Money = Speech

I’m sorry to say this but the markers you just bought, the thin piece of wood, the glue, and the poster board all cost money. So if speech isn’t money then how can posters outside of a rally be speech? How can t-shirts be protected under free speech? Or tattoos? Money does equal speech.

Corporations pay taxes but cannot vote to change the laws that affect them. Unions pay no taxes but can still endorse candidates. So the workers can organize and fight the corporations but again the business’ cannot affect change? Unions, LLC’s, S-Corps, Sole Proprietorships, Churches and many other groups are just that – A collection of individuals. So why can’t that collection of people spend the money that that group earns legally on anything they want?

News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS) brings in on average 50 Billion dollars, thats FIFTY BILLION dollars. They have 152 sub-entities in NO TAX or LOW TAX areas. Yet they are allowed to produce and run which ever propaganda dribble that manages to spew out of FOX News’ broadcast. How is that not political speech? How come the FEC does not shut them down 30 days before an election? Because they are giving you “news”?

Locally headquartered LEE Enterprises (NYSE: LEE) owns 64 news papers in 23 states. They are allowed to produce and run any number of editorials, and endorsements that many folks will argue can sway an entire election. Yet GE cannot purchase a TV advertisement claiming that Barack Obama will be bad for business. Nor could Coca~Cola purchase a Quad City Times advertisement saying that John McCain will be the best president for sugary sodas. WHY NOT?

Next time you are hand making a sign while watching MSNBC and reading a copy of the Quad City Times remember to nod your hypocrite hat at the millions of business’ and organizations that now share the same liberties.

http://www.follownathan.org/

I’m making my way in the business world like anyone else would… Have an idea, and execute.

I’m going to fix the things that need fixed only when they need fixing. Otherwise I’m going to build/test/repeat. The goal is to simply get things done. Good/bad/ugly – Arron Lorenz is going to make something happen.

That is what I love about the prospects of a new cycle of rotations around the Sun. We’re given an unwritten rule to do something new. Something that you love to do but are too affraid to try. My policy is to always try anything once. Because I don’t want to look back and claim that I didn’t try because I was scared.

I’ve failed before, and I’ll fail again. Right now though we’re CRUSHING IT!

Online video chat by Ustream

Check out my mother Tracy Dorgan doing an interview on WQAD!

After having been engaged in various social media networks, and blogging platforms over the years time has shown me a few things. I have found that completely original ideas are hard to come by. That we are more simply trying to constantly improve on all facets of our lives, and this world. Social Media is a new growth on mass communication. Where the lines of “bull horn” marketing are blurring with dinner conversations.

How Social Media is used today

In 2009 with one in five Americans on Twitter, and 35% of Americans are more likely to tweet if they are already a member of another social network. It is easy to see that spreading the word across multiple SM channels is crucial. From 2008 to 2009 Social Media websites saw an additional 11.3 million members from the 35-49 age group.

The information and data that I have included in this post all highlight a trend that is heading up. Social Media is as ubiquitous as a cellphone, e-mail, radio, computers, and  television. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, along with the hundreds of others are just different mediums and different channels for your business to capitalize on.

Rush Limbaugh is Social Media

In 1988 during the decline of AM radio Rush Limbaugh first nationally syndicated his radio show. He went national by doing something that no one else had done. Rush GAVE HIS PROGRAM AWAY. Usually radio stations paid a royalty to the talk show for being able to air the program. Rush gave his radio signal to any radio station that would play it. He then signed the advertising deals directly with advertisers. He completely cutout the middle man. By giving his program for free to these AM stations in their decline he managed to get his name, his brand, and his voice to thousands of stations.

The radio stations don’t pay Rush, the listeners aren’t paying a dime to Rush to hear the radio program.

Read More: http://www.qcdesigntech.com/2009/11/social-media-is-talk-radio/

Daytrotter — One band a day, every day, 28 Daytrotter Sessionsongs each week

If you would like to read more about Daytrotter or discover great independent music recorded fresh visit the About page. Well they have released a brand new iPhone app for FREE. Now I have a way to take all of the music sessions with me. If you’ve used the website you’ll notice that the entire focus is the artists. The same rings true when it comes to this app. Starting from the front page you are shown a simple way to navigate to New Sessions, Radio, Browse, Search, Most Played. So whether you know the artist you want, or your exploring for something new the front page takes you there.
Over all the app seems to stay with simplicity when it comes to navigation. By clicking New Sessions we’re taken to a page that gives you a nice list, including the artwork for each Daytrotter session. Choosing the session I want to listen to takes me straight to the music selection, and again from there starts playing the tunes.

The player portion brings the Daytrotter artwork front and center. Each session is treated as an individual play list so by starting the first Welcome track you’re give the following songs one right after another. I was a bit puzzled at what to expect from the Daytrotter on the iPhone but what I was provided with was a Pandora replacement. I can choose to listen to the most recent sessions in a row, or be served up “Random Tunes”. This allows me to sit back at my desk and just enjoy a random sampling of the sessions.

Some of the other features like browse, search, and most played give you exactly what you would expect from a music app. But I cannot overstate the enjoyment I get from the ease of use. An iPhone app should be easy to use, and give you the exact information you want. Daytrotter is not using this app to promote new sessions, or drive traffic via links to the website. This app is just giving me an easy way to browse, and discover some of the best music that has come through the Daytrotter sessions.

No app is perfect, and I wouldn’t expect a first release to be 100% polished. In this app Daytrotter has stuck to it’s hand written button styles which on the iPhone can be a bit difficult to read at times. Those buttons work well from a design perspective but from trying to switch menus while in a car doesn’t work so well.

This is in my opinion the best iPhone app I’ve seen from any Quad Cities Area business

In closing I think as far as a music app goes it matches the features of a standard player. There is no fancy recommendation engine, or ads just good music.  This is in my opinion the best iPhone app I’ve seen from any Quad Cities Area business. All in all if you like the Daytrotter website and the music this app is for you. If you are looking to discover new indie music recorded in the Quad Cities then this app is for you. I give this app 8 out of 10 on the #ArronLorenzReviewPoints scale.

8 of 10 #ArronLorenzReviewPoints

Well folks it’s 22 October 2009, and Windows 7 with it’s 6 versions has been released. I’m sure that you’re wondering which version is right for you? Do I have to upgrade. Should I upgrade? Should I get a new computer with Windows 7 on it? Well QC Design Tech is here for all of your Windows 7 questions.

FYI | Happy Birthday Windows XP | 8 Years old on Sunday, October 25th. Originally released in 2001. Are you still using a decade old OS?

First and foremost I am currently using Windows 7 on a production system and have been impressed with it’s performance, and features. Simple additions to Vista’s Aero interface like real time thumbnail previews of your task bar. Greater desktop control by simply dragging your windows to the edge of the screen. Windows 7 also has added a slew of security enhancements, and has timed the release of the new operating system with Microsoft’s new anti-virus system Microsoft Security Essentials.

Read More: http://www.qcdesigntech.com/2009/10/windows-7-is-here-dont-panic/

First of all DON’T PANIC.

Now that we’re over that I’m writing today to talk about the release of Ubuntu 9.10. This is the newest update in the Ubuntu Linux line of Operating Systems. For those of you unfamiliar with Ubuntu or Linux will find it as a not so different replacement for Microsoft Windows, or Apple’s Mac OS. It operates on the same computer systems, and many of the programs that you know work in Ubuntu, or have similar replacements.

Ubuntu is not meant to be an Apple or Microsoft clone. It is meant to be a better operating system, and a better user experience. It’s very fast, has little opportunity for virus’, works well an a variety of hardware, it’s FREE.

Now the last part may throw many off. Yes this is a FREE operating system. Ubuntu is community driven with a corporate backing. This means the code for the operating system is written, tested, and refined by many thousands of people. Anyone can submit a patch or custom code to Ubuntu. This is an OS where secrecy and trade secrets are not the number one concern. Speed and Security are the most important things.

Read More: http://www.qcdesigntech.com/2009/10/ubuntu-linux-9-10/

I’m hoping that something productive/interesting/neat/cool/fun will come of this. Work doesn’t have to be a 9-5 in a cube. Work SHOULD BE FUN. Work should be something you love to do. Work should produce something not just produce productivity.

So I’ll be back in a few weeks to present you with Coworking Quads part 2, along with notes on the first Coworking experiment.

I for one will be working on a web design project for a new website. What will you work on?