Yeah, I'm lazy. F#@$ Microsoft

So, I fired up the old PC this morning, and attempted to open Google Chrome. Oh, Snap. Adobe Flash crashed. And, Lo and Behold, Vista began another forced Microsoft update. Ok, then. Another Microsoft update that royally screws up other companies software. And it just happens to be Google. The Flash plug-in still works perfectly with Firefox, and I'll bet it works great with IE, too. (Although, I never use IE, so I wouldn't know.) I immediately reinstalled Chrome, but I'll bet some people are still confused about what to do, or just too lazy/busy to do a reinstall right now. I wonder how much browsing traffic MS just drove away from Google? Chrome is supposed to have 1%+ of the total browsing market. In percentage terms, not a lot. In raw volume terms, that is millions or billions of pages per hour.

This of course leads to the next question: When are people going to get totally fed up with MS? I realize that it is only a small percentage of users that understand what is going on. Many people don't know the difference between an OS and a browser. So, they just toil on with Microsoft's crap. I'm using Vista now, because I am being forced to. I use software for work that is not available for Linux or anything but XP or Vista.

And, therein lies the problem. Microsoft has the best API's and "hooks" in the OS for programmers. Sorry open sourcers, but it is true. I use Open Office, and like it, but it looks like it is 10 years old compared to Office 2007. Does that make a difference to me? No. Does that make a difference to a typical user? Sad to say, yes. What is the one major difference between XP and Vista for 90% of users? Aero Glass. And most users (not POWER users) like Vista better then XP. Why? Aero Glass. Makes no difference to productivity, in fact it hurts productivity as the computer slows for programs that don't support it.

Windows sucks. Can we fix the problem people.

Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart - Funny

Check out the whole thing on YouTube:

Part 1

Part 2

New class requirement for all school children

Now. There needs to be a law passed (disclaimer: I am NOT a fan of new laws generally. In fact, we should just go ahead and repeal about 50% of the ridiculous laws in this country. For example: It is getting to the point that I need a color chart in my car to figure out exactly what I am allowed to do with my car in a given parking spot. I saw a purple curb the other day. Purple. What the hell does that mean?) that all school children must take a class in computer virus basics. Do those fake virus scanners really fool almost everyone who sees them? I thought that everyone knew that it is pretty obvious not to click if:

A) You have never heard of the product that purports to be cleaning your computer.

B) This product is blocking Google, saying that it is an "infected page".

C) It asks for your credit card number via a popup window approximately every thirty seconds.

But clearly, these guys are sucking the life from American commerce. I know multiple intelligent, reasonably tech savvy people who have been infected by these things. These people are then perplexed by the resulting infection. Not only is work seriously slowed, but they would - if not for my kindheartedness - be paying people may dollars for a fix. Hmmm...Maybe they should stop looking to Russia as the origin of these things, and start looking at Geek Squad? lol

I suck

Yep, no excuses. Just been too damn lazy to actually post anything. I was mad at Google for not indexing this thing for like 3 weeks after I created it. All those servers, you'd think they could be faster than that. Whatever.

In case anyone missed it - the Flobots rock! Handlebars is one of the worst songs on the album. Check it out. Unless, of course, you are a neo-facist, Bush loving, moron. Then you really won't like them. And you should also quit reading this, because you won't like me much either. And I really don't care.

Another note. The Sansa e200 series player is a great replacement for the iPod, for those of us who don't like/trust all the control Apple insists on having over the device even after it has been purchased. Last I checked, when I buy something that means it is mine and I should control it. Hello...is anyone at the iTunes software department listening? Anyway, bought an e270 - great deal at Newegg - added Rockbox, and really like it. The video encoding for the Rockbox mpeg player leaves something to be desired, but at least I don't have to use the proprietary Sansa software and tie up my machine for chunks of time encoding. Online encoder sites do mpeg great. If you try it, use mpeg1 not mpeg2. The sound works better and the files are actually smaller. Go figure.

Quick survey: Does Bush go to war with Russia, or does he look into Putin's eyes again? Rememebr that quote? The former KGB chief clearly is a great guy.

Google Media Server?

www.technewsworld.com

The report this morning about Google Media Server makes Google look like the young company they are: aggressive, scatterbrained, and unaware of the past. Which in this case will probably be good for the consumer, and (as usual) Google.

Who remembers WebTV? That would be the company that tried "console surfing" (my words not theirs) and was later absorbed by Microsoft. I think "abject failure" is a little strong, but not far from the mark. And here comes Google with the same device. Of course, it works better because the tech is newer, and Google does a good job in general. Doing a good job alone is insufficient if the device lacks demand. Seriously, a guy I worked with just bought an Acer rebuilt laptop for $250. Who needs a console for surfing on a TV? Even the lowest of income brackets can afford a $250 laptop.

Oh, but wait. For all of the aforementioned reasons, the Microsofts, Ciscos, and Sonys of the world will not enter this market again until it is proven to be potentially profitable. What Google sees - and they don't - is that evolution of the net. YouTube, Revver, Metacafe, etc. (don't forget RedTube, YouPorn and their brethren either). The net is now made for TV. Google sees it, and is too young and too dumb to follow the advice of history. By the time web video resolutions reach big screen levels, they could dominate a lucrative market.

All thanks to youthful stupidity.

Yes, I put ads on my blog - I donate enough to the military/oil complex.

I know, I know. Some of you out there erroneously believe that placing ads on a blog is the equivalent of selling your opinions to the almighty Google.

Not so. And even if it was, is it possible to support a better company. (Full disclosure: I DO NOT, HAVE NOT, and HAVE NO offer to work for Google - but I would like to) C'mon, their corporate mission statement on the IPO documents was "Don't be evil". Seriously. Haven't we seen too many corporations rattle on for 2 or 3 paragraphs about value to stockholders, shareholders, the community, and the CEO's dog - all of which then turns out to be BS when they raise all their employees health insurance premiums 500%, and only contibute to "charities" personally sponsored by the Executive Wives' club? Google's mission statement is both beautiful, right, and the hardest one is all of history to abide by. Even the attempt makes me admire the company. Who would you rather support - Microsoft? If so, you probably donate to the "Dick Chaney fund for the Kingship of America" Or your living in 1991.

Back to the topic at hand - I truly enjoy telling people what I think. I'm far from rich, and a blog isn't going to get me there. That said, if people find a service in one of Google's ads that serves a purpose for them - and the company finds a customer - who, exactly, is harmed by me making a few cents? If you don't want me, or Google, to make any money, then don't click the ads. But don't assume that the presence of the ads effects my content - it does not. Even us liberals (at least in America) believe in free enterprise.