 |
|
| FriendFeed is the easiest way to share online. Learn more » |
Ivan › Comments
iblipped.com - blip - http://www.iblipped.com
I think these guys are my heroes.
- Ivan
Two things RIM (makers of the BlackBerry) ought to do - http://kichigai.posterous.com/two-thi...
Can I has fixed BlueTooth functionality? - http://kichigai.posterous.com/can-i-h...
 |
List of variations in traffic light signalling and operation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
You'd think streetlights were simple, but noooooooo.....
- Ivan
Great dodecahemicosahedron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
Pretty.
- Ivan
My (kinda) new desk - http://kichigai.posterous.com/my-kind...
Reminiscences on being the sober guy at a drinking party - http://kichigai.posterous.com/reminis...
There, I Fixed It: Epic Kludges + Jury Rigs & Steampunk Bike Defies Your Conventions - http://thereifixedit.com/2009...
The comments on this are almost better than the picture.
- Ivan
Zeusaphone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
I've always wondered what the technical name for these things were, and where they originated.
- Ivan
digiphile: "Xbox 360 Failure Rate is 54.2%"-@Consumerist http://bit.ly/qLdjq | Wii? 6.8%. Heck, my NES still works. Mostly. - http://twitter.com/digiphi...
Daniel Rowley, Paulo Gomes, Anton and 11 other people liked this
Mine red-ringed yesterday. This morning it'll be flying all the way to Germany (from the UK) to get repaired. That can't be cheap.
- Paul Grav
I've had three RRODs on the same Xbox. So far.
- Leo Laporte
Do they normally send you back the same box? Or just refurbs?
- Paul Grav
Of course your NES still works. You can't compare 1980s console hardware to stuff made today.
- Alex Knight
Consoles of today run multi core CPUs with massive hard drives that have many moving parts. Failure rate is going to be far greater.
- Alex Knight
No RROD for me and I've had mine since day 1. Lucky me, I guess ;-)
- Steve Lacey
Paul, mine went a few weeks ago. I bought it from a friend and he was never able to find the receipt for it. I've been told that the warrenty has been changed in such a way that they don't even ask for one anymore. Is this true? I hope so!
- Michael Fidler
from BuddyFeed
On my 5th console now.
- Fleagle
Hasn't Microsoft officially addressed these failures in the latest revision of the XBOX hardware?
- Alex Knight
One day when SSD capacity and pricing comes down, I can see consoles using them.
- Alex Knight
The problem with the XBox isn't the hard disk, it's a poorly designed clamp that can't take the heat generated by the console. It's a design flaw. Also, consoles already use solid-state drives of a sort. The Wii has 512 MB of NAND, and there's no reason you can't put an SSD in your PS3 (any 2.5" drive will work). The PSP uses NAND by way of MemoryStick Duos, and the DS now takes SD/SDHC...
more...
- Ivan
I had one RROD (initial batch), but no problems since then with either of current Xboxes (Premium and Elite).
- Jemm
I wonder if you can swap out the current Xbox hdd with SSD. It uses a SATA controller doesn't it?
- Alex Knight
I am on my ***FIFTH*** 360 in just over three years. To Microsoft's credit, they have replaced each one at no cost to me and the process has been quick and painless every time. Of course they have replaced so many, they should have it down pat by now. To answer Paul's question, they send you back a refurb box, not the same one you sent in.
- Todd Walker
So could that mean I'd get one with a newer chipset. One that's supposedly less prone to failure?
- Paul Grav
The geekiest business card of @jasoncormier: - http://ourdoings.com/roberts...
 |
Betsy Weber, david, Mitchell Tsai and 12 other people liked this
We are at http://room214.com and everyone here has a cool credit-card style business card with their social media stuff on it.
- Robert Scoble
That looks awesome.
- David Damore
Very cool.
- Nir Ben Yona
Neat. Is the mag stripe real?
- Jeff Harbert
Click on the image for a larger view.
- David Damore
Seems neat but what's the end-of-life scenario? Can it genuinely be recycled? Most credit card things can't. Just more plastic landfill.
- Spidra Webster
The value of the phrase "social media" is totally burned by thousands of idiots on twitter. I'd remove all traces of that.
- Richard Matthias
That is cool. I'd love to have one of those, though I tend to keep my social media stuff a little more anonymous so I can bullshit online with my friends and express opinions with words that I wouldn't use in a professional setting.
- Ivan
Looks very nice! How about a QR-code so you won't have to type at all? http://www.eenmanierom.nl/een-vis... (Dutch but Google Translate nearby in bottom left corner).
- Patrick Mackaaij
Look cool but how do read the data off the card ? and who makes the credit-card style card ?
- Michael Holzinger
So cool.
- Zachary TG
Looks like a hotel key card. You can get them for 500 @ $0.70 here: http://www.plastekcards.com/product...
- Kevin Fox
Its actually a room key, the mag strip is printed on, nothing on it. Follow http://twitter.com/room_214 on our company's random banter :D
- Stepan Mazurov
I was at a seminar last night at UCI http://innovationprotocol.com/seminar... last night where Sasha Strauss said "we are not there yet" as far as putting twitter/facebook on business cards. He did say on email signatures it shoudl be a must
- Nadia Flores
That stuff is like 'hey, funny... dispose'. Useless!
- // Rutger
It is actually a room key and they cost $1 each. Very awesome and memorable card.
- Robert Scoble
from iPhone
Jeff: the mag stripe doesn't do anything.
- Robert Scoble
from iPhone
Nadia, why are we "not there yet" as far as putting your Twitter/FB on business cards? It's a logical thing to do now, I think, when you're going to make business cards for yourself
- Andre P. Siregar
I bet he gets the "what does the mag stripe do" question every time he hands out his business card
- Andre P. Siregar
Note that hotel keycards are encoded at the front desk, so in theory you could get a clerk to encode your unlock code on your own key, but off the bat I can't think of anything you could put on the stripe that the average person would find utility in that wouldn't be a bad idea (like a credit card or drivers license data)
- Kevin Fox
I have a question: what are business cards for? What is their useful purpose?
- Mark
Mark: to give people a way to remember you and email you.
- Robert Scoble
from iPhone
You can use Microsoft Tag on your mobile phone to link to your social media sites or upload your contact profile with all the info - no typing, just a phone with a camera.
- Jen Mills
Love all the comments about my card here! Here are some more details for those of you who might care: What you see in the picture is actually the back of the card. The front of the card has our company logo (Room 214 is the name of the company) and is almost entirely green. The card is as thick as a room key card, as you might guess. Most people's first reaction is, "wow, cool card......
more...
- Jason Cormier
Very clever, Jason :)
- Andre P. Siregar
Looks kinda cool
- Alex Hammer
I made a promise years ago to never use PowerPoint in front of an audience again. So, how do I organize a presentation? Mind Manager.
Kathleen Capps, Elliott Goodwin, Daniel Schildt and 126 other people liked this
It's magic. Frees your mind from the stupid bullet list that bores audiences to death. Every time I see a PowerPoint deck my brain turns off.
- Robert Scoble
I have used this for years, great communication tool
- Mel Buckpitt
i prefer personalbrain. not as easy to use as mind manager but powerful nonetheless.
- Daniel Langendorf
Robert, as a former highschool teacher, I can assure you that Powerpoint is the evil enemy of learning...and yet every school insisted teachers started using it because the schools thought PP "was" technology...yikes. Advice? Tell stories with passion and understanding.
- Daniel Kenney
Daniel: I totally agree. The way schools teach technology just makes me ill.
- Robert Scoble
anyone ever try prezi.com? it's a bit different-- much more visual
- Ted Curran
So instead of Powerpoint™, use a real presentation platform that allows interactive data and tactile response to both you and your audience.
- Eric Martindale
i have been working on a new keynote /powerpoint method I can
- Ted Curran
PowerPoint is only a problem in that it makes it way too easy to just make lists of bullet points. They almost force you to go down that path. If they could somehow turn that off, and just provide the functionality to create a series of slides, each of which had a line or two of text, an image, etc... I don't think it'd get such a bad rap.
- Ken Sheppardson
*call "Attention Method"-- it's a way to use PPT or Apple Keynote not in the way the program wants to be used but in the way people's minds work
- Ted Curran
similar to other software noted is my favorite.. Big Mouth
- Daniel Kenney
What makes Mind Manager the first platform to come to mind? I have never heard of it until right now.
- Amani
I agree Daniel Kenney :(
- Mohammad Abdurraafay
Amani: I saw Buzz Bruggeman give a talk with it and was mesmerized.
- Robert Scoble
Try Prezi, and if you have some time to devote to it, Keynote. Both are really pretty impressive.
- Ivan
I came across http://prezi.com last month, worth a look. It has sort of a tv commercial look, like the 2-d Ford pickup commercials.
- Tanner Powell
Too bad Mind Manager on the mac feels utterly abandoned. I switched to mac, but haven't used MindManager since. A real pity.
- Phil Calvin
I kind of like Prezi too. Very visual. Depends on the situation I suppose.
- Kim Feraday
Keynote.
- Jeremy Franklin
sure. try www.prezi.com. its amazing
- gatza
I don't want to get into a PowerPoint bashing thing here, but I agree it's bad. Another thing I've noticed is that the boring speakers usually have the most elaborate PP presentations. Yikes.
- Missionary Broadcasting
I'm a big fan of MindManager as well. Once you're done conceptualizing your presentation, Powerpoint (or any other presentation tool) can obviously be used as an effective tool. Powerpoint isn't innately evil, it's just too easy to miss-use. If you want to try a different tool give sliderocket.com a try. (but I'd stick with Mindmanager)
- Jason Goldberg
Well that's two programs I had no idea existed 15 minutes ago.
- Dean Clark
Do you use iThoughts iPhone app? I use it every day and they just upgraded to allow Mind Manager export
- Dave
Prezi is too difficult to learn for anyone - it is supercool but if you want to get right down to working, forget it - I wish I could use it - for mindmaps to me nothing beats MindMeister both for presentation materials as well for organizing ideas and tools - it is much easier and immediate than any other mindmapping tool I have tried, including having a full revisions history, working...
more...
- Robin Good
In the end the vote of PowerPoint chastity should really be targeted at avoiding making the "types" of PowerPoint slideshows that are so bad. Bad choice of images, too much text, and you reading them as you show them. It is not the tool so much, but the culture we have built around it. Whether with PowerPoint, Keynote, Sliderocket, OpenOffice or GoogleDocs the power of your presentation...
more...
- Robin Good
I wholeheartedly agree with you..PP is horrible! I refuse to use it and I've made a point to reject ppt files that colleagues send me with slides re design changes. I'll have to give MindManager a try..sounds great.
- Sufian Siddiqi
from fftogo
Prezi does look cool. I definitely need to take it for a spin.
- Alexander Grundner
Chalk board & elaborate hand gestures
- sofarsoShawn
The issue with powerpoint (and keynote) is that the flow of the presentation is completely locked in, and the presentation environment is unchanging. Mindmanager (or Freemind) allows branching, and the ability to store extra content for questions (only use as needed). Powerpoint or equivalent is good for building a screen when you want one that can dynamically build. An alternative way...
more...
- Alistair Nicholson
Come on! it's not the tool but the human mind behind the use of it!
- Stefanos Karagos
I used to use Thebrain.com personal brain for the same purpose. I stopped when I moved to multiplatforms (Mac and linux as well as Windows). I just checked back at the site to find that it is now available cross-platform (haven't checked that the data files are yet tho). I might be remaking contact with an old friend! I liked the easy way one could use local files or web resources. By...
more...
- Alistair Nicholson
@alistair: It is possible to branch PowerPoint -presentations with hyperlinks that jump from slide to another. Never considered it, but interesting idea. For example, after determining audience level, it could skip slides that explain basic things for experienced audience.
- Jemm
I like Mind Manager. Wish i had a reason to use it.
- Rodfather
Mind Manager rocks on a tablet pc
- Mel Buckpitt
Definitely. That was the last time I used it. It integrated with OneNote well too.
- Rodfather
I have been using Mind Manager for almost a year now exclusively for all my presentations. People love the refreshing look .. and so do I ;-)
- Remkus de Vries
Check out the free pptplex from Office Labs which is an add in for PP that gives you a similar zooming interface as Prezi. http://www.officelabs.com/project...
- Jamie
Alistair: That is exactly how I use PersonalBrain. I have it set up in Dropbox and am able to access it with any computer. It's worth a look-see again. It's also worth using to flesh out ideas for presentations, too, no matter what tool you end up using.
- Daniel Langendorf
Use Prezi at Prezi.com! ;) or sliderocket.com
- Csaba Mad
I am adoring Prezi - just the freshness of the look gives you a 50% boost in new biz meetings, and I really haven't found it at all hard to learn to use
- Jamie
Easy, use Keynote.
- Diego Barros
Last week i was thinking how lame PP is and actually did a presentation at college bashing it. The tool i've used for that was Prezi.com, the one mentioned by a lot of ppl in this thread. You should give them some love, definetely a great worth a look tool.
- Diego Sana
I got tired of trying to find the perfect presentation technique and ended up developing my own http://mlx.netii.net/templat... not perfect, but it works for me.
- MLx
Daniel & Jemm - thanks for that. I've just installed personalbrain on the Mac and opened some old brains done in the PC (aahh nostalgia). I really missed it as a tool. I've been using freemind, which does have some very good features, but personalbrain is still a better tool for this sort of work. Thanks.
- Alistair Nicholson
Jemm - in some cases I will just generate one or two slides using ppt or similar. By exporting them they become individual objects that I can mix and match - or call on as I need, without having to consider how to jump to them within the powerpoint package. Powerpoint (or keynote) then becomes a graphic slide authoring tool that just generates some components or objects I use in my...
more...
- Alistair Nicholson
I have presented for many years with MindManager. Its great for interactive presentations. Tomorrow I will use it present to a conference of independent financial advisers on the subject of mind mapping and mind mapping software. I humbly suggest they will remember my hour more than the 5 other hours of PowerPoint. This is web version summary. http://twurl.nl/24rzyv
- Andrew Wilcox
Final Cut...create a video!
- Michela Cimnaghi /cimny
Powerpoint is not the problem but how it is used.... take a look at Presentation Zen (book/website) :-)
- Gianfranco Chicco
Powerpoint is a time sink - whenever I have had to use it I ended up using more time fixing the presentation than focusing on the message. Can't remember which company took powerpoint off the systems and said they measured a productivity increase... or if it is a digital legend... but from my experience I can believe it.
- Joelle Nebbe (iphigenie)
"It's a poor workman who blames his tools" -- old proverb
- Karim
Will you post your preso somewhere, would be great to see how you use it in place of powerpoint.
- jcunwired
Meh. Powerpoint is a tool to put stuff on screen. As long as you're not just reading off it...
- Yuvi
Mindmanager is a great App! I love to pull it up in meetings and just capture the ideas as they flow. Afterwards as a team we organize the information and then put it into a outline for others. Its wows the team every time! For presentations I've seen this used pretty well but if you try to print it out for users afterwards it takes more time to do (open all the collapsed trees.) I've...
more...
- CW™
Just convert powerpoint slides into pdf and present pdf to the audience.Although I am not a great fan of PDF or for that matter any powerpoint like software.
- ashish
ashish: you're not getting it. There's nothing worse to do to an audience than to present a standard powerpoint deck to them. The format is NOT what makes that boring.
- Robert Scoble
Robert: Flash is the answer but it's a pain to learn and expensive to outsource, but that's the answer I think. Besides that, Mindjet MindManager is a fantastic peice of software
- Brandon Hall
Keynote.
- Johnny
You're right, it's not the format, nor is it Powerpoint. It is not using it to in an engaging way.
- Dennis Beatty
Robert,Sorry for misinterpreting your question. This one is a really tricky question.
- ashish
I often find slides take away from the message - people are reading the slide text instead of looking at and listening to the speaker, and the speaker is looking at the slides instead of at the audience. I wouldnt mind the speaker looking at the screen if he was demonstrating something (or writing, in the old blackboard style) but in a way slides which were supposed to support the presentation end up taking away from it. Too passive?
- Joelle Nebbe (iphigenie)
Much of my hourly pay job is presentations. Very interested in playing with new tools. Will review prezi, mindmanager, sliderocket, and personal brain
- Mark Essel
prezi is pretty amazing mark. i also use Free Mind but have never used it for a presentation...
- Morgan
wishing for 2nd like or something to bump this up higher amongst my likes and discussions
- metalerik
dream about it http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com/
- bonuck (e gli associati?)
I have a talk tomorrow morning at my kids' school about technology in education. I was brainstorming it in Curio and Keynote, but I bought Prezi Pro just cuz it looks so cool. It's a little quirky, a little buggy, and not as flexible as, say Keynote, but it sure is a unique look. Mindmapping + Presentations.
- Leo Laporte
Nothing wrong with Powerpoint, it's just a tool. I do just fine with it and Keynote. Sounds like it's a presenter issue if you're bored
- Bwana ☠
I love mindmanager, but its license is toooo stupidly and insanely expensive!!
- Mohamed Salem Korayem
yeah I love using xmind for organizing talking points but I don't normally use them to present - most audiences don't grok them ime
- mike "glemak" dunn
I'm sorry, trying to learn. I have a 30 slide presentation (+-10) that i present to customers around the world usually in a room of about 10 people. What could Mind Manager do that PPT isn't doing?
- Steve C
For everyone looking to learn more about using MindManager for presentations, I have written up a number of posts on the Mindjet blog that talks about how to do it, some best practices and sample maps. The most popular post in the series was from PresentationCamp SF, "Become a Presentation Superhero": http://blog.mindjet.com/2009... while other posts covered using images, colors, and fonts within your mind maps. Check'em out or contact me if you have questions!
- Michael Deutch
thx michael, bookmarked.
- Steve C
ah, michael good to see you here - for those who don't know him michael is mindjet’s chief evangelist & one of the hardest working community engagement folks on the net - i use xmind because i test lots of open source tools but have been a customer of mindjet for years & love mindmanager :)
- mike "glemak" dunn
Yeah thanks Michael, I've been wanting to see some examples/how-to's about using MindManager for presentations.
- Justin Hopkins
Actually I spoke too soon. I'm curious to see some video of a person "giving a talk with it" like you said Robert. Do you have any recordings of some of yours of the Buzz Bruggeman talk you mentioned?
- Justin Hopkins
I find using a Mind Map a lot easier for people to follow and sparks a lot more collaboration from the group.
- Jim Lavin
Robert try Prezi:http://prezi.com/
- Dean Kakridas
If you hate Powerpoint, Robert & friends, then you have to check out Edward Tufte's essay "The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within." It's brilliant. And the cover still cracks me up: http://tr.im/lXjv
- Alan Mairson
Funny thing for me is that I've always made fun of PP style presentations and have been known as someone who really gets groups interacting, etc. (check out this clip of a game I led at Seattle Mindcamp -http://tinyurl.com/qjathj) BUT, just recently, I've discovered that for my type of improvised, interactive, often scattered, creative style --powerpoint is actually a good (much needed!) balance. So I've been upping the KeyNote. MultiModal is the way :)
- Leif Hansen
Robin Good: great comment on MindMeister.com - present.io is a very interesting app to keep track of, if you are doing a lot of online presentations. I use Skype screen share (Mac) for Coaching and presenting ways and methods to use applications.
- Jan Friman
from Nambu
How about having a standard cheaper version of mindmanager. I dont use all the awesome features version 8
- Mohamed Salem Korayem
Jemm and others - I'm back having been in the most boring presentation today that I have experienced in a very long time - powerpoint slides of the most horrible structure, plus given over a video conferencing tool where the presenter didn't read any of the questions in the typing area! Thebrain has a free version. What I've found is that because I use tiddlywiki (also free) to organise...
more...
- Alistair Nicholson
just a quick reaction to the person who suggested video - what can video add if you are there in person?
- Joelle Nebbe (iphigenie)
@Joelle a video is a way to engage the audience and let the main messages be reminded. Your role there is to give the right introduction to the video and then open and manage the discussion after it. People will partecipate more to teh discussion. That's my personal experience by the way!
- Michela Cimnaghi /cimny
Robert, I agree & use MindManager for presentations, as well as various project information summaries, trying to stick to a "one sheet" philosophy for reports. One of my pet peeves is presenters who read the bullets on a PPT. Yikes!
- Rick Cogley
Joelle (thanks Michela) another use of video is short interviews or contributions. For example case studies with a manager from the customer explaining their problem, a business analyst explaining their technique around a specific problem, a web designer talking about how they 'imagine' the personality of a site, demonstration of an experimental technique with a patient. It creates...
more...
- Alistair Nicholson
I also meant to draw attention to Lief's comment about multi modal and how sometimes a powerpoint slide can present the underlying structure or main points of the presentation. I still believe there can be a place for dot points - so long as they are not the sole content. I believe there are few that would suggest Steve Jobs' presentations are boring, for example. Always worth a watch and they can be found on youtube. Other exemplars are the top rated talks on TED.com.It gives me something to aim for.
- Alistair Nicholson
FreeMind is very useful and Open Source. Give it a try!
- Nicola Junior Vitto
just got into Amode 4 project mgmt. same company @MindSystems. imports @MindJet.
- Courtney Engle
IMHO, my best tool is a whiteboard, and second place, a notebook with squares to plan a sort of storyboard. When I switch back to analog planning, I started to get my best results back on PowerPoint (I love 2007 version). Cheers,
- Rolando Peralta
Wow, what a great thread! I explored some best practices for presentations and wrote the following posts on the Mindjet blog. They could apply for any type of presentation but they're primarily focused on mind mapping...The first: 10 Steps to Great Presentation Maps -- http://blog.mindjet.com/2009...
- Michael Deutch
Next, How to Make a Great Presentation: Mapping Your Content -- This one applies to using mind maps to 'think through' your presentation content, regardless of what tool you select for the actual presentation: http://blog.mindjet.com/2009...
- Michael Deutch
Your use of colors will impact the audience. Use them well! The Secrets of Using Colors in Maps - http://blog.mindjet.com/2009...
- Michael Deutch
What’s a Picture Worth? Here's a post about incorporating images into mind map presentations. http://blog.mindjet.com/2009... -- I saw an interesting tweet from Andrew Wilcox earlier today where he suggested placing large images inside 'topic notes'.
- Michael Deutch
Prezi reminds me of microsoft photosynth.
- ashish
And finally, here are a couple of posts about fonts in your mind map presentations: 10 Fixes for Font Foibles! (http://blog.mindjet.com/2009...) and More Fun for Font Fanatics (http://blog.mindjet.com/2009...).
- Michael Deutch
michael: constructive suggestion - you should setup a mindmap group here on ff so these suggestions can be feed in separately and others can participate, they're just going to get lost inside this thread...
- mike "glemak" dunn
Wow what a great discussion. I have never heard of Prezi before and I will have a very imortant presentation to one of MNO next week. I prepared with PP, but now consider to do from scratch via Prezi.com. Thanks guys!
- Jacque
Robert, do you have anything that you can share that you've used Mind manager for? Do you actually use it in presentations or do you use it as a thought organizing tool? Thanks for answering if you have the time!
- Gregg Morris
i was blown away by a preso done in prezi.com. tried it out, the UI takes some getting used to, but w/ patience the zoom in/out approach yields great presos. worth checking out some of the demos. I saw a preso done w/ it that all took place inside the dot of a question mark (that was the reveal at end of preso). cool.
- Adrian Chan
re. TiddlyWiki: should I mention, that there's also a true presentation version?... http://ow.ly/8vMH
- schilke
Or you could emulate Carrot Top and use props from a great big trunk. Problem is you need to be a) really pumped up and b) certifiably nuts.
- bob corrigan
Schilke - thanks for the link to tiddlywiki presentation version. I've bookmarked that and visited the example. With tiddlywiki each 'tiddler' has a specifically adressable URL so that pages can be individually linked from mindmapping software. That way a complete subtopic can be created as a 'deck' but not invoked in the presentation unless we choose to go there. Back to the 'horrible'...
more...
- Alistair Nicholson
A cool MindMapping alternative is XMind.
- Martin Seibert
Image Comics Online - Fell #1 - http://www.imagecomics.com/iconlin...
 |
Warren Ellis has made the first issue of FELL free on Free Comic Book Day! How can you NOT like it?
- Ivan
Happily paying my taxes today. I appreciate the opportunities I have been given in this great country and honor our social contract. #teabag
Eivind, Edward Zwart, Howard Keziah and 66 other people liked this
I got to pay taxes for the first time today, a whole $74 worth!!!
- Zack
I paid my taxes early to just get it out of the way
- Chris Strange
The older I get, the more refunds I get. It's kinda weird, but the child + mortgage credits work out in my favor.
- Daniel J. Pritchett
Did you really tag this #teabag?
- Andrew Leahey
Well you're doing a good well better than I am. I can barely scrape by, and having to write a big check while recently laid off takes some of the "joy" out of paying taxes.
- Kyle Sellers
long time listener first time caller... great attitude dr. laporte. paying taxes i don't mind, it's the wasteful and inane spending of those dollars that greatly dampens my mood... (to be clear, thats a dig at both houses of congress)
- Ted Bradford II
I don't really find a problem with taxes. I'm paying for the services I received for "Free." Essentially the government loaned me money to pay for roads, my student loans, things of that nature, and then they didn't charge me interest on that loan. It's really kind of cool. I just wish my employer wasn't taking forever to mail out a new copy of my W-2. I have to file for an extension because it hasn't arrived yet (my old one got trashed after my mom forwarded it to me).
- Ivan
i got to pay several grand last year. Wish i had your positive attitude then...thanks for bringing me back into a healthier perspective! We forget how fortunate we actually are!
- Lori Wilson
I don't get why anyone would mock a group of people organizing online to promote a cause they believe in. Isn't that how Obama got elected? The whole #teabag tag reminds me of a bunch of spoiled kids who don't want to share their toys (the internet).
- Kyle Sellers
Had to sign up just to say this: I don't mind paying taxes necessarily, such as sales tax and etc., but the Income Tax is wrong no matter what President or what party is in power. The govt. doesn't own my work, and giving them our hard earned money doesn't give them an incentive to shrink to Constitutional-approved levels.
- Kevin "Yeaux" Dupuy
Going to a teabag party today
- Randy Pollock
I love the smell of sarcasm in the morning! :)
- jcunwired
I can hardly wait to find out if the money they have been withholding from each paycheck I've earned over the past year has been enough to cover the burden I've created for society by being born. Yay taxes!!!
- midnightgolfer
I understand that paying taxes is a responsibility/privilege as a citizen of this wonderful country. I do not mind paying my fair share. I get upset when those who spend these taxes do not see any responsibility themselves.
- Chris Gardner
Oh, I got soo much joy giving USPS my checks for $28,000 the other day (Year End & Q1), guess the government will do better with that money then me. I was just going to use it to buy a new car (and perhaps keep some people in jobs), nothing important.
- Craig Ochs
Kevin: That makes no sense. They either have the right to take your money or they don't. Saying it's okay for them to take your money when you pay someone else for something but not when someone pays you is just nonsensical.
- Ghworg
worst tag ever Leo
- Joseph
I must have been given a lot of opportunities, because I am paying a lot of tax. Happily? not so much. :(
- Bob Townsend
AIG, Goldman & GM executives thank you. It's not easy living in Manhattan & Connecticut on $50,000 a day. Your contribution helps!
- Adam Turetzky
midnightgolfer, that made me laugh out loud. lets just take the smartest, the most successful and the best looking out of the herd, leaving the "rest of us". then, the "rest of us" will drink the Jim Jones Kool Aid so that the burden will be far less on those left behind.
- Ted Bradford II
I like schools, interstates, bridges, libraries, clean water, police patrols, firemen - oh yeah and of course the military that protects us - so... I paid my taxes. Its okay #teaparty peeps - you can still use my roads and I won't sick the military on you. #teabag
- Ken Newton
Social Contract? Please explain. I dont see anything in the constitution that requires me to pay for people to stay in homes they couldn't afford in the first place, feed able bodied people that make no effort to sustain themselves, and subsidize banks, insurance companies, corporations and industries that have driven themselves into the ground by poor management. It is insanity to believe that the government is somehow better able to manage our lives better that we can ourselves.
- Jim Bednarz
ken newton... the things you mentioned are not wasteful spending.
- Ted Bradford II
@ Ghworg - There is a substantial difference between a direct tax (income) and an indirect tax (sales tax). Read up on your constitutional history, and the federalist papers. @ Ken Newton - Private business could do it better and cheaper... so try again. I started my day listening to the Housemartins... specifically the song called "Sheep."
- Jodon Bellofatto
Jim - That's what makes it a social contract and not an actual contract. It's inferred. We took care of approving it for you.
- Matthew DeVries
Got a tax credit for having a baby and for buying a house. The last time I will probably ever get money back from the government. I am enjoying it.
- Fleagle
Wanna pay mine, then?
- Rochelle
Ghworg: I wouldn't mind getting rid of the sales tax too, but simply I think that's stretching it even farther than getting rid of the Federal Income Tax would. This country ran perfectly fine for it's first hundred or so years without a Fed Income Tax, until we began adding more and more social services as part of our federal government. Keep in mind originally the income tax was ruled unconstitutional: it took a Constitutional amendment to allow it to occur.
- Kevin "Yeaux" Dupuy
@Jim Bednarz: the social contract is a long standing idea within the US government ideal and structure. John Locke, sound familiar? Perhaps this will help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
" Keep in mind originally the income tax was ruled unconstitutional: it took a Constitutional amendment to allow it to occur." and why did it get amended? Oh yeah, to save the bankers who ran their businesses into the ground! We're like a broken record. Keep the rich people rich at all costs!
- Adam Turetzky
I don't get these hard left Gilmor Gangistas, they are sooo out of touch with their Austro-libertarian listeners who want Ben Bernanke and Paul Krugman shot !
- Adrian
My wife and I work till May 23 for the federal government so we can bail out crooked bankers and lousy car companies.
- Joseph Kelley
My husband and I work until April or May, I think, but it's to pay $0.50 on the dollar for a war I don't agree with.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
Then why not pay even more taxes? You'll be ecstatic.
- Morton Fox
Leo should pay me for being a devoted listener. Yeah, that's it...
- Mike Nayyar
While I think this whole #teabag thing is complete nonsense and just a publicity stunt for the Republican conservatives, I'm no fan of the Democrats either. Taxes are just one more way of a government to exert power over it's people, it's stupid. Throwing teabags in rivers in 2009 is even more stupid. Really want to send a signal? Don't pay your taxes. If everyone at these stupid teabageries would not pay their taxes, it'd have a hell of a lot more of an effect.
- Ⓐ ☠ slayerboy ☠ Ⓐ
@Ted Bradford II - you are correct. I have yet to hear a good reason for the #teaparty. Wasteful spending? Where did the 3 trillion go that was handed over to G.W. in '01? Oh yeah - its in the pockets of A.I.G. and Halliburton. That money would have gone a long way towards solving the current problem. Would we even be here if it wasn't for absurd tax cuts for corps and unmitigated spending over the last 8 years?
- Ken Newton
Glad your doing so well Leo, I too appreciate the opportunities the US has provided me so much so that I volunteered and served my country Militarily, I'm sure you have also, While I too have always honored (and will continue to do so) "my" social contract I only wish the politicians who work for "me" were "honorable" enough to reciprocate or perhaps I wish I had "your" money.
- Jim Kells
Don't mind paying taxes for appropriate functions of govt. Also, everyone should pay their fair share which is not happening today. The upper echelons of income earners are paying a disproportionate share of income taxes!
- Derek Cook
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Fiance and I got more than $5000 back this year. Hmmm...Ah well.
- ‘-.-’ Tutivillus Grift
FYI - anyone wishing to pay more taxes than they are required is free to do so. The IRS will let you do that.
- You.
"The upper echelons of income earners are paying a disproportionate share of income taxes!"...you're kidding me, right? While it may be true in terms of actual dollars, it is not even close in terms of the effect on a family's lifestyle. Those of us who are blessed with success should be willing to help our fellow Americans by giving back in amounts relative to the opportunities we have been given. In that way, others may hope to share in our success. When did we stop caring about each other?
- Peter May
I would be at a #teaparty today - but I am not part of the upper echelon upset about paying taxes. I wish they had more money to give to the gov so they can be bailed out again when they run their corps in the ground. Where were the #teaparty last year when the bailouts began?
- Ken Newton
@ Ken Newton - The original intent of the #teaparty was to admonish and speak out against both Republican and Democrat alike. Ironically, in many locations, it has been usurped by opportunists on both sides... which is why I will not be attending. And, yes, this economic situation was inevitable due to poor monetary policy that dates back to the Nixon/Carter days, and before then, the establishment of the Federal Reserve.
- Jodon Bellofatto
In this country, we _are_ the government. Anyone who isn't happy with their tax situation has only themselves to blame. Nutjobs who rail on about "the gubmint" stealing their money are hopelessly out of touch with reality and politically naive. Don't like the way things are going? Just use your powers of persuasion to convince the rest of us that you're right. Hint: blathering on about...
more...
- Brad Farris
from twhirl
Leo, this was a wonderful message to see this morning. Thank you for saying it.
- Karoli
@Brad um....you do realize that the government right now is controlled not by "us" but by the banks and corporations? That's just it..we became too lax and allowed the government to do things they should never even be doing. I would like to say that we should be taking all the blame, but it's not that simple. This all started back in the early 1900's. Our grandfathers and fathers started this whole mess. The minute they let the government step in and "cure" the depression, we the people lost control.
- Ⓐ ☠ slayerboy ☠ Ⓐ
@ Peter May: So taxes should be based "the effect on a family's lifestyle"? That is just wrong. Our tax system should be unbiased. Each American should be treated equally. While I do agree "those of us who are blessed with success should be willing to help" it should also be voluntary. That is part of why I'm a proponent of a flat percentage tax rate.
- ChiliMac
I'm not willing to pay taxes for war or ill advised government bailouts.
- ld
@Leo: Most of the people I know supporting the #teapartys would agree with your sentiment "Happily paying my taxes today. I appreciate the opportunities I have been given in this great country and honor our social contract". The issue we have is that the government is taking advantage of that and wasting our money. It is getting out of hand.
- ChiliMac
@Jodon Bellofatto - 'the establishment of the Federal Reserve' - thanks for bringing that up. I have been down that rabbit hole - and just lost sleep over it. I just realized my true objection is the distortion of the message by political pundits and corporate hacks. There be wisdom with you Jodon.
- Ken Newton
I seem to recall that the #teaparty had some issues with double-taxation. Like @Leo, I work for myself and gladly pay-in for the services I receive. However, in addition to Federal and State income taxes, I'm also taxed on gross receipts by the city of Los Angeles, and then 9.25% on everything I purchase. Sounds like we dumped tea for double-taxation, and now we get to eat cake. One of the things that I love about this country is that it allows for change. Probably time to reboot the system.
- Jeff Fischbach
And speaking of double taxation... every other tax you pay, you pay for with income which has already been taxed (some are allowed as deductions or credits, subject to limitations)... real estate tax, personal property tax, inheritance taxes, sales tax, inheritance tax, luxry taxes, sin taxes, etc.
- LogEx
Maybe if the politicians in Washington would have such an happy attitude about paying taxes we could pay for the 10 trillion dollar bailout of everyone-but-us.
- Mot Faerin
@Mike. I hear what you're saying, brother, but we live in the here and now. "The government" is you and I, friend. If it's not doing right by us, we have the power to fix it. Of course it's a hard job, but that's what living here is supposed to be about - doing the hard work to make our country function the way we want it to. It's hard to get the right people elected. It's hard to...
more...
- Brad Farris
from twhirl
What you call "crying about it" is actually rallying political support for change. The government can be influenced in other ways besides voting.
- You.
"Happily paying my taxes today" Must be enough left then. ;)
- Willem (@wim66) ☠
from twhirl
@Dave, If you're thinking that I'm opposed to "rallying political support for change," you're wrong. In fact, that's exactly what I've said I think should be done. There's a qualitative difference betweein "rallying political support for change" and simply whining about paying taxes. Don't confuse one with the other, and don't confuse "the government" with anything besides you and I.
- Brad Farris
from twhirl
what's the quantifiable difference? [edit] and who's doing the latter?
- You.
Taxes... got 5400$ back this year... massive REER investment (it's a Canadian thing)
- Julien Bérubé
Now that I think about it, isn't @Leo Canadian? That alone probably makes paying taxes here a relative-pleasure. On the other hand, he may just be pandering to avoid deportation.
- Jeff Fischbach
Sorry, Dave - where did you get the impression that I did that? I didn't mean to give that impression, and I certainly feel that it's good for our "conservative" friends to involve themselves in some organized public protest from time to time, just so they'll be able to understand how strongly those anti-war protesters feel when they get out there and hold up signs. I've looked back...
more...
- Brad Farris
from twhirl
You edited? Sorry, I answered the question you originally posed. I guess maybe you realized you'd overreached. It's all good.
- Brad Farris
from twhirl
It's not the paying that bothers me; it's that we get so little return on our money.
- Robert Hafer
Robert, you're getting a ton for your money. Unfortunately, half of it is military and with so much of that abroad right now, you don't get to 'see' what you've bought very much.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
What a nice little lemming. Hiel Geithner.
- Joanie
20% of it is in defense out of the entire budget, the 50% number is only true of the discretionary budget. The discretionary budget does not include Medicare and Social Security.
- RAPatton
Wow, a lot of single post people over here to give what they got to Leo. Why don't you folks stay and join the discussion on FriendFeed if you'd like to have real reasoned debate.
- Eric @ CS Techcast
Robert, the discretionary budget is what actually comes from income taxes. Social Security has its own kitty and its own contributions, so it is deceptive to include in a breakdown of "where your taxes go" since most people assume "your taxes" implies the stuff that's due today.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
We may be getting a ton for our money, but we are paying for 100 tons. 99 tons of waste.
- Robert Hafer
I am very well aware of where Social Security comes from and how its "surplus" is pillaged and about the Medicare shortfall. But if you are only talking income taxes 32.6% of people pay absolutely nothing for defense, unless you count the funds borrowed from Social Security.
- RAPatton
Paid mine yesterday, after having to call the IRS to get my AGI for last year to file THIS year. Sheesh.....
- Anita Pesola
Converse to that, Robert, is the fact that the people who are paying more towards the military by paying more of the overall tax burden are also in many cases the same people who are profiting the most from military action.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
"the people"? So, when you earn a certain dollar amount you profit more the military?
- RAPatton
Not what I meant. Military contractors, the companies that are receiving redevelopment contracts, etc. That's what I meant. Though, there are those that argue that the wealthy in general do benefit more from the military in general, since they have the greater assets to protect.
- FFing Enigma (aka Tina)
I heard that Comcast, the parent company of G4 TV, is in financial trouble, maybe some of your tax revenue can bail them out of the rut they're in. Love ya Leo, thanks for the pothole repairs!
- Matt Pak
@ChiliMac: Voluntary? Oh yeah, that would work. Imagine how much those pigs on Wall Street would pay if the system was voluntary.
- Peter May
@Peter May: My comment may not have been clear. I don' t think taxes should be voluntary, just non-discriminatory. The volunteerism I mention is the extra help. Let people give to charity if they want to help certain sectors of society. Our federal government should not be forcing that on us.
- ChiliMac
They say a large tax bill is a "glamorous problem" :)
- guruvan (Rob Nelson)
Leo, I'm glad to see people in positions of prominence such as yourself speaking out in support of the tax process. Too many people on Twitter are bemoaning the fact that they have to give back to their country.
- Eric Geller
We actually don't mind rendering unto caesar, either. It's just that when the caesars try to trade our children's future for today's bread and circuses, you gotta ask, "Is it time to cleanse the temple?" Also, give us a break, we're kinda' new to this whole loud street protest thing.
- midnightgolfer
Leo, I'm in debt a few thousand dollars because of taxes. If you'd like to help someone out and actually see positive results, let me know. I only need $4000 to pay my tax debt. What if you buy $4k worth of ads from me at: http://twilliondollarhomepage.com
- James Thomson
James Thomson, even I know that your ad here in these comments is lame.
- midnightgolfer
@midnightgolfer - why lame? Leo says he likes to pay taxes so why wouldn't he want to help one of his listeners pay their tax debt? It's a win-win situation. He gets an ad for 5 years, can deduct the expense on next year's taxes and it helps me pay off my tax debt. Hell, I don't care how I get the money... if he wants to just give me $4000 straight up that's fine too: http://twilliondollarhomepage.com
- James Thomson
If you have to ask... anyways, maybe it's just that I feel like twitter is already starting to get kind of spammy as it is.
- midnightgolfer
Leo, if you love paying taxes so much, why not donate even more money to the government or help someone else out that cannot afford it. I am unemployed, no income and have prescription drugs I need on top of my tax bill. Seriously, I don't understand your logic.
- James Thomson
@James I think he's saying that he feels he gets value for his dollar. Do you offer to pay more for something every time you feel this way?
- Edward Zwart
Cop Rock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
 |
I actually saw some of the pilot for this, and I have to say: it only deserved 11 episodes.
- Ivan
Lifehacker - Gordon Ramsay Demonstrates the Perfect Scrambled Egg Breakfast - Recipes - http://lifehacker.com/5199462/
 |
Gordon Ramsay is never wrong.
- Ivan
The TV camera: Past, present and future - http://broadcastengineering.com/storage...
 |
It's a cool little history
- Ivan
Carver (automobile) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...
 |
It's quite an interesting, mad, mad, mad, mad three wheeled car.
- Ivan
Gizmodo - Giz Explains: Why Cellphone Reception Still Sucks - Cell reception - http://i.gizmodo.com/5195789...
 |
Very helpful explanation as to why cell service can still suck.
- Ivan
Other ways to read this feed:
