Friday, January 29, 2010

iPad and other eReaders in Relation to Reading

Disclaimer: this note is complete rambling.


Am I the only person who still likes to pick up a nice book, sit and read? I feel the current generation (and to some extent my generation which grew up with hand held video game devices and portable CD Players) has lost some of its electronic innocence.

I have noticed that real life communication has fallen victim to quick text messages and greetings have been bastardized into informal (and irritating) TTYL (My favs being: "ur," 2morrow," "2day," "abt" just to name a few.) . Don't worry, I am not calling you out, I am guilty of abusing and buying into these technologies.

When my iPod Classic broke this Christmas, did I replace it with the same model, no. I purchased the shiny, new model with a touch screen and ability to download Apps. Of course it has less space and more flare (shit I am blogging while on the train right now), but I didn't care at the time. Looking back it was a mistake. I traded in size and music for online capabilities. I feel like a dude who dumped in his frumpy girlfriend, for one with fake boobies and no soul.

I am just fearful that my nephew will miss out on the simpler things in life simply because of the momentum of technology. Let's face it he will never know the frustration of blowing in to Nintendo game cartridges. Will Little Biff carry textbooks like his parents (and his awesome Aunt. Me!) or will everything be digitized on to one machine, like an iPad?




I am not dissing technology, especially a new innovation like the iPad that America was on the forefront of developing, but what I am dissing the loss of simplicity. I am dissing the need for people to spend money on a technology that will be constantly upgraded and need to be replaced. I ask, are Kindles, Nooks, iPads any more convenient than picking up a book. It's not like books are written on stone tablets and you have to use a wheelbarrow to lug around.



Amazon's Kindle - the original but no frills. Plus I have heard they have downloading when trying to download existing books onto a new machine. With a real book you never have that issue.


The Nook - Barnes & Noble answer to the Amazon's Kindle. I like the look of this machine but haven't heard too many reviews.


iPad - It's an Apple product of course it looks great! I am not liking the home screen. I get it it's like a giant iPhone/iPod Touch, but it just looks strange to me. My only trepidation about buying this as an eReader is the back lit screen. As someone who sits in front of a computer screen 8+ hours a day, the last thing i want to do is stare at a computer screen when doing a leisure activity.


Granted. Yes it is the more environmentally conscience choice, but only on the surface. What about joining your local library. Or trading books with friends and relatives, or even Swaptree.com. It seems to me to be more wasteful to buy into these gimmicks only to throw them away when the next model is released.

This is just a rambling post on something I will eventually buy into.

FYI to all potential iPad users: it's a pretty bad ass machine, however, I would wait until it is released with and iSight camera for video chatting, and external camera to take pictures...you know it's coming.

YDB

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Public Discomfort: Not, your baby. Your baby is aight.

On PATCO @ Lindenwold station:

Preggo Chick: Oh I am having a girl, but you know, I just hope she is healthy."

Man (who I took to be a lost family member): "This fucker better move soon, I'm already late. Where youse heading?

Preggo Chick: "I know right. I'm late too. Heading up to North Philly to get my Methadone."

Monday, January 18, 2010

3 Faves of the Week

I need to get back on my normal schedule again. Need to start with my weekly updates. I would make it a late New Years resolution but we all know how well they go! You start up strong and enthusiastic, but after a week or two you gain the ' oh, fuck it' attitude and fail miserably.

So my first 3 Faves of 2010!

Going to the movies ... Alone!
I know what you are thinking 'but YDB, that is what losers do! Don't tell me you are a loser.' Yes I am a loser and I am so proud (I am a also a Trekkie but that is for anther post) to be a loser. I never used to go to the movies alone. I didn't want to be labeled "that guy/girl."

The first movie I saw alone was The Fellowship of the Ring (OK so I'm loser), and I was hooked from the start. Just think about it for a second, you can go whenever you want, to whatever theater you want, see whatever piece of crap that you want and not have to deal with others in your group complaining. Once I entered the Shire alone I have never looked back. Just about every movie I have seen in the theater has been on my own.


I personally feel that Coffee Works coffee is terrible. But do get their Fiji hot tea. So warm and naturally sweet.


At work last Friday, I thought "Well, the Captain is working and Lorlita has a date. So do I go home and clean or take myself out on a lovely date?" It was an easy choice. Dinner and a movie! Cleaning is so overrated. So I stopped at Coffee Works for a quick bite:

That was the best God dang Veggie Chili I have ever eaten!


and then headed over to the The Ritz Sixteen. May I take a little aside here and say, The Ritz has completely gone downhill since they let young kids in there. They used to have a strict 16 y/o and over rule after a certain time. It was so pleasant not having to deal with whiny and screaming middle/high schoolers. Anyway...


Before you ask, I saw the the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (you can see the trailer here.) It was insanely amazing! Everything from the story, to the visuals, to the superb cast. I would so highly recommend seeing this movie. It will definitely keep you entertained.

On a side note: Christopher Plummer was amazing! I didn't even know he was still alive. Tom Waits plays the Devil. Perfect casting.


Hating Mystery Science Theater 3000


I love hating this show. It's terrible and not in that Star Trek "it's so terrible it's awesome" way. No this show sucks balls. And before my readers start defending it, I would like to say that I have given it a chance on multiple occasions. The Captain has a few seasons on DVD, trust me I have given this turd sandwich of a show more than enough chances to prove itself funny. It's just not. They watch bad movies and make funny(?) comments, however, the comments are not funny. At all. I get more laughs out of the Captain when I make my own jokes about the crappiness of the show.

The only thing funny in this image is the cat wearing, what appears to be, a wedding dress. I'm sure the puppets and that unfunny stoner are making some lame jokes
about it.


I'm with Coco



Unless you have been under a rock for the past week you know about this whole brew-haha going on over at the hot mess that is NBC concerning the Tonight Show and that crapfest that is the Jay Leno Show.

Unaware of the situation, here it is in short:

ABC.com
NBC's late-night comedy line-up first took a dramatic turn earlier this month when, amid flagging ratings for "The Tonight Show" and Leno's 10 p.m. "The Jay Leno Show," NBC announced that it wanted to move Leno's program to 11:35 and push O'Brien's show back to 12:05 a.m.


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/conan-obrien-nbc-agreement-expected-fans-plan-protests/story?id=9593133


NYPost
Peacock executives have been fighting a losing, two-front war since giving O'Brien the "Tonight" job. Not only has Leno's 10 p.m. show been weak, but CBS's "
Late Show with David Letterman" has consistently been beating O'Brien.
In the 10 p.m. slot, NBC had nothing in development worth investing the millions it would take to rush to the air. So it created a 10 p.m. show for Leno, without spending much money.
But "The Jay Leno Show" -- while profitable -- didn't attract enough viewers to satisfy NBC affiliates left holding the bag with an ineffective lead-in to their 11 p.m. newscasts.
The news shows are usually the biggest moneymakers for local stations, and Gaspin said those affiliates demanded more traditional programs be put back in place.

Conan said it best:

People of Earth:
In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.
Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over "The Tonight Show" in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my "Tonight Show" in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.
Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the "Tonight Show" to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the "Tonight Show" has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the "Tonight Show" into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. "The Tonight Show" at 12:05 simply isn't the "Tonight Show." Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the "Late Night" show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.
So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of "The Tonight Show." But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the "Tonight Show," I believe nothing could matter more.
There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.
Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.
Yours,
Conan
Check out I'm With Coco! and join the fight.

Everyone chant with me:
Coco Forever, Leno Never! Coco Forever, Leno Never! Coco Forever, Leno Never! Coco Forever, Leno Never! Coco Forever, Leno Never!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

004: HARRY POTTER EDITION!! That's What She Said

That's right my friends, this is the All-Harry Potter edition of That's What She Said.

As some of you may know, I have been sucked into the habitual drug that is Harry Potter. I started a bit late (summer of 2009), but I am on Book 5, The Order of the Phoenix, and I am already dreading the end of this series. I love the little, plucky wizard (I was using my Top Gear voice on that last sentence.)

Movie Poster for Book 2. Look how tiny and cute they are.


It started with Book 4, The Goblet of Fire. That is when I thought, "Humph. This wizarding world is one giant TWSS joke. Where's Great Scott when you need him?"

Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking clearly to post them as I was reading them. But not with Book 5, I am planning to underline, highlight, and dog-ear every one-liner I can find. Wizards lend themselves so well with the TWSS joke (you know, the wands and everything) that it's really quite disturbing.


Movie poster for the Order of the Phoenix. Something is a bit off. They are getting pubes!


page 105: Cover your faces and take a spray," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry and Ron...

page 187: Harry's, whose hands had been busy preventing the escape of Trevor, received a face full.

I will totally post more as I find them.

YDB

Book Review Haiku: The Wedding Girl

Book Review Haiku: The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickman (Sophie Kinsella)



Marries a gay dude
No worries, not spoiling
Dang photog! Trouble ensues

or

Mother is a bitch
Groom is SUCH a whiney bitch
Save it for the beach




 Book available at Amazon.com

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Happy Belated Birthday Elvis!

So last week was Elvis' 75th.

Let us first remember the super awesome, and super cute 'King of Rock n' Roll.'


1) kicked his original drug habit (the one that killed him).
2) lost the weight on reality TV show.
3) married a 25 year old & had a baby by his 60s.
4) gotten back on drugs & appeared on Intervention or Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab.
5) Kicked drugs again.
6) launched a comeback & performed on an American Idol Finale show.
7) been heavily addicted to plastic surgery

Oh, and I am sure he would've gotten hair plugs somewhere along line.


As my mother says, "He would've never made it."

Your Daily Barista

Monday, January 4, 2010

Christmas came anyway! Then New Year's...

OK, so I didn't keep my promise about making regular posts during the month of December. It was a little hectic around here, and I think I am going to blame the holidays.

Yes Christmas, the whole Christmas Season, has totally f-ed me up. First I had such a fiasco with my minor fender bender (note to my readers: call the police when you in an accident) which took up most of my time during the first week of the month. I was sitting in my office, quietly doing nothing, when I got a call from my insurance company telling me the other company was NOT going to pay. WTF! Well I went totally ape shit on the other person's insurance company, that my rep (who was part of the conference call) said to me that she never heard anyone say those things when giving an accident statement. Needless to say I was pissed. I mean, was rear-ended. It wasn't my fault. But in the end, it actually did come out OK and Bubble's got his hiney fixed over the break. HOORAY!

Then came the shopping. I had a lot of Gar Ginkers, Trum Tupers, Slu Slumkers, and Blum Bloopers to buy, and like zero extra funds. Some people were victims of the recession. My poor cats had to share a toy.



Charlotte wedged herself into the manger. I think she is suffocating the Baby Jesus. What the hell is that thing hanging next to the cat's head....Why couldn't the cats break that ornament?

After all the gifts were bought I realized that the Captain got the worst of all the presents: underwear, socks, and PJ bottoms. He had asked for HD Wii cables but I totally failed! I went to get them on Christmas Eve (at Walmart no less!!) and SURPRISE!!! They were sold out. So he didn't get what he had asked for. Thank goodness for a January birthday.

The week leading into Christmas we got a ton of snow. A ton is seriously an understatement. If Lizzie In Progress got 2' she was lucky. There were snow drifts in South Jersey exceeding 30+ inches! The Captain met the Boyz and went 4-wheeling. I was staying nice and dry in the 'Creek reading Harry Potter and watching Public Access TV that is ION Life (or as I have recently learned, Canadian HGTV):

The most unfunny group of people trying to be funny. The dude that looks like Aston Kutcher's poor brother, is actually more annoying than Kutcher himself.


About 90% of what she makes is complete crap, but she did make a pretty bad ass lap shade out of slides. I might get crafty once I find some slides.



Anyway, back to the snow....

Bubbles was completely covered. He was cold, lonely, and scared!



And that was after I cleared the roof off twice!!

Two days later, I was able to get out. It took 4 guys, 2 shovels, and 1 tow strap to get him out of that space. After Bubbles got out, there was no way in hell I was going to put him back in that space, so I opted to park at the nicely plowed liquor store parking lot at the head of the complex and just prayed my car wouldn't be towed over night.

With one day of heavy rain, all the snow washed away and all of the Christmas Festivities began! First with my family:



No matter how many times my mom says go downstairs, nobody does. The rest of the people are in the adjacent room.





Got to get the torture in before he gets older.





Popi asking if he should change after I told him his giant red shirt might freak out the baby. lol.





Popi gave me this a hundred years ago 'for my car.' Little Biff enjoyed it.





Table is set. Mom finally didn't over dress the table.





Showing off Grandmom Pocono's PJs





JV was very excited for presents.





"Oh snap! I got me a new whip!" ~ Lil' Biff


Then Christmas Jersey Shore style (no, not this Jersey Shore, or at least not in the winter), at the Captain's rent's house:



The Captain posing in his Ugly Christmas Sweater. This sweater has achieved Legend status.





Cosmo the Wonder Dog after his "Present Watch 2009" shift ended.





Ali the Shy Dog took over "Present Watch 2009."





Times spent at the Jersey shore always involve much alcohol....but not in red party cups. I stopped after 4.
The Captain's brother on the other hand.
.......

I received some pretty sweet gifts this year: a gift certificate to get my hair done (thank GOD), a bad ass Starbucks gift set (the Captain and I were totally out of coffee too!), a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble to get my learning on. Oh and I will be getting my learning on while wrapped in my new Pepto Bismol pink Snuggie. "Look Ma, my arms aren't cold while I read!"

(Snuggie Pic coming soon!)

The Captain got me a Wii Fit Plus. My favorite game involves a Segway! I highly enjoy talking like G.O.B. (from Arrest Development, DUH!) whenever I play. My only concern is, does the board always have to say "ooooooh" when you step on it?

However the most perplexing gift that I received this Christmas were 3 socks. Not 3 pairs; 3 different socks.



These are my 3 random socks!

Apparently the story goes: My parents were in NYC during a complete down pour and headed into a store on 5th Avenue to get out of the rain. The store was a sock store. They only sell sets of 3 different socks. What you do with these three socks I don't know. I wore them to the shore Christmas night and if I heard "Do you know you have two different socks on?" I think I was going to scream. Little Miss Matched is the strangest invention since this:


The Snuggie for Dogs. Which my mother did buy for Abigail (Lil's Biff's BFF)
(Pic Coming Soon!!)




New Year's also came and went with little revelry. I spent the afternoon with Lil' Biff; playing with all of his new toys. Then off to one of the best Chinese restaurants with my parents, Popi (Popi is not one 'crazy food,' he only eats ribs at Chinese restaurants), and my Aunt and Uncle. Later that night when the Captain came home from work, my friend came over and we rang in the New Year with a friendly game of Mario Kart and bottle of Korbel before passing out (promptly at 1am.)


All in all it was a very exciting and fun filled vacation and can not wait to do it again in 2010!

Your Daily Barista