Woolwich beheading

So what now...no meat cleavers sold to public or a change in mindset about how we are to live together in the world
- http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-05-22/exclusive-video-man-with-bloodied-hands-speaks-at-woolwich-scene

CDDB Database

Wow crazy to think that i'm the first person ever to rip "Rachael Kane's - Appetite" cd. I cant remember the last time that I ripped a cd onto my media server using MediaMonkey and it didn't have the cd details in the database already.

Its a hard to find cd (the link above is the amazon single only) just stumbled across it on ebay in the UK recently but loved her Happy Messy Love song back in the day so had to buy it.

 

 

...and no I have no idea what went wrong and why she never made it to super stardom but she's on facebook in Melbourne running a music school

Hey LinkedIn ....You Suck

LinkedIn Customer Support Message
Subject: can no longer reply to linkedin request before accepting
Dean, Thanks for sharing your comments on how we can make LinkedIn better. Feedback from members like you provides us with insights that identify the needs of our customers. I sent your message to our research and development team for review and consideration in future developments. Although every idea cannot be individually responded to or implemented, please know that we do monitor suggestions quite closely for recurring themes. I'd like to invite you to follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/linkedin or check out the LinkedIn Blog http://blog.linkedin.com for the latest notifications on site improvements. Both options are great ways to stay informed about new releases and exciting work going on behind the scenes here at LinkedIn. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Regards, Curtis Customer Experience Advocate
Discussion History:
Member Comment: Dean Collins	05/20/2013 14:45
Curtis, This is correct, that is the CURRENT situation, but this was not the way it was LAST WEEK. Previously you could reply to the person and decide from the conversation if you wanted to accept their LinkedIn request eg.maybe you met them at a technical event but forgot their name etc. Basically you are trying to force people onto paid LinkedIn accounts in order to send inmail replies. Why have you removed this option to reply BEFORE accepting a request. You tried this a few months ago and people complained and you said it was a “technical mistake” now you have tried it again just 3 months later…….why not ADD functionality to encourage people to upgrade instead of TAKING IT AWAY . I can imagine why you’ve had an increase in people writing to support to complain about this issue and customary wait times for replies have gone up. Cheers, Dean Collins Dean@Cognation.net 212-203-4357 http://www.linkedin.com/in/deancollins From: LinkedIn Customer Support [mailto:linkedin_support@cs.linkedin.com] Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 2:49 PM To: Dean Collins Subject: can no longer reply to linkedin request before accepting [Ticket: 130516-007938]
LinkedIn Response	05/20/2013 13:48
Hi Dean, I would first like to apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry. This is certainly not the customary wait time for a reply from LinkedIn Customer Advocacy. We have been experiencing higher than expected volumes, and your patience is greatly appreciated.   When you get an email you have the option to accept or there should be a link that says "view profile."  When you click on that link you can view the person's profile and then send them an Inmail message if you desire.  If you want to connect with the person you can just not respond to the email.    When you see that someone wants to connect with you from your LinkedIn profile you will have the option to Accept or Ignore.  If you wish to view their profile you can click on their picture.   The only options you have to contact them before you accept an invitation would be to send them an Inmail.   While I was reviewing your account today, I noticed that your profile is 55% complete.  Just add your education and another position to have your profile 100% complete!   Thank you for being a valued member of our LinkedIn community! Curtis Customer Experience Advocate
Original Contact:
Member Comment: Dean Collins	05/16/2013 18:06
Receive quite a few invitations weekly - and If I don't know the person or why they want me to connect - there used to be an arrow that said - "Reply without or before Accepting" or something like that. I no longer see that as of today - JUST the ACCEPT button. What happened?

Mt Gox crackdown

Welcome to the USA....land of the free*
- http://rt.com/usa/bitcoin-exchange-seized-crackdown-begins-334/

(*As long as you are paying the right lobbyists).

Network Solutions seizes hundreds of domains

FFS, You have got to be kidding how is this even legal??

- http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/05/trade-sanctions-cited-in-hundreds-of-syrian-domain-seizures
In apparent observation of international trade sanctions against Syria, a U.S. firm that ranks as the world’s fourth-largest domain name registrar has seized hundreds of domains belonging to various Syrian entities, including a prominent Syrian hacker group and sites associated with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
I hope another country seizes everything and anything related to Network Solutions in retaliation (I think Brazil implemented something similar over the laptop searches last year)

The United states needs to wake up to itself and realize if you keep screwing with .com,.net and .org domains then countries around the world might just start routing around you.

I mean seriously folks how as techies can we continue to support the Obama administrations efforts after watching videos like this
-FSA Insurgent Cuts out and Eats Heart of Syrian Soldier - http://on.fb.me/10ntB7a  

This is what my taxes are being spent on this week, funding munitions and equipment so this guy can walk around cutting out hearts and eating them??? – all I have to say is….sorry but I’d like a tax refund on the taxes I pay in the USA as you aren’t spending it where I’d like it to go.


Cheers,
Dean

Hey FCC how about you grow some balls

So Ceton announced their 6 tuner cablecard tuners today.

http://cetoncorp.com/products/infinitv/

I'd love to purchase one as already have a pc in the home theater rack ready to go BUT not being able to record HBO/Showtime etc and then watch them on other devices EXCEPT windows media center extenders makes this device impotent.

My real issue however is the fact that you cant do on-demand viewing for the hbo/showtime series eg game of thrones/borgias/mad men and on demand movies etc, though to be honest with 6 tuners on the new models you could almost record every show and watch them from your media center pc.

Considering congress forced all the tv manufacturers to install cablecard into the TV's.......then why not force the cable companies apart from they bribe the shit out of politicians every election.

The FCC needs to grow some balls and force the cable providers to offer the same "on demand" features on cablecard that are available on cable providers set top boxes, and yes the Endgadget HD podcast mentioned this and made light of the fact that the Tru2way standard has been around since 2007 but no one has implemented it however I truly think that if congress initiated a law that said cable companies couldn't charge for services......until cablecard had the same functionality....then they'd find a way.

Space Oddity

This is SO TRIPPY!!!!

- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo&feature=youtu.be

The Great Gatsby

Wow Baz Luhrmann what a genius.

If anyone thought Romeo and Juliet was a fluke...and just didn't understand Australia....The Great Gatsby confirms he can take a classic and make it better with his ability to eek out the absolute very best from his actors.

BTW finally high profile role for Joel Edgerton....almost out acts DiCaprio. The second half of the hotel scene (not the leadup...that was obvious) but the subtle "winning over" in the scenes second half is pure talent.

Oh and yes...there will be people who say its too slow...and too long....(some people walked out when we watched it) my answer to them is stick with your Hollywood action Jackson films, this is a film for film lovers.
Does anyone know where it was shot? was it another shot in Australia made to look like the usa production?

Cheers,
Dean

P.S. neat...someone cut the Robert Redford Gatsby in the 2013 style - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2N1f0z5zwA&feature=youtu.be

Verizon.....what will it take to win you back

Lol why do companies even bother with marketing like this.

BTW been using my S4 on Tmobile for a week and no probs at all with my “new” uunlimited data requirements…..

Cheers,

Dean
 

 

From: Verizon Wireless [mailto:verizonwireless@email.vzwshop.com]

Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 9:19 AM
To: Dean Collins
Subject: Dean, what will it take to win you back?
 

From: Dean Collins

Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 9:22 AM
To: 'Verizon Wireless'
Subject: RE: Dean, what will it take to win you back?

I called and asked several people why you were choosing to block existing “unlimited data” customers from signing up to new 2 year plans…….was told

Frank the CFO of Verizon said recently …”We don’t think people really want unlimited data” so Verizon made a commercial decision no one on a grandfathered unlimited data plan could sign up for a new subsidized handset on a new 24 month plan eg. If you had unlimited you had to pay for your phone outright in order to continue with your plan (in effect paying for the phone twice in both cash upfront and on a higher plan cost per month).

I guess you didn’t want me to sign up for a new S4 after all……

Cheers,
Dean Collins

 

 

 

 

Crappy antivirus software ranks low down the shame pole

lol this guy cracks me up and shows he's still the smartest in the bunch.



http://features.slashdot.org/story/13/05/07/2017203/interview-john-mcafee-answers-your-questions
Doesn't it bother you that your name is being used to peddle one of the worst anti-virus products on the market? Often it comes pre-installed on computers as a 30 day trial (crapware), with dire warnings flashed up in the event that the user fails to pay (scareware). The performance hit it brings is huge. Would you advise anyone else to name their product/company after themselves in this way?

McAfee: I haven't been involved with McAfee Ant-virus for 21 years. When I ran the company the software was the best and least intrusive on the market, and in 1991 we had 87% of the world market. What happened after I left was none of my doing. As to name association, I am a master at sullying my own name and, all things considered, being associated with the worst software on the planet ranks way down the pole. It's barely a blip in the ocean of associations - madman, paranoid, child molester, murderer, drug addict, unstable, liar, to name but a few.Thank god I'm 67 and will probably be too hard of hearing soon enough to have to listen to them rattling around wherever I go. Amy, thankfully, did half the job already by bursting my left eardrum when she tried to shoot me in the head while I slept back in 2011.

Nimble.tv

lol how Nimble.tv are sharing USA content to Australian customers and not being sued out of existence like yesterday i'll never know.

I guess that's the business model these days....raise a ton of money and break the law and fingers crossed you can get away with it (heck it worked for Napster right....and he's only excited by BIllions not Millions).

If you read this comment - http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2063000 - about some Australians who signed up for USA based Dish services....I imagine the subpoena for Nimble.tv's CRM/email database is coming in 3,2,1

Australian tattoo registry

The fact that this is even being considered by Australian government shows that they've forgotten governments WORK for the PEOPLE....not the other way around!!

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-08/tattoo-registry-rejected-as-infringement-on-rights/4677754

A registry for tattoos ....whats next registry for every cash transaction over $5,000...just in case we want to know something about you....." HALT!! Hand over your names and papers please"

Removing excel sheet protection

Neat !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEc7dIqk5-I

I had no idea removing password protected excel sheet protection was that easy.

Google takes minor stake in Lending Club llc

Well this is interesting..... - http://www.lendingclub.com/public/lending-club-press-2013-05-02.action

I wonder if "web searches" can be a risk factor determinate in calculating risk and therefor potential default indicator?

Eventually the double dutch eats you....?

Reading this article today - http://www.crn.com.au/News/341698,apples-massive-us17-billion-bond-deal.aspx? - I caught this interesting sentence

Although the company has a staggering $US145 billion in cash, only $US45 billion of that is readily available in the United States - meaning Apple needs to raise about $US60 billion over the next three years to fund the shareholder capital return plan.

Makes you think....does eventually the double dutch eat you from within? If you cant spend it on overseas acquisitions will it always eventually catch up? or is there yet another tricky dick way around this as well?

Peggy grows up and buys an apartment

Lots of discussions about Mad Men and New York's favorite past time...real estate property from last nights show where Peggy was looking to purchase an UES 2br apt on 88th ...near the river but with balcony.....for the princely sum of $28,000

lol you could hear all of New York laugh when the broker mentioned about how much of a steal it would be when the 2nd avenue subway was completed (still under construction now in 2013....)

It did bring up some interesting points


Cost Of Living 1968 to Now.
http://gothamist.com/2013/04/29/real_estate_1968.php
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 4.27%

Depending on costs of renovations etc  here is a quick comp at $1.6m though its a fair bit nicer than what we saw in the episode
- http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/841887-condo-455-east-86th-street-yorkville-new-york

This is a closer example features/fixtures wise and is $749,000
- http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/853429-coop-301-east-87th-street-yorkville-new-york


So for the quick calculation check out the tables above, basically based on comps it looks like this apartment price doubled every 11 years in this example.

Or look for your own comps here;
http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sales/yorkville-manhattan/status:open%7Cbeds:2%7Cdescription:balcony

Tmobile major screwup

So Frank the CFO of Verizon said recently …”We don’t think people really want unlimited data” so Verizon made a commercial decision no one on a grandfathered unlimited data plan could sign up for a new subsidized handset on a new 24 month plan eg. If you had unlimited you had to pay for your phone outright in order to continue with your plan (in effect paying for the phone twice in both cash upfront and on a higher plan cost per month).

My first response was….either bite your tongue and bend over or show them that customers will walk…..so yesterday I signed up online with Tmobile for the S4 and thought I’ll show you…..

Wow….I haven’t even made my first call on Tmobile and already pining for Verizon.

Ok so this morning I received a “order processed” email from Tmobile to say thanks for your order, and here is the UPS expected arrival date…. WTF?? The 6th of May…..hmmm so much for overnight shipping but sure I can live with it.

The real issue is this, I went to make a call on my Verizon cell phone this afternoon…..wtf….it's dead.

Call Verizon thinking they screwed up and maliciously disconnected the handset they are saying that no….Tmobile have screwed up 100,000 orders and ALL Tmobile ports yesterday went immediately rather than on demand when the sim card gets put in when you receive the handset.

Verizon even offered to make a “port back request so my Verizon handset would work again” temporarily.

Called Tmobile and they are all like oh I’m sorry anyone who purchases their handsets online this is the ways its configured for online orders and “have a nice day”……and I’m like ….wtf??

TicketMaster you suck!!

Seriously TicketMaster.... not only do you want to charge me a $9.40 convenience fee (x 2 for two tickets) but now you want to charge a $5.65 "processing fee" as well.

So Ticket Master you make $23.45 for a 3 minute transaction and the band makes $55.00 for a 2 hour show.

This is getting ridiculous !!


Cheers,
Dean
(btw for those of you not familiar with Cat Empire I put some of the tracks into the Mood Music Box.....cant wait).

Asus Cube.... anyone thinking of buying this?

Asus Cube announced yesterday, watching the unboxing/demo video on YouTube now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UzzsLVSBGdU

 

Amazon have them on sale now at only $139  - http://bit.ly/AsusCube . For me the Touchpad Remote alone makes it worth it.

Looks pretty comprehensive, if you’ve got one on order this weekend please post your thoughts on Monday with what your first reactions are and if you are using the hdmi in then out function with your cable box.

Also curious what information the hdmi in/out feature is passing to the box when you use it between your cable tv set top from time warner etc.

Verizon tiered data plans...uhm just say NO!

About 6 weeks ago my Motorola Droid 3 with Verizon just stopped working after 20 months....uhm disappointing as my Verizon Droid 1 lasted about the same time but shit happens as they say (which tells me we shouldnt be forced to sign 2 year contracts) and the new Samsung S4 was coming up so I purchased a run around replacement 2nd hand off ebay to use for a few months while waiting while my 2 year contract ran out.

The Samsung S4 pre-order email came in today so I was off like a shot online to order it in black.

Uhm hang on..... erk problem with the ordering saying my plan isn't valid

Get onto the Live Chat  auto reply says sorry but we don't give a shit about our existing customers and yes your plan is not grandfathered in as we are forcing ALL our Samsung S4 upgrades to move to tiered data.

I ask please check with your supervisor as otherwise i'll be moving my plan.

Live Chat auto reply is "sir if you check your data you'll find you don't use enough for it to matter".......uhm sorry but I WANT unlimited data.

Live Chat sir this decision was made some time ago and we will let you continue with your current plan on your current handset but to move to faster 4G you MUST upgrade to a new tiered data.


Uhm no sorry I don't.....my plan is finished I can take my business to either Sprint or to Tmobile

I'm outta here.

So folks in the words of Nancy Regan ...."Just say NO"