Props to Verizon handling of privacy-policy changes

Regular readers know I get cranky when website operators do dumb things when it comes to their customers' privacy. 

I believe there should be a basic expectation of transparency and honesty when it comes to using your customers' personal information. Sadly, many companies big and small abuse those relationships. 

So, I was pleasantly surprised with a recent email from Verizon (my cell carrier) that not only alerted me to changes to its privacy policy but gave me concrete examples of how my information might be used and how I could easily opt out of participation should I have concerns. 

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Testing the new Urtak poll widget

Updated on Monday, September 16, 2013 at 8:33 PM by Logan Molen

I've stumbled across an interesting poll/quiz widget called Urtak that not only collects data but allows participates to add their own questions. 

That's an interesting twist on traditional online quizzes, and ensures that where you start may not be where you end up.

I've embedded the poll widget in the upper right of all my page templates, and currently am asking questions about personal technology. Give it a spin and let me know what you think. 

Urtak is a polling widget with a twistUrtak (an Icelandic word meaning "statistical sample") is free and simple to get started, although it took me three tries to make sure my questions were written in the required Yes/No phrasing. And while adding questions is a snap, I was unable to edit my mistakes or disable quizzes, which go live immediately for the world to see. Until you get the hang of writing in a Yes/No format, it's easy to mess up, so having an edit function would seem like a major need.

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Love what you do

UFO performing earlier this month in Santa Rosa.

I had the pleasure Tuesday to finally see one of my all-time favorite bands, UFO, play live in Fresno. 

For those who haven't yet heard their genius, UFO is a British hard rock band that's been performing nearly nonstop since 1969. I'll save you the math: that's 42 years. 

UFO never topped the U.S. charts or won a Grammy, but there aren't many bands whose deep catalog is so full of hummable full-throttle rock. To this day, I regularly find myself hitting repeat on songs such as "Only You Can Rock Me" and "Lights Out" (check out video of 1977 performance above) that I've heard dozens of times over the years, only to suddenly discover a new wrinkle. Critics may sniff, but this is good, honest, boogie-based rock with hooks galore. I'm unaware of any other band in any genre that four decades into its life still consistently produces new songs as good as their old songs. 

As you might expect for a band of such vintage, there are some rough edges. Why lead singer Phil Mogg insists on wearing the same belt and suspenders and pants yanked way up high show after show is beyond me. Perhaps he's trying to make a fashion statement? Um, no, he's 63 years old. He can do what the hell he wants. 

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