padded

do i need it? no.

but do i want it?

yeah.

it may even break my rule against early adopting, especially Apple products. i've managed to wait till the iPod became Windows-friendly, and the iPhone wind down its Gen 1.0 period. didn't spring for the iTouch, nor when the iPhone became 3G/3GS.

will it replace my laptops? no.

will it cut down my time on my laptops? yes.

will it replace my phone? no.

will it make me kill and waste time? hell to the yeah.

i'm not a voracious e-book reader. i'm pretty sure i can hold off being tempted by all the e-books that the iTunes store might sell. that being said, within the next year or so, am sure someone's gonna be able to provide readable books (though not as extensive as Amazon's offerings), right after they hack the iPad.

listening to music should be done only because i want to flick through Cover Flow with my fingertips - but my iPod already holds about 60 Gb worth and fat chance even moving half of that to the iPad. it's going to be like a "greatest hits" only kind of playlist.

the one thing i'd be more concerned about - and would prefer - is playing video files (movies and TV shows). this being Apple, now we're stuck with the MP4 format - and now I have to waste time either looking for those files or reconverting what I have (but even so, it may not be in the native resolution and all that). watching videos is a much more practical use for the iPad, especially if you don't have to be wired to the Web all the time.

the one other thing i may go crazy for are the apps. i didn't join the app revolution on the iPhone. i may do so here. at least for those worth the dollar and the use.

i thought the price point was going to be much higher. but 16 Gb is really bare-bones minimum these days. if an MP4 is already a Gb, 16 Gb would be gone in half a day. and i would rather not do file transfers that often. for an extra $100 or $200 you double or quadruple that.

there's also the question of sticking with Wi-Fi or getting a dedicated 3G link. being tethered to the web is the future, and the future is now. but then again, looking at the costs, do i really need it? maybe not now, but for later, perhaps?

given that Apple reduced iPhone prices previously to the consternation of early adopters, there's still a chance that could happen. so maybe patience is a virtue here ... until Christmas this year. maybe.

goddamn ye merry gentlemen

Republicans for Rape. holla atcha, BOY!

astig

a shout out to an old pal, BJP. may we all shoot like you.

fever pitch

McGraw-Hill CEO confirms Apple Tablet.

also, why would Steve Jobs not work with anyone who jumps the gun? it's not like its a very closely-guarded secret and comes out of the blue. that being said, get that iPhone out of Jobs' ass.

and also that being said, if i agree with the price point, i might be an early adopter. maybe within a couple of months.

was it because of that cellphone stunt?

Saints on Joe Horn: who dat?

pigskin: NFL Conference Championships

more craptastic predictions coming your way. rooted for the Jets all the way, even as I projected the Chargers to win (just like almost everyone else). the only thing i got right were the Saints. hoooo boy.

Jets at Colts
the team that gave them a chance is now blocking their way towards their first SuperBowl appearance since 1968. things have fallen into place so far for the brash Rex Ryan and the team he molded in his image (send a thank you card to Eric Mangenius, guys). on the other side of the field is the main Manning brother, who are probably thankful as well that they're not facing the Chargers. the Indy faithful, dissed out of a chance to celebrate a perfect season, should get back on the wagon as the Colts are healthy and are the favorites to stop the upstart Jets. once again, i'll pick the Colts to win but root against them.
stupid projection: Colts 30, Jets 20

Vikings at Saints
the consensus SuperBowl early in the season was Colts vs. Saints, and there's nothing here so far that really says otherwise. it would be a shock really to have any team in other than those two. that being said, the Vikings defense is scary and Drew Brees and his O-line will be challenged. Brett Favre seems to have found another case of youth juice and is making all his critics shoot themselves in the head (not me, i don't have a gun). this could be the shootout we projected earlier with the Saints/Cardinals.
stupid projection: Saints 45, Vikings 42

it's gonna be the next Thriller ... promise.

he just can't wait to be king!

fool us once, shame on you. fool us twice, shame on us.


and we've been fooled so many goddamned times already, we really deserve it.

aw HELL NO!

there is only one BIG GAME JAMES.

there is ONLY ONE KING JAMES.

that poseur/loser up there is neither. stick with the "Big Daddy James", Mr. Boy Toy.



/principle prevents me from editing this page outright. i might go berserk.

pigskin: NFL Divisional Playoffs

considering the craptastic predictions i made last week, i have no qualms making another post on the matter. of the four games, i only got the Jets winning, and that's because of homerism, and not even the right margin. in my defense, in the other three games i was going conservative and probably leaned more towards convention (well, except Dallas). am sure more than half of so-called sports journalists also got it all wrong. at the end of the day, its my blog and i'll crap if i want to.

Cardinals at Saints
this is the first i'm-kinda-torn-here-situation in the divisional round, where i have my Madden 10 team versus the team i pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. apparently, Mister Grocery Bag Boy isn't ready to hang up his cleats yet, and barring an early injury (hey there, Colt McCoy), the Cardinals look to be in their second shootout in 7 days. the Saints took some heat for their three losses after teasing us with an unbeaten season, and now the fire in their belly should be back. let's say their offenses cancel each other out. now its up to the defenses and who can cause and capitalize on turnovers. which again, doesn't really give us anything definite. ay-yah!
stupid projection: Saints 40, Cardinals 37

Ravens at Colts
with one Manning brother left alone in the playoffs, its time for the plucky Ravens, fresh off their demolition of the Belichick Patriots, to knock off another of last decade's powerhouses. plus you can say they have to win this for their marching band, left behind in Baltimore when the original Colts packed up and moved to Indianapolis. if you watched that ESPN 30 for 30 episode, you'd know what i'm talking about.
stupid projection: Ravens 35, Colts 33

Jets at Chargers
and here's the second of my who-do-i-root-for dilemmas, as i will be wearing my Jets onfield knit hat all week, but when at home, i have those warm fluffy Chargers slipons for my feet. Chargers better be warned though - the Jets are primed to KILL. well, at least in accordance to the world of KSK.
stupid projection: Chargers 24, Jets 20

Cowboys at Vikings
the old gunslinger versus the new one. Peter King will spontaneously combust, especially when these two hug each other before and/or after the game. that's all i'm gonna say. ok, maybe not. it's time for the new gunslinger to send the old one off into the sunset, or else am still calling him Tony Homo.
stupid projection: Cowboys 34, Vikings 31

ANNOUNCEMENT

to my three readers, be advised that Jay Leno will be taking over this blog at 11:35. not sure if its PM or AM.

how long til JetBlue and Southwest succumb?

Big Airlines raising checked bag fees. pretty soon, we'll just buy clothes at our destinations. or not fly entirely.

help Haiti now

go here or here.

also, do not give Pat Robertson handjobs.

Never Break Chin

we know where NBC's loyalties lie. this is a complete snafu of epic proportions. Team Conan all the way!

french connection

anything with Luc Besson's name attached should be always be checked out.

John Travolta plays another cartoon character but hey, face it, he excels in these roles since Face/Off.

que cera cera

and for the amount of money he makes, you'd still want to be him.

pigskin: NFL wild card weekend

that 17 weeks just blew by us, didn't they? now a cold snap has taken hold of the whole US of A, and that's totally depressing except for the part that it's time for the best football of the season.

Jets at Bengals
the Jets should exercise caution, despite Rex Ryan's claiming the mantle of favorites. Cincy is favored by 3 based on current lines, and that may as well be the final difference. they kept their cards close to the vest in the final game of the season, roll out a solid D, and have the home crowd on their side, which will no doubt be fired up in memory of Chris Henry. on the Jets' side, its a bit scary to rely on shaky rookie QB Mark Sanchez to win a road game in January. they can run, but you can't be one-dimensional in the playoffs. i'll be a homer of course, but i won't be stunned if they get mauled by the Bengals.
stupid projection: Jets 20, Cincinnati 17

Eagles at Cowboys
i sure hope the Eagles faked out the 'Boys last week, because this is a rematch and it would be humiliating to fall again to their hated NFC East rival. i prefer a knockdown, drag out fight, or a high-scoring can-you-top-this affair. Philly certainly has the horses for that. wait, what i really want is another Romo meltdown. oh please, please, please, football gods.
stupid projection: Eagles 28, Cowboys 27

Ravens at Patriots
the Patriots' luster has faded over recent years - Spygate, Bill Belichick's off-field shenanigans, 18-1, 4th and 2 - and their success arc this decade sort of mirrors the national leadership in the same timeline. consider: they rose to prominence after 9/11, winning three Super Bowls as the Republicans consolidated their power and started a couple of wars and named their playbook to control the American public - what else - the Patriot Act, then nosedived to Earth with allegations of cheating, and culminated with a humiliating loss in Super Bowl XLII that ruined their perfect season. wait, it actually culminated when golden boy Tom Brady blew his knee the season thereafter. okay, maybe it hasn't culminated yet, but the Pats have not been back to the Promised Land since Obama took office and the USA rehabbed its image to the world. will this year be different and buck the trend? (note: reliable slot receiver and All-American white boy Wes Welker is currently preparing to sue Bernard Pollard) not if the Ravens and Stabby McStabby say different. Joe Flacco needs to dial back to his 2008-09 playoff self. but to whom is he gonna throw to? Vegas says the Pats are favored by 3.5. oh well.
stupid projection: Patriots 33, Ravens 24

Packers at Cardinals
i've been playing the Cardinals for so long on Madden 10, that its automatic i'll be rooting for them here. their 10-6 finish isn't that impressive and they've been mostly average statistically. certainly a far cry from the rampaging team i guided in Madden. anyhoo, the Packers have quietly begun to come together and won 7 out of their last 8 heading to this weekend. it would certainly be exciting to watch them exact revenge on Brett Favre later down the line for the two losses he inflicted on them in the regular season. which means they need to survive an indoor battle. that shouldn't be a problem for the Lambeau gang. and oh, since the 'Madden curse' already knocked Troy Polamalu (and the Steelers) out of the playoffs, Larry Fitzgerald got lucky so far, but who knows?
stupid projection: Packers 31, Cardinals 28

requiem for a Texan

i actually missed the part where he got hurt last night, which was 5 plays into their opening drive. the rest is now history.

here's hoping he manages to recover enough for a decent professional career, along with the other Colt i follow, currently toiling anonymously in D.C. as a Redskin.

by the way, here's an excellent insight into the passing of the Longhorn torch, albeit in the worst-possible situation. (thanks, @mikechoi)

photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

kill your television

and the first post of the new year is about ... TV.

having finally taken the plunge on cable (and HD) around the end of summer last year, i figured the costs would still be affordable. my bro-in-law handed down his first HDTV to us, allowing me to hold off buying one for some time. plus, i was finally able to reap the benefits of my longtime PS3, in terms of gaming, media streaming and finally being able to watch Blu-Ray discs for real. and as a Time Warner customer for 5 years (Road Runner only, plus some public cable channels), didn't make sense to go somewhere else - i locked myself in for two years at a lower rate, then took their basic HDTV lineup. i really didn't need HBO or any other movie channels. just give me my basic channels, ESPN, NatGeo, Discovery, Travel, History, and for my wife: Food Network, HGTV, TLC, and all in HD - am good. the other channels are part and parcel of the lineup and nothing can be done about this, for now.

too bad they don't have real a la carte, where you can just pay only for the channels you really want, not package deals. no one in the cable industry and TV networks has the balls to do this. because all that matters is the bottom line. they've become fat and lazy, because with the customer having the power to choose which channel to really watch, they'll be forced to produce really quality shows that would be worthy of the customer's dollars. and i guess that's too much work for them.

and the entry of online streaming, as an alternative to traditional TV, should only serve to make them wise up, instead of trying to maintain the status quo and gouge existing customers for more. with the Comcast deal with NBC Universal, and Fox holding Time Warner hostage for more fees, you have to wonder how much the impact is for the average subscriber, especially in terms of money coming out of their wallets. Hulu may be the business model for the coming times, but free content can only last or may be sufficient for so long. either way, you have to pay, regardless of the method you want to get your entertainment. eventually, you'll be watching your shows online on your current HDTVs or wireless TVs hooked to the router. the traditional hardwired cable connections won't go away, but that's dependent whether our home internet can eventually handle the bandwidth required for full cable programming.

the game changers has been High Def and content. i doubt if anybody wants to go back to their old TVs after getting a taste of HD (especially for movies and sports. reality TV and porn? ehhhh.). i know i can't. am not sure if 3DTV is up my alley yet, but that's where things are headed as well. oh crap, does that mean Blu-Ray will be obsolete in two years?

i only hope at this point that the new TW/Fox deal doesn't mean they're going to change my locked-in rate. there's gonna be war if that happens. maybe at some point i'll need to wean myself off the dependence on cable - or maybe not.