Disqus - Latest Comments for eric

Re: Pusskalas!

eric — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:51:32 -0000

Hehe
Så där var datingprogrammen förr :)

Re: Turmål!

eric — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:07:16 -0000

Lounis kan bättre HAHA

Re: Turmål!

eric — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:06:23 -0000

nice:))))

Re: Turmål!

eric — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:34:32 -0000

Nice... :)

Re: Skattebetalare!

eric — Sat, 02 May 2009 09:03:49 -0000

Claes for president :)

Re: Högerkrok!

eric — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:18:48 -0000

Jävla emo-fjortisar som förstör idiot.se med era fåniga jävla kommentarer

Re: Åka rulltrappa!

eric — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:56:48 -0000

Har ni kollat er omkring i Sverige?
Folk är inte så jävla smala här heller

Re: The box!

eric — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:21:49 -0000

@34
han fotade ju etiketterna.

Han printar dessutom på ett vanligt kvittopapper som han tejpar fast på ett vanligt papper. Först listan med inhandlade varor, sen vänder han på det och skriver det baksidan. Kvittopapper kan man köpa varsomhelst, ett annat kvitto att kopiera kan han ha hittat i en papperskorg eller liknande i närheten ;)

Tänk era idioter innan ni kommenterar, det märks ju fan att sverige har 105 i genomsnitt i IQ... MOHAHAHHA, ni kommer aldrig få ett jobb!

Re: Dubbelrum!

eric — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:18:58 -0000

Dom har ju rösträtt dom där också...

Re: Teamwork!

eric — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 18:48:38 -0000

Har sett en liknande sak i Kina när de skulle fixa till en 3-4 mil bred sandstrand. Då hyrde de in de lokala bönderna som fick gå med handsilar och sila hela jävla stranden ren. Finns det gott om folk så...

Re: Heineken!

eric — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:52:59 -0000

Fan va bra :)

Re: God Jul!

eric — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 03:54:47 -0000

tvvåa!

Re: Jonas Björkman!

eric — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:42:48 -0000

tvåa :Ö

Re: Bertil falukorv!

eric — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:32:04 -0000

jag är etta! :)

Re: Wassup 2008!

eric — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:08:56 -0000

2:a

Re: Front flip!

eric — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:18:44 -0000

LMAO

Re: Guitar Hero!

eric — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 11:51:19 -0000

För fan ge grabben en riktig gitarr istället...

Re: Nakenkläder!

eric — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:59:39 -0000

stnjdbhfthiobtlonhjtg fan vad sjukt pallar inte kolla

Re: One for the Crapper: Nick Belardes and his Random Obsessions

eric — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:03:37 -0000

Jon, good review. The book sounds craptastic, I'll be sure to check it out.

Re: http://www.codereflect.com/2006/10/scanf-in-c-reading-single-line-of-text.html

eric — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 22:58:38 -0000

THANK YOU. Ive been searching forever online for this!!!!!!!!!!!! you rock

Re: Logical Proof that God doesn't exist - Prayer - ExChristian.Net - Articles

eric — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:46:00 -0000

I would like to suggest two things which I believe to be fallacies in this article:
1. This article, at its very best, proves not that God doesn't exist, but that prayer doesn't work in the way many people believe it does.
2. This is not a logically structured argument. It is merely observational.

Re: Does it really make any difference what so-and-so believes? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

eric — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 -0000

...Most harshly denigrated in these articles are typically one or more of the Four Horsemen: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens...

I guess you could say they are the apotheoses of atheism :)

-Eric

Re: Does it really make any difference what so-and-so believes? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

eric — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:24:00 -0000

I swear I'm not the Eric you think I am. I'm also not an ex-Christian, but I never was one in the first place. I like this site, it helps me find ways to deal with the theists. I want to be confident in my knowledge and opinions.

I meant the apotheoses as a joke. In fact, if you look at the second definition at dictionary.com, it says "the ideal example; epitome; quintessence". I think that applies as well.

My oldest child (11) got the word from a spelling site that donates 20 grains of rice for every word he gets correct. It was also in an episode of "The Tick"

I'm no lawyer either, although I took one class about the law and how it applies to freedom of expression in college.

Cheers!

-Eric

Re: http://www.tipsblogger.com/2009/03/top-article-directories-list-submit.html

eric — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:11:01 -0000

Add health Article Directory to your List http://www.productsherbal.com pr3, fast approved(24 Hours)

Re: Don’t Donate to Katrina Victims

eric — Fri, 16 Sep 2005 11:51:14 -0000

link

Re: One of Those Days.

eric — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:08:00 -0000

Oh dang... Thats no fun. What happened to the auto light-room backups?

Re: http://www.offendedblogger.com/2008/08/eat-my-meat-offensive.html

eric — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:19:00 -0000

After this post I am going Vegan. I promise to only eat Vegans from now on.

Re: Vilken Milanmatch är årets största överaskning? Vinsten mot Real eller förlusten mot Zurich?

eric — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:57:32 -0000

Real Madrid hade vunnit OM de hade gjort fler mål än Milan. Nu gjorde de inte detta och därför vann Milan. PUNKT!

Re: Free Custom Cross-Site Lookup Column Add-On for WSS v3

eric — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:42:00 -0000

Hi Tony;

Very nice add-on! I'd like to implement it but my security guys (I work for a big insurance firm) won't install without a look at the code. Would you be willing to share the project files?

TIA

Eric Nash

Re: Dreamland

eric — Thu, 13 Jan 2005 02:34:02 -0000

I think there's sometimes some disingenuousness when people talk about disintermediation. It gets glossed over that in an artist-centric / listener-centric system, more artists would make more money, but very few (if any) artists would make the really vast amounts of money that we've come to regard as "normal." Steve Earle has a refreshing perspective on this: "Look, I'd love to sell more records. But you can make an embarrassing amount of money?for a borderline Marxist?selling 100,000 records a year, if you're willing to go out and work. I make what I consider to be an obscene amount of money. I do have to work for it, but I'm totally okay with that. I think everyone's going to have to do it. ... Artists that don't want to tour and just want to collect royalty checks and stay home are not going to be able to do that anymore." [@ antikoan.net]

Re: Adobe fails the customer service test. Miserably.

eric — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 11:45:26 -0000

I fully agree with your comment about adobe's customer service. I had a similar experience of very poor customer service. I was on hold for a long time to answer a simple question. I had to provide them with a lot of information before they would even say word one to me --I'm glad you bypassed that part, I had no choice since I had already placed an order with them and they would not talk to me unless I gave them information for "security" purposes even though I gave them a "case number" that only I could have had since they sent it to me. This is customer service worse than any I have encountered. I think it may be worse even than the phone company or cable company!

Re: Bored By The EPL’s Big Four

eric — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:30:25 -0000

I'll be rooting for Aston Villa as my second team, been a Man Utd fan for about 10 years also since my roommate in college got me interested in them.

Re: new blog design

eric — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:18:26 -0000

Riaz - I like...very classy. Been looking at this 3 column layout myself...

Re: The Killers – Day and Age Album Review

eric — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 12:25:58 -0000

Maybe 9/5 bulbs is a bit of a stretch? I was thinking more on the 7-8 side.

Re: Firstline Security Cost Comparison

eric — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:50:33 -0000

My experience with Firstline security was very very disappointing. The high pressure, 5 hour, door to door sales pitch, turned out to be a bounch lies and half truths. The installation of the security system "absolutely had to be done the same day", according to the sales person, despite the fact it was almost 11pm, was shoddy. I felt like they bulled there way into my house with there snake oil salesman routine and tried to sell me garbage, under the disguise of "free". Needless to say, I canceled the contract the minute they left my house. Thinking they would come back an uninstall the systems. Well, after almost 4 days they removed their system leaving holes in my wall, but then they continued to debt my credit card for the initiation fee of $33 a month for the next 3 months.Every month I discovered the debt, I called and they reimburse me, and assured me account had been closed, only to have this situation play itself out the next month.Finally when I think its over, we get an automated phone call 4 or 5 times a week asking us to call them about our supposed "closed account". Then when I call, I'm told "oh, so sorry we forgot to take you off our attempt to contact list"... great, it's a perfect ending to my Firstline nightmare.

This company is a sham!!!

Bottom line: Firstline Security = first rate ripoff

Re: New Justice – A Cross The Universe

eric — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:37:12 -0000

Good stuff! Can't wait to buy the cdvd!

Re: No Doubt Tour 2009 / 10 Favorite No Doubt Songs

eric — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:25:12 -0000

wow. this is great news. I think you really covered the best NO Doubt songs around.

Re: Magnet+Iron=Attraction #31

eric — Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:57:00 -0000

I'm looking forward to reviewing this podcast. This is a very exciting podcast. Cohry and I don't get excited by what we hear too often.

I foolishly pushed your cast to the back of the line because the title of your cast and colored-text in the email made me think it was going to be a really bad cast, ha ha.

review should be up manana.

Re: Sunny, Almost 40 Degrees#40

eric — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:07:00 -0000

I love that white sunshine song. great stuff.

You by the way, are basically our top referrer. Only a podcast alley forum thread has you beat. I had no idea you were so big.

Regardless, thanks a ton for the traffic. We appreciate it. And we need it. Our stats are quite poor.

eric
vox monitor

Re: Xobni is Very Cool | Charles Hudson's Weblog

eric — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:17:27 -0000

I've been thinking about switching back, too. I almost got Matt to switch to Gmail, but now that he's using Xobni....

Re: We made a list!

eric — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 09:28:48 -0000

Isn't it interesting that the Huffington Post isn't even in the top 100 over at Technorati despite its rather obvious (very recent) popularity? Malkin is #23.

May the debates about the relative merits of lists be endless!

Re: You know you’re in college when

eric — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:39:07 -0000

nice dudes! i'm going to college next semester and this really strikes true to the things my friends have told me. But i think the wearing flip-flops in the shower applies to every year if you go to a party school. or any school, for that matter.

Re: Firefox Sidebar + Google IG = Useful on any platform

eric — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 09:47:00 -0000

Great job!

Re: Breaking: Facebook, Plaxo, and Google Endorse Data Portability

eric — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 21:48:19 -0000

Don't get too excited yet Jarred/internet world. While Google and Facebook have certainly signed on they have by no means agreed to abide by the quite high aspirations of the data portability movement. Googs and Facebook have only "agreed to talk" about the possibility of opening up their (really your) data to free movement. A good number of people in the Venture community were quick to brush this off as an excellent PR stunt for these groups. While Google may eventually move closer towards data portability expect them to move on their terms which may mean you won't be exporting any contacts easily any time soon. As for Facebook, well, as long as they are still a private company and a VC backed one at that I would bet that data portability won't come until a strong revenue model and actual revenues come streaming into Zuckerberg's pockets.

Eric

Re: Can One Person Really Save The World?

eric — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:50:57 -0000

http://southpark.comedycentral.com/videos.jhtml...

Thaaaankss!

Re: Invisibility: A Violation of the Social (Networking) Contract?

eric — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 18:34:54 -0000

Jarred, I think your argument is fundamentally correct. If one choses to use the service they are theoretically in it for all of its uses, good or bad. With that being said, I'll very quickly switch support in favor of online invisibility if it allows me the opportunity to opt-out of Obama fundraising emails and Obama-ganda shared items on G-Reader. Now that would be sweet!

Re: Miss France contestant gets stuck with a lousy interpreter

eric — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:55:52 -0000

I just made my vlog about this interpreter incident. Hope you could understand my comment in french sign language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRJOHddh6LE

Eric

Re: Chronique PureBlog samedi 21 octobre

eric — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:47:32 -0000

Que d'honneté dans ce podcast :)
M'enfin d'un coté si c'etait moi, recevoir des produits gratuitements sans les payer et etre soliciter par des marques sans débourser un € de ma poche comment ne pas refuser?
Mais être payé pour bloguer, ça c'est regrettable. Le monde du web a-t-elle encore besoin de publicité en plus? ...

Re: How to - Identifying Wine Aroma Defects

eric — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 20:06:55 -0000

... basic concepts on the manufacturing processes of the wines in order to better know and assess the quality... choice to separately preserve the two wines (drop and press) or of

Re: Price Deathmatch: Apple MacBook Pro vs. Dell Inspiron E1705

eric — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:57:32 -0000

apple is cheaper but you cant put a 2ghz processor and you cant get the resolution of 1920x1200 like the dell also who would want a smaller screen if it only weights 2 pounds less i mean if you cant carry 2 more pounds then something is wrong and you should probably not spend so much time in front of the computer.

Re: Comprehensive iPod 5G DVD Ripping and Video Conversion Guide

eric — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:17:11 -0000

I am trying to rip DVD using Handbrake and am having problem. Could someone please help.
After setting the width/height to 640/352, choose the bitrate to 1000 and number of passes to 2, I started the encode process.
The message "encoding process has ended" came on and nothing happened.
Help!

Re: Happiness, Adaptation, and Bigger Breasts

eric — Tue, 30 Aug 2005 14:29:48 -0000

Let's assume that the boob job gives a permanent increase to the recipient's happiness. That still doesn't get us to Will's Benthamite conclusion as the study tells us nothing about whether the happiness comes from relative status. And I'd put at least even money on this being a relative status thing -- my prior is that women are happier to the extent that they look better than other women. As consequence, the effects of breast augmentation on the sum of womens' happiness will be neutral at best.

Re: LYON - METZ : 2-0 | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 18:11:51 -0000

Je te l'accorde, on s'est demandé à un moment si on n'était pas venu pour un 0-0, enfin, 2 buts finalement hé hé ... En plus à côté de moi j'avais un thierry roland des plus grandiose...vraiment sympa, expérience à revivre !!! Si tu passes dans les parages un jour de match préviens...

Re: Manga génial : Full Metal Alchemist | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 27 Apr 2005 04:13:29 -0000

ça y est je suis venu à bout des 51 épisodes, et je vous le confirme ce manga est une bombe...

Re: Recette dessert : Flan aux algues ( gelée ) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 09 May 2005 19:16:35 -0000

Je te le conseille, je vais tâcher de prendre une photo du paquet d'algues, ça permet de pas se planter...

Re: GTA le jeu mythique disponible en version légale gratuite !!! | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 23 May 2005 19:23:10 -0000

Si seulement toutes les éditeurs de jeux donnaient leur vieux jeux au bout d'un moment...

Re: Comment écouter/diffuser une radio via Internet ? | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 26 May 2005 19:17:01 -0000

www.limbikfreq.com/

Comment on fait, il y un lien quelque part ? Faut se loguer ?

Re: Dragostea din tei

eric — Tue, 02 May 2006 19:06:55 -0000

paresen putos

Re: Is religion the root of all evil? - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

eric — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 07:56:00 -0000

Salvatore:

Questions:

Why should we "help the poor" and "love our neighbor?" If there is no higher calling or eternal future to look to, shouldn't it be take mine at all costs? Doesn't that make a better life for YOU? Or do you see an inherent worth in people? Where does that worth come from? Darwinism doesn't teach personal worth. It is hard to get worked up over a blob of proto-plasm. Believe me, I've tried.

Don't mistake your distaste for a "denomination" for the Christian religion. I would challenge everyone with that. If you are really interested in the truth, are you truly committed to where that truth might lead, or do you have preconceived notions before you approach?

Flew had to finally admit that the truth led to something to which he had opposed so vehemently.

Re: Is religion the root of all evil? - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

eric — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 17:46:00 -0000

To Billy Wheaton:

One point. You never answered the questions I asked. I never made an assertion, just asked questions and gave warnings against impetuous decision making. You and Salvatore have on the other hand have made several definitive assertions. I am only asking for clarificaion.

Eric

Oh yes, I lied. I did make an assertion. I did say that Darwinism doesn't teach personal worth, but I may be wrong. Please, feel free to expound upon this point as well.

Re: Is religion the root of all evil? - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

eric — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:32:00 -0000

I’m not trying to be annoying, but I have some more questions.

> Since I don't believe in absolute >ethics, I can only speak for >myself: I do these things because >it makes me feel good.

I assume by this statement, that you are a moral relativist. My questions follow: Is “feeling good” alone a reason for benevolence? If society determines our actions, what happens when society’s traditions change in a manner which becomes contrary to ours personal convictions? Are we to change only because someone of greater assumed authority mandates it so? Am I not free then, to do what makes ME feel good? Are some things not intuitively wrong-like torturing infants?

>But, it must be noted here that >many criminals have been brought up >to understand that there is a >"higher calling" of life and an >"eternal future", but they continue >in their selfish lifestyles.

Is not “understanding” and “applying” two different things. Do not smokers often understand that smoking cigarettes is harmful, but do not apply this information to their lifestyles?

> Value, as you know, is in the eye >of the beholder.
> There are many people who don't >value human life and they, >consistently, do not act >accordingly.

Are some things not intuitively wrong-like torturing infants? If moral relativism is true, how are we to say anything is wrong?

>"Cosmic Spanker”

That’s funny. I’ve never heard that one. I’ll have to remember that.

I don’t want to come across as quarrelsome; I’m really seeking clarity on your position. I’m looking forward to your reply. Thank you in advance.

Re: http://elephantonadiet.blogspot.com/2009/01/freshmanila-sale-06-10saturday.html

eric — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:00:03 -0000

More toys for year 2009! XD

Re: http://elephantonadiet.blogspot.com/2009/02/7-months-ago.html

eric — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:46:16 -0000

Be certain na andito lang ako sa anumang desisyon mo. Pangako yan.

Ganda ng post, sobrang madamdamin! Nainggit ako sa galing mo magsulat. Ampupu.

Re: http://elephantonadiet.blogspot.com/2009/02/newbie.html

eric — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 02:50:10 -0000

asus! hehe

Re: I feel God everywhere - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

eric — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 19:46:00 -0000

judaism is the oldest relgion eh?

You should specify oldest still around today.. religion has been around since the beginning of human life. And it was not judaism.

Re: Are Christians Required to Tithe? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

eric — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:40:00 -0000

Tithing-do some good study and research. You will NEVER find the example of people giving on a continual basis of their income to God. Even if we were all Jews under the Law, only farmers and livestockers (people that raise animals) would be required to tithe. And they did have money back then, but God actually taxed people (12%) who tried to give silver or gold. Most of us still wouldn't be required to tithe under OT Law. The entire concept of giving money on a regular basis is completely absent from the whole of scripture. It is commonly pieced together from many different ideas and different scriptures, that if you ever stop to read them in any detail, they don't support tithing at all. What about Malachi 3? Well let me ask you: How many tithes are there under OT Law? And which one of the three tithes is Malachi referring to? How often is that tithe collected? And is there really an OLD Testament curse under NEW Testament Christians, even though Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law? All these questions and many more are explaine in much detail in a book. A good book for an in-depth stufy is called "The Children Are Free" by Roger Sapp. You can find it at www.allnationsmin.org

Re: Un ETL, c’est quoi ? | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Tue, 07 Jun 2005 04:00:27 -0000

Apparement oui, c'est marqué sur le site "First ETL* ONLINE"

Après, il faut voir ses possibilités, tu dois t'en servir ?

Re: Critique de roman : "Les combustibles" , Amélie Nothomb | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 15:38:54 -0000

Oui, il faut peut être faire une pause, alterner pour éviter l'ennui en effet.

Le dernier ? Antecrista c'est ça ? je l'ai commandé dernièrement, j'en reparlerai plus tard alors.

En attendant je suis sur "Les racines du mal" , de Maurice G. Dantec , et c'est pas mal du tout.

Re: Le saviez vous ? Configuration Firefox via about:config | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 07:33:59 -0000

Je vais regarder ça, merci... LOL

Re: Un bon roman : "Et si c’était vrai…" de Marc Lévy | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 14:24:28 -0000

Par contre, que vaut le film ?

Re: Un bon roman : "Et si c’était vrai…" de Marc Lévy | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:46:08 -0000

Je rajouterai une critique ici une fois que je l'aurai vu

Re: Un bon roman : "Et si c’était vrai…" de Marc Lévy | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 13:31:33 -0000

J'essaierai "La prochaine fois", c'est des romans de plage il ne faut pas l'oublier ...

Re: Dessert au tapioca et banane plantin | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 13:09:28 -0000

Voilà la correspondance de quantité est ajoutée à la recette !!!

Merci pour le compliment et surtout à ma belle mère qui m'a apprit la recette. LOL

Re: Dessert au tapioca et banane plantin | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:57:21 -0000

N'hésitez pas à revenir !!! j'ai une recette de poulet au coco et à l'ananas qui ne demande qu'a apparaître sur le net...

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 08:50:21 -0000

Bon, j'avance tout doucement ( 14% du jeu terminé ) pour le moment, j'ai joué au chasseur de primes en tuant un wanted à moustache, défentu un bar / maison close de l'attaque de bandits, un pont en construction de l'acharnement des Apaches, escorté une dilligence sous les flèches enflammées des indiens... :-)

Voilà pour le moment, le jeu est pas mal, une réalisation perfectible, mais prenant !!!

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 06:08:17 -0000

39% de progression, ça avance hein ?

J'ai tendu une embuscade à un train valeur, attaqué une ville au canon, et tué le vil maire Hoodwood Brown.

L'intrigue avance doucement, on se croirait dans un film...

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:38:56 -0000

70% d'avancement, le jeu sera terminé cette semaine...

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 05:21:51 -0000

ça y est, j'ai terminé le jeux hier soir, avec 73% de progression.

En fait l'histoire principale est terminée mais il reste des missions annexes.

Conclusion : le jeu est très sympa, pas compliqué, et peut être d'une durée de vie assez courte !!!

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 14:17:28 -0000

Salut,

Je dirais que si tu as aimé OUTLAWS tu aimeras GUN.

Maintenant , je lui trouve une durée de vie trop courte, et une réalisation qui est perfectible.

En attendant cela fait quinze jours que je m'amuse bien avec, mais 15jours , pas plus...

Re: Un bon roman : "Et si c’était vrai…" de Marc Lévy | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 05:59:31 -0000

Par contre, j'ai vu le film dernièrement et je trouve qu'il vaut mieux rester sur l'impression du roman papier...comme d'habitude

Re: Série TV à voir : "Desperate Housewives" ( "Beautés désespérées") | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 10:33:05 -0000

la saison 2 est en route aux US, au canada je ne sais pas si c'est déjà diffusé, et sinon attendre un peu pour la voir sur Canal+

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:30:41 -0000

De mémoire le Mad Dog mc grady, il fallait l'avoir quand il rechargeait son arme, sans se faire tuer , ni le tuer lui...

Je n'ai pas fini le jeu à 100%, et effectivement je n'avais pas tout l'or, j'ai laissé tombé pour passer à autre chose...

Bon courage LOL

Re: Un jeu passionnant ? GUN , le FPS de l’ouest lointain | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 05:59:03 -0000

Effectivement, a part se balader dans le monde qui n'est pas si étendu que ça...

Si tu connais d'autres bons jeux, fais moi signe...

Re: Série TV à voir : "Desperate Housewives" ( "Beautés désespérées") | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 15:28:52 -0000

Peut être pas sur p2p avec cette fameuse loi DAVSI...

Re: Tutorial : Génération de rapports en JAVA | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 05:53:39 -0000

Effectivement, le lien manque pour cette archive libs.zip

En fait j'ai oublié de l'intégrer initialement au tutorial et suite à un plantage de ma machine j'ai perdu les sources initiales.

Il faudrait donc que je recrée ce tutorial, mais par manque de temps pour le moment ce n'est pas possible.

Pour information, cette archive libs.zip contient les JAR necessaires pour JasperReport, JDBC mysql.

Ce n'est normalement pas trop difficile de les trouver sur le Net.

Dès que j'aurais un peu de temps, je remets le tutorial à jour.

Re: RueDuCommerce ok, par contre la livraison de la Poste c’est déplorable | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:22:41 -0000

Cher Assistance aux internautes RueDuCommerce,

Cette attitude me paraît normale ( l'observance du délai de rétractation de 7 jours ), ce que j'apprécie c'est la facilité avec laquelle les choses se passent avec RueDuCommerce.

En attendant , mon boitier a été re-crédité sur mon compte, et celui que j'ai recommandé entre temps ( toujours chez rue du commerce ) me satisfait bcp.

Etonné de vous voir réagir sur mon blog, je suis à la fois curieux de connaitre la raison de votre venue ici ( hasard ? rechercher ? ...), aussi flatté, et satisfait...

Bien à vous aussi en retour.

Et à bientôt pour de nouvelles commandes.

Eric

L'auteur de ce Blog

Re: Tutorial : Génération de rapports en JAVA | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 12:38:28 -0000

Mais il semblerait que JasperReport et Birt soient dans la ligne de ce que tu cherches.

Sinon voir sur les sites d'hébergement openSource si d'autres projets existent :

www.sourceforge.net

www.freshmeat.com

www.tigris.org

Ne pas oublier de regarder les types de licences si tu utilises des composants dans un progiciel J2EE ( que tu ne te retrouves pas à vendre un produit à base de GPL et t'apercevoir ensuite que tout ton produit est devenu GPL ... ;-( )

Bon courage

Re: FULL METAL ALCHEMIST , le film | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 14:18:04 -0000

Et avec un mail comme le tien tu dois aussi apprécier Naruto , non ?

Re: Tutorial : Génération de rapports en JAVA | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 19:34:48 -0000

Le tutorial est à jour, depuis hier sur developpez.com

Re: Critique de roman : "Les combustibles" , Amélie Nothomb | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 18 May 2006 14:31:31 -0000

Oui, j'avais bien saisi que l'aspect psychologique était prépondérant, mais bon, c'est un peu comme quand on regarde des docus comme "Tabac, retenez votre souffle" ou "Le cauchemar de Darwin" , on n'apprend pas grand chose, cela nous ne fait que nous rappeler une réalité...

Merci pour ton commentaire lovelyloli LOL

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 08:55:37 -0000

28/07/06 Colis préparé pour en effectuer la livraison. Vaulx En Velin ( 69 120 )

Donc commandé le 26/07/06 au soir, voilà l'information que j'ai aujourd'hui sur le site de coliposte à 13h00, j'ai donc grand espoir que le colis arrive chez moi demain matin, et que je puisse tester tout ça ce WE.

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 13:37:28 -0000

28/07/06 Destinataire absent lors de la première livraison, seconde présentation prévue. Vaulx En Velin ( 69 120 )

Je crois que je l'ai râté là ;-( , demain matin alors ?

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 15:07:51 -0000

Ce qui est aberrant , c'est qu'en rentrant chez moi ce soir, je ne trouve aucun avis de passage de la part de COLIPOSTE pour ce premier passage.

Ce qui est encore une fois rageant c'est que RDC expédie ses colis en temps en en heure, et la reception et retardée par COLIPOSTE, enfin je m'avance peut être mais comme toute mes commande passées chez RDC , j'ai du attendre à cause de COLIPOSTE.

Enfin ... je suis peut être mauvaise langue et demain matin monsieur COLIPOSTE viendra me déposer le présent...

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 07:37:08 -0000

ça y est, j'ai reçu le portable ce matin (allez , merci à COLIPOSTE pour une fois ), et à RDC qui ont encore été impec sur ce coup là, rapide, et même pour la garantie or, j'ai reçu un coup de fil du service clientèle qui a prit ma demande en ligne en compte.

Mes premières impressions :

Positives

- Un prise en main rapide, power and play

- Une installation wifi sans souci ( sur mon autre portable j'avais bataillé dur avec les déconnexions )

- Le format écran très agréable

- Plus léger que je ne le pensais

Négatives

- La partie AZERTY du clavier fait un drôle de bruit (on dirait que c'est vide sous les touches)

- Pas de "molette" de défilement près du touchpad

- pas d'irda ( mais j'aurais du regarder ) ==> ça m'est utile pour télécharger les photos de mon téléphone mobile

Sinon globalement, j'en suis très satisfait pour ces premières minutes d'utilisation.

Un point cependant , quand je regarde les propriétés systèmes, je m'attendais à voir 1,73 GHz, mais je vois 1,6GHz , 800MHz => bizarre, je vais tirer ç au clair

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 21:20:03 -0000

Comment vérifier que le BIOS est à jour ?

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 15:09:45 -0000

oui, je le recommande.

Après tout dépend de l'utilisation que l'on en fait. pour moi il convient très bien.

Tenté par un achat ?

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:30:34 -0000

et oui il faut trouver le juste milieu.

Perso je ne voulais pas mettre plus de 800€ , j'en au eu pour 814, ça va.

Pour info je travaille dans l'informatique et ce PC me va très bien.

Re: FULL METAL ALCHEMIST , le film | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:20:32 -0000

flo ? tu dis ça pour MayaLeChat ?

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:30:42 -0000

Tu est un de ceux qui n'ont pas eu de chance avec ce métériel ;-)

En même temps, le mien pourrait peut être crasher à tout moment ;-(

Re: RueDuCommerce ok, par contre la livraison de la Poste c’est déplorable | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:15:28 -0000

Oui, coliposte est vraiment un service incroyable qui se fout du monde...

Pour ma part, si je devais travailler comme eux cela fait longtemps que l'on m'aurait fired...

Re: Installer le java JDK 1.5 sur une distribution Ubuntu | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 18:19:37 -0000

Merci beaucoup Mitch, ton message m'a fait plaisir.

Re: Série TV à voir : "Desperate Housewives" ( "Beautés désespérées") | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 19:07:19 -0000

mmm...des efforts sur l'anglais ? pourquoi donc Vince ?

Juste pour information la série Desperate Housewives est titrée "Beautés désespérées" au Canada (fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des...

Par contre dans ton commentaire une erreur "...au foyers..."

Doit on tourner 7 fois ses doigts sur le clavier avant d'écrire Vince ?

Re: Tutorial d’installation de SUBVERSION sur WINDOWS | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 17:37:54 -0000

Oui, d'ailleurs tu m'as envoyé un MP sur le sujet, c'est bien ça ?

Je regarde ça dès que je peux.

Merci bcp.

Re: Installer le java JDK 1.5 sur une distribution Ubuntu | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 12:28:59 -0000

Je pense que oui, sinon je ne vois pas pourquoi 1.4.2 apparait.

En fait quand j'ai fais cette installation, aucun JDK n'était présent.

Re: Tutorial : Génération de rapports en JAVA | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:28:38 -0000

Par manque de temps en ce moment, je te conseille de poster ta question dans les forums de Developpez.com , il y a une section JasperReport.

Re: Installer le java JDK 1.5 sur une distribution Ubuntu | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 07:09:51 -0000

Merci pour le compliment.

Bonne continuation !

Re: Installer le java JDK 1.5 sur une distribution Ubuntu | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 07:47:50 -0000

Merci pour les félicitations. Ensuite, pour ce qui est de l'édition du fichier tu as raison.

Re: [Jeux]GTA Vice City Stories | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Wed, 16 May 2007 10:06:51 -0000

C'est vrai ? c'est gentil ça :-)

Re: Achat d’un ordinateur portable : FUJITSU SIEMENS Portable Amilo Pi 1505-B20508 - Intel Core Duo T2050 (1,73 GHz) | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 28 May 2007 08:08:03 -0000

Pour ce qui est du souffle, c'est normal jusqu'à un certain point. Le ventilateur est la pour refroidir donc si c'est trop souvent c'est soit parce que l'ordinateur chauffe trop soit parce que le détecteur de température a un souci.

Sur le mien le ventilo se met en marche de temps en temps seulement (et ça fait du bruit aussi)

Sinon de mon côté, j'ai le petit interrupteur wifi qui s'est cassé, et je ne pouvais plus allumer le wifi, plutôt que d'envoyer en garantie, j'ai ouvert le pc et bouger le commutateur wifi, mais maintenant j'ai le wifi allumé en permanence (je peux cependant le désactiver via windows)

Bon, ça va faire un an que j'ai ce PC, et je suis un peu partagé. même si le produit n'est pas trop cher à la base, je trouve les finitions un peu légère...

A voir, si mon portable fonctionne encore dans 3 ans, je réviserai mon jugement.

Re: Critique de roman : "Les combustibles" , Amélie Nothomb | Eric Reboisson's Blog

eric — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:16:27 -0000

Effectivement ce roman a vocation a être théâtralisé, peut être un jour...

Re: Prince & The Band / Days Of Wild (NPG Monaco Mix #2)

eric — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 09:04:06 -0000

Lien cassé ?

Ca ne marche pas

Re: Prince & The Band / Days Of Wild (NPG Monaco Mix #2)

eric — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 19:54:21 -0000

Merci

DMY !

Re: Prince & The Band / Days Of Wild (NPG Monaco Mix #2)

eric — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 20:28:25 -0000

(suite)

Top !

Mais il semble qu'on soit plus à Montréal qu'à Monaco (qu'on trouve sur le site de NPG Monac' !)

Anyway, encore merci pour ce titre d'entologie !

PABW

Re: Prince & The Band / Days Of Wild (NPG Monaco Mix #2)

eric — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:03:24 -0000

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah !

Re: Ils nous prendraient pas un peu pour des cons chez Facebook ?

eric — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:23:17 -0000

Oui, on dirait du Mozilla Foundation & co…

Re: The Clintons, Black Folk and America - A Reckoning

eric — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:28:00 -0000

Let me preface this by saying that I'm a white progressive and that Barack Obama is not my first choice for the nomination. However, I've been following this blog for the last couple weeks and I've come to the conclusion that I cannot, and will not support the Clintons if they get the nomination. I grew up in the '90s and I have a certain nostalgia for the Clinton administration (especially compared to the current one) but I will not vote for someone who uses racism in any way, shape, or form to win an election. I for one will not be sorry when Hillary sleazes her way to the nomination and then loses 40states to John McCain. If the Clintons want to use bigotry and racism to win then it's about time for them and all their filthy surrogates to get the hell out of the Democratic party. I support John Edwards, but I will gladly caucus for Barack Obama in February in Virginia if it means doing what I can to beat the Clintons and put a REAL progressive in the White House.

Re: Firefox VoIP

eric — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 16:29:46 -0000

Yeah, nothing like coming to someone's site, and cowardly bashing something cool just because they can't use it. Perhaps they throw rocks at birds because they can't fly.

I think it's cool plug in. Since Windows (however much you may not like it) is the prevalent OS, if anyone is going to use it, might as well go for the numbers.

Linux snobs.

http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/snobsoped.shtml

Re: Nelly, R. Kelly, Monica’s donut-filled belly…

eric — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:40:12 -0000

I LOVE fat Monica!

Re: Eminem Video Game To Premiere at E3

eric — Wed, 21 Jan 2004 14:13:19 -0000

emienm you are so tight i fill your music to. i wish i could meet you one day.

Re: PHP Nike+iPod stats

eric — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 21:39:51 -0000

Excellent, some good feedback, and potentially more help. I’m itching to get my hands on the code after Ernie works on it this weekend, and add some of the run/goal data to it also.

Basically you should be able to almost completely replicate the Nike+ site, but you can let anyone see it now.

The one thing I probably will add is an ability to show how many runs per week you are averaging, and compiled stats based on things like that, things Nike+ isn’t doing yet.

Re: PHP Nike+iPod stats

eric — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 21:41:55 -0000

Oh, and one other thing.

How I implemented the caching, if it doesn’t get a valid file back from Nike+, it uses the one it had previously cached. Granted it will hit Nike+ on each load, but as soon as it gets a valid one, it will cache it up again.

Hopefully that makes sense. Basically it means your data could be outdated if NIke+ goes down, but you should always have stats available.

Re: What drives traffic to this site?

eric — Mon, 19 May 2008 00:04:45 -0000

I was one of those people.

Re: Summer Festival Outlook (Part XV)

eric — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 23:18:38 -0000

That Mile High Festival data is outdated. According to an article in the Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/ci_8102180?source=rssdp just so you know. Also, you should add Monolith to the board.

Re: Album Review: Consolers of the Lonely

eric — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:54:34 -0000

It is a shame that your review devolves into a grading system at the end. Chop that off and you have a very nice review, even if I don't agree.

Re: Lollapalooza

eric — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:34:21 -0000

on pitchfork, the lead singer of the black lips confirmed they're playing lolla.

Re: Update: How is the site looking?

eric — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:14:10 -0000

i think that for the recent updates on the top of the festival section, you should have the festival name be a link so I don't have to look through the whole list to find the updated festival. looking great!!

Re: Album Review: Weezer (The Red Album)

eric — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:25:32 -0000

Am I the only one in the world that likes "make Believe"? I really don't see why this album gets shit on so much. I find it quite enjoyable. I mean I know its not Pinkerton or the blue album but it still is fun and sounds like Weezer to me.

Re: Pygmalion Music Festival

eric — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:32:13 -0000

there are line up additions on the official web site.

Re: Album Review: Weezer (The Red Album)

eric — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:53:03 -0000

Michael Roffman

I don't mind "This Is Not A Pity". It's got like a 80's new wave sound which i enjoy. Hate "We Are All On Drugs".

The new album I don't know. I like it. I kinda look like it as a big fuck you to the record companies. I know the lyrics are very tongue and cheek, but i think that is the point. I think the first half is pretty solid but the last half is kinda of all over the place. I have heard way worse from other bands. It still sounds like Weezer which is really all I care about.

Re: Festival Outlook

eric — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:35:06 -0000

According to http://www.10klf.com/, 2009 edition dates are July 22-25

Re: Festival Outlook

eric — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:56:49 -0000

according to: http://www.canopyclub.com/jaytv.php - Summercamp will take place May 22-24 2009.

Re: Festival Outlook

eric — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:41:58 -0000

you might wanna fix the link for the O2 festival, it takes you to someone's myspace page....

Re: You BETTER be dreaming of a Red Christmas!

eric — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:48:30 -0000

Hey Matt, just wanted to pop in and say hello since we haven't talked for a year or more.

Miss ya bud,

-Eric - from Stealth Warriors ;)

Re: It’s the Value, Stupid

eric — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:55:01 -0000

Great point. I don't know why business always has to equate evil. Look at Flickr. They provide a great service that people really enjoy and are willing to pay for. Programmers, geeks, techies: they all have to eat too so if they are providing a great service/product (that probably costs them a lot of time and money to create and maintain) why shouldn't they get paid?

Re: Windows Vista Can Go &#@% Itself

eric — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 08:07:06 -0000

When I was still using a PC (I now use an Intel Core Solo Mac mini), I could only run Windows 2000, because the computer I had was ridiculously slow just to get to the login prompt. I understand that XP has speed improvements, but I did not feel like paying $200 just for a new operating system with even more restrictive licensing (I used Virtual PC occasionally to test FreeDOS/OpenGEM, and VPC only works with 2000 Pro, which I had, and XP Pro).

Re: new blog design

eric — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:18:26 -0000

Riaz - I like...very classy. Been looking at this 3 column layout myself...

Re: XP SP2: How to Remove or Uninstall Service Pack 2 | Windows | Tech-Recipes

eric — Tue, 12 Apr 2005 06:55:28 -0000

nate, you are on crack!

That is not how to uninstall SP2, all you told people to do was delete the system files from their previous install (XP, XP SP1, or XP SP2beta)

in short ignore nate, he doesn't know what he is talking about.

-Eric

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » The Carclip Puts Your iPod At Eye Level

eric — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 18:35:12 -0000

Yeah, I think they are. Anything hanging from your rear-view mirror while the car is in motion is where I live...

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » An Automatic Stirrer

eric — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 23:48:26 -0000

i bought one for making of the custard which requires CONSTANT stirring and it worked great!

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » Wego Kite Tube

eric — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 15:18:50 -0000

All I see is bad comments on the kite tube, its not bad if the driver of the boat keeps the tube directly behind the boat. We used ours for about 3 hours yesterday and had no problems, everone had fun on it. We only had one person fall off at about 10' going about 33 mph, and said it hurt a little but he got right back on it. We found out that it only takes a little movement to correct it when it gets going sideways. But all in all we had a great time and everone on the lake enjoyed watching it also.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » Wego Kite Tube

eric — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 15:26:05 -0000

By the way I just watched the videos posted by Hey Tone and the tube is way under inflated and i'm pretty sure that is why it is way out of control.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » Hydrogen Fuel Cell Toy Now on Sale

eric — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:18:49 -0000

I think this is neat. Get the kids ready for what kind of cars they'll be driving.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » (Video) Chrysler Tomahawk V10 Production-Ready Motorcycle

eric — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 11:48:29 -0000

The 'busa has less power, but I'd estimate that it's about half of the weight. The better power to weight ratio would make it quicker.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » Cool Rockets: Retro Rocket Lamps

eric — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:48:28 -0000

Wallace and Grommit: A Grand Day Out

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » OhGizmo Review: eStarling 2.0 Unboxing And First Impressions (Part 1)

eric — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:58:40 -0000

Well being a sucker for cool features I did fall for the eStarling 2.0 8" frame...

Got the box overnight, no probs, apprehension kicked in due to some of the funky reviews this thing has gotten...

Opened the box, hooked it up, filled in the blanks, and 15 min after opening the box I had photo's from friends popping up on the screen.

Tried a random RSS feed from a friends Flickr collection... And although this took 3 tries before I got the right rss feed type it worked like a dream after that, a little slow on the download for those (had to wait 8min before 1st pic showed up).

Tested the e-mail message function, works

Tested the frame to e-mail function, works (be it a slightly pointless function from my perspective)

So now I'm kinda surprised what the problems where. So I reset the whole thing, take it to a friends house and try to screw it all up... Couldn't manage it... No matter how backwards I follow the instructions this thing seems to just, well, work...

So I guess that eStarling and co has managed to work through any probs that existed.

Couple of feature requests:
Network ID, in the list on the router it just shows up as a MAC address (which is on a sticker on the back in there defence)
On the site it should display who e-mailed which picture (it's guess work right now, to great amusement of my friends)
An off button, you can only either pull the plug or use the time on/off setting.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » A Simple Design For Carrying Coffee

eric — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:34:55 -0000

What about using..mmm.. your hands only? That would work just fine.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » World’s Largest Outdoor Swimming Pool

eric — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:19:23 -0000

Wow - I never thought we'd build swimming pools you could sail in! You could practically host rowing tournaments here.

Re: Work #01

eric — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:11:38 -0000

Fantastique!

Re: Two New Editorials on A La Carte

eric — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:17:33 -0000

I certanly don't see any danger in experimenting with the a la carte concept. Worst case is the loss of channels for which few people have any real desire. If people really don't like a la carte, we can go back to bundles. This is TV we're talking about, not national defense. It isn't like a mistake in regulating this industry is going to kill anyone.

Re: On Censorship and Third-Party Data

eric — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:21:27 -0000

How well do web anonymisers work? I downloaded this software called Tor from EFF.org. I don't know how much security it really offers though.

Re: Initial Thoughts on the FCC’s Revised A La Carte Report

eric — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:15:47 -0000

Instead of theoretical/philosophical arguments about what will happen to pricing, why not require the implementation of a la carte pricing in test areas, and see what actually happens? Pick, for example, three states at random, require unbundling in those states, and watch what the market tells us.

Re: No More Morbid Fun With Telemarketers

eric — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 10:53:19 -0000

That's not funny. That's sick.

I love it.

Re: It’s Official: FCC Doesn’t Know the Time of Day.

eric — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 08:22:20 -0000

Akira, do you really think if you polled a representative sample of Americans, the majority would be indifferent to teen orgies being depicted on prime-time broadcast TV? I don't know what the results of such a poll would be, but surely many of those who desire standards for television (my guess is it would be a plurality if not a majority) could not be dismissed with the label you have put on those running the FCC.

Re: The Customer is Always Wrong

eric — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 15:36:27 -0000

iTunes suffers from many of the same drawbacks -- files are lower quality than CDs, DRM restricts fair use and interoperability -- yet they are considered a success. At least there is the advantage of flexibility and choice, buying only a single track instead of the whole album. (Oh my. That sounds like the dreaded a la carte!)

The studios may be right. There is a sucker born every minute. If people will buy iTunes, they may buy downloaded movies too. People who think less is more.

Re: The Customer is Always Wrong

eric — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:43:10 -0000

What Cog says is true -- mostly. Currently, most DVDs do use more than 4GB for the movie. When DVDs first came on the market, almost all were single layer DVDs, limited to a bit more than 4GB -- and the compression artifacts in long movies were easy to see. Curently the standard for new releases and remasters is double-layer DVD, with almost twice the data. An average 2 hr movie might use 5-6GB, with the rest of the disc being available for special features. I recently watched Spielberg's War of the Worlds (extra features were on a separate DVD), and that movie was probably about 7GB. (Spielberg likes a bit of film grain, which takes more data to encode.)

MPEG4 compression can be more efficient, and look quite nice, but it takes more postprocessing (i.e. more computer processing power) to remove obvious encoding artifacts in something as compressed as a theatrical feature squeezed down to 1GB at DVD resolution (720x480 pixels). There would still be a loss of quality evident to a videophile, but probably not to John Q. Public.

Re: Ignorance is Strength

eric — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:40:50 -0000

I think the examples given so far of "neutrality violations" are like the first symptoms of a disease. Like the abnormal cells that sometimes presage a full-blown malignancy. Everybody says early treatment is best. "Nip it in the bud."

Tim's point is that the treatment might be worse than the disease, which is reasonable. (As in slow-growing prostate cancer, people who are treated agressively -- with the accompanying side effects -- tend not to live significantly longer than those who are left alone and watched carefully.)

We really have a dilemma. I believe the government does not need to regulate at this time, but needs to somehow communicate clearly to ISPs that if they start censoring or inconveniencing certain websites or certain applications, regulation will come down so hard and fast it will make their heads spin. At this point, to walk softly with the ISPs, but carry a big regulation stick and swagger like you aren't afraid to use it, is the way to go. How best to communicate this intention, I don't know, but I think gov't should act with these goals in mind.

Re: The RFID cookie monster

eric — Mon, 08 May 2006 13:36:23 -0000

Is there any practical way to easily disable the tags? An electromagnetic pulse from a coil in close proximity to the tag, perhaps?

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Meta-Critique

eric — Tue, 16 May 2006 16:26:44 -0000

The vast majority of music CD titles are released without any sort of DRM. This approximates the situation in the software world as described by Doug Lay -- they *could* apply DRM if they wished, but usually choose not to.

If DRM is a good answer, and good business, why isn't it more frequently applied? It appears to me that the market is speaking loud and clear.

Re: Pirates in High Places

eric — Fri, 26 May 2006 08:59:07 -0000

I know your point is about the nutty RIAA. But the Ninth Circus Court, as I recall, ruled some years ago in the Diamond Rio case that putting songs from your CD on your MP3 player is not infringement because it fit the intent of the American Home Recording Act, among other reasons. I'm not a lawyer, just a mere mortal, but I am not aware of that ruling having been overturned.

I doubt if any of Bush's or Clinton's songs came from a peer to peer download. Although, depending on who loaded their iPods, you never know. Should we demand a Special Counsel investigation of piracy at the highest levels of government?

Re: Our Deadly Organ Donation System

eric — Sat, 27 May 2006 11:53:00 -0000

Seth, I can see that cash-for-kidneys can be a problem. But do you not see that our entire medical system is a problem? It is paid more for treating disease with expensive surgeries, devices, and drugs, than it is for keeping people well so they don't need such services. That is a perverse incentive system, one that has led to tens of thousands of preventable deaths from prescription drugs every year, because they are overused, misprescribed, with improper patient monitoring.

One study, designed to estimate the monetary cost of morbidity and mortality from drugs prescribed in an outpatient setting, used as the basis of their calculations a death rate of 200,000 Americans per year! This study was published a few years ago in a major pharmacology journal.

The point is that when hospitals, doctors, and drug-makers cash in to the tune of a couple hundred thousand dollars for every transplant, why is the donor expected to literally give a pound of his own flesh on the basis of unpaid humanitarianism? Everybody *else* gets paid.

Re: Schneier on NSA Spying

eric — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 23:39:45 -0000

On the other hand, data mining did identify some of the 9/11 attackers beforehand, in project Able Danger. Apparently there were not so many false positives in that system as to thwart the identification of real threats. The failure was not data mining, but the refusal of human beings to act on the intelligence.

Naturally I don't like to be spied on, but I'm not convinced data mining can't be effective.

Re: Misquotes on Global Warming

eric — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:23:16 -0000

The globe is currently not warming. It stopped in 1998.

"Consider the simple fact, drawn from the official temperature records of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, that for the years 1998-2005 global average temperature did not increase (there was actually a slight decrease, though not at a rate that differs significantly from zero)."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?x...

Is this a temporary pause in an inevitable upward climb in temperature? No one knows. The prediction models keep failing. If temperatures continue to fall, will the "nearly universal conclusion by scientists" be that we should burn more fossil fuels to warm things up again? Color me skeptical.

We've seen Chicken Littles come and we've seen them go. This is an argument about Ã?ÃÂ±0.05Ã?ÃÂºC per decade. In practical terms, that amount seems irrelevant to me, since the real future (compared to the imagined one) is likely to surprise us.

Re: Misquotes on Global Warming

eric — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 18:52:20 -0000

1998 was the warmest year on record? It depends on what you mean by "on record." Why, just this past week the New York Times published a story about a study showing sub-tropical temperatures near the North Pole about 55 million years ago. Obviously it was warmer then than it is now. Obviously man did not cause the warming 55 million years ago. Obviously the planet did not die because of those warmer temperatures.

If anyone wants to look at real data, download this:

http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/press/2005-12-WMO.pdf

and note the broad cooling trend from circa 1940 through 1980 (figure 2 on page 5). Since then the trend has been warming, although in the last 7 years we have not seen new highs. Also on page 9 note figure 6a, lower stratosphere temperatures are on a declining trend since 1960.

In light of these careful scientific observations, the alarm being raised seems out of proportion to the actual "problem."

Re: Misquotes on Global Warming

eric — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 02:06:06 -0000

enigma_foundry, I am not paid by Big Oil or other bogeymen. But I agree there is a reason for the "consensus" among scientists. They have their own incentives. Everybody is selective, in their own way.

Back in the early 1800s, there was a consensus among doctors delivering babies that washing their hands would not prevent infections and death. Semmelweiss showed them data that proved otherwise. They laughed him to scorn. Mothers and babies kept dying. So much for consensus.

By the way, Robin McKie writes in The Observer on July 11, 2004, "Carbon dioxide levels were no different 50 million years ago than today's."

Should we personally look at the data and believe the truth, or must we have "experts" tell us that our eyes deceive us? I shall keep my own counsel, thank you very much.

Re: The DMCA and Disrespect for the Law

eric — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 07:05:10 -0000

Wired magazine's "Scofflaw" column had a similar article a few months ago about changing DVDcontent to mp4 format.

I don't think prohibition undermined respect for the law generally. For example, I don't believe that people had less respect for laws against murder or armed robbery or child molestation just because they thought prohibiting alcohol was a dumb law that they refused to obey.

Putting innocent people on death row, circus trials like OJ Simpson, judges ruling the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional -- that is what really undermines respect for the law. Also presidents who start making up new surveillance laws apart from Congress. Congressmen who keep upwards of 100K in "cold" cash in their freezers. Or 12 million people living illegally in our country, freely given benefits to which they are not entitled. I would say these things are major threats to respect for the law. The popularity of P2P or programs to archive your own video content in a different format? Not so much.

Or are some people still shocked, SHOCKED, to find the majority of motorists driving 73 MPH when the speed limit on the freeway is clearly posted at 65? Americans seem to be a practical sort. If a law is viewed as stupid, they try to ignore it or work around it.

Re: President Signs Indecency Bill

eric — Fri, 16 Jun 2006 19:17:53 -0000

You show your bias by putting indecency in quotation marks. It isn't "indecency," it is real indecency. Pervasive perversion. The problem doesn't stop with what does or does not come into my home, even if there are 50 ways to stop that. The problem is that the indecency is seeping into the souls of all those who choose not to bar it from entering their internet connections, televisions, printed material, music, and games. We're talking about the effect on society at large. You don't see that as a problem, but tens of millions of people do. We're not going to sit down and shut up merely because some people wish to cloak filth with the cry "free speech!"

The President's action is largely symbolic, because of its limited scope. But symbols are sometimes meaningful far beyond their practical effect. It is a statement that we want to start cleaning up at least one part of the public square. Well, some of us do.

"We are all of us living in the gutter
But some of us are looking at the stars..."
-- Chrissie Hynde

Re: Bailey on Inconvenient Truths

eric — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:51:44 -0000

For a saner perspective, by someone who has actually been to the polar ice cap (and been writing about climate for decades, most recently in the New York Times), one might want to listen to Andrew Revkin, available as a replay from the June 14 Fresh Air with Terry Gross program, over at NPR.

He believes in man-caused global warming, but thinks that Algore's presentation was more "lawyerly" than scientific. It is irresponsible to connect climate change to individual events like Katrina. That is not the way science is done. And if one actually reads the reports of the IPCC, one will find all kinds of "ifs," "maybes," "probablys" and many other fudge-words.

There is a simple problem which we cannot overcome, even if we believe that man is causing global warming (and personally I believe man is responsible for only a small part of a very modest warming). That problem is bad computer climate models. None of them give accurate results if backtested. What that means is that we can't be sure that whatever corrective action we take will fix the warming "problem."

Why this hubristic urge to tinker with a machine we cannot understand? We may be about to plunge into another ice age. Ice ages came and went long before man could have had anything to do with them. If we cut down carbon emissions to stop "warming" we might make the next ice age worse. Do you really want to take that risk???

Without accurate knowledge of why the climate changes, which involves many factors, co-factors, and feedback loops, attempted corrective action could be as disastrous as the alleged effect we've already had. People who deny this simply do not understand chaos theory.

Re: Yahoo and the Pirate Bay

eric — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 11:58:06 -0000

Matt Drudge on a recent Sunday night radio show said he buys all his MP3 music files @allofmp3. (I don't know if that constitutes an endorsement.)

Other nations may not be able to force everyone down to the most permissive copyright rules, but they will influence the debate and the marketplace. For example, I've never visted Pirate Bay and never downloaded a bootleg movie. I've never used BitTorrent. However, I want to thank the people who do. I believe their behavior has had a wonderful impact for consumers like me, encouraging Hollywood to lower its prices for DVDs of films and TV shows that I buy. Surely everyone has noticed the falling prices. With rebates, I was buying Smallville DVD season sets for $20 each last year.

Re: More World Cup Tech Stories

eric — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 18:30:30 -0000

How do you sleep at night, you dirty pirate? ;-)

You should have recorded the stream, too, just to give the IP Nazis an extra stomach pang.

Re: Digital Downloads in Double Digits

eric — Mon, 10 Jul 2006 17:54:44 -0000

This is depressing news for those who value sound quality. Compressed files such as MP3s or iTunes take the guts, the richness, and the subtlety out of music. We might as well go back to compact cassettes.

This was recently made very clear to me after downloading MP3 versions of several songs from a new indie label, and after I bought the album on CD -- Woah! what a difference! The step forward in sales of downloads is a step backward in the reproduction of music.

There are a few digital download retailers who offer music in WAV or FLAC formats (i.e.lossless, full resolution), but not many.

Re: Digital Downloads in Double Digits

eric — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:45:36 -0000

Well, Tim, the market decides, for better or worse. If people continue to increase consumption of lossy formats, it will appear to the powers that be that sound quality doesn't matter much. Which, to most people, it probably doesn't.

It was reported that Naxos is going to offer their classical music catalog for high quality (CD bitrate) download. eMusic would be an obvious candidate to try offering a higher quality format, say WAV. (They offer albums from the Concord Jazz label, which usually have very high sound quality on CD.) What will convince them there might be demand for it?

320kbps MP3s can capture more of music's subtle characteristics, but there is a significant minority of listeners for whom that is not sufficient -- not for any music that we really care about. I continue to purchase CDs and have never really contemplated buying downloads.

Re: Tool! or “How to Ruin a Perfectly Good New Album with Talk of Copyright Policy”

eric — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 15:40:27 -0000

Album art is too small, usually. (But I'm from the vinyl LP generation.)

Liner notes are great, especially lyrics. (Except that sometimes bands do not include them.)

I continue to buy CDs from artists I like, mainly for the superior sound quality -- better than downloads, either legal or the copyright-infringed variety. I don't think I've ever heard anything by Tool. I'm not sure how I would become familiar with their ouevre except by downloading, or if I'm lucky the public library. That is how I discovered many artists which now populate my CD shelves.

Re: Fun Fact of the Day: Flat Panel Prices Plummet

eric — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:44:16 -0000

Flat panel monitors are neat, and I guess they are cooler to run. Will they be as durable? I am still using a Panasonic TV I bought in 1982, and one of my computers has an ancient 15" NEC monitor that still runs just fine.

Time will tell, I guess.

Re: Another Push for Cable Censorship

eric — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:21:04 -0000

A Kaiser Family Foundation poll in 2004 found that 89% of parents were either somewhat concerned or very concerned about objectionable content on television.

Nearly two-thirds of those polled said they favored new regulations to limit the sex and violence in TV shows during early evening hours, and 53% thought this should apply to cable TV as well. (I suspect if you narrowed it down to likely voters, the percentages would be even higher.)

We might consider that perhaps our representative government is reflecting the will of the people.

I wonder just what it is you think you will not be able to see if these regulations go into effect? Would they censor out all the ****suckers and f-words out of Deadwood? I don't think that would hurt anybody.

Re: Cyber Crime Convention

eric — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 00:21:43 -0000

I object on principle. Anything that obligates our law enforcement to investigate foreign crimes is by definition a loss of sovereignty.

Re: We Want the Whole Loaf

eric — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 00:41:35 -0000

The last point is crucial. If MP3 sellers can make a nice go of it, they will have pulled the rug out from under the argument for restrictions.

Unencrypted MP3s, sold by independent labels and subscription services like eMusic, are perhaps the most effective arguments against DRM. If MP3s were sonically satisfactory to me, I would be supporting that avenue of commerce. As it is, I still continue to purchase non-DRM compact discs. In a way, I am voting with my feet as much as eMusic customers, and taking a stand against tough DRM, kinder gentler DRM, or any DRM at all.

My friends copy their CDs and give them to me. If I really like the album, I purchase it anyway. And of course, I give samples of my favorite music to friends, who often buy albums by those artists. Copying begets buying, which begets more copying, and more buying, etc. This has been true since I was a teen, some 30 years ago, when "cassette taping will kill the music industry!" Where did modern record executives grow up, that they do not understand this -- through direct experience? I will remain happily in the "pre-DRM" world, thank you. Speaking of which, has anyone noticed the increased interest in analog, i.e. vinyl?

Re: Another Case of “Rights Inflation”: Sports on Cable TV

eric — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 10:55:12 -0000

If the free market could supply what we want, there would be no need for laws. But I want a la carte, and the free market has not supplied it. Perhaps it will at some point, through internet distribution, but at the moment I would have to buy a package of 39 channels I don't want for one channel I do want. This is unacceptable, and the monopoly prevents the free market from supplying it.

This is not rocket science. When a government-created monopoly does not meet the needs of the consumer, the only option is legislation. Yes, it is our right. It is just as important as your right to smutty programs that in my opinion do not belong on cable or broadcast TV. What is wrong with a compromise where you buy a la carte the filth and garbage you want to see, and I can buy something more wholesome?

We pay taxes, and we elect representatives. They should represent us. I think a la carte IS technology liberation, and that's supposed to be what this blog is about.

Re: Another DRM Train Wreck

eric — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:51:08 -0000

I think we'll find that hi-def DVDs will be somewhat of a niche market, because people are usually satisfied with less. As DRM issues go, this one is probably low on the priority list.

Look what happened in high-def audio. DVD-Audio and SACD just aren't catching on. CD is losing market share and the lower quality iTunes, WMA, and MP3 files are increasing. People can't hear the difference or don't care. High quality doesn't sell. It's the old Monty Python maxim: "97% of British housewives can't tell the difference between Whizzo butter and a dead crab!"

DVD is "high enough def" video for the majority. HD-DVD and Blu-Ray will not be an easy sell. Personally, I'll be switching to Linux not Vista, so the point is moot for me.

I am unclear on one point, though. I thought Blu-Ray and HD-DVD had already been hacked by using WinDVD screen capture. That means folks were already playing the HD formats on their computers, which I assume were 32-bit. ARSTechnica mentioned the Qosmio G30 laptop. Sorry, I'm not that geeky to know.

Re: Competition In Broadband Is Thriving

eric — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 22:22:37 -0000

I live in duopolyland. Our choice: Cable internet from Mediacom or DSL from the phone company or go suck an egg. Regular prices for basic service are virtually the same for either. If you bundle, you get discounts, again similar. (The phone company is offering TV deals too, via satelite receiver)

DSL can be had for an introductory $32/month plus sales tax, until the introductory period ends. This sounds good relative to what was available a few years ago. But relative to the ads we see on Yahoo for SBC service as low as $15, it feels like a lack of competition. Which is exactly what it is.

The whole of this metro area, the largest metro area in Iowa, has two and only two realistic choices, which are hardly different from one another, in service or price. If they can fool everyone into thinking this is competition, then shame on us. I think Masnick is closer to the truth here.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » On Hance Haney and the Discovery Institute

eric — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 12:18:48 -0000

"Julian worries that bringing Haney on board will 'lend their crackpot ideology some sort of legitimacy by association.'"

This hubristically presumes that there is some large fund of legitimacy here that would somehow diffuse out to Haney and his employer and their defining principles. Not to knock TLF, but that's a pretty long bridge to cross.

I honestly don't understand the hostility to ID. If it is so self-evidently wrong, why the hypersensitivity? The effort to shut people up or shut people out seems fascistic.

All that aside, a man's words on one subject should not be pre-judged invalid by his beliefs on another subject, even if you are vehemently opposed to them. Hany's credibility or lack (on tech issues) should become evident over time, as he reveals his reasoning process.

Could there be some fear that Haney will reveal himself as a reasonable sort, hence casting doubt on the prejudice that ID supporters are all ignorant or sly schemers?

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » On Hance Haney and the Discovery Institute

eric — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 16:39:10 -0000

Richard, I see -- from your point of view -- why this is a life-and-death struggle. However, I would merely point out that many truth seekers think science should be allowed to investigate all possible causes for observed phenomena, not merely impersonal, random, and mechanical ones. It is really an argument over what the definition of science ought to be. You believe debate about this should never even take place. Millions of Americans differ with that POV. But no matter. I am sure that that discussion will never take place here. This is TLF -- tech will be what is discussed here. So, I understand why you're upset about the fact that such questions are being raised in society, but I don't understand why anyone shouldn't be allowed to talk intelligently about tech on TLF. That's just petty.

Re: MySpace vs. The Labels

eric — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 01:33:52 -0000

Noel, I am astounded at your position. Yes, in the old days, artists would spend eons in expensive recording studios. A few were indulged with that expense. Fleetwood Mac's Tusk probably cost $1-2 million dollars back in the day. But the majority of the albums I listen to probably cost less than $50,000 to record. The first two albums by the Police cost less than $20,000 -- before they got famous and could dawdle in the studio recording 57 takes of the guitar solo. Today someone with a laptop, ProTools software, a good microphone, and some patience, can record an album for virtually nothing. And they are.

On the other end of the process, the sale to the consumer, many artists are making so little on an iTunes download, they might as well give the music away anyway. The Allman Brothers make 4.5 cents per song on an iTunes download. If people bought the physical CD, they would make more than 30 cents a song. (Needless to say, the Allmans and many artists have initiated a lawsuit against their employers.) Other artists have also said they make substantially more royalties on CD sales than on an equivalent number of downloaded tunes. My point is that it isn't hard to believe that, even given an increased level of friends giving copies to friends (which I doubt), an artist could make more money selling a non-DRM product himself on MySpace than having to sacrifice most of the sale price to the record label on a protected iTunes song.

Re: MySpace vs. The Labels

eric — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 11:55:20 -0000

As for the "Robin Hood" question -- I am generally in agreement with enigma. I think it has something to do with the golden rule. Many perceive that the major labels have been cheating both customers (note the number of class action suits and actions against them by attorneys general) and the artists in their employ (note the iTunes example I gave in an earlier response). As such it is easy to build up an antagonism to the point that a customer won't feel much guilt receiving a copied CD-R or free MP3 file.

On the other hand, independent artists who have been very generous in giving their work out, engender in listeners an equal and opposite reaction. We want to support those artists. For example, Jill Sobulehas regularly been giving away a rotating selection of album and live tracks on MP3 at her website for many, many years. I go out of my way to buy a new copy of her albums.

There is a psychology to all this that goes beyond mere economics.

Re: MySpace vs. The Labels

eric — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:58:45 -0000

OK Mike. Perhaps I give people too much credit.

Re: Inequality and iTunes

eric — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:50:16 -0000

I think long-term unemployment is pretty bad in some of the countries you listed, enigma.

And in Sweden, the party who promised to normalize social benefits to increase competition in the international sphere was just elected, a major upset of the other party's generational control.

Even the Swedes are starting to see the light.

Re: The Exploding Online Music Ecosystem

eric — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:26:33 -0000

I'm glad you mentioned MP3 blogs. They are a wonderful resource. I'm surprised the major labels haven't turned their lawsuit machines on them yet. They offer a mix of major label and independent tracks, in MP3 format (obviously), non-DRM by nature. Often I can sample top hits -- out of curiosity, because my taste does not run toward Justin Timberlake or Nelly Furtado or Fergie -- and at least get a sense of what's "happening" in the music world.

The free tracks from these blogs have resulted in my purchasing several CDs so far (notably albums by Feist, Brookville, The Cardigans, and even Blossom Dearie). MP3 blogs are the new radio for me.

While the Big Four continue to sue dead people, grandmothers, and poor black teens for "songlifting" music from peer-to-peer services, they seem to be tacitly endorsing the giveaway occuring daily in the blogosphere, even actively promoting such activity at times. As such, they are being dragged into the free music model of promotion already embraced by the indie world.

By the way, I don't think this blog has mentioned the phenomenal success of Sufjan Stevens on the indie Asthmatic Kitty label. Sufjan's material is ubiquitous on free MP3 music blogs. Does anyone think he would have reached the recognition and level of sales he did, without wide circulation of free, DRM-free MP3 tracks? He isn't my cup of tea, but many people have bought into him (literally) in a big way. His album Illinois sold so many copies, it spawned a second release of out-takes.

Re: The Exploding Online Music Ecosystem

eric — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 18:47:10 -0000

1.Best blog I know: www.jefitoblog.com/blog/

This blogger's taste is more mainstream than some of the indie-obsessed efforts, but it is an invaluable aid to musical education, with frequent "idiot guides" profiling the entire catalog of a selected artist, the good, bad, and the ugly, with downloadable examples. Jefito also covers live, out-of-print, rare b-side material, plus embarrassing yet nostalgic shlock and schmaltz.

2. aurgasm.us
Mostly oriented toward artists from other nations. Madeleine Peyroux was a recent feature. Check her out on the August 20 post before the links go dead.

3. For third place, a tie between womenfolk.net devoted to "women in music" and The Late Greats, staergetaleht.blogspot.com, offering a wide mix of "pop tarts," indie-folk, jazz, soundtrack, and live radio performances.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Remember $80 Movies?

eric — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 11:32:22 -0000

I might download a song for 99 cents if I knew the artist was getting more than 5 cents. But many artists do not get more than that. I also don't like lossy files or DRM. Quality considerations are probably not a factor for most buyers, but DRM probably is or will be.

Realistically, the choices are between free and 99 cents. That is the reason less than 5% of all songs downloaded on the internet are paid downloads. Obviously in this environment lower price will be an enticement. This is not rocket science.

Even in the days of the VHS movie, the alternative was free. Wait until the movie plays on television, and tape it on your VCR. When videotapes cost $60, it was quite a motivation to tape your own copy for free, especially given the poor quality of even professionally duplicated tapes in those days.

One may say it should not be like this, "piracy" ought not to exist as an alternative. But this is reality. Reality is that 99 cents versus free is not very appealing, especially when an artist like tha Allman Bros. makes less than five cents on a one dollar download. (Weird Al Yankovic also recently commented that he makes substantially more money per track from a CD purchase than a download.) On the other end of the scale, the alternative is buying a CD (lossless, no DRM) for $12-14 versus cheating the artist out of royalties by buying the album from iTunes (lossy, with DRM) at $9.99.

Re: Let’s Hear It for Gridlock!

eric — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 09:50:23 -0000

The internet gambling bill cleared the Senate, if this news report is correct. The President is set to sign it this week.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/02/061002...

Re: Let’s Hear It for Gridlock!

eric — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 14:01:44 -0000

I'm a conservative more than a libertarian, but let me get on that gridlock bandwagon with y'all. The more monkey wrenches we can throw in the machine, the better.

Re: Howard Zinn’s “People’s History of the United States”

eric — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 15:49:18 -0000

One thing I wonder about is the inequality in income gains. This is, we are told, in "The Height of Inequality" in the September Atlantic Monthly, a largely a US and British phenomenon. The financial benefits of productivity gains seem to be skewed increasingly toward upper incomes. "Over thirty-five years, the rise in wages and salaries in the wide middle of the income distribution was 11 percent. The rise in wages and salaries at the top of the income distribution was 617 percent." The rising tide is not lifting all boats, and as Ross Perot said, trickle down never trickled down.

Perhaps powerful interests are not corrupting the system, but of all the interests who could corrupt the system, who would be the most likely suspects? If this is some sort of natural and normal economic phenomenon, why is it not happening in other countries to the degree it happens here?

Is it something we ought to worry about? I think yes, though I do not know the remedy. It gives the appearance of a deviation, and the problem with deviations is that sometimes they correct violently, like stock market bubbles.

Certainly there have been advances. I wonder if some of them haven't been in spite of the system as it now operates.

Re: Tower Records R.I.P.

eric — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 22:30:41 -0000

If memory serves, Tower took on a crushing debt load during the dot-com boom of the late 1990s, and it never paid off. The most popular CD releases can be purchased for less at other bricks-and-mortar outlets, I believe. And the "long tail" items, especially out-of-print albums, are easily obtained at other online retailers.

The only item I can recall buying from Tower Records was an online purchase of a rather obscure audiophile bluegrass record, After Midnight by the McNeely-Levin-Skinner Band, recorded live in the studio direct to two-track tape. I bought it with a promotional coupon, and didn't like their website, so I never gave them any more business.

Re: National Freedom of Speech Week

eric — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:06:28 -0000

Free speech? Not for opponents of unfettered immigration. A disturbance at Columbia University silenced a spokesman for the Minutemen, the anti-illegal immigration organization.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoona...

Somehow the editing of a few rude words on PBS does not trouble me nearly so much as the complete disruption of the real political content of the speech by the Minutemen, among other attempts by the left-of-center institutions to censor conservative ideas.

Re: Quote of the Day

eric — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 12:18:23 -0000

Most music is still sold on CD, which for the most part has no DRM. Most music on iPods or any other portable player is not purchased from DRM-infected online sources, either. More downloads are being sold in DRM-free formats.

Therefore, most of the so-called piracy (or simple copying, in the case of ripping one's own CDs to his iPod) is completely ouside the sphere of DRM or the DMCA (as I understand it, and IANAL). I don't know if this makes DRM a fallacy, but it is certainly less relevant than this discussion would suggest.

For the most part, the unauthorized copying of music on p2p and other places is originally from CDs, not from DRM'd downloads stripped of DRM. Is this not correct? Once again, this leans toward the "fallacy" interpretation.

Re: Sony’s “Location Free TV”: Any Copyright Issues?

eric — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:11:43 -0000

Matthew, if you are "empowering video makers and users" (by the way, you need to learn the proper use of apostrophes), that's great. But from the brief description of your system, I'm not clear how you are empowering users. It sounds like you are restricting them.

Then there is always the question of competition. What makes your system competetive with free content on bittorrent. (Not that I have ever downloaded a TV show or movie with bittorrent. No really, I haven't. I don't have a BT client, although I had thought of installing the Opera browser, as I am told it has integrated BT functionality.) I am asking hypothetically how this would break down, pros versus cons, against free content.

ABC is also offering their TV programs free via the web too, so there is legitimate brand-name content available free as well. Wave of the future? We shall see.

Re: Why is Gary Shapiro picking on Cary Sherman?!?

eric — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 00:24:54 -0000

Noel, would that be like Sony trying to make revenue by producing a product that would record onto videotape copyrighted TV shows and movies off the air? Did Betamax have any business model that didn't involve what you term piracy? How many would they have sold if the TV stations could have implemented a broadcast flag to block the Betamax from recording?

This is a very, very old argument. I thought the Supreme Court settled it, in principle, and the Congress in the AHRA. Digital radio may be a new technology, but the principle of recording an MP3 from a digital radio or recording a song from FM onto cassette tape is the same.

Next you'll be telling us that digital radio recording devices are like the "Boston Strangler."

Cary Sherman claims to be a music fan. What I wouldn't give to see what is on his iPod. I wonder if it is anything I would actually consider music. Enquiring minds...

Re: Why is Gary Shapiro picking on Cary Sherman?!?

eric — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 07:26:39 -0000

Your reply is thoughtful, Noel. And you did provide one example of something suspiciously deceptive uttered by Mr. Shapiro. That particular question -- whether unauthorized downloading is "illegal and immoral" -- is not a yes or no proposition, as I see it. I think a lot more music is given away free intentionally or with tacit permission than Justice Breyer or Cary Sherman realizes or will admit to. So, it depends, and I presume Shapiro did not qualify his statement. (This reminds me of some of the maddeningly imprecise, nay deceptive, ads run by political candidates pushing "stem cell research" or deriding their opponents for opposing it. The lack of clarity caused most people who heard those ads to understand them a certain way, but reality was something other than what the ads implied.)

Still, our system functioned remarkably well for years under the stipulations that analog recorders paid a small percentage of the manufacturing price as a fee and there was a small fee on tape media. And when I say small fee, I mean miniscule. People could then copy from the radio, TV, or from records and tapes. Taping did not kill music. Videotaping did not kill TV or movies.

Now the content industries wish to rewrite the laws for new technology/media under a new principle, and that principle is extortion. You complain (technically it was Lewis) that the position of the Digital Freedom campaign is unclear. I submit that the content industries cannot clearly and honestly state what they want, either. It appears that they ultimately want control of all possible avenues of playing audio and video content, and increased remuneration for the privilege. A per-listen or per-view charge for all content is their ultimate desire in my opinion, where no content is ever really owned by the buyer, and rights extend to the infinite future to change the terms of the contract between licensor and licensee. This is as extreme as what you view as the possibly "piratical" goals of the CEA or the Digital Freedom campaign.

If Big Content ever comes clean, it will be a more pressing matter for the Digital Freedom people to clarify their positions. Until then, the criticism of "foggy goals" applies equally to both sides.

Re: The DRM Train Wreck on National TV

eric — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 18:23:08 -0000

"Consumers benefit from the introduction of new innovations. If you handicap producers, those innovations won't come to market."

But reverse engineering to allow interoperability IS an innovation. If you disallow that, you are handicapping producers. You are only choosing between different kinds of handicaps.

Also, your example of the big success of the iPod is not especially convincing proof that consumers don't care about interoperability. Yes, this is nominally true, but why don't they care? Although people have purchased an astounding number of iPods compared to other competitors' products, they are not necessarily using them in a way that heavily involves DRM. The average iPod user buys very few DRM'd downloads. The last figure I read, was that each iPod owner bought, on average, about 20-25 songs from the ITMS. So only a fraction of their iPod hard drives are DRM'd product. The rest? Presumably it is downloaded legally or illegally in a non-DRM format, most commonly MP3, or taken from the owner's or the owner's friends' CD collections -- again, non-DRM. My best friend owns an iPod, and he has no DRM'd songs on it whatsoever.

Only for the dedicated, habitual ITMS customer -- and the averages tell us there really aren't that many who fall into that category -- is DRM a major factor. For most, it is a minor issue, since their music is in MP3 format obtained from other sources. This puts the iPod on a more equal footing with other products in terms of interoperability, because it is doubtful most buyers of a Creative Zen player will be buying large collections of DRM'd songs, either.

This may change, if predictions of the death of CD actually come true. But we still live in a world where most tunes used in these DRM-limited players are not DRM'd -- they come from physical media (CD) or internet sharing. An MP3 you downloaded from a P2P application or ripped from a CD will work equally well on an Apple or non-Apple player. We are on the cusp of public awareness of these compatibility issues, because most consumer uses these products don't cause compatibility conflicts.

Re: My DRM Agnosticism & Indifference toward Media Format Compatibility

eric — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 10:34:17 -0000

"DRM makes sense to consumers and producers but evidently not those who think technology should be guided by ideology."

X hit the nail on the head in his response. Consumers cannot be said to be embracing DRM as something that makes sense to them. Most people in most situations are choosing non-DRM music. No one answered my post in the other thread, but X. makes the same point, only more thoroughly. Forget piracy. Even legal music purchases are mostly non-DRM. If we're looking to the marketplace for answers, the marketplace is speaking.

I submit that as downloading from ITMS and its DRM-laden competitors increases and CD sales decline, interoperability will become proportionately more important to the consumer and they will become ever more convinced that DRM does not make sense. How they will express that resistance, I don't know. Time will tell. Perhaps the CD will simply refuse to die, in spite of the increasing number of obituaries being written for it.

Re: Broken Windows and Copyrights

eric — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:50:08 -0000

"Its more important that iTunes gives near exclusive offerings that other services don't. And you know that iTunes will only play on the iPod (at least currently). This ads enough value to the iPod so that MP3 music owners will buy it rather than other players."

I think we would need some actual data to establish this. How many iPod owners are buying "near exclusive offerings?" Of this number, how many consider it an important factor in their purchase?

Color me skeptical.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » eMusic Spike

eric — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:03:59 -0000

I thought allofmp3.com had been cut off at the knees by the announcement of Visa/MasterCard they would no longer process payments to that site. I expect traffic for them would be down. Although Norway did just rule allofmp3 legal. Norway giveth, VISA taketh away.

Re: Moglen on the Moral Significance of Free Software

eric — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:34:17 -0000

I don't think even Ayn Rand would object to people voluntarily cooperating to produce a program or algorithm, and then voluntarily releasing it to everyone under conditions set by those who created the program. And she was virulently anti-Communist. She was all about ownership and freedom, doing what you will with the fruits of your own labor. If you (or a group) made the code, then you (or the group) can keep it to yourselves, sell it, give it away under any conditions you choose, or destroy it if you choose. Wouldn't that be her position? If someone else doesn't like it, nuts to them.

To call this communist is another in a line of irrational outbursts. Is this what it has come to? Hurling absurd epithets?

Some persons continue a perpetual commentary against TLF, and in some cases it is probably because no one is commenting at all on their own blogs. I figure they must be lonely. If the shoe fits...

Re: “Data Mining Doesn’t Catch Terrorists”

eric — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:09:24 -0000

Did your article mention Able Danger? I did not find it in a word search. You contend that that was not an effective mining algorithm?

Re: Rip, Mix, Sell?

eric — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:43:25 -0000

If you burned a copy to an "Audio CD-R", which is more expensive because it contains within the price a fee which is supposedly distributed to rights holders (whether artists receive this or whether folks at the RIAA use this money to light their cigars, I know not), then have you not made a non-infringing copy under AHRA? If so, then would you not be free and clear to sell your original CD? If burning a copy to a normal CD-R is fair use, then why the fee for an audio CD-R? What exactly is that fee paying for, if not the right to own a legal copy? Or, to put it another way, the right to make a non-infringing copy? The AHRA says nothing about the fate of the CD you copied it from.

Doesn't this muddy the water?

Re: What Was the Biggest Tech Policy Story of 2006?

eric — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 06:09:29 -0000

Thanks to the continuing debate and information on this blog, I did write my Congresscritters to protest that Net Neutrality was a solution to a virtually non-existent problem. Hopefully these communications have a little bit of impact, at least.

The possibility of regulation should be held over the heads of industry for a while, though, so they won't create a problem that needs regulating. I think we had the best possible outcome, in which legislation was threatened, but not passed.

Re: HD-DVD Copy Protection Cracked

eric — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 15:57:25 -0000

"SteveR, what is the criminal activity on the part of corporations that you're talking about?"

Oh, probably only little things like stealing millions of dollars from stockholders through stock option backdating, to name one "minor" example. Surely that is not as serious a crime as copying a movie, but still there are some people out here in the cheap seats who will make a fuss over it. Imagine that.

If you want an example specifically dealing with the motion picture industry, how about the kind of accounting they use -- remember the story about how the movie Forrest Gump, years after massive ticket sales and home video sales, had not earned a "profit"? Record industry accounting is similar. Oh, it might even be legal, but most people would consider it morally criminal.

I have no dog in this fight. I have downloaded a grand total of one television program from P2P -- a news show -- it wasn't HiDef, nor do I care. Still, between the little robbers and the big robbers, it is hard not to root for the little ones.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Mozilla Rakes It In

eric — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:00:51 -0000

There is another measure of value. When I have a problem for which I am looking for a software solution, I invariably look at FOSS first. This is partly becaue I am cheap. It is also because, as a computer user who has paid good money for products that ultimately don't perform well, and are needlessly bloated and hamstrung by their own complexity, my experience is that there are simple, efficient FOSS alternatives that fill my needs. Sometimes they are quirky, but usually no more quirky than commercial products. I love small programs that do simple tasks, that also do not try to commandeer my computer for other unwanted and unneeded tasks. I don't know how to put a dollar value on this advantage. I could even say it is priceless.

Re: Where’s My Video Jukebox?

eric — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:29:25 -0000

Look up the Pioneer DV-F727 301-Disc DVD Changer on amazon.com. $476. It holds 301 CDs or DVDs. I think Sony also makes one that is discontinued but is still available. The video jukebox already exists.

OK, I'm not arguing that a hard disc-based unit wouldn't be more flexible. It would. Although at 8GB per DVD, to store 300 DVDs would take up to 2400 GB of hard disc space. Such a jukebox would probably cost more than the mechanical solution of making a big DVD changer.

Mind you, I am on your side in the revolution. But if you want a video jukebox, one is available now.

Re: Hollywood Baffles Me

eric — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 18:12:40 -0000

Yes, for the DVD, the war has been lost. An L.A. Times poll last year found that 60% of younger respondents (the prime DVD demographic) thought there was nothing wrong with giving a copy of a DVD you owned to a friend. Like it or not, this is the mindset of Hollywood's customer base.

This mindset, I think, comes from music sharing that has occurred and become part of the culture ever since the advent of the cassette tape. As a teen and college-age adult my friends and I taped each others' vinyl albums, and often this led to buying the vinyl albums we had taped. Nevertheless, because of the ubiquitous nature of home taping, the hidden tax on blank tape evolved.

It makes much more sense for business to adapt to the attitudes and opinions and behavior of the majority than to be constantly fighting them with technology that can be easily circumvented or lawsuits that create public relations debacles. That tax on blank tapes was such an accommodation.

Apple may have the clout to make Hollywood seriously consider some kind of accommodation on downloadable video. For example, how about allowing lossy copies (not as good as the original downloads) to be made for a small fee. The lossy copy is analogous to the average cassette copy of a vinyl album -- good, but not great. The fee would be analogous to the blank tape tax.

I'm not saying this is the best solution, but I haven't even heard the home taping model discussed in this context. Why not??? With HD-DVD being cracked as we speak, it just seems logical to regulate the urge to copy, rather than always trying and failing to subvert it.

Re: Hollywood Baffles Me

eric — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 11:53:53 -0000

ramster, my data is from the LA Times, August 9, article by Charles Duhigg, "Is Copying a Crime? Well...Many young people say that duplicating CDs or DVDs they own is legal. The industries disagree."

Question was asked to children/adults age 12-24: "Is it stealing?Younger consumers see strong differences between copying and outright stealing.Proportion of young people who thought the following would be committing a crime: (Combined minor and serious crime)"

"Copying a DVD/videotapefrom friend who paid for it" -- the response was near 40% for these age groups who thought it was a minor or serious crime. That means 60% did not believe it was a minor or serious crime.

For copying a CD owned by friend who paid for it, the percentage who thought it was minor or serious crime was even lower, around 30%.

My phrasing implies exactly what I meant, exactly what was published in the LA Times.

Now, with regard to CD copying, only a few years ago, industry representatives were saying it was not wrong to copy your CD for a friend. I would refer you to NPR's Science Friday discussion on Digital Copyright, from May 18, 2001. The assumption in this discussion, unchallenged by anyone in the discussion, was that making a few personal copies of your own CD for friends was legal. (Now the RIAA reps are completely changing their tune.)

Given the history, these are believable statistics on public opinion.

Re: Banning In-Car Technologies Won’t Work

eric — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:40:03 -0000

I'm sorry, but as a driver, a passenger, and a pedestrian, I am on the side of safety first. Frankly, the things I see on the road frighten me. There are already enough distractions for the driver without adding more. It is good you pointed out aftermarket devices. We'll need to ban them, too.

I'm all for freedom -- off the public streets. Your position is doctrinaire -- a classic example, in fact.

In the end, you will lose this argument, and I will tell you why: It's for the children. Good or bad, that trumps everything nowadays, it seems.

Re: Joe Consumer, Beta Tester

eric — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:46:10 -0000

"DRM = Defective By Design" is not merely a slogan. It's literally true. The design is defective. Examples multiply as time goes on.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Music Industry Booming

eric — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 01:01:33 -0000

Noel, exactly how much has unauthorized copying decreased music industry revenues? Revenues are down, but you are singling out one factor - copyright infringement - and blaming that. It seems as if you are the one trying to establish a one-to-one relationship here, attributing all music industry decline to copying/sharing. In reality, you don't know, and no one knows, exactly. I don't think anyone knows even approximately.

"Copyright allows musicians to recoup their investments and risks." I am not a professional musician, although I did record a theme song for a radio program that was used on-air for several years -- but I wasn't paid for that, so I guess I'm not a professional. To be sure, I don't have much firsthand experience with the music industry. But the majority of what I read on the net written by people who have been professional musicians, does not lead me to believe that musicians' investments of time and money are being well-rewarded because of copyright. The major multinational music conglomerates keep most artists working as slaves, and the money they make that keeps them from starvation is mostly from live performances -- hardly the result of copyright law. A few artists make it big, and certainly your statement applies to them. What you say is true in theory. In practice, for most artists, I don't believe it applies.

Change "musicians" to "multinational corporations" and your statement is self-evidently true. However, copyright was not created to benefit corporations, but to stimulate individual creators. And as the boom in individual amateur music playing proves, the individual does not need that much stimulus to create, if any.

Do you play music, Noel? I'm not sure you understand the muse, the creative urge. You speak as if it is some sort of left-brain green eyeshade calculation, rather than a right-brain inspiration.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Music Industry Booming

eric — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 17:57:34 -0000

Noel, thank you for your explanation. While I find many of your responses here at the "Front" (TLF) very difficult to sympathize with, I must say that you possess a most refined musical taste. Anyone who chooses Rubinstein's Chopin recordings as their favorite clearly has his musical head screwed on straight. His technique is wonderful, without losing the emotion and playfulness that make listening a joy.

I'm a self-taught non-music-reading guitarist myself, favoring no particular genre, though most jazz and classical music is beyond my technique. Lately, I favor bossa nova.

Now to further clarify, you've made this statement twice: "...the level at which piracy has reduced revenue is greater than the overall decline." Perhaps I'm dense, but I don't understand. It sounds as if you're saying that if CD sales declined, say, $1 billion year-over-year, that the toll of piracy is actually even greater than $1 billion dollars. I can see this as a possible interpretation, i.e. without piracy, perhaps CD sales would have increased $1 billion. I don't find it very probable. Exactly how one would go about establishing this on a preponderance of evidence I don't know.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Music Industry Booming

eric — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:14:12 -0000

I honestly don't know, and I don't take much stock in projections. My guess is that file sharing hits the successful pop artists in a substantial way, and that for jazz and certain other genres it may serve as a sales stimulus. There can't be any simple answer. I don't use p2p, but I know that my own downloading from music blogs has led to buying CDs. I also know that passing these tracks on to friends means they also bought CDs -- CDs we would not otherwise have known even existed. Are there "lost sales"? In the big bad world, of course there are. I wish I could wave a magic wand and remove all the music that artists didn't want shared from the various distribution networks. Then we could really have a definitive test.

Nevertheless, whether it benefits the music *industry* or not isn't, to my mind, the most important question.

Re: DRM on 9/11 Commission Report

eric — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 01:49:49 -0000

Has anyone simply asked the publisher for the password? I don't know what would happen, but it might be very amusing...

Re: “Freely Trading”

eric — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 12:36:17 -0000

"Demanding that hard-working creative people give their work away for free is the height of narcissism."

Welcome to the United States of America, circa 2007.

Height of narcissism. That sounds about right. Of course, it misses the point of whether DRM actually accomplishes its stated goals and whether it is truly a benefit, overall, to those "hard working" creative types.

But to answer your question more directly, the reason people get so excited about DRM is that, at least in my age group, a large number of us are really passionate about music. Passion = emotion. When we buy the albums of the artists we like (sad to say, there are fewer of these around every year), the artists who produce quality work, who speak to our souls in some way, and then we encounter these infernal obstacles to transferring those recordings easily to another format, or perhaps sending a track to a friend, that hurts in a very visceral way that would not apply if we were only talking about a toaster that didn't work properly.

It is the very nature of music, the language of heart and soul and emotion, that makes the DRM issue such a personal one. This is not to say that there isn't an element of wanting a free lunch. But for many people, it is far deeper than that.

Re: XM + Sirius = Good Deal (for the Companies and Consumers)

eric — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:43:44 -0000

Noel, are you referring to the satellite radio receivers that also record songs? I thought I had read that there is no easy way to transfer songs from those devices to other devices, except the "analog hole." (Long may it wave.)

Re: Geek Protectionism

eric — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:04:30 -0000

"What I suspect he means is that American workers who would have become computer programmers at $100,000 have more lucrative options once the salary drops to $80,000. Maybe more of them go to law school or business school."

So, you think programmers becoming lawyers will make society more productive? That's a good one, Tim.

Re: More on the Cathedral and the Blogosphere

eric — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:05:27 -0000

Depth is expensive. So is triviality. How much did it cost ABC to send Diane Sawyer to Tehran to ask Ahmadinejad what's on his iPod?

I actually think you could pick a random blogger and have a better chance of getting a decent interview than Mike Wallace or Diane Sawyer.

Not that President Ahmad-nutjob would recieve someone who might ask real questions and real follow-ups.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Why Not Meter?

eric — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:44:17 -0000

Why are luncheon buffets so popular? Eat as much as you want for a set price. It is the same psychology with many other products and services.

The problem with the "market solution" is that there is not enough broadband choices in most areas to really make a market. Monopoly or duopoly is too often the case. If that changes, then "innovative" pricings schemes might be a good idea. Although honestly, to simply charge according to the meter doesn't seem like much of an innovation. It is a choice that providers have abandoned, by and large, since the early days of AOL and Compuserve, where you were charged by the hour.

I'm probably a moderate user -- not a hog, but more than average. It remains to be seen which side of the line I'd fall on if the ISP's made a distinction.

Re: Commerce TV Subsidy Compromise: Spend First, Limit Later

eric — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 14:08:28 -0000

For me TV is mostly a joke. Cable TV especially so. I just set up an OTA HDTV rig on a computer -- to capture local high def programming. It isn't really practical for general viewing, but sometimes I want to save a particular program. Right now the HDTV signals are in the UHF band, so rabbit ears are not the best. When analog TV goes dead, I read that they intend to shift the frequencies down into the VHF band -- so rabbit ears will work again.

I am glad for OTA television, and glad for this federal program. It's probably one of the few ways I'll ever get to suck on a government teat.

If you want to complain about government waste, why don't you concentrate on the programs that waste the most money? Start with the nonsense programs the defense department keeps pursuing.

Re: FLOSSers: Faster, Richer…and Better Looking?

eric — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:33:06 -0000

As for causal relationships, perhaps more successful companies have sufficient resources to donate some of them to FLOSS work, in which case the causal relationship is actually reversed.

But in any case, at least there doesn't seem to be any HARM to FLOSS contributers, even though they are devoting resources to work that helps other companies who use FLOSS, perhaps even their competitors. Isn't that, at the very least, significant?

Re: One TV Set, One Vote? Broadcasters Assert Rights for Televisions

eric — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:34:50 -0000

It's the Administration's No Tube Left Behind initiative! Makes you want to salute the flag, no?

Re: The Other Other America: Some Don’t Care About Over-the-Air, Says CEA’s Shapiro

eric — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:43:50 -0000

Broadcast HDTV is not encrypted, so it can be recorded and the MPEG2 video treated as any other MPEG2 video, i.e. transferred to another format -- DVD, MP4, whatever -- with no DRM problems.

With a cable or satellite provider, we would be at their mercy as far as the ability to save and time-shift or format-shift programming. And we would have to pay for the honor of having our capabilities limited.

If you hate DRM, you should love broadcast TV. :)

Re: Official: EMI Goes DRM-Free

eric — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:38:55 -0000

I'm happy for the beginning of the end of DRM. I'm unhappy that they continue to offer compressed formats, even though less compressed than before. All things considered, consumers ought to be able to buy digital dubs of, let's say, the Beatles master tapes done at 24bits/96kHz sample rate -- uncompressed.

This is a giant step for the DRM debate, and for consumers. This is a baby step forward in sound quality.

It is very fair to allow customers to upgrade for thirty cents per song. Since the average iPod buyer has purchased only 25 songs, that would be a cheap upgrade.

Re: A La Carte Regulation and “Family-Friendly” Programming

eric — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 23:11:57 -0000

I'm not sure whether it will have any effect on cleaning up cable or not. I know that many people simply do not like the thought of their dollars being distributed to channels which dispense content of which they disapprove or simply find worthless.

What if the only way I could buy bottled water was "bundled" with a six pack of beer? Even if the cost is low enough, I might well have a reasonable objection to that -- like being an alcoholic or a Baptist. What if the only way a person could buy a carrot was "bundled" with an orange? How would people who are allergic to citrus feel about that? They would consider it ridiculous. Even outrageous. I think that is how millions of Christian television consumers feel.

Roll on, a la carte train.

Re: A La Carte Regulation and “Family-Friendly” Programming

eric — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:22:12 -0000

Hmmm. If you keep using Krugman as an example, you just might start a movement for mandatory unbundling of newspaper columnists, too. :)

But seriously, while there are practical hurdles to newspaper unbundling, cable TV unbundling would be quite simple technically.

Actually, my point is that cable TV bundling is an emotional issue, and I don't think logical arguments make much of a dent. I can see your point, but I feel strongly enough about the issue that I would prefer a la carte, even if it cost more. Sometimes getting exactly what you want is worth a little extra.

Re: More DRM-Free iTunes Music

eric — Tue, 01 May 2007 00:02:31 -0000

Now, if I liked "indie" music (I don't so much), and if I wanted to buy compressed music files (I don't, I buy CDs), without DRM, I would still gravitate toward eMusic with tracks at about 35 cents each instead of iTunes with non-DRM tracks at 99 cents. Or will the indie non-DRM iTunes be priced at $1.29 like the EMI tracks? Start dropping the prices, and things might get interesting.

Re: DRM Grieving Process Continues

eric — Wed, 02 May 2007 13:24:20 -0000

"the movie studios were open to 'a technology summit' featuring academics, IT companies, and content producers to work on the issues involved."

A snotty question: If this is supposed to be the development of DRM that works for consumers, why aren't any consumers going to be part of the summit?

Pointy-heads, industry lackies, and "content producers." How much do you want to bet that real content producers, i.e. directors, script writers, actors, won't play much of a role?

I think they are still partly in denial and mostly in anger. I hope the fact that I am legally recording OTA non-DRM HDTV broadcasts keeps them awake at night.

Re: Rabbit Ears Perking Up? Antennas on the Rise, Says AP

eric — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:05:30 -0000

I'm looking into the antenna question. I built an HDTV antenna that works fine indoors when the weather is calm. Wind, rain, snow, or other small atmospheric disturbances seem to degrade or break up the signal. And I'm only five miles from all the transmitters. Obviously it is a perfect picture, except when there is no picture at all during annoying interruptions. Apparently I need to look into a better antenna or a better location. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can correct me, but I think the signal won't be so finicky if they move the channels into the VHS spectrum after 2009. I believe in OTA television, but so far HDTV has been a little buggy for me.

Re: Smallville To Last 7 Seasons

eric — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 18:28:07 -0000

I think you all should stop with this striping.keep their clothes on, i mean goodness why can't we learn about superman growing up with out showing that nonsence.anyone agree?
:x :shock:

Re: Smallville To Last 7 Seasons

eric — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 18:26:20 -0000

I think you all should stop with this striping.keep their clothes, i mean goodness why can't we learn about superman growing up with out showing that nonsence.anyone agree?
:x :shock:

Re: Smallville To Last 7 Seasons

eric — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 18:11:18 -0000

SEASON 6 IS REALLY COOL AND EXCITING. I THINK IT WILL BE AWSOM IF THIER WERE 10 SEASONS.

Re: Dragostea din tei

eric — Tue, 02 May 2006 19:12:19 -0000

con que esta esperando moderacion pues vallanse a la verga parada.
espero que un mono con caspa en los testiculos se los coja

Re: Dragostea din tei

eric — Tue, 02 May 2006 19:09:10 -0000

y no me arrepiento de lo que digo
por su letrita de maricones

Re: The Digg Incident Was Nothing LIke the Boston Tea Party

eric — Sun, 06 May 2007 12:15:30 -0000

Forget about watching a movie exactly as "they" require. I recently checked out a copy of Casino Royale (DVD, not HD) which would not play at all on my player. This is because of Sony's new DVD protection (i.e. intentional data corruption) scheme. The perfect copy protection/rights management will eventually be invented, and no one will be able to use the product to watch/listen to the content.

Perhaps the movie conglomerates should just abandon home video, and make people see movies in the theater. Only after they are strip-searched to make sure they aren't carrying any video cameras, of course. I highly recommend this course of action. We must stop this bootlegging!

Re: A Silly Critique of My DMCA Paper

eric — Sat, 19 May 2007 12:23:41 -0000

Also, when DeCSS was revealed, everyone had to replace their DVD players! What a hassle that was.

Although, on a related note, I checked out Casino Royale from the library, and my WinDVD would not play it through all the Sony copy-protection, though a disc analysis found over 300 areas of presumably intentional data corruption. (Is such a DRM-corrupted disc even in line with official DVD standards?) I didn't test the disc on my standalone DVD.

So I guess he has a point, if a small one. If I want to watch new Sony blockbuster releases on my computer, I will have to upgrade the DVD player.

Re: A La Carte & the Senate Effort to Regulate TV Violence

eric — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 13:07:26 -0000

"While the courts were trying to determine its constitutionality, the wonderful diversity of programming on television could be decimated if the rules remained in effect while legal challenges were pending."

My suspicion is that any specific programs you name that you think might disappear under an a la carte scheme are programs that I and 99% of the viewing public would not miss. Television is a mass medium. There is no reason to flood cable with endless niche networks/programs which few if any would pay specifically to see. The proper venue for niche programming might be some sort of subscriber based online content.

"Wonderful diversity" does not describe my feeling about the 150 channels I am forced to buy if I want a satellite TV package. Bruce Springsteen said it best in his song: "57 channels and there's nothin' on."

Re: ATI and Crippleware

eric — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 13:59:21 -0000

I have a MyHD HDTV card. It won't be bothered by any flag implementation. I wouldn't even consider an ATI card now. I will write and tell them so.

What about the standalone DVD recorders with digital tuners onboard? Does anyone know whether they have the wonderful broadcast flag limiting feature that consumers are clamoring for?

Re: File Sharing’s Funny Math

eric — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:15:30 -0000

Noel, reality matters.

In the case of the recent release of the keys to high definition DVD encryption, one person uploaded the hex number to the internet. Shortly afterward, it was on hundreds of thousands of web pages around the world, and I'm sure on p2p networks as well. The same would be true for a single copy of a new album. This has also happened. The last U2 album was stolen (one copy) prior to release and uploaded (once) to the internet, and from there spread worldwide.

Tim's statement isn't just an argument, it is what actually happens in real life. To deny it is to reject reality.

Tim did admit there would be a marginal effect. Fewer copies uploaded in the beginning might slow the spread of the file worldwide by a short amount of time. Obviously there is a finite effect. Finite and infinitesimal. If that's the basis of your objection, OK, but it is irrelevant in practical terms. Between 0% and 100% it is so close to zero, I don't understand the quibble.

Re: File Sharing’s Funny Math

eric — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:53:17 -0000

Noel, I do see your theoretical point about DRM and DMCA working hand in glove and they need to be considered together. I'm sure that was the intent. However, in practice, we have DRM and we have DMCA right now, together. Are they deterring unauthorized copying? Clearly DRM can be easily cracked, from FairPlay to deCSS to HD-DVD. According to you, DMCA must work with DRM to deter. Why is DMCA not doing so, then? Is it possible for DMCA to do so, in any practical way? Well yes, it is marginally deterring some copying. Yet clearly it is not having the intended effect. On the zero to 100% spectrum, where are we? Closer to the zero end, I would judge.

Also, in the case at hand, the non-DRM AAC files (not MP3s, thank you David) are, well, non-DRM. So DMCA can't work with DRM, since there is none to begin with! I don't believe that stripping the identifying data from the AAC files -- in about three seconds someone will create a program to do this, if it doesn't already exist -- violates DMCA anyway, since there is no DRM. So how does your DRM + DMCA argument work here? That dog won't hunt.

Re: National Association of Broadcasters v. National Association of Broadcasters

eric — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 08:20:15 -0000

As those of us who live in an area served by only two broadband providers know, two competitors do not make a market. One provider, even less so.

Sure, XM and Sirius compete, in a broad sense, with internet radio and terrestrial broadcast radio. Broadly speaking, CDs compete with DVDs and video games for a piece of a consumer's entertainment dollar. In a way, satellite radio competes with CDs, too. However, I don't believe it would be better for the consumer if all four major record labels merged into one. Whether you call it a monopoly or not -- in this case, the term would be misapplied -- is beside the point.

TLF sometimes defaults to a doctrinaire position on anti-trust. In this case, the consumer may benefit or be hurt by such a merger. No one can predict the final outcome, but there are valid arguments to be made against the merger. Ridiculing the NAB is not an argument in favor of the merger. The representatives of the NAB are simply alternately expressing their hopes and their fears. That makes them sound inconsistent, which they are. And that, by itself, proves nothing.

Re: Sen. Rockefeller Gives Up on Parenting at Senate Violence Hearing

eric — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:25:08 -0000

"Rockefeller, who is planning to soon introduce legislation to regulate 'excessively violent' television programming, said that the industry is being 'cowardly' and 'debasing our culture' in a 'never-ending race to the bottom.'”

This is all true. But government is not competent to regulate the problem. Even if competent, it has shown itself untrustworthy.

If there is one fatal delusion that we must exorcise from our representatives, it is the notion that problems can be easily remedied by passing a law. (Preferrably a big law, with a lot of earmarks hidden in it.) They see a problem, pass a law, and try to delude us (and perhaps themselves) that they have actually fixed something.

Re: Congress Spends $130,000 per foot on I-35 Bridge

eric — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 13:13:24 -0000

Beside the actual bridge itself, are there any earmarks in that bill that could account for the excessive appropriation? This is reflexive legislation at its worst, just like the Katrina funding.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Google Video Goes Kaput

eric — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:31:10 -0000

These downloads, if they can't be burned or transferred without DRM to other media or other computers, sound like rentals of indeterminate length, at best. Or maybe the vendors should just say that you are paying to "borrow" the content. You do not own it, and may be forced to relinquish your access to it at any time. You borrowed it.

Re: A Rant

eric — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:18:05 -0000

Because locally we have a duopoly, which amounts to virtually no competition, I opted for a "lifetime price guarantee" of $32/mo. for 1.5Mbps DSL from Qwest. It isn't a great deal, but avoids end-of-term hassles. If we ever actually do get real competition, maybe I can lock in at a lower price.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » First Sale and the Software Industry

eric — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 12:50:22 -0000

enigma_foundry, if you believe that, then you should be glad if MikeT's suggestions for very strict enforcement at the retail level is realized, since it will limit the use of Microsoft OS by our impressionable youth (addling their minds and setting them on the road to commercial software addication). We all know that Windows is a "gateway" to worse things. :)

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Wi-Fi Piggybacking / Squatting Reconsidered

eric — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:15:16 -0000

When Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field on the Sabbath day, they were hungry and they took a little of the grain from the plants to eat. Interestingly, the Pharisees did not accuse them of theft, but of working on the Sabbath.

It is a principle of Old Testament law (and judging by Christ's actions, He had not problem with it) that incidental taking of a small amount of your neighbor's abundantly available "stuff" (we're not talking about inside another person's dwelling here) is a principle of good neighborliness and a liberal (in the best sense of that word) society. If the discliples had harvested a bushel or two, that would be wrong.

I conclude that allowing passersby or even neighbors to make light use of your WiFi connection is the Christian thing to do.

Re: Flags

eric — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:21:29 -0000

I think if you do a little research, you will find that some of those involved in organizing both World Trade Center attacks hail from the Baluchistan region of Iran. This is not widely known, and I'm not sure anyone understands the significance of the Baluchistan connection -- obviously the first World Trade Center attack, the bombing, was not connected to Bin Laden. But there certainly is an Iran connection with terror attacks on the US and our allies.

What should we do about Iranian UAVs? If it doesn't make you the slightest bit nervous, then maybe you're in a state of denial. I live in Iowa, myself.

Re: More on Metering Broadband

eric — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:18:27 -0000

I thought the TLF looked with scorn on a la carte cable pricing. Yet TLF looks favorably on broadband metering? I am confused. If a man should not pay for bits he does not download, why should he pay for channels he does not watch? Aren't the people who only watch one or two cable channels subsidizing TV for the more voracious viewers?

Something doesn't add up here. I know that technically we are talking about two different distribution schemes here, but in economic terms the two examples are not all that dissimilar.

Re: More on Metering Broadband

eric — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 10:05:20 -0000

Lewis, TLF has poo-poohed a la carte pricing in terms of regulation, yes. But in a monopoly or duopoly situation where fat and happy providers have no incentive to compete with innovations like a la carte pricing, there is no alternative to regulation. So yes, the context is different, but not that different, because broadband is often a monopoly or duopoly in any individual area -- the same companies are providing both TV and broadband here. And consumers may not have a choice to decide whether they like flat rate or metered service. The free market requires real options in order for the consumer to determine success or failure of a given product in the marketplace. I don't like regulation any more than the next man. But if I want to buy a pair of shoes I have 100 choices. If I want broadband, there are only two choices, and hardly a dimes worth of difference between them. Therefore the "free market" is not actually very free, in terms of options.

Re: Great Production Values, Substantive Lyrics, and . . .

eric — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:26:10 -0000

Way too heavy on the repetitious nuclear bomb imagery, if you ask me.

I like Ron Paul. He looks like Pat Paulsen. Apart from that, his only flaw is "magical thinking" about the Arab world. If Ron made this tune his campaign theme song, then learned to moonwalk to it as he took the stage for campaign speeches, he might really start catching fire.

Re: She Did It

eric — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 01:20:52 -0000

She also testified she never had Kazaa on her computer. This could be verified forensically? If she's perjuring herself, that's worse than distributing music. OTOH, if Kazaa software was never on the computer, it raises interesting questions.

Re: She Did It

eric — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:13:05 -0000

What kind of damages are they going to put on this woman? If the RIAA tries to lay $1,000,000 on her, does this do any good for public relations? Would people feel the punishment fit the alleged crime?

Looks like a lose-lose for the RIAA publicity-wise. Another self-inflicted black eye. Yes, the defendant loses too. Everyone loses.

Re: She Did It

eric — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:17:27 -0000

It is difficult to understand the "making available" theory, though some judges have endorsed it. It seems akin to "intent to distribute" which is another thing entirely from actual distribution. Since many people don't understand their computers and how to set up or restrict sharing functions on P2P programs, there may have been no conscious intent, let alone actual distribution. (On the other hand, if she was running KaZaa at all, then the defendant lied under oath.)

Re: Preemptive Surrender

eric — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:24:28 -0000

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

Re: TPW 33: File Sharing Verdict

eric — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:54:34 -0000

Some thoughts (before I listen to the podcast). If you want to make an analogy to shoplifting, then the analogy would be downloading.

However, part of the case also involved hypothetical or potential uploading (making available) which would be analogous (only very roughly analogous) in the world of physical goods to stealing stuff and giving it away -- i.e. being Robin Hood. Whatever law under which one might be convicted, what would be the penalty for such an offense? Also, there remains the possibility that the defendant was unaware of what was going on -- that at worst she may have been an unintentional Robin Hood. Which is a very strange concept.

Re: TPW 33: File Sharing Verdict

eric — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 16:36:41 -0000

After listening... I am puzzled sometimes at the inconsistency of the response of the RIAA toward unauthorized distribution.

All over the blogosphere, music blogs are offering mp3s, singly or bunched in downloadable podcasts, of RIAA owned music, every day of the week. This is blantant, open, deliberate. But the way the RIAA handles this is with DMCA takedown notices. Not lawsuits.

It seems inconsistent to track down and sue this woman in Minnesota for perhaps distributing songs (perhaps not, since no proof that anyone downloaded them was offered) and at the same time to generally leave the music bloggers alone, except for the occasional request to remove a tune from a website.

Is there a different legal theory involved? Although the logistics are slightly different, downloading from a music blog or a gal from Duluth on KaZaa is the same, unless there is some subtlety I am missing.

Re: Unplugging Plug-and-Play Regulation

eric — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:10:05 -0000

In the world of high definition audio, the lack of standardization did not lead to innovation and exciting new services. It led to the languishing of two competing formats, SACD and DVD-Audio. The current fight between two high definition video formats may delay the mass market penetration of any hi-def video disc. Virtually everyone loses.

A plethora of non-interoperable choices may lead to some kinds of cable or online video services being virtually unavailable, since none will ever "catch on" with the consumer.

Even in the VHS versus Beta videotape battle, VHS won and was arguably the worst choice, qualitywise.

Freedom is great, but when you need a mass market application, standardization becomes a crucial consideration.

Re: Unplugging Plug-and-Play Regulation

eric — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:23:51 -0000

Chicken vs. egg? If there was one HD audio standard and prices were reasonable (many SACD hybrids -- SACD and CD audio in one disc -- are actually no more expensive than regular CDs), would not people be more apt to buy?

But yes, it is possible that few people want HD audio. Perhaps the fact that both formats are infested with DRM is also a drag on the market.

I'm just saying that having two competing standards is not a positive factor in getting that market established. It isn't the only factor, obviously.

Re: Did a lack of standardization kill high-def audio?

eric — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:23:49 -0000

I'm happy to have inspired a column. I don't really disagree with anything you wrote, Adam. Standardization of formats is only one of many factors. You also did not mention DRM.

Let's say that you could find a truly audiophile-quality portable audio player that had the capacity to deal with higher bitrate/higher bandwidth digital data, paired with truly world-class headphones. Because of DRM, you could not get the music cleanly off your SACD and DVD-A discs and onto your audiophile iPod.

People want portability and flexibility (convenience). MP3 gives them that. CDs ripped to WAV, FLAC, or MP3 give them that. With the rapidly increasing data storage capacity of portable music/video players, we have the technical capability to give the masses both portability, flexibility, and ultra high quality. Except that DRM stands in the way.

There is the other problem of converting 5.1 to stereo, but most if not all of the hybrid SACD/CD discs I own -- not many -- have a high definition stereo track that matches the original stereo master. I love Steely Dan but I have no desire to hear them in multi-channel anyway, but maybe that's just me.

The best hope for a new format is to get the hardware and decoding software in a lot of consumers hands ASAP. For example, Sony is trying to accomplish this for Blu-Ray by building this capability into its game boxes as an incidental feature. A friend of mine bought a game machine just for its Blu-Ray video capability. But those who bought it for gaming will also be tempted to get a new movie in Blu-Ray since they are already capable of playing it.

The original SD DVD did not have this problem because there were no competing standards. It could and did build market penetraton slowly. That is the model. I think clearly the HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray confusion will stifle market acceptance. Also, in harmony with your point about audio formats, maybe people will decide they are just as happy with downloadable lo-fi TV shows they can play on their little video iPods as they are with an HD-DVD set of Heroes Season One. Consumers thus far have not impressed me with their discernment of true quality in the video or audio spheres. Perhaps high definition anything is doomed and we just don't know it yet.

Re: Did a lack of standardization kill high-def audio?

eric — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:30:01 -0000

"Redbook CD audio has more dynamic range and frequency response than most people can hear."

Maybe, maybe not. Consider this:

http://www.stereophile.com/asweseeit/1007awsi/

"In his keynote address, for example, Peter Craven demonstrated the improvement in sound quality of a digital transfer a 78rpm disc of a live electrical recording of an aria from Puccini's La Bohème when the sample rate was increased from 44.1 to 192kHz. Even 16-bit PCM is overkill for the 1926 recording's limited dynamic range, and though the original's bandwidth was surprisingly wide, given its vintage, 44.1kHz sampling would be more than enough to capture everything in the music, according to conventional information theory. Those same skeptical pundits would therefore claim that any perceived improvements must be delusional."

Re: Give Them Immunity

eric — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:07:10 -0000

"The Fourth Amendment concerns 'unreasonable' searches and seizures, and electronic surveillance is routinely conducted on all sides during wartime."

Wartime? Did Congress declare a war? Sorry, having been in a cave for six years, I missed that.

Re: Musical Adventures in Webland

eric — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:17:44 -0000

Whatever the Radiohead numbers are, they can't easily be interpreted.

I already know I don't care that much for Radiohead. But if I was on the fence, I would have downloaded it for free, and if I liked it, bought the CD when it comes out in January. That's not a lost sale. That would be a promotion. For those who think the sound quality of MP3s is adequate, they can (and did) pay an average of $6 or so. Voluntarily. In addition, the downloads, paid or not, will serve as promotion for their touring.

It looks like win-win to me. Call me a glass almost entirely full kind of guy. I don't like Radiohead. But if this had been James Taylor, he might have clinched a sale with this kind of offering.

Re: How did the 500-channel TV universe become a reality?

eric — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:22:39 -0000

It appears to me that a large number of customers want more choices than cable companies are currently offering them. Let me suggest an alternative.

In the music field, eMusic offers a bundle of up to 30 downloads per month at a set price. (I think they also have another bundle for 50 downloads for the real music junkie.) However, the customer gets to choose those songs out of a wide selection.

Why can't we have cable TV bundling and choice at the same time? Say, for a set price the customer gets a bundle of up to 40 channels per month, choosen out of a menu of 200 channels? One reason people want a la carte cable is to specifically exclude certain channels they don't want coming into their homes, in addition to selecting a few channels that might only be offered in a different bundle. This scheme could accomodate that desire.

Perhaps a "bundling with choice" option would please almost everyone. Or not. But in music, people who don't like the eMusic bundling model can still buy songs a la carte at a higher cost per song from iTunes. Need I point out that in music, the iTunes a la carte model (more expensive, as you suggest) is more popular than the eMusic bundling model? People pay more for smaller portions! To you that might seem irrational, but the customer wants what he wants. Why should he be denied a similar option in purchasing TV entertainment?

Re: Copyright on the Third Hand

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:03:20 -0000

twinkerzzz, you creators for profit are going to find yourself increasingly in competition with those who create and distribute their work for the love of their art, and that alone. I can find photos available for free, usable under a Creative Commons license, that outclass the photos I see as illustrations in most magazines. It's a reality that many people have achieved a financial status that allows them to create solely for the desire and joy of it. Their output is occupying more and more of our time, reducing the market for mercenary artists. Fact of life, copyright reform or no.

As for the writer's strike, good luck with that. I view it as more of a relief than anything, given the movies and TV shows I've seen (or should I say "suffered through") in the past couple of years. A break from that is not an unappealing prospect. Perhaps I will have more time to pick up an old classic book, from the public domain or at least the public library.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Why hasn’t violent media turned us into a nation of killers?

eric — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 01:16:52 -0000

Context is everything, and it is ill-advised to compare the experience of WWII vets to the effects of video violence. Those soldiers saw the real, lasting effects of violence: their buddies killed, their friends' bodies and minds permanently scarred. In a movie, you see people you don't know experiencing a momentary "special effect." The long term effects are hardly going to be the same.

I wonder if 40 million abortions have done more than anything to desensitize the nation, but there are many possible factors. Excessive video violence doesn't look like a major culprit. Still, I don't believe it can be a net good. Surely government regulation is premature, given our ignorance of the magnitude of the threat. But Rockefeller is a politican, and it is a politician's job to promise things he can't deliver.

Re: NYT’s Joe Nocera on perils of a la carte regulation

eric — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 10:12:06 -0000

I am not a corporation, and I am pushing for a la carte cable because I am a very selective viewer and there is hardly anything on cable TV I want to watch. I might subscribe if I could buy a few channels at low cost. But some so-called libertarians would support the right of a duopolistic pay-TV industry to deny consumers that choice. Go figure. Many of them are just afraid that if the government can start regulating cable, they will cut off their porn channels -- that's my guess.

Re: You Can’t Compete With Free

eric — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:13:46 -0000

The most viable path for artists who want to eat is to get a real job. That's harsh, but it is as true for actors or painters as it is for musicians. The fraction of artists who can make a viable career from their art is relatively low. Free music or no, most musicians would be wise not to quit their day jobs.

Second, I buy bottled water. For convenience and because I don't like the taste or health concerns of chlorinated tap water (higher incidence of bladder cancer, for one). The MSM may say there's no difference, but since when did the MSM exhibit any evidence of accuracy?

Third, I think it would be a wonderful experiment if a magic wand could be waved and all the music on labels associated with the RIAA -- you know, the guys suing college kids -- could suddenly be completely barred from any sharing on the internets. The only way you could ever have an RIAA song would be to pay for it. This would un-clutter P2P for artists who want to share their music with the world for free, or at least let people sample their wares for free (as Radiohead did) -- music made for the love of music instead of the love of mammon. That might be a very revealing test of how well the schlockmeisters of the Big Four record cartels can compete with free.

Re: The Downloading Studies Revisited

eric — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 23:13:57 -0000

There are further complications. Because of the nature of the music biz today, with more independent artists selling CDs or downloads on their own websites and live shows that may not be tracked by official statistics, those figures might be lower than the actual total.

In addition, there is a vibrant used CD market. A person may respond to hearing free downloaded music by buying a pre-owned album. Was this tracked in the study? Just because a P2P downloader wants to own the CD doesn't mean he/she will necessarily be willing to pay full price for it -- it might stimulate a perusal of eBay or the used section of amazon.com.

Also, if the study were run for calendar year 2007, would new Radiohead album downloads, or the box sets they are selling from their own website, have been counted in the totals this study used?

The market is fragmenting, and this makes accurate tracking difficult.

Re: The Music Industry Quietly Legalizes File-sharing

eric — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:43:31 -0000

Imeem won't satisfy the really serious file-sharers, I suppose (they'll want higher bitrates, maybe even FLAC files). But this is great news for people like me, who mainly want to hear the record before committing to a purchase.

In other news, the RIAA's lawyers now claim that ripping your own CD to MP3 on your hard drive is an infringement. See "RIAA Argues That MP3s From CDs Are Unauthorized" over at /.

Music cartel speak with forked tongue.

Re: Technology to inject competition into religion?

eric — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:19:59 -0000

A nuclear war could bring the human average down considerably, regardless of genetic or technical advances. It is unlikely we will evolve bomb-proof capabilities.

Taking the optimistic tack though, increased lifespan will give good people more time to do good, and evil, greedy, sociopathic persons more time to cause pain for others. Which religion can compete most effectively to deal with the latter?

It is an interesting question, but in the final analysis, whether we live 20 years, 50 years, or 100 years, moral choices are presented every day to everyone. If we are working from the wrong moral template, the world may be one in which most people are not thankful for the extra years they are able to live (endure).

Re: Act Now for Free TV–And Subsidized DTV Boxes

eric — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 10:00:36 -0000

The server appears to be busy at times, but with persistance the page loaded. I'm in for two. No cable here. All analog TVs.

I think your sarcasm is unwarranted. There are plenty of folks whose lives don't revolve around television, who have perfectly good analog sets, and who shouldn't be forced to upgrade simply because the government wants to sell spectrum. This is one of the few government programs I approve of. Thankfully the government is not actually manufacturing the converter boxes. Then we really would be in trouble.

Re: A La Carte Mandates & Price Controls

eric — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:56:37 -0000

Won't the increasing availability of on-demand internet video act as a brake on overpricing of a la carte or any other package? For example, I'm about to try out Netflix's on-demand movie service, and it sounds like a great alternative to cable or satellite for me. Currently I have the opportunity for unlimited access to their streaming movie catalog as a perk that comes even with their cheap $9/mo. plan for 1-physical-DVD-out-at-a-time. In some ways, that's better than a $40/month cable subscription.

Re: More Heat than Light

eric — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:27:36 -0000

"The right way to deal with the problem is to ensure that the electricity is being priced appropriately (perhaps increasing taxes on generators if there’s evidence that they’re imposing uncompensated environmental harms) and then let consumers decide for themselves how much energy they want to 'waste.'"

The "environmental harm" is the reason for the legislation in the first place. The problem is that this harm is unknowable, despite the "confidence" of the IPCC.

Predictions about climate are based on computer models. These models are very complex, because there are several very important factors which can raise or lower temperature. Look on page 4 of the 2007 IPCC Summary For Policymakers. Solar irradiance is a factor. The level of scientific understanding of this factor is "low." Aerosols are a factor (a man-made cooling factor). The level of scientific understanding of the direct effects of aerosols is "medium to low" and understanding of the indirect effects (cloud albedo) is "low." Humans have also changed the earth's surface albedo through changes in land use, and this is a cooling factor, but again the scientific understanding of this factor is "medium to low." The only climate factors for which the IPCC claims a "high" level of scientific understanding is greenhouse gases.

Logically, if climate depends on multiple factors, many or most of which are not solidly understood, it is foolish to think one can predict the future accurately. Therefore it is impossible to even begin to accurately assess any "environmental harm" in the form of global warming for the use of electric light bulbs, automobiles, or any other factor. Whatever certainty one may have or claim about the effects of greenhouse gases, it will be overwhelmed by the uncertainty of factors we don't understand (albedo, aerosols) or can't control (solar irradiance).

Long story short -- the question can't even be answered, let alone a price attached to the light bulb for its effect on the environment. For sixty years, solar activity has been exceptionally high. If the sun's output weakens, as can be expected according to its cycles, we might be contributing to global cooling by using flourescents exclusively. Still, the net effect would be impossible to assess because of the uncertainties in other factors which must be plugged in to any climate model. At some point we might need more greenhouse warming to offset a new mini-ice age.

Of course, this is what Schwartz, Charlson, and Rodhe were saying (re uncertainty) in July 2007 on nature.com.

Re: The Technology Liberation Front » Archive » Media Metrics #7: An Uncertain Future for Newspapers

eric — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:42:26 -0000

I live in a town dominated by the most politically biased paper known, the Des Moines Register, as judged by a Center For Media And Public Affairs study a few years ago. Since issues important to conservatives or libertarians are rarely tackled, and questions are never asked politicians or bureaucrats from those perspectives, is it any wonder they are losing subscribers? Iowa is a purple state, but the Register is saying to about half the population that their side of the political spectrum does not matter. Clinton got 59 percent positive coverage, and the early Bush years got 31 percent positive coverage. Are Republicans going to pay to be slapped in the face?

A new Zogby poll shows 2/3 of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from their news. 80% of Republicans, 75% of independents, and 50% of Democrats are "disenchanted" with traditional journalism.

Plain and simple, when you offer a product that most people are dissatisfied with, can you expect a decline in sales? Blaming the internet or television or media consolidation is ignoring a large root cause. The Des Moines Register is one of the worst examples, but it is typical of a trend and a bedrock problem for newspapers.

Re: Usain Bolt : 9,69 (ml ?)

eric — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:59:00 -0000

Il est vrai que l'EPO est très pratique pour un sprint...
Il y en a eu beaucoup de dopé en sprint mais aucun à l'EPO.

Avant de dire des choses comme ça faut réfléchir un petit peu.

Re: Blaming and Gaming the Blame Game

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:01:16 -0000

monitorexposer Stop making stuff up. Give up the obsession with the light rail train. You were wrong, live with it.

"It would be interesting to see a breakdown of where our transit dollars have been spent over the past ten years.... "

Are you kidding?

Re: Blaming and Gaming the Blame Game

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:14:37 -0000

Good comment

Re: One Handed Dictionary

eric — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:52:22 -0000

) { push( @words, $_ ) if( m/^[abcdefgqrstvwxz]+$/ || m/^[hijklmnopuy]+$/ ) } @words = sort( { length($a) <=> length($b) } @words ); print @words;'

...perhaps I'm missing out on some functionality in your algorithm, but this takes less than 2 seconds on my 1.33GHz Powerbook (the python version takes about 11 seconds under similar conditions). I'm going to have to try to replicate it using something closer to your algorithm and see if maybe I'm just skipping some functionality (my python's pretty rusty, though).

Ahh, I think I see now; it looks like the python version not only loops over the list more than once (I loop over it once, then do a bubble sort which doesn't seem present in the python version), but the python version also loops over each letter in each word for uppercasing (I skipped this step), then looping over each letter in each word, and for each letter in each word also looping over each element in the two letter lists. Lotsa looping!

I'm thinking this is just one of those cases where regular expressions turn out to be handier, though I have to confess I was pretty shocked by the vast difference in performance between the two versions.

Anyway, thanks for the entry! Quite a fascinating exercise.

Re: One Handed Dictionary

eric — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 21:13:58 -0000

Thanks for the kind words! I have very little experience with python, but am curious about it because many people whose opinions I trust like python better than perl. Me, I know perl really quite well, so it was the first tool I went to when I realized grep wouldn't cut it for this test.

I'd be curious to see how python would benchmark with a similar algorithm to the one I opted for in my perl version. I don't even know whether python has built-in support for regular expressions? (Yes, I'm that unfamiliar with python. ; )

Even my perl version has some room for improvement, of course; there's no reason to copy the sorted array back into @words, so might as well just print it directly. This benchmarks similarly, thoughÂ—I think internally perl is copying the sorted array into temp memory space before passing it to the print() call, so there's no performance gain. Just slightly terser code, is all.

I tried briefly to adapt the python version into perl, and it's really interesting to see how python seems to encourage lots of looping in its semantics, whereas everything I might translate it to in perl would do several smaller steps in one pass over the word list (for example, instead of looping over the list taking off newlines, then looping over the list taking out short words, I'd do one loop that accomplished several steps and stored remaining altered values in an array). I wonder how much of this is just programming style vs. how much is the language we chose imposing its semantic tricks on the procedure chosen.

Above all, I reiterate my thanks, both for this great Gedankenexperiment, and for your good will in sharing it. Quite intriguing.

Re: Blaming and Gaming the Blame Game

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:01:16 -0000

monitorexposer Stop making stuff up. Give up the obsession with the light rail train. You were wrong, live with it.

"It would be interesting to see a breakdown of where our transit dollars have been spent over the past ten years.... "

Are you kidding?

Re: Blaming and Gaming the Blame Game

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:14:37 -0000

Good comment

Re: FOX ATTACKS! The Environment

eric — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:13:10 -0000

Wow and you are attacking Fox's credibility? That propaganda piece you made is far worse than anything Fox would ever attempt to do. All you did was clip every cut you could find that supported an idea that Fox is unbalanced. Pure emotionalism and propaganda. You can make Jesus or Ghandi look horrible too if you took every somewhat bad thing they said out of context.

I believe in global warming and that its man made and something should be done.

YOU are misinforming the public with propaganda pieces like this video.

Why don't you stop attacking Fox and start trying deal with independents and moderates such as myself. I don't want to come over with such lies.

Re: Sorry FOX, We Won’t Let You Trash Michelle Obama

eric — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:38:27 -0000

I switch between CNN and Fox News. It's amazing the difference. While CNN is covering actual News... Fox is covering McCain and Obama, or Obama flip-flopping. About how Obama is going to ruin our Economy (Like it isn't already), and how McCain will fix it (after Bush, their god, messed it up). FNC will cover missing women or children, slam Democrats, and at 4am (I was awake for some reason), cover Bush speaking in Japan, while the other two report News.

Re: Sorry FOX, We Won’t Let You Trash Michelle Obama

eric — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:43:41 -0000

PS: Could someone Close Caption what they are saying? I don't hear well and cannot understand them too well.

Re: Bill O’Reilly attacks Obama staffer

eric — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:35:54 -0000

i watch the fox news channel, and watch it because i get Both sides of the story. you people are so whacked out. dont you see that the mass media is like you folks, very liberal, and calls out fox as a right wing propaganda tool. b.s. i dont buy your crap, which is what this site is. later, losers, im going to go turn on megan kelly!!!

Re: noodad » Is it okay to breastfeed in public?

eric — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 13:22:00 -0000

I lived in a small African village for a couple of years doing volunteer work. Naked boobs and babies were everywhere. For the first week, it startled me, but you get used to it. Later, I would carry on long, serious conversations in foreign languages with women while they breastfed, at it all seemed natural, because it is. Unfortunately, most American men and women are so far removed for nature that they no longer understand what\'s good for themselves. Viva Les Breasts!

Re: COLOR LIFE » Cloud

eric — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 06:43:11 -0000

数码的ps很必要啊，再说照片也的确是漂亮

Re: COLOR LIFE » Cloud

eric — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:47:21 -0000

既然这样，我加你个链接好了 :grin:

Re: Amy Sullivan: The Fallout from Ted Haggard

eric — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 18:31:28 -0000

Maybe I'm out of touch, but I consider myself a conservative evangelical Christian and I've never heard of this Haggard guy. I'm well read, pay attention to the news, and pretty knowledgeable about what goes on in the Christian community. From where I'm sitting I can't see it having much affect on anyone outside his church and community.>

Re: Amy Sullivan: The Difference Between Negative and Dishonest Campaign Ads

eric — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 18:43:58 -0000

This is ridiculous commentary Amy. One can find plenty of Democrat ads that are blatantly dishonest or, at best, misleading. The same can be said of Republicans. Both parties are guilty of this equally.>

Re: Voice of the Day: N.T. Wright on Non-Violence

eric — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:01:58 -0000

I'm not sure I understand this quote. What is Wright saying?

Re: Brian McLaren: Anti-Anti-Global-Warming Group’s Silver Lining

eric — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 18:27:30 -0000

While I have some concerns about what Dobson, et al have said, I think they raise a good point about climate change distracting Christians from other (agruably more important) missions such as evangelism, defending the dignity of human lives, the poor, etc. Just look at all the type spent on the topic of global warming on this blog. I just started reading it about a month ago, but it's like a "global warming from a Christian perspective" blog with some Bible quotes and inspiration sayings thrown in. Not a broader blog on the many important topics Christians might be interested in. Don - Did the El Salvadorian students ever mention anything they'd been taught that led them to have a positive view of America? It's been my experience with foreign students that they are fed a healthy diet of things that reflect poorly on America. Kevin - Good point about the Italians and Peruvians. I'd suspect you're right.

Re: Brian McLaren: Anti-Anti-Global-Warming Group’s Silver Lining

eric — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:11:01 -0000

Don, Thanks for the indepth response! I too worry about the effects of American culture on the rest of the world. The are definitely some aspects of American culture I'd want others to replicate and definitely some others I wouldn't (pop culture and our materialism are two).
Sorry if I conflated global warming and more general environmental degradation. I firmly believe we, as Christians should take a stand against think like pollution, explotation and over-utilization of natural resources and the environment. But I'm worried that so many Christians have jumped on the "global warming is the biggest threat the environment has ever faced" bandwagon. There is no certainty to this but it's received enormous "airtime."

Re: Brian McLaren: Joseph, Noah, and Pre-emptive Preservation

eric — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:58:39 -0000

I find that Brian McL is often thought-provoking; although his analogies/allegories are not always fully thought-out. This article is a good example on both counts. The problem with the Joseph parallel is not the storing up of food per se, but that in doing so, the Egyptians financially exploited and oppressed victims of the drought. Of course God made good out of a bad situation by using Joseph to help save the sons of Jacob but their offspring were later oppressed. In Sinai (Exodus 16:19-20) God warns the Israelites against storing food -- presumably to keep the Israelites from repeating the same type of explotation used by their captors. (Ched Meyers has a wonderful 71 page booklet, The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics, which addresses this in more detail. We must be mindful of the same potential today. For example, are you aware that there are attempts to patent (read: own) plant seeds? Yes. Plant seeds. Included is an effort to make it unlawful to cultivate seeds from plants grown from these seeds. (See Karen Lehman and Al Krebs, "Control of the World's Food Supply," in Case Against the Global Econony, 129.) This doesn't even scratch the surface of how big the problems are (though not unsolvable). Thanks, Brian, for opening the dialogue in this forum, but please use caution with the analogies.

Re: Video: Tony Campolo on Jesus and Taxes

eric — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:34:00 -0000

Tony treads a very fine line. He doesn't actually say that I should withold my tax dollars if I think something the government is doing is unGodly, but he certainly implies it. I'm sure all of us could find better and more Godly uses for our money than to give it to the government to spend on any number of things. Does this mean we should all withold our tax dollars from the government? Or is he just reporting that some people are doing this and he understands their thought process. If that's the case, it's not a very interesting commentary.

Re: Video: Tony Campolo on Jesus and Taxes

eric — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:10:04 -0000

Sarasota Kid, So are you saying that if God calls me to withold my tax dollars because of the Iraq War (or something else) but he doesn't call you do to the same, we're both justified in our actions?

Re: Video: Tony Campolo on Jesus and Taxes

eric — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:52:44 -0000

Now that I've thought a little about it I don't think I agree with Campolo's analysis of this text. I don't think Jesus was saying to pay taxes when God calls you to do so; I think he's saying you should obey the laws of the state, assuming they are just.
If the state requires you to pay taxes and you believe this is a just law, then follow it. I don't think anyone would say that the state requiring you to pay taxes in a representative democracy, in general, is unjust. The injustice may occur when the state decides to spend the money on a cause you feel is unjust. But that doesn't make paying taxes unjust. If the government enancts unjust policies I think you should either work to change those policies or leave the state to avoid contributing to them. I'm interested in others thoughts on mine...

Re: Senator Tim Mathern: Red State Passes Peace Resolution

eric — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:59:14 -0000

I really don't see this as any big deal. Who doesn't want peace in Iraq and Afghanistan (other than the terrorists, insurgents, and others committing the bombings)? Did anyone vote against this? This isn't some bold strike for peace in a "red" state (ND elects two Dem Senators and a Dem. to the House, so it's not quite as red as some think), it's a wishy washy resolution that no one could possibly oppose. No offense to Sen. Mathern, who I am sure is a good man. Did the Senator actually take the class taught by Wallis at KSG? Just wondering why this was mentioned...

Re: Video: Jim Wallis on Jesus and Lou Dobbs

eric — Tue, 08 May 2007 18:47:10 -0000

I think Dobbs is wrong to bring up the seperation of church and state. Seperation of church and state doesn't mean people shouldn't use religious arguments to advance political causes and it doesn't mean religious leaders shouldn't speak out on political issues. It simply means that there should be no state church. But I also think Wallis is wrong, again. He takes Jesus' command to us as Christians to love thy neighbor and help the poor and oppressed and turns it around to use it as a commandment about how to run a state. The state is not who Jesus was talking to. He was talking to people, to us. He wasn't giving advice on the best way for a government to run a country. If it were the case, we shouldn't put anyone in jail because Jesus says we shouldn't respond if someone does you harm. This is the main problem progressive Christians have when they get involved in politics.

Re: Brian McLaren: My Questions for the Democratic Candidates

eric — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:11:42 -0000

I agree with Don that the questions are serious and deep, but (as Wolverine said) they are also softballs. If I were a Democrat trying to run against the Bush record of the last eight years I'd beg for a question in which I could articulate how I'm different than he is, which is what these questions would lead to. It you were asking the Republicans these questions I might consider them a little tougher.

Re: Brian McLaren: My Questions for the Democratic Candidates

eric — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:43:44 -0000

Here's a good question for any of the candidates: In the U.S., a gallon of gas costs less than most any other place in the industrialized world. Because of the low cost of gasoline American drivers don't economize, drive oversize cars, and send billions of dollars per year to countries that work against U.S. interests. Would you raise the gas tax and increase the cost of gasoline so that Americans will use less? Or this one: The U.S. depends far too much on foreign souces of energy and its power plants put too many greenhouses gases into the air. One alternative to fossil fuels is nuclear power. Do you support building more nuclear power plants in the United States? These questions have very serious ramifications, demand specific answers, and would actually be difficult for Democratic candidates to answer. It would show me how serious they are about solving energy and environmental problems.

Re: Brian McLaren: My Questions for the Democratic Candidates

eric — Mon, 14 May 2007 21:23:42 -0000

Don, good edition to the question.

Re: Brian McLaren: My Questions for the Democratic Candidates

eric — Mon, 14 May 2007 23:20:33 -0000

Carl - yes that is a softball question. Any Democrat could easily answer "yes, I agree" to that question and then go on to talking points about how we need to help the world's poor more.
Kevin - Yep, exactly. You have to give candidates yes or no questions otherwise they revert to talking points.

Re: Jim Wallis: Politics Isn’t Working

eric — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:14:14 -0000

Actually, the political process is working. Our government was created with checks and balances and all sorts of ways for a minority view to block a majority view. That's the point. We don't live in a democracy where numbers guarantee victory. A policy shouldn't be able to succeed if it can barely scrape together a slim majority. When legislators try to pile all sorts of policies into one giant bill and slip it past everyone's nose, they run into trouble, just like in this instance.

Re: Joel Hunter: What the Candidates Forum Could Have Been

eric — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:34:53 -0000

Joel- I agree, I wished someone had asked the candidates what first principles they would fall back on when making decisions. This is much more important to me than a specific policy proposal on health care or some other topic.

Moderatelad- I actually don't think a forum of this sort of the major Republican candidates would be that interesting. I don't get the impression that any of them have a particularly strong religious faith.

Re: Joel Hunter: What the Candidates Forum Could Have Been

eric — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 12:49:15 -0000

To the guy with no name - I actually didn't find the Dem discussion on faith that interesting. I don't think I ever said I did. It actually was pretty anti-climactic.

And, no I don't get the impression (key phrase) that Romney has a strong regilgious faith. Maybe I'm wrong.

Re: Video: Vote Out Poverty March and Rally

eric — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:34:56 -0000

Unfortunately, poverty will never be voted out. It can only be reduced. It's almost guaranteed that one will not live in poverty if one finishes high school and doesn't have a child out of wedlock. Politicians in Washington cannot solve these problems.

Re: Jim Wallis: Politics Isn’t Working

eric — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:06:55 -0000

To the man with no name - I don't think expecting someone to abide by a country's immigration laws is on par with the injustice of slavery or "separate by equal."

I also wonder if there's more to the tradition of "sanctuary." I don't know much about it, but there has to be more to it than just entering a church and then being safe. Did the church then have any sort of duty to the individual or to the law?

Re: Jim Wallis: Politics Isn’t Working

eric — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:31:04 -0000

I think wacko was saying that the policy Wallis is advocating would only encourage more people to make the difficult trek across the Mexico-US border and some would die during that trek.

Unless Wallis advocates a policy where anyone from anywhere (excluding criminals) can cross the U.S. border at checkpoints and gain legal residency and eventual citizenship (essentially unlimited immigration), then people will continue to turn to coyotes and the desert and people will die.

Re: Jim Wallis: Politics Isn’t Working

eric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:48:09 -0000

I think the "right" solution would be one that is a long-term solution so that ten years from now we wouldn't be back in the same situation in which we find ourselves today.

Re: Philip Rizk: Will Na’el Walk On His Own?

eric — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 14:20:30 -0000

God bless the Sisters of Charity. It must be tough, difficult work in a place of so much violence, fear, and hate.

I pray that some day the Gazans will put an end to the violence that eminates from their midst so that the walls that separate them from the world can be torn down. It's unfortunate that little innocents like Na'el have been betrayed by their leaders and can't grow up in a hate-free environment.

Re: Suzan Johnson Cook: What’s the Responsibility of Black Leadership?

eric — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 13:53:32 -0000

Whether or not the questions could be asked about any community depends on what issues raised by Oprah and Cosby we're talking about. Fathering children out of wedlock is something you can find in most communities, although I believe it's higher in black communities. Restoring traditional faith is something one could ask any race or community. But something that Cosby specifically talks about is idolizing the "gangsta" lifestyle, seeing prison time as a badge of honor, seeing working hard in school as "white", etc. These are problems specific to the black community.

Mark - can you elaborate on what you mean by "collectively" and from where the obligation to provide "premium education and superior (superior to what?) nutrition and health care" comes?

Re: Verse of the Day: Living Wages for the Poor

eric — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:56:23 -0000

That's a poor headline for this verse. There's nothing in that verse talking about a "living wage" as defined by current society.

I would interpret that verse to say "Don't cheat your workers out of their wages. Be fair to them."

Re: Philip Rizk: Will Na’el Walk On His Own?

eric — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:05:42 -0000

Karima - You're right that the Palestinian people are being treated unfairly and have had to suffer through more than we can possibily imagine. But even if Israel gave the Palestinians everything they wanted Hamas and it's leaders would still be conducting daily violence in Israel. I don't know anyone who would deny this.

And I can't imagine anyone excusing support for an organization like Hamas that intentionally kills innocent men, women and children (both Israeli and Muslim) just because they feed, clothe, and heal other Gazans. Essentially they're buying off the people's support for their terrorism. They're not doing it to be good Muslims.

Re: Suzan Johnson Cook: What’s the Responsibility of Black Leadership?

eric — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:19:03 -0000

Mark Brown - I think you're making a big leap when you say that Jesus said we should collectively help the poor and that by "collectively" you mean both individual acts of assistance as well as paying taxes to the government so it can help the poor.

I'm not saying paying taxes to the government to help the poor isn't wise policy or doesn't do any good, but to base one's advocacy for government programs is Jesus' teaching is a stretch. Once you make that leap any level of taxation or government power could be justified by Jesus' teaching, because there will always be poor to assist. It's a scary road I'm not ready to go down.

Re: Verse of the Day: Living Wages for the Poor

eric — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 13:44:47 -0000

All - When I used the word "fair" in my interpretation of the verse, I meant "fair" as in "paying workers what the employer and employee had agreed upon." i.e. if you said you'd pay someone $7 per hour and they agreed to that then that is what is due them. Don't cheat your workers.

Hali - The Bible making a factual statement that people depend on their wages for their livelihood isn't the same as an admonition to pay someone a "living wage" defined by the government.

Re: Verse of the Day: Living Wages for the Poor

eric — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:04:51 -0000

To the man with no name who posted about the Middle East -

I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you trying to compare and contrast the Middle East with the West? You can find employers here who do the same thing. My boss takes me out to dinner a lot too. I know plenty of businesses that give their employees credit at the cafeteria or all sorts of other perks that help them in some way or another. Happy employees are good workers. It's common sense. I'd love it if every employer in the West cared enough about all their employees to make sure they had food on their table. That would be a great place to live and work. I don't get your point though.

Re: Suzan Johnson Cook: What’s the Responsibility of Black Leadership?

eric — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 16:09:15 -0000

Mark - The problem with this line of thinking is that there are many many things God and Jesus call us to do and not do. How can we decide which ones are appropriate for the state to enforce and which ones aren't? When you use words like obligation you're implying compelled by God. Are we then obligated by God to legislate on adultery, which is pretty clearly condemned in the Bible? I would say no. But again, I'm not the one arguing for state intervention in any area of society simply because we're obligated by God. Or is poverty a special case?

Re: Verse of the Day: Living Wages for the Poor

eric — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:45:02 -0000

Amazon - I think some of the confusion about the point you're trying to make would be cleared up if you stated whether you think paying a living wage is something that employers should try to do whenever possible or whether it's something that the state should mandate.

If you're talking about the latter, then there is basically no government intervention in the economy that couldn't be justified as Biblical. You could justfy a complete state directed economy as Biblical because it would, in the minds of its supporters, provide "justice" for workers. I'm not saying that the Bible argues against a state controlled economy, I'm just saying it doesn't speak to it at all. If you think I'm using hyperbole to make my point, where would you draw the line between what economic reforms are justified by the Bible and what aren't?

Re: Audio Interview: Alice Walker on ‘Eating Oranges in the Astrodome’

eric — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:52:01 -0000

If you want to devolve a comment thread into pointlessness it's obvious all you have to do is ask Donny and Canucklehead to post.

Re: Voice of the Day: David Lim

eric — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:01:54 -0000

Jim - I disagree. I can imagine an instance where government action would help the poor yet it would be unjust to others and, as a Christian, I would not feel compelled to support it. What if the government wanted to raise income tax rates on the rich to astronomical levels (back to 90% or so) and use that money to help the poor even if I believed those social programs were "good?" I don't think it's just to take 90% of someone's income and redistribute it. And as a Christian there is nothing I can think of that would compel me to support such a policy.

Obviously, I'm using an extreme example, but I'm trying to show you were your logic doesn't work. Simply saying that if food stamps and other government programs are proven to help the poor than Christians "cannot" oppose them is not logical.

Re: Becky Garrison: A Palestinian Pastor Speaks

eric — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 11:52:06 -0000

Robert Alu - Are you saying that this pastor who endures and confronts the trials, struggles, and dangers of living and ministering in Bethlehem is somehow afraid to speak his mind to the media? Why do you think he would be afraid to speak his mind to the media but is brave enough to do what he does day in and day out.

Eric

Re: Ryan Rodrick Beiler: CT on ‘Bush’s Heresy’

eric — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:20:39 -0000

I suggest no one respond to people who don't bother to write a name or nickname. It's too confusing to know who is who. If you don't respond to them they'll go away.

Re: Becky Garrison: A Palestinian Pastor Speaks

eric — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:37:40 -0000

Robert Alu - You wrote that "he (the pastor) is quite unlikely to articulate his viewpoint to the mass media." That's why I asked you why you thought he would be unlikely to do so. You seemed to imply that he had some apprehension about telling the media what he really thinks.

On the broader Israeli/Palestinian issue, there are very few Christians who don't think of the average, peaceful Palestinian as their brother. It's the terrorists that lead them that are the problem. If the killing of innocent Israelis stopped, there would be no reason for the Israelis to build walls and fire rockets. If the Palestinian terrorists stopped blowing up bombs in marketplaces then this supposed "apartheid" could end.

Re: Mitsuyoshi Toge: ‘How Could I Ever Forget That Flash’

eric — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:44:48 -0000

What does this blog post have to do with liberals or conservatives? It's merely a poem about the horrors of atomic warfare. I'm a relatively conservative guy and I don't like the prospect of an atomic war anymore than Toge did. It would be awful.

Re: Deanna Murshed: Evangelicals and Israel

eric — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:19:12 -0000

"How many times can you explain that Jesus wasn't baptized in the Rio Grande, that there are tens of thousands of indigenous Palestinian Christians still living in the Holy Land, and that loving Jewish people and "blessing Israel" (as is oft cited from scripture) doesn't mean giving the modern (and mind you, secular) nation-state of Israel a carte blanche on foreign policy or grant it some sort of biblical immunity from criticism?"

Talk about a straw man! Yes, I know, there are a few evangelicals out there who actually would love to see Israel take over the Middle East and kill all the Palestinians. But if you think that this is what "evangelicals" think than you need to get out more. Most evangelicals I've come into contact with support both Israel's right to exist and support a state of their own for the Palestinians. Most evangelicals want peace between these two groups.

The only people I hear regularly arguing for a one-state solution are radical Islamists.

Re: Deanna Murshed: Evangelicals and Israel

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:04:00 -0000

Alu - What concrete steps should the state of Israel take to reduce the suffering of the Palestinian people?

Re: Daoud Kuttab: Good News for Palestinian Christians

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:15:26 -0000

I'm still interested in hearing what this guy Hagee actually says (and not just how some third party describes his event) and why evangelical Christians are supposed to tarred with his brush...

If there aren't any direct quotes from him on the internet than I doubt he's that popular among any group of people.

The fact is that the vast majority of evangelical Christians in the U.S. support three things: 1) the right of Israel to exist, 2) the right of the Palestinians to have their own state, and 3) peace between the two states and nations. Digging up quotes from Robertson from the 80s doesn't change this fact. If Kuttab gets the impression that most evangelical Christians think the Palestians don't deserve their own state then maybe he should choose different news sources that provide him more accurate information or talk to more evangelical Christians.

Re: Daoud Kuttab: Good News for Palestinian Christians

eric — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:24:59 -0000

Hey Wolverine... In what state do you live in, if you don't mind me asking?

Re: My Minnesota
/by Tony Jones/

eric — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 18:44:12 -0000

Excellent commentary Tony. For some reason or another it always is interesting to me how tragedy knows no boundaries. It's so random for the most part.

Why some people feel they need to use this tragedy to make political statements (Floyd) is beyond me.

Re: Voice of the Day: Thomas Merton on Nonviolence

eric — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:12:49 -0000

Is he talking about Satan?

Re: Iraq and Christian Identity (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:31:22 -0000

Why does Wallis assume that the Christians in the U.S. who support the war are motivated by nationalism/Americanism or are putting their country ahead of their faith, yet the Christians he talked to in Singapore are motivated by their faith and not something wordly like the American Christians? Why is there this presumption of innocence (for lack of a better phrase) for the foreign Christians? Aren't we all subject to prejudices?

Re: Iraq and Christian Identity (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 16:59:30 -0000

Rick - you responded to my question by saying "Because no Christian in his right mind in, say, Singapore would equate ever his country with the Kingdom of God, wrapping it in the flag."

This doesn't answer the question though. Just because foreign pastors may not engage in the same rhetoric that some American pastors do (or did in the 1980s) doesn't mean there aren't other issues that could influence their thinking on the Iraq War outside their faith.

Again, my question is why does Wallis assume the foreign Christians he talks to are pure of heart while assuming that American Christians are not?

Re: Jena is America (by Lydia Bean)

eric — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:47:42 -0000

It's pretty sad that things like this still go on today. Where were the school and city officials when the first signs of this problem erupted? If they had done something then their town wouldn't be all over CNN this morning.

Re: Karl Barth Is Going Back to Prison! (by Kevin Lum)

eric — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:08:59 -0000

Nice! I wonder what is considered "inappropriate." Hopefully it's just the radical Muslim texts urging violence they were trying to get at in the first place.

Re: Video: Overriding Bush’s Veto Is Our Next Faith-Based Initiative (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:20:03 -0000

The unfortunate part of all of this is that the Democratic Congress probably could have worked out a compromise to cover the remaining low-income children while at the same time reducing or even eliminating many of the problems to which the Administration objected (tell states it's for children and children only, for example). Or the Democrats could have added something to the bill to make it more palatable to Bush (perhaps give them one of the free market reforms they want such as expanded HSAs or something). But both sides thought there was a political advantage to fighting on this one. Bush probably saw it as a chance to rehash the Hillarycare victory of the 90s while Democrats probably saw it as a way to make Republicans look evil because they don't support health care for low-income children.

Inside, the Democrats are probably cheering the veto. It's a great political victory for them. Meanwhile, the children continue to go without insurance.

Re: Video: Overriding Bush’s Veto Is Our Next Faith-Based Initiative (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:16:38 -0000

What gets under my skin about Wallis' stance on this and making it a moral issue is that he neglects to mention that this whole debate is merely about how much to expand SCHIP. Bush proposed expanding SCHIP by 20% over five years. Congress proposed a larger expansion, which Wallis supported. It's not as if Bush was proposing to eliminate SCHIP.

I'm sure there are Democrats who would have wanted to expand SCHIP even beyond what Congress passed, but Wallis didn't criticize the Democrats who cut that funding down to what passed Congress. Why, I wonder? If it's a moral issue that children have access to health care, why isn't Wallis' rhetoric also directed at Democrats who left funding at what passed the House instead of covering all children or all Americans?

Wallis' involvement in this seems more about politics and power than morals and policy.

Re: Stan Guthrie’s Red Letter Blues (by Tony Campolo)

eric — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:16:48 -0000

What is the purpose of labeling oneself a "red-letter Christian"? What is wrong with just calling oneself a Christian and then describing how Christ's teaching instructs your daily life?

That is my problem with this whole red-letter Christian thing. The self-proclaimed RLCs are setting themselves apart from other Christians for no real reason, at least that I can tell. I get the vibe from it that they consider themselves better Christians or more devoted Christians by saying "We're RLCs and those other Christians aren't; they don't place a high enough priority on Jesus' teachings."

Re: Stan Guthrie’s Red Letter Blues (by Tony Campolo)

eric — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 09:42:59 -0000

I'll try to state it again...why do we put labels on ourselves to seperate ourselves from other Christians? Why can't we all just be Christians, one body, in Christ?? What is the point of attaching labels like "red-letter"? It just smacks of self-rightousness. "I'm not like those other Christians who don't value x,y, and z and much as I do."

If you have a problem with certain Christians not caring about the environment/the poor/social justice/etc enough then try to change their ways by prayer and discussing this with them, but don't set yourself apart from them as if they are some form of lesser Christian.

Re: A Christian Voice of ‘Laughter, Love, and Peace’ Murdered in Gaza (by Philip Rizk)

eric — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:51:01 -0000

Maybe this shows my ignorance (it's not the first time), but can people living in Gaza not leave to go to any other country? I was under the impression that they just weren't allowed into Israel. Can they not go to Egypt either or any other country?

Re: Progressive and Evangelical Common Ground (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:24:51 -0000

I agree with most of the broad principles outlined by the paper. They should be generally accepted by Christians on both the right and the left.

As to the ex-Pentacostal's comments, I'm not sure what you mean when you say that people shouldn't be forced to abide by someone else's religious beliefs. Who, in the normal realm of political debate, is forcing others to abide by their political beliefs? Are you talking about using legislatures to promote justice or redistribute wealth or ban abortion? If that's the case, then I can see where you're coming from (even though I don't agree with it), but if not, I'm very confused by what you mean.

The one minor objection to the paper's statements I have is the phrase "reducing the need for abortion." There really isn't any real need for abortion that can be reduced. Very few people actually need an abortion, and in the small number of cases that they do medically, it's not something that can be reduced. There is a demand and a desire for abortion, but that is different than need. I think the wording should be changed to "reducing the desire or demand for abortion."

Re: ‘Devils and Dust’: How We Learned to Torture (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:33:53 -0000

I'm against torture and I don't think the U.S. should employ it. That photo above has nothing to do with torture though. Those are people captured trying to fight coalition troops in Afghanistan and being transported to Guantanamo Bay. Yes, their heads are covered and they're restrained, but that isn't torture. I think it's prudent to constrain prisoners and reduce their ability to inflict harm on their captors during transfer. We shouldn't confuse the two issues.

Re: Who Has Betrayed Us? (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:42:07 -0000

Can we stop calling Andrew Sullivan a conservative? Please. He's not. I can't think of one traditionally conservative position for which he advocates or about which he writes.

Re: ‘Devils and Dust’: How We Learned to Torture (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:33:28 -0000

I and I - Whether or not the people being transported to Gitmo are innocent or not is besides the point of the column. They could be completely guilty without a doubt and it still wouldn't be right to torture them; but even if they're innocent it also wouldn't be wrong to restrain them and put a hood over their head to prevent them from attacking you. Police restrain people all the time who they suspect of committing a crime. It's pretty common.

Re: Progressive and Evangelical Common Ground (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:37:26 -0000

CRP - thanks for the civics lesson. Is there a point?

Re: Campolo’s Letter on CT with Guthrie’s Column (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

eric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:50:55 -0000

Ok, here's a question for all of you...

Does it make a difference whether one group of Christians prioritizes the "red letters" and another group treats all of scripture with equal significance? Is this really what creates different interpretations of scripture or is it our own beliefs that we impose on scripture that create the differences?

I'd agrue that it's not what we choose to prioritize that creates the difference in how we see political issues. If I chose to prioritize the red letters or if I didn't, I'd probably come to the same conclusions about most political issues. See if this is the same for you.

Campolo acts as if only all Christians would become RLCs then they'd adopt his political agenda, and some commenters here act as if everyone gave the same priority to the entire Bible then they'd adopt *their* political views. That's silly.

By the way, I still think Campolo and other RLCs sound very self-rightious when they apply this label to themselves.

Re: Campolo’s Letter on CT with Guthrie’s Column (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

eric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 10:16:43 -0000

Trent - Before I can address your point, I think I need a better explanation of what you mean by "the shape of your view of scripture" and what a "theologically liberal Christian" is (as opposed to a politically liberal Christian).

Re: Campolo’s Letter on CT with Guthrie’s Column (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

eric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:47:47 -0000

Trent - Thanks for your explanation of a theological liberal. I think I understand what you're saying and it's a good point.

If it's not our political leanings, but our theological leanings that inform our prioritization, my question is then why does it seem like RLCs all come to the same conclusion about what should be done about the particular issues Jesus makes a priority? I'd think there would be a little more diversity of opinion among RLCs about solutions if it wasn't their political liberalism informing their "red letterness", but their theological liberalism.

My overall point is, if there is a desire to bring Christians together and agree on basic issues on which we should all agree are important, why start by dividing ourselves with labels like "red letter"? Wouldn't it be much better for Tony to say "We're all Christians, let's agree on some basic issues" rather than saying "I'm a RLC, I prioritize Jesus. You don't. Now let's agree on some issues."

Re: ‘Child Brides: Stolen Lives’ on NOW Tonight (by Julie Polter)

eric — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:50:56 -0000

Julie - Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This is something not normally focused in the sphere of human rights issues and it's important!

Re: Audio: Jim Wallis on “Value Voters” on The Tavis Smiley Show

eric — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:05:57 -0000

It sounded like they both agreed on almost everything. Good for them both being able to find mutual agreement and discuss this issue without resorting to some of the silliness found on this blog.

But why didn't Jim get his honorific included in the summary of the episode like the other Drs and titled individuals? Racism!! Racism!!

Re: Mystery Quote Quiz of the Week (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

eric — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:10:37 -0000

He was probably saying it because he wasn't invited to the summit. He's bitter.

Re: Why Rich People Will (or Won’t) Go to Hell (by Dr. Marvin A. McMickle)

eric — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 17:05:27 -0000

Blake makes a good point, the only difference in what conservative and liberal Christians believe on this issue is how much the federal government should contribute to assisting people acquire health care. That's it.

But this minor difference about levels of benefits somehow enables liberals to adopt a holier-than-thou attitude simply because they go into a voting booth and flip a different lever. It amazes me. Liberals act like this is the real sacrifice, flipping a different lever or checking a different box. Not the hours upon hours and millions of dollars that both liberal and conservative Christians spend each year helping the less fortunate. That's not what matters to liberals, it's the couple minutes taken each year to vote for someone. That's the action that enables them to say "I care, you don't." Makes me laugh...

Re: Why Rich People Will (or Won’t) Go to Hell (by Dr. Marvin A. McMickle)

eric — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:18:16 -0000

Trent,
Characterizing all the time and money spent by Christians assisting the poor as "scraps off our table" is exactly what I was talking about in my previous post. Why, in your mind, are the sacrifices millions of Christians make to help the poor considered "scraps" while pulling a certain lever in a voting booth and trying to get others to vote the same way allows people who post here to adopt such a holier-than-thou attitude? And I'm not talking about Jim Wallis, he genearlly doesn't so this; I'm talking about the commenters. Just read the comments above and think about it.

And when it comes to petitioning the government, it's not even that one side is saying "give the poor X amount" and the other side is saying "give the poor nothing." The difference is really only in what X adds up to or the method in which way X is distributed. The difference is actually very slight when you think about it.

When it comes to health care, I'd bet that most conservative commenters would have no problem with the federal government giving every low-income person in America a voucher or a refundable tax credit to go out on the market and buy health insurance. I certainly don't. I have no problem at all with my tax dollars being used to fund such a program. But people here act as if someone doesn't support a UK-style health care system then they don't truly care about the poor, regardless of how much of their own time and money they spend doing so. All that seems to matter is what policy position one supports.

Re: Why Rich People Will (or Won’t) Go to Hell (by Dr. Marvin A. McMickle)

eric — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:00:42 -0000

N.M. Rod - You asked some questions: "Is the United States a nation? What makes a nation? Do its citizens have any obligations to each others as a community?"

I'm going to assume when you say "nation" you mean "country." The first answer is an obvious yes. The second is less easily answered, but I'd say a country is a group of people living within defined borders who are ruled by the same governmental structure. What would you say a country is?

The third question is easy. Yes, a country's citizens do have an obligation to each other. Determining what those obligations are is a tougher question and every country is different. What do you think the obligations of U.S. citizens to each other are?

Re: Why Rich People Will (or Won’t) Go to Hell (by Dr. Marvin A. McMickle)

eric — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:08:56 -0000

I and I - The vast majority of Christians I know don't have a problem with the government helping the poor. I think what a lot of Christians have a problem with is other Christians saying that particular policy solutions are prescribed by the Bible and Jesus' teaching.

Re: Twelve Army Captains Offer Front Line Frankness (by Rose Marie Berger)

eric — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:19:30 -0000

I don't think these 12 Captains are saying what Rose Marie Berger thinks or hopes they are saying. They are simply saying the U.S. has failed to achieve what it set out to achieve for various reasons and that the best option now is to bring the troops home.

They aren't protesting an "illegal" war or saying the war was unjust or becoming peace activists. Their advocay for withdrawal is based purely on strategic reasons. It's certainly an ancient tradition (the philosophy behind "cut your losses" has been around for a while) but it's not the tradition of which she's thinking.

Re: Twelve Army Captains Offer Front Line Frankness (by Rose Marie Berger)

eric — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:44:53 -0000

Ted...I'm confused why you're directing your comments to me...

Re: Twelve Army Captains Offer Front Line Frankness (by Rose Marie Berger)

eric — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:36:08 -0000

N.M. Rod - I wasn't disputing the captains' conclusions, I was disputing the mindset that it seemed like Rose Marie was attempting to attribute to them.

I don't know what the captains really think, all I can go by is what they wrote. And what they wrote was that the war is not winnable. They didn't say it was unjust or wrong, just unwinnable. There is a huge difference. The Col. seemed to think I was defending the war and then made a weird comment about me fighting the Lord...

Re: Why Rich People Will (or Won’t) Go to Hell (by Dr. Marvin A. McMickle)

eric — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:15:16 -0000

Trent, let's be honest, no one does "whatever they can." We all could do more, both of us included. I could make greater sacrifices and give more and devote more of my time to helping those in need. But you'll never convince me that political activism MUST be a part of this in order to fully live out Jesus' teachings. There's absolutely nothing inherent in political activism that goes against Jesus' teaching, in fact, it's often quite compatible.

For an example of where I'm coming from, read Bob Massey's posts above. Do you really believe that someone who devotes their life to ministering to those girls isn't doing enough if he or she isn't also engaging in political activism?

Re: Twelve Army Captains Offer Front Line Frankness (by Rose Marie Berger)

eric — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:21:38 -0000

N.M. Rod - There's no evidence the Captains or Rose Marie were appealing to Augustine's specific "Just War" theory. I also don't remember Jesus ever talking about "Just Wars" or that there was ever such a thing.

Re: Don’t Scurry, Be Happy (by Mary Nelson)

eric — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:40:15 -0000

Well said Mary!

Re: Servants in the Slums (by Bob Massey)

eric — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:20:54 -0000

I'm glad Bob is bringing attention to the work of Christ's followers in India. They serve as an example to us all. We need more people like this here in the U.S. Just of think of the wealth we have here and if people used that to do good rather than spend it on their own lavish lifestyles.

I didn't know we had a Christian-flavored government here in the USA. It's actually a secular government. I also didn't think the underlying philosophy of the U.S. government was that "some unknown past-life choice has caused [the poor] to deserve these living conditions." Hmmmm...

Re: Hospitality for ‘Ugly Enemies’ (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:43:13 -0000

I agree wholeheartedly with Brian about hospitality and that we should treat guests in our country with respect and compassion. We should listen to what they have to say and they should do the same for us. It would disfuse a lot of hostility. This could be applied to all sorts of situations.

In regards to the specific instance of what happended at Columbia, I agree that Lee Bollinger's criticisms of M.A., while mostly accurate, were not helpful. You shouldn't invite someone to speak and then rip on them when they accept your invitation. The mistake was inviting M.A. to speak in the first place. While all guests are entitled to basic hospitality, all people aren't worthy of an invitation. M.A. is certainly not. It would have been much more useful if Columbia had invited another Iranian, perhaps someone representing a peaceful face of Islam to speak, for an interchange between the west and Islam.

The best antidote for people like M.A. is to ignore them. Deny people like him a platform to spout their hate and lies.

Re: Hospitality for ‘Ugly Enemies’ (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:57:06 -0000

Payshun - Come on man... Read up a little on the treatment of religious minorities in Iran. Bradley's point is perfectly valid. You don't give people who live on spreading hate and lies a forum to speak. You either rebuke them or ignore them. There is nothing unbiblical about that.

Re: Changing How We Talk About Immigration (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:27:39 -0000

I agree with Jim that the rhetoric needs to be toned down, on both sides. You can see it even in the comment section of blogs. Whoever that Arizona talk show host is, he or she needs serious help. Community organizations and charities should never be stopped from doing their work simply because someone they assist may be here illegally. It would have been worthwhile had Jim also mentioned some instances of antagonistic rhetoric from those who support legalization of illegal immigrants. Smearing all opponents of amnesty as bigots or racists as sometimes happens doesn't really help the situation either.

Maybe if Jim addressed some of the legitimate fears that people who don’t support his version of immigration reform have instead of just dismissing them as uncharitable or unchristian, he'd get more traction on this. Is it illegitimate to fear the changes that take place in a neighborhood when a large population of poor, uneducated people move in? Is it illegitimate to worry about the quality of your child's education when the public school they attend is bursting at the seams because of the children of illegal immigrants and can't keep up with the growth? Is it illegitimate to worry about the divisions that will occur when a large population of a section of the country doesn't even speak the same language as the rest of the country and has stronger ties to a neighboring country than the one in which they currently reside?

These are normal human fears experienced daily by average Americans. While Jim may believe that Christians should ignore those fears for the sake of our duty to the strangers among us, he should at least take the time to recognize them and address them. Most Christians who oppose Jim's version of immigration reform don't hate immigrants or want them shot or want families ripped apart. If they had an opportunity to show compassion to a particular illegal immigrant in their midst they would probably help him or her, but this doesn't mean that Christian teaching requires them to accept the mass exodus from Mexico that currently exists.

Re: Hospitality for ‘Ugly Enemies’ (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:36:02 -0000

Me confused Payshun...so unless the country you rule is guilty of genocide you should be provided a forum to speak... That's a pretty low bar to set.

Re: Hospitality for ‘Ugly Enemies’ (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:27:12 -0000

For the record Payshun, I would not support a war with Iran. It would be a very very bad idea.

I disagree with you that our enemies aren't going away. I actually believe that denying M.A. a forum would be a benefit to the U.S. and Iran. He's not the sole leader over there. He's battling for power with others and giving him the legitamacy of speaking at Columbia and at the UN only strengthens his power. He could actually be removed from office in Iran in the near future, the people are so unhappy with him.

To the larger point, no, Iran is not Nazi Germany, but we're not talking about countries here. We're talking about individuals and the standards that should be set for who American citizens should treat with hospitality and who should be protested. M.A. as an individual spreads hate and fear. There is no reason to welcome him with hospitality. There's a huge difference between understanding M.A. and understanding Iran.

Re: Rigid Biblians and Red Letter Christians (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

eric — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:38:43 -0000

Yes, good idea...let's create even more labels for different types of Christians than there already are. That will make it even easier to denigrate the people we don't like and lump other Christians into groups. It's so much easier to say "Evangelicals believe X and Y and therefore they're wrong" or "liberals believe A and B and therefore they're stupid" instead of engaging individuals on a person by person basis. Let's add Red Letter Christians and Biblians to the mix so we can further seperate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in Christ. "I'm not like those people over there!"

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:44:50 -0000

After reading Randy's post I'm confused as to what the "myth" of Thanksgiving (the holiday we celebrate today) supposedly is. Thanksgiving is based on the celebration of the Pilgrims after their survival of the first winter and harvest in the "New World" and has been proclamed by American presidents intermitantly since then. President Washington and Congress approved a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in 1789 Thanksgiving has been celebrated off and on up until now. As time went on it became a more commonly accepted holiday and was made a federal holiday.

Yes, thanksgiving celebrations date back to Europe (and other cultures also had days of thanks, but they weren't to God). The American Indian thanksgiving celebrations Randy discusses certainly weren't to God, they were to pagan gods, so it really isn't the same holiday.

I agree that the treatment of American Indians by the American government and settlers was particular horid, but I'm not sure what that has to do with how we celebrate Thanksgiving today or at any other time. In Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation he said "also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions...". I assert that Thanksgiving as a distinct American holiday already makes time for what Randy desires. There is no need to "replace the dominant myth of Thanksgiving with an alternate view." For Christians, Thanksgiving is an opportunity to offer thanks to God for all he's blessed us with. This is what it's been since it was first created.

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:58:43 -0000

I re-read Randy's post and was struck by this statement.

"We know that many of the "Christian" Pilgrims did not act like it—their greed for land and false notions of superiority did not reflect Jesus. We also know there were real times of peace and friendship that did reflect the real Jesus. We should celebrate those times. But, if we are using the Thanksgiving holiday as a narrative for peace and friendship, then let's build upon that and not ignore the whole picture.

There is so much to wonder about here. Why does he put quotes around "Christian"? Were they not Christian? (Yes, some on the Mayflower were not, but those we refer to as "Pilgrims" were certainly Christians.) Maybe Randy thinks that anyone who doesn't act as he believes a Christian should act at all times is not really a Christian. This seems to fly in the face of the Christian belief that we are all sinners. We all act in ways, at times, that don't reflect Jesus (yes, you and me too, Randy). That doesn't make us "Christians".

As I said above Thanksgiving and even the Thanksgiving "myth" is based on a specific three-day celebration in 1621. As Randy notes, this was a time of peace and friendship. For some reason though he thinks we should turn Thanksgiving into not only a celebration of thanks to God but also a national time to recognize the treatment of American Indians at the hand of Americans that followed the Pilgrims. Why? It's taught in history class, why do we need to turn Thanksgiving into a day to remember this?

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:18:49 -0000

Ok, this is my last gripe, I promise. In his posts Randy constantly talks about myths and how we need to get over them. Well, he might want to reconside some of this own.

Last Thanksgiving he wrote a similar blog post. In it he said "You know us; we're the folks that brought you that popular holiday, Thanksgiving." Hate to break it to you, American Indians didn't create Thanksgiving. Europeans celebrated days of thanksgiving as well. This is what the Pilgrims were replicating, not American Indian celebrations. He makes a similar statement again this year. Mmmmm...as Kevin said...where are the mashed potatoes...

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:57:50 -0000

ds0490 - No one is turning the Pilgrims into something they weren't other than Randy. Randy is trying to impute the crimes of everyone who came after the Pilgrims onto them.

Thanksgiving is modeled after the celebration of the Pilgrims, that's all. No one's holding them up as example of what a Christian should be. If Randy had his way, Thanksgiving would be not only a day of giving thanks to God, but a day of protests. Religious holidays in this country are way to watered down with secular trappings as it is. We don't need to water them down anymore.

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:54:01 -0000

Payshun - What about the current Thanksgiving celebration is honoring killing or celebrating darkness? What is mythic about what children learn about "the first Thanksgiving?" Was it not true that the Pilgrims and others in their community, including American Indians, came together to celebrate and give thanks to God for their survival? There is nothing mythic about that. It happened. This is what kids are taught about Thanksgiving.

No, we don't spend Thanksgiving talking about the harsh things done to American Indians in the years to follow because it has absolutely NOTHING to do with Thanksgiving! It's another chapter in American history. It's like saying "We should talk about the horrible things people did in the name of Christ during the Middle Ages every Christmas."

Re: Canned Compassion (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:11:19 -0000

"Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys." Luke 12:33

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 08:33:56 -0000

One other point, people need to look beyond clumping people together by race. It seems like some people take the attitude that "The Pilgrims and others on the Mayflower were white and from Europe, the people who came after them over the next 200 years were white and from Europe, therefore anyone white and from Europe is guilty of anything anyone else who's white and from Europe did." Yes, it's a simplification, but that is, in essence, what people are saying.

The Pilgrims (using this term for everyone on the Mayflower) aren't responsible for the people who followed them or that came before them. They are responsible for their own actions. They made peace with the Indians and celebrated with them. This peace between the Indians and "Pilgrims" lasted for decades. Others didn't make peace. Why the actions of others has to be wrapped into the Thanksgiving story of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians is beyond me. Why can't we use the story of the peace and celebration of Thanksgiving between these two groups as a model for how relations should be?

Re: Celebrating True Thanksgiving: One Native American View (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:21:52 -0000

Payshun - I'm not clueless. You're the one ignoring my entire point: You can't blame the Pilgrims on the Mayflower for those who came after them or those who came before them, and there's no good reason to make Thanksgiving into a day of memorial and protests as you and Randy seem to want to do.

Yes, the Wampanoag were skeptical of the Pilgrims because of prior interactions with Europeans. They had a right to be. (The Pilgrims were also skeptical of the Indians as they'd heard stories of Indians killing Eurpeans, which did happen too).

But the Pilgrims are the people we're talking about in the Thanksgiving story, not the people who came before them! It's the Pilgrims and Wampanoag in this story that overcame their skepticism of each other, had the "first Thanksgiving" together, and lived in peace for decades. No one is denying the charity of the Indians. That was always part of the Thanksgiving story. This is what our Thanksgiving Day holiday is partly modeled after.

And your quote from a Wampanoag living today doesn't add anything to this discussion. He's upset his ancestors were wiped out. I am too, but it wasn't the Mayflower Pilgrims who did it. Even he doesn't put the blame on them.

Re: Testimonies of Terror (by Anna Almendrala)

eric — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:31:47 -0000

I'm wondering why the School of Americas even exists. I can understand an agrument for it back in the days of fighting Communism in S. America, but today? Close it down.

Re: My Response to a Muslim Call for Common Ground (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:38:22 -0000

ds0490 - It's your faith as well. We all need to reach out to people like that.

Re: We Are All Blessed (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:50:37 -0000

This post by Jim is a nice antidote to the other Thanksgiving messages posted on this blog. It seems like most other commenters here see every holiday as an opportunity to offer up a righteous criticism of how the average American, usually a strawman or composite of all the things they don't like about a bunch of different people, needs to change their view of what that particular holiday means. It's all so joyless, but I can't help feeling they look forward to it.

I'm glad Jim derives joy from the good things in life! Thank you for this personal contribution! Happy Thanksgiving!

Re: I Got Mugged (by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

eric — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:59:30 -0000

Washington DC probably has the funds to both prosecute and imprison criminals as well as fully fund programs like UFD. Unfortunately there is so much corruption that millions of dollars that could be put to this use are wasted every year. Every month there is a new scandal in the newspaper about city employees stealing money or getting paid six figures to do common, everyday jobs.

But in general, Ryan's point is a good one with no easy answers.

Re: Changes Down Under (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:37:10 -0000

Rudd wrote that "Bonhoeffer's political theology is therefore one of a dissenting church that speaks truth to the state..."

So I wonder how you apply this when you are head of the state. Hmmmm... One hopes Rudd would welcome the church to speak truth to him when he waivers from Christian principles. We'll see. Most political leaders certainly don't like the church giving them "advice".

Re: Left Behind’s Jenkins and Others Shatter Evangelical Stereotypes (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:19:07 -0000

I love the shock and amazement Brian expresses in this post. "Wait, you mean evangelicals actually do care about the poor and oppressed? I can't believe this! What a phenomenon! Since I've just discovered this it must be something new!"

Or maybe evangelicals have always cared about helping the poor, it's just that propressives have chosen to ignore that fact in order to perpetuate their stereotypes of the so-called Religious Right and evangelicals. Perhaps it's the progressives' stereotype that's being shattered.

Re: Who’s the Illegal Immigrant, Pilgrim? (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:48:31 -0000

This analogy doesn't resonate with me and I'd doubt it resonates with the average American. I'll bet that I'm pretty representative of the average American living today. My ancestry is a mix of all different cultures and backgrounds including American Indian, and my non-Indian ancestors first came to America in the 20th Century and had nothing to do with pushing American Indians onto reservations.

Randy writes that "Early American immigrants, now well established, may have conveniently forgotten that their ancestors did not come as law-abiding citizens..." Um, I'm not an "early American immigrant," I was lucky enough to be born here and my ancestors did come as law-abiding citizens. Randy's shallow analysis basically leaves out a whole swath of America like me that has objections to the current immigration policy that basically leaves our borders uncontrolled yet has no relation at all to the first European settlers and the policies that pushed American Indians onto reservations.

I think the average American like me doesn't have a problem with foreigners or welcoming them here, but resents the fact that so many illegal immigrants act as if amnesty is deserved instead of acting repentant for flaunting the law. It actually sounds a lot like Randy's resentment.

Re: Left Behind’s Jenkins and Others Shatter Evangelical Stereotypes (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:02:36 -0000

Rick - Or, perhaps, all evangelicals weren't represented by the leaders of the "Religious Right". Maybe evangelicals are a little more diverse than progessives would like to make them out to be. But of course it's easier to denegrate people when you lump them all into one group. Pat Robertson = bad, Pat Robertson = evangelical, therefore, evangelical = bad.

But this also gets to the larger debate over whether Jesus' teaching compels Christians to promote Progessive policy solutions to help the poor. Without getting into that debate again, there's nothing in Jenkins' statement that leads me to believe he's a believer in the Progressive view. He merely talks about personal actions to help the poor. There is nothing inconsistent with that and what evangelicals have always believed, even in the evil, greed-filled 1980s when that awful Reagan guy was president. Brian's response though would leave one to believe this was a new phenomenon and he's responsible for bringing it to everyone's attention.

Re: A Prayer for Annapolis (by Jim Wallis)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:46:49 -0000

Gee...five posts into a discussion of Richard Cohen's excellent distillation of the situation in Israel and Palestine and some people can't seem to resist bashing "the other".

Dave Bennett and ds0490, do you think it would just be white southerners who would be upset about the Darfur example or would it have been pretty much anyone else too? Do you not think black southerners would be upset? Or northerners? Or American Indians? Or Mexicans? Or even Etheopians? You could drop hundreds of thousands of any group of people into any area of the world and the people who already lived there would be upset. You may think you're being clever by picking on American Southerners, but you're really not. Let's stick to the topic.

I'd argue the measure of people is how they deal with injustice. How do they respond? Do they blow up bombs killing innocent women and children in restaurants? Or do they follow the example given by peacemakers like Jesus, Ghandi, Martin Luther King and others that are so often sited here.

Re: Who’s the Illegal Immigrant, Pilgrim? (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:53:08 -0000

Rick - How did I benefit for Indians being forced onto reservations? Let's assume that Indians were never forced onto reservations and settlers and Indians lived together peacefully on this continent. Any land that changed hands was paid for at the prices of the day. My ancestors then arrived in the 20th Century. How would my situation be any different today than it would have been under this scenario?

Re: Left Behind’s Jenkins and Others Shatter Evangelical Stereotypes (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:01:40 -0000

Rick - You're missing my point. Of course the conservative evangelicals you knew didn't like Clinton and others with progressive policy prescriptions, that's what differentiates people between conservative and liberal; they don't agree with each other on public policy. The point I'm making is that Jenkins gives examples of how he and people he knows are helping the poor. Then Brian acts amazed as if this is some sort of revelation. As if he had never realized evangelicals actually did care about the poor, when, in fact, they always have. Just not in all the ways Brian and other Progessives would like them to.

Re: Who’s the Illegal Immigrant, Pilgrim? (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:37:07 -0000

Rick - Yes, and how would that change anything about my situation today? The fact is, it wouldn't. I haven't benefited at all from American Indians being forced onto reservations and I don't share in responsbility for what was done in the past.

Re: Left Behind’s Jenkins and Others Shatter Evangelical Stereotypes (by Brian McLaren)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:27:43 -0000

Rick - But there's no evidence in what Jenkins said that suggests he once believed that Christians shouldn't advocate for liberal policy solutions to poverty but now he does. This is what I'm trying to get at. There's no evidence Jenkins' views have changed at all, yet Brian acts as if this is some kind of major shift in thinking; as if conservative Christians are awakening to the needs of the poor by embracing liberal policy ideas. There's no evidence of this. All Jenkins said was he and his friends help the poor, which has always been a feature of evangelical belief. Yes, politicaly, evangelicals have focused on things like gay marriage and abortion, but those aren't the only things they focus on in their service to communities. It never was.

Re: Who’s the Illegal Immigrant, Pilgrim? (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 16:02:17 -0000

Rick - Please explain to me how I've benefited. Even if the little bit of land my home rests on was once the exact site of an Indian home, how have I, some 200 years later, benefited from that Indian being forced to leave? Please, stop and think about the absurdity of your statement.

Carl - Yes, even if the land that I now live, work, play and worship on once did belong to an American Indian I have not benefited from his or her being forced to leave. No one is denying that land was taken, mostly forcibly, from American Indians. What I'm denying is that I somehow have benefited from that action. Please, specifically, tell me how I have directly benefited. I love history and know it very well, but because you're a teacher of history you must know something I don't, so please, do tell.

Re: Who’s the Illegal Immigrant, Pilgrim? (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:07:32 -0000

Rick - Maybe I'm just dense, why don't you spell it out for me. You seem to be dancing around it. How did I benefit from a hypothetical American Indian being removed from my current day property? You can't, can you? Why? Because it would sound so ridiculous if you did.

Re: Who’s the Illegal Immigrant, Pilgrim? (by Randy Woodley)

eric — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 10:46:01 -0000

JC and Wayne - We're not responsible for the actions of people in the past. I certainly believe we may reap the consequences of actions of others in the past, but we aren't responsible for them in a moral sense. It might help in relations with other people who have been harmed in the past for us to try to remedy them, but we're not morally responsible for them. God is not going to judge me for actions of people that died 350 years ago.

And again, there is no way for anyone to say that I have benefited at all from Indians being forced to live somewhere else. No one's been able to explain it in any more detail than talking about vague "sins of the past" or some version of the butterfly effect.

JC, you're right that one little adjustment in history could have huge ramifications; that's exactly why it's so ridiculous to say that anyone knows that I've benefited from the dislocation of a particular Indian tribe 350 years ago.

It's as if you guys have been told your entire lives that "we've all benefited" and it conformed to your worldview so you never stopped to ask "why exactly?"

Re: No Religious Tests (by Diana Butler Bass)

eric — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:56:07 -0000

For the most part I think Diana's right on. I'd like to point out though that she writes "The candidates were required, down to specifically quoting scriptures, to 'check off' the right religious answers in order to secure their party's bid for the nation's highest office."

She might have added that CNN chose for them to do this. CNN could have easily chosen different youtube questions, but instead, I assume in the hopes of better theater, made them answer these questions. The blame lies there.

Re: Voice of the Day: Pascal On Religion

eric — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:45:46 -0000

Witty, but not really true. I'm sure all of us could come up with some pretty evil actions that weren't based in religion, yet were done effectively and without a sad tear.

Re: School Adventure Dora

eric — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 16:12:44 -0000

What does it say about technology when she was more fascinated by the "sticky throw at the wall Dora" than the more high tech Dora products?

Re: Hard Rain

eric — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:37:09 -0000

Even better for life reflection (in my opinion):
Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie (Poem read by Dylan on Bootleg Series Vol 1-3)

When yer head gets twisted and yer mind grows numb
When you think you're too old, too young, too smart or too dumb
When yer laggin' behind an' losin' yer pace
In a slow-motion crawl of life's busy race
No matter what yer doing if you start givin' up
If the wine don't come to the top of yer cup
If the wind's got you sideways with with one hand holdin' on
And the other starts slipping and the feeling is gone
And yer train engine fire needs a new spark to catch it
And the wood's easy findin' but yer lazy to fetch it
And yer sidewalk starts curlin' and the street gets too long
And you start walkin' backwards though you know its wrong
And lonesome comes up as down goes the day
And tomorrow's mornin' seems so far away
And you feel the reins from yer pony are slippin'
And yer rope is a-slidin' 'cause yer hands are a-drippin'
And yer sun-decked desert and evergreen valleys
Turn to broken down slums and trash-can alleys
And yer sky cries water and yer drain pipe's a-pourin'
And the lightnin's a-flashing and the thunder's a-crashin'
And the windows are rattlin' and breakin' and the roof tops a-shakin'
And yer whole world's a-slammin' and bangin'
And yer minutes of sun turn to hours of storm
And to yourself you sometimes say
"I never knew it was gonna be this way
Why didn't they tell me the day I was born"
And you start gettin' chills and yer jumping from sweat
And you're lookin' for somethin' you ain't quite found yet
And yer knee-deep in the dark water with yer hands in the air
And the whole world's a-watchin' with a window peek stare
And yer good gal leaves and she's long gone a-flying
And yer heart feels sick like fish when they're fryin'
And yer jackhammer falls from yer hand to yer feet
And you need it badly but it lays on the street
And yer bell's bangin' loudly but you can't hear its beat
And you think yer ears might a been hurt
Or yer eyes've turned filthy from the sight-blindin' dirt
And you figured you failed in yesterdays rush
When you were faked out an' fooled white facing a four flush
And all the time you were holdin' three queens
And it's makin you mad, it's makin' you mean
Like in the middle of Life magazine
Bouncin' around a pinball machine
And there's something on yer mind you wanna be saying
That somebody someplace oughta be hearin'
But it's trapped on yer tongue and sealed in yer head
And it bothers you badly when your layin' in bed
And no matter how you try you just can't say it
And yer scared to yer soul you just might forget it
And yer eyes get swimmy from the tears in yer head
And yer pillows of feathers turn to blankets of lead
And the lion's mouth opens and yer staring at his teeth
And his jaws start closin with you underneath
And yer flat on your belly with yer hands tied behind
And you wish you'd never taken that last detour sign
And you say to yourself just what am I doin'
On this road I'm walkin', on this trail I'm turnin'
On this curve I'm hanging
On this pathway I'm strolling, in the space I'm taking
In this air I'm inhaling
Am I mixed up too much, am I mixed up too hard
Why am I walking, where am I running
What am I saying, what am I knowing
On this guitar I'm playing, on this banjo I'm frailin'
On this mandolin I'm strummin', in the song I'm singin'
In the tune I'm hummin', in the words I'm writin'
In the words that I'm thinkin'
In this ocean of hours I'm all the time drinkin'
Who am I helping, what am I breaking
What am I giving, what am I taking
But you try with your whole soul best
Never to think these thoughts and never to let
Them kind of thoughts gain ground
Or make yer heart pound
But then again you know why they're around
Just waiting for a chance to slip and drop down
"Cause sometimes you hear'em when the night times comes creeping
And you fear that they might catch you a-sleeping
And you jump from yer bed, from yer last chapter of dreamin'
And you can't remember for the best of yer thinking
If that was you in the dream that was screaming
And you know that it's something special you're needin'
And you know that there's no drug that'll do for the healin'
And no liquor in the land to stop yer brain from bleeding
And you need something special
Yeah, you need something special all right
You need a fast flyin' train on a tornado track
To shoot you someplace and shoot you back
You need a cyclone wind on a stream engine howler
That's been banging and booming and blowing forever
That knows yer troubles a hundred times over
You need a Greyhound bus that don't bar no race
That won't laugh at yer looks
Your voice or your face
And by any number of bets in the book
Will be rollin' long after the bubblegum craze
You need something to open up a new door
To show you something you seen before
But overlooked a hundred times or more
You need something to open your eyes
You need something to make it known
That it's you and no one else that owns
That spot that yer standing, that space that you're sitting
That the world ain't got you beat
That it ain't got you licked
It can't get you crazy no matter how many
Times you might get kicked
You need something special all right
You need something special to give you hope
But hope's just a word
That maybe you said or maybe you heard
On some windy corner 'round a wide-angled curve

But that's what you need man, and you need it bad
And yer trouble is you know it too good
"Cause you look an' you start getting the chills

"Cause you can't find it on a dollar bill
And it ain't on Macy's window sill
And it ain't on no rich kid's road map
And it ain't in no fat kid's fraternity house
And it ain't made in no Hollywood wheat germ
And it ain't on that dimlit stage
With that half-wit comedian on it
Ranting and raving and taking yer money
And you thinks it's funny
No you can't find it in no night club or no yacht club
And it ain't in the seats of a supper club
And sure as hell you're bound to tell
That no matter how hard you rub
You just ain't a-gonna find it on yer ticket stub
No, and it ain't in the rumors people're tellin' you
And it ain't in the pimple-lotion people are sellin' you
And it ain't in no cardboard-box house
Or down any movie star's blouse
And you can't find it on the golf course
And Uncle Remus can't tell you and neither can Santa Claus
And it ain't in the cream puff hair-do or cotton candy clothes
And it ain't in the dime store dummies or bubblegum goons
And it ain't in the marshmallow noises of the chocolate cake voices
That come knockin' and tappin' in Christmas wrappin'
Sayin' ain't I pretty and ain't I cute and look at my skin
Look at my skin shine, look at my skin glow
Look at my skin laugh, look at my skin cry
When you can't even sense if they got any insides
These people so pretty in their ribbons and bows
No you'll not now or no other day
Find it on the doorsteps made out-a paper mache¬¥
And inside it the people made of molasses
That every other day buy a new pair of sunglasses
And it ain't in the fifty-star generals and flipped-out phonies
Who'd turn yuh in for a tenth of a penny
Who breathe and burp and bend and crack
And before you can count from one to ten
Do it all over again but this time behind yer back
My friend
The ones that wheel and deal and whirl and twirl
And play games with each other in their sand-box world
And you can't find it either in the no-talent fools
That run around gallant
And make all rules for the ones that got talent
And it ain't in the ones that ain't got any talent but think they do
And think they're foolin' you
The ones who jump on the wagon
Just for a while 'cause they know it's in style
To get their kicks, get out of it quick
And make all kinds of money and chicks
And you yell to yourself and you throw down yer hat
Sayin', "Christ do I gotta be like that
Ain't there no one here that knows where I'm at
Ain't there no one here that knows how I feel
Good God Almighty
THAT STUFF AIN'T REAL"

No but that ain't yer game, it ain't even yer race
You can't hear yer name, you can't see yer face
You gotta look some other place
And where do you look for this hope that yer seekin'
Where do you look for this lamp that's a-burnin'
Where do you look for this oil well gushin'
Where do you look for this candle that's glowin'
Where do you look for this hope that you know is there
And out there somewhere
And your feet can only walk down two kinds of roads
Your eyes can only look through two kinds of windows
Your nose can only smell two kinds of hallways
You can touch and twist
And turn two kinds of doorknobs
You can either go to the church of your choice
Or you can go to Brooklyn State Hospital
You'll find God in the church of your choice
You'll find Woody Guthrie in Brooklyn State Hospital

And though it's only my opinion
I may be right or wrong
You'll find them both
In the Grand Canyon
At sundown

Re: I Read Your Email

eric — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 15:56:21 -0000

I read this article and implemented it - http://www.43folders.com/2006/01/04/email-dmz/

I now have 4 things in my inbox, all of which are on my to-do-list...

Re: Ummm…

eric — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 23:06:37 -0000

The experts still seem to say that keeping your computer in the living room, and not your child's room, is the solution. Keep track of what they are doing on the internet.

Am I right to think that this is completely naive? Is it akin to the accountant I work with who calls a usb remote storage device a "floppy on a stick"?

I have a laptop, not a desktop. By the time that my unborn child is computer savy, this thing will look like an Atari to them...

We need computer geeks to be working on new software to protect kids. We need Ed Tech people to keep working on keeping the classroom infrastructure safe. We need parents to educate and monitor thier kids. All this will help, but it will not stop the problem.

Look at Dateline NBC's "catch a predator" program. You have everyone from low-life degenerates to lawyers with wives and kids preying on what they think is a young boy. I think most of these people are opportunistic criminals, who in 1990 would have ended up in the curtain section of their local video store - and not beyond.

Then look at John Karr, the guy who gained notoriaty claiming he murderded Jon Benet. He's looking at 5 years in prison, on the long end, for his pile of child pornography.

Five years.

If we are going to create legislation that will have a dramatic affect on the number of opportunistic pedophiles in this world, let's start with madnatory minimums of 30 year sentences for these people, not a slap on the hand.

Let's not have to worry about how many "level 3" sex offenders live in our neighborhood - people who are defined as "likely to re-offend" and given a social worker from the goverment as a safeguard...

Now I'm all upset.... I'm writing my congressman - or "texting" him, as it were...

Re: It’s a Semi Truck, It’s a Grill

eric — Mon, 28 May 2007 21:43:50 -0000

Wow. Less than a year in Wisconsin and now this...

Re: "Librarians are Hiding Something”

eric — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 08:58:37 -0000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Librarians

Re: On the Road Again…

eric — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:35:12 -0000

Call me when you get it. I'm going to pick one up this week or next, as soon as they hand over the company card... Everyone at our place has gone with the Treo, and we hook it up with our MS Exchange server. What I can't figure out is if I need to have Windows Mobile. If I can connect into my server via the web, is there any need for local applications? And could I just convert to something like Open Office. This is a seriously stressful purchase. I know that what ever I end up getting, I will end up loving for the first 45 days. Right after the "no questions asked" return policy ends, I'll find all the things wrong with it, see yours, and have buyers remorse... Most people haven't had enough experience with multiple brands to give real constructive criticism. I just don't trust Ethan at Verizon, who hasn't had more than 3 tasks on his plate on any given day of his 3 year career, to give me objective advice on a PDA. "It can play MP3's, and it has a camera." Yeah.

Re: Fear and Respect that Escalator

eric — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 11:39:12 -0000

An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.

-Mitch Hedberg

Re: Presidents, Big Fiery Guys, Cheating, and Collaboration

eric — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 16:45:44 -0000

We had the ability to cheat back then. I grabbed your notebook out of your room 3 years after you had it and copied it word for word.

Then he gave it back to me at the end of the year, gave me a D, and just stared at me. He never said anything, just stared at me. As if to say, "ask me why you got a D".

Knowing his style, he took everyone who had a sibling in the class and gave them a D by default, assuming they had stolen the information.

That's what you get for not changing your lesson plan for 20 years...

Re: What Would You Do if ‘The Community’ Did Not Exist?

eric — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:52:00 -0000

I'd do what I do now. Go out and dance socially. I discovered salsa and tango before the community, and now that I have "game", it's just been amplified.

Re: There’s been a death in my house

eric — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 12:23:11 -0000

okayyy.. the millions of worms part was gross. :P

omg.. look at the second pic.. there's like a VERY VERY thick layer of ridsect man!

i seriously don't know what to say.. wahaha.. it's like cruel on one hand cuz of the way you described the "murder".. but then again, i don't like cockroaches also.. so..

i just hate insects. and their insides.

Re: There’s been a death in my house

eric — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 07:06:27 -0000

run? nah! how would my male pride continue to exist if i tol dpeople i run from cockroaches? waahahahhahaha

i just don't like them. :D

Re: There’s been a death in my house

eric — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 06:27:10 -0000

gahhhhhh!!! *pulls hair out!*

I DON'T AND WILL NEVER RUN FROM INSECTS THAT ARE 1/1000 THE SIZE OF ME AND INSECTS THAT I CAN EASILY STEP ON AND HAVE NO REGRETS WHATSOEVER.

there. :D

Re: i’m not used to writing blog titles.

eric — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 23:42:37 -0000

get the all the seasons of friends while you're at it as well.. hehe

Re: The One

eric — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 23:23:16 -0000

hmmm.. the perfect guy huh?

i don't recall hugh grant being like that.. wahhaahha ;p

Re: CNY euphoria

eric — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 10:51:55 -0000

gahh!! i have exams after cnyyy...

but i'm too busy stuffing myself with kuih kapit and pineapple tarts.. T.T

anyways.. good luck gambling y'all.. hehehe..

(btw, poker and cho tai ti owns ass)

Re: The Depression

eric — Sun, 05 Feb 2006 14:31:20 -0000

oh.my.god. 600 for a top? whats this world becoming.. hahahaha..

looks like you had quite a nice CNY with your pals.. that in itself should account for some happiness no?

wishing ya the best kayz? cheer ups :D

Re: The Depression

eric — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 02:33:31 -0000

aha! but if you only limit the pieces of "valued paper" you have in your purse.. you would have to look at those price tags..

of course, there's plastic as well.. heheh

Re: Lovesong to Someone

eric — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 02:06:02 -0000

hmmm.. always a pleasure to read your emotions in art form..

friggin thought provoking.. hehe..

btw, it's mr. grant again rite? :P

Re: Lovesong to Someone

eric — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:25:52 -0000

hahah.. a new fan among the throngs, lalita? :P

pinkpau: AHA! I knew it! who else could occupy your thoughts as Mr. Grant.. oh well.. people have their idols.. :D

Re: Lovesong to Someone

eric — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 02:38:36 -0000

*puzzled too*

oh well. :P

Re: The Actorlympics is BACK!

eric — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 02:39:16 -0000

argh i wanna go! when y'all going??

Re: The Actorlympics is BACK!

eric — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:41:08 -0000

all 5 days?? what??

hahaha.. are tickets still available??

Re: V is for Valentine’s

eric — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 02:44:22 -0000

the sheer rush to get presents for their significant other at the last minute never fails to amuse me.. hehe..

i mean my freinds..

Re: V is for Valentine’s

eric — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 09:24:38 -0000

hahha.. not ALL girls..

Re: If it looks like it works and it feels like it works

eric — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 08:20:20 -0000

they should make like a movie out of your emotions./

numero uno. :D

Re: THE Moments of My Life

eric — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 05:37:21 -0000

waddya get! gawddd...

i wanted to msg you luck yesterday,, cuz i realised out of a sudden that today was march 13th.. but my phone.. out of batt!! gahh. hehehee..

Re: THE Moments Of My Life, Part 2

eric — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 07:31:43 -0000

i'm still in awe. i worship you. ;p

Re: Appreciation

eric — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 13:21:36 -0000

it is absolutely amusing how you manage to describe the simplest of things into such vivid and intricatly painted emotions. hahaha.. gives me such a good laugh.. it's a good thing. :D

i only match you in metabolism and google.

how can ANYTHING match GOOGLE????? will never happen.

Re: arhghghghghghg

eric — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 21:22:26 -0000

*eats a pink pau*

Re: arhghghghghghg

eric — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 11:52:00 -0000

absooolutely!

hehe.. but i devour with a heavy heart..

*sniff sniff*

Re: How Can I Make You Understand?

eric — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 06:28:11 -0000

woot! first comment.. hehe

is mr. mani still teaching in skool??

did the skool advertise "thier" achievements in the star this year?

and this was the I Not Stupid 2 right? hmm. kinda forgot what the first movie was about.. will catch it on your recommendation.. hehe.. tissues? hmmm..

Re: Drafted Affairs

eric — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 12:58:36 -0000

you still can't get enough of MS Notepad huh?

and i think i know who you're talking about in "Title : Like, Ew".. heheh.. am i right?

your control over the vocab and how you bring about the exact emotions with creative use of those words is simply amazing. :P

am so proud to have been your debate partner. now i know why i believe you could have beaten all the teams single mouth-edly.. hehehe.. *wink*

Re: Secret to Happiness

eric — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 13:00:08 -0000

booha! how can you not like apple.. hehe.. what don't you like about it? hmm.. this is interesting..

peanut butter is addictiveeeeee... i lurrve the way it glues your mouth together.. hehe.. :P

i'll try that apple in PB one day..

Re: I Dont Know Your Name

eric — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 15:11:29 -0000

woot. =p

Re: Perspiration and Palaver

eric — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 10:01:16 -0000

i've alwayssss wondered why a lot.. and i mean A LOT of gays are buffed and all..

there's supposed to be less testosterone in them!!! gawdd!

Re: Bewildered

eric — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:24:30 -0000

just lie to yourself.. wear the school uniform and stroll in.

tell me what happens of course. :P

Re: Dublin Literary Award Dinner

eric — Fri, 19 May 2006 18:36:52 -0000

woots!

congrats congrats.. top 20 IS gratifying enough.. hahahhahaa..
ditto on the above comments.. i wanna read tooooooo.. :P

might learn a trick or two. heheh

Re: Gimme My Grease The Musical Programme Book!

eric — Sun, 21 May 2006 10:53:27 -0000

eh, grease that good a? getting some RAVE reviews from here.. hmmm..

is it me or that first pic of the soft cookie looks like it's baked with a cockroach inside or what? hahaha.. though i kinda think in reality it takes the name of some nut.. heheh

Re: Gimme My Grease The Musical Programme Book!

eric — Sun, 21 May 2006 15:57:51 -0000

hahaha.. will do~ :P

and no need flame me liddat.. hehehe.. but i can't remember the name of the *&^*#&^$ gahhhhh.. bloody nut..

Re: The Sigh

eric — Wed, 31 May 2006 10:40:54 -0000

don't have to leave me any. just leave them for all the sad people you encounter. :P

so nice, i read your post and i hmm.. sorta felt like you were the kindest person in the world. hahhaah..

how come you always notice the taxi drivers wan.. and i bet one fine day, he'll go: eh~ you're the girl who left me those strawberry sweets!. without the sighs, of course. hehe

Re: The Sigh

eric — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:46:11 -0000

most people wouldn't even look twice at the driver, let alone think whether he's okay.. cabbie's a lucky guy to have you as a passenger.. =)

Re: Help Me

eric — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 13:26:52 -0000

woot. congrats on the newspaper thingy.

shd about cheer your tulanness a bit..

Re: Help Me

eric — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 13:32:29 -0000

and btw, you've watched dead poet's society? hahhaa.. don't tell me you're taking eng101 under mary? :)

mary can be a pain in the ass. but she's... she's a pain in the ass.

Re: Help Me

eric — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 04:14:35 -0000

bwahahaha.. but deep down i guess she's quite nice laa.. hmm.. if you do all her work la.. she just grades papers really strictly.. but i guess you'll do well.. just do what she says.. haha..

Re: 8 People You Meet In Gym

eric — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 06:07:02 -0000

su ann. your addiction to mcd's is incurable.. oh wait.. so is mine.. tee hee..

why la be the devil of the locker room with the calorie ridden fries and erm.. what's that on your other hand.. looks too flat to be a burger.. you don't only eat the bread right? =P

Re: Close To You

eric — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:37:24 -0000

hmmm... don't worry about that guy.. he's not even worth your anger.. =P

cheer ups k? ^_^

Re: Football Mad Nation

eric — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 07:38:51 -0000

friggin england. T_T

oh well. forza azzuri. =P

Re: Chapter P

eric — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 05:54:46 -0000

be sure to get lots and lots of souvenirs. even if it takes a fortune..!! :D

Re: Sri Lanka Day 2

eric — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 10:37:01 -0000

wooooo.. looks so much fun!

i need a holiday!!!! :D:D:D

Re: Sri Lanka Day 2

eric — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 05:43:02 -0000

ms mano is sri lankan? hmmm.. didn't know that..

i kinda think that she didn't like you too much too. haha..

Re: Sri Lanka Day 4

eric — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 07:09:39 -0000

you speak mandarin? woahh.. not saying that it's a full blown surprise, just that.. i wanna hear! hahaha

are the living conditions there bad? a wonder to see how they can actually live in harmony in spite of these conditions, while we here in malaysia don't have it much better than them..

you don't see ice cream men giving free ice cream here. :P

Re: Top 3 Meme!

eric — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:24:43 -0000

hmmm, what are the top 3 things you wish you could have done differently in your life?

mekekek.. toughie. :D

pinkpau-
1. not have gone to sri garden
2. learnt chinese!!!
3. not have allowed a valley of separation to grow between me and my brothers

Re: Top 3 Meme!

eric — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 09:19:13 -0000

haha.. this shd be a sticky post. haha..

i don't see this ending anytime soon. :D

pinkpau - sticky ur head :P i'll die!

Re: Sweet Bean

eric — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 10:52:25 -0000

hahah.. i so enjoy reading your reviews..

though i won't really take the time to really go, but just looking at the food is appetizing itself. hahahaha. :D

Re: Mooncakes Are The Shiznit

eric — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 10:56:48 -0000

ah ha!

i always felt like there was a chocolate mooncake waiting somewhere out there for me.. hahaa.. yay!

Re: No Flippin’ Way

eric — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 14:04:35 -0000

haha.. tell tell!

Re: UK - 2, Su Ann - 0

eric — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 22:58:03 -0000

hehehe.. who say he won't read!!

take lotsa care quai lo. 20 second shot next time. =P

Re: Project Puasa Day 3

eric — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 09:32:04 -0000

i think i'm gonna have a bar of choc now. :D

but don't lemme put your spirits down. hehehe.. keep it up!
you've already formed your resolve.. keep to it!

i don't have your willpower. hhehehe

Re: 2006 In A Meme Nutshell

eric — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:15:57 -0000

su ann!!! buh byessss!!

will be departing to the US tomorroww.. so here's to wishing you all the best in whatever you do in 2007!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TOO! =D

Re: Gantt chart video tutorial

eric — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:21:00 -0000

I'm using Wrike for project management. It doesn't need a tutorial, cause it's VERY simple. And the Gantt chart is built-in, you just push the button and there it is, nicely made by the tool for you :)

Re: RTC | wk 2

eric — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:11:29 -0000

Go Pete go. Go Pete go.

Re: first time today…

eric — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:19:36 -0000

I hear ya brotha. Check out my latest post to see who else is getting rich off gas.

Re: Mississippi Town Holds First Integregated Prom

eric — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:35:29 -0000

Maybe the white folk were too embarrassed. You know. The bad line dancing and all.

;)

Re: are you neighborly?

eric — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:10:13 -0000

I really like my neighbors, especially when they don't park in front of my house. I'm keeping a list.

Re: Dica: Como criar um vírus? - Explorando e Aprendendo

eric — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:06:00 -0000

eu também achei engraçado o anonimo :

Ei Marcos Elias..li esse tropico enteiro..nossa fabuloso..gostei muito..

Vo ve se consigo faze um virus pra min...

ate +++

Abraços

kkkkkkk

parabéns pro marcos

Re: On Kafka’s Metamorphosis

eric — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 20:08:00 -0000

I'd have to agree with the opinions that have been presented before me especially the ideas that the metamorphosis forced the whole family to change and adapt to the circumstances in which they now had to live by. I think that the title of the novella is absolutely perfect because yeah there is the obvious that Gregor morphs into a cockroach in the beginning, but the rest of the family had to go through "metamorphosis" too. They just didn't go through it in a physical way like Gregor did. The dad had to "morph" back into a working man once Gregor was no longer with them. Grete "morphed" into a young lady that her parents finally realized her talents. These were all of the "metamorphosis'" that took place throughout that I feel the title refers to. I feel Kafka is going for the other changes in people with the title then he's talking about Gregor changing into a cockroach. I think that he's trying to get through to people that you have to change or adapt to your circumstances, because everything doesn't always go smoothly in life sometimes an obstacle is thrown in your way and you have to find a way to rise above it. And I think that is what the family did by accepting him and trying to find a way to move on with life and except what had happened to them and their son or brother. At first though his dad was not too accepting "With a hostile expression his father clenched his fist, as if to drive Gregor back into his room, then looked uncertainly around the living room, shielded his eyes with his hands, and sobbed with heaves of his powerful chest." When I first read that my first thoughts turned to today's society and how things haven't changed too much, because I was thinking about how we usually think of our parents of reacting to our change. Especially if a son was to tell his parents that he was gay the dad would typically thought to react the same way as he did in this story when he "saw" Gregor's change.

Re: I Like Chuck

eric — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:52:00 -0000

Chuck is the coolest.

Re: Official Disney Podcasts

eric — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:33:00 -0000

One of my favorites as well, also check out Inside The Magic - search iTunes.

Re: Pirates Ride through Video

eric — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 13:56:00 -0000

Very cool, the water screen effect looks great even in this video, I can't wait to see it live and in person. Nice post Josh!

Re: Get To Third Base From Your Seats

eric — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 09:44:00 -0000

"(And maybe, just MAYBE, they get to experience something at Fenway that most fans would kill for.)"

What would the Fenway equivalent of the mile high club be called? And would you go up to the Monster to do it?

Re: Home 02 : All PS3 Themes

eric — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:55:40 -0000

excellent. please consider making additional colors.

Re: A Chance at Redemption

eric — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 23:52:53 -0000

Nice proposal, wondering when and how it will CORRECTLY added in wikipedia, it look likes you followed all recent guidelines...

Re: The Pursuit of Busyness

eric — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:03:23 -0000

One of the most interesting things for me about these classes has been how often students bring up one specific concern: that people who use the new tools heavily -- who post frequently to an internal blog, edit the corporate wiki a lot, or trade heavily in the internal prediction market -- will be perceived as not spending enough time on their 'real' jobs.

Bingo! I haven't even read the rest of the article, but had to comment on this statement.

I am the local E2.0 evangelist where I work. I am a mathematical physicist working in finance building financial models, etc. I can say with first hand experience that the concerns your students have are valid.

Now to read the rest of the article...

Re: Technology Beats a Full House

eric — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:58:19 -0000

Nice insightful quantitative analysis Andrew.

Can you share any additional information on what industries are included in "high IT" and "low IT?" It would be very useful to get an industry by industry breakdown of this analysis and see if the same trends occur in specific industries. The data should be readily available, I'd imagine.

Either way, very useful insights.

Re: Smart Boys (and Girls) are Vegans/Vegetarians!

eric — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:20:00 -0000

I feel so smart. I went vegetarian not long ago and found my IQ was around 140! Does this mean I'm a real genius?

Re: The Coveted Color of BLACK

eric — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:40:00 -0000

Any black friends I've ever engaged in this conversation have generally invoked "the paper bag test." If you can "pass white" by being about the color of a brown paper bag, you might not be "black" enough.
I do not understand the ramifications of all that but I guess I really never could, being a whitey white boy and all.

Re: Next Stop: AMSTERDAM

eric — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:57:00 -0000

WOW! That really is an amazing story. Best wishes on your journey!

Re: Jeremy Enigk Album Details

eric — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 20:22:00 -0000

Nice blog ya have here. Thanks for the link to CYSTSFTS!

Re: La Rocca’s The Truth Available for Pre-Sale

eric — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:56:00 -0000

Great blog. I'll see you at Lollapalooza. MMJ is gonna kick it tomorrow night!

Re: Interview: Jason Katz Founder and CEO of Paltalk.com

eric — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:15:34 -0000

paid for 2 green nicknames I use to enjoy your program when the bush greroom and others existed now im not happy with cetain red admins who have made this a personalvendetta towards othrs for reasons unknown i wish to get my money back if the problem isnt resolvd ty for the long time effor tokeep the program going well bt now its becoming personal with certain folks and no cool. again i hope you investigate personaly the banning of charles ny and the harrasment of greeneesb boaz frankel it needs attention and swiftly.

Sempr paratus.

Re: San Francisco’s Bay To Breakers Race To Be Alcohol, Fun Free This Year

eric — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:16:00 -0000

last year was my first as well, and i couldn't believe my eyes. i mean, we were pissing on the sidewalk in front of mounted police.

its a sad though...but hey, i own a camelback.

i will miss pushing my keg in a shopping cart, however.

Re: Chronique PureBlog samedi 21 octobre

eric — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:47:32 -0000

Re: pmaCAST #11 The “Smile! It’s Longer (Your Mom Did)” Episode

eric — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:06:24 -0000

Funny title, but yeah.. I'm smiling! Great podcast PMA!

Re: CPI understates inflation

eric — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:42:00 -0000

As described, hedonic regression should increase, not decrease, measurement of inflation. As you say, the theoretical price of a 2008 computer would be adjusted *upward* to account for it's improved capabilities, which would increase calculated inflation.

Not so?

Re: The Swedish banking crisis response - a model for the future?

eric — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:23:00 -0000

The U.S. seems to be adopting the Swedish approach today. However, two important differences, I presume, are that Sweden was already a socialist country and second, did the average banking employee in Sweden earn over $1 million per year (as Goldman Sachs employees did in 2006)?

The first is a cultural issue - the U.S. is (has) largely decided to socialize the risks of its banking system but most have not viewed the U.S. as a socialized country. This is a big cultural shift in the U.S.

The second is that in the U.S. the bankers who profited handsomely from their own actions will continue to retain their past - and very large - personal gains.

Most of us will now pay for their past gains as we absorb most of their risk taking - with most of us never having received benefits from their past upside.

Re: Aya Hirano on “HEY!HEY!HEY!”

eric — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 22:31:56 -0000

You can download youtube videos through keepvid.com.

Re: Interview with Eric Olson of Feedburner.com (text)

eric — Sun, 14 May 2006 20:29:00 -0000

If TerraPass interests you, look into CarbonFund.org.

Re: avoid losing driver’s license

eric — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:11:05 -0000

If GA has laws that state you will lose your license for this offense or for a first offense such as excessive speeding like this, then you'll lose your license for a period of time.

Re: The Library Problem

eric — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:30:00 -0000

I had the (dubious) honor to establish our corporate library (after impressing the boss with my home library and its catalog). The largest departure between your research and mine was in the selection of a primary indexing string and the range of materials to be indexed. I also had to index and track magazines, catalogs, technical data sheets, corporate publications, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, software (no physical media), and the papers of ex-employees.

You mention the difficulty in assigning one multiply categorizable book using a category system as a negative for DDS. Then you picked the LoC's category system as your winner. In my research, this came out as a wash because

* both DDS and LoC are subject categorizations

* both DDS and LoC can have multiple assignments for a given volume

However, your desire to classify foreign books more or less immediately disqualifies LCC for you -- the LoC is only expected to catalog books published in the US. Other books are cataloged, but there is no duty to do so. This is one of the reasons I went with DDS for the library at work -- there are DDS assignments for foreign works.

You mention that DDNs can be library specific. My research did not support this conclusion -- I found that there were published databases of DDNs, but these were priced out of my budget. Then I found that (1) the LoC assigns the vast majority of DDNs for US books (DC21, and similarly numbered authorities). I also found that your example interpretation of the DDS is not entirely correct. Given "641.3/003 21" in the LoC, "641" is the section, and an index of sections can be had with some Googling, ".3" is the rest of the assigned stem, and "003" is the optional continuation. "21", meaning "DC21" is the assigning authority (LoC, in this example). Thus, the book has any of these DDNs: "641.3", "641.30", "641.300", or "641.3003". The idea is that a library may choose to include or omit optional digits, depending on how many are needed to reduce collisions in the local library. Being a geek, I decided that we always include all optional digits in our DDNs.

I suppose the part that amused me in your article was your observation that LCC data was available, but DDN data was not. The LoC entries for their books almost always contain DDNs. I wrote the script that looked up DDNs in the LoC data from scanned ISBNs. So when you say you went to the LoC because you couldn't get DDNs ("but that system [for DDNs] does not provide programmatic access to their database and does not assign numbers to many of the books we own"), I completely fail to see the distinction you're trying to draw. DDNs are field "082", part "$a" in the LoC MARC (Z39.50) records. Fixed and optional digits are separated by a slash. The assigning authority is in part "$2". E.g. "082 00$a515.7/246$219" from "QA329.2.C665 1986", is 515.7 to 515.7246, assigned by dc19 (also a LoC desk).

However, there *are* DDNs for foreign books, so we got further in our cataloging than we could with LCCNs alone.

Beware ISBNs. There are known collisions and there is a propensity for number re-use for children's books. We found several "9876543210"s in our collection.

In my research I also discovered that Cutter codes are not part of assigned DDNs. (Probably doesn't surprise most of you, but it did me.) Cutter codes are published and can be had for a fee, but only serve the purpose of providing a short string for (roughly) alphabetizing by author's name. So we didn't bother.

We ultimately ended up with what we found in several public libraries: distinct collections for distinctly indexable materials: the magazines are separate (sorted by title, then date, labelled with an expiration -- add-ins are included with the issue with which they shipped and are labelled with the shelving and expiration information for that issue), the technical books are separate (DDNs and then by author), fiction books are separate (we didn't distinguish scifi vs. western vs. mystery because we didn't have enough to justify the trouble), catalogs and data sheets and corporate publications are together (sorted by the name of the issuing company (at the time of issue) with cross referencing inserts/dividers for companies whose names have changed, mutated, e.g. Aldrich vs. Sigma-Aldrich), ...

If only there were a coherent indexing scheme for all this stuff...

Re: I am a complete fucking moron

eric — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 19:55:39 -0000

Naw. Dont send it back. Just keep it, or sell it, or give it to a friend.

Re: Tivo Transpo

eric — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 01:25:00 -0000

Amazing and masterful!!! Even being somewhat aquainted with card handling and magic, I have no idea how you actually pulled that off. I also enjoyed the color effect of the video. Keep em comming

Re: Pitt who?

eric — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:05:48 -0000

"How is Penn State more relevant if they can’t attract recruits even when they are winning?"

Because they're not sitting on the couch come December...

Re: I will boo if I want to

eric — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:03:06 -0000

Morelli didn't put himself into the game. He was given a chance, and he tried his hardest but came up short. The idiots booing a COLLEGE KID should be ashamed of themselves, as should you.

Re: I will boo if I want to

eric — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:02:19 -0000

Yeah, I was at the 6-4 game too...all the way through. And ya know what I did afterwards? I cheered the fuckin' defense.

Congrats NWO, you got FireJayPa to agree with you, now you know you've hit it big. It's a shame, because all the rest of your writing has been excellent thus far. Oh well.

Maybe someone should come to your work and boo you when you fuck up. Or FireJayPa can just stroll on by and blame it on nepotism like usual...

Re: What’s in a Name - Or I’ll Call Him Trevor

eric — Sat, 06 May 2006 16:14:00 -0000

Ooh! That BBC hacker item is a video interview. Cool!

Somebody should direct NASA and the Pentagon to MakePassword.com.

Then they need to audit their boxes once in a while and make sure they have passwords.

Re: REG Update

eric — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:07:00 -0000

I've got REG this Sunday morning at 8am (I'm thinking the same thing...why are they offering it THEN?). Failed last time with a 73, so hopefully I can squeeze out a 75. Work has been busy lately so I haven't done enough questions so far. Now, it's just time to keep busting out the Gleim questions and hope for the best!

Re: REG Rant - July/August 2008

eric — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:18:00 -0000

Took it in May, got a 73. Took it again in August, got a 66. Going the wrong way here, folks...not good! FARE expires in Jan...uh-oh. This is my last one, so here's hoping that the third time is the charm!

Re: Always a classic…Happy New Year…

eric — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:57:00 -0000

For those readers who are fellow auditors involing the gov't, we already threw our party back on September 30. :)

Re: 89%…not ethical…92%…ETHICAL!

eric — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 20:00:00 -0000

Up here in DC, there are no ethics (and I mean that figuratively and literally). So once I passed my exam, I am good to go. :)

Re: CPA Exam Score Release Predictions - April/May 2009 Window - Wave 2

eric — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:33:45 -0000

i just took AUD today. You really think scores will be available as soon a June 16th? Its my last part and June 16th is my Bday...could the best Bday present ever...or...

Re: CPA Exam Score Release Predictions - April/May 2009 Window - Wave 2

eric — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:16:51 -0000

MD-FAR says:
I’m about to pass out from the waiting and the anticipation!!! FAR MD = Thursday or Friday? I vote for Today~~

I hear you on that! I'm here in MO waiting in anticipation. This will hopefully be my last exam!

Re: CPA Exam Score Release Predictions - April/May 2009 Window - Wave 2

eric — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:24:34 -0000

Yes, FAR is gonna come out next i can feel it!!! Can you?

Re: The Windows XP PC Boot Process

eric — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:23:00 -0000

HI, I am really impressed after reading this article. I am a MCSE on windows 2000 but was still missing some thing which i got from this article. I give you my heartly thanks.

Re: REVIEW: 'Invisible Target' (DVD – Dragon Dynasty)

eric — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:11:35 -0000

Both are incorrect. Dog Bite Dog is absolute trash and trumps any other Dragon Dynasty release for sheer mind-numbing boredom. Invisible Target is Citizen Kane in comparison.

Re: Dustin Nguyen's 'Legend is Alive' in Vietnam

eric — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:44:11 -0000

I dunno, while I can feel more Earth bound Martial Arts action, It just doesn't look good.

The fights look really slow and there something odd about the camera placement that takes away the power the hits should have .... And I only say that by watching the trailer!

Re: Connecting with Eric Bjorndahl, CEO TravBuddy.com @ PhoCusWright Orlando

eric — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:03:00 -0000

Hi Stephen,

Good job with the video! Thanks again for the writeup and for the interview.

Cheers,

Eric

Re: Those Helicopters

eric — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:30:27 -0000

I live on Sunnyside on the 3700 block. Saturday morning a neighbor discovered that someone had broken into their laundry room and spent the night on the floor. Burnt matches and a cigarette butt were found. The police were called. They think he might have hidden in their compost bin until late in the evening and then moved to the laundry room.

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk Puts the Social in Social Media

eric — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:59:00 -0000

Gary's drive is infectious. He inspires me to do more of what I do. He and I shot a Gardenfork show on the Wine Library TV set where we talk about wine and community. You can watch it here : http://tinyurl.com/2fupq5

Re: Distributed Conversations and Fragmented Attention

eric — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:38:00 -0000

Illuminating post. While the actual impact of each new, more social than the last big step forward communication technology can be confusing, the underlying principle seems the same: conversations on the internet will change, evolve, and move beyond their creator's original intention.

How do you maintain quality? That remains a mystery. At least to me.

Re: Micro Disruption Theory and The Social Effect

eric — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:14:00 -0000

Agree in principle however disagree in pecking order. Relationships and reputation hugely influence context. Over time I agree that this shifts as relationships become more lose as we start to accept the virtual relationships on equal scale as physical ones.

Re: Gary Vaynerchuk Puts the Social in Social Media

eric — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:59:00 -0000

Re: Distributed Conversations and Fragmented Attention

eric — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:38:00 -0000

Re: Micro Disruption Theory and The Social Effect

eric — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:14:00 -0000

Re: Jennifer Love Hewitt Let Herself Go Before The Marriage

eric — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:19:03 -0000

Umm..she hasn't had kids yet, she's in a business where you need to be slim, stop defending the fat cow. Just hid the bon bons and donuts...

Re: Tempe Block Party and Insight Bowl – Parking and Street Closure info

eric — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:16:02 -0000

I can't wait to read about the festivities! This will be a great development for the Phoenix area, and a nice way to kick off 2009.

Re: Help Celebrate this historic day – Show us your pictures!

eric — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:41:14 -0000

Looking forward to the light rail going into service today.I'll be getting on at the Mesa Dobson station.

Re: #RailLife – A very special THANK YOU!

eric — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 09:56:19 -0000

I wish I could've been there too! But I've enjoyed reading about opening day, both here and on other websites. It seems like everyone was really enthusiastic... let's hope that enthusiasm translates into regular riders!

Re: Phoenix to help during light rail construction of northwest extension

eric — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:31:36 -0000

Great to see that Metro is moving forward promptly on this extension. It sounds like the initial operating segment has already been quite popular!

Re: Metro light rail ridership numbers for February 09’

eric — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:12:48 -0000

Great to see the new line is going above and beyond projections. Interesting switch from Jan -> Feb, it looks like the line might be settling more into a weekday commuter ridership pattern.

Do you know if any numbers are available on the effect the new LRT line has had on the system as a whole? I was interested in how many of these 30K LRT riders are brand new transit riders, or whether they shifted over from nearby bus routes.

Re: Song of the week: No Frontiers

eric — Sat, 27 Dec 2003 13:44:58 -0000

There is a version performed by Mary Black back to 1992. I prefer the one from Mary Black to The Coors.

Re: HA Group gör svajigt försök att miljöövertyga

eric — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:31:43 -0000

Oavsett vad man tycker om miljörörelsen tycker jag att det är en klockren spark i skrevet på dem. De flesta av DI:s läsare är själva inga trädkramare, och har ungefär samma bild av miljövännerna som förmedlas i annonsen.

Onödigt? Kanske.

Effektivt? Ja.

Re: HA Group gör svajigt försök att miljöövertyga

eric — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:31:43 -0000

Re: HA Group gör svajigt försök att miljöövertyga

eric — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:31:43 -0000

Re: Försvarsmakten: ”Det är nog inte dig vi söker”

eric — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:22:16 -0000

Fantastisk kampanj, och strålande insikt i målgruppen. Osympatiskt kanske för de som ändå inte har en tanke på att söka.

Det blir högsta betyg till DDB. Igen.

Re: Försvarsmakten: ”Det är nog inte dig vi söker”

eric — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:22:16 -0000

Fantastisk kampanj, och strålande insikt i målgruppen. Osympatiskt kanske för de som ändå inte har en tanke på att söka.

Det blir högsta betyg till DDB. Igen.

Re: Probably årets bästa reklamfilm (hittills)

eric — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:35:20 -0000

Folk är så djävla bajsnödiga, slappna av lite. Skön och uppenbar drift med stereotypa könsroller. Underbart rolig reklamfilm. Sedan, holländare ska ju vara lite mer "loose". Sex och droger är ju inte lika tabu där som här i Sverige.

Re: Probably årets bästa reklamfilm (hittills)

eric — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:35:20 -0000

Re: What Should Publishers Do about eBooks

eric — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:54:42 -0000

Hmmm...I agree. Pubs should dip their foot in. Sounds like itks no extra $$$ for them to do it. If it does well, then cool. Otherwise, they get better data by knowing what not to do. Don't fall into the same dumb cycle as music!!!

Re: Education, a Student AND Parent Responsibility

eric — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:09:44 -0000

There's enough blame to spread around. But speaking from experience: top parents + top teachers doesn't always equal a top students. I went to school w/ a bunch of people who had ALL of the opportunities and just pissed them away. Can't blame teachers and parents on that.

Re: What Would You Do if ‘The Community’ Did Not Exist?

eric — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:52:00 -0000

I'd do what I do now. Go out and dance socially. I discovered salsa and tango before the community, and now that I have "game", it's just been amplified.

Re: Sinfonia to Cantata BWV 29 for 2 melodicas overdubbed in 9 parts

eric — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:52:18 -0000

As ever, you continue to amaze me. I never saw a melodica with a bocal before...

Eric

Re: Two games in five days

eric — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 15:40:36 -0000

I hate Jake Plummer. I don't care if we don't make it to the superbowl or the playoffs for that matter. Jake is just fortunate to be on a good team. I have yet to see Jake make a comeback and win for us. SHANAHAN for the love of God and everything holy, please, pretty please bench the mistake and put Cutler in there!!!

Re: Cutler gets the nod

eric — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 17:57:40 -0000

Would all of you lay off of Cutler?! If we don't make it to the AFC championship game then we don't make it to the AFC championship game!! We are what we are cuz Plummer can't convert on 3rd downs. He couldn't do it last year and he's even worse this year. Trust me, Plummer never one a game in Denver he just managed them. When was the last time Plummer came back and won a game for Denver. Cutler will win us games just give him a chance. I don't understand all this negativity on Cutler. All you Cutler haters should win the "JUST SHUT-UP AWARD" on Mike & Mike. Let Denver do what they need to do and stop complaining. I never really was a Plummer fan and I never will be. GO CUTLER!! GO BRONCOS!!

Re: Cutler gets the nod

eric — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 18:19:41 -0000

192 Vanderbilt was a terrible team. Cutler was the reason they won those games. You're the one who is Misguided. Don't talk unless you know what you're talking about!!!!!!!!!

Re: Cutler to add cannon, pluck to O

eric — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:36:06 -0000

Let me start off by saying that I am VERY happy about the Cutler move. First of all if Plummer could keep the offense on the field on 3rd downs our defense would not be exhausted in the second half. I'm tired of everyone saying how much of a mistake it is to bench Plummer. All of you who defend him must not be paying attention to the games this year. Plummer has no arm, or brain for that matter. Secondly when did Plummer ever come back and win a game? I have yet to witness it. Lets face it, Plummer managed games but he never won games. I know he has lost games for us though. Let the Plummer era end and the Cutler era begin!!!! GO DENVER!!!!!

Re: Cutler to add cannon, pluck to O

eric — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 21:33:59 -0000

Hey Chiefs fan, you're an idiot

Re: D. Williams senses something amiss

eric — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:17:06 -0000

Atleast we scored more then 14 points in both games with
Cutler. Stop the hate talk and support your team!!! I like Cutler and I support my team no matter what, and you all should do the same. If you're a Plummer fan you can follow him to his next destination. If you're a Broncos fan, then I expect you to stop critisizing and start encouraging our very promising rookie QB.

Go Cutler!!!!
Go Broncos!!!!!

PA Broncos Fan!!!!

Re: Elway preaches patience

eric — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 12:35:41 -0000

broncomania must not really know what he is talking about. All the teams in the 80's were in the Superbowl because of Elway. If you don't know what you're talking about I suggest keeping your mouth closed and cheer for the Broncos.

Go Broncos!!!
Go Cutler!!!

Re: Cutler’s cannon inspires optimism

eric — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:46:28 -0000

Rob, I think Cutler is great but to say Elway wasn't any good till Davis showed up is going a bit too far don't you think?

Re: Cutler’s cannon inspires optimism

eric — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 18:18:13 -0000

All you Cutler haters can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. If you like the Broncos cheer for your team. Cutler will be awesome. I'm not saying he's the next Elway cuz there only is one, but Cutler will be awesome some day. If you're a Plummer fan sorry but he's benched so stop your crying. He's not going to play in Denver again so get over it. Stop whining and start cheering for the Eagles. I heard they have alot of cry-baby fans. #97,#113,#114 All of you should pull your heads out of your asses, cuz you guys talk like a bunch of dumb monkeys.

Go Denver!!!
Go Cutler!!!

Re: Behind The Scenes Video: Asher Roth & Scooter Braun Have Dinner With Ludacris & Chaka Zulu

eric — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:01:32 -0000

ghey shit. eminem is coming back so the fake slim shady may now sit down in his parents' house.

Re: Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

eric — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:03:11 -0000

gay shitz. scooter has bad breath. not a joke. slasher cloth is okay.

Re: Off Topic: Montrealers Prank Call Sarah Palin

eric — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:56:07 -0000

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Re: Rest In Peace Shakir Stewart

eric — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:07:52 -0000

r.i.p

Re: New Music: Bullet – Earth Girls (Technomix)

eric — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:16:59 -0000

Sounds really good. Where can I hear more?

Re: New Video: Trish – Don’t Watch Me

eric — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:13:58 -0000

Love the song! She's hot!!

Re: Freestyle Blogging: Part 2

eric — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:52:42 -0000

Why did u get into the music business?

Re: Using Readability with NetNewsWire

eric — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:37:43 -0000

Interesting! I left NNW for Google reader because I couldn't see how to make Readability work with it. Now I'll have to reexamine that decision....

Re: 01606336400

eric — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:02:48 -0000

i was called out of the blue by this number offering me a quote for home insurance they wanted to know my bank details which i refused to give.don't get conned by this scam.

Re: Fuck Wells Fargo

eric — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 22:56:25 -0000

Gosh, that's exactly the reason why I gave up my wells fargo account. They decided that despite my balance, they should allow my debit card to ring up items of say, 7 15 and 5 dollars, each of which came with a surprising 20 dollar insufficient funds charge. And despite the account going negative for 3+ days, they still alowed the debit card to go through. You'd think that debit system is the same as the credit system, where you get rejected once you reach your limit.

Yeah, they're not getting that 80 dollars worth of over charges. I'll write a letter to the credit rating companies after awhile, and that debt will be long gone. Poor chumps actually believe they can get away with that shit because most people don't know how to erase unfair debt on their credit report.

bye now

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 22:51:47 -0000

Just thought i'd drop a line. I'm surprised theres not more perverts lurking around here. Thats probably because you ain't naked, thats always a plus.

Anyways, check out my blog if you enjoy reading/writing

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 23:06:24 -0000

Well, theres nothing better than hot ascii =jjjj==========D~ ( Y )

Bringin it back old school, thats my job.

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 14:35:56 -0000

dude, thats fuckin hot! is that you ? OMHFOGDOQJE

That stands for "Oh My Hotty fuck oh fuck oh god does oughta quite job extreme"

Ok i dunno wtf it stands for, i just bashed my head on the keyboard.

someone needs to make a webcam that only broadcasts in ascii, that'd own

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 22:39:10 -0000

Less stripping! More talking! Sex sex sex! err, i forgot, i'm a man..i shouldn't be doing this..things..breaking..down..must..resist..urge...uh

I really am interested in other things! honest!

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Sat, 16 Oct 2004 23:58:14 -0000

I believe so. Unless of course, I decided to steal someone's weblog and post at as my own..and like pretend to be that person..that would be cool. I could be all psychotic and stuff..and uh uh..Ok fine, I really do have to much time on my hands! talk talk talk..I'm good for talking, of course, that could just be a lie, like one of those lies you make up waiting for someone to discover and denounce you in public. Thought one: There is a place for everything, and a time for everything, but there is not a time and a place for everything.
Thought two: Everyone has and will lie to people, however, those that actually believe their own lies are the harmful defects of society.
Thought three: There are men who can actually hold a conversation before and after sex.
Thought four: To me, conversations never end, and if you cannot prove your point to me, I'll remember where you left off in that conversation.
Thought five: The only way to save humanity is to believe in reincarnation in some form or another, else there will never be a motivation to believe in a future past one's own perception of it.
Thought six: A smart man can tell a lie to a dumb man, and he will believe it. A dumb man can tell the truth to a smart man, and he will deny it.
Thought six B: If two equally intelligent people cannot understand each other's form of communication, both can easily believe the other is dumb
Thought seven: I think to much.
Thought eight: I think.

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 19:22:42 -0000

I think you know why jesus hates you. It's a good thing he's dead and such things. Maybe you should wrap yourself in like, nylon or something, that usually keeps everything from breaking. I think computers like me, and thats probably not a good thing. Though i've been using them for like ever, and they just get worse and worse. I used to enjoy disembowling my electronics. Then i had to like, put them back together. The faster they move, the quicker they'll crash, isn't that wonderful?

Re: Today is Saturday

eric — Wed, 20 Oct 2004 11:46:00 -0000

I could ask you lengthy questions about the existential questions, and you poor darling, would have to answer is less than 150 letters. That would be such torture. Of course, for an atheist, I'm sure you can find answers like 'whatever' and 'GOSH STFU' those usually surfice an answer for most people. Scrolling through this message must be a pain. I'll stop now. Err..now.. Now i'll stop, I promise..uhm...My name is Eric, and I can stype. I can stop if I want to, honest! honest!..ok..well maybe thats a lie, but what if i just hit this little...But

Re: http://blog.inc.com/archives/2004/01/the_donald.html

eric — Tue, 13 Jan 2004 19:33:58 -0000

The problem with reality shows (this one is no exception) is that they reinforce the invidual, not the team. This is a concept that's lacking already in our society and these shows don't help.

We all wish sometimes that we could 'vote' certain deadbeat people out of our departments at work, however the 'reality' is that we need to find a way to work productively with these people since we may not have the power to fire them.

I really enjoyed the show but was troubled at the end. I realize that the main goal is to be the 'last one standing', but it goes against the logic of leading a 'team'.

On the teams, they weren't evaluated by personal sales, but as a group. If sales sucked because of a crappy location, that however, was not a 'group' decision, but an individual's. It would make sense to evaluate on those 'assigned' tasks.

Everyone points out Sam's $1k pitch, but at one point he attempted to stoop down to the girls' team level--by attempting to entice a woman passerby to help pitch their lemonade.

Then, after everyone elected to boot Sam, and then Dave was instead, I can just imagine the love he has for his 'team' now.

Let the backstabbing begin...

Re: http://blog.inc.com/archives/2004/01/the_donald.html

eric — Thu, 15 Jan 2004 20:44:30 -0000

Ellen,

That's just it. I don't disagree with what you say.

You mention you had no turnover, however in the TV model, you would have to fire the person who screwed up the most each week -- instead of working to correct the behavior and dealing with them.

Re: http://blog.inc.com/ask-norm/2007/10/stan_oneal_failed_the_first_rule_of_leadership.html

eric — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:46:07 -0000

I could not help but to reply to this very one-sided perspective of E. Stanley O'Neal. With no disrespect to your daughter, I find it preposterous to base your opinion on the word of a summer intern. While in college, I too had an opportunity to intern at a Wall Street firm, and as I reflect upon those times, I realize that I developed uninformed opinions about the business, my higher-ups and the culture of the organization. The opportunity of interning was about listening and learning. I know a number of people who work for Merrill Lynch, who have done nothing but sing his praises. The role of the CEO is not that of friend and confidant. It's to lead and guide the organization so that it is profitable. At the onset on unprofitable times, Mr. O'Neal was relieved of his duties. Mr. O'Neal helped to foster an environment that was inclusive and diverse and helped to make a place for those that are often underrepresented on “The Street.” He reorganized the firm after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and while he made companywide cuts during the 2002 stock market slide, the board gave him leeway as he more than doubled the firm's profit level to an average that topped $5 billion annually from 2003 to 2006. So on this day, when many will criticize his work, his politics and his manner, let us be ever conscious of the contributions that he has made in helping to pave a way for so many of us. The need for models like O'Neal is even more profound in an industry like investment banking, which has little timbre among black youth.

Re: http://blog.inc.com/archives/2004/08/new_rules_for_o.html

eric — Sat, 28 Aug 2004 19:53:42 -0000

No one says you have to "think about work" on your subway ride to work in the morning.

I do, but then again, I like my job and don't consider it work.

Obviously you must be doing ONLY work for 8hrs you're there during the day. No surfing other sites, personal calls, etc.

Give and take, overlap, etc. This is a multi-faceted issue that affects many areas that can't be totally covered in a cute blog posting.

What's with the cheap lawyer potshot? I don't love them either, but either make your case or leave it. And teachers? What about performance-based pay, lets make that more interesting.

Tom Peters was right about FC.

Re: The Thinking Man’s Take On: Hipster Runoff

eric — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:40:16 -0000

Ha, glad someone took the shot to actually BLOG about the "blog worth blogging about."

Thanks for calling HRO out and sort of explaining it to me. I was totally confused at first.

Re: New Justice – Planisphere

eric — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:30:56 -0000

thanks for the great tunes!

Re: New Ting Tings – Happy Birthday (Updated Link)

eric — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:45:41 -0000

either savefile is not working or there is an error because everytime i try to get the file i open it and nothing works.

solution please?

Re: More Britney Spears Leaks, Rihanna and Justin Timberlake Go To “Rehab”

eric — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:32:49 -0000

Britney's album sounds fantastic! Can't wait to read PMA's review.

Re: What’s Going On?

eric — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:33:18 -0000

Chromeo and Sam Sparro on Sunset Blvd. Tonight both start at around 7 or 8.

Re: The Field – The More That I Do

eric — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:30:50 -0000

I love the Field. From Here We Go Sublime was the best from 2007, for sure. Sorry Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem/Radiohead

Re: Did bloggers kill the Rocky? 4 letters

eric — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:44:33 -0000

newspapers are already dead. they just havent read the medical charts. bloggers are putting them out of their misery.

bloggers are hunting down and killing each and every one of this eras woolly mammoths for food. too slow to avoid capture and a painful death for all to see in all its glorious, bloody detail. its survival porn

soon they will have to go after smaller game and will need to compete with other scavengers.

its a dark time for journalism. the new ecosystem will have neither MSM or bloggers at the top of the food chain but the successor to the bloggers who killed the papers.

Re: RIP: Dubai's Dream Falling With The Price Of Oil

eric — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:39:48 -0000

Thank god for that. That building in the picture is horrendous! What were they thinking? What a waste of money.

Re: Project Transit: Restoring the Romance of Public Transportation

eric — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:39:25 -0000

Is taking the bus or train really more dangerous than walking or driving? I would say no, and I've done all four. I mean, if you are in a rough town walking around at night is not gonna be much safer. And driving certainly isn't to safe anywhere you go with accidents and road rage.

I would say that status plays a big part as well as the quality of public transit.

Re: Trains vs Planes: Is Rail Always the Low Carbon Option?

eric — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:59:12 -0000

A better subject for Pearce to write about may have been wether Superman was right or not. Is flying really the fastest way to travel? Which has had more accidents and how many people injured per year?

Re: Mission One by Mission Motors: The World's Fastest Production Electric Motorcycle

eric — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:20:20 -0000

I would totally get one if the weight isn't too much...that is one of the most important specs they left off...especially for a performance motorcycle. If it's less than 500 pounds it's got a chance to be taken seriously...if not...

Re: Why Tackling Urban Sprawl Is More About Proper Planning Than Eco-Towns & Green Buildings

eric — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:46:21 -0000

I'm glad to see there are more people realizing this. That you need to start with a good strong foundation (design of the cities), rather than just putting solar panels on every building. Check out Richard Register's books, he's been saying this for three decades. More than 1/4 of our energy is used on transportation. Something we wouldn't need (for the most part) if we redesigned our cities to be pedestrian centers. I hope more people in the US catch on.

Re: Treehouse by Tham & Videgard Hansson is Almost Invisible

eric — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:26:16 -0000

What about the birds! There's nothing eco-friendly about this. Think before posting to your website.

Re: Happy 200th, Charles Darwin!

eric — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:33:47 -0000

Darwin confessed in his later years that he nolonger believed in his own theory. He didn't want to attend the ministry school his parents forced on him so he used evolution as an alternative to believing in a God. So if the man who started it no longer supports it how can the world continue to call a theory, fact when there are more obvious holes in it than good swiss cheese?

Re: The Brumby Pump Needs No Moving Parts to Gather Well Water (Video)

eric — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:45:59 -0000

So, essentially it does require moving parts whether it be some kind of hand pump or an air compressor powered by gas or electric.

Re: Legalizing Marijuana in California Could Be Good for the Environment

eric — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:12:18 -0000

I'm glad to see this talked about. From an economic standpoint, legalization is clearly the right answer here, presuming that the side effects of any increased use of marijuana do not cost society more than $1.3B plus the saved enforcement costs, a reasonable presumption.

Let's not forget that it is still illegal under federal law, however, and the federal government is still free to prosecute growers and sellers under that law, as they did in the earlier Bush administration. Maybe the Obama administration lets California legalize...but, as a political matter, will he get away with not enforcing our drug laws?

Re: Movie Preview: "Age of Stupid" - So Is We, Or Isn't We?

eric — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:10:15 -0000

@Joseph Madre: Actually, that view was held by a very small minority of scientists in the 70s. It's often propped up by ideologues now as some grand measure to discredit the majority of scientists and mountains of evidence supporting climate change. Too bad you didn't do your research before you accepted that one as truth... And research these days is really just a few minutes searching google. Says quite a bit about yourself, don't you think?

Re: The Jellyfish Wind Appliance: Plug-In Wind Power for $400

eric — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:33:24 -0000

Um, doesn't plugging a motor into the wall just send power to the electric motor? It seems like they're actually generating wind here rather than the wind generating power.

Re: Un-TreeHugger: Cole Cleaner Soda Can Disinfector

eric — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:28:33 -0000

Finally! The source of that debunked email chain about the rat poop on top of soda cans is revealed! It's the company that makes this product.

Seriously, how else does this company plan to sell this waste-of-space, waste-of-energy, waste-of-time, waste-of-resources product unless to people who are irrationally afraid of what's on top of their soda cans.

Germs strengthen your immune system. It's a fact.

Re: Another Way To Hide The Bed: Put It In A Box

eric — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:34:30 -0000

A well placed window would really brighten up the space and make it feel less closed off, but maybe that's the point?

Re: Sarah Palin Now Wants to Fight Global Warming - By Drilling for Oil

eric — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:29:47 -0000

I agree that the title is misleading. The post as a whole is also misleading. Natural gas is, from everything I have read, cleaner burning and, from an environmental perspective, better than oil. If there is evidence suggesting that drilling for natural gas is not an improvement over drilling for oil, I would like to hear that argument.

Perhaps Palin is wrong on policy. Maybe the resources spent on drilling for natural gas would be better spent on other projects. Does an Alaskan dollar go further towards combatting climate change by investing in wind power than in natural gas? If so, say so and tell us why. A mere assertion that advocating for natural gas production is inconstent with environmental goals gets us nowhere.

Re: Should Car Ads Carry Climate Change Health Warnings?

eric — Wed, 06 May 2009 00:18:19 -0000

They should not only have some statement about climate change but also how much land cars use up and how many people and animals they kill and maim, and something about the toxins in the water runoff from the streets. People just don't think about those things.

Re: There is No Such Thing As Caulk (Or at Least That is What I was Taught)

eric — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:56:00 -0000

"When I spoke with Peter Yost of BuildingGreen, he described how a Kia economy car could go into a storm, effectively a hundred mile an hour force on a moving car, and it wouldn't leak because there are multiple gaskets and drainage channels built into the door. "

The gaskets used to isolate wind noise and water from the interior of that car are essentially cured lengths of "caulk". This is not a good example of ideal green design for buildings.

Re: Is Obama Playing God With the American Electric Car?

eric — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:52:57 -0000

Aaron:

No, it is not the job of the chief executive of the federal government to be the chief executive of the automobile industry.

Maybe you are right that Obama will do a better job deciding which car companies should live and which should die than would Bush, McCain, Clinton, etc. The issue, however, is whether ANY president should be making that decision.

As in every other industry, we should be making that decision. We make decisions about which companies live and which die every day through the purchasing decisions we make. If Electric Car company A makes a better car than company B, we will buy more cars from company A.

The free market is not perfect, of course. Because we don't directly pay for the environmental impacts of cars in the purchase price, we are underpaying for non-electric cars. The government's $2.4B is supposed to equalize that, in theory. The problem is that it seeks to do it by giving it to individual companies. If the government subsidizes the wrong company, then we will be buying the wrong cars.

Why not give the money to buyers of electric vehicles? Then we can make the purchase decision that is right for us, and the government will subsidize the higher cost of electric vehicles across the board. Or tax the fuel consumption of new vehicles, allowing us to internalize the environmental costs of ICE vehicles and make the right decisions accordingly? There are many ways the government can incentivize the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles without giving one man the decision of which vehicles we will buy, which is almost certain to achieve inefficient results.

Re: Fabien Cousteau: Ocean Exploration, Industry & You

eric — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:28:05 -0000

whouaaaa i love The second Video, I hope that people 'll change there mind and that all of this'll stay alive.

Eric from France

Re: Is Peeing in Public Green?

eric — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:42:32 -0000

I've never understood the whole stigma against peeing in public. I once got a $400 fine for peeing in public at the Jersey Shore. That's a bit of a ridiculous fine considering thousands of dogs piss all over the sidewalk every day. I'm all for harvesting urine for precious nutrients and allowing people to pee in public like Amsterdam.

"Maybe public urinals should be replaced with indoor gardens to they can fertilize plants."

Maybe, but that wouldn't work just by peeing on plants. Too much urine kills plants just like too much fertilizer would. You'd need some kind of way to store the pee and release it at safe levels.

Re: Introducing the Super Huge, Super Fuel Efficient . . . Semi Trailer Truck?

eric — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:35:32 -0000

Pretty cool. Unfortunately, you won't see anything like this in the states for 5-10 years.

Re: Why Buy When You Can Rent? 5 Product Service Systems I Wish Were More Common

eric — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:28:19 -0000

This is a bit of a commie view if you ask me. And like real communism, it seems like a fine idea, but doesn't work in practice.

Let's start with this community tool idea. Sure, not having to have your own tools is fine, but what happens when you need a tool and someone else has it? Or what happens when you need a tool and the last person who used it didn't take care of it and now it's broken? Speaking as someone who has had to experience this communal tool sharing second hand, I can tell you that if someone is borrowing a tool that he didn't have to pay for in the first place, then he is very much less likely to care for it the way it deserves.

This essentially goes for all the communal items. Vacuums, and luggage are also bad. What happens when the last person to use the vacuum didn't empty the trap? Now I have to breathe their filth when I have to empty it?

Essentially these are all ideas that I wish would work, but it's just not that rosy of a world. People, for the most part, suck and I want my own things because I take care of them better than anyone else.

Re: Road Raging Fox News Writer Arrested for Dragging a Cyclist Through Central Park

eric — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:31:28 -0000

To the people that are saying 5 mph is no big deal, there is a HUGE difference between two cars hitting each other at 5 mph and between more than a ton of steel and glass hitting a human being of flesh and bone at 5 miles per hour. I have almost (meaning missed by a foot or two) been run over by a SUV before that was turning while I was crossing the crosswalk. They couldn't have been moving much faster than 5 mph, but when you see that big car coming at you you realize how much damage that can cause. Two 200lb people hitting each other at 5 mph, no big deal. A 3000lb vehicle of heavy, dense, and sharp metal and glass hitting a person of soft and delicate tissues at 5 mph? There will be pain. Learn some physics people.

Re: Apple's "Active Packaging" Idea Would Plug On-the-Shelf Products Into Power Source

eric — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:58:15 -0000

That's pretty bad when you have to write about what a company hasn't even done yet. I could see this being worthwhile new if they were designing concepts, but Apple has thousands of patents that never see the light of day.

Re: No Wonder Fuel Economy is Stagnant, Cars Ballooned Up Since 1980

eric — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:16:36 -0000

"Yeah, but at least this will be a lot more benign. If your car has no tailpipe emissions and is charged with clean power, who cares if the electric motor is a bit bigger?"

Anon

Well I would think we should all care, a bigger motor uses more energy. Just because it would be clean energy doesn't mean we should waste it. Why spend all that time, money, and energy just so people can zoom around faster in a bigger car?

Right now transportation account for more than a 1/4 of the energy we use (in the US). That's a lot of solar panel and wind turbines to be put to use for just moving people around.

Re: Sen. Inhofe to Congress: Oil and Gas Don't Pollute (VIDEO)

eric — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:55:13 -0000

To prove his statement, he should sit in his garage with the door closed and run his lawnmower. After he begins to vomit on himself, then he can tell us whether he thinks poisonous carbon monoxide is not a pollutant. What a blatant shill.

But, hey, he's from Oklahoma. They're not exactly known for their intellect down in them thar parts.

But really, I think this is the most obvious way to completely discount this man. So, thanks for that senator. Even though your former arguments were ridiculous. Now you've given us the most concrete way to completely dismiss you as a shill for the oil companies.

Re: 6 Grasses for Low-maintenance Drought-resistant Lawns

eric — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:23:26 -0000

@James: "all I've ever read is to poison all the current grass, and replant new in the spring. "

Yikes. That's certainly the less labor-intensive way of doing it, but it's pretty nasty and potentially cancer causing and pet killing. Another more labor intensive way is to get yourself a thatching rake or thatching machine and just rip up your current lawn. You won't completely decimate the current lawn, but you'll rip it up enough so that you can replant something that will overtake the old lawn. It will work better if the lawn is in hibernation due to drought or simply because it's cold.

There are also turf cutting machines that will cut a few inches down. And then you can roll it up like sod, throw down a new layer of soil and replant. What you do with the old lawn is up to you -- landfill, donation, whatever.

@The Author:

"Lawns are the most environmentally unfriendly and dated landscape material there is."

That's a bit of an overstatement, don't you think? Lawns provide oxygen. They absorb the energy from the sun rather than radiating it back into the atmosphere. They absorb rain water and prevent erosion and flooding. They're pleasing to look at and soft to walk on. Not to mention, they raise the value of one's home.

But with that being said, you should only have a lawn in a climate that can support it. People with lawns in Phoenix and places like that should be slapped.

Re: Insect Infestation as Green Architecture Tool

eric — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:05:45 -0000

I've been at this library and I think it's great that they used so many "green" materials and practices, and it's definitely something that should be practices more often.

However, that's where it stops as being "green". The building is out in the suburbs and is all by it's self. So nobody is going to be walking to this library, this library is for cars only because not only is it a trip to walk or bike to but there is nothing else around so that would be the only reason for going to that area. As an example you can go to the downtown AA library and get coffee, a bite to eat, mail a package, see a movie and more all under 10 mins walking distance. Nothing comes close at the location of this building. Not to mention that the Downtown library has, I believe, five floors as apposed to one or two. Also there is no parking except for bikes on the downtown library lot. Though there is a privately owned parking lot right next to it.

Re: Adding Ultracapacitors to Hybrid Cars Could Boost Efficiency, Reduce Costs

eric — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:24:28 -0000

@Uncle B:

What are you even talking about? How does that rant have anything to do with ultracaps?

Besides, China is hardly a place to point to when you're talking any kind of meaningful social change in the US.

As far as the ultracap goes, any idea if this scheme will be incorporated into the first generation of PHEVs due out next year from GM and Nissan? I believe GM was going for the extra-large battery scheme and building in logic to keep the battery in 20-80% charge to prolong life.

Besides increasing the efficiency of the EV model, how does it play out in reality considering that ultracaps are pretty heavy? How much of the efficiency gain is negated by that?

Re: Today's Toxin: Atrazine, the Weed Killer in your Water

eric — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:02:56 -0000

This data seems to contradict previous posts on TreeHugger advocating the consumption of tap water.

Re: Quitting Coffee is One of the Easiest Ways to Help The Planet and Yourself

eric — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:46:32 -0000

Yep, that's pretty much how an addict reacts when his drug supply is threatened (referring to the commenters). People react the same way about cars, "What about all the workers who build cars? What about their livelihood?" The fact that people might lose work just isn't a good enough reason to keep up a bad habit. Or an energy intensive one in this case. Not only can coffee be bad for you health but it is bad for the environment, mainly because of the popularity of it. Yes, you can get fair-trade, organic, shade-grown (by the way NIck T, natural tropical forest is much better than shade grown coffee plantations) coffee, but it still usually has to travel thousands of miles to get to you. Unless you are living in those tropical climates of course. And there are alot of alternatives to coffee bean coffees. Though they may not have the caffeine for the pick-me-up. Instead of so many coffee plantations they could use more organic farms, plenty jobs their for them to switch over to.

Re: Could Hype Sell An Inferior Hybrid? - Ford Fusion versus Toyota Camry

eric — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:47:01 -0000

Misinformed bashing of the American car industry is not going to solve any environmental problems.

Your point that the Prius, a small car, gets better mileage than the Fusion, a mid-size car, is correct, yet misses the point. The Fusion hybrid competes with the Camry hybrid and every other midsize car. It gets better gas mileage than all of its competition.

Maybe Ford could have built a small car more efficient than the Prius and maybe it couldn't have, but midsize cars outsell small cars in this country. An efficient midsize car is far more beneficial to the environment than a more efficient small car, as it will produce a much larger gain in fuel efficiency. Fusion hybrids will replace midsize cars that are far more inefficient than the small cars Priuses will replace, and more of them will be sold. Ford made the correct, green decision in focusing its efforts on a midsize, rather than a small, hybrid.

Despite well-known criticisms of the US auto industry, Ford has built a car that is more efficient and more fun to drive than any of its competitors. Provided groundless bashing like this post is not widespread, it will do more to increase total fuel efficiency than the Prius. Ford has done what everybody has complained the US auto industry has not done--even could not do--and they deserve a lot of credit for that.

And, amidst a slew of misinformation and unfounded opinions, you point out that a smaller car gets better gas mileage. How about a correction for this one?

Re: Corn Syrup vs. Sugar: Which is sweeter for your diet?

eric — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:44:06 -0000

Many comments on this article oversimplify this issue.

@Bob There's 2 sides to that coin. You don't see anyone from the 50s in as amazing health as some people you see in any gym in the US these days. There has been tremendous advancement in diet and exercise in the last 50 or 60 years. Healthy people now are way healthier than healthy people 60 years ago. Likewise, unhealthy people now are way more unhealthy. You can attribute it to any number of things such as diabolical snack foods, TV, video games and computers. But even the experts could not tell you that any one factor is the cause. It's a rather complicated issue to say the least.

And you can't blame big business. After all, it's big business. They have one motive: Profit. People need to be educated about the buyer-beware society we live in. You can't expect the corporate establishment to teach people how to be responsible. It goes against their profit motive.

If I had to pick one factor for our ever expanding waistlines, it would be stupidity or just a lack of common sense. People don't question things anymore. "Oh, it has sugar instead of corn syrup. It MUST be better."

Re: Should Governments Offer Incentives for Electric Cars?

eric — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:23:18 -0000

Along with the biking incentive I think they should add a pedestrian incentive. Or rather, just give the money to the people who don't even own cars! That would be easier to work out I believe.

And to Jim's comment; who do you think pays for all the highways that are built and the roads that are repaired? I know it's not coming out of the politician's pockets. I don't drive, don't even own a car yet I have to help pay for all the auto infrastructures which are destructive. And why should I? It's not my responsibility to support your car addiction. I would like to see taxes for only people that own cars. You own a car, you help pay for the roads. That's fair.

Re: Johnny 5 Update – The Remake Picks Up Pace

eric — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:38:35 -0000

Ahhh! when will they cease to ruin the best memories of my childhood?!?! Hollywood is officially creatively bankrupt.

Re: Barcelonian Tram Tracks Detailed with Grass

eric — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:48:21 -0000

@BARAY: There are grasses that can survive on rain water alone. How do you know it's non-native? There are a lot of benefits to using grass. It's nicer to look at, especially for the tram driver. It's cooler than pavement -- temperature-wise. It absorbs water and prevents flooding. Some grasses don't even require all that much maintenance. Seems like a good idea to me...

Don't be so down on grass.

Re: Automatic Parking Garages

eric — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 17:17:31 -0000

Well, it could have ecological benefit if used to decrease the space required to store a given number of vehicles, rather than increasing the number of vehicles stored. While you're rebuilding the garage this way, you could reclaim some space for other, human uses -- or reduce the bulk of the building. If you're redeveloping a parking lot, all the better -- a small building would hold the same number of vehicles with a vest-pocket park or other urban open space next to it.

In addition, the fact that cars being parked, moved, and removed will spend significantly less time idling and driving around at low speeds (and, in the case of many existing dense urban garages, being started, driven a few yards, and turned off several times a day on cold engines) should reduce emissions and urban noise.

Re: The Tragedy of the Bunnies (hey, Its Easter. )

eric — Fri, 25 Mar 2005 11:27:45 -0000

I especially enjoy that in an effort to prove their point, after I left six bunnies at the end, the game still says that public domain is bad and that there are no more bunnies. Even though there are six left.

Odd.

Re: Where will the turbines be?

eric — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 19:30:46 -0000

GE's interest, as was Enron's, is no doubt the fantastic tax-evasion possibilities available (subsidized, too!) for large-scale renewable projects, namely industrial wind power. As capitalists, the only sustainability they care about is an increasing stock value.

Re: Where will the turbines be?

eric — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 17:45:42 -0000

An earlier TreeHugger post about the WhisperGen home CHP unit noted the advantages of decentralized power generation. Just so, that's where any wind turbines need to be if they are to make any difference: at the home, where the power is used. Sprawling complexes of industrial-strength wind turbines instead only perpetuate the same problems we need to move away from.

Re: Yamaha's Folding Seated Electric Scooter

eric — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 23:02:03 -0000

Thanks for a great site. I'm ready to buy, but I wish these models were available now. THey look great.

I"m looking forward to abandoning oil!!

Thanks,

Eric

Re: Update on the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid

eric — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 19:33:39 -0000

Just got my 2006 Civic Hybrid today with Navigation. Drove it about 40 miles and it says I got 31 MPG. I was mostly in serious bumper-to-bumper traffic. I applied for the license plate "TRE HUGR" and will send pictures once it comes in :-)

The car is AWESOME. Definitely worth the $27,277.41 I paid out the door (includes 7% state tax). It cost me another $326 to buy an extended 5 year 60,000 mile warranty.

Re: Update on the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid

eric — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 18:57:05 -0000

Still only getting an average 35MPG with my 06 HCH. I don't do much highway driving. Most of my driving is in Georgia traffic or quick runs to the gym or other local establishments. I still think the car is quite amazing, but I doubt the claims of 50+MPG. I did a highway test over 20 miles and tried to drive every mile for maximum MPG and still only accomplished 45MPG. The navigation system is the best I've ever seen, the steering is precise, and the overall quality of the car is high. I just can't believe I paid $27,500 for a CIVIC and can't get the MPG claimed on the sticker. I'll still update with photos of my car with the "Tree Hugger" license plate once it arrives!

Re: Update on the 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid

eric — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 10:12:57 -0000

You will not be able to tell when the HCH is in "golf cart mode" because the engine will still be recording RPMs (Honda assist motor) unlike the Prius (motor separate from engine). What the Civic needs is a "usage readout" like the Prius. I rented a Prius for a week (only got 45MPG) and could not stop watching the usage readout telling me what mode it was in. It also helped me squeeze out extra MPG by tweaking my driving habits to the readout.

Also, I have been in an Accord Hybrid and find the Civic Hybrid Auto-Stop system to be much more driver friendly. The Accord would shut the engine off every time the car went under a couple MPH. The Civic seems to know when I'm in bumper-to-bumper and does not shut the engine off every time. It also does not shut the engine off when the engine is still cold.

Re: UV-Tube for Disinfecting Water

eric — Mon, 12 Sep 2005 20:22:19 -0000

OR, if you're using what's on hand, how about coffee filters in the funnel? :)

Re: Fat Tire Bike Tours--and Segway Tours

eric — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 13:23:25 -0000

Riding a Segway is accomplishing the same thing as walking only consuming electricity while doing it. They are no faster, no more mobile, provide no shelter, and certainly not cheaper. If you want a pedestrian tour of the city, walk. What is the point of a Segway?

Re: Hybrid Car Comes In Handy to Escape Rita

eric — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 15:42:13 -0000

Of course, all those calculations assume just "one" rail line. In Houston, we've got many, many rail lines going in and out of town, and all for freight. Amtrack uses the double set of tracks on the other side of the electic right-of-way (ROW) from where we live, but they are the only ones using it for passengers. I-10 West used to have a similar pair of rails but they were all bought up by our former mayor/developer (can't remember the jerk's name now) torn out and are currently in the expanded ROW for the 18-lane expansion being built between downtown and Katy. We could have had light rail going both directions by now :|

And don't use the one light-rail line we have in town as an example of what we would have gotten. That was one of the worst decisions our city has made in a long time. I'm glad it exists at all, but the initial route was not the best of choices (from downtown to the TX Medical Center and nowhere else.)

Also, way back in the 80's (or maybe the early 90's) Texas proposed high-speed rail. It was killed by two very powerful lobby groups in Texas: the airlines and the concrete manufacturers. If we had been able to build these lines way back then, I feel the concept of light rail would have been better accepted by the masses and even insisted upon a lot sooner than has happened. And we would have been able to get more people out of town faster anyway. Plus, focusing your calculations only on rail and not on the combination of rail, air, buses, contra-flow and cars/trucks kind of looks a lot like how those that counter alternative energy look when they say solar/wind/wave can't individually supply all our needs (as if we were going to stop using all of the current oil-based choices all at once.)

The choice of good passenger rail out of town would have been welcomed by most of us here. We might have left town, too, had rail been an option :)

Re: Hybrid Car Comes In Handy to Escape Rita

eric — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 18:12:03 -0000

"And we would have been able to get more people out of town faster anyway."

""That's a pretty tough conclusion to make, considering there are far more than 3 freeway lanes of capacity to move people out of the city, so the numbers I gave only give a small sense of how much capacity is actually there. The fact that people didn't use that capacity optimally doesn't fault the possibilites of the system, but merely the way it's used suboptimally.

I guess you also don't understand that humans in general aren't going to think (and act) like engineers when it comes to life-or-death situations, so asking them to use the system "optimally" is even more of a stretch than me saying that we could have gotten more people out with the use of rail. I wasn't saying the use of the rail was the ONLY way to get them out, but we wouldn't have had as bad of a problem with the traffic had the rail been an option. Plus, I guess you missed the fact that I said we have far more than a few lines going into and out of town. Houston is a major port. If you lived near where we do and had the means, you would have moved by now. The train horns every 15-30 minutes is enough to make anyone move. So, obviously, there is a capability to move lots of people, too. And those highways don't remain at ten lanes all the way out of the city. Rather all of them revert to just four lanes once you get about 30-50 miles out. And people were being evacuated at least 100 miles out. I live here; I know the area and how things are done, or how the majority think in these situations.

""I just wanted to make a simple comparison, not write a treatise on the trade-offs and interactions of various transportation modes.

In this situation, it was not a good comparison since it really can't be applied as has been mentioned already with the problems of bottlenecks and slowdowns. Remember, every time someone leaves the freeway, they slow down. They brake and people behind them brake and on down the line. Had rail been available it would have been a wonderful alternative to being in traffic. Plus, trains are a lot heavier than cars and could have been used to evacuate almost right up to the time of the storm. People also started evacuating on Tuesday, so there's no need to calculate for a one-day evacuation; that just doesn't happen with people or situations like this. They will leave as early as possible, especially after seeing what happened with Katrina.

Oh, one other thing: the trains here are all diesel powered, so no problems with the power going out...

Re: Hybrid Car Comes In Handy to Escape Rita

eric — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 22:46:39 -0000

Okay, the first thing to make clear is when I said "four lanes" that's total, not eight lanes. That's how I refer to freeways, not just the number going in one direction. So-o, that means, without "contraflow" you have just bottlenecked to two lanes one direction.

Second, I don't care about whether the rail is transit or freight; this was an emergency. If FEMA needed them (or our city or any city for that matter) then they should be able to take them over and use them for getting people out. If 4-6 heavy engines can pull over 100 freight cars, how many people is that on one trip? And long range is exactly what we need. Transit really can't be considered since it would only go a few tens of miles. Unless it were to go to awaiting buses brought in just for evacuation...

Sorry for not reading all your notes, but it got just too dry for me; I'm not an engineer. Isn't the reality of how this traffic situation turned out evidence enough that we need more than calculations on how much traffic CAN get through versus what really happens? We NEED rail by any means. If that means having in place a NATIONAL system of passenger cars that can be brought into areas over time (such as at the first sign of trouble or in our case, landfall) then that's more of a start than trying to tell people to stick to cars because we can get more out in one day by your estimation. We got a lot of people out anyway, even with the traffic jams and fuel problems. What we need are more ways to get people out than just the roads. Rail is the first to come to mind, even if it is freight. They seem the best qualified to get lots of people out of an area were we to implement a system using their existing lines.

Re: Hybrid Car Comes In Handy to Escape Rita

eric — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 01:01:18 -0000

You need to cut your result in half then. Here four lanes means = two outbound, two inbound. The contra-flow idea wasn't implemented right away. Now they're having traffic jams getting back in. It never ends.

As for passenger cars being available, they don't ALL have to be in the city that's going to need them. How long would it take to get the needed cars into the city being evacuated? I have heard from when Katrina struck that Greyhound alone has 2000 buses. That's spread out over the whole country. It would take them much longer to get all to one city in any state than for the rail lines to get the same number of passenger cars to any given city. Frieght rail doesn't have the kind of slowdown problems this country has on the roads. Sure, they have other in-city rail lines to deal with, but their traffic problems (at least to my observations) aren't anywhere near as bad city to city as they are for roadways. From what I have seen, too, looking at maps, rail lines are often pretty straight, point to point versus roadways. But you would really only have to give up a relative few cars per city across the country for all the cars a city would need to get people out.

The thing is, we can debate this all we want; it's the governments that will or will not implement anything we think is reasonable or makes sense. But, in Texas anyway, cars are what people think of first. And our roadways are only set up for light traffic outside of the cities. Despite the knowledge that we live in a dangerous part of the world for the potential of killer storms like these, we continue to either under-estimate the need for evacuation schemes that don't rely so heavily on cars/trucks or we don't even think about the need for good evacuation plans until it's too late. And when we do think about them, what comes to mind more often than anything is "more lanes of freeway" instead of mass transit and high-speed rail. Anything to get people out of the way more efficiently than the vehicles most often used. Thanks to Katrina people are FINALLY thinking of fuel-efficiency, but it took a deadly situation to drive prices up enough for people to even notice. Now all we need are cheap hybrids, better ideas on long-range mass-transit and less people on the coasts.

Thanks for the debate, though. It still made me think :)

Re: Instant Survey: Guilty Pleasures

eric — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 17:07:21 -0000

Technically, you can compost junk mail if you shred it first, but it takes a long time to break down, as well as the fact that unless it was bleached with H2O2 and used soy inks, you're just putting more toxics into your soil. Better to just remove the labels with your name and address and recycle the rest.

If you know how to make paper, then recycle it yourself and sell your home-made papers it to watercolorists :)

Re: the Polycart - a friendlier shopping trolley

eric — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 13:15:44 -0000

What I want to know is, why is plastic (recyclable or not) considered more environmentally sound than metal? Both are recyclable and both have beginnings that pollute. So, what is the comparison of environmental impact between the two substances?

Personally, I prefer the metal carts because I like it to have some weight to it. It's less likely to be blown across the parking lot by the wind, unlike the plastic varieties...

Re: TreeHugger "Old Faithful" Contest: Time to Vote

eric — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 11:31:46 -0000

Here's another "Old Faithful" story:

60 years, 1 toaster

Re: Bah, Humbug: November 25th is Buy Nothing Day

eric — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 05:09:10 -0000

Will never happen, cos i buy stuff to eat

Re: Matt Damon Gets A Hybrid

eric — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 06:57:31 -0000

M-att D-ae-mon..

Re: Sky Spy Spots Energy-Wasting Homes

eric — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 12:47:08 -0000

Around here the ones that would light up the map are usually grow ops for mary jane

Re: Push-Button House by Adam Kalkin

eric — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 10:31:27 -0000

Is there actually any point to this?

Does it serve a purpose?
Does it make crowded areas better to live in? Will it help house people on low incomes comfortably and safely? Will it help to reduce the number of homeless in the world?

What practical value does it have?

Re: Danish Researchers Develop Hydrogen Tablet

eric — Sun, 04 Dec 2005 18:02:47 -0000

On the PBS show Nova way back in the '80's they did a show just on hydrogen as a fuel. They did a side-by-side comparison of the safety of a compressed tank of hydrogen with a compressed tank of propane. Behind a protected (armored) spot, was a marksman with a high-powered rifle. They also had a pilot flame nearby to ignite the escaping gas. The propane tank literally exploded and nothing was left of it. The hydrogen tank emmitted the sound of compressed gas escaping and then, like the post above, ignited like a blow-torch and no explosion occurred.

The other thing I remember from this show was how they had some kind of inert material that would soak up hydrogen and then release it when heated. The way you would get it for your engine was that the exhaust was routed through the storage container to heat this substance and release the hydrogen. That sounds a lot like whatever this tablet is made out of, and I'm referring to technology that is at least 20 years old...

Re: Ramp Creates Power as Cars Pass (Or Does It?)

eric — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 12:48:51 -0000

The other thing that came to mind on this is how in some parts of both the US and Canada they use "rumble strips" when you are approaching a traffic light so you know to slow down. Basically nothing more than slightly raised strips of plastic or asphalt spaced closely so you hear a "rumble" as you drive over. I would think that and the speed bump idea would be the best ways to use this idea since both rely on raised bumps for safety reasons and efficiency is not considered. Although it would probably be too costly to try, what about turning all the "Bott's Dots" into energy generators? :)

Re: Instant Survey: O Tannenbaum - How Green Are Thee?

eric — Tue, 20 Dec 2005 23:02:18 -0000

You need a choice for the Festivus Pole :)

Re: Build a Green Bakery. Slowly and Painfully.

eric — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 01:13:21 -0000

not to mention these sites are:

- Not search engine friendly

- Not handicap/accessible friendly

Re: Bring Your Own Chopsticks Movement Gains Traction in Asia

eric — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:28:56 -0000

Personally, I think there should be incentives ($ seems to work) placed on all recyclable items... Even if a dime (or better) a quarter per item.

I remember as a kid running around collecting aluminum cans for the refund (to buy sugary sweets). Can you imagine if anything with a recycle symbol could be easily turned in for cash?

Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Yelling?)

eric — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 00:41:55 -0000

What about using lightpipes? How would they compare in cost and lighting area to these "security cameras"?

I remember reading about them years ago (and using the "breakthrough" electrodeless lamps, something Tesla invented even further back) and other than a few high-profile uses in government buildings or tunnels, I have yet to see them used much at all in North America. Wouldn't they also be more efficient, like the growing use of LED's everywhere?

Re: Big Brother is Watching (and Yelling?)

eric — Sat, 04 Mar 2006 17:42:43 -0000

XYZ: Yes, you are only thinking of passive lighting for light-pipes. See the following links for powered lighting by light-pipe:

http://eetd.lbl.gov/newsletter/CBS_NL/NL6/S-Lam... />

http://www.lrc.rpi.edu/programs/Futures/LF-Elec... />

I mentioned Tesla not for broadcast power but for the single-electrode bulbs he invented (he may have invented electrodeless bulbs, too, but I am going on my memory on this at the moment...) Tesla invented far more than three-phase motors and a/c current. Look up his patents sometime and see for yourself :)

One thing that came from his research on broadcast power was how the very high-frequency electricity he was generating would travel around a wire instead of through it. Do that on the inside of an insulated metal pipe and you wouldn't have the loss associated with standard 50/60 hz a/c power transmission lines. I'm really surprised the power companies don't use this method if only for efficient power transmission. I'm not an engineer or a physicist, but wouldn't that also cut down on the large magnetic fields associated with current high-power lines? (Those magnetic fields are the source of possible cancers resulting from living too near these transmission lines.)

Hope that helps clarify things :)

Re: Instant Survey: What Was For Dinner?

eric — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 10:27:32 -0000

You need a choice for "leftovers", whether home-cooked or from take-out ;)

But it was vegetarian, though not vegan.

Re: Sustain Minihome Hits the Road

eric — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:23:27 -0000

Another thing to compare with "mobile" homes is the amount of waste generated by building onsite versus in a factory. How many of those big dumpsters get filled to the brim and hauled off during the building of one 1000 sq.ft. house (assuming anyone builds them that "small" anymore) versus an equivalent-sized factory-made home? That waste is often "wasted" from onsite building, but from what little I know of factory-made homes, the waste is re-used or recycled. And it's easier to convince the builders of mobile/factory home builders of the benefits of less waste this way than contractors and builders of permanent structures.

I'd love to see more mobile homes of this variety and others (such as MetalFit or factory-made loghomes) but I have a feeling many of the larger municipalities still can't see past developer-written building codes to this way of home-construction and implementation...

Re: Chicago Wal-Mart to Sprout Green Roof

eric — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 13:14:03 -0000

I haven’t read the full article but I know that sprawl mart has had every past proposal rejected by the city of Chicago because they refuse to pay the cost of living in the city. If sprawl mart does open in the city its employees will not be able to afford to live in the city. This means the workers will have to commute from rundown poor suburbs. Imagine if workers could afford to live near their jobs.

Re: Insanity: Man Rewarded for his Daily 372 Miles Commute

eric — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 15:02:11 -0000

How about him just telecommuting to work and having that much more time with his family and "quality of life"? :)

Re: Hot Rock Energy — Still on the Boil

eric — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 21:05:29 -0000

Okay, I'm not a geologist, either, but I know that the reason the Earth is hot isn't just because of leftover energy from when it was formed. Rather, the constant gravitational forces exerted on it from the Moon and the Sun is enough to keep the core as hot as it is. (It may not even be "molten" but of a theorized crystalized iron mass, oriented North-South.) The other thing going for us in keeping the Earth as warm as it is, is the distance from the Sun. At almost 8000 miles in diameter, I think we have more than enough hot mass under the crust to satisfy any geothermal needs for a time probably longer than the human race's lifetime on the planet ;)

And, doesn't the temperature rise by a degree F for every 50' down you go? Seems we'd get to geothermal temps a lot sooner than 10km...

Re: Hybrid Taxis in New York- If they Make it there, They'll make it Anywhere.

eric — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 22:46:31 -0000

What I don't understand about all of this is why we don't have small utility vehicles (the only "s.u.v." I'd ever own) in North America? They're all over the place in Europe and Asia, yet they don't seem to market them here. Why not?

Re: Robotic "Pigs" Help Dry Sewage

eric — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 16:51:05 -0000

"Why not use real pigs?"

Well, probably because they wouldn't live for long in human wastes. Second, why _use_ intelligent animals for this when you can use a robot cheaper and more effectively, and never get into the issues of animal abuse and so on...