WordPress 2.3.2 Released
WordPress 2.3.2 has been released and apparently it’s an urgent update that should be applied immediately. It fixes a bug that can expose draft posts and suppresses some over-informative error messages.
« December 16, 2007 - December 22, 2007 | Main
December 29, 2007
Hillary: Bill Will Have No Formal Foreign Policy Role In My White House
It'll be interesting to see if pundits like David Broder and Charles Krauthammer -- who have warned endlessly that electing Hillary will inevitably produce an unprecedented Clinton co-presidency -- will have anything to say about this:
If she makes it to the White House, Sen. Hillary Clinton said today her husband will take on the same responsibilities as traditional presidential spouses, with no access to National Security Council meetings."I think he would play the role that spouses have always played for presidents," said Clinton, in an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. "He will not have a formal, official role, but just as presidents rely on wives, husbands, fathers, friends of long years, he will be my close confidante and adviser as I was with him."
The candidate said having President Clinton participate in National Security Council meetings "wouldn't be appropriate," and in a crisis situation -- like the one faced by President Bush this week after the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto -- President Clinton would not sit in on discussions with his wife’s national security team.
Sampling of Tiger Grotto Infographics SF Chronicle: SF Gate:...
Sampling of Tiger Grotto Infographics
SF Chronicle: SF Gate: Tiger Grotto
SJ Mercury-News: Moat Wall
NY Times: A Tiger’s Enclosure
LA Times: A look inside the tiger grotto
More as I find ‘em
From One WGA Member to Another - Why World Wide Pants is Good for All
In her story on the Worldwide Pants deal, Nikki Finke quotes an angry
feature writer who wants to go back to work now that a handful of TV
writers are going to get paid. I wanted to respond to his anger
because I believe this person is dead wrong in his objections to the
deal. Among other things, he claims that NBC/Uni's addition to the
GE balance sheet is a "rounding error."
As someone who
My Article Is Up
I finally finished my article about my stint in Jackson, Mississippi for The New Media Institute. It was really hard to write even with a lot of great help. Initially, I was unsure why.
Katherine Dykstra's article, "Literary Laryngitis," in the November/December issue of Poets & Writers magazine talks about finding your voice. It resonated with me because she spoke about the different voices you take on for the different pieces that you write. Some people are able to have a consistent voice. For example when you read a David Sederis piece, you know it is David Sederis. But sometimes different venues require different voices. And finding your voice is a hard, hard thing.
When I was working on this piece, I realized that there is a voice that I have on my blog. I was not even aware that it was a “voice” per say but the more I look at past entries, I realize that my voice has a few certain characteristics: run on sentences, slang, random clauses with bits of tangential information. I am not saying that these things are bad. They are all fine for this blog but when I was writing this article, I had to use proper grammar and stuff. I had to explain what things were instead of just making the words into links. It was hard especially because though I know about new media, I am by no means a pro.
On the whole I am proud of it but it remind me that writing is a lot harder than it looks.
Check it out here.
The year is 2099...
"A magnetically levitated train could theoretically take you from New York to London in 54 minutes," the Discovery Channel informs us. "But you'd have to go 5,000 mph through a 3,100-mile-long tunnel that was itself floating in the Atlantic Ocean. How might that work?"
Well, let's find out.
Of course, if this interests you, don't miss parts two and three.
Submit your film or video for Pangea Day
Hoping to submit your short film or video for Pangea Day? There's still a month and a half before the deadline -- plenty of time to get familiar with your new videocamera. From the Pangea Day site:
We're looking for films that will make us laugh, cry, and gasp. They can be fiction, nonfiction, real life, animation, or your own unique mixture. But they should hold our attention for every second. And above all, they should tell a story that someone else on the other side of the world will be able to relate to.
As you plan your film, try to imagine millions of people in different countries gathered around in the flickering light, waiting in hushed silence for your tale to start. What story will you tell? What images will you show them?Submit a film. Share a story. The world will be watching. Deadline for submission is February 15, 2008. Find out here how to submit your short film or video >>
Then on May 10, 2008 -– Pangea Day -– join the worldwide film festival! Screens in Cairo, Dharamsala, Kigali, London, New York City, Ramallah, Rio de Janeiro and Tel Aviv will be videoconferenced live to produce a 4-hour program of powerful short film and video, visionary speakers and great music.
Your Best Shot 2007 Samplr III
A small sampling from the Your Best Shot 2007 conversation in Flickr Central. Please take the time to view the growing collection of wonderful photographs and be sure to add your own.
Photos from millzero, Len Scaps, Rohan Phillips, mosley.brian, rowan.simpson, phil h, shafina and revivify. Previously: Your Best Shot 2007, Your Best Shot 2007 Samplr and Your Best Shot 2007 Samplr II.
Underground Restoration
Underground Restoration. “For a year from September 2005, under the nose of the Panthéon’s unsuspecting security officials, a group of intrepid ‘illegal restorers’ set up a secret workshop and lounge in a cavity under the building's famous dome. Under the supervision of group member Jean-Baptiste Viot, a professional clockmaker, they pieced apart and repaired the antique clock that had been left to rust in the building since the 1960s. Only when their clandestine revamp of the elaborate timepiece had been completed did they reveal themselves.”
Book review: Hyper-Border: The Contemporary U.S.-Mexico Border and Its Future
Hyper-Border: The Contemporary U.S.-Mexico Border and Its Future, by architect Fernando Romero (Amazon)
Publisher Princeton Architectural Press says: Roving vigilantes, fear-mongering politicians, hysterical pundits, and the looming shadow of a 700-mile-long fence: the U.S.–Mexico border is one of the most complex and dynamic areas on the planet today. With more than one million daily crossings, the border has increasingly has become a hotbed for debate. But too often its complexities are viewed through the myopic lens of illegal immigration, ignoring a multitude of other critical issues that include health, the environment, drug trafficking, free trade, and post-9/11 security.
Hyperborder provides the most nuanced portrait yet of this dynamic region. Author Fernando Romero presents a multidisciplinary perspective informed by interviews with numerous academics, researchers, and organizations. He begins by examining issues faced by other border regions including those dividing North and South Korea and Israel and Palestine. A brief summary of the U.S.–Mexico border's recent history provides a much-needed context for a detailed portrait of the many unique issues the two countries face today. Romero uses current economic, political, social, and environmental trends to project potential scenarios–both positive and negative–for the border at the midway mark of the twenty-first century. Provocatively designed in the style of other kinetic large-scale studies like Rem Koolhaas's Content and Bruce Mau's Massive Change, Hyperborder is an exhaustively researched report from the front lines of the border debate. Nonpartisan in its politics and tackling issues from both U.S. and Mexican perspectives, this book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand–and find solutions for–the many intertwined issues that define this complex region of the world, and others like it.This is probably THE book i needed to read. I'm facinated by border issues and in particular with the US/Mexico one. The author claims to be nonpartisan, i don't know how one can stay neutral when you know that the border is the only one in the world where a developing country is stuck right next to a superpower. Still, there's no villains and victims in the book, it's much more complex than that. Romero does a fantastic job at lining up facts and figures to help us clear up our mind on the issue. The amount of research he had to do to present the various aspects of the issue is daunting: from narcotraffic to education, from health to tourism or security.
Image from Dulce Pinzón, The Real Story of SuperheroesFirst chapter is illuminating. It gives an overview of the variety of borders from around the world, highlighting the type of issue that that particular area has to overcome or has solved and how. Which puts the Mexico/US border in a new light: Could the border become as strictly fortified as the North Korea / South Korea border? Could we imagine that Mexicans and Americans could adopt a collaborative model somewhat similar to the Regio TriRhena where 3 country (France, Germany and Switzerland) administrate jointly a unique "home airport", called EuroAirport. Could the way narcotraffic has been almost controlled in the border region where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet be an inspiration for Mexico and the US?
Judi Werthein's Brincos, trainers "hacked for border crossingOn the other hand, tactics piloted along the border could potentially be implemented as models for other areas in the world.
The one thing i wasn't too keen on in the book are the many data visualization maps and graphics. I do welcome them but some are much more stylish than easily readable.
Hyper-border manages to demonstrate clearly the state of interdependence between the two countries: Mexico's economy relies on remittances, while the US need Mexican undocumented cheap labour force. Besides, the reciprocal nature of the 14 sister cities who face similar problems (pollution,disease, water supply, etc.) and the steady exchange of goods and people across the border ensures that the bounds are not to weaken.
Brett Huneycutt, Victoria Criado and Rudy Adler's Border Film ProjectAnother of Hyper-Border's strength are the "future scenarios" proposed along the various chapters. They highlight the possible consequences that may happen if progressive and well-informed action is not taken now, they shed light on impacts that today's decisions could have in the (more or less) long term. Some of them are encouraging and optimistic, others are downright scary. And although one might not always agree with them (or desire to even consider that some scenario could one come true), they have the effect of inviting the readers to reflect, and do more with their brain than just sit there sipping the information.
The book is packed with superlatives because that what best describes the region. So instead of writing the long and enthusiastic review that this book deserves (or maybe i should just write "Get it! It's an awesome book" and just shut up?), i'll just list some of the most striking sentences i read in Hyperborders. They might seem drastic and dramatic, given a bit out of context as they are but in his book Romero justifies the superlatives with facts, references and figures.
(p.76) At present there are more American border patrol agents than soldiers in Afghanistan.
(p.85) In Arizona alone, within six months of the Minutemen's founding in 2005, at least 18 anti-immigrant bills were introduced to the state legislature.
(p.90) The Mexican side of the US-Mexico border is currently the most dangerous place in Latin American to work as a journalist.
(p.106) In 2004, remittances to Mexico equaled $16.6 billion, in 2005 they reached $20 billion and in 2006 they rose higher to $24 billion becoming the second source of US dollars after oil exports.
December 28, 2007
Top 10 Reasons Why The Worldwide Pants Deal is a Good Idea
Howard A. Rodman is a member of the WGA Board and founder of the Guild's independent film writers committee. Two films he wrote, SAVAGE GRACE and AUGUST, will have their US premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in January.
10. Letterman has been a strong supporter. As he said in his last outing before the show went dark, "You think the show's not funny now, wait 'til the writers go on
Letterman Makes Deal With Writers
Late Night With David Letterman is set to return next week, with its writing staff on board. Conan O’Brien and Jay Leno are returning the same day, but almost certainly without writers. Good for Letterman, and good for his writers. But the funny part is that Letterman is the host most capable of pulling off a writer-less comedy show; my gut feeling is that Leno’s writer-less shows are going to be awful.
The Letterman Deal from Down South
This comes from John Jabaley, a UH contributor and Teamster.
I was at a Christmas party the other night, the kind we have down South where you see three generations of one family that you’ve known forever and you eat cheese straws and roast beef and sushi. (We’re getting cosmopolitan down here.)
Everybody and their brother asked about the strike. The big question was this: Did the late night
WGA Letter to Members About Worldwide Pants Deal
This was sent to WGA members today, explaining some of the reasoning behind the Worldwide Pants deal.
To Our Fellow Members,
We are writing to let you know that have reached a contract with David Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company that puts his show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson back on the air with Guild writers. This agreement is a positive step forward in our effort
John Nack on Adobe CS3’s Connections to Omniture
Adobe’s John Nack discusses the ways that Adobe uses Omniture, but completely misses the point of my criticism. What’s I’m calling a disgrace is that the server that’s getting pinged is named in such a way that it is clearly attempting to masquerade as a local area network IP address. Regardless the nature of the data that is being sent to Omniture, it is wrong that the server is named “192.168.112.2O7.net”.
Get those DVDs onto your iPhone or Mac
Filed under: Multimedia, Software, Video
HandBrake is one of those applications that we adore here at TUAW HQ. It makes converting DVDs into a variety of digital files a snap (though only use it with DVDs you own. Don't be pirates, kids). Chris Breen, of Macworld fame (and an amateur astronomer it would seem) shows us how to use HandBrake like a pro. Breen goes a step beyond 'use the presets' and delves into what many of the options HandBrake offers up actually do, and how they impact your files.
Check out the video, and get to ripping your DVDs!
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Edwards: Axelrod's Comments About Bhutto And Hillary "Ridiculous"
It looks like this particular mess isn't going away, but is only spreading to other candidates. John Edwards has joined the fray regarding Obama adviser David Axelrod's comments regarding the murder of Benazir Bhutto and Hillary Clinton's vote to authorize the Iraq War. In an interview with ABC News, Edwards condemned the remarks, and said that they were irresponsible in this world environment.
"It's ridiculous. It's a ridiculous stretch," said Edwards. "I think in times of international crisis — which this clearly is — what America needs to be doing and serious presidential candidates need to be doing is providing an atmosphere of strength and calm. We need to be a calming influence and not stoking the fire and certainly not be talking about the politics of this."
Touchscreen keyboard (could be killer with tactile feedback)
…a programmable, touch-screen that acts like a keyboard. Pretty amazing potential for experiementing with user interaction interfaces. Could be even better if merged with some of the haptic/tactile feedback work that Apple and Nokia have been doing. Ex:
Appetite for Deprecation
Finding fancy new ways to do things with Ruby on Rails led me yesterday into a dark, panic-ridden forest of ‘what-the-frak-happened-to-my-app!?!?’ What once worked had turned into strange error messages claiming that my form_tags were not working. My form tags! Why, I asked, should something so simple now be throwing errors at me? I’ve got enough to worry about without the simple things breaking down on me. Form tags have precious little to do with the actual code. They live next door to html, for crying out loud. The answer: deprecation!
"As Long As It Takes"
Writers Guild Members answer the the three most common questions from the picket lines.
Hillary Says Obama Is Politicizing Bhutto Assassination
Hillary herself has now directly faulted the Obama campaign for politicizing the Bhutto assassination in response to the Obama camp's effort yesterday to indirectly link Hillary's support for the war with the tragedy.
Hillary taped an interview today with CNN's Wolf Blitzer in which she made the charge. It hasn't yet been fully aired. But her campaign has sent over a transcript:
Blitzer: I interviewed your rival, Barack Obama, for Democratic presidential nomination last night and he had some implied criticism of you saying some of your past decisions do not necessarily warrant your stepping up and becoming the next president of the United States. Listen to this:Obama: I think it’s important for the American people to look at the judgments they’ve made in the past. The experienced hands in Washington have not made particularly good judgments when it comes to dealing with these problems. That’s part of the reason we are now in this circumstance.
Blitzer: Now I think he was referring to your vote giving the President authority to go to war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and your more recent vote to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. In effect, he says that gave a blank check to the President to go to war against Iran. You want to respond to Senator Obama?
Clinton: First, Wolf, I really regret that anybody would try to politicize this tragedy. I personally knew Benazir Bhutto. She was Prime Minister when I visited Pakistan on behalf of our government. I stayed in touch with her over the years. I don’t think politics should be playing a role in how our country responds, both on the personal level to the tragedy of this assassination.
A bit later, Blitzer asks again:Blitzer: What about the specific criticism of your foreign policy judgment that we heard from Senator Obama, we heard earlier in the day from his chief strategist, David Axelrod. What about that, that implied criticism that some of your decisions on these national security, foreign policy issues raise questions about whether or not you should be president?Clinton: I just regret that both of them would be politicizing this tragedy and especially at a time when do we need to figure out a way forward. That’s what I’m focused on.
Video soon.
ChangMania: David Chang, the obscure noodle cook...
David Chang, the obscure noodle cook operating out of two small storefronts in the East Village, will be on "Nightline" tonight, 11:35 ET: "Chang said that his childhood memories also include time spent with "my grandmother and mother, who are amazing cooks, eating Korean food, going out to dinner with my dad, eating lots of noodles and going to Japanese restaurants with my grandfather, who was educated in Japan." Chang says his father did not want him to follow him into a profession that is "physically hard...This was the profession that he did not want me to have," said Chang. [ABC]
wrapping up 2007
If there's one "2007 wrap up" post you need to read, it's this one from Matt Webb. It's smart, not easily digestible, and will send your mind reeling for more than a little while. (Kind of like Mr. Webb himself.) Here's a teaser bit for you, on the nature of websites:
Instead of a finite-state machine, think of a website as a flowchart of motivations. For every state the user is in, there are motivations: it's fun; it's the next action; it saves money; it's intriguing; I'm in flow; I need to crop the photo and I remember there's a tool to do it on that other page; it's pretty.
There's more on vending machines, risk as motivation, playfulness, the Magna Carta, flocking cars and phenotropics. Fun!
An exclusive look at the trailer for Josh Harris' We Live in Public
Radar's February issue charts the comeback of Josh Harris, the former golden boy of the dot-com boom turned multimedia artist. Below, an exclusive look at the trailer for We Are Public, Harris' take on society's enslaving desire for media exposure
Burton is offering a $5000 prize for the best snowboarding...
Burton is offering a $5000 prize for the best snowboarding video taken at one of the three remaining US ski areas (Alta, Taos, Deer Valley, Mad River Glen) that don't allow snowboarding. The intro video is the perfect explanation for why these four areas don't allow snowboards.
(link)
Long New Yorker profile of Benazir Bhutto from 1993, the...
Long New Yorker profile of Benazir Bhutto from 1993, the year she was elected to a second term as Prime Minister of Pakistan.
(link)
The earliest Sesame Street years
I have to say, I really enjoyed reading Mark Pilgrim's post on the roots of Sesame Street (and the reason for the oft-discussed disclaimer on the recently-released DVDs of the first ten years' worth of episodes).
Benazir Bhutto Assasinated, U.S. Politicians React
Earlier today, former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto was killed during a rally. The Western-educated (Harvard, Oxford) Bhutto had been living in Dubai and London for eight years, but returned in October to prepare for Pakistan's national elections (to be held next month) with hopes of returning to power. However, her return parade was bombed, killing 134 people and injuring more than 400. [Her obituary in the NY Times.]
U.S. politicians weighed in on Bhutto's death. President Bush said, "The United States strongly condemns this cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy," and presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, whose campaign has perhaps emphasized fighting terrorism the most relative to other candidates, expressed his condolences to Bhutto's family and alluded to his credentials:
“The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a tragic event for Pakistan and for democracy in Pakistan. Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law. Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere — whether in New York, London, Tel-Aviv or Rawalpindi — is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the Terrorists’ War on Us.”Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced there would be a three-day mourning period and vowed to "liquidate terrorists from their roots." Newsweek's Michael Hirsh suggests that "Bhutto could become in death the kind of hero for democracy in Pakistan that she never quite became in life."The Pakistan Mission to United Nations reiterated Musharraf's statement. When asked if there's anything travelers to Pakistan or Pakistanis in NYC should know, a mission spokesman said it's simply a great shock and hopefully the country will be able to move forward and the assassins will be found. And interesting fact: There was an assassination attempt on Bhutto in 1993 by Ramzi Yousef, who was found guilty of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Photograph of Bhutto before her last public rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan today by Mohammed Javed/AP
Giants-Pats Game to Air on CBS/NBC, WWOR Pissed
Football fans that are hoping to catch history Saturday when the Patriots face the Giants are in luck. The game was originally scheduled to be broadcast on the NFL Network with local broadcast rights on New York's, nay, Secaucus's WWOR. The NFL has decided that New England's quest for the first undefeated regular-season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins will now be broadcast on CBS and NBC in addition to the NFL Network, WWOR and WCBV in Boston.
The NFL and the two networks reached an agreement yesterday after Congressional pressure from representatives in the affected areas. The NFL Network is currently available for 43 million households nationwide, but is not carried by the cable networks Time Warner, Cablevision or Charter, which obviously cuts down on the network's potential audience. When games are broadcast on cable (either ESPN or the NFL Network), the NFL requires that the game is broadcast on a local station in the each team's primary market.
It will be the first time a NFL game is broadcast on more than one network since Super Bowl I in 1967 when CBS and NBC produced their own versions of the game. Both networks, for better or worse (probably worse according to some reviews of Bryant Gumbel), will carry the NFL Network's production this time around.
WWOR, which was to have exclusive local rights in the New York-New Jersey area was unhappy with the NFL: "The NFL is in clear violation of their agreement with WWOR/My9. We fully expect the league to honor their commitment to My9 as the exclusive free over the air broadcaster for Saturday's telecast of the New England Patriots at New York Giants game." Good luck there, WWOR.
At least all those Giants season ticket holders that are selling their tickets will have some more options to watch the game now. The game starts at 8 p.m. Saturday on CBS, NBC, WWOR (My9 will have pre-game coverage starting at 7 p.m.), or the NFL Network. Feel free to take your pick.
December 27, 2007
Glanceable Pored-Over
I’ve been catching up on the internets after a long roadtrip over Christmas.
Two images from the ever-excellent infosthetics.com made me think that the best interaction and information design is stuff that can be glanced-at:
or pored-over:
but unfortunately, most commercial interaction design falls between these two stools, in the ‘don’t make me think’ category.
I’d like to create services that scamper between beautiful extremes in 2008…
banana bus by squigglebooth
Our friend Ajit sent us this video through the submission form. It's a completely charmingly told story, well worth checking out. He writes on the blog post entry:
My good friend, JaCynthia Shepherd, recalls her experiences on the Public School Bus system. It seems she received much of her education while riding to and from school.
Photo of the Day: Uniqlo Jump
Japanese clothing company Uniqlo delves into a rather obscure category of jumping photos: noodle jumping! [via ffffound]
Poker, a game of "constant pricing and repricing of risk", is...
Poker, a game of "constant pricing and repricing of risk", is fast becoming a younger and more lucrative game. To wit: a 19-yo Norwegian woman won the most recent World Series of Poker and $2 million (to add to her $800,000 in internet poker winnings). Also of interest: John Wayne once won Lassie at a poker game. (??!) The article mentioned 3-time poker champ Stu "The Kid" Ungar (most poker players seem to have nicknames); his Wikipedia page and NY Times profile are interesting reads.
(link)Ungar won or finished high in so many gin tournaments that several casinos asked him to not play in them because many players said they would not enter if they knew Ungar was playing. Ungar later said in his biography that he loved seeing his opponent slowly break down over the course of a match, realizing he could not win and eventually get a look of desperation on his face. "It was fucking beautiful," he noted.
Poker, a game of "constant pricing and repricing of risk", is...
Poker, a game of "constant pricing and repricing of risk", is fast becoming a younger and more lucrative game. To wit: a 19-yo Norwegian woman won the most recent World Series of Poker and $2 million (to add to her $800,000 in internet poker winnings). Also of interest: John Wayne once won Lassie at a poker game. (??!) The article mentioned 3-time poker champ Stu "The Kid" Ungar (most poker players seem to have nicknames); his Wikipedia page and NY Times profile are interesting reads.
(link)Ungar won or finished high in so many gin tournaments that several casinos asked him to not play in them because many players said they would not enter if they knew Ungar was playing. Ungar later said in his biography that he loved seeing his opponent slowly break down over the course of a match, realizing he could not win and eventually get a look of desperation on his face. "It was fucking beautiful," he noted.
Hillary Backer Bayh: Assassination Reminds Us That If We Don't Pick Hillary, GOP Could Paint Dems As Weak
Looks like Obama adviser David Axelrod isn't the only key player talking about the effect the Bhutto assassination will have on the Dem primary.
Here's Hillary supporter Evan Bayh, saying that the killing is a reminder that the Republicans will use such occasions to paint Dems as weak, which is why we need to nominate Hillary:
“When there are unfortunate calamities like this, the Republicans [will say], ‘See. See what we told you? We have to have someone who’s strong to defend America at a time of concern.’ Well, Senator Clinton is strong,” he said. “And she’s experienced. And she’s tough enough to defend this country and do it in a way that’s true to our values, the civil liberties we cherish, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m supporting her.”...“The job of the next president is not to be entertainer in chief. The job of the next president is to move our country forward to make the substantive changes that will matter in our daily lives, and to protect us in an uncertain and dangerous world. And that’s why in a field of very good candidates, I believe Senator Clinton has the right combination of experience and strength to accomplish all of those things.”
On Being First
beating the little haters part 2...
A rude new documentary dissects the life of Queen Elizabeth II
A rude new documentary dissects Queen Elizabeth II
Dinner Tonight: Bittman's Sautéed Mushrooms
The way I see it, sautéed mushrooms should be as simple as possible. With only olive oil, heat, and the most pedestrian white mushrooms one of the more intriguing kitchen alchemies occurs, and the kitchen is filled with glorious smells: savory, meaty, rounded, earthy. Apparently, mushrooms are great carriers of the fifth taste, umami, which is often described with those very words. Perhaps the only greater sauté smell is bacon—which, actually, you could probably use by rendering some to replace the oil, perhaps removing the cooked bacon to chop and add in later. But this recipe goes with a simpler preparation, true to Mark Bittman’s minimalist style in How To Cook Everything
, and all the ingredients end up tasting of themselves—one of the higher compliments you can give a recipe.
When the mushrooms are tender, the recipe adds a splash of white wine to complement the earthy flavor with sweetness and acidity, then finishes with a bit of chopped garlic and parsley, cooking only for a minute so that the garlic is just softened enough to lose its bite, but still distinct, and the parsley remains bright. He recommends letting the mushrooms sit for an hour or so to cool and let the flavors develop; even though I ate most of them long before this apparent flavor development stage, the ones that were actually left were indeed delicious.
Mark Bittman's Pan Mushrooms
- serves 4 as a side dish -
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound assorted mushrooms
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and pepperProcedure
1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add mushrooms and a pinch or two of salt to coax out the moisture. Cook 10-15 minutes, or until tender.
2. Add the wine and let it bubble away, about 1 minute.
3. Turn heat to low, add parsley and garlic, and cook for one minute longer. Remove from heat, transfer to a plate or shallow bowl, and allow to cool about 1 hour.
Google Is A Computer
Google Reader's new friendz feature is the worst thing that has ever happened to me in my life! I think it's worth pointing out that when we don't like software, people can turn around a fix quickly. I think Paul's take was best: had Google made it work correctly from the start or soon after launch, people wouldn't have adapted to the broken-ness of the software.
I just like noting things like this to file away in my own development experience. Of course I'm joking about it ruining my life, but I did hide all my friendz; if I want to know what they're sharing I'll read their weblog.
The top 10 archeological discoveries of 2007 as determined by...
The top 10 archeological discoveries of 2007 as determined by Archaeology Magazine. Among the discoveries are a cuneiform tablet naming someone who is also named in the Bible, more evidence that Polynesians visited the Americas before the Europeans "discovered" it, early agriculture in Peru, and early urbanization in Syria that followed a different model than other early cities.
(link)Tell Brak seems to have grown from the outside in. In the south, cities began as a central settlement -- under a single authority -- that grew outward. But Ur's field survey shows that Tell Brak started as a central community ringed by smaller satellite settlements that expanded inward. "There isn't a very tight control over these surrounding villages, at least at this beginning period," says Ur. "So the assumption that we're making is that people were coming in under their own volition."
Integrating Movable Type with FogBugz
We were honored when FogCreek granted us a license to use FogBugz for public case tracking and project management for the Movable Type Open Source project, which is the largest deployment of FogBugz for an open source project.
In an effort to repay their kindness, but also to help keep the community as up-to-date as possible on the latest known issues with the product, Chris Hall has implemented a new Movable Type plugin known as MT Fogger. It is a plugin that exposes within Movable Type a set of template tags making it possible to query and display search results from FogBugz within a web site or blog.
If you didn't know, Chris Hall is the man behind the curtain that responds personally to all of the feedback that comes into FogBugz via our feedback submission form. He is also the lead QA engineer for Movable Type (and MTOS) and the creator of MT Booter, a handy QA tool for generating test data for Movable Type.
New York Times Feature on Apple Retail Stores
Katie Hafner reporting on Apple’s retail success:
Meanwhile, the Sony flagship store on West 56th Street, a few blocks from Apple’s Fifth Avenue store, has the hush of a mausoleum. And being inside the long and narrow blue-toned Nokia store on 57th Street feels a bit like being inside an aquarium.
Do you take this iPhone, to have and to hold?
Filed under: Humor, Hacks, Odds and ends, iPhone
So you're the groom at a wedding this last Saturday. You realize, 10 minutes before the ceremony, that you forgot to print out your vows. You try to get an HP printer to plug and play with a Windows Vista laptop, but no dice-- they're playing "Here Comes the Bride," and Windows is only telling you "Found New Hardware." So what do you do?
If you're bob.blog, you just email the document to your iPhone, and voila-- the groom reads his vows right off of the gadget of the year for 2007. Pretty darn nifty. No word, however, on if the bride sent her "I do" via SMS.
Now, it's not the first time an iPhone has made a wedding possible, but it is, from what we can tell, the very first actual iPhone-assisted wedding ceremony (Update: Not true-- see below). Just think what we'll be able to do with wedding software when the SDK hits. With this ringtone, iTheeWed!
Thanks, Ben!
Update: It's not the first time this has happened-- TUAW's own Mike Rose tells me that he can personally attest to this having been done before. He attended a wedding where the groom read his vows right off of the iPhone. Looks like a burgeoning market of vow-reading software to me.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Paul Kedrosky: "Hell, to adapt a cliche, hath no fury like that of a software user whose software newly works the way the documentation says it will."
The Year in Eater: Biggest Dining Surprises of 2007
To close out 2007, Eater once again invited many of our favorite food correspondents to join us in assessing the year's best eats, biggest surprises, and favorite neighborhoods for dining out. First we celebrated Meals of the Year, then ; now, Biggest Dining Surprises of 2007.
Balthazar, Dave Chang's biggest surprsie in 2007. Shot by Kalina for the Eater 38.William Tigertt, Freemans Restaurant: The DOH Death March. Who thought a few KFC lovin' rats would have restaurants all over town scrambling for their lives?
Anon, Sr. Editor, Food & Wine: Multi-way tie: Take down of Tailor, The mess at Gramercy Park Hotel That Waverly Inn is as good as it is, That Ninja is still open.
Jennifer Leuzzi, Snack: TV Chefs (Harold Dieterle and Anne Burrell) open cozy neighborhood spots where they're actually cooking! And the food is good!
Joshua David Stein, Gawker: That Abbe Diaz hasn't killed anyone and isn't homeless yet.
Dave Chang, Man of the Year: I had a great lunch at Balthazar...it was perfect, we did breakfast into lunch, eggs into a beautiful plateau of oysters, conch, periwinkles, etc., brandade, steak frites. Everything was spot on, the meal totally surprised us.
Mimi Sheraton: Prices.
Joanne Wilson, aka Gotham Gal: Lunch at Pamploma
Adam Kuban, Serious Eats: A barbecue joint in an auto-parts yard in the Bronx. Totally something I would expect from the KC area, where I grew up, but also so very NYC.
Danyelle Freeman, NY Daily News Food Critic, aka The RG: The most surprising success story has to be Michael Stilman's literal interpretation of the four seasons. It was a bit of a gamble and I'd probably forgo the white glare of winter for spring, but Park Avenue Summer and Autumn were splendid.
Zach Brooks, Midtown Lunch: The biggest surprise about Midtown lunch'ing is the fact that people are still willing to pay over $10 for crappy sandwiches and salads from generic delis. We live in New York people. Walk your lazy ass an extra block and a half during lunch, and you are bound to find something better.
LS: Wandered into a random restaurant in Chinatown and had a really shitty meal. I kind of thought that was like never supposed to happen ever?
BL: That Tom Colicchio seems to be throwing in the towel at Craftbar.
Your Best Shot 2007 Samplr II
More fabulous photographs sampled from Your Best Shot 2007 in Flickr Central.
Photos from kayodeok, rajue, *Fly*, lomokev, J. & G., 小狼, lahousden and rustman.
Previously: Your Best Shot 2007, Your Best Shot 2007 Samplr
Obama's Closing Argument: Stand With Me, And We Will Change Course Of History
Obama is currently delivering his Iowa "closing argument" speech in Des Moines. According to advance excerpts, here's the case against Hillary (and Edwards) on their votes for the Iraq War:
You can’t fall in line behind the conventional thinking on issues as profound as war and offer yourself as the leader who is best prepared to chart a new and better course for America.The truth is, you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience. Mine is rooted in the real lives of real people and it will bring real results if we have the courage to change. I believe deeply in those words. But they are not mine. They were Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when Washington insiders questioned his readiness to lead.
Here's his case against Hillary's "polarizing" nature and his case for his own electability:
There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you. And although the Republican operatives in Washington might not be interested in hearing what we have to say, I think Republican and independent voters outside of Washington are. That’s the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have in this election.For the first time in a long time, we have the chance to build a new majority of not just Democrats, but Independents and Republicans who’ve lost faith in their Washington leaders but want to believe again – who desperately want something new.
And perhaps most notably, here's Obama's response to Hillary's argument that hope alone won't effect change, and his response to the suggestion that Obama doesn't have the stomach for facing down the GOP:
Some of my opponents appear scornful of the word; they think it speaks of naivete, passivity, and wishful thinking.But that’s not what hope is. Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. Yes, the lobbyists will fight us. Yes, the Republican attack dogs will go after us in the general election...
But I also know this. I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made...That’s the power of hope – to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before
Perhaps the best line is this one: "In seven days, what was improbable has the chance to beat what Washington said was inevitable."
Full text of the speech after the jump.
Ten months ago, I stood on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, and began an unlikely journey to change America.I did not run for the presidency to fulfill some long-held ambition or because I believed it was somehow owed to me. I chose to run in this election – at this moment – because of what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.” Because we are at a defining moment in our history. Our nation is at war. Our planet is in peril. Our health care system is broken, our economy is out of balance, our education system fails too many of our children, and our retirement system is in tatters.
At this defining moment, we cannot wait any longer for universal health care. We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait for good jobs, and living wages, and pensions we can count on. We cannot wait to halt global warming, and we cannot wait to end this war in Iraq.
I chose to run because I believed that the size of these challenges had outgrown the capacity of our broken and divided politics to solve them; because I believed that Americans of every political stripe were hungry for a new kind of politics, a politics that focused not just on how to win but why we should, a politics that focused on those values and ideals that we held in common as Americans; a politics that favored common sense over ideology, straight talk over spin.
Most of all, I believed in the power of the American people to be the real agents of change in this country – because we are not as divided as our politics suggests; because we are a decent, generous people willing to work hard and sacrifice for future generations; and I was certain that if we could just mobilize our voices to challenge the special interests that dominate Washington and challenge ourselves to reach for something better, there was no problem we couldn’t solve – no destiny we couldn’t fulfill.
Ten months later, Iowa, you have vindicated that faith. You’ve come out in the blistering heat and the bitter cold not just to cheer, but to challenge – to ask the tough questions; to lift the hood and kick the tires; to serve as one place in America where someone who hasn’t spent their life in the Washington spotlight can get a fair hearing.
You’ve earned the role you play in our democracy because no one takes it more seriously. And I believe that’s true this year more than ever because, like me, you feel that same sense of urgency.
All across this state, you’ve shared with me your stories. And all too often they’ve been stories of struggle and hardship.
I’ve heard from seniors who were betrayed by CEOs who dumped their pensions while pocketing bonuses, and from those who still can’t afford their prescriptions because Congress refused to negotiate with the drug companies for the cheapest available price.
I’ve met Maytag workers who labored all their lives only to see their jobs shipped overseas; who now compete with their teenagers for $7-an-hour jobs at Wal-Mart.
I’ve spoken with teachers who are working at donut shops after school just to make ends meet; who are still digging into their own pockets to pay for school supplies.
Just two weeks ago, I heard a young woman in Cedar Rapids who told me she only gets three hours of sleep because she works the night shift after a full day of college and still can’t afford health care for a sister with cerebral palsy. She spoke not with self-pity but with determination, and wonders why the government isn’t doing more to help her afford the education that will allow her to live out her dreams.
I’ve spoken to veterans who talk with pride about what they’ve accomplished in Afghanistan and Iraq, but who nevertheless think of those they’ve left behind and question the wisdom of our mission in Iraq; the mothers weeping in my arms over the memories of their sons; the disabled or homeless vets who wonder why their service has been forgotten.
And I’ve spoken to Americans in every corner of the state, patriots all, who wonder why we have allowed our standing in the world to decline so badly, so quickly. They know this has not made us safer. They know that we must never negotiate out of fear, but that we must never fear to negotiate with our enemies as well as our friends. They are ashamed of Abu Graib and Guantanamo and warrantless wiretaps and ambiguity on torture. They love their country and want its cherished values and ideals restored.
It is precisely because you’ve experience these frustrations, and seen the cost of inaction in your own lives, that you understand why we can’t afford to settle for the same old politics. You know that we can’t afford to allow the insurance lobbyists to kill health care reform one more time, and the oil lobbyists to keep us addicted to fossil fuels because no one stood up and took their power away when they had the chance.
You know that we can’t afford four more years of the same divisive food fight in Washington that’s about scoring political points instead of solving problems; that’s about tearing your opponents down instead of lifting this country up.
We can’t afford the same politics of fear that tells Democrats that the only way to look tough on national security is to talk, act, and vote like George Bush Republicans; that invokes 9/11 as a way to scare up votes instead of a challenge that should unite all Americans to defeat our real enemies.
We can’t afford to be so worried about losing the next election that we lose the battles we owe to the next generation.
The real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. And that’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high.
In this election, it is time to turn the page. In seven days, it is time to stand for change.
This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must be catching on, because in these last few weeks, everyone is talking about change.
But you can’t at once argue that you’re the master of a broken system in Washington and offer yourself as the person to change it. You can’t fall in line behind the conventional thinking on issues as profound as war and offer yourself as the leader who is best prepared to chart a new and better course for America.
The truth is, you can have the right kind of experience and the wrong kind of experience. Mine is rooted in the real lives of real people and it will bring real results if we have the courage to change. I believe deeply in those words. But they are not mine. They were Bill Clinton’s in 1992, when Washington insiders questioned his readiness to lead.
My experience is rooted in the lives of the men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I fought for as an organizer when the local steel plant closed. It’s rooted in the lives of the people I stood up for as a civil rights lawyer when they were denied opportunity on the job or justice at the voting booth because of what they looked like or where they came from. It’s rooted in an understanding of how the world sees America that I gained from living, traveling, and having family beyond our shores – an understanding that led me to oppose this war in Iraq from the start. It’s experience rooted in the real lives of real people, and it’s the kind of experience Washington needs right now.
There are others in this race who say that this kind of change sounds good, but that I’m not angry or confrontational enough to get it done.
Well, let me tell you something, Iowa. I don’t need any lectures on how to bring about change, because I haven’t just talked about it on the campaign trail. I’ve fought for change all my life.
I walked away from a job on Wall Street to bring job training to the jobless and after school programs to kids on the streets of Chicago.
I turned down the big money law firms to win justice for the powerless as a civil rights lawyer.
I took on the lobbyists in Illinois and brought Democrats and Republicans together to expand health care to 150,000 people and pass the first major campaign finance reform in twenty-five years; and I did the same thing in Washington when we passed the toughest lobbying reform since Watergate. I’m the only candidate in this race who hasn’t just talked about taking power away from lobbyists, I’ve actually done it. So if you want to know what kind of choices we’ll make as President, you should take a look at the choices we made when we had the chance to bring about change that wasn’t easy or convenient.
That’s the kind of change that’s more than just rhetoric – that’s change you can believe in.
It’s change that won’t just come from more anger at Washington or turning up the heat on Republicans. There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you. And although the Republican operatives in Washington might not be interested in hearing what we have to say, I think Republican and independent voters outside of Washington are. That’s the once-in-a-generation opportunity we have in this election.
For the first time in a long time, we have the chance to build a new majority of not just Democrats, but Independents and Republicans who’ve lost faith in their Washington leaders but want to believe again – who desperately want something new.
We can change the electoral math that’s been all about division and make it about addition – about building a coalition for change and progress that stretches through Blue States and Red States. That’s how I won some of the reddest, most Republican counties in Illinois. That’s why the polls show that I do best against the Republicans running for President – because we’re attracting more support from Independents and Republicans than any other candidate. That’s how we’ll win in November and that’s how we’ll change this country over the next four years.
In the end, the argument we are having between the candidates in the last seven days is not just about the meaning of change. It’s about the meaning of hope. Some of my opponents appear scornful of the word; they think it speaks of naivete, passivity, and wishful thinking.
But that’s not what hope is. Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. Yes, the lobbyists will fight us. Yes, the Republican attack dogs will go after us in the general election. Yes, the problems of poverty and climate change and failing schools will resist easy repair. I know – I’ve been on the streets, I’ve been in the courts. I’ve watched legislation die because the powerful held sway and good intentions weren’t fortified by political will, and I’ve watched a nation get mislead into war because no one had the judgment or the courage to ask the hard questions before we sent our troops to fight.
But I also know this. I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made. In the face of tyranny, it’s what led a band of colonists to rise up against an Empire. In the face of slavery, it’s what fueled the resistance of the slave and the abolitionist, and what allowed a President to chart a treacherous course to ensure that the nation would not continue half slave and half free. In the face of war and Depression, it’s what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation. In the face of oppression, it’s what led young men and women to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through the streets of Selma and Montgomery for freedom’s cause. That’s the power of hope – to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before.
That’s the change we seek. And that’s the change you can stand for in seven days.
We’ve already beaten odds that the cynics said couldn’t be beaten. When we started ten months ago, they said we couldn’t run a different kind of campaign.
They said we couldn’t compete without taking money from Washington lobbyists. But you proved them wrong when we raised more small donations from more Americans than any other campaign in history.
They said we couldn’t be successful if we didn’t have the full support of the establishment in Washington. But you proved them wrong when we built a grassroots movement that could forever change the face of American politics.
They said we wouldn’t have a chance in this campaign unless we resorted to the same old negative attacks. But we resisted, even when we were written off, and ran a positive campaign that pointed out real differences and rejected the politics of slash and burn.And now, in seven days, you have a chance once again to prove the cynics wrong. In seven days, what was improbable has the chance to beat what Washington said was inevitable. And that’s why in these last weeks, Washington is fighting back with everything it has -- with attack ads and insults; with distractions and dishonesty; with millions of dollars from outside groups and undisclosed donors to try and block our path.
We’ve seen this script many times before. But I know that this time can be different.
Because I know that when the American people believe in something, it happens.
If you believe, then we can tell the lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over.
If you believe, then we can stop making promises to America’s workers and start delivering – jobs that pay, health care that’s affordable, pensions you can count on, and a tax cut for working Americans instead of the companies who send their jobs overseas .
If you believe, we can offer a world-class education to every child, and pay our teachers more, and make college dreams a reality for every American.
If you believe, we can save this planet and end our dependence on foreign oil.
If you believe, we can end this war, close Guantanamo, restore our standing, renew our diplomacy, and once again respect the Constitution of the United States of America .
That’s the future within our reach. That’s what hope is – that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us around the corner. But only if we’re willing to work for it and fight for it. To shed our fears and our doubts and our cynicism. To glory in the task before us of remaking this country block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state.
There is a moment in the life of every generation when, if we are to make our mark on history, this spirit must break through
This is the moment.
This is our time.
And if you will stand with me in seven days – if you will stand for change so that our children have the same chance that somebody gave us; if you’ll stand to keep the American dream alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for justice; if you’re ready to stop settling for what the cynics tell you you must accept, and finally reach for what you know is possible, then we will win this caucus, we will win this election, we will change the course of history, and the real journey – to heal a nation and repair the world – will have truly begun.
Thank you.
Video of the Day: "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus"
One of the most famous editorials of all time appeared in September 21, 1897 issue of the The NY Sun. Ten-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon's letter asking, "Is there a Santa Claus" was published with a response by editor Francis Pharcellus Church that now appears reprinted in newspapers year after year (though many times with one paragraph - the third to last - deleted).
The video above has veteran newsman Gabe Pressman of WNBC reading the classic letter. You can see the actual clipping here at Newseum; we've reprinted the editorial here:
"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Materials Resources - Boston-centric
one word for you -- plastics! from the media lab where else?
bookmark this on del.icio.us - posted by fruminator to plastic boston mit - more about this bookmark...
Veggie Castle Falls to Invading Developers
Santa came early and dumped some carnivorous coal down the throats of vegetarians in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood this weekend. The NY Press has reported that the beloved Veggie Castle – so named because it was converted from an old White Castle fast food restaurant – has abruptly closed. The Veggie Castle was as famous for repurposing the White Castle as it was for its vegetarian twist on Caribbean classics, offering such delicacies as jerk tofu, curried tofu and a steaming vegan soul food buffet.
Apparently, someone was shot there last week, but that’s not the reason for the closure.
The end of a 10-year lease is to blame, according to Cindy Bernard, daughter of owner Viburt Bernard. She said the landlord wanted to sell the lot to someone who plans to tear down the building and develop a new commercial space. In the meantime, “distraught” describes the mood among her regulars.Brooklynvegan dubs this the “Worst News Ever”, but Christmas isn’t completely ruined; the Veggie Castle location in Queens (South Richmond Hill) will survive the development siege – for now. We never made it out to the Veggie Castle – did you? How did it compare with the city’s other vegetarian restaurants?
Rudy: Bhutto's Assassination Is Reminder That You Should Elect Me President
Okay, not quite, but almost. Rudy is the first GOP candidate out of the box to respond to Bhutto's assassination:
"The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a tragic event for Pakistan and for democracy in Pakistan. Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law. Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere — whether in New York, London, Tel-Aviv or Rawalpindi — is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the Terrorists’ War on Us."Rudy's whole campaign, of course, is premised on the idea that he's the guy to win the "Terrorists' War on Us."
Vanilla and Strawberry (and Chocolate) Perl 2008 Plans
Before we kick off any further work on the Vanilla family of Perl distributions, now would probably be a good time to outline what I see as the future for project.Read more of this story at use Perl.
With the new season right around the corner, Heaven and...
With the new season right around the corner, Heaven and Here, an excellent group blog about The Wire, is starting back up again. The latest two posts are about season two, the most underrated season IMO.
(link)
Paging Danny Meyer: One year and $20 million later,...
One year and $20 million later, plans for a new restaurant in the Union Square pavilion remain a mystery: "At this point we’re just calling it a concession, because we haven’t even decided what’s going to be there." [Metro]
Pistilli Roman
The history of the mostly unknown typeface Pistilli Roman.
(via AisleOne)
Quote of the Morning: David Beckham
-- A secure in his manhood David Beckham, to BBC radio
Happy Birthday to Me
After two hundred and seventy six posts, Cardboard Junkie turns one year old today.
For anyone interested, this is the card that started me off on this crippling addiction. How I love it so.
I tried to find a video of Cracker's "Happy Birthday to Me", but I only found live performances that were incomplete or had terrible sound quality, so instead I guess we'll settle for Altered Images and the
December 26, 2007
LEARN YOUR HISTORIE
Proof that there is some greater cosmic wisdom in the universe...there are videos to the songs off of Serge Gainsbourg's Historie de Melody Nelson.
Thanks to DJ Sheep.
BTW, I'm still on holiday break but I'll be back around soon enough and expecting the true heads to roll through the Redwood Bar, ya heard?
Thurs December 27, 2007 - Know Your Meme: Reaction Response
story links: Know Your Meme, Charlie the Unicorn, Britney Spears on MTV 2007, Chris Crocker Leave Britney Alone reaction video, Seth Green Leave Chris Crocker Alone video, Perez Hilton Leave Me Alone video, Britney Spears impersonator responds to Leave Chris Crocker Alone video, Two girls and one cup reaction videos [Jmoraski8, Kermit, Roots, Grandma]
Wall Street: Congloms Let Town Suffer Rather Than Make Fair Deal
Last week, Wall Street firm Bear Stearns issued a report stating that even if the Writers Guild got every single provision it has been asking for in a new contract, the impact on the conglomerates' bottom line would be "negligible." It's encouraging to see Wall Street saying what we've known all along: that the WGA's proposals are fair, reasonable and affordable. (They don't even keep up with
laser nail calendar
We have some amazingly interesting friends. Take our friend Bre Pettis for instance... who else of all the people we know would laser the 2008 calendar right onto their thumbnail? No one we can think of - except for his friend Martin apparently.
I could see this being useful for a personal countdown... difficult to forget something when it's etched on your fingernails... And if not that, well, it's definitely a conversation starter. :)
Vectorized video game art
Using the VectorMagic web app, Philipp Lenssen took pieces of screenshots from video games and vectorized and enlarged them, creating some abstract, but very familiar, images.
Is waterboarding torture? One man tried it out on himself...
Is waterboarding torture? One man tried it out on himself to satisfy his own curiosity.
I have never been more panicked in my whole life. Once your lungs are empty and collapsed and they start to draw fluid it is simply all over. You know you are dead and it's too late. Involuntary and total panic. There is absolutely nothing you can do about it. It would be like telling you not to blink while I stuck a hot needle in your eye. At the time my lungs emptied and I began to draw water, I would have sold my children to escape. There was no choice, or chance, and willpower was not involved. I never felt anything like it, and this was self-inflicted with a watering can, where I was in total control and never in any danger. And I understood.
(via waxy)
(link)
bad plussage
Dammit, I love the Bad Plus, and I'll yell it from the barricades. Check out this NYT article with this quote from Ethan Iverson.
''When we all started playing together,'' Mr. King said, ''Ethan had never heard of Nirvana. Reid and I thought this was kind of incredible for a guy his age. This is what inspired us to play covers of rock songs. We'd wonder: 'Wow! What filters this stuff inside Iverson's head? What's he hearing?' We figured he'd give the music a fresh approach.''
So, what did he hear in Kurt Cobain and Nirvana? Mr. Iverson, sitting in his Brooklyn apartment with Mr. Anderson, who lives two blocks away, reflected for a moment.
''With everything I'm playing,'' he replied, ''I take, on some level, a dispassionate look at the raw materials -- the melodies and the harmonies. I basically rip off Stravinsky's way of dealing with harmony as much as I can.''
''Heavily implied in most of Mr. Cobain's music,'' he continued, ''are raw, open fifths. I take these fifths and stack them in every which way. These become the basis of my voicings and the language in my solos. Believe me, Stravinsky would have known how to shape Mr. Cobain's fifths.''
Also from the Times, this article about how a blog post from trumpeter Dave Douglas spurred a blog post by Iverson, which in turn led to "an open-source, alternative canon-building sweep" covering post-'60s jazz. Sometimes I really do forget just how powerful and cool the Internet is.
Adventures in Stacking
New Scientist published an awesome little article this week about nothing more complex than stacking blocks of wood (subscriber-only)... But, oh, how complex that task can be.
It's the combinatorial architecture of the well-balanced stack.[Image: The diagrammatic mathematics of a structural experiment by Mike Paterson and Uri Zwick, as reported in New Scientist].
Computer scientists Mike Paterson and Uri Zwick have calculated new shapes and arrangements for the so-called "overhang problem," by which one attempts to stack books outward from the edge of a table so that the books "overhang" as far as possible (before the stack collapses or you and your go out for more beer).
Strategically speaking, it turns out to be a matter of well-placed gaps, pressures, and weights.[Image: Two abstract stacks by Mike Paterson and Uri Zwick].
In two papers, available as PDFs (here and here), Paterson and Zwick write about balancing "harmonic stacks," then stabilizing them, through "minute displacements" of space and weight within the stack structure.A stack is said to be balanced if there exists a collection of forces acting between the blocks along their contact intervals, such that under this collection of forces, and the gravitational forces acting on them, all blocks are in equilibrium.
We read about loaded stacks and point weights, and "combinatorially distinct arrangements."[Image: May the force stack with you; diagram by Mike Paterson and Uri Zwick].
The authors advise thatone should, at least in principle, consider all possible combinatorial stack structures and for each of them find an optimal placement of the blocks. The combinatorial structure of a stack specifies the contacts between the blocks of the stack, i.e., which blocks rest on which, and in what order (from left to right), and which rest on the table.
They talk about parabolic stacks and spinal stacks ("A stack is spinal if its support set has just a single block at each level"), and about the spatial structure of brick walls, describing "well-behaved collections of forces that stabilize symmetric and asymmetric brick-wall stacks."[Image: More stack madness by Mike Paterson and Uri Zwick].
But what are the architectural implications of all this? Are there any?
Or, in this age of advanced materials, are basic formal considerations such as these reduced to useless tinkering? Why worry about well-balanced stacks, in other words, when you can just put some cantilevered I-beams up there and be done with it, making experiments like these instantaneously obsolete?
Superficially, these diagrams actually remind me of the demolition of London's P&O Building this summer, in which the building was taken apart from the ground up, as if disappearing into the sky – thus exhibiting a rather unique variety of the overhang problem.[Image: London's P&O Building gets demolished in reverse; via the Daily Mail. To see what brain death feels like, meanwhile, don't miss the ensuing comment thread over at Gizmodo].
So are there tens of thousands of overhang problems on display right now in the jungly tangles of rebar and steel that remain camouflaged behind the facades of architectural structures? Deep in the guts of engineered buildings the world over, are there interesting mathematical lessons to learn – provided we change how we look at walls and windows?
Is this the architectural equivalent of Rimbaud's "systematic derangement of the senses" – to see mathematics and topology where others see mere elevators and unused attic floors?
Inside our buildings, might there yet be something more to find?[Image: View larger! Speculative demolition in Halle-Neustadt, via Nickzilla].
We could actually attempt to answer that question.
Given billions of dollars, zero insurance liability, and a whole fleet of Komatsu wrecking machines, could you re-examine the overhang problem from an architectural standpoint, making Gordon Matta-Clark-like incisions – taking out whole floors and elevator shafts – throughout Manhattan, cutting away at every building, one executive office suite at a time, till each building begins to tilt, warp, or list... and then stopping, taking photographs, submitting those to a magazine about mathematics, and thus winning the next Fields Medal for Applied Mathematics?
All of Manhattan a demolitionist research lab for extremely well-funded and aggressive mathematicians.
Could you then exhibit these removed pieces elsewhere – showing, say, the entire, fully intact eastern elevator shaft from the Empire State Building at the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, forming some weird and abstract concrete pillar in the sky, whistling quietly in the desert wind, home to seagulls?
Modernist Totem Poles, you'd call it – and you could then steal the elevator shafts from the Transamerica Pyramid, the Sears Tower, the Chrysler Building, and Taipei 101.
In any case, does the stacking problem contain an architectural lesson? Read the original two papers featured in New Scientist to find out.
More on Google Reader’s New Sharing Feature
Michael Heilemann writes in defense of Google Reader’s new “every item you ‘share’ is shared with all your Google contacts” feature.
Even he admits, though, that there clearly ought to be a way to opt out of it. I personally only use Google Reader to follow a handful of feeds from my iPhone, and I’ve never used the sharing feature. But the way that feature used to work created an expectation not of security, but of privacy. Your shared items were protected by an obfuscated URL. This new feature is burning anyone who took advantage of that.
snarkout: merry and bright nerd facts about christmas and music
snarkout: merry and bright nerd facts about christmas and music
What's new in Perl 5.10 - 4 micro articles
In preparation to my talk on the Israeli Perl Workshop next week I have written 4 micro articles about some of the new features in Perl 5.10 What's new in Perl 5.10? say, //, state Smart Matching in Perl 5.10 Switching in Perl 5.10 Regular Expressions in Perl 5.10Read more of this story at use Perl.
MTOS Subversion Tips
Developers looking to stay plugged into the bleeding edge of Movable Type without having to depend upon nightly builds may like the following tip which shows how one can always access the following builds reliably and predictably without having to worry about branches, tags or anything else about how the source code is organized:
- The last official release that one can download from our web site
- The last stable release, which includes minimally tested milestone beta builds
- The most recent source code in active development
Pointers to each of these is maintained for your convenience by the development team. Simply execute the following command and you will check out three copies of Movable Type corresponding to each of the above states of the source code (the source code will be placed within a directory called
mtos-latest):svn co http://code.sixapart.com/svn/movabletype/latest mtos-latestWhen that is complete you can navigate to the
devdirectory found within themtos-latestdirectory that was just created for you and executesvn upto update to the most recent code in development.Executing the following command will reveal that this is made possible through a set of three svn:externals:
svn propget svn:externals http://code.sixapart.com/svn/movabletype/latestIn layman's terms, these externals act as pointers to the location within the source tree where you can find the code you are looking for. This is the very mechanism used by our own build scripts to create our nightly builds, something you could do for yourself if you wanted by using the following command:
svn export `svn propget svn:externals http://code.sixapart.com/svn/movabletype/latest \ | grep ^dev | perl -pe 's/^\w+ //'` nightly > /dev/nullHappy holidays and happy hacking.
Places in 2007
Having a blog is great because it reminds you of what a wild year it has been. I do this list every year and it allows me to think about what the past year had held. I have a goal of leaving the country once a year and I have accomplished that each year for the past three years!
Washington D.C.*
Gregory, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Montreal, Canada
Austin, Texas*
Jackson, Mississippi
Clarksdale, Mississippi
Honolulu, Hawaii
Los Angeles, California
San Francisco, California
Oakland, California
Louisville, Kentucky
Boston, Massachusetts
Union City, NJ*
Brooklyn, NY*
New York, NY*One or more nights spent in each place. Those cities marked with an * were visited multiple times on non-consecutive days.
forever janice
happy 2008 y'all
December 25, 2007
Snarkout's history of "White Christmas"
after a full year since his last post, Steve returns with a whirlwind history from Holiday Inn to Black Christmas; merry xmas, everybody!
Dear Santa, More Girl Rock For Christmas Please
Dear Harmonix,
Happy Christmas and how are you? I hope you are well. We are all enjoying Rock Band to excess. Thanks for releasing The Sounds as DLC! But as you can probably guess some of us female fans want more music featuring female vocals. Orange Crush seems like it should be easy but it's not, as it turns out!
So I was wondering if you could possibly release more girl-rocking songs as downloadable content in the future. That would make my year!
Here is my wishlist. Some of these would be perfect for a Goth Pack as well, which I hope you are also working on. And they have all been tested v. scientifically for singability in my shower. Thanks!!
Sincerely,
Jane
P.S. I LOVE YOU! XOXO and Happy New Year!
*******
Jane's Wishlist for Girl Rock:
Patti Smith - Because The Night
L7 - Pretend that We're Dead
Luscious Jackson - Naked Eye
Concrete Blonde - Joey (maybe too mellow? but so catchy!!)
Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
Le Tigre - Deceptacon (ok this might be tough but it's SO GOOD!!!)
Lush - Ladykillers (I <3 Miki!!!!)
Elastica - Connection, Stutter
The Go Gos - We Got the Beat, Our Lips Are Sealed
Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes
Veruca Salt - Seether
The Breeders - Cannonball
Pat Benatar - Hit Me with Your Best Shot
No Doubt - Just a Girl
Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees - Hong Kong Garden, Kiss Them for Me
Sleater-Kinney - One More Hour (ok, no bass, but two guitars!!)
Heart - Barracuda
Liz Phair - Rock Me
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Bad Reputation
The Cranberries - Dreams
PJ Harvey - A Perfect Day Elise
Fenix L1D-CE Flashlight
As a flashlight enthusiast, I review many lights on CandlePowerForums.com, a site for "flashaholics." So I'm often asked which flashlight I reach for the most. My answer: the Fenix L1D-CE, a pocket-sizeLED light that uses only a single AA battery. At one time, LED lights were considered very efficient but not really bright enough, especially when compared to the ultra-bright, xenon bulb, 2x lithium CR123 battery specialist lights like the SureFire 6P, SureFire G2 and Streamlight Scorpions (the ones frequently used in CSI). The Fenix L1D-CE uses a newer Cree 7090 XR-E LED that is spec'd to produce 90 lumens at its maximum brightness, some one and a half times as bright as the typical xenon 2x CR123 lights, which are about 60 lumens. That's brighter than the typical 3D cell flashlight -- amazing for a single AA battery!
The L1D-CE has become my EDC (every day carry) because of its versatility. Being bright and compact (about the size of a Swiss Army Knife) is a plus, but for closer tasks, a blindingly bright light is not really suitable. Most of the xenon 2xCR123 lights are just way too bright for close up work, as is the L1D-CE's Turbo setting (90 lumens).The L1D-CE also has a general mode that has 3 levels of brightness: Low (9 lumens), Medium (40 lumens), High (80 lumens), all accessed by a simple untwist of the head. This allows one to use the light at more appropriate levels for different tasks. Also, the head from the Fenix L1D-CE is fully interchangeable with other models. Fenix sells "powerpacks" with different combinations of heads and bodies, but they also let you purchase the bodies independently. Thus, the strategy is to buy one full flashlight and then just pick up the bodies as you go, like Fenix's L2D-CE (a two AA light) and even the P2D-CE (which takes a single CR123). By having the Fenix L1D-CE, I can also get the larger L2D and P2D bodies, which means having a 2x AA light that can manage 135 lumens and run on low for 55 hours. Or I can also use an even more compact 1x CR123 lithium light. So you can get three lights with one head and satisfy more needs. Like having your cake and eating it, too. Still, I always return to the L1D-CE configuration because it's just the right handy size, has brightness levels appropriate for most of my indoor uses, and I can use one rechargeable AA battery for almost no cost and environmentally-friendly illumination.
-- Vincent Tseng
Fenix L1D-CE Flashlight
$48
Available from Amazon
Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:
StylusReach Flexible Flashlight
Mario Unclogged: Christmas Day
On Christmas morning, we wake up at 8, light the fire, open presents, and eat lightly: clementines, Marchesi panettone from gustiamo.com (which will become your only panettone once you taste it), and scrambled eggs with white truffles. Lunch really does not happen, but I fire up the pizza oven as we head out to ski.
For dinner we go to the American South for inspiration. I put a ham from Nodines with cloves and a brown sugar glaze in the slow wood oven and steal the rest from the Lee Brothers' excellent cookbook; we eat black eyed peas, collard greens, biscuits with black truffle honey from Otto and then finish with a selection of chocolate gifts from my friend Katrina at Vosges Haut-Chocolate and some cool confections from Camilo de Blas in Oviedo, Spain, including glazed hazelnuts, tiny bitter chocolate creams, and a bottle of orujo de hierbas to burn the path clear.
The rest of the week is devoted to football, ping pong, and snow activities with the boys.
December 24, 2007
Learn Cocoa with your free time this holiday
Let's face it, during the holiday season we all need to take a little break from our families (even though we love them). Why not do something productive when you're squirreled away in that spare bedroom hiding in the bed from your Aunt Dora? Cocoa Dev Central has just updated their great Cocoa tutorial for Leopard. I am just a simple blogger, and I could follow along so I am sure you smart readers out there will be whipping up apps lickety-split.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autotypographer
An amazing handset print by Jeremy Thompson
MTOS Project Updates
Last week we released Movable Type 4.1 Beta 2 which included a number of new features for the open source project as well, including:
- AtomPub Support - a core mission for MTOS is to support core Internet standards, which includes the Atom Publishing Protocol, or "AtomPub" for short.
- Revamped Asset Editing Interface - CMSWire recently wrote a piece entitled Movable Type 4.1 Goes Beyond Blogging - and they are right. But it is not just the commercial product that is headed in this direction. The open source project too is also becoming a more flexible tool for light weight content management -- as is evidenced by Movable Type's extensible asset management framework, and the work that Beau has been doing to expand upon the user experience around managing online assets.
Virtually all of the changes in the last beta, including the ones listed above, can also be found in the latest MTOS builds.
Speaking of which, if you are a person who enjoys living on the bleeding edge then the best resource for you is still our nightly builds, which ever since we completed our subversion migration to code.sixapart.com have become far more meaningful. Now that primary development of Movable Type has moved to our public subversion repository it also means that our nightly builds could finally be automated.
Completing our subversion migration and automating nightly builds were just two of the milestones we hoped to complete by year's end, and I am glad to have them behind us. We still have a lot of work ahead of us though.
If you are interested in following the progress we are making on MTOS, we encourage you to take a look at the MTOS Project Status Page which details the various projects and sub-projects we are working on at Six Apart and as a Community.
Mario Unclogged: Christmas Eve
Desserts will be espresso drops and coconut balls (first step, find the coconut's legs) both from Martha Stewart's magazine Everyday Food because my kids find it very accessible and there is a photo for every cookie. I will make a version of Gina DePalma's chocolate hazelnut kisses, and we will surrender early to a deep mug of hot buttered rum from my mom's recipe file, which I'm sharing with you in this post here.
About the author: Mario Batali has created a thriving restaurant empire and has established himself as a top restaurateur. Together with his partner, Joe Bastianich, he operates seven New York City hotspots. Mario splits his time between New York City's Greenwich Village and northern Michigan with his wife, Susan Cahn, of Coach Dairy Goat Farm, and their two sons. More Mario: mariobatali.com.
Rum Butter
Ingredients
1 pound brown sugar1/2 pound butter
1 egg beaten
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon allspiceProcedure
1. Cream the brown sugar and butter.
2. Mix in the beaten egg, nutmeg, vanilla, and allspice.
3. This will store in the fridge for a week.
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Merry Gridlock!
Streetsblog editor Aaron Naparstek and StreetFilms' Nick Whitaker hit the intersection of Atlantic, Flatbush and Fourth Avenues Thursday morning to see what a "Gridlock Alert Day" looks like at one of New York City's most congested intersections.
After about 25 interviews with drivers it became pretty clear that if City Hall truly wants to reduce traffic congestion during the holiday season, it needs to do a whole lot more than just say, "Hey, everybody it's a Gridlock Alert!"
More Voting Machine News
Ohio just completed a major study of voting machines. (Here's the report, a gigantic pdf.) And, like the California study earlier this year, they found all sorts of problems:
While some tests to compromise voting systems took higher levels of sophistication, fairly simple techniques were often successfully deployed."To put it in every-day terms, the tools needed to compromise an accurate vote count could be as simple as tampering with the paper audit trail connector or using a magnet and a personal digital assistant," Brunner said.
The New York Times writes:
"It was worse than I anticipated," the official, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, said of the report. "I had hoped that perhaps one system would test superior to the others."At polling stations, teams working on the study were able to pick locks to access memory cards and use hand-held devices to plug false vote counts into machines. At boards of election, they were able to introduce malignant software into servers.
Note the lame defense from one voting machine manufacturer:
Chris Riggall, a Premier spokesman, said hardware and software problems had been corrected in his company's new products, which will be available for installation in 2008."It is important to note," he said, "that there has not been a single documented case of a successful attack against an electronic voting system, in Ohio or anywhere in the United States."
I guess he didn't read the part of the report that talked about how these attacks would be undetectable. Like this one:
They found that the ES&S tabulation system and the voting machine firmware were rife with basic buffer overflow vulnerabilities that would allow an attacker to easily take control of the systems and "exercise complete control over the results reported by the entire county election system."They also found serious security vulnerabilities involving the magnetically switched bidirectional infrared (IrDA) port on the front of the machines and the memory devices that are used to communicate with the machine through the port. With nothing more than a magnet and an infrared-enabled Palm Pilot or cell phone they could easily read and alter a memory device that is used to perform important functions on the ES&S iVotronic touch-screen machine -- such as loading the ballot definition file and programming the machine to allow a voter to cast a ballot. They could also use a Palm Pilot to emulate the memory device and hack a voting machine through the infrared port (see the picture above right).
They found that a voter or poll worker with a Palm Pilot and no more than a minute's access to a voting machine could surreptitiously re-calibrate the touch-screen so that it would prevent voters from voting for specific candidates or cause the machine to secretly record a voter's vote for a different candidate than the one the voter chose. Access to the screen calibration function requires no password, and the attacker's actions, the researchers say, would be indistinguishable from the normal behavior of a voter in front of a machine or of a pollworker starting up a machine in the morning.
Elsewhere in the country, Colorado has decertified most of its electronic voting machines:
The decertification decision, which cited problems with accuracy and security, affects electronic voting machines in Denver and five other counties. A number of electronic scanners used to count ballots were also decertified.Coffman would not comment Monday on what his findings mean for past elections, despite his conclusion that some equipment had accuracy issues.
"I can only report," he said. "The voters in those respective counties are going to have to interpret" the results.
Coffman announced in March that he had adopted new rules for testing electronic voting machines. He required the four systems used in Colorado to apply for recertification.
The systems are manufactured by Premier Election Solutions, formerly known as Diebold Election Systems; Hart InterCivic; Sequoia Voting Systems; and Election Systems and Software. Only Premier had all its equipment pass the recertification.
California is about to give up on electronic voting machines, too. This probably didn't help:
More than a hundred computer chips containing voting machine software were lost or stolen during transit in California this week.
Windows Binary iPhone Toolchain Installer Released
Filed under: Developer, iPhone
If you work under Windows and have been waiting for a pre-built compiler chain to debut, your ship just came in. Over at the iPhoneGameOver Wiki, David Supuran has put together a binary installer plus installation instructions.
To make this all happen, you will need a jailbroken iPhone (so you can get at and copy the file system) and a free Apple Online Developer account (so you can download certain sdk files). The development environment appears to run via the Cygwin Bash shell, so some level of Unix experience seems to be a prerequisite as well.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Ron Paul: American Civil War Was Unnecessary
This has gotten a bit of attention already, but we wanted to flag it for you. It's Ron Paul in an interview with Tim Russert yesterday asserting that the American Civil War was unnecessary. His take: Other countries ended slavery without a civil war -- why not America? Paul theorizes that the north could have simply bought all the slaves and released them...
MLK library in DC when it was new
I’ve shown you my sad set of MLK Library photos from when I went to DC. My friend Mary Early has found an older, niftier looking set of photos of the same library back when it was new and lovely and full of hope and promise. I wish the Save DC Libraries site looked like it was still alive. The DC Friends site is still kicking, albeit with bad news and the DC Public Library Foundation looks like they spent all their money on web design. Meanwhile DC Public hires teens to shelve books and answer phones which seems like a real good news/bad news situation in a library dealing with massive underfunding and understaffing.
Theories As To Why Edwards Is Winning In Iowa And Other Christmas Eve Must-Reads
For those die-hards who are paying attention to politics today, here are a few things you shouldn't miss:
* Chris Bowers considers four theories that are floating around about why John Edwards is really winning in Iowa -- but concludes that Edwards ultimately doesn't have enough to win the state.
* Adam Nagourney gives us an extensive rundown on all the ways that the Rudy campaign is in trouble.
* The Washington Post's Michael Shear does the same for the Romney campaign. (A lot of GOP presidential campaigns seem to be in trouble these days, don't they?)
* Mark Halperin has the script of a new AFSCME ad hitting Obama on health care that stars Krugman, and concludes: "Paul Krugman+female narrator=health care attack."
* Matthew Yglesias catches some great stuff from Ron Paul's interview yesterday with Tim Russert.
* And Taylor Marsh has lots, lots more on the Paul interview, including video.
Late Update: I've edited the above in response to a commenter who correctly noted that I'd somewhat misrepresented Bowers' post.
PGP and the 5th Amendment
A Vermont federal judge has ruled that a person cannot be compelled by police to divulge his PGP key. This is by no means the end of the legal debate (Orin Kerr comments), but it's certainly good news.
December 23, 2007
Sunday Reading
Anthony Bourdain didn't pull any punches when he was interviewed by my friend Robb Walsh on the subject of illegal immigrants working in restaurant kitchens.
"People have differing opinions on what we should do about immigration in the future. How open or how closed our borders should be. Fine. But let's be honest, at least, about who is cooking in America NOW. Who we rely on--have relied on for decades. The bald fact is that the entire restaurant industry in America would close down overnight, would never recover, if current immigration laws were enforced quickly and thoroughly across the board. Everyone in the industry knows this. It is undeniable. Illegal labor is the backbone of the service and hospitality industry--Mexican, Salvadoran and Ecuadoran in particular."
Radical Math
Radical Math. “A resource for educators interested in integrating issues of social and economic justice into their math classes and curriculum.... Access and download over 700 lesson plans, articles, charts, graphs, data sets, maps, books, and websites.”
Do you use Google Reader? I need your help!
Calling all Google Reader users...
Are you reading this in Google Reader? If so, I need your help on a science experiment.Click the SHARE button and share this blog post out to your friends, like this:
Why do this?
This may be your first time reading my blog, and you might be asking "Why would I want to do that?" I'm guessing that when Google built this feature, they didn't think people would use it to propagate chain letter-like things, like this post ;-)
Take part in the first Viral Marketing "science experiment" inside of Google Reader! ;-) Let's answer the quesiton, "Can it be done??"(This experiment originally inspired by Scoble, who linked to me and said, "How did I find it? My friends on Google Reader shared it with me. You can add me on Google Reader too")
Blogs can now easily jump from user-to-user with just one click, whereas before it was hard to "infect" another user virally. More on the viral marketing topic here. After this experiment runs its course, I'll post a longer analysis and explanation, depending on how successful it is.
In the meantime, don't forget to click on the SHARE button below! (Click here to go to Google Reader)
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