We need new home phones

Posted on February 5, 2010 by Joel

What is it about me that causes electonics to die a premature death? Do I radiate an aura that burns out circuit boards? I swear, some electonics will last for years, and yet others die ignominously. Is it in my mind, or do I have some useless Jubilee-type mutant power?

Uniden DECT 6.0 cordless phones

Our Uniden phones that are getting crappier each day.

Back in March 2008, just before Lily was born, we purchased new Uniden DECT 6.0 phones (4 of them.) We were now in a larger house, and needed more phones in more places, within arm’s reach.  The old Motorola phones used to work, until Josh threw one into a filled bathtub.  These Uniden phones were pretty good at the time. You could listen to messages from any phone, you could label each phone with a location, and then page someone in another room, and a good speakerphone to use when I’m working from home.

During the past 2 months, the usefulness of each phone is decreasing. It started with our master bedroom phone, and is spreading to the others. During various stages of a call, the phones lose their connection to the base unit. The phone call doesn’t disconnect, but you have to wait for the phone to initialize, find the base unit, and hit the call button again. Finally, you have to explain to someone where you went for 30 seconds. It’s not good. Why is this happening? Only our kitchen and living room phones are  operating properly at the moment. Very frustrating.

I’ve started researching new phones from Panasonic and other manufacturers, but I’m not impressed with what I’m finding. Isn’t it the year 2010? We have fiber optic coming into the house, and VOIP phones in our offices. Why aren’t there cool cordless home phones out there that everyone likes? Our cell phones are so advanced, but cordless phones are stuck in some sort of time warp of the early 2000’s.

The hunt goes on. If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment with your recommendations.

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Felix Baumgartner plans to break the sound barrier in the craziest way possible

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Joel
Joe Kittinger's Jump

Joe Kittinger set the record for the highest jump in 1960, when he dropped from a helium balloon at an altitude of 31 kilometers.

I have never heard of Felix Baumgartner.  Have you? He’s apparently crazy. Crazy like a fox crazy? I’m not so sure. Mr. Felix Baumgartner plans to ride a pressurized capsule connected to a helium balloon, to the height of 36,575 kilometers (equivalent to 22 miles), and jump out. Can you imagine that? Attempting to go faster than sound, with nothing between you and the atmosphere, except a suit and mask?

Why the suit and mask? I read original the article over at New Scientist. In order to reach supersonic speeds in freefall, a diver has to start at a very high altitude of over 31 kilometers. At that altitude, without a pressurized suit and mask/helmet, the atmospheric pressure will cause the gases in your blood to boil out. That’s sick. What is the shock wave going to do to him?

I was wondering how this guy could afford all this. The hot helium balloon, the pressurized capsule, the practice flights, the wind tunnel test runs. Red Bull is sponsoring him. Geez, why am I not surprised?

I decided to look back to the one and only time that I went skydiving back on Aug 6 2004. For many, many years, I dreamed of going skydiving. Short of going into space, it was the ultimate type of event. After I did it, I felt good about it, but that was it for me. I got it out of my system. What is unexplainable is that I have no interest in doing it again. Strange, no? I didn’t have a bad experience, and I was only a little afraid while going up. I’m glad I finally did it.

Here’s the odd part. Still this day, I don’t know why I don’t feel a need to do it again. It was cool to do it, but freefall wasn’t this astounding experience. It was falling with the wind in your face. That’s probably what is holding me back. It was a cool thing to do, but it didn’t change my life. I’d do it again if Red Bull gave me money. Hell yeah!

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Transformers: War for Cybertron

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Joel

Whoa. Geek alert. Calling all 80’s Transformers fans. There is a game. Xbox, PS3, and PC gamers (and fans) rejoice.

On IGN (bottom of page 5) this week, I stumbled upon a mention for a new game coming in 2010 called Transformers: War for Cybertron. Activision is publishing a third-person shooter based the Transformers property, but thank goodness, it ain’t the crap that Michael Bay put out. It’s kinda similar to the 80’s cartoon and comics, but less blocky. You can play as either Autobot or Decepticon faction, as they battle each other in the era before coming to Earth (if you follow the lore.)

The game trailer is available in SD and HD (full screen) on gametrailers.com. It’s a little hard to watch and focus in some parts, but I spotted Megatron, Starscream, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Ratchet.  Even cooler? You also get to see Omega Supreme and Trypticon. Way cool. I hope the game doesn’t blow chunks.

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Working in Jersey City is interesting

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Joel

I’ve been a bit MIA recently, but I’ve been working out of another office site for the past two weeks.  I’m currently riding the rails, and working in Jersey City, which is a first time for me. Sure, I lived in Jersey City in the past, but never worked there. I’m wrapping up week 2, with two more weeks to go.

It’s been an interesting change of pace:

  1. I’m parking in New Brunswick, and riding the NJ Transit train to Newark Penn Station, and switching a few PATH trains to get to the office in Newport, a swanky area of Jersey City. I haven’t done the regular commute-to-work-a-la-train gig in many years, but it’s both tiresome and interesting. I do love the train, but I sometimes forget how spoiled I am that I get to drive to my regular office by car. I do like reading on the train, but rushing to catch it can be stressful at times. It does often result in good anecdotes!
  2. Also, people are animals! I don’t remember people being so rude and pushy back in the day…… in 2005. Was it always like this? Maybe the Midtown Direct lines weren’t so crowded, but at least people were courteous. The folks riding the PATH and the Northeast Corridor will elbow and shove past you to make the train. Be nice, people. You don’t have to be jerks.
  3. I like working in a new city. New faces, new places to eat, and Hoboken is close by for meeting with friends, and drinks. For example, last night, I went out for drinks with friends in Hoboken after work. It was swell. 🙂
  4. Lovely views of the lower Manhattan skyline.
  5. I’m learning a lot about the business side of the bank, and it’s phenomenal. Such complexity, and so many darn right smart people that I’ve never met before running the place.

I do miss being in my regular office, but this is a nice change.

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Southland is another example of why network TV execs are stupid

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Joel

I am shocked at how dumb network TV executives are, but I’m thinking the current senior management team at NBC should win some awards for myopia. We are all aware of the entire Jay Leno – Conan O’Brien fiasco, and there’s no need for me to elaborate.  Instead, I shall cite another example: Southland.

I missed Southland on NBC the first time around early last year. As I understand it, NBC aired the first season (7 episodes), then ordered additional episodes to kick off Season 2. Before season 2 premiered in October 2009, NBC cancelled Southland. TNT purchased the rights to 1st season, and the unaired episodes from the 2nd season. I watched the series pilot, and I was absolutely blown away by how good the show was. Gritty drama, tense action, great acting. Wow. Seriously blown away. Why would I want to watch the diminishing returns of former favorite Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which has become more boring to me every additional season?

Southland on TNT

At the current moment, TNT will air all of the episodes, and they’ve posted all episodes online for your consideration. They have not ordered new episodes, pending ratings. If you are looking for gritty police drama that will hook you for an hour and pull no punches, check out Southland. I think it’s excellent.

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I finished Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Posted on January 16, 2010 by Joel

I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it. I finished Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. For weeks, I’ve been slugging away at each chapter of the game, painstakingly finding every treasure (thanks to the good folks at IGN and their game guides), and collecting achievements (trophies.)  Yesterday, I reached the last chapter, fought my way to the boss battle at the end. Again and again, I lost. Today, somehow, I finally beat him. I completed the last two action sequences, and was rewarded with a lengthy (and satisfying) cutscene movie that tied up the game very well.

Man, what a great game. Pulse-pounding action, great story, awesome visuals, and wonderful voice acting. I’ve embedded a short AP video (a la YouTube) where AP interviewed some of the key actors in the game. I can’t wait for the next installment (please tell me there will be another game) to see where the next adventure with these characters will go next.

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Away We Go (2009)

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Joel

Another movie in the can. Once the kids went to sleep on a quiet Friday night, we sat down to eat some Pappa John’s pizza, and watch our latest Netflix movie, Away We Go. It’s a 2009 Sam Mendes movie starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph, with respected supporting actors/actresses like Catherine O’Hara, Jeff Daniels, Allison Janney, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The premise of the story is that Krasinski and Rudolph are a couple who are about 6-months pregnant. Living near Krasinski’s character’s parents, they originally planned to have his family nearby to help. Turns out, the parents are soon moving to Belgium long term. Our intrepid couple heads out to visit various family and friends around the USA and Canada, in order to find a suitable home where suitable locale with family/friends that would be best for their future daughter. They end up travelling from place to place, finding these various people to be odd, or off their rocker, or whatever, unable to find the perfect spot.

I don’t think this was the best movie, per se. It was a decent rental. I liked Krasinkski and Rudolph in these roles, and I personally liked the characters they played. They didn’t have much, but they were two likeable people in love, surrounded by a sea of nutjobs. I could relate to them, even though they had “cardboard windows.” They were both approx 33 years old, deeply in love, and not exactly at the pinnacle of wealth and power. I’m 33, deeply in love with my wife, and not exactly rich and powerful. We don’t have the perfect life.  In the movie, they don’t have a particularly perfect life, and openly question, “Are we fuck-ups?” Hey, when you’re at this stage in your life, and you didn’t have the “perfect” life, you’d wonder if you were a fuck-up at times too.

In addition, the supporting actors/actresses establish those characters very well.  I will say that I could have done without the folksy, earnest soundtrack, which is starting to get cliched in some of these indie movies.

So final assessment — it’s a decent rental.

Away We Go (2009)

Away We Go (2009)

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Men of a Certain Age

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Joel

Last month, I started watching Men of a Certain Age, after I saw TNT running ads to promote their network lineup, including this show (see that, ABC? That’s how you promote your programming.)  So far, I’ve only missed the 2nd episode. The show features Ray Romano, Andre Braugher, and Scott Bakula as 40-something men in various phases of their lives. It follows the bonds that these three college friends have while dealing with the issues of middle age:

  • Romano’s character is a neurotic family man with two kids, but his wife is divorcing him.
  • Braugher’s character has a wife and kids, but is forced to work as a car salesman for his father’s dealership, in order to support the family.
  • Bakula’s character is an actor and ladies man, but he struggles-and-despises the roles he’s getting, e.g Lifetime movies.

Men of a Certain Age (2009)

It’s a new show, so it hadn’t been getting stellar ratings, but I think it’s pretty decent. Good stories, and good acting. It’s interesting to watch these three guys deal with the crap in their lives, but still talk and bond with each other. In every episode, they meet up at a diner to talk about what’s going on. If my best friends lived nearby, I know I’d be doing the same thing. Out of all the characters, I identify the most with Andre Braugher’s Owen character. He’s a family man who hates working for his unforgiving father (and who constantly disrespects him), but needs to keep doing what he’s doing to take care of the family. I haven’t seen Braugher in much, but he’s a terrific actor.

The good news is that TNT renewed it today (January 14 2010) for a second season. Again, TNT must believe in letting a new show develop an audience (again, ABC, you suck.)

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Kids and yoga

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Joel

Last year, my wife introduced Joshua (and Lily via the trickle-down effect) to yoga for kids. Before I had even tried yoga myself, she bought this yoga-for-kids DVD set, featuring yoga instructor Marsha Wenig.  Joshua enjoys it a lot, and has his own yoga mat to along with my wife’s. Lily likes to participate too, but she’s basically hanging around.

Turns out that more parents are trying out yoga for the kids. According to CNN’s article, “Yoga helps even little ones channel energy, emotion“, hundreds of studios across country teach yoga to children. Wow, I had no idea.

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Better off Ted’s Collection of Corpse-Screwing Dick Holster Outtakes

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Joel

This must be an original uncensored video for an upcoming episode about swearing. It’s NSFW, so…… listen with your headphones on while the cast swears profusely with some nice insults. [I give credit to the folks over at io9.com for the original title, because it’s right on the money.]

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