The Chrome Documents

Daniel Craig Is The Final Straw: Hollywood Has Stopped Caring

2010-07-25T12:12:00.001-07:00

I highly recommend watching the Swedish film Män som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women), commonly known in America as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Do so before the evil Hollywood types butcher the film with a US version.

To get a feel for what I’m saying, watch the original Death At A Funeral then follow it up with a viewing of the 2010 remake featuring a pair of washed-out comedians (Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock) who haven’t been funny since sometime last decade.

The movie studios will attempt to bleed money from any penny they come across. As a blogger from Lazysupper puts it, Hollywood is creatively bankrupt. Based on the excessive number of remakes in recent years, I agree. There are 75 remakes in 2010 alone. There are US versions of Japanase horror films, 23 television shows being cooked up, and an ongoing list of movies which is quickly becoming astronomical in number: Clash Of The Titans, GI Joe, Transformers, The A-Team, Dukes Of Hazard, The Karate Kid, etc. Those are some of the films already released and we still have Tron, When Worlds Collide, Back To School, The Illustrated Man, Poltergeist, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rosemary’s Baby and about 50 more to go.

As anyone familiar with Fanedit can attest to, the problem isn’t in remaking movies it’s in remaking them so poorly. Movie studios obviously go about production with the same corporate mentality for cutting corners as BP and the end result is absolute crap!

The Swedish production of Men Who Hate Women is a powerful film. Thoughtful casting led to a final product where the actors could deliver in their roles. Acting is already the US version’s downfall, as Daniel Craig has been selected for the lead character Mikael Blomkvist. Popularity is obviously the motivating factor. I’m scratching my head to figure out how a guy who looks like the athletic cousin of Alfred E. Newman gained so much success. It certainly wasn’t because of his acting skills. From L4yer Cake to Defiance, the same persona gets rehashed film after film. Craig’s strongest (and inaccurate) performance as Perry Smith in Infamous was completely outshined by the stronger performance of Toby Jones as Truman Capote. If Craig is the star, expect every co-star to be dumbed-down so as not to outperform him.

So why Craig instead of Bryan Cranston, a superior actor and perfect fit for the Blomkvist role? For a long time now, filmmaking has not been about quality but instead about quantity. Studios churn out films with enough special effects or popular stars to draw people in the cinema doors. These end-products are the fast-food equivalent in filmmaking.

Daniel Craig is the final straw –I know Hollywood no longer cares at all. I’m actually surprised Angelina Jolie wasn’t cast as Lisbeth Salander. Instead, it looks like they’ll go with cutesy and adorable Carey Mulligan. She’ll do her best to look like Tegan and Sara, donning fake piercings and tattoos, and come across as nothing but artificial. So will the dopey-looking Craig pretending to be an intelligent investigative reporter. I’m not saying Mulligan is not a capable actress. She’s just not right for this part. Lisbeth had a rough life, especially when it comes to abuse from men. Noomi Rapace is the embodiment of Lisbeth. Neither ugly nor attractive, somewhat boyish and feminine all at once. Mulligan is no more right for this role than she would taking on Sigourney Weaver’s part in a remake of Alien.

There is still opportunity to go with someone like Clea DuVall whose performance and personification of Lisbeth would be spot-on. I’m not a casting agent though, so what do I know (except how awful these remakes are in general and even more so when compared to the originals).

I am a fan of David Fincher’s work. Se7en and Zodiac are prime examples of how good his telling of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo could be. Unfortunately, Fincher looks to be working on a number of films at once including remakes of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Heavy Metal. This could be a sign he’s become a cog in the Hollywood film machine. If so, one of his upcoming films could easily become what The Last Airbender has been for M. Night Shyamalan –the demise of a career.

From the ungodly amount of crap movies in production, I’m not expecting anything good to come from remaking an already great movie. Men Who Hate Women is perfect in it’s native Swedish. Even in the hands of a great director, too many corporate types have their influence over the final product and are capable of butchering anything they get hold of. Fanedits only come about after movies have been released and the industry is anything but happy about better, amateur work. A film is only as strong as its weakest part and even a Fanedit will not turn Craig into the character with personality his Swedish counterpart was able to deliver.

Technorati Tags: men who hate women,the girl with the dragon tattoo,noomi rapace,michael nyqvist,män som hatar kvinnor,daniel craig,death at a funeral,martin lawrence,chris rock,fanedit,bryan cranston,clea duvall,david fincher

How To Survive A Layoff | Part 9: Reforming Government

2010-07-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

or: Part 8 Revisited | The Maximum Pay Initiative

After further discussion with a group of friends, the previous idea was sound but negatively impacted individuals with lower pay much harsher than those with excessive incomes.

The revised plan: cap the salaries of public employees at 10% more than the median of a 2-income household.

Based on the current figure of $63,521, the maximum is just shy of $70,000. While this would cut almost $100,000 from Governor Gregoire’s pay, government was never intended to offer lucrative salaries to begin with. From the average citizen’s perspective, $70,000 is a very nice income. Government should not be comprised of a wealthy or elite group of individuals. It was intended to be embodied by our peers.

This plan automatically takes economic conditions into consideration leaving no wiggle room for elected officials to give themselves cost-of-living increases. If median income goes up, so do the salaries of government decision-makers. This is incentive for them to contribute to their constituents financial well-being. Taking away the money incentive is almost a guaranteed deterrent for corrupt people wishing to get into government. Those who are already inside will want to get out.

Yet this plan does not go far enough. The allure of money is still there, as many politicians draw huge sums through campaign financing. To make honest people of our politicians, the Fair Elections Now Act must pass. Fair Elections Now is modeled on the successful public financing systems in place in seven states and two cities. Under these programs, candidates who give up all private donations receive full public funding for their campaigns once they reach a threshold amount in small contributions. The federal proposal allows candidates to raise additional funds via a four to one match on contributions limited to $100.

Obviously I’m not counting on our elected officials to initiate a bill eliminating a significant portion of their salaries –or counting on them for much of anything. Instead, I contacted Tim Eyman. While our political views do not mesh, I recognize Tim’s ability to get Initiatives To The People on the ballot. With his support, I believe it would be a painless process to gather the signatures necessary to get this on the ballot in 2011.

While I have a lot of enthusiasm to move on this, I am also uncertain it is even possible for we the people to institute something of this magnitude. If not, it should be!

Fair Elections Now Candidate

It’s just not possible to stress the importance of Fair Elections Now. It is the most viable bill on the table. Of the 176 sponsors, only 3 are Republican. Over half of the Democratic caucus in the House of Representatives supports the bill. Of the 21 sponsors in the Senate, there’s not a single Republican amongst them.

Yet it is not all good news for Democrats, especially in our state. Senator Patty Murray remains resolutely mute on the subject of public financing of campaigns. It’s not hard to see why when you look into campaign fundraising of nearly $10 million over the past 5 years with nearly $6 million left as cash on hand.

Feeling the only alternative to Patty is Dino Rossi, a lot of voters will continue to vote for her but there is a better choice.

Enter Bob Burr who joined the race specifically due to Patty’s hesitation to support Fair Elections Now. In his own words, “Public financing of elections is absolutely critical. Polling shows that 80% of Democrats, 78% of Independents and 65% of Republicans support public financing of federal elections, as do all geographic and demographic subgroups. Yet, leadership in the Senate and House are not moving public financing forward. Patty Murray is part of that tone deaf leadership. She is not listening. She is very comfortable in our pay-to-play system. She is part of the problem, not part of the solution. That is why I feel it necessary to challenge her from within the Democratic Party.”

Bob is really taking up a grassroots movement but with limited funding runs the risk of not gaining the attention of voters throughout Washington state. He needs and deserves our support. He’s one of us. We absolutely must have more of our peers in elected positions.

If his support of public campaign financing isn’t enough to pique your interest, take a look at his website. When it comes to where Bob stands on the issues, he’s the epitome of transparency. Both Patty Murray and Dino Rossi have refused to be candid with voters about where they stand.

This appears to be a theme amongst candidates. I asked Jason Overstreet, running for Representative in Washington’s 42nd district, where he stood on Fair Elections Now. He said he was unfamiliar with the bill and suggested I email him information through his website. I did so almost 3 weeks ago but have not received a reply of any kind. Of course, I never expected one. How could someone running for Representative be unaware of a bill sponsored by so many members of the House including 3 from his own party?

We need to elect candidates who are not aloof to the most important issues our country is facing. Never in the past 30 years has it been as important than now to elect someone like Bob Burr to the Senate. Someone who has pledged to serve a single term. He will not accept PAC money or financial donations from any source. Most importantly though, he would immediately co-sponsor Fair Elections Now and make it his top priority. Since public financing would still be optional, he knows it would remain a relatively weak bill and would work towards mandatory legislation while pushing for a Constitutional Amendment clarifying what most of us already grasp--Corporations are NOT People.

Voters who are fed up with the status quo take notice: Bob Burr for Senate!

Bob Burr for Washington state Senator!

Technorati Tags: bob burr,patty murray,washington state,senate,senator,congress,fair elections now,campaign financing,maximum pay initiative,government reform,governor christine gregoire,dino rossi,tim eyman,jason overstreet,democrats,republicans,house of representatives

How To Survive A Layoff | Part 8: How To Extend Unemployment Benefits

2010-07-18T14:59:00.001-07:00

Jim McDermott gets fired up!

I have a plan to extend unemployment benefits without effecting the deficit with additional spending.

Over the past 30 years, Congress has more than doubled their annual salaries from the 1979 figure of $69,800 to the present-day $174,000. Senate party leaders receive salaries of $193,400 while the Speaker of the House brings home a whopping $223,500.

Government was never intended to make politicians rich! Most people receive pay raises for being successful. Today’s economic climate is a shining example of failure.

Instead of reacting appropriately, Congress continues to fail the people they represent. With more than 15 million Americans relying on unemployment insurance as their only source of income, partisan politics is a higher priority than helping those most in need.

This is my plan for successfully extending unemployment benefits. It takes a 25% cut in the salaries of all public employees currently making $50,000 a year or more and pools these funds to be used for an unemployment extension.

Yes this will be a huge blow to those on the lower end of the spectrum. I would have been one of you. However, $37,500 a year is a much better income than the $300 weekly average unemployment insurance provides. Those on the low end would also continue to have health insurance. Options like COBRA are unaffordable for those who have just enough to survive.

One the other end of the spectrum however are our elected officials who would not be impacted as dramatically by a reduction like this.

A 25% cut in a senator’s $174,000 salary still leaves them with an income of $130,500 and the $43,500 which would have gone to this single individual is just about enough to provide the yearly income of 3 unemployment recipients.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s cut leaves her with an income of $167,625 but $55,875 trimmed from her earnings is enough to provide for nearly 4 recipients.

This is on the federal level. At the state level there’s just as much effect. The newly appointed director of the Office of Financial Management has a salary of $163,057. Former OFM director Victor Moore has accepted an appointment as chief operating officer with the Washington State Investment Board earning $198,500, a bit more than Governor Christine Gregiore’s own salary of $166,891. While shaving Moore’s and Governor Gregoire’s incomes ($148,875 and $125,168) would continue to exceed that of the average household, the cuts ($49,625 and $41,722) provide $91,347 to benefit the unemployed.

We’re not talking small peanuts here. Government salaries have a huge effect on the deficit and trimming some fat does a lot more good than harm. Harm in this case is questionable as salaries would remain higher than the minimum wage and part-time opportunities more than 15 million unemployed Americans are competing for right now.

Who	Present Salary	New Salary	Cut
Commiss. of Public Lands	$121,618	$91,213	$30,404
Supreme Court Justice	$164,221	$123,165	$41,055
Attorney General	$151,718	$113,788	$37,929

To put all of this into perspective, the combined salaries of a single governor, senator, supreme court justice, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, and the Speaker of the House currently total over $1.2 million. A combined cut of 25% from these 6 people alone trims a mere $300,110 but is enough to provide the yearly income needed for close to 20 recipients. To repeat this process throughout all 50 states, from the federal level down to the smallest towns, would be astonishing and enough to extend unemployment benefits at a time when it is most crucial to do so.

This just leaves me wondering why government decision-makers flocked so quickly with the layoff crowd. Better results certainly would have come from cutting where incomes are the fattest.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/192752/Salaries-of-Members-of-Congress-A-List-of-Payable-Rates-and-Effective-Dates-17892007
http://www.salaries.wa.gov/documents/2009-10FINALSalarySchedule5-19-09withRationaleStatement.pdf
http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1446&newsType=1
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/congresspay.htm

Technorati Tags: congress,layoffs,pay cuts,extend unemployment,pay increases,public sector,public employees,unemployed,nancy pelosi

July 19, 2010

I received an email this morning from Kate Lykins Brown with the Governor’s Executive Policy Office. There was a typo with the OFM director’s salary. It has been corrected per her request.

How To Survive A Layoff | Part 7: Relocate and Make Friends With Your Neighbors

2010-07-03T15:52:00.001-07:00

On July 1st, the Chrome Documents relocated to a new home on the 49th parallel. I’m now in the beautiful town of Blaine, Washington just blocks away from the Puget Sound, minutes away from Birch Bay, and an equal distance to Vancouver, BC. It takes me less than 2 minutes to hit the I-5, making quick commutes for job searches throughout Whatcom County and BC. Not only is this a reduction in drive time, it also significantly cuts down on fuel expenses.

…and what’s better than saving on fuel? Having real high speed internet! Finally enough bandwidth to make the free phone and television service worth it.

While relocating can be expensive, the payoff is increased job opportunities. My search now extends south to Bellingham and north into the highly populated areas of Vancouver and Surrey. With a larger number businesses, there is sure to be more potential employers offering career positions.

The best job I ever had was with the Washington’s Lottery. While a well-written résumé is important, nothing beats a good social network. I initially worked in self-employment after graduating college. I would never have known about the job opening had it not been for Jacky and Ralph Rudeen, parents of Terry Rudeen who is the IT Director for the Lottery. They had already spread the word about my IT skills before the Lottery began seeking an addition to their help desk. Before I could even send in my résumé, Jacky and Ralph had already submitted a word-of-mouth application on my behalf. Anything I did on my own behalf had very little weight in comparison to the recommendation of the Rudeens.

Who you know has more influence than what you know. People walk into positions with little to no experience all the time because of a connection with a hiring manager. These relationships not only help establish a strong social network for improving job searches, they also help to make a new career more enjoyable. I had an instant connection with Terry because I knew his parents. My first day at the Lottery was less stressful because I didn’t feel like an outsider. Even if you’re unable to relocate, there are a number of ways to increase your network:

Neighbors
Family
Social Groups (church, synagogue, mosque, Linux users group, etc)
Volunteering
PTA or other school-related organizations

While this may all be common sense, I spent the past year living so far away from humanity I became polarized from the benefits of socializing. It’s time to get back in the game and make friendly with all my new neighbors.

Technorati Tags: layoff,network,social,job hunting,job search,terry,jacky,ralph,rudeen,washington,lottery,bellingham,whatcom county,blaine,birch bay,puget sound,vancouver,surrey,british columbia,neighbors,family,social groups,volunteer,pta

How To Survive A Layoff | Part 6: Maximize A Job Search With An Employment Agency

2010-06-19T22:33:00.000-07:00

“We deal with people on a daily basis who do turn jobs down because they make more on unemployment.” This is the response I got when I met with Stacey Snodgrass, the office manager and developer rep for Express Employment Professionals in Bellingham, Washington. I had just asked her about the statement John Linder made last week. She suggests, “Job seekers should look carefully not just at the hourly rate but whether the employer is offering benefits, IRA, or a 401k.”

As an example of an opportunity someone could miss out on, she described her own situation 14 years ago when she was asked to work in an Express office for a week. She says she remembers thinking, “that’s not really ideal, I really want long-term employment but I’m not really doing anything else so why not.” It certainly paid off, moving up from part-time receptionist to a management position.

My bills are absolutely too high to accept a $10/hr position. As it is, unemployment leaves me with just enough to keep food on the table and gas in the car. I imagine a lot of people who have had their incomes sliced by 50% or more are in this same situation. I asked Stacey what someone with my background should do to find a career at the level of pay they’re used to. She recommended using the company’s professional recruiter who specializes in the higher paid positions.

This is when things got interesting. Stacey elaborated more on Express Employment Professionals role for the job seeker. The company does not charge applicants, their clients are the companies they recruit for. Think of them as a matchmaker. When company and job seeker hook up, Express is the employer of receipt. They take care of paying employees weekly, providing immediate health care, holiday and vacation pay, and even a 401k. Not bad considering the probationary period for most companies is 90 days. “This gives you an opportunity to evaluate the employers while they evaluate you and if it’s a good match you just transition right onto their payroll.”

…but are these minimum wage positions? “We actually don’t have any minimum wage jobs. I’d say we have jobs anywhere from $9 all the way up to higher level positions… the norm on the industrial side would be between $9-11 and on the office side it’s $12 on up.”

“I think by applying with Express, you’re applying to hundreds of different companies at one time. Your opportunities are higher going through a service because we’re able to market your skillset.”

I finished the interview with a good idea of what Express can do to help maximize my job search. I’m completing my application online so I can get started with their services next week. Applying to 3 or more jobs a week, I’ve only been interviewed twice. This is the best resource I’ve come across and will hopefully lead to my next career before my unemployment benefits are exhausted in November.

I’m sure there are other job services out there and I highly recommend taking advantage of them. The people, at least at Express, really dive right into helping job seekers find the right employer. On top of the friendly atmosphere I experienced, the free coffee was quite good as well.

Technorati Tags: job seeker,employment,layoff,laid off,express employment professionals,stacey snodgrass,bellingham,washington,whatcom county,jobs,temp agency

How To Survive A Layoff | Part 5: Job Hunting Resources

2010-06-12T15:20:00.001-07:00

Used a job search engine lately? The difference between Monster and Careerbuilder is about the same as the difference between Travelocity and Expedia –not much of a difference at all. While one company may hype themselves up more than another, I’ve found them all to be about equal on all levels. Something they all appear to have in common is submitting a résumé online results in spam from job search services instead of employers contacting me. While storing a résumé online will speed up the application process, keep the spam issue in mind.

Here’s a top 10 list of job search engines as they currently rank in Xmarks:

Not listed is the WorkSource website: www.Go2WorkSource.com. This really just redirects to https://fortress.wa.gov/esd/worksource/Employment.aspx but who wants to type all that?Also not listed is Craigslist. The results I’ve found job hunting on Craigslist have been interesting but did result in one of my first interviews at Mike’s Computer Shop in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Leery of the content of the ads, Craigslist posts a warning before you can continue through to the listings…

There are also temp services. In this area there’s Express Employment Professionals and Command Labor & Staffing. If you find yourself completely on your back because a bureaucrat like John Linder used anecdotal b.s. to influence federal government to end your unemployment benefits, you can do some slave labor for Manpower.

How To Survive A Layoff | Part 4: Representative John Linder Is An Asshole!

2010-06-11T06:15:00.001-07:00

"And even when businesses are willing to hire, nearly two years of unemployment benefits are too much of an allure for some." -Representative John Linder, GOP (link)

This is an easy comment to make when you have a salary of $174,000. I'm sure there's a Tea Party choir anxious to start singing Linder's song but what tune would he sing after his income was reduced to $16,000 or less annually?

With an average weekly payment of $293, Linder's base salary is enough to provide an equivalent annual income for over 11 unemployment recipients. His dining habits most likely exceed the weekly pay of 15 million unemployed Americans.

Regardless of what Linder has to say, his economic status prevents him from being a subject matter expert. Based on my own experience as well as everyone else I know who was laid off from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources on June 30, 2009; none of us wanted to lose our jobs and have our incomes reduced to the point of just getting by.

None of us want unemployment to be our source of income but we cannot accept jobs which do not provide enough income to pay our bills.

Linder's analysis is shared by various politicians, even a few democrats. Stop with the anecdotal b.s. and provide evidence of someone turning down a job offer with a livable salary.

This is just one more sign of how out of touch with the people government is. Unfortunately, critical decisions effecting the lives of millions are made every day -completely lacking in fact and built upon the infrastructure of hearsay and opinion.

Technorati Tags: john linder,unemployment,benefits,job hunting

How To Survive A Layoff | Mi resumé es su resumé

2010-06-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

Part 3: Avoid Building Your Resumé From Scratch -Use Mine

I’m not a master résumé writer but I’m posting mine as a template for those who have never made one before or who might be unfamiliar with a word processor. I’m a big fan of using tables for layout purposes and was disappointed with the results in Google Docs. I then tried ThinkFree Office which was an absolute joy to use. However, I wasn’t looking for collaboration and just wanted straight forward file sharing. In the end, I put my free Ubuntu One storage space to use.

This document has been saved in .odt OpenDocument format as well as .doc for those already using Microsoft Word or compatible office suite.
resumé template (odt)
resumé template (doc)

For privacy, I’ve changed the phone number and address and really hope this will be helpful for those who have never built a resumé.

I really wanted to do this in Google Docs which is a free-to-use, web-based office suite. The good news is ThinkFree Office is also free and either format of this template can be opened online. ThinkFree uses Java; while it’s rich on features is also a bit sluggish.

For a local install of a free office suite, I recommend an enhanced version of OpenOffice.org called Go-OO. I’ve used OpenOffice.org for years in work environments where the default was Microsoft Office. To this day, any document I created still in use at either the Washington’s Lottery or Department of Natural Resources originated from OpenOffice.org. What this geek speak means to you is a freely available tool to get the same work done as the more expensive counterparts. With money being tight these days, free is a good friend. Not only is the OO.o suite Microsoft-friendly but can open WordPerfect, Oracle Open Office, IBM Lotus Symphony, and a large number of other formats as well (more info).

Download OpenOffice.org here:
Go-OO
OpenOffice.org

Once you have the template opened, simply replace the text with your own. Feel free to email me if you run into any snags along the way.

Technorati Tags: resume,résumé,resumé,template,google docs,microsoft office,word,openoffice.org,openoffice,open office,go.oo,oracle open office,wordperfect,ibm lotus symphony,opendocument,odf,odt,doc,thinkfree office,java

Ubuntu 10.04 | IcedTea is for drinking not Java!

2010-06-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

or: How I learned to stop reading bug reports and just install the Sun Java JRE

I had some technical issues this afternoon trying to build a resumé template in ThinkFree Online Office. The problem is the Chrome browser does not recognize the IcedTea plugin. After reading through a number of posts on the issue, no solution was found. At least no solution as far as using IcedTea is concerned. The IcedTea plugin is recognized in Mozilla Firefox but ThinkOffice failed to load correctly.

This left me coming to the conclusion the best solution is to replace IcedTea with Sun's Java JRE. Here's how to do it...

Open a terminal and enter: sudo apt-get purge openjdk-6-jre openjdk-6-jre-headless
This will remove the currently installed IceTea package as well as others associated with it.

Next, add the Sun Java repository to APT: sudo add-apt-repository "deb http://archive.canonical.com/ lucid partner"

Update APT: sudo apt-get update

Install the Sun JRE: sudo apt-get install sun-java6-jre sun-java6-plugin sun-java6-jdk sun-java6-fonts

Finally, tell Ubuntu to forget all about IcedTea: sudo update-java-alternatives --set java-6-sun

Any browser open during the install may need restarted for the JRE plugin to start working.

Success looks like this...

How To Survive A Layoff

2010-05-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

Part 1: Jekyll & Hyde Emotions

Let's face it, money may not buy happiness but it certainly provides peace of mind knowing you've got the income to pay the bills and put food on the table.

My income before being laid off last summer was $4770 monthly. My bills are half this amount. This leaves me in quite the situation when it comes to looking for work and making ends meet while receiving unemployment insurance. These $10/hr jobs just don't cut it. In an area like Whatcom County, employers are also able to take advantage of the large student population to provide a low-cost workforce. As it is, a degree is not defense against lower-than-entry-level-salaries employers are paying. A high school student working at Sonic is very likely to have the same income as an experienced forklift operator.

I won't waste any more time painting a picture familiar to most people. These are hard times and far more of us are struggling to make ends than living the American dream.

When I was first laid off, it was funemployment. I did job searches every week, filed my weekly claim, and enjoyed the time off. Now it's a year later and my opinion of time off has done a 180. To say I've been humbled would be inaccurate. To give up almost all hope of finding something in the same income bracket I was previously is embarrassing. To tell my son I can’t afford to pay for his upcoming hockey season took the wind from my sails.The probable future is one in which I will have gone back to an income I had working at Hertz over 14 years ago.

Frustration is sometimes overwhelming. I find myself easily losing patience over the smallest things anymore. The constant battle of my willingness to succeed conflicts with hopelessness, creating a Jekyll and Hyde mentality. Hopefully I am more Jekyll than Hyde. I want those closest to me to remain close. They are allies in maintaining my self-esteem through this fight to get back on my feet.

My negative feelings are heightened by an unnecessarily bureaucratic system overseeing my unemployment insurance. I live quite similar in distance as Olympia is from Seattle. Someone in Seattle would not be asked to travel to Olympia to attend an orientation. Yet I have been required to attend multiple orientations at WorkSource Bellingham where I was provided the same information available on the Go2WorkSource website.

As a veteran, I was told I would be able to receive referrals to WorkSource jobs without needing to go to the office. I will never understand why WorkSource requires people to come in for a referral. On Monday of last week, I asked the veterans representative for a referral to a job closing on May 28th. I never received either the referral a response of any kind.

Instead of getting upset further, I decided to start blogging about the experience.

Part 2: Cutting Expenses

I've had to cut back on quite a lot of “luxuries” like going to the movies, eating out, camping, and road trips. Basically the fun kind of unwinding probably more necessary than ever while going through something as stressful as being laid off. Initially these things were taken for granted until the income reality hit like a punch in the face. I watched as overnight $3000 in savings, which came from withdrawing my retirement contributions, dwindled away. The harder someone has it financially the more incline others are to increase the pain. Regardless of a steady income slightly higher than the average salary (my unemployment pays about $16/hr.), the realty company I rent from required not only the regular deposit but first + last month's rent as well. This was the first huge chunk out of my savings. The timing belt coming off my car at 50mph in between Everson and Sumas was another.

Once the money began to evaporate, it was time to start cutting costs. I started with things I could live without. We had no television service for quite a while. In previous entries, I've explained how Boxee and Hulu have gotten rid of the cable bill. Next was getting rid of Lingo because the only thing consistent about their service was the increase in fees. I get free phone service using Google Voice and Gizmo5. Getting rid of cable and phone is a savings of about $100-140, compared to services I previously used.

Lingo, like many companies, has early termination fees. I broke the contract on the basis of increased fees. Lingo persisted to bill for an early termination and though I stated no further transactions were authorized on my credit card, they billed me anyway. A quick call to USAA and the fees were reversed. This resulted in Lingo turning the matter over to Sko Brenner American, a collection agency.

The best advice I have for anyone dealing with collection agencies is to communicate with them in a way they’re forced into keeping accurate records. Don't be intimidated by them. They want to call you so they can violate consumer protection laws knowing there's little to nothing you can do about it. Instead of playing this game, I emailed the company and received the following response...

From: Jon R. Lunn [jrl@skobrenner.com]
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 5:52 AM
To: Josh Dressel
Subject: RE: file #: 07764221

We are closing this file as disputed. We have not reported this debt to any credit bureau. Please note your records.

From: Josh Dressel
Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 4:34 PM
To: collect@skobrenner.com
Subject: file #: 07764221

I’m afraid you’ve been duped by Lingo. They already billed me the amount you’re attempting to collect. I filed a grievance with my bank and the amount was reversed. Obviously Lingo was unable to validate the payment with USAA so they’ve turned it over to collection instead.

As you should be aware, Lingo violated our contract by consistently increasing the cost of service. Under the terms of the contract, increases in fees including universal taxes allowed for early termination of service. The amount Lingo is now attempting to bill is an early termination fee. Unless your organization can provide evidence showing my early termination violated the terms of service, any further communication from Sko Brenner American should proceed immediately to legal proceedings.

I will not call or accept calls from your agency. Collection agencies are notorious for violating consumer protection laws and all kinds of harassment. Telephone calls are the easiest way for your agents to do so with no record of what was actually said. Continue to either mail correspondence or use email so accurate records can be maintained. Also, please provide details verifying Ken Knight as an actual employee of Sko Brenner American so I know this original letter from your company has the signature of a real person.

Please proceed cautiously. I have already referenced the difficulties of dealing with Lingo on The Chrome Documents website. I can add our correspondence to an ongoing piece about how these problems have ensued after discontinuing the service.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Josh Dressel
The Chrome Documents
www.chromedocs.net

It appears no one really wants to be blogged about when it shines a light on questionable behavior. While you may not have a blog of your own, you have the right not to talk to these collection agencies when they call. Tell them to correspond with you in writing so you have an accurate record of their actions. Short of changing your number though it's unlikely to stop them from calling. I'll even help by posting your story on The Chrome Documents.

If you're trying to get out of your contract without an early termination fee, look closely at your bills. Most likely you have had rate increases and your contract should state this is a valid reason to sever the contract. Don't be bullied. Stand your ground and explain you want out of the contract even if the increases are only pennies in universal taxes. Cutting expenses on cell phones, VoIP lines, and movie channels will quickly add up to huge savings in the long run. The $140/mth I'm saving now is $1680 in a year's time.

With the increasing number of people becoming unemployed, companies should be lending a hand allowing customers with financial difficulties out of their contracts.

Cutting expenses is the first step in dealing with a layoff. Check out previous posts on ways to eliminate your cable and phone bills:
Google Voice + Gizmo 5 = Free Phone Service
Kill Your Television: Boxee & Hulu Murdered The Cable Bill

Hopefully I’ve provided something of interest. It’s difficult to share a combination of feelings and advice.

A last note, research shows a relationship between income and eating healthy. The summary is the less people have the more unhealthy they’re likely to eat. More than ever, it’s important to stay healthy. I need to do a better job following through with my own advice on this one.

Next time, a little resumé help. I’m building a template for those who have never made their own or are contemplating paying for a resumé service. I'm going to use Google Docs so you won't even need Microsoft Office.

Technorati Tags: laid off,layoff,layoffs,job search,resume,resumé,collections,collection agency,lingo,gizmo5,google voice,consumer protection,advice,how to survive a layoff,funemployment,worksource,washington,bellingham,go2worksource,bureaucracy,cutting expenses,reducing costs,bills,early termination fees,contracts,boxee,hulu,cable,television,tv,working poor,veteran,veterans

The Chrome Documents Receives A Transfusion

2010-05-29T22:19:00.001-07:00

That’s a transfusion of energy to take The Chrome Documents in a new direction to focus on surviving a layoff. Coming soon, new posts about what employers are looking for. Why go this direction? Simple, I’m frustrated with WorkSource Washington. Their data is outdated and job resources are anything but cutting edge. I live 45 minutes away from Bellingham, Washington and have had to go to orientations just to hear someone repeat to me information already posted on the Employment Security Department’s website.

My job search can be your job search too and I want to hear from anyone willing to share their story. I want to know what your experiences have been. Share your success stories as well as your tragedies.

My focus is on a career –not just finding a job. There’s an overwhelming number of Americans who are part of the working poor. Employers seeking people with professional backgrounds but offering the same pay a high school student would make working in fast food is insulting.

A full-time job at $10/hr (slightly more than minimum wage) pays $1600 monthly. Typical rent for a 2 bedroom apartment ranges from $650-1000. Gas is over $3/gallon. I drive a 2004 Kia Optima that gets above average gas mileage. Each fill-up comes to about $45. Combining transportation, rent, and insurance the total is about $1100. So any job I’m investing 160 hours a month into at this rate is only returning me about $500 before taxes. Take out taxes, utilities, food, and other necessities and I’m truly working for nothing.

This is the reality for so many Americans. I don’t want it to become mine and want to help make life better for those who live from paycheck to paycheck. I’m going to be contacting T-Mobile and other employers in this area to not only find out who their looking for but to dig deeper with questions about pay and outsourcing. Hopefully I’ll be met by friendly HR people willing to share information who are also not afraid to talk about these topics.

This is a project I’m looking forward to diving into. First I’ll focus on the hurtles and some tips to get by on very little income. Tomorrow’s post will be about cutting expenses as much as possible and getting out of longterm contracts.

See you soon.

Technorati Tags: jobless,surviving,layoff,laid off,minimum wage,working poor,jobs,employers,t-mobile,outsourcing,worksource,washington,bellingham,employment security department,hr,human resources,longterm contracts,lowering bills,cutting expenses

Ubuntu 10.04: Unleash The Lynx

2010-05-14T15:22:00.001-07:00

This was suppose to be done a week ago. Unfortunately things were delayed while I waited for a replacement netbook. The previous one arrived with a nice chink in the shell, probably from a box-knife. It also had a dead pixel I just couldn't live with.

I called ASUS. As I waited on hold for an operator I got to hear all about how great their warranty services are. If you have even a single dead pixel, they'll provide a replacement within 30 days of purchase. My netbook wasn't even 48 hours old when I called. Finally someone answered the call. I explained the situation and was immediately told my netbook would most likely not be covered under warranty. Say what? I just listened to a recording several times in a row about how ASUS will replace their products if they arrive with even a single dead pixel. The customer service rep didn't seem to get it. I was given an RMA # and told I would be responsible for covering charges if my netbook was found to not qualify for warranty service. The next morning I got online, clicked my order information on Buy.com, and within seconds had an RMA # and approval for replacement. My new netbook arrived yesterday and today I'm sitting in the coffee house ready to do some blogging.

I'm excited about this particular post because I'm typing it up for the first time in the latest version of Ubuntu, codenamed Lucid Lynx. I’ve always been frustrated with blogging software in Linux. However, after communicating with some of the members from the Bellingham Linux Users Group, I was pointed to Blogilo which is suppose to be on par with Windows Live Writer.

Has Linux finally achieved a desktop environment suitable for non-geeks? Time to find out...

The ASUS Eee PC 1201N arrived with Windows 7 pre-installed. I set out to create a dual boot system with Windows and Ubuntu. This idea was scrapped after waiting 45 minutes for Windows 7 to initialize, then another 30+ minutes for Windows updates to run. From start to finish, Lucid Lynx was running in less than 25 minutes. Boot time is well under a minute and as soon as I'm logged in I can get to work without sluggishness or waiting for anything else to load in the background.

First Bug: I encountered my first issue when the wireless card on my netbook was misidentified as a Realtek 8171. The card is actually an 8192SE and is fixed by either downloading the firmware directly from the Realtek website or running an update which installs the latest Linux kernel. For those who are wireless only, this is a serious issue.

Second Bug: The second issue is “Error probing SMB2” which displays during boot. This doesn't appear to have any negative effect on the system and causes only a minimal delay to the startup. Apparently there are some issues with the nForce drivers which will hopefully be worked out in future updates.

Third Bug: This one is certainly unfortunate. Gwibber was a huge draw when deciding which distribution of Linux to install. This microblogging client was suppose to be tightly integrated into the Gnome desktop and a surefire replacement to TweetDeck. It falls very short of the mark as I am unable to complete the account setup for Facebook. After going through the setup process and authorizing the Facebook account, Gwibber completely locks up. Even using the command line to kill the process fails to close the Gwibber window. While Twitter works without any issues, I’ll continue to use TweetDeck and hope future updates fix the Gwibber issue.Just 3 bugs. This is amazing progress! As a distro-hopper, I’ve never come across a Linux flavor to work as quickly and easily as Lucid Lynx. I need to note the scrolling feature for the netbook's mousepad didn’t work at all in Windows 7 and worked perfectly in Ubuntu. A fully functional, up-to-date system took about 30 minutes and the complications I encountered or continue to deal with are minor.

So has Linux finally achieved a desktop environment suitable for non-geeks? I am disappointed to say no.

While the new Ubuntu is certainly sleek, there are still elements missing for those who just want to sit down and start web browsing. Flash and Java JRE are not pre-installed. As you come across a website requiring a plugin, a pop-up box appears. Flash did not work though when I tried to install it through this interface. Instead, I had to install Flash through Synaptic. This is very unfamiliar to the typical computer user. When Java installed it appeared to be the Iced Tea version. This probably makes no difference but the whole process can be quite confusing for people. In many attempts to get others to adopt Linux, this has always been the primary cause to jump ship.

Getting codecs setup so avi, mp3, wmv, wma, and iTunes music will play is a similar frustration. Linux Mint is an option but the best idea is to have an interface where it’s easy to know if Flash, Java, and mp3 playback will work and simply clicking check boxes so it does. Most people will not want to take the time to read through forums, use the command line, or edit files to make things work.

While Windows also does not come with Flash or JRE pre-installed, the process is far less complicated. Each time I get others to adopt Linux as their operating system, the outcome is always a return to Windows the moment they have to edit a file or use the command line. Even something as simple as adding sources for apt can turn someone away. This alone is why Linux is still for geeks and computer enthusiasts.

As I’m wrapping this up, I’ve switched back to Windows Live Writer. Blogilo has a promising interface but still has a ways to go. Images are particularly more work than necessary. I like being able to resize and choose the justification. There are no options whatsoever in Blogilo. An image is either loaded from the internet or local machine. You then have to choose the size manually and the default is set to 0. I used Windows Live Writer to left-justify the initializing image above. Prior to this, the text started at the bottom-right of the picture. I want to be able to choose all the formatting options available and so far I have yet to find an application even in the same league as WLW. Blogilo is probably the best blogging client available in Linux and is comparable to the Scribefire addon available for Firefox.

The eye candy for Ubuntu is spectacular. On the ASUS Eee PC 1201N, I had the nVidia graphics drivers installed and Compiz desktop effects setup quickly. Removing the standard Gnome taskbar and replacing it with AWN, Docky, or Cairo was very easy as well. After playing around with all 3 docks, I finally settled on AWN because it was very easy to tweak. The final appearance of my desktop can be seen in the picture at the top.

The new Lucid Lynx shows how beautiful Linux can be. Weaving social networking directly into the notification area is a step in the right direction and will appeal to computer users of all types. While it still falls short of achieving what's needed for the non-geek crowd to abandon their Macs and Windows systems, the eye candy and ongoing progression is sure to catch attention.

An elderly couple was on their way out the door just a few minutes ago. As they passed by, the gentleman looked at my desktop with a big smile. He said, "Wow that's beautiful. It's certainly become a computerized world." I'm not sure if he thought the picture was computerized but I know the desktop is breathtaking, picturesque and the kind of thing which initially attracted people to Mac. Ubuntu is on the way to becoming a platform of choice.

One of the best resources I found for getting Ubuntu Lucid Lynx setup fast is Top things to do after installing Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx on the Unixmen website. They even have scripts which automate many of the steps.

I hope anyone who is still running Windows XP will venture out and try the new Ubuntu. At first the environment might feel alien and inhabitable. However, stick with it and you too will find there is unlimited potential in Linux which has been this operating system’s greatest appeal to computer geeks. Ubuntu has just made Linux easier to use than ever before and future releases will only get better.

Final Note: You won’t find this anywhere in the Mac or Windows worlds. There are specialty versions of Ubuntu which include Muslim and Christian editions. Here’s a brief list of the Ubuntu variations available:

Sabily (Muslim)	Christian	Netbook
Mobile Internet Device	Satanic	PenTest
	Ultimate

Technorati Tags: ubuntu,10.04,lucid lynx,nvidia,smb2,blogilo,windows live writer,scribefire,unixmen,awn,docky,cairo,asus,1201n,realtek,wifi,drivers,8171,8192,java,jre,adobe,flash,player,iced tea,linux mint,gwibber,buy.com,dead pixel,warranty,blug,linux,gnome,tweetdeck,facebook,synaptic,compiz,windows 7,eee pc,sabily,christian edition,satanic edition,pentest,netbook edition

Turn Android Phone Into A Router: There’s An App For That

2010-04-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

Let’s say you’re on a long road trip with 5 friends and amongst you have brought along 2 laptops, a netbook, and a PSP. You have an Android-based phone with a 3G data plan. In normal circumstances, you could use wi-fi tethering to get your netbook connected. You’re in a situation though where 4 of your friends want to borrow your internet connection as well. What’s a person to do? This is where the Android app Barnacle WiFi Tether comes to the rescue, turning your phone into a full-fledged wireless hotspot. Now all of your friends’ devices can connect to the internet.

While I’m sure the iPhone has an app for this, I’m just as certain it has a price. Barnacle is free and works perfectly, maintaining a 1.5mb connection while traveling 55mph along the Canadian border in the outskirts of Whatcom County. Barnacle also features WEP for added security.

Here’s all it takes to turn your Android phone into a wireless, ad-hoc access point:

Get root access on your phone.
Install Barnacle Wifi Tether from the Android Market and run it.
Connect your device to the ad-hoc network (default SSID is barnacle).

For me, this is more than a mobile solution. My G1 is replacing very unreliable DSL service from Verizon. T-Mobile’s 3G is twice as fast without any of the buffering issues I’ve encountered.

I don’t know what the policies are for rooting a phone but you run the risk of voiding the warranty by doing so. A 1-step process to gain root access exists which does not change the default ROM. I think the installation of a modified ROM is what leads to voided warranties. My G1 is beyond service so I had nothing to worry about when I first came across Barnacle. Those shelling out the money for phones like the HTC Incredible take caution; be sure to check with your service provider about policies on rooting Android or using modified ROMs. With over a dozen ROMs installed, I have never bricked my phone and trying out different versions can be as much fun as distro-hopping Linux distributions.

If you find yourself hesitant to tweak Android but still want to use your phone to gain internet access for your laptop/netbook, a tethering solution like PDANet might be right for you. Keep in mind, tethering is a single device solution where an access point provides service to any device within range.

Technorati Tags: wireless,tether,hotspot,router,android,barnacle,wifi,szym,szym.net,iphone,t-moible,3g,verizon,dsl,there's an app for that,there's a price for that,wep security,ad-hoc,access point,pdanet,rom,cyanogen,root,htc,g1,incredible

Michael Titus: Programming Genius

2010-04-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

Attended my first LinuxFest today. Originally I’d planned to spend my entire Saturday there but the Ruby discussion to unfrak my job was cancelled. According to Michael Titus (pictured left), one of the event coordinators for LinuxFest Northwest, Saturday was the day to go. Guess I’ll make up for it next year but I did get to talk to a lot of fellow Linux fans and was happy to see Free Geek from Portland, Oregon made the drive up for the event. Years ago, my friend Lance Miller and I attempted to start a Free Geek in Olympia, Washington but couldn’t get enough community support to get if off the ground. It’s nice to see they’re stronger than ever as this was nearly 8 years ago. Also in attendance were representatives of the Everett and Greater Seattle Linux User Groups. I purchased a new netbook just in time for the latest release of Ubuntu. The Ubuntu Washington LoCo Team provided me a copy of the latest beta, so on release day I can do an update instead of downloading the entire 10.04 iso.

Talk about busy! What a juggling act it must be to have such a significant role in LFNW, which Michael does through the Bellingham Linux Users Group, while also staying on top of his software company Drivetrain. If all this wasn’t enough, he’s also the volunteer web guru for the Merlin Falcon Foundation. This is where we met. I’ve taken on the role of IT Marketing Specialist for MFF and am working to build a presence through social networks as well as convert the current website to Drupal. Michael has been one of my main resources for getting over hurtles along the way. He has a wealth of knowledge on PHP and MySQL but also knows about CSS, often the culprit behind layout problems in Drupal.

What else can I tell you about Mr. Titus? His resumé includes McGraw-Hill which is impressive all by itself. I have several thousand dollars invested in this company through computer book purchases made over the years. Add to this all the programming knowledge Michael has and English could be a second language to Java.

We had a brief discussion today about the iPad. I held back on the finer points of my opinion while he expressed being very impressed. This is the same enthusiasm he seems to carry into everything, whether he’s peddling LFNW merchandise or describing a guy who showed up yesterday to demonstrate how Linux can be used in the beer making process to make brewing more efficient. Damn, why did I miss Saturday? Oh yeah, the Penguins were busy eliminating the Senators from the playoffs and I have to keep my priorities straight. Oh and the Ruby talk was cancelled as well.

Technorati Tags: linux,linuxfest northwest,lfnw,michael titus,merlin falcon foundation,mysql,php,drupal,bellingham,washington,linux users group,seattle,everett,ubuntu washington loco team,free geek,portland,oregon,lance miller,drivetrain,ruby,ubuntu,mcgraw-hill,java,css,ipad,pittsburgh,penguins,ottawa,senators

How To Make An MP3

2010-04-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

It seems simple enough, right. Put CD in computer, open favorite media player, rip. It certainly can be this easy. However, as the recipient of mixed CDs where poorly made MP3s were used as the source, I can tell you hisses, cracks, and pops were never intended to be part of the musical experience. The pops in particular, noises similar in nature to bird chirps, are missing bits of data from the audio file. Not too long ago, I heard these same noises watching a movie at the Regal Cinema in Lacey, Washington. So much for the “digital” experience. Even experts at a corporate giant like this are unaware of how to make an MP3 file.

The difference between a good MP3 and a bad one is slightly more time. An MP3 will never reproduce the same quality as CD but it’s a simple matter of using the right software and not speeding through the encoding to get as close as possible. This will also avoid those missing bits of data, a needless drawback of bad software, and all the other problems associated with rushing through the process.

Tools Needed:
Exact Audio Copy (here)
LAME (here) or if you want to live on the edge, the latest beta (here)

Start by installing EAC. Go through the setup wizard which includes recommended settings for most CD/DVD drives. For each drive choose I prefer to have accurate results… Put audio discs into each of your drives and select Next to begin autodection… This can take several minutes but for me it took about 45 seconds…To keep the recommended settings found during autodetection, press the Next button… Repeat for each of your drives… EAC will display which of your drives will produce the best extraction results. Press Next to setup the encoding process… Before moving too far into the setup of EAC, extract your LAME encoder to an easy location. The LAME encoder is simply 2 files, an exe and dll. EAC will be pointed to this location in a later step. Select nothing right now, I will configure it later manually and then press Next… Enter you email address for using freedb to retrieve album info and press Next… Leave naming scheme unchanged and press Next (this can be done later when configuring LAME)… Select I am an expert, let me use the full potential of EAC then press Finish… Once the wizard closes, press the F11 key to open the compression settings and select the External Compression tab… Change the Parameter passing scheme to User Defined Encoder, file extension to mp3, and browse to the location of the LAME folder extracted earlier. In the Additional command-line options enter the following:

-m j -V 0 %s %d

These options use joint stereo and encode an mp3 using the variable bitrate method on the highest settings. The %s %d transfers the ID3 information from EAC to LAME during the encoding process. The ID3 is the information embedded in the audio file which gets read by portable audio devices and other software and includes the artist, track name and number, and can even include album art. An earlier command line trick I used was -q0 --lowpass 19.7 –b96 to cut out the lowpass audio the human ear is unable to hear. However, newer versions of LAME no longer accept this command-line option. It might work with older versions so I thought it was worth noting. More explanation can be found on this page. Now check all 4 of the boxes as shown in the picture above.

Select the Offset tab…Nothing really needs changed in this section but if you want your files tagged with a comment, this is where to do it.

To finish up, choose the ID3 Tag tab…

I use MediaMonkey to monitor my music folder. As I create new files, MediaMonkey automatically moves and renames files based on rules I’ve specified. I’ll add a tutorial for this later. For now, if you want to specify the way your files are setup, this is where to do it. You should avoid using ID3V2.4.0 tags as they are not as compatible as version 2.3.0. Once you have this section setup the way you like press OK.

One last step before moving on to encoding is to select the destination of your files. To do this, press the F9 key and go to the Directories tab… Browse to the location you want your files created to.

From the EAC options window there are many other settings which can be tweaked but these are the only settings needed for the purposes of this tutorial.

You’re now ready to start ripping your CDs to high-quality MP3. You’re going to find the process is very straightforward, and though slightly longer, not exhausting. The reason I like EAC is because it will correct disc reading errors and attempt to extract audio even from damaged discs. Most software, even my beloved MediaMonkey, rushes through the ripping process passing on poorly extracted audio to the encoder thus resulting in poor sounding MP3s.

Now let’s get to ripping…

First, press Alt+G to get the disc information from the freedb. The genre, artist, and track information can be changed manually before starting the encoding. This is the information passed into the ID3 tag. When everything looks right, press the MP3 button…EAC will display information throughout the ripping/encoding process… When LAME goes to work, a command line window will appear…

When complete, press OK and EAC will display even more information about the quality of ripping/encoding…

This is all there is to making the best MP3s possible. I’m sure there are other methods but this has served me well over the years and I’ve enjoyed music on my portable player without any unnecessary burps, chirps, or hiccups.

Technorati Tags: encoder,lame,mp3,eac,exact audio copy,mediamonkey,encode,create,ripping,rip,ripper,audio,compact disc,cd,extraction,extract

Making The Most Of Your Netflix Queue

2010-04-12T16:07:00.001-07:00

I’ve had Netflix for years and have finally figured out how to get the most out of my membership. It’s a little frustrating Netflix will be holding back new releases from Warner Bros, Fox, and Universal for 28 days. In return though, I’ll get to stream more movies than ever before.

If you stumbled across this, you probably did so searching for ways to get those new releases. I’ve been successful with a Tuesday delivery of every new title in my queue. The trick is to get the movies you want into your Saved Items before the title’s release date. I’ve found putting a movie into the queue shortly before release results in not receiving it. This past weekend, for the purposes of this blog entry, I added Defendor and The Beatnicks to the top of my queue ahead of Pirate Radio and A Perfect Getaway. The last two movies had been added months ago. I’m receiving only those titles which had previously been in my queue.The Saved section is a good way to keep track of release dates. Unfortunately, items do not get moved automatically to the top. You have to stay alert for when a title moves from the Saved section to the actual DVD queue. From there, move new releases to the top keeping those with the earliest dates at the top.If you have a 1-day turnaround like I do, the real trick is in sending movies back on Saturday. This ensures the returns are received on Monday. If you’re earlier than this, you’ll end up with movies being sent out on Saturday but not the new releases. Send the movies too late and you’ll see an Expected Availability status showing Long wait.

Technorati Tags: netflix,new releases,queue,dvd,movies,streaming

iPad: There’s A Price For That!

2010-04-08T15:13:00.001-07:00

The tech world is buzzing with the recent release of the iPad, a device Steve Jobs promised to be both ‘magical’ and ‘revolutionary.’ Apple has certainly gone revolutionary in price. Starting at $500 for a 16gb model ($629 if you want the AT&T-only 3G data service), iPad is twice as expensive as most netbooks with half the functionality. A top-of-the-line 64gb model with 3G comes with a $829 pricetag.

Fans of the company have always paid a premium for Apple merchandise so price really isn’t a problem. What’s holding iPad back is being a netherworld device. At 9.5”x7.5”, it’s too large to fit into a pocket and significantly lacking in features to be a practical replacement for a laptop, netbook, or smartphone. There’s no integrated camera, GPS, USB ports, and without flash support websites like Hulu are no-go. Early adopters have complained extensively about the clunky, hard-to-use keyboard. Not being one to miss out on an opportunity to turn complaints into revenue, Apple now has a keyboard docking station for $69. Multitasking, or lack of, is also a drawback but the company has not been as anxious to respond. Only pre-installed applications will run as background services. Giving the cold shoulder to third-party apps means customers will not be streaming LastFM while browsing the latest edition of the New York Times. This is strictly a one-at-a-time device.There are plenty of applications for the iPad but, with so little bang-for-the-buck, it’s just not worth the cost of entry. The Notion Ink Adam coming out this summer will be the magical, revolutionary device iPad wasn’t. While shoppers will have to wait a few months for the Adam to hit the shelves, those in the market now have plenty to choose from. For the savvy consumer, a Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3t is a full-featured tablet PC with swiveling touchscreen, 250gb hard drive, 1.3MP camera, and more for less than a base-model iPad. Competition should entice Apple to produce a superior, second-generation iPad on par with tablet PCs and Android-based devices.Apple is on a downward spiral, breaking features up so there’s a price on everything. What was once the glittery, faddish toys of the cool kids has now become the gateway drug for ongoing services with Apple, albeit iTunes or iPad/iPhone applications.

Technorati Tags: ipad,apple,macintosh,notion ink adam,lenovo,ideapad,tablet,pc,netbook,smartphone,itunes,android,review

Kill Your Television: Boxee & Hulu Murdered The Cable Bill

2010-03-31T19:56:00.001-07:00

In a previous post, I described using Google Voice and Gizmo5 to send and receive free phone calls on my T-Mobile G1. Anywhere I can connect to a wi-fi signal I’m also able to make free phone calls. As of March 26th, I’ve setup the Gizmo5 service on a Linksys PAP2-NA and now have this same free phone service at home (instructions here). A one-time payment of $50 is a small price to pay for a lifetime of freedom from the phone company.

My effort for independence has extended into television. There are only a few things left on tv worth watching. I haven’t been able to free myself from a weekly fix of The Office. Still have a need to keep up on the news. Also I find myself easily drawn into certain cooking shows for several hours at a time. In particular, Iron Chef America and Hell’s Kitchen. What was really keeping the umbilical cord attached though was hockey. You’ll have an easier time combing the woods for black truffles than you will finding a live NHL game online.

…or so I thought.

Turns out the very popular Center Ice is available as an online service. There are also a number of websites either directly streaming live games or providing links so you can tune in and watch your favorite team in action. Hockey Streams and Hockey Webcasts have become two of favorite resources.

This all great but who wants to sit in front of a computer screen watching television, right. I certainly don’t.

This is where the remote-friendly Boxee (or XBMC) and Hulu Desktop come in. These programs turn a regular PC into a media center, bringing internet-based services to your television if you have a video card capable of outputting to your tv.

Though Boxee is built on top of XBMC code, I’ve chosen it for a few reasons. Boxee comes with Netflix support built-in. XBMC can be configured to do the same but it takes a bit of tweaking. The biggest reason for choosing Boxee is the Boxee Browser. Say you can’t find a Boxee application for a service you want. For this example I’m choosing Democracy Now. Using the Boxee browser, you type in the URL. Once the page loads, Boxee looks for streams available and proceeds to deliver them through the interface so you can continue to be a couch potato. Choose Yes to navigate a page within the browser. It’s easy to switch back to video mode. The Boxee Browser is not perfect but does make for a remote-friendly way to browse websites with video content. This is especially important with Boxee and XBMC no longer able to host feeds from Justin.tv or ADTHE.net, two of the best content providers. It seems there’s a bit of a war going on and services like these are starting to align themselves with one platform over another. At present, Justin.tv has gone with the iPhone and there are no signs of an Android app to follow.An unfortunate choice considering how fast the Android community is growing and all hardware this operating system is capable of powering.

A strength of Boxee is the different media formats it’s capable of playing –which is literally everything I’ve thrown at it. The Hulu Desktop is strictly a service of Hulu and does not playback your personal media. Boxee and Hulu together make for the ultimate desktop. I continue to use Hulu because I have yet to find a provider with anywhere close to the amount of content. Every television show I want is available through Hulu as well as movies and other programming. Hulu is also always adding to the library.

This is how Boxee and Hulu murdered my cable bill. I now have phone and television for the very low price of internet service alone, which is about $30/mth.

Now back to the game. Go Flames go!

Technorati Tags: boxee,hulu,justin.tv,ADTHE.net,hockey streams,hockey webcasts,android,xbmc,democracy now,free television,free tv,television,tv,boxee browser

A Layperson’s Guide To Securing Their Computer

2010-03-23T23:43:00.000-07:00

This is a guide for those struggling to get a grasp on their computer security. Perhaps you’ve been hit a number of times with viruses and shelled out a fairly large sum of money dealing with the problem. Maybe you’re just someone who wants to have a better understanding of what your current setup is doing. With so many words in use –virus, spyware, malware, worm, trojan, etc.- it can be very confusing just how much prevention is necessary. By the time you’re done reading this, you should have a firm grasp on the necessary amount of armor to connect to the net safely.

Step 1: Firewall
The most important defense of any home computer is a good firewall. There are many to choose from, including the built-in Windows Firewall. They come in 2 flavors, either software or hardware-based. Most people who have high-speed connections are tapped into the internet 24/7. Some even do this directly through their modem without any kind of firewall in place. The first line of defense for an unsecured network is a router. Many of the sub-$100 types even have software-based firewalls. The least expensive way to gain a good level of initial security is using a DD-WRT compatible router like the Linksys WRT54GL, available for around $60. DD-WRT can quickly transform $60 models into powerful equipment with the capabilities of devices 10x this price. See Adam Pash’s Hack Attack: Turn your $60 router into a $600 router and the follow-up Turn your $60 router into a User-Friendly Super-Router with Tomato for details.

What exactly does a firewall do? A firewall monitors network traffic between 2 networks. In this case, a home network and the world wide web. It uses rules to either allow communication or prevent it. For example, if someone has Skype running on their computer, the only way for communication to work between them and another Skype user would be an open door between one another’s networks. A firewall exists to open doors only to specific traffic the rules allow for. All other traffic is firewalled. This video will help provide a better understanding…

It’s very possible to have too much security. I have come across people who have multiple firewalls running. I encounter this situation most often in response to calls from people complaining their computer is running very slowly or the internet is unresponsive. A simple rule to follow is to only install 1 instance of any type of security measure. In other words: 1 firewall to rule them all, 1 antivirus to rule them all, 1 anti-spyware to rule them all.

Do not leave a computer plugged directly into a modem without some kind of software-based firewall in place. Most DSL and cable internet services leave a computer exposed 24/7. This small level of security will go a long way as most network intruders are looking for easy targets. If the firewall is setup at the hardware level, having another software-based instance on a client machine will not cause problems. However, I find this to be overkill. There are people out their who disagree and use both hardware and software levels of security. The reader is free to use their own discretion on this decision.

Step 2: Antivirus/Spyware Prevention
I’m a big fan of products with really small footprints. This means not using up my computer’s resources for security software so my precious RAM is available for the tasks I’m trying to complete. I’ve worked for companies who use the popular McAfee and Norton security suites and been witness many times to both suites bogging machines down to the point of unusable during scans and updates. Due to their intense use of system resources, I do not recommend either. Instead, the only security suites I recommend purchasing are Kaspersky or ESET Nod32 ranging in price from $38-79 for protection of up to 3 machines. The benefit of these suites is not just small footprints but also the superior level of protection they provide. In the past 7 years I’ve seen many names rise and fall but Kaspersky and ESET have always remained at the top of the reviews lists.

With a security suite, antivirus is combined with anti-spyware/malware protection. This goes back to the previously mentioned rule. In this case it’s trimmed down even more to 1 application to rule them all. In fact, both suites also have software-based firewalls. While both Kaspersky and ESET have price tags, it is possible to obtain a decent level of protection for free using Microsoft Security Essentials.

There is also freely available software for antivirus and spyware/malware protection.

Antivirus	Spyware/Malware
Avast!	Malwarebytes
Avira	Spybot Search & Destroy
AVG	Adware

This type of prevention provides real-time protection against malicious software which would cause your computer to become dysfunctional or altogether unusable.

Step 3: Preventing User Error
With a security suite on-the-ready and firewall armed, the network is secure from outside harm. The only thing these tools are useless against are the decisions we make as computer users. In fact, this is the most common cause of malware. Whether it’s accidentally opening an email from UPS concerning delivery of an order we never remember making or viewing a website we never meant to go to, people are the leading cause of damage to their computer systems.

Luckily, there are now enhancements we can make to our web browsing to prevent us from accidentally going to the wrong websites. I’m recommending either WOT (Web Of Trust) or McAfee SiteAdvisor for an added layer of protection against fallacy. These plugins help prevent us from traveling to sites known to be malicious. In fact, it’s possible to run both plugins simultaneously without problems (the only exception to the rule).

WOT

SiteAdvisor

WOT & SiteAdvisor

Note the subtle differences in results between WOT and SiteAdvisor, especially on the freedesktopwallpapers.net link. This is a great reason to have both as I’ve sometimes found WOT to be more finicky about a site than I am. Either way, this extra step can prevent a person –be it yourself, child, or a relative over for the weekend- from accidentally pulling up a website eventually leading to installation of malware.

Though these 3 steps are excellent preventative measures against intrusion, malware, and human error they are not 100% effective. Remember to use caution when reading email, especially from someone you do not know. Do not respond to chain mail or forward those messages to more people. They’re 99% fictional and cause more problems than they’re worth, even if they do contain cute cat pictures. I personally guarantee your luck will not be swayed one way or another by deleting this type of email. If a message is from a well-known company like UPS/FedEx but you didn’t order anything, it’s junk. Do not follow links in these messages. Though, if you do, hopefully WOT or SiteAdvisor will block the suspect site. Most importantly, read popups before clicking OK. Many phishing sites use familiarity to lure people in. One of the worst viruses are ever encountered got on machines because of a fake Adobe Flash update message. Do your updates directly through the vendor’s website.

Follow these guidelines and you should be safe from harm.

Technorati Tags: antivirus,security,firewall,malware,spyware,kaspersky,eset,nod32,mcafee,siteadvisor,wot,web of trust,norton,security suite,phishing,spam,avast,avira,avg,malwarebytes,spybot,search & destroy,adaware,dd-wrt,ddwrt,tomato,linksys,wrt54gl

Cubicle Warrior Tutorial #2: Linux Mint and VirtualBox

2010-03-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

Materials Needed
The latest version of VirtualBox (can be substituted for Virtual PC, VMWare, or your favorite virtualization software).
A 16gb Flash Drive.
The Linux Mint iso (can be substituted for your choice of operating system) .
Administrative Rights on the machine being used for installation.

Aministrative rights are the permissions necessary to install software on a machine. You can test this by trying to install Google Chrome. If you find you do not have the rights necessary to complete the installation of VirtualBox, skip installation and instead use Portable VirtualBox.

Step 1: Software Installation
Once you have VirtualBox downloaded, begin the install process by double-clicking the exe file.

From a Vista machine, try right-clicking and selecting Run As Administrator.

Press Run.

Select Next.

Accept the EULA and select Next.

Leave the settings as they are and select Next.

Shortcuts are up to you. I didn’t want any.

Select yes at this warning screen so the virtual machine will have access to the internet.

Select Install to begin the VirtualBox installation.

When the Windows Security warnings pop up, choose Install. There are 3 warnings.

When installation completes, leave the Start Sun VirtualBox option checked and select Finish to open the application.

Step 2: Create A Virtual Machine
It’s time to install Linux. The same steps can be used to install other operating systems, substituting the selections when appropriate.

Press New in the top left of the VirtualBox window.

Select Next.

Give your machine a name, then select the type of operating system being used. Linux Mint is a variation of Ubuntu, so I’ve chosen this as the version. Select Next.

Select the amount of RAM your virtual machine will use. Do not choose less than the recommended amount or take up more than is necessary for your actual computer to function properly. Select Next.

This step creates the hard disk for your virtual machine. When installing VirtualBox on the work computer, this step will change to Use existing hard disk. Select Next.

Select Next.

This virtual machine is going to reside on a 16gb flash drive so it’s portable. If you’re installing to a hard disk with more room, the Dynamically expanding storage will be a better choice.

Flash drives are never quite what they claim. To ensure there’s enough room make the virtual hard disk 14gb. The extra space can be used as storage for other things. If you want to save somewhere other than the default location, select the folder icon and navigate to the location you want to save your virtual disk to.

Select Save.

Select Next.

Select Finish.

Time to get some coffee.

Click Finish.

The virtual machine is now ready for installation of an operating system.
(There are 2 machines listed because I’ve done this before)

Step 3: Install The Operating System
Time to wrap this all up by installing Linux Mint.

Press Start.

This will begin the First Run Wizard. Press Next.

Leave CD/DVD-ROM Device selected and then press the folder icon.

Press the Add button, then browse to the Linux Mint iso file and load it.

Press Select.

Press Next.

Press Finish.

The installer should begin automatically. If not, move the cursor inside the window to take control, select Start Linux Mint, and press Enter.

VirtualBox may present a screen explaining how to toggle between control of the virtual machine and your computer.

Another screen explains getting better quality from your virtual machine by setting the display to 32-bit color mode. This will be taken care of after the operating system is installed.

Once the Linux Mint live CD is up and running, click inside the virtual machine window to take control. Double-click the Install Linux Mint 8 icon on the desktop.
(The install is very straightforward. A complete walk-through can be found here.)

Notice even though 14gb was selected when making the virtual hard disk, the Linux system reads it as 15gb.

Time for another break.

When installation is complete, select Restart Now.

As the system is going down, select Devices and Unmount the Linux Mint iso.

Before pressing Enter to reboot, select Devices again and Install Guest Additions. Press Enter to reboot.

Immediately proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: Install Guest Additions
Now Linux is installed and ready to use. There are a few more settings to change to make this an excellent experience. The first thing to do is get Guest Additions installed. This will improve the quality of your desktop and also make it so you can move the mouse between the virtual machine and regular computer effortlessly. Login to the new Linux Mint virtual machine to get started.

This icon verifies the Guest Additions have been mounted.

Press Menu, then select Terminal.

Type cd /media/cdrom to change directory to the mounted Guest Additions.

Type sudo ./autorun.sh and then enter your password to begin the installation.

Press Enter.

Close the Terminal, press Menu/Quit and Reboot your system. You will reboot to a much improved Linux Mint machine.

Don’t forget to unmount the Guest Additions.

Now control between your computer and virtual machine is seemless plus you will have better than 800x600 screen resolution.

Step 5: Improving The Experience
These changes need to be made while the virtual machine is shutdown.

First thing to do is to change the network settings. By default, VirtualBox uses NAT. Basically your virtual machine is obtaining its network connection directly from the host computer. With this setting unchanged, if I browse the Windows network from my virtual machine all I see is my virtual machine.

With the virtual machine shutdown, select Network from the Details window.

Change the Attached to from NAT to Bridged Adapter. If you have more than one device, choose the option your computer is obtaining network services from.

Select Display and change the Video Memory. The more you use the slower your actual computer will run. Then check the option for Enable 3D Acceleration. Press OK.

This is how the settings should look when done. Start your virtual machine when done.

With the network changes, I’m now able to browse all the computers in my Windows network.

Plus all the nice video effects can be enabled.

Choose Export Appliance from the File menu.

Select your virtual machine the Next.

Select Next.

Press the Choose button to save the machine to your flash drive.

Export when done.

Refill the coffee.

Right-click your virtual machine and select Delete.

Test the portability of your Linux Mint virtual machine by choosing File/Import Appliance from the File menu.

Select Choose.

Navigate to the ovf file you just exported to your thumb drive.

Select Next.

Select Import.

Time for more coffee.

The Display and Network settings will need to be changed again but your virtual machine is now ready to take with you on the road and be installed on any machine you happen upon.

Step 6: Enjoy
You may be asking yourself why someone would want to run a virtual machine. There are many answers but here are a few I like most (though your organization’s IT security might disagree).

Browse the web…

…keep up with email…

…or stream some internet tunes without leaving a trace on the company computer.

Technorati Tags: linux mint,virtualbox,virtual machine,vmware,virtual pc,linux,ubuntu,tutorial,guest additions,3d,compiz,visual effects,resolution,network,nat,windows network,windows shares,shares,networking,import,export,appliance,iso,mount,unmount,portable

Josh vs The Geek Squad

2010-03-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

I want to steal business from Best Buy’s Geek Squad. I don’t have anything against any of their techs. In fact, I think all of those techs would be better off going into business for themselves but my instincts tell me Best Buy has a no competition agreement as part of their terms of employment.

Why I Want Geek Squad’s Business To Become My Business
They’re simply too expensive. Technicians are seeing $9-23 out of every $150-300 charged. On top of that, Geek Squad doesn’t want to share knowledge with their customers as outlined in the training section of their website: “Training Services EXCLUDES teaching how to remove viruses or spyware and any other propritary Geek Squad information.” For a company making millions, you’d think they’d have someone who would catch typos like the misspelling of proprietary.

Geek Squad does not provide valuable services to their customers. Anyone in need of technical support can easily find better value browsing through the ads on Craigslist. There are plenty of well-qualified technicians with more experience and better training than their Geek Squad counterparts.

Geek Squad Is Bad For America
Best Buy’s Geek Squad is just a step above a company who outsources their services to India. They charge fees like Mark Shuttleworth will be working on your computer but pay technicians the salaries of fast food workers. By hiring a local technician, a customer not only saves money but helps a computer professional from becoming another member of the working poor.

There’s a lot more than low prices to cheer about! By hiring directly, customers also avoid the salesman disguised as Chuck. This person’s primary mission is not to provide the best tools and service but to sell Geek-Squad-branded merchandise. Take comfort in knowing a self-employed technician will just as happily install a free antivirus program like Avast! as they will a suite like Kaspersky.

Dissecting The Services
The virus and spyware removal is shown above and what follows is a closer look at other Geek Squad services.

Anyone with internet service can get 25gb of free online storage space using Skydrive. For $89, a 500gb hard drive can be purchased –no Geek Squad restoration point necessary. For less than $99, I can provide customers with 500gb of backup storage space and a link in their web browser to SkyDrive… or they can do this themselves by reading this.

Take a look at what Geek Squad charges for up to 9gb of data backup…If a 500gb portable hard drive can be purchased for $89, why would it cost an extra $100 to backup 9gb of data? A dual-layer DVD can hold 8.5gb. I purchase these at a cost of around 25¢ each. BlueRay media has come down to about $2.50 each and can hold 25gb of data. The easiest method I can think of though for both portability and choice for a customer is a flash drive, like a 16gb SanDisk Cruzer, which is still only $33.

Hire Me!!!
While I probably won’t put a dent in Geek Squad’s business, I do hope potential customers in this area come across my blog as they research the company. I want your business.

The services I offer…

Virus & Spyware Removal
Security and Performance
Wireless Networking
Computer Tune-Up
Computer Set-up
Email
Printer Help
Backup
Data Recovery
Software Install
Hardware Install
Technology Consultation
Training
Hardware Repair

Serving:
Northern Whatcom County
Bellingham, Washington
Abbotsford, British Columbia
The Fraser Valley
Available for remote support to all areas of the world. I’m not a Mac guy but there are plenty of them on Craigslist.

Resumé and recommendations: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cylon

$35/hr for all services. Any additional hardware or software will be at direct cost with no hidden fees. Contact me by email using the link on the top of the page or via Google Voice or Skype:

Technorati Tags: better than geek squad,geek squad,chuck,technical support,computer,viruses,spyware,removal,wireless networking,harware,software,consultation,repair,bellingham,washington,whatcom county,sumas,abbotsford,british columbia,fraser valley,canada,google voice,remote,online,josh dressel

Host Your Own Music For $10 A Year

2010-02-27T04:39:00.000-08:00

Inexpensive Web Hosting & Free Online Storage
What’s an album cost these days? On Amazon or iTunes around $10. Interestingly, this is the annual cost for the Chromedocs domain and there are other providers offering web hosting for this same low price. Just type “web hosting $10 year” into your favorite search engine.

My Portland, Oregon friends Wester Daywick have generously provided a copy of their debut album to host online. My favorite tracks are Less Is More and Winnie but each song is superb indie rock in the same vein as Fugazi or Queens Of The Stone Age. For those who like variety, there are 7 audio formats to choose from and tracks can be downloaded individually or as an entire folder including artwork.

…and just like that, an album is online for $10 a year. I’m taking advantage of Blogger and Google working together cohesively as well as 25gb of storage space from Microsoft’s Skydrive service. Bobby, Louis, and Trent can always use some ~~beer~~ gas money. Show them some love by catching a show or buying some merchandise. For more information on all things Wester Daywick…

http://www.westerdaywick.com
http://www.facebook.com/westerdaywick.pdx
http://www.twitter.com/WesterDaywick
http://www.myspace.com/WesterDaywick
http://www.reverbnation.com/westerdaywick
http://www.youtube.com/westerdaywickpdx
http://westerdaywick.bandcamp.com/

Content Management Systems, Creative Commons, and Direct Delivery
Throwing an album online is a snap but a band should get some financial reward for all their hard work. This doesn’t stray far from maintaining a blog. For bands with their own domains, a few hours of creativity and an open source content management system (CMS) like Drupal, Joomla, and Modx can result in aesthetically pleasing presentation of your music as well as online payment processing. Check out the Create a Killer Band Site with Drupal: A 6-part Tutorial Series on GoMediaZine to help get you started. If the examples in the previous links don’t have you impressed, have a look a the Pearl Jam website running on Drupal… Don’t rush to duplicate Pearl Jam until you’ve browsed through the Jets Overhead website. Jets Overhead hails from nearby Victoria, British Columbia. They released their 2006 album Bridges using the voluntary purchase model. With their latest album No Nations, the band is now supporting the creative commons movement. Jets Overhead albums are available through all the major retailers. However, check out the choices when buying directly through their website…This band really gets the modern industry. Fans are treated to free, high-quality digital downloads of rarities, remixes, and instrumentals in a variety of formats not just the merchandise being sold.

Any band is capable of duplicating this model or extending it with their own creativity. For musicians who typically lose money after recording, instead of printing 800 discs, reduce it to 50 and host your songs online in a variety of formats. Get on iTunes, eMusic, Amie Street, etc but don’t forget the value in direct marketing. Even if you take a bold leap and offer music for name your own prices, $1 a couple thousand times is a reasonably achievable goal. The idea here is not to sacrifice one method for the other but to adopt both. For $10 a year, the return on your investment has far more potential than any other strategy you could choose from so why not include it in your arsenal. Keep selling CDs and digital downloads through music retailers but pump the direct marketing through your own website where the money goes straight to your own checking account.

Technorati Tags: web hosting,music,bands,artists,wester daywick,jets overhead,pearl jam,portland,oregon,victoria,british columbia,drupal,joomla,modx,content management system,cms,itunes,amazon,gomediazine,emusic,amie street,voluntary purchase model,creative commons,mp3,flac,wma,digital media,downloads

Packaged Media Remains Less Expensive Than Digital Downloads

2010-02-21T14:43:00.001-08:00

Buy Online/Save Money
I recently purchased a copy of This Perfect World by Freedy Johnston and discovered a significant advantage to buying retail over digital.

The first advantage is obvious. With used copies for as little as 1¢ and new for $3.95, packaged media is far less expensive. Other advantages are not so obvious. A good example is buying a CD allows me to rip to the audio format of my choosing rather than the preference of the retailer. While an iTunes purchase would have my album in AAC or eMusic in VBR MP3, I’m free to encode with the format that best suits my audio needs. In this case, I’ve chosen the lossless WMA codec. Retailers like Zunior.com have a lossless option but at additional cost.

On February 12th, I purchased a new copy of This Perfect World for $2.99 which included shipping and received it on February 15th. The biggest drawback is the delay in shipping but I didn’t need instant gratification and saved $5 from Amazon’s MP3 album cost of $8.96. Amazon still made a little from this purchase. One of the primary reasons I do most of my shopping on Amazon is because of the wide array of choices at better-than-Walmart prices. I believe they may be the only retailer who offers digital downloads, retail, and redistributed media.

What follows is the cost of downloading the same album from some of the other popular retailers:

iTunes	Rhapsody	Napster
$9.99	$9.99	$9.95

Make Your Own Music: The Freedom To Choose Your Own Format
I’m very picky about my audio files and want this section to be a quick run-through on audio compression without being overly technical. Put simply, audio compression takes an original audio file and puts it into a smaller container, the most popular of which is MP3. There are many compression methods but they come in two flavors: lossy and lossless. Lossy loses some audio quality while lossless claims not to. MP3 files are the most compatible across portable media players. Most portable media players will also play WMA and some will play lossless FLAC files. While there are many audio formats like ogg, Monkey’s Audio, AAC, and M4A, I’m sticking with MP3, FLAC, and WMA because these formats work best on the player I use, a Creative Zen X-Fi2.

There are just as many methods for doing this as there are formats. I use MediaMonkey not only for ripping audio but also for managing the audio collection on my PC and portable media player. I won’t go into the specifics about doing this but here’s a screenshot showing all the choices I have using MediaMonkey:

The end result is the album I wanted in the digital format I chose for $2.99 instead of AAC for $9.99 or MP3 from Amazon for $8.96.

Not Just Music For Less
Freedom like this can terrify retailers. Instead of responding with lower prices, illegal downloading has turned into a scapegoat for proprietary formats and encryption methods. Every step towards better encryption results in even better decryption. While not acknowledged formally, retailers of DVD burning suites are aware of consumers’ wants and provide methods for exporting audio and video to compressed formats.

Like the audio CD example above, consumers can save big by purchasing new or used DVDs online and converting them to the video format of their choosing. This not only results in a digital copy but one that can be transferred between all your media players. In my case, I have the freedom to playback my media between a Zen, G1, PS3, laptop, and two PCs. Most digital downloads are locked to the device the media was downloaded to.

To purchase a used copy of The Devil’s Backbone on DVD from Amazon in very good condition is $5.97 ($2.99 + $2.98 S&H). A digital download from Amazon’s video on demand service is $9.99.

At the moment, because retail media still remains a viable option, it is the less expensive choice. It’s also the better choice for the savvy shopper looking for options in the format of their digital media. This will remain the case unless retailers give in to lower prices, develop unbreakable encryption methods, or lobbyists succeed in the pursuit of intellectual property lockdown. In the meantime, enjoy the cost benefits of online shopping and avoid the digital market altogether.

Technorati Tags: amazon,zunior,itunes,digital media,digital downloads,mp3,flac,wma,audio codecs,video codecs,audio compression,video compression,retail,emusc,rhapsody,napster,nero,dvd ripping,cd ripping,downloading,video,music,intellectual property rights,lobbyist,lobbying,encryption,mediamonkey

iFlock: The Spirit Of Bleeding A Dime From Everything

2010-02-15T15:48:00.001-08:00

Less Expensive Distribution With Little Savings For Consumers
iDon’t want to start this out by ripping Apple. After all, iTunes is a brilliant distribution method for digital media. So iWon’t rip the method but iMust criticize the cost for consumers. I have to aim a good portion of the criticism at Apple because they are the leading retailer of digital media. They’re also the standard by which all other services are measured. Let’s have a look at some Apple milestones…

8.6 billion songs sold: September 9, 2009
2 million feature-length films sold: July 31, 2007
200 million television episodes sold: October 16, 2008
1+ million HD episodes sold: October 16, 2008
2 billion apps downloaded: September 28, 2009

Unlike traditional store purchased items, the distribution of digital media bypasses the costs of packaging, shipping, and salaries of employees who would normally process transactions and restock shelves. Perhaps the best situation of all though is a single original copy of any item can be distributed an unlimited number of times. This means very little storage space for mass distribution, where traditional stores must maintain a specific inventory to meet demand. Whether an item is hot on the market or has only sold 2 copies in the past month, the storage space remains static, and it’s impossible to sellout.

With such significant cost savings for retailers, why is the end result not so different than that of a traditional store?

	iTunes	Best Buy
The Office: Season 2	$34.99	$34.99
Wintersleep –Welcome To The Night Sky	$9.90	$11.99
The Lives Of Others	$9.99	$7.99

New Portals For Media
Home entertainment no longer needs shelves. With wireless HDMI and broadband soon to reach gigabit per second speeds, the future is sure to see media distribution like never before. For example, the Toshiba REGZA is a 55” LED television featuring built-in Opera-based web browser and sporting a 3 terabyte hard disk. The hard disk is there for digital media… not just any digital media though… media in high definition.

Portable media players are starting to come with various methods for hooking into the home entertainment environment, which means one device can meet all entertainment needs and still be small enough to tuck into a front pocket. Imagine losing the entanglement of cords running from the DVD player to surround sound receiver to the TV, all replaced by a device roughly the size of a TV remote like the Iomega ScreenPlay Plus HD Media Player.

What this means for consumers is on demand entertainment in high resolution and crystal clear sound. What it means for retailers is more products to offer and a simpler distribution method. This should result in lower costs for everyone but let’s look at the current situation as a template for what’s to come.

The Cell Phone Strategy, Net Neutrality, & The Losing War Against Piracy
Cell phone companies have found a way to bleed a dime out of every service they offer: minutes, text messages, data plans, and now apps (thanks again to Apple whose motto should be, “There’s a price for that.”)

Don’t expect a media-rich future to look much different. With the improved speed of broadband, customers will be downloading everything. ISPs will react by significantly limiting bandwidth usage. Basically, think of your current cell plan but replace the word minutes with gigabytes: 500 gigs a month for $49.99 or 1tb for $69.99 (but nothing with the word unlimited in it).

Next, iTunes and others will get on board. Plans will be called something similar to 500 Gold Premium + iTunes for $59.99, which will provide subscribers with 10 free downloads per month (and a minimal 3 year contract with $250 early termination fee).

With all the new services, bundles including telephone, television, and a slew of internet friendly entertainment will be locked into specific clients. Titles will be released exclusively to so-and-so, meaning a future where you will not be able to enjoy a title because you have an Android-based system instead of an iPlatformYetToBeNamed or vice versa.

As more portals open up giving evermore access to digital media, it will become even easier for the internet community to obtain content through illegal downloading. Lobbyists are going increase their efforts exponentially in this losing battle. A lot of money is going to be tossed around the political community to influence support of so-called protection laws specifically aimed at closing the doors on open platforms like Android and Linux. Regardless of support from politicians and the legal system, illegal downloading will remain the dominant means by which consumers obtain their entertainment.

Video Stores Close Their Doors
The biggest effects of digital media can be felt by video rental outlets of all sizes. Giants like Blockbuster Video have failed to meet the demands of the modern movie rental business. While these businesses close their doors, Netflix and Redbox have changed the industry and met with soaring success.

However, this has also been an opportunity for the smaller rental store to boom when competition is dwindling. Nothing can compete with good customer service. The enterprising rental store owner has an opportunity to succeed here where the unattended box has no chance to compete.

My brother was quick to jump on this. He closed the doors on his Puyallup, Washington store Video World at the end of December. Rather than have a fire sale, he moved the entire contents of Video World to City Mart & Smoke, a convenience store he owns in nearby Edgewood. The store can provide customer service as well as candy, soda, popcorn, ice cream, cigarettes, beer and Lottery tickets while meeting the same $1 a day price of a Redbox. Even better, City Mart offers a wider selection of rentals, not just new releases. The older titles are available for just 50 cents a day. To contend with Netflix, City Mart has a similar unlimited movie rental program for a low monthly fee.

The All-In-One Strategy
Like the video store owner who embraces the modern movie rental industry, the retailer who breaks from the flock’s attitude of milking a dime out of every service is sure to succeed. The solution is in being an all-in-one content provider for an affordable monthly fee. The goal should be long-term success achieved through the largest population of happy subscribers. Retailers stuck in a mindset of breaking down every element of digital media into individual services are doomed to lose subscribers who jump ship to for the one-stop solution.

The all-in-one solution will provide TV, telephone, and media content for a monthly fee competitive to today’s high speed internet prices. Music, movies, audiobooks, and other additional content will be provided at prices reflective of the savings retailers are seeing. If a movie is $9.99 at Best Buy, the digital version should be half the price or less.

Low prices will also be the only means by which intellectual property has any chance at all of dealing with illegal downloading.

Technorati Tags: digital media,itunes,apple,android,linux,voip,riaa,mpaa,illegal downloading,netflix,redbox,video,movie,rental,download,zune,emusic,intellectual property,wireless hdmi,google voice,broadband,high speed,net neutrality,lobbyist,protection laws,blockbuster video,boxee

Team USA Will Strike Gold In 2010 Winter Olympics

2010-02-11T11:29:00.001-08:00

It has been a very, very long time since the men’s US hockey team has struck gold in the Olympics. This is the year though I believe we'll see a gold medal final between the easily favorite Team Canada and the underdog Team USA. The prediction has no basis on science. However, if victories have anything to do with science, I need an explanation for 2006.

Remember Switzerland: The Gerber Effect

February 18, 2006 is to Switzerland what February 22, 1980 is to the United States. It was indeed a Swiss version of the miracle on ice. Team Canada was a dream team made-up entirely of star-caliber NHL talent including Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, Vincent Lecavalier, and Chris Pronger. The Swiss roster featured 3 players from the NHL: Mark Streit, David Aebischer, and Martin Gerber. While Paul DiPietro, a former NHLer, scored the only 2 goals of the game, the 49 save performance of goaltender Martin Gerber was nothing short of amazing. The Swiss defeated the Canadians in a 0-2 shutout and probably the biggest upset in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

This is hockey. Frustration can easily become the bigger opponent and a roster full of superstars does not guarantee victory.

Home Ice Disadvantage

Being on home ice may hinder the Canadians as much as benefit them. Imagine the triumphant feeling of winning game after game in front of the smiling, cheering, adoring, roaring Canadians in Vancouver. Now imagine the polar opposite. The stunned silence of these same fans as they watch their team lose even a single game. Maybe it’s similar to the Swiss miracle on ice from the Olympics before. Maybe it’s an exciting, close game where they lose by a single goal like the U20 team did in January for the World Junior Championships. Even a tie could feel like an upset and have a huge momentum shift working in favor of Team USA.

Play Like The Vladinator

While many arguments can be made about who the best defensemen in hockey is/was, no one can deny the impact Vladimir Konstantinov brought to the ice game after game. It wasn’t about scoring goals, it was about getting the other team off their game. I tell my son the best defensemen are those who keep their team on offense and, as I say this, Vladinator and Scott Stevens are in the spotlight of the highlight reels in my memory.

Team Canada has some serious firepower in their defense. The lineup is Duncan Keith, Shea Weber, Brent Seabrook, Drew Doughty, Chris Pronger, Dan Boyle, and Scott Niedermayer. Apples to apples, Team USA does not compare. Tim Gleason, Erik Johnson, Ryan Suter, and Jack Johnson are just beginning to form names for themselves. Brooks Orpik, Ryan Whitney, and Brian Rafalski are the most experienced NHLers within the Team USA defense.

Comparing apples to oranges though, Brooks Orpik and Ryan Whitney are being reunited. They’ve been teammates for a long time now, not just with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but going back to their high school days at Thayer Academy. This is sure to spark some team chemistry. Of all the players listed so far, Pronger and Orpik are the most likely to play Vladinator-style in the Olympics. However, I believe Orpik will be a force to deal with while Pronger looks for his role amongst the other big names on Team Canada. Orpiks play during the Stanley Cup finals is a great indicator of the intensity he’ll bring to Vancouver…

Teammates and Large Shadows

As teammates on the Penguins, Brooks Orpik knows both Sidney Crosby and Marc-André Fleury well. Zach Parise and Jamie Langenbrunner share Devils uniforms with Martin Brodeur. With so many players from each team’s roster sharing uniforms with one another, there is a lot of familiarity. What the games will come down to though is who is willing to compete the hardest, step up and play like the Olympics are the Stanley Cup finals not the NHL All-Star Game, and put ego aside for the good of the team and pride of their nation.

Without doubt, Team Canada is the team to beat and favorite for gold. Sweden, Russia, Finland, and Czechoslovakia all have real opportunities for medals as well. The hill Team USA must climb for gold is as steep and high as any they’ve faced before. In particular, because this is Canada’s game being played on their ice in front of their people. They will have the entire nation behind them, fans so loud I may very well be able to hear the roar of Canadian pride from my home in Sumas as my neighbors in Abbotsford, British Columbia cheer from their living rooms.

I believe the outcome for USA gold lies with Patrick Kane stepping out from under the shadow of Sidney Crosby. He has an opportunity to carry Team USA and has one hell of a sniper in Parise to pass to. Both Ryan Miller and Tim Thomas can play big in goal, utilizing the crowd-silencing Gerber Effect, and shutting down the immensely powerful Canadian offense. What has been done before can be repeated. Orpik can be a wrecking ball on the ice, knocking all the stars out of alignment, and displacing Team Canada’s chemistry.

Good luck Team USA! We’ll do our best to cheer you on louder than our friends and neighbors on the opposite side of the border.

Technorati Tags: hockey,winter,olympics,vancouver,nhl,2010,team usa,team canada,usa,canada

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