I had my hair cut today, and the stylist told me she supported Barack Obama in the NH primary. We chatted about that, and I asked her if she had considered Hillary Clinton. She said, “Well, it’s funny, because when I first heard she was running I got really excited. People came into the salon […]
January 1, 2008
On Holiday Travel
Patrick Smith is a commercial airline pilot, and the author of Salon.com’s weekly Ask the Pilot air travel column (and book of the same name). He’s written an excellent essay for the NY Times on The Airport Security Follies. Gift Hub takes it a step further, pointing out that this is not actually security screening, […]
December 28, 2007
The 50 Most Loathsome People In America, 2007
Possibly the most sarcastic link ever posted at Notio. Also probably the funniest; an instant classic. Via Kottke, with whom I post the following excerpt: 9. You Charges: You believe in freedom of speech, until someone says something that offends you. You suddenly give a damn about border integrity, because the automated voice system at […]
December 27, 2007
Shopping As Hero’s Quest
To complete my cultural survey, today we went to the mall. Had this been a comparative cultural survey, we would have also gone to this mall, where they have valet parking, which could be quite handy given the size of mall parking lots. Nintendo has done an amazing job marketing the apparently amazing Wii video […]
December 26, 2007
The Spectacle Has Not Quite Yet Been Supplanted
Based on my suppertime family viewing, I like Jeopardy better than Wheel of Fortune. I also note, based on a one-hour television ad review, that nobody can sleep, everyone has stomach upset, most people have aches and pains, and many people are depressed. You probably couldn’t give away a Buick Lucerne to anyone I know, […]
November 26, 2007
How the Housing Bubble Worked
If you want to cut to the chase on the “sub-prime mortgage meltdown,” or whatever we’re calling it these days, tune into this post by Berkeley economist Brad DeLong: Let’s look at the loan history on this property…. The property was purchased in January 2005 for $1,157,000. The combined first and second mortgages totalled $1,156,730 […]
November 10, 2007
Handmeon in the Local Media
The Valley News published a great story about Handmeon today: “In tiny offices in Hanover, three men are trying to use the Internet to infuse with spirituality an activity that’s become increasingly fraught and expensive: gift giving. Their company’s quiet launch, built up over the past few months, coincides with the gift-giving season. “Handmeon will […]
November 6, 2007
On Obama
Andrew Sullivan has written a strong cover story for The Atlantic supporting Barack Obama. He describes how he came to this in a great interview. Combined, they provide pretty much everything you need to know about why I’m supporting Obama in the NH primary. Summary: Obama is a meta-candidate, attempting to re-frame not just the […]
November 6, 2007
Our Generation’s Enlightened Contribution
I am moved by this post, which relates an unfortunate incident on a train from New Haven CT to the dominant cultural narrative currently unfolding. [Grammatical ambiguity intended.] In 2002 and 2003 – seems so long ago, now, doesn’t it? – I remember thinking that the tone of America’s leadership would have a trickle-down effect […]
November 5, 2007
Except You
Bravo. Probably the most important factor in the next US Presidential election is getting young people to vote, no matter what. Maybe this campaign will help.
October 1, 2007
What many people criticize
Adam Nagourney at the New York Times on NH’s independent voters: As a rule, they are middle and upper income, college educated, socially moderate, fiscally conservative, anti-Washington and repulsed by what many people criticize as the overly partisan atmosphere there. This is the first article I’ve read with any analysis that comes even close to […]
September 27, 2007
Beauty parlor’s filled with sailors…
…the circus is in town. We had The Big Debate here in the hood last night. Good video summary at TPM. Complete with our own freedom pens and everything! It was also the first day of classes, which combined with the media tents, temporary air conditioning, security presence, and pedestrian jostling to wake the whole […]
September 23, 2007
Leading with love, not fear
The mayor of San Diego struggles with gay marriage, and does the right thing. I read the brief speech yesterday, but the power of watching him speak, tearfully, brings some hope to my cynical perspective of today’s politics.
August 2, 2007
Raising Frame at Faerie Camp Destiny
I am in awe of this side project Matt is doing. It’s all there, design discussions, preliminary renderings of the frame, photos from logging and clearing, and today, this fantastic human-powered frame-raising movie. (4:00)
August 1, 2007
Delete and Design
So today Jeff came in for a meeting and after we settled in I asked him, “Should we try to do anything about the Explore page, or just wait until after launch?” Jeff said (I paraphrase), “That tour page has got to go.” We then launched into an hour-long discussion, starting with the presumption of […]
July 31, 2007
If Abortion Were Illegal…
Continuing in the “wish I had asked those questions” thread, Sassy Pants posts this awesome video. They ask abortion protesters, “If abortion were illegal, what should the punishment be for women who still have an abortion?” The answers are very surprising. Here’s the Newsweek story.
July 31, 2007
Schneier Hawley Interview
Schneier on Security: Bruce Schneier, famous security expert, interviews Kip Hawley, TSA Administrator. He asks the questions we all ponder as we go through airport security. Example: By today’s rules, I can carry on liquids in quantities of three ounces or less, unless they’re in larger bottles. But I can carry on multiple three-ounce bottles. […]
July 23, 2007
A Gamer Tunes Into Ron Paul
The YouTube generation speaks. This guy is not on the pollster’s radar. (via Andrew Sullivan)
July 18, 2007
What is beauty?
This Dove ad should be required viewing for anyone who has ever wondered about “manufactured beauty.” (1:30) Dig the photoshop work where they extend the neck, puff the lips, trim the shoulders, lower the eyebrows, etc. She looks totally normal at the start, and a super model at the end. Update: Sassy Pants points to […]