Sunday, 15 May 2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
An A
Only a few more posts to go and I will hit the 50 I need to get an A! It may seem robotic or soldier like to worry about an A but when you have as much invested in this, as I do, you are working hard to get an A. With everything I do, I try to do it to my best ability and ever since I was little I follow the rules (to an extent).For this class I have made about 6 films. This includes my fiction and non-fiction films and I have participated and attended all classes (except one). I thought by posting this information, I might save you some time in searching for all my stuff and deciding my letter grade. Clearly I deserve the A. No question.
When I graduate in December I will be happy I did all the required work in all my classes and graduate with a high GPA. I need to set an example for my two sons in college and hope they do the best they can in their classes as well.
Google Unveils Cloud-Based Music Service
Called "Music Beta by Google," the service lets users store their tunes remotely and access them from any compatible device, including mobile phones, tablets and computers. So far, it does not offer music downloads or song sales and it doesn't let people listen to music they haven't physically uploaded.
The service will be available by invitation only starting on Tuesday, free of charge while it is being tested. Google announced the new service at its yearly conference for software developers in San Francisco. It did not say whether, or how much, it plans to charge eventually.
Google's music service comes just six weeks after Amazon.com Inc. announced a similar offering. The online retailer's service also lets users play songs they have uploaded to the cloud on their computer or on a smartphone that runs Google's Android. Apple Inc. is also believed to be working on a similar service.
A big hurdle has been getting deals with major record labels. Google did not mention any agreements on Tuesday, though the company has been in discussions with record labels over licensing deals.
The Recording Industry Association of America, EMI and Sony Music declined to comment. Warner Music and Universal Music did not immediately return messages for comment.
Google said users will be able to upload up to 20,000 songs to "the cloud" - tech speak for storing data on remote servers and then accessing them through an Internet connection. Users can create playlists manually, or based on a particular song.
Among the services that Music Beta does not offer is "de-duplication," which lets users skip uploading their own copies to the cloud if there is an identical file already available. Multiple users could stream music from a single file, and users with large music collections could save a lot of time waiting for perhaps thousands of songs to upload.
"But that is where Google and Amazon are hesitant," said Julie Samuels, staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Google seems to believe that it needs a license...to de-duplicate."
This, she said, is a "perfect example" showing that copyright law is antiquated. Google's music service, as it stands, is "not as innovative as it could be because Google feels its hands are tied," Samuels said.
Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., also unveiled a movie rental service that's now available on the Android market, its answer to Apple's app store. Movies are available to rent for $1.99, $2.99 or $3.99.
And in a future-is-now moment, the company previewed a service it is calling Android (at) Home, which lets Android applications interact with appliances and electronic gadgets in the home. It allows Android-based devices to control lights, dishwashers, music players and a slew of other devices.
--Associated Press
Such is life
Fasten Your Seatbelts--It's Going to be a Bumpy Ride
I have arrived, in a sense, where I am at a turning point in my life and all of my experiences, both happy and sad, have led me to this point. Rather then take a look back at where I have arrived from, I prefer to think about where I am departing to, or where I will be arriving next.
I look at commodities in life the same way. Have we arrived? Can we be sustained? I think the answer lies in where humanity and technology has brought us. It is not in our nature as a human race to accept that we have reached the limits of possibilities. We push ahead and foster new ideas and adventures. What if we had decided that we already arrived as a society 100 years ago or even 20 years ago, for that matter.
Our downfall will be not looking at the past to ensure a sustainable future. By never having arrived at a solution for energy, we never would have looked to find resources in nuclear, solar, wind and wave technologies (and whatever else is out there that we have not yet discovered). Only by continually arriving and departing can we find ways to resolve our mistakes and look for a better future.
Aliais
Alias
I am choosing to keep an alias for this part of my project. I would like to use it to express how I feel on the different topics if its required for the class but I do not want to go for a job interview and give a possible employer or a future boyfriend a whole lot of insight as to how I feel on a particular subject. Am I embarrassed by it? NO. It should just be on a need to know basis.
People tend to forget that once you hit submit - it is in "the cloud" FOREVER! Maybe I choose to be more private, maybe I don't want my future ex to know whats going on in my life and maybe I just don't care what others think and don't feel like sharing my opinions with them. Doesn't make me wrong, or incapable - just makes a choice. My choice. So I will use the alias for this blog as JustMe403 as a way to track my blogs. I do see it as an important part of the class and the way of the future but I would rather promote and network and not pretend like it is a diary of intimate feelings and thoughts.
And now... to the cloud!
greg giraldo
Greg Giraldo Fund Benefit Night
On Wednesday Feb. 9 2011 I attended a benefit for the Greg Giraldo Fund - for children living in families with addiction.It was a star studded event that included acts by Jerry Seinfeld, Colin Quinn and Lewis Black just to name a few.
When Greg dies of an accidental overdose in the summer of 2010 he left behind his wife and 3 young sons. His wife created this foundation to help children with families of addiction as a way of using his death as a positive influence to help many children who live with parents of addiction.
There was a slide show of Greg performing at various stages in his career and you could see how the drugs took it's toll on him. His younger pictures showed a healthy, vibrant person filled with life and as time passed you saw the drugs take over and create a shell of a man. It was sad to see this great comedian have such a short life because of addiction. His sons came on stage after the performance and I felt so terrible for them, knowing they would now have to live life without their father because of drugs. I hope this foundation can do some good for the 11 million other families, just like his, that face this illness everyday.
Memes for Seniors
Memes for Senior Citizens
Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there appears to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). If you qualify for Senior Discounts, this is the code for you....
ATD: At The Doctor's
BFF: Best Friend Fell
BTW: Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT: Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM: Covered By Medicare
CUATSC: See You At The Senior Center
DWI: Driving While Incontinent
FWB: Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW: Forgot Where I Was
FYI: Found Your Insulin
GGPBL: Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GLKI (Gotta Go, Laxative Kicking In)
GHA: Got Heartburn Again
HGBM: Had Good Bowel Movement
IMHO: Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO: Laughing My Dentures Out
LMGA: Lost My Glasses Again
LOL: Living On Lipitor
LWO: Lawrence Welk's On
OMMR: On My Massage Recliner
OMSG: Oh My! Sorry, Gas.
ROFL & CGU: Rolling On The Floor Laughing... And Can't Get Up
SGGP: Sorry, Gotta Go Poop
TTYL: Talk To You Louder
WAITT: Who Am I Talking To?
WTFA: Wet The Furniture Again
WTP: Where's The Prunes?
WWNO: Walker Wheels Need Oil
Coming of age - my son's perspective
Growing up can be difficult for both children and the parents that raised them. As the years go by, boys turn into men and girls turn into women. When you’re young, you can’t wait to get older, be on your own, but you have to understand, that your parents want you to stay young forever and continue to be their little babies.
When I was 16, turning 17, all I could think about was getting my driver’s license. For me, it wasn't just getting a license; it was a little taste of freedom. I knew when I hit the open road with some buddies of mine in the back seat and a pretty girl sitting next to me; it would truly be like heaven on earth.
On the day of my birthday my friend drove me to the Department of Motor Vehicles. I took the test and to add to my excitement, passed with flying colors. The plan was to go home tell my parents and ask my Dad for the car keys so we could jump on the highway heading towards the city. When I got home to tell my parents, my mom was thrilled, but my dad seemed upset and disappointed. After having a talk with him, I found out he was disappointed that I went to the DMV with a friend instead of him. I told my father that I am not a little kid anymore and that he should treat me as the adult that I am. My father explained to me how he was sorry and wasn't angry at me. He had just realized that although he still had a young daughter, it would never be same as the bond he shares with his son who is now all grown up.
Private Eyes are watching you
Smile! You’re On Candid Camera
The use of cameras in the workplace has become a common tool as a way to reduce employee and customer theft and monitor employees but can have a negative effect on productivity and promote a sense of mistrust. Companies have also increased the use of online monitoring along with cameras in the workplace as a way to monitor employees The ethical implications are a matter of legal restrictions as well as crossing an ethical boundary of spying as if ‘Big Brother’ is watching everything an employee does. Cameras are legally allowed to record and monitor most areas in the workplace; however, they are not permitted in bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, or any similar area where employees can reasonably expect privacy. Furthermore, using any video legally obtained to publicize the details of an employee’s personal life is prohibited as well as its use for commercial gain.
There are ethical implications as well. Mistrust of employees can be very dangerous to productivity. It is difficult to use it as a supervisory tool when it can easily be interpreted as a personal spying device. The use of monitoring and cameras should be warranted as a necessity and as a deterrent to employee theft and overall improvement of the company. Using online monitoring is the newest addition to cameras in the workplace because of its ability to track an employee’s online movements. Each employee should be made aware of the ongoing surveillance, on camera and off, as well as the intention of its use. According to the article on employer surveillance camera etiquette by Brian Westover, “Employees should be made aware of any laws pertaining to the use of monitoring by having an official privacy policy in place with clear guidelines”. Any guidelines set forth need to be followed very strictly regardless of the infraction.
For example, if a company has a policy of no personal emails or internet surfing during work hours, the consequences must be laid out accordingly and pertain to every person in the company, regardless of job title. Lost productivity due to internet surfing has cost U.S. employers as much as $544 billion dollars. Highly anticipated sporting events usually see a spike in online streaming video during working hours. Baseball season in its entirety will cost companies more than $10 billion in lost productivity. That is enough to eliminate the deficit, feed millions, and run many countries. There are currently many software programs that can monitor and record sites visited on a business computer and an employer has the ability to access and monitor cameras and online use from any computer.
Once a person breaks company policy and is caught on surveillance or goes online against company policy, the risk of exposing their personal, online life as a public record to their employer. This allows an employer not only see what the employee has accomplished on a professional level, but also on a personal level. Gaining access to this personal information also allows an employer legal grounds for firing someone. If company policy allows an employer to access one’s information on a computer used for work, and he is looking for reasons to let someone go, this is a perfect opportunity to do so. Employees of small businesses are not protected by unions; but employers must have legal grounds to fire someone. Job security and tenure is no indication that anyone’s job will be safe and in the current economy no one wants to be unemployed.
Government installed cameras in subway stations; on buildings and busy intersections is another form of surveillance that can have negative effects. Although it is presented as a safety feature, it becomes a matter of privacy and unsolicited attention. Lines need to be drawn as to the ethical implications public cameras can be used and placed. Currently satellite’s can zero in on any location and while this is useful during times of war; it should not be used against its own people.
Recently Nassau and Suffolk Counties have installed several cameras at intersections that have a high number of accidents. Passing through one of these intersections as the light changes from yellow to red will cause a camera to take a picture of your vehicle and the registered owner will be forced to pay the fine. It is unfair because the registered owner may not be driving the vehicle at the time but will be responsible for the ticket anyway. Although they are the government they should follow the same laws that they were responsible for putting into effect in the first place.
Reality TV
A new craze has sweep the nation by storm. The American public is hooked on reality television. Reality television started with shows that push human ability to is limits. A constant test of one’s physical and mental strengths until one reigned supreme. The show would offer a prize, usually a large amount of money to the last person standing. Unfortunately Producers of these shows realize they could make more money by putting obnoxious people on the show and make them embarrass themselves for a quick buck.
For example, Survivor is a show where contestants are put on island with almost nothing, and forced to fend for themselves. The game featured 2 teams, called tribes, with one key difference between them. These tribes would compete in mental and physical challenges along with a social aspect that the players would have to master because at the end of the game when only two candidates were left the tribe members who were voted out would decide who played the game best and deserved the million dollars. Reality shows like this brought about the best in people, and although Survivor is still on the air, it has fewer viewers every season. . As time went on, shows got easier and easier. VH1 came out with a show called I Love Money, which casted a group of idiots that competed in challenges that required no skill at all. This show was very successful because although these contestants were dumber than the average man they were downright entertaining. Now Reality shows have gotten so bad that Producers will give complete Jackasses their own shows.
One show in particular has taken the idiocracy to another level. MTV created the show Jersey Shore, which follows a group people in then twenties as they party in the Clubs of the Jersey Shore. These People give ridiculous a new name. One guy on the show even calls himself "The Situation". More and more people are following this show as if it were their own lives being portrayed on the television set, resulting in Americans getting dumber with every episode. Everyone on the show is now rich and famous just because they are obnoxious. We should not reward one with fame and fortune for being a complete jackass just because it is entertaining.
One girl on the Jersey Shore, whose name is Snooki, sums up the intelligence on everyone on the show; "That's why I don't eat lobster or anything like that because they're alive when you kill it." So many things are wrong with this statement and this girl is getting a book published.
It is a shame how the public is subjected to this stupidity and how many even encourage it. Parents should know that characters on a television show pose as role models for the young minds that watch them. America’s youth are mimicking what they see on the Jersey Shore which includes tanning, binge drinking, and womanizing. Any parent who allows their children to watch such shows should have their kids taken away from them.
knot cookies and rainbow cookies
Everyone loves a good homemade cookie. There is something about it when they are shared amongst family and friends. I am known for these two great recipes and I always make them for holidays. Here is the recipe for two awesome cookies I make. Knot cookies and rainbow cookies...
2 cups flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 stick butter- soften
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Heat oven to 350. mix butter and sugar. add eggs. add flour and baking powder. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet.
Cook 7-9 minutes on bottom rack, 7-9 minutes on top rack.
Remove from cook sheets when cool enough to touch. Completely cool on wire rack.
Icing- add milk to powdered sugar. a drop of vanilla.
Use a wisk to get clumps out. Should be pretty thick and on white side. I dip cookie in icing and when I have a few done I sprinkle the round sprinkles on them.
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For rainbow cookies I use 3 cookies sheets that are the same size with the lip.
3 boxes of pound cake mix
Food coloring
3 capful of almond extract - divided
Red raspberry preserves
Melted semi sweet chips
Cholocate sprinkles - optional
Make cake as directed adding almond and food coloring to 2 of layers
Bake till tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
When cool spread preserves on two layers and assemble. Put cookie sheet ontop and phone books too. Refrigerate for a day. Next day pour and spread chocolate onto and add sprinkles. Let cool. Before chocolate sets cut into pieces.