Thursday, October 28, 2004
you are here
If you like looking at old maps, check out these images from Milner's Descriptive Atlas, 1850.
it really ties the room together
Jeff Bridges has a great site of pictures taken on various movie sets with an old widelux camera, a panoramic device that debuted in 1948. They take stunning photos, as Jeff's site attests. I'd love to have one of these, but they cost $1649.50. Guess I'll stick with with my disposable.
(via kottke)
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
checkmate
I sure do miss playing chess. I'm not very good, but every once in a while I'll kick Nate's butt barely beat Nate. Now, I do manage to keep up with the "Battle Chess" program I've got on my computer, but I always get that strange feeling like I'm being humored by a superior intelligence. It turns out I am. Check out Thinking Machine 4, a chess game that diagrams the millions of thoughts a computer makes before making a move. Play a game--it's not quite Deep Blue, but it'll make you think.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
At New York Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to
be a public school teacher, was arrested trying to board a flight
while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a setsquare, a slide
rule and a calculator.
Attorney general John Ashcroft believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction.
"Al-gebra is a very fearsome cult, indeed", Ashcroft said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangent in a search of absolute value. They consist of quite shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.
As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, "There are 3 sides to every triangle."
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes. "
(Thanks, Jim)
Attorney general John Ashcroft believes the man is a member of the notorious al-gebra movement. He is being charged with carrying weapons of math instruction.
"Al-gebra is a very fearsome cult, indeed", Ashcroft said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on a tangent in a search of absolute value. They consist of quite shadowy figures, with names like "x" and "y", and, although they are frequently referred to as "unknowns", we know they really belong to a common denominator and are part of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.
As the great Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, "There are 3 sides to every triangle."
When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes. "
(Thanks, Jim)
free culture
Peer-to-peer traffic has not declined despite the music industry's aggressive pursuit of illegal file sharers, according to a new study from from the University of California at Riverside and the Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis.
Monday, October 25, 2004
TV-B-Gone
Are you tired of being forced to watch tv everywhere you go? Waiting rooms, restaurants, public restrooms--there seems no limit to the amount of television we are expected to consume. Well, if you're really tired of it (like I am), here's a new product you may enjoy. The TV-B-Gone is a keychain remote that turns off any tv around. Just click one button and it scans the room, detects their remote codes, and switches them off. They can be turned on again, of course, but at least you'll have a few moments of peace. I'm really not as militant as all this sounds, but I can't help but agree with the guy in this article when he shut off a tv in a downtown diner, making a patron get up and leave: "We just saved him several minutes of his life."
Sunday, October 24, 2004
These interesting gravestones are located in Oakland cemetery in Atlanta, and were photographed by one of Jim's friends who shall remain nameless because Jim didn't tell me who he was. named Matt.
(thanks, Jim)
(thanks, Jim)
Saturday, October 23, 2004
love ya mom
Wheeew. MP and I just finished running the Stafanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research 5k here in Ada, and our legs are sore. It wasn't until we finished running yesterday that I remembered about today's race, so lots of running in the past 24 hours. But it was fun. Everyone got confused and accidentally skipped a section, which cut about .3 miles from the race, but since we all did it I guess it doesn't really matter. Mary Pat was running with a couple who had a stroller, and I was running with a 10-year old girl who ended up beating me--her little legs were blazing. A good time for all. Mom, this one was for you.
Friday, October 22, 2004
oh lord
Sorry for waxing political here, but I can't believe this. House bill 3799, otherwise known as the Constitution Restoration Act of 2004, is legislation aimed at protecting any government official who "acknowledge[s] God as the sovereign source of law, liberty [and] government" in the United States. Not only does this promote a theocracy, but it would allow any U.S. Supreme Court judge who attempted to question the law to be impeached. Who is writing this stuff? More importantly, who is supporting it? Something tells me this guy may be behind it at some level. An excerpt:
(1) AMENDMENT TO TITLE 28- Chapter 81 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Sec. 1260. Matters not reviewable
"Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Supreme Court shall not have jurisdiction to review, by appeal, writ of certiorari, or otherwise, any matter to the extent that relief is sought against an element of Federal, State, or local government, or against an officer of Federal, State, or local government (whether or not acting in official personal capacity), by reason of that element's or officer's acknowledgement of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government.".
(Via mefi, and of course was followed by a good point.)
Update: Yep, I thought so. Roy Moore is involved in this foolishness.
(1) AMENDMENT TO TITLE 28- Chapter 81 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
Sec. 1260. Matters not reviewable
"Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Supreme Court shall not have jurisdiction to review, by appeal, writ of certiorari, or otherwise, any matter to the extent that relief is sought against an element of Federal, State, or local government, or against an officer of Federal, State, or local government (whether or not acting in official personal capacity), by reason of that element's or officer's acknowledgement of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government.".
(Via mefi, and of course was followed by a good point.)
Update: Yep, I thought so. Roy Moore is involved in this foolishness.
piracy bad, access good
I just finished reading Lawrence Lessig's groundbreaking work Free Culture, and I am convinced that the revolution against oppressive copyright is now in full swing. This well-written and extremely informative book, which is provided here in full for free, lays out the contours of the debate over file sharing on the internet, and makes a persuasive argument for backing off the current aggressive stance toward copyright being pursued by the Recording Industry Association of America and, unfortunately, Congress. In a nutshell, Lessig argues that the internet is a changing technology, and that imposing overly restrictive copyright policies on file sharing at this point is unnecessary and oppressive. He points to the different types of information now available online, and shows how blanket restrictions designed to protect copyrighted material would also prohibit access to lots of information NOT protected by copyright, which in the long run would hamper creativity. His arguments are numerous and persuasive, and I seriously recommend this to anyone who is even slightly interested in the paradigm shift we are currently witnessing online. Whether you believe these guys or these guys, there is no question that this is an important debate that will have deep repercussions throughout our culture. Check out Lessig's blog here, and for a good example of the issues involved, read this post on a related copyright question.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
that smile
The Guardian has a good story on da Vinci's Mona Lisa and its odd appeal to just about every tourist who visits France. I remember studying the painting in Art Appreciation 101 in college and asking my professor what the big deal was, and he went off about the enigmatic smile and some such, but I never really understood why the painting was so darn famous. To wit:"People come because she is famous. Period," says Pete Brown, a retired businessman from Iowa, with some irritation. "But you want my opinion honestly? I'm not overly impressed."
Exactly. And that was my response when I visited the Louvre in 1995. I was cruising through the halls, ready to scream if I saw one more Virgin and Child painting, when I came upon a throng of tourists like myself buzzing around what appeared to be a small dark painting of an woman. And lo, there it was. And it was . . . anticlimactic. I suppose if I had listened to my art prof back home, the experience would have yielded more delight and culture. But the experience, given the world of hype surrounding the painting, was decidedly underwhelming. Perhaps the problem is the Louvre itself; you walk for hours among staggering works of art and sculpture, only to find the Mona Lisa, small and subtle, hanging on a random spot in a hall filled with hundreds of other works. I guess I expected it to have its own room, or even an entire wing of the museum, filled with art critics wearing berets whispering reverently and taking notes. Um, no.
So what did I do? Like any good tourist, I snapped a picture of the Mona Lisa. Except that I forgot to turn the flash off. And as the bright light illuminated the painting, probably ruining forever some delicate balance of color da Vinci spent a year perfecting, the crowd turned to me and gave me a look that could only say: You. Stupid. American.
And so I beat a hasty retreat and found a Virgin and Child by Correggio or Titian or somebody to console me, confident that I would never, and I mean never, understand the Mona Lisa.
ah
Howdy folks. I haven’t communicated anything of much substance for some time, so it’s time for an update. We’re now on the eve of our Fall Break up here, a long weekend which is everyone is looking forward to rather severely. The school used to lump the break in with Thanksgiving, until the dean started noticing the dark circles under everyone’s eyes at this point in the semester and decided to go easy. Of course, the concept of a ‘break’ for many (read: me) simply means an opportunity to get caught up on studying, so the circles will persist (they may be dark, but they’ll be enlightened). Mary Pat’s decided to study rather than head to Purdue and visit her college buddies over break, so I’ll be in good company. The best company around, actually.
So things are going well. Fall is rapidly descending headfirst into winter right now; we enjoyed about two weeks of what I would call pristine weather, watching the hardwoods all cloak themselves in bright hues, shades of crimson, orange, and yellow approaching day-glo in their intensity. Clear, crisp, cool skies. Below some trees the sidewalks looked as if accidents had occurred involving trucks filled to the brim with paint and confetti. All that pretty much came to a screeching halt last weekend though, as the first cold rains came and knocked the leaves down. There are a few stragglers, but the train has left the station. I’m amazed at how short Fall can be up here sometimes.
This morning a fog has spread itself through the village, muffling the occasional passing car, the neighbor’s kids laughing as they walk to the bus. Scout’s snoozing underfoot and hot mint tea is steaming in my John Deere mug. I’m wearing my rockin’ warm slippers. In a minute I’ve got to load up and bicycle over to tax class and learn about depreciation deductions, but before I did I wanted to say howdy to the many, many fine folks who read this blog, and remind both of you that life, in fact, is good.
So things are going well. Fall is rapidly descending headfirst into winter right now; we enjoyed about two weeks of what I would call pristine weather, watching the hardwoods all cloak themselves in bright hues, shades of crimson, orange, and yellow approaching day-glo in their intensity. Clear, crisp, cool skies. Below some trees the sidewalks looked as if accidents had occurred involving trucks filled to the brim with paint and confetti. All that pretty much came to a screeching halt last weekend though, as the first cold rains came and knocked the leaves down. There are a few stragglers, but the train has left the station. I’m amazed at how short Fall can be up here sometimes.
This morning a fog has spread itself through the village, muffling the occasional passing car, the neighbor’s kids laughing as they walk to the bus. Scout’s snoozing underfoot and hot mint tea is steaming in my John Deere mug. I’m wearing my rockin’ warm slippers. In a minute I’ve got to load up and bicycle over to tax class and learn about depreciation deductions, but before I did I wanted to say howdy to the many, many fine folks who read this blog, and remind both of you that life, in fact, is good.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
some photos
Direct result of too much studying. Or maybe it was the margaritas..
Night shot of the full moon.
Fall descends upon the trees around Ada.
Mary Pat's new friend, Sergio, the owner of La Charreada.
Compadres.
Monday, October 18, 2004
wired
Have you ever been at your laptop in a coffee shop, using a wireless interenet connection, and gotten an Instant Message from a buddy about a website you've just got to see? Did you then use your cell phone to call someone else and tell them about it? Or send them a picture from your digital camera? If you've done any of these things simlutaneously, you may be interested in the future of technology: it's called Digital Lifestyle Aggregation.
Hmm, I wonder whether this Bush approval rating/U.S. gas price index really means anything?
(via mefi)
(via mefi)
Can we hug your car?
The microcar is coming to America. At 70 miles a gallon, I'm intrigued. Well, interested. How cool will I look? Do they make an SUV/Hummer model?
Friday, October 15, 2004
sad news
It is with saddest heart that I pass on the following news. Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community.
The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection, and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, who has a bun in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, The California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart "cookie", wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. (via Jim)
The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection, and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, who has a bun in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, The California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart "cookie", wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. (via Jim)
Ouch
McWilliams kicked Tavish five times in the twenty-third round; then the latter dropped like a log and refused to go on. His legs, from knee to ankle, were covered with cuts, and were raw as beefsteak.
Anyone up for a jolly round of "purring"? Never heard of it? Well, purring, or shin-kicking, was a popular English folk sport dating back at least 400 years. Or may be you're interested in how Old English trains her red coats? You can get all your testosterone-related kicks at the Journal of Manly Arts. Hooah.
Anyone up for a jolly round of "purring"? Never heard of it? Well, purring, or shin-kicking, was a popular English folk sport dating back at least 400 years. Or may be you're interested in how Old English trains her red coats? You can get all your testosterone-related kicks at the Journal of Manly Arts. Hooah.
History redux
Wow, the digital age continues to flourish. Check out these digitally-color ized photographs from WWI. Or these recreated photographs of Russia. Other links for early color photos are here. (All via metafilter)
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