Steampunk Palin

This was an instant buy. :)

This product saved me $600

I dropped my HTC Incredible and shattered the screen. I was informed by Verizon that I had the extended warranty but not the insurance. Their suggestion? Buy a new one at full retail price or $599.99... Right...

I'll be honest, I am technically inclined and it still made me nervous to take my phone apart even with those handy instructions: [...]

It took me a couple of hours but I was able to take it apart, replace the screen and put it back together. Words of advice:

. If you're all thumbs, have someone else do it.

. Make sure to disconnect ALL ribbon cables before removing the motherboard. Be especially mindful of the small ribbon cable going through the track-pad's hole.

. You will spend most of your time removing the glued-on shattered glass from the frame so you'll want to have a waste basket near by and possibly a small vacuum.

I rated the product 4 out of 5 stars because of the lack of adhesive to hold the screen in place. Clear double sided tape works fine but I still feel it should be included.

Nevertheless my phone works flawlessly and looks like out of the box for $35 and a couple of hours of work instead of $600.

What more can I ask for?

Review posted at amazon.com

First notable album of 2011: Abigail Washburn, 'City Of Refuge'

The album has been available to listen for free on NPR since December 26 but will not be released until January 11 on amazon and iTunes. I'm not what you would call a bluegrass or even a country music fan but Abigail Washburn's Janis Joplin voice and the Chinese influences in her music makes it a totally enjoyable listening experience.

I highly recommend it.

Happy New Year!

From Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le deuxième souffle"