That does sound very Draconian. The question ultimately, is, is this a fundamentally “different” strike?
And when I say fundamentally different, I mean, is it different in the very nature of the products and services discussed? Not just in the sense that they’re talking about wanting to use artificial intelligence to create actors or to write scripts, those sorts of things. Rather is this fundamentally different because of the vast amount of products that have been created over the past several years. And tangentially, is this different because unlike most strikes for products or services where they have expiration dates–like bread, or can “sell out” like cars, the existing products are timeless.
With the explosion of all the different means and mediums available for production of video or television content, we’ve seen a large number of productions that most people had never watched. We have Apple TV products. We have Netflix shows. We have all sorts of different shows on Paramount+.
Most of which I’ve never watched and many of which I’d be interested in watching.
Now with this strike if no new content for the series of shows that I continuously watch is created (for me, it’s procedurals like NCIS and their various spinoffs or FBI and their various shows) I might be willing now to consider watching other shows. In fact, I may now find the time for the shows that I’ve been wanting to watch for awhile. So for studios, they have productions that are out there that, just maybe, haven’t gotten traction.
It would be first run for many of us. So here’s the challenge. Studios can now increase advertising for shows that people haven’t watched. Ultimately, this would lead them to continue generating ad revenue. The can sell advertising spots on those shows and they can sell spots on reruns. Now over time the value of the advertisement may drop. And so they may only get 80%, 70%, 50% of the revenue they used to get from advertising for first run shows.
The question now becomes how much was the cost of the full production of those shows? What did it cost them to produce the show relative to the revenue they were earning from advertising.
This is what might make this a fundamentally different strike.
They don’t need to produce new shows to keep the ad revenue coming. They have a vast storehouse of productivity already there.
Tell me what YOU think in the comments below.
Tell me what you think. What are your thoughts on this?
]]>In that article Tim Bryan, the CEO for NRTC is highlighted as questioning essentially to business model of Starlink. My favorite parts of his quotes were his saying he “struggles” to understand. Struggles to see. Struggles.
This doesn’t really surprise me. Existing technologies, and the companies that profit from them, usually do struggle with new. They don’t see it coming. They don’t see the actual threat. And then they deny it, and fight against it. In fact, this is what Clayton Christensen writes about in The Innovators Dilemma. In it, he writes:
However, what the incumbent companies don’t realize is that, over time, the disruptive product iteratively improves to be more and more capable. Eventually, it catches up to the existing product and does a good enough job, and often much more cheaply as well. Soon, the innovative product even leapfrogs the existing product, which has plateaued in its improvements due to limitations in its technology.
Innovator’s DIlemma, Christensen
I had a rather public discussion with the CEO of NRTC about SpaceX and StarLink. Back in November of 2019 I asked him about the “disruptive nature” this will have on the broadband industry, and specifically the “terrestrial” broadband. He argued the same sort of argument then, that he didn’t see how it could work financially, that it costs millions of dollars to put a satellite in orbit, and to recover all the costs Starlink would have to sell to oil rigs and cruise ships–but that it would never work on a global scale, especially not for rural areas
When I pushed a little further he fell back on his “over 30 years experience in this industry.” And perhaps we should mention that, while the article says:
“I’m really struggling on the physics and economics” of satellite broadband, said Tim Bryan, chief executive of the NRTC, in a Feb. 4 call with reporters. He claimed there were “anecdotal reports” of people who signed up for Starlink beta but were having problems getting connections any faster than four megabits per second, but didn’t elaborate.
https://spacenews.com/spacex-launches-starlink-satellites-but-booster-landing-fails/
It fails to mention the NRTC is actually a partner with VIASAT/Exede satellite. NRTC actually has a “dog in the hunt” on this one. Or, some might say, a conflict of interest.
So, in my opinion, Bryan is the perfect example of the definition of what makes a innovation disruptive. It is when the existing big dogs don’t see the little one coming, and deny the threat it poses to their very existence.
I for one am signed up to get Starlink. I see the potential. And the realization.
Do you?
]]>GREAT question. Here’s the not so great answer. I believe there was fraud. There ALWAYS is in some measure. Was it as widescale as some have alleged? Maybe. BUT we will never know. Done well, there will be little if any trail. When you cover your tracks, allegations are “baseless” because there are…. wait for it… no tracks.
Now, I have been arguing against “digital voting” since after the 2000 election. I have always felt there are way too many ways that digital voting can be manipulated unless… UNLESS… we have a paper trail to go along with it. That’s why I like the “bubble voting” system that reads your paper ballots. Store the paper ballot to later to a hand count.
Here’s the real challenge: EITHER SIDE could have manipulated the software to “adjust” the counts. So, for instance, every third vote for candidate Y shifts to candidate X.
Here’s my favorite thought on how to do it: Have your “operatives” go into the voting machine “areas” across the country in “key” districts where you can swing the vote, and it won’t look obvious. They then insert a “thumbdrive” into the system that installs a virus/program that will run on election night, in real time, adjusting the votes. Then, when the polls close, the virus deletes itself from the machine, leaving no trace. “BASELESS.
“So my personal “bottom line” is this: we have no evidence, and therefore any charges are “baseless.” But that certainly doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. And won’t happen again.
]]>For decades now we (on the right and in the center) have endured a push towards “post modernism.” The age of “relativism.” The idea that “objective reality” is impossible. (Don’t believe me? Start reading about Post Modernism. Here’s a definition: Postmodernism:
(noun) A broad and somewhat intentionally difficult to define term, typically applied to the arts and philosophy that was skeptical of “objective” universal explanations of how society and culture operate._ https://sociologydictionary.org/postmodernism/
Sadly, post-modernism has taken root among the populace. Whether one views oneself as a philosopher or not is immaterial. It’s not “whether you subscribe to post-modernism” but rather how you behave.
So, it is not surprising to see so many people moving forward in their own view of the world (not necessarily the same as “world view”) and arguing that everyone else is “wrong.” (A mis-application of post-modernism, which by all rights SHOULD accept that everyone’s view is “right” for them, but not for others.)
So going back to Biden. When he argues that the left believes in TRUTH, not FACTS (a statement many assert was simply him stumbling over words) I think he truly shared a belief structure. That belief structure of a post-modernist world where there is no objective truth, but relative truth only for yourself.
Now, let me quote one other post-modernist, and hopefully you can see our current society in the quote: “For Jean Baudrillard (1929 – 2007), the post-modern age is a world where people respond to media images rather than to real persons or places. Thus when Diana, princes (sic) of Wales, died in 1997, there was an enormous outpouring of grief all over the world. But were people mourning a real person? Princes (sic) Diana existed for most people only through the mass media, and her death was presented like an event in a soap opera rather than an event in real life. Separating out reality from representation has become impossible when all that exists is ‘hyperreality’ – the mixing of the two.” (https://revisesociology.com/…/postmodernism…/)
Sound familiar?
Now–how do we “come together” when we all have this perspective? When “truth” is relative and subjective, and (as some post-modernists argue) “that the pursuit of scientific knowledge (and especially its application) has in some ways made the world a riskier, more dangerous place – nuclear weapons and global warming are both the products of science, for example.”
]]>In case you have ever wondered what a difference one can make in “post processing” here’s the before and after using Lightroom. Nothing one cannot do in a Darkroom with “real” photos (you know, that thing called “film”) and in fact, I used to do much of this in the darkroom.
[s201_bai id=”2″] [s201_bai id=”1″] ]]>Going back and reviewing the book, and seeing a few select points from that book, I am struck how far we have come. The book (whether he would agree with me or not is unclear) supports the general notion that we are seeing a collapse of thought–and explains the irrational “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (and the Obama Derangement and Bush Derangement Syndromes that preceded it.)
First, there’s the “echo chambers” where one only reads those who support their view, discount the views of others, and then happily live in their “chamber.” As Keen points out, this leads to a dangerous distortion. From the book:
(loc 1093 in the Kindle)
“When our individual intentions are left to the wisdom of the crowd, our access to information becomes narrowed, and as a result, our view of the world and our perception of truth becomes dangerously distorted.”
Keen also wrote:
“In 1841, a Scottish journalist called Charles Mackay wrote a classic critique of the irrational crowd called Extraordinary Popular Delusions.19 Mackay used the Dutch Tulipmania fiasco and the South Sea Bubble to show that “whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object and go mad in its pursuit.” If Mackay were around today, he would add Web 2.0 to the list of extraordinary popular delusions that have gripped the crowd. There is a twist, however, to today’s grand digital delusion. With Web 2.0, the madness is about the crowd falling in love with itself. Is that really the wisdom of the crowd?”
(loc 1111)
I am going to “proof text” here, and pull out one sentence where he quotes Mackay “‘whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object and go mad in its pursuit.’”
This is what is happening today–the irrational left (similar to the irrational right, and before that, left, when it was Obama and Bush respectively) have become so fixated on the words and actions of the sitting President, and the interpretations of those words as seen ONLY through the lens of their echo chamber, that they are for all intents and purposes going “mad in its pursuit.”
The language. The defense of Antifa’s indiscriminate violence. The willingness to circumvent the Constitution (packing the court, etc.) The incessant name calling (mango Mussolini, Cheeto President, etc). These are all symptoms of their irrationality.
Today’s MSM (M5M to those that know–and “in the morning” to you) has become just as irrational. Cheerleaders for one side, and has lost all semblance of objectivity. in fact, even the one place where I could count on the media at least hiding a bias, NPR, has been over the past two years showing their hand with exasperated sighs, and tone of voice, when interviewing Trump administration officials. But of course, Keen saw this happening as well. He missed the mark–but only in how he saw it unfold. Rather than the amateurs driving the “professional media” out of the market, the professionals fought back by learning the tools, and hiring their own “amateurs.” They fought against the constant bloviating of the amateur opinion purveyors by hiring them. By shifting their reporting to a more “opinionated” style. So when Keen wrote:
“We need to reform rather than revolutionize an information and entertainment economy that, over the last two hundred years, has reinforced American values and made our culture the envy of the world. Once dismantled, I fear that this professional media—with its rich ecosystem of writers, editors, agents, talent scouts, journalists, publishers, musicians, reporters, and actors—can never again be put back together. ”
(loc 2357)
He saw this coming–but rather than reform that holds to the highest standards we seem to have reformed by conforming to the lowest common denominator–the echo chambers.
Let’s once again fight for civility. For rational discourse. For assessing the issues, and the outcomes, rather than making enemies from the strawmen that we assume about our adversaries.
Let’s all take a breath–and grow up.
]]>“When you buy from a small family run business  you’re not helping a CEO buy a 3rd Holiday Home.  You’re helping a little girl get dance lessons. A little boy get his team shirt. A mom and dad put food on the table. So THANK YOU for shopping local :)”
Don”t lose sight of the fact that everyone in these stores lives “local” and is working to serve you to put food on their table.
Here’s a more compelling argument, in my opinion:
Buy local, from locally owned (and perhaps family run) businesses that put quality service at the fore of their offerings. What makes “local” great is that they understand “local.” They are part of the community. The owners see you at the stores, in the streets, at school events, and (sadly less often these days) in Church. They know they directly answer to their customers–customers that they come to know as loyal.
And you know what–sometimes those local owners have holiday/vacation homes, or hunting cabins. But we don’t mind. They took care of us. They cared. They were committed to making their money through providing QUALITY service and products.
THAT is compelling to me.
Thoughts?
You don’t know me. (Randy Bennett you are the exception.) And honestly, you don’t know most “conservatives.”
I read last night someone’s screed where they wrote about conservatives:
it would seem that you and the people who share your opinion think the following :
– they contribute nothing
– they suck up resources
– they have kids who are equally worthless
– they have a lot of kids
– all of whom become scrounging losers who have their own many kids and perpetuate the cycle.
Here’s the thing. NO. NO NO.
Here’s what we believe. (And I realize I am making broad generalizations here. But then again, so did this person.)
We believe that good intentions and people wanting to “care for people” have created a society of dependence. That a culture of social programs has not eliminated poverty (it feeds it). It hasn’t improved healthcare (and it seems to be making it even more expensive.) It hasn’t improved living conditions. But it has fostered dependence.
Here’s what I mean: when we tell people that we will provide them with some money for food, and subsidized housing, and subsidized health care, BUT they can’t earn too much money or we will “cut them off” (and usually cut them off in a way that makes them worse off for working) then we find that people won’t work. They will continue to make the RATIONAL choice–stay with what you have.
IT MAKES SENSE: Why “risk” doing something different? Why “risk” getting a job when it means I will have to work more hours for the same money?
Of course, we (on the left, and the right) add a few other problems to the mix. For instance, We want to be “safe.” We want our children to be “safe.” We want to be tough on crime. So… We won’t hire anyone with a criminal record. You have a drug conviction on file? Go away. You don’t have the “right” degrees, or the right background, or skin color, or political views? We won’t hire you (or shop at your store, or buy your cakes, or visit your theme park.) Â And–by the way, this cuts both ways as well. Â Those on the left, and the right, centrists and extremists, make these decisions–to hire, and associate with, people with whom we agree. Â If you don’t think this applies to you, well…
What does this mean? It means that people that made a bad decision (or decisions?) in their life, perhaps because of their “station in life” at the time, are never able to step off the welfare system. We keep them on medicare, on foodstamps, in section 8 housing.
A vicious cycle.
So What do “CONSERVATIVES” believe? Here it is. At least from MY perspective.
As a conservative, I believe:
— That people behave in ways that they perceive are in their best interests. When you offer someone an opportunity to receive things “for free” and provide dis-incentives for work, people will make the rational decision and not work.
— That people, when given the right incentives, want to work. They want to believe that they have autonomy and that they can be independent rather than dependent.
— That when people are working, and are able to see to see the fruits of their labors, they have improved self-worth. They no longer demand, but they give.
— That government programs have not worked. They have softened the pain, without providing a cure. That “jobs programs” funded by government grants do create jobs–but only for those people running the programs.
— That real growth, both personally and nationally, occur when we return to placing value in people, and placing value in their ability to contribute.
— That the best way, the BEST way, we can help people is to provide opportunities to work. And that these opportunities must not be hindered, fettered, or obstructed by government programs.
So there you go. One last thing–you can disagree with every one of these points. You may believe that government programs have worked, and that people on these programs are better off. That’s fine. I can appreciate that, and I know that it is possible to look at complex data sets and reach different conclusions.
But please–PLEASE, don’t tell me that I don’t “really care about people.”
]]>QUESTION: What is a “fair” share?
I would post a list of possibilities, but I really want to read what you all come up with so please, share your comments below, and let’s have a discussion about “what is a ‘fair share?'”
]]>One thing we learned over this holiday weekend is that these actually make great workhorses. Â Whether you want to update your spreadsheets (tracking holiday spending perhaps?) or work on your MS Office 365 documents so you don’t have to go into the office, these lightweight, long battery life computers make the perfect companion. Â Oh–and they support hours of watching bowl games on Watchespn.com *smile*
Read the full review over at Facebook by clicking below
]]>For those that know me, you know my favorite price is “Free.”  If I can find a free tool to do something, and do it sufficiently well, I will take that route.  That’s why I recommend Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides (if you don’t need the power of MS Office) and I recommend FreeNAS to build network storage (if you have the skill sets to be able to do that yourself.)  I even recommend “OwnCloud” to build your own cloud storage (like DropBox) if you have the skills and hardware to support running your own storage.  Each of these solutions comes with their own (non-monetary) costs.  Some require hardware, while others have a technical learning curve.  And many of them have a powerful toolset that may be missing a few of the more complex tools that may be required for more complicated solutions.  It’s always a question of “what are you trying to do?”
When it comes to photography there are many good free tools. Â The photo tools from Google are quite good. Â You can store your photos in the cloud, the tools Google provides let you do basic corrections, and even apply many of the filters we have come to expect from photo apps. Â Including HDR effects. Â SnapSeed is another great tool (but the line here is blurred–Google now owns SnapSeed). All at the best price possible–free!
But–as with every other free solution, there are limits.  Limits to the filters you can apply. Limits to the corrections you can make to “bad” photos.  And limits to the degree you can mix and edit photos.  That’s why I use the Adobe solutions of Photoshop CC14 and Lightroom.  These two tools, together, allow you to do almost infinite editing and correcting to photographs to include, for instance, the “shake removal” highlighted in the last post.
It used to be this was the “high end” solution with the high end cost.  But that is no more.  While it is not “free” like the other solutions, Adobe now has a “software as a service” monthly pricing scheme that I believe makes their solutions reasonable for the photographer seeking a bit more “power” in their tools.  They currently offer the “Photography”  plan for only $9.99 a month.  Yes–I realize that is nearly $120/year (and with taxes, it will be a bit more) but  you are guaranteed to latest version, with updates and improvements rolling out almost every month.  They even offer a one month free trial. On top of all this, if you are an iOS user, you can actually get Lightroom for the iPad!
Interested? Â Want to see the power for yourself? Â Download the free trial and see for yourself–then come back an let us know what you think, and what tools YOU prefer to use, Â in the comments below!
]]>It turns out that Adobe has some truly magical features built into their latest Photoshop CS14. For instance, if you go to “Filter” then select “Sharpen” there is a feature called “Shake Reduction.” Â Now, it doesn’t help you hold the camera more steadily but it does compensate for when you don’t. Â There are a lot of customizing features letting you select the regions of the photograph to use to highlight the blur you want to remove, but as you can see in the image below–it’s pretty darn good in “automatic” mode as well!
If you have some precious photos that you just wish you had stood a tad more still when taking, this may be just the tool for you! Â And, when combined with a few other tools such as noise reduction, and levels, you can take a bad photo and turn it into a precious memory!
(For more information on how to use this feature, see the Adobe help site:Â http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/reduce-camera-shake-induced-blurring.html)
]]>1. My ability to shoot and process film got better over time, but film still has issues
2. Dust on negatives: not a problem in digital
3. Water stains on negatives (failing to sufficiently use the drying agent): not a problem in digital
4. Poor exposure in a whole roll? Not “as big” an issue in digital, since we can see the results immediately. (ref: “Chimping”)
5. Poor focus? Okay–nothing really fixes this in digital OR film. Technology in TV shows aside, if something isn’t in focus–well, it never will me.
6. Resolution of images? Sure, film CAN have much finer grain and thus resolution, but with the 24MP cameras (and more) out now, do you REALLY notice?
7. The equipment really can make a difference. A great photographer (NOT me) can take quality photos with nearly anything, but a sharp lens, and a responsive body, and “fast” and high resolution film/chip–that really can make a difference.
What are your thoughts on film and digital?
This to me is a litmus test to rationality. One can be upset that the law was written the way it was, or that states chose to not participate. But if one gets upset at the court, for interpreting the law then we have a more serious, fundamental, and perhaps fatal flaw in our society. (interpretation being a broad term here since the court points out the wording in the law is “unabiguous” — “unambiguously restricts the Section 36B subsidy to insurance purchased on Exchanges established by the State.”)
Sadly the Fourth circuit does not. I actually could not believe this was in the decision from the 4th circuit, so I had to read it myself, but this quote shows the flaw in society at it’s best: “I am not persuaded and for a simple reason: ‘[E]stablished by the State’ indeed means established by the state – except
when it does not…” That ranks up there with “it depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”
Hopefully people will be able to see the difference between “what we want” and “what the law does and does not allow.” But I am less than hopeful. Heck, the government asked the court to interpret the law based on “what we wanted.” (Read the article, and the decision–it’s interesting to say the least.)
DC Circuit decision:http://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/10125254D91F8BAC85257D1D004E6176/$file/14-5018-1503850.pdf
4th Circuit decision:
http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Published/141158.P.pdf
“Following on from his first and second articles Steve Brady is continuing his topic of the internet of things. In this third part he explains how the data can be shared and used and how it might empower small businesses.”
In this third installment I talk about how, once the sensors are installed and providing value to the small business owners/retailers, with little effort we can take that next step providing prognostics and improved reliability. Â Take the time to read, and leave your comments and thoughts here.
]]>Note:  The decline occurred concurrent with the increase in texting overall, and almost certainly an increase in texting while driving as well.  More texting. Fewer accidents. (And no, I am not suggesting causality here… necessarily.  Anyone care to speculate on how causality might be at play here?)
I found a very interesting correlation here. The flattening of the decline corresponds with the *increasing criminalization of texting.* Correlation for sure, but I posit that there may actually be causation: People still text, but “hide” it from the cops, which means putting the phones lower in their laps–forcing their eyes off the road for a longer time. The Law of Unintended Consequences. By the way, one response was that we have declining fatalities due to increased safety hardware such as air bags and seatbelts (and I will add anti-lock brakes.)  I would accept that, except we also see a decline in the number of accidents, and reported in the second link above.
]]>My second article in the series on “The Internet of Things” is now posted over at Eye for Transport. In this article, I tackle the Internet of Things for SMALL BUSINESS. “a well designed dashboard integrating the measures, with appropriate heuristics in place to provide the ‘expert analysis’ that traditional small business owners normally would be unable to perform, can really enhance their operations.” Â I use a florist as an example, but the thoughts can be applied to a myriad of small businesses.
Please, read, and share your thoughts with me here, or on the site, and most importantly–share the article as well! Â http://www.eft.com/technologyit/internet-things-part-2
]]>Please, take a minute, go read the article, and take another couple of minutes and let me know your thoughts. Â My desire is to consolidate the inputs of the readers, and make this as much a conversation as possible.
]]>So here you go. PA (at least in FY2011) was ranked as the 10th highest tax burden. That’s the top 20%. The states with the lower tax burden? The very natural gas/oil taxing states they say are laughing at us. (Texas, OK, and others) I bet they are laughing!
I have said all along–I support emulating those states, so long as we emulate their full tax picture. No, or low, state income tax. No state sales tax on many things. etc. Sadly, each state really is different with different dynamics, different political and social pressures and needs. I get that. So we can’t be “like Texas” or like Fl, or NH, and have no state income tax. I get that–but then don’t say we should be like them with Natural Gas taxes either. Let’s decide for ourselves if this is a good decision or not, not simply becaus
e “they do it.”
One thing that has always “bothered” me is the proliferation of “special use” facilities. Whether it is Churches that are only used on Sundays, or Football Stadiums that see huge crowds only 7 days a year. the amount of space and resources we consume for such limited use seems, well, wasteful.
What facilities do you think are under-used? How would you “re-use” facilities if you could?
]]>This weekend was quite an interesting one for football. The head coach for the Steelers was in the way of play, with one foot on the field, and thus he is facing penalties including a (possibly 6 figure) fine and possible loss of a draft pick.
Okay, so there are penalties associated with bad decisions, right? This doesn’t help the Ravens, but then again, they didn’t need the help. Right?
So let’s move on to the other big controversy of the weekend–the “what down is it?” controversy with the Redskins and the Giants. In this case, the chains were moved, the down boxes were changed to read first down, and the ‘Skins behaved accordingly. THEN, the officials back-tracked, set everything to 4th down, and shook up the Redskins on the field. Right?
Unlike the Steelers-Ravens game this one may well have shaped the final outcome of the game.
So here’s my beef–what are the penalties associated with the officials making a mistake? Do they get fined? Do they (in classic NCAA fashion) ‘vacate’ the win from the Giants’ W column? Of course we all know the anwer: NO.As the story below shows, the NFL has admitted the mistake, and now the ‘Skins must, as their Head Coach Shanahan says “…live with it.”
That’s right. When those in a position of power make a mistake, they issue an apology. “Sorry–we will try not to make that mistake again… hope you don’t mind…” But they pay no real price for their failure–while at the same time (and in the same weekend) exacting a price from those in their control.
Hypocrisy? Hubris? Â Share your thoughts.
]]>
I recommend reading the full article, but in the set-up to the argument there is this one, very interesting line:  “Washington would pay the extra cost entirely for three years and pick up 90 percent of the bill thereafter.”
If only this was true, that “Washington” would pick up the costs. But that’s the fallacy. We fall into a line of thought that says “we” aren’t paying for this–‘Washington’ is” and then we as “who do they represent?”
The reality SHOULD be, the whole nation pays, not Washington, because the whole nation sends money for Washington to spend. Sadly, that isn’t the reality. We as a nation prefer spending over taxing, and thus we are spending Chinese money (and any other holder of the debt instruments we use to finance our debt.) The extended reality of who pays is “our grandchildren” when those debts come due.
But let’s come to grips with another reality. We are the grandchildren of the spending ways of our grandparents, and our parents. We are currently spending $220B on interest each year, with that number projected to go t o $1T (Yes, TRILLION) by 2020. And that’s only 7 years away. (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/19/how-the-nations-interest-spending-stacks-up)
Subsidies aren’t free. Defense isn’t free. Highways aren’t free. Decisions made today not only impact our immediate paychecks, but those we hope to earn, and those our children earn, and our children’s children.
As with everything the decisions are about trade-offs. But we cannot be informed decision makers if we let the rhetorical use of “Washington” paying for things continue.
WE are paying–and we all deserve to know the impacts, and true costs, as well as benefits, of the decisions for which we pay.
]]>So here’s my decision:
1. Â Get the tablet, with LTE, for $600 (and 16 GB of ram) or…
2. Â Get the WIFI only tablet for $499 and 32 GB of ram, and get a mobile hotspot (the “Jetpack”) for $50.
Now–I like option 2. It’s cheaper, and perhaps more flexible. Â But.. I almost always travel with my tablet, and it means there is one more thing to keep charged, AND that I can either forget at home, or forget on the road.
Thoughts?
]]>A Psychology professor, Daniel Gilbert, is behind the study and, according to Prudential’s comments on their YouTube posting, are saying that t”Our real-life experiment revealed a real-life challenge: Helping Americans prepare for a longer retirement.”
Take a look at the graphic. Â Visually you can see what implies a “normal” or “bell curve” distribution. The average here seems to be in the mid-90s. So what does the ‘average’ value here show? Â What are you led to see is that the average age when people die is far beyond the age of retirement. Â But that isn’t the question that was asked. Â The curve is showing the average of the OLDEST PERSON these people say they know. Â Obviously, if someone dies at a young age, then they are eliminated from consideration for the “oldest person” we know.
So what is the average life-expectancy? Â Is it somewhere in the 90s? Â We all would like to think so. We all tend to think and act as if we won’t die. Â In fact, more often than not we fail to plan for death–not life. Â (When was the last time you checked to see if you have enough life insurance to protect your family in the unlikely event you die unexpectedly?)
According to the Social Security Administration (the agency with the best data, I would think) the average life expectancy for men is 83 and for women is 85. Â Certainly greater than the expected age of retirement at 65 (or 67 1/2). Â but far from the numbers we see on this chart.
So–do you think this use of “active graphics” is useful? Â Is it misleading? Â Is it unethical behavior on the part of Prudential? Â And what, if any, responsibility does the Professor have for what can be seen as a misleading use of graphs and charts?
Watch the video:
Despite what even my nephew may have thought, just because you hear something on a police scanner doesn’t make it correct even if you heard it correctly, and there is always a high likelihood that it will be “mis-heard.” During any operation (especially military and military style operations) there exists the “fog of war.” People report what they see, and they often are incorrect. Remember, eye-witnesses to events are often the least objective reporters. Police, while we would like to think are ‘trained observers’ are not immune to these problems as well. In fact, in their rush to share information with their colleagues, WHO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THE NEWS SHARED, they may share wrong, or later to be found wrong, information.
People listening over the internet to the scanners often (always?) don’t understand the nature of what is shared, and repeat it as fact. One quote from someone tweeting what they were hearing was “I can say the police scanner is pretty reliable.” But at age 16, he doesn’t understand the inherent problems associated with ‘immediate” situational reporting. He hasn’t been there–and yet he reported everything he heard as “fact” because it was the cops. He of course also shared it in “all caps” which (as my daughter pointed out, is shouting — see and re-read my use of caps above.)
BOTTOM LINE: Professionals, with extensive training in their fields, who have developed an intuition born through repetition and education, remain the best suited for dealing with their disciplines and ultimately making a difference. This is true regardless of whether it is a police officer, a neurosurgeon, or even a pancreatic cancer researcher.
I will leave you with one question: Who would you want to draft the plans for a new skyscraper–a structural engineer, or someone who has “read a lot” on the internet?
]]>Do you wonder how the government manipulates words to make us “feel” certain ways, with the intention of manipulating the population as well?
I have to admit, in a discussion with my Brother (Christian Brady) about terrorism I was sticking to the long standing definition of terrorism that defines it based on the intent to create fear in the populace. That is the definition that most people think but I have been quite surprised (!=) to learn that the FBI and the State Department have adopted a far broader definition.
Under the FBI definition, “Domestic terrorism is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives.”
Note that there is not mention of the desire to incite or induce terror or fear. It’s simply doing something to coerce. The definition of “international terrorism” is equally broad:
“violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state. These acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a government…”
In reading this it is small wonder that people are unable to draw distinctions between Guerrilla warfare and terrorists. We hear “terrorists” and “Terrorism” and we immediately have a picture in our minds based on the portrayal in the media of rag-tag groups of ne’er do wells, hell bent on their agenda and assume they are attacking the general population. By the current definition the Viet Cong were not Guerrillas fighting in the jungles of Viet Nam, they were “terrorists.” In fact, Mao Tse Tung, the master of Guerrilla warfare was actually just another Osama Bin Laden.
But this is not the case. Remember the USS Cole? We claim it was a “terrorist” attack by a “terrorist organization” but in reality it was a targeted attack on a legitimate military target. We may have not liked the way they snuck up beside us on a boat, and that they have never “declared war” on us as a nation-state would. but that doesn’t in any way negate the decision to target a military unit.
So what happens when our government chooses to define “terrorism” so broadly? Why would they choose to do that?
First, given the “general” view that terrorism is against the population and designed to strike fear into our hearts, by constantly labeling acts and actors as “terrorists” the government leads us into that very fear. We willingly give ourselves over to the police state to protect us, because as we have seen with all the “security” measures introduced in the past week “we aren’t safe” even in our own homes. (Of course, it was the police entering all the homes in Watertown but that is a different discussion.)
Second, and most importantly, the government deflects the discussion. We immediately know that these are “irrational” actors bent on inflicting harm. We aren’t talking about the legitimacy of the claims of the combatants. We can go after them with impunity because, after all, they are “lawless” individuals and organizations. (And yet, we view them as “enemy combatants” as well. Irony? Expediency?)
We need, as a nation, to step back and evaluate how not only the media, but our own government has been controlling the message, and through that message controlling our responses. How they, in an effort to “fight terrorism” legitimize actions solely on the basis of the description of “terrorism” rather than looking at and assessing the broader policy and geo-political issues that surround these actions.
So what makes one a terrorist?
]]>Here’s a humorous and lighthearted 5-minute video titled, “Fafa’s Photoshop Tutorial.” Created by the comedy series Glove and Boots, it’s a short and sweet introduction to using layers in Photoshop… taught by puppets. Think Sesame Street meets Scott Kelby.
Read more at http://www.petapixel.com/2012/11/24/tutorial-introduction-to-photoshop-layers-sesame-street-style/#fU7BChuxK28MMYcU.99
]]>Several weeks ago, during spring break, my son and I decided to go to Chic-fil-A for lunch. Â We drove completely around the building finding no parking spaces when, at the end, we saw what at first glance appeared to be a parking space. Â But alas, there was a car there–straddling two spaces and DEAD CENTERED on the line between the two. Â I commented (I don’t quite remember what I said, but something about “really?”) and then I looked again and realized that the DRIVER WAS STILL IN THE CAR.
Once again, I looked and thought “hey, I can actually squeeze in on the right there.” Â So I did. I was actually inside both lines of my parking spot (although by default I had to be far closer to the line on the right.) Â My son was surprised I was able to do it. Â Then, as I looked to see if I could get out on my side the woman in the car (the errant parker) started gesturing at me with her fingers. Â Nothing obscene, just… hand waving. Â So I rolled down my window, and she did hers. Â And then it began.
“You can’t park there. You are going to hit my car with your door.”
“I will try not to” I replied, then added “But if you weren’t taking up two spaces we wouldn’t have this problem.”
Her response floored me.
“Well, driving isn’t my forte’. You  are going to have to move.”
I actually was speechless. Not that I was at a loss for words. I just knew I shouldn’t say the many things that went through my mind at the time. Â So I responded with a simple “Well, just back up and park your car in the full space on the left and we won’t have a problem.” Â Seemed simple enough. Â Once again, her response left me without words.
“I’m not going to do that.” Â BAM!! She told me!
Now–on to Russia.  Apparently a local newspaper there has developed a phone app with a very interesting “back end.” You take a picture of a car that has been parked poorly (apparently driving isn’t the Forte’ of a number of people–and it knows no boundaries!)  Here’s a description from a LinkedIn article.
Russia is many things: a country with a rich cultural heritage, the largest natural gas exporter to the EU, and a crazy place to drive. Indeed, anyone who has driven anywhere in Russia is aware of the legendary aggression of the motorists. In order to combat this, the online Russian newspaper “The Village” launched an app aimed at shaming “douche bag” drivers. The app, called “Parking Douche” allows users to take a picture of the plates of a vehicle that is illegally. The image recognition technology reads the plate number and finds the driver’s name. The offending driver is then shamed on the banners of the “The Village” website. The application won a Golden Lion last year at Cannes in the “Mobile” category and it’s easy to see why: the idea was a wonderful way for people to call out bad driving and to vent about “parking douches”.
Now, check out the video of the app.
]]>Lifehacker points out that MacX and WinX DVD Ripper not only make this easier than even Handbrake, but until the end of the month it is free.
Read about it here:Â http://lifehacker.com/5961175/macx-dvd-ripper-pro-makes-ripping-easier-for-the-less-tech-savvy-is-free-all-month
]]>I don’t usually mention these things, but there are two ways you can support Real Tech for Real People, and this website. Â The first is through a simple donation using the link to the right. Â The second is by simply using our Amazon affiliate program when making your regular Amazon purchases. Â Talk about an easy, and painless, way to help out! Just by using our links when you go make your regular purchases at Amazon you support this website and Real Tech for Real People.
And now, let’s catch up with  Real Tech for Real People Episode 130!
]]>
We seem to all want to do the “right thing” so that line, without any further justification, appealing to our desire to do “right” seems often to carry the day. Think about that-one doesn’t need to justify their argument, but just instead point out that it is “just the right thing to do.”
This is often said, even when the intent is to stop something else. Stopping the purchase of supersized sodas? “Just the right thing to do.” Stopping people from locking their bikes to poles that aren’t bike stands? “just the right thing to do.”
And we side with that.
So let me ask–how do you respond when the argument is flipped. “It’s just the wrong thing to do.”
Why shouldn’t I lock my bike to a lightpole? “It’s just the wrong thing to do.”
Why shouldn’t we be allowed to buy supersized sodas if we want? “it’s just the wrong thing to do.”
Does this change the conversation in YOUR mind?
(PHOTO Courtesy ofLinus via Compfight on Flickr, Creative Commons license)
]]>I especially like two of them. Customer Service, and “Don’t check email.” It’s difficult, especially with email on the nightstand, waiting to be checked when I wake up.
So, here’s today’s question: Psychologically, what is the impact on you if you read the work emails when you wake up and look at your phone? Does it jumpstart your mind, thinking through the agenda ahead, or does it create a sense of urgency (or even panic) as you start realizing all that is ahead of you…
Please, share you thoughts in the comments below.
]]>Show Notes:
NEWS:
AND… GOOGLE DRIVE is official. Â Is it a “Wow!” or an “Uh?”
TIPS/SUGGESTIONS:
Google Searches made easier: Â A couple “quick hits.” Â Want to search using speech? Simply click on the microphone and talk (assuming you have a microphone). Â Want to find where an image came from? Â Go to the “images” tab, and copy and paste a URL into it. Â OR–find out what other images your image looks like:just drag your image from your computer into the image search block.
Virtual Disks “In the Cloud” –Â Gladinet. Gladinet lets you map your existing cloud storage sites as if they are drives on your machine. Â Now you can edit Word, Excel, or other documents right in the cloud, and not take up space on your hard disk. Â Of course, you have to be connected to the internet. Â Possible sites to use include Google Docs, PicasaWeb, Amazon S3, Microsoft’s Live Storage, and much much more. Â The free version only connects to one, but there are other options as well.
Managing your PDFs: This one can be a real challenge.  You have hundreds (maybe thousands?) of PDFs on your computer, but do you a) know what you have, and b) know how to get to the one you want?  Enter a few choices, courtesy of this article from Digital Inspiration.  I personally prefer Mendeley (these are windows choices) because it is specifically designed for PDFs.  Even still, I would like something with a little more “intelligence” that can sort the files for me based on general content anaylsis.
PAMFAX: Â A new problem these days is “How to send a fax from home, when you don’t have POTS any more?” Â Well, I have settled on a solution that works for me. Â Pamfax. Â It’s made by the same people that make the call recorder application for Skype, “Pamela Recorder.” It’s not free, but it is affordable.
“The House approved Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act with a 248 to 168 vote today. CISPA allows internet service providers to share Internet ‘threat’ information with government agencies, including DHS and NSA, without having to protect any personally identifying data of its customers, without a court order. It effectively immunizes ISPs from privacy lawsuits for disclosing customer information, grants them anti-trust protection on colluding on cybersecurity issues and allows them to bypass privacy laws when sharing data with each other.”
PICKS:
Steve: Paper Camera for Android
Tony: Nike Fuel Band
Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com [twitter] @scmprofessor
Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com [twitter] @tonypittman
]]>]]>
I, along with 10s if not 100s of thousands of people watched with interest as the verdict was announced in the Jerry Sandusky trial. Â I, along with most (I suspect) feel that he was most likely guilty, and thus the court reached the “right” conclusion. Â For me, it was a somber moment. Â A time for reflection, and acknowledgement that our justice system provides a reasoned, deliberate process for evaluating evidence and reaching conclusions.
While I was ready to say the same thing had the verdict gone the other way, I was concerned about the general (vitriolic) reaction in society–and I thought that, with a guilty verdict, things would quiet down. Â But I was wrong.
America–you really do scare me. Â The justice system found the man guilty and he faces a minimum of 60, and up to 445 years in prison, and yet people in society feel that isn’t enough. Â For instance, there’s this gem from Twitter:
Or this one, where the tweeter has passed judgement on Joe Paterno as well (without evidence):
And finally these:
Because yes–all the coaches somehow must have known what was going on, and thus somehow must have just turned a blind eye.
What is most troubling here is that people are actually not satisfied with the outcome. Â They feel that “justice” isn’t enough. Â They feel that somehow, since he will die long before he completes the 445 years in prison, that something else must be done. Â That simple justice (catching the guy, convicting the guy, and putting him in prison) isn’t enough. Â That either others must also pay (apparently without evidence or benefit of trial) or that somehow allowing him to continue breathing isn’t enough.
That’s Vengeance. And it just rots a person from the inside out. And if it does that to a person, what does it do to the core of a nation?
America–we need to return to a nation of laws.  A nation governed by precepts written in the Constitution and laws passed by our legislators.  We need to stand up for order.  And, when the laws are wrong or immoral, we work to change those laws through the system rather than rioting, or destroying property, or by feeding the hate through  vitriolic speech.  If you truly care about children and how we as a society behave, show then “the better angels of our nature.”
Put down the pitchforks. Â Douse the torches. Return to a civil society.
Before it’s too late.
]]>Time once was the Olympics was the one place we could expect to come together, and at least pretend we are one world, not separated by petty differences and grievances, and that we can all share in the excitement, the “thrill of Victory…” and “The agony of defeat…” (sorry, ABC Wide World of Sports–had to use it…)
Those times are past. We now see the true face of the Olympics.
According to the Brisbane Times:
Organisers of the London Olympics are vowing to wage a battle against online sharing of images from the Games.
In a strong warning to ticket holders, the Games appear to ban all social sharing of images online.
”Images, video and sound recordings of the Games taken by a ticket holder cannot be used for any purpose other than for private and domestic purposes and a ticket holder may not license, broadcast or publish video and/or sound recordings, including on social networking websites and the internet more generally.”
The news has sparked a storm of protest online, especially by photographers, and comes after reports some British photographers have also been warned off by security staff for photographing the Olympic village from public places.
It is all about making money, and doing that on the backs of the athletes.  I don’t care what they say about knitters some how denigrating the accomplishments of the athletes–this takes the cake.  People cannot share their photos, their videos, their audio recordings, on the internet?  Rather than leverage the tremendous goodwill and support they would receive from allowing and ENCOURAGING these things, they take an adversarial aproach?  REALLY??
Irony of ironies–they want us to follow them on Twitter? Â We are to support them, and their use of the social media space, while they work to come down hard on the very people who are most likely following them? Â All I can say is… Wow…
But wait–they aren’t just discouraging (actively stopping) spectators from sharing–they are also going to stop the athletes themselves from sharing their experiences with family and friends (extended through the use of social media). Â Remember how awesome it was during the past two Olympics to see video on the ‘net from athletes walking during the opening and closing ceremonies? Â Well–stand by for news! Â From the same article:
The rules also extend to athletes and officials, and the International Olympic Committee’s social media, blogging and internet guidelines warn that while participants and other accredited people can post online photos taken at Olympic venues for personal use, they can’t post any video or audio of events.
But let’s for the sake of argument say they need to really protect the sponsors. Â Think for just a minute–if I am taking pictures and videos at an event, with Sponsors banners hanging all around the place, am I not also providing free advertising for those sponsors? I am extending, rather than limiting, the value of their sponsorship.
On the other hand, these draconian actions by an organization ostensibly committed to good sportsmanship and friendship may well cost their sponsors real customers.
Shame, shame, SHAME on you all.
(Photo, Creative Commons license, Spreng Ben via Compfight)
]]>The US Olympic Committee just sent a cease and desist letter to Ravelry.com for a member-created activity held every two years called Ravelympics. Namely, they declared that the usage of Ravelympic was an infringement on that name, and furthermore, that the activities we hold, such as knitting “afghans,” actually “denigrate” the nature of the Olympic events and are disrespectful to the athletes. Yes, because clearly an activity created to show our love and support for an international series of sports games is infringing upon the USOC’s ability to make money, right? What is most despicable about their bullying actions is that they are calling out groups of crafters who are doing something in their honor – some of these knitters and crocheters are actually working to make the athletes specially handknit items!
I cannot fathom how they can actually believe that knitting is disrespectful to athletes.  Apparently, encouraging people to do something  productive with their time, while watching the commercial festival of sports, is a bad idea.  Given that later in the Cease and Desist letter the lawyers (yes, it’s the lawyers not the athletes that are behind this) point to the weakening of the brand and thus their support from their sponsors, we see that this is about the money.  Perhaps what they are really saying is “Don’t make your own clothing and household goods.  Our sponsors want you to buy their products–you are unfairly competing with products made from love (and wool.)”
I would encourage the USOC to think about one other thing. Â While Ravelry’s pockets may not be deep, and the pockets of their members may be shallow as well, the collective effort of over 2 million members each giving only $2 to a legal defense fund–well that sort of money can go a long way. Â And if they give $5? or $10? Â Is that REALLY how you want to spend your money? Chasing down people who knit?
It’s time for the USOC to sheepishly back down, and stop trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the world by pretending to be caring about the athletes.
Read about the International Olympic Buffoonery
Support a fellow knitter–see @GLG_Girl’s non-olympic patterns at her site here.
(N.B. Go visit the sites linked, and see for yourself what they are saying–they are even going after patterns that sometimes even simply evoke an Olympic theme.  Good Golly Miss Molly…)
]]>1. Go to missionsmallbusiness.com and click ‘Log In & Support’ and log in using Facebook.
2 Search for our business by name OR filter by our State and City. (Supply Chain Innovations Today, in PA)
3. Click on the blue Vote button next to our business name to show your support for our business.
Our goal is deceptively simple:we want to transform supply chain learning by transforming textbooks into learning books. Â We are going to do this by leveraging the lessons we have learned in supply chain management over the years. Â These include the application of technology, the near-realtime updating of information, and the adherence to industry standards to facilitate information exchange.
Our purpose isn’t purely academic. Â We believe that small businesses have the passion, and the drive to succeed, but often don’t have the supply chain skills necessary to efficiently manage their resources. Â Sadly, most of the materials out there are too expensive, lack examples, and quite simply, aren’t relevant. Â We are working to change that!
Of course, the question remains–how are we going to do that?
We are working to develop digital “books” (using the now available HTML5 standard) that not only offer the traditional structure and experience (reading and learning about the subject, providing examples and “problems” to be worked) but also integrate audio and video interviews, examples, and other content directly into the book. Â More importantly, we seek to design the book so that the content is delivered via the internet, allowing us to constantly update the material (without subscription) ensuring that the learner receives the most current content available at all times. Â The material will be relevant, and affordable. Â Our goal is to provide immediately relevant, content rich, books well below the price-point of traditional textbooks–in the range of $15-20.
Join us in this effort–and vote for Supply Chain Innovations Today! (And don’t be fooled by imitations-you need to search for the company in PA)
]]>Asking what a year of college “should” cost is kind of a bizarre question. It should cost the accumulated costs of all the things determined to be necessary to provide an education. And remember, we must take care of our folks (I agree, btw) so this must include health care, and retirement, and long and short term disability insurance, and… (on and on…)
Costs are costs. You are really asking what you should “price” the costs to the student.
What follows is a novel idea. I have spent a good bit of time working through this, but will have to hold off on the longer explanation until later.
Let’s start here. Â Figure out what your costs are. All of them. The fully burdened, bottom line of the college budgeted expenditures.
Then divide that number by the number of students. (Fine, we can use the fictitious “FTE” if you insist, or some other aggregate such as cost/student/credit hour.)
That’s the cost. Pretty simple really, and no politics involved.
Now to get to the real question you are asking… we can work our way down to the next piece. Go back to that really big cost number. Now, take all the money you get from grants, state funding, endowments, and so forth, and subtract that out from the “bottom line” cost figure.
That’s the amount you need to recover from “other sources” to simply break even.
The question starts to get sticky here. What are those “other sources?” At this point, we tend to see that simply as “tuition.” I would propose a new idea.
Let’s stop charging the students tuition, because they aren’t the customers. If they were truly the CUSTOMER we would charge them the full rate from the start. So, instead of creating systems of scholarships, and vouchers, and payment plans, and loans, let’s instead reach out to the REAL customers of the community colleges and the universities–the businesses.
Think about this: get them not to sponsor a scholarship, but rather a chair, or a department, or a college. Put their name on it. Give them full credit. And get enough to put it in a trust, and run that line item from the interest.
NOW, you have students that aren’t overburdened with debt when they leave, that can be hired at a lower wage because honestly, they don’t have to pay 800-1400/month in student loan payments. What they DO get paid when they graduate will then go directly to the economy, supporting those around them–the small and large businesses in the very community you serve.
Let’s get the banks (and student loans) out of the discussion. Let’s make education count again.
And let it start by being honest with ourselves about the real cost of education, the difference between costs and prices, and finally admit who our real “customers” are.
]]>There is even a video series of lessons available for you. Â The first video is “Even Better Search” and starts with some of the easiest, yet often overlooked, search tools found on the left side of the Google search page. For instance, searching in images using color selection, and selecting by date ranges.
To get you started on their videos, I am embedding the first one here, but you will definitely want to go see the other training videos available.
Do you have any “search horror stories?” Â Share them here!
]]>It seemed that the discussion has all but disappeared from public discourse–in fact it has as far as the cameras go. Â We even let them issue traffic violations (and I say “them” since the process is fully automated and, if my brother-in-law’s experience is any indication, human involvement only makes matters worse.)
Now CNN reports that the cell companies are selling our data to law enforcement. Â Without warrant. On request. Â And according to the guest writer for CNN not even Congress knows how much of our private information is being sold to the police:
The little we do know is worrisome. The companies are not legally required to turn over your information simply because a police officer is curious about you. Yet wireless carriers sell this information to police all the time.
As far as the cell phone companies are concerned, the less Americans know about it the better.
Now, I am no hater of big business. Usually. Â But I am not in favor of large scale invasion of privacy, whether by the government or by business. Â I appreciate that Google makes it clear (we think) what they use our data for, and if you listen to me on Real Tech for Real People you know I don’t know WHAT Facebook is doing with the data. (Check Episode 113, coming soon, for our latest discussion there.)
But this is more than wondering if companies are going to market us to skin product and vacation salesmen. Â This is far more ominous. Â This is the phone company handing over data to the local law enforcement officials (and perhaps state and federal?) simply because they pay for it. Â Nefarious indeed.
As the author of the article writes:
Whom you text and call and where you go (tracked by your cell phone as long as it’s on) can reveal a great deal about you. Your calling patterns can show which friends matter to you the most, and your travel patterns can reveal what political and religious meetings you attend and what doctors you visit. Over time, this data accumulates into a dossier portraying details of your life so intimate that you may not have thought of them yourself. In comparison with companies such as Facebook and Google, which collect, store and use our information in one way or another, cell phone companies are less transparent.
The concern here isn’t with valid, Warrant driven collection of data for legitimate enforcement of laws. Â The concern is the wholesale collection of the entrails of each citizen’s daily life.
So–at what point do YOU think the police, the agency with the power and the legal authority to detain you, and force you to give up your civil liberties, are getting too much information?
Where do YOU draw the line?
(As an aside, apparently in the 1960s the Coca Cola company was to be feared as much as the Phone Company.)
First, a couple things need to be made clear. For instance, the most recognized PA “State School” (Penn State) is actually not a State School, receiving less than 4% of their funding from the state. Most other private schools are the same. In fact, the article points out that the schools Gov Corbett is considering funding through vouchers are the schools that are specifically NOT the state schools. He believes that the state schools should have institutional support.
Now, for the real “State schools” (those that are part of the Pennsylvania university system, such as Indiana U of P, Mansfield, Bloomsburg, Shippensburg, etc…) Their funding is about 30% from the state. There is already a significant distinction between these schools. That is why the governor is not willing to cut those loose.
Let’s think about how these things could break down if the vouchers were to be across all schools (DD’s assumption but as noted, not the one contained in the article).
As it stands now, the money that PSU, Pitt, Temple, etc receive is a small percentage not only of the budget, but of the costs of having the students. Their tuition is significantly higher than those of the real state schools. So if you are a student that is paying attention to your tuition costs, you are currently choosing between a higher cost “state affiliated” school or a lower costs “state” school. There need not be a reason for a distinction.
So that addresses the first point: There remains a distinction because they have priced themselves with a distinction. (and I will skip the second point–it’s included in the first).
For your third point, at no point was there ever any consideration that the state funding would pay the costs of providing education? The funding levels don’t now (as mentioned above).
Point four: There is no real distinction between the Publics. The publics are part of the Pennsylvania State University System, which does NOT include PSU, or Pitt, or Temple, or any of the schools often seen as ‘prestigious state schools.”
Point five: actually collaboration will continue at the R1s, since the reward structure there is based on research and not on teaching/education. Expect this: if anything the R1s will provide less “higher education” and will tout more and more “collaboration” with other schools to bring in even more research grant money.
Point six: The adjunct trend really isn’t an issue at the “state” schools. Why? They are unionized. Among other things. And at the R1s (I refuse to say (“prestigious”) why use adjuncts when you have TAs?
Point seven: The only way admissions offices would grow is if a) anyone really understood how businesses and markets work and b) they actually found themselves facing declining enrollment. That certainly isn’t happening at the R1s, and as the economy tightened, the state schools became the more affordable choice.
That’s enough… for now…
]]>Story 1: Alleged Kidnappers Surrender to Police. In this story 3 men (without description) are said to have lured a 21 y.o. woman into their van and sexually assaulted her.  While the report was filed after 2 AM, there is no hint as to when the abduction and assault occurred.  Oh–and the three men apparently surrendered to police on their own.
Is anyone surprised that the comment section is rife with people challenging every aspect of the story?  Someone was lured (not abducted forcibly) into a van, and the story failed to include any description of the perpetrators.  Not their estimated ages, race, height, or even accents.  And while the report was early morning (2 AM) no indication of the time of the abduction makes things even more “sketch” as the youth today say.
I am like the rest of the more rational commenters on this story in that I believe we wait for all the facts before reaching any judgement. Â But this story doesn’t help in any way. Â As far as news goes, it creates more questions than it answers. Â Is this something we should all be worrying about? Â Was this someone that she knew? What was the “technique” used to lure a young adult into a (purple-the only retail we get) van with three men? Â And what compelled these men to turn themselves in?
Make no mistake: I am not excusing bad/evil/illegal behavior. Â I am saying that this reporting does nothing but feed fear without providing any useful information.
Story 2: Â PSU Students cited for trespassing at pool. Â This story should be well below everyone’s radar, especially the CDT, but apparently it was made “newsworthy” by the lead sentence: Â “A Penn State student convicted of being involved in November’s downtown State College riot got a citation after police said they caught him and two others at the university’s outdoor pool this past weekend.” The story goes on to say the suspect and his friends were caught inside the fenceline “‘partially clothed’ but hadn’t gone into the pool yet.”
In what world is this a news story?  I worked at several swimming pools and during the summer “fence hoppers” were a common occurrence.  Generally speaking we not only didn’t notice, but we didn’t mind, except in those instances when they felt compelled to vandalize the pool. (And keep in mind, the vandalism usually consisted of simply tossing lounge chairs into the pool.)
No–what made this story “news” is that one of the three was convicted of “being involved” in the “riot” following the firing of Coach Joe Paterno. Â Really? Â What is the connection? Â Does being involved, and caught up in the moment last November make this action somehow more heinous?
What happened is, once again, there is “just enough” information to get the commenters on the CDT site all riled up and full of righteous indignation. They get to once again hate on the vicious criminals that burned their city down.
By the way, for those that missed it on Twitter, I have been quite incensed at the use of the term “riot” to describe much of what happens on college campuses and around the US lately. Â Read up on Riots. Â REAL Riots. Â Riots that, in fact, were occurring simultaneously with the events on US College campuses. Â Â In “real” Riots people die. Â Property is damaged in large swaths.
What happened in State College was not a riot. Â It was large gathering of students expressing their emotions, and a few, a very few, took an opportunity to commit vandalism.
But we can’t expect it to be reported that way either–since once again, it would involve too much work on the part of local media reporters.
]]>I am not sure you can blame Bush or anyone in the last decade for the onslaught of standardized testing in elementary school. I remember when I was a wee lad in the late 60s and early 70s we had regular testing as well, that lasted a week or more.
These tests were known by the states from which they came, “The California Test.” “The Iowa Test.” And these tests were often used for placement  in the upcoming two years.
It seems that, with the “no child left behind” initiative the complaint really isn’t about the testing so much as holding the teachers and schools accountable for the outcomes. Perish the thought that, at the end of the day, the producers would be measured by the quality of the output!
So let’s break that particular discussion down this way:
1. Can we agree that for any job there should be a way to assess how effective an employee is at performing that job?
2. Should your promotions, or continued employment, be contingent on how well you perform your job?
3. Is the education of children important enough to make sure that those performing their task are doing it well?
If we answer yes to these (and why shouldn’t we?) the then next question, the one that really is the heart of the argument, is:
4. How can we measure the ability of the teachers (employee) to produce the desired outcome (an educated student)?
I would love to hear your thoughts on these… Please, leave your comments and “join the discussion”
]]>REAL TECH 110
NEWS:
“FlashBack”: Mac’s first serious malicious threat. Â Botnet. Java
US Government Sues Apple, Book publishers. Â Good thing? Bad thing?
Samsung names their flexible displays: Youm But what is REALLY worth knowing is–it’s AMOLED.
Global Payments problems still linger; Visa warns of phone phishing after Global Payments breach
Curated YouTube–College Replacement? (Matt’s story)
TIPS/SUGGESTIONS:
SpiderOak: Â If security is a concern for you, or if you store important (read: tax) files in Dropbox, you might want to consider switching to SpiderOak. Like Dropbox, first 2 gbs are free. Â Up to 100 GB for $100 for 12 months… but with the code SPRING save 25%.
BoxCryptor. Â Don’t want to leave DropBox, but want to be more secure? Â Then there is BoxCryptor. Works with Mac/Windows/Linux/Android/iOs. Â I found this one while searching for more secure storage, and mentioned it to Steve Gibson. Â He will now be covering this, along with SpiderOak, in the next Security Now. (see a review here)
Google Glasses? Â http://www.pcworld.com/article/253404/google_glasses_all_hype_or_reality.html
First Hand Review: Â Matthew and the Samsung Note. Day two.
PICKS:
Steve:Expensify. Scan receipts. Â Create Expense reports.
Tony: Kiosk Pro: http://www.kioskproapp.com/
Matthew: 500px.com – inspiration
The argument generally falls on the view that the Court should follow the “strict constructionist” view–that is, it is there to assess the constitutionality of laws, not create new rights or laws. And this is where Obama’s criticism, and the criticism from the right, diverge. President Obama said he was:
“confident that the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically-elected Congress, and I just remind conservative commentators that for years, what we’ve heard is, the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism or a lack of judicial restraint, that an unelected group of people would somehow overturn a dually constituted and passed law.” Â (Emphasis added)
He is a brilliant orator. He essentially argued that the will of the majority of the people should trump the constitutionality of a law, while covering his argument with the cloak of “you did it too.” The passing and signing of a law doesn’t make it “dually constituted” and certainly doesn’t make it constitutional. Regardless of how strong the majority was that passed the law. In fact, a law that passes unanimously through Congress must still pass Constitutional muster.
So let’s be clear here: Congress passed a law, and the President signed it. The law is being judged in this case solely and completely on the constitutionality of specific clauses of the law, based on long standing understandings of the intent and interpretations of the Constitution. If anything, that is exactly the role conservatives have been calling for the Court to play. To argue that Obama’s position, and those on the Right who criticize the Court, are the same, is simply specious.
]]>Episode 109Â (Scroll to the bottom of the post after the break to listen):
Show notes:
REAL TECH 109
NEWS:
HEADLINE: Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:41 PM EDT Senator: Employers shouldn’t seek site passwords   A Democratic senator from Connecticut is writing a bill that would stop the practice of employers asking job applicants for their Facebook or other social media passwords, he told The Associated Press on Thursday.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that such a practice is an “unreasonable invasion of privacy for people seeking work.”
About time!: FAA to take ‘fresh look’ at gadget restrictions on flights http://t.co/kmSkND7i
The real issue: airlines won’t test!
Apple now gives dividends. Â Harken back to our past discussions. Â Thoughts? Steve says: About time…
In the “Are you serious?” category: Â “Commodore unveils Amiga Mini PC with i7-2700K, Blu-ray”
http://www.techspot.com/news/47916-commodore-unveils-amiga-mini-pc-with-i7-2700k-blu-ray.html  Ships with a “copy of Commodore OS Vision”
TIPS:
Google News Alerts. Â If you haven’t tried it already, you can set up alerts from Google that will either email you quick summaries and links to new items you select, or will add it to your Google Reader stream. Just go to: http://www.google.com/alerts
Want to see the future? Visit “WE Solve for X” http://www.wesolveforx.com/ They are looking for the “Moon shots” Â From their site: Â This combination of things – a huge problem to solve, a radical solution for solving it, and the breakthrough technology to make it happen – is the essence of a moonshot.
PICKS:
Steve: Â Yubico Yubikey, and (Password Safe) http://www.yubico.com/products I bought 5 more keys recently, and have my eye on the NEO for a key with NFC built in. http://www.yubico.com/yubikey-neo
Tony: Draw Something: Â https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.omgpop.dstfree
]]>Here’s what scares me about Obama. Â On New Years Eve he signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which, among other things, allows the President to authorize the indefinite detention, in secret, and without legal counsel, of US Citizens. Â At the time, he expressed his concerns about the language but promised that his administration would never use it.
Then he (at the beginning of the month) started a campaign to discredit the Supreme Court, attacking them as “unelected people” who should never consider overturning a law (Obamacare) that the majority supports. (Set aside, for just a moment, the thought that he isn’t interested in protecting the minority from the tyranny of the Majority)
He is now running the campaign against Congress, working to do things without them passing laws first. This he is calling “We can’t wait.”
What do you call a President who is actively working to discredit two branches of government that are in place to control the excesses of the other two? A President who is actively working to undermine the “Checks and Balances” protections that our constitution so brilliantly enacted. Â A President who has convinced the “Law makers” Â to give him the authority to detain and even kill at will?
I hate to say it–but I think the word is “Dictator.”
N.B.:  Now I hope my good friend over at A liberal Dose, and the other one at Pressing the Flesh may actually agree with me on this.  We as a nation must band together. And honestly, at this point, I am beginning to think our only answer will be Ron Paul.  And if you know me, you know I don’t really like that idea all that much.  But at least he isn’t part of the corrupt system.
]]>In a nutshell, this means prices on ebooks went up because the agreement with Apple made it so other sellers, like Amazon, couldn’t lower the price on ebooks.
Three of the seven publishers have already settled with the Department of Justice, but Apple, Penguin, and Macmillan rejected the offer. Now that we know the reasons behind the lawsuit, let’s see if any of this news is actually will have an effect on pricing.
Read the full article here.
]]>Watch the video (and read MY thoughts) after the break:
When I first saw this commercial I was cheering! Â You see, the largest contributor to greenhouse gases are the power generating plants–the ELECTRIC plants. Â They contribute more than all the cars in the nation–combined. Â So I saw the commercial as pointing out that, while we think we are “being green” using electronic devices. Â I thought the message was, while we aren’t the “point source” of pollution, we are still polluting.
But NOOOOOooo. Â The message is: Drive an electric car. Â That somehow taking the cars off the road will be better.
The real message? Â “Out of Sight, Out of Mind.”
]]>I couldn’t bring myself to buy a Toyota Prius like our good friend Fleshy. I am not sure if it is because I don’t like the “cramped” look of the car, or simply that Fleshy, and so many liberals, wear that car as a (tight fitting) badge of good liberalism.
I was clearly aware that some people drive the Prius simply to show that “they care.”  Recently Freakonomics Radio (brought to you by the same guys that brought you the books Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics) discussed the concept of “Conspicuous Conservationism” — that is, people that try to enhance their status by showing that they are being “altruistic” — even if they aren’t really effective.  For instance, in the story they talk about how the “greens” in San Francisco are putting solar panels on their roofs, and regardless of which side of the house is best for the sunlight, they put them on the side facing the street.
But I wanted to discuss another quick area: Real Efficiency.
I am hearing more and more people push towards Hybrids in an almost “knee jerk” way.  They feel that a hybrid is simply better for the environment than a purely internal combustion engine.  But here’s the question:  If I have a vehicle that is extremely efficient and is solely gas powered, is it worse than a hybrid on the environment?  Let’s say they get equal fuel economy.  Is one “better” than the other?
This is an interesting question. Â If they are both generating the same number of miles for every gallon of gas consumed, are they not both being efficient? Â And even if the burning of the fuel is somehow slightly more polluting in dangerous gasses than the hybrid cars, what is the environmental impact of these heavy metal batteries that, once they fail, must be handled as hazardous waste?
As consumers, we need to take more time to  learn about the full environmental impact of our decisions, and make choices not only on the status our choices will convey but the actual improvement in our environment that we will receive.
Please, let’s all work to make real environmentally aware decisions, and not ‘made for appearances’ choices.
]]>As this story from the BBC notes, the UK remembers Falklands invasion.
]]>===========
I wanted to take a minute of your time and let you know I am sorely disappointed that Drivers’ Education is being eliminated from the CV Curriculum and more importantly, that the teacher will be leaving the HS and no one else has stepped up to be the faculty advisor for CV THON.
Honestly, I have three points of interest here that happen tointer-weave. First, I believe the of all the courses at a HS that are beneficial, the most beneficial is the Drivers’ Ed course. I have seen places where that course is only taught outside the school, and honestly, all they do is teach driving. The benefit of the course taught in the HS is that there is more thought to the education portion of the program than just the training. By being in a setting with your peers, and having a sense of community that is brought through with this course, they learn more than simply how to pass a driving exam.
Secondly, as I am sure you are aware, CV THON has done wonders for supporting the Four Diamond fund and has put CV School District on the map as more than an academic or a sports district, but as one with compassion. I can’t say for sure if the THON’s sprouting up around the nation are directly related to PENN STATE THON, but I think the THON at CV has much to do with them as well. Specifically, several universities around the country have THONS, many with direct support and leadership from students who graduated from CV HS. These students learned empathy, compassion, and action from their engagement and participation at CV THON. They are making a difference, in part because CV THON made a difference. Let’s not discontinue that.
Finally, the one common thread in both of these is not the decision to eliminate Drivers’ Education. That was just the push of the domino. The common thread is the faculty advisor with a heart, that not only pushed CV THON, but cared about teaching responsible driving in the HS.
Please–find another way to economize. But do not harm the students, or the district, by allowing both of these to go away.
Thank you.
Steve Brady
]]>In 1990 George H W Bush made the statement, as the Iraqi forces were still rolling in to Kuwait, that “This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait.”
I heard these words on the radio as I was starting my leave from the USAF to go camping at Cass Lake in MN. I told my mother in law at the time that we were going to war. Why? These words were clear, and unequivocal. The implication: Leave–or we will make you leave.
So that takes me to where we are now, with Iran. It wasn’t Obama who made the statement, but close. In discussing the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons the Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, declared: “I think they need to know that — that if they take that step — that they’re going to get stopped.”
The link contains a more detailed review of the testimony, and it should be said their was much more nuance to the testimony that the declarative statement and the sabre-rattling headlines. But (and this is an important but) the SecDef has made it clear–here is the line in the sand.
Once politicians–and Governments–have drawn that line, it is nigh-impossible to back down without losing faith.
Things are going to get worse. I feel it.
]]>I enjoy, no LOVE, my place at Rose Valley Lake in PA. Perhaps you have seen some of my photographs that I have posted here ocassionally, or visited my  sets on Flickr (around Rose Valley Lake and  creeks and rivers)  The beauty remains despite reasonable and rational development.
I love it so much that I am, In fact, disappointed every time I have to leave here to return to “Civilization.” That said, I also understand that private citizens have a right to use their private property in ways that they see fit, so long as the proposed uses are in line with the general guidelines and zoning of the area.
The “Friends of Rose Valley Lake” are stepping beyond the bounds of good citizens, as they are now seeking to block an individual from using his property in accordance with the zoning laws of the area. They are asserting that by granting this man access to his property (through the State fish commission property) he will somehow be violating the law.
They write on their homepage that:
” The ‘intent’ for Rose Valley Lake, was to ‘prevent developments . . . and retain the area in generally primitive conditions,'”
They then are somehow complaining that this citizen is willing to “trade with the PFBC one acre of land (generally inaccessible to the public) and $15,000 in exchange for an expanded farm lane right-of-way through Rose Valley Lake.”
Apparently the fact that he isn’t asking for a flat trade of one acre for another, but rather giving the state the land, AND $15,000, isn’t sufficient. Also, apparently the statement that the one acre of land is “generally inaccessible to the public” is meant to imply that is somehow a negative. Interesting in that many believe that in order to meet the objective of maintaining land in “generally primitive conditions” we should keep people from going there. (Remember, the biggest enemy of National Parks tends to be visitors to those same parks….)
One final comment from them. They are argue that the proposed trade would be for an “expanded farm lane right-of-way through Rose Valley Lake public lands in order to facilitate private development.”
Note this citizen isn’t proposing to DEVELOP public lands. He is simply seeking access to his privately owned property, so that he can exercise his legal right to develop his property as he sees fit, in accordance with the local zoning ordinances.
I ask–who are the unreasonable ones?
Also, they are requesting people sign their petition, but there exists no comparable avenue to elicit support for the land owner.  I have created a form, and would appreciate your taking the time to respond.  And for the record, I am interested in learning about BOTH sides of this.
]]>I actually presented a paper on the challenges of digital textbook pricing at the Western DSI (Decision Sciences Institute) conference in 2011.   You can read the paper here.  In that paper, I point out that by driving the logistics costs of moving, handling, and returning paper products out of the system, along with other costs such as maintaining a bookstore, one can drive the costs down to about (surprise!) $15.00 while maintaining the 2 year profits of the publisher. And by withdrawing the pressures of the resale market, the profits only go up from there.
First thoughts that led to that paper were written about here and here.
Most recently I wrote about  consumer driven markets. Who should make the  choice? Digital textbooks are able separate the content from the medium, and allow flexibility–unless we are locked into a hardware platform.  I also wrote about this in this post.
I would welcome other thoughts on those posts and on the paper.
]]>from the article:
For $24.95 a month, the service will give users unlimited access to its library of 11,000 audio books through its website and an HTML5 mobile app.
Though Amazon-owned competitor Audible has a monthly membership, it relies on a credit system that give users access to a certain number of books per month depending on the fee. Audiobooks is the first service we can find that is streaming books using a monthly model.
I am intrigued–and I started to wonder how many people actually listen. Â Please take the time to fill out my survey, I would love to know what your preferences are!
(and, don’t forget to listen to our version of audiobooks–the Real Tech for Real People podcast! Â Go visit http://rtfrp.com and get the latest episode!)
]]>One drawback had been that Amazon never explained how to get to the highlighted texts or notes when you were using a Kindle app–whether iPhone or Android.
Luckily others have deciphered this for us, and have developed a program that will generate a text file from the data file. Â (The information in the apps is stored in *.mbp files, because they, like the core Kindle format, are based on the MobiBook standard.)
To find the files (in Android devices) go into the file system, either through a USB connection, or using a file explorer program such as Astro File Manager.  From there search the /SDCard/Android/Amazon/Kindle folder for the files.  You will need to do a little exploring here if you want to only get the information from one file, since the books are named with the Amazon naming convention and not using “book titles” as we know them.
From here, either copy the files to your computer or email them to yourself (or put them in your dropbox on your Android and expect them to be on your computer.) Â At that point, just move the files to the folder on your computer where you have installed the mbp reader program, and you are off and running!
You can read more about the “mbp reader” program, where to get it, and how to use it here.
One nice thing about this approach compared to the myclippings.txt approach is that the files are for each book, so we no longer have to wade through a large document, sorting and combining. Â On the other hand, this does mean you will have as many files as you have downloaded books.
I hope to learn a bit more about how this all works, so that we can add back in some of the information that we are losing in the current process (such as location in the book) and I do want to confirm that the information is in the same order in which it appears in each book. Â Either way, this is going to be fun!
Be sure to thank the folks that put this together!
The first two were aimed to address the issues at the heart of the charges being levied against Penn State in the scandal–that there was a cover-up, and that leaders of Penn State perjured themselves–lying in court rather than allegedly tell of the evils revealed to them. Â The last one? Transparency? Â Where did that one come from?
Calls for transparency arise when people believe some one, or some organization, is perceived to be acting in secret, and that secrecy is assumed, rightly or wrongly, to be covering improper or even illegal behavior. Â Often the charge of improper or illegal behavior is warranted, and often it is not. Â Of course, we rarely remember those instances when things ended up perfectly but as humans we are “inclined to believe the very worst about anything and everything.” (see “Free: The Future of a Radical Price,” below). Â Of one thing we can be sure–when an organization commits to transparency they are doing so because of a perception that they haven’t been, and they need to change. [1. Â Of course, when people challenge you as not being transparent, it is a bit awkward to fall back on a defense of “this is how we do things.” That’s not change. Right?]
In this case, Penn State faced tough critics from around the nation that felt that a cloak of secrecy pervaded the actions of the University that at best hindered investigations into Sandusky, and at worst enabled his predatory behavior.  Then, as the crisis broke, the lights in Old Main were on, but the President of the University was no where to be seen.  Depending on who you follow he was either hiding, or he was being held back by the Board of Trustees.  Then, the Board began their activities in near silence allowing just enough light in to let us know they were “engaged.”  Many questioned how the whole Board could both remain silent at this critical juncture in Penn State history, and how they could all unanimously support what seems to many to be terribly wrong decisions.[1. Recently, we have since heard from a former member of the Board of Trustees, Dr Ben Novak, choosing to turn the light of transparency on to the Board of Trustees revealing the way the Board does, and not, make decisions.  His Reflections of a Former Trustee: How the Penn State Board of Trustees Really Works actually reads like its own little soap opera, feeding off the very suspicions that led so many to believe improper activities were occurring behind the scenes.
He writes that the Board is really run by only 5 or 6 members:
The Power Group is a self-selected group of the wealthiest and most powerful members of the Board consisting of from three to five Trustees who consider themselves the real Board. They hire and fire the president; set the salaries of the top administrators (and their retirement packages and benefits); meet or talk with the president frequently; fly around in the president’s plane; attend meetings around the country on behalf of the University; and approve of all the policies the president sets. They do this with little or no input from the majority of Trustees.
So if what he writes is true, then we see in the last sentence, that there is power usurped by a self-selected few. Â But that doesn’t mean they operate in secret, right? Â Clearly the actions of the board, the “governance” of the University sees the light of day, and we all know how decisions were reached. Â Actually, no.
He writes further down that the Board operates effectively under a “gag order” that has Trustees unable to voice an opinion separate from the decisions of the Board, and those decisions are made by the powerful ones. Â He writes:
Section (1)(f)((5), for example, requires that members are expected to: “Speak openly within the Board and publicly support decisions reached by the Board.” While the first part of this sentence — “Speak openly within the Board” — is laudable, the second part — “and support decisions reached by the Board”—is not. What the second part means is that no member of the Board may publicly speak against a decision of the Board once it is adopted. Thus, the silence of the individual members on the Board is guaranteed by the rules of the Board.]
In response, we saw a promise from Erickson, the interim President of the University, to transparency. Â He wrote:
Penn State is committed to transparency to the fullest extent possible, given the ongoing investigations.
- I commit to providing meaningful and timely updates as frequently as needed.
- I encourage dialogue with students, faculty, alumni, and other members of the Penn State community.(http://president.psu.edu/promise.html)
So we have here a practical application of how Penn State will be “transparent” but not much of a definition of what Transparency means. Â We have an expectation to receive “timely” updates, and that they will be “meaningful.” Â But no clear definition of what even “timely” means. Â And updates on “what?” Â Finally–who determines “frequency?”
To be clear then, what is the definition of “Transparency” that Penn State is using? According to Tactical Transparency (see below) there are traditionally two definitions of transparency that are already accepted–financial transparency, and governance transparency.  Publicly traded companies are already required to provide certain financial and governance information.  But we are seeing companies stepping beyond that simple definition.  But before we go much further on what this “new” or modern view of Transparency has become, let’s quickly review: once again, we have documentation on how the university’s governance has been anything but transparent, and those with any memory longer than 6 months will remember the significant battles Penn State has fought to keep from disclosing salaries and other financial information.  In fact, just last month the Philadelphia newspaper, the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote:
The school has long had a reputation for guarding its secrets closely and zealously, and when the state attorney general announced the charges against Sandusky, she said their investigation , by a grand jury with subpoena power , had been hampered by an uncooperative atmosphere among unnamed school officials.
In addition, the NY Times wrote concerning the unique ability that Penn State has to use a cloak of secrecy:
But the public’s access to e-mails, phone records and other potentially critical evidence is restricted because Penn State has a special exemption from having to disclose a host of information that state agencies and many other state universities are forced to divulge under Pennsylvania’s Right to Know Law.
So there you have it–Penn State has been reluctant to release information and in fact has engaged in legal battles to keep from releasing even those records usually expected from government and publicly traded companies.
These first two definitions of transparency, long held, and expected. And yet, Penn State hasn’t even met those expectations. But this is not the transparency Erickson was discussing. Â It was clear he was talking about a new form of transparency–a transparency to the inner workings of the University.
This transparency is about the reputation of the University (or any organization). Â It is one that builds credibility. Â That instills trust. That, as a senior leader for a major retail firm recently told me, is “opening the Kimono” and letting the stakeholders see just how things are being done. Â I don’t think anyone can argue that the comment from the President is one driven by a need to restore the reputation of the University.
In the case of Penn State I think they set themselves up for failure from the start. Â First, they failed to define what they meant by transparency, creating a vacuum that is filled by whatever definitions the hearer expects. Â (Not unlike “Change you can believe in…” led many to vote based on a blank check). Â Second, their behavior didn’t change. I don’t think you can argue that you are “more transparent” when you do things essentially the same way you always have done things. [4. This is the essence of the article from StateCollege.com–that this is how things have always been done.)
Much of the background and thoughts on Transparency comes from the book Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand as well as from Free: How Today’s Smartest Businesses Profit by Giving Something for Nothing
]]>Does transparency mean that you tell everyone everything you do and why do it? bust you violate all levels of confidentiality?
It seems to me when people an organization promise transparency, they are acknowledging a problem and suggesting they can no longer continue doing things the way they have always been done. I realize this is not always the case, in that sometimes we’re just promising to foster an environment of trust, but that trust is based on the concept of sharing information.
reach leads me to ask these questions is the reality of organizations promising transparency while then defending your actions as being consistent with how things have always been done. If things have always been done this way how is that being more transparent? Or to put it another way, if you have always been transparent why promise transparency as if it is something new?
I welcome your thoughts on these questions.
]]>Check these, and the other gift ideas out–and don’t forget your favorite Professor! (Even if it isn’t me!)
]]>Please, take a minute and leave your story in the comment section!
Thanks!
]]>On Veteran’s Day, Genesis10’s founder and CEO Harley Lippman and newly appointed Manager of Diversity and Veterans Relations, Richard Sanchez, were interviewed by MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan about the challenges American Veterans face transitioning their careers from the military to corporate America. Watch the clip here:
Working with Genesis10 means working with a company that is dedicated to serving our community where and when we can. Veterans Outreach is our latest initiative whereby Genesis10 will partner with clients to identify opportunities for U.S. Veterans. Using training and mentoring programs in place internally and through external partners, Genesis10’s Veterans Outreach will prepare and support Veterans during their career transition from the military to the private sector.
If you know a Veteran who may benefit from this program, we want to know. You or the Veteran can send a message directly to G10Veterans@genesis10.com. Please share this message with your network. We ask you to help us spread the word – because by working together we can connect and support the men and women who served to protect our freedoms with new career opportunities in business and technology.
I would encourage everyone to share this post, the video link, and the email address with anyone who is either a veteran, or knows a veteran–or knows someone who knows… (you get it–tell everyone!)
]]>The primary and secondary schools systems are selecting a specific device and the books are content to go on that device. In this case, the system purchases the devices and the content and then delivers that to the student. So who is the consumer in this case? Setting aside for the moment the argument that the taxpayer is always the consumer, let’s focus on whether the consumer is the school district or the student. We can all agree that there are many stakeholders in this arrangement: the school board, parents, teachers, students, taxpayers, and I’m sure many others. But when I consider the consumer, I am considering their role in consumer plays in shaping the marketplace. In this case, while the students consumed the content, the school board by virtue of the purse string is the consumer. We can hope they are making wise decisions as they select the best combination of hardware, software, and support infrastructure.
Given this scenario the selection of a specific hardware platform makes sense. As a consumer the school district is selecting an all encompassing solution for all to use. This approach will undoubtedly balance the educational needs with the technological abilities, and of course the fiscal reality is the school board faces. The district will be able to leverage their scarce taxpayer dollars to get the best benefit possible. Are there limitations to this approach? Perhaps. There might be better solutions that only run on a different platform. But those are the tradeoffs one makes when one selects a technological platform on which to base decisions. We must satisfice.
Not consider the higher education model. As professors and students alike start to look towards digital textbooks as a valuable and viable alternative to the costly new-used-new book cycle we find a new challenge. In the old paper based book paradigm each professor selected the content and the medium for delivery of the material for their class. As I wrote previously this whole paradigm the content and the medium are inextricably entwined. Each selection of a book was in and of itself the selection of the ecosystem combining the technology (paper) and the content, and quite frankly the support infrastructure. Digital course content (textbooks) separate those.
In the old paradigm the student as consumer handbook three choices. They could buy the book new, they could buy the book old were used, or quite frankly they could choose not to buy the book. They controlled the purchasing decisions and there were really no other considerations of value for them or their professor since all books were delivered in the same – way as complete units. Now, we have some separation between the content and the media.
So who is the consumer and how does that shape the market? Following the old model the professor will select the textbook and the student will be expected to buy that content. If we allow the old system to continue unchanged the faculty member may continue to select what they feel to be the best possible text for the class without regard to the delivery media they will be forcing upon the student. Of course, they are decision may well be driven by the technology they happen to own and not the technology the students own. A professor with an android tablet may well selected android specific text applications while another faculty member with an iPad may well selects iPad content applications. This becomes especially problematic when faculty are selecting multimedia are rich content that may only work in one operating system and not the other.
Purchasing decisions than shift from the student who controls their own purse strings and now can fall on the faculty member who is on constrained by the fiscal realities their students face. It is quite possible for students to need three separate portable digital devices to support three or more classes. The student, by my definition earlier, is the consumer who must make the purchasing decision but that decision has been taken from them.
Once again, we see the value of interface and interoperability standards that cross the various platform divides. Rather than develop operating system specific applications, textbook publishers should work to ensure that their content can be delivered across the wide spectrum of portable devices available. Certainly Amazon has provided that ability through their multiple instances of the kindle application. If a professor assigns a Kindle book a student can easily select that content to view on nearly any device. With the maturation of HTML5 hopefully we will see more and more experience-based course content available and not tide to specific platforms were operating systems.
This will then returned the student to the role of consumer allowing them to make the decision about which media device best fits their needs and wants, while allowing the faculty member to select the content that they believe best fits their course requirements.
I would love to learn your thoughts on the role of consumer in education, and not just in relation to textbooks but who the consumer really as in both primary and secondary education as well as higher education.
Tweak me @SCMprofessor with your thoughts or share them here.
]]>For centuries our ability to gather content and disseminated wirh tide is not just to the content but to the media and the physical media that was used for delivery. If you wanted to read a book you would buy both the content and the delivery media simultaneously. The words in the paper on which they were printed or written were forever enmeshed. Even in recent decades with books on CD or tape you were still purchasing both the delivery media and the content as an inseparable unit.
We have an opportunity to day with the development of digital content and robust data exchange standards to forever separate the content from the media, or at least that will we use to receive the content. We’re at a crossroads. We can choose to follow the path of standards allowing users to decide on the delivery mechanism they prefer, or we can continue to develop content for delivery in specific devices and tools.
We’re currently entering a world where we have a wide variety of choices for the personal technology we use to access media. For instance, we have both been nearly ubiquitous iPad and now more and more android tablets on the market. We’re also seeing the early stages of windows eight tablets being previewed. If we take a device centric approach content will be developed and delivered as operating system specific applications. This will enable content creators to leverage the unique creative aspects of each of the operating systems and the devices. But it will limit the flexibility of the user and potentially limit the consumer base. Imagine if there is compelling content available for an android, and different yet equally compelling content available on the iPad. If you would like to consume the content available on both devices you’ll have to make an investment in each of the devices. If however the content creator focused on developing inside of existing content delivery standards the user will be free to choose the marriage of device and content that works best for them.
In the early days of conversations about developig media rich textbook on tablets, the discussions centered around the iPad and how to make compelling applications for that device. Once the android operating system began to get traction however the discussion we found devices competing not only for consumer selection but for the ability to consume content. This opens up a whole new avenue for the consumer where they get to choose both the delivery tool and the content that they to consume.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s the content standards movement focused on Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) as a platform and application agnostic means of sharing and transferring content. This then evolved into the heart of the world wide web with the transformation into HTML. Â Now, some browser developers added unique features to their implementation of HTML but over time they all seem to have come to the realization that standardized interfaces and interactions are better for all. This has now evolved into HTML5 and the integration of multimedia and interactive content into the markup language.
So here is the call—content creators and publishers need to focus on platform and application agnostic means of delivering their content. If they have a creative and innovative multimedia presentation they wish to provide they would do well to follow the lead of Amazon and other eBook resellers and develop their content for delivery using HTML5.  There are significant benefits to the publisher and content creator to this approach. First, the creators and publishers will not need to develop separate approaches for each and every device available to consumers. They will be able to create once and distribute to many. In addition, by following this open approach to content delivery they will please their consumer by allowing their consumer to choose the tool that works best for them while opening the door to significant increases in sales by offering their content to the widest selection of consumers available.
One final note: there are other benefits as well including the encouragement of design innovation in the devices separate from the need to maintain compatibility with specific applications running an existing hardware and software designs.
Win. Win. Win.
To hear more on this topic, listen to our discussion on the upcoming Episode 97 of Real Tech for Real People.
]]>There are intrinsic motivators–those things you do because you are just internally motivated to do them. Â Perhaps you enjoy a task (graphic design, podcasting), or you feel a “calling” to be doing something (the preacher on the sidewalk, the environmentalist chained to a tree.)
I am wondering–what motivates you? And specifically, what motivates you at work?
Do you live to work, or do you work to live?
]]>–noun
1. diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into a subject in order to discover or revise facts, theories, applications,etc.: recent research in medicine.
2. a particular instance or piece of research.
noun
1. learning; knowledge acquired by study; the academic attainments of a scholar.
Upon further clickage, a scholar is defined as
“a learned or erudite person, especially one who has profoundknowledge of a particular subject.”
Interestingly, there is no such distinction in definitions for Researcher vs Research.
If we look at what defines the two is the distinction one more of the approach used? Â Is it that a “researcher” follows a “systematic approach” Â to gathering new information–a methodology, if you will, while a scholar may not follow such a rigorously defined structure? Â It that is the case, I would as that you answer a few questions: Â researcher of scholar?
]]>While perusing Gina Trapani’s blog from Smarterware.org, I saw she too struggles with sharing her varied, yet often inter-related, interests.
She writes:
It’s a tough question to answer, especially when you’re not working on a single thing. Last weekend at Foo Camp I failed miserably at explaining myself and my slash careers and how they all intersect. But at that same conference, I had the pleasure of attending a session by David Eaves, who eloquently explained that his goal is to apply his experience and training in negotiation skills to open source community management. On his site, he published a map of his past, current, and future work, and how those activities all interrelated. Cool!
When I read this I had one of those “DUH!” moments. It’s a brilliantly simple idea. Â I like the way it forces some things into reductionism (you have to determine a fixed set of spheres–how many do you REALLY have?). Â In addition, this approach can even help one find relationships between work that seemed “intuitively” there, but were never explicitly stated, even to oneself. Â And finally, the approach David and Gina have both taken is to show how they are seeking the “greater good” (or a “Better world”) through their work.
The Venn Diagram David Eaves created is below. Â To see the one Gina put together about her interests and work, go visit the link (really–you should!) Â To see mine…. well, that may take a while longer.
Feel free to share yours here, or just put a link to yours in the comments!
]]>
I just want to quickly point out a few things, as I prepare for tomorrow night’s Real Tech for Real People podcast (listen live at 9PM ET).
1. Â It’s not just computer security–it’s your personal security. Â Sony unfortunately stored way too much information about you on their site and in the clear meaning that the hackers got people’s passwords, and credit card numbers, as well as other personal identifying information. Â Talk about “bad juju.”
2. Â Safe computers are not “safe” any more. Â No computer is safe. Â And neither are you. Â Gone are the days when malicious hackers want to destroy your hard drive, or play silly music, or just replicate their software. Â Today’s hackers would prefer you not even know they have made it onto your machine. Â They want your passwords. Â Your bank account information. Â Your social security numbers. Â Oh, and your CPU cycles.
Today’s infestations are sneaky.  They don’t advertise through garish graphics and sounds. They sneak on and install keyloggers [1. a program that records all your keystrokes, and sends them off to someone far, or not so far, away.  Giving up user names and passwords simply by typing them in.].  Or Trojans, or Backdoors.  Or “rootkits.” They all have one goal–to NOT be detected while they steal your precious information, or your computer processing power itself.
3. Â In an effort to steal your valuable information and even assume your very identity, hackers still rely on the most trustworthy of approaches–the CON. Â Yes, they will practice “phishing” Â tossing out bait through mass emails to see if anyone (you?) will log on to a look alike site (bank site, FaceBook, Twitter, whatever…) and then they will simply take your user name and password as you type it in. Â Even more “evil” is the approach known as “spear Phishing.” In this attack they go after specific targets, sending emails that really do seem to be sent to you directly. You “trust” it…
According to the FBI Spear Phishing works like this:
First, criminals need some inside information on their targets to convince them the e-mails are legitimate. They often obtain it by hacking into an organization’s computer network (which is what happened in the above case) or sometimes by combing through other websites, blogs, and social networking sites.
Then, they send e-mails that look like the real thing to targeted victims, offering all sorts of urgent and legitimate-sounding explanations as to why they need your personal data.
Finally, the victims are asked to click on a link inside the e-mail that takes them to a phony but realistic-looking website, where they are asked to provide passwords, account numbers, user IDs, access codes, PINs, etc.
This particular attack has recently been made simpler by the loss of the email lists by the mass-marketing firm “Epsilon.” Â Perhaps you received an email from one of your banks, or stores your frequent, or travel company, notifying you that their marketer’s system was hacked. Â Sadly, this means you can no longer trust emails from those firms to not lead you astray.
All of these stories (and many more) should have you a bit concerned. Â Computer security is now no longer about people stealing internet, or putting destructive programs on your hard drives. Â No longer is it simply your $1000 computer investment that is at risk.
It is your identity. Â And it is time to protect yourself. Â In my next post I will share some tips, and software tools, that you can use to help build a protective barrier around your computer, and your identity.
]]>Ojime are hand-carved sculptures that originated in Japan.
From about 17th century, the Japanese people (especially the men) carried a small compartmentalized box called an Inro. There was also a Netsuke to balance the Inro over the person’s sash and an Ojime to slide down the string and keep the Inro closed. Â By the end of the 19th Century, they had evolved into elaborately carved boxes with the accompanying Netsuke and Ojime. While many people are familiar with the larger 2” Netsuke; Ojime are typically between 3/4 inch to 1 inch – a perfect size for 1/12 scale miniatures. The Ojime are found in most of the same designs as the Netsuke.
Go visit her site, and check out the wide selection, ranging from cute bunnies to skulls, cats, monkeys, and large wild animals.
]]>Relaxing in the summer sun.
]]>At $2.99 an image, how can you go wrong?
]]>“For those questioning the appropriateness of the celebrations on Sunday night, especially at PSU, keep in mind that many of us were In middle school. Those were the most impressionable days of our lives. It completely changed our lives and views.”
He wrote much more, and I took the liberty of making it more readable, and posting it over at our joint blog, http://thefathersonchats.com.
Please, go read his thoughts, and share yours. These thoughts are the ones we need to share, and preserve.
]]>]]>
I used to use a Targus Wireless Presentation Remote for presentations. Â I love the sleek design, and the fact that the USB wireless connector would fit inside the remote. Â It was easy to use, and flawless in execution.
And alas, easy for me to lose the USB dongle.
I recently attended a conference where I presented my paper on eTextbook pricing (more to come on THAT later) and I found myself in desperate need of a remote. Â Nothing is worse than wanting to be able to roam the room to connect with the audience, and yet become trapped to the front of the room hitting the “ENTER” key. Â My first thought was that I would need to walk a mile or two to the closest office equipment store. Â But then I realized that I had a IOGEAR Bluetooth dongle already on my computer. Â It was a simple matter of finding the right software to run on my android phone.
Enter PPT Remote Control. Â I searched the Google Market and found a number of options. Â I read the reviews, and then downloaded the “free” version of the application (limited to 15 slides.) Â I liked it, so I went ahead and bought the full version.
So what did I like?
First, it did exactly what I needed it to do.  It controls my PowerPoint presentations, but there is more to it. The app downloaded the slides to the phone so I could look at my phone and see where I was in the presentation, and it also downloaded any notes.  I was able to have my crib notes right there in my remote control!
Some of the additional details (after the break):
Download the app using the QR code below, or visit the main website at:Â http://pptremotecontrol.com/index.html
]]>We don’t like PowerPoint and we don’t like presentations. Â But as much as we want to blame the tool we find we cannot leave this crutch behind. Â Perhaps it is because we do not see it as a tool that assists in our delivering content but rather as a surrogate, a stand-in, Â so that we aren’t the ones being observed, but rather it is our slides. Â Too often we expect (or are required) to have our presentations “stand alone” or worse “speak for themselves” (I say worse, because when given this mission it rarely actually means including the voice of the presenter, but rather that the written words must contain all the thoughts.) Â Yes, we cannot leave the world of wordy slides.
Chris Brogan at the time reminded us of the importance of “big pictures” (real images) that convey the emotion, or the sense of the topic discussed, but that we as the speaker should deliver the content. Â He also shared that we should remember that presentations are about the audience and our connecting with the audience. Â If we are to connect, we cannot have them getting lost in reading the words (the many, many, often forced to be tiny, words…) on the screen.
Here is another take on just that very thing:
So my question for you is this: Â What sort of presentation do you prefer? Do you want all the information laid out before you in verbose slides, ensuring you have all the information at your fingertips for later, or are you instead a person who learns best by listening and asborbing?
Leave your comments, or tweet me @SCMProfessor
]]>Let me highlight a few tools that have been developed to (supposedly) make presentation development easier (or catchier, or “better” … ). Â The first is “SlideRocket.’ Â SlideRocket is a presentation tool that lets you develop and share your presentations through a web based platform. I have given it a few run-throughs in the limited/free online version, as well as stepped through the tutorial, and I find that it generally helps develop solid, even “attractive” presentations.
The second tool is “Impress” that goes with the OpenOffice Suite. Â While this tool is not “cloud based” it is provided as part of the open sourced suite and has a comprehensive feature set, including being able to import and export PowerPoint presentations.
The third and final tool is Google Docs Presentation.  This is a relatively light-weight presentation development package, but it has enough features to get your point across, and do it through the cloud using a  web-based interface.  Perhaps the best feature of this (and really any Google Docs tool) is the opportunity to collaborate on the development of the document. Being able to watch and interact with the document and my collaborators in near-real-time is quite an effective, and efficient, way of moving any idea forward.
These are just a few of the possible alternatives. I would love to hear what YOU think are possible PowerPoint stand-ins. Comment here, or tweet me. I am @SCMProfessor
]]>
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Twitter has proven itself to be an amazingly useful tool. Remarkable considering it was only introduced at SXSW in 2007. We have seen Twitter move from a discussion about “what I had for lunch”, into a tool used by people daily to find topics of interest to them usually because their friends view them to be interesting as well. And recently-well, we have seen Twitter used as a tool for social and political change.
This is what’s most interesting about twitter. Twitter is not one thing. It’s not even a couple of things. Twitter is an amorphic tool, that is shaped by the way each and every user will use that tool. Individuals use twitter to share information or thoughts for the day.  Corporations use twitter to monitor what people are saying about their product and in the case of Comcast stepping in and fixing problems customers are having. Some corporations are even using twitter as a marketing tool offering free products through drawings.  Many even blend twitter with face book to create a more socially aware, new media presence.
Herein lies the challenge: there is no quote user end quote of twitter. There is no specific use case of twitter. Where many predicted the death of twitter once britney spears and Ashton kutcher arrived we have seen twitter continue to thrive and grow. What these doomsayers failed to understand is that while the arrival of these celebreties to Twitter may have removed them from the “most followed” ranks of Twitter, people were not forced to follow these people.
The magic of twitter is that we choose the people we follow. We can even block the people we wish to have not follow us (sort of). We create our own tribes as Seth Godin would say. I personally have several tribes if you will that I view as my friends, or people I follow, on Twitter.
Here are my tribes:
So what lessons can we take from this as marketing people looking at twitter? I think you can walk away from twitter knowing that everyone there are seeks information that is of value to them. Not everyone uses twitter in the same way, but everyone is there to gain value for themselves. For some the value comes in being able to share information they have, while for others the value is simply seeing what people they respect are thinking on specific topics. These range from political viewpoints, to the latest cool tech application, to experiences as a diabetic or even sharing a favorite restaurant. We need to find the value that we provide to those who want to follow us. What would make someone want to follow me on twitter, and how can I deliver that to them?
So as we step forward I suggest we keep in mind my following “main points of twitter”:
]]>
You might think about donating your computer to a school, or other charity. And when you do, you know the conventional advice, right? “Be sure to completely wipe your hard drive.”
(More after the break!)
While we used to recommend you WIPE your hard drive, we now recommend you remove it, and physically destroy it. Hard drives are now true commodities and your older computer can still be useful with only a $50 hard drive installed. Â Even better, donate the computer (sans hard disk) and then donate the cash to the charity to BUY a new hard drive. Â In that way, you don’t have the hassle of justifying the value of the computer, and the hard drive you purchase. Â You can deduct the cash donation directly.
But then again–I am NOT a tax attorney, so don’t trust my tax advice. Â Just trust me–you don’t want to give away your hard drive.
One final thought: Â you might want to consider destroying your old hard drive. Â While there are various techniques out there, I wouldn’t recommend the one in the video below (but it looks fun!)
To hear more on this discussion and much more, listen to Real Tech for Real People at http://rtfrp.com, episode 76.
]]>This sort of scenario falls easily into the realm of “doom and gloomer” crackpots. (Ed Dames even has a Video The Killshot.)Â Â Â But Scientists are warning that this particular solar cycle, and our dependence on electronics, could be catastrophic. Â This article describes things in economic terms, but imagine the potential harm that can result in $2,000 BILLION in losses.
According to this story, we were visited by another flare, but luckily it was weak in comparison. Â I include an excerpt below, but recommend you read the full article.
From the article:
]]>The sun is waking up from a long quiet spell. Last week it sent out the strongest flare for four years – and scientists are warning that earth should prepare for an intense electromagnetic storm that, in the worst case, could be a “global Katrina” costing the world economy $2,000bn.
Senior officials responsible for policy on solar storms – also known as space weather – in the US, UK and Sweden urged more preparedness at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.
…
In terms of terrestrial vulnerability, the biggest change since the 2000 peak is that the world has become more dependent on global positioning system satellites – and not just for navigation. The world’s mobile phone networks depend on ultra-precise GPS time signals for their co-ordination.
Recently, my wife switched over to the Samsung Captivate phone (the same one Android based phone that I use.) Â She wanted to get a case for it, so she went to our local AT&T Â store to find one. Â The salesperson there recommended the Otterbox Commuter Series Shield for the Samsung I897 Captivate (Black). Â I liked it, so I bought one as well.
Since getting the phone, I have been sporting a nice rubbery silicone case. Â It provided some measure of protection, and generally kept my phone in good condition, but never quite “felt” right. Â The hardshell cases that were available all made the phone too thick, taking away one of the advantages I saw in the Captivate–the sleek and thin design.
Enter the OtterBox.
The Otterbox combines an inner rubbery silicone case with a hardshell “sleeve” that provides impact protection and absorption.  In addition, the soft shell covers the power button and volume rocker, while also having a “plug” to protect the headset port from dirt, grime and fluids.  And it does all this while adding no significant bulk to the phone.  The case also comes with a self-adhering screen protector, but as you all know, I prefer to use ZAGG screens “invisishields.”
Oh–and while I bought mine at the AT&T “authorized dealer” store,[1. Â I actually like the folks there at this particular store and since they are quite helpful, and paid on commission, I don’t mind paying a higher fee. Â They helped me select the Captivate, and understood when I explained I bought it for $200 less elsewhere. Â They have earned my loyalty.] Â you can get the Otterbox series for about half the price through Amazon.
]]>Learn more about this tip, and many others, in Episode 69 of Real Tech for Real People. Â You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes–simply search for RTFRP.
]]>I have been assigning blogs for my “Service Operations” class for several years now.  The purpose of the blog is to have the MBA students reflect on a service experience they have recently had and then directly analyze the experience in light of the topics recently covered in the course.  The challenge is quite like the one my brother pointed out–the writing dropped off when they began to feel that no one (least of all, the professor–me) was reading.  My first response was to mandate commenting, similar to what he  mentioned–a sort of stick to the carrot.  Of course, that is difficult to enforce, and leads too often to a quick “nice blog–thanks.” type of analysis.
I have attacked that in four specific ways this semester.
First, I have created a Google Reader bundle which I distributed to the class (and now to you! ) Â This addresses the issue of me not getting to all of the blogs–I simply work down the full list every week and find some amazing blog entries! In addition, by giving them the bundle, I have directly connected the students with one another and their writings. Â That has led to more direct initial engagement. But I suspect that this will not be the “fix” that I hope it to be if there is no way to encourage engagement.
Second, I have used Google Forms to allow students to evaluate their team members’ blogs. I have given them criteria on which to evaluate the blogs of their team-mates, and;
Third, while I treat the responses as confidential information, I share the summary information with the class regularly. Â In this way I remind them that others are reading their blogs. Â For instance, one of the questions is whether the blog entry covered a positive or a negative service experience. Â I used this as a question specifically to encourage a more reasonable balance in the class, since we are more likely to remember (and write about) negative experiences. Â As you can see, the balance, at least so far, has shifted to positive experiences. [1. Of course, this allows for another interesting bit of analysis. I am asking the teammates to assess the experience as being positive or negative. Â It is possible that two team mates might read the experience differently. Â I view that as another opportunity for discussion.]
Finally, I directly reference their blogs in class, asking the author to perhaps lend more backstory, and then weave their narrative and lessons learned into the content of the course. Â This works even better when other students are encouraged to share their views on what they took away from reading that blog.
Have any of you found ways to encourage commenting and engagement on blogs? Share it here (seems sort of META doesn’t it?)
]]>So far, many have found it to be quite useful, but it was initially limited to Windows versions of Word because Microsoft removed VBA from the Mac versions  Microsoft has since added VBA back in, making the macro accessible for users of both Mac and Windows.
If you have a Kindle, feel free to try the macro. Â If you like it, please consider making a donation–every $1 dollar helps.
]]>Sure, I know some will say “But it’s WIKI… it’s not to be used for academics! It’s not reliable!” Â To that I respond–then take the time, as an expert in your field, to clean up what you think is incorrect–it is, after all, editable by us. Make your contribution to the greater good.
Now, the video:
Well, as an iPad user and an observer of tech, I was a bit surprised by this. Â I have seen many iPads showing up around campus, and in other places, and almost exclusively I have seen it used as a reader (PDFs for class, books, and such) and as a device to view movies and shows. Â Actually, I have seen less “video” than text on the screens of those around me. Â I would venture to say that for most people the use of the iPad remains consumption.
I mentioned that, and my brother challenged me, arguing that he, and his colleagues, are using the iPad quite regularly for note taking and email. Â I had to agree, but then…. we learned.
See, for me the operational definition of “content creation” is something that is substantive. Â I have a definition that looks at the degree, or dare I say it, quantity, of the “content” being created. Â I never viewed writing emails, taking notes, or editing existing slideshows as real “content creation.” Â And I certainly don’t view arranging photographs into a slideshow as a “content creation” event. Â The creation of the content in that case was during the translation from the photographer’s eye to the sensor in the camera.
So things came down to “Operational Definitions.”  In research we are often faced with the need to not just have a  simple definition but one that we can use to clearly differentiate between things, and more specifically, to transfer from a qualitative assessment to a measurable response.  For instance, we often talk about “small businesses” but without an “operational definition” we open ourselves up to a wide range of mis-communications.  For instance a small business can be measured as:
So then, we are now faced with the question, how do we define “Content creation”?
Is it simply “creating a document of some sort and any size, so that something that did not exist, now does?”
Or does it require a greater degree of creativity and involvement in the process?
So readers: Â I was wondering how you would define “Content Creation” and what amount of additional creativity do you believe needs to be brought to the process? Â Please–comment here so others can see your thoughts!
]]>I know, I should be doing all sorts of things techie, and you might think I am “all over the net.” But I am not. In fact, I not only don’t like the invasion of privacy that is so often the net, I actively choose to not invade other’s privacy as well.
So let me share my little rule book with you.
1. I view twitter as I do the ocean. I can’t take it all in, even with the people I follow. I will read any and all messages sent @ me, and also the direct messages. I will try, when I am on, to scan the twitter feed of people I follow, but just as I can’t catch every wave when I am at the beach, I can’t read every tweet that flows my way.
2. I don’t chase down people’s comments and statements on “the Facebook.” My family will tell you that. When asked by my kids or even my wife “did you see ____ on Facebook?” My answer invariably is “No.” They have learned–if you want to be sure I see something on Facebook, you might want to let me know through some other means (say, an @ comment or DM on Twitter–or an email!)
3. If a platform is not meant to be a social communication platform, I DEFINITELY don’t go there often. This includes Flickr, and PicasaWeb, and Youtube. I view these sites as places to go and see the creations of others, and perhaps be inspired. I certainly don’t go there for conversation. If you thought I had been reading your conversations there, i am sorry. It wasn’t me.
4. Honestly, I only put things on these sites that I want to have out there, and am willing to share with the world.
5. I have no expectation that the world will care, or even visit anything I write, or photograph, or post. If no one visits, then that is fine. I am not hurt.
6. If I create something for someone (think–water polo videos, or slideshows) I will point out that it is available.
7. Finally, I believe protecting other’s privacy is so important that I actually think long and hard before posting things that include other people in them, and often will ensure (double, and triple check the privacy settings) that I have shared certain things only with those people. Generally these are family photographs, or photographs from events, and I will share those with “family and friends.”
So there are my “not so short” rules that I live by when it comes to social media.
Now, dear reader, let me ask you: are you more or less open with your life and sharing your thoughts with the world now that we are in the era of “social”?
Or more importantly–do you really know just how much you are sharing, and how much “anyone” can actually see?
Let me know YOUR thoughts (in the comments, or in twitter! But remember to @ me, or I might not see it. LOL)
]]>Be sure to visit our Real Tech for Real People Facebook page and listen to our podcasts every week! Â You can find the podcasts over at RTFRP.com or subscribe via iTunes.
And don’t forget–you can save 20% on any order from ZAGG.com simply by using the discount code RTFRP at checkout! Â (Good until the end of 2010.)
]]>For those of you that have been following along, you know I co-host Real Tech for Real People, a podcast for “people with Tech in their lives, but who don’t live for the tech.” Â We have created a Facebook page (and I encourage you all to visit and subscribe) and as part of that page I am going to be doing “tutorials” for things people want to know how to do.
WebCamMax is the perfect tool for me to record this. Â I want to be able to switch between cameras, and screen shots, when preparing the tutorials. Â So if you go watch the first video I did, on how to create a book from a collection of Wikipedia pages, you will see I start with a camera shot of me, and then switch to the screen shots, live as I edit. Â I switch back and forth between me, and the screen. Â WebCamMax makes that as simple as selecting a different button on the main WebCamMax screen.
WebCamMax also allows me to just select an area of the screen, or a window on the screen, and transmit that. Â I have used that when Tony and I are recording our podcast on skype, so Tony can get a good video recording out of skype, while I transmit the audio AND NOW VIDEO to the chatroom as we record our podcast live (come join us in the chat room on Tuesday nights at 9PM ET– http://tinychat.com/realtech)
WebCamMax also has a few other “interesting” features, some I like, some I won’t use…
First, I do like that it will allow you to use a different background image, without a green screen. Â All you have to do is step (or roll) out of the image for a few seconds, while it captures what it sees as your background. It then will replace that background with whatever image you choose to insert. Â I will be using this down the road to insert the Real Tech for Real People graphic behind me, for recording the videos and the podcast. Â One critical note: Don’t wear something that matches your background. Â Just like you shouldn’t wear green when working with a green-screen, if you or your clothing match colors in the background, you will “disappear.”
I also like that, in addition to switching between cameras and screen shots, you can play media files. Â This will be useful for me when I record a “how to” video using my Kodak Zi8 digital video recorder. Â I can have the file “ready to go” and then just embed it, either with it’s own audio or with my dubbing over it.
You can also add on those “fun” graphics such as hats, faces, and beards and such. Â Not exactly my cup of tea though.
I have a few issues with it, but I suspect that my problems are more of my inability to understand the intricacies of the program. For instance, I don’t like having to move my mouse back to the WebCamMax screen to click to change “views” when I have it set to follow my mouse pointer. Â That is distracting. Â Hopefully I will find a keystroke combination that will let me do that more smoothly.
I also would like to see it be licensed for use on two computers, for those times when I am mobile, and will be using my notebook rather than my desktop. Â The software is affordable ($50 for a “lifetime” license) but paying an additional $50 for the privilege of being mobile seems a bit excessive.
Overall, I like it, and I have already recommended it to several colleagues who like what they saw in the video tutorial I put together.
]]>Perhaps there is a very good reason why someone would ask for money for a helicopter (oh, wait–“helOcopter”) ride to JFK–but wouldn’t a cab be more affordable?
From 2010_08_08 |
I also chuckle at “pan handling” while talking on a cell-phone, and having your Starbucks cup between your feet.
Speaking of “Pan Handling“–feel free to donate to this blog to keep this blog, and the podcast “Real Tech for Real People” moving along! Â The donate button is over there on the right!
And I promise not to use your money for helicopter rides.
]]>Also, listen regularly to learn how you can win prizes that you can use daily!
Let us know what YOU want us to talk about.
======================
NEWS:
Bloomberg predicts Apple’s moves in TV. Bloomberg expects Apple’s next conquest will be the TV industry, comparing its early moves to its first steps in the mobile phone market. The article analyzes the technology of Apple TV, noting potential methods through which Apple may approach the TV business.
Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac – Assuming I can make the podcast, I have 2011 (enterprise have it now, the broader public will have to wait to 10/26) and can make some preliminary comments.
In Brief: Apple TV part cost pegged at $64 Thin-ish margin for Apple on the TV.
TIPS:
Microsoft to debut WP7 smartphones on AT&T;
Microsoft’s Ballmer receives $1.35m pay package, but bonus curbed. Microsoft will unveil its new line of     smartphones sporting the Windows 7 OS on Oct. 11. The devices are scheduled to launch about a month later on AT&T. IDG reports that Microsoft is the only non-exclusive smartphone OS developer charging hardware makers a licensing fee, noting that vendors receive greater intellectual-property protection through the arrangement. One analyst claims the company offers “a better managed and coordinated ecosystem that might improve the chances of success for the entire platform.” Separately, outlets note that although the compensation package paid to Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer rose 6 percent to $1.35 million in 2010, he was denied the maximum bonus for the last financial year due to stumbles with mobile products and a failure to respond quickly to Apple’s iPad. Wall Street Journal; 24/7
Chronicle)
iTunes Tip:
iTunes: In iTunes 10 you can double-click on the “Now Playing” window (bottom left, if you have it showing) and it will pop out to show you a small window with the album art. Now if this is a movie, it will play, etc. But in iTunes 10 the album art for music ALSO has controls. So I now have a small square window in the top right corner letting me konw what is playing and allowing me to control the music and I have minimized my iTunes window. Sure I could use iTunes long-enabled mini window for this purpose but this is prettier.
General Tech Tip:
* Wikipedia lets you create “books” of information. If you find a wiki page, or pages, that you would like in a different format, you can now save the page, or pages, as a “book.” On the left hand side of the screen you will see “print/export” as an option. If you click on that, you can see how to create the book. Also more information on my blog at http://theprofessornotes.com or just play around in Wikipedia.
PICKS:
Presentation Clock – tested and using for a debate on Wed. Update from feedback is already being included, this dev responds! UPDATED tonight! Worked great for the debate.
Blog post from Chris on using the iPad:Â HERE
]]>Don’t miss the EXCITING news for winning prizes-including TWO TICKETS to Michigan at Penn State (Football). Â Listen to Real Tech for Real People for how to win!
Engadget is reporting today that Samsung will finally be releasing the FroYo Android 2.2 update for their Galaxy S phones, including the Captivate for AT&T and the Fascinate for Verizon. Â I hope this is the real deal. Â We have had so many rumors floating around.
There are many new and interesting features in the 2.2 Android OS, including the new GMail application, and voice dialing (finally?), in addition to “built-in” tethering.
Fingers crossed…
]]>Since the start of the smartphone experience, the hardware and the operating system have been so tightly integrated that one is hard to distinguish from the other. Â This started as far back as the Springboard Sprint phone hardware attachment for the Handspring Visor, and continues today with the Windows 7 phones, the iPhone and in reality the Android phone. Â But what if the phones (hardware) and the soul of the phones, the mobile OS’s, could be separated?
As the Windows 7 phone rolls out we are once again introduced to a wide array of mobile phone models, names, and interfaces. Â We have been seeing that with the Android, with several different Galaxy S phone from Samsung, as well as a variety of “Droid” branded Motorola phones with Verizon. Â And of course, as mentioned in the NY Times recently, if you want to get the iOS on a phone, you have to get an iPhone.
But imagine a different world: Imagine a world where the hardware becomes separate from the OS. Â Imagine if you could go into a cellphone store, and decide on the hardware you wanted, and then purchase (or just install in the case of the Android) an operating system? Â It would seem we aren’t all that far away from this reality. Â The processors in the Windows Phone 7 are the same as many of the Android phones. Â The memory, displays, and cameras are all essentially commodities these days. Â The only real difference is the cellular radios that are included in the phones, and that is network dependent, not OS dependent–three “flavors” for each OS and you are done.
Does this open up a whole new world, or just add to more confusion?
Would YOU want to be able to mix and match the OS with the hardware that you prefer?
Let me know your thoughts.
…players are forbidden from using the popular microblogging service.
The decision follows at least two instances where players were told to take down Twitter posts.[2. Â Interesting question: Â will get a take-down notice from AP? Â I have quoted 1.5 sentences from their story. Â But the story is only 6 sentences long. Â is 25% too much? Â Did I add enough “commentary” to avoid their ire?]
My first reaction was “Wow!  Banning the use of a personal tool, on a personal phone or computer–that seems a bit Draconian!”  Then I started wondering what I would suggest instead.  After a little thought (very little) I decided this–he should take the same approach that I have had with my children.Football players are taught, or at least trained, to have discipline on the field, and in their practice regimen.  They must learn daily to control their urge to run over someone, to rush to a position, and rather hold their place, watch the play unfold, and then react.
Twitter (and life) isn’t that much different.
This was a “teachable” moment. Â The coach (at the college level) is a teacher, a mentor–a COACH. Â Take this as an opportunity to remind the players of important life lessons:
Banning them from using Twitter teaches them nothing. Â They don’t learn how to engage in a social (network/media) setting. Â They don’t learn self discipline.
They don’t learn life lessons that they will need once they are off the field.
Sorry Coach–you lose this game. Â And unfortunately this is the only game that matters–the game of life!
]]>That said, we don’t charge for our podcasts, but we would love it if you would show your love of Real Tech for Real People, through purchasing yourself, or your loved one, a Real Tech for Real People gift. Â A mug, a T-Shirt, a Mousepad… they are all available over at
http://cafepress.com/rtfrp
Take advantage of 15% off on orders over 60%
And if you do, send us your photo with the item, and we will post it here, and over at http://RTFRP.com!
==================================
This episode is a first for us. You can download either the audio, or a VIDEO version of the podcast.
Select YOUR version of Real Tech for Real People!
================================
Free Phone Fridays at Best Buy! For the month of October! Each week they will include at least one smart phone.
Flexibility is the key to air power, AND ereaders. The F-15C gets a new set of eyes and Sony debuts a bendable e-screen!
AND Flexibility making it’s move to batteries. LiIon battery made on paper by Stanford researchers. Probably won’t be in phones, but could make for “active” RFID technology, among other thin uses.
Speaking of Batteries, Panasonic is finally creating rechargable AA batteries that recharge through frustration! (er, shaking…) Great they say for remote controls, and other hand held devices. About time, *I* say.
We discuss an article that challenges the notion thatAndroid is Open:
Android Is As Open As The Clenched Fist I’d Like To Punch The Carriers With
MG Siegler
Sep 9, 2010
This past weekend, I wrote a post wondering if Android was surging in the U.S. market because Apple was letting it? The main thought was that by remaining exclusively tied to AT&T, Apple was driving some users to choose Android, which is available on all the U.S. carriers. In the post, I posed a question: if it’s not the iPhone/AT&T deal, why do you choose Android? Nearly 1,000 people responded, and a large percentage focused on the same idea: the idea of “openness.”
You’ll forgive me, but I have to say it: what a load of crap.
Old News, but worth mentioning: Gorilla Glass is also in the Samsung Galaxy S displays (and it is transparent aluminum. Sort of.)
]]>From Drop Box |
And with the Kindle for the iPad/iPhone that feature became even easier with the ability to highlight with your fingertips rather than a joy stick or a wheel. Â One of the more recent additions to the various Kindle incarnations is the showing of passages that others find useful as well. Â This is done through underlining and when you touch that section of the book it tells you (for instance) “76 other people highlighted this part of the book” which is what it has for a section of “SuperFreakonomics” (The quote being: Â “Doing the math, you find that on a per-mile basis, a drunk walker is eight times more likely to get killed than a drunk driver.” Italics original to text).[1. Â This is quite an interesting fact–and one that could easily be misused to outlaw all drinking, I suppose.]
Of course, all this was made easier by the Whispersync network, ensuring that I could easily move between devices (and moving us one more step closer to ubiquitous reading.)
When I switched over the Android Captivate (AT&T) I was elated to see the Kindle app there as well. Â But that enthusiasm was quickly reduced to a sense that I would only read “leisure books” because the Android did not support highlighting, or note taking, although it would “sync” to the furthest read location in my other device(s).
That changed a couple days ago. Â The Android Kindle was updated to include the features I wanted most: Â adding, editing and deleting of notes, Â and the ability to highlight. But the Kindle Krew also added full text search (find those pesky quotes you KNOW are there, but can’t quite remember where[2. For instance if you have SuperFreakonomics and you want to find the quote I mentioned above, just search on a phrase–you will find it! Or just go to location 175] and wikipedia and dictionary look ups. Â There are other fatuers added with 1.1 as well as bug fixes. Â It even added voice search!
I downloaded it immediately, and upon opening it went to the book I am currently reading, Wrong: Why experts* keep failing us. Â I am happy to report that the Kindle App took me to the part of the book where I left off (correctly identifying that I was last reading on the iPad.) Â It also showed immediately the highlighting that I had created with the iPad, let me add highlighting, and add notes. Â Most importantly when I closed the app and switched to the Kindle on the iPad my new highlighting was there (and it moved me to the latest spot–from my Captivate Kindle!)
No other eReading platform is as diverse or as available as the Kindle platform, and with this revision Amazon once again asserts their commitment to digital books and the eReading public.
I am still left with one question though: Â Will the Android Kindle version port well to the Barnes and Noble Nook? After all the Nook is based on the Android OS…
]]>LISTENER QUESTION: Sgt Slade asks…
NEWS:
Amazon takes aim at iPad in the sun. Snarky?
HP Announces an Android Based Tablet (but it seems rather hamstrung)
“Why isn’t the pricing of Broadband obeying Moore’s Law?” The article title is a bit OTT, but the bottom line is quite interesting: Since the buildout is nearly complete, they author(s) argue that the revenue now is almost “pure profit.” Should we expect prices to come down? Or are they displaying a common misperception of economics, assuming that there is a relationship between “cost” and “Price” (there isn’t.)
TIPS
Photo: Just for fun (or is it Phun?) you can get make an overlay to put on your (i)Phone to make it look like a camera. So now, it really CAN be a camera! (or just go to step 7 and download one…) http://content.photojojo.com/diy/make-your-phone-look-like-a-camera/
PICKS:
Steve: TuneIn Radio for the Android
Tony: Â TWIT for iPad
I found the post to be an interesting read but there exists one GLARING problem: Â they misuse statistics and probabilities, and reach erroneous (though perhaps accidentally correct) conclusions.
They are acting as if previous numbers/ratios of hardcover to paperback books remain UNCHANGED with the introduction of digital books.
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that the split has been 77/23 paperback to hardcover. To come in and say that ebooks are 29% which is more than Hardcovers, but not more than the 77% paperback percentage is, well, silly. That would then result in 129% of sales.
Here’s what the author(s) wrote:
“…But then I discovered a business analyst who’d found an even bigger problem with Amazon’s statistic. According to the Nielsen Bookscan service,hardcover books accounted for just 23% of all books sold in the previous year.
So what happens if you ask how many “printed books” Amazon sold, instead of using the smaller number of “hardcover books”? Following the same ratio, Amazon would be selling approximately 334 paperbacks for every 100 hardcover books — or a total of 434 printed books for every 180 ebooks. That would mean over 70% of the books Amazon sells are still printed books — 180 out of 614 — with ebooks accounting for just 29.3% of all the books that Amazon sells.
I do have to insert one quick correction to their comment: the analyst actually wrote that hardcover books account for “23% of total dead-tree book sales” Â and that’s important.
Okay, in reality here is what they did:
They read that 23% of all books sold are hardcover. That works out to about 4.3478 books for each percent. They then multiplied that number by 77% to get the magical number of softcover books sold: 334.78 softcover books. They then add those (read: 100%) and compare that to the number of ebooks sold (180).
Hopefully, at this point, the problem is becoming clear: Are ebooks additive–that is, people are buying ebooks above beyond the numbers of hard/soft cover books they always bought? If that is the case, then So while it wouldn’t be 140% it would result in a larger pie, meaning that ebooks went from ZERO to 29% (the number they mention in the post). Not bad for eBooks. If only every new “business model” could garner 23% of a market, while not touching the rest.
But I suspect there is a shift here–people are buying either an ebook, or a paper book. Thus the “old school” ratio doesn’t hold true anymore. it’s not 23% hardcover, 77% softcover, and 29% ebooks (note: 129%). The 29% have come from somewhere–most likely eating out of some mix of hard/soft cover sales.
The authors believe (yes, believe) that there is “no evidence” that Amazon is selling more eBooks than printed books. True-they simply argued that they sold more hardcover books. But the evidence they overlooked, through flawed math, tells a very interesting, and different, story.
]]>Sadly, one of the problems with moving the equipment around, and doing something for “the first time” is that I make “first time mistakes” and this was no different. Â I tried to use the Zoom H4 recorder, but ran out of room. Â Luckily we caught it early, but sadly you will hear the difference.
Let us know what you think of the podcast, though, and please, share it with your friends!
==================
I wanted to switch email programs. I don’t like the email program that comes “stock” on the android phone and, after trying a few, decided that I really liked the K-9 email application.[1. Â It didn’t hurt that it uses the icon of a robotic dog–hat tip to Dr Who!] Â You can read a review of it here. Â It is quick, customizable, and quick. Â Did I mention quick?
So once I decided that this was the “One App to rule them all” (well, rule the email apps) I saw no use having the stock email icon cluttering up the dock on the bottom of the screen (that’s the row at the bottom that presents the four most commonly used icons: phone, email, browser, and applications.)
But how do you do that?  It isn’t as obvious as “hold the icon until it selects and drag to the trash” (the way you delete other icons from the home screen-but not the applications themselves).  Luckily I found the instructions on the Android Forums website.  Here it is:
It looks like you can customize the dock on the bottom of the screen,
but only the two icons in the middle.(ed.–not true) To do this, you much (sic) go into your app launcher, and make sure the View Type is on Customizable Grid, which you can change by hitting Menu > View Type > Customizable Grid. While still in the Application launcher, hit Menu > Edit to change the two middle dock icons.
Note though that it turns out (at least on my Captivate) you can swap out, or delete, the icons for all 4 items in the Dock. Â Not sure I want to–but nice to know I can!
]]>At least not until now!
Now, if you find a wiki page, or pages, that you would like to read you can now save the page, or pages, as a “book.” On the left hand side of the screen you will see “print/export” as an option. If you click on that, you can enable “book creator” and start adding pages to your “book.”
You can add pages as you find them, and then move them around to get them in the sequence that makes the most sense for you. Â In addition, you can create “Chapters” that will help you, and others, understand the structure of your document and provide a sense of direction and flow.
Once you have added pages, sorted them, and added chapter headings you can then save the collection as a “PDF” book, or an Open Document format perfect for editing using the Open Office Writer tool. Â I have created a mini-textbook dealing with Supply Chain Management. Â I created this so that I could share this information in an accessible and structured way for my students in the Collaborative Supply Chain Management class.
In addition, you can print the collection of “pages” as a real paper book. Â Wikipedia makes this possible through PediaPress with prices starting at $7.90. Â They explain it this way:
PediaPress offers high-quality printed books based on wiki content and is an official partner of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Clicking the Order book from PediaPress button, will take you to the website of PediaPress. Once there you’ll get a quote for your individual printed book and see a preview how it would look like.
The price depends on the number of pages, starting with US$ 7.90 for books up to 100 pages. 10% of the gross sales price goes to the Wikimedia Foundation.
Books are perfect bound, printed in the dimensions 8.5 inch x 5.5 inch (216 mm x 140 mm) and contain a table of contents, your chapters and articles, licensing information next to an index.
More information on printed books can be found in the FAQ.
One more thing:  If you have a Wikipedia account, and if you have made at  least 10 “contributions” to the Wiki (including additions, changes, deletions or corrections) you can and share your book with others.  Very useful if you want to maintain the “digital, cloud-based” feel of the wiki but provide a guided experience for your friends, or students.
]]>Chris: iPad Twitter App
Tony: eCamm Skype Recorder
Real Tech for Real People was started by Tony Pittman and me to talk about tech issues that everyone has–not just those issues that are of interest to the tech elite, or the “technorati.” Many that do podcasts lose sight of the fact that not everyone has extremely fast broadband into their homes (cable or FiOS), and those there are people that use computers but don’t want to spend time every day working and tweaking.
We try to answer the every day questions that every person has. What should you consider when buying a notebook computer? Are there differences in monitors? What are the differences between all these new phones?
And if you like our podcast, and want to show your support, please do it while giving yourself a little something as well. Â We are selling coffee mugs, t-shirts, and mousepads (along with other great gifts) through CafePress. Â Just visit http://cafepress.com/rtfrp and order your item today. Â Show everyone that YOU are a real person!
REAL TECH FOR REAL PEOPLE: For people with tech in their lives, that don’t live for the tech
=============================
We review the first year of Real Tech
Click here to subscribe via iTunes
NEWS
BCS NEWS: Graham Spanier to be next BCS Chair. (okay, football news…)
Google lets you make phone calls from GMAIL. Check the story at their blog.
Apple TV Rumor. More Disintermediation?
Sun Attacks Earth! (in 2012, maybe, according to scientists…) The news from India.
USAF C-5 gets “Makeover” — emerges at C-5M (from the “News from Last Year” category…)
Disney and Time Warner duke it out. Why I have issues with Cable!
ESPN 360 is great for online sports–*IF* you can get access
Commodore…. it’s BACK
APP CORNER: The Daily App Show with Adam Curry. (search for the iPhone App)
TIP of the WEEK: Google GMail LABS. Adds all sorts of cool tools, including the option to “undo send”, send and receive SMS “text” messages in chat, and a wealth of other items.
PICKS of the WEEK:
Steve: nextup.com TextAloud
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Steve’s info: [blog] http://theprofessornotes.com [twitter] @scmprofessor
Tony’s info: [blog] http://getthenext.com  [twitter] @tonypittman
Chris’ info: [blog] http://targuman.org/blog  [twitter] @targuman
Josh’s info: Â [twitter] @joshfink
I was a generally happy iPhone user when I first got my 3G. I was also a very happy Google Voice user (still am) and was quick to install the Google Voice apps when they arrived. I became rather reliant on the app, since the Google Voice number is the only one I give out. Then the app disappeared. I was not happy.
So I joined the ranks of people who “jailbroke” their phones. I only jailbroke when I had a need–and for me that need was Google Voice access. I then found the use of settting up a 3G wifi hotspot using the MyWi app.
Of course, as I mentioned in my previous post, I recently switched over to the Android OS and the Samsung Captivate and again, part of the move was the tight integration with the Google Voice service. There are many other useful applications that make the Android attractive to me, but certainly the Google Voice app was a significant draw.
I am glad to see that Apple is letting Google Voice back in, but I am not sure that it will mean much any more. Will it be enough to bring people back into the fold? Will they reconsider switching to the Android, because Apple is being (potentially) more open, or has Apple lost some people–perhaps permanently?
As reporters say when they have nothing else to say…. “Only time will tell…”
]]>I bought the iPhone 3G when it came out in 2008. Yes, I even waited in line for an Apple device.[1. Truth be told, it was a short line. Nothing like the lines for the original iPhone the year before.] I liked the phone, and unlike many others really felt no need to upgrade to the 3GS the next year, or even the iPhone 4.[2. Probably because I already had the “wifis”.] I did jailbreak my phone, but I only did that after Apple unceremoniously removed the Google Voice application from the App Store.
I did generally update my phone whenever a new update came out, only waiting first to ensure the jailbreak was also available at the time. This was true with the 4.0 update as well. I wanted folders, and multitasking. Who wouldn’t? It’s what we have all been clamoring for since the first iPhone arrived. And, as promised iOS 4.0 (and later, 4.01) delivered. Sadly, for iPhone 3G owners that meant that we paid a great price–our phones no longer responded to our desires with swift efficiency. Instead our phones responded sluggishly, if at all. Answering phone calls became a race between the phone responding to my command to answer, and the caller’s patience on the other end. More often than not the caller, unaware of the skirmish between me and my phone, would hang up.
So I, like every other 3G owner who had upgraded to 4.0, upgraded when the 4.1 iOS rolled out. And yes, the snap, the responsiveness, is back. Mostly.
But “Surprise!” that is the only significant new feature announced in 4.1 to actually make it into the 3G version of 4.1.[3. Actually, the nearly useless “Ping” did make it into the 3G phone. Yeah-useless. In my opinion.] In fact, they removed multitasking!
I will say, I was never happier with my decision to switch to the Android OS and the Samsung Captivate Phone I made the switch days before the iOS 4.1 update. I thought it was a good chance to try to Android OS, and I have 30 days with AT&T to decide if I want to keep the phone. I will provide a review of the Captivate later, but after 1 week, I am definitely thinking this is a keeper.
]]>So does this mean that Flickr is as bad as Facebook, running rough-shod over our rights with our own photographs?
I don’t think so, and let me explain why. Â In the case of Facebook, they (the Facebook Machine) declared that all our Photos belong to Them (and us.) Â Actually, the Flickr action is meant to ensure that all my photos remain my photos. Â If I take a photograph, and I am willing to show it to the world, then I don’t mind you sharing it (perhaps) but only if you keep my credit attached. Â People have been going around, linking to others photographs without linking back to the original, or to Flickr.
That is changed. Â Now you must provide a way to link back.
To demonstrate, I have included one of my photos taken using the iPhone in the local Walmart. Â As you (most likely) know, I am a Supply Chain and Operations Management professor. One of the things I teach is “service” and facility layout and design. Â This photograph shows how our local Wal*Mart positioned their inventory in the floorspace prior to stocking–blocking access to much of the store (forcing you to walk around) and in one case, keeping you from purchasing their more expensive (and most likely higher margin) electric razors.
*sigh*
The Razors
]]>One of the interesting points (and relevant to Warehouse 13) Â is that males tend to throw “Rock” first.
Go visit the site, and read–it’s worth you time–especially if you use Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide who gets to shoot the bad guys first.
]]>Recently a writer at the Atlantic Monthly has done the same thing, exploring the 4 myths around religion, and discussing the impact the “Antenna Problem” may or may not have had on the “faithful.” Â It’s a good read, but I find the discussions in the comment section even more interesting.
The author of the article includes the video showing a hypothetical exchange between a tech salesman and a customer. Â The customer insists that he(?) wants an iPhone. Â When the salesperson presents reasons for wanting another phone, the customer insists on an iPhone. Â “It’s has the wifi.”
What intrigues me, and what has me wanting to get my brother’s take on this, isn’t so much the article, or even the video, but the comment thread that has arisen, discussing the video. Â One commenter (@therantguy) sees the video as simply portraying the blind fervor and devotion demonstrated by the Apple Faithful, while another sees the video as a testament to the “truth” about Apple-that other salespeople don’t listen, and actually mislead their customers while Apple is all that is true and virtuous. Â The discussion goes on for a while, bringing in others as well–and it’s a good read!
So–here’s my question for those that play in the interpretation game:  What can we learn about how we interpret documents (scripture, the Constitution, our Tax Code) by this simple exchange?
For the video, watch this (but be warned, it’s NOT SAFE FOR WORK)
]]>For a discussion on this, listen to “”Real Tech for Real People” episode 42.
I have received numerous emails purportedly from “Verizon Wireless” but which instead is a rather malicious attempt to download many evil things onto your compu
ter. Â NOTE: Â The emails really are NOT coming from Verizon Wireless, but are imposters.
The email advertises new features/phones, etc, and when you click on the link it “ultimately” takes you to the Verizon Wireless site–but first routes you through several EVIL sites that drop malicious payloads into your computer  (trojans, keyloggers, password-stealers, worms, etc.)
TIP OFF? Check the actual email address that sent the email. It usually will be from some “other” site. I have seen:
BEST DEFENSE: As always, DON’T use the links in the emails, but go directly to the site.
I discuss other ways of knowing whether an email is “legitimate” on the podcast. Â Go listen to Episode 42.
]]>As I understand it, Twitter added “lists” because people wanted a simple way of grouping the people they follow according to some sort of structure that made sense to them. Â Tweetdeck had added that capability through “groups” and I had even started using that feature. Â I had built groups based on my major categories of interest: Â Family. Close (real) friends. Â Local people. Educators. Â Twitter took that idea, allowed us to create lists through them, and then also offered the option to make the lists “public” and subscribe-able. Â People can see your public lists, and if they like them–follow them!
Once Twitter released that option I had actually abandoned the notion of groups and lists. Â I wasn’t so sure about what I wanted to use them for anyway. Â I have since gone back, adding a private list of just family and friends.
So here is what I am wondering as I peruse the 35 lists that have listed my brother, and the lists that have added me:
Are they all really that different? Â And if not, are they a “waste” of time?
In my lists, I see I am listed on a number of Supply Chain Management lists.  And educator lists.  My brother’s lists are understandably predominantly discipline related, and education related.  There are a few others, but those dominate–and that’s the point.  There appears, on a curory look, to be significant overlap on these lists.
The concept of “Wisdom of the Crowds” and “Crowd-sourcing” is that crowds, when gathered together, make better decisions, and are more creative. Â Potentially (and grossly oversimplified). Â By building lists of people that share common interests we can see the views of others who are thinking about the same things, and get a wide range of perspectives. [2. Â This does violate one of the concepts that makes crowds “wise” though–the notion that they don’t all share the same backgrounds and disciplines. ]
So here are the “research questions” (or “investigative questions”) that I have:
1. Â How many groups have identical or very similar themes? (Like “supply Chain Managers”)
2. Â On similar lists, what is the membership overlap?
3. Â How much time is spent developing these similar, and perhaps redundant, lists?
4. Â Is there a better way to “share” lists, so people aren’t always reinventing the lists (and taking time to do that?)
5.  Is there some psychological need that gets filled by creating one’s own lists, rather than following someone else’s list?  Control? Ownership?
]]>I like the grocery store analogy, but he didn’t  go where I thought he would.
I thought he was going to go with the “General Store” analogy where Mr Ike (remember the Waltons?) would be behind the counter. You would go the counter with your mom’s list and he would get everything for you. No real choice in manufacturer of flour, or sugar, or even fabric. You bought what he bought, and brought.
Then we had the advent of the supermarket. You, the consumer, could now peruse from a vast array of similar products, deciding which ones of the myriad choices was right for you. Let’s take my favorite example: tomato paste. You want Heinz? Hunts? Giant store brand? Great Value? You want 4 oz? 8? 16? 32? The killer 64 oz? The assortment just of tomato based products is staggering–yet all choices we have.
Our choices remain limited by that which Walmart, or Giant, or Wegman’s chooses to stock, but (at least in the 2 former cases) they are limited by fiscal and physical constraints, and not some artistic and aesthetic focus.
If you don’t like the choices at one grocery store, you can simply go to another.
Apple is somewhere between these. They aren’t limiting us to only one choice (but oh happy day if we only could be annoyed by one fart app instead of 300!)
Apple however does limit choice. They not only control the store, but they won’t let you go to another store (without forcing you to make ‘unauthorized changes” to your device. Now, I hear the response–”you can go to another store–get a different phone!” But that’s not really the same.
In the analogy of the grocery store I have a device that I use to consume a product (my stomach, and all pertinences attached thereto). I am able to choose between a selection of products that I consume, but the device of consumption stays the same.
In the Apple model, I am forced to forgo a consumption device (one that might have a large number of appealing factors) for the “option” to consume a different assortment of products.
I don’t see why it has to be “either, or.” This Cartesian Anxiety must stop. Tell us that we are “safest” if we shop in the company store. But let us choose (perhaps through an “opt in” feature that won’t cause nightmares with firmware updates) to choose a different store. Let the consumer decide on the risks of consumption, while allowing us to have the same consumption device.
Let us “choose.”
Does Apple not have the “Stomach” for that?
]]>So, here are my replies to his 14 requests. Â Some were rather quick, others are requests for tech that would be “way cool” if we could ever get it. Without further ado, the 14 points:
You may know that I am trying to leave Facebook (and if you read my posts, you know I proposed a way to ‘roll your own’ using existing social networking sites.)  The reason I am concerned about Facebook, and wanting to leave, is that I am tired of the constant push and pull.  They push the limits on protecting privacy, we push back, they pull back… They claim they own our photos, we push, they pull back… I am not surprised, though. They don’t view their users as their customers (we aren’t–the advertisers are) but they simply view their users as the generators of content that will drive advertising sales.
The problem is that I am not sure how many really understand the several layers of privacy that could be at risk.
And here is where Moms put their kids at risk. Â You know that security question “What is your mother’s maiden name?” Well… with so many women including there maiden name on facebook (“hey–my old friends can find me easier!”) it may actually put their childrens’ identity at risk.[1. Â Of course, there are many other security questions that are often used. Â Pet’s name. Â Phone number. Favorite color. Â How many of those have you seen as information on Facebook–and when you put the information up there, did you think about the security questions you may have answered in the past? I know I didn’t.] Â I suppose this wouldn’t be a problem, so long as we make sure we don’t connect to our parents/siblings, and so forth. Â But we share the information (Maiden name) and the say “oh, here are my kids’ names, too.”
Quickly, let me say I am in no way really trying to blame moms for ANYTHING here. Â It’s not the fault of Moms or the kids. Â I suspect all of us are in a sense “guilty” here–we don’t think about how easily people can connect the dots on this information.
Part of the problem here is that we don’t fully understand how Facebook shares information. Â Apparently, even if you only share your information with your friends, if the friends have their settings open to “everyone” then your information is exposed.
I wish we could trust people. I wish we could trust Facebook. Â But in this world we must be cautious.
]]>It at first seemed a rehash of the old story. Â As Google’s street mapping cars drive by the apparently record your WIFI address and map it to the GEOLOC (GPS) coordinates to enhance navigation. [1. Let’s set aside for a moment the temporal nature of this, if you move, change routers, or any number of other things that could alter that. I suppose most people don’t move every two or three years.] Â But then the story got, well.. interesting.
It turns out that they’ve also been collecting and storing data from those unsecured hotspots. Anything that was being transmitted during the time those cars were driving by may have been picked up by Google’s software and stored.[4.  Note, that these are unsecured hotspots.  We can only assume, for now, that WEP and WPA/WPA2 encrypted data remained secure.]
So, as if to prove to people that they should be encrypting their wifi networks, the Google car has been capturing the actual DATA being transmitted. Â Now keep in mind, this isn’t just the data that is being sent out over the internet. Oh, no. Â This is everything you are doing over your wifi network.
Saving homework to a network drive?
GOT IT.
Moving pictures or music from one computer to another?
GOT IT.
Updating your business’ financial spreadsheets on the network drive?
GOT IT.
But we shouldn’t worry, because Google doesn’t want to do evil, and so they are doing everything they need to do. Â They will make adjustments to their software to stop “eavesdropping” on your digital “in home” conversations. Â And then, at the end of the article, they tell us this:
Google says it will work with local authorities to show what information was collected and make sure it is disposed of properly.
Yup–have no fear. Â Whatever information they have “accidentally” collected will be given to the local authorities to dispose of “properly.”
Honestly, I am more concerned about my financials getting handed around than I am anything else, but does this strike anyone else as… well…. odd?  And remember, you don’t have to be doing something “illegal” to have information that could be embarrassing or personally destructive if  released.  [5. For instance, The family of Senator Ted Kennedy are being given an opportunity to actually withhold information from his extensive FBI file, in part to protect his privacy and the privacy of his families.]  [2.  Imagine if you will that they turn the information over to the “local authorities” such as the Sheriff. And imagine that the Sheriff is an elected position, and realizes that he has some legal, yet compromising, information on his opponent in the upcoming election. Hmmm.]
Usually the local authorities need a warrant to tap into your phone and data lines. Â They certainly need a warrant before they can go into your homes. (Just ask Jason Chen) but what happens if someone “just happens to give them information?” Â Can that information be used? Â I mean, it essentially has the same weight as “we received a tip from a citizen that…”
Should we be worried? Â What are your thoughts? Â Big Brother, or a “Tempest in a Teapot?” [3. Â That said, all the great literature to reference here seem to come from Great Britain. Coincidence?]
]]>What to do?
How about this–build your own community! Â The tools are already here–we just need to come up with a coordinated way to share.
Let’s start with Twitter as the “hub.” Â You can use Twitter to keep in touch, and follow your friends. Â Of course, it is important to note that your public tweets are just that. Â PUBLIC.[1. Â Heck, they are archived in the Library of Congress!] Â So what to do? Â First, watch what you say (always good advice.) Â Second, if you want to add an extra layer of privacy just create a “Blocked” account, and only allow your followers to see what you post. So you can share with your friends what you are doing, and they can share with you. Â And let’s not forget the direct, one-on-one messages you can share, or “DMs.”
But that’s just the start. Â Do you like sharing your photographs? Â Flickr is a much better site for photo storage and sharing anyway. It’s the purpose of Flickr. And in Flickr you can create or join photo groups that are focused on things that interest you, ranging from entertainment groups you might have been in, to people sharing the same interests in photographic subjects or cameras. Â In addition, you can make your photos public and visible to everyone, or just to friends, or for family. Â You can control the access to your photographs and even control who can download the image or reuse it. On top of all of that, you can even choose to make your photo available to photo services to use and pay you for the use! If you haven’t checked out Flickr, you really should.
And when you add a photo to flickr, and want the world to know about it–tell them on Twitter!
Now maybe you want to share videos. Â There are many sites for doing that, as well. Â Certainly YouTube is the most well known but Vimeo is making a strong showing as well. Â Again, you can share your videos publicly, or share only with friends. Â (And Flickr also now supports limited videos, as well!)
This is just the tip of the iceberg.  These three sites (Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube) really address the majority of how people use Facebook–to connect, share conversation, share photos, and share videos.  Why turn over control to Facebook, when you can “roll your own?”
So let us know–how else do you use Facebook, and what other community tools do YOU know that could help wean ourselves off Facebook?
And let’s start with Twitter. Â You can find me there as @scmprofessor
]]>Privacy.  PRIVACY.  The RIGHT to PRIVACY.  Do you believe we should have a right to privacy?  Should we expect that our government will allow us to live our lives without surveillance, free from the need to check, to constantly look over our shoulders to see who from the government is watching?
As always the world is full of events occupying our time and driving the news.  And, as is usually the case, each story is presented in isolation.  Rarely does anyone discuss the connectedness of the stories or their implications.  Often, that means little, but occasionally the disconnectedness points to the dissonance in government when agencies pursue their agendas.  Once in a while the opportunity arises from this to view the conflict in “generalizable principles” that drive our government’s behavior.
Yesterday President Obama made a rare selection for the Supreme Court choosing someone who has not sat on the bench. [1.  Don’t worry, he didn’t go so far as to return the Court to the people–he still chose a lawyer.]  In the past few decades concomitant with the selection of a nominee we have heard the hue and cry from both sides of the abortion debate.  So far there has been little discussion on this issue. [2.  I know it’s only been 24 hours, but by political standards, that seems to indicate something–24 hours in these heated political climes is a lifetime]   The Washington Post today suggests today that part of the silence is due to the economic issues of the past few years, but hints that the lack of a record on the part of Elena Kagan will cause many to dig back through what record there is.  This in itself could be cause for silence.
As the Post points out the issue of concern to many is her views on the “right to privacy.” Â Interestingly, this is the “right” that has been cited as the underpinnings of a woman’s right to choose. Â Also, interestingly, opponents point out the glaring absence of the “right” to privacy in the constitution. [3. Â Don’t believe me? Go look. Â Dig through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Â It’s not there. Â It’s one of those issues that truly distresses “strict constructionists.”]
The Washington Post may be correct–this may well be the sleeper issue of the summer. [4. just how they mean sleeper is still vague–sleeper as in “yawn–no one is paying attention, it’s not interesting” or “staying just below the radar, as if asleep, but ready to awaken with a vengeance.” As young reporters so often say “Only time will tell.”]
So the right to privacy has been a major underpinning of the “pro-choice” movement. Â And so far the government has held that there is a “right to privacy.” The question now is–is that a special right, or a general right? Â That is, does this “right to privacy exist only for the arguments surrounding and defending abortion, or is it a fundamental right that is applied to everyone in every walk of life, every day?
Think long and hard about this. Â What is the heart of the debate concerning immigration in Arizona? Â Is it really racism? Or is it about the right to live a private life, without the intrusion of the government into your private life without cause? Â After removing the words “Racism” and “racist” from the discussion, the most vocal arguments so far against the new immigration law in Arizona have centered around the stopping of individuals that law enforcement might believe are here illegally based solely on “their perceived ethnic origin.” So the question really is one of privacy.
Now let’s take that next step–the government actually implying that they are using the tools of high-tech espionage to track down citizens–not for terrorism, or murder, or violent crimes, but for failing to pay $4000 in taxes. [5. Â Don’t get me wrong–I am not saying we shouldn’t “do our civic duty” and pay our taxes. I am saying that there is a line and in my opinion it was a LONG ways behind where they are now…] Â (See the video below)
Of course, we all know that the state of Pennsylvania doesn’t actually use satellite surveillance and listening devices, and gps tracking to monitor their citizens.[6. Â For those that are curious–the satellite imagery is real. The houses are real. Â And “real people” have had their lives invaded. Â The geo-coordinates of “Tom” in the commercial? It’s already been figured out. Â Apparently “Tom” lives in New Cumberland PA.] Â It’s just a commercial. It’s not meant to REALLY intimidate anyone. Â It’s just meant to be cute.
Right? Â RIGHT?
]]>One author, however, worries that if we view the iPad as the path that Apple would rise up and exert censorship over the content, giving us the Jobs view of the world (much as many criticize Disney for giving us Walt’s sanitized view of how the world is.)  I could see  Apple doing that not only to sanitize content, but also to further whatever political agendas they may have given their apparent arbitrary, capricious and vindictive approaches to what is and isn’t approved.  (political in this sense in the larger meaning, not simply political as in government affairs.)
I mentioned this is an email, and in reply, I was told that we shouldn’t worry about that. Â That Apple has demonstrated a willingness to not interfere in educational issues as shown through iTunesU and that Apple would probably never get enough market share for that to happen.
Perhaps.  But that led me to ponder further what really would it take to get digital texts  (or as my brother calls them “educational applications” to move from obscurity to ubiquity–and will proprietary get in the way?
First I wanted to address the interesting  notion that  iTunesU is the model of an Open Apple.  That might be true, but the textbook/educational applications that we are seeing discussed are positioned to be sold through the AppStore model, and  the App Store is a model of a closed Apple.  At times, a VERY closed Apple.   Recently we have seeen Apple exerting control not only on content but the tools to be used in developing that content.But let’s set aside for a moment the problems of if Apple were to control the market, and look at what it would take to get there.
Perhaps my correspondent is correct that Apple cannot garner enough market share to make them (and their iPad) a viable contender and competitor in the textbook space, but then we are left wondering:
Will Apple work towards open standards so that the books/media will be able to be hosted on a wide range of platforms, or will Apple insist on a proprietary standard, working towards exclusivity for the instructional material they “host” on their platform. Â This isn’t simply a red herring tossed out to direct attention from some “Greater Good.” Â The fact is that right now students are able to choose from a variety of sources to purchase their texts (and thus a wide range of service/price combinations) and even between new and used books. Â Faculty can choose between various textbook publishers/providers, which allows the professor to not only choose the best content, but the best value package for the students.
All that can disappear if one source controls the access to the media, and if there exist competing exclusive and proprietary sources for access to media, then students will be required to purchase not one, but several expensive readers/devices depending on the choices of the faculty member.  Or, alternatively the faculty will be hamstrung, “encouraged” by students or administration to only focus on those source-materials available and the dominant device.
So here we go–what is the decision making process that leads a faculty member to assign a “multi-media resource” as the course “text” rather than a regular textbook? What do you when the students are told that for my ONE class the book is no longer that big expense at $100-200 but rather the iPad becomes the big expense–costing 2-5 times that amount. AND there is no guarantee that any other faculty members will commit to a similar path? And of course the publishers don’t want to reduce the price of the “text” below 50% of the current price AND don’t want to make the “book” available permanently. And don’t forget, most technology has a life of 2-3 years when used regularly. Heavy use, along with ever increasing complexity of the applications/software, may well shorten the lifespan of the product that students must purchase, shifting them from a 1 time outlay to 2, or 3 times in the span of a college career–assuming of course that enough faculty adopt these “books” to make it worth their while.
At a time when the pressures from students AND the federal government is to lower the costs of education (and specifically texts) what professor wants to be the one to step up and insist that students get a high priced device that is designed for obsolescence?
So we are faced with an interesting challenge. Â At a time when technology is holding out such promise we find at least one company who has the technical ability to break down the cost walls while simultaneously catapulting the technology of learning well beyond anything we have experienced. Â And we find that the same company is tighting the grips on their “ecosystem” arguing that they can control their own little corner of the world.
This is one of those pivotal moments–we can see proprietary walls go up, and little gardens of creative learning spread slowly. Â Or we can encourage open architectures that will enable creativity and learning to spread quickly, and widely.
Ubiquity? Or Proprietary? Which way do you think things will go?
]]>That said I have had my issues with the device. Â In this post I want to focus on two: Â the initial syncing to iTunes for Windows users, and the on-screen keyboard.
I had some initial problems getting it synced with my Windows 7 machine, which i initially attributed to my own unique configuration, but have since heard many others have had similar problems. Specifically iTunes 9.1 won’t “see” the iPad (and in my case stopped seeing the iphone as well.) The solution was simple if time consuming–completely delete out the installation of iTunes and all things Apple.
I will say though that, by not being able to connect to the computer at first, i found the iPad to be a real joy to use as a stand alone device. I was able to get applications quite easily, and watch streaming video. If it weren’t for my insane desire to actually listen to and watch my already purchased media I would have had no desire to connect.
That does beg the question though–why must we actually continue to connect our devices with the computers through cables? This device is the epitome of mobility allowing full connectivity through wifi and soon through 3G cell networks. Cant Apple find a way to sync the ipad to the computers wirelessly?  (HINT:  Microsoft already does that with the ZUNE)
Now the next criticism is the keyboard. First let me say that I generally enjoy typing on the screen keyboard. I am using it now in fact. But some of the key placements are a bit awkward considering the fact that I am starting to use it like a “normal” keyboard. I expect keys to be in certain places, and when they require two or three extra keystrokes to use (yes apostrophe i am talking to you!) i find it to to be a hindrance. But what is worse given that I am not a professional typist, is the lack of arrow keys. When i type (er, mistype) i want to be able to go back and edit the word without trying to place the cursor with my fingertip. Perhaps others are more dextrous than I, but I have a heck of a time getting it “exactly” right, forcing me to make more corrections than i had intended, and again hindering the work flow.
In your reading of this you may have come across another annoying “feature.” For some reason the smart typing system insists on a lower case I more often than not. Others have noticed this as well, and my brother even brought it up in conversation.  A seemingly trivial annoyance, but one that requires an inordinate amount of proof-reading when they could have just left things alone.
Admittedly I could go and purchase either the keyboard Dock or the Bluetooth keyboard but honestly, I think that defeats the purpose of the highly portable and lightweight device.
So there you have it. Â A couple of my “nits” that I am going to pick about the iPad.
Now–back to watching Castle on the ABC app!
Today’s soldier, airman and sailor (fine, and marine) carries around not only their weapon and ammunition, but provisions, body armor and all sorts of other sundries not dreamed of in past wars. Â Much is designed to ensure both success and survivability on the battlefield. Â But like soldiers through the ages, they like to have diversions and distractions through reading material during the “down” times.
Enter the eReader and digital books. Â The beauty of these devices is they can hold hundreds of books at weight that at most tips the scale at 1.5 pounds. Â This is quite attractive for the warfighter already hauling tens of pounds of gear.
An organization has formed to provide eReaders/eBooks to troops. Â Their vision is:
to build the nation’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing e-books and e-book technology to military personnel who are deployed overseas defending our country.
and by doing this they hope to support the men and women who serve our country, putting their lives on the line daily.
I have used this then to spurred some discussion on Twitter about the survivability of these devices in the field. Â Which would hold up better, an iPad or a Kindle?
Some of the considerations have included:
One person on Twitter, @nutzareus, has commented on his experience in the field and noted that regardless what you use you must use an OtterBox to protect your device. Â He commented that he used the OtterBox Defender Case for iPhone 3G, 3GS when he was in the field.
Other contributors to the discussion include:
@dpowensj, @obsidianspider, @iPeat
So what other things should be considered? Â What do YOU recommend for our soldiers? Â Please, share your thoughts.
]]>Google has now made storytelling through searches available for the masses! Â I decided to throw together a VERY quick story, about the marriage of Apple, Best Buy and the iPad. Â There is very little control over the story, in that it only shows search results, so through trial and error you may be able to come up with the PERFECT story.
In fact, some have done AMAZING work (go see the examples for the Winter Games for instance). Â Try it. Â Let me know what YOU like.
]]>It is priced at $50, which is a bit pricey to start, and became an unacceptable price for me when I started using the case at home.
The one thing–the ONE thing it doesn’t do is actually make the connection to the dock connector when placed in the “easel style dock” sold by Apple. Â The silicon is thin enough that the iPad will settle comfortably and securely onto the dock but will not actually settle in far enough to make a connection.
That for me is a deal breaker. Â It’s going BACK to Best Buy!
That said, if you didn’t get the Apple Dock and/or if you don’t mind $50 as a price, then by all means get it. Â But remember, the Apple portfolio case is $10 cheaper.
]]>So today I trundled over to the app store and decided to download the free WordPress app. It is Spartan in design in that it provides a simple interface for entering text and no real “glitz” with the interface. that said it does have an option to add images, and even provides a drop down menu for selecting categories.
When adding images I lose the ability to place the image where I want it to specifically go, but I can at least get the image in the blog, and provide the information and content i want a he reader to get–I can always edit/redesign later.
Enough of this-you should see it to believe it.
In my homage to all things meta, here is this blog entry added as an image:
NOTE:  Comment  after posting from iPad.  I am leaving everything above exactly as it posted.  As you can see the image posted in portrait mode, even though the iPad knew that I was in landscape mode when I took the snap.  Also there was no easy way to resize the image.  I have noticed that, after posting, I can go in and edit directly the HTML code that is embedded to display the image.
I am willing to accept that these are failures on my part. Â I don’t know the inner workings of the iPad yet, or the WordPress app, but my “first touch” experience says that this app adds some quite useful features, but is still lacking some of the basics that would make it far more useful when “on the run.”
]]>Once you download the app, you can see a display showing the planets and the future stages of the moon over the next few days. Â In that first screen you can learn when the Sun will rise and set, how long our day will be that day, and when each planet will rise and set.
You can go past that to a full sky mode that not only shows you the stars but can overlay constellations and the horizon but even more, as you turn, it turns, showing you what is in front of you as you turn, using e built in compass. Heck, I didn’t realize that the iPad even had a compass in it!
Check. Out the link. I will try to add screen captures later.
blog post written completely on iPad — and not easily. Â More on that later.
]]>First out of the gate is Camera for iPad.  We had talked in Episode 31 (recorded last night) about the lack of a camera for the iPad.  Not an “order loser” (at least not for 300,000+ new owners) but certainly something we would have liked to have seen.  It turns out there are ways around it.  The first approach is to tie your iPad to your iPhone.  Admittedly this only works if you have an iPhone, but if you do, the app “Camera for iPad” will link your iPad to your iPhone via the bluetooth connection and allow you to capture pictures using the iPhone.  This is a very interesting app (and for 99 cents total, installed on both devices, affordable) and I am looking forward to seeing what other innovative  ways people will link their iPhone and other bluetooth enabled devices to their iPad.
]]>NOTE: Â Please, after reading through here, share your thoughts to my question that I ask at the end of the post. I crave your inputs and your ideas on this topic of great significance to students, and parents, who buy textbooks)
Underlying my view on digital textbooks is the idea that publishing through a digital medium removes the costs of production, shipping, and other supply chain costs, and thus could significantly reduce the costs of the  texts, resulting in the possibility of a substantial reduction in price to the students.  In addition, I argue that by making the textbooks very reasonably priced students would be more likely to simply “buy new” rather than seek out ways to hack the protections and “steal” books.
Unfortunately it seems the publishers are seeking to do everything they can to dissuade students from making the shift to digital books while appearing to be progressive.
Let me explain:
I have a textbook that I use for my Introduction to Supply Chain and Production Operations course. Â The text is Operations Management (10th Edition) by Jay Heizer and Barry Render. Â According to Amazon, the text lists new for $198.67 but is available through Amazon for 162.98. Â Amazon points out that this is a savings of 18%. Â [2. And for those that are tracking these things, it’s the newest edition-I will have to switch at some point.]
So what would you expect the price to be for a digital version? Â $30? $50? Â $75?
Try $99.35 — and this isn’t a copy you OWN! Â You are essentially leasing it (subscribing to it) for 6 months!
Don’t believe me?  Visit the link, and also check the graphic below (click to see larger image.)
This is just one example of the pricing schema.
So let me ask you this:
And what if that resource is required?
I had the privilege to speak with a representative from a textbook publisher about their new technological advance, designed to help students learn better, and even more, help faculty by automating the grading and evaluation process. Â At first blush I was convinced we had a win-win here. Students would be able to learn at their own pace, seeking out knowledge to help them with their problems while simultaneously lifting some of the administrative burden that faculty like least–the grading of homework. Â [1. Â Why would faculty want to avoid this? Â It’s not really as self-serving as it may seem. Â By not having to grade 30, 60, or 90 homework problems, with each student providing a (small subset of) wrong answer, we can instead use that time to conduct our own research that hopefully we bring to the classroom to share with the students, or spend time maintaining currency in our understanding of our discipline–again keeping our material fresh and relevant to the students.] Â In the presentation, I was shown how students could not only work through their homework problems, but also click a link to take them directly to the section of the textbook that discusses the approaches needed to solve the homework problem.
While all these solutions are browser based and would work on a wide range of netbook, notebook and desktop computers (Mac, Windows and presumably LINUX based) I was beginning to see just how a digital device such as the Apple iPad could be perfect for such a solution. Â The iPad could easily contain all the textbooks a student would have in a semester, could then also assist in the completion not only of the homework but could be instrumental in integrating their understanding of the material with their communications with their classmates and their professor and, given the right writing tools, could be the hub for their homework, email and writing assignments.
Then my thoughts came to a screeching halt when the representative started to talk about prices.
*SIGH*
Access to the homework tool (included in the purchase of a NEW textbook) would cost students $10 if they chose to instead by a book used. Â Of course, that would only give them access to the homework assignments. Â There was an additional fee ($30 I believe) if they wanted to have the “PLUS” features, including the hyperlinking to the appropriate section of the text. Â Of course students could simply purchase the complete digital version, integrating the textbook with the online supplemental materials, and read the books on their computer [2. Â or their iPad–all of this publisher’s textbooks are available today on that device–but not the Kindles.]
As I listened, I started hearing the dollar signs tally up quite quickly–and all because of decisions I would make concerning the structure of my class.  Would I require students to complete their homework online?  Would I choose to be considerate of their purse-strings and instead make the online homework an option–requiring me as a faculty member to not only NOT see a time savings but now instead have to manage two separate streams of assignment turn-ins, along with separate grading schema as well?
And what about the students who feel they learn best when they can sit, with a pencil and piece of paper, textbook open before them and their trusty calculator by their side, plugging and chugging their way through to the solutions each problem challenging, then leading to the epiphany they so richly enjoy?
So now I sit here, faced with the interesting challenge–Do I push forward into the technology of pedagogy, and require students to spend more money for digital learning, or do I resist, ironically clinging to paper texts with the twisted ideal of helping students more frugally achieve their learning objective? Â Or do I try to chart a course, mandating neither, and potentially creating chaos in the wake? [3. Â Go read my previous post from last year, where I discuss, as part of a series I wrote, why textbooks SHOULD be significantly cheaper when they move to digital. Â I leave it to you, dear reader, to decide why they won’t.]
]]>How do we know if it is working?
I have had a simple measure: Â Do some (or even any) students use the tools, and when they use them do they feel that they are grasping the material better?
My thought has been that numbers don’t matter as much as outcomes for individuals and if some students find value then these approaches are worth continuing.
What are your thoughts? Â Must we have numbers to be considered successful?
]]>Once this hard fought and necessary battle was won, the HOA celebrated their victory, and opened up a Yahoo Group to the community to enhance communications. Â Alas, this seems to have brought out not a spirit of friendship and community but one of sniping and backbiting.
Everyone has their own little petty concerns that bother them. Â Of course, what seems to bother them the most are what their neighbors are doing with their own property, or with their cars in front of their property. Â And of course, all arguments er discussions are brought up with the “greater good” at heart, the greater good being, of course “Property Values.”
Sounds fair, right?
Try this one. Â The first comment (and I mean the very first comment) was that, now that the roads have been paved and it is easier to get into your driveway, we need to mandate that everyone parks in the drive and ban parking on the streets in front of their own home. Â Oh, and if you have too many cars for the driveway–you need to park in your garage.
The battles have continued, over swimming pools, RVs, pets, fences, and all the various other issues that can annoy neighbors. Â But despite all of this, one things remains constant: Â no one wants to participate in a Democracy. Â They want things to simply be “their way.”
As I mentioned I am renting, so I honestly have “no dog in the hunt.” Â I couldn’t care less how things are for the long term. Â I just enjoy watching this little corner of America play itself out. Â So I have until now just stayed out of the discussions, and watched–and laughed.
This weekend after a rather lengthy back and forth discussion with someone having violated a “24 hour RV parking rule” by 48 hours, I finally offered up my suggestion. Â The argument seemed to focus on two things. Â First, one group was adamant that “these are the rules” and it doesn’t matter if you like these rules are not, rules are rules and must be followed. Â The other group (to summarize) essentially argued that some of these rules are silly and the application of fines and punishments for silly rules is beyond silly.
So I stepped in and suggested that, here in America, it might be a good idea to put the various rules up for a referendum. Â Let the community decide as a whole, through a vote, which rules are important and which are worth modifying or discarding. Â Then, as we always do in America, live with the will of the people until the next opportunity to change the rules presents itself. {2. Â The current rules were simply “handed down” as an edict from the builder when he created the community (remember the builder? Bankrupt and all…) The various members did agree to the rules when they moved in, but are these rules to remain etched in stone for all eternity? ]
Seems simple. Â But nooooooo… You can’t change the rules. Â The rules are the rules. Â And of course, my FAVORITE argument was this one:
“The only people who would want to change the rules are the people who want to break them in the first place. Â We shouldn’t give these lawless people a voice!”
SERIOUSLY?  Yes… seriously.  That was the response.  Um. Duh.  People who repeal laws usually do so to allow a behavior that had previously been made illegal.  Remember Prohibition anyone?
I could go on, recounting story after story–the stories are numerous and honestly, I am saving every one of them, hoping some day to turn this dysfunctional microcosm of America into some sort of Erma Bombeck style book.
In the meantime, I would LOVE to hear from each of you–do YOU have any HOA stories you can share? Â Horror, humor or happy?
]]>I have found that, on days when I am checking emails with greater frequency, listening to music and podcasts, and tweeting, my battery lasts about 6 hours. Â The Mophie has come in quite handy. Â If you want to actually USE your phone, then this is a must-have device.
The Mophie makes most buttons and connectors on the iPhone readily accessible. I can insert headsets, and press the power buttonsand the volume rocker quite easily. Â On the other hand the “ringer/vibrate” switch is a little more difficult to operate (at least for me, since I don’t have fingernails to speak of…) Â The other drawback is the connector (see below for more information on that).
They designers gave some serious thought to the use as both a phone and music player designing audio channels that direct your voice to the microphone and also channel the music out through the device with no limitations on volume or sound quality.
That said, the Mophie does have its drawbacks, specifically the connector. Â The Mophie does not use the standard iPhone/iPod docking connector but rather uses a micro-USB connector (the same one used in the Amazon Kindle DX and Kindle 2). Â The Mophie comes with a USB cable, so that you can easily plug the Mophie (and iPhone) into your computer, and your computer will recognize the iPhone and connect through to your iTunes application and any other applications you use with your iPhone. Â The only real difficulty comes when you want to use other devices with your iPhone specifically designed with the Dock connector. Â My simple solution–take the phone out of the Mophie. Â That is what I do any time I want to listen to podcasts through my car soundsystem. Â [1. Â Ah, if only I had a bluetooth soundsystem built into my car to let me send my audio to my soundsystem. Â Maybe next time.]
Pros:
Cons:
I have enjoyed the Mophie and the additional protection and power that it provides. Â I only have to switch to battery from the Mophie occasionally, but when it was nice to know that I had that extra reserve ready to go when I needed it.
One final note: Â my sister-in-law saw mine, liked it, and bought one for herself in red. Â I asked her what she thinks and she too loves the extended battery life that she is experiencing.
]]>I have mentioned many of these as my “picks of the week” over at our Real Tech for Real People podcast, so go visit the site, and listen to the weekly podcast to not only find out what we pick, but why! Â My partners, Tony Pittman and Josh Finklestein always have great choices as well, and our guests do too!
My first pick today is one my eldest daughter gave me for Christmas. Â I wanted an adapter that would let me use SD memory cards in my cameras that use “Compact Flash” cards. Â The predominant reason is the increasing scarcity of CF cards and the lower price point and near ubiquity of the SD cards. Â She found for me the SD-CF II : SD to CF Type II Adapter (Supports SDHC) by Semco.
This card is relatively inexpensive, and that is perhaps its biggest draw. For only $15 you can have a quick and easy way to make use of the readily available SD cards. Â I have put it through its paces in the past few months and here is what I have found:
Pros:
Cons:
So there you have it. Â If you want to be able to capture every day pictures then this card is more than capable and opens up opportunities for you to take advantage of sales on SD cards that might not be available for CF Cards. Â On the other hand if you have to shoot fast, and want very quick write speeds to “keep up with the action” at events like football or swimming, then you will want a dedicated higher end CF Card.
All in all, a solid value, and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
]]>=====
Books are wonderful things. Millenia ago, our predecessors shared their histories, and explained the world around them, through an oral tradition, passing stories down from one generation to another. Over time, these stories were written down, essentially “locking” the stories down on paper. Ever since, books have been a way to disseminate information for thousands of years, and with the advent of the printing press, to do so quickly, and broadly. We can partake in the imaginations of a Tolkien, a Lewis, a Shakespeare, or a Plato. We can read the political thoughts of Aristotle, Marx, and Obama, or the theological insights of Paul, Aquinas and Spong. We can even allow our minds to drift as we read romance novels through the ages, or the horror stories from Beowolf, to Frankenstein, to any Stephen King novel. Each book brings new thoughts, new images, and new imaginings.
In the 21st century we have even more ways to disseminate, and enjoy, the works and thoughts of others. Just as the printing press made paper books available to the masses, we have digital ebooks to take dozens of books with us, to read anywhere. We now also have stepped beyond “books on tape” to truly digital audio books that, when combined with personal media players such as the iPod, enable even those who cannot read to enjoy the panoply of thoughts.
If the printing press was the first revolution, sharing ideas with the literate masses, it was limited in the very requirement for literacy. In order to read, one must be able to read. Thus is its limitation it provided the impetus for literacy as more people sought to embrace the ideas made possible through literature.
This latest revolution both extends and hinders the reach of literature. Certainly, if one defines ‘educated’ and ‘literate’ as being exposed to ideas, then we can see how a more informed, and thus more literate, populace will result from such broad access to reading. And through the efforts of Project Gutenberg many of the classics through the ages are now available to the masses. People with internet access can now enjoy the thoughts of the ages, wherever they can reach the internet. And with the One Laptop per Child initiative, children in developing nations can be exposed to ideas global in scope, and timeless as the ages. And finally, whether one can actually read, or not, the proliferation and easy transportability of digital audio files has opened literature to everyone.
Alas, this great awakening may yet be returned to slumber. In the great confluence of enlightened self-interest we find that several challenges remain for making this the greatest literate population ever.
First, it is possible that, when provided with ample reasons to not learn to read, the population reverts once again to an “oral” tradition. Admittedly this is a different oral tradition. In this “new” tradition, the stories are told, and frozen, and remain accessible to those that can’t read. But in this “new” oral tradition the strengths of the oral tradition, the committing the stories to personal memory, embedding them deep in the social soul, is replaced by committing them to digital memory. The stories are retold, but not necessarily embraced. And perhaps worse, these stories then are so easily accessible as to render the impetus to read almost impotent. 1
The second great challenge is the rush to protect the “digital rights.” Cory Doctorow, in a This Week in Tech podcast, (42 minutes, 50 seconds in) points out that Audible books, and other electronic book distributors, will not allow for the distribution of digital rights free books. Cory Doctorow actually insisted that his books be distributed without DRM, and audible refused.
So why is this the “second great challenge?” Perhaps the best way to explain the impact of DRM is to ask this set of questions: Have you ever given away a book? Loaned a book? Borrowed one from the library? The way digital rights are currently implemented, you cannot loan out a book that you have already read. You can’t say, as so many of us have, “this is a great book–I will give it to you when I am done.” In fact, the terms of service are such for the Kindle that you can’t sell, it loan it or give it away! If we are to experience the benefits of this greatest age of literacy, we need to allow for information to be shared. I honestly understand the concept of intellectual property (what professor doesn’t?) but I also understand that once we share an idea (and perhaps, get paid for it) the idea not only can enter the mainstream, we should hope that it does!
1 In fact, this is one area in which I struggle with podcasting for courses. If I make my lectures, notes and answers available as audio podcasts have I disconnected the students even further from the richness that is “the text?”
]]>That said, I am willing to go that route, with support from our listeners and my readers.
If you want to support me in getting an iPad, just click here, and make a donation to “Help Steve get an iPad”
Heck if you just like what you read, are pleased that I am here sharing my thoughts, or you enjoyed the video that posted from the swim team (or the other videos here and at http://thefathersonchats.com) then please, feel free to donate.
2 dollars, 4 dollars. 10 dollars. Â Anything is gratefully accepted.
Thanks.
]]>
This time it was for Matthew’s Swim Team. Â I had fun with this one, including playing with some 3D effects, but most importantly it was a chance for me to help the kids highlight the fun and excitement that was their Swim Season.
I would like to thank Mike Singletary for giving us the GREAT “Formula” quote, and the good folks Crackpot and Buzzkill at The No Agenda Show for the mix of the Formula quote. Â It’s a great way to start a slide show–especially if we watch it “In the Morning.”
For the sound track I used:
Ladies and Gentlemen by Saliva
There’s A Party (Feat. George Clinton & Chali 2na) by N.A.S.A.
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines by US Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants
Just A Friend by Biz Markie
Lord, Guard and Guide (The U.S. Air Force Hymn) by US Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants
Nota Bene:
There are two hidden audio jewels. Â At the end of the first song, there is a faint voice over, with a certain person saying “I was told that, that suit is illegal.” Â And then, before “Just a Friend” the audio is, in classic “no one likes to be a video star” mode being told “Brady, Go Away.”
]]>So now we face  the BIG PROBLEM.
By shifting to a policy where everyone is now to be insured, we open the floodgates of demand (okay, a bit much. But we certainly will allow millions more in.) Demand for services will increase. So it would make sense that prices would increase to balance out the demand (remember Econ 101, all else equal, in the near term an increase in demand will result in an increase in price. In the long term it should result in an increase in supply, as the market responds to the increased demand for the product).
Will we see prices increase? Not for the consumer–they are capped at the Co-pay. And now we are seeing pressures to not raise prices from the supply side (and the insurance companies will be SHOT if they raise rates significantly).
So what happens now? If prices cannot go up, then demand will remain (unrealisticly) high. Unrealistic in that demand is acting free of the market place.
With demand high, and the inability to increase prices we will see no real “benefit” to more providers entering the marketplace.
More to the point, even if we could see more providers enter the market there are significant barriers to entry. Consider the medical field:
1. Doctors must go through extensive training, and then licensing (not to mention the fact that they never really get it right–so must keep “practicing”)
2. medicines must be approved after rigorous testing, and their labs must be approved, and so forth.
3. Various other licensing and authorizing are in place for therapists, assistants, nurses, and the like.
Supply cannot respond quickly, and with a rising demand and supply unable to keep up, and with no pricing mechanism to regulate the demand we will face:
Shortages of service resulting in long waiting lines/delays.
And how do you deal with shortages? Since the market forces are not allowed to work, we are left with the government stepping in, once again, to fix the mess of it’s own making. They will have to “ration” care.
Sorry–it’s a fact. In every nation that has shifted to “socialized” they have faced shortages, lines and rationing.
It’s not something we can “do better.”
It’s economics.
]]>The whole initiative is predicated on a few arguments:
So let’s tackle this. The basic problem now comes down to a discussion of supply and demand/economics.
As the system currently works we have two sets of perverse incentives fighting against the consumer (and one of these incentives takes place with the willing, yet unknowing, assistance of the patient)
First, the perverse incentives of the patient:
Currently, the “cost of entry” into the health care system is high (monthly “Insurance” rates) but thanks to low, or no, co-pays, the marginal costs of most health care transactions are quite low.
Given the low costs incurred per visit, and the high “sunk” costs incurred to enter the system, the insureds (patients) who HAVE insurance are incented to go to the doctors more frequently, and to go ahead and get the prescriptions (Hey, it’s only $3 copay at Wal*Mart!)
Of course, this is a mirage. The actual costs of each visit and each prescription are borne by the insurance companies, which then have to recover their costs through increased premiums, which of course has everyone screaming that the insurance companies are “gouging” the customers.
On the other hand, we have a set of pricing incentives that also conspire against the consumer. The ‘care providers” are aware that the patient/customer doesn’t see the actual costs–they only pay the co-pay. So given this we have a series of perversions that are at play:
So these two twists to the problem work once again to force the insurance companies to have to raise the rates (really on everyone) to cover the payments they are having to make.
Now–as consumers, we see that we are paying a high “sunk cost” as a monthly fee and, rather than view this as traditional insurance (where I am betting against myself) the consumer wants to try to get at least that benefit back out of the “system” (and is encouraged to do so, by “low co-pays”)
Sadly, the whole mess was brought on by our desire to protect everyone and provide some level planning to health care. The “free market” actually would provide better incentives here, placing limits/governors not only on how much people are willing to spend on services, but the prices that people would have to pay. If service providers want to stay in business then they would be forced to price competitively based on the market, and the market would be making the decisions based on the consumers. As it stands now, with the “same co-pay regardless” the consumer has no indication of value, and the market cannot respond. Viagra is as valued as Interferon and as Motrin.
What to do when everything costs the same?
]]>I am not alone in my expectation that the Health Care (insurance) reform will not improve Health Care (it won’t make bad doctors good ones, for instance) and it won’t improve access since lower prices have that pesky effect of increasing demand–in a field where the barriers to entry for suppliers are significant.
I will say this: Â Welcome to the new “Grand Experiment.” Â If it succeeds, then by all means celebrate (but could we get a good solid definition of success on which we can all agree?) Â But (and this is significant) if it fails, how many will have died as part of the experiment, and will we ever be able to recover?
One final note: Â As researchers we have to seek, and get, informed consent from human subjects before we can experiment on them. Â Did you get the forms?
]]>I am not writing this as a “hater” or critic of the iPad. Â I just would love to see if the demand spiked on the first day and dropped precipitously, or whether the demand over the 21 days prior to shipping stayed relatively constant, or even ramped up as we approached the 3rd of April.
Here’s what I wonder: Â people who are early adopters, and the first to get in line and wait for days for a new product, are by all anecdotal evidence I have heard the ones who pre-order, and pre-ordered on the first day they could. Â And in the case of my brother, ordered it as soon as the Apple Store made it available.
If my supposition is true, then the demand for pre-ordered items would have been heavily front-loaded. Â Conversely, Â I would find it quite interesting if demand for the iPad through pre-ordering had any sort of ramping to the demand pattern. Â If the demand was increasing, then the big question of the day would be: Â Why?
The next question is are the people who would normally stand in line to get the next “really cool product” the same who would want to pre-order right away (and thus reduce or eliminate lines at the stores) or is the psychology of waiting in line for a “cool new product” palpably different from the psychology of “getting” it?
Anyone have any thoughts or insights into this?
]]>I wanted to tackle this for a minute.[1. Â Don’t worry, I am not going to tackle the whole “iPhone Killer” meme again. Â It’s played out. Â But remember, when people use that phrase more often than not they mean more than simply “give it a run for it’s money.” Â They usually mean “drive to obscurity.” And rarely do we see a product enter and compete in an existing space and drive out a competitor]Â Â I would have to agree that the NEXUS is not selling as well as, well, most other smart phones on the market right now, but on the other hand let’s balance the assessment by pointing out a couple things contained in the short post above.
1.  The forecast anticipates selling 1 million units by the end of 2010.  This is actually quite a  significant figure for a phone that really only works best (for now) with T-Mobile.
2. Â The Nexus is only “sold directly by Google.” Â In fact, let’s be more pointed with this: it’s only sold by Google, through an online purchase. Â Imagine if the only way to get an iPhone was through the Apple Store site. Â Would they still have sold millions? Yes, undoubtedly, but one cannot discount the tremendous boost Apple received by having their products in the hands of thousands of people nationwide, simultaneously. Â Not to mention the tremendous press coverage of the “long lines waiting to get their hands on their first iPhone” that we saw in every news media market.
Now, a million units sold in 1 year is relatively trivial compared to the numbers of even the iPhone 1st generation phone. Â That said, consider the deck that Google has elected to stack against itself.
T-Mobile is a good and worthy network, so I am told.  But more often than not, people talk about it as if it is the little sibling of the  “big 3” when people talk about their cell-carriers.  I think I can count on one hand (without resorting to binary)  the number of friends and colleagues that use T-Mobile.  Selling a million units for a phone that is, out of the box, tied to a company with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Mobile_USA is “not too shabby.”  (This compares right now with AT&T having approximately 85 million wireless customers.)  Given the large numbers of people who are locked in to their existing contracts, I don’t see many people switching carriers, especially since they are not afforded the opportunity to “try before they buy.”  (See next point)
Additionally, the decision by Google to only sell the Nexus online, through their website, has to hamstring their sales.  I may like tech, but when it comes to dropping $500 or more on a phone (and/or getting a long term contract) I want to be able to touch it first, see how it feels and responds in my hands, and feel like I was an informed consumer when  I make  my decision.  I suspect I am not alone.  More than once I have driven past our local T-Mobile store thinking that, if only they had a Nexus in the store, I would stop and at least test the waters.  I suspect that, if I could go in to a T-Mobile and not only play with the phone a bit, but talk with them about the affordability of switching from AT&T to T-Mobile, I would make the switch.  And again, I suspect I am not alone.
Finally, early reports of lack-luster customer support by Google has most likely scared off a number of would-be consumers.  Take away the store front/salesperson access, and market your phone on a network that would require me to switch carriers, and I am going to want, nay expect, a rather significant online and “on phone” support structure.  Unfortunately, Google has grown a culture based around offering “free” and “Beta” services.  Expectations of support for “free” services are far lower than expectations when one spends a significant amount of cash.
And make no mistake–$500 is significant.
In the final (as of today) analysis, I would say that 1 million units sold is actually a remarkable number given that Google has left the confines of their “core competency” (which I will describe as creating free and innovative software-based experiences) and ventured in to the world of offering “for sale” hardware products.[2. True, Google has relied on HTC for the design and manufacturing of the Nexus leveraging their core competency, but they have not been a retailer.]Â Â Additionally, they seem to be wanting to “play by the rules” of traditional retailing instead of breaking new ground in the cellphone industry (as was speculated prior to the offering of the Nexus).
What does the future really hold for the Nexus line? Â It is now a waiting game, I suppose. Â Imagine Google addressing even 1 of the issues above. An expansion to another network (such as a Verizon or AT&T) or even the opening of sales at T-Mobile stores could make a significant difference for the phone. Â Or, perhaps they utimately will rewrite the rules for cell-phones, offering free phones to those that actively use Google services, extending the Ad Revenue model to a whole new domain.
Considering the mis-steps one can only conclude that the Nexus succeeds, despite itself.
]]>He is also a self-professed liberal. This is not surprising. He believes that we need to look out for our neighbors, and his view of neighbor is expansive. So understandably (I hop) I found myself pondering if I am missing something. Is there something “great” about liberalism as we know it today? And if it is “great” does that mean conservatism somehow misses the boat?
After much reflection, I realized that we have two problems facing us. First, the liberal ideal of caring for those around you is not only a good one, it’s Biblical. We are called on by Christ to love our neighbors. And Christ didn’t draw any neighborhood boundaries, either. On the other hand, we are faced with an ever-enlarging government that, despite all the best intentions and heartfelt goodwill, never seems to deliver on the “big promises.”
My conclusion? Liberalism doesn’t scale–and it wasn’t ever intended to. For us to love our neighbor we must be in contact with our neighbors. We can care best for those we touch. I suspect this was designed into our nature.
There have been many articles and books written, speeches given, and studies done, identifying that we respond more positively, and give more freely, to concerns closer to home. So we are hard-wired to care for those around us. This “local giving” may not be motivated from a pure heart, but at least we know it happens. Superfreakonomics gives us a perspective on this altruism: ‘Most giving is, as economists call it, impure altruism or warm-glow altruism. You give not only because you want to help but because it makes you look good, or feel good, or perhaps feel less bad.”]
So we, for whatever reasons or motivations, generally want to help our neighbors. Surely that extends to those we cannot see, correct? Well, the authors of the book SuperFreakonomics would perhaps argue no. Not only do they essentially argue that liberalism doesn’t scale, they go a step further and discusses research that indicates that, when given an opportunity, people will not only fail to behave benevolently towards their neighbor, they will in fact, cheat them. But what is most interesting here, is that, in the research they discussed, the cheating occurred most often between people who were not neighbors. “In the data, List found an interesting split: the out-of-town dealers cheated more often than the locals.”
So here is where I believe liberalism, or altruism, fails. When we ask the government to step in and perform altruistic acts, we ask the government to do a few things on our behalf:
1. We want an non-person to demonstrate humanity. We ask that the government “care.”
2. We want the government to make the “right” choices about what and whom to care for. Of course, we find that often that means bringing the “bacon” (or “Pork”) back to our own districts, where we “see the need.”
3. We want the government to do all this, without actually requiring that we pay for it, and simultaneously wanting the government to make sure someone else pays for it (“raise the taxes on the wealthy.”)
So over time, we find that government is called on less to be altruistic on a grand scale, and becomes for nearly all a way to force others to give money to causes and people they otherwise might not support, while simultaneously bringing resources to bear on my own local problems. Government then takes on the roll of proxy for the same local concerns we used to care for ourselves!
This is, of course, simply a blog. I make no pretense of conducting large scale research myself on this topic. I am simply tying together my readings, and my observations of the world around me. It seems to me that most people want to help those close to them, and most when presented with true and compelling need or tragedy, will give. But when we rely on our government to function on our behalf we become disconnected. We no longer have those “feel good” moments that cause us to practice “warm glow altruism.” Government
And then, over time, we stop caring.
]]>Here is a video of the first of the linedances of the night.
Oh–and it’s never too late to donate to THON and the Four Diamonds Fund.
]]>Donations can be sent to:
CV Four Diamonds Fund
Cumberland Valley High School
6746 Carlisle Pike
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Attn: Elizabeth Rimpfel
Enjoy!
]]>I have written about this all week, and I wanted to take another couple of minutes to remind you, dear reader, why they are doing this.
(Paraphrased from the Four Diamonds site “About us“) CV HS joins many other schools, and Penn State, in helping raise money for the Four Diamonds Fund. This fund was started in 1972 by Charles and Irma Millard soon after their son, Christopher, died of cancer at 14 years of age. They named the fund after a story their son wrote while battling cancer. In that story, he wrote about a knight that had to find the four diamonds of Courage, Wisdom, Honesty, and Strength. You can read his story, by visiting the Four Diamonds Fund site.
The students at Cumberland Valley HS have worked tirelessly through this year raising funds, and they have been doing this for 4 years (according to the Four Diamonds site) and last year, they raised $55,500 for the Four Diamonds Fund–the second largest school mini-thon amount!
Let’s give credit where it’s due. CVHS isn’t alone. Central Dauphin HS (15 yrs running a mini thon) raised $68,612 in 2009. All told, for the 2008-09 school year 38 schools (from elementary schools through HS) raised over 3/4 of a MILLION dollars for the Fund.
Please, consider a donation to CV THON. Visit their website at http://CVSCHOOLS.ORG/THON and go to “Donors” (or, simply Click Here!)
All the schools unite with one hope, one dream, one cause–to stop Childhood cancer. And they do it for one reason: FOR THE KIDS.
So in the spirit of unity, today, I will include a Central Dauphin THON Dodgeball Video.
]]>The THON Team at Cumberland Valley >are not afraid. They have been planning and working, and fund-raising, year round, anticipating their “big event.” They apparently also have an “in” with God. In looking at the weather maps, and they way the storm will swirl about Pennsylvania, it appears our portion of South-Central PA will emerge relatively unscathed and, more importantly, with no school cancellations that would have a negating effect on CV THON.
So I am left with two requests: Pray for “no snow.” And, when it comes to donations, “Pray for Rain.” Pray, that our community will continue to reach out, and touch hundreds of lives through the love and dedication of these high school kids!
I am posting a triple video threat today. First, I wanted to share a video from Penn State’s THON in 2009, entitled “Where are They Now.” A powerful testimony to the love and devotion the THON has, and the impact the Four Diamonds Fund has had on children 10 15, or 20 years after they were diagnosed with pediatric cancer.
The second video shows just home much fun CV THON students have, as they find creative ways to not only raise money For The Kids, but to do it while having fun with each other (This time–dodge-ball.) Check the schedule. They have this Dodge Ball TOURNAMENT scheduled DURING CV THON! According to Matthew, they have about 30 teams — “It’s EPIC.”
Finally, no plea for you, dear readers, to “Pray for Rain” would be complete without including the song from PFR.
FOR THE KIDS!
Where are They Now
DODGEBALL
PFR
]]>I am sure you are wondering “how can I donate, and ensure these kids get credit for it?” It’s simple. From their website:
For Members of the Community
Donations of $100 and up will receive a t-shirt.
Donations can be sent to:
CV Four Diamonds Fund
Cumberland Valley High School
6746 Carlisle Pike
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
Attn: Elizabeth Rimpfel
These kids work hard year round. Â They are planning, canning (raising funds at sporting events and retailers), and reaching out to the media. Â They certainly know that it is important to work hard FOR THE KIDS.
BUT… they also know how to have fun. Â Don’t believe me? Just watch this video.
]]>Take the time to learn about the wide range of activities they have planned at the CV THON by visiting their site at http://cvschools.org/thon and then watch the video of last year’s LINE DANCE at CV THON!
FOR THE KIDS!
]]>…to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children treated at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research.
Any family with a child being treated for pediatric cancer at Penn StateHershey Children’s Hospital is automatically eligible for support.
But wait-there’s MORE!
Cumberland Valley High School has their THON Dance Marathon this coming weekend. Â High school kids couldn’t sit by and watch Penn State students raise all the funds. Â They too were moved to help in the fight against childhood cancer. Â They too wanted to contribute in not only money, but time and passion. Â They too wanted to dance to victory over Pediatric Cancer.
So they will have their THON dance, February 27th-28th, 2010.  Learn more about CV Thon here.  Or see pictures from last year’s CV THON.
You can support CV THON by donating directly to the Four Diamonds Fund. Â Just visit their site at: http://www.pennstatehershey.org/web/development/give
Oh, and watch these videos.
]]>Take the time to read about THON, and the Four Diamonds Foundation, and please, donate. Any amount helps. Go visit http://THON.org
And while you are thinking THON, remember, Cumberland Valley HS will be hosting their CV THON this coming weekend–and the proceeds there go to the Four Diamond Foundation as well, visit http://www.cvschools.org/thon
]]>Every year at Penn State the largest student-run philanthropic organization pulls together with the Dance Marathon called THON that culminates a year-long effort at fund raising. The funds raised go to the Four Diamonds Foundation providing support to children with cancer and their families. Â From THON.org:
In 1973, a small group of dedicated Penn State students held our first Dance Marathon. That year, 34 dancers participated and raised $2,000. Since then, THON’s presence in the Penn State community has grown exponentially. THON now has 15,000 student volunteers, 700 dancers, and has raised more than $61 million, benefiting The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children’s Hospital.
Last year, THON helped raise 7.4 MILLION dollars for the Four Diamonds Foundation.
To learn more about THON and to make your donation to help fight pediatric cancer, watch the streaming vide, and visit THON.org.
FOR THE KIDS!
]]>Enjoy.
]]>But could he have lost his touch? Could Steve Jobs and Apple not only missed it this time, but could they be responsible for bringing down a whole nascent industry with them?
On the heels of the introduction of the Apple iPad (and their announcement that books would cost between $13 and $15) we saw an emboldened Macmillan publishing house pressing their case against Amazon. Â For a brief moment Amazon seemed to be fighting the good fight for consumers, and went so far as to ban direct sales of Macmillan books.
Macmillan was simply “acting out” what Steve Jobs told to Walt Mossberg when he said that the prices would end up being the same (between Apple and Amazon), because the publishers are not happy (with Amazon) and are going to pull their books from there. Â It appears that Steve Jobs is doing the work of the Publishers, pushing the price points up, rather than down. Â Rather than being a champion of the individual, does this make Steve Jobs simply a big business “hack?”
The bottom line here really is that Amazon knew 2 years ago what Steve Jobs should know now. Verso Direct has conducted a book buyers behavioral study/survey, in which they discover that the magic price-point for digital books seems to be right at $9.99.  According to the article “Amazon Flanks…” when Verso presented their study and broke down their findings, they reported that 3 out of 5 people will consider buying an ebook at or below $9.99.  Raise the price, and that drops to 1 out of 5.
The article then goes on to identify the real “winners” as pirates.
Is it possible that, in his rush to kill Amazon, Steve Jobs may have instead spell the death of eBooks?[1. Â There are many other thoughts here, including the differences between music and books. Â I will discuss these over the next few weeks.]
]]>With Apple’s release of the iPad, and their move into eReader book sales through the iBook, some have argued that Apple has just rung the bell, tolling the death of the Kindle. Â Others argue that, among other things, the Kindle meets a certain “niche” (just as the iPad serves a niche) and thus will not only survive but thrive. Â In fact, an Amazon spokesperson said, in that NY Times article:
Customers can read and sync their Kindle books on the iPhone, iPod Touch, PCs, and soon BlackBerry, Mac and iPad. Kindle is purpose-built for reading. Weighing in at less than 0.64 pounds, Kindle fits comfortably in one hand for hours, has an E Ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight, two weeks of battery life, and 3G wireless with no monthly fees — all at a $259 price. Kindle editions of New York Times best sellers and most new releases are only $9.99.
This is a key strength of the Kindle –the portability of reading. As I have written before, in several places, a move to ubiquitous reading seems to be the greatest opportunity facing publishers. Â Make reading your books, or magazine, tied to the reader, not the device. Â With the Kindle publishing/software reader business unit Amazon is heading down that road. I can move from Kindle-enabled device to device, and when I pick up a device, it will automatically sync to where I last was reading in any of the other devices. Â This actually makes having several different devices quite attractive, so that I can use the device that is most convenient for the task (or location) at hand.
So that brings us to the “Kindle reading experience” on the iPhone. Â I personally like the Kindle app for the iPhone. Â In some ways it is superior to the Kindle itself, specifically in how it handles highlighting and notetaking.[1. I still prefer the eInk display over an LCD display for long-term reading, since it is easier on the eyes] Â This makes the iPad a very attractive device to me, as a Kindle reader for those tasks when I want to highlight and take notes, generally for work-related reading. Â I can even see Amazon enhancing the app on the iPhone/iPad even further, perhaps blending the Kindle App with Stanza for a better reading experience.
Even the author of the article in the NY Times that put forward “Three Reasons why the iPad WILL kill the Amazon Kindle” has conceded that the Kindle app has significant draw:
Kindle’s store and its reading application for the iPhone are both excellent, simple experiences for purchasing and consuming books. Amazon understands this market better than anyone and could easily sell more books on the iPad than Apple could through its new iTunes bookstore. Amazon also offers an excellent recommendation system, and I can envision some users opting for the Kindle application on their fancy new iPads.
I can actually envision more than “some users” opting for the Kindle application–especially if they are able to develop a similar flashy interface for showing your bookshelf, and helping you “buy” books from Amazon.  Don’t forget–a significant number of people have already heavily invested in the DRM’d (copy protected) books sold  by Amazon, and they will not want to leave that investment behind.  Will they opt then for what will be (most likely) another DRM’d book format?  Say what you will about the fact that the Amazon books aren’t portable, there is some comfort in having all the books you purchased available for download from a single repository.  Avid Kindle readers may not want to leave that behind.
So the question becomes: will Apple now “ban” the Kindle App (and possibly Stanza) for the same reason that it banned other apps, including the Google Voice app? Â The reason, as you may recall, was that the app “duplicated functionality” that the phone provided. Â Other apps have been rejected (er, “not approved” — sorry) for the same reason. Â Clearly, by entering into the eBook sales business they are seeking to directly compete with Amazon in this “space.”
What do YOU think? Will Apple ban the Kindle App in the near future?
]]>Jump forward nearly 4 years and many MegaDecibles of hype later, and you can see the lack of creativity still abounds.  Most prognosticators are predicting “a larger iPhone” with some of the images shown (purportedly “legitimate from inside sources”) showing exactly the same layout–to include a speaker where there is currently an ear piece.
Give me a break. Â We won’t have to hold this up to our ears so why should Apple be captive to that design?
I see no reason for the device to look “like a larger iPhone” except in the broad brushes of Steve Job’s design Ken. Â Remember, Jobs likes simplicity, and we were “told” after the release of the iPhone that he wasn’t happy with the concessions they had to make for the few buttons that exist on the iPhone.
What can we expect to see? (and check back in 16 hours for my Mea Culpa.)
So, if the rumored names are true, expect exactly that-a slate. Â A blank slate.
My thoughts? Apple will surprise us again. Â And that should be no surprise.
]]>Tech Tutoring, Apple Ruminations, Google Nexus, Weekly Picks, and more…
Click here to listen to Real Tech 20
Click here to subscribe via iTunes
Stories:
PHOTO TIP: Â With DSLR (and most digital cameras) changing your resolution can change your photo speed.
PICKS OF THE WEEK:
Steve: Blueant z9i BT earpiece
Tony: Mirafiber Ultimate Cloth: Â http://www.southerncarparts.com/ultimate-cloth-p-712.html
Courtney: http://blog.louisgray.com/2010/01/abuzz-launches-social-media-search.html (techie) & a bit easier http://www.dimdim.com/
Past Picks of the Week now available at: http://tinyurl.com/RTPicks
websites to visit:
http://getthenext.com
http://theprofessornotes.com
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 Â (814.808.5631)
Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com  or twitter.com/tonypittman
Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor and he blogs at http://theprofessornotes.com
Guest, Courtney Engel is http://courtneyengle.com and @courtneyengle on Twitter
]]>
CES 2010, MagicJack, New iPhone possible, Google Nexus miscalculation, The eReader boom, Our weekly picks.
Click here to listen to Real Tech 19
Click here to subscribe via iTunes
STORIES:
PICKS OF THE WEEK:
Steve:Â Keurig Coffee Maker
Tony: Google Voice + POTS = low cost home office solution.
Chris:Â iPhone Explorer
Stevier: Nike+iPod Nike+iPod
Past Picks of the Week now available at:Â http://tinyurl.com/RTPicks
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 Â (814.808.5631)
Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com  or twitter.com/tonypittman
Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor and he blogs at http://theprofessornotes.com
]]>Matthew made the big decision today. Â He went back and forth, considering a Droid from Verizon, or upgrading his iPhone to a 3Gs. Â (If you follow @scmprofessor or @spreadhdgfx on twitter you know the questions we were asking.)
After much consideration, he decided on the 3Gs. Â Part of the decision was based on the fact that AT&T agreed to waive the activation fee. Â This was no small thing–Verizon was willing to wave it if we switched to them, so it made AT&T competitive.
We did learn one other interesting tidbit–AT&T will be getting their own Motorola Android-based phone, as well as their own rebranded HTC Hero (again, Android based.) later this year. Â While waiting until March (or later) wasn’t going to meet Matt’s immediate need (remember his video about the damaged 1st Gen iPhone), this is good news for those of us leaving AT&T to get to a Droid.
(On the other hand, if the Droid is a viable alternative to the iPhone, so that you can leave AT&T, well, that’s a different story.)
]]>A birthday present for our soon to be 6 year old son was being delivered by UPS. Initially their site said (according to my mother-in-law) that it had been delivered on our porch on Thursday. When my wife called UPS on Friday to say that it was not delivered she was told, “Mack Brady called and requested it be returned to sender.” My wife pointed out that Mack Brady was 5 years old and expecting that box to contain lots of LEGOs from his grandparents. He was unlikely to make the call much less request that the package be returned to sender.
It was delivered 5 days (3 business days) later.
I find this experience very interesting as we seek to learn valuable service delivery, Â supply chain, and life lessons.
SHIPPER-CARRIER RELATIONSHIPS
First, as a logistician and Supply Chain professional, I am reminded that shippers (the company in this case selling the LEGOs) are often at the mercy of the carrier (in this case UPS.) Â They enter into a contract, expecting in good faith that UPS will deliver the package to the customer. Â In fact, there is an expectation on the part of the shipper that the carrier will, if necessary, make several attempts before requesting that the customer come to them. [1. Â I have had my share of packages with attempted delivery requiring signature, and since I was unable to be home, I had to go to their customer service center to pick it up.] Â In this case, UPS not only failed to deliver the product on the behalf of the shipper, they then created a rather interesting backstory for why they failed to deliver.
IN TRANSIT VISIBILITY (ITV)
In addition, this story speaks to the importance of accurate tracking of packages.  There are two parts to the tracking issue that confuse me.  First, the fact that the website tracking initially reported delivery to the porch is interesting, since the package was not actually delivered.  [1. That said, I will report that the status was in some sense accurate–they do have a covered porch of sorts.]  Initially, we believe the online tracking to be accurate.  Our whole business operation is based on accuracy in reporting.  The shipper expects the carrier to deliver the package and provide updated information along the way as necessary.  The carriers themselves rely on accurate ITV to know where their drivers and trucks are at any given time, and provide assurance to customers and shippers that they are providing appropriate care for their items.  And finally, ITV provides receivers (in this case my 5 y.o. nephew) a sense of security knowing that, even if a package has not yet arrived, it is safely on it’s way and that the carrier know exactly where it is.
Given the importance of ITV, the systems are designed to ensure and  enhance accuracy through barcode readers and digital signatures.  When these systems fail, and they will, carriers should not respond with finger pointing, or cover-ups, but rather work to understand the cause of the failure and attempt to once again poka-yoke the process.
HONESTY IN SERVICE RECOVERY
The failure of in-transit visibility unfortunately led to the next, and perhaps more disturbing to anyone in this profession, reaction by the carrier’s representative. Â As I am sure you are all thinking by now (and as my sister-in-law pointed out to the Customer Service Representative (CSR) from UPS) 5 y.o.s generally don’t ask for their much anticipated birthday presents to be “returned to sender.” Â So this strikes me as a serious “CYA” [2. cover your a** for those not used to such vulgarities] moment. Â I suspect that, more often than not, this line works on their customers. [3. If I allow my imagination to run here for a minute, I can see a wife calling, wondering why a package was not delivered, and then being told that her husband had sent it back. Â Turmoil ensues at home, but UPS dodges another bullet.] Â Now, we can’t know where the decision was made to “adjust” the record like this (or is it “falsify?”) Â It could be that the driver mistakenly marked “left on porch” when delivering another package and that, upon arriving back at the distribution center realized he/she still had a package on the truck–and thus covered the tracks. Â Or it could be that the CSR, in an effort to deflect blame away from UPS, confabulated on her own? Â (I highly doubt this one is the case, but it’s possible.)
Just as “in transit visibility” relies on accurate reporting of information to enhance decision making, so does customer service, and service recovery. Â One does not help the business by covering one’s tracks.[4. And in fact, when uncovered, the attempt to cover-up should result in a negative action against the employee. ] Â Admittedly not every bad experience will result in a blog post such as this one–and that is all the more reason for carriers to be ever vigilant. Â If given a choice between carriers, and you have had an experience where a carrier (or anyone, really) has been dishonest in their dealings with you, are you more, or less, likely to choose that carrier? Â Decisions are often made on trust–trust that items will be delivered, and trust that firms will make every effort to make good when they don’t. Â When one has a negative experience such as this, then one is more likely to perhaps go with a less reliable, or more costly, provider that they can trust.
When faced with our own failures, I learned a valuable lesson from my earliest military mentor, Dave Morris (@nicheguy on twitter.) Â You step up, admit your failure, and work to make it right.[6. Â Dave also taught me to screw up infrequently, lest I gain a reputation as a perpetual screw up.] Â I have generally found that at a personal level people respond almost in shock that someone is willing to take responsibility for the own actions, and more often than not, you are provided that second chance. Â Firms would do well to create a culture that rewards stepping up, and taking responsibility, rather than making things worse by fostering cover-ups.
When people are honest with you about their failures and their successes, you are more likely to trust them.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
I am not calling for a boycott of UPS or any carrier. Â I am simply pointing out that future decisions are based on past experiences, and negative experiences carry more weight that positive ones. An old military aphorism seems appropriate here: “One oh, Sh*t wipes out a thousand ‘atta-boys’!” Â Being able to “blame” people only goes so far, but being willing to take the blame certainly is better than attempting to blame the customers themselves.
We will never know the true genesis of the tale delivered in lieu of the package, but what we can know is this–UPS as an entity ends up taking the hit.
Share your thoughts–am I too harsh on UPS for this?
]]>My wife is an insulin dependent diabetic, and has been using the Medtronic “pump” for several years now. Â In addition, she has the “continuous glucose monitoring” (CGM) sensors, that talk with the pump, and allow her to get information far more quickly about changes in her glucose levels. Â [1. I will say, the ability to get near-realtime bio feedback is a tremendous boon to diabetic care. Â More on that at another time…]
As part of that treatment regimen she has to order supplies on a regular basis.  Of course, these supplies are only available from the manufacturer.  Our insurance company picks up the tab for much of the supply cost, and as part of the typical healthcare regimen, we pay our portion of the bill as well.  I typically call  Medtronic, or at least their billing contractor, and make the payment over the phone with a credit card.
In December I called, and quickly dispatched with the task, paying the balance owed on the bill, and writing down the confirmation number. Â Then, in January, we received another bill, for the next set of supplies received, and I called back. Â This time, they told me I owed for the new supplies, and that I still owed the (now late) payment for the prior supplies.
Here is where things could have gone terribly wrong, with accusations, recriminations, and the like being passed back and forth. Â But instead, things went terribly RIGHT. (um… is that possible?)
I dug around, and found my copy of the previous bill, with the confirmation number written on there (in traditional, Air Force “Memo for Record” fashion. Â Old habits die hard.) Â I read the customer service representative the number, and she looked it up. Â And then she gasped! “I was the person who took the payment!”
She immediately sprang into action, verifying that they had, indeed, taken my call on that day, and that I had indeed paid my bill. Â She went to her supervisor whom I was told was “as we speak” taking the paperwork to the accounting office to straighten them out. Â We then proceeded to take care of the rest of the business, and process the payment for the balance owed.
At the end of the call, I asked if she wouldn’t mind sharing her name with me, just in case I had any other issues. Â She was very gracious and agreed to that.
So, Esther, thank you for your gracious and attentive support to your customers. Â It is very appreciated!
]]>It seems clear that when people (generally the pundits) refer to a product as “a ____ killer” they usually mean that it is all over for that other product. Pack it up, it’s gone. [2. My brother argues this point, positing instead that when they refer to a product as “a ___ killer” they simply mean that it will provide a strong competitor for the existing products. While that is in fact the more likely outcome, I argue that the intent of the writers in more than hyperbole.]  In fact, in a recent Mac Break Weekly Leo LaPorte specifically talked about driving RIM (makers of the Blackberry) “out of business.”  [3. Pundits believe these products to be killer products, I believe, because for them, the old products cease to exist.  I have heard a few who seem genuinely surprised to learn that the competitor not only survived but has thrived in their own niche.]
Rarely have we seen a product enter an existing product category and “kill” all the competitors. I am sure we can find a few examples (the iPod itself comes to mind). That isn’t to say that a product can’t enter into what appears to be one category and completely define a new one in the process.
For example, the iPhone didn’t “kill any other product. It entered the “smartphone market” and has done remarkably well with the iPhone OSX operating system owning 28% of the smartphone market. But…
What’s important to note here is that while the iPhone wasn’t a “killer” product (it didn’t really drive anything out of the marketplace) it certainly was transformative. That may seem obvious, since all of the latest smartphone products are now emulating many of the features of the iPhone. But it is not just the look, and feel, of the iPhone that I mean.
The SmartPhone market space has been expanding significantly since the introduction of the iPhone. Remember 2007, before the iPhone? What phone did you have, or even want? Was it a smartphone?  Unless your phone was for business use, then probably not. Smartphones were the playtoys of the professional–the person who had to stay connected to their workplace. The iPhone took the smartphone and made it personal.
In a sense, the Kindle has been transformative as well. The Kindle hasn’t “killed” the paper book. Many (probably most) people still prefer the sensory experience of paper in their fingertips.[4. In fact, my Sister-in-law said that very thing this weekend.  She prefers the tactile experience.]  The Kindle has opened the path for people to find other ways to read more, and take more reading with them. Time once was we referred to the number of partially read books on our nightstand. We literally meant books that we would read as we went to bed. That was “the place” for books and for reading. The Kindle has transformed that experience.
The Kindle has transformed reading from one book carried at a time, to many books carried at all times, with the ability to add more books at any time. I have read more since getting the Sony e-Reader and then Kindle a little over 2 years ago, than I had in perhaps 10 years.
Perhaps even more “transformative” is that the eReader has allowed us to simply co-mingle personal with professional. With these devices we can now have, in one highly portable, easily accessible place, our professional documents (pdfs, word documents, and the like) and our personal reading (SuperFreakonomics, or Tolkien anyone?).
Remember, a few posts back I mentioned that Jeff Bezos talked about two Kindle product lines–the hardware and the reading experience.  Amazon has already produced Kindle Reader applications for the Mac, Windows, and the iPhone.  I even wrote that if an Android Kindle reader is developed, could we be that far from reading Kindle books on the Nook?  The point here is that Amazon, through their leader Bezos, has already talked about transforming the digital reading space, shifting the view away from a loyalty to any medium, and fostering a loyalty to the written word.
That said, the Kindle and other eInk readers are not without faults.
So this brings us to the latest “killer” product (rumored to be) set to enter the stage. If Apple introduces a tablet PC (where I use PC in it’s generic, original meaning of “Personal Computer”) then I suspect we can continue to hear about the iSlate being the latest “killer product” introduced by Apple. Already we see the headlines, here, here, and back in April 2009. [4. All those stories were only Apple killing the Kindle. A Google search for “kindle killer” will reveal a number of products that are going to “kill” the Kindle. For even more fun, Google iSlate killer and see how many vaporware products are being discussed that are poised to kill the vaporware product iSlate!]
Will a (still only rumor) iSlate “kill” any product? Probably not. Some firms may make a mis-step or two, but that would be their own failings [5. Perhaps similar to the failings of Apple in the 1990s.] Can we expect it to be transformative? You bet. And here is why.
Given the history of Apple and their ability to innovate and create new market spaces, it is now no longer a stretch to imagine a world where eReaders, and Windows Tablet PCs continue to flourish, while an Apple tablet-like device carves some market away, all while creating a new dynamic environment. Â So what would we see here?
The Windows tablet PC hasn’t been an abysmal product (it just hasn’t had significant market share.) It has traditionally been a niche product.  It has specific uses and thus a group of niche users.  Typically the uses for a tablet PC have been focused in the business world, used for those applications where handwriting has made sense.  The eReaders have been designed (and marketed) predominantly at the what I will call the “avid, voracious  reader” base–those people that love to read for the pleasure of reading.  Whether it is for knowledge or fun, they  consume the written word.  That is also a niche market.  These consumers, these “readers” are less interested in marking up and writing on their text than they are about devouring it.
So in steps a (mythical) Apple tablet product. Â Imagine a device that is able to merge these two “spaces” into some new area. Â Just like the iPhone created new spaces beyond the traditional “business oriented” smartphones, this mythical beast may be able to create a new, hybridized use-case blurring the lines yet again, only this time by taking two products from two very different worlds, and blending them in a new way.
The power of market space transformation.
(What are your thoughts on this? Â Do you see these products as transformative? How would you envision the blending of the work oriented tablet with the pleasure oriented reading devices? Â Leave your comments!)
]]>Matt and I had a chat in the car while waiting for his Mom to join us for lunch.  We were talking about his iPhone which has  lived a good, but HARD life. And we chatted about it… on the zi8.
]]>I took this photo on the 30th anniversary of the “event” that shook the US, if not the world.
]]>One of my goals is to photograph the area around Rose Valley Lake here in PA. Â You can find many of my photographs from around Rose Valley on Flickr in the “Around Rose Valley” photoset.
I also have been continuing my exploration of HDR, or High Dynamic Range, imaging along with “tone mapping.” Â While I have, in the past, used HDR and tone mapping to simply enhance the tonal range of an image to more closely match what the human eye can see, I have lately been exploring some of the more “intense” image manipulation options available.
Here are a few samples:
Taken actually out on the lake.
Starting the walk.
]]>I’ve gotten a number of emails about a Windows 7 “God Mode” feature, and while I haven’t had time to check it out thoroughly, it’s now making the rounds internally at Microsoft too, so that (somewhat) suggests it’s legit. What it basically is, is an extended control panel that allows you to control various aspects of the OS that are not typically surfaced via a GUI.
Here’s how you enable it:
Create a new folder (right-click and click on “New Folder”). Right-click on the folder and click on rename, copy and paste this:
GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
What comes up is a Control Panel like window with sections for Action Center (“Check security status” and so on), Administrative Tools, and AutoPlay.
Nothing major, frankly, but interesting. Use at your own risk, of course.
So I did it. Â And when you rename the folder, it changes to this icon (captured directly from my screen):
Click away, and you end up with this (Screen capture on the right):
There is nothing really “new” here that I can tell. Â Most of the more “advanced” features have always been accessible. Â What makes this particular “GodMode” useful is that it puts most of the more advanced system management features in one place and, since I placed the folder on my desktop, makes it quite easy to access.
For instance, you may recall I was having some challenges when I switched over to Windows 7. Â The problems were ultimately all induced by my own failure to properly seat the RAM in the slots, but I found that the reliability history was a very useful tool to see what was crashing, and what was causing the crashes. Â I even used that feature today to see what was apparently slowing down my machine. Â Apparently Google Earth was having problems, and couldn’t install an update. So–bye bye a hardly ever used Google tool.
The question left for me is: Â Do I start reviewing each of these features, and post them on the blog?
]]>Click here to listen to Real Tech 18
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PICKS OF THE WEEK
Past Picks of the Week now available at:Â http://tinyurl.com/RTPicks
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 Â (814.808.531)
Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com  or twitter.com/tonypittman
Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor and he blogs at http://theprofessornotes.com
]]>Click here to listen to Real Tech 17
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Book Mentions:
PICKSÂ of the WEEK:
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 Â (814.808.531)
Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com  or twitter.com/tonypittman
Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor and he blogs at http://theprofessornotes.com
]]>His writing seems to make us say, instead “Look at yourself…. what are you?”
I am pleased that I have come across his blog (a direct result of his strong defense of Brit Hume against the attacks of those who seem to hate Christians, and Christianity.) Â I would encourage any of you that want to be challenged in your thinking, whether you disagree or agree with his positions, to read him regularly.
]]>Click here to listen to Real Tech 16
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These items, and more, on Real Tech 16
Picks of the week:
Steve:Â Red Laser : What if your iPhone could read barcodes?
Tony: Â HP Bluetooth Noise Canceling Headphones
Joe Tillman: TextFree Unlimited for iPod Touch and iPhone.
Past Picks of the Week now available at:Â http://tinyurl.com/RTPicks
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 Â (814.808.531)
Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com  or twitter.com/tonypittman
Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor and he blogs athttp://theprofessornotes.com
]]>I have been pondering for a while the use of the eBooks (and specifically the Kindle) in Academia. Ever since I considered purchasing my first eReader (the Sony eReader 505) I have found the convenience of having several books at my finger tips, without weighing me down, to be the most obvious benefit. That said, I believe there are many others, and some which can result in the elusive “win-win” situations for producers and consumers alike.
Need to rethink old views:
Challenges:
Issues I want to see if they have added/changed:
Have you given much thought to the changes we can see with Digital Textbooks? Â What are your thoughts? Please share them in the comments.
]]>So here’s my question:
What if they don’t?
Would Apple face a backlash from their loyal fanbase, frustrated that they have held off purchasing other devices (like the Amazon Kindle 2) waiting for Steve Jobs to hand them their “holy tablet?”
Or (and I believe this to be far more likely) will it simply fuel the hype even further leading the faithful believers to defend Apple while simultaneously ramping up their “expected features” list?
]]>I looked at the numbers. You can purchase a windows 7 home premium from Wal-Mart for about $110 as an upgrade. The software on his blog was $154.99. So I see a savings of $45.00. But that’s just comparing upgrading the operating system with purchasing the software and operating system. Purchasing window 7 new is about $200. That is significantly more. But I guess the question is, “who purchases window 7 as an operating system new and not as an upgrade?”
Typically people buy the operating system knew when they purchase a new computer so let’s compare the purchase of a good sized, powerful, notebook computer for windows to a Mac OS X notebook. I compared to the low end Mc book from Best Buy with a middle of the road HP at Best Buy. The Macbook for a 13 inch screen 2.2 GHz processor cost $1000. The HP for a 14 inch screen, 2.2 GHz processor cost $750. There were some other differences to include battery type and system bus however these are reasonably comparable computers (The HP had a larger and faster hardrive, the Apple Macbook has a faster bus.  The HP has 4 GB of Ram while the MacBook only has 2GB,and according to the Best Buy specification sheets the HP is upgradeable to 8 GB while the Macbook is only upgradeable to 4.)
So given this if I look at a very narrow focus, simply the acquisition price of the speech dictation capability getting a new computer with windows 7 installed with the built in speech recognition and dictation is $400 cheaper than purchasing a new Macbook and having to purchase Mac speech dictate.
Honestly, I think this just shows how silly most of these discussions can be. If you like the design, style, and cachet that comes with owning a Mac then get a Mac. If on the other hand you’re willing to sacrifice style and beauty for functionality, or just don’t want to spend that much money, I think windows 7 is clearly your choice.
The bottom line: it all comes down to your personal choice and aesthetic.
(NOTE: This post was written completely through dictation using the speech dictation capability built-in to Windows 7.)
]]>As you should know, I am a child of the space age, and a fan of space anythings for a long time. Â Heck, my research areas have included Space Logistics, and Interplanetary Supply Chain Management. Â So this REALLY caught my eye!
This website gives you plans to build your own paper model of the Space Shuttle!
From their site:
If you are a Space Shuttle model builder, this site is for you. Build a 1:144 scale Space Shuttle papermodel in several versions: Full Stack version with External tank and boosters or a single Orbiter with either a closed or open payload bay, for FREE! Also, Shuttle Payloads for every mission are available via PAYPAL. Check this site for new models every month.
Check it out–and if you make any of these, send me a picture that I can upload to the blog to share!
]]>Oh wait, I do talk about it–in this short podcast!
Enjoy!
And then–tell me what YOU would like us to talk about at the other podcast “Real Tech for Real People” over at http://getthenext.com
]]>I decided you might be interested in a review of the device as well.
Based on the use from my friend and colleague, the choice of the Kodak was an overwhelming success. Â Starting with the bottom line from a very personal assessment, his daughter, who has used both the Flip cameras and now the zi8, has asked to take his camera when she goes places. Â Her opinion is that it is superior.
Now, on to the features.
My friend liked that it has a flip-out USB connector, and that it can charge both with a charger and through the computer via the USB connector. Â He also liked the HD resolution (1080p) and the quality of the audio. Â The built in audio isn’t “the best” but it was “good enough” for most personal use. Â As I mentioned before, he then combined it with the Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder combining outstanding video with high quality stereo audio.
Other features that were “cool” included the image stabilization built in, and the face tracking, although the face tracking feature wasn’t tested very heavily (yet.)
Now the device isn’t without flaws. Â The zoom on the camera is digital, and the quality falls off rather quickly. Â In addition the memory that comes with the camera is paltry at best. Â His recommendation? Get the SD card with it at the time of purchase. Â Get a large enough SD card, and you can record up to 10 hours of video.
The low light image quality was “okay” and sufficient for family videos.
I hope to get my hands on one myself, sometime in the near future (did you check my Wishlist on the right side of the blog? Anyone want to order me one?) Â When I get my hands on one, I promise to put it through its paces testing all the features. Â With my love of outdoor photography, and constant video work in swim meets and water polo matches I hope to get lots of opportunities to test.
]]>My friend bought the camera from a local Best Buy, and that weekend took some great video of trains traveling past. Â Imagine watching in HD, while the train, and the audio, travels from right to left. Â Amazing.
Since that time the camera has become the pick for many people including Leo LaPorte on his Windows Weekly podcast.
That said, it apparently is the hottest item this Christmas, if stockouts are any indication.
I tried to help someone find a camera to purchase for Christmas, so we visited all the usual places.
Amazon.  Best Buy. Walmart. We even tried the mothership, Kodak itself where they offer free shipping on the product, but just don’t have it. Then we tried various mail-order locations, such as J&R Audio and Video and B&H Photo-video.  No luck.  In fact, since that date, Best Buy has raised their price to $209, $30 more than even Kodak is selling it for.
There are other choices. Â As I mentioned above, you could get the Flip Ultra. Â That isn’t out of stock. Â But if you want the best small High Definition, High Quality video camera, you will have to wait. Â A while.
]]>They do use a very timely approach, expressing the perfect order in terms that would satsify Ralphie, from the Christmas movie classic “A Christmas Story.” The article is well worth your read.
]]>One post in particular caught my eye. It contains all that I like. It contains religion. Â Music. Â Argument. Â And an opportunity for me to comment. *smile*
In particular he was continuing a discussion about what I would call Garrison Keillor’s defense of Christian Christmas. Â So I commented. Â Below is my comment, in full:
]]>Chris,
As you know I often say (and write) that all too often Christians want to be Christians, but prefer to be known simply as ‘-ians”
They like all the trappings of the Church. Â The fellowship. The candles. Â The music (and in your church’s case–the robes and perhaps incense.)
But they don’t like all that comes with it.
- A call to holiness
- A recognition of sin that separates Man from God
- or worse, a denial of Sin as defined by God, and replaced by Sin as defined by Man
- And, even worse, a rewriting of the Bible to keep all they like, but dispense with the pesky God
So that brings us to the Christmas holiday. Â I have not been one to join in the rants that condemn those who replace Christ with an X. (Partly because I know the larger history, and partly because, well–it doesn’t seem very Christian.) Â I also don’t get all riled up about a Nativity Scene being banned from the public square.
I do get concerned when, instead, Churches (perhaps I should use the lower case “c”) instead work to ban them from our hearts.
The Nativity isn’t the miracle of a poor homeless child (ht to your previous entry) Â being visited by rich folk, or poor folk, or animals. Â It isn’t about any of us visiting him doing anything for him.
It’s about God. Â Visiting us. Â Despite our Sin as GOD defines it, th.
And alas, just as it was 2000 years ago, humanity chooses to ignore his real message, and turn him into our own definition of Messiah.
*sigh*
Click here to listen to Real Tech 15
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These items, and more, on Real Tech 15 Â (to see the links to the stories, go visit http://getthenext.com)
Picks:
Josh : Website Pick : Knowem – Allows you to check for your username across multiple sites at one time.
Tony: iGoogle: http://google.com/ig – Using the iGoogle home page to organize content.
Chris: Lose It! iPhone app to track eating habits; Dragon Dictation, iPhone app. So impressive it has me going to order the desktop version. {This just in! Dragon Search [iTunes link] has just gone live on the App Store for the iPhone. You can set what you want to search, apparently, including Bing!}
Stevie Rocco: Posterous.com manage your social networking stuff.-
Steve: mSecure, for iPhone, Windows and Mac.
Past Picks of the Week now available at: http://tinyurl.com/RTPicks
Our websites to visit:
http://theprofessornotes.com – Steve Brady
http://targuman.org/blog/ [or http://engage.shc.psu.edu/] – Chris Brady
Show Voicemail: 814.808-JOE1 (814.808.531)
Tony is: tony.pittman@gmail.com or twitter.com/tonypittman
Steve is: scmprofessor@gmail.com or twitter.com/scmprofessor
]]>Well, it didn’t take long before the Nook was hacked, and the possibilities are, while not quite endless, quite broad. Â Wired Magazine reports:
If you tear open a Nook (which the team has done) you’ll find that the Android operating system is contained on a microSD card (separate from the microSD expansion slot). From here, it’s a simple matter of using a card reader to mount this card on your computer and changing a single word in the init.rc file (the file that’s in charge of which services are begun at startup, similar to a Linux boot).
This single hack will let you plug the Nook into your computer (once you have reassembled it) and access the OS, using the freely available Google Android developers kit.
The short article goes on to point out that, while for now the possibilities are limited to only a few hackers, it does mean that you have a device, with a fully capable Android operating system, running (for free) on a wireless (cellphone) network. Â Imagine the possibilities!
Well, I have.
Kindle, on the Nook. Â Anyone want to predict when?
]]>I have been anxiously awaiting a useable application for reading the UPC and ISBN barcodes. Â I agreed with Alex Lindsay from PixelCorp when he said on MacBreak Weekly that this would be a killer app for the iPhone. In fact, he commented again as recently as May 11th 2009, on This Week in Tech 194 saying “I know that the one thing about point of purchase is that you can’t use the iPhone to take pictures of the barcodes, because it doesn’t focus.”
Well, I am VERY happy to report that there is an application available now for jailbroken and NON-jailbroken iPhones, that will read barcodes! Â And–it does it with the older phones that don’t focus well. Â This application is called “RedLaser” and apparently has quite a good algorithm for working through the fuzz that is an out of focus image.
To use the program, you open start the application, and click on the lightning bolt at the bottom of the screen. Â That will take you to the “camera” screen.
Once you get to the camera screen, you will see a white set of brackets. Â Move the camera lining the barcode up inside the edges of the brackets, and they will turn green when RedLaser thinks it sees a barcode. Â Give it a few seconds, and when you are holding still it will take a snap, and reach out to the network and pull back the information. Â In the image below, you can see I snapped the picture just as it was changing from white to green. Â (Cool, eh?)
The process I mentioned above is automatic, and in fact for the image above it read the barcode for the DVD (“Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”) with no problems.
If you are having problems, and it either won’t “lock on” to the barcode, or it returns the wrong information, there is an alternative. Â Take a still image by clicking on the camera icon (and you can now be 10-12 inches away) and then use the pinch feature to zoom in and align the barcode up with the brackets, and then click “Use.”
Once the barcode has been read, and it pulls the info of the inter-tubes, it adds it to your list, showing the best pri
It comes as no surprise that it’s not perfect. Â I am sure many of you know how hard it is to read without our glasses or our contacts in. Â In testing the application in various lighting conditions, and with large and small UPCs, and ISBNs for books, I have found it will read everything I give it, if I have patience, and am willing to try a few different times. Â And generally it will read them “live.”
One of the innovations they introduce
]]>My brother has extended the ongoing discussion about anonymous and pseudonymous blogging yet again in his recent blog entry.
His conclusion got me thinking that perhaps there is more here than simply academics hiding behind anonymity or pseudonimity. Â He wrote:
This is leading me to the growing conviction that academics should not blog anonymously. If we truly believe in the dissemination and  examination of ideas then we should also be willing to own up to our ideas. There is some risk, but we are living in an age and country2 with tremendous protections. To you believe what you are saying? Then say it clearly and be willing to defend your views in the light of day.
As Chris mentions, as academics we are about the dissemination and examination of ideas.  This brings me back to the notion of the “double blind peer review.” The double blind process is in place to ensure that our ideas aren’t accepted, or rejected, out of hand simply by the history of the author, but rather measured by our adherence to rigorous methodologies and that our conclusions are supported by the literature, the data and the proper analysis. Through this “blind review” process we attempt to avoid both the Halo and the Horns effect. (see the great repository of knowledge, Wikipedia) Of course, once accepted for publication, the anonymity is removed, and we are allowed to heap praise, or criticism, on the person(s) who wrote the brilliance/drivel.
Perhaps a greater criticism of academics blogging is that, in addition to the anonymity, we tend to also stop writing as academics. Blogging seems to be a place where writers go to bloviate (to borrow from Bill O’Reilly) but not to provide much in the way of supporting documentation.
When academics blog, we tend to stop conducting and reporting on the review of extant literature. We stop providing supporting citations. (despite the ease with which we can do that in html.) We don’t discuss and defend our methodologies. And worst of all, we get defensive when our (often unsupported) ideas are challenged.
In short–we stop being academics.
Your thoughts?
]]>The first is the Scosche PassPORT USB Home Charging Adapter . This device is for those players you have around the house where you would set your iPod or iPhone in and play your music while it charges. This adapter sits in the “well” where you would place your 1st Gen iPhone or iPod, and it essentially re-routes the power to the correct connectors, allowing a charge. A great idea, and it appears to only add a few centimeters of height. You can get this through Amazon for $25.47
The second device is the Scosche passPORT Charging Adapter for iPod touch 2G, 3G; iPod nano 4G; iPhone 3G . This answers the other challenging problem of having a car charger that will not charge the newer iPhones. This is a small (1 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches) device that plugs into your charger, extending it by 1/2″ but then plugs in to your iphone. Now you can charge your phone with older chargers. This device is only 9.99
from Amazon.
I hope to get my hands on these units and provide a review soon.
]]>First, you need a pan. Â While many “crepe pans” have you cook the crepe inside the pan, that’s not how the Magic Pan did it–they cooked the crepes on the bottom of the pan. Â I have scoured the universe (okay, searched online) and found a crepe pan that does the same thing. Â It’s the VillaWare V5225 Crepe Maker and I think you will find it does a great job at giving you that Magic Pan consistency. Remember, what made it work for them was not only the standard speed of the rotisserie, but also the evenness of the batter–which was achieved by having the pan upside down!
Once you get the pan, you might want to also then have some recipes. I have posted several “near authentic” recipes on my blog.  We start with the basic crepe recipe, followed by the Chantilly Crepes here, and the Chicken Elegante.  With the Potage St Germaine Soup recipe also included.
If that’s not enough, check out these cookbooks for recipes!
Finally, if you don’t want to mix your own batter, either because you don’t have the time, or want the hassle, try either of these crepe batter mixes!
]]>What sort of incentives could they be talking about? And why choose that word?
Well, the last point is obvious. Â The definition of incentive (by most dictionaries) is to encourage or motivate to action. Â These are all “positive” words. Â Things that make us shake our head in the affirmative. “Ahhh… incentives. Nice.”
We usually see these as pay bonuses, time off, gifts. Â Additional “things” that would encourage us to do a bit more.
Of course, that isn’t what AT&T is thinking. Â In this case AT&T is going to try to come up with some way to get people (their customers) to stop using a service they provide–most likely the service offering that led them to AT&T and the iPhone in the first place! AT&T is looking to “consider new pricing models to curb users’ data usage as it tries to keep up with growing demand.”
What pricing model would “encourage” you to use less of something you currently consume and enjoy? Â I think this is obvious–AT&T is going to charge you more. Â So the incentive here is a negative one. Â [1. Â I suppose I could be wrong. Â AT&T could be preparing to offer rebates to people based on the percentage reduction in their data consumption month over month. Â YEAHHHHH, right….]
What is perhaps even more interesting is this (and I will leave you with this thought): Â AT&T isn’t saying “We realize you like using our product and our product is in high demand and thus we will increase the price and generate greater profits for our shareholders.” Â They are saying “We realize you like using our product, but we don’t want you to, so we are going to raise the price so that you stop using it.”
Tell ya what AT&T, when my contract runs out, how about I reduce my data consumption to zero. Â The Droid sure is looking better every day!
]]>I worked through all of that, then realized I had some other hardware problems, so I went the next “logical” step:  I bought a whole new motherboard/CPU/Memory/Video card/Case combination (yes, I essentially built a new computer.) [1. For the techno-minded, I bought the Asrock X58 Extreme moboard and the Intel i7 processor with 8 virtual cores, running 2.666 Ghz.  I also bought     the nVidia GeForce GTS250 video card which supports two DVI monitors.]  There were some growing pains, but that said, things are running quite smoothly.  [2. My biggest problem once I built the new machine was an annoying set of blue screen of death crashes–turns out I had failed to seat one of the sticks of DDR3 ram firmly in the slot. Silly me. Again.]
I am happy to report that Windows 7 really is the most stable (Windows) operating system I have used. Â Others seem to perhaps be more stable, but I don’t stress any other OS as much as I do my Windows machines. So let me list off the greatest successes.
These are just some of the highlights for me of having Windows 7 installed.
The bottom line: Windows 7 truly is faster, more stable, and thus more reliable. Â A joy to use.
]]>Interesting. Chris and I have talked about this before, and there are many echoes here of past conversations.
I too like the idea of work clothes, and honestly, one could extend it to include different work clothes for different tasks. Or, from my background, different uniforms. There was the BDU (cammies) for more utility or warfighting activities, the “blues” for office work, and of course, the service dress for formal functions. But I continue perhaps too far down this path…
I have three blogs/web presences. I have a “professional” service one where I am focused on Supply Chain and Logistics issues. That is the main address, and the one I even use for my (non-Penn State) email. You can see that at http://sctoday.net . I then have a more “catch all” blog (the first one I ever had, actually) where I put my more broad thinking posts. Politics. Tech. Recipes for Crepes. It’s all there at http://theprofessornotes.com and then finally, I have the one I do with my son, where we focus more on the things in our lives together (and mostly focused on him. That’s aptly named “http://fathersonchats.com” because we were originally not only blogging but podcasting as well.
My approach was not so much to have separate “identities” but rather to have venues that were appropriate for the topics at hand. In part I was thinking about the audience. The readers/listeners at the more professional site would have little interest in my personal life. And we found that people listening/reading at the Father and Sons Chat were interested in those activities, and not some of my other ramblings. That said, my Professor Notes does serve the role as “catch all” and in that blog I am less concerned with my audience than I am with just sharing “thoughts.”
That said, I have felt that, regardless of my “online attire” it was never appropriate to be “in my PJs.” For me, that meant I protected the identity of my kids (perhaps overly so) until they were old enough to be part of that decision–and I erred on the side of over protective. For a long time, we would mention our first names, but when we were just running our two blogs I kept our last name unmentioned. (Not ‘hidden’ just not shared.) I have generally moderated my posts at all sites. I have at times written posts where the ideas might offend or challenge, but I have worked hard to not write anything that would cause one to ignore the message because of the words. Sometimes I have failed, but maintaining public decorum has always been a concern. Anyway, my thoughts.
So there you have it. Â Go check out the post on Chris’ blog, and read the other comments as well.
]]>That is really an interesting question.  Whether the desktop or a notebook/netbook computer, we were curious just how often those drives are used.  I use mine fairly regularly, but it is generally to create DVDs of the slideshows that I make for the HS Swim and Water Polo teams.  Other than that, the occasional file backup, and I too join the ranks of those who aren’t using them very often.
We also talked a bout about Windows 7 highlighting the 77 Windows 7 tips, and the challenges I had with the installation. Â Of course, I had to later admit that some (um, most?) of the later problems were due to my failing to fully install one of the DDR3 memory sticks.
We had fun, and continue to enjoy talking about the technology that real people like to use.
We would love it if you would listen, and leave us feedback.
Write us at:
Tony Pittman: Â tony.pittman@gmail.com
Steve Brady: scmprofessor@gmail.com
Or call and leave us a voicemail at:
814-808-JOE1 (yes, we are both Joe Paterno fans.  Of course, Tony also played for Paterno!)
]]>Earlier this month we recorded Episode 9 of our podcast (listen here or download/subscribe through iTunes.) Â The highlights of that week included a discussion of “Femtocell” technology, which essentially means installing a box in your home, connected to your internet (cable or FiOS) that creates a micro-cellphone tower in your own home. Â It only transmits voice, but the ability to make cellphone calls in homes when you previously couldn’t get a strong (or any) signal is quite appealing.
We also discussed the new Apple line-up including the 27″ iMac and the Magic Mouse.
Finally, I shared my first “pick of the week” in this podcast. Â I selected the Mophie Juice Pack Air. Â This is a case that not only provides protection for the iPhone but by including a lithium ion battery doubles the battery life of your iPhone.
We talked about a number of other things, including Tony’s pick of the week. Â So, check out the podcast, and let us know what you would like us to research and talk about! Â Write us at:
Tony Pittman: Â tony.pittman@gmail.com
Steve Brady: scmprofessor@gmail.com
Or call and leave us a voicemail at:
814-808-JOE1 (yes, we are both Joe Paterno fans. Â Of course, Tony also played for Paterno!)
]]>Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, said essentially that the reading of Kindle books, and the hardware that we know as the Kindle are separate businesses. Â In that article Bezos specifically described the competitive environment inside the Kindle world:
The device team has the job of making the most remarkable purpose-built reading device in the world,” Mr. Bezos said. “We are going to give the device team competition. We will make Kindle books, at the same $9.99 price points, available on the iPhone, and other mobile devices and other computing devices.
Jeff Bezos saw the need to create a competitive environment inside Amazon for the Kindle device design team. Â As we all know, there are now more outside competitors, with the Barnes and Noble Nook making a strong run towards toppling the Kindle as the preferred eReader. Â Many have called it “Kindle killing,” or a Kindle incinerator (cute play on words there) and suggest Nook will “eat Kindle’s lunch.” Â All strong words, and so far most of the reviews seem to indicate the Nook lives up to the hype.
One interesting feature of the Nook is that it runs on the Google Android platform. Â So what, you might ask? Â Good question.
So far we have noted that Kindle books are able to be read not only on Kindles but on iPhones and Windows PCs (and soon the Mac). Â Clearly Amazon has developed a strong skill set at writing software to run on other platforms that can buy and read their eBooks.
The Nook runs the Google Android and the President of B&N has suggested that they may release an SDK (software development kit) for the Nook. Â An interesting move, and one that the author of the article noted above thinks might spell trouble for Amazon’s Kindle. Â I disagree.
Opening up the Nook with an SDK could mean that Amazon can slide in with another software based eReader, allowing Nook owners to choose between bookstores and selecting the copy of the book that provides the price and features they want most. Â (“Features” you make ask? Â Yes, some may trade a higher price in exchange for no copy protection, for instance. Â Just one of the “features” that could added as competition increases.
I see this as a great opportunity for consumers. Â Competition now exists on price-points for books between digital and paper. Â Add the possibility to choose between book retailers for digital versions and possibly to choose between features including DRM-free books, and a whole new world opens for avid readers.
Read On!
]]>The biggest downside? Â That this doesn’t help the Kindle 1 owners at all. Â Needless to say, those of us that weren’t convinced that the few features added to the Kindle 2 were worth the full purchase price for the upgrade are not too pleased with the lack of support (read the comments in the above link.)
On the other hand, perhaps this is a good reason to consider the Barnes and Noble Nook (if they can keep them in stock.)
]]>We started simple. Â We had a camcorder [1. Â I used the Sony HDR-HC1, HD Camcorder, but for streaming have the camcorder sending a lower resolution DV stream rather than the HDV stream] on a tripod, and a notebook computer with wifi.[2. One other technical point: Â We were able to stream live using a cell-phone modem from an away meet (similar to the MiFi you can get through Verizon or Sprint.)]Â Â The camcorder had a Firewire out, Â and the computer had a Firewire port as well, so we were able to simply feed the video out to the computer.
I created a UStream account and was ready to go.
I turned on the camcorder, and then logged in to the UStream account. Â From that point forward it was quite simple: Â point the camera at the action! [3. Â It’s important to note that you don’t even have to be recording the video in the camera, the camera just has to be on.]
For later sessions, we added an audio mixer and microphones so that we could have commentators “calling” the match. Â The kids loved that, and who knows, maybe we have encouraged some to pursue careers in media.
Families locked on to this quite quickly. Â Family members from around the country, and around the world (to include Scotland and Iraq), were soon logging on to watch the live polo matches. Â In addition, we picked up a few fans who are fans of water polo (and hopefully now fans of our high school team as well!) Â It was quite gratifying to receive comments from the parents that their families were loving the video, and that the quality was outstanding. Â The quality was so good that my brother was able to recognize my son, and comment on the plays he (and others) were making.
Of course, UStream provides the option to record the video and make it available for later viewing as well–and many of the families have taken advantage of that option as well. Â You can too. Â Go watch the videos!
This was a simple solution that I think serves to show how we can take events and provide coverage nationwide of what are traditionally under-covered sports. Â Local HS football teams get coverage (every place I have lived has had “Football Friday” HS News coverage) but one rarely, if ever, sees TV coverage (live or recorded) of sports in the pool.
Try it yourself–and stop back here to share the link!
]]>Let me start by noting that while my son has been using a Beta version (and loving it) for about 6 months, I have not been using any variant of Win 7. Â I have installed a copy as a virtual machine (that install went quickly) and even upgraded a virtual install of Vista to Win 7 (went cleanly, but by no means quickly.) Â This is my first foray into using the OS, and I am diving in head first. [1. But not diving in blindly. Â As noted in my previous posts, I wanted to set this up as a dual boot specifically to protect myself from any unforeseen “problems.”]
(Read my first reactions after the break)
As noted earlier, once I installed the device drivers the SATA card (that controls two of my hard drives) the install went smoothly, including recognizing all my “normal” device.
First things first, I immediately installed Google Chrome as my browser of choice, and then proceeded to use that browser to find and download various updates.
Next, I installed the drivers for my more “non-standard” items including the Alesis Multimix 8 Firewire, and the Linksys iPhone CIT200 (for Skype–and yes, it was iPhone first.) Â I had to download the latest drivers for each (a good idea anyway) and they both seem to be working well.
I installed Skype, and tested that out with the Alesis mixer by having my brother call me. That went well except after about a minute I could no longer hear him. Â I am not sure what happened and have not been able to duplicate the problem so I am not sure if it was on my end or his. [2. Â He was calling using Skype for the iPhone. Â It sounded great, but the possibility always exists that the app stopped sending audio from his end.]
The big test for me was Adobe Production Studio Premium CS3 and Adobe Audition 3.0. Â I needed to create a commercial for my son’s water polo match today, and so was going to put the packages to the test. Â I was a bit nervous, since I had heard of problems previously with these applications in Vista 64 (they are older applications, and written for 32 bit.) Â I deactivated the installs in my Vista partition, installed them in Win 7, and started using them. Â I am happy to report that every program in CS3 that I have tried has so far worked well. Â I have been able to import files, make edits and add effects, and with the video export in a variety of formats. Â You can even see the results of the effort here.
One final note: Â I used the Microsoft DVD Maker that is part of the Windows 7 install [3. Â Well, you have to download it, along with all the other Microsoft Live Essentials–so those without broadband are at a disadvantage.] Â I built the DVD and my son commented upon seeing the menu screen that it seemed very professional. (“That looks real!”) Â I must say, the few minutes I spent with that tool showed me that it can be quick and simple to make a nice looking DVD. Â A big improvement over Nero’s NeroVision DVD maker that I had been using (which was also quite easy to use.)
There are a number of other little programs that I also installed, and will be writing more about those as I put them through their paces over the next few days, getting ready for the Windows 7 Launch Party I am hosting.
]]>This time, I have a clean install, and the dual boot option letting me get back to Win Vista is there. Â Once again, it stepped me through setting up the user name, password, time zone and the product key (will it burp since I already tried this once?) Â I paid close attention while typing the information into the computer, since it allows for the use of the mouse.
Yup. Â The Microsoft USB Laser Mouse 6000 is working on those screens.
I was greeted with a screen telling me that it had recovered from a critical error (assuming the BSOD), and I was able to move my mouse pointer to click on the appropriate responses. Â I was also then notified that there are system updates available. Â Again, I selected those and they are installing.
Win 7 correctly identified the webcam attached to my computer, and started the update for those drivers, and installing Microsoft Live Essentials (after checking with me that I would want it–thanks Microsoft!)
I will probably write more about Live Essentials later (and definitely talk about them on the podcast). Â The selection I will definitely install are the Movie Maker and Photo Gallery, as well as Silverlight. Â I prefer Thunderbird for my email client so I will most likely not install the Mail app, or even MS Messenger.
So far this re-installation is going much more smoothly. Â More to follow.
]]>Win7 doesn’t see my mouse! Â And this is no trivial matter–it’s a MICROSOFT MOUSE! Â The same mouse that Win 7 saw throughout the upgrade process.
I chose “Add a Device” and the computer has been searching now for several minutes. Â I suspect a reboot is in order.
*Fingers crossed*
]]>Okay, here we go! Â I was excited to have been selected for the Win 7 Launch Party. Â I received my “party pack” with my signature edition of Win7 Ultimate (“signed” by Steve Ballmer) and decided to install on an existing partition, keeping my Windows Vista install working until I am convinced that all my software will work under the new (64 bit) OS.
Alas, things did not go smoothly.
First, one of my DVD drives is apparently failing. Â Not Microsoft’s fault–but annoying.
Next (and this is MS’s fault) when I went to install, I found that I couldn’t. Â Let me explain.
The first few steps (splash screen, select install, select “custom install” and check off the license agreement) went well. What could go wrong there? Â But from there, things did not go so well.
I was presented with 4 drive choices for installing. Â That was interesting, considering that I have 6 active partitions installed, but since two of those drives are running off of a PCI SATA card, I was not surprised they weren’t recognized. Â I knew the drive on which I intended to install Windows (the C: drive that had named Dillsburg). Â I selected the drive, and clicked “install” to be greeted with an error:
“Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the Setup log files for more information.”
Hmm. Â I thought “well, perhaps I should tell it to format that partition. Â The install will do that anyway. Â Perhaps it just doesn’t recognize that step.” Â So I did. Â It wiped the partition (no problem there) and deleted out the name of the partition (again, I can redo that.) Â I tell it to install, and again I get the same error. Â I decide that maybe a reboot is in order.
No joy.
So I go to consult my research assistant. Â You may have met him G.oogle. Â [1. A close personal friend, who usually helps me find the information I need, but I have found if I am not specific enough, he tends to return much that is irrelevant] Â So off to Google I go, to find that I am not alone with this problem. Â Apparently it has been plaguing people since the dawn of time (er, Win7 Beta 1). Â Google suggests I read a tech support discussion from Microsoft (the mothership–so must be good!) Â I carefully read through the possible solutions, and learn that this is often due to “external storage devices” being plugged in but not recognized. So I look.
Nope.
None of those.  I do  have a card reader plugged in that, when I run the DISKPART utility I learn it sees as “empty” storage devices. (DISKPART is a disk partitioning utility that comes on the install disk and is suppose to help us troubleshoot and fix disk partitioning errors).  So I disconnect those and reboot.
Nope.
So I turn my command chair once again to the iMac on my desk and consult the page of tech support. Â I learn that the most successful option seems to be to disconnect all the drives except the one on which one hopes to install WIn 7. (Yes, hopes. Â I have decided that with these problems, it is more hope than expect.) Â Time for minor surgery. Â I open the case, identify which hard drive contains the partition I want to use, and then unplug the power from rest. [2. At this point I was glad I had taken the time a few days before to make a note of each of the drive letters and the drive serial number/ID that they were on. Â I was able to “simply” pull each drive out of the case, read the number, and determine whether to unplug the power or not.] Â Of course, when one does this approach, the install will not automatically provide a “dual boot” option, so either brain surgery using BCDEdit (a command line tool in Windows) or a third party solution will be necessary. *sigh*
So, off I go, unplugging the power to 3 of the 4 physical hard drives. Â I start again, and all seems to be going according to plan. Â The install is never quick (but choosing a clean install will apparently save me several hours of watching the computer try to do an upgrade.)
More reports to follow, after the install completes. Â I will report on
Leave a comment with YOUR experiences, and tune in to our podcast this week where I can guarantee I will have a few words to say about this, and other tech issues that “Real People” face.
]]>So for those that have been listening to our podcast Real Tech for Real People, we have talked quite a bit about the numbers of people that don’t have high speed (broadband) internet access. Â We have been reporting the numbers we had previously read that had anywhere from 40-45% of the population does not have access.
Okay, I am confused. FCC says 96% of households have, or have access to, broadband.
“No less than 96 percent of households either subscribe to or have access to broadband service, according to an F.C.C. task force, which presented a status report to the commission last month.” (see commission report here)
The article reports that the task force goes on to report that:
The seem to be dumbfounded that so many households would choose to not get high-speed internet.
“The most interesting question here is the one that the F.C.C. can’t answer: Why have 33 percent of American households that have access to broadband elected not to subscribe? The reasons “are not well understood,” the report says. A survey focusing on the nonadopters is under way.” (see Pew survey for breakdown of demographics)
The astute reader will note a few things here:
I have sat through many presentations where the demographics have been dissected ad nauseum, along with conclusions! Â Usually it revolves around the high cost of delivery of low quality service to rural areas, $50-$80/month for .5, to 1.5 megbit/second. Â Think about that. Â If you pay $50 for FIOS for 15 mb/sec service, you are paying the same price for 30 TIMES more speed/capability than the same price for satellite internet, without the latency (lag) issues associated with satellite. Â And the satellite internet puts a 17 GB download/month cap on your use! Oh, and with FIOS you can also get TV service, and phone service.
Of course, there are other issues as well, including the fact that some segments of the population prefer to live their “first life” rather than a “Second Life” interacting in a real rather than a virtual world.
But I cannot get past the simple, obvious fact that “access” that is over-priced and under-capable is not really access at all, but political double-speak.
Do you know people without a “broadband subscription” (let’s say, for this discussion, broadband at home)? Â Why do you think they have “elected” not to subscribe? Or if they have told you–please share!
Tell me–what do YOU think? Â I would like to share your thoughts in our next Podcast that we record Tuesday night, 20 October 2009.
]]>Now, I won’t make any bones about it–I am not attending all of them. Â Heck, I am trying my best to attend the few that I think I can get the most from for either Supply Chain discussions, or (yes, surprise) Social Networking analysis.
Why Social Networking? Setting aside for the moment that I think it is simply “cool” I am also quite interested in what we can collectively learn from these networks. Â But apparently my interest is not the same as the interest of those doing the research.
Each and every presentation I have attended has focused on the math. Â How many connections are there? Â How often do those connections share something? Â Can we come up with a measure that shows the diffusion of (music/pictures/videos/ideas)? Or, to put it in the language of the Operations Researchers and the Management Science folks, they are “interested in the connections between nodes.”
I think we are missing a golden opportunity here. Â I am not interested in the connections, but the content and the context of the information being diffused, shared or otherwise “networked.” Â I think there is much we can learn if we can somehow take this Great Discussion and somehow contextualize the chats.
Let me explain: Â I was enjoying reading the Twitter stream for Penn State’s Teaching and Learning with Technology Symposium back in March 2009. They were using the hashtag #TLT09 so we could easily mark, and track, comments made about, for and at the Symposium. Â There were quite a lot of great ideas bouncing back and forth as some reported on what was being said in the sessions, others commented on those thoughts, and still others added new ideas into the stream that otherwise would have been lost. Â Mixed in was the occasional “I need to get a bagel” or “This reminds me, I need to update my blog.”
All in all hundreds, if not thousands, of “tweets” were created during the event. Â The ETS folks at Penn State created a “word cloud” from the Tweeting, so we could quickly see which words were being used the most, and thus we could get a sense of what the major thought drivers were throughout the day. Â But I didn’t think that was enough. Â I wasn’t just interested in the content I was interested in the context.
So I started thinking about what it was that I was seeking. Â I would love a tool that we could point to a #stream (a stream based on a hashtag, like #TLT09 or #INFORMS09 ) and let a tool go through, analyzing the hundreds or thousands of tweets, and then tell us not only what was said, but what relationships existed between the words. Â BLOG might be the number one word, but a collection of words such as “ereader” and “kindle” and “Digital textbooks” and “ebooks” may as a group have dominated the discussion. Â And inside that group we may find that themes emerged, such as “ease of use” or “notetaking” or “portability.”
So here I am, at a “meeting” where over 3 thousand presentations are being given, and I have yet to find anyone here that is interested in the content or, more importantly, the context of the network. Â When I have asked a few people about the topic, their response is unfortunately typical:
“That’s too hard. The data is hard to access. Â We don’t know how to do that yet.”
I am not sure I buy that, but then again, if it was simple, I suppose I would have already done it.
So let me put out the call to anyone that knows a “Quant Jock” (quantitative analyst) that would like to tackle this problem with me, please, contact me. Â I am ready to go!
The purpose of social networks is to be social, sharing ideas, let explore our content and our context, that all of us may grow!
]]>What ultimately caught my eye, though was the argument, buried deep in the article, that for such a pervasive and deadly action to be occurring  so frequently (the article reports “at any given moment the drivers of 812,000 cars are in mid-conversation on the nation’s highways”) we are not seeing a comparable increase in accidents/deaths.
What Does It Take to Get Texting Off Roads? (Wash Post)
“Given those findings and vast cellphone use, the experts are puzzled by the fact that overall crash rates haven’t increased dramatically, too. Without statistics to show that, persuading drivers — and legislators — not to use cellphones becomes more problematic, even considering the current impact.
“If it’s not causing additional crashes, then banning it isn’t going to reduce crashes,” Lund said. “The risk of talking on a cellphone is real, but it’s entirely possible that it’s replacing some other risky behavior.””
I am not seeking to defend (or condemn) texting while driving in this blog post. Â I am, however, wondering when we are going to see the return to objective analysis of data. Â Wasn’t that what the new Administration was going to bring? Â A removal of political motivations from science, and a return to objectivity?
Just a thought.
Want to hear my thoughts more fully on this, and other tech topics that “Real People” have to deal with? Â Come listen, as Tony Pittman and I discuss Real Tech for Real People–a weekly podcast talking about tech where we all live. Â (Don’t have iTunes? Â Go listen at Tony’s site: Get The Next___)
]]>While this research had been dismissed by many (including my Daughter’s petrogeology professor) the work continues. Â In a recent article in Science Daily titled “Fossils From Animals And Plants Are Not Necessary For Crude Oil And Natural Gas, Swedish Researchers Find” the argument is once again made. Â Reading from the article:
According to Vladimir Kutcherov, the findings are a clear indication that the oil supply is not about to end, which researchers and experts in the field have long feared.
He adds that there is no way that fossil oil, with the help of gravity or other forces, could have seeped down to a depth of 10.5 kilometers in the state of Texas, for example, which is rich in oil deposits. As Vladimir Kutcherov sees it, this is further proof, alongside his own research findings, of the genesis of these energy sources – that they can be created in other ways than via fossils. This has long been a matter of lively discussion among scientists.
“There is no doubt that our research proves that crude oil and natural gas are generated without the involvement of fossils. All types of bedrock can serve as reservoirs of oil,” says Vladimir Kutcherov, who adds that this is true of land areas that have not yet been prospected for these energy sources.
Some of this is rather disconcerting. Â For those that abhor the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) the thought that we might someday run out of petroleum was at least some small solace. Alas, we apparently now won’t.
One of the more interesting points about their research is that they believe they can now more precisely pinpoint where to find petroleum deposits based not on where they believe dinosaurs and other prehistoric life existed but rather based on the geologic fissures. Â Using this approach they believe they can improve the accuracy of drilling from 20 to 70%.
I do  have one small gripe: I don’t think they can say (as they do in the article) that the findings are revolutionary.  The findings support theories that have been around for quite a while.  Perhaps these finding will have the effect of moving abiogenesis from being the “Rodney Dangerfield” of geologic science, and start to get real “Respect.”
A “Tipping Point” perhaps?
nb: I find this arena to be quite interesting from a “philosophy of science” perspective, as the “conventional” science has long dismissed this alternative view as “crack-pot” science. Â Much of our understanding of energy consumption has been based on this being a “non-renewable” resource. Â Perhaps that assumption is mistaken? Thomas Kuhn’s paradigm shift “in the wild?”
]]>I have just found on the Amazon site that they are selling the original Kindle for only $149.99. (see update above)
If you are interested, check it out. Â It’s “almost” as good as the Kindle2. Â I have the original, and haven’t felt the need to upgrade, since the only really new features are the ability of the Kindle 2 to read to me (with a computer generated voice) and more esthetically pleasing buttons. Â In fact, I personally like the ability, with the original Kindle, to add a memory card, thereby having unlimited storage (and I can remove the card–with my books–before I ship it out if I have problems). Â Also, the original Kindle has a removable/replaceable battery, so you won’t have to send the whole unit off to Amazon if your battery dies.
Anyway–just wanted to share this with you.
]]>I must admit, I had somewhat of a knee-jerk reaction to that story. Â I have always been resistant to people bringing up accusations of -isms when criticizing the actions of others. Â That holds true for racism, sexism, and naziism to name just a few.1
One comment of Williams’ that really stood out to me was when he said:
WILLIAMS: Well, there was an undercurrent, but in recent days the episode with Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina shouting out, You lie, as Obama was speaking to the joint session has really exacerbated that anxiety, and it’s led to this notion that there is disrespect, even condescension, in the way that Obama is being treated as compared to any other president of the United States.
I found myself thinking that this isn’t so much a disprespect directed at the President because he is black, but rather a further manifestation of what I believe we have been seeing ever since the “me” generation of the 70s. Â Once we were told that WE were important, and that in a relativistic society *I* am the most important person in *my* life, it was only a matter of time until that level of narcissism pervaded every aspect of society. Â We have been seeing it for years in talk radio and talking-head television shows when one person just shouts louder and louder, denying the other the basic right to be heard. Â Why? Because what you have to say isn’t important because it gets in the way of what *I* want to say.
Rabbi Hirschfield, in his article “Why Joe (and Kanye and Serena) Won’t Apologize” from today’s Washington Post, points out that Wilson’s outburst is a symptom of something greater.
Over the past seven days, we have been treated to obnoxious outbursts by leading figures not only in politics, but in sports and pop culture as well. In addition to the heckle heard round the world issued by Rep. Wilson, there was the verbal attack launched by Serena Williams against a line judge at the U.S. Open, and the boorish behavior displayed by rapper and music producer Kanye West when he grabbed the microphone from award winner Taylor Swift at MTV’s Video Music Awards.
All of these stories are rooted in the same basic fact: speakers who think it’s all about them. And if it isn’t about them, they seem to think it must be about some other individual who is even more important than they are. Apparently though, it’s beyond any of the offenders’ ability to appreciate that civility is about all of us.
So while others were stunned, shocked, or outraged, I was not surprised by Wilson’s outburst, any more than I am surprised at the outbursts of any other public, or private, figure that chooses to elevate themselves over all others. Â Look around. Â We have been hearing reports of teens killing each other over sneakers. A cheerleader mom taking a “contract” out on her daughter’s rival. Â Once we start seeing achieving our happiness as “all important” and achieving our goals in life as the most important aspect, it is little wonder we as a society start to devolve into a society of rudeness, and violence. Â It is this propensity to devolve into violence then that has me concurring with Juan Williams when he says:
And it’s also then, I think, led to lots of discussion of whether or not there’s a greater chance of Obama being physically attacked, assaulted. This was heightened, of course, by people who were bringing guns to some of the August and other tea party events, you know, to express opposition to President Obama’s policies.
But let me be clear–I certainly believe there are some people who are opposed to Barrack Obama simply because of the color of his skin. Â I cannot personally understand that, but I do know they exist. Â But I think this cuts deeper. Â It is my opinion that, when confronted with views in opposition to one’s own (either from the left, or the right) people have a tendency to view themselves as correct, and superior. Â And once they step across that line, they believe they can justify any words, any action.
Perhaps I need to rethink my resistance to all charges of -isms. Â If the Rabbi is right, then we do have a problem, and it is “Narcissism.”
1. Of course in instances where one wears a white sheet, a swastika, and so forth you will get no argument from me. Â I am not blind!
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]]>Well, TUAW and Apple apparently agree:
Apple goes on to agree with AT&T that the carrier did not engage on any level regarding the GV apps.
Question 4. Please explain any differences between the Google Voice iPhone application and any Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications that Apple has approved for the iPhone. Are any of the approved VoIP applications allowed to operate on AT&T’s 3G network?
Apple does not know if there is a VoIP element in the way the Google Voice application routes calls and messages, and whether VoIP technology is used over the 3G network by the application. Apple has approved numerous standard VoIP applications (such as Skype, Nimbuzz and iCall) for use over WiFi, but not over AT&T’s 3G network.
As we noted in some of our original coverage of the GV controversy, Google Voice is not a VoIP service in the same way that Skype or Gizmo are, since it continues to use the cell network for voice connectivity to the device. Apple’s response to the FCC inquiry shows that they are on the same page.
So there you have it.
]]>“But if scientific achievements can be judged only after the event and if there is no abstract way of ensuring success beforehand, then there exists no special way of weighting scientific promises either–scientists are not better off than anybody else in these matters, they only know more details. This means that the public can participate in the discussion without disturbing existing roads to success (there are no such roads). In cases where the scientists’ work affects the public it even should participate: first, because it is a concerned party (many scientific decisions affect public life); secondly, because such participation is the best scientific education the public can get–a full democratization of science (which includes the protection of minorities such as scientists) is not in conflict with science. It is in conflict with a philosophy, often called “Rationalism,” that uses a frozen image of science to terrorize people unfamiliar with its practice.” (emphasis his)
If you can take a few moments, read through this a few times, and think through what it is saying.
How do you view science and the nature of discovery?
]]>As you know, I am a critic of airlines and their (lack of) customer service. But usually my response is to blog, or perhaps ocassionally call or write an email hoping to have someone at least feel guilt. But this–this actually takes the cake.
When an airline breaks a guitar, and even admits they were at fault, you would think they would make good. But no. So the artists, Sons of Maxwell, dealt with it the only way they know how–in song:
So I promised the last person to finally say no to compensation (Ms. Irlweg) that I would write and produce three songs about my experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.
I wouldn’t ever mishandle a guitar after this–especially if I was “Ms. Irlweg” the woman who finally said no.
So here you go.
That said, the uses mentioned for the tablet are what surprised me the most. Â HD Video/media. Â Gaming. Umm…
So far, that sounds like an iPod Touch or iPhone on steroids. Â Don’t get me wrong–I like my iPhone. Â I use it every day. Â And if you go to the podcast my son and I do at Father Son Chats you can listen to us talk about some of our favorite apps.
I just don’t think that is why people buy netbooks.
When I talk to people who are buying, or wanting to buy, a netbook, they are seeking a small, lightweight computer to do their lightweight computing tasks. Â For them that means being able to type out rather lengthy emails, update documents and spreadsheets, and oh by the way, also to web browse. Â Only a few of the folks I talk with say their desire is to watch videos or movies on a smaller device. (And of those, they typically have wanted to watch DVDs–even after I told them they could get the files digitally.)
That said, let me really go out on a limb here with some predictions:
1. Â The Apple slate computer will receive thousands and thousands of digital pages of commentary.
2. Â Mac/Apple Podcasts (specifically Mac Break Weekly)Â will break with their coverage of all iPhone all the time, to sing the praises of this device, and wonder how their life had any meaning prior to Jobs revealing this device.
3. Â Apple Mac OSX owners will line up immediately to purchase them. (Demonstrating that there still exists a segment of the population that has not been taxed sufficiently to pay for the new Health Care Initiatives in this “bad economy.”)
4. Â The tablet will sell well. Â Not as well as the iPhone, since people don’t have the argument “well I needed a new phone anyway” argument, but it will sell reasonably well.
5. Â Netbooks will still sell quite nicely, as will the HP and Dell notebook computers.
Oh, and I will want one.
]]>I am reminded of the old BASF motto “They don’t make the things we use, they make the things we use better.” That fits Google Voice to a “T.”
I have read over the past few months many articles warning that Skype (and even the cell phone) is doomed, and that Google Voice will replace it. Most (like How Google Voice can kill Skype ) simply miss the point. Google Voice is not a phone service. It is not VOIP. Google Voice connects existing phone numbers through a Universal number. But it does not actually make the call for you through the internet.
Skype, as a VOIP (or Voice Over Internet Protocol) actually makes the call through the internet. I use a computer (which may be a desktop, a notebook/netbook, or even a cell phone that has WiFi) to make the call. And yes, Skype lets me receive calls by allowing me to “purchase” a SkypeIn number, and allows me through SkypeOut to call real numbers. But it is still VOIP. I am calling from a computer, using the internet to make the call.
Google Voice doesn’t do that (although Google Talk might someday fill that gap). Google Voice lets me route calls to and from my existing phones using my existing service providers. Therefore, I can send an receive calls using my cell phone and AT&T, my work phone through Verizon, my home phone (again, Verizon) and yes, even my “SkypeIn” phone number. But it, in and of itself, isn’t providing the call.
So I ask you–why can’t these “techy people” seem to figure this out?
NB: Google has added voice and video chat to gMail, which does target Skype. And because I can can send and receive SMS through a web interface, I can step away from certain aspects of my cellphone (at the loss of portability). But at it’s heart Google Voice is still more of a turbo charging kit for your phone use than a replacement.
]]>This can make for a very interesting future. I can imagine a very fluid world with digital books, using much of the technology already existing. Let’s discuss briefly the existing tech (in the Kindle) and the look at how we can imagine a new reading world.
Ease of Delivery First, the Kindle allows the purchase of books through the Sprint cellular network (a service Amazon has called “Whispernet.“) Books are delivered relatively quickly (in my experience in less than a minute) and are ready to read. I actually ordered, and was reading, a book for our Sunday School class before the sign up sheet to order the hard copy of the book even made it to my row. So here we have the first component to the future.
Fluid Movement Between Devices For those readers that are unaware, Amazon has released a Kindle app for the iPhone that lets users read Kindle books on their phone. As with any book that you read, when one goes from one device to another (or pick up a different copy of the same book) one must search for where they left off. A different copy means no obvious book marks. Amazon makes this simple–they synchronize where you were in one device when you pick up the other. It tells you that you have read further ahead, and asks if you want to move to that spot. Pretty “cool” in my book.
Devices for Different Settings As noted above, the Kindle is no longer just the “device” but it is the operating and reading application. One can not only read on the “Kindle” that you purchase through Amazon (see the link on the right column of this page) but you can choose two different size Kindles. In addition, you can also read using the free application for the iPhone.  As you move through the day, you can read using the devices that best fit your lifstyle at that time.
Currently books, magazines and papers are sent to “Devices” and are thus tied to the device. You can move easily between those devices, but cannot pick up a different device. But imagine a different world.
Imagine a world where the books,magazines and papers are associated with the person rather than the device. As you move through the day, you pick up a “Whispernet capable” device (iPhone, Kindle, or something new) and “log in” to the Kindle. You are presented with a list of items you have purchased, and you select which one you want to read. Quietly, and quickly, the book or paper is downloaded to that device, and it picks up right where you left off when you were last reading. In this way, you are able to read your books, without being tied to a device.
But what could this mean?
Reading can become what we do, when we want to, not when we remember to bring our books, or our devices.
The possibilities seem almost endless. How could you imagine this world?
]]>Part of my argument hinged on the elimination of the resale market in large part due to the robust DRM (copy protection) afforded by the digital books. Unfortunately, when I presented this argument a few weeks ago, someone pointed me to a site that shared the (convoluted) steps necessary to break the DRM on the Kindle. So much for secure. 1
This forced me to think a bit further.
In this post, I hope to make a case for reasonably priced digital textbooks in an era of “cracked DRM” that can still result in a win-win.
If students can copy textbooks and share them, will they? Perhaps I have a more optimistic view of the world, but I think that, when given a choice to do the right thing, students will. That is, if they think they are being treated as adults, and not being unjustly charged. Let me explain.
I believe that students will buy the textbooks rather than steal them, if the books are affordable. and by affordable I mean, as one student put it when asked on Twitter “@ steep discount.” Probably $30 for a textbook that in print sells for $150. Remember from my previous post that publishers aren’t selling to every student as it is. Capturing a significantly larger piece of the market, semester over semester, will result in significant revenue increases–without any additional overhead or variable costs.
I also believe that students will buy a reasonably priced textbook if, along with the book, they receive other types of “digital” support. That support will be available, but may require them to have a “licensed” copy of the book. Simple enough. Your digital reader has a serial number/PID, so the licensed copy can access additional licensed material.  The additional materials could include podcasts, video lectures, or video/audio tutorials on working through homework problems.
I also believe students will pay for books, because the system supports the buying of books. Loans cover tuition and expenses, to include books. Parents buy books. My students have reminded me that there is a significant amount of “outside” money that comes their way for book purchases. But that alone won’t be enough to get them to buy the books. What will?
How about providing a way for students to continue to “resell” their books? Another common criticism from students is that they get pennies on the dollar when they go back to resell the book. They are more incensed when they see the mark-up the bookstore then places on the book they sold back!2 Students currently fight back by selling (and buying) their used books on sites such as half.com, a used book online marketplace.
I think that a technological solution to book resales, that allows the students to transfer digital ownership to another student, will result in more students buying legitimate copies. Why? In the paragraph above I mention that students get “outside” money for book purchases. More than a few students pointed out to me that, at the end of the semester, they sell those book back and that money then becomes “theirs.” A few call it “Beer money” but I am sure there are other uses as well. Given that this is digital, this doesn’t have to be seen as a competitor to the publisher, but rather as another opportunity for the publisher to “add value.”
Imagine this: the publisher, who controls the DRM accounts, sets up a clearing house where the student who purchased the book can make the book (and the license to read/use that book) available for resale, setting the sale price themselves. At the end of the sale, the seller essentially will turn over the digital rights to the book to the new purchaser. This is half.com made simpler. There are no shipping costs. The transfer can be automatic and nearly instantaneous. And if the publisher manages the site, the publisher can charge a “reasonable” handling fee, just like half.com. And we know students are willing to pay it–because they already do!
So, in summary, the hacking of the DRM doesn’t have to spell the doom of affordable digital textbooks. Despite what RIAA and the MPAA may say, we aren’t all criminals. When provided with affordable content, and a reasonable way to re-sell the content when the semester is over, students will continue to buy books from the publishers, and the publishers can continue to make revenue–even in the resale market!
Win! Win! Win!
1 For the record, I tried it, and it works. I broke the protection of a book I bought, and read it in another device that I own. After that, I deleted them.
2 (For example, a $180 book was “bought back” at $15. Resold at $80. Yes, that is an extreme example, but it is a true one!)
]]>My support for digital textbooks has emphasized that digital textbooks drive out out the costs associated with physical books, and thus allow for both a reduction in price, and an increased margin for the publisher. This can be seen because:
1. Publishers no longer need the overhead necessary to design the packaging (including the covers), presses to print the books, warehouses to store the books, or distribution systems to ship the books.  Oh, and they don’t need the management to manage all of that. This drives costs out of the process. (hint–what could this do for prices?)
2. Because the books are delivered, directly to the student through digital means, there is no need to keep safety stocks of book inventories to cover the sales of the books. No physical inventory drives costs out because it means there is:
3. The digital rights management (DRM, or “copy protection”) of digital books appears to be rock solid, so students are not likely to “give” copies to their friends. Publishers would be guaranteed sales2, allowing them to lower prices. This would mean that:
Given the above, my argument really focused on the need for publishers to pass on the savings to the consumer (the student) making textbook pricing reasonable again.  The major criticism of students (the high prices of textbooks) could all but disappear.
Affordable textbooks for students, and increased (and guaranteed) revenue for publishers!
One of the key points in my argument had been (yes, had) that the DRM on the Kindle and Sony readers was secure, and thus students wouldn’t hack the books and “share” (illegally give copies) to other students. That is essential to keeping the revenue model moving forward for publishers and is why the RIAA and MPAA are working so hard to protect their intellectual property. But alas, sometimes things change, and we know that if anyone can hack a DRM it will most likely be motivated college students.
Thus, I have been spending time thinking about how we can still achieve a win-win, even if students “crack” the DRM market.
Stay tuned! More on this to come!
1 Unfortunately, there will be near term losers, including the people working at the printing presses, the local bookstores, and the supply chain partners that normally deliver, store, and reship textbooks. More on these folks later.
2 Think about it. In a class of 30 students, in the first semester a new book is offered, all the students will buy the book. Let’s say the book costs $100. That is $3000 in sales for the publisher. (Not profit. Remember the high costs of physical books.) Now let’s assume that half of the students with new books decide to resell their books each semester. If in the next semester half of the next class purchases “used: books that reduces the revenue for the publisher to just $1500. If we follow this through, then the 3rd semester, 3/4ths of the books in the class are used books cutting revenue to $750. by the end of the second academic year the publishers revenue is cut to about $400. In two years, with 120 students going through the class, the publisher would make $5650. If there was no used book market, the publisher could make the same revenue selling the books at $47/book. And that is assuming there was no savings in costs by shipping digitally!
]]>At least, I thought it was. Now I am not one to go all crazy over conspiracy theories and the like. Personally, I like my aluminum foil wrapping leftovers, not as a hat. But it occurred to me that Amazon is not only gathering information about our buying patterns (our actual buying patterns, and not simply what sites we look at or ads we see), but they are now getting something more. Amazon now is learning what we read, and how fast we read it. (Or perhaps whether we actually read them, or finish them?) But Amazon is essentially capable of gathering information on what we think is important by what we highlight, and what we think and believe by any notes we may write.
In my mind this actually puts them a step ahead of Google.
Will Amazon do anything with this? Probably not. But think about it–what does it say about you? This is creating a “virtual you” that can be analyzed. Tie this with the Google information, and what a picture it becomes.
Recently a guest on TWIT said that not only is this a virtual you, but it is a virtual you that knows more about you than you do. It’s memory of what you read, highlight, and type is “perfect.” Can you say that about yourself?
Would you want to learn about yourself? Or would you (almost) be afraid to know?
]]>A couple posts back I noted an email where Amazon announced they are giving web access to the clippings and notes that you make in your Kindle when reading. And as you will recall, I believe the highlighting/notes feature is the best “game changing” feature of the Kindle so I was anxious to see what they have done. I have since logged on to the site, and given it a test drive.
I must say I am not all that impressed.
When you first log on you get a listing of the books you have purchased, called a “reading list.” (See graphic below)
As you can see it lists the books (in this case, sorted by most recently accessed) and even gives you your rating, and the average rating of others. Interesting, but honestly, I think I already know what I thought, and I checked the ratings of others (if I cared about that) before I purchased the book.
What is potentially the most exciting thing here though is the little pen, and paper, that you see in the bottom right. The pen indicates that I have “highlighted” some text and the notepaper shows that I have typed in notes about the text. Hey, that shows promise! How does that work?
And here is where the real disappointment comes in. As I have noted before, the Kindle myclippings.txt file actually makes the clippings readily accessible as digital text. The draw-back (and hence my writing the macro) was that it wasn’t sorted in any useful manner. It was all entered sequentially, based on when I actually highlighted or wrote the note. Thus, since I read (and highlight) several books concurrently (work, pleasure, and the like) I have a jumbled mess of texts. My macro sorted that all out (but as has been pointed out–doesn’t work in anything but MS Windows. But a new solution is coming! More on this later…)
The Kindle website solves the major problem of sequencing, in that it makes your highlights and notes available by book. In addition, the site shows you a quick summary count of your notes and highlights, So for instance, in the book “Everything is Miscellaneous” I have:
That is interesting. I didn’t know I had 41 sections highlighted, nor that I had 9 notes. But when it comes to actually accessing my notes, the presentation of the text is weak. They break it down into “screens” or “pages” of information, and my combined 50 highlights and notes are in 10 “screens” or pages. And as you can see below, the text is presented in a rather simple way:
This is a start, but I find the access to the information to be rather cumbersome, requiring many clicks, and still keeping me from being able to get my hands around the information on the whole. I personally like the idea of being able to have “documents” that are my notes and highlighting. And while I do like having the notes and highlighting together (that provides context, after all) I would appreciate the ability to get one, or the other.
There are a few simple things that I think could really improve utility of the site:
Honestly, I think what Amazon has done is a good start. They have provided a web-based solution that keeps me from having to connect my Kindle to a computer. If I am working at another workstation, or heaven forfend I have not brought my kindle or my cable with me, this is a great way to quickly get to my notes. But there are so many other great things that can be done with this information.
And as a teaser, let me say this–there are some great things still TO COME!
My techie friends at Penn State are starting work on a project to manipulate the Kindle myclippings.txt file that will not only sort the information but provide many different ways of using the data. And most importantly, they are creating a solution that is “OS agnostic!” Yes–it should ultimately work for any OS.
I hope to have more information from them to share later, and in a dedicated blog post.
Until then–happy reading!
]]>My good friend and Colleague Dr Swartz has since asked the age old question–“What were the results!?”
Well, I am here to tell you (and I will be assisted by the rather cool graphics generated by Google as part of their Google Forms functionality.)
As of this date, we have had 100 responses. When asked if they watched Hulu 65% said yes, while 35% have not.
When asked the “demographic” questions, we learned picked up some other interesting “tid bits.”
For instance when asked , “Are you a student” we learned that:
And that the respondents came from all the areas where we “advertised” the survey:
But here is where it gets interesting. When we started looking at correlation between questions, it became apparent that the majority of Hulu watchers are students (both grad and undergrad) but what was really interesting is that nearly 100% of the “non-students” who went to the survey from Facebook did NOT watch Hulu (and from the comments it appears most had not heard of Hulu.) I suspect (but can’t prove, since we didn’t ask many more questions) that those people who are out of college, and away from convenient access to high speed internet, are less likely to know about, and use, these sorts of tools. In addition, and this is important, I suspect that it is NOT a function of simply “age” since grad students do watch Hulu when they have time, but is rather a function of ready access. Remember, these are people we “know” and thus the non-students are most likely our peers, people our age who are no longer tied to the University networks.
I suspect that it is NOT a function of simply “age”
I am curious if we were to ask people of all ages, and all walks of life, if we would see an “age” split or if the suspicion that it is related to access would hold. It is this sort of “digging” just below the surface that I really found interesting. It might even be worth further study as we continue to have discussions about who uses technology.
Anyway, here’s the results–let me know what YOU think of the outcomes. And if you decide to conduct any surveys let us know, we will gladly help get the work out!
]]>]]>Dear Amazon.com Customer,
Our customers have told us that they love being able to add highlights and notes to their Kindle books. We want to make it possible for you to access your highlights and notes directly from a Web browser too. So we’ve released http://kindle.amazon.com, an online tool that enables you to do just that.
To try it out, go to http://kindle.amazon.com, sign in with your Amazon account, and simply select one of your books where you have added highlights or notes.
We hope you enjoy this new feature. If you have feedback please send it to us at amazonkindle-feedback@amazon.com.
The Amazon Kindle Team
When making a choice between two options, only consider what’s going to happen in the future, not which investments you’ve made in the past. The past investments are over, lost, gone forever. They are irrelevant to the future.
He (quite properly) deals with the monetary aspect of the sunk cost (it is called a “cost” after all). In his final example he points to the sign in the photograph on his blog, and reminds the reader that, regardless of the cost of the sign, having the largest word on the sign spelled correctly is, as they would say in the Visa commercial, “Priceless.”
But another point worthy of consideration is the emotional investment. Quite often we fail to let go of efforts gone awry for emotional reasons. How often have you been so wrapped up in a project that you haven’t been able to step back, take a deep breath, and see the “forest for the trees”?
When we are engaged in projects we need to be able to step back, as an outside observer for advice, and change. We need to be able to realize that, no matter how vested we feel about a project, no matter how emotionally entangled we are, it is time to ignore the “sunk costs” of emotional investment and cut the ties.
Am I arguing that we should always just “walk away?” Not necessarily. If the “outcome” you want to achieve is still worth achieving then strive for that outcome. But don’t continue to spend time heading down a fruitless path. Don’t walk down a road heading away from your destination, simply because you have paid for that road, either emotionally or with cash.
Move on. Chart a new course.
]]>I suggested that it would be a great idea to ask you, our readers, how you watch TV. And a Google Form seemed the perfect vehicle for that. So, while I was driving, I introduced my brother to Google Forms–and I think he did quite an admirable job putting it together.
We would love it if you would come take the survey. Thanks!
]]>UPDATE 2: I have the image wrong–the one below is the rumored reader from Plastic Logic
UPDATE 3: As you are by now aware, they announced. And it is PRICEY!
Early morning readers of the newsfeeds may notice that many news sources are writing about the possible pending release, perhaps as early as this week, of a larger (8 1/2″ x 11″?) Amazon Kindle. This may well be the rumored “student version” but according to the article from which all others are based, the one from the New York Times, this Kindle is seen as the savior of the newspaper industry.
Brad Stone in his NYT article writes:
Unlike tiny mobile phones and devices like the Kindle that are made to display text from books, these new gadgets, with screens roughly the size of a standard sheet of paper, could present much of the editorial and advertising content of traditional periodicals in generally the same format as they appear in print. And they might be a way to get readers to pay for those periodicals — something they have been reluctant to do on the Web.Image from the NYT of the rumored larger Kindle.
This article understandably has a few missing tidbits. Will this new Kindle be the same price as the existing Kindles (over $300?) or will the price of these larger Kindles be subsidized (similar to the cell-phone model) by subscription plans to newspapers and magazines? In addition, will this larger Kindle also display Kindle books, or will it be only a device for reading periodicals?
These questions are quite interesting, especially since (if the rumor is true) they are releasing a new Kindle only months after the introduction of the Kindle2.
Hopefully we will know–this week!
]]>“I had to hold my nose, and vote for Specter. Now I have to do neither.”
Why vote for him, you say? Well, years ago, when I was sitting on the knee of (well, on the floor, looking up at) my Grandfather, I asked him why we should support the Maryland US Senator Charles “Mac” Mathias, since he was about as liberal as the (then) junior Senator from Maryland, Paul Sarbanes. He explained that “he may be a monster, but he’s our monster.” A rather cynical view, but at the time (late 1970s, and the heart of the “Carter Economic Disaster” the likes of which we STILL haven’t seen since) it was clear that if Mathias lost the primary the democrat candidate would most likely win the seat, reducing the numbers of Republicans below the line allowing for a filibuster. So keeping that number was important, if only for the greater good.
So, I learned the lesson well, and followed the logic. When necessary, I have voted for a candidate I didn’t like “all that much” because of the greater good.
I most likely would have again. But now, thanks to Senator Specter’s decision to return to the Democrat Party, I am free once again to vote conscience.
I am now only left with one question: how will our good friend over at “Pressing the Flesh” respond? Will he welcome this lost sheep into the Democrat fold after all these years, or will he actively campaign against that former Republican? I await his post!
]]>In reading her post, however, I find that while I agree that when it comes to “how” content is delivered a “professor is a scribe” may be correct, I believe that is unfortunately a rather narrow view of the role of the professor.
Back when the printing presses were gaining ascendancy, they replaced the scribe, because they were doing what the scribe was doing–copying someone’s words for others to read. Scribes had to be worried, since printing presses ostensibly would make fewer *random* errors than scribes would. (That said, the printing presses could easily replicate the same error by the hundreds, and now millions.)
The people who at the time should have (and probably were) most excited by this revolution were the authors. Those people who spent time thinking, researching, and writing the texts that were now being made available at a far faster rate.
Professors are not mere scribes. Professors are experts in their field of study, who are contributing to that body of knowledge through that research, and then share that “research informed knowledge” with the world. One way they share that knowledge is through publications, another through presentations and talks, and finally (and perhaps most importantly) professors share it by educating the next generation.
So professors are not scribes.
Who should be worried that they can be considered scribes? Instructors. Those people hired to teach materials developed by someone else, without having a rigorous, peer reviewed research stream of their own. They are simply vessels through which others speak. THAT can be easily replaced by well-designed technology.
That said, professors are certainly worried. Rightly so. Not that they will be replaced, but that people seem to think they can be.
As I have written before, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Andrew Keen‘s book “Cult of the Amateur.” He argues that experts are essentially being pushed out of the arena and replaced by those whom I will call the “dabblers.” These are people that some would say “know enough to be dangerous” but are not well-versed in the detailed specifics to be experts, and therefore unable to deal with the nuances. In fact professors, as an integral part of their earning their terminal degree, learn the research methods necessary to truly understand the data they are viewing. Regardless of whether one is a Hebrew Literature scholar or a theoretical physicist, the opinions of the Professor are informed by their understanding of how to interpret their data. Without such a background all interpretations are considered valid, and truth becomes subjective.
I am anything but a technophobe, but I am concerned that, as we start touting the role of youtube, facebook, twitter, and Wikipedia as ways for students to share their knowledge about materials, we fail the students. We allow them to elevate their views, their perspectives, and their understanding of the material while simultaneously dev0lving the role of professor as mentor, guide and expert.
Let’s all work to enable better ways of helping students grasp material, but please, let’s not make the mistake of thinking that professors are “just scribes.”
]]>Interestingly, I had apparently just missed all the media outlets that covered it, including the Wall Street Journal. When discussing this video in the context of the rest of the videos they wrote:
The video about The Veteran is similar to the others, in that all depict abnormal behavior by young people who probably are normal, but are immature or temporarily impaired. But the characters in the other videos are all completely generic, with no distinguishing characteristics other than their sex. Only The Veteran is fleshed out enough even to be a stereotype.
The obvious objection to the depiction of The Veteran is that there is no reason to think that veterans are more prone than anyone else to lash out angrily, blaming others for their own failings. If anything, one would think that the rigors of military training and deployment would leave them more mature, at least in this regard.
Herein lies, I believe, the problem.
The video does seem to call out the “veteran” as the miscreant. The reality is something quite different, however. In the video, a student expresses a strong opinion, and raises his voice apparently in anger, although one could argue it is out of frustration. At the end of the video he even “threatens” the instructor. But not with violence. He threatens to get her fired for what he perceives is a bias against veterans based on her anti-war comments expressed in class.
So here is the stereotype–a young, female and liberal professor, subconciously demonstrating a bias against a returning veteran. In addition, because she knows he is a veteran having returned from Iraq, she attributes his rather benign actions to some sort of predisposition to violence, and one could perhaps argue over-reacts.
Interestingly the Wall Street Journal sees it in much the same light, although again focused on the stereotyping of the veteran when they write:
But The Veteran’s status as a veteran is relevant to the video’s story, inasmuch as he believes the instructor is treating him unfairly because he is a veteran. This lends another dimension to Maggie Kwok’s speculation about the reaction if the character were depicted as a member of an ethnic or sexual minority.
What if the student in the video were black and accused the instructor of racial discrimination? Would this be depicted, as it is in this video, as if the charge was absurd on its face? Would the student’s threat to have the (presumably untenured) instructor “fired” come across as an empty one, the way it does in the actual video? And if the department chairman in the opening exchange identified the student by asking, “Oh, the black guy?,” would that not be seen–with some justification–as bolstering the charge of discrimination?
Perhaps the most telling part about it is that no one saw the stereotyping of the veteran when the video was first done, and perhaps more telling, the University still doesn’t seem to see the portrayal of the instructor as in any way deserving comment.
Unfortunately, this video seems to gloss over two very real facts. First, our biases affect the way we view others. If we have a deep-seated bias against the military, and the war, then it may well spill over into how we view those who participated in it. And of course, those on the right are just as guilty of this bias–we can easily caricature those “pinko-commie, Birkenstock wearing liberals” and assume we know why they say something, and thus hear something completely different from what they say.
But the second, and perhaps more important, fact, is that soldiers, sailors, marines, and airman are returning from the war suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. We need to find good, solid ways of preparing our faculty, staff and friends for those times when these veterans need more than to be “controlled” but cared for, loved, and nurtured back to a healthy life.
I would like to see someone come out and remind faculty that we need to guard against our own prejudices. Don’t let our own views of how certain people might act result in coloring our interpretation of how they are acting. And let’s once again let our compassion rule not only our politics, but our daily personal interactions.
So watch the video, and tell me–what bias do you see here?
]]>Enjoy!
Jason
First thank you for all your newsletters and emails that you share with the world. As a business professor at Penn State, I find it refreshing and useful to see a business person not only being successful and touting their success, but sharing the inner-workings of their decision processes. Certainly this most recent email with the Twitter/$500K explanation is great to show students how to actually conduct an analysis for a business decision.
I did want to answer your three questions, and then as for what amounts to a “favor” from you (to someone you don’t know.)
First, the questions:
1. Am I crazy, or crazy like fox?
Crazy? Well I would say not–but if the choice is simply either/or, then crazy like a fox. I actually believe you are far from crazy. You have conducted a detailed analysis of the situation, evaluated what history has shown, and made a deliberate and informed decision. All decisions have risk, but it appears you have worked to limit the risk (or at least understand it.)
2. What’s the value of a Twitter follower?
This one, honestly, is a “it depends on the follower.” Of course, you have accounted for the “it depends” piece by eliminating group after group, and working down to just how many out of a million followers with be “valuable.” I have found that followers, AND following, are quite valuable for the ways I use Twitter–and I use Twitter in different ways for different groups. I use Twitter to connect with at least 3 (sometimes overlapping) groups. First, there are the “supply chain” professionals actively engaged in my profession and field of study. Then there are the educators, specifically those that are using technology to reach students. Finally, there is the geo-specific group of folks here in Central PA, that I reach out and touch to stay connected with my community. ed: (Of course there always exists that 3rd group–actual friends and family!)
Each has value, but in different ways. Can I monetize this? Perhaps–but that’s not quite what I am about in a direct sense. Although I would like to think that, as we all improve our skill sets, learning from one another, we all enhance our earnings, potential and kinetic (to steal from Physics).
3. What’s the value of of being one of “The Suggested?”
This is an interesting one. I think being one of “The Suggested” is great in your type of area, where you are offering services that are of value to nearly the full range of Twitter users. I suspect if I were to show up on the list, I would end up with a large number of followers with whom I have little in common, and that “twitter-stream” would cloud the engagement with the communities I have worked to develop.
This discussion is actually what I like most about Twitter–it allows us to develop our own communities, meeting nearly an infinite set of needs and desires truly providing a platform for community. The communities are no longer bound by time, or space, and can grow organically as people connect with what is of interest to them.The “Requests”
//**requests deleted–for I hope obvious reasons**//
Thanks for perhaps reading this far down–I realize your time is far more valuable than mine.
Best wishes.
While I haven’t heard back from Mr Calacanis I wanted to at least share these thoughts with you, my reader.
S
]]>One of Reagan‘s favorite stories concerned a man who goes to the Soviet bureau of transportation to order an automobile. He is informed that he will have to put down his money now, but there is a 10-year wait. The man fills out all the various forms, has them processed through the various agencies, and finally he gets to the last agency. He pays them his money and they say, ‘Come back in 10 years and get your car.’ He asks, ‘Morning or afternoon?’ The man in the agency says, ‘We’re talking about 10 years from now. What difference does it make?’ He replies, ‘The plumber is coming in the morning.’
Thanks, Historynet.com for making this available to us.
I have to wonder–are we heading down the road not only to socialism (which most people thought Barack would bring) but also towards the miserable life we saw in the Soviet Union? As rumors are starting to circulate that the White House is forcing the CEO of GM to step down, and putting further direct guidance attached to the loans the government is providing. one cannot help but wonder who in the White House has the background, and the skills, necessary to make decisions–business decisions–to dictate how a major auto manufacturer should operate.
Don’t misunderstand me–I am in favor of accountability for those who spend government dollars. I believe that when the government loans money there should be a viable plan in place to demonstrate that the money will be repaid. I just am not convinced that government is best suited to manage business. Certainly not “private” business.
I am left to wonder if the government has not only exceeeded their authority, but exceeded their ability.
]]>Yesterday many apparently acknowledged their own inability to do anything significant by jointly doing something silly–turning off all their lights for an hour, during “Earth Hour.” I made a few comments about it last night to family, and was told that it was all fodder for my blog. In fact, these actions (designed to be done at night, so presumably everyone else can see what good citizens we are) remind me of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14).
Let’s, for a moment, consider the value in simply helping those in need. We can wait for the government to institute a program, identify people that have a need, hope those people will learn about the program, seek help, and receive it in a timely manner.
Or–we can act, and help our brother and sister in need, when in need, directly. And even better, we can do it anonymously so that no one need feel awkward or indebted to a friend, colleague, boss or employee.
There is a new website that helps facilitate just this very thing. Giving Anonymously has as it’s mission the task of enabling people helping people.
As they say on their site:
We are a non-profit organization facilitating generosity between people.
We are not the ‘charity’ you are! Look around your community, your neighbors, friends and family. Do you see anyone in need? If so, give to them. You can give anonymously. We’ll send them a check, and you’ll get an email with a voice file of them thanking you. But they won’t know who you are! How cool is this!
The Goal
Our goal is to enable and encourage you to be your own charity, and for you to give anonymously to those around you in need.
Sure, you could give money to us and expect us to find those in need. But then your neighbor, Bill, who had to quit his job because he’s sick and now can’t pay the bills or adequately feed his family, will not be helped.
Do you know people who could use a helping hand, and you would like to help, but don’t want, or need, the credit? Do you have a friend that:
If so this is the site for you!
They will charge a $2.50 and additional 2.5% handling fee, but considering they will be handling the delivery, and even accepting, on your behalf, an audio thank-you note, it’s a small price (and hey, it keeps others employed in this tough time!)
I commend the site to you, and encourage all of us to take actions that are substantive and meaningful–and perhaps actually make a real, immediate difference in people’s lives.
DISCLAIMER: As of this writing, I have not yet used this service, and cannot vouch that it isn’t simply a scam. If anyone knows anything more about the service, please contact me. –Steve
]]>I broke the presentation into three areas of collaboration:
1. Data gathering (del.icio.us)
2. Structuring of the research (wiki)
3. Writing (Google Docs, Microsoft Live Mesh)
(note: I say in the presentation that Live Mesh is Windows only. Turns out I was a few versions wrong. It is now available for Mac OSX as well.)
Much of these tools allow us to work asynchronously, sharing information as we find it, and learning what our team has discovered as we have the time. That said, I also talk about using communication tools such as Skype and Google Talk to work synchronously with your team when geographically separated. I briefly referred to Twitter, but unfortunately, as much as I love Twitter (and you can find me on Twitter as @SCMProfessor) I don’t see it as a real engine to facilitate collaboration in conducting research.)
I also identified a few things that collaboration in research does:
1. Fosters cooperation rather than competition
2. Enables other researchers to share in the research (long discussion about what is and isn’t the outcome of our research).
3. Speeds the cycle time of research (idea-data-analysis-draft-publication)
Finally, we discussed that the tools should:
1. Be freely available
2. Easily understandable audit trail
3. Provide some levels of security
In the presentation I refer to a few documents (as Google Docs) that I have built to help my students collaborate in their research and project efforts. First, I have the “Tools and Tutorials” document, where I provide links to not only the tools listed above, but links to helper sites for using these tools, as well as links to “really cool stuff.”
I also mentioned the document I give my students to guide them in the development of their podcast projects. I even have a 12 step program for them!
So go, listen to the podcast, and please–come back and let me know how YOU are using Web 2.0 to work more closely with your colleagues.
]]>[sarcasm] This is exactly what’s needed in the current economic climate. [/sarcasm]
The commenters on that post have taken him to task for that comment, pointing out that businesses can, and perhaps should, continue to make all levels of products. One could even argue that making and selling these sorts of things, and creating markets for these products, is exactly what is needed during these economic times to pull us out of the downturn.
Thurrott does point out that the new computer appears to be taking aim at Apple’s Mac Air. Interesting. But in reading the comments I was surprised no one even hinted at this question–like so many of the new “netbooks” on this market…
Will this computer run Apple’s OSX?
]]>The important thing to remember here is, our conversation was recorded ON Google Voice, using the re
Needless to say we enjoyed the experience–it’s a typical Google experience!
We did spend a few minutes talking about our various websites.
To learn more about my son’s water polo camp, or to have him design a custom branding image, go visit http://fathersonchats.com
Aaron has a couple of websites worth visiting. Check out his personal site. He and his wife have a good site going, and worth checking out, especially helping out with financial issues!
Finally, Aaron is beginning a new business of his own, so go check http://trimtabcreative.com
]]>It provided not only a voicemail system, but an opportunity to record a call, and even download the voicemail or recording for later use (even as podcasts!)Â Â Oh, and just like a regular answering machine in your house, there is an option to screen the call, listen as it records the voicemail, and jump in if it is “critical.”
Well, Google bought them (a while ago) and just today announced they are remaking it as “Google Voice.”
I have just converted to the new account, and Aaron over on Twitter (@aaronaiken) politely tested it with me. He called, and I let it go to voice mail. You can listen to the actual audio file below.
I watched as it first delivered the mail to the webpage inbox, and was immediately available to listen to, and download.
Then, after 2 minutes, provided the coolest new feature:
VOICEMAIL CONVERTED TO TEXT.
Yup, you read that right. His voicemail was converted to text. The darker the text in the display, the more confident the automated conversion system was of the words. Here is a graphic of the actual voicemail.
As you can see it was pretty confident. And honestly, it should be. It got most of the grey words correct as well. I am sure “your mileage may vary” but it was quite good! Perhaps most interesting, it deleted out all the “verbal pauses.”
Within another minute I was not only notified by text message on my iPhone that I had a voicemail, but they delivered the text of that voicemail as well!
I hope to be testing out other features later today–so be on the lookout for a podcast, recorded using Google Voice, and the new “conference Call” feature!
One more thing: If you haven’t yet, please consider helping my son get to water polo camp. Even a simple one, or two, dollar donation would be great!
]]>One of the thoughts that he makes it that is harder and harder to know when we are being sold to, and when we are just being “talked” to. Is that Youtube video truly an amateur sharing a moment and a thought?
Today someone on twitter shared a link from YouTube that is a video of a “spontaneous” event filmed at a train station, for a T-Mobile commercial. In this commercial music starts playing, and the crowd starts dancing… at first a few, then a few more, and then almost everyone.
I would assume they had a few people “seed” the crowd to get them started. It might even be a LOT of people were “seeded” in the crowd.
But I wondered–are we so easily manipulated that we can be pulled into a commercial for a mobile phone company in real life?
(UPDATE: see below for an update on this.)
Anyway, enjoy the clip!
(And, if you get a chance, go support my son and his effort to get to water polo camp!)
(UPDATE: well it turns out it was apparently ALL choreographed. Hm. That means that while it was a openly sold as a commercial, they manipulated the audience into thinking it was like a “flash mob” event. Hmmmmm)
To earn money for his upcoming water polo camp, he is willing to custom design wallpapers for anyone that asks, for a donation of $50 towards camp.
To learn more about it, or just to donate a small amount (2 (two) dollars is fine!) go read about it at that site.
And go, and enjoy his existing work!
]]>Usually they point to the entry of celebrities to the Twitterverse as the beginning of the demise. For a while, @theRealDvorak predicted that Britney Spears would bring down Twitter. Then it was other “stars.”
Well, some of this is true. The massive number of followers that Leo and Dvorak have are dwarfed by Obama’s twitter following. As well as the numbers put up by other greats like @bobbyllew and @brentSpiner (again, my two favorite TV androids–just WHY Google hasn’t contacted them to sell their G1 I don’t know.) Twitter left the hands of the “Techies” and became mainstream. Somehow, this is what would make it “jump the shark.”
IÂ have to respectfully disagree.
What makes twitter “work” is that while many will follow what I will call “vanity twitterers” twitter has as its heart, its soul, the development of personal communities and networks. One connects with people that have interests in common.
For me, I have really three distinct “twitter” communities. I am a Supply Chain guy, and want to connect with other professionals in that arena (it’s why my twitter name is @SCMProfessor). I am also a professor (another part of that name) and so I am interested in connecting with educators, especially those that are innovative and using technology in helping people learn and understand the world around them. Like @ChrisChampion, @MisterLamb and @Dsalvucci. I also like connecting with “real people” living real lives. Much of that comes from getting to know those in the first two groups. Some is connecting with people I already knew, and some simply comes from finding other areas of interest where we intersect (location, politics, food, and so forth.)
Twitter’s ability to connect small pockets of people from around the globe, and allow us to develop digital relationships, is what keeps Twitter moving forward. Sure, we may follow some “vanity twitterers” but that is like watching “Entertainment Tonight.” It’s a fun diversion.
Relationships are what moves us forward–and relationships are what powers Twitter.
]]>View the animation, and then please, come back here and share your thoughts. Do you see this as a potential? Why, or why not?
nb: I had originally posted a link to this well done Flash production back in 2006. Because it gives “future history” (that is, presents things as fact that at the time had not yet occured) the timeline is somewhat muddied. I can certainly say it was produced before May of 2006.
]]>A few months ago I was commenting that Google’s new browser, Chrome, looked interesting, but alas couldn’t be used by Mac users. I was quickly corrected, as one pointed out that they can run MS Vista on their Mac, and then use that browser.
Here’s the conundrum:
If you are running Vista is it still a Mac?
The argument seems to be yes, since the hardware is the computer, then the Apple Mac computer is the hardware.
I would accept that a “true Mac” is the combination of the hardware with the software, but the introduction of running Vista (or XP) on the Apple hardware and still calling it a Mac makes murky the water.
Now, with the ability to run the Apple Mac OSX operating system on a number of other Intel based machines, and on a number of netbooks we face a new question:
“If a computer running Vista is still a Mac because the hardware is Apple’s, then is a non-Apple machine, running OSX not a Mac?”
So should I stop saying I use Vista, and start saying I use “HP” or “Dell” or “homebuilt” or…?
I am left with another comparison to religion, and thus the title to this post. Just as we can talk about a “cultural Christian” or a “cultural Jew” (someone connected through the heritage but not through religious or spiritual beliefs) and we talk about the spiritual or observant adherents to those faiths, can we make the same statement about Macs?
Are there “Cultural Macs” (those connected through the heritage that is hardware and logo) and “Observant” or “spiritual” Macs, that have the indwelling of the holy OSX code?
]]>Banks are in trouble because they loaned out money to people that are having a hard time paying them back. That’s mortgages, and credit cards, and car loans, and… well you get the point.
So the government gives money to the banks. OUR money to the banks. Money from the people that are having a hard time paying the bills.
As I see it, this results in taxpayers (you know, those of us giving the money to the Government to use “wisely” on our behalf) owing two debts instead of one. I have the original debt that I have a hard time paying, and now I have this NEW debt that my government has assumed on my behalf. Thanks, Government. You’re a peach.
What would I have done? Well, given that “let things work themselves out without government meddling ” isn’t a good idea (apparently) I would have said “hmm…. let’s give the money to the people that owe the money. Let them pay the banks back, so the banks get the capital they need, and we don’t drown our populace in debt.”
Imagine that. The government supporting the banks through helping the people the government is really here to help–THE PEOPLE!
Thankfully, we have people like Jon Stewart on our side. Unfortunately, the government doesn’t listen.
But you should. Get a cup of coffee and take a 10 minute break from work and watch.
]]>The website, Get The Next _____ is a nice website, highlighting things that you may, or may not, already be using. Rarely does he seem to highlight anything outrageously expensive, but they are things that are cool, and useful!
As he writes in the “About” section:
Here we’re all about what’s coming next. Check back regularly to see input from technology and media enthusiasts who are always focused on what’s on the horizon. There is a lot going on in the worlds of technology and new media. We’re here to help you stay on top of what’s next so that you are always prepared to Get The Next ____.
Go visit, follow Tony on Twitter, or email him at: tony@getthenext.com
]]>UPDATE 2: Â Microsoft has returned VBA to their Mac Office 2011 suite, so you can now run this macro in both Windows and Mac OS’s. Â If you find this useful, please consider making a donation–even $1.00 let’s me know you appreciate with we are doing here. Â You can find the link for donations on the right side of the page.
UPDATE:Â MAC Users–apparently Microsoft removed VBA from their Word for MAC (read excruciating details here.)Â Thus, the only way to use this macro is to run Windows on your Mac, with the Windows version of Office running.
First let me thank Lance Laytner for encouraging me to pull out the macros and work on them some more.
As I posted previously, I had compiled/written a Word macro routine that would go through and reformat the Kindle’s “My Clippings.txt” file into something a bit more useful. It was rough around the edges requiring much massaging afterwards due to some quirks of formatting. In other words, it was a 50% solution.
I have fixed “most” of the problems with the macros. (see the file after the break!)Â I say most, because it now works properly for me, but that’s not to say there aren’t some other “odd” formatting features I haven’t found yet.
You can find the file here. (It should show up as a text file in your browser. I recommend cutting and pasting into a text document, and then saving as kindle.bas)
To install the macro, just go in Word to the VBA window (Alt-F11 usually gets you there–you might need to enable the “developer” tab first) and then import the file Kindle.bas — it should load into the Normal project, as Module Kindle.
To use the macro, just open the My Clippings.txt file (I open as a text file, and cut and paste into word) and then run the macro in Word.
Here’s what the macro does:
Let me know what you think. Â (and feel free to make a small donation to the right, if you like it!)
]]>I wanted to take a few minutes to write about ways to address the challenges of these three points.
I have commented on twitter (@SCMProfessor) that I don’t like the push to be “followed” but not to follow back. Leo LaPorte, and many others, talk in their podcasts about how many people follow them, and either in jest or with serious intent, talk about wanting more followers. There I find myself usually asking “why?”
Of course, people like Barack Obama, @LeoLaPorte, and my two personal favorites @BrentSpiner and @bobbyll (two of the best TV androids around!) serve a role as thought leaders. But what about the rest of us? Should we want to be folllowed by millions and not follow back?
I admit, I enjoy watching the following numbers go up. It is in some sense a boost to the ego. But I also feel it is important to follow back. If we are to be part of a “community” then that community should encourage discourse and exchange. We should want to follow the people that follow us, so that we can learn from them. @TheRealDvorak (John C Dvorak) actually was doing this. He would follow back. He would engage. Of course, leading the way in following back is Scoble (@thescobleizer) who follows 70K people, and is followed by 65K. He engages!
Here’s my suggestions for engagement on Twitter.
I have tried, in thinking through these suggestions, to address Keen’s legitimate concerns regarding Web 2.0.
First and foremost if we make this conversational and if we are willing to follow and engage with people whom we disagree, we may find that while ideologies separate us, we can be friends. And through it all we may learn that the “I” is not as important as the “we.”
Second, by seeking out, and acknowledging, experts in a our fields, we help to quell the cacaophony of amateurs, and reinforce the importance of depth. This approach also helps build sub-communities in Twitter where practitioners (for instance in my fields of education, and supply chain) can grow and share and learn.
Finally, by engaging in these social networking communities of practice we open doors for further growth and development of knowledge. The professional benefit of Twitter can be that it answers questions to immediate needs, and opens doors for further (monetarily rewarding)
Take a minutes, and contribute to the community. Leave a comment, and if you are on Twitter, leave your twitter info!
]]>First, “I” matter the most. In this new world we are all equally important, and apparently all have an equal right to be heard. Unfortunately, in our rush to be heard we forget that we should also listen. We are rushing to be heard, and ultimately result in simply asserting our right to speak.  In discussing an event he attended, he writes
“Everyone was simultaneously broadcasting themselves, but nobody was listening. Out of this anarchy, it suddenly became clear that what was governing the infinite monkeys now inputting away on the Internet was the law of digital Darwinism, the survival of the loudest and most opinionated. Under these rules, the only way to intellectually prevail is by infinite filibustering.”
He then goes on to write
“The information business is being transformed by the Internet into the sheer noise of a hundred million bloggers all simultaneously talking about themselves. “
So what? What’s wrong with everyone writing about themselves?   His point is a bit more than simply we are producing too much noise. When we do take time to read, and to listen, we are no longer availing ourselves of the filters of expertise. We are starting to read and value uninformed, and ignorant, analysis over the informed and educated. When we no longer look to experts for opinions on lofty and heady subjects we lose the ability to truly learn, and instead replace that with a sense of knowing and not a reality of knowing.
Second, from this drift away from the works of experts to amateurs, he argues that facts and truth are no longer immutable.
Again, he writes:
As Marshall Poe observed in the September 2006 issue of the Atlantic: We tend to think of truth as something that resides in the world. The fact that two plus two equals four is written in the stars…. But Wikipedia suggests a different theory of truth. Just think about the way we learn what words mean…. The community decides that two plus two equals four the same way it decides what an apple is: by consensus. Yes, that means that if the community changes its mind and decides that two plus two equals five, then two plus two does equal five. The community isn’t likely to do such an absurd or useless thing, but it has the ability.
What’s even more dangerous here than just the self-absorbed cacophony is that this new cult of the amateur actually elevates opinion to the same level as educated fact. Once we believe a few hours of exposure to a topic makes us “as good as” an expert, we substitute our knowledge for real knowledge.
I was listening to an ETS Talk podcast from Cole Camplese and his group at Penn State University — University Park. They were attending a conference and Cole was mentioning the great work done by Michael Wesch and his students at Kansas State University. In the discussion Cole talks about the change from the focus on the Professor, with 200+ hours of advanced coursework, to the “wisdom of the crowd.” When they added up the experiences of the professor, and his classes, they “discovered” that collectively they have over 24000 credit hours of study, and global experiences with humanitarian, military, and personal experiences, including collectively 24 years of military service in Iraq. As if, somehow, having all that “introductory level experience” in any way compares to the depth of research, study and experience of the experts. For example,
What bothers me here is not that we quickly accept these assertions without much reflection–it’s that some, in reading my two bullets above, may actually agree that they are in some way equivalent! That is what Keen is speaking to when he argues we are losing the value of the experts.
The third point of Keen’s that speaks to me is when he argues that our efforts at creating, and embracing, the democratization of information actually is harming the creation of new knowledge. As he writes,
…a radically democratic culture is hardly conducive to scholarship or to the creation of wisdom. The reality is that we now live in a highly specialized society, where excellence is rewarded and where professionals receive years of training to properly do their jobs, whether as doctors or journalists, environmental scientists or clothing designers. In The Wealth of Nations, economist Adam Smith reminds us that specialization and division of labor is, in fact, the most revolutionary achievement of capitalism: The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgment with which it is any where directed, or applied, seem to have been the effects of labour.
Keen goes on to argue that our tearing down of the existing structure for vetting information, and our apparent wilingness to go to other less reliable sources, results in the diminution of resources to further develop the skills necessary for true knowledge creation.  Some talk about this as being the “new economy” but imagine an economy based on not paying for what you receive.
Scary, right?
As I said, I am working through Keen’s book, and find it interesting and challenging. Of course, I am writing about this on my own blog. I even acknowledge that for me the writing is as much to help me think through things (listen to myself talk) as it is for anyone else.
But perhaps there is another view. Perhaps we can transform the transmit only world into one where true engagement can take place.
Stay tuned–and in the meantime, take part in the engagement right here! Leave your thoughts in the comment section. Let’s actually “talk” rather than just read.
]]>A new software update for Kindle has rolled out. This update (version 1.2) adds the following features:
– Zoom any image in Kindle books or periodicals by selecting the image using the scroll wheel.
– Individual items and groups of items can be deleted directly from the Home screen. Simply scroll to the item you wish to delete and push the backspace key.
– Improved character and font support including Greek characters and monospace fonts.
It turns out there are a few other hidden feature changes.
At this point the most obvious is the screen refresh. Many of you know that TOK has a refresh cycle that some considered slow, and would flash a “reverse image” before showing the next page. That was changed in TNK (The New Kindle) and the 2.0 Kindle reportedly has a 20% faster screen refresh rate. Well, apparently this firmware update does the same.
I will continue using the update, and will report what else I find–so stay tuned!
]]>Hulu appeared “sorrowful” but apparently couldn’t convince their content providers that content is meant to be viewed.
What is most odd (and disturbing) is that Hulu has not only not shared which content providers strong-armed them, but they have also not share any rationale for why these content providers wanted Boxee stopped. Remember, it was just streaming to a “full screen” shows exactly as they would be viewed on your computer. The only real difference is that I am more comfortable and watching (in my case) on a larger screen.
I left a comment on Hulu’s site:
Okay–I too bought an Apple TV specifically to watch Hulu (and CBS) on my TV. I even made the decision to canceling cable TV.
Of course let me say that, while I thought Hulu was cool, I didn’t watch on my computer. Sorry–the chair isn’t comfortable for WORK, why sit in it for pleasure?
So what has this decision done for me? Made me realize that perhaps I watch too much TV.
Fox. NBC. Any other providers.
HEAR THIS: I will not watch you on Hulu. AND I will not be going back to Network TV to watch you either.
Bu-bye!
Do I expect anything close to the response we saw from Facebook? Nope. Of course not. The old media establishment is far too entrenched to let something like viewers get in the way of their decisions.
But this does once again bring to the fore the discussion questions:
Any and all thoughts are appreciated.
]]>You will recall they resell government reports to you for which you have already paid as a taxpayer. They do this, and provide no remuneration to the authors, even when those authors were not government employees. Well, that said, they pride themselves on “speedy and courteous service” which I suppose is a good thing.
I had to chuckle though. I went to view their contact information, and saw this note at the bottom:
Please note that our phone numbers have changed unexpectedly due to serious incompetence and hostility towards customers by Verizon. We apologize for the inconvenience and would encourage others to try to avoid doing business with Verizon and other companies that take such a hostile attitude toward customers. We pride ourselves on treating customers much better.
I had to step back, and say “wow.” I understand we all have our customer service problems. And many of us will write about them publicly. Usually on blogs, or if we are journalists, in our editorial pages and commentaries. But this is quite an unusual step. They are, as a business, calling out Verizon.
I can imagine conversations about Verizon’s bad treatment of customers when one gets home from work. Or perhaps sharing it in my Service Operations Management class, where we dissect business service experiences to better learn. Perhaps even sharing stories over a beer at a restaurant, or party.
But on your business website?
So let me ask you, dear reader, the following questions:
1. Would you put something like this on your professional business site?
2. Do you believe that Storming Media was without blame in the issue?
3. How would you have handled this?
]]>Storming Media is fast becoming the place to go to PURCHASE public domain government documents. Yup, that’s right. They are selling documents to you that your tax dollars have already purchased. How do they get away with this? They do it by providing the added value of having already done the search, and if you want, printing and binding the document. Well, here it is in their own words:
Storming Media is a private, independent reseller of Pentagon and other US federal government reports on many subjects. Whether you are interested in biochemistry or military strategy, weapons or noise pollution, or anything in between, Storming Media delivers the information you need with speedy and courteous service and with our money-back guarantee that you will be satisfied. You may order any of our government reports in printed and/or downloadable PDF formats.
They also sell copies of research conducted by students at government schoools, to include my former school, AFIT–the Air Force’s Graduate School.  You can imagine the conversations that took place with students when they found their work being sold by this company. “But it’s mine, how can they make money off it?”
The answer gets a bit convoluted (and actually echoes back to some conversations on Twitter about cheating and ownership.)  No, it is not “yours.” You wrote it. Your name is on it. But since (for the military students) the government paid you to conduct this research, the research and the report are owned by the taxpayers, through the US Government. They bought it.
Of course, there are perhaps a few wrinkles here. What if the student actually wasn’t a government employee? What if, as happens at AFIT through the DAGSI program and others, the student was a civilian, attending and paying tuition? (And perhaps on a DAGSI scholarship, but that is NOT the same as being paid to attend school.) Who owns the rights to that document? The author should–but that hasn’t been tested yet.
So back to Storming Media. They take the works of others already available through electronic means, and will sell you the electronic copy, or will print and bind a copy for you. And just to be clear, they do not give any royalties to the authors. Not a penny. This is legal, but I am not sure it is ethical.
So I ask you, dear reader–do YOU think what they are doing is ethical? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts.
]]>According to this story in the New York Times, Facebook has once again made a change, angered their users, and then have to backtrack.
===========
The word choices are interesting. Facebook talks about the “feedback” they received. How about: canceled accounts, deleted files, and angry emails. I suppose that’s “feedback.”
What is really interesting though is that they have reverted back to the old TOS “…while we resolve the issues that people have raised.” Just what does that mean? Does that mean they will not go back? They will more clearly state that they will only keep material that is cross-linked to other people’s accounts? Or does it mean that they will try again when no one is looking?
Given that I asked the question about “Outcome Focused Performance” a few posts back, I can’t help but wonder what “outcome” Facebook (the corporation) has in mind with their decisions. Obviously every business has financial success as their goal, but that is usually achieved through a mix of product, service, and value that attracts customers.
Facebook doesn’t really generate revenue directly from the users. We pay no fee to join, no monthly account maintenance fee, and no data storage fee. One could argue they have no obligation to us, and that there is no “contract” since no money changes hands. Therefore they should be able to do whatever they wish. The revenue that Facebook generates is a direct result of our being there, but is derived from our presence, and our activity. Given this, Facebook’s action in changing the TOS could be viewed as a business simply hoping to extend their opportunities for revenue through the users.
Of course, I think they are losing sight of one important fact–we are guests. Now, some would remind us that guests should “behave themselves” when in someone else’s house. True enough.
But Facebook should remember that they need to be gracious hosts.
====
n.b.:The link identified in the article excerpt above is here.
]]>It was interesting. I went to the story that went with the photograph (you see it has the Telegraph below it.) The story didn’t actually have that photograph. But the photo was available on their site at this location, and is in larger for here:
For most of you art afficianados out there, you will (hopefully) draw parallels to religious iconography through the ages. How often have we seen Jesus the Christ, and the Saints, and other “Holy People” portrayed with halos?
Accident? Subtle message?
Either way, it was off the Google news page half way through writing this.
While I have no problem with them using the material I make publicly available while I make it available I am incensed that they are now extending their claims, unilaterally and retroactively, to all my material for all time.
In protest, I have emailed Facebook and told them I reject their new TOS, I have deleted my photos, and changed my profile photo to a PROTEST, and hereby grant YOU, the reader, license to reuse this graphic as YOUR profile photo. All I ask is that you comment on here that you are using it.
]]>One of the first issues we had to grapple with, however, was our task. We were tasked initially to look at this with the title “Performance Driven Outcomes. (PDO)” I was convinced that the phrase was wrong. It wasn’t a simple disagreement of semantics. It was a fundamental way of viewing the problem. It seemed to me that the PDO approach focused on what you do, and that the outcomes derive from that. If we let our performance drive the outcomes we achieve, we will have high marks but may not ever be successful.
At the time, I wrote (in discussing the DoD):
…we see clearly why we have this disconnect. The politicians and the media are looking for outcomes, and we are actively measuring and providing outputs. Congress wants to read about enemy forces overtaken and a war won. We want to talk about sorties flown, numbers of bombs dropped, and parts avail-able on the shelf.
This is, of course, not a problem limited to DoD. It’s a problem that faces every organization (and dare I say it, even our personal lives.) The problem is that often we use surrogates for the outcomes (dollars spent, dollars earned, customers served, students enrolled) and we don’t focus on the Outcome.
Generally, the outcome tends to be amorphous, and thus harder to nail down. That doesn’t mean we SHOULDN’T nail it down–just that it is more work. For instance, Nike is conducting an overall review/restructuring of their operations, and apparently they have the “outcome” in sight:
“In light of the current economic climate, it is more essential than ever to sharpen our focus on the consumer to maximize opportunities for product innovation and brand management in the marketplace,” he said. “The decision to reduce our workforce is a difficult one, but it will put our business in the strongest position possible to continue to deliver long-term profitability and growth.”
Of course, the devil is in the details–specifically how they operationally define “focus on the consumer.” In fact, if you read carefully the quote, you will read that they are focused on the customer to “maximize opportunities for product innovation and brand management.” Do you think they will “get it right?”
I am actively seeking your thoughts on this. specifically in three areas:
1. What do you see as the difference between these two phrases (or do you even see a difference?)
2. Does your organization focus on the “Outcome” or are they distracted by measuring outputs?
3. Do you think in a time of economic crisis it is more, or less, important to focus on “Outcomes?”
]]>This conversation started over at Twitter (follow me– @SCMProfessor) as an outgrowth of reading and thinking about a survey conducted at Penn State as part of their Rock Ethics Institute. Students at one of the Penn State campuses were asked several questions. Each question presented a situation, and they were asked if that situation was “cheating” or “not cheating.”
As I said, we have had some good discussions over on Twitter (in 140 characters or less!). Let’s see what others think.
I will share the results in a coming post.
Thanks!
Aaron Aiken replied:
@aaronaiken: sweet. Macbook 13″ (4gig mem) with GarageBand ’08 and the Blue Snowball (USB) microphone
He then sent the link for a photo of his setup.
Next, a friend of Aaron’s from Scotland I believe sent his:
@stewartcutler:Â MacBook, Audacity. That’s it. Sometimes use sony minidisc recorder with sony ECM-MS907 mic and use audacity to edit.
Alas, I don’t have a photo of his setup.
Then my brother, the keeper of Targuman.org shared his set up:
@Targuman:Â M-Audio MobilePre USB with 2xM-Audio mics into MacPro or MacBook Pro; usually recorded in GarageBand or Skype w/Call Recorder
Hopefully he too will send a photo of his set up.
Here is his setup:
Finally, my set up:
@SCMProfessor:Â my podcast setup: Vista, running Adobe Audition. AudioTechnica AT2020 Mic. Alesis Firewire8 mixer. Skype. and Prayers
and my photo:
Anyone else want to share their set up with me? Would love to hear/read/see it!
]]>So-go to the comments, and let us know your story!
]]>I welcome any thoughts you might have on how we can better use technology in business education, and specifically how we can better prepare students to use technology in the “real world” when they graduate.
]]>To read, just visit my published document on Google Docs.
I welcome any and all additions to this document, and I certainly will give credit to the finder!
Tell me what tools or tutorials you have found!
]]>I of course, love the line (roughyl quoting) “I will buy anything from Apple that’s shiny.”
]]>Many callers talked about how we need to raise the gas taxes, not only to provide funds to repair the highways, but to get people to learn to conserve, and to support alternative fuels. In fact several callers felt we needed a tax “floor” implemented immediately. A “tax floor” would mean that if the price of gas dropped below a threshold (most said $3/gallon) then the price would stay at $3, and the government would scarf up the difference. In that way, the government would reap the “windfall profits” of low prices (instead of the consumer). (see my past discussions regarding windfall profits here.)
Interestingly, if the price rises and falls in part due to fluctuations in demand (and demand changes relative to price) would the price charged ever get much below three, if the gas stations knew they would have to just “give” that to the government?
So I want to know, what is YOUR opinion about gas taxes? Are you in favor of a higher gas tax?
Look forward to your answers.
]]>]]>Steve:
You forgot one important point: “Your employer, who is about to close BECAUSE YOU EXTORTED MONEY OUT OF THEM THAT YOU WERE NOT ENTITLED TO RECEIVE IN THE FIRST PLACE, was unable to meet your unreasonable and unconscionable demands for ill-gotten gains . . . ”
Yeah, I used to belong to the machinists union. The sole purpose of the union is to drive the PRICE OF LABOR ABOVE ITS MARKET VALUE.
How does the concept of “SUSTAINABLE” apply to unionism?
]]>Dear UE Local 1110 Members,
I empathize with your plight, I really do. But I wonder if you thought through all of this.
The company, your company, just didn’t have the money. They couldn’t pay you. As they say, you can’t get blood from a turnip. They were unable to secure the loan that would be necessary to keep their business going, and to pay you.
They really had no choice. They had to close.
Bank of America determined that a company that only had 3 days of reserves was not a good candidate for a loan. They chose not to “throw good money after bad” and denied the loan request.
In response, you… sat down?
As a result, BoA has now given a “loan” to your company. A loan that they will most likely use to give you what you have demanded, and then they will in all likelihood still close. Just after 60 days.
So you won. You have forced BoA to give a loan to a company that by every indication has no intention of paying it back. A company that in all likelihood will be declaring bankruptcy in less than 60 days.
Assuming that the BoA “bailout” was used to fund this, all you have done is take money from your fellow tax-payers (and presumably yourselves, once you regain employment.)
So where, again, was the victory here?
Seth Godin has a reputation among marketing circles (new and old media types) for shaking things up and helping us see the world “different.”
He has written some amazing books that challenge our thinking (my favorite “All Marketers Are Liars: The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World.”) But I think this one just about takes it. He is offering a few, select people, a chance to work with him for 6 months. Unpaid. And I think it is worth it!
In his words:
If you’re stuck in a dead end job in publishing, or if you made a not-so-great choice in getting your career started, or if you thought Wall Street would be a different place, or if you just got laid off, or if you’re not crazy about fretting away the next six months waiting to get fired and you’re not quite ready to start your own gig… this might be the turbolift you were hoping for. Yes, it’s free.
It’s a chance to get off that track and onto a new track, faster and cheaper than most of the alternatives. And it might even be fun.
[The rest of this page has various details about the program, so I don’t have to answer the same questions again and again. It also has a bit of encouragement to it, since I realize it’s a very big deal for you to drop everything to do this. It’s also a big deal on my end, so hopefully it’ll all work out.]
Read more about it here.
]]>]]>Brief and quick thoughts about Kindle and higher education.
Like you I see the Kindle as a ‘killer device’ in higher education.
Just as I saw the mobile phone/smartphone in 2002. Colleges & Universities were motivated by finances to devise a way to recapture the income lost to dorm phones on traditional landlines. 6 years later and few schools have been able to construct a means to generate revenue from mobile student based mobile technology. A segment of the faculty don’t want mobile devices in their class. Some faculty adopt the technology to aid learning (interactive, polling, twitter, etc.). The administration can’t figure them out.
They got sidetracked with the cell phone as an emergency notification device.
Where is the $$$$?So, how to motivate higher ed leadership to adopt the Kindle as an instructional tool integral to learning? The answer may be in the money stream.
Your suggestion of self-publishing or co-publishing with commercial publishers has merit.
The landscape is strewn with disjointed efforts to self-publish. Use of learning management systems, faculty blogs, twitter, course/faculty facebook accounts, iTunes University, faculty generated web pages, etc. etc.
The challenge here is to provide a platform to aggregate ‘published’ works across diverse platforms.
How to get all these self-published works loaded onto the Kindle?There is the green consideration. As more faculty select e-texts for their courses students inevitably will print pages/chapter(s)/books at college provided printers or printers in their dorms. Defeats the inherent value of e-texts: lower unit cost, ease of transport, bookstore floor space & inventory management, etc.
Interesting side note. I use an e-text for my digital photography course. The primary rationale is the text is updated more frequently than publishers can print new version. The main argument from students is they are restricted to read the text while at a computer. Can’t time-shift reading assignments, read on the train/bus/standing in line. Annotate, highlight, dog ear pages, etc. And there are the inherent challenges of laptop technology.There is the possibility of providing all incoming freshmen with a Kindle: included in the tuition. This is no different than colleges that require the purchase of a laptop. In fact it is better, IMHO. A joint effort with Amazon would seal the deal. As would a partner relationship between Amazon and publishers.
In any case it seems Amazon has given this some measure of consideration. Where do they go from here?
How quickly can those of us who have a shared vision for e-readers like the Kindle advance this technology along the Rodgers innovation adoption curve?
So, the usefulness is a bit limited. Until now.Â
I decided to search and see if anyone had written a script or application to convert the myclippings.txt file into a “sort-able” document. In so doing, I found a blog where the author went through the steps necessary to import the file to a Word table. So far, so good. Unfortunately, there was room for “error” when certain characters were included in the text that was clipped. I took a few minutes to figure out some of the problems, and reached back for some old S&R techniques I have used in the past (the ever-useful “replace a ^p with a character set you never use” technique, in this case &&&).
I turned it in to a VBA Macro, which pulls everything in, and formats it into a Table. The only thing left for you to do is delete that pesky far right column, put borders on the table, and then sort it!
I do realize I could “optimize” the macro, and perhaps write a few other loops. Maybe when I have more time…
I will include the source code here, and will email the VBA Macro to any that email me.
Enjoy!
===============
Sub my_Clippings()
‘
‘ my_Clippings Macro
‘
‘
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
With Selection.Find
.Text = “^p^p”
.Replacement.Text = “”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Application.WindowState = wdWindowStateMinimize
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
With Selection.Find
.Text = “^p^p”
.Replacement.Text = “”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Application.WindowState = wdWindowStateNormal
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
With Selection.Find
.Text = “^p^p”
.Replacement.Text = “&&&”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “^p===”
.Replacement.Text = “&&&===”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “^p-”
.Replacement.Text = “&&&-”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “===^p”
.Replacement.Text = “===&&&”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “^p”
.Replacement.Text = ” ”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “Loc.”
.Replacement.Text = ” &&&Loc.”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “| Added ”
.Replacement.Text = ” &&& Added ”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
With Selection.Find
.Text = “&&&”
.Replacement.Text = “^p”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
Selection.WholeStory
WordBasic.TextToTable ConvertFrom:=0, NumColumns:=6, NumRows:=475, _
InitialColWidth:=wdAutoPosition, Format:=0, Apply:=1184, AutoFit:=0, _
SetDefault:=0, Word8:=0, Style:=”Table Grid”
Application.WindowState = wdWindowStateMinimize
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
With Selection.Find
.Text = “&&&”
.Replacement.Text = “^p”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindAsk
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Application.WindowState = wdWindowStateNormal
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
With Selection.Find
.Text = “Added on”
.Replacement.Text = “”
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindAsk
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End Sub
With the Kindle I can highlight sections of the text, for later searching or referencing, and I can add my own personal notations to that text. Think of it as “digital margin writing.”
What makes this remarkable for me is that it has actual made highlighting accessible–even more than with paper books. Have you ever highlighted text, and perhaps written some thoughts in the margin, only to not be able to find it later? Or at least not find it without considerable searching? This set of features actually makes the marking, and retrieval, of text easy, and quick–and with the myclippings.txt file, quoting and citing texts are made simpler.
I thought I would write a little bit about how that works, and share a few screen captures to show just how convenient it can be.
This first graphic is a snapshot (Did I mention you can do screen captures?) of a page from “The Google Story” where I have highlighted text, and added a note to that text. Obviously, it places a frame around the text, and that little box with three lines is the identifier that text has been added.
Of course, you want to be able to read the notes, and find them quickly. No problem, just go check your highlighted text, and you can find a series of pages of just your highlighted text. And, when you have attached notes, those notes will also be shown. Graphic two is another screen capture showing the same quote and note, as part of the collection of notes from that book.
But that’s not all! All highlighted text and notes are saved to a file, clippings.txt! As an academic, I like the idea that I not only can read, highlight, and write notes, but they are saved in a text file that I can easily use as a “holding file” for inserting quotes in my own articles and presentations.
The above highlights then are simply saved as:
==========
The Google Story (David Vise and Mark Malseed)
– Highlight Loc. 435-38 | Added on Thursday, September 11, 2008, 03:16 PMThe family lived modestly in Prince George’s County, a suburb just outside Washington DC, and Sergey attended the public Eleanor Roosevelt High School, a tough place where brawn mattered more than brains. One of his classmates recalled that Sergey was “quite cocky about his intellect,” often attempting to prove to teachers that they were wrong.
==========
The Google Story (David Vise and Mark Malseed)
– Note Loc. 436 | Added on Thursday, September 11, 2008, 03:17 PMThis is where my wife went to high school
The interface for selecting and highlighting text is quite simple (perhaps even, dare I say it, Intuitive) and appears to be designed with use in mind. Allow the reader to continue to mark text, comment on the text, and then add the ability to actual access our thoughts.
As they say in the Guiness commercial — “Brilliant!”
]]>Well, I do love the Kindle. In fact, I have it linked on the right here in the “recommended” widget for people to find, and buy. I decided perhaps it was time for me to share my thoughts on the Kindle, now that has been out for a year.
I started with the Sony eReader Sony PRS-505 . I enjoyed the thin design, the simple two button approach, and was quite impressed with the eInk technology. I was also impressed with the ruggedness of the design (I dropped it twice, and while I caused some damage to the chassis, the electronics, and the screen, held up just fine.) But something was “lacking.” So, when given an opportunity to get the Kindle, I stepped up.
So what do I like about the Kindle?
But what is the BIGGEST selling point for me?
So there you have it, my quick summary of what *I* love about the Kindle.
]]>Given that so many people wanted recipes (and @melanig from twitter wanted vegetarian!) I have putting up yet another recipe. (see post here for basic crepe recipe!)
]]>Magic Pan Banana Crepes Chantilly
You take a fresh crepe, and spread it with apricot jam. Then you slice one
banana (just ripe, not mushy), carefully toss the slices with a little brown
sugar and sweet vermouth, and let them steep for a couple of minutes. You lay the
steeped banana slices in a line across the middle of the crepe, blanket the
line in whipped cream, and then flap the crepe edges one over the other around
the puffy line of bananas and whipped cream. Finally, you dust the outside of
the rolled crepe with powdered sugar, top it with another dollop of whipped
cream, top the dollop of cream with toasted slivered almonds and maybe a banana
slice and a mint sprig.
Dominic Salvucci and Jimbo Lamb both thought it was a good idea, and we set a time, and the podcast proceeded from there!
It turns into a discussion about technology in the classroom, and we are setting stage for further discussions on technology, and how we introduce and allow students to use technology.
Let us know what you think in the comments here, and if you want to join us in a podcast, let us know!
-S
]]>I enjoy listening to podcasts (and producing them, as you all know!) I have been finding there are some really good fan fiction productions out there. I will point to some others soon, but I wanted to share with you two from “Darker Projects” productions.
The first is “Star Trek: Lost Frontier.” True to the name of the production house, this is a “darker” series. From their site:
Star Trek: Lost Frontier is a look at a dark time in the future of Star Trek. It is the dawn of the 25th century and the galaxy is coming-out of a period of great war. The story of Lost Frontier focuses on the crew of the new Enterprise F as they go forth to unite the lost worlds of the Federation.
I have enjoyed listening to these, and find their stories to be quite captivating. That said, it is fan fiction, and there are at times bouts of over (and under) acting, and awkward uses of special effects and sounds, but you know what? That’s what makes it special. It’s a labor of love. I especially enjoy the way they have turned the series into a serial, complete with resolution and new cliff-hangers!
In addition, they have created a “spin off” series based on a “secret” group first introduced I believe in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The secret group “Section 31” moves from the shadows to a full-fledged show in it’s own right with this podcast. As they describe it:
Space is dark. Let’s face it.The universe of shiny, well-groomed Starfleet officers and the pristine starships of the United Federation of Planets where the Prime Directive rules and hopes for galactic unity of all species is an ongoing quest is reinterpreted in our vision of the reality of the Star Trek Universe. It’s not all “let’s be friends with our alien brethren”. Here the Federation has a dark underbelly and the daring crew of the Nosferatu boldly goes where Starfleet fears to tread.
These are desperate times.
We are the desperate measure.
And finally, the full length VIDEO episode of Star Trek the New Voyages. (great story, great special effects, and solid acting). This is just my first find in this realm of (relatively High) quality video fan fiction. It is truly amazing what a few dedicated fans can accomplish with what I can assume is a limited budget, and a whole lot of heart!
I have found a few others, and will watch/listen to them, and then come back with more links, and reviews.
I hope you enjoy these pieces of fan fiction as much as I, and please, if you have any recommendations for podcasts, please pass them on to me (here in the comments would be fine!)
]]>In just looking at the stills released on the site, I have to say, the actors have the mannerisms down. The Dr McCoy character looks the part, and I would swear that the Chekov actor has to be the son (or some other close relative) of Walter Koenig. (For grins, go watch Walter Koenig in a 1965 Gidget!)
Anyway–now *I* have a movie to look forward to!
]]>]]>The Magic Pan Chicken Crepe Elegante
Yield: 6 servings.For crepes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butterFor filling:
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheeseTo prepare crepes: Sift flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add eggs; mix thoroughly (mixture will form a thick paste). Add milk gradually, beating until smooth. Batter will have the consistency of heavy cream. Cover bowl; refrigerate for 2 hours.
Brush a hot crepe pan with oil or melted butter. Pour in about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter, depending on the size of the pan. Tip the pan to coat it with a thin layer of batter. Cook over medium-high heat until crepe is golden brown, about 1 minute, then turn and brown other side. Continue cooking crepes, adding oil or butter to pan as needed.
To prepare filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring stock to a boil in a small pan. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Gradually add stock. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, parsley and chives.
Beat egg yolks and half-and-half in a small mixing bowl. Add a little of the hot sauce; mix well. Stir egg mixture into remaining hot sauce in pan. Put a portion of the mixture in the center of each crepe. Roll up crepes.
Place in a buttered oven-to-table baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Serve at once.
PER SERVING: 500 calories; 34g fat (61 percent calories from fat); 11g saturated fat; 248mg cholesterol; 24.5g protein; 23.5g carbohydrate; 5g sugar; 1g fiber; 519mg sodium; 173mg calcium; 285mg potassium.
]]>For crepes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butterTo prepare crepes: Sift flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
Add eggs; mix thoroughly (mixture will form a thick paste). Add milk
gradually, beating until smooth. Batter will have the consistency of heavy
cream. Cover bowl; refrigerate for 2 hours.Brush a hot crepe pan with oil or melted butter. Pour in about 1 1/2
tablespoons of batter, depending on the size of the pan. Tip the pan to
coat it with a thin layer of batter. Cook over medium-high heat until crepe
is golden brown, about 1 minute, then turn and brown other side. Continue
cooking crepes, adding oil or butter to pan as needed.
Apparently I was not alone. Many who visit share in the comments section their memories of the restaurant, and of their time eating, working, or just hanging, there. Some have even shared the “deep dark secrets” of the contents of some of my favorite recipes. (Go read the comments! Interesting!)
In addition, many have asked for people to post recipes. I have found a few online, and while I encourage all to visit the web sources, I will be posting a few here over the next few weeks and months. So, enjoy!
MAGIC PAN RESTAURANT POTAGE ST GERMAIN (Pea Soup) (from Phaedrus) This pea soup recipe is from the Magic Pan Restaurant. 1 (1 pound) ham bone 4 1/2 cups water 1 (13 ounce) can chicken broth 2 cups split peas 2/3 cup finely chopped leeks or green onions 1/3 cup finely chopped carrots 1/3 cup finely chopped celery 1 teaspoon granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon thyme Bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 1/2 cups milk 1 cup whipping cream 1 cup chopped ham, cooked 1/2 cup chopped chicken (cooked) (optional) Place ham bone in large pot. Add water, chicken stock and peas and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery just until limp. Add them to the soup pot along with all the seasonings and continue to simmer until peas are very soft and mixture is thick - about 45 minutes. Remove ham bone. Gradually stir in the milk and cream. Add ham and chicken. Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes. Potage St. Germain soup should be served with a dollop of sour cream and a splash of sherry. The sherry was served on the side in a tiny glass pitcher, while the sour cream was placed in the bowl and dusted with chopped parsley.]]>
Having just made made my estimated tax payment (late, yet again, I know…) was reading through the IRS 1040 ES tax pamphlet, and came across a list of list of expiring tax benefits. I have (using the power of the Jing Project!) excerpted from that document that list:
Why would I list this? Well, I find it quite interesting that, as part of the Democrats efforts to eliminate Bush’s “tax cuts for the rich” they are letting these evil tax cuts die. You know the ones.. That credit for encouraging energy efficiency? Oh, and that pesky credit for research (darn those tax-evading scientists!)1
Interestingly, despite his obvious leftist leanings, Dean Dad hasn’t commented on the expiration of the tax benefit called “Tuition and fees deduction.” He also hasn’t commented on the loss of the educator deduction from the AGI. I wonder why?
So my question for you, dear readers is this:Â Why were these tax cuts/benefits evil, and how do they only help the rich?
1 Interestingly, several of the podcasts I have listened to lately have applauded the Obama election, and talked about the expectation that the floodgates of funding will be swinging wide. Hmm… at the same time that we remove the tax credit for conducting research? Apparently (and I just surmise here) the only “good science” is that which is directly funded by the government. Ahh, yes, suckling…
]]>The premise of the book is that life is “random” or at least in large partt driven by likelihoods and probabilities. Those of you that actually know me, know that I appreciate the random nature of life, and that I believe no outcome is “certain.” Even knowing that, intellectually, I find myself reflecting on the various lessons in this book, particularly after my recent automobile accident. In that accident, I started second guessing my decisions. What if I had gone to Home Depot first? What if I had decided to go back to the main road to get between stores? What if I had waited a few seconds before leaving Lowe’s? What if I hadn’t asked for help, and had left Lowe’s 2 minutes earlier?
The timing of receiving the book (and reading it) helped my put all this in perspective. All those decision points, and actions arising from those points, are what quatum physicists would call “alternative realities” (and some would tell you they all occured, in parallel universes!) But there is little one can do to control the outcome.
According to this book (at least, up to my current point in reading it) we see patterns in most things, after the fact. We play an elaborate game of connect the dots, to make “sense” out of what happened. We ignore the role of chance, the importance of sheer “randomness” in the events. The author writes:
Past events will always look less random than they were (it is called the hindsight bias). I would listen to someone’s discussion of his own past realizing that much of what he was saying was just backfit explanations concocted ex post by his deluded mind.
I realize that, in some way, (perhaps some warped way) I am taking solice in the fact that the accident was just a statistical probability that for some reason, on Thursday, decided to “realize” itself on the side of my car. BAM!
Now, that said, the book also plays a role in explaining the importance of “managing” randomness. In the book, the author discusses a man, Nero who, as a trader in Chicago, learned early on to play the “game” of moderation. Nero (being a statistician by education) understood the role of probability even in the market, and understood even better the impact of the “statistically rare event” or what the author calls “The Black Swan.” (He then later writes a longer book on this topic “The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable — This one is on my shelf and will be next in my reading queue).
According to Taleb, Nero chose to limit his gains by not seeking the high rewards, because those carry with them the greatest risk, in the event of the “statistically unlikely” black swan. In my accident, Honda helped moderate the risks by providing side curtain and seat-embedded airbags. We were t-boned, but my wife (sitting on the side that got hit) doesn’t have a single scratch and given the extent of the damage to the door, we believe the airbags protected her.
These are the sorts of things that we teach our students in decision analysis. Assess the probable outcomes, and the likelihood of the event. Understand the possible gains and losses. Then make your decisions based not on the certainty of your ability (flawed) but on your knowledge of the impact of randomness.
This book arrives at just the right time to console me, to remind me that sometimes “stuff happens” and it’s just random. Accept it, acknowledge it, and plan as best you can. It’s a great read, and I highly recommend it to all. But it leaves me with this question: If it’s arrival was truly at “just the right time” —
Was it’s arrival… Random?
]]>Actually, this is one of those great ideas for a “get away special” at a lake, or campsite. Note that the houses are actually (apparently) on trailers (at least, they have wheels) so this is quite a luxurious camper setup. And no worrying about resettling when you change jobs. So long as you don’t move someplace off the continent, you should be “good to GO!”
Definitely check out the “Tumbleweed Tiny House Company” Video tour.
]]>What I thought was really interesting was this description about the author:
“Helmut Beierbeck has a science background and a strong interest in all scientific aspects of health, nutrition, medicine, weight loss, or any other topic related to wellness.” (emphasis added)
What does “has a scientific background” mean? Sounds quite vague to me. English major who took more than the minimum courses for a BA in LA? One (or both) parents were scientists? He can spell science? Knows Bill Nye?
But I suppose I should listen to him. He has the “Background.”
Reminds me of that old Public Radio show, “Ask Dr Science” where they botch science, but he has cred. Why? “I have a Master’s Degree–IN SCIENCE!”
The only real difference is, Ask Dr Science is intended to be funny. NaturalNews just is…
]]>The Democrats have, for a very long time, (read, 4 years) been running around claiming that the Bush Administration, and the Republicans, are running a “politics of fear” only able to be re-elected when the American people are “afraid.” Well it sure looks to me like the Democrats are doing the same thing. Oh, they aren’t trying to make us afraid of terrorists. They are making us fear the economy. Fear a loss of jobs. Fear each other. Take, for instance, this comment from Obama’s acceptance speech:
Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit card bills you can’t afford to pay, and tuition that’s beyond your reach.
I am sure you see it. We should be afraid of what may happen to us if we don’t elect Obama. In fact, the whole first third of his speech (and of every speech) was designed to instill fear into our hearts.
Hey–I am not saying it isn’t a great style. It works. It is a formula for speech-writing that has been shown through the ages to be successful.
It is also a speech designed to highlight one party, and their vision of the future, in comparison to another. I believe we call that “being partisan.” I don’t think anyone faults Obama and the Democrats for being partisan. After all, it was a “Democrat Party Convention” after all. But what is surprising was the criticism put foward by the Obama camp as read in the Mercury News:
Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton called the speech “well-delivered, but written by George Bush’s speech writer and sounds exactly like the same divisive partisan attacks we’ve heard from George Bush for the last eight years.”
Hmm. partisan attacks? Let’s see… what could those be?
Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third.
For over two decades, he’s subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy – give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else.
You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.
The speech goes on and on with these sorts of dichotomies. They (the Republicans) don’t care about, want to hurt you, only want to help their cronies.. but WE (the Democrats) care about you, and are willing to do what it takes to help you.
That, my Fellow Americans. Is partisan divisiveness. Don’t complain that Republicans do that, when you did it the week before.
]]>Take the GE commercials, for instance. They have laid out clearly, in several commercials, how they are actively engaged in alternative energy projects. GM touting their lower consumption and hybrid and electric vehicles. Boeing and their lighter and less fuel consuming aircraft. The list goes on.
As I see it, they are telling us the things that are already going on. Steps that are being done today, based on research and development conducted for at least the past 8 years (and more likely 20-30 years.)Â Clearly, we are seeing today the fruits of labor and investments made in the past decades.
On the other hand, we have Obama’s commercial. In his commercial (hey, he approved it!) he points out that the hands that do many every day things can also things to put in place alternative energy programs. Like wind power. Alternative fuel cars. Solar power. All noble thoughts. And he is right, our hands can do those things. In fact, as evidenced by not just the other ads, but our own experience (and the fact that the video used shows locations already doing these things).
So just what will Obama bring to the table? How will he enable our hands? Hmmm?
It seems to me that the Democrats are the ones playing off the fears of the American public. Not the fear of terrorists, but fear of energy failures. And they are promising…. um… wait, I had the memo right here…
Oh, yeah. Change.
Now, if we could just hear what that change is, and how it will be different.
I’m still waiting.
]]>One more thing: the last time this was done, under Carter, the expected revenues just didn’t materialize. According to the report published in 2006 by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), “The $80 billion in gross revenues generated by the WPT between 1980 and 1988 was significantly less than the $393 billion projected. Due to the deductibility of the WPT against the income tax, cumulative net WPT revenues were about $38 billion, significantly less than the $175 billion projected.”
That got me thinking. What people are really saying is not that they want to tax “windfall profits” (defined at the Financial Dictionary as “A sudden unexpected profit uncontrolled by the profiting party.”) but rather people are upset that the oil companies are making money by charging the consumer a higher price than they used to. Yup. It apparently is unfair to charge a price that the market will bear.
Hillary Clinton, on May 1st is quoted as saying “The oil companies have made out like bandits, and there is no basis for them to have these huge profits.”
That said, I started to look around and see what other companies are earning these sort of “obscene” profits, during what has been described by Obama as “a recession, or worse.” So, first, I looked at the percentage profits earned by Exxon the most-oft used target of opportunity by the left. For that past three years, Exxon has earned between 9 and 10 % profits (computed by dividing their “net income” into “total Revenue”–all data from http://finance.yahoo.com the hotlinks on the company names will take you to those pages)
Exxon
Net Income   Total Revenue   “% Profit”
2005 36130Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 370680 Â Â Â Â Â 9.75%
2006 39500Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 377635Â Â Â Â Â 10.46%
2007 40610Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 404552Â Â Â Â Â 10.04%
So, that doesn’t seem unreasonable to me, but perhaps I missed something. Perhaps that 10% return in unmatched by any other company. So, I decided to look at another company. Yes, I had a biased selection. I chose Apple, Inc, for two reasons. First, Apple has had strong success making in-roads into several markets (computers, cell-phones, music), and secondly, because it seems Apple tends to be the computer platform of choice by those on the left.Â
Well, it turns out Apple has performed comparably to Exxon in the first two years, while beginning to signficantly outperform Exxon in 2007.
Apple
Net Income   Total Revenue   “% Profit”
2005 1335Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 13931 Â Â Â Â Â Â 9.58%
2006 1989Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19315Â Â Â Â Â 10.30%
2007 3496Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24006Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 14.56%
Now, it was pointed out to me that people don’t need and iPhone, or an iPod, or even a Mac, so that comparison is flawed. People apparently do need to consume gasoline however (I point to my previous discussion about the gas tax for why many do not need, or even consume, gasoline.) I conceded this point. I would, however, argue that computers have become ubiquitous, and no operating system is more prevalent than Microsoft’s Windows. So, it makes sense to look at Microsoft’s profits.
Microsoft
Net Income   Total Revenue   “% Profit”
2005 12254Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 39788Â Â Â Â Â Â 30.80%
2006 12599Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 44282Â Â Â Â Â Â 28.45%
2007 14065 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 51122 Â Â Â Â Â 27.51%
Amazing. If Exxon’s 10% profit is evil, I can only imagine what must be thought about Microsoft.
But, in all fairness, this doesn’t tell the most recent story. I can hear your critique now “but the oil prices only started really ramping up last fall, and didn’t really approach $4/gallon until the Spring 2008.” Good point. So what happens if we look at the quarterly numbers for these three companies, instead? (there will be some missing data, since not all companies report on the same dates.)
Exxon Apple Microsoft
6/30/2007 10.43%Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22.70%
9/30/2007 9.20%Â Â Â Â Â 14.54%Â Â Â Â Â 31.17%
12/31/2007 10.00%Â Â Â 16.46% Â Â Â Â 28.76%
3/31/2008 9.32%Â Â Â 13.91%Â Â Â Â Â 30.36%
6/28/2008 14.36%
So, even when Exxon was under attack from Senators Clinton and Obama, their quarterly earnings, though large, were still smaller than either Apple’s or Microsoft’s as a percent profit. (And remember, if their total revenues were much larger than Apple’s so were there costs.)
The question then is:
Are we upset that oil, as Senator Clinton said ‘have made out like bandits, and … have these huge profits.” Or are we upset at the price we must pay, and we lash out, without reason, at the oil companies because they are the most visible target?
——————————————————————————
n.b.: While I started this analysis back in May, It turns out the Wall Street Journal has recently undertaken a similar analysis, and arrived at similar conclusions, at least with respect to Exxon’s obscene profits of 10%. They compared industries:
]]>If that’s what constitutes windfall profits, most of corporate America would qualify. Take aerospace or machinery — both 8.2% in 2007. Chemicals had an average margin of 12.7%. Computers: 13.7%. Electronics and appliances: 14.5%. Pharmaceuticals (18.4%) and beverages and tobacco (19.1%) round out the Census Bureau’s industry rankings. The latter two double the returns of Big Oil, though of course government has already became a tacit shareholder in Big Tobacco through the various legal settlements that guarantee a revenue stream for years to come.
There are some remarkable success stories, but there doesn’t seem to be a groundswell of adoption for much of the technological opportunities the are proposed. I suspect that there is a disconnect between the “art of the possible” and the wants, desires, and needs of the faculty.
Perhaps the most successful tech solution has been the Course Management System (ANGEL here at Penn State.) This is a system that allows faculty to communicate electronically with students, make slides and readings available, and even host synchronous and asychronous discussions. I suspect, through anecdotal evidence, the most used features are the delivery of documents, and the least used are the more interactive features of discussion groups and chat.
In addition, we have blog initiatives, podcasts, and wiki initiatives ongoing at the University. All great stuff, and “spaces” in which I also play. But each of these comes at a cost. (And often several costs.)
So what keeps faculty from using these technologies? Are most faculty simply “Luddites” unwilling to step into the 21st Century? Or is there something else at work here? I suspect that, while some faculty are reluctant to move outside their technological comfort zones, there is something else at play here.
I posit that there are three forces at work here. Time, ownership, and uncertainty.
I believe that faculty are focused on their disciplines, and pursuing the development of knowledge in those areas, and view these not as technological “solutions” but rather as “technological distractions” that would steal time away from their other honorable pursuits. TIme is a precious commodity for us all, and for newly hired faculty seeking tenure, nothing is more critical than publishing scholarly research as we “build our bones” and work towards tenure. This often means that as faculty, when faced with the trade-off of innovating in the course-ware or conducting research, we make the understandable personal choice to maximize our long-term standing with the University (and improve our income earning potential) by focusing on the publishing aspect of academia.
The second issue is just as inward focused, but understandable as well. As faculty members, we do spend time developing our course content. That content is derived from our expert knowledge of our field of study, and the materials reflect both our time-commitment, and our intellectual property. Making that material available in easily-shared media (podcasts, images/videos on flickr.com and elsewhere, lectures written in blogs) leaves the faculty with the sense that others can “steal” their work. Even before the advent of all this “tech” faculty members were often incensed over the downtown businesses that would publish notes taken by the “good” students. Why? Because that was publishing their materials without permision!
Finally, faculty members (rightly, or wrongly) believe that making the materials available to students outside the classroom will result in rampant absenteeism. In this case, faculty members often believe that part of the learning experience is derived from the personal interactions one gets in the classroom, and that learning goes both ways (well, actually many ways).
So, faculty members are reluctant to provide any excuse for students to “leave” the classroom, and instead get most of the materials through digital and technical means. That said, I personally have found no drop in attendance in my classes even when using podcasts, and other technology, but I certainly understand the fear from the faculty in this regard.
The question is now, how can one make an argument to faculty members, a “business case” if you will, that addresses these needs, and concerns? Certainly one could present research showing that students retain more information when bombarded (oops, exposed) to multiple media. But we are left with a disconnect between the current system that rewards research and publication while expecting “adequate” teaching, and one that focuses on improving the quality of instruction while sacrificing (at least in the faculy members’ eyes) the research.
So, short of changing the reward system to place less emphasis on research, how can we convince faculty that it is in their interest as academics to integrate more technology into their instruction? (And remember, this is to be a persuasive argument–that is, one that is persuasive to the faculty, so must appeal to their wants/needs/desires)
That is the question I toss open for discussion.
]]>I had to chuckle. Really. Remember way back when, when I wrote that the iPhone was a bit over-priced, in my opinion? It was funny at the time, really, considering that Scott Bourne, over at The Apple Phone Show was talking about how great a deal it was, to get an 8gb phone for $599. He even bought, I heard recently, 11 phones at that price.
The iPhone has gone through one price reduction, and even lower prices with the introduction of the new “iPhone 3G” model. So do we applaud the new affordability of the iPhone? Well, some do. Others, however, choose to attack AT&T for making the iPhone “more expensive.” And not just any “others.” Scott Bourne himself!
I have been slowly catching up on listening to podcasts, and happened to listen to the Mac Break Weekly number 96, titled “iReady.” In that episode the MBW gang rants against AT&T, led by Scott Bourne, because the data plan has gone from $20/month to $30/month. Of course, AT&T argues that they are doing this because the data plan now supports 3G, but for some reason, many view this as a sort of “breach of trust.” What’s worse, Leo LaPorte leads the pack in ridiculing AT&T for actually trying to reach people with a video, helping them prepare for purchasing an iPhone. Seems like a nice, good-faith effort on AT&T’s part, but apparently their hatred of AT&T gets in the way, yet again. (Funny, given my previous past post: AT&T trying to get customers ready to buy iPhones, and then Apple slow-rolls the delivery of units to AT&T stores…)
It turns out that over at “The Apple Phone Show” in their podcast #61 the APS gang ranted again about the evil AT&T. It turns out their hatred of AT&T is because AT&T is treating the iPhone as a cell phone. Seriously. Here’s the quote: “The worst news is that it’s almost as if the iPhone is some sort of cellular telephone.” Gasp!
Why do they think AT&T is evil here? two reasons. The APS and MBW folks (generally the same gang) are upset that the SMS (text messaging) plans are sold separately, and that to get the “push” features for the business world they will have to pay an additional $15/month. Well, honestly, that’s no different than other customers with smart-phones. Have you looked at the additional fees charged to support the Blackberry? That’s really the only other “push” platform out there.
Despite all of this, there remains a voice of reason among the Mac/Apple-fandom crowd. Andy Ihnatko, owner of the Celestial Waste of Bandwidth, did his own analysis and found that the AT&T pricing plans are reasonable. His analysis is that the 3G iPhone plan is comparable to other plans for other 3G phones.
I would agree with him, but then extend the point. In my case, the data plan (without the “corporate push” for email) was costing me $40/month. By switching to the iPhone, I reduced my plan by $10 each month–a savings of $240 over the life of the two year contract. (Imagine my surprise, when I realized this means I almost paid for the 16gb phone simply through data-plan savings!)
So let’s take a look at the text messaging. Sure, I might be upset at losing the “free” 200 txt messages. If that was all I used. but honestly, with AT&T I have found that the “unlimited family plan” for $30/month is quite economical.
Sure, it’s easy to rant about how evil AT&T is. After all, we have hated the phone company ever since they sent refunds back paid in postage stamps. But let’s be honest here. Apple iPhone fans seem to want to be treated as “Special” somehow.
iPhone owners aren’t “special.” Trust me. I am one. A happy iPhone owner who has realized that sometimes a good deal exists, even with AT&T.
]]>Order Fulfillment
Apparently, though, I was one of the lucky few. According to one source close to AT&T, Apple fills the purchase orders for the Apple Stores first, and then fills the ones for the AT&T stores. On top of that, they will be satisfying the AT&T direct-fulfillment orders first, before sending any to the AT&T stores for general (walk-in) sales.
This is an interesting situation, because it is a conflict with selling one product through two different distribution channels. Apple has two retail distribution channels–the AT&T channel, and the Apple channel (and admittedly, but have online and storefront channels.) Apple will sell phones through both, but I suspect they sell to AT&T at a “wholesale” price, and they sell through their stores at the higher retail price. (Yes, I realize there is the AT&T subsidy involved.) It is understandable that a manufacturer would prefer to sell their product at a higher rate of return through their own channels.
Of course, this approach isn’t without problems. The fact that the Apple Stores have iPhones in stock, and the AT&T stores do not, leaves customers (especially the Apple-fan types) being hyper-critical of AT&T while applauding how good Apple is at satisfying demand. Really? Not that hard, when you control the stock.
You see, according to my source, Apple provided up to 10 times as many iPhones to their stores as they did to the AT&T stores. And, as mentioned above, they are still sending iPhones to Apple Stores for store-front sales, while they are forcing AT&T customers into a 21 day wait for their “direct fulfillment” orders.
So who is to blame? Wrong question, really. I hate the “blame game.”
But–I do believe we must acknowledge that the end result is because of Apple’s decisions, and NOT AT&Ts’.
(see next post for part 2)
]]>The way I see it, McCain has a strategy that when taken as a whole will hopefully remove “energy” from our worry list. (see my entries here, and here) But… that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be doing things to help each other out in the meantime. By updating the gasbuddy.com site as we see changing gas prices, we help our neighbors save a little, and hopefully reward those stations that have the lower prices, encouraging more downward pressure on prices (Of course, economics being what it is, the increased volume at those lower-priced stations may be seen as an increase in demand that should result in an increase in prices at the micro level. Who knows…)
So, what are your thoughts on how we can help our neighbors lessen the impact of higher gasoline prices? (and might I suggest that telling them to drive less, or buy a new car, isn’t very helpful…)
]]>What a story. The LA Times has reported that Obama’s political positions are moving more centrist, looking more and more like John McCain every day.
The picture on the LA Times is even designed to evoke a sense of “sameness.” (see below) [EDITOR NOTE: The LA Times has apparently removed the photograph showing Obama and McCain in similar active poses, although the story is still online. No comment as to why.]
I understand that politicians often have to be politicians (you know, change their positions with the wind to stroke their egos through elections).
My question is simply this:
Can McCain now claim that he has held the centrist position the whole time, and that Obama is pandering?
]]>So, I decided to get an iPhone. And, I decided to be one of those that “lived the experience” and went to the store early on Friday morning to stand in line. It was interesting, although I must say most people are not very talkative at 0715 hr. My son went with me, in part to experience the event, and in part to skip swim practice, but hey, it’s all good. Oh, and I think he wanted to laugh at Dad being a “fan boy.”
As you can see, when we arrived there were already a number of folks (29 to be exact) in line ahead of me. They were almost all 20 something males, but not exclusively. There were a few 1st Generation iPhone owners there buying the upgrade, and interestingly, they had already installed the 2,0 firmware upgrade a few hours before. I guess they wanted 3G and GPS.
My son had already upgraded his, as well, so he was standing there playing with a few apps on the phone.
We did take a recorder with us and I hope to have a podcast of our experience uploaded in a few days–assuming you would want to hear that.
Leave a note and let me know if you would want to hear the “Podcast from the line.”
]]>You can get a quick look at my other apps downloaded, including my son’s favorite, PhoneSabre.
I would like to take a second and point out just how “Cool” Jott is. On the iPhone (top left app) it turns your voice into typed text for notes or a todo list. But it is “so much more.” Once you create a free account on their site, you can call their phone number, and when you leave your short voice messages it converts them to text, and emails and text messages your note to whatever number/person you have put on the system. It sends text only in the txt message but the email actually includes your voice recording.
Way Cool
]]>Okay, I did it. I bought a 3G iPhone. And I like it. I really do. But it would be nice it if would also charge using the existing iPod/iPhone accessories. I have several, including a car charger that works with all my previous versions of iPod/iPhones, but find that when I connect the 3G phone to them I am presented with a message that the new phone will not charge with that accessory. (The players will still play music, however.)
It seems odd to me. The connector still fits. Old USB cables still work with the computer for data and power. The older accessories can still play the music. It’s just this darned power problem.
I will have more reviews later, especially of my favorite free apps, including Apple’s “Remote.” Until then, I anxiously await ideas for chargers.
]]>Spock enters, ready to present new evidence on behalf of his Captain: the suspected tampering of the computer system. Without any real evidence to back up the claim, Spock insists that aside from himself and the Captain, only Mr. Finney had the knowledge and clearance to alter the computer logs and he believes Finney is still aboard the Enterprise. Kirk’s lawyer asks the trial to reconvene aboard the Enterprise to see proof of the defense’s new theory. The prosecution objects to the new request, stating the computer files are proof enough of Kirk’s guilt. The court overrules when Cogley states that a man’s guilt can not be proven by a machine, since machines can make mistakes. The court seems to agree.
Jump ahead 40 years, and we find from the New York Times that apparently the image of the four missiles being launched by Iran was photoshop’d. The most benign argument is that they launched fewer than four missiles. The image from the NYT shows where the “clone” tool was apparently used.
One could easily use this as another example of the news media failing to conduct due-diligence before running a photograph. I would argue that, in this case, the process worked. They ran a photo from a news agency, and when they discovered what appears to be intentional deception, reported it.
I would only hope that the biggest lesson learned here is to question images delivered by a state-controlled news agency.
]]>I haven’t been to Vegas in years, and when I was there, it was only for a lay-over at the airport. Now after reading Wil’s description of Star Trek: The Experience at the Hilton, I find myself wishing I had one more chance to go. (I can’t help but wonder if the thought to visit crossed my brother’s mind during his recent whirlwind tour of Vegas.) Of course his description of the experience is amazing, and comes from the perspective of one who has been “there” and longed for “there” to perhaps have been real. But what is most touching is when he writes
I have an epiphany.
Until this moment, all I have been able to remember is the pain that came with Star Trek. I’d forgotten the joy.
I suspect that every fan has a story of how Star Trek touched them. Only no story in quite so special a way.
Oh, and if you want to follow Wil Wheaton, he is on Twitter as wilw.
]]>The nugget, the lede, the important issue that is rapidly being buried here is that when I walk out to my driveway in the morning and pick up my nicely rubber-banded and bagged print newspaper, there is no one else out there in bathrobes to join me.
No one.
I am the only house for BLOCKS that gets the daily newspaper.
Where are people getting their news, then?
What a GREAT question! I haven’t subscribed to a “local paper” for a very long time. I don’t subscribe to one here in Harrisburg, although I do like the Patriot-News. (and I do like the reporting by Daniel Victor! see him at twitter)  I didn’t subscribe to one in Dayton, either. I can’t remember if I ever subscribed to one in State College.
For me, the question is simple, but the answer is complex. It’s not as simple as “I can get all my news online,” although I obviously can, since I linked to the Patriot-News. I also receive the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post delivered to my Kindle. (without advertising.)
So why don’t I get a local paper? Honestly, I haven’t had a whole lot of faith in the ability of local reporters to get the story “right.” I wrote in a comment back on DaSilva’s blog
After service in the Armed Forces for 20 years, and a few other jobs along the way, I have noticed how what “really happened” and what is reported are often quite different. Sometimes with serious consequences. Most often, it is because the reporter was not familiar with the actual organization/technology/operation on which they reported.
I have found that this is not limited to stories of complex military and political issues. When I am familiar with the story I read, I find errors in fact that just “get in the way.” Swimmers’ times are reported incorrectly. Swimmers names are wrong. Analysis of budget figures are done so poorly as to give “back of envelope” math a bad name. Sometimes they are just written in a way that makes me have to re-read it a few times to figure out what they meant. For instance, in today’s Partriot-News one reporter writes “Pennsylvania has 36 fairs — four more than 200 years old.” (My confusion is the count of the number of fairs, followed by “four more than…” This had me thinking something else was numbered at 32. Until I realized that the reporter meant “four of them over 200 years old.” Trivial, but it makes the point.)
All in all, I find that my faith in the local reporters’ ability to “report” is challenged. I am not quite sure what to believe.
This is compounded further by the apparent need for reporters to view themselves as activists. They often inject their own editorial comments into the stories. Often they are simply the introduction of an adjective or some other description that I am sure the reporter intended to make the story interesting, but unfortunately also tends to tilt the story. Just check out the way the same story (use Google News) can be reported by different newspapers to see the ways they perhaps unintentionally spin the story.
All that said, I do stay up on the news. In fact, I use Google News quite a lot. I use RSS feeds (and am really liking the new Adobe Air app, Snackr, which selects, and scrolls. random headlines from my feeds list.)
So my question for you is: where do you get your news?
]]>Done laughing yet?
Let’s set aside for a brief moment the apocryphal stories we have all heard, and seen in TV dramas, of reporters lying, cheating, and quite simply doing anything to get the story. The simple fact is blogs aren’t news reporters. They are many, many things.
Admittedly this idea gets lost on journalists, since many of their news-agencies are now hosting “blogs.” Just head on over to the Wall Street Journal and you will find, on the right hand side, a spot for blogs. (See graphic)
Go visit any other major newspaper (The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and others) and you will see the same thing–a commitment to being “relevant” with the tech world by hosting blogs on their websites. Does this mean blogging is “journalism”? So should all bloggers be “journalists?”
I think they all miss the boat by assuming that blogs are limited by what they want them to be. Journalists/reporters see blogs as reporting (and then are upset with they don’t meet their “standards.”) Others view a blog as a place where they can write about their own personal views on things from diapers, to politics, to religion. Still others find the blog as a nice way to share about their experiences and foibles in the work place, and these blogs will be as varied as the occupations and professions they hold. Still others use their blog to show videos, share, images, or host podcasts.
Really the only thing that we can say about blogs is that they enable one/a few/many to share what they want with any audience that chooses to visit. Generally, blogs are open to the general public to visit (a distinction I draw between blogs and online diary sites.) And usually, blogs have comment sections available for the visitor to share their views, creating a multi-way conversation. It is this opportunity for conversation that separates blogs from so many other “one way” forms of communication.
Blogging allows us to engage in conversation with a wide range of people from diverse views, locations, and professions. We should welcome the opportunity to expose ourselves to so many views, rather than insist that bloggers meet one view of “reporting”, or limit comments to only those that agree with our views.
Tip of the hat to Jessica DaSliva. (on Twitter as @jdasliva) She unknowingly spurred my post by her honest blogging about the changes at the Tampa Tribune.
]]>]]>In an appearance in the battleground state of Nevada yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama mocked Sen. John McCain’s energy policies, particularly his call for more nuclear plants. The AP reports that Obama said in Las Vegas “that he would not take nuclear power ‘off the table’ as a possible energy option, but blasted John McCain’s proposal to build dozens of new reactors in the U.S.” Obama “said he supports increased research into nuclear waste storage and recycling, but could not endorse construction of new reactors until those concerns are resolved.” The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that an underlying theme of Obama’s attacks on McCain were the status of the federal government’s Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility, which is opposed by Obama and most of Nevada’s leaders, but backed by McCain.
In addition, Obama’s attacks McCain’s proposal to offer a $300M prize for battery development
“to improve battery technology for full commercial development of plug-in hybrid and fully electric automobiles” to leapfrog currently available batteries and would have to build “more than one” advanced battery at 30 percent of current costs.
(In fact, in that same article Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, is quoted as saying “We don’t need a game show,” which, while making a great sound bite, seems to ignore the tremendous innovation currently seen through the use of prizes even at government expense, such as the X-Prize. See here, here, here, and here.)
In several other stories we see the McCain has proposed immediate, near, mid and long term solutions. Generally speaking, what Obama is calling gimmicks, we call a strategy. He is working to alleviate (or at least reduce) the immediate pain at the pump, while seeking to ameliorate the overall energy situation through investing, and rewarding, innovation.
Obama’s plan? Well, he really doesn’t seem to have a targeted one. He supports a second round of stimulus tax rebates. He also supports taxing “big oil” for making their record profits (which, by the way, are a far lower percentage of revenue than the much beloved Apple Inc. If you don’t trust me, just challenge me. I did the math…) He also has called for higher fuel efficiency standards to double fuel economy by 2027! (is that a near term solution?) And he supports alternative sources, such as solar, wind, and biofuels.
So does this add up to a coherent strategic plan that addresses the immediate needs, as well as the mid- to long-term needs? What does Obama himself have to say about this:
Obama admitted that his own plan will not immediately affect gas prices but said his proposal for a second stimulus package will offer overall financial relief. “I wish I could wave a magic wand and make gas prices go down, but I can’t,” he said. “What I can do – and what I will do – is push for a second stimulus package that will send out another round of rebate checks to the American people.”
So, what is Obama’s plan for today? He and McCain seem to agree on the long-term. And the need for change. But Senator Obama, do we really have 10 to 20 years to wait?
So, readers, I ask this. If you were putting together a comprehensive strategy, what would be your:
Hello, Gurulib.com!Â
At Gurulib you can enter books from a web interface, which moves you away from a specific OS, and allows for that whole “open community sharing” idea. This free site not only lets you enter books into the online database by scanning the ISBN (or entering by hand, or searching on the title, or… you get the hint.) It also allows you to share, if you wish, your library with others. Both virtually (a “hey, check out what I like to read” sort of sharing) or literally, by allowing others to request to borrow a book, and allowing for a real exchange. This is another great way to have some “social networks” that connects people with like interests, and enables you to share those interests.
But that’s not all. How about entering other things. Videos. Games. Software packages. Yup, you can do that too! You can even put the items on different shelves. Some actually create virtual shelves that mimic their real ones making physical search and retrieval possible. Others create “different” linkages that make sense for their arrangement.
As I mentioned, it works right off their website. If you have a webcam that can be focused to within a few inches, it will use a flash plugin to read your ISBN/UPC codes right from the page. Heck, you can even send a photo of an ISBN using a cellphone, and it will scan that and include it in your “Wishlist.” Imagine that, you are at a library or a bookstore, and see a few books you are interested in. You snap a shot, send it to the site, and when you get home you can read reviews and order from Amazon.com directly (most likely saving a significant amount of money as well!)
So what sort of other magic does this site do? Well, once you enter the book ISBN (or title) the site then uses that to pull down all the information available (usually from Amazon) for that item, and includes that. This means that you have access to reviews, summaries, and even current “used prices” for these items. Hey–it even will tell you what your library was worth new, and used! Care to learn how much money you have spent on DVDs, or how much you could get in that “get rich quick” liquidation?
I could go on forever, but let me just mention one other “cool” feature. You can build a wishlist right there on the site, and your friends and family can work off of there for those big “gift giving” events. (You know the ones.. that come around every year… and you always have to ask for a list…) Just put those items right into the wishlist and there you have it. In fact, you can order right from the wishlist using Amazon.com (I suspect that is the way http://gurulib.com is able to remain a free resource–they make money by providing us with this great way to purchase more cool things–similiar to my amazon ads here on this blog.)
I have loaded many, many items already. I love the site. Go check it out–and find my library.
]]>And, lest you think it is just a graphics problem, the download filename is:
UPDATE:
It seems to (inconsistently) show the right links. To download directly, go to:
http://mozilla.ussg.indiana.edu/pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/3.0/win32/en-US/Firefox%20Setup%203.0.exe
]]>“I’ll make oil companies like Exxon pay a tax on their windfall profits, and we’ll use the money to help families pay for their skyrocketing energy costs and other bills,” the Illinois senator said.
He of course hasn’t stated at what point profits become “windfall profits.” So off to the definer place I went (you know, a dictionary!) According to The Free Dictionary, windfall profits is: “profit that occurs unexpectedly as a consequence of some event not controlled by those who profit from it”
This has me wondering what (or who else) has profited unexpectedly and therefore should be taxed on th eir “windfall.” I have a few thoughts:
The federal government should be “punished” because of the “windfall profits” they have earned because of the failure to index the Alternative Minimum Tax. Of course, when this particular creeping tax is brought up the Democrats “won’t move unless Congress finds ways to replace lost revenues.” (Perhaps the oil companies should insist that Congress extend them the same courtesy? Only tax “windfall profits” if they provide another way to make up the lost profits?)
Auto Manufacturers of fuel efficient vehicles seem to be reaping “windfall profits” according to this definition. This one, directly related to higher oil prices, is interesting because it hits other manufacturers of the less efficient trucks and SUVs. Perhaps the former manufacturers should be taxed, and subsidies be given to the latter? After all, it’s not “fair” that they are able to earn so much money.
In fact, how about those oft-maligned farmers. We are seeing record prices in corn and rice, in part due to the increased demand for ethanol. Of course, now we are seeing additional upward pressure due to the flooding in the midwest, again forces outside the control of the farmers (the definition of windfall.) Should these farmers now face a “windfall profit” tax? After all, they are earning this money on the backs of everyone who eats.
Seriously though, the point of this post isn’t to defend “big oil” but to point out that “windfall profits” makes a good sound bite, but there needs to be some serious thought, and definitions applied, before we start punishing.
One more thing: the last time this was done, under Carter, the expected revenues just didn’t materialize. According to the report published in 2006 by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), “The $80 billion in gross revenues generated by the WPT between 1980 and 1988 was significantly less than the $393 billion projected. Due to the deductibility of the WPT against the income tax, cumulative net WPT revenues were about $38 billion, significantly less than the $175 billion projected.”
Perhaps even more importantly, the CRS report goes on to say that any return of a “windfall profits tax” would be ineffectual, at best
Reinstating the windfall profit tax would reduce recent oil industry windfalls due to high crude and petroleum prices but could have several adverse economic effects. If imposed as an excise tax, the WPT would increase marginal production costs and be expected to reduce domestic oil production and increase the level of oil imports, which today is at nearly 60% of demand. Crude prices would not tend to increase. Some have proposed an excise tax on both domestically produced and imported oil as a way of mitigating the negative effects on petroleum import dependence. Such a broad-based WPT would tend to reduce import dependence, but it would lead to higher crude oil prices and likely to oil industry profits, potentially undermining its original goals. Because the pure corporate profits tax is relatively neutral in the short run — few, if any, price and output effects occur because marginal production costs are unchanged in the short run — a possible option would be a corporate income surtax on the upstream operations of crude oil producers. Such a tax that would recoup any recent windfalls with less adverse economic effects; imports would not increase because domestic production would remain unchanged. In the long run, such a tax is a tax on capital; it reduces the rate of return, thus reducing the supply of capital to the oil industry.
Joseph Thorndike, director of the Tax History Project at TaxAnalysts.com, spoke with Joe Segal about the history of “windfall taxes” on NPR. For further information, go check out his blog, as well.
]]>So today, Apple announces the advent of the much awaited “Jesus Phone 2.0” sporting 3G and GPS. And–the new iPhone is $199 for an 8 gb model. Quite the drop in price AND an improvement in feature sets. I like what the Wall Street Journal had to say about the new phone, relative to price
The moves are an acknowledgement by the Cupertino, Calif., company that the original iPhone was too pricey for the mass audience, especially in a weakening economy…Â Mr. Jobs told the audience that Apple surveyed people who hadn’t bought iPhones and more than half of them said their decision was based on the price of the device. “We need to make iPhone more affordable,” Mr. Jobs said.
So does this mean I am “negative” on the iPhone? Not at all. I have two in the family! My son and my wife both have iPhones, and love them. I get jealous when driving down the road, looking over and watching them surf the web, and commenting on blogs. Some day, I will have to get me some of that iPhone for myself.
And that day may just be soon.
]]>So, when I wrote that that the babyboomers were the ones “who argued to ‘never trust anyone over 30.’ Seems they now are being asked to ‘eat their own dogfood'” I may have been mistaken. You see, Dean Dad was essentially arguing that the current crop of Adminstrators need to move along (ref his first line “Reason #456 we need to hire the next generation of administrators”). Thus I felt that asking them (the boomers) to move along and get out of the way, was essentially reminding them not to trust anyone their own age.
But the question I have is whether it is “eating your own dog food.” It certainly is “having to take your own medicine.” And perhaps it is asking for one to “follow one’s own advice.” But is it the same as using your own product?
I argue that in this context it is. You see, Dean Dad is talking about how a service organization is run. Services are different from “goods” in that there is no tangible asset, nothing to, well, eat. So one must stretch the metaphor a bit. But in this case, I believe it works, since one is being asked to follow the management principles they at one time preached. To continue down the road of “old saws” one could say for the Boomers their “Chickens have come home to roost.”
Perhaps it is time for Boomers to acknowledge that they were wrong about something. And for the Gen X’ers to realize that their parents aren’t always wrong–and perhaps should be allowed to continue to work, and lead.
]]>Two small problems: first, there wasn’t any “polygamy” per se going on; and second, there wasn’t any abuse going on.
Have you lost your freakin’ mind?! Think about it.
“Polygamy” as defined by the law requires at least “Bigamy” which requires “marriage.” “Marriages” didn’t take place. Not even “Civil Ceremonies.” By the definition used by the DPS/CPS in Texas, “polygamy” is running rampant in every urban center in the USA today. That is, women having multiple children by multiple fathers. Think about it.
Abuse. O.K., after the state seizes the children and waterboards them for a few weeks, what accusations do we have? Zip. Zero. Zilch. Remember the history of “false abuse syndrome” where children are talked into lying about abuse by “professional social workers?” First showed up in the 1980s after a couple of very embarrassing cases (large $ settlements by state governments needed to cover up the mistakes). Yeah, it’s a “documented syndrome” and the victims of such cruelty have to deal with the false/implanted memories well into adulthood.
Underage girls having babies! Again- zip, zero, zilch. The CPS recently had to backtrack on the two (!) cases of “underage motherhood” they claimed to have found. One of the “teenage girls” was 20 and the other was 18. Oops. O.K., take a random slice of 400+ urban USA citizens: what is the rate of “underage motherhood;” even “underage mothers of children with adult fathers?” Anyone got the numbers on NYC, Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago? LA? O.K., what about the abuse heaped on the young males in the compound? Aside from the abuse perpetrated by the DPS/CPS, there have been no credible reports of any actual abuse taking place- and, most tellingly, no indictments.
Think about it some more: if the state had ANYTHING credible by now, you would have seen it splashed across every major media outlet in the world.
I pray the wheels of justice finally begin grinding away at this shameful situation.
Oh By The Way: FOLLOW THE MONEY!
[acres of useless land converted into multi-million dollar prime real estate with quarried stone buildings, riding trails, etc. Paranoid? Hey, sometimes they really are out to get you- especially if you dress funny, talk funny, and disrupt the local economy of small-town bible belt America. Good background information on the relationship between the “cult” [sic] and the local town folk in a recent Texas Monthly article. Chilling. And *nobody* in authority inhte Stae of Texas is willing to tlak about *any* aspect of this situation; from the Governor on down to the local Sherriff.]
]]>For instance, one blogger, in response to the various news stories, asks “ Surely I’m not the only one who sees the irony in this.”
Again, the regular reader of this blog may remember, I wrote at the time of the relief operations following Katrina, about the barriers that hindered the relief effort. While many chose to cast FEMA and specifically, President Bush, as evil characters, they have unfortunately confused politics with reality–and unfortunately this actually hinders real progress.
First, let me state that there were some political barriers to getting relief into the city of New Orleans. Alas, the politicians that hindered the operations were the Mayor of the city, and the Governor of New Orleans. I will leave it to my brother to add the specifics. Of course these were rather insignificant barriers, compared to some of the others.
The most important barrier to providing relief operations was the storm itself. People seem to forget that our usual “quick response” forces (the Air Force) couldn’t get into the airport for a few days because the runway was still under water. I hope it comes as no surprise that you can’t land cargo planes in water. Additionally, the storm blocked and destroyed the major roads used to move into the city. So even if resupply could have made it to the airport, there was no way to move it from the ramp, to downtown. Trucks from outside the area couldn’t move in either until the roads were cleared. Finally, ports were also damaged, so ships could not quickly move in. Once the physical barriers were removed, there were other problems.
Not all barriers to success were physical. There were problems with FEMA, and other disaster response organizations. Bureaucracy does at times get in the way. There were points of confusion centered around command and control. The local authorities did not want to relinquish their control, despite the fact that the operation was regional not local.
So, to get to the point of this post, we need to learn the important lessons from Katrina. The lesson is not that President Bush was a bad President, or that he willfully chose to withhold relief (as the comparison to the Myanmar tragedy would imply.) The true lessons are in how to plan for, and execute, relief operations. If we don’t learn those lessons then we will never leave the realm of political name-calling–condemning thousands more Americans when the next tragedy strikes.
]]>To answer that question, I have this post. But this post is the first in what may be a long series about moving new-media social networking disruptive technologies out of the echo-chamber.
I found myself at a conference this weekend arguing for the importance of social networks and, at the end of it, I realized the challenge we face is taking social networking and new media out of the hands of the techno-saavy, and put these tools, “embed” them, if you will, into the lives of the every day practitioner.
So what do I mean by practitioners? What practice do you think of when I write that? Doctors? Lawyers? Bartenders? How about almost anybody that does something. Now, in my specific instance I was first thinking of researchers, and then extended that to a discussion about connecting textbook authors to their customers (both faculty and students!) The lesson I am taking from this however is that this goes further. We need to take the various lessons of social networking and apply them where we are.
So for this first post of the series, let me share the discussion about researchers. I sat on a panel discussing how to get research (and funding) from the “public sector.” Once we reminded the audience that the public sector includes more than just the Federal Government, we talked about the various ways of “finding” the requests for proposal, and we even talked about the importance of “contacts.” One of my colleagues even jokingly commented that “once you can fake sincerity you have it made!”
Then it hit me–it’s really about developing social networks!
I first asked how many in the audience were using Linked-in or some other social networking tool. Not surprisingly, less than 10% in the room were members, and of those who weren’t literally NONE had even heard of it. I then used that as an example of how one can build networks (professional social networks) with people who not only have similar interests, but hopefully a network of people who sincerely want to help others succeed.
And what was the big secret I brought to them? No secret, really, but just something that I think has often been lost in these communities. As I mentioned in my talk on Social Networks the success lies in the development of relationships. These relationships are best when everyone brings something of value. If one wants to succeed, then develop these networks, and ensure that you are a “giver.” if you honestly seek to help those in your network, you will find that others will come to you, and often come to you with funding.
I ended up recommending a very good, very easy reading book, Love is the Killer App. This book talks about the importance of sincere sincerity, and the importance of truly putting others well being ahead of your own. What I really like about the book is his emphasis on improving yourself so that you have something of value to offer. It’s about being ready to give, not being ready to take. Now, some would say it is the application of the Golden Rule, others would say it’s just Karma, but the reality is you will find that caring about others, and helping them make the important connections in life, really does work–for them and for you!
So far, there’s nothing “new media” here. Stand by for other posts. In the meantime, please, share with us how you have successfully made “the connection” with people.
]]>Alternate Title: Confused About Race in 2008 America
A recent imbroglio on another blog got me thinking. Not about intellectual fascism (which set the whole thing off), but about the ObamaNation defending Reverend Wright by saying “Jerry Falwell is Just As Bad.” And then deleting rational discourse to the contrary from their blogs, but I digress. [Why would one start a blog, create a controversial thread, and then clap ones hands over ones ears shouting “LALALALALA?” Weird.]
Then Peggy Noonan wrote an interesting piece in the WSJ Weekend Edition about it (The Reverend Wright controversy. Not intellectual fascism in the blogoshpere.). She basically said she was puzzled by why anyone would even be concerned.
So here we have two competing ideas:
– Reverend Wright is Wrong (for using the pulpit to preach arguably racist/separatist/paranoid ideas; the “Black Liberation Theology” in his words).
– Reverend Wright is Right (or at least we shouldn’t get upset about his using his position to preach the arguably racist/separatist/paranoid stuff).
Of course, if a white preacher were preaching a “White Liberation Theology” (No, wait- we do! And they are rightfully shunned, ostracized, investigated by the IRS, infiltrated by the FBI, etc. etc.).
Hmmm.
O.K., let’s start over. If a pastor were to claim from the pulpit that the Jews were responsible for all the ills of the world, that the USA blew up the WTC on 9-11 in order to launch an aggressive imperialistic war for oil, that supporting Israel against the PLO/Hamas was terrorism (No, wait- we do! They’re called madrassas and . . . )
Oh never mind.
What fascinated me about the Wrong Reverend Wright was his unabashed recognition/premise that “Black People Are Inherently Different From White People” (on much more than just skin pigmentation). That, and the enthusiastic support his victimology philosophy gets from his (predominantly middle class/wealthy) parishioners (more appropriately, “followers”).
If Stephan & Abigail Thernstrom, Thomas Sowell, Richard J. Herrnstein, Charles Murray were to ever even *notice* that some black/white differences in America were heritable as well as cultural . . .
the other steve
(A charismatic separatist religious leader espousing a theology of victimization and hate to a small, isolated group of enthusiastic supporters who are convinced to turn over large amounts of their lives and livelihoods to “the cause” *can’t* ever be a Good Thing . . . can it?)
]]>I would like to think I am rather “tech saavy.” I do podcasts. I run two WordPress blogs and a content management site (go visit Supply Chain Innovations Today!) but I have to say, online meetings are frustrating simply and completely because of the techonlogy.
It seems that I end up spending more time configuring, reconfiguring, and tweaking, than I do having the meeting. I just went through 20 minutes of set up and troubleshooting so that eLluminate would work–and now I wonder if any time I change any of my configuration I will have to go through it again. And changing my configuration can mean something as simple as “rebooting the machine” or opening another audio using program.
But online meetings save time, allowing us to be more “productive” right? Perhaps, but perhaps not!
I know how to drive. For regular (face to face) meetings I show up with a pad of paper, and am ready to go. I am able to use my car time to prepare my thoughts, and/or listen to podcasts, and as one commenter wrote at Cole’s blog, if I take public transportation I can catch up on reading, be it RSS feeds, blogs, or books. (Gotta love the Sony eReader!) So instead of getting frustrated with technology, I am being productive.
I long for the day when I can tell my computer “I want a meeting with Cole and Dean Brady (go visit his blog) and I want to share a powerpoint, while working on a word document” and it will turn on all the right software, connect to the right addresses, and let me focus on participating and taking notes (using my pad of paper, of course!) Ideally, one of us should be able to just say “make into podcast” and it will take the whole meeting (which it dutifully, already recorded) and send it to an appropriate RSS feed! (Dave Winer, are you listening??)
Let’s go back to the car for a moment. While I can’t (yet) tell it where I want to go, and have it take me there, I don’t have to tweak it to get it moving. I get in, I buckle my seatbelt (you all do that, right?) start the car, and drive. I may talk to the GPS (see–cool!) and let it talk back (again, analog, human interaction.) I don’t have to tweak the spark plugs, adjust the carburetor, align the tires. For the most part, if I have done routine maintenance, it is ready to go!
Bottom Line: Tech should make things easier–and the tech stuff should be opaque (decidedly not transparent] since I don’t want to even have to KNOW what is going on with the tech.
]]>The first that comes to mind is their GPA. Unfortunately, this is, while certainly a “quantitative” measure, it is not “objective.” It fails in at least two ways. First, it fails to consider that variations in content covered (pace, depth, breadth, etc) and also cannot account for the subjectivity and variability of the grading process itself. At best it doesn’t allow for cross set comparison (comparing students from different schools), and at worst, it fails to accurately provide any useful information.
In a selection process, one needs to be able to compare, say, Chris to Drew. If I only have one slot left, how do I determine which of the two are more likely to succeed? Let’s say for the sake of argument that both have identical GPA’s, but are from two different schools. Are both schools the same? Did they cover the same material? Did the teachers evaluate the students in the same way, asking the same questions, and grading the exams and other work in a similar, and consistent, manner? This of course, gets more complicated if, say, one of you has a slightly higher GPA. Does that indicate anything in the cross-set comparison?
As I mentioned, at worst we get very little useful information about the student. Without an in-depth knowledge of the school from which they come, and ideally the specific instructors/teachers they had, we cannot infer much by their grades. Did one instructor grade harshly, while another applied mis-directed compassion? Perhaps there was pressure from an administration to increase “graduation rates” at their school, or conversely it is possible one school had a more restrictive grading scale. It’s fairly common for one HS to grade 80-89 as a B, while another grades a B as 86-93.
I am not arguing that the SATs (or GRE, or GMAT, or MSAT, etc.) are perfect. They are not. But they at least provide some common ground upon which we can evaluate a student’s knowledge (what they have been able to learn) and assess a student’s potential (their ability to learn.)
So–barring a nation-wide attempt to standardize instruction, or even more challenging, document the experience in every classroom in the nation, how does a school effectively make useful quantitative (i.e. measurable) and objective comparisons and assessments of ability and performance?
Anyone?
]]>For the four years preceding Reagan (better known as the “Carter Years”) there was a deficit run each and every year. Reagan did not inherit a Balanced budget. Not even close. I always thought it an interesting bit of history that prior to 1999, the last “balanced budget was in 1969, and that was only after “using” the Social Security surplus to balance the books.
Just thought you might want to know.
And now, having dispensed with that myth, let’s look at some other economic indicators from the Carter Era.
In addition, Reagan started with double digit inflation (12.5% for 1980), double digit interest rates (the federal reserve, or PRIME was at 13.35 in 1980), and unemployment was at a more “reasonable” 7.1% level.
So, since Drew opened this, let’s take a look, shall we, at how our current “bad economy” compares to the one Jimmy Carter handed to Reagan.
Inflation:12.5% Carter, 4.1% Bush
Prime Interest Rates: 13.35% Carter, 5.02% Bush (and have dropped more since the final ’07 figures)
Unemployment: 7.1% Carter, 4.6% Bush
So. what lessons can we draw from this? Well, certainly we can learn that we should check facts before making statements like “Just like Reagan, Bush II has taken a balanced budget and screwed it up.”
But we should also learn from this that we should place our current economic situation in historical perspective. While we are flirting with a recession (defined as 2 consecutive quarters of “negative growth” in the GDP), we have, by many measures a strong economy. Some would argue that it is built on a deck of cards, and that all these indicators are simply castles in the sand. Perhaps. Or perhaps economies always have troubles, and challenges, and growing and declining markets.
Perhaps we have had it so good, for so long, that we lose sight of how good we still are doing today, compared to even 30 years ago.
]]>Of course, the first is the diesel tax. Most Americans don’t drive diesel cars. But virtually all tractor-trailer rigs run on diesel. And the tax on diesel is higher than on gasoline. And, of course, trucks put more miles on the road than general use automobiles. This does mean a larger share of the $10 billion in tax revenue comes from trucking than from automobiles, both in miles driven and cost per gallon.
One could argue that since a disproportionate amount of the tax-revenue comes from commercial trucking, that this explains the lower savings per American. Perhaps. But one must remember that unlike the gasoline tax, the tax on diesel fuel ends up raising the cost to deliver goods–a cost that is passed through to the consumer.
The Washington Post article “A holiday from gas prices? – Fat Checker” points out that, when legislators in Illinois (including Obama) passed a similar tax holiday, the prices went down about 3%, and thus “only three fifths of the savings from reduced taxes was passed on to consumers.” The problem is, that sort of measure assumes that the price of gasoline would have remained steady throughout the period. Now, perhaps the analysis actually considered this reduction relative to the gas prices around the country, and what they meant was something like “relative to other prices without tax reductions” but that was not mentioned in the article. So–while we may not see a full 18, or 24 cent reduction at the pump, that does not mean that we aren’t saving that amount.
The Post article cites economists as pointing out that the increase in price could be due to an increase in demand. You know that pesky price/demand curve? And far be it for me to argue with the practitioners of the dismal science. Although I would point out (as I mentioned in the previous post) the demand for gas/diesel is generally thought to be relatively “inelastic” with regards to changes in price.
Just some points of clarification.
For discussion purposes, I would love you have you share here what your average weekly gasoline consumption is, and what you expect to consume over 12 weeks this summer. In my previous post I mentioned that I suspect most people fill up their tank at least once a week–so how much fuel do you use?
Leave a comment!
]]>I was reading the blog over at “Imperfect Mommy” where I read, and at first accepted without questioning her comment “I read yesterday that suspending the gas tax would save the average American $30 over the course of the summer. $30.” Of course, then I felt rather guilty for not questioning the number. Not because I don’t trust her, but because it just seemed a bit “off.” At first I just figured “well, with almost 5 drivers in the family we are certainly not ‘average'” but then I realized–no one is.
My first thoughts, as a good researcher where:
So let’s look at some numbers.
Now, these “quick and dirty” numbers are just that. I haven’t figured in the greater savings that the trucking industry would see, since they have a higher per gallon tax and a higher consumption rate. I also haven’t factored in the interplay between changes in gas prices, and changes in consumption. While it is argued that demand for gasoline is inelastic (that is, does not change much with changes in prices) there is some elasticity if people cancel longer driving vacations in the summer.1
While the caveats I noted above could lessen the benefits of the tax “holiday” there are other issues to consider that would increase the impact for those that actually drive. To get to the $30 per average American, you have to ignore that most households are made up of more than 1 American (thus increasing the household savings), and that many Americans don’t drive, and most likely don’t even own a car. It would be interesting to figure how many people in large cities such as New York City rarely, if ever, drive.
The bottom line is this: The savings for people who actually drive in the summer is most likely larger, and potentially by a significant amount. Don’t just “repeat what you hear.”
Think about it.
Question it.
Challenge it!
1 Interestingly, the demand for diesel fuel should be even more “inelastic” relative to fuel prices since that demand is driven more by demand for products delivered by truck. That demand is impacted perhaps only inasmuch as higher fuel prices leave less disposable income. A more “derived” demand elasticity.
]]>Alas, all is not as clear when assessing the economy. In fact, a “weak dollar” has some significant benefits–especially for the “average” American. And, for those readers here for Supply Chain information, the impacts of the dollar are felt throughout.
When the dollar is weak, it means that a dollar can buy less of a good or service produced in a foreign nation. BMWs and Computers can be more expensive. The costs to produce haven’t gone up, but rather the relative cost to produce when exchanging currencies. The result is we pay more (and buy less) imported items. keep in mind this also means the price of oil increases. This not only impacts us at the pumps but also increases the cost to transport goods. if the cost to transport goods goes up, consumers are more likely to purchase locally. (And this can mean locally produced since the cost to transport is most likely included in the price.)
But, it also means that goods and services produced in the United States are now more affordable in markets overseas. This means that, assuming we produce goods/services that people want, we start to export more.
Result? Imports–down. Exports–up.
What else does this mean? It means that here at home “American made” once again becomes a sign not only of (we hope) quality but perhaps affordability. Consumers may be paying more for everything, but if “American made” products are once again affordable (relative to the no longer “cheap” imports) then demand for these products should increase at home, as well as abroad.
Win! If demand for US made products goes up, we will find that production will increase. When production increases, employment increases. To top it all off, if energy prices continue to climb, the benefits of “off-shoring” (low labor costs, lessened regulations, among others) starts to be off-set by the increasing costs making “re-shoring” more plausible. Jobs come home.
One final note. I mentioned a few times the increasing costs of oil, and the impact on the pump. What would the silver lining be here? Think “Green.” Market forces (the “invisible hand” of Adam Smith) tend to be the best shaper of policy. Better than government, and far more successful that any promises of any politician seeking to create “Change.” I won’t speak for you, dear reader, but as you know I have started to look for alternative energy sources in my daily life, starting with a hybrid automobile. As petroleum prices increase1
consumers start clamoring for alternatives. This creates markets2 for alternatives. Once the demand for alternatives reaches a point where the demand makes production viable, we will see alternatives flourish. We are already seeing this with hybrid autos. We are seeing the early signs of this in other energy sources as well, including solar and wind. But these discussions belong in another post.
Is it all buttercups and roses? No. There are disadvantages to a weak dollar. Overall prices do go up. Trips overseas become more expensive. I never argued that there weren’t disadvantages. It just seemed that it was time to point out that there are some significant advantages to this shift in the dollar.
“Reading Rainbow Moment” To read more about strong, and weak, dollar performance, check out the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s site and specifically their page discussing this very topic.
1. note, I don’t say fossil fuels. Read more here)
2. market refers to the group of consumers or organizations that is interested in the product, has the resources to purchase the product, and is permitted by law and other regulations to acquire the product.
]]>The Ad: Narrator: Who has what it takes to really bring change? To finally take on the special interests — not take their money. Who made the right judgment about opposing the war and had the courage and character to speak honestly about it. And who in times of challenge will unite us — not use fear and calculation to divide us.
Special interests are evil. They are to be reviled. They are to be stopped. And politicians certainly shouldn’t take their money. I would suspect if asked, politicians would say they certainly would not welcome endorsements from special interests. But what, exactly, are special interests?
According to one source from Princeton, special interests are “an individual or group who are concerned with some particular part of the economy and who try to influence legislators or bureaucrats to act in their favor.” Webster’s similarly defines it as “a person or group seeking to influence legislative or government policy to further often narrowly defined interests.”
With so many politicians pushing for the removal of special interests, we are left asking “Who are special interests?”
Obviously “Big Oil” qualifies. So does the “Military Industrial Complex.” Evil, well orchestrated special interests. But how about another list? The next list is a group of “special interests” fitting the definitions above. They all have a specific agenda they are putting forward, seeking to influence political outcomes. Yet, the favor of this collection seems to be curried by the politicans (some more than others depending on your political leanings.)
Obviously the list could go on and on. The reality is the “special interests” that Obama, and Clinton(s) speak about are those that oppose their own views. Those special interest groups must be stopped. Must be silenced. Must be controlled.
Apparently the view is that “The groups with which I agree cannot possibly be “special interest” groups. Special Interest groups are evil.” Yes, I am putting words in people’s mouths, but ask yourself this: if legislation was passed to remove ALL influence of any group from the halls of national, state, and local legislators, would you feel represented?
So a couple questions for you then:
Finally, I leave you with this thought. “Special Interests” are the cause of the failure of the system. Corrupt politicians who accept bribes, and promises and campaign money are the problem. Sure we can try to stop organizations from officially giving money. But as we have seen with the various analyses of the Obama and Clinton donators the money will still come in from individuals all supporting a candidate with views they support. In fact, Clinton(s) recently acknowledged (as reported by CBS) the fine line between these
“There has been a lot of back and forth about oil companies in this campaign, and I’ve got to admit that when I first saw that ad that my opponent ran saying that he didn’t take money from oil companies, I thought nobody takes money from oil companies. It’s been illegal for a hundred years,” Clinton said, pointing out that federal candidates aren’t allowed to take corporate donations.
“Well the fact is he didn’t take money from oil companies, but you can, and we do, take money from people who work for oil companies, they’re Americans, they can contribute, so we both do that,” Clinton admitted.
Let’s all remember that special interests are really simply communities of people with specific interests. Odds are quite good that, whether we realize it or not, we either are members of, or at least support the goals of, a few special interest groups ourselves.
Don’t give in to the rhetoric. Don’t believe the spin.
]]>I am a regular listener to most of the TWIT podcasts produced by Leo Laporte. For a while now they have been sponsored by Audible Books. The pitch, which is rather formulaic across all of the podcasts, is this. The podcasters present a “book of the week” that they recommend from Audible. And, if you go visit audible with their “secret code” your first book is free. That’s right–FREE!
Now, I am curious about several things, which I will list here in classic bullet fashion:
So, there ya have it. Perhaps I will some day add the polling widget, like my brother has over at his blog. Until then, let’s engage here in the comments!
]]>]]>Teddy Roosevelt – To the Man in the Arena
It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly…who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt, 1910Great biographies by Edmund Morris: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt and Theodore Rex
It struck me today that “tax day” is perfectly placed for politicians. Far enough ahead of election day that we forget the pain, and far enough after election day that we aren’t thinking about the pain quite yet.
Coincidence?
]]>You can listen to the presentation at the official TLT Symposium 2008 site, or listen to it right here.
Well–you decide.
]]>Power issue knocks GrandCentral offline — The online phone company which Google bought last year was down for most of this morning, TechCrunch reports. While the company blames a power outage on the service going down, it speaks to a larger issue as more everyday services move online — what happens if one of these services goes down? With traditional phone services, if there was a bad storm, you might lose service and understand why. With a server power issue happening in the middle of nowhere, the service can go down and you don’t even know it — you just don’t get your calls. Find our recent coverage on Grand Central here and here.
Anyway, I still find it quite useful, and for now, will continue to count on Grand Central to be my “main” way of channeling calls.
For those that haven’t heard my pitch about why I like using GrandCentral.com it comes down to these key points:
So, despite the weekend’s problem, I remain a fan. I am just glad it was over the weekend.
]]>In Paris, Monday, dozens of protesters jostled with police so persistently that officials were forced several times to make an unprecedented decision to extinguish the flame and halt the procession.
According to CNN, protesters “pierced the thick security bubble surrounding the torchbearers, at times getting their hands on the torch itself.” Of course, CNN makes no mention of what impact this had on the torchbearer.
Here’s my confusion. In an effort to protest mistreatment of Tibetans by the Chinese government, protesters are reported to have attacked “the torch.” Note to words from the Guardian, “it was buffeted.” Only later in the article do they mention that the torch’s handlers, the runners, had to be protected “behind a phalanx of police and Chinese security guards provided by Beijing.”
Generally, the discussion, and the protests, seem to forget that the “torch” was carried by people. These people, while at times Chinese, were simply carrying a torch that has been a time-honored Olympic symbol since Adolph Hitler’s Germany started the tradition in 1936.
Is it right to protest the mistreatment of Tibetans at the hands of the oppressive communist Chinese government, by attacking runners simply wanting to be part of a 72 year old tradition?
]]>I find out today, quite by accident (someone with the Army found my blog, searching for Randi Rhodes photos) that Randi Rhodes has been “Kicked off Air America for Foul Mouthed Tirade.”
Gee–what a surprise.
I am going to break another one of my rules, and include the report by Jim Roberts here. I only ask that you honor his warning, before going to watch the video.
By Jim Roberts
Apr 3, 2008It’s not easy being a shock jock, especially in the political arena. Randi Rhodes who last made news last October when she took a nasty spill outside of a bar and it was later blamed on a vast right wing conspiracy by another host on the Air America network has been kicked off the airwaves for ripping into Hillary Clinton and with some sort of a foul mouthed tirade.
She also ripped on Geraldine Ferraro as well dubbing her as “David Duke in Drag”. Rhodes went on the tirade and it was captured on video and she calls everyone that disagrees with her or supports Hillary Clinton a “Whore”. many are comparing her to Jeremiah Wright and are calling it another hate filled rant by yet another Obama supporter.
***She really ripped into Clinton dropping the F bomb and other nasty comments all the while lashing a little quasi-praise on former New York governor Eliot Spitzer for dropping big bucks on call girls. She even drags Angelina Jolie into the mix as well. It was a sad effort, and another embarrassment for Barack Obama.
The video is here and it contains vulgar language so be warned. Perhaps we can get Randi Rhodes and the Reverend Jeremiah Wright a joint podium and allow them to praise Obama. It is unclear how long she will be suspended for, but the Air America network did release a statement saying she is off the air and has been suspended.
After reading all this, I at times wonder if I should add a category tag for “crack pots.”
]]>
To review the bidding, socio-politico-economic forces led us into a situation where pretty much everyone was happy with people buying homes they couldn’t afford, at terms they couldn’t meet, for properties that were carried on the books at more than they were worth [speculators, flippers, builders, race hustlers, municipalities, and regulators all joined in the fun].
This went on for several years, and everyone was happy. People got to live in better houses than they could afford, and pay very little for them. Builders sold properties (and built even more!). Banks and mortgage companies shifted risk into the future, secured by value that didn’t exist. Borrowers who wouldn’t normally get loans did. TV shows actually showed us how to buy homes on “interest only” notes as long as we could sell them before the ARM ballooned and make money on the artificial value increases. Prioperty tax revenues flowed into municipalities like rivers of milk and honey. Fund categories were created to continue the illusion; look, The Share Price Just Went Up!
The problem (as with *all* pyramid schemes) is that eventually we run out of new suckers to buy into the scam. At that point, the underlying value of what is being traded becomes important. If the “paper” value of the assets greatly exceeds the “actual” value of the assets (hmmm what happens to the value of a product when supply outstrips demand?). After decades of overbuilding, the “air was let out of the balloon” in many markets.
The same people who “made” $$$ all of a sudden “lost” $$$.
So here we are.
1. Experts are urging people to live in their foreclosed properties for up to a year and “slow roll” the eviction process [note: At least 8 months is possible in just about every state. Apparently, the key is to just stop making payments to your lender, and not acknowledge that anything is amiss. You don’t even need a laywer in every case. It takes that long before someone with a gun actually shows up at your door.] ; and
2. An alarming trend of ex-homeowners trashing the homes on their way out has developed. Recent WSJ article noted that several banks/mortgage lenders are now hiring agents to go from home to home offering thousands of dollars to tenants to not trash the property while leaving.
So you simply sieze the property for up to a year and then demand a bribe so as to not reduce it’s value further.
AND WE WANT TO GIVE A BAILOUT TO THESE PEOPLE?!?!
the other steve
]]>Here is a taste:
This is a compilation of three exposures, using a technique known as HDR.
]]>A blog entry about my presentation was posted quickly, and it is a fair summary. They recorded it, and I will make it available on here as a podcast for those interested.
My brother and I also did a video interview, but that hasn’t shown up online yet, but when it does, I am sure we both will cross-post that as well.
Let me know what you think!
]]>I don’t know about you, but I think this was a bit inconsiderate. It’s one thing to put everyone out and call a (trivial, no more than 3 day) strike. But it’s another to, at the 11th hour, cancel the strike, and tell everyone that they are expected to report “as normal” the next day.
One would think that they would have the courtesy to at least “let them off” for a day.
So a revision of winners and losers. The BIG LOSERS here are the students, and the parents. But then again, we knew that one going in.
Do you think the teachers will be lenient if homework isn’t done?
]]>If this were a real strike, then they would emerge the winner. But with a 3 day strike cap, there are only losers.
I say “if this were a real strike” because since the state has apparently put a 3 day time limit on the strike, the teachers have simply extended the school year. Barring a “work slow-down/stoppage” or a “sick-out” by the teachers, there will be no real impact other than extending the school year.
Knowing that the strike will end in three days, the school board must simply wait. At the end of three days, I can imagine the school board starting the next meeting with “Did you enjoy your vacation? Do you have anything else? Are you willing to accept our contract now?”
And before I wrap up, I wanted to remind everyone that the biggest losers are the parents, and students. The local media has been reporting many “personal impact” stories. Parents are upset because they have had to scramble for childcare. In the local paper, the Patriot-News, one mother is quoted as saying
“I’m angry about the strike,” said Amy Lavarto, whose three children go to Sporting Hill Elementary School. “I only make minimum wage, and I have to work. I will have to find day care for my children, which is an expense I don’t need.”
While more poignantly, a father expresses his distress over the crisis exacerbated by the teachers’ strike
Jim Perry is to drive his wife to a Philadelphia hospital for brain surgery Thursday morning.
He couldn’t care less about the contract fight between the Cumberland Valley teachers and school board. He doesn’t have time to read their proposals. He doesn’t have the luxury of considering whether Thursday’s planned teachers strike seems justified.
Whatever. Perry said he just needs school to stay open.
“The timing is horrible for me all the way around,” said Perry, whose sons attend Silver Spring Elementary and Eagle View Middle schools.
So, we have parents as losers.
]]>As you all probably know, the Cumberland Valley Education Association was forced to initiate a teacher strike. Â It is with great disappointment that I have to announce that I can not work with our outstanding children until a contract has been accepted. Â To the best of my efforts I encourage all our young student-athletes to fight for what is right and fair. Â That is simply all that I am currently attempting and asking for.
Regardless of my opinion concerning the merits of the strike, I am concerned at the tone put forward in the email. There is a complete lack of acceptance of responsibility for the actions of the teachers, coming from a teacher! The CVEA (union) was not “forced” to initiate the strike. The union chose to reject the latest offer. Perhaps a correct decision, but a decision on their part. The union then chose to strike.
Also, since it is up to the coaches and advisors to decide whether or not to continue with their sporting activities, The coach could work with the players. The school board in the “media alert” specifically wrote “Continuance of athletic events and extracurricular activities are at the discretion of coaches and advisors.” He chooses not to, instead choosing to honor the strike and the picket line.
I understand supporting one’s union. I really do. I just ask that we all accept that our actions are a result of our choices that we make.
Stand up.
Take ownership of your own decisions.
THAT is perhaps the best lesson we can teach our kids during times like these.
]]>What have the teachers offered as compromise? From all reports, the teachers’ union has simply dug in their heels, and tried to convince the populace that the school board is failing to give them a pay raise.
Who wins, and who loses on a strike?
THE WINNERS:
Teachers think they will win, obviously. They have nothing to lose. They strike, they come back and teach, and even if they now accept the latest offer they get their full 9 months of pay (with a bonus check–remember the retroactive bit?)
The school board may or may not meet the (un-reported) demands of the teacher’s union. But regardless, the school board doesn’t “lose” anything.
THE LOSERS:
The students. They lose, because they have a loss of continuity in their education plan. They lose because for months now, teachers have been fostering a “hostile learning environment” keeping the students (and parents) wondering if, in 48 hours, there would be a strike. On top of that, at least one teacher told his students that, if there was a strike, he would be sending a “work packet” home for them to complete during the strike. In addition, they lose because any plans they may have had for a summer (including summer jobs, to help them earn money for, among other things, college) have to be adjusted.
The parents: For those parents of young children that work, there will be an increased cost either through lost wages, or increased childcare costs. What about those parents that can’t afford the additional costs of childcare? Well–they can just stay home from work, right? So for a few, the choice is either pay for more childcare, or lose income. Additionally, parents may have had plans for summer “break.” Imagine a job where you have to request time off for vacation, and schedule it in advance. You know those jobs–the ones where you work 12 months a year?
The taxpayers: Regardless of the final outcome, it is guaranteed that taxpayers will be paying teachers more money to teach. This is a burden that taxpayers are willing to reasonably carry to provide a good education for the children in the community. I suspect though that taxpayers are keenly aware of what is reasonable, and what is unreasonable. It would seem to me at least that unreasonable is a teachers’ union that fails to negotiate. Of course, a “double whammy” exists for the parents, here. They have the burden of increased child-care costs, only to be rewarded with an (undoubtedly) increased tax burden.
One final thought: The teachers don’t “lose” anything here. There is no cost to them for striking. In most strikes, the unions have to balance the near-term lost wages with the long term gains. They must also consider the lost good-will with their customers who may well choose to go elsewhere with their shopping dollars. In this case, students are required, by law, to attend school. The teachers will come back and teach the remaining class days–and get paid for a full year (did I mention the “bonus check” due to retroactive pay?) The teachers essentially get to hold everyone (especially students) hostage–to achieve not a “fair” contract, but one that is “over the top.”
The Teachers Union. Unreasonable. Uncompromising. Unsupportable.
]]>One would expect to read that Boeing lost the contract despite being the better aircraft. That, somehow, the AF overlooked key performance characteristics of the aircraft. That, perhaps, politics came in to play to select an inferior product. But no.
According to the NYT, in the article titled “In Tanker Bid, It Was Boeing vs. Bold Ideas” from March 10th, Boeing (and its supporters in Congress) are instead making the nationalistic arguments about job loss and a loss of a national asset.
The company and its allies in Washington have already made a number of arguments. Among them are that too many American jobs are being lost overseas, and that sensitive military contracts should not be in the hands of a foreign company.
The debate about the impact on American jobs is a murky one, because large manufacturing projects typically involve operations in many parts of the world, regardless of which company has a contract.
Yes, the debate is murky, but not simply because of the potential loss of American jobs. (Let’s ignore, for the moment, that Northrup-Grumman is an American company and that reports are the aircraft will have final assembly in the US making this a Washington State job loss, not a US one.) This comes down, unfortunately, to politics over policy.
As the NYT also writes
 On Capitol Hill, the blow to Boeing has set off a protectionist furor among many lawmakers. And on the campaign trail, the Democratic candidates for president, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, suggest that the Boeing loss reflects other Bush administration policies that have resulted in jobs moving offshore.
But the hot rhetoric could sound overly nationalistic, and even hypocritical, once the real implications for jobs and national security become clear. Boeing, for example, would have made many of its own tanker parts overseas, and some experts say that claims of job losses to a foreign company seem exaggerated.
For now, though, the pro-Boeing, pro-America talk is showing no signs of letting up.
“We really have to wake up the country,” said Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington State, where Boeing is a significant employer. “We are at risk of losing a major part of our aerospace industry to the Europeans forever.”
Representative Todd Tiahrt, Republican of Kansas, said: “It’s outsourcing our national security. An American tanker should be built by an American company with American workers.” Boeing would have done some of its tanker assembly in Kansas.
So we have National Democrats on the stage arguing that this is another “Bush screw-up.” And yet this is the same set of politicians who strongly argue we are fighting a war we shouldn’t have started, with troops ill-equipped to meet this challenges of the new battlefield. Are they blind to the fact that it is just this sort of politics that has led to the failures to properly equip our troops? Oversight of weapons system acquisitions that places a priority on location of sub-assembly manufacture over capability. (The B-1B aircraft had parts manufactured in nearly all of the 435 Congressional districts.) As far back ask 1990 researchers and critics have argued that politicians have focused more on maintaining their districts at the expense of national interest. According to Kennth Mayer, in his 1993 Public Administration Review article entitled “Policy Disputes as a Source of Administrative Controls: Congressional Micromanagement of the Department of Defense”
Critics argue that these interventions result in inefficiency because they are not based on any “rational” conception of overall defense strategy. Members are accused of examining the defense budget “in terms of how it promotes their own electoral prospects” instead of on the basis of national interest (Lindsay 1990, p. 7). Members are accused of attacking the Pentagon to create publicity, or even to achieve influence within Congress. DoD argues that the pork barrel incentive drives many congressional interventions, as members use their power over the budget to deliver programs and contracts to constituents (OSD, 1990, p. 19). Critics claim that the result is a defense budget choked with regulations and bloated with pork.
So why bring this up? Because at this point in time, with our nation at war, politicians on both sides of the aisle are positioning for their constituents rather than for the security of our nation.   There are significant questions that could be asked, and perhaps should be asked. Questions that would cut to the heart of issue of the adequacy of the aircraft to meet our military’s requirements. But these seem to get lost in the rush to score points with the electorate.
Perhaps Congress would best serve the nation if they asked these questions:
These questions are external to the capabilities of the aircraft itself, but address the important aspects of total operating costs, and impact on mission operations.
1 Boeing manufactured the veteran KC-135 aircraft (a 707 variant.) That aircraft first production aircraft saw service in 1957 and KC-135s are still flying today. The new tanker is intended to replace this aging airframe.
*As many of you know, part of my “history” includes working on weapon systems’ acquisitions. I worked
]]>BONUS:Â Can you guess which songs were selected when I searched on “photo” and my library came up with these three artists?
]]>So apparently, not a few Americans were counting on housing prices to become even more overvalued than they already are.  You know, those “Flip That House” people who buy undervalued properties, hold and/or fix them up, and then resell them for much more than they were really worth. Or the (here in Dallas, TX) $60k/year maintenance man who purchased a $375,000 home with the full expectation that he would be able to convert his “interest only” loan (for the first five years) into a conventional mortgage by refinancing based on the increase in value . . . oops (his home is now priced at $290,000 with no offers).
So back to our Robin Hood guy. He has a web-based service that ” . . . walks you through the steps of how to manage your foreclosure to your advantage!” Uh-oh. The premise is that you can stop making your mortgage payments and continue to live in your [sic] home for 9 months to a year (based on the laws in your state).
And nobody gets hurt! It’s a Win-Win!
As the great philosopher Homer (Simpson) would say: ” . . . Wai-ai-ai-ai-ait A Minute!”
 The rationale is this: since the market is depressed, the mortgage company wouldn’t be able to sell the home anyway, and by squatting on the property you are actually doing the lien holder a favor; by keeping the property occupied and maintained, you are preserving the inherent value in the home! Suh-weet!
A rose by any other name . . .
]]>Let’s start with the credibility. I wondered about the credibility of the author of the article. So I read the credentials listed at the end of the article “Mike Whitney lives in Washington state. He can be reached at fergiewhitney@msn.com” He lives in Washington STATE! Yes–of course, How could I miss that credential! I should listen/pay attention to him. (And does anyone else find it, um… odd, that Mike’s email address is “FERGIE?”)
Now, I would like to take a brief moment to encourage everyone to do something called “research.” You may recall, as regular readers to this site, that I often encourage one to practice academic and intellectual honesty. Stop. Check the data. Question the sources. Challenge the techniques.
First, and most simply, I found that clicking on the source link for the article (http://www.counterpunch.org/whitney/02222008.html) results in a “connection timed out” error. (as of 2/25/08, 1118hr EST) That could mean that everyone is going there and resulted in the site being overloaded, or it could mean that the article on the site has been “pulled.” Either way, the credibility of the source is now questioned. Especially since the main site, Counterpunch.org is also returning a “connection has timed out” error.
Second: There are statements that should be easily verifiable in the article. For instance, the author (Mike? Fergie?) writes: “The $330 billion ARS market has dried up overnight pushing up rates as high as 20 per cent on some bonds…” which is quite a bit of news! Did anyone see this high bond rate reported? Can anyone find a news source that reported this? I would think that, if Fergie/Mike was able to find the information, then it should be “findable” right? I am not saying that the information isn’t there–but I am wondering why sources aren’t given.
Now, actually, it wasn’t that hard to do. I did find this snippet:
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, for instance, is paying $390,000 in interest this week on one $100 million bond that cost just over $83,000 last week, before a failed auction pushed the rate on the bonds to 20 percent from 4.2 percent.
Now, I also found numerous other sites that actually state, verbatim, what Mike/Fergie wrote. For instance, the Free Market News reports:
The credit storm which began in July when two Bear Stearns hedge funds were forced to liquidate, has continued to intensify. Last week the noose tightened around auction-rate securities, a little-known part of the market that requires short-term funding to set rates for long-term municipal bonds. The $330 billion ARS market has dried up overnight pushing up rates as high as 20 per cent on some bonds — a new benchmark for short term debt.
That should count, right? Well, one might think so, except it really is a summary of the article written by Mike/Fergie, and points back to the (unavailable) site. Move along. Nothing to see here.
And, while I could continue, I will end with this: given that the document written by Mike/Fergie is posted on a website, and created for electronic distribution, he/she should have taken the time to provide links to the actual sources for his/her information. “Good” bloggers at least hold themselves to that standard. Heck, even bad/poor bloggers (like good ol’ Eric over at A Liberal Dose) link to sources where they get the information they then distort. This may well be a maelstrom that consumes all in the fiery demise of the world economy. But then again, without sources (reputable or otherwise) this is simply another pundit, among the many, touting gloom and doom.
]]>That said, enjoy the following clip from YouTube and Saturday Night Live.
]]>It has been High-Larious watching the Surprise, Shock, and Outrage! at the Scurrilous Left-Wing Dominated MSM (TM) for daring to issue a negative (albeit only from a certain viewpoint?) “smear” story about candidate McKooky.
Surprise? Get a clue.
Shock? You ain’t seen nothing yet (pinata in a bat factory).
Outrage? Take a chill pill and get over it. Don’t be mad at the pain you feel after poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick.  As “Dr. Laura” reminds women complaining about their abusive/unloving/ne’er do well husbands: “YOU PICKED HIM!”
 I am getting a lot of amusement out of watching the ObamaNation though. He just did a SRO rally in Dallas yesterday. He got 3+ minutes of wild cheering and applause (with appropriate level of shrieking and swooning) just for BLOWING HIS NOSE! I’m not kidding- his biggest cheer line was when he literally “hocked a loogie.” Fabulous. We are living in 1931 Germany.
 the other steveÂ
]]>Maybe it’s because- in part at least- we have morphed from the Newsgroups being a “Public Forum for Discussion” into Blogs becoming “My Private [unlicensed] Broadcasting Company.”
With ownership comes, well, ownership.Â
Case in point: So there’s this blog on the internet, topic not important to the point at hand, and a dialogue gets going, point-counterpoint style. Apparently the arguments on one side of the issue start falling apart, and more posters started coming around to the alternative point of view. It got re-e-e-e-eal quiet from that side. [I guess they were hunting wabbits]
[wait for it]
Surprise! Someone took their ball and went home! The Blog “owner” shut down comments for the specific thread- of course, after posting a snarky “it’s my medium” blast of pique.
It isn’t about “dialogue” anymore; it’s about “broadcasting one point of view!”
So
Care to guess which side of the political spectrum was engaged in (polite, reasoned) dialogue . . . and which side decided that tolerance with respect to another’s ideas had gone just about as far as it was going to go, mister!?
Well, o.k., silly question . . . we all know which side of the (artificially defined by the two-headed single political party in the US today) political spectrum is tolerant/intolerant of opposing viewpoints . . .
But putting that aside
Internet: Two way communication; or just another transmission medium for digitized vomit?
Hello?
Scorch aka the other steve
]]>Sounds pretty ingenious, eh? And the article points out that “producing no emissions at all in town.”
I like a couple aspects of this car. First, I do like a $5K car. An affordable car! And the use of compressed air, on the face, has me saying “w00t!” It would appear that, from an environmental perspective, we have at least removed the various particulate contaminates from the local air. In fact, I was pleased to see the article specify no emissions “in town” since obviously producing the energy to compress the air will in most places result in some emissions.
I am also quite intrigued with the “produce locally” concept. Unfortunately, that will mean that the cost to manufacture will be different depending on locale, so the actual price of a car will vary widely by market. But then again, as we look at global supply chains we see once again the pressures of transportation costs pushing back to either larger inventories, local production, or both.
There are a few questions left open, as I await it’s delivery to the US.
The article itself mentioned the issues of the amenities, and the issue of safety. It is not clear from the article that the creator of the car understands all the issues with safety. According to the BBC:
Mr Negre says there’s no issue with safety – if the air-car crashes the air tanks won’t shatter – they will split with a very loud bang. “The biggest risk is to the ears.”
This does beg the question of impact safety, roll-over safety, and so forth, but it’s a start!
I suppose we wait, and see.
]]>Apparently, there is an on-going debate amongst biblical scholars (minimalists, and maximalists) concerning whether one can accept the historicity of biblical texts. As I understand it, the maximalists argue that barring evidence to the contrary the historicity of biblical texts should be accepted as fact. The minimalists instead argue that without additional evidence those texts are to be viewed as “not true” and thus not trusted.
That’s all well and good. Except for one thing. According to my brother, they then proceed to tell you what they think “really” happened. So maximalists (according to the minimalists) make the fatal error of believing documents contemporary to the time under study, while the minimalists are able to, through some other means, discover the “real truth” with testimony.
Magic…
Of course, as part of the on-going discourse Dr Jim West decides to critique the “contemporary text” which my brother wrote, and create his own (mis) interpretation of what was written. He then goes on to address the error of my brother’s interpretation of my brother’s own writing. Interesting.
So, let me ask you, dear Reader, how do you (knowing my brother writes, on his own blog) interpret my brother’s line:
Dr. Jim West (I am a doctor as well, just not a “real” doctor, as my grandmother will tell you) calls this an “impossible impossibility” and says that you cannot prove a negative.
So, in this case, what struck me as interesting, is that we have a microcosm of exactly what the debate is about. The text seemed, clear, and we were even provided the author’s own statement of intent. And yet, a minimalist chooses to tell us what “it really meant.”
At the end of the day, I found myself wondering how we are able to communicate at all, if such a simple sentence is so easily misunderstood.
]]>I am unable to listen to my favorite drive-time AM talk radio anymore. I know you’re all crying for me. It seems like my (heretofore arguably semi-rational) talkbots are downloading their RNC talking points again, and the message is “John McCain is the Republican Candidate, Everebody Get In Goosestep err Lockstep err I mean Line!”
Now I don’t have a dog in this fight at all. As a card-carrying Civil Libertarian, I only get mildly interested in RepubliCrat (DemmiCan?) follies when our interests overlap (social issues for D’s, economic for R’s generally).
However- the argument from the bullies on the right now seems to be “We Need To Support McCain Because Otherwise We Will Get Hillary.” In various forms- the message is if you don’t support McCain, you are supporting ClintAma. BarIllary? What-ev.
Now a few years back (when I was doing my cypherin’ on coal shovels by candlelight) I took a class in rhetoric. I vaguely remember something about the logical fallacy called “The False Dilemma.” Sound familiar?
The underlying, unspoken assumption of the Bullies on the Right is that McCain would actually stand a ghost of a chance against Hillary Nation. Or the OpraBamicans. So therefore, all good soldiers of conservatism must abandon their principles, hold their noses, and line up behind McCain in order to not “throw their votes away and put HillAma in office.”
So- here we all are on September 5th, 2008. The “Dream Ticket” of McCain-Whoever has now taken up the battle standard and marches off into the meat grinder . . . then what? Will McMaverick enjoy the benefit of the free ride he has been getting so far once he goes up against a “true” progressive? Keating 5, Keating 5, hmmm . . . voting record, voting record, hmmm . . . old white guy, old white guy, hmmm . . . war pig, war pig, hmmm . . . do you think the MSM will let McCain’s and Hillary’s stench factor cancel each other out, and focus on “The Issues?” Not likely.
McCain is a pinata in a Louisville Slugger factory, he just doesn’t know it yet.
The “national polls” showing McCain competitive against Barillary in a head to head matchup (taken today) are a phantom. Give the MSM a couple of months to proctologize over John McCain and it will be a BLOWOUT.
You heard it here first.
So for my on again/off again friends on “The Right:” you can die with your swords in your hand or your [male genitalia] in your hand . . . choose wisely!*
Scorch
*apologies to my USMC friends for stealing part of their culture to make this point
]]>After a couple of posts to a variety of blogs on some issues of mutual interest, Steve invited me to step up as a “Guest Contributor” (all of the hassle, none of the pay?) on topics of my choosing. Since I am new to this whole “blog thing,” I would ask you all to “be gentle” with me . . . Yeah, Right!
Let the games begin!
Scorch aka “The Other Steve”
]]>Welcome, Steve!
]]>A comedian rants about how much it sucks to play Pachelbel’s Canon in D on a cello. Recorded live at Penn State, this piece by comedian/musician Rob Paravonian has been a favorite on the Dr. Demento Show.
Well, the next time he is at Penn State, I hope I find out! You should visit his site, too! So here–enjoy!
Okay–so the book is Designing and Managing the Supply Chain: Concepts, Strategies and Case Studies by Simchi-Levy, Kaminsky, and Simchi-Levi. (3rd Edition)
Page 123 is the first page of Chapter 4–Supply Contracts, and it starts with a case study about American Tool Works (ATW). So, without further ado, the three sentences.
The relationship between ATW and its distributors and dealers may take two forms:
- Large Distributors tend to have a vendor-managed-inventory (VMI) agreement with ATW. In this situation, ATW monitors the inventory levels of various products at the distributors’ facilities, and makes additional shipments as necessary.
So there you have it. Only my second meme (my first can be found here.)
I would like to tag my favorite liberals. Fleshy, Eric from A liberal dose, and then Dean Dad at Confessions of a Community College Dean. Not that they will ever actually find out that they have been tagged.
The avid listener and follower will know that he and I blog and podcast together over at “The Father Son Chats.”
Enjoy his video!
]]>After that, we then move on to talk about Merlin Mann, and his photo with Dr Pepper.
Then–well, we talk about the NFL Films set-up starting one week ahead of time for the Super Bowl.
Then we end it where we started–with the YouTube video.
Enjoy our podcast!
The Prof
]]>Academics of all people should remember that the plural of anecdote is not data.
I find this to be a humorous, and in some way, interesting quote. I also find myself “engaging” with the quote in ways that I didn’t expect. This statement challenges really two fundamental concepts–that of anecdote, and of data. When does a collection of anecdotes step out of a collection of “stories” and actually add up to real, actionable data?
Data is, at the most broad, a collection of anecdotal evidence that builds a case over time. In fact, case-study analysis is simply a rigorous approach to gathering anecdotal evidence. Yes, you are limited in the amount of pure statistical analysis that can be accomplished through the gathering of anecdotal evidence, but anecdotes bring a richness to the data that one cannot get through simple “number crunching.”
In addition, an anecdote could be considered a data point of one. And sometimes “one” is all you need. How many times should a car not start before you suspect a problem? How many space shuttles do we need to blow up before we learn about O-rings? If one is seeking to improve service, enhance quality, or improve a reputation, then every negative “anecdote” is a story of failure–failure that must be controlled, corrected, and eliminated.
On the other hand, anecdotes of success should be plentiful, and instructive, if they help one overcome the failures in the other negative anecdotes. Anecdotes about repeated success help in that they demonstrate that success can be achieved, and perhaps can be “replicated” with appropriate processes.
Let’s look at one example. In a blog written by one of my students, he struggles with poor customer service from (stand by for stereotype) “the cable guy.” At the end of the day, the cable guy dragged mud over the carpets, cut two holes in the wall (only needing one) and then had to leave so couldn’t repair the damage to the wall.
The best part about the entire story was, the installer had to be at another appointment and couldn’t fix the hole in my wall. I asked what he was going to do about the wall and he gave me some putty and a sponge and explained how to fix it. He then gave me my $80 installation bill and was on his merry way.
Is it any wonder this customer was upset?
Comcast (as Wesley points out) “wants to be perceived as the leader in cable services.” If one seeks to deliver a high quality service, error free, on-time, every time, then a single story of failure is a failure. In fact, what the Comcast blog posting points out is that a service provider, Comcast, is failing in key aspects of the delivery of that service.
The Fitzsimmons’ write, in their book Service Management that reputation is often a key dimension to the provision of a service. They write:
The uncertainty that is associated with the selection of a service provider often is resolved by talking with others about their experiences before a decision is made. Unlike a product, a poor service experience cannot be exchanged or returned for a different model.
So the “take away” here is that for an individual about to make a decision an anecdote is “data.” And as negative experiences begin to collect, the weight of these anecdotes can tarnish (perhaps irretrievably) the reputation of an organization, or a person.
So, does the simple statement “the plural of anecdote is not data” hold true? I think not. Cute, but alas, wrong.
]]>I suppose most, if not all of you dear readers are not old enough to remember the Magic Pan restaurant. While reading the textbook “Service Management” by Fitzsimmons, I was taken back to the restaurant of my youth, and reminded once again of those wafer-thin crepes, and the delightful fillings that so often filled our Sunday afternoons.
The text book, in discussing quality control in delivering a service, mentions the “foolproof machine” that the Magic Pan designed to cook their crepes. (For that same upside down pan, perfect crepe experience, try the VillaWare V5225 Crepe Maker) I remember it like it was yesterday, and yes–it was a great example of standardizing a service delivery process. It was one of the “coolest” cooking devices I have ever seen. The device was a carousel that would hold the crepe pans upside down, while a circle of gas flames heated them from below. Rather than the traditional approach of pouring the “right amount” of batter into the pan, and then rocking the pan to cover the surface evenly, they literally flipped the idea on its head.
The “chef” would first place a pan, upside down, on the carousel, allowing it to make a few slow revolutions, and thus get up to temperature. After that, they would remove a pan, wiping the bottom of the pan on a towel that had been embedded with some form of “lubricant” (either butter or vegetable oil). They would then dip the underside of the pan (yes, the outside!) in the batter. Once coated, they would place the pan (again face down) on the carousel, where it would cook the crepe evenly. As a kid, I would love standing there and just watching, watching, watching…
This approach did a few things that guaranteed consistency of delivery:
All pretty doggoned innovative!
So, of course, thinking about the Magic Pan again after so many years set me off on a Google search for the demise of the ‘Pan, and perhaps to find some recipes. Well I found that, and more!
Let’s start with the “and more.” It turns out that the Magic Pan is back! Now the Magic Pan of my memories was a rather nice, upscale, yet casual, dining room with great food. The new Magic Pan is actually a “food court” provider of the same recipes. According to “Cathy2” at LTHForum the Magic Pan has as the culinary roots to heart of the original, but appears to be an all new restaurant. As she writes:
I talked to the manager who advised they had the original chef-trainer from the old Magic Pan fly in from San Franciso to reproduce and train their people for several original Magic Pan dishes: Original Spinach Souffle Crepe; Original Chicken Divan Crepe; Original Crepe Suzette; Original Strawberries and Sour Cream Crepe; Original Chantilly Crepe and Original Cherry Royale Crepe. I remember vaguely the old Magic Pan closed abruptly I believe due to bankruptcy. The manager didn’t remember the circumstances, though he knew all 240+ Magic Pan restaurants closed in one day across the country.
Now, I find that to be quite interesting. All closed–in one day! Wow.
I am somewhat disappointed to learn that they are not using the same innovative cooking machine that I loved watching as a kid. According to Cathy2:
Magic Pan 2005 is no longer a sit down restaurant, it is a fast food crepe stall. There is no large ring of gas with upside down smooth bottom frying pans with dipped crepe batter cooking as it rotates over the circuit. Instead there are three large flat iron plates to cook the crepe batter. The cook selects from buckwheat, cornmeal or wheat flour crepe batter and pours a measured quantity on the pan. Using a t-stick paddle he smoothes and spreads the batter to the outer edges. Once cooked, the crepe is filled and presented to the customer.
I hope to someday learn more about the reasons for the demise of the Magic Pan, and perhaps even how widespread the “ROMP” (return of Magic Pan) may be.  Until then, I will be trying out some of the recipes I found online, and seeking to take a trip down that culinary memory lane.
UPDATE: 30 Dec 2009. In the meantime, I will tell you that I have found a great machine (the VillaWare V5225 Crepe Maker) for making my own crepes at home. Â It uses the same “upside down” approach in an all-in-one griddle. Â It works great, and I highly recommend it to any of you.
In reading through the comments, one thing has struck me. Many accuse the evangelicals of “brain washing” these kids, and the old canard makes its way back once again with a few arguing that children should not be exposed to religion until they are old enough to think for themselves. Ahhh, yes. And at what age do we believe that to be?
I am not being flippant here. The question that comes to mind, for me, is when do we stop teaching our children only how to read, write, and do math, and instead instill in them the tools necessary for critical thinking?
Is that at age 3, when they start asking the “why” questions? Is that not their first attempts at seeking to critically explain the world around them?
Is it at age 8, when they have started school, and are now beginning to see that not everyone looks the same, dresses the same, or likes the same foods?
Is it at age 12, as they enter puberty, and notice that boys and girls are different? As they begin to grapple with the changes in their bodies (or wonder why their’s hasn’t changed yet?)
Perhaps it is 16, when we tell them they are now old enough to drive a car, or 18 when they can vote and join the military, or 21 when society says we can now trust you with alcohol?
Perhaps it is not so far fetched to assume that religion can play a role in all aspects of growth. That it isn’t a bad thing for children to grow up with the sense of worth that comes from knowing that you were created, and that God loves you in a perfect way that your imperfect parents cannot.
Perhaps it is not a bad thing for children, at all ages, to question, and challenge, the accepted views of the world, to say “maybe evolution isn’t the best explanation for the world around me.”
Maybe we should focus more on instilling and developing critical thinking skills in our children and less time “protecting” them from having to think critically.
]]>Obviously I have had an interest lately in fuel economy, and alternatives to the status quo. These are not driven simply by an altruistic vision of the future, but by rather practical personal and business considerations. Considerations that one can see in the supply chain. That said, I would like to invite your thoughts, in more of a conversational vein.
Perhaps you can share your thoughts on the impacts on supply chains of:
I would recommend that you also visit the blog of “Imperfect Mommy” specifically where she outlines the benefits of local eating.
I look forward to reading your thoughts.
]]>The past few years have seen an increase in the attention given to biomass as a fuel source. You all may recognize this a little better as the “ethanol from corn” movement, among others. Of course, there is the first criticism–we need food for people, not to run automobiles. Or to put another way “are we Americans so self-absorbed that we want to take food off the plates of people, and burn it in our cars?” Somewhat inflammatory, but that is generally the way the argument is formulated. Of course, in his book “Omnivore’s Dilemma” Michael Pollan points out that corn really isn’t all that good for people, either.
Additionally, there have been ongoing debates over whether we actually get enough energy out of corn and other crops. In fact, a controversial Cornell University study determined:
Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a detailed analysis of the energy input-yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for producing biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. Their report is published in Natural Resources Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76).
In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol production, the study found that:
- corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced;
- switch grass requires 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; and
- wood biomass requires 57 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.
In terms of energy output compared with the energy input for biodiesel production, the study found that:
- soybean plants requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced, and
- sunflower plants requires 118 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.
Did I mention it was controversial? Well, this week Scientific American reports that switchgrass is a better choice than corn for ethanol, and goes on to report that:
But yields from a grass that only needs to be planted once would deliver an average of 13.1 megajoules of energy as ethanol for every megajoule of petroleum consumed—in the form of nitrogen fertilizers or diesel for tractors—growing them […] This means that switchgrass ethanol delivers 540 percent of the energy used to produce it, compared with just roughly 25 percent more energy returned by corn-based ethanol according to the most optimistic studies.
So I am brought again to the views of my youth. We can take back our energy independence. We can have an affordable, cleaner-burner (although not “clean burning”) fuel source. And we can breath life once again into the backbone of America, the family farmer.
]]>The entry is thoughtful, funny, and touching. One would find it hard to read this post, regardless of perspectives on the military and the war in Iraq, and not finish without a tear in the eye, and a warm spot in their heart for the American Fighting Man.
Our soldiers deserve our respect, and honor, not only in their deaths, but in their lives as well.
Please–take the time to read his post. You will be changed.
And, while he didn’t want his death to be politicized, I feel it remains only proper that we remember him with the closing words of Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg:
]]>Â
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate – we can not consecrate – we can not hallow – this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
President Abraham Lincoln
November 1863
Lynn write about finding a newspaper from 1949, and realizing that writing has changed, and she encourages us to change as well:
The same is true of business writing. The language we use and the way we format documents are different. Yet I often get worried email complaining that writers no longer use the language, style, structure, and punctuation people learned in school.
Here is my answer: Get over it! This is not 1949–it’s nearly 2008. Embrace the differences. Accept “Hey” as an email greeting without cringing. Learn to like avatars in place of photos on web sites. (I’m working on this one.) Stop saying “The way I was taught in school . . .” Enjoy the new year.
I cannot say I wholeheartedly agree with her, but I certainly agree in large measure! I think we walk a fine line between writing with standards that communicates effectively, and allowing our colleagues and our friends to find ways to express themselves.
Let’s all learn to at least “get along” and ensure we communicate–effectively!
]]>I would like you all to think, just for a minute, about some of the other conveniences we enjoy. For instance, in State College, PA there is once again “to the door” delivery of milk. Yes, the milkman is back, at least in that town. I applaud the desire to purchase locally raised eggs and dairy products, perhaps even without the assistance of chemical hormone supplements. I just question whether the “to the door” delivery is actually, as their website insists, an “environmentally-sensible solution to your essential grocery needs.”
Now, before you go insisting that “there goes that prof again…” let me ask you to consider a few things:
I look forward to perhaps seeing some of your thoughts here, so please, share your answers to these questions with all of us!
]]>I tell myself this is healthy. This is a good thing. That I am keeping my body healthy. And yet, I can’t help but wonder about the efficiencies of a system that makes clean and pure water available to drink, out of half-liter bottles.
There are a number of concerns here, almost all of which touch on environmental issues, but are also at their heart “supply chain” issues. For instance, if we are shipping cases of water, we are moving tons, literally tons, of water by truck. This uses resources that could perhaps be used, or even saved, to move other things. What resources? Well, the obvious resource is fuel required to power the trucks. In addition, the bottles of water take up space in trailers that could, perhaps, have been used for transporting some other good.
And then, of course, there are the issues of storage. Storage at the bottling plants, at the distribution centers, and finally storage at the retailer. A friend of mine used to work at a bottler, and she had told one of my classes that, to prepare for the busiest months of summer, they started stockpiling bottled water in January. This required that they seek “off site” contractor storage, just to store bottles of water! When you think about this, the costs just keep adding up. Obviously, the bottler incurs an additional cost when they have to pay a contractor for storage. But they also have to pay to transport the water to the 3PL (third part logistics provider’s) warehouse. Again, using fuel, and trucks. Finally, they have at least one additional step moving the water from that warehouse to the retailer, but more than likely bringing it back to their own distribution center first.
And of course, being a good conservative, seeking to conserve resources, I think we should also practice reuse, and recycling. This requires a collecting of the bottles, shipping them to a processing facility, and then sorting and melting them. Can you see the use of resources tied up now, heading both directions in this supply chain? All for the delivery of bottles of water?
A recent Wall Street Journal column by the Numbers Guy (Carl Bialik) tackles deals with the purity of the shipping container used for bottled water–the bottle!
Bialik point s out that “Nestlé claims it offers the lightest half-liter bottles in the U.S. market.”As he usually does, he tackles the statistics, and the numbers, behind the assertions. His quest? To determine if their claims are accurate. I decided to look at a slightly different angle. By reducing the weight of the bottle, what impact does that have on the logistics tail–the supply chain?
Bialik was provided the numbers by Nestlé, and since he trusted their data (gathered by Tragon) I will as well. Let’s assume that everyone uses normal, everyday water, and that any minerals added “for taste” are inconsequential to the issue at hand, the weight. We can be reasonably certain that a half-liter of water weighs a half-kilogram, or 500 grams. This then is our baseline. the lightest bottles (the new Nestlé bottles) weight 12.26 grams, and the heaviest ones weight 25.94 grams.
Simple math shows that reductions from the heaviest bottles (Fiji) to the lightest, will reduce transportation weights by 2.6%. Of course, not every bottle shipped is a Fiji bottle, and Nestlé has not replaced every bottle sold. The actual reduction in weight transported would be less, and thus the environmental and supply chain impact reduction would be less, as well.
What to do? Obviously the first solution is to drink more tap water. If at home, get a water filter. I have a Pur faucet filter, but any would work. Just go check out the selection at your local Wal*Mart or Target.
Might I also suggest we take a page out of the athletes’ book and start using reusable water bottles. Nalgene is the bottle of choice among the swimmers I know, but they are certainly not the only manufacturer. Just be sure to get a high quality water bottle to protect against the leaching of chemicals from the plastics and into the water, and thereby into you.
There are other positive stories coming out, including restaurants finally providing tap-water again, rather than insisting on selling you bottled water. I will work to update these stories on occasion as well. In the meantime, share with me your ways of reducing the logistics footprint, and thus both the environmental impacts, and the costs of logistics!
]]>The theory of abiogenic petroleum origin holds that natural petroleum was formed from deep carbon deposits, perhaps dating to theformation of the Earth. The ubiquity of hydrocarbons in the solar system is taken as evidence that there may be a great deal more petroleum on Earth than commonly thought, and that petroleum may originate from carbon-bearing fluids which migrate upward from the mantle.
The theory thus challenges the view that petroleum products are “fossil fuels” created over millions of years by the decaying of dinosaurs and ancient pre-historic plant life. It argues that petroleum may be a renewable resource that flows up from the magma. In fact, it is a theory that has had a recent resurgence to popularity with the release of the book “The Deep Hot Biosphere” by Thomas Gold.
Why do I bring this up? First, my daughter is a geology major, and so I have renewed interest in all things “rock.” Even more recently, I have been reading the book “Omnivore’s Dilemma” in which the author, Pollan, constantly refers to the use of “fossil fuels” in the production of food. It struck me, after reading this over, and over again, that he has “bought in” to the traditional view completely. He rarely if ever refers to this as “petroleum products.” I have since noticed that the use of the term “fossil fuel” is quite prevalent in the media–far more so than the non-value statement petroleum.
I am sure this seems silly, but to me it is significant. By labeling this “fossil fuel” rather than “petroleum products” the authors are passing scientific judgment–that this is the way the oil is created. Not simply what type of product it is. It appears to me that by using “fossil fuel” as a phrase, people are trying to convey far more than simply a discussion about the pre-historic source of our fuel.
Now when would fossil fuel be a more appropriate word to use? When discussing coal, for instance.
I am not convinced that oil is produced through abiogenic processes, but I am convinced that there is still healthy debate concerning the topic.
First off, it’s a free service offered by Google!
Grand Central simply makes your telephonic life simpler. They will provide you with a phone number, and then allow you to enter all your various phone numbers into their system. Home… Cellphone… work… vacation home… neighbors…Why do this? Well, when someone calls that “one number” Grand Central will then ring all the phone that you have entered and selected. (yes, you can turn them on and off.) When your phone rings, you answer it, and a polite recorded voice tells you that you have a call, and all you have to do is press 1 to accept the call. You could choose to not accept the call at that time, and it will go to the Grand Central voice mail system. In addition, you can listen while the voice mail is being recorded, and decide whether you need to pick up the call.
And of course, you can also press 4 during the call, and record both sides of the conversation–just be sure to check the laws in your state!
How do I see using this? It is certainly a great way to let students contact me, without giving them 4 or 5 different numbers to call.
Additionally, it is a boon when working as a consultant, or traveling. Just give your clients and colleagues one number, and they can reach you at any time–and you can get to your voice mail from any computer with internet connection.
I have only scratched the surface of Grand Central–visit the website and see what else this service can do for you!
Oh–did I mention it was free?Let me know what you think, and how you envision using it–or already are!
]]>With this video, I am tempted to change my mind! enjoy!
]]>Now I find this video showing what the TV show “24” would have been like, in 1994. Hat tip to Christine at the Big Pink Cookie.
]]>But what is “Jing?”
Jing is an interesting, and as of now, free, way of sharing what you are seeing on your computer screen, with anyone over the ‘net. They don’t have to have Jing installed to receive what you send–only to
Check it out for yourself. I am including a link for you view this yourself.
http://screencast.com/t/o71lRKpYDtg
Let me know what you think!
]]>I obviously asked what the legal basis was for that decision, since having already read through the appropriate legal documents (Title 15) I had not read anything in the law that would preclude it. I was told it was “in the state code.”
“Oh? Could you give me a reference?”
“Hold on, sir. Yes–go to our website and search for ‘Title 15.'”
“Thanks–could you tell me what paragraph in Title 15? I have already read through it and didn’t see anything that would preclude it.”
“Sir, we are not a legal research library.”
I started to argue, again saying I had already read through the title, and if she was going to give an answer she should be able to support it, but I gave up. They won.
Honestly, I was not too pleased, since I was given the “it’s on the website” answer. What really frustrated me the most though was that I was given a <B>definitive</B> answer (or is it declarative?) but they could not provide any support for their answer.
Should we push for legislation that would require government officials (especially those working answer lines, like the DMV and the IRS) to be able to support their answers? If their answers will actually impact our behavior, our lifestyles, and perhaps our income taxes, shouldn’t we be given the source information, if requested?
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Prof
]]>From the paper:
“Podcasting” has taken the technological and hobbyist worlds by storm, allowing for the creation of highly specialized audio (and now video) productions for delivery over the internet. This sort of capability has found its way into the classroom and into courseware, allowing professors to deliver a wide range of content to their students. (King, et al., 2006) This paper discusses the background of podcasting, the technology that enabled it, and how podcasting can be used to enhance supply chain courses with a “blended” or hybrid learning experience.
In addition to the podcast recording of the presentation, I am including the pdf of the paper, as well as the PowerPoint slides from the presentation.
Let me know what you think of it, and as always, leave comments, or send me a voice mail at the number listed in the contact section!
]]>The general idea is to write about what I was doing 1, 20 and 30 yrs ago. Well, I will do that, but I will focus mostly on what was going on “today” and then also add “16 years ago today.” Today, of course, being Halloween.
10 years ago, I was at Penn State, starting my second year of my PhD program. I still had some course work to accomplish, and I was dreading the candidacy exam. At that point in the program, I am thinking that Halloween came, and went, with not much fanfare, although I am sure we did something for my son, and for my oldest daughter, who had just turned 11. Halloween, which is normally a well-marked day for me, most likely came and went with perhaps a few cards, a cake, and couple presents.
16 years ago (here I break the meme) I remember quite well. That Thursday morning I took my wife into the base hospital for the delivery of our son. He was born 28 years to the day after me. Yes, we share a birthday. Halloween. After some coaxing, he breathed fresh air later that afternoon, and for the first, and only, time in my life I video taped a birth. The tape later scared my parents as he had some rather low initial APGAR scores, driven in part by the fact that his pancreas was doing a GREAT job of creating insulin, and once he left the womb (mom is a diabetic) he wiped out his supply of blood sugars! The scores moved up quickly, however. Later, a nurse discovered that his collar bone was broken on the way out (he was a BIG baby!) and they immobilized it right away. (In a serendipitous turn of events, it turned out that the nurse had been in my flight during ROTC summer camp at Dover AFB back in 1983!) Later that evening, my parents took our girls to the circus! What a Halloween!
So now, on to 20 years ago. Oct 31, 1987. I was stationed at Pease AFB, having completed my first 1 1/2 years as a Logistics Plans officer. We had celebrated, just the week before, the first birthday of our eldest (yes, that means she just turned 21!) You can imagine how family-focused that event was, since she was not only our first-born, but the first grandchild for either side of the family! As for other events at work–I was beginning to realize just how much fun it can be working in the area of logistics, and planning for everything necessary to support a large operation long distances away from home. And since we were in the Strategic Air Command, you can imagine some of the operating conditions and environments that we had to consider when planning.
30 years ago. Well, I certainly wish I could tell some great story about a huge 14th birthday party. Or some great story about how much fun 8th grade was. But–it was 8th grade! Does anyone have memories from 8th grade that they look back on with any significant degree of fondness? I had some things I enjoyed in 8th grade. Band. FFA. Ag class. Actually, I think* 8th grade was the year we would have a garden as part of our ag class. Mr Durand was my Ag teacher. Mr Davids was my Social Studies teacher (a long haired wanna be hippie type, but a GREAT teacher!)
So there you have it. 30 yrs of history.
]]>But that’s not what this post is about. The other blog that I frequent in the one written by the Community College Dean. He posts nearly every weekday, and while I have often found myself quite frustrated by his own admittedly liberal bias, I still read on. Which brings me to a regular topic of discussion on his blog–the role of adjuncts at Universities, Colleges, and Community Colleges.
In the most recent post Dean Dad (his psuedonym) discusses the possible states of nature that could arise if adjuncts form unions and enter in to collective bargaining agreements. He has regularly bought in to the notion that adjuncts aren’t paid enough, and that it is unfair to adjuncts that they cannot earn a living wage in that role. In addition, many of his readers talk about adjunct positions as a sort of training ground. He wrote back in May 2007 comparing AAA Baseball and students, and faculty. It is a good read, and I commend it to you. In that article, he writes that in baseball AAA teams are a place to learn one’s trade before moving on to the “big league.” He then notes that this analogy is a good one for students wrapping up their 2 years at the community college, but that he “loathe it applied to faculty.” He points out (rightly) that graduate school is, in itself, the minor leagues. (I would argue that so is the tenure process.) He writes that “To add the expectation of years of adjuncting and chair-pleasing before even getting a shot at a full-time job – effectively, yet another level of apprenticeship — strikes me as adding insult to injury.”
Ahh, what about the fact that the analogy is flawed on its face? AAA ball *is* about development. Adjuncting isn’t. As I have written here before, an ‘adjunct’ should be serving the college/university as an additional job to that which they already have. They aren’t there as some sort of “developmental pool.” It is this trend away from adjuncts working a fulltime outside job, and bringing that experience into the classroom, that I personally believe has cheapened the role of adjunct.
I am not sure if there is an appropriate sporting analogy. I mean, softball leagues would be my first thought. You aren’t doing “ball” as your job, but you do it because you love it (or you love beer.) Of course, you don’t bring all that professional “cred” that adjuncts bring to the classroom. Perhaps the best analogy is that of swim coach. Most often the coach was a good to great swimmer themselves when they were younger. They have been there. They have done that. They have the “Cred” that the young swimmers need. They almost all have full time jobs, though (and in my experience almost all have been teachers.) Only a few, the truly “gifted,” go on to be those swim coaches that get to coach full time, for college or national teams. Do you hear Swim Coaches complain that they have to coach for 3 or 4 different teams, and never get that shot at being the “big team” coach? Nope. They know–they UNDERSTAND– that their role is different. Yup. I like this analogy.
*note: editorial changes/additions since first posted 10 Oct 07
]]>Additionally, he shares about “Something to be Desired,” the local video series provided online, at http://stbd.tv
You can find Justin, at his blog, Cafe Witness.
Take a few minutes and listen–it’s short!
]]>=============================
DC Velocity has published a great article pointing out the way in which logistics (and by extension, supply chain management) comes through time and time again–and occasionally with a high profile effort. In this case, the author writes about the logistics efforts that were essential to the successful roll-out of the latest, and final, Harry Potter book.
I mention the author, Peter Bradley, focuses on the logistics necessary to deliver 12 million books in quantities large (and small) around the globe for a single, timed, opening. This of course goes beyond a simple planning and execution initiative. It required coordination, as Bradley mentions, between the publisher, and a network of transportation providers (carriers.) He writes:
Scholastic’s success was no act of magic. Rather, it was a carefully planned and executed distribution effort that required close collaboration among members of the company’s logistics team and a core group of carriers.
Planning for the rollout began in January, even before Scholastic had the finished manuscript. Internally at Scholastic, the project would require tight coordination among members of the logistics staff and their colleagues in sales, purchasing, customer service, and manufacturing. Yablin points to Ed Swart, director of operations, and Francine Colaneri, vice president of manufacturing and procurement, as key partners and team members.
The close collaboration also extended to Scholastic’s logistics partners: J.B. Hunt, Combined Express, Yellow Transportation, and ActivAir. J.B. Hunt, one of the nation’s largest truckload carriers, moved the majority of the books—all but about a million of the copies. Hunt operated in partnership with Combined Express, a Bensalem, Pa. based logistics and trucking company that specializes in publishing and retail shipping. Yellow Transportation, a major LTL carrier, handled domestic LTL shipments. ActivAir, an international forwarder that specializes in book and magazine distribution, managed international shipments to 32 destinations in 29 countries.
I would like to point out that contemporary to this initiative was the release of the much-touted iPhone. That release required a delivery between 4 and 6 pm local time, for a store opening of 6 in the evening. Another opportunity for logistics to shine.
Let’s not lose sight of the importance of collaboration across the supply chain for both of these products. In both cases, there was a line in the sand–a promised delivery date for large scale release. Satisfactorily meeting these dates required not only a close coordination of “in house” production but also coordination among all the suppliers that provide key elements to your product. In the case of the iPhone, there are many components that make up the phone, from numerous suppliers. According to their analysis (as reported in RFDesign)these suppliers include: South Korea’s Samsung (The processor core), German-based Infineon (providing the RF and broadband functions), and National Semiconductor (a single chip.) In addition, the most exciting part of the iPhone, the multi-touch screen, has many providers:
It is believed by iSuppli that the supplier for the touchscreen module in the model torn down by iSuppli was Balda, with its partner TPK Holding. It is believed by iSuppli that the iPhone LCD display itself is multi-sourced through Epson Imaging Devices, Sharp and Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology. The cost of the LCD used in the iPhone is estimated at $24.50, representing 9.8% of the 8 Gbyte version’s costs. source: RFDesign http://rfdesign.com/rfic/iphone-isuppli-components-0712/
Coordinating such a complex, and global, supply chain and ensuring pinpoint accuracy in delivery (both spatial and temporal) shows how a collaborative supply chain can truly deliver.
]]>At the end, he writes that it will be a great memory for when he “won’t know anything, and she’ll greet me with a roll of the eyes and a contemptuous ‘Da-a-ad.'”
I am quite fortunate. Perhaps I am simply blessed with great short term memory, but my kids have never truly treated me that way. We had a great time when they were little, and while at times I am reminded I am not needed as often, they still make time for Dad, and for Mom.
Go read Dean Dad’s post. Enjoy it. Tell him you heard about him from here. And go–make your own great memories with YOUR kids.
(and, if you want to learn a bit more about my relationship with my son, go check out our blog and podcast, at the Father Son Chats.)
]]>Thankfully, others have taken on this task. Specifically, Seth Godin (you know, the “All Marketers are Liars” author! and blog) has identified several ways that Apple could have differentiated their product, making people “happy” to have paid 33% more for the same product. As he puts it, “The key is to not give price protection to early buyers (that’s unsustainable as a business model) but to make them feel more exclusive, not less.”
Godin’s ideas include:
- Free exclusive ringtones, commissioned from Bob Dylan and U2, only available to the people who already had a phone. (This is my favorite because it announces to your friends–every time the phone rings–that you got in early).
- Free pass to get to the head of the line next time a new hot product comes out.
- Ability to buy a specially colored iPod, or an iPod with limited edition music that no one else can buy.
Neat–and as he points out, they wouldn’t have cost Apple $20 Million in profit.
]]>I think it is time for another look at that old friend of Economists and students in Econ 101, the “Demand Curve” and the slightly more complex notion of “Price Discrimination.”
To catch up, you undoubtedly recall that the demand curve essentially shows that, as prices decrease, demand will increase for a product. This is shown in the following graph:
Thus we can expect Steve Jobs is correct in saying that they did this to increase sales before the Christmas season. In fact, lowering the price should increase the sales, assuming that there is elasticity in the pricing and demand curve. Remember, elasticity is the degree to which quantity changes with a change in price. The more elastic, the greater the change (steeper the slope of the curve.)
Now, there is this other notion of “price discrimination.” Price discrimination, or “Yield Management,” is the practice of charging different customers a different price for the same product. The notion is really quite simple. As we saw in the Demand Curve, a few people are willing to pay a high price for a product. A few more would be willing to be a lower price, and so on. In the charts that follow, one can see how, by targeting different customers at different prices points, one can increase total revenue.
The first chart shows the revenue generated if one were to charge a single price. You can see that above the “box” is the revenue that is essentially lost due to customers getting a “good deal.” They would have paid more, but are most likely happy that they were able to pay less. Of course, to the right of the “box” is revenue lost because customers felt the price was not at a point where they could make a purchase.
This next chart shows, notionally, what would happen to revenue if a business were able to successfully segment the market, and provide 6 different price-points. As you can see a far greater area under the curve is colored in, showing a significantly greater amount of revenue.
By identifying these customers, and finding ways to segment the market, a business can capture more revenue by charging higher prices to those willing to pay those prices. Ideally, businesses would like to charge a different price for every customer, targeting the maximum price they are willing to pay. That level of price discrimination would ensure that every customer felt they were receiving a “fair” deal, while removing even the smallest gaps between revenue and the demand curve. This is rare, although an argument could be made that we see this in online auctions and in car sales with negotiations.
Realistically, we do see price discrimination in our daily lives. Customers can find the “same” available for different prices, simply by shopping at different stores. What makes people pay more? A sense that they are receiving something additional for the increased costs. We are perhaps most familiar with this practice in the airline industry, where yield management has gone from art to science. We pay more for a first class ticket (obvious difference in treatment, although you still arrive at the same destination.) But customers also pay a higher price for the privilege of changing travel arrangements, or for the ability to purchase tickets at the last minute. Alternatively, the airlines are able to ensure full planes by offering a select (and scientifically computed) number of seats at lower prices. Travelers must purchase these tickets within certain guidelines, but more tickets are sold (and seats filled), because they are able to capture those people who could otherwise (perhaps) not afford to travel.
If you look around, you can find other instances as well. Coffee is more expensive depending on whether a coffee shop has the right “feel.” Clothing is more expensive when purchased at “higher end” stores.
What is critical here is the ability to segment your customers, and by doing so, create barriers to transfer. This can be accomplished in many ways to include rules ( in the airline and cellphone industries), controlling information (automobile industry), perception of enhanced service (coffee shops and boutiques) and through geography (different shopping “districts.”)
So what does all this have to do with Apple?
I am glad you asked. I believe Apple made a “good call.” They sought to capture as many people in the high end of the Demand Curve as possible. The problem (if you believe that sales may have been trailing off in August) is that the demographic may have been smaller than they anticipated, or they all reacted more quickly purchasing en masse early on. This then left a potentially large amount of sales untapped. This is essentially what Steve Jobs was talking about when he kept referring to capturing the holiday sales. They want to increase sales and to do that, they must change the price point. This slides them down and to the right along the demand curve.
I suggest that Apple was trying to practice what I will call “temporal price discrimination.” They were hoping to capture the “big spenders” early, and then move down the curve, capturing sales from those who could not, or would not, spend at the higher price points. Unfortunately Steve Jobs misjudged the timing. The group that purchased the iPhones at the higher prices were not satisfied to say that 30 to 60 days of use of an iPhone was sufficient differentiation in their minds to have paid a higher price. For many, one could argue it wasn’t worth $100 to $200 per month to have a cool phone.
So, Apple failed to take the necessary steps to successfully practice price discrimination. They failed to differentiate and segment their customers in a significant and substantial way. They did try to create barriers. They were going to limit the number of people that could “switch”1 to the lower price by putting a time window on when you could get your money back. But customers, apparently in droves, pressured Apple early and often. Jobs responded within 36 hours, offering in store credit (among other reported compensations.)
All in all, I think this has been an interesting time. I have only given a cursory look at the economics involved, and there are far more details I left out (did I forget to mention marginal costs?)Â Also, I am sure there are many other factors and pressures that influenced Apple’s initial decision, and some may even include a pending shift in the demand curve itself. (If new technology makes customers feel this iPhone Gen 1 is “obsolete” then the whole demand curve might shift to the left…) Perhaps we shall revisit this topic…
1 Ironic that, eh? Apple trying to stop people from switching?
]]>Nope.
According to the IRS Publication 523, “Loss on sale. If the amount realized is less than the adjusted basis, the difference is a loss. A loss on the sale of your main home cannot be deducted.”
The Federal Government has given help over the past few years allowing an exemption for gains on the sale of the main home/residence. This was intended to help ease the tax burden as the values of homes skyrocketed, and allow for the keeping of that equity on which so many had come to rely.
Unfortunately, the same “benefit” does not extend to a tax break when we have a “loss” on a home. Obviously, when all the housing property values were increasing we were not as concerned about the possible tax implications of a loss. In fact, I suspect few people realized that we could not claim a loss on our homes on our income taxes.
I propose the following legislative action:
The way I see it, this approach is consistent with the logic of not taxing the gain. If we as a nation seek to minimize the tax impact of home ownership, and in fact encourage home ownership, then it makes sense to not tax the gain on the sale of your private, main home. It would also then follow that one should receive a “break” on taxes if that home ownership resulted in a loss on the sale.  Removing concerns such as the concern for a profit, or a loss, frees up buyers and sellers allowing them to make decisions to sell a home without an expectation of severe negative impacts at a later date.
There are far more economic benefits to my modest proposal. For instance, it allows someone who had to take a loss (most likely forced by pending foreclosure, or a move) to more easily move into another home.
I would encourage you to submit your own positive impacts as comments here, and if you support this idea, please write to YOUR congressperson. You can find them at this link.
]]>We talk about Chris’ social media group, Grasshoppers that is there to answer the question “How can I be helpful?”
How can podcasting be useful for students, or educators? We talk about that as well.
]]>Go watch it at Alex’s Site!
Enjoy, and be sure to visit his site for other interviews from the weekend.
]]>The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (This one includes a cool photo of Chris Brogan, and Andrew)
]]>What is Pixel Corps?
pixel Corps is a community of video and audio producers, helping each other, and working together to collaborate in not only training and education but also the practical aspects of production and even with jobs!
Generally, the discussion centered around how Pixel Corps works with digital effects, to include greenscreening and rotoscoping. As an example, they talked about Ryan vs Dorkman (a grassroots video with light saber effects.)
]]>What is TalkShoe? Enables anyone to create, join or listen to LIVE, Interactive, podcasts… (and is a local Pittsburgh PA Company!) For those that listen to the most popular podcaster today (Leo Laporte) he uses this for many of his podcasts, most noteably, Net@Night with Amber McArthur.
Who is using TalkShoe? Talkcasters. I mentioned Leo and Net@Night (id 3185), but also
So why do TalkShoe he asks?
HOW do we do this?
It’s that simple.
How much does it cost?
$0.00 (And that is in Canadian dollars… the conversion to Euros is… 0.00)
In FACT they PAY you–$50 for the first 10 episodes, and pay per download after that. How cool is THAT?
NEXT RELEASE: Codename: “Tokyo” ETA 10 Sept 07
===================================
How cool is this? My son and I are thinking it might be a great way to make our football conversations a bit more interactive, and get more people involved. Really helps us connect with the audience. That CAN’T be a bad thing!
How can I use this in education? Imagine a “virtual study group” hosted through podcast–where students can call in and ask questions, and the professor can answer.
How about a call in show to leaders in Supply Chain? Wouldn’t you love a chance to pick the brains of the movers in logistics and supply chain?
Again, how cool…
]]>Points of Interest:
More later
]]>My favorite points?
Oh, and one more thing–while he is from Boston, he is a big PENN STATE FAN! And he would love a PSU t-shirt, for those that want to send him one!
]]>My son got to meet others who are interested in many of the same things he is (football, photoshop, and podcasting) and is enjoying sharing about our blog and what we are doing.
I think we may even take the Zoom H4 with us and record some conversations with other podcasters. Stick around, you might here something you like!
If you get a chance, visit their site, join the virtual camp, and if you are from Pittsburgh, COME ON DOWN!
]]>Until today.
While perusing the latest musings of the iPhone Fanboys/girls, I came across this post. It provided the link that I had been waiting for! At nextup.com you can download “TextAloud,” a windows program that will not only read text files to you, but can also save them as either wav files or mp3 files. Just think–you can now take your articles with you and listen to them while doing those other routine parts of life that take so much time away.
I have already downloaded the demo version, and tested it out. I find it to be a rather quick conversion (but not instantaneous–hey, this is tough work!) and there are several options that allow the user to configure the playback in a way that fits how they would want to listen. For instance, you can configure the time for the program to pause between sentences, and paragraphs. You can select from two voices (male and female) in the demo version, and once purchased, have the option for other (apparently “better”) voices.
So how do I envision using this?
So, dear readers, how do you think YOU might use this?
]]>I flew last week on American Airlines, to St Louis. As you may recall, St Louis was the hub for TWA, which was acquired by American. Despite that, I had a connecting flight out, and back, through Chicago. Every connection is an opportunity for an airline to have problems, and rise, or fall, on the opportunities to deliver customer service.
American Airlines rose.
On the outbound leg, I arrived in Chicago 20 minutes early, and the jovial command pilot asked that we bank it–so next time they run late we can “give it back.” Good humor. Ultimately I arrived on time in St Louis and when I talked to the staff about seating arrangements they were ever congenial.
The return leg was a bit more problematic. I arrived at the airport several hours in advance, but unfortunately the airplanes weren’t cooperative. The flights to Chicago were being shifted back by one flgith schedule each. My 6:30 departure had turned into a 7:45 departure with an arrival at the same time as my connecting flight. The customer service line was quite long, but everyone in line was fairly positive. When I got to the ticket counter the gentleman asked me what I needed. I responded with “I need to be at [destination] by midnight.”
Guess what? He did it. He moved me on to the earlier flight, and ensured that my connection wasn’t going to be a “miss.” He even looked, and was able to accommodate my desire to have an aisle seat. Being 6’2″ I need the legroom.
Of course, problems tend to pile up. I arrived at Chicago and found that not only was my final flight delayed, but there were extended delays on the ramp. Every step of the way the entire American Airlines team made sure that every passenger felt special, and that they knew that each passenger had requirements that they needed to meet as a service provider. My final arrival was 1 am, later than I had hoped given a two hour drive that followed, but I arrived safely, and well cared for.
I had a choice, and I chose American. I chose to not fly with US Airways. I will make the same decision again.
]]>The university graciously provided me with a 30 gb iPod video, and the XTreme Mac MicroMemo. The quality was quite good, but unfortunately the iPod dock connector is not designed for rigorous use riding in my shirt pocket, while bouncing around the front of a classroom lecturing. In addition, the battery would last only for about 2 hours between charges, so it was not a good solution for back to back lectures. So another solution was required.
My brother had recently purchase, on the advice of Scott Bourne (of applephoneshow.com fame among others) a SamsonTech ZOOM H4 Handy Recorder. After listening to him talk about the features, I made the plunge, and purchased one for myself, along with an Audio-Technica lapel microphone. So far, I have decided this is “the best” solution, and I would recommend this to most anyone, with only a few reservations and caveats.
The H4 is quite powerful and I encourage all of you interested in such things to go read the specs. While it’s appearance (see below) can lead one to suspect a tazer and not a recorder, it is quite useful as a standalone recorder, or with microphones. The two built-in microphones are quite good to this layman’s hearing, and have that angle to them so as to record true stereo sound. I used the standalone feature to record audioscapes during my recent trip to Monterey CA, and perhaps will post an “audio adventure” podcast, for those interested. At the bottom of the recorder the astute observer will notice two black round “circles” that are actually inputs for microphones. This ingenious design will allow for both Phono jack connectors and the XLR connectors for microphones. One can record up to four tracks, overlaying one track while listening to the others. Not useful for lectures, but I can see how musicians can fall in love with this portable mixer! On top of all these cool features it runs on 2 AA batteries and they last over 4 hours–more than enough for the stresses of my lectures! Oh–and did I mention it stores your recordings on removable SD cards, so that you can choose the size storage you want, and can easily swap it out for additional storage.
So how did I get all this to work? Well, first the lavalier microphone has a powerbox that clips to the belt, and the XLR cable connects into that box. The XLR cable then will plug in to the H4 and I am off and running! Sort of. The shortest XLR cable I have found was 3 feet, which meant I had an audio cable belt, so I cut it in half, and created my own, shorter cable. Once I worked that out, I was off! I recorded initially as “track 1” and found that it quite easily recorded my lectures. The only drawback here is when recording as tracks one is not given the option to trade quality for recording time. That is, I could only record as a .wav file, and not as an mp3 file.  Easily fixed. I record as one channel of stereo, and when I bring it in to my audio editor, I just restore it to Mono.
Drawbacks? Well, some are little inconveniences and nothing is a real showstopper.  The H4 isn’t designed to be worn, so unfortunately it doesn’t come with a belt clip. I would love to see that as an optional accessory. For now, I shove it into my pants pocket. That’s not a real “flaw” as much as a merchandising opportunity. Also, I haven’t been able to figure out if I can set the date/time stamp for the files. I am not sure that one can, but this leads to another problem–the menu. There are several different context sensitive menus which are fairly easy to navigate, but you have to work a combination of the joystick style button on the front, and the selection wheel on the side of the unit. This can get confusing, especially when the joystick also can be used to serve other functions as well. Finally, as I mentioned, I would like to be able to select .mp3 format when recording tracks. I suspect that the designers assumed users of that mode would want the highest quality possible, but they shouldn’t overlook other possible reasons to record a mono track. Obviously the CODEC is there, so this should be an easily modified feature.
Overall, it is a great product, and an absolute joy to have when travelling. I will be conducing my first formal interview using it in a few weeks, so hopefully I can have more thoughts on this product in the near future.
The Prof
PS: I should be receiving a Zoom H2 soon, and will be posting my review of the unit soon thereafter. It looks like a great unit, and apparently others agree.  I am told there is a backorder in the 10’s of thousands for this unit. So, go check out the specs.
]]>I went to update my TomTom One GPS unit yesterday, and downloaded the software updates. When I went to install it, the hard drive on which I had downloaded the file chose to go Tango Uniform. Yup. Dead. Doorstop. Of course, as is always the case, it didn’t just die outright. It chose to tease me, to let me think I could revive it. After 10 hours–then it died.
So what is “at risk?” Hopefully not much. I had 5 years of digital photos on there, but I also had that backed up to an external drive. I had the raw files for much audio and video work, but the final versions were saved elsewhere, as well. I am hoping that, all in all, I dodged a bullet there. It goes without saying that I am currently backing up the back-up. Can’t afford two crashes. Once this “online hard drive” backup is done, I will be making the backup to DVD-RL (8 Gigs each). Only 10 of those disks required.
That said, the TomTom was current enough, and I loaned it out to the in-laws for their trip to Florida. I hope they enjoy it. At least the voice on there should keep them company.
]]>Why my son? Well, if you haven’t already made it over there, he and I have our own little podcast, “The Father Son Chats.” It’s mostly about Penn State football, because he is amazing at breaking down the team, but we do occasionally talk about other things.  Go visit there, and check out some of the graphic work he has been doing as well.
Let me know if any of you are attending and we can plan to get “un-together” and have an “un-chat” about all things podcasting! I am planning on bringing some of my equipment, so perhaps we can even have an interview or three!
Also, since so many people prefer to call rather than type, I have decided to try out this free voicemail service! Â If you want to try it out, just call my new voicemail number, and let me know what you like about the blog or the podcasts, or hey–leave a request for a topic you would like to have me rant about!
The number is:
206-339-4715
Let me know what you think!
]]>Now, without any further ado, the excerpt:
]]>Q: Very good. (It didn’t fit the rhythm, and anyway they get the picture.) How would you react to the idea that a psychological trait, one intimately linked to the higher mental functions, is highly heritable?
A: With suspicion and unease, naturally.
Q: It’s strongly correlated with educational achievement, class and race.
A: Worse and worse.
Q: Basically nothing that happens after early adolescence makes an impact on it; before that it’s also correlated with diet.
A: Do you work at the Heritage Foundation? Such things cannot be.
Q: What if I told you the trait was accent?
A: I’m sorry?
Q (in a transparently fake California accent): When you, like, say words differently than other people? who speak, like, the same language? because that’s how you, you know, learned to say them from people around you?
A: Do you have a point to make, or are you just yanking my chain?
Q: Would you agree that accent has all the characteristics I just described?
A: Higher cognitive functions — heritable — class and race — not plastic after adolesence — correlation with diet, hah! — I guess I must.
Q: But would you say that there is any genetic or even congenital component to accent?
A: Not really. Obviously, some congenital conditions, like deafness or defects of the vocal chords, make it hard to impossible to acquire any accent. And I can imagine, though I don’t know of anything, that there might be very specific mutations which make it hard to hear a distinction between a given pair of sounds, or easier to learn a specific distinction. But, in general, no, there is no non-trivial genetic component to accent.
Q: Then why were you worried that I was about to start channeling Arthur Jensen?
A: Because those are the sorts of claims usually trotted out by people who want to claim that something is innate, un-plastic, and usually invidiously distributed; sometimes there is a “sadly” to the claims of group inferiority, and sometimes, I think, that “sadly” is even genuine.
— The Professor
]]>Now, if any of you know of a WordPress plugin that I can use to facilitate the voting, let me know! I will install it right away, but for now… vote in your comments.
Be sure to DIGG the story, as well! Just click on the blog headline, then you should see this blog with a DIGG THIS link. Click on DIGG IT! and then your DIGG vote will be counted. If you don’t have a DIGG account, it is quick and easy to create!
The Prof
PS This post is now also a permanent page! See the left margin!
]]>Faithful readers may remember my post about the Russian News Agency incorrectly referring to the “Dark Side of the Moon.” (No, not the music…) Well, here is another apparently common mis-perception. I say common because I have been told the local TV media made the same mistake.
So, dear readers… send me an email telling me what YOU think is wrong with this picture! (I really need to come up with a prize for this–guest spot on the next “Brothers” podcast perhaps?)
]]>Send your questions my way! I will certainly answer them for you! And share the news with your friends and family! I am sure they would welcome the blessing received from this manifestation.
]]>Do us a favor and go DIGG it as well! (You may have to create an account–it’s free!)
Well, I thought I was losing my mind, but after several months of staring at the floorboards in the bathroom, I finally said to my wife and son, “well, I may be crazy, but has anyone else ever seen, in the floorboards of the bathroom–”
And my son interjected “The face of Jesus!?”
Had me wondering. I mean, if the Virgin Mary can appear in a piece of toast, whose to say Jesus wouldn’t want to appear in a hardwood floor? Besides, one would expect the wood to have a longer “shelf” life than toasted bread!
Well, yes, that is exactly what I thought it was as well. What do you all think? (click on the image to see a larger view)
Do you think this is a “sign”? Perhaps it helps the sale value of the house! A pilgrimage?
The Prof
]]>So why do I bring this up today? What takes me back to this well one more time? Well, having visited him today, I was surprised to see what seemed like real reporting. (Hey, he has a journalism degree–it could happen!) I saw no citations, no links, and it wasn’t simply a cut and paste job. He wrote a rather lengthy piece about a new battlefield robot, Binky.
The remote-controlled, plush mechanical champion, called “Binky”, is soft on the exterior, but contains a titanium-alloy endoskeletal frame, making it tough enough for the battlefield.
It was an interesting piece. And it turns out, a fabricated piece. Oh not completely out of whole cloth mind you. It’s based on a real story from the New Scientist Magazine website. In that story they write about a robot that honestly will rescue fallen soldiers. And it does have a cutsie name–it’s called BEAR.
A remote-controlled robot that will rescue injured or abducted soldiers, without putting the lives of their comrades at risk, is being developed for the US army. The 1.8-metre-tall Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (Bear) will be able to travel over bumpy terrain and squeeze through doorways while carrying an injured soldier in its arms.
That’s alright. I realize it was his attempt at humor. And perhaps even in some way satire. I would have liked him to have given something of a hat tip to the Magazine though. The closest he came was referring to “News Scientist” when he wrote:
Binky, an acronym for Battleready Industrial Neo-Kevlar Yeoman, is part of the Pentagon’s next-generation “Mechanical Myrmidons”, destined for Afghanistan and Iraq, according to News Scientist.
I am beginning to feel the fool. All this time I was thinking this “New Patriot” was writing serious pieces expressing honest opinions about politics, the war in Iraq, and President Bush. Apparently I misunderstood. He is really writing fanciful stories about what the news could have said, but didn’t. That does explain why it seemed to me he was misquoting sources. He wasn’t. He was writing comedy. True satire. Making stuff up! (UNC must be SO proud of him! His skills at fabricating news are about ready for Prime Time. You hear that, New York Times? Stephen Colbert?)
So, let’s go over the stories that he recently covered that apparently he “didn’t quite mean.”
So, in the words of America’s great President, Ronald Reagan, “There you go again…”
]]>First, I want to recommend that you go read about the $30,000 toothbrush. Okay, so the toothbrush itself didn’t cost that much, but failing to fulfill a simple promise (you know the one “if you forgot a basic toiletry item we will bring one right up to you!”) resulted in a very expensive negative consequence.1 There you will also find my comments on what a company should do to turn this whole thing around.
Second, I wanted to point out that you can see what I am finding interesting by looking for my tags at http://del.icio.us. If you don’t want to go there on your own, just click on the del.icio.us information on the bottom right of this blog.
Third, I would encourage many of you to not only write to me, but please, let’s start some conversations here! I appreciate the emails (Thanks, Ryan!) but much of what you guys write would be interesting to all. So Mike, Ryan, and the rest of you–engage! Also, if you like the podcasts, and want to contribute or be a “guest contributor” let me know. I can set up a telephone “interview!”
Finally, some tidbits of interest:
Well, there you have em. A few tidbits. Let me know what you think!
The Professor
1. An interesting aside: Just a few weeks ago, I stopped at a hotel because I was just too tired to continue. I didn’t have a toothbrush. I called. I was told to come down to the desk to pick it up. So, in my case I would have gotten the free toothbrush, but it wasn’t as convenient as the promise on the card. At least the Hampton Inn hotel is honest. Their card says “Come down to the desk to pick up…”
2. And going back to that reference from the left, Fleshy then wrote “the reputation and influence of the United States has been reduced to nothing more than that of a common street bully.” Hmmm… Isn’t a Bully someone who forces you to do something you don’t want to do? Sounds more like Chavez than Bush.
]]>As you may recall, I wrote that teens today are social animals, and not that different from the teens of the past that used ice cream parlours, soda counters, and the mall as their means of socializing. In fact,in his presentation at the Penn State Teaching and Learning with Technology 2007 Symposium, Lee Rainie mentioned that in fact most youth today don’t write, or network, or create, for the world to consume. He believes most do it for their friends, and their small connected groups.
Unfortunately, many of today’s youth are engaged in translating their analog life pursuits into digital ones without necessarily understanding the potentially broad audience. Many stories have been written in various business journals about companies “googling” prospective employees, or checking their facebook and myspace.com pages. And the young job-seekers being surprised when they are confronted with what they themselves posted for the world! This was made more clear to me in recent discussions over at the Community College Dean’s blog. On his blog in his “ask an administrator” feature, he was specifically asked (among other things) about whether a Department Chair should reveal that they have found, and are reading, pseudonymous postings by several grad students. The Chair was actually concerned that the students might feel they are being spied upon! Is it spying if you write for all the world to read?
(SIDE QUESTION) Question:Â Are today’s youth truly “tech saavy” if they don’t understand the world-wide nature of the World Wide Web?
So where do I take this post? Is this simply a rehash of old thoughts? No–that would be silly. I ran across another blog entry over at “Own Your Own Brand!” In this post the author talks about how Mom was significantly networked in her own “social setting” of Small Town USA. It’s a great story, and I don’t want to re-tell it here. Honestly, I think you all will enjoy reading it, so go check it out.
There are great lessons the writer draws from this though–lessons that I think perhaps can be applied to our activities both in the “digital space” as well as in our “real” space. To summarize the points:
Now imagine if we encouraged everyone in their personal “flesh and blood” activities, and their zero-and-one life, to remember these three things.
Mom is linked. And so are we.
]]>Quoted from my Brother’s site:
Two Bradys, Two Brothers, Two Doctorates, and at least Two Views.
We discuss our different set ups, Windows for Steve (XP) and Mac OSX for Chris. I followed the directions found here.
More topics covered:
And we reached the end of GarageBand’s recording capacity.
So there you have it. Enjoy.
Oh–if you are a listener, please, write or comment and let us know. Obviously we talk, but it’s nice to know if we make a sound. (you know… tree… .forest… fall…)
]]>We start with my theory that by offering multiple operating systems (Ubuntu Linux, Windows XP and Vista) Dell is working to position themselves to sell Apple’s OS-X.
Other things we talk about:
My decision, as you could guess, was based on the largely pragmatic issue of $3/gal gasoline. I enjoy my 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe but the fuel efficiency just isn’t there. I looked at the monthly cost of gasoline at 19 mpg, and decided that I could do better.
I decided that I wanted a Honda hybrid. I own a Honda Pilot that we love, and I have a couple friends who have owned Honda hybrids and they love them for all the reasons a person loves a Honda. Reliability. Design. “Feel.” So there I was, I wanted a Honda. In fact, I had arrived at the clear decision to get an Accord hybrid. I liked the style of the car, it was a spacious sedan, and at 38 mpg, it would be half the fuel cost of my existing Santa Fe. On top of all that, I could get it with Navigation and XM Radio built in! So off I went, dutifully to the local Honda dealer, to inquire about the Accord.
I met my new salesman friend Aldo on the lot, and I quickly told him I wanted a hybrid. He commented that it made sense to want 50 mpg rather than 19. 50?! What was he talking about? The best the Accord could get was 38, I thought. He told me the Civic is rated at about 50 mpg, and that he had a used on one the lot that actually had Navigation and XM factory installed! (And I didn’t think you could even GET a Civic with those features!) I was reluctant. After all it is a smaller car. So I test drove a new one, and the used one. Handled nicely. Actually spacious inside. I had recently rented a Dodge Caliber and thought that car was comfortable, and the Civic was even more so. Of course, I appreciate that the engine itself is (apparently) a cleaner burning engine than one would get with a traditional engine getting 50 mpg. I think it has something to do with the 2 sparkplugs for each cylinder, and the use of the electic motor to augment that gas engine when more power is required.
It was a matter of checking the numbers at that point, building spreadsheets, and calling my bank. The numbers were clear. With my high mileage driving patterns and costs of gasoline around $2.75/gallon, the money saved in gasoline cost avoidance would actually pay off 2/3 of the car each month. Not too shabby. The table below shows the cost savings up to 5o mpg, assuming gas prices ranging from $2/gallon up to $3.20 a gallon. I started with the baseline of 18 mpg (my current car) and this table is the difference between the fuel cost at 18 mpg and the lower costs with a higher fuel efficiency. As you can see, at $2.75 a gallon, even if I only get 42 mpg (I am told a solid estimate for city and highway mileage–and the average mpg for the used car I just bought!) there is a cost avoidance of $218.25 month (I based this on a low estimate of 2500 miles driven each month. Yes, a low estimate, given my driving history.)
The numbers were clear. By the next morning I was on the door at the dealer negotiating for my first “certified Used Car” from a dealer. I haven’t driven it much, but so far I enjoy the vehicle. It handles nicely, and has sufficient pep when I need to get up to speed quickly or avoid those crazy drivers who fail to heed the Car Talk brothers’ advice, and end up ‘driving like my brother.’
So there you have it. I am now an environmentally conscious conservative consumer, focused on saving money, while saving the environment one tankful at a time.
]]>Obviously, Congress needs to play politics. It’s what they do. But they need to stop playing politics with the lives, and the livelihood of the Men and Women who (the case of servicemembers) are putting their lives at risk to defend our freedoms. I encourage all of you to let your representatives know that you support our troops! Tell Congress that it’s their turn to “step up” and behave responsibly.
]]>As if you needed any more reasons to not fly US Airways, this report comes from my wife on her trip back home.
We left on different flights heading back East. She took off on time from San Francisco, but unfortunately, her flight apparently had slower engines than mine, and she arrived 30 minutes later than scheduled. This is, of course, a problem when you only have 40 minutes scheduled between flights, and your flights are in two different terminals. She talked to the flight attendant on board her first flight, and advised them of the situation. The response was actually classic US Airways: 1. You aren’t alone, there are many others who are in the same situation. 2. I am sure they know you are coming, so don’t worry about it.
Why do I call this a classic US Airways response? First, they inevitably tell you that you aren’t alone with this problem. I am not sure why they do that, but I think it is to make you feel small–like somehow you have no “real” gripe because you aren’t really unique, or special. My response has been typically “Well, if so many people are having these problems, perhaps you should be doing something to fix your airline–don’t you agree?” The second ‘typical’ response is to tell you that it will all be taken care of later, by someone else. The classic buck-passer. That’s the story I heard, time and again, from everyone I met who entered the realm of “customer service” with USAirways. Inevitably, and I do mean inevitably, the buck passer mis-spoke, mislead or just didn’t want to do something.
So that brings me back to my wife’s story. She gets off the plane, and starts hurrying through the airport. She sees one of those motorized carts, and asks for a ride, telling them what time her flight is leaving. They graciously take her to the gate (but warn her she most likely will have already missed the flight–USAirways doesn’t wait!). And sure enough, they were closing the door to the plane. “They” let her onboard, only to find out that the Gate Attendant had already given her seat assignment to someone else!
Now, why would an airline, knowing that the person they were missing was an inbound on another flight, and making a connection, do such a thing? There are two “things” that USAirways did here. First, they were going to leave a passenger who’s flight had landed, simply to make their “on time departure” metric. Second, they gave a seat away that was for a customer who was making a connecting flight. The first is an unfortunate “unintended consequence” of metrics. If you measure me on the percentage of on time take offs, and not reducing the number of stranded customers, then US Airways (and all other airlines) will continue to care more about the “push back from the gate” than having happy customers. The second “thing” is a bit more difficult to understand. I mean, giving her seat away? Perhaps one could chalk it up to the need to generate revenue (so much of what they do is meant to nickel and dime their customers) except, and here is the weird thing, they still had seats on the plane. They were able to give my wife a new seat assignment right away.
So what lessons do we learn about US Airways here?
Yup. US Airways is not a winner, at least not in my book.
2.
I had a trip out west, and unfortunately, flew on US Airways. The night before I left, I received a call telling me that my flight out would be delayed by about 2 hours, which would mean I would miss my connecting flight. I had to press hard for them to work through that, but luckily I had already built in a buffer to that schedule. My meeting was the next day at 7 am, so I would be “fine.” I had planned on meeting my wife in San Francisco and thus we had more “complications.” I needed to get her flight re-routed as well, so that she wouldn’t be waiting for 5 or 6 hours in the airport. At first, US Airways was not willing to work with us on this. “Her flight isn’t the one delayed” they kept reminding me. Finally, after a full hour on the phone, I was able to not only work out changes that had us arrive at the same time, but it put us on the same connecting flight!
All’s well that ends well? Not quite. Actually, not by a long shot. When we got on the plane to connect to San Fran, it turned out my wife’s seat was literally double booked.1 She, and another gentleman, had the same seat assignment.2Â On an overbooked flight. Ah, but they were able to accommodate us again. We got to sit next to the bathroom.
Now here is where I feel bad. I could write a nice long blog entry about how the meeting went quite well. (It did.) How absolutely enjoyable (and fabulous) the “vacation” portion of it was. (It was!) I should write about how I enjoyed the seafood, and how I thought it was neat to see and hear the sealions in Monterey. (all true.) But nope. I am still too angry.
You see, I am still at the airport waiting for the final leg of my flight home. When I arrived (yesterday morning) at the airport in San Francisco, I was told that my final flight, the 50 minute connector to my hometown, was canceled (already.) And why was it canceled? Because they wouldn’t– 12 hours later– have an aircrew to fly the plane. Yup–they had a “crew cancel” scheduled more than 12 hours before the flight would even take off!
The gentleman at the counter worked hard to find an alternative, but when US Airways is the only airline to the local airport, the options are limited. Ultimately, I ended up heading to the connecting airport on the East Coast, and having to stay at a (very crappy) hotel at US Airways expense. They did provide me with meal vouchers. And you know just how far that $5 goes at an airport!
I did tell them that, since they screwed up my outbound and my inbound flights that they owed me some additional compensation. Alas, so far I have only received the buck passing. More to follow, no doubt.
1 This is interesting, given that on April 24th the airline’s President, and the Chairman/CEO issued a letter to customers touting that the new reservations system is in place, and that the “new software and better airport processes will allow our airport employees to focus less on keystrokes and more on getting you where you need to be, on time, with your bag. ”
2 To delve further into this story, on that same flight there was another seat with two bookings. On top of that, on my final flight home (yes, I finally got one!) “they” double booked a seat on that flight. In today’s era of “Web 2.0” and Digital Natives, how does this happen? Perhaps another post, on that…
In MY mind it’s not too bizarre that a “fictional band” is “reuniting” to fight a fictional problem.
All kidding aside, I am not a “disbeliever” in climate change. I do remain unconvinced that mankind is responsible for it. More to follow later, when I put together a podcast highlight how the “fake” 90% probability figure was created for the IPCC report.
I am not sure if this approach actually lends credibility to the argument that climate change is a man-made. When you read the story, the band continues to spoof on any number of subjects. Quoting:
In the new film, Reiner, reprising his role, takes credit for coining the term “global warming.” The band members discuss their long history of charity work, such as campaigns to help ferrets — by raising money to feed them Caesar salad — and to help people with high insteps.
As I see this, they are comparing Climate Change to ferrets, Caesar salad and high insteps. Hmmm. Perhaps Reiner is also not “a believer.”
]]>I am intrigued by this phrase, the “digital Native.” It implies somehow that these youth are themselves involved with the “digital” nature of things. Honestly, I don’t think people realize what it means anymore to be “digital.” For instance, one blog author recently wrote:
“I killed the CD collection years ago and have been living in a digital music ecosystem since my iPods’ storage capacities started to match my old analog collection.”
Does anyone else see that there is no distinction between “CD Collection” and being “digital?” I, for one, made the switch to digital coding and storage of my music when I made the switch to CDs. They are digital. I still listen to my music in analog however. Whether on an iPod, CD, or “digital XM radio.” In fact, we have seen in the past 40 years a move from talking to computers in a “digital” fashion through programming in “machine code” to first creating computer “languages” that move more to human language and thought (Fortran, C++, etc), and now to developing interfaces for computers such as WordPress, iTunes, and others than make the computer more “human friendly” rather than making us more “digital.”
And here lies my point: This generation isn’t any more “digital” than any other. Humanity is inherently “analog.” We see things in analog, we hear in analog, and despite efforts to compare our brains to computers, we apparently think in analog. This “digital generation” is still engaged in all the things that youth of every generation have found to occupy their time.
One of the thoughts defining how the world has changed is that youth today are able to interact in “social computing spaces” such as MySpace and FaceBook. Is that really different from past generations? Some seem to think that, because teens are now relating from a keyboard, that this is somehow “different” and imbues these youth with something perhaps even “magical” that we have to learn to tap.
I would argue that teens, being human, are social animals. Today they use Web 2.0 tools. In the 90’s it was AOL Chat rooms (digital, I realize). Before that teens hung out at the mall (70’s and 80’s), Soda Shops (50’s) and Ice Cream Parlours (20’s and 30’s). Prior to that, despite long distances that separated the youth in our agrarian societies, they found time for “barn dances” and other social events. People of all ages and through all ages have wanted to be “together” and socialize with other people. That hasn’t changed.
“But wait” you may say, “now the youth are sharing and communicating in a very global way with people they have never met.” Yes, that is true. Of course, back in the days of what I call “web 0.0” people did the same with pen-pals and the use of postal services. People even solicited inputs from strangers by putting messages in bottles, attaching cards to balloon launches, and perhaps dozens of other creative ways of reaching out in very tactile ways to a world one didn’t even know.
But are our youth any more “global” than they were before? While Lee Rainie and Bryan Alexander talked about the global nature of this new communication, Lee did point out that most of the communication today is between small groups. In response to a question I posed from the floor he pointed out that most “content creators” create for a small group, and believe that their work will only be viewed by a select few. Some even control that group by limiting access to their “friends.”
So here is my bottom line :
Kids today aren’t any different than we were, or our parents were. Technology is more pervasive simply because smart people have made digital into a more “analog” experience. Perhaps we need to stop emoting over the technology, and focus again on people rather than process.
]]>One major input: The students like the professor “facing” the students. Additional: They like the use of colors to highlight information.
What strikes me here, along with much of the conference, is how we are discussing ways of moving what we do, and making ourselves “more productive” with new technologies but not necessarily doing “new things.”
The faculty have made good use of the existing software to deliver their content. For instance, they don’t have any fancy “education software” to present the information, but rather have used Windows Journal to combine (pre) written text with charts diagrams, and “spontaneous” hand written notes to step through the lectures.
Back in “the day” I had professors that would essentially do the same thing. They would write out their notes, then scan them as PDFs , and either email or post them to a website.
The Mech Engineer professor has found that class attendance has dropped significantly. He suspects that it is because he posts the completed documents to the course website after the lectures. To me that is a “significant” finding since I haven’t seen a drop in attendance in my classes even though I post the PowerPoint slides, and record and post my lectures as podcasts.
The final professor with a presentation actually says he “records” his presentations, so that he can make it available for downloads. He uses a software package called “Centra” and records everything as he works through the lecture with the students in the classroom.
Interestingly, he has put forward that he would like to see all the students have tablets as well, so they can all begin to work in the classroom collaboratively.
I do have a few comments about Web 2.0 and the Symposium, but I will post those “later.”
Bolting the Tablet to the Podium?? Believe it or not, there actually are people in favor of this sort of thing. It is the classic conflict between the institution’s desire to protect assets and the faculty desire to have mobility in the classroom.
]]>More importantly for the point of this discussion, I also generally dislike the relatively recent (read, in the past 7 years) trend to referring to states by color, as if that color somehow “means” something. It’s an interesting use of “code words” by a group (liberals) that generally have eschewed such things.
What is it about calling blue states “liberal states” and red states “conservative states” that is so distasteful? Which represents more accurately the views of the state? “Blue” or “Liberal/Progressive”?
]]>I already own a Pocket PC device, so I was familiar with the interface, and that was a significant draw for me. A few of you may recall I had mentioned previously my interest in a BlackJack. My oldest daughter now has one, and loves it, but she pointed out that one could view, but not edit documents (Word of Excel) with the device. That and the WiFi in this phone were enough to push me over the edge. Also, I didn’t want a phone with the keyboard exposed.
Personally, I like the slide-out feature with keyboard, and find it quite nice for typing.
Favorite feature? It has 802.11 WiFi built in, so one need not use the (expensive) data plan with Cingular, if one can find access through WiFi. Panera anyone?
Oh, it’s also “Touch Screen” and has a 2 mp camera.
Drawbacks? (Yes, I stick them way down here.) If anything, my one “negative” is the size. It’s no larger than a pack of playing cards, but it is thicker than I would perhaps otherwise have wanted. Also, the price is a bit high considering my rant about the iPhone. While I did pay considerably less than the list price of about $550 with the use of discounts and 2 year contract) it took some serious swallowing in advance.
Overall, it’s a nice device.
]]>From “Slash.dot”:
First things first: sod the iPhone. Yeah, you read right, forget about it. Stop saving 10-percent of your pay-packet every month, don’t sign 18 to 24 months of your life away to Cingular, think laterally, not with the crowd. Helio have just blown everyone out of the water, and ironically they’ve done it with the Ocean.
Dual-slide for both number pad and full QWERTY. 3G for screaming downloads. Two-megapixel camera with flash, GPS, full HTML browser, 2.4-inch 260k colour QVGA display, on-board stereo speakers, 200MB of internal memory and microSD for more than 2GB more, USB Mass Storage Mode with PC and Mac compatibility… I’m throwing all this out in one fat chunk because if I were to talk you through it we’d be here all day.
Well, I am looking for a new phone… but not sure I am ready to drop even $200… but who knows. If it works with Cingular…
]]>Yesterday I went to use the computer in the lecture hall, and noticed that the computer’s clock was running one hour “behind”–“odd,” I thought, “I wonder why this computer didn’t automatically update?” Then I saw my desktop at work had the wrong date as well. “Odd,” I thought. “Did the University fail to push the updates?”
Well, today, I realized that my personal computers–those that had most, if not all, of the updates, were no longer reading the correct “Savings Time” time. While I could really use the additional time, it has me wondering if Microsoft’s patch was just a bit “buggy.”
Did the computers somehow reset themselves the following Sunday back to Standard Time? (Full disclosure–I may have missed a patch somewhere, or not paid attention myself)
]]>We talk about iPhone and various audio equipment “stuff.”
]]>Let me explain. I see the Wiki as traditionally viewed, that is many contribute their bits of knowledge, allowing for the aggregation of knowledge (and the self-correction as required), with a limited impact on any individual as that knowledge is created. I contribute that which I feel most comfortable contributing, and hopefully take the time to provide correction when I believe something has been less than helpful, or downright incorrect. BOTTOM LINE: Big gains in accessibility to knowledge, with limited impact on any one person’s time to develop.
If we were to view this as the ideal for a course, developing a base of knowledge for a course of instruction, then I suspect we have actually just provided the faculty member with another way of putting their content forward, but not necessarily made it any simpler for the faculty member, and perhaps in fact have increased their workload if only by adding another learning curve. This is not to say that students couldn’t be used to help develop the content, but their inputs will be widely varied in content and quality, depending on their previous knowledge of the materials, their experience base, and the like. In upper level graduate courses, where students are drawing on a wealth of past educational and work experiences, then perhaps they have much to contribute and share, but can we expect that level of contribution from undergrads?
I have looked at a few of the examples of PB Wiki, and the camping trip, and I find them to be interesting ways of accomplishing what we have had other tools to do before, namely, allow for an online space for the aggregation of information. As an open forum, allowing for the development of information, perhaps this makes sense, but what if your school already has a course management system, such as Blackboard, WebCT, or Angel? Do Wikis provide a new capability, or a duplication of existing capabilities with minor tweaks and changes?
So, my question about the use of Wiki in this way (and my perspective as one faculty member) is: how does it a) make the educational content better, b) make the educator’s life easier freeing us up to focus on content rather than process, or c) enable students to grasp the information in a better/faster/cheaper way?
Ideas?
]]>I couldn’t help but chuckle when I saw these two news stories, as the top two stories on the “I, Ramble” site.
Now, the placement of the ads is not controlled by the owner of the blog or website, so this is purely coincidental–at least at how it happens to display on the blog.
]]>I understand the compulsion to keep the family updated. Lately I have chosen to do that through phone calls and emails (with attachments.) Again, back in the day, I remember rationing long distance calls because of the extortionist rates charged. But now we have all you can talk rates. I also hated to send attachments to emails, since everyone was on a VERY slow dial-up (yes, I remember acoustic couplers, and 300 baud… not kbaud, BAUD…) So many folks of late have high speed connections that it appears attachments are no longer a problem. So… private communications it is!
Now, I will say, I have chosen to not give my kids a say in how much exposure they have on the web (until recently). But for me the discussion was 180 out of phase with most of the discussions here. I told my kids that I actually would not allow them to post photos or personal information on the web (or other various manifestations of “the net.”)
As I say, that has changed recently, since they are now older. One is now an adult. Another is quite close… and the third.. well he can take care of himself. I still exercise veto authority over those that are minors, but have allowed more freedom for them to make such decisions as they transition to adult-hood, and the assumption of the responsibility for their actions.
I hope my thoughts here in some way contribute to the discussion.
]]>Regular readers will remember that I have had “issues” with the lack of care exercised by my fellow bloggers on the left when it comes to reporting the facts. In the past, I have challenged the blogging from “A Liberal Dose” when the author mis-represented the facts as reported in the stories he cited. What first drew my attention to that blog was his gross mis-representation of desertions as a “flood” following the start of the Iraq war.
Now, I find that another of my favorite liberal friends not only perpetuates the mis-representation that the Bush tax cuts only helped the richest Americans, but uses a nearly 2 1/2 year old news story to support the claim. I wrote at the time that the democrats had failed to actually read the report before launching their scathing media attack. If you visit my blog entry, you will find my analysis not of the news stories that failed to actually get the story straight, but rather my analysis of the actual CBO report. One key point:
Now, that being said, you would think that the total change in share of the tax burden, or as the CBO report puts it, the total share of the “Individual Income Tax LIabilities” would decrease by a greater rate. But we see that is not the case. According to their report, those people in the top 20% of earners (highest quintile) actually show an increase in the share of the liability for most years, and there are only three years (2006-2008) when the tax share decreases at all for those in the top 1%. On the other hand, those in the bottom 60% of earners show a decrease in the total share of income tax burden every year. EVERY year.
The bottom line when one looks at the tax report is that everyone that pays income taxes received the benefits of the tax cuts. If you paid taxes, at the end of the day, you paid less after the Bush tax cuts than before.
Over at Pressing the Flesh “fleshy” writes:
Three things are clear, however: most Americans didn’t receive any real form of tax relief from Bush’s cherished tax cuts to begin with – those cuts only rewarded those with the highest incomes.
Hopefully you, dear students, have now learned that the assertion is false. The cuts rewarded everyone.
As always, I recommend you refer to the original source documents. Don’t trust the media, and don’t trust ax-grinding bloggers. Not even me.
Until next time…
]]>I recommend it as a possible clarion call for where this world may end up, when we leave behind rigor in journalism, and begin to allow opinions and attitudes drive our “news” rather than relying on facts and legitimate analysis.
]]>As Google has now pointed out on their own site, this is a result of “Google bombing.” Here is Google’s explanation:
By using a practice called googlebombing, however, determined pranksters can occasionally produce odd results. In this case, a number of webmasters use the phrases [failure] and [miserable failure] to describe and link to President Bush’s website, thus pushing it to the top of searches for those phrases.
Google then goes on to explain that they don’t manually edit or change the search results, even though it appears it is a result of people Google has labeled as “pranksters.” In fact Google writes: “but we’re also reluctant to alter our results by hand in order to prevent such items from showing up. Pranks like this may be distracting to some, but they don’t affect the overall quality of our search service, whose objectivity, as always, remains the core of our mission.”
So we have pranksters that have fun with this. Rabid liberals get another chance to poke fun at President Bush, continuing their on-going “hit and run” strategies of poking fun at the President without ever having to provide or engage in, any “serious” discussion of the issues. And I am sure that if Google had been as pervasive in the 1990s rabid Conservatives would have had some fun with search words and President Clinton (I will leave those to your imagination!)
But does “google bombing” really not “affect the quality… objectivity… the core of our mission?” In this case, politics is such a “hot button topic” that such bizarre outcomes are immediately questioned and the “truth” comes out. But perhaps there are instances where a persistent attack on other topics could have a more insidious effect. For instance, Ryan Schultz documented an incident where a googlebomb was used to point to anti-semitic sites when the word “jew” was searched.
At another site (Stone Court) a liberal steps up the rhetoric, and advocates google-bombing because it can be used to represent a pro-abortionist point of view. That blogger calls it “bombing for choice. Note for this to work, these “bombers” are using this to influence people who are conducting legitimate searches. This is done to effect outcomes, and not to make a cheap political joke. Other sites actually advocate such attacks, including against Verisign (and another against Verisign), or scientologists controlling their message, and then a more light-hearted one, where a man wants to be the most famous David Gallagher on the net.
How hard would it be to accomplish this? According to one site “Empirical results indicate that it does not take a large number of websites to achieve a Googlebomb. The effect has been achieved with only a handful of dedicated weblogs.”
I haven’t given much attention to “Google Bombing” before. Perhaps it is because I am tired of cheap political shots that seem to serve as a liberal’s way of dealing with important issues. Or perhaps worse, I haven’t given it thought because it is so insidious. Perhaps I never noticed it, even when it was displayed on my screen in search after search, because the successful searchers, like “bombers for choice” are actually working to influence outcomes. And ironically, such influence is usually seen to reduce choice.
So let me join MetaTalk and go on record as condeming google bombing. Oh, heck, let the infantile political stuff continue. Sure, it’s funny. But Google–do something to stop such influence. Google bombing does far more harm to the results than you apparently are willing to accept. Your results are no longer objective.
]]>First, the pricing news. The new device, sold exclusively through Cingular and Apple, will sell for $499 for a 4 gig model, and $599 for the 8 gig model. Note that $499 is quite close to what I thought would be “too expensive.” And therein lies the conversation we had.
My brother said that this price point makes sense since this is competing with the Blackberry and the latest Treo. I said then, and still argue, that it is a bit overpriced. A rather reasonable disagreement, until he told me that I didn’t understand what this product is. That I was somehow “missing it.”
Interesting. A little history here. I owned an Apple Newton when the second edition Newton MP110 came out. Even bought a close out “original” MP100 for my wife. I understood that there was a certain attraction to having a hand-held device that not only could keep your calendar for you, but functioned as a notepad and was programmable. I even bought a modem for it, and wow’d colleagues in the mid -90’s with my ability to grab a phone line and email back to the office during business meetings, and check my email for replies, without needing a large computer. (NOTE this was before wireless, and ubiquitous cell phones, or text messaging… think how far we have come in just 10 years!) That Newton retailed for around $1000.
When Apple killed it, so did much of my interest in that sort of technology, until the Handspring Visor made its debut. I was intrigued again by the opportunities that such a device, with the touted “springboard,” could offer. Here was a “Palm based” device that allowed hardware add-ons. Including, they promised, a PHONE. And just as promised, Sprint sold the first cell-phone attachment that plugged in to the PDA, creating a “convergence” device. Yes, it was pricey. The phone attachment sold for $250, and obviously that was on top of the original purchase price of the Handspring Visor.
After that, I went for the Treo 300, Handspring’s “all in one” cellphone and PDA convergence device. Again, pricey. Again, I was sold on the features, the fact that everything was working together, and I only had to carry one device. Heck, I even bought one for my wife, who also enjoyed those features.
After that, though, I found myself wanting the flexibility that I could have with separate devices. Cell phones were shrinking, stand-alone PDAs were becoming far more capable, and the “smart phones” were getting way too pricey.
“Too pricey?” you may ask, “isn’t it more expensive to buy each item separately?” Why, yes it is. And certainly this was a “personal” lifestyle choice. For me, I felt it was a better decision to be able to have the flexibility to upgrade each component as my needs or requirements for that technology changed, rather than wait for the next “all in one” to come out to meet all my needs.
I have gone with “all in one” printer/scanner/copier/fax machines. Mostly because they are so cheap, er affordable, right now. One can buy a low end HP PSC (no fax) for about $50 at Wal*Mart right now! Low price makes convergence VERY attractive.
So, all this is to say, I am not new to the concept of “convergence” and “convergent technologies.” I believe I understand what Apple’s new product offers, and I have to agree, it is light years beyond most convergent devices out there. I have traditionally been what is often labeled an “early adopter.” (Perhaps, at times, I would even fit in the “Innovators” category defined in one marketing textbook1 as “Venturesome, higher educated, use multiple information sources.”)
So what’s my thought on this? Why do I think it is overpriced?
I am not sure that this product, though very attractive and done with the typical Apple attention to style and flare, can be seen as highly innovative and “cutting edge” in any market. And the fact that they are “moderately” priced for the smart phone market seems to indicate that Apple sees this as well. There is no real opportunity for them to capitalize on the higher margins that a truly innovative product can have when they have a market segment all their own for a while. Blackberry and Treo have enjoyed those margins.
And there it is. I don’t think (yes, my opinion) Apple can compete in the smartphone/Blackberry market. RIM has their product firmly entrenched in the big markets. Remember the discussion about the patent infringement suits? Many talking heads pointed out that the US Government would never allow the Blackberry network to be “turned off.” Too many Generals, Senators, Congressman, and senior civilian employees are dependent on that device. And it’s not just the government that has become quite reliant on the RIM handheld device. Businesses have bought into the server architecture required to support the RIM system, and that sort of investment is not easily tossed aside.
And just how different is this product from the new Blackjack that is all the rage? (selling for $199–well below the new Apple price point!) Yes, there are some marginal improvements, but what makes it a better “smart phone?”
Now, let us suppose that Apple’s new product is seen as a major competitor to the existing products. What is their response most likely to be? In the near term, perhaps they lower their prices. In the long term?
Now, ask yourself–has Apple made its name as a producer of products used in the business world, and bought in quantity by corporations? It seems to me that Apple by and large has been the “Guerilla warfare” product, sold to the person not to the corporation. Usually sold to someone who “thinks different.” (or was that the Amiga? LOL)
I realize this is a “smart phone.” But it’s not “just that.” It really is viewed by and large as an extension of the iPod into the cellphone business. When I listen to most of the techie podcasts they all start from the premise of essentially “what if we added a phone to the iPod?”
So let’s look at it this way. Rather than say it’s a smartphone with an MP3 player let’s instead view it as the most popular line of MP3 players, with a smartphone inside. Immediately we see the product differentiated from all the other smartphones out there. Every other smartphone line has started with the smart phone being a productivity device, and then added to it “Hey, look–we are an MP3 player too!” Effective? Perhaps. But still a productivity device.
If we define the product in this way, as the most popular MP3 player, with a smartphone, then we reach a different demographic. We reach those who enjoy their music, and have enjoyed the iPod, and most likely also enjoy their cellphone. What demographic does that sound like to you? High powered, on the go businessmen and women? (yes, in part…) How about the young High School, College, and recent College graduate demographic? The Gen Y’ers. Those that by and large have developed their own soundtrack to this motion picture called life.
All that said, I still think the price points they had established for their high end iPods make sense. These are “Nanos” with smartphone features added. An 8 gb Nano runs (today) for $249. Is the phone feature worth another $350?
Don’t get me wrong. Apple will sell tens if not hundreds of thousands of these. They will make money. This variant of the iPod will continue to float the company with the greatest contribution in real dollars to the profit margin.
So, perhaps my brother is right. Perhaps I don’t “get it.” But then again, maybe the comparison to the $600 BlackBerry and Treos are not the right comparison. If Apple hopes to dominate another market segment then perhaps they need to define a new market. Apple needs to remember they make products consumers love, and are willing to pay “consumer” prices to get.
1 Marketing, 7th Edition by Kerin, Berkowitz, Hartley, and Rudelius
If anyone thought Zune was going to win this one–well, perhaps they are smoking the same reality altering stuff my friends at A Liberal Dose smoke.
One question that remains at this moment is: at what price. My uninformed theory is that it will be the same pricepoints that all the other iPods have had. $349 is perhaps the high end price, but maybe $399.
Would you be willing to pay $500 or more for this? Or more specifically, could you?
]]>First, I have to say I admire the creativity involved, and the artistic ability of the professor, Dr Phillips. The graphics are, to my mind, superb, and reflect the hand of a highly skilled artisan. Check out this explanation of grading. Lovely work!
Second, I believe creativity in and out of the classroom helps the students better grasp the material, and stay engaged. I don’t know about you, but when I find something to be interesting I usually stay with it longer than I do with something boring, tedious, or just down-right painful.
Alas, the point: I found it difficult to actually make heads-or-tails out of the syllabus. Perhaps I am just too comfortable with structure. Perhaps I am too captive to the traditional language of the syllabus. But I couldn’t figure out at times what the specific requirements are for the course. In the graphic above, as a student I will know how points are earned, but I have no idea how many points are required for a given grade.
Sometimes things are even more vague. For instance:
In this clip (perhaps not too readable—sorry about that!) for week nine the syllabus suggests we “ask the owl” about whether a paper is due. Hmmmm… Is that clear and concise?
Now, lest I rush hastily to judgment, I thought perhaps this ol’ guy should check with a younger, more hip crowd. So I did. I asked my daughter’s boyfriend who is not only a college student, but a huge cartoon/comic fan, what he thought of the comic syllabus. I even handed it to him (printed out) with great enthusiasm, saying something like “hey, check out this cool syllabus! Whatcha think?”
His comments were similar to mine, with just a few added points.
1. “So, what do I have to DO in this class?”
2. “What do I have to do to get an A? B? I don’t see that listed anywhere?”
(and my favorite!)
3. “I hope he (the professor -ed) printed these out and handed them out in class. I would sure hate to waste all my ink on this.”
So there ya have it. Innovation is cute, but not necessarily effective. I am curious what other innovative things you, dear readers, have come across. Let me know, either in comments, or by email!
CAVEAT: We all understood that his syllabus is unique to his class, and perhaps at his school they all understand what expectations are for grades.
I will (loosely) categorize this one as “education.”
]]>“Now let’s compare that to what the Democrats actually have planned. In 2004 they wanted “timely and deliberate dispensation of the work of the Congress” and argued that “Bills should be developed following full hearings, open subcommittee and committee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees. Members should have at least 24 hours to examine a bill prior to consideration at the subcommittee level.” Now let’s compare that to the what my friends at Downsize DC are calling the “legislative orgy” planned for the first 100 hours of the new session.Not a single bill they will consider has gone through a committee or subcommittee hearing.
Not a single minute of testimony has been heard by the relevant subcommittees and committees on whether there is a need for them, what the possible positive and negative results are, and so forth. The Democratic rationalization for this is that some of the bills were proposed in the last session and had plenty of discussion then. But those committees no longer exist, nor do many of the members on them. There are 52 new members of the House, most of them Democrats.
The notion of a Congress ramming through a whole bunch of legislation in a short period of time should be a concern to us all. Remember, that’s exactly what happened at the end of the last session of Congress, which is how we ended up with the online gambling bill slipped in to a port reform bill and passed without a vote. It’s how we end up with lots of bad legislation that no one has bothered to read, and it’s how we end up with hidden provisions in them that are dangerous.”
This blog goes on to point out that when Gingrich sought to push through significant legislation in the first 100 days of their control of the House, the Democrats argued that it was not enough time to adequately consider the legislation. Pot? Kettle? similar color?
Of course, the most simple defense of this tactic is “The Republicans did it, so we will too” playing out in the school-yard called Congress. But as my friend the “Flesh Presser” pointed out during the discussion about Foley, this approach is similar to that of a three year old.1 And, as he pointed out, inappropriate.
I recommend every reader go check out both the blogs I referenced Dispatches from the Culture Wars, and also Fleshy’s pressing the flesh blog. Alas, you won’t see any more comments from me on fleshy’s blog. Apparently a sauce good for the gander is less tasty when it is your own goose being cooked.
The Professor
1 It is important to point out that his assertion, directed at me, was because he failed to “get my point” which was not a defense of Foley, but rather a scathing rebuke of how the Democrats had handled a similar issue in 1983.
Given this definition, it seems somehow “right” that a non-word wins as Word of the Year. It’s got that “gut feel” to it that says it should win. Heck, that it must win. Forget that it isn’t a word, or that it is (according to the same Wiki definition) simply a recasting in Colbert fashion, a concept Orwell described in his creation of the word “bellyfeel.”
Ahh, well.
]]>In a story, titled “Russia to join U.S. lunar exploration program if funded” the author of the story writes “The permanently sunlit half of the Moon opens up good opportunities for electricity generation, and comet ice deposited in craters can be converted into breathable air, drinking water and even liquid rocket propellants.” So what’s the problem with the science here? What had me checking my facts?
I think I will take advantage of the “read more” feature here, and tell you what is “wrong” if you click through! Check and see if you are right! As I read it, I was thinking “hmmm… I don’t think there is a ‘half’ of the Moon that is always sunlit.” So I checked, and the source I found, http://www.physlink.com/Education/askExperts/ae515.cfm confirmed what I suspected, there is something special about a “half” of the Moon, but it’s not that it is always sunlit. One side of the moon always faces the Earth, because the Moon’s rotation about it’s axis equals the timing of it’s orbit around the Earth. Of course, as you think about this, if we are always seeing the same side of the moon, and the moon goes through “phases” (New, waxing, Full, and Waning) then certainly that side of the moon is not “always” sunlit. In fact, this actually presents a significant challenge to our future missions to the moon, because our astronauts (and now possibly cosmonauts) will spend approximately 14 days in the freezing “night” of the moon.
So how did they get this wrong? Well perhaps they are Pink Floyd fans. I am sure everyone knows their song “Dark Side of the Moon.” Well, that get’s addressed on Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy site. He concludes ” The Pink Floyd album may be one of the best selling albums of all time, but astronomically it’s in eclipse.”
Side Note: Apparently the Pink Floydians had a NASA Apollo 11 film and hadn’t returned it. I wonder if the Smithsonian charges overdue fees?
]]>I decided to weigh in with this podcast, since I had recently heard two interviews with Dr Dawkins. The first was on Science Friday on NPR. In that interview he asserts that science has all but proven that God does not exist. The other interview was on one of my other favorite podcasts, The New Scientist. His views are a bit more muted in that interview, but that whole episode was dedicated to the battle between science and religion.
I have several excerpts in this podcast from both of those shows, and share my thoughts on how assumptions shape and shade research and the conclusions that one reaches. I do recommend that you go listen to the full shows, and perhaps even subscribe to the podcasts. They are quite good!
]]>In his posting today, November 16th, he writes:
Looks like the feline’s slipped the confines. Now we find out orders for the Abu Ghraib lightstick anal rapes and secret overseas prisons came from none other than…
yup, chimpboy hisself.
Okay–anyone else suspicious? Well, as usual I was, so went and read the story cited from the Washington Post. In that story we find that there are two documents that authorized interrogation. One was signed by the President and the other issued from the Justice Department.
To quote from the article:
The ACLU describes the first as a “directive” signed by Bush governing CIA interrogation methods or allowing the agency to set up detention facilities outside the United States. McPherson describes it as a “memorandum.” In September, Bush confirmed the existence of secret CIA prisons and transferred 14 remaining terrorism suspects from them to Guantanamo Bay.
The second document is an August 2002 legal memo from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel to the CIA general counsel. The ACLU describes it as “specifying interrogation methods that the CIA may use against top al-Qaeda members.” (This document is separate from another widely publicized Justice memo, also issued in August 2002, that narrowed the definition of torture. The Justice Department has since rescinded the latter.)
So I ask you–do you see anything in there that confirms that the President authorized specifically those forms of torture listed in the posting at “A Liberal Dose?” (Remember, he wrote “lightstick anal rapes“) I read through the article quite carefully, and the article makes it quite clear that the only thing confirmed is the existence of the memos. Not the contents. So while we can conclude that perhaps these alleged abuses occured (but even that is yet to be conclusively shown) there remains no evidence that these actions were part of the methods approved by the President.
Alas, these sorts of conclusion jumping activities are going to be more commonplace with Mr Conyers now on the warpath. Perhaps one could argue those on the right have jumped to conclusions without sufficient facts, but it seems to me that emulating that against which you have railed is far from responsible.
Journalists, I thought, were supposed to report facts. Alas, the gentleman at A Liberal Dose doesn’t seem to agree.
]]>In his post at Inside Home Recording, he writes:
I suspect this is more about the iPod than the TuneTalk, but it’s worth knowing how to stop your recordings from skipping. In summary, defragmenting your iPod by restoring it to factory settings, or otherwise freeing contiguous hard disk space, may help it work better.
Well, I have to agree with his first bit “it’s more about the iPod” since I don’t have the Griffin TuneTalk but rather have the iTalk from Griffin. (Although it is disconcerting that they both come from the same manufacturer…)
Assuming Derek is correct, and the flash memory is only used to buffer replay and not recording, then It certainly makes sense that, if the hard drive is having to work harder, it will “miss” things. Of course, I do find it difficult to believe that it would result in such significant losses. But, hey, it could happen.
Derek’s solution was to run the iPod “restore” feature, and then reformat the Hard Drive. He then only put podcasts on his iPod instead of music, to keep the disk from getting too fragmented. One person in the comments section tried only the “restore” feature (which some sources say also defragments the hard drive) but that person found that did not work.
Unfortunately, reformatting, or defragging, the hard disk on the iPod is not something that Apple recommends doing. I am not sure about the impact of doing that. Additionally, as I give it more thought, once the music is on the hard drive, it shouldn’t contribute to fragmentation since it is essentially locked in place. Only podcasts, which are recorded, deleted, recorded, deleted, and so on, would result in a fragmented hard drive. It’s the constant writing and deleting and then writing to whatever free space is available, that causes fragmentation.
Now, will this work for me? Perhaps–although as I hinted at above, I am reluctant to try this based on my comment above of defragmenting. Actually, I don’t think this will solve my problem, based on the following:
I would love to read what others of you are thinking on this subject. Please, if you have any thoughts, or similar experiences, let me know.
I am quite curious to learn if this is a problem with the latest video ipods as well. This could bode quite ill for the iPod as a lecture recording solution. Professors need something that can record with a very high level of reliability, and when it fails, the solution needs to be nearly immediate.
— The Professor
]]>I recorded the class, as usual. No problem there. At the end of class it said it recorded 1 hour and 4 minutes. About right. I get home, and move the files over, and BAM! the file is completely dorked up. It starts fine (Sort of) but then starts jumping all around the lecture. When I open the file in Audacity and look at the waveform display, it shows long periods of silence, and when I do play the sections that actually have soundwaves, it has my sentences all jumbled up. (in image, audio on left, and the silence is on the right… and definitely not how the lecture was!)
So I am now left with it being a problem with the iTalk, or a problem with the iPod. Unfortunately, I don’t have another iPod photo that I can use to continue the trouble shooting. I have checked online and haven’t seen anything that would lead me to conclude that it is a problem with the iTalk. Given that it seems to be a problem with the way the data is stored, I am left with the conclusion that it is the iPod.
I welcome any other ideas, or suggestions. I really have enjoyed this technology working, and would hate to lose this capability.
The Professor
]]>In addition, I have been taking the time to record the solutions to the homework questions as tutorials. Once the homework is turned in, I make available an online “screencast”, or video, that not only gives the students the answers to the homework, but explains how the answer is determined. I hope to solve a couple problems with this. First, by providing yet another avenue for the students to learn the material, I am hoping that the information, the “learnings,” that they get will stay with them a bit longer. But also, I am hoping this meets the needs of the students to understand what they might have done wrong, and still free up class time to move forward. I suspect we have all experienced that time in class when we didn’t quite get an answer, and we ask to go over something, and we are the only one who didn’t “get” it. Often, these questions can be answered through the screen-cast. The bottom line is I want to make the material available to those who need it, when they need it, and free up the time for other activities for those who don’t.
So far this has been working out well for me. I have run into a few glitches, however. I have been recording my classes using my 60 gb iPod Photo, a Griffin iTalk, and a lapel microphone purchased at Radio Shack. Overall, it has worked well. I have found that the recording has a bit of background noise, and is a bit faint, so in my audio editing program (I use Adobe Audition) I increase the amplitude of the file, and perform some simple noise reduction. These are fairly simple tasks, and I hope some day to spend the time to see if I can make a simple script to do this “pre-processing” for me. Occasionally I have had a software glitch that seems to create a repeating loop. I haven’t been able to isolate the problem, but it seems that it is introduced with some of the processing. I have been able to work around this, and usually have clean audio.
The latest problem is a bit more disturbing. I recorded my lectures on Monday, for both of my classes. When I went to listen and edit my audio, I found that there were serious defects in the files. I am thinking it may be a result of my battery dying in the lapel microphone, but that is what has me concerned. There is no indicator to to tip me off as to when the battery is “too low.” Thankfully, I process these files the day after my lectures (usually) so I can catch any problems soon after they occur, but fot those students that have come to rely on the recorded lectures to re-enforce the learning, losing the lecture can be quite disconcerting. Obviously, I need to set up a regular routine for replacing the batteries. (Assuming my initial assumption is correct–otherwise, I have a more serious hardware issue!)
The Inventory and Supply Chain guy in me though is asking the other questions: When is the appropriate time to replace the battery? I don’t want to replace them too early, since that means I have essentially wasted the capacity of the battery, and have wasted money. On the other hand, I want to eliminate the problem of losing whole lectures because of technology failures.
Perhaps, if anyone is interested in reading more about what I am trying to do with podcasts, I will write more. Let me know what you think. Would you like to be able to listen to the lectures on your own time? Would it be helpful to have on-demand tutorials explaining what the correct answers were to homework problems? More importantly, what other ways would you like to see this sort of technology used to enhance your education?
The Prof…
]]>I had to respond, since some of them are funny (but he actually believes them to be true) and some just factually, and historically, wrong.
My reply is listed below.
Let me cut to the bottom line here: One should not cast one party as being “corrupt” when your house is made of very brittle glass.
================
Fleshy wrote:
” Sorry you found the list skewed and inflammatory. I’d be… well… I’d be amused more than anything else… to listen to you try to defend or refute any of the issues on that list? Go ahead… defend Foley, Haggard, Rumsfeld, DeLay, Abramoff, Taft, Frist, Burns, Duke Cunningham, Bob Ney, Gibbons… need I go on?”
Actually, I wouldn’t need to refute most of them. Just publish a list of names on the Dem side that are just as guilty. It’s interesting. Apparently Democrats are able to either imagine themselves pristine, or else excuse their own failing because they never claimed to be anything otherwise.
But honestly, if you think a vote for a Republican is a vote of “hate (of) the military” then I would ask how many years of service you put in… And why you would think that John Kerry is somehow now to be seen as a Republican.
But if you wish… here we go:
1. ACLU–rarely seen as a conservative organization, has been opposed to any and all censorship over the years. As you may recall, stories about whether these sorts of things should be publicly available have been around for many many years (read, at least 30) and typically it’s the ACLU that defends a person’s right to speak, even in publishing these sorts of things (There was a funny episode from Barney Miller in the 70s with this very issue.)
2. “Stay the course” Hmmm… and the alternative is? I believe I DO support Bush’s view that we can’t just pull out and leave Iraq to implode. And I believe we need a to get out when the goals are met, and not when a date/time is met.
3. So, you think the President KNEW the pastor was doing this at the time? Now THAT would be quite a story! Are you suggesting that conservatives need to actually conduct an in-depth check into the sex lives of all their advisors? Hmmmm… Is that what the Democrats do?
4. Cover our ass with a Child Predator? (are you sure this doesn’t fit more with item 3?) Hmmm… last time I checked, FOLEY was gone, and Studds stayed in for another 13 years. Remember, Studds actually had SEX with a minor, and was left in office, while Foley only exchanged emails and IMs. (THE POINT: Dems are just as guilty…)
5. Hate the military? Give me a f’ing break. Talk to a military member or 500 before going to THIS one…
6. “Say literally anything“–like this list? Again, lying isn’t uniquely Republican. And distorting the facts with witty (or not so witty) sound bites seems to be your favorite style…
7. Beat up a questioner? For example, arresting a protester who voices an opposing view to the President at a rally? Oh wait–that was Clinton’s Secret Service that did that…
8. “Laws are for Other people” hmmm… Isn’t that the logic that got that senator from NJ elected when Torricelli had to withdraw? I commented on this on my blog back in 2004–pointing out that the Dems actually argued that some things are TOO IMPORTANT for rules… I wrote: “If you remember the US elections in 2002, the Democratic Candidate for the US Senate seat for New Jersey withdrew from the race inside the window allowed by law to find a replacement candidate. Simple enough. In fact, one would think more simple a decision than sporting rules–just abide by the law. But that was too obvious a solution. Somewhere in our convoluted world, we decided that the “law” was too constricting. The Democrats went to court, not to challenge an illegal action by their opponent, but rather to seek justification for their desire to break the law.”
In fact, this particular point of yours seems to be one that is more readly “owned” by the Dems than the Republicans, but if you would prefer, I would call this one a draw…
9. Pay their mistresses to be quiet? Hmmm… is this a Kennedy reference? Gary Hart? (Remember the good ship “Monkey Business?”) Again–not uniquely Republican, but if you insist…
10. And since in this one, you actually ended it with “in your life” perhaps I should appeal to age… and remind you all of Jim Wright… Tip O’Neill, Ted Kennedy… John Glenn and the Keating 5… I think the Dems in the 70s and 80s are quite corrupt… and hypocrital… (and given the large number of viable Democrats running on largely Conservative platforms, like Ford Jr… one has to wonder if there is a new style of Hypocrisy on the horizon!)
I did find it interesting that your list of names supporting your points are mostly gone or outgoing Republicans. They misbehave–they are gone. My list of examples includes people that are left to remain in office, despite transgression after transgression.
Perhaps I can sum this up best by saying When Republicans are bad, they are gone… when Democrats are bad, they are re-elected. Perhaps it’s just because we expected more from Republicans, and never deluded ourselves about the ethics or morality of the Democrats.
]]>That said, let’s get my predictions out of the way.
Dems barely take the house with a shift of 15 seats. This will be touted as a mandate for change, but it should be remembered that in 1994 Clinton lost 54 seats in the house. This election won’t even come close to that.
I suspect that the Senate with remain in Republican hands, with a 51 to 49 split. I am encouraged by news from TN, MD and Ohio, but am afraid it may be all over for Santorum here in PA.
I hate to say it, but be sure to go check out the post election gloating over at PressingtheFlesh. I am curious though, if the Republicans pull this out, will he lose graciously, or will fleshy lead the charge that somehow the Republicans “stole” an election? (And if you listen to the podcast, keep in mind that my daughter, bless her heart, is a Republican…)
The Professor
]]>First, let me say that apparently the Democrats weren’t too impressed either, because this plan doesn’t seem to have received much press-time. One would think that, if it was actually their plan for moving our nation forward, they would be advertising it a tad more.
In this podcast, I tackle the Democrats “plan for progress” which I find weak in it’s “planni-ness” (to steal from Colbert). It actually says that “We will protect Americans at home and lead the world by telling the truth to our troops, our
citizens and our allies.” Why do I single this one out here? Because it is the penultimate example of it not being a “plan” but rather rhetoric. Tell me… what steps follow the “truth telling” that will lead to a stable government in Iraq? What then will we do to bring the troops home, while ensuring that the US is no longer a target for terrorists? Will the radical islamists hear our “truth” and suddenly, in classis SNL style, say “Oh… never mind…” (Thanks Gilda–rest in peace!)
The bottom line conclusion that I reach is that it is all about the bottom line. When you read through what they have in their plan, they want to do many vague things, while at the same time “reducing the deficit.” Last time I checked, you can only increase spending, and decrease debt, by increasing revenue. And for the government, increasing revenue means raising your taxes, and raising them by more than they increase the spending.
Conclusion? Hang on to your wallets, you’re in for a bumpy ride.
Give a listen, and let me know what you think. Comment here, and perhaps we can even get some sort of debate going on. And be sure to give a read to ol’ Fleshy at the pressingtheflesh blog. It was his suggestion “Every time that someone states that Democrats “don’t have a plan,” mention these six points.” that had me actually checking out what sort of plan the Dems could come up with.
]]>One of the things I like about the site is that it lets you choose the format(s) for the book that best suits you. Certainly I went for the pdf file, but you can also get it as:
If you like to read, and you always wanted to catch up on the world of books, check this site out. It is well worth the time.
Come back here, and leave a comment, telling all of us what books you chose to download. In fact, if enough of you are interested, I will open up a page simply for book reviews and discussions. What better way to learn than through books, and sharing.
–The Professor
]]>So if you want to hear my thoughts about these fans, go ahead and listen. And don’t forget–there is a special place for Usher #257.
Thanks to my brother for this comic posted to his blog. If you haven’t already visited him, go check out his blog at targuman.org/blog.
]]>I hope you enjoy the podcast, and remember, you can always get this podcast through an iTunes subscription by going to The Podcast Link.
I would also recommend you visit some of the other site we talk about.
Let us know what you think, and how far YOU made it through the podcast before you quit.
]]>I talk about a few of my favorite podcasts:
Several from http://twit.tv
And several others:
I would recommend you explore the many podcasts available. Remember, you don’t have to have an iPod, or even iTunes, to listen to podcasts. You just need to have a computer or an MP3 player. go look at what is available at places like http://podcastalley.com, http://podshow.com or even in the iTunes store.
]]>Let me make a couple things clear right up front. Foley did a “wrong thing.” I am in no way making an excuse for his behavior, or saying we should accept what he did. I am in my podcast simply pointing out that, when given the chance to take action against two congressman that had even more egregious behavior, a Democratically controlled Congress only slapped their wrists.
Anyway, listen to the podcast, and feel free to subscribe!
]]>NASA has another on-going mission—NEEMO. This mission titled “NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations” is “testing concepts for future space exploration at an underwater laboratory off the coast of Florida. “ It’s a very interesting concept. Of course, NASAWatch, the blog dedicated to holding NASA to task, is concerned that NASA is ignoring this mission that they themselves have funded.
NASAWatch does point to a link for the underwater webcams. They are interesting to watch, and the descriptions of the various camera views are even somewhat humorous.
If anyone is interested in Space Logistics, shoot me a note.
]]>After reading many of the other comments, I find that the readership over there is quite a creative bunch! I enjoyed much of what they wrote, but the discussion reminded me of something else I have noticed of late. Syllabus Creep.
It seems as professors and instructors face the wide range of situations students present, we have added more and more to our syllabi. No, not content about the course–that would be reasonable. We are adding more and more about expectations of behavior, how not to cheat, when to attend class, what you will have to do if you don’t attend class, and the like. Lately, I have gone for the more minimalist approach: DON’T CHEAT, OR YOU WILL BE CAUGHT.
I had read a syllabus where there was not only a list of items to bring for an exam, but an extremely long list of what not to bring. No hats. No music players. No scarves. If one could write on it, one couldn’t bring it.
I have gone a slightly different route: I now allow the students to bring any personal music device that they wish. iPod, CD Player, Radio (with headset.) Whatever helps get them through the exam. Why? I know many people focus better with some “controlled distraction” rather than the random noises of other test-takers, and the opportunity to listen to something familiar may help overcome test anxiety.
I know what you’re thinking. “What if they cheat? What if they dictate notes into the MP3 player? What if they include text?” Hmmm… interesting. I almost hope they do. Why? Because they had to actually read/review the material to put it into their device. Learning occurs, if only through repetition.
“Ahhh,” you may ask “but what if one person does it, and then gives it to the others?” Another interesting question. The way I see it, you need to be fairly familiar with the material to be able to move quickly and accurately to the material covered in the question. Students never quite realize just how difficult an open book exam can be if you don’t already know the material well enough to quickly/efficiently move through the chapters to find the answers. Those that have understood the material best are those that are best able to find the relevant information.
My goal in my classes are to encourage students to learn the material. I think this helps get there.
]]>The Prof
]]>While I believe that, if there is such a thing as absolute moral values, and those are based on scripture, then it is clear that homosexual activity is morally wrong. I also believe, however, that in these cases it would be wrong to actually legislate against them (and somewhat problematic–I know I don’t want to be involved on the stake out in these cases!)
I have come, over time, to nominally support the notion of gay marriage. I have been for too long a victim of the “marriage penalty” when it comes to tax structures. While I have seen two incomes, stacked one on the other, resulting in higher and higher taxation, I have seen homosexual couples enjoy the freedom to claim two sets of income. Now admittedly I have been able to have benefits for my spouse, and my children, that have often been denied to homosexual couples. But once those couples started to receive the benefits of the union, without the taxation of the union, my view began to shift.
It seems to me that the Boston Globe is taking the correct approach on this issue. Benefits, and taxation, should apply only to married couples. In this case, if you are married, then you can receive benefits–and you must pay taxes.
As a fiscal conservative I believe this is the most prudent action–let’s welcome all married couples into the “marriage penalty” world that is the federal tax structure. Perhaps the deficit will be decreased.
So there you have it. I approve of Gay (and Lesbian) Marriage, simply because it hasn’t been fair to heterosexuals to not allow it.
]]>Okay, so I had to. After so many blogs where I talk about integrity in one’s writing, how could I not address the accusation that Ann Coulter is a plagiarist. I found it interesting when I first heard about it, and intriguing when I read the posting at the Language Log (you all DO still go there, right?)
What most intrigues me though is the sense that the Left felt it somehow necessary to go after Coulter. Apparently the self induced blindness of the Bashists is not limited to the Administration. Bashists must nuw blame conservatives for such things as plagiarism. And, as is so often the case when the Bashists write before thinking, they are brought low by the facts.
There is a good analysis of the articles in question at RedState (tip of hat to Language Log). I have to agree–when the content in question turns out to be quotes, one can’t help but think the Bashists have either no sense of reason left, of they simply hope that the vast majority of people will never actually go check their claims.
]]>“I had my doubts,” he said. “But I felt like the president is our leader, and he won’t betray our trust, and he would know what he was talking about, and let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.”
And apparently, he also made it clear that there existed conditions upon which he would or would not engage in combat.
In January, Watada told his commanders that he believed that the war was unlawful, and therefore, so were his deployment orders. He did not, however, consider himself a conscientious objector, since he was willing to fight in wars that were justified, legal and in defense of the nation.
These do not appear to me to be statements from a man who, at the time of commissioning, accepted his office “without mental reservation.”
4. Actions have consequences. I can understand, and even admire, someone who stands up for what they believe and are willing to pay the cost. Dietrich Bonhoeffer understood the repercussions of his actions. Our founding fathers understood the possible repercussions of their actions. “Give me liberty, or give me death” was not a jingoistic attempt at PR by Patrick Henry, it was a recognition of the demise that awaited him upon failure. A courageous man accepts the consequences.
5. Military Officers are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Manual for Courts Martial. The Lt, and his lawyer, seem to think that his remarks about the President are a First Amendment issue, and that the Lt was exercising his right to free speech, when he spoke out against the Commander in Chief. In fact, the lawyer is quoted as saying “‘What’s going to happen is there’s going to be a major First Amendment litigation, which I think they’re really crazy to invite,’ Seitz said.” Alas, this shows that the counsel sought by the Lt is unfamiliar with the military justice system. There are protections established for the military, but the nature of military service requires a different way of understanding and acting with regards to the US Constitution. In fact according to Findlaw.com the Supreme Court has recognized that “while constitutional guarantees apply, ‘the different character of the military community and of the military mission requires a different application of those protections.’1455.” Perhaps the Lt should hire a military lawyer?
The US Army has done the right thing. They have refused to let one Lieutenant interpret national and international law, and told him that he cannot sit as judge and jury over the actions of this government. To do that would overstep his bounds as an officer in the US Military.
I have sat on this one for a while. Another left-leaning blog that I frequent, “Pressing the Flesh”, has had several postings singing the praises of Al Gore’s latest theatrical success. One of the implicit arguments seeming to be that as the movie rakes in the dollars, the revenues are seen as votes of support for Gore, and his agenda. Of course, this has two effects. First, it ignores the fact that movie goers typically like a horror flick, and second that by arguing that box office sales equates to support, it keeps people like me away.
All this aside, we could have lengthy discussions about global warming and the impact of mankind on such an event. The debate is stifled though, by statements from media sources such as Earth and Sky radio show, where they state “The result is a warming climate -which no reputable scientist disputes anymore.” By making such a statement. (In all fairness, they backed off of on their website by saying “You’re right. We should not have said “no reputable scientist disagrees.” That is an incorrect statement and too strong a statement. We apologize. We should have said that the vast majority of climate scientists believe that global warming is real and caused by humans.” )
Here’s the problem, however. There are vast numbers of scientists, most with bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and some with PhDs, that have come out supporting the notion that science has shown that mankind has caused global warming. But then there are those senior scientists, the chaired, full professors at major universities, that are essentially pulling on the reins. They aren’t saying that there isn’t climate change, and they aren’t saying that it might be a warming trend. They are saying that to make a causal conclusion (and thus infer we can “stop” the change) is imprudent.
For instance, Richard S. Lindzen is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT. I think we can all agree that MIT is a reputable science and engineering university, and that being a full professor in Atmospheric Science qualifies one to speak on the topic of climate change. In fact, being a Chaired Professor shows that the university believes him to have demonstrated expert knowledge in the area.
This being said, consider the opinion piece he has written for the Wall Street Journal. In this piece he tackles the assertion from Al Gore that “the debate in the scientific community is over.” Professor Lindzen points out that the debate is far from over. He lists the various bits of data that are mis-represented, mis-understood, or ignored by the “non-scientists” as they seek to achieve policy. What is most striking about this opinion article is that the Professor strikes a tone of balance, and reason. Perhaps this is the tone that should be brought back into the discussion?
Let’s reward scientists for good science, and not seek out those whose findings are the most scary, shocking, or sensational.
The Professor.
]]>Loyal readers will recall back in 2004 I critiqued the Congressional Bashists for their mis-reading of the CBO report concerning the distribution of the tax cuts. It is nice to see that another blog (far better equipped as actual economists) have tackled this one, as well.
]]>
Today seemed like as good a day as any to write about something that has been slowly gnawing, nay, chewing at me, for a while. It seems appropriate today, on the 5th of July, the day following another successful return to flight for the Shuttle program.
Many (whom I now call “bashists”–those whose rage against President Bush is so great they see no good in his actions, bashing all that he says or does; a response to calling supporters “apologists” but I digress…) Many have called for a timeline for the removal of US forces from Iraq. Most of Congress have seen the error in such an action, although the Bush detractors have taken it upon themselves to continually argue that there “is no plan.” The notion that there is no plan is humorous, since not only has there been a plan, the general outline of the plan has been around since our war against Saddam began. I am sure you, kind reader, recall that the President talked about rebuilding Iraq, re-establishing a government with free and open elections, and ensuring that the new government would be strong enough to survive. That has been the plan all along.
That leads me to this conclusion: We should stop debating the red herring of “time lines” and start discussing “event lines.” It seems clear to me that we will withdraw our troops upon satisfactory completion of certain events. We can develop estimates of when those events will occur, and those estimates may be rooted in optimism, pessimism or realism, but they remain estimates. It seems to me that in many areas of life we live on “event lines” rather than time-lines.
Even more time-critical events have an “event line” associated with them. Most noteable is the Shuttle launch. Yes, the shuttle has a “countdown” and they have the “launch windows” but those timelines are event constrained. There exists a long sequence of events that must occur before a Space Shuttle (Space Transportation System) can be launched. When those events are not reached, but can be overcome quickly, NASA puts a “Hold” on the countdown. If it seems to NASA that they cannot satisfy the event requirement, they then “scrub” the mission and reschedule the launch. The satisfactory completion of the mission is more important than meeting an arbitrary timeline. Of course, when meeting a timeline becomes more important than meeting the “event line” we see catastrophic results.
So let’s learn our lessons from the hard-earned lessons from NASA. We cannot simply set a “date certain” for the withdrawal of troops in something as complex as the situation in Iraq. Pick on this administration all you want (Rage on, you Bashists) but it is prudent to trust your military leaders on the ground. It is wise to see that a sequence of events has occurred. It is foolishiness to say pick a date, and point to that as success.
]]>The kind professors at the Language Log carefully point out that hyperbole is used to extend in exaggeration. Now, thankfully, they weren’t actually talking about this blog in their post, but far be it from me to not acknowledge the error of my ways. Clearly my use of the word was not an extension of the point.
I want to thank the kind professors at the Language Log for continuously enlightening and brightening my blog-reading day.
I want to continue to encourage all four of you, dear readers, to visit regularly the Language Log.
]]>Here are two photos (well, one, really) taken by my son. As you can see, the original is in color, and only three simple effects were applied using Picasa from Google. Converted to B/W, increased the contrast (using the shadows and highlights effect) and the adjusting the focal point.
]]>I am wondering, dear class, what you think I should add as links? Any favorite blogs you think I should point to? Should I, out of shear magnanimity, add our dear, eloquent friend the “new American Patriot” to the list? (Remember him? He is the owner of A Liberal Dose that, if I remember correctly, wants to kick me in my nuts…)
Just leave your comments here with your suggestions, and your votes!
The Professor
]]>Faulty survey data takes many forms. Sometimes the questions are loaded, as with a survey about online gambling I wrote about in April. Other surveys have very low response rates, like a poll about the value of mothers’ work; or pollsters don’t disclose all of their questions nor results, raising fears they’ve cherry-picked those responses that reflect best on the polls’ sponsors. Also, many polls you may read about have been conducted online, usually among a panel of volunteers lured by online ads — considered a less-representative sample by most pollsters than respondents who are found by random-digit telephone dialing.
and:
Polls with pitfalls shouldn’t be discarded automatically. But often they are accepted automatically by the press and rendered indistinguishable from polls conducted by more standard means.
So there you have it. More criticisms of bad polling, bad data, and blind acceptance. And from a reputable source, to boot!
The Prof
1. And most recently in a fit of “hyper-‘bowl’-e” misrepresenting students’ putting marijuana in muffins as “spiking a punch bowl,” two very different things, to be sure!
Imagine my joy when I saw that one of my favorites blogs, the Language Log, decided to tackle another mis-reported survey. Of course, this one is particularly juicy since the log-ers are chastising the press for getting it wrong in reporting about how stupid the American people are. Perhaps the best point made is after listing the question asking people essentially to name the freedoms of the first amendment. In critiquing the analysis they write: “If you’re hip to the rhetoric of survey spin, you’ll guess at this point that the survey asked people to enumerate first-amendment rights by free recall.”
Yup, they could stop there, but they don’t! They then go on to mention how challenging that sort of question is. Asking someone to list off something very specific without any hints is quite difficult. Remember essay questions in school? The dreaded “What are 3 of the freedoms identified in the First Amendment, and explain the circumstances that caused their specific addition to the Bill of Rights?” (Actually, when you think about it, this particular essay question is replete with hints!)
Cheers for the Language Log!
Now, for what for me was truly ironic. Many of you remember the gracious treatment I received from the (apparent) owner of the A Liberal Dose blog (go back if you wish and read his witty comments, if your foul language detector is appropriately in place!) Well, not only is the author of that blog a great distorter of facts (or perhaps, just a tremendous prevaricator) he is a great distorter of images. To see what I am writing about, just go see the posting for Memorial Day weekend. As they say, context is everything. In this instance, we are provided a caption, and a picture of the President smiling. Of course, we are to quickly conclude the President may well have expressed deep remorse but by his smile, he must not have “meant it.” Hmmmm… Was the picture taken at the same time as the statement? (or even within seconds, or a minute?) Was the picture taken before the speech began? Who was the President looking at while smiling? (In the interest of fairness, this is the same sort of gross mis-representation that Rush Limbaugh did with the video of President Clinton laughing when leaving following the funeral of his former Secretary of Transportation. Of course, in THAT case the clip showed Clinton crying, laughing and then crying again, in the span of 10 seconds…)
As you can see, the picture doesn’t actually convey anything other than a man who can, at times, be quite “warm” most likely to a person in the crowd. It is mis-representations like this that lead one to conclude that “A Liberal Dose” is a person with an agenda, and perhaps not much else.
But that’s alright.
To steal from an old “Greyhound Busline” commercial “Just relax, and leave the thinking to us!”
The Prof