Have you guys seen this? This boggles my mind. Watching this makes me wonder what sort of damage our packages really suffer. What would you do if this was your package? I do have to give the guy props… he was brave enough to share this video and didn’t seem that upset. This was the text associated with the video on his YouTube channel:

This video has nearly 6,000,000 views and has received a ton of comments/likes/dislikes. Watching this, I don’t know if I should “like” it because the guy caught him on camera or if I should “dislike” it because the dude threw his monitor. Regardless, stuff like this makes me mad and I am glad that he got caught. Funny thing… a lot of people in the comment section are talking about UPS. They also released a video this week of a delivery man flipping off the camera and tossing a similar package. I guess the holiday stress is getting to us all!

Have you ever had a package delivered that was damaged? What would you do if this happened to you?

In conjunction with World AIDS Day on December 1, 2011, The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis is raising money through its KNOW POSITIVE text-to-give campaign to fund 500 additional rapid HIV tests. A rapid HIV test not only gets people who test positive for HIV into medical care more quickly, it also prevents further exposure to the disease from those who may not know they are infected.

“The best way to stop the spread of HIV is through prevention. The best prevention is for people to know their HIV status and that of their sexual partners,” said Betty Wilson, President and CEO of The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis, which operates the Indiana AIDS Fund. “We want to provide more tests so more people, especially the younger generation that doesn’t seem to be as aware of HIV, can know their status.” Forty-six percent of all new HIV diagnoses in Indiana last year were in people age 30 or younger, according to the ISDH.

“HIV is affecting people in what is supposed to be their most productive years,” said Carrie Carter, a medical social worker for LifeCare at Indiana University Health, an Indiana AIDS Fund grant recipient. “I always tell patients that in order to live a successful life, they must take control of their HIV.”

To participate in the KNOW POSITIVE campaign, simply text the word “KNOW” to 20222. Each text results in a $10 donation to the Indiana AIDS Fund. The Health Foundation will donate one HIV test to an Indiana AIDS service organization for each text donation. The $10 donation will be added to your cellular phone bill. Standard text messaging fees also apply. “When you text “KNOW” to 20222, that’s one more person in the know,” said Wilson.

The Health Foundation will distribute KNOW POSITIVE cards and bracelets at World AIDS Day events across Indianapolis. In addition, they will share the text-to-give information on Facebook and Twitter. The Indiana AIDS Fund is a program of The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis, dedicated to supporting HIV/AIDS service programs in Indiana. Each year, the Indiana AIDS Fund provides grants to community-based organizations through the state for HIV education, prevention and treatment programs for women, women of color, youth, under-served communities and men having sex with men.

Going in, I hadn’t seen the trailer, had no idea what it was about (I assumed the FBI) and didn’t even know who was in it. I was in for a surprise.

The film was directed by Clint Eastwood, written by Dustin Lance Black, and starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, and Naomi Watts. The cast was stellar, but I am not a huge fan of what Eastwood pumps out. I really hate it when he directs and stars in the same film. But I didn’t even know he was associated with this picture until it was over.

J. Edgar didn’t really have a plot. It would be best described as a documentary. It was pretty much the story of J. Edgar Hoover. The one thing I did like was how they told the story. It was told as Edgar (that’s what his friends called him in the movie) was dictating his manuscript. The story went back and forth in time, and I liked how they made the actors look young and old depending on where they were in his story. It’s a unique take on it, and had the movie not been so long, I could see that being more effective.

ACTION! Oh wait…

The movie didn’t have much action. There was a scene in the beginning of the film where a bomb went off… that made me jump a little. But that was about it. It was a lot of banter with the characters, and a lot of detail on who J. Edgar was as a person. They did focus on some of the things that he was famous for. For instance, I had no idea he was the one who came up with the Dewey Decimal System. (Wikipedia gives the credit to someone else, but the movie makes it seem as if he was the one who invented that system.)

Hoover is also responsible for fingerprinting… it was actually pretty funny, as when they were going over this in the movie people were mocking him, making fun of this concept. That concept is used today, and has managed to put justice to endless crimes. Not such a bad idea after all! It was just neat to see all of these things that he was responsible for. That… and the Federal Bureau of Investigation! That’s a pretty big deal, if I do say so myself!

Oh so BORING!

The movie was really long, and VERY boring. I am pretty sure my favorite cousin Chris fell asleep during the movie. It was too long, there was not enough action, and it just seemed like the movie dragged on and on. Every time that I thought it would be over, and the story came to a potential closing point it just started back up again. It did that four or five times. I kept waiting, when all of a sudden it was over. I knew it was getting close when Edgar died.

It wasn’t a bad movie. The acting was great, and the makeup was incredible. But it was just too long. I wanted more… more of a story, and more development. There are some things Hoover is known for (that I learned after seeing the movie) like his potential homosexuality and his cross-dressing habits. That was touched on in the movie, but never focused on. Those are the things I now want to learn more about.

If you are a history buff, go see the movie. You will like it… especially if you are into the FBI and the likes of J. Edgar Hoover. Leo did a GREAT job with this, and I am sure he will win an award or two for his work here. It’s not his best work, but after Titanic his career has just gone downhill! (No, really… I loved that movie. Did you know they are bringing that movie back in 3D? Yeah… I know. Dumb!)

Since I rate this movie in terms of popcorn kernels, I have to give this a 2/5. The acting is good, like I said, but there isn’t enough there to keep me entertained for more than a few minutes. If you want to see this, I would suggest saving your money and waiting until it’s on DVD. It’s not a blockbuster like Immortals or Twilight. (For the record, I have not seen the new Twilight. I have no plans on seeing it, either.)

Did you see J. Edgar? What did you think?

Speaking of Paris, Martin said, “Obviously I’m devastated at not being able to make this tour, it was due to bring a close one of the best summers I’ve ever had. I’ve had an incredible amount of love from the states and was super excited o deliver my third tour of the year. I’d like to apologize to everyone involved in putting the tour together, the promoters and of course the fans. My team will be doing everything we can to get further dates in place as soon as possible.”

Tour dates affected include:

• September 2 – Electric Zoo, New York
• September 3 – Sun Dance City Festival, El Paso, Texas
• September 4 – Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, California
• September 5 – Tao Beach, Las Vegas
• September 5 – Marquee, Las Vegas

Click here to follow Martin on Twitter.

Click here to “like” Martin on Facebook.

Click here to watch Martin on YouTube.

A coworker and I got into a discussion about the credibility of Wikipedia. (Ricky) said that he uses the site all the time and has never received wrong information. He truly believes that Wikipedia is a credible source and that you can rely on it for factual information. I believe that Wikipedia is not a creditable source. The main problem I have is that Wikipedia does not seek out experts in the fields they have information about. Instead they let anyone who can use a computer write the entries. I have an issue with just any Sally Smith being able to make changes to the site. I also do not think that the moderators (who are from Wikipedia) are knowledgeable enough to monitor the information on the site.

Wikipedia & Accuracy

An article I found said that the creators of Wikipedia are the first to admit that not every entry is accurate and that it might not be the best source of material for research papers.

They gave a list of things to consider:

• Look for a slant – some articles are fair and balanced but others are very biased. If an article has only one source beware.
• Consider the source – even if an article cites external sources, check out those sources to see whether they are being cited fairly and accurately.
• Look who’s talking – If you research the contributors themselves and find that they are experts in their fields, you can be more confident in the entry.
• Start here, but keep going – Wikipedia should be a starting point for research but not your primary source for research material.

Wikipedia & the U.S. Courts

Another article I read stated that the U.S. court of international trade said that Wikipedia is not a reliable source. In the case between BP and the United States, BP challenged the Customs and Border Protection’s classification of its merchandise, the U.S. court of international trade went into reliability of Wikipedia. BP had frequently referred to Wikipedia to argue that its product was petroleum oil and not a preparation.

The footnote from the court says Wikipedia is a “user-contributed online encyclopedia” compiled of articles placed on “web sites that allow users to directly edit any web page on their own from their home computer.” Wikipedia’s construction is based on the theory that “allowing anyone who surfs along to add or delete content on that page” will result in “a credible, balanced encyclopedia by way of an ad hoc open source, open-editing movement.”

Although the court is aware that some studies have led prominent scholars to promote Wikipedia’s veracity, see Yochani Benkler, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom, and acknowledges that several circuit courts have relied on it in opinions, Countless district courts have held that “Wikipedia is not a reliable source at this level of discourse.” Based on the ability of any user to alter Wikipedia, the court is skeptical of it as a consistently reliable source of information. At this time, therefore, the court does not accept Wikipedia for the purpose of judicial notice.

Wikipedia & College

An article from MSNBC talked with a college professor, which got his view point on Wikipedia. He said he was looking through a stack of final examinations and found several instances of misinformation that were identical from one student to another. All of the students in his class had been steered wrong by the same source, Wikipedia. After this incident the entire department banned students from using Wikipedia as a source in their papers, although they are allowed to consult it for background material. Professors at other schools quickly mimicked this move.

Comments

As controversies have grown, Wikipedia has had to fight to uphold its reputation or, what’s left of it. They have said, “reaching neutrality is occasionally made harder by extreme-viewpoint contributors” and it warns that, “Wikipedia makes no guarantee of validity.” In a general disclaimer it says, “please be advised that nothing found here has necessarily been reviewed by people with the expertise required to provide you with complete, accurate or reliable information.”

What do you think; is Wikipedia a credible source? If so, what do you use it for?

Work cited includes:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4530930.stm

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/is-wikipedia-reliable.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17740041/ns/nightly_news/t/word-wikipedia-trust-verify/

http://www.stefankulk.nl/index.php/436/u-s-court-of-international-trade-wikipedia-is-not-a-reliable-source/

Gavin has been on the road opening up for Train and Maroon 5.

Before he was attacked, he was with a bunch of buddies out drinking and having a good time. He left later that night and was soon attacked by a group of guys. But what gets me is that after he went though all that, and was beaten up… he was hit by a cab! I mean, as if it couldn’t get any worse. Sure, hit me in the face a few times. Kick me while I’m down… but then I get hit by a taxi? There is just nothing good to say about this. I did hear he was released from the hospital today. However he will miss the next three tour stops, at least, while he gets to feeling better. Depending on how bad those cuts are, and how messed up his nose is, he might miss more. That stinks because that would be a killer tour to be on. I am a big fan of the new Train album, and Maroon 5 just gets better with time.

After Gavin was attacked, the thugs fled and he kept walking. He was then hit by a cab! Sorry that I keep going back to this, but why didn’t he call someone? Did no one see him getting beat up? Did no one see him get hit by a car? New York is the city that never sleeps, and surely there were some people around. Unless the thugs stole his cell phone, he could have used that too. (The attack was not a robbery.) I know my good friend Erin is a HUGE Gavin DeGraw fan. I actually first learned about this on her Facebook page. I hope she is coping well, and I am sure is relieved to hear that he is out of the hospital.

To all those Gavin fans out there, stay strong. He will get better. Hopefully he will be back on the road soon. Until then, keep singing and make sure you check out his new single Not Over You.

Click here to follow Gavin DeGraw on Twitter.

Click here to “like” Gavin DeGraw on Facebook.

Speaking of colleges, a new list of the top 10 colleges in the United States has come out. The list of schools includes some movers and shakers, and features some pretty well known Ivy League schools. This year’s list includes:

1. Williams
2. Princeton
3. United States Military Academy
4. Amherst College
5. Stanford University
6. Harvard University
7. Haverford College
8. University of Chicago
9. MIT
10. United States Air Force Academy

Purdue isn’t on that list… currently ranked #56. That’s not bad, in my opinion. Granted, its no Ivy League school… no Yale. But hey, I am proud of my education, and I can’t wait to go back. I belong in the classroom.

Where did you go to college?

What’s it take to break the record?

So what does it take to break this world record? Typing the alphabet is what sets the record. That’s it… just start typing, beginning with A, and ending with the letter Z. The winner, Eduard Saakashvili, did this in 5.26 seconds. He beat the previous record held by a British teenager named Charlie Joseph McDonnell. Eduard beat the record by 1.05 seconds. (Did you know that Eduard is the son of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili? I dare you to try and pronounce that… then say it three times real fast!)

Like I said, I type pretty fast… but that is just sick fast. I wonder how fast I can type the alphabet. Think I can beat the record?

IMAVEX, LLC. will provide a full marketing campaign for The Spirit International. The campaign will consist of creating enhanced traffic utilizing several Internet platforms including Facebook and Twitter, live streaming video including a detailed video marketing solution, and much more. Throughout the campaign, IMAVEX will provide consistent Internet marketing expertise as well as detailed traffic reports and advanced statistics to The Spirit International.

About IMAVEX

IMAVEX, LLC is a leading provider of interactive web solutions and Internet marketing products and services. IMAVEX helps companies and organizations to dynamically manage their web presence while providing a catalyst to promote and market their company. In addition, IMAVEX provides industry leading search engine marketing, search engine optimization, social media marketing, and video production and streaming services to drive pre-qualified users to their clients’ web presence, and then turn them into paying customers. IMAVEX is headquartered in Noblesville, Indiana.

For information: http://www.thespiritgolf.com/The-Spirit-International.html or http://www.imavex.com

Contact: rpotts@imavex.com

Phone: 317-774-7460

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Click here to follow IMAVEX on Twitter.

Click here to “like” IMAVEX on Facebook.

“It’s so exciting that self-publishing has allowed John Locke to achieve a milestone like this,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “We’re happy to see Kindle Direct Publishing succeeding for both authors and customers and are proud to welcome him to the Kindle Million Club.”

“Kindle Direct Publishing has provided an opportunity for independent authors to compete on a level playing field with the giants of the book selling industry,” said John Locke. “Not only did KDP give me a chance, they helped at every turn. Quite simply, KDP is the greatest friend an author can have.”

John Locke, of Louisville, Kentucky, is the internationally bestselling author of nine novels including Vegas Moon, Wish List, A Girl Like You, Follow the Stone, Don’t Poke the Bear! and the New York Times bestselling eBook, Saving Rachel. Locke’s latest book, How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months, is a how-to marketing guide for self-published authors.

Like all Kindle books, Locke’s books are “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – customers can purchase these books and read them on the third-generation Kindles that start at $114 with the new high-contrast Pearl e-ink display, as well on iPads, iPod touches, iPhones, Macs, PCs, BlackBerrys, Windows Phones and Android-based devices. Amazon’s Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon, where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.