Starbucks Hegemony

The nice thing about living in The OC was that there were three major coffee chains (even though I am decaf now): Starbucks, Diedrichs and Pete's. Now there are only two: Sale of Diedrich cafes to Starbucks approved.

This sucks for another reason: Diedrich offered free internet (with a cup of coffee), while Starbucks charges.

At least Pete's is still around, and their coffee is better than Starbucks.

How Many Pads Could You Crash In?

Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.

This is true of home, but also true of relatives and certain friends.

So here's the question: How many homes could you show up at 8pm, knock on the door, and get a bed (or couch) for the night? How many of those doors belong to non-relatives? How many different cities could you do this in?

Self Declared Consumer Advocates

I found this headline rather ironic since it would make a typical lefty's head spin: Apple Slammed by Greenpeace.

Greenpeace noted that Apple is an exception and that many companies are following recommendations (Ed: Whose "recommendations") to eliminate the hazardous chemicals from their products and are adopting progressive recycling policies, such as financing the take-back, reuse or recycling end-of-life products.

My question is this: who made Greenpeace the arbiter of who is doing right and wrong in this area? There are already substances banned by governments, so called "RoHaS", or Reduction of Hazardous Substances programs. Those are monitored by various governments and we can be sure that Apple (or really it's subcontractors, since they don't make anything themselves) have dozens of people to make sure they comply.

No, these "recommendations" are Greenpeace's alone. So this is a group that makes up programs then slams entities that don't follow them. And the only reason they have any power is because the press publishes them.

This is like other busy body groups like "Center for Science in the Public Interest" which wants to dictate what sort of food everyone eats.

Ode To My Computer

My computer has become the interface for my life.

I work through it. I entertain myself through it. I express myself through it. I communicate through it. No creative thought or plan is done without it. It brings me information that I process and send out as newer, better information.

I spend more time with it than my wife, my child, my co-workers or friends. It is one of the first things I see in the morning and last things I see at night.

It is with me on trips and vacations; it makes long trips less fatiguing, evenings alone less boring. It is my constant companion. My income and lifestyle are largely dependent on it.

And sometimes I want to crash it with my bare fists and heave it out the window.

Blogging Pointers

A fellow blogger sent me an email complaining about writers block and wanted some advice on keeping the blog entries going. Here is what I wrote:

As for writer's block - it's sort of like trying to remember something: it comes to you when NOT thinking about it. By stressing over what to write, you are creating the very block you are struggling with. My recommendation is to relax and not worry about it - and something just might come to you. Other hints:

• Read other blogs and comment on something someone else wrote. These can be short posts like "This is an interesting article", but you might find that a comment agreeing or disagreeing on a topic can turn into a whole blog entry.

• Expand Your Reach - You may have to branch your blog to other topics - which is what I have done to my blog, which has become just a general topic blog.

• What's On Your Mind - To be quite honest, my blog is a form of "therapy". I blog on things that are on my mind.

Of course I left out one method I use whenever possible: turning reader email into an blog entry