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.

The iPad: A Thing Of Beauty, But…

The new Apple iPad is a very slick device and it has the potential to be a real game changer. I say potential, because this version doesn’t have what it needs to appeal to the masses. I’m sure sales will be respectable, but it won’t be until the 2nd or 3rd gen of this device that we see it come into its own.

Basically it’s a Touch on steroids. I love my Touch, around the house it’s a fast and easy way for me to check my personal mail or look something up quickly on the web. Press the on switch and 20 seconds later you’re at the desktop and it’s downloading your mail. When I’m on the road, its all things for me; music, video and game player, repository of calendars and addresses, photo viewer, web browser and mail station. All that, and it fits in my pocket to boot.

Although I’ve often wished for a bigger screen, I really can’t see myself carting around a device the size of the iPad. I’ve already got my laptop that I have to lug around, and the iPad can’t replace that from a business standpoint, plus I’d never pay for a 3G plan for something like this. I don’t for my laptop, if I’m out of WiFi range, I just use my Blackberry. And speaking of Blackberries, could you see trying to use the iPad for a phone? Please…

I just don’t see it as a useful mobile device for me.

What I do see it as is the perfect coffee table companion. The ease of popping it on to show someone your photos, read the paper, check your calendar or just look something up on the web makes it a solid around the house network appliance. It puts the current offerings like Chumby to shame already, flesh this baby out a little with that function in mind, and I can see it becoming as ubiquitous in our lives as the iPod. Here’s what I think it needs to reach that status:

First and foremost, it needs a webcam. Picture this, you’re home watching the big game, and instead of twittering or texting your buds on your phone, you pick this bad baby up and have a face to face with them via Skype, all while remaining planted on the couch watching the game. Now we’re talking.

A built in memory card slot. If you want it to be a picture viewing device, it has to have a built in slot. I can’t see having to dock it to use the photo kit add on when somebody shows up with some fresh pics on a card, it defeats the whole purpose of it. If you’re gonna do that, you might as well just load them on your PC.

It also needs an IR port. Bluetooth is great, but can you imagine if it had an IR port and an app that would let you download the latest codes for your TV, cable box, DVD player and stereo components via WiFi? It's already capable of downloading the current TV listings. No more multiple remotes, no more ruining everyone else’s viewing experience by popping the onscreen guide. Bye-bye Harmony, you were good to me, but you’ll always be a one trick pony.

More onboard memory and better price points. It won’t be long for these two, remember the iPhone?

A lot of this stuff may already be in the works. Their first version of everything they make is always stripped down, probably so they won’t waste their time and money on features that no one wants. They listen to the buzz on release, and then add things that fit. Apple also has a penchant for putting the guts for new features in place ahead of time, so that they’re able to roll things out with just a firmware upgrade. Someone will be taking one apart as soon as they hit the stores, so we’ll know soon enough where their heading with this one.

I’m not ready to buy one just yet, but as I said earlier, this baby has serious potential. With a few tweaks and a price drop or two though, I'll be on board.

That is all.

Oh What A Feeling… Toyota

This ubiquitous Toyota jingle has taken on new meaning for me of late, as two of our vehicles are part of the recent gas pedal recall. Where once it most accurately described the enjoyment and peace of mind I’ve experienced with my Toyota products, now it best describes my uneasiness and worry.

The two vehicles affected are a 2007 Camry and a 2009 Highlander. The Camry has the double whammy, it’s got the “too low pedal issue”, where your floor mat can get wedged up against the pedal (and it has). It’s also got the Drive by Wire throttle issue. The 2009 Highlander just got added to the recall this week. While it has plenty of clearance between the gas pedal and the mats, it has the same electronic throttle assembly as the Camry.

Drive by Wire, or DbW, is an alternative to the old cable controlled gas pedal. Vehicles with DbW no longer have a cable linking the gas pedal to the throttle, instead they employ a myriad of electronic sensors and processors to control throttle movement. The reason car manufacturers have been switching to DbW are twofold. First, it allows easy integration of systems like ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and adaptive cruise control. Secondly, it enables manufacturers to give you more form and function in a smaller cabin space, as they’re no longer subject to the physical constraints of pedal range of motion inherent in the traditional cable controlled pedals. It’s a great innovation, unless something goes kerfluey in its electronics, which seems to be the case here.

Since shortly after we bought the Camry, we’ve been bringing it back to the dealership because it idles too high at times. When you put this baby in drive, you better have your foot on the brake, ‘cause it’s prone to lurch into motion. “Nothing wrong here” said the dealership. “It’s the Sports Edition; it’s supposed to be that way.” To that I say BS; I was born at night, but not last night. They just didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, or worse, they didn’t want to open that particular can of worms until they had no recourse.

This same vehicle has had the Toyota winter mats jam the pedal, also. Scared the bejeesus out of my wife as she zoomed right past her exit, thank God she was on the highway when it happened. Toyota “fixed” that problem with a recall on their winter mats. The old set had a rather high raised lip around the edges, like on the plastic boot trays you can get for inside your front door. The size of the lip and the overall footprint of the replacement mats have been greatly reduced. Their other fix for this problem is to lop off the bottom of the gas pedal.

So, what’s a consumer to do? In the short term, we’ve gone over the correct procedure for dealing with the problem until it’s been remedied. Toyota outlines emergency measures you can take in a worst case scenario on their website. Depress both feet firmly on the brake, no pumping, as that will deplete their vacuum, and shift the car into neutral, then turn off the ignition as soon as possible. Do not turn the key past accessory if you’re still moving though, as this will lock the steering column.

Our final decision on the fate of these vehicles will depend on how Toyota reacts in the coming days. We put a lot of thought and research into these purchases, and on the whole, we love both vehicles. I often joke that both of them do everything but sex me up, much to my wife’s chagrin, so ideally I would like to get them fixed properly and move on. Toyota announced yesterday that they have the fix, and will announce more about it this coming week. If they do, and they supply the dealerships with the new parts before they supply their factory floors, I’ll be reasonably happy, albeit greatly inconvenienced.

On the other hand, if they care more about getting their production lines moving again then they do about their customer’s safety, I’ll be more than angry, and probably done with them forever.

I’m sure that their delay in announcing the “fix” is so that they can line up additional suppliers of the parts in question, and also to document the fix very well. Once the cause is definitively known, the lawsuits are going to fly, and the original part manufacturer will most likely be crushed by the weight of them and never be able to supply the corrected product. Given Toyota’s Kaizen philosophy, it’s probably what they’re up to this very weekend, and also the best way to prevent further repair delays.

I'll keep you posted on our progress, so stay tuned.


Update:

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.

Good Tunes For A Good Cause

iTunes is offering The Hope For Haiti Now live performance album and TV special at a great price, with 100% of the proceeds going to the relief effort.

The live and studio tracks are available for .99 each, or for just $7.99 you can download the entire album (20 tracks).

A Season Pass is also available for the TV special for $2.99. It includes the 2 videos now available, as well as free downloads of subsequent releases.

It's a great collection of performances, and a great way to show your support for the enormous humanitarian effort now underway in Haiti.

Here's the links:

Hope For Haiti Now Album

Hope For Haiti Now TV Special

Don't have iTunes? No Problem, here's the link to download version 9.0.2:

iTunes version 9.0.2

Remember, you don't need an iPod to enjoy iTunes music and videos. You can use it as a media player on your PC, and even burn music or mp3 jukebox CD's from your library.

I know times are tight, but don't cheap out. Buy the entire album and the TV season pass. You'll enjoy it, and you'll feel good about it.

Here's a little preview of the concert: