Archive for January, 2009
The HP Mini 1000… as Circuit City closes
Jan 25th
We just settled on a netbook for Tina. The HP Mini 1000:
It may be may last purchase from Circuit City.
They had the 1000 for 10% off, so we bit. It’s been quite nice so far. The screen is a little small, but you have to expect that from such a small computer. But it’s just so portable…
It comes with Windows XP and it has a built-in webcam. It doesn’t have a DVD or CD drive, but I could share one from an existing computer if I had to. Or I could get an external drive. It has 2 USB ports, an SD card slot, and Bluetooth and 802.11b/g built in.
I like it. I think it’s a cool little computer. Not the most powerful one on the block, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s mainly used for checking e-mail, MySpace, Facebook, and occasionally playing music. And it does those jobs just fine.
An “American” kind of day
Jan 20th
I am so tired this evening… I just told Tina that I have been over-stimulated today… Just an exciting day.
Today was a very busy day at work. I was able to catch the inaugural address at lunchtime though. And afterwards I found myself once again (for the first time, really?) defending My President. I am getting a little tired of having to do that, but I am also getting a little bit more confident about doing it. At one time I would have backed down. Not anymore.
I think I’m just happy that we have voted for real change, and hopefully it will be a real, lasting kind of change. And I’m disappointed that not everyone shares that positive feeling…
It was so cool to see so many people turn out for the inauguration and the parade. Wow! Downtown D.C. is crazy on a normal day… I can’t imagine how nuts it must have been today. I followed the inauguration online at CNN.com and Facebook. It was cool to see all the (mostly) positive comments roll up the screen beside the live video. Great job CNN and Facebook! Bonus points!
It was inspiring, amazing, unforgettable, and it was a day I will never forget. I don’t think it has all really sunk in yet. Mr. President. Wild.
So now, after a long day, I’m sitting down and watching American Idol, and I’m really not into it. I feel like I watched the real reality once already today. Anything else would probably just be disappointing.
Why It Happens
Jan 16th
Well, Circuit City looks like it’s going to be history soon. I can’t say I’m all that surprised, given that they filed for bankruptcy in November of last year. Being a frequent customer of Circuit City, I must say I am disappointed.
Granted, Circuit City has not always been considered the most customer-friendly store on the planet. I know a few people who boycotted CC on their own for their own personal reasons. But I, personally, had mostly positive dealings with them. I think that lack of customer service ultimately helped lead to their downfall. I think it was probably a combination of factors, certainly including the current economic downturn. I know I haven’t been spending nearly as much on techno gadgets and entertainment as I have in the past. And I think that’s true for most Americans.
Customer Service Trumps All
But I think the biggest lesson to learn from CC’s demise is: Customer Service Trumps All.
I said “mostly” above because I did have one bad experience there. It wasn’t directly with Circuit City, but it was with an Element brand television I bought there. Element brand stuff could only be bought from Circuit City. It was kind of an in-house brand. Basically, the TV died right after the warranty expired. And that was the last TV I bought there. So if they have enough people having bad experiences, eventually their customer base will be gone.
And, as it turns out, price isn’t always all that important. What good is it to pay half as much for a TV if you have to buy twice as many of them?
So as I say, I’m sorry to see Circuit City go. It was a nice place to grab a game or a computer accessory, or sometimes just to have a look at the latest technology. Unfortunately, it looks as if too many people were just browsing.
Thinking of Netbooks
Jan 12th
My wife is in the market for a notebook or laptop PC. She needs something to check e-mail, Facebook, MySpace, etc. and something that will hold a good bit of music. I’m tempted to go down the netbook route because of their size and relative affordability.
I just spotted this new touchscreen netbook that was just introduced at CES this week:
Pet peeve #72
Jan 11th
Okay, not really #72. I made that number up. But this is still something that bugs me a little, in a funny kind of way.
We just got new cordless phones yesterday that have a built-in answering machine. “Yay for technology!” Right? Well, this answering machine has a curious built-in “feature.” It has a clock, as you would expect, that marks the time of incoming messages. But the problem is this: When it announces the time it says the following:
“Beep. 2009 7:53pm Saturday. Beep.”
Now, please tell me. Exactly how useful is that information? I already know it’s 2009. I think I will remember that for almost one full year. And not telling me that it’s “January 10th” makes the “2009″ all the more useless.
Look at it this way… If you told a friend that the party was scheduled for “2009 6:00pm Thursday” I would really take a long hard look at this crazy face they make at you.
Sorry. I just had to say that.
They still don’t get it
Jan 4th
But that’s okay. I try to remember that some people are so entrenched in their ways that they will never understand. But what stinks is that some are so determined to create failure, it makes it much more difficult to succeed. But that will not stop me from trying. Because I know it is right.
And another thing… (Oh no, he should just shut up now!) Where do people get off calling the Internet evil? I’ve heard some otherwise (seemingly) rational people blame all of society’s ills on the Internet. Do they not understand that it is a tool, created by people to accomplish and streamline the task of communication? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised… This is the same race that decried the invention of radio, of television, of rock music, of all kinds of things. If we depended upon them, we’d still live in caves. Maybe these people aren’t as rational as I thought…
I guess I’m just in one of those moods today where stupid people are getting on my nerves. Sometimes I just need to chill out and let things go. But apparently this is not one of those times.
Oh boy, round three has just started. (Shut up now, Jason, you’re going to offend somebody!) Oh well. I just found out that someone told my daughter at my church, that now that Obama is president, “they” are going to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance. I told Allison that sometimes when people lose things like elections, they like to spread rumors, and make things up. It kind of goes back to my first thoughts in this post. They are determined to see failure, so they are more than happy to cause it to occur. I have since corrected Allison’s information and told her that any time she hears anything from church that mommy and daddy wouldn’t agree with, she is to tell us immediately, so we can inform her of the truth, and also so we can decide how to deal with that situation at church.
I am disheartened by this information, but I will still be a positive force for change. Our deeds and actions say a lot more than our words.
