Tablet Computers, How to choose...

I am interested in an Internet Tablet.  I have a laptop and a web enabled cell phone, neither are convenient all the time.  My laptop is heavy to carry everywhere even with its backpack, and takes too long to unpack and boot up to get online for a quick email or web search.  

My cell phone is a standard slider and is too difficult to respond to emails or to do any advanced web applications.  I have carried smartphones before, but I find their size and overall fragility too problematic for my usage.

Both items do have their place, but I would like something reasonable for daily use.  I do not need a true laptop for about 90% of my Internet use.  If I am doing a quote for a customer or serious research I will choose to unpack and use my laptop, beyond that I need a device that I quickly turn on run true web applications, like Flash, and view websites in their intended forms, unlike on my cellphone.  I would also like to be able to use it as an E-book reader, difficult on my cellphone and clunky and cumbersome on my laptop.

That leaves an Internet tablet as the obvious choice.  With screen sizes in the 5 to 10 inch range and weights around 1 pound they are very light.  Battery life usually exceeds laptops and most cellphones with normal usage, making them much more attractive. The only dilemma now is which to choose, not an easy proposition.

I have researched many of these devices and have found pros and cons with all of them.  Of course the obvious choice is to look at the Ipad.  Everyone and their brother has heard of them, and most of us have touched one.  I do not like them.  I do believe it is a well designed product, but it does not meet my needs.  It does not have the ability to allow me to download attachments and store them on the device using a normal file manager system, this I cannot live without.  I also need a device that can display Flash in websites for research, Ipad and Flash do not play well together.  I have to admit that the price is out of my range.  I cannot fathom spending $800 on a device of convenience, no matter how much I may enjoy it.

So that leaves a few, more like dozens, of android and Linux tablets to choose from.  Android has not been optimized for tablets yet, however it does quite well.  You can use a file manager and access the available storage.  Flash works as of the latest few (2.2 and 2.3) versions of android.  Kindle for andriod meets my wish for an E-book reader.  And it displays websites beautifully, pair it with a bluetooth keyboard that doubles as a case and away we go!

I have looked into the expensive options to the ultra cheap and have decided that my current favorite is the Archos 101 Internet Tablet.  It has one of the latest ARM CortexA8  processors, android 2.2, a large 10.1 inch display with a great 1024x600 tft lcd display.  It also has an added benefit of a capacitive multitouch screen.  Additional perks are a webcam, WiFi, Bluetooth, G-Sensor, USB 2.1 host, external memory expansion port, HDMI output to display the true HD movies and YouTube videos directly to your TV, and many more than I can list here.

All of this for $299.00, less than half the price of the Ipad with many more features.  How can you lose?

I am sure that the price and features will become even more attractive as time goes by. Android version 2.3 was just recently released, and with the next version Google is hinting strongly at full tablet support.  It may well be worth waiting for the next version to appear, but if you cannot wait I would suggest that the Archos 101 Internet Tablet should fulfill all of your tablet needs.

  

The Hidden Benefits of Insomnia.

As I type this latest blog entry I should be sleeping.  I along with many others occasionally suffer from insomnia.  From time to time with no warning or any apparent rhyme or reason my good friend insomnia will show up.  Sometimes it would appear as a demanding boss, stalking around waking me up every few minutes ensuring that I knew who was in charge.  Other times it would come as a thief, stealing away at the clock, never quite able to fully fall asleep, I would lay there in limbo while the clock would steadily push forward toward the next day.  Mainly it would come as a great and powerful general, ordering his vast and powerful army of thoughts to steadily march through my mind, once again overwhelming me with a torrent of confusion, never able to finish one thought process before the next wave would attack with the next.

When sleep eluded me in the past I used to have a whole host of emotions that would take over.  I would worry about not getting enough sleep and what that would mean for the next day.  I would dwell on all of the possible medical causes and what they were doing to my body and mind.  I would get angry and would tell myself how extremely unfair it all was.  Usually in a day or two things would return to normal and I would again find comfort in my bed, waking up the next morning feeling normal again.  It's quite amazing how easily one forgets the true extent of discomfort once it has passed, at least until it returns.

I have looked into many options in my attempt to "cure" my insomnia.  I have looked at numerous books, Amazon.com is a wonderful resource for this, and have found no help.  With titles that I hoped held promise like The Insomnia Solution: The Natural, Drug-Free Way to a Good Night's Sleep and Say Good Night to Insomnia, how could the problem last.  I also found some weird but fun items that promised to help, LifeSign SleepKey Handheld Insomnia Treatment Computer, yeah right.  

Now I view my nocturnal lifestyle from a different perspective.  After years of practice, I now try and enjoy my extended periods of consciousness. There is a truly unlimited potential in the ability to stay awake for days on end.  The vast amount of processing time available for pondering problems can be a great benefit.  Need to catch up on hours of unwatched shows on your DVR, no problem with no sleep.  Yet another blessing comes in the hours of available time you have to catch up on your paperwork, homework, bills, etc.

Of course there is a price to pay as well, the longer sleep refuses to cooperate the less ability you have to complete any task efficiently.  A few days here and there are easy to get used to, prolonged periods of time with out sleep should not be taken lightly though, see your doctor.

Love Thy Neighbor... But only if it's convenient.

Last week as I was driving home I noticed an older lady standing by the side of the road wildly waving her arms in the direction of a feed lot.  For those of you that do not live near the country a feed lot is a fenced in area where cows are placed and fed, pretty simple really.

Anyway, I looked to see what the woman was possibly up to and I noticed that her frantic waving was at a young  cow that had escaped the fence.  Chuckling I turned the car around and went to help her.  As I approached it was clear that the cow was not having fun, she was very intent on crossing the road to no doubt eat the grass on the other side of the road, of course it was greener at least to her.  The nice older lady was doing her best at keeping the persistent cow out of the road and out of trouble.

As I looked at the gate my first feelings of annoyance with the situation started to grow, there was a padlock holding together the chain linking the two gates.  So there we were, the nice older woman, me, and the annoyed cow.  No way to get her back in her home, and no idea who she belonged to.  I have had a few cows in the past, and yes they have decided to taste the grass on the other side of the fence a few times.  I knew how much money and time the owner had in this cow, and I also knew how much damage a decent sized cow would inflict on the cars zooming by at 50+ miles per hour.

After a few minutes the nice lady and I decided that she should go and see if she could find out who owned the cow.  She left me there and promised to hurry.  The cow at this time was pretty insistent that she WAS going to get to the grass on the other side, and made sure to try my reflexes and patience at every opportunity.  I can't say I blame her, if my only pleasure in life was eating grass, I would have wanted to try that grass too.

So the fun really began.  I had parked my car about 150 yards up the road and hoped that my hazard lights would be at least a little help in getting the cars to slow down and not hit me or the cow.  I guess I assumed to much.  No one slowed down much, no one stopped to help.  There were a large number of "rubber necks" all of which got a baffled look from me, and the cow truthfully.

After waiting for about 15 minutes I decided that the owner could not be found and that I needed more support than the wide-eyed looks I was getting from the "rubber necks".  It was starting to get dark and I know what it is like to chase cows in the dark.  I decided to call the sheriff and hope that they could contact the owner.

The dispatcher was extremely friendly and understanding, she placed a few calls and sent a deputy out to help me.  In the interim a neighbor and his sons took pity on me and decided to help.  The deputy arrived and after a little fence removal and some major persuasion we coaxed the cow back into the fence where she belonged.  The farmer showed up shortly after our success in re-capturing the cow and thanked us for our help.

Of course I was glad to help, the cow could have seriously injured someone or could have been injured herself.  The farmer in either instance would have been out a decent amount of money, time, and trouble.

The thing that I could not help but be aggravated about was the dozens of cars that drove by, gawking but not helping.  The numerous neighbors that arrived home only to get their mail and go into their homes, not offering help or even responding to my loud requests of information to who owned the feed lot.  I could not help but wonder what they would have wanted if the roles were reversed.

I did nothing special, I just took an hour out of my day to help a neighbor I did not know.  That is what we are all supposed to do.  The help was not glamorous, I did not spend any money, nor did I even exchange names with the farmer.  I can't help but wonder was that the problem?  Are we so busy in our lives that we cannot stop and help someone else in need, unless we get something in return?

I know I am no where near perfect with helping others, there are many times that I see someone on the side of the road and I do not stop.  With most people owning cellphones now most of the time I assume the problem is under control.  This experience opened my eyes, I no longer will assume all is fine. I will offer help and if it is not needed maybe the offer will still brighten someones day.

Party Line Voting and the Absence of Reality.

In a few days those of us Americans that take our responsibilities as citizens seriously will go to our respective polling places and vote.  Hopefully before we do we have throughly researched the candidates, and have made a decision based on criteria that each of us as an individual places importance on.

Unfortunately this is usually not the case.  Many voters that I speak with state that they usually vote party lines, in effect trusting that a politicians decision to align themselves with one of two major political parties is enough information to base their vote on.  This seems extremely lazy and irresponsible to me.

While everyone has the right to place their vote as they see fit, I do question the rationality of this decision.

During the last few years we have heard a lot about the Democratic Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats.  These self described Democrats believe in what most people would assume to be Republican ideals.  How can this be, all Democrats are Liberals, right?

In July-August of 2009 Gallup polled 47,000 Americans to see how they classified themselves politically.  Only 25% of  those polled classified themselves White non-Hispanic liberal Democrats, while only 23% classified themselves White Conservative Republicans.  Amazingly 6% of those polled stated they were White Conservative Democrats, and 11% White moderate-liberal Republicans.  

The percentages are based on the entire 47,000 polled of which 25% were Hispanic, Black, and Asian/other and were only listed in the percentages by only their races.  According to Gallup's website "(The ideology and partisanship of blacks, Hispanics, and other ethnic and racial groups will be examined in future Gallup analyses.)"  You can see the full results here:  http://www.gallup.com/poll/122672/conservative-democrats-liberal-republicans-hard-to-find.aspx

What this poll shows me is that party line voting does not assure that your ideals are necessarily being represented.  Less than 50% of the polled classified themselves according to the widely believed convention of Liberal Democrats and Conservative Republicans.  While this poll does not, in my opinion,  give  a complete and accurate analysis of the populations political affiliation, it does prove that there are no givens in politics.

All through history both major parties have had members that classified themselves as Conservative, Moderate, and Liberal.  Add to this the whimsical changing of parties and affiliations by politicians and you should be able to see how easily you can mistakenly vote for someone that you would not directly vote for if you were informed.

Based on these facts I submit that there is no one party that can meet all of anyone's needs for representation.  Each candidate is an individual just as you are, and each has their own beliefs and opinions.  We should be voting based on our individual criteria of the candidates merits, experience, background, and whether or not they would be appropriate for the position they are applying for.  

If you are attempting to vote for a candidate that shares your ideals based on their political party you may be in for a BIG surprise; the number of politicians that vote in opposition to their supposed beliefs would amaze you.  If you don't believe me, just watch the commercials during primaries.  The opponent is more than happy to tell you all of the candidate's inconsistencies.

For those of you that do care, please take a few minutes and really research each candidate carefully. You may be surprised.

Alternative Gardening and the path to Happiness.

Tonight I was having a discussion with a friend of mine about
alternative gardening.  The more we talked about options for growing
food in the winter months the more memories from my childhood kept
flooding back.

I have loved to garden since I was a kid.  I used to plant flowers and
vegetables outside in the spring, and in the winters I would grow cold
weather vegetables indoors in our abandoned fish tanks.  There was
nothing better than eating a radish or some leafy spinach that was
growing in my own bedroom, I thought it was cool at 10 and I still
think its cool now.

No matter where I lived, or whom I lived with I loved to be outside
helping something grow.  This is something that I still enjoy, but
don't take seriously enough.  I grow some vegetables and do some
canning but nothing on a grand scale.  


I was startled at just how happy I was thinking back on my garden 
this year, watching the plants grow in my mind.  Even with all of the
weeding and watering I always feel better when working in my garden.

You see, I believe that we as humans are not meant to work
in offices for hours a day, constantly being attacked with
information, requests, demands, menial tasks and the such just to
start it all over again the next day.  Where is the satisfaction of
seeing something concrete completed?  Where is the physical proof of
progress, I submit that for many of us there is non.  One well placed
lightning strike could completely erase the so called "jobs" that we
spend our lives on everyday, how sad.

Lets use a farmer as an example for how I believe we are meant to
live, (you can substitute a carpenter, brick layer, ditch digger or
any other profession that creates something using their hands).  The
farmer works very hard.  Everyday there are chores, everyday.  You all
know what farmers do so I will stop the details there.

Now I know that for every job there is someone tired of doing it, but
the farmer has something that most of us do not have, reflection.  At
the end of the day  they are tired, they are dirty, they are ready to
quit for the day, but they also have accomplished something real.
Real animals are cared for, real crops planted or harvested.  They can
see actual progress and they have actual proof of their
accomplishments.

They also have the luxury of others being able to see their progress.
Can you show with the waive of your hand what you did at your job
today?

Don't start with the "My job is important and necessary" arguments.
Is it really?  


Come on there is no one here to impress, just me and you.  
If your job ended tomorrow would anyone miss it?  


If you can not honestly say yes then you should consider what the friend I mentioned
at the beginging of this has asked me on more than one occasion.
(Sorry Joe if I don't get this perfect.)

"If money was not an issue, and if you could have any job in the
world, what job would make you the happiest?"

Now with that answer in mind, how do we get you there?

Aiding in the decline of morality via commercials.

"Lying is the foundation of a certain kind of comedy" - Not so anonymous (My wife has some good ones!)

Television commercials are a staple in our society.  While there are numerous ways for companies to advertise their products and services, the iconic television commercial allows companies to reach the public at large like nothing else.  The direct targeting of the desired customer base makes this form of advertising even more attractive to the advertisers.  While it is easy to understand that companies have to constantly refresh the commercials in order to keep us interested, I have a problem with some of the decisions that are being made.

While watching a very popular children's television show with my kids, a commercial for a very popular name brand of laundry detergent aired.  The commercial started with a teenage daughter asking her mother if she had seen a certain favorite shirt.  The mother responded by saying something to the effect that the shirt was not her type.  The commercial then goes into a flashback of the mother wearing the shirt during a night out with her friends.  The mother finds the shirt (complete with stain from the night out), washes the shirt with the advertisers detergent and then replaces the shirt into her daughters closet.

There is another laundry detergent commercial that shows a father and his children eating BBQ at the dining room table.  The children express concern that thier mother will not be happy with the fathers decision to eat BBQ as the mother does not seem to approve.  As the father is eating the sandwich he spills sauce on his wifes table cloth, the children express concern that the mother will be upset again.  After explaing that he has a secret weapon, he shows the children how to clean the table cloth with the advertisers product.

Here is the problem, both of these commercials show a parent lying to someone that is supposed to be significant in their lives.  Lying, hiding the truth, covering up mistakes, and even asking children to hide things from the other parent (as in the second commercial), do nothing but show children that respect, love, and truthfulness holds no place in adult behaviour.

This type of behaviour is common place in sitcoms and movies, but how does this help sell soap?  There is another question that comes to mind when I see these and similar commercials.  If these companies are encouraging untruthfulness, how can we as consumers trust that the companies are being honest with us?  I believe the commercials they use prove to us that honesty is not important to them. They are asking us to purchase their product based on the trust that their product can perform as advertised. How does this form of advertising encourage us to believe any claims they may have?

I have not included the names of the companies involved on purpose.  I would rather have you, my reader, see for yourself. There are many more examples of innapropriate behaviour included than I care to even go over.

The companies involved should be ashamed of themselves and should not be trusted.  I cannot help but wonder what they are teaching their own children at home.

As I was explaining my objection to the commercials above my wife gave me the quote that I started this article with, she made an exceptional point.  A certain type of company, a certain type of personality, a certain type of morality, and none of them very honorable.

If you want to see the commercials here is a link to the lying mother one, I cannot seem to find the other one on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CREzffQNZDg