Kellogg’s All-Bran Commerical – funny, and horrifying

I finally found it, with the help of an online friend.  The subtle background of this commercial is really not so subtle if you take the time to notice it.  A construction worker talks about his “irregularity” and how All-Bran helped him fix that problem.  Take notice of the background images that are metaphors for “relief”.  I laughed so hard and yet was disgusted at the same time.  I love that.

If the video above doesn’t load, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX8MzOKOzI]

“Google Apps” review – a huge disappointment

I recently assisted an engineering firm attempting to convert their email/calendar/contact, etc to a new Google based solution for small businesses and enterprises called Google Apps.  When a company offers an “enterprise” solution, this usually means it is a well-tested, broad-based, seamless solution that offers workflows and intuitive design to improve the way your company currently does business.

Google offers three different packages, one is free called the standard package.  Then there is the Small Business and Enterprise solutions.  Each cost the same per use and the only difference between them is the different types of tools available depending on how large your organization is.  They are the exact same set of tools, cost the same, but for some reason Google as separated them out into two separate solutions.  The Small Business and Enterprise solutions include what is supposed to be 24/7 support via toll free number or online help.After trying to figure out how to migrate this organization to Google Apps using the multitude of online help pages that go on forever and each link opens up another help page in yet another browser windows, it was quite frustrating. 

It is not until we paid the Small Business fee of $50 per user per year, that we received the toll free number for support.  So I closed the 372 windows that were open on my desktop and I called the 800 number.  Now in voice mail hell, the endless telephone prompts defy you to find a key that will actually allow you to talk to somebody live.  In fact the only way I could do this was to select the “critical failure” function which they warn you, means that a function that previously worked, no longer works and is affecting more than one half of your users.  Well, if I haven’t figured out how to get a function to work, how could anything qualify as critical.  Absolutely ridiculous.

So I pressed the key anyway and actually did talk to a person.  Three separate times.  Only to find out that the wording of what they provide, their seamless integration, their well-tested, broad-based solution, wasn’t going to work for me.  In fact, after thinking about it, I don’t know how these Small Business Enterprise solutions provided by Google Apps could ever actually be a viable business solution for any business, unless you were a fly by night pyramid scheme company who didn’t plan to be around very long anyway.  If that’s your business, then I highly recommend this product.

Luckily I was within my 30 day trail period so I cancelled the whole subscription.  In my quest to find a real solution for the company I was consulting for, I happen to stumble upon a review by PC Magazine for Google Apps.  The person who wrote this review must have been paid by Google or possible Google wrote the review themselves and passed it along to the reviewer because most of the text of the review was word for word quoted text from the multitude of marketing materials and help pages.  I can not see how if this reviewer actually used the product that he could have given this product a high review.

Now, I don’t hate Google, I like Google, and use them for my personal email, calendar, contacts, etc.  But a business solution…that is highly rated….I think not.  Don’t waste your time.  If you want specifics as to what this products doesn’t do, drop me a line, I’ll let you know. 

Say a prayer for the Utah Miners and their loved ones

That’s all there is to say.

Why, oh why can’t people pronounce words correctly?

I know I am not the only one who gets down right pissed off when supposedly intelligent people can’t pronounce words we all learned sometime before the third grade.  Here are a few that irk the shit out of me.

ASTERISK (you know, that little star (*) that you see on a page sometimes).  It is pronounced ASS-TUR-ISK, say it with me, ASS-TUR-ISK.  Nope, not ASS TUR ICKS, not ASS-TUR-ICK, try it again….ASS-TUR-ISK.  (Source – a CNN broadcaster, I didn’t get her name but it was Sunday, 8/5/07 around 11:45 or so.)

There you go, now try these.

NUCLEAR – NEW-CLEE-URR, no, no, not NEW-KYA-LER, it’s NEW-CLEE-URR. Got it??  – (Source – We all know which idiot says this one. )

REALTOR -that’s REE-ULL-TERR, not REE-LA-TERR, how about it, huh?  (Source – some woman with whom I used to work and a lot of idiots on those get-rich-quick schemes you see on infomercials for real estate.)

ASK – I can’t even think of another way to spell this out phonetically.  What you see is what you get.   ASK.  Not AX, or ACKS, just ASK.   Source??

Bring em’ on folks, I want to create the largest list of mispronounced words ever.  And if you have the source, that’s even better.  I want to embarrass everyone who is too lazy to form the words correctly in their mouths.  And I believe that’s what it is:  laziness.  We as a nation are so lazy we can’t bother to pronounce words correctly because even forming words in our mouths takes too much energy.

A hot Maine Summer

Im sorry that I have not written in a while.  I have been a bit busy trying to find work.  I actually picked up a some freelance work but nothing major that’s going to pay the bills.  but, it’s something, right?  I’m trying to stay positive, but it is difficult.  After sending out 100 resumes and hearing nothing, the “thanks, but no thanks” letters have started to arrive, ergo my mood lately.

It’s been a very, very hot week here in Southern Maine; the usual 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity.  I really can’t stand it at all and want to stay at home, or anywhere where the A/C is set to 60 degrees or less.  My tolerance of the heat has gotten worse since my heart attack 2 years ago.  I did some major damage to my heart and keeping the body cool puts a lot of stress on your heart so I am so much more affected by the extreme heat. 

I made some major progress on the High Definition TV front in Maine.  I started a new blog that I want to be a public forum for all things television-related in Maine.  The address is http://mainehdtv.wordpress.com.  I found a great contact, and mentor who works at one of the television stations and is very untested in my opinions, and the opinions of my readers.  So please go to that blog if you want more information.  I’m looking for regular contributors as well.  If you are interested, go to the blog and you can find that informatin.  I hope to expand that blog to be a real communication force for digital/HD television in Maine.

I guess that’s all for now.  I have not heard from my friend in Saudi Arabia for over a week.  I wouldn’t doubt it if the Dept of Homeland Security has somehow severed all ties between me and my friend because they are afraid of an American talking to someone in Saudi Arabia.  I know my communications with him are monitored.  I’m not being paranoid about it because I don’t care, I have nothing to hide. But it would not surprise me at all.

Bye for know.  The lotto drawing is tonight.  If I win, I’ll spend ALL my time blogging, except from then on it will be on the road, like from Italy or something.  Take care.

All HDTV, Maine related Television and digital broadcasting

All posts have been moved to a new blog:  http://mainehdtv.wordpress.com

Thanks,