A pair of Apple miscellany
"Apple simplifies .Mac Web access". So common sensical, I wonder why they didn't think of this sooner.
"Apple actively courting the Beatles". I like the Beatles, but I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to download any of their music from anywhere. For the sake of Apple, I would love for the iTunes Music Store to carry their full catalog; I believe, as one online commentator wrote, that the Beatles could make up any lawsuit-related losses easily through iTMS sales. Unlike myself, there are lots of people, including TUAW's Dave Caolo, who want individual Beatles albums. Personally, I have all the Beatles' songs I could want on my iPod already. It's called "1".
Headliners
"Spain Raids Stamp-Collecting Firms" Pursuing terrorists who murder our citizens, not that high a priority. But those stamp collectors have got to be stopped. "Asian Currencies Soar on U.S. Criticism" Just think of what they could do with some positive reinforcement! "Zombie master sentenced to 5 years in prison" It's only five years, though, so stock up on shotgun shells, and remember to always aim for the head. "Will Film Spell Success for Starbucks?" Is this what education has come to in America? Listen up, Starbucks, it's "S, u, c, c..."
Beleagured Dell Warns of Earnings Shortfall
Dell Warns of Earnings Shortfall: "Dell warned it would miss its earnings and revenue forecasts, blaming pricing actions aimed at reviving sales growth." Sorry, I just had to do it again.
<em>The Cat in the Hat</em> as business-lesson book
This little tale, which appears to be a book for children, is actually a clever evocation of what happens to a corporation when a management consultant is hired by absent, clueless senior management to evaluate its organizational structure and to effect change. Beginning slowly, the Cat proceeds to take everything apart, make a total mess and get everybody in potentially the worst trouble in the world--all at no personal cost to itself. By the time the Cat leaves, it has frightened everybody, and very little has changed except the mind-set of the protagonists, which has been forever disrupted and rattled.
Weblogs, Pamphlets and Public Citizens: Changing Modern Media
Speaking of Tom, he's authored a great paper as part of the Master's program he's enrolled in. Titled "Weblogs, Pamphlets and Public Citizens: Changing Modern Media", in which he compares the citizen journalists of today's blogosphere to the pamphleteers of pre-Revolutionary War America. I got a sneak peek during the drafting and editing phase, and I think it's really good. Some choice quotes:
The effects of blogs in a new media environment are twofold: Weblogs cover stories that their mainstream media counterparts, for editorial reasons or other gatekeeping practices common in modern professional media, omit or miss entirely; and weblogs also bring to bear an ever-vigilant group of diverse problem solvers that fact-check the work of many reporters and journalists in the mass-media arena. This makes the blogosphere an excellent addendum to mass media, operating as both appendix and errata to the main compendium of stories that the mass media puts into the public sphere using trained reporters and journalists. and As technology had advanced further, producing Really Simple Syndication (RSS), a distribution method that allows for easy and automatic syndication of new additions to weblogs, it has become possible for a consumer of media to add weblogs to their daily news diet. This allows for readers to mix and match their media, creating a new media outlet that is personally tailored to their interests and to their pursuits. Using an RSS-reader application on a personal computer, a sports fan can have a forty-page sports section and a one page local section, or a political junkie can have page after page of differing commentary from a variety of sources. The reader becomes their own editor and gatekeeper, combining multiple weblogs and conventional media sources, which have also adopted RSS, into their own personal fountain of news and commentary. If you've read Dan Gillmor's We The Media and/or Hugh Hewitt's Blog, some of Tom's piece will sound familiar, especially in that he cites the former as a source, but I say the familiarity makes Tom's arguments stronger. Good work, my friend!
But I like being a member of the Cingular Nation
AT&T is torching their Cingular brand like a gang of boychiks igniting a hobo on their way home from the milk bar. From the ashes, phoenix-like, a new brand is to emerge: AT&T Wireless. I used to be an AT&T Wireless customer. Not good memories. Cingular is such a distinguishable brand name, for good or ill, whereas for everyone I know and speak to on this issue, AT&T Wireless offers nothing but ill will. Unlike Consumerist's Ben, I've had nothing but good customer service from Cingular. Yes, I realize the "new" AT&T isn't really anything like the "old" AT&T, corporate-wise, but the bad connotations with the AT&T brand are apparently so bad, we all fear it is. Or will be. [Wave of the phin to Tom, via IM.]
What an adorable little girl
The Stephen Colbert kerfuffle, intrinsically uninteresting though it is, leads Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen to an excellent insight:
Why are you wasting my time with Colbert, I hear you ask. Because he is representative of what too often passes for political courage, not to mention wit, in this country. His defenders--and they are all over the blogosphere--will tell you he spoke truth to power. This is a tired phrase, as we all know, but when it was fresh and meaningful it suggested repercussions, consequences--maybe even death in some countries. When you spoke truth to power you took the distinct chance that power would smite you, toss you into a dungeon or--if you're at work--take away your office.
<p>But in this country, anyone can insult the president of the United States. Colbert just did it, and he will not suffer any consequence at all. He knew that going in.</p>This, it seems to us, explains several conceits of the Angry Left:
The notion that criticism--whether of the Dixie Chicks or of Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer--amounts to censorship.
Claims by Democratic politicians that Republicans are "questioning" their "patriotism."
Fears of incipient fascism.
What these have in common, aside from being totally fantastical, is that they all reinforce the image of the Angry Leftist as courageous dissenter. In truth, this country is so tolerant, indeed downright indulgent, of this sort of "dissent" that it affords no opportunity to be courageous.
Speak "truth to power" in America, and power will pat you on the head and say, "What an adorable little girl." Some on the Angry Left could actually have the courage to stand up if they were faced with real consequences--but they are unlikely ever to get that chance. America's almost boundless tolerance thus reduces them to the level of petulant children. No wonder they're so angry.
Beleaguered Dell defends stock decline
I just really wanted to use the words "beleaguered" and "Dell" in the same sentence. How do you like them apples, Mr. Dell?
Miscellany
I know Lee will be interested in Anil's observations on web site comments.
Stop wandering aimlessly through that phone tree, and get a human on the line.
"This is hot." New fan-created Firefox ad that's really good.
Love coffee? Love cafes, but don't want to support the corporate monstrosity? Then use Delocator to find local shops near you. And please, if you know of a local cafe that's not listed on Delocator, add it!
[Waves of the phin to John, Paul, and John at FD.]
ATPM 12.05
The May issue of About This Particular Macintosh is now available. We welcome Mark Tennent to the ATPM staff this month. Mark's been providing us plenty of reading material over the past few months, and we felt it only fair to reward him with the glamorous and career-enhancing position of Contributing Editor. Welcome to the team, Mark! Wes notes the Boot Camp roundup from the Mac blogosphere, while going insane with award...er, awarding. Mark gives us a double-blast of his regular column, MacMuser, raising the concern over data composting, how valuable cultural artifacts might be lost to future generations, as well as hoping that Apple's dual boot strategy pays off. Paul scours the web for sites you didn't know existed, so you don't have to. Want to discover new music, solve an online puzzle, listen to the U.S. tax code via podcast, learn how to get to a human operator as quickly as possible in a phone tree, or explore the world of cylinder recordings? Paul's your new hero. Chuck delves in to text parsing with FileMaker this month. Ted shares his thoughts on using ConceptDraw in your outlining workflow, as well as noting how outlining concepts are showing up in myriad applications we don't think of as outliners. This month's desktop pictures selection is brought to us by ATPM jack-of-all-trades Chris Lawson. A prophead with his sights set higher--and I mean that in all of the best ways--Chris took his Canon digital SLR to Oshkosh last year for the annual EAA AirVenture. Aircraft lovers are sure to appreciate Chris's efforts. We learn Cortland is a James Brown fan, and there's a lot more to Brody than meets the eye. Much more. Sylvester opens this month's reviews with a look at Footlights Pro 2.1. Frank Wu chimes in, noting Axio's Hardsleeve lives up to its name. It's the Lee and Lawson show on the fifth-generation iPod, the daring duo bringing you the lowdown on Apple's latest digital media player. Lee also has a solo act this issue, in a look at iTunes Catalog. Finally, yours truly closes out the issue with my analysis of Datadesk's SmartBoard ergonomic keyboard. As always, each issue is available online, or in one of three formats for your offline reading pleasure.
Headliners
"Exxon Profit Is Shy of New Record" Sounds like Exxon Profit needs to be more assertive, and not such a wallflower. "IBM to Offer Smaller Mainframe" Now only taking up half of the typical family home! "Fuji Film Sinks Into Losses" Remind me to never travel to Losses. "Does France really need its own search engine?" Does the world really need France? Better wine in California, better cheese in Wisconsin...
Headliners
"Microsoft Dings Stocks" Ballmer's insurance expired, has to get cash for repairs from Bill. "YMCA office under attack by Muslims in West Bank" No word on the status of the construction worker or the biker. "Chad Pressured to Postpone Election" Meanwhile, Jacob and Britney can hold elections as planned. "AT&T Shareholders Reject Resolutions" AT&T shareholders are idiots. "Government Takes Over Aloha Air Pension" Aloha Air pensioners see money flushed down toilet. U.S. taxpayers now responsible for the bailout, likewise.
Good advice
Always be wary of any helpful item that weighs less than its operating manual.
Train the Brain
I so want a Nintendo DS just so I can play Brain Age. This would be great when I hit writers' block or my ADD tendencies creep up, not to mention trips like our upcoming one to the Granite State. I could honestly care less about the other games. Think my beloved will go for it?
Sixteen
About this time, sixteen years ago today, I was at an after-party with a girl. It was our first date, and she had accompanied me to the annual Military Ball held by the combined ROTC detachment at LSU. The after-party was a small affair, at the apartment of one of the older cadets, who just happened to be my former flight leader and was a big sister-type to me. The girl who was my date? She's upstairs right now, getting ready for bed.
Parenting Hot Tip
My hot tip for fathers (and mothers, too) is a simple one: Spend time one-on-one with your children, and if possible, for a few days in a row. I realize that some of my readers aren't in a place to do this, because you don't have children, or your children are grown, or... . But if your children are in a place where they can get time away with you, then by all means take advantage of this timely opportunity. I'm very blessed in this regard. My son is home with me two days a week, so we get a lot of buddy time while my wife is at work. I know our friends Michael and Heather get similar opportunities with their son. I can't wait until the little phisch is older and we can go on trips like the one Mark describes in his post. This one is at the top of my list; I love the Tetons/Jackson Hole area.
Headliners
"Prosecutors Get First Shot at Lay" Too easy. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too easy... "Microsoft to Buy Chinese Hardware" This is news? Isn't it all Chinese hardware? "Songbirds May Be Able to Learn Grammar" We can't teach grammar to kids graduating from high school, so we're going to try birds? Those teacher unions can get away with anything. "NYC Firefighter Begins Sentence in Brawl" Is that a regional dialect of braille? "Dog burns down owner's kitchen" "Since when does a medium-rare steak come in a bag marked 'Purina'?!?!?!?!?" "Police Arrest Nude Man Stuck in Chimney" It's a real shame the lengths some guys will go in some misguided quest for hot sex. "'Deep Throat' Saw Himself As 'Lone Ranger'" So who's Tonto, Woodward or Bernstein?
Dvorak to Microsoft: Kill IE
For once, John Dvorak rants on a company other than Apple:
I think it can now be safely said, in hindsight, that Microsoft's entry into the browser business and its subsequent linking of the browser into the Windows operating system looks to be the worst decision — and perhaps the biggest, most costly gaffe — the company ever made.
I call it the Great Microsoft Blunder. His solution is for Microsoft to halt any Internet Explorer development, throw some cash to Mozilla, and invest in Opera. Works for me.
The season thus far
I haven't blogged yet about the spring softball season, and given how today's game was the best one this season for me personally, I thought an update in order. The league expanded to eight teams this season, so we will have a four-team playoff at the end. Currently, we're the number two team, with not much hope of catching number one. That spot is held by one of the new teams, and they're good. You're doing really well against that team if you lose by less than double digits. They're pounding everybody. My fervent hope is after a couple of seasons they'll get bored and move on. Today's game was against the other new team. We got off to a slow start, and fell behind early. We slowly battled back, and I went in to the game in the fourth inning, at third base. I didn't see much action, fielding-wise, but was able to make it count when I did. We had a bases loaded situation, with one out, where the line drive came to me, I threw it home for the second out, and we held the runners at all three bases again. The next batter popped out to center-right, getting us out of the inning. My first trip to the plate proved fruitful. I had yet to collect any RBIs in the previous five games; it seemed I was always coming up to the plate with a runner on first or no runners on at all, and when you're pretty much a singles hitter, and in those situations, it doesn't lend itself toward scoring opportunities. Today, Tiffany had just cranked a two-out double to score a run and she was at second. First pitch, I swing and connect. Wow. Did that feel ever so good coming off the bat. Deep to center-left field, over the heads of the outfielders. A triple, with a run scored. The second-best hit I've had since I began playing on this team two-and-a-half years ago. (Number one would be the other triple I hit in another season, which was nearly an in-the-park home run and scored more runs.) I would score when Jennifer, our coach, knocked a single up the middle. My second and final at-bat was a single, right up the middle in to shallow center, and it, too, scored a run. I would advance to second when the opposing pitcher walked Jen, then head from second to home when Chris D. put one in to deep center-right. The only downer was that I pulled my left quad a bit rounding third, limping to the plate. So it takes six games for me to get a single RBI, and batting 1.000 today, I get two. The team improves to 4-2, and we remain in second place with two more games to go. I won't play next week; we have tickets to the Stars' playoff game, provided they don't get swept by Colorado after a disastrous opener.
Mountains out of molehills
The elements of the "crisis" Mitchell describes are twofold: (1) Iraq isn't Vietnam--i.e., a war the press helps lose for America; and (2) the Bush administration hasn't produced a Watergate--i.e., a corruption scandal in which the press helps bring down an administration. This isn't a crisis for America. For most Americans, Vietnam and Watergate were tragedies, and we'd rather not repeat them, thank you very much.
But it is a crisis for the press. For journalists of a certain age, Vietnam and Watergate were triumphs that they are eager to repeat. It doesn't look as though that's going to happen. Our advice to newsmen? Pray. "Lord, grant me the courage to change what I can, the serenity to accept what I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Amen. Now stop crusading and report the damn news.