Gonna take the plunge

After careful review of the services and benefits offered by both AT&T and Cox Communications, it looks like we will more than likely switch to AT&T for our communication and media services.

With Cox, we are paying through the nose for about 70 channels of TV plus the local High Def channels (well, the big three anyway, CBS, ABC and NBC). With AT&T we can pay through the nose for 200 channels of television, plus local High Def channels (including FOX - I can't wait to see Jack Bauer kick the crap out of some tangos in HD!), plus several other HD channels (a Kung Fu movie channel in HD - who knew there was a market for that?).

Also, the internet from AT&T is about $10/month less, and we will get a discount on our Cingular phone service.

Downside is....$50 setup fee for the Dish network, and $70 for a new DSL modem/wireless router combo. That's $120 smackers. But there are some pretty good limited time discounts which should make up for that part of if.

Oh, and we'll be getting HBO and Showtime - which we don't currently have, but have to get before Soprano's start up again.





Technorati Tags: ATT, Cox, Television, Broadband, Phone

Love 'em or hate 'em...

Credit cards. Some have them, some don't. Some love them, some hate them. Some use them wisely, others foolishly. There are those that preach the evils of credit cards and the credit card industry. Personally, I've never been in that camp. Even when, many years ago, I got into my own little area of Hades concerning credit cards.

I had several, I charged them up, then it took me years and years to pay them down. I was under the thumb of the creditors. But all that time, even with the sky-high (for the time) interest rates of 21% (I think they go much higher than that now) I knew it was not the credit card companies fault that I was in the position I was in.

See, I am a big believer in personal responsibility. Credit cards are a tool that must be used responsibly. Mis-use of any tool can and often does lead to disaster.

Now, I use my credit cards wisely. I have two. One for medical expenses. The medical expenses are reimbursed through my Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work. So I usually won't carry a balance for more than a couple of weeks on that card.

The other card is a mileage credit card. Last year the 5/8s and I went to Cancun while the boys were at scout camp. We enjoyed it so much we wanted to return with the kids. We decided to take this years tax returns and put it in a 12 month CD. Add nex years tax return to it, and we'd be able to afford to take the whole family to Cancun on vacation. With that, we also decided to obtain a mileage credit card so we can get air miles on the things we buy. We charge everything on that card, and I pay it off every two weeks on payday.

There are so many different options for obtaining credit cards these days. They have reward or cash back credit cards, there are cards that let one transfer the balance from other cards at 0% interest. And there are plenty of places where one can get credit card comparisons so they are fully armed with knowledge about which card is best for them.

Credit cards are not the enemy to the American consumer that uses them, carrying personal debt is the enemy to us all.

This post is sponsored by the CreditCardStore.co.uk

I am so ashamed.

I simply can't believe some people. Last night this area was rife with severe thunderstorms and tornados. All of the big three networks (ABC, CBS and NBC) in Kansas City went to full-time weather coverage due to the severity of storms and the presence of tornados in their viewing area.

While no tornados actually hit the Metro KC area, the smaller towns and rural areas around KC were affected by the storms. Listening to the Shanin and Parks show today on the way home, I was astounded by the number of callers into that show that complained because they didn't get to see Medium, or Lost, or Jericho or some other television show they wanted to see.

The sheer selfishness and lack of concern for their fellow man completely floored me. This is actually the first time that I have to admit I am ashamed of those fellow midwesterners that acted in such a childish manner. I would expect behavior like this from the east or west coasts - but in fly-over country, we are supposed to be more civilized.

Rome over Disney any day of the week

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My brother and his wife are putting money aside to take their kids to Disney World. My wife had talked about doing that. Personally, I'm not into it. The kids don't need Disney World. I grew up just fine without going there. Besides, I think for close to the same money one would spend for a family of five at Disney World, one could take the family on a true adventure. Somewhere like Rome.

There aren't very many places in Europe I would like to go. I don't have much use for most of that continent. I have no real desire to visit England or Ireland, especially not France, Germany or Belgium.

About the only two places I would like to visit over there are Spain and Italy. And really, not even the whole countries. Spain, I'd like to visit the Manzanares el Real (that's a castle that bears my name) as well as the town of Manzanares. In Italy, the only place I have any desire to visit is Rome.

Rome has so much to offer a visitor. The artworks of the great masters. All the ancient churches and, of course, Vatican City. Being Catholic, it would be somewhat like a pilgrimage to visit the Vatican. That would be the real reason to visit Rome.




Technorati Tags: Rome, Disney World, Vatican City

HRG and Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy Pull A Fast One

One of my favorite characters from the NBC show Heroes is who I originally named "Horned Rim Glasses Dude." He turned out to be Claire Bennett's father (I still can't remember the character's first name though).



We learned a lot about HRG's past in the latest episode. We saw him first get his job with "The Company" (still uncertain if it is a government entity or not - they kept that kind of vague). Saw how he obtained Claire, and some about his past with Mr. Invisible Pigeon Fellow.



What I don't fully understand is what happens towards the end. Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy is at the house when everything goes nuclear and Claire saves the day. HRG's boss is there.



1) Why didn't Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy suppress Nuclear Man's powers like he does other peoples' powers? This would have kept him from going...well...nuclear.



2) Why couldn't Creepy Haitian Voodoo Guy take the memory of the event from HRG 's bossman?



I suppose this would be to further the story, and get Claire to New York where she can hook up with Peter Petrelli. It looks like The Mind Reading Copper is going to work for The Company and HRG Dude in particular.



This is one of those shows that makes one wish it was Monday, so they could see the next episode.





Technorati Tags: Television, Heroes, NBC

Only in Kansas...

Yesterday the temperatures reached into the balmy 70's. It was beautiful. The sun was shinging brightly, the wind was blowing softly and gently. It truly felt like a spring day. Last night, more signs of spring. As I drove to my parents house to (once again) show my father how to use his VCR (sometimes it stinks being the smart one of the bunch - but I manage), I was able to witness a spectacular lightning display off to the southeast of Topeka.

Seems there was a super major storm system, which gave the folks down there the years first batch of tornados. And this morning, after hitting the gym, it was snowing. 40 degrees outside, and the snow is falling large, heavy and fast.

In less than 12 hours, we go from 70 degrees and sunny to thunderstorms and tornados, to snow storm - We must be back in Kansas Dorothy.

Cool custom poker chips

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Every year the parents and supporters of my kids' school get together and have a casino night. The parents obtain donations from community businesses as prizes - and even donate some items themselves.

They asked for a$20 donation which would buy one $10,000 in play money. We have been using play money, but for next year, I'm going to try and gather enough donations from the parents groups to get some real poker chips. At e-pokerchips.com one can order custom poker chips. It seems like they can put any image on them desired (some examples even had Cpt. Kirk).

But this year, this year I spent the whole night (aside from the hour I voluteered to deal blackjack) at the poker table. I have been playing Texas Hold 'Em on the computer. I caught the poker bug from my father who is mostly blind, but still likes to journey up north to the Indian Casinos. Since he is unable to drive, I'm the one that gets to make the drive north to pick him up on Friday and Saturday nights.

I didn't do nearly as well at the casino night as I do at the "play money" casinos online. But it was still a fun time, and raised money for a good cause.

Technorati Tags: Gambling, Poker, Nightlife, Recreation, Charity

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Looking for a change

We currently have our cell phones with Cingular (family plan...natch). Our home phone, television and Internet is through COX communications. I'm getting kind of tired of COX.

They block ports on the Internet so I can't hook up with my SQL server from outside, and I can't run a web page from my home (well, I can, if I put it on a different port - but that just doesn't work for me).

In addition, they have bandwidth limits. One can only have so many bytes incoming and so many bytes outgoing per month. Yet they give do not give one a way to check their usage and make adjustments if necessary.

I'm seriously thinking of switching to ATT for all of our television and communication needs. According to their website, we can get DSL at 3Mbsfor less that what I'm paying COX for (supposedly) 3.5Mbs (but I rarely, according to DSLReports.com) get more than 2Mbs).

My only concern is local High-Def channels. I don't think we will get those with the satellite and might have to fork over some $$$ for a High-Def antennae - and maybe a receiver? I'm not 100% certain on how all of that would work. I spent a good hour over the last weekend poking around ATT website, but couldn't for the life of me find a phone number to call so I could get some answers.


Technorati Tags: Television, Internet, Cell Phone Service, COX Communications, ATT, Phone Service

How Smart Are You

Tonight on Fox at 20:30 is a new Jeff Foxworthy show titled "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" - it looks to be an entertaining show. We have it setup in the DVR to record the show. We can't watch it live because it conflicts with "The Unit" on CBS. And we all know we cannot not watch "The Unit" - which is the best hour long U.S. Army commercial in the history of television!





Technorati Tags: Jeff Foxworthy, Television