I’ve recently dropped my Sidekick for a Motorola Q.  More on that later, but I wanted to let y’all know that I’m no longer on IM basically 24/7.  Now, the best way to reach me is via email, my Grandcentral number (206-428-7973), or my push email account of m y k o l e a r y A T m a i l 2 w e b D O T c o m for the more urgent of needs.

I am on MSN IM occasionally on it and can jump on at any point, but I’m afraid I haven’t found a good AIM alternative that is free or cheap yet.  If you know of one that is as great as Agile Messenger but not quite as spendy, please let me know.

Sorry to all those who are getting tired of only seeing my links.  I’ve been remiss in communicating for quite a while.  I apologize.  I think it’s because I felt that I wasn’t really reaching many people (no offense to those reading… )

I came up with a solution to save this blog and to reach the masses all at once - I started a new blog on Lockergnome called Tech Time (Chris’ reach is tremendous).

How is starting another blog going to save this one?  Well, because that one will have the more in depth posts that I have boiling inside me for tips, tricks, etc.  This one will remain the home of Myk and will continue to have my photos, links, and reviews.  It will also have the personal posts I used to have.  If you want the more in depth posts, go over there.  For some foreshadowing, read my intro post.

Welcome back to content, and amble over there and let me know what you think.

I found this poking around Craigslist for a new Blackberry. Anyone have a ditcher they can send them? “Have you got the ugliest phone with the most horrid scratches on it? Do you want a new one but are afraid you can’t get anything for your POS? I have a pre-paid GSM SIM card that I want to use in my car which has bluetooth.”

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Anyone that has been looking to get a sizable flash drive should take a look at this. If you haven’t, just proceed and be on with your day.

Our Price: $53.95
Price After Rebate(s): $4.95
Shipping: FREE

Buy.com Total Price: $4.95

Kingston 2 X 1GB USB 2.0 DataTraveler Flash Drive Kit - DTI/1GB-2PKR

http://www.buy.com/prod/kingston_2_x_1gb_usb_2_0_datatraveler_flash_drive_kit/q/loc/14982/204134643.html?adid=17662

Rebate limit is two per person/household/address, so you can actually get 4 of these for $9.90 after rebate.

DataTraveler USB Flash drive is ideal for home office, small business, schools and promotions. It is affordable and puts mobile storage in nearly anyone’s hands. Now you can store, carry and transfer files quickly in an affordable, convenient device. The DataTraveler from Kingston helps budget-conscious users break storage barriers, allowing you to easily store and move files in a device no bigger than a pocketknife. As easy as click and drag, the DataTraveler can hold just about any file you can think of - reports pictures, spreadsheets or other important documents. It works with virtually any device with a USB port - even cross-platform from Macintosh to PC and vice versa. The DataTraveler also makes a great promotional item for your organization; it’s simple to add your logo to increase brand-recognition. Backed by a five-year warranty and Kingston’s legendary service and support, the DataTraveler is a reliable, inexpensive solution for carrying files or your next promotion.

BTW - If you haven’t used Google Checkout before, use that to get $10 off and essentially get four for free or get paid $5.00 to get two after all is said and done.

{EDIT: Note that Rebate ends March 31st; Don’t forget to print your reciept upon order completion, some friends have told me they didn’t get packing slips from buy.com}

Think Geek Temperature Changing LED Facuet Extension

Originally uploaded by mykoleary.

Click through to a photoset of our cool new Think Geek Temperature Changing LED Facuet Extensions we just got in the mail.

Kelsey was so excited to brush her teeth, she yelled out “Mommy, it’s chanigng color!”

Besides being really really cool, they are pracitcal too. Now the girls know when the water is too hot to touch, since hot water makes the LEDs go from blue to red.

The good news is I finally hit zero at work - both my Inbox and my to followup folders are clean!

The bad news (well for you at least) is that I did so by pumping lots of emailed URLS into my del.icio.us bookmarks… *blush*

So, if you’re not very development or Ruby inclined, I’d skip my linkpost that’ll come up later today from del.icio.us…

Have a good weekend!!!

Beating the EPA

Originally uploaded by mykoleary.

I haven’t yet had the time to post about my new love - the Prius we got for Christmas at the end of 2006. It’s a much more comfortable ride than the CR-V, and the gas mileage beats the pants off of it too. Both are huge pluses for someone with a 1-2 hour commute.

I’d been getting down quite a bit from the drudgery of the drie, but with the Prius have a new spring in my commute step. We just got back from visiting Ocean Shores yesterday also, so it’s just been on its first official family trip. Now it just needs to hit Oregon and California…

Anyway, this is an ego shot of the MID/MFD in the dashboard showing a glorious 65.9 MPG for a 28 mile trip I took to work a couple weeks back. It doesn’t include the 5 or so miles to the gas station from our house, but still, that’s a pretty darn good rate for the remainder of the trip!

Once I get the past four tanks of gas information into my greenhybrid.com account, I’ll post an entry with my cumulative MPG for any other Prius lovers who may be interested in seeing another Puget Sound MPG data point.

Giving Photographers a Bad Name…

Originally uploaded by icopythat.

I can’t believe this. She is from all accounts an unlicensed photographer on a closed course. A closed course with a timed finish. There are people running this marathon to qualify for other marathons. She is threatening the safety of each and every runner for her own gain. If she were a REAL photojournalist, she would have gone to the trouble of getting prtess credentials. Lacking that she just jumps the line and gets in everyon’es way. As a photographer I’m ashamed.

We have a Senseo at home that we absolutely love (so much so I have one at work too.) The froth created by the forced hot water is a nice bonus to any cup of coffee. However, I have become so dependent on it, that I no longer use a real coffee maker.

Sometimes I want a regular old cup of coffee, or a cup with some custom grounds (there’s a great roaster in San Francisco, but they don’t make pods…) It’s not easily done with the Senseo (or others like the Black & Decker and Keurig versions)
My answer was to do some research and find refillable coffee pods that can be used in single serve coffee machines. I plan on reviewing them all, but initial indications have me leaning towards favoring the myPod since it can make a double cup.

If you’re looking for the same thing, please follow this link to find refillable coffe pods at RefillableCoffeePods.com (my new store )

You can also buy a new Senseo Coffee Machine Gift Pack while you’re there if you’ve been thinking about getting one.  Just click on the picture over there on the left (or go to my store - it’s on the front page.)

You’ve seen this on the news, so you won’t get much more new information from me here.  In fact, I really hadn’t been following it too much becuase news seems to sensationalize everything.

As background for those who didn’t realize, I grew up in “Amish Country”.  I was born in Lancaster, PA, grew up in Strasburg, and worked in Paradise for a summer Marketing internship.  My dad was Postmaster of our small town and knew a lot of the Amish personally, they fixed his leather mail bag quite a few times, and very well I might add - he never had to buy a new one.  I’ve seen the “fake” side of the Amish that is presented by the tourism board - my internship was with a tour company.

I’ve also seen the real side.  The devoutly religious and moral humans surrounded by a sea of sin.  Their children being slowly corrupted with the trapings of modern society.  You could drive around the farmlands at night (my friend Brant and I did this quite often) and hear the generators tripping on in the barns.  Yes, these kids that were supposed to live without electricity were watching TVs hidden in haystacks to hide them from the elders. Rumspringa became less a break from the “clan” and more a way to discover how to hide modern day niceties in a land of blandness.  An Amish girl on Rumspringa tried to pick me up when I was in high school - I was attached at the time.

What brings me to write this, what about the story touched me so much that I feel compelled?

This headline: “‘Shoot Me First,’ Amish Girl Said to Ask”

Would you have done this?  Would your kid have done this?  A 13 year old with more of a grip on the concept of humanity than anyone I know has or will have.  Despite the temptations that modern society pushes on the Amish, they ARE still surviving.  They ARE still continuing life as they always have.  They ARE more religious, devout, and moral than the rest of us.  I’m glad, because I always worried and doubted their ability to stay the course having seen what I did growing up.  This ONE story proves me wrong, and for that I’m glad.

This ordeal wasn’t a Weird Al song for the people or community involved.  They forgave the gunman before the police busted down the door.  They stood in line trying to protect the youngest.

Could you have done the same?