TechyDad, Author at TechyDad

A Cable Cutting Guide

October 30, 2015 TechyDad Television

Back in March, I wrote about how we finally cancelled our cable. We marched into our cable company’s office, cable boxes in hand, and told them to cancel our cable TV service. What I didn’t detail was the years long process we went through before we got to this point. If you are wondering whether cutting cable is right for you, following my steps will help you figure it out.

Step 1: What Shows Are Must Watch?

First, make a list of the shows that you watch. (I used a spreadsheet because, later on, you need to total costs.) This list can tend to be looking as we often fill our time with TV shows that we don’t really care about. So filter this list by asking yourself the question: If I missed an episode of this show, would it matter to me? If it would, then add it to the list. If you wouldn’t often care if you missed it, leave the show off of the list.

Where Are The Shows Available?

Now that you have your list of shows, you can figure out how you’re going to watch them sans cable. If you don’t care whether you keep up to date on the shows’ latest season, Netflix or Amazon Prime will often have previous seasons’ episodes available. Your local library might also have DVDs of shows that you can borrow. If you must stay up to date, Hulu can often have episodes posted the day after they air. Sling TV will also give you access to many channels. You might also be able to purchase an antenna to receive channels Over The Air (OTA). If neither of these suit your needs, you can always purchase your shows on an episode by episode or season by season basis from Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, or Apple’s iTunes.

How Will You Watch The Shows?

Without a cable box hooked to your TV, you’ll need another way to view programs. Depending on the methods your decide upon to get your shows (Netflix, Amazon, antenna), you might use a Smart TV or Blu-Ray player that you already own. Otherwise, you might purchase a Roku box, a Chromecast, or an Amazon FireTV.

How Much Will This All Cost?

Once you’ve figured out what shows you will be watching and how you’ll be watching them, it’s time to add up the recurring costs. Factor in subscription fees for services such as Netflix or Hulu and episode/season purchases (either from online sources like Amazon VOD or disc-based sources like DVD purchases). Next, total up one-time costs like buying a Roku. Once you have your "Cord Cutting Costs" totaled up, it’s time to call your cable company. Ask them how much it would cost to switch to their Internet-only plan. This should tell you how much you would save by cancelling cable and getting your video entertainment from other sources.

Not For Everyone

Of course, you might find that you wouldn’t save by cancelling cable. Perhaps you watch too many shows and purchasing them all would raise your "cord cutting" rate above cable TV. Or maybe you like watching live sports and can’t find an acceptable online source.

Then there’s the possibility that your cable company is actively working against you cutting the cord. Unfortunately, some cable companies use their monopoly (or duopoly) wired, broadband Internet access to prop up their non-monopoly TV business. They’re doing this by, among other things, making Internet-only plans more expensive than Internet+Cable TV plans. This keeps people on cable TV (since it’s cheaper) and reduces the official numbers of cord cutters. Even if you put the cable box in the closet and never hook it up, you’ll be counted as a cable TV subscriber.

Even if your "cable cutting" cost is more than the cost of staying with cable TV, this exercise might still be worthwhile. It might reveal shows that you really don’t care enough about to keep watching. In addition, cable rates seem to rise every year. Combine that with the fact that the online options increase every year and what isn’t cost effective you this year might wind up being worthwhile in a year or two.

Have you considered cancelling cable? If you did and didn’t go through with it, why not? If you did and cut cable, have you missed cable at all?

Apple Cooking Craze

October 20, 2015 TechyDad Cooking

One of the advantages to living in upstate NY is that, every fall, the apple trees become laden with their wonderfully tasty fruit. It’s an annual tradition of ours to go to an apple orchard and pick our own apples. They but only wind up being less expensive than store bought apples, but the kids have a blast going from tree to tree plucking the fruit themselves. A couple of weeks ago, I took the boys to Indian Ladder Farms. There we picked apples, saw some animals (some of which the boys got to pet), and has a blast. When we got home, I weighed our apple haul: 44.5 pounds.

I had a taste test of the types of apples we picked and the consensus was that one of them wasn’t very good. It was way too tart to just eat. It would be, however, perfect for baking.

I began with some apple muffins. I figured these would be good for a breakfast or school snacks. I also thought that the 2 cups chopped apples that the recipe called for would put a nice dent in our apple supply. Imagine my shock when it only used up two apples.

The end result, though, was great. My boys loved eating the muffins and they were soon running low. I could have made another batch of muffins, but decided to try making an apple bread instead. (I’ve since made that second batch of muffins, but I wanted to go for variety at the time.)

My apple bread recipe called for three cups of apples. Sure enough, this used up three more apples. The apple bread was just as good as the muffins with the added bonus of being simpler to make. I didn’t need to measure out individual muffin cups of batter, I just dumped the batter into two loaf pans. The only downside was that individual muffin cups makes for easy portioning.

With the apple bread behind me, I began to get ambitious. I was going to make an apple pie. Sure, it was using a store bought, frozen pie crust, but that’s ambitious for me. B found a recipe that has a crumble topping instead of a pie crust top.

The pie began pretty well. It used up five whole apples! The apple mixture was done and placed in the pie crust. Then, I worked on the crumble topping. At first, it seemed that something went horribly wrong. It just didn’t look right to me. Still, I poured the topping over the apples and placed it in the oven.

Boy was I wrong about that topping. The pie came out looking and smelling amazing. After it cooled down a bit, I sliced into it and let out and audible "oooh." This pie kept looking better and better.

Then we tasted it.

It was amazing. B has declared that I’m to make pies more often. (We had a second pie crust and I’ve since made a second pie.)

Next up was a fish dinner I had planned without any side dishes. I suddenly realized I should make something using apples. A quick recipe search and I had something to try. Sauteed apples with brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. This recipe used six apples and cooked quickly in one pot.

I didn’t get a good photo because we were to busy eating this dish. It was really good and would work as a side dish, snack, or even as a dessert. (I want to make more and serve it warm over vanilla ice cream.) This is as good as I got of the skillet apples:

Finally, B wanted me to make an apple french toast casserole. Six apples later, the dish was chilling in the fridge overnight.

This was incredible. The only downside here is that I’m attempting to watch my calories and this clocked in at a diet busting 1,000 calories per serving!

As much as these recipes used up, our fridge is still packed with apples. It looks like I’ll still be on the hunt for more dishes that include apples.

What are your favorite apple recipes? The more apples they use up, the better.

Perks From Being Bullied? I Don’t Think So!

October 16, 2015 TechyDad Aspergers, Autism, Bullies

Recently, a tweet crossed my stream lambasting someone for writing an article about all of the benefits kids with Autism get when they were bullied. I couldn’t believe it. Surely, nobody could seriously argue that being bullied actually helped kids. I was sure that the article would be dripping in sarcasm with "benefits" like "stops trying to socialize with anyone so they don’t get hurt" or "learns not to trust anyone ever." Instead, the article actually claimed all sorts of benefits that kids on the spectrum could get by being bullied.

I’m both the parent of a child with Autism and has been bullied and someone with Autism who was bullied growing up. My bullying experience left me scarred for many years. Any insinuation that being bullied is a good thing that strengthens kids hits close to home. Needless to say this article upset me. I know I should treat this article’s author using the classical "Don’t feed the troll" method, but I get the feeling that the author seriously believes her words. Furthermore, I fear that someone without experience with bullying or Autism might believe what she writes to be the truth. Therefore, I’ve decided to post a point by point refutation of her article. I’ll give each way she claims bullying makes kids with Autism stronger, a synopsis of her reasoning, and then an explanation of why she’s wrong. (I’ll note that I’m not going to link to the original article as I don’t want to give it any more traffic than it has already gotten.)

Promoting Autism-Friendly Programs

The author claims that bullying can be the result of misunderstandings about why children with autism soak and act the way that they do. This, she concludes, the bullying is a good thing because it can be used as an opportunity to educate.

There is a grain of truth in here. Bullying can be done out of a lack of understanding. Also, educating students about why a child is acting the way he acts is a good thing. That being said, an act of bullying – even if it is used to begin an education campaign – is NOT a good event. At best, you are trying to take a bad situation and prevent more bad situations from occurring. We wouldn’t say that it’s a good thing that someone came down with an illness because then they can educate others about the affliction.

Team Work

The author claims that a bullying event will cause you to work closely with teachers, aides, counselors, principals, etc. Since this is a good thing, the author says, it means the bullying was good for the child.

Again, the author mistakes a good follow-up from bullying with the bullying itself being good. Working with your child’s school is good whether or not your child has been bullied. Bullying doesn’t make this partnership good. Again, you’re trying to help prevent further bad events in the future. This doesn’t mean that bullying is good.

Autism Awareness Every Month

The author makes the claim that bullying kids with Autism raises awareness of Autism.

Raising awareness of autism (and of bullying) is a good thing, but there are better ways of doing this than via being bullied. The ends don’t justify the means.

Kids Learn Skills

The author claims that dealing with bullies teaches communication (both verbal and nonverbal) as well as "survival skills, civil liberties, and independence."

I couldn’t disagree more. Being bullied will taught me NOT to communicate with others. The more verbal or nonverbal communication, the more ammunition I handed my bullies to use against me. Bullying will just frustrate kids with Autism, not make them feel more comfortable socializing.

Builds Strength

The author’s theory is that bullying builds strength in a child with autism because they grow closer to parents, friends, and teachers.

This is total bull. Bullying doesn’t give a child stronger ties, it weakens ties. It makes children feel inferior, threatened, and like they have no safe place. Bullied kids often feel like they can’t talk to their parents, teachers, or friends about being bullied because they might be seen as weak. Bullying isolates kids, plain and simple.

Furthermore, it isn’t a foregone conclusion that bullied kids receive support from those around them. Perhaps the bully is a popular star quarterback and dealing with the bullying might mean the team does poorly. Maybe the school administrators are in denial about their school having a bullying problem and so don’t want to hear about any incidents. In either situation, the person who is bullied can be shamed and pressured into either staying silent or even into "admitting" that they were the cause of the incidents. When this happens, the bullied child won’t feel closer to people, but even further isolated and alone.

More Friendships

The author claims that discussing the bullying can lead to more people being friends with the bullied child. In addition, the author contests that bullied kids will seek out new friends and new social activities.

Again, the author is wrong. A bullied child will feel isolated from his or her peers, not drawn to new peers. When social interactions – already a situation that makes those with autism nervous – becomes associated with all of the negatives of bullying, a child with autism is more likely to withdraw within himself or herself and not try to make new friends.

Overall Well-Being

The author contests that teachers looking out for bullying can supervise and intervene better.

Like some previous arguments, the author is both right and wrong. Alert teachers can supervise, intervene, and prevent future bullying. However, this being said, this doesn’t mean that bullying can take the credit for the higher rate of intervention. If a rash of muggings caused people to take self defense courses, the muggers wouldn’t get thanks for any benefits that the self defense courses provided.

Healthy Relationships

The author thinks that bullied kids will learn valuable skills that they can apply to sibling rivalry, "stranger danger," or other threats.

My bullying experience led to anything BUT healthy relationships. When I was bullied, I became so paranoid that I thought that anyone laughing was laughing AT me. This didn’t help me deal with confrontation, it taught me to withdraw further into myself to better protect myself. A child with autism who is bullied might also think that – as horrible as they felt when they were bullied – this is how people treat each other. Without intending to be mean, the child might become a bully himself simply because he’s modeling his social behavior off the wrong people.

Increased Life Skills

The author claims that the bullied child will become a better citizen and act nicely towards others.

When I was growing up, my mother has a poem on the refrigerator called Children Learn What They Live. In short, if a child is raised encountering a behavior, they will think of that behavior as normal and emulate it. A child raised being tormented will learn that fear is the norm. Even if the child winds up being kind so that others aren’t bullied, this didn’t excuse the bullying. It’s more a testament to the child’s reaction to the bullying and not something to thank the bullies over.

Self-Esteem

The author contends that bullied children get self-confidence and improve their self esteem.

I don’t know what bullied child (if any) she looked at, but I certainly didn’t learn self esteem from being bullied. On the contrary, I learned that I was nothing but the target for everyone’s abuse, I was powerless to change this, and I should withdraw from the world as much as possible. It was only when I went to college – escaping the bullying I suffered in high school – that I started to learn that I was a good person who could have good friends and could contribute to social situations without people mistreating me.

While it is true that people’s reactions to bullying can lead to positive events, this didn’t mean that bullying is a great thing that should be celebrated. Any positive outcome from reactions to bullying are thanks to the people who help out the child being bullied. The bully and his or her actions are not to be credited with any of this. For as much positive that people can make out of the bad situations that is bullying, much more good would come to pass is there was no bullying in the first place.

Making Mario Video Games

October 8, 2015 TechyDad Review, Video Games

From a young age, I’ve wanted to design video games. I would take sheet after sheet of paper and fill them with drawings of levels, enemies, descriptions of power ups, and more. I didn’t know how to actually code the games. In addition, I’d often be building on established franchises. I didn’t think Nintendo would want me coding an unauthorized Mario game.

Except, now they’ve given me the ability to do just that. Enter Super Mario Maker.

Super Mario Maker lets you design your own Mario levels. The levels can be over-ground, underground, fortress, etc. They can be in the style of many different Mario games from the original 8 bit Super Mario Bros. to New Super Mario Bros. U.

Placing level elements or changing level designs is simple using the WiiU gamepad’s point and click interface. Want to place a pipe? Just drag it into the right spot. Want to move a Koopa? Just click and drag it around. Want to make a platform wider? Just click on the end and pull it. In addition, some elements respond to shaking. Shake a green Koopa (which walks in a straight line) and it turns red (and turns around when it reaches a ledge). Shake a moving platform and it becomes a dropping platform. Shake Bowser and he becomes Bowser Junior. Enemies can be modified with super mushrooms (which makes the enemy bigger) and wings (which makes the enemy fly). Finally, sound effects can be placed to be triggered at certain events.

If all of this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. Super Mario Maker starts you off with a small subset of its options. Over time, as you play, more and more options are revealed. By the time the full array of possibilities is at your disposal, you’ll be placing level elements like a pro.

If Super Mario Maker ended here, it would be a pretty great game, but Nintendo went a step beyond. Once levels are added, you can share them with other Super Mario Maker users worldwide. Before a level can be shared, you’ll need to play through it. This ensures that no impossible levels get uploaded. The levels might be insanely hard, but they will be playable. You can even share levels by posting course IDs (e.g. 2D00-000-0082-EBA6 – and yes, that’s one of mine and last I checked nobody has beaten it). You can play selected levels in the 10 Mario or 100 Mario challenges. You can even use Amibos to power-up the original Super Mario Brothers’ Mario into various characters via "mystery mushrooms". (Admit it, you’ve always wanted to play Super Mario Bros. as Link from Legend of Zelda.) Shared levels can be downloaded and edited (but not re-uploaded so don’t worry about someone taking your masterpiece, adding a power-up or two and trying to pass it off as their own).

Since getting the game, my boys have become hooked on making their own video games. They’ll spend hour after hour piecing together components to make tricky or weird levels. Sometimes they’ll be easy. Sometimes they’ll be hard. One time, JSL made a tough level but didn’t foresee my being able to move Mario into a position at the top of the screen where I was able to avoid almost all of the enemies. He learned a lesson that day about level design: Always test all possibilities because your users *will* exploit any opening you give them. (This lesson also applies to programming in general.)

This is definitely a game that my boys and I will be playing for quite awhile. I’ve already made half a dozen levels (not all uploaded) and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what is possible. Super Mario Maker is great for any kid of any age who has always wanted to designing video games.

DISCLAIMER: We purchased Super Mario Maker ourselves and weren’t compensated in any way for this review.

Speed Reading

September 21, 2015 TechyDad Books, Reading

I have a bit of a book problem.

When we were preparing to go on our cruise, one of the things we packed were some books to read. I pictured leisurely days spent sitting by the pool with nothing to do but read and that worried me. However, it didn’t worry me because I hate reading. In fact, I love it. To me, there is almost nothing better than losing yourself in a good book. I have this knack for sort of melting into the book. The entire world around me dissolves, I can’t hear anything else, and all that exists is the book. No, what worried me was running out of reading material.

You see, I’m a quick reader. When I’m reading something that I like, I tear through it. When I was in school, we’d be assigned to read chapters 1 – 5 and I’d read the entire 20 chapter book. Then, I’d have to try to remember what happened in the first five chapters so I didn’t answer questions using knowledge from chapter 9. Often, I’d just re-read it a second time and a third time until the class caught up with me. I’ve been known to devour whole books in a day’s time so the idea of seven days of reading time meant possibly needing a dozen books, not one or two.

The first book I chose was Nobody Gets The Girl by James Maxey. The second one was the first book in the Percy Jackson series. My oldest son had been reading this series and loved it. I’ve long been a fan of Greek mythology so a series that seemed like “Harry Potter Meets Greek Myths” seemed perfect. Unfortunately, I didn’t get much reading time during the cruise. There was just too much to do during the cruise to sit around reading a book. On the bus ride back, though, I poured through Nobody Gets The Girl and finished before the bus arrived at our stop. Nearly an entire book read in about 3 hours’ time.

During Rosh Hashanah, I had some down time and was feeling bored. I decided to read something and settled on the first Percy Jackson book. I poured through half of it quickly and finished it up a couple of days later. On Friday, I began book 2 and finished that up before Saturday was over. Book 3 was a problem, though. That’s the book my son is currently reading. He takes that book to school to read during free times. I didn’t want to take his copy from him or have him possibly lose my spot in the book. B suggested taking the Kindle version out.

If you didn’t know, many libraries have deals with Amazon. You can take Kindle versions of books out from the library and read them on your Kindle devices (or any device with the Kindle app – which is pretty much any device) as if you bought it. The only difference is that the rented Kindle books automatically remove themselves when the book is due. It can be quite convenient over repeated trips to the library.

B took out Book 3 and I began it on Sunday morning. Soon, I had overtaken where NHL had read up to. Not long after that, I finished the book. I grabbed NHL’s physical copy of Book 4 but reading it was slow going. There are times when I prefer physical books and times when I prefer eBooks. This time, the eBooks just felt better to me. B took Book 4 out of the library and asked me if she should take Book 5 out as well while she was at it. I told her not to because Book 4 would probably take me awhile with work coming up soon.

How wrong I was.

As I write this (on Sunday night), I just read the last words on the last page of Book 4 in the Percy Jackson series. That’s right, I’ve read 2 books in one day. The next book is the last one in this series, but then there are five more books in a related series written by the same author. I have a feeling that, by the time this week is done, I’ll be midway through that series.

As far as my boys go, JSL is just like me. After a shaky start where he didn’t like reading, he has taken to reading like a son of Poseidon to water. (Sorry, I couldn’t help putting in a Percy Jackson reference there.) JSL rips through book series after book series. He will complain if we go on even the shortest of car rides without a book for him to read.

NHL, on the other hand, varies when it comes to reading. He’ll complain a lot if we tell him to read over playing video games or watching TV. However, if there’s a book he’s interested in, he’ll rip through the entire thing at a speed that makes me proud while understanding the entire thing. (Reading speed means nothing if there’s no comprehension to go along with it.) I just hope that his love of reading flourishes more as he grows.

As a geek, I’ll admit to loving video entertainment. I’ll dutifully await the next episode of a beloved television series, will stand in line for a move that I’ve been looking forward to, and will play way too many hours of video games when I have the chance. However, my enjoyment of all of those pales in comparison to the joy I get when I open a new book, get hooked by the writing, and feel myself being pulled into the story until I look up and realize I’ve read half the book and hours have passed. There’s just something magical about books.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to tear through the final book in the Percy Jackson series.

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