Joe Baker blogs

snagfilms

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:32:38 -0800

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RSS Test

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:30:54 -0700

Earthlink: Masters of Marketing

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 19:03:50 -0700

Everyday I bike past an Earthlink billboard that says, "We have ways of making you talk."

This leaves me with a couple of questions:

What marketing genius thinks torture is a great topic for kidding around?
What marketing genius would want torture references connected to their telecommunication product, where those references are all too common?

Test of PetitionSite Widget

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 20:50:02 -0800

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The Cat Transporter

Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:31:29 -0700

So, I've spent the last several weeks in my new apartment in Redwood City, with my one chair, one plate, a knife, and a Thermarest. I'm flying back to DC this weekend to pick up a cat. No questions asked. Best not to look in the carrier. Just do the job.

A cat requires kitty litter. I walked to my neighborhood Petco (Supplies & Fish: What's that about? Who was their branding consultant?). As I walked in, I thought the cashier looked a little sketchy. Even if he hadn't been whispering to a drunk dude in a porkpie hat, I would have thought he was sketchy. I continued on to the kitty litter section. Who knew there could be so many choices? Pine kitty litter. Wheat kitty litter. Is it gluten free? It doesn't say. On to the refillable old-style clumbable kitty litter. Even there, there was a choice. Kitty litter for indoor cats (yes, outdoor cats don't really need kitty litter). Kitty litter for multiple cats. It covers the odors so well, each cat will think it is the only one using the litter. Sure! I'm convinced. Cat #2 is coming in a separate shipment, and I can be ready. Multiple-cat kitty litter it is.

Cool Lap at Last

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:13:04 -0700

I just installed the MacBook firmware update that came out a few days ago. It adjusts the settings for the fan. I'm no longer burning my thighs! The update turns the fan on at a lower temperature, keeping the MacBook at least 10-15 degrees cooler. It has also stopped the annoying 'mooing' that came from the fan going on and off. I wonder if Dell's tribulations with notebook fires influenced Apple's decision to put out the update.

Biking with the Serfs

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 22:06:47 -0700

I've made the switch from biking through DC to riding the winding avenues of Redwood City and Redwood Shores. It seemed like it should be a breeze. A beautiful area, not too much traffic. I didn't reckon on the workers across the street from my office. There are many buildings full of Electronic Arts' cubicle serfs, young dudes angry at their bosses, hopped up on Red Bull and Jelly Bellies, and driving fancy cars. An aggression cocktail. The streets are pretty narrow. Not quite enough room for an SUV to pass a bike. I can feel the anger building in the car(s) behind me, edging up on my back wheel and trying to pass. I'm as far to the right as I can go, but the streets weren't built for hummers and bikes to share.

Climate Best by Government Test

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 21:56:33 -0700

Well, I'm back in California. After seven years in Washington, DC, I'm back in California. While I really enjoyed DC, it feels really good to be back in California. Particularly in August. In a city with the motto, "Climate Best by Government Test."

I'm still settling in. I've got an apartment with a chair, an end table, a Thermarest, one plate, a knife, 3 forks, and a pan. Judy is still in DC with the cats and all the belongings. Once the house closes, she'll join me here.

$2000 a year

Tue, 16 May 2006 13:26:09 -0700

Seth Godin points out that the typical family in the US spends $2000 a year on telecommunications. While long distance costs keep dropping, people are paying for landline, cellphone, dsl, etc., etc.

> The Long Tail

Tue, 16 May 2006 12:39:58 -0700

Chris Anderson posts an interesting entry on his blog, The Long Tail. O'Reilly has compared the prints sales of books to distribution through its Safari online book service. Print sales are much more skewed to a few hits. The top decile of books (ordered by print sales), accounts for half of all print sales, but only one quarter of online sales. Access through Safari has a much longer tail. 29% of Safari access is to books generating only 9% of print book sales. Interesting potential support for the Long Tail theory.

> Free Skype Calls within the US and Canada

Tue, 16 May 2006 12:22:30 -0700

Skype has announced
free calls to all landlines and mobile phones within the US and Canada, at least through the end of the year. Skype has been growing much more quickly outside of the US (100 million users total, 6 million in the US) and it clearly wants to boost its US/Canada share of the market. We've been using Skype and Vonage a lot at N-TEN, and they are helping to keep phone bills down.

It is great to see more pressure put on phone costs.

> Growing Demand for Internet Access in Africa

Tue, 16 May 2006 11:34:54 -0700

Mobile Africa (by way of Timbuktu Chronicles) reports that internet usage in Africa grew by more than 400 percent last year, but from a very small base. There is still only a 2.6% penetration of the African population, and roll-out plans are limited. Mobile voice users grew by 66% in 2005.

> A Few Good Accounting Packages

Tue, 16 May 2006 10:46:44 -0700

Idealware has posted a new report on accounting packages, reviewing QuickBooks, Peachtree, Fundware, The Financial Edge, Mas90, Dynamics, and more.

Time Out in Sydney

Mon, 15 May 2006 17:19:57 -0700

Last week, I visited Sydney, and got in as much outdoor swimming as I could. I swam at the Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool (above), which is adjacent to the bay and full of salt water. The next day, I went to the local North Epping 50 meter outdoor pool. The Australians love their swimming. Most of the lap swimmers look like they’ve done serious time on a swim team. Blue skies, big pools, and fast swimmers. It makes me feel like I’m back in Southern California.

The Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney is rife with fruit bats. There are thousands hanging in the trees. They've led to a lot of fighting between the botanists (who aren't happy about the dying trees) and those who more concerned about protecting a threatened species.