The obligatory SM Pier Shot
Friday, January 04, 2013
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
The Death of Media Ownership
Perhaps the consumer in me still feels the sting of having invested in MiniDisc. I still have unwrapped blanks packed away, somewhere. But I never bought into the whole BlueRay phase. I was as convinced as I am now that this phase was a sandbag by the movie studios to attempt one last gasp at yet another media format before everything went digital. Last week I saw a commercial for a movie that was being released to the small screens, touting that it was avaialble for "Direct Digital Download in HD." You could hear the manufacturing press at the BlueRay plant come to a grinding halt. But the shift in media to an all-digital format brings with it a complementary change in consumer habit; a change in which the way they consume and pay for media.
I bought my last DVD in 2004. Sure, I have The Hangover (which was a gift) and a few others that may have crept in, but in 2004 I picked up one of those Blockbuster monthly passes and began burning everything I rented, effectively keeping my rental library in-house. I was paying a monthly amount that the studios were getting, so what should they care if I have access to a huge library of my favorites at a moment's notice? Then came Netflix and in 2005 I bid Blockbuster adieu, as Netflix was cheaper and offered me more rentals at once.
I was introduced to the Netflix streaming service in 2007, as I attempted to catch-up on the series, Heroes. I would watch episode upon episode at my desk at home on my laptop. After some clicking around, then I just had to catch up on The Office, and I was hooked.
Fast Forward to 2013. Sure, the streaming services are not yet perfect across the major competitors, and not all titles are available yet, but by and large, monthly subscription services are obliterating DVD sales. And when I can't yet access a title at Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, or another subscription service, there's always Video on Demand to pick up the remaining slack for something I may want to see. Ownership of Video media, physical or digital, is quickly losing its utility with popularity not far behind.
But music had been different. Napster started the digital media revolution and helped me get my initial taste for mp3s and all they could be for an audiofile. I could even load them onto my MiniDisc. My massive CD library could now be digital and turn into any number of mixes. And I've subsequently doubled my library with digital purchases, as well. The last physical album I bought was The Documentary. But even with a library of 10,000+, I've finally found myself wondering if I should begin relying on subscription music services.
The cloud has completely changed the game in this arena, and given the amount of segmentation from music software producers, consumers have been left at a technological disadvantage. By that, I mean that the technology exists to integrate cloud software across IP addresses that all access a single music library, but we consumers aren't granted this access due to corporate rivalries. Case-in-Point: I like to listen to my library in a rather "even" fashion-- no song is listened to too often. Therefore, I like to make playlists based on a "Last Played" basis. However, syncing this information to my library from my phone, iPad, iPod, and computer (and potentially car?) is all but impossible. To make matters worse, I regularly have issues with the "Last Played" syncing just from mu iPod to my PC, and even gaining access to a library that is supposedly shared accross my home network via the iPad is impossble. So the verdict, other than that Apple is Fired, is that a cloud-based subscription streaming service may provide the missing link. Sure, it costs some cash, but if I stop purchasing my music for ownership and instead purchase it for listenership, then everything should be a wash, just as it has with DVDs.
By the end of 2013, we may see the end of media ownership as we know it. Will they even be making DVD/BlueRay players this time next year? Will they even have a CD section in the electronics department, anymore?
I bought my last DVD in 2004. Sure, I have The Hangover (which was a gift) and a few others that may have crept in, but in 2004 I picked up one of those Blockbuster monthly passes and began burning everything I rented, effectively keeping my rental library in-house. I was paying a monthly amount that the studios were getting, so what should they care if I have access to a huge library of my favorites at a moment's notice? Then came Netflix and in 2005 I bid Blockbuster adieu, as Netflix was cheaper and offered me more rentals at once.
I was introduced to the Netflix streaming service in 2007, as I attempted to catch-up on the series, Heroes. I would watch episode upon episode at my desk at home on my laptop. After some clicking around, then I just had to catch up on The Office, and I was hooked.
Fast Forward to 2013. Sure, the streaming services are not yet perfect across the major competitors, and not all titles are available yet, but by and large, monthly subscription services are obliterating DVD sales. And when I can't yet access a title at Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, or another subscription service, there's always Video on Demand to pick up the remaining slack for something I may want to see. Ownership of Video media, physical or digital, is quickly losing its utility with popularity not far behind.
But music had been different. Napster started the digital media revolution and helped me get my initial taste for mp3s and all they could be for an audiofile. I could even load them onto my MiniDisc. My massive CD library could now be digital and turn into any number of mixes. And I've subsequently doubled my library with digital purchases, as well. The last physical album I bought was The Documentary. But even with a library of 10,000+, I've finally found myself wondering if I should begin relying on subscription music services.
The cloud has completely changed the game in this arena, and given the amount of segmentation from music software producers, consumers have been left at a technological disadvantage. By that, I mean that the technology exists to integrate cloud software across IP addresses that all access a single music library, but we consumers aren't granted this access due to corporate rivalries. Case-in-Point: I like to listen to my library in a rather "even" fashion-- no song is listened to too often. Therefore, I like to make playlists based on a "Last Played" basis. However, syncing this information to my library from my phone, iPad, iPod, and computer (and potentially car?) is all but impossible. To make matters worse, I regularly have issues with the "Last Played" syncing just from mu iPod to my PC, and even gaining access to a library that is supposedly shared accross my home network via the iPad is impossble. So the verdict, other than that Apple is Fired, is that a cloud-based subscription streaming service may provide the missing link. Sure, it costs some cash, but if I stop purchasing my music for ownership and instead purchase it for listenership, then everything should be a wash, just as it has with DVDs.
By the end of 2013, we may see the end of media ownership as we know it. Will they even be making DVD/BlueRay players this time next year? Will they even have a CD section in the electronics department, anymore?
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Chalking up the loss now: What's up, Lakers!?!
Tonight the Los Angeles Lakers head to the World Famous Madison Square Garden. Even when the Knicks were terrible, and even during the 3-5 seasons of disappointing Laker basketball in my 30 years, MSG games were always something different and something to feel excited about. NY vs. LA. The established primary US city vs. the city that continues to erode the primary city's importance. East vs. West. Biggie vs. Tupac. Tonight's game feels much different.
Forget the fact that the Knicks are undefeated at home this year. Forget the fact that D'Antoni is heading in to coach his first game against his former team. Forget the fact that two future Hall of Famers are not playing. After all, this isn't about playing against a hot team, isn't about taking time to implement an offense, and isn't about a lack of chemistry on the offensive end or of offensive production components. We can look back at various stretches of the 2003-04 season to draw comparisons, and at no point did the Lakers look as lifeless and beatable as they do right now.
The game isn't until 5 on the West Coast tonight, but I'm already recouping from what will be the Lakers' fourth straight loss. Of course I'm still going to tune in and hope that they actually show up and play, but I also try to be a realist. There is no heart, and no fight in this team (exemption, Kobe), and they are absolutely going to miss the playoffs at this rate. With four future Hall of Fame first-ballot inductees.
It's gut check time, Lakers. I know fans are giving you the excuse of blaming the front office, but I don't buy the whole notion of pigeon-holing a professional basketball coach into a single, monochromatic style. Phil and Jerry are exceptions, not the rule, so a Mike D'Antoni team can play defense. Any other excuse is complete B.S. and needs to be treated as such. Better defense leads to run-and-gun offense, so the two can absolutely compliment each other. Maybe we run Shell Drill all damn practice to drive the point home, but the latest disappointment in Cleveland clearly shows that it's time for everyone in the locker room to have a long look in the mirror and ask themselves what they are doing to earn their paycheck. Mitch has done plenty, so don't let him (and the rest of us) down.
Forget the fact that the Knicks are undefeated at home this year. Forget the fact that D'Antoni is heading in to coach his first game against his former team. Forget the fact that two future Hall of Famers are not playing. After all, this isn't about playing against a hot team, isn't about taking time to implement an offense, and isn't about a lack of chemistry on the offensive end or of offensive production components. We can look back at various stretches of the 2003-04 season to draw comparisons, and at no point did the Lakers look as lifeless and beatable as they do right now.
The game isn't until 5 on the West Coast tonight, but I'm already recouping from what will be the Lakers' fourth straight loss. Of course I'm still going to tune in and hope that they actually show up and play, but I also try to be a realist. There is no heart, and no fight in this team (exemption, Kobe), and they are absolutely going to miss the playoffs at this rate. With four future Hall of Fame first-ballot inductees.
It's gut check time, Lakers. I know fans are giving you the excuse of blaming the front office, but I don't buy the whole notion of pigeon-holing a professional basketball coach into a single, monochromatic style. Phil and Jerry are exceptions, not the rule, so a Mike D'Antoni team can play defense. Any other excuse is complete B.S. and needs to be treated as such. Better defense leads to run-and-gun offense, so the two can absolutely compliment each other. Maybe we run Shell Drill all damn practice to drive the point home, but the latest disappointment in Cleveland clearly shows that it's time for everyone in the locker room to have a long look in the mirror and ask themselves what they are doing to earn their paycheck. Mitch has done plenty, so don't let him (and the rest of us) down.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Rise Above: The Fiscal Cliff's Largest and Easiest Target
The Nation's pending financial reset known as the "Fiscal Cliff" is in the news daily, and while there is much talk about the political game of chess, there is very little being talked about in the form of solutions. And, most unfortunately for American History, even talking about compromise (the very thing that created this Great Nation in the first place) has become taboo, an excuse for ridicule from one's own party or even worse, the other. It cannot be looked at as a political black mark, it cannot be considered an act of traitorship (I may be creating words, and I'm okay with it) to engage in a process that is the very being of this country. That John Boehner has brushed aside Tom Cole's call to action to take a 98% deal is ludacris.
Obama has drawn a line in the sand at letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for the top 2%. While I completely undersatnd Boehner's stance that the "Top 2%" of income tax returns hardly denote the wealthiest Americans, as many Mom and Pop businesses would actually fall into this category and potentially pay higher taxes, these businesses also have the ability to manage their bottom lines to reach tax efficiency. They can use their tax professional to make the system work for them when it changes.
Obama's line in the sand is frustrating and unfortunate at best, but given the way the Fiscal Cliff works, these negotiations are to his party's advantage. If the US goes over the cliff, everyone's taxes go up, and Republicans are square to blame for not playing ball. So why not start with the 98% deal? Obama has also let it be known that he's open to further negotiation, but his sticking piece is the end of the tax cuts for the top 2%. So why not work within that foundation? Tom Cole is ready to do so, and it seemed for a moment that Lindsey Graham was, too.
It's time to stop pointing fingers. It's time for Democrats to embrace folks like Tom Cole and their willingness to come to the bargaining table. It's also time for Democrats to put forth an olive branch of compromise to folks like Tom Cole in good faith. After all, once we begin bipartisan collaboration, don't we want to endorse and encourage it?
Obama has drawn a line in the sand at letting the Bush-era tax cuts expire for the top 2%. While I completely undersatnd Boehner's stance that the "Top 2%" of income tax returns hardly denote the wealthiest Americans, as many Mom and Pop businesses would actually fall into this category and potentially pay higher taxes, these businesses also have the ability to manage their bottom lines to reach tax efficiency. They can use their tax professional to make the system work for them when it changes.
Obama's line in the sand is frustrating and unfortunate at best, but given the way the Fiscal Cliff works, these negotiations are to his party's advantage. If the US goes over the cliff, everyone's taxes go up, and Republicans are square to blame for not playing ball. So why not start with the 98% deal? Obama has also let it be known that he's open to further negotiation, but his sticking piece is the end of the tax cuts for the top 2%. So why not work within that foundation? Tom Cole is ready to do so, and it seemed for a moment that Lindsey Graham was, too.
It's time to stop pointing fingers. It's time for Democrats to embrace folks like Tom Cole and their willingness to come to the bargaining table. It's also time for Democrats to put forth an olive branch of compromise to folks like Tom Cole in good faith. After all, once we begin bipartisan collaboration, don't we want to endorse and encourage it?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Long Beach's British Invasion
Okay, I get that Long Beach has the Queen Mary, so we're bound to attract tourism from the UK to our sunny Southern California destination. And the Princess Diana exhibit that is currently showing at the Queen Mary is no doubt a big draw. But my ears have noticed a rather large uptick in the King's English being spoken in Downtown LB. Not sure exactly what gives....any reader insights? Any Brits want to clue me in as to why my town is such a popular choice for UK tourism? Any other specific spots in town that you've come to see? The curiosity is beginning to get to me.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Did Anyone Else Notice?
Right under our noses and with no fanfare, justification, or marketing spin, something in Long Beach has changed. A quick check at LBTrainsit's website leaves no clues as to how long this change has been in place, and the observant indivudual in me sure hopes it's only about a week, or so, old.
As can be found HERE, the Passport bus system in Long Beach has drastically changed. There used to be an A,B,C, and D bus that connected downtown to some of the more frequented destinations in Long Beach like Belmont Shore, Alamitos Bay Marina, Long Beach State, the Los Altos neighborhood, Retro Row, and various other stops in between.
However, now only the "C" route, the one which serves the downtown core and tourist destinations (free of charge), is now the only remaining route and maintains the legacy name. But yes, this route is still free, and is a great way to shuttle between Long Beach's most popular destinations in the downtown and waterfront areas. Both the Aqualink and Aquabus are still mainstays, but run only during the peak months, from Memorial Day through Sept 30. Those lines will be back up in May 2013.
As can be found HERE, the Passport bus system in Long Beach has drastically changed. There used to be an A,B,C, and D bus that connected downtown to some of the more frequented destinations in Long Beach like Belmont Shore, Alamitos Bay Marina, Long Beach State, the Los Altos neighborhood, Retro Row, and various other stops in between.
However, now only the "C" route, the one which serves the downtown core and tourist destinations (free of charge), is now the only remaining route and maintains the legacy name. But yes, this route is still free, and is a great way to shuttle between Long Beach's most popular destinations in the downtown and waterfront areas. Both the Aqualink and Aquabus are still mainstays, but run only during the peak months, from Memorial Day through Sept 30. Those lines will be back up in May 2013.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Did Autumn Just Pull a Punxsutawney Phil?
It was getting crisp and cool at night. There were morning thunderstorms last week. We watched football broadcasts across the country talk about how Fall was in the brisk air.
And then yesterday happened. It cracked 100 in parts of Long Beach for a few minutes in the middle of the day, and it's doing so again today. Tomorrow's going to be almost as hot, and Wednesday is supposed to be even hotter before we get some reprieve in the LA basin. Where the heck did Autumn go?
Actually, remember this time last year? This exact week, even? It was just as hot, and I remember the gauge in my dash reading 107 as I came down Bellflower Blvd. So, while you may cry foul on global warming, just remember that this heat streak happened at exactly the same time last year....and then the real Fall finally started and we had a Windpocalypse.
Begin securing your trees...
And then yesterday happened. It cracked 100 in parts of Long Beach for a few minutes in the middle of the day, and it's doing so again today. Tomorrow's going to be almost as hot, and Wednesday is supposed to be even hotter before we get some reprieve in the LA basin. Where the heck did Autumn go?
Actually, remember this time last year? This exact week, even? It was just as hot, and I remember the gauge in my dash reading 107 as I came down Bellflower Blvd. So, while you may cry foul on global warming, just remember that this heat streak happened at exactly the same time last year....and then the real Fall finally started and we had a Windpocalypse.
Begin securing your trees...
Friday, September 21, 2012
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
The Marathon is Coming!
The 2012 Long Beach International City Bank Marathon is just over a month away! That's right, the 28th iteration of Long Beach's 3rd largest event is a little less than 32 full days from today. The event includes a full marathon, half marathon, 26.2 mile bike tour (I'll be participating), a 5k run/walk, and a kids fun run. Check out The Website for more details and to sign up!
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