So you got fired from your media job?

If you're one of the sad sacks that works (or worked ) for a company that doesn't think a web site is of any consequence...well, that's telling of your company AND you.

Commercial media is about attracting an audience and convincing advertisers you have a big one. The only remaining issues are value, orders and collecting revenue. That's been a constant for hundreds of years and the dynamic is not likely to change this century.

However, it's not gonna be 1970 forever; audiences, advertises and technologists change their minds about the particulars from time to time. So the recipe for success? Adjust methods accordingly. Season for taste. Always serve hot.

ffn-banquet-final

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Shawn Johnson Interview on WHO Radio

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Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson visits with Van & Bonnie on WHO Radio, Des Moines, Iowa.

Unsustainable realty market continues off track

According to the Des Moines Association of Realtors(tm), over the past 30 years, the median price of existing homes has increased an average of 6% every year. And since 2000, the average home sale price has increased more than 25%. Sound sustainable? If the median inflation rate is 3%, then for the past 30 years, homes have outpaced inflation at twice the rate. And in the last decade, the sale prices have skyrocketed. And the only thing that can mean is that people are able afford less home than in years past -- unless, of course, you remove borrowing restrictions and open up mortgages to people who can't pay back the money.

Ads: My first professional gig

My first paid ad was for a place called “Computer Center”, located in Central Plaza in Fort Dodge and I got the gig as a creative contest winner while in college. Their business was computer training and troubleshooting. Their goal was clear; they wanted walk-in business prospects. The spec was for a 15-second ad:

(SFX: Downward sweep to bass chord)

“Computer Center will train you. Computer Center will troubleshoot. Computer Center. Computer Center for today's competitive business. Central Plaza. Fort Dodge.”

(SFX: upward sounder)

The strengths of the ad were bullet-point branding and memorable audio punctuation. Unfortunately they vacated the campaign in short order and failed altogether by the following year.

Web 101: it's a sales brochure, stupid!

Hopefully you're already sold on the fact that you need a web site. Now we're planning what should be presented therein.

Remember to give your customers a point of action that’s easy, like visiting your easy-to-remember web site, the half-step between your advertising and your brick-and-mortar store. Therefore, it should identify clear benefits to the visitors.

Every step of marketing is a sales pitch. From the first words in your advertising, you're trying to convince people to stay with you throughout the pitch. Later in the process, you're asking prospects to take specific actions. After they've visited your web site, the next step should be clear: to call, email or visit.

Unless you're closing the deal on an ecommerce web site, its purposes should be as sales literature and a point of contact, not a dumping ground for hard-nosed disclaimer speak, dry facts and boring data that makes legitimate prospects cringe.

Some business people have become hardened by a few unappreciative customers. Don't let your resentment be your prospects' first impression of you. Focus on the same benefits one would find in your printed brochures.

Business 101: It's okay to be judgmental

When you run a business and wait on customers who have chosen you over a sea of competitors, you owe it to them to objectively judge how well you're doing.

Put yourself in the shoes of a customer from time to time. Look at the hoops they have to jump through before they’re able to get back to their lives. Pay attention to wait times, and what people see while they're waiting. If someone’s standing at a counter waiting, they're keenly aware of the performance of your employees. They see your people plod along oblivious to customers.

I actively count employees are on the job and compare them to active orders being filled. I tend to resent watching employees perform tasks unrelated to serving customers ahead of me. When nothing is being done to advance orders, the wait seems endless.

It’s frustrating to watch servers stand in one spot as they wait for people who plod along behind the scenes, who have no sense of purpose and who are oblivious to the business at hand -- all the while condiments are depleted, trashes are full and tables are disgusting. The server's job is simple, but requires constant discipline: provide fast, friendly service.

You can't fix problems you don't see. So thank customers first by judging your service.

Ads: Pick radio, it’s more effective

Magazine advertising aside, newspapers get the bulk of ad dollars, far ahead of radio. And in fact, more is spent on Internet ads than radio campaigns by $1 billion. But none of that changes the apples-to-apples demonstration that proves radio’s response is 14 times more effective than newspaper’s when it comes to driving traffic to a web site. Want to see the test?

http://www.mondaymorningmemo.com/?ShowMe=ThisMemo&MemoID=1768

Ads: replace hype with authentic grabbers

If you're in retail business, don't make the mistake of thinking you're in the entertainment business in your marketing. Awards don't sell snow blowers.

Be cautious not to use cute ideas for cute-sake. Grab attention in an unfamiliar, attention-getting way, but remember to bridge your opening line in a believable way, and support the opening and bridge in your copy.

Opening example: "Now would be a horrible time for a flat tire!"

If you've placed this ad during morning drive, at the height of morning rush hour, you now have seized the attention of every driver on the road at that moment, and each are now imagining what a flat tire would do to their day.

The ad doesn't have to be about tires or tire repair. In fact, that would be too obvious an opening even for a towing service. But now that you have their attention, carefully craft your bridge to bring people into your story.

Bridge example: "You don't have any spare time today and there are probably a pretty good number new tasks waiting for you when you hit the office."

See, a flat tire would be inconvenient because your customers are time-starved like the rest of the free world. This ad now can take any direction it needs to.

Body example: "Since the odds are squarely against your actually getting a flat, you now have a few more seconds to stop at the Barry's Good Java drive-thru to pick up an exotic coffee reward. And when we hand you the cup, we'll also give you a card good for another cup tomorrow -- on us -- as a thank you for trying us out. Barry's Good Java. A few more extras; no nickels & dimes."

Notice how we got attention without hype? Then we bridged into our story. Then we told the story, and made a suggestion that offered a benefit to the morning commuter along the way. Nothing terribly devious, just good clean attention-getting.

PLACEMENT
Now we wouldn't have been terribly selective about which radio station we used to placed the commercial; we're interested in reaching as many people as we can afford to reach. That simple. For this we pay attention to CUME (total weekly station audience) or AQH (total simultaneous listeners within a day part) during the 5a-10a (AMD) day part. Our major focus is on placing one commercial an hour M-F on the station you can afford.

Ads: A clever attempt that fails is not clever

I recently saw part of a silent television commercial for a local car dealer, and I'm frankly surprised I even noticed it. I missed at least the first half of it because I was enthralled by a piece of lint that was hovering in the air at that fleeting moment. Then my advertising brain took note of the spectacle before me.

As a broadcaster for more than twenty-five years, I've learned the power of sounds in advertising. I'm a huge believer that the right sounds are capable of longer life in the mind than a visual. I'd never let a client of mine waste that moment. It was reminiscent of that cable TV channel that's dedicated to placard advertising with some generic music in the background.

Back to the car ad. It was clearly trying to be clever in its silence, but failed miserably in the message, which unsurprisingly I cannot relay to you.

A silent television ad may as well go into a newspaper or on a web site. Use clever audio to get attention if you think it's right, but silence is anything but clever -- unless it's a well-placed pause -- and always a wasted opportunity.

Billy McGuigan on KXnO

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Billy McGuigan is as comfortable playing Beatles or Buddy Holly music and he demonstrates the ease as he sat down with Larry Cotlar on Cotlar & Company on KXnO.  Billy's next stage progect involves Beatles music, which you can see him play here.

Michael Gartne on Van & Bonnie

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HTML clipboardMichael Gartner was the "Designated Bonnie" Monday, September 29 with Van Harden on WHO Radio in Des Moines, Iowa.  Michael is a past president of the Iowa Board of Regents; was a sports reporter and eventual president of the Des Moines Register, executive of Gannett and USA Today; writer for the Wall Street Journal and USA Today is currently Chairman of Racoon Baseball, owner of the Iowa Cubs.

Erin Kiernan on Van & Bonnie

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Erin Kiernan guest-hosted the WHO Radio morning show along with Van Harden as "Designated Bonnie".  Erin is the co-anchor for Channel 13 News at 5, 6, & 10 -- and is married to Des Moines City Council Member Michael Kiernan.

Stacy Keach interview

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Stacy Keach in Des Moines for his part in the theatrical production Frost Nixon at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines through October 5, 2008.  He visited the WHO Radio studios and talked with morning show host Van Harden about the performance, golf, favorite leading ladies and recent project.

Principal confirms firearm found on campus

A paper note was issued to students today referencing the firearm incident:

Dear East High Community,

I want to make sure you are aware of an incident which occurred at school on Monday September 29th, 2008.

While conducting a routine investigation into another matter, it was discovered that a student had inadvertently left a small caliber target rifle in their vehicle. The weapon was not loaded and was cased. There was no ammunition found. There was no evidence of any sort of threat against a student or staff member.

However, we take any incident involving the possession of a weapon on school grounds very seriously, and students who violate the school district's weapons policy are subject to disciplinary action, which may include expulsion.

I am thankful to our staff at East High School who worked on this situation, and I want to make sure that you heard from us first hand about what happened. The safety of our students is always a top priority. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely
(Signed)
Mike Zelenovich, Principal

Brandon McHose - Token

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Brandon McHose performed the title song from his new CD Token on KXnO's Cotlar & Company, Des Moines, Iowa.

State school network

You've probably heard of the web sites that let you logon and see how your kid's doing in school. Not in Des Moines's district, but in many progressive communities. Sure, we get a notification in the evening (when it's too late to call and find out why) that your student missed a class, but you can't reply & hope for any further details.

In 2008, I'm floored that our school's in the dark ages when it comes to useful technology. There's a lot that should be going on that isn't, as I eluded to in a a recent business discussion group.

I would propose a state-wide network that connects all able students via connected computers. They logon to the school server every morning when school commences and their entire day is managed within their account. Exercises and assignments, including tests and reports are done through their accounts. School administrators, teachers and parents can watch, in real time, student activity and progress.

Statewide standards can be implemented by massaging the core curriculum components from year to year; teacher performance can be measured and overall accountability is enhanced.

An an excellent example of the benefits of getting our schools on the same page with state and national education standards, all 7th-grade English classes follow the same curriculum and performance standards.

Snow days are no longer non-productive because students are online from home. Teacher in-service days are eliminated. Parent-teacher interaction is maximized, engaging parents, so conferences are nearly eliminated. Teachers spend far less time grading papers. Roll call is automated. School supply costs are dramatically decreased. Layers of administration could be eliminated, and that would undoubtedly save millions.

In our schools, we're so far behind the tech curve and it makes you wonder why.

Scared of surveillance?

I'm a nut for the Fourth Amendment and I think privacy is an important right that can't be taken lightly. So it's from this basis that I'm inspired to comment on the growing level of general video surveillance by US governments, locally and nationally.

Europeans have installed millions of surveillance cameras they call CCD, a name derived from ‘charge-coupled device’, the actual electronic retina of a video camera.

The US is playing catch-up in major metropolitan areas, implementing their own camera programs. It’s all in the name of security, but some wonder if Uncle Sam is becoming Big Brother and challenging our rights to privacy.

In assessing whether government surveillance of ordinary citizens in public view goes too far, we have to analyze whether citizens should have a reasonable expectation of privacy in any give area or circumstance. The constitution provides for the right to privacy, but that doesn’t apply in open areas where you or your personal affects are on display for public viewing, or in plain sight.

The technology is fascinating.

State-of-the-art surveillance units
If you believe that bad things happen in the dark, that a fully transparent government would be a good thing, then 360º full motion video surveillance cameras equipped with bio-chemical sensors, gunshot detectors and infrared & laser imaging have the ability to lift the vale of secrecy, which is only somewhat incompatible with crime -- but a significant deterrent.

But to prevent the abuse of this technology, we have to be watching the watchers too. That has to be a critical element in any blanket surveillance program.

Painting a picture of a crime scene
Imagine three such surveillance units setup in a town square where a theft has occurred. This gives me three camera angles of every square inch of that space, in which the x-y coordinates of every object are stored every 30th of a second. This creates a photo-perfect SecondLife-like virtual space that can be monitored, not only in real time, but generates a recording of the events, in movie-like form, that can be carefully analyzed to get to the actual facts of even the most minor infractions. Having such an accurate record not only identifies the theif, but provides documented proof of innocence for the rest of us.

Also imagine, as a police officer, you type a license plate number or name into the computer system and the system can then begin searching for recent records in its recognition results. It can also monitor in real time and alert the cop if a camera spots the subject in question. Incredibly useful stuff! (But easy to abuse!)

While you’re walking along a sidewalk, you’re out in public view. Anyone that cares to glance can see you. Passersby can possibly hear what you might be saying for the brief moments they’re within hearing range. Knowing this, people generally tend to behave themselves.

There’s no difference between this scenario and the one in which surveillance units are placed. You’re provided no more or less privacy in these public spaces – until a crime is committed. When that happens, the public has a pretty solid record from which to gather evidence to identify the crime, the victim and the perpetrator.

If the aim of surveillance is limited to those elements, and public interest is key with respect to the use and management of the surveillance program, then big brother objections are muted.

On the downside, these kinds of high-tech surveillance eyes and ears can and will be abused. For instance, images of the insides of people’s homes will be captured and recorded. Privileged conversations will be made public. The private lives of citizens will undoubtedly be exposed to a greater extent. There is no question that privacy at times will be compromised as a direct result of general surveillance programs.

The public will want to take greater care in guarding their privacy. The public will also take steps to safeguard surveillance records and prevent abuse.

All in all, general high-tech surveillance programs will keep everyone a little more honest. On balance, I see it as good thing.

And remember that while we, members of the general public, are being watched more carefully, so are public officials. If there's balance like this, and the demarcation between public and private is vigorously guarded, I have very few concerns about pervasive video surveillance in public spaces.

Olive Court now closed to Hawkeye Tailgaters

For years, football fans have parked at Iowa City's Olive Court and passed a ball, grilled brats and enjoyed a beverage. But the former owners say they're tired of cleaning up the mess.

Sheryl Neuzil is quoted on KGAN's web site as saying they parked 700 cars every home game for a fee of $25 per car. That comes to $17,500 per home game. At that rate, six home games per year generates $105,000.

Were they really tired of it or did they see much higher dollar signs by selling it off to a developer? KGAN: "Neuzil signed a deal Wednesday and 31 condos will be here next fall."

She said she was sorry it happened, but "...that's the way it goes."

The "it" being business, I imagine.

Filenames

I like complaining about the way media professionals misspeak regarding the Internet, not really understanding how it works. They'll skip the "." between the "www" and the domain name and say, "w-w-w-c-n-n-dot-com". Or they think they have to refer to a slash in a web address as a "backslash" (clearly a regular old "slash").

My other big pet peeve is putting spaces in filenames. This would've been unheard of back in the DOS days, when filenames were limited to 11 characters ('mypost10.txt', for instance) and when spaces were simply not impossible. Filenames were also not case-sensitive. But today, with long filenames, people try all sorts of crazy things, like long desriptions, complete with caps and spaces and bizarre characters. And while most technology supports long filenames, not all are fully friendly to them, most notibly web browsers and email programs.

Case in point: when you upload a file that has spaces contained in it, diffrent programs treat the spaces differently. In some cases, the space is replaced with a '%20'. But not always. In the graphic above, you see the URL, which is sent via email, is showing has a filename that clearly has a space, but the hyperlinking stops before the end of the URL, causing a click to result in an incomplete address.

We should still be using short, descriptive filenames without spaces.

DMPS: $14,500 per pupil

I'd put Des Moines' school district budget at $385M, from the State of the Schools speech last fall. That's wildly outdated today. Board member Jon Narcisse said [on WHO Radio] on August 2 that the budget was $415M this year. Plus he said the district had tapped its $20M reserve. Assuming that's accurate, I'll adjust my figures and restate the cost per pupil is now $14,500 this year or $80 per day, assuming 30,000 kids still attend school in the district. $80 per day! With a student-to-staff ratio of 6:1, that's like paying each of the 5,000 district staff members an annual salary of $87,000 to teach your kids.

If you could entrust three competent people with 18 students and say, "go spend 180 days with these kids, secure the needed resources, and teach them what they need to know," would it cost $261,600? For that, you could build the classroom, feed and cloth the students, equip them each with notebook computers, fully loaded with world-class educational software.

If you think you're being fleeced, you probably are. But at some point, we have to stop blaming the leaders we choose and begin to take responsibility as members of the community -- citizens and media alike -- or ineptitude and greed continue to flourish.

$70 per student per day

I was reading a welcome message by Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Nancy Sebring (http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/schoolboard/1sebring-index.htm) and her State of the Schools speech entitled. "EDUCATING DES MOINES. THEN. NOW. TOMORROW." (http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/schoolboard/1stateoftheschools07.pdf) from October of '07.

From these two sources, I retrieved some facts that paint a picture. Here, let me help you with that brush.

The budget for school year '07/'08 was $385,500,000.00 (that's 385-point-5 Million dollars). There are 30,000 students and 5,000 staff. That seems like a lot of money and a lot of staff, doesn't it?

I think so. I'll break the big numbers down into the most singular form possible for context and to help us get our mind around what they represent. Let's start by figuring the per-student dollar figures. It's $12,850.00 per year and $71.39 per student per day for 180 days. There's a 6:1 student-to-staff ratio.

It takes the Des Moines Public School District more than $70 per day, per student, to teach the three Rs. Amazing!

Another way to look at this, in somewhat equivelent terms, each member of the school staff could be paid $77,000 to handle six kids for 180 days per year. That actually seems pretty doable. And you wouldn't need actual teachers; just teaching facilitators. Each TF could pay a monthly fee and get all curriculum materials via a teaching server on the Internet. Student logins, attendance recording, testing, etc., all done by computer, with you as their facilitator/principal/custodian/cook.

Imagine that you're one of the TFs. You'll have to hold class at your house because you (and 4,999 others) are receiving the balance of the annual school budget to take care of all six students' educational needs.

You're gonna have to buy a few things, like computers, desks, supplies and internet access, but you could still perform OK in an average house. No bussing required because the students probably live within a block or two.

Might want to install a basketball hoop.

HOT LUNCH PROGRAM
You don't have to buy their lunch (unless they can't afford), because the district doesn't have to. You do have to prepare lunch though. That's OK because the $210 per week the students bring you to make lunch will easily cover all the hotdogs, hamburgers, mac & cheese, tader triangles and fish portions you'll be needing. Really, a pan of boiling water and an oven are all you really need to cook school-like food.

Smartphone Start-Ups Have a Friend in This Fund - NYTimes.com

Smartphone Start-Ups Have a Friend in This Fund - NYTimes.com

This could be something. iFund invests in select startup companies that write applications for the iPhone. To give you an idea of popularity of these apps, Apple's iPhone App Store has served 60 million of then since the store's launch last month. Blackberry maker RIM (Research in Motion) sees this trend and will announce a yet-to-be-named fund specializing in developers of applications for its smart phone.

Are we paying attention? One thing we don't fully appreciate about hundreds of millions of smartphones in users' hands is that they have eyes, ears, know their location and are connected to the Internet. Developers can leverage these assets to unimaginable ends -- with potentially questionable aims, possibly creating a transparent world or the mother of all big brothers.

Gannett 2Q profit falls by 36 percent

I don't believe the paper's decline is because of any perceived liberal bias, dittoheads. Fewer readers get their information from print because there are so many free and instant sources -- including this web site. 1. Local delivery audiences are dying off -- literally; and 2. local advertisers don't understand how to market to an audience that's obviously shifting to online sources. Consider that a typical newspaper reporting staff today is comprised of two-thirds online content producers.

That's telling. And it lends a lot of credence to the Craigslist argument in the comment section of this story; my baby boomer mother uses it.

And partly because...it's the economy, stupid.

This is an awkward time for traditional media, but I assure you that "liberal bias" is nothing more than a branding campaign aimed at the feeble-minded.

To fix the nation's problems, circle the wagons

When we see what has become of our nation and the impending crisis that faces it, we the people should take action and not wait around for the next election cycle.

Problem
The economy, the war, forced taxpayer charity, immigration issues, diminishing standard of living and inaccessible health care in this country are all related to the ineptitude of congress, who acts as agency for corporate and foreign interests instead of its constituents.

Solution
A temporary national charter mandating the legislature, executive and judicial to implement and support the following measures immediately:

• Recall all diplomatic personnel, armed forces and materiel to US soil and ports
• Withdraw from world financial complex
  
• Eliminate Homeland Security
  
• Secure all borders and waters
  
• Place a moratorium on all all foreign trade and aid
• Eliminate national income tax
• Redesign transportation infrastructure to support universal electrified rail
• Replace coal and petroleum derived energy with wind, solar, hydro and nuclear
  

Interesting comments regarding FEMA buyouts

In 1794, Congress appropriated $15,000 for relief of French refugees. James Madison stood on the floor of the House to object, saying, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." James Madison, you'll recall, is the acknowledged father of the Constitution, and he couldn't find constitutional authority for spending "on the objects of benevolence."

Your congressman might say, "Madison was all wrong; after all, there's the 'general welfare' clause." Here's what Madison had to say about that: "With respect to the two words "general welfare," I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators." Thomas Jefferson echoed similar sentiments saying, "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."

Walter Williams, http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/williams111302.asp

I'm all for giving. Giving is the duty of private citizens, both individually and collectively via charitable organizations. The federal government has no authority to take money from taxpayers for the purpose of giving it to the needy. Charity is a personal, voluntary act of love toward our fellow man. Don't confuse charity with taxation, a compulsory act under duress.

When the government takes over, the whole transaction becomes less personal and more clinical. Giving gives way to taking. Gifts give way to entitlements.

Any of you who believe charitable giving is the duty of government should ask yourselves (and James Madison) if you're living in the wrong country.

Politics is a useful smoke screen

Narrow-minded partisan hacks look pretty silly calling each other names, while extolling the virtues of politicians who facilitated the sale of our country to China and the Mideast at bargain-bin rates. Because of these petty distractions, people still hope, sadly, that the outcome of the presidential election will make a difference.

And before long, they may also feel silly.

The power base is comprised of banks, insurance companies and investment houses who derive immense benefit from war, open borders, free trade and skimming your paycheck -- and they care not about national boundaries. It's laughable that they watch the money flowing into the Mideast and China, yet they sit in their protective bubbles and engage in ignorant online debates about which idiot will be most useful, as US President, to the quality of their individual lives.

The FEMA flooded home buyout program is forced charity

Under what authority can the government buy flooded private properties? James Madison said it doesn't exist, referring to "objects of benevolence", which is a compulsory levy, usually assessed by kings, with no other authority than the claim of prerogative. When the government is in the business of charity, like funding and administering buyouts of private homes, it becomes taxation without representation, which you're compelled to hand over, as if a king had demanded it.

My fear is that we're moving fast toward a nation where lazy, ignorant clods comprize the majority, who elect criminals to lead.

Identity theft solutions, not blame

My 17-year-old son, a multi-generation US citizen, was approached recently by a foreign national living in the US illegally, who solicited his identity for the sum of $5,000 to help him bring members of his family to the US and work under assumed identities. Fortunately, he declined the offer. But others will accept. Far more citizens will have their identities compromised.

There's great value in the identity trade, which has become a commodity industry, and there's a reason for it. And while the political class watches you all bicker about who's fault it is, your fellow citizens are getting soaked by the financial complex and raked over the coals.

The solution is to make compliance the new path of least resistance -- a financial no-brainer -- by causing great expense to the individuals reaping the benefits of cheap labor, who promise the cheapest possible labor force. You'll know who they are because they speak loudest for immigrants' rights.

One of the extremely few true responsibilities of the government is to guard against foreign invasion, but a nation rife with ignorance will never demand it.

Types of Internet access

DSL
Over-the-phone-line (sometimes called PSTN or Telco), the "digital subscriber line" is piggybacked data over regular copper phone wires, doesn't interfere with normal phone calls, but data noise (hissing sound) must be filtered or most telephone equipment will not function correctly. Special customer equipment, service and ISP are required. With DSL service, you're getting a special data connection between you and the phone company, but not to the internet. You will also have to enter into an agreement with an ISP (Internet Service Provider), who then makes the fnal connection between the phone company and the Internet. In many cases, DSL and ISP are bundled, simplifying your installation.

Cable
Through your cable-TV provider (sometimes called CATV), the data is passed on the same coax cable as your cable television signals. A special cable modem is required, as well as a special high-speed cable internet service, also through your cable company. No additional ISP is needed; the cable company handles the ISP duties as well.

Satellite internet
If you use Hughes/DirecTV satellite television service, you may have heard about their HughesNet internet services, in which an installer replaces your receiving dish with a special Internet dish, which is oval-shaped. As with satellite television, you must have a clear view of the southern sky in order for this to work. The service is ordered through Hughes/DirecTV.

WLAN
Wireless Lan (WLAN) is an extension of your ISP's network that covers the last mile using towers (often rented cell towers, water towers, grain elevators or other tall structures, to beam an 802.11 wifi radio signal across a wide area (often several miles). While traditional wifi gear works on this type of network, you'll probably need an antenna mounted on the side of your house and pointed in the general direction of the nearest WLAN tower, as well as a cable that plugs into a special network bridge inside your home, then into your computer/network.

WiMax
Similar to the above, but doesn't use tradition 802.11 (wifi) protocols, but a proprietary network protocol and special equipment at your home.

Cellular
Your cell phone company probably has a data plan, through which you can access the internet. In some cases, if your phone and computer are both equipped with Bluetooth, you may be able to setup an arrangement between your phone and computer in which your computer goes through your phone to access the internet, a sort of wireless Internet connection. This may be a slow, clunky and difficult option, but with a little guidance from your cell phone provider, it may be your only reliable option if you travel a lot or live in an area where DSL or cable Internet are not available.

Internet Over Powerline
Not available in our area, but would pass a data stream over powerlines to your home. You would need a special receiver that connects to the household power and your computer or home network.

Nurturing the festering

Howard Fineman appears to be reasonably intelligent and is good for political insight if you pull his chain -- and NBC does quite a bit of chain pulling when he's in the room. But the more I see him on the various talk shows and read his op-eds, the more I believe his function is to feed the discomfort level of enthusiasts.

Kill troop morale
A favorite tactic in any battle is to try to add to the discontent of the groundpounders on the other side. The purpose is, of course, is to weaken the position of the other side. But the battle's won, so what's Fineman trying to accomplish? To pour salt in wounds and watch them fester. To cause a reaction that will be heard around the world.

Being one of NBC's go-to guys for punditry is probably a pretty good way to get paying customers, but none of this advances political discourse. Fact-based analysis isn't supposed to inject emotion of itself, but to reflect the facts.

This adolescent tendency to want to be seen as the insider is sophomoric. Children like to say words that produce a "wow" from their audience. Makes them feel relevant, purposeful.

I wish Fineman and the rest of the beltway insiders would mature.

Immigration officials charge a Postville illegal

In this story, the DM Register says the Chief of Police of Postville claims his department doesn't routinely act as an immigration-enforcement arm because it can't afford the training, and that he wants immigrants to feel comfortable reporting crimes to his officers without fearing that they will be deported.

Well, actually, the police chief is referring to illegal immigrants, foreign nationals in this country without a visa or other authorization -- referred to as "illegal aliens". Let's be honest.

What if the chief had said his department doesn't go after shoplifters? And that he didn't want drug users to feel uncomfortable reporting other crimes for fear of arrest? That's an equivalent argument.

In the military, I believe we refer to this as "dereliction of duty", punishable by death in times of war.

Food for thought.

As I've always said, if the laws are wrong, then let's change them. If we can fairly increase the number of immigrants and successfully integrate them into our country, then let's up the numbers. But if we're being over-run by foreign nationals who have no intentions of assimilating, then we're being invaded and our pocketbooks are being raided -- and sworn officers of the law are accessories.

Des Moines Floods of 2008

Des Moines residents and officials brace for flooding, the likes of which have not been seen in 15 years -- and more, in some cases. This playlist as a day-by-day visual account of the flooding.

Allen Bishop show notes

The Allen Bishop Show
Monday, May 26, 2008 - Memorial Day

Misc
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killer twisters rip through Oklohoma and Iowa this weekend.


Politics
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You may remember I predicted Obama would claim victory as his party's presidential nomination. Well, he made the trip to Iowa last week to bring his nomination fight to, symbolically, do just that.

Defending staying in the race, Clinton brings up the June '68 RFK assasination in California. Media feeding frenzy ensues & predictions are that she spends the rest of her Presidential run on the defense. She has one hope left; that something terrible will happen to Obama before the convention.

Obama & McCain will exchange barbs through November. But neither have a sustainable healthcare plan, effective economic package or a realistic foreign policy.

Ron Paul nailed healthcare, saying we don't have free market medicine (or government medicine), but soft fascist or corporate healthcare -- which needs to change...like yesterday. Paul also understands the currency crisis; problems with fighting an undeclared war and he knows the constitution.

Bush Attack Dog Karl Rover had guts appearing on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos. He's accused in playing a role in Attorney-gate, the firing of select US Attorneys who didn't play ball with the White House, and dozens of other throat-cutting missions for the neo-cons. He's also accused of corruption in the railroading of Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Now Fido (Rove) is under Congressional subpoena to appear on these matters, but he's hiding under executive privilege. Rove says the matter of subpoenas will be faught and decided in court. He says he heard about the Don Siegelman indictment, read about it, learned about it for the first time by reading about it in the newspaper.

Technology
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VIACOM, YOUTUBE, FIGHTING
Why is it that you never see clips from MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount, Deamworks or shows like Comedy Central's The Daily Show? Little lawsuit between Google's YouTube and Viacom is most likely. To the tune of a Billion Dollars. Google said YouTube was faithful to the requirements of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, saying the federal law was intended to protect companies like YouTube as long as they responded properly to content owners' claims of infringement. Viacom said YouTube consistently allows unauthorized copies of popular television programming and movies to be posted on its Web site and viewed tens of thousands of times, that it identified more than 150,000 unauthorized clips of copyrighted programming — including "SpongeBob SquarePants," "South Park" and "MTV Unplugged" episodes and the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" — that had been viewed "an astounding 1.5 billion times." And that only scratches the surface. And furthermore, Viacom says making available a vast library of the copyrighted works of plaintiffs and others is the cornerstone of defendants' business plan," Viacom said.

IPHONE GEOTAGGING IN NEW FIRMWARE
iPhone's newest firmware is expected to possess geo-tagging function. That is, adds location data to a photos & other media files. While a GPS receiver is not present in the current iPhone, it is expected to be part of an upcoming 3G iPhone. However, the current iPhone can approximate a user's location by triangulating with cell phone towers.

DIGITAL INDY
18 years have paassed since the last Indiana Jones movie. The first three were gritty, sweaty and tactile and everything onscreen physically existed. But Crystal Skull is mostly present in the digital realm.

Exclusive footage of The Miz in Des Moines

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The Miz came down the the KXnO Studios May 20, 2008, before his appearance at wells Fargo Arena.  Contains exclusive footage of The Miz performing for our cameras as he left the building.

Bush rails on Obama

Bush says those who want to negotiate with terrorists are taking the false comfort of appeasement. Sen Joe Biden didn't care for that remark. He appeared on This Week telling George Stephanopuoulos "This is raw, raw politics, demeaning to the presidency of the United States of America".

Can Obama claim it yet?

ABC asks if Obama's delegate lead create an insurmountable problem for Clinton's campaign. That lead and powerful symbolism may provide Obama with an opportunity to claim victory this week over Clinton.

Kennedy seizure causes earthquake

Sen. Ted Kennedy is in the hospital after he had a seizure at his Cape Cod home Saturday. His condition is serious, but he's not in imminent danger. Doctors original thought he was having a stroke. By day's end, Kennedy was watching the Red Sox and joking with family members and friends who were summoned to the hospital. ABC reports the event sent an earthquake across the political world.

Colbie Caillat - Bubbly

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Colbie Caillat performed at Capital 106.3 (KPTL-FM, Clear Channel Radio) "Studio C" in Des Moines, Iowa courtesy of Universal Music Group.

Colbie Caillat - Realize

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Colbie Caillat performed at Capital 106.3 (KPTL-FM, Clear Channel Radio) "Studio C" in Des Moines, Iowa courtesy of Universal Music Group.

Colbie Caillat - Little Things

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Colbue Caillat at KPTL in Des Moines, Iowa.

Baldwin for President

Which of the Baldwin Brothers wants to be in politics?

Alec, the outspoken one that is said to have promised to move out of the country if Bush was elected president. Bush was and Baldwin didn't -- and now he claims he said he simply would have been a good time to move.

Baldwin was on 60 Minutes with Morley Safer and says acting is not his life and he could see himself running for an office.

It's over for Hillary

Once Indiana and North Carolina were tallied up, Obama firmly positioned himself as McCain's opponent -- not Clinton's.

Never the less, Hillary continues to act as though she has a fighting chance.

Does she know something the rest of us are missing? Do the Clintons have an ace in the hole they haven't brought out yet? Is there a gotcha moment in Obama's near-term future?

Doesn't appear so. The supers are all lining up behind Obama and it's pretty much a sealed deal. In fact, she's done all the damage she can do to the party, as long as Obama continues to fix sights of MacCain and stays clear of mixing it up with Clinton, and it's really her own position that will falter as she continues to fight this losing battle.

And when you look at McCain's abortion flip and add that to his scam healthcare plan, I think he's washed out too.

Random Show Notes

EXPORTING WEALTH
Are the Chinese siphoning off American wealth?

DEBT
Why isn't the $9.5 T national debt part of political discourse? From 1980 to 1992, the national debt rose from $1T to $4T. In 12 years, it quadrupled. From 1992 to 2000, its growth slowed and began to decrease, settling at $6T in 2000. From 2000 to May, 2008, the debt once again climbed by another $3T, leaving us $9T in debt.

ANTIQUATED COMBUSTION ENGINES
Why aren't presidential candidates offering non-combustion alternatives to the discussion on gas & oil prices?

NUCLEAR ENERGY
With nuclear power, there is the question about spent fuel. Energy companies won't deal with it, so tax payers fund cleanups, transportation and hiding of radioactive waste.

US OCCUPATION OF FOREIGN NATIONS
It's a gross understatement to suggest that many in the Mideast don't particularly care for US military occupation.

CRIMINAL REFUSAL TO RENDER AID
Refusing to render medical aid is criminal and morally repulsive unless perpetrated by an entire industry.

THE PROBLEM WITH CAPITALISM
Name a large company that doesn't name growth as a major aim. But isn't the whole concept of growth unsustainable?

INSURANCE AMOUNTS TO RACKETEERING
Who invited insurance companies to sit at the table? In the health care field and auto industry, instead of paying as you go, you hand decision-making authority to a third party whose only aim is to extract the highest possible profit from your paycheck in an organized fashion.

Realty strategy: monopolize

Interesting observations in this story and a unique setup for hungry brokers.

The Sunday paper has always been a realty mainstay, but it can't offer virtual video tours. Radio can develop, host and drive traffic to video tours for audiences on their way to work, where they become online listeners/web visitors. Same story for the return commute: radio listeners become online consumers when they get home.

The key here is that a real estate broker could easily own a station if not the entire medium of radio/online. You combine reach & frequency with well-known online services -- and the scarcity of competition in this apace. Wouldn't that be the killer app in marketing?

While cohorts are in the Sunday paper, hitting their traditional weekly audience like a slow drumbeat and you've already shown homes to dozens, virtually, through online video -- and maybe even set several appointments.

The article gets into the nuts and bolts by asking how many new homes must one close to pay for a moderate radio campaign.

Let's look at that. If frequency builds preference, then you want to be able to mention to your prospects three times a week, which translates to an ad schedule of 21 units per week. In Central Iowa, that can easily be done for under $3,000.

McCain's healthcare plan exposed

The Washington Post covered Sen. John McCain's visit to a cancer research center in Tampa today and report that he rejected calls by his Democratic opponents for universal health coverage, and for his part embraces a market-based solution.

But McCain's so-called market-based solution still relies on insurance companies, which has effectively isolated the market from the providers for generations, causing health care costs to explode.

As an example of the affects of health care greed, in 1960, a typical birth cost an uninsured middle class family about two weeks salary. Today, the expenses associated with child birth can easily soar past six months salary, whether the family has insurance or not.

McCain's web site suggests that the government would make health care insurance innovative, portable and affordable if he's elected President.

Let's focus on the insurance element by itself for a moment. When groups of people pay continual premiums into a fund managed by companies who then pay medical bills on behalf of patients, then the patients are bound by the company's rules. Insurance administrators aren't frugal and aren't as motivated to comparison shop and health care prices subsequently rise.

But when patience pay as they go, they're motivated to find the most reasonable balance between quality of care and cost. When you're paying the bills with your own money, you care about the cost.

Let's be honest. There are no market forces in play when an insurance company insulates patients from poor buying decisions (don't get me started on silly emergency room visits).

And while we're being honest, let's examine the real motivation behind frivolous lawsuits. The key ingredient that creates an environment for litigation is deep insurance company pockets, not bad doctors. Who's bright idea was it to create this litigation funds anyway? The only natural result is higher health care costs that make a few people very rich (mostly lawyers).

Every citizen and every community should be permitted to employ doctors and medical facilities without outside interference. In fact, we should be very cautious about who we permit to get involved in our health care as no outside party will act in your best interest. Not insurance companies and not the government.

If people want to help those who cannot afford essential medical service, then they'll always be free to contribute money and volunteer their time to non-profits, charities and churches.

It should be in extremely rare cases that Uncle Sam pay medical bills out of taxpayer's pockets.

Cotlar & Company: Adam Emmenecker

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Drake Basketball point guard Adam Emmenecker joined KXnO's Cotlar & Company in-studio Monday morning, April 28, 2008.

Des Moines' I-235 Speed Sting

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A joint task force consisting of Des Moines Police and Iowa State Patrol troopers executed a sting operation in an effort to raise awareness of the speed limit along I-235, the metro freeway.

Perhaps too green

Hard not to notice an emerald tint on the media, but not everyone's happy someone named "Liv Greene" has popped up on their AOL/Gmail buddy list; people think it's all gone too far. This blogger's viewpoint isn't an isolated one.

Stephen Foskett says, "AOL seems to have invented a whole new way to annoy us all with advertisements: injected AIM buddy bots! Yes, it’s another way that social networking companies are annoying the very users they (supposedly) covet! Well, today my (gtalk) buddy list was invaded by 'Liv Greene', a shill for the web site, Greenopolis. And check out the astroturf-with-a-hammer campaign on AOL’s bot page! Way to get your bot ranked number one! I’m so sick of this. Note to all social network providers: Never inject a new “friend” into my network without my consent."

Crazy Snow

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This is April, right? The promise of rains this month is our assurance of flowers next. So what's the deal with these huge snowflakes?

Speed, Drugs and Dangerous Weapons

Things that teenagers should not be permitted to carry include really nasty looking knives. The one pictured is stamped "Pakistan" and "Stainless", but at least the stain-free promise may not pass inspection as rust is developing along the blade.

But that's not really the point. This knife was temporarily seized during a search of a teenager's car last month. Pulled over for speeding, a state trooper conducted what he called a weapons check of the subject's person, which revealed a pill bottle and pipe, purportedly giving rise for a full search of the subject's car.

This happened on a rural Iowa highway some 30 miles northeast of Des Moines. The trooper suggested to his subject that "everyone" he lets in his car has to be checked for weapons, "for my own safety".

The trooper commenced the initial pat-down as the subject was attempting to open the passenger-side door (conveniently off-camera), but the door was locked. This is when the fruits were discovered.

A person's Fourth Amendment protection from search and seizure is subject to a few exceptions, such as in the case of a stop and frisk situation, in which the officer must have reasonable suspicion that the subject is armed and dangerous.

In this case, it was stated as a matter of protocol or standard procedure to do a weapons pat whenever permitting a subject into his patrol car. If there had been a legal reason for the search, the trooper had several opportunities to say so, but consistently said, "I just always do this".

When the trooper found the pipe, he felt further justified to search the car and the contents of the trunk. All totaled, he found the pipe, a bag with apparent pot residue, an empty pill bottle (over the counter meds) and the knife you see above.

It gets a bit more interesting. I said earlier the seizure of the knife was tempoary. The trooper actually put the knife back in the subject's car and scratched it off the seized property report, saying, "I don't want to deal with that".

Does any part of this bother you? Why?

Saving lives through infrastructure

One of the very few responsibilities of government is to provide, maintain and secure sane infrastructure, which emanates from its Constitutional duty to make post roads.

Think about it. More than half of all accidental deaths occur on the public roadways. Tens of thousands of traffic tickets are handed out every day. The national cost to city, county and state governments to manage this fiasco is so incredibly ridiculous that it's really impossible to calculate.

Imagine if we would design a sane transportation infrastructure. It would almost eliminate traffic injuries and deaths. Imagine no more drunk and reckless driving and no more speeding tickets! And all it would take is restoring and enhancing the 100-year-old rail rights-of-way that were dismantled (stolen) by the auto industry -- one of the biggest killers in the world.

If you're thinking light rail or high-speed trains, you're only partly right. I dismiss multi-car trains, light or heavy, because they carry too many people whose destinations are too varied to make train travel viable on a universal scale.

No, I'm talking about small, single car trams that are nearly completely automated, but incredibly speed efficient. So much so that you could eliminate 2/3rds of the roads if you replace them with an automated rail system.

And imagine how green these would be. Solar and wind-powered energy applied directly to the tracks in an sectional, on-demand fashion. You could conceivably cover or bury the tracks underground and eliminate winter travel advisories and the dangers they pose.

Lots of positive here:
a) easy for police to track bank robbers
b) no highway sand/salt
c) no need for traffic lights or frequent starts & stops
d) no gas fumes and exhaust
e) watch videos/news or correspond on commutes/vacations
f) plays nice with urban sprawl and farmland
g) super high-speed possible
h) automatic re-routing, eliminating congestion
i) plan eta almost to-the-minute
j) pleasant ambiance, roomy feel through 3D, LCD and hi-tech sound
k) the world would be more bicycle, pedestrian and eco-friendly

The automation element has so many possibilities, I can only scratch the surface here. At any given time, you'd have fewer cars on the road because they could get to their destinations so much faster than in the traditional. Plus, they could travel much closer together because you don't have to worry about the human condition screwing up traffic patterns. It's all very mathematically preplanned, much as data travels (actually, data in the ether crashes a lot, but I hope you get the concept anyway).

No one's saying that recreation vehicles would be eliminated under this concept. Lots of people still want motorcycles, four-wheelers, etc., and why should we give those up? In fact, you still have to get groceries and furniture to your front door, so there'd have to be an off-rail, last-mile solution in place, like golf car-like vehicles that ride on very conservative trails between the rail system tracks.

Clearly the construction trade would be affected. Building materials would be made to fit smaller-format vehicles, but the benefits of unmanned shipping of many goods would far outweigh the downside.

The concept's not without some issues though, even though a little thought could overcome them.
a) who would own the cars?
b) where would you store them?
c) how would you get the cars on and off the tracks?
d) how much would the system cost?
e) what about schedules, embarking and debarking?

The rails could double as pathways for other essentials, like water delivery, fiber, mail (package services) and even refuse hauling.

Mile-for-mile, the maintenance costs would be a fraction of those we're paying for our current chaotic highway and street systems -- especially if you consider the sheer reduction in roads that could be accommodated.

But clearly, it's the government that has to implement this system. Private companies and states couldn't ensure the level of standards that would have to be in place for it to work seamlessly from town-to-town and state-to-state.

Mom & Pop vs Corporate Broadcasters and the FCC

The FRC (Federal Radio Commission) was established at a time when the threat of chaotic arrays of RF transmissions were so numerous and unpredictable that radio communications of any useful nature became nearly impossible.

As technology advanced, it was decided that communication was a larger issue than radio alone, so the FRC grew into what is now the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and encompassed a wider swath of media and telecommunications, including copper, fiber and satellite transmission of data in the form of text, photos, audio and full motion video.

The basic principle behind the right of the government to regulate communications was predicated on the fact that it utilized public airspace and cross-properties, borders and rights-of-ways and therefore intruded upon that which is owned by the people. In cities, the concept is franchise oversight (the cable local franchise, for instance, is a monopoly that is regulated by the city because it imposes on and along many properties).

Essentially, if you use public air and land to transmit your traffic, you must serve that public responsibly and be good corporate citizens.

The rules and regulation kept communications companies appropriately scared into compliance by threat of fines and jail. And so most companies did comply, as they were often locally owned and operated and embraced the popular image of servitude to its fellow citizens.

But as companies grow and become more successful, they feel the rules are too restrictive and don’t allow fair expansion. And as they get even bigger, they become better and better at influencing government leadership and employ lobbyists to bang on Washington doors in an effort to loosen rules so they can make more money and command more market share.

In each expansion proposal, lobbies and CEOs articulate before congressional committees how these "improvements" will "encourage competition" and "enhance the quality" of the products offered to the people, thereby performing a great service to its citizenry.

But people this powerful tend to exert mafia-like thug tactics to improve their own situation or standing. So they get more powerful and the little people try to push back -- mostly unsuccessfully.

I do think there will be a day when local control of media returns home and ownership will again be responsive to the needs of the community. But for now, I'm too busy staying current with media trends and enjoying the vast resources at my disposal -- not to mention the fact that my paychecks never bounce.

Armchair Law Professor

Every once in a while, I get what I think is an epiphany, often inspired by something I see or read. You might think these thoughts are exhibitions of my ignorance, but I believe there's something to them, so I share.

Perhaps I should call these entries "Bishop's Charter" additions, or "How the Law Ought to Be Written".

CASELAW:
No court shall decide, nor pontificate in its decision, with respect to case law or precedent, but on the sole merits of the case before it, and applying its own reasonable and thoughtful interpretation of pertinent laws and the Constitution of the United States, or errors thereof, notwithstanding spirit and intent of applicable law. However, on appeal, a court may consider error or misinterpretation of the law by the lower court, as well as new evidence that is shown to be previously and wrongly suppressed.

As always, I welcome thoughtful criticism.

No Gphone

Android is not Gphone, but a software platform by Google that may facilitate other phone makers and carriers to bring a phone to the masses using the newly allocated frequency spectrum. Google wants to be able to use some of the newly available spectrum the FCC opened up, but it's not clear what exactly they'll do with it.

In any event, Android will use the G3 network, and Open source platform that will facilitate free development of widgets, clocks, stock tickers, maps and whatnot -- which is an aside from iPhone's development kit because Apple will reserve veto rights to any app it doesn't like.

BREAKING: Armed robbery hoax

It's apparently a hoax, but several McDonald's restaurants have received phone calls warning of impending armed robberies using machine guns. The stores phoned earlier today include those located in Ames, Boone, Des Moines and Marshalltown, all in Iowa. Des Moines police are the latest to respond to calls.

CC weighs in on satellite radio merger

Sirius and XM Satellite Radio have been working on a merger, which has the attention of terrestrial broadcasters like Clear Channel Radio, who is aggressively marketing digital radio (HD Radio), which places hybrid digital layers over regular AM & FM frequencies.

In an FCC filing, Clear Channel suggests a few concessions should the merger be permitted, so that competition between local broadcasters and satcasters can be preserved:

The satcaster should set aside portions of its channels over-the-air and public interest programming; subscribe to decency rules; not broadcast local content; not receive monies from local advertising; and that it build-in HD Radio receivers to each of its units so subscribers are provided a choice between subscription-based and free, over-the-air programming.

Without these concessions, the merged companies would have an unfair, dominant market position and could conceivably strike exclusive deals with car makers and effectively shut out free, over-the-air radio.

Spam King Pleads

The prosecution called Robert Alan Soloway the Spam King, alleging he's responsible for sending millions of spam messages and generating hundreds of thosands of dollars in profit since 2003. Soloway pleaded guilty Friday to three of the 40 counts that he was indicted on, with the remaining charges dropped.

Indy bands embrace giveaways

The two latest bands to offer their new albums online for free are advancing divergent versions of the business model Radiohead introduced in fall 2007.

Where Nine Inch Nails' approach, like Radiohead's before it, draws fans in with free music and then offers additional music for purchase in more extravagant configurations, the Charlatans UK release doesn't seem connected to any such game plan.

RIAA May Face Racketeering Charges

A racketeering lawsuit against the Recording Industry Association of America was revived Friday, a month after a federal judge dismissed the case seeking to represent those falsely sued for copyright infringement by the record labels.

The lawsuit, filed in Oregon U.S. District Court on behalf of an Oregon woman who was wrongly accused of pilfering music via the Kazaa file-sharing network, seeks to represent thousands of people the woman's attorneys claim have been wrongly targeted by the record labels' lobbying organization.

The suit (.pdf) claims that the RIAA and MediaSentry -- the RIAA's private investigative arm that discovers file sharing by looking into peer-to-peer users' public files -- "conspired to develop a massive threat and sham litigation enterprise targeting private citizens across the United States."

Obama in 30 Seconds

Celebrity judges will decide the winner of a video contest sponsored by MoveOn.org and aimed at boosting Obama's chances at gaining the White House. The resulting featurette will be aired nationally.

Actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are among the deciders, as well as musicians John Legend and Eddie Vedder.

Change is in the air

Change beats experience and the two Democratc contenders beat the sole Republican Presidential candidate. This, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll. It says Obama's lead over McCain is bigger than Clinton's, thus far. Even among independents, change wins over strength by a 9-point margin (47-to-38).

Wireless providers balk at backup power requirements

Sprint Nextel Corp and the cell phone industry as a whole is fighting FCC requirements to provide at least 8 hours backup power at all its cell sites, a move that would ensure reliable emergency communications when it's needed most -- which was not the case in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Sprint Nextel Corp says the requirement would lead to "staggering and irreparable harm" and present a huge economic and bureaucratic burden for the company -- and that costs couldn't be recouped through legal action or passed on to consumers.

I did some math. An AP article states there are 210,000 cell sites in the country and upgrades would cost up to $15,000 per site. Assuming there are 100 million cell accounts, then the total upgrade cost would be $3.2 billion or $31.50 per customer. That amounts to only about $2.63 per month per account for the first year, and significantly less thereafter. Hardly "staggering and irreparable harm".

Some think SDK isn't enough

Not everyone is enthused about Apple's iPhone SDK release.

Tomothy Lee writes for Tech Dirt tech dirt and he suggests the SDK announcement was a huge disappointment due to its "walled garden" model:

- No voip
- No data exchange between apps
- No multitasking (3rd party apps quit when switching to another)
- Apple approval required for apps and can block any
- Chilling affect for casual tinkering (how email/web were developed)

Daylight Saving Time

The notion that extended Daylight Saving Time by several weeks was based in energy savings, but in fact, while lights may have burned fewer hours, there was more gas and electricity expended as a result. DST now starts three weeks earlier and ends one week later.

On a related subject. We know that one day is equal to one rotation of the earth, which is divided into approximately 24 hours. Time is either added or subtracted to or from the atomic clock to make period corrections due to the inaccuracy of that time standard.

What about the year? Are there precisely 365.25 days in one spin around the sun? I doubt it. How long does it take to notice that the sun is not in the same position on January 1 of every year? Are there periodic corrections make in this measurement? I don't know!

Obama: forget VP

After Hillary all but said she'd take Barack as a running mate in the '08, he fires back with a big "not so fast". "Hey, I'm running for President here, not VP!" He's basically saying it's too soon to tell. We should be waiting for the convention, if it comes to that, to ask who gets the ticket's 2nd billing.

Bush: Torture is OK

In a landmark veto, Bush tarnishes American values, insisting that CIA's use of waterboarding and other forms of torture shouldn't be banned by the US Congress. Apparently playing good cop/bad cop and general deception, a couple of the 19 methods allowed, aren't enough for this administration.

Java for iPhone

One of the top ten annoyances with the iPhone will move down the list if Sun's plan is even moderately successful and they're indeed able to construct a decent Java platform for Apple's wireless handset.

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's

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Deep Blue Something set to play at People's Court in Des Moines tonight, but first they hit Capital 106.3's Studio C and play a couple familiar songs.  This one's Breakfast At Tiffany's, which got a lot of local airplay following its '96 release.  It hit #1 in the UK and #5 on this side of the pond.

Spam Blog?

I'm not sure how they decide this at Google, but they tell me this "...blog has characteristics of a spam blog..."

Interesting. The company also told me my adsense account could hurt their advertisers -- without divulging why they think that.

Romney update

Considering Gov. Romney bowed out of the Presidential race and I don't have the resources to take the fight to an out-of-state Federal Court, I let this go and I have been informed that the video
has been restored to the Governor's YouTube account.

Free Advertising

It's possible to get advertising that doesn't require a cash buy. Not that it's completely free, but more so than the "buy one get one free" and "after mail-in rebate" offers.

Many of the local half price deal offers put on by radio and TV stations allow you to exchange marketing for gift certificates. If you can afford to issue a few thousand in high-interest product, you can get some airtime without jumping through the traditional billing hoops.

But use caution here. Inasmuch as nothing's really free, this can be costly to you and your core customer base if such as offer would stretch your resources -- or you don't have the ability to perform as promised.

Romney-Mickelson video pulled from YouTube

click here to download

On August 2, 2007, Gov. Romney did a radio interview at the WHO Radio studio in Des Moines. I videotaped the 20 minute visit and made it available to the station for its web site.

A few hours later, Romney spokesman Tim Albrecht (Iowa communications director for the campaign) called me and insisted that the video be taken down immediately. His reasoning? At a point during a commercial break on the radio, the host uttered, "While we're off the air". Albrecht suggested what followed should have been treated as off-the-record and therefore the camcorder shouldn't have been recording or that portion shouldn't have been used.

Hardly off the record

The control room had men standing three abreast, plus the producer sitting at a console, who could all hear the off-air exchange. In the studio with the governor was at least two people with the campaign, plus the host and myself, again, listening to the conversation. No reasonable person could expect the governor's comments to be private in those circumstances.

Nevertheless, station management ordered the video pulled while it considered the matter. But before that meeting ever happened, I suspect Romney campaign staffers downloaded it and posted it on their own YouTube area (under the profile of "GovMittRomney"). I didn't give it to them and I controlled the only copies.

Not long after today's phone conversation with Ms. Biber, the campaign faxed a counter-claim to YouTube, who in turn forwarded it to me. In it, they claimed , "...the material was removed or disabled [from YouTube] as a result of a mistake or misidentification of the material..." That statement substantially contrasts the conversation I had with Ms. Biber. I assured her the video was mine, that I shot it using my personal camcorder, using my tape.

How did the Romney campaign get the video?

What Biber didn't say may be telling. She didn't claim that the campaign owned the video and had the right to use it for their purposes, nor that they know who the rightful owner is, nor did she claim they sought and received permission to use it for their purposes.

So if the poster knows he doesn't own the video, why would he have the need to challenge ownership? He'd never have used it. How did the campaign come by the video in the first place? Why would they state for the record that my claim is based on a mistake when there are a number of first-hand witnesses to the facts involving the video? It seems reasonable that if the case were to be challenged in court, the campaign would lose. And what would forcing a court fight against a private citizen do to governor's bid for presidency? Wouldn't it make the governor look like a bully? The public might wonder why the governor would steal people's property?

But would they even have to win in court? The simple act of submitting a counter-claim may have a chilling affect on the original claim, so perhaps it's a safe bet that a private citizen from Iowa wouldn't have the resources to fight it in a federal court in Massachusetts. Biber did mention this as a probability.

In my opinion, forcing that kind of an action under these circumstances is a misuse of the courts. The campaign knows it doesn't own the video, so it's morally inept to challenge the original claim.

Chris Bernheisel - photos

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Chris Bernheisel of Fremont, Nebraska entering the Ultimate Carrie Underwood Fan / American Idol contest. This version includes photos he submitted with his entry. Courtesy of kiss1075.com (Kiss 107 FM), Des Moines, Iowa.