Friday, May 18, 2012

An Internet treasure

Now I know why we have the Internet. So everyday we can watch this. Just think, for the rest of our lives we are going to watch Yahoo's Broken News Daily. Every single day.

Public radio in New Jersey

When NJN radio was divided up, New York's WNYC radio got the northern stations and Trenton and WHYY Philadelphia got the South Jersey stations. I listen to the Trenton station.  Although I enjoy listening to Brian Lehrer and Leonard Lopate on a local station without the crackle associated with listening to 820 AM,  the pitching is rather confusing to dear me. This morning I was pitched to by the New Jersey station saying I should give money to them. Later I was pitched to by Brian Lehrer, saying I should be giving money to WNYC. Being subject to fundraising by two different radio stations on the same station is rather confusing. Now that WNYC is a network and not just a station I wish it would start acting like one.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Should I buy Facebook

Many of us remember when we had a chance to buy Google stock at it's IPO of $85 (now it's in the 600's) and think,"I am not going to miss out on another opportunity" and are tempted to buy Facebook. It's true, lots of people use Facebook but I for one think it has peeked in popularity and that it will be replaced by a new social networking site in a few years. The reason for this is the hipness factor.

When Atlantic City first got gambling, young hip type people were drawn to it (see above photo) then over time Atlantic City looked more like the other photograph. Facebook started out like the above photo but today  is becoming more like the other photo. Most people don't want to hang out with their grandmothers. Hence, there will soon be a new social networking site that attracts the young, hip set. This site will eventually attract the more desirable demographic and Facebook will look like the Taj Mahal on a Wednesday morning. Yes, we will see use Facebook to share our new boat with our aunts, but the attractive co-worker at work will be at a different on-line location. There probably already is a hip Facebook out there but I don't know about it. If you know what it is please share.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

I graduated from kindergarten

Yesterday I had lunch in a restaurant and noticed a board next to the cash register with posters. One said "Tim Lee graduated from kindergarten".  Another said "Simon graduated from the third grade".  A third said "perfect attendance in the second grade".   

It made me think of what things were like in my day. If you failed kindergarten you got a pop on the head. If you cut school you got a pop on the head. No awards for graduating from anything, but if you failed you got a pop on the head. 

I can see Tim Lee at work. "Mr. Hamerfuffer, I didn't call in sick last month, where is my party and cake?"  "Mr. Kantenfauchnen, I didn't screw up my assignment, where is my poster?"  

Sorry, guess I had too many pops on the head as a kid. 

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Happy May Day

I remember as a tot in elementary school there was an assembly on May Day. There would be a May pole on the stage and a few lucky students would walk around the May pole wrapping ribbons around the thing. Later I found that the holiday was associated with Communism.

I also remember when I worked in Denver the staff would be dragged to a local park for a May Day celebration, and someone remarked "Where are the Communist flags?" We ate cold chicken then went back to work. We didn't have a may pole. 

May Day has a double meaning in the United States. It is a minor spring celebration and is also tied in with left of center politics. The Occupy Wall Street people want to make a big to do for today. I wonder if children are still forced to dance around May poles? Apparently so, at least in Portland Oregon.