One of the things that I've always had a secret admiration about is the better programming the British have over the US.  The shows have always been able to have just that extra little bite that US censors would typically not allow in prime time or the quality not found in a typical US production.  The BBC, UK's major TV network, has been much more progressive about getting their content online and viewable from your computer. 

However, they also put a filter on who could view the content based on a user's computer location.  When a computer connects to the internet, that computer is assigned what's called an IP address – similar to a digital social security number – in that it's unique to your computer.  Countries are assigned blocks of numbers, so based on your IP address you can determine what country a computer user is from.

Well I was finally able to get past this by using what is called a proxy server.  The idea is that you use a second computer to be your face to the internet.  So if a server or website wants to know what country your from, say the BBC's verification server, the proxy server is what is shown as your IP address.  So last night I must have spent 3 or 4 hours just channel surfing the BBC.  It almost made me sick the quality of programming that I found in 4 hours on the BBC over the programming I've seen the past 3 or 4 months on the US.  It's no wonder the US television networks are having so many problems. 

Well the Geek Daddy household can't be anymore ecstatic that the Vikes won their way to a NFC North title and a playoff spot.  At the time of this post, it appears our next opponents will be the Eagles at home because they were up 31 41 pts over the Cowboys.

Sorry Chris, because I would rather have played the Cowboys anyway.

Holly explicitly explains to Sam, ‘Sammy, don’t put glue on your brother.’

I took Sam sledding for the first time yesterday afternoon.  On the way to the park he fell asleep, so he was a little drowsy when we got there.  He said he wanted to lay down in the sled and rest, so I pulled him all the way up the hill.  When we got to the top he popped his head up and got very excited. 

Now when I was little, I LOVED sledding.  Both neighborhoods that I grew up in had great sledding hills very close by.  The awe in his voice and face reminded me of how much I really enjoyed this simple pastime.  He looked down and couldn't believe we were going to ride the sled down the hill. 

Now before we go into how well our inaugural run went, everyone needs to remember it's been several years since I've gone sledding in tandem with anyone.  Needless to say, the run ended abruptly with Sam getting a face full of snow.  He wasn't thrilled about how it ended, but it was enough fun for him to pop back up and say that he wanted to do it again.   We ended up staying for over an hour and half. 

Every family has their own unique traditions they uphold each holiday season. Some go to a certain relatives, others have the same schedule of evening events, while some have a specific meal. One thing that I’ve learned is that when you have kids you have to be a little more flexible with your plans. Well this year is no exception. Evan woke up from a nap this afternoon with a 103F temperature and a nasty raspy sound in his chest when he breathes. We called around and finally Holly took Evan to the ER because Urgent Care closed at 3pm.

So with that, I’ve resurrected a time honored Verly family tradition… dinner at McDonald’s. When I was growing up, for a number of years McDonald’s was the dinner of choice for us. The schedule was eat dinner, watch a holiday special while Mom and Dad relaxed, and then open presents.

So here’s to family traditions, no matter how differnt they may be. Merry Christmas!

Sometimes there is a gift idea that needs to be shared with family members, even if the geek in your life never expects to receive it.  In this case it's the Spyder II GX laser pointer from Wicked Lasers.  This little bad boy is supposed to be the highest power output laser that the general public can purchase.  Imagine wowing your friends and family with a laser pointer that can actually pop a balloon, ignite a match, or light a candle.  This is the ultimate geek cred gadget your favorite family member would want this Christmas.

Oh by the way…. it's priced at a reasonable $1699.  And no, there wasn't a missing decimal place in that price. 

Microsoft originally put an end of life (EOF) on Windows XP for retail purchase back in June and had planned on ending sales on January 31, 2009 for all system builders- e.g. Dell, HP, Acer, etc.  The recent surge in sales of netbooks has caused Microsoft to hold off on that decision until at least May 2009.  Netbooks are ultra low power and portable laptops, like this one from Dell.  One of the most popular operating systems for a netbook is Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system.