The sad state of America

Paul Krugman's NYT column today lays things out about as clearly as you can. It details with real facts (not lies) how the middle class has been screwed by Reagan and the Bushes. Not to mention the gutting oif our economy. Yet this is all so complex that none of them understand it and one could argue that their plight has made them even more vulnerable to the fear card, which is the only hand the righties know how to play.

Nerd Alert: Verizon FiOS, Sonos update

I've had my Verizon FiOS TV/phone/internet service for more than a month now and have had decent time to check it out and debug. My baseline is: I like the service, it's been mostly good, but there are some hidden issues that they dont' tell you about that might cause you not to buy the service if you knew in advance.

Let me take them one at a time. Internet -- great, no problems. Fast and reliable so far. Phone -- no issues. Like the VM better than Comcast's. TV -- let's talk.

The main issue I've had with TV is short blackouts on HD channels, some worse than others. This is intermittent. Sometimes it's non-existent. Other times it's annoying as hell. The other night it was horrible, blacking out every couple of minutes. This was beyond annoying. So, I called Verizon and waded through their support system that tries very hard to deny you the option of ever talking to a person. But if you know how to get around it, you can outfox the automated system.

Once I got a person, I explained my problem. He told me that HDMI cables are notoriously unreliable (funny, they worked just fine when I had Comcast with the same equipment). He recommended that I switch from HDMI to component. I did and it fixed my problem though it took me some time to rewire my system and change all the connections in my Onkyo audio/video receiver. The picture seems fine and no more annoying blackouts. Some online research indicated that there's not much difference if any between the two and component may actually be better in some situations. So, though I have more cables snaking around, I have a good HD picture again.

When they installed FiOS, they set it up with an HDMI cable! Perhaps the tech support guys should talk to the installers. Also, apparently this is a problem with the Verizon (Motorola) cable box because HDMI works fine on our second TV which has a different box (no PVR). Becasue I like the service when it works and the additional channels I get on Verizon and the cheaper price I'm willing to work with their technical challenges. Others with less technical acumen or patience might not.

Sonos
This will be short because I LOVE MY SONOS SYSTEM. I love it partly because it's so elegant and IT JUST WORKS. Not sure I've ever been so enthusiastic about a consumer electronics product. It just rocks.

OK, enough of the slobber. I just got the new Controller 200. Wowowowowowow! This is quite the well thought out and built remote device. I absolutely love using it. It's small, has a great display and touch screen and is fun to hold and use. I now do more with my Sonos system (ZP90 and ZP120) because of the new controller. The old controller is going to find a great home as part of a brand new Sonos system my son's getting for his birthday.

Seriously, if you've not looked at and considered this system, you're nuts. It's just amazing and the support and customer attention is stellar -- beyond any other brand I've ever dealt with and that includes Costco and Nordstrom. Period. And even for those who can be intimidated by tech gear, Sonos is brain dead simple. You won't need the Geek Squad to set it up. It will just work. I promise.

As an evangelist of cool new technologies and gadgets, I love to be able to pass on my learnings and recommendations on the best new products out there.

Change or die

I've been watching the health care debate and sometimes wondering if I'm nuts. I'd really like to know the inside story on the Obama administration's strategy which has been broadly debated and criticized by opponents and proponents.

Here are my baseline thoughts:

• Many, many Americans, especially those who've joined the mob scene at town hall meetings, are ill informed or stupid or both. They are lapping up the right-wing lies and distortions and then demonstrating their lack of ability to grasp complex issues by getting hysterical at the meetings. Not to mention, they have no interest in engaging in dialog. To them, dialog is shouting and emotionally flipping out.
  
• Change is great in concept and as a campaign theme. Doing change is much, much harder. No one likes to have their cheese moved. And when you actually do change, it's very upsetting. Even if you hint at change, it conjures up all kinds of fears that things won't be the same and when things aen't the same, that's bad to many people.
• The politicians are mostly rubish. They are lazy self-centered whores. They are so focused on re-election that they don't bother to find out the real facts, just spout half truths and out and out lies. This is despicable and reprehensible. But, it is the political system we've created and we live with.
• Obama needs to get tougher and call a spade a spade. It's time to go partisan and get this thing done. To hell with trying to please the opponents because no matter what he does, he will never please them. Yes, he's trying to end the political divisions, but when the opposition is only focused on defeating everything he proposes and actually hates him, forget it. Move on.
  
• The behavior of the right-wingers (shrinking Republican base) is embarrassing to the country and to them. Packing guns to political rallies -- give me a break! This is basically macho bullshit wrapped in the Second Amendment. It's complete crap and it's only demonstrating to the real majority how wacko they are. Obama won the election largely because the well-educated and thoughtful young voters called bullshit on the "establishment" that elected George Bush and they said enough. They're saying enough about this as well. The perception that there's widespread support for the town hall nut cases is way overblown.
  
• A few goofy people have raised the temperature on this debate way beyond any sense of reality. I'm glad Obama and his family are taking a much-deserved vacation and letting this all cool down. He has done a lot and worked super hard for the past seven months. He deserves some time off.
  
• The righties will continue to use any excuse to demonize the President because they hate him and will do anything to get him out of office including things I don't want to mention here. They are in their sunset days and they know it. Desperate people resort to desperate means. They have no ideas, no leaders only hate and a "let's not change anything mantra." Well, the world is and has been changing in dramatic ways. Message to everyone: Change or die.