Obama

I'm not a very political guy. I am deeply concerned about social justice. That does require some involvement in politics. But, I've never campaigned for a candidate, contributed to a candidate's campaign or so much as worn a t-shirt for a candidate. That is, until this year.

I am inspired by Barack Obama. Not because he's the smartest person who has ever run for President (though he's certainly smarter than what we've had recently). Not because he has the most experience. Not because he's got the best policies (he and Hillary are not nearly as far apart as their campaigning requires they try to portray themselves to be). It's because he's the most hopeful candidate we've had in my memory. It's because he represents the opportunity to put someone in the White House who still believes we can do things differently. Also, I think he's the most compassionate candidate to come along in a long time.

I haven't read "The Audacity of Hope", although now that I have decided to back Obama, I will. I haven't read his detailed position papers, although the one on health care is sitting here printed out and ready for me to wade through. But, I've heard enough about his positions on the issues to know we fundamentally agree. And, I know enough about his history to believe he will genuinely try to do the best he can for all of the American people, not just the rich and privileged.

Here I am in my first campaign t-shirt:

Fascinated By Technology

I'm still amazed by technological changes and how fast they come. A couple of weeks ago we got Ty's new CX-9. The thing has BlueTooth built into it so that her phone works hands free with the car. The car knows when the phone is there and uses it to send and receive phone calls on the car's audio system. Today, I went to the dentist and they took digital X-rays. No more film. No more gagging on those cardboard things they used to jam in your mouth. No more waiting for the results. The X-rays popped up on the screen as the technician took them.

Today, my router died. The thing had to be 7 years old. I also had a wireless access point for my laptop. I was able to replace both of them for 100 bucks. I think that's less than I paid for either device. The new router is 9X faster for wireless, the same speed for wired networking and it's smaller than either device alone. That's it sitting on top of the two devices it replaced. The box on the top does the job of both boxes underneath it and does it faster and for less money. Wow!

Oh Me Of Little Faith

An open letter of apology to the Bengals' defense... Forcing six (that's a lot) turnovers. Two interceptions (by linemen at that). A secondary that covered people. Putting unending pressure on Steve McNair. A goal line stand to save the game (twice). Keeping Baltimore from running the ball down our throats. Holding the Ravens to 13 points (I can't count Ed Reed's punt return against the defense). And, everybody hitting hard for four quarters. Wow! This was the defense I expected to see when Marvin came here. This was not the defense I was expecting to see after all the injuries and suspensions over the last couple of years.

Last night's game was great. It was competitive. It was exciting. Beating a tough divisional opponent, on Monday night, in our season opener, at home was a huge statement for this Bengals team. The question was (is?) "Are we the playoff team of two years ago or still the Bungles of the closing stretch of last season?" Using this one game as an indicator, I am hopeful the answer is we are the team of two years ago. The offense will get better. We can only hope the defense sustains the level they set last night. Special teams (coverage) should improve also.

Can I revise my 8-8 prediction now? Who Dey!

Who Dey!

Before I read what the experts have to say or the season starts I have to go on record with my best guess of how the Bengals will turn out this season. For the first time in a while (since Marvin arrived), I actually hope I am wrong.

I am concerned about the Bengals. I'm afraid they peaked two seasons ago when Carson's knee injury in the first playoff game against Pittsburgh ended our hopes. Last season, we played way below our potential; squandering a golden opportunity at making the playoffs. I'm afraid all the suspensions and injuries are going to catch up to us this year. I think our defense will let us down again (and again). I think the offense can put up points. But, without Chris Henry for at least half of the season, I'm not sure they can put up enough points (I'm not sure any offense can). The Bengals defense proved they can give up a bunch of points, in a hurry. I was there for the collapse against San Diego last season. 42 points in a half! Given that Marvin's background has been as a defensive specialist, I find our defense especially troubling. Defense is what makes for consistent play week in and week out. Defense is what wins championships (in any sport).

My prediction for this year is 8-8 and another missed playoff opportunity. I think then the honeymoon with Marvin will be officially over.

Let's hope I'm wrong. Who Dey!

The Wanting

Look at it. Isn't it sweet? Just looking at it again makes me WANT one. Yesterday, Apple launched their 6th Generation iPod and yes, I WANT one. I have absolutely no need for one. But, I found myself yesterday spending time on the Mac Rumors message boards picking up tidbits on the announcement even as the live event was going on trying to figure out how I could talk me into allowing myself to have one. It was a fascinating event to observe (the internal struggle within me, not the iPod launch).

Last night, I was reading Ethan Nichtern's (my favorite Buddhist teacher) One City book and I was on the chapter concerning rampant consumerism. Ethan revealed that even though he is a long time Buddhist and meditator he still wants a new iPod every time one is announced. Ethan talks about iPods a lot. I think Ethan shares my problem. There was a guy who started a thread titled "Just Kill Me". His wife, after forbidding him to buy a new iPod to replace his that had died presented him with a brand new 5.5 Generation iPod on the very day Apple announced the 6G iPod. He was on the board to vent a little because she had it engraved, rendering it unreturnable. He was miserable. Even as I consoled him giving him all the reasons he really didn't need a 6G iPod, I found myself starting to whisper to myself as I read about the new features "Oh that would be so cool to be able to do that! I could use that!"

In Ethan's book he talks about the general feeling of WANT that so many of us experience. It's not focused on any specific object. It's just that non-specific need to acquire. I definitely see that in myself. I wish I had discovered Buddhism 20 years ago. Because, in spite of knowing this about myself for a while, before discovering Buddhism and meditation it hadn't really been in focus for me and it was much more difficult to identify. Now when it rears it's ugly head, at least I can see it coming. Ethan also talks about how we can become addicted to a certain lifestyle or even a brand so that all an advertiser has to do is push that button and we're off to the store to buy the latest widget. I used to laugh at the Apple freaks that thought Steve Jobs was the Messiah and who spent hours, days and weeks discussing all things Apple. But, I periodically find myself attracted to those rumor boards and while we have five iPods in the house (and 4 people) and I rarely even leave the house, I found myself wanting a new iPod just because it was available. I was thinking how cool it would be to be the first kid on the block with the touch iPod. How I could use the WiFi when I'm at Panera waiting for Jon to show up. How sweet it would be to have CoverFlow (even though I hardly ever even glance at my iPod screen now. I never watch video on it. I have pictures on it that I think I've shown to one person. And I bought the one I have now simply because I got a great deal on it. I had a 20 GB one before that that I knew I would fill some day. So, I got the 30 GB when the deal was available.

It's not just Apple that has me in their grips, I realized. We got a new car for Ty last Saturday. Until then, I was perfectly happy with my 7 year old car. But, every time I take my car in for service, they give me a brand new Lexus loaner. "Ooh, that new car smell!" "How can I live without a GPS system?" All the justifications start rolling through my brain and I find myself having to fight getting that next fix of something new.

I love the rush that comes from bringing home something new. Pulling it out of the box, putting it together. It's better than cocaine (I guess- I wouldn't know from personal experience). Just typing this gets my heart beating a little faster. I can imagine unpacking that new iPod. Apple packages things so nicely, I almost hate to pull them out of the box and mess it up. But, it's such a transient high. Usually it lasts a few days, a couple of weeks at most. Then, I need that next new thing. Buyer's remorse always quickly follows any major purchase. It's never perfect. Even if I got the biggest, best and baddest, I think maybe I could have gotten by with the next model down and saved a few bucks. If I get the cheaper one, I wish I had spent the extra money to get the biggest, best and baddest. After all, it's only a few bucks.

The good news is I am a cheap son-of-a-gun. I make myself justify every purchase to myself. So, there is a pretty good governor on my spending. I WANT an iPhone. But, I've forbid myself to buy one. I WANT the new square Nike driver on the market. But, that has to wait at least two years I've been told. No new car for you until the Mazda is paid off, Mister! But, just observing this has been fascinating for me. And, now Buddhism has given me the tools to deal with it. As Ethan points out, Buddhism (meditation) is not an instant cure (or even a long term cure). But, the first step to defeating any problem is realizing you have it and the second step is admitting it to yourself. "Hi everyone, my name is Brian and I am a WANTaholic".

MacDaddy Has Arrived

I ordered my new iMac the day after Apple finally announced them. I had been dying from anticipation for at least the last 4-5 months as the rumors swirled and I was limping along on my old G4 that was fast approaching 5 years old.

iMac sitting in front of old iMac sucking data off via Firewire

Ordered on Wednesday of last week, I was surprised (and disappointed) to learn it was shipping from Shanghai China. The good news was Apple had beat their scheduled ship date by at least two full days (it actually shipped on Saturday, August 11th after having been ordered only on Thursday). Since it was a "custom" configuration (I opted for an additional 1 GB of RAM and a 500 MB hard drive), I couldn't just pick it up at the Apple store. This was my first experience shopping for a Mac at Apple's website and I thought there is no way they are going to get that baby to me by August 17th or even August 21st (the delivery range estimate I was given when I ordered). I could just picture my new iMac on a slow boat from China languishing for weeks before arrival. I checked Sunday, no status update. I checked Monday morning, nothing. But, then Monday afternoon- What? My machine is in Anchorage, AK? First thing Thursday morning, my machine had arrived in Indianapolis at 1AM. But by 8AM it was already in Cincinnati, OH. I was giddy with excitement. I'm going to have my iMac tomorrow. A full three days before the best I had hoped for. I was sitting planning for the unpacking when FedEx pulled up to the door. We get shipments from FedEx several times a week so I'm thinking this is some makeup. But, the guy rings the doorbell and waits. He needs a signature. Unbelievably, at 9AM my MacDaddy has arrived. 2 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, 2.4 GHz Intel Duo Core 2 processor, 20" glossy display. I remember the day I got my first Dell PC with a 1 GB drive. I wondered what I'd ever do with all that space. Same when I got the iMac almost 5 years ago with an 80 GB drive. It's hard to believe that in five years I'll need a machine to replace this thing. But, history shows it's true.

I, of course, immediately unpacked it and got to work. A guy had posted how he had trouble with the Migration Assistant, which is an unbelievably cool program Apple ships with every new machine. Apple assumes you have already had a Mac and want to transfer your years worth of data and programs using something faster than burning to CDs. The Migration Assistant allows you to set up your old Mac (via Firewire) as a big old hard drive mounted to the new Mac. Then, Migration Assistant asks if you want to transfer settings (network, user accounts, etc.), programs, data or a combination. I gave Migration Assistant a shot (actually two or three). But, I had problems, too. It turned out that 2 files in my iTunes library of almost 3,000 songs were not able to transfer. The problem though is Migration Assistant doesn't tell you what didn't transfer or why. It just runs until it hits a problem and then hangs (and hangs and hangs). After a couple of attempts at about 2 hours each before killing the process, I finally decided to make the migration manually. It took a little longer. But, in hindsight, I recommend it. I found a great post in Apple's support database that told me EXACTLY what to do. I've found the best support from Apple doesn't come from Apple Care (although, relatively speaking, they're pretty good). It comes from other Mac users. There are so many people willing to help you out on the occasions where you just can't figure things out. Since most Apple applications store their data and programs in one of three places (preferences folder, applications folder or documents folder), many applications can be moved without even reinstalling them. By selecting only the new applications and preferences I wanted on my new machine, I ended up with an almost clean install.

There were a couple of little hiccups. My disk for Adobe Illustrator got jammed in the new slot drive of the iMac. I realize while these slot drives are cool, they're not exactly durable. When I was on the phone with Apple care I was told don't put any disk in you even think might be funky. One guy (I talked to a couple that afternoon) told me he wouldn't even put in a disk with a paper label at all. I won't again. After going for a few hours thinking I was going to be making a trip to the repair shop (and about 100 searches on Google to avoid it), I found a solution that worked. I shut down the machine. Left it for 10 minutes, then rebooted. Apparently the CD cooled enough to be ejected and all was right with the world again. I also had a minor glitch with my SOHO Notes application. All my Notes were there but the folders weren't showing them. If I clicked "Open All", they all miraculously popped up. Once again, while waiting for support to get back to me with an answer, I figured it out on my own. I threw away the old preferences file and Voila!, presto-magico, I was back in business. BTW, I was able to get Illustrator reinstalled simply by copying the preferences file and the Illustrator files from the old machine over the Firewire.

Another glitch I ran into which I blame Belkin for is my two-port USB switch I use to share my printer between the Mac and the PC isn't supported on Intel based Macs. Poppycock! First of all the software for the Mac was always pretty lame. On the PC, I could click on the icon and switch. On the Mac I had to hit some combination of control and an Fn key that I could never remember. So, I'd have to hit control and F9 or F10 to get it to switch. So, today, I'm the proud owner of a new Iogear switch (GUB201 in case you need to know). It was more expensive. But, it has an option to switch manually (which I actually like better). Since Belkin decided to not support my new Intel Mac with their software only controlled switch, it became useless to me. So, this time I looked for a switch I could switch manually. But, just like Belkin, Iogear does give us Mac users a slightly less rich experience. The switch came with software where I can switch from the desktop on my PC. But, there is no software option for the Mac. The good news though is, unlike Belkin, I don't have to switch from the Mac. I can take or give control from the PC. But, in all likelihood, I'll switch manually anyway as it's even easier than opening up the software.

I'd say the migration took a couple of days. For those two days, I was running on both iMacs and the PC. I was up and running pretty much full speed by Thursday. I didn't run into the switch issue until over the weekend (I was printing through the Belkin switch fine from the Mac, the problem was if I had ever switched it to the PC, I wouldn't have been able to switch it back). The new Mac is lightning fast and the 80 GB of data I had on my old machine is sitting comfortably on the 500 GB drive. I got a 500 GB USB 2.0 drive from Amazon for less than $120 for a total of a terabyte on my desktop. (I still remember the first day I ever heard that word when I was selling mainframe DASD). The new iMac is, oh I don't know, about 8 times faster than the old one, twice the RAM, six times the disk space and 3" more diagonally (with a brighter, sharper display) for the same price I paid for the old one 5 years ago (roughly $2K delivered with 3 years of Apple Care).

Golf- My Next Obsession

Golf- My Next Obsession
Originally uploaded by BrianWestChest.

I think Jon's got the golf bug about as bad as I do. We stopped by GolfTec for a free evaluation lesson. I think it is going to help. But, I'm going to find someplace less expensive to continue the lessons. They have all the fancy bells and whistles (my lesson is stored up on the Internet for me to review at any time along with audio and video of the instructor and me interacting). But, since my chances of turning pro are nil, I'm not sure I can justify the type of instruction they get.

Golfing Again...

Tuesday is the day! $25 with a cart at Pebble Creek. Jon got me on one of my good swings of the day. (to see more shots, click the picture to see the set). This one was a 9 iron 140 yards right on to the green (downhill).

Jon's obsessed with numbers 11 and 12 at Pebble Creek. After poking two 7 irons all of 125 yards right onto the green at 11, he was determined to make the over 200 yard carry on #15 to reach the fairway (200 yards over a ravine). It was into a stiff breeze today. I barely made it with my driver, nailed a 3 wood then hit the 2nd longest wedge I've hit in my life (the first longest was earlier in the day when I hit it 130 yards). Unfortunately, each time was about 10 yards too long. Visit the set to see Jon wailing away at his drive on #12

Building the Perfect Beast (Part Last)

OK, last post on the stereo system. I got the final component in, a refurbed NAD Amp. I've now replace everything from the CD Player to the speaker wire to the speakers. I wasn't able to get the ultimate system (I saw a MacIntosh system in Forbes magazine yesterday for $191,000). But, this one is pretty good. Actually, it's very good. I've been having a great time rediscovering many of my CDs.

Cedar Plank Salmon- mmm, mmm good

Mike gave me the idea to try a Cedar Plank Smoked Salmon. This was so good. I bought the planks at Kroger and got a 2 pound hunk of salmon. I made a marinade with Jack Daniels (well, we had Old Forrester on hand), barbecue sauce, brown sugar and orange juice. 20 minutes on the grill and this was as tasty as any salmon I've had in any restaurant.

I didn't notice until I uploaded the picture that the picture actually caught some of the smoke wafting up from the plank. Makes my mouth water all over again.

Building the Perfect Beast (again)

Ty swears I willed the Mitsubishi 40" TV (my baby) to give up the ghost. I did not. That was a great TV. Ironically though it happened to die just as I have been upgrading the stereo system. So, we had to replace it. Costco had such a great deal on this 42" LCD (from some completely unknown company) that I had to take a chance on it. Initially, I had ordered a 37" since we rarely watch TV in the family room anymore. But for only $200 more, we could get the 42" (which also had much better specs).

Living Large at Costco

We have no willpower. While walking through Costco, we discovered this close-out THREE pound bag of dark chocolate M&Ms for a mere $2.97. The workers were raving about how they were squirreling them away. So, we had to buy two bags. To make things worse, we went back and bought another (like we didn't already have too much chocolate in the house). We also bought a 4 pound container of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.

Building the Perfect Beast

This morning the girls told me I am "obsessed" with my new speakers. They say I listen to them too much and Kayla couldn't believe I posted three pages on my blog about them. I countered with their obsession with their Tamagotchi's (which seem to take more care than a real pet- the things die if you leave them alone for six hours). Saturday, when I tore the front bumper off my car, it was leaving to retrieve Shayna's Tamagotchi that she had left at Lexi's. But, I digress.

Yeah, I'm obsessed with music. It's congenital I'm sure. But, 10 years of music theory didn't hurt. I've always wanted to have the perfect stereo, then the perfect home theater. And, there is always that next upgrade around the corner. But, I've been good. It's been what six years (?) since I did the home theater in the basement. I avoided buying a widescreen TV for the family room when the bug bit a few months ago. I deserve this upgrade. ;-)

I don't think the girls have even noticed my latest acquisition, a new NAD CD Player. I just installed it yesterday and they weren't around when I was trying it out. It's not much to look at. But, it's a huge step up from my Denon changer (so now I have two defunct CD players laying around).

This latest round of stereo upgrades has been a real trip. With all the information available on the Internet now what used to be mere hours of research for me to make a decision has turned into days and days. There are so many forums, on-line magazines and websites where people can post reviews and opinions, it's literally overwhelming. And, each step up just seems like a little bit more until you've spent tens of thousands of dollars building the perfect beast. I spent at least an hour yesterday reading opinions on replacing the little 1 inch connector between the pre-amp and the amp section and another hour contemplating replacing the strap on the back of the speakers.

Anyway, hopefully, the dealer where I got the great deal on this refurbed CD player (from $499 down to about $350) will get a refurbed C372 in stock in the next couple of days and I'll have the next part for my Frankenstein.

A Paradigm Shift

OK. Call me materialistic. But, today's post is about my new Paradigm Studio 100 Speakers. I'm listening to them right now and they sound absolutely amazing. I'm in love again.

Time finally came to retire my 15 year old dbx's. I had replaced the Soundfield Controller a couple of times, had it fixed once and refoamed them a couple of years ago. I liked them so much, I just could not let them go. But, when the controller started going out again and the one guy I knew who traded in dbx home equipment vanished from the face of the earth, I knew the day when we would have to say goodbye was near.

I checked out Paradigm for the first time about a week ago at Ovation. The guy there was trying to get me to take a close-out deal on a pair of Studio 40s. Nice little speakers. But, I really wanted a floor standing model. After doing my research on Paradigm, I found they are arguably the best value speakers on the market. I set my sights on the Studio 60s. Fortunately for me, Ovation had neither the V3s nor the V4s on the floor. In fact, they didn't have a Studio 100 in the place either. They told me they should get a V4 Studio 60 in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I thought I'd check out some other shops to see if I could find a deal or maybe even get another pair of speakers.

The plan today was to visit Ohio Valley Audio, listen to the Studio 60s (not buy) and then boogie on over to Alamo to check out a couple of other brands. When I told the guy at OVA my budget though, he pointed out that even though he had the floor model Studio 100s marked at $1,800 (list price is $2,400), he'd let them go for $1,500 (just my budget number- imagine that). I listened to them, listened to the Studio 60s V4s (which he did have on the floor, but not in stock) and quickly decided I would be very (very) happy with the Studio 60s. Not only did they sound better than the Studio 60 V4s, they were $300 cheaper.

So, impatience pays off. If I had waited for Ovation to get the V4s of the Studio 60s and Studio 100s, I surely would have ended up with the Studio 60s at $300 more than I paid for V3 Studio 100s.