For those unfamiliar, StreetView is where Google drives trucks down the streets and takes pictures of everything. While it has provided us with some pretty amusing images, it’s hardly a violation of privacy.
See, there’s no reasonable expectation of privacy in your front yard. Let me say that again:
Anything in plain sight from a public place cannot have an expectation of privacy.
The issue here is that they claim they had a “private road” sign. But does a small sign put up by the homeowner make it a private road? Their street exists on a public map, and they list that street as their address – thus the mailbox is on that road too.
They claim that Google is lowering their home value by having pictures of it on the internet. OF course, the county assessor also has pictures of the house on the internet.
In a classic use of the Striesand sydrome, the lawsuit only drew more attention to their house – causing many to comment that they’d be better served spending their lawyer money on a lawn.
Perhaps the next couple should just ask Google to remove the image instead of drawing more attention to themselves.
Slashdot reported something interesting today. Basically, some neat language in the Network Solutions TOS.
It says:
“You also agree that any domain name directory, sub-directory, file name or path (e.g.) that does not resolve to an active web page on your Web site being hosted by Network Solutions, may be used by Network Solutions to place a “parking” page, “under construction” page, or other temporary page that may include promotions and advertisements for, and links to, Network Solutions’ Web site…'”
Basically, whenever somebody follows a broken link or goes to a 404 page, Network Solutions will put up a page with ads instead. This is underhanded and shady, and I hope that they at least leave the URL in the address bar of the browser.
It’s similar to what Comcast and WOW (and probably other cable providers) are doing by redirecting all 404 traffic to their own ad filled page. This practice annoys me on 2 levels. First there’s the ads, and then they replaced what I typed so I can’t see if I spelled it wrong and have to re-type the whole thing over again.
I’m not one for regulation of the internet, but when all of my provider choices seem to be doing the same unfair practice, what other option is left?
Quick. You want to put in a sprinkler system in your yard. Who do you call?
I’ve been asking that question for a while now. There doesn’t seem to be a major company that does this. Sears, Home Depot, and Lowes don’t seem to offer the service, and they won’t recommend any good companies.
Looking at the industry as a whole, there doesn’t appear to be anybody actually marketing the service.
I need sprinklers, privacy lattice fences, and a new front lawn. I’ve got the money in my hand and will pay for it today – yet I can’t find anybody willing to come take this money out of my hand. As a marketing professional, that spells epic FAIL.
Searching Google shows up a few vague companies who don’t have websites. I called a couple, but none of them answered (and most were just cell phones)
A got a flyer on my door about it a few days ago, and called, but it said “sorry, the voicemail box belonging to Mario is full” That’s right, he put his cell phone number on the flyer and didn’t even list the company name on the voicemail. I’m going to assume from the full voicemail box that his flyer worked pretty well for him.
So there’s companies out there doing this, and they probably do pretty well by word of mouth and random door to door flyers – but that’s it. There’s so much potential here and nobody seems willing to step up to the plate.
If you own a lawn care / property maintenance company there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a website. There’s also no reason you shouldn’t be running local ads on all of the search engines. If you’re in the Detroit area, it will probably be very successful because you currently don’t have any advertising competition.
If you’re a product manager at Lowes, Sears, or Home Depot, you should think about offering this service. I think it could be very profitable.
The Tigers (arguably one of the best teams in the league on paper) have lost 6 straight. Everybody panic right? No, not really.
At the game the other day, I couldn’t help but notice all the boos anytime the team was losing. Lately, it’s been every walk, every allowed hit, and every error. It’s disgusting and it’s not going to help the team win. I don’t want this to turn into a “Leave the Tigers Alone” screaming post, but I’m really starting to get annoyed by all the fair weather fans out there.
It’s baseball, and it’s a long season. there’s really no difference between going 0-6 to start, or 6-6 to start. The line becomes even blurrier when you realize that you can start 6-0 or 0-6 and still end up 20-15 in a few weeks.
The Tigers will pull out of the slump and they will have a fine season. Getting some middle relief help (or Zumaya and Rodney off of the DL) wouldn’t hurt much either, but that’s not going to happen. In today’s baseball market, every team is currently looking for middle relief help.
Oh, and to all the fair weather fans: Stop going. If you’re going to go boo, why pay for a ticket? It’ll make it much easier for me to park, and maybe give me some elbow room when I’m there.
The other day I ran into an old classmate from high school. It was a person I never really talked to before (in fact, I didn’t remember her name until she introduced herself.) We said hello, and continued on our way. That night when I got home, I had a MySpace request from that person. I ignored it. In fact, I get friend requests from tons of people that I barely know. Old classmates, people at the bar, friends of friends, and random strangers who just want to see my photos. I don’t approve any of them.
That doesn’t even cover the people who think the friend count is a contest and add as many people as possible just so they can say they’re more popular.
When I first made accounts on social networks I made one rule: If I wouldn’t invite you to a house party, you don’t get put on my friends list. See, when it said “friends” I took it to mean “friends” – not “anybody.”
This doesn’t sit well with many people. Some people actually get offended when you won’t add them as a friend. I fail to understand that.
You’re probably asking “what’s the big deal? Just add them and you won’t have to listen to them bitch.” But that right there is the problem with social networks. Once your friend list gets deluded, the service loses its value. Let me explain.
When you first sign up, it’s you and your actual friends. You post bulletins with inside jokes and humor at others expense. You post pictures of the party you went to last weekend, and you just basically let yourself be yourself. You can be the person everybody sees on Friday night. Everything is cool.
Then, you start adding “friends.” Your mom, your boss, the neighbor’s kid, your cousin’s kid, a few bands, some local businesses that you go to, and all the guys from work. Now, all of a sudden you’ve got a problem.
You can’t have your boss seeing the picture of you drinking out of a bottle of Makers Mark with a straw, and you need to hide those party pictures from mom. You know the ones I’m talking about.
You can’t blog about the prank you pulled at work anymore, or about how little you actually do in the office, or about the 700 Bic pens you took out of there last week because the guys from work now read it.
In a matter of weeks your social network has turned into a business card. It’s boring and bland, and not you anymore.
And that’s why people move social networks. It started with Friendster, moved to Myspace, and now it’s on Facebook. It’s an eventual cycle that really has no end.
Will some other social network come in and be #1? You can count on it – especially if your mom doesn’t have a profile there yet.
Looking at my RSS reader this morning, I couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed like all of the headlines were things that most of us already assumed for years.
Things like:
ABC study finds that all candidates embellish themselves. (duh!)
The New Jersey town of Jefferson Township is trying to pass a law that would (and I quote) ban the sale of “all equipment, products and materials of any kind that could be used for introducing into the human body a controlled dangerous substance.”
The story stems from 2 gas stations that have recently began selling glass pipes, zig zags, and bongs at the counter. It’s pretty common knowledge that most of these things aren’t used for hand rolling your own tobacco anymore. They’re used for smoking pot.
The fun part of this law though, is the wording. Just think of all the cool things that it effectively bans selling:
Needles. More commonly used for flu shots and insulin, the law would force diabetics to get a prescription or something for their insulin needles.
Dollar Bills – because rolled up they can be used for snorting coke. Of course, dollar bills aren’t sold (unless you’re at an ATM that charges a fee) so I guess these are still ok.
Mugs. Last I checked alcohol was still a controlled substance, and many people like to pour their beer into a nice frosty mug. It’s back to drinking your Pabst out of a can now Cletus.
Brownies! You know what I’m talking about. Cousin Bill’s special brownies. The only way to be safe is to ban the sale of brownie mix.
Pipes. That’s the purpose of this law – and if your granfather doesn’t like it he can cut the filters off his Kools.
Straws. Hey, there’s a recession going on. We can’t all afford to snort our nose candy through a Benjamin. Besides, the nice long bendy straws mean we don’t have to lean over so far. I guess it’s back to the pinch between your fingers method.
Slurpees
. I’m not sure about you, but when I was in high school the only the a slurpee was used for was mixing vodka so the teachers wouldn’t notice.
Mason Jars – because everybody is doing Jenkem now right?
Enemas, because we wouldn’t want a repeat of this guy would we?
That’s about all I can think of. Am I forgetting anything?
I had a “man date” last night. By that, I mean Lennie called me up to see what I was doing and before i finished saying “eating spaghetti and watching Beowulf” he was somehow in my living room devouring a box of rice krispy treats.
Anyway, we watched Beowulf. This is normally where i’d say Caution: Spoiler alert but it’s fucking Beowulf. You should have read it in 9th grade – and if you didn’t I’m going to ruin it for you right here anyway. It’s like Titanic, or King Kong. The boat sinks, people die, the monster falls off the building – how else do you think he got down?
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s review the movie.
For the fans of the epic, the movie doesn’t really stick to it. It starts out with Hrothgar building his hall and Grendel coming, blah blah blah we all know (or should know) the story. Beowulf comes in and saves the day by ripping off Grendel’s arm. So far, we’re still sticking to the storyline.
When Beowulf kills Grendel, he is given the dragon cup by Hrothgar – the same dragon cup that isn’t mentioned here in the poem version. Ok, so Grendel’s mother comes in and takes her revenge. In the poem she kills 1 or 2 people (I can’t remember) but in the movie version she kills a LOT of people. OK, nice addition, gore is always good.
Speaking of gore, this movie has a LOT of it. If you’re a fan of limbs being ripped off, and blood being drank, then this movie is for you. The effects were pretty well done for an animation, but I can imagine that it looked really cool in 3D at the theater.
Alright, so here’s where things go all crazy. (here’s also where the real spoilers are since this differs from the original.)
Beowulf is sent to kill Grendel’s mother. At this time, it is revealed that Hrothgar is actually Grendel’s father. It’s a nice Oedipal twist, but it doesn’t really stick to the script. Anyway, instead of killing Grendel’s mother and bringing back her head like in the poem, Beowulf sleeps with her and brings back Grendel’s head.
That’s right, the mother somehow turns into Lady MacBeth and tells Beowulf that if he gives her a son and lets her keep the dragon cup, she will make him king and see that no harm comes to him. Upon returning, Hrothgar declares that since he has no son, Beowulf will be his heir. He then jumps off of the ledge into the ocean.
In the original story, it’s not told how Beowulf actually becomes king. They pull a Jesus style trick and leave out many years of his life – so I guess the producers actually had to invent something to explain it.
Ok so Beowulf is king, he’s got the king’s queen, and he’s got himself a little whore as well. Strangely, the queen doesn’t seem to mind. Now, the story gets back on track. The slave finds the dragon cup and brings it back to Beowulf. It’s not clear of the slave stole it from the dragon cave, but that’s what is supposed to have happened.
So now the dragon appears and starts burninating everything and Beowulf has to save the day. In a cool ironic twist, Beowulf actually chops off his own arm in the process of killing the dragon (which, we later learn is his son – another movie twist.) Beowulf dies as a result of his injuries, and then we see the cup wash ashore to the new king. The circle begins again.
Alright, so it’s a gory movie – but it doesn’t really stick to the plot much. In the original, Beowulf is a hero. I’ve even seen him compared to Jesus. In the movie, he has many faults (which, at least he later regrets.) I guess it makes for a more interesting character, but I was expecting the storyline to be the same.
In addition, I’m shocked that Christian groups weren’t protesting the movie in full force. There’s at least 3 scenes where the movie talks down on Christ (which, given the timeframe, panganism was still the major belief and Christianity wasn’t popular at all… at least they stayed true in this respect.)
Is it worth netflixing? Sure – but I wouldn’t buy this one. It actually made me want to rent the 2005 version just to compare.
The US supreme court will take a break from talking to baseball players and strippers today to actually consider something important. On the docket today is the case of DC v. Heller – a case that will decide where the second amendment applies to all individuals, or merely those in a militia or serving their country.
It could be a great win for gun-toting Americans, or it could be the start of a potential uprising.
The case came about over the Washington DC law that bans handguns and requires all shotguns and rifles to be disassembled or contain trigger locks. With their city leading the nation in murders, citizens have no way to protect themselves.
It seems like a shut and dry case – the law will be found unconstitutional and people will be free to own handguns again in DC. At least, that’s how I see it. It will be interesting to see how the court interprets this and exactly what they say in the ruling.
The US supreme court will take a break from talking to baseball players and strippers today to actually consider something important. On the docket today is the case of DC v. Heller – a case that will decide where the second amendment applies to all individuals, or merely those in a militia or serving their country.
