Wow, has it been 10 days since my last post? Insanity I tell you. Things around here are moving at lightning speeds lately. I have my head buried into some pretty big stuff, and eventually I may post about it here. Last I looked, my RSS reader has about 8,000 unread posts. < sigh > I really need to trim back those subscriptions I tell you. For now, back to the madness...stay tuned for more (hopefully in the not too distant future).
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Having lived in Florida most of my life, hurricanes are just a part of life I have learned to deal with. Last year was the roughest year yet though. I wasn't even affected by Andrew when it devastated Homestead (given I was away in the military), but my parents home was fine after Andrew. So for me, last year was definitely the worst. We got a pretty good scare and all things considering, it could have obviously been a lot worse. A LOT worse. Today the Miami Herald is running a story that gives us a good idea of just exactly how much worse it can get. I have to tell ya...I don't like it one bit. Last year having lived for a measly 3 days without power nearly drove me mad, I can't imagine what would happen in these given scenarios. What really makes you stop and think is that this isn't something that might happen, it is a CERTAINTY that it will happen. The only variable here is when.
Well folks, like any good IT guy would do, I think that a little proactive relocation planning is in order. Being the digital nerd that I am, the thought of no power for months on end is enough to get me out of here. But add in the mad chaos, idiots that can't drive and generally FUBAR state we were in last year (after a fairly benign hurricane compared to what's being forecasted), I am not waiting around for the day the "big one" hits south FL. I can only imagine what the mass exodus would look like. Add to that the fact that the housing market is just ridiculously STUPID expensive at the moment, the decision is pretty easy. This calls for a complete relocation and getting the hell out of south FL. When will I leave? Well - that's a matter of what options present themselves, if any. Might be a month, might be a few years. One thing's for certain, the search has officially begun. Areas of particular interest would be: WA (Seattle and surrounding areas), OR (Portland / Bend and surrounding areas), TX (Austin / Dallas), AZ (Phoenix, Sedona), NM (Santa Fe, Albuquerque), CO (Denver), TN (Nashville, Knoxville), NC (inland areas), SC (inland areas). Although those would be my ideal locations, I would be open to places like San Diego, San Francisco and the Washington DC Metro Areas. My main beef with those areas is the cost of living (but then again, Santa Fe and Sedona aren't exactly cheap either). With a little one in tow, good schools and affordable housing are key concerns. An area with a solid base of IT jobs is also a consideration, should an unforeseeable event occur with any given employer. Being an IT guy in a small town with one main employer probably isn't the smartest thing for career longevity.
I am leaning heavily towards the Pacific Northwest. I have traveled the US extensively, and although I haven't had the chance to visit the Pacific Northwest as of yet, I just feel that something out there is calling my name. My wife tends to agree and likes the idea. I am a big fan of the outdoors, camping and photographic scenery. Living out there would be the excuse I needed for justifying an RV. After taking a short survey on findyourspot.com, I was given a list of places that would be suitable based on my preferences. It was pretty close to what I was targeting - actually, it was almost dead on! I listed the places after the jump (to minimize the length on the front page).
So that brings me to the discovery phase of my plan of action. I have a pretty extensive background in everything from sales / marketing to new media design and IT engineering and support. Although I am a Mac guy at heart, I can hang with Windows and *nix. For a good overview of my background, head over to LinkedIn and check it out. If you have a LinkedIn account and want to network with me, go ahead and send me an invite to join your network! I can fit right in at a start-up or a well-established F-500 enterprise. The ideal gig would challenge me to create something that is revolutionary in the industry and allow me to work with some incredibly talented people that are tops in their field. A creative, fun and exciting atmosphere, great benefits and career advancement opportunities round out the perfect gig. I know - I don't ask for a lot now do I? ;-) Does such a gig even exist? If any of you loyal readers out there in the blogsphere have an inside line on a great gig outside of Florida, drop me a line: frank [at] bisonium [dot] com.
Technorati Tags: Real Estate, General
Most of you who read this blog know by now that I am a bit of a car nut. Although my preference lies within the Ford family, I can appreciate some nice wheels when I see them. Which leads us to what is probably the coolest PD in the US right now. Amherst, Ohio Police Department is now sporting some pretty slick new Dodge Chargers as standard duty patrol vehicles. These bad boys look downright MEAN. NewageMusclecars.com has a great write-up on the Amherst PD's newest ride. All I can say is that I don't look forward to the police departments throughout south FL getting these anytime soon! Speed Demons in Ohio, watch yer 6!
Technorati Tags: Automobiles
Well all I can say is ABOUT DAMN TIME! I have been waiting since I was about knee-high to a grasshopper to get the originals on DVD. My wish has been granted. Looks like Lucas finally caved in to the masses of Star Wars fans wanting to relive their childhood in the comfort of their homes with their big-screen TV's.
"In response to overwhelming demand, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release attractively priced individual two-disc releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Each release includes the 2004 digitally remastered version of the movie and, as bonus material, the theatrical edition of the film. That means you'll be able to enjoy Star Wars as it first appeared in 1977, Empire in 1980, and Jedi in 1983.
This release will only be available for a limited time: from September 12th to December 31st. International release will follow on or about the same day. Each original theatrical version will feature Dolby 2.0 Surround sound, close-captioning, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish for their U.S. release. International sound and subtitling vary by territory."
Get the full story at StarWars.com...
Now here's a company that just plain "gets it." Southwest has always been a leader in the field and their customer service is second to none. It's no wonder that they are among the few (if not the only) airlines to actually turn a profit in these trying times. If there was one airline that I would have pegged as the first to have a blog, it would have been Southwest. They have officially been bitten by the blogging bug and are now blogging online at: www.blogsouthwest.com. A glimpse of what you can expect...
"...we want this to be a place where you can see just who we are and why we are Nuts about Southwest.
In order to do that, we have lined up an exciting group of bloggers that include Frontline and Headquarters Employees. Among the Frontline Employees lined up to blog are some of our Pilots; Flight Attendants; Airport Employees; Mechanics; folks from our Marketing, Schedule Planning, Properties, People and Leadership, and Executive Office Departments. We hope to add additional bloggers as we go, including some of our Officers, who will show up as guest bloggers."
Not too bad if you ask me. I'm adding this to my feeds...lets see if they can keep up with the pace of the blogsphere!
Robert Scoble chimes in on the rumors that Vista's ship date has slipped again. I think Robert is finally wising up to the ways of the world when it comes to quoting release dates. Doing such a thing usually ends up doing more harm than good. What I don't get is why people are making such a boo hoo over this anymore. The fact is, Vista's launch date has slipped, yes - we all know it and Microsoft has acknowledged it. It is what it is people. At this point it really doesn't matter when it is released, the important thing is that Microsoft gets it right when they finally do release it.
As much as I am an Apple supporter, I think it is vital for the industry that there be competition, and options for people. OS X is not going to be everything for everyone, so those people in the enterprise are more than likely going to keep running Windows and that's just the way it is. If they are going to run Windows, then they need it to not only work, but have it be bullet-proof. It would be a good thing for everyone, including Mac users, given the level of interoperability I am seeing for both home users and in the enterprise. I would personally rather see Vista delayed another year (or more) if it means getting it right. In my opinion, that means putting back the features that have been stripped out in the name of hitting a release date. A release date is something that should be an approximation at the beginning of a project, but not written in stone. You can't account for unforeseen circumstances and on a project of this magnitude, I think most people could clearly understand the reason for using something like the Scrum methodology. It's too late to scrap the whole thing and start over from scratch as some people have suggested. I too think that maybe the next version of Windows needs to start from a complete re-write, but for the time being, you can't expect MSFT (or any other company in their shoes) to completely discard what they have been working on. I think the shareholders might have a little something to say about that if it were to happen.
I say the heck with these "analysts" that don't have a clue. Who really cares what they think? These folks have no crystal ball, are not clairvoyant, and are more often WRONG than right. If an investor needs to get facts about a company, just ask the company PR person or go to the website and stop relying on "analysts" that don't know any better than Skippy next door who spends all day reading blogs (not that there's anything wrong with that). ;-) I think the best thing for people to do at this stage is stop the flame throwing and start offering suggestions on how to improve things. If you can't do either, just sit back, hold tight and go along for the ride as Vista evolves into a gold master. After all, your world hasn't come to a stop because you don't have Vista right?
[ via the Scobelizer ]
Vista, on track or not?:
Gartner is saying that Windows Vista may be delayed again. Microsoft reacted, ComputerWorld says in an article that gives both sides of the story (Microsoft says that Gartner is wrong).
More on Memeorandum.
A bunch of people have been emailing me asking for my opinions. I'm staying out of this one cause I've learned over and over that I can't accurately predict shipping dates in the software industry. I will say that I'm enjoying the latest builds of Windows Vista and things are looking good, so I have no reason to doubt Microsoft's spokespeople on this one.
Again, I'd rather pressure the Windows team to get it right, and don't ship unless it's ready. Dana Epp, security expert, says the same thing.
They are talking about it over on Channel 9 too.
Update: Ed Bott says that Gartner isn't very accurate with its own predictions on software dates.
So last night I am watching the usual Prison Break and 24 on Fox, when this strangely familiar Apple-esque look hits my screen, and before I could say WTF...BAM - it was indeed a genuine Apple Ad. I guess people screamed loud enough that Apple heard them and finally decided to do something about it. The ads are a little bland, but they get the point across loud and clear. The new ads begin another phase of the switch campaign titled: "Get a Mac". It should be interesting to watch how these play out and what kind of "switcher" numbers they bring to the Mac platform this time around. The new ads can be seen here.
A tad bit of bisonium.com trivia for my fans....yours truly was filmed in one of the original "switcher" ads. At the time I had switched back to the Mac after a lengthy hiatus on the PC side, and decided to write Apple an email about the experience. It wasn't before long, I got a call from TBWA \ Chiat \ Day (Apple's Ad Agency), and after a few calls and an NDA later, I was on a jet flying first class to Los Angeles. 
It was an incredible experience I will never forget and gave me a killer look behind the scenes of what really happens on a Hollywood back-lot. Ultimately my ad didn't air, but one of the guys I shot with did - it was Richard Ziskin (pictured to the right). Nice guy who owns an umbrella factory in New York if memory serves me correct. All the original ads can be seen here.
I was considered "talent" (signed contracts and all) and got paid quite well for the 3 days, therefore entitling me to be "SAG Eligible". Basically I earned the right to pay a ridiculous sum of money to the Screen Actors Guild to carry a card that says I am in the union and can do more "acting". Your first 2 gigs are on the house, by the 3rd, you have to sign up - or so they tell me that is how it works. I passed for now as I don't see myself doing too many more commercials, but it's still kind of cool to get those letters from SAG every now and then.
I love a good prank as much as the next guy, and the crew at Improve Everywhere definitely takes the cake for this one. In what is nothing more than a well organized display of lawful civil disobedience and Tom foolery, this crew organizes over 80 strangers to stage what amounts to FREE LABOR FOR BEST BUY. In the process, they get busted and the Best Buy employees and management, being the stellar academics in Constitutional Law that they are, do everything from laugh, have paranoia fits, to accusing members of this group of violating their civil rights by video taping them in the store. That was a great one. That genius should be promoted to General Manager. And people wonder why shopping at Best Buy is a nightmare and a less-than-stellar shopping experience. With employees and managers like this, you really have to wonder who's in charge of the loony farm at Best Buy. When was the last time you kicked out 80 people willing to work for you at no charge? ;-) You really have to read the whole story and watch the video clips on this one!
A blogger in Maine gets slapped with a lawsuit because he didn't like the ad campaign and basically posted it for the world to see. Wow, this is really sad. Last time I checked, we lived in the United States of America and as a citizen of this great nation, I was under the assumption that I was entitled to our constitutionally protected right to freedom of speech. Apparently that doesn't apply if you piss off a big corporation with more money than you and a legal team.
What I find even more disturbing is the ease in which such groundless lawsuits can be filed in todays legal system. When are we going to enact penalties against parties who file groundless lawsuits for their personal gain? When is enough enough? It isn't a crime to lawfully state your opinion in public. If big companies with teams of attorneys use this tactic to silence bloggers, what comes next? I am utterly sick to my stomach and cannot believe what this country has come to. This kind of retaliation against free speech is despicable, incomprehensible and legal action against the ad agency should be taken with extreme prejudice for wasting tax payers money and the courts time on such rubbish. Be sure to follwo the links in the story below and read the full scoop.
[ via Recently ]
Lance Dutson was just doing what bloggers do: reporting when they see something stupid. In this case, he thought his home state of Maine was flushing his tax money down the drain with a poor PR campaign for the state's tourism. Tourism is the number one money maker for the state.
But apparently that's not OK with Warren Kremer Paino Advertising , a New York-based ad agency who the State was hired to draft the campaign.
When Dutson reposted images that were currently viewable for public inspection on the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development website, and critiqued them... that was the final straw, and he was sued by Warren Kremer Paino Advertising claiming defamation, libel, and copyright infringement. To the tune of more than a million dollars.
Lance is a man who is a web designer and who has a family, and is a self-described "middle of the road" Maine citizen. But if he's looses, they'll be in the poor house.
All because Warren Kremer Paino Advertising is miffed that Lance didn't like their work.
I'm going out on a limb here... I don't like it either .
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