Month: November 2014

I lost my FitBit :(

Given that the Fitbit one requires clipping on to something or to be worn using a very uncomfortable Velcro arm band, I’ve been clipping it to my belt. It has fallen off and temporarily been lost twice – and yet found – both times in hotel parking lots unscathed. Today, it happened a 3rd time in a downtown area. I do believe it is likely gone forever. What will be interesting to see is if somehow makes tonight’s or tomorrow’s report back to Fitbit.com (which nonetheless pings here as well.) I think something that small and that easy to lose should not cost 99 bucks. I guess I might consider the Microsoft Band although it does not have an altimeter.

COMCAST-TIME-WARNER MERGER Dominating 60% of CABLE?? Yeah . . . so what?

I would like to point out the following:

While true that the Comcast-Time-Warner merger would mean that they would control 60% of the cable business, please play close attention to how that is defined in relationship to all potential Internet\Video\Telecom services. You are no longer locked down as you think. I left cable as son as I moved to Texas – I have been perfectly happy with IPTV. True – I get frustrated at times with ATT U-Verse – however – we have worked out our differences and they have made infrastructure improvements in my area – probably because they knew I could switch back to cable – or better yet – go with Verizon FiOS – another IPTV provider. Coming from Tega Cay, SC – where I was pretty much stuck in 2010 w/ Comporium – a local provider (allowed to have monopoly due to some regulatory rural provision clause at the time) I had to deal with the tyranny of only one broadband option. You would be surprised with how many communities are still stuck with one option for *somewhat* quality high-speed Internet access.

Bent County, CO basically gives you satellite, dial-up, or repackaged CenturyLink using some local Mom-and-Pop shop. How does this affect them? It won’t!

Finally – you know you can always cut the cord, buy a Smart HDTV and Antenna – and enjoy 15-25 primary and secondary channels alongside of NetFlix, Amazon Prime, VuDu, and Hulu Plus using only Broadband. With HBO GO and CBS offering decoupled streaming soon – you get even better options. So let the cable companies consolidate and reduce cable options. Broadband Internet is the utility of the future. The cable companies are consolidating to eek out some final profitability just like the broadcast radio networks.

Apps for #Avgeeks: JetLovers

Apps for #Avgeeks: JetLovers.

 

. . . agrees with me! Jet Lover’s Flight Club is the coolest to keep track of your flight history.

 

She told me about this too – I’ll have to check it out as well. http://www.flightmemory.com/

UPDATE: IT TOTALLY BLOWS. You have to either enter everything in from memory or have tracked everything in an Excel Spreadsheet – while guessing the right import schema. LAME!!!!!!

Meaningless Infotainment

Look – I am happy your team won its little sporting match on the news/infotainment/reality networks. I get it. I love media and entertainment as much as the next guy. I just find real sports so much more exciting and Shark Tank is much more relevant and enriching Reality TV. I just don’t understand why people get so passionate about politics these days. The election winners last night have as much an influence on your life as the winner of American Idol or Survivor.

So the Republicans won the midterms (like 2010) and it was viewed as a total repudiation of the Obama administration (like 2010.) The narrative is the Democrats are clearly doomed in the next election. It’s a good thing Obama isn’t running again – it could be an embarrassing defeat. I mean it could be 2012 all over again and . . . oh wait – see – media loves the fact you have short memories. This is why most people have checked out of this – especially on the midterms. Elections are reality TV making up for lost Ad revenue. Hell, even watch the Weather Channel instead. More interesting, better story lines, and it is more likely to affect you directly.

On a more serious note – Tip O’Neil was spot on when he said “All politics are local.” My interpretation of that is while you are sitting at home munching popcorn and rooting for one of the same two teams in order to have bragging rights, there are people making decisions that will significantly affect you – behind closed doors or in sparsely-attended meetings. Where? Right in your town or city. Your HOA. Your City Council. Your County Commissioners. Your Zoning Committees. This affects your daily life. Ever looked at your telephone bill lately to see the local taxes you are paying? How are the roads in your neighborhood? Did that bond bill you happened to flip a coin to decide actually provide funds to build schools in your area or simply create a slush fund that could appropriated to buy IPads.

The reason Obamacare is such a lightening rod is probably because it has been the one government issue in recent years that actually affected many people. It affected me indirectly. My Cadillac Health Plan got switched over to a high-deductible HSA. Did Obama steal my health insurance. No – My health care plan changed because my employer changed it. Is that an indirect result of the ACA? Likely – but Obama did not take away my health insurance. If anything Congress did. Was it a good decision for my company. Likely given the stock price (By the way, my stock gains have more than made up the shortfalls.)

The President should only have to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. The President is not responsible for my happiness, well-being, or success. Following two-year election cycles on a daily basis is a colossal waste of time. I know you all like watching MSNBC and Fox News and feel that you are part of the conversation. You aren’t. At least *they* are getting paid to do it. You? Well, I sure hope it makes you happy because it sure as hell ain’t productive and it sure as hell not making you any money.

Even the wars waged by George W Bush were secondary actions resulting from a massive terrorist attack. When we discuss the dichotomy of life before and after the events of September 11th, we don’t refer to George Bush. We don’t say “Before George Bush, we could get through airports a lot easier.” We say “Before 9/11 we could get through airports a lot easier.”

Oh . . . and to the 40th person for whom I have had to endure rantings about how you lost your job because of Obama – Reality check – we are all surprised it took you this long to get fired. You lost your job because you either suck at your job, did a job that is no longer worthy of the pay you receive, or you simply got caught up in an algorithm. The worse thing you can do is to continue to delude yourself into thinking that your employment is truly tied to the events of last night.