Wonderful News About U.S. Broadband

As if it wasn't bad enough, the U.S. has now slipped to 15th in total broadband access. YES!

Twenty-six countries have advertised DSL speeds, putting the US just ahead of Mexico, Turkey, and Poland. Now, in addition to the billions of dollars in money that we give illegals, they can now experience a faster and less expensive Internet experience. Viva la telco!

Most of us remember the $200 million telco green weenie. Even now, as technology is getting cheaper, we are still engaged in a backslide.

"The fastest advertised download speed in the US was 50 Mbps, half of what is available in Finland, France, South Korea and Sweden, and dwarfed by 1Gbps available in Japan." - Via Jason Lee Miller

I am sorry if I continue to beat this dead horse. I am just tired of the lack of Internet options and the abysmal speeds that I have to put up with. It is only going to get worse until the US embraces a fundamental thinking shift and is willing to embrace a national technology policy and a large scope broadband integration policy. Until then, we will continue to fall short in our technology offerings and will continue to loose our advantage and our ability to compete in the global market.

OK, I am done ranting now. I am off to the woods for the weekend and I'll be back on Tuesday! I do have a post planned for tomorrow with a great ad from 1965 so make sure you check back. Have a good Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

 

Children With Cell Phones

What is with 10 year olds kids with cellphones?

I have to admit this has been a very irritating concept to me. Especially when most of the time the kids don't even talk on their cell phone, they just send text messages. Can someone tell me why a 10 year old kid needs a cell phone?

I know a lady that bought her 12 year old girl a mobile phone for her birthday and evidently didn't understand the plan she paid for. To make a long story short, the daughter ran up a $1200 bill due to the massive amount of text messages sent. She couldn't pay the bill and had to go to another provider. I don't think that a 12 year old can really comprehend a $1200 cell phone bill for one month.

Up until now, I have been in the "no cell phone for kids" camp. BUT then I got to thinking after talking to several people. Here are some of their opinions on the subject.

• "A cell phone is the greatest leash I can have on my child. If I am calling they better answer and if they don't, it gets taken away."
• "In this day and age, I feel good that my child has a cell phone and can get in touch with me if they are in trouble."
• "My son is involved in a lot of school activities, he can call me when they are ready to come home or let me know what they are doing at any time."

Ok, fine. I can see where they are coming from. I guess I was stuck in the old school mindset that a cell phone was for conducting business. I just needed to shift my thinking and to look at cell phones as toys or objects of entertainment. I asked myself how a cell phone was different from walkie-talkies when I was a kid. Ahhhh, a monthly service fee you say. Ok, do we not subscribe to other monthly services for our kids? How about XBOX Live? That is another piece of technology or "toy" that we pony up big bucks for. I guess you can say that I am now seeing the light. See, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

However, the one thing that I still can't get past is kids having the phones in school. I have a couple of friends that are teachers. They say that it is pretty disruptive AND some industrious individuals have been caught texting the answers to tests. According the people that I have spoke with, most schools have rules regarding cell phone use on school property, yet it continues to be a problem. The last thing that our kids need are more distractions in school. Educators have a tough enough job teaching our children and we need to do everything in our power to help them with their jobs. This includes backing up the school when they enforce policy and take away cell phones.

So what's your thoughts on kids with cellphones? Do your kids have phones? What age do you think it is appropriate for children to venture into wonderful world of mobile madness?

 

We Are Suing OPEC?

This just released from Reuters. Wait till you feast your eyes on this.

By Tom Doggett

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices, but the White House threatened to veto the measure.

The bill would subject OPEC oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran and Venezuela, to the same antitrust laws that U.S. companies must follow.

The measure passed in a 324-84 vote, a big enough margin to override a presidential veto.

The legislation also creates a Justice Department task force to aggressively investigate gasoline price gouging and energy market manipulation.

"This bill guarantees that oil prices will reflect supply and demand economic rules, instead of wildly speculative and perhaps illegal activities," said Democratic Rep. Steve Kagen of Wisconsin, who sponsored the legislation.

The lawmaker said Americans "are at the mercy" of OPEC for how much they pay for gasoline, which this week hit a record average of $3.79 a gallon.

The White House opposes the bill, saying that targeting OPEC investment in the United States as a source for damage awards "would likely spur retaliatory action against American interests in those countries and lead to a reduction in oil available to U.S. refiners."

The administration said less oil going to refineries would limit available gasoline supplies and raise fuel prices.

Foreign investment in U.S. oil infrastructure has declined in the last decade. But the state-owned oil companies of several OPEC nations are owners of U.S. refineries, and those investments could be affected if the legislation becomes law, said Arlington, Virginia-based FBR Capital Markets Corp.

The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to carryout a study on the effects of prior oil company mergers on energy prices.

The Senate would still have to approve the House measure.

The Senate previously approved similar legislation as part of a broad energy bill. However, the OPEC-suing provision was removed after White House opposition in order to get the underlying energy legislation signed into law."

What is going on here? How can we win from such an action?

Holy cow, you think the prices of oil are high now, wait till they decide they don't like us enough to sell us oil. AND with foreign ownership of US refineries and oil fields this could get ugly. Foreign ownership of any land or interest in the US should be banned. There are NOT a lot of countries that would let me, as a US Citizen, own land in their country. Why can't we just drill for oil in Alaska.

What do you think on the subject?

 

The Advertising of Yesterday Part III

Evidently in June of 1974, women were pretty passionate about their smokes.



This Tareyton ad was actually part of a larger campaign showing mostly men with black eyes. The ad shown was the only one I was able to find that featured a woman. I can almost guarantee that you will never see a modern ad featuring a happy woman with a black eye. Well maybe if the ad was for a women's rugby team or something. But definitely not for a consumer good! The one thing I do see different in this 1974 ad is the Surgeon General's Warning at the bottom of the ad. Does anyone know what year this was mandated by the Government?

Don't you just love the old ads? Keep checking back every Friday for the newest ads from way back then. Make sure you don't miss a thing by subscribing to The Big Bald Blog.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

So You Want To Start An Internet Business

Have I got an opportunity for you. I know that sounded like 1970 car salesman, but this is a serious opportunity. AND it will literally cost you nothing. No this isn't a get rich quick scheme or a "no money down" real estate program.

This is a legitimate online business selling a valuable and reliable online file storage product.

And it's called...



Stockade is a company that provides online file storage, data restoration and disaster recovery services. But here's the best part. For those of you interested in starting a business online, you can do it with Stockade. All you need to do is become a reseller and add this service to what you are already doing and you will earn 30% on all sales. AND you don't have to spend a dime to do it. You heard it right, it doesn't cost you anything. They will set you up with your own branded site, give you all the tools you need and they will do all the marketing for you. Folks, it doesn't get much better than that.

Not only are you making money as a reseller, you are providing some real value to the end users. This can be a revenue stream that supplements your existing services or you can work it full time. Either way you cut it, there are some real benefits of becoming a reseller.

• Provide a valuable service for your customers
• Generate a subscription-based, recurring revenue stream for your business
• No capital outlay for your business to get started
• Customized client software embedded with your reseller ID
• Stockade website and unique url for your new offering
• Easy to sell
• Easy for your customers to deploy
• Great profit margin
• Provided infrastructure and technical support

Every company, big or small, needs to have a off-site electronic file backup plan as part of a bigger disaster recovery program. Too often as a company grows, the need for a data restoration solution is often forgotten. This is where Stockade can help.

• Backups are stored off site in a secure, world-class data center
• Redundant copy stored in a second data center over 500 miles away
• Reduces human error through automation
• Eliminates the frustration associated with handling tapes
• All stored data is encrypted using 256bit AES encryption – only your customer has the passphrase to un-encrypt the data
• Addresses HIPAA, GLBA and Sarbanes Oxley offsite data storage compliance
• Easy restoration of data
• Economical

Stockade takes the worry out of backing up critical data. The Stockade solution takes the human element out of the process by automatically sending the compressed and encrypted backup files off site to a secure, world-class data center via the Internet. From there a customer has total control of their files. AND as an added bonus, stockade offers a risk free trial at no charge. Don't like it? Pay nothing. The customer has nothing to loose.

To find out how to become an online backup reseller, click the ad at the right and sign up for more information today.

 

Feedburner?

What the heck is going on? I just looked at FB and it's reporting that I have 45 subscribers. It looks like all of my email subscribers have dropped off. Once I dug down into the email subs, I found that they were still there they just weren't reporting on my home page or on my little chicklet.

As of today it says that I have 118 via email and 45 via feed readers. That should have 163 RSS subscribers. Anyone know what is going on with feed burner today?

 

Bloggers VS. Traditional Journalists

I was watching Costas this weekend and featured on the show was a sports blogger and a "traditional" journalist. Both guests reported on sports but had different outlets for their information. The question was asked if blogging is going to replace traditional journalism?

The blogger, claimed that his style of reporting was better based on the ability of his readers to provide feedback. He also claimed that he isn't swayed by the locker rooms, press box, the glamor and other intimate settings and therefore can be more unbiased in his reporting of the news as it relates to the teams and players.

The traditional journalist, a certain Buzz Bissinger, was obviously incensed by the bloggers presence on the show. His body language, attitude, and tone made it glaringly evident that he has no love for bloggers, or at least this one in particular. He went on to say that for over 40 years he has been perfecting his craft and how bloggers have bastardized the business. He continued to lambaste bloggers and their horrible writing skills and lack of involvement in the business. The sports writer claimed that sports bloggers don't have to do any real work, they can just sit in their office chair and provide inaccurate reports. The funny thing about his tirade was that I don't think he knew the difference between a blog post and a blog comment.

There was a third guest on the show, a professional athlete. I think that it was Braylon Edwards but I am not sure, I am not a very "sporty" person. When asked if he ever read the blogs, he said yes. In fact that was his primary source of information. He went on to say that most, if not all, pro athletes read the blogs to find out what the fans and the reporters are saying. And if they say they don't, they are lying.

The blogger claimed that his blog had grown to sufficient size that he can and has been granted press credentials. Since the average age of newspaper readers is now 55 and rising, I think the roll of blogs as viable news sources is gaining momentum at an amazing rate. I also think if traditional journalists aren't willing to embrace the new mass media, maybe it's time to hang up your pad and pen.

Sports arena aside, I do think that blogs are seen as the number 1 source of information when it comes to tech information and most consumer electronics. I know I turn exclusively to the Internet when I am looking for information about SEO, web design, and industry trend news.

Where do you turn when you look for news? What information type of news do you seek on the internet?

 

It's Nice To Hear Someone Else Say It.

For years I have have been saying that less is more when it comes to advertising. Print ads, direct mail and corporate collateral need to have a minimalist approach when it comes to copy.

Get your message across and move on to the next touch. But nooooooo, people don't like to listen to Big Pappa. Maybe because I ate too many cream cheese danishes when I was a kid. Maybe they don't like my bald head. Bald chubbiness aside, you can now listen to me! Why? Because other people with big names are backing up what I have been saying all along.

Jakob Nielsen, referred to as the "guru of web page usability" by the New York times, claims that " On the average Web page, users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average visit; 20% is more likely." Eye tracking studies only confirm what Nielsen is talking about. Headlines and keywords all get scanned very rapidly allowing the user to determine if they want to dig deeper.



One big stat in the cited research was the maximum amount of text that a user was even able to read. As it turns out, a web browser, is only able to read at most 28% of the text if they spend the "normal" amount of time on any one of your site's pages. But more importantly, "users read half the information only on pages with 111 words or less."

So what does this mean? Well, the way I see it, there are several things you can do to increase the probability that your content will get read.

• Focus on engaging headlines and "pull outs."
• Use "read more buttons" more frequently. This will give the user the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to go deeper
• Find out what your customers want to know and give them just a touch less than that. This will illicit a contact and that is where sales begin.
  

Some other fundamental concepts that I have been trying to convey for years - The newest generations of internet users want information as easy to get to as possible and they want it NOW. This same generation is typically lazy and won't read everything you intend for them.

The challenge of course is keeping your content short and maintaining the appropriate levels of keyword density.

"If you target a broader audience or have sales cycles that are shorter than 5 years, you'd be wise to put your word count on a strict diet," said Nielsen. Well said sir. You have once again restored my faith in humanity and have added legitimacy to the one they call Big Pops.

I know this is a random closing thought, but as I was looking through some of the research, I came across this 1999 article about the top 10 design mistakes. For some reason I am obsessing about #2. He says that you shouldn't have links open in a new window. Given the fact this was written in 1999 before the invention of tabbed browsing, I will give him a little slack.

I completely disagree with this point. Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I want things to open in a new window/tab. In fact, I am so used to using ctrl+T, ctrl+W and ctrl+left click in FireFox that I don't think I could go back to old school browsing.

I like it when PDF's open in a new window. I like to be able to open the first 10 results of a SERP in a new tab and hit ctrl+w when I realize that there is nothing of interest on that page. I like my original window to stay in tact and to be able to go back to it when I want to. Especially if the page has a LOT of links that I want to explore.

What do you think? Do you like to have links open in a new window/tab? Let your voice be heard. Big Pappa wants to know.

 

"What I Found In My Email" Mondays. Vol.2 - Issue 18

I know this one has been around for along time. Actually it has been making the internet rounds since 2004.

Granted it's an oldie but definitely a goodie. In fact, the scan of the picture garnered so much attention that, Roanoke Times columnist Joe Kenedy, wrote an article about it. Now for your viewing pleasure, I give you Mellisa Williamson.



The moral of the story? If you are going to complain about the jackhammers and the effect they will have on your unborn baby, you better do it without smoking a cigarette.

Have a good week everyone.

 

The Advertising of Yesterday Part II

Welcome to Friday and the next edition of "The Advertising of Yesterday."

Here we take a trip back to October of 1967 with General Motors and what is now AC Delco.



I have to say, I think this is an effective ad. Whether you are looking at it in 1967 or today, the message of reliability comes across strong. After all, you want a battery you can rely on, especially if you find yourself in a bad part of town. One might argue that the ad headline, "If you drive places where you wouldn't want to walk" means a little more in 2008 than in did in 67.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

Comments - For The Record.

The other day I was talking to a guy about his website when he began inquiring about The Big Bald Blog. Not to mention any names here but Bob was asking if I allowed people to comment on my posts. I said absolutely! Not only do I allow it, it is encouraged.

You see, Bob is a lurker and non-rss subscriber. These are not bad things but for all of you other lurkers out there, you might as well subscribe to the blog via RSS or by email and start commenting. Seriously, I WANT to hear what you have to say. After all, this is a conversation, not an editorial.

I do have the comment moderation turned on but I DO publish everything, with obvious exceptions of course, Viagra and Cialis spam just to name a few. Even if you say you don't like me because I am fat and bald, that will get published. Of course, after that you will have a bunch of angry Big Bald Bloggers after you.

Let me know what YOU have to say! If you want to see a post about something in particular let me know about that as well. The bottom line is without you, the readers, this blog has no purpose and no reason for being. Only you can prevent forest fires and only YOU can contribute to The Big Bald Blog! Thanks again for stopping by.

 

Want To Win Another $100 Worth Of Summer Fun?

Maybe you need the $100 to fill your car with gas. With gas prices through the roof, who couldn't use a free couple of tanks. Well, one tank if you drive a truck like mine. What else can you buy for $100 that will contribute to your summer enjoyment?

• A couple of really nice lawn chairs
• A new hammock
• Several cases of paint balls for your paintball gun
• A competition Bocce Ball Set
• A couple of used Xbox 360 games?
• A fire pit
• A whole bunch of Tiki torches with fuel
  

If you win what do you plan on spending the $100.00 on?

Oh wait, I almost forgot to tell you how to enter.

- Make a comment of value (not just “i agree”, etc.) on a post = 1 entry (remember to comment on all blogs)
- Subscribe to RSS via email = 2 entries (per blog you subscribe to!)
- Write a post about the contest on your blog (must include a link to this page and the links below to participating blogs) = 25 entries

And these are the guys and gals I've teamed up with to give you the green!
- JoeTech.com
- Link Bait
- Gorilla Sushi
- CK Marketing
- The Big Bald Blog
- Jason Boom
- Mr Javo
- AFrogToKiss.net

See, I'm even making it easy for you to leave a comment of value. Just tell me what you would do with the $100 if you won it.

The winner of last month's contest will be announced soon so stay tuned.

 

"What I Found In My Email" Mondays. Vol.2 - Issue 17

I know it's a little late but here are the goods for this edition of "what I found in my email" Monday.

This picture came in my email today with the subject - "Siamese Twin Northern Pike." Now I don't know if this has been "photoshopped" or not but my money is on the fact that is HAS been altered.



Has anyone see this before or know the story about it? If this is for real, someone needs to check the plutonium levels in the lake this fish was caught in.

Have a great week everyone!

 

The Advertising of Yesterday

I am starting a new series called, "The Advertising of Yesterday." I have in my possession a sizable amount of circa 1964-1972 magazines. Of course, these magazines have a great selection of old ads from the period. Some of the best are the cigarette ads.

I have already featured a few of these smoking ads in previous posts.

Lets roll back the calendar and take a trip to June, 1965.



Some Observations:

• Of course the obvious "Springtime Fresh." Boy, has the image of cigarette smoking changed.
• Why is he carrying a gun? Were they hunting?

Obviously guns and cigarettes weren't evil yet in 65. So there you have it. Tune in every Friday to see the next installment of "The Advertising of Yesterday."

 

SiteHoppin Toolbar Baby!!!

Here it is. Finally! Max from Sitehoppin has it all tweaked ready for beta testing. I was very fortunate to be one of 20 lucky bloggers that he released it to. I was also given an extra perk. You, the readers of The Big Bald Blog, will be able to beta test it too with my special code.

All you need to do is go to the Sitehoppin tool bar download area and enter the code: bigpappa

This will allow you to download and test out the new Sitehoppin Firefox tool bar. If you are wondering what it does, you need to check out this video on Josh Whitford's site. It's more-or-less like Stumbleupon except you rate the sites with beer. Instead of a simple thumbs up or down you have a rating system of 1 through 5. AND if the site doesn't have a rating of at least 3 beers or more it won't show up in the hops. There's even a bonus. It the site is complete garbage or is total spam, you can hit the "puke it" button and it kills the site. Head on over and give it a try.

Thanks again Max for including The Big Bald Blog and it's readers in the beta!