BBC: A statement from Betty Ford said: “My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, has passed away at 93 years of age.” The statement did not give the cause of death. Um, at 93, the cause of death is probably “old age.” Does […]
Archives for December 2006
December 27, 2006
Sneetchcrafted Chocolate
Reading this investigative journalism piece about extremely overpriced chocolates made in Plano (Dallas) Texas, you will learn a whole lot about the origins, processing, and packaging of chocolate. Bonus: The word “Sneetchcraft,” following Dr. Seuss. “This collection of four of Dr. Seuss’s most winning stories begins with that unforgettable tale of the unfortunate Sneetches, bamboozled […]
December 25, 2006
Strong Medicine
Between the rampant consumerism, the killing carried out in the name of God, and your everyday garden-variety family dynamics, it takes a heckofalotof positive, weird, and funky energy to keep the cultural balance this time of year. In an attempt to stay sane, the past three days I’ve deep-listened to: * Frank Zappa’s, We’re Only […]
December 24, 2006
The Difference Snow Makes
Great photo comparison of the Denver airport with and without 36″ of snow.
December 23, 2006
I Am The Slime
A little pre-holiday Frank Zappa for you, I Am The Slime: I am gross and perverted I’m obsessed ‘n deranged I have existed for years But very little had changed I am the tool of the government And industry too For I am destined to rule And regulate you I may be vile and pernicious […]
December 22, 2006
Coop Holiday Shopping
I went to the Coop at 1:30 PM today, three shopping days before Christmas, and the first day off of work for most people. I knew it would be a scene, but it was such a scene I got a photo pass from the store manager and took a few shots. When you arrive and […]
December 20, 2006
Car Security Hacks
The post begins: So, you know those cars with that keyless entry pad? The one under the driver’s side handle? And ends with: I am going to give you a sequence of minimal length that, when you enter it into a car’s numeric keypad, is guaranteed to unlock the doors of said car. It is […]
December 20, 2006
When You Act You Make New Facts
Important intellectual analysis from Jay Rosen on how the Bush administration has played the media. In Without a Doubt (subtitled “Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George W. Bush”) Suskind was not talking about an age old conflict between realists and idealists, the sort of story line that can be re-cycled for every administration. It […]
December 14, 2006
JibJab’s Year in Review
This will be making the rounds: Nuckin’ Futs: JibJab’s animated year in review. Bonus blast from the past: Big Box Mart
December 12, 2006
Eating Soy Leads to Homosexuality and a Small Penis
Really! That’s what this Christianist guy Rutz says over at the WorldNet Daily. Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That’s why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today’s rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and […]
December 12, 2006
Wesabe
Been meaning to post this for a while: Wesabe. There’s a good tour describing the app. Wesabe is a community of people who share our experiences with our money so we can help each other make better financial decisions. We do this by aggregating and analyzing our community members’ personal financial data, and showing tips […]
December 12, 2006
PawSense
PawSense: Catproof your computer. When cats walk or climb on your keyboard, they can enter random commands and data, damage your files, and even crash your computer. This can happen whether you are near the computer or have suddenly been called away from it. PawSense is a software utility that helps protect your computer from […]
December 11, 2006
Monday Blues
Observe the following: 1. It’s 40 degrees F outside. 2. I’m wearing a t-shirt, a flannel shirt, a wool sweater, and a ski jacket. 3. I’m freezing, my sore throat is a lot worse today than yesterday, and I can’t tell if my muscles ache or if it’s tension because I’m cold. Ugg, I hope […]
December 11, 2006
Wordie
Confidential to Hannah: This Wordie thing appears to be another excellent opportunity to avoid writing. ;)
December 4, 2006
I Can’t Help It, If I’m Lucky
Just quoting a lyric from the weekend, no hidden meaning. Someone’s got it in for me, they’re planting stories in the press Whoever it is I wish they’d cut it out but when they will I can only guess. They say I shot a man named Gray and took his wife to Italy, She inherited […]
December 4, 2006
Rich People Don’t Care About Gas Prices
Great essay, with attitude, on why Ford, GM, and Chrysler are sucking eggs so hard. We’re looking at two strategies here. Toyota: build affordable transportation for the masses at a quality level that slightly exceeds expectations relative to price. GM et al: build oversized, under-engineered and fuel inefficient cars for people who don’t care about […]
December 4, 2006
Comments
Since I’m under deadline, I’m messing around with my weblog configuration. Weblog commenting is totally broken. I just deleted 5,835 junk comments, all spammed since Thanksgiving. Then I went into the approved comments and find that there are 3,300 of them, when in fact only between 300 and 800 are valid. So I’ll have to […]
December 3, 2006
Know Your Cell Phone
Did you know that when you turn your cell phone “off” it is not actually off? Well, I had previously heard a rumor that the GPS (global positioning system) stuff was still available when a cell phone was “off,” enabling it to be used as a tracking device. But that was a rumor, and I […]