by Greg

2008 NFL Schedules Announced April 15th

New NFL LogoThe NFL has announced that the 2008 schedule will be released today at 2pm. The NFL Network will be doing a special show coinciding with the release. It’s a fun time of year when you get to see how the next season will unfold. Bills fans are hoping for a prime time game or two. I know I am going to look for the game against Cleveland and circle it on my calendar! That will likely be the “Buffalo Bills Review Game of the Year” where we all attend and invite any listeners to join us before and after the game for some Buffalo Bills fun!

For more details, see this page at ESPN.com.

Go Bills!

by Greg

Thoughts on Barack Obama

I don’t tend to wax political here… mostly because, while fascinated, I think it just gets pretty silly pretty quickly. It’s been an interesting presidential race, though, with two democratic candidates firing shots at each other, and the republican candidate not seeming to have much (real) support from his party. Don’t forget the perpetual third-party candidate, Ralph Nader. He’s in the mix, too. Sorta.

Well, while Hillary is making up stories about dodging bullets, Barack Obama is both drawing praise and criticism for his views on race in America.

I said before what I think about “race”. It should be a non-issue. We are all one race, we just have a few different features, and many different cultures. But we’re all human. End of story. But with various comments from Obama about his “typical white person” grandma, and recently about how “bitter” people cling to religion and guns, as well as the racial comments by the preacher from his church… race is clearly an issue with senator Obama.

I read an opinion piece recently from a local radio talkshow guy because the title caught my attention. “Barack Is Not A Unifier“. I read it, and I don’t think the writer is a supporter of Obama, but the article didn’t come across as a slam, more just a “wake up and smell the coffee” about this guy. It is strange how he is seen as a unifier when he has been quite extreme in his voting record, and the stuff I hear from him only unifies the people who think the same as he does.

I’m not supporting any particular presidential candidate here, nor trying to tear down any in particular. But I do think the national media (or maybe just his own campaign folk) have done a good job of painting Barack Obama in a very rosy light. I definitely shy away from labels, but if you had to pigeonhole me, you’d probably call me a Libertarian. I think that might be 180 degrees opposite of what Obama thinks regarding goverment and it’s role in society.

Will be an interesting year. If the rockstar wins the election, Obama will be our next president. (And I will be very thankful for checks and balances at that point.) I still think Hillary cheated somehow when she won the elections up here in NY. I have never met one Hillary supporter up here in our area. (Though I have seen a few bumper stickers…) 🙂 So… don’t count her out. And McCain… has been strangely silent. He’ll win if the other two divide the voters enough, or even just make them mad enough to “vote for the other guy”.

So, that’s all the politicalness from GregsHead for now. Maybe more in November…

by Greg

Apple Myth Debunking (By Another Writer)

Apple LogoI posted recently some thoughts on the ongoing myth that Apple computers are more expensive (comparing “apples to apples”) than their Windows-running counterparts. It’s pretty amazing that such thinking is still widespread. I like to give folks the benefit of the doubt, and say they just haven’t actually seen the real numbers for themselves…

Today came across another article debunking several myths about Apple/Mac OS. Here’s one snippet of what he said:

While users do pay some premium for both the Apple brand and the innovation that goes into Apple’s often brilliant hardware design, the premium is not out of line with that users already pay for name brand systems from vendors such as Sony, HP or Lenovo. In many cases, comparable Apple systems are priced similarly or in some cases are even cheaper than their competition.

If you’re interested, you can read the full article by Michael Gartenberg at his blog. It’s relatively short. And, if you really still think PCs running windows are cheaper… just read the article. 🙂

(Also, it’s not just the price myth, he also takes on the software myth as well as the proprietary myth. Sheesh. Why so many myths??) 🙂

by Greg

Apple’s Market Share

It’s been quiet here at GregsHead because it’s NOT been quiet in Greg’s office or Greg’s home! I even tried to post something like Steve did yesterday, but didn’t have time to finish it! Ha! 🙂

But wanted to post a link to this article about the Apple market share myth(s). Pretty interesting stuff. Was chatting with a fellow Mac user about it and he sent me this link.

From what I have seen (from my decidedly Mac-skewed vantage point) the world is much more than the fabled 2% Mac market share. And, as the article says, we are some of the coolest tech/computer users out there. 🙂

It’s not too late to “go Mac“…

🙂

by Greg

Still?

I can’t really believe that this still comes up, but I’ve been talking with a friend who is in the market for a new computer, and though there are several people close to them who insist they would love a Mac, is still convinced that he can get “the same” computer for less. Folks… this is just not true. Perhaps a little less… but usually the opposite is true. I wrote about this here TWO YEARS ago, and Apple has gotten heaps better in those two years.

I was trying to figure out why I can’t just let it go sometimes. I think it’s just my personality. I need stuff to be true. (Though, not in everything… but I guess the stuff I care about.) If someone just doesn’t want a Mac, that’s OK (too bad, but OK) 😉 But if they say they don’t want it because they can get the same computer for less… that’s just not true. I think it all works out pretty evenly in the end, except with a Mac you get no viruses, spyware, everything just works “out of the box” (all included in the computer) and you get the Mac OS, which is fantastic. (Not to mention their superior customer support.)

I’m really not trying to be a salesman… and I TOTALLY understand the need to spend less on a lesser product simply due to lack of funds. TOTALLY. But I just wanted to say again, Macs are not ridiculously overpriced. You get what you pay for, and we think, with Mac, you get even more than what you pay for.

If you’re at all interested, or even if you think you know that you’re NOT interested… check out this section of Apple’s website. apple.com/getamac. Not only are all the cute/funny ads there, read the 10 reasons (and more) “Why You’ll Love a Mac.” Great list. Explained well.

Everyone gets to choose and use what they’d like, but we, the Campbells, can’t say enough how great Macs are, and how much you’ll love ’em if you try ’em.

(This blog post brought to you by an Apple fan and user for over 13 years now. No money was received for this endorsement.) 🙂

by Greg

Just Sayin’…

Sabres HockeyI did a little figurin’ tonight, and even if – best case scenario – the Sabres were to win all three of their remaining games, finishing with 92 points on 40 wins… we still probably won’t make the playoffs!

Best I can figure, from who’s playin’ who from here on out… Sabres will end up tied with Washington with 92 points (that’s IF they can win the rest of their games!) and if Boston loses the rest of theirs, then we’d finish ahead of them.

We need:

  1. To win the last three games, getting 6 points
  2. AND… Boston to lose all three games, getting AT MOST one more point
  3. OR, Philly could lose all three of their games, and we could sneak past them…
  4. AND… Washington to only get 3 more points. Max.
  5. OR, Carolina to lose the rest of their games. (Washington wins that division, we beat Carolina for last spot. I think.)
  6. LOTS and LOTS of luck!

🙂

by Greg

My Brain Already Works

Just now I was downstairs with the kiddos saying good morning and getting my 6-gallon water container refilled for a busy week to come. In my hand was my yerba mate, which, when first filled is quite strong. I know my son, Ian, likes it, so I gave him a sip to show him just how strong it really was.

“It gets your brain working,” I said with a smile.

I had read that a while back when our Argentine friend Laura introduced me to it. Apparently it stimulates your brain, and is overall quite good for you. So, since it seemed a bit strong for a nine-year-old, I thought that could make him appreciate it a bit more.

I looked around at the other children standing there, and my four-year-old daughter was looking at me, so I offered her the mate, extending it to her with a gesture.

Apparently she was listening intently to what I said to Ian. She quickly, and matter-of-factly replied, “My brain already works.”

I love my kids 🙂

by Greg

Playoff Beard Hanging On For Dear Life

Buffalo Sabres hockeyThis time of year, many players in the NHL refuse to shave until they are eliminated from the playoffs. It’s a bit of a good luck charm. A superstition. Not sure that’s it’s really all that effective, but you’ll notice that most players on the Stanley Cup winners are sporting a very hairy face when they hoist the prized trophy in early June.

I do not play hockey. (Well, except for a bit of street hockey with my boys yesterday…) I just watch hockey. But I really don’t like to shave, so… when my team is in the playoffs – or this year, in playoff contention – I also refuse to shave, hoping to bring the Sabres loads of good luck.

OK… I just don’t like to shave. But, this is a fun reason not to!

The playoff beard is hanging around for at least two more days as the Sabres did beat Boston 2-1 in OT yesterday. They are 5 points out of the final playoff spot with three games left. In hockey, you get 2 points for each win, so you do the math. Basically, the Sabres need the Bruins to lose (they’re in the 8th spot right now) and the Caps to lose (they’re in the 9th spot) and they need to win their final three games. It’s kinda like a playoff series already, and we started out down three games to none.

Last night did make it three games to one, but in this case… we don’t control our own destiny, as they say.

So, we are watching the Caps, the Bruins, and the Sabres… and hoping for the best.

And I’m hoping I get to keep this beard a little bit longer… 🙂