How to pick the right guy for your Daughter.

This post is for all the Dads out there that are active participants in their Daughter's life.  The title may seem a little misleading but after you read this you will see the total truth of it.  So, in a free nation, how can you decide who is going to be the right guy to be with your Daughter?  Well, it's a little give and take, but you're not really picking the guy, you are influencing your daughter to make a better choice for herself.  That may seem a little vague so I'll explain it a little further.

My life experience has been that women that have an active male figure in their life, whether good or bad use that person when seeking out a partner.  If she has a good relationship with her father/male figure then more than likely she will base her decision of partner against him.  If that partner measures up or has similar properties, then there is a greater chance that she will pursue that partner.  This isn't ALWAYS the case, and I want to make it clear this isn't an *end-all* guide to make your Daughter marry Prince Charming.  

Here's a little food for thought.  Let's say that you are a pretty good Dad. You eat together, play at the park a few times a year, and watch TV together.  You probably have a good bond with your Daughter.  Now, drop the idea of having a "man-card" and try to find out something that truly interests her.  Mine like cooking and crafts.  If you can swallow your man-pride long enough to learn a few crafts that you can sit with her and talk about while doing them, you just increased your bond even further.  She will more than likely see that the guy who was already Superman in her eyes, drop his shield and go the extra step to be involved with her.  I have taken on many different crafting styles and will involve my girls when I can.  And if they say something out in public I don't cower down because it's something "girly".  I can stand by her and take pride in the fact that she's proud of what I've done.  If they ever ask why I do things that other men can't or won't do, I plan on telling them this: "Men can Bar-B-Que, work on cars, fix things around the house, mow the yard and work in the garden.  REAL men can do anything.".  Anytime I can do something that will make my girls want to tell the world, I know I am doing my job and making them proud, and that gives me the greatest feeling in the world.

Learning how to sew, crochet, or even cook so you can pass that along to your own girls isn't cashing in your *Man-Card*.  Your just ensuring that the guy who wants her later has an *Upgraded Man-Card* that compares to yours.  And that Sir, is how you pick the right guy for your Daughter.Don't tell her who to pick, set the bar so high that only the right ones can meet her expectations.

What to take away from this:

Don't be ashamed to learn something new.  Moms aren't the only ones who can teach their girls.  Teaching should be a dual-parent responsibility.  This won't apply to everyone, but it should apply to the majority, take it for what it's worth.

And as always be sure to do something for someone other than yourself.  Pay It Forward.

Save Some Money ($25) on Your Wireless Bill

Okay.  I've been searching each and every major phone carrier trying to see which one is not out to completely rob me blind.  I had narrowed down my choice to a single carrier based on service in my area, plan services/features, and cost.  Without naming any names, I almost went with a company that has a large "T" in their name, and they deal with most "mobile" devices.  Unlimited talk, text and 4G web with hotspot (even though the speed gets throttled down after certain usage based on your plan) was pretty fairly priced for a family plan.  I went through their site, picked some modest smartphones that were on sale, chose my plan options, and was ready to checkout.  While trying to complete the checkout process, they required a hefty deposit to start service.  I could secure phone service for several months just for what they wanted for a deposit.  So back to square one.

I was watching one of my favorite YouTube personalities who had in fact had their show sponsored by an online service that appeared to offer very affordable wireless service.  I wanted to check into it because I never heard of them before, but had a preconceived notion that I wouldn't try it because they weren't a major carrier and didn't want the headache.  Come to find out that they use one of the major carriers services.  Then comes the part where I had already dealt with that carrier before and didn't like them, but I tried to keep an open mind.

Here's a photo of how the plans work, and I'll explain more below:

As you can see, the left hand side breaks it down into Minutes, Texts, and Data.  The different levels are across the top and the prices line up under what you selected.  So this plan shows 500 mins. ($9) + 100 texts ($3) and 500 Mb ($13) which as you can see comes up to $31+ surcharges ($32.50 altogether in NC).  The first thing that came to mind is what if I go over my choice, do I have to pay per unit thereafter, does my service stop, or is there an overage fee of some sort.  After further investigation, they just move whatever section you went over in to the next level up for that month and then make up the difference.  On the other hand if you didn't use enough in one area to meet the level you chose, they would move you down a level and credit your account.

For example, this picture shows 500 minutes picked for the current month. if I used 600 minutes, they would move just my minutes up to the 1000 minute level for that month and charge the difference.  If I had only used 90 minutes though, they would have dropped me down to the 100 minute level and issue a credit towards they next month.  Each section works the same way.  

You can also set alerts for yourself, so that when you get close to one of the thresholds, you are prepared for the extra charges for going over, OR, you can set the service to stop that feature altogether to control your costs.  You do get control of that, which was another selling point for me.

So, I liked how each section was separated from the others and not bundled.  I also think the way they handle the overages and under-usage costs/credits.  And being able to go online and check your dashboard in nearly real time to see where you stand for the month was a plus.  The selling point for me though was the cost of the first month.  

You can purchase new and used phones directly on the site, and for the most part they are reasonable.  There were only 2 or 3 phones that are considered "top-end" that I felt were a little pricey, but maybe that's just my broke viewpoint.  You can use a phone that you already have as long as it is a Sprint phone.  You can't use Boost, or any of the PTT (Push To Talk) phones.  If you aren't sure you can enter the phone ESN/MEID numbers on the site and it will let you know.

I already had an old Nexus S 4G so I gave it a go.  Worst case scenario is I get to use a phone for a month and it costs me a little over $30.  Or so I thought.  It took about 15-20 minutes to enter my information and get things going. (The Nexus S 4G and the Galaxy Nexus both require a few extra programming steps on your side, but they give you a step by step walk-through that ANYONE can follow.  You do need the MSL number which is emailed to you after you confirm activation.)  So I followed through, and saw there is no activation fee, and since I used the link from the YouTube personality, I reduced my first bill an additional $25.  So my first bill was $6 and change, since I already had a phone.  It is a prepaid service, but for $6, I'll give it a fair try.  

One thing to note about the link that I used to save the $25.  It isn't just for service credit.  It also can be used for device purchase too.  So it can be used to purchase a phone, a mobile hotspot, or applied to your service plan.

Since I mentioned the mobile hotspot above, if you use a smartphone with a mobile hotspot feature, there is NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE to use it with this service. But it does count towards you data usage.  Most carriers offer this feature for about $15-$45 last time I checked, and that's in addition to your data charges.

I've been tinkering with the new service for a few hours as of this post and it is working just fine.  I'll try to do a follow up around the end of April (2013) and disclose anything I missed, liked, or didn't like.

If you're in the process of looking for service and want to give this a try, I can pass the same $25 discount on to you to use towards your service or purchase.  I was glad to get a discount, and I figure other people might as well.  

$25 Discount Towards Service or Purchase.

I honestly feel that I may have found a decent service.  I hope that someone else out there traveling the "Interwebs" can find the same sense of use.  If anyone else out there tries this or currently has this please let us know below.  If you used this and didn't like it, please make it known below and why you didn't like it.  I'm always open to other peoples point of view.

As always, remember to do something for someone other than yourself and, Pay It Forward.

How to Install Adobe Flash Player on your Android 4.1 Devices

So.  You got that brand new tablet for Christmas.  You were running Android 4.0, and you recently just got an update to 4.1.1.  The world is looking up for you...THEN...you have to do a factory reset.  What happened to being able to watch videos in the browser window?  Where's my Flash Player?  What do I do?!?!?!

Have no fear.  All may not be lost yet.  In the updated version of Android 4.1+, I have read that they no longer include Flash Player.  And, if you some how found a link that would open Flash player in the Play Store, you probably saw a nice little note where the Install button should be stating, "This App is not compatible with your device.", or something along those lines.  It may still be possible to install Flash Player directly from Adobe's website, and it only takes a few minutes (Really.  Look at the screenshots.  They start at 11:18 and end at 11:22, and that's counting the extra part at the end about how to switch over to desktop browsing).  There is no risk involved and you don't even have to be technically inclined.  C'mon!  Let's do this.  I do have a video showing the entire process which I'll include below.  If you want to prep yourself, read the article then follow along with the video, or vice-versa.  Whatever works better for you.  Good luck!

The link used in the video and the picture below is:Adobe Flash Player Archive

Step 1.

You need to open your settings.  I have an icon on my homescreen, but it can also be opened by clicking the time and then settings at the bottom right corner, or by clicking the App Drawer (the dots/squares) and choosing settings from there.

Step 2.

Once you've opened your settings, scroll down the left hand side and choose "Security".  Look for the "Device Administration" area on the right.  There will be a block area that reads, "Unknown Sources".  Make sure the checkbox to the right of that is checked.  All this does is allow you to install an app that isn't from the marketplace.  This is usually only risky if you are NOT downloading directly from a reliable source. The app you will be installing is directly from the companies website, not a 3rd party location.  It's safe.

Step 3.

 The next thing you need to do is open your browser.  I used the stock browser because I know that everyone has that one.  Go to Google and search for, "Adobe Flash Player Archive" and find the link that matches the picture above. It will bring you to the page below, just scroll down until you find the sections that I have noted in the picture.

Step 4.

Depending on your operating system choose the appropriate link.  For Android 2.x and 3.x users click the first link under that section.  For Android 4.x users, click the first link under your section.  A small black box will appear at the bottom of your screen that reads, "Starting Download...".  A few second/minutes will pass depending upon your internet speed.  A small arrow will appear beside your time when it is done downloading.

Step 5.

Click the area near your time/the little arrow and a box will appear that is similar to the one above.  Click on the section that looks like the one highlighted above.  From there you will be presented with an installation screen like most other apps.  Just click on the "Install" and the "Done" buttons as the are presented to you and POOF! you magically have Flash Player back on your device.

As an extra side tip, most mobile devices are automatically directed to mobile sites.  When you have a fairly large 10 inch tablet, you can normally handle the same display as a desktop machine, which tends to be better quality.  It is also very handy when watching video sites.  For those of you over 18, it will also stop directing you to verify your age with a credit card at adult video sites because it looks like you are viewing from a desktop and not a mobile device.  This can be done simply by opening your browser and clicking on the settings area (the 3 dots/dashes) at the top right.  A dropdown box will appear, just click on the  "Request Desktop Site" option and refresh the page.  If for any reason you need to access the mobile version of a website, repeat the same steps to return to mobile browsing.

These screenshots, video, and complete process were done using a Toshiba Excite 10.  At the time of this article this process works and has been known to work on many other devices.  Just keep in mind that it MAY NOT work on yours.  Some steps may be a little different, but most people will understand what they need to do differently.

I hope this helps someone out.  

Remember, you're not the only person on the planet.  Do something nice for someone other than yourself.  Pay It Forward.