It was Earth Hour last night. Did you miss it? On 30 March 2008 between 8 and 9 pm we were supposed to live without electricity for one hour. What and how did you do?
Since I was in the middle of watching the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies” I continued on until the end of the show. By the time I remembered the big event it was 8:40 pm so I figured it was too late to do anything now. I did take a look out the window to see if there was anything noticeable in the neighborhood but from my vantage point it looked pretty much the same. I didn’t notice any mention on the local news, television or radio, either before or after the event. Come to think of it, the only mention I caught on the national news was that Sydney darkened a few places like the Harbour Bridge and the Opera house. Australia was supposed to be first and there for lead the way. I think they thought this would be kind of like the New Years Eve celebration where they could report on the kick off and then give periodic updates as Earth Hour traveled around the globe.
So what was this really supposed to accomplish? Was there an actual goal in mind? Was it to raise awareness, save energy, cut greenhouse gasses, or even grander-- change life habits? Who started this movement, who is promoting it and even more important, why?
Now I am not against this practice if it is done for the right reasons. If it is to better the lives of man through increased awareness and an honest cost benefit analysis shows a true benefit to the participant then I am all for it. If however, it is just another way to mandate the views of a few onto the lives of many or all, then I don’t care what good comes out of it, because it is interfering with the free agency of man, it goes against the design of man. Each and every one of us was given the opportunity to come to this earth and design our own lives. We were given a conscience to let us know the difference between right and wrong and we will be judged by how well we have done making choices in our lives based on our circumstances and using discernment.
This free agency does not mean that we are free from the consequences of our choices and our actions. For the most part, the consequences can and often do help guide and direct our future choices. If we are willing to learn the various lessons life has to offer, the various experiences will bring an increase of knowledge and wisdom. This knowledge and wisdom becomes ours. We own it as individuals. It was not forced on us and it is not a trained habit like you would find in training an animal.
There is a world of difference in this. Two individuals may perform the same act, but one that is compelled is doing it because they have to and gains nothing from the experience, whereas one doing it on their own and for what they through self determination deem to be the right reason will truly be all the better for it.
So when I turn the lights out, it is for my own benefit. I am a conservative by nature but mainly in the cause of financial betterment. When I turn out the light it is to try and control my expenses. I have switched light bulbs to the long lasting compact florescent bulbs that use about a quarter of the energy for the same reason. If a light gets left on accidently it is not as tragic with these bulbs, and if I can find them on sale, all the better. The accountant in me needs to have a cost benefit pay off.
So, if by using less power, there are less greenhouse gasses emitted because less power has to be generated, or the building of another power plant can be delayed for a few more years, then all the better but this for me at the moment is a side benefit, or a bonus for my efforts. For those that feel strongly for the cause of Green and wish to be a conservative with a cleaner planet as their end goal in mind then by all means feel free to do this and you too will find your reward. But when we start to compel others to take or refrain from action, we lose.
It seems that all of the battles fought today, from the battle fields of war, to the battle fields of courtrooms and legislatures, to the battle fields between neighbors, all come from someone trying to impose their will onto the will of another. Instead of trying to meet the needs of others we try to control the needs of others by force. This does not create solutions, only contention. In a world that has the greatest need for harmony, we really should be looking for solutions that will work and benefit all parties involved. Chances are, there will be more than one solution. Don’t just settle for the one that meets your needs and exclude all others. Harmony may be just around the corner.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
30 March 2008
25 March 2008
Office 2007 coming to my computer soon
Well I just got excited a little. I just got word today that the office is going to upgrade to Office 2007 in the next couple of months. I recently purchased a copy for my home computer since I was able to get a reasonable deal but I haven't yet loaded it. As soon as I do I will let you know how it goes but I am looking forward to it because the office announcement came with a couple of introductory training videos that make the new software sound like something worthwhile. It sounds like it will raise the power of the computer to a more usable and user friendly level.
There will be a l earning curve, I can tell right from the start. There always is with the newest versions, but this one looks to be pretty intuitive. I builds well from the past so that power users should be able to adopt quickly while novices will find new ways of doing things that will make them look like an old pro.
The ability to easily format documents from word, excel, and power point should receive a warm welcome from those that have experienced the struggle of trying to straighten out and rearrange their work only to get to the point of starting over in frustration . In fact the demo I saw made it look like it should be a piece of cake to create production value documents as easily as completing a game of solitaire.
The compatibility issues actually appear to have been thought of before hand. I only hope that the have let Excel data input become as easy as Lotus 123 used to be. Those that remember Lotus 123 back when it was the standard will recall that it was pretty well designed for those that had a lot of data to enter manually. When Excel came along it adopted (borrowed?) much that was good in 123 but had to change somethings, and sadly data entry was one of them. There is a option setting that you can change so that it will mimic 123 and it works for most things, but I always have to switch it on and off when changing to formulas and entering dates.
I want to get started soon learning this new app so that I will be way ahead of everyone else in the office when the time comes. There is a certain satisfaction to being the local computer guru even if it is only for a little while.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
There will be a l earning curve, I can tell right from the start. There always is with the newest versions, but this one looks to be pretty intuitive. I builds well from the past so that power users should be able to adopt quickly while novices will find new ways of doing things that will make them look like an old pro.
The ability to easily format documents from word, excel, and power point should receive a warm welcome from those that have experienced the struggle of trying to straighten out and rearrange their work only to get to the point of starting over in frustration . In fact the demo I saw made it look like it should be a piece of cake to create production value documents as easily as completing a game of solitaire.
The compatibility issues actually appear to have been thought of before hand. I only hope that the have let Excel data input become as easy as Lotus 123 used to be. Those that remember Lotus 123 back when it was the standard will recall that it was pretty well designed for those that had a lot of data to enter manually. When Excel came along it adopted (borrowed?) much that was good in 123 but had to change somethings, and sadly data entry was one of them. There is a option setting that you can change so that it will mimic 123 and it works for most things, but I always have to switch it on and off when changing to formulas and entering dates.
I want to get started soon learning this new app so that I will be way ahead of everyone else in the office when the time comes. There is a certain satisfaction to being the local computer guru even if it is only for a little while.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
17 March 2008
Local television news is in trouble.
Local television news is in trouble. Like newspapers, they are in danger of losing out on the very markets they are striving to serve. They are driven by a standardized formula, which is fine if the formula you are using is working, and I admit that so far it is working, at least enough that most viewers are unwilling to change. In fact the formula is so popular in the industry that it is hard to tell one channel from the next other than having a different face reading the sound bites too you.
But it is that sameness that is going to be the downfall. The stories are the same. They are reported in the same style. They are usually reported in the same sequence. The national and world stories come from the same feeds. The stories are seldom in depth studies and accuracy is seldom a concern. If you really have an interest in a story, you are forced to pursue other means to get any meaningful detail. So when you factor in the teasers, the advertising breaks and the excess banter, you are luck to get 34 minutes of real content per hour and only half of that will be of value.
I hate the teasers. They are the worst form of journalism to inflect on the viewing public. Teasers before the show and teasers at every break. There are some that give you more information in the teaser than they do in the actual story. There are some that sound very promising but then deliver so little that you feel ripped off. There are teasers that make you stay tuned but two minutes later you can’t even remember what it was you were waiting for. I hate teasers.
If you have ever had to stay home sick and ended up watching the morning news for more than the typical 30 minute stint you will notice that the same stories will appear over and over. You will also find traffic reports that are of no value to anyone but those that like to rubber neck at accidents. If you have a commute that is long enough to need a traffic report then using the one on the TV before you leave probably won’t do you any good any way. I never understood why the traffic reports started well before the morning rush hour did. They now show pictures from roadside cameras that let you know just how ridicules it is to be reporting on traffic that early in the morning.
Then there are the six versions of weather reports per hour, not counting the teasers. The weather reports have got to be the biggest joke out there and yet it seems to be the only thing I want to watch on the news anymore. First let it be known that weather reports are only good for about three days at best. Anything beyond that is just fluff. If I’m lucky, they show a satellite loop that will give me a good enough picture of the weather pattern that I can make my own fairly reliable predictions. I like to watch for the 7 day outlook and then notice the changes to the seventh day as it gets closer throughout the week. It can fluctuate quite a bit. If you want a really good laugh, there are some out there that are giving a 14 day outlook.
The weather reports also tend to match the desired weather, in other words if you need water they will be overly optimistic with their rain or snow forecast, and if you have a holiday coming up they will try to predict good weather for the weekend.
I have to give credit to those that present the news. They are able to make everything seem wonderful or awful as the teletype dictates. They can act surprised at the right time even though they did the same story just an hour ago. They can feign interest in even the most fabricated of stories. And they have figured out how to turn it on and off, day after day after day. That is talent.
So where is the danger to local news? It is the fact that it is no longer local news or news that is well tailored to the local populace. It is becoming more and more homogenized. And that means that it is less and less specialized. With the population growing and the definition of what local is expanding it is not that amazing that there is so much of the local populace that gets left out. It is this alienation that has led many to go elsewhere for their news and information.
This is happening in print, radio, and television. As the media moves farther and farther from the public it serves, the will have less and less relevance to that audience and will in turn they will have a smaller audience. This should open up opportunities for small players to step in and return a sense of community to the community. I still run into this on occasion and on a small scale. Small local print is very refreshing even if it is irrelevant to your world. It is hard to start up a small outfit and to compete with the big boys for advertising revenue and for those that make the attempt I wish them all the best.
When the big boys do it right, they are hard to beat, but when they just churn out the same old thing then there is room for others to make a valid alternative. As each of us is somewhat unique and as there are more and more sources to feed us our daily need for information, there will continue to be a market for individual specialized media. The hard part is turning off the noise and finding the right media for each person. As you define your world the media will follow, and then you will know that one size does not fit all.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
But it is that sameness that is going to be the downfall. The stories are the same. They are reported in the same style. They are usually reported in the same sequence. The national and world stories come from the same feeds. The stories are seldom in depth studies and accuracy is seldom a concern. If you really have an interest in a story, you are forced to pursue other means to get any meaningful detail. So when you factor in the teasers, the advertising breaks and the excess banter, you are luck to get 34 minutes of real content per hour and only half of that will be of value.
I hate the teasers. They are the worst form of journalism to inflect on the viewing public. Teasers before the show and teasers at every break. There are some that give you more information in the teaser than they do in the actual story. There are some that sound very promising but then deliver so little that you feel ripped off. There are teasers that make you stay tuned but two minutes later you can’t even remember what it was you were waiting for. I hate teasers.
If you have ever had to stay home sick and ended up watching the morning news for more than the typical 30 minute stint you will notice that the same stories will appear over and over. You will also find traffic reports that are of no value to anyone but those that like to rubber neck at accidents. If you have a commute that is long enough to need a traffic report then using the one on the TV before you leave probably won’t do you any good any way. I never understood why the traffic reports started well before the morning rush hour did. They now show pictures from roadside cameras that let you know just how ridicules it is to be reporting on traffic that early in the morning.
Then there are the six versions of weather reports per hour, not counting the teasers. The weather reports have got to be the biggest joke out there and yet it seems to be the only thing I want to watch on the news anymore. First let it be known that weather reports are only good for about three days at best. Anything beyond that is just fluff. If I’m lucky, they show a satellite loop that will give me a good enough picture of the weather pattern that I can make my own fairly reliable predictions. I like to watch for the 7 day outlook and then notice the changes to the seventh day as it gets closer throughout the week. It can fluctuate quite a bit. If you want a really good laugh, there are some out there that are giving a 14 day outlook.
The weather reports also tend to match the desired weather, in other words if you need water they will be overly optimistic with their rain or snow forecast, and if you have a holiday coming up they will try to predict good weather for the weekend.
I have to give credit to those that present the news. They are able to make everything seem wonderful or awful as the teletype dictates. They can act surprised at the right time even though they did the same story just an hour ago. They can feign interest in even the most fabricated of stories. And they have figured out how to turn it on and off, day after day after day. That is talent.
So where is the danger to local news? It is the fact that it is no longer local news or news that is well tailored to the local populace. It is becoming more and more homogenized. And that means that it is less and less specialized. With the population growing and the definition of what local is expanding it is not that amazing that there is so much of the local populace that gets left out. It is this alienation that has led many to go elsewhere for their news and information.
This is happening in print, radio, and television. As the media moves farther and farther from the public it serves, the will have less and less relevance to that audience and will in turn they will have a smaller audience. This should open up opportunities for small players to step in and return a sense of community to the community. I still run into this on occasion and on a small scale. Small local print is very refreshing even if it is irrelevant to your world. It is hard to start up a small outfit and to compete with the big boys for advertising revenue and for those that make the attempt I wish them all the best.
When the big boys do it right, they are hard to beat, but when they just churn out the same old thing then there is room for others to make a valid alternative. As each of us is somewhat unique and as there are more and more sources to feed us our daily need for information, there will continue to be a market for individual specialized media. The hard part is turning off the noise and finding the right media for each person. As you define your world the media will follow, and then you will know that one size does not fit all.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Advertisements comments 17 Mar 2008
I am having a hard time finding advertisements worth watching lately. Most are uneventful at the least and down right stupid at their worst. What is really surprising to me is that someone actually thought up the idea, it was approved by a supervisor, it was approved by a client, it was produced, and then someone paid to put this on the air. How come it got this far? Did no one have the courage to stand up and say, “Hey, wait a minute, this is awful”?
I am going to start taking notes of the particularly bad ones and good ones if I can find any to share with you my thoughts on the matter. You may agree or may not agree but that is what opinions are all about.
The first ones that come to mind are the food and diet commercials. I have had my fill of them. If you take careful notice you will find yourself asking important questions such as why does it take two hands to hold that portion of food? If the typical actor is relatively small then the portion on display in those two hands must be incredibly small, and that means that there is no way on earth that one of those dinky things will ever come close to filling me up. Thanks to macro photography, subject food may appear larger than in real life. Beside the camera adds 10 pounds. You can find examples of this in most NutriSystem ads as well as Taco Bell and any dollar menu item ads.
I am very weary of anything that has fine print. Especially when the fine print is so small that you need to have an 80 inch HD screen to be able to make it out, and even then you need to freeze frame it. Hint: Most all diet ads say that results are not typical. At least they are honest about that.
It is hard to imagine how Toyota became so popular with the advertisements they use. Theirs are the most boring and useless in the car industry. They don’t inspire imagination, they never discuss numbers when they are having a ‘sale’, and the latest attempt at being politically correct with a car that is put together with sticks and leaves and then gets blown away by the wind makes me wonder if the car I buy would last about that long as well. It is a good thing they have a great word of mouth reputation to going for them.
Most ads are thankfully forgettable. This is the one thing that keeps us sane. I count on the fact that I will not take notice of most ads out there. There are so many ways to get inundated with ads that I think I have reached a saturation point. This means that it is going to take something special to get through to me and then it will have to work extra hard to get through the cynical filters. Also if the advert is really bad I tend to go out of my way to avoid the product. I tend to associate a really bad advertisement with a really bad product. Think of the internet is hiding ads of AT&T and you just know this is something to avoid.
We will watch and report more as we go. I’m sure you have noticed them yourself. Maybe we can laugh at the truly awful ones together.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I am going to start taking notes of the particularly bad ones and good ones if I can find any to share with you my thoughts on the matter. You may agree or may not agree but that is what opinions are all about.
The first ones that come to mind are the food and diet commercials. I have had my fill of them. If you take careful notice you will find yourself asking important questions such as why does it take two hands to hold that portion of food? If the typical actor is relatively small then the portion on display in those two hands must be incredibly small, and that means that there is no way on earth that one of those dinky things will ever come close to filling me up. Thanks to macro photography, subject food may appear larger than in real life. Beside the camera adds 10 pounds. You can find examples of this in most NutriSystem ads as well as Taco Bell and any dollar menu item ads.
I am very weary of anything that has fine print. Especially when the fine print is so small that you need to have an 80 inch HD screen to be able to make it out, and even then you need to freeze frame it. Hint: Most all diet ads say that results are not typical. At least they are honest about that.
It is hard to imagine how Toyota became so popular with the advertisements they use. Theirs are the most boring and useless in the car industry. They don’t inspire imagination, they never discuss numbers when they are having a ‘sale’, and the latest attempt at being politically correct with a car that is put together with sticks and leaves and then gets blown away by the wind makes me wonder if the car I buy would last about that long as well. It is a good thing they have a great word of mouth reputation to going for them.
Most ads are thankfully forgettable. This is the one thing that keeps us sane. I count on the fact that I will not take notice of most ads out there. There are so many ways to get inundated with ads that I think I have reached a saturation point. This means that it is going to take something special to get through to me and then it will have to work extra hard to get through the cynical filters. Also if the advert is really bad I tend to go out of my way to avoid the product. I tend to associate a really bad advertisement with a really bad product. Think of the internet is hiding ads of AT&T and you just know this is something to avoid.
We will watch and report more as we go. I’m sure you have noticed them yourself. Maybe we can laugh at the truly awful ones together.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Most cars bland
Most cars are bland and uninspired. The only reason for this as far as I can see is that most people are bland and uninspired. From the engineer to the customer we are lacking in innovation. Need too often overrides want when it comes to the cars we choose.
I am a car guy. I really like cars. I like to look at cars, I like to drive cars, I like to test cars, I like to talk about cars, I like to ride in cars. I like cars.
When I was much younger, it didn’t take much to get me excited about cars. I liked to look at anything on the road and imagine me behind the wheel someday. As I got older, I became for discerning and it took more and more to get my attention. Now it seems that 95% of what I see on the road holds no interest for me at all.
Part of this came from the cookie cutter look of so many of the cars out there. The current state of design has most cars looking pretty much like all the other cars. There are a few unique cars that are worthy of a glance if only because they are unique.
As cars age and you see fewer and fewer of a vintage on the road, its rarity makes it unique and you can find yourself taking a second look. This does not mean they are great cars or even good cars. The Pinto or Gremlin would fall into this category. They are not great but they do get noticed because they are unique.
Some people have lovingly kept the older models alive and well looked after and their pride shines forth. These kind of cars almost always garner a look. After all, you can tell a fellow car guy when you see one.
Then there are the exceptional models that have merit all on their own. These cars catch my eye no matter what year or what shape they are in. Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, Cobra and Pantera will always catch my eye, seeming by magic.
Of course there are other odd models and various brand offerings that do it for me also. Certain Mustangs, Cameros, and Firebirds will entice me but not all. Some of these were real dogs. Most of Toyota offerings look fairly bland as are most Japanese offerings on this side of the pond. Hondas looks come and go on their bread and butter machines, though I must admit that a CRX still gets me ever time.
So what is it that draws my attention the most? What is the common element that binds my fascination? It is the fun factor. If I find myself asking “How much fun would it be to drive that?” I know I will be taking a longer glance. For some cars this is the out and out aspect of performance but for most it is an appearance of the enjoyment factor. That is why the CRX is so high on the list and why a Suzuki Samurai rates well.
The standard for fun changes as you factor in affordability. Then all of a sudden real cars must stand for something and must deliver your needs within in your means. It is all fine to dream but I find out a long time ago that it is much more fun to be on the playing floor than watching from the bleachers. This is also were handling and gas mileage take precedence over looks and status. Besides, with our excess of traffic cops and arcane traffic laws I would just as soon go about my business unnoticed thank you very much.
I have been fortunate enough to have driven many cars and many miles. I still have a passion for it all. I would rather be driving than fixing, or washing, or mowing, or anything. Duty takes its toll though and so I must work to pay for the things I like to do. But if I am careful and choose well I will continue to enjoy what the automotive world has to offer. Maybe not always at the leading edge, but at least I am in the game.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I am a car guy. I really like cars. I like to look at cars, I like to drive cars, I like to test cars, I like to talk about cars, I like to ride in cars. I like cars.
When I was much younger, it didn’t take much to get me excited about cars. I liked to look at anything on the road and imagine me behind the wheel someday. As I got older, I became for discerning and it took more and more to get my attention. Now it seems that 95% of what I see on the road holds no interest for me at all.
Part of this came from the cookie cutter look of so many of the cars out there. The current state of design has most cars looking pretty much like all the other cars. There are a few unique cars that are worthy of a glance if only because they are unique.
As cars age and you see fewer and fewer of a vintage on the road, its rarity makes it unique and you can find yourself taking a second look. This does not mean they are great cars or even good cars. The Pinto or Gremlin would fall into this category. They are not great but they do get noticed because they are unique.
Some people have lovingly kept the older models alive and well looked after and their pride shines forth. These kind of cars almost always garner a look. After all, you can tell a fellow car guy when you see one.
Then there are the exceptional models that have merit all on their own. These cars catch my eye no matter what year or what shape they are in. Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, Cobra and Pantera will always catch my eye, seeming by magic.
Of course there are other odd models and various brand offerings that do it for me also. Certain Mustangs, Cameros, and Firebirds will entice me but not all. Some of these were real dogs. Most of Toyota offerings look fairly bland as are most Japanese offerings on this side of the pond. Hondas looks come and go on their bread and butter machines, though I must admit that a CRX still gets me ever time.
So what is it that draws my attention the most? What is the common element that binds my fascination? It is the fun factor. If I find myself asking “How much fun would it be to drive that?” I know I will be taking a longer glance. For some cars this is the out and out aspect of performance but for most it is an appearance of the enjoyment factor. That is why the CRX is so high on the list and why a Suzuki Samurai rates well.
The standard for fun changes as you factor in affordability. Then all of a sudden real cars must stand for something and must deliver your needs within in your means. It is all fine to dream but I find out a long time ago that it is much more fun to be on the playing floor than watching from the bleachers. This is also were handling and gas mileage take precedence over looks and status. Besides, with our excess of traffic cops and arcane traffic laws I would just as soon go about my business unnoticed thank you very much.
I have been fortunate enough to have driven many cars and many miles. I still have a passion for it all. I would rather be driving than fixing, or washing, or mowing, or anything. Duty takes its toll though and so I must work to pay for the things I like to do. But if I am careful and choose well I will continue to enjoy what the automotive world has to offer. Maybe not always at the leading edge, but at least I am in the game.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
12 March 2008
A quick trip to Fort Worth
Just flew back from a quick trip to Fort Worth on American Airlines. It was a typical trip with some good points and some not so good points. I did want to mention that on the flight out I was treated to a question that is not asked very often. Do you want you orange juice with ice or without? I do not care for ice as a rule. I don't like the way it hits my lips and teeth or they way it always seems to come crashing down on you when you are getting close to the bottom of the glass so when someone ask me if I want ice or not, it is a real treat.
The second treat factor was when he offered not only one glass but a second glass of orange juice. I gladly accepted. I don't travel as well as I would like all the time, and part of the secret of a good trip is to stay well hydrated. I usually drink Ginger Ale when I am flying because true ginger has motion soothing qualities but with my stomach acting up and fighting a cold I thought I would forgo the carbonation and head for the vitamin C. It hit the spot.
Whoever you were, I wish I would have caught your name to give credit where credit is due. Thanks for the kindness. Little things truly do mean a lot. Especially in comparison to the flight from last week. And just to let you know, this act of kindness was not the norm because on the flight home we were back to the glass of ice with a dash of orange juice.
Like I said this was a quick trip but it included enough time for me to sneak in a side trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to watch our money being made. This is another check off from my list of things I have always wanted to do. It was very interesting and well worth the trip. I even got to see the new $5 bill on the production floor before its release tomorrow. They are working on a new $100 bill but that won't debut for awhile and was hidden from view by curtains so we will just have to wait and watch for the coming announcement.
Though it costs less than ten cents to produce a monetary note, they will charge you up to 5 times its face value when they stick it in a fancy wrapper and sell it in the gift shop. The power of collectibles is truly amazing.
If you are in the area and have an interest I can recommend the tour. Also, if you are in Denver, stop into the mint and watch them make coins. With increase security it pays to arrive early because you will go through a screening like at the airport. Also, during the busy season you may have to sign up for the tour in advance to make sure you can get in. Since I was solo this run I was able to fit in with a group of elementary school students out on a field trip. The kids seem to be enjoying the tour almost as much as I did.
There is still a lot of this great country for me to see and I intend to see as much of it as I can. Who knows, we might run into each other out there on the road.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The second treat factor was when he offered not only one glass but a second glass of orange juice. I gladly accepted. I don't travel as well as I would like all the time, and part of the secret of a good trip is to stay well hydrated. I usually drink Ginger Ale when I am flying because true ginger has motion soothing qualities but with my stomach acting up and fighting a cold I thought I would forgo the carbonation and head for the vitamin C. It hit the spot.
Whoever you were, I wish I would have caught your name to give credit where credit is due. Thanks for the kindness. Little things truly do mean a lot. Especially in comparison to the flight from last week. And just to let you know, this act of kindness was not the norm because on the flight home we were back to the glass of ice with a dash of orange juice.
Like I said this was a quick trip but it included enough time for me to sneak in a side trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to watch our money being made. This is another check off from my list of things I have always wanted to do. It was very interesting and well worth the trip. I even got to see the new $5 bill on the production floor before its release tomorrow. They are working on a new $100 bill but that won't debut for awhile and was hidden from view by curtains so we will just have to wait and watch for the coming announcement.
Though it costs less than ten cents to produce a monetary note, they will charge you up to 5 times its face value when they stick it in a fancy wrapper and sell it in the gift shop. The power of collectibles is truly amazing.
If you are in the area and have an interest I can recommend the tour. Also, if you are in Denver, stop into the mint and watch them make coins. With increase security it pays to arrive early because you will go through a screening like at the airport. Also, during the busy season you may have to sign up for the tour in advance to make sure you can get in. Since I was solo this run I was able to fit in with a group of elementary school students out on a field trip. The kids seem to be enjoying the tour almost as much as I did.
There is still a lot of this great country for me to see and I intend to see as much of it as I can. Who knows, we might run into each other out there on the road.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
08 March 2008
The pain of buying a new computer
I hate shopping for new computers. I should really enjoy it because I do like new technology and the discovery process and comparing but for some reason computer shopping is just not as fun as it should be.
When you go shopping for cars you have a pretty diverse range of subjects to choose from be it color, body style, number of doors, tires, engines, transmissions, stereo systems, and that is without mention of make and model preferences, reliability records, mileage, performance, insurance. Yet for cars you can quickly eliminate many of the items and focus down on what will meet your needs the best, then find a store (dealer) that will take the best care of you and figure out the price you’re willing to pay.
Computers on the other hand can be broken down into a commodity item, or at least it should be, and the first place you want to look is the manufacture (dealer) for reliability, dependability, and price. Once you have found a place you can work with and rely on then it becomes a matter of which machine fits your budget, or how can I get the most bang for my buck.
This is where it starts getting difficult and they know it. It is not just a simple matter of saying bigger is better because sometimes it isn’t. Newest and latest does not guarantee anything either. And the truly rotten thing is no matter what you get there are no guarantees that it will be compatible with anything else in the industry, now or in the future. They have you on the hook for a continual rotation.
Because of this I have set my price point for the next computer buy to be on the lowest end possible that will still function reasonably well for the next three years. I know that is asking a lot but I should be able to buy a machine now and a new one in three years for the same amount of money I would have to spend to have a machine that would last four years. Did I mention I’m a numbers guy?
Back to point, this should still be a fairly easy process. Decide desktop or laptop, size screen, DVD writer and be done with it, but no, that is just the beginning. Which processor do I choose Intel or AMD? Which video card, though most pre built boxes are fixed? How much memory will I need to run the Vista hog? Why does it costs more to “upgrade” to Windows XP? That should tell me something right there.
Anybody that has done this (and you all must have to be reading this right now) knows that I haven’t even scratched the surface. Every week there is a new introduction of what the latest and greatest new hardware item is. From CPU, to Video cards and all points in between there is always a reason to wait for the next release which is also the reason that what you just bought just became yesterday’s news. Yes my friend, your machine is now obsolete and you haven’t even gotten it out of the packing yet.
Now I understand that and I am o.k. with that. It is pat of what innovation is all about. New technology is wonderful when it continually leads you to new and better things. My hardship stems from trying to figure out the here and now. The manufactures (and here I refer to any that make prepackaged boxes) have done their best to make things just a little different so that you have a hard time comparing them to the next guy down the block. I can understand that as well, that is just normal marketing for a commoditized product. What I can’t understand is why they make it so difficult to compare one item from the other within their own lineup.
I am a little more aware of computers than my fellow cube mates and I could probably build a computer ala carte easier than most, at the very least I could pick out a list of items and have someone put it together for me but then you are talking customization which is best done at a local shop. Actually that would be my preference if I had the time and money, but need and budget are driving factors at this point. Also, the problem with local shops is they can be opinionated, backlogged and pricey. Come to think of it, so are the big boys. The local shops don’t have the buying clout of the big boys so they have to pay more for their stuff which means you have to pay more for your stuff. To be at the same price point you are dealing with older or lesser technology.
Speaking of price points, the big boys should have better economies of scale with the volume they are producing. Second point is they should also be able to assembly line pre packaged units far cheaper than the customized boxes by using mass production techniques. I have not seen much evidence to support this theory in their pricing but I have seen evidence of it in their profit margins.
So why can’t I find wonderful deals on Dell or HP or whatever for pre-built, pre-packaged, all in one, inclusive 80 percentile, desired machines? I don’t know. It should be a no brainer, even from a marketing standpoint.
I have gone to their web sites, often, and tried pricing out various machines looking at both pre-builds and customization builds. All I get is more confused and frustrated. They have a hundred (self recognized exaggeration) slightly differently named models with very little in the way of figuring out what makes them different. This makes it all but impossible to compare even within the same lineup. And if you use their customization order form to personalize your choice and you want to compare between the regular case and the slim line you will go insane because you can run a dozen different scenarios in the same line and still not be able to compare apples to apples. I know about what I want and about what I want to pay but I have yet to build a list the same way twice on the custom list.
My answer at this point is to just give up. I am not going to be able to get what I want, how I want it, for the price I am willing to pay (I will always want more) and it isn’t worth the aggravation of going through the hassle of an overloaded web site, which never really gets around to providing the choices you want. I think I will just go down to Costco and find the one that is closest to my spec list and if it is on sale, load up the truck and bring it on home.
No machine I get will be a perfect answer. In the world of computers and Microsoft, incompatibility is the norm. That is why I decided years ago, after buying my first computer and the troubles I went through, that my gaming machines were going to be a Sega or a Playstation because all the compatibility problems would already be taken care of. Life is easier that way.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
When you go shopping for cars you have a pretty diverse range of subjects to choose from be it color, body style, number of doors, tires, engines, transmissions, stereo systems, and that is without mention of make and model preferences, reliability records, mileage, performance, insurance. Yet for cars you can quickly eliminate many of the items and focus down on what will meet your needs the best, then find a store (dealer) that will take the best care of you and figure out the price you’re willing to pay.
Computers on the other hand can be broken down into a commodity item, or at least it should be, and the first place you want to look is the manufacture (dealer) for reliability, dependability, and price. Once you have found a place you can work with and rely on then it becomes a matter of which machine fits your budget, or how can I get the most bang for my buck.
This is where it starts getting difficult and they know it. It is not just a simple matter of saying bigger is better because sometimes it isn’t. Newest and latest does not guarantee anything either. And the truly rotten thing is no matter what you get there are no guarantees that it will be compatible with anything else in the industry, now or in the future. They have you on the hook for a continual rotation.
Because of this I have set my price point for the next computer buy to be on the lowest end possible that will still function reasonably well for the next three years. I know that is asking a lot but I should be able to buy a machine now and a new one in three years for the same amount of money I would have to spend to have a machine that would last four years. Did I mention I’m a numbers guy?
Back to point, this should still be a fairly easy process. Decide desktop or laptop, size screen, DVD writer and be done with it, but no, that is just the beginning. Which processor do I choose Intel or AMD? Which video card, though most pre built boxes are fixed? How much memory will I need to run the Vista hog? Why does it costs more to “upgrade” to Windows XP? That should tell me something right there.
Anybody that has done this (and you all must have to be reading this right now) knows that I haven’t even scratched the surface. Every week there is a new introduction of what the latest and greatest new hardware item is. From CPU, to Video cards and all points in between there is always a reason to wait for the next release which is also the reason that what you just bought just became yesterday’s news. Yes my friend, your machine is now obsolete and you haven’t even gotten it out of the packing yet.
Now I understand that and I am o.k. with that. It is pat of what innovation is all about. New technology is wonderful when it continually leads you to new and better things. My hardship stems from trying to figure out the here and now. The manufactures (and here I refer to any that make prepackaged boxes) have done their best to make things just a little different so that you have a hard time comparing them to the next guy down the block. I can understand that as well, that is just normal marketing for a commoditized product. What I can’t understand is why they make it so difficult to compare one item from the other within their own lineup.
I am a little more aware of computers than my fellow cube mates and I could probably build a computer ala carte easier than most, at the very least I could pick out a list of items and have someone put it together for me but then you are talking customization which is best done at a local shop. Actually that would be my preference if I had the time and money, but need and budget are driving factors at this point. Also, the problem with local shops is they can be opinionated, backlogged and pricey. Come to think of it, so are the big boys. The local shops don’t have the buying clout of the big boys so they have to pay more for their stuff which means you have to pay more for your stuff. To be at the same price point you are dealing with older or lesser technology.
Speaking of price points, the big boys should have better economies of scale with the volume they are producing. Second point is they should also be able to assembly line pre packaged units far cheaper than the customized boxes by using mass production techniques. I have not seen much evidence to support this theory in their pricing but I have seen evidence of it in their profit margins.
So why can’t I find wonderful deals on Dell or HP or whatever for pre-built, pre-packaged, all in one, inclusive 80 percentile, desired machines? I don’t know. It should be a no brainer, even from a marketing standpoint.
I have gone to their web sites, often, and tried pricing out various machines looking at both pre-builds and customization builds. All I get is more confused and frustrated. They have a hundred (self recognized exaggeration) slightly differently named models with very little in the way of figuring out what makes them different. This makes it all but impossible to compare even within the same lineup. And if you use their customization order form to personalize your choice and you want to compare between the regular case and the slim line you will go insane because you can run a dozen different scenarios in the same line and still not be able to compare apples to apples. I know about what I want and about what I want to pay but I have yet to build a list the same way twice on the custom list.
My answer at this point is to just give up. I am not going to be able to get what I want, how I want it, for the price I am willing to pay (I will always want more) and it isn’t worth the aggravation of going through the hassle of an overloaded web site, which never really gets around to providing the choices you want. I think I will just go down to Costco and find the one that is closest to my spec list and if it is on sale, load up the truck and bring it on home.
No machine I get will be a perfect answer. In the world of computers and Microsoft, incompatibility is the norm. That is why I decided years ago, after buying my first computer and the troubles I went through, that my gaming machines were going to be a Sega or a Playstation because all the compatibility problems would already be taken care of. Life is easier that way.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
07 March 2008
Time to end Daylight Savings Time
It is time to do away with Daylight Savings Time. In fact, there is never a bad time to do away with a bad idea. DST may have had a purpose when it was first introduced but it has no relevance at this point in time. I still think that the world is filled with grown ups that are perfectly able to make big and little decisions on their own. If one person wants to get up early and go to bed early and another wants to get up late and stay up late, why should the rest of the world interfere, and more importantly why should the rest of the world adjust what it is doing to accommodate.
One person can not make the stand alone. If you are going to meet someone, somewhere, at sometime you must be able to agree on all three things for it to happen. If your nine o’clock is another’s 10 o’clock it just will not work. In other words, other people have to play the same game or we all end up playing alone.
Some people have gotten together to play the same game and say no more to the DST. Arizona for example does not bother with this silliness. Way to go Arizona. There are others out there that haven’t folded to the pressure of joining the crowd in a dumb idea so why can’t the rest of us come to our senses?
You can’t control the Sun, you can’t control the rotation of the Earth. Why pretend that you we are trying to control anything other than people that use clocks? This is nothing more than a pain that messes up our sleep twice a year. Let’s bring it to an end while there is still time.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
One person can not make the stand alone. If you are going to meet someone, somewhere, at sometime you must be able to agree on all three things for it to happen. If your nine o’clock is another’s 10 o’clock it just will not work. In other words, other people have to play the same game or we all end up playing alone.
Some people have gotten together to play the same game and say no more to the DST. Arizona for example does not bother with this silliness. Way to go Arizona. There are others out there that haven’t folded to the pressure of joining the crowd in a dumb idea so why can’t the rest of us come to our senses?
You can’t control the Sun, you can’t control the rotation of the Earth. Why pretend that you we are trying to control anything other than people that use clocks? This is nothing more than a pain that messes up our sleep twice a year. Let’s bring it to an end while there is still time.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
06 March 2008
A day spent with Delta
I just got back from a flight to the east cost the other day on Delta Airlines. Of course we had to go through Atlanta, which isn’t too bad until you are delayed by the weather. If you find yourself in the Atlanta airport with a little time to kill be sure to check out the African sculptures on exhibit in the lower connecting tunnel between Terminals A and T. It really is some amazing art work.
So Delta, what’s the deal? Are you guys so hard up that you have to overcharge for crappy food just to make a buck? I remember when they used to give you the ‘whole’ can of soda with your cup of big block ice. Now you get what ever is drizzled over that little cup of big block ice. I’m sure they get about three servings per can that way. Then you want to charge $3 for a half can of Pringles. And why would you charge us $8 for something that was only barely eatable when it was free? Why are you charging us at all on a flight that is four hours in length? I have to admit that the free cheese crackers were good, but you could have given us two and left the can to wash it down with.
Why is it that we have all this cool new technology on the plane to keep us distracted for the duration of the flight such as built in TV’s in the seat back in front of you but only a portion of it is useable? There were supposed to be 24 channels of Dish network television broadcast live into the plane. The most I had working at any one time was 6. Well that isn’t completely true. There were times when about 10 of the other channels were coming in but they all were showing the same thing, how to work you new dish network. The channels that were supposed to be there, the ones I wanted to watch, were replaced with this lousy instructions video for new users. The others channels were either blacked out or said lost signal. A guy can only watch so much HGTV. If this was an effort to sale me on the Dish network I would definitly be looking at cable.
Movies were available but for $5 bucks apiece. Even old TV shows from HBO were $2 an episode. There was one free trivia game available, the rest costing $5 apiece. Add another $2 for headphones and you would think that something should work right.
Sometimes I like ala carte, sometimes I don’t. This just feels cheap and abusive on your part. I am not expecting great things, or wonderful things. I am talking about simple little things that can make a big difference. The TSA has made it a pain to go to the airport, you should be doing what you can to make it less of a pain once we have crossed over to the other side. With competition what it is in the airline industry, you would think that you would be doing what you could to differentiate yourself. It doesn’t have to take much, when little things mean a lot.
Now least you think I am just a nitpicker, let me say that I have been on commercial aircraft since the 70’s and I know that aircraft have gotten a lot better in that time. From take off to touch down and all points in between, the rides seem to be smoother. The moving map GPS that lets you know were you are, were you are headed, how high up you are, how fast you are going and when you are expected to arrive is one of the coolest inventions to be added. The fact that you can personalize your entertainment to taste is remarkable. And though the speeds have not increased greatly in the last couple of decades, you still cover ground faster than any other alternative choice. Flying commercial is still a pretty nice way to travel, all in all. It’s just that it could be so much better. I hope we haven’t given up trying. After all, we love to fly, so let it show.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
So Delta, what’s the deal? Are you guys so hard up that you have to overcharge for crappy food just to make a buck? I remember when they used to give you the ‘whole’ can of soda with your cup of big block ice. Now you get what ever is drizzled over that little cup of big block ice. I’m sure they get about three servings per can that way. Then you want to charge $3 for a half can of Pringles. And why would you charge us $8 for something that was only barely eatable when it was free? Why are you charging us at all on a flight that is four hours in length? I have to admit that the free cheese crackers were good, but you could have given us two and left the can to wash it down with.
Why is it that we have all this cool new technology on the plane to keep us distracted for the duration of the flight such as built in TV’s in the seat back in front of you but only a portion of it is useable? There were supposed to be 24 channels of Dish network television broadcast live into the plane. The most I had working at any one time was 6. Well that isn’t completely true. There were times when about 10 of the other channels were coming in but they all were showing the same thing, how to work you new dish network. The channels that were supposed to be there, the ones I wanted to watch, were replaced with this lousy instructions video for new users. The others channels were either blacked out or said lost signal. A guy can only watch so much HGTV. If this was an effort to sale me on the Dish network I would definitly be looking at cable.
Movies were available but for $5 bucks apiece. Even old TV shows from HBO were $2 an episode. There was one free trivia game available, the rest costing $5 apiece. Add another $2 for headphones and you would think that something should work right.
Sometimes I like ala carte, sometimes I don’t. This just feels cheap and abusive on your part. I am not expecting great things, or wonderful things. I am talking about simple little things that can make a big difference. The TSA has made it a pain to go to the airport, you should be doing what you can to make it less of a pain once we have crossed over to the other side. With competition what it is in the airline industry, you would think that you would be doing what you could to differentiate yourself. It doesn’t have to take much, when little things mean a lot.
Now least you think I am just a nitpicker, let me say that I have been on commercial aircraft since the 70’s and I know that aircraft have gotten a lot better in that time. From take off to touch down and all points in between, the rides seem to be smoother. The moving map GPS that lets you know were you are, were you are headed, how high up you are, how fast you are going and when you are expected to arrive is one of the coolest inventions to be added. The fact that you can personalize your entertainment to taste is remarkable. And though the speeds have not increased greatly in the last couple of decades, you still cover ground faster than any other alternative choice. Flying commercial is still a pretty nice way to travel, all in all. It’s just that it could be so much better. I hope we haven’t given up trying. After all, we love to fly, so let it show.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
New cell phone not all it's cracked up to be
I have been playing with my new phone from T-Mobile. As you know I was having quite a struggle deciding which cell phone company to go with. I did not want to get a phone in the first place but my wife was insistent that she be able to get a hold of me when needed and I finally agreed. After carrying it around for a couple of weeks if it was up to me I would still be phoneless. The one or two times it is useful, do not make up for the pain of hauling it around, making sure it is charged, and trying to call at just the right time of day to avoid creating excessive charges.
Anyway, I got on line today to check the status of my usage. There is a charge for a text message. Why I do not know. I know that the ones from T-Mobile are free and I don’t open are look at or request any from anywhere so why have I got a charge for a text message on a brand new phone?
I decided to call and ask about this. This was also a test of the customer service department and I must say that any and all of my dealings with them have been great. They really do have a good customer service. The people are people. They are friendly, cheerful, considerate, and they really are trying to help. I like that. This is such a vast difference compared to dealing with AT&T that I once again have hope for the communications industry.
The one thing my customer service rep could not do was change T-Mobile policy in the one area that needs to be changed. I do not want text messaging. I do not want to receive it; I do not want to send it. I do not want it, period, end of story.
But even more important, I do not want to pay for it. And I shouldn’t have to. No one should have to pay for a service that is neither requested, nor desired and at this point pay for something they have no control over. You see, T-Mobile like many or all cell phone companies charges you for incoming and outgoing text messages at a per message rate or if you get flooded you can always upgrade to unlimited for about $20 a month, but they will charge you whether you want it or not. You can not opt out. There is no place to go, no setting you can make, and no switch they can throw that will kill text messaging for you. You are stuck with it.
I really dislike that fact. The person I spoke with was very apologetic for that and said that T-Mobile may change that in the future but for now that is just the way things are. T-Mobile evidently gets quite a few calls concerning this. The person I spoke with said it comes up all the time. “HELLO”. It is time to wake up and listen. People want the ability to turn this off. A communication company of all companies should be able to listen. Give the people what they want. It would certainly make me happier if I thought I was in control of my expenses.
Other than that how do I like my Blackberry Pearl? (You can’t see it but my hand is wavering back and forth). So far, so, so. The phone is simple in some areas and needlessly complicated in others. I know we haven’t begun to stretch it’s capabilities so far but I am still trying to figure out how to block text messaging. Set up is taking some time. It is not as intuitive as I had hoped. Battery life is shorter than planned so you are always trying to remember to put it on the charger about every third or fourth night. It really sucks up the juice if you are actually using it. This is a worry if you travel much. Will I be able to find access to power on the road? What about overseas? What will it be like if I use the media player functions on it? Will I ever be able to figure out how to use the media player functions on it?
I also go the Motorola H700 bluetooth ear piece headset with it. Again, so far, so, so. The earpiece is noisy like I got a bad speaker in it. When you turn your head away from the phone, which is in my pocket, it seems to get worse. Again, battery life seems less that adequate with no real way of knowing how much life is left. This means that it could die on you in the middle of doing something, which it did to me and that is how I know. The range of the unit is not great but I don’t recall ever reading what to expect so maybe that is normal for these things. I pretty much have to stay within a cubicle distance. I have also been told that I sound like I am speaking in a barrel. I find myself repeating myself more than I should. Not an ideal situation.
This is disappointing because being able to talk hands free is a very good thing. Especially when driving. I still do not recommend anyone drive while under the influence of cell phone but if you have to hands free is the only way to go.
I hope to report later that all is well and that it has become a useful tool but for now I is just so much dead weight. I feel like I have to baby sit it as much as it is babysitting me. Until there is a better way, I guess we just have to go with what we’ve got.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Anyway, I got on line today to check the status of my usage. There is a charge for a text message. Why I do not know. I know that the ones from T-Mobile are free and I don’t open are look at or request any from anywhere so why have I got a charge for a text message on a brand new phone?
I decided to call and ask about this. This was also a test of the customer service department and I must say that any and all of my dealings with them have been great. They really do have a good customer service. The people are people. They are friendly, cheerful, considerate, and they really are trying to help. I like that. This is such a vast difference compared to dealing with AT&T that I once again have hope for the communications industry.
The one thing my customer service rep could not do was change T-Mobile policy in the one area that needs to be changed. I do not want text messaging. I do not want to receive it; I do not want to send it. I do not want it, period, end of story.
But even more important, I do not want to pay for it. And I shouldn’t have to. No one should have to pay for a service that is neither requested, nor desired and at this point pay for something they have no control over. You see, T-Mobile like many or all cell phone companies charges you for incoming and outgoing text messages at a per message rate or if you get flooded you can always upgrade to unlimited for about $20 a month, but they will charge you whether you want it or not. You can not opt out. There is no place to go, no setting you can make, and no switch they can throw that will kill text messaging for you. You are stuck with it.
I really dislike that fact. The person I spoke with was very apologetic for that and said that T-Mobile may change that in the future but for now that is just the way things are. T-Mobile evidently gets quite a few calls concerning this. The person I spoke with said it comes up all the time. “HELLO”. It is time to wake up and listen. People want the ability to turn this off. A communication company of all companies should be able to listen. Give the people what they want. It would certainly make me happier if I thought I was in control of my expenses.
Other than that how do I like my Blackberry Pearl? (You can’t see it but my hand is wavering back and forth). So far, so, so. The phone is simple in some areas and needlessly complicated in others. I know we haven’t begun to stretch it’s capabilities so far but I am still trying to figure out how to block text messaging. Set up is taking some time. It is not as intuitive as I had hoped. Battery life is shorter than planned so you are always trying to remember to put it on the charger about every third or fourth night. It really sucks up the juice if you are actually using it. This is a worry if you travel much. Will I be able to find access to power on the road? What about overseas? What will it be like if I use the media player functions on it? Will I ever be able to figure out how to use the media player functions on it?
I also go the Motorola H700 bluetooth ear piece headset with it. Again, so far, so, so. The earpiece is noisy like I got a bad speaker in it. When you turn your head away from the phone, which is in my pocket, it seems to get worse. Again, battery life seems less that adequate with no real way of knowing how much life is left. This means that it could die on you in the middle of doing something, which it did to me and that is how I know. The range of the unit is not great but I don’t recall ever reading what to expect so maybe that is normal for these things. I pretty much have to stay within a cubicle distance. I have also been told that I sound like I am speaking in a barrel. I find myself repeating myself more than I should. Not an ideal situation.
This is disappointing because being able to talk hands free is a very good thing. Especially when driving. I still do not recommend anyone drive while under the influence of cell phone but if you have to hands free is the only way to go.
I hope to report later that all is well and that it has become a useful tool but for now I is just so much dead weight. I feel like I have to baby sit it as much as it is babysitting me. Until there is a better way, I guess we just have to go with what we’ve got.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
01 March 2008
Sometimes IWON games just don't pay out
I have been an IWON user for some time, many years actually. I am a sucker for a sweepstakes, giveaways, and freebies. When IWON started their website they had a pretty decent homepage, free e-mail, and you could get entries into their sweepstakes for doing normal web activity. I was hooked. But then so were a lot of other people. I never won a thing but there was always the possibility, so I kept trying.
I was stuck with dial up for the longest time which didn’t help matters any. Let’s face it, slow is slow. I have since upgraded to DSL which is much better, but I suspect that there are still even faster ways to go.
Anyway, IWON has just changed there whole program. They have more games and more ways to earn entries (called coins) and that is supposed to help you have more chances to win. In the old program you could earn up to 100 entries per day and those entries were put into all sweepstakes. Now you have to earn 100 coins to make one entry and you have to decide which sweepstakes you are going to put it towards because it does not go into all sweeps.
Well, on the home page there are a couple of standard games you can play with which to earn these coins. One is a big prize wheel and the other a sort of slot machine. Today it finally happened. I spun the slot machine the full amount of times and ended up with absolutely nothing. The big prize wheel only gave up 500 coins, enough for a mere 5 entries. That won’t change your odds of winning anything by much.
5 entries in to be divided among the 7 sweepstakes, compared to the 100 entries in all sweepstakes for the day and you can see that we are not playing the same game. Of course you can earn and extra 30 coins per search, and you can earn more coins for playing some of the other games available, and some of those other games are kind of addicting. They have variations on casino games, some sports games, but also they have some pretty fun word games, and number games like Sudoku. By playing these extra games you can build up some extra entries but you can sure loose a lot of time. Oh, and did I mention that the whole time you are playing they are flashing advertisements at you. You have to pay for those prizes somehow.
I suppose I can’t complain too much, though in all the years of playing and using IWON it wasn’t until last December that I finally won something. I ended up hitting the IWON search sweepstakes for some $10 gift certificates to Amazon.com. That is like having a lousy game of golf but then hitting a really good tee shot on the last hole. You know you have to come back for more.
I know I will be back for more. After all the some of the games are kinda fun and challenging, even if the most seen phrases are ‘Sorry’ and ‘Try Again’. Also I am not the only one that thinks so for as I type this I see that there are 125,976 people logged on at the moment.
My biggest complaint for them or any web site is the fact that they can and do generate spam mail through their advertisers. Of course, anyone that has an e-mail account and has told at least one other person the address to that account will have received some spam. I have lost the use of more than one e-mail account to spam. I have even gotten spam from my own account address as someone was spoofing my address to send out spam. That is the worst kind of uncool. If ever there should be a target for malicious computing, spam frauders should be at the top of the list.
The other thing that pushes my buttons about IWON is the use of pop ups and pop unders. They do it to excess and it drives me nuts. I was using an old computer with an old browser and it was so bad that it drove me to action. I just downloaded the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, a way cool browser. It seems like it is compatible with everything. It uses less resources too so it should perform better than that other browser. I am going to try it for awhile and see if there are any problems. At least I have something now to block those pesky pop ups.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I have added some tip pages for those that are spending time on IWON. Check it out, you might find something new. IWON TIPS Page 1.
I was stuck with dial up for the longest time which didn’t help matters any. Let’s face it, slow is slow. I have since upgraded to DSL which is much better, but I suspect that there are still even faster ways to go.
Anyway, IWON has just changed there whole program. They have more games and more ways to earn entries (called coins) and that is supposed to help you have more chances to win. In the old program you could earn up to 100 entries per day and those entries were put into all sweepstakes. Now you have to earn 100 coins to make one entry and you have to decide which sweepstakes you are going to put it towards because it does not go into all sweeps.
Well, on the home page there are a couple of standard games you can play with which to earn these coins. One is a big prize wheel and the other a sort of slot machine. Today it finally happened. I spun the slot machine the full amount of times and ended up with absolutely nothing. The big prize wheel only gave up 500 coins, enough for a mere 5 entries. That won’t change your odds of winning anything by much.
5 entries in to be divided among the 7 sweepstakes, compared to the 100 entries in all sweepstakes for the day and you can see that we are not playing the same game. Of course you can earn and extra 30 coins per search, and you can earn more coins for playing some of the other games available, and some of those other games are kind of addicting. They have variations on casino games, some sports games, but also they have some pretty fun word games, and number games like Sudoku. By playing these extra games you can build up some extra entries but you can sure loose a lot of time. Oh, and did I mention that the whole time you are playing they are flashing advertisements at you. You have to pay for those prizes somehow.
I suppose I can’t complain too much, though in all the years of playing and using IWON it wasn’t until last December that I finally won something. I ended up hitting the IWON search sweepstakes for some $10 gift certificates to Amazon.com. That is like having a lousy game of golf but then hitting a really good tee shot on the last hole. You know you have to come back for more.
I know I will be back for more. After all the some of the games are kinda fun and challenging, even if the most seen phrases are ‘Sorry’ and ‘Try Again’. Also I am not the only one that thinks so for as I type this I see that there are 125,976 people logged on at the moment.
My biggest complaint for them or any web site is the fact that they can and do generate spam mail through their advertisers. Of course, anyone that has an e-mail account and has told at least one other person the address to that account will have received some spam. I have lost the use of more than one e-mail account to spam. I have even gotten spam from my own account address as someone was spoofing my address to send out spam. That is the worst kind of uncool. If ever there should be a target for malicious computing, spam frauders should be at the top of the list.
The other thing that pushes my buttons about IWON is the use of pop ups and pop unders. They do it to excess and it drives me nuts. I was using an old computer with an old browser and it was so bad that it drove me to action. I just downloaded the latest version of Mozilla Firefox, a way cool browser. It seems like it is compatible with everything. It uses less resources too so it should perform better than that other browser. I am going to try it for awhile and see if there are any problems. At least I have something now to block those pesky pop ups.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
I have added some tip pages for those that are spending time on IWON. Check it out, you might find something new. IWON TIPS Page 1.
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