I just witnessed a striking commercial on Hulu for a program that apparently airs on BBC-America. At first, I didn't have a clue to what they were selling, but after doing a quick search, I found that "Torchwood" will be starting its third season in a few days and I found my way back to the BBC-America site, where I saw that the new episodes will be available via iTunes.

I don't have an iPod and I'm one of the vast majority of people, who don't really listen to a lot of music and who've never purchased one of Apple's ridiculously small, proprietary devices.

In the past, whenever I've seen something that has interested me and learned that it's only available on iTunes, I've occasionally flipped over to their site to see if they've shut-down their sales-limiting walled garden. And, like every other time that I've done this with only a few early exceptions, I simply left after seeing that they still demand you to download some kind of spyware to shop in their store.

I don't want something that's going to search my hard-drive for non-existent music, I'd just like to see how much an episode of some particular program will cost and I'd like to know for certain that it'll play on a computer and not just some new-fangled pocket watch.

Is that really too much to ask?
Why can't I shop in their store?

Sure, Apple appears to be doing pretty well, but I'm not the only person who doesn't have iTunes on my computer and I'm among the majority. Therefore, I'm equally sure that if they'd set-up something like Amazon's "Video on Demand" store, they'd do a lot better because I for one would probably give them some money from time to time.

The founder and CEO of blogsearch Technorati has announced that he's stepping down from his executive position and installing a team of the company's Vice Presidents to serve as President. In his post explaining the move, Mr. Sifrey notes that their search for a replacement CEO has taken longer than anticipated, while others have noted that Technorati has benefited from several influxes of cash and may be headed toward oblivion because latecomer Google has been eating their shorts with a less functional tool.

I've long held that from the outside, Technorati looks like a good acquisition target for Yahoo! because it matches a lot of the criteria they've used in the past and a simple implementation of contextual advertising could be what the doctor ordered. Though I can speak only for myself, but I'd say that one of the big reasons that Technorati's widgets don't litter the web is because there's no back end from the results. Sure, Google hasn't offered an embeddable blogsearch and you're just left with their plain vanilla service, but if you use it or their "search within this site" functionality, the possibility does exist for you to monetize the results with AdSense.

Of course, Yahoo! is also in the business of contextual ads, plus their blogsearch tool was only available for a while and then it disappeared, or at least I can no longer find it. Nonetheless, it wouldn't take much for them to marry advertising to the Technorati widgets, but they have their own problems at this time and though I still think they should consider the purchase, if somebody were to ask me the solution to Yahoo!'s woes, the acquisition of Technorati would be the somewhere around third on my list.

It's still a good idea and the price is obviously ticking down, but since Mr. Sifrey made his announcement another scenario has popped into my head and because they aren't plagued by an infernal internal memo, it may actually be a more realistic option.

( My Suggestion )

Let me see, if I've got this straight.

If I were to enter Ace's "Dream Ace" contest, which they so kindly notified me about via email, it appears these are the steps;

I'll need to begin by taking an online multiple choice test that must be done in a single, forty-five minute session and all the questions must be answered for it to count. Then, I would need to answer three essay questions, using one hundred or fewer words for each response and this too will need to be done in a single online session that can not exceed two hours in length. This process will determine the fifty state winners, one from each state.

Those who move on from this round will go to New York for a thirty minute in-person interview with a select panel of Ace retailers. This interview will consist of questions being taken from a list that will be provided to each contestant.

On the morning following the interviews, Quarter-Finalists will be named and they each will do a ten minute presentation for pre-qualified Ace retailers and former Apprentice, Bill Rancic. The subject of the presentation will be yourself and why you should be named the "top aspiring entreprenuer" and it must be done without aids or handouts. After your individual presentation, you'll be subjected to another ten minutes of questions from the judges.

The next morning, the Semi-Finalists will be named and round four will commence that afternoon.

Survivors at this point in the contest will begin by taking a written sales aptitude test in New York City, then a week later, they'll need to submit a business and marketing plan in Chicago. On the day following their plan submission, all semi-finalists will be required to attend a boot camp at Lou Manfredini's* Ace Hardware Store in Chicago, where they'll be assigned in-store activities and judged on their performance.

Afterward, each contestant will be required to attend an all-day session in the corporate offices, where their performance will not be judged and they will be expected to pay a one-day visit to the location of the prize store. Then, the two highest-scoring finalists will be named and they'll need to attend the company's retailer convention in Las Vegas, approximately one week later.

Oh, and all contestants must agree to and maintain good standing with credit and background checks.

All to win a new, fully-stocked Ace Hardware in Houston with a fifteen year lease, plus $20k in moving expenses.

Does that sound right? Do you think I've got it?
The rules, prize info and actual contest procedure are really in such a skinny screen.

After all, I got the email because I'm a registered customer of my local store, so obviously there's an Ace near my home, which left me wondering after seeing the sparse contest pages; Exactly where would the "prize" be located?

Now, I know.

*"The Helpful Hardware Man"

During last night's Studio 60, NBC aired a commercial for SNL's website with an emphasis on their exclusive backstage footage. So, during a show about the backstage happenings of a show based on the "Saturday Night Live" model, the backstage happenings of the real thing was advertised.

Also and along the same vein: In advance of Staple's Mailmate shredder being used during an episode of The Office, the company sent out a press release and bought a full color ad. This same shredder was used as a prize during a comedy bit on Leno's Thanksgiving night episode, he gave one to all of the soldiers in the audience along with an iPod and a couple of other things.

Considering that Tina Fey's, backstage at an SNL-like show has shown no qualms about highlighting GE products and has even turned it into a joke; Could one surmise that the recent Studio 60, where management advocated adding more product placement may have been based on real meeting and a real request from the network?

As a quick update to my previous post concerning the OJ book and special:
Rupert Murdoch himself has released a statement canceling both releases.

So, there may or may not be a book or special, both produced by subsidiaries of News Corp, which Judith Regan has described as a confession, but we'll never be able to judge his responses for ourselves. The firestorm of publicity has made this "confession" such common knowledge that people like Nancy Grace, John Gibson and Bill O'Reilly could feel comfortable treating it as fact. Though, no one has actually seen any of it and we can't even swear any of it really exists. All the while, if I were a conspiracy theorist, one could argue that the discussion of these projects and now their cancellations will dominate talking heads and late night monologues, so they've also diverted attention from the recent election and ongoing reorganization of Congress.

Well played Mr Murdoch, well played. I don't know whether it was a game and if so, what was your goal, but let's just say; "Money for nothing and chicks for free". It's more than a mantra, it's also a valid strategy in the 21st century.

Earlier, nebris pointed toward a long piece from Friday's New York Post, in which Judith Regan offers an explanation for why she's publishing the O.J. book and recorded the infamous interview.

Basically, she claims to have been a battered spouse and when the opportunity presented itself, where she could finagle a confession from O.J., it'd be like she was striking a blow for battered women, everywhere. She explains in the article that experts have told her, killers will often confess in the hypothetical and by doing the project, she feels that she may have diagnosed his psychological problem or mental defect and for all intents and purposes, she projects it onto batterers as a group.

I can't see into the deepest recesses of her soul, but based on the book's cover design (pictured) and one of the pull quotes from the special, it appears that she has a definite point of view and isn't afraid to paint the picture, she feels to be accurate.

So, if Ms Regan's motivations are noble, where does that put News Corp and Rupert Murdoch?

News Corp owns Regan Books through their Harper Collins division. Her explanation was published in the New York Post, which is also owned by Mr Murdoch's company. I can't find the name of the company producing the television special, which reportedly will not be carried in the Albuquerque market, but it's scheduled for Fox Broadcasting and they probably produced it through one of its sister divisions, all owned by News Corp.

Fox News, which is also owned by Murdoch and is under the direction of Roger Ailes, who also heads the Fox Television Station group has been railing against the show. Bill O'Reilly has been quoted as saying that he won't watch the program, look at the book or purchase anything from anyone who advertise during its broadcast. Throughout the entire personality chain of Fox News, the television special and sweeps stunt is being called the lowest of the low.

Jon Stewart did a bit some time ago, where he drew attention to Fox's use of a question mark to get away with putting any outrageous statement on the screen. Several divisions of News Corp have questioned the objectivity of "60 Minutes" doing newsmaker interviews, in advance of a book release from another division of Viacom, Simon & Shuster. Bob Woodward's and Richard Clarke's book come to mind, as do a few others. Perhaps, by screaming about the morality of something done by other divisions from their same parent, the whole exercise could be called another method of applying a question mark or a "Cavuto" to the matter.

As I said, I don't know if Ms Regan's reasonings are based entirely in reality, I've never met the woman. Though, it does make sense, especially when you consider the way the ads have been cut, her public statements and the creative use of color on the book jacket.

Nevertheless, News Corp is fueled entirely by money and by playing both sides of the fence, they're making it coming and going.
---

Update: Both projects have now been cancelled by Rupert Murdoch, himself and I've posted additional thoughts on the subject.

I was reading a nonsense story in Broadcasting & Cable about ABC/Disney withholding clips of Meredith Vieira from an NBC package welcoming her to The Today Show. One would think that with a little publicity, the House of Mouse might relent because as Ms Vieira's agent says, their use would also help promote both The View and the Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? franchise.

The article itself isn't important and wouldn't be of interest unless you're a devotee of the shows, or if you enjoy reading about the competitive landscape of the television business, or if you have two minutes to kill and nothing better to do. The content wasn't what prompted this post. Instead, it was the Google Ads which I've excerpted above and because it didn't always come up on a reload, I've also archived in context for posterity.

I'm not exactly sure which keywords were purchased by the New York Times, but the third AdSense listing links directly to an NY Times story from June 28th about Star Jones Reynolds and because it intrigued me, I did a little experimentation and found that the same ad came up on a random story about Ms Jones on Defamer, which I've also archived with a screencap. This strongly implies to me that "The Newspaper of Record" has bought the term "The View" because Star's name isn't in the B&C piece and Meredith's isn't in Defamer entry, so for some reason, they're willing to pay to attract readers interested in that particular subject.

ValleyWag has posted a YouTube of Andrew Baron explaining the Rocketboom situation to a conference audience. After watching all twenty-seven minutes, I had a couple of thoughts that I wanted to put into a comment, but the fellow is having enough problems and he's less likely to see my words over here, so I'm hoping you'll indulge me and possibly weigh-in with your thoughts.

1. I feel a little for the audience because at least I have a pause button and can get up from my desk.



2. I've never met the dude, but I can see why some of his friends have been hinting at how offbase, the rumors of a failed romantic relationship between him and Ms Congdon have been from the truth.



3. He says that though he was acting as the business side, it isn't what he wanted to do or where his interests lie. Amanda was supposed to be the talent; He was supposed to be the creative and they've been looking for a businessperson. Clearly this has been the case and a later statement might illustrate one of the shortcomings with a lot of computer people in general.
   
   Toward the end of the video, he says that he's been putting his focus and all of his energy into getting a show done today (Monday). And, he won't be cashing-in on what promises to be a huge influx of traffic because he wouldn't want anyone to think of him as the evil businessperson. Considering that a large part of the recent problems have been monetary in nature and the continued popularity of his service is in doubt; Was this really the wisest decision?

Dear Auto Salespeople;

I'm not really a hostile guy, but by the third lot and becoming the victim of my fourth swarm, I may be prone to snap.

I realize that you're working on commission and that some of you will not get paid, if I don't buy a car, but what percentage of people walk onto a lot and drive away with a vehicle? I'm going to guess that it isn't very many and most people are like us, they have a list of models they'd like to see and in our case, try-on. After all, we've got all these figures about head and leg room from Consumer Reports, but what do they really mean and how does it fit someone sitting in the backseat?

Through today's effort, we've narrowed our list down to two possibilities. More focused research will be done to compare and contrast these two options. We will also be checking the price difference between new and slightly used, plus now that we're familiar with your promotional packages, we'll be doing the math to determine the best way for us to pay for the vehicle. Sometime next week, we'll probably return to the city for a test drive and at that time, we may be willing to sit down and do the nitty-gritty.

Today was a reconnaissance mission. We needed to look at the actual vehicles and narrow our list. We will be buying something within the next couple of weeks. We've procrastinated too long and we need something larger for our family. No, Mr Toyota Guy, we weren't leaving the lot because we hadn't been assaulted by an over-eager salesperson. We sat in your option, pushed the seat all the way back and my knee was penned into a small area between the console and steering column. All of the vehicles are in a same price bracket, they all get good rankings and similar mileage. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do, if I don't fit.

.	Have a Nice Day and I Have Your Card; discreet_chaos

When my wife and I lived in Maine, I'd pick up side money as a step-on guide. Because I've always have had a pretty fluid schedule and always received good reviews for my tours, I was often called on for a random tour company, but the real money was from servicing the cruise ships. Their numbers have increased over the past decade, but a quick glance at the Chamber's schedule for 2006 easily illustrates that it is big business for the town. The tourists shop, eat and take tours, while for some reason the foreign workers that would actually make the ships run, often seemed to force a line to form outside of the Timberland store.

Back when I would lead tours, there was an established operator who coordinated for both bus companies and cruise ships, plus he had a much smaller competitor in each field. The older gentleman with the most business would "punish" you, if you did any work for his competitors and since I considered him to be as friendly with me, as he possibly could be with anyone* and because he had all of the major operators and the biggest ships under contract, I stuck with the fellow that introduced me to the industry.

I remember my pay was $35 a tour, plus tips and we were employed as independent contractors. A standard step-on job would give you between $25 and $50 in tips, while most ship tours would provide between $50 and $100 in immediate, unrecorded cash. On a good day at the peak of foliage season, if there were enough reservations for some of us to do two tours, you could easily pocket $175-$200 for a morning's work and that'd be on top of the $70 that you'd get later by check. Also, if anyone is keeping score at home and might be considering the business, the cruise ships usually booked between ten and twenty buses, per trip.

Of course my tour was heavily researched and orchestrated. I'd give them all the facts and figures. I'd touch on early history of the island and explain how glaciers carved the landscape. When we were in sight of "The Bubbles", I'd give them the legend about how they looked like breasts from the sea and their names were cleaned-up for a general audience. As we'd go up Cadillac Mountain, I'd tell about old-timers driving on the frozen lake below and talk about the geology, flora and fauna, plus I'd explain about the old cog railway that used to go up the hill. On the way back down, I'd give a count of the islands of Maine and how it has the longest shoreline of any state, if you count the perimeters of these islands and I'd list modern celebrities who have homes in the area.

A large percentage of my tour was cultural history. I'd point to the lawn where the Boston Symphony would play during the "Gilded Age", back when Bar Harbor rivaled Newport as a playground for the rich. As we'd go by the yellow house, I'd point to the garage, where there is a turntable built into the floor. "You just drive onto the plate and use the controls to spin your car, so that you wouldn't have to back out". This story would segue nicely into a legend about Fredrick Vanderbilt having his formal dining table built on a hydraulic lift, so the maids could set the table out of sight and it'd rise through the floor, fully prepared for service.

When we were over by the Rockefeller estate, I'd start by pointing toward the drive that used to go back to the Ford Estate, then I'd explain how that after you cross a tiny strip of National Park, you'd be on the remaining Rockefeller property and how it is mostly open to the public. I'd go into a little detail about John Jr's "Eyrie" and how it had 2,280 windows and I used to know how many baths, but I've long ago forgotten. I'd tell them how the old man had ordered the house to be torn down upon his death, but David and his family have a small compound of houses on the non-public part of the property and I'd usually throw-in that Nelson was born on the island, then I'd wait to see if any old guy would pipe-up with a joke about his death, before I'd do one of my own.

As we'd make our way through the woods toward the road up Cadillac Mountain, I'd rattle off a bunch of big money names who had homes on the island. I'd explain how the double whammy of World War II and the Great Depression, followed by a fire that destroyed most of the "cottages" on the Bar Harbor side of the island, prompted John D. Rockefeller Jr. and a man named George Dorr to ask the wealthy landowners to donate their property to what would become America's first national park, east of the Mississippi. I'd also go into some detail about Mr Rockefeller financing the CCC to build an extensive and elaborate system of trails and carriage roads, plus how he had employed the leading landscape architects of the day to pick the views and manage the cuttings and plantings.

If you were to visit the island today, there are still some of these celebrated homes in Bar Harbor proper, Seal Harbor, where the Rockefeller Estate is actually located and over around Northeast Harbor. Most of the more ostentatious homes that remain are up an unmarked drive, guarded by their isolation, caretakers and a handful of household staff, but there are some pretty impressive homes visible from the street or the Shore Path. The area has obviously evolved into the modern era and there is a greater mix of incomes than there may have been in the day. Mount Desert Island is still something of a playground for the very rich, but as I've said before, during the summer tourist season, I'd guess there's two to three hundred homeless workers living in the woods.

It is with all of this background, plus a lot more knowledge that I can understand this article from the current Bar Harbor Times, though it still gives me pause. A developer is planning a luxury condo development on a hillside with spectacular harbor views, but four or five blocks from the bay and I assume no water access, or at least none on the main property. They have planned twenty-six units marked at $1 million apiece, plus another twenty-six timeshares to be sold at $200,000 for a two week annual stay.

*Both, him and Scrooge were cut from the same cloth

If I'm reading correctly, opening a small to medium-sized Sears Dealer or Associate Store requires an initial investment between $42k and $103k, plus three to six months in operating reserves. Prospective owners are required to have at least $10,000 in cash, along with a positive net worth. While to do a Dunkin Donuts, which could possibly be sold only by territories, you'd be required to have at least $650k in liquid assets and a net worth of at least $1.2 million. To open or buy a single brand, single location Baskin-Robbins licensed by the same parent, prospective owners would need to have at least $125k on hand and a $350k net worth.

According to the Hartford Courant, the Attorney General of the State of Connecticut is investigating civil measures he could take against MySpace, including possibly seeking a court order to shut the site down. First of all, I'd like to say good luck. MySpace is owned by Rupert Murdoch and not only is he a shrewd businessperson, but he's announced it's an integral part of his plans.

What prompted this morning's article is the revelation that MySpace has been used by twenty-something men to pick up and have sex with underage girls. By my count from reading the piece, it appears that there are at least six local cases under investigation and though the details are different, it sounds very similar to a New Mexico incident which I mentioned, a few weeks ago.

If you visit the official website of Connecticut's Attorney General, you will find a statement focusing on the ease of finding pornographic images and adult content on the site. This topic is also covered on the pages of the Hartford paper and it all juxtaposes nicely with the recent announcement; Playboy is conducting a search for "The Girls of MySpace."

In an interview with the Associated Press, President Bush defended Exxon Mobil's record-breaking profit of $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter and $36.13 billion for the year by blaming it on the market. Back in 2000, when he was first running for office, in response to Democratic calls for an investigation into the skyrocketing cost and shortages of electricity in California and along the West Coast, he used similar language to that, which he employed on Wednesday.

We now know that in the California case, Enron and others were requesting abnormal amounts of electricity through deeply hidden subsidiaries and then, their parent company or another subsidiary would bid to satisfy the demand. In some instances, the faked demand for electricity was more than the system could transport and because there never was a reason to actually pump that power, it was all an illusion to create phantom shortages. Due to flaws in the California market, these "shortages" would result in the energy firms getting "emergency" prices at an inflated rate, which resulted in higher consumer costs and increased profits.

Mr Bush and his campaign blamed the situation on the marketplace and the lack of new generating plants in the state. Now, he's using similar terminology to defend Exxon and the other oil companies. When asked, the oil companies mutter some nonsense about their wholesale rates increasing and try to toss some blame onto the shortage of refineries in this country.

A simple, cursory glance at the quarterly and annual reports of Exxon Mobil shows that their revenues and profits are broken down into a couple of sectors. First, there is what they call "downstream" and that includes the sale of gasoline at local outlets. The other is referred to as being "upstream" and this includes the wholesale delivery of oil and the monies from their refineries. According to the recent press release; Upstream earnings were $7,038 million in the fourth quarter, an increase of $2,151 million over 2004.

By all appearances, the marketplace that the President is once again defending is similar to the one he supported during the 2000 election cycle. The huge oil conglomerates are selling fuel to themselves and to others at an inflated price. And, while it is true that in the case of Exxon Mobil, downstream earnings increased by only $46 million over the fourth quarter of 2004; The bulk of their profits have migrated upstream and in the course of this magic act, they've created straw men for their PR departments to blame.

When Bob Iger was first named to succeed Micheal Eisner, I posted how I was a member of the Roy Disney camp and couldn't think of another public figure with the imagination to replace Uncle Walt, other than Steve Jobs. As you are undoubtedly aware, the deal was just finalized between Pixar and Disney which makes Mr Jobs their largest stockholder and gives him a seat on the board.

We know he has Roy's support and many of those for whom he speaks. If you wanted my advice and please keep in mind that I've had mixed results and a vested interest, so take it for what it's worth; But, you might want to wait for the initial euphoria to settle and the shorts to cover, plus see what kind of public statements are made, then buy Disney on a lull. If and more likely when, they either tire of Bob Iger or find a price to buy him out, my money would be for Steve Jobs to move into the corner office and it'll go again.

Governor Richardson has outlined his agenda for the upcoming legislative session and though it's not directly related, one of the entries reminded me of what I assume has been a failure to think outside the box.

Among his proposals is a bid to up the budget for the "Job Training Incentive Program" from $10 to $20 million. Though I haven't researched this program, the papers are saying that it pays part of an employee's wages during the training period and is used for industrial recruitment. This caused me to think about how other states use their community college system to train workers for specific industries and this reminded me of a suggestion I've made which as far as I know, it hasn't gotten any follow-through.

I was attending a local forum and in the discussion, we learned that some participants in the farmer's market would like access to a large, code-compliant kitchen. This wasn't particularly germane to the forum topic, so in the reception part of the program, I found the person who had asked about a kitchen and explained that it should be possible to do with minimum investment.

Once again in other localities, businesses can rent school facilities during the off-hours. I know of some who rent computer labs to conduct classes, others who do a church and I've actually looked into the matter, when I had a project that needed a lot of data-entry. Personally, I didn't go that route and instead, I constructed a work-at-home program and recruited mostly housewives to do my work, but I did research the idea. At this particular meeting, I suggested that if local farmers need a kitchen, perhaps they could form some kind of co-op and rent one of the school cafeterias. And, while I've also not followed-up because it didn't directly affect me, I haven't seen any press or indications that my suggestion went anywhere beyond those that heard me at the forum.

As my title says, this really has nothing to do with nothing, but I do think it's a good example of the need to sometimes think outside the box and I felt it could be worth mentioning. Otherwise, I pretty much support all of Mr Richardson's proposals as they have been explained, though I would like a little more information about the Spaceport and its associated industrial park.