The Lex Files

From the Grab blog: STOP! In the name of love! Or, the LAPD.

Two coworkers (Brian and Joe) and I were walking outside today. 

We noted not one, not two, but THREE helicopters swarming in the skies above us.  One of which was doing massive loops.  That third copter was emblazoned with “POLICE.”

Good times!

We looked up at the overpass from the 405 freeway that runs (or, more accurately, “crawls”) through Los Angeles.  Right there in front of us, was a standoff.  Police cars, an abandoned truck, and a nervous looking man. 

Brian grabbed for his camera phone.  He’s new to LA.  He was excited.  LA-regulars don’t get excited about earthquakes that knock A-list celebrities into their laps while in the middle of a gun battle, so Joe and I were less interested, but still excited on Brian’s behalf.

I was ready to continue our walk, when Brian yelped in excitement and enthusiastically shook my shoulder.  “He’s got his hands up! His hands are up!”

Brian tried to film the whole scene on his cell phone, but forgot key features like starting to record and zooming in on the action until much of the scene had unfolded.  But we did see the gentlemen ordered to the ground, and then swarmed by officers with their guns drawn.

Good times. I love LA.

From the Grab blog: Well, that’s embarassing.

Dear lex,



I noticed you haven’t posted anything new on your Grab Blog in a while. Since http://blogs.grab.com/lex is one of my bookmarks, I tend to check your blog out a lot, and it hasn’t changed in more than a week!



I don’t know if you’re aware, but every single day Grab offers a new “Blog Idea of the Day.” That way, if you happen to have writer’s block, we still offer a fun, easy starting point for a quick blog post when you want to say SOMETHING - but can’t think of anything to say!



Anyway, I think it’s time you get back to your blog and share your thoughts with us again. I can’t wait to read what you have to say!



Click the link below to write a new post for your blog - and maybe even try out that Blog Idea of the Day! I can’t wait to check it out!

http://blogs.grab.com/Post.aspx?blog_id=2



Sincerely,

Lex

Chief Blog Enthusiast

Grab.com

From the Grab blog: The Joy of TiVo

Anyone who’s read my blog with any regularity knows that I’m a big TiVo aficionado. I’m a big television aficionado, and TiVo makes that much, much easier. When TV watching is stressful — labeling tapes, being home at the right time, battling with the VCR, keeping up with schedules — it loses some luster. When TiVo does it all for me, I am satisfied.

Lauren and I espoused the Joy of TiVo to our families so much that both her and my parents have purchased their own TiVos. And with TiVo’s new pricing model (eliminating the “Product Lifetime Subscription” in favor of a cell-phone type model — the phone is free, with a slightly higher monthly charge), I even motivated a coworker to purchase his second TiVo with the lifetime subscription while he still could.

And each one of these three TiVo purchases had one thing in common: I got “TiVo Reward Points” each time.

TiVo Reward Points are like currency. Only, currency that you can only use for silly TiVo things.

We are now the proud owners of a bright red TiVo remote. It sits in a drawer. We haven’t put in batteries, and thus haven’t programmed it to work with our TV. We already have two remotes, one for each TiVo. I consider this one a backup.

We’re also proud owners of a delightful pair of TiVo slippers. They’re extra-large, like my feet. And they even have little antennae sticking out. Cloth ones, of course.

And fret not, dear friends. With one more TiVo purchase that refers me, we’ll get enough TiVo Reward Points for Lauren to get her small TiVo slippers, too.

From the Grab blog: The Simpons, LIVE!

This video has been making the rounds, and it amuses me. Live actors, re-enacting the opening credit sequence of The Simpsons.

From the Grab blog: Neilsen Ratings

I bet it would be cool if you were selected as one of the new families whose TiVo usage was being tracked for Neilsen Ratings.



Unfortunately, if you are one of those families, you’re required to remain anonymous, so you could never celebrate the coolness.



Too bad for those people.