randomwalks/dj

david posted a photo:

Originally from david's Photos, on February 25, 2006 11:39 PM

david posted a photo:

We rode home with Mark. Our friend Jason was also with us this morning but we did not photograph him.

Originally from david's Photos, on February 25, 2006 11:39 PM

Even after two more decades of Lynchian eccentricity and sensual derangement, "Blue Velvet" looks as odd and as beautiful as ever, and it's still a shock.

Originally from NYT > Arts, on February 25, 2006 11:39 PM

Originally from Tuberaider Video, on February 25, 2006 09:28 PM

Frederico’s spot-on when he says that Flickr’s frequent error messages are a lot easier to deal with because they seem human:

How many times have you seen Flickr fail? I have seen it happen quite a few times, but something behind the “Flickr is having a massage” message, shown whenever someone tripped on a few cables, keeps me comfortable - it lets me know my photos and those of my friends, are in good hands. It will all be okay, even when something has clearly gone wrong.

I like Flickr’s (and I paraphrase), “Whoah Nelly, hold your clicks! The server’s running HOT right now!” error message which is WAY more effective than “HTTP 500 Internal Server Error.” Just goes to show a little editorial goes a long long way.

The human side of the web applications [WeBreakStuff]

Originally posted by Gina Trapani from Spun, on February 25, 2006 09:28 PM

I've been looking for new ways to customize my personal TypePad site. Laura from TypePad Technical support recently posted a great how-to for creating your own favorite icon, or favicon, in TypePad. Then, one of my favorite TypePad bloggers, swissmiss, linked to the Favicon Generator, where you can upload any image and it's changed into a favicon, making it even easier to personalize your TypePad blog.

Originally from ProNet, on February 25, 2006 09:27 PM

a breath of fresh air to hear this; Ian Rogers agrees  

Originally from Waxy.org Links, on February 25, 2006 09:25 PM

It's has not been that hot here surprisingly.  The sun shines all the time and I am very, very tan but today it is pretty hot.  Just had to mention it.

I am leaving South Africa today.  I am sad to leave Cape Town but ready for the next adventure.  It is sad to leave the group really.  We finished the house and had a dedication ceremony for the owner, Zanele.  She is such a sweet and amazing woman.  Her whole family is so kind and serene.  I'll miss building their house and eating their lunches.  We made them flower boxes and a framed picture of all of us who built the house.  One day I will post pictures but uploading pictures takes time and time is money which I am low on right now.

Oh, an update.  My passport was returned.  My cash was gone but who cares.  I told on the rude woman at the hostel who tried to act like it was my fault for someone breaking into my room and stealing from me.  It felt good and her boss was horrified.  He did not even know my bag was stolen.

I feel like I should be more sad because I am leaving so many great people but I am not.  All of the friends I made at Habitat I will keep in touch with.  I feel confident about that. 

My time at the internet cafe is wrapping up so I'll go.  I'll post when I arrive in Rwanda.

Originally posted by Angela Tucker from tuckergurl, on February 25, 2006 09:25 PM

Dr. Larry Brilliant, the new executive director of Google’s new philanthropic projects, will recommend an early-warning system to the Technology Entertainment and Design “TED” conference now underway in Monterey, California. The system would identify and prevent the spread of infectious diseases and other disasters. WIRED NEWS Technology reports an announcement will probably come this Thursday. WIRED explains that a major industy effort is being called for:

"The best thing the TED community can do is to take our servers and search engines and venture capital and build something that can last forever that has international independence," Brilliant said. "The goal is to have the earliest possible warning of all bad things. Specifically that we find the first cases of pandemic bird flu, the first cases of new diseases like SARS or bioterror and we contain it with early response."

will be involved in the early-warning project, Brilliant said, adding that hundreds of Google employees, including engineers, are prepared to help set up the system. But he said his first step will be to recruit support from other companies and foundations, beginning with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The GPHIN uses an internet crawler to scan 20,000 websites in seven languages for events and chatter recorded online on blogs, news sites and other outlets that point to the early outbreak of diseases. Brilliant envisions a system that, with the help of companies like Google, Sun and Microsoft, will scan 20 million sites and deliver information in dozens of languages.

Originally posted by Judy Breck from Smart Mobs, on February 25, 2006 09:24 PM

Someone named “Ingy döt Net” (who turns out formerly to have been Brian Ingerson of Perl and YAML fame) wrote me in response to that AJAX Upside piece, pointing to Jemplate — A Template Toolkit for Javascript. It looks profoundly clever. Hold on... Ingy is legally changing his name to his domain name. Well, OK then. [Update: Jeremy Dunk writes to point at the TrimPath JavaScript Templates engine].

Originally from ongoing, on February 25, 2006 09:24 PM

The people over at Eyebeam recently launched a new tool, entitled Maya 2 Google Earth. It's an open-source, cross-platform tool that allows you to export 3D models as a single Google Earth Placemark (KML) file. The project was inspired by the Open GL extraction utility OGLE (also by Eyebeam), which allows for the capture and re-use of 3D geometry data from 3D graphics applications running on Microsoft Windows.

Some of the potential uses for Maya2GoogleEarth are:
-Remix or augment city architecture, with your own creations
-Extract your in-game character with OGLE and bring them into Google Earth
-Design buildings and then show them at their correct geographic location

They've even stated that the first person to have Godzilla attacking Tokyo will have it posted to the site.

The image above are of gnomes from MMP online game WoW implemented into Google Earth.

TAGS: Future, News, Google, 3D, Gaming,

Originally from Cool Hunting, on February 25, 2006 09:23 PM

Flo Design's Flat Table was inspired by synesthesia (a sense of "seeing" a color when hearing a sound, for example). The table top has an LED light source which shifts colors based on environmental changes. Eri Nagashima is the designer behind Milan-based Flo Design.

Featured at the Cologne International Furniture Fair at the Design Spotter booth.

TAGS: Design, LED, Furniture,

Originally from Cool Hunting, on February 25, 2006 09:23 PM

Outside of the quotes, photos and impressions you find here on the TEDblog, we're fortunate this year to have at least two TEDsters liveblogging the conference in great detail. For extraordinary real-time analysis, take a look at the blogs of Ethan Zuckerman, of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and Bruno Giussani, who produced TEDGLOBAL last summer. Their posts and others are also include in the feed to the right..

Originally posted by June Cohen from TED Blog, on February 25, 2006 09:22 PM

Via an entry on CDC at Wikipedia:

“It was after the delivery of the 6600 that IBM took notice of the new company. At the time Thomas J. Watson, Jr. asked (paraphrased) ‘how is it that this tiny company of 34 people (including the janitor) can be beating us when we have thousands of people?’, to which Cray quipped ‘you just answered your own question.’ “

[Thanks JR]

Originally from Signal vs. Noise, on February 25, 2006 09:22 PM

Originally from Susan's Nutrition Weblog, on February 25, 2006 09:21 PM

This CS Monitor article, Control of creativity? Fashion's secret, is over two years old, but resurfaced recently into my field of awareness. It contains this gem:

For virtually all players in fashion, some form of derivation, recombination, imitation, revival of old styles, and outright knockoff is the norm. Few denounce, let alone sue, the appropriator for "creative theft." They're too busy trying to stay ahead of the competition through the sheer power of their design and marketing prowess.

There seem to be two factors that make the fashion industry impervious to the kinds of intellectual property rigamarole plaguing the content industries: high speed and discernment. For the fashion world, creative cycles are measured in months, and any designer spending time pursuing creative rip-offs by others is probably falling behind on their next season's line.

Fashion appreciation also seems to require a high degree of perceptual subtlety and historical awareness. You don't just waltz into the haute couture industry without a deep understanding of the effect of small decisions and the web of aesthetic influences among competing designers. The entire industry is founded on the idea that there is a crucial and fundamental difference between a dress you see on the runway and one you see at the TJ Maxx. The former gains credibility and distinction by the presence of a near-identical latter, the same way that quoting another musician or filmmaker confers status on the source of the gesture.

The saddest aspect of Big Content's lawsuit blitz is the complete banality of the material they are defending, its utter and complete worthlessness. The total creative bankruptcy of these industries makes a nitpicking IP-based lawsuit culture necessary, because there's nothing else of value to defend. I suspect that their zeal to squash any artisic form or distribution method which doesn't pay tribute to traditional cartel privileges results from a deep realization of how useless their industry is in the face of genuine culture and spontaneous creativity.

Rant off.

Originally from tecznotes , on February 25, 2006 03:31 PM

In anticipation of US President George Bush's visit to Hyderabad, India, Muslim religious leaders have formed a committee to coordinate the campaign and use SMS and e-mail services to spread the message that President Bush poses a threat not only to the Muslim world, but also to others who do not like the domination and monopoly of the US. [via Rediff]

Originally posted by emily from textually.org, on February 25, 2006 03:31 PM

david posted a photo:

Originally from david's Photos, on February 25, 2006 03:30 PM

Six Apart created Moveable Type and TypePad, and bought LiveJournal. Now it's "working on a new product, codenamed Comet, that will start beta testing this quarter," according to co-founder Mena Trott, talking to BusinessWeek Online reporter Reena Jana. There are...

Originally from Guardian Unlimited: Technology blog, on February 25, 2006 03:30 PM

The "architecture of participation" is a key theme in the evolution of location-enabled services. Paul Levine - General Manager of Local for Yahoo! - reveals how his company is encouraging users, merchants, developers, and publishers to participate in Yahoo!'s local services and contribute to a grand strategy of expanding the sum of human knowledge.

Originally from ITC: All Programs, on February 25, 2006 03:29 PM

All-Out Civil War in Iraq: Could It Be a Good Thing? (Asks Fox News)



From the Cheney Administration's (corporate) Goebbels. Just posting this for posterity. David Asman, the twit with the yellow tie, is the classic dweeb who couldn't get a girlfriend in high school and had to join the chess club and still burns with resentment. Bush, a spoiled but powerful bully, is the perfect person for him to support.

Originally posted by tom moody from Tom Moody, on February 25, 2006 03:29 PM