Ben's Viewpoint

Eye-Fi Connect X2 Review

2011-11-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

When I heard that Eye-Fi had the latest Connect X2 cards at Walmart for only $39 I grabbed one. As soon as I got home I was eager to yank my 16GB SDHC chip from my camera and configure the Eye-Fi for use. What sold me on the new chip was the Direct Mode and Android app. With a quick software update, a few preferences set, and the install of the Android app I thought I was good to go. Unfortunately I rarely read instructions. While my photos were magically appearing on my laptop as well as on Picasa web albums at home, when I roamed away to test it off the WiFi I was disappointed. As it turns out some digging into the instructions is required to set up the direct mode with your phone. The Eye-Fi manager software provides a SSID and key to enter into your saved networks on your Android wireless manager and once that was done the transfers were going router free.

Now I am no longer tethered to a hot-spot when I want to upload my digital camera pics and no longer have to rely on my lousy Droid camera if I want to share a vision with the world. You can read my past posts on Eye-Fi if you want to know more or visit www.eye.fi to see what your missing. Unless you like being tangled in USB wires or searching for your SD reader you will appreciate this small little chip.

You Get What You Pay For

2011-04-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

The title of this post seems like a concept forgotten. Don't get me wrong, those who know me personally can attest I'm as thrifty as they get. I enjoy deal hunting at thrift stores, buying second hand on Craiglist, and when something is FREE I will snag it up in a moment if it has value to me or anyone else. While some may say I am becoming a borderline hoarder I consider this a form of recycling. The laptop I'm typing on was purchased 2nd hand on ebay, the power supply is a spare I got at Goodwill. Buying retail makes me cringe but one thing I do know, you get what you pay for.

When something is free, there is always a hidden cost. This doesn't matter if the item is tangible or not. Free services are no exception.

Many of us use free services everyday. This blog is free, posting to it is free, sharing it on Facebook is free, in fact most of the popular services online now are free. Gone are the days when you paid to connect to the internet PLUS a monthly fee for the services you enjoy. Those who started out on AOL so when broadband internet came to the mainstream and it was a separate bill, some kept paying AOL. As I type I'm using free WiFi and free electricity.

But is free really free? This coffee cost me $1 more than the drive thru price. What are the hidden costs? It's simple really. There are two ways you pay for your free online services. You pay with attention or you pay with your privacy.

By attention I mean the ads on the screen that you view. Like TV commercials and radio ads, websites, blogs, and Facebook capture your attention with advertisements they sell. Google places context relevant ads in the unused spaces on nearly all of the services they offer. Most beta services they keep clean until you get hooked, then the ads start rolling. YouTube rarely had any advertising but now most videos not have commercials or sponsored ads in one way or another. This advertising is so effective they even pay me if people click on ads associated with my content. You should be seeing Groupon ads and Google Adsense ads on the right side of this post.

When it comes to making money exploiting your privacy, this is where the biggest growth will take place over the next few years. More people are walking around with trackers that report back where you are, and what you are doing at every moment. Some of us even help by posting what business we just "checked in" to and rating everything from food to music in real time. All this data is collected, analyzed, and monetized by the companies who provide these free apps, games, and services.

If you enjoy these things and yet complain about privacy, first think about why you get all this for free. Opting out of certain tracking is sometimes a good idea, but sharing your likes, dislikes and where you shop may not be such a bad thing. Before too long you may never see an advertisement for a product you have no interest in, everything will be so well targeted to where you are what you like you may even start enjoying commercials. You can be sure if you use Gmail, google knows more about you than your spouse and I think I trust google more to pick out my birthday present too.

Recently Sony's PlayStation network was hacked, users personal information compromised, and it still as of this posting is not yet back online. Unlike the XBox Live service that cost $59 per year to join, Sony's network was free. Sure you had to buy the console, but no annual subscription means it was a one time investment. Many are upset that this shouldn't have happened and that Sony was negligent. This was a free added value add on to the Sony game platform, if it is down for maintenance while they beef up security to prevent future privacy breaches I'm good with that. I'm not paying for the service so I'm not really loosing money out of my wallet.

Remember, you get what you pay for and if you complain about the quality of free services, then just ask for your money back and shut up.

That's my viewpoint.

Social Circle of Trust

2011-03-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Everybody on Facebook yet? Well.. not yet. It would seem most anybody who's anybody is. My Mother-in-law joined and she doesn't own a computer. Some friends of mine posted recently that they were setting up their parents with a FB page. Teens all had MySpace pages until they all learned Facebook was way cooler. MySpace is becoming a ghost town primarily focused on the music industry who is always late to the party and the ones left to turn the lights out.

One problem many people have with Facebook is separating business with pleasure. Official Facebook policy restricts each person to one user account. While many ignore this policy and create both a work persona and a personal account, doing so risks losing both and confusing those whom you are both friend and coworkers. It is possible to customize each post visibility but is not easy to find or configure.

Google is rumored to be cooking up a social dashboard to remedy the facebook fears for the cautious posters who risk offending various groups with over social awareness. Mike Elgan suggests that this new site "Social Circles" would allow you to define your social groups and allow you to post who sees what all while integrating all of the Google services you likely already use.

Will this service be as well received as facebook? Many of Googles launches have been half-baked and lacked the final polish of the many successful acquisitions Google manages. While YouTube and Picasa are amazing, Buzz and Wave have't made the same splash. Currently my Google Dashboard boasts I'm using over 30 of 42 potential Google Products, yet many overlap and often are just versions of the same basic information. How invested are you in Google's services? Would you join Google's Social Circle of Trust?

Further Decline of Society

2011-02-28T19:41:00.001-08:00

By now most everyone has seen or heard about the recent Charlie Sheen interviews. TMZ & ABC are buzzing about it, and all the other usual media outlets are going to milk as much out of it as possible.

Some may see Charlie as having a problem, some may see him as a degenerate, and others a hero. I see him as a symptom.

Before I was born, rock & roll was controversial, but by the time I was a child, it you had to add sex & drugs to make rock & roll seem wild. During the 80's drugs went from the alley way to wall street. The MTV generation put bikini clad models in rock videos, and those rock stars were expected to be sleeping with them as well as the rest of the groupies in the same town. The 90's rolled around and pornography became mainstream, the internet and hotel sex channels made it freely accessible. During the last 10 years, MTV strayed away from music to feature teen drama's like 16 and pregnant, and skin. Glorifying what once was considered vice has become Hollywood's cash cow. You get the media to tell everyone how edgy it is to boost ratings. What was once wrong is now right, and what was right, is now wrong.

I'm not a prude, I don't deny that vice exists, or that it always has existed, what I oppose it the glorification of it.

Charlie Sheen is a symptom, his real life, however shocking he sees as normal. Doing drugs and porn stars he feels is now an admirable goal, a reward of his success that he feels those who look down upon are simply jealous.

Hollywood is simply turning society upside-down, what was once bad is now good, and what was considered virtue is now vilified. Just look to the last few years at what were considered normal are now endangered or nearly extinct. Virginity, sobriety, and for those few hold out of what we consider normality, all under attack.

When you start to see symptoms of a disease, you can find out what you suffer from, and look for a cure, simply treat the symptoms, or you can ignore it and continue on the decline.

Fight the spread of this disease, wash your hands of the mainstream media who propagate this virus and contribute to the further decline of our society.

That's my view. If you agree, share this, links below.

Do You Sync or Sink?

2011-01-11T10:33:00.000-08:00

I think i figured it out. When confronted with the choice between Android and the Verizon iPhone, it is all about sync. When I first played with a smart phone it was not my own. My boss asked me to help sync his contacts on his Palm Treo, and we had quite the adventure getting things to work properly. Making Groupwise, Gmail, Outlook, and Palm all play in the same playground was not an easy task and I spent hours reading technical manuals, forums, and blogs to try and teach myself the skills only a trained IT professional should have been able to master. An IT guy I am not, but I pretend to be because my services are usually free and you get what you pay for. When I got my first smart phone it was a Blackberry. Because my employer had an enterprise server, synchronized contacts, mail & calendars was to be expected. What made me a Google fan was when they introduced Google Sync for smartphones. Simply installing an app, put all my contacts, and appointments in my pocket. When I added anything to my phone, like magic, Google had it in the cloud for me to edit and improve upon at my desktop and without relying on the corporate server. When I resigned and they remote wiped my phone, it was only a matter of minutes that I had re-installed Google Sync and my address book was back in business.

Because Blackberry was, and still is no multi-media powerhouse, when the iPhone was released I was blown away. Because my employer provided my phone and Verizon service, it was not an option for my daily phone so I immediately sprung for the iPod touch. You can read my many posts on the iPod touch and know I am a big fan, and again Google Sync can get your contacts all mirrored onto you iPhone or touch just as swiftly.

Now here's the rub. What about the best aspects of the iPhone: media? Google doesn't sync your music, your photos, or your video. By design you must use iTunes on the iPhone and that kills it for me. Yes there are alternatives, yes you can jailbreak and sure, if your already an iPod owner your accustom to iTunes so you may not mind. The reality without going rogue is if you just want to add an album, a photo album, or a video to your iPhone it requires iTunes to sync it over. Again, I am not an iPhone expert but I have attempted to assist many times in this assuming simple task, only for it to lead to frustration and often surrender. Just kill me if iTunes is due for an update. Why every update is 90+MB is a mystery to all.

While adding media to my Droid is not flawless, mounting it as a mass storage USB device and just dragging what I want over makes perfect sense. I have even rooted my Droid and done this over WiFi although slow, it was possible and begs the question, Apple, Why Not?

While I typically rant, here I ask for your council. Have you come up with a way to sync your media to your mobile device? Do you stream it, or do you sync it?

The technology front is evolving so fast, new phones, data services, and tablets are all being dumped into the market faster than the average consumer can digest them. My passion is reading sites like Engadget, and CNET, and yet even I can't decide what is going to replace my original Droid . Although it is less than a year old it already feels like a antique. But this just might be what they want. I get this sinking suspicion while I want to be syncing, I'm actually being sunk.

For now I'm sticking with my Droid, but convince me otherwise, the Verizon iPhone is very tempting and my birthday is just around the corner.

Begin to Pay Today

2011-01-01T10:52:00.000-08:00

Today your gas tax in Oregon goes up 0.06 per gallon. While this may notseem like much, consider folks in rural area, or people who can't afford new highly efficient vehicles. This regressive tax hurts lower income housholds, typically familys with more children, who drive less efficient vehicles. News reports claim the average consumer pay an additinal $35 per year in gas tax, but I can tell you that based on my math and my family it will be more like $100 per year. I commute to work, I drive the kids to various activities, and I enjoy taking my family on recreation in the summer, or to the mountain in the winter. This all stimulates our economy but I am sure as I second guess filling up the tank for a pleasure cruise, so will other Oregonians. Raising any taxes is bad for the economy, raising gas taxes is bad for familys, and bad for Oregon. This snuck up on me, as it may be a surprise to you as well. Let your local representitve know your displeasure with them.

VOTED YES…to massive gas tax hike, yes to hurting jobs and hurting middle class:Alan C Bates-D,Suzanne Bonamici-D, Ginny Burdick-D, Margaret Carter-D, Peter Courtney-D, Richard Devlin-D, Jackie Dingfelder-D, Larry George-R, Mark Hass-D , Betsy Johnson-D,Rick Metsger-D, Laurie Monnes Anderson-D, Rod Monroe-D, Bill Morrisette-D, Frank Morse-R, David Nelson-R, Floyd Prozanski-D, Diane Rosenbaum-D, Martha Schrader-D, Bruce Starr-R, Chris Telfer-R, Joanne Verger-D, Vicki L Walker-D , Jackie Winters-R

PDX Car Bomb Plot Should Raise Questions

2010-11-27T10:10:00.000-08:00

When Mohamed Osman Mohamud walked away from his car bomb to detonate it using a cell phone, what if a Portland police officer who was not in on the sting tried to act? Portland has been plagued with public outcry over police shootings and the atmosphere surrounding the the use of deadly force makes officers question themselves before they act. If an officer had reason to believe there was a threat I would hope he would act without restraint to protect the innocent lives. Unfortunately, the likes of Jessie Jackson and Police Chief Mike Reese create a real threat when they punish officers for taking action to protect the public.

Portland Police Chief Mike Reese fired Officer Ronald Frashour for the fatal shooting of a suicidal man who failed to follow police instructions. Although the man was later found to be unarmed, repeated requests to stand down, and the initial shooting of non lethal rounds also failed to stop the suspect. Aaron M. Campbell was killed and Rev. Jessie Jackson stepped into the media spotlight to further prosecute the Portland cop and make a national sensation of the situation.

Fast-forward to Friday night, during the November 26th Portland tree lighting ceremony and think about who you have running your Police department. The leadership will fire officers for using deadly force, and here you had a potential situation where an unarmed man had the intent to kill 1000's of innocent lives.

Fortunately this situation was all a sting, the explosives were fake, and the FBI had control of the situation. Remember Portland withdrew from the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in 2005. God help us if we need to rely on Mayor Sam Adam's leadership or Police Chief Mike Reese for protection in any future attempt.

A big thanks to the FBI for catching this terrorist, but as for your fearless Portland leader, don't worry, he is on the Q-Patrol,

New EPA Disinformation Stickers

2010-11-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

The Environmental Protection Agency is now propping up it's car company, GM with new fuel rating stickers to convince consumers that Hybrid and Electric cars will save the planet.

With a 37% government stake in GM, is this not a a conflict of interest? Why allow the EPA to be the credible source for fuel efficiency data on a company the government holds a large share?

Notice how they use a 60MPG claim when doing a comparison to "compact cars" yet this 60MPG economy rating is a composite of using a plug in charging source, and not purely gallons of fuel. This is totally bias and an unfair comparison to real world economic measures, especially when considering how there are little to NO all electric or plug in charging vehicles on the road.

The real numbers are the tiny energy cost numbers in the lower right. When you compare the "Never Charge" numbers you only get 9 cents per mile. An economy diesel fuel vehicle will cost you between 6 and 8 cents per mile depending on the price diesel of fuel in your area.

What is sad about this farce is they want you to be environmentally conscious but fail to inform you that the majority of electricity in this country is produced by burning coal. The EPA won't promote diesel engines because they want you to believe the are a bigger pollutant, but when you calculate the extra miles you go on a gallon of diesel it actually pollutes less than gas.

The other major flaw in this EPA sticker is the price per uses 11 cents per kilowatt hour and $3.20 per gallon of gas. At the time of this post, the US average kWh is 12 cents and the gas price is less than $2.87 per gallon. This EPA sticker grossly mis-represents both energy costs to favor the electric vehicle. If you live in CA you will pay 15 cents per kWh to charge yet only 3.14 for a gallon of gas. New Yorkers will pay 19 cents for each kWh of power, yet only $3.00 for a gallon of regular gas. Worse yet, they show a cost per year if you use the car exclusively Electric OR Gas further swinging the bias of this sticker. How can they reliably publish this information considering the volatile energy market and regional differences in cost?

Now consider that Obama hopes to electric rates "necessarily skyrocket" and his administration supports banning oil drilling and exploration, no matter what you use to power your car you will be paying more than ever before. Obama has no interest in america's energy independence, but is more focused than ever on killing any effort to develop domestic oil supplies. What does you car run on? What can you afford to buy? At a $41,000 price tag, I won't be buying a "VOLT" any time soon.

Don't get fooled folks, until we get serious about developing affordable energy supplies, it won't matter if your car runs on hopes or dreams, it will cost you plenty.

Mr. K's Doomsday Plan

2010-11-03T23:05:00.002-07:00

John Kitzhaber's Plan For Oregon

"Create the fundamental conditions for long-term job creation and prosperity. Achieving these conditions will require transformational changes in a number of major systems including education, public finance, health care and energy."

If I understand this correctly he will create jobs simply by "Changing" our education, "PUBLIC" finance, health care and energy systems? Since when did ANY of these systems create substantial job growth or reverse economic recessions? Were DOOMED!

John Kitzhaber's "Actions"

"Create Access to Capital" Isn't that what the Obama stimulus and bank bailouts were for? More loans and debts for business will not create jobs. Cutting taxes, red tape, and eliminating bureaucratic roadblocks will.

"Promote Energy Efficiency" How does this create jobs in Oregon? Will someone explain this to me? Sure saving energy saves money, but not when the global warming mafia will then tax your use of energy to off set any savings you may gain.

"Connect Oregonians to work through training for high demand jobs." What does that mean? Is that even a sentence? I had to click through his website to figure it out.Mr K will get out-of-work Oregonians, specifically those in the construction trade to learn how to do commercial insulation and weatherization work, build windmills and install solar panels. Some may become nurses and Dr's too because you know the health care industry will need all those unemployed people after they complete their 8 years of training.

I have to hold back my urge to use profanity as I read the Kitzhaber plan for Economic Prosperity. We are DOOMED, if we don't get this state off the backs of the small business. I am still in shock that this election was decided by Multnomah and Lane counties. Even more disappointing is how so many don't understand how continuing these business hostile policies do nothing but kill jobs and stifle economic growth.

Those of you unemployed, or underemployed, better jump on one of John's job programs soon. There are nearly 400,000 unemployed Oregonians that will be looking to John for a job thinning forests, something tells me those jobs will go quickly.

If your suffering like me from lack of inspiration, read his plan for yourself. I did because were now stuck with him, I want to know what to expect. As I feared, my it is worse than I originally thought.

Looking For Jobs? Hope Is Not Enough

2010-09-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Obama defends his economic policy, claims the 814 BILLION in stimulus spending "worked" but unemployment has gone UP to 9.6% and Obama's newest economic adviser warns this high rate will continue. He passed this as economic stimulus when it was nothing more than political hand outs to states, who support him and not to those who don't while leaving those who need it most empty handed. It was supposed to keep Unemployment under 8%, the only thing it stimulated was delay, with studies, and review that only complicate otherwise routine infrastructure projects. Now he want's more regulation of business, higher taxes for those who hire, and more hand outs to labor and public employee unions. Unions may have given us the weekend, but today they are giving jobs to China & Mexico, leaving US workers off indefinitely.

How do you stop this economic disaster? Vote, call your congressmen, voice your displeasure with your government.

A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have. - Gerald Ford

Rainbows Rock

2010-05-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

More Gmail Goodness

2010-05-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

For the last year I have migrated from using two mail services, to just one: Gmail. Before this my work email was separate and I had a Blackberry that merged the two into one inbox. Since loosing the enterprise services for my Blackberry and now using the Motorola Droid phone, keeping my mail communication simple was getting sticky.

Gmail can handle checking in to any email account easily enough, yet I still needed a traditional email program for business use so I have entrusted Thunderbird for that task. Outlook was just too heavy for simply managing my mail and address book, Outlook Express was being a nuisance and would take eons to load and lacked fast keyword searching. Thunderbird loads quick, has a simple search and allowed me to easily import contacts.

The last piece of the puzzle just fell into place when I discovered gContactSync, a plug-in for Thunderbird that synchronizes my Gmail contacts into a new address book within the Thunderbird system. Now when I add contacts on my Droid, it syncs both to my Gmail cloud and then when I launch Thunderbird I have a hard-copy on my laptop too.

Now I might just be more inclined to clean up my address book as well.

Android 2.1 Letdown

2010-02-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

I'm still waiting for Motorola to release the latest upgrade to my Droid OS, Android verson 2.1. The main reason I have been craving this upgrade is it was expected to provide multi-touch into the OS in native form. Currently only the Google Maps 4.0 supports multi-touch pinch for zoom, a major improvement over trying to tap a tool button and only getting incremental zoom. As for the web browser, fortunately PC world pointed me to a free browser called Dolphin I need to try out to fix the lackluster zoom provided in the included web browser on my phone.

Don't get me wrong, my Droid kicks my blackberry to the curb in most every way, it is still just disappointing how it still needs to catch up to features my 1st generation iPod touch offered years ago.

For some great details on the Android 2.1 release read RJ Raphael's review on PC world here.

Get Dolphin Here:

Latest version is V1.2.99 Scan or click the link below to download now!

(or search "Dolphin Browser"in android market)

*Don't know what the images above is all about? Use your barcode scanner on your Android phone and snap a scan of the above to see!

Droid Driving

2010-02-16T19:22:00.000-08:00

My Droid has nearly completely replaced my iPod touch as my favorite gadget. What I needed to get the full convenience was the ProClip mount. Today it arrived and I replaced my ProClip iPod mount with my new Droid mount. ProClip has a vehicle to gadget matching system that allows you to dock your phone, iPod , or GPS to your dash allowing you to safely use your device. My iPod was always in easy reach, but now with my new Droid docked in it's place I have navigation and local search at my fingertips. If you spend any amount of time commuting it is worth the investment to upgrade to a ProClip system. They are a bit pricey compared to a universal system but they are well built and thoughtfully designed to fit each device. The Droid mount allows you to view the phone in portrait or landscape mode, and even allows the keyboard to slide out. The clip keeps the buttons jacks clear to connect the charging cable and the audio output.

Droid Does!

2010-02-10T15:33:00.000-08:00

It has been almost a month now I have been putting my new Motorola Droid phone though the paces. My Verizon contract was up and for the past year I was planning on dumping them for AT&T so I could finally have the iPhone. This decision was not easy, and it weighed heavily on me. Yeah, your thinking it's just a phone, but my phone stays on my hip from the time I get out of the shower until I hit the sheets and serves many duties. Besides making calls, my relaible Blackberry pearl delivered my email, posted tweets, sent twit-pics, located places of interest with google maps, and accessed facebook mobile. Although it didn't have GPS, the location feature via cell service was good enough to keep me from getting lost in Yakima. I won't miss the little screen or the buggy delay of the pearl track ball, but I will miss the way it was quick to answer the phone and easy to charge. More on that in a moment.

The Droid is expensive compared to most phones in Verizon's arsenal, with a 2 year contract it sets you back $199, however I have a $100 rebate in route so if you net it out it's comparable to most smart phones. Where it begins to pay for itself is in the services it provides. The Droid comes with Google navigation, actual voice turn-by-turn directions, and unlike most car nav's it is powered by real time Google data. This replaces your VZ navigation charge if you subscribe and could save you the cost of the phone in one years time. The Android market is full of other useful apps as well, and since the phone has a large touchscreen, media player, and removable upgradable Micro SD storage chip it hold twice as much media as my 8GB iPod touch. Upgradable to 32GB you will have plenty of room for pictures, video, and music. So far it replaced my Car GPS & My iPod.

As for the Droid as a phone, it has great call quality, seems to have better reception than my Pearl, and a much louder and more clear speaker phone. As for comfort it is awkward to hold up to my ear and much heavier than many phones. Using blootooth is the best way to comfortably make calls, yet one nuance is the way you answer. W/O a headset you slide the answer prompt and it has more than once failed to function with ease. It is frustrating at times even to unlock or wake the Droid. I hope to find an app that improves the wake-up unlock gestures. The blackberry I just pressed a button, the droid takes some effort and is more likely to cause a call fumble.

Another minor flaw is the slider keyboard. A real keyboard should have been the major advantage over the iPhone but the flat keys are hard to handle. With no feel to the keys fat fingering is frustrating and frequent. While I still slide it out for most major typing every time I make a mistake I curse the designer. Motorola should have had a blind person design the keyboard but i will move on.

A major disappointment with the Droid is the the camera. It has a 5MP camera that shoots good quality video too, but don't throw away your digital camera just yet. The camera, like most camera phones, does poorly in low light, so it has an obnoxious LED flash that blinds your subjects and then casts a harsh glow on everything in the shot. The camera is also painfully slow, poor to focus, and crashes on many of the apps that use it. Don't think the Droid camera is going to be something to rely on, unless a software upgrade fixes it's slow response time, I will only be using it for the augmented reality apps I have installed.

What is "Augmented Reality"? Glad you asked. With a GPS location, and 3G connection to the information super highway, the Droid can become a window to real-time location aware information right before your eyes. Think of it like terminator vision, or a heads up display like a fighter jet pilot.. oh, yeah, and there is an app for that too.

Google Goggles allows you to photograph objects and text and it does an instant optical charicter scan and then shows you google search results of your photo. Take a picture of famous art, a logo or sign, and it uses your location and the object to feed relevant information to you from the web. The AR feature shows push pins of google maps data within your proximity. For example, the restaurant or store location and contact information will appear if you click the little push-pin icons withing the camera view as you pan around. This is difficult to describe so check it out on YouTube.

Layar is another AR app that allows you to choose layers of data to overlay your reality view through the camera or see it on a map view of your location. Many pre made layers exist from golf courses to the Wikipedia. Great for tourists! I recently tried Layar in Portland, it was keen to find places to eat nearby, but I ended up using Google Maps to actually give me walking directions to the nearest Pizza Schmizza store.

Google Sky is another app similar to an augmented reality app but it uses the phones orientation and your location to show you the constellations based on the place and time of day,the angle you hold the phone and the compass within the Droid. Pretty cool for star gazers!

A few other camera apps that have been fun but not yet all that useful are a bar-code scanner and a streaming video app that crashes my droid when I try to use it. Hopefully the bugs get worked out on a software update so I can stream some video to this blog. I bet you can't wait! One use the bar-code scanner impressed me with was loading new apps. Some websites include digital image codes on the page that you can snap with the bar-code reader and it takes your phone to the app download page to install it. No need to input any URL or search for the app in the app market, it just finds it in a 'snap'

I mentioned Driod replaces my iPod touch but one app that has made my iTunes obsolete is Pandora. Pandora is a streaming audio app that play music based on your preferences. Make a radio station based on an artist you enjoy and it picks similar music, commercial free, and streams it in amazing quality to your phone. I just plug my headphone jack into my car radio for my commute home. No more dangerously changing tracks, or looking for albums on my iPod, I just let Pandora pick and if they pick poorly I tap "Thumbs Down" and they pick a new track. Since pandora seems to have every song at my fingertips, I don't see the need to fill up that 16gb SD chip with Mp3's. More room for apps!

The web browser on the Droid is far superior to my Blackberry but not quite as friendly as my iPod touch was. The lack of true multi-touch in the browser is odd. Multi-touch works on the droid, but I have only noticed it function with Google Maps. Pinch works to zoom in and out of maps but not on images or pages in the media app or browser. Using the zoom controls makes tapping the wrong spot and accidentally hitting a link frustrating and frequent. This is overcome by google's voice search feature. Simply touch the voice search microphone and it listens to your request and searches google for your answer. Most of the time this is reliable, but short sweet statements are difficult for me. I typically ramble and blabber a query and I get nothing. I need to practice being short and to the point. Let me continue...

Since I used to Geocache frequently I am hoping the Droid may become a paperless caching solution that can also replace my hand held hiking GPS, but there are a couple problems with that. First, my GPS was waterproof, and 2nd, some remote geocaching locations may not have good 3G coverage. Provided I pre-plan my rural trips and keep my GPS handy for rainy days, the Droid may make spontaneous urban caching a pleasure. I downloaded Geobeagle and it works but is not very refined. A geocaching app from Groundspeak is in the works. I'll keep you posted.

The Droid definitely replaced my car navigation GPS, and my iPod touch for most uses, I can't stop at that alone. The multiple apps I have tried make the Droid far superior to my blackberry so by getting 3 gadgets in one make it a real value. I won't proclaim it to be a iPhone killer as some try to do, but for those of you who realize the superior 3G service Verizon provides, love everything Google, and love to be on the cutting edge of technology I highly recommend the Droid. If you can wait, you may want to hold out for the Nexus One. It is faster and and does almost everything the Droid does. Just to recap, below is a list of what my Droid Does. If you read this please give me your feedback, comment here, Buzz, Tweet, Facebook, or email me.

Email, Tweet, Google Talk, Twitpic, Listen to Mp3's, Watch YouTube, Navigate, Local Search, Surf the Web, Geocache, Geotag, Facebook, Text, Blog, Get a weather report (With Video!) Calendar & Contact Sync, Price Search with Bar-Code Scanner, oh, and I make phone calls sometimes too.

Ben

GPS Navigation Evolution

2009-10-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

My posts have been primarily political of late with any real innovation being regulated by the ever swelling government.

Today twitter was abuzz about the release of Google's latest navigation solution that will run on Android phones and soon be available on the iPhone as well. My opinion of Google's superior ease of use may not sway you to trash your Garmin, the fact that the software is free, updates constantly, and will be loaded with Google content will surely sway your opinion when you get to using the device. As one blog suggests, Tom Tom is Toast.

I already use my Garmin for street level directions but I use my Google Latitude app on my blackberry when I need the address in the first place. You cant ask your stand alone GPS nav to look up the new restaurant on 3rd street that opened last week, it's not loaded on your device. Sure you can buy a new Tom Tom that has the ability to download this for you but why when you can get a service free from Google that runs on the phone you already own.

What the hardware and navigation bundles fail to provide is real time access to location aware information. Unless they become advertising providers like Google they can't compete. My prediction, as I suggested in a prior post about location aware ads, is that Google will provide location aware ads on devices that will sell for a premium and consumers will find this a service not a nuisance as the currently find radio advertising or TV commercials. If your GPS NAV can deliver today's lunch special around the corner while your en-route, it will change the way your make decisions and it will drive the market for consumers, handset makers, and advertisers. It is a Win -Win- Win proposition.

Obama Care Dies

2009-09-27T17:07:00.001-07:00

Don't Let The Healthcare Debate Flatline!

2009-09-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

The current debate over health care reform has only begun, there are basically two possible outcomes, the Democratically controlled government could opt to push through Obama’s plan, OR they could come up with a revised plan.

If they choose the prior over the latter it is very likely the entire political picture will change in 2010 because only 42% of American’s support the president and the Democratic plans. The more likely path will be to modify the bill and then try to push it through as Americans grow weary of the debate and just want something done.

Conservatives agree on certain reforms, and most agree (I won’t use rhetoric like the politicians state such as ALL AGREE, or NOBODY DISAGREES) but the consensus is that tort reform, reduced fraud and abuse, and the ability for medial insurance plans to be purchased nationally like auto insurance will help increase competition and reduce costs. The fact is that most liberals oppose these ideas.

WHY?

Ask yourself some of these basic WHY questions, and also using your basic senses, consider your trust in the government’s ability to efficiently employ it’s policy and, thoughtfully apply the results of the current proposals and come to your own conclusion as to what you support. Send your conclusions to your representatives. With 1/6^th of our economy riding on this legislation nearly 1 of every 5 dollars you likely spend over the upcoming years will be touched by what is going on in Washington. Please get involved; please use your voice, and your vote. Now is not the time to trust this to your government. We the people must take part in our countries future today.

This is a complicated debate so it is difficult to make it simple to understand, what I have done, is taken statements made in Obama’s congressional address on health care and followed them facts and then questions for you to consider. Make you own conclusions. “those of us with health insurance are also paying a hidden and growing tax for those without it – about $1000 per year that pays for somebody else's emergency room and charitable care.” Obama reminds us that everyone pays for the uninsured.

The problem is everyone pays for the 47 million (1 in 7) who don’t have insurance. Obama also corrected this number to 30 million by deducting 17 million illegal immigrants during his speech. Dissecting this figure further you find many could pay but choose not to, and some are eligible for existing programs but fail to apply. The real number is estimated at 15 million, a fraction of the problem being suggested. The uninsured include a large portion of illegal immigrants that admittedly costs us all in a “hidden and growing tax” for “charitable care”

Why doesn’t the health reform bill consider any immigration reform?

According to Obama’s own words on the existing medical entitlement system “eventually be spending more on Medicare and Medicaid than every other government program combined. Put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem.”

How does this administration propose creating a bigger government entity that regulates a health care system to reduce our deficit when it admittedly blames the existing entitlement for the largest contributor to deficit spending?

Do you believe the people who regulate Fannie Mae and the banking system that nearly collapsed have the ability to reform our health care system into a more efficient and effective program?

Has the government ever succeeded in reducing cost or improving service in any program it has created?

Even with the previous major flaws in the current proposals, let me quote Obamas own goals for this reform, and ask you questions of each of his goals and if his proposals in fact meet these goals.

“The plan I'm announcing tonight would meet three basic goals:”

“It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don't. And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government. “

Does an adding regulation to insurance companies mandating expensive and risky insurance policy such as insuring pre-existing conditions provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance?

Will providing insurance to those who don’t slow the growth of health car costs?

Will adding mandates like “insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care” slow the growth of health care costs?

Sure it can be argued that preventive care increases early detection and lowers long term costs, but why does this preventive care mandate be forced upon insurance companies? Many Americans choose high deductible auto insurance to save on premiums. This is considered good financial sense, under the current proposals; this type of low cost insurance will be made illegal in the medical insurance business.

Obama spoke of a way to provide affordable coverage for those who currently don’t have coverage “We will do this by creating a new insurance exchange – a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices.” This is a complicated way of creating a government run and regulated national insurance program, conservatives have pushed and been denied a simple private sector solution, allow insurance to be nationally sold, and not restricted to state regulation. Why is it OK for the government to control this plan and not the private sector?

Another point made it the debate has been made that conservatives have not offered any solutions to the rising costs and the plight of the uninsured. While these claims can be countered with many bills and amendments that have been struck down by the liberal majority, some facts remain. Medical costs have increased primarily because we have technology and medicines that we never had 20 years ago. Unless we try to treat illness with fewer tools and without the benefit of our advanced medical system and the latest drugs costs will continue to climb. You could argue that the price of new cars have exceeded the increase of our wages, yet would you want a new care without all the latest comfort and safety innovations? Sure there is waste and abuse in the system but this has not been the focus of the debate. To frame that subject it would call attention to the fact that Medicare has many times more the rate of fraud than private insurance.

American’s need to decide, do they really want to choose the type of insurance or do they want to increase the governments regulation and restriction on our health care choices. That is the root of this debate, now you decide.

Sincerely,

Ben Roche
http://Bensviewpoint.blogspot.com
Send comments to themud@gmail.com

9/12 Tea Party March on Washington

2009-09-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

An Honest Debate?!

2009-08-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Empathy Kills

2009-07-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Empathy, the understanding and entering into another's feelings, according to Webster, is being used today to peddle everything from judicial activism to nationalized universal health care. The problem is empathy sounds great, but in the wrong hands can kill you.

The health care debate is heating up and the opponents are accused of greed and lack of empathy, while the backers believe the only way to care for those who don't have insurance is to give it to them freely. As if all of those without health insurance just can't afford it. That last part is the biggest of the lies, but without it, you the people will lack the empathy to support his radical and final turn to communism.

Yes, I used the word communism, because that is exactly what is being proposed. Government ownership and control of our economy. Don't take my word for it, that is not the subject of this post, but it is real and it is here.

Back to empathy, you will notice that Obama picked Sotomeyer because of her empathy. He uses empathy to stir up emotional accounts of folks without health coverage going bankrupt and not able to care for their kids illness, ignoring facts that most states already have provisions for these people. The illusion that government will fix the problem is fueled by your fear of being labeled greedy and lacking empathy.

Empathy by definition is understanding someone else feelings but the rising costs of health care is partially the result of jury's empathy towards patients in malpractice suits that result in obscene judgements against doctors and hospitals. The cost of malpractice insurance had annual increases at times as much as 25%, and the trial lawers who profit as much as 50% on these large settlements then blame this on greedy insurance providers. Let's be clear, insurance companies compete for business to keep costs down. Lawyers don't have to compete for plaintiffs, they pick and choose the most profitable cases and then use the system to win big. John Edwards made his fortune and fooled the whole nation that he was driven by empathy not greed, while he cheated on his cancer ridden wife during his presidential campaign, but enough about trial lawyers.

Let's get back to more lies about empathy, health care, and insurance. Congress has empathy, but they won't sign on to the same health care they propose to give the people. Several years ago the talking points of the DNC was that every American should be able to have the same coverage that they have, but they then wrote into the law the exclusive exclusion of congress from conforming to the plan. While law will dictate what health coverage you must have, they get to keep theirs as is and paid for by you and me.

Now for my final point, and this is where the words matter. We don't' need everyone to have the benefit of health care coverage. We need to create incentive to purchase insurance not hand out free benefits. Benefits are services you get for free, a 20 something healthy student needs insurance in the event of an injury or catastrophic event, not regular Dr. visits, and coverage for everything from mental health to chiropractic care. There is no way congress can draft legislation to both cover those who need it without paying for those who don't. In the end we will be paying for 'benefits' to those who will suck off the system, while then having to ration needed care for those who may require immediate and live saving treatments. Cancer mortality rates are much higher in nations with socialized medicine precisely because free health care is not sustainable. The private sector and a safty net approach is a rational answer but while congress has full power to create more government programs, and control another 20% of our GDP. That's what this is about, CONTROL, not empathy.

Most younger American's pay more per month to have internet access and a cell phone than what a catastrophic health insurance premium would cost. What is the incentive to be responsible when you can use the system that exists, and get that care for free or worst case file bankruptcy.

If we open the door to government provided care it is a door we cannot close, just like Canada, and the UK, the care will be rationed, waiting lists and reviews will slow the system down, and when we are talking about medical issues, it is LITERALLY a life and death decision.

Federal Medical Malpractice

2009-06-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

National universal health care sounds so appealing. My employer provides coverage but I pay a big portion of the cost, and the cost keeps increasing. Why wouldn't I want the government to bail me out of this expense too?!

What the media and your power hungry representatives fail to show is how this model has failed in nearly every place it was attempted, and on top of that, the current plan is designed to force out all all other forms of health insurance and medical coverage.

To sum up what is going on, imagine if you were offered a free car insurance program that covered all your liability and comprehensive needs regardless of your driving record. You would jump all over that, cancel your current plan and be driving all over the road with no concern about your rates because, your not paying for it! Now imagine that to get this program affordable, the insurance program only paid a fraction of the actual cost of the body work or claims made on your insurance. Who would accept this insurance policy as payement? Nobody right? Well not if your the government was to force everyone to accept your coverage, and mandate all claims be covered at the terms the governments program dolls out as payment in full. Government run car insurance may be a fantasy but government run health insurance already exists and Obama plans to make it universal.

This is the latest wealth redistribution plan being pushed and everyone has a hand out ready for it. Insurance companies are eager to get the subsidy to look the other way. Hospitals are eager for a solution to pay for losses they get for caring for the uninsured so they have a hand out the the government. Dr's are stuck ither not practicing or accepting insurance terms. It's already the model used in Medicare & Medicaid, Dr's, hospitals and clinics just pass the losses they suffer off on other patient care costs pushing up eveyone elses costs and premiums. It is unsustainable, and once the private insurance plans are bankrupt, then the government steps in to take them over next.

While with one hand the Obama administration pushes "Green" and "Sustainable" living, the other blowing through the green on unstustainable policy and programs that will destroy our country, our world class medical system, while bankrupting our nation. Did we not learn a thing from the fall of the soviet union?

If you really want to understand this issue talk to your Dr. chances are he knows what would happen if we nationalized our health care system. Or read this blog, it has solutions not just rants. (Unlike Here!)

Getting UN-Wired

2009-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

Wires and more wires, cables, jacks, dongles, adapters, splitters, and routers. I thought the wireless revolution was here?

This rant is about the gadget makers constant addiction to wires while they continually roll out new wireless technology. Why don't these wireless widgets free us from all the cables my new digital toys require? There is WiFi, Bluetooth, WiMax, 3G, CDMA, and new wireless video technolgy that has been around since 2008 and earlier. See Panasonic HD wireless solution.

Recently I finally dove in and purchased a TV with HD capability, guess what, more wires.. A HDMI cable is required to get the full effect of the HDTV, and low and behold, my digital camera can too connect to my TV, but alas, I need to buy another wire, a MINI HDMI cable!

I thought I had rid myself of so many wires, I got a dock for my blackberry so I just drop the phone in the nifty cradle and it charges. Yes it does have a wire that plugs into the wall, but the dock is just like a little stand, you just drop the phone in, and it charges reliably. Not little plugs to get aligned up and break off ruining the phone at the same time. The blackberry also syncs with my contacts wirelessly, using Google Sync, my email address book & calendars both online and in my pocket keep neatly synced up with out wires. Previously I have posted about my Eye-Fi card that wirelessly transmits my digtial photos to my online web-album and downloads them to my PC all without wires.

Ok, before you send me emails about the bandwidth required to stream HD video wirelessly and the neat wire organzation method you use, let me be clear, I know how and why there are limitations, what I am frustrated by, is why don't they come up with more creative solutions and why do I ither have to remove my camera battery to charge it, or plug in another wire. I want a charging dock for ALL my gadgets, not just my phone.

Eye-Fi Reunited

2009-05-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Today it arrived, my shiny new replacement Eye-Fi card. Ask and you shall receive, as long as you are buying from a company that cares about customer satisfaction. As previously reported, my Eye-Fi card was acting up, and when I called to see what the warranty was I was asked where I purchased it and what was wrong, then they authorized it's immediate return and replacement. Less than 2 weeks have passed since I called Eye-Fi service number and I am whole again. Now I need to login and re-activate the card so I can get back to taking pictures and once again give up the card reader and the wires.

Thanks Eye-Fi, Top notch customer service!

Buy yours today at www.eye.fi you won't be dissapointed, but I suggest you read my review here so you know what to expect.

Words Matter Don't Change the Subject

2009-05-14T15:28:00.001-07:00

Words matter, they can change the meaning of a sentence, they can change our recorded history. If a historian writes about our war against terror, while our politicians try and change the words and their meanings, our history becomes meaningless. When they try to harden or soften a story by redefining the words that are used they not only bend the truth, they bend it into a lie.

The United States does not torture, however our enemy does. That's a fact, not an opinion. If we want to talk about waterboarding, instead of the quadrupled budget deficit and socialized economy then lets stick to facts not fiction. If waterboarding is torture, then we have tortured our own men and women in uniform. Special ops soldiers must endure enhanced interrogation techniques, exactly the ones we used to extract information from terroists that have saved lives. If Nancy Pelosi is so eager to attack Bush administration officials and CIA operatives who have given us seven years of terror free soil then why doesn't she call expert witnesses such as Navy Seals and Green Berit soldiers to testify about this so called torture method? Because it's political bull. Period. And when political bull bleeds into national security secrets it becomes treason.

The Obama spin machine has called war on terror a conflict with extremists, renaming terrorism as "man caused disasters", redefining everything from the word jihad to the word investment. If the American people and the complacent media don't begin to defend our words, our language, and our country's long history as the greatest nation, the nation itself will need a new definition. No longer will we be home of the free and the brave, but we will be the oppressed and the afraid.

Eye-Fi Review Customer Service

2009-05-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

One of the top Google search keywords that drives traffic to this blog is my past review on the Eye-Fi wireless SD card, because it comes up in the first page of results. Since my purchase a year and a half ago it served me well and worked as advertised. Recently it suffered some trouble and stopped working or responding at all, and I could not even get it to function as a regular SD card. I called for customer service just to see what the warranty was, as I never read that stuff unless it's a high dollar purchase. Although my hold time was a few minutes, a live person, Joey, answered, heard my complaint, and without delay took my information and sent me instructions to send the card in for replacement. Within minutes I had a email with simple instructions on where to send it and what to expect in return. While I don't yet have my replacement, I am looking forward to posting about it when it arrives.

Get your ISM

2009-05-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

An offer you can't refuse...

2009-05-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

The BO Administration will use any means necessary to achieve it's goal of nationalization all while catering to the unions who backed the campaign.

Where's My Tea?

2009-04-15T08:13:00.000-07:00

Taxed Enough Already!

Locate a Tax Day Teaparty near you and get involved.

View 2009 Tea Parties in a larger map

I'ts all about location, location, location.

2009-03-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Reading Mike Elgan's November 19th post regarding the death of Sirius radio, and a recent tweet this week regarding the Sirius iPhone app I recalled a thought I had when I discovered Google Latitude. Sirius needs to capture your location and create new revenue not from subscribers but advertisers through location targeted ads.

Satellite radios biggest strength is also its biggest weakness. Location. While listening to AM talk radio I frequently drive out of range just as the programing was getting good, or have been out of range on any radio station. While Sirius XM is one possible solution, my hang up is the dreaded subscription fees. Already I pay for internet, cell phone, TV, gas, water, garbage, electricity, when does it end? I just can't stomach adding paid radio. I still remember when paying for cable meant you had channels without ads. Now we pay for Cable or Sat TV laden with more commercials than free broadcast stations.

Where cable has gotten smart is in location based advertising, and this is where Sirius could thrive. If sat radio could partner with a cell phone application feeding instant geo-location sensitive advertising within the programming stream seamlessly they would create an entirely new advertising market that would be affordable for advertisers as well as relevant to listeners. Today's connected devices could blend cell phone triangulation, blue-tooth, and a car receiver into a truely integerated audio entertainment and news service.

Restaurants could advertise lunch specials to subscribers down to the city block's location, stores could advertise sales to drivers in the vicinity, and gas stations could advertise the lowest price right to the driver around the corner. The service would also not need to be limited to advertising, real time news, traffic, and weather could be location based, further enhancing the experience. Information could even flow both directions, location, direction, and speed could also help predictivly supply ads based on your destination, or help predict traffic congestion. Additonial information could be on demand as well, just like interactive TV, you could hit your radio dial to get more information and directions regarding the advertisement you just heard.

Sirius shouldn't' be talking to Apple, they should be talking to Google. If Sirius cold roll out a free service paid by location aware advertising Adsense & Sirius could kill the radio star, it's all about location, location, location.

Obama's Earmarks

2009-03-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

They Got Our Money!

2009-03-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

WE GOT YOUR MONEY

WE GOT YOUR MONEY

GONNA SPEND YOUR MONEY

GONNA PRINT SOME MORE MONEY

Today's Tea Party Image

2009-02-27T13:17:00.000-08:00

More Sauce For Your Macho!

2009-02-24T18:16:00.000-08:00

My Son Produced this PSA on Abstinence

2009-02-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Oscar Predictions

2009-02-22T20:44:00.000-08:00

HERE!

How The Stimulus Will Fail

2009-02-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

Harlem Tax Revolt

2009-02-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Total "Universal" Enslavement

2009-02-14T18:26:00.001-08:00

How Congress Fails

2009-02-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Macho Sauce Update

2009-01-29T09:55:00.000-08:00

Oink Oink, Stimulus Stinks Like A Pig!

2009-01-28T12:36:00.001-08:00

"Never let a serious crisis go to waste. What I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before." White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

House Moves Toward Stimulus Vote

Stop the Stimulus - Take Action Now

A 40-Year Wish List - Wasteland of Pork!

(R) Stimulus Package is Flawed

Stimulus Facts

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." - Thomas Jefferson

Stimulate This

2009-01-27T10:48:00.000-08:00

DemoMemo, a blog by Cheryl Russell has this fascinating post titled The Great American Shopping List that I have clipped the 10 bullet points below. They are listed from the largest to the smallest top 10 expenses for American earners. Now consider where our money is spent and the Obamanomics agenda for economic stimulus. Spending our way to prosperity will result in an increase for the rest of us who are footing the bill.

1. Social Security payroll taxes
2. Mortgage payments
3. Car payments
4. Groceries
5. Restaurant meals
6. Gasoline
7. Federal taxes
8. Property taxes
9. Health insurance
10. Electricity

Read her blog and then consider that 3 of these items are TAXES, lower those taxes and consider your budget stimulated. Now consider that your gas and your car are heavily burdened by taxes and government regulation. Lower the gas tax and ease the regulation on car manufacturers and you provide a double stimulus. Lower car prices and lower price of fuel for the cars will stimulate the auto industry far more effectively than government handouts. With half of the top 10 household expenses now stimulated consider us on our way to recovery.

Now let me squelch your enthusiasm. The Obama energy plan calls for the bankrupting of the coal industry with no feasable stratagy to replace it. I predict #10, cost of electricity in this list could quickly offset any stimulus benifit we could possibly employ. 70%-80% of our electricity comes from a source our current adminstration admitedly wants to eliminate. If you thought the price of gas was an issue in 2008, just wait for the carbon off-set tax to start effecting your electric bill. Secondly, consider how the latest policy Obama has to allow states to indipendantly regulate car emission standards and his plan to increase regluation for fule economy standards you can kiss the US auto industry goodbye.
Feeling stimulated?

2009-01-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

A transparent canoe/kyak gives you a view of the bottom (provided you can find a polution free clear lake or stream) and is lighter than an alluminum canoe. I found this online for sale by Hammacher Shlemmer for $1600. You can find other interesting tansparent product ideas that have become a Japanese trend of late here.
Source as usual Mike Elgan

Cleanly Bad Marketing

2009-01-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

I'm no marketing genius however when I saw the new packaging that Tropicana has on the shelf next to the Minute Maid I immediately thought to myself I would much rather have a nice glass of pure orange juice from that dripping orange on the bright orange bottle than to drink anything from the bottle that resembles laundry detergent.

Judgement in Leadership

2009-01-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

We choose our leaders based on the ability they have to echo the goals of we the people in shaping our government policy and making decisions on our behalf. When we go to the polls we make the decision based on what we know about the candidate, the judgment they have proven in the past, the issues that align with our own, and the causes that we wish them to champion. We vote with the belief that they will be a leader we proudly represent our community, our neighbors, and our children. A leader who we would follow, who we would trust, and who will lead by example.When our leaders fail, when they fall, and when they falter, we must hold them to the standard that we set when we elected them. To do anything else is to ask less of ourselves, and to lower the standards we set on our society. Leaders should be held to the highest standard. Above all, they should represent the majority of our views, our values, and our principals. While there is always a minority opinion and view equally respected, the moral standard should never be lowered. The expectation of a greater sense of responsibility and judgment should never be altered, excused, or forgiven. We are speaking of our leaders, roll models, and the people we look to for guidance. When these leaders reveal a lack of judgment or character, no matter if in there private or public life, they should be called to account, and if they fail to voluntarily resign, they should be replaced.

We the people expect better than ourselves in our leaders!
Why would anyone support Mayor Sam Adams of Portland? Would you ask him to run your local high school after admitting to a sexual affair with a 18 year old that started when that person was only 17? Not only should he resign, those fostering support for him should be put on notice that they too lack judgment to lead.

Party Tonight - Compulsory Service Tomorrow

2009-01-20T17:38:00.000-08:00

Part of the Obama Administration policy calls for a national civil defense program that requires community service. A civil defense training course described in 2006 by Rahm Emanuel suggests a militarized training program aimed at preparing Americans to deal with terrorist attacks.

Now imagine for a moment as the US Military was strained by our conflict in Iraq then President Bush suggests we require military training of our college students. Why does this get swept under the media rug when it is part the Obama plan for national defense?

"The Obama Administration will call on Americans to serve in order to meet the nation’s challenges. President-Elect Obama will expand national service programs like AmeriCorps and Peace Corps and will create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools, as well as a new Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, and Veterans Corps. Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year. Obama will encourage retiring Americans to serve by improving programs available for individuals over age 55, while at the same time promoting youth programs such as Youth Build and Head Start."

Compulsory Service as well funded as our US military? Sounds like a similar youth program started in 1939 by another charismatic leader.

See also the "Real Patriot Act"

Viral Compiral AKA Pork & Beans

2009-01-15T12:08:00.000-08:00

Weezer Video compiles the worst of the webs viral YouTube videos onto one awesome music video...I want my MTV back! - Thanks Break.com!

If you recognize more than half of these characters you spend way too much time online, GUILTY as CHARGED!

Wet Winter Blues

2009-01-12T13:12:00.000-08:00

Don't let go Jon!

On a rare dry January day when the sun peeks out and teases me with the threat of winters close, I reflect on what the 1st day on the lake will be like. While rummaging through some old photos this one will remind you that rain is not the only thing in Oregon that can get you wet. (innuendo not intended)
P.S. O'Brien is Irish for "Oh SHIT!"

Public Gay Sex ok With Newsom

2009-01-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

[WARNING - THE FOLSOM STREET FAIR LINK BELOW IN THIS POST- NSFW]No matter what your view of homosexuality is, you might find it shocking how far some fringe elements of the GLBT community will go to promote the idea of free sexual expression in the name of diversity. My opinion has been constant: straight or gay, Keep your PDA to yourself, much more, your sex to yourself. It is intolerable enough to see heterosexual teens sucking face at the bus stop, now if you want to attend the Folsom Street Fair, you might see more than what is even legal in your neighborhood strip club. Public gay sex. Consider the risk of lawsuit if a school so much as permits a prayer, now the San Fransisco police won't even prosecute public indecency! What used to be considered normal and decent is now disgusting, what is considered disgusting by most is being called and expression of diversity.

Your witnessing the end of civilization not just in your lifetime but today.
WND EXCLUSIVE
-- READ FULL STORY HERE --San Francisco fest features public sex with no arrests LINK
'This is what the gay agenda is all about'

1 Year in 40 Seconds

2008-12-31T14:34:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year

Watch a Year in 40 Seconds - Watch more free videos

Newbies

2008-12-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

This week on my vacation I was running on as I often do about how blogging and twitter has become a passion for me in my spare time. I am often asked how do I find time to post, or to learn how to do this stuff, and it surprises me because of how little time I actually devote to my blog, or my tweets. More often the post arises from a brief moment of boredom, or sparked by a link that I can't wait to share. With the ease of publishing on blogger I recommended it to my parents, as well as my brother's in-laws, as a way to avoid the complexity of hosted sites, and web page design effort. The Lakeview Vocalists and St. Cloud Hog are two new blogs I have added in my links section. Totally unrelated to my topics, except for the way that Google technology has allowed even the most novice users to become instant publishers and web masters. Start yours today!

Economic Insantiy

2008-12-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

I rarely watch CNN however visiting family there was a segment I was viewing where they were reading viewer email. I can't quote this word for word but what I remember was well worth repeating because of it's raw truth.

We got into this financial crisis by encouraging people to spend money they didn't have, and by lending money to people who could not afford to pay it back.

We are trying to solve it by allowing our government to spend money it doesn't have by lending it to companies who will never be able to pay it back.

I like to remind people of the definition of insanity:
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Season of Giving

2008-12-22T22:18:00.001-08:00

The media and liberal pundits like to suggest the United states is out of favor with the rest of the world. Even the republican party began to fall into the media trap using buzz words like corporate corruption, and wall street greed to fault our long proven system of capitalism. The facts support that capitalism and freedom of religion (not freedom from religion) has made America the most generous nation in the world, more than twice as giving by percentage of GDP as the number 2 spot the UK.

The following numbers from MSNBC

World's most charitable nations

A country's social and political cultures influence how much money citizens give to charity, according to a November 2006 study by England's Charities Aid Foundation that ranks philanthropic donation as a percentage of gross domestic product. Among nations surveyed, these 10 are the most generous.

•	1. United States, 1.67 percent of GDP

•	2. United Kingdom, 0.73

•	3. Canada, 0.72

•	4. Australia, 0.69

•	5. South Africa, 0.64

•	6. Ireland, 0.47

•	7. Netherlands, 0.45

•	8. Singapore, 0.29

•	9. New Zealand, 0.29

•	10. Turkey, 0.23

Federal tax laws -- notably low income tax, plus breaks for donations -- are often cited for American's generosity. As is religion, which drives one-third of U.S. charitable giving.

With this type of generosity why do we get such bad press from the media complex? This is the season of giving, all I want for Christmas is for the media to give me a break! Quit trying to be entertainment and report the facts. If I want drama and intrigue I will watch the Lifetime Channel.

And here is another interesting trivia question about US generosity, guess who gives the most? Read and learn.

Left Oregon Snow Behind

2008-12-22T14:15:00.000-08:00

My sister sent this photo of her car in the Wilsonville, OR. I had been joking about my vacation travel to Minnesota for Christmas, well as it appears, I have left more snow behind that I am heading to. I am currently on I-90 near Sioux Falls, SD and there is less snow here that what looks to be in Portland Oregon.

Eagle's View Point

2008-12-21T15:25:00.000-08:00

While visiting family in Ogalalla Nebraska we went out on a Geocaching search nearby where the eagles nest and hunt the open water by the spillway. They are amazing creatures to see in the wild and dont let you get very close. I have seen them in Oregon, never so many in one area, and never so close up.

The Odd Old West

2008-12-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

This weekend I am in Nebraska visiting family. We visited the local western museum where a display (pictured right) was one of the west's first daycare. As it appears, the child would be caged while being supervised by a local Indian. To insure the safekeeping the sheriff would check in. In this simulated scene, a mother picks up her infant after a long night working the local brothel.

Front Street,Olgallala , NE

80% Chance of Snow Sunday in Portland

2008-12-12T10:58:00.000-08:00

Bad things happen when Portland gets snow. Re-posting this as a reminder of the dangerous combination of ice, hills, and bad Portland drivers.

Pat McGee & Ernie Halter

2008-12-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to a concert in Portland with my friend McKay. It was a random chance that I noticed Pat McGee was playing so I purchased tickets online, and was lucky to be in town the night of the show. I hadn't seen him play live in years, the first time I was more impressed by his music than the headline performance of Sister Hazel and started collecting his music, listening to it regularly. Saturday I decided to get the details on the show, when it started, and how to get there. I did not recognize the guest opening act, so I found his MySpace page, and immediately became a fan of Ernie Halter. The acoustic set was so intimate and personal it will go on my list of best ever entertainment experiences in my life. Sadly the show was barely booked up, and we sat 2nd row but this was in our benefit because we could converse with these artists, discuss our requests, and it was like listening to a good friend play guitar in your living room. Pat McGee finished his set, and then graciously came out for an encore where he unplugged and sat at the edge of the stage and just 'hung out' with us. It was more than words can describe how down to earth and personable both of these performers were. I shook Pat's hand after his encore and sincerely thanked him for what was the most memorable musical performance I had ever witnessed.

Find Jesus, with a GPS?

2008-12-09T16:04:00.001-08:00

Mike Elgan's RawFeed blog, that I have neglected to read for the last week posted, GPS For Jesus where "Village officials in Wellington, Florida, last year inserted a GPS tracking device in the baby Jesus doll to combat theft. And wouldn't you know it? Jesus went missing, and authorities used the GPS to catch the 18-year-old girl who stole it. This year, Wellington officials plan to insert GPS trackers into the Christmas Tree, the Menorah and everything else in the holiday display that isn't nailed down."

If they are using GPS to find Jesus, would it be a sacrilege if I placed a geocache called find Jesus? I often find evangelical swag in geocaches, what a better way to get saved than by searching for him literally instead of figuratively. I am a Christian, just not a very respectable one apparently.

Hackers Ahead - Beware of Flash Update

2008-12-04T00:24:00.001-08:00

A friend sent me a link to a video, and I love watching funny YouTube videos so I was eager to click even without reading any of the message that was included with the link. I was directed to a site with a typical video player as you would find on YouTube but it loaded for a few seconds and then popped up a notice that my flash player was outdated and I needed to upgrade, and provided a handy link to the update installation file.

Well most people would just run the new flash player right? While the notice may look ligitimate, I just know from experience that if my computer needs any updating, I will do so from a trusted source so I closed the notice, and instead went to official Adobe website to download the latest Flash Player from them. My player was not the latest version so I performed the update and returned to try and watch the video. Still no video, the site was a trick to get unsuspecting viewers to run a spyware program and collect personal information.

After some research this has been going on since August, and it was the first I have heard of it. Chances are you may have fallen for this, if you think you may have, you might want to be sure your virus and spyware software are up to date and scan your system.

One Dose of Sarin Can Ruin Your Day

2008-11-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

How safe will we be under an Obama administration? The majority of the press coverage of the war and the standing opinion seems to be that the liberation of Iraq has put us in greater danger than had we left Saddam in power. What should be remembered, is one dose of sarin gas can ruin your whole day.

When you live your life in denial that you have made any mistakes, then you fail to accept them, fail to learn from them, and fail to improve your judgment in future matters. This can be said of both the Bush administration and the policy to be set in Obama Nation. GW neglected to administer the war in the early stages as he did in the latter, relying on Rumsfield's bad strategy, and to top it off, mishandled the media and the information that mattered to the public. Why we went to war, and what the results were, the insurance that no chemical weapons get into the hands of terrorists.

We all buy insurance, even though none of us plan to burn our homes down, or crash our cars. We all have airbags, not because we scheduled a head on collision, but because even the remote possibly exists and the safety measure may one day save our lives. For this logical reason alone, the invasion and destruction of the military capability of Iraq was good insurance for the safety of our future.

Since Obama was opposed to the war, opposed to the surge that proved to bring a successful end to the war, how can we be assured he will continue to pay the premiums of the insurance policy that has kept our nation safe for the last 8 years?

Obama's national security policy is akin to keeping your hands on the wheel, and looking both ways before crossing an intersection. Trusting that the other drivers are as safe and courteous as we are. He plans to release or prosecute terrorists as if they are simply criminals in our legal system, he wishes to withdraw completely from Iraq, when it would be in our best interest to keep a close eye on the region, and his policy of diplomacy with rouge dictators is naive and dangerous.

It will take just one munition smuggled into our country and detonated in a public place to show the world how weak the US has become under new leadership, and this is the test that Joe Biden was likely speaking of. Even Joe the senator knows what we may be facing.

For the first time I am NOT proud of my country.

2008-11-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

Don't Play On This Play Horse

2008-11-28T16:51:00.000-08:00

If I am a kid and see a carousel horse in the middle of a city park with soft padding below, won't I automatically assume this was placed here for me to play upon? If not, why the nice cushy safety mat paced at it's base? I can only assume one of 3 possible explanations for the sign above:

A) Salem city park department enjoys teasing kids.
B) A child has fallen off resulting in injury that they determined can be prevented by both a sign and a mat. OR
C) A soft mat was cheaper than a railing or barrier around it.

Regardless this is another example of our tax dollars hard at work.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Will Obama Continue The "LIE"?

2008-11-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

A recent reminder I received about the movement of Iraq's uranium stockpile to Canada made me think harder about the future of our foreign policy now with Hillary Clinton soon to be running the State Department. The big BUSH LIED-PEOPLE DIED story about WMD has been a lost due in part the success we now have in Iraq, and with the Economy taking front page. While it was a major platform for the anti-war movement that put Obama in the political spotlight, the war and why we went in to Iraq will be debated for years to come. Will Obama continue the fiction, or will he, now that he is privy to the truth, also protect the former administrations from public scrutiny? This is the problem with the new Clinton administration sequel. The truth that we supplied Saddam, a vicious dictator with the means to mass murder his own people with weapons we provided, and the fact that it took a war to insure those same weapons would not come back to our soil and kill us, becomes a public relations hot potato for any president. Even Bill Clinton knew the truth. Don't let history get overwritten, take 10 minutes and watch the video I have posted below. In his own words Bill Clinton, husband to our future Secretary of State, and former celebrity president tells us all how serious the threat Saddam was, now multiply that times 911.

Sunburst Through The Clouds

2008-11-25T19:26:00.000-08:00

Cleaning up my photos I noticed a set of shots taken just west of Silverton, where the sun was peeking through the clouds and the field rolled into the distance. None of them had the right exposure but his one was close enough to post. You can barely make out the irrigation in the shot.

Folding Display

2008-11-24T12:09:00.000-08:00

Samsung demonstrates a folding display for portable electronics, I hope Apple considers such an idea, my iPod touch would be twice as awesome with twice the screen, I could flip it open into a mini multi-touch net-book! Ok, yeah I'm dreaming again.

Tip Courtesy of Mike Elgan

Daddies Still Swinging

2008-11-24T10:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend I took my kids to see the Daddies play in Eugene at the WOW hall. This was the first time Karmann & Isaiah had been to see them. I have taken Nathan before, I think as young as 8 years old if the venue was accommodating to kids. As is normal in Eugene there were several abnormal encounters that made the trip memorable. First there was a drunk guy who was very friendly and talkative while we were waiting in line at the door, and was eager to share the story of how he found some sh*t at the door and it smelled like diesel fuel. He proceeded to inform us that he saved the place my removing the potentially flaming poo, and it was a good thing because it could have exploded. Once we were allowed entry we enjoyed the opening acts The Bad Mitten Orchestre & Vagabond Opera both were extremely entertaining, and loadded with talent. During the show we were frequently distracted by harmonica woman, who was fevereshly blowing on two harmonicas alternately during every performance. She would forcably push here way to the front of the stage and attempt to sit on stage as if she were part of the band. A few times she even stood on stage or sat near the the edge of the stage until being asked to get down. Vagabond Opera even gave her props for adding to the experience, but I found her rude unsolicitated addtion to be annoying. Regardless as always the Daddies delivered a energy filled performance and I am looking forward to there next appearance in Feburary.

We Are A Republic!

2008-11-22T12:00:00.001-08:00

Begin Deprogramming

2008-11-16T21:58:00.001-08:00

Wind Turbine Syndrome

2008-11-14T17:13:00.000-08:00

It has for years been the oil industry out to get us, and then fears of nuclear melt down, the clean hydroelectric power has now been exempt from 'green' status because it impacts salmon, now wh have Wind Turbine Syndrome to put a stop to the evil wind farm corporations looking to turn a profit while delivering a deadly dose of vertigo to unsuspecting rural residents. When will the suffering and the horror subside.

For every thing that appears to benefit society, some whack job group forms to jeopardize our progress in the name of some minority's self interest. www.wind-watch.org is one of these groups, and you can expect that they will do what they can to drive up the cost of developing this new resource in the name of there lopsided agenda.

Salute Our Veterans

2008-11-10T23:12:00.000-08:00

Surplus Electricity Good, WRONG

2008-11-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

So here it begins... All those wind farms are now starting to make a noticeable difference in our electrical supply in the Pacific Northwest. It seems that unexpected surges in wind production mean other forms of power production must slow down or the green energy is all for not.

Here's the rub, see normally in a free market, higher supply than demand means we the consumer realize lower prices. Right? Wrong! Here in the socialist republic of Oregon it seems the solution is cut hydro production by dumping dam water or subsidizing carbon producing power generatoin so the coal and natural gas power plants don't go out of business.

Nice, So all these customers who invested in higher rates to help build a wind farm now get to subsidize the coal plants.

This is another reason why Nuclear is the key. No carbon, no salmon impact, minimal landscape impact. But not with this adminstration. No way.

Obama Win Not Paying Off Already

2008-11-06T15:52:00.001-08:00

ACORN in ACTION

2008-11-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Projection to Prediction to Prosperity

2008-11-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

While I am vehemently opposed to Barack Obama's politics, the projected results of the election will deliver at minimum one positive change worth noting for America. For Obama to become the first African American President, no longer with our young black youth have the burden of doubt that they are capable of great things. My hope for our country is that this will elevate that message in every minority community.

History will show this moment as pivotal, in both the issue of race, and the direction of our economy. God willing let the latter be a as positive as the former.

Now Be Patriotic And Pay Your Taxes!

Capitalist vs Socialist LIVE Transformational Map

2008-11-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

Getting Raked Over The Coal

2008-11-02T22:10:00.000-08:00

49% of US Electrical Production relies on COAL, Do they support any use of Coal?

How will you afford your electricity in these economic times?

Obama IS a Voter Fraud

2008-11-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

I am not a closed minded conservative, I watch more than just Fox News, I read more than just the National Review, and I have friends (or at least I hope they will remain my friends through this) that are supporting Barack Obama.

Today, while trying to stomach another one of his deceitful speeches. While I could go on about the spin in today's rally speech, but what shocked me the most was his continued push for early voting.

We have had for the most part, elections in this great nation, every 2 years, without fail, with little issue, and with everyone's vote getting counted. Democratic operatives are out talking about voter disenfranchising, and yet Obama, at his speech today, in front of THOUSANDS, recommends they go down the street, and vote early.

Not only is this impractical, it is irresponsible. He said "They are open until 5pm" and went on to say "If your in line before 5, they have to let you vote"

So the volenteers, who love our country enough to come in on a Sunday, to help folks who have to work on Tuesday vote early, will be innodated by a bunch of Obama ralley attendees down the road, that are pumped up by Obama's speech, and want to vote early, not because they have a need to vote early, but because Obama, in his arrogant, self centered quest for power, knows, he will acomplish two goals. Insure votes, while disenfranshising voters who may have already planned on voting Sunday for McCain, but since the lines will be hours long thanks to Obama, they may not get the chance.

This is the kind of leadership, America does NOT need.

Diddy Don't Know Duck

2008-11-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hip Hop Republican gives Diddy the smack down regarding this clip.

Now Click to jump down to my Ugly Duckling Post, Ditty Don't Know Duck

You can't take it with you.

2008-11-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Let's take a break from politics for a minute because another opinion I love to rant about is all the subscription services that are being pushed our way. I can remember when we would go out and sell magazine subscriptions for fundraisers, and I can recall when I got my first cell phone bill. Paying for a land line phone, cable TV, and then adding a cell phone at the time was a big deal. Then we add on internet access, and some people subscribing for XM radio, OnStar, and more recently the popularity of mobile broadband. All these subscription services pile on top of one another and can begin to overtake even your monthly transportation budget. There is a term for this being discussed by other bloggers "Subscription Overload"

One way I cut back, after realizing every member of the family had a cell phone, was like many, we eliminated the land line phone. While this is an option for some, depending on who you call your mobile plan may not keep up with all the peak minutes.

With the economy slowing and energy costs rising, families are trying to find ways to trim budgets and yet keep connected. One recent story posted by Mike Elgan suggests that even laptops will come down in price to as low as $99! This would be attractive but theres a catch, like your fancy new cell phone, your laptop would be subsidized by the data carrier you would be obligated to 'subscribe' to get online. This built in mobile broadband, while convienient, could cost you a 2 year obligation, and who knows what the monthly rate will be. I looked into mobile broadband, but could not justify the cost, at around $60 per month, it was another monthly expense that I can as of yet, live without.

Where devices and providers need to converge is a way to take your connection with you, without having to pay for an additional monthly contract. Avis recently began offering a mobile WiFi solution with rental cars, that you have a portable 'HotSpot' so you can connect all your WiFi enabled devices while you travel. Your kids can stay connected wile driving, you GPS may be able to get traffic updates, and you can grab your stock quotes or weather data on your iPod touch, and the whole family can share it, just like at home.

My suggestion, is handset makers and mobile carriers should add WiFi access points as a feature for our cell phones. This way we can take our data connection with us and share it! While Verizon offers a tethering option for the blackberry, who wants to have to string your laptop and phone together. We always have our phone with us, and what good is an unlimited data plan on the phone if you have to go and upgrade your laptop to an unlimited data plan as well, are you honestly using both connections at the same time? One side effect if only one parent's phone is the hot spot, the kids would want to spend more time around dad, right?

A friend has AT&T and she claims they offer a radio option to stream XM radio on her blackberry. If radio programs, internet, and phone service can be delivered on one device, wouldn't that expand the market for AT&T or Verizon if they offered packages that bundle one device and one bill to feed all your other devices data and media. You could then finally 'Take it with you!'

America, How Does it Feel?

2008-10-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

So America, how does it feel to have a candidate spend millions of dollars to speak to you directly, without filter, without rebuttal, and without a wink, lie to your face?
Obama in this 30 minutes told you he was going to cut taxes for those under 200K, just weeks after he told you he was going to cut taxes for those under 250K, so he was lying to those who were between the 200 & 250 range, and some may have already cast there votes.. Remember Vote Early!

Obama told America he was going to help a retired couple afford medicine, a mother with kids, they can afford snacks, and a Ford worker he was going to find help when the Ford plant shuts down. I am sure Ford won't have any trouble keeping the plant open with the heavier tax burden on them, and the new fuel standards.

Obama told us he is going to rebuild our military, when his own plaform calls for cuts in military spending. Who knew he had the ablity to rebuild and reduce the budget.

All I can say is WoW? How gullable is the electorate? Sadly I think very.

Obama Infomercial 1/2 Variety Hour

2008-10-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

Mr. Obama says: “We’ve seen over the last eight years how decisions by a president can have a profound effect on the course of history and on American lives; much that’s wrong with our country goes back even farther than that.”

While Obamas plans for American include higher taxes on the wealthy, and more government programs, nither of these ideas are new, and both of these ideas have been done. When spending increases combine with penalties for the wealthiest americans we histirically have moved from recesson to depression. What is wrong with America, is we fail to learn from the past.

He goes on to say: “We’ve been talking about the same problems for decades and nothing is ever done to solve them. For the past 20 months, I’ve traveled the length of this country, and Michelle and I have met so many Americans who are looking for real and lasting change that makes a difference in their lives.”

So to fix all your troubles, Obama is going to squeeze more from an already progressive tax program to provide all your hopes and dreams. The same problems Americans have faced for decades will be solved by one man, and your trusted government. It just wasnt' big enough.. yet.

Thanks Obama!

Ugly Duck

2008-10-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

Why is the obvious not objectionable?

"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands."
-- Douglas Adams

Barack Obama has done a great job of running a campaign absent of any substance in regards to Obama himself, his true beliefs, and what he has envisioned for our country. His speeches are full of politically populist rhetoric on lowering taxes for average Americans, and fairness, without any substance or track record of every accomplishing any of these feats.

The politics aside, the most amazing aspect of this campaign remains how he has dodged his past association, even as they continue to stack up and reveal his true motives and philosophic views. His views for government are so far from our nations founding principals, and yet our media, with our so called freedom of the press, fails to illustrate to the electorate who Obama really is, and what he truly believes.

My only conclusion can be that the idea of socialism, and a more powerful government media complex has become a populist idea. The association with radical extremists, terrorist sympathizers, antisemitism, and religious extremists seems to have no effect on the electorate. Had a fraction these associations had been those of a prominent white politician, media would be in a frenzy.

First there was Tony Rezco, then Jeremiah Wright, then Lewis Farrakhan, then William Ayres, then Ralia Odinga Obama, and now, Rashid Khalidi. When will the 50% of Americans the polls show would vote for Obama WAKE UP?

On Rezco, Obama "didn't recall the conversaion" then "did recall", "Bone headed mistake"
On Wright, Obama "He was the Pastor of my church"
On Farrakhan, Obama gave him honorable mention in his book 'Dreams from my father'
On Ayres "He is just a guy in my neighborhood"
On Odinga ? Not comment? Not a word? Nobody asks him? Odinga is socialist, that may be why.
On Khalidi "He is a respected scholar" More of the truth HERE

While inexperience does not seem to sway the elctorate, it appears Obama's qualifcation is not what he is, but what he is NOT...president Bush! While McCains association with Bush is obvious and transparent, they are both Repulicans. Obama has more than a Look and Quack resembeling a socialist extremist, he is an ugly duckling!

Blogette

2008-10-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have been following John McCain's daughter Meghan McCain's blog, the McCainBlogette.com because it brings to light the reality of the campaign trail, the humanity of the McCain family, and shows how mainstream even an old Republican like John McCain really is. Although I lean much further right of the mainstream, I have stated many times that McCain was not my 1st pick for the Republican candidate. I respect John McCain for his heroism, his love of country, and his policy ideas in comparison to the ultra left policy that is instore for us if Obama is elected.

If you are still undecided read Meghan's recent post about her dad, and consider doing some research on your own regarding Meghan's views. You will find her to be unlike what you would think of a Rebublican senators daughter. Browse her past posts for some great photos of what it is like to travel across the country in this great example of democracy in action.

Media Handicap

2008-10-26T16:12:00.000-07:00

Sport are not my bag, but I know that when you play against an unfair advantage the underdog is often granted a handicap to even the playing field. Well in this spirit, the election should provide a handicap to McCain for the unfair press coverage his campaign has received in comparison with the favorable media coverage of the messiah Obama.

Journalism.org has published a non partisan study on the press coverage of the presidential campaign and has proven what has been known all along, that Obama's biggest endorsements have come from the major media outlets themselves. With this in mind and the 20 point positive coverage spread that Obama has received, he should handicap his lead in the election by at least half of that, and throw 10 points McCain's way. Looks like he is going to need it.

While I can understand that when the press actually asks tough questions then the Obama campaign will black list them from future interviews, but is this really freedom of the press?

This guy ROCKS

2008-10-22T14:12:00.001-07:00

I don't even need to blog my own posts, this guy says it all, and with enthusiasm.

My New Spokesperson!

2008-10-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

The Average Joe

2008-10-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

I think Samuel Joseph Worzelbacher will get more than the cliche 15 minutes of fame he may have asked for. If that name doesn't sound familiar you may know him as "Joe the Plumber" and he was used as an example in the last presidential debate with a mention more than 22 times, several more times than the economy, or health care. The unfortunate thing for good'ole Joe is now the press is storming in to get interviews, and vetting his past like he himself is running for office. In an attempt to discredit his comments, they have determined he holds no plumbing license, and in fact owes back property taxes, both facts totally irrelevant to the conversation, and both facts he himself has no problem with. As I write, in an attempt to give poor Joe some backup, I realize that even I am allowing the media to distract us from the point that thrust Joe into the spotlight. Obama's comment. It wasn't average Joe that stirred the debate, it was the answer Obama delivered that has put the Democratic nominee on notice.

"I think that when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody," Obama told Wurzelbacher in response to a question about his tax policy.

What Joe immediately realized is Obama is in fact a socialist, and that agenda contradicts Obama's previous suggestion that he believes in the American Dream.

The social engineering that will come to play if Obama wins, and if the democrats secure a stronger hold on our legislative branch will crush prosperity. Entrepreneurs and investors will go running from our borders, the social programs will attract the rush of third world immigrants into our country like ants to sugar. The haves will flee and be replaced with the have-nots, then who will be left with the bill? If you doubt this prediction, look at the states with the highest immigration, they are blue states with the largest social programs.

China has had no problem loaning money to us, because our prosperity had until now insured a good return on investment. When the social agenda of the democratic majority starts to squash our business growth, that investment will turn to liability, and they will not only be reluctant to finance our exploding deficit, they will begin to ask for some principle in return.

Now pile the social welfare programs Obama has on his platform on top of the financial bail-out and the state of our nations economy and it spells a recipe for disaster. I don't believe we are on the path to another great depression, what I believe if Americans are sucked into Obama's hope and change message, it will be social suicide.

Yes Please, Good Measures In Oregon

2008-10-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

Read the always exciting voters pamphlet information on the state ballot measures and was pleased with most of them for a change. I always know they are good ideas when there is one or two arguments in favor, and then 3 or 4 pages of opposition commentary from every union, organization, and bureaucracy in the state. If some of these get passed our courts will be busy overriding the voters again this year.

There are 8 of them so here is my synopsis and my vote, would love to read your comments.

54 - voter eligibility for school board elections, simply YES PLEASE
55 - legislators finish term in same district after redistricting..YES PLEASE
56 - Tax Elections! Omits requirement of over 50% turnout.. NO! Sneaky guys, trying to make it easier to raise taxes... not so fast. VOTE NO, unless you want 51% of a fractional mid-term May election turn out to result in your property taxes to get a surprise hike.
57 - Sounds good, increase sentences, but read the fine print, also prescribes treatment programs, and riskes a conflict with Measure 61 - Vote NO on 57
58 - English Teaching Non English Students - YES - English Always
59 - Deduct federal taxes on state return - YES PLEASE! Lower my taxes!
60 - Merit pay and Merit retention for teachers - OH, YES, look at all the union opposition to this one. This is how you get around the political palm greasing of the unions, put it on the ballot! VOTE YES, YES, YES, Who wouldn't want to give a good teacher a raise? HELLO?
61 - VOTE NO on 57, YES on 61 - This is the peoples lock-em-up measure. Do it!
62 - Allocation of lottery - The lottery is corrupt, so I don't want public safety counting on a voluntary tax system. I'm voting NO
63 - Exempts building permits for small improvements, Hell Yeah! Build me a shanty in the back yard, let farmer john build a pole barn. Why not, permits smermits, VOTE YES. Seriously, stop the permit racket from killing our freedoms.
64 - Penalty for public resources fundraising for political purpose, YES, I think so.
65 - Election process in nominations, NAH, Voting no, Other states have done this, it leads to fraud voting in some cases, and limits our choices in the general election. This is a good way to end up with a one party system. Vote NO.

Economics 101

2008-10-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Readying For Great Depression II

2008-10-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

"Golden Gate Bridge to get suicide net to catch would-be jumpers"
19 people have called it quits off the golden gate thus far this year. That sounds like alot, more than one per month. I'm wondering if the nets will act as a deterrent or will people liken jumping to a circus act. I'll I can say is I admit the economy may be in trouble when we start building things to catch suicide jumpers.

Eric Risberg / Associated Press

Stainless-steel netting hanging 20 feet down and extending 20 feet on either side will be placed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge to catch would-be suicide jumpers, San Francisco officials decided Friday.

Your Vote Will Count

2008-10-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

This year, more than any other election, your vote will be clear. Do you trust government to fix your problems, or do you believe in individual freedom and choice?
While our congress feels the need to socialize more and more, our two presidential candidates could not be more different. One is for socialized health care, increased government control of our economy, eliminating your choices in education, and taking more of your wealth to fund his vision of a more powerful and far reaching government. The other believes in the fundamentals of our nations economy, free markets, and low taxes, smaller government, and the freedom that comes with personal responsibility and the power of the individual. Just ask yourself if you are yet undecided, what has government been able to effectively, efficiently, and successfully accomplish? Should we give them more or hold them to account? If you are honest with yourself and the reality that faces our nation, you will then know who is on your side.

Somebody Stumped

2008-10-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

I know you have all seen this already, but I had to find an example worse than Sara Palin performance in the debates tonight and this is what came to mind, something needs to take the focus of what is looking like a liability.

Interesting enough, even while I post this, I am shocked by the fox news commentary that is showing she won and did better than expected. I guess my expectations were to large. I think she lost it. The public is eating her up? I'm still confused with my own reaction.

Biden Gaff Timeline

2008-10-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Biden On Being Presidential, Dumbass!

2008-10-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

"When the stock market crashed, Roosevelt went on TV"
FYI, Roosevelt was not the president at the time, and I don't think he had a TV yet.

Photo Euphoria With Picasa 3 (Beta)

2008-10-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

Google has released a new BETA version of it's photo wizard, and now it has even more super easy to use features like retouch, text overlay, & video slide show creator! If your not using picasa yet, you really don't know what you have been missing, but now you can download the new Beta3 version and get even more organized and creative with your digital collection!

Pro-Bama?

2008-09-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Why is the media so quick to publish personal attacks on Sarah Palin & allow the democrats to blame the current financial crisis squarely on the republicans when they have been in control of the congress for the last two years?
The only explanation is media bias.

Here is 10 underexploited scandals regarding Obama, that rarely get mainstream press:

Obama should just suspend his campaign and let the media take over. John McCain should also grow a pair and start hitting harder. His handlers are playing hopscotch while Obama is playing hardball.

The WAMU is Consumed...Whoo Hoo?

2008-09-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a Washington Mutual customer, have been for years. I used to think it was the best bank, they had a small office blocks from my office, they had ATM's and bank branches everywhere I traveled. They had a great checking plan with free money orders, and at the time, one of the best online banking sites. All was good. Then things just slid sideways, no real improvements, no real incentives to stay. I started direct deposit, so I never needed the branch. I rarely used an ATM, if I needed cash I just took cash back at the store with my debit card. The online account was good when it came out, but more often it was problematic, and slow. While other banks were offering special savings programs that tied to your checking or overdraft protection tied to savings, WAMU stayed behind. The blame will be on the mortgage securites crisis, but I think it is more than that.

If you too are a WAMU customer, the Consumerist posts an interesting account of what to expect now that CHASE has CAUGHT them.

You may also like to read my ATM opinion regarding WAMU's 1st question to every customer.