YouTube Apple TV Hosed

None of the YouTube featured worked initially. Neither could we hit
any of the general feeds nor could we search. The feature to login to
your YouTube account (stevensfive) was also offline.

I will have to trace the HTTP traffic to see what feeds bindings they
are using because the site seemed fine and GData resources were fine
too.

Installing Apple TV

Tara and I setup the 144GB Apple TV that came in the mail today.
Speaking of "in the mail" we started our Netflix experience last night
too. After setting up my queue last night and creating one for Tara, I
was impressed that she ended up spending an hour on NetFlix this
morning rating and filling her queue. I got an email notification that
both of our selections were arriving tomorrow.

Given an existing wireless setup, existing iTunes loaded with all our
stuff , the 52" Aquos Costco special from last years March Madness and
a spare HDMI cable we had StevensFive TV up and running in about five
minutes. Very impressed that while it was syncing from iTunes we could
browse and start to preview HD movies.

Not that I didn't expect it but this is clearly another killer app
within The Convergence.

Tough Loss for Nova

When you work in Center City Philadelphia it is real convenient to get
to sporting events. When you have friend who has access to a suite at
the Wachovia Center it is real cool too. Thanks Scott! Mike picked up
Chuck and me and we zipped down 95 in just a few minutes. This was the
first time for me in a box at the Center. Go Cats!

SEPTA R5 Parking

I bought a one month Zone 4 SEPTA trail pass last night. Apparently,
you are not entitled to buy a monthly parking tag unless you purchase
trail pass. I have tried to find numbered parking slots which cost a
dollar each day but they are rare. Yesterday I tried to catch the 8:04
and I figured I would need to come up with some creative parking. As I
came over the bridge in Paoli I saw a spot free - spot #4 right in
front. Odd. Coming home late yesterday night after Villanova's loss at
the Center I realized what a pain in the ass it was to have to hike
around to the inbound side to get car. This morning I tried to buy a
parking tag for March but you need to provide your plate numbers which
I didn't have. Now I fully understand the benefit feature at work that
mails you passes for each month to your house - funded out of pretax.

Matthew I hope you get your cast off today buddy. We have to start
getting that arm loose.

Out of Shape

No such luck parking this morning at Paoli Train Station inbound lot.
There are only a few dozen $1.00 (four quarter) spots. Yesterday was a
holiday (for some) and there were plenty of spots still at 7:15. Even
though I got there by 7:10 to make the 7:21 Great Valley Express, no
spaces were available. I wasn't going to park in larger lot on the
North side (outbound) because I tried that last week and got a $10.00
ticket.

I always wonder about that lot anyways because it is over the old rail
yard that was there when I was a kid - feel the same way I did going
into the Netscape campus in Mountain View in 1999 - who knows what is
buried there. Apparently you can get monthly parking passes if you
also get SEPTA monthly passes. Maybe next month.

Anyways, I left the car at JJ's preschool for Tara to pick up and
hustled across Paoli to try and make the train. My parents would have
fainted if they imagined me "running to catch the R5". They have been
telling me about a guy who had been starting his new job downtown
(this was back in the 70s) and slipped trying to catch a moving (I
think) train and lost his legs. I made the queue boarding the train
okay and safely. However, my chest was heaving and I was sweating my
ass off. I was still sweating walking down Market Street 40 minutes
later. I think I was sweating all day. I have got to get in shape.

Need a Bigger Whiteboard

A whiteboard and smart people coming into 1977 all day scribbling on
it. Finally!

I am not used to sharing my white board though - I think I will need a
bigger one or another one. I wonder if I can pop one onto that blank
wall in the hall?

Pink Boots

When dad is in charge, as he is this weekend, everyone wears their
boots. It is no wonder that these kids go through sneakers so quickly.
If you don't direct them on what to wear they will always grab their
sneakers (I admit they are easy to put on). The kids can play much
harder and not get cold. Today the boys just ran off with their
sneakers and blew me off. Jillian still needs and wants my help so she
got boots. Tara refused to let me have her in the boys hand-me-down
Timberland Wheats so she looks for the pink ones at As They Grow
consignment.

Catching up with Nova EE classmate

I landed my new job at Comcast through networking on LinkedIn. Perhaps
even more rewarding than that, LinkedIn has helped me get back in
touch with folks from years back. I got on LinkedIn very early on but
I had invested about as much time keeping my profile fresh and
contacts complete as I have been networking in general. I realize that
I have been hyperfocused in my Sun efforts and not dedicating enough
to keeping valuable relationships strong across the years. I won't be
killing my momentum like that anymore. Mark Tomcavage (Serac
Solutions) got in touch with me over LinkedIn, I hadn't seen him since
senior year at Villanova - we were in electrical engineering together
and he lived in St. Mary's when I was an RA there (Mark sorry for
breaking up some parties in the ground floor suite). Mark is still a
great guy - clever and mello. We went to the Syracuse game at Wachovia
Center last weekend - Villanova lost but we had a great time and Mark
had Alumni Association passes to the reception in the Lexus Club. As
we left Mark grabbed a photo of me on my iPhone pretending like i was
hosting the postgame show. Cheers Mark!