An ABC news report yesterday quoted a poll that said that over half of the respondents thought that President Obama is not doing a good job with regards to the economy. That number would of course be (to say the least) significantly higher in a poll of KNSS listeners. Initially our current President enjoyed fairly favorable approval numbers. If I’m remembering it right (and if the polls are accurate) it was something like low to mid 60 percent or so. And that’s considered fairly good. It’s also fairly common for a new President to have pretty good numbers and then have that approval erode away. By the end of the George W. Bush Presidency his approval numbers were abysmal, which isn’t very unusual for an outgoing President. Of course approval numbers for Congress are and have for some time been even lower than Presidential approval percentages.
Now I know that as Americans we love democracy, but it seems like we hate our government. No matter who’s in charge, they seem to be disliked by a majority of Americans. Now we could just be disagreeable and unsatisfied by nature (and I know many people who are like that) but that seems to say that Americans love democracy, but hate our politicians. Now to someone from another country that might seem like a contradiction, but as an American… that’s EXACTLY how I feel most of the time. Now without getting into my own political views (which for the most part would sound O.K. to an average KNSS listener) I will say that I am sick of all the same old song and dance on Capitol Hill. Our current President promised us change, but have we really started going in a positive direction? And would it have been any better with a victory from any of the other candidates? I really doubt it.
Wow, aren’t I just “Mr. Positive” today. Well, actually I do have another alternative to suggest today. But before we get into that, yes I called our government a democracy. I’m well aware that by definition our government is actually a representative republic. I’ve had that pointed out to me before and I’m fairly sure that this is not a “little known fact.” KNSS listeners are a fairly well educated bunch and I’m fairly sure that means we all got through a middle-school Civics or Government class. Most of us just chose not to split hairs and annoy others. But that little diatribe brings me to my alternative solution to “politics as usual.”
A representative republic is a fairly efficient way to practice democracy. It was the most efficient way to do so when our country was founded. But communications technology has advanced well beyond the imaginations of our founding fathers. I mean after all; when they gave us the right to bear arms, they were talking about a musket that fires once (and is very inaccurate) and takes 35 seconds or so to reload. I’m not for gun control; I just want to make sure that folks realize that the founder’s intentions don’t really apply to the unstable guy down the street who has a Tech 9. I’m not saying he should not have the right to own it (or carry it or whatever) but that’s a totally different situation than “a well armed militia,” with muskets keeping the King of England from quartering soldiers in our houses. What I’m getting at is this: technology has changed the world. The founding fathers did a fantastic job of creating a governing document that leaves room to evolve with the times. So perhaps it’s time the way we govern changes as well. The internet, e-mail, twitter, facebook, smartphones and apps all have made a totally new type of politician possible. I’ll play the role of our “new candidate” and you tell me if you would vote for this type of politician.
What’s my political party? Whichever one gets me on the ballot the easiest. Republican, Democrat, Reform, independent, whatever is easy. What’s my platform? Don’t have one, it wouldn’t matter if I did or not. If I’m elected I’ll create a website. Folks from my district can log on and apply for a free registration to the site. Each voter is personally confirmed by my staff IN PERSON so there will be no chance of fraud or out of district voting. One voter and one vote, on the website once logged on is a copy of every proposal I’m voting on that day and a live video of the session so folks can listen in. Also on the site is active twitter feedback so folks and I can discuss things during the session. And finally the poll that will determine which way I vote on every single issue. Simple majority rule, I am LITERALLY the voice of my constituents. No matter my personal feelings about any vote, I do what the majority of those voting in my district that are logged on tell me to do. I’ll even have a message board/forum where folks can create and present legislation. If a majority of all of my constituents agree with the legislation, I’ll run it past a legal consultant, re-submit it for perusal to my voters and if approved I’ll bring it before the correct committee or sub-committee.
So, actual DIRECT democracy, possible at last. How about it, would you vote for me? In this hypothetical situation.
I happen to really like Wichita, but as with almost everything else there’s room for improvement. And yesterday on Steve and Ted in the Morning we had audio from City Manager Robert Layton talking about the projected budget shortfall. One answer (of many, I know) is get more taxpayers, another is reduce unemployment with more jobs. And those things go together, more jobs attracts more people and so on. Now there are a variety of ways to bring new employers to the area, and encourage existing businesses to stay and expand. Tax incentives, housing costs, good schools, crime rate, entertainment value; all that and much more are taken into consideration.
Another drain on the taxpayer pool is the so called “brain drain.” I’ve never liked that term for it, but I don’t have a better one I suppose. Young people graduate from high school or college, and then right before the prime of their taxpaying years… they move. Gravitate towards other cities and states for more money, better and more easily obtained jobs, milder climates, entertainment value. Again, a host of reasons. My friends are a great group of guys and girls, but sometimes I feel like the only one who truly enjoys living here in Wichita. Many of them would “get away if they could.” Some of them have. And it’s a sentiment I hear more and more from the younger set.
So looking at those 2 problems facing our city, let’s talk about one of the solutions on both of those lists. Entertainment Value. A big complaint among my age group and the afore mentioned younger set is “there’s just nothing to do here.” Not wishing to disparage my own generation too much, but some of that attitude is just plain laziness. I find plenty of things to do here, and when I enjoy these events a lot of folks my age or younger ask “that sounded fun, how did you find out about it?” Well, I pay attention and I look for it. I don’t care where you live; entertainment does not just fall into your lap. That being said, Wichita without a doubt could use a boost in its entertainment value. The Intrust Bank Arena is proving its worth, with top-tier acts and sold out events. Someone said from the start that it should have been bigger, at least 20,000 seats. Yeah, that was me. And I put up with all of the naysayers and cavers scorn. “But what about parking?” A clear win for me, parking is better and faster than at the Coliseum. “Tax increases never go away.” Another win for me, after the 30 months the tax did indeed go away. And the most common (and frankly, stupid) argument I heard… “we don’t even fill the arena we have.” We proved that wrong long before the IBA was built by putting almost 4 times the Coliseum’s capacity into Cessna Stadium for the Rolling Stones. If only we’d built it bigger, we could be hosting a NCAA Regional game, and seeing all those team’s worth of fans come to Wichita to spend money. Oh well. Yes, the IBA’s “newness” will wear off, but it has been a very successful start and a good start to increasing Wichita’s entertainment value.
In an earlier blog I proposed a “Gamers Haven” type of video game destination, with the possibility of a yearly video game convention tie-in. Yeah it would cost money, and someone would have to build it and get it going. If I had a few extra million, that’s what I would do. But sometimes it does not take a huge new building or business to make a change. Yesterday on “Steve and Ted” we also talked about a net revenue loss for Riverfest this year. Riverfest used to be a yearly outing for me and my family. We’d sit on the west riverbank and cheer at the Antique Bathtub Races. Now those are gone, and I have not been to a Riverfest event for years. Last year a couple of friends and I went to the Smoky Hills River Festival in Salina. Hands down it was a better time than the last couple of Wichita Riverfests that I attended. What we need is a new marquee day-long event. And I have a suggestion, and it’s good. Wichita Riverfest should host a “Red Bull Flugtag.” It’s a human-powered flying machine competition. Contestants build silly looking contraptions which they then pilot to spectacular splashdowns in a body of water after being pushed off a 30 foot ramp. YouTube has some good videos of prior Flugtags. Aren’t we the “Air Capital,” wouldn’t this fit us like a glove? This would pack the river banks. But once again, I’m facing naysayers. The most common argument is “liability, no one would want to get sued if anyone got hurt.” It’s another bad argument; liability didn’t stop Austin, New York, Los Angles, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, Portland, Cleveland, Baltimore, Nashville, and Tampa Bay. All have hosted the “Red Bull Flugtag.” It’s even got its own built in sponsor, and if they don’t want to do it we could just steal the idea and call it something different. The only problem I see is the brainac engineers at Spirit, Raytheon, and Cessna might just actually build something that flies. Someone will have to remind them that this is just for fun and all about the big crash.
It’s just another idea, I’m sure there are some better ones out there. Reply with some good ones, I love to hear some ideas about how to make Wichita better. Or just reply to tell me how bad my ideas are, whatever works.
There’s really something satisfyingly ironic about scammers and data thieves. They’re in a continual search for unearned money, breaking the law to try for the “easy money.” But I imagine it’s pretty hard work constantly tweaking and updating versions of malware to try and stay ahead of the anti-virus and anti-spyware companies out there. And I know they work hard, some of the malware out there is pretty subtle and well-designed. I imagine if you are reading this blog, then it is most likely that you are pretty computer savvy. But I have some more tips for those of you new to computers, or for you to pass on to someone else who’s new to the digital world.
1. I know it’s hard, but if you don’t know the sender of an e-mail… don’t open it. Only accept e-mail from folks you know, work with or do business with, and services that you personally subscribe to or ask for. In my inboxes everything else gets deleted without even previewing it.
2. That “joke” e-mail that is going around. The one that your buddies forwarded to you because it has the “funniest picture” or the “best video I’ve ever seen…” don’t open it. Mass-forwarded e-mails are a big carrier of malware. I routinely block any address that sends me such mass-forwarded stuff. I’ve blocked my own mother before… I really did. Is it rude? Yes it is, but it teaches a lesson in netiquette and safety that more people should learn. Folks have finally caught on to the “chain letter” scam. But the mass-forwarded “joke” emails still get people. Besides, I can tell you what you’re missing. The animal will poop on something, the children (or puppies and kitties) will do something cute, and the football (soccer ball, skateboard, etc) will hit that guy in his gentlemen’s area.
3. There’s a new category of mass-forwarded email out there infecting computers. This one really has me seeing red too. Prayer requests. That’s right, the email that you are expected to get and forward that asks for prayers for a missing child, cancer patient, or soldier overseas now can contain malware. I don’t know which is sadder really; the fake prayer request sent out just to scam people into downloading malware, or the real request that has had malware added to it. That’s right; some kid with cancer out there really could use your prayers, but the email that his friends and family started has been altered to contain malware and is stealing identities. Anyone on that forward list could have altered that email to scam people. To be safe, just delete it without reading it. You will probably feel bad about it (I do sometimes) but just remember, the scammers are the bad guys that made this a necessary precaution.
4. And if you use a computer at work, never install or update any program without the go-ahead from your IT person. Malware can be disguised as a routine system update for commonly used programs. If you get a pop up asking for permission to download an update, call your business’ tech guy. Don’t fear “bothering” him, It will be worse on him if he has to get rid of the Spyware and Viruses.
And because of the sad state of the economy, there are a lot of jobless folks out there. And I have a couple of things to say about the online aspects of job hunting.
1. I’ve recently heard advertisements about “job search” websites. Now I’m an advocate of all things internet, but… I’ve looked for jobs online. I know people who have looked for jobs online. I can’t really say that in my own experience I’ve known online searching to be all that effective. I’m not saying don’t try it; just make sure that the online job search is only part of your efforts. It’s still very important to go and drop off resumes and fill out the applications in person.
2. And I’ve heard reports about using social networking (facebook, myspace, twitter) to help with job searching. I have to caution against that as well. I know that more and more employers are looking at the facebook pages of potential employees. I’m sure that it helps employers know “what kind of person” they are, but it also tells an employer something else too. A frequently visited, often-updated social networking page might give the impression that a potential employee would spend a lot of his or her work time checking facebook. (or myspace or whatever) Just be sure that you’ll be sending the right message to a potential employer with your page. If you’re having trouble getting a job, try getting rid of that social networking page. That might help too.
Until next time…
Which is an odd title considering that I don’t like unnecessary sequels. Well, let’s start with Television and work our way to movies. Of course growing up in the 80’s I enjoyed the children’s programming of the time. Although I really did like the Loony Tunes and Merrie Melodies of the 60’s and 70’s that were still running in syndication. I guess even as a kid I had a taste for the Classics. That bit in “From Hare to Heir” with Sam falling down the stairs can still make me laugh, and I’m in my 30’s. TV’s kind of tough to judge for me though. I already have other time consuming hobbies, I really don’t watch too much TV. Sitcoms, I can only think of 2 that I watched much of. M*A*S*H and The Simpsons. Ok, I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I liked the 2 longest running sitcoms of all time. But it’s true, those 2 are the only ones I stuck with and have seen every episode of. MASH was a favorite of my Dad’s, and we would watch it while it was in syndication. Favorite Episode… either “5:00 Charlie,” or “Dreams.” Simpsons is just something I don’t miss. Over the years my interest in other sitcoms fades quickly, but I still keep up with The Simpsons. As far as hour long dramatic shows… well, I am a classic geek. Of course I watched Star Trek. Back when it was on channel 8, I loved that show. I also caught episodes of the old Tom Baker “Dr. Who” on PBS in those days. I watched the “Next Generation” Star Trek series that started up when I was a teenager, but never really caught on with any of the Trek shows beyond that point. Best Trek episode ever… “City on the Edge of Forever,” still my favorite episode of any television show I have ever watched. I was an “X-Files” fan in the 90’s, but only until season 5. It seemed to get bogged down in its own storyline from that point on and I lost interest. And currently I’m watching “Fringe,” and liking it. Other shows I’ve caught online or on DVD after friends recommended them. Ted and his brother got me to start watching the new “Battlestar Galactica.” I’ve liked it so far. Friends suggested the new “Dr. Who” as well, and I’m enjoying that as well. But my 2 favorites by far… “Firefly” and “Carnivale.” Firefly was canceled after 12 episodes, and I may never forgive that network for it. For anyone who wants to watch a fantastic western series, check out Firefly. Yes, it happens on a spaceship. But trust me, it’s a western. And Carnivale, there’s another network that I’ll never forgive. Carnivale is quite simply beyond all other television. Its vision and cinematography are as good as the finest Oscar nominated films, it tells a compelling story, and it assembled an amazing cast to put it all together. Canceled unexpectedly after 2 seasons, Carnivale never got to finish telling its story.
Movies… I like good, story driven Sci-Fi. “Blade Runner,” “Star Wars,” (the late 70’s early 80’s Star Wars) and such, no real surprises there. But for most movies, I’m just looking for the good surprise. I really love the “wow, that was better than I expected” movie. I recently watched Richard Kelly’s “The Box.” Kelly is an amazing director. The complex twists and turns in his movies always leave you wanting more. I like the “serial killer” type movies, true crime like “Zodiac” and total fiction like “Silence of the Lambs.” And of course, I’m a guy… I like guy movies. Buddy-cop action comedies, criminal heist movies, spy thrillers, war movies, big explosions, special effects, fast cars and beautiful women. But I really like it when those movies are well written and clever. Sure, I liked “Lethal Weapon.” But I enjoyed Canada’s “Bon Cop, Bad Cop” even more. And I like scary movies. That’s a very small category for me though, because a movie has to actually scare me before I’ll like it. And the gory slasher, sudden “jump moments” and CGI monsters just don’t faze me. I prefer the villains “you don’t see.” Or the ones that speak through other forms or people. Steven King’s “It” is pretty terrifying; Tim Curry was just amazing as Pennywise the Clown. One of the first movies that really scared me, and is still one of my favorites, is Disney’s “Watcher in the Woods.” But as much as I like the “unseen villain” I don’t like the new “true,” “realistic,” “hand recorded”, “reality horror” genre. “Cloverfield, ”Quarantine,” “Paranormal Activity…” it’s not just the shaky-cam filming. There just has yet to be a well written one.
I have found myself wondering lately… “How well does our audience know me?” Steve and Ted, they wear their personalities very openly on the morning show. If you think you could guess what they were like if you met them personally, you probably could. But me? Well I give the traffic reports, do the overnight news, and chime in from time to time on the morning show. But I have a hard time gauging how much of “me” comes through sometimes. My traffic trackers are fantastic people, and I wish I had more time to converse with them in the mornings as they report their traffic observations and gas prices to me every morning. It’s a shame that as the show’s producer I usually have about 10 things to do in the next couple of minutes, for every minute of the show. Otherwise I’d spend most of my non-air time every morning chatting with the trackers. Perhaps it’s for the best though; I imagine I get a lot of cell phone calls from people while driving. Maybe its better that I don’t distract them. But if I could talk longer with the callers, it would be easier to gauge how the listeners feel about me.
There’s really only 2 things at fault for this though, one is just the format of the show itself. We run a radio program that’s jam packed with content, and the largest part of the time we have left have to go to conversations between Steve and Ted. And that’s a good thing, they’re the reason everyone tunes in. And the rest of the fault is mine. I can’t just expect people to like me, I have to give them a reason to. In other words, I gotta try a little harder.
So let’s look at what the blog readers know about me. They know what I do here at Entercom, and that I like hockey, books, and video games. I know some things about tech stuff, and the internet…
I can do better than that, and I think I should start by elaborating a little on those things. It’s pretty obvious that I like the Wichita Thunder (and I am very excited about our new head coach) but I have a favorite NHL team as well. I’m a Chicago Blackhawks fan, and have been since the last set of good days with Belfour, Chelios, and Roenick when I first started watching hockey. For the non-hockey folks out there, think early 90’s. I’m so pumped that the ‘Hawks are back in the playoffs again, and as of this update are up 2 – 0 in the conference finals.
Books, well like so many of my other pursuits, I can’t really shake that “geek” label. I like sci-fi and fantasy fiction. I love the classics in the genre; Clarke, Azimov, Heinlein, and Wells are some of my favorites. My all time favorite book is “A Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. I’m also a fan of Phillip K. Dick and William Gibson. My newest favorites are the “Dresden Files” series by Jim Butcher, and the “Nightside” books by Simon Green. Both series mix the traditional “Noir” private detective genre, with a sort of “Harry Potter” fantasy element. Despite the “Potter” label though, neither series is suitable for children. Adult language and descriptions of graphic violence lie within. And for those who are wondering, yes I have read the “Potter” books. Not really my thing, but well written and very easy to like. And I can’t say anything bad about anything that encourages children to read. (Even… *sigh* this “Twilight” vampire stuff)
Well I hope that helps some of you to know what I like a little better. More to come next time.
I have a lot of respect for Roger Ebert. He is synonymous with the words “film critic.” Easily the most recognizable movie critic in the world, if there were a Family Feud style poll/question about “Name a movie critic.” Survey says… (ding) number one answer. And a guy who is globally that recognizable in his chosen field, is obviously doing something right. I respect that.
But that does not mean I ignore it when he says something that is wrong, and kind of dumb.
In 2006 Ebert made the statement that “Video Games are not art.” It drew lots of interest (especially on the internet, which because it’s a computer medium houses a lot of video game fans) and in 2007 he maintained his position in a disagreement with novelist, movie, and video game producer Clive Barker. Last month he re-iterated his stance in a blog post, disagreeing with a USC lecture on the subject by game developer Kellee Santiago. He goes point/counterpoint with Santiago, and so I’ll do so with his arguments. If you couldn’t tell by my earlier blog posts, I am an avid video game fan.
Ebert says that you play and eventually win or lose in a video game. You can’t win art. Well… there is a certain satisfaction that comes with beating a video game. And usually there is some sort of resolution to the game’s story. Not always though. I played Infinity Ward’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” to its completion. It leaves the storyline hanging, and that really kills the sense of satisfaction. Now the “Call of Duty” series of games are just “shooter” type games. But are they art? One of the series prior games “The Big Red One” told a WWII story from the point of view of a soldier in the 1st Infantry Division. It portrays war as gritty and terrible, and even though sometimes necessary, terribly damaging to the soldiers on both sides and the bystanders caught in the middle. Lives are lost, families are torn apart, and even heroes sometimes did things they would like to forget. So Roger Ebert, this might not be art, but what did you think of Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan?”
Ebert says that games are not art because “no one in or out of the field (video game industry) has ever been able to cite a game worthy of comparison with the great poets, filmmakers, and novelists.” We can’t Roger? Didn’t I just compare a game to Spielberg, or is he not a great filmmaker? Maybe it isn’t “worthy” enough for Roger Ebert? Well that’s just his opinion, and frankly I don’t agree with his critical opinion of a lot of movies either. For example I really hated “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” If it was art, I didn’t like it. I’ll put Team Ico’s “Shadow of the Colossus” against any movie that Ebert claims is art. That game is visually stunning, not at all combat oriented, with a compelling story about a young man trying to save the life of his true love. Only to slowly realize throughout the game that he is not the “good guy,” but actually may be slowly destroying his world. Getting back to Ebert’s earlier point, does that sound like a game someone can “win?”
But seriously, am I (radio station producer) “worthy” enough to disagree with the likes of Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert? Maybe not about movies, but I think video games as a medium are too different, and Ebert is not really qualified to make that distinction. Which puts him on my level. Which is basically, “I may not know art, but I know what I like.”
One thing I do know pretty well is websites and web design. And if I may say so, the Chicago Sun-Times website is terrible. Slow, littered with so many pop-up ads that it affects performance, and not very user friendly. It’s so bad I didn’t even provide the link to Ebert’s blog in this post. And I won’t.
As I’ve said before scammers stay up to date with current events and news. One of their favorite ploys is to take a news item or event and play up to peoples fear of it. And there is a great example making the rounds right now. The recent health care insurance reform passed by Congress and signed into law by the President has (let’s keep this diplomatic I suppose) gathered some opposition. Lies an misdirection for and against this reform has been circulating for years now, and whether or not you agree with the law the scammers are taking advantage. In a recent article out of Emporia, someone had been going door to door saying that he was with “ObamaCare.” The implication being that he was selling government mandated health care packages and that he was a representative of the US Government. Which of course was a lie, he was a scammer. Stories like this have been popping up all over the country. A lot of these types of scammers are selling snake oil, their “coverage” is non-existent and it’s just a criminal activity. And even worse, (in my book) some of these people are actually selling real insurance. Its real coverage sold with dirty, high pressure, misleading, unethical, and downright despicable sales tactics. If it isn’t precisely illegal (that depends on what they actually say) then it should be. I suggest public caning with garden hoses, but I guess that’s too “cruel and unusual,” oh well.
So, we need to be cautious about this. Like it or hate it, for now it’s the law. So I’ve checked into it to find some quick and easy ways to tell if you’re being scammed.
1. There is no such official identity as “ObamaCare.” Anyone trying to sell it to you, or using it to try and sell you anything is a scammer.
2. There are no provisions in the law for anyone from the government to contact you in person, by telephone, or over the internet to sell you anything. Anyone doing so is a scammer.
3. You are not doing anything illegal just by not having health insurance. Anyone who tells you any different is a scammer. That may change after 2014, but so far there is no word in the law about enforcement.
Ok, on to topic 2. This week the Supreme Court will be reviewing a California law that forbids the sale of violent video games to minors. Of course that sounds good in theory, but it would be a dangerous step in the wrong direction to make this an actual law. In this country video games are already regulated in the exactly the same manner that television and movies are. Just like the MPAA rates movies, the ESRB rates video games for content. I don’t think that anyone would disagree that children need more protection than adults, and video games are marketed toward children. But so are movies and television, and any law that restricts video games is the first step toward a government takeover of TV and movies. Correctly applied, the 1st amendment will not allow any further government regulation to go forward. But if the justices rule that video games don’t get free speech protection, then by extension no forms of entertainment are protected free speech.
That scares me. That’s already “Fahrenheit 451” level dystopia right there. Next stop, “1984.” I play video games, and very violent ones. (the more violent, the more fun I seem to have) But this is not about protecting a favorite pastime of mine. It’s about protecting the very American ideal of “The pursuit of happiness.” No, I don’t think kids should be exposed to the violent themes and images in video games like the ones I play. But as an American adult, I feel I have a right to read what I want to, watch whatever movie I feel like, and play whatever video game I darn well please.
The fault here is not with the game companies, the marketing firms, or the regulatory boards. There are 2 groups at fault here. The first is the lawyers. Sorry, easy target. Let me re-phrase that to say some lawyers. Not all lawyers are as ethical as Atticus Finch, Dave Dahl, or Les Hulnick. Some just see the video game industry as another deep pocket to sue the pants off of. (wow, that’s a weird image) Worse yet, the “video game defense.” You know, the idea that just because a kid plays video games, he’s going to go on a shooting spree. All of my friends and I grew up playing video games, and I didn’t know too many people my age who didn’t. And yet not a single one of them has ever shot a person. The “video game defense” is not valid and it does not explain or condone any kind of behavior.
Group number 2, it’s the parents fault. Again, not all parents, I happen to know some very fine people that are raising or have raised some really good kids. But it takes effort folks. Parents… get with it. Don’t buy the ultra-violent games for your kids, watch what they are playing, check the ratings, and talk with them about it. I wouldn’t need to worry about the government infringing on our 1st amendment rights if parents would just stop being lazy.
No, I wouldn’t advocate that, (Swift wasn’t really serious anyway) but there is an interesting discussion going around the city right now. Discussions about developers asking the city for IRB’s (Industrial Revenue Bonds, or simply property tax breaks subsidized by the issuance of a bond product) or redevelopment of an area by the creation of TIF districts. (Tax Increment Funding, or an incremental increase in taxation over a number of years to pay off debt used for improving an area)
Certain people out there have a lot to say about the nuts and bolts politics surrounding the issue. Well good for them, they can discuss it elsewhere. All I’ll say about it is that right or wrong, it is not as simple as some groups are making it out to be. What I’m interested in is this, “what’s being done to improve Wichita?” I don’t want to get in to whether or not Wichita should help a local developer build an IMAX theater. What I’m interested in is “when is Wichita getting an IMAX theater?” All politics aside, last year I spent money in other cities and counties visiting them to see a movie in IMAX. That’s money that local merchants will never see and local governments will never benefit from.
Yes it’s a small thing, but I’m not the only one and it’s not the only thing people have to travel elsewhere to do. Trust me, it doesn’t take much to make a difference. I had a nice little 4 day vacation a while back. I went to Lee’s Summit, MO. (Kansas City metro area) It wasn’t a “big event” at a huge convention center or arena. I went to a book signing at a bookstore. Somewhere between 300 and 350 people were in attendance. That’s it, not a big deal. But that store, and those around it benefited from the event. I had fun, and once again spent money that will never benefit anyone here in Wichita. Lunch in Emporia, snacks and drinks in Kansas City, gassed up in Lebo. And all for an event that would have been child’s play to line up for Wichita.
Yes we have book signings and the like here already, my point was that it only took a small effort to attract me and my dollars. Larger efforts tend to produce correspondingly larger results. Well, we’re getting closer to bringing up “who pays for it?” arguments again. So let’s do something more productive than re-hashing boring tax debates. Let’s come up with some IDEAS. How do we get people to come to Wichita, enhance the quality of life for those who live here, and attract new businesses to build and expand in Wichita?
First off, we need to exploit our LOCATION. We are near the very center of the continental United States. Are you telling me we can’t bank on being a stopping point between East and West, North and South? How about embracing our historical heritage? Colossal failure that it was, Wild West World had one thing right. After all “Western” is its own GENRE of movies, music, novels, etc. We do need to capitalize on that.
Aside from that, here’s my “big time” idea. Feel free to comment. E3 (that’s Electronic Entertainment Expo) is considered to be the biggest convention for the video game industry in the world. It’s held annually at the Los Angeles convention center. It’s the biggest and most talked about event of the year in the world of video games, and it’s not even open to the public. Developers, Retailers, and the Media are the only ones who can attend. So, there is a market for a large, open to the public, videogame and tech expo. And the video game industry is a huge, multi-billion dollar industry. Plenty of money out there to be had. And what would it take from us? Well, we have a convention center and a brand new arena. Wichita wants to replace the downtown Library, there’s room for something there, conveniently close to Century 2. How about a big tech entertainment center? High speed wireless, stations for LAN meetings or gaming, (membership and by-the-hour) and vendors. (snacks, industry merchants, tie in entertainment, ect.)
I’m too much of a realist to say “We can be bigger than E3.” Then again, we never can be if we are too afraid to try… who’s with me? Or… who has a better idea?
I am a “technology” guy. I really like computers, smartphones, wireless gadgets, mp3s, video games, and so on. I’m even saving up for an e-reader. It seems weird to me (with my hundreds and hundreds of books on a wall covered with bookshelves) that I may be switching to a device for reading. But I’m thinking that moving will be much easier without having to make 2 trips just to move my book collection. I have not decided which e-reader I’ll go for. Nook, Kindle, Sony Reader, or one of the off brands, I’ll just have to go by which one is cheap, but still recognizes the most file types. But my search for an e-reader does highlight something about me…
As much as I love the “tech stuff,” I don’t need “the latest thing.” I don’t go running out to stand in lines at midnight to make sure I don’t miss the new smartphone. I don’t reserve the newest computer program so I can pick it up on the first day. I’ll even rent or borrow a video game before buying it to make sure I’m not wasting my money on something with no lasting appeal. I have the glamorous and awesome radio job, but I’ve never been a “rich” man. And as such, I demand some bang for my buck. And that is my advice for today…
If (even in this economy) you can afford all the new stuff without blinking at the cost or going into huge debt, then knock yourself out. Get whatever you want. But if you are like me, and demand value for your money, wait a while. Read the consumer reports and user reviews about the product you are saving up for. See how reliable it is, how long it will last, how many glitches it has, and how many people like or hate it. Let the competitors put out their versions, and the companies to refine their designs. I don’t want to pick on any one company in particular, so I’ll change the name of the product to protect their i-dentity. A company released their new smartphone in the summer of 2007. And even though 3G wireless networks (the fastest wireless at the time) had been around in the U.S. since 2003, the company decided that their “latest thing” did not need to be compatible with 3G because the coverage wasn’t all that good yet. They changed their minds in less than a year, leaving all those who bought their (let’s call them… I got it) ayePhones to have to upgrade to the new version after just 1 year if they wanted 3G. 3G finished 2007 with over 200 million subscribers. To pick on another company I won’t name, let’s look at computer operating systems. I use an OS that’s pretty common worldwide distributed by a huge corporation. So let’s call them “Biggrosoft.” I’m using a version of Biggrosoft’s OS that’s 2 generations old. Because it’s stable and it works. They never worked out all the kinks in the last version, and the current one could still be a little buggy. I’ll upgrade when they’ve corrected most of the problems. Like they should have done before releasing the product in the first place.
So it pays to wait. Then again, I’ve broken that rule once this month already, and will do so early in April too. I just got my Netflix on Nintendo Wii disc in the mail. Netflix is a mail-order DVD rental service that also streams videos to the internet for their customers. They just started streaming to Wii, and I signed up for it before it was available so I could get it on the first day. And I feel kind of bad, because I don’t need it at all. I already can get Netflix on my TV by plugging my laptop into my TV’s HDMI input. But that does not really count; it’s free if you already have a Wii and a Netflix account. So if you have those things or are planning to get them, check out this new way to use both. It does not cost anything extra. Here’s the link WWW.NETFLIX.COM. Oh, the other thing. I don’t have an e-reader yet, so I’ll be hitting Borders early on April 6th to pick up my pre-ordered copy of the latest Jim Butcher “Dresden Files” book. Yea, that breaks the “latest thing” rule, but so what? I love those books.
Well, I’ve had my say about sports over the last couple of updates; I guess it’s time to get back to computers and the internet. Over the last week or so I’ve been surprised by the reaction to a news story that’s been making the rounds. It’s the FBI online spying story, and if you have not heard it, it goes something like this. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies create profiles and memberships in myspace, facebook, twitter, and other “social networking” websites to monitor suspects. A suspect may tweet his whereabouts, brag on his blog about his crime, even implicate accomplices on such websites. And the police and feds are taking advantage.
My Initial reaction to the story… “good, it’s about time they figured that out.” I mean really, it helps the good guys catch the bad guys, how can this not be a good thing? So I was blindsided by the negative reaction to the story. And there are even a couple of different negative responses as well. We’ll start with the one I’ve seen the most, “invasion of privacy.” The person you are chatting with, and are facebook “friends” with could be an undercover agent. Information posted by you and about you could be used against you in an investigation. Next, the fact that the accounts these “cyberagents” are creating to follow suspects are created using false information. After all, a criminal online might notice if a friend request pops up from “jiMMyMarshalUS04” whose profile says that his occupation is “U.S. Marshall,” or “Department of Homeland Security.”
I’ve even recently heard Rush Limbaugh accusing the Obama administration and the Democrats of a double standard, speaking against the Patriot Act and its information gathering methods, while using these “social networking” methods. And while I approve of sparking argument between Republican and Democrat, (in our system of government it’s a good way to get things done) it’s far too easy to see how wrong that argument is. Rush is clearly misleading folks in an effort to spark partisan debate (which isn’t always a bad thing, as I have said) or is just totally wrong (I know he’s smarter than that.)
After having seen all of that, I guess I should have expected the negative reaction to the “cyberspy” story. But did it change my mind? No, not even for a second, and here’s why. It’s not an invasion of privacy. When someone makes a profile, tweets, blogs, status updates, or chats that person is freely making that information available. In most cases, looking at information like that is the very purpose of the website. If you don’t want federal agents to know what restaurant you are having lunch at, don’t tweet it. It’s just that simple. And as far as agents using false information to create “spy” accounts. I do have to admit, it is against the terms and conditions of most “social networking” sites to provide deliberately false information. So what. I do it, so I can’t complain about the feds doing the same thing. I have a few emails addresses from free email services (such as gmail, hotmail, and yahoo mail) none of which have my name, address, or any personal information about me. My membership profile with those services is 100% fiction. Sites that require registration to enter get one of those email accounts and false ids, that’s why I have them. I love the scammer emails begging money from a fake name I made up. Or spammed advertisements addressed to a nom de guerre. Even a few politicians have asked a figment of my imagination to vote for them, ha. It’s not illegal, just against those site’s terms of service. So I suppose their administrators should cancel all of my accounts. Good luck finding them, they don’t have my name on them or any of my personal information.
So in the end, it’s my opinion that the cops and feds aren’t doing anything wrong. And I’m glad they are catching more criminals using the internet. Feel free to disagree, there’s no “wrong” answer to this one. But if you do disagree I have a tip for you. If you don’t want “big brother” (or anyone else for that matter) to know something about you… don’t post it online for everyone to see.
