May 2009
15 posts
I’m not going to get too worked up over Apple’s rejection of Eucalyptus — a basic eBook reader — on the grounds that it can be used to download a public domain translation of the Kama Sutra. Which Kindle and Stanza and Safari and plenty of other iPhone apps can already do.
I’m not gonna get worked up because this will get overturned. We’ve got a pattern now.
Somewhere in...
If energy lobbyist Stephen Bassett has his way, President Barack Obama will release information that the government is secretly hiding on “extraterrestrial vehicles” —according to Mr. Bassett’s claims– which can be used to solve the nation’s energy problem and limit climate change in one fell swoop.
Wouldn’t it be great if our first comic-book-nerd/trekkie President actually responded to...
Things I regret
topherchris:
Not dropping out of college sooner.
(h/t)
Would you rather be trapped in a Wong Kar Wai movie — where everything is very beautiful, but nothing happens — or a David Lynch movie — where everything is very beautiful, but nothing makes sense?
“If waterboarding is fine, why don’t cops do it?”
– J. Ventura
Steal This Idea
Dear editor of Interview, Esquire, Wired or the like:
Brief, candid interviews with a dozen Persons of Note (celebrities, authors, politicians) regarding their respective Wikipedia entries.
Make this happen.
safety vs security
John Gruber on “safety vs. security”:
Security is about technical measures, like the strength of the locks on your doors and windows. Safety is about the likelihood that you’ll actually suffer from some sort of attack.
He’s referring to the security model of Mac OS X, which is arguably not as secure — but more safe — than Windows. One could apply this same distinction to the...
Obama's "Dr. Manhattan moment"
Those (of us) who’d like to see the perpetrators of torture exposed and hung for their crimes had a pretty rough week. It’s sort of sickening to be eagerly anticipating the next round of Abu Ghraib photos — like being excited about the release of a new snuff flick — but we desperately want the rest of the world to be as angry, disgusted and outraged as we are. These photos are crucial...
21st Century Post
Thinking about forming some kind of unified theory of etiquette, which would then be used as a platform for a 21st Century Etiquette guide. I was reminded of this by a tweet from lonelysandwich (of You Look Nice Today):
“Biggest pet peeve: people who order at a restaurant by saying ‘Give me…’ That’s straight up bush league, people.”
Francis added that “can I...
Climate Collapse Winner 1
The first result of my Winners of Ecological Disaster challenge is in: GIANT HAIRY SPIDERS IN GREENLAND
The species that was studied, Pardosa glacialis, can grow to as long as 1.6 inches. For now. But the study revealed that the average size of the spiders had grown by 2% over the last ten years… The precise cause of the trend is still a mystery, but the growth was strongly correlated with...
“A small historical irony about the recent weird effort to enlist the bombing of...”
– Julian Sanchez
Adult App Store?
What’s funnier than a dead baby? A dead baby in a clown costume.
Am I the only person who thought the “baby shake” iPhone app was kinda funny (albeit tasteless)? I know I’m not the only guy who’s laughed at a dead baby joke before. Won’t begrudge Apple for removing it, of course.
More problematic is the Nine Inch Nails app, which got rejected because it allows...
more kindling
Bezos claims that Kindle editions account for 35% of a books sales (when the Kindle edition exists, of course). This seems unbelievable.
New Kindle DX has a 2.5* larger screen… but only slightly higher resolution. Bigger pixels, in other words. Not promising if the point of having a bigger screen is more content in front of your face… guess it depends on how well smaller type renders...
dear Science Beat Journalists
National Geographic, Scientific American, etc.
Bats are dying, bees are dying, whales have been on the straits for years, tuna is dying, and now 85% of eels are gone.
I would be very interested in reading an article about creatures which are currently thriving. Someone always benefits when there’s a hole left in food chain; lots of these are foreign or “invading” plants and...
Beat the Heat
Ballard would’ve love this:
Police officers are redirecting people like Gonzalez from the street to the County Line Drag Way. The program is called Beat the Heat. Once a month, officers will race anyone over the age of 18 for $25.
Racers told Local 10 that they actually prefer the track. ”It’s better and it’s safer,” one racer said.