Local Mechanic Hits the National News

The Atlantic Magazine has a story this week on a local mechanic and the evolution of automobiles.

A Mechanic Faces the Age of the Self-Driving Car

Joe Sevart, an auto technician turned business owner in Kansas City, Missouri, talks about the future of servicing more advanced vehicles.

Joe Sevart owns an auto-service business in Kansas City, Missouri, that specializes in computer diagnostics. I spoke with Sevart about his transition from technician to business owner, why he hired a business coach, and how electric and driverless cars are changing the traditional auto industry.

Mr. Sevart is out East at I-70 Auto. I used to be a patron, for what it's worth.

I'm so old...

...I remember when the notifications, messages and friend requests on Facebook were at the left hand top of the page.

THAT old.

We sorely need laws about erasing government files

There has been a story out for some time, in the media, that apparently Mitt Romney's staff in Massachussetts erased computer files and bought and took computer hard drives so they could take them with them, at the end of the then-governor's term. (see links at bottom). To make it even worse, apparently Governor Romney's office also spent at least approximately $100,000 of the state's--the people's--money to do it, incredibly enough. This make clear that we need--on both the national, federal as well as state levels, laws that make this illegal. Once more, our laws must catch up to technology. While a representative is in office, they are doing "the people's business" and it is and should all public. At the end of any of those terms--regardless the person or office--all materials relating to those offices need to remain available. It's not only important for continuity of our government agencies but it's also an important way for us--the people--to keep our legislators and representatives responsible and even honest and operating with integrity. Unfortunately, this is another of those things that isn't going to happen unless we, the people, demand it of our representatives and government. We have to get busier yet. Links: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/06/us-usa-campaign-romney-computers-idUSTRE7B500X20111206; http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/12/mitt-romney-records-massachusetts-governor

I'll keep my "dumb" phone, thanks

I've wanted an iPhone since I saw them. I love the design, I love the things it could do. Clearly, it started doing things no other phones could do. Very cool. But then lots of other new phones came out and the race was on. Sure. I get that. But now? I didn't yet get one, mostly because of the prices and largely because I just didn't need it. That and the fact that it seemed like every 20 minutes, another new one--iPhones--kept coming out. Well, now I see that they aren't just a phone any more. Now they're a small computer in your pocket. And that would be okay except between the text meassages people can and do send, and pictures, and the fact that it can--and does--get your emails and facebook messages and who knows what all AND the fact that the thing "goes off" every time it gets any of this stuff, well, I just don't need or want anything in my pocket that's doing that every 10 seconds or so. No thank you. Is it any wonder people in the world are getting more and more attention deficit disorder? First it was the television set, with all it's twenty thousand advertisements coming at you, all while you're watching only one show. Now this. The phone that is nearly constantly vibrating in your pocket, telling you someone's sent you something or said something to you or--last of all--phoned you.

Steve Jobs on Fox "News"

One of the brightest people of the last century, it's widely agreed, speaking to Rupert Murdoch about his Fox (or Faux) "News" network (click for bigger view):

In case you don't know or can't tell--because really, it's not that great a picture on the left--that's Julian Assange of "Wikileaks" on the left.

I'm so old...

...I remember when only Apple Computer products had a "shuffle" feature on their music.

You have to go to Google today

This is the coolest graphics for Google's homepage they've yet created:

Have You Strummed Google's Les Paul Tribute Yet Today?

Why Google's offer is great for Kansas City

Google Really Cares About Web Speed -- Why You Should Also

HAHAHAHAHAHA. What a GREAT idea!

Iran Vows To Unplug The Internet

Really. 

What a great idea.

Fantastic.

Lock yourselves in the--what?--last century?

Or before?

More on the "them that has, gets" theme

Ray Charles was quoted as saying "Them that has, gets", I believe, and I've repeated that over the years, many times.

It's always been that way if you have money.  They get the trips to Europe and the tax breaks, etc., etc.

Now?  Now it's information, too.  News out today:

AT&T ends unlimited broadband data plan

The telecom giant restricts how much customers can download each month.

Extra charge if you go over

What this means from now on?

If you have money, you can have all the information and entertainment you want.

If you're poor--and keep in mind, the Middle Class is shrinking mightily--you will be limited and have less time and access.

Ray knew what he was talking about.

A problem of The Star's they make themselves

One of The Kansas City Star's biggest problems was blatantly obvious today.  I got a copy to read over lunch.

Another mistake, on my part.

The front page of the paper?

Four-fifths of it was on Osama bin Laden.  The last one-fifth was on local issues.

The 2nd section of the paper? 

In their own words:  "Killing Osama bin Laden:  A special 8-page section on the hunt, the death and the consequences"

Page A2?  The 2nd page in the paper?  One-half on national news and one-half advertising.

A3?  Same here.

Page A4 finally is a page of local news.  Finally.

A5?  A full-page ad.

It goes on like that.

The Sports section is the Sports section, they get what they want and need.

The "entertainment" section?  "FYI"?  There's a huge picture and story on the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and then Aaron Barnhart covers the White House Correspondent's Dinner.

My points?

The end result is that Kansas City Star is not a local paper.

The one thing they should do BETTER THAN ANYONE, ANYWHERE, is to cover local stories, local people and local color.

If they don't do that, who will?  The local TV news stations?

We all know that's at least rare.  (See one good exception below).

So on page C4 in the Business section of the paper today is an article--yes, it's finally local--telling of this same Star newspaper laying off yet more staff.

Granted, the newspaper business is dying, sure.

And they've laid off a great deal of reporters, before this latest layoff.

But y'all sure aren't doing yourselves any favor down there at the Star's offices copying and pasting national stories and then expecting us to buy the rag.

The photographer, Eric Bowers, pointed this out on his Facebook page recently:

I reiterate how useless local news stations can be. There was a large demonstration on the Plaza by the Syrian and Arab American community about some slaughtering going on in Syria by the tyrants there and the news stations didn't even send a truck - they're too busy talking about dumb crap like cats stuck in trees in the suburbs to do any actual spreading of world information based on how it relates locally.


And who's covering a scandal up in Parkville right now?  Reporter Russ Ptacek on NBC "Action News".

It sure wasn't The Star.

Link:  http://www.kansascity.com/
http://blog.ericbowersphoto.com/2011/05/protest-in-kansas-city-against-syrias-bashar-al-assad/
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hpskip#!/video/video.php?v=10150579645520582&comments

Thoughts on TV last evening

---Why are so many (all?) of the shows for the Fox Channel "Viewer Discretion Advised"?  House?  Really?

---Why would ANYONE want a "Windows phone"?  Aren't there enough problems with the software in the form of viruses and bugs that you'd be thrilled to NOT have an electronic gadget that was based on Microsoft's Windows program?

Really.  I don't get it.  Either one.

Steve Jobs just wants to know where you are

Apple slammed over iPhone, iPad location tracking

The next iPad: "Flatter back panel" and "improved speaker"??

There's an article out right now that says the conjecture on the next, new iPad will be that it has, as said above, a flatter back panel and an improved speaker.

WTH?

You gotta' be kidding me.

A flatter back panel and improved speaker?

That's it?

I don't own one of these yet--and yes, I want to--but I'll tell you what, I know what it should have---the next iPad should have two far more important things than that.

They should absolutely have an additional, 2nd camera---one for front and back, like the first one should have had--and then it better have phone capability in it.

But it won't.

Steve Jobs, needs to stop stringing us along.  It's not like he created the Model T and it's 1910.  He and Apple should stop teasing us with products that aren't fully developed, just so they can keep bringing out newer and newer models of these things slowly and can milk us for all the bucks they can get.

Besides ripping us off, it's horrible for the environment.

Do the right thing--make the next iPad full-blown and fully developed, Mr. Jobs.

Stop jerking us around.

Link:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_technews/20101223/tc_yblog_technews/next-ipad-to-boast-flatter-back-panel-improved-speaker;_ylt=ApPuKvdz8KSv3XVNqXGHmhb9xg8F;_ylu=X3oDMTViYWMwbnZnBGFzc2V0Ay9zL3libG9nX3RlY2huZXdzLzIwMTAxMjIzL3RjX3libG9nX3RlY2huZXdzL25leHQtaXBhZC10by1ib2FzdC1mbGF0dGVyLWJhY2stcGFuZWwtaW1wcm92ZWQtc3BlYWtlcgRjY29kZQNtcF9lY184XzEwBGNwb3MDOQRwb3MDOQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA25leHRpcGFkdG9ibw--

New series: "I'm so old..."

I'm so old, I remember when you used to get on a website and it was static and just sat there, and didn't keep refreshing itself.

"Did you know?": A presentation given to an executive conference for Sony