Mr. Tibbs, the slightly mischievous looking fellow pictured above, became part of my parents’ household about a year ago.  Since then he has managed to find countless ways in which to drive my parents bonkers.

Earlier today, I received a very humorous e-mail from my mother, a huge cat lover and fellow ASPCA supporter.  It would seem Mr. Tibbs is officially on a mission to steal Christmas.

The e-mail:

Today Mr. Tibbs climbed 3/4 of the way up the tree, going up the middle, and wrecked my garland.  I am totally OCD about the garland being exactly right and even.  It took me an hour to get it right yesterday.  Luckily I only had 3 ornaments on the tree, ones we bought this year, and hadn’t brought the others upstairs yet.

I heard this jingle noise while I was upstairs sorting laundry.  I thought, nah - that can’t be the jingle bell ornament, it’s too high up the tree.  Came down to check and there was Mr. Tibbs’ little face poking through the branches.  He also bent the branches that took me over an hour to refluff.

His other little escapade this morning was to knock 3 trees off the plant shelf in the foyer.  I put those red cone trees with the clear lights (they were in dining room last year) up there because your Dad wanted them there really bad.  I told him the cats would knock them off.  Only took one day!  They’re big too - 3 1/2 ft, 2 1/2 ft, and a 1 1/2ft one.  Heard a HUGE crash and there they were lying on the tile.  I think Mr. Tibbs may have gone flying down with them.

Before that he tore up the dining room centerpiece, the wreath on the dining room window, and pulled apart the kitchen centerpiece.  He’s had a full and busy morning.  Needless to say, he is in the basement for the time being.  Moral of this story is don’t be surprised if you come home one day to a trashed tree since cats are capable of climbing a fake tree, even without front claws.

So there you have it, the tale of a cat on a mission to steal Christmas.

After posting this review this afternoon, AeroPress Inventor Alan Adler was kind enough to post some additional advice.  See the follow-up video below for the corrections.  My one gripe has now been addressed. For Alan’s comment, check out the comments section.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment as well.

The Airport Authority was nice enough to host a “Community Days” event back in early October to help everyone become familiar with the facility before the big opening day. As much as I travel for work, I figured it would be a good idea to check it out myself. The video below will give you a quick glimpse into the new facility. If you ever travel to Indianapolis, hopefully you will appreciate the impressive new facility.

With the introduction of the brick aluminum body style of the new MacBook Pro, many online retailers are trying to move their old stock. A quick look on MacConnection.com today shows last generation MacBook Pros starting at $1449.95 after rebate. That’s $550 less than MSRP just last week.

A visit over to eBay shows new units available from around $1,300 if you look in the right place. With the 10% off coupon being offered to many eBay users, the deal gets even better. You are allowed to take up to $100 off a purchase with that coupon brining the price to almost $1,200.

The lesson here, if you have been in the market for a new Apple portable then take advantage of these savings while old stock is still available. Just like in the automotive industry, new body styles almost always make for great savings on the past model year. Sure, you won’t look “cutting edge” but you will get a great deal.

Here are some quick links for those interested:

MacConnection

MacMall

Amazon.com

Rumors surrounding the event suggested we would see numerous changes and, for the most part, Steve didn’t disappoint. In addition to the new MacBook and MacBook Pro portables, we also saw the introduction of a new 24-inch LED Cinema Display, an update to the MacBook Air, a $100 price drop on the base white MacBook and a speed bump for the 17″ MacBook Pro. Check out the video below for some additional information on the new manufacturing process used for the new MacBook and MacBook Pro. The aluminum brick method is interesting to see in action.

However, the response from consumers to the announcement has been less exciting than usual.  A trip over to macrumors.com reveals some fans are finding annoying caveats regarding the new design.  Some of the big issues:

• The MacBook no longer offers Firewire (400 or 800) and the Pro now only offers Firewire 800.  This is not good news for users with Firewire peripherals such as external hard drives, sound cards, video cameras, etc.  Apple computers are supposedly designed with video editing in mind yet a decision was made to remove Firewire from the best selling portable.  It may be old but Firewire is still the standard many MiniDV camcorders use for the transfer and capturing of content to and from tape.

• Apple has adopted a new manufacturing technique involving carving the case structure out of solid pieces of aluminum.  While this definitely makes for a more solid case design, it may also be keeping the price of the machines from dropping.  Many excited consumers were expecting to see a new MacBook priced to take on the other computer manufacturers offering machines for half the price.  Instead, the price for the aluminum MacBook models starts at $1,299.

• Apple has employed a two-tone color scheme to the MacBook and MacBook Pro to match the look of the iMac and new Cinema Display.  Some like it while others seem to feel it distracts from the “clean” look of past products.

• While it is nice to see LED display technology standard on the new MacBook and MacBook Pro, many users are bothered by the discontinuation of the matte screen option for the MBP.  For those who work outdoors or in an office with bright lights, the glossy screen may prove to be an issue.  Also, some people have complained of additional eyestrain while working with a glossy screen.  This one is definitely a personal preference issue.

• The new touchpad is now made up of glass and no longer features a tactile button.  Users will have to learn to interact with their computer in a slightly different manner from before.  Not a big deal to some but an inconvenience to others.

• MacBook Pro buyers who wish to use any display other than Apple’s new Cinema Display will have to purchase the $29 adapter to go from the Mini DisplayPort to standard DVI.  An added expense for a majority of MBP buyers.

The new manufacturing process should definitely make for less dented aluminum cases and will no doubt solve the discoloration issues surrounding the white MacBooks.  However, the price for the entry level Macbook has really gone up $200 as I don’t consider dropping the price of old technology a real solution.  Eventually Apple will phase out the white MacBook to keep a universal appearance among all their portables and the new entry price will be $1299 here in the States.

My take on today’s updates – the price is going to scare away a large pool of potential buyers.  Even at $899, Apple could have entered into the sub $1,000 buyer pool.  With Windows based laptops going for around $600 well equipped these days, Apple is going to have to offer more than a fancy new case and OS X to persuade many average consumers.

Is owning an Apple computer instead of say, a Dell, really a luxury?  Sure.  Is it so much a luxury that people are going to pay double for similar hardware?  I’m sure it is for some, however for many others, I’m willing to bet the decision will be easy.  Then again, this is nothing new in the world of Apple vs. PC.  People have grown to understand Apple products come at a premium.  I just think many people expected for Apple to try to put an end to that mindset with the new MacBooks.  It would appear not.