November 2007 – Mile High Soapbox

November 30, 2007

Comcast CEO Sees 160 Mbps in 2008

Engadget has a story today about comments made by the CEO of Comcast that has him predicting that Comcast will have 160 Mbps internet in 2008.
The service will be 160 Mbps down / 120 Mbps up. The problem with this is that they never achieve what they promise. It is always a lot lower than this. What am I paying for?

Comcast is never held to the fact that they can’t deliver what they are promise. If they could deliver what they promise, this would be news and it would be nice to see the higher speeds.

It would be nice to have FIOS and I would consider alternatives to Comcast, but there are no better alternatives for me, especially with Qwest as our phone provider. Why can’t a high-tech society like the United States do better at providing high-speed Internet access?

November 30, 2007

Last day for laid-off ‘Leno’ workers

Last day for laid-off ‘Leno’ workers – Entertainment News, TV News, Media – Variety
The writer’s strike is beginning to take its tool on other workers who work in the media industry. Leno’s staff has been laid-off with no guarantee of returning to work.

This is showing how stupid strikes are and how other people, good, hard-working people, are negatively affected by them.

While I agree with the Union’s perspective that they need to be fairly compensated for their work that is digitally delivered. Their disagreement with producer’s are having a negative affect on other professions. These are professions that make a lot less than they do.

To make matters worse, Leno promised them more than he should have, promising that they didn’t need to go look for other jobs. Well the employees should have had a better sense to believe that, Leno should have known better.

Let’s end this strike. No one is winning it.

November 30, 2007

Travis Henry decision due soon

The Rocky Mountain News has a story on their website that the NFL is expected to make a decision on today on whether they are going to suspend Travis Henry for violating the leagues substance abuse policy.
According to the article, part of Henry’s appeal to the league is “… was that the threshold of what was detected was too low to be anything except second-hand inhalation.”

For a NFL player facing a suspension for the next violation, or a NFL player in general, to put himself in a situation where people are smoking marijuana is stupid. Just plain stupid.

If he gets cleared, it will be a lucky break for Henry. But, for me, the Broncos should look seriously if they want a player like Henry around.

November 29, 2007

Wireless now free at Denver International Airport

Wireless now free at DIA : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News
For those of you who travel through Denver International Airport, the use of the wireless access is now free.

It used to cost $7.95 for access and to me that was a steep cost to pay for an hour or less of access. I just didn’t use it. I may consider using it now while I am waiting for my flight.

November 27, 2007

Mike Prater of KTIK and Idaho Statesman needs to be fired

Mike Prater, the sports editor of the Idaho Statesman, needs to be fired.
On his radio program yesterday on KTIK‘s Idaho Sports Talk, Prater said that everything associated with the University of Idaho school and athletic program was horrible, including the football team, athletic director, fans, school president, everything.

He even said that “that they should take a bomb, blow it up, and start over again.”

Listen for yourself:

He finished off by saying that David Vobora was horrible. It doesn’t matter that David Vobora was the leading tackler in the Western Athletic Conference for the last two years.

The University of Idaho is the premiere educational institution in the state and far exceeds the other institutions of higher learning in the state.

In addition, to say that someone should take a bomb and blow it up is crazy. It is an irresponsible statement that should be punished. Threatening or encouraging someone to blow something up is a big deal and should not be handled lightly by his editors at the Idaho Statesman and his producers at KTIK.

MIKE PRATER MUST BE FIRED!

Send a complaint to Idaho Statesman

Send a complaint to KTIK Program Director, Andrew Paul

File a complaint with the FCC, fccinfo@fcc.gov

November 27, 2007

Verizon to unlock network

I don’t know if this will be worthwhile or not, but Verizon has announced that it is unlocking its network. The technical specifications should be published early next year.
In the annoucement, Verizon said that “The company will activate on the network any devices that meet the ‘minimum technical standard.’ The company has also asserted that, ‘any application the customer chooses will be allowed on these devices.'”

This does not mean much. Verizon operates on CDMS and most of the world operates on a GSM. It might allow for third-party applications to work on the Verizon network, but that is about it.

As Sascha Segan says, “You will not be able to use your iPhone on Verizon.”

November 26, 2007

Saudi Arabia justice system abominable & barbaric

The Saudi Arabia justice system is abominable and barbaric. I can’t believe anyone would treat a women like this.
For those of you who haven’t heard, a women was gang-raped about a year ago. But the Saudi justice system ruled that she was having an affair with a man and she was sentenced to six months in jail and 90 lashes and then 200 lashes. The man the justice system said she was having an affair with only received 90 lashes.

The women’s statement a year ago was that she was meeting with a man to get a picture back after recently being married. She said two men got in the car and drove them to a secluded place where more men were waiting. Both her and the man were gang-raped.

She originally received 90 lashes, but her penalty was increased to 200 lashes on appeal because the justices said she was using the media to influence the case.

The men who gang-raped them received five years in prison.

The Saudi Foreign Minister is now trying to distance the Saudi government from this ruling. In a story that is on the ABC Australia website, Prince Saud al-Faisal says “bad judgements” happen in legal systems.

For a country and religion that talks about how they respect women, their actions don’t show it. In fact, their actions show they have no regard for women at all. I think we may be seeing the true face of the Muslim religion and how they see women.

November 26, 2007

Montana Brewing Company, an ok dinner

I am in Billings, Mont., for work and headed over to the Montana Brewing Company for dinner. I thought this was going to be a good place to have a beer and dinner because they won the small brewpub and small brewpub brewer of the year at the Great American Beer Festival. But I left disappointed.
Overall the menu was typical brewpub fare, but it seemed a little light on the beer selection. It appeared they had a wheat, amber, stout, and another one I can’t remember.

I choose the wheat and it was different and not as good as other wheats. It does not compare to the Bighorn Brewing Company Hefeweizen. It was almost like I was drinking a fresh Coors Beer.

For dinner I went with the Bacon Cheeseburger and sweet potato fries. The cheeseburger was quite good but the sweet potato fries were not really fries. They were more like chips.

These chips also had a pepper salt on them that were quite hot. I couldn’t eat too many of them.

The Montana Brewing Company was ok for dinner, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to make it here. If you are staying in downtown Billings, then go for it. Otherwise find another place to dine.

November 25, 2007

Good news to talk about

One of the things that I dislike about the current mainstream news on the networks and cable news networks is the lack of good news.
They are always reporting on OJ Simpson, Iraq, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, or some latest murder or crash. Never someone doing something good.

Well that was different on CBS Sunday Morning this morning. They had a great story by Steve Hartman on “Reporting the Good News“. It focused on three positive stories; a young boy who is working to clean-up city park in New Orleans; a top brain surgeon who came to America as an illegal immigrant and worked the fields in California, and a man who has kept his first car he bought in 1937 and the memories who went with the car.

I think my favorite story was the man who kept the car. He bought it with $10 he saved from salvaging junk from garbage piles and he got it to go by stealing his dad’s moonshine. But his best memories are of him and his wife in the car.

From having his first kiss in front of her house to the many trips they took together. Even though she passed away in 1998, he has the memories, especially her initials carved in the steering wheel.

This is what good about this country. It is always nice to see positive stories on the news and news shows. I just wish they would put more of them on.

I guess that is why I like CBS Sunday Morning. It is a nice relaxing look at news and it is full of fun, positive news stories and I always learn something. Keep it up.