They’re going to be playing the concert for global warming (boo who cares). They made a 15 minute video you can watch here:
http://www.liveearth.msn.com/
And remember the volume goes to 11!

Click the link, pretty much explains it all.

Warning Boring Nerd Post Follows:
Finally, Verizon Fios Internet has been installed!

<Nostalgia> I remember when I was about 14 or 15 and the phone company came to our house and had to go into our backyard to measure for *future optical lines*. At the time I was using my sweet new 14.4 modem to access the internet so I then researched what optical lines were and carried, and boy I became excited!</Nostalgia>

So when I first read about Verizon’s plans to run fiber optics to each person’s house and then the subsequent tests in NY… I was interested. A few years back when I was driving down Downey ave and I saw the Giant spools of fiber optic cable being strung down the street it’s really unnecessary to say I was SUPER excited. Last october when I found out they were building networks and hooking up houses in Long Beach… lets just say I became antsy. Then two months ago when we found out we were moving to Lakewood and then a few days later in the neighborhood I saw a Verizon truck where I stopped and had a conversation with the tech about the FIOS network they were currently building… at this point I was doing a silent happy dance.

Now I that I have it installed it’s time for a review:

Verizon offers a few different packages for Internet: 5mb/2mb, 15/2 and 30/5 service. I chose the 15/2 service. My thoughts… it’s crazy fast! You find that your connection is better than quite a few websites and others just appear. Technically, I’ve been able to max out my connection at 1.86 MB/s (Mega Bytes per second) which translates to being able to download a full single layer/single sided DVD (4.35GB) in under 40 minutes.

They also offer phone service which is priced reasonably but I find that I don’t use my landline much during the month so VOIP serves my purposes fine. Starting April 1st Verizon switched on their TV service, which I consider the final nail in the coffin for Cable companies. I currently don’t have the TV service because I’m still finishing my contract with Dish Network but a friend does have it and I must say the Picture quality (of standard definition TV) is where cable and satellite providers were 10 years ago. Their HD service is both full bitrate and full resolution which makes for a stellar picture. Their pricing for TV and available channels is also very competitive making me want to switch over when my contract runs out.

Bottom line is no one touches Verizon Fios Price/Performance and I don’t think many will be able to. If you’re in an area that has it, get it. If you’re on a waiting list call your contact weekly to check the status of your order as they aren’t as excited as you. If you’re in an area that has the lines but hasn’t had the network built, you’ll just have to wait. I understand the demand is out-weighing their construction/install crew capabilities, but they are getting more efficient with each neighborhood block they build. As Petty sang… the waiting is the hardest part…. but it’s sure worth it!

Lori’s out of town this weekend so I’m all alone again this weekend. I guess it’s going beer, BBQ and guy movie weekend for me! Call up if wish to partake in some or all.

It’s been a while since I post and a lot has been going on.

For the last 6 months Lori and I have been looking to move out of our apartment in Downey. We have been looking in the greater Lakewood / Long Beach area however our search lead us to a lot of places that were too expensive or just not available.

About two months ago Lori was out of town for the weekend so I decided to drive around on a Saturday morning / afternoon to look for more places. I found a reasonably priced house in Lakewood in an area we had been looking in for a while. I called and left a message with the guy he returned my call later in the evening and I set up an appointment to look at the house the following day. I liked the place and I knew Lori would like it also so I took pictures and sent them to her to look at. The following day Lori returned and we met with the landlord again and filled out an application. The next days he called and said we were approved and could sign the lease anytime we wish.

Over the next 2 weeks we began to pack and prepare to move. I decided to call Starving Students because I like my friends enough that I didn’t want to con them into helping me move my bed, couches and the fridge from the 3rd floor apartment and moving just plain sucks. Starving Students turned out to be reasonably priced and they sent me two very nice guys (a father and son team) who hustled to move a bunch of boxes and those large things from the 3rd floor in Downey to Lakewood within 3 hours.

Momentum with church began to pick up with sound equipment now starting to arrive and requiring my attention to build and configure. Thankfully Tim was able help build and configure our sound system. It’s really nice to hang with him again, I enjoy it a lot!

Business has been steady and growing a lot the past few months and it became more apparent that we needed to move our office into a bigger space. So we found a building in Los Alamitos and moved there however, because of our the increase of work it was a challenge moving the office.

It was about this time that I got news that my grandmother had fallen at her church during her annual spaghetti luncheon. It turned out she broke her leg very close to her hip and would require surgery. Most of us spent the next week visiting her in the hospital and keeping her company. She eventually had her leg set and they put pins in her hip to help heal and strengthen her shattered bones in her leg. It was by this time that she began to have trouble breathing and by Saturday night/Sunday morning she was moved back into the ICU and put on a breathing machine to help her.

Sunday morning the doctor alerted my family to stay close as she’d probably not make it through the day. So after church we all spent the day at the hospital visiting with family and my grandmother who was dieing. By 5:30 or so she had passed away with 20 or so of us watching. I have to say this was the most horrible experience I have ever been through. It has been a total shock to my family and I still grieve for her. The services were held a week later at St. Raymonds and then at Rose Hills. The church services were amazing and with so many people attending it nearly filled the church, on a Monday morning. This was a true blessing to see how many people have been touched by my grandmother and came to honor and respect her.

A week later, on a Tuesday morning, I woke up sick. Sick like I hadn’t been in over 6 or 7 years. I stayed home most of the week, worked as much as my energy would allow and let the Antibiotics do their job. Saturday, I was feeling 85% well just in time for our housewarming BBQ and invited over friends and family to come share and celebrate our new dwelling with us. The party was fun and we had a much needed good time.

Which brings me to now, we’re all settled in the house and the office is pretty well settled and I feel like I’m fully back up to speed and back in the routine again. Pics of this stuff to follow, once I finish sorting through them!