Pet Insurance – Is Dog/Cat Insurance Worth the Cost and Will it Protect Your Pet?

April 11th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Pit Bull Terriers | Random Stuff - (4 Comments)


If you’re familiar with my blog, you may have read my previous series of posts about my dog having torn her Cranial Cruciate Ligament – Read here: Treating a Torn/Ruptured Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) (Crucial Ligament) in Dogs (ACL) To be honest, I really had no idea of the cost of surgery for animals until this happened. In fact, I had not even realized the cost of the vet over the previous 5 years. When I was hit with a $400 bill for x-rays and a $3,100 bill for knee surgery, I started to do a little research on pet insurance.

There are many options out there, but most pet insurance programs offer plans in the range of $10 – $50+ per month. Obviously the lower end of the spectrum doesn’t cover as much as the higher end. The low end is meant for puppies in most cases and is “accident only” coverage. Accident only coverage severely limits what the insurance company will actually pay for, and there is typically a deductible and/or a copay percentage. The higher end of the spectrum will cover more (almost everything) but like the accident only coverage, the more complete plans require you to meet a deductible and/or have a copay per incident.

So after my dog got injured, I began looking for pet insurance because our veterinarian told us that once a dog ruptures a ligament in one knee, there is a 40% chance that the same thing will happen in the other knee. Not wanting to shell out another $3,500 I figured I’d look into other options. I ended up finding a plan for our dog that would cost $40/month ($480/year) but since she had already ruptured a knee ligament, they would not cover the surgery if it were to happen to her other knee. It was the same for most other pet insurance providers as well.

Is Pet Insurance Worth the Cost?

Lets say that I got my dog a comprehensive plan as a puppy and began paying $40/month ($480/year) over the course of the dogs 10+ year life, I’d be looking at about $4,800 in insurance costs alone. Since most pet insurance plans are only 70% coverage, I’d be looking at about another $30-40/year in normal checkups and office visits, plus the cost of any other veterinary visits, in my case 30% of $3,500 – $1,050. So if I had been paying for pet insurance for the life of my dog, I would be somewhere in the range of $6,250 (insurance premium, plus office visit copay, plus incidental copay). Whereas if I had not paid for insurance, I could have been banking an extra $40/month earning interest, and the entire cost of owning the dog would have been about $4,700 ($1,200 in annual office visits, $3,500 surgery). I’m not saying that pet insurance is a bad idea, however I do think that money can be better spent (or saved) because of the fact that your dog might not ever have a serious injury or illness. There’s a quick list of pros and cons on the next page, and you can optionally check out this ebook about pet insurance.

Ruth’s Chris Recipes – Ruth’s Chris Steak House Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

April 11th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Food & Drink - (3 Comments)

If you’re afraid of a little sugar and butter… this recipe is not for you, but if you don’t mind either of those, then prepare yourself for a treat. If you don’t like sweet potatoes, or if you’ve never had them before, do yourself a huge favor and make this recipe (or tell your wife to make it for you) … you’ll be very glad that you did.

Ruth’s Chris Special Sweet Potato Casserole

Recipe By: Ruth’s Chris

Serving Size: 2-4 (depending on your sweet-tooth)
Preparation Time: 30:00

CRUST

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
  • 1/3 stick butter – melted

SWEET POTATO MIXTURE

  • 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs – well beaten
  • 1 stick butter – ( 1/2 cup) melted

Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.
Source: www.nola.com

Per Serving (excluding unknown items):
3488 Calories
134g Fat (34.1% calories from fat)
33g Protein
551g Carbohydrate
14g Dietary Fiber
755mg Cholesterol
3088mg Sodium

 

Exchanges:
13 1/2 Grain(Starch)
1 1/2 Lean Meat
25 1/2 Fat
22 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Nvidia nvlddmkm Display Driver Problem Resurfaces After Installing Windows Updates

April 10th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Tech/Web - (24 Comments)


So I thought that I had solved the problem, my computer had been running without a glitch for the past month and a half to two months – ever since I installed the most recent Nvidia display driver set as posted in this article: nVidia nvlddmkm Vista Driver Fix – Here is the Solution I thought I was in the clear, but after installing the Windows Updates detailed below, my system went into an absolute panic.

When it restarted after the updates, I had the same problem that I had before – the login screen had “snowflakes” all over it, then once I logged in, the screen would repeatedly freeze, then go black, freeze then go black, etc. I ended up starting up in safe mode and reinstalling the Nvidia drivers, but that did not work. I was finally able to resolve the problem by using System Restore. I just restored my computer to yesterdays state and since then, it has been fine. Now I just need to figure out which of the updates listed below is the one that is causing the problems! Any help would be appreciated. ;-)

  • Security Update for Windows Vista (KB930178)
  • Update for Windows Mail Junk E-Mail Filter [April 2007] (KB905866)
  • Update for Windows Vista (KB931099)
  • Update for Outlook 2003 Junk Email Filter (KB932330)

Be sure to check out the nvlddmkm solutions at All of Your Questions Answered.

Halo 3 Beta Official Release Date – Scheduled for May 2007

April 10th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Gaming - (4 Comments)


May 16, 2007 is now the official release date of the Halo 3 beta. The beta will last for 3 weeks and will end on June 7, 2007. According to Microsoft and Bungie, the beta will be a very “stripped” version of the actual game. Frank O’Connor said the beta will contain, “quirks, and a couple rough edges”, he went on to say, “A lot of secret features are hidden in this beta.

We’re keeping a lot of our powder dry for fall.” Either way, features or not, I’m sure that the Halo 3 beta will be the most anticipated beta to ever hit the market (possibly the first beta for a video game) and I’m sure those lucky enough to get an invite into the beta program will be spending plenty of hours playing in the short 3 week period.

Here’s the article that was on BBC News:

Halo 3, one of the most anticipated videogames for the Xbox 360, will be released to the public in test, or beta, from 16 May.

The online multiplayer element of the game will be made available to the public with feedback going to developers Bungie.

More than 14.7m copies of Halo titles have been sold and more than 800m hours of online Halo games have been played.

The beta will last for three weeks and ends on 7 June.

Three multiplayer maps will be available – Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla.

Halo 3 is expected to be released in the last quarter of 2007 and is a key weapon for Microsoft in its rivalry with Sony and Nintendo.

The game has become an important franchise for Microsoft and has evolved into an industry which encompasses action figures, graphics novels, books and clothes.

On the website of Halo creators Bungie, content manager Frank O’Connor said the beta would contain “quirks, a couple of roughedges”.

He added: “A lot of secret features are hidden in this beta. We’re keeping a lot of our powder dry for Fall.”

The above article can be viewed in its entirety here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6541079.stm

Remote Desktop Freezes When Connecting Through Windows Vista

April 10th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Tech/Web - (30 Comments)


So ever since I installed Windows Vista, I’ve been having problems connecting to our Windows Server 2003 workstation through terminal services. Looks like I finally found an answer to the problem. After connecting to the server, I am able to see the desktop, but the connection typically freezes on this screen for about a minute with the following message:

The connection has been lost. Attempting to reconnect to your session…

Connection attempt: x of 20

Apparently this problem is because Windows Vista has a low initial setting on it’s Auto Tuning feature. What Auto-Tuning does is continually adjusts the TCP/IP receive windows size based on current (and changing) network conditions. It seems that many people have reported problems with auto-tuning causing various network timeout issues with some applications and routers. If you’re experiencing any of these problems, you can turn off Auto Tuning as described below.

Here’s what I did to fix this Remote Desktop Connection problem:

  1. I had to create a new shortcut on the desktop. Enter the command “cmd” as the shortcut command.
  2. Right-click on the shortcut and select “Run as Administrator”. This will open up a DOS window.
  3. Enter the following command
    netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

Here’s another version of how to disable auto-tuning as seen on ComputerBits

 

  1. Open up an Elevated Command Prompt
  2. Enter the following command to disable auto-tuning
    netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled

And if you find that disabling auto-tuning doesn’t fix your problem, you can turn it back on as follows:

  1. Open up an Elevated Command Prompt
  2. Enter the following command to enable auto-tuning
    netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal

And if you’d like to just view the states of your current TCP parameters, you can use this command:
netsh interface tcp show global

Windows Vista – Elevated Command Prompt – Run as Administrator

April 10th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Tech/Web - (1 Comments)

For some reason in Windows Vista, even if you’re signed in as an administrator, you’re still required to use the command “Run as Administrator” from within Vista sometimes. This holds true for the functions that are available in the Command Prompt – you won’t have access to all functions unless you have opened the Command Prompt with the “Run as Administrator” specification. Here’s how you do it:

  1. Click on the Start button.
  2. In the search box, type in cmd or Command Prompt – Do not press enter.
  3. cmd.exe or Command Prompt will show up in the search results (depending on what you searched for).
  4. Right click cmd.exe (or Command Prompt) in the search results and select “Run as Administrator”.
  5. Enter the administrator credentials when prompted.

Transformers the Movie – Remember Growing Up With the Transformers Toys?

April 8th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Entertainment - (0 Comments)

Wow, the day has finally come where Hollywood believes that it can do one of the greatest toys ever invented the justice of making them into a movie. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that it will be a joint effort between directors Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay. As always, I’m sure that Spielberg will bring the most cutting edge effects, and Michael Bay will probably help to provide nonstop action and innovative camera angles.

This movie is going to be like upgrading from those old Sears remote control cars to the real deal Team Associated cars/trucks. Speaking of RC cars, does anyone still have any of the original Transformers, or were they all worn out and broke down? All of mine are probably buried in the dirt somewhere outside my parents house. I know I’m not the only one who had a buttload of Transformer toys while growing up, comment below with your favorite Transformer, and whether you choose good vs. evil – Autobots or Decepticons. ;-)

I’ll start – Starscream (the jet), and I’m going to have to go with the Autobots.

PS – I can’t wait until they make a Voltron movie!!! ;-)

Halo 3 Beta Release Date Pushed Back – Two New Halo 2 Maps to Hold Us Over

April 8th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Gaming - (0 Comments)

Is the Halo 3 beta release date going to remain at its targeted “late spring” release, or has Bungie just tried to buy itself some time on the Halo 3 beta release by instead releasing two new maps for Halo 2? New Halo 2 Maps Desolation (Derelict Remake) and Tombstone (Hang ‘em High Remake) The timely release of these 2 maps can only lead me to believe that the Halo 3 beta has been (or will be pushed back).

Knowing Bungie, they’re definitely not shy to miss a targeted release date in order to tweak a game and make it as strong as possible for release, but would the really be will to endure criticism by missing th release of a beta? The beta release is supposed to be a test, with errors and problems in it… that’s the point of it, right?

Get the anticipated release date here – (more…)

New Halo 2 Maps – Desolation (Derelict Remake) and Tombstone (Hang ‘em High remake)

April 8th, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Gaming - (1 Comments)

So in an earlier article, I had guessed that Microsoft and Bungie were going to release the Halo 3 beta on tax day – April 17th, 2007 (since the 15th is a Sunday, the kind government is giving us 2 extra days). Come to find out, it is not necessarily going to be the Halo 3 beta that is released that day, but 2 new maps for Halo 2.

Both maps are going to be remakes of maps from the original Halo game… a game that I’m unfortunately completely unfamiliar with. The first map will be called “Desolation”, a remake of the level “Derelict” from the original Halo, and the second map will be called “Tombstone”, a remake of the level “Hang ‘em High” from the original Halo. Needless to say, Bungie definitely isn’t going to just drop in two old maps into Halo 2, both maps have been entirely redrawn to use the capabilities of Halo 2 gaming engine, and the HDTV capabilities of the Xbox and Xbox 360. And thanks to the extra time that it took to redraw and remake these maps, they’re going to cost us $4 bucks to get our hands on them. So until the Halo 3 beta release date, you’ll at least have two new maps for Halo 2 to keep you going.

Quotes about the new levels from bungie.net:

As you know by now, we’re just over a week away from unleashing two brand new Halo 2 multiplayer maps upon the world. “Desolation”, a remake of the Halo 1 map Derelict, and Tombstone, a remake of the classic “Hang ‘em High”, are both being released on Xbox Live on Tuesday 4/17. For the bargain price of $4.00 you’ll be able to unleash a new can of whoop-ass on these completely re-imagined multiplayer arenas.

We’ll have a lot more to say (and show) about each of these maps next week as part of our continuing coverage on Bungie.net.

However, before we can release the new maps, we need to release a new auto-update for Halo 2. My sources tell me this is likely happening at some point next week and there could be a small interruption in play while this update is being deployed.

Xbox 360 Elite – Who is it for, and is Black Better?

April 2nd, 2007 | Posted by i.nconspicuo.us in Gaming - (1 Comments)

It was recently announced that there will be a new version of the Xbox 360 released – the Xbox 360 Elite. So what’s the difference from the original Xbox 360? This one is black, comes with a larger hard drive and is said to run cooler and it comes with HDMI. So is it going to be worth shelling out another $400? Who is this new 360 for? Here are my 10 guesses:

  1. For those who haven’t bought the original yet
  2. For those who have a cool $500 laying around (I say $500 cause if you’re forkin’ out $400 for a new black Xbox, you’re probably gonna fork out an extra hundo for matching controllers and accessories)
  3. For those who think that HDMI gaming is going to be the revolution
  4. For those who like to store tons of music on their Xbox
  5. For morons
  6. For NBA stars who have loads of dough and need to put an Xbox in every room and want to play NBA Live 2007 after practice
  7. For those who want to have to buy a matching HD-DVD player for their new black Xbox
  8. For those that are sick of seeing dirty funky hand sweat on their white Xbox controller
  9. For those who have to have the latest and greatest
  10. For those who believe, “The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice”

Here’s some real information as reported by engadget.com

  • The Elite will be limited quantities only; that may be as much or as little as a couple hundred thousand.
  • The case, controller, and Live headset will all be black. It will have all new packaging.
  • Elite will cost $479, and will be a 3rd SKU; it will be sold alongside Premium and Core packs.
  • Eventually Elite hardware (in white plastics) will take the role of the Xbox Premium. That is to say, after the Elite is launched and sold out, future Xbox Premiums will have 120GB / HDMI.
  • We do not yet know exactly when 120GB / HDMI will become the standard for Premium, but it is loosely estimated to be late summer or fall.
  • Elite models run cooler than normal 360s, but they are not yet confirmed to have 65nm chips.
  • Prices may remain the same with the 120GB / HDMI hardware upgrade in the Premium Xbox, but we may still see a price cut on the line when 65nm chips start shipping.
  • The HD DVD drive will not be internal or bundled — Microsoft never did or nor does not currently have plans to put an HD DVD drive in the 360.
  • There are no current plans to integrate WiFi into the Elite or future Premiums (although that can always change).

Xbox 360 Elite - Photos