MICHIGAN: Federal judge hears arguments in Michigan medical marijuana case (2010-11-12)

MICHIGAN: Federal judge hears arguments in Michigan medical marijuana case (2010-11-12)

Finally, an iTunes killer... maybe

I've been a closet Microsoft fanboy almost my whole life and as you can imagine, I've been pretty disappointed over the last few years.  Aside from its enterprise offerings, Microsoft's products have been pretty flat and predictable.  In the meantime, we've seen two platforms really take off that being Apple and Google.  Apple has superior design and user experience than anyone out on the market, and Google has great engineers who can churn out very functional and useful web-based products.  Meanwhile, Microsoft quietly has been pocketing gobs of profits that nobody seems to be paying attention to.  Their platforms still dominate the market... they just aren't as exciting.  I don't know if it is a branding thing or a marketing thing... I really have no idea because I honestly always thought (aside from IE) they had good products.  Anyway, it is what it is, so I'll get to the point of this article.

 

I hate iTunes as does most of the rest of the world.  One common item that almost the entire tech community agrees with is that iTunes is a terrible software product that they really want to get rid of.  Even the most hardcore Apple fanboys are pretty disappointed with iTunes.  Problem is.. they can't get rid of it because they have some sort of Apple device that they need to sync with iTunes.  I'm in the same boat.

I bought an iPod nano several years ago for listening to podcasts and audiobooks.  I found that podcasting is the best way to get news that matters and actually affects my life and have been addicted ever since.  The device is functional and does what I need it to do.  However, I think I'm going to buy a Zune.. or Windows phone touch.. or whatever Microsoft's iPod Touch offering ends up being.  Why?  iTunes sucks and the Zune software has absolutely blown me away in just a couple of days.  I'm now carefully planning my escape plan from Apple's iron grip.

The Zune software is a little difficult to handle at first.  Not because it is poorly designed, but only because the user interface is different than the normal view that you'd see in any ordinary program.  It only took me about 5 minutes to get it and I really love it now.

The Zune software does almost everything better than iTunes.  As a podcast listener, the first thing I noticed is that the Zune software immediately found my existing iTunes podcast library and recognized them as podcasts and showed them to me in the Zune podcast section.  It's like they knew people were going to have iTunes info on their computer and it just picked it up and pulled it right in.  How about music?  Well, it found all my music, too.  It grabbed everything from where the iTunes library would normally hold its music.  Even though iTunes creates a bunch of sub-folders, Zune grabbed everything in the my music folder.  Now, I actually don't keep my music there, but the software easily let me point it to the location for my music actually resides.  It even let me remove the 'My Music' folder so whatever junk is in there doesn't get picked up in my Zune library and turn it into a mess.  The music showed up INSTANTLY!  In iTunes, I had to specifically point it to a folder whenever I added music onto my computer.  EVEN IF I copied the music to my iTunes library.  When I dropped a folder in the location where my music resides, Zune recognized it almost instantly and it was added to the Zune music directory.  Overall, the UI and the way it handles your music is far superior.  Here are a few other points that make me very happy.

1. The Photo display is the best I've seen in any software product on the market.  It recognizes your photos based on the folder you have them in, and during a slideshow, it fills the entire UI with a photo.  Simply moving the mouse brings up unobstructed controls to let you move on or exit the slideshow.
2. Video is the same way.  It sees your video files and then when you play them, the UI disappears and all you see is the video.  Very slick looking.  Again - moving the mouse brings up the controls that you need to stop, exit, etc..
3. The marketplace is amazing.  For podcasting, the controls and viewing of the podcast directory is much slicker than the cold iTunes interface.  The directory is full with everything you'd find on iTunes.  This reminds me.. I need to get my michiganexpats.com podcast in the Zune marketplace.
4. Purchasing music - I don't actually have much experience with this, so I'll have to defer.  But $15/mo for unlimited listening and 10 songs to keep seems decent.  I really don't listen to music that much, though.  However, this brings me to the Zune failpoint.
5. Internet Radio isn't there!!!!  That is the only thing missing from the Zune software.  I got so sick of the way iTunes did internet radio that now I'm actually doing it in windows media player which, I'm sad to say, is actually a better experience.

So, I'm fully convinced that the Zune software is far superior to iTunes.  I encourage those who do not yet have an Apple device to NOT BUY ONE.  There is FINALLY an alternative.  If I could go back, I would have purchased a ZuneHD instead of an iPod.  But now, I'm stuck.  So I say to you all, my friends.  You have an option now.

Or do you?

With the hoards of people out there who despise the price and slavery that comes along with being forced into a 2-year contract, Apple has proven that there is a market for an iPhone sans phone - Hence, the iPod touch.  But it's still an Apple product.  So you are still a slave.  When Microsoft releases its zune-type companion with the Windows Phone 7 OS, I will likely purchase it immediately.  I will be free of Apple's way of doing things and I'll have great software paired with a device that does what I need it to do.

The release of Windows Phone 7 could possibly be Microsoft's playing  "The Empire Strikes Back" card.  I think Microsoft is too late and I don't think they will succeed with this, but at least this time they can claim that they actually have a better product.  For everyone's sake, I really hope they succeed.

Break the Law!!!!

"One may well ask: How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?  The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust.  I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws.  One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.  Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws."   Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are so many unjust laws in our society.  Let's start breaking the ones that are not just.

Interesting Post

Regarding women in the technology industry.

While the article is interesting, the comment stream is almost more interesting.

Why don't women choose careers in technology with the same numbers as men?

There are so many theories out there.


http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/28/women-in-tech-stop-blaming-me/

Marriage is a Religious institution, not a governmental one

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/d6j67/i_dont_believe_in_marriage_and_my_girlfriend/

Interesting conversation going on in reddit right now.  Boyfriend is not religious and neither is the girlfriend.  As such, he sees no reason to get married since he feels insulted that he needs the government to certify the love he has for his girlfriend.  However, girlfriend wants to go through with the civil marriage.

I agree with him.  If you don't hold any religious beliefs, what is the point of a marriage?  And why don't institutions such as the Catholic church speak out against a secular institution such as the state governments stealing from them an institution that they believe is sacred?  By default does the Catholic church agree that what happens in a courthouse between two non-believers is the same contract as what happens in front of the altar between two believers?  If not, then why do we use the same word... "marriage."  Clearly they are two distinct things.

I propose new laws that eliminate civil marriage and all the tax incentives that go along with it.  Civil marriage is destroying the religious concept of marriage and has cheapened what religious institutions believe it represents.  It's time to end it once and for all.

If two individuals want to live together, share bank accounts and deeds to a house, they should be able to enter into a legal agreement that defines the terms by which the two parties operate and live.  If two individuals do not believe in God, but have a strong love for each other, then I'm sure that a secular market will emerge which helps to ceremonialize the feelings the two have for each other while leaving God out of the picture.

Poor Digg

They are having so many issues right now.

digg.com

From Sovereignman.com. Is it really worth it?

This is from the daily email at www.Sovereignman.com.  He raises an important point.  Is it really worth it to fight a corrupt and broken system of government and bureaucracy?  "Simon" argues that our time and resources are better spent protecting ourselves and our family.  Here is a snippet.

Lastly, Wayne asks, "Simon, what are your thoughts on the organization called GOOOH, or organizations like it that aim to clean out the political system and replace all sitting politicians with fresh blood?"

Look, I agree with their goals, and I think it's admirable that such organizations really want to make a positive difference. I truly despise politicians and bureaucrats-- I think they're power-hungry sociopaths who enrich themselves by bankrupting the middle class and stealing from the productive.

In theory, replacing all of them sounds like a good idea; I would rather have a team of well-trained monkeys in our capitols than the folks who are there now.

Here's the thing, though: while the goals of these organizations are admirable, it's futile to try convincing the preponderance of 300 million Americans / 60 million Brits / 30 million Canadians / etc. that less government is the answer.

"We the people" around the world are getting exactly the sort of leadership and solutions that we've demanded-- more regulation, more stimulus, lower interest rates, more bailouts, etc.

It's nearly impossible to win over the people's hearts and minds to the ideals of limited government when an average Brit believes that taxes should pay for free swim lessons... or when an average American thinks that Obama's stimulus spending comes from 'his stash.'

We all have a finite amount of resources-- time, money, and energy. Trying to change people's minds about the political establishment may be morally fulfilling, but it will likely be a waste of these precious resources.

As I travel around the world and I see such a massive transformation underway, I honestly believe that much of what we know today will be virtually unrecognizable in just a few years' time.

Think of how much the world has changed in the last 10-years... and understand that things are changing even more quickly now.

The fundamental question is-- should we be investing our time, capital, and energy to affect a fractured and corrupt political system, and to change people's minds who frankly don't want our help? Or should we invest our resources to prepare and safeguard our families, our assets, and ourselves?

I'm curious what you think.

So, as Simon asks... what do YOU think?

Sub Heading Test

Michigan Expats - Sports

By Bubba

Insert article about sports here.

Verizon FiOS Internet is screaming!!!

Enough said.. look at my download speed!!!!

New post on michiganexpats

Michigan expats has a new post regarding Koegel's hot dogs.  It's worth a look.

www.michiganexpats.com

Ex-Mexico President Calls for Drug Legalization

This is really starting to gain some traction.  Vicente Fox isn't a lightweight.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103181125

Someone once made the point that if a person jumps out of a plane to their death, nobody blames the incident on gravity.  You don't hear news stories about how gravity is a drag on our society.  You don't see politicians condemning the unjust and harmful effects of gravity.  You don't see parents warning their children about the dangers of gravity and how it is an evil in society that needs to be defeated.  The government does not spend billions of dollars a year fighting to end gravity.

Why?

Gravity is not going to change, it is a constant.  A common denominator across all equations.  It is a given, a set of constraints within which society operates.

Illicit, dangerous, and harmful drugs are no different.  They don't kill nearly as many people as gravity and other laws of physics, but they will be found and used regardless of what we do.  We have centuries of evidence of this yet we still continue to throw our money at a legal system that cannot stop or even limit the flow and use of drugs.  The end result is gang violence and innocent victims on the government's hands.  We are forcing an unstoppable market into the management techniques of the mob and murderous thugs.

Michael Jordan scored tons of points on the Pistons in the 88 and 89 conference finals.  He was going to score a lot of points and there was absolutely nothing the Pistons could do about it.  It was a given, a common denominator, a set of constraints within which the Pistons had to operate.  But who won the NBA world championship those years?

New Blog

I created a new blog and am publishing content along with a few other partners.  It is about all things Michigan, but from an expatriot perspective.

We think that a consistent publication of good content (including audio and video) can really make this thing take off.  If you are a Michigan reader, I encourage you to add this blog to your reader.  It's going to be a lot of fun!

http://www.michiganexpats.com

Cheers

Very Excited about Ubuntu

I installed the new version of Ubuntu 10.04.  So far I am very impressed with a few annoyances.

Perhaps the most impressive part is the Windows installer feature.  It allows you to install Ubuntu without any changes to your partition table.  It simply adds a line for

Here's how it works.

1.  You need to download the Ubuntu ISO from UBUNTU.com.  If you have a newer 64-bit system, make sure to pull back the 64 bit version.
2.  Next, download the windows installer.  You must save it in the same directory as you save the ISO file.
3.  Run the windows installer "wubi.exe."  If it gives you an error.. just keep clicking "Try Again" until the program starts up.
4.  You can then select any drive into which you will install Ubuntu.
5.  The installer will write a line into the windows boot list, so when you restart the computer you will have the option of selecting either Windows or Ubuntu.
6.  When you select Ubuntu, it will finish installing in about 20 minutes.
7.  Then, you will be ready to go!  Each time you restart your computer, you will have the option to select windows or ubuntu.

The nice thing about the windows installer is that it makes it incredibly easy for non-linux-geeks to run ubuntu in a dual-boot mode.  The windows installer simply creates a directory with some large files in windows and runs the OS directly out of those files.  This means, the ordinary users don't need to figure out all the different boot configs and partition tables that linux needs.

Takes a total of 35 min!

Hilarious Ron Paul Video - Drug legalization

Man, and I thought the political shows were bad today. Looks like its been this way for a while. Maybe the shows today are not as hateful because the powers that be have pushed these sorts of creative ideas far from the forum of public discourse. People always say, "think outside of the box." Well, if you want to survive in politics... make sure you stay well within the limits of the box. Don't go outside of that box!!!!

The best part of this video is when Ron just waves a hand at the lady and says, "you don't make any sense."

Reporter Asks Pelosi: Was THE WORD [Jesus] Made Flesh at Conception or a...

Honestly, how do so many people vote for these crooks?

Dear Michigan, We’re Ready to Come Home

As a Michigan Expat and Alumni of the Mott Park Neighborhood in Flint, MI, I hereby request the state of Michigan open its doors a little wider.  I am a typical expat.  I grew up in Michigan, went to primary/high school/college in Michigan, travelled "up north" on numerous occasions, point out my hometown on my hand etc. etc..  I also share another trait with expats.  Shortly after I graduated from college, I left the state because of a job opportunity.  This trend is pretty common, and Michiganders have become accustomed to it.  What else would you expect in a state with incredible colleges and a terrible economy?  We breed smart people, and watch them leave and never return.  How depressing!

I moved out to the Washington DC area, one of the most dreadful and corrupt places in the world, yet filled with jobs.  Because Democrats and Republicans tend to agree that the government can never be big enough (in practice at least), there has been an explosion of new government jobs and an equally big explosion of private contractors working for the government.  Because of this the recession never came here.  Naturally, there are Michigan expats all over the DC area who have left their state to migrate to where the jobs are.  Can we really blame these people?  Not really.  Michigan still seems to have a hard time accepting that the past glory is not going to come back in the same form.  This isn't exactly the best way to get people to stay.  Neither is grasping for Federal money which is subjected to the whims and fancies of a particular administration and passing fads such as green initiatives which are popular but not profitable.  Expats, regardless of political beliefs, tend to realize that this approach to bringing jobs back to Michigan is good at little more than filling pro-Michigan brochures and the michigan.gov website with some basic content.  We hear about things every once in a while regarding some new company that strikes a deal with Lansing to open up a plant and create 200 jobs or so.  Special tax incentives are thrown around to create these scenarios, but we tend to ignore this because we understand that special incentives shouldn't be necessary.  We ask ourselves, why do businesses need to go to Lansing, or work with the MEDC just to get a good deal?  How about giving the same great deals to everybody?  For whatever reason, businesses still don't want to go to Michigan.  But I'll leave that debate aside because I want to talk about me... and hundreds of thousands (millions?) of expats just like me.  I have a trait that almost all Michigan expats have.

I want to come home.

I've met TONS of Michigan expats out here in the DC area and every single one of them says the same thing.  "Yeah, I moved out here after graduating from 'insert Michigan college here' and I work doing 'X' and I like my job, but eventually I want to move back to Michigan." .....And do what?....  Think about what would happen if this conversation changed to "Yeah, I moved out here after graduating from 'insert Michigan college here' and I work doing 'X' and I like my job, but I'm moving back to Michigan in August because my company opened up an office there.  I can't wait!  I'll be able to get a house with an actual yard for less than I'm paying for rent out here.  I'll be closer to family, and I just can't wait to be back in Michigan.  There's just so much more to do there, and life is just so much easier."   I hope I'm speaking for a vast majority of Michigan expats when I say that Michigan is the most beautiful state in the country.  We tend to realize this after going out to the rest of the country (or world) in the hopes of being impressed only to say something to the tune of "ehh, so what, it's just a waterfall, there are a million of those in Michigan and the water is actually clear."  We think of much more than just aesthetics.  The house next door to where I lived in Michigan just sold for something around $50,000, but that same house would be nearly $500,000 in my current neighborhood.  My grocery bill is $150, but I used to pay $80 in Michigan.  I can "gasp" PARK MY CAR in Michigan.  I can send my kids to a private elementary school for $2,000 in Michigan.  Try $7,000 out here.  And the list goes on.  Michigan has expats who are smart because they went to Michigan colleges and hardworking because that's what you have to do to get good jobs like we have.  We are committed to success and achievement, and we want to see our old stomping grounds as a place where we can do that better than anywhere else.

I hope this is seen as a positive message.  Yes, Michigan expats grow weary of seeing their old state cast as an example of high unemployment and endless misery.  We know that only the former is true.  But that won't last forever, and when Michigan finally gets its act together, we'll come back.  We'll stay, and we'll raise our families, and teach them right from wrong, take them to Tiger games and to the Mackinac Bridge.  We'll make sure they are intelligent and that they seek out the best opportunities whether they are in Flint or Fiji.  Either way, we'll try to convey in them a sense that Michigan is home and that even if their dreams take them around the world they'll come full circle and land back in Michigan.  We want to create a generation of Michigan-born heroes, entrepreneurs, and examples of success with values.  And we will succeed.  Just as our parents did.  So, I hope to see all of you current Michiganders sooner rather than later.  And to all you expats out there, when the time is right for you, I hope you will consider coming back.  Who's first?

Wifi Range Extender

Love this kinda stuff.

Public Sector Laziness in England

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1289702/Public-sector-inertia-council-office-employees-month-sickies.html#ixzz0s51Nv1j7

Please, Please tell me that the US is better than this!!

Honestly, what is the point of putting in a good day's work anymore?  We should all quit and just work for the government.  Think about how much more time you can spend with your family!

Nice video!

You've always wanted to do this.. right?

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=11d_1273508035

The war on drugs is one of the most evil abominations of our society.

Next to abortion, the war on drugs is the most in-humane activity that our government engages in.

This man had his house broken into and his dog shot for possessing a small amount of marijuana.

It blows my mind how our society can let people be killed every year as a result of keeping marijuana illegal. So far, I have heard nobody mention any logical reason for it being illegal.

1. It is safer to smoke than cigarettes.
2. You cannot die from overdosing on marijuana.
3. Unlike alcohol, it causes peaceful and laughter-filled behavior.

However, marijuana is kept legal for a few reasons.
1. To keep the private prison industry in business and well-paid.
2. To maintain a base of slave-labor (prison work programs). Yes, slavery still exists in the USA and the government is the slavemaster. People are put in jail for possessing and selling a relatively harmless substance and forced to work building highways etc... How is this not slavery? ok, so they are paid $2 per hour... and the money they make can only be spent at the shops in the prisons.. which are owned by the government or some old college buddy of the guy in charge of the DEA??? This is an insult to humanity.
3. To appease those who are afraid of societal change, mainly the evangelical crowd.
4. To keep a steady cashflow going to private military contractors and a multi-billion dollar government agency.

This is insulting to the human race.

I feel sorry for this guy who lost his dog due to evil and anti-human laws.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbwSwvUaRqc&feature=player_embedded

Jesus dice

"El mejor mes es Octubre"

-Jesús

Are search engines owned by advertisers?

It seems to me that, yes, they are.  Although, I'm just complaining.

Here is something you CANNOT find out through a google search.

Which US Airports have direct flights to (x) city?  Where x = any city.  Quito, Ecuador in my case.

All that will be returned is a bunch of links to travel sites trying to sell plane tickets and hotels.  You cannot find the answer!

Ha!

--
Joe Petrides
Founding Producer
No Agenda Show
http://www.noagendashow.com

The true meaning of easter

It's the Easter bunny

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcrg0B_yJAo&feature=related

Cultural Decline

Look how far we've come.

From comeonfranco

Absolutely amazing

Who wouldn't want to see this? This totally blows me away.

There are few things greater in life

Than having a computer powerful enough to run a main OS along 2 virtual machines with 2GB ram dedicated to each.

i rule

A Simple Question

Why do no programs have a keyboard shortcut for the 'save as' function?

This is what we need in the US Congress

Listen to No Agenda

If you do not listen to the No Agenda Show podcast, then you are a fool.

http://www.noagendashow.com

Also on iTunes

Don't worry, it won't kill you.

Pretty Funny

Did you know this about Federal Taxes

I noticed this while I was filing my returns.

Withholding, as you know, is the way for the government to shield you from the hurt of realizing how much money you are actually paying them.  They withhold it from your paycheck so that at the end of the year, you don't owe as much or even get a refund.  This makes tax time awesome because you get a nice check in the mail.  However, you are getting robbed.  What if you took all the money that was withheld from your paycheck and dumped it into a CD.  You could keep all the interest income and then drop the balance to the government.  Instead, the government keeps all that interest money for itself.  I've been looking for a way to do this, but the only easy way I can find is to just lie on my W-4 form so that less gets withheld.

However, I have found that this theory will not work.  I found out that the actual due date for your taxes is NOT, I repeat NOT April 15th.  You MUST pay throughout the year or else you get fined.  It is only the PAPERWORK and syncing of the balance that is due on April 15th.  So when the government says that your taxes are due on April 15th, they are lying.  Your taxes are due much earlier than that.  My theory will not work in practice because I found out that there is a fine if you have not allowed sufficient withholding from your salary.

So, the thing to try and do is set up as little withholding as possible (zero if you can figure out how to swing it), then dump the remaining expected balance at 11:59:59 on December 31st of the tax year.  There are ways that you can contribute outside of your company's withholding setup, so in order to do this, you'll have to get yourself signed up.  That way, you can hold off your taxes until the last possible moment and avoid the fine.


"

Underpayment Penalties

You'll have to pay an underpayment penalty for 2009 if you owe more than $1,000 in taxes (after taking withholding into account) and:

 * Your taxes withheld don't cover at least 90% of your 2009 tax liability, or

 * Your taxes withheld aren't at least 100% of your 2008 tax liability if your AGI is up to $150,000 or 110% if your AGI is more than $150,000. (The amount is $75,000 if you're married filing separately.)

For example:

In 2008 Ellen paid total taxes of $6,000. She thinks her income will be lower in 2009, so she plans to pay $5,000 in estimated tax payments for 2009. When Ellen prepares her 2009 return, she has a total tax of $6,500, $500 more than last year. Since Ellen only paid $5,000 in estimates, she must pay a penalty on the underpaid tax. Ellen would not have had to pay a penalty if she had either:

 - Paid $5,850 in estimated payment (90% of 2009 taxes), or

 - Paid $6,000 in estimated payments (100% of 2008 taxes)."

I missed another great Rush Limbaugh tirade

About the ingenuity and awesome power of human beings to achieve.

Every once in a while, Rush will get into a great flowing monologue about how great and creative human beings are and that individuals are capable of such amazing triumphs no matter what the odds.  He gives perhaps the best "believe in yourself" type speech I've ever heard.  This is probably because these monologues seem to come out of nowhere every few months or so.  They emerge out of all sorts of different topics and flow out so naturally that I've come to realize that this belief is something he really believes deep down.  I'm even more certain of this once I consider his past life before he made his money in radio.

Here is an exert from his website.

"You know, small business people comprise the gamut.  A lot of them are just creative, they just have a passion for a service or a product.  The business side is something they have to learn.  There you go.  I've often said, and I maintain it to this day, that even in a circumstance like this, meaning this deep a recession, most of the limitations that people face are those they place on themselves. "

You can see the whole dialogue here.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_020910/content/01125110.guest.html

I saw him live one time when he spoke for Hillsdale College (currently the greatest liberal arts college in the world), but unfortunately he must not have been in the mood that night.  He spent his hour blasting Democrats and making gay jokes about Barney Frank.

Great Website

That's the beauty of it, dude.  Its simplicity.

http://www.instantrimshot.com/

Come ON, Vatican!!

I'm Catholic... but WHY does the Vatican have the lowest age of consent IN THE WORLD???  (12)

Whatever it is... they should bump it up to 16 or so just so people don't catch this and blog about it.  I sure hope it isn't intentionally that low.

http://www.avert.org/age-of-consent.htm

John C Dvorak - Stop Complaining about .docx!

I'm a big fan of yours, John, but one thing that really grinds me is your condemnation of Microsoft's 2007 office file formats. As you know, they changed .xls, .ppt, and .doc to .xlsx, .pptx, and .docx. This annoyed consumer users when they started getting attachments in this new format. It's a shame that Microsoft didn't inform the public enough that downloading and installing a compatibility pack takes care of the problem.

What Microsoft DIDN'T do in the morning is highlight the incredible benefits of this new format. Files saved in this new 2007 format are sometimes more than 50% smaller than the same file saved in the 2003 format. For a consumer user, this is no big deal since chances are, most consumer use of Office documents doesn't get too heavy duty. However, the only people who actually pay $500 for an Office license reside in the corporate world and use Office for corporate use. This means sending big-time presos, excel database table exports, and large training manuals just to name a few. These files are being thrown through emails and choking email servers, not to mention setting everyone over their corporate imposed mailbox limit in no time.

I took some sample files that I received in my email inbox that were saved in the Office 2003 format. I resaved them in the same folder in the Office 2007 format. The file size difference was massive. Take a look at the photo below to see the results.




Again, if you are a consumer user, please don't use office unless...

1. You go to a college that has one of those great deals with MS where you can get Office for $45. I got my copy for $10.

2. Your business gives you a license for "work purposes" on your home computer.

3. You have a bootleg copy that seems to work ok.

There are plenty of free options such as Open Office that work just as well.

Make your computer faster

One way to do it is to get rid of adobe reader.  It is a monstrous program and it installs all kinds of extra garbage you don't need.  Why does a pdf reader need to be a 100MB download????

Save yourself a lot of trouble and download foxit reader.  It is a smaller, much faster, and has better features.

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/

Cheers,

Joe

Got this from the Tiger Woods Foundation

Not sure how I got on the email list, but looks like his PR people are trying to bring him back??

Did anyone else get this email?

	Foundation Expands Earl Woods Scholarship Program to 35 Students Foundation to Welcome 11 New Scholars to the Program in Spring 2010 The Tiger Woods Foundation has launched its 2010 program efforts with a significant expansion to the Earl Woods Scholarship Program. Beginning this year, the Foundation will support 11 additional scholars in the program, bringing the program total to 35. "The majority of our scholars are first-generation college students, and I'm thrilled that we are able to provide financial support so these bright, young individuals can attend college despite incredible odds," said Greg McLaughlin, President & CEO of Tiger Woods Foundation. "We are grateful to the generous individuals and dedicated sponsors that allow us to continue providing support for youth around the world." >READ MORE about Scholarships. Op Ed Runs in OC Register The Orange County Register recently published an Op Ed piece from Sandra Barry, a long-time superintendent of Anaheim City Schools and TWLC Board Member, about the quality and value of the programs offered at the Tiger Woods Learning Center. Below is the article that ran on December 27, 2009. Tiger Committed to Helping Kids  By Sandra Barry - Board Member, Tiger Woods Foundation. Ms. Barry is also the retired superintendent of the Anaheim City School District, the largest elementary school district in Orange County with approximately 22,500 students. Lost in the avalanche of stories about Tiger Woods is the story of the Tiger Woods Learning Center. A 35,000-square-foot building that opened its Anaheim doors in February 2006, the TWLC has benefitted over 25,000 students, in Orange County and in Los Angeles communities via its plethora of outstanding programs and services. In spite of recent media coverage, the TWLC continues its laser focus on helping youth be the best they can be. My relationship with the Tiger Woods Learning Center began long before the facility existed. In fact, as the former superintendent of the Anaheim City School District, one of several local school districts whose kids benefit from the center, I was invited to advise the Tiger Woods Foundation throughout the design and building of the facility and the development of its programs. I also was invited to serve on the TWF and TWLC boards of directors. I have, in these capacities, observed firsthand Tiger's commitment to create a better tomorrow for kids. Moreover, I have been impressed with the number of people, corporations, and organizations that believe in and support the work of the Tiger Woods Learning Center. >READ MORE of Sandra Barry's Op Ed. TWLC Students Support the Troops Students and their families came together November 19th during the Fall Career Exploration Program Family Night to assemble care packages to send to troops overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. In appreciation of the hard work and dedication by the military, families packed various snacks and other non-perishable items, as well as hand-written cards filled with heartfelt messages. One unit of the 543rd Military Police Company responded with thanks for TWLC's gesture, saying, "It's great to know our work over here is being appreciated. Thank you for your generosity...and a taste of home!"

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This email was sent by: Tiger Woods Foundation 121 Innovation, Suite 150 Irvine, CA 92617, USA

--
Joe Petrides

MLK Day. Horray!

Interesting take by an Econ professor of mine.

http://consultingbyrpm.com/blog/2010/01/strategy-of-nonviolent-resistance.html

Even if your ends are good, using the Federal Government as a means to achieve them is not a good thing.... and.... you are less likely to have long term success.

Anyway - read the article.

Interesting article about Obama's performance

Numbers tell a different story than words, though both are necessary.  I've always enjoyed the "by the numbers" articles.  They tell a story that your typical pundits don't.

 

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9DA7L580&show_article=1

 

Here's one that the Left always tried to pull on Bush.  And, of course, now the Right is using this same argument against Obama.  Yes, the stock market is up, but where are the jobs????  We can see this in some of the numbers below.

 

7,949.09—Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 20, 2009.

10,609.65—Dow Jones Industrial Average close on Jan. 15, 2010.

13 million—Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of January 2009.

14.7 million—Number of people 16 and older unemployed as of December 2009.

7.7 percent—Unemployment rate January 2009

10.0 percent—Unemployment rate December 2009

 

The Right's response to the Left when it was criticized?

"The stock market always goes up first, then jobs follow behind it."  This might be true

 

The Left's response to the Right now?  Has anyone heard anything yet?  If they had any brains about them, they would say the exact same thing that the Bush-lovers did.

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess.

Chavez Says US Occupying Haiti in the Name of Aid

Chavez is a nutball, and he hates the United States, that's for sure.  I respect him for also hating Obama.  After the lovefest that was the Obama election, Chavez is back to blasting the United States including Obama.  I have to at least applaud Chavez' consistency across administrations as I feared that his hatred of the US was focused only on Bush.  Thankfully, it doesn't look like Obama is going to be "friends" with this lunatic.  Chavez' time is running out.  We all know where socialism leads, and it was always clear that Chavez' game was only going to last as long $100 oil.  Oil prices have fallen, and now Venezuela is bankrupt.  Nothing like 40% inflation and a currency devaluation to ruin a wannabe tyrant's party!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60G2DW20100117?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&rpc=22&sp=true

I think Chavez is partly correct in his assertion.  No doubt, we will be the leaders in assisting Haiti as the United States tends to do in most situations such as these.  However, I won't be surprised if we ask the Haitians to allow us to keep a military presence there after this is all taken care of.  With the US running the show, I bet it will become a nice vacation spot for the well-to-do in our country.  Yes, that's imperialism, but nothing else ever seemed to work with that country.  Maybe it's wrong, but it IS a better situation.

One clarification about internet service

When you see an internet speed advertised... as in.. FiOS Internet 15Mbps/5... or Comcast Performance 15Mbps/2 etc, this does NOT mean Megabytes per second.

Internet speeds are measured in Megabits per second, NOT Megabytes. We think of Megabytes because of the size of computer files etc... For example, your average 10megapixel point and shoot photo is 2.5 megabytes. This is different than your internet speed.

Here is how it works.

There are 8 bits in a byte. Simply take your internet speed and divide it by 8. That is how many megabytes per second your internet provider says is the fastest you can go. I have 15Mbps service from Comcast. So I can expect to see transfer speeds cap off at about 1.875 MegaBYTES per second.

One way to see the difference.
MegaBITS per second usually can be seen as Mbps.
MegaBYTES per second normally is listed as MBps.

Note the difference in capital letters.

Just a bit of clarity for anyone who might be wondering.

I love Comcast.... for now.

Got a great deal upgrading my internet from 1Mbps to 15Mbps.

Look what I can do!!!!

I agree with John C Dvorak

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2357137,00.asp

The iPhone is ruining the country.

People spend much more time dabbling on these apps and bragging about how cool they are than they actually do being productive.

Here are some guesses.

Time saved per year by apps..  (ex. google maps getting you out of being lost, movie app helping you confirm the time of a movie etc..)
15hrs

Time wasted per year piddling around and trying out "cool" new stuff and engaging in useless conversations with friends.
300 hrs

Time spend showing off your phone to your friends
120hrs

Why do people keep trying to convince me that the 15hrs saved is worth losing a total of 420hrs out of their life?

I pay 39.99/mo to Verizon for voice service and a little more for texting which I don't need anymore now that the gf is back overseas.  Even as a tech nut, I still don't feel like I'm missing anything.  In many ways, I feel much more free.

Cheers,

Had a great day at work

Worked from Home on Friday.  Here is the setup.

Worked from my new desktop computer.
quad core Phenom II / 8gb ram / 750gb hard drive / 23inch 1920x1080 monitor.  Let's just say that plenty of juice was available.

However, this computer has 3 problems.

1.  It does not have any bluetooth hardware.  This is a problem because I am on a lot of conference calls throughout the day, and I don't want to burn cell phone minutes.  I pay $3 or so per month to skype for free calls to the US/Canada/Mexico and I don't have a USB or analog headset.  I only have my Motorola bluetooth piece that I use with my cell phone.  I figured out how to make it work as a headset on my old laptop from 2003 since this laptop has bluetooth hardware.  So, I can only use skype on that computer.

2.  It does not have all my work files.  I need to use work files for, well, work stuff.  All those spreadsheets, ppts, etc.. are all saved on my work laptop.  How can I access them on my desktop computer?

3.  It runs Windows 7.  In order to connect to my work network, I need windows xp so that I can use the VPN software.

Here is how I solved them.

1 and 2.  Microsoft Live Mesh solved the problem.  <a href="www.mesh.com">Live Mesh</a> is a data syncronization program by microsoft that provides remote desktop support.  If you create a mesh, you can syncronize your files across all your computers in an extremely easy way.  In addition, if any other of your computers are running with the Mesh software running, you get free remote desktop capabilities to that computer.  I have Mesh installed on my desktop, personal laptop, and work laptop.  So to run skype or dial in to a bridge, all I needed to do was remote into my personal laptop (across the room), activate the bluetooth radio and dial into a conference.  In order to use my work files, I used a great feature in Mesh's remote desktop that is not in other remote desktop programs.  That is.... drag and drop of files from one remote desktop window to another.  How easy is that??  Most remote desktop programs have a special process that needs to be done in order to access files on the remote machine.  Kudos to Microsoft on this one.

3.  Installed Virtual PC 2007 and installed Windows XP as a virtual machine on my desktop.  That way, I am able to run Windows XP inside of Windows 7, have my VPN access, and do whatever I need to do.

Technology has erased so many small issues in our lives that it's amazing what can be accomplished with free software and a little understanding of how everything works.