Opinari.net
Opinari - Latin term for Opinion. Opinari.net is just what it seems: a cornucopia of rants, raves and poignant soliloquy. |
Monday, February 27, 2006
Here is an interesting argument for the UAE ports deal. This is the key statement (from a response in the comments):
Yes, terrorists use Dubai banks. Everyone in the Middle East uses Dubai banks -- it's the commercial center of the region. Yes, two of the 9/11 hijackers were from the UAE. But they weren't operating as agents of the government. We have terrorists from America too.
If we can't tell the difference between friend and foe, we're going to find ourselves with a shortage of the former and an abundance of the latter.
Yep.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
11:13 AM
Sunday, February 26, 2006
  This is the timepiece in our family room. Unless I missed something, four in Roman numerals is supposed to be IV and not IIII. At least it makes for a good conversation piece. Heh. Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
3:59 PM
Saturday, February 25, 2006
I just read that Don Knotts passed away this past Friday. Another piece of Americana has come and gone. No one who has any sense of American culture will soon forget the lovable ineptitude of Knotts as Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show. I don't normally blog about celebrity deaths, but I met Knotts once in the Hilton in Knoxville. He and I shared an elevator. I didn't know he was even in town and somehow he mentioned that he was there doing "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers", I believe. If I'm not mistaken, he was starring with Barbara Eden. He was soft-spoken, friendly, and downright antithetical to the character he made famous.
At the time, I was in the pizza business. I worked the downtown area, and they had many celebrities in town on any number of occasions. Off the top of my head, I recall delivering to Florence Griffith-Joyner, Guns 'N' Roses, Tommy Morrison, Evander Holyfield, and Carl Pickens. None of these were as cordial, friendly, and pleasant as Mr. Knotts was. He wasn't even a customer, but he certainly made an impression.
To most everyone, Don Knotts will always be Barney Fife, but to me, he was a genuinely nice person who happened to be a celebrity. Sure, my exposure to him was short (only 45 seconds, if that). But the image I carry with me still sticks. We could only be so fortunate as to have more celebrities treat the public in the same manner.
Rest in peace, Mr. Knotts.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
7:44 PM
Whither the E-Book?
I, and my wife, share a huge bond. That's an interesting opening to a blog post, and it usually goes in the direction of talking about love, life, and kids. Well, we share those bonds, but we share another, less intimate love.A love for the written word.
Between us, we have thousands of books (literally). My wife is "old school" in that she loves the tangible paper book. She can go to Barnes and Noble and spend hundreds of dollars on tomes from varying genres. I have this same urge almost weekly. However, I loathe the tangible paper book. Loathe is an accurate word here, because I love to be portable. Portability is important to me. That's why I love electronic books.
Since January, I've bought eight e-books. I've read five of them, and am over halfway through the other three. I would estimate that since 2002, I have bought or downloaded 300 e-books. I carry my 100 or so favorites on an SD card on my Treo 650.
So why do I bring this up in a blog post? Because I am begging to spend my hard earned money on new books. Yet, inexplicably, many of the popular authors who write these days are not available in the format. Even more amazing to me is the few responses that I have gotten from authors when I have written them to inquire about the subject.
I can list many books that are on my reading list: Glenn Reynolds' new book, Michelle Malkin's "In Defense of Internment", Rod Dreher's "Crunchy Cons", Kate O'Beirne's "Women Who Make the World Worse", etc. I have personally written to the publishers of these and more authors as well as the authors themselves. Out of twenty or so inquiries, only one wrote back to me, saying that "they were unaware of their publisher's policies".
Now this is a pet peeve of mine, and I don't expect anyone else to care really. Heck, I have only a handful of readers anyway, and this blog is only here to give me an outlet to express my thoughts at the moment. So... here's my thought for the moment:
If you are an author, and you want to sell more books, make them available as e-books. Not DRM-infested Adobe Reader books, but Microsoft Reader, and Palm e-Reader. Portability. In my pocket. I read one to two hours per day. Most of it is done in the dark, in my bed, with a backlit screen. This is my preference, for the sake of sheer convenience and portability. This is the same phenomenon that has allowed podcasting to become so popular. This reader has been reading e-books though since before Napster was a blip on the RIAA radar screen. That is to say, I've been reading these things longer than podcasting was even a concept, and I know I'm not alone.
So, Mr. Reynolds and Dreher, Ms. Malkin and O'Beirne, and the dozens of others out there who have a story to sell... I, and lots of others like me, are a market just waiting to consume your wares. All you have to do is make them available. As far as my wife goes, she reads e-books too, but I'm sure she prefers the old fashioned kind. To each their own.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
7:20 PM
Thursday, February 23, 2006
I'm always in the market for new innovations, especially when two things are involved: technology, and incentives. Thus today, I'm blogging about a new Paypal-like service called TextPayMe.com. Essentially, you use SMS to send and receive money. Does it work? Yep. The recpient has to have an account with TextPayMe as well, if they want automatic deposits. A bank draft option is available for those who don't want to sign up for the TPM service.
As for incentives, TPM pays the new user $5 just for signing up. And, 36 referrals gets you a new XBox 360. So, if you feel so inclined, click here, or the icon in the right margin, sign up, and help yours truly get a new XBox 360!Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
1:58 PM
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Chiming In On The UAE/American Ports Issue:
This whole brouhaha bothered me a great deal at first, but the more I read about it, the more I'm inclined to at least give the administration the benefit of the doubt. I keep asking, "is there some kind of reciprocity deal in order with the UAE?" Maybe we're getting something substantial out of the arrangement. Why else would the administration defend this deal so staunchly in the face of bipartisan disagreement? The only thing that makes sense is that there's something very important behind the scenes that Dubya and Co. are getting in return.
The bottom line is that this president is NOT dumb as far as national security goes, and he's NOT going to back down if he thinks he is right. And, it DOES make sense for America to have some allies in the Middle East. If not the UAE, who has been pretty cooperative in the War on Terror(ism), then who, and when?
Of course, a friend of mine points out that this is probably a plot by Rove to make the Democrats look bad by forcing them to profile Arabs. At this point, nothing would surprise me.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
10:44 PM
Friday, February 10, 2006
It gets old. It really does.
I like to stay informed about contemporary issues, on local, state, federal, and global levels alike. Like many of the Internet generation, I find that the traditional media just doesn’t cut it most times. The days of Brinkley, Chancellor, and Cronkite are no more. Thus enters the information backbone of the 21st century, the weblog.
Yet, blogs just aren’t what they used to be (What? But they’ve only been around for a few years? How could that be?) For as long as I’ve known what RSS was, I’ve read the gamut of commentary, from Atrios and Kos to LGF and Powerline. I like to know what people think on both sides of an issue. What I don’t like is what the fringe of the blogosphere have become.
I’m sure everyone has their preference, and lots of people like the echo chamber. I’m not one of them. What I like is a set of rational, well-conceived ideas. I might not agree with them, but if you can articulate it, and do so without belittling people in the process, then I’m all ears. I also tend to view a positive agenda more…er, positively, than a negative one.
That leads me to my miniscule thesis statement. It really, really gets old. I don’t consider myself a partisan. In fact, I never voted for Bush or Clinton. The reason is that they never really represented my views (although I guess from a policy perspective that Dubya has been more representative than anyone since Reagan). Additionally, I never really felt the irrational hatred for them that others did, and still do.
Since 2000, we’ve witnessed the relentless pursuit of Dubya by the left. We’ve also watched the same left neglect their responsibility of formulating alternative policies to those of the right. If they have, I just haven’t seen them because the Bush-hatred that spews forth effectively blots it out.
On any given day, I can read conservative sites and get thoughtful articulation of ideas, and provocative criticism of wrongheadedness, often of their own (the Harriet Miers fiasco comes to mind). On the same day, I get “CheneyHalliBushCo is evil” or, on a good day, “Repugs suck, and here’s why”. Is that supposed to appeal to the general voter? Well, it doesn’t.
So here’s a suggestion. The Democratic party proclaims itself to be the party of the people. Let’s see evidence of that. Give me some policy positions, and articulate to me why they are sound positions. Try not to cite the alleged theft of the 2000 Presidential election, illegal wiretapping, Abu Ghraib, or abortion rights as the basis of those positions. Try instead to convey to me what is right about where you stand.
Afterwards, the Democrats should give the electorate a candidate that can actually take a stance instead of advocating multiple or incoherent ones. If the party and its leaders are convincing enough, maybe there will be enough voters like me who will hop on the right bandwagon.
Maybe.
One thing is certain though. The average voter just isn’t going to consistently endorse a candidate whose main thesis is “I’m not Republican.” It just doesn’t work, and it renders the opposition party impotent. And in a two party system, that makes us all losers.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
12:43 PM
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad (Islamofascist) Wolf?
The Danish cartoon controversy brings up an interesting dilemma for the mainstream media. The press often goes out of its way to offend the sensibilities of Christians and Jews alike, arguing that publishing “offensive” material is either free speech, or a simple attempt to educate the public about some controversial matter. It is this sentiment that is expressed in such things as the “Piss Christ” exhibit, the dung on the Virgin Mary, or even the magazine cover image of Kanye West posing as Christ. Those things offend many Christians, but the media seldom cares about such offenses.
So why is that the case? I think the answer is a simple one. The mainstream media couldn’t care less about whom it offends. If offensive material draws viewers or readers, then that’s just the cost of doing business. In fact, the matter is more likely one of outright fear. What we have learned from this Danish cartoon fiasco is that radical Muslims, when duly incited, will react with anger and outright violence. This reaction has led to a handful of deaths and much destruction of property. Christians, on the other hand, when faced with similar circumstances, do such things as pen letters to the editor, or boycott specific products that endorse the periodicals in question.
As such, it is not the desire not to offend that drives the self-censorship, but the single fear of retribution, that an Islamic cleric in some faraway place will issue a fatwa of death and destruction regarding anything associated with them, the media. The same media that wears free speech issues as a badge of honor cowers in fear when threatened with violence.
Perhaps this matter will lead to a more consistent editorial policy, where either religious groups will be equally offended, or items which offend will be completely disregarded in consideration of such offense. The former would be a victory for free speech. The latter would be unfortunate.
Neither though is the likely outcome. More likely, the mainstream media will continue to fancy itself as the torchbearer for the first amendment, while in reality, it will allow itself to be censored not by a responsible editorial policy, but by a violent Islamic insurgency led by religious radicals who will stop at nothing until their vision of global religious oppression is realized.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
5:04 PM
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Vols 75, Wildcats 67. At Rupp Arena. Enjoy it while it's still fresh. The Vols have had good teams and bad teams go into Rupp, and their record was 3-27. WAS 3-27. Make that 4 wins now.
Will this be the magical season of Vol basketball? Definitely. I think this season already is one of the most magical in Vol history. The previous "magical" season was 1979, and that was mainly because we beat Kentucky not once, not twice, but THREE times. This season is such a joy because it was wholeheartedly UNEXPECTED by everyone who wears the orange and white (with the possible exception of the kids on the team, but I doubt even they imagined this).
When I think of this team and their style, I think of the Marymount team in the 90s that played non-stop, end to end, relentless basketball. No one wanted to play them, and they damn near made the Elite 8 that year. The Vols have that same aura.
But you know, even if they don't go that far, so what? What an amazing season, and I hope the Vol Network puts together a DVD as soon as April rolls around. I'll bet it sells more copies than there will be people sitting in Neyland Stadium for the Orange and White game.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
11:40 PM
Sunday, February 05, 2006
A man convicted of masterminding the attack on the American destroyer Cole in 2000 escaped a Yemeni jail through a tunnel with 22 other prisoners, the international police organization, Interpol, said today.
The prisoner, Jamal Ahmed Badawi, was sentenced to death in 2004 by a court in Yemen for his role in the attack on the warship that killed 17 American sailors and provided an early glimpse of the workings of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda global terror network. The Interpol statement said that 12 of the prisoners who escaped through the tunnel with Mr. Badawi were convicted members of Al Qaeda.
Thanks for the stellar security, Yemen.
Meanwhile, Michelle Malkin asks:
If Badawi has access to a cell phone, and calls an al Qaeda operative here in the U.S. to give the go-ahead on a mass terrorist plot, and that plot is executed killing thousands of innocent people on American soil, who will the NYTimes editors and Democrat leaders blame?
Well, since wiretapping is apparently such a big deal, now that terrorists are being targeted, and the Clinton administration isn't the one trying to rationalize their use, I think that's a pretty good question.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
4:50 PM
On Proprietary Solutions:
Here's a great read about the travails of an iPod lover. A snippet...
Although the tech support guy quickly diagnoses your problem — a hard drive gone bad — he really has only one suggestion: buy a new iPod. "Since it is out of warranty," he says, "there's nothing we can do." You're a little stunned. But you're not ready to give up. On the Apple site, there's a form you can fill out to send the iPod back to Apple and get it fixed. But you do a double-take when you see the price. Apple is going to charge you $250, plus tax, to fix your iPod. There is no mistaking the message: Apple has zero interest in fixing a machine it was quite happy to sell you not so long ago.
Now you're reeling. You're furious. But what choice do you have? You can't turn to a competitor's product, not if you want to keep using Apple's proprietary iTunes software, where you've stored all the music you love, including songs purchased directly from the iTunes Music Store, which you'll lose if you leave the iTunes environment. So you grit your teeth and buy a new iPod. Of course since it's a newer machine, it has that cool video capability. But you're still angry.
What choice do you have? That's an interesting question, with a simple answer.
Avoid proprietary solutions.
I realize this isn't always possible. The world is infested with proprietary implementations. Windows has undocumented APIs which don't play well with third party tools. Messaging clients hide their protocols from each other. Many enterprises run exclusively on Microsoft tools. The DOC file format executes properly in Word, but not as well in other word processors.
And then we get into downloadable music and video. Apple plays Apple, but no one else can. Tools exist to strip the DRM off of AAC files, but with each revision of the iTunes software, another revision of those anti-DRM tools are required. It's a never ending race to see who can lock whom out of their systems.
Can't we all get along?
Well, if we're open to alternative solutions, we can. Here are my suggestions:
Documents - RTF is the best way to go for word processing, at least on a personal level. The enterprise is just too dependent on Office these days, but if you want to make sure everyone can read your stuff, use RTF. Hopefully, someday soon, Microsoft will embrace XML as their DOC standard, but I'm not holding my breath.
Instant Messaging - Jabber is the most effective unified IM solution, and is more and more ubiquitous as time goes by. Jabber allows the user to run AIM, MSN, Y!, Google, and a host of other IM protocols from within one UI. I use it on my PDA, and my desktop, and I won't be turning back anytime soon.
Email - Outlook is a mess, but it's also a de facto corporate standard. Webmail is largely platform independent (which is why I recommend clients like Web2Mail, which only require a username and password to check most email services), but not always. To wit, if your corporate IT organization blocks web components like ActiveX, the Outlook's web version won't work in your browser.
Audio - Stay away from the iTunes model. It ties you into their service indefinitely. You might as well rent the music (which is what they want you to do anyway). Basically, if I don't already own the CD so that I can rip it myself, or if I can't borrow it from someone else, I don't need it bad enough to succumb to the iTunes craze. If I ever do go that route, I will most definitely use DRM-stripping tools like Hymn to give me portable iTunes. It will be a cold day in Hades before I am forced to buy an iPod just to play a handful of songs.
Video - Video iTunes? Not a chance. I don't much care for movies, but for TV shows, there is a solution that involves bitTorrent and a little client app called Azureus. When the torrent is available on the internet, Azureus will automatically download the most recent show (just like a podcast). Most shows are in DivX or XVid format, but tools are available for conversion. Since I use a Treo viewer called Kinoma that plays MP4, I usually convert my downloads to that format and transfer them to an SD card.
The purpose of this little dissertation isn't to demonize companies like Apple or Microsoft, but to tell them that consumers want choices, and do not wish to be locked into one format. The bottom line is that my music file should play on your player, my document should open in your word processor, etc.
Perhaps my opining is just a wish for some panacea of standardization, but that won't force me to embrace the iTunes model anytime soon. Otherwise, I'm sure I, as the author of the piece in my introduction, will find myself stuck with broken hardware and a gig of useless bits and bytes.Labels: Archives_2006
.: posted by
Dave
2:55 PM
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