Music and Zune

I have been using my Zune for a few months now, and it has impressed me so much that I need to make a small commentary.

The first and most important thing I have to say is that once you get used to the Zune version 3.0 software, you will never go back to itunes. Microsoft has created an interface that is so much clearer and easier to use than that mess of boxes that Apple sticks with. Here I refer mostly to the respective marketplaces, but the main music user interface on Zune 3.0 still seems much more user-friendly.  You can arrange your music how you like it – by genre, artist, playlist, and so on.  Then you can sort artists, songs, and anything else, to your liking.  And it’s all so much easier than on itunes.

When you get into the marketplace to buy songs, Zune really outshines itunes.  Especially if you take advantage of Zune Pass, which I decided to do a few weeks ago.  The itunes store is a jumbled mess of information, in my opinion.  Zune marketplace breaks down genres, popular artists, and new releases in a nice clean format.  When you go to buy, Zune shows you the albums of the artist along the bottom of the screen and the songs in the center.  No mess to wade through.

Zune Pass has its detractors, but I love it so far.  You can now keep 10 songs per month and download as many as you like as long as you pay the monthly fee of 15 bucks.  I’ve found some great artists already that I either didn’t know existed, or just never got around to buying their album.  Zune is an awesome tool to discover new music and Zune Pass makes it even better.

So while I’m on the subject of new artists, I have to share a few I have discovered that I’ve taken an immediate liking to.

Conspirare:  Beautiful choral music.  If you like a real choir and really nice compositions, you really must check them out.

Anna Netrebko (with or without Rolando Villazon):  Amazing pipes on this woman.  She’s done a few things with Villazon which are also truly amazing, but she’s still very good on her own.

Army of Anyone:  I had no idea that a few guys from STP teamed up with Filter’s lead singer to form a supergroup.  Got to love the second song “Goodbye”- it’s a repeat listener for sure.

Kyuss:  I started listening to some of their stuff and wondered why I wasn’t listening years ago.  Good guitars, good vocals, and just different in a really good way.

Lacuna Coil:  Love them.  First heard their two songs on two Guitar Hero games and checked out their other stuff on Zune.  I could do without the guy screaming at times, but for the most part they have great melodies and guitar riffs.

Paramore:  I think their song on the Twilight soundtrack came up on the front page of marketplace one day and I liked it so I downloaded their album.  Surprisingly, not disappointing at all.

And finally, Shinedown:  These guys rock.  Heavy guitars and amazing vocals are a surefire recipe for success. It’s so fun discovering all these new artists that I never knew I liked.

The moral of this story is that Zune 3.0 and Marketplace are much better than itunes.  I know most people will scoff since they are attached at the hip to their iphones or their microscopic ipods that talk, but can you really justify using crappy software for a device you like?  I mean besides touchscreen, which is great if you don’t need any space to store your music, Zune offers players that are better than ipods.  (Again, in my opinion)  I’d say try out a buddy’s new Zune and see if you like it, but more importantly, download the software and play with it for a few days.  You just might become hooked.

Tags: Microsoft Zune, Zune Marketplace, Apple, ipod, itunes

Mex-Am Drug Problem

It’s sad to me to see all the nasty stuff that is going on down in ol’ Mexico. Those who know me know why I have a soft spot for that country – I lived there for a couple years as a missionary for my church. Living in another country while engaged in a work of that nature gives you a different perspective on its people. Especially so since that country is Mexico and many people in the states seem to have an opinion on what they think that country is.

That’s an aside from my reason for writing this post,though.  I just read what Hillary Clinton said about the drug violence in Juarez and all along the border – that the U.S. shares the blame for what is happening because of our demand for drugs.  I agree with her.  I think her point is very logical, but when I read down through the comments, I could hardly believe some of the things I saw.

Let me say first that this article came from a website called “One News Now“, a site that I have been receiving regular email updates from for a while now.  I gradually got the impression that this site was a so called “Christian site” because many of the views were extreme right and often referenced clergy from various Christian churches.  I read the articles as I would read any other, knowing the source from where they came.  I rarely read the comments to these articles.  I think today was the second time I have ever done so.

It was pretty incredible reading comments that immediatly discounted what Clinton had to say because of her character, family, or political affiliation.  A lot of these commenters made the argument that this liberal, anti-American, witch Hillary Clinton was selling out her country and blaming other country’s problems on our people.  Many interpreted her comments as though she said we deserve all the blame for Mexico’s drug woes.  That we should not hold the people of Mexico responsible; it’s all our fault.  Then they proceeded to insist that were the borders completely sealed off, we would be isolated from the drug problem.  Build a wall, it seems, and our drug problems would be over.

I am no big fan of Hillary Clinton, but what she said was right on.  Can we deny that there is HUGE demand for drugs in the U.S.?  Absolutely not.  Where there is huge demand, will supply not find its way to meet it, one way or another?  Absolutely.  How then can these people say that we are not at least partially to blame for this crisis?  This is not an issue to be politicized.  It is simply confronting a problem that is responsible for the deaths of I don’t know how many people in Ciudad Juarez and elsewhere, and having the courage to admit that we helped create that problem.

By admitting this, nobody is saying that we are blaming the American people for Mexico’s problems.  That’s just political crap that acts as a distraction.  The truth is that we must start fixing it by cleaning up the demand end.  Yes, we should do other things like securing the border to stop drugs from coming in.  We should continue to cut away at the branches, but we have to attack the root with much more force.  That’s the long term solution.  It’s a hard fight against a lot of druggies, but it’s the lasting solution.  Mexican drug lords will continue to satisfy our insatiable demand, and when their government gets in their way, they won’t roll over.  Too much drug money is at stake for them.

One commenter said that it is very un-Christian to say that we should wash our hands of Mexico’s problems.  I agree with her.  Work needs to be done on both sides.  Let’s not let the fact that the statement was made by a liberal like Hillary Clinton get in our way of seeing it for what it is.  That is, if you are one of those naturally inclined to disagree with her, like many of us are.

Tags:Mexico, Hillary Clinton, One News Now, Mexican drug violence

Honda FCX Clarity

At the beginning of this school block, one of my professors assigned a group project about Ford Motor Company.  Our group was supposed to compose an executive summary for Ford, informing them of the many environmental factors that will affect their business in the coming years.  We were to look at everything from green technology to political factors.  

We are now just about done with the whole thing, and during the process I stumbled upon something I thought was really cool.  I’m talking about the Honda FCX Clarity – Honda’s hydrogen powered car offering.  I know that we have all heard about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but this one brings them a little closer to home than I previously understood. 

My father-in-law has been attending conferences on this technology for quite some time now in California.  I learned from him that the hydrogen infrastructure is growing bigger every day in southern California.  The technology is exciting and all, but currently Utah has no such infrastructure.  This is why Honda released a handfull of FCX Claritys to southern Cal customers last summer.  

The exciting part for me is that Honda may be close to releasing a hydrogen station that will allow anybody to charge their fuel cell car at home.  The station will also reduce a home’s energy consumption and save money for the family.  I really don’t know how soon Honda could release these things, but I have had fun imagining.  My optimistic imaginings see a highway full of cars with water as the only exhaust.  No horrible winter inversions, no nasty car fumes, etc.  That will be a good day.

On another note, this project brought home how much work Ford needs to do to even catch up with companies like Honda.  Honda has already sold some of these things and Ford is still showing off its test model.   Our American companies need to step it up if they are ever going to regain the clout they once had as automakers.  Obama spoke well when he said the nation that invented the car should excel in its production.  It’s just too bad I can’t justify buying the junk that Ford is putting on the road over my Civic that is still going strong after 7 years.

Tags: Honda,Honda FCX Clarity,hydrogen fuel cell,fuel cell cars

Obama’s change

One thing I know about Obama is that throughout the next four years, we will have no lack of rousing speeches in times of difficulty. His inaugural address was inspiring. The kind of speech that if all its declarations were carried out perfectly, would heal the nation in next to no time. It certainly drew a crowd and numberless raving Obama fans. I did not vote for Obama, but I really hope he does what he says he will do. His record does not assure me that he will succeed as president, but then again records only go so far. He may surprise me and I am hoping he does.

Something that I have struggled to understand though, is the fierce loyalty that many people have for this man.  None of them knows how his presidency will unfold, yet they act as if The Savior Himself has just assumed the country’s highest office.  I suppose such loyalty is admirable, but he hasn’t done anything yet.  He has given hope for sure, but as the next four years unfold, I will need more than that to shower him with the praise that so many others do.

I understand that everybody shows excitement or anticipation in different ways.  Personally, I will offer my loyalty to the new president and then observe and process what I see before I offer praise.  I never have been the type to fall over myself trying to catch a glimpse of some public figure.  Instead I try to ask what it is that inspires such wild reactions in their followers, and if it is admirable, then maybe I can model myself after it.  But that “something” has to be admirable. 

In Obama’s case, he has some big promises to keep; a big mess to fix.  He’s not a rock star because he has promised to enact change – he will be deemed worthy of my admiration when he shows me he will uphold the constitution at all costs, strengthen moral values as much as he is able, and keep the promises he has made to reform broken Washington.  Even then I won’t be tripping over my feet to see him as tears fall from my eyes, but I will respect him.

The bottom line for me is that he is our president and he has my support.  But great presidents have proven themselves by actions in tough times.  Promises are ok, but we demand more now that Obama has assumed the office.  As far as I’m concerned, the honeymoon is over and it’s time to bring that change.

Tags: Barack Obama, President of the United States, Obama change, American president Obama