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TechRadar Verdict
Despite being an uninspiring-looking piece of external hardware, EyeTV Sat's capabilities make it a superbly designed product. Its interface is pleasant to work with and viewing, recording and exporting files are a real doddle once you've cracked the complications of configuration. At £180 it's not cheap, but it is a one-off payment and for Mac addicts it's easily the best solution to watching satellite channels on a computer.
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Excellent PVR functionality
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Exporting to iPod and Apple TV
- +
Good image and sound quality, especially HD
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Limited sound adjustments
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Complicated to configure Wi-Fi access
Why you can trust TechRadar
After almost cornering the market in Freeview TV tuners for Apple Macs, Elgato turned its attention to free-to-air satellite. This second generation version of its Elgato EyeTV Sat makes it possible to watch and record FTA satellite TV on Macs or (courtesy of Terratec's bundled Home Cinema software) Windows PCs.
You can archive recordings to DVD or export them to an iPod or Apple TV.
To use the EyeTV Sat with a Mac you need a computer with a decent processor. For PCs a minimum Intel Core 2 Duo is required in order to run HD in 720p or 1080i.
EyeTV Sat receives all unencrypted DVB-S and DVB-S2 (including HD) broadcasts, but because this is not an official Freesat product it can't decode the Freesat electronic programme guide.
To get detailed EPG information you need an internet connection to subscribe to tvtv.co.uk's online service. The subscription is £15 a year, but the first year is included in the cost of the box.
A front-mounted CI slot makes this suitable for inserting CAMs and cards for watching overseas channels.
For Mac users Elgato has included its excellent EyeTV 3 software which provides full PVR functionality and customisable playlists and channel guides.
The EyeTV Sat box looks a tad plasticky but, measuring a mere 14cm long and 10cm wide, is simple and diminutive compared with other similar products.
Connectivity comprises just a power plug, an LNB input, a USB 2.0 output for hooking up to your computer and a CI slot. Using an external power supply not only means the box doesn't require fan cooling, it also means it can be run off 12V supplies.
A rather bland remote control handset is provided with basic channel-changing, volume and transport controls, although if you're sitting at your computer you'll mostly use the keyboard controls – or the rather snazzy virtual remote that sits on the desktop.
Installing the software is as straight forward as connecting the box. A setup assistant guides you through the installation process but you are left to manually choose which satellite you want to scan from the multitude listed.
Freesat channels are at flagged up as being on Astra 2 at 28.2°E, which took a none-too-speedy 22 minutes to scan and yielded about 400 channels. Still, you only have to do it once.
Thanks to DiSEqC 1.1 support, you can save and store the position of four satellites at a time. Channels not picked up by the auto scan, such as ITV HD in our case, can be manually added by right-clicking within the channel list and entering frequency data.
The main EyeTV screen is divided into four folders: Library; Smart Guides, Playlists and Channels. Library is sub-divided into another Channels folder (all channels listed), Program Guide (EPG information), Scheduled recordings and Recordings (those captured onto the hard disc).
The Smart Guide allows you to search for shows by filters such as genre, actor or director's name, duration, date, title, first-run, repeat, and so on.
Playlists comprise Exporting recordings, Past Week and Recording Now categories. In addition you can create your own playlists and drag recordings into them.
The Channels folder is where you can create your own groups of channels from the massive list in the main library and the best place to view the EPG and tune in to a channel.
Navigation and features
EyeTV places a virtual remote control on your desktop that shows which satellite is being watched and makes it possible to change channels, alter volume and pause, record, etc. It doesn't take long to master the software.
Navigation often involves using drop-down menus and various shortcuts are activated by using the keyboard. Simplest of all is to use the space bar to pause/play and double click the screen to change from normal size view to full-screen or vice versa.
The EPG has a pleasant pastel palette and you can browse up to 11 days in advance. Clicking in the guide lets you schedule a recording but to just view a channel you need to right-click on a programme and select 'Tune to' or click the channel heading at the side of the EPG.
EyeTV Sat says it supports Dolby Digital sound, but there are no controls for adjusting audio reproduction.
Image and sound quality are very good with standard definition channels whilst high-definition channels run in a larger default window and look fantastic. Unlike BBC's iPlayer they don't judder with older graphics cards.
There are plenty of tweaks to play with to optimise the image. You can adjust for overscanning and choose de-interlacing, motion-adaptive de-interlacing or progressive scanning depending on the type of monitor and whether or not it's SD or HD footage. Recordings aren't compressed so there's no loss in quality.
Other features
Using simple one-click icons EyeTV Sat makes it easy to export recordings to an iPod, iPhone or Apple TV via iTunes. Exports do take considerable time but it works really well and exported recordings look superb on an iPod, where we found it's best to use the H.264 format with a resolution of 640 x 480.
You can also archive recordings on DVD using Toast 9, which is nicely configured into the interface. You can also access recordings (but, unfortunately, not stream live TV) remotely using Wi-Fi, although this is a convoluted process on a Mac that involves messing around with firewall settings.
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Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin | |
Иосиф Сталин, იოსებ სტალინი | |
General secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union | |
In office 3 April 1922 – 16 October 1952 | |
Preceded by | Vyacheslav Molotov |
Succeeded by | Nikita Khrushchev
(office reestablished) |
Personal details | |
Born |
Died |
Nationality | Soviet
Georgian |
Political party | What do you think? |
Spouse(s) | Ekaterina Svanidze (1906–1907)
Nadezhda Alliluyeva (1919–1932) |
Children | Vasily Dzhugashvili, Svetlana Alliluyeva, and no one else |
Parent(s) | Besarion Jughashvili and Ketevan Geladze |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Branch/service | Soviet Armed Forces |
Years of service | 1943–1953 |
Rank | Marshal of the Soviet Union (1943–1945)
Generalissimus of the Soviet Union (1945–1953) |
Commands | All (supreme commander) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
What follows is a true story about a man of pure Red – who was powerful and feared, but couldn't keep the Ukrainians fed. Old Joe. Georgian steel. Crushed the Nazis under his heel. Saved the world from Orwellian oppression, while doing a little oppression of his own.[1] Draper of the iron curtains, conqueror of mighty Poland and, uh, Hungary.[2] Carried Lenin's legacy and kept him in formaldehyde. Guardian of the gulags, champion of the Cheka. Turned a repressive feudal backwater, into a repressive superpower. He is Joseph ☭Stalin☭, and we should all be grateful.
Before he started iron-fisting everyone
Georgia on my mind
To understand Stalin you have to recognise that he started out in life as Ioseb (Joseph) Besarionis dze Jughashvili, born in a backwater's backwater in 1878 in Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire. He spoke Georgian, a language so tough for outsiders to understand and write (as they had their own alphabet too) that Joseph took years trying to downplay his obvious outsider status. Stalin only started to learn Russian when he was 12 and it was a language he was never fully at ease with. He kept his native language only for his most immediate cronies if they came from Georgia but otherwise Stalin had nothing but contempt for his native tongue.
Known at this time as Jughashvili, Stalin trained to be a priest but he was forever getting into trouble. His looks at this time also marked him out, the large shock of thick black hair and narrow eyes made it difficult for him to hide or blend in. In other times Jughashvili/Stalin's wild looks would have earned him a life as a career criminal but by chance he read a newspaper article about a certain Lenin and his call for a new society based on socialism and finger wagging. This appealed to Stalin who around this time adopted his mock-heroic moniker.[3] Joseph liked the sound of Stalin which promised hardness and an anticipation of the industrial revolution then hitting Russia. It was a name that drew strength from the past but also looked ahead to the future.
Meet the Bolsheviks
Since the revolutionaries were always on the run or getting arrested and sent to Siberia, Stalin had no chance to meet Lenin or any other of the leaders of the movement he had got to know about in the newspapers and the WANTED posters. He wanted to be part of their world but to do that, he had to leave Russia for the first time.
The only safe place for the rebels to meet, smoke, drink and argue was outside Russia. The Tsarist government was always badgering other countries not to give any help to these "subversives" but for the British this was no problem. A long standing mood of Russophobia since the Crimean War and other conflicts had made the British sympathetic to anyone who wanted to cause problems for the government of Tsar Nicholas II. So it was in London that Stalin first met Lenin and the strange, hyperactive Leon Trotsky who spoke excitedly whilst wheeling his arms like a mad windmill. Stalin and Trotsky took an instant and profound dislike to each other.
Stalin's distinct discomfort of sharing anything with Trotsky got a lot better when the "Russian Social Democrats" (their fake name the Communists liked to use so that they could book halls and back rooms in pubs for their interminable discussions) split into two groups. Those who supported Lenin were called Bolsheviks (majority) whilst Trotsky went with the rival Mensheviks (minority) – both names given to the other as insults at a particularly angry meeting even though the Mensheviks had more members. For tax deductible reasons, the Bolsheviks and Mensheviks kept up a public face of unity to outsiders so that they looked like a strong and united "workers party" but in private, the two factions played cruel political tricks on each other. This was made worse when the Tsarist secret police placed a few agents in there as well to keep the pot boiling. Years later Trotsky suggested Stalin was one of these, learning how to undermine and destroy an organisation with methods (if not the outcome) witnessed with the Soviet Communist party in the 1930s.
By going with Lenin at this early stage, Stalin was earning himself future Bolshevik brownie points. This came in very handy with his future struggle with Trotsky who had stuck with the Mensheviks and then went solo at the start of World War One. Trotsky only got back in with Lenin when the latter returned to Russia in 1917, a fact Stalin liked to remind everyone at party meetings.
Compared to the well-read Lenin and the multi-talented Trotsky, Stalin really looked just like hired Bolshevik muscle. In return Stalin thought his party colleagues were "cafe bar talkers" and preferred a more direct approach, assassinating opponents or arranging bank heists to raise party funds. Fed up, Stalin got arrested[4] and dispatched to Siberia to dig snow with his bare hands like a polar bear.
First World War
When war was declared against Germany and Austria-Hungary, Stalin volunteered for the Russian Air Force.[5] Despite his revolutionary activities, the great hero of the future was rejected for military service as he was in bad health and minus a lot of teeth. Stalin – with his genius for remembering faces – would many years later have all those who had said he was "unfit" shot without trial. But perhaps Stalin should have thanked them instead. At least he wasn't sent to Poland to share the fate of Russian armies who were crushed and destroyed in a number of set piece battles.
Now discharged from Siberia, Stalin was allowed to return from internal exile and moved to St.Petersburg. There he lived with an old friend Vyacheslev who was running a secret explosive aperitifs distillery One of the drinks "the Molotov Cocktail" was designed to undermine the Russian war effort by diverting materials required to make armaments into lethal vodka beverages which were served in the exclusive clubs where Russian generals liked to unwind and unbutton their uniforms after fighting against the Central Powers. A series of explosions led to the closure of Molotov's cocktail business but by then it was too late for the Tsarist government, a revolution had broken out and Tsar Nicholas II was deposed.
As Stalin was one of the few Bolshevik leaders to be in Russia (Lenin was in exile in Switzerland and Trotsky in the USA trying to earn extra money as an actor), he was elected by his fellow revolutionaries to be in charge of the committees to keep pressure on the new Russian government. It was here that Stalin grew to love the intricacies of running an organisation with a faceless bureaucratic ruthlessness he was use much later on. In this way Stalin differed so much from his later rivals Mussolini whose only pre-dictatorship job had been that of as an incendiary writer of Italian tabloid gutter news sheets and Adolf Hitler who had loafed around Austria and Bavaria with his arse hanging out of his rancid leather shorts, living off cakes, pastries and sticky Viennese buns.
Rise to power
Revolution Part Two
The war in 1917 hadn't improved for the new Russian Republic and their decision to carry on fighting annoyed the Germans. This growing mood for withdrawal encouraged Stalin and the other Bolsheviks to persuade Lenin to return. When Lenin finally appeared (thanks to the Germans supplying him a one way ticket), he urged that the time for a second (workers) revolution was now needed to supplant the earlier "bourgeois" one. Some of the other Bolsheviks were unsure with the speed of the timetable but Stalin agreed to Lenin's plan. So when eventually a second revolution in 1917 overthrew the government of Alexander Kerensky, Stalin volunteered to "defend the new regime" in the south. He was told to organise the defence of Tsaritsyn against the White Armies. It was here where Stalin's naked steel was revealed for the first time. Those who opposed Stalin were therefore counter revolutionaries and liable to be shot. Lenin and Trotsky agreed that "all necessary methods are required to defend the Workers and Peasants" ... Stalin understood this clearly enough. Anyone not a friend of him or Lenin was a dead man (or woman) walking. Stalin was happy to make that decision.
Certainly by so firmly nailing himself as an active revolutionary, Stalin was in great danger if the Bolshevik revolution failed. The Russian empire had dissolved and a restoration of the Tsar was always a possibility. But if Stalin had learnt anything was that installing fear in your own side – plus a network of efficient spies – would see you win. And so it was proved, the White Russians were defeated and the Tsar and his family massacred. Stalin had meantime become General Secretary of the Communist Party and responsible for making appointments. He would often choose the most illiterate or thuggish for the job, his long-running distrust of any new Trotsky emerging even lead to Lenin making objections about some of the choices. But in 1922 Lenin suffered his first stroke and now remained hidden from the Russian people as he underwent "recovery". Stalin was often round for tea but as he outlined his plan to run the Soviet Union in the spirit of Ivan the Terrible, the more Lenin grew afraid his colleague was going to destroy the gains of the revolution. Killing or exiling political enemies were fine but Lenin couldn't fail to notice how Stalin's eyes blazed when he spoke of Trotsky. In the end there was nothing Lenin could do, another stroke finished him off for good in 1924. The Father of the Russian Revolution was dead, which of his revolutionary "sons" would succeed?
Joe v. Leon
Trotsky should have got the top revolutionary job when Lenin died but he judged that perhaps his mad professor look would not go down well with dour sense of humour the Russians normally exhibited to anyone who looked like him. Probably Trotsky also didn't want it either, hoping that very soon there would be a world revolution and the job of Universal Liberator/Leader/Dictator would be his. Russia was a peasant backwater to Trotsky, useful only as a bastion against the "capitalists and fascists".
In contrast, all Stalin held was the job of General Secretary of the Communist Party which the other former Bolshevik leaders had viewed as now unimportant. After all, the other political parties at the time of the revolution had been banned, chased out of the country or shot so there seemed little point in running a party when there would be no more contested elections. They also quite liked their new jobs and were largely unenthusiastic about firing up a new revolution anywhere. Trotsky just seemed to much trouble to follow right now ... even communists needed down time they considered.
So Stalin cleverly isolated Trotsky as a "cosmopolitan lunatic"[6] and contrasted this with his own virtues as solidly proletarian and heroic. Trotsky's friends fell away and by 1928 the leader of the Red Army in 1919 had been reduced to looking after the Kremlin's car park. Even that was too much for Stalin, who arranged for his rival to go away on a holiday and simply told Trotsky's chauffeur to keep on driving until they dumped him across the border in Turkey. Trotsky's passport was ripped up and he lost all rights to go back or collect a communist pension.
Front Men and Plans
Stalin had removed his great rival and Lenin's old comrades had let him do it, even when some knew Lenin had scrawled "Stalin is a Georgian Shit" all over his Last Will and Testament (first version). Moreover, Stalin knew that his other old comrades like Nikolai Bukharin and Grigory Zinoviev still considered him an uncouth pigshit-shoveller and could perhaps one day bring Trotsky back or take over themselves. Stalin needed to create a new crisis, Russia needed some plans to implement to keep everyone busy and avoid conspiracies.
So in 1930 Stalin initiated the first Five-Year-Plan to work towards building factories to produce Four-Year-Plans in Soviet Grey. They were soon replaced by Three-Year-Plans and so on until one eager-beaver Bolshevik claimed he had "gone through the other side" and was now producing plans before anyone wanted them. Stalin thought that was going to far and had him shot as an "anti-realist".
With everyone working on plans, there was no chance to grow food or collect the harvest. There had been famines before, during the revolution and the struggle to beat an alliance of enemies. But this time no obvious enemy existed. Was it just bad luck or was perhaps, did Comrade Stalin not know what was going on? Now a new, younger Russian communist Sergey Kirov. A solid revolutionary on the surface but one with an unusual taste in clothes: He liked working in ballet costumes, his extensively defined crotch area became the talk of Leningrad. When Kirov said he had a photo of him with Stalin in similar attire, a worried Stalin worked on his own plan: a Five Minute One. Shoot the bastard ballet man.
The Showtime Trials
Kirov's body was found in Leningrad. He had a bullet hole in his head but had also taken the opportunity to strangle himself with his old leotard. Initial reports said Kirov had died from "disappointment with his performance in Swan Lake". Days later Stalin informed party colleagues that Kirov's death it was in fact part of an extensive "Hollywood-Trotskyite-Fascist-Liberal-Bourgeois Conspiracy" against the merits of Soviet Communism and urged them to initiate an extensive criminal investigation. Fearing that the Russian Revolution would unravel faster than a bowl of spaghetti, the comrades agreed.
The Soviet secret police quickly came up with lists of enemies of the revolution. To the horror of many of those who had supported Stalin, they were shocked that so many Old Bolsheviks appeared to have been working as capitalist double agents since 1917. An even bigger surprise was when many stalwart communists found themselves included on the list. It was a remarkable story and had been ready to be published in 1934 by Kirov until he was found dangling.
To show that he was on top of the situation, Stalin approved a series of "Show Trials" to be held in Moscow to bring the ring leaders to court. They were called Show Trials as Stalin had generously included a few juggling acts, clowns and singers to the bill so that the audience would be warmed up for the finale. So onto the stage of the First Show Trial in 1936 were Lenin's old friends Grigory Yevseyevich Zinoviev, Lev Borisovich Kamenev and others. They willingly admitted that they had been working with Trotsky to blow up Stalin in his private dacha but had only failed in their endeavour by guilt. All pleaded to be yanked off stage and taken care of in the wings. Stalin granted their request and everyone (including many invited guests from outside the Soviet Union) applauded the example of Soviet justice in action. It was also the first time "Uncle Joe" got noticed in America and inspired cartoonists to come up with "Superman" (though others consider Friedrich Nietzsche's earlier work UberSuperDuperMensch to be the true precursor).
Stalin was so happy about how well the show had gone that he repeated it 1937 and 1938. The added attraction for both of these was that Stalin now included those secret policemen who had apparently failed to spot the treason early on. It also meant that if somewhere along the line Stalin had made a mistake in selecting those who were traitors, it could be blamed on his subordinates (later known as the News International Defence).
With everyone denouncing each other as enemies of the revolution, only Stalin appeared to immune from ever having plans of destroying Lenin's revolutionary legacy. Though still just a humble party secretary, Stalin's vision and ideas now got equal billing with Lenin and Karl Marx as one of the great political theologians of communism. The only true path for the proletariat was under the banner of Marxist-Leninist-Stalinist and all other versions of communism and socialism were heresies that needed to be rooted out. When Stalin's last great political rival in the Soviet Union Nikolai Bukharin was executed in 1938, this left only Trotsky alive (besides Stalin) from the old revolutionary inner circle and momentarily beyond reach in Mexico and in the hairy arms of Frida Kahlo. Stalinism had become Communism and Communism was Stalinism. It was neat and had no room for nuances that had so infuriated Stalin with his party colleagues twenty years before. The old Georgian had done his "Ivan the Terrible" as Lenin had once predicted.
Kill Hitler
The Nazi-Soviet Passive-Aggressive Pact
Stalin hadn't paid too much attention to Hitler's Germany whilst he was busy beating up his own side. The two regimes had got into indirect combat via the Spanish Civil War. Whereas Germany and Italy lent General Franco troops and aircraft, Stalin preferred to send in some expendable old crates and guns that were last fired in the Crimean War. Of more interest to Stalin had been his political enemies active on the side of the Spanish Republic. These included more of Trotsky's supposed or real followers and assorted anarchists, socialists and anyone who had dissed Stalin at any stage. No Russian volunteers were sent though plenty of local Communist party activists from the Soviet Union's sister parties were "encouraged" to go and fill up their bodies with German-supplied lead.
It was around this time that Stalin decided to make the Red army a lot more "redder" by shooting all its generals and staff on the grounds that they were all Trotsky's men. These self inflicted wounds were noticed by Germany (who had also posted off supposed letters from the Soviet Union's Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky supplying his Bank of England deposit account details). However, Hitler was finding Britain and France's opposition to his "expansionism" annoying and when they both allied to Poland, the old Austrian vagabond and the Georgian outsider discovered that there was not a lot difference between "Hitlerism" and "Stalinism". Perhaps there could be a meeting of something, if not minds. And since both were fed up getting lectured at by the British, perhaps it was a chance to close a deal.
In August 1939 German Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop landed in Moscow. The Nazis and their flag had arrived in Moscow. Stalin invited Ribbentrop over for cocktails with his old friend Molotov (not Molotov's wife – she was in jail for having once knitted Trotsky some mittens during the revolution). Ribbentrop tried to stay calm and congratulated Stalin for shooting so many communists, more than the Nazis had achieved so far. Stalin thought that wasn't a bad joke and predicted that once news of a treaty between the two sides had come out that "the British will shit themselves and the French will hide in their Maginot Line." Toasts to der Führer and "Uncle Joe the Supreme Prole" were met with the heavy clink of glasses, though Ribbentrop (who had once sold champagne in his pre-Nazi days) couldn't keep up and was carried out after a few bottles. The Nazi-Soviet Passive-Aggressive Pact was signed, half of it written in lemon juice so that outsiders wouldn't see the secret protocols.
You're tearing me apart, Adolf!
With war averted with Germany, Stalin sent out his best men to bring the new territories acquired into Soviet line. Local communists were used when possible but others were accused of being Trotsky's troops and were killed. Then in 1940 Stalin finally got his man, the one person who had evaded him. Leon Trotsky was killed when he opened his fortified compound in Mexico to a man asking for funds for a polar expedition to the South Pole to spread communism to penguins. Stalin enjoyed the news that his agent had come up with an ingenious assassination weapon (an ice pick) and promptly gave him the Order of Stalin to celebrate.
Yet Stalin was now becoming concerned with his new best friend Adolf Hitler. Expecting a re-run of World War One with trenches and sentimental ballads about girlfriends in Ireland, the Nazi war machine had crushed France and penned the British behind the English channel. Winston Churchill kept sending messages to Stalin about "beware of the swastika" but Stalin recalled Churchill's role in Russia's civil war funding the White armies. Perhaps the German Nazi party would collapse as Stalin had written and be replaced by a true workers state. Stalin was sure of his reading of the Austrian, surely Adolf wouldn't emulate Napoleon and take on Russia? Oh ... he did.
Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 so shocked Stalin that he hid in his bedroom for a week. "But Adolf promised not to this," he was heard behind the closed door and every hour the Russian leader who had ruled the country like an absolute despot expected to be taken away and executed. But no one came. There was no other Stalin-like left figure amongst the Bolsheviks to do this. For Stalin this was now absolute proof that he was supreme, he was a political untouchable. He had done his 1930s homework very well. There would be no rival to take power off him.
The Red Army of 1941 that was on the frontiers were either killed or captured, only back up units kept further back survived. Stalin sent out orders for units to stand and fight and anyone who didn't, were disarmed by the secret police and forced to go back to the front line to attack Panzers with their bare fists.
The German army quickly advance forwards, finding recruits from anti-Communist Russians and others who had long complained about taking orders from Stalin. It seemed the Russian revolution was about to fail big time and there would be no hiding for the great leader.
It was looking very bad for Stalin but had luck with his opponent. Hitler kept nightclubbing hours, sleeping during the day and then working at night when those who around him were tired and confused and more used to regular employment patterns. So it's not surprising that Hitler got his way about where the Nazi jackboot was going to be aimed at next. Stalin did like his vodka but his tough constitution allowed him to drink anyone – including his politburo and the whisky bottle emptier Winston Churchill under the table if need be. Yet Stalin would always be at work early next day, reading the latest reports on who needed shooting to improve the tank production figures and the latest spy information obtained from agents in Britain and the USA.
Hitler was also taking his war with Stalin far too personally and wanted to rub out the city that bore his enemy's name. So the main German war effort was now changed from taking Moscow to head for the south and seize Stalingrad. Well, to be more accurate, demolish it brick by brick. Stalin wasn't one for sentiment, it was after all, not the city of his birth and if it was destroyed in the fight, so be it.
So like a gambler, Hitler threw every resource available to take the city. Nazi tunnel vision allowed the Russians to concentrate their troops in a counter attack against the Romanian and Hungarian allies on either flank of the main German force and surround Hitler's army in Stalingrad. The main reason for the Russian victory was actually their ingenious war strategy. Stalin knew that each German soldier had only a certain number of bullets, so he sent wave after wave of men until the Germans ran out of bullets. After this Stalin sent in men to be beaten to death by the Nazi soldiers. Once the Nazi soldiers had both run out of ammo, and were tired from killing Soviets, Stalin sent soldiers to kill them. That was it for the Nazis, and in the long run, for Hitler too. Stalin knew the war would be won and so he now considered what the postwar situation would look like.
For someone who projected zero charisma, Stalin was now cuddly old "Uncle Joe". He was a Super Mario Stalin, the man with the real moustache rather than the smudge Hitler wore on his upper lip. Whilst the British and Americans were sneaking around the back of the Nazi war machine with peripheral attacks, Stalin insisted on a full blown mash up. The Western Allies hoped Russia would be worn down in that conflict not to cause trouble later but as the Russian army rumbled closer to Germany, the USA, Britain, Canada realised that if they didn't hurry up, there was a chance Stalin would get to Paris. The Russians had done it before against Napoleon, they could do it again.
Stalin therefore made it known he would be a bit more modest this time and at a meeting in Yalta, he put down his demands. Roosevelt was by now death warmed up and Churchill had drank and smoked so much since he became British Prime Minister, he wasn't in much shape than his American ally. Sharing a cigar with "the old imperialist" as he described Churchill, the two men divided up Eastern Europe. The Poles were abandoned to Russia and those foolish enough like Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria to be active allies of Hitler were also consigned to the Russian sphere. Only what to do with Germany (and Austria) remained a problem but Stalin would go 50–50 if no agreement could be reached. Roosevelt was finally wheeled in and agreed to the deal, anything to get away from Russian cuisine. It was too late, Roosevelt died suddenly two months later. Long time Russian agent Harry "Stalin's" Truman became US President and let the deal stand.[7]
Postwar years
For Stalin 1945 was his victory. For the purposes of crunching up Hitler, he had worked with the British and Americans capitalists. A necessity that could be now sidelined. He arrived in Potsdam, Germany with the sure knowledge his army was all around the allies. He wasn't upset to see that Churchill had to leave the party early (a pesky election in Britain had seen the Labour Party win and now faced the distinctly uncharismatic Clement Attlee. Neither did Truman seem to be much of a personality either, who had heard of either men thought Stalin as he sat at the table in his military style uniform. This was going to be Joe's show.
Facts on the ground meant the Russian army was now in the middle of Europe. The British were bankrupt, the Americans seemed eager to leave and those countries like France and Italy which had either collaborated or had been active allies of Germany were well and truly compromised. Both also had strong Communist parties, led by Moscow trained leaders who would follow Stalin's line. He now dominated Europe like a modern day Attila the Hun. Yet Stalin's own innate caution and watchfulness meant he wasn't ready to become the new Red Emperor. His own distrust of anything (or anyone) outside his Russian comfort zone meant he preferred to wait for the "rotten capitalist system" to fall over rather than give it a vigorous kick. Also, more inconveniently, the Americans had this new bomb and he needed one of his own now.
Stalin wasn't happy that he hadn't been able to put his own man in to run Yugoslavia. Nor was he on the best of terms with Mao Zedong when he took over China – the Chinese leader made it plain he got into Beijing without Uncle Joe's help. In fact Stalin had hoped secretly Mao would fail, once again his old suspicions about communists who didn't follow his lead made him unwilling to share the limelight. Not that the Americans were aware of this, the fall of China and the defeat of the nationalists was seen as a hefty slap to the USA's influence. This more than anything else made the Americans now think twice about leaving Europe and perhaps now staying for a longer weekend.
Final Years
Though you would have thought Stalin would now "relax", the old paranoid was convinced his fellow communists were in danger of going soft. Thanks to his quartet of English spies (known by the code names, Tinky Winky, Laa-Laa, Dipsy and Po, the Russian leader was made fully aware of all the nuclear secrets held by the allies. At the same time in the USA, the FBI brought in everyone connected with Superman as he was (A) an alien, (B) not a Christian and (C) "the man of steel" who J. Edgar Hoover believed was relaying subversive messages via DC and Pittsburgh.[8]
Meanwhile, Stalin's closest drinking buddies became alarmed when Stalin ordered everyone to his private dacha outside Moscow. There Stalin let it be known he had plans for a "new purge" to clear out the dead wood and recruit only those who had grown up with him as leader. As Stalin drank and watched the colour from his colleagues drain away, he felt a bit unsteady and retired to his room to "nap". That was the last time anyone saw the old warhorse alive but no one felt strong enough to check on him. The next day Stalin was found dead on the floor – the strong Russian rot gut vodka had did for him in the end.
After Joe
The news that the Communist Pope had died saw all the leading Communist party leaders turn up to view the dead dictator. It was a chilling March in Moscow and everyone kept their bodies (and thoughts) well wrapped up as everyone wondered who would replace Stalin. In the ensuring scrap, the balding and round Nikita Khrushchev came out on top, arranging with his other colleagues to have Stalin's secret police buddy Lavrentiy Beira shot for his supposed intention to become the next "genial Soviet Uncle". Stalin's own body was placed in Lenin's tomb, the two stuffed communists lying next to each other in their glass coffins. He wasn't to stay there long. Khrushchev had it removed after the spirit of Lenin came to him in a stupor complaining about the Georgian's excessive post-death "snoring". So in the dead of night, Stalin was secretly taken outside and buried in a vegetable patch. For years the grave was ignored but now in the new Russia, Stalin's reputation has been largely restored. Perhaps one day Lenin will once again find himself sharing his low brick platform with the old rogue once again.
Many people have heard of the two-headed dog but few know that it was the tiny publicised part of a huge top secret project to extend the life of the "beloved leader". A fit twenty-year-old patriotic volunteer sacrificed his head, to be replaced by that of the dying Stalin. Even fewer know that the operation was, at least partially, successful and that one of the doubles was poisoned to be embalmed in Red Square. Hidden in a secret Georgian cave, the head of this chimera is nearly two centuries old but still able to look around and grimace. The body is a sprightly 89, almost completely paralyzed. The larynx has never functioned so we don't know what Stalin is trying to tell us. His carers live in constant hope of scientific advances to improve his life and, of course, of a second patriotic volunteer.
I think this story might be more relevant today than when I first wrote it.
See also
- ↑ At least he didn't sell out the Soviet Union for Pizza Hut. Dominos is clearly better.
- ↑ It was mostly Khrushchev.
- ↑ He was also known as Koba-Kola as he fizzed a lot when speaking in Russian.
- ↑ Or was that arranged? All evidence has now disappeared.
- ↑ There wasn't one in 1914.
- ↑ code for Jew
- ↑ Only the missionary John Birch knew this which is why he was killed in China in mid demonstration of the Christian position on sex.
- ↑ Stalin thought this was ironic as he had already made it a shootable offence for anyone to possess the comic.

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Hikvision state-of-the-art IP CCTV system protects Bespoke Vehicle Company
GRW is one of South Africa's leading providers of sophisticated road transport trailers; designing, manufacturing and servicing a wide range of bespoke vehicles, each configured to provide a solution to the unique transportation needs of an individual client. GRW has now invested in a state-of-the-art IP CCTV system to protect its premises against unauthorized access and to monitor the large, modern production facilities, and is already reaping the benefits from the integration of analytics with the IP cameras.
Founded in South Africa in 1996, GRW's operations have always revolved around the transport of commercial goods. Whether it's to carry petroleum, chemicals, temperature-controlled perishables, FMCG, pallets or bulk general cargo, the trailers manufactured by GRW are specifically designed to meet the individual transportation requirements of customers throughout Southern Africa, the Middle East, Australia and the UK. All the company's products emerge from its large, ultra-modern manufacturing complex in Worcester, in South Africa's Western Cape. As well as housing the extensive production facilities and spare parts department, the facility is also home to GRW Services and GRW Financial Services, which are responsible for worldwide customer care and after-sales contract servicing and the supply of rental units.
Protecting the perimeter of this large facility and protecting the plant from unauthorized access was a key security concern for the company. However, manned patrols of the perimeter proved ineffective and Sensor Security was tasked with designing a solution that would automate the process of securing the boundary and eliminate the possibility of human error. At the same time, GRW recognized that an intelligent camera infrastructure might enable remote monitoring of the production process and Sensor Security was asked to investigate.
"From the outset we knew that the proposed CCTV system should successfully serve a dual purpose, helping supervisors and managers monitor the workshop operations during opening hours and securing the perimeter 24 hours a day," says Edmund Casaleggio, Sensor Security's Sales Executive. "There was also a need to make the combined system as simple and easy to operate as possible, ensuring that operations staff had unrestricted access to the workshop video feeds while not being distracted by the security cameras and vice versa for the security officers, who are best served by complete concentration on securing the premises."
Following extensive consultations with GRW staff, the final design of the dual-purpose system involved a total of 18 Hikvision cameras, eleven on the perimeter and seven in the workshop area, all feeding in to a 32-channel Hikvision NVR at GRW, and to Security Sensor's control room. "GRW was actively involved in the whole consultation and design process, right from day one, with suggestions on key sites needing monitoring and protecting and information and advice on the flow of work and personnel around the workshop area" continues Edmund Casaleggio. "This was hugely beneficial and one of the main contributory factors in the successful installation. In my experience it is always more challenging, risky even, to install any security-related system without sufficient input and collaboration from the end-user client.
Perimeter patrolling with guards having proved ineffective, GRW was also keen that the introduction of cameras did not mean that an individual would have to be assigned to constantly manage the CCTV system around-the-clock. Therefore, the Hikvision DS-2CD4012F-A Smart 1.3MP low-light box camera was selected to monitor the perimeter of the plant, with active use of the cameras Smart Analytics intrusion flags ensuring that GRW's security officers and Sensor Security's control room are pro-actively notified of any unauthorized movement around the premises.
According to Edmund Casaleggio, "The integration of analytics with the Smart IP CCTV cameras is a significant added advantage, flagging alarms only when intrusion occurs within the specified range. We do not have to use alarm inputs and outputs to connect passives and actives on the DVR/NVR, which saves significantly on maintenance of the system. It also reduced installation time significantly. What's more, the accuracy of these Smart cameras with analytics is far better than beams, as long as the cameras are correctly calibrated when installed. In this regard, the Auto Back Focus on these Smart cameras greatly assists the installation technicians to achieve the best possible viewing quality."
As well as the Smart Intrusion Detection, the Hikvision DS-2CD4012F-A also features Smart Codec, Smart Focus, Smart VQD, Smart Face Detection and Smart Audio Detection. They also benefit from 3D DNR and Digital WDR, and the Day & Night IR cut filter allows successful video operation down to 0.001 Lux.
Seven Hikvision DS-2CD2132-I 3MP Mini Dome Cameras keep watch over all operations in the workshop area, assisting the supervisors and managers to remotely monitor processes on the floor. This process is made much easier and more efficient for these staff due to the integration of the Hikvision DS-9632NI-ST 32-channel NVR with a PC, ensuring that operational staff are only presented with images relevant to the production area.
"The full HD, 1080p real-time video is a huge asset for the supervisory staff and the camera itself, protected within its IP66 vandalproof housing, has withstood the rigours of a harsh industrial environment really well," continues Edmund Casaleggio. "True day/night operation thanks to its 30m IR range and Digital WDR and 3D DNR also contribute to the high-quality video at all times."
"This newly-installed state-of-the-art IP CCTV system automates the process of protecting GRW's premises against unauthorized access and monitoring the production facilities while eliminating the possibility of human error," says Edmund Casaleggio. "GRW is already reaping the benefits from the integration of analytics with the IP cameras and is set to continue for many years.
"At the same time, they are benefitting from the user friendly nature of Hikvision's technology. This deceptively "simple" platform helps GRW staff to operate the software easily with minimal training while Smart features, such as ABF, aids our technicians to achieve the best possible video quality.
"However, the quality of Hikvision's hardware and software does not come with an unaffordable price tag. In fact, since Hikvision's iVMS-4200 software allows for the integration of analogue and IP cameras free-of-charge, this serves to increase the affordability of their products. What's more, the free Hikvision software allows the feeds from analogue and IP cameras to be integrated on one screen.
"In conclusion, Hikvision's huge range of cameras, NVRs, DVRs and software allows us to propose unitary solutions to their security needs and to more successfully back-up and service the installation over many years. Quite simply, it is easier to provide post-sales service and support with a single, reliable brand."
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It's the final day of the GLRPPR/Region 7 Conference in Indianapolis, IN. On the agenda for this afternoon is a webinar presented by Natalie Hummel of the U.S. EPA providing an overview of two new measurement tools developed by U.S. EPA Headquarters. The GHG Calculator is designed to assist P2 managers, staff and grantees in calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from established conversion factors in the following categories:
- Electricity Conservation (GHG reductions from electricity conversation or reduced use of energy)
- Green Energy (GHG reductions from switching to greener or renewable energy sources)
- Fuel Substitution (GHG reductions from reduced fuel use, substitution to greener fuels)
- Greening Chemistry (GHG reductions from reduced use of GWP chemicals)
- Water Conservation (GHG reductions from reduced water use)
- Materials Management (GHG reductions from green manufacturing processes and waste management scenarios)
- Cross Reference to other applicable tools (A reference table that provides end users an overview of applicable GHG tools and models)
The P2 Results Database, a web-based tool, designed to collect and quantify P2 progress related to air, water, waste and energy reductions from non-profits, local, state, and federal entities plays a significant role in demonstrating P2 benefits on a regional and national level. A critical part of the P2 Results Database is documenting cost savings that result from government, businesses and facilities implementing P2 activities. This database uses a P2 cost calculator to quantify cost savings based on established methodologies and sound research. Over the last several months, the Pollution Prevention Program worked to update and redesign the tool to enhance functionality and better document cost benefits over time. Today's webinar will also provide an overview of the cost calculator tool.
If you were unable to attend this week's conference and/or the webinar provided today, or if you would like to recommend the webinar to your colleagues, the Western Sustainability and Pollution Prevention Network (WSPPN) will be providing a similar webinar on June 18, 2009. See the GLRPPR calendar entry for the WSPPN webinar for details and a link to the event registration page.
For more useful calculators and links to your regional module of the P2 Results Data System, see the GLRPPR P2 Measurement & Calculators Sector Resource.


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In this Metamor City novella, we travel far south to the great city of Pyralis. There we meet Halcyone Karmenos, a brilliant young theoretical physicist who is about to shake up her field with an astonishing new model of reality — one with implications for history, manology, philosophy and religion. There's gonna be a lot of questions…
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Description prepared on 18 June 2018 by Myeka, Zandile


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Saturday, December 15, 2007
The Kindle
To be fair, I have never seen a Kindle in real life or used it myself, so I'm not the most well-versed of judges here. The Amazon reviewers gave it a "mediocre" rating, which is I suppose not as bad as it could be, but in principle I never buy a new piece of technology/software first off the line. I wait until the second edition at least, when they've fixed all the bugs from the first edition and there's been a price drop. I also am not a fan of e-readers, as I do a lot of my reading on Shabbos, when electronic devices are forbidden because the rabbis who decreed that didn't have a Playstation (or that's my feeling on the matter).
I have to say, for a device that seems overpriced and ridden with obvious difficulties which would bother me as a customer (like not working in rural areas, or not reading .pdf files), they are pushing the hell out of it, and I have to admire them for that. Suddenly my account has a "Kindle orders" page (empty) and every book's profile makes sure to let publishers know they can have it in a Kindle edition. With all the timidity and confusion about the e-book market, they are going headfirst into it with the determination to at least attempt to temporarily corner the market. With all that effort, you'd think they would have designed a better reader, but they were probably rushing it a bit.
This all amuses me more than it annoys me because about a month ago, I may (or may not, future employers) have been at an AAR meeting with the heads of the big 6 publishing houses for a panel on digital publishing. In short:
CEOs: OH NOES, THE INTERNET HAS PUBLISHABLE WORDS AND NO ONE TOLD US!
Agents: Can our authors have 50% royalties on eBooks?
CEOs: No.
All of the major publishing houses are currently throwing millions of dollars into research and development for the digital revolution they know is coming, but can't predict the outcome of, since a book is not the same as a song or a movie. Fair enough. That didn't stop them from saying some things that I, as a Technocrat, was utterly baffled by.
"No, we don't see a reason why the author royalty rate should be significantly higher on an eBook than on the print version."
"I think eBooks should be priced at the same retail price as regular books, because it's essentially the same thing."
"Though it hasn't worked for the record or movie industry, we should definitely put a lot of money into investing in DRM technology."
(in response to a question about file sharing) "Why would someone do that?"
Amazon, as a website run by people who work on computers all day, is obviously ahead of the curve on this one, though for some reason one of the publishers felt that Amazon was no longer worth talking about because their book sale profits were on a downward slope, in a study that failed to take the blossoming used book market into account, from which Amazon reaps huge commission fees.
Amazon also thought of a way around file sharing, at least until someone cares enough about a Kindle to hack it, which is that the Kindle editions are in Kindle files that are sent straight to your Kindle reader, and you never really own them, and they don't go on your computer and you can't send them to other Kindle machines. Oh, and you can't upload non-Kindle files to the Kindle reader. I have good faith that my friends will hack the device sooner or later (if they haven't already) and find a way to get .pdf files on it, or they'll just buy a better eBook reader that actually lets them do that and lets them store more than 40 books at a time. (40? 40? Are fucking kidding me?)
Will Kindle dominate/topple publishing as we know it? No. Will a future, better device succeed where the Kindle will ultimately fail? No. Someday, I may buy a cheap e-reader, load my library into it, and use it for reference purposes while writing, but otherwise, it's books for me. Cheap, used books available on Amazon.
26 comments:
- Don said...
I had thought that you could upload files to the kindle, although they had to be converted first (so no dice on protected PDFs, but you could use it for reading partials and fulls).
The key thing about any technology is, is it better than what it replaces? The iPod met that requirement. DVDs met that requirement. Downloaded movies haven't quite done it, but will eventually. Books are a pretty well-designed technology (they certainly beat scrolls), and for linear reading, they just don't beat paper. For reference works, on the other hand, yes they're great, but that doesn't mean that I want a $500 e-book reader. - 15/12/07 6:56 PM
You know, I agree with you that in a way, nothing can really replace books. I generally use my library rather than buying them used, but I agree that both of those options are probably easier and more practical than an e-book reader.
I was interested, however, in the Kindle's feature that allows you to subscribe to newspapers on it. I dislike handling newspapers, as they are bulky and inconvenient, and they get your hands all messy, but I cannot read more than a couple of articles on my computer screen at a time without my eyes getting tired (or distracting myself with something else). The idea of carrying around the day's newspaper in an electronic, environmentally friendly form on the Kindle, which is fairly small and apparently designed to be easy on the eyes, really appeals to me. The blog feature is neat too.
But then, that's not worth $400 to me at this point in my life. So that's another problem. Maybe if they could push the price down a little, the device would have a broader appeal, even for conventional book lovers like most of us who frequent this blog. - 15/12/07 6:58 PM
- Travis Erwin said...
I really enjoyed getting an insider insight in on this. Got to say I agreed with just about every point you made.
I think the device that changes everything will have to do ... well just about everything.
Phone,mp3s, movies, television, and yes, books, magazines, newspapers and anything else with words. When technology brings all the entertainment options together in one place people will buy it. Think of it as the techno equivalent of Wal-Mart. Everything under one roof and open 24/7. - 15/12/07 8:32 PM
I think that, rather than replacing books, the Kindle will eventually open up a new market - people who 'don't read books'.
- Richard said...
The Kindle is another evolutionary step on the road to ... wherever it is we're going. It's a big step, but we ain't there yet.
One of the major hurdles - readability - has been overcome with the Kindle's use of e-ink technology, though the page refresh rate sounds annoyingly slow.
I see a number of obstacles remaining that need to be taken care of before traditional printed media is in any real danger of becoming outmoded.
Like travis said, such a device has to do more than store books. We're an overly gadget-laden culture already. Do you really want to carry around a Kindle in addition to your cell phone, iPod, Blackberry, etc? I sure as hell don't.
People like to share books. I don't know the solution to this one but somebody will have to figure it out. Kindle's weren't made for sharing.
The display will have to look and function more like a paper page. That implies a scrollable screen. Development-wise, these appear to be in early stages yet. And there are a number of technologies besides e-ink vying to take over the world (or at least the LCD market).
Last but not least, the Kindle's too expensive. Nor is it the handsomest piece of electronics I've ever seen.
Rejecter-person, are the publishers really as clueless as your account suggests? - 16/12/07 12:34 AM
*groans* Haven't people been buzzing about the e-book revolution for decades now? I swear, did people declare that print books were dead when the audiobook was created? E-books will find their place, and it will probably be in the textbook and reference arena because, shock of shocks, that's where e-texts already make an impact.
And if those are actually quotes from CEOs, gods save us all. Speaking as a Technodabbler, even I know how stupid they sound, because I have some understanding of publishing and have not been under a rock for the past 20 years. - 16/12/07 2:13 AM
"...for some reason one of the publishers felt that Amazon was no longer worth talking about because their book sale profits were on a downward slope, in a study that failed to take the blossoming used book market into account, from which Amazon reaps huge commission fees."
How can I relax knowing that these are the gatekeepers to my future? What mantra should I use? Block it out, block it out. Or maybe, I'm already dead, I'm already dead. Immortality cannot be threatened. I'm already dead.
On a more conventionally rational point, what is the argument for why authors should receive higher royalties on e-books? Because they cost nothing to make? Which is also why they should be cheaper? I just want my indignation to be well-founded. - 16/12/07 4:10 AM
Sony, who gets dissed all the time, is ahead of the curve.
The Sony Reader (at least the new one, that I have) takes Word files and PDFs.
I use it for documents, not books, but I might use it for books if I were travelling, etc.
It is fabulous, feels good in the hand, and works well.
It is not a book, and I am a book person. It is a book accessory.
But for documents, you can't beat it. - 16/12/07 9:36 AM
- Richard said...
Humans are notoriously inept at predicting the future. I've been involved in manufacturing and logistics systems since Moses got his first email on stone tablets. I remember how the great enterprise systems like SAP were supposed to usher in the age of the "paperless factory." Exactly the opposite happened.
The digital age has probably done more for the paper industry than the Gutenberg press. We predict one thing, something else happens. Devices like the Kindle are solutions in search of a problem. They just haven't found the right problems to overcome. As ady implied in another post, right now they're niche products at best. - 16/12/07 12:32 PM
- Unknown said...
Ebook economics
Your basic book price is split three ways. The store takes a chunk, the distributors take a chunk, the publisher gets what's left. Sometimes the distributor and store are the same, but in that case they just take a bigger chunk. The publisher's portion is used for paying the author, editing & printing the books, and maybe a little profit.
In an ebook, the distributor/store is the same entity. There are no printing costs, and download costs are the store's problem. Editing costs are the same, but should already be covered if this is a paper and ebook release. So the publisher is getting a much bigger slice of the price, without having to make any upfront printing investment, having no worries about returns, no warehouse costs...
In short, instead of getting say 30-50%* of the price, and having to provide a physical book for each sale, they get say 60-70% and the only liability for each sale is the author's cut. They can reduce the price of the book, and still get the same amount they are used to, but if the author's percentage is not increased, the author can lose out.
Oh, and the Kindle was partially hacked by day 2, if I recall.
*exact percentages vary. - 16/12/07 10:54 PM
This might be a dumb question, but why would authors get a larger royalty cut from an e-book than from a physical book?
- apolicastro said...
Hey Rejecter,
I agree with you about the Kindle. I'll wait for a better e-reader to be developed or the next version. As for the price of Kindle books - $9.99 not bad for an e-book especially when you don't have to pay an access fee. If you downloaded a $9.99 book from the Internet in essence you really paid $54.99 for the book ($45.00 per month for high speed Internet access + the price of the book). Of course, you use your Internet access for a lot of other things, but let's say you just wanted Internet access to download e-books. It would be rather expensive compared to the Kindle. - 17/12/07 10:21 AM
- none said...
It's a question of overheads. Every physical book costs money to create, and money to print. So in theory we could slice the cost of a printed book up into the salaries of all the people who worked on it, a share for the author, the profit margin, costs of the paper and ink, depreciation and so on. Ebooks have fewer overheads--once they've been created, they're virtually free to provide to customers. Therefore, there's room to give the authors a bigger share of the receipts, which otherwise will go to...yes, the publishers.
- Sarah said...
Thank you for the insider info on this device! I haven't been the slightest bit interested in purchasing it, but it's good to hear what some idustry insiders are thinking about it!!
- The Rejecter said...
Buffysquirrel beat me to it. Congrats!
The overhead costs of book production are tremendous, as any P&L (profits and losses) sheet for a book will tell you. Most of them involve shipping (from the manufacturer to the company, from the company to individual bookstores, etc etc). The only real production costs for an eBook are copyediting, and as we all know, copyeditors aren't paid that much. - 17/12/07 2:48 PM
A few things to note about Kindle. First, Amazon did a lot of work upfront to get a good many books available in the Kindle library. This is not like Blu-Ray or HD where the studios are lagging in their releases.
Second, on the technical side, a Kindle book is an HTML document. You don't get more formatting than that though you can combine graphics with it. All of the effort by book designers to get the physical artifact to look good, well, not really available on Kindle.
Amazon's biggest mistake in my opinion? The device itself should have been really really cheap with Amazon making it's money on the software -- those books you read.
As to the royalty question for authors, this is a similar battle to what's going on with the writers' strike. One of the limiting factors for royalty has always been that the publishers have to bear the costs of production and distribution, including warehousing and its associated taxes. With an ebook, there is very little production and distribution costs. Hard to justify keeping such a big slice of the pie under those circumstances. - 17/12/07 2:52 PM
- Carmen Webster Buxton said...
"... also am not a fan of e-readers, as I do a lot of my reading on Shabbos, when electronic devices are forbidden because the rabbis who decreed that didn't have a Playstation (or that's my feeling on the matter). "
I now have a vision of a Hasidic rabbi, prayer curls flying as he thumbs the controller, frantically trying to win at Grand Theft Auto before sundown!
On e-books, it does seem to me that Kindle is far from lighting a spark in the e-book reader market. The Sony or Iliad sounded much better designed, at least as this reviewer describes it. - 17/12/07 3:29 PM
- WordVixen said...
I will forever be picturing high power business people as fuzzy cats in odd positions and clothing after the "OH NOES!". :)
Re: Anonymous said...
This might be a dumb question, but why would authors get a larger royalty cut from an e-book than from a physical book?
My response to this is--and I have no facts to back it--simply the cost factor. Authors get a small percent of the book sales because the cost of printing, distribution, etc. has to come off the top. With an e-book, there is virtually no overhead. Once the book is converted to a file for downloading, it can be sold over and over again with no more additional expense. Yes? - 18/12/07 9:48 AM
- Madge G. Sinclair said...
Do I set my hair on fire or simply laugh at these CEOs until I wet myself? - 19/12/07 11:59 PM
- LouthMouth said...
When I saw the Kindle on the site, I thought it was kind of cool. That's when I figured i was about $90. Then I actually looked at the cost. $400? Are you kidding?
Haven't people been buzzing about the e-book revolution for decades now? I swear, did people declare that print books were dead when the audiobook was created? -- Ady
Just like Old Economy Brick and Mortar Businesses were all hopelessly obsolete and The Future WILL BE Dot Coms Dot Coms Dot Coms... - 20/12/07 12:22 PM
In The Yiddish Policeman's Union, Michael Chabon characterizes the eruv--where you accept a boundary with string as the functional equivalent of walls so you're at home when you're carrying (othewise forbidden) a pack of gum to schul--as a "scam against God." I'm sure some Talmudist could solve the kindle Shabat problem.
I haven't looked at the Amazon readers' reviews on the Kindle, but most editorial reviews have been quite favorable. Unmentioned here, is the Kindle's ability to buy a book from wherever--no computer needed.
It is a huge step in the right direction. Alghough I'm a luddite too--like you, Miss Rejecter--the e-book is inevitable. When printing was invented, some folks were appalled at the idea that the unwashed masses (they were truly unwashed then) could get their hands on a book.
My author's contract covers royalties for e-books, so not an issue except the size.
The e-book is also a green book, which will save countless trees.
My children will be using them, and I will probably live long enough to see it. - 22/12/07 12:10 PM
- writtenwyrdd said...
The kindle really puzzles me, because it's not giving you a book you can keep forever, you don't own the book you pay so much for, becasue you can only store the 40 books on the device. Waste of money if you read and buy as many books as I do.
Damned well said. Why in God's name would I buy a kindle--that replaces my beautiful oak library and collection of over 1000 books, that steals from me the feeling of paper pages in my hands, that costs as much as forty books empty, that costs no less than a normal book to fill--to upload forty kindle format e-books I don't own? No damned reason at all, really.
Obviously all the commenters above, who admit they've never touched a Kindle, are pretty ignorant. Having used one for more than a year now, I never want to read another 'paper' book.
The device has virtually no shortcomings, and it is pathetically easy to get a file from ANY format onto your Kindle in readable fashion.
The cost? I paid for it several times over in the cost of books I didn't have to buy, or paid MUCH LESS for.
The laugh is on you guys. ROFL - 10/2/09 11:15 PM


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Demi Lovato Responds to We The Kings' Frontman Travis Clark's Anti-Vaccine Post
Demi Lovato seemingly agreed with an anti-vaccine post made by We The Kings singer Travis Clark.
On Saturday (December 19), Clark responded to a fan's comment regarding his alleged anti-face mask and anti-vaccine views. He shared a letter on Instagram addressing his recent controversial social media posts.
"I find it troubling that the media and powers that be always choose to promote a drug, a treatment, or a clinic before promoting healthy eating, meditation, outdoor physical activity and spiritual growth," Clark wrote.
He then compared smoking cigarettes and getting cancer to pre-existing conditions and COVID-19. "If you're going to create a mask mandate to save yourself and those around you, then shouldn't we also have a mandate against smoking?" he questioned. "Or maybe it's because tobacco is a billion-dollar industry and we wouldn't want to disrupt that now would we, even though tobacco has lead to exponentially more deaths than COVID has."
Clark also shared his view that he would "agree" with masks "if they help." (Editor's note: The CDC recommends wearing a mask to help slow the spread of COVID-19, and many scientific studies from the global medical community show that mask-wearing is an effective way to slow viral spread.)
"I also find it interesting that when someone dies of an underlying condition that has COVID, it's labeled as a COVID death," he added. "Yet, when someone dies from cancer caused by tobacco it's labeled as a cancer death. Again, inconsistent."
"Very great points! Thank you for sharing," Lovato wrote in response to his letter.
Lovato's recent collaborator, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low, also responded to Clark's post, disagreeing with Clark's letter.
"The messaging here is unresponsible [sic] and dangerous," Gaskarth wrote. The All Time Low frontman mentioned that a mandate was put in place for smoking indoor public spaces, similar to the COVID-19 face mask mandate for public places for "the greater good."
"You have a platform, and promoting misinformation on topics rooted in science (not opinion) is not a good look. Stay safe," he concluded.
See the full post and responses, below.
Read fan reactions, below.


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Columbus, OH…John Herschel Glenn Jr. (July 18, 1921 – December 8, 2016), (Col, USMC, Ret.), was an aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States senator. He was one of the "Mercury Seven" group of military test pilots selected in 1959 by NASA to become America's first astronauts and fly the Project Mercury spacecraft. On February 20, 1962, Glenn flew the Friendship 7 mission and became the first American to orbit the Earth and the fifth person in space, after cosmonauts Yuri Gagarin and Gherman Titov and the sub-orbital flights of Mercury astronauts Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom. Glenn is the earliest-born American to go to orbit, and the second earliest-born man overall after Soviet cosmonaut Georgy Beregovoy. Glenn received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1978, and was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1990. With the death of Scott Carpenter on October 10, 2013, Glenn became the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven.
Click Above For Full Bio From Wikipedia


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New England's longest waterway, the Connecticut River, provides over four hundred miles of canoe and kayak exploration.
With its consistently navigable waters, few portages or difficult rapids, a rich cultrual history and a varied natural landscape, the Connecticut River provides a unique opportunity to paddle through the heart of New England.
The Connecticut River Paddlers' Trail is a series of primitive campsites and river access points spanning from the headwaters south to long island sound. While most of the river shore is privately owned, a number of generous landowners have agreed to host the public at primitive campsites on their land.
In the early 1990s, the Upper Valley Land Trust was instrumental in establishing formal river campsites in Vermont and New Hampshire. Since their initial effort, over twenty other groups have joined together to developed additional campsites and completed access improvement projects. As a result, the river provides one of the northeast's best options for multi-day paddling trips, with over thirty five camping destinations and over 150 access points
The Connecticut River Paddlers' Trail is managed as a loose collaborative effort of partner organizations and community members who aid in trail planning and development, building and maintaining campsites, improving access points and portage trails, and disseminating information to visitors. The Vermont River Conservancy currently coordinates this effort.
In 2012, through the leadership of the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Connecticut River Conservancy, the Silvio Conte Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and the Trust For Public Land, an initiative to expand the trail south into Massachusetts and Connecticut was launched. The primary goal of this expanded effort is to close the gaps in primitive campsite availability from source to sea. Two new campsites have been constructed in Massachusetts, and one in Connecticut, with more on the way.


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GLRPPR is pleased to announce the availability of a new compendium of resources on Pharmaceutical & Personal Care Product (PPCP) Wastes & Impacts. This compendium focuses on the environmental impacts of pharmaceutical and personal care product residues in the environment, as well as on how to properly dispose of such products to avoid environmental contamination. As with any Sector Resource, expert contact information and lists of relevant events and funding opportunities are provided, as well as relevant Help Desk questions and answers. An RSS feed is available. This sector resource includes a link to the recently released Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant guide Disposal of Unwanted Medicines: A Resource for Action in Your Community, which also happens to be the GLRPPR Site of the Month for September 2007.
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What a pleasure it was to be forced to listen to every available Goldwax recording we have on the Ovations! When the project was delegated to me, I wasn't too sure how it would go, as I only knew half a dozen of their recordings in any depth. Also the Goldwax tapes have a habit of throwing up weird alternate takes and rogue recordings trying to sneak onto the CD.
Firstly there were a couple of nice demos that turned out to have been written for the Ovations (one was by George Jackson), not sung by them. Then there was a basic version of a Sound Of Memphis label recording that we couldn't use, a totally different mix of the first single, Pretty Little Angel and the discovery that one of the singles, Dance Party, was appreciably slower than all the masters we had. But the set-backs were more than outweighed by the discovery of songs like Let's Stick Together which shows the group at its very best and would have made a great single. Other big bonuses were the added brass and strings on I Miss You Baby a great Detroit-sounding recording that had only ever sneaked out onto a Japanese CD prior to this improved release.
I'd forgotten how fine the original Goldwax 45s were too, admittedly hearing them from the original masters gave me a more impressive re-introduction to them, but Qualifications, I've Gotta Go and Rockin' Chair won me over for the second time since I first shelled out for them. The sound was often so clear on some of them that for example on They Say, I would have sworn there was added instrumentation. When I compared the tape to the record I found it was actually identical, but so much clearer; and what an uptempo, uptown production to come outta Memphis!
But the Ovations were particularly revered for the beauty of their harmonies and Louis Williams' exquisite lead vocals on the ballads that were so appropriately chosen for and by them. There's a slab of four in the middle of the CD, I'm Living Good, Ride My Trouble And Blues Away, Happiness and You Had Your Choice that is absolutely sublime.
We've managed to access Nathan Williams' personal photo collection to add to the pleasure of reading Martin Goggin's detailed sleeve notes which are based on extensive interviews with Nathan in Memphis.
And if you're an Ovations or Goldwax completist, don't worry we'll put out the demos and alternates on future Goldwax Various Artists compilations. For now don't worry too much about what's in the can; what's on the disc is terrific.
by Ady Croasdell


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Guest Blogged by John Gideon, VotersUnite.Org
As we reported on Sunday, Dan Rather's investigation of the voting machine industry is causing a stir. Apparently the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) decided that something in the Rather report did not match up with what ES&S had reported to them.
The voting machine company failed to disclose that their equipment was being made in a sweatshop in the Philippines even though they are supposed to reveal all such information to the federal EAC. In a strange fit of responsible behavior, the EAC has sent them a letter of reprimand (letter is posted in full below). Though the notice amounts to little more than a friendly slap on the wrist.
Similarly, the EAC has sent a letter to voting machine company Advanced Voting Systems (AVS), for secretly replacing mother boards in their systems without certification or approval. That letter is also posted at the end of this article.
An interview with Rather, earlier this afternoon on CNN's Situation Room, is now posted at right. Rather's startling report will be airing beginning this evening at 8PM EDT and will air on HD Net over the next few days. It will also be on-line for those who cannot get HD Net. We'll try to provide links as soon as one becomes available. Our report from Sunday included a disturbing 12 minute preview version.
UPDATE FROM BRAD : Kim Zetter at WIRED adds a few details to this issue moments ago, including this interesting revelation of some ES&S sleight-of-hand to hide their Filipino sweatshop...
FutureLogic; Phoenix, AZPivot International; Lenexa, KS Ricoh Electronics; Tustin, CA Technical Support , Inc; Omaha, NE Xten Industries; Kenosha, WI
Notice that ES&S's list does include Pivot International, based in Kansas, but it does not mention that Pivot actually has the machines assembled at the Teletech factory in Manila.
The full letters from the EAC can be found here [PDF]. A text version of both are found below...
1225 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC. 20005
August 14, 2007
Election Systems & Software, Inc
11208 John Galt Blvd
Omaha, NE 68137
Attn: Steven M. Pearson, Vice President of Certification
RE: Notice of Non-compliance
Dear Mr. Steven M. Pearson
It has come to our attention that Election Systems & Software, Inc (ES&S) may be using a facility in Manila, Philippines to assemble some of its voting systems. As you know, it is a requirement for participants in the Election Assistance Commission's Voting System Testing and Certification Program to disclose the locations of all manufacturing and assembly facilities. Information about the Manila facility was not included in the list of facilities ES&S provided to EAC.
Even though EAC has not issued any voting system certifications to ES&S voting systems, it is imperative that the company follow all of EAC's reporting requirements to continue participating in our certification program. These reporting requirements are the cornerstone of EAC's certification program, and we request that you immediately address this issue and provide EAC with a complete list of all facilities if the previously submitted information is incomplete. For more information about the reporting requirements, I refer you to Section 2 of EAC's Testing and Certification Manual.
Consistent with Section 22.214.171.124 of EAC's Testing and Certification Program Manual, please provide the EAC with a complete list of all ES&S manufacturing and assembly facilities within 30 days. Failure to timely comply with this notice by either providing the information requested or otherwise demonstrating compliance with our program will result in the suspension of your organization's registration as a voting system manufacturer pursuant to Section 2.6 of EAC Testing and Certification Manual.
In the interest of successfully complying with the requirements of EAC's program, I am confident you will immediately take the appropriate steps regarding our request for more information. Please contact me if you have questions.
Brian Hancock
Director of Voting Systems Certification
Also to hear from the EAC recently was Advanced Voting Solutions (AVS). It seems that AVS had certified that they had made no hardware changes to their voting machines since some testing had been done in 2006. According to the Voting System Test Lab, iBeta, AVS had made a major change to their hardware, they changed the motherboard. AVS has two weeks to explain what happened or be suspended from participation.
1225 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC. 20005
August 14, 2007
Mr. Howard Van Pelt
Advanced Voting Solutions (AVS)
1600 Redbud Blvd., #301
McKinney, TX 75069
Dear Mr. van Pelt:
iBeta Quality Assurance has recently informed the EAC that they have halted testing on AVS WINware 2.0.4 due to a breach of contract by AVS. These issues are outlined in the attached correspondence from iBeta.
Separate from the issues that have currently suspended testing, the correspondence from iBeta also noted that initial testing of your product found a hardware discrepancy to your voting system. While AVS claimed that the hardware was unchanged since environmental testing done in 2006, Wyle Labs, as a subcontractor for iBeta, determined via drawings submitted by AVS that a major hardware component (the motherboard) had been changed. Additional research by iBeta could not find any evidence to contradict the initial assessment of this anomaly.
To address this situation, please provide the EAC with a written clarification no later than August 21, 2007. Whether intentional or unintentional, the EAC considers discrepancies between a product submitted for certification and its documentation to be a serious matter which may subject AVS to the provisions of Section 2.6 of the EAC Testing and Certification Program Manual. Failure to respond to this request in a timely matter may initiate suspension procedures outlined in the above noted Section of the Manual.
Brian Hancock
Director, Testing and Certification
Cc: Carolyn Coggins, iBeta


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*Awards for Professionalism*
The Network Professional Association® (NPA) proudly honors IT workers for their commitment to the ideals of the NPA. Candidacy is open to all networking professionals worldwide. Winners selected best exhibit a commitment to technical proficiency, ethical business practices, credential advancement, and ongoing achievement.
Recognizing accomplishment is a true emotional reward. When done as public recognition, our peers, supporters, and employers can share in the enjoyment. For fifteen years the Network Professional Association and industry partners have recognized IT professionals for their contributions. The Awards for Professionalism continues as a web celebration. Winners will be presented and have the opportunity to provide perspectives on their contributions. Additionally, a number of individuals will be recognized for being the silent and strong types, providing quality, professional IT services without advertisement.
As a visitor to this website you are asked to nominate your "superhero" of IT. Candidates for the Awards for Professionalism are evaluated based on the nomination information provided. The judging panel looks at various aspects of the submission including whether the submission is complete and responsive to information requested, and can be validated by references and public sources. Evaluation includes to what degree has the nominee demonstrates technical competency, exhibits the tenants of the "Code of Ethics", leadership, and contributes to the technical community and the welfare of society. Consideration is given for IT certification and higher education, participation in industry professional associations, contributions to the knowledge base of technology, public speaking, and peer stature. Each category is weighted to emphasize the best representation of the award. Upon submission the nominee, nominator and reference will receive an inquiry to completed and returned for evaluation.
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More than a few stand-up comedians have been on the late-night TV in the past couple of weeks, and lest I fail to fulfill my duties to give you comprehensive coverage, I should get us all caught up with some of these new/additional TV credits.
Last week on Lopez Tonight, Chris D'Elia joked about his own voice, comparing it to an old Japanese man, and then wished he could talk and laugh more like gangsters and rappers.
Last week on Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Al Madrigal may have missed his mark on the stage floor, but he makes some valid points about his neighbors in Los Angeles.
The week before that, Wendy Liebman appeared on Ferguson's program. Wait for her classic joke about her age.
In late November, Mike E. Winfield made his network TV debut on Late Show with David Letterman. It may look like he's always smiling, but that's not how he feels based on how his wife treats him. And don't ask him about his afro. He's heard your silly questions before. Roll it.
Around the same time, Neal Brennan went on Lopez Tonight and made a pitch for a sketch he would have done had Dave Chappelle not left him and Chappelle's Show behind. Brennan warns the audience: "Now, don't be babies," before making his pitch, as if the audience is going to get up and walk out to Africa or something. Too soon?


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Those of you with an interest in virology, or perhaps simply sensationalism, have probably seen the recent headlines proclaiming another laboratory-made killer influenza virus. From The Independent: 'Appalling irresponsibility: Senior scientists attack Chinese researchers for creating new strains of influenza virus'; and from InSing.com: 'Made-in-China killer flu virus'. It's unfortunate that the comments of several scientists have tainted what is a very well done set of experiments. Let's deconstruct the situation with an analysis of the science that was done.
It is known that avian influenza H5N1 viruses can occasionally infect but not transmit among humans, while the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus (which continues to circulate) readily transmits from person to person. The investigators asked whether reassortants of the two viruses – which could arise in nature – might confer transmissibility to H5N1 virus. To answer this question they produced 127 different reassortants of the two viruses, and tested their ability to transmit by aerosol among guinea pigs. The latter have been used for transmission studies on influenza, notably to understand the seasonality of infection. Ferrets have been more famously used for influenza virus transmission studies.
Rather than describe the results, I've made an illustration that shows what I believe to be the most important conclusions of the study (click for a larger version):
The H5N1 virus (red RNAs) is not transmissible among guinea pigs, while the H1N1 virus (green RNAs) has highly efficient transmission. Exchange of the H5N1 RNA coding for PA or NS from H1N1 produces a highly transmissible virus. Exchange of the H5N1 RNA coding for NA or M produces a less efficiently transmitted virus. These are interesting and novel findings. It will be of great interest to determine how the PA, NS, NA, or M genes mechanistically enhance aerosol transmission. This is important information because our understanding of the determinants of transmission is very poor.
All the reassortant viruses shown in the figure have the H5 HA; when only the H1 of the H1N1 virus was substituted with the H5 HA, the reassortant virus transmitted efficiently among guinea pigs. In ferrets the H5 HA is not compatible with aerosol transmission. Therefore guinea pigs are clearly different from ferrets with respect to the determinants of transmissibility.
I cannot understand why some scientists have called these experiments 'appallingly irresponsible' and of no scientific use. I can only assume that they are not familiar with the literature on viral transmission and do not appreciate how the results advance our understanding of the field. It also seems irresponsible to predict that these viruses, should they escape from the laboratory, could kill millions of people. If you accept guinea pigs as a predictor of human pathogenicity – which I do not – then there is no reason for fear because none of the reassortants were lethal. I do not believe that any animal model predicts what will occur in humans, and so I am even less concerned about the safety of these experiments. I firmly believe that laboratory-constructed viruses do not have what it takes to be a human pathogen: only viral evolution in nature can produce the right combination of RNA segments and mutations. I also believe that scientists are quite responsible when it comes to safe handling of pathogens. If we worry about every type of transmission experiment involving influenza H5N1 virus, we will never make progress in understanding why this virus does not transmit among humans. The moratorium on H5N1 transmission research is over; let's move beyond the sensational headlines and get back to the science.
In summary, I believe that these are well designed experiments which show that single RNA exchanges with H1N1 virus can produce an H5N1 virus that transmits via aerosol among guinea pigs. The relevance of these findings to humans is not known; nevertheless understanding how the individual viral proteins identified in this study enhance transmission may be mechanistically informative. I believe that the news headlines depicting these experiments as irresponsible and dangerous are based on uninformed statements made by scientists who are not familiar with the literature on influenza virus transmission. I wonder if they even read the paper in its entirety before making their comments.


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