the physical games. Everything for Switch I've bought as digital download, and have a number now for XB360, XB1, PS3 and PS4 that are digital downloads too)<br />
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The point is to play the games, of course. We've been hosting "retro gaming days" periodically, and have the systems on and fired up for play. Let me know if you want to try something out -- or I'm missing a game you want to play.<br />
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<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-84224247345870144472020-03-22T18:55:00.001-04:002020-03-22T18:55:57.228-04:00Lessons from throwing Virtual PartiesLast night, Sharon and I tried out our first virtual party. Anyone that knows us is well aware we like socializing, and we often act as cruise directors for some of our friends. With our social calendars now entirely cleared and not leaving the house, we decided this wasn't going to work for us long term to just sit around and do nothing, so we decided to get clever and try something from our house online. If a video producer and podcaster can't work together and create an online event on the fly, we have a problem.<br />
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We put together a version one of the event, and it worked out pretty well, and we figured out the key elements that we're going to need to leverage to really make this work in the long haul. <br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Information for Hosts</span></u><br />
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So, we put a video together for Tipsy Treats on how to host an event:<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Vwt6hYdwUD8/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vwt6hYdwUD8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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For those who like to read, here's some notes on things we covered from that video.<br />
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<u>Before the event</u><br />
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· Send out a note to your guests that if they have not attended a zoom event or meeting before, they should practice with you or a friend before the event. Yes, it’s super easy to use these technologies for those that have done it, but I’m surprised how many people have not been on a group video call before. (I’m hopeful that the more events we do the less we’re all spending time on this)<br />
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· Make sure you have turned on “Breakout Rooms” in Zoom. You have to do this on your account BEFORE your event. Go to the zoom website, go into Settings, then Meeting, and you can flip on Breakroom. I also recommend “allow host to assign participants to breakout rooms”, because when or if the party gets too big, you can create smaller groups of people and you, the host, make sure the right groups are together.<br />
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· Turn OFF screen sharing. Do not allow people to share their screen. Pranksters are using it in bad ways, but additionally, even well intentioned or funny it takes over the entire view for everyone. If someone wants to share, they can hold up the image or text it to everyone.<br />
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<u>Your setup</u><br />
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· I recommend having a stand for your phone. This allows you to point your phone at where you will be sitting and hanging out. <br />
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· Have a long power plug for your phone. Your phone will be on and running the entire event, and if it runs out of power, your party is over. Plug it in.<br />
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· Because of that, you need a larger screen to see everyone – which is good anyway. That is your TV. It’s positioned behind where your phone is so you can look at the party people.<br />
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· I also recommend a Bluetooth speakerphone that you can plug in. Airpods/Bluetooth headphone will do, but remember, you need this to work the entire event, so battery matters. My wife and I tried wired earbuds to some success, but v2 will have a Bluetooth speakerphone.<br />
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<u>Event Space</u><br />
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· Just like prepping a regular party, the space matters. Have everything you’ll need around you, because if you have to go get stuff, you’re leaving everyone<br />
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· Lighting! Just like good lighting makes a party…. Totally different kinds of lighting make a virtual one. Regrettably, this means bright, not mood. Make sure your space is well lit, and you want the brightest light in the room so it’s at your face. <br />
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<u>Starting up your event</u><br />
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· Start the meeting from your computer. This becomes your host station you can move around. Mute audio on this AND turn off video so you do not cause a feedback loop.<br />
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· Log into the meeting from your phone. Since it is on your stand, you will be able to switch to the MAIN camera on your phone (the back one) which is a lot higher quality.<br />
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· Now, turn on the screen mirroring option on your phone (I use an iPhone, so I use Apple AirPlay to mirror my phone to the TV<br />
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· Finally, hit “Gallery Mode” on your phone so you can see everyone, filling your TV with a Brady Bunch style of display.<br />
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<u>During the event</u>· Be prepared to explain “Gallery View” multiple times. It is on the top left hand corner for Zoom.<br />
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· Somewhere between 12 and 15 seems like the optimal for cross chatter. <br />
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· If things get too big, this is where you leverage “Breakout room”. You can create multiple rooms and break guests into groups, and you can select which room you are in too. This allows you to “mingle”. Keep an eye on anyone joining, as they end up “unassigned” and you will need to assign them to a room.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Information for Guests</span></u><br />
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Additionally, we put together a video you can share with your guests before so they know what to expect and how to get ready, as we found a lot more people than we expected are very new to this technology.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GLRmHARTsic/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GLRmHARTsic?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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And, those tips written out:<br />
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First, if you’ve never done a virtual event, or if you’re not familiar with the platform the host is using, do a test run before. Trust me on this one, because while people are totally willing to help, things go smoother the less times the conversation stops for technical support. We’re all patient , but the longer this goes, the less people will want to do that.<br />
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Second, let’s talk about your camera. Think of this as the same as picking your outfit for a party when it’s physical. This is how you look.<br />
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<li>Ideally, the camera is eye level with you. You want from mid chest to the top of your head to appear, and you want to appear normal.</li>
<li>Have the light in front of you. This will be flattering. Behind you is not great.</li>
<li>If you have to be at an angle, DOWN is better than UP. UP is up your nose. DOWN makes you look dashing.</li>
<li>Ideally, plug your device in, and put it on a stand.</li>
<li>Please do not move around the room with your camera. We all get sea-sick when you do this.</li>
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Next, let’s talk about the room and the noise. The way these work is that the virtual room will be looking for the noise to decide which microphone to broadcast. So all the stuff going on in your house will transmit.<br />
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<li>This includes any conversations you have with people around you.</li>
<li>THUS, MUTE is your friend. It’s ok – it’s actually quite polite to mute.</li>
<li>Ideally, use your earbuds and a microphone. That works best. </li>
<li>Be aware that two people in the same room on the same event will cause feedback unless each of you are apart from each other.</li>
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Finally, I’m going to give you a tip. What’s weird about a virtual event, particularly a social one, is that there is ultimately only one conversation going on. While normally different people can break off, or different conversations happen in small clusters, online there’s only one. This is important to know because you want to be inclusive of everyone on the call that wants to talk, and give everyone a chance. It’s a new social dynamic, so I’m giving you the heads up about it.<br />
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DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-3567773290848375932019-04-29T21:20:00.001-04:002019-04-29T21:20:20.846-04:00My Weight & Health Management SystemsIn March of 2018, I visited the doctor for my checkup. Feeling fine, I expected things to go very well. Instead, the conversation went like this.<br />
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"<i>Dave, your glucose level is far higher than it should be. You have two choices. Choice one, you can lose 6 pounds in the next six weeks and begin bringing that number down further. Choice two, I can declare you diabetic, because you are, and teach you to use insulin today. You will be on insulin for the rest of your life.</i>"<br />
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I was 250 pounds (5'11" for reference), and didn't think I was "fat", but I didn't think I was diabetic. Apparently, I was. This wasn't as brutal as it might seem. I like choices, and rather than dwell, I decided right then that choice one was the one I was going to do, and that I would start then. I'd actually lost weight once before. Before Sharon and I got married, I lost weight to slim down for wedding pictures, and I did it with Weight Watchers. I was going to do it again.<br />
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As of writing this, April 2019, I've lost 54 pounds and been below 200 pounds for well over a month. My checkup was solid, and I've never felt as good as I do now at age 43.<br />
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This blog chronicles how I did it, as some of this is hopefully useful to others. I make no claims about being an expert and will note that my weight loss is doctor monitored. Disclaimer, disclaimer, disclaimer.<br />
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<b>Step One: WeightWatchers.</b><br />
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I use Weight Watchers every day to track my food. I use just the app -- I don't do a thing with meetings. They call the program digital. I did just this from March until Sept 1st of 2018 (so the first six months). This took me from 250 to 207.8. Just that. The program works. I do the freestyle points option, which includes free food items that I can select. You get a daily allocation of points to use, as well as a weekly allocation to use during the week.<br />
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However, I wanted to ensure I didn't rebel against the program. I like beer. I also like junk food. How do you ensure you can add items for indulgences, within the program context, but not feel you are always having to deny?<br />
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Two key support tools here. If you're not familiar with "<a href="http://www.dwlz.com/" target="_blank">Dotti's Weight Loss Zon</a>e" and you're doing WW, you need to know about this throwback looking website. The website does totally feel like 1998, but the restaurant information is awesome if it's not already in WW.<br />
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Second, Sharon highly recommends <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/">www.skinnytaste.com</a>. We have a pretty good track record with their receipes, and they include the WW points. <br />
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Several key basics I started with as I go into the next steps. I already had an iPhone and an Apple Watch. WW links to Apple Health, so I started there, and weight data came from a WiThings WiFi-enabled scale (which I upgrade later). Basic tools getting started.<br />
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<b>Step Two: Excercise</b><br />
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80% of weight loss, I'm told, is food but the other 20% is exercise. This is an area I knew nothing about. I started super simple -- I went for a walk. It started very simply, with a 30-minute walk every day. This added a number of points per day -- essentially, one beer per walk. Not bad. This started the habit, and I started figuring out amounts too. 33 minutes versus 30, then 40 minutes, then 42 minutes. I found 42 minutes was a good amount of time and points back. All of this I log just using the Apple Watch Activities, so each workout is logged there, and this automatically syncs to WW.<br />
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<b>Step Three: FitPoints 2.0</b><br />
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Around November of 2018, WW made changes to their tracking program, which started measuring activities less on time and more on intensity. FitPoints, which can be traded for food in the program, are a way to "earn" more. This would become critical in ....<br />
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<b>Step Four: Gym</b><br />
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It got cold. In late November, the morning walks were getting unpleasant as the weather had changed, and it was cold. I knew I wouldn't be able to continue the routine I had when it was snowing or hovering around freezing. We joined the gym. During the sales process, we were offered a "free training" session, which turned out to be a few basic push-up like activities and a sales pitch for more training. I learned two things. First, I hate anything that I have to count reps for. Second, lots of people were using the incline controls on treadmills to change the difficulty.<br />
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The gym was about one thing here -- a treadmill. It was cold, I didn't want to walk in the cold. Period. I moved my workouts to the treadmill. But for the first one, I upped the incline a little from zero. This resulted in a much better point total from the WW app, and I wondered... how did this happen?<br />
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<b>Step Five: Heart Rate</b><br />
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With the knowledge that I could change the incline and get more results, I started playing with various inclines, noting that I could get better point numbers in FitPoints by increasing. Googling for cardio options that focused on heart rate, I <a href="http://dcrefined.com/sports-fitness/orangetheory-takes-science-fitness-to-the-next-level" target="_blank">found Orange Theory</a>, which had a lot of information about heart rates. Could I figure this out for my own use?<br />
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Yes, I could.<br />
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Using <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heart-graph/id591655999?mt=8" target="_blank">Heart Graph</a>, I was able to start charting the heart rate zones described in the article above using my Apple Watch and the incline graphs, I was able to start finding patterns that created the bursts of high heart rate in zone 4 (with some in 5). Any workout in Apple Activites show up in the app, and thus I can analyze the rates. Ultimately, it's about making the workout vary to make your heart rate go up, and giving yourself a rest period between. <br />
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<b>Step Six: Better Data. </b><br />
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I'd always used a WiFi-enabled scale, which pushed data into Apple Health. I upgraded that to the <a href="https://www.withings.com/us/en/body-plus" target="_blank">Body+ from WiThings</a> because this gave me body composition. The doctor had been doing much more comprehensive analysis, and I wanted data that was closer to this. As my weight was close to the goal -- we had set 193 -- I wanted to find out if that was actually the right number, as body fat percentage tells me a whole lot more. This gets that kind of data.<br />
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<b>Step Seven: Getting varied.</b><br />
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I was on a business trip in March and hit the gym. There was a Peloton bike in the gym, and since it was set up so anyone could try, I went for it -- I'd seen the ads and was curious. It was pretty fun -- varied music, something different, and a great workout. I don't want a piece of equipment in the house... but they have an answer for that. <a href="https://www.onepeloton.com/digital" target="_blank">Peloton Digital</a>. <br />
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I joined, and now generally use it twice a week in the gym. Sometimes a power walk, sometimes a bike, but the idea being that I can vary up what I'm doing. With the weather getting nice, I'm able to go for a bike, a walk, to the gym, etc. I need to keep things different, so here we are. I use the app generally on my iPhone, and they recently added the ability to pre-download workouts. <br />
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<b>Step Eight: Intermittent Fasting.</b><br />
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Also in this timeframe, the doctor (who focused on obesity and diet), suggested I look at intermittent fasting. There's a lot of science here, but the idea is to help your body burn fat better, and to do so, you get your body into a fat burning mode. He recommended I go three times a week on a fast.<br />
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To manage this, I use an <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zero-fasting-tracker/id1168348542?mt=8" target="_blank">app called Zero</a>. Zero lets you track fasts, get reminders on fasts, and the like. My fasts will go from generally 8pm until 1pm or so, going for the 16-hour block. You can have water during the fast, but it's actually easier than you might think.<br />
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<u>This is my plan.</u><br />
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So far, so good. I mentioned my April 2019 checkup -- I'm below 25% body fat, approaching my goal, and all signs look good. This is my system -- again, offered that the systems or apps may be of help.<br />
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Note that everything was done one step at a time. The core for me is step one, but everything else builds on that. Your system shud be yours, and it will only work if you like it. I offer mine as components so you can pick what you want to leverage. Hope it helps!<br />
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I'll update this as I change things.<br />
<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-3232806350770728702019-04-05T17:53:00.000-04:002019-04-05T17:53:16.256-04:00Retro and Modern Gaming Setup[Revised April 5, 2019 for new systems]<br />
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I've been working on my gaming setup for a while, and finally have it at a place I'm really pleased with things. I thought I would take a bit of time to document it for those who may want to try their own hand at this.<br />
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My basic premise was to try and get the best signal I could out of the systems, and have things set to just work when turned on. Originally I thought I would do everything on the one main TV in the bar, but I was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpYZHMgNY50" target="_blank">inspired</a> by the guys at My Life in Gaming that I didn't need everything on one system, particularly because I couldn't come up with a physical layout to fit everything. With that idea, I decided to break it into two parts, with the older retro systems in my office.<br />
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Additionally, I decided to focus on two standards for the video signals to try and make things easier. For modern systems, the familiar HDMI cable would do. For retro systems, I would focus on RGB, which is supported by many, but not all, of the older systems. For those that didn't support it, I would get the systems modified to support it.<br />
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With that, I couldn't decide about doing a CRT or HD, and so decided to do both. My idea there is that the CRT is the "original" image, the way the system was designed. That's a full RGB video signal, but thus also standard def. Next to it is the HD TV, showing the upscaled image -- converting the SD signal into a HD one. The SD signal is the way the consoles were designed, so if you are a purist that's the signal of choice, as well as being a reference for the HD one next to it when I compare. The SD signal has "scan lines", which are an SD artifact. The HD signal does not.<br />
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The CRT is a Sony PVM-20M2U. It has RGB inputs. I've connected that to a par of <a href="http://www.gretrostuff.com/store/pre-order-gscartsw_lite/" target="_blank">gscartsw_lite</a>, units, each daisy chained in via a SCART to RGB cable. (Running off that is the audio signal which goes to the speakers). Each console in the rack is hooked up to that switcher.<br />
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For the HD signal, the primary gscartsw uses one of it's two outputs, to send a signal via SCART cable to the <a href="https://www.videogameperfection.com/newsletter/" target="_blank">Open Source Scan Converter</a>. The OSSC does the work of taking that RGB signal and making a nice HD signal out of it. The secondary gscartsw runs to the first.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGESNu3iJJ-78dnwsJyyoI6wdikwc9F9IkuO-LGOvAby4Vz7gYW3xrDE7Mt_Jz9mSFqx3uSIJJqLvz3_zlIfEChBl-Eo3Dn8iaoYOH_3_XfRKy-0bngNrYpowksM7_SX9WWZLzrUISXeMa/s1600/IMG_2822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGESNu3iJJ-78dnwsJyyoI6wdikwc9F9IkuO-LGOvAby4Vz7gYW3xrDE7Mt_Jz9mSFqx3uSIJJqLvz3_zlIfEChBl-Eo3Dn8iaoYOH_3_XfRKy-0bngNrYpowksM7_SX9WWZLzrUISXeMa/s320/IMG_2822.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That gives me side-by-side SD and HD signals, both for playing and for reference. Here you can see the signal from SD2SNES coming from the SNES displayed in real time on both. I split the HD signal, and run a cable through the wall to the main system, going into input two on the back of the TV. Thus, a simple input change in the main bar lets me get that full signal, and I can play what's coming from the HD upscaled signal on the 55" panel. As I have wireless controllers too for a lot of systems, retro gaming can be done on most of the TVs.<br />
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In the retro section, I have a RGB modded NES, a stock SNES (as it supports RGB), a RGB modded Nintendo 64, a Nintendo Wii (connected to the gscartsw via a <a href="https://www.beharbros.com/garo" target="_blank">GARO</a> component to SCART converter), and a PS2. Below that is an original Xbox (again, supports RGB) and a Sega Genesis (RGB!), a RGB modded Atari 2600, a RGB modded Intellivision, a RGB modded Colecovision, and a TurboGraphix-16 with <a href="https://stoneagegamer.com/engine-block-av-turbobooster.html" target="_blank">TurboBooster</a> to get RGB. All run to a gscartsw_lite.<br />
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Moving from my office to the bar, there is the second setup. This focuses on the HD systems.<br />
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The TV is a 4K LG, which has four inputs. The first is for the TiVo, and the second is the OSSC line from the office for doing the big screen version. There is a 4K HDMI switch which handles the Xbox One X, the PS4 Pro, the 4K Apple TV, and the Nintendo Switch, so the modern systems are on one switch. The final HDMI input is connected to a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/DVDO-iScan-Definition-Video-Processor/dp/B002Q8HQHE" target="_blank">DVDO Duo</a>, which handles the switching of HD systems. Connected are an Xbox 360, the original PS3 (which handles PS2 and PS1 backwards compatibility), and a HDMI modded Nintendo 64. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4ejBVGY3LDrJKe0XcCLhzHPLZZ6W5HFSpn36k0lXDF74QXY1KYwOLSdxlREdaI7toxiO1IjEXvGGpXlbe4uSS_AcUyxtSTFq0NJGXAbyhIa7BPiDY-NIGfh4_Vu9MGiTl6t7eRi5TXxd/s1600/IMG_4657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4ejBVGY3LDrJKe0XcCLhzHPLZZ6W5HFSpn36k0lXDF74QXY1KYwOLSdxlREdaI7toxiO1IjEXvGGpXlbe4uSS_AcUyxtSTFq0NJGXAbyhIa7BPiDY-NIGfh4_Vu9MGiTl6t7eRi5TXxd/s320/IMG_4657.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Also connected are a <a href="https://hyperkin.com/Retron5/" target="_blank">Retron5</a> (doing HD for NES, SNES, Genesis, Mega Drive, Famicom, Super Famicom, Gameboy, Gameboy Color, GameBoy Advance), and a RetroPi. Finally, going into the analog port and upscaled is a Nintendo GameCube. <br />
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Back in my office, I have a shelf dedicated to the portable systems.<br />
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That's a Sega Nomad, Atari Lynx, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance (with the upgraded display), a PSP, a GameBoy Color, a modded GameBoy Color with frontlit screen, a stock original GameBoy and a original Game Boy (also with upgraded display). <br />
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Just below that and to the left, I have the NES/SNES collection of games.<br />
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The bookshelf in my office continues the SNES games, N64 games, Genesis games, Sega CD games, Super Famicom Games, PSP games, and original XBox games. It also holds the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and 3DS games. For good measure, there's a Vectrex in there too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0E7-7bGyNXYoE_gyZ4LqZMFhSLWnObLB75ZJ4yKBJFnCxwEvlWD8qWYEqr7VMR-SVD3blLlqD6SSh2-_7O11tblwKvts8OwoqpgyZTr2LloAv1VD9YwCdVVQtpsErHeCkQf45YfW-L_Z/s1600/IMG_4949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0E7-7bGyNXYoE_gyZ4LqZMFhSLWnObLB75ZJ4yKBJFnCxwEvlWD8qWYEqr7VMR-SVD3blLlqD6SSh2-_7O11tblwKvts8OwoqpgyZTr2LloAv1VD9YwCdVVQtpsErHeCkQf45YfW-L_Z/s320/IMG_4949.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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There's a shelf in the bar that handles the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, GameCube, Wii and Wii U games. Everything has a case. The NES, SNES, N64 and Genesis games all are in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Game-Cases-Super-Nintendo-Genesis/dp/B00MBOXQFO" target="_blank">Universal Game Cases</a>, and I replaced the CD cases for the PS1 with DVD style cases. Covers come from <a href="http://www.thecoverproject.net/" target="_blank">The Cover Project</a>, and the UPS store has been nice enough to print everything.</div>
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I've gotten wireless controllers for the NES and SNES which also have charging stations. The Atari, Genesis, N64, and original Xbox controllers are in bins below all the retro systems. The PS2 controllers are wireless now as well. In the main room are stations for Apple TV, XB360, Wii, Wii U, XB1, PS3 and PS4 controllers all under the MAME cabinet, which Sharon has very deftly hidden.<br />
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Essentially, everything is ready to turn on and play. A labor of love to get everything working and setup. I have most of the "core" games for systems, and own SD card carts for everything that makes one, so you can load ROMs if needed. I own most of the games from my childhood, and am working on completing collections of "every" Castlevania, Star Wars, and Star Trek game, and am missing just a handful of Street Fighter games. (For those interested, <a href="http://www.sortitapps.com/items.php?username=djdave&type=videogames" target="_blank">my game list is here</a>, although that's only the physical games. Everything for Switch I've bought as digital download, and have a number now for XB360, XB1, PS3 and PS4 that are digital downloads too)<br />
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The point is to play the games, of course. We've been hosting "retro gaming days" periodically, and have the systems on and fired up for play. Let me know if you want to try something out -- or I'm missing a game you want to play.<br />
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<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-79254584547547246972017-03-31T10:00:00.000-04:002017-03-31T10:00:00.192-04:00Too many messaging services, not enough time.I remember AOL Instant Messenger really fondly. All of my friends used it, and there were a lot of conversations every day among people I knew. AOL IM let you know who was on, and who wasn't, and there were a lot of great conversations going on. Sure, this was 15 years ago, but the memories are really good... and singular. AOL IM was it. It was the thing.<br />
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Today, how many channels are there? I have an entirely category of communications tools on my phone. Hangouts, Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Signal, Duo, Also, plus on the work side Skype for Business and Yammer, much less using Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for communications.<br />
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A lot of these I have to be logged into, too. WhatsApp is particularly annoying, in that I feel like I haver to remember to check it, and since it's mostly used with colleagues and friends in Europe, it's not central to my workflow.<br />
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With all the communications tools, I actually feel less in touch with people on an individual level. That could be due to being older and busier too, but focusing on the tech side for a moment, does having more channels make this harder? <br />
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Am I alone in this?DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-1634307819908770572017-03-28T10:00:00.000-04:002017-03-28T10:00:36.746-04:00Why I'm totally obsessed with Amazon AlexaI'm totally obsessed with Amazon Alexa.<br />
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I admit it. My wife Sharon has been along for this ride, and she really should be sympathized with, because she's been quite patient. I think she's coming around on it over time, as she now asks Alexa for the weather, sets her wake up alarms by Alexa, and seems to find most of the corny jokes to her liking.<br />
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I have two reasons for this obsession.<br />
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First has to date back to my childhood. As a Star Trek fan, the idea of speaking to your computer and getting an answer back is the ultimate geek fantasy. It even made it to the joke stage.<br />
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Who doesn't want to just talk to their computer and get answers back? And it's already been shown to be cool.<br />
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But secondly and more importantly, Alexa is the interface to devices that need control, and makes system control approachable. As a die-hard gadget guy, I've embraced the "Internet of Things" to have tons of devices in our home to make the true smart home. Sonos, everywhere. Lighting control, everywhere. Temperature control. Water sensors. Security system. Everything is connected, and everything can be linked.<br />
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But the building of systems is the key -- having systems come together to create experiences. An example.<br />
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In the evening, the house now "knows" to change the LED lights in the light switches upstairs to red. Red is the best color to create a nightlight style glow but not disturb sleep. At 11:30, the bedroom starts playing some soft music, as that's our normal "getting ready for bed" time, and it automatically cuts off at 12:15. At 12:15, another system kicks in to create white noise, which is proving to help Sharon sleep through my snoring. A simple voice command or single button on the nightstand will activate "goodnight", which turns off any lights we forgot, locks the front door, and arms the security system. <br />
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It's the system that matters -- each individual gadget is "nice", but when linked together, they create a total experience. <br />
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I love Alexa because it's the easiest interface possible -- say it, and it happens. That's the user experience we're looking for. Thinking in that way is a different mindset, but one that makes all the difference. By being able to set into motion anything with a simple command, it takes the experience to a whole new level. <br />
<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-83508892053144690522016-12-03T14:53:00.002-05:002016-12-03T14:53:32.080-05:00No, I won't just "Get Over It."My Facebook contribution has gotten political. I know my own tone has switched from just fun, light hearted stuff and business related things to much more opposition to political change. In that time, I’ve noted at least two occasions where someone has posted a “Get over it” note (and then deleted it — yes, I saw it), and now, I’ve had another leave that comment online.<br />
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To paraphrase: “<i>Dave, get over it. Trump won. You just need to move on.</i>”<br />
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What specifically does “get over it” mean? What level of problem should I ignore? Should I ignore hate crimes? Should I ignore policy decisions? Should I ignore fiscal policy? Should I ignore deportations, if or when they start happening? Should I wait for things I consider immoral to happen, even while they are being discussed openly? What does “get over it” mean — specifically? Should I acquiesce to decisions I don’t think are moral, simply because the President says them? <br />
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What is “moving on”? Allowing the government to do what they want? To be unopposed? <br />
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Would you prefer to just ignore the facts of what is happening? <br />
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One of the recognized problems with recent information online is that “fake news” has taken too much of our conversation and mindshare. I’ve always considered that I am very careful about the news and information that I curate. I select sources that I consider strong, accurate media sources, typically the New York Times or the Washington Post (which I subscribe to). If you do not like my curations, that is your choice — but the goal is to stay informed and not allow actions that I do not consider “normal” to go by unchecked. <br />
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Prior to this election, I believed that my vote was enough to influence the discussion, and that ultimately, that what I viewed as sensible, educated minds would prevail. <br />
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This is my space to voice my opinion. If you don’t like it — that’s absolutely your right, and you aren’t compelled to agree with me. My ask has always been that you consider the opinion, as I will consider yours. Do you believe I curate and try and deliver value? Is it possible there is something to consider in the information you are seeing? Do you believe I have some level of intelligence and have questioned the source before sharing the information? However, “just get over it” is dangerous in a free society, and no, I won’t do that. <br />
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I won’t stand by as we consider taking away rights from fellow Americans.<br />
I won’t stand by as hate crimes rise.<br />
I won’t stand by as some attack journalism.<br />
I won’t stand by as we make the world LESS safe by lack of consideration that <u>words matter</u>.<br />
I won’t stand by and let false information dominate and influence the world. <u>Facts matter.</u><br />
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I’m taking action too — this isn’t just a series of Facebook rants. So far, I’ve joined the ACLU and the Southern Poverty Law Center, with monthly contributions (not just one time contributions). I’m looking at ProPublica now, which focuses on non-profit journalism. I’m in conversations with similarly minded Generation X’ers about specific actions we can take — more to come on that. I'm not content to just sit by and let the world happen to me.<br />
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So for me, no, I won’t “Get over it.” I’m getting to work on fighting back — actually taking actions that result in outcome. I won’t be passive and allow a minority opinion — both less than a majority of Americans overall voted for Trump AND less than a majority of the vote of those who voted — change society in a way that I feel is destructive. Don't think that the electoral college result is in any way a mandate -- it's not. <br />
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Martin Niemöller famously wrote:<br />
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<i>In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;</i><br />
<i>And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;</i><br />
<i>And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;</i><br />
<i>And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up.</i><br />
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It may seem cliche to compare to Nazism — you may think this is overblown. You may think I’m wrong — and here is hoping I am wrong. Being wrong would be a wonderful outcome — being wrong means that the fight isn’t necessary, and that a President Trump will result in a stronger, safer world. May you be right. <br />
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However, the evidence I see doesn’t line up with that — from a lack of any consideration of what diplomacy means to assembling a team of “rich people” with no evidence of understanding of the subject matter to advise him to what looks like intense conflicts of interest from a moral (if not legal) perspective, President Trump does NOT look like a leader who the insight and leadership to guide us. And if I don't speak up, because it's "not me"... then shame on me.<br />
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Thus, “getting over it” means allowing things to happen that I believe will damage us as a society. “Getting over it” means looking the other way at what I perceive as corruption and immoral choices for our society. <br />
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Is that really what you want? Do you really want people that allow things to happen to them? Leadership is about taking action — speaking out and doing something. I’m doing something. I’m not only talking about it, I’m taking actions. <br />
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He's President. That's not being argued. But to imply that one has to go along with everything he does -- that's missing the point entirely. (And, if you are strongly Republican, that is hypocrisy to the extreme. I direct you to Mitch McConnell whose policy was to block everything without consideration. It was fine in 2008 but we should "get over it" now? That argument has no legs.) <br />
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If you don’t like what you see, you can make your own decisions. I will respect you for that, and will continue to engage with people I don’t agree with. I will happily have a drink with you or break bread or share a laugh — that’s what good people do. I will strive to be a good person and continue to be a well rounded person in life, engaging in multiple interests, not limited to one single topic. <br />
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If you don’t believe I deliver value or insight, you are welcome to select “Hide this kind of post” if you want to start trying to curate your feed. You’re also welcome to “unfollow” me entirely if you think I don’t deliver any value. My LinkedIn feed will be only business related, and my Twitter feed will include more shared articles, but none of them will be political. If you want my opinions on things personal, both political and lifestyle, they will be on Facebook. There will be all kinds of things on my Facebook feed, as it's mine to share the things I think are important. <br />
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If you don’t agree with me, fine. You don’t have to. Post your own materials. Or Hide my posts. Or pick another feed. <br />
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But if “get over it” is that you’re not comfortable with another opinion or are reading them and feeling uncomfortable with what you’re reading … well, that’s on you, not on me. <br />
<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-48506505231199817952016-05-29T22:00:00.001-04:002016-05-29T22:00:19.153-04:00WiFi signal problem that's well beyond the norm.<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
I’m completely stuck on a wireless problem. </div>
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What at first glance appears like slow wifi is actually much more insidious — while at times I can get full bandwidth, it will then drop dramatically, going from a solid set of speeds between 60-90 Mbps download to levels that are measured instead in Kbps, from 20 to 50 Kpbs. At first, I noticed this only on my Macbook. However, intensive testing revealed that I could see the same problem on other machines -- my Windows laptop and my iPhone. </div>
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My wireless network is provided by a set of three Apple Airport units of various ages. Coverage is fantastic, and the units generally load balance across the three level house. I can replicate this problem regardless of which AirPort / Access Point the endpoint is connected to. From Airport Utility:</div>
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I have two primary production wireless networks, evolvetech_extreme and evolvetech_extreme 5Ghz. Using iStumbler to show the list of networks:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJns4ZKd3lR-asruDGbADyaHX00eWW4CaC1ZHzMkYNGQ7tv0vg-w0RXn-hcocWf93-Kj8VKVGTNjJ0sobiAkx5tAd0qrhYUphtO7cfGeTQFdUejp9eCEfVKDvKFbScH5FlLIp2ibJ5Xmv/s1600/Screenshot+2016-05-29+21.35.03.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnJns4ZKd3lR-asruDGbADyaHX00eWW4CaC1ZHzMkYNGQ7tv0vg-w0RXn-hcocWf93-Kj8VKVGTNjJ0sobiAkx5tAd0qrhYUphtO7cfGeTQFdUejp9eCEfVKDvKFbScH5FlLIp2ibJ5Xmv/s640/Screenshot+2016-05-29+21.35.03.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Note there is a set of "_uk" networks that are not at all linked to the same network, living outside the firewall. I can replicate the problem on BOTH the 2.4 Ghz and the 5Ghz networks. This seems to tell me that I don't have significant channel overlap nor signal problems. I've also done some testing with Android's WiFi Analyzer and I can't find a problem.</div>
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These speed tests were taken within 5 minutes of each other:</div>
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From a Macbook:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVMXZnAJ5j2xHf0KKsK1CqhFbJg4rFdW-5DEuck70psDDRB6MSsvwkSMGcr_aN3itg41gxYnt7nA6SSp5qayRMu5gvF_GXzczwe21SYTLwVssTYiUeERL4uOGC7uoDMibohJ_Av8wEGXI/s1600/Screenshot+2016-05-29+21.38.20.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVMXZnAJ5j2xHf0KKsK1CqhFbJg4rFdW-5DEuck70psDDRB6MSsvwkSMGcr_aN3itg41gxYnt7nA6SSp5qayRMu5gvF_GXzczwe21SYTLwVssTYiUeERL4uOGC7uoDMibohJ_Av8wEGXI/s320/Screenshot+2016-05-29+21.38.20.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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From an iPhone:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjizac0B65T219Ml-i1T6FGXw6npOelouHR7R4OpfViayjAJ0w1J83YPL9skfPTgX9ttiwSc7Ywaa0xO3t2X2fcyUeQw3w6NNEPxLXu__eonbGz-KOWD_KDNXHgghJ_0fz7_2EZVCw8RRL/s1600/Photo+May+29%252C+9+40+05+PM.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjizac0B65T219Ml-i1T6FGXw6npOelouHR7R4OpfViayjAJ0w1J83YPL9skfPTgX9ttiwSc7Ywaa0xO3t2X2fcyUeQw3w6NNEPxLXu__eonbGz-KOWD_KDNXHgghJ_0fz7_2EZVCw8RRL/s320/Photo+May+29%252C+9+40+05+PM.png" width="180" /></a></div>
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From a Windows laptop:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KolTzE7sATScFKFPrpg-LgdTQ0ACWuiP_bA9feExCCF_ofLAnvnEiMuBrWmwhIFVXz2e3vU0oprAjP86QxJlZY6CHwn_VuKBZVroYB7ClFegfIHFpVRN6FFSz6o-YC0R0PfGo66CK8jQ/s1600/Capture.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="53" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7KolTzE7sATScFKFPrpg-LgdTQ0ACWuiP_bA9feExCCF_ofLAnvnEiMuBrWmwhIFVXz2e3vU0oprAjP86QxJlZY6CHwn_VuKBZVroYB7ClFegfIHFpVRN6FFSz6o-YC0R0PfGo66CK8jQ/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLw0Kx__j7qna-syZyie2L4BSSd4cbfn9c9SljDl72SgJ7V9BTYpLuWx47X_12lmOBti5SJ9eoreegenlqzzKlAHZOIhRBuP6iq3taqq8Qh6Z4PdwuMlbK8nhaGPHZ3AN0n06eq4AOM8Y/s1600/Capture2.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTLw0Kx__j7qna-syZyie2L4BSSd4cbfn9c9SljDl72SgJ7V9BTYpLuWx47X_12lmOBti5SJ9eoreegenlqzzKlAHZOIhRBuP6iq3taqq8Qh6Z4PdwuMlbK8nhaGPHZ3AN0n06eq4AOM8Y/s320/Capture2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In this example, I'm seeing the problem on the Windows machine but not the other two. </div>
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During this, network probes on the firewall show me that the overall bandwidth (which is 75/75 Mbps), is running without significant load:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDE-vr-1cRSM7xq2sBmwC2PKrhRgvYISsYu3Uuy1veww_mwhMRrirQgUMDDk3pVUmpAbj1KNYnMV0Io87_nkNhr1oeLfsx0BHJFqZBraXugYfowbqmnyLiHa5m-LWVp1ujqj_Nv8lje9o/s1600/Screenshot+2016-05-29+21.45.28.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDE-vr-1cRSM7xq2sBmwC2PKrhRgvYISsYu3Uuy1veww_mwhMRrirQgUMDDk3pVUmpAbj1KNYnMV0Io87_nkNhr1oeLfsx0BHJFqZBraXugYfowbqmnyLiHa5m-LWVp1ujqj_Nv8lje9o/s320/Screenshot+2016-05-29+21.45.28.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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So far, I can tell that:</div>
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- The endpoint doesn't seem to matter. This happens "sometimes" on the iPhone, or on the Macbook, or on the Windows machine. Sometimes all at the same time, other times just one one.</div>
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- I've tested the lists of which access point the endpoint is connected to, and as far as I can tell it doesn't matter.</div>
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- The wired network is fine. </div>
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- Rebooting all the access points seems to clear the problem for a while. </div>
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I'm totally at a loss. Looking for some help!</div>
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DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-9915652066764523682015-07-10T17:55:00.001-04:002015-07-10T23:40:35.818-04:00Car bought! The decision, the why, the rundown...Pleased to report that I'm now the proud owner of a BMW 228i. <br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUSu129kQYFHoXcXIKmVzhyphenhyphen1OYPy5tfjukqrwUUVLPt5VONnJ1JinjSRwnylhMeiEqGo_x3IGUgl-OmZ7DGWSEAQPqw9DaAXaQ1ogMN8uB1_72aHNx66KLTtEgn9GReL5kC2cEmUhR_dn/s1600/IMG_6847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzUSu129kQYFHoXcXIKmVzhyphenhyphen1OYPy5tfjukqrwUUVLPt5VONnJ1JinjSRwnylhMeiEqGo_x3IGUgl-OmZ7DGWSEAQPqw9DaAXaQ1ogMN8uB1_72aHNx66KLTtEgn9GReL5kC2cEmUhR_dn/s400/IMG_6847.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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For those interested in specs, here we go:<br>
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<ul>
<li>228i, RWD</li>
<li>Midnight Blue exterior</li>
<li>Terra Dakota interior</li>
<li>Technology Package</li>
<li>Premium Package</li>
<li>Lighting Package</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpT4YGhvNDdR9dLTug_P70teHPdAJemKZf4hIJgNDLc6-FNGMGCmz43WE1-74tbfQ1-TlHxqdMubilK_obdTmSEbUQC1OSy-fG2-n6KnMqxltZnq0pdFB-h20cCayn1J8nnghSKFwMOVvB/s1600/IMG_6846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpT4YGhvNDdR9dLTug_P70teHPdAJemKZf4hIJgNDLc6-FNGMGCmz43WE1-74tbfQ1-TlHxqdMubilK_obdTmSEbUQC1OSy-fG2-n6KnMqxltZnq0pdFB-h20cCayn1J8nnghSKFwMOVvB/s400/IMG_6846.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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The car is a blast to drive. The engine just goes, and having an 8 speed transmission, even better. It has a couple of weird things I wish you could fix -- I like the "Sport" driving setting a lot better, but you can't set the car to default that way. It always starts in comfort. It has a couple of quirks about working with Apple Music on iOS8, but only Tesla really seems to have that software side right with the over the air updates to keep pace. I still can't get Google Maps to send a location to the car, and I find that ConnectedDrive isn't quite as responsive as I might like when querying from the app (and this might be related to response time), but those are minor details. Still need to get my vanity plates swapped with the Acura. </div>
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So how did we get here?</div>
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Let's break down the cars I drove, comparing now. I'll start with the Lexus RC 350. A very powerful engine, a feel like a jet fighter, it's a nice car. I had a feeling Sharon wouldn't like the way it sat as a passenger, but more importantly, it felt like my "price range" excluded a few things. Premium audio only comes in the Sport model, jumping the price up a lot, and while a minor detail, the fact you can't enter a GPS address while driving is a massive source of annoyance. So a car where I would KNOW the audio could have been better that has something that would annoy me every time I used it... yeah, sorry, Lexus, you got nixed.</div>
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Onto Audi. AJ at Audi of Tyson's corner is a fantastic sales person -- I can't say enough nice things about him. Just the right balance of pushing and being easy going, I really wanted to give him (personally) the business. The cars are where it failed. While the 228 I bought and the A3 actually compare, the A3 didn't blow me away. The A5 was a "sedan", and didn't have that fun factor. Trying the S models, the S3 had some roughness to it -- whether it was my driving or the car I don't know, but it stuck with me. The S4 was nice -- but by the time we're at that car, we're in a whole other price point. Was the S4 I liked worth THAT much more than the 228 which I also liked? No, it wasn't. </div>
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I had originally planned to see the Mustang and drive the Mercedes C-class. Here's why I didn't.</div>
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While the idea of a Mustang intrigued, the more I played with configurations, the more I realized this wasn't going to be a good driving around car. It's a hell of a lot of fun, but this wasn't going to be my "drive us around in comfort" car. </div>
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As for Mercedes, while interesting, I couldn't get a configuration that seemed right in a car with the price balance I wanted. Because I had a car I liked -- the 228 -- it was baselining against it saying "would this car be better", and I didn't see one that was jumping out to me.</div>
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Now, the dealership.</div>
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After my visit to BMW of Sterling and the post that went online, I heard back from the Sales Manager the next day via a phone call. He was quite emphatic about wanting to win my business. The call started out a bit odd -- he was very focused on letting me know they had handled the sales rep -- but after some discussion, and my very clear statement that this wasn't about punishment, this was about education, we turned a very good corner. I won't name names anymore -- I'm going to only dole out praise that way! </div>
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He was very diligent about tracking things down -- and very willing to handle my million questions about scenarios for pricing. I appreciated the patience there. We found a car in their stock which was nearly what I had dreamed up in my head. I was initially looking at the M style and some track options, but decided against them due to availability and some thoughtful comments from Scott Lepre. (He warned about RWD on a car -- when it snows around here, I don't really drive much, and it should be good in most other weather). </div>
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So kudos to BMW of Sterling for the catch and recover. Their finance department rep, Jim, was absolutely fantastic, and there's even someone dedicated to helping you understand the Tech. Once in the system, it's a great owners experience. They do car washes on Saturday mornings too. </div>
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I'll rant a bit about the way cars are bought. Dealerships just seem so very much aligned with the way sales were done in the 70's and 80's. In a world where I can custom order anything online exactly the way I want it and have it delivered to me right away, car dealerships have this massive pile of cars where they guess the popular configurations and try and keep some in stock. Ordering a car is more expensive and the system isn't designed to flex to that -- I give some specs, and the dealerships work to try and find something in stock near by (or that they have) that is close enough, so you compromise some of what you want </div>
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Yes, cars take longer to build. But the system doesn't encourage you to customize - it actually encourages you to compromise, because the financials behind it point you that way. The sales system is designed to push you to that, selling existing stock and not encouraging orders. It's a shame, and different from the rest of the way sales are done these days. </div>
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One other piece of praise. The internet team at BMW of Alexandria was stellar. While I was discussing with Sterling, they were also searching for cars that met my specs. The team there was just outstanding, looking for exactly the car I wanted. I never even went in there, but they made an impression. They didn't win the business, but not because of anything other than a choice about what stock was available. </div>
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New car, acquired! The Acura will get appraised at CarMax, and either sold that way to end the lease, or returned early. The ILX isn't a bad car, but it's a suped-up Civic, and that's not the kind of car a luxury brand should be. To be fair, the ILX never broke down, never caused an issue, was totally reliable, was cheap to operate... it just wasn't fun. The first TL was fun, the TSX was good, but the ILX wasn't. And I missed the fun of driving... which I seem to have back now.</div>
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DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-57701968873413419512015-06-30T22:16:00.002-04:002015-06-30T22:16:17.513-04:00BMW, round two... new dealership. Will anyone sell to me? <br />
Since I was already out in Chantilly, it seemed natural to take a run out to <a href="http://www.bmwofsterling.com/" target="_blank">BMW of Sterling</a> to actually drive the 228i and the 235i. Since in Fairfax I only had the chance to drive the 428, I wanted to be sure about how the 228 compared. While the salesman at Fairfax said "it's the same engine" and should feel the same, I'm admittedly a touch distrustful. Acura said the ILX was the same too -- and it's clearly not.<div>
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I called out to the dealership, and Mo, who I think was the sales manager, answered. He said they had some on the lot, and would be happy to have me take a test drive.</div>
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When I arrived, I was introduced to Zouhair (Zu) Ghars, who would be my advisor on this run. I let him know what I wanted to see -- a 228, then a 235. I wanted to start with the smaller engine, so I wouldn't be spoiled by the feel of the 235 being more powerful.</div>
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The 228 was a xDrive model, so AWD. It was well loaded, with the tech package and premium audio system. It felt tight, and particularly in sport mode, was great in the corners. The test drive loop was pretty good, including high speed on Route 28, some back roads, and a couple of exit ramps that were fun to take fast. While it may have a 4-cylinder engine, I couldn't tell. </div>
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I then took out a 235. Also xDrive, it wasn't loaded on equipment, but since it's the same chassis, I get a clear sense of the car. The bigger engine is notable -- but not so much that I really cared. Yes, it's a touch faster, and yes, a touch louder, but gunning it from the line on the 228 was just as much fun as the 235, and since i live in Virginia, where if you go over 79 you're looking at possible jail time, how much engine do you need? If it's fast to accelerate, and fun in the corners, isn't that good enough? </div>
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Back to the dealership. Now here's where things get interesting for me. I didn't call this out in Fairfax, but the sales process there was just too laid back. Frankly, I didn't feel they wanted my business. I was hoping for a better experience in Sterling. </div>
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Alas, not to be the case. I laid out my parameters, giving some guidance on what I was looking for price wise. While I suspected the deal couldn't be done (and think the car I want isn't on their lot anyway, so I wouldn't be driving home with it), I was actually rather hoping he might try and close me. I was rather tempted to go home with a 228 that day -- or put money down and start the order.</div>
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Nope. </div>
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He showed me the MSRP from the website, and their calculator for the lease. We all know NOBODY pays that. He then showed me the straight special from the BMW USA website. Again, that's the starting point.</div>
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I felt like I actually opened the door for him to try and close me, with the "Well, what would happen if I wanted to proceed today?", but he didn't give me anything. A "well, you would put $1K down, and we would then agree on price." Yeah, that was my lead question to try and close me, buddy. </div>
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So the lead BMW is the 228. I've been told on Facebook I should buy the 235, but frankly, I'd rather load up a 228 and enjoy that for the price difference. The 235 is nice, but the 228 has an awesome little engine and was a blast to drive. I'm not seeing what the 235 gets me.</div>
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Ideally, the car is the M Sport package, Estoril Blue Metallic, Black interior.</div>
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Features, as best I can tell (because you have to assemble the thing yourself, it seems):</div>
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- Enhanced USB and Bluetooth plus smartphone integration</div>
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- Heated front seats</div>
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- Premium Sound</div>
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- Xenon lights</div>
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- Premium Package</div>
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- Tech Package</div>
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I'm currently inclined to go with the RWD option to save money and go with the M Sport, as I don't need AWD. When it snows, I just stay home. If I'm crazy, someone speak up. </div>
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Of course, the 228 needs to pass the Sharon test -- and we have to get pricing right. But it's stuck with me so far in terms of the one I was interested enough to see if I'd get sold. </div>
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Still two other brands to look at, and it seems more BMW dealerships to talk to as well. BMW of Alexandria isn't that far, and BMW of Silver Spring isn't out of the question. Hell, I'll drive to Richmond if they want my business -- I can have it serviced locally. I've never actually had a dealer -- and in this case two -- be so casual they don't make me feel like they actually want to sell me a car. That's off putting on it's own! Wondering if I should just send them this post -- maybe someone will court me. Hey, BMW! Are you listening? I like your car! Maybe you could consider trying to sell me one! </div>
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DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-21350393649052481592015-06-30T21:48:00.001-04:002015-06-30T21:48:27.244-04:00Lexus, Part oneOnto Lexus! I drove out to <a href="http://www.pohankalexuschantilly.com/">Pohanka Lexus </a>to try out the Lexus 2015 RC. I was greeted by Aba Cole, first out the gate to come greet me. Since there was only one Lexus I really wanted to take a look at, it was easy. I opted for the RC rather than the F Sport, as the engine on the main RC is still a beast.<br />
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The car is distinctly bigger than many of the others I've driven. The cockpit really molds around you too when you get in. Lexus has their touch pad interface system, which I think would take some getting used to. Notably, it also has one of those GPS systems that is annoying and won't let you input while driving -- that's a big turn off. <br />
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The car has a serious engine in it, and handles really well. The dash is very "racing" feel, and the tech features seem rather cool, with the ability to really <a href="http://www.lexus.com/enform/" target="_blank">integrate apps</a> into the onboard computer. The remote control for the car is also pretty sweet, with ability to control the car from an app. <br />
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In terms of handling, it didn't feel as tight as the BMWs, but I enjoyed the drive more than the Audi's I've driven. Not as much a chance to go "fast" nor corner fast with it due to traffic, but it's a very comfortable ride, and I can tell Lexus is going for that feel.<br />
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Interestingly, I think it's also probably the "easiest" to get close to my perfect price point. The fact they don't put a premium sound system in the base model is a bummer, nor the colors I like in the RC (you have to go F Sport for that, apparently), so there's a degree of "compromise" to this car I'm a little less than happy with. It's a serious contender, however. <br />
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Kudos to Aba as a sales person, however. He was willing to get specific and was looking to make a deal. More on that in the next post....<br />
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<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-90582206842440605552015-06-25T21:58:00.000-04:002015-06-25T21:58:04.994-04:00Audi, round twoI had been emailing with AJ about Audi's (<a href="http://www.ihavearateforthat.com/2015/05/audi-round-one.html">see previous post</a>) S4. I liked the S3, but with numbering like A5 and S3, I wondered what moving "up" the number system would mean in terms of car. He had arranged to have an S4 ready for me to take for a drive.<br />
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I took this baby out. The Audi at Tyson's has an "Extended" drive path, going out on the Toll Road for a bit, then beyond Wolf Trap and some of the backroads there. It's a fun drive. The S4 has a lot of get-up-and go. In thinking back, the S3 had what I can only describe as a slightly odd feel, in that the engine felt like it shivered occasionally, and while powerful, it wasn't always smooth. The S4 eliminated all of that, and the engine certainly was responsive.<br />
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I also really liked the dash layout:<br />
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The S3 dash has a "retro" feel, with large round vents and a pop up screen. Admittedly, I don't like that as much the more I thought about it, and the S4 has as much more traditional dash.<br />
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AJ then showed me a S3 in the back to show the blue which is the best of the looks:<br />
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I think Audi has shown me their line now -- I was underwhelmed by the A5, and while I liked the S3, wasn't blown away by it. The S4 seems the lead from the Audi line right now. I won't compare brands yet -- let's get through all the brands before I start comparing.<br />
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<br />DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-83358894302569196832015-06-22T20:32:00.000-04:002015-06-22T20:36:25.035-04:00BMW, round oneBeing back in town, I figured I had a chance to do another round of testing. Watson and I are going to catch a movie in Tyson's, so I thought I would do Audi round two and try the S4 and S5, but they are only open until 8, and with the movie at 9:50, I didn't want to just sit around for that long. <a href="http://www.bmwoffairfax.com/">BMW of Fairfax</a> is right near the house, so I figured I would give it a whirl.<br />
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Asad Khan met me in the building to give me the overview. As I'm not at all an expert in all things Beemer, I did start with my interest in trying a 235 or a 435. After a bit of discussion, however, and with the availability there, he offered up a 428 that was sitting in the parking lot for a test drive.<br />
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Playing in the parking lot, my first reaction was that the BMW user interface is rather complicated. (What is it with car makers and bad UI?) Then I drove it.<br />
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I played a bit in comfort mode, but then took it out in Sport. It's TIGHT. The car felt a lot better than the S3 I drove, and as he listed certain things about the tech package, the only thing that the Audi had that this didn't was the WiFi Hotspot, and some of the app integration (including Spotify) sounds better. (Of course, I'd need to pair it and actually try my own phone. Perhaps round two).<br />
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The heads up display in the car is quite nice (although my polarized sunglasses neutralize it in the day), and as I settled in, the car was a lot more fun to drive. <br />
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It's a fun, tight ride. Apparently, the 228 would be the same engine, but slightly smaller. I performed the "Sharon test" -- sitting in the back seat -- and decided the 228 has enough space.<br />
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Asad is going to give me a call when there is a 228 on the lot -- give that a try next time.DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0BMW Of Fairfax38.8732933 -77.23671159999997838.8732448 -77.236790599999978 38.8733418 -77.236632599999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-55899654950908778612015-05-24T20:20:00.001-04:002015-05-24T21:15:51.059-04:00Audi, round oneI started the car search today with two test drives. I stopped off at Audi of Tyson's Corner. Amusingly, the moment I parked, a salesman swooped in on me. I told him I had never looked at Audi before, so wanted to look at some cars, noting the A3, A4, S3 and S5 as ones to start with. <div><br></div><div>He led me around the lot, and frankly wasn't that great - he pointed me at specific (used) cars on the lot, walking me around, but ultimately not answering my questions well. The 2013 S5 he showed me - but I didn't drive - was closest to what I might like. After a stop inside at the computer to look at stock, when I started asking about leases, he finally took me to the new car sales people - and I realized he was a used sales person, and couldn't do the new ones. (A frustrating note - I wanted to see cars, and he was fixated on price, using high end ones to discover my limits. I didn't like him much)</div><div><br></div><div>Thankfully, my new sales person was much better. After a bit of discussion, we got to a bit of a comparison - I would compare an A5 and a S3.</div><div><br></div><div>I drove the A5 first. After a briefing on the tech, I took it out for a spin. It did feel tight in driving it, with good acceleration. The accelerator felt like it had between 3 and 4 speeds. The dash was impressive - felt like a hi tech car should. It's notable that the roof doesn't open, just pops up.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0SMBmJFDrhDr03tSTk3cLDvxT_V8uKH9SUd2DcnkB7GumglBgHgem_4zYHm0aGq5nEGZkOu2Vy6D3Ss7WIgUEPxaU6aL-T6OFLrxWz6elJZNAM6KVIIIUoXNUwLm7w0sX7dj9ZGXvJ3i/s640/blogger-image-829182588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0SMBmJFDrhDr03tSTk3cLDvxT_V8uKH9SUd2DcnkB7GumglBgHgem_4zYHm0aGq5nEGZkOu2Vy6D3Ss7WIgUEPxaU6aL-T6OFLrxWz6elJZNAM6KVIIIUoXNUwLm7w0sX7dj9ZGXvJ3i/s640/blogger-image-829182588.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez6wZ3RK9edklBwiDe0NgCEDVVHnjp_xyQMGa3oPcB6crSV03vFiQ-3R38eLUsx1WXTN76lw1huQydMRncmtPFt5uPJ-7jk8QVVV64GcbOwe5g8n-KjqI2d4dN-GCudn29NAEnNuWFAV1/s640/blogger-image--180438948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiez6wZ3RK9edklBwiDe0NgCEDVVHnjp_xyQMGa3oPcB6crSV03vFiQ-3R38eLUsx1WXTN76lw1huQydMRncmtPFt5uPJ-7jk8QVVV64GcbOwe5g8n-KjqI2d4dN-GCudn29NAEnNuWFAV1/s640/blogger-image--180438948.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Next, the S3. Very similar tech, but the dash is totally different. A pop up display, and circular vents made it look rather like a classic Mustang interior with a screen bolted in. This sucker took off - I could tell the engine had that 70+ more horsepower, and the options for controls (comfort versus dynamic) made the steering and control a lot different. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1OW7Lr-2fB2lVPxpqGfY8uOjB7QjlLaFQpQGFYYBe-fVjX-tkMD5q-LOHmWRapN9tx430BwF7Ytnn5-ZN_I7Rg6UphBNjuD6IdV_leWOysZbHkUPGoiczzXsyLenSPybqk3tx3fDtwCN/s640/blogger-image-572066136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1OW7Lr-2fB2lVPxpqGfY8uOjB7QjlLaFQpQGFYYBe-fVjX-tkMD5q-LOHmWRapN9tx430BwF7Ytnn5-ZN_I7Rg6UphBNjuD6IdV_leWOysZbHkUPGoiczzXsyLenSPybqk3tx3fDtwCN/s640/blogger-image-572066136.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEdwixc1ZCGPmGT4p3pae8IvNzFDCv1KlFwqPrDwXqp5HlQewvYYzfMneYATzSMpcxyKSneGi51jDJN_F7kQMtpfr3ruQ-UdQrz46aHf5PurahLToYBSvAE_vY8C0XhY4Ip6MXRPrDQNY/s640/blogger-image--1870294013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWEdwixc1ZCGPmGT4p3pae8IvNzFDCv1KlFwqPrDwXqp5HlQewvYYzfMneYATzSMpcxyKSneGi51jDJN_F7kQMtpfr3ruQ-UdQrz46aHf5PurahLToYBSvAE_vY8C0XhY4Ip6MXRPrDQNY/s640/blogger-image--1870294013.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Comparable prices. My ideal lease payment is $400/month with 10k in miles, and I suspect I can get the S3 in this. It was Memorial Day, and so they were looking to make a deal, but knew we were a bit off. Super kudos to my sales guy, AJ Pinnamraju, who was not high pressure here. We discussed what I wanted, my timeline, the fact I wanted to compare, and while he distinctly tried to get something going, was very reasonable about the process and next steps. He clearly redeemed the first guy, and the dealership.</div><div><br></div><div>S3 preferred on these, and it feels better and cooler and more tech than the Acura TLX I drove back in January. The A5 is nice, but not nearly as much fun. </div><div><br></div><div>Both have nice tech packages - I'm amused by Audi Connect, which apparently makes the car a hot spot. Apparently it's 4G LTE - powered by AT&T. I wonder if I can use my T-Mobile plan. Worth understanding more here. Streaming music this way is super cool. I love the idea of streaming from my car rather than my iPhone. </div><div><br></div><div>Pending my schedule, BMW next.</div>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-73476141774640485852015-05-12T17:41:00.001-04:002015-05-12T17:57:25.429-04:00Let the car search begin!<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">I’ve started a bit of a car search, and I turned to the interwebs to do the search. Amusingly, my efforts produced quite a starting list of vehicles. Based on the response on Facebook, I’m going to try and do some blogs on it. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">The basic premise is this. I have 4 more payments on my lease of a 2013 Acura ILX, a car which I’m not particularly pleased with. After owning a 2005 Acura TL and then a 2010 Acura TSX, both of which I liked, the ILX is underpowered and feels cheap. I’m determined to do better this time around, and so I’m being much more deliberate in my search.</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">In January, I test drove an 2015 Acura TLX — a perfectly reasonable car. It was better than the ILX by a lot, but felt a bit “big”. So, here I go on the search. </span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Scott Lepre messaged me after my Facebook post, and asked some very reasonable questions. Here’s his questions — and my answers.</span></p>
<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif;"><em><span style="color: #ffffff;">1. What's most important: power (ie, speed, accleration) or handing/feel. There are many options for power but "feel" is something you really only appreciate once you've had a car with it.</span></em></span></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">Tough question! I think I’d have to say feel, although it’s been a while since i had that. One of my measurements of fun of a car is that moment when you’re at a stop light — does the accelerator cause the vehicle to take off, or is there a delay? Does the accelerator have more than two modes — moving and really moving — which is what the ILX has, or do I feel like I can precisely control the acceleration, the way I could with the TL or the TSX.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em><span style="color: #ffffff;">2. Do you care about all wheel drive vs. front or real wheel drive. I always like awd but it does limit your choices. I also need to be able to get to work regardless of snow so I need awd.</span></em></p>
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<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">I’ve never had AWD. I don’t care about weather that much — if it’s snowy and I don’t want to go out, I won’t. I work from home, so this isn’t a “need to get to the office” or “need to get the kids” kind of car. If it’s nasty out, I stay home. I want the car to handle well, and if AWD gets me that, great, else, well, whatever is most fun.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em><span style="color: #ffffff;">3. Do you care about 2 door vs. 4 doors.</span></em></p>
<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Not really. My family is Sharon, myself, and our two cats. In my ILX, I can likely count on one (maybe two) hands the number of times I need the back seats for passengers. It needs to fit Sharon and I and a weekend of luggage, or my own bags for a week or two of travel to the airport, and that’s probably it.</span></p>
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<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em><span style="color: #ffffff;">4. What is your target price range?</span></em></p>
<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Ah, price. I actually don’t look at cars as a “how much am I paying for the vehicle”. I look at how much the monthly payment is, and does it get what I want. I paid $425 a month for the TL. I paid $452 a month for the TSX. I pay $395 a month for the ILX. I anticipate I could probably put down about $3K or $4K for my new lease, and I’d like to keep the monthly payments the same. Or, I could always buy the car and get a 1.99% type APR, but I anticipate I’m going to want a new one in about 3 years anyway (the Tesla Model III comes out then!), so I’d be selling it at that point, so the goal is enough value in the car to get rid of it then. Thus, the goal isn’t price as much as monthly budget. From basic research, without looking at a specific price, it seems that cars in the $35K - $45K are all doable on a lease of about $400/$450 a month. I’m happier at $400, slightly less at $450, but we’re looking to land in this range.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 10px 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">The current list of vehicles on the “To Test Drive” list.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 6px 0px; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; widows: 1;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Audi: S3, S5, A4, A5, TT<br />B</span><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span>MW: 235i (or possible 3/4 series)<br />Mercedes B</span><span>enz: C-350, E350<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><br />Lexus: RC 350<br />Ford: Fusion, Mustang</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">I'm eliminating the following:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">Lincoln MKS - just don't like the look.<br />Chevy Volt -- look, plus if I'm doing electric, I'm going to buy a Tesla. I’d need to do an electric hookup at the house, which isn’t standard on the townhouse, and so that’s a fight for another year. </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 6px;"><span style="color: #ffffff;">I'm also eliminating the Hot Hatch category, more just because while I get it, I'm not a huge fan. The Mini Cooper, Volkswagan MKVII GTI and Ford Focus ST Ecoboost are all nice vehicles, but just not for me.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #141823;"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif;"><span><span style="color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38;"><span>The target is to get the new vehicle around late July / August, and I figure considering how much research and test drives I have to do, I’m going to need the time. Finance deals from the dealer matter </span></span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">—</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38;"> if they make it easier, that</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">’</span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38;">s an influence. While my lease expires in August, Virginia </span><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">state law says I can go month-to-month for up to two years, so I’m not under time pressure.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="color: #141823;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.38; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, 'lucida grande', sans-serif;"><span><span style="color: #ffffff;">I’m currently thinking I’ll blog it all — why not!</span></span></span></p>
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</div>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-88749765647454045522013-11-07T09:43:00.002-05:002013-11-07T09:43:32.281-05:00Am I missing the boat on Blu-Ray?I'm a media junkie, I admit it. <br />
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I love all kinds of movies, TV shows, music, video games, and the like. I'm also a wanna be audio and , , videophile -- I wish I was into super high quality, but ultimately, I like a bit of convenience instead, and will sacrifice a touch of that "perfection" because in the end... I don't think I can tell the difference.<br />
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A great example of that is something with my love of Sonos. I love Sonos devices, and I have them all over my house. I recently replaced my Bose surround sound system in the living room, which delivered 5.1 Dolby Surround sound, with the Sonos kit, knowing that the Sonos stuff is delivering a "faux" 5.1 experience, only in that my TV doesn't do the 5.1 pass through on the digital audio line, meaning that my Sonos is actually doing upscaling or some voodoo to make the 5.1 surround I hear. It doesn't really matter to me, tho, as it sounds good and I like the additional features I get in favor of sacrificing this.<br />
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And so I've been thinking about Blu-Ray recently. I own a pile of DVDs -- collected over the years -- and when the shift to HD happened, I resisted buying all my content again. Frankly, I didn't want to spend the money.. again. <br />
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But slowly I've been collecting HD movies... by buying them on iTunes. It's because it's easy -- i have Apple TVs all over the house, I have my iPad for watching on the go -- and the content is easily available wherever I want to watch it, including just on my desktop in a window in the corner. Since Sharon isn't a "movie buff" in the way that I am, I tend to see movies for the first time on the big screen, and only on occasion do we sit down to watch one together. My movie watching is more about seeing the story again than it is about a first time cinema experience.<br />
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So I skipped Blu-Ray. More discs didn't seem like the solution.<br />
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This morning, in doing my morning blog reading, I read about the demise of Blockbuster and there was some commentary on how streaming really can't replace stores yet, mostly because not everything is available. (And they are right -- things like Star Wars aren't available yet on HD Streaming, or even on iTunes).<br />
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Am I missing the boat here on Blu-Ray? Can it be part of my portable movie experience? Should I consider a short list of "must have" DVDs, and not try and recreate my collection? Is the quality that much better that I'll actually notice? <br />
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I might end up with a Blu-Ray player. I have my eye on an original PS3, because the retro gamer in me wants the ability to play PS1, PS2, and PS3 games on a single console, and so I could end up with a single player in the house. <br />
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Am I missing something?DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-21364427791191289562013-11-03T18:55:00.000-05:002013-11-04T08:44:59.387-05:00What I learned when my wife lost her passport. AKA: Dave's new prep listSharon had her passport stolen.<br />
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Despite all our normal planning, we fell victim to theft, and her purse, containing everything about her, was taken from a bar in Barcelona. I'm not going to recount the crime itself, but what I learned as even a seasoned traveler like myself could take away from the experience. Finding a printer was a hassle, finding pictures was a hassle, getting cash was hard... there was so much about it that was a pain.</div>
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Let's assume for a moment you are left without any stuff. No passport, no phone, none of your credit cards, etc. What do you wish you had done prior that would have made the process entirely easier?</div>
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- carry two forms with you, both easily available. These are the DS-11 and the DS-64 (<a href="http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html">available here</a>). Don't fill them out at all, and when something happens, don't sign it until you are told to when at the embassy and the consulate.</div>
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- print your backups of your passport. I scan everything so I have copies -- but realized I'd be spending a bunch of time printing it, since it took us over an hour to get everything and then print it for Sharon. <br />
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- carry a backup credit card. And if traveling with someone else, swap one credit card. I'm going to get an additional card and put it in my travel stuff with those forms I just referenced.<br />
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- and make one of your cards an American Express card. Sharon got into a touch of cash trouble at the consulate, and discovered that AmEx holders can get money sent via Western Union for this kind of emergency.<br />
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- Seal it all in an envelope that you then sign, so you know if it's been tampered with. This stays in the hotel safe during your stay.<br />
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Lessons learned.<br />
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DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-85476635269655600012013-09-09T18:45:00.001-04:002013-09-09T18:45:08.676-04:00Business Model for Comic Books<p>I let my geek flag fly a bit this weekend. My birthday was Thursday of last week, and Sharon indulged me by letting me pick the plans for the weekend, and so running the Electric Run at National Harbor on Friday made the list, and going up to Baltimore Comic Con was the plan for the weekend, mostly Saturday with a bit of overflow to Sunday.</p>
<p>I've been reading comics since I was 10. I actually have every book I've ever bought (or been given), and my first two comic books were gifts from my sister to read on the day we moved to London. (For fellow nerds, I actually remember the two issues… GI Joe Number 10 and Transformers Number 5, and yes, I have them both).</p>
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<p><img title="joe10.jpg" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-iXPdPDq0eM8/Ui5PcPRBV0I/AAAAAAAAAOo/qrtwjNjeeyM/joe10.jpg?imgmax=800" alt="Joe10" width="195" height="302" border="0" /> <img title="$T2eC16hHJF8E9nnC9bhyBQt,)wJyiw~~60_35.JPG" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ih5Mep293gE/Ui5Pcg__k_I/AAAAAAAAAOw/BVs0y3OAzJI/%252524T2eC16hHJF8E9nnC9bhyBQt%25252C%252529wJyiw%25257E%25257E60_35.JPG?imgmax=800" alt="$T2eC16hHJF8E9nnC9bhyBQt wJyiw~~60 35" width="195" height="300" border="0" /></p>
<p>I've been buying comics a very long time. I'm not going to focus on the con as much as some thoughts on comic purchasing as it's changed, and how I think it should consider moving forward. </p>
<p>I've almost always bought my comics from small local dealers. When we lived in the UK, I either bought my comics from the "Stars and Stripes", which were the bookstores on US bases that imported books, magazines and comics, or I went into London proper and visited Forbidden Planet, where I would buy my comics and fill in back issues. When we moved back the the US, I switched to using comic shops in the US. When I went to college, I actually took about three years off from collecting, and about my senior year of college, started back up again, and to this day, I have the same comic book shop that I use, ordering from "The Comic Cubicle" in Williamsburg, where my books get shipped up on a monthly basis.</p>
<p>Most of my friends that I know that read comic books also still go to comic book shops to buy comics. (It does make you wonder how kids today would get into comics at all, but I stopped into a Toys R Us today, and discovered a section of well placed comic books right in the middle of the action figures, so I guess that's how you'd buy them now). For most, at some point if you start trying to collect comic books on a regular basis, you'll find a comic shop.</p>
<p>This is important as I think about digital comics. I will say, I love the idea of digital comics. I love the idea of having copies of anything that I read available on my iPad when I want it. Like most, I've switched to this for music a while ago, with all my music long having been digitized, and thus available all over my house and on all my devices. I've started switching all my media purchases to the same model, forgoing Blu-Ray in favor of HD downloads, wanting to have my media available in all the ways I might consume it. In response, I've seen the new "Combo Packs" come out, where Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital download are bundled together. Perfect. </p>
<p>Even my books are moving this way. I'm very pleased at Amazon's recent announcements of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1001373341">Kindle Matchbook</a>, where Amazon is going to make available books I've previously purchased either for free or for a small fee. This is ideal -- I don't like rebuying things, and so it's fantastic that I don't have to.</p>
<p>And thus, we get brought to comics. Comics are in desperate need of a solution here. Marvel has tried to offer codes in each comic, where you can peel back a sticker and enter a code and download the issue. This has two flaws -- first, I don't want to have to sit and enter a code for each of a stack of comics, and second, it's not all publishers, so this would help with my Marvel books, but not my DC, Dynamite, or independent publishers.</p>
<p>Borrowing a bit from my own industry, that makes me think about distribution. Amazon and iTunes both have latched onto being a distributor. In IT, we have the same model, and many cloud services are being delivered the same way. So it seems, in a world where comic dealers are looking for ways to be more "relevant", it seems like using the dealers as a way to sell me this service would be rather simple.</p>
<p>I have a "subscription box" at my dealer now. He knows what I purchase, and tracks it for me. It could easily be part of the service for comic dealers to add the digital portion to (for example) my Comixology account, and make those issues I purchase available for me. I'd even pay for this -- it could be a per issue charge, or it could be a "subscription" service on a monthly basis. </p>
<p>I'm not sure about the older issues -- this seems like an area of opportunity to explore. With this many years of backissues in my collection, paying for each one isn't likely to happen -- but it would be nice to have a way to purchase some at "less than cover" prices. I've seen classic issues going for near retail pricing online, and that's just not going to happen.</p>
<p>Digital comics are great -- but unlike my other music and movies, I actually want this to follow more like what Amazon is doing. I want BOTH a physical and a digital copy…. but I don't want to pay full price twice for the same content. This has to be doable.</p>
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<p> </p>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-49448908650447917382013-09-05T15:53:00.001-04:002013-09-05T15:53:08.700-04:00What do you want to hear about?<p>I have the writing bug again.</p>
<p>Last time I started thinking about the writing bug, I was encouraged by Erick Simpson and Karl Palachuk to write about virtualization, and started cranking out blogs, which eventually became my book. (Which, FYI, I just <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Virtualization-Defined-Primer-Consultant-ebook/dp/B00EV6OHX0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378410383&sr=1-1&keywords=Virtualization+defined">released</a> on Kindle).</p>
<p>I've also had a long list of article requests for things that I wrote for other publications, which I usually throw up on my Facebook page to share. (Which reminds me, I have to put them on my MVP Profile…)</p>
<p>And now, I've been thinking about firing it up again and tackling something. But the question is… what?</p>
<p>I could tackle managed services again, or cloud, or something else… but what is the question? What does the channel want more on? </p>
<p>I have motivation and interest, but no great topic. So I thought I'd ask… what are you wondering about?</p>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-9429561892661034182013-05-14T07:45:00.001-04:002013-05-14T07:45:04.895-04:00Security paranoia in a location aware worldI know I'm super paranoid about security. <br />
<br />
My wife still gives me hell because she doesn't have access to my computers or phones, and has no password access to any of my stuff. I carefully manage audit trails of my things, so I can ensure the best possible security for my identity. (In fact, I couldn't use the blogger app on my ipad for this post, because two-factor authentication is setup on my google account to my US cell phone, and I'm using my UK one while traveling. So I used the web interface instead)<br />
<br />
However, I wondered today about the use of certain data from a corporate espionage perspective today as I was considering a Foursquare checkin. I'm a fan of collecting check-ins these days, and a new stop in a new city is a great way to remember it when viewing my travel log. As my thumb hovered over the check in, I realized.... "hey, wait... I'm going to a meeting to discuss a potential deal. That deal isn't out. Could someone figure out what I was doing just based on where I was?"<br />
<br />
I think the answer is no in this case - this is a big city with lots of reasons to be here, and so I moved on. But is this something to think about in the future? Will companies use social media information to make competitive decisions? Can it reveal more about what's going to happen rather that what has or is happening?<br />
<br />
Checking in at the office of the deal is stupid - but can you read into the broader location?<br />
<br />
Something to consider.DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-2794544152515810952013-05-11T12:37:00.000-04:002013-05-11T12:37:26.397-04:00Help me learn about coffee and teaI've never been a coffee or a tea drinker. I always laugh that I have plenty of other vices -- as I do like beer and the hard stuff, I like to gamble, I enjoy driving fast -- that I've never picked this one up. I was always a soda drinker, to the point of a bit of insanity. In college, I never picked up the coffee habit, but kept pounding soda.<br />
<br />
The first time I lost weight, gearing up for my wedding, I switched from "regular" to "unleaded", moving to Diet drinks as part of the calorie management solution. I did Weight Watchers, and it worked really well for me, and I was able to get down to a trim 175 for my wedding. Sharon even thought it was too much weight loss.<br />
<br />
I put the weight back on over the past two years, and with a rather stern warning from my doctor at the beginning of the year, I was told not only did I need to take the weight off, but that watching my sugars and carbs was going to be part of my life. Yay me.<br />
<br />
Thus, I geared up and dropped Diet soda as well as the other changes to my diet, and I'm well on track to target weight. (Beer is currently under a restriction, where I only drink it in the UK, because mixed drinks in the UK is a waste of time and money.) <br />
<br />
What this has done, however, is leave me in a spot where, besides water, there aren't good "on the go" drinks. With sodas out, and juices containing a lot of sugar I'm trying to avoid, and sports drinks off the table for calories reasons, I need to find myself something I can have. <br />
<br />
Coffee and tea are things I've just not had the taste for, but I suspect it's because it's something I don't understand more than something I won't like. For example, I didn't always like beer, and still don't like ALL beers (India Pale Ales just don't do it for me), there are beers I like and ones I don't like. I feel like with this wealth of types of coffee and teas out there, there have to be ones I'd like!<br />
<br />
But where to start is the bigger question. I hear a lot of "go into a coffee shop and try things", but what to try? When you don't know what things are, this isn't helping much. I can't be adding tons of sugar to things either, as that defeats the purpose.<br />
<br />
My preferences:<br />
<br />
I like sweet things, and always have. Of course, I'm on a sugar restricted diet, so no cheating and adding sugar.<br />
Carb management is important, so watching those is important.<br />
<br />
What to try?<br />
<br />
I know there are a ton of coffee and tea drinkers out there -- how to best tackle this?DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-70034679272472308202013-05-06T18:57:00.000-04:002013-05-06T18:57:34.192-04:00Am I getting bored with social media, or am I using it wrong?I had this realization this weekend that I'm getting kinda bored with social media.<br />
<br />
Maybe what is happening is I'm getting bored with my own social media presence, and maybe I'm using it wrong. I've never wanted to do two profiles, having profiles for personal and profiles for work. I've always thought the two are mixed, and in particular, I've always liked having a well rounded profile exposed to work people. This worked reasonably well when I had a smaller network, and there were less sites to manage.<br />
<br />
Let's break this down by social media outlet.<br />
<br />
<b>Facebook</b> is my "primary" one, and of late I feel like I'm not even getting content I want to see. By some obligation, I go there at least two or three times a day, but I don't feel like my news feed is actually giving me the stuff I care about. Maybe some of it is, but the whole interface is too slow to scan quickly, it focuses too much on stuff I don't feel I'm interested in, and the number of ads showing up in my feed is just insane (and even worse on mobile! Heaven forbid I try and read that there.<br />
<br />
I like sharing things on Facebook -- that makes some sense to me, and seems to work rather well (at least, I think so), as people tend to like the stuff I post (meaning I get actual likes and comments, so some kind of engagement.<br />
<br />
I've never gotten <b>Twitter</b>. There, I admit it, I'm a social media "expert" who just doesn't get it. If I thought Facebook had too much stuff I didn't care about, Twitter is even worse. I try and be careful about who I follow, and thus not get too much info, but again, it's just this mass of stuff I never seem able to keep up with, and for something that's supposed to be about conversations I never seem to HAVE any conversations with people. I've used automation to provide my stuff -- there, I admit it -- because I've never really figured it out. Should I just follow less people? Is it a matter of lists or something? How do I get to just the stuff I want to see?<br />
<br />
I want to like <b>LinkedIn</b> more than I do. The feed seems useless to find out what anyone is actually doing, and the groups are just absolutely unmanageable. I figured out how to make Foursquare (more on that in a moment) link to LinkedIn for just work-type places, and that seems really useful, but in terms of actually having meaningful interactions with people, what am I doing wrong? I love it as a repository of who I work with and who I'm linked to -- but can it be a personal CRM too? I can't link it to tasks (which I love, and use heavily, on my iOS devices synced with iCloud), but I can't link them to people very easily. <br />
<br />
<b>Foursquare</b> has been kinda interesting lately, mostly in that I like collecting checkins already, and now I can link to Facebook pretty easily, and collect a ton of them. It's been really useful for exploring new places too (despite it's inability to find me a good coffee shop to work and try coffee in around my house). I think I have the alerts up too high, because several other friends around me check in a lot too and it's just too much incoming information, but I think if I was just diligent I'd be able to clean that up. I got into Foursquare when they made the Facebook integration so good.<br />
<br />
I admit I also like <b>Untappd</b> for beer (and linked to FB and 4SQ) because I like tracking what I tried (and can never remember what I like), the <b>MLB At the Ballpark</b> app because it also lets me link to 4SQ but collect the checkin in their app and see my game history. There's one or two others that seem to work the same way, so when I think of them I use them. I think I like it because it's just a specialized "check in", and isn't in another place. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Blogging</b> is always something I've enjoyed doing but lack instant ideas. I try and write something weekly for the corporate blog, and I just fired this back up because I didn't have a place to put it, but maybe I just need to develop a better writing habit. Then the question comes up as to "Should I worry about sharing this, and if so, where". Or do I have other things feed this blog? (For instance, should I replicate my posts on the corporate blog here. I mean, they're my words there too, and it seems silly to make people look for me in two places).<br />
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<b>RSS Feeds</b> I still love -- always have. I love reading sites, and getting things in my Google Reader (soon to be something else) and in the Reeder app. I feel like I can get information when I want it on the topics I want, and keep up. I'm something of a completionist, so I like the fact I can catch up on all the stuff I missed since the last time I read. <br />
<br />
Where is the "main" one? Should I have things feed into other things? <br />
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And what about mood or time or intention? Is that what I'm doing wrong with the integrated approach? When I'm working, I want work information in front of me. When I'm out having fun, I want to find others to have fun with, and share my fun.<br />
<br />
I actually think I do a reasonable job of pushing OUT good content. I try not to share crap, I try and be relevant, I try and connect others to good information, that kind of thing. But when I'm looking for content, I feel like it's just too much and I'm not getting the stuff I'm looking for. The end result is that I'm feeling bored -- or not engaged or not interested or whatever -- because I'm not getting enough of what I want out of it. <br />
<br />
I'm throwing this problem out there to see what I get back. DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0Fairfax, VA 22031, USA38.864187 -77.25775709999999238.8147295 -77.338438099999991 38.913644500000004 -77.1770761tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-55534692348797842032011-12-29T14:21:00.001-05:002011-12-29T14:21:20.337-05:00How to best leverage the cloud for video…?<p>I've been giving a lot of thought recently to cloud services and their use for the consumer, particularly to deliver media experiences. There's a significant disconnect in the way we're using different kinds of service, particular when music or books is compared to video.</p><p>Music has been incredibly easy to manage. I have a clear option for purchasing music, MP3, which works on any device that I want. I then have options for streaming it as well, such as Pandora, Spotify, and streaming for options when I want to stream music. I can convert any music I have into MP3 too, meaning that I have a standard format to move music to. The streaming services seem to work on just about any device I have too.</p><p>Books have proven pretty easy as well, particularly embracing Amazon. Kindle, iPad, iPhone, they all seem to work -- Amazon has positioned itself well as a platform for this media. Regardless of device, I've got a way to put Kindle content on it.</p><p>Video has proven to be much more difficult.</p><p>I divide video into two categories -- owned versus streamed.</p><p>Let's start with the devices I have. Because broadcast TV will always be part of the mix, i have TiVo boxes all throughout my house. TiVo recorded content moves nicely between TiVo devices, but is a pain to move anywhere else. I have a single Apple TV in my main system, and I have a Roku too. I also now have Xbox 360 devices on all the TVs in the house too.</p><p>Like music, there is something to "owning" video, certain movies, that I like to have. Ideally, I want to find a system or format that displays on everything. I have a pile of DVDs -- I'm not against converting them to some standard format too. Of course, this isn't the way to handle HD content, which I want to get in some HD enabled format I can watch on TVs and portable devices. However, what format plays on everything? And how?</p><p>For streamed, I don't want to "rent" content. Frankly, I don't want to think about having to pay a dollar or two every time I watch a show, but instead want to just pay for a service, and have content available when I want it.</p><p>I've always embraced TiVo devices for my TV use. However, Amazon's streaming content and Apple content don't work here.</p><p>Hulu isn't bad, but it's TV only. Doesn't help on the movie front.</p><p>Having a mismatch of services doesn't really help.</p><p>Anyone got an idea here?</p>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-15148327144447529112011-12-27T16:26:00.001-05:002011-12-27T16:26:53.362-05:00Redecorating the basement<p>Ok, totally personal blog post today.</p><p>I've got it in my head to redo our basement. For those that have been over, yes, the bar. Now, before you think I'm pulling out the bar, I'm not. I love the bar layout, and won't change that. It's the rest of the room.</p><p>We never use the fireplace, or the couch downstairs. Besides the very obvious "put in an HD TV so it's better"… what layout should we go with? What would make that room more useable?</p><p> </p>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2691114440658102953.post-81796949220614824122011-11-21T16:51:00.001-05:002011-11-21T16:51:59.126-05:00Hey, look, I have a blog...<p>I'm considering gearing this blog back up again. So I'm throwing a post up with a virtual smirk to see if anyone's listening.</p><p>I suspect you aren't. And I'm ok with that. ;)</p><p>Dave</p>DJDavehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10745199045050332380noreply@blogger.com0