C'mon Digg - Better Ad Placements!

Digg is a great place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web.

There are strategic spots to place ads on a website and then there are spots like these - after submitting an article to Digg this morning, I was presented with a confirmation page letting me know the article was sucessfully submitted - great.

However, this information was presented near the bottom of the page as a huge 120 x 600 ad was above it - yes, 120 x 600. Click the screenshot below for a larger image.

Is this really the best spot for a 120 x 600 ad? C'mon Digg.

Gmail (Finally) Crosses 5 GB of Free Storage

Gmail has recently revved up the speed of its storage counter, which has allowed it to pass the 5 GB mark earlier today. Windows Live Hotmail has been offering 5 GB of free storage for a while now, but this represents a fixed amount, while Gmail's storage is constantly increasing. Yahoo! Mail on the other hand, now offers free unlimited storage.

With Gmail's recent offering of free IMAP access and useful features in its new version, it has certainly come a long way and has vastly increased in popularity. Do you know anyone without a Gmail account?

Now, only if they can lose the "Beta" status in Gmail and finally add the ability to add images in your Gmail signatures. Luckily, you can find out exactly how to do the latter manually by reading my previous post "How To Use An Image In Your Gmail Signature" - http://razorsharpviews.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-to-use-image-in-your-gmail.html.

UPDATE (25/09/08) - Gmail has just passed the 7 GB mark! 

Britney Spears: Headed for Another Tunnel in Paris?

Have you seen the string of recent videos showing Britney Spears' crazy driving antics in her Benz? - Hitting a parked car, rolling over the feet of numerous photographers (including one from TMZ), rolling over a cop's foot, running a red light with her kids in the car and making an illegal U-turn.

But what's the common denominator in all of this, besides Britney? The paparazzi! They were practically in her face at the time of each of these incidents.

Imagine trying to drive with 50 people circled around your car, pushing against it with camera-flashes going off constantly - someone's foot is bound to be in danger, at least. Let's be logical about it.

It's like the paparazzi stand around her car waiting for her to screw up and on the freeway they chase close behind her, hoping something interesting happens - but isn't that pretty much what they did in that Tunnel in Paris in 1997 - when they chased Princess Di.

Sure, she can afford to hire a driver (which she probably should) with her estimated monthly income of close to U.S $800,000.00, but when you've just spent U.S $100,000.00 on a new Benz, won't you want to drive it yourself? Again, let's be logical about it.

The paparazzi always claim they are 'innocent' bystanders with a camera in these situations, but when they deliberately chase down a car with 2 small kids inside on the freeway, who's really 'innocent' there? They should always assume the kids are in the car and respect it as such - afterall, Britney does in fact have kids!

Of course, Kevin Federline's lawyers love these traffic-violating videos! They love them so much in fact that they have called an emergency court hearing to discuss them.

Nobody can really think Britney is a good driver or even a safe driver - texting behind the wheel, having her son on her lap in the driver's seat with no seatbelt, running a red light with her kids, etc - but having 50 paparazzi aggressively follow her every move certainly escalates the danger, to her kids, to herself and to others.

If this dangerous situation continues, there will be another tragic "Tunnel in Paris".

What Would Henry Ford Think About The War In Iraq?

Henry Ford (1863 – 1947), Founder of the Ford Motor Company and father of modern assembly lines used in mass production, made many interesting statements in his insightful, business-savvy 1922 Autobiography, "My Life and Work".

In chapter 17, he addresses the first World War, what war is all about and who really benefits from war. His words are quite interesting on this topic and still very relevant in 2007, especially in light of the current war in Iraq. Many would not even draw a parallel between World War I and the current war in Iraq, however, the undeniable common denominator is the heavy loss of lives in both of these wars (and the loss of lives in Iraq is still ongoing!).

He states about World War I:

"Nobody got an advantage, honourable or dishonourable, out of that war. I had hoped, finally, when the United States entered the war, that it might be a war to end wars, but now I know that wars do not end wars..."

One has to ask, is the current war in Iraq going to be a war to end wars? Absolutely not.

Below he expresses what 'patriotism' really means. You can very well be against war and still be patriotic:

"When our country entered the war, it became the duty of every citizen to do his utmost toward seeing through to the end that which we had undertaken. I believe that it is the duty of the man who opposes war to oppose going to war up until the time of its actual declaration."

Notice he states "...up until the time of its actual declaration." Even if the reasons for going to war in the first place are wrong (think 'WMD'), your patriotism for your country should not be given up or abandoned. When war begins, you should stand behind your country.

Notice also that Ford states "I believe that it is the duty of the man who opposes war to oppose going to war...". Where was 'war-activist' Cindy Sheehan between 9/11 and the start of the war in Iraq in 2003? If she is so 'anti-war', then she should have stood up tall after 9/11 and declare that President Bush and the United States should not invade or strike any country to create another war. She did no such thing or made no bold statement until 2005 when she decided to camp outside President Bush's Texas Ranch - more than a year after the tragic death of her son in the line of duty in Iraq in early 2004. If she became actively 'anti-war' only after the war started (and loss of her son), then it simply means she was 'for' the war in the beginning - despite her claims otherwise. Actions will always (and forever) speak louder than words.

Below Ford discusses why war never resolves issues:

"My opposition to war is not based upon pacifist or non-resistant principles. It may be that the present state of civilization is such that certain international questions cannot be discussed; it may be that they have to be fought out. But the fighting never settles the question. It only gets the participants around to a frame of mind where they will agree to discuss what they were fighting about."

Below he shows how much he contributed and supported the United States in its war effort, once the war started:

"Once we were in the war, every facility of the Ford industries was put at the disposal of the Government. We had, up to the time of the declaration of war, absolutely refused to take war orders from the foreign belligerents. From April, 1917, until November, 1918, our factory worked practically exclusively for the Government."

Henry Ford's Autobiography, "My Life and Work" is a brilliant book for anyone involved in any type of business today as it highlights the real principles of creating and managing a business and what all business should be about - not 'profit', but rather 'service'. You can pick up a copy of "My Life and Work" here.

WWE's Biggest Mistake

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) was hit with yet another tragedy yesterday when one of its Superstars, Chris Benoit, was found dead in his new Georgia home - along with his wife Nancy and 7-year old son, Daniel. Details are still sketchy on how and why this gruesome tragedy took place as investigations are still underway, but Police believe Benoit murdered his wife and son over the weekend and then committed suicide sometime on Monday. On Sunday night Benoit was supposed to take part in a WWE Pay-Per-View event, but he cancelled due to a "family emergency". The next day their bodies were found in separate rooms.

Only last week the WWE lost another Superstar, Sherri Martel, who was found dead in her mother's home under suspicious circumstances (Police believe her death was "un-natural").

Are you ready for the kicker? WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon, has been "pretending" to be dead in recent weeks as part of a new storyline to garner higher ratings for his shows - complete with a realistic death-scene in which McMahon's white limo blows up as soon as he enters it. Firefighters were then shown trying to extinguish the blazing inferno.

A mock press conference was also shown where a WWE Representative announced the death of "Mr. McMahon" and that a "Federal investigation" was underway. WWE even went as far as to show a mock memorial with McMahon's picture, letters and signs from "WWE fans". One touching sign in particular read "You will always be our champion". WWE's official website also posted this story as breaking news. Another mock press conference was aired later on depicting a Federal Investigator giving an update on the case.

We're not done yet folks - McMahon's own daughter, Stephanie, took to the wrestling ring to give a tearful tribute to her beloved father! At the beginning of one of the shows, bells were rung in McMahon's memory and Ring Announcers were choked up by McMahon's "death".

You can well imagine what viewers thought when they tuned in to this elaborate plot.

WWE assaulted its fans with this utterly over-the-top, fake story about Vince McMahon being killed and left many scrambling to check news stations and websites. Many fans, needless to say, have been outraged by this. It's one thing to suggest a "character" in a show has been killed, but quite another when you suggest the same about a real person (WWE Chairman, Vince McMahon). Unfortunately, McMahon cannot pass the blame on to someone else for this highly un-tasteful publicity stunt as he is directly involved in it.

In the ultimate ironic twist, last night's "WWE Raw" was supposed to be a 3-hour tribute to "Mr. McMahon", but instead was devoted to the real tragedy that took place earlier - the death of Chris Benoit and his family. McMahon was forced to reveal that he is in fact alive as he opened the 3-hour tribute to remember Benoit and his career.

It would appear the WWE wanted to create a cloud of controversy, mystery, publicity and ratings - it received all that plus one extra thing it didn't bank on - a dark cloud over its head and now Sherri Martel, Chris Benoit, his wife and his son are all dead in a matter of weeks since the announcement of McMahon's "death". Coincidence?

This is all very similar to faking you have a serious illness - never a good idea. You can bring evil to your doorstep.