The Official US Time.
World Time Server.
Time Zone Converter.
Saturday, January 31, 2004
TurboTax for Mac Bug Reporting
Here's where you report TurboTax bugs to Intuit:
A possible bug could be:Just saving this link here for when I need it later.
- TurboTax does not function as described in the Program Help or User's Guide.
- Calculations are not accurate after manually verifying them.
What's new is that it's visible now that we can inform each other without relying on them.
Dave Winer writes:
Over the last couple of weeks a process that was formerly hidden became visible, as the powers of television, radio and print decide which candidate they want to run against George Bush in the fall. Doc Searls famously told of the role developers and users play in the design of Apple computers. ("The influence of developer will be minimal. The influence of customers and users will be held in even higher contempt.") It seems the role for voters is similar. Chris Lydon tells of a story that was snuffed during the Carter run to the Democratic nomination in 1976. "I have been unable to discover that you believe in anything other than yourself," said Carter aide Bob Shrum of Carter, on the record and for attribution. But the editors of the NY Times refused to risk exposing Carter.Oh yes we can can.
One of those people from Citizen's Bank just called me!
You know those Citizens Bank commercials where the people from the bank carry an old lady's groceries to her house, and they go through a car wash, and they keep the bank open late?
The commercials are supposed to show that each person you deal with at Citizens Bank IS Citizens Bank.
So I've been trying to get my ATM card working for the past few days with no luck. Finally I just got off the phone with a telephone rep who told me that it would be active in 5 minutes. She had to have Heather in the Tech department take care of it.
Well, five minutes later I got a call from Heather, who just wanted to let me know that the card would not be activated today, and that it had to wait until Monday, because of technical issues. She gets in at 5:00 and is going to have her manager, who gets in at 11:00, activate my card and give me a call when it's done.
At that moment, while I was listening to her, I realized that Heather WAS Citizens Bank. She cared enough to make a call to let me know the status, even though it was bad news.
So Heather, I tip my hat to you and when your manager calls me on Monday morning, I'm going to tell her that you deserve a raise. Maybe they'll even put you on TV!
The Citizens Credo.
Treat the customer the way you would love to be treated all the time.Nice!
Lighten up, Curtatone
Ravi Jain got his letter to the editor into today's Globe:
AS A FORMER resident of Somerville, I was pleased to hear that Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has agreed to forgive fines for the inane towing and ticketing that accompanied the "faux snow" emergency of Jan. 27 and 28 ("Somerville retracts its no-snow tow," City & Region, Jan. 30). However, his comment that "we're going to grant -- one time, one time only -- amnesty on all tickets given as a result of not following these snow emergency policies" smacks of schoolmarmery. Curtatone should strive to exert the qualities of a mayor in his actions and words, not those of a bully.Ravi has a way with words.
'Everybody knows' is often wrong
William Pfaff writes in today's Globe OP-ED page:
Could that be true? Why was the part about the 24 year old, inside parentheses? I wanted to find out more about this 24 year old. I determined that his name is Jay Hallen.
Google search - "Jay+Hallen"
- How a 24-year-old got a job rebuilding Iraq's stock market. - [ no longer online ]
- Iraq's bourse is in 24-year-old's hands.
I'd like to see the full story on that!
bourse - A stock exchange.
Whoa!
THE IMPORTANT lesson from the Hutton Inquiry in London has only incidentally to do with the war in Iraq. It concerns the dangers of unanalyzed and unquestioned ideas, and the terrible power of what "everybody knows."
...When a president or prime minister invests in an idea, the weight of government is thrown behind it. Anyone who questions it then is attacked as "unsound," if not a professional contrarian or a crank.
...The American government, and with it much of the academic and journalistic communities, was seized with belief that Russia was being transformed into a capitalist and democratic society. Critics of this conviction were told they were mere unscientific "area specialists," rather than political scientists and economists in possession of universally valid principles of reform.
(Virtually the same simple-minded application of irrelevant American economic and social models now has begun in Coalition-controlled Iraq. Reconstruction of Iraq's stock market is being supervised by a 24-year-old Yale political science graduate, Class of 2001, with no previous knowledge in finance or markets.)
...There is no remedy for this problem except historical knowledge, which suggests intellectual skepticism toward convenient ideas and courage to speak what others deride. But none of that means that those with power will be convinced.
Could that be true? Why was the part about the 24 year old, inside parentheses? I wanted to find out more about this 24 year old. I determined that his name is Jay Hallen.
Google search - "Jay+Hallen"
- How a 24-year-old got a job rebuilding Iraq's stock market. - [ no longer online ]
- Iraq's bourse is in 24-year-old's hands.
I'd like to see the full story on that!
bourse - A stock exchange.
America's David Brent earmarked
Reuters UK has news on the cast for the US version of The Office:
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - NBC's three-month search for actors to inhabit "The Office" -- a pilot loosely based on the BBC's Golden Globe-winning comedy series -- may be coming to an end.Should I even dare to think that a remake of The Office might be funny?
Sources said "The Daily Show" correspondent Steven Carell is being considered for the lead role of David Brent, the middle manager at a paper company, played in the original series by co-creator/writer/director Ricky Gervais.
Rainn Wilson (HBO's "Six Feet Under"), Jenna Fischer ("Employee of the Month") and John Krasinski have been cast in the other three roles. Representatives for NBC stressed that there is no deal in place with Carell. Sources said the situation is complicated by the fact that Carell is attached to another NBC series, the comedy "Come to Papa".
Tom Brady is relaxed, no matter what Drudge implies
Drudge has an item this morning, "Players Reveal Jitters Before Game.." It features a 2 1/2" x 2 1/4" image of Tom Brady. [ reduced image on the right ]
The problem is: Tom Brady doesn't have the jitters.
Drudge links to a story on Yahoo! News written by JOE KAY, AP Sports Writer writes:
Brady took a nap before the Patriots' 20-17 victory over the Rams two years ago, calmly leading his team to the winning field goal in the closing seconds. He sounded serene Thursday while looking ahead to his next appearance on the big stage.
"I'll feel prepared," Brady said. "Usually when I feel prepared, I feel comfortable. I'm sure I'll be pretty relaxed."
In The Yahoo! News story there's a little 1 1/2" x 1" photo of Brady illustrating the story too. OK, I understand that Tom Brady is the hottest thing out there right now, but Drudge misleads the reader with the large photo of Tom Brady. Yahoo! News didn't put the best picture up there either.
If you read the article, you'll see that Kevin Dyson for the Panthers is the one with the jitters who can't sleep at night. But I guess featuring a photo of him wouldn't attract many clicks. Dyson tore his Achilles' tendon and missed most of the season.
Friday, January 30, 2004
The Apprentice: A better idea
I had a great idea to drive business into the restaurant for last night's challenge.
My idea was for them to contact a radio station with a morning show, and have them set up a dj and event for the listeners to come to for free, and announce it all on the radio.
If I was a producer of a radio show and could get involved in the TV show, I would have.
So they missed out on a great way to promote the restaurant. It would have been much better than standing on the street yelling at people to go in.
My idea was for them to contact a radio station with a morning show, and have them set up a dj and event for the listeners to come to for free, and announce it all on the radio.
If I was a producer of a radio show and could get involved in the TV show, I would have.
So they missed out on a great way to promote the restaurant. It would have been much better than standing on the street yelling at people to go in.
"Hello Earth, I'm rebooting, Bye." Rover
Xeni Jardin interviews Glenn Reeves, Mars Exploration Rover flight software architect, for Wired news.
WN: What kind of software runs the rovers? Is its OS derived from a common one we'd be familiar with?Xeni, you are my hero!
Reeves: It's a proprietary, commercial OS -- VxWorks, by Wind River.
WN: Isn't that a legacy OS for embedded systems from the 1980s that doesn't allow you to use virtual memory? Does its age account for some of your problems?
Reeves: I'm happy to report that it's working very well for us. I've been using it since the late 1980s, and it's very well-suited for our needs. It was used before on the Pathfinder, as well as on Lockheed Martin spacecraft and on two orbiters.
For us, maturity and support are the biggest factors in software decisions. We want something that's been around a while with a wide user base.
Electablog: Campaign News With All The Carbs
Dave Pell's new political blog, Electablog.
He describes it this way:
He describes it this way:
Dave Pell's electablog provides a daily (and sometimes nightly) slicing and dicing of the mad dash that is America's election cycle. Think of it as C-Span meets the Daily Show meets the little girl from Whale Rider meets Dennis Miller before he lost his friggin' mind.Wouldn't you want less carbs?
The role Presidential politics plays in the Internet and vice versa.
/Politics/Presidential Election of 2004/The Internet community.
A thread worth watching.
Here's too - Today's Scripting News.
A thread worth watching.
Here's too - Today's Scripting News.
You've hit the limit on your unlimited service
InstaPundit has this today:
D'oh.
Apple's .Mac account doesn't either.
COMCAST: You've overused your "unlimited" service! But we won't tell you what the limits are. . .And they don't seem to be able to tell you your usage.
D'oh.
Apple's .Mac account doesn't either.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Setting up an online store: Miva with Verisign or PayPal?
I'm looking into Interland Web Hosting online store options for a client.
They already have their hosting with Interland.
Trying to decide between two options:
blueHALO B300 $59.95/month.
With that solution they use VeriSign and the customer never leaves the site to make a purchase.
Here are two examples of sites that they host:
http://clearcallingcard.com/
http://www.extremetools.net/
There is an option to use PayPal, for credit card processing, that's cheaper:
blueHALO B200 $34.95/month
I'm not sure if PayPal still makes non-PayPal credit card purchasers sign up for PayPal before making a purchase.
Some people feel that it's an impediment to doing business to make them sign up for PayPal.
Both solutions use Miva for the storefront.
Is there a Mac OS X standalone or web based PayPal store creator.
Any comments would be appreciated.
They already have their hosting with Interland.
Trying to decide between two options:
blueHALO B300 $59.95/month.
With that solution they use VeriSign and the customer never leaves the site to make a purchase.
Here are two examples of sites that they host:
http://clearcallingcard.com/
http://www.extremetools.net/
There is an option to use PayPal, for credit card processing, that's cheaper:
blueHALO B200 $34.95/month
I'm not sure if PayPal still makes non-PayPal credit card purchasers sign up for PayPal before making a purchase.
Some people feel that it's an impediment to doing business to make them sign up for PayPal.
Both solutions use Miva for the storefront.
Is there a Mac OS X standalone or web based PayPal store creator.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Weather Forcaster Smackdown: Good Looking Babe vs. MIT Nerd
The local weather forecasters have screwed me again.
Think about it: if you saw one station with a good looking babe giving the weather and another station with a slovenly nerdlinger-type with the words MIT NERD at the bottom of the screen giving the weather, which station's prediction are you going to be more likely to believe?Probably the nerd's prediction, but I wouldn't see it since I'd be watching the babe.
Second takes on the original texts of our time
Googography.
via [ GoogObits ] - Obituaries and essays augmented by Google searches.
from [ anil dash's daily links ]
via [ GoogObits ] - Obituaries and essays augmented by Google searches.
from [ anil dash's daily links ]
Fiona Hall. Will you be my friend?
Fiona Hall has her profile listed on this new friend-of-a-friend site called people.link.
I might join this one since I haven't joined any of the other sites like this.
TiVo's most-recorded American Idols of the week
TiVo's most-recorded shows of the week.
1 American Idol (Monday) Fox 24.0%Shows I watched are in bold.
2 American Idol (Tuesday) Fox 23.7%
3 American Idol (Wednesday) Fox 21.1%
4 The Apprentice NBC 19.5%
5 Obnoxious Fiance Fox 16.4%
6 Will & Grace NBC 15.4%
7 Scrubs NBC 12.1%
8 Friends NBC 12.0%
9 Alias ABC 11.9%
10 The O.C. Fox 11.1%
via [ Lost Remote ]
While recording The Bachelorette last night I got a change to see rerun of yesterday's a America's Next Top Model. I love that little Twiggy girl who cries and faints all the time.
I have a question for Merideth. Why did you need an extra rose last night, to keep that guy who won't shut up? Please.
Why all the indecision?
Show over. Ian is the guy. Obvs. It's a wrap. Strike the set.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
Tom Brady's Girlfriend
The New York Post's Page Six reports that Tom Brady is now the most admired man in America!
Bridget Moynahan - imdb page.
Dan Pink on Outsourcing
How India became the capital of the computing revolution.
Meet Aparna Jairam of Mumbai. She's 33 years old.Glen Reynolds thinks that this will be an election issue.
In 1992, Jairam graduated from India's University of Pune with a degree in engineering. She has since worked in a variety of jobs in the software industry and is now a project manager at Hexaware Technologies in Mumbai, the city formerly known as Bombay. Jairam specializes in embedded systems software for handheld devices.
She leaves her two children with a babysitter each morning, commutes an hour to the office, and spends her days attending meetings, perfecting her team's code, and emailing her main client, a utility company in the western US. Jairam's annual salary is about $11,000 - more than 22 times the per capita annual income in India.
Aparna Jairam isn't trying to steal your job. That's what she tells me, and I believe her. But if Jairam does end up taking it - and, let's face facts, she could do your $70,000-a-year job for the wages of a Taco Bell counter jockey - she won't lose any sleep over your plight. When I ask what her advice is for a beleaguered American programmer afraid of being pulled under by the global tide that she represents, Jairam takes the high road, neither dismissing the concern nor offering soothing happy talk. Instead, she recites a portion of the 2,000-year-old epic poem and Hindu holy book the Bhagavad Gita: "Do what you're supposed to do. And don't worry about the fruits. They'll come on their own."
Rob Sama points us to Cringely's article on the subject:
Thick as a (Campaign) Plank
U.S. Leaders Either Don't Understand or Prefer Not to Understand the IT Outsourcing Crisis, So Here's the Cliff Notes Version
How do I hook up an old MIDI keyboard, that I don't know how to play, to a Mac?
MIDI Basics for Apple GarageBand Users.
I did get through lesson one of the Jump! Music Discovery System, when it was connected to my old Windows 95 PC.
That would be so cool to have on a Mac.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
We Wil Rock You and then Drink a Pepsi!
Superbowl Pepsi Commercial.
This year's Superbowl is going to be so much fun.
It's the first year that I've got a TiVo, so that will make it pausable and rewindable.
We've got the Patriots, so that will make it meaningful.
And we've got lots of fun TV commercials to watch, so that will make it desirable.
I Might Like You Better If We Slept Together
Romeo Void on VH1 Bands Reunited was great. Really great.
I'm TiVoing all the episodes and looking forward to the Squeeze reunion.
Beirut = Beer Pong. Who Knew?
I got an email this morning with this picture.
The title only said, Beirut.
I wondered why.
So I searched "Beirut" on Google and saw the same table full of beer cups. The I tried "Beirut flag" and found this:
Then a search for "Beirut Beer" finally told me the full story.
It's not pretty.
Beirut = Beer Pong.
Beirut (Beer Pong) House Rules Generator.
History of the Game.
Beirut Guide Website.
Top Drinking Games.
Please, no binge drinking. Don't drink and drive.
The title only said, Beirut.
I wondered why.
So I searched "Beirut" on Google and saw the same table full of beer cups. The I tried "Beirut flag" and found this:
Then a search for "Beirut Beer" finally told me the full story.
It's not pretty.
Beirut = Beer Pong.
Beirut (Beer Pong) House Rules Generator.
History of the Game.
Beirut Guide Website.
Top Drinking Games.
Please, no binge drinking. Don't drink and drive.
You Say Deserter, I Say More Dessert... by Michael Moore
Michael Moore responds:
I would like to apologize for referring to George W. Bush as a "deserter." What I meant to say is that George W. Bush is a deserter, an election thief, a drunk driver, a WMD liar and a functional illiterate. And he poops his pants. In fact, he “shot a man in Reno just to watch him die."Love him or hate him, you've got to admit that Michael Moore is funny.
Monday, January 26, 2004
Macintosh System 1.0 Headquarters
Since we're all walking down memory lane these days, during the Mac's 20th birthday, let's go take a look at the Macintosh's first operating system.
Ah. Memories.
via [ Jack Hodgson ]
Matt Kennedy Gould Gets His Own Show!
From the Spike TV Press Release:
Spike TV has selected the team of Glenn and Todd Kowalski from Charlotte to go head-to-head in Houston with the team of Carlos Ruperti and Dennis Avila from the Boston area in the premiere episode of 10 Things Every Guy Should Experience, airing Monday, February 2 (11:00-11:30 PM ET/PT) on Spike TV.
Spike TV has selected the team of Glenn and Todd Kowalski from Charlotte to go head-to-head in Houston with the team of Carlos Ruperti and Dennis Avila from the Boston area in the premiere episode of 10 Things Every Guy Should Experience, airing Monday, February 2 (11:00-11:30 PM ET/PT) on Spike TV.
Jill Arrington (CBS Sports) is celebrity guest host and Matt Kennedy Gould (The Joe Schmo Show) will serve as co-host.Go Matt!
Athletes and celebrities scheduled to appear on the show include Lynn Swann (NFL Hall of Famer), Dante Hall (Kansas City Chiefs), Jamal Anderson (former NFL All-Pro), Dalene Kurtis (2002 Playmate of the Year) and Trishelle Cantarella (MTV's The Real World), Nick Cannon (Drumline), Roshumba (model/actress).
Hello, I am Macintosh. It Sure Is Great To Get Out Of That Bag!
Andy Hertzfeld describes the effort that went into putting together the first Mac demo. Here he tells us what Steve Job asked for:
"We need a demo for the intro! The Mac deserves to have a great demo for its first public showing. I want the Mac to play the theme from Chariots of Fire" while it's showing a slide show of the apps. Plus lots of other cool stuff, whatever you can come up with. And it needs to be done by the weekend, to be ready for the rehearsals."Sweet!
And here he talks about Desk Ornaments, Bill Atkinson, and Mac Paint:
Bill Atkinson complained to me that it was a mistake to allow users to specify their own desktop patterns, because it was harder to make a nice one than it looked, and led directly to ugly desktops. But I thought that users should be free to do as they pleased, since it was their desktop, and it was easy to revert to one of the built-in patterns. Bill cared most about MacPaint, and didn't want a potentially ugly desktop pattern marring his creation. So he made MacPaint allocate a window that was the size of the screen when it started up, and filled it with the standard 50% gray pattern, making his own desktop covering up the real one, thus protecting the poor users from their rash esthetic blunders, at least within the friendly confines of MacPaint.You can read more stories over at Folklore.
I understand the position also requires a candidate who is team- and detail-oriented
Joel Spolsky explains how to get your resume read:
"Please do not use cover letters that you copied out of a book. If you write 'I understand the position also requires a candidate who is team- and detail-oriented, works well under pressure, and is able to deal with people in departments throughout the firm' then at best people will think you're a bullshit artist and at worst they will think that you were not born with the part of the brain that allows you to form your own thoughts and ideas."Fog Creek Software, a small and friendly startup in New York City, offers summer internships in software development for Computer Science students.
Jamaica Pond Ice Rescue
It was a bitter cold day along the banks of the Jamaica Pond.
Everything was serene until I came upon the Boston Fire Department Ice Resuce Team.
WCVB: Firefighters Practice Ice Rescue Drills.
The Boston Globe's Ombudsman seems annoyed at us.
Boston Globe Ombudsman Christine Chinlund writes in today's Globe:
I would have prefered to read that The Boston Globe welcomes the opportunity to hear from new and fresh voices that they hadn't heard from before.
WHAT DO Boston Globe readers do when an arctic blast makes it too cold to set foot out the door? Many sit at their computers and e-mail this office about the paper's shortcomings.Sorry to bother you.
I would have prefered to read that The Boston Globe welcomes the opportunity to hear from new and fresh voices that they hadn't heard from before.
The Office and Ricky Gervais: Golden Globe Winners!
Ricky Gervais leads the British comedy invasion.
Ricky Gervais: "Gotta have bookends."
The Office wins two Golden Globes.
"I'm not from these parts," said Gervais, who later won best TV comedy actor.
"I'm from a little place called England ... We used to run the world before you."
via [ Randon Abstract ]
Who lit up the Golden Globes? Charlize Theron.
ETonline has this Getty Images shot by Kevin Winter.
Charlize Theron accepts the award for best actress in a drama for her work in Monster.
Wire Image Charlize Theron Gallery.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Where in the US Have I Been?
Create your own visited states map.
State Map.
Note: If you are in college and are planning to drive down to Florida on Spring Break, leave in the morning. That way if you drive straight through, you only miss one night's sleep.
Packing the night before, and deciding to jump in the car at 10:00 PM and start driving down, is not the best use of your time.
State Map.
Note: If you are in college and are planning to drive down to Florida on Spring Break, leave in the morning. That way if you drive straight through, you only miss one night's sleep.
Packing the night before, and deciding to jump in the car at 10:00 PM and start driving down, is not the best use of your time.
It's All About Table Hockey
Table Hockey - The Movie.
Table Hockey Movie - The first screening.
Table Hockey Central.
puck.no.
Table Hockey Online School - The Shovel.
Coleco 1969 Metal Table Top Hockey Game.
That's the one I had. It featured the Boston Bruins vs. the Montreal Canadians.
We used to play this game for hours and hours. I loved it when the red light popped up to signify a goal.
Media, Chicks, and Mr. Beaver
mediasharx - Navigating the waters of pop culture.
Femme Fatales - Revealing the sexy sirens of the screen, plus film and TV news.
Mr. Beaver - Trying to make it in Hollywood, plus Babe photos.
Femme Fatales - Revealing the sexy sirens of the screen, plus film and TV news.
Mr. Beaver - Trying to make it in Hollywood, plus Babe photos.
Going to the Super Bowl is not a money-maker
Ron Borges has the details:
"The actual act of going to the Super Bowl is a net dollar loser," said Jonathan Kraft, "but there's a psychic value that you can't put a dollar figure on that comes with winning championships. For us, the most important factor is the intrinsic value of winning. Our family and this franchise is in football to win championships. In most businesses, including our other ones, it's to maximize the amount of money you make.Go Pats!
"Going forward, we believe winning adds to the luster of the franchise.
Mr. Monk
Nice review of the most recent episode of Monk at blogcritics.org:
There was also Monk, which debuted last week. Adrian Monk is a neurotic, obsessive compulsive detective. This time around his brother was introduced for the first time.Sweet.
The real clincher to a great episode, though, is when Ambrose Monk does not leave his house even as it is burning. Adrian gets there in time and runs in to save his brother. Not easy for a man who has to have his hands wiped after shaking hands.
For long-time watchers of the show it says something else, as well.
Another running plot thread is Monk's attempt to show that he can be a police detective again, instead of a police consultant. In previous episodes his former boss, though awed at his inductive talents, has testified against him in status hearings.
Here we are shown what has been his drawback all along can be overcome. He can be relied on to save a life.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Dude! I have no idea.
Overheard at Stop and Shop in West Roxbury:
Customer: What is this charge for $6.00 on my receipt? It says BOJSDR.Sweet.
Cashier: Dude, that's way over my head.
Customer: Well I just checked out and can't figure out what it is.
Cashier: Dude, I have no idea. Go over to the service desk and they can help you.
A $30 Million Dollar Drink
The information leafblower talks about Vin Baker:
He has a disease. An addiction. Here is a man that cannot stop drinking even though he knew that his next drink could likely cost him over $30 million.Good luck Vin.
"Never trust a computer you can't lift."
Fred D'Ignazio was at the Boston Computer Society Meeting January 30, 1984 where Apple's Macintosh was introduced to the world.
Thanks Jack for posting about this today.
Don't forget about Lisa.
"Now it's time to meet Mac in person."I was there too.
With a theatrical flourish, Jobs unzipped the fabric case and lifted the Macintosh out of the bag. An instant later he had connected the power cord, the keyboard, and the mouse.
He switched on the computer. The screen over Jobs' head turned sky blue. "All the images you see," he said, "are generated by the Mac."
Jobs looked at the blank screen. "Ah, yes," he said. "We need a disk." He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled a tiny 3 1/2-inch disk out and waved it at the audience.
Jobs inserted the disk in the computer. The letters M - A - C - I - N - T - O - S - H marched one by one, across the Mac's screen and across the giant screen above the stage. The letters marched in time to the theme from Chariots of Fire that blared from the stage's gigantic speakers.
"And now," Steve said, "'a word from Mac." He gestured to the computer.
Mac came suddenly to life. "Thank you, Steve," it said. Its voice was mechanical and computer-like, but it was easy to understand and strangely imbued with personality.
Thanks Jack for posting about this today.
Don't forget about Lisa.
Look out! It's a candidate
Dave Barry in New Hampshire:
via [ The Command Post ]
Almost all the experts now predict that Kerry will win in New Hampshire, which probably means he won't.Ha.
via [ The Command Post ]
I'm part of the blogmatrix and didn't realize it
blogmatrix.com
I guess that's how it feels to be part of the matrix.
You don't even know that you are a part of it.
George W. Bush, NOT A.W.O.L
Bush A Military 'Deserter'? Calm Down, Michael.
FactCheck.org takes a look at the facts:
FactCheck.org takes a look at the facts:
It is safe to say that Bush did very light duty in his last two years in the Guard and that his superiors made it easy for him.I'm getting dizzy.
Match.com for Presidential Candidates
presidentmatch.com just used all the power of their mainframe computers to determine that statisticaly, my best match for a presidential candidate is John Kerry.
You can take the Q&A test or just compare the candidates.
Have Blogs Gotten Their Own TV Show?
The new VH1 show Best Week Ever has it's own blog.
The series will feature comics, actors and musicians providing their provocative, amusing and slightly twisted takes on the high (and low) points of the big and small stories of the week.The cast features a who's who of unknown comedians.
It's on every Friday night at 11:00. Oops. Missed it. But it's being repeated 10 times over the next 4 days starting today at 11:30.
The show features all kinds of crazy bloggable stuff:
American Idol Premieres, State of the Union/Space is Hot, Iowa Caucus, Still Married: Trista and Ryan, Rock On...Wesley Clark, The Apprentice, and the Britney Video Premiere.Maybe blogs and bloggers haven't gotten their own TV show, but it sounds like the content has.
My Uncle Grambo says he's seen a sneak peek and that it's FUNNY.
Setting my TiVo... now.
via [ whatevs ]
Friday, January 23, 2004
Beer and Bass in JP
Tonight we tried a new restaurant in JP, Zons. It's known as a place to get comfort food like Mac and Cheese, and Meatloaf.
Tonight I had a Concord Brewery Rapscallion Artisanal Beer for the first time. Nice and hoppy!
I know you are suppposed to
take a pass on Chilean Sea Bass, but it was the special, so I got it anyway. Maybe it's from Gloucester?
The decor was funky. Red walls with lots of candles lightling the dining room. All the tables were full. The staff was attentive and friendly. Lots of people seemed to be ordering the burgers.
We'll be back again. Maybe next time we'll try sitting at the bar?
Tonight I had a Concord Brewery Rapscallion Artisanal Beer for the first time. Nice and hoppy!
I know you are suppposed to
take a pass on Chilean Sea Bass, but it was the special, so I got it anyway. Maybe it's from Gloucester?
The decor was funky. Red walls with lots of candles lightling the dining room. All the tables were full. The staff was attentive and friendly. Lots of people seemed to be ordering the burgers.
We'll be back again. Maybe next time we'll try sitting at the bar?
Bernie and Phyl: Are you insane?
Hey Bernie and Phyl, why are you running a TV ad that shows Adam Vinatieri after the Big Game?
I hate the ad in a 'don't be jinxing the Patriots' sort of way.
I hate the ad in a 'don't be jinxing the Patriots' sort of way.
Atom
The Atom Enabled content publishing standard just came out for Blogger but NewtNewsWire doesn't seem to support it yet.
A loud crazy-sounding scream came from the room
Dave Winer Explains The Dean Yell.
Update from Dave:
Indian Love Call [ mp3 ] - by Rudolph Friml, Theremin and Piano (3.40 Mb)
Indigenous Languages.
The Howard Stern remix [ mp3 ]
I want to be a part of it, "NEW YORK! NEW YORK!"
via [ fark ]
It's an Indian war yell or something like that, they used to do it in United Farm Workers rallies, and they adopted it at Dean For America.YEEAAH!!!!
Update from Dave:
Note: I had a phone talk this evening with Jim Moore about the piece above. He says the yelling I heard in the conference room at Dean HQ wasn't an Indian thing, although I remember him saying that, he says he didn't say it. I take him at face-value, and perhaps I embellished it in my memory at some point. Stranger things have happened.
Indian Love Call [ mp3 ] - by Rudolph Friml, Theremin and Piano (3.40 Mb)
Indigenous Languages.
The Howard Stern remix [ mp3 ]
I want to be a part of it, "NEW YORK! NEW YORK!"
via [ fark ]
Dean Hates Cute Kittens
Wonkette has a Photo of Howard Dean Grasping a Kitten.
Talk Show host Dave Ross puts together a radio bit using The Dean Clip [ mp3 ].
via [ Lost Remote ]
Thursday, January 22, 2004
CLARK'S NUANCES
Prewar analysis, postwar anger.
The best analysis I've seen.
A Globe review of hundreds of pages of Clark's public statements on the Iraq war finds the retired general consistent on many points over the past two years. He criticized Bush from the outset as giving up on diplomacy and inadequately planning for the war's aftermath.Excellent research on Clark's comments about the Iraq war, both before and after he became a candidate.
The best analysis I've seen.
Howard Dean Speech Idea
No matter how the first opportunity to talk Thursday night is presented to Dean, he's got to kidnap that moment to his central purpose of dealing with the Monday-night meltdown:
"Before I get to that Brit, I'd like to finish the roll call of the states I began on Monday night, and I don't want to forget Guam, so I may need a little more time. (pause for laughter).YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I will, however, omit my imitation of a muppet being strangled since I have already given Howard Stern and every right wing kook radio host all the material they ever need. (Pause for laughter).
Seriously though, I have to put your question aside for a moment, and I am going to have to insist on three minutes here, because there's a problem in this country, and it is the political media, and it takes three minutes to outline. I am sure my colleagues will not begrudge me the time, and I'll give it back later."
The View-Master Gig Flyer
Local Boston band, The Information, has revised their website.
I liked the View-Master theme on the The Pill Compilation CD Release party flyer.
via [ Lindsay ]
Alien abductees returned to Earth by unknown forces
Interview With "The 4400" Writer, Creator Scott Peters .
Here's he's talking about how the up and coming sci-fi series for USA Network is less about UFO's and abduction and more about people:
Soylent Green is people! It's people!
Here's he's talking about how the up and coming sci-fi series for USA Network is less about UFO's and abduction and more about people:
The show is less about that phenomenon than it is about what happens when people's lives are interrupted in an extraordinary way. How do they go about putting themselves back together? How do they deal with now suddenly being part of a new minority? How will (some of them) reconcile the fact that almost everyone they knew has lived their lives and are now gone, but they haven't aged a day. What if you were Rip Van Winkle?via [ boing boing ]
And of course there will be other strange phenomenon the 4400 are going to have to deal with. They've been changed in some way while they were gone and these changes will slowly being to manifest themselves -- much to the surprise of both our heroes and the 4400 themselves.
Soylent Green is people! It's people!
Get Out Your Lipstick Camera and Grab That Video
Phillips KEY019
The KEY019 serves as a digital camera, MP3 player and data storage device, in addition to its camcorder functionality.But it has no lipstick!
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Your own handwriting on your computer!
Fontifier takes your handwriting and makes it into a font.
I say no thank you.
My handwriting stinks!
via [ The Blank of the Day ] where you can get a free fruit cup and a free 1 year subscription to Rolling Stone!
My Beatles Blog
Today is January 21, 1964 .
I got tickets to see the Beatles on Ed Sullivan!!!via [ J-Walk ]
I can’t believe it! I got two tickets to see the Beatles on February 9 at CBS Studio 50. The tickets arrived in the mail today while I was at school. I called Debbie right away and she also got two tickets! We’re gonna ask Brenda and Judy to go with us. I’m so glad that Debbie’s mom told us to write for tickets. I would not of even thought to do that. What’s really neat is that the tickets are free! I would have given a year’s allowance for a ticket!!!
Howard Dean Plays Monopoly With His Son
Rev. Tim listens in:
Kid: Okay, dad, you landed on Baltic. That's 12 bucks.Ha.
Dean: You might have Baltic, but I'm going to get Pennsylvania! And Tennessee! And New York! And Connecticut! And then I'm going to get St. Charles! And Oriental! And then I'm going to get Boardwalk and Park Place and put a hotel on it and get back my money! YAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Kid: Christ, dad, relax.
New Mel Gibson Movie
New Mel Gibson Movie Trailer - NOT! [ QuickTime ]
Nice soundtrack!
via [ B.A.'s Weblog ]
The Passion of the Christ - Official website.
Church Resources.
Nice soundtrack!
via [ B.A.'s Weblog ]
The Passion of the Christ - Official website.
Church Resources.
Shorter State of the Union
State of the Union.
Bush
Pelosi
Bush
Goodness is good. Families are good. Drug use is down. Steroids are bad. STDs are bad. Fact: Abstinence is the only solution. Culture is bad. Marriage is good. Gay people are bad.Democratic response.
Pelosi
America is good. Democrats are good. We should cooperate with other countries.Daschle
America is good. Americans are good. Dead people are bad. Cheap drugs are good.via [ The Ultimate Insult ] via [ B.A.'s Weblog ]
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Help NORML Stop Super Bowl Marijuana Propaganda
Please take two minutes to send a pre-written letter to CBS and your local media urging them to reject this year's anti-marijuana propaganda ads from the Super Bowl:
Free Tommy Chong News.
To: National CBS AdvertisingFree Tommy Chong Website.
As a CBS viewer, I am writing to voice my concern over your network's decision not to accept an ad for the upcoming Super Bowl from MoveOn.org. I understand this decision was based upon the network's policy of not running ads promoting "controversial issues of public importance." While I do not take issue with this policy in general, I assume that CBS will also refuse to run controversial anti-marijuana ads from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
If your network is to be consistent, then you must also adhere to this policy when it comes to anti-marijuana propaganda ads. Marijuana decriminalization currently enjoys 72% support among the American public, according to the latest CNN/Time polling data. Clearly this is a "controversial issue of public importance" that divides American public opinion, and any public service announcement on the subject that promotes only one side of this issue must be considered an issue ad.
As a viewer of your network, I hope you will reconsider your decision to ban some issue oriented ads while allowing others. A free society relies on the honest debate of controversial issues. For CBS to allow certain points of views to be expressed on it's network while denying others strikes at the heart of democracy and the free flow of ideas. I hope you will either reconsider this network policy or reject the ONDCP's propaganda ads in accordance with CBS policy.
Sincerly,
--Steve
Free Tommy Chong News.
Does Laura Bush Want Tom Brady to Date Her Daughters?
Brady To Attend State Of Union Address.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be a special guest at Tuesday's presidential address.I'd prefer that he prepares for the Super Bowl.
Brady will take time out of his busy schedule preparing for the Super Bowl to be a special guest of first lady Laura Bush at Tuesday's State of the Union address.
According to ABC News, Brady will be seated next to the first lady.