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I've really liked my Q, so I was hesitant to go to a full touch-screen phone. The physical keyboard was great, and the smaller screen didn't bother me much. But I didn't care for the newer Qs (I have an original one from Sprint). Initial impressions are very positive. I know a lot of people don't like Windows Mobile, but I have no issues with it in general. And Samsung has done a nice job re-skinning the first few levels of fucntionality to make it more touchscreen friendly. Opera 9.5 is great, the touch screen seems fairly responsive and the accellerometer has worked great for me. And I definitely like the visual voicemail, though I wish that was a free option. And I'm glad to hear that Verizon caved and is unlocking the GPS for people who want to use it with free programs like Google Maps. So far no obvious shortcomings, and just a few things I want to research how to change. There are some pretty impressive forums and bodies of knowledge on the Omnia out there to futher tweak it to suit your needs. An example is that there was a Samsung Today home screen configuration (Samsung Today 2) that I saw in all of the unlocked reviews I'd read, and it is the clear winner for my taste. But it's not part of the Verizon package. But a quick DL and installation of a .cab file and it was just what I wanted. If you have any specific questions, just let me know.

It has a pretty impressive list of features... 3G Wi-Fi/Bluetooth GPS (which Verizon is unlocking Q1 09 for use w/ free software) Windows Mobile 6.1 w/ Samsung's own skin, media player & sub-menus which is a nice improvement on the stock WM interface, especially for touch screens. 8GB (w/ MicroSD for up to another 16GB) It should be a nice step up from my Motorola Q. Only real drawback is no 3.5mm output, but the adapter they ship with it should be fine.

Samsung Omnia

Started the day (midnight) trying to troubleshoot my non-functioning furnace. Went to bed around one with no luck and the temp in the low 60's. Woke up with it at 57, and called the HVAC people. Ugh. Working again, no thanks to the idiots who placed the tanks so the regulator is directly under the eave's drip edge, leading to it being covered in ice and the vent grating blocked up.

I'm officially out of the running for both an iPhone or an iPod Touch. My parents are retiring and to help them save money and stay on a lower level plan, I'm switching to Verizon. So goodbye iPhone. And it looks like I'm going to be going with a Samsung Omnia, which while not as elegant as either the iPhone or the Touch, should fit the bill for an all-in-one phone/music & movie player/PDA with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. So far, all of my research has backed up the idea that it's a well thought out piece of gear that works for those who can't/won't go with AT&T to get the iPhone and have no desire to deal with the buggy Blackberry Storm.

I've really been digging the tone on Isis' Oceanic and Panopticon. I can't decide which I like more... The thick cruch on Oceanic or the abrasive edge on Panopticon. It seems to vary listen to listen.

Went to Ikea and picked up a wall convection oven: Marked down from $599 to $250! And picked up my flooring: Also made final decisions on cabinet doors, some lighting and now just need to tweak the cabinet layout a bit. The electrical and plumbing rough-ins will get started on Monday, with everything else to follow. Needless to say things are starting to come together enough for me to get really, really excited!

Hahahahaha... GT5 too? When do you want the wheel back?

Happy Birthday Wrex!

It really is outstanding. Definitely in the top 2 for books I've read in the last few years.

Re-reading: Perfect winter weather the last few weeks to read about the ice-locked ships of Franklin's failed search for the NW Passage. This has to be one of the best novels/works of historical fiction I've ever read. His ability to weave tons of research and historical accuracy into a thriller makes for a great read.

x2... Very nice. I'm in the middle of one myself.

80GB PS3 Or more like 2/3 of one, as a friend thought it was stupid for me to buy a $250 stand-alone BluRay player, so he threw me the difference. I'm a little disappointed the current models aren't backwards-compatible with PS2 games. But it didn't bother me enough to hunt around for a NIB or refurb that had that capability. It's more a nice BluRay player for me that's ready for when GT5 comes out.

Awsome.

I'm sure there's a joke in there about Vegas getting DP'd, but I'll leave that to others...

Forgive me... I bought a chuck for my lathe and 2 blocks of cocobolo to woody my D2000s and have yet to even unpack them.

Nate has great taste! I Ms. Parasol's album. "Texas Midnight Radio" is gorgeous.

Indeed. Photos of yesterday's progress on the kitchen renovation... Before (And yes, that floor was out of level by more than 6"... Gotta love converted barn spaces!!!): After (with the old carpet down to keep things clean): A small 4'x6' area in front of the door will stay low, with a coat closet where the fridge is. The rest will be brought up to the level we just moved down yesterday. And it will be level! Then we'll square up the wall framing to get it ready for new cabinets, with the sink and all of the appliances being relocated and with a pantry closet going in where the current sink base cabinet is. It's hard to believe I'll be able to double the size of my kitchen and near triple my counter space.

Curious to hear what you think of it. I loved it and Quantum of Solace.

I snow. The greyhound does not

(12) 2x8 x 12' (3) 2x10 x 12' (16) Simpson LUS28 hangers (2) Simpson LUS28-3 hangers (1) box of Simpson 1/4"x3" SDS screws All to lower and reframe a stupid 8'x10' hallway next to my kitchen, which will pretty much double the footprint of my kitchen. Next week we'll bring the floor level of my existing kitchen up about 7" to match the floor we built today. Then it will be time to rough-in new electrical and plumbing and we can get final measurements before ordering the new cabintes and framing out the pantry and backsplashes. It's coming along remarkably fast... My Dad rocks!

Awesome!

(16) 2x10 x 8' (4) 2x10 x 12' (16) Simpson LU28 joist hangers (6) Simpson LU28-2 joist hangers (1) 5# box 16d common nails (16) 1x6 x 8' T&G #2 pine (16) 1x6 x 10' T&G #2 pine (12) 2x4 x 8' studs

I can't quote posts from the locked thread, so I'd have to go to Amazon or wherever (some of which wasn't easy to track down) to get the art, format the text and rebuild quotable posts to be able to post the stuff I listen to regularly. Not really an option at work most of the time... Hopping on and searching, quoting, editing out the quotes and posting took 5-10 seconds before the split. Now it's a minute or two, which most of the time is more than I am willing or able to spend. It was fine when it was one out of every ten that I had to put together. But now that's a minute or two each hour that I have to be able to do for each album without making the boss think I'm spending all my time on Head-Case. :shrug: