BamaTrojan

Dec 5 / 4:54pm

Yosemite Sam Tells It!

How do I feel after day 5 with no power?

Make it a great day!
Repeat.
You'll make it a great life!

Oct 12 / 1:24pm

Mary Jane Playing the Violin Today

(download)

Soldier's Joy by Mark O'Connor

(download)

Click here to download:
MVI_0071.divx (8.99 MB)

Silent Night

(download)

Click here to download:
MVI_0072.divx (6.13 MB)

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Sep 19 / 1:48pm

An Explanation and Some Reflections

What an IDIOT!!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Reed Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO of Netflix <info@netflix.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 12:22 AM
Subject: An Explanation and Some Reflections

I messed up. I owe you an explanation.

It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. Let me explain what we are doing.

For the past five years, my greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn't make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something – like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores – do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us). So we moved quickly into streaming, but I should have personally given you a full explanation of why we are splitting the services and thereby increasing prices. It wouldn’t have changed the price increase, but it would have been the right thing to do.

So here is what we are doing and why.

Many members love our DVD service, as I do, because nearly every movie ever made is published on DVD. DVD is a great option for those who want the huge and comprehensive selection of movies.

I also love our streaming service because it is integrated into my TV, and I can watch anytime I want. The benefits of our streaming service are really quite different from the benefits of DVD by mail. We need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolves, without maintaining compatibility with our DVD by mail service.

So we realized that streaming and DVD by mail are really becoming two different businesses, with very different cost structures, that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently.

It’s hard to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming.

Qwikster will be the same website and DVD service that everyone is used to. It is just a new name, and DVD members will go to qwikster.com to access their DVD queues and choose movies. One improvement we will make at launch is to add a video games upgrade option, similar to our upgrade option for Blu-ray, for those who want to rent Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games. Members have been asking for video games for many years, but now that DVD by mail has its own team, we are finally getting it done. Other improvements will follow. A negative of the renaming and separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com websites will not be integrated.

There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!). If you subscribe to both services you will have two entries on your credit card statement, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix. The total will be the same as your current charges. We will let you know in a few weeks when the Qwikster.com website is up and ready.

For me the Netflix red envelope has always been a source of joy. The new envelope is still that lovely red, but now it will have a Qwikster logo. I know that logo will grow on me over time, but still, it is hard. I imagine it will be similar for many of you.

I want to acknowledge and thank you for sticking with us, and to apologize again to those members, both current and former, who felt we treated them thoughtlessly.

Both the Qwikster and Netflix teams will work hard to regain your trust. We know it will not be overnight. Actions speak louder than words. But words help people to understand actions.

Respectfully yours,

-Reed Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO, Netflix

p.s. I have a slightly longer explanation along with a video posted on our blog, where you can also post comments.

This message was mailed to [lambertghini@gmail.com] by Netflix.
SRC: 1578.0.US.en-US
Use of the Netflix service and website constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
(c) 2011 Netflix, Inc. 100 Winchester Circle, Los Gatos, CA 95032, U.S.A.

Sep 1 / 8:38pm

News Alert: U.S. Is Set to Sue More Than a Dozen Big Banks Over Mortgages

It's about effing time!!

From: NYTimes.com News Alert <nytdirect@nytimes.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 7:15 PM
Subject: News Alert: U.S. Is Set to Sue More Than a Dozen Big Banks Over Mortgages

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Thursday, September 1, 2011 -- 10:04 PM EDT

U.S. Is Set to Sue Big Banks Over Mortgages

The federal agency that oversees the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is set to file suits against more than a dozen big banks, accusing them of misrepresenting the quality of mortgage securities they assembled and sold at the height of the housing bubble, and seeking billions of dollars in compensation.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency suits, which are expected to be filed in the coming days in federal court, are aimed at Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, among others, according to three individuals briefed on the matter.

NYTimes.com
620 Eighth Ave.
New York, NY 10018

Jul 14 / 2:47pm

Google+ Etiquette: Comments Defined

In case you haven't heard (if not, where the hell have you been?), Google introduced Google+ last week. Invitations have been wide open since the weekend with no end in sight. In fact, PC World says that G+ will top 20 million users this weekend. With the crush of use and rampant posting and commenting going on this week, I've noticed a Facebook habit that some are carrying over to G+ and I'd like to offer an etiquette suggestion.

There's Commenting . . .

Webster's definition:

1.

a remark, observation, or criticism: a comment about the weather.

2.

gossip; talk: His frequent absences gave rise to comment.

3.

a criticism or interpretation, often by implication orsuggestion: The play is a comment on modern society.

I propose that the definition be expanded for social media purposes. By Webster's definition, 'wow' is a comment - and so is 'that's cool' or 'that's awesome' or 'thanks for posting'. But, in the Social Media world, these phrases add nothing to the conversation - there's no dia (across) in the log (speak), so to speak. So, here's my addendum to the definition:

A.

a comment should provide new insight to the topic of discussion or broaden the debate or reinforce a concept by offering examples or data to back it up

If you've been on G+ this week, one of the main gripes has been the inability to collapse comments. If you follow a +Chris Pirillo or a +Steve Rubel (like I do), the comments on one post can be 4 or 5 pages long. Thankfully, there are many of those comments that fit my expanded definition! Yay for G+!! But, there are also many, many comments along the lines of 'wow', 'hooray', and the ever popular 'thanks for posting.'

. . . And There's +1

+1 is Google's version of Facebook's 'Like' button. Of course, on Facebook, almost everyone that clicked 'Like' also left a lame 'I love this' comment, so they never really used it like it should be used. Let's break with that tradition/habit in our new G+ universe - there's no need to throw out a lame old 'atta boy Luther!' (even if it is from one of the funniest scenes in motion picture history). Just use +1 to support posts that you like and agree with and reserve commenting for those times that you can add real meat to the conversation.

+1 FTW

Jul 1 / 10:17pm

POD on break

Jun 10 / 8:37pm

Basketball break - then cake & ice cream

Make it a great day!
Repeat.
You'll make it a great life!

Posted from San Gabriel, CA

Jun 1 / 5:41pm

#Trust30

This is the first of my #Trust30 writings. Today's inspiration comes from Liz Danzico:

Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. The force of character is cumulative. – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

If ‘the voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tracks,’ then it is more genuine to be present today than to recount yesterdays. How would you describe today using only one sentence? Tell today’s sentence to one other person. Repeat each day.

My Assignment

Rather than describe today, I'd rather make sure that I experience a day worthy of description, so I'm changing today's assignment a bit. My sentence:

Today is what I make it.

Of course, the sentence is a mantra to start your day, but it's also an assessment tool for ending your day - simply change one letter: Today is what I made it. Is it what you were trying to achieve? If not, why? How could you have changed your tack?

Passenger of Circumstance or Captain of Your Ship?

Our culture tends toward victimization. 'Have a great day.'; 'How is your day going?'; 'Did you have a good week?' - these common sayings assume that our days are delivered upon us, as if we're helpless victims. Add to that assumption the societal predilection to pray for someone whose circumstances are negative --- and not to pray for strength to persevere, but to change their circumstance.

Although we can't control external forces and circumstances, we can control our responses to challenges/problems/successes - and it's our responses that determine whether we succeed in achieving our goals. It may take longer - it may take more resources - it may even change the nature of the goal - but we make the choices that determine the direction and the speed.

So, 'Today is what I make it!'

May 13 / 11:05am

Twitter Fail Whale . . .

over capacity fail - some MBA idiot is saying 'that's a great problem to have' --- no, it is not

Mar 17 / 3:22pm

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Feb 19 / 10:06pm

Mary Jane performed at the Pasadena Symphony

> >

Jan 23 / 11:04am

I. Love. LA!

Taken at 6626

Jan 21 / 11:21am

Elizabeth Claire is 15 years old today!

She came along and changed everything. There were bells on the hill, but we couldn't hear them ringing, no we never heard them at all, until there was her.

Happy Birthday EC! We love you!!

(download)

This is a little taste of your first year - seems like yesterday!

Jan 21 / 8:15am

Whipping Post Guitar Bags | Uncrate

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Now THAT's a guitar case! The first, and most crucial, step toward sustainability is to buy things that last. Disposable stuff makes for a disposable life - invest in yourself and buy the best - treasures that you can pass down to the next generation.

Jan 20 / 4:25pm

I love this tree!

Taken at 6626

Jan 18 / 5:40pm

San Gabriel Sun - Holiday 2011

Since we're back to Homeschooling, the kids are kicking off a new publishing round of the San Gabriel Sun. We hope you enjoy it:

Click here to download:

San Gabriel Sun Holiday 2011.pdf (1.1 MB)

(download)

Dec 18 / 11:11am

LA?

Make it a great day!
Repeat.
You'll make it a great life!

Posted from Pasadena, CA

Dec 9 / 12:26pm

The Dream Act?

I don't think so . . . more like The Institutionalization of Cutting In Line Act.

Let's Not Discuss Illegal Aliens

The conversation should not be about the Illegal Aliens resident in this country. This conversation should be about our Immigration Policy and the efficiencies, and lack thereof, of the processes used to implement that policy.

Standing In Line

How many times a week do you stand in line? When buying a ticket for a movie? When checking out with groceries? When waiting for a toilet? When stuck in traffic? Think about those situations for a moment, please. Although these situations are, at times, frustrating, there is a social norm within which we cooperate to make the process bearable. Basically, we operate on a First Come, First Served agreement as a society. But every once in a while . . . $%#^! . . . someone breaks in line ahead of you. Rude! Usually, the people in line manage the situation rapidly: 'what are you doing?', 'you can't do that!', 'we've been waiting, bud, get to the back of the line!'.

What If The Social Norms (Rules) Were Changed?

OK, so we don't like it when someone breaks in line, but we are comfortable that there are consequences to the action and it keeps most people, reasonable people, from making the attempt. But what if the social norm were changed? What if after someone breaks in line, they are rewarded by keeping their new spot and being escorted to their seat by management? Wouldn't more people break in line? Does this seem like a good strategy for our society to enact?

Immigration Should Start With Fairness

Our borders have lines of immigrants trying to get in. The process can take years. The process is broken if we want people to immigrate to join us, it's working well if we would rather slow the process down. I'm not here to discuss either assessment of the situation. I am here to say that it is simply idiotic to reward the people that have broken in line (or skipped the line entirely) with the situation that the legitimate immigrants, those that stood in line and went by the rules, fought hard to achieve. Any and all illegal aliens should deported - anything less than that is an insult to those immigrants and new citizens that played by the rules.