There Is NO Excuse ...

iPhone.

AT&T/Cingular.

Supposedly the partnership between the two companies would rewrite the cellphone industry, right?  Up until now the phones were given away by the carriers to get the public's business.  The carriers were in charge and told the cellphone makers what they wanted, which features, etc. to put in the phone.  Then, for a nominal charge, you would pick your phone and sign a long term contract of one or two years depending on the discount you wanted.  The carrier would write the true cost of the phone into the contract's monthly cost.  Over the one or two year period of the contract the customer would be paying for the phone (ie, rather than buy a $340. phone, the customer pays $100 for that phone and the other $240 is paid for by bumping up the monthly plan by $10 a month with a two year commitment). 

This is the way the cellphone industry works, has worked, and all parties seemed comfortable with that: the cellphone makers, the carriers, and the public.

Then, along came Apple.

They made a phone that was so good, had so many features and was so slick to use that customers no longer picked from whichever phones their carrier offered, but signed on to whichever carrier they had to use in order to have an Apple iPhone.  Apple got to sell their shiny phones.  AT&T took a small percentage of the sales price and also got a lot of new customers with shiny new two year contracts. 

Most industry analysts saw how that turned the cell networks on their heads.  Instead of figuring what cheap phones they could offer to boost their bottom line while still attracting customers or retaining their old customers, suddenly they all want new and shiny cool phones.  They realized the public wants great phones and will pay for them ... if they are good enough.

A complete turn around, right?  Customers no longer picking phones based on plans, but picking plans based on what phone they want.

Thinking about it all tonight, I have one issue with it all:  Somewhere in that new equation, the plan price and contract requirements haven't changed.  

If the carriers are no longer needing to make up the cost of the phone they gave away in the beginning of the relationship, why aren't the monthly costs reduced by that $10 - $20 a month?The customer still pays the higher rates charged by the companies that supposedly had to have those rates to not lose money on the promotional phone give-ways, yet those customers are also now buying a phone and paying full price.

Also, if the carriers do not need the one or two year commitment to pay for the phone discounts, they are making a profit right from Day One, correct?  We were told that the long term contract was because of the phone costs and they needed that commitment to make their costs back - if you terminated the contract early, you had to pay them monies toward the phone.  We all thought that fair as it was obvious you couldn't get their 'free' (or heavily discounted) phone and then not let them make the money back by using them for a certain period of time, right?

But if they are making money from Day One and do not need to make back monies over time, why do we still have to sign a long term contract?  We don't do that for home phones.  We don't do that for any other service where the service provider is not providing equipment or trying to get back up front costs.

So for the public, we have the same monthly fees and the same long term requirement to use a service we aren't sure we'll like, yet have higher up front costs.

Sounds like the companies are making more profit and the public is getting screwed.

And what is new about that?

Boiled Dinner

While not a fan of boiled dinner, this was sent along by a great friend who is a stellar chef and swears it would convert me.

I post it all for you to check and try:

TimeBomb’s Boiled Dinner

1. Large Smoked Shoulder (7+ Lbs)
2. One large or two small heads plain cabbage
3. Two med Spanish onions
4. One Lb carrots
5. One stalk Leeks
6. Three Lbs potatoes
7. Four garlic cloves
8. Three Bay Leaves
9. Pepper Corns
10. Butter, parsley, salt & pepper

Rinse the shoulder under cold water and place in pot large enough to cover completely with cold water. Add bay leaves, pepper corns and garlic (smash garlic first) and bring water to a simmer. Do not allow water to boil.

Simmer for two hours covered.

Wedge the cabbage into quarters or sixths depending on size and add to pot.

Split, wash very well and chop leeks and add to pot.

Allow ten minutes to pass

Peel and chop onions and add to pot

Peel & cut carrots and add to pot

Allow ten minutes to pass

Peel and cut potatoes and add to pot.

After 20 minutes, uncover. Potatoes should be fork tender. Remove shoulder to platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables to an additional large platter and add ¼ stick of butter, salt & pepper.

Mustard sauce.

Use several tablespoons of Dijon mustard with one tablespoon of coarse grain Dijon. Add chopped parsley, pepper and reserved fluid from both the meat and the vegetable platter, stir and serve.  

Recommended Books

And as I recently posted a few films that were recommended to me that I have not seen, with the recommendation, I thought I would do the same for some books.

Again, I have not seen hem and cannot vouch for them...  I am copying the recommendations here so that I can keep track of them and that others may benefit from the critique as well.

*  

Brooklyn Follies (great writing, style and themes)

by Paul Auster

 

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Nathan Glass, a retired life insurance salesman estranged from his family and facing an iffy cancer prognosis, is "looking for a quiet place to die. Someone recommended Brooklyn." What he finds, though, in this ebullient novel by Brooklyn bard Auster (Oracle Night), is a vital, big-hearted borough brimming with great characters. These include Nathan's nephew, Tom, a grad student turned spiritually questing cab driver; Tom's serenely silent nine-year-old niece, who shows up on Tom's doorstep without her unstable mom; and a flamboyant book dealer hatching a scheme to sell a fraudulent manuscript of The Scarlet Letter. As Nathan recovers his soul through immersion in their lives, Auster meditates on the theme of sanctuary in American literature, from Hawthorne to Poe to Thoreau, infusing the novel's picaresque with touches of romanticism, Southern gothic and utopian yearning. But the book's presiding spirit is Brooklyn's first bard, Walt Whitman, as Auster embraces the borough's multitudes—neighborhood characters, drag queens, intellectuals manqué, greasy-spoon waitresses, urbane bourgeoisie—while singing odes to moonrise over the Brooklyn Bridge. Auster's graceful, offhand storytelling carries readers along, with enough shadow to keep the tale this side of schmaltz. The result is an affectionate portrait of the city as the ultimate refuge of the human spirit.

 

 ** The Tender Bar (loved the characters – who hasn’t known an “Uncle Charlie?)

by J.R. Moehringer

 

From Booklist

*Starred Review* People don't buy memoirs to read about happy families. And yet, for those who read a lot of memoirs, it can still be startling to learn both how many people have unhappy families--and how quickly we become inured to those people's pain. It's a rare writer who recollects his trials with clarity and dispassion, giving us not voyeurism but a good look at ourselves. Moehringer, raised poor by his melancholy mother, found himself looking for male role models wherever he could find them--often among the regulars at Publicans, a Manhasset, Long Island, bar that sounds a bit like Cheers with swearing. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, he recalls events as disparate as losing his virginity and getting his first newspaper job (at the New York Times) with a newsman's imperative to get the story. The reconstructed dialogue can be a bit cinematic, but that's a quibble. Funny, honest, and insightful, The Tender Bar finds universal themes in an unusual upbringing and declares a real love of barroom life without romanticizing it too much.

*** March (terrific premise,  insight into the times, heartbreaking in spots)

by Geraldine Brooks

 

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Brooks's luminous second novel, after 2001's acclaimed Year of Wonders, imagines the Civil War experiences of Mr. March, the absent father in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. An idealistic Concord cleric, March becomes a Union chaplain and later finds himself assigned to be a teacher on a cotton plantation that employs freed slaves, or "contraband." His narrative begins with cheerful letters home, but March gradually reveals to the reader what he does not to his family: the cruelty and racism of Northern and Southern soldiers, the violence and suffering he is powerless to prevent and his reunion with Grace, a beautiful, educated slave whom he met years earlier as a Connecticut peddler to the plantations. In between, we learn of March's earlier life: his whirlwind courtship of quick-tempered Marmee, his friendship with Emerson and Thoreau and the surprising cause of his family's genteel poverty. When a Confederate attack on the contraband farm lands March in a Washington hospital, sick with fever and guilt, the first-person narrative switches to Marmee, who describes a different version of the years past and an agonized reaction to the truth she uncovers about her husband's life. Brooks, who based the character of March on Alcott's transcendentalist father, Bronson, relies heavily on primary sources for both the Concord and wartime scenes; her characters speak with a convincing 19th-century formality, yet the narrative is always accessible. Through the shattered dreamer March, the passion and rage of Marmee and a host of achingly human minor characters, Brooks' affecting, beautifully written novel drives home the intimate horrors and ironies of the Civil War and the difficulty of living honestly with the knowledge of human suffering.

**** ... Not that there isn't room for testosterone fueled emotion among men... Certainly not the pabulum of "a beautiful journey" but I trust you both enough to make the following recommendation: Wally Lamb is an author who wrote "She's come undone" 1992 & "I know this much is true" 1998.  In the graveyard where I live an anemic library forced me to pick up "I know this much is true" despite the Spandoau Ballet title and the Opra book club sticker. It is one of the most extraordinary books I've ever read (I just finished it yesterday) It is not the type of book I would normally glance at but I'm looking forward to reading his first book.  No big deal but this book really affected me.  The book is about two identical twins. One becomes a paranoid scitzo. Their biological father is unknown and the step dad is abusive. Life has battered the "well" twin to point that his marriage is over. He has an old memoir that his Sicilian grandfather wrote and he has it translated to English in an attempt to understand himself. Answers ultimately come but not from expected sources and not always the one's he wants but redemption, forgiveness, and absolution are played out in this emotional human drama. Very well written. 

Recommended Films ...

Here are some films which I have not seen and their recommendations...  some of which are inside jokes and will not make sense, some of which will none-the-less.  

If you don't get the humor, oh well; I do.  ;-)

With no salutes to those who made the recommendations, and in no particular order:

* Have you seen “Before the Devil Knows your Dead” with Ethan Hawk and Phillip Seymour Hoffman?  Sydney Lumet – who is older then dirt – directed and makes me think I could walk back into Bert’s place with six dollars.

** I recently rented "High Country" starring Charlize Theron.  Comrade Chip (Rocco Zizza) has a cameo role as the high school teacher.  Talk about art immitating life... - Messican

*** Ended a perfect day by seeing an almost perfect little film tonight;  go see 'Once' -A small movie of nuance, great subtle performances by unknowns and full of some amazing music and lyrics that stir the soul. Loved it. 

**** Nancy and I watched an ultra violent extremely funny and absurdly entertaining movie Sat. night. “Smoking Aces.” Check it out and let me know if you agree.

16 Rules To Live By

EE - Okay, here is a repeat of someone's repeat  (boy, I am either too, too busy or getting lazy!  lol).

Ladies and Gents,

I found an article today that like most, I cannot take credit for writing.  But like always, the things I tell you on this blog will not be things that I have come up with, but which the human population of the world has come up with.  We all want to live and we are always looking for motivational things in our life.  We want things that inspire us and make us feel better or work harder as a person.  I know everyone believes this and wants this.  That why I bring you these self motivating rules from a source that isn't utilized or looked at often by people or at least I think so.  The article comes from GoDaddy.com and it was written by the owner Bob Parsons.  Bob, is a unique individual with years of experience and talent.  He currently owns a major corporation from the ground up. I do not know him personally, but he looks like a man every man would in some way like to aspire to.  He came out with these rules for his daily life.  After looking over them, I have implemented them in my daily life and strived to achieve what only some people dream of.  I hope you will look at them the same way.

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.

I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."

2. Never give up.

Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think.

There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.

Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."

5. Focus on what you want to have happen.

Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."

6. Take things a day at a time.

No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward.

Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide.

Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."

9. Measure everything of significance.

I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.

If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing.

When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around.

In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair.

Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems.

You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There’s always a reason to smile.

Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!”

Looking over these rules, they are more for the entrepreneur than anyone else but due to their over all value, they are very good rules. I would like to hear of any other rules people live by, please speak up.

Sam Stone

20 Websites That Can Change Your Life

I thought this was a great site:  http://www.lyved.com/life/20-websites-that-can-change-your-life/  and wanted to pass it on here:

_____

 20 Websites That Can Change Your Life

This post was sponsored by: www.AptoHosting.com - High Quality Shared Web Hosting! Starting at $6.95 per month.

The internet has changed all of our lives, hopefully in a more positive direction. You can use these sites just for entertainment or you can use them to change your life. Many of them you visit all the time but it’s time to look at them another way and harness their power.

*These are in no particular order.

1 - Facebook - Facebook allows you to reconnect with old and new friends. In the case of Lori Haas, facebook helped Lori reunite with her son that she gave up for adoption when she was just 17. (Full Story)

2 - Myspace - This is the most popular social network on the web, even though it has the most spam. Some absolutely hate myspace, but others have used it to launch their careers. Many singers and musicians have achieved “overnight” success using the network. Like facebook you can connect with friends but myspace makes it easier for networking with people you don’t know and create new business contacts.

3 - Digg - many will agree with this choice, while others will strongly disagree. But Digg can open you up to a whole new realm of news. You can visit the homepage once a day and instantly become up to date on what’s going on in the world. You can use Digg to your advantage, find the latest trends in business or find articles on improving your life.

4 - Kiva - Kiva is a lending site that helps entrepreneurs in developing countries finance their ventures. It doesn’t take much to help someone out. By changing others you can change yourself.

5 - Lifehack.org - Lifehack can help you get things done. This blog has in depth articles on all things that do with productivity.

6 - YouTube - If you want to work in the entertainment industry, YouTube is a great way to get your feet wet and at a very low cost. You have an audience of millions of people at your disposal.

7 - Google - This is an obvious one. I really don’t know how we lived without Google in the early days of the internet.

8 - Twitter - Twitter may someday save lives by people quickly alerting others of dangerous situations to avoid. During the California fires, people used Twitter to let friends know that they were safe. You can also use Twitter as a way to help with your business networking by knowing where your business contacts are at.

9 - eBay - eBay can save you a lot of money but can also bring you immense opportunities. You can easily create an online business that reaches millions of buyers. Many people have very successful million dollar enterprises using ebay.

10 - Ancestry.com - This website can help you piece together your family history. By understanding the past your can change the future. * Many readers have expressed concerns about the business practices of Ancestry.com. Please read comments below and be sure to check any complaints about Ancestry.com or any other business before working with them.*

11 - Zen Habits - This blog is similar to Lifehack.org by offering simple productivity to get the most of your life.

12 - Craigslist - You can find almost anything on Craigslist. It’s a simple site but can simply change your life.

13 - Post Secret - The Post Secret project shows you that we’re all very much the same. It can also show you that others may have worse problems than the ones your facing.

14 - LinkedIn - You can use LinkedIn to network with professionals from all areas of business including Fortune 500 companies.

15 - TED.com - This website is full of various videos from TED conferences and has biographies on some of the greatest thinkers of present time. Presentations from successful people such as Tony Robbins, Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Bono, Seth Godin, and Jane Goodall. Most videos are a few minutes long but can empower you for years to come.

16 - Wikipedia - Not everything on Wikipedia is accurate but there is so much information on almost every topic possible. Don’t know about something, just look it up on Wikipedia and within a few minutes you can be informed.

17 - The Fastlane to Millions - This is a relatively new and small forum for those who are or aspire to be entrepreneurs and millionaires. The members are very positive and want to help each other get the most out of life.

18 - Second Life - This virtual world may seem like a virtual waste of time but some people such as Anshe Chung have found opportunities limitless on Second Life. Anshe has become a millionaire by buying and selling virtual real estate.

19 - Quoteland - You can visit Quoteland and read hundreds of quotes that will give you a fresh perspective and change your life in minutes. If you have an open mind.

20 - 43 Things - 43 Things can be a great way to achieve your goals. You can post your dreams and aspirations for all to see. Having that type of pressure can be very positive for you, helping you continue till you reach your goals.

* 21 - Stumble Upon - This has been requested by readers to be added to the list. Stumble Upon can change your life and help you discover so many new websites you would never be able to otherwise.

* 22 - del.icio.us - This site has also been demanded to be added to the list. So since many have found Lyved via del.icio.us, it must be an addition. Maybe someone from del.icio.us can change their life after visiting Lyved.

What sites have been most beneficial to you or changed your life? Leave a comment below.

Enjoy this post? You may also enjoy reading 20 Ways to Change the World. If you enjoy Lyved please subscribe to the RSS feed here.

Music And Downloading - Aussie Style

01 April 2008 - 8:53AM

Music industry's false note By Peter Martin

Downloading is killing recorded music, right?

It must be. The music industry is so worried that it has asked the Communications Minister, Senator Conroy, to introduce a three strikes and you're out policy for people who illegally download favourite tracks.

They say strike one would be a warning. Strike two would earn you a suspension of your internet access and strike three would result in the removal of your internet access altogether.

It's needed because the music industry is losing sales. Or so it says, under oath, in court cases. I'll let you in on its guilty secret. It isn't.

The latest Australian Recording Industry Association sales figures released very quietly on the eve of Good Friday show that in fact the legal sales of recorded music climbed to an all-time high in 2007 a high that could only have been dreamed about in the years before the advent of downloading and CD burning.

It's uncomfortable with the fact. Most industry associations would crow about an all-time record high in sales. Not this one. It's grown up believing the sky is about to fall in.

Remember the introduction of the cassette tape in the 1970s and those skull and crossbones stickers on album covers warning that "Home Taping is Killing Music"?

In reality the exact opposite was happening.

Before the advent of home taping Americans bought around 2.5 long-playing records each per year. After two decades of home taping they were buying 4.5 recorded cassettes and LPs a year.

Stan Liebowitz, a Professor of Economics at the University of Texas, argues forcefully that the explosion in recorded music sales wasn't accidental. It was caused by the introduction of the cassette.

Before then, music listening was limited to one room in each house; the one with the record player.

The advent of the cassette made it possible to listen in the car, while jogging, in the garden practically anywhere.

With more of each day available to listen to recorded music, people needed to buy (or copy) more music to fill it. Music sales (and also "illegal" home copies) both skyrocketed.

I have been collecting Australian sales figures going back to 1982. In that year we bought a total 29 million units (cassettes, albums and singles) around two per person.

Ten years later, after almost a decade of the compact disc, we were buying 42 million units. Five years after that at around the time the internet was taking off we were buying 50 million.

Another five years later, after the introduction of CD-burners and file-sharing services such as Napster, we bought 59 million. And after the most recent five years of sustained CD-burning, intensive file swapping, the introduction of the iPod and near continuous hand-wringing by the industry, we bought 99 million easily an all-time record and an impressive jump of 23 per cent on the year before.

Australia's recorded music industry is literally moving ahead in leaps and bounds.

Why is it that we are now buying roughly five pieces of recorded music per person whereas back at the start of the 1980s we only bought two?

Increased wealth has got to have something to do with it, particularly amongst the first generation that grew up on pop music those of us now in our 40s and 50s.

But increased wealth by itself wouldn't help much if we didn't also have ever-increasing opportunities to listen to recorded music.

Devices such as the iPod and home computer (just as with the portable CD player and the cassette tape player before them) have expanded those opportunities.

There is no doubt that we are downloading more music for free than ever the industry keeps saying so. What it doesn't say (loudly) is that we are also buying and paying for more music than ever.

We are doing much of it in new forms. The sales figures I quoted include ring tones, digital albums and tracks and music videos formats that weren't around before the new technologies that the industry claims are ruining it.

We bought 17 million digital tracks in 2007, up from 11 million in 2006.

But even the old formats are doing well. The sales of physical CD albums peaked at 49 million in 2006 way above anything ever achieved before the internet. Even last year's total of 44 million is well above anything achieved in the 1990s and 1980s.

The industry will argue that it would be selling even more if it wasn't for illegal downloading. It's hard to prove. Certainly it would be selling less if it turned back the clock to before illegal downloads began.

And it is highly likely that illegal downloads stimulate sales. That used to be the function of CD-singles loss-making samplers that would introduce consumers to new music and new bands.

CD singles are all-but extinct. At the start of the decade the industry sold 12 million. It now sells just 2.5 million, having ceded the promotional business to the file sharing sites it claims to hate.

Without those sites we would be exposed to a lot less new music and we might buy less.

The industry will also make the point that it is earning less from music sales. At the start of the decade it earned $648 million. By 2007 it earned only $462 million.

It has cut its prices, which is normally regarded as a good thing, not an evil necessitating government intervention to undo.

In the face of zero evidence that illegal downloads are hurting music sales or drying up the supply of music, the industry wants the Minister for Communications to empower our internet service providers cut us off from the web if it finds we have been downloading something it does not want us to.

It is a proposal that flies in the face of the presumption of innocence and grants special status to an organisation that would have difficulty proving its economic loss in court.

And it flies in the face of everything that Minister Conroy has said about the importance of access to broadband. Didn't his policy document say that it was as important as access to water and electricity?

The minister should tell the industry to stick to making and selling music. It is doing well at it.

Peter Martin is Economics Editor.

peter.martin@canberratimes.com.au