Edit ::
UploadingIT.com goes belly-up. Cest la vie.
I stumbled upon UploadingIT.com where one can upload images, mp3s, shockwave files or whatever. The site will put your files into play with their MP3 Player and or Flash Slide Show Player. I uploaded some images and MP3s for a test drive.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Friday, April 27, 2007
SanDisk Goes the Extra Mile
Zac received a 1GB SanDisk MP3 player as a gift from Grandpa. The on switch was tough to press just right to get the thing to turn on yet he worked with it and didn't complain. Eventually I made it over to the SanDisk website to look up support options. All I could find was an email address so I send a pleasant email detailing the tough button problem; no response.Several months go by and Zac report that the unit won't turn on at all. I give 'er a go and find if one presses real hard and wiggles it just right the unit will fire up. Still, I returned to the SanDisk website to look up that support email address once again. I was really going to let them have it. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had a real support system in place so I registered and submitted my complaint, again.
After a few amazingly prompt exchanges Zac problematic unit was on its way back to SanDisk. The 'extra mile' part is where they sent out a new in the package replacement unit. They didn't badger me for a receipt (it was a gift and I didn't have one), they didn't suggest a repair price, shipping cost; they just replaced it with no questions asked.
In todays world that gets my attention in a very positive way. I had read where the Wall Street Journal's Walter Mossberg had a high opinion of SanDisk and so was happy to echo his kudos.
SanDisk sits at #2 in the MP3 player wars. Apple's Ipod is on top. Zac also has a 30GB IPOD (thanks Grandma and Grandpa) but generally prefers to use the SanDisk. He explains it is more convenient overall.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Gallery 2.2 released!
The Gallery team has put out version 2.2 of their awesome photo management application. Among the cool new features, it's got a tightly integrated web based plugin install system so it's easier than ever to download and install new features on the fly. Check it out!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Friday, January 19, 2007
Why 70% of Kids Quit Sports at Age 13
On January 2, 2003 Laura Langendorf posted an article on the Sports Esteem blog.
Read 'Basic Rules for Parents>>
This article starts in the traditional way;
According to the National Alliance for Sports, of the 20 million kids who sign up, 70 percent quit playing league sports by the age of 13 and never play again. The media points to enraged parents and bad sportsmanship as the biggest problem in youth sports.
The key word is ‘Media’. Not only the traditional media but the uninformed players, fans and family too.
It is genius to point out that seventy percent of parents don’t go south at age 13 on the sports scene with their kids. After all they made it quite a few years. If the kid started hockey at age three or four then the parent enjoyed nine or ten years of success! Pretty good track record don’t you think?
So we are left with statistics from the National Alliance for Sports to explain why it goes south for seven out of ten kids. Unfortunately and as is often the case the ’statistics’ don’t take into consideration reality. Giving a bunch of thirteen year old sports drop-outs a survey form and asking them to select the check box that best answers the question on why they quit doesn’t really let you see behind the mask (or mirror in some cases).
What is missing is an understanding of child brain development. As kids hit puberty they take on a new sense of self yet do not have the brain development to explain it to National Alliance for Sports, their parents, coaches or even themselves. So IMHO talking to your child to understand how he or she feels, helping guide them through their emotions or sort out their innermost thoughts is one big waste of time.
The human brain doesn’t fully develop its capacity for rational thought until the age of 18 years! A researcher on the subject quipped teenagers act like they don’t care because they don’t!
For my money if you want to give your teenagers a fighting chance at sports then you will have to make it a requirement, not an option. If you leave the rationally challenged youths to their own means seventy percent of them will sit in front of the video screen all day, every day. In my play book that is not an option.
Read 'Basic Rules for Parents>>
This article starts in the traditional way;
According to the National Alliance for Sports, of the 20 million kids who sign up, 70 percent quit playing league sports by the age of 13 and never play again. The media points to enraged parents and bad sportsmanship as the biggest problem in youth sports.The key word is ‘Media’. Not only the traditional media but the uninformed players, fans and family too.
It is genius to point out that seventy percent of parents don’t go south at age 13 on the sports scene with their kids. After all they made it quite a few years. If the kid started hockey at age three or four then the parent enjoyed nine or ten years of success! Pretty good track record don’t you think?
So we are left with statistics from the National Alliance for Sports to explain why it goes south for seven out of ten kids. Unfortunately and as is often the case the ’statistics’ don’t take into consideration reality. Giving a bunch of thirteen year old sports drop-outs a survey form and asking them to select the check box that best answers the question on why they quit doesn’t really let you see behind the mask (or mirror in some cases).
What is missing is an understanding of child brain development. As kids hit puberty they take on a new sense of self yet do not have the brain development to explain it to National Alliance for Sports, their parents, coaches or even themselves. So IMHO talking to your child to understand how he or she feels, helping guide them through their emotions or sort out their innermost thoughts is one big waste of time.
The human brain doesn’t fully develop its capacity for rational thought until the age of 18 years! A researcher on the subject quipped teenagers act like they don’t care because they don’t!
For my money if you want to give your teenagers a fighting chance at sports then you will have to make it a requirement, not an option. If you leave the rationally challenged youths to their own means seventy percent of them will sit in front of the video screen all day, every day. In my play book that is not an option.
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