September 2010
Iraq War ended, etc. etc. But also in Presidential news: Oval Office make-over! (tax money grumble Beck grumble grumble) Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lt
Shopping at Target. #notinmanhattananymore Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9ls
Back when I lived in California, I had a cable provider called “Comcast”, who declared themselves to be “comcastic”. Guess who missed their three-hour installation window at the new place in DC? Without calling?
August 2010
Due ostensibly to heightened Mexican drug violence, the entire border will now be patrolled by unmanned drones. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lq
Well, this isn’t good. Seems, thanks to New York tap water, I’m not the vegetarian I thought I was. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lp
Oh, and now my phone cuts me off. Strike two, iPhone.
One annoying thing about our new home: my phone keeps auto-correcting our ZIP code to “2003”. I mean, I loved 2003, but that’s not what I’m writing this time, phone..
This great TED talk considers data visualization - and tangentially presents some interesting facts. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lm
In DC. Inside the Beltway, as it were. It is 4.6 million degrees out.
Full haircut and shave at the barber before heading to DC. Straight razors are wicked objects.
A MarketWatch columnist questions Beck’s “Restoring Honor” rally, when he was treated with no such nobility as a guest on Beck’s show. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lj
In the war between environmentalists and big business, a substantial victory: banks are more hesitant to lend to environmentally harmful endeavors. For organizations whose sole function is making money to include such considerations is a significant indicator of how awareness on these issues has grown. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9li
With the announcement that Kurt Warner is joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars, it’s worth remembering the time he reached out to Michael and I. Kinda. See, we had a podcast in those days, and decided that we had a foolproof strategy for getting the autograph of then-talented Charger LaDainian Tomlinson. The plan was simple: send a written note to every member of the Arizona Cardinals...
Oh, here’s a promo spot from Glenn Beck’s wacky radio morning zoo era. The more things change… Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lg
“This show is absurd Bullshit.” So speaketh Dina Manzo about the Real Housewives reunion (which is awesome). Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lf
Having a final dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. On hearing we’re moving, the owner began to lament the economy; his business has been down 30-60% over the past two years. I was very sympathetic - until he segued into 9/11 conspiracy theories. So, I’ll take his concerns with a grain of salt. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9le
My goal is to have this work automatically. Let’s see. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9ld
It took me about two seconds to fall in love with real-time streaming TweetDeck, now available for your obsessing needs. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lc
A spectacular blog that combines information design, a great aesthetic, and unusual baseball statistics. Great stuff. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9lb
As for who got the most mileage out of Beck’s rally, I’d have to say it was Cafepress. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9la
The great Kate Beaton provides a look behind the scenes of Nancy Drew covers. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l9
Freelancers going unpaid is practically an epidemic. It’s estimated that $4.7 billion in wages went uncollected last year. Is this a good time to call out the people who owe me money? I’m owed a few thousand dollars - money that would certainly come in handy. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l8
A remarkable look at why our eyes are where they are. Includes a comparison with other animals and discussion of video game design. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l7
Allow me to summarize the mosque debate by linking to one Facebook post, apparently written by Duke Nukem. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l6
In China’s hometown of Visalia, California, a man walked into a Mormon church, asked for the bishop, and murdered him. The assailant got away, but then called the cops and told them where to find him. He died after a shootout with the police. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l5
Why does the Tea Party hate one-sixth of America? Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l4
Here is a dog that does the merengue. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l3
Bigger mystery: why someone bothered polling in South Carolina, or that Green pulls 20%? Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l2
The house that knows how you’re feeling, by reading facial cues. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l1
The New York Public Advocate has a new website indexing the city’s worst landlords. (It’s down right now.) Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9l0
Now that the era of the hipster is fading into memory, let’s revisit the last time they went extinct - with the dinosaurs. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kz
Meet the former firefighter, raised by his grandmother and who didn’t graduate from college who now runs FEMA. Hopefully, he least had some experience with Arabian horses. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9ky
The first issue of Long Shot (aka The-Magazine-Formerly-Known-As-48-Hours) is online. The conceit: 24 hours to write on a topic, 24 hours to curate and edit. Haven’t read the pieces yet, but I’m intrigued. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kx
Saw a preview for The Social Network. Does anyone actually think the creation of Facebook / Mark Zuckerberg was really that interesting?
I would like to watch a television show about good television shows. Any suggestions?
Slow in getting to the Times today, I just saw this: the regrets of the husband of Cat from DC Housewives - especially now that they’re divorced. Which, of course they are, since she’s awful. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9ku
The Alabama man convicted of setting a dog on fire and beating it with a shovel was denied parole this week, two years into his nine year term. Good. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kt
In regards to TechCrunch’s rebuttal to Rachel’s comments about women in tech: only the successful believe in a meritocracy. Everyone else sees the patterns and relationships necessary to get ahead. (In those, too, gender plays a role. Men are more often friends with men.) “Meritocracy” is like “the American Dream” - everyone supports it because everyone thinks...
Discussing our imminent move, China notes that it’s a good thing there’s no Beck rally next week. I say it’s too bad, since we could have Lucy bark at everyone. She notes, though, that Lucy wouldn’t bark, and all the people there would just say, “What a cute, pure white dog!” Win. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kr
How language may shape the way we think. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kq
Construction vehicles were damaged after an arson at the building site of a new mosque in Tennessee - the one featured on the Daily Show last week. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kp
The median age in our new neighborhood is 35.04. Which means that I am moving there just under two months too late. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9ko
Heading back on the Pennsylvania Turnpike today, we saw a statistically suspect number of Corvettes. Turns out, they were headed to a Corvette gathering in Carlisle. From the description of the event, it is safe to say that this is a subculture that I can’t fully appreciate. Also - that one of the cars that makes up part of the blue in the American flag is the wrong color. Full post:...
Attention Pittsburgh-area residents: looking to trade your reptile? Good news. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9km
Re-watching Trouble The Water. It’s almost more offensive that Beck’s racially homogenous rally for those who oppose a robust government happens on the anniversary of Katrina than on the anniversary of MLK.
A National Catholic Reporter columnist gets the shudders from Mr. Beck. (I’d guess this is the first time I’ve linked that publication.) Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kk
Things I will not miss: took us two hours to get from Newark to our door.
You know, if Chris Christie really wanted to fix Jersey, he’d make it so gas stations could be self-serve.
A good context from which to consider Glenn Beck’s book tour today. Full post: http://p-bu.mp/9kh
One week from right now, we’ll be in our new house in DC. Odd.
