Let this blog post serve as official record that I would like to be cremated. The world would be a much dimmer place without Jack of All Blogs, so the good news for you is that I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. But should some unforeseen stroke of madness occur, and my friends and loved ones are faced with the painful decision of where to place my bodily vessel, now they know: Burn me.

Or hold an online funeral (sarcasm!). More →

Ever notice that every boardwalk on the planet has a tarot card reader who is willing to drain your wallet for a supposed glimpse into the future? Nobody knows what’s going to happen next. Since we are all on equal footing when it comes to crystal ball gazing, Jack of All Blogs figures we’ll give this soothsaying thing a crack. Here are your tech (and other) predictions for 2010. More →

Back in the late eighties car alarms became widespread. It didn’t matter if you were driving a Ford Festiva or Cadillac Eldorado; if you bought a car, you got an alarm.

Along with this new sense of security came a key ring clicker. Hit the button, and the alarm is activated. This is verified by the alarm sounding briefly, usually in the form of a horn honk or single chime. This sounder tells you, and the world, ‘don’t come near my car, it’s alarmed.’ This might have been an effective security measure two decades ago, but in this day and age, it doesn’t help. Not one bit. So cut it out!

TV commercials suck.

God bless the technological advancements that permit us to skip ads. Designed to raise brand awareness and sell us a product, I’m always amazed at how ineffective these paid spots are. Unless they are working on some deep psychological level, I’ve never seen an ad and than run out to purchase a product.

One trend that I’ve been waiting to end for over 10 years now is the repugnant ‘every-person’ montage. These are the ads that show a group of different people – usually from all walks of life – that repeat the same word. More →

In the marketing section of Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, an article, Videogame Firms Make a Play for Women discussed top video game companies realizing a “new” market. Research is showing that more girls /women playing video games, “…female game players now account for about 40% of the overall market, compared with the IDC research firm’s estimate of less than 12% in 2001.” Well, good, I thought, maybe they’ll start paying more attention to this market segment. I went on to read that video companies are talking about titles like “Little Pet Shop” for girls and workout and dance-themed games for women. Am I the only chick who admits that back in the day she liked making Laura Croft blow stuff up and use assault rifles on the bad guys? I doubt it. Although I now belong to a “casual” game club and enjoy the mindlessness of “hidden object” games on a regular basis, I like action titles, too. More →

It is no secret that the umpires have been absolutely atrocious during the baseball playoffs this year. And don’t tell me that it’s the volume of HDTV sets and advancements in video technology that have brought the imperfections to light.

Being an umpire is not difficult work. It requires concentration, a certain level of equanimity, and a willingness to spend much of your life traveling. Beyond that, there are very few responsibilities. More →

In my mind, the Balloon Boy saga was over as soon as I heard two words: Wife Swap.

A normal, civilized human being would never appear on that hideous show. Unless of course you’re a wannabe actor with an ego the size of a – well – large helium balloon. Actually, would any decent person appear on a reality show? More →

I hate politics. It’s the simplistic polarization of complex people that pisses me off the most. To think that a diverse mammal such as human beings can be divided into two groups and place all of their core beliefs and values under a single tent is not realistic. But people love to pick sides – especially when it comes to technology. More →

I am tired of all of the political posturing by lobbying organizations and opportunist politicos regarding the “ban on texting” while driving.

Jack of All Blogs is not arguing that dexting (texting while driving) won’t lead to catastrophe…it most certainly could. However, our position is that all drivers should have both hands on the wheel at all times (well, 95% of the time). If you do not, you should be punished. More →

Cable companies across America have developed “Triple Play” plans. These are one-bill packages that deliver TV, phone and Internet service – each at a “discounted” rate.

In theory, it makes perfect sense; the more services you use from one company, the greater the savings. But here is the rub… More →