I Love You California
Been a while since I brought you any news from California so I thought I better keep everyone up to date. Let's see, last time we checked the unions were launching a televised assault on the Governator and he was getting slaughtered in the polls. That's pretty much been the story since then, only for the Guv' it keeps getting worse.
A new poll was out yesterday showing that 59% of Californians think the state is headed in the wrong direction versus 28% that felt it was headed in the right direction. Bad news for Arnuhld, I'm afraid, although I can't figure out why that many Califorinians felt the state was going in any particular direction at all. I guess the poll was one of those "either-or" situations.
And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, a new poll came out today showing that only 39% of Californians even want to re-elect the governor come 2006. That's not good and likely means that the special election the governor has called for November 8 (an election widely regarded as the "Arnold" referendum) is not going to be a happy time for the Big 'G' either. And when you combine the first poll with the second what really becomes clear is that Californians don't like the way things are going and for that they blame Arnold.
Now let me just say that I have a problem with polls sometimes, especially when they ask these overly broad questions and don't follow-up with more specifics as to what's really behind the numbers. That's why I decided to conduct my own poll and probe a little deeper. Of course I didn't feel like actually going out and asking complete strangers a lot of stupid questions, so instead I decided to just make up some number on my own (hey, if Richard Scrushy could get away with it, why not me?). They're good numbers, though, and I'm sure if I'd done an actual scientific type poll the results would have been just the same. Ok, on with the poll results.
Question 1: For those of you who believe that California is headed in the wrong direction, do you believe this is
a) Governor Schwarzenegger's fault
b) The California Legislatures fault
c) No opinion
The results here were not suprising. According to my sample, 99% felt it was Governor Schwarzenegger's fault with 1% having no opinion.
Question 2: For those of you who believe it is Governor Schwarzenegger's fault, how many of you know the name of
a) Your state senator
b) Your state assemblyperson
Now here the results were more interesting. 0% could name their state senator, 1% could name their state assemblyperson, and 99% answered Diane Feinstein.
Question 3: For those of you who believe it is Governor Schwarzenegger's fault, what is the major reason behind your belief
a) He's a special interest pawn
b) He doesn't understand the needs of California
c) He wants to fire all the police and nurses and throw our teachers and children out in the street.
d) He's on TV
Again, no suprise here. 5% felt he was a special interest pawn, 2% felt he doesn't understand California, 28% thought he was going to fire all the police and nurses and leave our teachers and children homeless (they've obviously been watching those union commercials), and 65% felt it was his fault because he was on TV.
Question 4: The Governor had proposed using retired judges to draw district lines in California. Do you support this proposal or are you opposed?
a) Support
b) Opposed
c) Huh? I hate thinking about this stuff. Can we go on to the next question.
Results were 0%, 0% and 100%, in that order.
Question 5: In order to bring California's budget into balance would you support
a) Cuts to programs
b) Raising taxes
c) Empowering the Governor to adjust spending in times of economic hardship to give him more flexibility in dealing with budget shortfalls.
No suprises here. Not in California anyways. 11% supported cutting programs, 89% supported raising taxes, and no one supports giving the government control over our money.
Question 6: For those of you who support raising taxes, how much more would you be willing to pay? Would you be willing to pay
a) 5% more in taxes each year
b) 10% more in taxes each year
c) 15% or more in taxes each year
Well, the only thing certain is death and taxes, and, of course, the results for Question No. 6. 0% supported a 5% raise, 0% supported supported a 10% raise, 0% supported a 15% or more raise, and 100% answered "No, I didn't mean MY taxes. What the hell is the matter with you?"
So there you have it. By the end of 2006 we'll have had 3 elections in 2 years and after all the dust has settled the unions will still be in control and everyone will still be blaming the guy whose face is on TV. If ever there was a case study in 1960's style Democratically run Big Government, it's California, where a problem is only a problem because we're not throwing enough money at it, and the more money we throw the bigger and more intractable the problem seems to become. Yes, let's have a cheer for our Great Society.
But before I go there is one more item on my agenda for tonight. I have a special guest here who would like to take a moment and say a little something to all my millions of readers. Mr. President, the blog is all yours.
Well thank you, there, uh, Tony. Let me first say 9/11...Now, as to this whole idea of a timetable. Well, it's just a...you know, you can't have a timetable. I think we're making progress...9/11...but there's more that needs to be done, and I think we've got a freely elected government out there now and we just need to...they have to provide for their own security. And they will, I think they've got about 168,000 ARVN troops on the ground out there and...
(Uh, Mr. President. Did you say ARVN?)
Oh, no, sorry, let me rephrase that. I meant to say they've got about 168,000 Iraqi Security Forces out there and, yes, our resolve is being tested, but we need to stay the course and see this Iraquinization process through. And I know the American people stand behind me on this and will not give in to terror.
Thank you Mr. President.
No, thank you. And don't forget - 9/11
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Monday, June 27, 2005
Everything New Gets Old Again
(In light of today's Grokster ruling this blog would like to remind its readers of its longstanding opposition to illegal file sharing and illegal file sharing networks. Old Man Radio would also like to make clear that all tracks played on the Old Man Radio Show are offered for download by the artists as "free samples" for the purposes of promoting and publicizing their works. Under no circumstances will Old Man Radio ever play tracks which have not been freely offered to the public by the artists and posted for public download at various legitimate and legal download sites around the internet. )
Well I finally put Old Man Radio No. 2 to bed and I think it's better than the first, but I don't know. I tried to be more extemporaneous on this one, but I'm not sure I pulled it off - sullen and morose seems to be more my style. Anyways it's "in the can" as they say, and I've come to a couple of early conclusions about this whole podcasting thing.
The first is that I must have been crazy to think that I could crank out a new show every week. I mean just do the math. 52 weeks in a year times 1 show per week equals (gulp) 52 shows! As much as I hate to disappoint my legions of fans there's just no way I can crank out 52 of these things. I figure a dozen or so a year would be pushing it, and I can't even imagine what kind of lunacy posesses these people doing daily podcasts who think they can do 250 or more and not run out of material or things to say.
Not that podcasting isn't fun. For someone who's never tried anything like this before it's actually a lot of fun, but it's time consuming, and not just the recording but also the research and preparation of material to put on the show. Geez, I never knew that radio involved all this actual work. I thought that the announcer just cued up the music and then went down to the breakroom for coffee and donuts until the next commerical break rolled around, but it looks like I was wrong. On my podcast it seems like when I'm not playing something then I'm preparing for what I'm gonna play or trying to get the mix right and all this other crap which I'm sure real radio hosts have their producers and sound engineers take care of while their down in the breakroom stuffing their faces.
(No, that's not true. I'm only kidding. I'm sure real radio hosts find things to keep them busy while the music is playing. But haven't you always wondered...)
Anyways, the second conclusion I've come to is really just a reaffirmation of something I believed all along. There are some out there who are saying that podcasting is just a fad, that it won't last, and that eventually the Clear Channels and Infinity Radios of the world will take over the space and shove all the little guys to the side. Well that could happen but only if someone finds a good way of making money off of these podcasts. To me that's the real innovation that needs to happen. Otherwise, if there's no money in it then why should the big guys even bother?
What I do think will happen is that the dabblers and dilettantes like me will sort of cycle in and out of the podspace, and although there will always be a sort of subversive, underground quality to podcasting it will need serious players who really want to make a go of it and push podcasting into the entertainment mainstream if it's going to survive. And in order to do that they're going to either need profitable websites that can underwrite the time and expense needed to do a real, viable podcast, or they're going to need to monetize the podcasts themselves.
We're already seeing some attempts made to turn podcasting into a real business. I'm hearing commercials pop up from time to time, and over at the TWIT podcast they're trying a donation model similar to the one that PBS and NPR use, albeit without the pledge breaks and all that Andre Rieu nonsense. People are trying things and, who knows, when Apple begins including podcast support in their Itunes music software there might be some bucks to be made with this stuff. If not, then maybe it is just a fad.
Anyways, check out the podcast. Now that I've had a chance to listen to a couple of them it has suddenly dawned on me that the audience that would be most likely to enjoy them, that is the over 40 crowd, are just the sort of people who would never even think of using their computer as an entertainment device. I mean when people over 40 are looking for home entertainment they turn on the TV, they don't boot up their computers. Which means that I, as a podcaster trying to reach that audience, must either be a pioneer or a damn fool.
I like to think I'm a pioneer.
Either way it's still ok. To tell the truth I think I'm doing the podcast more for my own enjoyment than anyone elses. But I think other people can enjoy it too.
As a fad if nothing else.
Ooh, Look What I Can Do
Looks like blogger's got a new feature. You just click a button and you can add an image to your blog. Ok, I'm game. Here's a picture I took at the beach up in Oregon.
Pretty cool. Thanks Blogger.
(In light of today's Grokster ruling this blog would like to remind its readers of its longstanding opposition to illegal file sharing and illegal file sharing networks. Old Man Radio would also like to make clear that all tracks played on the Old Man Radio Show are offered for download by the artists as "free samples" for the purposes of promoting and publicizing their works. Under no circumstances will Old Man Radio ever play tracks which have not been freely offered to the public by the artists and posted for public download at various legitimate and legal download sites around the internet. )
Well I finally put Old Man Radio No. 2 to bed and I think it's better than the first, but I don't know. I tried to be more extemporaneous on this one, but I'm not sure I pulled it off - sullen and morose seems to be more my style. Anyways it's "in the can" as they say, and I've come to a couple of early conclusions about this whole podcasting thing.
The first is that I must have been crazy to think that I could crank out a new show every week. I mean just do the math. 52 weeks in a year times 1 show per week equals (gulp) 52 shows! As much as I hate to disappoint my legions of fans there's just no way I can crank out 52 of these things. I figure a dozen or so a year would be pushing it, and I can't even imagine what kind of lunacy posesses these people doing daily podcasts who think they can do 250 or more and not run out of material or things to say.
Not that podcasting isn't fun. For someone who's never tried anything like this before it's actually a lot of fun, but it's time consuming, and not just the recording but also the research and preparation of material to put on the show. Geez, I never knew that radio involved all this actual work. I thought that the announcer just cued up the music and then went down to the breakroom for coffee and donuts until the next commerical break rolled around, but it looks like I was wrong. On my podcast it seems like when I'm not playing something then I'm preparing for what I'm gonna play or trying to get the mix right and all this other crap which I'm sure real radio hosts have their producers and sound engineers take care of while their down in the breakroom stuffing their faces.
(No, that's not true. I'm only kidding. I'm sure real radio hosts find things to keep them busy while the music is playing. But haven't you always wondered...)
Anyways, the second conclusion I've come to is really just a reaffirmation of something I believed all along. There are some out there who are saying that podcasting is just a fad, that it won't last, and that eventually the Clear Channels and Infinity Radios of the world will take over the space and shove all the little guys to the side. Well that could happen but only if someone finds a good way of making money off of these podcasts. To me that's the real innovation that needs to happen. Otherwise, if there's no money in it then why should the big guys even bother?
What I do think will happen is that the dabblers and dilettantes like me will sort of cycle in and out of the podspace, and although there will always be a sort of subversive, underground quality to podcasting it will need serious players who really want to make a go of it and push podcasting into the entertainment mainstream if it's going to survive. And in order to do that they're going to either need profitable websites that can underwrite the time and expense needed to do a real, viable podcast, or they're going to need to monetize the podcasts themselves.
We're already seeing some attempts made to turn podcasting into a real business. I'm hearing commercials pop up from time to time, and over at the TWIT podcast they're trying a donation model similar to the one that PBS and NPR use, albeit without the pledge breaks and all that Andre Rieu nonsense. People are trying things and, who knows, when Apple begins including podcast support in their Itunes music software there might be some bucks to be made with this stuff. If not, then maybe it is just a fad.
Anyways, check out the podcast. Now that I've had a chance to listen to a couple of them it has suddenly dawned on me that the audience that would be most likely to enjoy them, that is the over 40 crowd, are just the sort of people who would never even think of using their computer as an entertainment device. I mean when people over 40 are looking for home entertainment they turn on the TV, they don't boot up their computers. Which means that I, as a podcaster trying to reach that audience, must either be a pioneer or a damn fool.
I like to think I'm a pioneer.
Either way it's still ok. To tell the truth I think I'm doing the podcast more for my own enjoyment than anyone elses. But I think other people can enjoy it too.
As a fad if nothing else.
Ooh, Look What I Can Do
Looks like blogger's got a new feature. You just click a button and you can add an image to your blog. Ok, I'm game. Here's a picture I took at the beach up in Oregon.Pretty cool. Thanks Blogger.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
X = 2
I guess I could talk about Jack Kilby tonight. Not that I know anything about him or have a clue about how he did what he did - except change the world of course. But blogging and techy stuff just seem to go together, so I'll chip in what I can.
Oh, by the way, Jack Kilby was the co-inventor of the integrated circuit.
Anyways, the thing that sticks out most in my mind is the slide rule, and the fact that you don't see too many of those around anymore. Jack Kilby changed that, and even if he never accomplished anything else in his life the world would still owe him a huge debt of gratitude just for that. Geez, it seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in Mr. Barnes 7th grade math class trying to learn the intricacies of the A, B, C, and D scales and all those other weird looking things, and then Jack Kilby came along and invented the electronic calculator and changed the world forever. Now whenever you go into a McDonalds or a Burger King the person behind the counter doesn't even have to know how to add and subtract. They just press the little button that says "Hamburger" and the machine does all the math.
It's a Brave New World.
I know people under the age of 30 don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but when I was a kid (uh-oh, here it comes), I mean when "I" was a kid you actually had to know how to add 2 numbers together and get a result. You know, 8 + 5 = 13, leave the 3 and carry the one, 3 + 2 = 5 and voila, the answer is 53, that kind of stuff. And later, when you mastered you basic cyphers they stuck you in slide rule class where you had to learn slide this stick back and forth and move this little window in order to do things like multiply and divide really big numbers. You couldn't just punch the numbers in and press the equal sign to get the answer. In those days, men were men and you had to work for every answer you got.
It's funny but I wonder how many kids today would even know what a slide rule is. One, maybe two would be my guess. For the rest you'd have to explain how in the old days every kid had to learn how to use them and how their parents would take them down to the drugstore or five-and-dime and buy them one to take to school along with their pencil box and binder and pee chee folders, and then after you'd explained it all the kid would probably just yawn and look at you funny and tell you he needs to go log on to his computer so he can download a term paper for his english class tomorrow.
Ah yes, this modern world of ours. You know what we be really funny is to go up to a kid and ask him "Are there any five-and-dimes around here where I can buy a slide rule?" I'd like to see what kind of reaction that would get?
Oh well, I've still got my old slide rule from Junior High School. I don't know why - I just never got around to throwing it out I guess. What's really cool, though, is that I've still got my father's 1950's vintage Sun Hemmi No. 259 bamboo model in the original leather case. It's not worth much money (from around $30.00 to $75.00 from as near as I can tell), but it was my fathers and I remember how he always carried it around with him in his briefcase whenever he went to work or on a business trip. I also remember how I used to open up his briefcase sometimes and look at it and think that my dad must have been the smartest person in the world to be able to figure out what all those little numbers and hash marks meant.
Which brings up another point. Namely, the worst mistake you can ever make when you have an engineer father is asking him to help you with your math homework. I didn't want to bring this up while he was alive, but now that he has passed on I guess I can go ahead and mention it. Asking an engineer father to help you with your math homework is like sticking your head under Niagra Falls just to get a drink of water - you're almost certain to get way more than you bargained for.
"Dad, can you help me with my math homework?"
"Sure, what are you having trouble with?"
"Well, I can't figure this out. It says 2x + 3 = 7, solve for x. What am I supposed to do?"
"Oh, algebra, huh? Yeah, that can be a little tough sometimes. Get me some graph paper and I'll show you what to do."
"Graph paper? I don't think we're supposed to use graph paper Dad. That's not what the teacher showed us in class."
"What? No wonder you can't figure it out. It'll be much clearer if you graph it out. Go bring me my brief case and I think there should be a pad of graph paper in there "
"Well, oooooookaaaaaay..."
"I don't know where they get these teachers these days. Now you see we draw two lines like this. The horizontal one is called the x-axis and the vertical one is called the y-axis. Now what was that problem again?"
"That looks like Geometry dad. We don't start Geometry until next year."
"No, it's not Geometry, it's Algebra. Now what was that problem?"
"2x + 3 = 7. Solve for x"
"Okay, first we start with x. Now, you see, this is the x-axis so we just...er..."
"Dad, I don't think we're supposed to solve it like that."
"No, the way I'm showing you is better. Now, let me see, it's been so long since I did any Algebra. You plot out x along this axis and..."
"Aren't you supposed to subtract 3 from both sides or something like that?"
"What? No, yes, not now, ok? Let me think here a minute. This angle here is my theta and so the delta is going to be my (mumble, mumble, mumble...)"
"Dad?"
"Give me a minute to work this out, son. It's been a while since I've done any (mumble, mumble, mumble...)"
"I think there's a simpler way to do this."
"Go over to my briefcase and bring me my slide rule, will you? There, now let me just try a few test calculations and then I'll remember what you're supposed to do."
"Can I go watch TV now?"
"What? No. No TV. We've got to finish this first. You want to learn how to do this don't you?"
"(Not now I don't.)"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"There! Now what was that problem again?"
"Twooooo eeeeeex plussssss threeeeeeeee eeeeeequals seeeeeeeeven. Solve... For... X."
"Okay. You see that point there, if we just draw a line and then...hand me my slide rule again. There, got it. The answer is sin squared x over e to the negative theta."
"Huh?"
"Doesn't that sound right?"
"I don't think that's how the teacher showed us how to do it."
"Well, how did he show you how to do it?"
"I don't know. You're supposed to add to both sides and then multiply by something and then the x is supposed to be on one side and the answer is supposed to be on the other."
"Oh, is that how they're teaching you nowdays?"
"I guess so."
"Well they've changed everything around since I went to school. Maybe you better bring me your book and let me take a look."
"That's ok Dad, I'll figure it out."
"Are you sure? It might be clearer if I helped you."
"No, that's alright. Thanks Dad. I better go finish my homework now."
"Ok, but let me know if you need any help, ok?"
"Ok, thanks."
You know I was just looking at this slide rule and even after all these years I think I still know how to use it. Let's see, you take the 1 on the B scale and line it up under the 2 on the A scale, and you move the slider down the B scale to the 4, and then you look back up on the A scale and the answer is 8. 2 x 4 = 8. How 'bout that. I guess there are still a few neurons firing up there in the old gray matter yet.
Anybody need help with their homework?
I guess I could talk about Jack Kilby tonight. Not that I know anything about him or have a clue about how he did what he did - except change the world of course. But blogging and techy stuff just seem to go together, so I'll chip in what I can.
Oh, by the way, Jack Kilby was the co-inventor of the integrated circuit.
Anyways, the thing that sticks out most in my mind is the slide rule, and the fact that you don't see too many of those around anymore. Jack Kilby changed that, and even if he never accomplished anything else in his life the world would still owe him a huge debt of gratitude just for that. Geez, it seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in Mr. Barnes 7th grade math class trying to learn the intricacies of the A, B, C, and D scales and all those other weird looking things, and then Jack Kilby came along and invented the electronic calculator and changed the world forever. Now whenever you go into a McDonalds or a Burger King the person behind the counter doesn't even have to know how to add and subtract. They just press the little button that says "Hamburger" and the machine does all the math.
It's a Brave New World.
I know people under the age of 30 don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but when I was a kid (uh-oh, here it comes), I mean when "I" was a kid you actually had to know how to add 2 numbers together and get a result. You know, 8 + 5 = 13, leave the 3 and carry the one, 3 + 2 = 5 and voila, the answer is 53, that kind of stuff. And later, when you mastered you basic cyphers they stuck you in slide rule class where you had to learn slide this stick back and forth and move this little window in order to do things like multiply and divide really big numbers. You couldn't just punch the numbers in and press the equal sign to get the answer. In those days, men were men and you had to work for every answer you got.
It's funny but I wonder how many kids today would even know what a slide rule is. One, maybe two would be my guess. For the rest you'd have to explain how in the old days every kid had to learn how to use them and how their parents would take them down to the drugstore or five-and-dime and buy them one to take to school along with their pencil box and binder and pee chee folders, and then after you'd explained it all the kid would probably just yawn and look at you funny and tell you he needs to go log on to his computer so he can download a term paper for his english class tomorrow.
Ah yes, this modern world of ours. You know what we be really funny is to go up to a kid and ask him "Are there any five-and-dimes around here where I can buy a slide rule?" I'd like to see what kind of reaction that would get?
Oh well, I've still got my old slide rule from Junior High School. I don't know why - I just never got around to throwing it out I guess. What's really cool, though, is that I've still got my father's 1950's vintage Sun Hemmi No. 259 bamboo model in the original leather case. It's not worth much money (from around $30.00 to $75.00 from as near as I can tell), but it was my fathers and I remember how he always carried it around with him in his briefcase whenever he went to work or on a business trip. I also remember how I used to open up his briefcase sometimes and look at it and think that my dad must have been the smartest person in the world to be able to figure out what all those little numbers and hash marks meant.
Which brings up another point. Namely, the worst mistake you can ever make when you have an engineer father is asking him to help you with your math homework. I didn't want to bring this up while he was alive, but now that he has passed on I guess I can go ahead and mention it. Asking an engineer father to help you with your math homework is like sticking your head under Niagra Falls just to get a drink of water - you're almost certain to get way more than you bargained for.
"Dad, can you help me with my math homework?"
"Sure, what are you having trouble with?"
"Well, I can't figure this out. It says 2x + 3 = 7, solve for x. What am I supposed to do?"
"Oh, algebra, huh? Yeah, that can be a little tough sometimes. Get me some graph paper and I'll show you what to do."
"Graph paper? I don't think we're supposed to use graph paper Dad. That's not what the teacher showed us in class."
"What? No wonder you can't figure it out. It'll be much clearer if you graph it out. Go bring me my brief case and I think there should be a pad of graph paper in there "
"Well, oooooookaaaaaay..."
"I don't know where they get these teachers these days. Now you see we draw two lines like this. The horizontal one is called the x-axis and the vertical one is called the y-axis. Now what was that problem again?"
"That looks like Geometry dad. We don't start Geometry until next year."
"No, it's not Geometry, it's Algebra. Now what was that problem?"
"2x + 3 = 7. Solve for x"
"Okay, first we start with x. Now, you see, this is the x-axis so we just...er..."
"Dad, I don't think we're supposed to solve it like that."
"No, the way I'm showing you is better. Now, let me see, it's been so long since I did any Algebra. You plot out x along this axis and..."
"Aren't you supposed to subtract 3 from both sides or something like that?"
"What? No, yes, not now, ok? Let me think here a minute. This angle here is my theta and so the delta is going to be my (mumble, mumble, mumble...)"
"Dad?"
"Give me a minute to work this out, son. It's been a while since I've done any (mumble, mumble, mumble...)"
"I think there's a simpler way to do this."
"Go over to my briefcase and bring me my slide rule, will you? There, now let me just try a few test calculations and then I'll remember what you're supposed to do."
"Can I go watch TV now?"
"What? No. No TV. We've got to finish this first. You want to learn how to do this don't you?"
"(Not now I don't.)"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"There! Now what was that problem again?"
"Twooooo eeeeeex plussssss threeeeeeeee eeeeeequals seeeeeeeeven. Solve... For... X."
"Okay. You see that point there, if we just draw a line and then...hand me my slide rule again. There, got it. The answer is sin squared x over e to the negative theta."
"Huh?"
"Doesn't that sound right?"
"I don't think that's how the teacher showed us how to do it."
"Well, how did he show you how to do it?"
"I don't know. You're supposed to add to both sides and then multiply by something and then the x is supposed to be on one side and the answer is supposed to be on the other."
"Oh, is that how they're teaching you nowdays?"
"I guess so."
"Well they've changed everything around since I went to school. Maybe you better bring me your book and let me take a look."
"That's ok Dad, I'll figure it out."
"Are you sure? It might be clearer if I helped you."
"No, that's alright. Thanks Dad. I better go finish my homework now."
"Ok, but let me know if you need any help, ok?"
"Ok, thanks."
You know I was just looking at this slide rule and even after all these years I think I still know how to use it. Let's see, you take the 1 on the B scale and line it up under the 2 on the A scale, and you move the slider down the B scale to the 4, and then you look back up on the A scale and the answer is 8. 2 x 4 = 8. How 'bout that. I guess there are still a few neurons firing up there in the old gray matter yet.
Anybody need help with their homework?
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Warm Up The Radio Uncle Ben - Old Man Radio Is On The Air.
When last we spoke I was a mere blogger, but now, I'm happy to say, I am a genuine, certified, bona fide radio broadcaster. Yep, you heard me right - I'm on the air, er sort of. You see, instead of just listening to podcasts and making an occasional comment about them, I decided to take the plunge myself by joining the podcasting world and making my very own podcast.
Yippee! Hooray! Old Man Radio is on the air!
You like the name? Yeah, me neither but you know I'm an old man and it's a radio show so the name seemed just seemed to fit. Anyways, recording it was a lot of fun in a frustrating, "can someone please tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do" kind of way. I used a program called Propoganda to record it, not because it's such a great program but because it was the only program I could figure out how to use, and I found a little company that was willing to host it for me with 100 megs of storage and unlimited bandwidth for 5 bucks a month.
And that was all there was to that.
You know it's true what they say about podcasting being so easy to do that anyone can do it. Unfortunately what they don't tell you is that it's easy for anyone to do, but even easier for them to do it badly. At least that was true in my case and I'm finding out fast that a good podcast involves a little more work than just recording and posting. Yes, I had more than my share of "technical difficulties", but that's all part of the learning process and I'm too stubborn to quit just because I made a fool of myself.
But like I said it was still lots of fun doing the show and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do some more. I've listened to it a couple of dozen times now and I think it's pretty good for the most part. At least the music is, I'm not so sure about the announcer. I need to put a little more enthusiasm into my voice or something, or at least try not to sound so morose and close to my death bed when I talk. Geez, I've been listening to this thing and I sound like somebody just ran over my dog. "Put a smile in your voice" - isn't that what they always say?
Oh well, I can work on that too - it's all just part of the debugging process, isn't it. In case you're wondering what the show is about it's a music show featuring acoustic songs I've downloaded off the net. I call it "podsafe music from the quiet side of the internet". Kind of catchy, huh? I should explain that "podsafe" is the term used to describe promotional music that bands from around the world have uploaded to the net to be distributed free of charge. It's a good way of getting themselves known and generating buzz, and a lot of it is just as good as anything you'll hear on the radio or purchase in the music store. My show plays the best acoustic stuff I can find, and it's done in a very laidback, relaxing style that I think anyone over the age of 40 would probably enjoy. At least that's what I'm shooting for.
Anyways, I hope you'll give it a listen. I'm trying to get the show added to the all the major podcast directories and for some reason I keep getting this awful feeling that they're going to listen to this podcast and say "What? You want us to add THAT to our directory? Are you out of your mind? I mean, our standards may be low but c'mon, they're still standards." But then again,who knows. Maybe they'll go ahead and add me anyways and soon millions of netizens around the world will be downloading my podcast and saying "Yes! That's just the podcast I've been looking for."
That's my fantasy anyways.
If you want to check it out then just add this link to your aggregator:
http://oldmanradio.libsyn.com/rss
Or, if you want to listen directly go to oldmanradio.com and click on the Direct Download link shown under Podcast 1. There's also a comments section there if you want to let me know what you really think of it.
And that's the show for tonight. Be sure to tune in again next week for another episode of Old Man Radio, podsafe music from the quiet side of the internet. This is Tony Myers signing off and wishing you all a Happy Father's Day.
When last we spoke I was a mere blogger, but now, I'm happy to say, I am a genuine, certified, bona fide radio broadcaster. Yep, you heard me right - I'm on the air, er sort of. You see, instead of just listening to podcasts and making an occasional comment about them, I decided to take the plunge myself by joining the podcasting world and making my very own podcast.
Yippee! Hooray! Old Man Radio is on the air!
You like the name? Yeah, me neither but you know I'm an old man and it's a radio show so the name seemed just seemed to fit. Anyways, recording it was a lot of fun in a frustrating, "can someone please tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do" kind of way. I used a program called Propoganda to record it, not because it's such a great program but because it was the only program I could figure out how to use, and I found a little company that was willing to host it for me with 100 megs of storage and unlimited bandwidth for 5 bucks a month.
And that was all there was to that.
You know it's true what they say about podcasting being so easy to do that anyone can do it. Unfortunately what they don't tell you is that it's easy for anyone to do, but even easier for them to do it badly. At least that was true in my case and I'm finding out fast that a good podcast involves a little more work than just recording and posting. Yes, I had more than my share of "technical difficulties", but that's all part of the learning process and I'm too stubborn to quit just because I made a fool of myself.
But like I said it was still lots of fun doing the show and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do some more. I've listened to it a couple of dozen times now and I think it's pretty good for the most part. At least the music is, I'm not so sure about the announcer. I need to put a little more enthusiasm into my voice or something, or at least try not to sound so morose and close to my death bed when I talk. Geez, I've been listening to this thing and I sound like somebody just ran over my dog. "Put a smile in your voice" - isn't that what they always say?
Oh well, I can work on that too - it's all just part of the debugging process, isn't it. In case you're wondering what the show is about it's a music show featuring acoustic songs I've downloaded off the net. I call it "podsafe music from the quiet side of the internet". Kind of catchy, huh? I should explain that "podsafe" is the term used to describe promotional music that bands from around the world have uploaded to the net to be distributed free of charge. It's a good way of getting themselves known and generating buzz, and a lot of it is just as good as anything you'll hear on the radio or purchase in the music store. My show plays the best acoustic stuff I can find, and it's done in a very laidback, relaxing style that I think anyone over the age of 40 would probably enjoy. At least that's what I'm shooting for.
Anyways, I hope you'll give it a listen. I'm trying to get the show added to the all the major podcast directories and for some reason I keep getting this awful feeling that they're going to listen to this podcast and say "What? You want us to add THAT to our directory? Are you out of your mind? I mean, our standards may be low but c'mon, they're still standards." But then again,who knows. Maybe they'll go ahead and add me anyways and soon millions of netizens around the world will be downloading my podcast and saying "Yes! That's just the podcast I've been looking for."
That's my fantasy anyways.
If you want to check it out then just add this link to your aggregator:
http://oldmanradio.libsyn.com/rss
Or, if you want to listen directly go to oldmanradio.com and click on the Direct Download link shown under Podcast 1. There's also a comments section there if you want to let me know what you really think of it.
And that's the show for tonight. Be sure to tune in again next week for another episode of Old Man Radio, podsafe music from the quiet side of the internet. This is Tony Myers signing off and wishing you all a Happy Father's Day.
Thursday, June 16, 2005
And Now For A Word From Our Sponser...
How strange is this? When the Michael Jackson story broke I didn't find out about it on the TV or the radio, I read about it on my cellphone. I don't know if that strikes y0u as strange but it seems pretty bizarre to me. Just imagine how far we've come.
In the old days you probably got your news by going into town on market day and taking in the local gossip. Then when literacy came around newspapers and magazines were added to the mix. Pretty soon the 20th century added radio and television, and now here we are in the 21st century and it's the internet that's finally becoming the dominant source of news. In fact Reuters is reporting that 1/5 of all newspaper readers are now reading their papers online.
What are we to make of this? I don't have a clue, but things are changing fast, and now with this new Smartphone of mine I'm able to carry the newspaper in my pocket and read it anyplace I can make a wireless phone call. And in fact it's better than a newspaper because just like the radio or CNN it's updated continuously throughout the day, and using SMS messages it can even push the days top stories to me on either a pre-scheduled or ad-hoc basis. Yeah, I know this is nothing new to all those veteran cellphone users out there, but, remember, I'm not a geek so this is all new to me. And besides...
This is so cool!
Of course if I was in the newspaper business I might not be feeling the thrill of it all. I mean, I'm probably what the newspapers would consider the prime demographic for newspaper readership and yet I hardly even read the paper anymore. In the morning I fire up my computer and go straight to my "My Yahoo" homepage for all the latest news in the topics I'm most interested in, during the day I keep myself updated by downloading the news to my cellphone, and at night I get in-depth reports from the gang over at PBS and local news from my local TV stations. Geez, who needs the newspaper anymore?
Yep, the times they are a-changing and I for one am all for it. I like having my news come to me, and I like that it's timely, and I like being able to read it wherever and whenever it's convenient for me. Really, when you stop and think about it, the only advantage that newspapers still have is their ability to focus locally and bring me more in-depth, feature type stories about things that are happening in the neighborhood and local community. In every other way the new media are eating their lunch.
So, what can I say except that I love my SMT5600 Smartphone. It's kind of in that middleground between a plain old cellphone and a full-fledged PDA and I like that. I never really wanted a cellphone just to talk on, and I've already got a PDA so I couldn't really see spending $500 on another on just so that I could stick it up to my ear and and talk to Aunt Mabel with it. The SMT5600 is just a good little multimedia device/cellphone that fits my needs to a T. It organizes, it plays media, it makes phone calls, it connects to the net, and if they could have figured out a way to put a little keyboard on it then it would have been just about perfect. As it stands now, you can't really do email or any kind of heavy surfing with it, but like I mentioned in an earlier post you can use it as a bluetooth modem and connect it to a laptop or PDA when the need arises.
And it's only $100.00 (with 2 year activation - ugh).
In case you're wondering what sort of news I can get here's a sampler: CNN, CBS Marketwatch, the NY Times, AP News, Bloomberg, Yahoo, Google, ESPN, CBS Sportsline, SI, E! Online, Premier, Hollywood.com, The Weather Channel, Accuweather, Mapquest, etc... as well as horoscopes and travel guides and all sorts of miscellaneous content. But since it's a Smartphone that means it also has a built-in web browser so I can go to a place like Skeezer.net and get mobile access to all kinds of sites like NPR or the Wall Street Journal as well. In theory I should also be able to go to audio sites and download podcasts and audio streams but I'm not having much luck with that. The device is certainly capable of playing audio and video and sounds pretty good with the included headphones, but I think the connection just isn't fast enough or maybe there's some other network reason why I'm having so many problems downloading audio. If and when 3G ever gets here that might all change, but in the meantime you can always just download audio and video to your computer and sync it over with Activesync. I've tried it and it works just fine.
Well, that's my little SMT5600 commercial. When the Windows Mobile 5 devices start showing up later this year I'll probably wish I'd waited a little longer before buying, but it's hard to argue with the price or the features you can get right now.
How strange is this? When the Michael Jackson story broke I didn't find out about it on the TV or the radio, I read about it on my cellphone. I don't know if that strikes y0u as strange but it seems pretty bizarre to me. Just imagine how far we've come.
In the old days you probably got your news by going into town on market day and taking in the local gossip. Then when literacy came around newspapers and magazines were added to the mix. Pretty soon the 20th century added radio and television, and now here we are in the 21st century and it's the internet that's finally becoming the dominant source of news. In fact Reuters is reporting that 1/5 of all newspaper readers are now reading their papers online.
What are we to make of this? I don't have a clue, but things are changing fast, and now with this new Smartphone of mine I'm able to carry the newspaper in my pocket and read it anyplace I can make a wireless phone call. And in fact it's better than a newspaper because just like the radio or CNN it's updated continuously throughout the day, and using SMS messages it can even push the days top stories to me on either a pre-scheduled or ad-hoc basis. Yeah, I know this is nothing new to all those veteran cellphone users out there, but, remember, I'm not a geek so this is all new to me. And besides...
This is so cool!
Of course if I was in the newspaper business I might not be feeling the thrill of it all. I mean, I'm probably what the newspapers would consider the prime demographic for newspaper readership and yet I hardly even read the paper anymore. In the morning I fire up my computer and go straight to my "My Yahoo" homepage for all the latest news in the topics I'm most interested in, during the day I keep myself updated by downloading the news to my cellphone, and at night I get in-depth reports from the gang over at PBS and local news from my local TV stations. Geez, who needs the newspaper anymore?
Yep, the times they are a-changing and I for one am all for it. I like having my news come to me, and I like that it's timely, and I like being able to read it wherever and whenever it's convenient for me. Really, when you stop and think about it, the only advantage that newspapers still have is their ability to focus locally and bring me more in-depth, feature type stories about things that are happening in the neighborhood and local community. In every other way the new media are eating their lunch.
So, what can I say except that I love my SMT5600 Smartphone. It's kind of in that middleground between a plain old cellphone and a full-fledged PDA and I like that. I never really wanted a cellphone just to talk on, and I've already got a PDA so I couldn't really see spending $500 on another on just so that I could stick it up to my ear and and talk to Aunt Mabel with it. The SMT5600 is just a good little multimedia device/cellphone that fits my needs to a T. It organizes, it plays media, it makes phone calls, it connects to the net, and if they could have figured out a way to put a little keyboard on it then it would have been just about perfect. As it stands now, you can't really do email or any kind of heavy surfing with it, but like I mentioned in an earlier post you can use it as a bluetooth modem and connect it to a laptop or PDA when the need arises.
And it's only $100.00 (with 2 year activation - ugh).
In case you're wondering what sort of news I can get here's a sampler: CNN, CBS Marketwatch, the NY Times, AP News, Bloomberg, Yahoo, Google, ESPN, CBS Sportsline, SI, E! Online, Premier, Hollywood.com, The Weather Channel, Accuweather, Mapquest, etc... as well as horoscopes and travel guides and all sorts of miscellaneous content. But since it's a Smartphone that means it also has a built-in web browser so I can go to a place like Skeezer.net and get mobile access to all kinds of sites like NPR or the Wall Street Journal as well. In theory I should also be able to go to audio sites and download podcasts and audio streams but I'm not having much luck with that. The device is certainly capable of playing audio and video and sounds pretty good with the included headphones, but I think the connection just isn't fast enough or maybe there's some other network reason why I'm having so many problems downloading audio. If and when 3G ever gets here that might all change, but in the meantime you can always just download audio and video to your computer and sync it over with Activesync. I've tried it and it works just fine.
Well, that's my little SMT5600 commercial. When the Windows Mobile 5 devices start showing up later this year I'll probably wish I'd waited a little longer before buying, but it's hard to argue with the price or the features you can get right now.
Monday, June 13, 2005
Que Sera, Sera
In the world of financial crystal ball gazing the "collapse of the markets" has simply got to be the hottest thing going. The theory, in case you haven't heard, goes something like this: The baby-boomers are going to retire, and then they're going to sell their stocks and dump billions and billions of shares into the financial markets, and then the financial markets are going to collapse from the accumulated weight, and then we're all going to be destitute and eating out of garbage cans. It's inevitable, you see, and people everywhere are talking about it.
Too bad it's a bunch of bull, but even so there I was watching the Wall Street Journal Report (a fine show, by the way) and wouldn't you know it they had this professor of finance is up there and...
Maria: Professor, in your new book you predict dire things to come for investors in the years ahead. Can you explain why you think things look so bleak?
Tweedy Professor: Well, Maria, the baby-boomers are going to retire and sell their stocks and there's not going to be anybody around to buy them all.
Maria: Oh, I see. Then you think that the baby-boomers are the last generation that will ever want to own financial assets?
Tweedy Professor: Yes, that's right. After the baby-boomers retire no one will want to save and invest anymore. When that happens the financial markets will collapse and we'll all be living in poverty and despair.
Maria: Interesting... (Maria says that a lot)
Tweedy Professor: There simply won't be any money left after the markets collapse.
Maria: Sure, there's no money so there's no one to buy stocks. Interesting. Let's turn now to my other guest to get his reaction. You're an investment advisor. What are you telling your clients? Is it the end of the world?
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: No, we don't think so. (Nattily Attired Investment Professionals always say "we" instead of "I"). We've looked at the problem and we're actually quite bullish.
Maria: But you just heard what the tweedy professor said.
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Yes, and quite frankly we think the professor has a drug problem.
Maria: Drug problem professor? Or do you think the Nattily Attired Investment Professional is being too optomistic?
Tweedy Professor: Yes
Maria: Yes what? Yes to the drug problem or yes to being overly optomistic?
Tweedy Professor: Both
Maria: Ok then, let me toss it back to you. You've heard the professor admit he has a drug problem but he still thinks the world is coming to an end. What is your response?
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Maria, we're not going to run out of investors. Sure there'll be poverty and despair but the fact is that the rich continue to get richer - filthy rich, in fact, and when you've got that much money, well, there are only so many things you can buy. We think that going forward there will be plenty of investment opportunites for that 1% of the population.
Maria: Professor, what about that? Sure there'll be poverty and despair but there are also gonna be a lot of money in the hands of the super rich.
Tweedy Pr0fessor: First let me clarify what I said earlier Maria. Yes I use drugs but it's not a problem. I'm only chippin' and I assure you I can stop whenever I want. Now, about the whole concentration of wealth question.
Maria: Yes, professor. Let's face it, there are only so many mansions and yachts and private jets you can own before you start to get bored with it all. Won't these people still be investors?
Tweedy Professor: Well, that's a good point Maria. Sure, the super rich will continue to invest in the financial markets. But we're only talking about 1% of the population here.
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Yes, but that 1% has 99% of the money.
Tweedy Professor: Yes, but will they be investing in the U.S. markets, especially if those markets are in decline because of the intense selling pressure brought on by this upcoming wave of retiring baby-boomers. I think you'll see them looking to overseas markets instead where the growth rates will be much higher.
Maria: Sounds pretty thin professor. Ok, Mr. Nattily Attired Investment Professional we'll let you have the last word on this subject.
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Whether you buy or whether you sell - we still get our cut.
Maria: Well said, and I'm sure we'll want to have you both back on the show to continue this discussion. Mr. Tweedy Professor and Mr. Nattily Attired Investment Professional, thank you both for being on the show.
Tweedy Professor: Thank you Maria.
Nattily Attired Investment Professinal: Thank you.
Maria: Coming up next. The housing market - Is there a Bubble? We'll talk to a leading financial columnist to get his views on why he thinks the real estate market will collapse and we'll all be living in poverty and despair and eating out of garbage cans. That and more coming up on the Wall Street Street Journal Report. I'm Maria Bartiromo. Be sure to stay tuned.
In the world of financial crystal ball gazing the "collapse of the markets" has simply got to be the hottest thing going. The theory, in case you haven't heard, goes something like this: The baby-boomers are going to retire, and then they're going to sell their stocks and dump billions and billions of shares into the financial markets, and then the financial markets are going to collapse from the accumulated weight, and then we're all going to be destitute and eating out of garbage cans. It's inevitable, you see, and people everywhere are talking about it.
Too bad it's a bunch of bull, but even so there I was watching the Wall Street Journal Report (a fine show, by the way) and wouldn't you know it they had this professor of finance is up there and...
Maria: Professor, in your new book you predict dire things to come for investors in the years ahead. Can you explain why you think things look so bleak?
Tweedy Professor: Well, Maria, the baby-boomers are going to retire and sell their stocks and there's not going to be anybody around to buy them all.
Maria: Oh, I see. Then you think that the baby-boomers are the last generation that will ever want to own financial assets?
Tweedy Professor: Yes, that's right. After the baby-boomers retire no one will want to save and invest anymore. When that happens the financial markets will collapse and we'll all be living in poverty and despair.
Maria: Interesting... (Maria says that a lot)
Tweedy Professor: There simply won't be any money left after the markets collapse.
Maria: Sure, there's no money so there's no one to buy stocks. Interesting. Let's turn now to my other guest to get his reaction. You're an investment advisor. What are you telling your clients? Is it the end of the world?
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: No, we don't think so. (Nattily Attired Investment Professionals always say "we" instead of "I"). We've looked at the problem and we're actually quite bullish.
Maria: But you just heard what the tweedy professor said.
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Yes, and quite frankly we think the professor has a drug problem.
Maria: Drug problem professor? Or do you think the Nattily Attired Investment Professional is being too optomistic?
Tweedy Professor: Yes
Maria: Yes what? Yes to the drug problem or yes to being overly optomistic?
Tweedy Professor: Both
Maria: Ok then, let me toss it back to you. You've heard the professor admit he has a drug problem but he still thinks the world is coming to an end. What is your response?
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Maria, we're not going to run out of investors. Sure there'll be poverty and despair but the fact is that the rich continue to get richer - filthy rich, in fact, and when you've got that much money, well, there are only so many things you can buy. We think that going forward there will be plenty of investment opportunites for that 1% of the population.
Maria: Professor, what about that? Sure there'll be poverty and despair but there are also gonna be a lot of money in the hands of the super rich.
Tweedy Pr0fessor: First let me clarify what I said earlier Maria. Yes I use drugs but it's not a problem. I'm only chippin' and I assure you I can stop whenever I want. Now, about the whole concentration of wealth question.
Maria: Yes, professor. Let's face it, there are only so many mansions and yachts and private jets you can own before you start to get bored with it all. Won't these people still be investors?
Tweedy Professor: Well, that's a good point Maria. Sure, the super rich will continue to invest in the financial markets. But we're only talking about 1% of the population here.
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Yes, but that 1% has 99% of the money.
Tweedy Professor: Yes, but will they be investing in the U.S. markets, especially if those markets are in decline because of the intense selling pressure brought on by this upcoming wave of retiring baby-boomers. I think you'll see them looking to overseas markets instead where the growth rates will be much higher.
Maria: Sounds pretty thin professor. Ok, Mr. Nattily Attired Investment Professional we'll let you have the last word on this subject.
Nattily Attired Investment Professional: Whether you buy or whether you sell - we still get our cut.
Maria: Well said, and I'm sure we'll want to have you both back on the show to continue this discussion. Mr. Tweedy Professor and Mr. Nattily Attired Investment Professional, thank you both for being on the show.
Tweedy Professor: Thank you Maria.
Nattily Attired Investment Professinal: Thank you.
Maria: Coming up next. The housing market - Is there a Bubble? We'll talk to a leading financial columnist to get his views on why he thinks the real estate market will collapse and we'll all be living in poverty and despair and eating out of garbage cans. That and more coming up on the Wall Street Street Journal Report. I'm Maria Bartiromo. Be sure to stay tuned.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Oh Black Water Keep on Rollin'
Do you like your water company? I like mine and you know why - every year they send out an Annual Water Quality Report to all their customers on the safety and cleanliness of the County's water supply. I mean, in this modern age isn't it reassuring to know that a nameless, faceless bureaucracy like the San Jose Water Company really does care about it's customers and really does want to take the time to sit down with them and ease their tap water fears? You bet it is, and that's why when my copy of the "Annual Water Quality Report 2004" came in this month's bill, I, like so many others, couldn't wait to open it up and tear right in. And let me tell ya', now that I've read it I'm convinced that not even the dryness of a Saharan summer or the infernal fires of hell could ever persuade me to drink another glass of their water again. Not in this county anyways.
Not that the SJWC ever intended anyone to really read the report, mind you. In fact just getting through the first paragraph was enough to tie any normal brain into knots. Geez, if you want to inform consumers don't send us them a document that looks like it was written by a committee of chemists and engineers and biologists (and their lawyers) - send them something readable. I'm betting that most people who actually do take the time to read it will make it about as far as the second paragraph before they skip ahead to the charts and illustrations. At least that's what I did.
Let's go through it together, shall we?
Let's see, where do we start. Well here's a pretty blue and green picture on the last page that shows Santa Clara County and the sources of it's drinking water. Hmmm, what a pretty little picture, and it looks like I'm in the blue area which, according to the Legend, means I'm drinking imported surface water. Yum-yum, surface water - now that sounds tasty. I hope by that they are referring to water that's been stored in surface reservoirs (as opposed to underground wells) and not water that's run-off of surface streets and into ditches and rain gutters. I'm sure that's what they mean but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back through the report and try to find an explanation.
Well, anyways, that's interesting. I always wondered where my water came from and I'm glad that I'm in the pretty blue area and not the ugly green one, even if I am drinking surface water. Turning back a few pages I also see they've also included a nice little chart. Gee, I like charts. It's called "Primary Standards - Mandatory Health related Standards". Across the horizontal axis they've set out the Units, MCL's and PHG's or MCLG's and down the verticle axis they've listed the parameters in their study. What a boon to consumers eh? Why just imagine all the times you've sat over your morning cup of coffee and wondered just how many PHG's of Radionuclides there were in that little cup.
Well continuing down the left hand side of the chart comes we finally come to the good part. This is where they list all the stuff that's in your tap water, and my advice would be to stop reading at that point and just be glad you don't know what's in there. But being the damn fool I am I can't help myself so here goes. Here's what we got: Aluminum, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Chromium, Fluoride (good for your teeth), Nitrate, Selenium, something called Gross Alpha Activity (15 MCL's of that but O PHG's, thank goodness), Radon, Dichloroethylene, Trichloroethane, Total Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic Acids, Coliform Bacteria, Lead, Copper and of course Chlorine, Choride, Iron, Sodium, Sulfate, Zinc and Manganese.
Gee, is that all. I was worried there might be some foreign substances in there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying. "What are you getting so paranoid about. Don't you know that it's perfectly normal to have Halocetic acids in your water? Why, even spit has more Trihalomethanes and Radionuclides than tap water does (not to mention Gross Alpha Activity). It's nothing to be concerned about so why don't you quit your whining and deal with it." Well, alright, I hear you and I'm not whining. I'm jus a little concerned that's all. I thought tap water was just, you know, water. H2O and maybe a few little buggies swimming around. I never really stopped to consider there might be Arsenic and Radon and Trichloromethanes floating around in there too. And now that I know, I kinda wish I didn't.
You know?
But I'm not whining and since I can't make heads or tails of this chart anyways I guess it must be okay. They wouldn't publish this stuff unless the water was ok - right? But then again... what about some of these other things? What are Nephelometric Turbidity Units anyways? And why are these Unregulated Contaminants listed? Boron? Vanadium? Hexavalent Chromium? Aeromonas? Shouldn't they be regulating that stuff?
Oh man, I don't feel so thirsty anymore. Honestly, I wish the SJWC wouldn't send me anymore consumer information. Ignorance is highly underrated and I think I would have been happy just to pay the bill.
Do you like your water company? I like mine and you know why - every year they send out an Annual Water Quality Report to all their customers on the safety and cleanliness of the County's water supply. I mean, in this modern age isn't it reassuring to know that a nameless, faceless bureaucracy like the San Jose Water Company really does care about it's customers and really does want to take the time to sit down with them and ease their tap water fears? You bet it is, and that's why when my copy of the "Annual Water Quality Report 2004" came in this month's bill, I, like so many others, couldn't wait to open it up and tear right in. And let me tell ya', now that I've read it I'm convinced that not even the dryness of a Saharan summer or the infernal fires of hell could ever persuade me to drink another glass of their water again. Not in this county anyways.
Not that the SJWC ever intended anyone to really read the report, mind you. In fact just getting through the first paragraph was enough to tie any normal brain into knots. Geez, if you want to inform consumers don't send us them a document that looks like it was written by a committee of chemists and engineers and biologists (and their lawyers) - send them something readable. I'm betting that most people who actually do take the time to read it will make it about as far as the second paragraph before they skip ahead to the charts and illustrations. At least that's what I did.
Let's go through it together, shall we?
Let's see, where do we start. Well here's a pretty blue and green picture on the last page that shows Santa Clara County and the sources of it's drinking water. Hmmm, what a pretty little picture, and it looks like I'm in the blue area which, according to the Legend, means I'm drinking imported surface water. Yum-yum, surface water - now that sounds tasty. I hope by that they are referring to water that's been stored in surface reservoirs (as opposed to underground wells) and not water that's run-off of surface streets and into ditches and rain gutters. I'm sure that's what they mean but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back through the report and try to find an explanation.
Well, anyways, that's interesting. I always wondered where my water came from and I'm glad that I'm in the pretty blue area and not the ugly green one, even if I am drinking surface water. Turning back a few pages I also see they've also included a nice little chart. Gee, I like charts. It's called "Primary Standards - Mandatory Health related Standards". Across the horizontal axis they've set out the Units, MCL's and PHG's or MCLG's and down the verticle axis they've listed the parameters in their study. What a boon to consumers eh? Why just imagine all the times you've sat over your morning cup of coffee and wondered just how many PHG's of Radionuclides there were in that little cup.
Well continuing down the left hand side of the chart comes we finally come to the good part. This is where they list all the stuff that's in your tap water, and my advice would be to stop reading at that point and just be glad you don't know what's in there. But being the damn fool I am I can't help myself so here goes. Here's what we got: Aluminum, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Chromium, Fluoride (good for your teeth), Nitrate, Selenium, something called Gross Alpha Activity (15 MCL's of that but O PHG's, thank goodness), Radon, Dichloroethylene, Trichloroethane, Total Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic Acids, Coliform Bacteria, Lead, Copper and of course Chlorine, Choride, Iron, Sodium, Sulfate, Zinc and Manganese.
Gee, is that all. I was worried there might be some foreign substances in there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying. "What are you getting so paranoid about. Don't you know that it's perfectly normal to have Halocetic acids in your water? Why, even spit has more Trihalomethanes and Radionuclides than tap water does (not to mention Gross Alpha Activity). It's nothing to be concerned about so why don't you quit your whining and deal with it." Well, alright, I hear you and I'm not whining. I'm jus a little concerned that's all. I thought tap water was just, you know, water. H2O and maybe a few little buggies swimming around. I never really stopped to consider there might be Arsenic and Radon and Trichloromethanes floating around in there too. And now that I know, I kinda wish I didn't.
You know?
But I'm not whining and since I can't make heads or tails of this chart anyways I guess it must be okay. They wouldn't publish this stuff unless the water was ok - right? But then again... what about some of these other things? What are Nephelometric Turbidity Units anyways? And why are these Unregulated Contaminants listed? Boron? Vanadium? Hexavalent Chromium? Aeromonas? Shouldn't they be regulating that stuff?
Oh man, I don't feel so thirsty anymore. Honestly, I wish the SJWC wouldn't send me anymore consumer information. Ignorance is highly underrated and I think I would have been happy just to pay the bill.
Oh Black Water Keep on Rollin'
Do you like your water company? I like mine and you know why - every year they send out an Annual Water Quality Report to all their customers on the safety and cleanliness of the County's water supply. I mean, in this modern age isn't it reassuring to know that a nameless, faceless bureaucracy like the San Jose Water Company really does care about it's customers and really does want to take the time to sit down with them and ease their tap water fears? You bet it is, and that's why when my copy of the "Annual Water Quality Report 2004" came in this month's bill, I, like so many others, couldn't wait to open it up and tear right in. And let me tell ya', now that I've read it I'm convinced that not even the dryness of a Saharan summer or the infernal fires of hell could ever persuade me to drink another glass of their water again. Not in this county anyways.
Not that the SJWC ever intended anyone to really read the report, mind you. In fact just getting through the first paragraph was enough to tie any normal brain into knots. Geez, if you want to inform consumers don't send us them a document that looks like it was written by a committee of chemists and engineers and biologists (and their lawyers) - send them something readable. I'm betting that most people who actually do take the time to read it will make it about as far as the second paragraph before they skip ahead to the charts and illustrations. At least that's what I did.
Let's go through it together, shall we?
Let's see, where do we start. Well here's a pretty blue and green picture on the last page that shows Santa Clara County and the sources of it's drinking water. Hmmm, what a pretty little picture, and it looks like I'm in the blue area which, according to the Legend, means I'm drinking imported surface water. Yum-yum, surface water - now that sounds tasty. I hope by that they are referring to water that's been stored in surface reservoirs (as opposed to underground wells) and not water that's run-off of surface streets and into ditches and rain gutters. I'm sure that's what they mean but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back through the report and try to find an explanation.
Well, anyways, that's interesting. I always wondered where my water came from and I'm glad that I'm in the pretty blue area and not the ugly green one, even if I am drinking surface water. Turning back a few pages I also see they've also included a nice little chart. Gee, I like charts. It's called "Primary Standards - Mandatory Health related Standards". Across the horizontal axis they've set out the Units, MCL's and PHG's or MCLG's and down the verticle axis they've listed the parameters in their study. What a boon to consumers eh? Why just imagine all the times you've sat over your morning cup of coffee and wondered just how many PHG's of Radionuclides there were in that little cup.
Well continuing down the left hand side of the chart comes we finally come to the good part. This is where they list all the stuff that's in your tap water, and my advice would be to stop reading at that point and just be glad you don't know what's in there. But being the damn fool I am I can't help myself so here goes. Here's what we got: Aluminum, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Chromium, Fluoride (good for your teeth), Nitrate, Selenium, something called Gross Alpha Activity (15 MCL's of that but O PHG's, thank goodness), Radon, Dichloroethylene, Trichloroethane, Total Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic Acids, Coliform Bacteria, Lead, Copper and of course Chlorine, Choride, Iron, Sodium, Sulfate, Zinc and Manganese.
Gee, is that all. I was worried there might be some foreign substances in there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying. "What are you getting so paranoid about. Don't you know that it's perfectly normal to have Halocetic acids in your water? Why, even spit has more Trihalomethanes and Radionuclides than tap water does (not to mention Gross Alpha Activity). It's nothing to be concerned about so why don't you quit your whining and deal with it." Well, alright, I hear you and I'm not whining. I'm jus a little concerned that's all. I thought tap water was just, you know, water. H2O and maybe a few little buggies swimming around. I never really stopped to consider there might be Arsenic and Radon and Trichloromethanes floating around in there too. And now that I know, I kinda wish I didn't.
You know?
But I'm not whining and since I can't make heads or tails of this chart anyways I guess it must be okay. They wouldn't publish this stuff unless the water was ok - right? But then again... what about some of these other things? What are Nephelometric Turbidity Units anyways? And why are these Unregulated Contaminants listed? Boron? Vanadium? Hexavalent Chromium? Aeromonas? Shouldn't they be regulating that stuff?
Oh man, I don't feel so thirsty anymore. Honestly, I wish the SJWC wouldn't send me anymore consumer information. Ignorance is highly underrated and I think I would have been happy just to pay the bill.
Do you like your water company? I like mine and you know why - every year they send out an Annual Water Quality Report to all their customers on the safety and cleanliness of the County's water supply. I mean, in this modern age isn't it reassuring to know that a nameless, faceless bureaucracy like the San Jose Water Company really does care about it's customers and really does want to take the time to sit down with them and ease their tap water fears? You bet it is, and that's why when my copy of the "Annual Water Quality Report 2004" came in this month's bill, I, like so many others, couldn't wait to open it up and tear right in. And let me tell ya', now that I've read it I'm convinced that not even the dryness of a Saharan summer or the infernal fires of hell could ever persuade me to drink another glass of their water again. Not in this county anyways.
Not that the SJWC ever intended anyone to really read the report, mind you. In fact just getting through the first paragraph was enough to tie any normal brain into knots. Geez, if you want to inform consumers don't send us them a document that looks like it was written by a committee of chemists and engineers and biologists (and their lawyers) - send them something readable. I'm betting that most people who actually do take the time to read it will make it about as far as the second paragraph before they skip ahead to the charts and illustrations. At least that's what I did.
Let's go through it together, shall we?
Let's see, where do we start. Well here's a pretty blue and green picture on the last page that shows Santa Clara County and the sources of it's drinking water. Hmmm, what a pretty little picture, and it looks like I'm in the blue area which, according to the Legend, means I'm drinking imported surface water. Yum-yum, surface water - now that sounds tasty. I hope by that they are referring to water that's been stored in surface reservoirs (as opposed to underground wells) and not water that's run-off of surface streets and into ditches and rain gutters. I'm sure that's what they mean but I'll be damned if I'm going to go back through the report and try to find an explanation.
Well, anyways, that's interesting. I always wondered where my water came from and I'm glad that I'm in the pretty blue area and not the ugly green one, even if I am drinking surface water. Turning back a few pages I also see they've also included a nice little chart. Gee, I like charts. It's called "Primary Standards - Mandatory Health related Standards". Across the horizontal axis they've set out the Units, MCL's and PHG's or MCLG's and down the verticle axis they've listed the parameters in their study. What a boon to consumers eh? Why just imagine all the times you've sat over your morning cup of coffee and wondered just how many PHG's of Radionuclides there were in that little cup.
Well continuing down the left hand side of the chart comes we finally come to the good part. This is where they list all the stuff that's in your tap water, and my advice would be to stop reading at that point and just be glad you don't know what's in there. But being the damn fool I am I can't help myself so here goes. Here's what we got: Aluminum, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Chromium, Fluoride (good for your teeth), Nitrate, Selenium, something called Gross Alpha Activity (15 MCL's of that but O PHG's, thank goodness), Radon, Dichloroethylene, Trichloroethane, Total Trihalomethanes, Haloacetic Acids, Coliform Bacteria, Lead, Copper and of course Chlorine, Choride, Iron, Sodium, Sulfate, Zinc and Manganese.
Gee, is that all. I was worried there might be some foreign substances in there.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you're saying. "What are you getting so paranoid about. Don't you know that it's perfectly normal to have Halocetic acids in your water? Why, even spit has more Trihalomethanes and Radionuclides than tap water does (not to mention Gross Alpha Activity). It's nothing to be concerned about so why don't you quit your whining and deal with it." Well, alright, I hear you and I'm not whining. I'm jus a little concerned that's all. I thought tap water was just, you know, water. H2O and maybe a few little buggies swimming around. I never really stopped to consider there might be Arsenic and Radon and Trichloromethanes floating around in there too. And now that I know, I kinda wish I didn't.
You know?
But I'm not whining and since I can't make heads or tails of this chart anyways I guess it must be okay. They wouldn't publish this stuff unless the water was ok - right? But then again... what about some of these other things? What are Nephelometric Turbidity Units anyways? And why are these Unregulated Contaminants listed? Boron? Vanadium? Hexavalent Chromium? Aeromonas? Shouldn't they be regulating that stuff?
Oh man, I don't feel so thirsty anymore. Honestly, I wish the SJWC wouldn't send me anymore consumer information. Ignorance is highly underrated and I think I would have been happy just to pay the bill.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
And That's The Way It Is
There's always this temptation to say the internet changes everything. I don't know why in the year 2005 anyone is still saying that, but there are those who do. Particularly the old-timers (like me) who keep trying to redefine the internet in terms of all that came before, to redefine the new in terms of the old, calling internet auctions the new "marketplace" or blogs are the new "journalism", etc..., as if one has anything to do with other.
And they just don't get it.
The fact is the internet is entirely new. With the internet we now have a means by which anyone in the world can have a one-on-one connection with any other person in the world whether for commercial, personal or political reasons, and the challenge of somehow organizing the chaos of billions of voices all talking to each other at the same time into something cohesive and usable. That's all an internet auction or a blog or any other internet enterprise is, a means of organizing the chaos, and even though a journalist may publish a blog, to label all blogs as "journalism" is patently absurd. It's just one voice speaking out and if it finds an audience then so be it, and if it doesn't then that's ok too. Either way, it isn't the "new" anything nor does it "change everything".
(I also hate it when they call the internet a "community". Geez, 3 drunks passed out in a bar can be a community - that doesn't mean their accomplishing anything useful or significant.)
Anyways, that's the way I've always felt, but you know every now and then something comes along on the net that can almost change my mind. Podcasting for one, and that's what I really want to talk about tonight. In particular I want to tell the tale of 2 podcasts. One that showed how the internet can change everything, and one that showed how the internet has changed nothing.
The first podcast was the Daily Source Code for June 6, 2005. For those unfamiliar with the podcasting world, the Daily Source Code show is really the primal seed from which all podcasting has propogated and spread, and although it certainly wasn't the first downloadable audio on the net, Adam Curry has to be credited with creating the concept of the podcast (audio over RSS) and of promoting and nurturing it's growth over the past 10 months or so. He's a pretty interesting fellow too, and way ahead of many in the podcasting community in espousing the notion that podcasting is going to have to become more than just a hobby or a dalliance before it can ever succeed in "changing everything." No doubt he's taken some heat for some of his more businesslike pursuits in this regards, but like the philospher said, "So long as others praise you, you can only be sure that you don't walk your own true path but somebody elses." Ok, maybe that's a bit of an overtatement. He's not God or anything, but perhaps "if others can't see it's only because they lack his vision".
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is not to suck-up to the guy but to talk about the June 6 show and how it relates to the potential of podcasting and the internet, and in particular to talk about a song he played that was written and recorded by some soldiers serving overseas in Iraq. Now that might not seem very remarkable at first, but when you stop to think about it it's very remarkable, isn't it?
I mean just stop and think of how we usually get our war news. A reporter is sent over and does some interviews, a camerman shoots some footage, some commentary is added, and then it is all sent to be cut down and packaged and put on the evening news or in the morning paper. And that's not to say it can't be very well done. The reporting can be good, the footage compelling, and the editing concise and to the point, and yet there's something missing. Somehow the viewer or reader isn't really sure he's getting the whole story, or the important story, or even the unbiased truth for that matter. In the end it's just a secondhand version of the truth.
Now compare that with this song these soldiers recorded. This was not pictures or summaries or secondhand accounts, this was not some windbag or pundit spouting off into a microphone or camera about what was happening and what we should be doing and all that. This was a firsthand, primary account from soldiers actually fighting the war. Soldiers who weren't just talking to a reporter, but rather giving us their actual unfiltered and uncensored emotions and relating a little of what it's like living with this war day and night. It might not have been the definitive summing up of everything that is happening over there, but it was a perspective you don't get from the MSM (Mainstream Media) and yet as worthy and compelling as anything you'd find on the evening news.
Could the MSM bring you stories like this? I suppose they could, but they don't, do they? That's what's so different about the internet and podcasting - the fact that there are no barriers, no rules of what you can do and can't do and still sell a 15 second commercial. The fact that raw information can come straight from the mouths of these soldiers, over these wires and cables, and directly into my ear, without any intereference or reinterpretation to muddy the waters. The fact that even as anonymous as they are, they can still get their message out and find an audience who'll listen. I tell you, listening to that song made me think that just maybe the internet can change everything.
And then I heard the other podcast. This one was the May 13, 2005 show from Larry's World, a podcast put out by longtime technology writer Larry Magid who happens to be a very fine writer and a much wiser man than me when it comes to the internet and new technologies. His podcast is mainly interviews with the movers and shakers of the computer world and although he talks kind of funny his interviews are some of the best to be found anywhere on the podcast dial.
On the May 13 show he interviewed Rob Chandhok of Qualcomm, a leading player in the telecommunications business, and this is where it starts to get really depressing. Chandhok, it seems, is leading Qualcomm's push towards bringing you and me television shows over our mobile phones, a curious concept to be sure but one that could play out someday if the spectrum and the high speed networks necessary to make it work ever become widely available in this country.
So here was this guy Chandhok talking to Magid and you know what is his vision for the future is? Why good 'ol network TV on your cell phone of course. But what about some of these newer developments Magid asked him, things like blogging and podcasting? Will we be able to get this kind of grassroots programming on our phones? Well no, Chandhok said, I don't think that's what people really want. They want quality network-type programming, not these narrowcast type of shows that will only appeal to a handful of people.
In other words (and is anyone really suprised by this), according to Qualcomm what the people really want is a world where a few big media companies and a few big telecommunication companies have complete control over what we can watch and enjoy. Yeah, I was thinking, that's what the people want. That's why we're going to subscribe to their services - just so we can watch the same crap on our phones that we see in our living rooms every night. Geez, who wouldn't want that.
But that's how the internet looks to the people in Hollywood and over on Madison Avenue. TV is just this stuff they sell and the internet is just the new "online marketplace". Same goes for newspapers and magazines and music and radio. It's just what they sell, and they can't imagine anyone wanting anything different. And as long as they control the infrastructure and pay the salaries and sell the advertising space, that's the way it's gonna be.
So you see, the internet changes nothing.
And just one more quick thought while I'm on this technology topic. The folks over at KenRadio have been discussing this idea of mobile phones on airplanes and dreading what this is going to mean for the travelling public who find themselves stuck in a middle seat between a couple of idiots blabbing on their cell phones for 5 or 6 hours. The consensus over at KenRadio seems to be that the airlines should designate a special area of the plane, preferably in the rear next the bathrooms, where these people can go and blab to their hearts content without annoying the rest of the passengers. I'm in complete agreement, but I think a better place for the blabbers would probably be down in the cargo hold, or maybe out out on the wing somewhere? Yeah, you need to make that important call? Ok, just strap on these bungie cords and go stand out there by the left aileron. And don't forget to knock when you're ready to come back in.
Funny thing is, I bet there would be people who'd do it.
There's always this temptation to say the internet changes everything. I don't know why in the year 2005 anyone is still saying that, but there are those who do. Particularly the old-timers (like me) who keep trying to redefine the internet in terms of all that came before, to redefine the new in terms of the old, calling internet auctions the new "marketplace" or blogs are the new "journalism", etc..., as if one has anything to do with other.
And they just don't get it.
The fact is the internet is entirely new. With the internet we now have a means by which anyone in the world can have a one-on-one connection with any other person in the world whether for commercial, personal or political reasons, and the challenge of somehow organizing the chaos of billions of voices all talking to each other at the same time into something cohesive and usable. That's all an internet auction or a blog or any other internet enterprise is, a means of organizing the chaos, and even though a journalist may publish a blog, to label all blogs as "journalism" is patently absurd. It's just one voice speaking out and if it finds an audience then so be it, and if it doesn't then that's ok too. Either way, it isn't the "new" anything nor does it "change everything".
(I also hate it when they call the internet a "community". Geez, 3 drunks passed out in a bar can be a community - that doesn't mean their accomplishing anything useful or significant.)
Anyways, that's the way I've always felt, but you know every now and then something comes along on the net that can almost change my mind. Podcasting for one, and that's what I really want to talk about tonight. In particular I want to tell the tale of 2 podcasts. One that showed how the internet can change everything, and one that showed how the internet has changed nothing.
The first podcast was the Daily Source Code for June 6, 2005. For those unfamiliar with the podcasting world, the Daily Source Code show is really the primal seed from which all podcasting has propogated and spread, and although it certainly wasn't the first downloadable audio on the net, Adam Curry has to be credited with creating the concept of the podcast (audio over RSS) and of promoting and nurturing it's growth over the past 10 months or so. He's a pretty interesting fellow too, and way ahead of many in the podcasting community in espousing the notion that podcasting is going to have to become more than just a hobby or a dalliance before it can ever succeed in "changing everything." No doubt he's taken some heat for some of his more businesslike pursuits in this regards, but like the philospher said, "So long as others praise you, you can only be sure that you don't walk your own true path but somebody elses." Ok, maybe that's a bit of an overtatement. He's not God or anything, but perhaps "if others can't see it's only because they lack his vision".
Anyways, the reason I bring this up is not to suck-up to the guy but to talk about the June 6 show and how it relates to the potential of podcasting and the internet, and in particular to talk about a song he played that was written and recorded by some soldiers serving overseas in Iraq. Now that might not seem very remarkable at first, but when you stop to think about it it's very remarkable, isn't it?
I mean just stop and think of how we usually get our war news. A reporter is sent over and does some interviews, a camerman shoots some footage, some commentary is added, and then it is all sent to be cut down and packaged and put on the evening news or in the morning paper. And that's not to say it can't be very well done. The reporting can be good, the footage compelling, and the editing concise and to the point, and yet there's something missing. Somehow the viewer or reader isn't really sure he's getting the whole story, or the important story, or even the unbiased truth for that matter. In the end it's just a secondhand version of the truth.
Now compare that with this song these soldiers recorded. This was not pictures or summaries or secondhand accounts, this was not some windbag or pundit spouting off into a microphone or camera about what was happening and what we should be doing and all that. This was a firsthand, primary account from soldiers actually fighting the war. Soldiers who weren't just talking to a reporter, but rather giving us their actual unfiltered and uncensored emotions and relating a little of what it's like living with this war day and night. It might not have been the definitive summing up of everything that is happening over there, but it was a perspective you don't get from the MSM (Mainstream Media) and yet as worthy and compelling as anything you'd find on the evening news.
Could the MSM bring you stories like this? I suppose they could, but they don't, do they? That's what's so different about the internet and podcasting - the fact that there are no barriers, no rules of what you can do and can't do and still sell a 15 second commercial. The fact that raw information can come straight from the mouths of these soldiers, over these wires and cables, and directly into my ear, without any intereference or reinterpretation to muddy the waters. The fact that even as anonymous as they are, they can still get their message out and find an audience who'll listen. I tell you, listening to that song made me think that just maybe the internet can change everything.
And then I heard the other podcast. This one was the May 13, 2005 show from Larry's World, a podcast put out by longtime technology writer Larry Magid who happens to be a very fine writer and a much wiser man than me when it comes to the internet and new technologies. His podcast is mainly interviews with the movers and shakers of the computer world and although he talks kind of funny his interviews are some of the best to be found anywhere on the podcast dial.
On the May 13 show he interviewed Rob Chandhok of Qualcomm, a leading player in the telecommunications business, and this is where it starts to get really depressing. Chandhok, it seems, is leading Qualcomm's push towards bringing you and me television shows over our mobile phones, a curious concept to be sure but one that could play out someday if the spectrum and the high speed networks necessary to make it work ever become widely available in this country.
So here was this guy Chandhok talking to Magid and you know what is his vision for the future is? Why good 'ol network TV on your cell phone of course. But what about some of these newer developments Magid asked him, things like blogging and podcasting? Will we be able to get this kind of grassroots programming on our phones? Well no, Chandhok said, I don't think that's what people really want. They want quality network-type programming, not these narrowcast type of shows that will only appeal to a handful of people.
In other words (and is anyone really suprised by this), according to Qualcomm what the people really want is a world where a few big media companies and a few big telecommunication companies have complete control over what we can watch and enjoy. Yeah, I was thinking, that's what the people want. That's why we're going to subscribe to their services - just so we can watch the same crap on our phones that we see in our living rooms every night. Geez, who wouldn't want that.
But that's how the internet looks to the people in Hollywood and over on Madison Avenue. TV is just this stuff they sell and the internet is just the new "online marketplace". Same goes for newspapers and magazines and music and radio. It's just what they sell, and they can't imagine anyone wanting anything different. And as long as they control the infrastructure and pay the salaries and sell the advertising space, that's the way it's gonna be.
So you see, the internet changes nothing.
And just one more quick thought while I'm on this technology topic. The folks over at KenRadio have been discussing this idea of mobile phones on airplanes and dreading what this is going to mean for the travelling public who find themselves stuck in a middle seat between a couple of idiots blabbing on their cell phones for 5 or 6 hours. The consensus over at KenRadio seems to be that the airlines should designate a special area of the plane, preferably in the rear next the bathrooms, where these people can go and blab to their hearts content without annoying the rest of the passengers. I'm in complete agreement, but I think a better place for the blabbers would probably be down in the cargo hold, or maybe out out on the wing somewhere? Yeah, you need to make that important call? Ok, just strap on these bungie cords and go stand out there by the left aileron. And don't forget to knock when you're ready to come back in.
Funny thing is, I bet there would be people who'd do it.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
You Can Relax Now Sisyphus, It's All Downhill From Here
It's been Geek Week here at the Myers household. Not that I'm a geek mind you, but every now and then in this modern technological age it becomes necessary for even the most balanced and well-rounded person to don that pocket protector and dig in for some good ol' fashioned geeky fun. Yes, yes, and now I'm sure you're wondering Tony, Mr. Geek Man, how exactly do you connect your pda and cell phone over bluetooth to get on the internet? Well, glad you asked, and you know you could always call your wireless company and they could tell you, but that's not the geek way is it? No, that would be too easy, and that's why you'll often find geeks searching through message boards and FAQ's and poring over manuals and help files at 4:00 in the morning, never admitting defeat and desparately attempting to avoid that dreaded call to Technical Support.
At least that's what I do. That's how you learn, right? Right? That's why you're banging your head against the desk at 4:00 in the morning and thinking "God I love technology. I'm learning so much from this experience."
But I'm getting ahead of myself so let me start at the beginning. Although it may have escaped your notice it is now official - the last person on the planet not to have a cell phone finally broke down and bought one last week. "How can that be", you ask, "it's 2005 and you still don't have a cell phone? What's wrong with you?" Well, the answer is simple. First, I don't like dealing with phone companies and second, since I'm neither mobile nor particulary professional and since I'm not the sort of person that likes to stand around and gab on the phone all day, I figured I didn't really need one. But the world keeps spinning and you have to change with the times, so, like I said, I finally decided to take the leap and go out and buy one.
Of course I did a lot of research first. Websites, reviews, product comparisons, forums...you name it I did it, and I found a ton of information out there. I mean, if your looking for information on phones and plans then all you need to do is fire up your browser and seek it out because I guarantee you it's out there (a particulary good site I found was Howard Forums, but there are plenty of others). And I found something interesting. While it's true that some wireless companies suck more than others, the consesus on the internet seems to be that by and large they all pretty much suck.
That was disappointing because I was hoping to find at least one true gem of a company, but unfortunately it seems that whether you're talking about service, billing, or support, well, there just aren't a whole lot of happy customers out there. True, people who are happy with their wireless company aren't typically the ones who go online and bitch and moan about them, but still there are plenty of horror stories and they cut across the board - Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, T-Mobile, they all have their share of unhappy customers. The situation kind of reminded me of something that Thomas Friedman's wrote in his book. Namely, why is it that people in Ghana can get better cell phone service than people in the U.S. can?
Anyways, I finally went with Cingular. "No! Not Cingular!" I can hear you saying. Well, yes, I went with Cingular. Believe me I heard all the horror stories, but the fact is that Cingular has the largest network and they have a really good deal going on the Audiovox SMT5600 Smartphone, so I went over to Amazon.com, signed up for the service and bought a smartphone. And that's all I have to say about that, and I should also add that I read many good comments about the phone and it got a particularly good review over at CNET.com.
I've had it about 4 or 5 days now and let me just say that I love this phone. Beyond the basics it also happens to be a powerhouse of a multimedia device, and in my area at least the coverage has been 3 or 4 bars all the way. But I don't want to talk about that too much. There is plenty of information on the phone out there and plenty of users who can talk more eloquently about it, both pro and con, than I. However, the best feature, and the one I was most interested in, was that together with everything else it can also be used as a bluetooth modem. That means that using this phone any bluetooth enabled computer or laptop or PDA can get on the internet even when there is no ethernet or Wi-Fi connection available. Other phones can do this too, of course, the SMT5600 isn't the only bluetooth enabled phone out there, but it was an important selling point that helped sway me in the direction of this phone.
Which takes me to tonights topic. How do you connect your PDA to your Audiovox SMT5600 over bluetooth. This is where it gets interesting because it isn't explained in the manual and there is an enormous amount of misinformation on the internet on how to get it done. I must have read 10 different opnions on how to do it and I can say, after much trial and error, that all 10 of them were wrong. Here then, as my service to the community of Audiovox SMT5600 users out there who may find themselves on the same fishing expedition I was on, is my simplified guide to connecting to the Cingular EDGE network using a bluetooth phone and a Bluetooth PDA:
Step 1: Establish a bluetooth bond between the 2 devices. This is the simple part, and no doubt you will find it documented in your user manual. In the bonding process you want your PDA to discover your mobile phone, not the reverse because you will be using the mobile phones services to make your connection.
Step 2: Make a new bluetooth connection. After you have established the bond and double-tap the mobile phone's icon in bluetooth manager this should happen automatically. If not, just tap New and run the wizard. The type of connection you want to make is the Connect to Internet via phone connection, which should be the first one listed.
Step 3: Enter throught the next screen and enter your passkey on your PDA and phone to connect the devices.
Step 4: Make a new connection and name it anything you want. There are lots of people out there telling you to give it some specific kind of name, but you can name it anything. I call mine GPRS.
Step 5: To set up your connection use the following settings
Phone number: *99#
Username: WAP@CINGULAGPRS.COM
Password: CINGULAR1
Note: These are the only settings you need. There are a lot of people out there who are telling you to use the phone number *99***1# and then telling you to go into the advanced settings and enter in an initialization string for your modem. YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO THIS! I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to troubleshoot the connection using those settings until I finally figured out they are totally unecessary. Think about it. If you are able to connect to MediaNet, if you are able to log onto your POP3 account with your phone and retrieve your email, then your phone already has a GPRS connection set up and ready to use. You don't need to remake what's already been made.
Further Note: If you are connected to MediaNet (that is the default connection and the one that comes included with all voice plans) then you are using WAP. There are some people out there telling you to use ISP@CINGULARGRPRS.COM as the Username and that is wrong. Again, hours and hours wasted trying to figure that out. the ISP... Username is for people with Data Connect plans, not MediaNet plans. MediaNet is WAP GPRS.
Step 6: Uncheck the box that says "Wait for Dial Tone" if checked. I don't if that's necessary but it makes sense to me. Could save you a few hours troubleshooting.
Step 7: Tap Finish and you're done. Now just double-tap your new connection and I bet you'll be connected the same as me.
There, now wasn't that easy. Unfortunately you've got to sort through a lot of garbage before you finally find the right information, but once found it's an easy process to set up. Now with that all done I think I'm going to put my phone down and turn off my computer and go get some sleep. This stuff is exhausting and right now I'm feeling pretty tech'd out. I just want to go to bed and then maybe get up in the morning and do something normal for a change. It was a lot of work and the benefit, of course, is now I'm totally wired. As long as I can get a good signal then I can log on and surf. Ok, it may be a little slow but I can surf.
God, I sound just like a geek, don't I? Sheesh, I better go to bed now.
It's been Geek Week here at the Myers household. Not that I'm a geek mind you, but every now and then in this modern technological age it becomes necessary for even the most balanced and well-rounded person to don that pocket protector and dig in for some good ol' fashioned geeky fun. Yes, yes, and now I'm sure you're wondering Tony, Mr. Geek Man, how exactly do you connect your pda and cell phone over bluetooth to get on the internet? Well, glad you asked, and you know you could always call your wireless company and they could tell you, but that's not the geek way is it? No, that would be too easy, and that's why you'll often find geeks searching through message boards and FAQ's and poring over manuals and help files at 4:00 in the morning, never admitting defeat and desparately attempting to avoid that dreaded call to Technical Support.
At least that's what I do. That's how you learn, right? Right? That's why you're banging your head against the desk at 4:00 in the morning and thinking "God I love technology. I'm learning so much from this experience."
But I'm getting ahead of myself so let me start at the beginning. Although it may have escaped your notice it is now official - the last person on the planet not to have a cell phone finally broke down and bought one last week. "How can that be", you ask, "it's 2005 and you still don't have a cell phone? What's wrong with you?" Well, the answer is simple. First, I don't like dealing with phone companies and second, since I'm neither mobile nor particulary professional and since I'm not the sort of person that likes to stand around and gab on the phone all day, I figured I didn't really need one. But the world keeps spinning and you have to change with the times, so, like I said, I finally decided to take the leap and go out and buy one.
Of course I did a lot of research first. Websites, reviews, product comparisons, forums...you name it I did it, and I found a ton of information out there. I mean, if your looking for information on phones and plans then all you need to do is fire up your browser and seek it out because I guarantee you it's out there (a particulary good site I found was Howard Forums, but there are plenty of others). And I found something interesting. While it's true that some wireless companies suck more than others, the consesus on the internet seems to be that by and large they all pretty much suck.
That was disappointing because I was hoping to find at least one true gem of a company, but unfortunately it seems that whether you're talking about service, billing, or support, well, there just aren't a whole lot of happy customers out there. True, people who are happy with their wireless company aren't typically the ones who go online and bitch and moan about them, but still there are plenty of horror stories and they cut across the board - Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, T-Mobile, they all have their share of unhappy customers. The situation kind of reminded me of something that Thomas Friedman's wrote in his book. Namely, why is it that people in Ghana can get better cell phone service than people in the U.S. can?
Anyways, I finally went with Cingular. "No! Not Cingular!" I can hear you saying. Well, yes, I went with Cingular. Believe me I heard all the horror stories, but the fact is that Cingular has the largest network and they have a really good deal going on the Audiovox SMT5600 Smartphone, so I went over to Amazon.com, signed up for the service and bought a smartphone. And that's all I have to say about that, and I should also add that I read many good comments about the phone and it got a particularly good review over at CNET.com.
I've had it about 4 or 5 days now and let me just say that I love this phone. Beyond the basics it also happens to be a powerhouse of a multimedia device, and in my area at least the coverage has been 3 or 4 bars all the way. But I don't want to talk about that too much. There is plenty of information on the phone out there and plenty of users who can talk more eloquently about it, both pro and con, than I. However, the best feature, and the one I was most interested in, was that together with everything else it can also be used as a bluetooth modem. That means that using this phone any bluetooth enabled computer or laptop or PDA can get on the internet even when there is no ethernet or Wi-Fi connection available. Other phones can do this too, of course, the SMT5600 isn't the only bluetooth enabled phone out there, but it was an important selling point that helped sway me in the direction of this phone.
Which takes me to tonights topic. How do you connect your PDA to your Audiovox SMT5600 over bluetooth. This is where it gets interesting because it isn't explained in the manual and there is an enormous amount of misinformation on the internet on how to get it done. I must have read 10 different opnions on how to do it and I can say, after much trial and error, that all 10 of them were wrong. Here then, as my service to the community of Audiovox SMT5600 users out there who may find themselves on the same fishing expedition I was on, is my simplified guide to connecting to the Cingular EDGE network using a bluetooth phone and a Bluetooth PDA:
Step 1: Establish a bluetooth bond between the 2 devices. This is the simple part, and no doubt you will find it documented in your user manual. In the bonding process you want your PDA to discover your mobile phone, not the reverse because you will be using the mobile phones services to make your connection.
Step 2: Make a new bluetooth connection. After you have established the bond and double-tap the mobile phone's icon in bluetooth manager this should happen automatically. If not, just tap New and run the wizard. The type of connection you want to make is the Connect to Internet via phone connection, which should be the first one listed.
Step 3: Enter throught the next screen and enter your passkey on your PDA and phone to connect the devices.
Step 4: Make a new connection and name it anything you want. There are lots of people out there telling you to give it some specific kind of name, but you can name it anything. I call mine GPRS.
Step 5: To set up your connection use the following settings
Phone number: *99#
Username: WAP@CINGULAGPRS.COM
Password: CINGULAR1
Note: These are the only settings you need. There are a lot of people out there who are telling you to use the phone number *99***1# and then telling you to go into the advanced settings and enter in an initialization string for your modem. YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO THIS! I can't tell you how many hours I spent trying to troubleshoot the connection using those settings until I finally figured out they are totally unecessary. Think about it. If you are able to connect to MediaNet, if you are able to log onto your POP3 account with your phone and retrieve your email, then your phone already has a GPRS connection set up and ready to use. You don't need to remake what's already been made.
Further Note: If you are connected to MediaNet (that is the default connection and the one that comes included with all voice plans) then you are using WAP. There are some people out there telling you to use ISP@CINGULARGRPRS.COM as the Username and that is wrong. Again, hours and hours wasted trying to figure that out. the ISP... Username is for people with Data Connect plans, not MediaNet plans. MediaNet is WAP GPRS.
Step 6: Uncheck the box that says "Wait for Dial Tone" if checked. I don't if that's necessary but it makes sense to me. Could save you a few hours troubleshooting.
Step 7: Tap Finish and you're done. Now just double-tap your new connection and I bet you'll be connected the same as me.
There, now wasn't that easy. Unfortunately you've got to sort through a lot of garbage before you finally find the right information, but once found it's an easy process to set up. Now with that all done I think I'm going to put my phone down and turn off my computer and go get some sleep. This stuff is exhausting and right now I'm feeling pretty tech'd out. I just want to go to bed and then maybe get up in the morning and do something normal for a change. It was a lot of work and the benefit, of course, is now I'm totally wired. As long as I can get a good signal then I can log on and surf. Ok, it may be a little slow but I can surf.
God, I sound just like a geek, don't I? Sheesh, I better go to bed now.
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