When I get a new piece of gear – either personally or for review – one of the first things that I like to do is read the owner’s manual.

Yes, I know that this might very well be the geekiest form of entertainment on the planet, but I actually enjoy browsing through, checking out what the key new features are, looking at the specs, seeing what different se...

Taking a cue from the "Random Thoughts..." banner on my home page, where I said that this blog will “contain all the latest things I'm watching, doing or listening to…” I figure that I would give the current rundown on these very things…

So, here’s the December batch of What I’m…

Watching:

“I know a girl, she puts the color inside of my world. But she's just like a maze, where all of the walls all continually change. And I've done all I can, to stand on her steps with my heart in my hands. Now I'm starting to see, maybe it's got nothing to do with me. Fathers, be good to your daughters. Daughters will love like you do…” – John Mayer

Time flies. And at no point does in your life does it fly fas...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many moments wher...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many moments wher...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many moments wher...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many moments wher...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many moments wher...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many moments wher...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many mome...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many mome...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too many mome...

With the recent news that Bond will be drinking a (ugh!) Heineken in the upcoming film,  and since I’ve been on a beer terror lately, I've come up with a list of 10 beers that I could imagine Bond actually drinking.

Not always ordering, mind you, because I can’t really picture too m...

“A dry martini,” he said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.”

“Oui, monsieur.”

“Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?”

“Certainly monsieur.” The barman seemed ple...

Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, FourSquare, Blogging, kvetching, whatever you want to call it and whatever particular brand or flavor you buy into and support, all of this newfangled stuff falls under the big, new and juicy umbrella of "Social Media." And you might would think that it would be enough to just reach as many people as possible, to cast your seed to the wind, and have your ideas germinate where they may, and in turn to harvest the occasional nugget or morsel ...

Read a story to a Lauryn, and she’ll just ask you for another. And another. And then a glass of water. And then maybe a snack. And then probably wander out to ask what show you’re watching and if she can have some popcorn and are you drinking wine. And then she'll probably want a gummi vitamin. And then a gummi calcium...

But, TEACH a Lauryn to read! Ah! Then you have given her a skill for life! And prob...

Alternate Title: Things to do in Portland before you’re dead

Occasionally my travels take me to some pretty cool places. Of course I was just in DC where I hit a ton of museums, and there’s been

Call me Sciacca-mael. Some years ago—never mind how long precisely — OK, it was yesterday to be exact – having little or no money in my wallet save for several credit cards and an old fortune cookie fortune, and nothing particular to interest me on the Internet, I thought I would roll about a little in my comfy black, leather office chair and see if any business was to be had in this part of the world. It is a way I have of driving off the liver and regulating...

When I started this day, I had absolutely no idea just what magical promises might await. Sure I was feeling a little downhearted to start. And spirits weren’t exactly soaring after working up a 1500+ word missive on my outlook for the future of the custom installation industry (spoiler: it’s not good, but look for it on Monday). And then my left eye kind of went all stroke-eye with these weird muscle twitches and fluid leakage. And sure it isn’t very comforting every time I...

We’re at the library today, bulking up on materials for our upcoming trip to CEDIA; me on books with things like “rogue military sniper,” “overthrow Black Shadow-ops plot” and “submarine trapped under the arctic” in the descriptions and Dana getting books-on-CD with things like “from the author who brought you ‘Everything your man says is wrong!’ and ‘Puppies, unicorns and rainbows – you DO deserve it all!’” A...