Archives by Date.
Wow. There's no such thing as hard business anymore. They're both charming, though.
VIDEO: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Highlight Reel | D5 | AllThingsD:
Technorati Tags: Microsoft, technology, Apple
A Melbourne hotel that promotes itself primarily to gay men has won the legal right to ban straights from its bars. Supposedly this was done to keep the primary clientele from being threatened by the straight men. "If I can limit the number of heterosexuals entering the Peel, then that helps me keep the safe balance," the hotel owner, Tom McFeely, told Australian radio.
Why is this alright? Why would a sane judge think this is a good idea? If the hotel management actually wanted to help its patrons, they'd throw out anyone who wasn't treating people with respect.
Gay pub wins right to ban straights | Oddly Enough | Reuters :
Technorati Tags: society, relationships, government
This is one of the coolest ideas I've seen in a long time. A little personal project which, I'm sure, made one couple's wedding much more fun and interesting for all of the guests. From Andrew Enright's flickr page:
The context is relatively straightforward: When my wife and I were married last year, we had a fairly small wedding with a few groups of very tightly-knit friends and family. Wanting them to chat one another up easily, we made this graphic to help start conversations and allow, say, our college friends to enjoy my wife's father's friends without too much awkwardness.
We also wanted a program-like document, something that would tell the roles of each member of the wedding party. (Hence my wife, Heather, and me in the middle, and the ring around us of the major players.)
We collected our favorite stories (and solicited some from our parents--at least one for each guest), and Heather distilled them all to the teaser text you see between each "node". I then rendered the map in Illustrator and we had them printed on newsprint. My mom and my sister tied them around cardboard tubes filled with sunflower seeds (later to be thrown at us as we walked back up the aisle), and each guest received one as they took their seats.
Flickr Photo Download: The Story Map:
Technorati Tags: art, relationships, awesome
And parents rightly try to hold military recruiters to the same standards that college recruiters are held to.
When I was in school, I was never quite comfortable with the means that military recruiters were willing to take to talk to some kids. It wasn't uncommon to see recruiters standing in hallways flagging kids down, pulling kids out of class, or wandering around the lunchroom looking for those who fit their profile. I was always relieved when I did not fit the mold that the recruiter was looking for that day, because I dreaded the scare and guilt tactics that would be used when I rationally explained why I would prefer to seek out the military if I decided to enlist. It is certain that these recruiters did help my decision, but only by encouraging me to stay the hell away from them.
Of course military recruiters should be held to the same standard as college recruiters. It's ridiculous to approve of the tactics they've used, and it's even more ridiculous to give them carte blanche in the school.
Parents Challenge Request By Army - washingtonpost.com:
Technorati Tags: law, government, education, military
Humans choose, and that means we're responsible. Very few wives would accept "My genes made me do it" as an excuse when they catch their husbands cheating. And the research I mentioned suggests that most women actually choose to get impregnated by their steady partners, no matter how friendly the mailman is. It strikes me as an odd interpretation to suggest that the reason that most babies are sired by their mom's steady partner is that culture conditions women (against their nature) to turn down the friendly mailman. I'd like to suggest another interpretation: humans have free will, and some screw around a lot, some very rarely, and some not at all beyond the officially sanctioned serial monogamy that most cultures cultivate.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this over the past couple years. There's a common opinion (as there so often has been in youth) that you have to sleep around to be happy. I feel like it's replicated pop-culture in shows like Sex and the City (of course, my issues with Sex and the City are numerous).
Yeah, this probably is arbitrated by societal norms. But, the fact of the matter is that we're a thinking, feeling, emotional species. And the overwhelming majority of us look for an emotional connection with one person, not a solitary life of fucking around. This isn't to say that people's needs don't change. They clearly do. However, it seems like we're slow to admit that, and it's a shame, because that unwillingness leads to a lot of strife.
But, can you imagine the conversation if the excuse given above by Dr Martin Rundkvist did work? "I can't believe you'd cheat on me!" a wife would scream. Looking a little bewildered, the man stammers, "M-my genes made me do it?" A pensive look crosses the woman's face, followed by an expression of relief. "That's true," she says, "You do have those!"
Aardvarchaeology : Are Humans Polygamous?:
Technorati Tags: society, education, sex, psychology
India's largest automaker will begin production of a car fueled entirely by compressed air. A much safer alternative to the compressed natural gas engines that are very popular in cities worldwide.
Zero emissions? Fantastic. And with speeds up to 68 mph, and a range of 125 miles, this thing could make cities greener than the contents of my fridge.
Air Car - First Air-Powered Car - Zero Emissions - Behind the Tech - Popular Mechanics:
Technorati Tags: puppy, technology, travel, awesome, cars
Durex did a study, two years ago, on the sexual behavior of people in 41 countries. The results are pretty interesting. Turks are the most likely to cheat on their spouses, with 58% of those surveyed having an affair outside of their marriage. Interestingly enough, the US falls just below the Global average, at least according to the poll, with approximately 17% of participants having affairs.
But the US is near the top of the charts when it comes to other sexual behaviors, such as threesomes.
So, what's it mean? Honestly, I don't know. Pull from it what you will, I think that it largely means that the participants from the US were quick to brag about their bedroom conquests, readily admitting to three-ways, having one-night-stands, or using sex toys. But when it comes to cheating, they weren't so quick to fess up. Perhaps they don't think that the one-night-stand they had six months ago, while the wife was out of town, counts as an affair.
I don't remember where I read it, but I read, once, that from the point of view of most women, "the instant something happens that you wouldn't want me to see, hear about, or read about, it's cheating." I can respect that.
Technorati Tags: psychology, health, relationships, sex
Artist and clothing designer Fiona Carswell has designed some interesting clothes. Somewhere between high-concept fashion and a cancer-deterrent, we see the smoking jacket. Designed with two big lungs that darken as you puff down your smokes, and blow into a small valve in the collar, it may help you quit. Or it may be just ironic and in-your-face enough to keep non-smokers off your back when you light up.
Her other piece, is awesome. The malignant-mole bikini looks like your standard women's two-piece. But, the longer you're in the sun, the more spots you notice on it. And the larger those spots become.
Then you should check this out. Not living in DC, I can't comment, but I do think that this is important to figure out. We've all seen police abuse their power, be it an illegal search, or flipping on their cruiser's lights to run a red light. This kind of behavior, though, directly conflicts with "to serve and protect."
TheAgitator.com: Police Rampage Update & Contact Info: Comments:
Technorati Tags: law, government, education
It's this kind of blatant disregard for the actual laws and customs of other countries that makes the citizens of other countries shake their collective heads at us.
Naked U.S. tourist shocks German city | Oddly Enough | Reuters :
Technorati Tags: travel, government, education
Trent takes on pirates, and the record industry simultaneously. What a badass.
Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails | Herald Sun:
Technorati Tags: awesome, puppy, music, Nine Inch Nails
Kottke noticed something funny in a couple articles about Baltimore. I emailed him my response, and I'll post it here, as well:
Jason,
Regarding your " A tale of two cities" post, I felt compelled to respond. I'm a Baltimorean, and a part of a growing group in the city: young professionals.
I think what you've seen in these two contrasting viewpoints is a problem that Baltimore is facing, and will continue to face, as any city facing sectional-gentrification does. Basically, we're looking at the growing "nicer" areas (populated largely by young professionals) are forcing the original, poorer residents into smaller and smaller areas.
By doing this, by sectionally gentrifying the city, we're seeing huge spikes of crime in these lower-income areas. It doesn't help that in some situations, the government has seen fit to actively try to move the older residents out of areas undergoing "revitalization" by raising taxes to a height well out of reach of most anyone whose house was paid off while their grandfather lived in it.
It's something I struggle with, and I know my friends do as well. I love living in this city, and I love the city itself. Nowhere will you find people like those in Baltimore, and the culture is definitely booming. However, it's a shame to think of the people that were displaced by the house I bought.
We're seeing some active change, though. In my area, for example, a lot of the original residents are selling at a massive profit and moving before taxes go up, which is helping everyone to be happy. I spoke to one woman who told me "I'm selling this house that my mother left me, but the money I make will put my daughter in college."
So, I guess to recap, it's not a tale of two cities. It's a tale of one city, but there's two sides to every coin. Take is easy, man!
Jehan Alvani
A tale of two cities (kottke.org):
Technorati Tags: society, government, Baltimore, education, drugs
Yes, it's true, I think Larry Flynt is an important figure to any American. As the founder of Hustler magazine, the lawsuits that have followed him have done more to uphold free speech than any other person I have heard of (granted, I'm not the world's foremost authority).
And, honestly, this is the type of memorial I was waiting for. I don't approve of Jerry Falwell at all. Actually, I'm glad that we won't have to listen to his views anymore. But he was a person, and despite his views, someone would write a thoughtful remembrance. It does shock me that it comes from Larry Flynt, though.
This is hilarious. Especially the end. My god, man. People are something else.
ABC News: Cop Suspended After Porn Star's 'Favor':
Technorati Tags: humor, puppy, sex, society, government, drugs, law, internet
The mother of a teenager who acted out came up with a good plan, recently. Rather than accept the school's punishment as enough, she enforced her own punishment. She made her daughter stand just off of school grounds, holding a sign describing what she's done, as well as the consequences of her actions - for everyone nearby to see.
She's teaching her daughter personal responsibility, and how to stand up when people are looking at you funny for doing the right thing. More than that, she's teaching her daughter that good things can come from admitting when you were wrong. Well done.
Mom makes daughter who bullied hold a poster in front of schools
I'm pretty sure that this is accurate. This entire list is terrible...LY FUNNY! WOOOOO!
To borrow a bit from John Gruber, Paul Thurrott is being a bit of a tool. Reporting on Amazon's decision to sell DRM-free music (awesome) he says
"I guess this means that Amazon is the second EMI DRM-free music licensee. But Amazon is going to use MP3, which is wonderful, given it's compatibility with every single device on the market."
Don't mistake me. He's being accurate, but the implication is there that Apple's files are somehow only playable on an iPod.
I've always wanted to be able to see really well at night. I still eat carrots by the truckload thanks to my mom's promise that it would improve my vision in the dark. I was 3, yeah, but that doesn't make it any less true. Or awesome.
Bill DeRouchey writes up a great overview of the first widespread TV remote controls, the Zenith Space Command models. It's very cool to see how they work.
History of the Button » Blog Archive » Zenith Space Command: unboxing a mystery:
People argue that baseball is no fun, boring, jacked-up, or a number of other things. But baseball has always had a soft spot in my heart, and this illustrates why.
I can't think of any other sport where the crowd and the players interact on a closer, more personal level. The pace of the game, the separation of the defensive players, the isolation of the offensive players all are designed to do one thing: freak each and every player out.
Imagine, you're in centerfield, there's a runner on first who has been threatening to steal for two batters, now, and nobody is really paying him much attention anymore. There's two outs, it'd be ridiculous for him to run. So you're spacing a little. Starting to think about how thirsty you are. And you're fading despite constant reminders to yourself to concentrate. It's tough.
It's a game that takes a hell of a lot of focus, and that's why baseball hecklers are the most famous in all of pro sports. They are a huge distraction when you're on the field all alone. And this is the best response to heckling that I've ever seen. Well played, Vernon Wells. Well played, indeed.
Followup on the Vernon Wells Heckler Ball - A Home Run Derby Exclusive:
Technorati Tags: psychology, sports, humor, awesome
Seriously, perfect. You have to listen to this. It's stellar. Racism? Yeah. More than a little.
fuvoo - Jewish Girl Prank Calls Her Parents:
Technorati Tags: society, humor, evil, relationships
Several tips for reducing the amount of snail-mail spam we all receive. As a new homeowner, I've seen the amount of total crap mail I get shoot through the roof since I moved into my house, so these options are pretty awesome.
Queercents » Reduce Junk Mail: Five Money Saving Tips:
Technorati Tags: awesome, government, marketing, society
A collection of really creative business card designs. These range from the simply well-designed, to the totally unique. Fantastic.
A collection of really creative business card designs. These range from the simply well-designed, to the totally unique. Fantastic.
I've been saying this stuff for years. Brilliant, and well written. Now, go apply some newly-found knowledge!
dmiessler.com | grep understanding knowledge:
Technorati Tags: awesome, relationships, society
Freakin' awesome! This sub generates its own breathable air and purifies its own drinkable water. Plus, in 25 years of operation, I'll never need to be refueled. Bad. Ass.
Astute: Astute Submarine Looks like a Whale, Never Needs Refuelling - Gizmodo:
Morons. They're all morons.
Mooninites, meet the Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act :
Technorati Tags: evil, government
This makes me a little ill. A 12 year old boy was coming back from LA, when his birthday money was stolen out of his suitcase. There are no checks and balances with this system. And, it's also pretty sad that the blogger's reaction (keep in mind, this is Consumerist. They're usually awesome about telling us where to get information about how to change stuff like this) is basically "it sucks, but there's no way to do anything about this."
No. This is unacceptable. The entirety of the governmental system is built upon the idea that no one group of governmental authority should go unchecked. It's ridiculous that TSA's are gaining more and more power and authority, while checks aren't being put in place to balance that authority. I've been hassled enough by these new laws. This is beyond criminal, it's horribly reprehensible, and there's no way that anyone should be willing to continue to stand for this.
Crime: 12 Year Old Boy: TSA Stole My Birthday Money - Consumerist:
Technorati Tags: evil, travel, government
It's rare that I'd congratulate an international mega-corp such as Starbucks, but this is awesome. Starbucks has printed quotes submitted by customers on their cups for a couple years, now, and one of them offended a woman, because it questions God. And she's mad. And Starbucks doesn't seem to be backing down.
Companies should be more willing to offend people. We're so afraid of offending one another that we are walking on eggshells and speaking with feathers. It's bullshit. Good on you, Starbucks. Keep up the good work!
WorldNetDaily: Anti-God Starbucks cup has customer steaming:
Technorati Tags: marketing, psychology, religion
VW's a funny company. They have a serious fetish for special editions, and they've put out some really oddball sets. I'd never heard of this one, but it's pretty funny. And it's been out in many iterations. I present: the VW Jeans Beetle.
Overview (Jalopnik)
1974 Jeans Beetle (SE Beetles)
1975 Jeans Beetle 2
1982 Jeans Bug
1995 Jeans
2000 Jeans Edition
Technorati Tags: cars
Instead cells die from the resumption of proliferation of oxygen to the cells. That's nutso, and my well change how all sorts of procedures are handled. I imagine there'll be a lot more research about this before any major changes take effect, but it's yet another example of how science helps us see that even the things we think we know for sure are worth questioning. Awesome.
BBC News reports that life in the world's big cities actually is speeding up. Impressively enough, the average walking speed of a pedestrian has gone up by 10% in the last decade.
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Life in the fast lane 'speeds up':
Technorati Tags: health, psychology, workout
The New York Times reenforces my point about abstinence-only education. It doesn't work. Let's move onto better things.
Preceding the release of "Year Zero," the latest release by rock veterans Nine Inch Nails (can they still be called "veterans" if Trent Reznor is the only one who is persistent on all of the albums?), an intricate viral campaign was launched and completed. In true fashion, NIN blurred the line between advertising, art, and entertainment; and managed to create something entirely different and exciting while promoting a commercial venture.
The campaign involved several websites, tour merchandise, USB drives found at concerts, and the physical CD itself, after the release.
My favorite quote from the article is, of course, the following:
Before you play it the disk is black. When you take it out of the CD player it’s white, and then slowly fades to grey. As it turns out the people that have done the marketing are the same ones that marketed the ill fated microsoft zune, which has been one of the biggest failures in history. This goes to show it wasn’t the marketing, it was an inferior product.
On top of the quality of the product that the band was pushing, though, is the fact that NIN didn't insult their fans, leaving the tracks on USB keys freely available, and expecting them to be distributed. Not leaving direct clues was another part of the game, essentially the band telling the fans "You're smart. You guys can figure this out."
"Year Zero" project = "the way a viral campaign should be run" - (37signals):
Technorati Tags: music, rock, Nine Inch Nails, marketing, internet
Hilarious short by Paul Simms from the New Yorker.
Shouts & Murmurs: Four Short Crushes: Humor: The New Yorker:
Technorati Tags: humor, psychology, women, relationships
Psychology Today reports that some less-than-scrupulous women will slack on the pregnancy-preventative measures if the guy seems like a good catch. Screwed up? Yes. Functional? Maybe. Acceptable? Absolutely not.
This is why some people shouldn't be allowed to breed. Ugh.
Psychology Today: Not-So-Accidental Pregnancies:
Technorati Tags: evil, psychology, women, relationships
Tim Ferris went from 146 lbs. to 174 lbs, packing on 34 lbs. of muscle, and dropping 3 lbs. of fat. He did this in 4 weeks, spending only 8 hours at the gym total on those 4 weeks. No steroids. No bullshit. Just working hard, and having a plan.
Speaking from experience, this is the way to do it. You need a plan to massively change your lifestyle, and his is meticulous. I dropped 120 lbs. in a year, but I couldn't have done it without a plan. Because of that plan, it became a way of life, and the weight hasn't gone back on. This is awesome, and will very directly affect my current workout. Thanks, Tim!
» From Geek to Freak: How I Gained 34 lbs. of Muscle in 4 Weeks:
And this is muppets doing Pulp Fiction. Not SUPER well-done, but it's worth a laugh or two. Check it out.
All of them are 100% true, except that there's absolutely no reason anyone should ever have to "make up" for playing Jareth the Goblin King in Labyrinth. That dude was only made more badass by the fact that Bowie played the part. Also, make no mistake that there is no way a mortal could ever possibly enumerate all the things that Make David Bowie the Man.
15 Reasons Why David Bowie Is The Man at Dethroner:
Technorati Tags: drugs, puppy, rock, David Bowie, music
I suspect that most anyone who grew up drinking and using drugs realized something similar.
Alcohol was legal, regulated, and hard to obtain by kids. Drugs were illegal -- and therefore unregulated -- and trivially easy to obtain by teenager.
An odd effect of drug prohibition:
Technorati Tags: marketing,