Vent the stone.

The Prius C and the MINI Cooper.

The Prius C is a newcomer that just hit the market this year... it's a little longer than the MINI but smaller than the regular Prius by about a foot. It's a Hybrid and it's well appointed. The top of the line Prius C Four has HD/SAT radio, touch screen GPS, all sorts of Hybrid computer screens, integration with the iPhone - even leather seats. It is very well appointed.

The MINI has all of those options as well - and more - and is way more fun to drive. Hell, it's more fun to drive than most other cars on the road... something about that Go-Kart feeling that is just... fun. But the challenge with the MINI is that if you trick it out to match the Prius C, it's more expensive. By like several thousands more expensive. To combat the price difference, you take out the MINI Connected [iPhone integration] system, the GPS, the backup-camera thing, and the leather seats.

Classic example: amenities/normal/cheaper versus fun/neat/pricier.

As of this writing, I'm planning to lease a new MINI.

Why?

Not taking anything away from MINI - who for some reason tried to charge me over retail at first ask (even though I'm a 3rd time MINI lease) and has kept me waiting for over 48 hours for a final lease quote - but Toyota has completely pissed me off.

After seeing the Prius C, I decided that I wanted to take a test drive. I reached out to the local dealer through the Internet Sales department: do you have a Prius C Four to test drive? It took four emails to find out that they did not but I could test drive a Two. Why four emails? Because there was constant pressure to schedule an appointment.

OK, here's the deal: you guys are a dealership. I don't schedule when I'm coming down for a test drive. You work around my schedule and if I opt to be flexible... then you deal with it. I don't care that you aren't there. You are a salesperson and you are a dime a dozen. If your commission process works that you only get credit for all the work, don't push that on me. I'm the damned customer.

On a whim, Jolene and I pop down to the dealership a couple of days later. We're greeted by one of the three salespeople standing by the front door. All happy and smiling and friendly. Until I say 'Oh, we requested a test drive with the Internet sales department.' Smiles disappear and we get a grunt in response. "That salesperson isn't here today." 'That's OK - we just want a test drive.' "Oh... well, that salesperson isn't here today." [insert the sound of my patience expiring] 'Yes, I understand. Do I get to drive the car anyway?'

After waiting for a bit, we get the Prius C Two and salesperson in tow, we go for a drive. Nice car but basic inside. Had a key - the MINI has a FOB - and the traditionally untraditional dash of a Prius. No more annoying jerking at a stop sign. OK power up hills. Wouldn't have even known it was a Hybrid, to be honest. Very nice. When we get back to the dealership, there's a full court press. "What color are you looking for? How long is in your lease? How about we get you out of that early?" After explaining that I have 10 weeks on the lease left and still have 15K miles to go before I'm over, the salesperson wanders off. The sales manager returns with the salesperson with the classic "How can we get you to buy the car today" look. He says "What do you think?" I reply with, 'It's nice... really nice. But I'm not buying a car today - I still have too much time and miles left on my lease to get out of it early, thanks.' Jolene and I leave shortly after that.

After coming home and doing some research, I learned that the Four does have a FOB, the touch screen and all that gunk. Even a feature where if you have the FOB on you, you just touch the door handle to lock/unlock the door.

Since the first local Toyota dealership didn't have a Four, I called another one. This guy tells me that they are selling out of them faster than any car they've had before. That always cracks me up. Reminds me of when I worked on stock trading software... no glitch in the software ever caused a $5 mistake - it was always a $5 billion mistake. OK, fine, so it's a hot car, but the really funny part is when he tells me: "Ya know... if you really want to see one, you really should put a deposit down on one." I have no words to this. "Because a lot of people are buying them sight unseen." 'Ah... well, that's not going to happen.' "Oh. What else are you looking at?" 'I'm really considering a MINI Cooper.' "Oh, well can the MINI get you fifty four miles per-" 'I don't care about the hybrid.' "Oh." 'The only reason why you're in the running is because you're a small car.' "Oh." 'I just wanted see it before I bought it.' "Oh... uh... well."

Leave a deposit for a purchase to test drive the fuckin' car? Ha!

Anyway, since I was still torn on the choice, I waited a week or two and then I emailed the first Toyota dealership again. And again. And again. Finally I picked up the phone. "I replied to your emails!" was the response I got. Um, OK, that's odd that their first emails got through but other ones didn't. Right? I mean a spam filter could just suddenly change it's mind... no, no, don't call bullshit yet.

Turns out they had a Three on the lot. Back down to the dealership. This time I told them when I was coming and my internet salesperson was there. OK, fine. Out for another test drive. The upgraded amenities were nice. Really nice. OK, this has potential. We end the short test drive and go back to the dealership. "What color are you looking for? How long is in your lease? How about we get you out of that early?" After explaining that I have 10 weeks on the lease left and still have 15K miles to go before I'm over, this salesperson takes another approach: "How much equity do you have left in the car, because we can get you out early." Now I know MINI has one of the highest residual values in the industry. I don't know why. No one knows why. I just know that by the time I buy the car, trade the car in, and pay the sales tax on said transaction that I'll be screwed 8 ways from Sunday. I say 'It's OK, I'm not interested.' "Well how much equity do you have left in the car?"

Doesn't a salesperson know that they are supposed to adjust their approach to fit the mark? Listen to the responses and respond? That's what I would do... no one likes a quitter I guess because the equity pitch continues.

Ultimately, Jolene and I leave again with some more thoughts about the car. So I decide to get some specific lease numbers, while MINI continues to compete for the business by offering competitive quotes. I email the salesperson for more information... wait a couple of days - nothing. I try from another email address. Nothing. Finally I call and leave a voice mail... 'I want a quote for a Prius C Four.' The next day I get a returned call and more lamenting about emails not getting through.

Um, as an Internet sales department wouldn't you want to make sure you can send and receive emails? You can call bullshit now.

OK, so now I got my quote. I then realize I forgot to ask about the options: the sunroof and 16" tires. I then realize that the quote I was given doesn't match what I see on the web site with the lease calculator. So I call back 5 minutes after the first call and leave another voice mail. Two days later I get an email: "the quote was for a Prius C Four." Um, OK, that doesn't answer my question. I reply 'Yes, the Prius C Four but with the sunroof and the 16" tires?' I get back, "Yes."

Those quotes above are all that are in the mail. No numbers. No new quotes. Just a handshake that the number that I got verbally and doesn't match the web site is what I'm paying. What if I heard her wrong? What if I can't remember the quote? Do I have to email again asking for another quote which might get lost again?

Why do I feel like I'm doing them a favor by leasing a car from them? Why don't I feel like they're earning my business? Why does it feel like I'm driving this deal instead of them doing the work for me?

Oh, right: because I am.

Well, lets just be a sadiest, I emailed them again: 'Prius C Four + the sunroof and 16” wheels, $4K to the cap cost, 36 mo, 12K miles a year, and the payment was $220/mo including tax?' It would seem their emailed worked because I got back:

"Randy,
I did not say $220.
I SAID $320 AND THAT IS INCLUDED THE TAX."

ARE YOU FUCKIN' KIDDING ME? YOU HAVE PUT NOTHING IN WRITING. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN RESPONSIVE IN EMAIL OR VIA PHONE. YOUR NUMBER DOESN'T MATCH THE WEB SITE. YOU ARE SHOUTING AT ME - and in imperfect English - ABOUT A MISUNDERSTANDING OVER PRICING WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO NOT FUCK UP AND YOU DON'T GIVE ME THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT OF A TYPO?

This just went from a blog post to a complaint to Dealership Management and Yelp.

And this is why I'm getting a MINI Cooper... not that I have any regrets with that. Sure I'm giving up some features but I know the car, I like the car, and the car remains fun to drive. I'm even going with the same color. Adding in things like SAT/HD radio and a reworked dash. I was tempted to try something new this go around... never had a Toyota or a Hybrid and this is the third MINI in a row...

Maybe I should thank the local Toyota dealerships for making the decision for me though: if they don't feel like they need my business, I don't feel like I'm going to give it to them.

I've been using Gillette "advanced" razors from around 1990. I don't remember what I used before the original Gillette Sensor but I've been with them through the Sensor straight through to the Power Fusion ProGlide line... I have not looked into the 3-in-1 styler because... well, that just looks too big or silly, but the rest of it I've been using for years. Decades, even.

Now I'm a member of the Dollar Shave Club - what the hell happened?

Why the Change?
I'm a marketing whore - sad, but true, and what's more is I know it. And knowing is have the battle. ...even if that is a marketing whorish to say. The bottom line is that when I looked at the products from DSC and the pricing, I said "Huh?" You've got to understand: I hate shaving. I don't mean that I think it's annoying - I hate it. Enough to put Nair on my face, in an effort to not shave? Yes. True story. And what's worse is that it doesn't freakin' work. Looked like a molting dog. While I was in high school, I only shaved when forced by my school. During college, I often grew beards or would only shave every other day... my skin always broke out, had constant irritation - no matter what I used there was always a problem... until technology stepped it up.

Is this the first change?
Over time, as Gillette improved their product line, things got better and I was able to shave like a normal male, but I still looked at other products as they came out... they just always sucked. I remember one razor - Schick I think - that would bend their blades to match the bend of your face. Neat idea but to get the head to bend you had to dig it into your face. Thankfully this experiment left no visible scar. Anyway, the point stands that I would be willing to try new things from time to time, so no, this is not the first change - this just might be the more successful attempt as a change.

Enter Dollar Shave Club
I leave the marketing buzz up to the web site, but the price got my attention. However, when looking at the product I said "Hey, that Executive model looks OK." Then thought about Gillette... they've been fairly stagnant. I mean, what else can they add really? The recent play is the 3-in-1 that looks like a really huge handle to shave with. They've got a motorized handle on the predecessor with a 5+1 blade system... sure, the Executive from DSC has 6+1 but what was more interesting was the band-o-soothing... and the price. I mean, when I do the math, I pay Costco $46 for 14 blades so that's $3.28/blade; DSC is $9/month for 3 blades so that's $3/blade. However, when you look at how I use the blades, I use 2 Gillette blades a month ($7.66) but 3 DSC a month ($9). So while I'm paying slightly more, I'm getting fresher blades to use... to me, that's a push, if the product works. And I have the option of sliding from the Executive blades to the "middle" blades which are at 4 blade system... not as nice as the current Gillette but it's still 4 blades with an aloe strip with 4 carts per month at $6. More blades more often and it's still less? Hmmmm.

Ordering
I found out about DSC the day after I bought a new set of blades from Costco - as you might expect - but before I opened them. I had run out of blades and was using a "free with purchase" non-powered Fusion razor, so I had some life in that... that gave me some time to subscribe to the DSC plan. I ordered on the 5th, was told product would ship out on the 10th. By the 20th I was emailing the company to ask them where my blades were. They arrived on 27th. Through emails I got back from them were polite - but crisp - telling me that they were slammed with new business. Hey, know what? That's great but my face is fuzzy or I'm dragging an old razer across it. And when I told them "I need to get them soon or I'll have to suspend my account for 8 months" as I worked through the Costco blades, they told me "We can help you do that!" ...um, OK? Ended up getting a piece of crap disposable kind of Mach 3 knock off. And yes, my face is an angry mess of cuts which tells me the Gillette blades were doing their job well.

How good are the blades?
Well, this is the subjective part of it all. I've used it for a total of one day and I used it on a face that has a bunch of angry cuts from past razors. On top of that, I'm using some specialized cream that came back with Jolene from Egypt a while ago. It's a paste based shaving cream like what Kiehl's sells: it has a knack of blocking blades and it's not foamy in the least. Gillette and the DSC blades handle it well, while the disposable crap didn't, so that's a good sign. The blades themselves look smaller than Gillette's but there's still enough room to prevent them from getting clogged; they also cut hair well. The soothing strip smells of lavender, which is nice - Gillette has up-sold their soothing strip for years and I've never felt anything soothing or aloe-ish from it... here's a competitor and I smell the lavender in it.

Overall, I think the new razor was totally fine.

Now what?
Now we wait a month and see how well it goes... my hope is that the blades hold up. I might try to stick to two a month and build up a backlog or blades but we'll see... I sorta dig the concept of having more blades to use - should help with healing facial issues...

More in a while longer down the road... one deal breaker would be if my blades are late again next month - that would piss me off enough to leave the company for a while.

I've got an extra $660 in my bank account as a reward for all of the above. You see, I'm not getting a new Apple iDevice on launch day for the first time in years, and it feels wonderful.

Why? Because if I'm going to pick up an iPad 2S, it will be after all the thrill has died down, and then I plan to pick it up on the cheap, if at all.

*sigh* That argument holds no water and, to be honest, I wish people would stop coming at me with that. It simply doesn't work. Hell, before I joined Microsoft, the only Apple product I used regularly was an iPod. I had an iBook for a week but the G3 sorta sucked. Now? Currently I've got an older MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, a 6th gen nano, a 3rd gen nano, an iPhone 4S, and an iPad. I've also got a shiny new Apple TV and an Airport Extreme since Belkin and Linksys have screwed me in the past. If that's a person that hates Apple, I don't want to know what a person that loves Apple buys.

Me? I believe in buying what works. I believe in buying what makes sense to buy. And in this pass, Apple has successful pissed me off with "the new iPad" which I see more as an iPad 2S.

I bought the original iPhone late in it's availability and after market, so when the 3G popped out I jumped on it. Changed my carrier after something like nine years too. When the 3GS came out - the first of the S models - I was torn for a while and then bought it anyway. Anyone remember what the S was for? Faster processor and Compass support. I remember seeing Peggle open on the 3GS for the first time - about 60% faster - and took out my credit card.

When the 4 hit, I really liked the design and the feel of it all. That one was for full price too, but again: saw the screen, saw the device, took out the credit card. 4S? Decided I wanted more storage... seems the apps for the Retina display eats more memory than I thought it did... and lets face it, who's digital music library ever gets smaller? Out came the credit card, I turned off Siri, and carried on.

iPad 1? Couldn't even justify why I needed it at first, but bought it because it looked good. Once I had it, it was easy to justify it's purchase. It's one of those things you can't know you need until you have one. iPad 2 was a no brainer. I loved that it got thinner and faster. I also went from a 64GB/3G beast to a 32GB/WiFi thin slice of fun. Very happy with the iPad 2.

Then comes "the new iPad". The 2S. Aside from the screen, what's the craic? Oh, right, there isn't any. I guess you could say 4G LTE, but I'm not getting another data plan. I can live without it, so the feature is lost on me. The A5X chip? The iPad 2 is fast enough; it's not like the iPhone 3G to 3GS. The camera? That's a fsckin' bug fix. That should have been in the iPad 2... where I don't use the back camera anyway. And then the 2S is 8% heavier and 9% thicker, according to WSJ... not seeing that as win either. And then there's the pricing per device. This is the real reason why I'm irked enough to blog about the 2S: same sizes for the same pricing? This feels like a full on fleecing to me... a return to the "you pay a premium for our stuff!" that Apple had been moving away from over the last few years... they should have kept the pricing and gone 32/64/96. Or slid the price down $100.

And there will be long lines of people buying today... people that are upgrading from the iPad 1 or getting their first iPad, I say this is as good a time as any. Grab one with two hands and run. There will be shortages for a month or two as well, so look to eBay for the grey market if you "can't wait."

Of course, I haven't seen the 2S yet. The screen could be so amazing that I start calling Apple stores in the Pac NW... but I don't think so. Since the battery was made bigger to handle the 4G LTE radio, does that mean that the WiFi model benefits from an even better life than the iPad 2? No one has said yet, so I don't know, but that would be the first solid reason for an upgrade... and it's a small one. No, I think the only thing that is going to get me to upgrade is going to be a trip to [tax-free] Oregon or the size of apps themselves.

You see that's something a lot of people aren't talking about yet... when someone puts out an app for the iPhone, there are two sets of resources in the application: one set for the older iPhones and one set for the Retina displayed 4 and 4S. Even though you are likely only going to use one or the other, you are getting both. For people that aren't on the 4 or 4S, they are really getting screwed because they lose storage space for resources that are twice as large as the set they are going to use. Add to the mix if you are using a Universal app. Up to now you have iPhone, iPhone Retina, and iPad all in the same file. This is convenient to the user because if you have both devices, you'll see the same app on both marketplaces: iPhone and iPad. But this is where things get muddier: with the advent of the iPad 2S, you'll have iPhone, iPhone Retina, iPad, and iPad Retina. For games in particular, you'll now have images that are 4 times as large as they were from the original iPad... this makes for huge applications. And since you can't have two versions of the app for iPad vs iPad Retina, there's no way to avoid this.

In the back of my mind, if I'm going to have to sacrifice space for the large images, I may as well have the screen to support them, right?

That's the only way I'm buying one this go around - if I don't pick one up by July, I'll wait for the iPad 4 new iPad 2.

/sigh

If I'm not mistaken, 80 mph is above the legal speed limit in every state. Even if she's in a zone that was 70, I think the federal government caps the legal limit at 75 mph on any road... How is a new texting law going to help anyone in this situation? Would she not have died, if she knew she was breaking two laws? Sadly, I'm not seeing it.

I'm sorry for their loss and I'm hoping that pushing for this new law is helping them with their grief while they try to help other people that are dangerously texting while driving, but again, let's be honest: if it wasn't texting, it could have been an iPod. Or a radio. Or a phone call. Or a GPS. Or she fell asleep at the wheel. Sucks, but I'm not seeing how a new law is going to change what people do in a car.

/sigh

Should I be conflicted by this? Hard to say. I mean, back when I was in school - you know, before they invented color and the world was many shades of gray - people would shag away for the fun of it... not very discriminating in who they slept and not many problems came out of it. Given that "kids today" are sleeping together at a far younger age, whoring around with much more ease (and less shame), and wearing bumper stickers for skirts, shorts, and shirts, doesn't it make sense to pocket the cash to pay for the rising cost of tuition and gain the education?

There's a certain logic to it. If you take the morality out of the conversation, which the youth of any generation often do, and take the risk vs reward ratio out of it...

I blame the Jersey Shore.

/sigh

Happy Ninth Annual Big Steak Thursday to all!

With the move to version 3.5, the code now compiled against the 4.0 version of the .NET Framework. The source code on Codeplex has been updated to reflect this change, so the developer community can actively pick up the change and continue enhance and support SharpKeys. My hope is that the list of available keys will grow to include more international options and that other random asked-for features get added as people require them. I will continue to host a copy of 3.0 and 3.5 but I still ask that all support requests go through Codeplex - this will allow other people to help with new features, going forward.

The source code can be found at http://www.codeplex.com/sharpkeys - enjoy!

Download SharpKeys 3.5: MSI | ZIP | requires .NET Framework 4.0
Download SharpKeys 3.0: MSI | ZIP | requires .NET Framework 2.0
Read: SharpKeys FAQ [updated!]
Screenshots: 1 | 2 | 3

SharpMT 3.5: Install MSI | required .NET Framework 4.0 | FAQ and Product Info

SharpMT 3.3.1: Install MSI | requires .NET Framework 2.0

I find that if I wait about four days, the loud angst shrinks to a duller din; after two weeks, the entire episode is done. I just need to keep my shit together for the first few days of such events. I find that if I can hold it together for that long I won't pull my own spine out and try to use it as a Q-Tip for my right ear.

In all honesty, I would turn into a "it's not you - it's me" thing but in this case, I think it's just a general change in expectations that everyone needs to heed and it's one that's worth noting.

That kicks open the door to "what if I was paying for it, ya crazy fucker you?! Heh! How would you say then?" I would ask the question, "You are thinking 'I paid for this! I should have no ads!' aren't you? Oh my, you are so off track on this." At least, that would be my plan. The truth is that you have been getting ads, for things that you've paid for, for over 100 years at least. Honest.

I know, you don't believe me. Keep in mind that baseball is over 100 years old already and they've had ads for as long as they've had Fenway Park, Yankee Stadium, and Wrigley Field. It's OK, I'll explain.

Lets look at this example: you went out to buy a TV. You brought it home; it's yours! You open the box and put it on the stand. You now peel off the Energy Star and [look at all these apps] stickers. Those are ads, just so you correctly identify them. Now you need to get content on it... you go with over the air broadcasts, but analog is dead so you now need to buy an antenna. Meh. oO! You go with cable, rent the box from them, and you pay for the subscription to the service. Either the "quasi free" way or the paid for subscription: you're getting commercials. For a 30 minute show, you get 22 minutes of show and the other 8 is allocated for ads. That's 25% of your half of an hour occupied with commercials. You decide to change the channel so you bring up a guide: if it's Comcast, you've got an ad at the bottom of the screen. Ah well, you decide to subscribe to HBO, since that's a premium service. Oh wait, they have ads too. They aren't selling you products sure but they are telling you about what else is on the channel. They are actually telling you how good they are, so you keep subscribing. There's got to be something else... what about Internet hosted content for TV? You go to Hulu. Wait, to show this on something other than a PC, you need to subscribe to Hulu Plus to get it on a TV... and there are the ads again. Or still, since they are in the web version as well. You paid for all of this and you're still getting ads in all of it.

Just sayin'.

And that's just one example. Let look at some other scenarios:
Go to a movie? Ads. For some random product - i.e. Coke - then for the theatre itself and then for future movie releases.
Go to a sporting event? Ads. All over the stadium/field/pitch. In fact, if a player stands still long enough, they will likely endorse a product for you. Especially NBA players and NASCAR cars: are moving billboards already.
Foodstore? Ads, in the form of sales and coupons.
Buy dinner at a fast food place? Ads, usually what's on sale and mascot branding with Jack's round head allover the restaurant in the form of pictures. Or did you think The King in BK isn't building brand recognition?
Ride a subway? Ads. Complete with freelancing graffiti for causes that have no advertising budget.
Eat a Subway? Ads, telling you how good their $5 footlong is.
Bazooka bubble gum? Ads, right on the included comic.
YouTube? Ads and they stomped onto the playback of the video itself.
Own an iPhone? Ads, thanks to the beloved iAd APIs in the iOS SDK.
Walk down a street for free? Ads. Especially if it's Times Square or some other city street.
Drive the car you own? Ads on the radio, along the road, and even in the air if it's summer.
Go to buy gas? Ads all over the pump. If you're luck you might even get a commercial on the embedded screen.
Books? Ads for other authors in the reviews and other books in the back section.
Newspapers? Magazines? Radio? Really? Do I have to say it when 40% of their content is non-content related?

You're getting ads all the time and it's usually from stuff you already own, rent, or subscribe to. The important thing to focus on isn't that you're getting ads - it's a) how easy is it for me to get to my content in spite of the ad(s), and b) did the ad actually help me by telling me about something I didn't know about? You know there have been tragic ad placement (previews on a VHS tape as an example) and there have been ads that have helped your quality of life. If there wasn't a channel like QVC would never exist. In fact, if it didn't work at some point, there wouldn't be ads in the first place. For the HBO scenario above, I learned about new shows that they were putting out by not TiVo'ing over the ads at the end of a movie I got... it worked in the one instance because it wasn't blocking me from anything and it told me about something that I'd want to know about if I knew about it. Basically, some ads systems are far better than others and that's the important part of this.

Guess I'm just better at letting something roll down my shoulders than others... good thing too, given the amount of ads in our society:

Ads slide right off my shoulders and out of sight without a second thought.

On December 6th, 2011, Microsoft updated its dashboard to the metro style look. With this update came a new and "improved" Netflix app. For us Xbox Love members paying $65 a year for Xbox Live and ~$100 for Instant Streaming Netflix we deserve the right to watch movies with our friends in a simple and easy way. Sign this petition to convince Microsoft to give us back our original Netflix App's functionality with Xbox Live Parties. For more information follow @NetflixParties.

Uh... what?

First and foremost: Netflix designed and wrote their application. He should be pushing feedback to them, rather than petitioning Microsoft. This reminds me of people that blame Apple for changes that Rovio makes to the UX or features of Angry Birds on iOS.

Second: while the "in app" version of Parties currently isn't in Netflix, Parties are still supported by the console. You can be in a voice chat Party with anyone across the entire Xbox 360 ecosystem. The only time this isn't the case is if a game disables Party chat to "prevent" cheating. "Prevent"? Yes, because you can easily call someone on the phone or use IM if private communication is really required to get something done.

Third: who wants to talk to people while watching a movie? At least if it's kept within the Party you have less of a chance of pissing off other people, but hey - that's just me.

Originally I was going to post this as "Uh, Parties still exist" but other people that have gotten the updated version of Netflix did point out that it's more than just voice chat - when using the older version of Netflix, starting/stopping the movie was controlled by one person so you were in sync... now you'd have to do this by hand, which could be an annoying FirstWorldProblem... like syncing Dark Side of the Moon with The Wizard of Oz.

Either way - can someone tell this guy that he's petitioning the wrong company?

One year in, the story continues...

Drops!
Do I still need drops? Not too often, but I do find that if I pet a dog or cat - which I'm allergic to - and rub my eyes, I use the natural tears to flush my eyes. I don't know if this is because of the PRK or the allergies but I found that using the natural tears is enough... I haven't used medicated drop since the surgery and I find nothing wrong with having eyes that are well moisturized.

Glasses
I can't believe it but I still have moments when I try to take my glasses off... I think it's when the subconscious kicks it... funny stuff, that.

Nintendo 3DS
I have not tried this device since the last time I tried it. Not worth the risk, the pain, or the effort.

Bright Lights
One thing that I haven't quite gotten used to but I've come to understand that it's part of the successful surgery is that sunlight is really, really bright! I have a bunch of cheap sunglasses that I like to wear but even so, I'm still surprised at how bright it is. Just another part of the story.

Morning Pain
Know how you wake up in the morning with the crusties? Yeah, well, if those wander into your surgically enhanced eyes, it hurts. A lot. Something else I've gotten used to but still something worth noting (and something I plan to bring up to the doctor this week - it might be something like dry eyes or something.)

Nearsighted Update
Unchanged since my Epilogue post. I haven't had to pull out a magnifying glass yet but I have taken pictures with a cell phone and zoomed in on stuff when I'm straining... I see this something that would have happened anyway and have gotten used to it. Hasn't gotten worse, at any rate.

Farsighted Update
I believe that I'm still retaining the 20/10 to 20/15 range. I have noticed that if I watch a long movie or play a long gaming session without a break, that I have to consciously adjust my focus for something closer. Same thing if I read for a long while, I find I have to take a moment to read far away. Not a problem, but just something I've noticed.

Overall? Thrilled, still. I remember everything from the surgery and the recovery and I would sign myself up for it again... no question.

It's all good.

Not as well as I had hoped...

...and since I haven't used Siri for anything else voice related, I just decided to turn it off which returns voice dialing to Voice Control, which worked well before Siri was pushed onto the stack. No more Siri, until it's out of beta.

iCloud? Had too turn off Push because of the battery drain but I still can't find a way to force an update... now it sorta sync's when it wants to. That aside, I'm using it for Reminders, Bookmarks, Documents/Data, and Find My iPhone - two of which were in iOS 4 - Reminders and Documents/Data are new, but to be honest I have no documents to sync and haven't set a Reminder yet. I was using Photo Stream but turned that off when I realized that every photo goes up to the thing and I can't delete it on the service side; had stupid quick Facebook shots appearing on all my PC's.

The Notification page? I used to have Weather and Stocks on there, which was neats, but turned those off because of battery drain.

Notifications? Turned off most of them, because of battery drain.

Location services? Had to turn off most of the system-related items (including Local Weather) because of battery drain.

Sync over WiFi? That's been handy for small updates - if it's a bunch of content, I still go to the wire, but that's totally acceptable.

Camera? Now that's a nice piece of hardware... I'm truly digging the new camera on the 4S...

The rest of it? It's lacking... simply just lacking.

I mean I know most of the iOS 5 features were to catch up to Android and Windows Phone features, but I guess... it's just so lackluster.

Anyone else having the same let down or is my quality bar too high?

Just because you protest it doesn't mean you'll get your way - hell, it doesn't even mean that you're right.

The fact that there's no clear "rationale" to the movement is part of it is part of the problem. The only common thread we know of is "those people have a bunch of money and we don't. We should have more money!" Um, and? Honestly, I can't tell if this is it or not. If it is as simple as this, I have no respect for this movement. I respect that they are pissed and I respect that they want to protest, but not one ounce of respect for what they want. No matter how much money you think a banker is overpaid, it should change nothing. That banker is still working for their money. How is a banker earning $10 million worse than a baseball player earning $15.2 million? They are both working for it. The baseball player is playing a game and has physical demands; the banker has unique talents in the office space. "They made their money on failed mortgages!" you say? Why shouldn't they if people are stupid enough to borrow three times more than what they should? Sorry, but it doesnt hold water.

Add to this that America has always been propped up as a capitalist society. It's not 100% capitalist. Hasn't been for years... not since we started things like welfare and social security, but we've also told citizens that if you want more, work harder. Now it feels like we expect the government to take care of more things and we want more for less effort. It's almost like some people in the public think that we should all work for the good of humanity, a la Star Trek's Next Generation: we just do it for the fun of it because there's no concept of money. This is socialism. And that's fine, if that's what we - as a people - vote for, but then we really need to stop half-assing it. "People can stop working so damned hard because it doesn't matter," but that's not what happens... right now if you stop working hard, you get demoted, you lose your job, and your quality of life suffers... can't have it both ways and right now, as a nation, it feels like we've lost our way or at least we're putting a mixed message out there.

As to the protests and crackdowns themselves. Every American has the right to protest, but as with all things, you have to take responsibility for your actions. If the city or state you live in has laws for regulating protests or the sites you protest at, you need to follow those laws. Seattle's Westlake center is so liberal that there's always a protest there, usually several causes. Not everywhere is like this. Don't like the laws where you are? Change the law. Break the law instead? You get arrested and you should be arrested. Simple. Logical. It's what makes us Americans, actually. The bit in New York City? The protesters were on private property. That's about the end of it.

Also, be aware that when you march en masse on somewhere public, you are disrupting the 99% far more than you are the 1%. The 1% that you are trying to harass have helicopters and rooftop pads to leave from. You are wreaking havoc on the people that have to drive through these cities to earn a living. Disrupting the laymen of the world will not make your popular and likely won't get you additional support.

Lastly, there's been the public outrage about protesters getting hurt by the police as protests are managed and broken up. Will there be cops that are trigger happy or abuse their position at rallies? Sadly, yes. Is it as bad as the media is making it out to be? It might be, but I question it. The media needs to sell content. Their target audience? All the hipsters that are watching the protesters on their iPads and have no intension of getting off their ass except to get another PBR from the kitchen. They see 10 seconds of media-spun video of some poor bastard getting smacked around with a nightstick and start a public outcry on Twitter. What they don't see is what lead up to that nightsticking. Could it be the guy deserved it? The media won't include that - it doesn't sell well. I recall once clip in Seattle news, where there was outrage that a cop would hit this "innocent" girl while he was trying to put cuffs on another - huge outcry. Until two days later when you see the whole clip which broke on YouTube: the girl that got hit tried to grab the cop's gun, while he was cuffing her friend.

Right now, the media is only going to show you what sells ads and thats not showing you two sides to the story. It doesn't mean that the cops are perfect and there aren't problems out there. When you've got a mob to control, and the mob gets unruly, tensions will flare on both sides of the street. It excuses nothing but it does mean that you're likely only seeing half the story half the time. The in 60's, when protests were running amuck on college campus, they were often painful and bloody, as most change is. We somehow forgot that over the last 50 years. We look back and think everything was a peaceful, quiet sit-in, like an episode of Family Ties. I say bullshit. There was strife and chaos and issues wherever there was a protest. People wanted change and went to the mat to get it. It didn't happen overnight and protesters didn't get everything they wanted. We've lost these facts when looking back with hindsight.

One thing is obvious with the Occupy protesters: the people involve want change of some sort even if no one is sure what it is or how they expect to get it. They are learning that it's not going to be a quick thing to fix. They will eventually learn that they get a ton of lip service in the media, but the mass populous will not go to the streets with them even if they do have a common cause; we're too lazy or apathetic. They have to learn that while they are trying to disrupt this "evil money machine" that they are actually hurting the 99% they are trying to represent.

And if this is all over something as simple as "we want more because they have more" then I look to the wisdom of Neil Peart:

"You don't something for nothing
You can't have freedom for free
You won't get wise
With the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what the dream might be"

Those Canadians might be onto something after all.

Does PETA have to protest itself for shark jumping? I mean, is this what happens with hippies achieve their dream and have nothing left to complain about?

Let's be clear: it's a game. Worse, it's a rehash of a game. Mario was swinging that tail back in the early 90's if memory serves. This is a refresh, not even new IP, and Mario doesn't capture a racoon to get the suit: he jumps below a block to get a power up icon... if the Mason's are OK with this wanton destruction of blocks, what is the argument here? we don't even know that the fur that Mario wears is real fur. If Ninty puts out a press release saying that it's faux fur, would that be OK? Is this some reaction to the game being in 3D? Did some treehugger get confused and think this was a window into reality?

Hell, if you're going to go after Mario for the alleged fur costume, why not tag the poor bastard for jumping on the backs of turtles, knocking crabs upside down in the 80's, or shooting living snapping flowers with fireballs?

I swear: it makes me want to go skin a chinchilla for a 3DS case just to spike these people.

Ya know, I'm beginning to feel like the media is creating those images where you have to let your eyes go lazy and then you see something in 3D... or that I'm seeing things very much like Picasso did.

Either way, I pose this realization: Michael Moore is a non-racially driven, Caucasian version of Al Sharpton... or if I may humbly submit the following term: Media Bimbo.

It's pretty simple: they both are media whores. They both yell at the wind without hearing what they say. They both bluster and use fear to keep their press addictions going. They both protest causes even though they are part of group that they are protesting against.

Al-baby is consistently coming out against all things racist even though his comments, views, and press releases show that he himself is racist.

Mikey just did the same thing, by getting involved in the "Occupy" movement: he's the 1% they are protesting against. He's called anti-capitalistic yet he's made money with both fists by plying his trade ...which is what a successful capitalist does. Bottom line? You can't maintain weight like his on a protester's salary...

I would ask that these people look at themselves in the mirror before opening their mouths but hey...

Would give me less to blog about, I guess.