NJ has a inferiority complex

Even people living in New Jersey think Manhattan is the center of everything.


Took this snap when out at a conference in New Jersey today - dont you think it's weird they would describe their tracks as running inbound and outbound, with inbound being manhattan?


for freaks sake....it's a different state and you still think all things lead to it.



Cheers,
Dean

Warning dont deal with www.HomeCenter.com

Whatever you do dont deal with http://www.homecenter.com/ i placed an order with them for a Grohe tap part on Jan 5th.

When it still didn't turn up by the 19th of Jan I called them to query what had happened.

Apparently their website has an issue with the google checkout on orders less than $100 (so why offer google checkout is my first question) and didn't automatically add the handling charge of $7.50..... of course when i asked why didn't they contact me their answer was we sent you an email...... hmmm sorry dont think so all my emails get archived and even after searching no email exists (so even though my credit card was charged they were waiting for me to query them about this before informig me they wanted to charge another $7.50? ....hmmm )

When i still hadn't received it today I called to ask where it was.....only to be told the item was a 4 week ship piece and that it wasn't due to be delivered until the 16th of Feb!!!!! this sucks bigtime considering they charged my credit card on the 5th of Jan.

http://www.homecenter.com/ sux's hopefully this post will save someone else some frustration.


Cheers,
Dean

P.S. Would also be interested in knowing what Groehe and Google Checkout think about their products being rubbished on and blamed for problems by their sales channel partners.

Brownstoner

Great article in NYtimes today about sites like www.Brownstoner.com which is a great site for people looking to renovate brownstones (primarily people in Brooklyn), it’s been a huge resource to me when we were renovating our apartment.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/realestate/25cov.html

Yet another example of how integrated and dependant on the web we are these days.


Cheers,
Dean

Design the phone of the future - Conference call next Friday

I thought some of you reading this blog might like to join this conference call next Friday

> Subject: VUC: Next Friday: Design the phone of the future
>
>
> Let's kick around ideas on this, what should the next generation of
> desk phones do? Should they be smarter? More input devices? Bigger,
> better screens?
>
> What features should a phone have? What would work great with asterisk
> to compliment (rather than interfere) with it.
> What's up with IAX? SHould SIP continue as the main star of protocols?
> How can we better use microbrowsers?
> Is video something we could really use?
> Some kind of basic whiteboard?
> Input other than keypad: alpha keyboard? Mouse or touchpad?
>
> Add your own to the list.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
VUC is Fridays at 12 Noon Eastern, 9AM PST, 11AM CST, 5PM UTC
http://www.voipusersconference.org/
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------


Interesting, hopefully we can also discuss 'home phones' like the new Verizon Hub.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10149009-1.html

Considering the lack of functionality of most home phones I'm surprised more appliances like this haven't been developed (albeit I think Verizon are over pricing themselves at $34.95 a month - or $10 more a month than Vonage for the same functionality).

They should be using this advanced functionality as a 'competitive edge' to win over customers.


Regards,
Dean

The Emporer Has No Clothes (oh and his flunkies are idiots)

BTW want to see how much these CEO's who got paid last year for running these companies into the ground;

http://www.networkworld.com/slideshows/2008/091808-wall-street-fat-cats.html?ts

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/105782/How-We-Got-Here-It-Is-Housing-Stupid


Laughing my ass off that John Thain got shafted from his new bosses at BOA after they found out how badly he had run Merrill Lynch last year (expected to be a $15B loss).

$87,000 on an office rug and $1,400 on a waste basket...... this is where your tax money is going.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-01-22/john-thains-87000-rug/


Cheers,
Dean

Subway cease-and-desist letter set on fire

Lol this the funniest commercial I've seen in ages.



If you want the background, check out this article - it's the funniest explanation on this marketing 'duel' i've read yet.
http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2009/01/dominos_and_subways_fight_turn.php


Cheers,
Dean

Baird - Mechanical Television

Holy Crap, i was just watching the history channel and they had a short segment on the "mechanical television"......!!!!

I had no idea this existed as a technology.

Basically the way it works is a large wheel with small holes around the circumfrence with a light receiver transmits pulses to the reverse at the other end. I haven't found a cool video explaining how it works as good as it was demonstrated on the history channel but check out this demonstration transmission.



There are some links here http://www.bairdtelevision.com/firstdemo.html
but you might want to google some more sites using Baird+Televisor

Either way, cool thing to see demonstrated.


Cheers,
Dean

Anne Hathaway nominated for oscar - wtf???

I cant believe Anne Hathaway has been nominated for an Oscar for her role in Rachael Getting Married.

I like her as an actress but this movie is a POS, i cant believe this crap is even in the running.

It was the only movie in the last few years that I've walked out of it was so bad.

I totally get why insecure people like this pseudo intellectual BS but to be nominated for an Oscar is way over the top.


Cheers,
Dean

So much for change......

Shelly Palmer is saying that the digital tv changeover is going to be delayed 90 days.
http://www.shellypalmermedia.com/2009/01/19/dtv-transition-delayed-90-days-mediabytes-with-shelly-palmer-january-19-2009-2/


What a stupid waste of tax payers money in these tight economic times.

As always, all the little piggy consultants ensuring they milk even more money out of the DTV handover with this 90 day delay.

Sounds like Obama is the same old, same old. So much for change.


Cheers,
Dean

United States of Tara

lol watching "United States of Tara" on Showtime - it's a crackup.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1001482

Toni Collette is amazing.