Open Letter To Netflix

Netflix recently released an official iPhone app. Andy Boxall in his iPhoneFreak Blog post "Netflix Comes to the iPhone" says:

"Previously only available for the iPad, the official Netflix app is now available for the iPhone too, which should see a massive increase in both the amount of downloads and the amount of people enjoying streaming content out and about."

All well and good Andy, but I have to disagree... to a degree. In response I have "penned" the following open letter to Netflix.
---
Dear Netflix,

I know you are contending with some privacy issues in your attempts to serve your customers in an innovative way. You will be relieved to hear that I'm not writing to you to discuss these issues.

Your new official iPhone app enables movie viewing on the iPhone and iTouch platforms, but I don't really think I would seriously watch a full length movie on any of these small format platforms. Maybe it's because my eyes are not what they used to be, but I prefer a larger screen that I can view with others. Call me old fashioned, but I will be surprised if there are a compelling number of users that will watch a one hour TV show or two hour feature film on their small iPhone screens. The iPad would be another story.

However, I think you could do something more compelling and innovative with movie trailers, which are short and lend themselves to a quick review to determine if you want to watch the associated full length movie. Actually, this could be the goal of the app. Heck, I have good friends that seem to enjoy movie trailers over the full length movies themselves.

How about an app that basically enabled the user to manage and view a playlist of movie and/or TV show trailers? It could have some of the following features:

• Add the movie based on the trailer you like to your queue.
• The ability to review the anticipated rating or set your rating of the movie based on the trailer.
• Browse or search trailer playlists by director, actor or genre.
  
• Create your own trailer playlist to share with your friends (social media).
  
• Comment on, subscribe or favorite trailer playlists by others (social networking).

I'm sure others will add additional ideas in the comments below. Please consider these ideas and if you like feel free to name this feature "Wardo's Trailer Playlists".

I continue to be a big fan of your service. Please keep up the good work.

Warm regards,

Ward Tongen

Todd Tongen's Silver Circle Award

Check this video out - My little brother, Todd Tongen receives the Silver Circle Award.

"The Silver Circle Awards recognize individuals who have devoted a quarter of a century or more to the television industry, a significant part of which was done in South Florida."

Way to go Bro! Big brother is very proud of you.

5 Blog Copywriting Tips from a Professional Writer

"You're boring! You should do it this way." This was the first advice I got from an old friend of mine, when I asked her to help me critique a blog post I had started to draft.

Sue is a great copywriter with experience in journalism, speech writing, ghostwriting and web writing. I value her advice and came away from our little session with 5 tips to write a better blog post.

1. Your lead sentence should grab the reader. Pull them in. Pick it carefully.
2. Keep you post short. Don't bore the reader.
   
3. So what? What does your message mean to the reader? What's in it for them.
4. It's not about you. Get over yourself. Write for the reader.
   
5. Keep your post focused. Don't go off on tangents.
   

Thanks Sue. Now I'll just dust off my ego and write some better posts.

Yoshimi Visits Medtronic WHQ

IMG_1692
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Welcome to the 'hood' Bu!

Horny Wardo

Horny Ward
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Happy Halloween!

10 Years! Congrats Sally

10 Years! Congrats Sally
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Wardo
Sent from device with very tiny keys.

Happy Birthday Ben Wallace

Geek ben and devil ward
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

His devilish cousin Wardo wishes Ben Wallace a very happy and geeky 40th birthday. You are not getting older Ben, you are getting better looking.

My mommy!

My mommy!
Originally uploaded by Wardman.

Sent from 3G iPhone

Jason Calacanis is now following Ward Tongen!

Be afraid. Be very afraid...

Camry Solidarity

Camry Solidarity
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Top 15 Peculiar Sayings I learned from my Parents

Here is a list of sayings I learned from my parents and grandparents that I find myself repeating as I get older. Yes, it's scary.

Some of these make sense, but many of them are just old senseless idioms and expressions that I spontaneously quote because they are familiar to me (not necessarily anyone else).

1. Play it by ear
2. By the skin of your teeth
3. No bones about it
   
4. That's not my baliwick
5. That's a crock!
6. Finer than frogs hair (or, as my Mother used to say "finer than frogs hair split 4-ways")
   
7. ...and Bob's your uncle
8. To make a long story short...
   
9. You can't get blood out of a turnip...
10. Go to Hell in a hand basket.
    
11. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a...
12. Pin money.
13. Straight from the horses mouth.
14. Feeling under the weather.
    
15. there is more than one way to skin a cat.
    

There is some interesting etymology and history behind some of these phrases.

What peculiar sayings or quotes do you remember from your childhood?

Buffalo Horn Shaped Seed/Nut?

[4/14/07] I saw these in a local Asian ethnic grocery store in Minneapolis. If you know what this is please leave a comment.

[revised] It has taken exactly one year, but thanks to Danigirl we now know that this is a Trapa bicornis Osbeck horn nut!!! Say that 3 times fast.

"The seed has a crunchy texture with a bland flavour. It is rich in starch, the raw seed contains a deleterious principle that is destroyed by cooking - yea, right. The cooked seed can be dried and ground into a powder. It also has anticancer and antipyretic medicinal uses."

Many thanks Danigirl!

Kuma-Wardo

Kuma-Wardo
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo

I found this hat at the Minnesota Science Museum and endured embarrassment by wearing it for a very special friend of mine.

Hats on to you Iruka-san.

Ward's List Of 35 Words That Are Fun To Say

1. anthropomorphism
2. archaeopteryx
3. baba ganoush
4. buckminsterfullerene
5. Buttafuco
6. cornucopia
7. curmudgeon
8. derbis
9. diphthong
10. discombobulate
11. efficacious
12. ginkgo biloba
13. gorgonzola
14. indubitably
15. jabberwocky
16. Katmandu
17. kerfuffle
18. kumquat
19. Lake Titicaca
20. loquacious
21. lugubrious
22. mellifluous
23. obfuscate
24. onomatopoeia
25. persnickety
26. plethora
27. polyamorous
28. Punxsutawney
29. pusillanimous
30. rutabaga
31. sphygmomanometer
32. spumoni
33. superfluous
34. vociferous
35. Worcestershire

Stopping time at Grand Central Station

Improve Everywhere

Happy Valentines Day!

Cheryl the Monkey Girl!

Cheryl the Monkey Girl!
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Merry Christmas

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Fuzzy Ward Bear

Fuzzy Ward Bear
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Ward Tongen
sent from mobile device with very tiny keys

Earl Bakken with the Medtronic Leadership Mastermind Team

Earl Bakken with the GBS Mastermind Team
Originally uploaded by Weirdo Wardo.

Earl met with my Medtronic Leadership Mastermind Team. Earl is hard to describe, but he is energetic, fun and full of vision. He kept giving us books and articles to read about integrative medicine. We were all moved by his perspective.

From left to right: Sarah Elder, Ward Tongen, Eric Kreager, Earl Bakken, Heather Lambert, Beth Milan and Lisa Milan