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I'm getting rid of my satellite TV service. I've had DirecTV for nearly 10 years now, and I'm tired of paying $64/month for a service I use so infrequently. Now with so many TV shows and movies available on the internet (such as Hulu and Amazon's Video on Demand service), there's a lot less need for TV subscriptions.

However, one may want TV for things like local news and breaking news. For that I'm going back to over-the-air service. But gone are the rabbit ears and fuzzy reception from last century. I'm upgrading to the digital age, and the Winegard MS-2002 is the ideal antenna for the job.

From all of my research, I chose this antenna for several reasons:

• It's omni-directional, making installation easy. There's no need to aim it for best reception.
• It's amplified, so it will pull in weaker signals with ease.
• It's mounted outdoors, which means a bit more work on installation, but a better signal overall.
  
• It's inexpensive. At only $59 shipped, it's less than a month of my current TV service.

They sell a version of the antenna with 50' of coaxial cable, if you don't already have one. (I simply used one of the cables from the satellite dish on my roof; it works perfectly.) However, the difference in price is over $40, and you can get 50' (or even 100') of cable for a lot less than that.

Coupled with my government-subsidized digital TV converter box, this makes a fine backup for internet TV. And the beauty is, once I finally get an HDTV, this antenna will work perfectly with it as well.

Get a Winegard MS-2002 from Amazon

Get Glenlivet 12 from BevMo!

Yes, even in this world of iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, NetFlix, and even BitTorrent, there is still occasionally a need to buy a CD or DVD. It could be a rare item or an import not available on the digital sites. Or it could just be a 45 DVD collection that would be unwieldy via digital delivery. In times like this, I turn to Deep Discount.

Deep Discount has a really great selection, extremely cheap prices, and free shipping on all purchases. So you can buy a single CD or DVD and not have to fill the order up with something else, like you would at Amazon. They even have a low price guarantee, so you can buy with confidence.

Here are a few things I recently bought through Deep Discount (and Amazon's price for comparison):

• The West Wing complete collection: $184.78 (Amazon: $209.99)
• Get Nack by Ben Folds Five: $16.36 (Amazon: $31.99)
• TV Eyes by Jason Falkner: $35.25 (Amazon: $51.99)

As Dan Crevier helpfully points out in the comments, you can get an additional 4% off Deep Discount's already-low price by going through the Live Search Cashback promotion. Just enter the site via this page.

Shop at DeepDiscount.com

I bought this lead on a whim from a local store that was going out of business. It turns out to have been a great purchase, even at full price.

I've had my share of Flexi-leads over the years. The concept is great, but they are always too big and heavy, and they require you to actively grip it by the handle. The Zip Lead, in contrast, is small, light, and secures around your wrist like a fixed length lead. It can fit into a coat pocket easily, and it can be locked off and used as a fixed lead if needed.

I got the medium one for my dog, and the 10 foot length is perfect. I had previously had an "extra long" lead which went out 20 feet, and that is just too far. It's too easy for the little bugger to get wrapped around a bush, or to get up a good head of steam thereby yanking it clear out of my hand.

Based on my experiences with this product and their clear support of shelter dog adoption, I'm definitely going to check out the other stuff made by Planet Dog.

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On February 17, 2009, all over-the-air TV broadcasts will cease transmission in the analog format and switch exclusively to digital. While this doesn't affect those who have cable or satellite TV, it does for everyone else. And as someone who is looking for a way to drop the $60+ monthly bill from DirecTV, it seems like a perfect opportunity to do so.

The US government is helping people out with the switch by providing $40 coupons towards the purchase of a converter box. Granted, these are pretty bare-bones options in this program, but you can't beat the final price of $10-$40. So your first order of business is to request those coupons on their site: https://www.dtv2009.gov

After you wait the 4-6 weeks for the coupon to show up, you're ready to buy your converter box. I consider an S-video output to be an essential feature; Most modern TVs have an S-video input, and it gives a much sharper and richer picture than a coax RF or RCA connection. So that leaves us with just two options: The Apex D250 and the ChannelMaster CM-7000.

From the customer reviews tab on BestBuy.com, it looks like there are serious quality issues with the Apex. The CM-7000 reviews while fewer in number have a more reassuring tenor than Apex. So for me the choice is clear. The cheapest I could find it online is from SolidSignal.com.

Get a CM-7000 from Solid Signal

A colleague is off to his first official job managing people, and this is the one book I recommended. Really all of the books that Marcus Buckinham has written are good. But this is his first and best.

The thing that makes it so great is the underlying methodology. They studied countless people in a variety of companies, organizations, and workgroups. From that they distilled out the  themes that were common among great managers.

At the highest level, it comes down to the people. Spare no expense in finding the right person from the job (or conversely, getting the wrong person out of the job). Once you have them, focus on their talents and strengths, spending as little time as possible mitigating weaknesses. Spend the most time and effort on your best employees. And finally, clearly define the desired outcomes and appropriately reward for achievement. Don't dictate the means by which results are achieved. 

If you read only one book about people management in your life, make it this one.

Get First Break All the Rules from Amazon

I am an interaction designer by trade. I deal mostly with defining the concepts and flows for interacting with a system (like a web site). But the success of my designs are heavily influenced by the visuals of the final implementation. As such, I took it upon myself to learn the basics of graphic design.

I read through a bunch of different books, and found that The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams was the best. It presents the concepts simply and plainly and uses a lot of illustrated examples.

Since typography is a big part of graphic design, I also recommend you read a book on typography. Luckily, Robin Williams has written just such a book, and there is a single volume that contains both the Design and Type books. This is a must-read for any interaction designer or front-end developer. But anyone who puts together a newsletter or resume or party invitation or greeting card would benefit from it.

Get the Non-Designer's Design Book from Amazon

I've had dogs as both a kid and an adult. I've tried a variety of dog collars and harnesses, and the Gentle Leader Easy Walk is my top pick.

The primary goal is to prevent the dog from pulling. A standard collar does little to dissuade the dog from pulling, and if he pulls to sharply, it can choke him. My dog used to get a bald band around his neck from pulling on his collar. Pinch collars are right out; it is simply animal cruelty.

A standard harness is pretty much optimized for pulling. It's better on the dog than a collar, but with a harness he can really get his weight behind it.

Gentle Leader also makes a device that rests on the top of dog's snout. While it works OK, I can't abide the look of it. It reminds me too much of a muzzle used for a dog who bites. Judging from the body language of passerby, others feel the same way.

The Easy Walk by Gentle Leader fits on much like a standard harness, but it has straps that compress across the dog's chest as he pulls. It's designed to be uncomfortable, but not physically hurt the dog.

Of course the best thing to do is to actually train your dog properly not to pull in the first place. One of these days...  

Get a Gentle Leader from Amazon

I've always disliked bottles in the shower. They are slippery, non-ergonomic, and nearly impossible to get the last 5% of the product out without resorting to aggressive human-on-bottle violence.

Life has been a lot better since I installed a shampoo/soap dispenser. I get just the right amount of product using only one hand. I don't have to pick up and put down (and drop, and pick up) a bottle. And I can drain the bottles dry by leaving them upside-down at the top of the dispenser.

I like the Aviva since it has transparent chambers, making it easy to tell when things are running low. It's also compact and a nice neutral color compared with other brands. I have the 3-chamber version, since I use soap, shampoo and conditioner. Although perhaps I should upgrade to the 4 chamber dispenser so I can have my rated best shaving oil in there too.

Get an Aviva Trio dispenser from Amazon