2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Reporting in at 2500 miles

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take my second drive in the 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. The 500 horsepower (500hp) monster belongs to my father-in-law, Phil and the car is a pretty vehicle. Most excitingly, the car is completely different than when I drove it a few months back. For good reason!

Phil purchased the Shelby GT500 back in the late October timeframe and almost immediately I had the opportunity to take it for a drive. At 400 miles, the car was impressive and quick – just not as fast as I expected. I put about 90 miles on the car, which was most impressive in 3rd gear to me. I remember passing a vehicle on the freeway and looking down to realize I was exceeding 90mph. The clutch was a lot heavier than the majority of the car I have driven from Audi, BMW, & Nissan. However, that was a much different car than what I drove over the weekend.

There were a couple of direct reasons for my lukewarm reception of the car, and fortunately both of them were factory issues. The first was that there was initially a loose hose that needed to be tightened. That in itself was not as concerning as the second – apparently there was a bearing loose in the supercharger that was impacting the performance of the vehicle. After some persistence with Ford, they agreed to not just repair the existing supercharger, but to get a replacement from Ford SVT (Shelby). Fortunately, the problem was caught early enough and there was no additional damage.

At the same time, everything you read on these vehicles is that they do not really come to life until after 2,000 miles. From our experience, that is definitely the case.

Driving the Mustang Shelby GT500 at 2500 miles is quite a treat. You can feel the horses ready to run at idle and rumble of the engine inside the cabin is impressive. Under heavy acceleration, the front end really lifts up – very quickly you hear the whine of the supercharger kick in and you are off. I am sure we came close to the 0-60 time of 5 seconds. When you drop into 3rd gear, you know you are beyond 60mph.

At this point, my opinion has very favorably improved on the 2007 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500. Here are some thoughts:

• Pretty car to look at, especially the red with the white stripes
• Interior is clean, but not a lot of electronics or gadgets. It is a more traditional muscle car with the basic necessities. No heated seat warmers here!
• Excellent sound from the Thumper 1000 stereo with Sirius satellite
• This Shelby is fast, very fast and a lot of fun – especially if you want to go in a straight line. You get a lot of front end lift under acceleration. While necessary to keep power to the rear end, you loose a feeling of stability with it.
• Traction control – leave it on, or the car may get away from you quickly.
• Handling is where I would consider this car to be lacking – but, you have to realize that is not in the design of the car. For instance, I would never put this vehicle under heavy acceleration around corners. The lack of independent suspension and the front end lift could put you in a drift very quickly.

Are you a Shelby GT500 owner or have you driven on? Leave me a comment below on your thoughts on the car.

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Need For Speed Carbon – First Impressions – Playstation 3

Today, I finally was able to crack open a Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) game that I received for Christmas. My original intention was to play it over the holidays while I had some time off. Unfortunately, as many of you know – I spent that week in pretty much in bed with the flu. What fun. None the less, since today is Martin Luther King Day, it gave me the opportunity to check it out.

The games itself is a Blu-Ray Disc, meaning that it could be true HD. However, this game – Need for Speed Carbon – by EA Sports HD, only supports video output of up to 720p. Not the true 1080p that both the Playstation 3 and Blu-Ray discs support. Enough said about the technical pieces of the game.

I have not played ANY of the need for speed series of games since the original Need for Speed was released back in 1994, while I was in college. In the meantime, I became a real fan of the Gran Turismo series. From the looks of the packaging before my PS3 boots up the game, it looks very similar for Midnight Club 3 – DUB Edition, which I have been playing on my PSP on some recent business trips. The first thing that I noticed as the game starts up is that it does not make much use of the PS3’s hard drive. This is a distinct difference from both Call of Duty 3 and Resistance: Fall of Man – used a few GBs to help with game loading and scene changes.

The introduction is pretty interesting. The first thing you’re told by a character (Kenji – Bushido) is that “Didn’t expect you to show your face again. Things have changed around here.” Definitely interesting, but I am left wondering whether I have somehow missed out on important facts by not playing other games in the series or if the story is started mid-stream. After getting though setup story, you see a few scenes of your driver escaping a police chase and then you come back onto the scene.

I put an hour or two in the game and here are my observations.

• Why does every game have to use a different set of controls for the same thing? Yes, I know I can change them – but what is the point? It would be nice if the gas and brake were always in the same place. It took a couple of minutes to get used to the Gas/Brake being on R2/L2.
• Graphics are good, but nothing spectacular. I have tested out Gran Turismo HD, and those graphics are far superior.
• Game-play is not too difficult, I only had to take one or two races on a second try to win, and I have already conquered Kenji as a boss.
• The story-line and characters are pretty good thus far, keeping you mildly entertained between races.
• Within your crew, the “Blockers” have been especially helpful for me. I have not gotten too much out of the “Scout” crew members in the way of help.

In a short summary, with just a few minutes under my belt, the game is fun and entertaining – but is not an award winner by any means. It is very similar to the Midnight Club series from Rockstar games as well. Lastly, I have not tried much in the way of online play yet – as I am sure I would take a beating in short order.

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A Walt Disney World Vacation - A Look Back

Now that we are back from our Walt Disney World vacation, I wanted to take a look back at the good and bad from the trip. Here are my thoughts about our recent vacation to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Overall, it was a great trip -- and while this post focuses on the nuances, they are mainly to make you aware of what to expect on your trip. Of course, in addition to all of the Magical fun you will have!

Walt Disney World:
In general, it is Disney and it is a great place to visit. All of the parks are great, and only in a few cases are there some annoyances. The main one worth mentioning are the pathways as the Animal Kingdom being too small, so the park becomes unbearably crowded in the afternoons.

We had major issues with our electronic room key, which is also used for park entrances, food service, and other important items. They were constantly being demagnetized throughout the week, and it was not just one or two of us -- just about all of us had problems multiple times with cards. Seems like Disney could make a little improvement in technology there -- we do not have the same problems with our credit cards. The interesting thing is that they would invariably happen at different points of the day -- sometimes at the entrance to the park, other times during food service, and lastly when trying to get into our rooms. All of them are quite an annoyance, especially when you are staying at a resort like the Caribbean Beach Resort where you may be a mile or more away from the service desk.

Caribbean Beach Resort:
I would not stay at this resort again. We decided to do this trip a little more on the "cheap" and the difference between this resort and the Beach Club / Yacht Club where we had stayed twice before are quite glaring. Future trips will return us to one of those two resorts for a number of reasons, none of them due to specific problems -- rather comfort and convenience.

• The rooms themselves are not bad, we were in the newly remodeled Jamaica area and the rooms themselves while basic, was sufficient. To note, they do not stock the rooms with several amenities and toiletries that you may at Deluxe resorts like the Beach or Yacht Club. However, when asking for them -- they were quick to bring them.
• The staff and service are mediocre at best, as our party had issues at both check-in and at check-out. At one point we were told three different things about a possible room upgrade within 5 minutes by three different people. Yes, maybe, and no -- in that order. Additional issues with the way the staff handled Disney's Magical Express, discussed below.
• Staying in a resort like the Caribbean Beach Resort will cost you at least 1-2 hours a day of time if you take the Disney transportation (more info below). The is most apparent when going to Epcot Center, Disney-MGM Studio, and when returning from the parks at night after the night time entertainment and fireworks, especially the Magic Kingdom.
• No mid-day breaks. If you want to head back to your hotel for a couple hours to sit by the pool, you will again cost yourself another 1-2 hours. If you stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort plan on being at the parks for the entire day.

A lot of other positives on this resort include the Old Port Royale, which is a great one-stop area of somewhat central access. You can almost anything you need in there, including a great selection of foods from the Food Court. The grounds and buildings are well kept as most things Disney are. Each little Caribbean country has its own pool, in addition to the large pool at the Old Port Royale, so you can have your mix of chaos and relative quiet -- depending on what kind of mood you are in.

Transportation:

• Transportation around the Walt Disney World for the most part is not too bad. Especially between the three parks of Disney-MGM Studios, Epcot Center, and the Magic Kingdom -- you have numerous options that can move you with relative ease.
• Communication is poor for the bus system. Meaning, approximate time schedules, times to go between parks, etc -- either is not published or not widely available. We did some looking and several cast members told us nothing was published.
• Transportation around the Caribbean Beach Resort takes a long time, period. This of course the nature of the layout of the resort. At some point during the day you will stop, at least once at all stops (8+) around the resort -- either coming or going. Honestly, it makes you consider getting a rental car to get to the resorts as you need to. Once you do than and spend the $50/day plus parking -- you might as well have stayed in a resort with better access, like the Beach / Yacht Club, Contemporary Resort, or Grand Floridian and had the quick access via walking or Monorail.
• If you are in line for transportation at a park, and folks with handicaps come up as the buses arrive -- they will be the first to board. Even if you have been waiting 30 minutes or more and they just show up. This is not a complaint, just a fact about how Disney operate. We noticed several people complaining about this in lines that we were in, and it is best to be aware of this before you go!

Disney Dining Plan:

The Disney Dining Plan has been getting rave reviews from everyone who was on it, including us. Due to this, it is highly popular -- especially in low season times where Disney significantly increases promotion, including it packages sometime. This is the only downside, if you do not plan ahead, you will have a tough time getting table service for dinner. Basically, adhere to this rule, as soon as you know you will be going there, make your reservations for the table service meals and plan your days around that.

I cannot tell you the number of folks that we ran into that commented, we keep having to have table service because all of the sit down restaurants are full. This was most apparent in Epcot's World Showcase where many of the countries have very popular eateries. In addition, if you do not know you are going to Walt Disney World at least 180 days in advance, you should not expect to eat at the Le Cellier steakhouse in Canada. It is highly popular given that it is a great steakhouse that only costs one table service meal. A comparable Yachtman's Steakhouse in the Yacht Club costs two table service meals.

The promotion and popularity of the program was the only downside to us. Given Ashley's vacation planning spreadsheet that she completes before we head there, we have always done the Disney Dining Plan, whether it was under a different name (Magical Wishes) or not. Again, I can not stress this enough -- due to the popularity of it planning ahead is key if you are on the plan.

Disney's Magical Express:

For our group, Disney's Magical Express was less than Magical on both the way from the airport and the way back to the airport. I will provide summaries, but you can read more about the specific experiences here and here.

On the way from the airport, it worked relatively flawless for Ashley and I. Basically we tagged our bags with the Magical Express stickers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and did see them until we arrived in our rooms. My parents on the other hand had an abundance of issues. The bottom line, if you are arriving late at night, and want to have access to your luggage immediately it is best to pick it up yourself -- or insure your carry-on has what you need for the evening because it could take 2-3 hours for the luggage to get to you.

On the way to the Orlando International Airport, the biggest tip is if you feel something is wrong and a bus is delayed -- go immediately to the Bell Service staff and demand they look into it. Be persistent, and insure them it is an issue. If you are not, you could wait an hour and a half like us and potentially miss your flight (like someone in line next to us did). Remember, the "schedule" you set is not a reservation or guarantee that the bus that arrives at the time on your sheet will have enough space for you. It operates more in a first-come, first-serve manner.

Other Tips:

• If you have a AAA (Automobile Club) membership and you are thinking about booking with Disney, do not. Book through AAA. While the price will be identical, AAA throws in some nice bonuses worth $50-75 including a free meal at the Planet Hollywood, 10% discount at the Downtown Disney Store, and a free every-park parking passes which is a huge benefit if you have a car.

Read the rest of our trip log for all the details:

• We're going to Disney World!
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 1
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 2
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 3
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 4
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 5
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 6
• Disney World - Trip Log - Day 7
• A Walt Disney World Vacation - A Look Back

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Buy a Wii Bundle, and return the items you don't want!

Buy a Wii Bundle, and return the items you don't want! That's right, it is easier than you think -- and I have successfully done it!

If you find this information helpful, please leave a comment below!

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I was fortunate enough to pick up a Nintendo Wii bundle from Walmart thanks to the free service by NowInStock.net. But, it initially a painful process because I was "forced" to buy an additional 8 games from Walmart within the bundle, for a big total of $736.87. This caused further frustration on my part because I held in my hand a slick 25% off coupon from American Express' My Wishlist for Toys-R-Us which has no restrictions on games, accessories or consoles.

My bundle included:

• Nintendo Wii Console
• Elebits Wii
• Open Season Wii
• Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 Wii
• Barnyard Wii
• Ant Bully Wii
• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz Wii
• Trauma Center: Second Opinion Wii
• Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action Wii

I then read Brian's post about people still creating a secondary market by bidding for the Nintendo Wiis on eBay. I knew I had to post my experience here with Walmart to help those of you who may have had opportunities to pick up bundles, but did not because of all the "extra" junk in them. I am happy to report that I have successfully returned "ALL" of the games in my bundle back to Walmart. Here is how it worked for me.

First off, Walmart does not have a policy on their bundles on their website. This means you can break apart the bundles and return any items from them without returning the whole thing. The second important item is the return policy on the Walmart site allows you to either reject delivery of a specific item, or return it to the store -- provided you keep the invoice for a full credit -- not just store credit, which is important.

Very quickly after my order was placed, I checked the status of the various bundled items to see if they were in stock like site stated or if there were any items experiencing new shipping delays. A couple of the games had shipping issues, so I placed a quick 5 minute call to Wal*Mart customer service and requested the cancellation of the games since they were going to take longer to ship than the website stated and I expected. 3 of the 8 games were taken care of.

Then, I simply waited until the various games arrived -- in three different packages as they were shipped from various drop-shipment locations. Once they all arrived, I took a short trip down to Wal*Mart and requested their return on my credit card. There customer service person did not ask any questions and the items were promptly returned and the credit appeared almost immediately on my credit card, before my payment was even due.

In the end, I paid retail price plus sales tax, plus $35.00 shipping for my Wii without having to pay for unwanted items. I am also now able to go pick-up the games I wanted from Toys-R-Us at a 25% discount thanks to My Wishlist certificate.

Bottom line is that if you want to get a Wii at retail, there are many other opportunities out there if you know where to look. This an you will not be feeding the secondary markets for Wiis!

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American Express My Wishlist Creates Impulse Purchasing

I have never really been an "impulse" buyer. Seldomly do I walk into a Best Buy or store and come out with a number of purchases that I did not intend to me when I started on my way in. However, I am a big fan of the American Express “My Life My Card” promotion that includes “My Wishlist”, now twice a year. For the past couple of years I have won a few useful items; Best Buy, Home Depot, etc. -- but only Wishlist coupons rather than any specific prizes. And, there have been some good prices such as the Porsche Cayman, Range Rover, Sony Wega Widescreen HD TV’s, trips to million dollar mansions internationally an much more.

Each year, it has pretty much been the same story for me. Target a couple of items, and if I happen to have some available time around when a product is made available – I try to grab one. However, I never seem to actually win a wishlist item, only the coupons.

In fact, this past year had been pretty fortunate for me, having obtained a Best Buy $150, Toys-R-Us 25%, and an Amazon.com 25% off coupons. The Toys-R-Us coupon is going to some much needed Nintento Wii accessories and games; the Best Buy is going to install my Delphi XM Radio and purchase the Canon SD800 IS, and shhhh – but I sold the Amazon.com one on eBay for $70!

But, this year ended a little differently. On a special day, the Delonghi Caffe Nero coffee maker was available and I was taking a quick break from work over lunch. I said what the heck – let’s see if you can win something. The price on the coffee / cappuccino maker though the wishlist was “only” $175 with a retail price of $450. What a deal, right? Forget the fact that I already have 2 coffee makers, and a cappuccino maker. So, without thinking, I see if I can get it.

Then, what do you know – an absolute surprise – I won the coffee maker! So, it gets dropped into my “shopping cart” and I quickly think – do I really need this? I place a call for Ashley, and she being just as astonished as I am – says – go for it, we have never won anything. So, I check out and purchase the coffee maker.

Fast forward today. Guess what? I have this box, sitting up in our spare room, still packed in the original box. It has been collecting dust in the room for the last four weeks. Now I have to decide what to do with this impulse buy. Either I can just bite the bullet and put something on the counter I do not need, or I could try and eBay it. My idea is to eBay it, but looking at what recent auctions have ended at – I would be lucky to break even. What a predicament!

At least if I decide to break it out of the box, I can tell you all how well it works here!

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Canon PowerShot G7 – 1000 pictures in!

It’s now been a few months since I obtained my “elusive” Canon PowerShot G7 camera. I am happy to report that after taking over 1000 pictures with the camera, I am quite satisfied with the performance of the G7.

My usage of the PowerShot G7 has been entirely in casual situations to this point. Family occasions, travel, and a few musings have been the uses to see how well the capabilities of the camera perform. Neither have I tried out any accessories such as the available lens or underwater case. Overall – in a short summary, I have yet to be disappointed with the quality of the pictures taken from the camera.

Here are a few collections of photos that have been taking by the Canon Powershot G7 camera. (These photos were shot in the highest resolution however Picasa conveniently reduced the size so I could store more than one set of photos):

• 2006_12_Christmas
• 2006_11_Thanksgiving_Disneyland
• 2006_11_11_USC_Oregon

In terms of rating my experience with the camera thus far, here are the good and bad things I have found about the camera:

The Good:

• Ergonomics. Great looking camera, buttons and dials can be accessed confidently without fumbling.
• Photo Quality. Problems that I have had with my PowerShot 410D Elph are not manifested in the G7. For instance, my personal tendency to have “red-eye” is barely visible, and the image stabilization has worked wonders in both active situation and night photos where a flash is not used.
• Zoom. The 6.0x optical zoom is excellent. Great way to get closer to the subject without going to the grainy digital zoom. The 10.0 megapixels enhances this, enabling you to crop any photo for basic prints to further enhance the image.
• Reliability. The camera has had zero issues to report.
• Longevity. I have yet to run out of the battery and had to switch out in the middle of taking pictures. In some cases, I have taken a couple hundred snapshots.
  Speed. The G7’s startup time is amazing low. It’s time between pictures, even for the storage of the 10 megapixel photos is also relatively quick.
• Shoulder Strap. When I posted my first impressions about the camera, I was critical for Canon not including a wrist strap for the PowerShot G7. However, after carrying around the camera around for a day at Disneyland, I really appreciated the shoulder strap. By carrying it with the strap over one shoulder and underneath the other arm, it was very convenient. I barely noticed that camera and it was readily available for quick shots.

The Bad:

• When to use. Given the positioning of the camera it is neither a SLR nor a light-weight pocket camera. That means you need to be intentional about carrying it with you. It does not have the “unconscious portability” that you find in the SD line of PowerShot cameras. You cannot simply slip it into your pocket or purse. It is not what the camera was intended for.
• Wrist strap. Yes, I do since the praise of the shoulder strap above, but it would be nice to have a basic wrist strap to carry and hold the camera.
• Accessories. The only knock I give is for the availability of a basic, very basic carrying case. The current ones available from Canon are pretty bulky & expensive. It was even difficult to find anything similar to the SD line from 3rd parties.

The Verdict:
The PowerShot G7 is a keeper of a camera. Even better news, is that you can find the camera readily available for about $500, about $100 below MSRP before any coupons or discounts. We will take it on every major trip we have and use it for our primary camera. However, it cannot be our only camera. Ashley and I still really need a basic camera that has the feel of “unconscious portability” that we can have with us at all times. Unfortunately the PowerShot G7 just does not fit the bill. So, in the coming weeks – we will be purchasing the Canon Powershot SD800 IS as a supplement to the G7 -- thanks to a Best Buy MyWishlist certificate. I will let you know how that goes!

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Chris Webber – Say It Is Not So!

I cannot believe what I have been reading for the past 24 hours on the Internet – that Chris Webber may be a member Los Angeles Lakers very soon. This is one of those true conflicts in life, per say. For years, I have disliked even the mention of Chris Webber’s name – as well as anything associated with the Sacramento Kings. My dislike for Mr. Webber was so well noted, that family members bought me a framed 8x10 picture for Chris one year for Christmas. Yes, as a joke.

However, the popular news on the Internet right now is that Chris is destined to be the newest member of the Los Angeles Lakers. While it is still largely speculation, we have to consider the question. Can I cheer for Chris Webber as a member of a Laker team?

Although it would be difficult, I think I could bring myself to do it. Provided that he did not comment about there be nothing good to eat in Los Angeles and he is a rejuvenated player again. Phil Jackson can work wonders with some players, and hopefully Webber would not be an exception to that. The Lakers do need another post player who can actually score. Chris Mihm is out for the season, and Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown are slowly recovering from injuries. I think a starting line-up of Smush Parker, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Chris Webber, & Andrew Bynum would be a great starting five that could compete in the West!

Of course this is wild speculation at this point, but it could happen.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16566982/

Come with me now as I take a journey along Chris Webber’s memory lane. The advice here is to wear steel-toed boots and a helmet, because it’s rough going:

There was the infamous timeout when his team didn’t have any left at the end of Michigan’s loss to North Carolina in the NCAA championship game in 1993.

There was the personality clash with Don Nelson at Golden State, which led to Webber being traded to Washington.

There were the scrapes with the law involving marijuana and driving while living in D.C.

There were the lies he told to a grand jury investigating Ed Martin, a former Michigan booster.

There was his complaint that Sacramento had no good places to eat, which didn’t sit well with Sacramentonians.

And there was his stay in Philadelphia; to put as positive a spin as possible on it, at least he is appreciated there more than Terrell Owens.

When you’re a professional athlete and all you have are lowlights, then the lowlights become the highlights of your career.

This is where Chris Webber is today. He’s almost 34, suffering from ankle and foot problems and, no doubt, mental fatigue both from the Allen Iverson trade watch and aftermath, and the indignity of playing for a team that has the worst record (9-26) in an awful conference.
To make matters worse, the Sixers have now reached a buyout with Webber, which means events have become so toxic there that the team simply said, “Just get out. We’ll pay you most of the more than $40 million we still owe you. Just get out.”

Clearly, Webber has reached his nadir. In a movie, this is the end of the second act, when the main character has reached his lowest point. Think George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” being ridiculed by Mr. Potter and then contemplating his own demise in the icy river. What matters now, of course, is what he does next. A suggestion to this lost, miserable soul: Give the Lakers a call. Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson just might be your guardian angels.

Does Chris Webber have any basketball left in him? Good question. Webber is the only one who can answer that. This season he’s averaging just over 11 points (the worst of his career) and eight rebounds per game, down from 20 and 10 last season. He has also not played in 10 of the Sixers’ last 13 games.

This could be because his body is breaking down and he’s ready for retirement. It could also be that he’s so mentally and emotionally drained after 13-plus NBA seasons full of strife and disappointment that he just doesn’t care anymore.

So why would the Lakers want a guy like that?

They wouldn’t. But they could use a revitalized and rejuvenated Webber who suddenly is excited again about playing basketball.

Webber’s career path is not exactly like Bob McAdoo’s, but it has similarities. McAdoo was a supremely talented big man who played on teams like the Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons. He was always his team’s top scorer and most prominent star, and as a result was often ripped for not making horrible teams better. But when McAdoo came to the Lakers to be a scorer off the bench on a star-studded team, his mood and outlook brightened, and basketball was fun again. He was instrumental in helping L.A. win the championship in 1982.

If Webber came to the Lakers, he undoubtedly would experience a similar renaissance. The Lakers don’t necessarily need him, but they sure could use him. At his best, Webber is a reliable scorer both in the post and from the perimeter. His experience would prove beneficial on a team that is startlingly young.

Certainly there is a concern about his attitude. If he came to the Lakers, would he and Kobe Bryant butt heads? Would Webber sulk and pout when he doesn’t get his way, as he is wont to do?

Webber has been a problem child, but he’s no imbecile. He understands that his reputation is in tatters, and that he’s down to his last chance. If somebody throws you a life preserver, the natural reaction is to be grateful, not to complain that it isn’t big and fancy enough. No matter which team he lands on, Webber would be insane if he did anything other than play his heart out in whatever role he’s asked to perform.

The Lakers are in fine shape without C-Web. They can play with anybody in the NBA. But that isn’t the goal. The goal is to beat anybody in the NBA in a seven-game playoff series. These Lakers are getting there, but they’re not there yet. Adding Webber — especially since Chris Mihm is out for the year and Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom are slow to recover from their injuries — would boost their prospects considerably.

Since Webber already has enough money to buy his own franchise, he probably could be had by the Lakers for a pittance. If Webber is in a positive state of mind and has his priorities straight — i.e., wanting to play for a winner and enjoy himself rather than sell himself to the highest bidder to feed his ego — he’ll gladly jump aboard without regard to salary. At this point, it should be about winning. Personal redemption will come with team success.

This is one time that Chris Webber needs to take a timeout. It’ll give him a chance to think about where he’s been, and where he should go next to forget about where he’s been.

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Flipper Nation is Back with Episode 3 - The Flippin' Fight

Flipper Nation is back and they have their third installment of their home & real estate flipping satire series. In this episode, Richie and David have a little wrestling match and the action takes from there. The story continues to explore how Richie and David look for their "next" house to flip having just made $75 on their last one. The "team" the real-estate moguls, their landscaper Raphael and contractor Randy are prepping for their next purchase. I cannot wait to see what house they end up with.

As I mentioned before, I get a real kick out of this series -- mainly from my own experiences in real estate and the current state of craziness here in Los Angeles and Ventura counties over the past couple of years. The first episode is still my favorite, but once they get their next house -- I think we are all going to really enjoy that!

The episode is embedded below, be sure to check it out!

Flipper Nation
Episode 3: The Flippin' Fight

There's more where this came from at: FlipperNation.com

If you cannot view this video, you can check it out at YouTube instead.

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2006 Audi A4 2.0T FSI Road Test (B7 2006-2007)

It has been almost a year since I leased my 2006 Audi A4 2.0T FSI car. Now having driven it just about 12,000 miles – I wanted to provide my first road test and impressions of the car.

Background:
I choose the Audi A4 on a little more than a whim. You see, almost a year ago, my Nissan dealership informed me that some major issues that were starting to happen on my 1997 Maxima. The damage was going to be around $3,000 in repairs and require cracking the transmission, clutch and some other expensive areas. And, based on my previous experience with cars – once you open them up, they are never as good as new. The Nissan Maxima had been extremely good to me, giving 175,000 miles of driving in Los Angeles without any significant repairs other than your standard brakes, tires, & constant velocity (CV) joints at about 130,000 miles. That’s right, 175,000 miles on the original clutch and it was still in great condition. The car served 9 bullet proof years. However, given the news and the expense, it was time to look for a new vehicle.

I considered a number of vehicles, the Infinity G-Series, the BMW E90 3-Series, the Lexus IS350 among a few others. I have always enjoyed German vehicles; however the recent styling on the 4-door BMW E90 3-series leaves a lot to be desired. It is perhaps, the worst model that BMW had put out in some time. At the same time, the Audi series of vehicles have come a long way, especially with the new B7 line of the A4 series that refreshed the prior body style and look. Not to mention, the desirable upgrade of the engine to a 2.0 liter turbo.

It did not take me long to decide. Within a day of seeing the A4 2.0T, I knew that was the model of car that I want. Plus, the dealership I visited – Rusnak Audi/BMW of Westlake Village had the car I wanted – a black 2006 A4 2.0T with manual 6-speed transmission. I am still a fanatic when it comes to having a manual transmission and clutch, and they are near impossible to find in the Los Angeles area due to traffic. So, I quickly made a deal with my sales person – James Hall – who made the deal easy. It was made easier by the fact that Audi had a special lease offer promotion on the A4.

Experience:
At 12,000 miles, I could not be happier with my Audi A4 2.0T FSI. In my daily driving, I average around 30 miles per gallon – split between city and highway. The car has been a problem free and extremely reliable car.

Some of the reviews I have read on the A4’s include some folks having some pretty significant problems off the lot. That was not my case, I have only taken the car back twice – once to have my windows tinted, and then again for the 5,000 mile service. The next service is not due to 15,000 miles, and is included without additional expense to me. Rusnak’s Audi service has been outstanding – anytime I call, if they are with a client

The 2.0T engine has some decent pep to it and handles well; I have not been in a situation where the performance has let me down. The car and styling is extremely comfortable inside, and is suitable for long trips.

My only regret at this point in time is that I did not get the Quattro. There have been a couple of times on canyon roads where the extra handling and distribution of wheel power would have been a help. Then again, I may have gotten myself into more trouble.

There are also a lot of tuning (upgrade) options from both APR and Neuspeed for the B7 version of the Audi A4 2.0T. These include ECU upgrades (chips), turbo enhancements, air boxes, and exhaust upgrades. With just the ECU upgrade, air box, & exhaust upgrade the horsepower on the car can be boosted from 200hp to above 260hp. That’s higher than the 3.2L version of the car, with 200lbs less weight. Based on the current performance options available and the fact that the 2.0T engine is the best that Audi makes – there is practically no reason to consider the 3.2L engine. While I currently have not made any tuning changes, I am considering both the chip and air box after the 15,000 mile service.

My overall impressions of the car:

The Good:

• Overall the Audi A4 is impressive – the car is also more responsive, has better power, and handles quite well. In fact, that is the area where I am most impressed with the extra sports suspension on the car.
• Reliable – no issues 12k miles in.
• Audi Service – excellent service and responsiveness.
• Great Fuel Economy – ~30mpg city is a great start!
• Tuning – lots of opportunity to upgrade and tune that A4

The Bad:

• Brake Dust – the amount of brake dust that is generated from basic driving it much higher than what the Maxima had. Keeping the wheels looking good and clean is a difficult proposition.
• Armrest – The armrest in the car is positioned in a pretty annoying away. If you have two passengers and plan to use both cup holders, you must have the armrest up to access the 2nd drink. In fact, the armrest has to be at an angle with even a normal size beverage.
• Audi Upgrades – to add basic Satellite radio to the car (even though it is prepared for it) costs $600-650 at the dealership which is about $400-450 more than it should cost. Especially since I am sure Audi get a commission on each.
• Cruise Control – the location of the cruise control lever is in an awkward place that cannot be easily seen and often has to be felt.
• Gas Pedal Response - occassionally there will be a slight delay in the response from pressing the gas pedal to when the engine increases power. I will be mentioning this during the 15,000 mile service. This may just be because of the throttle being electronically controlled.

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2007 Malibu Fire Brings Back Memories of 1993 & 1996

The instant I arrived home tonight, my phone started ringing. Very quickly, memories of the Malibu fires of 1993 and 1996 came back to me. Apparently a fire started in the Malibu bluffs right across the street from Pepperdine University, destroying between 4-10 homes down the hill from the school. Details are still sketchy, but a portion of an article from CNN is included below.

Update: Malibu had another fire today, October 21st 2007 - more on that: http://www.somelifeblog.com/2007/10/malibu-fire-pepperdine-santa-ana-winds.html

Here are my memories from 1993 & 1996:

Back in 1993, I was a freshman on the campus of Pepperdine University without a car or other transportation. In November, the annual Santa Ana winds showed up and red flag warnings we issued throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties. A fire started on the Calabasas side of the Santa Monica mountain range in Old Topanga and the historic fire started. Of course plants of the chaparral are known to burn every 14 years or so naturally -- many of these areas had not burned since 1930. The results were disastrous -- 100 foot flames and 268 homes destroyed. I ended up spending the evening evacuated into the Firestone Fieldhouse gymnasium at Pepperdine with about 100 students, after all my friends left to brave 4-5 hours of traffic on Pacific Coast Highway. Sleeping on the floor, with a blanket and pillow from my dorm, a layer of smoke filled the gym. We awoke in the morning to see fire completely surrounding the University boundaries in a ring of fire. Fortunately, no structures on campus were burned -- partially due to the fact that Pepperdine University's campus is a natural border and a great place to stage the firefighters. So, it was used as the base. Things returned to normal on campus within a few days, it took a few years for the Malibu community to rebuild.

1996 was a little different story. Again, during some Santa Ana conditions -- a fire started near the 101 Freeway in Calabasas and raced towards Malibu driven by 70mph winds. Within 2 hours, the flames reached the mountains surrounding Pepperdine University. I was a senior at Pepperdine University, and walked into class just as the fire was announced. By the time we walked out 50 minutes later, it was announced that we needed to evacuate. When I arrived back to my dorm room, I could see the flames just creeping over the hill by the horse stables. Within minutes, the stables were engulfed in flames -- fortunately all the livery were evacuated. For the most part, the campus was no where near as protected as it was with the first fire as the fire department had not yet set up and operations center on the campus. This was evident in the stable loss and other areas burning around the campus. In fact, it did burn around the President's home, but no other structures were damaged or destroyed.


----------------------------------------------
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/08/calif.fire.ap/index.html

MALIBU, California (AP) -- A wildfire fanned by Santa Ana winds destroyed eight seaside mansions and damaged five others Monday as it spread over more than 10 acres in this celebrity enclave, authorities said.

Flames boiled furiously out of the skeletons of million-dollar beach homes as palm trees bent in winds blowing at 21 mph.

More than 300 firefighters battled the blaze at West Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road, said Los Angeles County fire Inspector Ron Haralson.

The blaze erupted about 5 p.m. near West Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road. Residents were being evacuated on the west end of the canyon road, Sheriff's Sgt. John Hocking said. (Watch dramatic footage of helicopters dropping water on the towering flames )
TV news helicopters shot scenes of flames blowing down seaside slopes toward shoreline homes.
Winds appeared to be blowing the fire toward the ocean.

"It's so windy out there, it's kind of scary," said Roberto Cardenas, an employee at Coogies Beach Cafe.

Firefighting help was requested from the city of Los Angeles and neighboring Ventura County, Inspector Sam Padilla said. Two helicopters were on the scene, and two more were summoned.

Malibu has frequently been the scene of devastating fires, with its steep, brushy canyons funneling winds into luxurious neighborhoods where Pacific views draw movie stars and millionaires. In 1993, hundreds of homes were lost and three people were killed. A 1996 fire injured 11 people and destroyed six homes.

"We've been seeing firetrucks screaming by," said Mike Gibson, manager of Diedrich Coffee, just over the hill from the fire.

The fire was less than a mile (1.6 kilometer) from Pepperdine University, but there was no immediate threat, said spokeswoman Molly Drobnick. "It's less than a mile away. There is quite a few flames. It's a pretty big fire."

Red flag warnings had been posted for much of Southern California because of strong north and northeast winds and low humidity.

Santa Ana winds blow when high pressure forms over the Great Basin and cold, dry air rushes out of the north or northeast toward the coast, reaching high speeds through canyons and passes.

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Insider: Tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers at face value.

Since I live in the Los Angeles area, there are a couple of common questions I get regarding Los Angeles Lakers tickets. This is especially true over the past few year, since there is no longer a pro football -- well NFL football team here. The first question I am asked by people I meet is: Do you go to any Los Angeles Lakers games at Staples Center? When I answer "of course", the question that immediately follows are: "How do you get them, especially without paying an arm and a leg for them?". That secret, is the subject of this post.

Lakers tickets, especially come mid-season and playoff team are very difficult to come by, even when the team is not having a great year. (Think the 04/05 NBA Season) A quick look on eBay shows a number of tickets, available -- but most go for at least $100 over face value, especially if you want to be in the lower bowl with tickets in sections 100, 200 or the Premier section seats. Then, there is always the option of going through ticket brokers. While they make it easy to find tickets for last minute events, they are also expensive. Those who do some planning ahead can really get ahead of the game.

What is the answer you ask? How can I get decent or great tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers at face value? The answer is much simpler than you think. Sign-up for season tickets. What you ask, you mean I have to purchase season tickets in order to get access to good seats? I could have told myself that. No, that is not the answer. When I say sign-up for season tickets, I mean join the Lakers' season ticket waitlist! This is a little trick I learned a couple of years ago!

The Lakers season ticket waitlist, is over 1,000 people waiting for the opportunity to purchase Los Angeles Lakers season tickets. Once you join the waitlist, it will be several years before you have an opportunity to buy them should you want them! When you are on the waitlist, you get the following benefits:

• You get access to tickets for the regular season before the general public. That's right, usually 1-2 days before the general public has access to tickets -- you have the opportunity to purchase them. Seats available include both Premier Section (PR) as well as great seats in the 100's, including center court. This year, seats were limited to 4-per game or a total of 20-tickets, which is still great.
• You get access to special releases of tickets before big games. Last year, several games including Shaq's return to Los Angeles in January were released to those on the Season Ticket Holders waitlist several days before the game. What is better, these are at face value and there are no Ticketmaster fees!
• Playoff Tickets! Playoff tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers are also released to those on the waitlist before they are released to the general public. Last year I was able to get seats in the 5th row for the Lakers' 2nd home game against the Phoenix Suns which was one of the best Laker playoff games ever! I was also able to get a set of 8th row tickets for the 1st home game.

So, you ask what is the catch? Really, not much -- all you need to do is visit the website and sign up. What they do require is a $100 deposit per seat on your credit card. Which is refundable anytime you decide you do not want to be on the waitlist. That cost covers is paid for in the first game or playoff game you attend, plus you can get it refunded at any time!

Best of luck, and enjoy getting your tickets for the Los Angeles Lakers at face value!

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PSP LCD Replacement Guide - Tutorial on how to repair and replace a broken PSP LCD screen - with Video!

A few months back, I posted about my experience in repairing a broken Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) LCD Screen. Since that time, hundreds of interested people have visited my blog looking for more detailed information. I have found that several other sites have recently shut down or there are a lot of sites do provide inadequate information to do the job right, and finally several folks want to charge you $10-$20 for a guide to do the repair. Your other option of course, is to send your PSP into Sony and have them charge you over $100 plus shipping. Doing it yourself should cost you less than $40.

Update: Video of PSP LCD Replacement now included below!


So, in response to the visits and questions -- I am putting together a quick guide and tutorial on how to do that. This guide will be updated to include more detail over time, and eventually become a step-by-step with pictures. For now, it will be pretty high-level -- but detailed enough for you to complete the job.

Let me start off by saying that the instant you start to undo the first screw on your Sony Playstation Portable (PSP), your warranty with Sony is void. However, if you call and tell Sony that you have a broken LCD, they will immediately flag your account and declare your warranty void anyways. So, in most cases you are in a no-lose situation -- because you have effectively already voided your warranty by breaking the PSP LCD screen.

Ok, now we can get started on the guide. Here is what you are gonig to need to complete the job:

• Replacement Sony PSP Screen with backlight. You can get parts that are just screens that you need to install the backlight in and use your current backlight or buy a complete LCD with backlight. Spend the extra couple of dollars and buy one with backlight, you will not regret it. Where should you buy your LCD Screen? A couple of options, you can follow the reputable advertisers on this page to their site by clicking. Or, you could give eBay a shot -- most vendors are international.
• Precision Screwdriver Set. If you do not have a small precision screwdriver set for eyeglasses or other small electronic, spend the $5 at Home Depot. Otherwise, you run a great risk of stripping out the screws on your Sony PSP while you try repair your broken LCD screen.

Now we can get started on the repair.

1. Layout the parts and screwdrivers and let everything come up to room temperature. For those of us who live in warm weather climates, this is not a big deal. However, if your garage is much colder or the parts are not at similar temperatures you could have issues in some circumstances.
2. There are six screws that you need to take out in order to open up your PSP case. Two of them are hidden underneath the battery. Before you can get to them, you must remove the black strip of tape near the bottom of the compartment. This is the warranty tape, removing it will expose the last two screws.
3. Carefully separate the plastic casing for your PSP by removing the top cover on your PSP and set it aside. This should separate very easily. If you have troubles removing it, there is still a screw left on your PSP.
4. Using a small, flat precision screwdriver (exacto knife may also work), pry the metal edges of the silver screen assembly from the LCD screen. The LCD should pop out, but the cables should still be attached by the clips.
5. Fold the screen down to expose the connections to the clips. Carefully release the clips from the front by gently lifting them with a flat-head screwdriver. Be extremely careful not to break the clips by applying too much pressure. A broken clip is the only thing that will require you to send your PSP into Sony for repair.
6. On the Sony Playstation Portable clips are lifted, the cables will slide out and your broken (shattered) LCD will be ready for disposal.
7. Lay the new LCD screen face down in front of your PSP so that you can access the cable clips and gently slide the cables all the way into the clips. (In some cases, the cables may not go in without a little help from a screwdrive or by slightly bending the cables. Be very careful if you need to use this method as you do not want to damage the leads of the cable.) Now, close the clips by snapping them down.
8. Fold the new Sony PSP LCD Screen up and snap it back into the metal assembly. Do not put on the LCD screen itself as it is very sensitive and you could crack it. Snap it in by pressing along the edges of the unit. It should go together very easily.
9. Place the cover back over your case and put all the screws back in.
10. Turn on your PSP and enjoy your new screen!

Did this guide help you out? Do you have any questions or need clarification? Go ahead and leave a comment or contact me for more information!

Video: 1st minute has the items necessary for the PSP LCD Replacement


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Great deal on a trip to Hawaii from Hilton!

What good timing on a special Hawaiian vacation offer! This past Thursday, a great opportunity came in the mail from Hilton HHonors and the Hilton Grand Vacations Club for 5-days & 4-Nights in Hawaii at one of the Hilton Resorts!

It happened to be perfect timing for our short term vacation planning for 2007. Basically, we needed to take a trip in late February to early March for various reasons. We were considering a lot of options, including Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas -- in addition to Hawaii.

What really sealed the deal was this offer, and the addition that United Airlines has very reasonable fares to Hawaii this February -- we picked up our round-trip tickets from Los Angeles for less than $300 each. We briefly though about visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, but with ticket prices being a couple hundred dollars more, we decided to head back to Oahu.

We have stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, Hawaii (Waikiki) on a couple of different occasions and we have found it fantastic each time. In addition, our Gold status with Hilton HHonors has benefited us greatly -- on each occasion we were upgraded to suites on the 20th+ floor of the Rainbow tower. The terms of this promotion are such that the eligibility for upgrades is the same as booking through Hilton. Plus, you get $100 Hilton dollars to spend at the resort -- sounds like we will be having at least one meal at Benihana.

For those who are interested, I believe the offer is available to selected folks from Hilton HHonors, and the Hilton Grand Vacation Club, but I am not sure. Here is the information from the brochures if you happen to be interested!

-------------------------

Your Special Invitation
HHonor Member, Paradise Is Closer Than You Think!
As a Hilton HHonors member, you are invited to enjoy an exclusive vacation offer.

5-days & 4-nights at your choice of Hilton Waikoloa Village on Hawaii's Big Island or Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa on Waikiki Beach, plus 40,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points. You'll also receive 100 Hilton Hawaiian Dollars to use on property. All this from only $798.00 plus tax. As an added bonus, reserve your dates by 1/20/2007 and receive and additional 5,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points.

Finalize your travel plans by calling our toll-free number, 1-866-274-7275. Offer expires 2/28/2007.

-------------------------
Details of Participation: Accommodation Details. Reservations are on a space-available basis. Accommodations will be in a standard hotel room at the Hilton Waikoloa Village or Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa for up to two (2) people (retail value of $209-$489 per night, based on season and property). Upgrades may be available at an additional cost. Package includes accommodations and premiums only. Please allow approximately 60 to 90 days after check-in for Hilton Honors bonus points to be credited to your account. All other charges, sales taxes, expenses and the cost of travel are your sole responsibility and are not included with this special rate. Holiday, high season or weekend rates may apply. Written confirmation requested to check-in. Reservations. This is a non-refundable, non-transferable advance purchase package. Reservations must be made with a credit card. A $19.95 charge applies to each reservation change made up to 15 days prior to arrival. Should your plans change within 14 days of your scheduled arrival, require a change of your reservation dates or arrival date, the equivalent of one night at currently published rack rate will be applied to the cost of your package. The above fees do not apply when purchasing additional nights consecutive to an existing reservation. Package expires twelve (12) months from date of purchase. Premiums may not be redeemed for cash. Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Miles, and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions. Hilton Hawaiian Dollars must be picked up at the Concierge Desk in the Lagoon Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa or at a Hilton Grand Vacations Club Welcome Center at Hilton Waikaloa Village. Information gathered through this promotion may be used to solicit timeshare sales. Hilton Grand Vacations Club and HGVClub are registered trademarks of Hilton Hospitality, Inc. and licensed to Hilton Grand Vacations Company, LLC.

Airfare is not included in the package. Rates exclude taxes, gratuities and other charges. Due to the highly discounted rates of $798 per package (low season) and $898 per package (high season), this offer does not permit current HHonors members to each the standard HHonors Points & Miles. This offer is limited to a maximum of 45,000 Hilton HHonors points. Recipients of offer who are not currently Hilton HHonors members, and who later become HHonors members, as well as recipients of offer who are not current Hilton HHonors members and never become HHonors members, who are in effect take advantage of said offer, are not eligible to earn standard HHonors Points & Miles, and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions.

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From the Brochure:
Hawaii Awaits

Welcome to the Hawaiian Islands...
Indulge in Hawaiian hospitality at its very best.
A sunset stroll along the beach paints the picture of an unforgettable Hawaiian Islands vacation. The perfect balance of tranquility and adventure will lead you back to the Hawaiian islands time and time again, creating enduring memories that are sure to last a lifetime.

Hawaii's Big Island...A Place of Unique Natural Wonders
Hawaii's Big Island is a place for adventure seekers, as well as those who love to lounge. Adventurers can surf the famous big breaks, dive among the reefs or explore volcanoes. Those here for relaxing can enjoy a round of golf, whale watching, beach strolling, and sunbathing. Paradise, indeed. A break taking Hawaiian oasis, Hilton Waikoloa Village is a destination unto itself.

One the white sands of Waikiki Beach lies the Perfect Village Experience.
The Island of Oahu, also known as "The Gathering Place," offers something for everyone. Whether your pleasures are beach activities, shopping, hiking through rainforests, snorkeling or touring museums and botanical gardens, Oahu offers all this and much more! From the vitality of Waikiki to the serenity of the North Shore beaches, Oahu is a rich and inviting destination in paradise. A true island paradise, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa is classic Hawaiian hospitality at its best.

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What a difference a year makes

I was just thinking about how I felt a year ago this morning. And I thought to myself, what a difference a year makes. Here, yesterday was January 4th and on January 4th, 2006 I was at the Rose Bowl for the BCS Championship game for USC Trojans vs. Texas Longhorns.

In retrospect, the game was a much better game than I gave it credit for that evening on the way home. I was so surprised by the fact that USC lost, and from my perspective giving the game away -- that I could not see how great of a game it was. I could not get past that USC should have been ahead 21-0 at one point in the first half if it was not for Reggie Bush's ill-advised lateral or Matt Leinart's unexplainable interception in the end zone. Those two scores would have been game over. But, that really is not the point. Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns persevered and won the game in last seconds. Regardless of how I felt about it, that was quite an accomplishment.

This year's bowl games were fun, but not quite as exciting. In fact, just 3 days before the 2007 Rose Bowl with the USC Trojans vs. Michigan Wolverines, I was offered tickets for face value at the 20-yard line -- right around row 40. Normally, I would have jumped at the opportunity, but the way the USC did not show up against UCLA -- I thought it might be the same story again. However, the real reason was that when I got the call I was battling with a bad case of the flu, and had no idea if I would be better in time. Boy, did I miss out on a great showing the USC against Michigan. It was pretty obviously that Michigan was overrated -- the only decent team they beat was Notre Dame, when Notre Dame was overrated. Look what LSU did to them. Then, against Ohio State, the game was no where near as close as it looked. The Buckeyes basically kept Michigan in the game with fumbles on snaps and other turnovers that never happen. Believe me, it was not "good defense" causing the turnovers. I guess they did beat Wisconsin though.

However, the biggest and best surprise of the bowl season was that wild & crazy Boise State team taking out Oklahoma. Again, Oklahoma was another one of these overrated teams -- but they really should have taken care of Boise State. However, three straight do or die plays to end the game and win it, was simply amazing. I am still replaying that hook & ladder play over on my computer. At first I thought the receiver was wacko for taking a step away from the 1st down marker.

Let's hope that the Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Florida Gators is as good as we have already seen. People really do not know how good Ohio State is -- they beat a Texas team that should not be in the top 20, and an overrated Michigan team. For some reason, they did not face Wisconsin this year -- a team in their own conference.

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Vacation Planning – 2007

I do not know about you, but to me -- planning a vacation is a lot of work. Ashley and I are currently struggling about where we want to go for our “main” vacation in 2007. In some ways, I know that it is a good problem to have – and that we are fortunate that we have the opportunity to consider taking the types of vacations that we have taken in the past and will hopefully take this year as well. However, each year – deciding the destination takes some serious time. And since my responsibilities in our family usually include selecting the destination, and making the airline and hotel reservations – the ball is clearly in my court at this point in time.

We were lucky last year, in that our trip mapped out really easily. Since it was the 100-year anniversary of Pepperdine University’s Moore Haus in Heidelberg, Germany – as well as my 10-year anniversary of my college stay there – it was an easy choice. We then just tacked on a few days in the beginning to check out Munich, & Berlin and added a few days on the end to spend some time in New York City on our way back.

This year is not quite as easy. Fortunately, what we do know for sure is that we are planning to spend at least a week in Italy. We have close family that lives in Florence, Italy (Ashley’s Uncle & cousins) and we would really like to see them should the schedules permit. However, from there – we are considering both France & Spain and there does not seem to be an overwhelming favorite yet.

Here is what we are considering:
France – main stay in Paris, during the end of the Tour de France, which I think would be an absolute blast. Take advantage of our Hilton Honors points and stay in the Hilton Arc de Triomphe, which is a pretty nice hotel. We would definitely make side trips up to Normandy and out to Versailles. Most likely we would also stop on the way down to Italy in Nice & Monaco.
Spain – main stay in Madrid and Barcelona, again great Hiltons in both locations, coupled with possible small visits to Marbella, Valencia, Salamanca, Toledo, and possibly also Nice & Monaco on the way over Italy. Unfortunately, it looks like Real Madrid’s soccer season will be over when we plan to go – at the end of July.
Italy – Florence, Rome & Venice minimally. There are a lot of great things to do in each city in Italy.

Something that has us leaning towards Spain is the fact that Ashley has not yet been to Spain. We have both been to Paris and the surrounding area, but not up to Normandy. Since plane tickets are still really high ($1500 round trip, each), we have some time to decide, so we ordered a few of books from our favorite publisher – Frommer’s, in order to help with the decision.

Here are the books:

• Frommer's Italy 2007
• Frommer's Spain 2007
• Frommer's France 2007

We’ll update you in the coming weeks about what is decided and why!

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First Impressions - Resistance: Fall of Man

I am currently in the midst of playing Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man for the Playstation 3 (PS3). This is the 2nd first person shooter game that I have played recently, having just completed Activision's Call of Duty 3. My initial impressions are that while Call of Duty 3 was a pretty good game, Resistance: Fall of Man is more complete game. The graphics and gameplay are amazing, and the artificial intelligence (AI) used by the enemies (Chimera) that you are going up against is much better, and I am currently in the midst of playing it on the "normal" level.

As with most of these type of games, I generally started it off on "easy" mode to make sure to have some good fun without getting too frustrated. Interestingly, the first scene seemed to be the hardest for me to complete on that mode. Some of it was that I was not used to the weapons, but the fact that you do not recover your health until you are infected by the Chimera definitely makes a big difference. Once you complete the game on easy, additional weapons are made available to you.

In fact, the weapons are probably one of the best parts about the game, both the uniqueness and diversity of them. Here's the complete list, compliments of wikipedia:

• Auger: A Chimeran developed weapon that acts like a heavy-penatrating assault rifle that fires energy blasts. These energy blasts can burrow through solid objects, to impact those behind cover, thus negating cover. The shots increase in power as they move through barriers. The bolts slow down as they move through objects, and a spark of light can be seen, warning potential victims that their cover has been breached. The alternate fire of the Auger is to put down a translucent energy shield that cannot be penetrated by any weapon except the Auger itself.
• Bullseye: A relatively standard assault weapon developed by Chimera. The twist of the weapon is its alternate fire: the tag. By firing a tag, bullets now home in on the tag. This allows smart players to hit the enemy, then hide in cover, bending their bullets around cover to still hit enemies. Firing the Bullseye into a wall or object, however, creates a potential 'Bullseye-Bomb'. Bullets will home into the target, and swarm about to form a sphere of bullets. You can then fire it at an enemy, and the swarm of bullets will track down the locked-on enemy. If bullets remain in the swarm when the enemy dies, the swarm will hover in the air, until the Bullseye is fired again.
• Bullseye Mark II: A more powerful form of the Bullseye that has a bigger power pack and fires stronger blue energy bullets instead of the red ones.
  L23 Fareye: A human weapon, the Fareye is a sniper rifle. While aiming through the scope, the game simulates heightened reflexes by slowing down time while the player can aim normally. The Fareye is available for multiplayer, but the ability to slow down time is not included.
• XR-003 Sapper: The Sapper is a unique weapon which is said to be reverse-engineered from Chimeran technology, and produced by humans. It fires unstable sticky 'goo-balls', which explode when someone moves nearby. The balls can stick together, even creating chains that dangle from the roof. The alternate fire is used for manual detonation.
• XR-005 Hailstorm: The Hailstorm is Resistance's take on the minigun. Its rapid storm of fire can ricochet from walls, increasing its lethality in confined combat. Its alternate fire converts the remaining contents of the clip into a turret that auto-targets and fires at enemies.
• L209 LAARK: The LAARK rocket launcher is unique in that its primary fire releases a singular powerful rocket, but its secondary fire is able to spread its contents into a number of miniature rockets. The weapon can also be slowed down, and even stopped mid flight. And whilst paused, its trajectory can be modified, to fire around corners, or over barricades. This weapon is available for online play.
• M5A2 Carbine: The M5A2 Carbine is the standard issue human assault rifle with a 40 mm grenade launcher attachment. It bears some resemblance to the M1 Garand rifle, Browning Automatic Rifle, and an FN FAL, but it uses much larger detachable magazines and a different stock. The receiver and magazines are similar to those of a Browning Automatic Rifle. It is perhaps most similar to the SOCOM 16 (a shortened version of the Springfield Armory M1A), albeit with a different stock.
• Rossmore 236: The Rossmore 236 is the basic shotgun. It can be fired single barrel or double barrel.
• Reaper: A weapon that is a new twist on an old standby: dual-wielding pistols. While most games have both pistols aimed in the same direction, the Reapers are capable of independent firing. Consider R1 the right hand and L1 the left hand. When both buttons are depressed, the reticle splits off into two individual reticules. Your hands sweep the area, and a modest auto-lock from each pistol will then latch onto whatever enemy crosses its path. This is great for taking on lots of small Chimera. This weapon is only acquired after beating the game once.
• L11-2 Dragon: The L11-2 Dragon is a standard flamethrower. Its alternate fire has been labeled as a vapor cloud. The vapor cloud releases a cloud of flammable gas that the player can hold L1 to make larger, and when L1 is released, the gas is set aflame and is shot in the direction the player is facing. The fire burns a long time similar to napalm, and is quite effective in killing certain enemies. This weapon is only acquired after beating the game once.
• Arc Charger: The Arc Charger is a high-powered gun used by elite Chimeran soldiers. It shoots a bolt of lightning. The alternate fire allows said lightning to arc to nearby enemies. This weapon is only acquired after beating the game once or playing multiplayer. It's function seems to resemble the Tesla Claw from Ratchet & Clank fame.
• Splitter: Similar to Ratchet & Clank's RYNO, the Splitter shoots a salvo of rockets. It's secondary fire splits the rockets into a wall of smaller rockets. Both can fires be directed, much like the LAARK. This weapon is only acquired after beating the game once.
• Grenade: An average fragmentation grenade.
• Hedgehog: The Hedgehog is the Chimeran grenade. When deployed the Hedgehog will launch upwards and explode, hurling spikes in every direction.
• Air Fuel Grenade: Much like the name implies, this grenade is a type of fuel-air explosive that releases and then ignites a cloud of flammable vapor to burn enemies. The grenade also has the ability to stick to surfaces and enemies; much like some grenades in several other first-person shooters.
• Backlash Grenade: This grenade releases a energy "bubble" around where it lands. This bubble constantly damages any enemies caught inside and repels their shots back at them.

I'm now working my way through the game on "Normal" mode which definitely has added difficulty to moving through the game. Thus far, I have found the Cathedral scene to be the toughest, dying several times while the hundreds of scorpion-like Chimera come down the columns.

Have you played Resistance: Fall of Man? If not, I highly recommend you check it out!

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red bull energy drink                   4.11
accommodation italy                     4.1
building maintenance software           4.1
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visco memory foam mattress              4.01
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herbal viagra                           4
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What has “The Million Dollar Homepage” become?

I subscribe to the notification list for Alex Tew’s Million Dollar Homepage Blog. Yes, I know many of you are asking why. While “The Million Dollar Homepage” has been “off” the Internet radar for about 10 months at this point, I was mildly interested following what Alex was up to since he completed the sale of a million pixels.

While the idea behind the site was neither all too original nor ingenious, Alex Tew’s timing and story was impeccable. Not to mention that Alex smartly had a good public relations person involved early to promote his story and site. The notion that a college-bound student was raising money by selling “pixels” on a page for advertising was quite a lightning rod for some folks to grab onto. And of course, all the copycats came out of the woodwork to help legitimatize the work. Everyone was trying to sell a few “pixels” to make a quick buck off of Alex’s idea.

This was the subject of several interviews and posts for the blog on the web page. Initially, it was Alex Tew asking people to come up with their own original ideas rather than copying his own. (However, several of these sites were attempted in the late 1999-2000 boom which Alex was not aware of) Eventually, he realized the momentum of his site would not be detracted from and encouraged the copycats – all until his site sold out of pixels last January, with some estimating that Alex pocketed close to $850,000 after all expenses. Not bad for a flyer of an idea and 6 months of work.

And while the trail and news has been really quiet since last February of 2006, I recently received a notification of the new entry and visited the blog – which brings me to the subject of this post. Alex Tew announced the formation of his “next” great thing, Pixelotto. Basically, all it is – is a site where the visitors can win up to a million dollars by clicking on the ads from yet another “pixel” site. Pretty disappointing product from Alex.

I was expecting, or I should say hoping for a little more out of Alex on his second venture. There had been some talk about a movie, about a book he was putting together, and what we ended up with was a new pixel site that is just a small twist on a short-lived 2005 phenomenon. I wish Alex the best, and perhaps he will reveal something for us in the near future that is truly original and special. It would be great if he could continue to capitalize on the frenzy he created about this time last year.

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Happy New Year! New Laws for California

Happy New Year everyone! I came across this article from the Sacramento Bee this morning which discusses many of the new laws for 2007. It's some of the highlights of the some 910 (estimated) new laws effective today or later in the great state of California.

------------------------------
Welcome new do's, don'ts for 2007
Ignorance no excuse - hundreds more rules to live by start today.
By Jim Sanders - Bee Capitol BureauPublished 12:00 am PST Monday, January 1, 2007

Happy New Year?

Maybe not, if you plan to ride in the trunk of a car, fire a BB gun willy-nilly, cheat on state taxes, or work as a shopping-mall Santa after committing a sex crime.

More than 900 new laws target those and myriad other issues, ranging from global warming to dog tethering to minimum wages. Alligator boots, poker nights and sea otters are winners this year, while hazing, graffiti vandalism and street racing are losers.

For anyone who wonders how much of a Sonoma- labeled wine comes from Sonoma County grapes, one new law sets a minimum: 75 percent.

Most of the new laws take effect today, but not all, including a ban on motorists holding a cell phone to their ear -- which begins July 2008.

California's lowest-paid workers will receive a 75 cent pay hike beginning today, to $7.50 an hour, and are assured a 50 cent boost next Jan. 1.

A landmark new law that will be watched closely nationwide, Assembly Bill 32, commits California to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020.

Other notable new laws will allow AT&T, Verizon and other telephone firms to offer cable TV programming, and will create a discount drug program for uninsured Californians.

At least one new law already has been blocked by a judge, Assembly Bill 1381, which would give Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa partial control over the city's massive school system.
Despite all the talk of bipartisan cooperation between Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators, the governor vetoed 262 bills last year, or 22.4 percent, the fifth-highest percentage since comparisons began in 1967, according to the Senate Office of Research.
Schwarzenegger killed bills to create a state-run system of health care, allow illegal immigrants to qualify for college aid and expand a program that allows mothers to surrender unwanted infants without fear of prosecution. Other vetoed bills would have banned schools from using textbooks that disparage gays, required toilets and urinals to use less water and permitted distribution of condoms in California prisons.

Notable new laws, by subject area, include:
Criminal justice
• Assembly Bill 2251 -- Bans Internet posting of personal information about an abortion clinic's employees, volunteers or patients with the intent to threaten or harm them. Violators would be subject to civil penalties.
• Assembly Bill 2263 -- Requires sex offenders to disclose that fact when seeking jobs that involve touching children, such as a shopping mall Santa or a carnival ride operator.
• Senate Bill 532 -- Makes firing a BB gun in a grossly negligent manner a misdemeanor.
• Assembly Bill 2923 -- Requires judges to suspend the driver's licenses of convicted graffiti vandals for up to two years.
Consumers
• Senate Bill 202 -- Prohibits purchase or sale of a person's telephone calling records without consent.
• Assembly Bill 2977 -- Requires new and remodeled pools or spas to contain a safety feature, such as a mesh fence or alarm system.
• Assembly Bill 2987 -- Creates a statewide franchising process for telephone companies to offer cable TV programming or retail packages that combine phone, video and Internet service.
• Assembly Bill 1169 -- Requires long-term tenants to receive a 60-day notice before subjecting them to a "no-fault eviction."
Health/medicine
• Assembly Bill 2911 -- Requires drug makers to provide discounts for uninsured Californians or risk sanctions in three years.
• Senate Bill 1379 -- Creates a biomonitoring program to measure toxic chemicals in the bodies of human volunteers.
• Senate Bill 1534 -- Permits a city, county or hospital district to provide aid, including health care, to illegal immigrants.
• Senate Bill 162 -- Creates a separate state Department of Public Health, beginning in July, to address bioterrorism, infectious disease and other threats.
Education
• Senate Bill 1655 -- Gives principals of low-performing schools more power to reject teacher transfers from other campuses.
• Senate Bill 1209 -- Simplifies the process for qualifying and hiring out-of-state teachers.
• Assembly Bill 172 -- Funds a $50 million expansion of preschool programs in low-performing communities.
• Senate Bill 1454 -- Sets criminal penalties for hazing and allows victims to file civil suits against perpetrators.
Environment
• Assembly Bill 2067 -- Bans smoking in "common areas," such as bathrooms or stairwells, that are in workplaces or covered public parking structures.
• Senate Bill 1 -- Requires developers of large housing developments to offer solar-electric systems on new homes after Jan. 1, 2011.
• Senate Bill 1368 -- Prohibits utilities and corporations from signing long-term power contracts with suppliers who fail to meet greenhouse gas emission standards.
Business
• Senate Bill 1699 -- Bans businesses from displaying more than the last five digits of a customer's credit card or debit card number on receipts kept by the firms.
• Assembly Bill 1418 -- Requires disclosure of the 250 largest scofflaws owing more than $100,000 in sales, use, personal income tax or corporate taxes.
• Assembly Bill 2440 -- Makes employers and individuals financially liable if they knowingly help someone evade child support payments.
Pets/animals
• Senate Bill 1578 -- Prohibits tethering a dog to a stationary object for more than three hours.
• Senate Bill 1806 -- Bans leaving pets unattended in vehicles when extreme weather, lack of food or other adverse conditions could cause suffering or harm.
• Assembly Bill 2485 -- Provides a box on California tax returns for people to check if they want to contribute toward protecting sea otters.
• Senate Bill 1485 -- Legalizes the importation of alligator and crocodile products until 2010.
Transportation
• Assembly Bill 2752 -- Imposes a $100 fine for those under 21 who drive with a trace amount of alcohol in their system.
• Assembly Bill 1850 -- Bans riding in the trunk of a vehicle and sets $100 fines for both the driver and passenger.
• Assembly Bill 2600 -- Increases the number of hybrid-carpool permits -- from 75,000 to 85,000 -- that can be issued by the state.
• Assembly Bill 2190 -- Allows motorists to be charged with a felony if their reckless driving or street racing causes great bodily injury.
Miscellaneous
• Assembly Bill 839 -- Allows nonprofit groups to raise funds by sponsoring a poker night or some other adult gambling event, provided that winners receive prizes, not cash.
• Senate Bill 1827 -- Allows joint tax returns by registered domestic partners, which are gay couples or opposite-sex partners age 62 or older.
• Assembly Bill 546 -- Bans government employees from using state-owned or state-leased computers to view obscene material.

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Typo takes tourist 8,000 miles from destination

I came across this article today, which is pretty humorous. Unfortunately, laughing at someone else's expense -- but this guy from Germany ended up in Montana, high 36 degrees Fahrenheit rather than summertime in Australia. I cannot imagine his reaction and the struggle to then get to Australia. Luckily, he made it 3 days later!

------------------------
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- A 21-year-old German tourist who wanted to visit his girlfriend in the Australian metropolis Sydney landed 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles) away near Sidney, Montana, after mistyping his destination on a flight booking Web site.

Dressed for the Australian summer in T-shirt and shorts, Tobi Gutt left Germany on Saturday for a four-week holiday.

Instead of arriving "down under", Gutt found himself on a different continent and bound for the chilly state of Montana.

"I did wonder but I didn't want to say anything," Gutt told the Bild newspaper. "I thought to myself, you can fly to Australia via the United States."

Gutt's airline ticket routed him via the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, to Billings, Montana. Only as he was about to board a commuter flight to Sidney -- an oil town of about 5,000 people -- did he realize his mistake.

The hapless tourist, who had only a thin jacket to keep out the winter cold, spent three days in Billings airport before he was able to buy a new ticket to Australia with 600 euros in cash that his parents and friends sent over from Germany.

"I didn't notice the mistake as my son is usually good with computers," his mother, Sabine, told Reuters.

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Christmas Photos are up!

Well, it had been a rough Christmas holiday season for me -- I caught the wonderful flu bug that has been going around and was "lucky" enough to spend the better part of 4 days sleeping. Not the most fun use of my Christmas vacation time.

However, photos from Christmas are up! Basically it's a two-day affair, with Ashley's side of the family coming over to our house in Thousand Oaks on Christmas Eve. We had a great time preparing meals and spending time together before partaking in the Christmas Turducken. It was pretty good this year, although it cooked slower and fell apart a little more than last years.

Then, for Christmas day -- we headed up to Bakersfield to spend time with my side of the family. This year, I brough my Nintendo Wii gift up there because I knew that everyone would get a big kick out of it. Let's just say the entire family played some Tennis, Baseball, Bowling, Golf, and Boxing.

Check out the pictures, they're hilarious!

2006_12_Christmas

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Help! Setup the Wii Sensor Bar without Problems!

I recently opened my Nintendo Wii and while the setup was pretty easy overall, I mostly stuggled with the appropriate setup of the infrared (IR) sensor bar that detects the movement of your Nintendo Wii motes. After reading the direction a few times, I finally figured it out.

If you're having problems with your Nintendo Wii setup, here are the directions on how to setup or fix any issues with the sensor bar:

You can place the Sensor Bar either above or below the TV screen. Please read and follow the instructions below to place your Sensor Bar (information on mounting the Sensor Bar in place is also provided on this page).

Connecting the Sensor Bar
Insert the Sensor Bar plug into the Sensor Bar connector on the back of the Wii console.

The Sensor Bar can be placed either above or below your TV screen. Decide which option best fits you and click the image below for additional set up help, including mounting the Sensor Bar and proper alignment.

Mounting the Sensor Bar Above the TV Screen
Remove the protective film from the foam pads on the bottom of the Sensor Bar.

For additional stability, you can add adhesive-backed foam tape from the sheet included with your Wii.

Mount the Sensor Bar to the top of the TV
To ensure the best game play experience, make sure that:

The front of the Sensor Bar should be aligned close to the front of the TV.

The center of the Sensor Bar should be aligned with the center of the TV.

Reception may be improved by mounting the Sensor Bar to the top of the TV with the Sensor Bar Stand. Click here for more information.

Important Note: If you have not already done so, be sure to set the Sensor Bar option in the Wii console's System Setting to "Above TV." This will help ensure an optimal experience. Click here for more information.

Go to Next Step (Connecting to the TV or VCR) >

Mounting the Sensor Bar Below the TV Screen
Remove the protective film from the foam pads on the bottom of the Sensor Bar.

For additional stability, you can add adhesive-backed foam tape from the sheet included with your Wii.

Mount the Sensor Bar to the front edge of the surface that the TV is sitting on. Do not place the Sensor Bar below the surface that the TV is sitting on; for example, on shelves below the TV.

To ensure the best game play experience, make sure that:
The front of the Sensor Bar is aligned with the front of the surface that the TV is sitting on.

The center of the Sensor Bar should be aligned with the center of the TV.

Reception may be improved by mounting the Sensor Bar to the top of the TV with the Sensor Bar Stand. Click here for more information.

Using the Sensor Bar Stand
Communication between the Wii Remote and the Sensor Bar may be improved in some situations by mounting the Sensor Bar on the Sensor Bar stand. (For example: if the TV is sitting on the floor.)

Remove the protective film from the foam pads on the bottom of the Sensor Bar stand.

For additional stability, you can add adhesive-backed foam tape from the supplied sheet. These can be supplied to both the top and bottom of the stand.

If you are using the extra foam tape, remove the protective film from the piece on the top of the Sensor Bar stand.

Mount the Sensor Bar stand to: the front edge of the surface the TV is sitting on, or to the top of the TV.

Important Note: If you have not already done so, be sure to set the Sensor Bar option in the Wii console's System Setting to "Below TV." This will help ensure an optimal experience. Click here for more information.

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Bosh Darn It!

Bosh darn it. Can I say that? I have been banished to fantasy purgatory with the dreaded “out an indefinite period of time” label that has been placed on Chris Bosh’s status for the basketball season, due to discomfort in his knee. This might almost be as bad as the Latrell Sprewell situation. Ok, I am over exaggerating, but Chris Bosh was putting up 20 points and 12 rebounds every night.

Now, of course Paul Pierce goes down with a “stress reaction” on his left foot that “there is no treatment for” that sounds eerily similar to the situation that happened with Derek Fisher a few years back. How did that turn out – that’s right, surgery and 8-months out. Yes, and Piece was even a bigger monster, 27 points, 7.5 Rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.5 3’s a night.

Why do people get injured? Maybe I should rephrase that, why do two fantasy monsters on “my” fantasy teams get injured? These were my second and third picks to make matters worse. Do they not understand that my fantasy life is at stake here? Who cares about their teams, they are in the Eastern (Leastern) Conference, where nobody has a chance to win anything. I guess things could be worse – I could have traded for Carmelo Anthony.

Cornerstone Conference – enjoy feasting on Bio-Waste in the coming weeks. By the way, if you are looking for three’s, I have some talent up for grabs. Yeah, given my recent injuries, I need a lot – but I am especially thin in rebounds and blocks. Maybe even a guy who does this and shoots for a bad FT%.

On some happier notes:

• My fantasy soul is more joyful than it ever has been. Year after year, I have begrudgingly cheered Kobe Bryant on each game during the regular season – fully knowing that his every success meant my potential downfall in the weekly standings. His gain was my loss. Not this year, with Kobe on my team – he can score 81 every night for all I care!
• Order has been restored in Los Angeles. The Clippers for all their efforts have again sunk to the bottom of their conference and the Lakers are in the middle of the playoff seeding for now.
• The Sacramento Kings still suck. The team that has never won anything and never will is again wallowing at the bottom of the standings. Why did they fire Rick Adelman again? I also have heard some calls for the return of Chris Webber.

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Flipper Nation -- Check it out!

Just a short post on show called "Flipper Nation" -- a series of short episodes that track the lives of two a couple of guys trying to making their "fortune" by flipping homes in the crazy Los Angeles real estate market. The first episode tells the story of the character's first house "flip" and how they made $75 (not $75k) on it after several weeks of work.

There are some definitely some great laughs and some uncomfortable situations. I think my favorite line from the episode goes something along the lines of "waiting for markets being exploited before jumping in." This, I believe rings true for many of us a few times in our lives. Given the recent markets here in Los Angeles and Ventura county, as well as soaring median prices -- I am sure more than a few people find themselves in this situation -- show or not!

Anyways, here is the first Episode -- check out FlipperNation.com for the latest!

Flipper Nation: The First Flip

There's more where this came from at: FlipperNation.com
If you cannot view this video, you can check it out at YouTube instead.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a little partial to the humor in the show. Ashley and I went to Pepperdine University with "David Kimball" (Alec McNayr). In fact, Alec was in the same fraternity as me -- Psi Upsilon (Lamda Omega Sigma). Check out the video and support them!

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Milestone Reached!

The "Some Life" blog reach quite a significant milestone on Tuesday, December 19th. That milestone was passing 50 unique visitors during that day. What does that mean? I am not sure, but here are some thoughts:

About Some Life: This blog is really an experiment for me that started on October 28th, 2006. Yes, I know that I am late to the blog party. ;-) It is really about having a place to test out ideas, practice writing and share experiences that are important to me -- and hopefully relevant to you as well.

Back Posting: It's really tough to do. Not in the way that it is technically hard to figure out though. Rather, it is hard to catch up in addition to producing new content and thoughts. My goal, before the end of the year is to create blogs for some of the fun experiences Ashley and I had this year including our trips to: The BCS Championship Rose Bowl, Vacation to Germany, Vacation to New York, and our Vacation to Disney World with my parents. The last of which is "partially" completed.

Google Adwords: Google AdWords is a pretty nifty tool. This should not be a surprise to anyone, but I have been relatively happy with it. I need to work on the conversion rate. Visit a few of the sponsors and see how relevant they are to you.

Google Search: It takes a little over 30 days for a site you submit to Google to show up there in any meaningful way. Early on, it can be discouraging when you are posting content and nobody is showing up to read it. Persevere and keep with it, it does take time -- even in this world of instant gratification. It is also worth noting that beginning this week, Yahoo! searches began appearing.

Blogger Beta: The good thing is that it makes it easy to get started. The bad thing is that unless you want to dive into the world of programming and layouts, it can be a struggle to build the site as you want it. There are several things that I am looking to do that I have not been able to accomplish yet. However, it is a free service -- how can one complain?

Driving Traffic: I have attempted a few things, including using my "MySpace" profile as a means to drive traffic to the site. I will expand on this in the future, but right now I have just started testing, and Google Search seems to be the most effective.

A Polluted Blogsphere: There is a lot of blog trash out there. I personally, have encountered a lot of Blog Spam or Comment Spam depending on what perspective you take. 2007 seems to be the time when people anticipate it will reach its peak, especially as one article recently mentioned, certain web spam rings based out of Utah are generating $70k/month in AdWords type revenue.

Stay tuned, a lot more to come!

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Top 5 Ways to make eBay a Better Place!

As promised -- given my recent experiences on eBay, both the good, the bad, and the ugly, I am providing my top 5 list of ways to make eBay a better place. I have been on eBay since December 1995 when I started trading Baseball Cards, seeing a lot of changes take place on the site.

However, this Christmas holiday shopped season in particular has been a nasty one for both buyers and sellers alike on eBay – perhaps like never seen before. All one needs to do is to look at a number of auctions for the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo Wii to see large quantities of Non-Paying Bidders, Shill Bidding, & Fraudulent sellers. The criminal community has found a way to really game the eBay system and now is time to stop it!

So, below you will find my “Top 5” ways that eBay can improve their systems to protect bother buyers and sellers in their auction marketplace.

1. Require Stronger User Validation. It is too easy to get an eBay account. They should require some sort of physical address, phone number, or other sort of verification that the person is who they say they are.

2. Require “authorization” of funds when bidding. A huge problem right now are people with zero or low feedback posting fake bids without an intention to actually make good on their purchase. By requiring a credit card authorization in the amount of their bid placed (whether or not they choose to pay via that method) is an option that may sellers would like to see as a requirement to insure the bidder “intends” to purchase the item rather than leaving the seller stranded with seller fees, frustration and lost time. This would also help prevent shill bidding as eBay could detect accounts using same name / credit card information to boost auction prices.

3. Create a more comprehensive scoring methodology. The current scoring system has become an outdated joke. Between 1-cent auctions, feedback rings, and other ways to “game” eBay’s feedback system – the system does not work anymore. However, it is not beyond repair. All eBay needs to do is come up with a score scheme that will incorporate important factors that contribute to the “authenticity and integrity” of the buyer and seller such as the dollar value of transactions, time it takes someone to pay, time to ship, and frequency of feedback left. That is just to name a few that could contribute to understanding more about the seller you purchase from.

4. Stop 1-cent ($.01) auctions. These are the biggest fraud on eBay right now. If you do a Google search, you will find hundreds of web pages that tell you how you can increase your feedback score in hours using 1-cent auctions. Their only purpose is to artificially increase feedback scores that give buyers/sellers unwarranted trust in a seller’s history and behavior.

5. Real, monetary penalties for failure to pay, ship, etc. If someone does not pay for an auction, charge then for the listing fees that the seller paid. Also, put a penalty of $5, $10, etc. that is partially paid to the seller and to eBay. This would put some real teeth into the non-paying bidder (NPB) policy.

These are some pretty simple ways that eBay could really improve on their already largely monopolistic website that they offer. While it may discourage a few people in signing up and using the service, the benefits to the entire community and with user retention would far outweigh that cost. I cannot tell you how many people have emailed me to say that they would not be using eBay after their experiences this holiday season.

Do you have other ideas? I would love to hear them. Next, you will be hearing from me on the Top 5 Ways to fix PayPal!

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Test Drive XM Satellite Radio for Free -- I am!

Recently, I have been thinking about getting Satellite radio. So, as one thinks this, naturally two choices are available, either Sirius or XM radio. The question I have is, if you do not care for Howard Stern, is Sirius radio worth getting? On a recent trip in my Father-In-Law's 2007 Mustang Shelby GT 500, I had the opportunity to listen to Sirius radio. I was not impressed.

However, I had not listened my to XM Radio either. However, today I came across an offer, and upon signing up (no credit cards required), I received a free Internet subscription to XM Radio through 12/31/2006, which is longer than their standard promotion by typing in the offer code of "THECHOSEN". If you have been thinking about choosing a satellite radio, it's an excellent opportunity to try! Just go to: http://xmro.xmradio.com/xstream/index.jsp

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Toy-R-Us with at LEAST 50 TMX Elmo's in stock on 12/18

Hot news off the press for all of you still trying to find those elusive toys! All Toys-R-Us stores will have at least 50 TMX Elmo's in stock when they open tomorrow. This may be one of your last chances.

The details from the email they sent out today:

- TMX Elmo - We've Got Him!

- Tomorrow December 18th every Toys "R" Us store will have at least 50 TMX Elmos when we open!

- One per family, limited supplies, & no rain checks, so COME EARLY. In-store only!

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Los Angeles Country -- KZLA to return? MOVIN (KMVN) 93.9 a Failure?

Well -- Los Angeles country fans, do you think you might get your KZLA country back? After the latest release of weekly ratings, it seems that the "new" format that Emmis Communications was so fond of is really in the toilet. Their current rating is only a 0.6 rating, continuing its trend down. If you look at the trend, it has gone steadily down in terms of share -- 1.2, 0.7, and now finally an awful 0.6.

This and country radio just had it's best quarter in terms of the national share with a 9.1 rating, the best since 1999 when it was a 9.5! Emmis Communications has really missed out on a lot of profits the past 4 months, and their shareholders are rumored to be pretty unhappy with the situation in the southern California market. KZLA's share was 1.7 for the latest quarter leading up to the format change.

This should not be a surprise, as many predicted, the Emmis Communications experiment with abruptly removing KZLA country from the radio in the Los Angeles market in favor of Rick Dees is a failure. Perhaps KIIS FM really knew what they were doing with bouncing of Rick Dees in favor of Ryan Seacrest. This attempted comeback by Dees in the Los Anageles market was a poorly planned and executed transistion after the unannounced cancelling of the country format on KZLA.

It seems like it will be only a matter of time until KZLA country listeners have their favorite personalities back on the air, Peter Tilden with Ashley & Buzz, Sean Parr, and more! Keep your fingers crossed!

In addition, for those who are interested in trying to help with the situation, there are two petitions to be signed:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/Country_Fan_Link
AND
http://www.petitiononline.com/KZLA939/petition.html

In addition, on the CountryBoards.com, you can join the discussion and the latest news by clicking here.

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