Monday, January 31, 2005

1/31/05

Oy, darling readers! I apologize for my lackadaisical posting. I should have been more attentive and posted on the weekends as well as the weekdays! Well now I know, and knowing is half the battle.

If any of you watch ‘The Screen Savers’, you may have noticed that I am not around. I have decided not to sit in the nook anymore and focus more on my product segments.

In response to “The Simpson’s” tentatively scheduled February episode with a gay cast member to be outed, the reason why it is such big news and I pitched it to be talked about on the show is because the GAY CHARACTER GETS MARRIED on the show. A gay character on ‘The Simpsons’ is not the reason why we should have reported on it on the show, as the show did. Just thought you all should know. Misinformation is the devil’s interpretive dance.

Thanks for supporting me on the show guys. Being live daily is a grind and I will be back sporadically. So check in with me here. Or watch me karaoke in some weird bar in LA. Option 1 is the safer. Trust me.

Thursday, January 27, 2005

1/26/05

I am a Mac person. And that's beginning to show on the show. Today I showed off a really cool little app called FIRE.

fire.sourceforge.net

It's a multi-protocol Im client and it's good. Sure it's no Trillian for the PC, but it's as close as anyone's come recently. Now go, I swear your chats will be more prolific thanks to this little piece of freeware!

Monday, January 24, 2005

1/24/05 Road Trips are a' comin'

Ahh the sweet siren song of the open road calls and all I can do is answer. The last time I threw caution to the wind and hopped into my car for a trip to remember, I got lost, ate water logged cheese, and my travel buddy picked at my hair because there was nothing else to do!

Vowing never to take another cursed road trip again, I have compiled a list of all the gear you’ll need to make this sojourn and your travel buddy enjoyable. What can I say? Technology has made me a convenience zealot.

YOU’RE LOST WITHOUT IT $700
With the Magellan RoadMate 300 securely attached to my windshield, I will be lost no more! This fairly small unit is most compact and least expensive model from the GPS giants, Magellan. It promises to get you where you’re going - with a soothing voice (not like the mean ones inside of your head!) to guide you along the way. Even the name sounds adventurous!

Magellan RM 300 Features:

• Store up to 110MB on the internal memory, including preinstalled maps of the major roads of North America
• 14 parallel GPS channels; WAAS-enabled (Wide Area Augmentation System) for extreme accuracy to within 3 meters; TrueFix technology
• 3.5" color touch-screen display with 320 x 240 resolution and up to 32,000 colors
• Turn-by-turn guidance with voice prompt and auto rerouting
• Holds up to 2 million points of interest, 600 addresses (200 x 3 users), 30 tracks and 2,000 trackpoints
• Store additional maps on Secure Digital memory cards (not included) via built-in memory card slot
• Software includes 48 U.S. state maps and full coverage of Canada, Hawaii and Puerto Rico preloaded and ready to use

LOOK MA, HO HEAT! $1250
You know what really chaps my hide? Heat. Like the skin-scorching temperatures from your laptop as you’re watching the first 30 minutes of LOTR. Ouch! Well Lap, I’d like you to meet Averatec 6200 Mobile Theater laptop. What sets it apart is its ability to play DVDs without having to turn on and boot the PC. That means the computer won’t get hot while you watch a DVD. And with 260 minutes of play power from one battery charge, you can watch that LOTR epic without suffering 3rd degree burns. Plus you’ll have a computer for your travel journal. You plan on keeping one, right?

For a full-on, teched out article on the Averatec, check out Lab Rat Lawson Wong’s review:
http://www.g4techtv.com/gearandgadgets/features/50009/Averatec_6200_Mobile_Theater_Notebook_Review.html

FEAST IN YOUR CAR
Let me take a moment and tell you how I ended up on a long trip with the water logged cheese. Long story short, cheese goes in cooler with ice, ice melts, ruins my cheese, and I die a little inside. Today, I give all you travelers a solution to your hot and cold food needs for those long tumbleweed-filled drives.

The Sharper Image Hot + Cold Car Snack Box ($60) Features:
• Portable "mini fridge16 1/2" x 9 1/2" x 7 1/2" and weighs 8 lbs.
• Secure it on or between the seats and plug it into dashboard power socket.
• Peltier Effect electronics allow you to select "Cold" or "Hot."
• Insulated interior holds at least six 12-oz. beverage cans and a sandwich.
AURAL AMUSEMENTS

Now for one of the hottest little devices I’ve ever gotten my hands on: the Delphi MyFi –the first personal and portable XM satellite radio. What makes this thing so cool? Well MyFi fits in the palm of my hand, looks stylish, and gives me over 130 radio stations in the car, at the gym, and everywhere else.

The palm-sized MyFi, comes with a rechargeable integrated battery pack, antenna, remote control, headphones, home kit and vehicle kit, it’s perfect for the road, plane, or short walks to the kitchen.

Delphi MyFi Portable XM Satellite Radio:
• The first personal and portable XM satellite radio
• Breakthrough time-shifting "Memory Mode" capable of storing up to five hours of XM programming
• Integrated, rechargeable battery
• Built-in FM transmitter to make any FM radio and XM radio
• Everything you need in one package for car, home, and on-the-go
• Info Extras include a personalized stock and sports ticker
• Live XM listening mode
• Up to thirty channel presets
• Large, illuminated six-line LCD display

May peace and good fast food be with all you roadies as you take this sojourn by storm. HALLLOOO!

Saturday, January 22, 2005

DJ Q-Bert

Today I got to see DJ Q-Bert spin TWICE! I saw him on the set of TSS and at the Viper Room. All's I gots to say is DAMN.

I am not feeling so well so I have to put my sorry, whiney, pathetic booty to bed because my Saturday is full of parties and fun. I'm talking dentist appointment baby! Yeah. Bring it. And when you bring it, bring reinforcements cause I'm gonna knock it down.

Thursday, January 20, 2005

Awesomely Odd Products

Today is my first posting on my blog. Yup. I have decided to leap head first into the early nineties and create myself an online journal. Sure I should have a website, blog, servers, and a side of fries with all that, but to be honest, I am not an hugely public person, plus, who would want to read what I have to say? Well if you’re reading this, I guess you might. So this is why I started Chubby Brain. I guess I needed a place to write, so thanks for visiting.

A little bit about me. I have been working in TV for over 6 years and currently I host a cable show called THE SCREEN SAVERS, which airs on G4. I do a lot of product reviews, so I will post what I have covered recently here.

And today, I did a segment I like to call AWESOMELY ODD products. These are the products that were sent in and have no real point. Nonetheless, they are entertaining and at times, a downright hoot.

DVD Rewinder - Never Pay Another DVD Rewind Fee Again!
Lemme tell you a story about the DVD Rewinder (DVDRewinder.com; $24.99). Now if you saw the segment, you should understand that the product is a joke. DVDs DO NOT NEED TO BE REWOUND. But the funny part is, during the show I am chatting in the IRC chatroom and soooo many people wrote to me, ‘um. DVDs rewind themselves’ and ‘this product is really unnecessary, IMHO.’ Oh right, thanks for clearing that up. Just gimme a sec while my wet cheese toast brain absorbs that.

Geek Man - Action Figure for the Ordinary Man
If you’re in love with Geek stuff for the sake of geekdom, well I have the perfect toy for you. Enter the Geek Man (ThinkGeek.com; $15.99). He is the epitome of a jaundiced, Steve Jobs outfitted, pocket-protector brandishing crazy work-force warrior that attacks his days with his way too hot coffee mug, PDA, laptop, and removable glasses (Glasses on=Geek Man, Glasses off=still ugly).

Vinyl Killer - All-In-One Record Player
Hey Mr. DJ, put a record on. Oh wait, you say you just got that record and it is scratched and won’t play? And you paid a mint? Homey, get yourself a little thing called the Vinyl Killer (Razy-Works.com; GiantRobot.com; $80-120). This all-in-one cool, compact device that is molded into a nice roomy hippie van incorporates a record needle, speakers, and a super easy on and off switch. The come in a slew of colors to fit your fancy, and then there are the special editions, silver and blinged out gold. Just smashing. All right, even thought you’ll find this product nowhere near the Dollar Store (i.e. get your Benjamins ready), it is worth it so you can check your rare records before you buy. But remember, this thing is called the Vinyl Killer for a reason, so if you use this to play your records, they ain’t gonna be records for long.

Ear Bags - Bandless Ear Muffs
This is honestly one of the most pointless things I have come across in my life, and being a lover of Contemporary Art, there’s lots of competition for that title. Well Ear Bags (no I didn’t misspell that) are bandless earmuffs. There isn’t a band around your head, but you still have fleece to cover up your ears. And boy, your ears stay toasty. Now in cold-ass Germany I could have used these things, but now that I live in LA, they don’t help much, plus the name is just queer. You can get yourself a little bag action at EarBags.com - $12.95.

Peace brothas and sistas