@ScottCate: Scott Cate: Family

Amazon Prime Movies: Cheaper on the Website

Scott Cate — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:07:24 GMT

I just tried to rent my first Amazon Prime movie, on the Roku set top box. On the website the movie was $2.99, and on the TV Buy it now was $3.99.

Perfect. Supply and Demand, I love it. 99 times out of a 100 people on the TV just want to watch a movie and probably aren’t going to price compare. I just happen to also have my laptop handy and noticed the price difference.

I love finding out these little tricks in life :)

Best customer service EVER–Berries.com

Scott Cate — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 17:46:00 GMT

Berries.com for the win. I don’t have a ton of time – so this will be short.

I sent a thank you gift to some friends, but I used an old (wrong) address. The people who live there now, called and told Berries.com about the mistake. Berries (Called Shari’s Berries online) called me and left a very nice voice mail. I got the new address, called back to customer service, and there are replacing my order, to the new address no charge.

Within 10 minutes of hanging up, I rec’d a FedEx notification, and the Berries gift will be delivered overnight, tomorrow.

WOW.

Amazing.

If you have a gift for someone, please consider using Berries.com to send it. I think they’re somehow part of a much larger company, but who cares. With this kind of service, it doesn’t make sense to use anyone else.

Thank you Berries.com – best of luck to you and your business.

Benefits of a knowing your local Restaurateur

Scott Cate — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 21:24:00 GMT

So today at Gangplank a couple of the guys were standing around thinking about were to go to lunch. We didn’t figure it out – we just started walking towards Ol’ Town Downtown Chandler. About once a week, we end up at Murphy’s Law. A local bar, that has great great great great (did I say great!) food.

It’s an Irish bar – with great food. Why? They have a real Chef. His name is Chad and he knows his way around the kitchen. He’s also friendly enough to come out to the table and say hi to some guys that he recognizes from Gangplank.

Today we were looking around the menu, asking each other what’s good, and in a very collaborative conversation we decided to let “Chef” decide. Bring whatever. No rules, no allergies, no favorites, the only *hint that I dropped, was that I liked spicy, and no one objected. The price was set at $15.00 per person, and we would get an appetizer to share, and a meal for each of us. I can’t explain the ingredients to give them enough goodness, but I’ll try.

App 1 – Grilled Shrimp, with a mixed green salad with tiny pineapple pieces
App 2 (free bonus???) – Some sort of Sausage, laid out on onion rings, covered in a hot/spicy cheese sauce
Main Entrée – Spicy (Jalapeno) Mashed potato cake, covered with thinly sliced beef

For $15.00 a person, are you kidding me?

No.

This is just one of the benefits on knowing your local restaurateur.

Thank you Chad – It was a great lunch.

Note To Self: Eat at Murphy’s Law more often :)

I HATE BlockBuster – Still!

Scott Cate — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:41:00 GMT

About every two years or so, I forget how much I hate Blockbuster Video Rental. I think it started with petty late fees, and just an overall bad experience in the rental stores back in the day. For the last few years, we’ve had NetFlix, and it’s worked perfect for us. In fact – we still have Netflix – both DVD and streaming with our XBOX 360 kinect. The whole family loves and uses Netflix on a regular basis.

But today, I was looking for a movie that wasn’t on NetFlix Streaming, and Jamie and I wanted to watch it tonight, after the kids went to bed. It just so happened that I had a coupon from the check out at our local grocery store for a free Blockbuster Express Kiosk rental. I jumped online and setup an account on the express site, and found a rental kiosk at the gas station around the corner.

Upon checkout, in the fine print I see that the coupon I have is expired. Well I guess that the first thing that is stupid. Why put an expiration date on something that you’re trying to use as customer acquisition? OK – no problem, I’m still in for the $2.99 to Rent “Wall Street”

After setting up my account I get an email that reads …

And don't forget, just for setting up your profile on BLOCKBUSTER Express™, you get a first night DVD rental FREE, on us! Simply enter the promotional code ESU11B when prompted during the rental process at the kiosk.

So cool, I’m back in the free trial – this movie isn’t going to cost anything. Off to the gas Station. I get there, thumb through the kiosk, pick the movie “Wall Street” and on the checkout screen, I see that you can add a coupon. So I type in my code and press the big green DONE button. Aaaannnnnddddd, I should have known they would mess it up again. The next screen says it’s not valid promotion code. I’m sure somewhere in the fine print of the email says, this coupon is only valid on blah blah blah. Why even send it if I can’t use it? Blockbuster – I HATE YOU.

So I walk away – the movie isn’t that important. I don’t want to be a Blockbuster Customer. I’ve since put the movie in my NetFlix Queue and when it releases in a few weeks, I’ll have the DVD magically show up in my mailbox.

Note to Self: I HATE BLOCKBUSTER!
Note to Self: I HATE BLOCKBUSTER!
Note to Self: I HATE BLOCKBUSTER!

Use NETFLIX – for DVD or online streaming – nothing beats them.

Escalator with Auto On / Off

Scott Cate — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:37:37 GMT

Check out this YouTube video post, about the escalators? Maybe a silly post, but I thought it was cool. The escalators in the Berlin Convention center are on auto pilot, based on motion. As you approach the escalator, it happily comes alive to serve you. When there is no one on the escalator it turns it self off, presumably to save power.

In the states, if you see an escalator that is stopped, you automatically look for stairs, or an elevator to change floors, especially if you're going up.

This seems like a great/simple way to save a lot of energy!

Good job - whoever thought of that first :)

Hand Carry Passport Services from RushMyPassport.com

Scott Cate — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:32:00 GMT

I recently needed a new passport faster than the 6-8 week turn around, and even faster than the 2-3 week rush service you can pay extra for from the Department of the State. Searching online I found a bunch of Hand Carry services, and I decided to try RushMyPassport.com and here is a quick overview of what happened.

First – The service is 90% automated (very nice), along with a few customer service calls to make sure I knew what I was supposed to be doing. My service agent was Barbara – who was very friendly on the phone, and helpful to make sure I was well organized, knew exactly what I was doing, what I had to include, where the closest “Sealing Agent” is, and probably more information that I have since forgotten.

What’s a sealing agent you ask? I’m glad you asked. Here’s the run down. You can hire a hand carry agency to walk in to a Department of State office, and work on your behalf. If you live in San Francisco or Philadelphia (and I’m sure there are others) then you would not have this problem, since you can do this yourself in person. Living in a state like Arizona, without a local Passport office, you have to look for other options. Now, just any Joe off the street can’t show up and say - “Um, I’m here for Mr. Cate’s passport...” So how do they do it?

Here’s where the sealing agent comes in. There are probably a lot of government places that will do it, but I chose my local post office. One thing I learned here is that you can make an appointment, but not a same day appointment. If you need same day services, call around, and some of the post offices have walk in hours for Passport services, on a first-come-first-serve basis. This is what I chose to do.

When it’s your turn, present the “Sealing Agent” all your paperwork. (S)He’ll go over it, making sure you have everything in order, and will put everything into a 8X11 envelop, and put special seal on it. This is kind of like a high end notary, but with a package instead of a signature. They seal it, and then put a bunch of stamps around the seal to make sure it can’t be tampered with.

Then you send FedEx the sealed envelop, along with copies of everything in the Envelop to the Hand Carry agent. They do the rest, and within a few days a new passport, along with your original documents show up via FedEx, in plenty of time for your time.

I chose the 3-4 business day option, and as promised, I’m now holding a new passport :)

Since there are a bunch of these services online, and I had success with RushMyPassport.com I thought I would write a quick review and let you know of the success I had with them. I really like that it’s mostly automated. Automated by email that is. When I first signed up, I got a payment confirmation, and a nice note outlining what was going to happen over the next week. After I followed the directions, I got all my paperwork in place, I was contacted by Barbara. (I knew she would be calling because an email said - “Your case is assigned to Barbara who will be calling you today”). Once she confirmed I had everything in line, she emailed me a pre-paid FedEx print out. After I sent the overnight FedEx, I received email confirmation that the package was received. Then an email saying it was processed, and finally an email with a tracking number stating that my new Passport is on it’s way back to me.

All in all, I’m very happy with the services from RushMyPassport.com and I would recommend them to anyone else who finds them selves in a “OMG I need a new passport” moment like I did :)

Happy to be Insured with Allstate

Scott Cate — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:14:00 GMT

We have all of our insurance with Allstate agent Wes Cain. As many of you know, a month ago I was in a minor car accident. I say minor because there were no injuries, and just external body damage to the rear of my car.

I have never been in a car accident before that was my fault, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Now, a month later, the accident is behind us (me really) and the car is back good as new.

My final thoughts on the whole accident are ...

I’m glad no one was inured
I’m glad the car accident was minor
I’m grateful that Wes Cain is our insurance agent.
I’m grateful that we’re insured with Allstate

Here is a quick run down of how easy it was to get everything solved.

I called the 800 number, filed a claim, and in just a few minutes on the phone had a claim filed.
My agent, Wes, called Monday morning to make sure everything was ok.
- While on the phone call – he recommended an auto body shop, if I didn’t already have one in mind (I used his suggested shop, since it was better than just opening the phone book)
I dropped my car off the same day (Monday) to the body shop.
Allstate setup a rental car with Enterprise, pre-paid, who picked me up from the body shop.
Two weeks later, my car was fixed.
Returned the car to Enterprise – who drove me to the shop.
I paid my very low deductible (due to out previous good driver deductible credits)
Done.

During the whole process I spent less than 30 minutes on the phone, and one hour retrieving and returning the rental car. This includes talking to the claim recorder, the adjuster, my agent, the accident reporter (from Allstate), and the body shop. The entire process could not have been easier.

If you live in the Phoenix metropolitan southeast valley area, I recommend you call Wes Cain for Auto Insurance 480-926-4582. If you’re not in the area, seriously consider switching to Allstate for insurance.

I have known Wes and his staff for around 10 years, and I can say that both personally and professionally he is a great person. Wes has an agent page on the Allstate Website Here. I highly recommend him.

http://www.allstateagencies.com/WesCain/Welcome/

Help us choose a logo for MorningStar Academy Preschool

Scott Cate — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 18:12:00 GMT

We’re trying to decide between these two logo’s. Instead of telling you the nit-picky things we like and don’t like, we’d like to ask your opinion.

What do you think?

Please Leave comments.

Thanks,

Scott and Jamie.

NO CHEATING ….

After you choose A or B above, AND … leave a comment :) you can see all the logos we have to choose from on the LogoTournament Site.

http://www.logotournament.com/contests/morning_star_academy

OK ... I decided to open a HIT on Mechanical Turk, and for $5.00 I was able to solicit 100 responses. The bad news here, is the general population seems to be split down the middle. Out of 100 votes, 51 people liked A, and 49 people liked B. Here are their responses.

51 Logo A Votes - Reason Description

The faux-CGI look of B is sure to age (no pun intended) quickly. B also deemphasizes the name--you only see the kids.
Logo A is classier, and the subtitle is easier to read than in the other one.
The main message of the logo is not readable on B.
It looks respectful and caring yet not cartoonish like the other one.
If I were a mother who wants her child to use her time in preschool to learn traditional skills through traditional pedagogical means, I prefer A. It looks more serious in its educational role. However, if I see preschool as a place where my child can learn skills through play and observation, and where interacting with other children is more important than traditional rote learning, then B is more attractive. It sends the message that the preschool is all about fun and games and being with other children.
A seems less busy and more elegant. It is still colorful, but the colors are not as distracting as B. The name of the Academy is also very clear in A.
I think that it looks classier. B is more childlike, which is ok for a preschool, but I think that A makes a better impression and shows that you take educating and caring for the children more seriously.
Looks cleaner, more professional and serious. I like that it doesn't show children, so you are not representing just one race. Looks more academic.
A is cleaner. You could use just the flower (or even just the green petal) on business cards and letterhead and it would still be recognizable. I'm not sure I'd use Comic Sans MC for the name though. B is much bolder, and would be better for a sign, but I don't get the squishy gray thing between the kids and the title. I also find the curving tagline difficult to read and the other half of the circle is dark black because... ? I'd pick A but make the type a little punchier (not as strong as B, but stronger than it is now). Good luck!
I like the pastels and the petals shaped like hearts. Looks like they would be taught with love.
it is more soft and subtle. design B is loud and a bit jumbly and both the kid are white.
It looks more professional than B.
A is a much more professional looking image, and much less noisy to the eyes. The flower looks very clean and pleasing, whereas in B the text is a bit tough to read, and the picture looks messy.
Since this is a logo for a preschool academy, the colors, font and the logo seem appropriate. The colors are softer in this one compared to the other logo, which appears too striking for the kind of service it is representing. Moreover, a flower as a logo is more child-friendly and easier on the eye.
Logo A is nice and simple. When I think of a "logo" I think of something that is simple, recognizable, and memorable. Logo B is too busy, too much information to take in for a logo.
This logo looks more feminine and thus would appeal to mothers, who are the majority of the clients that are going to be taking their children to this facility.
A is better because of it's clean design. B is full of black, which is hard and dirty in my mind. Preschool and black just don't seem right together.
More sophisticated, less hokey. Type could use some punching up: darker, less common font.
One is simple and easy to read. I like B but it is too busy. There is too much going on.
I like logo A better because it is more academic. Logo B looks a little like a coloring book cover. Not as professional.
It is cleaner, simpler and easier to read while still conveying the colorful playfulness of a preschool.
The 'A' logo is a little more grown up; The 'B' logo is too childish and makes me feel a little that I'm being talked down to, or slightly guilty that I don't think every parent's sunrise and sunset as their child.
Logo B is "too busy" and the colors are too dark. When your tag phrase is "Preschool with results you can SEE," you can't "see" your tag phrase in Logo B but it's definitely visible in Logo A.
Logo B is too cartoony. I assume the logo is meant to appeal to parents. The left one (Logo A) does this better.
It for some reason it seems more friendly and approachable, which is important for me when children are involved.
I just think A is a really cute logo. I like the colors and the graphics better than B. I'm not real fond of the images of the children in B and the colors are a little harsh.
I liked choice A as it is sweet and simple and does not seem loud. The colors are bright without being loud and gawdy. Children too will love this logo for their school. It conveys relevant information about the field i.e. education.
Its a cleaner look. The graphic of the flower is really good. Plus the mission statement flows better under the Academy's name.
Looks a lot more professional, well balanced graphic design.
It looks more creative.
It's clean, clear, and stays relevant to children/child care while looking "adult" enough to represent a business.
I like A better because it seems more professional and goes better with the tagline of "preschool with results you can SEE." The pale colors also play off of the young age of the children without being overly playful as in option B.
Because it is simple and pleasing into eyes.
Looks more professional, and I don't like the gradient in ACADEMY in logo 2. Also the boy in logo 2 looks ill.
i like the organic feel of option a. i like the flower--it feels like things are growing--young minds are growing, etc. i think the text could be more interesting graphically.
While "B" is appealing, its appeal is basically to children. I chose "A" because the phrase "Preschool with results you can SEE" is more prominent and the general design is soothing and adult. And it is adults who will be choosing (and paying). It just seems more professional and serious. I also really like the name of the school and "A" presents a better version of that name.
I like A better because it's simple and pretty, but B isn't bad at all!
I prefer Logo A because it is far easier to read. Logo B at a glance seems unprofessional and kind of messy. Sometimes, less is more.
It's a simple logo (easier to use in marketing). Conveys a happy, loving environment.
I like the first one better because it will appeal to both adults and children. Adults can appreciate the professional-looking logo of the first one, sprinkled with a touch of cutesy-ness. While the children will appreciate the little smile in one of the petals. The soft colors also complement the professional-looking logo and layout of the first one.
Choice B looks like a Wii character knockoff. It also comes across as harsher than choice A. I find choice A comforting and friendly, soothing almost. It seems more welcoming than choice B.
Image B looks like it came off a game or tv. You aren't catering to the child when it comes to a daycare's logo. You want parents to think its a place children can be nurtured.
Logo A is simple and classy. Logo B is cartoonish to a fault.
Logo A seems more appealing. It doesn't have the black around it. I think when you think of a pre-school atmosphere, you think of vivid colors. The other attribute is that A looks more on the professional side.
the script is neat and easily readable. also the flower with the hearts for petals is attractive. the whole picture is neat, concise, and quietyly attractive. it draws your eye but the logo is not too busy and overdrawn.
Neither are great but the children in option B look kind of creepy. Not sure what dads would like about the heart/flower in option A though. Option A is easier to read and looks more professional.
Logo A is very clean and professional looking. Logo B is very cartoonish and amature. Just by looking at the logos, I would assume A was a more trustworthy, higher quality preschool because they invested in a professional looking logo.
It looks more professional. B is a little too busy and cutesy. A is both friendly-looking and simpler.
Option looks understated, yet professional. The look would appeal to someone looking for a sophisticated and professional preschool. option B looks too cartoonish.
"A" looks a bit more professional but still fun and colorful which makes it welcoming. It would draw my attention as a place I might want to consider more than "B" would.
B is a little too busy. I think A wll be more flexible (look good and be readable in a variety of sizes, and would look OK if copied in B&W for example), Plus I just plain like the flower design which seems sweet, while the kids in B look too cartoonish and are "off" somehow

49 Logo B Votes - Reason Description

More bold colors that stand out better from the page. The first one was too soft in the colors and it looked washed out.
More friendly and childlike - brown haired child should have a smile, looks unhappy and confused.
colorful and simple, easy to understand.
For me it say kids are number one. Very colorful and draws the eye to it.
Selection B is more colorful and cheerful. I feel that it is much more eye catching than selection A. Selection A seems to me to have a washed out appearance.
It's more colorful, and it goes well with the theme (results you can see).
Clearly better looking with the children and vibrant colors
This logo suits more for a preschool. It is colorful and I like the two kids. The two lovely and happy kids would make parents think that their kids will be happy in this preschool. Also it will be more obvious that this place is related to kids even without looking at the words.
it attracts my attention more
The font is bigger and the colors are brighter. Plus, B is more representative of a preschool and when used on an outdoor sign, it will assist people in finding the location of the preschool.
Colorful. And the 2 kids in the picture explain what its about without words or better than a flower symbol does. The first one looks like it could be for a garden nursery + is harder to read in the green writing
The second logo easily displays the purpose of the company without any descriptions. It is very visually appealing and easy to read.
Logo B is better because of the actual representation of the business involved and also, more brighter and catchy than logo A. Since MorningStar Academy is a preschool, the logo B aptly portrays the two kids to convey the point.
I like B because it's bright and colorful and it's more fitting with the product.
Logo "b" seems more appealing to a pre-school. When I looked at it I pretty much knew that it was involving children and a school. The colors also are more relevant to children. The logo seems more inviting than the other logo.
Image B is instantly recognizable as a children's symbol and is colorful as well as bright and friendly-looking.
Bolder colors seems to stand out more.
Logo B is a brighter, more colorful logo and is more likely to spark intrest in 'morning star acamedemy'.
It's more attention grabbing.
It is bright and colorful. Looks like they would have fun there. They are saying they would learn alot by being there. Id send my children there.
It looks more attractive and colourful than A. It shows children images in logo to indicate academy. so B is the best one.
Brighter picture which I feel would appeal towards a toddler group. An d the second reason I ask my 3 year old which one he liked.
seems more inviting.. a little more modern i think.. when i look at the first i see professionalism but i also see expensive... the other looks like something i would want my child to goto.. fun and at his level
B. is more personal and friendly because it shows two little kids of different races but also incorporates important info.
I think B is more modern and more eye checking. I like the brighter colors and I think it is more kid friendly and draws much more attention. Also, B is more original.
Its more creative and colorful
They're both really good. A would be more versatile and easy to reproduce, but if this is not a concern I think B is much more attractive. It also conveys an obvious "preschool feeling"
I like the bright, primary colors in the second logo better. Since it is for a preschool, the "little kid" look those colors provide just seem to work better, in my opinion.
The second one show kids and to me that shows more what the business is about. Someone can look at the logo quickly and know that the academy is for children.
More colorful and eye catching. I also like the drawing of the 2 little children.
I like the bold colors, the font, and the picture of the happy kids. Parents want their kids to be happy at day care, knowing that they have to be there because the parents need to work. My son is at aftercare after he gets off school at two pm every day and given a choice between the two logos at the top of this page, I would pick the second one over the first one, all other things being equal.
Although I liked A as it is easier to read, the happy children in the B choice clearly show that the business is about children. And I like the bright and cheerful colors.
I like B because it is bright,and shows what service you are selling.
The colors are great for a preschool. I like that there is a picture with children except the brown haired is goofy looking. It's funner and more memorable and noticeable.
Create a much better appeal for the kids
The pictures of teh kids tell me just what it is. The jelly bean shape between the circle and the words is odd.
B because A looks too grown-up and serious for a preschool.
B is much more colorful and seems much more fun!
Its very colorful and catching to eyes. I liked the cartoons.
More colorful than A much more interesting looking
I liked b better because of the graphics. Also since it relates to preschool it would b e better to use the kids instead of a flower
B is more kid-friendly...A-looks like it might be for a nursery...like a plant nursery...I like the magnifying glass concept..and the cross in the background....you might want to think about adding a boy to the group....just a thought!
I think this logo looks more fun and friendly. It shows kids having a good time and I think that is an important messge to send even if its subtle
Much more colorful and attention grabbing
I prefer Logo B because it looks more preschool like. I think option B would speak more to the parents of a preschooler than A would. The colors are bright and cheery and stand out more. I think option B would look great on a T-shirt.
B is more cuter
Magnifying glass works well with the tagline.
A couple of reasons right off the bat. First, the "results you can see" line is hard to see in example "A". Second, the bright colors in "B" seem to correspond with the way preschoolers see the world - all bright and exciting and so forth.
it is very colourful and attractive.

Cameron's World: Superbowl Skybox

Scott Cate — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:48:00 GMT

He’s not really watching the superbowl, he’s watching Noggin’. But it’s cute that he created this little fort to watch TV.

Courtney wants in, but Cameron says “She’s just a little baby, and too dangerous to get in my fort”.

This radio flyer was a gift from Judy, and he uses it every chance he gets. Thank you Judy!

Courtney’s World: Morning Ritual

Scott Cate — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:40:00 GMT

The best part of my day over the last few months has been 15-20 minutes somewhere between 5am and 6:30am each morning. My wake up time depends on when baby Courtney decides to start rolling around in her crib. She used to cry when she woke up to get our attention; because she knows that there is a fresh warm bottle on the menu. Cameron and Courtney each have their own room, and their doors pretty much face each other. So when Courtney starts making noise in the morning, She needs a fresh diaper and a bottle to avoid waking up Cameron (and sometimes mommy).

Over the past few weeks, Courtney has (with some exceptions) not cried when she woke up, but instead asks for Dada. We have a video monitor in our room, so every little peep gets played, and acts as my alarm clock. She's not yelling, but just in a nice quiet voice puts a bunch of noises together, with some "da's" in there, and to me it sounds like "mmmmmmmm dadadad , mmmmm dada". Music to my ears.

I get up and make my way downstairs to the microwave, heat up 6oz of water (in glass; :) no plastic in the microware please) and make her bottle. Sometimes I have the forethought to prepare this setup the night before, but mostly I have to make it on demand. Flip on the coffee pot, and get back up stairs to feed Courtney.

This has to be one of the best times not only of my day, but of my life. I really look forward to it every morning. Things are a little crazy with work, the current bad economy, yesterday I got a traffic ticket, blah, blah, blah. None of that matters for this 15-20 minutes. Courtney is so peaceful, happy, smiley, and (the best part) clingy, that I can’t help but ignore the daily stress of life and just enjoy her company for a few minutes.

While she’s drinking her bottle, I can give her a fresh new diaper, which just takes about 45 seconds. When she’s done with her 6-7 ounces, she politely hands me her bottle (ok not really, she just pushes it away and I’m ready for it) and then rolls over to snuggle up. I love this part, and she does it every day. When she’s drinking her bottle, she’s laying on her back across my lap, with her head in the crease of my left elbow. When she’s done with her body, she rolls towards me, and lifts her head up. Now she lies down with her head on my left shoulder, and our bodies are parallel. She get’s a little burp out, and I can tell she is perfectly content.

Cameron is 3 1/2 and it seems like just yesterday we found out we were pregnant with him. Time goes by fast, and I’m sure that someday soon my morning ritual with Courtney will change, but for now, it’s the greatest way I can imagine to get my day started.