AMX, Crestron: Separated at Birth?

This is too priceless: arch rivals Randy Klein of Crestron (left) and Michael Olinger of AMX.

Plagiarist David Richards strikes again

I don't know why this guy gives himself a byline. The credit should be: Subtitle by David Richards. Story by Julie Jacobson.

My words verbatim after "CE Pro."

Leave it to David to do such a poor job on the only two sentences he did write. Only one typo ("officals") so he's improving...

Control4 Talks To Sonos

By David Richards | Wednesday | 27/01/2010

The development of new home control software by a UK company is set to allow owners of Control4 software to talk directly to a Sonos multi-room audio system.

Software company Extra Vegetables will demonstrate the new software at next week's Integrated Systems Europe show in London, according to company officals.

CEPro in the USA reported: "Sonos is the music streaming solution of choice for many home owners as it provides a convenient way to enjoy music in every room wirelessly," says Vegetables spokesperson Jane Scotland. "However, up to now controlling a Sonos system and other entertainment equipment has meant juggling a Sonos controller and multiple remotes."

With the Vegetables solution, users can employ a full range of Control4 interfaces to manage their Sonos music system. From a Control4 touchscreen, for example (the same touchscreen that controls the lights, thermostats and A/V gear), customers can browse through their Sonos music library, create song queues and distribute the tunes to any ZonePlayer on the network. They can also control the volume of the music in any zone.

There are limitations, however. Even with the Vegetables driver, the Sonos system still remains somewhat isolated. Only media from the Sonos database is played by the ZonePlayers. Similarly, the Sonos database is not made available to Control4 devices.

When you need a math degree to post a comment

I was trying to post a comment on one of the tech blogs, and the site wanted to make sure I was a real human being.

Fair enough. At cepro.com, we ask posters to enter (for example) the second letter of the word "cat."

But this particular site expects you to answer a complex math problem. What about us algebraically challenged? Not to fear, the site provides a sample math question -- like a practice quiz -- to help you out:

Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

And, lest you don't know what a "math problem" is, you are directed to a site that explains the concept.

After quite some time, I was finally able to post my comment.

My first Electronic House fan mail!

Someone really likes me. Evidently one Howard M. received Electronic House magazine, saw my picture and found the address to EH Publishing in the masthead.

He writes:

Ms. Lady and Business WOMAN Julie ... I'm just one of them human beings of a man who enjoys talking to other human beings of the human family, especially a special and attractive and upper class Lady and woman as you are. ...

Lady Julie, if you don't mind my respectfully asking, how was your holidays? ...

God bless, and you take ever good care of your special and attractive womanly self, for me and other loved ones of you. ...

Lady J. know this, just because I'm in a physical c. institution, does not mean that I'm not a good human being of a person. ...

It's all very flattering, don' t you think?

Cheesy Texas headline

Man cut in fight over nachos

 

By Eva Ruth Moravec - Express-News

A fight over nachos caused San Antonio police to arrest two men at their South Side apartment late Tuesday night.

Marty Henke, 35, and Randy Scott Esckilsen, 45, are both being held in Bexar County Jail. Henke was arrested on an outstanding warrant for delivery of a controlled substance; his bond is set at $30,000.
Esckilsen faces one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and is being held on $75,000 bond after he allegedly stabbed Henke, his roommate, in the chin.

A San Antonio Police Department incident report states Henke was treated for the cut at his apartment, located in the 100 block of Lorita Street, at about 10 p.m.

The report states a witness brought Henke nachos, but he said he didn't want them, so the witness gave them to Esckilsen. Soon afterwards, Henke said he wanted the nachos and asked the witness for them. The two men then began to argue, and Esckilsen is accused of pulling out a knife, police said.

A struggle ensued, and Henke was cut on the chin. He called 911 and Esckilsen left the apartment; officers found him nearby and arrested him shortly after, but police said he didn't have the knife.

Police then learned Henke had an outstanding warrant and arrested him.

More gems from plagiarizer David Richards; at least he spelled 'Elan' correctly

avid Richards of Australia's Smart House and Channel News is such a bad plagiarizer. Even when he copies my stories almost verbatim, he still can't get it right.

I was kind enough to edit David's sad rip-off of my exclusive story on Elan's new g! control system. I emailed him to let him know that I was not going to help him out again. He will have to find someone else to edit my stories for him.

I do have to give him some credit, though. At least he managed to spell Elan correctly. When he ripped off my Colorado vNet story, he kept referring to the company as "Colarado" vNet. Aussies!

Read:
CE Pro's Elan story
David's Elan story

Click to enlarge 

Click to enlarge

When a manloves a woman

Am I the only one that thinks this is a little bit funny?

Whole new meaning: Remote control battery charge

The Beacon-News reports:

Aaron Doan, 50, of the 0-99 block of Blackhawk Springs, Plano, was charged with felony domestic battery Wednesday after Sandwich police arrested him at Sandwich Manor, 216 E. Hall St., police said. Doan was there visiting a woman with whom he had been in a previous relationship, according to police, and the woman complained Doan had struck her in the face with a remote control.

'Die-hard' Longhorns fan

Iron image: Jesus or HDMI eye pattern?

You be the judge: Take the poll top right.

Mary Jo Coady of Methuen, Mass. thinks she found an image of Jesus on her iron.

According to the Boston Globe, she shared the photo on Facebook, and was reassured by friends that they, too, saw Jesus on the iron.

"So I said, 'OK, I'm not crazy,'" Coady said.

Funny thing is ... I received the same image from HDMI guru and CE Pro contributor Jeff Boccaccio who says, "When you turn the iron sideways,  it looks like an HDMI eye pattern."

Of course, I have my own ideas:

Only in Texas: Help save the room where Lee Harvey Oswald boarded

The granddaughter of the woman who owned the house where Lee Harvey Oswald boarded says the murderer's old room is in ill repair. Help Patricia Puckett Hall make the necessary repairs to the room -- take a tour of the Dallas home, and leave a donation.


Dallas Star-Telegram reports:

The 1930s-era home, two miles from Dealey Plaza, is showing signs of age.

Its red shingled roof leaks. The ceiling is peeling in places. The structure needs foundation work.

Even though two rent-paying tenants live in her basement, Hall says she doesn’t have money to make repairs. So she’s doing what neither her grandmother ("she was very embarrassed that Oswald lived here") nor Hall’s mother, Fay Puckett, who later lived in the home, would do.

At the urging of Ken Holmes Jr., a Dallas historian and historical tour guide, Hall agreed to permit the public into her home to view a room which will forever be linked with one of the most infamous crimes in history.

A donation box rests inside the front door of the dated living room.

The sign reads:

"Help Restore the Lee Harvey Oswald Room and Beckley Rooming House."

Wait ... it gets better:

Hall hopes to use donations to restore the room to appear as it did Nov. 22, 1963.

The bed and other original furnishings, she said, are stored at an undisclosed location.

Hall said that on that historic date 46 year ago, either the FBI or Dallas police searched Oswald’s belongings and left with the bedsheets, which upset her grandmother. Johnson, she said, had as many as 16 roomers living under her roof.

"She wanted those sheets," Hall said, "not because who slept on them. She was very pragmatic. She could have used them."

This month the gray fedora that strip club owner Jack Ruby wore when he fatally shot Oswald sold at a Dallas auction for $45,000.

What might Oswald’s bedsheets be worth?

"I dunno," Hall said. "But somebody has ’em somewhere."

With a laugh she made a public plea.

"If you have ’em, I’d like ’em back!"

Only in Texas: City saves house where Oswald kept gun

City taxes hard at work...

IRVING -- A Dallas suburb has agreed to pay $175,000 for the house where Lee Harvey Oswald stored the rifle used to assassinate President John F. Kennedy.

The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that the sum the Irving City Council agreed to pay is far more than the $84,000 value the Dallas Central Appraisal District lists for the property.

But Mayor Herbert Gears told the newspaper it's worth it because the house is a piece of history. The city has not yet decided what to do with the house.

[More from San Antonio Express]

A woman scorned

On the first day, she sadly packed her belongings into boxes, crates and suitcases.

On the second day, she had the movers come and collect her things.

On the third day, she sat down for the last time at their beautiful dining-room table, by candle-light; she put on some soft background music, and feasted on a pound of shrimp, a jar of caviar, and a bottle of spring-water.

When she'd finished, she went into each and every room and deposited a few half-eaten shrimps dipped in caviar into the hollow centre of the curtain rods.

She then cleaned up the kitchen and left.

On the fourth day, the husband came back with his new girlfriend, and at first all was bliss.

Then, slowly, the house began to smell.

They tried everything; cleaning, mopping, and airing-out the place.

Vents were checked for dead rodents, and carpets were steam cleaned.

Air fresheners were hung everywhere. Exterminators were brought into set off gas canisters, during which time the two had to move out for a few days, and in the end they even paid to replace the expensive wool carpeting. Nothing worked!

People stopped coming over to visit.

Repairmen refused to work in the house. The maid quit.

Finally, they couldn't take the stench any longer, and decided they had to move, but a month later - even though they'd cut their price in half - they couldn't find a buyer for such a stinky house.

Word got out, and eventually even the local realtors refused to return their calls.

Finally, unable to wait any longer for a purchaser, they had to borrow a huge sum of money from the bank to purchase a new place.

Then the ex-wife called the man and asked how things were going. He told her the saga of the rotting house. She listened politely and said that she missed her old home terribly and would be willing to reduce her divorce settlement in exchange for having the house.

Knowing she could have no idea how bad the smell really was,he agreed on a price that was only 1/10 th of what the house had been worth ... but only if she would sign the papers that very day.

She agreed, and within two hours his lawyers delivered the completed paperwork.

A week later the man and his girlfriend stood smiling as they watched the moving company pack everything to take to their new home .....

... and to spite the ex-wife, they even took the curtain rods!

Keeping abreast

Apple announced today that it has developed a breast implant that can store and play music. The iTit will cost from $499 to $699, depending on cup and speaker size. This is considered a major social breakthrough, because women are always complaining about men staring at their breasts and not listening to them.

Strange Google Alert

I have a Google Alert for "4Home", which makes software for home control, energy management and remote monitoring.

So I get all of the alerts about 4Home the store (big labor dispute going on right now!) but here's one I didn't see coming.

Of course, it doesn't surprise me, being a native Texan and all.

Say no to skinny chicks

It's darn nice to see a full-figured girl in an ad once in awhile.

Fall in Stillwater, MN

39 Cent

I remember when it was just me. Now 39 Cent Stamp is everyone's graphics bitch.

Great bureaucracy ideas #213: Office of Parenting

15 October 2009

Editor, Los Angeles Times

Dear Editor:

In her open letter to Richard Riordan, Esther Jantzen starts off well by discussing the importance to children's welfare of good parenting ("Dear Richard Riordan," Oct. 15).  But she soon goes completely off the rails by proposing "a federal and state Office of Parenting Education and a massive marketing campaign about best parenting practices."

Has the Cult of Politicization become so hypnotic that sober people sincerely believe that all serious problems can be solved by government bureaucrats?  Is this cult's influence now so great that it blinds us to the reality that any "Office of Parenting Education" will be a stage upon which rival political extremes - from Biblical literalists to Vegan Nudists for Hemp - routinely joust with each other for influence over parenting?  Do persons such as Ms. Jantzen not worry that a bureaucracy charged with "educating" parents will balloon, in budget and power, to eventually intrude itself into the most intimate and private aspects of family life?

Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Professor of Economics
George Mason University

http://www.cafehayek.com/

All I want for Chanukah...

Imagine how much I could save on space heating if I had these USB-powered warmers!

Stillwater, Minn. Oct. 12

 

I love Minnesota, I love Minnesota, I love Minnesota ...

Poll: Are you a geek just because you host a Win 7 launch party?

39 Cent Stamp

"I say, no, hosting a Windows 7 (with Media Center) party is not geeky, i do it all the time and friends are amazed at how cool and social the experience can be."

And this from someone who calls himself MediaCenter Guy. Right.

Participate in the poll, top right.

Responsible party tips for Win 7 Launch Party

Responsible Party Tips
Serving alcohol.

1. Designate a bartender who can serve your guests and keep an eye on how much everyone is drinking. The Federal Dietary Guidelines define moderate drinking as no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.
2. Remember: alcohol is alcohol. It is important to understand that a standard serving of beer (12 ounces), wine (five ounces) and spirits (a cocktail with 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits) each contains the same amount of alcohol.
3. Make sure that you provide food to complement your cocktails. Consider food pairings to enhance the flavors of your chosen cocktails: fresh seafood and breads accentuate vodka cocktails, spiced and smoked meats and cheeses complement Bourbon and Scotch whiskies, and fruit enhances rum and tequila flavors.
4. Make available non-alcohol beverages for your guests. Create festive non-alcoholic punch for those guests who choose not to drink alcohol.
5. Make sure your guests have a safe way home either through designated drivers or a taxi. Have local taxi service numbers available for your guests. 

Anyone have a recipe for festive non-alcoholic punch?

Celebrities not getting enough voice in healthcare debate

Even stupid people have B.A. degrees

Well, this doesn't help my own personal cause, but I do agree with Charles Murray whose rant was published in the New York Times Magazine.

 Do Away With B.A.

Discredit the bachelor’s degree as a job credential. It does not signify the acquisition of a liberal education. It does not even tell an employer that the graduate can put together a logical and syntactically correct argument. It serves as rough and unreliable evidence of a degree of intelligence and perseverance — that’s it. Yet across much of the job market, young people can’t get their foot in the door without that magic piece of paper.

As President Obama promotes community colleges, he could transform the national conversation about higher education if he acknowledges the B.A. has become meaningless. Then perhaps three reforms can begin: community colleges and their online counterparts will become places to teach and learn without any reference to the bachelor’s degree; the status associated with the bachelor’s degree will be lessened; and colleges will be forced to demonstrate just what their expensive four-year undergraduate programs do better, not in theory but in practice.


CHARLES MURRAY
Murray is the W. H. Brady scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and the author of ‘‘Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality.’’