April 2006 Archives

I went to NAB for the first time. A rather whirlwind tour of both Las Vegas and NAB. I flew in on Wednesday morning at 9:00 am, spent the night at Circus Circus, checked out Thursday morning, spent the day at NAB and flew home at 7:00 on Thursday arriving in San Jose at 11:30. And I have to go to my first day of work on Friday. Busy half a week.

NAB is a huge convention and exhibition held in Las Vegas every year. There are always lots of new product announcements. New video cameras, post-production software, lenses, and other motion picture and radio production equipment announcements. Lots of really cool toys to look at, play with, drool over and lust after.

This unmanned aerial vehicle camera was one of the coolest things I saw. It is a radio controlled helicopter with a camera pod attached to it. One person flies the helo, another controls the camera. It can take still pictures, 35 mm film, and video. Very cool.

The exhibits were spread across three buildings, one of which had two floors. I spent most of my time in the audio and radio exhibits since I am planning to purchase a bunch of audio equipment very soon. I had the chance to look at and play with the items on my wishlist. I talked with the sales, marketing and technical folks about the products I'm planning to buy. Verified my thoughts and plans. Jeff Alexander of Sennheiser was a great help in understanding the value of good microphones. Of course, he also worked very hard at convincing me that Sennheiser (and Neumann, which is owned by Sennheiser) makes the best microphones on the market. Is some cases, I agree with him.

I got to talk with Fred H. Horne at Arri. My lighting kit is conprised entirely of Arri lights. Mr. Horne and I had an interesting conversation about the value of video podcasting. Like many, he didn't quite understand what all the fuss is about. After all, video podcasting is all about video-phones, digi-cams, iMovie and putting your home movies on the web for grandma to see, right? In the course of our conversation Mr. Horne one of those epiphonic moments.

Camera makers were again this year banging the high definition drum. Everyone was touting their HD offerings. Grass Valley unveiled their Infinity product line of high definition products. Cool cameras, to be sure. However, the really interesting news for video podcast and webcast producers really slid under the radar. Panasonic reduced the price of their AJ-SDX900 camera which could easier be the workhorse of this emerging market. This blog is not really the forum to go into the details of why I think this is true. You'll have to watch for the business blog over at Tako Productions to read about my reasons why.

I think I had the most fun at the Sound Devices booth. Unfortunately I did not get a card from the guy I talked to but, wow, these guys have some really cool products. Their knock out punch is the 744T digital recorder inconjunction with the 422 Field Mixer. Why is this so cool? The 422 mixer is able to pass the channels straight through to the four channel digital recorder while at the same time sending the source channels mixed down into two channels to the camera. This is awesome duplication of audio capture.

NAB was a lot of fun. I really hope that Tako Productions is still sufficiently in the video podcast/webcast production game to justify my going again next year.

Aloha

Technorati Tags: Raw, review, technology, video

Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Michael J. Pernaselli 27, of Monroe, N.Y

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher E. Watts 28, of Knoxville, Tenn

Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal 24, of Smithtown, N.Y.

Never forget.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: military

It interesting, what happens as we try to do life. It's been a year and half since I left Apple. I've learned a lot. Haven't been quite as successful as I'd like at the things I'm trying to do. I didn't think I was ready to give up yet. I thought I was going to go after it a little longer. Some times, things don't work out the way we think.

I was talking to a friend of mine from my days with the iPod team. He left Apple a few months before I did. He's changed jobs once more since then. Anyway, we were talking about how things were going, he ups and asks if I be interested in applying for a position that he has open. Huh. My friend works at a Pre-1.0, pre-IPO start-up company that's about 16 months old. My friend has worked on some cool stuff in the past. Newton, WebTV, iPod. That's not a shabby resume. Now, I love hand-held, computer driven gadgets. Cell phones, iPods, it's all the self-discpline I've got to not be buying the latest and greatest as soon as it comes out. And I've wanted to work on the first version of something for a long time now. So, my decision to go and see what my friend had going on was driven, not by the situation I was in vis a vi my own company but rather by nature of the product and the company that was making the offer. Mind you, I knew jack about the product when I accepted the interview.

So, on Wednesday at 10:25 am (I was late - commute traffic sucks) I met my friend in an office in down town Mountain View. The company is in such stealth mode, its name does not appear on the directory in the lobby of the building. At 10:26 I was signing an NDA (hence the self-destruct message at the end of this entry). My friend showed me the product.

Huh. Not quite as cool and sexy as I was hoping.
Oh well, let's what else they got.

I learn a little bit more about the company and discover that I know or at least recognize a number of the names at the top of the org chart. These aren't rookies, they've all been around the block more than once.

Hum. That's pretty cool.

I meet some of the other people. They seem cool, talented, mature. This isn't a dot com start-up with 27 starry-eyed, twenty-somethings living in the office, dorm-room style working 20 hours a day to build some dream.

Then it starts getting interesting. One of the senior officers of the company is pulled out of board meeting to come talk to me. First time I've ever interviewed with an officer of the company before. Next the CEO of the company is coming in to talk to me. Well now, this is getting interesting.

Buckle up, Smittie, cuz Johnnie's just put his foot on the gas.

My friend comes back in and tells me that they're typing up the offer letter in the next office.

Really? Just like that. Well alrighty then.

The offer is a significant increase over what I was making when I left Apple. Although the job is not in my main area of expertise, it is an area that I'm quite comfortable in. I have no doubt that I'll be able to make a positive and significant contribution. The crowd that's working there is pretty impressive. It's a smart and experienced bunch of people.

I think my friend really would have liked to have had my answer on the offer before I left the office. I made them type up the offer letter and let me take it home. Machiko and I talked about it. We decided it would be good, not only for me but also for Tako.

This is bittersweet. I had hoped that I would be able to continue tripping down the road less travelled. And maybe I should be. Maybe I simply don't have enough faith. Maybe, in taking the job working for my friend, I will miss the opportunity to see magic happen. I can only look at the circumstances and make my choices. At this point, what might have happened is fiction.

One more week of freedom. Working in the salt mines ain't that bad.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: friends, life, work

This video furthers my point that polls and public opinion are not the measure by which all things should be judged. It seems pretty undeniable that the US economy is in good shape. This is not to suggest that we, or more important, elected officials should ignore public opinion. Rather, we need to understand what is driving the public to maintain a dim view of the economy.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Wouldn't it be cool if all of this discussion about Mr. Rumsfield were really a result of genuine interest in what's happening?

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: commentary, military, political

The American public thinks U.S. taxes are unjust. They think that middle and low income families pay too much and the rich pay too little. This while the rich pay as much as 35% of their income to the government and individuals pay, on average, about half of that. In my opinion what is missing from this article is some indicator of how well the same sample of the American public understands the current tax code. Or even, how accurately the American public understands what "the rich" pay in taxes. The U.S. tax code might well be unjust but public opinion has little to do with where it is or isn't.

Polls and the collective American opinion has become the de facto standard by which all things are judged. In a time when the American public seems to consider Attention Deficit Disorder to be a desirable quality. The American public seems quick to express opinion and even believes that opinion should be respected despite the fact that the giver of that opinion understands little or nothing about the subject. Acknowledged experts in economics are at odds about whether the economic growth during the Clinton years was the result of Clinton's policies or those of President Reagan before him. Understanding the complications of the affects of taxation on the national economy is, in my opinion, beyond the realm of Joe Six Pack.

Likewise the war in Iraq and the current reconstruction is unpopular. The American public would like a sound byte explanation of the reasons for the war. "It's all about oil." That's simple to say and seems obvious on the face of it. Yet, people like Kenneth Pollack, who has spent a life time studying Iran and Iraq doesn't think it is so simple. Pollack believes that a war with Iraq was inevitable and that oil was one of several causes. Now we are entangled in the process of building a government in Iraq. This is difficult task in the best of circumstances. Iraq is far from the best of circumstances.

Understanding America's opinion is an important aspect of American politics. The people elected to office have the responsibility of representing their constituents in matters of law and policy. However, I think we need to be cautious when it comes to consideration of public opinion. It would be unwise to make financial decisions based on the thoughts and opinions of a stranger who has not proven her expertise in finance. Likewise, the details of national fiscal, foreign and domestic policy should not be guided by the inexpert opinions of the American public. The will of the people should be reflected in national policy but the details of those policies should be defined and guided by those more knowledgeable than the general public.

On a completely different note, I managed to run twice this week. Felt good to run but today I'm really sore. I swear, this time, once I get into shape, I'm going to stay in shape.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: commentary, political

You have to dig to find them but every now and then there are articles in our news media that give a glimpse of what's happening in Iraq. Don't get me wrong. I'm quite certain that the bombings, kidnappings and other attacks reported do happen. I just wonder what else is going on. I mean seriously, add up the time and space covered by the attacks reported and you have an account for maybe, what, 3% of one day and maybe 1% of the area.

This article offers some insight into why we are still in Iraq. I'm not sure what the American public's expectation is. How long does it take to build a nation? How long does it take to form a military capable of protecting a nation's borders and its people? Some propose that a military existed and we should not have disbanded it. Yet we saw in two confrontations what this military was capable of. In both cases they anxiously laid down their weapons in surrender or desertion. And for good reason. They had nothing to fight for. The nation they served was not their own. They were but slaves to a tyrant leader who sought only to maintain and increase his own power. Iraqis are learning what it means to have their own nation. In the course of that learning comes the realization that such a nation needs to be defended and is worth defending.

Likewise, the Iraqi politicians are struggling to figure out how it is that various sects of Islam will peacefully co-exist and even cooperate within a single nation. Up until now, politics in Iraq has been a game of king of hill, the most powerful - which usually meant the most violent - winning the right to rule. Or, more accurately, exerting rule. Iraqi leaders of the past 40 to 50 years have not been elected by the populous but rather exerted terror and power over it. Islamic leaders in the country and even many outside are telling the Iraqis that it is morally wrong to cooperate with each other across sectarian lines. Yet, Iraqi politicians are trying to move toward a unified government. Allied forces were in Japan for eight years after World War II. Articles discussing American presence in Bosnia five years after our arrival were similar to those we read about Iraq today. Yet, somehow the American public expects that Iraq should, after three short years be all peace and prosperity. Maybe it's time to start addressing unrealistic expectations?

In this article we see another example of Iraqi who - in the case very early on - decided that Iraq, or at least their little part of it, was worth working for. These firefighters struck a deal with American forces upon their arrival. These firefighters have shared in the loss of life experienced by Coalition forces, demonstrating their commitment to their community - Sunni and Shia - and in turn their nation.

It is my suspicion that there are many Iraqis - most Iraqis - who, like those in these two articles, are working hard to build a nation. Like those in these two articles, they are dependent on Coalition forces to provide services and materials in order to continue their efforts. They would like to be self-sufficient but they are not there yet. Millions of Iraqis braved severe threats to go to the polls and vote. They waved their ink stained fingers with pride in the face of the fact that some might get killed solely for that stained finger. Iraqis want to build a nation. If Coalition forces pull out prematurely, the Iraqis in these two articles and millions like them will suffer the consequences. And the blame for that will rest squarely on the shoulders of those who orchestrate that premature withdrawal.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: cross-culture, iraq, military, political

My wife decided to turn off cable television about six years ago. For six years we have not had commercial TV in our home. One of the many great decisions my wife has talked me into over the years. As a result of this decision I get my news from the Internet. Which means, I have a lot of control over what I read about and what I don't. Since I consider politicians a large waste of time, I seldom bother reading 'news' articles about them. News is in quotes because it seems a misnomer to me. What politicians do or say is very seldom news.

This past week I enjoyed an all expenses paid trip to San Diego, courtesy of the United States Navy. Living in the Bachelor Enlisted Quarters with little to do I ended up watching the TV network news. The timing was impeccable as it allowed me to follow in some detail the antics of one Cynthia McKinney, Congress Person from the 4th district of Georgia.

McKinney attempted to pass around the metal detectors in a Capitol building while not wearing the lapel pin that is required by protocol. When the Capitol Police called after her to stop she ignored him. Three times. When he touched her (apparently grabbing her arm) she spun around and struck him with her cell phone. For a week McKinney cast disparaging remarks on the officer, accusing him of racial profiling, racisim, stupidity, incompetence and that's just the short list. Then, in a sudden about face, McKinney goes to the floor of Congress and, sort of, apologies for the whole thing. Pick any one or several of these articles for verification of my retelling.

So much that surrounds this story embodies the very epitome of the public face of American Politics. McKinney held news conferences almost daily, appeared on news shows as often as invited, not to tell her version of the events. She wouldn't answer those questions. Rather, she repeated over and over her allegations that the officer involved was racist and the Capitol Police department as a whole, incompetent. Incompetent in that they should require members of their force to know by face and name all 535 members of the Congress and do away with all other processes of identification for members of Congress.

I got a real kick out of this Op-Ed piece which blatantly states, US news should be paying attention to all the Republicans who are in trouble and ignoring this Democrat who is making a fool of herself and a mockery of Washington. They blame the media for attending and televising the press conferences that McKinney called. I suppose they have it half right.

Finally, after being shunned by fellow Democrats, openly ridiculed by Republicans, told to clean up the mess by the Congressional Black Caucus (is there a Congressional White Causcus? Hum?), and the start of a grand jury investigation, McKinney offered an 'apology' that would have made Bill proud. In her statement she says that she regrets the incident occurred (no ownership), regrets its escalation (no ownership of that escalation) and that there should have been no physical contact (which sounds like yet another accusation). "And," she said, "I apologize." For what? It doesn't sound like you think you did anything to apologize for.

The issue here is that a very small woman who is overly impressed with the office she has managed to ascend to had her pride injured and tried to restore her ego on the backs of the men and women who make it their career to protect our elected officials, with their own lives when necessary. She backed down from her childish and racist behavior only after it became apparent that it was detrimental to herself and others.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: commentary, humor, political, review

My Friend Todd
Originally uploaded by zmittie.

Todd and I have been friend since our days at CSULB. We've been friends longer than the World Wide Web has been around. In fact, when we met the internet was not yet readily available to the public. We were both quite active on a dial-up system called GEnie which is now long dead. We were friends working in the student computer lab at CSULB when the WWW was first taking form. Todd told me it was going to be cool. I wasn't so sure.

Todd always includes a photo when he blogs about friends coming to visit him. I visited twice now. This time, when he took a picture of me I whipped out my camera and returned the favor. So, here is a picture of my friend Todd in a local Starbucks in the Torrance/Gardena area.

I always enjoy catching up with Todd. I wish we didn't live so far apart. I need to convince Todd to move.

Aloha

[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: coffee, food, friends