Deal Expert - Something less than brain surgery - more like pieces of candy

January 9, 2010

Surprising truths about a touchy subject (safe for work)

Just the facts at a glance, M'aam. Tell me this is not interesting.

Pornography may not be socially acceptable but it is socially prevalent in the US. It was arguably the economic engine that allowed the Internet to develop; an Internet we now use for organizing church activities and improving the world.

Does knowing how prevalent the viewing of pornography is change your perception of it? Are we fighting our own human nature; and if we are, should we?

Source: Online Education

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January 6, 2010

Even the stars do not twinkle

Photo courtesy of Image_Editor

Is there anywhere on Earth where the stars do not twinkle at night?

Imagine a place of ice and snow where the air is drier than any desert. A place of immense cold, that despite being the coldest place on Earth,does not have weather. A place where the air is still, without even the hint of a breeze. A place of complete calm and quiet. The ultimate eye of the storm.

This exists on Earth, but in only one place: the recently discovered Ridge A near the South Pole.

The air above Ridge A is so still, dry, and quiet, that the stars do not even twinkle at night. The sky is extremely dark and clear.

Images of the heavens taken at Ridge A are 3 times as sharp as images taken elsewhere on our planet, so it is a great place for astronomy.

But even though you do not need to worry about the weather, take your coat. The average temperature at Ridge A is negative 94 degrees (F). It is located more 13,000 feet high about 600 miles from the South Pole.

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Filed under // Amazing things you do not know Science

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December 22, 2009

The Facebook B4 Christmas

The Facebook B4 Christmas

T'was the eve B4 Christmas

And all through their flat

Everyone was on Facebook

Even the yule rat

Who hoped for dropped cheese

And a sip of spilled cheer

But all were lost in cyberspace

Ignoring those near

No party was thrown

No guests did arrive

No merry, no laughter

No hugs nor hand jive

The kitchen was quiet

No noises, no smell

The laptops were open

My friends under a spell

I lept to their roof

Crazy sword in my hand

Searched out the cable

In my diabolical plan

I slashed and I slashed

Until there was no DSL

Just howls and cursing

That's how I could tell

Verizon's not coming

No WiFi tonight,

But within the hour

All was set right

The doorbell was ringing

Friends were at hand

Bringing their iPhones'

Unlimited data plans

Takeout was ordered

Chinese - a good guess,

There was sharing & laughter

And for the rat...

A spilled mess

Merry Christmas!

Please share with merriment and my best wishes for all

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December 3, 2009

Guys only: personal recommendation

If you're like me and play too much, you might owe your Mom a pair of these for Christmas. Also useful if you aren't ready to pop the question to your girlfriend, or if you are married and need to make a few points.

If you are married, face it: you need to earn a few points. Diamond stud earrings. Can you tell I have given these before?

The key thing is that prices have come down in the current economy. Less than $50 on sale, or you can go big...

As you know, giving diamonds has benefits. Card could read something like: studs from your stud. You have to take it from there.

OK, order and, job well done, reward yourself with that thing you wanted to do or buy. You deserve it.

Oh yeah. You're welcome!

Eric

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November 5, 2009

Just out - The Top 100 Albums of All Time - Jazz Guitar

This is a great list for all jazz fans and guitar players. All guitarists, even punkers and metal heads gotta respect the jazz cats. Thanks to jazzguitar.be for this.

This list is like cheating to get your jazz cred. I'll admit, I'm ashamed I don't have more of these. Check them out.

Leave your comments below!

Top 100 Albums - Jazz Guitar

Do you agree with this list? Who was ignored? Which albums if any should be tossed? Comment please

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Filed under // Guitar Jazz Music Top 100

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July 16, 2009

Free (the book) by Chris Anderson

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July 16, 2009

Free? Anyone whose woken up with a hangover knows beer is never free

Smart as one may be, change is hard on humans. Malcom Gladwell, Chris Anderson, Mark Cuban, Seth Godin and others are all passionately debating "Free" and it's future. Some people would like to belief free content is a phase, others that free is forever. The debate over free is likely an indication, by itself, that free is here to stay even though everything has a cost.

The efficiency of digital distribution changes things. Where one used to be able to distribute to many at a substantial cost, now one can distribute to everyone in the world with money (and therefore an Internet connection) at nearly zero cost. This jeopardizes any existing business that is based on content or information, like the news and music industries. Only a new and different business model will be competitively successful in the future. Stick with your old business model, and someone will develop a business to take your market away. Not because they are better, but because the glaring opportunity will not be ignored.

However, in a world where content is free and abundant, information organization, structure and insight become relatively more valuable.

If food is free, what becomes most valuable is the appropriate restaurant recommendation, or recipe. If MP3's are free, sell the playlist. If you doubt me witness the attention people are paying to lists. Lists, information organization - this is the new IP consumers want and (I think) would be willing to pay for; especially if it organizes the information in a way that is personal to the consumer.

- Eric Pederson

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Filed under // Economics Markets

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March 20, 2009

Favorite Support One Liners

What are you favorite lines from tech support?

Here are a couple of mine:

(1). "Just call us if you have any more problems with your service.".
(Telecom support desk)

(2). "Email the helpdesk at helpdesk@xxx.com to open up a trouble
ticket". (IT support)

(3). "Is your phone working now?". (Live conversation over the phone)

There must be better ones - what are your favorites? Add below in
comments or by Twitter http://twitter.com/dealexpert

:)

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March 19, 2009

Will Twitter survive mainstream adoption?

Scale can be the undoing of certain things. Imagine an intimate get
together with 1,000,000 "friends" attending.

Will Twitter survive mainstream adoption?

"Twittering" will survive but Twitter is at risk. The inherent
structure of Twitter does not work when and if it becomes very widely
adopted.

Social networking sites lose their value as entropy rises - and the
entropy will explode when it is broadly adopted by the populace.
However the idea of character limited short communications in a social
network context was brilliant even if it seems obvious after the fact,
and we should take our hats off to Twitter.

People will keep migrating forward to the next platform - we have not
seen the Google of social networking sites yet.

Have we?

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January 19, 2009

Promising News for Small Businesses: The Long Tail Market is Alive

Small businesses have reason to keep the faith

eMusic released information today proving just how long the "long tail" of consumer tastes is in music , and small Internet businesses can rejoice in their findings. eMusic, a leader in chasing the "long tail" market in music, has proven the business is out there.

The "long tail" is an exciting concept as a consumer, because it promises more variety in the marketplace. Not enthralled with the pickings at the Macy's jewelry counter? Fear not, small quantities of unique and beautiful jewelry that tickle your fancy is available via the web, if you can find it. Not wild about the songs winning Grammies? No problem, music you would like, no matter how unique your tastes, is available for download.

Data Proves the Long Tail is Alive

The old music industry has been selling you on the Top 40 and charts of the Top 100, and at any given time heavily promotes only a few artists, essentially telling consumers what they should want. Consumers traditionally accepted the industry's promoted selection, given that was all that was readily available.

As more variety becomes available, the industry story about what consumers should want no longer survives scrutiny. Today eMusic announced that approximately 75% of the some four millions tracks it carries sold at least once during 2008 based on a recent analysis of worldwide sales data. Let's take a minute and absorb that.

eMusic has found that people will pay money for something like 3,000,000 tracks outside the Top 40. This is maybe 30,000 artists outside the mainstream that have a paying audience. That is a long tail indeed.

This goes against the wisdom of the marketers in the old music industry who know what Al Ries would tell us, that you can only keep the names of a couple top artists or brands in your mind. It is not that Al Ries is wrong, it's that what people want is not just "music" or "jewelry". People want things like "late 80's Punk with melodic guitar" or "big earrings with fire opals and feathers". Consumers' tastes can be very specific.

We allow ourselves to want the most specific objects of our desire as finding them becomes easier, and we are especially compelled to buy them.

Of course being consumers, you and I, we knew this all along; the question has been whether business could accommodate our tastes. The Internet makes it possible and this is fertile ground, ripe for small businesses to develop.

Ever been hungry? Do you make your dining decisions in your home town based on someone else's list? Anyone had this conversation?

I am hungry

-- There are leftovers in the fridge

Lets go out

-- OK, how about Italian food?

No noodles. Maybe Chinese food

-- We could pick up some Golden Flower on 1st street

Their food is a little greasy. Maybe Thai

-- We've liked the Thai Garden

They have that soup I like, but it is not spicy enough

-- We could order it extra hot

But its got chicken in it, and my new years resolution was to eat vegetarian

-- We can ask them to make it without meat

OK, lets go

Conclusion

There is money to be made connecting the individual consumer to those things they most specifically desire. This may not be a billion dollar opportunity in many cases, but it is a very real opportunity where people will happily part with their cash.

Postscript note: eMusic is a monthly subscription service for MP3 downloads. If you're interested in learning about them, check out this Review of eMusic .

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Filed under // longtail marketing music

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