And let’s not forget that Google is right now like a hyperactive fat kid in a pastry shop; it simply doesn’t know what to focus on. Between its core search product, Google+, Android, and heck, even a Comcast competing internet+cable service, it’s trying to poke fingers into far too many pies at the same time.

Unfortunately, the bill is being masqueraded as a “Protecting Children From Internet Pornographers Act of 2011.”  The ultimate shield – protect our children.

The bill implies that tracking of financial information via this statement:

“10 ‘‘§ 1960A. Financial facilitation of access to child por-
11 nography
12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Whoever knowingly conducts, or
13 attempts or conspires to conduct, a financial transaction
14 (as defined in section 1956(c)) in or affecting interstate or
15 foreign commerce, knowing that such transaction will fa-
16 cilitate access to, or the possession of, child pornography
17 (as defined in section 2256) shall be fined under this title
18 or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both”

Senator Lamar Smith needs to be removed from office as he is a danger to our liberties.  First SOPA, now this?   Texas should wake up and elect someone else.  I wonder if we could figure out a way to try him for treason, or knowingly attempting to subvert our constitution.   This man is truly evil, or at a minimum, ignorant.

Please contact your representatives to insist that this bill does not continue.

In his article, he suggests that technology advancements will be the inevitable downfall of this particular industry.  It is not a matter of if, but of when.

My question is the following: could Hollywood actually survive?  Could they somehow adapt, break free of their current business model, and morph into an equally successful, but different, business model. I am doubtful.

The business community is littered with those companies/industries that could not: Kodak, Polaroid, DEC, Microsoft (Not dead, but largely failing to adapt as the industry has moved forward), etc.   Each of these companies was wed to a specific business model fueled by large profit margines.  As the industries around them changed, the idea of a smaller profit margin, made up by larger volumes, was something that could not be comprehended (This is a gross simplification, but in general, applicable to each company outlined.)

Hollywood is certainly in a similar bind.  Technology, as well as people’s wants and desires, have changed. People want more options, more channels for entertainment and escapism.

As an example: Movie theaters.  There is no doubt that the large screen experience is very rewarding, but the cost, inconvenience, and limited choices dictate that people will look elsewhere.  People no longer want to wait until a specific show time, but instead want to watch when it is convenient for them.  Given where technology is going, with all of the possibilities, movie theaters are now an anachronism.  People want choice, and choices are all around them.  Games, online social experiences, streaming video, to name a few.

Hollywood will do everything it can to continue milking their current business model as long as those in charge cling to their old ways.  Without an infusion of new thinking, they  will continue to  bribe, lie, cheat, steal, and destroy our civil liberties without pause as long as they believe there are no options available.

Can the tech industry speed up their demise, as suggested by Paul Graham? Yes, but do not kid yourself that Hollywood will go quietly.  Wounded animals tend to be far more dangerous.

Luckily, there are some resourceful individuals out there that have put together a 2012 collaborative playlist containing  newly released recordings.   The range of classical releases should please just about anyone.  For example: I am listening to Eccard: Sacred and Works.

Update: The error code explanation. It appears that they know about this via their twitter  feed. 

Update 2: Spotify appears to be back up again.  My app is now signing in. 

Temporary login error

Error 404

There has been a temporary error while attempting to log you into your Spotify account. This error is most likely to be caused by a temporary problem with Spotify’s login server. In that case, there is no action that you can take to resolve the problem, apart from attempting to log in again. First, exit Spotify:

1. Windows: File > Exit
2. Mac: Spotify > Quit Spotify

After a short while, try running Spotify and logging in again.

If you have continued problems, please check Spotify’s Service Status page, and the Service Status Twitter feed. We keep these updated about any any problems with the service that may be affecting you.

The basic problem is pretty simple – it is dog slow.  Just loading the home page takes close to a minute.  Most of that time is spent fetching makes and models.  The call is made after the main page loads.  I have not spent anytime trying to track down what the problem is, but it is pretty evident that it is caused by poor executing javascript.

I am pretty sure that this is iPad specific and probably has to do with Apple’s javascript engine.   I have tried loading the same page on a Kindle Fire with no problem. I am sure a large part of that has to do with Silk.

Come on cars.com, recognize that more and more people are using tablet like devices. Make sure your sites are at least working, and ideally, optimized for the platform.

Unfortunately, their season ended with a pretty poor showing at Lambeau Field.  The New York Giants were playing at the top of their game, and it showed.  The Packers could have made it a game, but with dropped balls, turn overs, and passing that was largely dismal, there was no chance.

I wonder, is the bi-week (plus one more because Aaron Rogers did not play in the last regular season game) sometimes a curse?  Too much time away from the field and you risk loosing your rhythm. Green Bay did just that, they lost their rhythm.

Our old fireplace was okay, but after burning a fire, we ended up with a wood smoke smell for several days after.  It turns on that we were suffering from negative pressure within our house.   With the stove, we still have negative pressure, but with the door closed, no smell.  On the other hand, lighting the stove with negative pressure is a bit of a challenge.

I hunted around the web looking for hints, but other than companies selling their product(s), little or no help was found.  I settled on purchasing a blow torch,  placing into the box before starting in an attempt to reverse the flow. For the most part, it works!

I would highly recommend the stove as an excellent purchase.  It is far more efficient than a fireplace.

Jotul Wood Burning Stove Insert