Flutterby™! From 2002-03-01 to 2002-03-31

Branding is everything in a commoditized market place: The Vatican warns against against customized faith on the Internet:

Some visitors to religious Web sites may be on a sort of shopping spree, picking and choosing elements of customized religious packages to suit their personal tastes

[ related topics: Religion Business Current Events ]

Via Borklog, a good use for JavaScript: the Web Economy Bullshit Generator. What's frightening is how real it sounds...

[ related topics: New Economy ]

I think this one's a California Sulfur, up on the rim of crater lake in Oregon. Actually, what I really think is that butterfly classifiers have way too much time on their hands to make tiny little distinctions, and all the butterflies I try to look up look a lot like at least two of the options.

[ related topics: Butterflies Photography ]

I've been thinking a bit more about the Canon D60, and I'm wondering. Given that it's got a sensor that's 22.5 by 15 millimeters, that's about 135 sensors/mm. I need to go back through Image Clarity and do the math, but I'm starting to wonder if, at that size, given diffraction and such, all those pixels actually make any difference. Will even my good zooms be worth a damn, or will it only make sense if I switch to primes and always carry a tripod.

[ related topics: Interactive Drama Mathematics ]

Some New York Burners made some nice Burn Barrels for the FDNY NYPD. A quicktime movie on the page shows there construction with mission impossible music in the background.

[ related topics: Burning Man Music Invention and Design ]

Fisher vs Harding and other assorted goofy boxing stunts. The only thing this circus left out was having Mike Tyson bite someones ...

[ related topics: Current Events ]

Bill Jones, Republican candidate for governor of California, has sent campaign spam. Unfortunately the California anti-spam law isn't strict enough to put this guy away (now there's a death penalty I could get behind), but we should do our best to make sure his political career is over.

[ related topics: Politics Spam moron Current Events California Culture ]

Via Borklog, what'd happen if Jack Chick were involved in the OS wars: The Little OS.

[ related topics: Microsoft Open Source Macintosh ]

Zack came over on Sunday to add my experience in working with chocolate to what he'd read in the book (which we'd given him for Christmas). While we were waiting for the chocolate to come to temperature we worked on a Lego quadruped (I learned a lot of things about gait, I'm not sure a quad is going to happen with that few sensors and motors, but I think I know how to build a hexaped now), and I showed him the plans for a gauss rifle that I'd seen on /.. The instructions say:

When the gun fires, it will happen too fast to see. The ball on the right will shoot away from the gun, and hit the target with considerable force. Our one foot long version is designed so the speed is not enough to hurt someone, and you can use your hand or foot as a target.

Both of us said "what fun is that?". So I've ordered two kits so we can build a longer one that you can't use your hand or foot as a target for...

[ related topics: Books Dan's Life Cool Science Lego Mindstorms Chocolate ]

The party went over well! A little less mixing between the groups than we had last time, although that may have been because we went fairly simple on the prep and I had time to mingle around a bit, and we had a smaller crowd. Probably June for the next one, when it'll be light late enough we can use the back yard too.

[ related topics: Dan's Life ]

It's been a couple of days since Heather got fired for things she said on her weblog. I was wondering why I wasn't compelled to put this up as I was when Mark got fired, and I realized the difference: Mark got fired because of things he said about himself, Heather got fired because of things she said about people she worked with.

[ related topics: Weblogs ]

Via Daze Reader, Matt Goyer on things the music industry could learn from the porn industry. While we're picking on the music industry, I'd like to point out that with a few high profile prosecutions of the individuals involved in file sharing, the P2P networks would go largely legal. Back when I couldn't be prosecuted as an adult, when a few kids got knocks on their doors by the guys in dark suits and mirror shades the amount of pirated software on the BBSs plummeted, and those few that still had it had regularly changed master passwords that got passed around to trusted folks only. The same thing happened later with FTP sites. The reason that the music industry doesn't want to do this is that unlike the software industry, the music industry is at war with its users, doesn't trust its users, and can't be open about the relationship with its users.

[ related topics: Music Sexual Culture Law ]

A rambling on shame, sex and pornography worth reading: Mark of Cain.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture ]

So apparently there's a new Britney spears virus out there. It's... uh... not spreading. Sorry. But it's also apparently failing to get anyone interested enough t open it. Seems like she's over.

[ related topics: moron Pop Culture ]

Via Robot Wisdom, a British TV personality faces possible prison term for "blasphemous libel" after she read a poem on her show.

[ related topics: Jorn Barger Religion Current Events Journalism and Media ]

Wow. No wonder nobody shows up for spring elections, and being registered Libertarian didn't help any. About the most I could do was not fill in a circle to show my displeasure.

[ related topics: Politics Libertarian Dan's Life ]

This morning's Morning Fix email version's daily word is "interrobang". Obviously "?!?!" isn't sufficient. I want an interrobang key! Maybe I can map it to the right "windows" (excuse me: "meta", at least on some layouts) key.

[ related topics: Technology and Culture Typography Mark Morford ]

I think Limited Pie is going to make it on my regular reads. For a sample, tru this entry on the failure of Martingale Systems in gambling. I think there's a lot to learn about markets there.

[ related topics: Games Weblogs ]

Okay, I've got something that kinda might sorta work. If any of y'all are XML-RPC weenies, try http://www.flutterby.com/RPC2 for a limited implementation of the Blogger API. It isn't yet working with Mark Hershberger's Emacs client, I'm not yet sure what I'm screwing up on that, and you can only post to one comment so far (because I need to figure out how to not give you 5,000 available 'blogs), but if I can get some feedback on this process then we can get this ironed out.

[ related topics: Web development Content Management Flutterby Meta ]

So Todd thinks I need something big enough to tow with, Larry thinks I need a truck, I'd like something that rides like a sedan: The Cadillac Escalade looks like the answer. Read the above when you won't feel self-conscious about breaking out in giggles.

[ related topics: Humor Dan's Life Todd Gemmell moron Automobiles ]

Fucked Company reports Globix has gone Chapter 11. Worth a pull-quote is this line from the memo:

The act of filing our plan is another step forward, one which has been long awaited, toward establishing our long-term financial stability.

Okay. You're part of this upper management team. Doing the road-show, trying to convince institutional investors that taking this company public is something that they can invest in. You say "long term we plan on spending wastefully, then declaring Chapter 11 so we can screw over our payables...". No wonder Berkshire-Hathaway declined to invest.

[ related topics: New Economy ]

Savage Gulf and other TN State Parks are technically closed on Monday and Tuesday because of budget cuts. I forgot and drove up to Gruetli-Laager to hike a bit.

There was a sign reminding me about the State Parks being closed, but also a specific sign saying the Collins West trail section was icy, dangerous, and closed.

So, I went in anyway, but only down to Suter Falls [ large view ] where the falling icicles and treacherous trail persuaded me not to risk life, limb, and a citation from a ranger.

[ related topics: Nature and environment Chattanooga ]

"Dad sues over daughter's ecstasy death" screams the headline. A careful reading reveals that Brandy French died of dehydration, stated more plainly in an even more alarmist linking to all the anti-drug sites story. If you want to save lives, how about a "teens: piss clear" ad campaign? Time to send some bucks off to Dance Safe.

[ related topics: Drugs Health ]

I think I'm going to try to split Flutterby a bit, to start a coincident weblog on economic and business trends. Except that there's an implication of a polarity which doesn't really exist, kind of an anti-Cluetrain. Probably over at Gamahuche.com because I flashed on the attitude I want to engender: "when it sucks, grab the ears". But 'til I get that set up, you'll have to deal with it here.

The Grammys tanked. Hard. I'm fairly sure this has nothing to do with file-sharing, but just in case you need convincing, Gap CEO Millard "Mickey" Drexler has acknowledge that "hip" has hurt The Gap, including "some very strange-looking jeans with patches on the back that are very wrong." Maybe, although I'm not holding out a whole lot of hope, people are starting to wake up a little. Starting to step back a little from manufactured trends and force-fed popular culture. Maybe composing and arranging will become more important than dancing and lip-synching. Maybe teens will start thinking about how our clothing is made, rather than what models are wearing it.

Maybe. But it's probably just a trend.

[ related topics: Weblogs New Economy Sociology Consumerism and advertising ]

Clean Sheets has an interview with Michael Rosen, and an an interview with a couple who modeled for Rosen. Worth a read and a look at his pictures.

I don't do "erotic" photography. I do sex photography: I take pictures of people having sex who are genuinely hot for each other, and I try to capture the full energy of their exchange.

[ related topics: Photography Erotic Sexual Culture ]

John Dvorak says most personal web pages "are uninteresting and uninspired. Cat pictures dominate too many of them." Since life imitates art, and he's one of the more surrealist, I figured I'd take him up on the challenge. Dori and Tom are trying to find a new picture of their cat for their books, Jerry's cat's got a new collar, (although his dog hates OS X). And nothing makes Cam feel happier than cute kitten pictures. But overall, Google searches on "cat picture" weblog and "cat pictures" weblog are amazingly sparse.

[ related topics: Cameron Barrett Books Photography Weblogs Art & Culture ]

Salon has an annoyingly light look at the ethics of photography of public events. Among the questions I'd like answered: What's different between a "news" organization selling pictures in a magazine or newspaper, and a porn site? If both are representing the pictures as of the event, then I agree with the moral outrage expressed in the article, but I have trouble saying there's anything ethically wrong.

[ related topics: Photography Privacy Sexual Culture Ethics Journalism and Media ]

Since Alec is obviously home sick today, he needs to see if he can remember the password for the web site we set up for him, and go over to Blogger, and set up his own weblog.

[ related topics: Children and growing up Weblogs ]

Right here in my own back yard: Auburn WA. Where my in-laws live. A man hoping to open an adult novelty/gift shop is confronted by an angry mob when he goes to a meeting with "a few concerned citizens". Scared and confused, he attempts to reason with the crowd before eventually giving up entirely. He says he won't open the store now.

Words fail me. I'm absolutely furious.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture Free Speech Current Events Civil Liberties ]

The article is light on details, but it sounds like everyone involved is being prosecuted and/or punished for creating the porn video - with at least two of [what appears to be] the oldest now in FBI custody for child pornography.

[ related topics: Erotic Sexual Culture Current Events Law Enforcement ]

I'd have to agree with Dvorak that there are too many stooopid cat pictures on the web. We need to thin the herd and obviously not enough of you are doing it God's Way... So I propose that we start eating more Kitten Burgers to help out.(the other other white meat)

[ related topics: Religion Humor Photography ]

Steve Burns (aka "Steve" from Blues Clues) has decided not to become the next Fred Rodgers and do childrens television the rest of his life. This is a little sad cause my little minions really like being warped by him but maybe it's good news for us since his Next project is to warp adults.

[ related topics: Technology and Culture Current Events Television ]

Only 170 days till Burning Man and I now have my snazzy tickets for the event. The natives are FRIENDLY and the weather warm. Nows the time to get your tickets and start planning your trip. Dan & I are trying to figure out projects and resources so if your interested in chillin with a cool group drop and email.

[ related topics: Burning Man Photography Dan's Life Todd Gemmell Coyote Grits Bay Area California Culture Travel Typography ]

Just wrote a little view of Robert Sabbag's latest: Loaded: A Misadventure on the Marijuana Trail, a non-fiction account of one of the guys who opened up the marijuana trade from Columbia. If you enjoy good adventure stories, or if you ever read books about skilled business-people, this one's worth an evening.

[ related topics: Drugs Books ]

Ok, this one wasn't inspired by an RIAA lawsuit, but it seems that Morpheus switched from their proprietary protocol to Gnutella on Friday. The net result was that Gnutella's size increased three-fold in a matter of hours.

[ related topics: File-sharing protocols ]

Dang it! I've got my flakey BP6 motherboard working fairly reliably now under the Linux 2.4.17 kernel, except that occasionally when I'm doing graphic intensive stuff the X server will peg the CPU and stop responding. Killing the X server doesn't do anything. I'm suspecting interactions between the GeForce2 kernel drivers and the X server. Anyone got any experience with this? Sucks because I'm trying to build this big panoramic image, and as soon as I get two pasted side-by-side...

[ related topics: Free Software Dan's Life ]

It's goof-off weekend here at Chez Dan & Charlene, didn't start out that way, but I've been singularly unmotivated on projects. Which means that I've finished the first part of David Hockney's new book, Secret Knowledge, in which he proposes that many of the old masters drew using optical aids. I believe that only the most snobbish would think this matters (apparently many do), after all it's not the craft that makes the artist. What it has done is to help me a little way towards breaking free of the straitjacket of the lens, I've got several images that are borderline keepers, and I'm now inspired to go back in and attack them with GIMP to make them something other than photographs and something other than documentary. Perhaps if some of the models will consent I'll even be able to share 'em at some point.

[ related topics: Books Photography Invention and Design Art & Culture ]

A Wired article describes how a couple of Germans have developed the PainStation. There's also a PainStation home page, which I can't look at right now 'cause Flash isn't working on this computer. Plays Pong, except that when the ball gets by your paddle "the player will feel sensations such as heat, punches and electroshocks of varying duration delivered through the PEU." I'm not sure I want to know if Debra has plans for this device in conjunction with Diablo 2...

[ related topics: Games Current Events ]

Via the Jer zone: Screw the Segway, if you're going to spend three or four thousand bucks on neighborhood transportation, the Wheelsurf is where it's at.

...to brake, you either take your hand off the accelerator or apply a handbrake. This is apparently rather a delicate operation, as sudden braking can cause the driver to go spinning around inside the vehicle.

[ related topics: Cool Science ]

The Wheelsurf entry got me thinking again about some issues with Burning Man vehicles. One of Charlene's ideas would work best if we could make six foot or so diameter wheels. Not living in a terribly industrial area, finding, say, surplus truck inner tubes seems tough. Anyone out there know anything about techniques for building a large tire? The best bet right now seems to be a couple of wraps of a good hose, inflated.

[ related topics: Burning Man ]

hey! you'll be able to run your painstation on Linux

[ related topics: Free Software Open Source ]

hey I know a bunch of you are job hunting. Have you every wanted to be Nuclear Reactor Operator? There is a position open at MIT

the topic picker selected Heinlein<shrug>

[ related topics: Heinlein ]

So they're deploying missiles to protect the World Cup stadiums. Now I think that protecting the games is a good idea, but wouldn't pump shotguns be more effective when those violent Brits start rampaging?

[ related topics: Current Events Sports ]

University Intramural Basketball team calls itself "Fighting Whities" to mock "Reds" sports team name. Their jerseys state "every thang's going to be all white".

[ related topics: Humor Political Correctness Current Events Sports ]

Potentially patentable device of the moment: Ring tones for car alarms.

[ related topics: Intellectual Property Automobiles ]

Yes, Episode 1 sucked, but yeesh. These guys were only responsible for the visual effects: Stray bullets bounce off ILM employee. Sounds like some yahoos from the Presidio Park Police were firing into the air over at the San Quentin shooting ranges.

[ related topics: Star Wars Current Events Law Enforcement ]

/. mentions the proposed Canadian levy on recordable media, which I've found in other places, and I keep hearing statements of such a thing in the U.S., but every time I go searching for it I can't find anything. Anyone got solid information on levies on recordable media in the US that go to the recording industry in lieu of royalties?

[ related topics: Journalism and Media ]

The Seattle PI has a story on Michael Gurian's new book, The Wonder of Girls. While I don't agree with everything he says, I think he makes some great points against hardcore feminism. I especially like the importance placed on attachments [for both men and women].

[ related topics: Children and growing up Books Psychology, Psychiatry and Personality Sociology ]

The Fatherland Security Czar has announced the "Homeland Security Advisory System". Not revealed are the super secret "Mauve" level (Fashion alert: Those slacks do not go with that top) and "Teal" (Detection of environmentally friendly technologies that compete with the oil companies and therefore must be destroyed). Meanwhile, the Administration is playing brinksmanship and trying to drag us back into the Cold War to... what? Convince insane leaders of two-bit countries that they shouldn't go lighting oil wells on fire like they did last time? Um. Yeah. That's gonna be real effective against a madman who's already willing to let his citizens starve.

[ related topics: Politics History Current Events WTC/Pentagon attacks ]

You've heard it said that, especially in the computer and business press, journalists seem to be in bed with their subjects? Metafilter pointed to a report that Harvard Business Review editor Suzy Wetlaufer did just that with retired GE CEO Jack Welch, while working on a story about him. She resigned from HBR when it came out.

[ related topics: Journalism and Media ]

A man sends a letter to Dear Abbey, asking for her help because he's having fantasies about having sex with his girlfriend's daughters. She calls the cops on him.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture Ethics Political Correctness Law Enforcement ]

Things you might find when you click on the "more" button when looking at a listing on IMDB? severed arm (which lead to that classic: Leprechaun 5: Leprechaun in the Hood). flatulence. american-canadian-relations.

[ related topics: Technology and Culture Movies ]

Via Wibbly WebLog: You may be infected with any number of memes. Use the Human Virus Scanner to find out.

[ related topics: Psychology, Psychiatry and Personality Marketing ]

For those of you in San Fran; AnimeNation reports that the North American premier of Hayao Miyazaki's Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) is going to be showing at the Castro Theater April 20th and 21st.

I'm not familiar with this particular work, but I'm still jealous.

[ related topics: Animation Bay Area Theater & Plays ]

Slip of the morning, overheard on the radio: "precision guided musicians". Oboes over Baghdad? These help reduce civilian casualties by replacing older imprecise cluster viola players? "Watch the nose camera on this pianist. Right down the chimney!"

[ related topics: Music WTC/Pentagon attacks ]

Reason Perforce scares me #4165:

machine$ p4 resolve

/long/path/to/filename.c - merging //repository/to/filename.c

Diff chunks: 0 yours + 134 theirs + 0 both + 7 conflicting

Accept(a) Edit(e) Diff(d) Merge (m) Skip(s) Help(?) [e]:

[ related topics: Dan's Life Software Engineering ]

Are you a closed source proponent gleefully chortling over the reports of the bug in the zlib library, which might cause problems in the PPP bits of the Linux kernel? This sucker's insinuated itself everywhere, zlib has also been incorporated into various bits of Microsoft products.

[ related topics: Free Software Business Microsoft Open Source Current Events ]

It's extremely rare, but occasionally pregnancy can result from a blow-job.

[ related topics: Sexual Culture Cool Science Biology ]

I've been browsing the Scary Devil Monastery again, that virtual space which many of the coolest participants of old have left for "the other place". Yesterday, in a conversation, I found an easy way to get to "the other place". I don't need more online time, so I doubt I'll be opening up that channel, but it has been a reminder that to make social interactions meaningful cultures erect barriers to tourists.One of the things that intrigued me about networks back in the '80s and early '90s was breaking down barriers to participation in various groups. Now I'm looking at ways that those barriers can be erected in a way that's germane to the community that they protect, and not just a series of hoops that have little relationship to the final situation (ie: college).

[ related topics: Sociology ]

The latest RISKS digest has two terrifying Airbus A3xx incidents. One where an A300's avionics computer blanked the displays while the airplane was in an "unusual attitude", given that the remaining lifetime of a VFR pilot in IFR conditions is measured in fractions of a minute this is moderately terrifying, the other where the A320's pilot's aileron controls were reversed by a maintenance error. While the latter is a reminder to not assume anything during the preflight checks (and is the walk-around on a big plane like a walk-around on a small plane?), both are worth thinking about for the lessons that might apply in any place we do systems design.

[ related topics: Aviation ]

While we're on the aviation thread, an interesting twist where owners of Lake Amphibian aircraft will be forced to pay patent fees for a required Airworthiness Directive, there are some interesting confusions because some of them had a third party fix the aircraft, but since Lake Aircraft has now sold the patent rights to Enpat, Lake is now claiming it can't do anything. Lock-in isn't just a software thing, hardware companies can lock you in to buying only their fixes for their earlier mistakes.

[ related topics: Intellectual Property Aviation ]

Charlene's hooked up with a distributor to do a line of bath salts (more as we bring those on-line), and she's needing to be more analytical about her product. And I've been needing a scale for the kitchen, for chocolate making and baking. I was going to compromise on the Ohaus 310-00 triple beam balance, 'cause it's good to .01 gram, which appears to be a bit less than half a drop of oil, and has barely large enough capacity for kitchen work (300 grams or so). Then we discovered Precision Weighing Balance's Application Notes, specifically the one that compared and described 4 mechanical scales, and we discovered that we could get the Deering 10 gram scale for her, and a beefier balance that's only got .1 gram accuracy but will handle 2100 grams for me (can't find the link right now) for the same price. Reports as we actually use these puppies, but those application notes are worth reading if you think you might need to weigh something.

[ related topics: Dan's Life Food Work, productivity and environment Chocolate ]

That's sick! I wish Debra had a better way to link to archive entries, because this way I have to explain that no, I'm not condemning any of the various sexual activities that she links to and talks about, I'm severely disturbed that her "son and husband are having a Rexx programming session". I once co-wrote a Mandelbrot generator in Rexx, and it left me scarred. Very scarred.

[ related topics: Software Engineering ]

Must be something about Saint Patrick's Day that leads to bike buying. 6 years ago, on the weekend of the Fairfax Brew Fest, I stopped by Sunshine Bicycle Center and bought a Mongoose Rockadile. This weekend I decided that it was time to dedicate that bike to the Burning Man cause, and bought a Trek 6500. Basic transportation, nothing fancy, although I do tend to gloat a little when I watch the folks on the fully suspended penis compensation vehicles on that first steep stretch climbing up the Eldridge Grade away from the lakes stand up for more power, and then fall on their collective butts.

[ related topics: Burning Man Dan's Life Bay Area ]

Charlene and I went to see The Most Fertile Man In Ireland last night. Any film which has lots of content about women having babies is already a few strikes down in my book, but this one managed to redeem itself. Premise: Falling birth rates in Ireland, lots of couples wanting kids but unable to. Virgin loser sort of guy pines for girl in the shop across the street, one night a woman in a bar throws herself at him, and despite all her precautions gets pregnant. This gets out, and all of a sudden women from all over are using this guy to get pregnant. But because this is Northern Ireland, having children (and adjusting the Catholic-Protestant ratio) is a political act, so he becomes a pawn in the game between the Catholics and the Unionists. And, of course, he still pines for girl in the shop across the street. Hijinx ensue.

It couldn't decide if it wanted to be farce or satire, and worked the best when it was a bunch of disconnected comical scenes. Unfortunately it never managed to quite either embarass its lead characters or come down hard on its political motivations enough to tie the story together in a way that made the whole thing satisfying, but still managed to be completely watchable. Despite my anti-baby bias.

[ related topics: Religion Children and growing up Politics Sexual Culture Movies ]

Skylighter bills itself as "a supermarket for pyrotechnics professionals and fireworks making", but has lots of ready-made toys, especially under "stage and theatrical special effects".

[ related topics: Dan's Life Pyrotechnics ]

Salon has a review of Y Tu Mamá También which makes it sound worth seeing.

[ related topics: Movies ]

On the SHS mailing list, Lydia passed along the news that spanking makes you smarter. Unfortunately, it's a Weekly World News story, I can't find any evidence of the "Lucerne Institute of Psychological Research" or "Dr. Crispin Heinz" existing outside of this story, and I can't imagine any credible reporter using "professional fanny smacker" in a sentence. Which sucks, 'cause... well... Oh, never mind. Your imaginations are better than mine anyway.

[ related topics: Humor Erotic Psychology, Psychiatry and Personality Current Events ]

Won't you please think of the Domo-kun?

[ related topics: Humor ]

I wonder how long it's going to be before Kentucky, Florida, Kansas, and parts of Tennessee start sending suicide bombers out to the cosmopolitan coasts: Via Jill Matrix, Kentucky teachers trying to remove books from school library so that god can reveal his manifested presence.

[ related topics: Language Religion Children and growing up Books Chattanooga ]

When things are slow, go for more pictures! This one from when the tall ships came to town.

[ related topics: Photography Bay Area ]

"What happens if I push this button on your computer? Does it go off and make you go riding with me?" Robert Scoble's son Patrick

[ related topics: Interactive Drama Weblogs ]

Just because I always say "Dori says" when linking to Backup Brain, here's some linkage for Tom Negrino to move him up in the search engine world. Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed that Google seems to be biasing much more towards the commercial sites and away from the useful ones recently? I'm going to have to explore alternate search engines again, it's getting hard to find good technical information any more.

I try to avoid the tabloid news stories, until now I've managed to keep from commenting on the Andrea Yates case, but I'll allow one link which sums it up pretty well: Debra Saunders wants to start a Russell Yates Vasectomy Fund.

[ related topics: Law Current Events ]

Ya know how we think "what a loser, couldn't figure out how to send an email message so they attached a Word document"? Peter Merholz reports a client with the opposite attitude. I guess I can understand this, the client probably is goiing to print out the various proposals, wave them around in front of a meeting which involves misuse of PowerPoint, and the decision will be made by social posturing. Damn, I'm cynical about business tactics recently.

[ related topics: Marketing ]

They don't make 'em like they used to. In Bodie, California.

[ related topics: Photography California Culture ]

So, via /. I find out that CNN is reporting that not only has a large asteroid narrowly missed earth, but that we didn't even notice until 4 days later. But that's not the really disturbing part: While reading the story and talking to a guy in the office, I learn that an asteroid of this size hit Siberia in 1908. Why haven't I ever heard of this? Didn't anybody think this was worth mentioning back when I was in school??!!

[ related topics: History Space & Astronomy Astronomy ]

Nathan's cat Bandit is helping us to keep this an Ashcroft-Free zone. In a note that Tom turned me on to, according to Andrew Tobias:

Shortly after becoming Attorney General, John Ashcroft was headed abroad. An advance team showed up at the American embassy in the Hague to check out the digs, saw cats in residence, and got nervous. They were worried there might be a calico cat. No, they were told, no calicos. Visible relief. Their boss, they explained, believes calico cats are signs of the devil. (The advance team also spied a statue of a naked woman in the courtyard and discussed the possibility of its being covered for the visit, though that request was not ultimately made.)

Tom also turned me on to the Teen White Supremacist Movie Critic.

[ related topics: Humor Movies ]

In my list of things to do is go through a whole bunch of slides and identify the flora and fauna in them. I think the yellow flowers are creosote bushes, I'm not sure about the main purple ones. In Valley Of Fire state park, Nevada, about an hour north of Las Vegas.

[ related topics: Photography Las Vegas ]

You may have already seen it, and it's probably urban legend anyway, but Ziffle passed along the heartwarming tale of school kids making cactus planters.

(Update: Diane found the Snopes urban legend status)

[ related topics: Ziffle Children and growing up Humor ]

a cool demonstration of browser differences in image scaling and yet another reason not to trust IE.

I hate Girl Scout Cookies. They're not good enough that one satisfies the sweets and flavor craving, and they're not bad enough to not eat. So a box ends up being a single serving package. Next year I just say "here's a couple of bucks" and buy good candy instead.

[ related topics: Food ]

Metafilter linked to pointed to this New York Times article on a "new media" center that Eyebeam has asked Diller + Scofido to design, with the question "Any thoughts on architecture for new media?" The design they've got is kinda cool in that "Frank Lloyd Wright/who cares if it's actually functional" sort of way, but to really be appropriate to the new economy, don't you think they should build it out of cards?

[ related topics: New Economy Invention and Design Architecture - Frank Lloyd Wright ]

East of Yosemite, at the junction where plate that is Nevada and points east is pushed towards the center of the earth and California is pushed high in the air to become the Sierra, is Mono Lake. There are hot springs all along this fault line, and near Mono Lake a few hills that are only a couple of hundred years old, and where these vents bubbled up underneath the lake they left deposits of the various minerals the water from them carried. When Los Angeles sucked the water out of the lake in the excesses of the last centuries, these tufa towers became visible. Now that there's a slow reclamation of Mono Lake, and it's gradually filling back in, they'll be obscured in a few years.

[ related topics: Photography California Culture Mono Lake ]

Via Doc Searls, Comet Ikeya-Zhang should be visible now just after sunset. Winter has returned (just after the advent of spring), so it's cloudy here now, but if it clears up this weekend this might be a chance to catch the comet before it gets closer to the sun, then becomes visible in the mornings.

[ related topics: Astronomy ]

Today Mickey repeated, possibly paraphrasing James Coggins, "programmers are the only profession that stand on people's toes rather than their shoulders".

Ouch: For sale: Two F18s, slightly used.

Wired has a rundown of the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act, Tom Negrino has a letter he wrote to Dianne Feinstein, co-sponsor of the bill. /. links to various stories. Bill S.2048 hasn't yet shown up on Thomas, but there's a scanned version provided by Declan McCullagh's Politech.

I believe that it is very important that every one of you read this bill, and write to your senators telling them how you feel about this bill. Freedoms get eroded when citizens say "what can I do?" or think that the little encroachments don't matter..

[ related topics: Politics Technology and Culture broadband Free Speech Current Events Consumerism and advertising Television Civil Liberties ]

American Indian Creation Myths.

[ related topics: History Mythology ]

I might have to rethink my morning coffee rituals. Check out spiders on drugs

[ related topics: Drugs Health ]

Even happy married people might need to take a cold shower after reading this personal ad

[ related topics: Sociology ]

Next week I'll show you how to build a firewall out ofa a Pizza box</sarcasm> You can use an empty pringles tube to make a yagi style atenna and find open networks

[ related topics: Wireless Cool Science broadband Invention and Design Current Events Bizarre ]

Dan, the river called..... said she missed you

[ related topics: Photography Dan's Life Chattanooga ]

Yesterday involved lots of short squalls interspersed with blue sky. Climbing away from the lakes this rainbow appeared for a very short time. It was gone when I'd cleared the switchback.

[ related topics: Photography Dan's Life ]

While topspin is trying to lure me back to Tennessee I get occasional reminders of why I live out here. I'm not sure I'd see this delivery van in the buckle of the bible belt.

[ related topics: Religion Dan's Life Chattanooga ]

Saw Ice Age last night. Charlene liked it more than I did. Somewhat enjoyable little animated flick, a bunch of small skits tied together by a very tenuous story. Three unlikely characters, thrown together by circumstance, have to complete a quest. Plot holes you could move a glacier through. Slow in parts. But fun animation, some wonderful water effects, and good voice talent. If the kids are dragging you to go see it, fine, and it wasn't wasted time, but there have been much better animated films out recently.

[ related topics: Children and growing up Animation Movies ]

Following up to my earlier plea for action, Cryptome has the full text of the Consumer Broadband and Digital Television Promotion Act. Be doing that writing, kids, 'cause this one is all about "but, killing all the rats in the barn would starve the kitties, and you're not a kitten killer, are you?"

[ related topics: Politics Technology and Culture broadband Consumerism and advertising Television ]

Charles passed along this note in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about traffic cameras, fairly unremarkable, even agreeable, except for Marietta city official Warren Hutmacher saying "Our position is, we have an absolute right to catch you, and you have no right of privacy". This is especially scary in an area where the outgoing sherriff is the primary suspect in the murder of the sherriff-elect (Just to be clear, the former is in Cobb County, the latter DeKalb County). Why is it that politicians are so sure that their systems are going to be used only for good, despite overwhelming historical evidence to the contrary?

[ related topics: Photography Privacy Law Civil Liberties ]

A rant on luser pilots flying into the EAA gathering at Oshkosh is a reminder of why we don't want "flying cars" in our future.

[ related topics: Cool Science Aviation ]

Didn't we talk about the Fightin' Whites of the U. of Northern Colorado here? And didn't somebody ask about where to get the shirts? I can't seem to find the original thread [on Flutterby] (the search engine seems very unstable, and I don't see any other way to get to recent posts), but I did find an online store for purchasing shirts, jerseys, etc.

[ related topics: Humor Flutterby Meta Political Correctness Consumerism and advertising ]

Yeah ok cool let's launch him but do we need to let him come back?

[ related topics: Humor Technology and Culture Space & Astronomy Current Events ]

Perl and Camels go hand in hand toe in ...errr check it out for your self

[ related topics: Good Vibrations Sexual Culture Perl Open Source ]

Maybe I can Dan to finally break down and get a PS2 cuz the PS2 dev kit from Sony is gonna rock.

[ related topics: Free Software Open Source Coyote Grits ]

a little flashback today, the delivery of the new container cranes to the Port of Oakland involved a few folks holding their breath as the ship carrying them passed under the Golden Gate and Bay bridges.

[ related topics: Photography Invention and Design Bay Area Golden Gate Bridge ]

T.M. Pederson, quoted by Michael Hinz in the Scary Devil Monastery:

It seems to me that in most households, boys are not involved (much) in cleanup and get the impression it happens automagically. This may explain the popularity of Java.

[ related topics: Quotes Software Engineering ]

Saved for later reading from the SHS reading list: Malamuth, Addison, and Koss "Pornography and Sexual Aggression: Are There Reliable Effects and Can We Understand Them"

Burning Bird has been pondering feminism. From one of my favorite movies, Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise:

Celine: You know, I have this awful paranoid thought that feminism was mostly invented by men so that they could like, fool around a little more.

[ related topics: Quotes Weblogs Movies ]

Inne passed along an image of Liberian currency with a distinct Star Trek tie-in. Also mirrored locally in case it disappears.

[ related topics: Star Trek ]

Interesting AP bit on the challenges of selling a bookstore.

[ related topics: Books ]

I've been reading the Scary Devil Monastery again, and given the current attitudes at ICANN't I've been thinking about gated communities. One of the problems, though, is that I don't want to gate based on technical ability. I've been thinking about using the OpenNIC address space, and running a Usenet II feed, and there are a few other fairly easy to set up alternate spaces that I've thought about setting up my various networks to access, but it leaves the cool yet non-technical people out of the loop.

[ related topics: Space & Astronomy Sports ]

I don't get the CARP webcasting license change hoopla, can't net radio stations just negotiate with good indie bands to play good music? Along those lines, I'm listening to the samples from Tympanic Band right now, I have no idea where they got the name, but they're delivering some good long rambling Grateful Dead style jams.

[ related topics: Music Pop Culture ]

Can you tell the difference between a Porn Star and a My Little Pony by their name? I got a dismal 3 out of 12. try it for your self. It seemed like everyone enjoyed the guess the beer game we linked earlier and this one is way more fun.

[ related topics: Erotic Games Sexual Culture Space & Astronomy Beer ]

A PS2 game developer leases advertising space on headstones and causes grave concerns

[ related topics: Games Consumerism and advertising ]

Proposal for Grits to become the offical prepared food of Georgia. I guess once again the Coyote gets ignored. Perhaps Coyote could become the official breakfast meat of some state. The other other other white meat?

[ related topics: Humor Coyote Grits Invention and Design Food Pop Culture ]

Drool the new palm from sony has been released. it's not quite enough to get me to buy, but it's getting close. Things I'd like to see before I buy are better battery life, wireless(802.11) built in and a smaller form factor (must be within mm of the palmV size). Palminfocenter has a review

[ related topics: Wireless Technology and Culture Invention and Design ]

A practical solution to the Personal Water Craft problem. "I love personal water craft... at 12 o'clock with tone".

[ related topics: Humor Boats ]

A Straight Person's Guide To Gay Etiquette.

[ related topics: Humor Sexual Culture ]

I was poking around Diane's site. Somehow I'd gotten the impression that she was new to the whole weblogging thing, but there's lots there. She mentioned her participation in the Bikecentennial. That sounds like a lot of fun, but I'd forgotten about the whole 1776 kitsch thing, all the bad puns ("Celebrating the Bison tonail"), rushing out to see that sad steam engine being pushed around by a couple of diesels called the Freedom Train.

[ related topics: History Sports ]

Dave has a T-shirt from Stompers which says "it's a boot thing, you wouldn't understand". After poking around their web site I'm still not sure I do, but if I were a boot person rather than a sandal person I think I'd have to explore further.

[ related topics: Shoes ]

In case Hunter S. Tolkien ("We were half way to Rivendell when the drugs began to take hold.") isn't your style, how about Lord of the Rings meets Monty Python?

[ related topics: Drugs tolkien Monty Python ]

Good reading about a smart guy that get's the backhand of life and writes to tell about it kinda in a Gibsonesque style.

[ related topics: Business Psychology, Psychiatry and Personality Work, productivity and environment ]

This is mandatory reading for Dan but the rest of you might find this interesting as well. Catch you later, I'm off to storm the castle, well actually I have to write the castle code first then there's that pesky draw bridge routine. grumble grumble

[ related topics: Interactive Drama Games California Culture ]

Pete, go check out Rhymes with Orange, March 29^th (can't find an easy way to direct link).

The (Hopefully) Great /. Blackout, 21-27 April. Frankly, I don't read the comments on /., but it'll be interesting to see what happens.

Carl passed along Crane Accidents, specifically the cherry picker incident. I might have to spring for $36 for a year to check out some of the premium content. Industrial accident porn at a pretty impressive level.

[ related topics: Carl Coryell-Martin Machinery ]

Heeheehee! This totally rocks! Tired of sweaty hands during a hard day of computer use? Ziffle passed along the mouse fan.

[ related topics: Ziffle ]

Hop-On Communications, a publicly traded company (OTC: HPON), has been promising "The world's first disposable, fully recyclable cell phone!", which will retail for $30, including 60 minutes of calls. So how come the samples given to the press seem to be repackaged Nokia 8290s?

[ related topics: Wireless New Economy ]

Very good reading about the Digital Rectal Thermometer Security Act and the struggle going on for the control of content.

Lycoris, formerly Redmond Linux, is now offering their desktop Linux distrobution, Desktop/LX preloaded on HP desktops ($449.99) and Compaq laptops ($729.99).

Lycoris offices are about 5 blocks south of the main MS campus and the CEO has done extensive [contract] work both for the Evil Empire and the Linux community. Desktop/LX is a new distro (based on Caldera's OpenLinux) that aims to provide an easy to install and use Linux for desktop use.

[ related topics: Free Software Work, productivity and environment ]

So if you can open the CD tray under software control, what's the obvious extension? Make that trigger a small catapult when a camera detects someone in range: http://lart.badf00d.org/

[ related topics: Software Engineering ]

Via Flogger, California lawmaker wants to outlaw potato cannons.

[ related topics: Current Events California Culture ]

Happy Easter!

[ related topics: Erotic ]