Video From CES

CES exhibits are spread over several facilities in Vegas and the show extends from the Hilton to the Venetian Hotel (Sands Convention Center). As you venture along the trail to the exhibits located at the Sands you get to see several interesting venues that are located within the Venetian Hotel. The Venetian can be rather pricey during CES, but there are other times of the year when the cost is more reasonable (those are the occasions when Nancy and I have stayed there). It is a very scenic hotel and quite beautiful. The gondola ride, at the Venetian, is an interesting sight to see and I had a chance to record some gondola footage while Dave and I headed over to see the Sands CES exhibits. Take a look -

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=VenetianGondolaCESJan82008.flv

3:10 To Yuma

I had high hopes for 3:10... I really did. It's always fun to watch a great western and there are not that many being made nowadays. However, I just don't feel that Yuma is in the same category as some of the really good ones, you know - like the ones that Clint Eastwood makes (or Tom Selleck). Yuma is a decent enough western and Crowe and Bale are very good actors. So, I guess it must have been the writing that didn't quite put this movie over the top. As a DVD movie, I suggest that you rent it - if you are at all partial to westerns. It is certainly worth watching. Just don't watch Newman's "Hombre" or Eastwood's "A Fistful of Dollars" before you slip the "3:10 To Yuma" disc in the DVD player - you'll probably be disappointed if you go comparing the classics to this latest effort. Let me know what you think.

This Week's Exercise Movies

The movies that I'll be exercising to this week are:

3:10 To Yuma

Down With Love

Solaris

The Hawk Is Dying

I plan to make a comment on the movie 3:10 To Yuma as it has been highly acclaimed by several reviewers. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale have both been acknowledged for their roles and Roger Ebert gave the movie four stars. I'll post my spin as to whether or not I agree with the critics.

Movie - Pollock

A thumb up for the movie Pollock. Ed Harris and Marcia Gay Harden do an outstanding job of portraying Jackson Pollock and his wife. The movie was actually shot at the home where Pollock and his wife lived. In some ways the story is as much about Lee Krasner, Pollock's wife, as it is about him. I had difficulty relating to Pollock's art form, and after reading opinions from a few art critics on Pollock's work, it's understandable why. His work is so very controversial. Pollock's life was his art and the manner used to create his works was intertwined with the very essence of who he was. Oftentimes, alcohol played a role in the outcome. So, you will probably either love his paintings - or hate them. In the world of art, the value placed on a Pollock painting can boggle the mind. I don't pretend to understand any of that, but I do feel that the movie helped to explain part of the rationale as to why Pollock is considered to be such a great American artist.

Rent the movie some time and form your own opinion. "Pollock" requires a certain mindset to watch - as it moves rather slowly in parts. There's action, but nothing like the computer generated scenes that are commonplace in many of today's offerings. To me, that is actually refreshing.

The Way Boortz Sees Life

Neal Boortz takes a pragmatic approach to just about every issue he addresses in his book - Somebody's Gotta Say It. He gets a lot of flack on his radio show for using this strategy, but oftentimes he can back up his position with solid research. The book is good reading for an election year. It helps in sorting out the rhetoric associated with the three parties. Boortz is not afraid to stir things up. For instance, regarding raising a family, he says:

Question: If your job skills are such that you can only earn the minimum wage, what in the hell are you doing with children?

According to Boortz, if you are only earning minimum wage, then without government support i.e. welfare, you will not have enough money on which to raise a family. He believes that the economics of bearing children cannot be ignored. Boortz states in his book:

"The failure to develop a marketable job skill or work ethic is the very definition of self-destructive behavior."

Whether or not you agree with Neal Boortz, I'm sure you will find the topics he addresses interesting and food for a lot of thought. It might even help in deciding who will get your vote in the upcoming election.

Exercise Movies

This week's exercise movies are:

Avenging Angel

Pollock

Rabbit-Proof Fence

Stephanie Daley

I've just started Pollock and I'm finding the movie to be very entertaining, as well as informative regarding the life of the artist Jack Pollock. Artists typically are troubled souls, are so it would seem. Ed Harris plays Jackson Pollock and the actor is well suited for this role. I'll make some comments, after I finish the movie.

Sam's Hof Bra and PC User's Group Meeting

The guys met at Sam's this evening for dinner. We enjoyed going to Sam's Hoff Bra for last month's PC User's Group meeting, but tonight it was exceptionally crowded and the waiting time to get your order was considerable. We may need to choose a different place next time.

We shared information about our CES experiences and made sure we mention the products that we thought were noteworthy this year. Prior to attending the PC User's Group Meeting, Dave provided a demo of his new small, and very green, laptop computer. It's the computer that was created by an entrepreneur to be low enough in price, but still high in features, so that every child could be able to own one. When you purchase yours you also must purchase another one for a child in need. The computer could end up going anywhere in the world. Total cost - about $400. Dave's worked well over a Wi Fi connection at the meeting location. It has a Linux based OS and it's very light and portable. It also has a built in web camera for sharing photos, or to conference with others. Neat computer. Thanks for sharing Dave.

CES Comments

I've been reading several reviews regarding the 2008 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas and it's interesting to read people's perspectives on the value of the exhibits and whether or not they thought it was worthwhile to attend the show. Some felt letdown regarding this year's CES because they were not able to identify any real "breakthrough" type products. Apparently, in their mind, if there is nothing that stands out in comparison to what was available the previous year, than why bother going. Technology has made so many advances of late, it is understandable why someone attending CES might think this. However, many developments in technology come in incremental stages, not all at once, so it is probably unrealistic to expect every new product offering to be completely different, or drastically improved, from the previous year. Sometimes that is the case, but not for every product.

My approach to the show has been to look for niche products that might fulfill a need that I have within my own array of techno gadgets that make up my home/mobile "electronic environment" - for lack of a better term. For instance, this year there was a major focus by many companies on wireless i.e. Blue tooth and Wi Fi products. Some of the products were not really all that different from previous offerings, but now you no longer need cables to do your connections. That capability may not register to some reviewers as being exceptionally innovative when it comes to technological breakthroughs, but in reality it makes a huge difference.

The same can be said for HD TVs and the progression that is taking place with various brands. The picture quality isn't so much a factor any more - they all look pretty good - but the pricing for large screens has dropped significantly and you can get a lot more for your money than in previous years. CES gives you a chance to compare multiple brand offerings and determine how to get the most for your money. Perhaps that is not as exciting as seeing the unveiling of the latest greatest, most expensive, early adopter rendition of a particular device, but in the long run, for the budget minded consumer, it is of more value. Besides, early adopters often get burnt on the pricing of a new product, along with the possibility of having a first generation product that has glitches, or is missing features that won't show up until a few months later - when the really good, cheaper, updated version, arrives.

Anyway, that is my take on the value of attending CES. I guess it all depends on you perspective? One thing I can concur with, in regards to the number of people attending the exhibits, it can make getting around the exhibits difficult. The crowds are huge and the facilities are really spread out and not easily within walking distance. If you are not into crowds, and shuttle buses, you will most likely not enjoy CES. You can park, but it will cost you quite a bit and it may take some time to find an open parking garage. There are just huge numbers of people in Vegas at that time. And it's not just at CES. Take a look at the video clip that I took at the entrance to the MGM Grand "Ka" Cirque show. The MGM Grand is actually at the other end of the strip from where CES is held. Still, you see a lot of CES badged people walking around all parts of the strip during CES. From one end to the other. Like I said - it's very crowded and that just goes with attending CES. Check out the clip below to see what I'm saying:

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=KaTheatreattheMGMGrand.flv

More Vegas Pictures

Today's blog update has pictures of the following locations:

Tropicana Hotel - On the strip. It's one of the older hotels in Las Vegas. The Tropicana has a lot of history and the hotel has been visited by many celebrates over the years i.e. Frank, Dean along with other members of the "Rat Pack", Charo and The Smothers Brothers have also performed at the Tropicana in their younger days. We've stayed at the Tropicana a few times, but prices for hotels on the strip are rather high while CES is going on, so we choose to stay a short distance from the main drag, save some money, and rent a car to get around.

The MGM Grand is where Dave and I saw "Ka" and the South Point Hotel is where we stayed this trip. It's on Las Vegas Blvd, put about eight minutes from the strip.

Lots of good things to say about South Point. Reasonable rates, great food and lots of activities available at the hotel. South Point has a large casino gaming area, a 16 screen Cinema, a bowling alley, a bingo hall, an equestrian center, a business center, an indoor parking garage, a terrific sports book (Dave and I did well betting simulcast races there) and, of course, numerous restaurants at different price levels (they also have a great oyster bar) - plus they are expanding. I'm sure that we will return, as long as the rates stay competitive. It was a fun place to stay!

Griffin Evolve Wireless Speakers

While attending CES I did a demo test of the Griffin Wireless Speakers, using my iPod touch as the source, and I knew immediately that this was an item that I wanted to purchase. I had a specific application in mind for this type of speaker system and the Griffin Wireless Speakers fit the bill perfectly. Best Buy carries the product and their in store price was better than most of the online deals that I checked.

It took about four hours to charge the batteries and the product worked without a glitch right out of the box. I've posted a picture of my system to the right and at the bottom of the blog page. If you'd like more information check the CNET review at the below link. After using the item at home I pretty much concur with their review. It works great for my application.

http://reviews.cnet.com/speakers-speaker-systems/griffin-evolve/4505-6467_7-32687384.html

Down...but not out!

I've been under the weather for the last couple of days. I caught a cold right after returning from Vegas and I've been taking it easy and trying to get as much rest as possible. I've started to sort out my CES media and I came across a video clip from the NextGen Digital Home Experience display that I thought was interesting. The home features Microsoft's lifeware products. The system is very innovative and it can be used to control a home's lighting, audio/video, appliances, security and a number of other components throughout the house - all via touch screen panels placed in each room of the home. Neat stuff! You can see a clip demonstrating the use of the touch screen, by going to the link below:

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w275/jimdaviselkgrove/?action=view&current=CES2008NextGenDigitalHomeExperience.flv

The picture, shown to the right and at the bottom of the blog page, is from the Gibson Guitars tent that was also at CES. Gibson has a new "robot" guitar that tunes itself. A demonstration, showing just how the guitar accomplishes this feat, was scheduled at various times throughout the show. Fascinating to watch! I'll have more from CES a little later - when I'm feeling better.

Back From CES

I've returned from my trip to Las Vegas. As always, CES was great - not to mention a bit exhausting at times (could I be getting old?). We took in a lot during our three day - two night - venture. I've posted a couple of pictures from CES. I've got lots more to share, including videos. It's time to get some rest and rejuvenate... more later.

Off to Vegas

I'll be leaving for Las Vegas in just a few hours, to attend the annual Consumer Electronic Show (CES). So... hopefully, I'll be able to do a posting from the South Point Hotel, since I'm taking my laptop and they have WiFi in their rooms. If so, I should have pictures to post from some of the CES displays. More later...

Somebody's Gotta Say It

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Neal Boortz's book titled, Somebody's Gotta Say It, is written in a non PC style that covers topics often avoided by other authors who share a similar vocation with Boortz (radio talk-show host).

For example, the cover jacket starts out with an introduction by Boortz stating:

"I've come to the conclusion that roughly 50 percent of the adults in this country are simply too ignorant and functionally incompetent to be living in a free society. You might think I'm off base, but every day around half the people in this country go out of their way to prove me right."

I'll give you a synopsis of what he thinks the American people need to do to fix our government run schools, after I get a little further along in my reading of his book. I don't necessarily agree with his solutions to many of the topics that he covers in this book, but he certainly doesn't pull any punches to defend his position. I like that approach.

Books for the New Year

I've started reading a couple of books to start off the new year. One was given to me as a Christmas gift, from my friend Dave, and the other I purchased from the "bargain" table at Borders. Dave gave me Dr. Wayne W. Dyer's book titled, Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life (Living the Wisdom of the Tao). Dyer's book takes the 2,500-year-old work of Lao-tzu and transforms if for the 21st century. The work contains all 81 verses of the Tao. I'll write some more about this book in a future blog post.

The other book, titled Somebody's Gotta Sat It, is by Neal Boortz, a radio talk-show host who also wrote The Fairtax Book, is from the bargain table. To say the least, Boortz has opinions and critiques on a variety of topics (everything from evolution and creationism to the war on drugs) and he doesn't say, nor write, words in a way that are considered politically correct by liberals - and for that matter - even some who are conservative in their thinking. More on Boortz in a later posting.

Two interesting books to ponder and reflect on as the new year gets underway. That should keep things percolating.

Car Stuff

I received my Motor Trend magazine in the mail today. One article that caught my eye was a writeup about the 2009 Toyota Corolla. Model years tend to come early for Toyota products i.e. the 2007 Camry was introduced in the Spring of 2006. I've been interested to see what Toyota would do to the Corolla in order to keep it competitive with the Honda Civic. The Civic is a formidable competitor that has won several awards since its 2007 introduction. Styling-wise there is not much change from the previous Corolla. In fact, the interior is also not that much different. However, you can now get a navigation system in the 2009 model and a larger engine. The new engine is the same four cylinder that is used in the Camry. I like that change - that's a good engine and it is paired with a five speed automatic in the SE version. You can see a picture of the 09 Corolla to the right and at the bottom of the blog page.

I'd like to test drive the new Corolla sometime. Or better yet, rent one. Maybe I can do that during an outing to Vegas. I'm renting a Chrysler Sebring next week for CES. The reviews have not been good for the Sebring, but I'm still curious. More on CES later...

Movies for the Week

The movies that I'll be exercising to this week are:

Angelas's Ashes

Cold Mountain

Man About Town

Pursuit of Happiness

The best movie I saw last week was "Notes on a Scandal", starring Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett. Excellent movie! I purchased "Notes" - it's a classic, to my way of thinking, because of Dench's performance.

New Year's Eve Dinner at Osaka's

We maintained our customary New Year's eve tradition of having dinner with several of our friends at Osaka's Japanese restaurant in Elk Grove. Les and Laurie always make the arrangements for the gathering at Osaka's - thanks again, Les and Laurie. We had a large group this year - a total of fourteen. As usual the meal was great and we were all seated in a manner that it was possible to talk to just about everyone in the group, without having to get out of your chair. I've posted some pictures of tonight's gathering. Look to the right and at the bottom of the blog page to see Les, Laurie, Pam, Richard, Crystal and - of course - Nancy and myself.

After dinner Nancy and I watched Dick Clark ring in the New Year. I thought the entertainment from Times Square was very good this year. I really liked the Hannah Montana show! I had not seen Billy Ray's daughter perform. Now I know why she is so popular.

Happy New Year to all. Nancy and I wish you a bountiful year!!