soapbox

This evening, NPR aired a report discussing the need to reduce our dependence on oil. One of the analyst's comments began, "Whether you believe in global warming or not, oil is unhealthy for humans and the environment." Those issues are too much for me to handle, but the way such topics are discussed is part of the reason they're so difficult to address. The analyst was implicitly stating that beliefs, or feelings, are what determine the reality/myth of global warming.

It is incredibly frustrating when beliefs, or even organized religion, become tangled up in politics and policy making. Scientists discovered and improved every single method we use to extract energy. Scientists determined how to measure global climate, simulate events and provide weather predictions. Their research indicates that human activities are resulting in climate change. I'm all for finding fault in their methods and results, but it's ignorant behavior to simply "not believe" their results.   read more >>

I recently described the pleasure available to anyone attempting to watch DVDs on a computer. Then I went out and purchased Star Trek. The media industry has been very reluctant to face facts, and it really seems they're completely out of touch or just belligerent.

Let me explain:   read more >>

A bought a laptop at Circuit City a few months ago - I wouldn't normally buy anything there, but they had a great deal. Of course, they now found some way to send me all sorts of junk mail. I assume they stole my billing address from the credit card - it's lovely how many companies have all my information just sitting there to be stolen.

Yesterday, I received a gift card for 10% off any purchase over $50. I almost thought it was a nice gesture, until I read the fine print:

Offer excludes computers, music, movies, games, Game Hardware, Sharper Image, Infinity, Velodyne, Bose, Polk, Apple, Kicker, MTX Thunder, LG, Select Plasma TVs, Select LCD TVs, KEF, Outlet, and Circuit City Gift Card purchases.

Now, I'm not sure if you've ever been in a Circuit City, but I'm pretty sure that list covers every item they sell. There is no respect left for the people - neither from the government nor from corporations.

I realize it's important for food companies to attract customers with flashy colors and facts, but honesty needs to be part of the design process. I recently bought a bottle of Dole Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice - 100% Juice, No Sugar Added. Of course, in tiny letters in the corner the label reads 100% Juice Blend from Concentrate with other Ingredients. The full list of ingredients: Filtered Water, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice Concentrate, Apple Juice Concentrate, Pectin, Ascorbic Acid, Carmine, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor. This seems just a bit different from 100% JUICE.

It's also suprising that I was really drinking grape juice - not grapefruit juice. I guess real grapefruit is too hardcore for Dole. They want it to be sickly sweet like all the other Pepsico products.

The Copyright and Patent laws originally written by the founding fathers were designed to encourage invention and creation of new works, especially among individuals and small businesses. Unfortunately, the system has degraded to the point where the laws make invention a rather dangerous prospect, especially for individuals and small businesses. Large corporations own huge patent portfolios and hire many lawyers to handle the hassle of modern patent/copyright law. In efforts to protect themselves from lawsuits and edge out competitors, many corporations are applying for more-and-more general patents. The laws simply do not do what they were intended to.   read more >>