Who Really is a User??

So today Google announced it bought Snapseed... awesome buy. along with the announcement on Google+ was this:

"This week we also hit an important milestone--over 400,000,000 people have upgraded to Google+. It was only a year ago that we opened public sign-up, and we couldn’t have imagined that so many people would join in just 12 months. While Google+ is all about creating a better experience across Google, it’s also a destination. And here too, I’m happy to report that we have just crossed 100,000,000 monthly active users on Google+ (plus.google.com and mobile app)."

Seems fairly obvious to a reasonable person that those number really don't matter. We all sign up for things and promptly forget about them. For me that has included Google+. So far. I sure never thought of it as an upgrade. From Buzz maybe? or Wave? Active Users? I end up on Google+ mostly by mistake. I might poke around a little.. would hardly consider me a user. This isn't about Google+ and it's relative merits (or lack thereof) it's about the phony biz speak BS that keeps me giggling. Seems like everyone has their sites set on politics. Why is the number 47 trending on twitter tonight? Email me. Thanks.

Threat Levels in Europe

ALERTS TO THREATS IN 2012 EUROPE: 

BY JOHN CLEESE 

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada. 

The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years. 

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability. 

Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides." 

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose." 

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels. 

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy. 

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be all right, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the Barbie this weekend!" and "The Barbie is cancelled" So far no situation has ever warranted use of the last final escalation level. 

A final thought -“ Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC." 

Pt Lobos -Right Now.

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woods here

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lupine

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Point Lobos

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Is Seth Godin Important? a Joke?

Saw this tweet where @jeffjarvis sticks up for ...nevermind ..here ya go: "Apple rejects @sethgodin's book because he linked to buy @dweinberger's book. Not good." 

By the way, Seth doesn't use @sethgodin because??? . He uses @ThisIsSethsBlog. "@sethgodin Seth is not active on Twitter. This is a placeholder. BUT! You can follow my blog by following @thisissethsblog. Anyone who says they're me on Twitter is lying." really? 

Over on The Domino Project (.."a new way to think about publishing. Founded by Seth Godin and powered by Amazon, we're trying to change the way books are built, sold and spread. Find out more about our mission here.") Seth whines about Apple rejecting his next book (excuse me, his Manifesto) Stop Stealing Dreams because "inside the manifesto" are links to buy the books he mentions in the bibliography at Amazon. 

Really? Apple doesn't want to sell your book because you are going to have links in the book to go buy stuff from a competitor? A link that likely results in a commission paid to you?

Everybody is the new digital revolutionary. Seth has "powerful" ideas. Just ask him!

Some of these guys really don't get it..  A trojan horse is a trojan horse.. was yesterday, is today and will be tomorrow.. 

This is a free country. Apple can sell whatever it wants and as Steve would say, "if you don't like it, don't buy it". 

As for Seth and his jumping up and down because he won't get his way? Now that's how I want to be.. how about you?

I subscribed to Seth's newsletter for a few days. It was some of the most simpleminded garbage I'd ever read. Spare me. Your mileage may differ. 

BTW, I know how to set links but didn't in this piece. Easy enough to right click and search if you want to check my sources.

How does your digital music sound? What do you do about it?

Neil Young made some waves (in my head anyway) last week talking about Steve Jobs being a digital music pioneer but listening to "records" when he went home. I have no evidence of that one way or another even though I did hang out with Steve once in his favorite audio porn emporium in Palo Alto (the Audible Difference). I know he didn't like "tape", but never heard him talk negatively about cd's.
Have heard the similar refrain from Peter Gabriel who surely knows a thing or two about making music sound good.  

I have been told that lossless (which I use as much as possible) is equivalent to a redboard cd (which is good but not great). I'd like to get some feedback from folks in the know. Or not in the know...Maybe some links and comments about what you hear and what you do about it..

For years I bought master recordings and them put them on master tape to play in the car. They sounded great. When I plug my iPhone into my car and crank it up, I'm sometimes impressed (even with 320kbps) and sometimes not so much. It seems to me that it's all in the preparation and UE. Like apple computers, the specs don't necessarily determine the performance..or perceived performance.

I have ears.. played music professionally from the time I was 8 until I was 25 and then was a concert promoter and tour manager. Left the business long ago but my ears could tell who was out of tune in a 100+ piece orchestra and they still don't like laptop speakers (etc.).

4 years ago I started the process of putting a 4000 cd collection onto servers. Backed them up and backed them up again ..and again. Had moved them 3 times and just didn't want to do it again.. We are starting to do the same thing with books. We are near 60 and have accumulated a lot of "stuff" along the way. I got rid of the turntable in the early 90's and will not go back. Most of our listening is casual. So, please tell me what you have found and what you've done. Appreciated..of course. Thanks.

the goat.

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a relaxed start

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