werd98

Port: Taylor Fladgate LBV 2005

2011-07-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Incredible. Tasted this next to the Dow LBV 2005, and the TF was a hands-down winner.

What would you teach?

2011-04-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

If someone asked you to stand up and address a small crowd for 15 minutes (to fill the time during technical difficulties, for example) what would you share?

Favorite iApps

2010-12-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

1. ESV Bible - fun, easy to use, and free!
2. Baby Scratch - lets you rub tha' record! For the aspiring DJ's among us
3. Word Warp - great Boggle-like game
4. MapQuest - surprisingly good, including spoken turn-by-turn directions
5. GPSLite - great for tracking that remote hike
6. Speed Test - quick bandwidth test
7. GasBag - where's the cheapest gas around?
8. Flashlight - I use this to turn on the LED flash all the time - it's incredibly bright!!
9. Port Defender - fun "tower defense" game
10. FlipBoard - excellent way to consume Facebook content

Here are some apps that I've been addicted to in the past, but no mo':
1. Touch4 - Connect 4 against strangers or nearby friends!
2. Flood-it! - very addictive and fun
3. WildWest pinball - addictive!
4. Scrabble - Fun playing
5. Angry Birds - as seen in the Wall Street Journal!

Apple's innovation: 2000 vs 2010

2010-10-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Amazing Beer: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

2010-08-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

Had an extraordinary beer the other night: Goose Island: Bourbon County Stout. Stunningly dark and thick, the chewy molasses makes you expect a flabby finish, but the 100 days of barrel aging give it a surprisingly light caramel/chocolate/coffee-flavored finish. The stand-out beer of the evening for me - their tagline is spot-on: "One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer". #22 on BeerAdvocate and #21 on RateBeer. HT to Perry for the lists. Too bad Bevmo discontinued it :-(

Favorite libations

2010-05-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

After trying numerous different libations, here are my favorites (in order of preference):
* Rum: Zaya
* Vodka: Hangar One (wheat + grape)
* Vodka: Ciroc (grape)
* Scotch: Glenfiddich 18
* Gin: Tanquaray Ten, Bombay Sapphire

Got tinnitus?

2010-05-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

Looks like there's a VNS implant that may help reduce tinnitus. Great news for the 17% of people that have ringing in the ears!

YouTube in 3D

2010-05-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Looks like YouTube has supported 3D for almost a year already! How to upload your 3D content:

Record two streams with 2 video recording devices, and put the resulting footage side-by-side into one movie (left & right swapped)

Edit your videos tags and add yt3d:enable=true. For widescreen, add yt3d:aspect=16:9 too.

More info here, here, and at this forum post.

Amazon publishes most-highlighted passages

2010-05-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Recently, Amazon has decided to publish the most frequently highlighted passages by Kindle users - great for gleaning the gist of the most popular books :-) Is privacy really a concern, if the highlighting is done anonymously?

3D is coming

2010-04-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Seems like 3D can't stay out of the news:

All major TV manufactures are planning on releasing a 3D TV this year
Dreamworks will only release 3D movies from now on
ESPN and Discovery Channel are both planning a 3D channel
The Masters, French Open, and World Cup were/will be broadcast in 3D

Regardless of if you like 3D or not, I believe it behooves us to capture our memories in the most future-proof format possible. For example, if color TV sets weren't yet available or perfected, would you capture your child's first steps in color if you could? So, is it time to get a funny-looking camera, or at least tape two iPhones together?

Ethics of ripping ebooks

2010-04-11T23:18:00.001-07:00

Interesting article concerning the ethics of "ripping" books: NY Times.

-- Post From My iPad

Location:San Jose,United States

11 lawmakers spend $500,000/person to take a taxpayer-funded vacation?

2009-08-08T17:14:00.001-07:00

Do you really need to spend $500,000 to take a 11-day vacation to New Zealand, Hawaii, etc. to study global warming?? We'd like to stay at the Royal Hawaiian too, but $600/nt is too expensive, so we're going somewhere cheaper! When will you realize that WHEN YOU HAVE NO MONEY YOU NEED TO LIVE FRUGALLY!

FTA: The spokesman for Mr. Baird said he would have been "every bit as happy camping as staying in a [$600/nt] hotel."
Well then WHY DIDN'T YOU???

And the top 5 spenders on this trip of 11 people were ... democrats, of course. QUIT SPENDING MY MONEY FOOLISHLY!

Conversational questions

2009-04-11T13:49:00.000-07:00

* If you could open any type of store, what would it be?
* What types of forwards do you actually read?
* In a bookstore, what section do you go to?
* What are you looking forward to in the next year?

Lovin' the new Safari 4!

2009-02-25T23:57:00.000-08:00

Grab it here.

All it needs for me is:

defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4LoadProgressStyle -bool NO
defaults write com.apple.Safari DebugSafari4IncludeToolbarRedesign -bool NO

Guess what came today!

2008-12-12T12:12:00.001-08:00

Republican Regrouping

2008-11-11T17:51:00.001-08:00

It's exciting to see young Republicans coming together, laying out an agenda, and going for it! Check 'em out: http://www.rebuildtheparty.com.

Media is "Quaylifying" Palin

2008-11-10T10:46:00.000-08:00

Remember how the media destroyed Dan Quayle? They're trying to do the same with Sarah Palin, so I'm coining the term "Quaylifying".

Democrat Victory = Stock Market Drop

2008-11-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

From USAToday:

In looking at historical stock performance from Election Day through year's end, stocks tend to perform worse when a Democrat wins. Going back to 1900, the Dow has lost an average 0.96% in that two-month period, vs. a gain of 4.14% when a Republican candidate is elected, says Bespoke Investment Group.

Need more weird in your diet?

2008-10-29T10:00:00.001-07:00

Martinez Wins First Ever All-Female Championship Final Match with a Dramatic Throw of Scissors Beating Paper to win $10,000 Grand Prize

2008-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

Wow - I didn't realize how much money was in the Rock-Paper-Scissors league!

"We applaud the enthusiasm and sportsmanship showed by all the competitors," says Dave Soyka, Marketing Manager at Yahoo! Canada . "Now it's Monica's time to shine as the new reigning Yahoo! RPS World Champion."
The prize for second place was $1,500, with the third prize winner going home with $500. Sarah Harris of Burlington, Ontario won the EYE Weekly Street RPS competition and took home $1,000.

Senator Obama's Four Tax Increases for People Earning Under $250k

2008-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Great piece in The American Thinker by Ned Barnett, a guy frustrated by the four separate tax increases Obama will levy on him, even though he makes between $50k and $100k.

McCain/Palin burned & hung

2008-10-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Of course, no outrage. Imagine if Obama/Biden were burned and hung in effigy?

Car Care

2008-10-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

Ten tips from professional car detailers - good stuff!

Politics, Politics, Politics

2008-10-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

We know more about Joe the Plumber in the last 24 hours than we know about Obama from the last 2 years.
Hawaii ends Universal Child Care - because "People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink.

Awesome McCain quote

2008-10-15T09:31:00.001-07:00

WARNING: Don't take a sip of anything before reading this quote:

If Barack Obama's goal as President is to 'spread the wealth around,' perhaps his unconditional meetings with Hugo Chavez, Raul Castro, and Kim Jong-Il aren't so crazy -- if nothing else they can advise an Obama administration on economic policy," McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb said.

:-)

Women like the sound of exotic sports cars?

2008-09-05T09:52:00.002-07:00

From Wired:

David Moxon subjected 40 men and women to the sounds of a Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari, then measured the amount of testosterone in their saliva. He found everyone had higher levels of the stuff -- a measure of their arousal -- after hearing the revving exotics, but the amount the women had was off the charts. The econobox, however, left everyone colder than a January day in Nome.

Surprised?? :-) Full article here.

The Emoji Are Coming!

2008-08-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Emoji, which I learned about via a friend's AIM message, are Japanese emoticons. Here are a few:

Breathable Screw-Caps?

2008-05-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

DAVIS, Calif. -- University of California, Davis students have invented a way to bottle wine that combines the breathability of cork with the reliability and convenience of a screw cap.
[...]
The patent-pending design is a 5-cent plastic and metal disk beneath a screw cap. Like cork, the cap lets in just enough oxygen so the wine can age properly. Winemaker and business school student Tim Keller says his team's invention can be adjusted for different wines. For instance, pinot noir needs a little oxygen, while cabernet sauvignon needs a lot.

There's still something charming about cork ...

Re-reading Prince Caspian

2008-05-22T03:20:00.000-07:00

Susan: "I wouldn't have felt safe with Bacchus and all his wild girls if we'd met them without Aslan" -CS Lewis, Prince Caspian

Soda Pairings??

2008-05-18T19:21:00.000-07:00

Wonder if this was at the BK in Napa? :-)

Fun Internet Sites

2008-02-09T20:09:00.000-08:00

What happens when you cross a phone number and Google? GrandCentral! You can do all sorts of crazy unimaginable googley things, like transfer a conversation from one line to another, have multiple phones ring when someone dials one number, etc.etc.

Wondering about foreclosures? Check out RealQuest, where you can see pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, bank-owned homes, and even see the amount that people are behind on their mortgage payment. Kinda creepy, huh?

Winter Park, CO!

2007-12-22T21:56:00.000-08:00

We're skiing in Winter Park, CO!

'Tis the Season ...

2007-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

... to make EGG NOG LATTES! We've really been loving Barefoot's beans - amazing flavors and aromas, even in decaf!
Anyways, a warning: Before buying egg nog, CHECK THE INGREDIENTS, and avoid anything with pineapple juice in it! It gives the 'nog a strange "nutmeg-chemical" aftertaste, which definitely wasn't present in our previous quart (which was awesome! Horizon Organic Egg Nog, iirc).

Now THAT'S a party!

2007-10-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

Think you've made a big punch?

The record for history's largest cocktail belongs to British Lord Admiral Edward Russell. In 1694, he threw an officer's party that employed a garden's fountain as the punch bowl.

The concoction? A mixture that included 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of Malaga wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg.

A series of bartenders actually paddled around in a small wooden canoe, filling up guests' cups. Not only that, but they had to work in 15-minute shifts to avoid being overcome by the fumes and falling overboard.

The party continued nonstop for a full week, pausing only briefly during rainstorms to erect a silk canopy over the punch to keep it from getting watered down. In fact, the festivities didn't end until the fountain had been drunk completely dry.

Pretty cool, huh?

Where are ya coming from?

2007-09-04T15:45:00.001-07:00

Bollinger NV Champagne

2007-07-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

This was a gift from Apple Inc. Enjoyed this while on a double date with the Formicas ... Not too bad! A fairly straightforward champagne with more wood notes than the Veuve, but a bit more boring in the mid-palate. Fine bubbles, not too sweet, nice and approachable. $35, 92/100

Chateau Suduiraut 2001

2007-07-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

Wow wow wow. This is an incredible sauternes! A youthful mild acidity and gorgeous mouth feel, with a finish that just keeps going on and on! Everything I love about sauternes. Aside from d'Yquem, only the Rieussec bests this wine. $45 (750 mL, Costco!), 99/100.

Rosenblum Zinfandel Rockpile 2005

2007-07-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Very nice - the Rockpile '03 was phenomenal, '04 was very good, and the '05 definitely has a lot of the same characteristics. I love the fun and fairly complex sweetness of this appellation, and combined with Rosenblum's fruit-forward philosophy, you get a really amazing and approachable wine. $35, 94/100

Veuve Clicquot Champagne NV

2007-07-26T19:20:00.000-07:00

Yum! We saw this champagne being poured over a pyramid of glasses in Born Rich, and wanted to give it a shot :-) Very tasty, with fine yeast and wood notes, mild sweetness, and medium complexity. $40, 95/100.

2005 Pride Merlot / Le Papillon restaurant -> Happy Birthday, Julie!

2007-07-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

This evening, Julie and I went to Le Papillon for a special birthday dinner. The ambiance was very pleasant and romantic, the service was top-notch, and the food was presented nicely. We started with two amuses-bouche (duck pate, and bacon-quiche), then had a small appetizer (buttery cod), Ratatouille as the main appetizer, the soup of the day - a tasty cream of tomato reduction, and for the main course, I had the "Pepper Seared Filet of Beef with Brandy Demi Glace", and Julie had the "Grain Mustard Crusted Rabbit with Golden Chanterelles and Tarragon Jus". For desert, we had a chocolate-gram cracker-whipped cream thinger, that was pretty tasty! Overall, I'd rate the food a 9/10.

The wine we had with the meal was a 2005 Pride Merlot - the wine list showed it as an '04, and I assumed the '05 would be similar to the 94pt '04. We were both a bit let down - from my post on CellarTracker: "Very fine and velvety fruit, with little or no tannin backbone. Fruit and character disappeared 30 minutes after opening, leaving a soft and unremarkable wine. 94pts the first 30 minutes, and 88 thereafter."

Chardotto Zinfandel/Syrah port (from Del Dotto)

2007-07-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

Wow wow wow! After being in a lack-of-complexity funk for a bit, this port comes along and blows my socks off! Layers of brown sugar, one more complex than the other, washed over me as as I sipped in gleeful bliss. Since we had 10 people over, the $75 bottle didn't go very far :-) I opened up a Graham's Six Grapes (our house port) afterwards, and was astounded how terrible it was in comparison! I have found this port for $51 here - go long. 99/100.

iPhone Tips & Tricks: Easy punctuation!

2007-07-11T00:56:00.000-07:00

The next time you need a dot, don't just tap the .?123 key, but rather press & hold it, then drag your finger to the desired key. When you let go, you'll have the punctuation, but still be in the regular keyboard!

Delaforce Ruby Port NV

2007-07-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

A port for $6 at Trader Joe's, crazy! Fairly edgy & hot right after opening, turning into a jammy but very uncomplex wine the next day. Not bad for an open everyday wine. 85/100.

Panilonco Carmérère 2005 (Chile)

2007-07-11T00:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, $4 from Trader Joes! Surprisingly, there was almost none of the nasty mineral flavors I've come accustomed to from inexpensive Chilean wines. Rather, this had a creamy and unrefined awkwardness, which paired well with simple foods. No complexity here :-( 87/100.

Annabella Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Napa Valley)

2007-07-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Fairly tasty, but definitely improved with a bit of air - became purple and powerful, with plum and an edge ... 87/100. $12.

The Hair!

2007-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

(sung to U2 One Life, One Love)

Is it getting better

all the product i've put in my hair

is the weave

making people stare?

well it's, one comb

one perm

one weave

will bring it together

.... laaaaa laaaa (like, someone's pulling your hair)

iPhone tips & tricks

2007-06-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some of my favorite iPhone tips & tricks:

Tap on the menu bar in Safari to quickly scroll to the top of the page
In Phone, on a phone number, click on the blue Chevron to see which city the area code is from
Get to know your fingers! Figure out the shape of your digits, so you can tap more precisely.
When starting to type, USE YOUR INDEX FINGER! Too many people try to type with both thumbs first, which is advanced.

iTunes now #3 music store!

2007-06-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

... beating out Amazon. Read all about it!

Do math in your head to flip a switch

2007-06-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Yet another BCI (brain-computer interface) article. This time, they're controlling a model train: Do a math problem in your head or sing a song, and the train goes.

2005 Cameron Hughes Cabernet Sauvignon (Lot 34)

2007-06-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

Not too bad at $12 from Costco, but the muted fruit was surprisingly uncomplex and transient. The initial spice and tannin both blew off over the course of the evening. 87/100.

What I had for lunch

2007-06-20T23:08:00.001-07:00

Chipooooodle!

Guess what came today!

2007-06-11T23:31:00.000-07:00

Yipeee!

Port: Quinta do Noval 1999 LBV

2007-06-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

After working the WWDC07 Keynote today, it was time to come home and relax with a nice glass of port. The port-lust came out strong after even just the first cursory sip - wow! The firm yet not overpowering tannins provided a nice structure for raisiny fruit, giving this wine a medium complexity and a long mouth-coating finish. This reminded me why I love port. Very pleasant for $18!

Packed evening!

2007-06-09T13:06:00.000-07:00

Started off wine tasting with an oenophile friend at The Wine Club Santa Clara ("Guess the red varietal!"), then met up with some movie buffs and caught a fun flick - Oceans 13. Finally, finished at the Hedley club with said movie buffs and some more good friends. What a Friday night!

Mind control

2007-06-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

Headbands that can read and write smells, sounds, and images directly to your brain. Couple this with a fast internet connection, and imagine:

Controlling devices with the mind is just the beginning. Next, Wolf believes, is what he calls "network-enabled telepathy" - instant thought transfer. In other words, your thoughts will flow from your brain over the network right into someone else's brain. If you think instant messaging is addictive, just wait for instant thinking.

Sign me up!
more.

Rum: Zaya!

2007-05-31T17:50:00.001-07:00

Had some Zaya rum at a party a couple of weeks back ... wow! Incredibly smooth, with lots of sugar on the clean finish. Must pick some up at BevMo ($26.99 on sale!) as soon as they get some more. From BoozeReviews.net: "I don't normally like sweeter rums... but this one is like a perfectly-balanced wine. If you ever see this stuff anywhere, buy two bottles. You'll drink the first one in a couple of nights because you'll be so amazed, but then you'll have a 2nd one you can save so you can be amazed again at a later time. We're working on a full review of this extra-extra special rum, but until then... let's just call it good."

iTunes Plus: DRM-free music on iTunes today!

2007-05-30T09:20:00.000-07:00

Very exciting! Welcome iTunes Plus, making music available now in higher quality and without DRM! Run, don't walk ... :-)

Check out Street View in Google Maps!

2007-05-29T12:06:00.000-07:00

How cool is this? Right now, they only seem to be covering San Jose / San Francisco, Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, and New York. Can't wait until this gets integrated with GPS navigation software!

Riesling: Prinz Von Hessen 2004

2007-05-23T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's hot outside - what do you reach for? Something tart and refreshing, not too heavy, but leger, with citrus tones. Look no further than today's wine! This $8 bargain may be shy on complexity, but the citrus and mineral on the palate make this easy quaffing wine a winner! 88/100.

Sparkling wine: M. Chevallier Carte Noir Cava Brut NV

2007-05-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

Woah, house bubbly? This guy is a bit on the light side, but the finish is clean and fairly dry. Not mouth-puckering bone dry, however. Delightfun with thai - the bubbles stood up to the spice, and the lightness got the beverage out of the way and highlighted the food. At $5 a bottle from Trader Joe's, I'll excuse the lack of character, and take a case :-) 86/100.

Viña Requingua Puerto Viejo 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

2007-05-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

Como se dise "decant" en Espagnol? This guy was light and fruity straight outta the bottle, but after some extended decanting, wow! Much more dense and structured, with jammy fruit dancing around your palate, with a hint of Chilean flair on the finish - mint? 86/100 after opening, 91/100 after 2 days.

Carpineto 2003 "Dogajolo" Toscano Rosso

2007-05-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

Julie grabbed this at BevMo, and we hand it tonight with Indian food (butter chicken, saffron rice, garlic naan). Put away your miner's axe - this wine did NOT have overpowering mineral notes! Yay! A bit of fruit too, and a touch on the light side make this an easy quaffing wine for the stout at heart. 85/100.

We're in MAUI!!!

2007-03-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Reminder: When vacationing, take the preceding Friday and following Monday off too. Then, leave Thursday evening, and catch the redeye back Monday night, and voila - your vacation has been magically extended!

Teaching 20s Soon

2005-07-15T01:26:00.000-07:00

... and God has decided to make this time pretty personal. I've been under some spiritual attack which has led me to understand the penitential psalms quite a bit better than I expected.

Matthew's blog!

2005-05-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to introduce my best friend's blog! Check it out - aptly named Random Thoughts.

How many people really know you?

2005-03-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

A friend asked this question over the weekend ... as people started to answer, I realized that while some people know very well how I would respond in many situations, I don't think anyone really knows why I respond how I do. Sadly, the same is true for me too - I don't really know why my best friend responds the way he does, and my guess is because we tend to imprint our reasoning onto others decisions. For my best friend, we share numerous similarities (we've both been programmers from a very early age, etc.) to where we more often than not think along the same lines, but still don't know the "why" about each other ... imagine trying to truly know someone of the opposite sex!
So, how do we really get to know someone? Sure, learn more about their past ... What are questions to get at the "why"? How can we push our own explanation for others actions aside? Is it as simple as asking "Why did you do that?" Possibly paying closer attention to emotions ...

Kuwaiti student referred to psychologist after writing pro-USA paper

2005-01-07T10:42:00.000-08:00

Foothill College student Ahmad Al-Qloushi apparently wrote a
paper disagreeing with the professor's ridiculous anti-American POV, and the professor suggested he get his head examined! Here are a few email addresses I found for Professor Woolcock: woolcockjoe@foothill.edu, jwool83@comcast.net.

HT:PL

Word of the day: Sartorial

2004-12-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

It's got me in stitches!

sar·to·ri·al; adj.
Of or relating to a tailor, tailoring, or tailored clothing: sartorial elegance.

ie. "I wouldn't do that, unless black and white stripes are your sartorial style"

Rumsfeld Fighting Technique

2004-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is pretty darn funny: The Rumsfeld Fighting Techniques. He does have quite an imposing demeanor :-)

HT:Chad

Best Blogs of 2004

2004-12-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Interested in expanding your Blogosphere? Check out the Best Blogs of 2004.

Bush "The Cowboy" makes an appearance

2004-12-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

This is a bit old, but in case you missed it: Bush taking charge.

SANTIAGO, Chile Nov 20, 2004 ? President Bush stepped into the middle of a confrontation and pulled his lead Secret Service agent away from Chilean security officials who barred his bodyguards from entering an elegant dinner for 21 world leaders Saturday night.

Several Chilean and American agents got into a pushing and shoving match outside the cultural center where the dinner was held. Bush noticed the fracas after posing for pictures on a red carpet with the summit host, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and his wife and first lady Laura Bush.

Abandoning the other three, Bush walked over to the agents, reached through the dispute and pulled his agent from the scrum.

The president, looking irritated, walked away with the agent. The incident was shown on APEC television.

"Chilean security tried to stop the president's Secret Service from accompanying him," said White House deputy press secretary Claire Buchan. "He told them they were with him and the issue was resolved."

Local mirror: phandel.com
HT:ABC, DR

Renowned atheist renounces atheism

2004-12-11T12:28:00.000-08:00

After over 50 years of denying God's existence, famous atheist Anthony Flew, 81, realizes undeniability* of higher intelligence in the creation of this universe and the complexity of DNA. Rush hit the nail on the head: "People's mortality tends to 'slap them upside the head' as they age ... it's part of human nature, part of the way we were created". One of my excuses for enjoying physics is the discovery of the Creator's fingerprints on His Creation, from the tiniest particle to the largest galaxy.

* My strategery is to use "undeniability" until it becomes a word :-)

HT:RL/FN

Best tool for the job / Why I love the command line

2004-12-09T14:48:00.000-08:00

I have this theory that the more specialized the tool, the better it does the intended job. I believe this is why I love command-line tools - it forces creativity, giving you small building blocks with which you create the precise masterpiece necessary for the job. A corollary to this: time spent learning all the functions of your most oft-used tools will reap huge rewards.
End fortune-cookie mode :-)

Word of the day: Kleptocracies

2004-12-09T01:12:00.000-08:00

Kleptocracies: A government characterized by rampant greed and corruption.

What a great word!

HT:CQ

Control without moving a muscle

2004-12-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

From the BBC comes news of a "brainwave cap", giving users the ability to, for example, control a mouse pointer by merely wearing a cap. Dude, it's non-invasive to boot!

HT:/.

Duuuuuude ...

2004-12-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Feeding those etymologists among us is the latest research from a Univ. of Pittsburgh linguist, an exposition of the word "dude":

Kiesling says in the fall edition of American Speech that the word derives its power from something he calls cool solidarity -- an effortless kinship that's not too intimate.
[...]
Historically, dude originally meant "old rags" -- a "dudesman" was a scarecrow. In the late 1800s, a "dude" was akin to a "dandy," a meticulously dressed man, especially out West. It became "cool" in the 1930s and 1940s, according to Kiesling. Dude began its rise in the teenage lexicon with the 1981 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

"Gorillas hold 'wake' for group's leader"

2004-12-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

After reading this article over at CNN, I had to wonder: did the gorillas even know that their leader was dead?

"It was like they used to do in the exhibit, lying side by side on the mountain," keeper Betty Green said.
[...]
"Koola inspected Babs' mouth for a while, then held her baby close to Babs, like she loved to do the last couple months, letting Babs admire her," Green said.

Surprise! Morality reduces cheating

2004-12-08T01:54:00.000-08:00

Came across this interesting post from Hugh Hewitt:

Simply put, people with moral codes do not cheat as often as those without such codes, and moral codes are more apt to be more deeply ingrained within people of religious belief than those with little or no religious belief. Which means --simply as an objective proposition-- that those who do not view cheating as "wrong" or sinful are more likely to cheat than those who do. Cheating at cards is not altogether different from cheating on your taxes or cheating in an internet contest or cheating in a recount. Cheating is cheating.

I remember voicing something similar in a liberal Political Science class in 1996 (of course not as succinctly as Hugh), after which I was so thoroughly ridiculed by the professor, that I shelved the idea as "not politically correct enough".

French considering mandating anonymous resumes

2004-12-08T01:38:00.000-08:00

This article points to some interesting French legislation under consideration:

A proposal being studied by lawmakers would require companies with more than 250 employees to only accept resumes without candidates' names, sex, age, address or photograph to give all an equal chance of getting that critical first interview.

Hmm, I wonder if this will apply to models? :-)
HT:BOTW

Losing Perspective

2004-12-08T01:23:00.000-08:00

Both Rush and ScrappleFace remind that often times the MLM's agenda will lead them to harangue a pet issue, when a comparatively larger injustice was done to discover the issue. Rush pointed to the highly illegal leak of grand jury testimonies vs. the steroid abuse implications they suggested; ScrappleFace led with "Classified CIA Cable Warns of Danger of Leaks", while the rest of the MLM only focused on the content of the leak.

Science vs. Religion, aka How vs. Why

2004-12-08T01:04:00.000-08:00

Usually when religion surfaces in conversation with scientifically-minded friends and co-workers, I find that many rail against spirituality as a crutch for people who aren't intelligent and can't, for example, explain natural phenomenon. Unenlightened humans who attributed lightening to gods are ridiculed, as we in our more enlightened state can now explain how lightning occurs. However, the scientist and the spiritualist are answering two different questions: the former explains how lightening works, whereas the latter explains why it happened, the meaning behind the action. I believe that the "why" question must be answered by every individual, be it atheist, agnostic, or God-fearer.