in praise of bloggers

On March 31, 2011March 29, 2011 By Rick McIn Apple, audiocasts, blogs, blogs Rick reads, economics, gymnastics, internet, product endorsements, things getting better1 Comment

My second and third favourite sources of information in 2011 are audio:

• Audiocasts
• Audio books

I pretty much always have an audio book or two in progress, buying most of those from Audible.com. … Sadly not every book I want is available in audio.

Audio podcasts are still quite crude. The most evolved, however, are superb: RadioLab, This American Life, CBC Spark, Economist Editor’s Highlights, and On The Media. Almost all audio podcasts are still free.

But my main sources of information … my most trusted … my most detailed and nuanced … are blogs.

The best are labours of love by passionate, often amateur writers. Most bloggers are unpaid, spending thousands of hours focused on a specific topic simply because they love that topic.

more photos of bloggers

For example, the best Apple blog is Daring Fireball. I don’t pay much attention to any other.

I do whatever I’m told by Michael Geist when it comes to Canadian government regulation of the internet. A big election issue right now.

There are 4-5 essential blogs on gymnastics, but if I only was allowed to read one blogger it would be Blythe Lawrence.

If you read Kraig Becker, you’ll know more about outdoor adventure than you’ll ever need to know for one lifetime.

… Those are just a few examples. Leave a comment if you’ve got a blog that I should follow.

(blogger photos via Spark)

Blockbuster bankrupt

On March 30, 2011 By Rick McIn economics, movies, music, product complaintsLeave a comment

I recall years ago the CEO of Blockbuster (at the time driving local video stores out of business) mocking an upstart called … Netflix.

Just like Borders, Blockbuster could not adapt to a rapidly changing marketplace.

… Bloomberg News is reporting that the video chain will be making the filing official on Thursday morning. …

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, who bought about one-third of Blockbuster’s bonds, will join with a group of creditors in swapping their debt for all of the video-rental company’s stock, …

If creditors get all of Blockbuster’s stock, current shareholders will be wiped out. …

Consumerist

If you have an unused Blockbuster gift card sitting around, use it now.

Which will be the next dinosaur to declare bankruptcy?

One of the big four music labels (I wish), perhaps Sony Music. Amazon will be happy to eat their lunch.

where your taxes go

On February 28, 2011February 25, 2011 By Rick McIn economics1 Comment

Let’s say I was an American, single, earning $50,000 / year.

One scenario:

I pay about 20% in taxes: $10,013.

This is unsustainable. The USA must increase taxes AND cut spending.

But where do you cut?

Graphic via datavizchallenge.org.

… Of course that’s hypothetical. I earn far more than than $50,000. 🙂

comparing ‘advanced’ economies

On February 20, 2011February 19, 2011 By Rick McIn economics, government, health & fitnessLeave a comment

How ‘advanced’ is your country?

Red is bad.

via Peter and Warren Long.

how to pay off your credit card debt

On February 19, 2011February 18, 2011 By Rick McIn economics, humour, internetLeave a comment

It’s so simple …

new hilarious blog – The Content Farm

We’re so lucky to have content farms on the internet. Not. 🙂

decline of religion in richer nations

On February 6, 2011February 4, 2011 By Rick McIn economics, good news, government, philosophyLeave a comment

In general, the more affluent the country, the fewer citizens report that they are ‘religious’.

Note that Kuwait and the USA are outliers, exceptions to that general rule.

secular-graph — click for larger version

via Ordinary Gentlemen

James A. Haught wrote about this trend:

Since World War II, worship has dwindled starkly in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and other advanced democracies. In those busy places, only 5 or 10 percent of adults now attend church. Secular society scurries along heedlessly. …

… males outnumber females among the churchless. “The ratio of 60 males to 40 females is a remarkable result …

A huge news story, barely noticed

Is this trend good or bad?

Good, I’d say, overall.

Religion works for some. I respect their right to freedom of religions so long as it doesn’t impose on others.

And any trend for less religiosity should diminish the fervency of religious extremists. We would hope.

Thanks Warren.

High Greed Internet

On January 31, 2011January 30, 2011 By Rick McIn bad news, economics, government, internet3 Comments

Many Canadians are asleep while the ISPs plot a cash grab.

George Stroumboulopoulos explains the complicated issue calling B.S. on the Internet Service Providers.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I’ve already signed the petition at: StopTheMeter.ca

Telcos and ISPs are the least trustworthy corporations today.

Most Canadians don’t plan to retire: survey

On January 8, 2011January 4, 2011 By Rick McIn economicsLeave a comment

And I thought I was the only one. …

What used to be called retirement will be just another day at the office for more than a third of Canadians, who say they’ll need to keep working to pay the bills, a survey suggests.

The survey conducted by Harris/Decima on behalf of Scotiabank indicates nearly 70 per cent of Canadians plan to work after retirement.

People cited different reasons for staying in the workforce. Seventy-two per cent said they want to remain mentally active, and 57 per cent want to stay socially active. Thirty-eight per cent of those surveyed said they’ll be working out of financial necessity. …

CBC

Borders might go bankrupt

On January 6, 2011January 2, 2011 By Rick McIn economics2 Comments

The book-seller Borders may become the first casualty of a changing publishing industry. According to reports, the company has been delaying payments to book publishers in order to help refinance its debt.

Borders is the second largest book retailers in the U.S., after Barnes & Noble, but even so, Borders says “there can be no assurance” that these refinancing efforts will be successful in keeping the company afloat. …

Why?

… It isn’t simply a downturn in the economy or in the publishing world that has put Borders in trouble. Unlike Barnes & Noble and Amazon, Borders has not built its own e-reader hardware. …

As Borders Struggles to Pay Its Bills, Will It Be the First Casualty in the E-Reader War?