VIR patriot course tomorrow

I will be at VIR patriot course tomorrow at 7:30 AM or so, helping the DGTrials.com crew and lookout drift put on an event. If you've got some tires to burn come and drift!

usdrift.com

Back! Smartphone debate

I've been to the ATT and Verizon stores a total of 5 times over the last 3 days, and probably hit their website 50 times each as well.

I really cannot decide what to do. I've had my verizon number for 10 years, and its still a 203. Part of me really wants to go to a local 919 number anyway. However, I digress, the main issue is, I want a smartphone.



The main issue is: Crappy phones and goodnetwork? or Great phone and crappy network?

• Verizon's network covers the country pretty dang well, I've never really had any coverage problems, its reliable and just works. At the same time, their customer service and in-store people are generally kind of arrogant and its a turn off. Grade A-
  

• ATT, well the only reason I even lean to ATT is for the iphone, the interface for that is great, and as an Apple user, it just integrates everything together for me much better than the Blackberry which is very windows centric. Not to mention VPN works for the iphone. Apple customer service is awesome, but coverage is suspect. Also, I'd have to get more minutes as most people I know are on the Verizon network (at least from up north) and I can talk to them for free, but not so much if I switch to ATT. Grade C+
  

On to the phones:

• I've played with the Blackberry curve, and its 'ok', the added functionality is great over a regular phone, the physical keyboard is nice, but I hate the scroll wheel, I feel like i'm stuck in 1999. Grade B-
  

• The Blackberry storm is awesome on paper, but the execution stinks. Even with the newer firmware update its janky and feels like a beta phone, not a finished product. Grade C-

• Iphone. It's pretty much everything I want, plus a bunch of things I don't know I want. If it were on the Verizon network I would've bought one 2 years ago. Now with the rumor of ATT extended its exclusivity I'm thinking it might be time to jump ship. The fact that is has an ipod with movie capabilities is great, as I'm on a 4 year old ipod nano. Also, both my cars have ipod interfaces and i've got a mac. VPN works on this no problem, and it also syncs contacts with Zimbra. Once the new 3.0 firmware comes out this is a slamdunk A+, for now A- with no portrait typing, picture msging etc.

It seems as though I get A- network with a B- phone, or a C+ network with a A+ phone. Comments are welcome

Christmas Recovery

Though I didn't travel this holiday, I sure am worn out. I had the immediate family over to the castle, and I am swimming in empty cardboard boxes. Too bad the trash pickup doesn't come for another week:(

On a gadgety note, I picked up a Flip Mino HD via some giftcards I got and have been playing with it all afternoon. What an excellent, simple HD camcorder. It really doesn't get any easier.

I've only had it for a few hours, but so far, I'm in love. Works on mac, win and linux!

Thanksgiving new-style

In a very odd twist, I'm in Florida for thanksgiving. Never did seeing Christmas decorations seem so wrong and un-natural. That being said, it's nice seeing palm trees out my window and driving past the blue ocean.

If only I had the miata with me! However, the company more than makes up for it.

Toadies Re-cap

The show was amazing with a capital A.

I really can't do it justice without the wordsmithing only a Mordecai can posses.

The show was in Richmond, in this tiny place under neath an overpass. Clark was walking around when the first band was on 'Conshafter', who happen to be from Chapel Hill (6 miles from my house). I introduced myself, we started drinking beer, took pictures...what a regular dude, totally awesome, approachable and just generally nice. He asked me where I was from, what I did for a living etc etc.

People in Planes came on..who are quite good, and he went and got a mini self amplified guitar and was following a long in the corner. Rez came out a few minutes later and I bought them whatever it was they were drinking. We toasted, they went back stage...

I enjoyed People in Planes for the good 45-50 minutes they were playing. Toadies came on, went through about 12 songs (abt half the set ), started playing a few riffs from random rock songs. I yelled to Clark to play the 'cowboy song' , a thin lizzie song, the toadies had covered on some obscure album I own.

Afterwards VTL told everyone after tyler to come hang out with them and talk, so we did. They signed two LP's for me, which I'm framing.

They then informed me that they were playing in NC tomorrow (today) and that I should go. I said I'd love to but it was in Charlotte...which is whats printed on their t-shits and their promo flyers.

They said yea, somewhere called Cat's Cradle. So I asked if they meant Carrboro and they said they were. Carrboro is less than 15 minutes away. The irony is, If I hadn't gone to Richmond, I wouldn't have known they were playing right next door. Clark only thought to mention it as I had told him I was from NC earlier. They then said if I showed up an hour or so before they went on I could come back and hang with them.

Doni (how he spells it) gave me a bass pic and one of their set lists that was taped to the floor as well.

I'm working on 2.5 hrs sleep and cannot hear and my lungs hurt from smoke inhalation.
Last night was one of the best times I've had, ever. And to think I almost didn't go...

Thank goodness its over!

Let me be very clear, despite what some may think about my beliefs...

There is cause to celebrate here, independent of who you cast your vote for. The vote yesterday made it reasonably clear that the majority of the nation prefered Obama. Our democratic process worked well yesterday and produced a clear victor, aiding in our ability to unite behind a majority
leader without the need for squabbling after the election. You may or may not like who won (I'm not sure I'll know for 6-12 months), but I know Obama is the will of the people. For better or for worse, it's what America is all about. I sincerely hope he can lead our nation justly and effectively.

We've definitely made a shift from one side to the other, and thats a good thing too. Until we have more than a two party system I'm not sure we'll ever really be TRUELY represented well in Washington, We're a diverse place to be equated to the same two groups for the past hundred years. but this is a great start.

Donuts and other fried things

This was very much a trial and error, and as expected, many of the results were not exactly what I was hoping for. But that's how one learns. I'm going to try another recipe tomorrow and see if I can get a more light and airy cake type donut.

Here are a few pictures. I also fried some oreos (left) amongst everything else. Delicious! The last thing I did was simply make up some pancake batter (thick) and roll it in to balls and drop it in the grease directly. When they were done I covered them in honey and they were quite good. We'll see how tomorrow goes.