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Books, Media, Internet, and Great Stuff | |
Alpha Dad
Reviews
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Previous Alpha Dad Gear Reviews
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 e point of view, with
as much objectivity as possible in presentation of significant issues
regarding the wolf. For example- wolves have been pushed to the brink
of virtual extinction on virtually every continent in the world where
they once roamed abundantly – the European subcontinent, Russia/Asia,
and the Americas. For environmentalists, the disappearance of the wolf
makes for another pillar upon which to build their cause. However, even
in his personal accounts of dialogue with ranchers, professional
hunters, etc., Lopez remains resolute in his effort to understand the motivation(s) that have long driven the wolf to an utter minimal
population and verge of eradication.
There are significant passages and chapters dedicated to the overall fury and demonization directed at the wolf, and how this subsequently affected the strength of the movement to do away with the animal. He details government and rancher-sponsored bounties. This was most often based on erroneous (and knowingly propagated) disinformation and accusations of the effect of the wolf had on man and livestock. The means by which wolves were exterminated by the thousands – hunting by rifle, shooting wolves from helicopters and airplanes, trapping, snares, and the most pervasive method of all until the middle of the 20th century- poisoning, are detailed. Through it all, Lopez attempts to present the facts, and unravel the overall societal view of the wolf at the fringes of our range as humans. He remains consistent in presenting information and historical facts, pointing out the vitriolic sentiments of the general public, without condemnation. Lopez attempts to provide an explanation of these attitudes, from the origination of those feelings about the wolf species over time. The book diverges somewhat in the later chapters, as Lopez makes explanation of where our primordial and visceral thoughts and fears about the wolf have come from. He details primitive views of the wolf: symbolic religious representations, mentions in folklore and the like. He also addresses extensively the unfortunate sub-context of how the killing of a wolf – an esteemed predator, able to survive the harshest conditions of cold and environment, vast range, lack of subsistence, etc. – somehow conferred a degree of ‘manliness’ to the hunter, be he a pioneer, paid bounty-hunter, or casual outdoorsman. This is one of the most telling expositions, and points to the often pathetic nature of man- that on the one hand we seek to feel more elevated as the ‘superior species,’ whilst exterminating, often in the most cruel and vicious manner possible, the ‘beasts’ of whom we are ostensibly the omnipotent stewards. This book is well worth a read. At times it drags, as Lopez over-fills certain passages with examples that are a bit too, well – might be a too ‘touchy-feely’ for this readership. However, as an overall work in presenting the wolf – the animal, the social member of his own pack and range, and the predator, often at odds with the needs and wants of an expanding human world – the book certainly makes for an exceptional reference in obtaining interesting and valuable information, without the detraction of an agenda to the work. -RB NOV07
Reference- Book cover and Barry Lopez official website: This title is available from Amazon.com: Amazon ISBN-10: 0743249364 (Hardcover; $36) Amazon ISBN-10: 0684163225 (Paperback; $12)
Short Review: 11/05/07
Musashi As a literary piece, this is an exceptionally written and riveting work. When you consider that it is a translation from its original Japanese, it serves to make it even more impressive that the crossover into English is so readable. Musashi is a fictionalized historical account of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman of feudal Japan. He was the absolutely incomparable and unbeatable practitioner of the Way of the Sword in a time where the kingdoms of Japan were built on such men. The story details the life of Musashi, from childhood through his evolution as the inestimable master of his martial craft, showing in human terms his denial of desires and seclusion from the world of man to hone his skill and spirit. The writing of by the author Eiji Yoshikawa, and subsequent translation by Charles S. Terry is superb, with a storytelling style, imparting all the travels, experience, and imagined attitudes of the wayward warrior in a way that always keeps the reader consistently engaged in the work. At 970 pages, this may seem a dubious undertaking as a piece of fictional history. However, the writing style and account of the life of an incredible man in the history of the greatest period of the warrior way is completely worth it, and the reading will slip by effortlessly. With 120 million copies sold in Japan in the original language, it is well worth the investment of time and interest. This title is available from Amazon: Link
- RB NOV07
This title is available from Amazon.com Amazon ISBN-10: 4770019572 (Hardcover; $23)
Feature Review: 9/23/07 Product & Service Review No, it’s not a cell phone. It’s a wi-fi (‘wireless fidelity’ internet) phone that lets you connect to your home wireless internet network, or any free wi-fi hotspot anywhere in the world. You can also use many secure wireless networks that you are permitted to access (you just need the network key). A paid plan with one of the many internet phone services is required to use this type of device.
Gone are the days of awful VOIP service. If you’ve tried it in the past and been put off by the notoriously hit-or-miss audio quality, know that internet and bandwidth expansion has improved considerably in the last few years. Voice quality, connections, and ease in accessing the calling network is simple. Once connected to a network, just dial stateside numbers as normal from a home phone; for international calls, be sure to use 011, the country code, and the phone number to call a phone number in another country.
What it is- I have the Vonage
UTStarcom version of this phone. I have the basic unlimited calling
plan with Vonage, and the UTStarcom was the phone I ordered when
initiating service. I make a lot of overseas calls for business, and
decided to get a portable phone with my VOIP service, to take advantage
of good calling rates using the system. If you’re going to just use the
phone using your home internet system, this is a great way to save money
and still have good phone service. The plan I use is the $24.99/month
service. With this, I get unlimited domestic calling, with reduced
international dialing to 17 international countries. International
calling from domestic to international on the Vonage system comes with
exceptional rates not included in the free plan: an example is calls to
Iraq at ¢29-39/minute.
A quick comparison finds ATT charging
¢89
with
their basic world calling plan (from your home phone) to the same
location.
In choosing the UTStarcom as my phone to use in utilizing the Vonage
calling plan, I decided to order the wi-fi unit, to be able to not only
use the unit at home as a cordless phone, but to make calls from
overseas at no additional charge. I chose Vonage as my call plan provider, as I was most familiar with their plans and quality. However, you can find a multitude of services and plans with wi-fi phones offered by the larger players (ATT, Verizon, ITP, etc). A good resource on the various VOIP services and plans provided by the most well-known companies can be found at: www.consumercompare.org (be advised- although this is a .org website, they do receive payments of reviewed providers that result in leads for these companies). Consumer Compare has a good comparison chart and additional resources to understand VOIP and wireless plans. I’ve used my UTStarcom wi-fi phone in other countries, on open networks, and even those where I was able to obtain the network key (as in a hotel wireless system). Turn the phone on, it automatically connects to open wireless systems, and you’re ready to make calls. If the local network is secure but you’re permitted access, you just need to program the security key for the network to connect to the system (a simple function laid out in the phone’s guide book). The call quality was pretty good, and there were no additional charges for calls back home to the US. People calling you from the US also just dial your stateside-based number, and incur no international calling charges.
The phone itself: (UTStarcom phone) is a simple device, if a bit small for larger hands. It’s about the size of a small cell phone. The negatives- the size of the phone makes punching the buttons difficult for man-sized hands, and the quality of the phone construction is questionable (I had to return my UTStarcom unit to Vonage for exchange after about three months, as the screen had died; however, my phone was replaced under warranty within three business days by Vonage and has worked well since). The positives- No router needed with the exception of your home networking wireless router/box. The phone does not have to be kept in a stand, and you can use it as a cordless phone anywhere in the house that you can get your home network’s signal.
Overall, the concept and use is very simple: if you make a lot of US-US phone calls, you can get an unlimited calling plan. If you make a lot of US-overseas calls, the rates provided by the VOIP plans are very competitive. If you travel abroad, you can make calls at no additional charge in your plan. Note- if you use the router and typical hand-held VOIP phone, you can bring along your router and connect to local internet service (if not prohibited by local country laws, and there are some nations that do this).
With the VOIP wi-fi phone it’s a
great system, because in open wi-fi systems you can pull signal I have a friend in the military returning to the Middle East on a third rotation. A number of guys in his unit got together and bought their own dish to have separate internet access in addition to what is provided on the military bases there. I suggested the Vonage/UTStarcom, as this group of friends had already planned to have separate internet service, and he can use his handheld UTStarcom anywhere near their source connection that he can pull signal on the wireless box. Additionally, if you are in a place on a consistent basis- work, at school, or in a building that has a wi-fi system, and you are permitted access to the network, you can save your cellular minutes, and use your Starcom phone (or one like it) to make your calls. If you make a lot of calls, this can be a significant money-saver, as the calling plans on VOIP are usually unlimited calling (as with Vonage). This is a good piece of technical gear that is a money-saver and a great way to make free stateside calls (on unlimited calling plans) when at home. You then get exceptionally reduced rates for overseas calls originating from the US, and free wi-fi calls back home when abroad. Many of the major providers have these plans and phone units available. Check with your provider of choice, or do a little research to compare plans. Consumer Compare is a good place to start. I hope Alpha Dad readers find this review and equipment suggestion useful in making their calling at home or abroad, more affordable. - AP OCT07
9/23/07 The Web & Travel
Comparison and review of travel websites When you're getting ready to take a trip that includes flights, where exactly do you go to get your ticket? Back in the day, you just went to your favorite or local travel agent, and they did all the work. Then it evolved to where you could get your tickets (a bit cheaper, it seems) from the airlines. With everybody on the internet, the simplest, and least expensive way to get those seats now is on the web. But which one to use? Who has the cheapest price? If you're not too computer or web savvy, which one is the simplest to work your way through (without losing the benefit of price)? Well, Alpha Dad has done some comparisons, to help make it simpler for you to get a good price on a ticket with the least amount of headache or confusion. With scores of sites that offer 'best price' or bargain airfare, there is a wide selection of websites to choose from. All of them offer searches on flights, hotel, car rental, packages, etc. All of them are pretty good, and come back with a good variety of pricing for your search. In just looking for flight prices, we selected five for comparison- Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, Kayak, and Priceline. These sites seemed most similar in function and usability, as well as being some of the most popular. Note- you can still get tickets directly from the airlines, either on the web or by calling directly. Most airlines proclaim 'best price available' for their airline. However, some of the travel websites buy/reserve blocks of seating on many flights, and give the prices calculated as a re-seller, which can give you an overall better deal most times. With all that said: Alpha Dad's top choice- Kayak. No front page full of advertisements. Very simple search block to get started. Kayak polls scores of sites, to include the airlines, as well as other travel sites, all in a few seconds. Gives multiple results, with numerous itinerary choices, pricing listed. Ticket prices quoted are the total fare- taxes and fees included. Even though the results page has sometimes hundreds of choices, the refinement tools are easy to use. You can narrow down your selection from the results by time, by price, by airline, by number of stops, etc. All with simple controls. For overall look, price results, and functionality, Kayak is the way to go. ____________ A short note- the travel industry, airlines in particular, have all gotten pretty sophisticated in their networking and interconnection. To reach maximum profitability, the airlines want the planes as full as possible. The routes, capacity-fill for flights, partner agreements, etc., all make for a very sophisticated matrix. This makes the prices for some itineraries change, sometimes in a matter of moments. You may want to grab that excellent price when it comes up. Or maybe it'll go down, and you want to hold out for a better price. Depends on what your 'risk threshold' is, or how far out you're booking, and that's up to you. Remember- some of the airlines (JetBlue and Southwest) do not list on the search sites, so it may be helpful to check their sites directly if they service your local airport. Some tips:
Below you can see the test results, as well as read a short review of each site tested. Testing- departure and destination locations were selected to give a decent comparison: Dallas to Bangkok (a trip a couple of our Alpha Dads have made); Chicago to New York, middle of the week (typical short notice business trip or family emergency); Los Angeles to Miami (typical family vacation). All price samples shown are round-trip, economy fare, single seat selected as search criteria. Test 1: Dallas DFW>Bangkok BKK on 10-27 to 11-10 (Sat to Sat)
Test 2: Chicago ORD>New York JFK 10-9 to 10-14 (Tue to Sat)
Test 3: Los Angeles LAX>Miami MIA 10-19 to 10-27 (Fri to Sat)
* Priceline was unable to pull any itinerary or flight on initial run of Test 1. This was the only re-test allowed in the comparison. The Sites-
Expedia- Front page of the website is ad-intensive, but also has 'search by destination' and 'search by interest' functions. Good feature when pulling back search results- page shows departure and destination airports on top line as a reminder. Ticket fees can be high. For example, on ORD>JFK they were $26, bringing total price to $209. After running your search, and results are showing, Expedia lets you choose the departure flight in first screen, then return flight in second (to allow you to choose your times going and returning). Allows for flexible date search when inputting search requirements for your day of travel and departure/return airports. Nice, clean site, essentially simple to use with competitive pricing (for the most part) during the comparison runs. www.expedia.com
Orbitz- Initial
page for the website is covered in advertisements. Initial input
for search is relatively simple. Good
feature- in results, selection menu shows how many tickets still left at the stated price,
which can be very helpful when you're trying to hit the right price just
right (for your budget). However, remember- this is only how many
tickets (at given price) that Orbitz has blocked off; other
bargain vendors may have additional seats at a competitive price. As
with a few of the sites reviewed, Orbitz only
allows sel
- AP SEP07
References- Screen shots and photos from each of the respective sites reviewed: www.expedia.com , www.travelocity.com , www.priceline.com , www.kayak.com , and www.orbitz.com .
Feedback/Input on this article:
Comment:
-Kim Visiting from a cool blog: http://rooferauthor.blogspot.com/
Feature Review: 9/30/07 Book Review-
I have to say that this 'review' is for a book I haven't even read yet. I suppose it's more a 'I'm going to get this book tomorrow and read it. I think you should, too.' While surfing through the channels on Sunday, trying to find the late football game, I paused for a moment on a channel/program that I would normally never watch. The program showing was 60 Minutes, and a profile of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was coming up next. I thought on it for a moment, and then I stayed there to watch. Wow. Am I glad I did. The interview with Thomas was absolutely excellent. It detailed his birth in the sticks of Georgia, in a tiny place called Pinpoint. Nothing out of the ordinary for guys like you and I born out in the country. But then as he stood on the dock by a large everglade with interviewer Steve Kroft, he started skipping oyster shells across the water. Justice Thomas remarked- "This is what we used to do for fun when I was a kid." That hit home for me. Thomas had explained that unlike today, where kids have video games and TV, that was the kind of thing he did for entertainment when he was young. I had the same kind of world when as I was a boy, as I'm sure many of you did. As he came closer to adolescence, Thomas moved to Savannah, and was raised by his grandfather, a hard-working simple man, much like my own. His grandfather managed to get the money together to send Thomas to Catholic school. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Thomas, disillusioned and angry quit school, where he was promptly thrown out of the house by his grandfather for leaving his education . Regardless, Thomas gained a scholarship to Holy Cross University, and was then accepted to Yale law. Justice Thomas, showing himself to be a brilliant, serious but humorous man, explained his evolution from activist radical to his position as the most conservative member of the Supreme Court. Although for the most part he remains quiet during oral arguments, Thomas has issued opinions in 300 cases. He is considered a strict constitutionalist in his view of federal law. To be honest, I didn't know too much about Justice Thomas, as I was only familiar with the extremely controversial and acrimonious nature of his confirmation hearings. His personal interview with Kroft showed him to be a good, thoughtful man, committed to his convictions. When he said near the end the interview, his comment- "It's always worth it to stand on principle"- made the final decision for me to purchase his memoir, and find out more about this fascinating man. I am interested to hear reader feedback and opinion on the book, if any of our audience chooses to take it up. The book, My Grandfathers Son- A Memoir (Harper, $18) is available at all major book stores, as well as online. Of note- the 60 Minutes interview, The Justice Nobody Knows (CBS, $18), is also available on DVD from Amazon. I hope you take the opportunity to find out more about this significant figure in our American life. - RB SEP07
This title is available from Amazon.com Amazon ISBN-10: 0060565551 (Hardcover; $16)
Feature Review: 9/23/07 Book Review-
An excellent non-fiction title that you really shouldn't miss is A Short History of Nearly Everything. This book, by Bill Bryson, puts so much information into one work, that you will likely come away with more comprehensive knowledge on the earth sciences, biology, and chemistry than you learned from grade school through high school. Perhaps even more than you got out of those subjects in college. A Short History details the history of the earth, beginning with the cosmos; to earth sciences and geology; into chemistry and physics; all the way up to biology; culminating in the history of mankind as an organism on this planet. All in such a way that it is not overly scientific or hard to understand. It presents interesting scientific facts that you might think the average person could answer. For example- how fast does the earth spin? Answer- about a thousand miles an hour (p. 227). How many cells are there in the human body? Ten thousand trillion (p. 371). Incredible fact to give you some perspective- If the span of all the Earth’s history was condensed to one 24-hour day, humans have been around for one minute and seventeen seconds (p. 337) To be honest, I didn’t know any of those things before I read the book. If all this seems dry and uninteresting, Bill Bryson brings it to life. Even though the book is filled with factual information cover to cover (Bryson researched the book for three years before publication), Bryson presents the material in a relaxed and easy-to-read style. None of the information or facts are beyond the casual reader, and again- the level of knowledge imparted is incredible. Wit and a layman’s kind of prose give the book an interesting style, while filling your brain with knowledge. At 500 pages, it would seem a daunting undertaking to read, but Bryson never fails to keep the novel and interesting facts coming. Admittedly, it starts out just a bit slow, as the beginnings of our planetary existence are laid out, but it picks up speed from there; it never drags. It may take you quite a while to read, months perhaps if you read it intermittently at your leisure, but it is worth the time and effort. My personal impression, and how I describe the book to my friends, is that it has such an incredible impact that, regardless your religious affiliation or personal sentiments, this work will either reaffirm your faith/viewpoint, or perhaps disabuse you of it. It gave me a considerable period of consideration: where the planet came from, how we got here, how we work as biological organisms, and how the history of humanity fits in the long span of the Earth’s existence. I am going to give my eldest son another two years or so (he’s just shy of 12), but then I’m going to require him to read it (and yes, there will likely be a test afterwards). Available in paperback from any major book retailer ($16.95), this is a fantastic book of knowledge everyone should read. - AP SEP07 All Bill Bryson books and more information about the author can be found at his official website- http://www.randomhouse.com/features/billbryson/ This title is available from Amazon.com Amazon ISBN-10: 076790818X (Paperback; $12) Amazon ISBN-10: 0767923227 (Hardcover; $23)
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© 2007 Alpha Dad Web-Magazine. All rights reserved.
ection of an entire itinerary in results (as opposed to
selecting one of the departure choices, then one of the return choices). Allows refinement of search: one-day before and after for price-check, non-stop flight preference,
refundable fares only, preferred airlines only. Fees on LAX>MIA were
between $27 and $38. Orbitz pulled best price in one of the tests.
Travelocity-
Front page has many travel-related ads. Has deals on favorite
destinations. When receiving results t
o
your input search, allows departure and return selection of flights, which can give you a
good view of price changes in selecting times that you can meet in your
personal schedule for your trip. Relatively straightforward;
navigating through the menus from search to purchase were pretty simple.
Returned best price (tie) in one of the searches. Can have sizable
fees in ticketing ($34 in one of the tests). Gripe- I've gotten
to where I can't stand that gnome used in their marketing; he even has his
own webpage and blog now. 
Kayak-
Our pick. Most simple dashboard of all sites reviewed. Zero ads
on the splash page, and the opening
page feels almost empty. But again- no ads up front, no fluff.
When conducting your search, allows you
to compare pricing to Orbitz, Expedia, Priceline, and other fare-finders.
Also gives the same option to give you a pricing comparison your search results. Gives you
r dates and locations on top line as a reminder
when your results appear (good feature if you're doing a lot of
searching). Excellent refinement tools in results page (ex.- slide bars
to refine times for departure and return). Prices shown in results
typically show your total price, including taxes/fees. Gave
best fare in two of the tests. Funny- if you hover your mouse over the
'Kayak' symbol for a second or two, it releases an animated kayak that
paddles its way across the screen. 
Priceline-
No outside ads in the dashboard (only internal Priceline
products/deals). The results/fares quoted in results page ha no ticket fees;
however, when using the ‘name your own price’ fares, fees
can/will be assessed. In this, Priceline has the
‘name your own price’ functionality, which is a very good tool. Be
advised- payment information must be rendered at time of bid, and fare
(upon acceptance of bid) is non-refundable, non-transferable, and
non-changeable. In results window for a general itinerary search,
allows selection of
your particular departure and return flights by times of day for the
flight. Relatively simple to use, and the ability to name your own
price (essentially to 'bid') is a good tool. Site returned best
price in one test (tie). Note- the name your
own price function
was not used or reviewed for this test. Also of note- the site was unable to give any results in Test 1 search,
and had to be polled a short time later before it could pull a ticket
price/itinerary (only second-run test allowed for any of the sites
reviewed). Gripe- the 'searching' wait page remarks that Priceline is 'negotiating
your ticket price.' Come on. Funny- if you catch any of their commercials on TV, and
as you see in the web dashboard- William Shatner is their front-man.
A
Short
history of nearly everything