OK, so maybe Bono knows a thing or two about the plight of some African nations economically and that the way the World Bank has been operating doesn't work but appointing a rock star as head of a world economic organization? Shoot, why don't we put Mick Jagger in there instead? At least he has a college degree in economics.
Really, this would be like appointing Jay Leno in charge of Harley Davidson just because he knows a thing or two about motorbikes.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Oscars Post Mortem
Personally, I agree with Chris Rock, awards for something that is artistic is really silly. They are very subjective and, as we've seen in the past, very political. George C. Scott did the right thing in turning his down and ever since then, I've barely watched the Oscars ceremonies.
I did, for the sake of full disclosure unlike some journalists, watch the last 45 minutes of last night's broadcast and here are my thoughts:
I did, for the sake of full disclosure unlike some journalists, watch the last 45 minutes of last night's broadcast and here are my thoughts:
- Hillary Swank gave a great speech. She is an excellent speaker.
- Looks like Million Dollar Baby didn't win all the awards. Jamie Foxx was brilliant as Ray Charles and clearly deserved the best actor nod.
- There was a definite battle for best picture. Sideways was good but not of the same caliber as Ray and The Aviator. Couldn't judge Million Dollar Baby since I haven't seen it.
- Was it me or did it seem that Chris Rock wasn't as good a host as Billy Crystal or Steve Martin have been? His voice didn't carry that well and his jokes just didn't have the oomph as Billy or Steve's jokes did. Even Paul Simon did a better job when he hosted the Grammys one year. Maybe Jamie Foxx should host because from what I saw in his acceptance speech was a clear command of the audience and he's funny. How about Cedric the Entertainer?
- Not only is Clint Eastwood's mom 92 years-old, she was sitting right there and looked very well for her age. My grandmother never looked so good and she passed away last April at 94. Wow.
- That acceptance speech timer was really getting on the nerves of some of the winners. Buy a clue, keep the speech short and don't worry if your pet hampster didn't receive adulations.
- Charlize Theron spoke in an American accent. She's South African and lives in South Africa. Ooh, this will not sit well with the South African press.
- Martin Scorsese was robbed again. Go figure. He and people like Johnny Depp operate outside the mainstream so my guess is that while Marty would like an Oscar, he gets enough other awards. The Oscars tend to be very political, hence why I don't pay too much attention to it or the Grammys.
- Sean Penn is very much like Jack Nicholson. Very much following his own set of rules.
Biden: Hillary Likely 2008 Nominee
Joseph Biden said that if Hillary gets in the 2008 Presidential election game, she'll probably be the nominee.
I'm sure this, of course, is news to John Kerry who has said, at least twice, he is the 2008 front runner. This is also news to John Edwards who said he won't step aside if Kerry runs.
But...What Would Dean Do?
I'm sure this, of course, is news to John Kerry who has said, at least twice, he is the 2008 front runner. This is also news to John Edwards who said he won't step aside if Kerry runs.
But...What Would Dean Do?
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Jef Raskin 1944 - 2005
Jef Raskin, Apple employee number 31 and founder of the Macintosh project, died Saturday from cancer. He was 61 years-old.
Raskin was also a Penn State University alumni. He earned his Masters degree in computer science.
According to macminute.com:
Raskin was also a Penn State University alumni. He earned his Masters degree in computer science.
According to macminute.com:
Jef Raskin, the human-computer interface expert who began the Macintosh project for Apple, passed away Saturday, at age 61. Raskin, author of such books as "The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems," reportedly died of cancer. Raskin joined Apple in 1978 as employee No. 31, but left the company in 1982 amid a dispute with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. The Macintosh was launched two years later in 1984.Thanks Jef, for your vision and work with personal computers.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
What's On Your iPod?
Some years ago, Apple had an advertising campaign that asked, "What's on your PowerBook" and featured celebrities and lists of what software they had on their PowerBooks.
President Bush was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2004. The Person of the Year issue of Time featured a photo of Bush riding on his mountain bike and wearing an iPod. This begged the new question of "What's on your iPod?"
According to the Free New Mexican, Bush listens to Kenny Chesney, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Alan Jackson, Aaron Neville, and Van Morrison.
Surely he also has Rudy Giuliani's speech from the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City (currently available as a free download at the iTunes Music Store).
What's on my iPod? The Who, The Beatles, R.E.M., Eric Clapton, U2, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Gabriel, Simon and Garfunkel, Dido, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Cheap Trick, Gin Blossoms, Crowded House, Modern English, Dire Straits, George C. Scott as General George S. Patton, John F. Kennedy speeches, Scottish and Irish folk songs as well as some bagpipe tunes.
President Bush was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2004. The Person of the Year issue of Time featured a photo of Bush riding on his mountain bike and wearing an iPod. This begged the new question of "What's on your iPod?"
According to the Free New Mexican, Bush listens to Kenny Chesney, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Alan Jackson, Aaron Neville, and Van Morrison.
Surely he also has Rudy Giuliani's speech from the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City (currently available as a free download at the iTunes Music Store).
What's on my iPod? The Who, The Beatles, R.E.M., Eric Clapton, U2, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Gabriel, Simon and Garfunkel, Dido, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Cheap Trick, Gin Blossoms, Crowded House, Modern English, Dire Straits, George C. Scott as General George S. Patton, John F. Kennedy speeches, Scottish and Irish folk songs as well as some bagpipe tunes.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Marines Change Uniform Code
While it may not be as big an issue, or as noticeable, as when the Army switched to berets for headwear, the Marines have changed the required uniform to wear when delivering death notices to families. Instead of the Dress Blue uniform, they will wear the Service "A" uniform.
While not as sharp as the Dress Blues, the Service "A"s are very nice looking as well.
Some people have reported seeing the men and women in the dress blues and automatically thinking they were delivering tragic news. Thus, the decision to require use of the Service "A" uniforms for these duties instead.
Really, there isn't a winner in this decision but the thinking was probably that the Dress Blues are worn at ceremonial functions, such as a funeral, so this is a good compromise.
Here are the uniforms in question.
While not as sharp as the Dress Blues, the Service "A"s are very nice looking as well.
Some people have reported seeing the men and women in the dress blues and automatically thinking they were delivering tragic news. Thus, the decision to require use of the Service "A" uniforms for these duties instead.
Really, there isn't a winner in this decision but the thinking was probably that the Dress Blues are worn at ceremonial functions, such as a funeral, so this is a good compromise.
Here are the uniforms in question.
Time To Review Those Passwords
The news is all about the second illegal access to Paris Hilton's cell phone. How did someone get into her account? They probably called up TMobile saying they forgot the password. TMobile asked the secret question, "What's your favorite pet's name."
If you've watched Paris on the "Simple Life" shows or heard about her dog being kidnapped, the answer was easy: Tinkerbell.
If you have passwords that are that simple and lots of people know what the answer is, time to change it. Here are some guidelines.
If you've watched Paris on the "Simple Life" shows or heard about her dog being kidnapped, the answer was easy: Tinkerbell.
If you have passwords that are that simple and lots of people know what the answer is, time to change it. Here are some guidelines.
Fear Factor: The Lost Cell Phone
Endgadget recently wrote about the fear of losing a cell phone. Some people believe that if they lose their cell phone, they are absolutely dead in the water because their contact list would be gone.
The simple answer is to backup the phone's data. There are lots of ways to do so these days and which method to use is dependent on which phone you have.
For example, I connect my cell phone to my computer with a special cable. The software then backs up the data.
Endgadget believes that cell carriers should get more involved in improving customer awareness of the need to and solutions to back up a cell phone.
One reason why they may not be more involved is because their tech and sales staff would need to become more aware of the various options and start getting computer related questions they don't need to deal with.
I think more cell phones should come with memory cards you can take out of the phone much like the computer disk.
The simple answer is to backup the phone's data. There are lots of ways to do so these days and which method to use is dependent on which phone you have.
For example, I connect my cell phone to my computer with a special cable. The software then backs up the data.
Endgadget believes that cell carriers should get more involved in improving customer awareness of the need to and solutions to back up a cell phone.
One reason why they may not be more involved is because their tech and sales staff would need to become more aware of the various options and start getting computer related questions they don't need to deal with.
I think more cell phones should come with memory cards you can take out of the phone much like the computer disk.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Kurt Loder on Gonzo Journalism
Hunter S. Thompson was found dead in his home this past Sunday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No further details have been made official as of yet.
Much has been written since Sunday on the life and times of Hunter S. Thompson, but only Kurt Loder was able to explain Thompson's writing and why he was able to stay ahead of the game with regard to the so-called "Gonzo Journalism" or "new journalism."
Much has been written since Sunday on the life and times of Hunter S. Thompson, but only Kurt Loder was able to explain Thompson's writing and why he was able to stay ahead of the game with regard to the so-called "Gonzo Journalism" or "new journalism."
The One About the 3 Apple and 3 Microsoft Engineers
Three Apple engineers and three Microsoft engineers are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, the three Microsoft engineers each buy tickets and watch as the three Apple engineers buy only a single ticket. "How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?" asks a Microsoft engineer. "Watch and you'll see," answers the Apple engineer.
They all board the train. The Microsoft engineers take their respective seats but all three Apple engineers cram into a rest room and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the rest room door and says, "Ticket, please." The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on. The Microsoft engineers saw this and agreed it was quite a clever idea. So after the conference, the Microsoft engineers decide to copy the Apple engineers (as they always do) on the return trip and save some money.
When they get to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the Apple engineers don't buy a ticket at all. "How are you going to travel without a ticket?" asks one perplexed Microsoft engineer. "Watch and you'll see," answers an Apple engineer. When they board the train the three Microsoft engineers cram into a rest room and the three Apple engineers cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, one of the Apple engineers leaves his rest room and walks over to the rest room where the Microsoft employees are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, "Ticket, please..."
Anonymous
[Link]
They all board the train. The Microsoft engineers take their respective seats but all three Apple engineers cram into a rest room and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train has departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the rest room door and says, "Ticket, please." The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on. The Microsoft engineers saw this and agreed it was quite a clever idea. So after the conference, the Microsoft engineers decide to copy the Apple engineers (as they always do) on the return trip and save some money.
When they get to the station, they buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the Apple engineers don't buy a ticket at all. "How are you going to travel without a ticket?" asks one perplexed Microsoft engineer. "Watch and you'll see," answers an Apple engineer. When they board the train the three Microsoft engineers cram into a rest room and the three Apple engineers cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, one of the Apple engineers leaves his rest room and walks over to the rest room where the Microsoft employees are hiding. He knocks on the door and says, "Ticket, please..."
Anonymous
[Link]
Doubting The Sidekick
I used to really like the Sidekick from 
Danger offered by T-Mobile but now I have serious doubts especially after reading that Paris Hilton's Sidekick has been hacked twice.
I've been reading up on cell phones and smart phones to see which direction I want to go in when my New Every 2 anniversary with Verizon Wireless comes up in August.
If I go the standard cell phone route, it will probably be either the LG VX7000, VX8000 or vx8100, which is rumored to be released in June.
The idea of being able to keep contact lists synchronized between the cell phone and computer is something of a grail to me. Thus, I'm also looking at the PalmOne Treo 650 (rumored to be released this Spring or Summer on Verizon) or the Blackberry 7250.
But I have a whole lot of time until August and there's always something new coming out.
Danger offered by T-Mobile but now I have serious doubts especially after reading that Paris Hilton's Sidekick has been hacked twice.I've been reading up on cell phones and smart phones to see which direction I want to go in when my New Every 2 anniversary with Verizon Wireless comes up in August.
If I go the standard cell phone route, it will probably be either the LG VX7000, VX8000 or vx8100, which is rumored to be released in June.
The idea of being able to keep contact lists synchronized between the cell phone and computer is something of a grail to me. Thus, I'm also looking at the PalmOne Treo 650 (rumored to be released this Spring or Summer on Verizon) or the Blackberry 7250.
But I have a whole lot of time until August and there's always something new coming out.
Monday, February 21, 2005
The Home Area Network
When I first started working at CE Software in 1992, I started talking about the idea of a home area network and using programs like CE's QuickMail in the home for electronic mail.
That, of course, was long before there was a viable option for connection to the internet from the home and the advent of publically available email and instant messaging options like Gmail and AOL Instant Messenger/iChat.
If you really want to keep an eye on your kids internet access, setting up your own server room to run electronic mail and chat servers is the way to go. Of course, this wasn't always an easy thing for the neophyte. But the time has come and some folks are looking to build server software for the rest of us. Keep in mind that, as far as I know, internal chat servers will only allow you to chat with people on that specific network. You will not be able to chat with members of AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Jabber, etc. But I see an internal chat server as the modern day home intercom system. Provided, of course, your user name is set to be on the Ignore list.
Here's a great article on one home area network software that might offer a solution for you.
That, of course, was long before there was a viable option for connection to the internet from the home and the advent of publically available email and instant messaging options like Gmail and AOL Instant Messenger/iChat.
If you really want to keep an eye on your kids internet access, setting up your own server room to run electronic mail and chat servers is the way to go. Of course, this wasn't always an easy thing for the neophyte. But the time has come and some folks are looking to build server software for the rest of us. Keep in mind that, as far as I know, internal chat servers will only allow you to chat with people on that specific network. You will not be able to chat with members of AIM, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Jabber, etc. But I see an internal chat server as the modern day home intercom system. Provided, of course, your user name is set to be on the Ignore list.
Here's a great article on one home area network software that might offer a solution for you.
Sideways Wine Tour
Most of the places mentioned in the movie, "Sideways," currently in theatres, are real and the Santa Barbara visitor center has been inundated with requests for travel information to the region. Wisely, the visitor center has posted a self-guided Sideways Wine Tour pamphlet. bearanu has put a Sideways Wine Tour pamplet out on the net in Acrobat PDF format.
That's What Friends Are For
Let's see here...Linda Tripp taped Monica Lewinsky's conversations with Bill Clinton and used their "friendship" to stab at Clinton.
Doug Wead, former aide to President George W. Bush's father, released tapes he secretly made of conversations he had with George W. Bush. Wead said he had no intention of releasing the tapes but was "forced to" by his publisher. Yeah, anything for book publicity. An AP story noted,
John Edwards said he hasn't decided whether or not he will run for the presidency in 2008 but added that he won't step aside if Kerry runs. Maybe he's a little miffed that Kerry recently declared himself the frontrunner for 2008. Then again, didn't Edwards make a similar type statement after the 2004 election? [SOURCE]
And Bush declared that we will be Europe's friend. With friends like France, who needs enemies?
Doug Wead, former aide to President George W. Bush's father, released tapes he secretly made of conversations he had with George W. Bush. Wead said he had no intention of releasing the tapes but was "forced to" by his publisher. Yeah, anything for book publicity. An AP story noted,
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Sunday that the president does not dispute the content of the tapes. McClellan would not comment further, other than to say they were 'casual conversations that then-Governor Bush was having with someone he thought was a friend.'You might say that Wead burned the shed and shot the dog.
John Edwards said he hasn't decided whether or not he will run for the presidency in 2008 but added that he won't step aside if Kerry runs. Maybe he's a little miffed that Kerry recently declared himself the frontrunner for 2008. Then again, didn't Edwards make a similar type statement after the 2004 election? [SOURCE]
And Bush declared that we will be Europe's friend. With friends like France, who needs enemies?
The Royals versus Common Law
This is getting to be too much fun.
According to CNN,
The prince's public spokespersons are talking about the security concerns but there's another issue that is far bigger. The public must have access in order to raise any sort of objection to the marriage.
There are enough people who are opposed to the marriage, out of deference to Princess Diana.
Before this latest bit of news, I really didn't care about the wedding because I am not a fan of the concept of royalty, English or otherwise. Now though, this has the makings of true comedy.
[Link]
According to CNN,
British newspapers reported Monday that under Britain's 1994 Marriage Act, the public must have unfettered access to witness a marriage so they can object if they wish.The ceremony had been moved from Windsor Castle to a town hall because the law said that the castle would then need to be open other common law marriages for three years.
The prince's public spokespersons are talking about the security concerns but there's another issue that is far bigger. The public must have access in order to raise any sort of objection to the marriage.
There are enough people who are opposed to the marriage, out of deference to Princess Diana.
Before this latest bit of news, I really didn't care about the wedding because I am not a fan of the concept of royalty, English or otherwise. Now though, this has the makings of true comedy.
[Link]
Friday, February 18, 2005
Election Day as a Federal Holiday?
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and other democratic senators have been pushing a bill that would make Election Day a Federal holiday as a means of enticing more people to vote.
Other parts of the bill:
- Require paper receipts for votes.
- Authorize $500 million to help states make the changes in voting systems and equipment.
- Allow ex-felons to vote. [not sure if I agree with this but I think everyone agrees current felons should not be allowed to vote. --Roger]
- Require adoption of the changes in time for the 2006 election. [weren't the previous changes supposed to have been adopted by 2004? --Roger]
Clinton and Kerry have both said the bill has nothing to do with their own future campaigns nor an indictment on the 2004 election, Senator Barbara Boxer said this bill,
I'm all for a paid day off and being able to be like the Iraqies, dancing in the streets and waving an ink stained finger but I've never been denied the opportunity to vote on Election Day, nor do I know of anyone in this country who has. My employers have always allowed me to take time out of the day, without being docked against vacation or sick time, to go vote.
Won't a federal holiday encourage people to take an extended holiday instead? Will only government workers be the only ones allowed the day off? Maybe we should, as suggested at Outside The Beltway, move Election Day to Saturday or Sunday?
LINK
Other parts of the bill:
- Require paper receipts for votes.
- Authorize $500 million to help states make the changes in voting systems and equipment.
- Allow ex-felons to vote. [not sure if I agree with this but I think everyone agrees current felons should not be allowed to vote. --Roger]
- Require adoption of the changes in time for the 2006 election. [weren't the previous changes supposed to have been adopted by 2004? --Roger]
Clinton and Kerry have both said the bill has nothing to do with their own future campaigns nor an indictment on the 2004 election, Senator Barbara Boxer said this bill,
is meant to ensure the election debacle of 2000, and the serious election iregularities of 2004, never ever happen again.Personally, I thought there were more serious iregularities in the 2000 election, the exception being Washington State. But whatever. Barbara needs to get past this.
I'm all for a paid day off and being able to be like the Iraqies, dancing in the streets and waving an ink stained finger but I've never been denied the opportunity to vote on Election Day, nor do I know of anyone in this country who has. My employers have always allowed me to take time out of the day, without being docked against vacation or sick time, to go vote.
Won't a federal holiday encourage people to take an extended holiday instead? Will only government workers be the only ones allowed the day off? Maybe we should, as suggested at Outside The Beltway, move Election Day to Saturday or Sunday?
LINK
Son of the Curse?
Originally, it was said that Babe Ruth's move to the New York Yankees cursed his former team, the Boston Red Sox. Could it be that the Red Sox have somehow cursed the National Hockey League?
1918 - The Boston Red Sox won the World Series.
1919 - The NHL cancelled the Stanley Cup playoffs because of a worldwide flu epidemic.
2004 - The Boston Red Sox won the World Series.
2005 - The NHL cans their entire season, no Stanley Cup playoffs.
Thanks to Rick Martinez for this tidbit.
1918 - The Boston Red Sox won the World Series.
1919 - The NHL cancelled the Stanley Cup playoffs because of a worldwide flu epidemic.
2004 - The Boston Red Sox won the World Series.
2005 - The NHL cans their entire season, no Stanley Cup playoffs.
Thanks to Rick Martinez for this tidbit.
Hitler Mountain HQ Now a Luxury Hotel
the Intercontinental Resort Berchtesgaden will open March 1 on the mountain top above Berchtesgaden, Germany. Neighboring the new hotel will be the buildings associated alpine fortress retreat Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party built there
The retreat was liberated by the U.S. Army 101st Airborne and occupied by Easy Company, 509th PIR, as depicted in the HBO miniseries, "Band of Brothers."
As noted in a CNN.com story,
The retreat was liberated by the U.S. Army 101st Airborne and occupied by Easy Company, 509th PIR, as depicted in the HBO miniseries, "Band of Brothers."
As noted in a CNN.com story,
Most of the Obersalzberg buildings were destroyed by Allied bombers in 1945.
The U.S. military used the area as a resort after World War II, before handing it back to Germany in 1996.
Bavarian officials blew up Hitler's guest house in 1952 out of fears it would become a neo-Nazi shrine.
Rather To Comment on Memo-Gate
CBS announced that they will broadcast, on March 9 at 8 pm, a tribute to Dan Rather after his last newscast. The retrospective will cover all aspects of his career, including his last days and the whole 60 Minutes story on President Bush's National Guard record.
Not only that, Rather will offer commentary during the special program about his career and more notably, that particular news story.
Of course, this will definitely draw in the viewers. I want to see what Rather has to say about being allowed to step down from his post, CEO of CBS Television Leslie Moonves not being implicated (even though he defended the story) and the firing of other who worked on the production. Will he say something about his poor judgement in pressing on with the story in spite of the questionable source of information or say once again that while the evidence was false, the heart of the story wasn't.
Rather won't go quietly though. According to the Associated Press,
Not only that, Rather will offer commentary during the special program about his career and more notably, that particular news story.
Of course, this will definitely draw in the viewers. I want to see what Rather has to say about being allowed to step down from his post, CEO of CBS Television Leslie Moonves not being implicated (even though he defended the story) and the firing of other who worked on the production. Will he say something about his poor judgement in pressing on with the story in spite of the questionable source of information or say once again that while the evidence was false, the heart of the story wasn't.
Rather won't go quietly though. According to the Associated Press,
Starting February 28, the "CBS Evening News" will air an eight-part series in which Rather looks back at the most significant stories he's covered.Soldier on Dan.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
NHL RIP?
The National Hockey League has cancelled their entire season. The owners and players have failed to reach an agreement. It also doesn't help that more than half are playing in overseas leagues.
This is the first time ever that a labor dispute has cancelled an entire season here in the United States.
The last time the Stanley Cup was not awarded was 1919, during the great worldwide flu epidemic. causing the finals to be cancelled.
This may spell the end for the NHL.
Need your hockey fix? HBO broadcasts boxing matches every weekend or watch hockey game reruns on ESPN.
This is the first time ever that a labor dispute has cancelled an entire season here in the United States.
The last time the Stanley Cup was not awarded was 1919, during the great worldwide flu epidemic. causing the finals to be cancelled.
This may spell the end for the NHL.
Need your hockey fix? HBO broadcasts boxing matches every weekend or watch hockey game reruns on ESPN.
How Can 11 Million iPod Owners Be Stupid?
According to New Media Age, Napster CEO Chris Gorog was quoted as saying, "...it's stupid to buy an iPod." That's because Napster thinks it can compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store using a format for its music files that is not compatible with the most popular digital music player in use by consumers at the moment, the iPod. He's telling 11 million iPod owners they are stupid. That's a fine way to convince them to pay attention to Napster. Apple currently has roughly 70% of the digital music player market.
Who's being stupid? The person who buys the iPod and uses the iTunes Music Store to buy new songs or the person who subscribes to Napster To Go, pays $15 a month for songs that cannot be (legally) burn the songs to CD or hang onto those songs when that person closes the account?
Maybe it's Napster that is stupid by not supporting a common file format like .mp3.
Traffic at Napster's website was up 30% after their Super Bowl ad ran. They spent $2.5 million for the ad. Apple spent zip for advertising during the Super Bowl. Their website traffic was up 170% after the Pepsi-iTunes ads appeared during the Super Bowl.
Who's being stupid? The person who buys the iPod and uses the iTunes Music Store to buy new songs or the person who subscribes to Napster To Go, pays $15 a month for songs that cannot be (legally) burn the songs to CD or hang onto those songs when that person closes the account?
Maybe it's Napster that is stupid by not supporting a common file format like .mp3.
Traffic at Napster's website was up 30% after their Super Bowl ad ran. They spent $2.5 million for the ad. Apple spent zip for advertising during the Super Bowl. Their website traffic was up 170% after the Pepsi-iTunes ads appeared during the Super Bowl.
Blogging The Revolution
Tera Patricks has a great article on why web logs matter.
If you want to get your feet wet with building a weblog, check out Blogger. Owned by Google and what is being used to present this blog. Very easy, free and they offer great info on how to get blogging.
By the way, my favorite Blog reader is NewsFire for the Mac. I don't have a PC at home to allow me to find a decent RSS/Blog reader/aggregator for Windows XP.
If you want to get your feet wet with building a weblog, check out Blogger. Owned by Google and what is being used to present this blog. Very easy, free and they offer great info on how to get blogging.
By the way, my favorite Blog reader is NewsFire for the Mac. I don't have a PC at home to allow me to find a decent RSS/Blog reader/aggregator for Windows XP.
Armstrong Going for 7
Oh yes. It's official, Lance Armstrong will participate in this year's Tour de France. Don't expect him to be wearing the US Postal Service jersey, however. Armstrong has a new sponsor, The Discovery Channel.
In the past, The Outdoor Channel has provided coverage in the past. Not sure if that will continue to be true or if one of the channels owned by Discovery will broadcast the race.
Tour de France 2005 weblog.
Official Tour de France website.
The Discovery Channel has more news and info on their Pro Cycling Team.
Paceline.com is the official Lance Armstrong fan site.
In the past, The Outdoor Channel has provided coverage in the past. Not sure if that will continue to be true or if one of the channels owned by Discovery will broadcast the race.
Tour de France 2005 weblog.
Official Tour de France website.
The Discovery Channel has more news and info on their Pro Cycling Team.
Paceline.com is the official Lance Armstrong fan site.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Looking for a Name
For years, I've used Left of Center as the title of my weekly newsletter. The problem is, "Left of Center" is extremely popular and I need to make the newsletter and this web log more unique.
I've pondered name changes before but now I really need to pursue it. Right now, the address for this blog is http://leftofblog.blogspot.com because someone else is using Left of Center in their blogspot site. Left of Blog just doesn't seem right. Blog Grog? Blog Grok?
I also need to change the name because it could suggest my political leanings, which it doesn't.
I've always had a fascination with unique words. Some of my favorites, which people have heard or read my use of before: Potemkin, firkin, Grimalkin, Falken's Maze, Et Cetera and some others. In fact, when I made party mix cassettes (remember those?), they were known as "The Big Et Cetera."
Or I could stick with Left of Center.
Any ideas? My email isn't here because I don't want to help spammers profit from my address. If you know me and receive my newsletter, you should have my email address. Drop me a line with your ideas.
I've pondered name changes before but now I really need to pursue it. Right now, the address for this blog is http://leftofblog.blogspot.com because someone else is using Left of Center in their blogspot site. Left of Blog just doesn't seem right. Blog Grog? Blog Grok?
I also need to change the name because it could suggest my political leanings, which it doesn't.
I've always had a fascination with unique words. Some of my favorites, which people have heard or read my use of before: Potemkin, firkin, Grimalkin, Falken's Maze, Et Cetera and some others. In fact, when I made party mix cassettes (remember those?), they were known as "The Big Et Cetera."
Or I could stick with Left of Center.
Any ideas? My email isn't here because I don't want to help spammers profit from my address. If you know me and receive my newsletter, you should have my email address. Drop me a line with your ideas.
Lincoln Fry Auction Update
As mentioned last week, McDonald's set up an auction for the prop used in their Super Bowl commercials about a husband and wife that found a french fry which looked like Abraham Lincoln. In the commercial, made to look like a documentary, the couple decided to put the french fry up for auction.
McDonald's set up a website devoted to the commercial as well as having a link to a real online auction for the ficticious fry that closed on Saturday, February 12, 2005, Lincoln's birthday.
All the money from the auctioned fry would be donated to the Ronald McDonald House charity. Interestingly, the buyer cannot claim a tax deduction.
The winning bid was $75,100. At one point, bidding was up to $101,300.
McDonald's set up a website devoted to the commercial as well as having a link to a real online auction for the ficticious fry that closed on Saturday, February 12, 2005, Lincoln's birthday.
All the money from the auctioned fry would be donated to the Ronald McDonald House charity. Interestingly, the buyer cannot claim a tax deduction.
The winning bid was $75,100. At one point, bidding was up to $101,300.
See The Stars At The Apple Store
Wired Magazine has a story in which they share gossip about celebrities shopping at a Apple Store in Los Angeles.
Melanie Griffith threw a hissy fit when she found out the store didn't have a pink mini iPod in stock, Levar Burton had a little tantrum of his own when the employee asked for proof of identity when ringing up a large purchase.
I'm sure Steve Jobs and Apple are unhappy with the employees that spoke anonymously to the Wired reporters. Celebrities deserve some privacy too. Not only that, you'll now have people flocking to the store to see which famous person pops in next.
Melanie Griffith threw a hissy fit when she found out the store didn't have a pink mini iPod in stock, Levar Burton had a little tantrum of his own when the employee asked for proof of identity when ringing up a large purchase.
I'm sure Steve Jobs and Apple are unhappy with the employees that spoke anonymously to the Wired reporters. Celebrities deserve some privacy too. Not only that, you'll now have people flocking to the store to see which famous person pops in next.
Monday, February 14, 2005
Why Should We Fear a National ID Card?
In the past, I listened to the conspiracy theorists and paranoids declaring that a national ID card would be a bad thing. But I never ever heard and sort of substantial evidence as to why other than the fear of big brother.
Well, really, what is the big deal? To be honest, what is the difference between a national ID card and your passport or the Social Security number that technically is not supposed to be used for ID purposes? What's the difference between a state drivers license and a national one? A state ID versus a national one?
A true national ID system would standardize what states have already been doing for a large number of years and possibly standardize the requirements for obtaining a drivers license.
At this point, I'm neither for or against but formulating my opinion.
Well, really, what is the big deal? To be honest, what is the difference between a national ID card and your passport or the Social Security number that technically is not supposed to be used for ID purposes? What's the difference between a state drivers license and a national one? A state ID versus a national one?
A true national ID system would standardize what states have already been doing for a large number of years and possibly standardize the requirements for obtaining a drivers license.
At this point, I'm neither for or against but formulating my opinion.
Rent or Buy Your Music
Rob Pegoraro has written a great article for the Washington Post comparing Napster to other online music services.
Lately, Napster has been tooting their horns about their online music store as being a better value than Apple's iTunes Music Store. It really all depends on how you look at it.
Napster's service is subscription-based while you pay for each song at the iTunes Music Store.
In other words, the iTunes Music Store is like your standard brick and mortar music store. You go in, browse, take your choices to the cashier's counter, pay and go home to listen to your new music.
With Napster, you can download as many of the songs at their store as you want or your computer hard drive can hold. Just pay a monthly subscription fee. Sounds good and that's where Napster wants you to stop thinking about things.
As always, anytime there is a really really good deal staring you in the face, there are some caveats.
Put simply, how long you actually have all those downloaded songs is solely dependent on how long you continue to pay that monthly subscription fee. Once you stop paying the fee, those 10,000 songs are gone.
Napster claims they will win the "war" with Apple Computer, Inc. and their iTunes Music Store. That's going to be awfully difficultwhen the format used by Napster to encode the songs is one that is not only not supported by the iPod, the most popular digital music player out there, that Windows Media format is also not supported by a good many of the other players available. How can you win if the vast majority of the music players out there cannot play Napster's songs. And we aren't even talking about the quality of that file format.
Another analogy being used in looking at the iTunes Music Store and Napster is that of owning a house versus renting.
You pay for the house and you own it, you've invested the money and you have the tangible asset. Renting the house means you have the house as long as you rent it. Once done paying, there's nothing to show for that alleged investment.
Lately, Napster has been tooting their horns about their online music store as being a better value than Apple's iTunes Music Store. It really all depends on how you look at it.
Napster's service is subscription-based while you pay for each song at the iTunes Music Store.
In other words, the iTunes Music Store is like your standard brick and mortar music store. You go in, browse, take your choices to the cashier's counter, pay and go home to listen to your new music.
With Napster, you can download as many of the songs at their store as you want or your computer hard drive can hold. Just pay a monthly subscription fee. Sounds good and that's where Napster wants you to stop thinking about things.
As always, anytime there is a really really good deal staring you in the face, there are some caveats.
Put simply, how long you actually have all those downloaded songs is solely dependent on how long you continue to pay that monthly subscription fee. Once you stop paying the fee, those 10,000 songs are gone.
Napster claims they will win the "war" with Apple Computer, Inc. and their iTunes Music Store. That's going to be awfully difficultwhen the format used by Napster to encode the songs is one that is not only not supported by the iPod, the most popular digital music player out there, that Windows Media format is also not supported by a good many of the other players available. How can you win if the vast majority of the music players out there cannot play Napster's songs. And we aren't even talking about the quality of that file format.
Another analogy being used in looking at the iTunes Music Store and Napster is that of owning a house versus renting.
You pay for the house and you own it, you've invested the money and you have the tangible asset. Renting the house means you have the house as long as you rent it. Once done paying, there's nothing to show for that alleged investment.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Droopy Pants Ban Dead
Virginia lawmakers were hard at work this week on a bill that would ban "droopy pants." The first paragraph sums it all up quite appropriately.
Virginia lawmakers dropped their droopy-pants bill Thursday after the whole thing became just too embarrassing.No, they were preoccupied with wasting time on an issue that was not only clearly unconstitutiional, but really quite stupid.
The bill, which would have slapped a $50 fine on people who wear their pants so low that their underwear is visible in "a lewd or indecent manner," passed the state House on Tuesday but was killed by a Senate committee two days later in a unanimous vote.
Republican Sen. Thomas K. Norment said news reports implied that lawmakers were preoccupied with droopy pants. (source)
Net Bits Friday
everQuest Designs makes messenger bags and PDA cases from parachutes used by Russian spacecraft or tents used in mountain climbing expeditions. "Bring home a piece of adventure" is their tagline.
Billed as the largest student-run philanthropy, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic dance marathon, Thon, will be held at Penn State starting at 7pm Saturday, February 17, 2005. The 48 hour dance marathon, featuring over 700 dancers, benefits the Four Diamonds Fund. In 30 years, they've raised over $30 million. Spectators en It's a great time and a great way to beat cabin fever.
Google Maps is amazing. Just like their Blogger.com service which is used to help create and run this blog. The maps are much more legible than the maps at Mapquest or Rand McNally. I hope they refine the fields for entering location information though.
SuperPages, run by Verizon offers the ability to search for phone numbers or even do a reverse lookup, type the phone number and match to a name or address.
Billed as the largest student-run philanthropy, the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic dance marathon, Thon, will be held at Penn State starting at 7pm Saturday, February 17, 2005. The 48 hour dance marathon, featuring over 700 dancers, benefits the Four Diamonds Fund. In 30 years, they've raised over $30 million. Spectators en It's a great time and a great way to beat cabin fever.
Google Maps is amazing. Just like their Blogger.com service which is used to help create and run this blog. The maps are much more legible than the maps at Mapquest or Rand McNally. I hope they refine the fields for entering location information though.
SuperPages, run by Verizon offers the ability to search for phone numbers or even do a reverse lookup, type the phone number and match to a name or address.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
A Step In The Right Direction
In a Reuters news story,
Opposition came from state governors and state DMV officials who said it would be too costly. Uh, all you are doing is asking for one more bit of identification, how does that make it any more expensive?
Are we getting closer to a national ID? Probably but then again, we've been using Social Security numbers as IDs for years. Shhhh...it's illegal to do that...shhhh....
Hoping to keep drivers licenses out of the hands of terrorists, the House voted Thursday to make states verify that applicants are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants.Even before 9/11, I've said that we've needed to become more standardized across the country in drivers licenses standards (testing, rules of the road, requirements for a license)
Opposition came from state governors and state DMV officials who said it would be too costly. Uh, all you are doing is asking for one more bit of identification, how does that make it any more expensive?
Are we getting closer to a national ID? Probably but then again, we've been using Social Security numbers as IDs for years. Shhhh...it's illegal to do that...shhhh....
Tech Stuff Thinking
The Blackberry is all over the news today. Verizon announced that the Blackberry 7250 will be available to customers starting Friday. Since my 2 year contract with Verizon ends in August, I've been looking at what phone to go with when I renew that contract (Verizon's New Every 2 allows me to take a $100 discount on top of whatever rebates and discounts are there on a phone).
Aside from the fact that Karl Rove and members of congress are happy Blackberry users, I like the idea of always being connected to email and instant messaging, in addition to the phone.
Research In Motion (RIM), developers of the Blackberry, have announced the model 7270. Similar to other Blackberry models except that wireless internet access was added and the phone portion dropped. The idea is that one could use the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to dial out or receive phone calls.
For those of you rolling your eyes at the sight of yet another computer acronym, VoIP is similar to the traditional telephone except that an internet connection is used for phone hook up instead of the traditional connection (known as Pretty Old Telephone System, POTS).
VoIP is cheaper and easier to manage than POTS but requires a high speed internet connection.
What makes the idea of a Blackberry doing VoIP phone connection is that you could potentially have one phone number for home and walking around. No need for Mom...err...someone to call every single phone number you could possibly be, leaving voicemail on all those phone numbers. The only caveat would be that most wireless internet hotspots require some sort of fee for usage. Still, if you go overseas, no need to worry about whether or not your cell phone will work with their mobile phone system.
Cingular's Ogo looks tempting. $23 per month for unlimited wireless email, instant messaging. Keep in mind that the Ogo is strictly for text. It does not have a cell phone. But for the price, hard to deny.
How about this idea...you get into a car, swipe your drivers license through a slot and the LED display where the license plate traditionally is then displays your driving ID number. That way, when the cops pull you over, they know it's you.
I thought about the idea of the info being sent to a national database where they'd know when you are driving but that might be too invasive to our privacy.
I subscribed to Adelphia's HD content back in September. I get NBC in HD, as well as HBO and Starz. I am however, thinking of cancelling. ABC, CBS and FOX HD stations are currently not available in my area, so why bother with it if I can't see the non-ESPN broadcast football games, the Super Bowl, March Madness or the World Series in HD? Surem it's only $7.95 a month but that translates to $95.40 per year on top of my already expensive cable bill. Something's gotta give.
Apple did right by the Mac mini. Keep it up. I saw one in person. The pictures out there really do not do justice in representing just how small the Mac mini is.
Aside from the fact that Karl Rove and members of congress are happy Blackberry users, I like the idea of always being connected to email and instant messaging, in addition to the phone.
Research In Motion (RIM), developers of the Blackberry, have announced the model 7270. Similar to other Blackberry models except that wireless internet access was added and the phone portion dropped. The idea is that one could use the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to dial out or receive phone calls.
For those of you rolling your eyes at the sight of yet another computer acronym, VoIP is similar to the traditional telephone except that an internet connection is used for phone hook up instead of the traditional connection (known as Pretty Old Telephone System, POTS).
VoIP is cheaper and easier to manage than POTS but requires a high speed internet connection.
What makes the idea of a Blackberry doing VoIP phone connection is that you could potentially have one phone number for home and walking around. No need for Mom...err...someone to call every single phone number you could possibly be, leaving voicemail on all those phone numbers. The only caveat would be that most wireless internet hotspots require some sort of fee for usage. Still, if you go overseas, no need to worry about whether or not your cell phone will work with their mobile phone system.
Cingular's Ogo looks tempting. $23 per month for unlimited wireless email, instant messaging. Keep in mind that the Ogo is strictly for text. It does not have a cell phone. But for the price, hard to deny.
How about this idea...you get into a car, swipe your drivers license through a slot and the LED display where the license plate traditionally is then displays your driving ID number. That way, when the cops pull you over, they know it's you.
I thought about the idea of the info being sent to a national database where they'd know when you are driving but that might be too invasive to our privacy.
I subscribed to Adelphia's HD content back in September. I get NBC in HD, as well as HBO and Starz. I am however, thinking of cancelling. ABC, CBS and FOX HD stations are currently not available in my area, so why bother with it if I can't see the non-ESPN broadcast football games, the Super Bowl, March Madness or the World Series in HD? Surem it's only $7.95 a month but that translates to $95.40 per year on top of my already expensive cable bill. Something's gotta give.
Apple did right by the Mac mini. Keep it up. I saw one in person. The pictures out there really do not do justice in representing just how small the Mac mini is.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
iPods Everywhere
There was a report earlier about many employees at Microsoft sporting iPods in the office that prompted higher-ups to frown on them.
CNet's News.com has reported that iPods are all over the place at a Microsoft developer conference. iPods were being offered as raffle prizes by some companies at their booths. One company not only offered an iPod as a door prize but free tunes from the iTunes Music Store as well.
Microsoft has a rival music service.
Not only that, I hear kids all the time asking for the iPod by name. Not asking for a "digital music player" or "mp3 player."
The iPod is now at the same brand/product recognition level as Coca Cola, Xerox, Kleenex, and, yes, Apple.
I am having difficulty this year collecting Pepsi iTunes bottle caps. Last year, I found a lot of them. This year, way too many people are collecting them.
CNet's News.com has reported that iPods are all over the place at a Microsoft developer conference. iPods were being offered as raffle prizes by some companies at their booths. One company not only offered an iPod as a door prize but free tunes from the iTunes Music Store as well.
Microsoft has a rival music service.
Not only that, I hear kids all the time asking for the iPod by name. Not asking for a "digital music player" or "mp3 player."
The iPod is now at the same brand/product recognition level as Coca Cola, Xerox, Kleenex, and, yes, Apple.
I am having difficulty this year collecting Pepsi iTunes bottle caps. Last year, I found a lot of them. This year, way too many people are collecting them.
Lincoln Fry Gets $101,300 Bid
During the Super Bowl this past Sunday, two commercials for McDonald's were aired. Done in a documentary style, both ads focussed on a couple who find a french fry that looks like our 16th president. The couple then put the fry up for auction on the internet.
After the second commercial aired, McDonald's put a replica of the fry up for sale on Yahoo!Auctions. Thus far, the highest bid is $101,300 (as of noon, February 9). The auction ends on February 12, Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
McDonald's has also posted a website for the little fry. The website features AOL Instant Messenger icons, computer desktop wallpaper, a blog and iron-on transfers (print to special iron-on paper for transfer to a t-shirt).
According to the auction website,
After the second commercial aired, McDonald's put a replica of the fry up for sale on Yahoo!Auctions. Thus far, the highest bid is $101,300 (as of noon, February 9). The auction ends on February 12, Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
McDonald's has also posted a website for the little fry. The website features AOL Instant Messenger icons, computer desktop wallpaper, a blog and iron-on transfers (print to special iron-on paper for transfer to a t-shirt).
According to the auction website,
The final bid amount will be donated by Seller to Ronald McDonald House Charities®. Purchase by Buyer is not tax deductible. For more information about Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMCH®) and its three core programs – the Ronald McDonald House®, Ronald McDonald Family Room™ and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile™ – please visit www.rmhc.org.
Post Super Bowl Thoughts
I probably should have been cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles given that I do live in Pennsylvania. Truth be told, I am a Chicago Bears fan and will be for at least the foreseeable future and I probably feel more aligned with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
James Carville, the ragin' cajun, said it best when he described Pennsylvania as really being three different states. Pittsburgh on the west, Philadelphia in the east and Alabama in the middle. He's not too far off the mark there. The only reason why this state was considered a "blue state" in the last election was because of the populations in those Eastern and Western parts of the state. The middle of Pennsylvania is fairly red.
Back to the story at hand though. Yes, the NE Pats won but was it me or was the game really kinda dull? Appearing more like a mid-season battle between the two teams? Here are some other thoughts:
- Once again, the best ads were from Budweiser. Bring back the frogs!
- Paul McCartney's half time show was very much on the conservative side and fortunately there were no complaints about him removing his shirt to reveal another shirt. Red no less. Seeing him play his old Hofner bass reminded me that The Beatles first came to America in February of 1964 and here, February of 2005 playing that same guitar. That is one valuable musical instrument and is probably around 50 years old, if you guess that he probably bought it around 1955.
- As part of Fox's launch of the second half of the game, they played U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday," a song about the January 30, 1972 massacre in Northern Ireland. It's not about a Sunday sports event. Seems like a bad choice. Then again, I still see people dancing to Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," which is not a happy song.
- There were only so many ads this year and they were all largely tame. Janet Jackson's costume malfunction still stings. And what also hurt was the frequency to which the Fox network went to commercials. Yeah, there was a game in there somewhere just to say it was the Super bowl.
- Bring on March Madness. I like football but just can't bring myself to the idea of watching Arena Football. Go Fighting Illini!
James Carville, the ragin' cajun, said it best when he described Pennsylvania as really being three different states. Pittsburgh on the west, Philadelphia in the east and Alabama in the middle. He's not too far off the mark there. The only reason why this state was considered a "blue state" in the last election was because of the populations in those Eastern and Western parts of the state. The middle of Pennsylvania is fairly red.
Back to the story at hand though. Yes, the NE Pats won but was it me or was the game really kinda dull? Appearing more like a mid-season battle between the two teams? Here are some other thoughts:
- Once again, the best ads were from Budweiser. Bring back the frogs!
- Paul McCartney's half time show was very much on the conservative side and fortunately there were no complaints about him removing his shirt to reveal another shirt. Red no less. Seeing him play his old Hofner bass reminded me that The Beatles first came to America in February of 1964 and here, February of 2005 playing that same guitar. That is one valuable musical instrument and is probably around 50 years old, if you guess that he probably bought it around 1955.
- As part of Fox's launch of the second half of the game, they played U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday," a song about the January 30, 1972 massacre in Northern Ireland. It's not about a Sunday sports event. Seems like a bad choice. Then again, I still see people dancing to Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA," which is not a happy song.
- There were only so many ads this year and they were all largely tame. Janet Jackson's costume malfunction still stings. And what also hurt was the frequency to which the Fox network went to commercials. Yeah, there was a game in there somewhere just to say it was the Super bowl.
- Bring on March Madness. I like football but just can't bring myself to the idea of watching Arena Football. Go Fighting Illini!
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