Dear Diarrhea: The Joys of Skype

So a few weeks ago my cell phone broke. The up, down and select buttons stopped working and you'd be surprised how much those three tiny things do. I cannot check or send text, check my missed call log or access my phone book for starters. All it can do is check my voice mail and pick up incoming phone calls. How did I get it fixed? Well I didnt because it was going to cost me about three hundred dollars. So while I save up to buy a new phone I needed to come up with a short term alternative.

Enter Skype (again). When I first moved to my current apartment and had sprint as a cell phone service I could not get any reception. To fix that tiny problem I signed up for Skype service. I guess you could call a VOIP since you are talking through your computer, but I feel like too many people would compare it to Vonage. Anyway I switched to T-Mobile and wonder upon wonder I had reception at my house and felt I no longer needed Skype.

Now here we go again. Why am i using Skype as my alternative? Well its costing me 7 a month to have a home phone. Skype is a service that runs through your computer. Yes your talking through your computer. You can use a usb phone, one of those stupid bluetooth headsets, or buy one of this big boxes to plug your regular home phone in. They even have wi-fi cell phones now that allow you to install Skype directly onto them.

So what is the advantage? Well if you know other people on Skype you can talk to them for free no matter where in the world they are. You can still call regular land lines as well. For an unlimited amount of calls to US & Canada a monthly subscription costs 2.95/ a month. Want to call Mexico too? 5.95 a month. The rest of the world? 9.95 a month. If you dont want to subscribe monthly they also have a pay as you go feature. 

What if someone from a land line wants to call me? Well thats why I signed up for the call in service. I can buy a phone number that will allow anyone to call my computer. The price varies depending on your subscription plan, but it is basically costing me 4 bucks a month. So between my phone number and the US subscription I am just paying $7 dollars a month to have a home phone. I even get free voice mail with it. 

I was talking to a friend of mine who (if I remember correctly) has Verizon and is paying around 45 dollars a month. He was switching over to Comcast and was going to save $9 a month. Thats still almost thirty dollars more then I am paying. The reception is fine and a usb phone is cheap. Bluetooth is even a better way to go. If your looking to cut down on your monthly costs and you still need to have a home phone then I can't imagine why you are not looking into this service yet.

Now lets say you live in southern Maine and one of your best friends lives in....Oh I dunno...let's say..... Ireland. Would you pay $9 a month to call your friend? Well I guess it depends on how often you call. Do you know what would be an even better idea? If your American friend in Ireland and you both had Skype and talked to each other over this amazing piece of software. If you both have skype and talk to each other through skype then your international calls will be free. FREE. YOU WOULD BE AN IDIOT NOT TO TRY IT OUT. FOR FREE. 

Anyways thats me doing my good part on introducing you to a great a little company & program that could save you a lot of money or be a cheap way to have a home phone.

Summer/Fall Movies

The films I saw this past summer with a quick review:

Iron Man: A-. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent as Tony Stark and Jon Favreau has made a great movie to re-invigorate the Marvel line of movies.

Indiana Jones: B+. The most fun I have had at a movie in a long time. I don't care what anyone else says this film stands up with the rest of the series and is much better then Temple of Doom. The few things I found wrong with this film I know came from the mind of Lucas, but Spielberg and Ford deliver.

The Happening: D. Their were some interesting moments in this film, but all in all it sucked. Horrible screenplay with atrocious dialog and some of the worst acting from good actors I have ever seen.

Hellboy 2: C. It was entertaining, but too long and just like the first one left me with the feeling that I could've lived without seeing it.

The Dark Knight: A. An almost flawless film. The best comic book adaptation to ever be put onto the big screen and one of the most innovative action films I have ever seen. On top of that one of the great film performances of all time by Eric Roberts. Totally outshines Heath Ledger.

Pineapple Express: B-. Not one of the better Apatow films, but funny none-the-less and a good time.

Tropic Thunder: B+. Incredibly funny film by Stiller and I was quite happy to see him behind the camera again. Downey Jr was terrific and in fact just about everyone in the cast is hilarious. Crude, clever and a good way to close out the summer.

My Most anticipated movies of the fall, why I want to see them, and a trailer if available:

Burn After Reading (9/12): All I have to say: Coen Brothers

Appaloosa (10/3): I love a good western and in the last few years their have been quite a few. Now this one comes along and just happens to be Ed Harris' second attempt at directing after his excellent "Pollack"

Blindness (10/3): Some great actors with a great young director from a book I loved. If done right this could be a great film.

Body of Lies (10/10): I did not like the first trailer for this movie, but with this cast and Ridley Scott directing I won't skip it for a poorly made preview.

W. (10/17): Oliver Stones first 2 president movies (JFK & Nixon) were both amazing films. I am hoping Stone hits his stride again because despite a few misses in the last few years he is still one of my favorite directors.

Changeling (10/31): As a director Clint Eastwood is on an amazing run of films and this looks like it will continue his streak.

Quantum of Solace (11/14): Casino Royale was awesome and I refer to it as Bond Begins. If its half as good as the Dark Knight or the trailer makes it look then it will be a great film.

The Soloist (11/21): I always loved Robert Downey Jr. and this year he is on a roll. I will check it out simply for that reason.

Australia (11/26): Baz Luhrmann takes familiar genres/stories/ideas and twists them around in ways you could never imagine. Now he is tackling the western and war genres in one film. I can't wait.

The Road (11/26): Great book and a great concept plus I love post-apocalyptic films. Haven t seen a preview yet, but I am hoping for good things.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (12/25): Brad Pitt and David Fincher for the third time after Se7en and Fight Club. Can't wait for it.

The Wrestler (12/?): Darren Aronfronsky and it won the top prize at the Venice film festival.

P.S. The Lion Sleeps No More:

Its The End Of The World As We Know It

Months.....months ago I created this blog. Not because I really wanted to write a blog, but because I am obsessed with clicking the "even more" button on Google and playing with all of their wonderful toys. Pretending I had a real big boy blog (instead of my junior diary-esqe one on MySpace) for hours was fun while on vacation in the middle of nowhere. However, the inspiration to actually write one disappeared about as quickly as that week did.

Somehow my good friend Nik discovered this so-called blog (probably when I was bitching about how insulting McCain's Country First slogan is) and added it to his blog roll which has pretty much forced my hand. People can click on that link and realize how lazy I am since its never updated or I can fool the world (as its known to Nik's blog) and actually start writing in it. Why not just delete it you ask? Well, what if I get bored again? Plus I really am that lazy.

Too lazy to write more blogs? Nope. I am too prideful not too. Nik has thrown down the gauntlet by challenging my laziness. I will not be called lazy by anyone but me! So here it begins: an onslaught of my thoughts and opinions that you never asked for and that you will wish you had never read.

What will you see on here? Random musings of my inner thoughts or long rambling rants from my inner asshole. You'll see many a report on my beloved Red Sox, but in the year 2008 you will read nothing about the New England Patriots since their season has been officially canceled. You'll get my crazy views on politics and world news. You'll see my photography and I'll introduce you to my inspirations and heroes. I might even introduce a feature that goes into my Google obsession/love.

There will be days you might expect me to update and I don't. Deal with it. There will be days where I will be too tired or drunk or pissed to edit these writings. Deal with it. There will be days I insult something you love or tell you how much I love something you hate. Deal with it. Get off your own ass and write your own blog. Feel free to comment, but if I dont give a shit about what you say go cry on someone else's shoulder. Finally, enjoy this while it lasts because you never know when I will become too lazy/busy/apathetic to do this anymore. It could be next week it could be my next life. I hope you enjoyed the peace and quiet while it lasted. If you need to blame anyone then blame it on Nik and his not so random thoughts.

P.S. Speaking of hating things you (for some god awful reason) seem to love...It would appear from the title of this article that the MPAA and I finally have something in common.