Ooh, there it is...
A few days ago I decided to stop updating Twitter with random thoughts. I turned to Facebook status updates as an outlet, but that seemed much more limited for some reason. That doesn't make sense as I was updating Facebook via my Twitter account before, so it should have been the same, but mentally it wasn't. This is a good thing, as now, a few days later, there's been a slow insatiable desire to express myself building that finally made me log into my blog again.
Not sure what to write just yet... I'm starting to have "shower thoughts" of stuff I want to write, mentally composing interesting observations while doing other stuff like showering or driving. (Do you do that, or am I insane?). I guess I'll just have to start blurting them out here. The problem is that Twitter has gotten me into the bad habit of just writing little blurbs and then moving on, a hummingbird-like moving from topic to topic. Having to actually write more than 140 characters about any topic almost feels odd... whereas it used to feel odd to write anything less than 14 paragraphs.
Oh, I'm going to CES in a couple days. That's my first trip to Vegas, which should be interesting - though I'll be working and CES is supposedly such a zoo that it's not like I'll be partaking in much debauchery and vice, but it should be interesting from a geek point of view. I hope I get a chance to wander a bit.
Ok, I actually haven't left the house yet (looking at updates from MacWorld), so I'll wrap this up. We'll have to see if it sticks and I start updating regularly. It's like starting a cold engine - it feels like the engine has turned over and then bam, it stalls.
-Russ
Moment of Clarity
![[image]](http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/HubbleDeepFieldSouth.jpg)
I haven't been posting much lately... I seem to be either completely out of stuff to write about, lost the will to write, or simply having a brief moment of clarity in which I see my place in the universe in complete perspective. In any account, my blog is suffering.
As soon as the mental static clears, I'll get back to it.
:-)
-Russ
2012
Just saw the trailer for the movie 2012, and at the end, instead of a URL, it prompts you to Google Search for 2012 instead. It's not the first time I've seen this - wasn't there a bunch of Pontiac ads that did the same? Might as well screw with the results a bit. :-)
I'm not sure what the significance of 2012 is - some sort of cataclysmic prediction by some religion or another. Personally, I'm a bit of a Triskaidekaphobic, so to me the real year to be afraid of is 2013... a whole YEAR ending in 13!!
AHHH!!!!
-Russ
Retweeting?
I have to say I don't get it.
Tumbleblogs, okay, I get. As you go about your day finding interesting quotes, links, images, videos, etc. you repost them to a blog and share them with the world. No original content required - hell, there's barely even effort required. Or even sites like Delicious or Digg, where you're doing little more than bookmarking a link for all to see, maybe with a little comment.
But retweeting? CAN'T YOU THINK OF 140 characters of your OWN!?!?
Look - Tweets all have unique URLs, no? Why don't you just bookmark them instead? Or better yet, why not use the feature that's *built in* to Twitter and just mark them as your favorite? Then I'll subscribe to your favorites if I want. Here's my Twitter favorites feed. It's completely empty because I never use that feature, but I will now if for no other reason than to show how to not re-tweet stuff.
I guess, hey, just like it's your blog, it's your Twitter stream and you can write whatever you want there and if I don't like it, I can just unfollow you. But obviously, if I'm following you, I want to know about what you're doing or thinking... not what *others* are doing/thinking but what you are.
Just a thought.
-Russ
Help Save Mobuzz!
Years ago when I lived in Madrid, I met up with Anil de Mello who was another expat living there at the time as well. We ate at a local McDonald's, played with mobile phones and talked about starting companies. I later moved back to the U.S. to do my startup, while Anil stayed in Madrid and started Mobuzz.tv which has been extraordinarily successful.
Well, they're starting to get into a cash crunch it seems, and need influx to stay afloat for a few more months until they get their investor situation sorted. I just donated a bit to help Anil and crew out. I had to ask for cash last year around this time to keep Mowser going as well, and it really saved me (though I didn't need nearly as much as they do!). So if you've ever viewed Mobuzz and enjoyed it, go click on the links above and drop a few bucks via PayPal to help them out!
-Russ
Update: Looks like Mobuzz sadly closed officially. Bummer.
Yes We Can!
![[image]](http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/yeswecan.jpg)
I watched the returns with my son tonight, explaining all the crazy numbers that were popping up on the screen, up until just past 8 p.m. when CNN called the election for Barack Obama. We had a little dance, and then we went off to read his bedtime story and sleep. I came back out into the living room, caught Obama's speech and since have just been watching TV in slack-jawed amazement.
I'm so happy, I don't have words or emotion really. Just pure joy.
:-)
-Russ
We need to amend the US Constitution
![[image]](http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/billofrights.jpg)
Since we're on the eve of the US Presidential election, I thought I'd throw this out there that regardless of who wins tomorrow, I think it's time we modified the Constitution and fix the way that the President is elected.
First, I think it's time we got rid of the Electoral College and went to a straight popular vote. I'm hardly alone here, but my reasoning is that I think too much of the Presidential campaign focus is spent on smaller, insignificant states rather than major urban areas where the majority of the people and economic creation is. Why is New York and California ignored during the election cycle, rather than being the focal points? It doesn't make any real sense. And then of course you have what happened in 2000, with Gore winning the popular vote, but losing the election. It's just ridiculous.
The second thing that needs to happen is we need 6 year terms for the President, but still limited to just two in a row. I think four years isn't enough any more - we live longer nowadays for one, but the consistency of two four year terms isn't enough. Yes, this could have lead to 12 years of Bush had it been enacted before, but I doubt it would have happened. After 6 years, the nation gets the idea whether a leader is good or bad - four isn't enough, but after 6 we would have dumped Bush. Four years is barely enough time for a leader to get their feet wet... And hell, the campaign for the next Presidential election is going to start in about 18 months, which is crazy. Extending out the President's terms to the length of a Senator would be good for the country's continuity.
We should start the process now... I mean, it took over 200 years for the 27th Amendment to be ratified, so we should get moving. ;-)
-Russ
MTVMusic.com is pretty damn cool
I saw an article just now about MTV's new music site mtvmusic.com which I didn't realize was live. I saw the MTV Content API they released a while ago, but I didn't realize there was a video site to go with it.
20,000+ music videos! Pretty awesome. Everything from Rick Astley to naked Britney to some seriously old stuff like the Styx Mr. Roboto video I embedded above (which I didn't know existed!).
Man, this is almost as good, maybe even better than Songza!
-Russ