No Carrier's Comments

Update on Media Center

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:53:00 +0000

After a few months of using my media center pc, I decided it was time to wrap my entire media needs into it. Meaning, install a TV turner card... and see what features that would add to the viewing experience. The Card I picked is the Bravo from Avermedia. Many other similar devices exist, some connect to your cable, this one was for me, as I only use over the air digital broadcasting. Windows Media center allows for two such cards to be installed on one machine.

The card was 50 bucks, took me about 10 minutes to install and 2 hours to figure out how to use it)

Now now only can I use my Windows media center for downloads and music, I can watch HD TV on it, and better yet use it as a tivo. ! Yes. Windows Media center has a built in 14 day scheduler so I can record shows, series .. as simple as someone with cable DVR. But the difference is I am not paying a monthly fee.

Example, here in Los Angeles The BBC World News is broadcast on our local PBS station at 4:30 am ...- live in London. Who the hell is awake at 4:30 ? so here I now can set up my media center to just record it and watch the actual BBC WorldNews when I want.

Bob Lee

Seattle - Victoria BC and Back

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:48:00 +0000

After just finishing up a nice holiday, I thought I would share some of details.
The trip was designed with multiple modes of transport, Air to Seattle, ferry from Seattle to Victoria BC and back, and Train from Seattle back to Los Angeles.

We started at Union Station Downtown LA and ended up exactly at the same spot. The trip first was to take the flyaway from Union Station to LAX. As you can see Union Station is a very unique building, done in the mission or sort of Arts-and Crafts style so popular at the turn of the last century.

The flight on Virgin America was pretty uneventful, except that I was able to use some earned miles to buy tickets in first class. That's always a treat.

Upon arrival at Seattle we had to find transport from the airport to downtown where our hotel was. Funny thing is the prices were for 2 people 38 $ for a shared ride van, 40 for a taxi, or 45 for a stretch limo. Take a guess what we took to the hotel ?

The hotel was the Paramount hotel on 8th and pine. Turns out, it was pretty close to everything. The city, at lease that area felt very much like I was home back in downtown LA. Same sort of coffee shops and restaurants. Ruth Chris's steakhouse right across the street. Two Hyatt were on either side of us. (The Hyatt on 8th/Olive based on the look of the lobby and restaurant seemed like a superior hotel) - Just in case you were wondering.

Wifi in the hotel, now that was my next fun surprise. I usually find I have to pay 11 buck or so to get in room wifi, but here the supplier was wayport. That meant that because my home internet was not from AT&T. all I needed to do was log in to Wayport put in my AT&T username - password and like magic, my in room wifi was free.

Taking the very traditional touristy trip though Seattle seeing pikes market, the space needle, the monorail it was time to get some sleep and take the Victoria clipper the next day.

While in Victoria, we did the usual Victoria,went to Buchart Gardens, toured the city, went to the Royal Museum of BC, complete now with an IMAX experience.
Ill post the pictures of the flowers etc on my gallery in a day or so, but here is a few for a taste.

The trip back on Amtrak was a very nice surprise. To be greeted at our sleeping cabin by the conductor with a few splits of champagne, and being told there would be fresh water and hot coffee available for the taking for the entire trip was just the beginning. There was a lounge car, which sold snacks, and was similar to a bubble car of years past where you could relax on a couch look though picture windows and up though a sunroof at the scenery passing you by. There was a "Parlor Car" which was really a bar on wheels. Nice idea if you like to have a wine tasting with cheese for 5.00 while was watch the world out your window. Beneath the Parlor Car was a theater. Not the newest movies but it was something to do if you didn't happen to bring along a laptop filled with the Tudors, or Rome. 120 v power was in just about every seat and the only thing missing was wifi. I didn't try it, but it was possible that if you had cell wireless from Verizon or sprint that would have worked fine. My blackberry seemed to be able to work from the train so I see no reason it wouldn't have been worked.

Put the HighTech back into my LowTech Phone -Google Voice

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:18:00 +0000

Shortly after I switched from my voip back to a two wire, POTS line from ATT I became aware of a new free service being offered by Google
Its called google voice.
So its a service which will give you a free phone number in the area code of your choice. Mine is 213 245 1027 .
Its not like a yahoo phone number, or skype etc,, Its not another voip to computer service. Its a number which you can use to follow you to whatever phone you happen to be at.

Examples, if you are working from home, one day, someone calls me on my google phone, my home phone will ring, the next day, if I am traveling, my cell will ring. The next day, I am in the office, my same google number is called, my my office rings.
Ok OK, follow me numbers have been arround for a while.
What about.
someone leaves me a voice mail, google transcribes the voice mail into a text message (or email) and sends that text of that voice mail to my blackberry. No more having to call in an actually listen to the message.. just flip open the blackberry and read it.

SMS mesages are sent to my browser, and I can reply to my sms using my web browser et .
I can call you with my normal blackberry,(same backend number) but it will show up on your phone as my google number. (if I want) Voice mails (mp3 files) are emailed to me.

The call blocking/ routing features are great. I can choose to filter out people from getting to me live, by automatically sending them to voice mail, or if I choose, block them completely, and they will hear... that my phone number has been disconnected !

In a nutshell, the service puts you back in control of how and who you talk to. People you want to get to you, all your phones ring. People you don't, can get the complete run around.

Some other features like keeping a log of all your received/ placed missed calls, oh, how about the ability to change phones without the other person on the line knowing.. say you are on your cell, and you notice the battery is going dead, press a button on your cell, the call is transferred to your home phone...
Say you would like to record a call... well thats part of the service as well.

Just the tip of the iceberg for what google seems to be doing with their service.. I guess the bad news is...for now.. that apple has decided to opt out and not provide a google with the ability to work with Iphones. . like I can with my blackberry.. Oh boo hoo. ! Maybe att is thinking about providing the service themselves. ? who knows.

Just noticed my second favorite show starts up again August 15th.! MadMen ! Can't hardly wait. Just finishing up Underbelly 2 what can I say ? Docudrama TV at its finest. So well done, its gripping, full of surprises, copious amounts of sex and bloody violence backstabbing lovable drug dealers at their 70's best. For those of you who like Nature TV, like say Planet Earth, get the new BBC series South Pacific. The stories, the photography, learning, passion of the producers to get the shot, to get the story's shows to me once again that BBC is the planets premier TV producer. Its so worth watching.

That is my story today.

Bob

Low Tech phone service might be the way to go,for now

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:05:00 +0000

Ok, Ok A few years ago I was all about Vonage. I loved all the widgets and features of VOIP, even tried to set up and manage my own Astrik Server But now, years later for two reasons I have given up on at least home voip, for two reasons
1 Voice Quality
2 Price

Back when it was unheard of with 25.00 a month for unlimited calls execpt for using a digital voice line, everyone (including me ) had to jump on the almost free bandwagon. Now after a years of frustration, working with hours of tech support - have you rebooted your router, its time to sync, its your internet connection, stop downloading and your voice quality will go up.. and so on .. I just gave up.

But the good news is when I did, ATT and presumably others have finally worked out decent pricing for traditional home phone lines and DSL service.
For me, I like bandwith..so for a 6mb speed DSL and unlimited home phone calling I pay now 70.00 plus tax's Whereas with my ex DSL provider it was 90.00 for a slower DSL and unlimited VOIP phone service.

The trade off, is I cant program my phone with a browser, nor can I get voice mail on email, simul ring, and so on.. none of the fun voip features are on this traditional phone line..

But.. the good news is twofold
1 quality of my voice.. and being the egotistic nut I am, everyone I speak to must hear the beautiful quality of my voice . . and two.. ( not nearly as important as the voice thing) is the voip features I am missing will soon all be available for free with googles new service called google/voice . Check it out on www.google.com/voice/

Movie- In the Loop TV -The thick of it.

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:11:00 +0000

After being alerted to this new movie "In the Know" and falling in love with quick British Sarcastic humor, I stumbled across the BBC show which started it. The show is called The thick of it

What can I tell you ? Its somewhat like the BBC version of the office so us on this side of the pond have to put on our English listening ears to even begin to understand it.

Faulty towers meets WestWing, meets the office. It is so deadpan dry humor that you might find yourself thinking too hard to find the funny bits. Just let yourself go with it. The characters start to grow on you, and you fall in love with most of them, knowing that any minute for reasons not of their own doing, anyone can be SACKED.

For those of you who don't torrent here is a sample..

Bob

LA Artwalk reviewed

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:12:00 +0000

http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/lo/lo090710downtowns_block_part
I couldn't say it better, this is a pretty good explanation of my neighborhood every month on the second Thursday.

Bob

Facebook is for winneys, real men tweet

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:33:00 +0000

To prove once again I am only one of the mass herd, who do everything media tells me. I now feel its time to bag on Facebook and move my useless meandering thoughts off Facebook to the ultimate kewl micro blog twitter.
Yes I did say twitter. Sure it sounds like something from a Monty Python sketch and yes, it looks like that too. Simple, with an RSS feed, (for those of us who know about such things) but here is the key to Twitter, Its a blog .. sort of.. where all you type is in the box [What are you doing ?] ya.. its that simple.
you type, and there it is listed.
Now comes the fun part.. you now can type what are you doing from your cell phone...!! oh joy, now when I am driving home in traffic, friends all over the globe worrying about what bob is doing, I no longer have to wait till I get home back to my laptop. I now from any old stop sign sms to twitter..
something like "Hey I am in traffic" or listening to NPR, thinking about that girl with big tits right in front of me. Now those great thoughts which yesterday were lost forever, now can be logged and blogged and tweeted into cyber log for everyone to read, digest,comment on puke and redigest for others.

Yes the Internet is great, and twitter makes it better.
Follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/nocarrierbob

Bob

New Movie release, HOME.

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:23:00 +0000

Much like Zeitgeist of year ago, Yann Arthus-Bertrand released to movie houses / TV and the internet on June 5th 2009 a movie he felt so important that everyone should see it.

Ok that sounds pretentious, and honestly viewed though my eyes some of what he tried to convey in the movie comes off that way.
Its a film which seems to cross "Koyaanisquatisi" of 20 years ago, with "An Inocovient Truth " of just a few years back.
No magic crane to show the hocky stick, but plenty of ariel photo's of melting ice caps, and overall over production and polution of our planet.

The movie is named Home and you could be watching on Youtube right now, or if you are like me, download the Torrent a HD Version and play it on your big screen. The photography is as good as anything you are used to seeing on "Planet Earth" for that reason alone I would suggest you get it.
Bob

Ibeam Table - More Photo's -

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:04:00 +0000

The table is now in the middle of construction. The Ibeams have been welded, cleaned and are being sealed. The concrete top needed a form to be made to pour into. These pictures are of the form which was built to pour in the concrete into. Next week, I might have a table. We will see.
New photo, completed project !

First Picture of my table, in the works

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:51:00 +0000

While it doesn't look like much now, wait till the polished top is on it, and this thing is lacquered. Its coming together just as I hoped it would

My new dining room table idea

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:43:00 +0000

Its been a few months since I first saw a concrete kitchen counter like the ones to the left, and fell in love. Now that I am in need of something like a dining room table or work table, I figured why not. I live in a loft, with concrete floors ?

Ok, so I started going crazy with the idea.. take it another step.. Not just concrete, make the base out of an I-beam.
Its taken a while to put the pieces and talent together but I think I finally got it all working. Doing some dumpster diving over the weekend at a scrap metal yard called Bobco.. (yes I didn't make that up ) I found the Ibeams I needed and purchased them as scrap.. (317 lbs of many ibeams.)
I have recently found a contractor/artist willing to handle this project for me, I can hardly wait now. ! wish me luck, and Ill be sure to post the results soon.
Bob

Ken Robinson, says our education system is bad for our kids

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:00:00 +0000

My GPZ Murdered

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:20:00 +0000

Now that the bike is murdered, I thought I should share on my blog what it ended up looking like.

Murdered Paint and what is WMC ?

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:00:00 +0000

Time has come to Murder my motorcycle and that is a good thing. Murder is a paint and finish style which is becoming all the rage here in Los Angeles.

The style, includes a paint which looks like Black Primer or DULL Flat Black paint but in addition all chrome and logos are either removed or painted as well. The more I look at a the few cars and motorcycles I have seen murdered I cant even truly understand my attraction to it, but I can tell you something about the style does catch my eye.
Here a are a few samples.

The paint most importantly is DULL, which historically has been very hard to make dull and durable, but recent technical advances in paint systems and flat clear coats a true flat or suede type finish, durable enough for auto coats are becoming available.
Ill post some pictures of my GPZ, once I get it back from the shop Murdered.

What is WMC . well thats Windows Media Center.. Its been about 4 years since I first got a media player and my television watching habits were forever changed. It was time for an upgrade so I moved from a two part system (media player and seperate file server) to a desktop pc tricked out to be a media player and file server and torrent downloader all in one package.

Bob-tv is the name of the new monster, and some of the specs include

Quad Core processor
4 gigs of ram
Vista Ultimate with Windows Media Center
A Hack to allow for a second concurrent user (to download torrents)
Native HDMI output for pure HD TV
Native Optical Audio out for 5.1 sound though my sound system.
WMC remote to allow the user to control the media player with a remote which looks and acts just like any cable box controller
Silverstone case which looks like just another receiver next to my Harmon Kardon

I can now log into the box without the main screen being used to download whatever torrents I need. The meda center is logged in as the primary user and except for knowing where to look for video files each "user" does not even know the other is logged in.

WMC can play any of the new .264 type files, even 1080 hd resolution. In a few weeks Ill tell you know I like it vs my old IO data- but from what I can tell now.. Its a very good upgrade.

Bob

Sam McGee refrence. on Big Love

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:24:00 +0000

The other night on HBO hit show Big Love, there was small scene with the old cranky grandmother reciting to the grandkids of family The Cremation of Sam McGee . Growing up I had heard different members of my family recite it over and over , but I always thought it was just a Lee family inspired poem, not something which other outside the Lee clan would even know about. And yet here it was on Big Love. Looking at the wikipedia on it there is no mention of the poem being hijacked by Mormons but somehow the writers of the show were able to tap into these little snips of my life.. over and over again.
Need I say more Big Love is really worth watching for any Mormon Jack Mormon or anyone who wants to peek inside and visit what its like to be a Mormon.

Bob

Final thoughts about Argentina - as I am on my way home

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:05:00 +0000

Ok I have a 4 hour layover at Washington dullas airport and hacked into a free wifi, as I download the latest episodes of the Office and Burn Notice I figured now is a good a time as any to jot down my thoughts about Argentina.
On a scale of 1 to 10 where I would give it about a 5 or 6. If it wasnt for Iguazu falls it would be down about 3.
Overall, there was just not that much to see or do which I found interesting, Sure I took some photos of posted here.. and the people were nice, but the food was overall the same menu no matter what restaurant I went to.. I could tell you before I walked in, what was on page one and page two.
The people here yes they eat beef.. but it seems they eat the innerds like the liver, kidney's entrails and tripe more so than what we american find eatable like steak.
The architecture was nothing to write home about.. nothing nearly as interesting to me as
what I saw in Brazil. The subway while clean an expensive, is prone to striks which did sort of mess me up on my last day.
I think my next trip has got to be back to easter europe like Romania or Russia, or both.. I have now been to just about ever country in South America and expect for Venezeula I think I can pass on coming back.
Get the fedors, it was really worth it to read for websites, and phone numbers. Take a laptop or internet device, and leave yourslef at least 2 between connecting flights back from the foreign country you visit.. It took me 2 hours this morning to get though customs and tsa.
I was talking to a fellow travler in line this morning, and was suggested that I look at lonley planet for travel guides.. Maybe that would help.

Buenos Aires,the subway

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I don't know what the fascination I have with trains, subways etc.. but something in me just wants to take pictures of these moving boxes on rails.
Today taking the subway to no place in particular I took the subway line A, which turns out to be the oldest subway here.
The trains looked as if they were the original trains back from 1900, complete with wood cars and benches, and leather strap handles. While taking these subways I was struck by the number of people trying to make a buck (peso ) from inside the train... Little boys and girls couldnt be older than 6 or 7 would walk up and down inside the cars handing out little hair bands, or toys, anything they could get their hands on, and lay it on everyone lap. Then a few minutes later they would walk by and pick up these things and every so often someone sure enough would buy one.. seems like the going rate for these little subway things is 2 peso's.. Much like NYC where its hard to take a subway without being offered batteries, here in BA, you are guilted into buying things from the very young. All in all the subway here is no better or worse than the 7 train in queens, excpect they seem a bit less crowded, and more frequent.
The city itself is somewhat of a letdown. Except for ave 9 de Julio which sort of looks like times square, with its blocks and blocks of tourist shopping all arround it the rest of the city, (at least what I can see via subway stops) appears to be a nothing all that special. Not really beautiful, old and new buildings, dog poop on every sidewalk, no real interesting architecture per se, but lots and lots of pizza and epmanada joints.
Tomorrow I am off to the large flee market which is only open on sundays, complete with street dancers.. we will see, if any of the hoopla over this area lives up to the hype.
more later.
Bob

Argentina after a few days

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:27:00 +0000

After 17 hours on a bus.. yes you read that right, a BUS from BA to Iguazu Falls, I can tell you that bus travel while long is nothing close to what we expect in the US. The buses have full sleeper seats much like what you get in first class travel on a train, complete with meals served and in seat movies.
Once here the falls are ..what can I can say.. are large, it took about two days to see them all. The best part was going on the boat trip under the falls themselves. I am trying to get the pictures posted on the gallery, they should be up in a day or two. The town is a much like any third world little town, complete with trinkets for sale, lots of expensive clothing stores.. Unique here is the ice cream. Quite a few hand made ice cream parlors selling Italian style ice cream. The food here is quite heavy. like the burger I had yesterday was a 1/2 pound burger with ham, cheese, a fried egg

Buenos Aires After a Day

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:05:00 +0000

Ill be posting more pictures soon, but I wanted to put out a few comments and photo after just about a day in the city.
Boy was I suprised to find a Segafredo coffee house right in the center of Buenos aires.
Tomorrow it a trip via rail, and boat to discover the area around the city.
More about this later.
My Buenos Aires Gallery

My Recent Experience with Digital Television

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:11:00 +0000

Everyone should be very aware that mid next month the US is going to basically turn off the airwaves we have for all current TV broadcasts, and turn on something new called Digital TV,
and since I have a HD TV from 2004, I should be good to go.. I didn't worry..

Then I read that Digital Signals were already being broadcast, and that all I needed to do was configure my over the air TV to now read from the Digital Signals..(sounds simple) except my Samsung Bigscreen did not appear to have anything called DTV turner.. or anything like that .. It has the ability to connect to hdmi and component cables, DVI cables, PC Cables.. All digital signals, but no over the air digital turner.
Shit, fuck, damm.. So I call Samsung.. to confirm what I was seeing.. my 4 year old TV, was not going to work ! more shit fuck damm.. ..

Ya, according to Samsung consumer 800 number call in service.. it appears my TV wont be able to get these new digital signals over the air... So I ask, What is their soltuion ? and they didnt have one.. other than to say that companies out there are selling converter boxs, but they no nothing about these converter box's .
Happens to be that I know.. about them, they are digital to anaolog box's meaing that this new digital signal, which many of the stations are in nice HI DEF will be downconverted to standard old anaolog signals to be viewed on my HiDef Screen.

So the government is giving everyone the ability to get a free converter box so their older tv's can view the new digital TV Signal in the old crappy way they used to.. But me.. with a nice HD TV, I am just out of luck.

Back to the web.. more research, and after quite a bit of searching I find this.
Samsung DTBH260F HDTV Terrestrial Receiver. Which turns out to the only fix out there for my needs.
It is a digital TV turner which pumps out hdmi, and or component HD Signals, so people like myself who have a slightly older HD big screen can in fact use it with this new hd/ Digital broadcast.

What I found so funny about this, was to start I called samsung tech support, and they couldnt offer me a soltuion... but they had it right there..
Right hand doesnt know what the left hand is doing I guess.

Hope everyone had a good new year, and lets not let these economic new get us down.

Bob Lee

HBO /BBC MiniSeries not to be missed House of Saddam

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:17:00 +0000

Soon to be released here in the states on HBO, is a new 4 part drama series about the rise and fall of power of Saddam Hussein. The series is titled House of Saddam, sort of indicating there is a royalty aspect to his rise to power.

The drama, I found to be very enlightening.. The show was produced by BBC and HBO (like Rome was) so the quality of production is first rate.

Highly watchable stuff. Actually available now for those of you who torrent, as the BBC aired it back in Jul;y.

Best wishes for a happy turkey day

New TV Show "Crash"

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:53:00 +0000

Based on the 2004 movie, Starz now has remade it into a 13 part series
This is the first show Starz cable has produced. It start Oct 17, I am watching episode 1 now.
With Dennis Hopper it looks like a well written edgy cop drama.

News report video on ebike

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:14:00 +0000

Electric Bike review on NPR

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:42:00 +0000

On yesterdays ATC on NPR I heard a story which give you a very clear idea of what an electric bike can do.
I thought I would pass it along to my loyal readers .

Fall 2008 TV looks like a winner !

noreply@blogger.com (Bob Lee) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 05:28:00 +0000

The new series "Fringe" might turn out to be my next favorite show. Its the new work by JJ Abrams (from Lost and Alias fame) and has all the trademarks of the X files meet lost. There is a cameo by the star of Re genesis Peter Outterbridge. Which tells me that JJ Abrams has some way of getting Canadian Television.. (does JJ Torrent ??? ) The first in this series is avail from your favorite torrent site. I love the signature use of titles and airline events which throw back to Lost and Alias One line where Peter Outtbridge says "we will have to regenerate the cells... "I about fell of my chair.

The Shield is closing the series this year with their final series..
There is a rumor all over the net that on Prision Break, one of the the main stars is going to be off in the season openener '(a 2 hour special) !
From the people (tmc) who brought us Being Bad and Mad Men comes a new drams based on the 1974 film The Conversation.

Two very good films I happed to watch this weekend. Both foreign, both worth watching.
The Trap and Tell no one.

Bob