The New Cello

Check out the pic of Michayla with her new cello!

Seems ABC World News Tonight will be doing a piece on the Baker family, and it may be on as soon as tonight. Here's the latest update from Dan over at the Facebook page:

Acelloformichayla Hi Everyone, quick update, looks like ABC wanted to do an interview with the family for a more in-depth story, and the latest I've heard is that it'll air on World News Tonight at 6:30, so be sure to tune in! Also, we've got some pictures of Michayla and her brand new cello! Good work folks, let's keep the help coming.

Update: Here's the ABC piece!

So Good, So Good, So Good!

Sounds are very powerful memory aids and can evoke images we’ve long forgotten. For me, there’s no sound sweeter than the crack of a bat on a ball. It conjures up memories from many stages of my life. From the incredible feeling of the wood vibrating in my hands as I had my first solid connect in Little League, to the excitement I feel when one of our hometown boys gets a game changing hit, it’s deeply ingrained in my mind as a precursor to happiness.

I was getting a little worried there when the bats were silent through the first 5 innings, but Petey and Youk eventually provided the soundtrack for tonight’s memories, and the Sox finished things off in fine style.

The season is off and running, the team has their first win under their belts, and there are 161 more games to go. Could life be any better?

Go Sox!

Linksys WRE54G Wireless - G Range Expander

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

I recently installed a Linksys Wireless-G Range Expander, the WRE54G, and I have to say its working better then I expected.

I got a call a while back from the manager at our vacation time share. Seems the wireless, which was spotty at best, had stopped working altogether. Another owner had donated a couple of Linksys Range Expanders, and she was wondering if I might be able to come down for the weekend and see if I could get the WiFi up and running again, and maybe install the Range Expanders while I was there.

I was all over it, mainly because:

A. We love the place, and the people who run it.

B. It would benefit me greatly to have better coverage when I’m there. All my gadgets would work!

C. The fix/install would be a cakewalk and we’d be free to enjoy the rest of the weekend. Bonus!

Well, the fix/install wasn’t as easy as I had hoped, but it wasn’t bad either. We still had plenty of time left over for a little off season R&R.

Upon arriving, I set up in the office and immediately noticed that I was getting two 5 bar WiFi signals. Different SSID’s, but I was receiving both like they were broadcasting from the same room. Probably because they were.

Originally someone had plugged a Linksys WRT160 wireless router into one of the LAN ports on the office’s Verizon router. This had worked OK, but mostly just provided coverage in the lobby area. When I tried to log in to the Linksys router wirelessly using its default IP, I found myself connected to the Verizon box instead. I double checked the notes that the original installer had left and I was using the right address, so I tried again. Same result.

That’s when the light went on, and I got down on my hands and knees. To crawl under the desk, that is, so I could take a gander at the provider’s router that was hiding under there. Just as I thought, it had a little WiFi light on it, and it was merrily blinking away. AHA!

Seems Verizon had come in over the winter and upgraded their router. Once their new WiFi router was up and running, they very nicely plugged the Linksys WiFi router back into it. Problem is, both devices had the same address, and they were within a few feet of each other. There was a major IP conflict going on, and the dueling radio signals were wreaking havoc on each other. Easy fix. I just shut off the Linksys, re-cabled the office PC’s with longer cords, and moved the Verizon box up on the shelf where the Linksys had been. A quick reboot of everything after the Verizon router was back up, and we were cookin’ again. Nice.

Now it was time to tackle the Range Expanders. I had read quite a few reviews that indicated that they could be a bear to set up, but initially I had no problems. First I did a quick signal check to find the initial coverage boundaries. The building is a large 3 story C shaped structure and previously only the first floor rooms adjacent to the lobby had coverage. I found that the signal was much stronger now and I could connect from all of the second floor rooms in the main hallway. I would lose signal when I turned the corner onto either of the wings, but hey, it was a start.

I went back down to the office and plugged the first Extender into a switch port on the router. Don’t use the included setup CD that comes with it, just plug it directly into your router and log into it through your browser using the default IP address. It’s much easier and cleaner this way. If you feel that you just have to use the CD, then use it as a drink coaster. You’ll be much better served.

Setup was a breeze. I configured it with the Verizon box’s SSID and security settings, shut it down, unplugged the Ethernet cable from the switch port, and then powered it back up. It immediately found the WiFi signal and connected, indicated by the idiot lights turning from flashing red to steady blue. I popped its address into my browser and connected to it wirelessly, good to go.

I shut it down again, removed the power cord and replaced it with the included wall mount plug (think nightlight), moved it up to the second floor and plugged it into a wall outlet that was just inside my coverage zone. Once again, red to blue and I’m good to go. After another signal check I decided the next one needed to go up on the third floor.

I logged into the first one again, changed its default address so it wouldn’t conflict with the new one during setup, and it came right back up. Next I brought the second extender into the office and repeated the setup process. Perfect. Switched the back plate, brought the unit up to the third floor and plugged it in. This is where the fun began. After two power cycles, I finally got the desired blue lights, but upon returning to the office I found that the wired desktops had lost all connectivity. WTF…

A reboot of the router cured things, but now one of the extenders wasn’t showing up on the network. Once again it took two reboots of the extender to get it back in the blue, but wouldn’t you know it, the router was only passing wireless traffic again. Hmmm.

I tried all kinds of stuff, to no avail. It seems that a second extender connecting back to the router through an existing extender slaps the Verizon box with the goofy stick (technical term…). Both work fine when they’re in close proximity to the device, they both show up as registered on the router, and I can log into either wirelessly. When they’re both remote they still show up on the router device list, but one always shows a disconnected icon, and the Verizon box eventually takes leave of its senses.

I finally gave up on getting the second one up. I could have tried turning WiFi off on the Verizon router and hooking the Linksys router back up to it, things might have worked better Linksys device to Linksys device, but it was getting late and I was leaving the next day. You never want to mess with the provider’s gear if you’re not going to be around to pick up the pieces should things malfunction later.

Coverage was much better with the new setup and the single extender (third floor now!), and we’re actually better served with just the one. A little known fact about extenders is that you only average about half of the speed of the original connection when you connect through one. If it connects back to the router at 54Mbps, it will pass along 22Mbps connections. Daisy chain another to it and you're now passing along 11Mbps, and that's before you factor in competing with other traffic, signal interference, etc. While some connectivity is better than none, some isn’t, and you’d be approaching the “isn’t” range with a second unit.

The right thing to do in a case like this is to pull Cat5 cable to your locations from the main router, and then hardwire WAPs to the network. WAPs are Wireless Access Points. You can purchase dedicated WAPs, or you can just dumb down any old wireless router and use it as a WAP. Take a WiFi router, turn its routing capabilities off in the setup, and it becomes a switch slaved to the main router.

We left it that the cable pulls would be targets of opportunity. Next time they need to open up a wall or ceiling, pull some cable. We can install the Linksys WRT160 that I took out of the equation on this last trip once the first cable is in place. A simple and cheap plan of action, my favorite kind!

So, bottom line, the WRE54G is a great product if you’re trying to boost the signal in your home, but it’s not the right solution for a large installation in a hotel or office.

Oh yeah, and you get great service when you visit places in the off season.

That is all.

Another Cello Update, And The Lowdown On Stress And Healing

Here's the latest news from the Acelloformichayla site:

Acelloformichayla: Big news, thanks to everyone's quick donations and help spreading the word, Michayla will be featured playing her brand new cello in time for a piece early next month on NBC news! Obviously, great visibility for a great cause.

Pretty cool, huh? I think bringing the story to the national stage will inspire a great many people, and the subsequent outpouring of love and well wishes will work wonders for the family. Support and positivity can be just as important to patients and their families as the medical care itself.

Stress has never helped anyone get better. As a matter of fact, it can be very debilitating. It's a known fact that increased levels of psychological stress can affect the body's immune system. There's an interesting article about it here on the National Cancer Institute's web site. While there's currently no definitive link between stress and cancer, there is between stress and obesity, heart disease and depression. Knowing that, it's not such a great leap to think that a person under a lot of stress will probably have a hard time coping with illness, or coping with the fact that a loved one is ill.

So, let's continue to work at lifting some of the weight off of these good people's hearts and minds, and let them get down to the business of healing.

Update - A Cello For Michayla

A cello is on it's way!

Dan, a great guy from over at Appswell (gotta give him a plug, he deserves it!), has ordered a cello for Michayla, opened up a Paypal account and a Facebook page, Acelloformichayla, and we're off and rolling. Thanks Dan, great job!

The cello was purchased from Soaap Music, and once they found out more about the story, they offered to upgrade the cello to a better, larger model at no charge. Way to go Soaap! Any proceeds collected above the cost of the cello will go directly to the family, or the charity of the family's choice.

So, now we just need to get people to donate. I know these are uncertain times, If you can only give a buck, that's fine. If you can't do that, you can show your support by sending out the link to the Facebook page to all your friends. Any and all help is appreciated, and don't be afraid to be creative. If you know someone at a supermarket chain that might want to fill their pantry, or at a bank that might want to pick up a mortgage payment or two, be sure to share the story with them. You just never know what might happen.

I was really touched by this story, and I see a lot of you were also. It's heartwarming to see people coming together to help a family in need. Total strangers helping total strangers because it's the right thing to do. Nice. There's just not enough of that going around these days. It reaffirms my faith in human nature to see it happen so spontaneously. My faith was beginning to get a little tarnished lately, so thank you all for helping me with that.

This Young Lady Needs A New Cello, Stat

I read a great article in the Globe today, “Variations on a theme of love” by David Filipov. Take a moment to read it; it’s a touching and inspirational piece.

I was sitting comfortably on the Island Home as I read it. The bright sun was sparkling on the waters of Vineyard Sound as we motored homeward, and I didn’t have a care in the world. When I finished the article, I turned to my wife, and at first I couldn’t utter a word. She took one look at my face and was instantly concerned. “What’s the matter?” she said. All I could reply was “I want to buy this girl a cello.”

Actually, I’d like to do more than that. I’d like to donate something to the family, and get some of you to do so as well; I’m just not sure how to do it. I’m going to start by emailing the author, his address is at the end of the article, and I’ll pass along any information that I get.

I don’t know much about cellos, either, but I found one that looks pretty decent here on Amazon. It comes with a hard case that has backpack straps, and it’s very reasonable, I just don’t know if it’s any good. Any cello experts out there? Let’s do this.


Update - A Cello For Michayla!

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

Longfellow said; “Into each life some rain must fall”, but this is ridiculous. It’s been pouring since early Saturday, we’ve gotten about 6 inches of rain already, and they’re predicting it will continue to rain for at least another 10 hours.

I’ve been in my present house for quite a while, and barring a pump failure, things usually don’t get too bad, at least up until now. All of my contingency plans, and fall back plans, are now moot, as I watch the water edge towards my feet. I’m cold, wet and tired, and I’m about to give up for the evening and let nature take its course.

Time to sign off, unplug and move everything that I haven’t already, and then hit the rack. Maybe when I wake up it will have stopped.

Hey, you've gotta have hope.

Not Such Deep Thoughts, Part VIII

Once again it’s time to purge all those temporary files that I’ve been accumulating the last couple of weeks, before my brain bursts at the seams. So without further ado, I give you the latest installment of “Not Such Deep Thoughts”:


I’m really psyched that the Pats have finally worked out a deal with Vince Wilfork. I don’t think that their anemic defense could withstand the loss of another veteran. Likewise with Banta-Cain, who I feel has become a De facto leader on the squad solely because of his grit and determination. Good job, Bill. Now sign Green, dump Thomas and bring in a decent pass rusher or two, and I’ll be a happy man.


I hate when people rag on the Globe in the comments section of the articles, some of it is really nasty. It’s obvious to me that none of these people have ever strayed too far from the Boston area. Here’s the thing; even at its worst, the Globe is head and shoulders above most newspapers. I’ll give you a prime example; the Fort Myers News Press. Fort Myers is the spring training home of not one, but two major league teams, they also have two minor league teams, and it’s High Schools have produced some of the biggest stars of the NFL, and yet you can read its sports section beginning to end in 5 minutes, and as far as hard news goes, I find it more akin to my local town paper then either the Globe or the Herald. The same holds true in most markets around the country. Here in Boston we’ve been blessed with a wealth of media alternatives that only a handful of major cities enjoy. Two daily newspapers, great locally produced shows like Chronicle, so many local sports shows that you need a DVR just to see half of them, plus an endless variety of music, news and sports on the radio. What could we possibly have to complain about? Plenty, if you read the comments. Has the number of cranks in this area increased significantly, or is it just that they have more outlets available to them now? Discuss.


Hello, my name is berryjooks, and I’m a Peepaholic…


There’s nothing as good for the soul as that first warm and sunny late winter weekend. Whether you’re running errands, outside playing ball with the kids, or just getting a head start on the annual spring cleanup, there’s nothing like it. It’s a completely different feeling then the one you get when you take a trip to a warm climate during the winter. Spring is coming, and our minds are full of the promise of what lies ahead, and what we’ve put behind us. All things seem possible. The world is our oyster, and its pearl awaits.


And speaking of spring, the Sox won today in a 9th inning comeback against the Orioles. Perhaps it was just the excitement of the late inning heroics combined with the magic of this beautiful day, but it gave me a really good feeling about this season. Just don’t break my heart again guys, OK?


We finally got our Toyota recall issues resolved, and that takes a load off my mind. I got lucky on my truck. Its VIN starts with a J, indicating that it was made in Japan, and is thus exempt from the recall. The Camry got 3 fixes; a makeover of the gas pedal and the floor, a reprogram of the computer that causes a brake pedal actuation to override acceleration, and the replacement of a faulty oil line. As my wife had experienced the “Runaway Camry” situation first hand, it’s been a real worry. Hopefully it’s once again the sharp and dependable vehicle we thought we were buying. Only time will tell.


And speaking of time, it’s time for me to wrap up. I gotta go grab some Peeps...


That is all.

2010 Spring Training Report

I've been off the grid for a while as I've been down in Fort Myers and I couldn't get the phone and Internet turned back on until late this week. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I think being unplugged did as much for my attitude as the sunshine, and that's saying a lot!

Anyways, if you're a Sox fan and you've never been down to Spring Training, I highly recommend it. It's a whole different experience than attending the games during the regular season. The players are much more accessible, especially when they’re at the Player Development Complex. You can get up close and personal with them, which is pretty cool, and they give out balls to the kids like candy and are usually more then happy to autograph them also.

Speaking of the Player Development Complex; right now it’s on a separate site a couple of blocks away. The Sox provide shuttle bus service from the park for $2, talk about cheap entertainment, but they have plans to build a new stadium with 6 practice fields on site. It’s currently scheduled to open for the 2012 season, and will be very Fenway-esque with its own Green Monster and identical outfield dimensions. The plan is to build it over on Daniels Parkway, which is closer to the airport and has a lot more to offer to tourists than the downtown area. Sounds pretty cool. Here’s a link to the press announcement and artist’s rendering.

As for the 2010 squad, it’s hard to tell this early. They’re mostly doing drills and taking batting practice now, but they all look to be in great shape, and they were certainly in fine spirits. There's a lot of new faces this year, and even though some will be long gone before the season starts, its still fun to see them as they’re likely to show up on a visiting team somewhere down the line.

Not all of the new faces are throwaways, though. Lackey, Beltre, Scutaro, and Cameron all promise to make an immediate impact. Plus the Sox have picked up Boof Bonser and Tug Hulett. Even if these two are a bust at their respective positions, ya gotta love having a Boof and a Tug on the roster. Sounds like something you’d order at a less than reputable massage parlor; “Yes, ahem, I’d like the Boof and Tug special, please.” I can’t wait to hear Don and Jerry’s take on these two guys, it should be priceless.

Just in case you can’t make it down to City of Palms, I’ve included a little slide show below of photos from this past week; there are pictures of the Park and Player Development Complex, as well as some shots of familiar, and not so familiar, faces. There’s also a great sequence of David Ortiz giving his son D’Angelo some hitting pointers. Good stuff.

And if you are planning a trip, you have to check out our “New Englanders Guide to Spring Training” over on berryjooks.com. There’s a little something for everyone, and we’re always open to suggestion, so if you know of any hotspots we’ve missed be sure to let us know.

Almost Time For Spring Training!

Although there’s still a considerable amount of winter left around here, it’s always summer in Florida, and the Red Sox equipment truck has arrived at City of Palms Park. The players are starting to trickle in and it won’t be long before the season begins.

The first Spring Training game is a double header against Northeastern and BC on March 3rd, and the Fenway home opener is just a little over a month after that, on April 4th. It’s a Sunday night game this year, and I think that’s a great idea. I’ve been getting kind of sick of watching the opener on TiVo, I always end up hearing the score before I get to it, and that just takes all the fun out of it.

If you’re thinking about heading down south for a little Spring Training warm up, be sure to check out “A New Englander’s Guide to Spring Training” over on berryjooks.com. We give you the skinny on what’s hot and what’s not in the Fort Myers area, as well as other wicked important things, like where you can get your Dunkins’ fix while you’re there.

iPad 2.0?

As I mentioned in a post last week, the new Apple iPad is a thing of beauty, with a boatload of potential, but it falls a little short in the value and function department, and it’s recent unveiling was met with a plethora of lukewarm, “If Only”, reviews.

Fear not, fellow geeksters, the tech world is already abuzz with rumors of an iPad 2.0 being in development, and possibly being released as soon as this coming June.

An authorized Apple repair shop, Mission Repair, has documented pictures of an iPad replacement frame that contains a berth that the webcam from a MacBook fits into perfectly, and TechCrunch is reporting that not only will the 2.0 sport a camera; it will also be slightly larger and will be running a version of OS X. Holy multitasking Batman, this could be the perfect tool!

We’ll see. At worst, this is just another good reason to look forward to spring.

Lost: The Final Season Begins

The final season of Lost begins tomorrow night at 8pm with an hour long recap show, followed by episodes 1 & 2 of Season 6, LA X (Parts 1 and 2).

I enter this final season with a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Yes, I'm excited that it's finally here, and that we're finally going to find out everything. But what if we don't find out everything? There'll be no "wait til next season" thoughts after this year's conclusion. Things left unresolved will be just that, things that will be... unresolved. At least until the inevitable "Lost: The Movie" comes out. That would really suck.

Regardless of what's revealed, and what isn't, I'll be happy in the knowledge that this show broke new ground in the wilderness that is TV. This isn't a passive show, it's a show that challenges you to think, and encourages and embraces the idea of "group think". The creative team's fostering of message boards and ARG puzzles that reward you with clues have united fans worldwide, and that's a good thing, as Martha would say. The exchange of ideas, even when they're about a TV show, is the first step in knowledge. We learn about ourselves by hearing other people's perspectives on our thoughts, and we learn that our view of things is not the be all and end all of how things really are.

Anyways, enough of the psychobabble, it's finally time for the beginning of the end of Lost. I've been cleaning off my hard drives and testing all of my recorders so I'll be ready to pull out screen caps, run things backwards and forwards at varying rates of speed, and generally waste countless hours searching for clues. As usual, I'll be posting what I find over on berryjooks.com, as long as it's not a spoiler. I hate spoilers, there's nothing worse than knowing what's going to happen before you watch something. It takes all of the "Oh Wow" out of it for me, and that's what this show is all about.

Although I don't like spoilers, I do like conjecture, especially if it's Doc Jensen conjecture, so here's a link to his latest 2 columns: How It Ends (Maybe) and The One Scene To See Before The Premiere. I love this guy. Fraternally, of course...

That's it for now. Be sure to check out the Lost section over at berryjooks.com in the coming days for my thoughts on the premiere as well as some fresh Season 6 screencaps.