A Book

So I stayed up way to late last night reading a wonderful book. The author is William P. Young. Born in Alberta, Canada and raised in New Guinea. The book he wrote? It's simply called "The Shack." I have never read anything quite like this book. My mom handed it to me and said, "Read this, I'm not going to explain it, just read it." So when I picked it up last night at about 11:30, I figured I'd read it for a few minutes and put it down and go to sleep. Maybe it was the cold room I was in, maybe it was the authors writing style but something kept me reading until about 2 this morning. Yes, I read it cover to cover. What a story! I would highly reccommend reading it for yourself. You can find out more about the author and book at www.theshackbook.com. The authors' blog, which I would say wait until after you have read the book to read that is www.windrumors.com (some of what is written here won't make sense even if you do read it before the book). If you are having trouble with something in your life, even if it is the smallest thing in the world, this is a book that will help you. I know it will help me. If you have already read it, give it to someone else to read, if you haven't go get it, it's worth the 3 plus hours to read it. Tell me what you think by either commenting or emailing or myspacing me. Yes, I know this post is a bit cryptic, it is intentional. I don't want to give away any part of the book. Like I said read it, then go to the authors blog and the book website.

It's Too Early

It's 5:21 as I start writing this blog on SuperBowl Sunday 2008. I'm not sure what to write about. I have the day off, first one I have taken since Christmas (other than a couple weeks ago when I was sick). That means that I really shouldn't be up this early. I should be in bed asleep, but I just can't. No, it's not becuase I'm excited about the game, or any other plans I have for today (Go Patriots). I just can't sleep. Maybe I'm still recovering from taking the LSAT yesterday. Yeah, that's right a month plus of studying leads to me finally getting the right to pay $125 to torture myself for 4 hours by taking a test in logic. Before you ask, I have no clue how well or badly I did, all I know is I had way to many analytical reasoning sections (that's not Logic games) for my tastes. BTW if you want to take the test in the Portland market, Corban College isn't a bad location. Of course it would have been nice to not have had to drive for 120 miles to get there and back but hey, I can't win them all. So, the LSAT's done, I've got my BA in Public Affairs. Now what? Hmmm....that's a really, really good question. I'm going to be applying to Law School for the fall (I should really get on that, the deadline is in like 4 weeks). If I don't get in, well it's more hours at the station, getting up at 3-4 AM somedays, but hey it's money. Well, I think I may go crawl back into bed for a few hours, maybe I'll actually sleep this time...good morning/afternoon/night...Oh and enjoy the game!

RIAA Strikes Again

Ok, so copying music is bad, illegal in fact. A woman was just ordered to $220,000 for sharing 24 songs online (yes that's a little over $9,000 a song). In an article today (thanks Kim Komando), I'm finding out that I may be able to be sued as well. Not because of illegal music (which I will neither confirm or deny) but because I have ripped CD's to my computer. Yes, that's right, ripping CD's may be considered illegal, at least if the RIAA lawyers have their way. Is it just me or is this going to far? I mean come on $10,000 a song for sharing it? Saying that I can't convert my files from the CD into something that will go on my iPod. Let's follow this logic just briefly shall we.
I am no longer able to rip CD's. I get a CD from someone as a gift. I now have to return that CD, go to the iTunes music store and download it, oh and pay for it myself. What if I return it to the store and all I get is store credit? Now I'm out the 12-15 bucks because I'm no longer able to rip CD's. I agree that the RIAA has the right to enforce it's rules, but come on! I mean for years I've been told that copying music from one format to another (CD to .mp3 or .aac or .wav or whatever) is completely and totally fine. Now the RIAA says it's not, do they want to sell any CD's anymore? I mean isn't there still something about getting a CD and putting in your CD player to play it and then putting it in your computer to rip it? Maybe it's just me. You can read the article here. You can find out more about Kim Komando here. Thank you for reading.

Skype

I love the news media, really I do. I love how there are 10 million opinions for a single story. I am a Skype user (great chat/telephony program Skype.com. I'm reading Google News this afternoon to do some last minute prep for the weekend shows I produce and a tech story catches my eye. Apparenetly in the past 24 hours Skype has been having a lot of difficulty with a large volume of users in mostly Asia and Europe (mine hasn't had any problems). In the past 24 hours (where Skype on their blog has promised that it would be resolved in that period) the critics have come out with articles entitled "Skype outage: An unprecedented wake-up call" or "Skype Experiences Growing Pains." Heaven forbid that a company have a problem. The articles complain about how the businesses were stranded and that there was no customer support complaint system with skype. Give me a break! It's an online internet chat program. You don't see tons of articles about AIM when it goes down for long periods of time. The sentiment I seem to be reading from the critics is that Skype should have known better and that because of this glitch there are tons of problems coming their way. Like competition, right because Yahoo! Messanger and AIM are not already established and have introduced and failed with voice? People just don't think. RRRRR....I like Skype, I would be a little frustrated if it went down but I think I could probably get over it, even if I had a business I would probably be ok, I mean there is still oh, email, other messaging programs, cell phones, landlines...ummm..fill in the _________ with some other piece of technology that communicates. Just one persons opinion

Strange!!!!

Ok, so I listen to too much radio. Today I was out and about listening to 105.1 The Buzz in Portland (KRSK 1051thebuzz.com) and Daria, Mitch and Producer Ted discuss spanking when they got one of those calls that you wonder why on earth A: they did the thing they did, B: they are willing to admit it. So this woman calls up and has a story to tell about her wedding day...and how she received a spanking from her father. It turns out that she was drunk after her bachelorette party and threw up all over his brand new car that was sitting in the driveway. The obvious question from Mitch was something akin to asking if she had been spanked on the wedding night as well as the wedding day. Her response was that she didn't remember that. OK, this makes no sense. The first time she was drunk I can kind of understand, although I'm really not sure what the draw to drinking so much alcohol that you can't remember what happened, but I digress. The second thing I don't get...WHY WOULD YOU GET DRUNK AT YOUR WEDDING? It's kind of an important event if you ask me. Just my opinion, or lack of understanding, take your pick.

Crazy?!

Ok, sometimes there is a story that just makes you go "you've got to be kidding me?" There are people out there who are so nuts and yet still being taken seriously. Take for example Jonathan Lee Riches, who claims that Micheal Vick (yes, that Michael Vick) stole two of his dogs and used them in dog fighting. Secondly he claims that Vick sold said dogs to buy Iranian missles. The courts of course have had to "recieve" the handwritten, poorly spelled and gramatarized document. There is a pdf file of the document in the Foxnews.com story (oh, don't give me that look...it's just Fox...they aren't all bad). This story is just nuts...oh and the amount of the lawsuit: "$63,000,000,000 billion dollars". That amount is deliverable to the front doors of the prison that Riches is currently housed in via "'UPS' United States Parcel Service" (for those of you who don't know UPS is United Parcel Service). Yet another reason for tort laws...If this sees the light of day I'm not sure what I'll do. That's all I've got for now.

Side-By-Side

Ok, so I'm avoiding homework right noww (it's summer people it's what I do). But I'm sitting here watching ABC which is currently airing IndyCar and they are doing something that I have never seen before but is an extremely cool idea. ESPN (on ABC) is running something they call side-by-side, which is basically the event on the left side of the screen and the commercials on the right. It means that while you can't hear the race you can still be watching it. What an idea for live events! Let's think ahead to what this could be used for. No more weird breaks during football, hockey, basketball, NASCAR, F-1, IndyCar or any other live event that it is hard to break from. I think it is a very cool idea. It means the commercials still run and they are heard but you can still watch the live event. Maybe ESPN has been doing this for a while, I don't get cable so I don't know. They are also only able to put it on during the network breaks, when they show local spots they can't do side-by-side but locals only occur once or twice an hour. I'm also thinking that this could come in very handy during the Olympics. How about side by side double events? So, NBC doesn't want to carry all the Olympic events well this is a way they can. They can run their normal programming on the right window and carry the Olympics live on the right side, or the other way around. There are some very cool implications in my opinion. What do you think? Comment, email, you know how!

TSN's New Deal

Yeah, I know I promised news from the NW, but I've been a little tied up reading books and taking care of errands I have put off for a semester, sorry. Today, I have something else to complain about. For over 30 years the NFL's Monday Night Football was on ABC in the United States and a variety of networks in Canada, most recently Global. These networks are all "terrestrial" broadcasts, meaning they are not cable based. That is until this year. This year MNF moved to ESPN in the United States and TSN in Canada. These are, as many know, cable offerings only. That's right you can't see MNF unless you go to a bar or have cable or satelite with a sports package. I think it's dumb, especially considering the popularity of the sport in the United States. Now today, TSN/RDS (the french TSN) announce that they will be carrying the exclusive contract for the CFL (Canadian Football League), including the Grey Cup (the Championship game) and all playoffs. This is also a switch from terrestrial broadcast. For as long as I can remember CBC has carried the CFL. It now looks as though you will not be able to watch the Grey Cup unless you have cable. Stupid idea! It may be good for the network but it is bad for the regular viewing public. There are lots of people who will miss out because the terrestrial networks are no longer able to carry games. I think that makes for a very bad choice overall. It has the potential to push those fans who have been watching on terrestrial TV to buy cable/satellite, something they may or may not be able to afford. I know I'm talking about worst case scenario's but it's just frustrating. If this had happened while I was living in Canada and didn't have satellite I would be very upset about it. Terrestrial television has been carrying football for decades why should we change it now just because a part of the population wants to watch every single game. That's all I have please feel free to post comments below or shoot me an email but hitting the link on the right. Thanks. Sorry, here is the link

Ahhh...Christmas Break

It is really nice to not have class for the next few weeks. I really, really, like the days off. Of course, I wish I didn't have to do anything at all over the break but, that is not possible. I have a radio station to set up, financial data to enter at home, a dog to bath, Christmas at three houses in two cities to go to. I have to plan a wedding. Hmmm...Did I fail to mention that on my blog...everyone on myspace.com knew about it, I guess I forgot to mention it here. That's really all I have for tonight. Tune in tomorrow for an article on the Pacific Northwest of the United States and how it has finally gotten some attention, unfortunately it is for some very tragic reasons.

Funny Wii Story

Ok, so Nintendo is handing out new wrist straps for it Wii Remote's. Every once in a while I see a really funny article about cool stuff. The Edmonton Sun's Steve Tilley wrote an extremely funny piece on the Wii Remote, right here. Enjoy!