Category Archives: media

McDonald’s is a Blight

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There was a brief story in the Houston Press about all the broken McDonald’s signs in Houston.

broken_mcdonaldsThere is an annoyed citizen that has taken his grip to the newest town square: Facebook. He created a Facebook Group to help people voice their shared annoyance.

I joined the group on Wednesday as the 34th member. I suspect if the group gets traction it should be over 1000 people in no time. And if other media in town mention it, it could go well above that.  (Or, if it goes no further than here, it could peak at 35 some time next week.)

I think if it gets noisy enough, we could likely get the Houston City Council to do something about it. Continue reading →

Bad Analysts at Ars Technica

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Ars Technica has an Apple-specific blog. Recently one of the authors provided some analysis of iPhones and netbook rumors. But it’s weak. I don’t really expect more from Ars Technica; I think they promote themselves as more professional than their actual comportment reveals.

The article’s lede includes self promotion, and questionable attribution.

Last month, I posted regarding netbook rumors that were swirling in anticipation of the Macworld Expo. In my write-up, I suggested that in many ways, the iPhone and iPod touch already were Apple’s netbooks. –Ars Technica

The concept of the iPhone being a netbook offering from apple was first suggested half-jokingly on an Apple financial teleconference last fall. For Erica to suggest she has come up with some new analysis of the market by suggesting exactly what someone else has already said is either humorous or sad, I’m not sure which.

Dark Markets of Enron

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If you haven’t noticed, our government hasn’t been regulating things in this country for about eight years. It cuts across almost every agency in the bureaucracy. Mostly they just unfunded the regulators or told them to stop doing their jobs. See recent headlines on airplanes being grounded because they hadn’t been inspected in timely fashion for an example.

You need only listen to the news any given day to be reminded. We haven’t been keeping our government accountable. Neither has our corporate media. So, we can blame only ourselves. Or only our media, if we are cowards. (Yes, I consider ignoring our own failing an act of cowardice. Blaming others is the height of it.)

It was interesting to hear of another regulatory failing on Marketplace on Monday night. This one not of Executive Branch malfeasance, but one of political will-bending in the Legislature in December of 2000.

I’m sure everyone remembers Enron. They went south in a very large way about a year later. But before that they got this legislation passed. Basically, deregulating (and effectively hiding) the trading of about 30% of the energy market.

Recently, we’ve had out-of-control rises in the price of crude oil. All the analysts say we’ve got plenty of supply. So, whatever could be the cause of the price rises?

Well the Legislature has finally fixed their part in this non-regulation snafu. Soon it is of course passing back into the Executive’s hands. What will happen there, only time will tell.

Michael Greenburger, previous Head of Trading and Markets for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission says “many observers believe that because those markets are not being policed, malpractices are being committed and traders are able to boost the price virtually at their will… From my own experience as a commodity regulator, I believe that if the Bush Administration were serious about its regulation, we could begin seeing prices drop within a month.”

If things don’t start moving in a positive direction, let’s make sure we tell our elected employees we aren’t happy about it.

Tim Russert, 1950 – 2008

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58 doesn’t seem that old (and it isn’t) when you’re sitting here with your age starting with a 4.  Droping dead at work, hard to believe. So many people survive heart attacks these days; it’s hard to believe a witnessed one can be fatal. Here’s the reminder.

Here’s Tim from a month ago, speaking what was obvious to many while invisible to many others:

Live News Cameras . Com

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This looks interesting. Almost like what CNN was to news 25 years ago – on the edge and trying to figure out where they fit.

livenewscameras.com

The deal? 100+ feeds from live news cameras across the country and across the globe. Often (they’re working on 24/7) they have a live person, who will alert you to what channel has something interesting on it. They’re often doing the same thing you’re doing – watching the feeds.

CNN Politics Podcast – Fix It!

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I’ve been watching the daily politics podcast from CNN for a while. I loved CNN in the 80’s but their worthiness has been drifting for over a decade. I tend to vary my sources of news just to know what they’re all saying.

But something about this podcast, which is easily solvable has been annoying me for quite some time. So, I chased the links till I found a page to send feedback. I’m not sure if it will get to those it needs to, but I sure hope so. An easy fix to an annoying situation.

(Wolf Blitzer’s annoying, but they’re not going to solve that.)

CNN,

The only podcast I watch regularly is the CNN Politics podcast, a video daily release.

You really, really, really really need to mention WHAT DAY it is at the beginning of each podcast. On either the audio portion or displayed on the video, preferably both!

Otherwise enjoying it, thanks.

-bill shirley, houston

The trick is, these things download daily to my iPod/iTunes and if I haven’t watched them in a while, there’s a bunch of them. There is NO way to tell if it’s the most recent one when you’re watching. And, of course, the introductions are all identical.

Note: I should have said, it’s the only video podcast I watch regularly from CNN.