So that’s why

I was in line at the electronics department at Fred Meyer tonight and the man ahead of me in line was attempting to return an Xbox game he had opened. Here’s how it went down:

Man: I’d like to return this game.

Clerk: We can’t take back games that have been opened.

Man: But it’s in perfect condition.

Clerk: The reason we can’t take it back is because people would buy a game or CD, copy it and then return it.

Man: But that’s not what I did. I just want a different game.

Clerk: I’m sorry but once it’s opened, you own it. I think it has to do with copyright, the RIAA, or something.

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Zelda: Ocarina of Time named greatest Game

I’m not surprised to hear that Zelda: Ocarina of time was named the greatest game of all-time according to Edge magazine. It’s the best game I’ve ever played and still holds up well today, 10 years after its release. I’d rather play any of the Zelda games over any game on the fancy new consoles. You can’t call yourself a gamer until you’ve played this masterpiece. 🙂

–Link to Gamespot review 10/10
–Link to IGN review 10/10
–Link to Ocarina of Time at Wikipedia

zelda

Windows Live writer

I was able to get Windows Live Writer working tonight. I followed the directions at that page for those having problems getting the program to install. Only took a few minutes to remedy the problem after which Live Writer installed without a hitch.

livewriterThis is the first post I’ve written using Live Writer and I’m already very impressed. This program has the most logical, easy to understand setup of any of the blog editors I’ve tried. I also like how it pulls the template from my theme so I can see what my post will look like in real time.

It’s fantastic to see Microsoft put out such a quality program while even in beta. It’s even better to see them support competing platforms such as WordPress. I can see myself spending more of my time in Live Writer than I do in Word.

One more thing that impressed me was that I woke up this morning after posting about my installation problems and saw a reply by a member of the Live Writer team who apologized for the problem and helped explain the error in more detail. That led me back to the site in search of a solution.

I’m blown away at how easy it makes handling images. I just dragged an image into this area, resized it in seconds, wrapped the text and added a custom border. All in about 30 seconds. That would normally take me several minutes to do in standard WordPress editor.

If first impressions are any indication, Microsoft has a winner on its hands in Live Writer. I’m glad my friend told me about it.

Fantastic service from Automoblox

I ordered a set of Automoblox cars after reading a positive review in Car & Driver. I like them as much as our kids do if not more. In the course of normal use, one of the wheels cracked and wouldn’t stay on the axel. I searched on Automoblox website to see if I could purchase a replacement wheel but only found extension kits.

I decided to email customer support explaining my desire to purchase another wheel and this is the response I received less than 30 minutes later:

Hi Brett:

I’m sorry to hear about the wheel that broke on your Automoblox vehicle. Unfortunately, we do not currently have wheels available for purchase. However, since our cars are not supposed to break, I’d like to send you replacement wheels free of charge. We redid our wheels some time ago, so by the fact that one broke, it would seem that on that car, you have the old wheels. I’d like to send you 4 new wheels in the mail and I’ll ask that when you receive them, you throw out the other 4 that you have. Please get back to me with the following information (address, phone, VIN) so we can quickly expedite this matter.

I look forward to hearing back from you and I look forward to hearing only good things from now on.

Thank you for your love of our products and my apologies for your trouble.

M

How do I set the homepage in IE on the Motorola Q?

OK, I feel stupid. There’s got to be a way to set the homepage. I’m tired of launching IE only to see what Verizon wants me to see. How do I set the homepage on IE on the Q?

Or is there another browser I should be using? I tried Mobile Opera and it was painfully slow and buggy. But it did allow me to set the homepage!

3 of my Favorite Things

There are a few items that I use each day that I can’t imagine being without. And none of them have anything to do with electronic or computer equipment. Here are three of my favorite things:

ghurka.jpg

Ghurka Wallet – I originally purchased this wallet at Nordstrom for Kim about 7 years ago, and took it over from her when she wanted a larger wallet. It’s the perfect shape and size, and the leather feels as good today as it did when I bought it. The craftsmanship is impeccable. Not a single stitch has come loose. Ghurka also uses leather throughout rather than cutting corners by using cheap fabric on the inside lower pockets and bill separator.

mauijim.jpg

Maui Jim Sunglasses – I’ve owned a number of different sunglasses before a friend told me about Maui Jim. About four years ago I went looking for a new pair of sunglasses and found a shop that carried a number of brands. The sales clerk let me take 4 or 5 pairs outside the shop to test in the sun. When I tried on the Maui Jim pair I was sold. The lenses really are a substantial improvement over anything else I’ve tried. They are not cheap, but mine have lasted four years now and I like them as much today as the day I bought them.

tumi.jpg Tumi Laptop Bag – This bag goes everywhere I go. It’s made of nearly indestructible ballistic nylon which makes it but easy to clean. It has four smaller compartments on the front that make storing and retrieving my wallet, sunglasses, iPod and checkbook a cinch. The main compartment is separated by a padded wall that keeps my laptop safe and snug. Everything on the bag is made of quality materials such as the zippers, leather handles and padded shoulder strap. This is the first product from Tumi I’ve owned and I’ve been very impressed.

All three of these items costs a bit more than their competitors. But each has held up well over time and should last me for years to come.

w.bloggar

I’ve been looking for a good WordPress editor. A friend of mine told me about Windows Live Writer which I tried to install tonight. For some reason it appears to install but I can’t find the program. Not off to a good start there. A while back to tried wbloggar but gave it up after a while. I’m going to try it again for a few days and see how I like it.

I’ve tried a few different plugins that add functionality to the WordPress editor but they all loaded so slowly. I don’t want to take a substantial performance hit just to update my blog.

We’ll see how this goes.

Do these vans get good gas mileage?

Do you remember the first Home Alone movie where the neighbor boy named Mitch Murphy comes over to pester the guy in the van who is getting ready to take Kevin and his family to the airport?

Mitch Murphy: “I live across the street. You guys going out of town? We’re going to Orlando, Florida. Well, actually, first we’re going to Missouri to pick up my grandma. Did you know the McCallisters are going to France? Do you know if it’s cold there? Do these vans get good gas mileage?”

It’s the last question the makes the scene work and it’s that question that reminded me of my son, Lincoln, as I was trying to get ready for church this morning. He was peppering me with all sorts of random questions such as, “When I get home from church can I be the first to play the little Nintendo?”

Lincoln is an inquisitive kid. But he doesn’t like vague or general answers to his question. When he asks when Grandpa is coming to visit, our other kids will accept an answer of “In about two weeks”. But not Lincoln. He wants to know the exact day of the week and time. And he will continue to ask questions until he gets a satisfactory answer.

Remind me to set aside more time next week to get ready for church.

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