Texting Tuesday: Celebrity stalking and Lori's overactive imagination

I woke up with this picture from Tam on Sunday morning:

Yep, it's Jungle Jack Hanna.  He's there... standing in front of the red sign by the wall. 

Tam:  Eat your heart out.  I just saw Jungle Jack Hanna.

Lori:  Oh my gosh, he DOES dress like that in real life!

Lori:  Why does he not have a monkey on his shoulder and a large cat on a leash?

Maybe it's more of a big deal since we live in Ohio, and he is the King of the Columbus Zoo, or some other amazing title like that, but he is a *star* or sorts.  He did have his own syndicated show, and sometimes does the rounds on talk shows showing off animals.

I was kind of surprised... ok not really... to know he wears khakis, even when he is not "animaling" at the zoo, or on a talk show, etc.  He even sports his hat. 

I was actually disappointed of this fact that there was no monkey... but maybe it didn't get through the security checkpoint monkeys don't carry IDs. 

I am also kind of sad that Tam didn't take the opportunity to STALK the man.  I probably would have... just to give me something to do while I was at the airport.  Because, let's face it, airports can be boring.  Trust me, I have seen my fill of them the past month... and I get to visit two more today while traveling for work. 

But, she did kind of "follow" him.

Tam:  He was on our flight to Minneapolis.

Lori: Please tell me it was like a SNAKES ONA PLANE thing except he charmed them all.

Lori: Where is he headed next?  I know you want to stalk him at the airport.  (Alas, no stalking ensued)

Lori:  Side note, Minneapolis airport is the site of my second worst pedicure ever.

And then I got this picture from Tam:

Tam:  Interesting people watching.

Lori:  I like to make up stories about the people milling around.

Lori:  like, hey, look at that guy dressed in all khaki with a monkey on his shoulder.  I bet he thinks he's Jack Hanna.

Lori:  Or hey look at that family.  They are just getting back from a traumatic trip to Orlando.

Lori:  Or see that woman:  She is on her way to see her boyfriend... but to break up with him because now she thinks she's a lesbian.

Lori:  Random stuff like that.

So, dear readers, that is how I pass the time at airports.  I make up weird stories about those passing by. 

If I come up with any interesting made up stories about my fellow passengers, I shall let you know. 

And if I see a celebrity, don't think I won't stalk them for my own amusement. 

Jason Speaks: Xbox One or PS4?

First off.... I want to thank Tam and Lori for letting me hijack their blog for a day.  A few weeks back Lori’s husband Greg did a guest spot on here and at that time I was asked by my wife Tam if I would be interested.  I said yes, but it has taken me this long to find a topic worth putting up here.  So, you may ask, why am I here? The answer is simple I’m here to try to help the mom’s and dad’s that read this blog.

Let me start by telling you a little about me. I am a nerd… a big nerd. I collect Transformers, play Magic the Gathering, read comics, and most importantly for this blog… I AM a gamer.  Yup… I play video games, and I have for as long as I can remember. Currently my weapon of choice  is Microsoft’s Xbox 360 however there is also a PS3, PC, and a Sony Vita in the house. With that said. I am here to address the question that will be looming over many a parent and gamer alike as we get closer to holiday shopping, and that’s Sony’s PlayStation 4 (referenced as PS4 from this point on) vs. Microsoft’s Xbox One (referenced as XB1 from this point on).

As some of you may or may not know the yearly Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is wrapping up In Los Angeles and there have been major announcements regarding the new XB1 and PS4,  both due out this fall. I’m not going to go into the details of hardware and games that are coming for each system. You can get those from the company websites linked below:

PS4: http://us.playstation.com/ps4

XB1: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/xboxone/meet-xbox-one

Ok… now onto why I am here. I’m not going to bash either system. They both have good points and features, but I will say this…After years of being an Xbox 360 fanboy and swearing by that system as the better of the current generation of gaming consoles. I am at this planning on moving to the PS4 as my next gen console of choice. In this post I will attempt to be objective and give you the facts.  I will have a list of links at the end to reviews and sights where I am pulling this info so you can review for yourself…

So let’s get started.

Hardware/Price Point

As far as what system will have the best graphic and will be the fastest… The two are almost the same. The only major difference is PS4 uses a slightly faster type of memory but not enough that it will matter. As far as the “guts” of the systems, they are almost the same.  Other common things at this point are that neither system will support its previous versions (PS3 and Xbox 360) games and hardware in most cases. Some of the higher end gaming headsets like those made by turtle beach will still work with the PS4. Game audio will still work with the XB1 but the in game chat system will not (the connection for chat is different with the XB1).  Both will have some common features of the current gen consoles such as Netflix streaming, downloadable content, etc. and both have blu ray and DVD support for playback. Now that we have the common things out of the way let’s look at what’s different. The first thing you will notice is the price tag. The XB1 will come out in November with a $499.99 USD price tag while the PS4 will launch “Holiday 2013” for $399.99. This seems like a big gap but it is almost reasonable since the XB1 will come with the new version of the Kinect sensor that was a $100 adds on for the last system. The PS4 does include its camera but at this time does not include the Move controller they use for motion based play.   So if you are into the Kinect and what it has to offer this may be where you stop reading. However there are other major differences that as a parent or an adult gamer that may be of concern.

Online Gaming

Let’s talk now about online gaming.  Every gamer I know plays something online. I myself have a group of friends all over the country that we all pay together over Xbox live. They are a good group of good people but as with anything on the internet there are those that you don’t want you kids in contact with so you don’t want them online when you cannot be around and there is always the times when internet goes down. For whatever reason there are times that games might be played when internet is not available. So how do the two systems handle this? For PS4 you can play offline for most single player games or games with local multiplayer (2 people in the same room old school style).  For the XB1 you have to be on line and the system has to check in periodically to even function. While both have parental controls... This may not be much peace of mind for some parents. Considering the XB1 also requires the included Kinect to be attached to the system this also means that for all intensive purpose you have an always on, always online webcam sitting in what could be your childs bedroom.  I’m not at all saying that bad things will happen because of this but it is simply control being taken out of your hands.  As far as the rest of the online functions… both have friends lists, both have voice chat and text messages, and video chat. XB1 will require an Xbox live membership to make use of most of its online features as did the 360 before it. This membership runs around $50.00 per year and is pretty much just a fee to use the service. The PS4 will also require a PlayStation Plus membership for some online features including online game play. This is a chance from the PS3 and is also $50.00 per year. The difference is that PlayStation Plus also gives you access to download a selection of games for no cost as part of the membership. Details on both are at the below links.

Xbox Live: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live

PlayStation Plus: -http://us.playstation.com/psn/playstation-plus//

Rented/Borrowed Games

The next thing I want to hit on is what I feel is the major difference between PS4 and XB1 and that’s when it comes down to used, rented and borrowed games. There are some games like the Call of Duty games that I always buy new. I do this because the release of these games are events and getting in on day one matters to me. For games that are single player. I will wait and pick them up used for a lower price because these are games I’m going to play though and most likely never pick up again and will trade in toward something else. I’m already not getting what I paid for them in trade so it’s not like I’m breaking even but it’s better for my wallet. Renting before sinking money into a game is also a path a lot take. Services like Gamefly and Redbox offer games for rent as do the walk in video stores (as few as are left). PS4 is changing nothing on this. However XB1 has added new “features” that tie the game to your Xbox live ID. Unless the publisher of the game takes steps to be exempt from this. What this fully means for the rental and used game market is still unclear but it does look as though PS4 will be the more used/rental friendly choice.

Connectivity

The last little point I want to hit on is a tech note that just bugs me. It’s with the way the controllers connect to the systems. PS4 is sticking with the Bluetooth connections they used with PS3 however Xbox is moving to a Wi-Fi direct connection. While on paper the Wi-Fi  direct would be the faster connection I question its usability. Most Wi-Fi devices are limited to 11-14 channels they can use. So if each controller (will say you are using 2) and the XB1 itself are all using Wi-Fi that means 3 of those channels are being used. But what if you live in a neighborhood where a lot have Wi-Fi, or the kids next door have and XB1. While it may be an outside issue, I could see interference becoming an issue for some folks.

To wrap this up… coming from several years of using my 360 the changes to connectivity, the direction on used games, the difference in the online services (cuz who doesn’t love free games), and the $100 price tag makes the PS4 the winner for the upcoming generation of consoles. Keep in mind the current systems are going on 10 years of service. So these are somewhat long term investments.  I wish both companies success and really don’t want to see a clear winner as a competitive market always benefits the consumer. As I said before... This is simply my thoughts on the matter. The list of links below are where I got the info that I based this on. I suggest reading as much as you can before making a choice and am well informed of what is and isn’t happening for whatever choice is made. By the way… I know I went the entire time without a word on the Wii U. That’s because Wii U has been out for the better part of a year and while some want to compare them, in my mind is a different market than XB1 or PS4. If you have smaller kids and or want games the whole family can get into then by all means go for the Wii U. This was solely me putting info out there for the two big options coming this fall in hopes of informing those that otherwise may not be informed. If you have any questions, comments or what have you. Feel free to leave a comment below or post /message them on Lori and Tam’s Facebook site and I’ll do my best to respond.

Thanks for reading,

Jason

Links for Additional Reading:

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-21539_7-57588650-10391702/xbox-one-vs-playstation-4/

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/xbox-one-or-playstation-4-which-one-is-right-for-you-20130612

http://gizmodo.com/playstation-4-vs-xbox-one-a-feature-by-feature-showdo-512606959

http://gizmodo.com/playstation-4-vs-xbox-one-a-feature-by-feature-showdo-512606959

Why pay toilets defeat the purpose of a "clean" environment

Tam posted yesterday about bathroom etiquette.  If you missed it, check it out here.

I am looking at bathroom etiquette from another standpoint... from a foreigner's standpoint.

If you are a frequent reader of the blog, you will know that my husband and I just returned from Europe.  While there, especially in France, we noticed that "bathroom habits' differ from our culture to theirs.

I noticed this when we got off the train.  I had to go... so I found the nearest public restroom.  It was a good thing I had some change in my pocket, because I had to spend .70 euros to take a leak.  I had to pay to gain access to the bathroom! 

There were actually turnstiles at the entrance to the bathroom. 

I do have to say, the bathroom was clean, and everyone did abide by Tam's rules, for the most part.

However, perhaps not everyone in Paris carried copious coins with them at all time. 

Why, do you ask?

Because Paris smells like urine.  Well, parts of it. 

We noticed it when we walked out of the train station.  We REALLY noticed it as we walked by the Seine.  We NOTICED IT EVEN MORE when we walked over urine on the steps down by the river.

In my opinion, this can be solved in two ways.

1.  The French need to drink more water than wine.  The smell was... um... very concentrated.  I think that adding more water to their intake would help with the concentrated odor.

2.  Making public restrooms readily available to those who need it will... in fact... hopefully stop people from relieving themselves at will in the city.  They may not make money, but the city will be CLEANER.

Just for the record, I am not alone on the anti-pay toilet thing.  In doing a little research, I found an article that it was listed as one of the 50 worst inventions of all time.  And... it was on the Internet, so it has to be true... right?

Perhaps it's just my ignorance, or living in the midwest, but I am RELIEVED (pun so intended) that pay toilets haven't become a "thing" here yet. 

And, no, my city does not smell like urine. 

I believe it is a direct correlation. 

Thoughts?