Microsoft is currently developing a new plan to gain entry into the emerging technology markets in the Third World.  The plan is called FlexGo and would allow users to purchase a computer for half price and pay a per use fee for using applications such as Word Processing, Digital Photography Applications, and E-mail.  While I like the idea on the surface, as it offers a tiered entry for new users, it makes me wonder about the way we dispose of our computers in the First World. 

New computers are at their lowest prices ever.  Many people have been through several cycles of upgrades and disposal of obsolete computers are only now becoming a problem.  Computers contain materials that are harmful to the environment and should not be disposed of in landfills.  Monitors contain poisonous gasses.  Motherboards contain heavy metals including mercury.  They could be recycled as they still have enough computing power to do Word Processing tasks and surf the Internet, yet they are often just thrown into the trash bin and end up in landfills.

Most obsolete computers, in least in theory, have a license for an operating system.  If Microsoft set up a plant to refurbish computers employing US workers and used recycled parts and obsolete operating systems licenses the recycled computers could be sent to third world countries and sold for a reduced price.  Microsoft could make their money back by offering competitive upgrades to computer users.  They could also gain revenue by providing training and certifications to the emerging techs in these regions.  This would provide the most benefit to everyone involved.  I think what Microsoft is trying to do is hook everyone up with a computer.  Basically, Microsoft has customers everywhere there are computers. 

Our society has become a throw away society.  How often do we buy a product only to use it for less than 36 months and then throw it away to buy the latest and greatest even though the older model still has some use left?  I say we begin a technology recycling campaign to send our older consumer electronic items to the poor in the third world.  Like the old saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

1. 80% of all News stories (TV, Newspaper, Radio) are fed by Public Relations Firms.
2. In every market less than 5 firms control at least 70% of the radio market.
3. Since 1952 the corporate tax burden as a percent of the GDP has shifted from Over 6% to less than 2%.
4. The State of Oklahoma won't let the Libertarian Party candidates on the ballot.
5. I feel oppressed -- in every Presidential election I have voted Libertarian and I also pay taxes.

Is this what taxation without representation means?

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted up here.  I just did some major reviewing for my finals.  However, even though my explorations of the Web have been somewhat limited this past week I found a feature on Yahoo! which I think is really cool.

Yahoo! Photo's lets you upload, organize, share, and print your digital photography online.  It's all free except for professional prints, which are done for an extra charge.  I've been taking my camera with me where ever I go so to make sure I never miss the perfect shot. 

I put some of my photography on my My Space account, but there is a limit to how large the image can be.  There is also a limit on the number of photos and videos that can be posted.  This is a major draw back if you're a photography junkie like I am.

I can also post images here on the stream, but I like to reserve my gallery for images that I use in my posts and so forth.  There is also a limited, yet generous cap on the total amount of storage here.

I have plenty of space at Z Web USA, but the advantage of Yahoo! Photos is that the software to organize photos is already in place.  It's easy to upload photos.  I just drag the files out of Windows Explorer and drop them into my Yahoo! page.  Plus they show up on my Yahoo! 360 page, so all my friends out in chat land have easy access to my photography.

If I ever had photos I wanted to share only with family and friends, I can specify what Yahoo! accounts have access to what albums.  I can also make a particular album private if I wish.

If you would like to take a peek at the photo's I've posted on Yahoo!  >>> click here <<<

I stumbled across some rockin’ music on My Space this afternoon.  Tucson, Arizona’s  Zaratexperience offers 4 kickin’ songs on their My Space profile.  Zaratexperience is Eddie Caballero III  and Sebastian Zarate.  They have received about 90,000 hits since December.  Fools Moon, their most popular song,  has been played 18,000 times.

Each song has a simplistic yet suggestive iconic drawing that I think is cool.  The first song, Fool Moon, is a driving blues number reminiscent of Gun and Roses or Alice in Chains.  I really like the  tripplets in guitar strumming.  It’s hard to incorporate complex meters into pop music, but the guitarist does this masterfully.  The vocalist does some really enchanting blues bends in this song.  Their performance is truly expressive.  This is definitely worth a listen.

The next song, Good Night, betrays Zaraexpereince’s wealth of influences.  The song starts out like a driving-Pink Floyd-hard rock number and then immediately shifts into more of a 70’s Bowie style.  It then takes us someplace more original, enchanting us with its magic.

Panties to the Side is a seductive track featuring crooning romantic vocals, expressive texture shifts and an erratic Hendrix style guitar solo.

Fly Freedom is an American Pink Floyd-ish Anthem that starts off with dexterous guitar picking and finishes with a philosophical historical perspective.

Zaratexperience chooses to keep a mystic by presenting no band bio.  There songs are suggestive of a Rhythm Section that never makes an appearance.  I would like to hear this band amplified with a good drummer and bass player.  However, Zaratexperience takes the acoustical rock duo to the extreme thus making them note worthy.

 
Click image above to hear Zaratexperience

Parental
Advisory
Explicit Lyrics