Michael Medved: If we go ahead with war against Iraq, it will represent a betrayal of our values and mark the first time in history that we attacked another country that never attacked us first.
Only those with a truly pathetic public-school education could believe such rubbish, since we fought the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish American War, World War I, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, our campaigns in Bosnia and Kosovo, and many lesser engagements – all with no direct attack on the United States. Great powers face great threats – and dangerous enemies. Why would a war prove easier or more appropriate after Saddam develops, or uses, nuclear weapons – rather than before he's completed such deadly development?
Saturday, November 30
Jon Udell: I was shocked to discover a nest of pirates yesterday, operating brazenly right here in my hometown. They were gathered in a large nondescript building, reading and talking quietly and in some cases listening to music. Some kind of social club, perhaps? Yes, but with a profoundly subversive theme: "sharing" content. This establishment houses large collections of books, magazines, audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, DVDs. And it "shares" these with its patrons. I watched in amazement as people left the building carrying armloads of these content assets, which they "borrow" without paying a nickel to the copyright holders. It's frightening, really. Who knew?
Saturday, November 16
Charles Krauthammer: This is truly bizarre. George Bush, extremist? This is a president who passed an education bill essentially written by Ted Kennedy. His tax reform involves the most modest of rate cuts for the upper brackets and is what any Keynesian would have done in the face of a recession. It is, for example, more moderate than the (John) Kennedy tax cuts. The other alleged parts of his agenda--the environmental rape, the imposition of theocracy, the abolition of civil liberties (Moyers: "secrecy on a scale you cannot imagine")--are nothing but the delusion of liberals made quite mad by defeat.
Rebecca Blood: "I think that at some point, turning off information is going to be a huge luxury. But it's clear that a shift has occurred. The game is no longer about access to information, it's about access to reliable, pertinent information. Filters will become more and more important. And, at some point, people will start trying to identify what level of information is optimal. My hunch is that there is a rate at which even useful information moves into diminishing returns. At a certain point, the man who knows less is better equipped to make a good decision."
Monday, November 11
Cory Doctorow: "Feeding the query string 'http' to Google causes it to barf up all the pages in its database in order of their PageRank value."
Sunday, November 10
Jonathan Alter in Newsweek: “HELLO? ANYONE HOME? I’m not quite sure to whom I should address this, considering that you have no leadership right now. Nancy Pelosi? Tom Daschle? The 42d president turned Harlem globe-trotter? You lost only two seats in the Senate and five in the House, but the situation is much grimmer than those numbers suggest. Democrats actually have some good ideas lying around, but in last week’s election you lacked the vision and guts to offer them to the voters. What we have here, as the warden in ‘Cool Hand Luke’ put it, is a failure to communicate.
“At least after the 1994 wipeout (53 seats lost in the House, 10 in the Senate) you controlled the presidency.”
“At least after the 1994 wipeout (53 seats lost in the House, 10 in the Senate) you controlled the presidency.”
Common Sense and Wonder: “Another reason the EU is against military action is that any fight would show how woefully unprepared they are for battle. As this piece in The Guardian, of all places, says ‘America does the fighting, Europe does the dishes.’ NATO without the US is a fiction. The EU and Canada have been living off the American taxpayer for decades. Perhaps we should tax them for services provided.”
Monday, October 28
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops. Today, October 2, a Sunday of rain and broken branches and leaf-clogged drains and slick streets, it stopped, and summer was gone. . . . It breaks my heart because it was meant to, because it was meant to foster in me again the illusion that there was something abiding, some pattern and some impulse that could come together to make a reality that would resist the corrosion; and because, after it had fostered again that most hungered-for illusion, the game was meant to stop, and betray precisely what it promised."
--from "The Green Fields of the Mind," by A. Bartlett Giamatti link
--from "The Green Fields of the Mind," by A. Bartlett Giamatti link
Thursday, October 24
Sniper Hunt Culminates in 2 Arrests
One of America's most extraordinary manhunts culminated Thursday in the arrests of an Army veteran and a teenager, asleep at a roadside rest stop — perpetrators, authorities believe, of a bloody, three-week sniping spree that left 10 people dead and multitudes paralyzed by fear.
One of America's most extraordinary manhunts culminated Thursday in the arrests of an Army veteran and a teenager, asleep at a roadside rest stop — perpetrators, authorities believe, of a bloody, three-week sniping spree that left 10 people dead and multitudes paralyzed by fear.
Friday, October 18
Wired News: Apple 'Switch' Star Flies High
Teenager Ellen Feiss, the "is-she-stoned?" star of one of Apple's new "Switch" ads, is quickly becoming a Web celebrity but not necessarily for reasons that would please the advertiser.
Teenager Ellen Feiss, the "is-she-stoned?" star of one of Apple's new "Switch" ads, is quickly becoming a Web celebrity but not necessarily for reasons that would please the advertiser.
Tuesday, October 8
Dick Morris: The New York Times Push Poll
When politicians use polling to produce a political outcome, not to probe what the public genuinely thinks, newspapers condemn it as "push polling." Is push polling any better done by a liberal newspaper universally respected for its integrity?
When politicians use polling to produce a political outcome, not to probe what the public genuinely thinks, newspapers condemn it as "push polling." Is push polling any better done by a liberal newspaper universally respected for its integrity?
Friday, October 4
A building blessed with tech success.
Maybe it's the location, maybe it's the water, maybe it's just good karma, but there's something about the building at 165 University Ave. that seems to breed successful tech companies.
Maybe it's the location, maybe it's the water, maybe it's just good karma, but there's something about the building at 165 University Ave. that seems to breed successful tech companies.
Wednesday, October 2
James Lileks on the NJ election situation.
I prefer clear laws with regrettable results to judicial legerdemain in the service of “higher causes,” the nature of which vary from person to person. You can always endeavor to change the law through elected representatives who serve at the electorate’s pleasure. Letting the courts allow a hand-picked candidate who did not run in the primary to replace a primary winner who screwed up his campaign does not strike me as, ahem, genuine democracy. It's playground logic: I call do-overs. Nor would this situation be acceptable and genuine simply because it allowed for a “spirited campaign” to follow. (The previous campaign was unspirited and unenlightening in the Times’ eyes, because it consisted mostly of the challenger pointing out that he wasn’t a greasy ball of vicious, solipsistic mendacity like You Know Who.) If the government decided to have the most boring candidate shot in the streets so the other candidates could have a spirited campaign about his assassination, I wouldn't see this as an improvement.
If all of these points seem like reducto ab absurdum, well, they are - - but that's what happens when you ignore what laws say in favor of what you say they should mean.
I'm watching the news right now; Angelo Genova, the New Jersey Democratic Party Counsel, just said this:
"The right of the voter to exercize a free and competitive choice is paramount to any technical nicety that might be suggested by a time limitation in a statute."
There you have it: all campaign regulations are meaningless, because they are "technical niceties" grounded in bothersome "statutes" that prevent a "competitive" choice. This is the future of American politics, right here.
I fear at the end of it all I’ll just wish they put on togas and went back to stabbing each other on the steps. If they’re going to call themselves the Senate, they might as well act like their namesake.
I prefer clear laws with regrettable results to judicial legerdemain in the service of “higher causes,” the nature of which vary from person to person. You can always endeavor to change the law through elected representatives who serve at the electorate’s pleasure. Letting the courts allow a hand-picked candidate who did not run in the primary to replace a primary winner who screwed up his campaign does not strike me as, ahem, genuine democracy. It's playground logic: I call do-overs. Nor would this situation be acceptable and genuine simply because it allowed for a “spirited campaign” to follow. (The previous campaign was unspirited and unenlightening in the Times’ eyes, because it consisted mostly of the challenger pointing out that he wasn’t a greasy ball of vicious, solipsistic mendacity like You Know Who.) If the government decided to have the most boring candidate shot in the streets so the other candidates could have a spirited campaign about his assassination, I wouldn't see this as an improvement.
If all of these points seem like reducto ab absurdum, well, they are - - but that's what happens when you ignore what laws say in favor of what you say they should mean.
I'm watching the news right now; Angelo Genova, the New Jersey Democratic Party Counsel, just said this:
"The right of the voter to exercize a free and competitive choice is paramount to any technical nicety that might be suggested by a time limitation in a statute."
There you have it: all campaign regulations are meaningless, because they are "technical niceties" grounded in bothersome "statutes" that prevent a "competitive" choice. This is the future of American politics, right here.
I fear at the end of it all I’ll just wish they put on togas and went back to stabbing each other on the steps. If they’re going to call themselves the Senate, they might as well act like their namesake.
Tuesday, October 1
Innocents Abroad (washingtonpost.com)
McDermott's and Bonior's espousal of Saddam Hussein's line, and of Gore's subtext (and Barbra Streisand's libretto), signals the recrudescence of the dogmatic distrust of U.S. power that virtually disqualified the Democratic Party from presidential politics for a generation. It gives the benefits of all doubts to America's enemies and reduces policy debates to accusations about the motives of Americans who would project U.S. power in the world.
Conservative isolationism -- America is too good for the world -- is long dead. Liberal isolationism -- the world is too good for America -- is flourishing.
McDermott's and Bonior's espousal of Saddam Hussein's line, and of Gore's subtext (and Barbra Streisand's libretto), signals the recrudescence of the dogmatic distrust of U.S. power that virtually disqualified the Democratic Party from presidential politics for a generation. It gives the benefits of all doubts to America's enemies and reduces policy debates to accusations about the motives of Americans who would project U.S. power in the world.
Conservative isolationism -- America is too good for the world -- is long dead. Liberal isolationism -- the world is too good for America -- is flourishing.
Monday, September 30
Containment won't work with Saddam
From an article in the Los Angeles Times. [Registration required.]
But the Sept. 11 attacks have severely undercut containment as a way to handle Hussein, for many reasons. The terrorist attacks on America highlighted dangerous new realities. Geography no longer protects the United States. Individuals and groups are prepared to carry out mass murder against us without the slightest moral scruple; some are willing to sacrifice their own lives in doing so. Even more ominously, there is little reason to believe that the Sept. 11 attackers would not have used weapons of mass destruction had they possessed them.
From an article in the Los Angeles Times. [Registration required.]
But the Sept. 11 attacks have severely undercut containment as a way to handle Hussein, for many reasons. The terrorist attacks on America highlighted dangerous new realities. Geography no longer protects the United States. Individuals and groups are prepared to carry out mass murder against us without the slightest moral scruple; some are willing to sacrifice their own lives in doing so. Even more ominously, there is little reason to believe that the Sept. 11 attackers would not have used weapons of mass destruction had they possessed them.
Sunday, September 29
Gore's Glass House (washingtonpost.com).
A pudding with no theme but much poison. Such was the foreign policy speech Al Gore delivered in San Francisco on Monday. It was a disgrace -- a series of cheap shots strung together without logic or coherence. Most of all, it was brazen. It was delivered as if there had been no Clinton-Gore administration, no 1990s.
The tone of the speech is best reflected in Gore's contemptuous dismissal of the U.S. victory in Afghanistan as "defeating a fifth-rate military power." If the Taliban were a fifth-rate military power, why didn't the Clinton-Gore administration destroy it and spare us Sept. 11?....
The New York Times reports that Gore wrote the speech "after consulting a fairly far-flung group of advisers that included Rob Reiner." Current U.S. foreign policy is the combined product of Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Paul Wolfowitz and the president. Meanwhile, the pretender is huddling with Meathead.
Had it not been for a few little old ladies baffled by the butterfly ballot in Palm Beach, Fla., American foreign policy today would be made by Gore-Reiner instead of the Bush brain trust. Who says God doesn't smile upon the United States of America?
A pudding with no theme but much poison. Such was the foreign policy speech Al Gore delivered in San Francisco on Monday. It was a disgrace -- a series of cheap shots strung together without logic or coherence. Most of all, it was brazen. It was delivered as if there had been no Clinton-Gore administration, no 1990s.
The tone of the speech is best reflected in Gore's contemptuous dismissal of the U.S. victory in Afghanistan as "defeating a fifth-rate military power." If the Taliban were a fifth-rate military power, why didn't the Clinton-Gore administration destroy it and spare us Sept. 11?....
The New York Times reports that Gore wrote the speech "after consulting a fairly far-flung group of advisers that included Rob Reiner." Current U.S. foreign policy is the combined product of Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Paul Wolfowitz and the president. Meanwhile, the pretender is huddling with Meathead.
Had it not been for a few little old ladies baffled by the butterfly ballot in Palm Beach, Fla., American foreign policy today would be made by Gore-Reiner instead of the Bush brain trust. Who says God doesn't smile upon the United States of America?
Saturday, September 28
11 megapixel cameras are coming.
Canon's new digital camera EOS-1 Ds is demonstrated in Tokyo Thursday, Sept. 26, 2002. The newest model of EOS-1 single-lens reflex digital camera series can take 11.1 mega pixel high resolution images. Canon EOS-1 Ds will be available in the Japanese market in late November.
Canon's new digital camera EOS-1 Ds is demonstrated in Tokyo Thursday, Sept. 26, 2002. The newest model of EOS-1 single-lens reflex digital camera series can take 11.1 mega pixel high resolution images. Canon EOS-1 Ds will be available in the Japanese market in late November.
Sufi Teaching
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them...he cried, "Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?"...God said, "I did do something. I made you."
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten. And seeing them...he cried, "Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see such things and yet do nothing about them?"...God said, "I did do something. I made you."
Refuse to fall down.
"Refuse to fall down.
If you cannot refuse to fall down,
refuse to stay down.
If you cannot refuse to stay down,
lift your heart toward heaven,
and like a hungry beggar,
ask that it be filled,
and it will be filled.
You may be pushed down.
You may be kept from rising.
But no one can keep you
from lifting your heart
toward heaven..."
Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Author of Women Who Run With The Wolves
"Refuse to fall down.
If you cannot refuse to fall down,
refuse to stay down.
If you cannot refuse to stay down,
lift your heart toward heaven,
and like a hungry beggar,
ask that it be filled,
and it will be filled.
You may be pushed down.
You may be kept from rising.
But no one can keep you
from lifting your heart
toward heaven..."
Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Author of Women Who Run With The Wolves
Monday, September 23
A chicken in every pot? No, pot with every chicken!
A Mill Valley KFC restaurant employee was arrested after a customer received a little something extra with his chicken dinner.
This customer received two bags of marijuana Friday, instead of the extra biscuits he had requested.
The customer gave the marijuana back to the employee, got his extra biscuits and called police.
Police arrested Carlos Ayala, 26, of Vallejo, shortly after the customer complained about the pot.
Marin County Sheriff's deputies said they found Ayala with a small amount of marijuana, a handgun and about $500 in his possession.
Ayala often worked the drive-up window at the restaurant and authorities say he may have been selling the marijuana to customers who used the right secret word as a code.
A Mill Valley KFC restaurant employee was arrested after a customer received a little something extra with his chicken dinner.
This customer received two bags of marijuana Friday, instead of the extra biscuits he had requested.
The customer gave the marijuana back to the employee, got his extra biscuits and called police.
Police arrested Carlos Ayala, 26, of Vallejo, shortly after the customer complained about the pot.
Marin County Sheriff's deputies said they found Ayala with a small amount of marijuana, a handgun and about $500 in his possession.
Ayala often worked the drive-up window at the restaurant and authorities say he may have been selling the marijuana to customers who used the right secret word as a code.
Saturday, September 21
Physicists create antimatter.
Physicists working in Europe have passed through nature's looking glass and have created atoms made of antimatter, or antiatoms, opening up the possibility of experiments in a realm once reserved for science fiction writers.
Physicists working in Europe have passed through nature's looking glass and have created atoms made of antimatter, or antiatoms, opening up the possibility of experiments in a realm once reserved for science fiction writers.
Digital Web Magazine’s Introduction to XML
If you've been producing sites for any length of time you probably hear about XML, and wonder exactly why so many people are excited about it. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. Let's take a closer look at the parts of the acronym, and then we'll show you how it all fits together.
If you've been producing sites for any length of time you probably hear about XML, and wonder exactly why so many people are excited about it. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. Let's take a closer look at the parts of the acronym, and then we'll show you how it all fits together.
I thought hard disks were cheap these days.
Daypop.com error message: “Sorry for the inconvenience. Daypop has been out of service for the past two weeks. It turns out Daypop is out of disk space. Check back here for further updates.”
Daypop.com error message: “Sorry for the inconvenience. Daypop has been out of service for the past two weeks. It turns out Daypop is out of disk space. Check back here for further updates.”
Thursday, September 19
Evidence found of ancient world war
A bitter war between rival Maya city-states may have set the stage for the collapse of that once-great civilization, say scientists who translated recently found hieroglyphics on stone stairs in an ancient pyramid in Guatemala.
A bitter war between rival Maya city-states may have set the stage for the collapse of that once-great civilization, say scientists who translated recently found hieroglyphics on stone stairs in an ancient pyramid in Guatemala.
Monday, September 9
Tape of alleged hijackers surfaces
Uhh...so where are all those who claimed that bin Laden's and al-Qaida's involvement was fabricated?
Uhh...so where are all those who claimed that bin Laden's and al-Qaida's involvement was fabricated?
Arabic Al-Jazeera satellite television station said on Monday it had received a videotape that contained Osama bin Laden’s voice and apparently showed some of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers studying flight manuals. News of the tape came a day after another Al-Jazeera reporter made public an interview with two plotters, who said that attacks on U.S. nuclear facilities were considered by al-Qaida.
Saturday, September 7
Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero
I finally took the time to view my recording of PBS Frontline’s poignant documentary about the spiritual questions raised in the shadow of the September 11 attacks. In typical fashion, the companion website is excellent. Its producer, director, and co-writer Helen Whitney, a self-described agnostic, acknowledges the complexity of issues she faced in approaching the issue:
I finally took the time to view my recording of PBS Frontline’s poignant documentary about the spiritual questions raised in the shadow of the September 11 attacks. In typical fashion, the companion website is excellent. Its producer, director, and co-writer Helen Whitney, a self-described agnostic, acknowledges the complexity of issues she faced in approaching the issue:
The contentiousness of the debate among intellectuals and policy-makers made me apprehensive as well. Every day there seemed to be a new theory put forward by a swelling number of "experts." Some of these voices were learned and informative. But others were part of what one of our consultants, Monsignor Lorenzo Albacete, describes as the "Yes, but" Brigade. Yes, it is terrible, but ... this is due to American foreign policy; this is due to the Middle East tensions between Palestinians and Jews; this is due to the globalization drama; this is due to the envy of poor nations; these are the famous cultural wars; this is due to American imperialism, et cetera. Or if you are part of the Noam Chomsky or the Jerry Falwell brigades (which are remarkably similar in their analyses), it is because America itself is evil. And on and on.
For Monsignor Albacete, the search for political, economic, and diplomatic "explanations" was understandable but limited, and in some ways an escape that violated the complex reality of Sept. 11. "The terrorists' attack was all these things, but it was also something new: a hatred for humanity, an attack on humanity itself. The question is not only, Why do they hate us so much? But, more important, Why do they hate so much?"
Wednesday, August 28
from: Common Sense and Wonder
We keep hearing about this "Arab Street." And nothing ever seems to happen. What seems to worry the people in charge in Cairo and Riyadh more seems to be the possibility of a democracy in Iraq which will show that it is possible to live in the Arab world and be free at the same time.
We keep hearing about this "Arab Street." And nothing ever seems to happen. What seems to worry the people in charge in Cairo and Riyadh more seems to be the possibility of a democracy in Iraq which will show that it is possible to live in the Arab world and be free at the same time.
from the FAQ for CanonicalTomes
Q: Isn't this whole notion of advocating certain books as the canonical tomes just a blatant attempt to force the world to conform to the male european hegemony of capitalist neo-fascism? How can you perpetuate the notion of one reference being 'better' or 'worse' than any other, given the utterly relativistic post-modern ethos which has so consistently shown itself to be The One True Path to Enlightenment?
A: Go away.
Q: Isn't this whole notion of advocating certain books as the canonical tomes just a blatant attempt to force the world to conform to the male european hegemony of capitalist neo-fascism? How can you perpetuate the notion of one reference being 'better' or 'worse' than any other, given the utterly relativistic post-modern ethos which has so consistently shown itself to be The One True Path to Enlightenment?
A: Go away.
from: The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation
September 11: What Our Children Need to Know
In this report, with the help of 23 distinguished authors, we seek to provide answers to those questions and to suggest what U.S. schools and educators should teach their students so that they will better understand this event, its precursors and its aftermath and so that they will be better able to function as young citizens of a nation that has endured a wicked attack and is now engaged in a serious and protracted war.
Why is such advice needed? The short, unpleasant answer is because so much nonsense is circulating in the education world that we felt obliged to offer some sort of alternative, an objective rendering from the perspective of first-rate thinkers, scholars, analysts and educators who share our discomfort with what is fast becoming the conventional wisdom in education-land.
September 11: What Our Children Need to Know
In this report, with the help of 23 distinguished authors, we seek to provide answers to those questions and to suggest what U.S. schools and educators should teach their students so that they will better understand this event, its precursors and its aftermath and so that they will be better able to function as young citizens of a nation that has endured a wicked attack and is now engaged in a serious and protracted war.
Why is such advice needed? The short, unpleasant answer is because so much nonsense is circulating in the education world that we felt obliged to offer some sort of alternative, an objective rendering from the perspective of first-rate thinkers, scholars, analysts and educators who share our discomfort with what is fast becoming the conventional wisdom in education-land.
Monday, August 26
from Newsweek: Another Pose of Rectitude
George Orwell’s axiom about intellectuals—that some ideas are so silly that only intellectuals will embrace them—needs a corollary that covers U.S. senators: No international agreement is so grandiose in its ambitions and so unclear about the obligations it imposes that it cannot receive the support of many U.S. senators. Consider the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
George Orwell’s axiom about intellectuals—that some ideas are so silly that only intellectuals will embrace them—needs a corollary that covers U.S. senators: No international agreement is so grandiose in its ambitions and so unclear about the obligations it imposes that it cannot receive the support of many U.S. senators. Consider the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Sunday, August 25
from: Common Sense and Wonder
Check out this quote [NYTimes registration required] from Rep. Eddie Johnson, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, about Denise Majette, the African American woman who defeated Cynthia McKinney:
"If she comes here willing to work with us and is not skewed by the agenda of her supporters, of course we work with her, we all know we have to move past this."
Skewed by the agenda of her supporters? God forbid she actually listens to her constituents. Rep. Johnson also said:
"To have non-African-Americans from around the country putting millions into a race to unseat one of our leaders for expressing her right of free speech is definitely a problem."
Rep. Johnson really does need a lesson in democracy. Money doesn't unseat politicians, voting does. And democracy is all about voting for people you agree with and voting against those you don't agree with.
Check out this quote [NYTimes registration required] from Rep. Eddie Johnson, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, about Denise Majette, the African American woman who defeated Cynthia McKinney:
"If she comes here willing to work with us and is not skewed by the agenda of her supporters, of course we work with her, we all know we have to move past this."
Skewed by the agenda of her supporters? God forbid she actually listens to her constituents. Rep. Johnson also said:
"To have non-African-Americans from around the country putting millions into a race to unseat one of our leaders for expressing her right of free speech is definitely a problem."
Rep. Johnson really does need a lesson in democracy. Money doesn't unseat politicians, voting does. And democracy is all about voting for people you agree with and voting against those you don't agree with.
Thursday, August 22
I continue to be amazed by the beauty of this photograph, taken by Chris Ison at the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race last weekend. [ via Yahoo! News ]
Wednesday, August 21
CNN, CBS Say Money Didn't Go to Al Qaeda
CNN and CBS News both say they paid for videotape that depicts al Qaeda activities, but add that they're certain the money has not ended up in the hands of Osama bin Laden's terror network.
CNN, which scored a coup when it began running some of the footage Sunday night, beating out CBS, saw the focus of discussion shift from the tapes themselves to the question of whether the cable network had deliberately misled the New York Times and the Associated Press on the issue of payment for them.
CNN and CBS News both say they paid for videotape that depicts al Qaeda activities, but add that they're certain the money has not ended up in the hands of Osama bin Laden's terror network.
CNN, which scored a coup when it began running some of the footage Sunday night, beating out CBS, saw the focus of discussion shift from the tapes themselves to the question of whether the cable network had deliberately misled the New York Times and the Associated Press on the issue of payment for them.
Sony's new flat panel TV
Sony's new flat-panel television, Plasma Wega, is unveiled in Tokyo August 21, 2002. The world's largest audio-video electronics maker said the television's new microchips used Sony-only technology and predicted that the Wega brand will put the company back on the map in the market's fastest-growing sector. The new 50-inch Wega will go on sale October 20 with a price tag of about 1,100,000 yen (about $9,326).
Sony's new flat-panel television, Plasma Wega, is unveiled in Tokyo August 21, 2002. The world's largest audio-video electronics maker said the television's new microchips used Sony-only technology and predicted that the Wega brand will put the company back on the map in the market's fastest-growing sector. The new 50-inch Wega will go on sale October 20 with a price tag of about 1,100,000 yen (about $9,326).
Apple’s Final Cut Pro Wins Emmy Award
Final Cut Pro, Apple’s professional video and film editing software, will receive a 2002 Emmy Engineering Award for its impact on the television industry from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Final Cut Pro, Apple’s professional video and film editing software, will receive a 2002 Emmy Engineering Award for its impact on the television industry from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Tuesday, August 20
NEA plan for 9/11 not backed by teachers
Teachers nationwide say they will develop lesson plans about September 11 based on students' questions and will focus on the facts to correct any misconceptions children may have about the terrorist attacks.
Teachers nationwide say they will develop lesson plans about September 11 based on students' questions and will focus on the facts to correct any misconceptions children may have about the terrorist attacks.
Monday, August 19
Channel 4's Julius Hunter sends a murder suspect to hell
"And of course we cannot convict Johnson without a trial -- he's innocent until proven guilty -- but can I just say," as he put his right hand over his heart and then extended his arm outward, "editorializing, which I can't do -- whoever committed the crime, this horrible, terrible crime, may he rot in hell."
"And of course we cannot convict Johnson without a trial -- he's innocent until proven guilty -- but can I just say," as he put his right hand over his heart and then extended his arm outward, "editorializing, which I can't do -- whoever committed the crime, this horrible, terrible crime, may he rot in hell."
Tapes shed new light on bin Laden's network
A large archive of al Qaeda videotapes obtained by CNN in Afghanistan sheds new light on Osama bin Laden's terror network, revealing images of chemical gas experiments on dogs, lessons on making explosives, terrorist training tactics and previously unseen images of bin Laden and his top aides.
A large archive of al Qaeda videotapes obtained by CNN in Afghanistan sheds new light on Osama bin Laden's terror network, revealing images of chemical gas experiments on dogs, lessons on making explosives, terrorist training tactics and previously unseen images of bin Laden and his top aides.
Sunday, August 18
NEA delivers history lesson
The National Education Association is suggesting to teachers that they be careful on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks not to "suggest any group is responsible" for the terrorist hijackings that killed more than 3,000 people.
The National Education Association is suggesting to teachers that they be careful on the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks not to "suggest any group is responsible" for the terrorist hijackings that killed more than 3,000 people.
TIME.com: Enron's Democrat Pals
Before its messy decline and fall, Enron had plenty of clout in George W. Bush's Washington, from the personal ties between chairman Ken Lay and the President to the company's alleged influence on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force. But Enron's cozy relationship with Washington didn't start there. Documents obtained by TIME show the energy giant enjoyed much closer ties with Clinton Administration regulators than was generally known.
Before its messy decline and fall, Enron had plenty of clout in George W. Bush's Washington, from the personal ties between chairman Ken Lay and the President to the company's alleged influence on Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force. But Enron's cozy relationship with Washington didn't start there. Documents obtained by TIME show the energy giant enjoyed much closer ties with Clinton Administration regulators than was generally known.
Tombstone ATM Doles Out Inheritance
A deceased cattle rancher in Bozeman, Montana, took care of his heirs by installing an automatic teller machine in his tombstone.
UPDATE
Editor's note: This story has been removed by SF Gate because of questions concerning its accuracy raised by the Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle. No death notice could be found with the name of the rancher who supposedly set up an automated teller machine at his gravesite so his family would visit.
A deceased cattle rancher in Bozeman, Montana, took care of his heirs by installing an automatic teller machine in his tombstone.
UPDATE
Editor's note: This story has been removed by SF Gate because of questions concerning its accuracy raised by the Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle. No death notice could be found with the name of the rancher who supposedly set up an automated teller machine at his gravesite so his family would visit.
What to do with 9/11 hijackers' remains
With the one-year anniversary approaching, State Department officials said Friday they had received no requests for the remains. The department would be responsible for handling such a request from any government seeking the return of a citizen's body.
Officials have said that all but one of the nine hijackers recovered had connections to Saudi Arabia. The other was Lebanese.
Officials at the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
With the one-year anniversary approaching, State Department officials said Friday they had received no requests for the remains. The department would be responsible for handling such a request from any government seeking the return of a citizen's body.
Officials have said that all but one of the nine hijackers recovered had connections to Saudi Arabia. The other was Lebanese.
Officials at the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.
Report: Reagan assisted Iraqi regime
The United States gave Iraq vital battle-planning help during its war with Iran as part of a secret program under President Ronald Reagan even though U.S. intelligence agencies knew the Iraqis would unleash chemical weapons, The New York Times reported on its Web site Saturday.
The United States gave Iraq vital battle-planning help during its war with Iran as part of a secret program under President Ronald Reagan even though U.S. intelligence agencies knew the Iraqis would unleash chemical weapons, The New York Times reported on its Web site Saturday.
Saturday, August 17
Microsoft unit bungles details on its OS X applications
“So why does Microsoft remain at the bottom of the dog pile? A lack of attention to detail. The small pieces that connect programs, coupled with a failure to fix long-standing problems, are at the root of the anger. Office v. X, the Macintosh Business Unit's (MacBU) OS X-only update, included optimized versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint and a rewritten version of Entourage that I've previously praised for its simple, easy-to-use connection of contacts, calendar and e-mail.”
“So why does Microsoft remain at the bottom of the dog pile? A lack of attention to detail. The small pieces that connect programs, coupled with a failure to fix long-standing problems, are at the root of the anger. Office v. X, the Macintosh Business Unit's (MacBU) OS X-only update, included optimized versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint and a rewritten version of Entourage that I've previously praised for its simple, easy-to-use connection of contacts, calendar and e-mail.”
Teenagers, beware - if u txt yr xms, u fail
Not only were the entries riddled with "fashionable errors" such as "gonna" and "a lot", according to Anne Barnes, a senior examiner in the subject. They also featured phrases such as "I will always be there for you" and "I was well bored" that could have come straight from an EastEnders script.
[from independent.co.uk]
Not only were the entries riddled with "fashionable errors" such as "gonna" and "a lot", according to Anne Barnes, a senior examiner in the subject. They also featured phrases such as "I will always be there for you" and "I was well bored" that could have come straight from an EastEnders script.
[from independent.co.uk]
“Did you know that for Minority Report, Steven Spielberg bought Tom Cruise's workstation off the shelf? It had previously been added to the New York's Museum of Modern Art's permanent colection, and designer Ayse Birsel is among the finalists for the 2002 Cooper Hewlitt National Design Award.
“In the late 1990s, [Herman Miller] invited Birsel to undertake a major project: Rethink the cubicle system that has ruled the open office for 30 years. The request was a leap, since Birsel knew little about office furniture. But Herman Miller was hoping for innovation. Birsel responded with new materials and a human-centered design.”
[from Rebecca Blood]
“In the late 1990s, [Herman Miller] invited Birsel to undertake a major project: Rethink the cubicle system that has ruled the open office for 30 years. The request was a leap, since Birsel knew little about office furniture. But Herman Miller was hoping for innovation. Birsel responded with new materials and a human-centered design.”
[from Rebecca Blood]
Thursday, August 15
Wednesday, August 14
Brand names really do stick in brain
“You wake up in the morning and you have your Kellogg’s, and you are driving to work and there are Hondas in front of you,” she said, confessing a life-long fascination with brands that she admits makes walking through the grocery aisles with her quite a chore.
“These names have a huge impact on our lives.”
“You wake up in the morning and you have your Kellogg’s, and you are driving to work and there are Hondas in front of you,” she said, confessing a life-long fascination with brands that she admits makes walking through the grocery aisles with her quite a chore.
“These names have a huge impact on our lives.”
Recent Engrish Discoveries.
"It's the realization of my aspiration. I hope to play along with the heartiest gadgetry manifesting my sensibility. So, I can not help being particular about the every surroundings."
"It's the realization of my aspiration. I hope to play along with the heartiest gadgetry manifesting my sensibility. So, I can not help being particular about the every surroundings."
Friday, August 9
Apple: Time for a Switch
Rumors of the demise of the PPC and Apple's impending switch to x86 architecture are circulating everywhere. While I am personally saddened that the G5 (which, had it adhered to the production road map set out for it, would already be here and stomping Pentium 4s and Athlon XPs) will likely never see the light of day, this is decision time for Apple. What decision? That it is time to get out of the hardware business.
Rumors of the demise of the PPC and Apple's impending switch to x86 architecture are circulating everywhere. While I am personally saddened that the G5 (which, had it adhered to the production road map set out for it, would already be here and stomping Pentium 4s and Athlon XPs) will likely never see the light of day, this is decision time for Apple. What decision? That it is time to get out of the hardware business.
Thursday, August 8
Former Tyco boss may have used company money for $6,000 shower curtain
Former Tyco International Ltd. chief executive Dennis Kozlowski indulged his lavish tastes - including a $6,000 shower curtain - with millions in company money and much of it was not reported to shareholders, a published report said.
Former Tyco International Ltd. chief executive Dennis Kozlowski indulged his lavish tastes - including a $6,000 shower curtain - with millions in company money and much of it was not reported to shareholders, a published report said.
Speed-of-light debate flashes again
SYDNEY, Aug. 8 — Australian scientists have proposed that the speed of light may not be a constant, a revolutionary idea that could unseat one of the most cherished laws of modern physics — Einstein’s theory of relativity.
SYDNEY, Aug. 8 — Australian scientists have proposed that the speed of light may not be a constant, a revolutionary idea that could unseat one of the most cherished laws of modern physics — Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Monday, August 5
Tilting at History: the Death of Pinball.
That moment of pinball Zen arrives for Michael Moon when he becomes one with the plastic flippers and the steel ball ricochets around the table for minutes on end. The "Attack from Mars" machine he is playing comes alive with gaudy effects -- zapping, tabulating and erupting with robot-like digital exclamations like "Jackpot!"
That moment of pinball Zen arrives for Michael Moon when he becomes one with the plastic flippers and the steel ball ricochets around the table for minutes on end. The "Attack from Mars" machine he is playing comes alive with gaudy effects -- zapping, tabulating and erupting with robot-like digital exclamations like "Jackpot!"
The Apache, the Muslim, and the Cowboy.
Three men are sittin' on a bench. One's a texan wearing a stetson, one's a muslim wearing a turban, and the last an apache with an eagle feather woven in his hair.
The indian is rather glum and says "once my people were many, but now we are few."
The muslim puffs up and says "once my people were few, but now we are many millions."
The texan adjusts his hat, finishes rolling a smoke, leans back in his chair and drawls, "that's cause we ain't played cowboys and muslims yet."
Three men are sittin' on a bench. One's a texan wearing a stetson, one's a muslim wearing a turban, and the last an apache with an eagle feather woven in his hair.
The indian is rather glum and says "once my people were many, but now we are few."
The muslim puffs up and says "once my people were few, but now we are many millions."
The texan adjusts his hat, finishes rolling a smoke, leans back in his chair and drawls, "that's cause we ain't played cowboys and muslims yet."
Friday, August 2
Why not have a little fun tonight during your local 10pm (or 11pm) newscast?
Here are some sample rules:
DRINK WHENEVER:
- An anchor mentions the name of his/her network/station.
- TWICE if an anchor mentions the name of another network/station.
- A microphone flag from another station appears on the air.
- TWICE if a reporter or anchor from another station appears on the air.
- An anchor pretends to sort through papers on the desk.
Here are some sample rules:
DRINK WHENEVER:
- An anchor mentions the name of his/her network/station.
- TWICE if an anchor mentions the name of another network/station.
- A microphone flag from another station appears on the air.
- TWICE if a reporter or anchor from another station appears on the air.
- An anchor pretends to sort through papers on the desk.
Teens Rescued, Abductor Killed After Massive Statewide Search
"We don't have to rehabilitate the son of a bitch," he said. "This man right here is not going to appeal his case to the Supreme Court."
"We don't have to rehabilitate the son of a bitch," he said. "This man right here is not going to appeal his case to the Supreme Court."
Thursday, August 1
September 11 hijacker questioned in January 2001
One of the September 11 hijackers was stopped and questioned in the United Arab Emirates in January 2001 at the request of the CIA, nearly nine months before the attacks, sources in the government of the UAE, and other Middle Eastern and European sources told CNN.
One of the September 11 hijackers was stopped and questioned in the United Arab Emirates in January 2001 at the request of the CIA, nearly nine months before the attacks, sources in the government of the UAE, and other Middle Eastern and European sources told CNN.
Monday, July 29
The Perils of Hosting Weblogs.
The Salon/Userland weblog-hosting project brings up some interesting issues — such as, how much latitude do you give the bloggers who decide to use your hosting service in terms of controversial content? Salon's "amateur bloggers" are paying for the hosting service (free for the first month, then $39.95 a year), so does Salon really want to tell a controversial blogger he/she's got to go? Why it might be tempted to kick out certain hosted blogs is because it lists all of them; part of the appeal of having a weblog on Salon is the exposure that Salon can bring to it, which makes the hosting worth the money.
The Salon/Userland weblog-hosting project brings up some interesting issues — such as, how much latitude do you give the bloggers who decide to use your hosting service in terms of controversial content? Salon's "amateur bloggers" are paying for the hosting service (free for the first month, then $39.95 a year), so does Salon really want to tell a controversial blogger he/she's got to go? Why it might be tempted to kick out certain hosted blogs is because it lists all of them; part of the appeal of having a weblog on Salon is the exposure that Salon can bring to it, which makes the hosting worth the money.
Saturday, July 27
What is a weblog?
"A weblog (sometimes called a blog or a newspage or a filter) is a webpage where a weblogger (sometimes called a blogger, or a pre-surfer) 'logs' all the other webpages she finds interesting. The format is normally to add the newest entry at the top of the page, so that repeat visitors can catch up by simply reading down the page until they reach a link they saw on their last visit....
Everyone should keep a weblog, if they have any interest in sharing their opinions with others." [via Scripting News]
"A weblog (sometimes called a blog or a newspage or a filter) is a webpage where a weblogger (sometimes called a blogger, or a pre-surfer) 'logs' all the other webpages she finds interesting. The format is normally to add the newest entry at the top of the page, so that repeat visitors can catch up by simply reading down the page until they reach a link they saw on their last visit....
Everyone should keep a weblog, if they have any interest in sharing their opinions with others." [via Scripting News]
Thursday, July 25
Embattled, Scrutinized, Powell Soldiers On
Indeed, Secretary Powell's greatest resource may remain the admiration bordering on awe that he commands from his striped pants civilian army. He never complains, never explains, and neither does his circle — an approach that for much of his tenure has tended to mask tensions that would be much more on display with a more political secretary.
Indeed, Secretary Powell's greatest resource may remain the admiration bordering on awe that he commands from his striped pants civilian army. He never complains, never explains, and neither does his circle — an approach that for much of his tenure has tended to mask tensions that would be much more on display with a more political secretary.
Space rock 'on collision course'
"This asteroid has now become the most threatening object in the short history of asteroid detection." --Dr. Benny Peiser
"This asteroid has now become the most threatening object in the short history of asteroid detection." --Dr. Benny Peiser
The end is near!
A massive asteroid could hit Earth in just 17 years' time, destroying life as we know it, a British space expert said on July 24, 2002. The asteroid -- the most threatening object ever detected in space -- is 1.2 miles wide and apparently on a direct collision course with Earth.
A massive asteroid could hit Earth in just 17 years' time, destroying life as we know it, a British space expert said on July 24, 2002. The asteroid -- the most threatening object ever detected in space -- is 1.2 miles wide and apparently on a direct collision course with Earth.
Condit is Traficant's only vote.
Only Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., who was defeated in a primary for re-election after he was romantically linked with Chandra Levy, a government intern who was murdered, voted against Traficant's expulsion.
Only Rep. Gary Condit, D-Calif., who was defeated in a primary for re-election after he was romantically linked with Chandra Levy, a government intern who was murdered, voted against Traficant's expulsion.
Tuesday, July 23
Pinocchio still a stand-out in Italy.
Intergalactic warriors and web-spinning superstars may be the stuff of heroes in other countries but in Italy the long-nosed wooden puppet holds center stage.
Intergalactic warriors and web-spinning superstars may be the stuff of heroes in other countries but in Italy the long-nosed wooden puppet holds center stage.
Monday, July 22
Dear whomever replaces Bob Pittman:
Please know, one of your biggest competitors now is eBay, especially with the purchase of PayPal. They now have a billing relationship with a large percentage, perhaps even a majority, of your customers. And they're using Microsoft's Passport for authentication.
Please know, one of your biggest competitors now is eBay, especially with the purchase of PayPal. They now have a billing relationship with a large percentage, perhaps even a majority, of your customers. And they're using Microsoft's Passport for authentication.
Sunday, July 21
How Big Media Missed the Big Story
The system of institutional checks, balances and alarms that we Americans imagine are in place to warn us when gross malfeasance corrupts government or big business is evidently in bad repair.
The system of institutional checks, balances and alarms that we Americans imagine are in place to warn us when gross malfeasance corrupts government or big business is evidently in bad repair.
Friday, July 19
Preparations are underway in Southern California and Nevada for the largest military experiment in U.S. history.
About 13,500 troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will use the latest in military hardware in a simulation of what planners believe the battlefield could look like in five years.
About 13,500 troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines will use the latest in military hardware in a simulation of what planners believe the battlefield could look like in five years.
Thursday, July 18
One of the weirdest creatures ever discovered.
Scientists have found the remains of one of the weirdest creatures ever discovered -- a flying reptile that lived during the time of dinosaurs and snapped up fish with a scissors-like beak as it skimmed over the water. A winged reptile that was a cousin of the dinosaurs, known as pterosaur (pronounced TER-oh-sawr) is seen here in this undated artists' drawing. (Maurillio Oliveira-Science via Reuters)
Scientists have found the remains of one of the weirdest creatures ever discovered -- a flying reptile that lived during the time of dinosaurs and snapped up fish with a scissors-like beak as it skimmed over the water. A winged reptile that was a cousin of the dinosaurs, known as pterosaur (pronounced TER-oh-sawr) is seen here in this undated artists' drawing. (Maurillio Oliveira-Science via Reuters)
Wednesday, July 10
Skull sparks an evolution revolution.
The discovery of a fossil skull in a remote Chadian desert could rewrite the scientific saga of human origins, researchers said Wednesday. The skull and other fossil remains have been dated at 6 million to 7 million years old — which would make them the oldest-known relatives of modern humans. If confirmed, the find would dramatically change scientists’ conception of where and when our ancestors arose.
The discovery of a fossil skull in a remote Chadian desert could rewrite the scientific saga of human origins, researchers said Wednesday. The skull and other fossil remains have been dated at 6 million to 7 million years old — which would make them the oldest-known relatives of modern humans. If confirmed, the find would dramatically change scientists’ conception of where and when our ancestors arose.
ESPN.com: Even Bud didn't deserve this kind of torture.
Good evening, eternally damned viewers, and welcome to another edition of "Devil's Advocates." I'm your moderator, former Senator Joe McCarthy, and here on the panel with me this week are Torquemada, leader of the Spanish Inquisition; the former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin; and the man who helped fix the 1919 World Series, our sports expert Arnold Rothstein. Gentlemen, hello.
Good evening, eternally damned viewers, and welcome to another edition of "Devil's Advocates." I'm your moderator, former Senator Joe McCarthy, and here on the panel with me this week are Torquemada, leader of the Spanish Inquisition; the former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin; and the man who helped fix the 1919 World Series, our sports expert Arnold Rothstein. Gentlemen, hello.
Tuesday, July 9
A List Apart: Time Management -- The Pickle Jar Theory.
Email is a lot like the phone in that even though we all have our phones on just in case an important call happens, when we look back on our year it is rare that we can remember more than one or two occasions where we absolutely needed to answer our phone or email at that precise instant.
Email is a lot like the phone in that even though we all have our phones on just in case an important call happens, when we look back on our year it is rare that we can remember more than one or two occasions where we absolutely needed to answer our phone or email at that precise instant.
Monday, July 8
Gnutella pioneer Gene Kan dies.
Programmer and peer-to-peer pioneer Gene Kan has passed away. Kan, 25, rose to prominence online as one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Gnutella file-swapping community at the height of the Internet's love affair with peer-to-peer software. He was cremated Friday, according to friends. It was not immediately clear how he died.
Programmer and peer-to-peer pioneer Gene Kan has passed away. Kan, 25, rose to prominence online as one of the most articulate spokesmen for the Gnutella file-swapping community at the height of the Internet's love affair with peer-to-peer software. He was cremated Friday, according to friends. It was not immediately clear how he died.
Sunday, July 7
The History of Eating Utensils.
The Anthropology Department at the California Academy of Sciences houses the Rietz Food Technology Collection. Containing approximately 1,700 items, this collection was assembled by Carl Austin Rietz, an inventor and businessman in the food industry. His interest in the industry led him on travels around the world to collect objects used in the production, processing, storage, presentation, preparation, and serving of food. [via anil dash via Rebecca Blood]
The Anthropology Department at the California Academy of Sciences houses the Rietz Food Technology Collection. Containing approximately 1,700 items, this collection was assembled by Carl Austin Rietz, an inventor and businessman in the food industry. His interest in the industry led him on travels around the world to collect objects used in the production, processing, storage, presentation, preparation, and serving of food. [via anil dash via Rebecca Blood]
INS Denied Residency to LAX Gunman In 1996.
The Egyptian immigrant who gunned down two people at Los Angeles International Airport drew little attention during the 10 years he lived in the United States. However, an INS spokesman said the man's first petition for permanent residency was denied in February 1996. It wasn't clear why the Immigration and Naturalization Service rejected Hesham Mohamed Hadayet's request.
The Egyptian immigrant who gunned down two people at Los Angeles International Airport drew little attention during the 10 years he lived in the United States. However, an INS spokesman said the man's first petition for permanent residency was denied in February 1996. It wasn't clear why the Immigration and Naturalization Service rejected Hesham Mohamed Hadayet's request.
Wednesday, July 3
Peggy Noonan
Let us hold a single sparkler to the lights that didn't fail.
Blogging. The 24-7 opinion sites that offer free speech at its straightest, truest, wildest, most uncensored, most thoughtful, most strange. Thousands of independent information entrepreneurs are informing, arguing, adding information. Imagine if we'd had them in 1776: "As I wrote in yesterday's lead item on SamAdams.com, my well meaning cousin John continues his grammatical nitpicking with Jefferson (link requires registration) 'Inalienable,' 'unalienable,' whatever. Boys, let's fight. Start the war." Blogs may one hard day become clearinghouses for civil support and information when other lines, under new pressure, break down.
Let us hold a single sparkler to the lights that didn't fail.
Blogging. The 24-7 opinion sites that offer free speech at its straightest, truest, wildest, most uncensored, most thoughtful, most strange. Thousands of independent information entrepreneurs are informing, arguing, adding information. Imagine if we'd had them in 1776: "As I wrote in yesterday's lead item on SamAdams.com, my well meaning cousin John continues his grammatical nitpicking with Jefferson (link requires registration) 'Inalienable,' 'unalienable,' whatever. Boys, let's fight. Start the war." Blogs may one hard day become clearinghouses for civil support and information when other lines, under new pressure, break down.
Wednesday, June 26
Tuesday, June 25
Clavius.org.
The first thing every conspiracist notices about photography in space is that there are no stars in any of the pictures. The general public brought up on science fiction motion pictures is used to seeing stars in pictures purporting to be taken in outer space. And so the real photos seem strange.
The first question I put to the conspiracists is that if NASA wished to perpetuate a convincing fraud, why didn't they produce photos (with stars) that satisfied the public's expectations and didn't raise questions?
The first thing every conspiracist notices about photography in space is that there are no stars in any of the pictures. The general public brought up on science fiction motion pictures is used to seeing stars in pictures purporting to be taken in outer space. And so the real photos seem strange.
The first question I put to the conspiracists is that if NASA wished to perpetuate a convincing fraud, why didn't they produce photos (with stars) that satisfied the public's expectations and didn't raise questions?
Monday, June 24
Silicon Valley insurance costs climb.
Financial aftershocks from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will be rippling through Silicon Valley in the next few weeks as construction companies begin to see double-digit rate increases for insurance coverage.
Financial aftershocks from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will be rippling through Silicon Valley in the next few weeks as construction companies begin to see double-digit rate increases for insurance coverage.
kottke.org :: home of fine hypertext products.
"Motoring along the freeway, you observe several types of drivers. There's the guy who can't maintain a constant speed and you end up passing each other about fourteen times over the course of 45 minutes, developing in the process some sort of passing rivalry that becomes really important about the fourth or fifth pass to the point of wanting to kill each other."
"Motoring along the freeway, you observe several types of drivers. There's the guy who can't maintain a constant speed and you end up passing each other about fourteen times over the course of 45 minutes, developing in the process some sort of passing rivalry that becomes really important about the fourth or fifth pass to the point of wanting to kill each other."
Thursday, June 20
Pinball WebRing.
The Ring of Pinball is dedicated to linking any and all sites which contain information about Pinball. Whether a sites information is about the silverball's interesting history, collecting machines, pinball art, or whatever it is all welcome.
The Ring of Pinball is dedicated to linking any and all sites which contain information about Pinball. Whether a sites information is about the silverball's interesting history, collecting machines, pinball art, or whatever it is all welcome.
Tuesday, June 18
Stadium from time of Jesus uncovered.
Romans may have used Jewish-built structure as arena and prison, archaeologist says.
Romans may have used Jewish-built structure as arena and prison, archaeologist says.
Sunday, June 16
The Rhetorica Network.
The Rhetorica Network offers analysis and commentary about rhetoric and propaganda in journalism and politics, including analysis of presidential speeches and election campaigns.
The Rhetorica Network offers analysis and commentary about rhetoric and propaganda in journalism and politics, including analysis of presidential speeches and election campaigns.
Friday, May 31
Quotations by Einstein
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (Reader's Digest. Oct. 1977.)
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." (Reader's Digest. Oct. 1977.)
Home Page Design Guidelines
A company's homepage is its face to the world and the starting point for most user visits. Improving your homepage multiplies the entire website's business value, so following key guidelines for homepage usability is well worth the investment. (Alertbox May 2002)
A company's homepage is its face to the world and the starting point for most user visits. Improving your homepage multiplies the entire website's business value, so following key guidelines for homepage usability is well worth the investment. (Alertbox May 2002)
bread, coffee, chocolate, yoga
what a somber feeling to stand in my office window and look out at the ceremony today over ground zero at 10:29am. . .
what a somber feeling to stand in my office window and look out at the ceremony today over ground zero at 10:29am. . .
Tell us the ingredients you have and we'll suggest recipes to use them.
The Kraft "interactive" kitchen: Simply enter an ingredient and they'll do the rest! Just remember, this is brought to you by the inventors of instant macaroni and cheese.
The Kraft "interactive" kitchen: Simply enter an ingredient and they'll do the rest! Just remember, this is brought to you by the inventors of instant macaroni and cheese.
How much ass does Google kick? All of it.
Remember when searching the Internet was hard? The dark days when we relied on dumb-as-sand machine intelligences, like those on the back-ends of AltaVista and Lycos, to rank the documents that matched our keywords? The grim era before Google, when searching was a spew of boolean mumbo-jumbo, NEAR this, NOT that, AND the other? God, that sucked.
Remember when searching the Internet was hard? The dark days when we relied on dumb-as-sand machine intelligences, like those on the back-ends of AltaVista and Lycos, to rank the documents that matched our keywords? The grim era before Google, when searching was a spew of boolean mumbo-jumbo, NEAR this, NOT that, AND the other? God, that sucked.
Wednesday, May 22
blackholebrain: Round, naked, mindless, boneless, fried chicken blobs.
You know, I've been thinking about this a lot... if scientists can make featherless chickens, why just stop there?
I mean, why don't scientists just go ahead and genetically breed chickens that have no bones either. That'd be a big time saver wouldn't it? And while they're at it, why not make the chicken's head and feet shrink down to little, edible nubs, so that chickens are reduced to round, naked, mindless, boneless blobs of meat? Talk about eliminating processing time! And even better, make it so the chicken blobs only require periodic buttering or oiling to keep them alive.
You know, I've been thinking about this a lot... if scientists can make featherless chickens, why just stop there?
I mean, why don't scientists just go ahead and genetically breed chickens that have no bones either. That'd be a big time saver wouldn't it? And while they're at it, why not make the chicken's head and feet shrink down to little, edible nubs, so that chickens are reduced to round, naked, mindless, boneless blobs of meat? Talk about eliminating processing time! And even better, make it so the chicken blobs only require periodic buttering or oiling to keep them alive.
Tuesday, May 21
China sets date for the Moon.
China says it is planning to establish a base on the Moon to exploit its mineral resources.
China says it is planning to establish a base on the Moon to exploit its mineral resources.
The 50 Greatest Bands of All Time.
The band is back. During the past year or so, the pop world has completed a cycle that began in the mid-1990s. Back then, with grunge flannel on Macy's mannequins, the band model seemed a bit tired. Rappers, dancing teens, and DJs took over the pop charts, MTV, and magazines. Then, gradually, bands crept back. Groups like Creed, Incubus, System of a Down, and, most notably, Staind and Linkin Park have spent serious time in the Top 10.
The band is back. During the past year or so, the pop world has completed a cycle that began in the mid-1990s. Back then, with grunge flannel on Macy's mannequins, the band model seemed a bit tired. Rappers, dancing teens, and DJs took over the pop charts, MTV, and magazines. Then, gradually, bands crept back. Groups like Creed, Incubus, System of a Down, and, most notably, Staind and Linkin Park have spent serious time in the Top 10.
Thursday, May 16
AOL offers mea culpa, promises to regain trust.
Angry shareholders took the floor at AOL Time Warner Inc.'s annual meeting on Thursday as management admitted that some of the company's plans had derailed during the year, and pledged to make it up to investors.
Angry shareholders took the floor at AOL Time Warner Inc.'s annual meeting on Thursday as management admitted that some of the company's plans had derailed during the year, and pledged to make it up to investors.
Wednesday, May 15
The top 100 books of all time.
Full list of the 100 best works of fiction, alphabetically by author, as determined from a vote by 100 noted writers from 54 countries as released by the Norwegian Book Clubs. Don Quixote was named as the top book in history but otherwise no ranking was provided. [via rebeccablood.net]
Full list of the 100 best works of fiction, alphabetically by author, as determined from a vote by 100 noted writers from 54 countries as released by the Norwegian Book Clubs. Don Quixote was named as the top book in history but otherwise no ranking was provided. [via rebeccablood.net]
Saturday, May 11
The Zen TV Experiment
Now proceed with these experiments:
1. Watch any TV show for 15 minutes without turning on the sound.
2. Watch any news program for 15 minutes without turning on the sound.
3. Watch television for one half hour without turning it on.
Now proceed with these experiments:
1. Watch any TV show for 15 minutes without turning on the sound.
2. Watch any news program for 15 minutes without turning on the sound.
3. Watch television for one half hour without turning it on.
Wednesday, May 8
Hamburgers, A Burger Tour of Washington State, by Rachel Kessler (08/31/00)
IT IS A TRULY American epiphany, the discovery of the Holy Trinity: cheeseburger, fries, and a shake. The formative moment occurs at your local burger shack--you know the one: the grease-saturated concrete, the employees in their boat-shaped paper hats. No other burger tastes the same once the palate absorbs and forms to your hometown's particular blend of pickles and special sauce, maintaining the superiority of the home burger shack to all subsequent burger shack encounters.
IT IS A TRULY American epiphany, the discovery of the Holy Trinity: cheeseburger, fries, and a shake. The formative moment occurs at your local burger shack--you know the one: the grease-saturated concrete, the employees in their boat-shaped paper hats. No other burger tastes the same once the palate absorbs and forms to your hometown's particular blend of pickles and special sauce, maintaining the superiority of the home burger shack to all subsequent burger shack encounters.
Buffalo Wings.
There is something for most people to like about Buffalo wings and for those many reasons the food has spread rapidly from its origin in Buffalo, New York, and is now part of our national food culture, no longer something you can find only in the Northeastern United States.
Perhaps the simplest way to discuss the origin and diffusion of Buffalo wings is to stick to a chronology.
There is something for most people to like about Buffalo wings and for those many reasons the food has spread rapidly from its origin in Buffalo, New York, and is now part of our national food culture, no longer something you can find only in the Northeastern United States.
Perhaps the simplest way to discuss the origin and diffusion of Buffalo wings is to stick to a chronology.
I envy people that drink.
Maybe that's too broad a statement. I don't actually envy people that go to bars with their friends for an occasional night out or for a party, or those that have a glass of wine with dinner. I can do that any time. Well, anytime, if I had friends to go out with or someone to have dinner with. My envy is probably less healthy. I envy people that drink to forget, that drink so much they pass out, numb from the pain, that can actually be in the middle of a conversation and shut down and not even remember it the next day.
Maybe that's too broad a statement. I don't actually envy people that go to bars with their friends for an occasional night out or for a party, or those that have a glass of wine with dinner. I can do that any time. Well, anytime, if I had friends to go out with or someone to have dinner with. My envy is probably less healthy. I envy people that drink to forget, that drink so much they pass out, numb from the pain, that can actually be in the middle of a conversation and shut down and not even remember it the next day.
Jonathon Delacour's weblog "about" statement.
Although this site may appear to be a weblog, it does not follow the conventions of journalistic truth that many bloggers adhere to. Rather, my desire is—to borrow Susan Sontag's description of Rilke's The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge—to crossbreed fiction, essayistic speculation, and autobiography in a linear notebook rather than a linear narrative form.
Although this site may appear to be a weblog, it does not follow the conventions of journalistic truth that many bloggers adhere to. Rather, my desire is—to borrow Susan Sontag's description of Rilke's The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge—to crossbreed fiction, essayistic speculation, and autobiography in a linear notebook rather than a linear narrative form.
What I Should Have Said
The French call it l'esprit d'escalier, "the wit of the staircase," those biting ripostes that are thought of just seconds too late, on the way out of the room—or even, to tell the truth, days later. It's happened to you: you've suddenly thought of just what would put your foe in his or her place, but past the time when the arrow could sting its victim. You've stewed in your own juice ever since, and the chance for singeing repartee is gone forever.
The French call it l'esprit d'escalier, "the wit of the staircase," those biting ripostes that are thought of just seconds too late, on the way out of the room—or even, to tell the truth, days later. It's happened to you: you've suddenly thought of just what would put your foe in his or her place, but past the time when the arrow could sting its victim. You've stewed in your own juice ever since, and the chance for singeing repartee is gone forever.
"Spider-man" heads towards error record
Fans have so far spotted 77 continuity errors, the most flaws identified in an opening weekend, according to website movie-mistakes.com.
Fans have so far spotted 77 continuity errors, the most flaws identified in an opening weekend, according to website movie-mistakes.com.
Sunday, May 5
East Broadway Ron's Radio Weblog.
One of the great things about living in Chinatown/Lower East Side is the blending of the new and the old without conflict.
One of the great things about living in Chinatown/Lower East Side is the blending of the new and the old without conflict.
Israeli Troops Kill 3 Arab Civilians by Mistake.
Israeli soldiers mistakenly killed a Palestinian woman and two children Sunday when they opened fire after a roadside bomb hit their armored vehicle near the West Bank city of Jenin, a military source said.
Israeli soldiers mistakenly killed a Palestinian woman and two children Sunday when they opened fire after a roadside bomb hit their armored vehicle near the West Bank city of Jenin, a military source said.
Tape shows Palestinians faked funeral.
The Israel Defense Forces has released a videotape showing what it calls "a phony funeral that the Palestinians organized in order to multiply the number of casualties in Jenin."
The Israel Defense Forces has released a videotape showing what it calls "a phony funeral that the Palestinians organized in order to multiply the number of casualties in Jenin."
Daily Box Office
Spider-Man has swooped into the record books. The $130 million Marvel Comics adaptation enjoyed the biggest day ever in Hollywood history, shattering Harry Potter's $32.3 million opening day record and Potter's $33.5 million single day record.
Spider-Man has swooped into the record books. The $130 million Marvel Comics adaptation enjoyed the biggest day ever in Hollywood history, shattering Harry Potter's $32.3 million opening day record and Potter's $33.5 million single day record.
Friday, May 3
A Perfect Cup Of Coffee
Once the coffee is brewed, switch off the heating element and serve the beverage immediately. If it can't be drunk at once, consider either making smaller batches or storing the remainder in a thermal flask. Do not microwave cold coffee, do not switch the heating element back on, do not muck about with those pansy tea-candles that you bought at IKEA. If I catch you playing games with those stupid electric mug warmers I will kick you in the gut and laugh while you try to breathe.
Once the coffee is brewed, switch off the heating element and serve the beverage immediately. If it can't be drunk at once, consider either making smaller batches or storing the remainder in a thermal flask. Do not microwave cold coffee, do not switch the heating element back on, do not muck about with those pansy tea-candles that you bought at IKEA. If I catch you playing games with those stupid electric mug warmers I will kick you in the gut and laugh while you try to breathe.
The Sanctity of Elements
All-too-frequently an external client or an internal manager or co-worker demands interface changes. They usurp the design process -- taking the decision-making away from the experts -- and deign the interface by dictum rather than traditional development processes, to the detriment of the product.
All-too-frequently an external client or an internal manager or co-worker demands interface changes. They usurp the design process -- taking the decision-making away from the experts -- and deign the interface by dictum rather than traditional development processes, to the detriment of the product.
Pre-9/11 warning on flight training
Two months before the suicide hijackings, an FBI agent in Arizona alerted Washington headquarters that several Middle Easterners were training at a U.S. aviation school and recommended contacting other schools nationwide where Arabs might be studying, law enforcement officials said.
Two months before the suicide hijackings, an FBI agent in Arizona alerted Washington headquarters that several Middle Easterners were training at a U.S. aviation school and recommended contacting other schools nationwide where Arabs might be studying, law enforcement officials said.
Egyptian Columnist to Hitler: "If Only You Had Done It, Brother"
"These accursed ones are a catastrophe for the human race. They are the virus of the generation, doomed to a life of humiliation and wretchedness until Judgement Day. They are also accursed because they repeatedly tried to murder the Prophet Muhammad. They threw a stone at him, but missed. Another time, they tried to mix poison in his food, but providence saved him from their treachery and their crimes. Allah cursed them when they carried out the criminal massacre of the peaceful Palestinians in Sabra and Shatilla."
"These accursed ones are a catastrophe for the human race. They are the virus of the generation, doomed to a life of humiliation and wretchedness until Judgement Day. They are also accursed because they repeatedly tried to murder the Prophet Muhammad. They threw a stone at him, but missed. Another time, they tried to mix poison in his food, but providence saved him from their treachery and their crimes. Allah cursed them when they carried out the criminal massacre of the peaceful Palestinians in Sabra and Shatilla."
Tuesday, April 30
Groucho Marx to Warner Bros
I have a hunch that [t]his attempt to prevent us from using the title is the brainchild of some ferret-faced shyster, serving a brief apprenticeship in your legal department. I know the type well—hot out of law school, hungry for success, and too ambitious to follow the natural laws of promotion. This bar sinister probably needled your attorneys, most of whom are fine fellows with curly black hair, double-breasted suits, etc., into attempting to enjoin us. Well, he won’t get away with it! We’ll fight him to the highest court! No pasty-faced legal adventurer is going to cause bad blood between the Warners and the Marxes. We are all brothers under the skin, and we’ll remain friends till the last reel of “A Night in Casablanca” goes tumbling over the spool.
I have a hunch that [t]his attempt to prevent us from using the title is the brainchild of some ferret-faced shyster, serving a brief apprenticeship in your legal department. I know the type well—hot out of law school, hungry for success, and too ambitious to follow the natural laws of promotion. This bar sinister probably needled your attorneys, most of whom are fine fellows with curly black hair, double-breasted suits, etc., into attempting to enjoin us. Well, he won’t get away with it! We’ll fight him to the highest court! No pasty-faced legal adventurer is going to cause bad blood between the Warners and the Marxes. We are all brothers under the skin, and we’ll remain friends till the last reel of “A Night in Casablanca” goes tumbling over the spool.
Sunday, April 28
Good Quotations by Famous people
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the freedom of thought which they avoid."
Soren Aabye Kierkegaard (1813-1855)
Getting Things Done When You're Only a Grunt
All happy work environments are alike (private offices, quiet working conditions, excellent tools, few interruptions and even fewer large meetings). All unhappy work environments are unhappy in their own way.
All happy work environments are alike (private offices, quiet working conditions, excellent tools, few interruptions and even fewer large meetings). All unhappy work environments are unhappy in their own way.
Thursday, April 25
Technically, this is not an "adult" photo, but...
Cristie Kerr kisses the trophy she received for winning the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge at the Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Lincoln, Calif., Sunday, April 21, 2002.
Cristie Kerr kisses the trophy she received for winning the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge at the Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Lincoln, Calif., Sunday, April 21, 2002.
Tuesday, April 23
TrainWeb on the scene of deadly train collision.
Metrolink and BNSF trains collided at about 8:08 A.M. on Tuesday morning, April 23, 2002. I was about 200 feet from the point of impact when the trains hit and was the first person at the scene with a camera.
Metrolink and BNSF trains collided at about 8:08 A.M. on Tuesday morning, April 23, 2002. I was about 200 feet from the point of impact when the trains hit and was the first person at the scene with a camera.
Sunday, April 21
Why Do New iMacs Surf So Slowly?
Tests conducted by Wired News confirmed reader complaints that a new 800 MHz iMac takes an average of twice as long to render Web pages as a comparable or cheaper PC running Windows XP.
Tests conducted by Wired News confirmed reader complaints that a new 800 MHz iMac takes an average of twice as long to render Web pages as a comparable or cheaper PC running Windows XP.
Friday, April 19
Tiny text threatens air safety.
The safety of Britain's skies is under threat after air traffic controllers complained that the text on their computer screens is too small.
The safety of Britain's skies is under threat after air traffic controllers complained that the text on their computer screens is too small.
Wednesday, April 17
Letter from a Palestinian to an Israeli
Dear neighbour: I am in pain. I see people on the streets dying, I see people in their homes bombed, I see people in restaurants killed. I decided to write to you today despite all the barriers between us. This is just an explanation of how we Palestinians think and what we Palestinians believe. Maybe, just maybe, it will bring us closer.
Dear neighbour: I am in pain. I see people on the streets dying, I see people in their homes bombed, I see people in restaurants killed. I decided to write to you today despite all the barriers between us. This is just an explanation of how we Palestinians think and what we Palestinians believe. Maybe, just maybe, it will bring us closer.
Sunday, April 14
Friday, April 12
United States Patent: 6,368,227
A method of swing on a swing is disclosed, in which a user positioned on a standard swing suspended by two chains from a substantially horizontal tree branch induces side to side motion by pulling alternately on one chain and then the other.
A method of swing on a swing is disclosed, in which a user positioned on a standard swing suspended by two chains from a substantially horizontal tree branch induces side to side motion by pulling alternately on one chain and then the other.
Seeking Profits, Internet Companies Alter Privacy Policy
"What Yahoo has done is unconscionable," said Seth Godin, Yahoo's former vice president for direct marketing. "It's a bad thing, and it's bad for business. They would be better off sending offers to a million people who said they want to receive a coupon each day than to send them to 10 million people and worry about whether you have offended them by finally going too far." While at Yahoo, Mr. Godin published "Permission Marketing" (Simon & Schuster, 1999), which argued that marketing messages should be sent only to people who ask to see them.
"What Yahoo has done is unconscionable," said Seth Godin, Yahoo's former vice president for direct marketing. "It's a bad thing, and it's bad for business. They would be better off sending offers to a million people who said they want to receive a coupon each day than to send them to 10 million people and worry about whether you have offended them by finally going too far." While at Yahoo, Mr. Godin published "Permission Marketing" (Simon & Schuster, 1999), which argued that marketing messages should be sent only to people who ask to see them.
Friday, April 5
Now hear this!
Corporate image management is back in da house! These companies' products rocked so good they had to tell the world -- with an IT Anthem!
Corporate image management is back in da house! These companies' products rocked so good they had to tell the world -- with an IT Anthem!
Thursday, April 4
Israeli military sources said troops today seized 40 explosive belts in a factory in the West Bank town of Salfit.
Israeli intelligence officials said the PA and its Islamic allies have prepared about 100 suicide bombers for attacks against the Jewish state. They said that at least 30 of them are being directed toward Jerusalem.
Israeli intelligence officials said the PA and its Islamic allies have prepared about 100 suicide bombers for attacks against the Jewish state. They said that at least 30 of them are being directed toward Jerusalem.
Wednesday, April 3
Fine-tune ClearType settings in Windows XP
Windows XP owners can use this nifty web interface to tune ClearType settings. ClearType is a Microsoft technology which makes onscreen type much easier to read, particularly on LCD screens.
Windows XP owners can use this nifty web interface to tune ClearType settings. ClearType is a Microsoft technology which makes onscreen type much easier to read, particularly on LCD screens.
Kazaa User Alert.
"Executives from Brilliant Digital and Kazaa's parent company say people can uninstall the Brilliant Digital or Altnet software from their computers without interfering with the Kazaa program itself. This is true, but it's not an easy process."
"Executives from Brilliant Digital and Kazaa's parent company say people can uninstall the Brilliant Digital or Altnet software from their computers without interfering with the Kazaa program itself. This is true, but it's not an easy process."
The Only "Solution" Is Victory
"The implication is clear: if Israel is to protect itself, it must achieve a comprehensive military victory over the Palestinians, so that the latter give up their goal of obliterating it. Ending the Palestinian assault will be achieved not through some negotiated breakthrough but by Palestinians (and Arabic-speakers more generally) concluding that their effort to destroy the Jewish state will fail, and so give up this ambition."
"The implication is clear: if Israel is to protect itself, it must achieve a comprehensive military victory over the Palestinians, so that the latter give up their goal of obliterating it. Ending the Palestinian assault will be achieved not through some negotiated breakthrough but by Palestinians (and Arabic-speakers more generally) concluding that their effort to destroy the Jewish state will fail, and so give up this ambition."
Tuesday, April 2
Too Many Outlook E-mail Messages?
"My next approach was to sort my mail by conversation. On the View menu, I pointed to Current View, and then clicked By Conversation Topic. This put all the replies to a message thread under the original message. I could then delete all but the final message in the thread - which is the most recent one - and just read that one, or even delete all of the messages in the thread if I wanted."
"My next approach was to sort my mail by conversation. On the View menu, I pointed to Current View, and then clicked By Conversation Topic. This put all the replies to a message thread under the original message. I could then delete all but the final message in the thread - which is the most recent one - and just read that one, or even delete all of the messages in the thread if I wanted."
Organize Your Information in Outlook 2002
"Making sense of the volumes of e-mail and other information you collect might seem like a full-time job. But it doesn't have to be if you put the organizing features in Microsoft Outlook® 2002 to work."
"Making sense of the volumes of e-mail and other information you collect might seem like a full-time job. But it doesn't have to be if you put the organizing features in Microsoft Outlook® 2002 to work."
Monday, April 1
Moviemaking on iMac shows PCs need to catch up
"Before departing I asked if he'd consider a Mac next time. He replied: "Absolutely. In fact, if we hadn't wasted so much money trying to transform that Dell into a multimedia computer, I'd get one today.'"
"Before departing I asked if he'd consider a Mac next time. He replied: "Absolutely. In fact, if we hadn't wasted so much money trying to transform that Dell into a multimedia computer, I'd get one today.'"
Waterlogged Camera Turns Magic
"Farrell Eaves' camera was a perfectly ordinary Nikon CoolPix 990 until he accidentally knocked it into a pond last summer. Now it's a magic camera."
"Farrell Eaves' camera was a perfectly ordinary Nikon CoolPix 990 until he accidentally knocked it into a pond last summer. Now it's a magic camera."
Sunday, March 31
Book Excerpt: Copyright? or Copywrong?
The Internet, which has given birth to so much innovation in recent years, is on its way to being neutered, Lawrence Lessig warns in The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World.
Lessig says that legal protection is becoming much too broad, especially for intellectual property, because existing companies are interested in stifling any innovation that might threaten them.
The Internet, which has given birth to so much innovation in recent years, is on its way to being neutered, Lawrence Lessig warns in The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World.
Lessig says that legal protection is becoming much too broad, especially for intellectual property, because existing companies are interested in stifling any innovation that might threaten them.
Friday, March 29
New York Metro's guide to cheap eats in New York City.
We've got nothing against $34 black sea bass, and $26 burgers are fine, too. But who can resist delicious fare in unpretentious, unexpected places? Our Underground Gourmet experts have forked and knifed their way all over town, bringing back reports of smashing Swedish meatballs, luscious lobster rolls, crackling fried chicken, delicate dim sum, succulent hand-stuffed shawarma, and more -- all at prices so modest they'd give Alain Ducasse heart palpitations. Check out our 80 great ways to eat on the cheap.
We've got nothing against $34 black sea bass, and $26 burgers are fine, too. But who can resist delicious fare in unpretentious, unexpected places? Our Underground Gourmet experts have forked and knifed their way all over town, bringing back reports of smashing Swedish meatballs, luscious lobster rolls, crackling fried chicken, delicate dim sum, succulent hand-stuffed shawarma, and more -- all at prices so modest they'd give Alain Ducasse heart palpitations. Check out our 80 great ways to eat on the cheap.
Thursday, March 28
Who's got the Best Mess?!
Apartments.com has unearthed 3 worthy Finalists in the 2002 Apartments.com Messiest College Apartment Contest and we're giving you the best seat in the house to view their unbelievable apartments and read their "mess defense" essays!
Apartments.com has unearthed 3 worthy Finalists in the 2002 Apartments.com Messiest College Apartment Contest and we're giving you the best seat in the house to view their unbelievable apartments and read their "mess defense" essays!
As the Web Matures, Fun Is Hard to Find
Just 11 years after it was born and about 6 years after it became popular, the Web has lost its luster. Many who once raved about surfing from address to address on the Web now lump site-seeing with other online chores, like checking the In box.
Just 11 years after it was born and about 6 years after it became popular, the Web has lost its luster. Many who once raved about surfing from address to address on the Web now lump site-seeing with other online chores, like checking the In box.
The Racial Profiling Myth Debunked.
By Heather Mac Donald. The anti–racial profiling juggernaut has finally met its nemesis: the truth. According to a new study, black drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike are twice as likely to speed as white drivers, and are even more dominant among drivers breaking 90 miles per hour. This finding demolishes the myth of racial profiling. Precisely for that reason, the Bush Justice Department tried to bury the report so the profiling juggernaut could continue its destructive campaign against law enforcement.
By Heather Mac Donald. The anti–racial profiling juggernaut has finally met its nemesis: the truth. According to a new study, black drivers on the New Jersey Turnpike are twice as likely to speed as white drivers, and are even more dominant among drivers breaking 90 miles per hour. This finding demolishes the myth of racial profiling. Precisely for that reason, the Bush Justice Department tried to bury the report so the profiling juggernaut could continue its destructive campaign against law enforcement.
Ernest F. Hollings: 2002 Politician Profile
Most members of Congress get the bulk of their campaign contributions from two main sources: the industries that make up the economic base of their home district and the Washington-based interest groups that pay more attention to the member's committee assignments in Congress. In addition, most Democrats receive substantial sums from labor unions.
Most members of Congress get the bulk of their campaign contributions from two main sources: the industries that make up the economic base of their home district and the Washington-based interest groups that pay more attention to the member's committee assignments in Congress. In addition, most Democrats receive substantial sums from labor unions.
Wednesday, March 27
Projected virtual keyboard.
A full-size fully functional virtual keyboard that can be projected and touched on any surface is shown by Siemens Procurement Logistics Services at the CeBIT fair in Hanover, northern Germany, on Monday, March 18, 2002.
A full-size fully functional virtual keyboard that can be projected and touched on any surface is shown by Siemens Procurement Logistics Services at the CeBIT fair in Hanover, northern Germany, on Monday, March 18, 2002.
Beautiful site featuring early French film experiments
Here's a site full of movie experiments from early film pioneer Etienne-Jules Marey, all translated to QuickTime format. Flash and QuickTime required.
Here's a site full of movie experiments from early film pioneer Etienne-Jules Marey, all translated to QuickTime format. Flash and QuickTime required.
What did you have for lunch today?
This website is intended to be the central repository for all useful lunch related information on the internet. Do not be fooled by other internet lunch sites, only whatdidyouhaveforlunch.weblogs.com can bring you to a state of perfect lunchtime bliss and make you ejaculate at the same time. Though I'm not sure how this site is going to do either, I can tell you with a great amount of certanty that none of the other sites can even do one of those things.
This website is intended to be the central repository for all useful lunch related information on the internet. Do not be fooled by other internet lunch sites, only whatdidyouhaveforlunch.weblogs.com can bring you to a state of perfect lunchtime bliss and make you ejaculate at the same time. Though I'm not sure how this site is going to do either, I can tell you with a great amount of certanty that none of the other sites can even do one of those things.
Worst Manual Contest Results 2002
How would you like to receive this employee manual when you start a new job? Well, someone actually did. Written in a soapbox-style manner, this handbook dwells on trite issues while failing to mention or define important subjects typically found in employee manuals.
How would you like to receive this employee manual when you start a new job? Well, someone actually did. Written in a soapbox-style manner, this handbook dwells on trite issues while failing to mention or define important subjects typically found in employee manuals.
Tuesday, March 26
Apple: Looking for a few good converts - Tech News - CNET.com
Apple Computer is looking for defectors. The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker has adapted an exit survey conducted at its 28 retail stores for the Web, giving potential Windows switchers a greater opportunity to ask questions and lay their doubts to rest before making the leap to the Mac. Apple also hopes to gain valuable marketing information it can put toward luring people away from Microsoft's omnipresent operating system.
Apple Computer is looking for defectors. The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker has adapted an exit survey conducted at its 28 retail stores for the Web, giving potential Windows switchers a greater opportunity to ask questions and lay their doubts to rest before making the leap to the Mac. Apple also hopes to gain valuable marketing information it can put toward luring people away from Microsoft's omnipresent operating system.
WriteTheWeb: The problem with charging for content
You must have noticed it - the fast-growing trend among content sites to start charging for content. But just because it works for some, it won't necessarily work for all, and there appear to be a lot of site owners who have not grasped that yet.
You must have noticed it - the fast-growing trend among content sites to start charging for content. But just because it works for some, it won't necessarily work for all, and there appear to be a lot of site owners who have not grasped that yet.
GPS enters the mainstream.
Per Enge remembers the days when global positioning system devices were the size of microwave ovens and were temperamental. They had to wait for passing satellites to get their bearings.
Per Enge remembers the days when global positioning system devices were the size of microwave ovens and were temperamental. They had to wait for passing satellites to get their bearings.
Not your father's WSJ.
The Wall Street Journal will unveil a brand-new look on April 9th. It will be the first time the US's second-largest daily publication has been redesigned since 1944. According to Advertising Age, the publication's redesign has been a very top-secret project. Jon Fine's article "PEEKING AT THE NEW 'WALL STREET JOURNAL'?" gives us some of the rumors floating around about the new WSJ.
The Wall Street Journal will unveil a brand-new look on April 9th. It will be the first time the US's second-largest daily publication has been redesigned since 1944. According to Advertising Age, the publication's redesign has been a very top-secret project. Jon Fine's article "PEEKING AT THE NEW 'WALL STREET JOURNAL'?" gives us some of the rumors floating around about the new WSJ.
George F. Will: The war on terrorism is suddenly going terribly wrong. Suicide bombers serving Yasser Arafat, the world's senior and most successful terrorist, have caused U.S. policy in the Middle East to buckle and become more accommodating. So more than six months into the war on terror, terror is more vindicated as a tactic than ever before.
counterspace
This is one of the must-see sights on typography on the web. Very well-designed and laid out. It explains many aspects of type through text and great visuals. But the most interesting thing is a timeline starting from 15,000 BC to present day with all the important events in typographic history. A very informative and fun site. You'll need Shockwave software to view the site. [via fontsite]
This is one of the must-see sights on typography on the web. Very well-designed and laid out. It explains many aspects of type through text and great visuals. But the most interesting thing is a timeline starting from 15,000 BC to present day with all the important events in typographic history. A very informative and fun site. You'll need Shockwave software to view the site. [via fontsite]
Michael Bierut talks about type in the movies (RealAudio via Studio360). See also Mark Simonson’s recent article ‘Typecasting.’ [via linesandsplines]
Salon.com Arts & Entertainment | Oscars 2002: Somebody make it stop!
Hilarious last word on this week's traumatic Oscars.
Excerpt: After the reality check of Sept. 11 and its sobering aftermath, many people looked at the glitterati of Hollywood and said, "Can you explain why the fuck any of us ever thought YOU were so important?"
Hilarious last word on this week's traumatic Oscars.
Excerpt: After the reality check of Sept. 11 and its sobering aftermath, many people looked at the glitterati of Hollywood and said, "Can you explain why the fuck any of us ever thought YOU were so important?"
Volume Control Knob Turns Heads
Takahiko Suzuki, a jewelry designer from the industrial city of Nagano, Japan, designed the PowerMate, a volume control for computers.
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About Me
- Peter Svensk
- Microsoft web guy who used to drive the Calico Mine Train at Knott's Berry Farm in the late '70s.
