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August 05, 2007

New Home! New URL! Changes Galore!

This blog has moved! I'll put a redirect here eventually but for now, head over to AndyAffleck.com and check it out! The new blog has comments too (for now, anyway) and a temporary new look (until I design a new one). If you visit this site in a newsreader, the feed URL will have changed as well. Surf on over and use the Subscribe link in the sidebar.

I still love this design but I'm also sick of it. So, it's either being retired or at least put away for awhile.

See you at the new domain!

August 04, 2007

Crowded House, Fish & Chips, Foxwoods, and Cigarettes

Crowded House released their first CD in nearly a decade a few weeks back and it has been in heavy rotation at our house since. I thought it would be fun to take Ann to see them in concert and found out last week that they were playing at Foxwoods in just a week's time. That sealed it. I got on the phone, got tickets and made reservations to stay overnight in the Great Cedars hotel (I figured we wouldn't want to drive back so late after the concert was over).

We had a complete blast. Crowded House is absolutely wonderful live and lead singer Neil Finn is quite funny as well. Somehow he got on the subject of bassist Nick Seymour being hungry and needing fish and chips as well as how all of the band could use mojitos or, at the very least, tequila. Shortly after, tequila shots and limes were delivered to the front of the stage and at least Neil and Nick partook. A few songs later, a nicely dressed room service cart with fish and chips was rolled out on stage and Nick ate the fish and had a few chips. Neil then took the plate, had a few himself and then began walking along the front of the stage passing out chips to whoever wanted them.

I managed this picture with my iPhone during the concert:

Crowdedhouse-1

All in all, the concert was wonderful and it ended far too soon. And while they played a nice mix of old and new favorites (and a few songs I never remembered having heard before), they didn't play Into Temptation, my all time favorite song. Ah well, as Ann pointed out, they could have played for four hours and have left us not having heard all of our favorites.

It was also our first visit to Foxwoods itself. That was a trip. We ended up not bothering to play any games in any of the casinos. It was just too smoky. Cigarettes were everywhere and smoke was everywere. It got pretty gross. But this morning we went to the Grand Spa and Ann got a massage while I “read” (listened to an audio book) and then took a dip in the whirlpool and swimming pool. I even sat in the steam room for a bit. By the end I didn't want to leave the spa and have become addicted to the whole idea of the place. I haven't been that relaxed in I don't know how long.

Alas, we had to head home again and I am dog-tired now. But it was a wonderful way to start the weekend.

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09:41 PM | Department: Art & Entertainment , | Department: Home & Family

August 03, 2007

iPhone Goodness

I got an iPhone. I got swept up in the hype and did what I swore I would not do: I got a 1.0 device. I knew full well that 2.0 would be far better and that by getting 1.0, I would not be able to get 2.0. But on the other hand, while the very first iPod was not at all compelling to me (I didn't get an iPod until the 3rd generation), the iPhone is a very compelling first generation device. And in the two weeks I've had it, I have come to depend on it. It's my grocery list, it gives me directions to get places, it lets me take pictures when I don't have my camera with me, it's my iPod, I watch movies on it, I watch TV shows on it, I find myself watching YouTube on it, something I never did before, I show off photographs on it, I follow stocks on it (why on why did I not buy Apple when it was $12/share?), I surf on it... oh, and I also use it as a phone!

A lot of people have complained about the AT&T part of things but I was already in an AT&T contract so I had no qualms about that particular move. I firmly believe that all of the cellular providers are fundamentally evil so I really don't see the downside of this one versus that one.

I've even submitted my first hint to MacOSXHints...

A few blogs and podcasts have made my iPhone experience that much better. They are as follows:

  • NetNewsWire: This venerable RSS/Atom Newsreader is an excellent way to keep up on my news feeds. I follow nearly 200 sites in a fraction of the time I would were I visiting each one sequentially. It is made even more useful by the addition of search feeds which allow me to search the net for arbitrary terms (such as "iPhone") and capture news from more than just those sites I regularly follow.
  • The Apple Phone Show: This podcast and blog has been one of the better sources of news and info about the iPhone.
  • CaliTV: Cali Lewis provides wonderful, short video podcasts (perfect for watching on the iPhone) of quick tips, news and notes.
  • MacBreak Weekly: This is a LONG podcast and yet I manage to find the time to listen to the whole thing. Leo Laporte has a virtual roundtable with Scott Bourne (of the Apple Phone Show, above), Merlin Mann (43 Folders and much more), and others. It's 40% bizarre banter (which I find endlessly diverting and fun) and 60% good information. My only wish is that I was part of the conversation. I often find myself wanting to interject a comment or correction or quip. You guys taking volunteers?
  • The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW): While not iPhone specific, it still provides a wealth of good information and news. I am late to this particular party but finding it one of my favorite Apple-related blogs.

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June 24, 2007

John Francis Affleck: 1922-2007

When my father died, it was like an entire library burned to the ground.

—Laurie Anderson

My father-in-law, John, died last night. Ann and I sat with him and held his hand and talked to him for hours. He was very out of it but he did react as we spoke. His eyes and head moved, he squeezed our hands, and we could see his heart rate react on the monitor. At about 9:30PM he finally let go and died peacefully.

His obituary is as follows (reprinted from what we submitted to the local news:

John-F-Affleck
John F. Affleck, 84, of Garden Hills Drive, Cranston, died Saturday, June 23, 2007 at Kent County Memorial Hospital in Warwick. He was the beloved husband for 58 years of Harriet A. (Vucci) Affleck.

Born in Providence, a son of the late John A. and Ann L. (O’Dea) Affleck, he resided in Cranston since 1935.

Mr. Affleck was a mechanical engineer and worked at Leesona Corporation in Warwick for 29 years, and later at Gulton Industries in East Greenwich before retiring.

He was a Staff Sergeant in the Army Air Force during WW-II, serving in the 37th Air Depot Group.

An avid golfer, he was a member of Sun Valley Country Club and Cranston Country Club.

Besides his wife, he was the devoted father of Ann Affleck and her husband Andrew of Cranston, and loving grandfather of Jack Affleck.

Funeral from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME, 1278 Park Ave., Cranston on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in Immaculate Conception Church, Oaklawn Ave., Cranston at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be private. VISITING HOURS Tuesday 4-8 p.m.

03:35 PM | Department: Home & Family

June 13, 2007

The New Anchor Team!

Jack and I went with his cub scout den on a tour of our local NBC affiliate. We got to meet one of the anchors and got a complete tour of the entire place. It was utterly fascinating. I love this kind of thing so I think I got more excited by it than Jack. Then again, the whole way home he went on about what an amazing time he had and how cool it was. Of course, I think the fact that he got a water bottle for free was a large part of that...

Dscn1052

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10:50 PM | Department: Home & Family
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