i came across this detailed review of the LCD TV i bought back in August:
Westinghouse LVM-42w2 1080p LCD Display Review
The Westinghouse LVM-42w2 has the claim of being one of the first true 1080p displays in the world – and they’ve earned it. This LCD display is among the most aggressive units on the market in terms of its pricing point and specifications.
why i like it:
- it’s 1080p - (i.e. it’s native resolution is 1900×1080). most LCD/Plasma TVs right now at 720p native. you don’t need 1080p for normal DVDs (which are a only 480p), but you’ll need it for things coming soon: HD-DVDs & BluRay DVDs (out by Christmas), and forthcoming Xbox 360 & Playstation 3 games. you can also download 1080 content online. here’s a nice visual of how screen resolutions compare. the HD-DVD addon for Xbox 360’s comes out next week for only $200 and includes a copy of King Kong.
- it’s a Westinghouse (?!) - not exactly a name brand in consumer electronics, but for some reason they’ve got a killer line of affordable LCD TVs out.
- it’s a great monitor for your computer - plug in the DVI connector, and it’s a sharp PC/Mac monitor at 1900×1200.
- it’s cheap! i paid under $1700 and even allowed myself to buy it at bestbuy (gag) *and* got the extended warranty for it (double-gag). it was small & light enough that i tossed it in the back of my honda accord and brought it up into the apartment by myself (but i wouldn’t recommend it).
- the hd1080i blog guy refers to the Westinghouse & super-expensive Sonys as the best 1080p displays.
my baby is a genius. she did something as simple as creating an exercise chart for logging the number of minutes exercised per day - and it’s really working! i’m much more motivated to exercise, now that my minutes go towards *beating her*. =) the columns are: bike, run, abs, and salsa (and weights, for me).
instead of getting charged a buck & change for regular 411 calls, this company provides the service for free - you just have to listen to a short ad. cool.
Free 411 - 1-800-FREE411 - Free directory assistance for your home and cell phone.
Say hello to free directory assistance. Away from your phone? Find all the free phone numbers you need right here.
get yours at the birthday calculator.
20 January 1971:
- Your date of conception was on or about 29 April 1970 which was a Wednesday.
- You were born on a Wednesday under the astrological sign Capricorn.
- Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/6/1970 and ending 1/26/1971.
- You were born in the Chinese year of the Dog.
- Your Native American Zodiac sign is Otter; your plant is Fern.
- Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.11154598825832 years old. (You’re still chasing cats!)
- In 1971 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.
- Your birthstone is Garnet. Garnet is used as a power stone
- Your birth tree is Elm Tree, the noble-mindedness
- The moon’s phase on the day you were born was waning crescent.
You are 35 years old.
You are 429 months old.
You are 1,866 weeks old.
You are 13,060 days old.
You are 313,455 hours old.
You are 18,807,359 minutes old.
You are 1,128,441,563 seconds old.
Celebrities who share your birthday:
Rob Bourdon (1979) Gary Barlow (1971) Bill Maher (1956)
Paul Stanley (1952) David Lynch (1946) Dorothy Provine (1937)
Arte Johnson (1934) Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin (1930) Patricia Neal (1926)
Federico Fellini (1920) DeForest Kelley (1920) George Burns (1896)
Top songs of 1971
Joy to the World by Three Dog Night Maggie May by Rod Stewart
It’s Too Late by Carole King One Bad Apple by Osmonds
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by Bee Gees Knock Three Times by Dawn
Brand New Key by Melanie Go Away Little Girl by Donny Osmond
Family Affair by Sly & the Family Stone Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves by Cher
the belgian waffle. checkout the youtube video. here’s another of the Serpent Mother. oh, and lastly - a pic to give a sense of scale to just how big the waffle was.
better late than never…
pics are finally up on flickr. we kept it to a tight set of 64 pics this time, knowing that most of our friends and family are probably overloaded on our bm pics by now. this fine selection was hand-picked by amo - not an easy feat from over 1000 pics.
for me, this year was very c-h-i-l-l. this time, going to the playa was more reflex than anything else. we really didn’t do any sort of planning or lift a finger to prepare until about 2 days before going. all our costumes and leftover supplies were safely tucked away at amo’s relatives’. we didn’t need tents because we slept in her dad’s minivan. and we got all the large camp amenities by being a part of the Playa-Q theme camp - power grid, showers, *gourmet meals*, chillout tents, non-stop open bar with stripper poles…what more could one need?
brett & panch made it out from FL again, so it was just the 4 of us (plus everyone at the Q). much simpler than the 12 friends we camped with last year. not to mention, no dome to put up & take down (about a full day to do each).
so, although there wasn’t the ’shaking with anticipation giddiness’ of past years, it was a lot less work and wear & tear on our bodies. we only partied til sun up once (vs. about 4 or 5 times in past years). in fact, we were about 90% recuperated within a day. and it actually felt great, driving home well-rested, instead of bleary-eyed and hungover.
so to sum up, this year it really became just like going home.
