Archive for January, 2008

31
Jan

What’s with all the companies and retailers “going green”?

By Josh H. 3 Comments
Categories: Politics

If you have not heard the term, “going green” is what the kids these days are calling the act of businesses being more eco-friendly in their day-to-day operations as well as in the manufacturing and delivering of their products. This includes using recycled packaging materials, environmentally-friendly components in their products.It’s no easy (or profitable) being green

Apple has taken steps in their new products to be more green by using glass for their computer screens and aluminum for the chassis of their machines instead of using plastic. Likewise Wal-mart has come out and stated that it will be opening high efficiency stores that will be 30% more energy efficient than current stores. I really wonder what has sparked this eco-revolution in the business world. It seems to have started out of nowhere. Furthermore I am interested to know what this might do to prices in the future.

Josh H.

29
Jan

Nightmares and Dreamscapes: The 2nd Part of My Dream of a Crooked Insurance Agency

By Josh H. 1 Comment
Categories: Life

If the following makes no sense to you, then you probably have not read part one.

In the fashion of a good sequel or a well-produced television series, I was staring at the back of the same row of buildings. The haunted mansion with the prehistoric, mechanical beasts loomed behind me. The night was every bit as dark with the same sort of dew or other wetness on the grass and pavement though no rain had fallen to my knowledge. The row of buildings were actually the backs of businesses and offices which faced the more developed street on the next block. Sirens howled in the distance, a church bell rang and I strained to make out the faces of the businessmen huddled outside the back door of one of the buildings. There were about three men and a woman. There stood four people in all that I could make out but the group seemed larger than that from a distance. No doubt this was the typical kind of mirage that the dreamworld can pull over on you.

As I watched them the whole place grew more and more familiar. Then like a bolt of lightening I remembered having been inside that very business only a few days before (not in real life, mind you, but in this dreamy alternate reality). It was an insurance agency. I had applied for a position with the firm and actually received a call and set up an interview. The inside was small. The front door was glass and upon etering I was in a small waiting room with only 4 chairs along the wall, a magazine rack and a small desk behind which sat a secretary (this may or may not be the same woman I now saw in back of the agency). There was a doorway opposite the entrace that lead into a hall way that went straight back to the metal back door. One could look into the entrance and see clear through the building to the back door. Along the hall were a about six rooms. About four of the rooms were offices, one was a break room, and another was a fax/copy room. At the far end of the hallway was a another hallway that ran perpendicular to the main one. Turn left on this second shorter hall and you will find the office of the boss of the firm.

The interview was carried on with me in the small break room since this was the only available room. The interview process had basically no substance. I was offered coffee, asked how I was doing, but never questioned directly about my work experience or told about the job. Some casual jokes were made and I was told a little about the place but nothing more. The interview ended and I left with no idea of if or when I would be contacted about the position. During the course of my time there I laid eyes are several of the employees. Given the small size of the office there is a good chance I laid eyes on all of the employees. I definitely saw the boss. His appearance startled me and his manner made me uncomfortable.

Now standing there looking at them in the dark of night, I recognized each of them from the day of my interview. The one who seemed to be talking the most is also the one I saw pass by the break room several times. He was mid 30’s with blond, surfer-like hair down almost to his shoulders. He was casually dressed with jeans and a long-sleeve hooded t-shirt. I somehow knew his name was Adam. The lady in the group we will call Ms. Scarlet because I remember that her dress was red. Again, she may have been the secretary or just another employee; I can not recall. The next person I recognized for sure. How could I forget? He was a sly, older man around fifty years of age and I recognized him as the boss. We will call him Mr. Mustache. He had a thin dark mustache that kind which seems to be typical of shysters. He wore a dark blue pin-striped, double-breasted suit. His hair was slicked back and greasy. And this was the disturbing aspect about him: he seemed to smile about everything, whether he was giving a compliment on your fine character or describing how he would do harm to you. Lastly, poor soul, there was a wet-behind-the-ears fellow. He looked to be my age and very nervous. He seemed worried about the thing that was being said or done. His name will be Mr. Young. It was obvious Adam, Mr. Mustache and the others did not respect him. They seemed as though they could spit on him as soon as look at him. He seemed like a person who did not want to be there but could not help what he had fallen into.

From there hushed tones and seriousness I could tell they were discussing topics they did not care for others to hear–they were planning something illegal. Mr. Young looked around as though he were growing more agitated by the minute. They all began to speak in low, harsh tones at once. Just then there was movement among the group and the strong tones of their voices grew to near yelling. There were a couple of sounds that reminded me of something or someone being struck either with an object or a fist. But from what I could tell they were all standing. If only they were not all standing so close and if I just had more light, I could manage to make it all out. For about two or three minutes verbal reprimand went on with intermittent moments of struggle or that hitting sound.

In trying to hear more and see more I had wandered closer to the small fray. I looked at my surroundings, at the trees in the nearby park that separated the southbound one-way street I was on from it’s northbound counterpart. How long had I been gone? Was Lyndsay worried? Why had she not tried to come and find me? Suddenly there was a shout from Adam and everyone in the group started. “Get him,” he cried, “he knows everything we’re going to do. He’s heard all of our plans!” I then saw the entire group running towards me. I was found out. I bolted to my left across the park that separated the two one-way avenues. I ran as hard as I could trying to escape the sound of the footsteps that followed me. I made my way through the trees of the small park, leaped over a bench and into the northbound street. I ran north on the street. The yelling and sound of feet pounding pavement drove me on. I heard their voices and knew that they yelled profanities and threats but I did not distinctively hear their words where I might quote them.

After running about 20 feet on the northbound street I crossed the two-lane street, onto the sidewalk into the alleyway that separated two large buildings there. I knew I was heading toward city hall and the courthouse because from the dinosaur house I could see the belfry of the old courthouse rising up. There was no traffic no matter where I went. No one to help me. I could hear from the rapid footsteps that one member of that dreaded party was gaining on me. I could now hear the person’s panting. Out of the alleyway, through a department store parking lot I continued my flight. How could I have ended up in a situation such as this? I approached another traffic-less street I saw that I approached the courthouse. I was coming up on the rear of the courthouse and though some parking existed in front it was the rear where the vast parking lot lay. Surely there would be a police station near the courthouse. Surely there would be on-duty officers though I had seen no one else during this entire episode.

I had crossed the street and was making my way across the large rear parking lot of the city courthouse being sure to keep from falling over the six inch cement barriers that lay at the head of each parking space. The many light poles illuminated the area, but still cast an eerie glow over everything. The voices and the group of running footsteps had not faltered or slowed. The one that had gained on me had not gotten closer but had held steady. Then I saw something new in my field of vision. Indeed I could have cried for it was the very person I had longed to see again. At the far side of the parking lot stood Lyndsay calling to me and waving her arms. What’s more she was standing beside a dark SUV and her mother stood on the driver’s side. The back of the vehicle faced me. They both recognized my predicament and called and waved to me all the more, “hurry! hurry!” My mother-in-law started the vehicle. The gap between me and the pursuer who was closest behind me had widened, apparently due to his exhaustion and fatigue. So I grew bold and dared to look back for the first time. I was now merely 15 feet or so from the SUV that awaited me. I paused from shear surprise. I saw, still a good way behind me the majority of the group still running for all they were worth, even Mr. Mustache. But then a little closer though still running was the one who had been so close behind me through the entire ordeal…Mr Young! His sweating terrified visage said it all. It was he that the others were chasing. Whether they were interested in me at all became a complete mystery at that moment. But it was apparent that Mr. Young was their primary prey that night. I am not sure why he had run the same route behind me. Perhaps it allowed him not to think about where he would go. Perhaps he was just following the leader. Or maybe I was being used to help him.

I made it to Lyndsay and the vehicle. My two rescuers quickly jumped into the front seats but I stopped.  Thinking quickly I stepped into Mr. Young’s path and grabbed him by the coat. By this time he was too tired to fight me. I pulled him over to the vehicle and forced him into the backseat and I barely got myself in before the gas pedal was punched and we were off, leaving our pursuers behind.

Without my asking, Mr. Young began to rattle off all of their plans. He told how they had set up the “insurance agency” in order to run an insurance fraud racket. They hired him (and were going to hire me) to merely add to the appearance of legitimacy. However as he began to catch on they let him in on the whole deal hoping that he would throw his chips in with them. But he was too honest. He only pretended to go along for fear of his life, for he now knew their plans. But when it came to murder, he had to draw the line. That was the topic of their discussion tonight. One of their partners, who was not present, had to be dealt with and Mr. Young would not be an accessory to murder. At this, they realized that he was a traitor to them thus spawning this nearly three block foot chase.  And though I seemed to know nothing about this strange alternate Perry, my mother-in-law, on the other hand, had no trouble finding the police station where Mr. Young would tell his story to the authorities.

Sinister mechanical dinosaurs, insurance fraud, high speed chases on foot–all in a night’s work for the sandman.

Josh H.

26
Jan

My Dream of a Crooked Insurance Agency: Part I

By Josh H. 0 Comments
Categories: Life

I had two dreams recently that seemed to overlap. The first one was very short and did not seem to make much sense. Then the second one was much longer and the events of the first happened within the second. It was as though I saw the preview of a movie and then later saw the movie and understood the preview when I saw it in context. The difference is my first dream made no more sense in the context of the second than it had by itself.

The first dream occurred over this past weekend. I lived in Perry of course but it looked different; it seemed more city-like. I never saw any buildings, just the same old traditional housing and small stores. But there were noises. There were sirens, distant yelling, and the sound of crashing cars which are the typical ambient sounds that are stereotypical of the big city. The strangest thing is it seemed to be night all the time. There was no rain, but the streets always glistened under the moon and street lights indicating the presence of moisture. It was obviously late fall or else early winter in Georgia because the trees had few leaves yet it was not yet very cold. In fact I was walking through town in a t-shirt and jeans.

As is typical of dreams I was dropped into the middle of a situation not knowing how I arrived there or why. I simply saw my surroundings and continued what I knew I must do (did I mention that I am not the type of person who “knows” he is dreaming? When I dream it is as real my computer in front of me and my cat sitting beside me right now.). This is how the first dream went.

I was on my way home. I do not know where I had been or why I had been there but I knew Lyndsay would be worrying about me so I walked faster. That is until I passed the old house that was on the corner. It was obviously abandoned and forgotten. It was the kind of place the Addams family would have called home. Indeed Herman Munster would have been glad to sit back and put his feet up in a home like that. However I was not afraid but was intrigued because it appeared to be a very interesting Civil War-era home. I knew that Lyndsay would love to hear about it and would want to know more. So forgetting that she would rather see me get home I ventured into the old house. I had to break down the door but once inside I was met with a lot of dust, sheets covering what I assumed to be furniture, and large shadowy objects. The front door opened into the main den and the fireplace was huge, the ceiling hung about 12 to 15 feet overhead and there were doorways at each end of the room that led to other places in the house (perhaps a kitchen and bedroom or a bathroom and a library). Now what happened next was blur and happened very quickly. I am not sure what set it off or how it happened. That is how dreams seem to work. The sandman, or God, or whoever causes dreams, never seems interested in how things start or happen, only that they happen. I was standing on top of one of the large shadowy objects. It felt soft yet robust under my feet. It was as though a sturdy frame was covered with soft material, so I naturally assumed it to be furniture. The only problem with this assumption is that it seemed about five feet high and was terribly irregular in shape.

In a flash, either because I set off a switch inadvertently or because the dream wanted it to happen and did not need to explain itself, the entire room came alive with noise and motion. A fiery, orange light filled the room giving the impression that the place was on fire or near a volcano, or in a volcano. The sheet-covered figures began to move and roar. Did I say “roar”? The violent movement caused the sheets to fall away revealing, in the orange light, dozens of the largest, most vicious group of…dinosaurs I had ever seen. The noise was the sound of a wilderness and every dinosaur was roaring and moving and chomping its teeth to beat the band. The clanging of their mechanical gears (for they were indeed mechanical) joined the din and competed with the sound of the roars for my attention and fear. The on which I stood moved so violently that it threw me down and I landed on some kind of faux vegetation and as I looked up a tyrannosaurus rex stood over me, for it was his back I stood upon and when he rose up is when I fell off. Behind him were mechanical, roaring, moving brontosauruses, stegosauruses and other smaller lizards I can not identify fought each other, crying out with shrieks of pain and anger. I was terrified. Every yellow, lizard eye in the place seemed to look at me with strange lizardy ideas of what it might do to me. A pterodactyl flew in circles overhead flapping it’s membranous wings.
Of course I knew they were fake. Yes, yes, I understood how they worked. I knew that they were gears and bolts and joints covered with material with electrical impulses powering motors thus giving them the illusion of life. But I did not forget that I had not turned them on and as far as I knew I was alone. How had they started up? Remember, I did not know it was a dream. I did not know that my mind simply decided that this should happen and that no explanation was needed. For all I knew dark magic or some kind of disembodied “force” had thrown the switch…or perhaps it had bypassed electricity and supplied the gears with movement itself.

Once I gained my (semi-) composure, I stood and watched them for a moment. It was the same part of me that would have stood stunned staring at the aftermath of a gruesome car accident. Finally sense took hold of me and I gathered myself and ran out the way I had come in. I dashed across the yard, tripped over a low-cut tree stump, stood up and again and ran into the street. Strangely enough, when I was still inside the lizard-house, I could not hear the sounds or see the light from the outside. And once I was in the street I observed that there were no people around though it could not have been any later than 8:00 in the evening.

I looked around and tried to determine what I should do next. The layout of the street block was nothing like I have seen in Perry, that is, the real Perry. The street on which the strange dinosaur house resided was a southbound one-way street. It was relatively short (for it was lined with only about six houses) and was perpendicular to two other two-way streets, one at each end running off east and west. There was a parallel street some thirty yards away that was also a one-way street but of course it was the northbound counterpart of this street. The two parallel one-way avenues were separated by a great green lawn that was peppered with trees of different sorts and sizes that, besides being a pleasant divider of the block, served as a nice park complete with benches here and there. Since the courthouse was not far it can be assumed that this square had once been the center of activity in this alternate Perry.

Being that the strange house was on the corner I was close to the end of the southbound street. I looked in the direction of the southern most two-way street. On the other side of it was a line of buildings. I would have described it as a store front except, I was looking at the backs of buildings and offices. Apparently as the city grew developers and builders no longer considered this square as the center of town. The city had grown outward. The fronts of the buildings faced the street on the next block so that anyone who lived on this side would have to not only see the ugly backsides of offices and stores but they had to go around to the next block to enter in the proper door to do business.

There was a small gathering of people outside the back door of one business. About five, maybe six men stood and there was one lady in their midst. They were dressed in business attire and talking in hushed voices. All at once everything grew dim. It was as though night had grown darker. I could not hear their whispers anymore. I could not make out their faces or the buildings. Strangely enough there was no more noise from the house of dinosaurs. All I heard was the sound of a preacher: “So as you can see, when Jesus said ‘Love thy neighbor’, he wasn’t just…”.

I recognized the sound of my radio alarm. Morning had come. I did not know what the people in back of the business were up to though I was sure it was malicious. I did not know the significance of the dinosaurs or why Lyndsay had not tried to find me. I had no doubt been gone many hours. I began to get dressed for work and thought I would forget about it. But only two nights later I had the continuation of my dream which picked up right where the first had left off.

Josh H.

23
Jan

Power Windows for Cheap

By Josh H. 0 Comments
Categories: Humor

I have felt inferior rolling my car window down by hand. This man helped me. He can help you too.

Josh H.
http://www.youtube.com/v/mv1oq4Z-qrY&rel=1

22
Jan

Heath Ledger Found Dead

By Josh H. 2 Comments
Categories: Movies

heath ledgerI know that The Smoak House is not the place for the latest Hollywood gossip but I just heard the report that Heath Ledger was found dead in an apartment owned by Mary-Kate Olsen in New York. He was found today (Jan. 22) around 3:30pm EST and authorities state that the probably cause of death was a drug overdose since pills were found near his body.

I bring this up because, well first of all it is sad. Too many celebrities’ lives end this way. But also I am concerned about what will happen with the film The Dark Knight in which Ledger was to play the infamous Joker. A trailer for the film has been released indicating that filming is most likely nearing completion (in fact it may already be in post-production). I am a big fan of the Batman franchise and I have been particularly anticipating this newest movie which was to be Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film. It is my assumption that most of the filming is done but I suppose that if any additional scenes with Ledger were to be done in post-production that those would have to be foregone. But it seems that this year we will be seeing a posthumous performance by Ledger.

This is a sad story and I wish that more celebrities would stop and take notice of the destructive lives they lead. I wish they would see that it does not have to be this way.

Josh H.

21
Jan

eBaying Old Stuff for New Stuff

By Josh H. 1 Comment
Categories: Life, Mac and Technology

I am the kind of person who likes to plan for a rainy day. I am strange bird because I am generally optimistic however I am also the type who says “…but you never know what may happen.” I expect the best but plan for the possibly unforeseen worst. This is the part of me that decided to keep our current computer and just buy a Macbook laptop to complement it instead of selling off the current computer to get us closer to getting the Macbook. My logic was even though the Macbook will do everything our current Mac Mini does and more, you never know when the scenario may crop up that we need two computers.

Now this brings me to the idea I have had swirling around in my head for the past few weeks. I own two Gibson Les Pauls, arguably the best guitar on the market. One is the much coveted Les Paul Standard, the quintessential rock guitar. I will never get rid of it because it is the guitar I dreamed of owning from the moment I began playing guitar. My other Les Paul is the popular though less coveted Les Paul Special. I have owned this guitar since 2002. I bought it because I played one at a studio where my band at the time was recording. It had a great vintage feel and sound. So I saved up some cash and bought one. It served me well as gigged for the following year. But then after I quit my band it went into its case and only came out occasionally. Once I purchased my Standard in 2004 the Special basically became my back up.

Fast forward to 2008. The thought cross my mind of selling the Les Paul Special and using the funds toward a Macbook for which I have been saving since last August. At the rate I am going it would take me until 2009 to save the necessary amount for the laptop. But the plan ahead part of me gasped: “What if I need a back up? What if ninjas come and chop my Standard in half? What if Smokey steals it because he needs it for his upcoming world tour? What if I get too excited on stage and go Kurt Cobain on my Standard*? What will I play?” The questions haunted me. So I put the idea aside.

That is, until I realized that I have played electric guitar live before an audience about four, maybe five, times since 2004. During those times I have not yet needed a “back up” guitar. At this time my wife also inadvertently helped me come to a decision. It came about this weekend when she decided that even though we paid a lot of money for our current bedroom suit and even though we went through a lot of trouble to get it, it no longer serves our purposes and does not fit in with the style that we are now going for in our bedroom. She has wanted to sell it before now but I held back because of the above reasons. But she helped me to see that it is silly to hold on to something for reasons other than sentiment when it stands in the way of your getting what you really need and can use. I saw her logic and agreed to sell the furniture. You can see how I was able to apply the same logic to my Les Paul Special. It sits in its case in my closet while I struggle to save up for a laptop that we both want and could really benefit from on a daily basis. So with this in mind I gathered my courage and took some pictures. You can now find my Les Paul Special making its debut on eBay.com, playing the part of Item number 180208860766. There seems to already be tons of interest in it and so if all goes well this Sunday when the auction closes Lyndsay and I will be so much closer to getting our new laptop. Keep your fingers crossed.

Josh H.

*This is highly unlikely since I have always felt that Nirvana’s destructive displays were always kind of stupid and uncalled for. I don’t mean any disrespect to the dead, I’m just saying.

16
Jan

Na 2008: Can You Say “New Year Resolution Fulfillment?”

By Josh H. 3 Comments
Categories: Life and Theology

Many people I know have put “reading my Bible more” or “studying God’s word more” at or near the tops of their New Year’s Resolutions. With this in mind I came across the New Attitude 2008 promo video which states that this year’s theme is God’s Word.

Josh H.

15
Jan

Macworld 2008 Predictions: You Can’t Win ‘em All

By Josh H. 0 Comments
Categories: Mac and Technology

You probably saw my Macworld Keynote predictions. Well the keynote has taken place and all of the new products have been announced.

What I got right

I was correct about iTunes 7.6 and movie rentals. You can now (as of today) rent movies through iTunes ($2.99 for older titles, $3.99 for newer) and watch them on your iPod, iPhone, HDTV (via Apple TV), PC, or Mac. You download it, then you have 24 hours to view however many times you like. The rental will be completely transferable to any of the devices I have just mentioned, even midstream. So if you have rented a film and watch half of it on your computer. You can then transfer it to an iPod or iPhone or similar Apple device and watch the rest of it. Sounds very cool and will actually give me a reason to download a movie from iTunes. Like most people these days if I am going to own a movie, then I want the DVD so that I can have special features. But for the films I just want to watch once and then get rid of, iTunes rentals may be the ticket. This new feature of the iTunes store will be most appealing to Apple TV and video iPod owners and maybe a few laptop-using road warriors.

What I got wrong

I was right when I said that we could expect a change to the Macbook line of laptops. But I was wrong when I said it would be an update to the Macbook line. There as actually an addition. And it was an addition that I said would not happen. Steve Jobs introduced the new Macbook Air (Michael “Air” Jordan would be proud). Stupid name, but it is a nifty machine. I am not sure it is what I need at this time but it will benefit a great number of folks. Despite my doubts, the Macbook Air is an ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight laptop that does not have a DVD/CD drive. You can purchase a separate optical drive for $99 or you can do without. This is what Jobs would like to see people do. He would like to see folks watching movies via iTunes on their Macbook Air or on their television via Apple TV instead of on a DVD. As for installing software from a disc, well you would need another PC or Mac for this. Using a feature called Remote Disc you can tell your Macbook Air (MBA) to access or borrow the optical drive of another machine. Put the disc in the other machine’s drive and the MBA will download the software wirelessly from the disc in the other machine’s drive. Of course the MBA and the other machine must be on the same network. So this is most ideal for folks who have multiple computers set up as a network in their home. But what about burning CD’s? Well Jobs’ solution for that was a little strange. Though his exact words were “we have a much better way than burning CDs — most of us have iPods in our cars”, what it basically amounted to was “get an iPod!” I am not sure that is going to go over well with average consumers who are not all-out tech geeks.

The MBA comes with an 80GB hard drive with the option to get one with a 64 GB Solid State drive option. They have changed over to a smaller 1.8″ hard drive to conserve space. It’s amazing how thin hard drives can be. I mean, just look at the iPod Classic.

Finally a product I did not anticipate was Time Capsule. Time Capsule is meant to work with Mac OS X’s Time Machine backup utility. Time Capsule is basically an external hard drive with a built-in wireless router so that Time Machine can back up the information from all of your Macs on your home network to this one hard drive (assuming you have enough available space on Time Capsule). But I will admit, this product was not even a blip on my radar screen.

Other things I was wrong about include upgrades to the iMac (there were none), upgrades to iPods (zilch) and the release of the 10.5.2 update for Leopard (though that may still happen via Mac OS X’s Software Update utility this week even if it was not formally announced).

Well this little experiment settles the question once and for all: The Smoak House is definitely not the place to go for Apple speculations and rumors. I was wrong on all but one prediction.

Remember. You can not make fun of me.

Josh H.

14
Jan

Macworld 2008 Predictions

By Josh H. 0 Comments
Categories: Mac and Technology

Here on Monday, January 14, the annual Macworld Expo is beginning in San Francisco. This is the event in which both professional and consumer-level Mac users converge on SF’s Mascone Center to visit exhibits hosted by Apple and hundreds of companies that produce third-party products and software for the Macintosh and iPod platforms. Also there are numerous classes and how-to sessions that Mac users of all skill levels can attend to learn even more about the software and hardware they use. Without a doubt the highlight and most anticipated portion of the 5 day event is the Keynote on Tuesday morning. This keynote is traditionally given by Steve Jobs and this is the time when he introduces new Apple products. It was during the 2007 keynote that Jobs introduced the iPhone last year.

Each year the keynote (or “Stevenote” as it is sometimes called) is preceded by a whirlwind of rumors and predictions on the part of the mainstream media as well as the alternative media (ie. podcasters). The predictions have gotten some things right in the past but most of it turns out to be wishful thinking and wild speculation about what products his Steveness will announce. Since Apple has a long-standing policy of not discussing or announcing future products until their release, the predictors are left to their own imaginations and their analysis of past trends. I have never taken part in the aforementioned rumor mill that is such a part of the pre-Macworld hysteria however this year I actually have some strong gut feelings about some things. Two things in particular: a major change to iTunes and a dramatic change to the Macbook laptop line. And since most of my readership probably does not care about such things, I will keep my comments brief. But here on the eve of the Stevenote I thought it would be nice to list predictions and then see if I am at all correct.

iTunes 7.6

Each year iTunes and the iTunes Store have grown in functionality. The addition of video content, games for the iPod, ringtones for the iPhone and DRM-free music are some of the big changes that have happened in the last couple of years. I predict that Steve will announce the new version of iTunes (7.6) and that the major addition will be the ability to “rent” video content from the iTunes Store. This is a potential feature that once sounded completely ridiculous in my opinion. However with the advent of Apple TV (a unit that wirelessly syncs video content from your computer and then plays it over your HDTV), iTunes video “rental” seems plausible. Perhaps you will be able to select a “Rent” option on a given movie, then movie will download to your computer and you will have such-and-such amount of time to view it before it becomes inactive. The other option would be to take the Netflix approach and allow you to keep the movie for however long you would like but you must deactivate it before downloading another.

Some have speculated that the big iTunes announcement would be that it would go to a subscription model. I seriously doubt this will happen since Steve’s battle cry has always been that people want to purchase and truly own their content. However I do not believe the rental model described above would contradict Steve’s philosophy on consumer content ownership.

Major Laptop Line Update

The blogosphere and Mac User groups have long been ecstatic at the though of an “ultra-portable Mac”. There have been many different ideas on how such a product would look. Some have said that it would be very stripped down with no CD/DVD drive and only run on flash memory (which would allow for limited hard drive storage space) and that the device would be a sort of portable satellite for the user’s main system. It would basically mirror your main system and stay in sync with it. I do not believe this is what we will see. I believe that one of two things will happen. Either Apple will introduce a smaller Macbook Pro which is currently available in only in 15″ and 17″ models or we will see laptops across the board (Macbook Pro’s and Macbooks) going to a thinner, more portable form factor.

I have some other smaller predictions that many would not care about such as speed increases for iMacs, enhancements to .Mac , upgrades to iPods and the awaited release of the massive 10.5.2 update to Leopar. So rather than bore you with smaller details I will leave you with my two main predictions and we will see how well The Smoak House works as an Apple rumor mill.

And if I am wrong you can not make fun of me.

Josh H.

11
Jan

The New Year’s Resolution Bandwagon

By Josh H. 1 Comment
Categories: Humor and Life

New Year’s resolutions is an obvious favorite for bloggers and for good reason. It makes for interesting reading as it gives you insight into the blogger’s life and habits, both good and bad. And I know that personally I have received much inspiration from reading the resolutions of others.

I was slow at developing a list of resolutions and even after much thought my list is still very short. This comes partly from my severe aversion to failure. I hate to not be good at something. This is unfortunate because it causes me to not even try some things because I see them as potential failures waiting to happen. So knowing that part of my psyche I tried to come up with resolutions that are realistic yet will challenge me in my life and even in my faith. I would really like 2008 to be a year in which I stop talking about the kinds of things that would enhance my life and happiness and try actually accomplishing some of them. For those of you who like New Year’s slogans that rhyme, you could sum up my resolutions with “Make things great in 2008.” Well, that turned out to sound kind of stupid…so let’s just get on with the resolutions.

  • Regular daily Bible study: Of course this is on the list of every Christian I know. But this particular resolution is near and dear to my heart because it is a habit that I laid down. After attending New Attitude ‘07, I resolved to study my Bible daily for half an hour and to simultaneously keep a journal of my study and prayer. It was awesome. I started this habit and continued it for months. Then somehow it stopped. Chances are it began when I skipped a day here and skipped a day there. By Thanksgiving I was not doing it anymore. What a waste! That wonderful routine will begin again this year and my prayer is that it will pass from being a mere act of my will to being a way of life.
  • Become a better writer: Part of what I mean by “better” writer is becoming a more consistent writer. I have always enjoyed those who could take daily life and daily occurrences and turn them into stories that say something about themselves or other. Such stories are not always humorous. They can be quite serious but either way they are insightful and engaging. I know how to use words. I know how to tell a story. The issue for me is that I must stop looking at life as a series of unimportant, unrelated events with a few high points here and there. I want to see life as the adventure that John Eldredge describes and then tell others about it.
  • Learn a new skill: I have complained that even though I have a college education and I am smart person who can learn to do just about anything, I feel that many potential job opportunities are closed to me because I have no specialized skills and limited experience. Think about it: what is Josh known to be good at? Anything come to mind (besides guitar)? I have talented friends and they are all good at lots of things, but also they all excel in one particular area (sometimes two). I am only good at playing guitar. There are not too many guitar player jobs in the classified ads. So in 2008 I want to learn a new marketable skill either through education or by learning on my own on the side. Just what will it be? Don’t know yet. There are many things I am interested in so we will see what the new year brings.
  • Exercise again: In 2005 I lost 30 lbs. by walking 30 minutes a day and eating more modest portions at meal time. I still eat right but my exercise routine has disappeared. Thankfully I have only gained back 10 lbs. But I want to begin walking and bicycling again. But this time I want to work in some strength-building as well. So my plan is to walk/bicycle three times a week and then do some moderate weightlifting, push-ups, and the like two times a week. I don’t want to just be light on the scales but I also want to be in good physical condition.

That is only four but those are the four that I want most and feel are the most attainable. I have never written out and committed to new year resolutions before so it will be interesting to look back on this post 3, 6, or 10 months from now to see how it has gone. Wish me luck. And to you concerning your own resolutions I say “Make things great in 2008!”

Josh H.

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