Accentuating the Negative

Based on your familiarity with Sony products, what business strategy do you recommend that Stringer [the current CEO, assuming this textbook isn't out of date] employ to help Sony accelerate its business progress?

There are some professors you can't help but just hate.  The individual who assigned this particular question for what I assume is basically a Level 1 course is very quickly headed for that category of professors.

This question assumes that I have a first-hand knowledge of all things Sony, as opposed to the urgent need for a Google search on all things Sony that could end up eating the rest of my afternoon.

I have an MP3 with the letters "RCA" on it, which could mean it's a Sony product, or it could be representative of the other companies Sony has sold the trademark to.  In any case, it's a cheapo music player I bought for about thirty bucks anyway, so I doubt it's representative of Sony's products.  It alphabetizes your songs instead of letting you choose the order, though, so I still have to watch out for song titles that begin with the letter "A."  (It's weird hearing "Animal I Have Become" right after "Animal Crackers In My Soup"...)

The first hit I get is for something called "Qriocity," a "new, cloud-based, digital music service from Sony that will give music lovers access to millions of songs stored and synchronized through the cloud," which is available for PSP's and presumably marketed toward those with a "query" fetish.  All of this means that it's absolutely none of my concern.  According to the reader comments, it's just a cheap copy of Zune, which means, again, none of my concern.  (I am familiar with Pandora, although I haven't logged on in months.  I should, though, I would probably have enough credits or whatever built up to get to the music I like...)

From AndroidCommunity.com, we have an important message for "the users that have picked up Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 or X10 and have been counting the days until there was an update for Android offered."  In other words, it's absolutely none of my concern, since I've never even heard of an "Xperia" until about five minutes ago.  According to reader comments, it's "old news," meaning I'll have to claw my way out of the Stone Age with a Google search just for Xperia.

Oh, okay, so it's for Android 2.0 specifically.  Or Android 2.0 is for the Xperia.  I'm not sure which is which, so obviously discussing Sony's portable devices is out of the question at this point.

Search:  "sony TV"...ah, here we go.  This "Google TV" looks promising...

Or not.  Apparently, the Google TV is about $200 more expensive than it should be, even after a $200 markdown just for Black Friday, the most wonderful time of the year.  A reader comments below on the Google TV being one of "2 unwanted and failed products." 

It just goes to show that you can count on the Internet to accentuate the negative.  Unless, of course, we're talking about our troops.  Actually, no, even our troops aren't off-limits.

So let's Google that other "unwanted and failed product"...ah, here we go.  Electronista cites customer complaints about Windows Phone 7.  Among these complaints include the customers having to pay for what they get and the product not being close to what they have paid for.  Of course, I'm paraphrasing here, there's stuff in there about a "beta experience" and "broken analytics."  The crux of the article is that users have apparently been purchasing pirated copies, and developers aren't receiving anywhere near the income they were expecting.  This isn't necessarily a problem for the customer per se, but it's still some bad publicity on Sony's part.

So, if I go strictly by this Google search, as opposed to any informed opinions (or lack thereof) based on my consumer habits (or lack thereof), Sony has been doing anything and everything wrong lately.

There, that question wasn't so hard.

---------------------------

Before I go, the last I've heard about our "not-hero" and recent Medal of Honor recipient Salvatore Giunta (whose name I apparently needed to edit just now), he was on the pre-Thanksgiving episode of the Late Show with David Letterman.  The episode can be found here in its entirety on CBS.com (those little white dots at the bottom of the screen are advertisements--just skip past the second or third one to get to their interview).

Highlights:  A dialogue on the value of "free things," the nation is introduced to his wife, and a discussion on what it's like to meet the President of the United States.

Note:  "Decaffeinated coffee...
It's what they're drinking in hell!"

The Simple Things

It occurs to me that Google doesn't seem to have much info when it comes to Vladimir Putin's new pet dog.  That's a shame.  I haven't really done a whole lot of human interest pieces lately.  Well, besides that last one about a week ago.

But yes, Vladimir Putin, the current prime minister of Russia and would-be conqueror of the free world, has a puppy, a gift from his business associate in Bulgaria.  Putin can be seen on this page, either looking "thrilled with his new pet" or possibly contemplating consuming the dog via some sort of nightmarish bio-assimilation.

All jokes aside, though, even a possibly staged photo op such as "Marley and Me" (depending on what Putin is planning on naming his new pet) is simply more proof of what we have to be thankful for as we approach Thanksgiving, that wonderful time of year just before that materialistic clusterfuck known as Christmas, when we all give thanks for what we have before we go out to buy the love of our friends and family nice things for our loved ones.  Whether it's the latest Wii game, or just something as simple as a puppy, we all have something to be thankful for.

For starters, I'm thankful for having friends and family who love me, and have been willing to put up with me over the years, as we all probably have loved ones we take for granted.  I'm thankful for my movie buddy who I get to talk with on a regular basis, and who has been willing to extend his friendship since I moved on campus.  I'm also especially thankful that I am on speaking terms with my ex, even if things haven't always been pleasant between us.

I'm thankful to have a roof over my head (two, counting both my dorm and my own home), to have food (even if it isn't always the healthiest stuff), shelter, nice warm clothing, a nice, long, hot shower in the morning and three square meals a day.

I'm thankful for the government and all of the things they have done for us, whether it's bringing us our mail on time, making sure we have safe roads and working utilities, protecting us at home and abroad, and simply being there for us when we're at our lowest.  I'm thankful for my church home, and for a God who is always there for us, even if we cannot comprehend His purpose for us.

I'm thankful that I am in good health, that I can see, hear, get out of bed in the morning, make it to my work and classes.  I'm thankful that I have two working hands, two steady feet, a cool head on my shoulders, and the nourishment to replenish my strength.

Finally, I am thankful for today (or tomorrow, or the day after, or the week after), to remind us all of the loved ones we have, and to simply remind us to say a simple "thanks" every now and then.

Hasta Muerte Háganos Parte...

So I got bored one day watching daytime television, and then I see this...

As Jeff Foxworthy might say, "Mistake?  No, no.  Leaving your car keys in the car while it's running is a mistake.  Cleaning your gun with the safety off is a mistake.  Buying 'Witless Protection' is a mistake?  But marrying someone for twenty-three years, not knowing it's actually a man, is no 'mistake.'  That is a full-blown faux-pas."

Or, better yet, simply, "Ay Dios Mio!"

The Count Gets *****ed Out

**** on down to Sesame Street.  That's right, **** on down to Sesame Street.

By the way, how long has **** been ** ***Tube?  Really?  **** really?

Not a Hero

In recent years, the Medal of Honor has been awarded posthumously to war veterans who have given their lives in the service of their country, with three medals awarded during Obama's presidency.  This changed the other day...

No, I don't mean the presidency, I meant him giving the Medal of Honor to dead guys.  You silly gooses...

Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta distinguished himself in combat on October 25, 2007, when his rifle team was ambushed by Afghan insurgents.  Giunta rushed into the area of enemy fire to back up his comrades, and at one point caught up with a pair of Taliban members who were taking away one of his friends, Sgt. Josh Brennan.  Giunta killed one of the Taliban abductors and wounded the other before carrying Brennan away from the enemy.

He literally rushed into no-man's land and into gunfire to save a comrade.  What have you done for your friends lately?

Brennan had already sustained life-threatening injuries, but Giunta provided first aid long enough for the army medic to arrive.  Brennan later died from his injuries, but the army was at least able to provide a body for Brennan's family to bury, rather than leaving him to them terrorist sumbitches.  I mean, God knows what they would have done with him.

President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Giunta.  (*Edit:  The video of the ceremony is embedded below.)  "I like this guy, Sal, and as I found out myself when I first spoke with him on the phone, and when we met in the Oval Office today, he is a low-key guy, a humble guy.  He doesn't seek the limelight, and he'll tell you he didn't do anything special, that he was just doing his job, that any of his brothers in the unit would do the same thing.  In fact, he just lived up to what his team leader instructed him to do years before:  You do everything you can."



In an interview with 60 Minutes, Giunta admitted that he was overwhelmed at the prospect of being called a "hero," and didn't feel it was appropriate.  "The story was told, handshakes were made, and soon I'm talking to the President of the United States.  I don't see how that happened.  [...]  I'm average, I'm mediocre.  This is one moment.  I mean, I don't think I did anything that anyone else I was with wouldn't have done. I was in a position to do it. That's what needed to be done. So that's what I did."

Well, if this guy isn't a hero, I obviously wouldn't know what a hero is.  I don't think anyone could disagree with that...

"When we think of heroism in battle, we used the think of our boys storming the beaches of Normandy under withering fire, climbing the cliffs of Pointe do Hoc while enemy soldiers fired straight down on them, and tossing grenades into pill boxes to take out gun emplacements.  That kind of heroism has apparently become passe when it comes to awarding the Medal of Honor. We now award it only for preventing casualties, not for inflicting them."

Apparently, someone disagrees with me.

Enter Bryan Fischer, the head of the American Family Association, who commented on his blog that awarding the Medal of Honor to those who save lives instead of killing the enemy may result in "feminizing" the Medal of Honor.  He goes on to ask, "When are we going to start awarding the Medal of Honor once again for soldiers who kill people and break things so our families can sleep safely at night?"

The fuck?

Bryan Fischer goes on to admit that such self-sacrifice is noble, but also useless if it is not enough to destroy the enemy.  "Jesus’ act of self-sacrifice would ultimately have been meaningless - yes, meaningless - if he had not inflicted a mortal wound on the enemy while giving up his own life."  Quoting the Bible itself, he further adds, "It was on the cross that he crushed the head of the serpent. It was on the cross that 'he disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in it'."

Okay, fine.  I'm not going to debate whether or not terrorist sumbitches are terrorist sumbitches at this point.  Nazis are Nazis, "the enemy" is the enemy, and terrorist sumbitches are terrorist sumbitches.  If they are truly out to threaten us, we must put a stop to their monstrous acts against humanity by any means necessary, even if this means killing them.

But what kind of warped mind questions the bravery of storming into enemy fire to save a friend's life?  How does anyone drag their feet at the thought of awarding a medal to such an example of conspicuous bravery and valor?

I think the guy is simply living in a different time, back in a time with the good ol' boys, in Fischer's words, "storming the beaches of Normandy under withering fire, climbing the cliffs of Pointe do Hoc while enemy soldiers fired straight down on them, and tossing grenades into pill boxes to take out gun emplacements." 

Which is great and all, except not every enemy is the Third Reich (or Satan, for that matter), and not all problems can be solved by throwing more grenades at it.  What Fischer forgets is that America is on a peacekeeping mission, to restore order to the Middle East.  This does not entail responding to force with more force.  The ideal war he has in mind is the equivalent of a ballistic missile destroying everything in its path, when what we need is a "smart bomb" approach, tailored to surgically remove the enemy, and only the enemy.

Oh, and Fischer?  Jesus saves.  He saves everyone.  Including "the enemy."  Just as one soldier, back in '07, who was anything but a "hero," saved the life of his friend.

Klaus, the Little Engine That Could...

Sorry about not having any actual updates lately.  It seems like whenever I should be typing something, real life comes in and says, "Uh uh, bitch."  So yeah, November might be kind of a slow month.

With that in mind, though, here's a little something from "American Dad."



Ha ha.  It's funny because Klaus is German.  And even funnier because he's a Nazi war criminal trapped in the body of a fish.

"What's it Called?"

I'd like a cushy job.  If nothing else, my degree in experimental transportation might help me land the position.  (I just got it from night classes at Subway University.  That counts, right?)

Corpse Carnage

It figures the one night I have actually stuff to turn in to class, my IRL blog buddy shows up at my doorstep and says he needs to talk.

As all has not been well for me recently, so has life not always been perfect for my circle of friends, and especially not the one guy I hang out with on a regular basis.  It's 2010, and the fact of the matter is that it's gotten harder to make friends.  Blame it on the Internet, blame it on iPods, blame it on politics, or just blame it on us.  All either of us knows for sure is that it isn't quite freshman year anymore.

Despite dealing with my own little existential crisis, I can't say I'm the best at helping others cope with their problems.  All I can do is lend them a listening ear, set aside a place to chill in my room, and offer platitudes such as "it isn't quite freshman year anymore," or "I'm sure things will get easier."  Or, "Maybe you should stop reading shit out loud.  Seriously, I'm a visual learner anyway, and besides...just stop reading shit out loud."

We got done talking for the night, seeing as how it was 11:00 and time for the Daily Show to come on.  He took a spot by my computer, which I needed to grab in order to finish a couple of assignments due the next morning.  I stress morning, and preface it with an "8 o'clock in the..."  Just so you know how inadvisable a late night was under the circumstances.

About ten minutes into the Daily Show, I saw my buddy getting on to a site to shoot up some zombies (something called "Corpse Carnage," I can only assume).  And I couldn't help but think quietly to myself, "What the heck?  The Daily Show is on right now.  You were the one who wanted to change the channel, aren't you even going to watch?"  Granted, I wasn't paying too much attention either, but that's because I had a homework assignment out.

It was about an hour into his game (and well into the Colbert Report) when I asked, "Are you going to get off my computer?"  He's all like, "I'm almost done with this."  By "almost," I can only assume he meant somewhere in the area of thirty to forty more minutes.

I knew he wanted to catch the midnight run of "South Park," seeing as how we were both waiting to see how the cliffhanger would be resolved.  Even so, as we watched the first few minutes of "Mysterion Rises," I couldn't help but feel the ever-growing twinge of tension as my buddy continued to mow down zombies from my computer.

There are two reasons I have added this post.  The first is relatively self-explanatory once you realize that not many people can run on four hours of sleep.  He finally left once South Park was over, but the homework I needed to complete on the computer ended up occupying me until I went to bed at the third strike of three o'clock.  Needless to say, I'm still a little tired right now.

The second, which finally got us to stop debating whether it's pronounced "kuh-thoo-loo" or "kuh-too-loo," was the reveal of Mysterion's identity and the secret of his power.  At the beginning of the episode, he notes his secret ability, something of a "curse" more than a gift, but the moment Mysterion's identity was revealed, two and two quickly came together as my buddy and I came to utter three simple words:  "He can't die."

My buddy, ever the otaku of my circle of friends, was quick to notice the "Tortoro" reference with Cartman riding Cthulhu.  He couldn't stop laughing at the song playing as the two monsters, human and unreal cosmic entity, went on a rampage, while I couldn't stop thinking to myself, "Cartman, of all people, would be the one to tame Cthulhu..."

Oh, and from what he's told me, it is pronounced "kuh-too-loo."  That 'h' at the beginning is silent.

I Am You, I...Am KanYEEE-EEEE-EEEE

Sorry about not updating quickly.  Been busy with a paper.  And a test.  What can I say, school happens.

I would worry about the video stretching out into my adspace.  But hey, you can just click to go to YouTube.

I'll give you a quick synopsis of the video:  It's Christine O'Donnell.  She sings through autotune.  She then proceeds to barge into a House meeting, informing the audience, "Yo, Pelosi, Imma let you finish, but Sarah Palin had one of the best campaigns of all time!  One of the best campaigns of all time!"