Archive for the ‘World Wide Weber’ Category

High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

I’m reminded of one of the perks of living in a house – being able to make a bunch of noise with no complaints.

So I’m spending Saturday night with Def Leppard, my favorite band from when I was in Junior High. They were a great band even before Pour Some Sugar on Me, back when Rick Allen still had both arms.

High ‘N’ Dry had some great songs, most notably High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night) and Bringin’ On The Heartbreak. It came out in 1981 when I was still in Elementary School. But I remember these songs from the radio when I was in 4th and 5th grade. AC/DC Back in Black and For Those About to Rock were hot then too.

Def Leppard - High 'N' Dry album cover

I was in Junior High when they really hit it big with Pyromania in 1983. That album kicked ass! Everyone was listening to it. Best songs were Rock of Ages, Photograph, Foolin’, Too Late for Love, and Rock Rock (Till You Drop). I still remember the first time I heard this album. I was at a friend named Carl’s house listening to the record in his older sister’s room. BTW, she was hot, but the album was hotter. Good times!

Def Leppard - Pyromania album cover

It was a long time before they released another album. Though they did release a single with remixes of Me and My Wine (previously only available as the B-side to the Bringin’ on the Heartbreak single from 1981) and Bringin’ on the Heartbreak (the original was much better). Me and My Wine sounded like it should have been included on the High ‘N’ Dry album. It was a great song and the video was pretty funny.

In the meantime, their story is a true VH-1 Behind The Music classic. I won’t retell it here, but you can read it here. Despite all their setbacks, their next album was even bigger than Pyromania. They released Hysteria in 1987. It was HUGE! It gave us Pour Some Sugar on Me. But I still prefer High ‘N’ Dry and Pyromania.

Def Leppard - Hysteria album cover

Is Phone Scoop Still Relevant & What’s Next

Monday, July 27th, 2009

I got to thinking about some of the sites I used to check out all the time. One of them was Phone Scoop. I used to LOVE phonescoop.com. Checked it out all the time. Loved seeing all the new phones. Then came the iPhone. Since then, there’s no reason to look at anything else. Nothing else is even close. Game over.

I loved my old Nokia smart phone even after it died until the minute I got my hands on my first iPhone. I forgot about the 6620 pretty fast, despite the many years of service it gave me. Despite the fact that I had been through 3 Nokias and had positive experiences with all of them.

It’s funny how one product can change things so much. It’s that good. If only AT&T didn’t suck so bad.

I can’t wait for Apple’s next game changing product. Maybe it will be a tablet. Though I’m also waiting for the CrunchPad (do a search for it on TechCrunch). But I’d really love for them to do something cool with the AppleTV. Hopefully mostly in software so that my older model can benefit.

I think this officially makes me an Apple fanboy. But they earned it, so I’ll wear the tag with pride.

Want to Know What It’s Like Living in Northern California?

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Imagine listening to this everyday.

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

I have no doubt it’s all true and in everyone’s best interest, but I don’t want to hear about it everyday.

Another iPhone 3GS

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

The Apple Store verified my iPhone was dead. They said it was likely a battery issue. They gave me a new phone (refurb?). And I went home that night to spend hours setting it back up the way it was – downloading apps, syncing music, and configuring settings.

They certainly took care of me well, but I’ll never get that time back. From what I can tell, you can’t back up your apps, so I’m going to have to go through this again the next time it dies. And based on the battery problems that iPhones have, it probably will happen again. I’m really glad I bought Apple Care to extend my warranty. Now I should probably write down all my apps.

My New iPhone 3GS is DEAD !!!

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

It worked one minute, it was dead the next. Going to the Apple Store on Monday to get it fixed/replaced. Major bummer. I’m glad I kept my old iPhone.

iPhone 3GS

New Bike – Day 2

Sunday, July 12th, 2009

Went to the grocery store and loaded up. No problems on the way there or on the way back, though the bike was real heavy and tougher to control on the way back. I also cut my finger unleashing the bungee cord with the S hook that was holding on the panniers. That thing is tight and snaps back fast if you don’t have a good grip on it.

On the way to the store I took little detour and cruised along the coastline for a bit looking at the fog overtaking San Francisco. Better weather is definitely a perk of being in Alameda versus the city. I might also point out that it’s 101 in Dallas right now versus sunny and 65 in Alameda. I do not miss the Texas summer.

With all that said, I like the bike and enjoyed taking the bike out rather than the car.

As of now it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve driven the car. Let’s see how long I can go.

New Bike!!! – Schwinn Cruiser SSX

Saturday, July 11th, 2009

My New Bike - Schwinn Cruiser SSX 2009This is a really cool bike that’s fun to ride. I’m going to use it to cruise around the island. I’m tired of driving a mile or two. I’ve already decked out the bike with a front basket and panniers on the rear so I’m ready to hit the grocery store. WooHoo!

Web Apps I’m Using Lately, Part 2

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Here’s what I was using in January 2007. Not a lot has changed. The major change is that I’m using a lot of these apps on my iPhone instead of a PC. Here’s the update.

  • Flickr (new, much heavier usage these days, primarily on PC)
  • Read It Later (new, I use it on my iPhone and PC)
  • Google Maps (new, use as default on iPhone)
  • AIM (new, use it on my iPhone only)
  • Facebook (new, much heavier usage these days on both PC and iPhone)
  • PB Wiki (new, prior wiki – Schtuff – was bought by PB Wiki, use on PC)
  • Delicious (no change, primarily on PC)
  • Google Personalized Home Page (no change, primarily on PC)
  • Linkedin (no change, primarily on PC)
  • Meebo (no change, use on PC only)
  • Microsoft Outlook Web Access (no change, PC only)
  • Wells Fargo Online Banking (no change, primarily on PC)
  • WordPress through Yahoo Web Hosting (no change, primarily on PC)
  • Yahoo Mail (no change, though also using on both PC and iPhone)
  • Yahoo Maps (no change on PC)

Deletions from the list:

  • Match.com and Yahoo Personals (I haven’t used any online dating apps in over a year.)
  • Yahoo Briefcase (killed by Yahoo, I miss it)

One obvious omission from this list is Twitter. I don’t like Twitter. I don’t see the necessity to tweet everything I do or to see what everyone else is doing at all times. It seems like a waste of time. Anything good eventually ends up in the media, in someone’s blog, or on Facebook. I have the patience to wait for this to happen.

I Received My Google Profiles Business Cards

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

These look pretty good, but I think the URL is too small. Never-the-less, not bad for free.

Google Profile Business Card

“Performing two Google searches uses up as much energy as boiling the kettle for a cup of tea.”

Sunday, January 11th, 2009

OK, I get it. Data centers use a lot of energy. Google has a lot of data centers. The energy they use is allocated across the searches performed. So what am I supposed to do about this? The Times Online which published this story was pretty short on answers. Thanks for nothing…and the guilt trip.