Paved Paradise
Too often we don't know what we've got until it is gone. How often is it that we look at what God has given us and say, “that's not good enough”? It may be an inevitable part of this life, though one that we need to actively combat.
Two Years Ago
Two years ago, I walked into a strange church and sat down for a Sunday service — the first time in my life I was the “visitor looking for a church.” For many people, that may be a normal enough experience, but as a lifelong member of another church, I felt a bit odd being on the other side of the visitor equation. Two days prior, I had sat in that same church's office, talking with the two pastors about what the church was like.
In both settings, as unfamiliar as the church and its people were, it felt welcoming. Something felt right about it. And so it still does. I'm glad to say that church is now my church and those unfamiliar people are now my church family.
God had quite a blessing in mind, though I did not know it, on that day two years ago.
The Master's Phenomenon
Laura Pappano writes for the New York Times:
He calls the proliferation of master's degrees evidence of “credentialing gone amok.” He says, “In 20 years, you'll need a Ph.D. to be a janitor.”
Among the new breed of master's, there are indeed ample fields, including construction management and fire science and administration, where job experience used to count more than book learning. Internships built into many of these degrees look suspiciously like old-fashioned on-the-job training.
Indeed; this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does risk blurring the goals of graduate degrees further than they already are:
There may be logic in trying to better match higher education to labor needs, but Dr. Vedder is concerned by the shift of graduate work from intellectual pursuit to a skill-based “ticket to a vocation.” What's happening to academic reflection? Must knowledge be demonstrable to be valuable?
That's a very Newman-esque question and one very much worth asking.
HT: Travis McMaken.
Late Night Haiku XXXVIII
CVI. For a MacLeish poem
Concerning grief history:
Ah, the maple leaf!
CVII. The still empty box,
The note stored in the drawer,
The roaring silence.
CVIII. For the leaf fallen,
Sits still upon the porch step —
The kind bench, empty.
The Cult of Centrism?
Paul Krugman opines that the president has managed to get himself caught in a “cult of centrism:”
We have a crisis in which the right is making insane demands, while the president and Democrats in Congress are bending over backward to be accommodating — offering plans that are all spending cuts and no taxes, plans that are far to the right of public opinion.
So what do most news reports say? They portray it as a situation in which both sides are equally partisan, equally intransigent — because news reports always do that. And we have influential pundits calling out for a new centrist party, a new centrist president, to get us away from the evils of partisanship.
The reality, of course, is that we already have a centrist president — actually a moderate conservative president.
The must read tech blogger John Gruber apparently agrees. The problem with this analysis is that it implies that a basic sensible fiscal policy — that when one is spending too much, one should lower spending — is somehow “radical.”
As Gloria Borger noted on CNN last night, the president is the only notable figuring advocating further taxes right now. Obviously, spending cuts are the Right's answer to government spending problems, but when a one trillion dollar debt ceiling increase only staves off the problem for six months, can anyone really provide an explanation of how spending is not out of control?
The only reason Krugman can look at President Obama and suggest he is somewhat “conservative” is that the columnist is so far left that anything in the American mainstream of politics must be of the radical right. Even if his reputation was set aside, Krugman's incredible remarks suggesting that the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was some sort of quasi-conservative health care bill make it clear how radical the columnist, and not the alleged conservatives in the Congress, are.
The people did not elect boatloads of Tea Party candidates last year because they thought increased taxes and spending would be the way to fix our situation. How about this: before we talk about how Uncle Sam needs more of the citizenry's money, let's see if we can quit wasting the money he already takes.
Netflix Raises Rates by 77% in a Year
From the Netflix blog:
Now we offer a choice: Unlimited Streaming for $7.99 a month, Unlimited DVDs for $7.99 a month, or both for $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). We think $7.99 is a terrific value for our unlimited streaming plan and $7.99 a terrific value for our unlimited DVD plan. We hope one, or both, of these plans makes sense for our members and their entertainment needs.
The new $7.99 plan sans streaming is a decent idea for those who will never use streaming, but remember that up until last November, the plan with both streaming and DVDs-by-mail cost just $8.99. Netflix's blog entry is somewhat misleading when it says “Last November when we launched our $7.99 unlimited streaming plan, DVDs by mail was treated as a $2 add on to our unlimited streaming plan.” The statement is factually true, but it obscures the fact that existing customers who wanted to keep the same level of service saw a $1/month price increase (and given that so much of Netflix's catalogue is still unavailable for streaming, the bundle is still their most attractive plan).
Still, a buck a month is the sort of thing most people will absorb and ignore. I think nudging it up another dollar or two a year later would also have been OK. But, a 77% price hike in less than a year is overly bold. It is enough of an increase to reach the “let's reassess if I need this” category. I'm guessing I won't be the only one to pull the plug on my Netflix service when September rolls around.
Now would be a good time for Apple to announce its oft rumored Netflix competitor. I wonder what Netflix alternatives people will primarily be switching to?
A Sign of the Times
From the Microsoft Bing blog:
What you're seeing today is only the beginning. Lasso moves Bing beyond the search box. Although it will only be available in Bing for iPad to begin with, we're already thinking about how to take Lasso even further — so stay tuned.
Lasso is a novel idea — the sort that fits the “new Microsoft” that seems to be emerging and releasing really great products like Windows Phone 7. Note, however, that Lasso is being released first on the iPad, not Windows 7 Tablet Edition or even Android. This speaks very clearly about what Microsoft understands about the mobile OS market right now.
HT: John Gruber
Last Minute Fireworks Shopping? Here's Where to Go.
Every year I give fireworks shopping tips in case anyone in the St. Louis area is in the mood to explore the exciting realm of pyrotechnics. I started blogging about the different tents because, given my love of fireworks, I would typically visit at least one location of every fireworks seller in St. Charles on a given year. I love seeing all the different varieties of fireworks, and inevitably, each company carries a little different selection. This year, other things demanded my time, so instead of visiting every tent, I took my own advice and simply visited the very best.
As an aside, if you are curious about the business of selling fireworks, I interviewed Chris Sander, the owner of “powder monkey FIREWORKS,” late last month on Open for Business. Chris offered some really astute insights into what it is like to run a fireworks tent and — more generally — what it takes to get a business off the ground. His observations are excellent and well worth pursuing.
Since Chris opened his tent in 2008, I make it a point to visit “powder monkey” several times each year. He has some absolutely incredible deals and a very knowledgable staff who have personally seen most of the fireworks they sell. As an added bonus, each night around 9:11 p.m., Chris shoots off a large variety of fireworks, offering his customers a way to “try before they buy.” I was able to catch his demonstration tonight, out of which three really caught my attention: “Attack,” an affordable multi-shot that was impressive in its duration and the size of its effects; “Peacock,” a long lasting and vibrant fountain; and, a rather generically labeled (but impressive) red, white and blue 36-shot peony that would make a nice finale. Every year, I find some new favorites here, making it hard to decide just what to get. I plan to figure out what I have left from last year and then go back.
This year, “powder monkey” is located in three locations — two in Weldon Spring, MO (St. Charles County) and one in Arnold, MO (Jefferson County, just outside of St. Louis County). Check out their site if you want directions to stop by.
A year or two before “powder monkey” opened its proverbial doors, I found Red Dragon. Tim Clayton and his staff have always been kind and helpful, too. Whereas “powder monkey” has served to get me to try all kinds of new things that have been demoed or recommended, Red Dragon carries a number of long time family favorites I've always had a hard time finding elsewhere, including “Just 2 Cool,” “Havana Heat” and “Just Another Stinkin Fountain” (astute asisaid readers will recall that “Just Another” is one of my longest running favorites).
As I wrote last year:
I was at both of them tonight and it was like seeing old friends again. Both have wonderful personal touches and enthusiasm for the fireworks. You can tell these people actually love shooting off fireworks, not necessarily a given at every tent, and have seen the fireworks they are selling. They also both carry a very good selection of fountains and other affordable yet satisfying choices.
Unfortunately, that description certainly doesn't fit just every fireworks tent out there. So, do not just assume the first tent you pass is worth patronizing. Year after year “powder monkey” and Red Dragon have never failed to impress me; I trust if you go to these guys and ask for advice that they'll steer you in the right direction.
How to Hurt Small Businesses with the Amazon Tax
Because it is unconstitutional to tax companies without a physical presence in a state, various states have been passing laws that absurdly count having affiliates such as myself in a state as having a “physical presence” in that state. It doesn't work out well:
Board of Equalization Member George Runner blasted Brown for signing the law. “Even as Governor Jerry Brown lifted his pen to sign this legislation, thousands of affiliates across California were losing their jobs. The so-called 'Amazon tax' is truly a lose-lose proposition for California. Not only won't we see the promised revenues, we'll actually lose income tax revenue as affiliates move to other states.”
Given that affiliate programs are essentially advertising programs, the legislation's concept is fundamentally flawed. Moreover, since the major online retailers terminate affiliates in a given state when that state passes this sort of crazy law, the laws do not produce revenue for the state, they only eliminate revenue for the affiliates.
This is helpful how?
Sorting Out 4G Service Options
And speaking of my coverage of 4G networks, if you are trying to decide which network to go with, you may find my aforementioned article helpful in choosing which sort of 4G is right for you.
