Television update

I previously posted about buying a Vizio with my bonus. Well rather than buy old technology and after many painful hours of online research, I settled on a Samsung.

I originally did want a Samsung but something at least mid-level. I wanted a tv with AllShare technology for easy synching of media from my phone.  Then they had a modestly priced 2011 model.

So I picked up model UN46D6000.  This year's models go up to D9000 (3D model).  It has the Samsung Apps built in but not wireless. That's fine with me because I prefer hardwired for streaming video.

My favorite part is using my Epic 4G as the remote control. It comes in awfully handy considering the remote included did not have Qwerty.  Although the YouTube app on this tv is junk.

Overall, I like the look of this Samsung better than the Vizio's.  Especially the slim profile and screen border.  46" is plenty for my living room and this baby was in stock at the local Sears.  Tax was included but I didn't have to wait. Had it home in time for March Madness.

Twitter

I don't know if I was just bored or finally gave into all the hype, but I have started a Twitter account.  My out of state siblings use it fairly often and it just has a nice clean feel to it.

Of course, this could be due to the fact that I'm not following many people yet.  Evenually it may become overwhelming but there is just so much less clutter than Facebook.  And you can share your tweets to Facebook anyway.

Feel free to comment anyone you think I should be following. 

Tweet me. Peace.  @schnealy

Cha-Ching

It was yearly bonus time at work today. Mine was better than last year and I'm all paid up on my bills. While some co-workers may be smart with their money, I am fool in love with instant gratification.

So I am deciding to splurge a little on a TV. I have read specs up and down, set my price range, and have even come to memorize about 20 model numbers.

If I get last year's model, I can get a much bigger TV for the money. If I get this year's model, I can get 3D. Well, the 3D ratings on the one sucked really bad. There were reports of ghosting on just about any medium other than 3D Blu-ray discs.

And the winner is:



The Vizio 55" XVT553SV. It is last year's model but it still has the internet apps, the Bluetooth remote, and built-in wireless. That was pretty much everything I wanted. I'm betting 3D won't be a standard anyway, so by the time the next thing comes along, I will be ready.

I will post a short review only as there are plenty on the internet to see. C-Net gave it a good review.

US Soldiers vs Charlie Sheen

I have been seeing these posts on Facebook about how popular Charlie Sheen has been in the media lately, and then comparing it to the relatively small amount of press our soldiers get.

Personally, I don't believe that any sane person cares more about Charlie Sheen than our troops. It has become indicative of how out of touch most people are to this war.

You would have to be living under a rock to not know someone deployed in the Middle East at some point. It affects every single one of us. It triggered a flurry of questions in my mind. "What are we still doing there?" "What exactly is our role there?"

Recently, I watched a film called Restrepo. (Netflix Streaming) A cameraman follows an army platoon through one of the fiercest battles in Afghanistan. It shows them strategically securing a mountain ridge overlooking a river valley in Afghanistan. They also showed soldiers dying.

As I watched the film, it became apparent that we were flying around gunships and other transport aircraft yet the enemy didn't have any. We were not using any of our air superiority against the enemy. In fact, the enemy was most likely still using guns provided by the United States during the Cold War.

If we are there to take the Taliban, then what are we waiting for? Get the job done. I for one know its not about killing innocent civilians when we already have. If we aren't going to do the job we came to do, then we should withdraw immediately. Talk about a tax savings.

http://www.brookings.edu/articles/2010/0825_afghanistan_ohanlon.aspx