DirecTV Versus NHL

An Open Letter to the National Hockey League


Dear Sir or Madam,

With regard to this article:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=503276#&navid=nhl-search

As a DirectTV customer, AND a fan of the NHL, AND a fan of the Versus station itself, I want to say to you that I hold the NHL responsible for this problem.

Let me make it clear that I've read everyone's statements on this topic - Versus / Comcast's, DirecTV's, and the NHL's. I believe I understand everyone's side of this. Now let me help you understand MY side.

The NHL is the organization that is responsible because it's marketing and legal departments are the ones that negotiated exclusive broadcast rights for the games that Versus is withholding from the viewing public.

If the NHL hadn't made exclusive agreements, it would not have handed all of the rights to the broadcasts over to a single party, and they'd be free to negotiate an appropriate rate for DirecTV.

That single party now has a stranglehold over YOUR content - And is depriving YOUR ORGANIZATION of additional revenue. That revenue is something that I as a Directv customer am totally willing to pay. Except I can't because DirecTV is trying to make a point -- that they won't be held hostage by a competing company. (A point that I happen to agree with, by the way).

Your passionate statements on your website recommending that DirecTV customers approach DirecTV is disingenuous. Consumers of ANY broadcast service are virtually powerless to influence them one way or the other. Our only real power is to end those services, which is not a reasonable course of action.

Even if I could influence them, it makes no sense for me to urge them to cave on Comcast's demands. DirecTV seems to be looking out for my interests as a consumer.

NO, ultimately, this is an NHL manufactured problem, and I'm holding the NHL responsible for it. The NHL controls the rights to it's content - and the NHL needs to do a better job distributing that content to ALL fans, regardless of their choice of programming distribution technology or service.


Eric Steadle
Disgruntled NHL FAN

Who is the IDIOT who designed this?

Initializing Root Folders For Display

Someone at Microsoft programmed this behavior. I can't figure out why.

If you see this error it means that you have disconnected drive mappings that (I assume) the "framework" functionality that Office uses to display file dialogs has programmed into it. When you get this error, you usually wait until the framework figures out that the drives really are disconnected and eventually returns control to you.

If you use a laptop on a network, or you like the idea of removable media, you WILL run into this.

The solution to this Microsoft programmer created problem is to disconnect the drive. This avoids the application attempting to "reconnect" the drive.

Now, one must ask: "Why would someone program this behavior"? IF a drive is disconnected, isn't it disconnected for a reason? Like Windows itself couldn't connect it? If Windows couldn't connect it, why does Office think it has a shot?

One more thing. When you go to disconnect a drive (My Computer | Network Drives) the disconnected drives are listed and say "disconnected" next to them. To get rid of these mapped drives, (and avoid the problem the only way it's possible to avoid the problem), you right click and select....

Get this...

I'm not kidding...

"Disconnect".

That's right, to remove a disconnected drive, you "Disconnect" it.

Again?

Some people should not be allowed to program computers.

Experiential Understandings of Consciousness

Nancy and I rode in Heartwood yesterday. It was our anniversary. We spent some time just sitting on the grass contemplating the beautiful day. A few interesting thoughts were formed.

There's a difference between what I see when I look into the eyes of another human being, than an ordinary animal. Or, to put it another way, I know that animals have a consciousness, but it's different from that of humans. When I extended this, I realized that conscious thought has some interesting plateaus to it.

The basic forms of life out there differ from non-sentient life forms in a very fundamental way: they change. Grass is a form of life. But it's different from rocks. Rocks don't change through their own inner essence, it's always at the discretion of the external environment. Grass, on the other hand, grows. It has some kind of inner essence that motivates it to change. It's a biological program of some sort, sure, but it's got a plan and moves along that plan toward some end or goal.

But grass can't really communicate, at least not in any meaningful way. And that makes it different from more well developed forms of life, like animals. Animals have the ability to form emotion. The best example is fear. Many types of wild life have the ability to recognize danger, or potential for harm, and as a result, are motivated to get away from it. That behavior I recognize as fear. There are other examples. My cats know when I get home because they can hear the garage door open. They hang out at the door that I usually enter, waiting for my arrival. There's something there inside motivating them to do that. Reduce it to its' most primitive form, and I think it would be called "desire". Whether it's desire for food, or for companionship, or the pleasure of my touch, they like it when I get home.

Getting back to humans, I recognize we have much in common with all forms of life. With plants, we have in common the ability to automatically change / renew / regenerate. Our bodies grow and consume energy like a plant. With animals, we have in common the basic emotions, fear, desire, etc. But humans have something else, something beyond the basics of emotions. We have this analytical ability that allows us to reason, to evaluate, to make choices between alternatives.

Memory is somehow a part of this ability to choose, but I'm not totally certain that it's the only thing. In a world where change is measured, one of the most useful and helpful natural phenomenon is the passage of time. If time was irrelevant, or if it did not pass, then it would be very difficult to notice change at all. And without memory, it becomes impossible to recognize change when it happens. Did this look like that before? Without memory, that question is impossible to answer. Could it be that memory is one of the requirements for consciousness?

Ozric Tentacles

So I just saw Ozric Tentacles in Pittsburgh at the Rex theater (Friday June 16, 2006) on the first stop of their brief summer US tour.

MIND BLOWING is the best way I can describe it. I've been a fan for years, and have seen them before, so I knew what I was in for. I can't believe they managed to blow my mind yet again, but they did!

I just can't help but DANCE when Ozrics start playing. That may or may not be a form of synaesthesia, I'm not sure, but my god, the way they make me feel!!!!

If you have the opportunity to see these guys live on their tour, take it. You will not be sorry!

Here's a link to a fanpage on Ozric Tentacles (the official page has been down for a few months as of this writing):
http://ozrics.hopto.org/ozrics/index.html

Here's a link to MP3 samples of their latest album:
http://www.magnacarta.net/releases/ozricthefloorstoofaraway.html

If you want to hear Ozric Tentacles on the radio, the only place I know of that plays them is WRCT in Pittsburgh (Carnegie Mellon's student run radio station). There's a DJ named DJ Firefly who plays a lot of Ozric Tentacles (and other cool music) on her show. (Full Disclosure: I'm her biggest fan, because I'm married to her.)

WRCT Pittsburgh

There are streaming links at the top of the WRCT web page if you want to listen.

DJ Firefly's Program Page (w/ playlists of previous shows)

DJ Firefly's show is on Wednesday at 3:00pm until 5:30pm (as of this writing).

Dubai Ports Deal

So, if you're an American President, and you sow the seeds of fear and mistrust of all that is arab, would you be surprised when your constituents unite against you to prevent the takeover of critical ports of entry by a company whose national government has the word "arab" in it?

As you sow, so shall you reap.

Duh.

On the importance of imitation

Human beings are really good at replicating the behavior of others. We learn by imitation.

Which is why it's really, really important for me to show compassion for others, to tolerate apparent shortcomings, and to understand other points of view.

Angel Encounters

Last night, an angel from heaven descended upon me, and annointed me with holy waters. It was a heavenly experience.