Is That A Roll Of Gaffers Tape In Your Pants, Or Are You Just Glad To See Me?

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, duct tape, gaffers tape, tape — No Comments ↓

Did I get your attention?  Good.  I’m afraid I have some bad news.

When we started selling expendable audio visual supplies over 20 years ago, I didn’t really expect that I would someday find myself closely tracking agricultural commodity prices.  Little did I know.

Apparently, that gaffers tape we sell by the pallet load is made of the same cotton as the pair of Levis you are probably wearing.  Well, it seems that the cotton that Levi Strauss buys for their mills to make your pants has increased in price by 80% since July and the cotton futures market suggests that more increases are in the pipeline.

You’ll see this price increase reflected in any cotton clothing you buy and it is going to impact the price of cotton cloth tapes as well, probably before the end of the year.

Flooding in Pakistan, poor crop yields in India and bad weather in China all impact the price of this raw material.  Things are so bad this fall that even veteran cotton traders are surprised at what is happening in the market.  They now think it may take a couple of years before world supply can again match demand.

Oh, don’t let me forget the rest of the story.  The other major component in gaffers tape is a synthetic adhesive made from oil.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.

Where Will New Techs Come From? Here Is One Answer

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, good business ideas, Other News, Pro lighting, Pro Sound — No Comments ↓

Awhile back, I observed how the pool of concert and special event technicians was aging out and posed a question regarding where new technicians would be coming from.  Little has changed since I posted that article.  The median age for techs gets older and the hair gets grayer.

This weekend I got to witness something that could change that in a really positive way.

I had the pleasure of attending an entertainment technologoy conference at the UNC School Of The Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, which featured presenters for Cirque du Soleil and some of their suppliers.

Cirque provided some of their highest profile technicians and administrators and presented training seminars and “hands on” training for UNCSA students and students from a number of other university technical training programs.

In addition, there were workshops on resume preparation and arts administration careers, again taught by Cirque staff.  Representatives from Cirque du Soleil made it clear to student attendees that they would be looking to college technical theatre programs as an important source for new techs for all their shows.

Until this weekend, I had been unaware of the connection between North Carolina university theatre programs and Cirque du Soleil.  Alumni from The School for The Arts, UNC Chapel Hill, and others were represented among the presenters and Cirque representatives let student attendees know that they were hoping to strengthen these ties.

While it is true that our company has ties to a number of Cirque vendors (and Cirque itself) as an expendables supplier, my interest in attending was primarily in the capacity of a volunteer at our local high school.  I am interested in helping high schools develop technical theatre training programs and can’t wait to share what I learned this weekend.

Thank you, UNC School Of The Arts, for being such a great host. And for opening my eyes to a great new opportunity for students to develop a relationship with one of the greatest entertainment presenters in the world.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Click here for unbeatable deals on Shure wireless microphones.

FCC Gives Wireless Mic Users A Nod

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, microphones & mic stands, Pro Sound, wireless microphones — No Comments ↓

It appears that the FCC may have finally acknowledged that wireless microphone users might deserve a seat at the table when broadcast spectrum is reallocated.  After jerking the rug out from under thousands of microphone owners with it “white space” ruling that went into effect in June,  the regulatory agency, in a preliminary ruling yesterday, has acknowledged that wireless mic users might actually deserve some “reserved” spectrum as the reallocation of television broadcast frequencies continues.

Hoping to promote the development of what is being called “wifi on steroids” as well as other new wireless technologies, the FCC has ruled that additional frequencies no longer needed by broadcast television (now that television has gone digital) can be used without licenses for development work on new wireless devices, new wifi included.

Since this access to new frequencies will exist at many different points within the spectrum, the possibility that  devices in development will intrude on frequencies now used for wireless mics is very real.  Using these frequencies will not require a license, and wireless mic users will have no idea what might be going on close by that could conflict with their wireless mic signals.

The important part of this new rule for wireless mics is that the FCC intends to set aside two broadcast  channels for exclusive use by wireless microphones.  That would mean that developers of new wireless technology would have to stay away from those yet-to-be determined channels.

Since many wireless mic owners have abandoned (as required by law) the spectrum in the 700 MHz band, we can only hope that the FCC will respect this compliance and make sure that at least the 500 MHz band that the majority of wireless mic users have migrated to will be reserved for their continued use.

Expect a big fight on this from the deep pockets of wireless players like Google and Verizon who have no intention of giving up access to even a couple of broadcast channels if they can prevent it.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Click here for unbeatable deals on Shure wireless microphones.

Need A Wireless Mic? Don’t Join “The 700 Club”

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, mic cables, microphones & mic stands, Pro Sound, wireless microphones — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_biggerEven though the FCC ruling regarding outlawing certain types of wireless mics has been in effect for more than two months, there are lots of unscrupulous vendors still selling equipment designed to 0perate in the restricted 700 MHz (698 MHz to 806 MHz).

There was still an abundance of new equipment manufactured to use these frequencies on sound equipment sellers shelves in June when the new law went into effect and they continue to make their way into the hands of unsuspecting buyers.

Online auction sites like Ebay are full of these now illegal mics.  If you encounter one, you should notify Ebay, who has said they will remove the offending item.

The FCC ruling makes clear that the sale, manufacture or import of wireless mics operating in the 700 MHz range is now illegal.  If you have been sold one of these units at any time after January 15, 2010, you should return it to the seller for a full refund.  If the seller is not cooperative, you can report them to the FCC.

While you can expect that the FCC will deal swiftly and firmly with the offending vendor, that does not mean that the unsuspecting buyer of a 700 MHz mic is off the hook.  Even if you were not aware that it would be illegal to use the microphone you were sold, you are still subject to both criminal and civil actions if you continue to use the device.

Nobody should become a member of the “700 Club”.


GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  We offer “FCC-approved” wireless mics at BuyWirelessMic.com.

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Revisiting The Wireless Mic “White Space” Issue

Posted on by Jeff Posted in audio visual, microphones & mic stands, Other News, Pro Sound, wireless microphones — No Comments ↓

mike2Back in June, right after the FCC ruling regarding banning wireless mics that operate in the 700MHz “white space” broadcast spectrum, I made a  prediction.

That prediction was that the FCC would let those major telco companies that had bought exclusive access to these frequencies do their own policing on this issue.

It seemed that it was time to look at this issue again, to see if there was any record of the FCC taking actions against wireless mic users.  A quick scan of enforcement-related “Field Notices” at the FCC web site did not turn up any actions related to wireless mic use.  I guess that that is not really surprising after only ten weeks.

I did turn up a document, however, that would seem to confirm my June prediction.  It is a form letter issued by Verizon Wireless (one of the companies now controlling the 700 MHz spectrum) that is being sent directly to wireless mic users who are considered to be in violation of the FCC ruling.

In the letter Verizon claims “exclusive” license to the 700 MHz spectrum and, thus, a right to “protection” against harmful interference that might be caused by wireless microophones.

Verizon then refers to a specific “violation” of the new law and demands that the recipient of the letter “immediately cease operations of such devices”.

In the final paragraph of the letter, Verizon Wireless refers the recipient of the letter directly to the FCC with any questions they may have.

What happens next?  Check back here, or better yet, let us know if you have actually received one of these letters.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  We offer FCC compliant wireless mics at buywirelessmic.com.

Google Maps Pays A Visit

Posted on by Jeff Posted in good business ideas, Other News, web development — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_biggerImagine my surprise when I put our business address into the navigation function of my phone and was served up a picture of our loading dock.  Not the picture that we posted on our web site, but a picture I had never seen before.

After several years of not being able to find our address (on a private road) in any of the online mapping software, there we were on Google Street View.  Apparently a Google mapping survey vehicle had visited our neighborhood, and there was a picture of our loading dock-uncut grass included-for all the world to see.

While Google Street View may be useful for businesses, say a delivery driver who is wondering which dock is ours, its indiscriminate use, regardless of the address being sought out, is troubling.  I don’t mind someone being able to identify my business address, I would prefer that not just anyone be able to identify which home driveway is mine and which is my neighbors’.

Of less concern in the privacy arena, but clearly of great interest to a business owner, is how unflattering the image Google chose to use was.  We have a very attractive building with a large landscaped front lawn fronting on a major US highway.  We take care in presenting a good face to the public and regret that Google chose to use a view of our facility that almost no one ever sees.

While we have no interest in manipulating accurate data that is in the public domain, we do feel that Google should take more care to present a balanced presentation of what their images really represent.


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How’s Business?-Here’s A Good Indicator

Posted on by Jeff Posted in Uncategorized — No Comments ↓

spokesguyAll the business news shows spend most of their time speculating on whether or not the recession is over and looking for ways to measure how American business is responding to the economic downturn.

Here’s one of our favorite indicators. We call it the “PI” and it stand for pallet index.

Almost everything we sell arrives at our loading dock on wooden pallets-sometimes eight or ten a day.  They eat up valuable space and can be difficult to dispose of.  Until the beginning of the summer, we had to beg delivery drivers to take them back and even resorted several times to hauling them away and burning them.

For the last couple of months, they have been disappearing before our eyes.  Every time a driver shows up with a delivery, he seems to more than ready to take back a pallet and usually asks if we have any more.  If five or six have accumulated, his eyes really light up.

It seems that other stops on his route have a need (for the first time in months) for more pallets than they can get to ship their goods, and the driver is able to sell them our pallets when he makes a delivery.

This seems like a really positive sign to us.

Maybe it is time for MSNBC to add the “PI” to their list of leading economic indicators.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. What’s your favorite business health indicator?  Share it with our readers.

The Only Thing They Grow On This Farm Is Money

Posted on by Jeff Posted in gaffers tape, good business ideas, Other News, Uncategorized, web development — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_biggerMy Facebook page was constantly clogged with friends’ postings about games like Farm Ville and Mafia Wars, so I was really happy when someone showed me how to eliminate this sort of posting to my feed.  “Yes, I like you, but the pink tractor you bought doesn’t really interest me unless you plan to use it to mow my yard.”

Little did I know, these games (and others) are generating huge income for a company called Zynga.  Zynga develops incredibly popular social networking games and they make their money in an amazing way.

It appears that those who play the games are willing to pay real money for “virtual” goods.  That pink tractor my friend was bragging about having-it turns out she paid $3.50 for it.  Yes, the $3.50 was real, but the tractor is not.  Zynga needs no warehouses, no trucks and no maintenance facilities.  The pink tractor exists only on their servers and costs essentially nothing.  The bulk of their costs (minimal) are tied to the credit card transaction fee for the purchase.

This article in last week’s New York Times values Zynga at $4.5 billion dollars and estimates their annual revenues at $500 million, almost all of it from the sale of virtual goods.  The Times goes on the crown Zynga “the Google of Games”.

We sell real things, and the cost of warehousing, shipping and guaranteeing them is the majority of the cost of running our business.  If we could figure out a way to sell “virtual” gaffers tape, we could become the “Google of sticky stuff“.


GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Got an observation about social network gaming that you would like to share with our readers?  Let us know.

Hey Godaddy! You’re Driving Us Crazy

Posted on by Jeff Posted in customer service, good business ideas, Uncategorized, web development — No Comments ↓

spokesguyOver the years I have registered a lot of domain names.  We got into web development about 15 years ago and now there are about 300 url’s on our domain farm.  Some good.  Some not so good.

I recently went on a “round up” and moved all the domain registrations to a single registrar because it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with renewals.

I chose to use Godaddy.com because their pricing seemed a little lower and they offer hosting services as well.

Now I am reconsidering that decision.

Godaddy.com is the “hands down winner” of the contest for the “most characters per page contest” and they lead the competition by miles in the “most in-your-face upselling contest” as well.  It is impossible to complete any sort of transaction at their site without their making dozens of attempts to sell you more products and services, and completing any sort of complicated administrative tasks almost always requires a phone call.

There ought to be some way to turn off all the special offers, deals and contests and choose a simple menu option for the task you came there to get done.

It is past time for Godaddy.com to provide a simple-to-navigate option for customers who know why they came to the site.  We can save looking at the Danica Patrick pictures till later.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Got an alternative to Godaddy.com that you would like to share with our readers?  Let us know.

That Song You Can’t Get Out Of Your Head

Posted on by Jeff Posted in batteries, good business ideas, Uncategorized — No Comments ↓

good-idea-jeff_small_biggerYou know that feeling that you have “a radio in your head” and some song gets stuck there and you can’t stop hearing it?  New  research on “no battery” electrical devices at Duke University might someday mean that you really would have a radio in your head.

This article caught my eye in yesterday’s New York Times .  Matt Reynolds, an electrical engineering professor at Duke, is working on “self-powered” devices that use the radio waves all around us in the atmosphere to power electrical devices.  He has founded a company whose first product is a “beeper” built into a hard hat that can warn the wearer when he is too close to a piece of dangerous construction equipment.  The amazing thing about this beeper is it needs no external power source (no battery) because it is powered by radio waves.

Equipment on the job site transmits its location and when a wearer of the beeper-equipped hard hat gets too close, a warning buzzer lets him know to watch out.  Since the radio waves that provide power for the device are around all the time and free to anything that can utilize them,  this device has perpetual power-no battery change required-ever!

Radio waves are all around us in the atmosphere, produced by radio and tv towers, cell phone transmissions, Wi-Fi transmitters and lots of other sources.  Professor Reyonolds research and development allows harvesting of the the power from random waves without impacting those transmitted for a specific use.

Major companies like Intel have expressed an interest in this research and exploitation of  “random” waves has already proved that they can power some calculators and clocks, replacing a AAA battery.

Someday, your inability to “get that song out of your head” may be complicated by the fact that a radio wave powered device could actually be implanted in your head.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.


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