May 2014 Posts

Hachette is Not the Good Guy in Dispute With Amazon

Hachette is Not the Good Guy in Dispute With Amazon

It is amazing that some people are treating book publisher Hachette as the good guy in their dispute with Amazon. They are not.

Two years ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued them because they were colluding with Apple – and other publishers – on pricing. Specifically, they were trying to force Amazon to raise prices. One publishing executive is quoted as saying that he wished “to screw Amazon.” Hachette settled with the DOJ immediately. They didn’t even put up a fight.

Amazon Arbitrage: Buy from a Third Party Seller, Receive a Box from Sam’s Club

Amazon Arbitrage: Buy from a Third Party Seller, Receive a Box from Sam’s Club

Last week, I purchased some binders from Amazon. I’m re-organizing my life right now and part of that is going through all of the stuff I have in my archives. Over the years, I have collected a lot of memorabilia and have a big sports card collection from when I was younger. To keep everything uniform and easily stackable, I’ve been buying the same binder over and over again.

You Can’t Hug a Rolling Stone

The Lonely Island just dropped the music video for “Hugs,” featuring Pharrell. It’s the spiritual follow-up to Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.”

A Place With No Name

A Place With No Name

Michael Jackson’s second posthumous album was released today. Xscape is an 8 song set, but the deluxe edition is 17 songs, featureing the original versions of those 8 songs, plus the edit of “Love Never Felt So Good” with Justin Timberlake. The deluxe edition is what you want.

Not because you will necessarily prefer the original versions, but because it allows you to see where the song was and where it ended up.

Twitter Introduces a Block Feature I Can Actually Use: Mute

Twitter Introduces a Block Feature I Can Actually Use: Mute

The only time that I have ever used Twitter’s block function is when reporting spam (because they force you to block the person you are reporting). Beyond that, I have never used it.

The reason is simple: if your block feature tells people that I’ve blocked them, I’m not using it.

MoonQuest: An Epic Journey

If your Monday needs a boost, watch this. My brother Trent showed it to me.

HomeSearch Allows Shill Bidding Up to Reserve Price on Real Estate Auctions

HomeSearch Allows Shill Bidding Up to Reserve Price on Real Estate Auctions

HomeSearch is an online auction site for real estate. I hadn’t heard of them until recently when a member of my family was shown a house that was listed on their platform. Out of curiosity, I had a read through their event agreement and I came across something that I thought was odd.

They allow the auctioneer, who represents the seller of the real estate, to bid up the auction on behalf of the seller, until the reserve price is met. In many circles, this would be known as shill bidding.

Mike Pouncey Jokes About Rookies Giving Him Gifts… After Scandal Involving Rookies Being Forced to Give Gifts

Mike Pouncey Jokes About Rookies Giving Him Gifts… After Scandal Involving Rookies Being Forced to Give Gifts

If you follow the NFL, you’ll know that my Miami Dolphins had a big, headline-grabbing scandal last year involving bullying. Specifically relating to members of our offensive line. There was a special report convened by the NFL that found three players responsible for consistent harassment: Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey.

Incognito is gone, without a team. Jerry has moved on to the Giants. Pouncey, a Pro Bowler and the most talented of the three, remains in Miami.

Why I Backed StandDesk on Kickstarter

I have long been interested in getting away from the standard desk and chair setup when I’m working. I’ve read plenty about the dangers of too much sitting and, even though I am more active than most, there is a lot of room for improvement.

The idea of a treadmill desk intrigued me – and still does – but when I discovered StandDesk on Kickstarter, I was really excited because a healthier office setup was actually attainable. What is on the market doesn’t really match up. StandDesk checks every box for me.