FCC and the Internet

Today there was a vote in "net neutrality," which has now been approved. The FCC claims that this is aimed at protecting Internet freedom, but given the FCC's track record - that's a bit hard to believe.

The FCC is known for censoring what is on television & radio - and suing those who are unable to keep things clean. The FCC is in charge of what words need to be bleeped and at what time things are allowed to get a little dirtier than usual - but the Internet has not had to deal with the FCC until now.

Internet in the United States has seemed to be a basic right - there is no one in the government saying that we can't go to specific web sites (minus this WikiLeaks scandal and military not being allowed to access the site). Other countries have banned Facebook and other sites, but the United States has kept it so citizens have the freedom to view whatever it is they would like.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that the "rules" of this new approved net neutrality include:

• Transparency for consumers about how the Internet's core players manage the network.

• A right for consumers and innovators to send and recieve lawful traffic and to connect devices of their choice to the network.

• A level playing field, in which government regulators don't pick winners and losers.

• Reasonable flexibility for network management and service pricing, to promote investment and innovation by private firms.

FCC critics on the left say that, by stepping back from bolder ideas it had considered earlier this year, the agency has caved in to corporate interests. The group Free Press, for example, argues the commission should issue an outright ban on "paid prioritization" deals, in which an Internet service provider cuts deals that put data from some clients on a faster track than others. (The FCC said such deals are "unlikely to satisfy" its new policy.)

But on the right, critics say the FCC is trying to fix something that's not broken, and that existing antitrust laws can be used to protect consumers if the need arises. Further, they say, the FCC has no authority from Congress to regulate the Internet.

Obama issued a statement where he called the FCC's decision a victory and even said that it would help freedom of speech.


CNN reports that the new rules could make it so some Internet users are charged more than others based on the type of media used such as watching videos.

"The rules are designed to, in effect, keep the companies that own the internet's real-world infrastructure from slowing down some types of websites or apps -- say, those belonging to a competitor -- or speeding up others for high-paying clients."

The vote was 3 Democrats to 2 Republicans, CNN reports:

The vote was along party lines, with the commission's three Democrats voting to "concur" with the rules and its two Republicans voting against them.

Commissioner Robert McDowell, a Republican, called the vote a "radical step" and said it puts the FCC "on a collision course" with the courts, which he predicted will throw the rules out.
"The FCC is not Congress," he said. "We cannot make laws."

Republicans have largely argued the government has no right to interfere with business practices online.

But CNN reports that not all Democrats are happy with the way this is playing out completely:

Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, signed off on the rules but called them only a "first step in the right direction."

"In my book, today's action could have, and should have, gone further," he said. "Going as far as I would have liked was, however, not in the cards."

For example, he said, the rules won't absolutely prevent broadband providers from "pay for priority" -- giving faster service to those able to pay for it, or to one favored business over another."

Bret Michael and Kristi Gibson Engaged

With all the celebrity break-ups it's good to know that there's some love going on. This is really strange, because Bret Michaels had three seasons of "Rock of Love" (which were such a guilty pleasure), but now he is getting married to Kristi Gibson who he has been with off and on for 16 years.

Reminds me of Flavor of Love. He had all those episodes (Flava Flav), but then at the end of it all he got back with his "baby momma." Don't remember the name of her, but it was on the last reunion show.

So, basically the point of Rock Of Love was to give some girls 15-minutes-of fame, break some hearts, drink a little and get famous again. Well, there goes all the beliefs that true love can be found through a reality tv dating show. Oh wait, those beliefs went out the window when Bobby and Tila broke up after the first episode of "Shot at Love with Tila Tequila."

Anyway, yes: Bret Michaels is engaged to Kristi Gibson. This information was obtained from MTV.com :

Bret Michaels and his girlfriend finally hit the right note. The "Rock of Love" and "Celebrity Apprentice" star proposed to his on-again, off-again companion of 16 years, Kristi Gibson, during the finale of his latest VH1 reality show, "Bret Michaels: Life as I Know It."


I didn't even know Bret had a new VH1 realty show. Wow, I'm behind the times.
Well, congratulations!

HR6556 is Dead: 99ers “Scrooged” AGAIN!

According to the staffers at Rep Bobby Scott's office, HR6556 is NOT coming out of committee. With HR6556 now dead, seems the 99ers are Scrooged yet AGAIN.

Bill HR 6556 Is a bill introduced in the House last Friday to add 14 weeks to Tier 1 and HELP ALL the 99ers NOW.

The bill, H.R. 6556, is sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee and Bobby Scott and was introduced in the House on December 17, 2010.

"We would request that you immediately contact Rep. Lee and Rep. Scott as well as the Congressman in your district requesting this bill be removed from committee and brought to the floor for a vote before the 111th Congress comes to a close," The American 99ers Union wrote on its website this weekend.

The language of this bill has yet to be released, but crewof42.com states the bill contained the following provisions:

••• This section provides 14 additional weeks of emergency unemployment compensation in Tier I.

••• This additional benefit will be available for those who have exhausted all their benefits (99ers and other exhaustees) as well as those who will be unemployed this year. 


••• This expansion is similar to the expansion in Nov. 2009 which provided an additional week of benefits to Tier II. 


••• Adding these extra weeks in Tier I makes them available for all chronically unemployed and not only those currently collecting unemployment benefits from a "high unemployment state."

Even the 99ers beloved advocate Ed Schultz, on his radio show yesterday took the stance that this bill has no chance of getting passed. The problem is that instead of fast tracking it like the emergency help HR6556 truly is - they have referred it to the House Ways & Means Committee, chaired currently By Jim McDermitt (D-WA).

UGH! Congress passed the Bank bail out and the Help for Haiti bill in 3 days or less they went from being written to being signed into LAW ! This requires the same urgency or why even bother, since if not passed NOW will likely DIE forever in 4 days when this Session of Congress is DONE!

From the CHANGE.ORG Petition: USA News Media: Report ASAP re: H.R. 6556 & S.3706 Americans Want To Work Act for Tier 5 99ers

Many 99ers have been without this lifeline since March 2010. There is no accurate data re: how many 99ers there are currently and estimates are all over the map. The BLS estimates there are 1.5 million but in June a Dept. of Labor press release stated there were 4.3 million.

On December 12th, OpenCongress.org, through the Congressional Black Caucus announcement of support for the 99ers, stated, "There’s no official estimate of how many 99ers there are already, but most estimates put the number around 5 million". There are 4 million more that are set to lose benefits in 2011. These are significant numbers of people that have gone virtually unreported by network and cable news programs and talk shows.

Part of the problem is that most of the Nation has been fooled into thinking this bogus 13 month extension in the Obama “Bend Over” extended UI for all of the unemployed. NOT TRUE!

Kelly Wiedemer, the Denver Unemployment Examiner, wrote this to the Denver post and is encouraging all 99ers/exhaustees to contact their own local media to correct this intentional misconception created by Washington:

“There is a HUGE mis-perception about what the tax cut compromise and it's 13 month U.I. extension actually provided (which was nothing for about half of the unemployed.) Members of Congress and the media everywhere are incorrectly reporting that this bill ADDED 13 monts of U.I. benefits. It is a complete falsehood. Senator Orrin Hatch is one of several members of Congress who either 'didn't know the facts' about the bill (that they voted against) or are outright LYING to the public. This is happening everywhere, locally, nationally.

There is further evidence of this b/c the Congressional Black Caucus has introduced an 11-th hour bill to help the 99ers - but most members of Congress, the WH and the media brush these stories under the rug (HR6556).

I know you are very busy but feel strongly enough about this to ask if you can help - or suggest someone that may be able to help. If the 99ers (there will be 100k of them in CO within months per Bill Thoennes) - 99ers have exhausted all UI benefits and are not eligible for anything under the new extension (there are already approx 30k of us in CO). This is going to add to the explosion of SNAP, homelessness, etc..

Here is the article Kelly wrote about the FOX News interview which took place last Friday afternoon: Sen Hatch, FOX News' Van Susteren broadcast more lies about the EUC extensions

More from Kelly:

I wrote about this in my article and included a video of Hatch telling Van Susteren that the UI has been extended to 'well over 100 weeks now' - a complete lie. This has been covered by a few other media outlets...is there anyone at the Denver Post that would be willing to print a story abut this? This is so disgraceful - it is happening to such an extent that it appears to be propoganda - not a 'mistake' or misunderstanding of the legislation.

We (99ers) are asking CNN & MSNBC to do a poll asking how many American believe (incorrectly) that the tax cut compromise added additional EUC benefits to the long term unemployed. I'm willing to bet that there is significant number of Americans that DON'T know the truth - and would probably not be happy that the tax cuts for the top 2% were extended without really helping the long-term (longest) term unemployed - a growing population of middle class professionals.”

Personally I do not ever watch FOX news, but I did take advantage of the opportunity to give them a piece of my mind on this subject. You can too:

Fox News Contact Information from their website:

We want YOUR input! Tell us what you love, tell us what you hate ... just don't keep it to yourself! As a FOX Fan, you'll have a unique opportunity to make your voice heard and affect change a...t FNC. Below, you'll find a few ways to contact us. BUT, if you're more of a phone person, you can call us at 1-888-369-4762

This is another idea to get involved in the 99er fight for survival from the site Democraz.org

Here's how you force the Republicans to extend unemployment benefits for Tier 5.

Brown Forman Corporation 502-585-1100 the distributor of Jack Daniels whiskey and Southern comfort gives money to Republicans for campaign donations regularly to Mitch McConnell and operates out of Kentucky the State where McConnell Resides. 



Wendy's Restaurants (614) 764-3100, ext. 2032 and JM Smuckers 888-550-9555 ( Makers of Peanut butter and Jam ) both have given money to Republicans and operate out of the State of Ohio where the new speaker John Boehner resides. 



Normally if you wrote to McConnell and Boehner to get unemployment insurance extended both will politely ignore you at best or laugh at you at worst. 

So I have a better way. Write, email and call Brown Forman corporation, Wendy's restaurants and JM Smuckers corporations i.e. the corporate friends of McConnell and Boehner and tell THEM:

I refuse to do business with your company from now on until you talk to your friends Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority leader McConnell go and pass the unemployment extension without any amendments. 



I promise that if you get 300,000 people like those who got Keith Olbermann back on the air in 5 days [which was boldprogressives.org, located at 1630 R St., NW #703, D.C. 20009 / info@boldprogressives.org] you will do the American people a service of helping those unemployed who need help. 



Click this link to send email to demand that the Republicans get unemployment insurance benefits extended. 

Extend unemployment insurance benefits for Tier 5 now. 

Let the calls, emails, and letter writing begin. [Focus on Congress and the Media] 

Don't forget that the Republican party appears weak and vulnerable at the cash registers of those companies that give them money.

So there you have it. Another Charlie Brown & Lucy football moment for the 99ers. Congress teases cruelly by dangling another carrot of hope only to snap it back at the last minute. Completely and totally PATHETIC if you ask me.

Mean while out in the freezing wind and cold, Rhonda Taylor and Jobs with Justice held a candlelight vigil for the 99ers in Rhode Island last night. Some of the following video is difficult to hear over the wind but you can see the turnout was excellent for the conditions they encountered. Bravo JWJ and Rhonda Taylor!

[Please use the donation button below to help Paladinette to KEEP FIGHTING for the 99ers! Thank you Merry Christmas to all.]

Rosati's Is One Of The Best Pizzas In The World, Next To Zachary's

Ok, Rosati's Pizza is the best in my World, but what's the difference between it and Zachary's Pizza?

As this blogger writes this post, it's Tuesday morning at the Crowne Plaza Hotel near O'Hare Airport. It's snowing outside. And I'm looking at the remains of a Rosati's Deep Dish Pizza I ordered last night.

I grew up in Chicago, so Zachary's Pizza in Oakland's a welcome reminder of Chicago-style pizza. That is, until you've had Chicago-style pizza.

The difference between the Rosati's Pizza and Zachary's Pizza? The sausage. The Rosati's Deep Dish Pizza has that insanely great Italian sausage and a lot of it and in large portions. That's it.

Really. That's it.   Other than that,

So, come on Zachary's Pizza in Oakland, up that Italian sausage count!

Lunar Eclipse Live Camera Missed by Stranded O'Hare Travelers

When dealing with air flight cancellations, sad passengers, and cold, snowy weather, the last thing on your mind is a lunar eclipse. And that explains why this blogger and thousands at Chicago's O'Hare Airport missed the lunar eclipse.

Unless, of course, someone had time to avoid standing in long customer service lines for enough time to catch it all on live stream.

Assuming of course they had a laptop computer.

Anyway, I missed it as it happened.

RATS!

Christmas Travel: Stuck At O'Hare At A Crowne Plaza Where The Phone Failed

Well, here's another blog post in the annals of Zennie's air travels: stuck at O'Hare Airport (again), but this time in a Crowne Plaza where the room phone doesn't work. That's right: this blogger can't call out or in. Thankfully cell phone and Twitter make up for the phone fail.

What happened was United Airlines flight UA 102 made it to Chicago from San Francisco and landed in what at first was a relatively typical snow for Chicagoland. That was 6:12 PM CST; as the night got older the snow got worse, and eventually O'Hare took on the look of The North Pole, complete with sightings of Santa Claus outside.

And, yes, the weather outside was somewhat frightful. A good 24 degrees. Yes, it's been colder than that with the wind-chill, but the snow's snarling travel. And as is my generally bad luck, the connecting flight I was to get on to Atlanta was delayed.

And then delayed.

And then the United gate reps explained the airplane we were to board had landed. To that end, this standby passenger got seat 12 F and waited.

And waited.

And waited and talked with a woman from Vancover BC and a brother from LA.

And then had a hunch that something was wrong with the flight, so went online to check its status. Sure enough, just seconds before United told the passengers at the gate, the flight was cancelled.

Well, I'm used to that, and I know the drill. Hey, it happened to me after this 767 flight a few weeks ago for Thanksgiving:



But I digress...

There's a service you can use at United's Customer Service Desk that provides pink vouchers where you can get deep hotel discounts if you're stuck at O'Hare and don't want to sleep there overnight. The place I stay at is the Hilton at O'Hare Aiport, only this time, the freaking hotel was booked two hours before my flight was cancelled.

So, the service person gave me the next choice: the Crowne Plaza Hotel at O'Hare. The room rate was just $69. That's it.

But, man you should see the long line for United's Customer Service Desk; it must be a good quarter-mile long.  My friend from Canada was told to stand in the line to get a boarding pass for another flight.  Frankly, I'm surprised they could not have had her self-print a pass, rather than stand with the huddled masses yearning to get a boarding pass from the humans manning the desk.  But that's what happened.

Lots of people.  Lots of kids.  It's Christmas week, and they're all sleeping at O'Hare.

Except me and a few others.

So, as this blog post is being written, I'm impatiently waiting for a deep-dish pizza from a place called Rozatti's. They're going to deliver it in the snow.  I planned to take the 6 AM flight to Atlanta, but there's are going to be so many standbys my Mom think's it's nuts to try it.

You know. I'm gonna listen to her.

Oscars News: 248 Films Eligible for Best Picture Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS building pictured) reports that 248 feature films are eligible for the Best Picture Oscar for the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.

While large, the list is not a record number for the category; in the past more than 300 films were eligible for the award.

Oscar Front Runners.

From the Golden Globes we have The King's Speech, and The Social Network, the movie about the founding of Facebook.com.  But the sleeper candidate looks like True Grit, the Coen Brothers' remake of the classic 1969 movie with the late John Wayne.    The list also includes animated films like Despicable Me and Toy Story 3.  And science fiction films like Inception and Tron 3 are on the list as well.

What Films Qualify?

According to AMPAS, films that are "feature-length motion picture must have a running time of more than 40 minutes and must have been exhibited theatrically on 35mm or 70mm film, or in a qualifying digital format." And movies that, say, appear in a film festival rather than at a movie theater are not eligible for an Academy Award "in any category."

Stay tuned.

Chevron Reports Elaborate Forgery of Lawsuit Against It In Ecuador

This ran across Twitter:

Chevron Chevron
Expert discovers elaborate forgery of plaintiffs’ signatures authorizing 2003 complaint against #Chevron in #Ecuador: http://bit.ly/h1k7j0
8 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

That is explosive. According to Chevron's press release, which, in part, reads...

Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today submitted expert analysis from a leading forensic specialist demonstrating that many of the signatures on the document purporting to authorize the lawsuit against Chevron in Lago Agrio, Ecuador, were forged. According to Chevron’s filing, this newly uncovered evidence of forgery and fraud makes clear that the lawsuit has been tainted with corruption from the very beginning and must be terminated.

The whole damn lawsuit's a fake. 

The lawsuit claiming that Chevron failed to conduct the proper environmental remediation activities when it produced oil in Ecuador. The lawsuit, led by American lawyer Steven Donziger, who this blogger calls "Steven The Don" was already beset with problems that point to one big fraudulent attempt to extort money from an American oil company.

Chevron filed a motion to nullify the lawsuit, but given that Ecuador itself is a party to the lawsuit and Donziger has taken meetings with many of the foxes guarding the hen-house, foremost among them Ecuador President Rafael Correa and executives of Petroecuador, it's beginning to look like a fixed deal.

If there's any real justice in Ecuador, the case will be dismissed.

Let's see what happens.

Stay tuned.

Top 10 Tech Trends Of The Decade: Apps

It's that time where we're all thinking about our list of "Top 10 Tech Trends Of The Decade," but there's a problem. Some lists, well, all that this blogger has seen, have failed to separate applications from technologies. In other words, a particular technology can be used to make an application, like Twitter, which is a really domain-based application. But the technology itself is IPS, or Internet Protocol Suite and the programming languages used to activate it for various purposes.

With that, here's an app-based list of the top tech trends of the decade. The consideration is from the perspective of social and cultural impact.

1. Search engines - Google obviously leads the pack here.  But consider that in 2000, only a few college students, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area where Google was founded in Palo Alto, had actually heard of it.  At that time, AOL and Yahoo had the dominant search engine systems, but their websites were not "search engine-based," but "content-based."  Bet Yahoo Founder Jerry Yang would love to reverse time, ah?   Now, Google is not only the dominant player, but has used it's 60-percent search market share position smartly, playing a major role in the growth of online advertising and using that via Google AdWords to fuel its incredible growth.   What's the next thing here?  Well, take a look at Blekko.

2. Craigslist and Craigslist-style websites - these application services have almost single-handedly destroyed the newspaper industry, which relied largely on classified ads to generate revenue. With Craiglist leading the change, and now with Angie's List and others, the ad as online - free or paid - era continues to grow. Meanwhile, the newspaper industry collapsed, and thousands of journalists have been tossed adrift and are either, still to this writing, trying to figure out the New Media World, moving or moved into other fields of work, or clinging to the Old Media, using the legal system to help them make organizations like Google do their bidding.

Have doubts? Take a look at how Google News wimped out to News Corporation head Rupert Murdock in 2009, after fears that Murdock would de-list from Google. And look at how Google News has kicked blogs off its system, except those ran by large media organizations. And where's the FTC on this? Good question, but back to the main subject.

3. Blogs - Led by Pyra Labs and Six Apart, weblogs, created in 1998 and really well-chronicled in Scott Rosenberg's book Say Everything, have served as the other app that, with Craigslist, has served to destroy newspapers and alter media as we know it.  Why?  Because prior to blogs, websites were used to place text in, but one needed to know HTML to do it quickly.  Blog programs changed all that.   Now, all you have to do is either install your own pre-written code into a website or join a service like Blogger.com, to have access to a system that allows you to write text and have it posted to the web immediately.  Once used by only a few, the number of blogs now is staggering, and is as of this writing well over 100 million.

Now, the battle is between the nimble blogs - like Zennie62.com, I couldn't resist as we're one of the top 100,000 blogs in America - and the slow websites in news publication.  Guess who's running the news websites?  The big Old Media players like, you guessed it, News Corporation.  

But, beyond skirmishes, blogs have emerged as high-value media companies started by people who weren't journalists or even trained as journalists.  TechCrunch, founded by Michael Arrington, a lawyer, was just purchased by AOL for $30 million. PerezHilton.com was founded by Mario Lavandeira, Jr., who pursued an acting career before he took up blogging as a hobby. Now, his blog's value has been estimated to be as high as $32 million and $48 million in 2008.

4. Facebook, MySpace, and Social Networks - This space, once dominated by MySpace (and really created by tech entrepreneur Marc Canter) and is now the domain of Facebook, has worked to bring together people in ways that few could have imagined when they were created.  Once, like Google, the plaything of college students,  social networks have grown to be used by even the elderly seeking to reconnect with old friends.

Now, Facebook has well over 500 million users and has caused a kind of "closed-loop" versus "open-loop" discussion where Google represents the "open-loop" world, and Facebook, with it's membership-based system, is the "closed-loop" where searches for content can be done within it.   Facebook Founder and President Mark Zuckerberg was just named Time Magazine's Person Of The Year.

5. Twitter and Microblogging -You might say "Why not just Twitter?" but that would not have been fair to Twitter-competitor Pownce, that other San Francisco-based 140-character challenger that lasted until 2008.   While Twitter is not a social network - in fact, they say so in their Twitter blog - it's considered as such because of the unique new communications style that's sprang from it, and the way it allows people to share everything from what their doing and where they're doing it, to pictures of what they're doing and where they're doing it.

6. Video Games and Computer and Online Gaming - It's funny how video, computer, and online gaming is as much a part of tech as Google, but seldom talked about in that way.   It's pushed to the forefront at the GDC, the Game Developers Conference, that I attend, but almost never considered at functions like TechCrunch Disrupt.  Yet, video games, computer and online games are types of applications.   This field has grown so that companies like GameStop are publicly-traded, and conventions like ComicCon are actually dominated by game developers mixing with comic book artists, and in the last five years, movie producers.   The online games market is said to be at $15 billion as this is written.

The cultural impact of computer and online games is staggering.  They've served to alter how we related to each other, and arguably for the worse, considering the "flaming" that happens in online game communications and how that's spilled over into areas like online comments.  It's also caused young women to think that a game without, say, the ability to realistically dismember a zombie, is just plain boring.

7.  YouTube and Online Video - In the beginning there was YouTube and Blip.tv, and now there are around eight main players with the now-Google-owned YouTube.com heading the group.  Online videos cultural impact was communicated with TIME's "Person of The Year" was YouTube in 2007.  Then it grew more as TV news managers started to figure out how to take video clips and place them on as part of a telecast.  Now, as we see with CNN's iReport, you, the user of a camcorder, can make national news, replacing the work of camera people, who once made as much as $1,000 per story.   And now YouTube is being challenged by live streaming companies like USTREAM.tv.  But not willing to sit still, YouTube is working on its own live streaming service.   Meanwhile, Yahoo is dropping online video and AOL's just trying to figure it all out, it seems.  In, then out, then in again.

8.  The Smartphone - The smartphone, paced by the iPhone, but still led by Nokia, has become the instrument by which people access the other apps above, as much as computers and laptops.  You can Tweet, post to blogs, and even make videos and upload them to YouTube. But this app has its own apps to use those apps.  Get it?  The smartphone industry was unheard of in the year 2000, and now has become the source of devices people feel they can't be without.   The act of texting was borne within the smartphone revolution, and itself has altered how people communicate, again, arguably for the worse.  Now, people make deals and even breakup with each other via text, making the impersonal communication the new cultural norm.

9. iPhone and Android Apps - The next logical step in this process, and the fact, is that applications created for the iPhone and Android smartphones have become a growth industry.   There are tens of thousands of apps now that allow you to do everything from get the name of a song played in an elevator, to access the online World of Second Life.  Indeed, while the term "app" has been with us for just over a decade - remember the idea of the "killer app," some only think of smartphones, and one other device when the term is used.

10. iPad and iPad Apps - That other device is also another app of a technology - the iPad.  Yes.  Remember, we're talking about the term "app" in its purest form, which means a way of doing something using a system created around an available technology.   Ok?   Now, the idea of a tablet has been in the mind of folks like Michael Arrington for years, but it took Apple's Steve Jobs to bring us the first really insanely great version of this app, the iPad.  And the apps created for the IPad app may revolutionize publishing, even if they don't save print media.   Right now, the iPad is an app used mostly to consume media; but when it's developed to allow the better production of content and media - specifically to create, edit, and upload videos, then its full potential will be realized.

The future app?  Just what's next is a constant conversation, so I'll turn it a bit.  What should be next?  The next app is going to be a combination of two or three of the current apps above, yet help to frame the future of media.  That's another way of saying I have an idea.  But beyond me, that is the real future. We're in an app-dominated World that didn't exist 11 years ago.  Now, you can even use Google Apps to make your own new app.  Indeed, kids should have to take a basic programming language as much as they have to take basic math, because if they don't, they're going to be left behind.

As large companies continues to crumble under the increasing weight of small, Internet-based organizations formed around apps, and outsourcing and open-sourcing is more common, being able to make an app is fast becoming an engine of economic advancement.  In the future, the most economically-powerful cities and countries will be those where app-based industries thrive.  

Stay tuned.

Paramore Loses Zac and Josh Farro

Most people don't even know who Zac and Josh Farro are, but the true Paramore fans know that Paramore is more than just the beautiful Hayley Williams...or at least it was. Maybe Hayley's fame was too much for them to handle?

Zac was the drummer of Paramore, and according to Paramore's official web site Zac has now started his own band called "Tunnels." Zac's brother Josh was the guitarist of Paramore.

The official statement on the band's site states that it had been known months in advance that the Farro brothers planned on leaving the band:

"None of us were really shocked. For the last year it hasn't seemed as if they wanted to be around anymore."

The remaining members of Paramore are Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis and Taylor York. The three have posted:

"We want Josh and Zac to do something that makes them happy and if that isn't here with us, then we support them finding happiness elsewhere."


Well that all sounds great but what people really want to know is if the band members will be replaced, if Paramore is going to break up or if Hayley is just going to peace out and become a solo artist (cough).

Preview of "Trashy Tabloid Analysis"

This is going to be broken up into parts.

Sure, people talk badly about the gossip magazines and say how unreliable the magazines are, but some of them have never read the magazine. Someone has to read it to be able to analyze if it is truly good or bad - so "Trashy Tabloid Analysis" will be the theme of the next few Future of Journalism & Zennie62 Media blog posts. (First posted on NikkyRaney.com & then Zennie62.com).

This may become a series in some way.
There will be a short (3 minute max) video to go along with the post where examples of good/bad journalism will be pointed out within the magazine - so that there are examples of either so that there is an example to base the opinion off of. Someone who thinks the magazines are awesome might like it without ever reading it either - just say, "Oh, I love reading that magazine." So, it's not good to judge something or form an opinion unless you fully understand it and have analyzed it (like when I did my 20+ page research paper on Fox News' Conservative Bias where I spent over a month watching Fox News and analyzing the web page and then comparing Fox to other news sources. So, I can truly say that I have a reason behind why I judge Fox - not just saying it or believing it based on hearsay or influence of those around me).

The only question is whether or not to include which magazine - because could there be a consequence in a legal aspect if I take photos of the magazine? I'm probably over thinking it.

This can be done without being bias.
This is going to be a journalistic analysis (with a bit of blog mixed in) of "trashy tabloids." Sure a lot of people call them "trashy tabloids" because of hearing what the publications report about, but most of those have never even touched the magazine. Like the way someone says they dislike something without ever actually understanding it.

An objective analysis of a magazine considered "trashy tabloid." The ones that are usually all about celebrities & scandals. (OK!, Life & Style, STAR, etc.)

So, that will start up tomorrow. The video aspect will show certain spots that have been circled with pen, etc & be able to show that I really do have a physical copy of the magazine and have done all the research first hand based on that magazine alone in regards to journalistic standards and principles (as well as which version of AP Stylebook is used; if there even is one used.)

Then the blog post accompanying will explain WHY that the publication did was GOOD or BAD. It's like a movie review, but a magazine review - without personal bias. Like pointing out a trend that the magazine may have like ALLOWING ALL INTERVIEWEES TO BE CONFIDENTIAL AND REFERRED TO AS "SOURCE" or "AN INSIDER." And then writing in a paragraph to explain WHY it's not okay for a magazine's only interviews in an article to be with an "anonymous source." These trashy tabloids need to stop only using anonymous sources within their publications - and that's something I will go into more detail about.

Hopefully if anyone that works on the staff at one of these magazines or is in affiliation with one of these magazines sees my posts the person won't take it as negative criticism or whatnot, but could possibly take my posts into consideration: I would love to interview the Editor-in-Chief at any one of the "trashy tabloids" just to find out what the manual & guidebook entails and what the Managing Editor deals with and why/how they consider themselves to be credible sources worth obtaining knowledge & news from when the sources that they are using to obtain this knowledge and news may not be credible.. and if the only source you can get for a story is an anonymous source -- then go out and try to get another interview or interview someone that WILL go on the record. "anonymous" sources are okay under certain circumstances in VERY SPECIFIC situations where there is a good need for confidentiality, but an article should NEVER only include the anonymous source. There needs to be some sort of PROOF not just a bunch of evidence (it's an analogy).

So, that will start tomorrow.
Now, it's time to go read a "trashy tabloid" while holding a pen so that I can pretend that it's the end of the print cycle and I am giving the publication a quick look-through to see if there's anything that should be fixed before it goes to print -- or if there's something very notable that should be complimented upon.

How sad, I am officially on winter break (no more school for a month), and I am basically doing all this research and work. Wow, I love journalism ; I'm a workaholic.


“To sit in judgment of those things which you perceive to be wrong or imperfect is to be one more person who is part of judgment, evil or imperfection.” -- Wayne Dyer


IASBRN

-- Nikky Raney 12/20/2010 1:11 AM (EST)
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM

Michael Vick, DeSean Jacskon Punt Return - Eagles Stun Giants 38-31

In what some are calling the second Miracle At The Meadowlands, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Michael Vick engineered a dramatic come-from-behind win over the New York Giants 38 to 31.

The Eagles shocked the NY Giants and The World by scoring 21 points in six minutes, and 28 points in seven minutes, going from down 10 to 31, to win the game.

The shocking turn of events started with Vick's 65-yard pass to Brent Celek, and ended with Cal Football Star and now Eagles Wide Receiver DeSean Jacskon's amazing 65-yard punt return, which Jackson prolonged to run out the clock.

NY Giants Not Ready For Onside Kick

With about seven minutes remaining, the Eagles tried an onside kick after scoring to make it 31-17. The Giants didn't have their "hands team" ready; the Eagles recovered the kick. Later Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin said (on NFL Network) that he didn't think "they were going to try an onside kick with seven minutes left."

Seriously, Coach Coughlin said that.

Eagles On Top Of The World

The win makes the Eagles if not the front runner, then perhaps number two behind the New England Patriots as Super Bowl favorites. For the New York Giants, Coughlin said they had to "run the table" and win their next two games. It's going to take a great coaching job on his part to overcome this shocking win.