There is a virtual flame war brewing in the world of video production both in the recording and viewing of the moving image. The argument is clearly depicted in the cover image and the prevailing concept is that we have always been “horizontally conditioned” to see things as wider than tall. Most of our experience is based on the fact that our eyes are horizontal and not vertical; movie theaters show wide films not tall ones, and photographs are generally shot in the landscape mode rather than in the portrait direction. But, books have always been vertical as have most written documents as they are 11 inches tall and 8 and ½ inches wide! So, why are we now in such a dither about the “new trend” of vertical video?
Blame it on smart phones! As more videos are produced on these phones and the quality increases, there will be more acceptability for viewing these videos on both the phone and on tablets. Proponents say that it is easier to hold the phone vertically and not horizontally. But, this concept does not translate to a laptop or other wide screen. In fact, these vertical videos are really annoying! There is less visual data and the dark bars distract from easy viewing. However, some sites are now allowing full-screen playback and it is a bit better but the battle will go on.
I believe that a better cause would be to eliminate the videos produced with poor audio quality, complete lack of preparation of the background and editing, lighting, and inane content! So, smile and stand tall!
 

A very recent release from Yale University (YaleNews here) reports that high school students in Connecticut, (Sample size 3,847) are using e-cigarettes to vaporize cannabis or byproducts like hash oil. The study found that nearly one in five e-cigarette users have also vaporized cannabis containing compounds. (Active THC, tetrahydrocannabinol). Later on in the report the authors say that 27.9 % of the students reported nationally are using e-cigarettes for vaping nicotine. Of those users 18.7 % say that they have used e-cigarettes to vaporize marijuana. That is almost 65 %, not one in five. But, that is far from the point I want to make.
The national news media jumped all over the report and reported the “new trend” as alarming. Really? A new trend? I have been reading about this process for at least two years. And from personal sources I have, it has been going on for a lot longer. For example, vendors have been selling e-cigarettes for the explicit use with wax infused THC and marijuana leaves.
So, how do e-cigarettes work and what is their purpose? The use of e-cigarettes is designed to be a safer alternative to smoking real cigarettes. The e-cigarette has a battery that heats a volatile liquid (PEG, polyethylene glycol) that has been infused with nicotine. This, when inhaled, delivers nicotine without the other chemicals associated with cigarettes. Nobody really knows that this delivery system is safe and although the FDA has said that it will set guidelines it has failed to do so. So, the question remains as to whether or not pot laced liquid is also safe or not.
But, liquid THC is readily available and in fact it can be made at home with just and oven, marijuana leaves or buds, PEG, and grain alcohol that is 190 proof (Everclear). One of the advantages for users is that the typical smell of marijuana is much less obvious. Additionally, it appears to look like an e-cigarette and not pot.
I would suggest that the trend is really the legalization of marijuana and not the “new” methods of use. Many states have passed medical marijuana laws and more are considering making pot legal. It seems that the Great Drug War is going about as well as the War on Poverty. When the government gets involved, the problem gets worse. Of course there is always taxation of marijuana which the government can do. Just what we need! More money for the government to waste…

 

There is a growing trend for individuals who are in possession of an extensive digital foot print to consider what will happen to their content after death. Consider how many photos, videos, emails, and relationships that are all contained in the virtual world of the internet. Does all of that information continue to be available or does it slowly lose value and simply go away?

Well, it depends on several factors. There are sites like Facebook and Yahoo that have a memorializing type of services if you choose a legacy setting designating a representative.  But, it would be impossible for another person to aggregate all of your data that is really worth saving. And, that seems to me to be the key to making a decision to continue a digital life after death. However, just to be clear, this does not include sites that honor deceased people that serve as role models used in fund raising for a particular purpose. Those sites are important and are already managed by caretakers.

Currently there are books and sites dedicated to preserving memories and digital information with some associated cost to administer. Others are just guidelines to provide some perspective to the growing problem of the complexity of our digital existence. One site to get an overview is thedigitalbeyond here.

For my own thoughts on the process I would offer the following ideas: First, decide if there are digital contents that are worth preserving. Second, decide if they are worth placing in a secure location on your device. Third, select someone who can follow your wishes to handle these digital contents with your intended wishes. For example, I have spent five years writing this website and believe that there is continued value to keep the content of the five content pages available for some time. So, I have someone who will have access to my site and they can archive the content and decide when the information is no longer of use and close down the account.

This may be the brave new world, a novel written in 1931 by Aldous Huxley that is finally here. Keeping up with technology will be difficult but becomes ever more important. One thing that seems inevitable is that SPAM will continue not matter what else happens…

There are some scams that just seem to be like the common cold as they show up in an annoying cycle. The most recent resurgence is the “We can lower the interest rate on your credit card if you simply pay an small fee upfront and we can give you financial freedom”! They say that they have special relationships with the credit card companies and can reduce the interest rate and save you money. But, it is a scam when it comes to your voice mail or answering machine by robocall.
The fact is that the consumer has as good a relationship with the credit card providers as these scammers. As a customer, it is in the credit card company’s best interest to offer reasonable service. It also a fact that these same companies do not want to lose revenue. So, the consumer is placed in a position of having to be their own advocate. But, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has recently added an amendment to their Telemarketing Sales Rule which states that “no debt relief provider can charge upfront charges before providing services”. Any cost has to be placed in an account of a third party and paid out after completion of a satisfactory resolution.
But, this does not stop the telemarketers from using scare tactics and false promises to get you hooked. The “Do Not Call List” is also not immune to allowing these unwanted calls. The FTC has located some of the call centers but they continue to show up on our radar and voice mails.
Unfortunately, I have pressed 1 to talk to a representative and told them to stop calling and they hang up! Press 3 to “opt out” and they still call. My suggestion is to get the NSA involved. They already have everyone’s number and they should treat them as terrorists. Take that Robocaller!

 

 

Well, that may be an overstatement as the bubonic plague killed 25 million people during the 14th century, which was about 30 to 40% of the European population. But, there is no question that those convenient little shopping bags are choking the entire planet. They can be found in the oceans, all across the terrain, clogging drains, and killing animals, particularly birds. They will live in landfills for millennia, and utilize petrochemicals in their manufacture. And, the demise of these bags primarily made of either high or low density polyethylene, proliferate faster than rabbits! Yes, California approved a ban on the bags and other states are considering bans, but it is a slow process. And worse, the problem is global. Consider the following facts from the site reuseit:

• Over 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide. Consider China, a country of 1.3 billion, which consumes 3 billion plastic bags daily, according to China Trade News.
• About 1 million plastic bags are used every minute.
• A single plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to degrade.
• More than 3.5 million tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps were discarded in 2008.
• Only 1 in 200 plastic bags in the UK are recycled (BBC).
• The U.S. goes through 100 billion single-use plastic bags. This costs retailers about $4 billion a year.
• Plastic bags are the second-most common type of ocean refuse, after cigarette butts (2008)
• Plastic bags remain toxic even after they break down.
• Every square mile of ocean has about 46,000 pieces of plastic floating in it.

The suggested replacement is paper, but can we expect the supply of secondary pulp take up the slack? Even if we pay the proposed 10 cents per paper bag the supply will be limited. One possible thought is to not throw away the next bags that we get at the supermarket. Save them and take them back on your next shopping trip and reuse them! After all, they are indestructible!

I am sad to think that the trend away from plastic bags will take far too long and we are already in trouble. Somehow the question “Would you like plastic or paper” seems foolish…