DAMIEN'S BLOG

9/11 Was A Controlled Demolition, Now What?

2011-10-07T14:12:00.001-07:00

The controlled demolition of all three World Trade Center buildings has now been scientifically proven. Personally all I needed to see was video of the demolitions but I am very thankful to the Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth for their hard work and diligence on the matter. Please see the website http://www.ae911truth.org/ for more information if you still have any doubt about the controlled demolition of the World Trade Center.

That said, many questions will remain unanswered until a legitimate investigation takes place.

What We Know

1. The official 9/11 commission report is a lie.

2. The 3 buildings were demolished via controlled demolition.

3. Barack Obama appointed a guy named Cass Sunstein to uphold the lies.

What We Don't Know

1. Who is responsible for 9/11?

2. What was their exact motive?

3. How did they pull it off?

Now What?

If you care about the answers to these important questions you will demand an official and proper investigation of the 9/11 attacks.

Understanding Modern Bicycles

2011-08-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it. I am a bicycle fanatic. There's just something special about the combination of human-power, fun, and technology that makes my mind churn bicycles for hours. The point of this article is not to provide advanced technical information about bikes. I would be incapable of writing such an article. Instead, with this writing I hope to get the average Joanne up to speed on what's happening in the world of bicycles these days.

Fixie (fixed gear). Did you know people are throwing away some of the very basics of bicycles. Brakes. Gears. Who needs 'em? Right into the dumpster! You may have heard this term, maybe not. A "fixie" bicycle refers to a design many of us had as children. A typical kids bike has only one gear and no hand brakes. To stop the bike the rider must force the pedals backwards, and there is no "freewheeling". This concept has now become a huge buzz in the world of adult bikes. We now see these gearless brakeless adult bikes all over the place and, boy, they sure do look clean. The appearance of a bicycle with no derailleur, no hand brakes, and no shifters looks uncluttered--immaculate! The cultural phenomenon of "fixies" has made its splash. Manufacturers are shipping fixed-gear bikes and the many associated variants. Personally I find the idea of back breaking too dangerous for my taste. I can remember, as a kid, the pedals smacking my feet. While I can appreciate the appearance of these "fixie" bikes I cannot imagine owning one. I like to stop on a dime and be able to climb hills.

Single Speeds (one gear, freewheeling). Take a fixie, make it freewheeling, add some hand brakes and you've got a "single speed" bicycle. This is a logical step away from the traditional fixie. A single speed is a much safer ride as it has far easier to use brakes and the pedals can freewheel (spin backwards or remain stationary with no resistance), like a typical road bike. While these are clean looking and fun bikes, they do not climb hills without a tough workout.

Hub Dynamo (bike power). Imagine a bicycle that uses the spinning of the wheel to generate electricity, for let's say, a bike light. Wouldn't that be cool? Thankfully we don't have to just dream about such a bike--hub dynamos actually exist! Whether your bike is old or brand new it can make its own power with very little drag to the rider. You will not need batteries any more once your bike light is powered by you! These have been around for years now and several new bikes are shipping with this feature. You won't get ten watts (yet) but you will have a magical bike. Go green!

Internal hub gears ("Where's the gears?!). The latest technology in shifting gears allows the bike to have a very clean appearance. "Hub gears" put the whole shifting system into an enclosed internal hub that cannot be seen by the eye, but lives in the inner rear wheel area. When shopping for a bike with this feature you will notice the lack of a chain tensioner (that little gear sticking out in the back of the bike). Some manufacturers are shipping bikes with as little as basic 3-speed internal hub gears. The bike looks like a "fixie" but isn't! I find this concept the best of all worlds--you get the ability to change gears without the ugly mud-collecting chain tensioner that bicycles have had for decades. Enclosed gears are a selling point in tougher weather conditions as they remain clean and well-functioning.

So many types of bikes! For decades we had just a few "categories" of bikes: road bikes, mountain bikes, cruisers, and dirt bikes. The list has increased drastically these days as buyers are coming to the shop with more specific needs. Today the list also includes commuter bikes, track bikes, touring bikes, hybrid bikes, trekking bikes, city bikes, and comfort bikes, just to name a few. In my opinion you should just call it Fran. This list is waaaay too long, and doesn't include Going To Grab A Beer bikes, which is my favorite category.

The days of hoity toity bike shop sales-people are hopefully coming to an end. When they ask, "What are you going to use it for?" you can now safely answer, "Listening to Michael Bolton at a reasonable volume," and they should have something just perfect. Note: do NOT wear headphones while riding a bike.

Don't forget that you can take an old frame and give it all the "love" mentioned in this article. But, of course, you can also plunk down the cash. And now, some hand-picked references for your enjoyment:

Fixie - Bianchi Pista

Single-Speed - Bianchi San Jose

Hub Dynamo - Trek Belleville

Internal Hub Gears - Bianchi Milano Parco

So Many Types Of Bikes - Kona Ute

The key to "better" marijuana!

2011-05-20T09:46:00.000-07:00

I was re-reading Gary Johnson's drug-policy reform page this morning and found this interesting nugget:

"...but pushing alcohol underground had other effects: overdose deaths, gang violence, and other prohibition-related harms..."

One of those "other" prohibition-related harms was a nasty one: people were drinking poisonous booze. While they did their best to craft a good product there were plenty of very bad batches.

This same type of thing is happening today. It hurts the health of millions of people every day. People buy marijuana from a limited pool of sources that may or may not be providing a clean product.

Once legal, fine quality industry marijuana buds (the dried flower portions from the female cannabis plant), will be enjoyed by the masses, allowing the cleanest most reliable products to rise to the top of the market, effectively putting inferior producers of buggy weed out of business.

So what constitutes bad weed? The main culprits are bugs, mold, pesticides, and excess fertilizers.

Prohibition has forced people to grow in non-optimal conditions using indoor lights instead of outside under the sun. Poor indoor gardening conditions throw nature's system of checks and balances way out of whack allowing bugs to flourish in a manner most folks would rather not witness. Growers and smokers are doing their best to produce and consume a decent product, but at the end of the day you've got millions of people smoking bugs, eggs, pesticides, fertilizers, mildew, mold, pet dander, Dorito crumbs, and who knows what else. The Reagan era, while lying to our youth about the real "truth" about drugs with its brainwashing DARE program, went ahead and sprayed American marijuana fields with the toxic weedkiller paraquat. The killing of two brains at once: child and parent! Children being told to "just say no" without becoming truly educated about individual substances, while the parents were busy smoking paraquat weed or "import" rat-poison weed. Fortunately paraquat becomes pyrolyzed when lit on fire, which lowers its toxic threat level to "you probably shouldn't smoke it anyways".

Besides the wasting of over $2,000,000,000,000 (yes folks that's twelve zeros in two trillion) on lying to our youth and paying police to pull weeds, our drug policies are continuing to sicken our nation. Growing quality weed is best left to a professional a.k.a. "green thumb", or in this case "clean Dorito-free thumb".

When we passed the 21st Amendment abolishing alcohol-prohibition the booze got a lot better and the public once again had "safe" access to a regulated product. This is a good reason to abolish the prohibition of cannabis: good clean marijuana.

Let's go smoke some pot!

2011-05-11T09:07:00.001-07:00

You might have read my posts about the legalization of marijuana but it occurred to me this might be out of context for my readers who have never tried the plant.

Perhaps you have been reading about cannabis (marijuana) as a medicine. Or perhaps you've conjured the desire to try pot in a rebellious manner based on having your rights as an American robbed by President Obama. I don't blame you. Or maybe you've decided that the pills you take ruin your sleep, make you constipated, and prevent you from having good sex. I hear ya. Or maybe you are kicking the alcohol habit, or kicking the tobacco habit. Good for you! Pot is certainly a "friend" in this arena. Whatever your reason for being interested in trying marijuana, I offer you a High Five!

But first, before I explain how I would suggest approaching your first use of marijuana, I'd like to stress how important it is for this un-just attack against the American people to end once and for all. And what is this attack, specifically? I call it the War On Americans--you've heard it referred to as the War On Drugs. This war has been one of the most dismal failures in the history of the USA. We've wasted over 2 trillion dollars, imprisoned the innocent, ruined families, lied to our people, prevented education, prevented research, and in-directly caused the abuse of legal substances that can kill: pills, alcohol, and tobacco. Marijuana should have been offered as a legal alternative to these life-threatening substances since the beginning! These legal "bad boys" are a one way trip to the hospital if not death itself. President Obama has lied so horribly to the American people, in conjunction with Eric Holder, that I feel betrayed after voting for him. The time is now to re-purpose our DEA to do something helpful, not hiding behind beautiful plants while violating our basic rights. If you believe in our constitution and the very fiber of the USA you will stand up and fight for what is right. All adults in the USA should have safe legal access to high-grade marijuana for any reason they want. Working for legalization (www.norml.org) is something you can do to repair our damaged country.

Now let's get down to smoking some weed. So, you never tried it but you've decided its time? The first thing I should say is that this plant is strong! Whatever you do, go light. Take one hit, no more. The range of tolerance with marijuana is unlike other substances. You can remain very responsive to its effects taking only one hit per week, or consume so much over time that a giant "white cloud" bong hit will only give you a small buzz. Before you even try that first hit I suggest doing some reading and research. There are many varieties, but beginners should understand that there are two "main" families of pot: Sativa and Indica. The effects of these two families can be generalized but the actual effects can still vary from person to person. In general Indicas, which originate in cooler mountainous regions, can help with depression, cause laugher, and make you tired and sleepy on the couch. In general Sativas, which originate in hot equatorial regions, can help with pain and perk you up possibly to the point of being unable to sleep. Most of the marijuana in the marketplace are "hybrids" which offer qualities from both sides. True single origin marijuana is more difficult to acquire, especially pure sativas that are properly grown as they require more blooming time and longer lighting periods.

The mental state and physical state of an individual before they smoke a hit can greatly affect the "performance" of the weed. Hydration is critical as the smoking of marijuana can dehydrate a person. Many users are unaware of this dehydration and then quench their thirst with a drink of alcohol. Warning: this will make your head spin and you will possibly get very ill. Instead try combining the use of marijuana with the drinking of good clean water.

So, you bought some weed and now you're ready to try it out. I suggest going home, or to a quiet outdoor area. Have a good friend with you. Put on some good music. If you bought a strong sativa relaxing might not be an option--you might want to go play sports. If you bought an indica, such as a "kush", putting on a good movie is a great idea. You might find the effects to be an aphrodisiac, or perhaps change the rate at which your heart beats. This is all normal. Be prepared for a bouquet of effects! Marijuana is not a boring stupid useless drug; it actually does something! Quite a bit, really. If paranoia or anxiety occurs take deep breaths and try to relax. I have found that users who are already stressed out can see those effects amplified after smoking. My suggestion for that situation is to take 30 minutes before the consuming of marijuana and meditate, or simply relax while taking deep breaths. Those deep breaths should become automatic after about 10 minutes. Drink some water. Ironing out some of that stress beforehand can make the effects of marijuana far more pleasant.

I suggest a good glass pipe made by a professional glass blower for a first smoking experience. This allows the control of dosage unlike taking a bigger hit from a water-pipe. This choice is paper-free and while joints are attractive you might find the smoking of paper to be undesirable. Don't over torch. Be polite and corner-light! That essentially means barely grazing one edge of the bowl with the lighter. The flavor of the smoke should taste fairly exotic and enjoyable, possibly of fruit, candy, chocolate, or somewhat astringent like lemons. Different varieties vary in flavor so drastically they are almost incomparable.

Then relax and in about ten minutes the effects should begin to surface. It can affect your body (i.e. "body high") and/or your mental state. You might feel nothing at all. In this case repeated use can "fire up" the dormant receptor sites in your brain and body. Don't give up! Or, you might find yourself talking like a motor-mouth and speaking philosophically about inventions that can assist your dog. This is all normal. That would mean it is working. Congratulations! You just got high!

Don't forget this amazing plant is a drug. You are taking drugs. Fortunately, marijuana is a "crude" unprocessed completely natural drug that you can feel proud to have chosen. You made a choice that is far safer and beneficial than prescription pills, alcohol, and tobacco. It's truly a wonder-drug. If I were "big pharm" I would be grabbing up strains, mastering cultivation, making "cool" pills and inhalers, and lobbying the white house to fully legalize this useful plant. I won't even get into what cannabis as a species can do for the human race in this article. That's a juicy topic for next time but in summary the plant can feed, fuel, clothe, medicate, and build in a safe renewable manner (www.jackherer.com). Thanks for reading.

Take Back Your Electronic Social Life

2011-04-28T09:13:00.001-07:00

If you've read my blog you probably know that I despise Facebook, and Twitter as well. I find the cross-contamination of information to be invasive and dangerous. So I'd like to offer a solution that might come as a surprise to everyone: good old email. Gmail to be exact.

There are some gems inside of your basic email toolbox that can allow you create your own social networking world that is more under your control than websites like Facebook. Let's dig in shall we? We're going to look at some basic features that many people still do not understand: attachments, CC's, BCC's, and Distribution Lists. Mastery of these email-based features can allow you to create a streamlined social networking world that doesn't leak information against your will.

If you use Gmail you can "attach" fairly big files to an email. You can even attach several files to a single email. Most commonly attached are photographs. By sharing photos using email attachments you can control who sees the image with a sense of respect and care.

Placing recipients into the To: field is an obvious thing to do, but that exposes some personal information that you might not want to be the source of. What about putting those names somewhere else instead? CC stands for carbon copy, and like the "To:" field all the recipients will still be seen by each other--eeew. But let's say you want to send an email and have NONE of the recipients see each others' email addresses? Simply place all recipients into the "BCC:" field, leaving "To:" and "CC:" completely empty. This is the "cool" way to send out emails to multiple recipients. No information is shared against anyone's will, no email addresses are exposed, and nobody really knows who got it. The next day you'll hear murmurs like "Did you get that poem he sent out?"

Once you have all your contacts in Gmail you can easily assign groups of them using a feature called, well, "Groups". This allows you to compose emails to various people in your life without having to always enter each and every email address. Certainly you don't want your family to see your email about your favorite porn sites, and your friends probably don't care that much about that picture of your grandmother blowing out birthday candles. Groups in Gmail solve this problem with ease.

No Facebook required.

DEA "asks nicely" for pills?

2011-04-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Obama's moronic Drug Enforcement Agency is staging "take back" events asking communities to willfully give back excess prescription pills. I find this very humorous. In fact, why don't I just take the day off as well?

Amidst the DEA's completely un-American assaults on harmless marijuana users, they are handling America's prescription pill epidemic by casually "asking nicely" and basically sitting there on their asses all day long. Guess what DEA? Once again, you are wasting taxpayer money. I mean, it's not the worst idea in the world but it absolutely does not require the DEA. If you have excess pills that are not needed destroy them! Turn them back to the pharmacy. But don't give them to the DEA's collection "events"! Instead, encourage the DEA to pack up their lazy luncheon and get to work!

We have real drug problems in this country that are very dangerous to go after. So it doesn't surprise me that the DEA hides behind plants and chooses to simply ask for the problem to go away. While we're at it why don't we also simply ask people to stop killing each other. That should fix it, right? Asking nicely should do the trick.

No point in going after doctors who prescribe these pills like candy, or the pharmaceutical industry's crack-like concoctions, or the FDA who sits idly by watching this trojan-horse like attack on our citizens. Because, hey, if a doctor says its OK, it MUST BE! Right?

So the final lesson from the DEA is this: when you have a problem just sit there and wait for the solution to come to you! No point in getting up! No point in actually DOING ANYTHING. Because the worst problems in this world solve themselves!

NOT.

Meanest Dope Dealer Ever

2011-04-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

In the classic context a mean dope dealer is someone who misleads their customer. Perhaps they have "laced" their product without informing the buyer, or cut it with a filler material. A "nice" dope dealer would be someone who sells a clean organic marijuana product and informs their buyer exactly what strain it is and what the expected effects are. I'm here to explain how the pharmaceutical industry and tobacco industry are the most evil manipulative dope dealers on the planet. Here's why.

A box of cigarettes contains some warnings. Fine. Good. However, more importantly, lacking from the package is a list of what's inside. This is what essentially makes the FDA and tobacco industry so evil. It is critical to inform people what they are buying so they can make an educated decision. Without a list of the chemicals that are used for treatment, and without a list of additives how is the buyer going to be able to make an educated decision about the purchase? Without this information it is impossible for a consumer to make an educated decision.

Pills aren't much better. Even if there was a complete list of the ingredients I doubt anyone would be able to understand what most of them are. To me this is a good enough reason not to eat pharmaceutical pills. If the concoction is so complicated that people cannot even comprehend the ingredients should people really be eating it? Should we be feeding these pills to children without a full understanding of the ingredients and side effects? I say no. Hell no! Stop feeding these pills to people. Your neighborhood doctor has become the most dangerous dope dealer in your life as they prescribe dangerous substances like they were candy.

When I legally buy my marijuana from my caregiver I have access to all the information about the contents of the product. I know what the plant was grown in, how it was fed, how it was watered, whether or not it got infected with anything, what kind of light it was grown under, what the strain is, and the best possible description of the effects. Does my caregiver know absolutely everything about the drug I am buying? No--but they are doing their absolute best to inform me!

Is the tobacco industry doing "their best" to inform us? Not even close! The ingredient list is still missing!

Is the pharmaceutical industry doing "their best" to inform us of ingredients and side effects? N0. They get away with the bare minimum they can get away with by law. Is it wrong? Is it unethical? Is it the most malicious drug dealing in the country? Absolutely.

There Is No Such Thing As Fate

2011-02-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

It is comforting and easy to believe in fate, a magical power that controls one's final destiny--an aloof mysterious book that has already been written and turns out just as planned. Is that what we think fate really is--some power that is bigger than us, that we cannot control, but ultimately has its way with us in the end? It sure is a fun and easy way out of describing various final results, but with the idea of fate are we really grasping towards something that actually does not exist? I think so. I think fate, as it is commonly thought of, simply does not exist.

Instead I offer the idea that the individual is in control, meaning that there is no pre-destined fate, but rather a fully dynamic outcome that can change on a moment's notice.

In this sense, to believe in "fate" is to give up all of one's own power. When tragedy strikes humans use fate as a mental tool to ease the pain. In reality a series of actions are actually behind the scenes, not a magic deity with a "fate" t-shirt, or any type of pre-determined outcome. Everything could have been different--the outcome could have been changed. Easily. As we become more mindful of the connections between our actions we reveal the power we have to affect the final results.

We can all effect change. We can all transform right now. As this power is realized fate becomes non-existent.

The Problem With Medical Cannabis

2010-11-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Arizona is the newest state to allow people with certain medical conditions to have legal access to obtaining marijuana. This now adds up to about 30% of the USA's states having legal access to a plant that is, moronically, still federally illegal. Assuming you are a "patient", you can buy the crude, raw, dried, unprocessed flowers of cannabis, and the many products that are made from it.

Cannabis has a huge range of fantastic medical purposes. Doctors are finding out more and more why the plant is so useful while dissecting its chemical composition and learning more about different varieties. Drugs are being made from cannabis that have specific purposes such as sativa based arthritis-soothing topical creams, to indica-based anti-anxiety tinctures. Anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-nausea, the list is staggering. We are at the infancy of cracking a code that can potentially un-lock new cancer treatments--even a cure. Cannabis is, perhaps, one of the most powerful natural medical substances on the planet. As humans with embedded receptor sites for cannabinoids there's no doubt why we are finally hearing the "message" of cannabis.

So... What's the problem? What's the problem with medical cannabis? The problem is that current (draconian) federal drug laws when mixed with (state) medical cannabis laws are creating an epic battlefield featuring all the nasty ingredients that come with a war. Medical cannabis has become a convoluted nightmare that is merely a stepping stone towards complete legalization, which when reached will actually allow medical cannabis to properly exist! The entire medical community at large will finally be able to grow, study, and play around with this plant. Then, only then, will the true potential of medical cannabis be tapped.

Right now, we've got a brutal mess on our hands. Kids with a bruised elbow are gaining legal weed while veterans with PTSD in some states still have no access. People with a medical excuse are waving the legal weed under the noses of those unfortunate people who are still thought of as criminals for using cannabis. These are intelligent adults who have chosen cannabis over more harmful substances, with jobs, families, careers, and they are being made to hide. Or make up an excuse about a medical condition, still hiding, keeping it all under the radar because maybe they are a judge, or a lawyer, or a doctor.

Now our prisons are filling up with "gardeners" and our police are being paid to "pull weeds". When people? When is this madness going to end? Innocent people are rotting in a tax-payer funded jail cell, while kids are out in the sun legally buying weed for a "boo-boo". Let them out! Now!

The pressure is mounting. Black markets are flourishing in every direction--just read the news! Patients are selling weed, from their clubs, to people without a medical condition. Black market growers are getting rid of their products to legal dispensaries. All this money is being transferred under the table when it could be a revenue stream for our country. All of this over the female flower portion of a plant that can create more than just drugs. Cannabis produces food, fuel, and fiber as well. We're talking about a plant that is used by the entire world for just about everything. An agricultural cash cow! All this potential flushed down the toilet in the name of paying cops to pull weeds and imprison the innocent. Unjust. Unjust I say!

So where does this entire situation leave actual patients? In the dark. The products are limited. The selection is limited. The quality-control is limited. The consistency is limited. The knowledge is limited. The cost is so astronomical that the dried flowers by weight are currently the same price as gold!

We are infants stirring around for a morsel of hope, lost in a war over a miraculous plant that has brought the human race to its very knees. Legalize the plant in its entirety so we can stand up again. Medical cannabis, the stepping stone towards legalization, is salting the bloody wound of prohibition.

599 Added Ingredients In A Cigarette

2010-11-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Hearing news about the new graphic warning on tobacco products doesn't surprise me, but I continue to be shocked that tobacco companies are not required to list the ~600 additives that are in the product. I see this as the meanest most malicious dope dealing happening in this country. Tobacco companies, together with the FDA, are "lacing" their product by not telling people what's in it. While they will ban "flavors" and use horrifying images to instill fear, the omission of the ingredient list could only be done by the most evil dope dealer ever! Tobacco remains the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the country, causing 443,000 deaths each year. Comparing this to cannabis, which has no added chemicals, and kills nobody, makes our current drug laws seem both laughable and depressing at the same time. If cannabis is "schedule 1", tobacco should be "schedule 0". So, here's the current approximate list of what these friendly neighborhood dope dealers are using to kill you and your family:

Acetanisole
Acetic Acid
Acetoin
Acetophenone
6-Acetoxydihydrotheaspirane
2-Acetyl-3- Ethylpyrazine
2-Acetyl-5-Methylfuran
Acetylpyrazine
2-Acetylpyridine
3-Acetylpyridine
2-Acetylthiazole
Aconitic Acid
dl-Alanine
Alfalfa Extract
Allspice Extract,Oleoresin, and Oil
Allyl Hexanoate
Allyl Ionone
Almond Bitter Oil
Ambergris Tincture
Ammonia
Ammonium Bicarbonate
Ammonium Hydroxide
Ammonium Phosphate Dibasic
Ammonium Sulfide
Amyl Alcohol
Amyl Butyrate
Amyl Formate
Amyl Octanoate
alpha-Amylcinnamaldehyde
Amyris Oil
trans-Anethole
Angelica Root Extract, Oil and Seed Oil
Anise
Anise Star, Extract and Oils
Anisyl Acetate
Anisyl Alcohol
Anisyl Formate
Anisyl Phenylacetate
Apple Juice Concentrate, Extract, and Skins
Apricot Extract and Juice Concentrate
1-Arginine
Asafetida Fluid Extract And Oil
Ascorbic Acid
1-Asparagine Monohydrate
1-Aspartic Acid
Balsam Peru and Oil
Basil Oil
Bay Leaf, Oil and Sweet Oil
Beeswax White
Beet Juice Concentrate
Benzaldehyde
Benzaldehyde Glyceryl Acetal
Benzoic Acid, Benzoin
Benzoin Resin
Benzophenone
Benzyl Alcohol
Benzyl Benzoate
Benzyl Butyrate
Benzyl Cinnamate
Benzyl Propionate
Benzyl Salicylate
Bergamot Oil
Bisabolene
Black Currant Buds Absolute
Borneol
Bornyl Acetate
Buchu Leaf Oil
1,3-Butanediol
2,3-Butanedione
1-Butanol
2-Butanone
4(2-Butenylidene)-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One
Butter, Butter Esters, and Butter Oil
Butyl Acetate
Butyl Butyrate
Butyl Butyryl Lactate
Butyl Isovalerate
Butyl Phenylacetate
Butyl Undecylenate
3-Butylidenephthalide
Butyric Acid]
Cadinene
Caffeine
Calcium Carbonate
Camphene
Cananga Oil
Capsicum Oleoresin
Caramel Color
Caraway Oil
Carbon Dioxide
Cardamom Oleoresin, Extract, Seed Oil, and Powder
Carob Bean and Extract
beta-Carotene
Carrot Oil
Carvacrol
4-Carvomenthenol
1-Carvone
beta-Caryophyllene
beta-Caryophyllene Oxide
Cascarilla Oil and Bark Extract
Cassia Bark Oil
Cassie Absolute and Oil
Castoreum Extract, Tincture and Absolute
Cedar Leaf Oil
Cedarwood Oil Terpenes and Virginiana
Cedrol
Celery Seed Extract, Solid, Oil, And Oleoresin
Cellulose Fiber
Chamomile Flower Oil And Extract
Chicory Extract
Chocolate
Cinnamaldehyde
Cinnamic Acid
Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Bark Oil, and Extract
Cinnamyl Acetate
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Cinnamyl Cinnamate
Cinnamyl Isovalerate
Cinnamyl Propionate
Citral
Citric Acid
Citronella Oil
dl-Citronellol
Citronellyl Butyrate
itronellyl Isobutyrate
Civet Absolute
Clary Oil
Clover Tops, Red Solid Extract
Cocoa
Cocoa Shells, Extract, Distillate And Powder
Coconut Oil
Coffee
Cognac White and Green Oil
Copaiba Oil
Coriander Extract and Oil
Corn Oil
Corn Silk
Costus Root Oil
Cubeb Oil
Cuminaldehyde
para-Cymene
1-Cysteine
Decanoic Acid
1-Decanol
2-Decenal
Dehydromenthofurolactone
Diethyl Malonate
Diethyl Sebacate
2,3-Diethylpyrazine
Dihydro Anethole
5,7-Dihydro-2-Methylthieno(3,4-D) Pyrimidine
Dill Seed Oil and Extract
meta-Dimethoxybenzene
para-Dimethoxybenzene
2,6-Dimethoxyphenol
Dimethyl Succinate
3,4-Dimethyl-1,2 Cyclopentanedione
3,5- Dimethyl-1,2-Cyclopentanedione
3,7-Dimethyl-1,3,6-Octatriene
4,5-Dimethyl-3-Hydroxy-2,5-Dihydrofuran-2-One
6,10-Dimethyl-5,9-Undecadien-2-One
3,7-Dimethyl-6-Octenoic Acid
2,4 Dimethylacetophenone
alpha,para-Dimethylbenzyl Alcohol
alpha,alpha-Dimethylphenethyl Acetate
alpha,alpha Dimethylphenethyl Butyrate
2,3-Dimethylpyrazine
2,5-Dimethylpyrazine
2,6-Dimethylpyrazine
Dimethyltetrahydrobenzofuranone
delta-Dodecalactone
gamma-Dodecalactone
para-Ethoxybenzaldehyde
Ethyl 10-Undecenoate
Ethyl 2-Methylbutyrate
Ethyl Acetate
Ethyl Acetoacetate
Ethyl Alcohol
Ethyl Benzoate
Ethyl Butyrate
Ethyl Cinnamate
Ethyl Decanoate
Ethyl Fenchol
Ethyl Furoate
Ethyl Heptanoate
Ethyl Hexanoate
Ethyl Isovalerate
Ethyl Lactate
Ethyl Laurate
Ethyl Levulinate
Ethyl Maltol
Ethyl Methyl Phenylglycidate
Ethyl Myristate
Ethyl Nonanoate
Ethyl Octadecanoate
Ethyl Octanoate
Ethyl Oleate
Ethyl Palmitate
Ethyl Phenylacetate
Ethyl Propionate
Ethyl Salicylate
Ethyl trans-2-Butenoate
Ethyl Valerate
Ethyl Vanillin
2-Ethyl (or Methyl)-(3,5 and 6)-Methoxypyrazine
2-Ethyl-1-Hexanol, 3-Ethyl -2 -Hydroxy-2-Cyclopenten-1-One
2-Ethyl-3, (5 or 6)-Dimethylpyrazine
5-Ethyl-3-Hydroxy-4-Methyl-2(5H)-Furanone
2-Ethyl-3-Methylpyrazine
4-Ethylbenzaldehyde
4-Ethylguaiacol
para-Ethylphenol
3-Ethylpyridine
Eucalyptol
Farnesol
D-Fenchone
Fennel Sweet Oil
Fenugreek, Extract, Resin, and Absolute
Fig Juice Concentrate
Food Starch Modified
Furfuryl Mercaptan
4-(2-Furyl)-3-Buten-2-One
Galbanum Oil
Genet Absolute
Gentian Root Extract
Geraniol
Geranium Rose Oil
Geranyl Acetate
Geranyl Butyrate
Geranyl Formate
Geranyl Isovalerate
Geranyl Phenylacetate
Ginger Oil and Oleoresin
1-Glutamic Acid
1-Glutamine
Glycerol
Glycyrrhizin Ammoniated
Grape Juice Concentrate
Guaiac Wood Oil
Guaiacol
Guar Gum
2,4-Heptadienal
gamma-Heptalactone
Heptanoic Acid
2-Heptanone
3-Hepten-2-One
2-Hepten-4-One
4-Heptenal
trans -2-Heptenal
Heptyl Acetate
omega-6-Hexadecenlactone
gamma-Hexalactone
Hexanal
Hexanoic Acid
2-Hexen-1-Ol
3-Hexen-1-Ol
cis-3-Hexen-1-Yl Acetate
2-Hexenal
3-Hexenoic Acid
trans-2-Hexenoic Acid
cis-3-Hexenyl Formate
Hexyl 2-Methylbutyrate
Hexyl Acetate
Hexyl Alcohol
Hexyl Phenylacetate
1-Histidine
Honey
Hops Oil
Hydrolyzed Milk Solids
Hydrolyzed Plant Proteins
5-Hydroxy-2,4-Decadienoic Acid delta- Lactone
4-Hydroxy-2,5-Dimethyl-3(2H)-Furanone
2-Hydroxy-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One
4-Hydroxy -3-Pentenoic Acid Lactone
2-Hydroxy-4-Methylbenzaldehyde
4-Hydroxybutanoic Acid Lactone
Hydroxycitronellal
6-Hydroxydihydrotheaspirane
4-(para-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-Butanone
Hyssop Oil
Immortelle Absolute and Extract
alpha-Ionone
beta-Ionone
alpha-Irone
Isoamyl Acetate
Isoamyl Benzoate
Isoamyl Butyrate
Isoamyl Cinnamate
Isoamyl Formate, Isoamyl Hexanoate
Isoamyl Isovalerate
Isoamyl Octanoate
Isoamyl Phenylacetate
Isobornyl Acetate
Isobutyl Acetate
Isobutyl Alcohol
Isobutyl Cinnamate
Isobutyl Phenylacetate
Isobutyl Salicylate
2-Isobutyl-3-Methoxypyrazine
alpha-Isobutylphenethyl Alcohol
Isobutyraldehyde
Isobutyric Acid
d,l-Isoleucine
alpha-Isomethylionone
2-Isopropylphenol
Isovaleric Acid
Jasmine Absolute, Concrete and Oil
Kola Nut Extract
Labdanum Absolute and Oleoresin
Lactic Acid
Lauric Acid
Lauric Aldehyde
Lavandin Oil
Lavender Oil
Lemon Oil and Extract
Lemongrass Oil
1-Leucine
Levulinic Acid
Licorice Root, Fluid, Extract and Powder
Lime Oil
Linalool
Linalool Oxide
Linalyl Acetate
Linden Flowers
Lovage Oil And Extract
1-Lysine]
Mace Powder, Extract and Oil
Magnesium Carbonate
Malic Acid
Malt and Malt Extract
Maltodextrin
Maltol
Maltyl Isobutyrate
Mandarin Oil
Maple Syrup and Concentrate
Mate Leaf, Absolute and Oil
para-Mentha-8-Thiol-3-One
Menthol
Menthone
Menthyl Acetate
dl-Methionine
Methoprene
2-Methoxy-4-Methylphenol
2-Methoxy-4-Vinylphenol
para-Methoxybenzaldehyde
1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-1-Penten-3-One
4-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-2-Butanone
1-(para-Methoxyphenyl)-2-Propanone
Methoxypyrazine
Methyl 2-Furoate
Methyl 2-Octynoate
Methyl 2-Pyrrolyl Ketone
Methyl Anisate
Methyl Anthranilate
Methyl Benzoate
Methyl Cinnamate
Methyl Dihydrojasmonate
Methyl Ester of Rosin, Partially Hydrogenated
Methyl Isovalerate
Methyl Linoleate (48%)
Methyl Linolenate (52%) Mixture
Methyl Naphthyl Ketone
Methyl Nicotinate
Methyl Phenylacetate
Methyl Salicylate
Methyl Sulfide
3-Methyl-1-Cyclopentadecanone
4-Methyl-1-Phenyl-2-Pentanone
5-Methyl-2-Phenyl-2-Hexenal
5-Methyl-2-Thiophenecarboxaldehyde
6-Methyl-3,-5-Heptadien-2-One
2-Methyl-3-(para-Isopropylphenyl) Propionaldehyde
5-Methyl-3-Hexen-2-One
1-Methyl-3Methoxy-4-Isopropylbenzene
4-Methyl-3-Pentene-2-One
2-Methyl-4-Phenylbutyraldehyde
6-Methyl-5-Hepten-2-One
4-Methyl-5-Thiazoleethanol
4-Methyl-5-Vinylthiazole
2-Methylbutyraldehyde
3-Methylbutyraldehyde
2-Methylbutyric Acid
alpha-Methylcinnamaldehyde
Methylcyclopentenolone
2-Methylheptanoic Acid
2-Methylhexanoic Acid
3-Methylpentanoic Acid
4-Methylpentanoic Acid
2-Methylpyrazine
5-Methylquinoxaline
2-Methyltetrahydrofuran-3-One
(Methylthio)Methylpyrazine (Mixture Of Isomers)
3-Methylthiopropionaldehyde
Methyl 3-Methylthiopropionate
2-Methylvaleric Acid
Mimosa Absolute and Extract
Molasses Extract and Tincture
Mountain Maple Solid Extract
Mullein Flowers
Myristaldehyde
Myristic Acid
Myrrh Oil
beta-Napthyl Ethyl Ether
Nerol
Neroli Bigarde Oil
Nerolidol
Nona-2-trans,6-cis-Dienal
2,6-Nonadien-1-Ol
gamma-Nonalactone
Nonanal
Nonanoic Acid
Nonanone
trans-2-Nonen-1-Ol
2-Nonenal
Nonyl Acetate
Nutmeg Powder and Oil
Oak Chips Extract and Oil
Oak Moss Absolute
9,12-Octadecadienoic Acid (48%) And 9,12,15-Octadecatrienoic Acid (52%)
delta-Octalactone
gamma-Octalactone
Octanal
Octanoic Acid
1-Octanol
2-Octanone
3-Octen-2-One
1-Octen-3-Ol
1-Octen-3-Yl Acetate
2-Octenal
Octyl Isobutyrate
Oleic Acid
Olibanum Oil
Opoponax Oil And Gum
Orange Blossoms Water, Absolute, and Leaf Absolute
Orange Oil and Extract
Origanum Oil
Orris Concrete Oil and Root Extract
Palmarosa Oil
Palmitic Acid
Parsley Seed Oil
Patchouli Oil
omega-Pentadecalactone
2,3-Pentanedione
2-Pentanone
4-Pentenoic Acid
2-Pentylpyridine
Pepper Oil, Black And White
Peppermint Oil
Peruvian (Bois De Rose) Oil
Petitgrain Absolute, Mandarin Oil and Terpeneless Oil
alpha-Phellandrene
2-Phenenthyl Acetate
Phenenthyl Alcohol
Phenethyl Butyrate
Phenethyl Cinnamate
Phenethyl Isobutyrate
Phenethyl Isovalerate
Phenethyl Phenylacetate
Phenethyl Salicylate
1-Phenyl-1-Propanol
3-Phenyl-1-Propanol
2-Phenyl-2-Butenal
4-Phenyl-3-Buten-2-Ol
4-Phenyl-3-Buten-2-One
Phenylacetaldehyde
Phenylacetic Acid
1-Phenylalanine
3-Phenylpropionaldehyde
3-Phenylpropionic Acid
3-Phenylpropyl Acetate
3-Phenylpropyl Cinnamate
2-(3-Phenylpropyl)Tetrahydrofuran
Phosphoric Acid
Pimenta Leaf Oil
Pine Needle Oil, Pine Oil, Scotch
Pineapple Juice Concentrate
alpha-Pinene, beta-Pinene
D-Piperitone
Piperonal
Pipsissewa Leaf Extract
Plum Juice
Potassium Sorbate
1-Proline
Propenylguaethol
Propionic Acid
Propyl Acetate
Propyl para-Hydroxybenzoate
Propylene Glycol
3-Propylidenephthalide
Prune Juice and Concentrate
Pyridine
Pyroligneous Acid And Extract
Pyrrole
Pyruvic Acid
Raisin Juice Concentrate
Rhodinol
Rose Absolute and Oil
Rosemary Oil
Rum
Rum Ether
Rye Extract
Sage, Sage Oil, and Sage Oleoresin
Salicylaldehyde
Sandalwood Oil, Yellow
Sclareolide
Skatole
Smoke Flavor
Snakeroot Oil
Sodium Acetate
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium Carbonate
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Citrate
Sodium Hydroxide
Solanone
Spearmint Oil
Styrax Extract, Gum and Oil
Sucrose Octaacetate
Sugar Alcohols
Sugars
Tagetes Oil
Tannic Acid
Tartaric Acid
Tea Leaf and Absolute
alpha-Terpineol
Terpinolene
Terpinyl Acetate
5,6,7,8-Tetrahydroquinoxaline
1,5,5,9-Tetramethyl-13-Oxatricyclo(8.3.0.0(4,9))Tridecane
2,3,4,5, and 3,4,5,6-Tetramethylethyl-Cyclohexanone
2,3,5,6-Tetramethylpyrazine
Thiamine Hydrochloride
Thiazole
1-Threonine
Thyme Oil, White and Red
Thymol
Tobacco Extracts
Tochopherols (mixed)
Tolu Balsam Gum and Extract
Tolualdehydes
para-Tolyl 3-Methylbutyrate
para-Tolyl Acetaldehyde
para-Tolyl Acetate
para-Tolyl Isobutyrate
para-Tolyl Phenylacetate
Triacetin
2-Tridecanone
2-Tridecenal
Triethyl Citrate
3,5,5-Trimethyl -1-Hexanol
para,alpha,alpha-Trimethylbenzyl Alcohol
4-(2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohex-1-Enyl)But-2-En-4-One
2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohex-2-Ene-1,4-Dione
2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-Dienyl Methan
4-(2,6,6-Trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-Dienyl)But-2-En-4-One
2,2,6-Trimethylcyclohexanone
2,3,5-Trimethylpyrazine
1-Tyrosine
delta-Undercalactone
gamma-Undecalactone
Undecanal
2-Undecanone, 1
0-Undecenal
Urea
Valencene
Valeraldehyde
Valerian Root Extract, Oil and Powder
Valeric Acid
gamma-Valerolactone
Valine
Vanilla Extract And Oleoresin
Vanillin
Veratraldehyde
Vetiver Oil
Vinegar
Violet Leaf Absolute
Walnut Hull Extract
Water
Wheat Extract And Flour
Wild Cherry Bark Extract
Wine and Wine Sherry
Xanthan Gum
3,4-Xylenol
Yeast

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Yes on Prop 19

2010-10-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

California's Prop 19, while not perfect, is an amazing piece of history in the works! If passed it will attempt to "legalize" cannabis (marijuana) for recreational adult use. I see so many reasons why prop 19 should pass, but the one that keeps coming back up for me is that the passing of prop 19 might save hundreds if not thousands of lives. So let's look at three issues that come up to the top: Violence, Poison, and Law Enforcement

So Many Deaths Because Of Current Drug Laws

Violence. Why will a prop 19 victory save the lives of so many people? Simply because of the failed "War on Drugs". All it has ever done is kill human beings and ruin the lives of entire families, at the expense of $2.5 trillion in taxpayer money. Let's stop the bloodshed now by no longer sending police to peoples' gardens. We can stop the fight between innocent people and police by ending prohibition of cannabis, a horribly unjust law.

Poison. It isn't just the K2 "fake marijuana" makers, or the alcohol industry, or the tobacco industry that is hurting people so badly. It's the government that has hidden the safer option while continually lying about its effects. Cannabis (marijuana) if used instead of those substances would save human life because it is so much safer. By attempting to mislead Americans about the safer product, they are condoning death. A cigarette has over 500 added chemicals yet the tobacco companies still are not required to list any of them. That right there is a greater crime than cannabis (marijuana) could ever be! That makes the tobacco industry and our own government cold-hearted killers, simply because of their failure to educate people. Cigarettes are a poisonous "laced" drug that has a brutal death-toll, and you can look no further than our own government and tobacco companies for lacing it while not listing what its laced with. It's one thing to make an educated choice about a substance, but how can someone do so with the information intentionally left off the packaging? A piece of cannabis (marijuana) grown in dirt, under the sun, with plain water does the trick with nothing added! Did you know that? It's not just a little bit safer than K2, alcohol, and tobacco. It's a non-toxic plant that works without any special processing.

Law Enforcement. Pulling weeds is for gardeners, not police. We've got some huge problems with drugs in this country. Mainly they are: pharmaceuticals, meth, and alcohol. Yet we're spending billions of dollars per year on sending law enforcement to pull weeds, i.e. destroying cannabis plants. Doesn't that seem like a complete waste of money and time? Let's re-purpose these fine law enforcement professionals towards doing something that actually helps our country, and leave the gardening to the gardeners. I know chopping down plants is an easy day of work for a police officer; plants themselves can't fight back. But let's be frank: there are bigger fish to fry. Fish that make meth-amphetamines. Spending a day as a police officer chopping down plants sounds like a walk in the park to me--but even worse it sounds like a day of not doing your job while hiding behind, yes, a plant.

The Beauty Of Nothing

2010-09-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of steps you can take to clean-up your Windows 7 desktop--completely!

Once you have removed all the shortcuts and other junk that snuck onto your desktop there should be nothing left but two things: a Recycle Bin and a Taskbar.

But why would you want to get rid of these remaining items?

The Recycle Bin's icon on your desktop, while convenient, is completely unnecessary. Need to delete stuff? Just tap the Delete button on your keyboard after you have highlighted some stuff, or Shift-Delete to empty it from the Recycle Bin as well, all in one hot key press. So, if you're convinced its time to let go of that silly Recycle Bin icon, just uncheck it from the Windows 7 Desktop Icon Settings. Make sure the rest of the desktop icons are unchecked in this area as well.

Almost done! Now its time to completely hide the taskbar. Now why on Earth would you want to do this? The main reason is that it gets in the way of all kinds of stuff. It steals vertical space from our precious "remaining" vertical space, in this world of wide displays. Let's say you're in your browser but want to view the entire page without going F11 (full-screen), thus losing your tabs. Or, let's say one of your applications needs the extra room? Or maybe, just maybe, you want to simply view your wallpaper without any crap on top of it. Windows does have an auto-hide feature, but it remains pesky, popping up when you don't want it to, and it leaves a single horizontal line at the bottom of your screen! Yuck! The solution? A simple free program called Taskbar Eliminator: http://www.aviassin.com/taskbareliminator

Once installed you can press Alt-T to hide and see your taskbar! Ctrl-Alt-T brings up the options for Taskbar Eliminator. Ah, the beauty of nothing! This important little gem of a program can be made to start with Windows, so you can embark on a taskbar-free lifestyle with ease! Remember to use the hotkey Win-Tab to remain taskbar-free while scrolling through available windows.

Bye Bye Television

2010-08-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

With the internet replacing our television viewing experience it becomes obvious that the big networks are getting worried. And they should be! People aren't watching them as much anymore. Instead, they are watching sites like YouTube with its new "leanback" feature.

One might think these huge networks would do something to protect their legacy. They've got a chance if they act now, but strangely, it seems they are doing "nothing"! Isn't "nothing" what the record industry did when Napster clobbered it? It seems to me that "nothing" is a dangerous course of (in)action. FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC need to do SOMETHING or they will go the way of the combustion engine (aka dinosaur).

It seems the trouble is that these companies think they can enter the internet world without changing "what's on TV". Building a website with some shows is one thing, but if they really want to make a dent they will need to change What's Being Broadcasted On Television.

First of all lets take a look at the fundamentals of the television business. You watch about 8 minutes of advertising for every 22 minutes of programming, and this is against your will. These companies have been conducting this behavior for decades: playing ads that you do not want to see. Your reaction: get up, turn down the sound, get a snack, etc. We've been conditioned now to hate commercials. What does this really mean? These networks have been abusing people long before Google came around.

So why is that Google has a chance to destroy network television as we know it? Well, they're smart. And the networks are dumb. It's this little tiny thing called "respect".

Google not only has a chance to re-invent the programming, they are also re-inventing the advertising model. And the big networks are just sitting around and watching it all happen.

So why will the Google advertising model work so well? The ads can be tailored to the viewers specific interests. The ads can be available whenever the viewer wants them. Commercials still might appear when and where we don't want them, but from the advertisers' perspective it will no longer be a huge money-sink-shot-in-the-dark. Premium users will be able to pay for less obtrusive ads and the ability to browse relevant ads at their own discretion.

The big networks need to think outside the box. First of all, how about ditching the advertising model of the past? Right now! Commercials I don't want to see that are too loud do nothing but cause discomfort. Which network will begin regularly showing URL's INSTEAD of ads? Will they sit around and do nothing while Google becomes the fifth?

Life Before Facebook

2010-05-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

In honor of Quit Facebook Day I felt motivated to express my own personal reasons why Facebook sucks ass. Let's take a look at four of the leading activities people "moved" to their Facebook lives: chatting, sharing pictures, playing games, and sharing friends.

Chatting

Chatting on the internet is great fun. I've been doing it since I had a 300 baud modem and could out-type the transmission itself. The novelty of chatting over a computer was quite something, especially in the 80's. As we move forward with technology we can now talk on the phone for free, video-chat, email, and even chat over social networking sites like Facebook. So what's the problem? Simply put, we have allowed this technology to REPLACE other forms of communication. The utter convenience of Facebook has made this even more possible. It's time to wake up people. You have neighbors. You have friends. You have family. Put the computer down and go have an actual conversation with someone, face to face. Internet chatting becomes unhealthy only when its done too much and replaces actual "face time" with others. As humans we have electricity in our bodies. The subtleties of conversation for human existence are still in their infancy as we thrust forward with technology. Let's not forget the importance of our physical nature.

Sharing Pictures

A long time ago many people would shake their Polaroid picture, at a party, with others. This is essentially what humans were doing before Facebook. You'd go to someone's house and they would pull out a scrapbook. Think about it for a second, folks. Isn't that really so much better than sitting by yourself looking at a photograph. People laugh together and make instantaneous comments. Do you really want to allow a computer to assist with this while you are sitting all by yourself? Is that cute reaction really captured in a text update? Photography is a beautiful artform and while the Facebook sharing technology is powerful we have immensely decreased the "face time" we spend together looking at each other's photos. Here's a suggestion: don't look at people's Facebook pictures if they live in your town. Call them up. Go to their house. Make a new friend. Then shake that Polaroid picture, in person.

Playing Games

From farm crap to zombie mafia wars to Scrabble Facebook has you covered. Sit back, all by yourself, and play some great games with your friends. Ah, the marvels of technology. Before we had Facebook most busy folk probably didn't play too many games. Honestly, Facebook has succeeded in getting people to play more games, which is fun. And fun is healthy. The only problem is when solo-Facebook-gaming replaces actual physical game time with other people. If you spend more than about ten minutes per day playing a Facebook game you might want to consider throwing your computer out the window. Yes they are fun but once again our "face time" has been destroyed. It takes effort to arrange a board game with friends. Everyone has to show up, together, in the same room. So turn that computer off, grab a 6-pack of IPA and GO MAKE A REAL GAME NIGHT WITH REAL FRIENDS. Bring a deck of cards. Anything! It's really that simple. The internal rewards you will feel from hanging out with some friends will greatly overpower the gains from sitting in front of Facebook.

Sharing Friends

This is perhaps the biggest violation of human existence Facebook has committed. Once upon a time people decided who they introduced their friends to. If an introduction was made, it was done in person. That has been the ONLY way people have been sharing friends for most of human existence. So why do we seem to feel its OK to convert this process into a series of little boxes with no privacy? The whole activity of looking at someone else's block of "friends" is a misleading, insensitive, dismal and unfortunate human condition. You will never get a proper impression of a person by looking at their picture or profile. You will only get the wrong information, distorted by your own mind. Instead, make a resolution to meet 1 REAL person for every VIRTUAL person. Let's get some balance on sharing friends, and some discretion. And for the love of John Wayne, some darn privacy.

Adobe: The Epitome Of Confusion

2010-05-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today I'm discussing the great degree of confusion and frustration caused by the Adobe software company.

This is the company that makes Photoshop, one of the most important and difficult to use software products in the history of computers. Adobe also makes Flash which started as a tool for bringing vector based animation to the web.

Based on the overall importance of these two software programs it becomes very relevant to explore why Adobe continues to fail so miserably when it comes to improving these programs. One begins to wonder: does Abode repeatedly shoot themselves in the foot on purpose? I hereby volunteer myself as the new CEO of Adobe--no salary required! I just want to help!

People purchase computers to make their lives easier. Computers are a tool that the buyer is in control of. If the buyer loses control the computer becomes less valuable. If the buyer does not know how to use the computer, the computer becomes completely useless.

The most important part of bringing this power to the buyer is a little thing called User Interface, or UI. The UI is comprised of the buttons, menus, tools, tutorials, and other embedded software features that bring the tools out from underneath the hood to the user. Designers have to make lots of choices when it comes to designing a user interface. For example, should a button have a graphic symbol that represents its functionality, such as an icon of a paint can? Or, instead should that button simply say the words "Paint Can"? Or should the button be "skinnable", giving the owner a choice. These become major decisions because a user can be instantly turned off if they don't feel comfortable with the user interface. Seriously, its the nail in the coffin for most folks! I feel Adobe fails so miserably in this area. It's like buying a hammer in pieces and having to assemble it yourself. Some people just need to buy a hammer. Most Adobe programs suffer from this disease. To make matters worse Adobe experiments with their UI's on user-time, making the various software programs completely inconsistent with each other. Ever compare Flash to Photoshop to Illustrator to Lightroom? You might need a shrink. Adobe would be wise to take a deep breath, sit down, and create a style of UI that is functional, easy to understand, and consistent across their entire product line. Buttons in plain English might be a start. It doesn't matter how powerful your engine is if you don't know how to unlock the car.

The next problem is bloating. When surfing the web its obvious that almost every video site out there is using Flash as the backbone for streaming playback. But wait a second! I thought Flash was invented for the purpose of vector animation! How in the world did poor Flash get roped into being a playback system for non-vector based movies? This is a simple recipe for confusion. Flash's biggest strength became hidden underneath this need for video. Ask most people today what Flash does for their computer and they will answer "Oh that's what plays my videos." Couldn't Adobe simply have made a different product for this purpose and kept Flash's focus on vector animation? Essentially they tarnished the word "Flash" by overloading it and confusing everyone. Add Adobe's standard awful user interface, two tablespoons of "lack of open-source", then bake at 525 degrees for 10 years. You wind up with no food and a badly burned kitchen. It's too bad Adobe couldn't have scooped up Sonic Foundry; Sony grabbed 'em instead. Man, those people knew how to make a UI! As a result, Sony's current software line is hot! These are some of the best programs out there on any computer. Sony's Vegas Video, for example, while not completely perfect, is far easier to learn than anything made by Adobe.

Adobe's next problem is pricing. It would seem Adobe is completely unwilling to look at industry trends. They continue to charge ridiculous amounts of money for their software which limits exposure, frustrates customers, and in my opinion ultimately ruins business. The new model for software pricing and distribution has already been established so why does Adobe go against the grain? And what is this new model that works so amazingly well? Look no further than Google. The right price is FREE! This might stun some old-timers who are glued to the business model of the ancient past but I invite them to become enlightened. How could Google be leading the world of software with a bundle of completely free applications? This is a question companies like Adobe need to be asking. If Photoshop were completely free and taught the user how to use every feature its global use would multiply exponentially overnight! Adobe would instantaneously have the entire world downloading Photoshop right from their web site. Sounds like a golden advertising ticket to me. Same with Flash! Just imagine how many people would start using it if it simply were free. Adobe is a dirty snowball rolling down what would seem to be an endless mountain.

And finally, can't anyone focus on what people actually need? Today's computer users have obvious and clearly defined needs. While Google nurtures these needs, Microsoft ignores them, Adobe exploits them, and Apple straight rips them off while repeatedly lying. For example, most people these days own a digital camera. If you leave them to Microsoft they probably don't even know where their pictures are. Leave them to Adobe and they become confused and flat broke with their nose inside a book. Leave them to Google and Picasa elegantly organizes their thousands of photographs: free!

Ignorance seems to come in two forms. Those who are aware of their ignorance and work to fix it, and those who are unaware of their ignorance and persist endlessly.

What is Flash, really?

2010-04-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Now that the Flash war has fully begun between Adobe and Apple I decided its time for me to chime in and let you all know the real deal about how this war affects your computing life.

To bring you up to speed I will quickly describe the climate. Flash, a standard for web animation and video, was bought by Adobe in 2005 from a company called Macromedia. If I could have it my way, Macromedia would still be alive. Why? Because Adobe is poopy. They take good things and mess them up--just like Apple.

Regardless of Adobe's persistent failure to be an honorable software company, Flash maintains an incredible and powerful segment of the web. Flash has been fully embraced by artists, advertisers, videographers, game developers, and more. My father and I developed Margo Reader (www.margoreader.com) using Flash and the end result equates to illiterate people learning to read for free! Almost every video site on the web now utilizes Flash. Add the countless advertisements, animations, and rich multi-media experiences and it becomes clear that Flash is the most exciting technology on the internet, and has been since it was invented. It's nearly impossible to browse the world wide web today without encountering Flash bits every step along the way. Unfortunately with Adobe in charge of Flash, the world now finds itself in a bucket of Flash confusion.

Apple, purveyors of the "iPod Landfill", have recently trashed Flash, calling it a dying technology. This could not be further from the truth. While Adobe might be a dying software company, Flash remains vibrant and healthy due to its existing monopoly. Apple hopes to jump onto the HTML5 bandwagon to replace the need for Flash. Unfortunately HTML5 is still quite far from being usable, making Apple seem quite moronic. Apple's latest hardware technology does not support Flash, making it somewhat useless for the purpose of browsing the web. My crystal ball is now showing an iPad landfill as well.

To confuse matters further, Flash now runs on several mobile phones. This means that if your phone does not support Flash you will miss out lots of great web content--such as www.margoreader.com. My father and I had a dream that one day the Margo Reader would be usable on handheld devices. Finally this is becoming a reality. But don't look to Apple to take advantage of this awesome technology. It would seem the goodies are going to the Android mobile platform.

It has now been officially announced that Flash is coming to the currently available array of Android phones, such as the Motorola Droid. This leaves you, the customer, with a fork in the road. Which way will you walk?

And now the bottom line. Apple and Adobe both have their heads buried in the sand. For example, Adobe's flagship product "Photoshop" remains one of the least user friendly software programs ever written. Version after version, Adobe does nothing about this problem. People then struggle with it, going to classes and buying books. Folks, this is not what computers are for. Computers are here to help us--to be tools that make our lives easier! A quality software product should teach you how to use it--like Apple.

Development tools need to be open-source. Adobe's failure to make Flash an open-source technology has hurt the customer, the developers, hardware makers, Adobe's bottom line, and most of all: you and me.

I charge Adobe with the responsibility to open up Flash and make their products user-friendly by designing completely new user-interfaces. Its time for Adobe rise above their previous standard of having the worst user-interfaces on the planet.

I charge Apple with the responsibility to stop filling landfills with dead battery bricks. Especially those that don't embrace the most compelling technology in existence. I also charge Apple with the responsibility to stop lying to people. Steve Jobs comments about Flash are false and ultimately hurt consumers. He is a distorted man, focused on his own mania, and unable to see the real need that exists. The need... to be able to replace your own battery.

Mac VS. PC: Who Cares?!

2009-12-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

People are always asking me, "Damien, which is better Mac or PC?"

I've refined my answer to the point where I am ready to say with confidence: it just doesn't matter.

We are all smart people. At the end of the day its just a computer. Most any software application can be used on a Mac or a PC, and these days we spend a great deal of time right in a browser window.

I hear all kinds of funny statements about this issue for example the one about Mac's being more user-friendly than PC's. Well if you're using Photoshop there is almost no difference between the PC and Mac versions. You could even run the PC version, on an actual Mac, in Windows mode. Same goes for browsers. What's the difference?!

So here is what I can offer about the down and dirty differences. If you choose a beautifully engineered Mac you are going to be paying more money. If you like the keys, screen, and touchpad then a Mac could be a great choice. You can always install Windows 7 on it if you need to. The hardware is very nice, so I feel the argument comes down to which computer feels better.

These days a Windows 7 PC is extremely solid, affordable, and fun. Pound for pound you can construct a more powerful system using the same budget that could be used to purchase a Mac. Emerging laptops come in all varieties therefore the final choice should be based on the hardware. Which computer looks best to you? Which feels best? Which has the best screen and battery life?

As a consultant I offer service to any computer. I feel people spend way too much time thinking about the PC/Mac argument. Forget it. It just doesn't matter. So many companies are making great computers from Asus to Sony to Apple. So which is better? Who cares?!

Droid audio crackle is fixed with the new 2.0.1 firmware!

2009-12-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Like many of you I bought the Verizon Motorola Droid as soon as it became available. After a short time with it I can say the device is breathtaking. It amazes me each day with its power and new features. Browsing through all the free apps is too much fun. From Tricorder to Google Sky Maps people have been amazed at what this thing can do.

Of course there are some problems that are being ironed out. Battery life seems to be less than one day unless you take advantage of great apps like Advanced Task Killer and the Droid's built in Power widget. With these tools battery life can be at least tripled. Turning off Wi-Fi and GPS when not needed is something only more advanced users will do, but like wow, it sure saves battery. The main problem for me was the audio. I thought the crackle sound on the left channel meant I had a bad device, but then thankfully I read the world wide internet. It told me that other people have that problem with the headphone jack too. After my Droid OS updated to 2.0.1 the problem magically went away. This thing really could be a serious competitor to the iPhone, now that it can faithfully play back a music file.

Tons of other fixes get "pushed" to the phone automatically or those who feel like eager beavers out there manually update their firmware. Either way this update should give you a sense of confidence in a booming platform that is taking off. I have decided I am going to keep this device. Thank you Verizon, Motorola, and Google for making the "greatest cell phone of all time". That's right, the LG VX-8100 is now officially #2.

Quickbooks 2010 PDF Problem Solved!

2009-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

Using a new installation of QuickBooks Pro 2010 on a Windows 7 64-bit system I could not view PDF's from within QuickBooks. Adobe Reader 9.2 is installed and works from Windows, but when trying from QuickBooks it gave a file association error. Here is how you fix it:

1. Completely "delete" the .PDF file association using a nifty utility called unassoc_1_4.zip

2. Right click your Adobe Reader icon and choose Run As Administrator

3. In the Reader 9.2 help menu choose Repair...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 camera is the best point-and-shoot ever!

2009-07-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

NOW AVAILABLE AT COSTCO!

Brand new to my wish list is a digital camera made by Panasonic! Based on features and stellar reviews I have to tell you that this thing is, without a doubt, the coolest thing since the invention of sambhar! I've been keeping my eyes peeled for a pocket camera with a decent lens that also records video. To my amazement the competition offers nothing to compete with the two features listed below, which only represent a droplet of the ZS3's long list of features. These are the two features that mean the most to me, and that set this camera into its own category:

1.) Built in Leica lens has 12x optical zoom out to 25mm wide! This zoom remains functional while the camera is recording video.

2.) Records HD 720p video and is equipped with built-in stereo mics.

Will the competition come up with anything that can come close to these amazing specs? To me this sets a new standard, even at a hefty $399. How could anyone not want this much power in something so small? I was surprised when the saleslady at Fry's informed me about Panasonic digital cameras. I had no idea about the great Leica lenses they use and previously I did not consider Panasonic as a camera maker worth considering. So that's my web log for today: Panasonic ZS3. In 4 fantasmic colors! Buy one and then go to Disneyland!

HP Scanjet 2200C works on XP SP3 !

2009-06-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

So I recently decided to install an HP Scanjet 2200C flatbed scanner after being inspired by the art of Tim Fleming. The installation on this Windows XP (SP3) computer seemed to be going just fine until I got the well-known "Class Installer" error. Looked like I was out of luck! To my surprise the thing came to life about 40 minutes later. Using the original CD that came with the scanner and the 1.22 update file from HP's site I achieved what so many people on the web seem to find impossible.

1. Unplugged the scanner (power and USB)
2. Installed the drivers from the CD (download also available)
3. Re-booted
4. Installed sj645en.exe (This is the 1.22 update directly from HP's site)
5. Plugged in the scanner (Class Installer error again!)
6. Installed sj645en.exe AGAIN just for the heck of it. The scanner now wakes up with a few happy noises. Checking the device manager I notice that the yellow ! also disappeared showing a correctly installed device.