TECHNOLOGY: Print On Demand for magazines

Monday, May 11, 2009

http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/07/cloud-computing-enterprise-technology-cio-network-cloud-computing.html?partner=technology_newsletter

Commentary
A Cloud In Every Garage
Russ Daniels, 05.07.09, 06:00 PM EDT
HP on how cloud computing can help re-ignite the global economy.

*** begin quote ***

HP has a cloud service, called MagCloud, that makes it possible for anyone to publish a professional-quality magazine and print, promote, sell and deliver it on demand. Printing on demand means no large press runs, no pre-publication expense, no waste.

By eliminating substantial pieces of the physical supply chain, we can offer professional-quality print to a mass audience while reducing the impact on the environment. The same on-demand technology can be extended to book publishing and allow individuals to print customized books, mixing their own content with that of professionals.

Looking ahead, we envision a rich ecosystem of printing services–connecting businesses to businesses and businesses to individuals–that delivers information where, when and how it’s needed.

*** end quote ***

Print On Demand for magazines?

I like POD for books. It makes the family history possible. Have to see how this is implemented and how much it costs. Niche magazines might be possible if they are built on a advertising model and if they are dirt cheap. Where will be the margin for the mission?

Reigniting the world economy?

Nah.

Cloud computing has major problems: version control; payment; and data ownership right off the top of my head.

Maybe I’m just an old fuddy duddy

Besides, connectivity to the cloud is NOT ubiquitous or cheap (i.e., free are very close to it). And the ISPs (i.e., AT&T, the Bells, Comcast, the Cable Companies) have other ideas on how they are going to keep their monopoly and monitize it. And, don’t forget how they are strangling peer 2 peer technology with caps and deep stateful packet inspection (i.e., poisoning).

No, this ain’t the Far East with big pipes to the home and “enlighted” politicial and technology leadership.

The inet may have been an American invention, but it’s going to be the Far East boom 2.0!

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RANT: Supposedly Bill Cosby’s platform (Update 4)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

On May 4, 2009, at 6:05 PM, {my wife’s high school friend} wrote:

BILL COSBY HAS DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE. HERE IS HIS PLATFORM: (AFTER YOU READ THIS YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO VOTE FOR HIM)!!!

(1) ‘Press 1 for English’ is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.

(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country’s attitude.. NO imports, no exports. We will use the ‘Wal-Mart ‘s policy, ‘If we ain’t got it, you don’t need it.’

(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border (six month tour). They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn’t put nuttin’ in, you ain’t getting’ nuttin’ out. The president nor any other politician will be able to touch it.

(6) Welfare – Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40-hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade.

(7) Professional Athletes–Steroids. The FIRST time you check positive you’re banned for life.

(8) Crime – We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences. If convicted of murder, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc.

(9) One export will be allowed, Wheat. The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.

(10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we’ll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it’s a worthy cause.

(11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.

(12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc..

Sorry if I stepped on anyone’s toes.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !

Bill Cosby

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I have to get some time to check snopes for this. It sounds like inet tripe. But, it does give me “blo-der” (i.e., fodder to blog about)!

Update: It is a hoax.

But it’s still useful to destroy each bullet point.

>(1) English is the official language

We need an “official” anything, like we need a hole in the head. We managed to go 200 years without an “official” language. Why do we suddenly need one now? Could it be more of the 1850’s Know Nothings anti-immigrant prejudice? Could it be just one more way that the “power elite” distract us from the important issues of the day?

>2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country’s attitude.. NO imports, no exports.

And, how do you like 30$/gal gasoline? Give the politicians who passed the Smoot Hawley tariff, they may have not been aware that they were creating the Great Depression and allowing FDR to take us off the gold standard which allowed runaway gooferment spending. It’s hard to imagine anything this stupid actually passing. But, never underestimate the stupidity or cupidity of politicians. In the Depression and subsequent civil unrest, you would at least wrest the title of the “great depression” from 1929. I can’t imagine the result of this ill considered policy. Not only would you screw this country, but all of our trading partner as well. Poor people in third world countries who make stuff that gets shipped here would be instantly out of work. I can visualize the starvation and civil unrest around the world. Trade preempts invasions. World War 3! Absolute stupidity.

Stay tuned. I’ll take on each over the next twelve days

>3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

How absurd. What that means is that people will be paying the government for the privilege of overpaying? From an economic point of view, you’re not producing the maximum value for human society or American society. This is similar to the argument that every one should be a subsistence farmer. We don’t want imports from California to prevent New Jersey from growing oranges. Oh yeah, that’s right, they won’t grow here. Stupidity!

>4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border (six month tour).

Why would they have to do that. Just because they are retired military? Do they get paid? How much will that cost?

>4 continued They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

The implication is that they will fire on NORTHbound aliens. Guess all aliens look a like. The death penalty for believing what is written on the Statue of Liberty.THe problem isn’t folks coming here to work hard. The problem is government welfare and the psuedo drug war. So shred the Fourteenth Amendment about involuntary servitude and keep up the pretense that the illeagals are the root of all our problems.

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LIBERTY: Can snap that pic?

Sunday, May 10, 2009

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/07/san-francisco-muni-b.html

San Francisco Muni begins to enforce imaginary no-photos policy
Posted by Cory Doctorow, May 7, 2009 6:45 PM

*** begin quote ***

The blogger at What I’m Seeing is a prolific photographer of San Francisco’s rapid transit system, and thus has fallen afoul of its imaginary no-photos policy, with a threatened arrest:

*** end quote ***

What happened to the First Amendment?

The rapid transit is part of the gooferment.

No doubt about that!

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TECHNOLOGY: Kindle DX for text books? Doesn’t make sense.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=17630

Revisiting the ROI of the Kindle DX: Why is Amazon blind to Wi-Fi?
Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:24 am

*** begin quote ***

Amazon unveiled its much hyped Kindle DX, an e-book with a 9.7-inch screen designed to raise a ruckus in the textbook market, but delivered a $489 curve ball that seriously alters the return on investment calculation for academia.

On the surface, the argument for the Kindle DX (Techmeme) in academia holds somewhat but that price tag makes the case much harder for your average student. Amazon is asking students to learn a little about total cost of ownership over three years before they pick up a book. What is this? Enterprise software?

The Kindle DX runs you $489 as an upfront investment and the average student spends $488 on new and used course materials a year. In a nutshell, Amazon is asking the average student to fork over more money for the Kindle and then buy the textbooks too.

*** end quote ***

They’d have a better chance supporting the Open Textbook effort. That’s what student’s could afford.

Textbooks’ prices are obscene!

Even when I went to school.

No margin, no mission. I understand. BUT, (there is always a big butt), it doesn’t have to be a screw job!

Don’t forget Project Gutenberg and Google with it’s out of print books.

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GUNS: VD! It’s always about “victim disarmament”

Saturday, May 9, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/decoster/decoster151.html

Women, Stop Watching Oprah and Learn to Love Guns
by Karen De Coster

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Let’s face it – women are more vulnerable to attack because, most likely, their aggressor will be a man. Women are physically weaker, and criminals know that we are less willing to be mentally prepared for aggression because, unlike men, most of us just aren’t wired to be combative. A woman’s attacker will be bigger, stronger, and faster than her, and by nature they will be more aggressive, and that’s before considering any mental or drug problem that may be associated with a criminal attack. So why do women not want to take that into consideration and equalize the situation by learning to use and love guns? Dr. Thomas Szasz, libertarian scholar and Professor of Psychiatry at Syracuse University, once stated, “self-defense is not merely our legal right but our moral duty; because women are more vulnerable than men, their need and obligation to defend themselves is even greater than that of men.” Dr. Szasz is a wise man.

*** end quote ***

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Let me just quote from Marie’s soliloquy in my book “CHURCH 10●19●62”

“Yes, we women do (kill). Did you know John’s paternal grandmother traveled the Oregon Trail, bore 13 children, and fought Indians and Outlaws? She’s in her 90’s now. I’ve read her letters. Women can kill when it’s needed. We may not be as physically strong as men, but who seems to get to change all the diapers? Don’t worry about the words and labels. Just do what’s right. OK?”

OK! Women are smart and responsible for their own defense. Wasn’t that what the “women’s liberation” movement was all about. Empowering women? So why do they tolerate male legislators making them victims of every low life man who wants to hurt them.

As Heinlein said: “An armed society is a polite society.”

Frankly, I trust women a lot more than I trust politicians.

From my cold dead hand …; yours too, I hope.

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p.s., I tried to emulate Heinlein. The first book I ever really read and absorbed a political message from was his “Starship Troopers”. Admittedly a juvenile science fiction action novel, it was a College level course in Libertarian philosophy. So to, in my book “CHURCH 10●19●62”, I tried to get across my political ideas about Liberty. His was much better, but I tried. Hopefully, I can turn one person onto freedom.

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TECHNOLOGY: Print On Demand allows the capture of “stuff” that otherwise would be lost

Saturday, May 9, 2009

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96515

POD books and information overload
Posted: April 30, 2009 1:00 am Eastern
Technology
Phil Elmore

*** begin quote ***

{Extraneous Deleted}

The fact, tenor and import of being a “published author” in the United States is changing, and changing rapidly. While anyone can be “published” on the Web, would-be writers put much more stock in hardcopy. There is something about holding a real, bound paper book that carries with it a certain weight, a certain validity – and it is this validation, this sense of accomplishment made physical, that a first-time author craves. Given how difficult it is to be selected or discovered by a traditional publishing house, a market has sprung up that serves amateur and first-time writers’ need for affirmation. It is the publish-on-demand self-publishing industry.

{Extraneous Deleted}

*** end quote ***

As a “published author”, (Yeah, two Lulu entrees, a third in queue, including my magnum opus “CHURCH 10●19●62”, and a few more on the drawing board!), I believe this “technology” allow the capture of family histories, individual interest topics, and other stuff that would be completely lost. It reminds me of the FIreFox books. Human knowledge is IMHO being lost at a huge rate. People die without having their stories “captured”. POD technology will allow that to be captured. It’s great!

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GUNS: FLASH! Dramatic law from MT

Friday, May 8, 2009

REPORTING ON WORLDNETDAILY

WEAPONS OF CHOICE
State exempts guns from federal regs
‘No firearm registration, serial numbers, criminal records check’
Posted: May 07, 2009 1:00 am Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

*** begin quote ***

The state of Montana has drawn a line in the sand, challenging the federal government to decide whether to follow the U.S. Constitution with a new gun law that exempts from federal regulations any gun, gun accessory or ammunition made in the state and intended for use there.

*** end quote ***

That throws the gauntlet down!

Way to go Montana.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Release if he signed papers forfeiting his property

Friday, May 8, 2009

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/05/texas.police.seizures/

Texas police shake down drivers, lawsuit claims

   * Police stop drivers, take their money and jewelry, alleged victims say

   * Drivers threatened with arrest, loss of children if they don’t pay up, plaintiffs say

   * Most targeted drivers are minorities who won’t fight back, lawyer says

   * Town, county officials deny any wrongdoing, say officers follow the law

updated 9:00 a.m. EDT, Wed May 6, 2009

From Gary Tuchman and Katherine Wojtecki

CNN’s “AC360°”

*** begin quote ***

TENAHA, Texas (CNN) — Roderick Daniels was traveling through East Texas in October 2007 when, he says, he was the victim of a highway robbery.

The Tennessee man says he was ordered to pull his car over and surrender his jewelry and $8,500 in cash that he had with him to buy a new car.

But Daniels couldn’t go to the police to report the incident.

The men who stopped him were the police.

Daniels was stopped on U.S. Highway 59 outside Tenaha, near the Louisiana state line. Police said he was driving 37 mph in a 35 mph zone. They hauled him off to jail and threatened him with money-laundering charges — but offered to release him if he signed papers forfeiting his property.

*** end quote ***

Well, my Luddite friend always fights with me telling me that “the police are our friends”. Not my friend, my friend. They are worse than the Mafia. At least, the Mafia doesn’t pretend that they aren’t robbing me.

These armed bureaucrats are nothing more than form filling out clean up squads. Unless they blunder into something.

(Hey, if he can exaggerate, so can I!)

It comes from the basic premise about the use of force. It all comes down to force.

Argh!

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SERVICE: domain email appears down via smtp

Friday, May 8, 2009

Need to figure out what to do when the mail client can’t seem to pull mail.

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Opened up a new email on GMail. It can’t reach imap.1and1.com or smtp.1and1.com.

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Went up on VWBBIE (Verizon Wireless Broadband)! <Why didn’t I think of that sooner?> Picked up one of the accounts but not the others. Now I’m really confused.

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ping works. everything working. confused!

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GAMBLING: State of NJ takes your old uncashed tickets?

Friday, May 8, 2009

There as been a silent money grab in AC by Corzine. I hadn’t heard anything about it, but there was a sign at the Borgata about a new law on casino tickets. I didn’t really read it or really understand it, but they now have new tickets from the slot machines with a blue edge. As I understand it, uncashed tickets that are year old are no longer cashable. I can guess who gets the money. Heard about it. Those tickets are usually for pennies I’d guess. Take a ticket with pennies on it to say a quarter machine and it spits out a ticket for the pennies. People usually leave them in the tray when they go bust. It’s not even profitable for the homeless to collect them. But nothing’s beneath the politicians.

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