Category: Entertainment

Checkout Southwest Airlines 72-Hour Sale

72 Hour Sale

Southwest Airlines is offering discounted one-way flights across the country as low as $49 if travelers book before the end of Thursday as part of their 72-Hour Sale. Flights from Sacramento to anywhere from Boise, Idaho ($49) to Chicago ($129) can be purchased if the departure date falls between Nov. 28 and Dec. 19 or Jan. 3 and Feb. 13. Flights departing on Fridays and Sundays do not qualify for the deal, and neither do flights arriving in or departing from Orange County. Sales made as part of Southwest’s promotion are nonrefundable. For this particular sale, prices are broken down into four price categories with the shortest flights starting at $49 one-way while longer routes are available for $79, $99, and $129. The best deals include $49 tickets on routes between Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as on flights between the two cities and Las Vegas.

Some Restrictions Apply

The restrictions and fine print mirrors restrictions from previous years of Southwest’s big sales. Flights on Fridays and Sundays are excluded. Schedules for Southwest’s Florida, Nevada and Puerto Rico flights have additional day-of-week restrictions, though the sale’s booking window for Puerto Rico extends through Feb. 28. Orange County flights also were excluded from the sale. Additionally, the sale applies specifically to nonstop flights, though many connecting itineraries may also show lower-than-usual fares that mirror sale fares. Seats sold at the sale prices are capacity controlled, meaning the cheapest seats will likely sell out on individual flights as the sale progresses. Here are are some of the round trips involved in the 72-Hour Sale:

Albuquerque-Los Angeles; Amarillo-Dallas Love; Atlanta-Raleigh/Durham; Baltimore-Cincinnati; Austin-Houston Hobby; Boise-San Jose, California; Boston-Baltimore; Buffalo-Chicago Midway; Burbank, California-Sacramento; Charlotte-Nashville; Chicago Midway-Minneapolis/St. Paul; Cleveland-Atlanta; Columbus, Ohio-Washington Reagan National; Corpus Christi, Texas-Houston Hobby; Dallas Love-New Orleans; Des Moines-St. Louis; Detroit-Baltimore; El Paso-Phoenix; Fort Lauderdale-Jacksonville; Grand Rapids, Michigan-Chicago Midway; Indianapolis-Kansas City; Kansas City-Chicago Midway; Long Beach, California-Las Vegas; Los Angeles-El Paso; Los Angeles-San Francisco; Louisville-Baltimore; Memphis-Houston Hobby; Milwaukee-Kansas City; Oakland-San Diego; Pensacola, Florida-Nashville; Phoenix-Oakland; San Antonio-Dallas Love; Salt Lake City-Los Angeles; Rochester, New York-Baltimore; Richmond, Virginia-Atlanta; San Jose, California-Las Vegas; St. Louis-Oklahoma City; Tucson-Los Angeles; Tulsa-Houston Hobby; Washington Reagan National-Providence; and Wichita, Kansas-St. Louis, among others.

If you’re looking for a quick getaway in the next upcoming months, this particular sale be right up your alley. But if you don’t have the spontaneous nature, then you can probably take your time and find a better deal somewhere along the way.

October 3, 2018
Tech Throwback: 5 Devices Kids Can Not Operate Today

I like to take a look at where I’ve been to evaluate where Im going. Technology is cyclical after all… wait no its not. That said I still like all the feels that come rushing back like a flood of nostalgia every time I get my hand on the tech I grew up with. I’m going to go back periodically and take a looking at the stuff that used to blow our hair back and get our minds rolling. Some of these device blew up and changed the world, some where ahead of their time and some just fell flat and became colossal failures. Today tech throwback our trip down memory lane will be about the devices we know well but the kids could not operate if their lives depended on it.

The Rotary Phone

Oh the fun and frustration. The Rotary dialing phone pre dates the touch tone, but just after the live operator dialing. A rotary dial is a component of a telephone or a telephone switchboard that implements a signaling technology in telecommunications known as pulse dialing. It is used when initiating a telephone call to transmit the destination telephone number to a telephone exchange.

Recently a class of second graders was given a rotary dial to make a one call. After 2 and half hours they gave up.

The Transistor Radio

No stations, no genre separations, no skip, stop, or replay? A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver that uses transistor-based circuitry. Following their development in 1954, made possible by the invention of the transistor in 1947, they became the most popular electronic communication device in history, with billions[manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s. Have fun giving one to your grandchildren and watch their frustrations.

Program a VCR

REmember when that was the status quo of a tech genius. It was an accomplishment and something to brag about. Before the advent of on-screen displays, the only interface available for programming a home video recorder was a small VFD, LED or LCD panel and a small number of buttons. Correctly setting up a recording for a specific program was therefore a somewhat complex operation for many people. G-Code, VideoPlus+ and ShowView were introduced in the late 1980s to remove this difficulty.

Load a Floppy Disk

Computers before Windows 95 will destroy a child’s spirit. GUI are the only computer language they know. DOS and floppy disk are a relic that completely baffles them. THey just don’t know the command prompt struggles.

Maps

We take for granted how far and fast we have come in navigation. We forgot to teach the kids the struggle, not just of folding a map but how to read one. I watched my 5 year old nearly pass out from confusion after giving him a compass. explaining NESW to him and asking him to walk south. He tried shouting “Siri take me south”. I laughed. From Cartography to road maps to Mapquest to where we are today. These kids are truly lost with out us.

The Final Tech Throwback Thought

These kids today are useless. They cant play a record, load film, open a phone booth door, open a soda can with out a tab or even read manuscript. Are we all doomed? probably not they still have google. I take a little be of comfort knowing ill be long gone before its too late.

October 3, 2018
Microsoft HoloLens 2 slated for 2019 release

Microsoft will apparently released the long awaited Hololens 2 in the first quarter of 2019. Code-named Sydney within Microsoft, the device will be cheaper than the original (which costs $3,000), be lighter in weight, and more comfortable to wear, according to a news reports. At this time, we don’t know a whole lot of what Hololens 2 will be outfitted with, but the word is Microsoft is going all in on this one. Upon its release, Hololens 2 is fully expected to surpass Google AR goggles and the Oculus Rift.

What We Know So Far

According to Alex Kipman, Microsoft Technical Fellow of the Windows and Devices Group and key advocate for HoloLens, it’s been earmarked for the new version of the AR headset that the company has in the pipeline. Indeed, the HoloLens team had already previewed some of the news about the new sensor earlier in the year, beating CEO Satya Nadella to the punch. The sensor has 1024 x 1024 resolution, Kipman says, and a global shutter for improved performance in sunlight conditions. It has the highest figure of merit, too – that is to say, the highest modulation frequency and modulation contrast – which means lower power consumption. Indeed, overall system power is just 225-950 mw. That’s despite adding things like automatic per-pixel gain selection, for a broader dynamic range. That will give HoloLens 2 better abilities at capturing both near and far objects. There’s multiphase depth calculation support, which will preserve accuracy even if the chip, laser, or power supplies vary.

“With HoloLens, we saw incredible results when we took some of the magic of Kinect and applied it in a mixed reality context,” Kipman writes “The current version of HoloLens uses the third generation of Kinect depth-sensing technology to enable it to place holograms in the real world. With HoloLens we have a device that understands people and environments, takes input in the form of gaze, gestures and voice, and provides output in the form of 3D holograms and immersive spatial sound.”

Summary

At an expected cost of around $3,000.00 it’s hard to say what can be expected for the Hololens 2. If the hype around it is real, then it maybe worth scraping up some dough and getting yourself a new toy. For now, I’ll anxiously await to hear more about the specs on these bad boys.

October 2, 2018
The Vaultek MX Takes The Next Step Forward in Gun Safe Technology

Vaultek recently released the new state of the art gun safe “The MX” which comes fully loaded with Biometrics and all sorts of smart tech to make accessing your weapons easy in an emergency situation, but extremely secure when when being stored away. Complete with a smart phone app that can access the safe and log everytime the safe is opened, there is no better way to store your weaponry.

The Vault MX

Here is some basic information about the operations of the safe: The all new MX Series, the latest addition to Vaultek’s rugged line of smart safes. Designed to offer the largest interior space available from Vaultek with custom options the enthusiast gun owner will love. Height Adjustable shelf has (3) positions and slides out for convenient access. Modular Accessories can clip in where you like for full customization. Twin Pistol Rack with non-reactive foam is included and additional pistol racks as well as a non-reactive foam Magazine Rack can be purchased separately that stores up to (8) magazines. Precision Engineered 14-gauge steel housing and 12-gauge door pens automatically. MX and VT Series safes are equipped with the fastest access point available, smart key. Another feature exclusive to MX and VT Series is impact detection. Securely anchor with supplied mounting hardware to mount horizontally or vertically. Anti-theft features include anti-pry bars, interior hinges, and dual anti-impact latches.

Integrated smart safe technology raises personal security to a new level with upgraded high-resolution fingerprint scanner (only biometric model) storing up to 20 different user IDs. Remotely access the safe using the APP 2.0 from your smartphone to check power levels, view safe history, detect tampering, and customize your safe preferences. A built-in interior red light provides high visibility of your items. The backlit keypad illuminates via proximity sensor making it easy to navigate at night and features several hot key entries including toggling the Bluetooth on/off. The control panel features an LCD screen for prompt safe feedback and status updates. Long lasting rechargeable lithium ion battery keeps you powered for months, and only needs 2.5 hours to recharge with the included micro-USB charging kit. Vaultek is on mission to keep your belongings secure and out of the wrong hands. Exterior Dimensions 15″ x 11.5″ x 11.6″. Interior Dimensions 13″ x 11″ x 8.6″. U.S

October 2, 2018
Fall is Here, Time For Pumpkin Spice Everything!

October 1, 2018- It’s that time of year, folks. The auspicious time when the winds from the North drift downward and cover the lands with chill that only Ugg boots, a down sweater-vest, and a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks can remedy…You’re all guilty of it, and frankly so am I. Although I’m not a giant fan of the PSL’s, I am a fan of Autumn. Here are a few topics and items to get you all warm and fuzzy and in the mood for Fall.

The changing of the Leaves in New England

A top bucket lister for us southern folks is renting a car and driving through New England in October to see the changing of leaves. Making a stop in Salem, Massachusetts for an evening and a quick haunt. Eventually making way into Vermont and Maine and fully submitting to the brisk air and heavenly views.

Enjoying a Good Old Fashion Harvest Festival

Duluth, Georgia is home to the Nations Best Harvest Festival. The entire town fully commits to the harvest season and has been doing so for years. With a variety of concerts, to hay rides, corn mazes, and even basket weaving. This is one item that it sure to get you ready for Fall.

Can’t Forget About Halloween

With Halloween invoking so many feels and traditions, it’s easy to see why this is many folks favorite holiday. It fully imbibes the Fall Spirit and we usually look back fondly on the memories of the weather changing, decorating our homes and the sense of neighborhood comradery it brings on All Hallow’s Eve. It’s always a sight to behold when you see entire communities walking the streets, laughing, playing, and forgetting about everything else for just a moment and enjoying some sweet treats.

Fall does bring out certain emotions in us and tends to lodge in the euphoria center of our brains. Every year is different, but somehow always the same. Go enjoy it. Put a scarf on, enjoy the Pumpkin Spice Lattes, have fun in the pumpkin patches, and embrace the light hearted spookiness the month brings.

October 1, 2018
Monday Movie Review: Small Foot

Hooray, Its Monday. That means like most of you and the free world I got to hit the theaters over the weekend. I like to do this every weekend. I wanted to take a little bit of time to tell you my experience at the movie,. Just a minute to shed a little insight and perspective on Hollywood’s latest hit. Seeing a great movie in the theater can be life altering. It can also be an easy way to waste a couple of hours and 30 bucks. My hopes is that with a quick review from this self proclaim movie contasour I can save a few readers hours. Or better yet, possibly change a few more lives. Today’s flick is the children’s movie Small Foot.

Small Foot; 27% Waste

Smallfoot is the latest in a long line of innocent kid movies set out to indoctrinate our kids with more liberal point of views. Its a animated movie about a Yeti ( Channing Tatum) who lives a full, content and obnoxiously happy life in his Yetti village. His village is high in the mountain above the clouds. He has pride in role in the community and enjoys all the traditions, rituals and guides. HIs community is a wonderful eutopia of Yetis and everyone has a role to play. When he stumbles upon a human in a wrecked airplane, his thoughts and world are turned upside down. Fun, Fun, Fun.

The laws/religion of the village, which are a set of stones worn as a robe, says no such small foot ( humans) exist. Now our hero is pitted against himself to refute what he saw and go against the village’s stones or “stuff his thoughts and questions down” admitting he didn’t see a “small foot”. In essence this movie sets out to state that the laws, religions, histories and traditions of the past are wrong and only forced on everyone. As it turns out the towns elders have always know the truth and set the stones up as a way of safety and societal protection, which worked magnanimously up until now.

The Final Thought

I came away thinking, maybe ignorance is bliss. I mean I have never seen a happier, healthier Yeti than in the first 5 mins of the movie. All metaphors and indoctrinations aside, it was bland and predictable at best. It was a forgettable kids movie that even my 5 year old nephew was bored with. He was ready to leave by the third act. All in all Small Foot was a waste of 2 hours and $30 bucks. For me it gets a %27 Waste of Time. Jaxon said 2 gummi worms, out of five..

October 1, 2018
Sizzling Hot Tub Deals

Getting the right hot tub is harder than it looks. Hot tubs are also an interesting market, for a number of reasons. When you go to buy one, you could go through several different avenues.

You could purchase one through a warehouse retailer like Costco, you could go through a luxury store or even a specialty hot tub retailer. If you’re looking to save money on buying a hot tub, it can be difficult to know where to start. We are here to help though, here’s how you can save money on a hot tub!

BEST HOT TUB DEALS OF 2018

Costco

Costco is a massive, warehouse-style retailer. Those who wish to shop there have to have a membership, but it offers some pretty good discounts for those who do. You can buy wholesale amounts of common groceries. However, there is another reason to be a Costco member: their great deals on hot tubs! They offer great prices on luxury hot tubs, so they’re worth looking at for deals. For instance, they currently carry the Evolution Spas Oxford 121 Jet Spa which holds up to 7 people for 8,999.99. This spa has a full body lounger and 4 captain’s chairs with neck and shoulder jets. Costco might not be your first instinct, but it should be!

Overstock

Overstock is a wholesaler who focuses on saving users money by selling overstocked items. That’s a pretty standard business strategy, and it might seem like it’s not that good of a deal. However, there are a number of great savings to find. One of the biggest discounts comes through overstocked hot tubs! That’s a thing, believe it or not. New users can sign up and even get 15% off of purchases! Some items are on sale for as much as 70% off, which can really save you some money on a hot tub. One good affordable idea is the Goplus Portable Inflatable Bubble Massage Spa Hot Tub for only $341.99, which normally retails around $400. This hot tub can help save on space too. A much fancier version is a 7 person, 56 jet premium acrylic lounger spa with Bluetooth stereo system with subwoofer and backlit LED waterfall for $5876.99. Great for families or parties, this hot tub can be paid off in 24 months and has free shipping.

Amazon

Amazon is a pretty well-known name in the world of online retailers. If you’ve been considering a hot tub, Amazon is actually a great place to look. They have a very wide selection of options, letting you browse to your heart’s content. The best part is, if you have Amazon Prime, you can get free shipping! That can help you save some serious money on a hot tub, as shipping is often a huge expense in shipping luxury items. The Coleman Inflatable Miami Spa has a suggested retail price of $499.99 but can be bought online for $349.99 with free shipping. You can keep it put up at home and take it out when you need it or when you want to bring it on vacation. For $3.999, you can get a 50 jet with a full body lounger and seating for up to 6 people.

Conclusion

There are many kinds of hot tubs and several options with each. Hot tubs are also sold in a unique market, in that they may be purchased through a warehouse kind of store, a chain that specializes in hot tubs, or a local store that specializes in luxury products for the home. You will also need to decide where you are going to set up the hot tub and what size you need, depending on how many people you expect to use it. It’s surprising how affordable it can be to have a hot tub, especially if you find a good deal.

September 27, 2018
“Maniac” on Netflix is Worth Your Time.

“Maniac”

A new Netflix Original Series has dropped and it’s definitely worth giving it a go. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga who was responsible for the critically acclaimed series True Detective, “Maniac” provides a glimpse into a life living with mental illness. A brief overview of the plot is this. Annie Landsberg(Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim(Jonah Hill) are two strangers who are drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial. Each has a different reason for participating in the experiment — she is disaffected and aimless, fixated on broken relationships with her mother and sister, while he has struggled throughout his life with a disputed diagnosis of schizophrenia. The radical treatment, using pills that the inventor claims can repair anything about the mind, draws Annie, Owen and 10 other subjects into a three-day drug trial that they’re told will permanently solve all of their problems, with no complications or side effects. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned.

Layers

The show has many different levels to each episode, likely in an attempt to demonstrate the many layers of the subconscious and mind. This certainly is not a show that you can watch while phone in hand facebooking. It’s jam packed with symbolism and intricacies involving depp constructs of the mind, so pay attention. It’s not quite as abstract as FX’s “Legion” which goes way beyond a “head trip”. I wanna say it’s a great show, but I just simply can’t absorb it. But Maniac does a great job of journeying into the mind while keeping it relatively simple at the same time. Another great aspect to the show is the way they portray the 80’s cyber punk era. As an 80’s kid, I thoroughly enjoyed the stroll down memory lane. The acting by Stone and Hill are as to be expected with such high calibers artists. Hill has fully embodied the depressed and disenfranchised with greatly subtlety, as the couple traverse mental plaines and time periods. From an 80’s New Jersey middle class couple, to 40’s upscale socialites to two actually do have great chemistry together.

September 26, 2018
Will Quantum Computers Change the World?

September 26, 2018 – Recent breakthroughs in Quantum Computing has the world buzzing and now something once thought unobtainable in our lifetime may only be a few years away. Since the breakthroughs, big tech companies such as Google, and IBM are now pouring money into the research and development of quantum computers. Quantum Computing is the next revolutionary breakthrough in science and will reportedly turn everything we know about computers on its head.

What is Quantum Computing?

It can get very complex, but here are the basics to Quatman Computers according to Richard Joza of the University of Cambridge: Quantum computing is based on the fact that, in the microscopic world, things don’t have to be as clear-cut as we’d expect from our macroscopic experience. Tiny particles, such as electrons or photons, can simultaneously take on states that we would normally deem mutually exclusive. They can be in several places at once, for example, and in the case of photons simultaneously exhibit two kinds of polarisation. We never see this superposition of different states in ordinary life because it somehow disappears once a system is observed: when you measure the location of an electron or the polarisation of a photon, all but one of the possible alternatives are eliminated and you will see just one. Nobody knows how that happens, but it does. Superposition frees us of from binary constraints. A quantum computer works with particles that can be in superposition. Rather than representing bits — such particles would represent qubits, which can take on the value 0, or 1, or both simultaneously. “If you do something to [such a quantum system], it’s as though you are doing it simultaneously to 0 and to 1,”

What does this mean for the general public?

In theory, the properties of qubits would allow a quantum computer to perform calculations at far higher speeds than current supercomputers. That makes them good tools for understanding what’s happening in the realms of chemistry, material science or particle physics. That speed could aid in discovering new drugs, optimising financial portfolios and finding better transportation routes or supply chains. It could also advance another fast-growing field, artificial intelligence, by accelerating a computer’s ability to find patterns in large troves of images and other data. So when we seen these futuristic movies with an insanely advanced societies, Quantum Computers would likely be at the base of that growth.

What are the concerns?

The biggest and most alarming issue about Quantum Computers is what it can do to secured networks and the cryptography world. Early speculations is that this new technology can be weaponized and used against countries military defenses on a massive scale. Because of that, there is an somewhat of an arms race to obtain quantum computation. China is pouring massive amounts of funding towards the technology, but the biggest breakthrough has come out of Australia from Professor Michelle Simmons from the University of New South Wales. She along with officials from NASA, The Pentagon, and staff from Google and IBM all recently attended a summit at the White House regarding the future of Quantum Computing. Because of it being likened to the Manhattan Project, global leaders have begun to open a dialogue and combine their efforts on the matter. The National Laboratory for Quantum Information Sciences in Hefei, Anhui Province, is being developed and slated to be completed by 2020.

September 26, 2018
Do You Have Low Testosterone?
As men age, losing testosterone on some level is almost certain. Low testosterone levels can impact your life in many ways, and you might not expect most of them. Losing testosterone will also greatly affect daily life, especially if you don’t know how to properly deal with the issue.

Low T can even be dangerous, as some of the symptoms can be insidious, especially because they can be blamed on other disorders and not treated appropriately for some time. Although diagnosing low testosterone is a matter of detective work, some physicians never uncover the cause of the decline in the essential hormone.

The normal range for testosterone is between 300-1,000 nanograms per deciliter, which is an extremely wide gap for people to fall into, and some men may experience low T symptoms even while falling into this range.

Still, many physicians are willing to try to raise testosterone levels if symptoms occur and other causes are ruled out. Here are some causes, tips, and solutions to help combat testosterone loss and get you back to being you.

Causes of Testosterone Loss

Low testosterone can be frustrating to experience for men and women alike. It doesn’t only affect you physically but emotionally and mentally as well. After age 30, most men begin to experience a gradual decline in testosterone,” says David Samadi, MD, chairman of the urology department at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Although testosterone levels never reach zero (as estrogen levels do in women during menopause), low testosterone levels for men can cause symptoms such as depression, low sex drive, and impotence.

Other symptoms are harder to notice and may be caused by low testosterone, including trouble sleeping, weakness (both muscular and skeletal), and fatigue. Sparse facial or body hair is also a symptom. Symptoms can vary depending on if the low testosterone is caused by aging or another medical issue. While low testosterone is more common in older men, it can occur in younger men as well. Fortunately, all of the causes of low testosterone in men are treatable, so if you experience symptoms at any age, there’s no reason to ignore it. There are other causes that reduce testosterone, most notable is obesity in which fat cells enhance conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Lifestyles including smoking and drug abuse also contribute to low-T.

What can be done about it

Treatment for low testosterone is abundant and varied. The appropriate treatment for you will depend on the severity and the option your doctor feels will fit you and your symptoms. If your doctor detects low testosterone they may perform additional tests to determine the cause. Below is an overview of the different testosterone treatments available.
- Skin patch. A patch is applied once every 24 hours, in the evening, and releases small amounts of the hormone into the skin.
- Gels. Topical gels are spread daily onto the skin over both upper arms, shoulders, or thighs. It is important to wash your hands after applying and to cover the treated area with clothing to prevent exposing others to testosterone.
- Mouth tablet. Tablets are attached to your gum or inner cheek twice a day. Testosterone is then absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Pellets. These are implanted under the skin, usually around the hips or buttocks, and slowly release testosterone. They are replaced every three to six months.
- Injections. Various formulations are injected every seven to 14 days. Testosterone levels can rise to high levels for a few days after the injection and then slowly come down, which can cause a roller-coaster effect, where mood and energy levels spike before trailing off.
Alternative Treatments
- Maintain a healthy weight. Overweight men are more likely to have low testosterone levels. Losing weight can bring testosterone back up.
- Exercise regularly. Sedentary men tend to have reduced levels of testosterone, as the body doesn’t need as much. Weightlifting can stimulate testosterone production. The key is regularly moving your body and using your muscles.
- Sleep 7 to 8 hours every night. Lack of sleep affects the hormones in your body.
- Try vitamin D supplements. A 2011 study of 165 men suggested that supplementing with about 3,300 IUs of vitamin D per day increased testosterone levels.
- Enjoy your morning coffee. There is some 2008 evidence that caffeine may increase testosterone levels.
Summary

Low Testosterone will happen on some level to almost every men. It can greatly affect your life if you don’t pay attention to it and don’t take care of yourself while you are young. The good news is low testosterone is highly treatable and usually temporary. Treatment is available. Consult your primary care physician if you are experiencing some of the early signs of low testosterone like low energy, loss of muscle mass, weight gain, and chronic fatigue. Help is out there!
September 26, 2018