Typically, I would post this on the first, but I seem to have slept through it. I've thoroughly enjoyed 2008 and I'm looking forward to 2009. As I do each year, I set out at the last minute to get a great group of people together. And each year, we continue to have a blast. I am thankful for and love all my old friends, and have already welcomed some new.

After the party, I found my place among the bodies laying asleep in my home. People were still trickling out up to 5AM, at which point I managed to get some sleep. I woke up with everyone hanging out around me, and sat up with them for a few hours in the morning. After they left, I cleaned up a bit and found my way back to my own bed. I guess this was around noon. I woke up in the early evening. Probably about 7PM and cleaned some more. Come 11 PM I decided to get myself back on schedule and set my alarm for 9AM. Surely I'd be able to wake up. And thats just what I did... wake up... at 2PM. Somehow I slept right through the alarm. Perhaps I turned off my alarm in my sleep. Who knows.

I finally got up and finished cleaning. I think I have another load of dishes left, but for the most part, you can't tell there was a party at my place just 2 nights ago. and it's still clean (and those of you who know me well, might even see this as a religious sign!)

It's been a normal day since. Hanging out with my parents and typing this entry on my brother's computer while he's out.

Just 27 days until my birthday! Just one more year to 2010! Exciting times. Happy New Year..

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My family has always been very handy. My father and uncle both skilled craftsmen. My father did a lot of home repairs, and my uncle, being an engineer, handled a lot of the electrical work. Perhaps this is where I got my interest in DIY projects.

I remember working with my father and uncle years ago, putting together electronics projects. I was young and didn't know what was going on, but learned at a very early age what electrical components were called, how to read resistors, and even picked up some general theory about electronics. It was back then that I learned to solder electronics, a skill I apparently still have today.

After what must be 10 or so years of not touching a soldering iron, I decided to assemble the TV-B-Gone kit I picked up at The Last Hope conference. I'd say it took me about 30 minutes to an hour to assemble, kinda pathetic considering it's just 19 components. Then again, I had to re-acquaint myself to the equipment, and try to deal with my tremors, which were actually no problem at all. My hand was rather steady.

I took my time, and the TV-B-Gone is assembled and works. I was able to shut off my TV (Funny thing is, it turns it off, then on, then off again. I guess my TV uses the same code for on and off. Makes sense since there's only 1 power button on the remote). The next trial will have to be somewhere where there's a lot of TVs. Maybe Wal-Mart/Best Buy/etc...Maybe a bar. Who knows. I'm still impressed that it works!

I'll have to look for some other electronics projects to pick up so I can get used to this sort of thing. Then, maybe next time my stereo breaks, instead of spending $600 on a new one, I'll try to fix it myself.

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So I open my eyes this morning and it's 4:30 PM. I slept the entire day! Granted I needed the rest, but I may have just screwed up my sleep schedule. I need to be at work normal time tomorrow, so I have no clue what time I should call it quits tonight. Maybe I can force myself asleep by 2AM or so.

I've had a lot of free time the past few days so I've broken open some of my old projects. While in Pennsylvania, I picked up the screws I needed to fix my eFlite Blade CX Helicopter. I could have gone locally, but I found myself at a toy store that sold them, so I asked for the parts while I was there. I put the Heli back together and started it up. In the past, I have not been able to control the chopper. I could make it ascend, but upon trying to move it, I would typically hit a wall, the couch, etc...

Somehow, I was more relaxed, and almost in control as the heli lifted off. It started to move but I adjusted it and even had it hovering on it's own for the first time! It was a momentous occasion as it drifted above the Hanukkah candles, extinguishing them, then smashing into the wall right next to them. Oh well.

I had to run out to the hobby shop to repair it this time, but have now replaced all the plastic parts with their aluminum equivalents. I paid very close attention to what it was doing and was able to stabilize the controls so that the hellicopter can actually be controlled fairly easily. I have had several successful flights (and landings!) since and am finally getting some decent air time.

I still have a bit of trouble maneuvering and getting used to controlling the chopper in a full 360 degrees, but the last time I flew it, I could barely go up and down properly, so a few more baby steps and I'll be running with the big kids.

Who knows, Maybe I'll get my next Helli in a year or so.

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Aside from finishing my reading, This weekend was a lot of fun, but very Tiring! It was my god-daughter's fourth birthday, so I had to drive out to Pennsylvania to visit Keaira and my best friend Dave and his wife Kerry. The initial drive was not bad at all. Granted I needed a red bull to keep me alert as I had woken up early to run some last minute errands (Wrap Gifts, pick up EZ-Pass from parents, etc..).

Despite leaving about 30 minutes later than I planned, I got to the party right on time. It was a great time. Keaira seemed like the happiest child in the world the whole time with a bright smile across her face from the moment I arrived, to even when she was waving to me good bye.

I left the party and headed out to meet Casey, 5 hours away. Farther into Pennsylvania. That was a rough drive. I have no trouble driving, even long distances. I had my Zune loaded up with multiple episodes of the podcasts I mentioned exactly one month ago. I needed to catch up anyways, and I had hours of education and entertainment at my disposal. The weather sucked. As I left the party, it had started snowing and was doing so on and off throughout the trip.

Three cans of Red-Bull and 4 hours, 45 minutes later, I let my attention slip as I swerved slightly out of my lane. I promptly corrected myself as the rotating red lights of a police car lit up behind me. Asking if I was in a hurry, I advised that I was not, was just tired, though I didn't believe I was going that fast. The officer asked where I was headed and I stumbled as I tried to explain that I was headed to a friends house, but frankly had no idea where I was going. I pointed to my GPS and the fact that wherever I was going, was about 12 minutes away. He looked at the GPS and the pile of Red Bull cans and seemed to have a smirk on his face, almost laughing at me, as he told me to slow down and try to keep my vehicle on the road. I thanked him and continued on.

I got to the house and met Casey's housemates. They all seemed cool, and hope that I made somewhat of a good impression, though I was mad tired. We started to decorate their Christmas tree, but after hanging only 1 decoration, Casey decided it better to put me to bed than leave me to doze off on their couch.

The next day, we left while everyone else was sleeping. It was a 7 hour drive from there back home, so I didn't want to leave any later than 5PM. Breakfast was at Kings, a friendly's/denny's/IHOP type chain with a frowning brownie as their mascot. I really think that they should fire everyone in the marketing department for this one, I mean... Their mascot Frowned. Who wants a Frownie? I want a Happy Brownie (not to be confused with a Special Brownie of which this marketing company had one too many of!)

I got a tour of the campground that hosts Pennsic, a reenactment medieval war that occurs during the warmer weather. This time of year it was covered with snow, but thanks to 4-wheel drive, Casey was able to show me around.

We took a drive into Pittsburgh and hit up a coffee shop that catered a middle-eastern theme. The venue was popular for belly dancers and musicians to perform live. A friend of mine, and former roomate, Carmine had performed there in the past, and they even had his CD prominently displayed for sale there.

Our last stop was at one of the coolest toy stores in the USA. The building is shaped like a UFO that had crashed on the side of the road. The front door is designed to look like an aft thruster, all burnt out. This place had lots of great toys. Board Games, Juggling Supplies, R/C Cars and Helli copters, Trains, Slot-Cars, Learning/Educational kits and so much more They even had Segways ($5k ouch!). They were really cool there. They hooked me up with some parts I needed for my R/C helicopter, and I picked up a rubber band gun. The kind that you can load 7 rubber bands and shoot them one at a time by pulling the trigger (Hopefully the picture (to the left) is still there by the time you read this.)

The ride home was almost a pleasure. There was no traffic, and the weather couldn't have been clearer. The car, on the other hand was filthy and all the squeegees at the gas stations were frozen. So were the tubes feeding washer fluid to my windshield wipers. I managed to get the window pretty clear, but it could have been better. Either way, I made it home and managed to get home a half hour before my initial ETA. It was a great weekend. I'm thoroughly looking forward to next weekend, half afraid my plans will fall through. I really hope they won't!

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I would like to thank T.L. Hines and Thomas Nelson Publishing. As part of their marketing efforts for T.L. Hines's new book, The Unseen, they sent out free copies of the book to Bloggers in exchange for a review. In my opinion, This is a great way to build up hype about the book and get people interested.

and it got me Interested.

The story follows a loner named Lucas. Lucas makes his home inside of underground steam tunnels, train stations, even in active office buildings above ceiling tiles and just about anywhere else that he can set up a perch to watch and observe people as they go about their daily business.

You begin to sense that Lucas, and how he considers this lifestyle of stalking workers as normal, is rather creepy. Until he meets a fellow "Urban Explorer" who is traversing the steam tunnel that Lucas claimed as his home. Their acquaintance sets forth a roller coaster of events leading Lucas to an underground organization of urban explorers who, like Lucas, follow and watch individuals, though they make Lucas's creeping seem normal.

The story picks up and lures you in more and more as Lucas gets involved with the local police, mob-like thugs and government agencies. Throughout the book you wonder, along with Lucas, who is friendly and who is not.

I'll admit, it was difficult to relate to Lucas and the characters introduced early in the book, but like a train wreck, you just have to read on and see what will happen next. Once you're really hooked, the book gets extremely exiting as Lucas is constantly running for his life and trying to avoid members of the underground organization, local police and government agents (but who knows WHICH government!)

Those of you who know me, know that I don't read books very often. The Unseen, being a freebie, sounded like a fun "Bathroom Book". You know, one that i would pick it up and read a few pages, at most, a night. About three quarters into the story, I realized I was reading 2 or 3 chapters at a time. If you're looking for a fun read, pick up The Unseen.

Pick up The Unseen at Amazon.com (and support my blogging habit!)

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I'm sitting in the diner with Tiffany playing Dots, and we couldn't help by being amused by the people sitting in the booth beside us. It was a family of 3. There was Mom. She was a heavy set but confident looking woman. Her husband, your typical "All american" man in jeans and a T-shirt. Finally, there was their son. Your average teenager, probably 14 or 15, wearing a red baseball cap and a grey hoodie. He sat down at the table with his family and asked innocently, "What is W-I-F-I? Is it the Ninetendo game"?

Now I was engrossed in our game, so I misunderstood the mother's response. I thought she told her son that "WiFi" was a Nintendo product. Tiffany pointed out to me that she explained to her son that "Wifi was Wire-free Internet." ...

okay, my bad.

"The Nintendo game was the "Wii Fee" She continued. Or maybe Wii Free.. Maybe it's a diet Wii, Like pepsi-free or caffiene-free. Either Wee, it's back to the Laundromat to dry our clothes and go home!

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So aside from hearing about the events at a nearby Wal-Mart, Black Friday was pretty good to me.

The short version:

12:30 AM @ Tanger Outlet, Wilson's Leather Outlet - Leather Jacket - Under $100
5:00 AM @ Circuit City - USB HDTV Tuner $20
6:00 AM @ Ritz Camera - 3pack 4GB Compact Flash cards $FREE ($60-Mail-In-Rebate)
8:00 AM @ MicroCenter - Two 22" wide screen LCD (No good. Returning them tomorrow!)

( And now the unabridged (signed and numbered) novel: )

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The world is so different from different people's points of view. Lets look at Black Friday. I'll go into detail of my efforts later, but I want to focus on my observance. I've done "the Black Friday" thing for 3 years now. This year seemed extremely quiet compared to years past. The lines at the retailers last year seemed to overshadow this year by quite a bit. Even in the large retail outlets, I was in and out in under 10 minutes.

It makes you wonder in a period of quiet and serenity, what kind of freaks and monsters lined up outside of a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream NY and literally killed an employee, and for what? a TV? a computer? What is worth more than someone's life inside a Wal-Mart? Or any store for that matter. And Wal-Mart knows of the chaos that can ensue.. I know! I worked there for a year. Why haven't they jumped on the bandwagon and organized themselves. Nobody was trampled at Best Buy when I lined up last year. I didn't see anybody trampled at Circuit City this year either!

Little did I know that there was such horror and terror happening just outside of my peaceful bubble.. Sharing stories with complete strangers of varying race, religion, background and interests. Offering others beside me to step forward before I too make my entrance. Excuse me.. Please.. Thank you.. I really think that the world is a great place, though the Riftrou make it appear to be a cruel sad place.. You know.. The ones who "Ruin It For The Rest Of Us"

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Not much to post about lately. I've been fighting off a nasty cold/cough. I think it started last week (or early in the week) so I've been taking a lot of Vitamin C, Zinc and Tylenol cold. It's weird how it'll affect me, seem to go away, then come right back. And I can't shake this cough... I may actually have to see a doctor on this one. A shame, I've managed to stay away from the doctor for probably 5 to 10 years or so. Maybe more, with one exception when I needed a physical 4 or 5 years ago.

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For the longest time, I was one of the people who claimed that I would never need an MP3 player. With the exception of some songs, I get tired of hearing the same old music pretty quickly. I'm rarely on the train or even in the car for a very long time. When I am, I have XM radio and often listen to Opie and Anthony, or a mix of the 80s, rock and dance channels. It's enough to keep me entertained.

Then one day, http://www.woot.com had a special sale. 30GB Zune for $100! I figured, 30 GB would be more than I would ever need in an MP3 player, and this was a decent price. I ordered my Zune and then the fun began!

I got really into podcasts and despite loading 20 GB of music onto my Zune, I left enough room for some audio and video podcasts. I thought I'd share my play list and if you know of any cool podcasts I might like let me know. If you produce your own podcast, feel free to let me know all about it and take advantage of my blog for some free promotion.

Photography:

• This Week in Photography (TWiP)- TwipPhoto.com/
  
• Tips from the Top Floor - TipsFromTheTopFloor.com
  

Technology:

TWIT.TV with Leo Laporte and Friends - TWiT.tv

• The Tech Guy (Ask Anything about Technology w/ Leo Laporte)
  
• This Week in Tech (Tech News w/ Leo Laporte, John Dvorak, Patrick Norton)
  
• Windows Weekly (Microsoft News w/ Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, etc..)
  
• Security Now (Security News w/ Leo Laporte, and Steve Gibson of GRC/SpinRite)
  
• FLOSS Weekly (Open Source Software/Hardware discussions w/ Leo Laporte and Randal Schwartz)
  

(Yes, There's a lot at TWIT.TV. lol)

• Off the Hook (Hacker Podcast) - 2600.com
  
• Hak5 (Hacker Podcast) - Hak5.org
  

Random Podcasts:

• This Week in Law (Law and Technology w/ Leo Laporte and Denise Howell) - TWiT.tv
  
• MunchCast (Geeky Food show w/ Leo Laporte and Cammy Blackstone) - TWiT.tv
  
• Scam School (Bar Scams/Tricks taught by Magician Brian Brushwood) - Revision 3
  
• Ask a Ninja (Comical QA show with a (?) real Ninja!) - AskANinja.com
  

While most people complain their commute to work is too long, I often find myself complaining that it's too short :)

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