Truth in advertising...

While driving around Oklahoma City yesterday (12-16-05), I spotted a gas/convenience store that had a sign/name that indicated EXACTLY what the priority for sales was - beer and cigarettes. Sure, stop in and get gas, but *absolutely* don't forget a 6-pack and some smokes, heh. Can't remember the last time I saw a "Tobacco & Beer Outlet", or is that the new name for 7-11?

I have to give them credit - this is literally truth in advertising. It's not a sunny, shiny store with an ulterior motive (to sell you incredibly high-margin stuff that is bad for you), it tells you flat out what you should be buying. Don't we wish Wal*Mart would change its name to "Buy Chinese Goods Now"?

:-)

Taken with the Motorola RAZR V3

Sony CD protection sparks security concerns | CNET News.com

Ack! It's no wonder people continue to use P2P networks to trade music files when the music companies stage this hidden code and other junk onto your PC - and all you want to do is listen. Well, some of you want to do more than that. I mean, if people are really paranoid, just play these copy-protected CDs on a good ole' CD player and hook the analog (or better yet, optical or coaxial digital) outputs into your sound card and take the music that way (just use Audacity to record the MP3s at whatever bit rate/fidelity you want).

These copy protection schemes will never end (out of fear from revenue loss), but the ways around them will always be there, and in some cases earlier than the most talented (I mean, over-qualified) record executive can even imagine. Down with the man!

Hmmmm - watch those scissors, Mac!

A barber shop closed for eye surgery? Suspicious.

Snapped with the Motorola V330 while attending a wedding reception at the Oklahoma State Capitol building today. Not sure I want the official state barber cutting my hair after eye surgery. Yikes!

Advertisers fight back | News.blog | CNET News.com

Read this article about some marketing exec calling advertising "one of the most socially responsible industries in America". That made me laugh uncontrollably for a little bit. Advertising is and continues to be more deceptive and full of nonsense that this gasbag can't form a proper defense to why advertising causes "social ills". To me, it's just another high-level form of social control through public manipulation, but that's just me. I love advertisers. I mean loathe.

I love scented candles!

Especially the ones from Yankee Candle, and while they are quite a bit more expensive than the generic scented candles from the likes of Wal-Mart (where I refuse to shop unless held up at gunpoint) or Kohl's (decent department store "outside the mall"), the scent their "Housewarmer" candles expunge (in a good way) into the air makes my day. The Vanilla Caramel and Peppermint Cocoa are nicely delectable choices (for the upcoming holiday/cold season). Since I am into holistic nutrition, I let these scents take me away - I smell and get satisfied instead of eating all that refined sugar and partially-hydrogenated soybean oil and poisoning myself. Let the smells do the walking.

Apple - iPod nano. It's only my second iPod (I swear)

Being in marketing, it never ceases to amaze me just how craftly and detail-oriented Apple's marketing whizzes are when it comes to useful and incredibly stylish technology. They have a knack for marketing unlike any other company I can think of - in any industry (16-year olds may think Abercrombie is a marketing genius, but I disagree. Please don't pounce). I just sold my 512MB iPod shuffle on eBay about two weeks ago since I *really* wanted a display and ability to listen to songs on an "out of order" way (like separating audio books and music to listen to when I want, but still keep them all stored on the device). I then bought a Samsung YP-T7Z 1GB player, which is brimming with features - most of which I thought I would use (but of course, will never use like line-in encoding and voice recording and FM radio, etc.). As soon as the iPod nano was unveiled, (dammit Apple, can't you ever rest on your laurels!), the Samsung, virtually unused, went on eBay and I ordered the 2GB nano in Black from www.apple.com with the free laser engraving they offer. Perhaps the engraving will *force* me to keep this product for years until it dies (hehe, I need my hand forced in this age of eBay).

What a friggin' cool product. As usual, Apple's got it goin' on. Again. I still can't justify buying a Mac Mini (although it's not that expensive) since my year-old Dell (that $299 special: Dimension 2400) cranks along perfectly since I stuck a gig of RAM in there, popped in a second hard drive for backup, and added a DVD-RW drive (which I call my "BitTorrent buddy"). Gets everything I need done, and WindowsXP, while somewhat annoying at times, has all the goods I need in a computer. Someone convince me why I should buy a Mini and I will be all ears. But, have good arguments ready to roll.

Societal study on New Orleans reactions

Wrapped in a nutshell: New Orleans - moral and ethical decay (to a point; don't believe all the media stories about rape and murder in the SuperDome). Transition from culture center to third-world mentality in five days. Lack of immediate response and/or leadership by any and all capable authorities. Those without financial means trapped without anywhere to run to before Katrina arrives.

What were we expecting - Mother Nature to be timid like she always is? As we find out regularly (May 1999 world-record tornados in Oklahoma City, December 2004 tsunami in the PacRim region, 1989 earthquake in San Francisco, on and on) - we are still beggers to Mother Nature's master, regardless os superpower status or not. No human, no amount of money or clout, no social status, nothing, can stand up to the Earth itself.

So, what do we do in this, the most wealthy and industrialized/advanced nation on the planet? As 2005 and onward continues, we are sure to find out.

Why I chose Blogger.com: incredibly simplified, easy GUI and universal access

Great choice for first-time bloggers - Blogger - User Opinion

'Nuff Said. I looked at Movable Type and TypePad, and although I wanted a very flexible blog and photo, mobile, and on-the-fly publishing capability (meaning: web-based almost always), Blogger.com looked like the perfect solution. And it is. And it's free. And I can email posts from any email client and even publish directly from Microsoft Word, while even sending photos direct to my blog on the fly with my camera phone from anywhere on earth I happen to be. And it's free. Some things in life are best enjoyed simple without overcomplication and needless tweaking. Blogger is one such animal.