Phil Weinholtz

Bright Nights at Forest Park

2011-12-28T20:20:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from my first trip to Bright Nights at Forest Park. The light display they put on is quite impressive. You can read more about the lights presentation on their website at: http://www.brightnights.org.

Recent Struggles by Netflix

2011-10-26T07:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like yesterday I was writing about the unprecedented success of Netflix in the online marketplace. When I published that article on my blog, Netflix seemed to have the secret equation to success. Its track record as a company proved this through steady growth and customer loyalty. Subscriber numbers were nearing 25 million and their stock price peaked on July 13th at $298.73 per share.

1 Year Netflix Stock Numbers

Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=NFLX

Then, a series of "worst case scenarios" occurred. Netflix decided to change its pricing structure. The almost too good to be true Unlimited Streaming and DVD option changed from a flat $9.99 to two separate prices of $7.99 for each service. To quote the Netflix e-mail I received on July 12th: "Your price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs." Many people felt they were being taken advantage of and tricked into a higher payment option. This lead to a public outcry on social media that diminished the value and trust of the company name.

On September 19th, an e-mail apology directly from co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings went out to all Netflix customers, which began with: "I messed up. I owe you an explanation." The additional details of the e-mail can be found on the Netflix blog, but in the end, Hasting's gave what appeared to be a genuine apology for the pricing change and explained the difficulty that had occurred in the transition from mailing DVD's to streaming services.

Finally, the elusive Qwikster company name emerged. Netflix would move all of their DVD subscriptions and services to a new domain name and company name. The goal was to differentiate the two services and distinguish Qwikster as a separate unique company. This too ended with an e-mail on October 10th saying the Qwikster strategy had been aborted and all services would stay at Netflix.com.

3 Year Netflix Stock Numbers

Retrieved from: http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=NFLX

The end result of this difficult summer for Netflix is a company that still has great services, but looks weak in the public eye. In one year, their stock fell 57.01%. Ironically, its three year growth is still at 207.35% and its five year growth is at a slightly weaker 160.96%. Do these numbers mean Netflix is a bad company? In my view, no. Do these numbers mean Netflix had a bad year? Undoubtedly yes. Companies in many ways are like people. They have good years and bad years and sometimes put together the pieces for years where they completely dominate the competition. Technology based companies are specifically competitive because there are always many companies vying for first place. When a company like Netflix dominates the field, there are many companies, such as Hulu, Amazon and Blockbuster, waiting to take customers and gain loyalists as a result of recent Netflix missteps.

At the end of all of this, I still enjoy Netflix and think they offer a great service. Could they have done a better job this past year, of course. But, the service they offer is still great and I'm more than happy to pay $7.99 a month to watch a library of thousands of movies and television shows that stream directly to my television. Netflix has the opportunity to regroup and rebuild its brand name but this will have to occur based on conscious decisions the company will make in years to come. In the end, Netflix will control its own destiny. This could mean re-stabilization or if they continue to falter in their decision making, it could mean loss of even more customers. I tend to think Netfix will be fine based on its long term track record as a dynamic company. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, it does make for an interesting media case study.

The Passing of Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T07:26:00.000-07:00

Three years ago, I found myself working on the sales floor of the Apple Cube on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York. I had recently finished undergraduate school, and I moved in with my brother with big hopes of conquering New York. After several weeks of job hunting, I began training to sell products for one of my favorite companies, at one of their highest traffic locations in the world.

I stayed at Apple for one summer, but it only took me one summer to realize, Apple is much more than the hype and hoopla surrounding the company and its brand. As a child, the first computer my family had in our home was an Apple. Both of my parents worked in education for most of their adult lives, and as a result, the first computer my dad brought home from work was an Apple. Apple computers have been in my life for nearly 20 years; and I have seen how much the company has evolved. Steve Jobs was at the core of this evolution process.

Steve Jobs co-founded Apple with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976 and, at the time of his death, was the Chairman of the Board for the company. In 2004, Jobs was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer, but still managed to remain CEO of the company for the majority of the last seven years. With the passing of Steve Jobs, there will be many who question the stability of the company. In my view, this is where the true genius of Steve Jobs exists.

Jobs' legacy lives on in Apple and their products. From my summer with Apple and my nearly 20 years of using their products, I see Jobs' was able to create a brand and a product that is much larger than himself. The workers, the engineers and the managers at Apple are all a reflection of Jobs' genius and while the months to come will be a time of mourning for the Apple community, what Steve Jobs created was a vision and a dream that he passed on to all those within the company and to the millions who use Apple products. That vision did not die with Steve Jobs, instead it lives on through his legacy.

Pablo Picasso once said: "Everything you imagine is real." While some people may question this notion, it seems to be the idea that drove Steve Jobs and his success. Jobs imagined a technology company and he created Apple. Steve Jobs imagined an animation company and he created Pixar. In an era where imagination and innovation are frequently suppressed, imagination and innovation drove Steve Jobs and his companies.

If there is a lesson to be learned from Steve Jobs, it should be: learn to dream and dream big. You may not achieve everything you set out for, but if you attain a portion of those dreams, you should find success along the way. For that lesson, I want to say thank you, Steve.

"Family Time"

2011-09-20T06:14:00.001-07:00

Despite a busy work and class schedule, it was nice to take some time this weekend to catch up with family.

On Saturday night, Lauren and I had my sister Jen and her fiance Matt over for a BBQ. We were able to put our new grill to use and we enjoyed burgers, hot dogs and salmon burgers. After dinner, we drove down to Windsor Locks and enjoyed ice cream at Dairy Cream. I'd forgotten how good their ice cream is and I'd also forgotten how timeless the sunsets in Windsor Locks are. The view below was taken from the front of Dairy Cream, overlooking Bradley International Airport.

The next day we headed to Bethlehem, CT with Lauren's parents to visit her sister, brother-in-law and their two kids for apple picking at March Farm. It has been a few years since I've gone apple picking and I enjoyed spending time outdoors and picking fresh apples.

The day at March Farm ended with a hay ride that took us through corn fields and to another section of apple trees they have in their orchard. I talked with the driver for a bit and the farm has an interesting history. It started in 1913 as a dairy farm and in 1984 was converted to an orchard. Now they have 250 acres and grow pumpkins, apples, strawberries and more. It was definitely worth the trip and I enjoyed seeing a part of the state of Connecticut that is new to me.

Back to School, Back to Facebook and Back to Work

2011-09-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

Photography by: Philip Weinholtz

The theme to my last week has been: back to school, back to facebook and back to work.

After an enjoyable summer, I've headed back to the University of Hartford for more courses in the Graduate School of Communications. My classes this semester are: CMM 650 - Seminar in Communications with Dr. Ellis, CMM 620 - Special Topics in New Media and Organizations with Dr. Kovacic, CMM 521 - Managing Public Relations for Modern Corporations with Dr. Grantham and CMM 790 - Thesis Prep with my thesis adviser Dr. Grantham.

School alone should be enough to keep me busy, but I am finding time to take on several clients and projects. The easiest location to find my work is on my facebook consulting page, which can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/philweinholtz1.

I've also reactivated my personal facebook account. While the temporary break made for a nice summer, I always intended to reactivate my page. With school and clients, facebook makes it easier to keep in touch and stay up to date. Maybe I will take another break next summer.

Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me anytime.

Philip Weinholtz

Ireland Series: Our Last Day

2011-08-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

While the wedding celebrations went on until the early morning hours, Lauren and I managed to make it to the Galway Coach Station for a 12:30 tour of the Cliffs of Moher.

The drive to the cliffs took a little over an hour and a half and when we arrived, Lauren's initial reaction was how much they had been developed since her last visit in 2006. According to our tour guide, there had been several deaths in recent years due to overly adventurous tourist who had been blown off the cliffs by large gusts of wind. While this may sound ridiculous, the rain and wind in Ireland is like nothing I've ever experienced and I can fully understand how tragedies could have occurred prior to the new constructions. Fortunately, it did not impede on the scenic views and pure grandeur of the Cliffs of Moher.

We returned to Galway by 6:30, just in time to walk through the downtown and shop street. As with the rest of our trips to Galway, the pubs were full, the shops were active and musicians lined the street. We quickly returned to our apartment and dressed for an evening farewell barbecue.

The barbecue quickly became the perfect conclusion to our Ireland trip. All of our friends, new and old, were there and while it was nice to see everyone for the last time, it was sad to think we would be on a flight back the following morning.

As with most good nights, the evening flew by. Last call was at 2:00 am and while everyone had a drink in hand, it seemed all too soon. While I accepted this was the end to our wedding vacation, our new Irish friends began to break out in song. As the singing grew from 2 to 4 to 6 to the entire bar, the bartenders began serving drinks again and kept the night going. The final song of the night was Don Mclean's American Pie and I could not imaging a more fitting end to our Irish experience.

To all our old friends who we shared this experience, I want to thank you and I look forward to doing it again soon. To all our new friends who we met on this trip, I want to thank you for making my wife, our friends and me feel welcome the entire week. I truly appreciate your hospitality and and I hope we will see each other again soon.

Ireland Series: Irish Wedding

2011-08-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday morning, I woke up and went for a walk to shake off the night before. It was fun to reconnect with Lauren's friends, but today was the occasion that brought us all together, Benny and Lindsey's wedding.

Lauren, Meghan, Brennan and I took a cab to the Galway Cathedral and arrived just after 1:00 pm. The detail and grandeur of the church was amazing and marked a vital location within the city. When Lindsey arrived, she looked beautiful in her gown and was full of smiles.

The ceremony was a full mass and featured several readings and communion. It was nice to sit and view the beauty of the cathedral while Lindsey and Benny took their vows.

Following the church ceremony, we all headed over to the Hotel Meyrick for the reception. The Meyrick is a beautiful renovated hotel, built in 1852 and was the perfect location for the evenings celebrations.

The night started with a cocktail hour in the front lobby and continued upstairs in the ballroom. In true Irish wedding tradition, there were multiple toasts and speeches made from the wedding party, friends and family. The overall theme emphasized how two families, living on other sides of the globe, were able to join together and celebrate Lindsey and Benny's love for one other and in the process, cultural barriers that frequently keep nationalities apart were diminished.

My favorite speech of the night came from the groom, Benny. He began by thanking all of the guests for traveling near and far and quickly transitioned into this account of a recent trip he took to the States:

"There is a story, that Oscar Wilde once traveled from Ireland to the United States. When asked if he had anything to declare at the boarder, Wilde stated, 'I have nothing to declare but my genius'."

"Recently, I traveled to the United States and was asked this very question. Without hesitation I stated, 'All I have to declare is my love for Lindsey Keefe... AND THAT IS A FACT!'"

For anyone who knows Benny and Lindsey, this story perfectly encapsulates their love for one another, that an ocean could not keep apart.

Ireland Series: Golf in Galway/Pub Crawl

2011-08-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Galway after a three and a half hour bus ride Wednesday night. After dropping off our luggage, we met up with the Galway crew for a few late drinks. We started at The Quays for live music and a packed house. We then moved onto Busker Brownes to catch up with the rest of our friends.

The next morning, we pulled ourselves out of bed for a late morning tee-time. Five of us, including the groom-to-be, teed off for a scenic 18 holes by the sea at Galway Golf Club in Salthill. We played a scramble round in groups of three and two and our team won by four.

To celebrate the round of golf, we headed into the center of Galway for fish and chips. We met our friends, who had already kicked off a much anticipated pub crawl. Galway has 70 of the greatest pubs in the world, so to experience all the city had to offer, we were on our feet for the next few days. That seemed to be the theme to the rest of our trip to Ireland.

Ireland Series: Wicklow Wednesday

2011-08-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

On our second day in Ireland, Lauren and I woke up early to catch a bus with Wild Wicklow Tours to see the historic countryside outside of Dublin.

Our first stop was at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, where we saw views of the Irish Coast. While this stop was brief, it was nice to see one of Ireland's historically and culturally rich locations.

After a brief stop for coffee, we continued on to a view of the Luggala/Guinness Estate and Lough Tay Lake. The 25 square kilometer estate is owned by Garech Browne, an arts patron and a member of the Guinness family. Lough Tay lies in the middle of the estate and has a white, sandy beach that gives the appearance of a glass of Guinness with froth at the top.

Next it was onto Glendalough where we saw a 6th Century Monastic Settlement. This early community had a grave site, a tower and several deteriorated buildings.

Beyond the settlement, we hiked to Upper Lake. Along the way, I stopped to take a series of photographs of the forest. These are two of the photographs from that series.

At Upper Lake we saw wildlife and scenery of the pristine mountainside. It was worth the hike and was a nice end to the day on the bus.

Ireland Series: Day One in Dublin

2011-08-22T06:03:00.000-07:00

The following series of posts will include images and stories from my recent trip to Dublin and Galway, Ireland.

Lauren and I started our trip to Ireland at the Guinness Factory which was a short walk from our hotel. The factory features the history of Arthur Guinness and his creation of the Guinness brand.

In 1759, Arthur Guinness signed a lease with the city of Dublin for the land at St. James Gate for 9,000 years. This gave Guinness access to the city watercourse, allowing him to manufacture his trademark beer.

The rest of the day we spent wandering the streets of Dublin. We stopped at a small pub and had bangers and mash and potato and leek soup. We also stopped at Christ Church in the Medieval section of Dublin.

We ended our day walking along the River Liffey taking in the city sights of Dublin.

Keney Park Golf Course

2011-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice day for golf at Keney Park. I’ve only recently gotten back into golfing, but Keney has always been one of my favorite courses. Keney opened in 1927 and was designed by Devereux Emmet. Emmet also designed the Congressional Country Club, just outside of D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland. The Congressional is known for hosting the U.S. Open among several other prestigious golf tournaments.

Some overlook Keney because of the many golfing options in state, but for me, nothing beats it. Good prices, friendly staff and a challenging, tight play. I’m already looking forward to my next round. If you are interested in setting up a tee time, visit their website at: http://www.keneyparkgolf.com/ or give them a call at: 860-525-3656.

Urban Yuppie Product Demos

2011-07-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

This week I got in several product demos for my company Urban Yuppie LLC. Marlon Starling Jr. and I founded this company two years ago and have demoed products from multiple vendors and manufacturers since then as we developed the online infrastructure for the company.

We currently have 40 products in the store, and periodically there will be products added and removed from the store. There are three general divisions within the company: women's apparel, men's apparel and accessories. The current pricing for the women's clothing line range from $30.00-$55.00 U.S. dollars, the current pricing for the men's clothing line range from $25.00-$55.00 U.S. dollars and the current pricing for accessories range from $6.50-$65.00 U.S. dollars.

The following are images of several of the items from the store. If you are interested in purchasing any items from Urban Yuppie LLC, you can find the items on either: http://www.urbanyuppie.net or http://www.uystore.net.

The Facebook Effect

2011-07-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

After five straight years of being an active user of facebook, I've finally decided to take a break. While this clearly is not earth shattering news, it feels that way to me.

I have spent the last six years supporting myself as an independent freelance graphic designer and facebook has become a major resource for me to keep in touch with family, friends, business contacts and to meet new people. While I will miss these aspects of facebook, I will not miss the constant urge to reach out to others, I will not miss all the tagging of photos, I will not miss the "friends" that I never really considered friends and I will not miss the countless hours spent surveying other peoples information that I really did not need to survey.

In my five years on facebook, I amassed a group of over 1,550 "friends" and surprisingly, anytime I went through this list with my wife, I could quickly identify the obscure family relation, the memorable interaction at a restaurant or the college roommate who I had failed to mention. This was always a point of pride for me. While my friend list continued to grow, I never took any of the people for granted and I always appreciated what everyone had to say, no matter how appropriate or inappropriate the comments.

The irony is, while I have de-activated my facebook page, I'm realizing now, more than ever, that the world is made up of thousands of online and offline social networks and I would like to explore the possibiliites of some of these alternate networks before I return to facebook.

I'm not sure how long I plan to stay off of facebook. It could be a week, a month or even a year. This is more of an experiment than anything else and as with any experiment, I'm sure I will learn quite a bit.

In closing, there is life after facebook. I'm probably thinking clearer now than I have in the five years that I was on facebook and that is a good thing. For my friends, family and clients that would like to contact me, my phone number and e-mail addresses are still the same. Feel free to call or text me at: 860-249-4420 or e-mail me on gmail at: philweinholtz@gmail.com. Thanks and I hope to hear from you soon.

Philip Weinholtz

Marshall Tucker and Dickey Betts in Enfield, CT

2011-07-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

This summer has turned out to be a good season for concerts and last weekend did not disappoint. I went to the Enfield Fourth of July town celebration with my wife, Lauren, our friend/cousin Justin, UJ aka Uncle Jimmy, my brother-in-law Guy, his wife Melissa and their kids, Tommy and Sam.

Marshall Tucker kicked things off by playing a number of their hits, including: "Can't You See", "Heard it in a Love Song" and "Take the Highway". Their set started a little early at 7:00 and lasted for about an hour.

After a 30 minute intermission, Dickey Betts and Great Southern took the stage and killed their set. Many of the songs played were from Dickey Betts' expansive catalogue of music from when he played guitar for the Allman Brothers. Songs played included: "Statesboro Blues", "Jessica" and "Blue Sky". Check out the video below for some footage I took with my wife's Kodak 8.2 megapixel camera.

Huey Lewis and The News at The Travelers Championship

2011-06-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I went to the Travelers Championship with my wife Lauren and our friends, Justin and Becca. Despite a forecast for rainy skies, we lucked out with great weather. After the tournament wrapped up around 6:30, Justin and I stayed to watch Huey Lewis and the News.

I've been a huge Huey Lewis fan for quite some time now, but this was the first chance I've had to see him live. I would definitely recommend seeing him play to anyone who loves great rock and roll music.

Here are a few pictures from the day and one of my favorite Huey Lewis videos. Hope you enjoy!

May 27th, 2011

2011-06-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Photography by Linked Ring Photography LLP ~ http://linkedringphotography.com/

On May 27th, 2011, I had what I can confidently say, was the best day of my life. With my closest friends and family in attendance, I married my best friend, Lauren Fortunato Weinholtz. The ceremony was held at St. Patrick's Church in Enfield, Connecticut and the reception followed at The Riverview in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Photography by Linked Ring Photography LLP

I want to thank everyone who made the trip. Guests traveled in from around the country and one guest even flew in from Ireland. Lauren and I appreciate everyone's attendance. Our friends and family mean the world to us. Everyone who attended helped to make our wedding everything we dreamed it would be.

At the reception, there were several speeches made by individuals in the wedding party. The first speech was made by Lauren's older sister, and the Matron of honor, Amy Mordarski. This was Amy's speech:

Photography by Linked Ring Photography LLP

For those of you who may not know me, I am Lauren’s “slightly older sister”, Amy. I just want to tell you, Lauren, how honored I am today to stand by your side on this special day. On behalf of the bridesmaids and myself I want to say how beautiful and radiant you look today. It truly has been a special day for all of us.

I have many memories of wonderful times spent with Lauren, as we all have. And will cherish them forever. The fondest memory I will now have is watching Lauren marry her best friend, the love of her life and companion. I love you both very much.

In the past few years I have seen you both grow as individuals and flourish as a couple. Separately you both are special, remarkable people but together you are complete. Today we celebrate everything you have in each other – A best friend, A-teacher/ true partner in life.

Please raise your glasses and join me in a toast.

To love, laughter and happily ever after. CONGRATULATIONS!

The second speech was made by my brother, David Weinholtz. Anyone who knows either of us, understands we have an extremely sarcastic sense of humor. Dave's speech followed in this vain. Before you read the speech, I would like to remind you, this is a comedic speech. Every detail is NOT completely accurate, but in true commedic form, it is based in truth and builds upon this. I want to thank you David for this wonderful tribute. Only you could have put this together and it shows me that after 26 years, you know me better than anyone else. I appreciate every detail. Thank you.

Photography by Linked Ring Photography LLP

    My brother Phil has always been a guy on the move. Ever since we were whiney runny-nosed little rug-rats terrorizing our infinitely patient parents, Phil has been a perpetual motion machine. Back then it was climbing anything in site, running around in circles for no apparent reason, randomly executing scitzo-kamikaze flips, chasing people with the intent to bite, and chew (Lauren, watch-out on the honeymoon), and on one specific occasion I vividly remember him plowing through a cinder block wall; think the product of a three-way genetic experiment between Speedy Gonzalez, Thing from the Fantastic Four, and Pac Man.

    As Phil grew he channeled that energy into athletic pursuits, eventually honing in on long distance running. Much like our dear old Dad, Phil became a rather formidable runner during his collegiate years throughout the Northeast and beyond. Following college he got caught up in “Yes We Can” fever, hopped into his trusty Acura, cruised out to Michigan and campaigned for the Prez to be. The political bug bit hard and he accrued more campaign hours for other candidates throughout the country, I even remember the phrase, “Dave, one day I might run for Congress in Georgia.” Always the Renaissance man, Phil didn’t stop at politics, he returned to the Northeast and began collaborating with a motley cast of characters (I think that’s putting it nicely) as a graphic designer. Needless to say Phil was afflicted with a serious case of wanderlust, and it was some hot and heavy lusting. Forget 100,000 miles on the odometer, years ago Phil notched a million in that poor car I’m sure. But then on a magical summer night something, or more accurately someone, happened.

    Justin Gallo, playing cupid or some love inducing Mid-Summer Nights Dream fairy, urged Phil to attend a party and in the process set fate in motion. Using his unparalleled matchmaking powers, Justin introduced Phil to Lauren, and Phil fell hard. For the first time in his life he stopped dead in his tracks, my brother was (is) thunderstruck by love, and the only option he had was submission. There is no fighting a force as powerful as Love, and this was spelled out in bright neon letters as, L-A-U-R-E-N (in retrospect the glow may not have emanated from neon lights, but rather Lauren’s blushing face). Either way, Lauren is no shrinking violet, don’t let that quiet demeanor fool you, she’s a vixen with a brain to match. Phil basically had no other option than to say . . . Take me, please . . .

    This was quite obviously love destined to be. I mean come on, in what now seems like no time at all, Phil went from living in his Acura, to buying a house in Longmeadow, MA (Phil, what happened to Congressman Weinholtz from GA?) LONGMEADOW, MA the name screams blissful domestic tranquility, not the home of a furiously caravanning gypsy! But, when Lauren and Phil met two forces collided and symbiotically created something stronger and more unified, bound by Love. Two were now one, and in turn they fashioned their own peaceful oasis, fertile ground for their mutual growth and evolution together as a beautiful union.

Phil and Lauren, I love and care deeply for you both, and I know I speak for everyone in attendance today in wishing that your life together be a blessed one.

The Future of Technology and Communications

2011-05-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure if anyone else tuned in last Wednesday to Charlie Rose on PBS, but if you did, you saw what I thought was an extremely informative interview with Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix. While I am currently a Netflix subscriber, I’ve never heard Mr. Hastings speak before. I thought his insights on the current state of the communications and technology industries was invaluable.

Click here to watch the full interview

One of the interesting parts of their conversation was the discussion of the transition from dvd to streaming technologies, which has lead to a boom in subscriptions for Netflix. A year ago, Netflix had 14 million subscribers and currently they have over 24 million. Another interesting point is the cost for a Netflix subscription has decreased substantially over the last five years. Subscriptions used to start at 22 dollars and have decreased to an online streaming subscription that starts at $7.99. Despite the decreased price tag, Netflix has continued to increase profit and has stayed on a growth pattern of 70 percent.

Retrieved from: http://wp-uploads-trefis.s3.amazonaws.com/

One of the interesting points Charlie Rose made was that it was not too long ago that Reed Hastings looked like he was in over his head. Jeff Bewkes, the CEO of Time Warner once said Hastings and Netflix looked “like a small country trying to conquer the world.” But, in a more recent interview, Bewkes said an appropriate comparison for Netflix is HBO and subscription television. Bewkes went as far to call Netflix a brother in the television world.

After watching the most recent interview, I did a little research and discovered Hastings had been on the Charlie Rose show twice before, once for a paneled discussion in 2006 and his first interview with Charlie Rose in 2005. After watching these interviews, I marveled at how much the communications world has changed in the last six years. In his first interview, Hastings touched on the idea of transferring Netflix to an online format, but thought it would occur with downloading movies and he never mentioned the possibility of doing live streaming of movies.

(Watch the full 2005 interview above)

Additional advancements that Hastings discussed was the introduction of Hi-Definition formats. “Next year will be the launch of the Hi-Definition movie format in DVD and Blue Ray.” It is hard to imagine that it was five years ago that Hi-Def movie formats entered the mainstream for consumers. It is especially hard to believe because Hi Definition has become such a standard within the communications industry.

(Watch the full 2006 interview above)

In closing, I found the interviews revealing on both a personal and professional level. Who would have known that prior to Netflix, Reed Hastings was a math teacher, served in the Peace Corps and started alternate business ventures. Not only did these three interviews give me a greater respect for Hastings as an individual, it also gave me greater respect for Netflix as a company. For these reasons and the quality of product they offer, I will make sure to pay my monthly bill so I can enjoy their services and support their business.

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Spring Update/Graduate School

2011-03-17T12:05:00.001-07:00

I'm currently on spring break from graduate school at the University of Hartford. It is nice to have time to catch up on work and sleep. So far, my courses are going well and I feel my work experience has helped prepare me for the upper level courses.

I'm taking three classes: Managing Integrated Communications, Intercultural Communications and Creating a Positive Brand Image. So far, I feel the courses have been helpful for developing additional strategies behind much of the marketing and advertising work that I am involved in. In my Brand Image class with Dr. Singer, have had several speakers visit to discuss branding strategies. It has been interesting to see the role branding plays in industries ranging from politics, to corporations, to public relations campaigns. While I've had experience working within these fields, it is nice to step back and analyze its effects and best strategies.

In Managing Integrated Communications with Dr. Grantham, we do quite a bit of reading, which has been interesting and frequently has given me insight into ways to best manage projects at their different stages. We are also working on a concept case study called Heartfelt Expressions, which is turning out quite nice.

Intercultural Communications has been helpful in looking at how cultures play an integral role in daily life, especially within organizations. This class has been a literary and conversation based course, where students present topics each week which lead to discussions and Dr. Ellis' lectures.

Following this weeks break, there is a little over a month left to the semester. So far the course load has seemed fair and the semester will wrap up with several term papers, exams and product presentations. For my independent work, I have several clients I am working on projects with that I will share soon. I feel my studies this semester have been influential in the way I conducted these projects and the final products will represent this both visually and structurally.

Happy St. Patricks Day and hope everyone enjoys their celebrations.

Winter In Connecticut

2011-01-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

We were slammed with nearly two feet of snow today in Connecticut. Since there was no way I could go anywhere in the weather, I decided to take some pictures and put together a short video of the snow storm. The following pictures were taken from our apartment complex in Windsor, Connecticut.

Then I got a little carried away and put together a Blizzard of 2011 video. I guess technically speaking this wasn't actually a blizzard, because stablized winds were at 30 mph instead of 35 mph, but honestly, who cares?!? It was a ton of snow and it will always be a blizzard to me (even if I am admittedly wrong here).

Anyways, it was fun to make this little video and it kept me occupied during the "Nor'easter". I think it might have worried Lauren some that I was running around outside with a camera in all of the snow, but after a couple winters down south, the snow seemed extra incredible to me. Hope you enjoyed the snow day too and check out the video if you get a chance.

Christmas in the Trenches

2010-12-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Colin McEnroe today on WNPR as I was working from home and the theme of the show was Christmas music. One caller mentioned Christmas in the Trenches was her favorite Christmas song. I was excited to hear this song mentioned because I hadn't heard the John McCutcheon song in years.

When I was younger, my family used to make Christmas treks to Philadelphia and New Jersey every year and John McCutcheon's Christmas album, Winter Solstice, was usually the soundtrack to our trips. I remember listening to this song in particular and marveling at the story of World War I foes laying down their weapons to celebrate Christmas Eve together.

After looking around for more information about the song and it's history, I came across this video on Youtube about the Christmas Truce:

Not only a great song, but an incredible story behind the song.

Several years later, my dad and I saw John McCutcheon play in West Hartford center. If you'd like to learn more about John McCutcheon and his music, visit his website: http://www.folkmusic.com/.

Jon Stewart is still my hero...

2010-10-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

Jon Stewart is still my hero and last night he sat down with President Barack Obama, another one of my heroes, and discussed the current state of the nation. The following are the three segments from the discussion:

PART ONE

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Barack Obama Pt. 1

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

PART TWO

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Barack Obama Pt. 2

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

PART THREE

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Barack Obama Pt. 3

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

I felt this was one of the only opportunities President Obama has had to openly and candidly discuss his policies and the legislative successes that have been achieved in the last 18 months.

Last week, I received an e-mail from my dear friend and co-worker Patricia Johnson that had an article by best selling author Frank Schaeffer. The article detailed why President Obama has been unfairly criticized by both liberals and conservatives, despite being handed one of the most unstable economies in American history, two wars, an economic crisis and an unstable education system. (The full article can be read on Frank's blog).

The following is Frank Schaeffer's full list of what President Obama faced when he took office:

An ideologically divided country to the point that America was really two countries.
Two wars; one that was mishandled from the start, the other that was unnecessary and immoral.
The worst economic crisis since the depression.
America 's standing in the world at the lowest point in history.
A country that had been misled into accepting the use of torture of prisoners of war.
A health care system in free fall.
An educational system in free fall.
A global environmental crisis of history-altering proportions (about which the Bush administration and the Republicans had done nothing).
An impasse between culture warriors from the right and left.
A huge financial deficit inherited from the terminally irresponsible Bush administration.

Schaeffer followed with a list of Obama's successes in just 12 short months:

Continued to draw down the misbegotten war in Iraq (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Thoughtfully and decisively picked the best of several bad choices regarding the war in Afghanistan (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Gave a major precedent-setting speech supporting gay rights (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Restored America 's image around the globe (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Banned torture of American prisoners (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Stopped the free fall of the American economy (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Put the USA squarely back in the bilateral international community (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Put the USA squarely into the middle of the international effort to halt global warming (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Stood up for educational reform (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Won a Nobel peace prize (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Moved the trial of terrorists back into the American judicial system of checks and balances (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Did what had to be done to start the slow, torturous and almost impossible process of health care reform that 7 presidents had failed to even begin (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Responded to hatred from the right and left with measured good humor and patience (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Stopped the free fall of job losses (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Showed immense personal courage in the face of an armed and dangerous far right opposition that included the sort of disgusting people that show up at public meetings carrying loaded weapons and carrying Timothy McVeigh-inspired signs about the "blood of tyrants" needing to "water the tree of liberty". (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Showed that he could not only make the tough military choices but explain and defend them brilliantly. (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)

I think the main point made here, is that for some reason, a new set of criteria and expectations has been created for President Obama. Expectations were made before he even took office. Sitting now at the midterm elections, many are frustrated and all of the issues in America have still not been solved, but progress has been made and for a president that campaigned in 2008 on "Change", tangible change has occurred.

That being said, the country still finds itself in political and social imbalance. The mid-term elections on Tuesday will be an opportunity for voter's to determine the type of government they want to make decisions for them. I encourage everyone to vote on November 2nd and take this opportunity to stand up and let your voice be heard.

Thanks.

Phil

A Helpful Video from Brad Neuberg while at Google Developer Programs

2010-10-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

I want to share a video I came across while I was navigating Wooshii this morning. This is a video that was developed by Brad Neuberg while working at Google Developer Programs. The reason why I am sharing this video is that even though it was created over a year ago, it still helps to clarify many specifics about online coding and answers many questions that have surfaced during the transition to HTML5.

There are a few points that excite me a great deal about this video.

1) The ability to draw organic shapes using SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) in HTML5

I have struggled with this limitation for a long time and now HTML5 allows for greater levels of flexibility than ever seen before in online development. A good example of this is seen on my website.

In the video, they discuss the drawback of prior web tools and the lack of flexibility. My shortcut used for this was to utilize photoshop, illustrator and flash to create a more organic visual experience. Now, with SVG, this can be integrated directly into the webpage without having to load an application. For online developers, this is fantastic.

2) Ease of integrating videos into webpages

Prior to HTML5, videos had to be inserted as plugins or movie extensions like: .mv4, .mp4, or .mov. HTML5 simplifies this process to a basic video tag. For anyone who has developed websites with videos, you will fully understand and appreciate the benefits this gives to developers and websites.

3) Web Workers

Web Workers gives the ability to run java and similar applications in the background of a website, rather than having to install and load it into the website itself. HTML5 with web workers finds a way to circumvent this issues. Look at 37:00 in the video for a demo of the correction to this problem. Other great features shown in this video are: geo location, app cache and database. For different people, each of these will offer exciting opportunities and development potential.

I look forward to implementing many of these techniques into my online development and integrating them into my current websites.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal speaks to volunteers and voters in West Hartford

2010-10-02T14:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to head over to the West Hartford Democratic Headquarters today to help canvas for Richard Blumenthal, Dan Malloy, John Larson and the Connecticut Democratic Party. The canvas started with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal thanking the volunteers and voters for their support and maintaining that although he may not have the same funds as his opponent, he has great support through the state of Connecticut.

The canvas went well and we spoke with many voters in the West Hartford area. With a month until elections, the local parties can use all the support they can get. If you would like to volunteer, stop by the West Hartford Democratic Party Headquarters at: 101 South Street, West Hartford, Connecticut where they will be running phone banks and canvasing until election day.

For more information about Richard Blumenthal's campaign for Senate, visit his website at: http://richardblumenthal.com/

For more information about Dan Malloy's campaign for Governor, visit his website at: http://www.danmalloy.com/

For more information about John Larson, visit his website at: http://www.larsonforcongress.org/

For more information about the Connecticut Democratic party, visit: http://www.ctdems.org/

Thanks and I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.

- Phil

http://www.philweinholtz.com

Transform the Military Budget

2010-09-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I want to share a new project that my dad, Donn Weinholtz, has been working on over the last several months. This is my Dad's new blog: Transform The Military Budget. He is looking at ways to reinvest military spending. While this is a difficult issue for many to discuss, especially because our national defense is of the utmost importance, I encourage you to look at his posts and look at ways our economy, our education system and even our military could be improved if spending was altered or transformed.

http://transformthemilitarybudget.blogspot.com/

Connection and Community: A West Rock Community Retreat

2010-08-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

I want to share a recent retreat that my business, Johnson Weinholtz LLC coordinated and developed in collaboration with Southern Connecticut State University, West Rock Development Corporation, Michaels Development Organization and the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. This is a project that we have been working on coordinating with our sponsors and the administrative staff of Southern Connecticut State University for the last three months.

The results and feedback were astounding. Local businesses, non-profits, university faculty and staff, members of the local community all turned out to take part in the retreat that tackled numerous issues in the community including: poverty, diversity, employment, integrated services, community redevelopment, education and more.

I would especially like to thank: Dr. Selase Williams (Provost SCSU), Dr. Ronald D. Herron (Vice President for Student & University Affairs SCSU), Nancy M. Chucta (Administrative Operations Assistant SCSU), Cassandra Lang (Admissions SCSU and Community Advocate), Thomas Lovia Brown (Johnson Weinholtz LLC Program Associate/Workshop Leader), Patricia A. Johnson (Vice President, Johnson Weinholtz LLC / Program Leader), James A. Johnson (Partner, Johnson Weinholtz LLC), Tricia Jessica Johnson Esq. (VP of Compliance and Research, Johnson Weinholtz LLC), Joy Dunston (Program Coordinator, Johnson Weinholtz LLC), Curtis Jennings (Director of West Rock Development Corporation), my dad Donn Weinholtz (program advisor) and everyone who invested time, energy and funds to make this event occur without a hitch.

Hopefully this is the beginning of this open dialogue and discussion. For more information about retreats and workshops like Connection and Community, please visit: http://www.johnsonweinholtz.com.

Thank you.

Philip Weinholtz
Partner . Johnson Weinholtz LLC
Programs . Grant Writing . Public Relations . Marketing
http://www.johnsonweinholtz.com