I really need to read more (some!) Chomsky. He's got a new book out, and this is a plug for it (including an essay of Chomsky's): AlterNet: Noam Chomsky: International Terror Most-Wanted List
It reminds me, again, of how little we know about what our government does around the world. We would be ashamed.
Friday, March 07, 2008
NPR: Shooting Kills 8 at Jerusalem Religious School
I've read a couple of articles that talk about the bias in our news showing bias for Israel. And though I respected the sources, I was still a bit skeptical. I figured I'd just keep their point in mind, after all, it's easy to make a point if you only need to give a couple sound bites.
This morning on the radio I heard this AP story: Shooting Kills 8 at Jerusalem Religious School
I don't really care who is "right" or "wrong" in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. But read the story. The headline is about the 8 who died in the shooting. The wording in the rest of the story talks about how the Israelis are thinking about not continuing with peace talks, how this was the deadliest attack since 11 were killed in April 2006. Contrast that with the way it states what motivated this killer of 8: "120 Palestinians and three Israelis died in the clashes, which were sparked by an increase in militant rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel."
So let me get this straight, one crazy guy kills 8 and the horror is described in detail ("a bullet-scarred Jewish seminary", "victims were between ages 15 and 19 except one, who was 26") and Israel is graciously continuing with peace negotiations. But the attack of a nation on Gaza killing 120 (what ages? what was the damage to the neighborhoods?) gets a brief mention.
Ok, so perhaps it's just this one story. Let's do a quick search on the AP stories of the last week (during which the attack on Gaza happened). Notice there are no headlines saying Israel attacked Gaza, nothing about anyone mourning the 120 killed in Gaza. Just headlines about rockets going into Israel. There is the one headline about Syrians protesting the attacks (10s of thousands by the way).
The message is clear: Palestinians brutally murder Israelis, and if you read closely Palestinians happen to die in "clashes" with the Israeli military. Palestinians are to blame.
This morning on the radio I heard this AP story: Shooting Kills 8 at Jerusalem Religious School
I don't really care who is "right" or "wrong" in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. But read the story. The headline is about the 8 who died in the shooting. The wording in the rest of the story talks about how the Israelis are thinking about not continuing with peace talks, how this was the deadliest attack since 11 were killed in April 2006. Contrast that with the way it states what motivated this killer of 8: "120 Palestinians and three Israelis died in the clashes, which were sparked by an increase in militant rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel."
So let me get this straight, one crazy guy kills 8 and the horror is described in detail ("a bullet-scarred Jewish seminary", "victims were between ages 15 and 19 except one, who was 26") and Israel is graciously continuing with peace negotiations. But the attack of a nation on Gaza killing 120 (what ages? what was the damage to the neighborhoods?) gets a brief mention.
Ok, so perhaps it's just this one story. Let's do a quick search on the AP stories of the last week (during which the attack on Gaza happened). Notice there are no headlines saying Israel attacked Gaza, nothing about anyone mourning the 120 killed in Gaza. Just headlines about rockets going into Israel. There is the one headline about Syrians protesting the attacks (10s of thousands by the way).
The message is clear: Palestinians brutally murder Israelis, and if you read closely Palestinians happen to die in "clashes" with the Israeli military. Palestinians are to blame.
Monday, March 03, 2008
It Took A Week To Negotiate With The Fisherman For The Body
I keep plugging away at the headline contest, and I'm a runner up again.
I thought my headline sounded vaguely humorous when I wrote it, but I don't think so any longer. I guess they found it funny (or were hard up for headlines).
Check it: Overheard in New York | Beats Waking Up in Jersey
(my headlines) "It Took A Week To Negotiate With The Fisherman For The Body"
Girl #1: Her brother died.
Girl #2: Oh.
Girl #1: Yeah, they found his body in the Hudson last week.
I thought my headline sounded vaguely humorous when I wrote it, but I don't think so any longer. I guess they found it funny (or were hard up for headlines).
Check it: Overheard in New York | Beats Waking Up in Jersey
(my headlines) "It Took A Week To Negotiate With The Fisherman For The Body"
Girl #1: Her brother died.
Girl #2: Oh.
Girl #1: Yeah, they found his body in the Hudson last week.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Macadamia Nuts
While in Hawaii it was difficult to resist eating a ton of macadamia nuts.
Of course, the bags of nuts are just as expensive on the island as they are on the mainland.
And, while in the natural food store there I noticed you could buy them in bulk, raw and organic, at over $19/pound. Hmmm.... I thought. But it seemed a little expensive.
I come back home and see at our co-op they have the same macadamia nuts for $12/pound. jeesh
I bought a small bag - they taste pretty good raw, but are even better after you roast them: Roasting Macadamia Nuts
Of course, the bags of nuts are just as expensive on the island as they are on the mainland.
And, while in the natural food store there I noticed you could buy them in bulk, raw and organic, at over $19/pound. Hmmm.... I thought. But it seemed a little expensive.
I come back home and see at our co-op they have the same macadamia nuts for $12/pound. jeesh
I bought a small bag - they taste pretty good raw, but are even better after you roast them: Roasting Macadamia Nuts
Friday, February 29, 2008
Butterscotch Pudding
What's for dessert tonight??? This is. Yum!!!!
David Lebovitz: A Butterscotch Pudding Recipe, Without Losers:
"Butterscotch Pudding
4-6 servings
Adapted from Ripe For Dessert (HarperCollins)
4 tablespoons (60g) butter, salted or unsalted
1 cup (200g) packed dark brown or cassonade sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2½ (625ml) cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract"
David Lebovitz: A Butterscotch Pudding Recipe, Without Losers:
"Butterscotch Pudding
4-6 servings
Adapted from Ripe For Dessert (HarperCollins)
4 tablespoons (60g) butter, salted or unsalted
1 cup (200g) packed dark brown or cassonade sugar
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2½ (625ml) cups whole milk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract"
True
This is well worth the read.
ruhlman.com: Food Rant: America's Fat Problem: "Americans need to be better educated about the food they eat, what’s truly good, what’s harmful, quantities that are necessary, and super-sizes we don’t need. Until we find out for ourselves from reliable sources the answers to these questions, instead of relying on knee-jerk media alarmism and marketing hooey, we’re not going to eat the food that both satisfies our souls and our bodies, and will perpetuate our fat and salt dysfunction."
Mary's been telling me this all along, so it's not new news... but you can now read it on a blog!
ruhlman.com: Food Rant: America's Fat Problem: "Americans need to be better educated about the food they eat, what’s truly good, what’s harmful, quantities that are necessary, and super-sizes we don’t need. Until we find out for ourselves from reliable sources the answers to these questions, instead of relying on knee-jerk media alarmism and marketing hooey, we’re not going to eat the food that both satisfies our souls and our bodies, and will perpetuate our fat and salt dysfunction."
Mary's been telling me this all along, so it's not new news... but you can now read it on a blog!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Fit Bowl Facts
So I started to think about the numbers. I've been tracking my calorie intake, and barring the over-eating of the past couple days:
I've been staying pretty consistent at eating 2000 calories a day (allowing for exercise).
So what was my calorie intake before the fit-bowl? Well, if 2000 calories a day leads to 3 pounds of weight loss a week, then I'm eating 1500 calories less than I was before the contest. (3 pounds == 3*3500 == 10500 calories a week, divide by 7 and get 1500 calories extra a day)
It's been relatively easy to eat just 2000 calories (plus exercise), so this gives me a lot of hope. Not only do I think I'll be able to maintain this in the long-run, but I can very likely eat a fair amount more and still maintain a weight of only 230 (or 220). I find that encouraging because a part of the problem I had with starting a diet/lifestyle change was the mental block that I'd have to starve myself. This is proof I won't starve (as though I've ever really had to worry about that).
I've been staying pretty consistent at eating 2000 calories a day (allowing for exercise).So what was my calorie intake before the fit-bowl? Well, if 2000 calories a day leads to 3 pounds of weight loss a week, then I'm eating 1500 calories less than I was before the contest. (3 pounds == 3*3500 == 10500 calories a week, divide by 7 and get 1500 calories extra a day)
It's been relatively easy to eat just 2000 calories (plus exercise), so this gives me a lot of hope. Not only do I think I'll be able to maintain this in the long-run, but I can very likely eat a fair amount more and still maintain a weight of only 230 (or 220). I find that encouraging because a part of the problem I had with starting a diet/lifestyle change was the mental block that I'd have to starve myself. This is proof I won't starve (as though I've ever really had to worry about that).
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
5 Weeks of Fit-Bowl
So I've been at it for over 5 weeks now. I'm down 15 pounds, woo-hoo!
What I'm happiest about is the fact that I lost 7 of those pounds while in Hawaii - where I ate ice cream and pudding and other things. Granted, I was walking 1 or 2 hours a day (or more), but it was nice to see.
Unfortunately at Mary's birthday party I pigged out, and the two days following I over-ate. So I need to reign things back in.
What I'm happiest about is the fact that I lost 7 of those pounds while in Hawaii - where I ate ice cream and pudding and other things. Granted, I was walking 1 or 2 hours a day (or more), but it was nice to see.
Unfortunately at Mary's birthday party I pigged out, and the two days following I over-ate. So I need to reign things back in.
Hawaii
So... we've been gone. On the 4th, we hopped on a plane and spent 16 days in Kauai. What can I say, it was awesome.
We did nothing but eat lots of fresh, tropical fruit and fresh fish, we swam almost every day, we walked lots, and we hung out watching the whales/dolphins/tortoises. Our place was right on the water, and the last day we were there we saw the full moon set, the sun rise, a baby humpback breech 30 or 40 times, and a beautiful sunset. It was a pretty awesome day.
The highlights of the trip were probably (in no specific order):
Here are some pics:
Simone's first day on the beach:
A random sampling of our fruit selection:
Simone and Mary playing in the sand:
A pretty typical sunset, with waves splashing up. This was taken from the condo:
Simone, a very sleepy baby:
We did nothing but eat lots of fresh, tropical fruit and fresh fish, we swam almost every day, we walked lots, and we hung out watching the whales/dolphins/tortoises. Our place was right on the water, and the last day we were there we saw the full moon set, the sun rise, a baby humpback breech 30 or 40 times, and a beautiful sunset. It was a pretty awesome day.
The highlights of the trip were probably (in no specific order):
- surfing lesson (I stood up and rode the wave onto the beach 5 or 6 times)
- Simone in her bright pink swim suit and hat, sitting in the bright pink inflatable boat just squealing with joy (wish we had a picture of that)
- shrimp marinated in soy sauce/sesame oil/ginger - huge and delicous
- nearly a papaya a day
- just hanging out with Mary, Simone, and Elizabeth
- Simone learning new words every day (she said "angst" the day we flew to Hawaii
Here are some pics:
Simone's first day on the beach:
A random sampling of our fruit selection:
Simone and Mary playing in the sand:
A pretty typical sunset, with waves splashing up. This was taken from the condo:
Simone, a very sleepy baby:
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sybaris February 2008
Mary and I went to a restaurant in Albany for her birthday. I know, a nice restaurant in Albany, my pre-conceived ideas were about to be challenged. Still, the menu looked intriguing: Sybaris February 2008
The atmosphere was pleasant, especially as the light dimmed (which helped make the large space feel more intimate). The restaurant rotates art from different, local, artists every month, which is nice. But on to the food:
First of all, we loved our waiter. He was the only waiter there, and has worked for the chef for 14 years (including the 6 years Sybaris has been open). He loves his job and it showed. He explained a number of the dishes very eloquently and accurately (as the menu sometimes had brief and/or mis-leading descriptions). The only problem with service was there was only one of him (a hostess showed up about half-way through dinner), so he was a little short on time at each table. Our water was always full and empty dishes were promptly whisked away, I'm not sure how he did it all.
Then there was the food, I started with a Manhattan which was nice, nothing fancy, though the martini glass had a curved stem which I found awkward. Mary really enjoyed her Cabernet (I don't remember the vineyard).
We were both pretty hungry so we started with the appetizer:
It was small (we were forewarned), and tasted fine. I personally couldn't tell the difference between pheasant and chicken. The smoked meat was moist and tender, it didn't taste very smokey. The cumin and chipotle flavors blended well. Overall, it was nice, but it certainly did not stand out.
Our waiter thought tis salad was their best (of all the salads they make through the year), and he described it well enough to pique our interest:
I know, sounds mundane, but wow. The salad was large enough for 4, and while it looked like slightly wet romaine lettuce, it tasted vibrantly of passion fruit. We both really enjoyed the crisp, watery snap of the romaine and the bold passion fruit. A big thumbs up from both of us, this was a dish we'd both love to have again.
Mary chose the
My meatloaf was the size of my fist (large), and very tender and tasty. The gravy blended with the meat flavors well, though I had hoped for a little more mushroom flavor (and a few actual mushrooms). The mashed potatoes were delicious, but I couldn't tell there was hominy. I did enjoy the dish very much.
Because it was Mary's birthday, they brought out a little dessert (on the house) with a candle - the
We did order the
I think we'll be heading back to Albany in the future - the menu is probably more interesting than anything we've had in Corvallis.
The atmosphere was pleasant, especially as the light dimmed (which helped make the large space feel more intimate). The restaurant rotates art from different, local, artists every month, which is nice. But on to the food:
First of all, we loved our waiter. He was the only waiter there, and has worked for the chef for 14 years (including the 6 years Sybaris has been open). He loves his job and it showed. He explained a number of the dishes very eloquently and accurately (as the menu sometimes had brief and/or mis-leading descriptions). The only problem with service was there was only one of him (a hostess showed up about half-way through dinner), so he was a little short on time at each table. Our water was always full and empty dishes were promptly whisked away, I'm not sure how he did it all.
Then there was the food, I started with a Manhattan which was nice, nothing fancy, though the martini glass had a curved stem which I found awkward. Mary really enjoyed her Cabernet (I don't remember the vineyard).
We were both pretty hungry so we started with the appetizer:
smoked pheasant quesadilla with chipotle cheddar
and a toasted cumin sour cream
It was small (we were forewarned), and tasted fine. I personally couldn't tell the difference between pheasant and chicken. The smoked meat was moist and tender, it didn't taste very smokey. The cumin and chipotle flavors blended well. Overall, it was nice, but it certainly did not stand out.
Our waiter thought tis salad was their best (of all the salads they make through the year), and he described it well enough to pique our interest:
romaine with a passion fruit vinaigrette (for 2)
I know, sounds mundane, but wow. The salad was large enough for 4, and while it looked like slightly wet romaine lettuce, it tasted vibrantly of passion fruit. We both really enjoyed the crisp, watery snap of the romaine and the bold passion fruit. A big thumbs up from both of us, this was a dish we'd both love to have again.
Mary chose the
roasted partridge breast with oregon mole andand I had the
leg meat tamale tower
buffalo and wild boar meat loaf with wild mushroomThe mole was slightly sweet (made with prunes) and just a bit spicy (from the peppers) but very rich (from the cocoa), and it paired beautifully with the salty tamale. Mary wasn't very inspired when she first read the description, but she decided hers was better than mine.
sour cream gravy on hominy mashed potatoes
My meatloaf was the size of my fist (large), and very tender and tasty. The gravy blended with the meat flavors well, though I had hoped for a little more mushroom flavor (and a few actual mushrooms). The mashed potatoes were delicious, but I couldn't tell there was hominy. I did enjoy the dish very much.
Because it was Mary's birthday, they brought out a little dessert (on the house) with a candle - the
butterscotch pudding. We thought the flavor excellent, but the texture a bit grainy. We were also hoping for the peat smoked shortbread that was mentioned on the menu, but it was not to be found.
We did order the
chocolate ice cream, peanut butter ice cream terrine with bananas fosterMmmm.... the ice creams were divine, and the bananas foster delicious - the caramel was perfectly sweet. I wanted to lick the plate.
I think we'll be heading back to Albany in the future - the menu is probably more interesting than anything we've had in Corvallis.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Oregon Distilleries
There are some fine distilleries in Oregon, and they're making some very nice alcohols.
Two favorites of mine are from the www.bendistillery.com">Bend Distillery - two gins made from real juniper berries (just checked, I only see one gin on their web page, interesting - I've got two different bottles). Turns out they also make hazelnut coffee liqueur - so I bought a bottle of that, very tasty.
There are a bunch of other distilleries in Oregon. Here's a list I found from Oregon Distilleries: Clear Creek Distillery, McMenamins Edgefield Distillery, Brandy Peak Distillery, Ransom Spirits, Dolmen Distillery, New Deal Distillery, Rogue House of Spirits, House Spirits (Medoyeff), Bend Distillery, Hood River Distilleries, Indio Spirits, Sub Rosa Spirits, Highball Distillery, Sidepocket Distillery, Integrity Spirits.
I've had whiskey and gin from McMenamins, and brandy from Clear Creek. Only 12 distilleries to go.
I think I'll try to find some from each of the distillers that make small batch liquers. I've a feeling I'll find quite a few gems.
The Clear Creek Distillery came out with a Douglas Fir Eaux de Vie (brandy), which is a bright green like the new shoots on a fir tree (from which it's made). Very interesting sounding, but not quite enough to warrant buying a whole bottle. I took a tour of Clear Creek 12 years ago, the guy was real nice. At the time he just had the cherry and pear brandies, and was still working on his whiskey. He's got a lot of different liqueurs now - many that I'd like to try.
Two favorites of mine are from the www.bendistillery.com">Bend Distillery - two gins made from real juniper berries (just checked, I only see one gin on their web page, interesting - I've got two different bottles). Turns out they also make hazelnut coffee liqueur - so I bought a bottle of that, very tasty.
There are a bunch of other distilleries in Oregon. Here's a list I found from Oregon Distilleries: Clear Creek Distillery, McMenamins Edgefield Distillery, Brandy Peak Distillery, Ransom Spirits, Dolmen Distillery, New Deal Distillery, Rogue House of Spirits, House Spirits (Medoyeff), Bend Distillery, Hood River Distilleries, Indio Spirits, Sub Rosa Spirits, Highball Distillery, Sidepocket Distillery, Integrity Spirits.
I've had whiskey and gin from McMenamins, and brandy from Clear Creek. Only 12 distilleries to go.
I think I'll try to find some from each of the distillers that make small batch liquers. I've a feeling I'll find quite a few gems.
The Clear Creek Distillery came out with a Douglas Fir Eaux de Vie (brandy), which is a bright green like the new shoots on a fir tree (from which it's made). Very interesting sounding, but not quite enough to warrant buying a whole bottle. I took a tour of Clear Creek 12 years ago, the guy was real nice. At the time he just had the cherry and pear brandies, and was still working on his whiskey. He's got a lot of different liqueurs now - many that I'd like to try.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Why I Eat Grass Fed Beef
Supposedly the beef tastes better, I dunno about that.
I buy locally grown, grass-fed beef because:
1) it's local (supports local businesses)
2) it's grass fed (better for the cows, orders of magnitude less chance of them growing dangerous levels of E.coli)
3) it environmentally friendly
4) it doesn't support the big-business meat industry
I'm not going to watch the video, I imagine it is sad, depressing, disturbing and all that. But the write-up around it was informative.
U.S. Food Policy: Humane Society video of workers abusing "downer" cattle: "Beyond the cruelty evident in the video, the Washington Post explains that putting downer cattle into the food supply is dangerous."
I buy locally grown, grass-fed beef because:
1) it's local (supports local businesses)
2) it's grass fed (better for the cows, orders of magnitude less chance of them growing dangerous levels of E.coli)
3) it environmentally friendly
4) it doesn't support the big-business meat industry
I'm not going to watch the video, I imagine it is sad, depressing, disturbing and all that. But the write-up around it was informative.
U.S. Food Policy: Humane Society video of workers abusing "downer" cattle: "Beyond the cruelty evident in the video, the Washington Post explains that putting downer cattle into the food supply is dangerous."
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Not Your Standard Obligatory Obama Post
I read some technical (programming, math, science) blogs, and for the most part they remain on-topic. Lately, as the presidential race as gotten more "exciting," they often post a "Don't usually do this... but vote for Obama, and here's why" post.
Pretty much all of those kinds of posts say to vote for him because he's a uniter, he's charismatic, because he's a good face for international relations, because he's young and not spoiled by Washington politics, because he's black, because Clinton is divisive, etc.
He may be all those things, and Clinton may be divisive (though is she only divisive because people keep parroting the news stories?). But none of those reasons address actual policies. What is he going to do as president? That is why you should (or shouldn't) vote for him.
Obama apparently doesn't want a fight, but if you look at recent politics, the Republicans have done nothing to help the Democrats - they've consistently filibustered the Democrats. How is Obama going to change that? He isn't, and if he's not up for a fight, then either 1) he's not going to get much done, or 2) he's going to work for things Republicans want (and Democrats generally don't).
He is sounding more and more like a Republican - which if that's what you want, fine. He thinks there's a crisis with Social Security (there isn't, it's with Medicare), he praises Reagan's fiscal policies (which began the rich-getting-richer trend that's left the bottom 95% of Americans with no real income growth over the past 20 years (so much for a rising tide...)), his approach to health-care was the weakest of Clinton/Obama/Edwards, he's completely fine with the free market system we currently have (which continues to further the rich-getting-richer), he bashes unions, and the list goes on.
My point isn't that Obama is a bad guy, he's probably just as magical as he appears. My point is that people seem to be jumping on the bandwagon for the superficial reasons. The thing is, the current power structures are not going to be wowed by his charisma, politicians are not all going to get along just because he is president.
It all depends on what you want from your president. If you want a charismatic leader, Obama is clearly the choice. If you care about the issues, you should see what the candidates' stances are.
Here are some articles I've read in the past that shed some light on Obama's policies:
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/krugman_speaks_about_his_battle_with_obama_campaign.php
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=472&Itemid=1
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2007-10/31street.cfm
http://www.correntewire.com/obama_stump_speech_strategy_of_conciliation_considered_harmful
Read them, see what you think. Try not to react with, "but Obama is a good guy" - instead look at the issues raised.
Note: I'll probably vote for whichever Democratic candidate is chosen, but I don't believe for a minute I'll have any effect on which one is chosen. I'm just saying that there's a lot of hype around Obama, when we should really look at what he's advocating. And if you believe he's going to find the middle ground in Washington, is that what you want? I believe great leaders don't find the middle ground, they lead on principles.
Pretty much all of those kinds of posts say to vote for him because he's a uniter, he's charismatic, because he's a good face for international relations, because he's young and not spoiled by Washington politics, because he's black, because Clinton is divisive, etc.
He may be all those things, and Clinton may be divisive (though is she only divisive because people keep parroting the news stories?). But none of those reasons address actual policies. What is he going to do as president? That is why you should (or shouldn't) vote for him.
Obama apparently doesn't want a fight, but if you look at recent politics, the Republicans have done nothing to help the Democrats - they've consistently filibustered the Democrats. How is Obama going to change that? He isn't, and if he's not up for a fight, then either 1) he's not going to get much done, or 2) he's going to work for things Republicans want (and Democrats generally don't).
He is sounding more and more like a Republican - which if that's what you want, fine. He thinks there's a crisis with Social Security (there isn't, it's with Medicare), he praises Reagan's fiscal policies (which began the rich-getting-richer trend that's left the bottom 95% of Americans with no real income growth over the past 20 years (so much for a rising tide...)), his approach to health-care was the weakest of Clinton/Obama/Edwards, he's completely fine with the free market system we currently have (which continues to further the rich-getting-richer), he bashes unions, and the list goes on.
My point isn't that Obama is a bad guy, he's probably just as magical as he appears. My point is that people seem to be jumping on the bandwagon for the superficial reasons. The thing is, the current power structures are not going to be wowed by his charisma, politicians are not all going to get along just because he is president.
It all depends on what you want from your president. If you want a charismatic leader, Obama is clearly the choice. If you care about the issues, you should see what the candidates' stances are.
Here are some articles I've read in the past that shed some light on Obama's policies:
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/krugman_speaks_about_his_battle_with_obama_campaign.php
http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=472&Itemid=1
http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2007-10/31street.cfm
http://www.correntewire.com/obama_stump_speech_strategy_of_conciliation_considered_harmful
Read them, see what you think. Try not to react with, "but Obama is a good guy" - instead look at the issues raised.
Note: I'll probably vote for whichever Democratic candidate is chosen, but I don't believe for a minute I'll have any effect on which one is chosen. I'm just saying that there's a lot of hype around Obama, when we should really look at what he's advocating. And if you believe he's going to find the middle ground in Washington, is that what you want? I believe great leaders don't find the middle ground, they lead on principles.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Huh?
I was listening to NPR on the drive to work yesterday and heard a sponsor I'd not remembered hearing before: Go Nitro Tire.
They sell a system that inflates tires with 99% pure nitrogen. Like I care.
Sure, Formula-1 racers might care, but seriously, do every day folks care? No, they can't keep their tires properly inflated whether it's with normal air or nitrogen. What a scam.
They sell a system that inflates tires with 99% pure nitrogen. Like I care.
Sure, Formula-1 racers might care, but seriously, do every day folks care? No, they can't keep their tires properly inflated whether it's with normal air or nitrogen. What a scam.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Diet, Week 1
So, it's been a week. Things have gone fairly well. I know that both Sam and Ron have lost a bunch (10ish and 6 respectively), and that Ingrid isn't having much luck with her plan (my uninformed opinion is that she's not eating enough, but it's too quick to judge). I've no idea about the others.
Anyway, I've not weighed in this week, so I have no idea how well I've done in those terms. I do know I've cut out a bunch of food, and while I'm not deprived, I definitely think about all the food cravings I'm ignoring (or satisfying with a carrot or orange). Exercise is the key for me.
See, I'm targeting 2000 calories a day, plus whatever I exercise. I figure my basal rate has got to be at least 2500, probably more. So I'm cutting out 500 calories * 7 == 3500 == 1 pound a week. 6 months == 26 weeks, 26 pounds. I'd like to lose more, but I also want to end up with an eating habit I can sustain.
So, 2000 calories isn't really enough to satisfy me mentally, but if/when I exercise I can pretty easily tack on another 300-600 calories, and 2500 calories is pretty doable. Today, for instance, I ate 2650 calories - and that included a bunch of home-made pizza and 2 (yup, count them, one... two) whole cookies. Sure, I'm not eating my standard dozen cookies, but I'll live.
Anyway, here's how I fared with respect to my target eating goal this past week:
The big negatives are because I exercised and didn't eat enough during the day. Come dinner time I didn't want to just stuff myself, so I ended up a bit shy. I'll get better at planning that.
One problem both Sam and I have had in figuring out how much to eat is that all of the online calculators give different caloric measurements for both basal rates and for activity. Sam got some basal rates that differed by 1000 calories! So it's confusing and difficult to know where to start. As with most things, experience is what really can guide you.
Mary has been great - she's planned and cooked some great meals. I've just limited portions. So far, so good, I think.
Update: Sunday, Jan 26, 4:30pm. Down 4.5 pounds.
Anyway, I've not weighed in this week, so I have no idea how well I've done in those terms. I do know I've cut out a bunch of food, and while I'm not deprived, I definitely think about all the food cravings I'm ignoring (or satisfying with a carrot or orange). Exercise is the key for me.
See, I'm targeting 2000 calories a day, plus whatever I exercise. I figure my basal rate has got to be at least 2500, probably more. So I'm cutting out 500 calories * 7 == 3500 == 1 pound a week. 6 months == 26 weeks, 26 pounds. I'd like to lose more, but I also want to end up with an eating habit I can sustain.
So, 2000 calories isn't really enough to satisfy me mentally, but if/when I exercise I can pretty easily tack on another 300-600 calories, and 2500 calories is pretty doable. Today, for instance, I ate 2650 calories - and that included a bunch of home-made pizza and 2 (yup, count them, one... two) whole cookies. Sure, I'm not eating my standard dozen cookies, but I'll live.
Anyway, here's how I fared with respect to my target eating goal this past week:
The big negatives are because I exercised and didn't eat enough during the day. Come dinner time I didn't want to just stuff myself, so I ended up a bit shy. I'll get better at planning that.
One problem both Sam and I have had in figuring out how much to eat is that all of the online calculators give different caloric measurements for both basal rates and for activity. Sam got some basal rates that differed by 1000 calories! So it's confusing and difficult to know where to start. As with most things, experience is what really can guide you.
Mary has been great - she's planned and cooked some great meals. I've just limited portions. So far, so good, I think.
Update: Sunday, Jan 26, 4:30pm. Down 4.5 pounds.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Cheney Said He Approved Water Boarding
(forgot to post this when I first saw it)
Simply mind-boggling.
While I can understand if (that?) Obama doesn't want to start a bunch of partisan bickering, the only way to heal the wounds we have in this country - the only path to truly fixing what was broken over the past 8 years, is to bring the truth to light. Obama has taken some good steps in just the past few days with respect to how his administration (and the government in general) will act. We need to know what just happened as well.
Simply mind-boggling.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
While I can understand if (that?) Obama doesn't want to start a bunch of partisan bickering, the only way to heal the wounds we have in this country - the only path to truly fixing what was broken over the past 8 years, is to bring the truth to light. Obama has taken some good steps in just the past few days with respect to how his administration (and the government in general) will act. We need to know what just happened as well.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
3 Days Down, 180-ish to go
Fit bowl has begun. My plan is to eat 2000 calories a day (give or take 200), allowing more for exercise. The first day was a little challenging, the last two have been easier due to the fact I've been real active (Mary and I walked nearly 9 miles). Surprisingly, I've eaten about the same amount today as the first day, but today I feel stuffed - and I exercised today.
Today was very nice actually, we walked 4.5 miles with Simone in the Burley (napping). Then, after a nice lunch, Simone and I biked to the gym for a swim. I'm glad the fit bowl has helped motivate me, because this is the kind of active life I wanted anyway (Mary too). I do want to win the money, but the real goal is to get to a comfortable weight.
Who knows how long it'll take to adjust to eating smaller portions, but I've already noticed actual feelings of hunger and fullness. Who would have thunk?
Today was very nice actually, we walked 4.5 miles with Simone in the Burley (napping). Then, after a nice lunch, Simone and I biked to the gym for a swim. I'm glad the fit bowl has helped motivate me, because this is the kind of active life I wanted anyway (Mary too). I do want to win the money, but the real goal is to get to a comfortable weight.
Who knows how long it'll take to adjust to eating smaller portions, but I've already noticed actual feelings of hunger and fullness. Who would have thunk?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Fit Bowl '08
So, my buddy Ron decided we were too fat and needed to lose weight, so it was time for a competition. And since he won our money last time, he upped the entry fee to $100.
The weigh in was last Friday (I did it Thursday because of scheduling).
I'll let the picture do the talking (though I think his scale is wonky - it said 10 pounds more on the wood floor).
The weigh in was last Friday (I did it Thursday because of scheduling).
I'll let the picture do the talking (though I think his scale is wonky - it said 10 pounds more on the wood floor).
Simone Is Walking
So it seems she needed special shoes to really get her walking. There's a pair of shiny black shoes that she first liked, then we just got a pair of sheep-fur-lined boots 2 sizes too big, and she's racing around the house. It's pretty fun.
Her latest words are "teacher" and "happy" though "shoes" is still very popular.
Here's a picture of her at dinner where you can really get a good look at her favorite boots:
Yup, they accentuate her skinny little legs.
It just gets better every day.
Her latest words are "teacher" and "happy" though "shoes" is still very popular.
Here's a picture of her at dinner where you can really get a good look at her favorite boots:
Yup, they accentuate her skinny little legs.
It just gets better every day.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Simone, growing like a ... beautiful flower
Well, she's 19.5 months old and weighs nearly as much. Shoes are a big hit with her, she really wants to put them on - including the bright pink croc that someone gave us (just one, kinda awkward). Simone has been sleeping through the night pretty regularly, which is a nice change.
Her vocabulary has picked up dramatically, but some of her old words have changed into new ones, so we're missing some of the things she says (at least I am). She still thinks everything is "soft" - including my stubbly face, and loves to pet Jupiter.
We haven't been riding in a couple of weeks (that's soooo last year), but have gone on several walks and played on the playground equipment. She likes the slides, stairs, and the suspension bridges. Just today, she and Mary went to a Gym On Wheels class - basically a tumbling/walking/play class, and she loved it.
Here are a few pictures of her - one with her very handsome father.
And she really likes her sunglasses, she's getting all geared up for our Hawaii trip.
Her vocabulary has picked up dramatically, but some of her old words have changed into new ones, so we're missing some of the things she says (at least I am). She still thinks everything is "soft" - including my stubbly face, and loves to pet Jupiter.
We haven't been riding in a couple of weeks (that's soooo last year), but have gone on several walks and played on the playground equipment. She likes the slides, stairs, and the suspension bridges. Just today, she and Mary went to a Gym On Wheels class - basically a tumbling/walking/play class, and she loved it.
Here are a few pictures of her - one with her very handsome father.
And she really likes her sunglasses, she's getting all geared up for our Hawaii trip.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Gah, Commercials, They Conspire Against Us
So... we switched to Comcast for our phone, and the bundle of phone/internet/tv was cheaper than not having TV, so we've got it.
A couple of times, Mary and I have decided to flake out on TV after putting Simone to sleep. Most of the time there is nothing of interest on (70 channels, nothing interesting), but occasionally there is a movie or show worth watching. However, we're spoiled by watching TV shows off DVD, and the commercials are annoying. So, like any child of the remote, I begin switching channels to find something else.
But all the stations are showing commercials at the same time!!! It's not chance, it happens every time.
I do realize the answer is DVR, but we're ditching cable as soon as the introductory plan is over.
A couple of times, Mary and I have decided to flake out on TV after putting Simone to sleep. Most of the time there is nothing of interest on (70 channels, nothing interesting), but occasionally there is a movie or show worth watching. However, we're spoiled by watching TV shows off DVD, and the commercials are annoying. So, like any child of the remote, I begin switching channels to find something else.
But all the stations are showing commercials at the same time!!! It's not chance, it happens every time.
I do realize the answer is DVR, but we're ditching cable as soon as the introductory plan is over.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Technological Advances in Crayons
Just found out this weekend that you can erase crayons. It's true, go buy yourself some. Now, I'd prefer an actual eraser to go along with the standard crayons (less packaging than the erasable ones that are encased in plastic). But still, erasable is way cool.
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
News item for the day is the "cruel and unusual punishment" case in front of the Supreme Court: Supreme Court takes up major death penalty case
Now, I'm still up in the air on the whole death penalty. The jail system doesn't rehabilitate, so for lifers that have done really heinous murder/rape crimes, perhaps it's better to just apply the death penalty. But the system is also brutally unfair to minorities and has some very obvious cases that have been turned over by DNA, so I question the practicality of putting anyone to death.
Either way, I don't understand why any of the states stick by the 3-drug cocktail used to put people to death now. At least use the same thing we've deemed best for our most cherished pets - an overdose of a barbiturate.
Now, I'm still up in the air on the whole death penalty. The jail system doesn't rehabilitate, so for lifers that have done really heinous murder/rape crimes, perhaps it's better to just apply the death penalty. But the system is also brutally unfair to minorities and has some very obvious cases that have been turned over by DNA, so I question the practicality of putting anyone to death.
Either way, I don't understand why any of the states stick by the 3-drug cocktail used to put people to death now. At least use the same thing we've deemed best for our most cherished pets - an overdose of a barbiturate.
Monday, December 31, 2007
That's Code for, "I'm Lost, Too"
That's the winning headline for the following:
And it's mine. I guess that the fourth time is the charm.
Man: Excuse me, could you tell me where--
Biotech, interrupting: --Look, I don't have time to make up fake directions.
And it's mine. I guess that the fourth time is the charm.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Life Is Too Short For Bad Code
I started a programming blog a couple of weeks ago and figure it's time to share with the vast audience of my personal blog. I thought it might be interesting to see what (if any) kind of audience I could get for programming folks. My personal blog will never grow larger than my family and a couple of friends, and that's just fine. But, it's possible I could find a small community that finds what I have to say regarding programming interesting.
Mostly the programming blog will contain tips for Emacs. During my last 3 years at Intel I had a tip of the week which was mildly popular in my department. I thought I'd keep that up now that I'm outside Intel. But I'm also going to post other ideas/revelations I've had regarding programming. It's an outlet for my programming geekiness.
I don't have any fallacies about making money with the blog (either of them), nor of even getting a readership of more than a couple dozen at most. I certainly don't have the time, and probably not even the ideas, to get a blog to that kind of popularity.
So, without further ado, here's my programming blog: Life Is Too Short For Bad Code
Mostly the programming blog will contain tips for Emacs. During my last 3 years at Intel I had a tip of the week which was mildly popular in my department. I thought I'd keep that up now that I'm outside Intel. But I'm also going to post other ideas/revelations I've had regarding programming. It's an outlet for my programming geekiness.
I don't have any fallacies about making money with the blog (either of them), nor of even getting a readership of more than a couple dozen at most. I certainly don't have the time, and probably not even the ideas, to get a blog to that kind of popularity.
So, without further ado, here's my programming blog: Life Is Too Short For Bad Code
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Coolest Thing This December
Johnny Lee is genius, check out this 3-D hack for display, it'd make for an awesome game.
He's also got prototypes for interesting displays, auto-configuring displays, a steady-cam, and low cost interactive whiteboards.
He's also got prototypes for interesting displays, auto-configuring displays, a steady-cam, and low cost interactive whiteboards.
Simone at 19 months
Simone (seen here in a month-old photo):
just turned 19 months, and has begun walking. Here in my first internet video ever (taken on cell phone), Simone is walking with a stroller in a toy shop:
And her rocking on a rocking horse:
Tonight Simone walked back and forth between the two of us about a dozen times, crossing a span of 10 feet or so - she's getting pretty excited about walking. As are we.
Her favorite books are "Goodnight Moon" and "Snuggle Puppy", her favorite songs are "Snuggle Puppy" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" - both of which she'll start for us (singing "ooh..." and "duh..." respectively). She even does the hand motions for the Itsy Bitsy Spider song. And, she loves the thing where you pat the bottom of her feet while singing, "shoe the old horse, shoe the old mare, and let the young colt run bare bare bare."
just turned 19 months, and has begun walking. Here in my first internet video ever (taken on cell phone), Simone is walking with a stroller in a toy shop:
And her rocking on a rocking horse:
Tonight Simone walked back and forth between the two of us about a dozen times, crossing a span of 10 feet or so - she's getting pretty excited about walking. As are we.
Her favorite books are "Goodnight Moon" and "Snuggle Puppy", her favorite songs are "Snuggle Puppy" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" - both of which she'll start for us (singing "ooh..." and "duh..." respectively). She even does the hand motions for the Itsy Bitsy Spider song. And, she loves the thing where you pat the bottom of her feet while singing, "shoe the old horse, shoe the old mare, and let the young colt run bare bare bare."
Monday, December 24, 2007
Nose Blowing
So, Simone's teeth may not be coming in, it looks like she's caught a bit of a flu (cold?, gah I dunno, she's sick). She's phlegmy and not enjoying it, so we taught her how to blow her nose. Being parents, we think it's incredibly funny when she does it on her own and blows a raspberry into a kerchief.
iBike WW52
I was wrong in my last post, I figure I should bike next week (as two of the days are still in 2007). But I biked today, perfectly timing it to end my ride in the sunshine (the first 3/4s was in rain). Simone tagged along quietly, if not happily - she's feeling a bit under the weather, but if she's anything like the rest of us, it feels good to get out of the house.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
iBike WW51
Took a ride in the rain on my single speed (seat still busted on the road bike). A good 45 minutes of slogging along. One more week to go!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Simone Update
At nearly 19 months, she's starting to walk. We think her next set of teeth (#8 and more) are coming in, and a part of that seems to be a runny nose. She's learning how to blow her nose.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Caprial and John cooking class
I took a cooking class from Caprial and John tonight. Mary had gotten me a gift certificate from there last Christmas, and I finally made time for a class.
What a hoot. They're very much like they appear on their TV show, though John is less obnoxious. The menu was:
John is a pork freak, which I admire. The soup had prosciutto, the greens had bacon, and obviously the pork was ... pork. And he talked about making bacon - which I now need to try.
Anyway, the tips I picked up were: reduce, reduce, reduce - whether it be wine or stock, reduce and you'll get tasty results. Oh, and add bacon to everything, it tastes better. And their secret ingredient for finishing off soups is Ketchup Manis (a sweet, thick, Indonesian version of soy sauce).
What a hoot. They're very much like they appear on their TV show, though John is less obnoxious. The menu was:
Squash and Sage Bisque with Crispy Prosciutto
Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Rubbed with Tomato and Herbs
Crispy Fried Potatoes and Parsnips
Spicy Braised Greens
Walnut Chocolate Cake
John is a pork freak, which I admire. The soup had prosciutto, the greens had bacon, and obviously the pork was ... pork. And he talked about making bacon - which I now need to try.
Anyway, the tips I picked up were: reduce, reduce, reduce - whether it be wine or stock, reduce and you'll get tasty results. Oh, and add bacon to everything, it tastes better. And their secret ingredient for finishing off soups is Ketchup Manis (a sweet, thick, Indonesian version of soy sauce).
Sunday, December 16, 2007
David Lebovitz: The Easiest Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe...Ever
Using the excuse of having some friends over for dinner, I made this for dessert. I must say, I need to find another excuse for making this, and soon! It really is this easy, and it tastes divine. I might cut out the rum next time (or a little of the Bailey's) because it didn't set up quite as hard as I wanted (though I may not have given it quite enough time).
So smooth, so creamy, so delicious...
David Lebovitz: The Easiest Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe...Ever
Chocolate and Banana Ice Cream
Four to six scoops
2 ounces (55 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons (80 ml) milk, whole or low-fat
6 tablespoons (80 ml) Baileys liquor
1 medium-sized ripe banana, peeled*, and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark rum
1. In a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate with the milk.
2. Blend the melted chocolate the Baileys, the banana, and rum until smooth.
3. Pour into a plastic or metal container, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
So smooth, so creamy, so delicious...
David Lebovitz: The Easiest Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe...Ever
Chocolate and Banana Ice Cream
Four to six scoops
2 ounces (55 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons (80 ml) milk, whole or low-fat
6 tablespoons (80 ml) Baileys liquor
1 medium-sized ripe banana, peeled*, and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon (15 ml) dark rum
1. In a small bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate with the milk.
2. Blend the melted chocolate the Baileys, the banana, and rum until smooth.
3. Pour into a plastic or metal container, cover, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Friday, December 14, 2007
iBike WW50
Simone and I rode downtown to do some Christmas shopping today. A little chilly, but we stayed toasty warm by dressing in layers. She fell asleep on the ride back - exhausted after an hour of shopping.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
iBike WW49
Simone and I took a nice ride in the sunny fall weather today, just the standard loop out the Midge Cramer path and back over Witham Hill. What made it interesting today was that I broke my seat post half way through the ride. It felt like a spinning class - 20 minutes of standing (including a 5 minute hill).
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Mozzarella
Years ago I saw some cooking show where some lady made mozzarella and it looked way easy. But I never tried. I'd thought about making cheese off and on, but ... c'mon, it's cheese, it can't be easy...
Mary recently began reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and came to the part about making cheese. They made it sound easy, so we got off our butts and got the rennet and citric acid, and off to the races we were.
The recipe says it takes 30 minutes, and they're right. It is as easy as: warm milk, add citric acid, add rennet, strain curds, heat and knead cheese. Done!
One gallon of milk made one pound of cheese. We had a bunch of whey left over (3 quarts), and are planning on making ricotta because it sounds just as easy as the mozzarella (we'll see).
Ten Steps To Close Down an Open Society
Mary mentioned this article a couple of days ago, and then I just got a link to it from another source (so I could actually read it). Figured the world was trying to tell me something:
Naomi Wolf: Ten Steps To Close Down an Open Society - The Huffington Post
Every day I have trouble figuring out if I'm more scared about this country going to hell in a handbasket (b/c of things like the above and our country's continual shift away from a secular society toward a religious one) or the world becoming uninhabitable (global warming and other environmental problems).
I feel insecure raising a child in this world... I'm very uncertain of her future.
Naomi Wolf: Ten Steps To Close Down an Open Society - The Huffington Post
Every day I have trouble figuring out if I'm more scared about this country going to hell in a handbasket (b/c of things like the above and our country's continual shift away from a secular society toward a religious one) or the world becoming uninhabitable (global warming and other environmental problems).
I feel insecure raising a child in this world... I'm very uncertain of her future.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
iBike WW48
It's getting harder and harder to bike in nice weather, this coming week looks to be nasty for most of it. Simone and I did manage to find an hour of time where the rain wasn't coming down yesterday. She nodded off in the Burley almost immediately, and I biked for the hour - excepting the part where I had to inflate the Burley tires (turns out they go flat after a year, go figure).
We also happened to get our Christmas tree during another part of the day where it wasn't raining. We put it up this afternoon. Woo-hoo!
We also happened to get our Christmas tree during another part of the day where it wasn't raining. We put it up this afternoon. Woo-hoo!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Seems Apropos
I quit Intel to work for Mentor, and one of the big questions was whether or not things would be better at Mentor. This comic seemed relevant:
My 6 month report of whether working at Mentor is better/worse than at Intel: on par, just different things to complain about.
My 6 month report of whether working at Mentor is better/worse than at Intel: on par, just different things to complain about.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Simple, Clever, Let's Use Them
Pretty cool technology here: solar powered LED road studs, and according to some of the case studies, it's reduced accidents by 70%. While that wouldn't happen everywhere, it'd probably help quite a bit in the right places.
Web Pages
I was looking for an artist I know I'd seen at the Corvallis Fall Festival, and I noticed how many folks don't have a web page.
I think that's nearly inexcusable for almost all businesses, but especially for artists. Mary and I talked about it for her business, and we figured it probably wouldn't be worth the effort (at this point). A friend of hers, however, has a great web page for a naturopathic physician. As good as she is, Portland is inundated with naturopaths, and she probably needs something to help set her apart. Mary's situation in Corvallis is a bit different.
But, back to artists, you simply have to have a web page now. Let's say you're one of the 22 artists who do jewelry. How am I going to remember which one was the one I liked? The name probably isn't going to stick, I need to see your product. Plus, what if I want to contact you to buy something? The Fall Festival at least provided an option for a website - but no other contact information. Even if they didn't provide a slot for the website, a quick google on your name would probably find your website (especially if it's listed on a couple of the festivals you'd frequent in a year).
One of my favorite vendors at the festival is King Wu. And, to be honest, I didn't remember his name (and he's someone I actively look for each year we go). But given the list of artists, I was happy to look through the 6 web sites for photographers at the festival to find his site.
In fact, that's exactly what I did a couple of years ago when I was trying to find a particular photograph Mary and I saw while visiting Arizona. She'd really liked a couple of prints in a gallery in Flagstaff. A quick search of galleries in Flagstaff gave me a couple of phone numbers to call. I called each and asked about their artists, and 10 minutes later I was on the guy's website - looking at the exact print I wanted.
It's just a shame that only 87 of the 171 artists at the Fall Festival have web sites. It's not difficult to do, it's not terribly expensive, and I'd bet that even a simple web page with a couple of representative photos and contact information would result in more sales (provided you produce a unique product - I just don't understand how the dudes who try to sell middle-school shop class quality woodwork at Portland's Saturday Market stay in business... I mean, seriously, a mirror behind a wooden board with a routed edge???).
Every business should have an answering machine/service that at least gives the business name and hours of operation (I should *never* get a busy signal). And secondly, most businesses really need web pages.
I think that's nearly inexcusable for almost all businesses, but especially for artists. Mary and I talked about it for her business, and we figured it probably wouldn't be worth the effort (at this point). A friend of hers, however, has a great web page for a naturopathic physician. As good as she is, Portland is inundated with naturopaths, and she probably needs something to help set her apart. Mary's situation in Corvallis is a bit different.
But, back to artists, you simply have to have a web page now. Let's say you're one of the 22 artists who do jewelry. How am I going to remember which one was the one I liked? The name probably isn't going to stick, I need to see your product. Plus, what if I want to contact you to buy something? The Fall Festival at least provided an option for a website - but no other contact information. Even if they didn't provide a slot for the website, a quick google on your name would probably find your website (especially if it's listed on a couple of the festivals you'd frequent in a year).
One of my favorite vendors at the festival is King Wu. And, to be honest, I didn't remember his name (and he's someone I actively look for each year we go). But given the list of artists, I was happy to look through the 6 web sites for photographers at the festival to find his site.
In fact, that's exactly what I did a couple of years ago when I was trying to find a particular photograph Mary and I saw while visiting Arizona. She'd really liked a couple of prints in a gallery in Flagstaff. A quick search of galleries in Flagstaff gave me a couple of phone numbers to call. I called each and asked about their artists, and 10 minutes later I was on the guy's website - looking at the exact print I wanted.
It's just a shame that only 87 of the 171 artists at the Fall Festival have web sites. It's not difficult to do, it's not terribly expensive, and I'd bet that even a simple web page with a couple of representative photos and contact information would result in more sales (provided you produce a unique product - I just don't understand how the dudes who try to sell middle-school shop class quality woodwork at Portland's Saturday Market stay in business... I mean, seriously, a mirror behind a wooden board with a routed edge???).
Every business should have an answering machine/service that at least gives the business name and hours of operation (I should *never* get a busy signal). And secondly, most businesses really need web pages.
Monday, November 26, 2007
1.5 Years
Simone was born 18 months ago today, happy one-and-a-half birthday!
"Bath" seems to be her current favorite word, and while she's not walking on her own yet, she's wriggling around like a slippery eel when she gets excited. She loves to read, and she sings along when we read Snuggle Puppy
"Bath" seems to be her current favorite word, and while she's not walking on her own yet, she's wriggling around like a slippery eel when she gets excited. She loves to read, and she sings along when we read Snuggle Puppy
Monday, November 19, 2007
SelectSmart.com 2008 Presidential Candidate Selector
A quick survey here:
SelectSmart.com gives you an idea of who you might want to vote for. This is the second time I've been told Kucinich would be good for me. I should check him out (not that he'll make the nomination).
My top 9:
1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100%)
2. Barack Obama (87%)
3. Dennis Kucinich (86%)
4. John Edwards (82%)
5. Alan Augustson (campaign suspended) (81%)
6. Joseph Biden (81%)
7. Al Gore (not announced) (78%)
8. Hillary Clinton (78%)
9. Wesley Clark (not running, endorsed Clinton) (77%)
10. Christopher Dodd (75%)
SelectSmart.com gives you an idea of who you might want to vote for. This is the second time I've been told Kucinich would be good for me. I should check him out (not that he'll make the nomination).
My top 9:
1. Theoretical Ideal Candidate (100%)
2. Barack Obama (87%)
3. Dennis Kucinich (86%)
4. John Edwards (82%)
5. Alan Augustson (campaign suspended) (81%)
6. Joseph Biden (81%)
7. Al Gore (not announced) (78%)
8. Hillary Clinton (78%)
9. Wesley Clark (not running, endorsed Clinton) (77%)
10. Christopher Dodd (75%)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
iBike WW47
Sure enough, Simone and I braved the drizzle and took a quick ride today. 32 minutes, all of it very wet. Well, wet for me. Simone was very dry and comfortable in the Burley trailer.
And now for Simone's first contribution to the blog:
z.cvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv ddd dddddddv d
z;;;;;qqqqqqqqqqqq
And now for Simone's first contribution to the blog:
z.cvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv ddd dddddddv d
z;;;;;qqqqqqqqqqqq
Saturday, November 17, 2007
iBike WW46
I put off riding until the end of the week again, and the weather looked horrible. Luckily, mother nature intervened, and after taking a nice nap, Simone and I rode off into the gray day - without getting rained on. We took a nice, meandering ride by the golf course and out south of Philomath. We were gone nearly an hour.
The trick is next week - as we'll be at the beach most of the week for Thanksgiving, guess I'm riding again tomorrow.
The trick is next week - as we'll be at the beach most of the week for Thanksgiving, guess I'm riding again tomorrow.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Carnivorous Poncho
Mary is big into knitting, and she's started reading kitting blogs. She ran across this gem today 
It's titled, "Carnivorous Poncho."
It's titled, "Carnivorous Poncho."
The Impact Of Radiohead's Latest Album
I read the entertainment section of the Corvallis newspaper last Friday and found this article: Can Radiohead kill the music biz? - Night Rider. The short synopsis of the article was that Radiohead's act of putting their latest album up for grabs for a buyer determined price was "[opening] all of us up to a new lowest common denominator." I believe he's mainly lamenting the long-term prospects of independent record shops because he believes Radiohead's choice to offer official downloads signals the death of the local shops.
Ironically, Night Rider admits he's reviewing a CD he got from a friend who downloaded it for free, and Night Rider says he's not going to stop listening to it because he's a "professional":
I'm not even sure how to respond to any of this. The guy obviously has put thought into the article, and he believes the recording industry has been "ripping us off for years, promising to lower the cost of CDs for the consumer, but mostly reneging on that promise." Yet his critique of Radiohead's choice completely ignores the idea that independent record stores might be disappearing due (in part, wholy?) to the fact that big-box stores undercut their prices, and that kids (that's where new money is) are no longer coming to record shops. Also, some (using RIAA numbers) show the decline in sales has nothing to do with downloading songs for free. And, in some places, independent shops have seen a rise in sales. Recent studies have also shown that "piracy" boosts CD sales. Also, some artists see boosts in revenue when they give their music away.
I'm also confused as to why Night Rider, as a "professional" in the music industry, refuses to pay Radiohead (or their record label, or anyone) for the album he so enjoys, after all, he says, "I personally believe in paying for my music, and not just the band either."
So, because Radiohead cut out the independent record store, he's going to screw Radiohead out of the money he supposedly believes owes? Without bands (like Radiohead) there is nothing for the local stores to sell! What about another option: paying Radiohead $8 and donating $4 to his favorite local record store? He'd still be supporting both the band and local stores, it's a win-win.
What about the fact that Radiohead probably stands to make more money by releasing it directly than through their label? Bands don't usually make money from their record deals with the current system.
The music industry is obviously a complex beast. And I'm all in favor of supporting the local businesses. However, the industry doesn't exist to support our independent music shops. It's the music industry, and therefore it's about the music (and the people that make it). If the independent shops become obsolete, so be it.
Electricity meant the end of lamp lighter's jobs. The automatic elevator meant the end of elevator operators. Accordions were popular until Fender introduced their amped electric guitar (poor accordion craftsmen had to look for jobs). Digital cameras signal the end of photo shops. Heck, the recording industry probably put a lot of bands out of business because bars could play recorded music as opposed to paying a band.
Advances in technology usually lead to shifts in the way things are done. In this case, the internet allows me to find and listen to any band in the world. And because of new services you can actually find new bands, with almost no cost to the bands. And, as Radiohead's album shows (as well as the label Magnatune (among others)), people are willing to pay for "free" music.
This is good for musicians and music-lovers.
Note: The real losers are the recording industry, who has been screwing musicians for years.
Note: I don't listen to Radiohead and have no opinion on any of their albums.
Ironically, Night Rider admits he's reviewing a CD he got from a friend who downloaded it for free, and Night Rider says he's not going to stop listening to it because he's a "professional":
I’m not going to stop listening to my burned copy of “In Rainbows.” I’m a professional, and I need to know.
I'm not even sure how to respond to any of this. The guy obviously has put thought into the article, and he believes the recording industry has been "ripping us off for years, promising to lower the cost of CDs for the consumer, but mostly reneging on that promise." Yet his critique of Radiohead's choice completely ignores the idea that independent record stores might be disappearing due (in part, wholy?) to the fact that big-box stores undercut their prices, and that kids (that's where new money is) are no longer coming to record shops. Also, some (using RIAA numbers) show the decline in sales has nothing to do with downloading songs for free. And, in some places, independent shops have seen a rise in sales. Recent studies have also shown that "piracy" boosts CD sales. Also, some artists see boosts in revenue when they give their music away.
I'm also confused as to why Night Rider, as a "professional" in the music industry, refuses to pay Radiohead (or their record label, or anyone) for the album he so enjoys, after all, he says, "I personally believe in paying for my music, and not just the band either."
So, because Radiohead cut out the independent record store, he's going to screw Radiohead out of the money he supposedly believes owes? Without bands (like Radiohead) there is nothing for the local stores to sell! What about another option: paying Radiohead $8 and donating $4 to his favorite local record store? He'd still be supporting both the band and local stores, it's a win-win.
What about the fact that Radiohead probably stands to make more money by releasing it directly than through their label? Bands don't usually make money from their record deals with the current system.
The music industry is obviously a complex beast. And I'm all in favor of supporting the local businesses. However, the industry doesn't exist to support our independent music shops. It's the music industry, and therefore it's about the music (and the people that make it). If the independent shops become obsolete, so be it.
Electricity meant the end of lamp lighter's jobs. The automatic elevator meant the end of elevator operators. Accordions were popular until Fender introduced their amped electric guitar (poor accordion craftsmen had to look for jobs). Digital cameras signal the end of photo shops. Heck, the recording industry probably put a lot of bands out of business because bars could play recorded music as opposed to paying a band.
Advances in technology usually lead to shifts in the way things are done. In this case, the internet allows me to find and listen to any band in the world. And because of new services you can actually find new bands, with almost no cost to the bands. And, as Radiohead's album shows (as well as the label Magnatune (among others)), people are willing to pay for "free" music.
This is good for musicians and music-lovers.
Note: The real losers are the recording industry, who has been screwing musicians for years.
Note: I don't listen to Radiohead and have no opinion on any of their albums.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Books, Politics, and Making Judgments
As I mentioned earlier, I've been listening to books on CD while driving to work. It sure makes the time fly past.
The first book I read was Empire by Orson Scott Card (OSC). I really enjoyed Ender's Game, and the Alvin series. The Empire book is a fictional account of the beginnings of a civil war in the United States set during present time. I enjoyed the book - but a review isn't what is on my mind.
While reading Empire I got the distinct impression that OSC was conservative. The main heros in the book were conservative military folks, so I first figured it was just because the way he was telling the story. I actually thought back to his book Folk On The Fringe, where I got a similar impression of OSC.
The plot of Empire revolves around the point that the "left" and the "right" are at such odds with each other, each side pretty much fanatical in their beliefs that they are right and the other side is wrong. In a situation where one side (doesn't matter which) decides to take over - you're either with them or you're against them. And that's how a civil war might begin. So it's actually a pretty realistic scenario, provided you have the right people in the right places.
At the end of the book, OSC talks about how he came up with the idea for the book, and how he, himself, has been attacked by the left and the right with equal fanaticism.
That's what got me thinking...
I looked him up on Wikipedia, and he's a self proclaimed Democrat because of his views on gun control, his views on free-market capitalism, and his thinking that the Republican party tolerates racism. But he's supportive of Bush's war on terrorism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, support for Israel, and Fox News. I can see how both sides might attack him.
I must admit, my gut feeling is that he's all wrong about the war and supporting our miserable failure of a president, Bush. But his comments at the end of Empire got me thinking, "am I just attacking him because he's pro-war-on-terror?" I had certainly classified him as a Republican based on that.
Honestly, I don't care where OSC stands politically. I'll read his science fiction because it's well-written and is a lot more interesting than a lot of the cruft out there. Empire, Pastwatch, and Alvin are all good examples of alternative histories (futures) that I enjoyed.
Back to my thinking... OSC talked about the polarization of our country, which very real (to some extent), but what I found interesting was how he parroted the "liberal media" line. I used to accept that line, but I cannot any longer. In my opinion, the media has become corporate, not "left" or "right". There are just so many reasons to reject the label "liberal media" - the most obvious is that they're in it for the money - just look at what non-news shows are: sex and violence. Why? Because it sells. It sells to liberals, it sells to conservatives.
The other main reasons I reject "liberal media" is that the news simply repeats the White House press releases. Look at the run up to the war, the news stations were hyping up the impending conflict - not doing any investigation of whether it was warranted or not. Look at the coverage for the '08 presidential election. The 8 or so Democratic candidates were "hampering" the debates, but the 10 or so Republican candiates "participating in the process." What else gets big coverage? Obama not wearing a US flag lapel pin, Edwards' hair cut, Edwards being rich, Clinton's being a woman (her clothes/cleavage/femininity get coverage). I'm not saying the media is "conservative" - but I'd hardly count that kind of coverage as being "liberal" when no such similar views of the Republican front-runners is present. Moving away from the presidential election, how many conservative pundits can you name? How many liberal? I bet you can name three times as many conservatives as liberals - and you can't count Colmes because he's a complete pushover. Lastly, the "liberal media" label seems to be used just like "activist judges" - namely when conservatives disagree with what they're saying.
Ok, so Trey doesn't buy the "liberal media" tag line, where's he going with this?
Turns out the second book I got from the library was Al Franken's The Truth: With Jokes. Good liberal punditry. (And you can't use him for the pundit count because he's now in politics, ha!)
So, am I just listening/reading views I like/already agree with? I guess so, so I'm really no better than the rest of the country. I've got a viewpoint, I pay attention to views that reinforce my thinking, and ignore the ones I don't like, right?
I'm trying not to. Until recently, I don't think I got my news primarily from the standard networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and OPB radio. While I didn't listen to Rush Limbaugh, I also didn't listen to Al Franken on Air America. And some time around 2004 I read an Ann Coulter book because a Republican friend of mine said he'd read Al Franken if I read Coulter. He didn't follow through with his part of the deal.
Anyway, because of this "left" versus "right" stuff, I tried to think about how I make decisions about who I believe versus who I do not. And it's pretty simple. I believe people who bring facts to the debate, and who (when cross-examined) debate the issue at hand.
Take, for example, Al Franken versus Ann Coulter (I'm listening to her Godless book right now). The Franken book is chockfull of quotes and references to studies. The Coulter book (so far, I'm only through chapter 3) has very few quotes and no references to any studies. Coulter does very little work to try to prove her point, she just makes sweeping generalizations with very little evidence. I've read that Coulter uses lots of second sources, which would explain why she puts forward the controversy of Bob Casey not being allowed to speak at the 1992 democratic national convention because he was pro-life. The only problem is that other pro-life governors did speak at that convention. Yes, I agree with Franken's conclusions (Bush is horrible), but he gives me reasons to. Side note: Coulter's first few chapters are on crime, and I think it's disgusting how she goes on for paragraphs describing in detail the horrific crimes (brutal rapes/murders) done by criminals let out by Dukakis. She repeats the graphic tales many times, with no apparent point other than to link the word "liberal" with this imagery.
Another example of the dichotomy of styles of influence was a pair of interviews on Fresh Air. The first guy interviewed was talking about his book detailing the influence of Isreal lobby, and he gave examples of various ways the lobby had influence. The second guy's response to the book was essentially going on and on about how anti-semetic the book's ideas were. Now I don't know anything about the book's subject, but who should I believe? My choices are: a rational man putting forward ideas with evidence, or the man spewing angry rhetoric who fails to address any of the points raised by the first one?
That's pretty much it, I tend to agree with people who present a rational argument for their case. Usually there's only one side that does that, so I don't often have to try to weigh the two different arguments.
If I get a rare case where two sides both seem to have arguments that hold water, then I'm on my own and have to do some research. Thank goodness for the web.
The first book I read was Empire by Orson Scott Card (OSC). I really enjoyed Ender's Game, and the Alvin series. The Empire book is a fictional account of the beginnings of a civil war in the United States set during present time. I enjoyed the book - but a review isn't what is on my mind.
While reading Empire I got the distinct impression that OSC was conservative. The main heros in the book were conservative military folks, so I first figured it was just because the way he was telling the story. I actually thought back to his book Folk On The Fringe, where I got a similar impression of OSC.
The plot of Empire revolves around the point that the "left" and the "right" are at such odds with each other, each side pretty much fanatical in their beliefs that they are right and the other side is wrong. In a situation where one side (doesn't matter which) decides to take over - you're either with them or you're against them. And that's how a civil war might begin. So it's actually a pretty realistic scenario, provided you have the right people in the right places.
At the end of the book, OSC talks about how he came up with the idea for the book, and how he, himself, has been attacked by the left and the right with equal fanaticism.
That's what got me thinking...
I looked him up on Wikipedia, and he's a self proclaimed Democrat because of his views on gun control, his views on free-market capitalism, and his thinking that the Republican party tolerates racism. But he's supportive of Bush's war on terrorism, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, support for Israel, and Fox News. I can see how both sides might attack him.
I must admit, my gut feeling is that he's all wrong about the war and supporting our miserable failure of a president, Bush. But his comments at the end of Empire got me thinking, "am I just attacking him because he's pro-war-on-terror?" I had certainly classified him as a Republican based on that.
Honestly, I don't care where OSC stands politically. I'll read his science fiction because it's well-written and is a lot more interesting than a lot of the cruft out there. Empire, Pastwatch, and Alvin are all good examples of alternative histories (futures) that I enjoyed.
Back to my thinking... OSC talked about the polarization of our country, which very real (to some extent), but what I found interesting was how he parroted the "liberal media" line. I used to accept that line, but I cannot any longer. In my opinion, the media has become corporate, not "left" or "right". There are just so many reasons to reject the label "liberal media" - the most obvious is that they're in it for the money - just look at what non-news shows are: sex and violence. Why? Because it sells. It sells to liberals, it sells to conservatives.
The other main reasons I reject "liberal media" is that the news simply repeats the White House press releases. Look at the run up to the war, the news stations were hyping up the impending conflict - not doing any investigation of whether it was warranted or not. Look at the coverage for the '08 presidential election. The 8 or so Democratic candidates were "hampering" the debates, but the 10 or so Republican candiates "participating in the process." What else gets big coverage? Obama not wearing a US flag lapel pin, Edwards' hair cut, Edwards being rich, Clinton's being a woman (her clothes/cleavage/femininity get coverage). I'm not saying the media is "conservative" - but I'd hardly count that kind of coverage as being "liberal" when no such similar views of the Republican front-runners is present. Moving away from the presidential election, how many conservative pundits can you name? How many liberal? I bet you can name three times as many conservatives as liberals - and you can't count Colmes because he's a complete pushover. Lastly, the "liberal media" label seems to be used just like "activist judges" - namely when conservatives disagree with what they're saying.
Ok, so Trey doesn't buy the "liberal media" tag line, where's he going with this?
Turns out the second book I got from the library was Al Franken's The Truth: With Jokes. Good liberal punditry. (And you can't use him for the pundit count because he's now in politics, ha!)
So, am I just listening/reading views I like/already agree with? I guess so, so I'm really no better than the rest of the country. I've got a viewpoint, I pay attention to views that reinforce my thinking, and ignore the ones I don't like, right?
I'm trying not to. Until recently, I don't think I got my news primarily from the standard networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) and OPB radio. While I didn't listen to Rush Limbaugh, I also didn't listen to Al Franken on Air America. And some time around 2004 I read an Ann Coulter book because a Republican friend of mine said he'd read Al Franken if I read Coulter. He didn't follow through with his part of the deal.
Anyway, because of this "left" versus "right" stuff, I tried to think about how I make decisions about who I believe versus who I do not. And it's pretty simple. I believe people who bring facts to the debate, and who (when cross-examined) debate the issue at hand.
Take, for example, Al Franken versus Ann Coulter (I'm listening to her Godless book right now). The Franken book is chock
Another example of the dichotomy of styles of influence was a pair of interviews on Fresh Air. The first guy interviewed was talking about his book detailing the influence of Isreal lobby, and he gave examples of various ways the lobby had influence. The second guy's response to the book was essentially going on and on about how anti-semetic the book's ideas were. Now I don't know anything about the book's subject, but who should I believe? My choices are: a rational man putting forward ideas with evidence, or the man spewing angry rhetoric who fails to address any of the points raised by the first one?
That's pretty much it, I tend to agree with people who present a rational argument for their case. Usually there's only one side that does that, so I don't often have to try to weigh the two different arguments.
If I get a rare case where two sides both seem to have arguments that hold water, then I'm on my own and have to do some research. Thank goodness for the web.
Kung Fu Monkey: Lunch Conversations #4223: Getting In on the Ground Floor
Kind of funny, yet sad at the same time: Kung Fu Monkey: Lunch Conversations #4223: Getting In on the Ground Floor
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
SMART I Am
So I took the bus into work today. I get off I-5 in Salem and hop on s SMART bus, which frees me from driving the last half hour. When I started looking for an alternative job to Intel I told myself that I needed to expand my resume. You see, most of my experience is in the languages C++ and Tcl, and while C++ has a good reputation and reasonable job prospects, Tcl is a veritable dead end.
So I've decided to start playing around with Java, and when can I do that??? I'll do it on the bus ride to work.
We'll see how it goes.
So I've decided to start playing around with Java, and when can I do that??? I'll do it on the bus ride to work.
We'll see how it goes.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
iBike WW45
Yet another beautiful fall day, I rode to Philomath and back, stopping at Safeway to pick up some yeast for bread Mary was gonna make, and some sweetened condensed milk to complete the Thai iced tea mix Mary bought me.
Nice ride, I came back from Philomath not on the bike path, but up over a hill I'd never ridden. The houses up there have beautiful views of the valley, though most of the houses weren't very exciting to look at.
Nice ride, I came back from Philomath not on the bike path, but up over a hill I'd never ridden. The houses up there have beautiful views of the valley, though most of the houses weren't very exciting to look at.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Week of T
It's been a while since an update on Simone, and with the state of my memory, I figure I'd better write things down.
This week she found her T's, a few of her words have picked up a T on the end. She says the entire word "bath" - even with the th, and she says "hat" - which is usually followed by "dude." She counts "one" "two" "three" fairly well. She leaves off the last consonant from her words, like "boo(k)" "ca(ke)" and "bo(wl)". She's good at pointing out her "shoes".
She knows some animal sounds, her fish sound is cute - she opens and closes her mouth. She makes a low "woof" sound for dogs, and a kissing sound for a duck - because it we have it kiss her cheek.
She's still tentative while walking around the house and wants both hands. She loves running around, chasing you, squealing, and then being chased.
Simone draws with crayons on the large pad of paper, and the swing is still a favorite toy.
She eats most everything, though her current favorites are rice and rice cakes. She'll eat avocado, artichoke heart, olive, spinach, beans, green beans, and most surprising of all: pickled ginger. Simone recently discovered the fork and prefers it to the spoon - I think because she can successfully stab things with the fork.
When Simone is thirsty, she asks for water by making the "ahhh" sound most people make after having a drink of something tasty.
This week she found her T's, a few of her words have picked up a T on the end. She says the entire word "bath" - even with the th, and she says "hat" - which is usually followed by "dude." She counts "one" "two" "three" fairly well. She leaves off the last consonant from her words, like "boo(k)" "ca(ke)" and "bo(wl)". She's good at pointing out her "shoes".
She knows some animal sounds, her fish sound is cute - she opens and closes her mouth. She makes a low "woof" sound for dogs, and a kissing sound for a duck - because it we have it kiss her cheek.
She's still tentative while walking around the house and wants both hands. She loves running around, chasing you, squealing, and then being chased.
Simone draws with crayons on the large pad of paper, and the swing is still a favorite toy.
She eats most everything, though her current favorites are rice and rice cakes. She'll eat avocado, artichoke heart, olive, spinach, beans, green beans, and most surprising of all: pickled ginger. Simone recently discovered the fork and prefers it to the spoon - I think because she can successfully stab things with the fork.
When Simone is thirsty, she asks for water by making the "ahhh" sound most people make after having a drink of something tasty.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Focus Stealing Windows
I did a quick Google search to see if others felt like I do, and I only found one link in the top 100 that weren't just programming related: IanG on Tap: I Hate Dialog Boxes that Grab the Focus
I too hate how Windows (and certain window managers on Unix) lets dialog and application windows pop up and steal focus. Twice this week I've had windows pop up, presumably asking a question, and disappear as I am madly typing into whatever I'm currently doing (usually programming). My windows machine started to reboot on me because of this (that's what the dialog was for). EH?
Stop Stealing Focus!!!
I too hate how Windows (and certain window managers on Unix) lets dialog and application windows pop up and steal focus. Twice this week I've had windows pop up, presumably asking a question, and disappear as I am madly typing into whatever I'm currently doing (usually programming). My windows machine started to reboot on me because of this (that's what the dialog was for). EH?
Stop Stealing Focus!!!
Monday, November 05, 2007
Google Branding
This guy had an interesting question (well, ok, it's kind of mundane, but I'd thought about it recently) would you switch from Google if a better search engine came along?
Sure, if Google were *only* a search engine, I'd probably switch. However, I'm using it for more and more stuff. I use it for my primary non-work email, for calendaring, IM chat, blogging, RSS feed aggregator, the searchbar, and (obviously) the general search engine. So, they've built up enough collateral that I'd need a large jump in search improvement (like 10X better, or natural language processing) to switch.
Plus, I like the way Google does things. For one, their products/services just work. And secondly, they use open standards for their implementation. Which means, I can use their IM chat server with any client (doesn't have to be GTalk), I can read my GMail with whatever client I want (they just added an IMAP interface), and their calendar works with ical format, so I can use it to consolidate my work calendar with home. So, even if I want to move away from Google search, I know I can still use their other services because they don't lock anyone out of using their stuff via proprietary interfaces.
Sure, if Google were *only* a search engine, I'd probably switch. However, I'm using it for more and more stuff. I use it for my primary non-work email, for calendaring, IM chat, blogging, RSS feed aggregator, the searchbar, and (obviously) the general search engine. So, they've built up enough collateral that I'd need a large jump in search improvement (like 10X better, or natural language processing) to switch.
Plus, I like the way Google does things. For one, their products/services just work. And secondly, they use open standards for their implementation. Which means, I can use their IM chat server with any client (doesn't have to be GTalk), I can read my GMail with whatever client I want (they just added an IMAP interface), and their calendar works with ical format, so I can use it to consolidate my work calendar with home. So, even if I want to move away from Google search, I know I can still use their other services because they don't lock anyone out of using their stuff via proprietary interfaces.
Friday, November 02, 2007
iBike WW44
Simone and I rode to the store to pick up some chili powder, so I continued on to Philomath to make the ride qualify for the iBike.
One thing that was odd was that the store (Safeway, didn't hit the co-op) had 3 kinds of chili powder: traditional "chili" powder, anaheim chili, and poblano chili. The traditional chili powder cost 50% more than the ones I would have considered specialized. Very counter-intuitive.
One thing that was odd was that the store (Safeway, didn't hit the co-op) had 3 kinds of chili powder: traditional "chili" powder, anaheim chili, and poblano chili. The traditional chili powder cost 50% more than the ones I would have considered specialized. Very counter-intuitive.
Biometrics at my bank
On November 6th, my bank is going to start using biometrics for extra security for online banking. I'm not sure if this makes me feel safer or not.
I had actually noticed that the online login page does erase the entire password when you hit the backspace key (as opposed to just erasing just one character). I thought it odd, but now it kind of makes sense, they've been collecting the biometric information for a while now, and they only wanted to record the typing when you type the correct password.
(1:03pm) Edited to add: I wonder how this will work with people who choose to have their web browser remember their passwords. Perhaps the widget on the FirstTech online login doesn't allow that...
I had actually noticed that the online login page does erase the entire password when you hit the backspace key (as opposed to just erasing just one character). I thought it odd, but now it kind of makes sense, they've been collecting the biometric information for a while now, and they only wanted to record the typing when you type the correct password.
(1:03pm) Edited to add: I wonder how this will work with people who choose to have their web browser remember their passwords. Perhaps the widget on the FirstTech online login doesn't allow that...
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Don't Quite Get It...
I joined YouTube because a guy I used to work with has been putting up videos: Randy Helzerman.
I get what he's talking about. Well, not quite, he reads books as fast as I eat junk food, and retains everything.
Anyway, what I don't quite get is why I had to "join" YouTube to get updates on what videos Randy (or anyone) produces. Why isn't RSS good enough? I don't see what I gain by "joining" YouTube, but I do know I have to get my updates via email, as opposed to my favorite aggregator.
I get what he's talking about. Well, not quite, he reads books as fast as I eat junk food, and retains everything.
Anyway, what I don't quite get is why I had to "join" YouTube to get updates on what videos Randy (or anyone) produces. Why isn't RSS good enough? I don't see what I gain by "joining" YouTube, but I do know I have to get my updates via email, as opposed to my favorite aggregator.
Audio Books at the Library
As I drive a lot, I try to entertain myself while in the car. I used to entertain myself with road rage, but that wasn't real healthy. Then I entertained myself with other folks' road rage, but there just isn't enough to be interesting. For a long while I listened to OPB, but now I'm on to audio books.
I've listened to them in the past, but the library seemed to have very few audio books on CD. Lots on cassette, but the CD selection could barely occupy a 5'x5' set of shelves, maybe 100 books total. Plus, the books that were there looked rather boring.
Well, the last time I went into the library, I stopped by the audio books on CD and saw two that looked interesting, one by Al Franken and one by Orson Scott Card (more on them later). But I was curious this time, and I looked at the on-line catalog to see what kind of selection they really had.
Wow, turns out they have a huge selection. Nearly 2000 non-fiction audio books, and a whopping 4367 fiction books. And, nearly half of that is books on CD: 704 non-fiction and 1812 fiction. It just happens that nearly all the CD books are checked out all the time!
I just looked at one of the books I have on hold, The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum. There are 4 variants of the book at the library: CD, cassette, paperback and large print. The CD version has been checked out 73 times, and the cassette 53 times, both are currently checked out. The paperback has been read 14 times, and the large print 35, neither of which is currently checked out.
This extremely un-scientific study shows that audio books are checked out 3 times as often as print versions - and this is a popular book. The Al Franken book I am currently "reading" has two print copies and one audio, the print has been checked out 30 times between the two copies, and the audio 29 times (oh, there's also a large-print version that's been checked out 6 times, and a downloadable version w/no historical information available).
Anyway, the summary is that there's a plethora of choices for me to listen to, I just can't wait to browse them in person because they're never on the shelves.
I have been meaning to check out the downloadable books, perhaps that'll be my next set of books.
I've listened to them in the past, but the library seemed to have very few audio books on CD. Lots on cassette, but the CD selection could barely occupy a 5'x5' set of shelves, maybe 100 books total. Plus, the books that were there looked rather boring.
Well, the last time I went into the library, I stopped by the audio books on CD and saw two that looked interesting, one by Al Franken and one by Orson Scott Card (more on them later). But I was curious this time, and I looked at the on-line catalog to see what kind of selection they really had.
Wow, turns out they have a huge selection. Nearly 2000 non-fiction audio books, and a whopping 4367 fiction books. And, nearly half of that is books on CD: 704 non-fiction and 1812 fiction. It just happens that nearly all the CD books are checked out all the time!
I just looked at one of the books I have on hold, The Prometheus Deception by Robert Ludlum. There are 4 variants of the book at the library: CD, cassette, paperback and large print. The CD version has been checked out 73 times, and the cassette 53 times, both are currently checked out. The paperback has been read 14 times, and the large print 35, neither of which is currently checked out.
This extremely un-scientific study shows that audio books are checked out 3 times as often as print versions - and this is a popular book. The Al Franken book I am currently "reading" has two print copies and one audio, the print has been checked out 30 times between the two copies, and the audio 29 times (oh, there's also a large-print version that's been checked out 6 times, and a downloadable version w/no historical information available).
Anyway, the summary is that there's a plethora of choices for me to listen to, I just can't wait to browse them in person because they're never on the shelves.
I have been meaning to check out the downloadable books, perhaps that'll be my next set of books.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
The Whole Foods behemoth?
I'd heard of the issue of Whole Foods wanting to buy Wild Oats and how the FTC was asked if this was proper.
The link above is an article trying to point out that the FTC shouldn't necessarily look at the effect of the merger on the consumers, but on the suppliers. While that's a fair question, I think it conflates two issues: supporting local (small) suppliers, and building the business.
First, the grist article correctly points out that other, large, supermarkets are opening up their own lines of organic produce/food, and Whole Foods now competes against that. (this is the building the business issue)
Second, the article suggests that Whole Foods will likely turn away from small suppliers and try to "rationalize its supplier base." (this is the supporting local (small) suppliers)
Second point first. While "rationalization" of supplier base has traditionally happened, Whole Foods does seem dedicated to keeping local suppliers involved. See the open letters between Whole Foods and Michael Pollan: one, two, three. Sure, there's no guarantee, but it appears Whole Foods has made an honest effort to bring local suppliers into their stores.
Back to the first point: The argument made here is essentially: "well, Whole Foods used to be good, now they're going to become corporate, and that's bad." grist lets the other super markets (Kroger, Safeway, Wal-Mart) pass on involving local suppliers, but wants to tie the hands of Whole Foods. Sounds like it would just give the other super markets a (potential) edge over Whole Foods which, in the long run, could hurt the chain.
I'm all in favor of supporting local suppliers, in fact, my family buys over 95% of our produce from the local food co-op (http://www.firstalt.coop) or directly from the farmers (through the market or CSA).
Tilting the playing field to burden a single chain seems unfair, and in the long run doesn't directly address the issues raised.
The link above is an article trying to point out that the FTC shouldn't necessarily look at the effect of the merger on the consumers, but on the suppliers. While that's a fair question, I think it conflates two issues: supporting local (small) suppliers, and building the business.
First, the grist article correctly points out that other, large, supermarkets are opening up their own lines of organic produce/food, and Whole Foods now competes against that. (this is the building the business issue)
Second, the article suggests that Whole Foods will likely turn away from small suppliers and try to "rationalize its supplier base." (this is the supporting local (small) suppliers)
Second point first. While "rationalization" of supplier base has traditionally happened, Whole Foods does seem dedicated to keeping local suppliers involved. See the open letters between Whole Foods and Michael Pollan: one, two, three. Sure, there's no guarantee, but it appears Whole Foods has made an honest effort to bring local suppliers into their stores.
Back to the first point: The argument made here is essentially: "well, Whole Foods used to be good, now they're going to become corporate, and that's bad." grist lets the other super markets (Kroger, Safeway, Wal-Mart) pass on involving local suppliers, but wants to tie the hands of Whole Foods. Sounds like it would just give the other super markets a (potential) edge over Whole Foods which, in the long run, could hurt the chain.
I'm all in favor of supporting local suppliers, in fact, my family buys over 95% of our produce from the local food co-op (http://www.firstalt.coop) or directly from the farmers (through the market or CSA).
Tilting the playing field to burden a single chain seems unfair, and in the long run doesn't directly address the issues raised.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
iBike WW43
Beautiful fall day today. Mary, Simone and I all biked to Simone's swim class and back. Very leisurely, very pleasant. Not too many of these days left this year.
Overheard in New York | It's Getting Difficult To Tell The Tourists From Natives
Third time wasn't the charm, I'm still a runner up. Check out the other winners here: Overheard in New York
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
OMG!
Ok, I was lured over to look at myspace because a friend has a page, and I thought I should finally check it out.
In the 5 minutes I spent looking at their page (and their friends' pages), I'm here to report that I want my 5 minutes back, and the part of my soul it stole.
A while back, Ze had a contest to see who could create the ugliest myspace page (seems as though most have reverted to standard ugly, not contest-winning-super-ugly). At the time, I didn't realize the impetus for the contest, now I understand.
While I don't begrudge the creators of MySpace the $580M they got when the company was bought. I must say that they've done a heck of a job making it difficult for people to create good looking web pages.
The blinking, and flashing, and gawdy images that everyone seems to post on the obligatory comments area ... it's enough to give you a seizure. Plus, most of the pages are wider than my browser - and I've got a huge screen.
I'm glad that 100 million regular folks have the opportunity to create their own personal web pages, and have circles of friends, and never-ending comment areas. I just won't ever be joining the club. I hope the Internet has moved beyond MySpace by the time Simone gets to using a computer.
In the 5 minutes I spent looking at their page (and their friends' pages), I'm here to report that I want my 5 minutes back, and the part of my soul it stole.
A while back, Ze had a contest to see who could create the ugliest myspace page (seems as though most have reverted to standard ugly, not contest-winning-super-ugly). At the time, I didn't realize the impetus for the contest, now I understand.
While I don't begrudge the creators of MySpace the $580M they got when the company was bought. I must say that they've done a heck of a job making it difficult for people to create good looking web pages.
The blinking, and flashing, and gawdy images that everyone seems to post on the obligatory comments area ... it's enough to give you a seizure. Plus, most of the pages are wider than my browser - and I've got a huge screen.
I'm glad that 100 million regular folks have the opportunity to create their own personal web pages, and have circles of friends, and never-ending comment areas. I just won't ever be joining the club. I hope the Internet has moved beyond MySpace by the time Simone gets to using a computer.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Not Quite Getting The Idea
So, last week I roll up to the vietnamese sub shop to eat a big bowl full of Pho, and I notice I'm the first of the crowd to arrive. So I hang out in the Mazda listening to the radio. It's raining, so the car's dirty interior is totally preferable to the getting wet.
Anyway, I look over and notice the nice Prius next to me (ha, 50mpg? mazda gets 40). No big deal, lots of Prii(plural?) in Oregon (after all, it is one of the greenest states). I then notice the headlights are on, and the windshield wipers are going. But nobody was sitting inside the car!!!
It's not like a diesel engine, that used to need to be idled on fear of the fuel gelling up, or something else.
Anyway, I look over and notice the nice Prius next to me (ha, 50mpg? mazda gets 40). No big deal, lots of Prii(plural?) in Oregon (after all, it is one of the greenest states). I then notice the headlights are on, and the windshield wipers are going. But nobody was sitting inside the car!!!
It's not like a diesel engine, that used to need to be idled on fear of the fuel gelling up, or something else.
Friday, October 19, 2007
iBike WW42
Simone and I woke up this morning to no rain, so we hopped on the bike (Burley) and rode off into the world. Nice and cool, with the pretty fall colors.
Simone's First Cold
Simone has a cold, her first illness. Pretty impressive, she's 16 months old, and her first one. Most people I know who have kids have been sick many times over by this point.
Yet another benefit of having a parent at home (i.e. no daycare).
Yet another benefit of having a parent at home (i.e. no daycare).
Sunday, October 14, 2007
iBike WW39
Hmmm.... I think my work week numbering is off. I haven't missed a week, really. But I think I should be in the 40's right now.
This week Simone and I rode on Friday evening after work, she provided ballast while I tried to bike around and over Witham Hill as fast as I could. I'm pretty sure if I were in good shape, it would only take me about 30 minutes, but this week it took over 40.
But, it was a beautiful fall evening.
This week Simone and I rode on Friday evening after work, she provided ballast while I tried to bike around and over Witham Hill as fast as I could. I'm pretty sure if I were in good shape, it would only take me about 30 minutes, but this week it took over 40.
But, it was a beautiful fall evening.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Sliming Graeme Frost
Sliming Graeme Frost - New York Times
By PAUL KRUGMAN Published: October 12, 2007 Two weeks ago, the Democratic response to President Bush’s weekly radio address was delivered by a 12-year-old, Graeme Frost. Graeme, who along with his sister received severe brain injuries in a 2004 car crash and continues to need physical therapy, is a beneficiary of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Mr. Bush has vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have expanded that program to cover millions of children who would otherwise have been uninsured.
Click on the link above to get the opinion piece. Needless to say, it shows the sad state of media and the effectiveness of the right-wing political machine.
By PAUL KRUGMAN Published: October 12, 2007 Two weeks ago, the Democratic response to President Bush’s weekly radio address was delivered by a 12-year-old, Graeme Frost. Graeme, who along with his sister received severe brain injuries in a 2004 car crash and continues to need physical therapy, is a beneficiary of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Mr. Bush has vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have expanded that program to cover millions of children who would otherwise have been uninsured.
Click on the link above to get the opinion piece. Needless to say, it shows the sad state of media and the effectiveness of the right-wing political machine.
Oregonian to the Core
So I'm driving to work this morning, minding my own business, when out of nowhere a blinding light hits me in the side of the face. I'm totally taken off guard and think, "What the f*@k is going on?"
It was the just risen sun.
Which reminded me of a favorite quote I heard on a traffic report in Portland:
"Traffic is really slow at the 217 interchange due to bright sunlight."
Oregonian to the core.
It was the just risen sun.
Which reminded me of a favorite quote I heard on a traffic report in Portland:
"Traffic is really slow at the 217 interchange due to bright sunlight."
Oregonian to the core.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Owner Mark Cuban Trades Stocks on Sharesleuth.com's Advance Info
I read (well, used to read) Mark Cuban's blog. He had a bunch of interesting insights into the NBA, like discussing refereeing, the business of it all, etc. But a while back he stopped writing about that, and it's been dull. Except for a couple of posts about his shorting of certain stocks.
Wired has an article (Owner Mark Cuban Trades Stocks on Sharesleuth.com's Advance Info) on Mark Cuban's company/website that basically does investigations into companies that are over-valued, at which point Mark Cuban shorts the stock, and publishes the information on the web site. It's only done a couple of reports, but many people are fired up over the idea of a company doing investigative reporting solely for the purposes of shorting stock shares.
My two cents on it all... good for Mark. Nobody else is doing critical investigations of companies. You have Enron and all sorts of other accounting scandals that are bilking share holders of tons of money (not to mention the impact of high energy costs in California due to Enron) happening. Where's the traditional media? Hyping up the corporate sound bites w/no critical thinking (exactly the same as it does for the Bush sound bites).
I hope sharesleuth.com does well finding companies that are just smoke and mirrors. As long as it continues to do reporting based on legally sound investigative practices, I'm all for it. Plus, Mark is totally up front on what is happening - he looks for bad companies and tells the world about it. He's not hiding anything, it's the companies that are hiding things.
Wired has an article (Owner Mark Cuban Trades Stocks on Sharesleuth.com's Advance Info) on Mark Cuban's company/website that basically does investigations into companies that are over-valued, at which point Mark Cuban shorts the stock, and publishes the information on the web site. It's only done a couple of reports, but many people are fired up over the idea of a company doing investigative reporting solely for the purposes of shorting stock shares.
My two cents on it all... good for Mark. Nobody else is doing critical investigations of companies. You have Enron and all sorts of other accounting scandals that are bilking share holders of tons of money (not to mention the impact of high energy costs in California due to Enron) happening. Where's the traditional media? Hyping up the corporate sound bites w/no critical thinking (exactly the same as it does for the Bush sound bites).
I hope sharesleuth.com does well finding companies that are just smoke and mirrors. As long as it continues to do reporting based on legally sound investigative practices, I'm all for it. Plus, Mark is totally up front on what is happening - he looks for bad companies and tells the world about it. He's not hiding anything, it's the companies that are hiding things.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Ha Ha, Good One
I woke up to the alarm clock this morning, it was 6am and going off. My groggy senses wondered, "when did I set this alarm?" If it weren't for that sluggish response, I would have been dressed and almost out the door before I noticed that Simone had mucked with the clock.
See, we've got one of those clocks that automatically sets itself based off the signal sent out over the air. You can't even change the time (well, ok, the instructions don't say how to do it, turns out Simone figured out how to set it herself b/c one day the time was *way* off, not just the wrong time zone). Generally all you do is select which time zone you want, and everything else is set up properly.
Evidentially, yesterday Simone set the alarm, and she changed the time-zone to Central time, so it wasn't 6am, it was really 4am.
Sneaky, sneaky girl. Gotta keep an close eye on her.
See, we've got one of those clocks that automatically sets itself based off the signal sent out over the air. You can't even change the time (well, ok, the instructions don't say how to do it, turns out Simone figured out how to set it herself b/c one day the time was *way* off, not just the wrong time zone). Generally all you do is select which time zone you want, and everything else is set up properly.
Evidentially, yesterday Simone set the alarm, and she changed the time-zone to Central time, so it wasn't 6am, it was really 4am.
Sneaky, sneaky girl. Gotta keep an close eye on her.
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