Some of the news that is fit to print

Not so electronic government

I guess you really do notice things more when it hits close to home, but let me share a tale of what appears to be e-government gone wrong.

I live in northwest Washington, D.C. just off the Rock Creek Park. For those of you who may not know the area, Rock Creek Park is this wonderful area that runs from the Potomac River right near the Mall all the way out to the Maryland border. As you might imagine, the park is heavily used – the Rock Creek Parkway is heavily by drivers, but it is also a recreation area. It is part of one of my favorite bike loops.

So the WP yesterday had a story, which they tease off the front page, about the new Rock Creek Park management plan. Given that I use the park – it is part of my daily commute – I was interested to find the plan.

I was hopeful that the WP would provide a link to the plan. BZZZ!
So I search Google, which provides me with the Park Service's Rock Creek Park page. I search on there for awhile -- management documents, maybe? Not that I could tell.

I eventually went to try Google’s Uncle Sam, keyed in "Rock Creek Park management plan," which took me to this site, which seems may be a step in the right direction, but when I click around, I can't really tell what is new, when things were posted... In addition, I'm not sure how somebody would actually find this site other than a Google search.

I clicked for awhile there until I grew frustrated and decided to try something else.
So I went to the Park Service’s main page, their press release page… on and on but all for naught.

So I called their press office. The person there didn’t know. She suggested that I use their search engine, which didn’t seem to come up with what I was looking for.
She gave the number of the superintendent of the park, who directed me to the director of plans, which whom I left a voice mail message.

How many real people actually go through this?

And can offer some notes when the Interior Department gets its e-gov grade on the management score card?

If anybody knows where I can find this document…

I am putting the spotlight on the Park Service -- well, I guess I am, but I don't mean to. I understand that this stuff is not always easy -- we don't always get it right! -- and I don't think the Park Service is alone.

Perhaps this just says something about people's expectations.

But my quest continues.

Almost Star Wars, but not quite...

So the Organic Trade Association has a fantastic movie on its Web site -- Grocery Store Wars -- a spoof of Star Wars, of course. But this five-minute online movie features the case of Cuke Skywalker, Princess Lettuce, Chewbroccoli and other organic rebels dressed as Star Wars characters -- battle it out with Darth Tader, the evil lord of the Dark Side of the Farm.

"These are dark times, young Cuke," says Obi Wan Cannoli. "An empire of pollution and pesticides has ruthlessly conquered the market, nearly wiping out our organic birthright." The site also lets you "learn the ways of the farm" and join the organic rebellion.

Meanwhile, Forbes.com talks about the feasibility of Star Wars technology and talk about Star Flops, such as the Star Wars holiday special.

And you just knew there was a political angle to the Star Wars hype -- yes, it is Gulf Wars!

I am humbled by the creativity!

Building a better mouse trap...

• "Build a better mouse trap and the world will beat a path to your door." So says Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Well, apparently three Perdue University engineers have invented a better tricycle -- one that eliminates the needs for parents to run behind their kids holding the back of the bike for stability. The tricycle actually morphs into a bicycle and back again!

Called SHIFT, it slowly transforms from a tricycle to bicycle configuration as the rider pedals faster, then returns to trike formation as the rider slows down.

That's just too cool! (XDM take note! The B-man definitely needs one of these! Sounds like it may be a good gift from Uncle CJD and DMV!)

The team has even won engineering awards for the design!

Ain't technology just grand!

TiVo's future

I wrote about TiVo's tenuous future earlier. Well, it appears that some of the questions have been resolved. As WSJ.com reports, TiVo entered into a long term agreement with Comcast.

TiVo, of Alviso, Calif., said it will develop a version of its service -- which helps viewers easily record television programs onto a disk drive -- that Comcast will offer as an option to its 21.5 million cable subscribers. The service, which will carry the TiVo brand, will be available in a majority of Comcast markets in late 2006.

The boss's blog

No, not that Boss -- my boss. JSM is really an amazing guy -- and I don't say this as an ass kisser because I don't think he reads this and I really do legitimately like him. He is the kind of person who can blog about the philosophy of cartoons. He's the kind of guy that has a favorite philosopher. I, by contrast, have a favorite American Idol contestant.

Anyway, his blog is interesting and different. Enjoy!

Adding to the CJD blog reading list

The Washington Post writer Joel Achenbach, who is already a CJD-fav of WP writers, has a wonderful blog.

Firefox Yahoo toolbar

I'll get to my Mozilla Firefox discussion sometime this weekend, but meanwhile, Yahoo! has come out with a toolbar for Firefox. If you already have Firefox, you can get the Yahoo Firefox toolbar here.

TiVo's time ticking away?

My good friend XDM called the other day asking if she should get her hubby a TiVo for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately I didn't know what to tell her. TiVo is in the tough spot right now with many of the cable companies rolling out their own TiVos, yet TiVo has become one of those words that is just synonymous with digital video recorders -- like Xerox copies or Kleenex.

Just in case you don't know what TiVo is, well -- it's amazing! On it's face, TiVo is similar to a VCR, but it is oh so much more. TiVo allows you to watch what you want when you want to. The TiVo box is actually a computer that allows you to control even something that you are watching "live." Say somebody calls in the middle of American Idol, God forbid. With TiVo, you just pause it. Say you missed Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction. With TiVo, you can go back to it and rewind it over and over again. And you can fast forward through commercials. TiVo will also seek out programs you might like. But the best part of TiVo is every time you turn on your TV, there is something on that you want to watch. And you aren't dictated to by TV networks.

TiVo has very loyal users mostly because those who use it love it. But for some reason, the user base has been slow to develop. ReplayTV, which provides a TiVo-like service (think Betamax) has all but disappeared. And TiVo has also had problems. In recent months, TiVo's two top executives quit and then cable companies have been developing their own recording devices. TiVo officials say they remain optimistic. One site has even launched a TiVo Deathwatch. (Business 2.0 suggested that Apple should buy TiVo.)

But back to XDM's question -- should she get TiVo for her husband. Unfortunately my recommendation was NO. Especially when you can get a similar product from the cable company. And I don't like saying that because I think TiVo is a great product. So... the more I think about it -- buy it! It is only $99 and the monthly fee. Perhaps we can save the company. And the TiVo service is just better then the others, as Mike Langberg said. 

TiVo wins consistent praise from reviewers, again including myself, as best of breed. It's easier to use than other DVRs, and does a superior job of recording exactly what you want. At the same time, it's not so much better that indifferent couch potatoes will go out of their way to buy and install a TiVo box when Comcast, DirecTV or Dish Network is offering a set-top box with DVR included.

All that being said, I would totally understand if you didn't given the company's teeting financial position.

(And I'm shocked nobody has written something commenting on this!)

Fiorina bye-bye

So Carly is gone. The press is describing it as a "surprise move." I'm not sure why, exactly. The company has been floundering for awhile. And then there was the whole, foolish Compaq fiasco where Fioina pushed the merger through the H-P board -- even despite the objections of a H or a P, I forget which.

The shock is that it came so soon. But the always wonderful Good Morning Silicon Valley, pushed by the San Jose Mercury News, had this item yesterday.

So, Carly, you feel like you're getting enough family time? If Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina's relationship with the HP board is as good as she claims, why all this buzz? First we hear rumors that the directors are considering taking some of Fiorina's operational duties away from her, and now comes word that legendary venture capitalist Thomas Perkins is returning to the board. On Monday, HP announced Perkins, a partner in the Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, would re-join the board, replacing outgoing member Sanford Litvack. Coming as it does after recent reports suggesting HP's board has been unhappy with the company's uneven performance under Fiorina, Perkins' return seems a bit more loaded than HP would have us believe. "Here is a guy who has deep, deep technology connections, has previous HP experience in his background, a long history in the PC industry, a guy who I think will vigorously review business decisions,'' said Harry Blount, a Lehman Brothers analyst who does not own any HP stock. "I think it is a very positive move that brings some energy to the board."

Yeah! When the going gets tough... will she go to Disney as they search for an Eisner replacement? Ugh!

Happy MLK Jr. Day...

I meant to post this earlier, but I got busy. But... Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Some links:
The King Center
MLK's national historic site in GA
MLK online
and one can celebrate MLK Day through service

Of course, MLK is famous for the "I have a dream" speech given here in Washington, D.C. It is a good time to give it a listen.