I miss publishing here everyday. I'm going to try and be more like everyone's favorite version of Whoopi Goldberg (the 1993 Whoopi) namely, back in the habit. (I'm sure 90% of my readership got the reference before I spelled it out (Donny!)).
Though pining for the days of updates-on-the-half-hour may be well and good, it'll only buy me about a paragraph and a half of post. As if the only thing I've had to write about in the last year and a half is not writing about this past year and a half.
Maybe it's this new push Google has made into the online social networking scene that's got me all riled up. Joining Google+ is having the same effect joining Twitter had on me all those many years ago (where I've just noticed my #Follwers exactly equals my #Followees!) But more importantly I've clearly remembered the html for hyperlinking without so much as a refresher. I can even embed videos! You should all watch this. Even if you already have because again, 90% of my readership is already following me on Google+ and I've been raving about it there for a while:
Recent personal updates:
Our team totally won pub trivia last week, beating our cheating nemesis Team Jedi in the process.
I also plan on winning tonight's beanbag tournament (and beating a nemesis or two along the way, if there are any lying about).
And tomorrow I will be collecting vegetables from our local Community Supported Agriculture pickup, or farming that duty out to a vengetable thief.
And finally, it's July, which means there are only one hundred twenty-one shopping days until Dan Goldin Day!
This is all probably the coffee talking,
-Tom
recommended download:
Matt Nathanson, Faster, and Mercy
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Concludes (from Latin "with clues")
Conclusion reached after an afternoon refreshing Google Reader:
At any given moment there exists someone, somewhere, publishing interesting content online.
Corollary:
At any given moment there are vast hordes of someones publishing drivel.
-t
At any given moment there exists someone, somewhere, publishing interesting content online.
Corollary:
At any given moment there are vast hordes of someones publishing drivel.
-t
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
That Warm Fuzzy Feeling
We're getting the house insulated. This ia big step in the direction of energy efficiency (Thank you, President Obama, and your tax-credit program!) and staying warm during the winter months.
We're going with cellulose insulation because it's an old house, foam is toxic, and fiberglass is too pink, but mostly because the dispelled cellulose myths are hilarious:
Sprayed foam insulations can be green, too.
Sorry, no way. The only thing green about sprayed foams is the money you pay for them. Sprayed foam insulations are made with petroleum and petroleum byproducts, and that just isn't green.
What about soy based foams?
Sorry, not green. First, they're not soy 'based' - they contain a small amount of soy additive. While soy added to foam does save a little bit of oil or chemicals, the soy had to be grown, watered, fertilized, harvested, trucked, processed - well, you get the idea. Foams with soy additive are heavily marketed for their soy content, which is something called 'greenwashing'.
Unlike cellulose, foam insulations air seal and insulate at the same time
They can, certainly. But we have a lot of experience inspecting structures in the field that says that foams, especially the more rigid foams, don't have the flexibility to move as the structure does. That means there can be separations between the foam and the framing members as the lumber dries, shrinks and moves, which can allow air infiltration. In addition, there are areas that aren't routinely foamed, like the junction of a wall's bottom plate with the floor, or top plate with upper story framing and flooring. The bottom line is that proper installation of any insulation should include air sealing.
I just want my insulation to do a good job insulating
Of course you want your insulation choice to do a good job insulating. But to do that, it has to do a lot of things - effectively prevent air infiltration, manage moisture, etc. And you don't want it to create problems - make a good home for pests, outgas, etc. And then there are things you want it to do that you might not associate with an insulation product, like make your home safer in the event of a fire, do the best job of reducing noise, and have the least impact possible on the environment.
National Fiber's Cel-Pak and Nu-Wool insulations do a great job at all the things a great insulation should do, with none of the potential downsides.
I just need to insulate my attic, so can I do it myself?
Well, you can - but that doesn't mean you should. There is a proper way to install cellulose, and lots of ways that aren't. A proper loose-blown attic job will be inspected for problems, may have old insulation removed, have the soffits blocked off, have air-sealing done - you get the picture. There's more to it than just renting the machine and blowing the cellulose. (And lots of those big box cellulose products aren't as clean as National Fiber's, and many have ammonium sulfate in them - see 'Cellulose produces funny smells', above) Besides, don't you have better things to do with your weekend?
Do yourself a favor - locate a qualified installer and have the job done right.
"Of course insulation should insulate, you idiot! Thank goodness you came to our website, we spend all day trying to educate ignorant bums like you!"
Being funny is certainly better than being the method of harvesting marijuana.
-t
("Cut, and dry.")
We're going with cellulose insulation because it's an old house, foam is toxic, and fiberglass is too pink, but mostly because the dispelled cellulose myths are hilarious:
Sprayed foam insulations can be green, too.
Sorry, no way. The only thing green about sprayed foams is the money you pay for them. Sprayed foam insulations are made with petroleum and petroleum byproducts, and that just isn't green.
What about soy based foams?
Sorry, not green. First, they're not soy 'based' - they contain a small amount of soy additive. While soy added to foam does save a little bit of oil or chemicals, the soy had to be grown, watered, fertilized, harvested, trucked, processed - well, you get the idea. Foams with soy additive are heavily marketed for their soy content, which is something called 'greenwashing'.
Unlike cellulose, foam insulations air seal and insulate at the same time
They can, certainly. But we have a lot of experience inspecting structures in the field that says that foams, especially the more rigid foams, don't have the flexibility to move as the structure does. That means there can be separations between the foam and the framing members as the lumber dries, shrinks and moves, which can allow air infiltration. In addition, there are areas that aren't routinely foamed, like the junction of a wall's bottom plate with the floor, or top plate with upper story framing and flooring. The bottom line is that proper installation of any insulation should include air sealing.
I just want my insulation to do a good job insulating
Of course you want your insulation choice to do a good job insulating. But to do that, it has to do a lot of things - effectively prevent air infiltration, manage moisture, etc. And you don't want it to create problems - make a good home for pests, outgas, etc. And then there are things you want it to do that you might not associate with an insulation product, like make your home safer in the event of a fire, do the best job of reducing noise, and have the least impact possible on the environment.
National Fiber's Cel-Pak and Nu-Wool insulations do a great job at all the things a great insulation should do, with none of the potential downsides.
I just need to insulate my attic, so can I do it myself?
Well, you can - but that doesn't mean you should. There is a proper way to install cellulose, and lots of ways that aren't. A proper loose-blown attic job will be inspected for problems, may have old insulation removed, have the soffits blocked off, have air-sealing done - you get the picture. There's more to it than just renting the machine and blowing the cellulose. (And lots of those big box cellulose products aren't as clean as National Fiber's, and many have ammonium sulfate in them - see 'Cellulose produces funny smells', above) Besides, don't you have better things to do with your weekend?
Do yourself a favor - locate a qualified installer and have the job done right.
"Of course insulation should insulate, you idiot! Thank goodness you came to our website, we spend all day trying to educate ignorant bums like you!"
Being funny is certainly better than being the method of harvesting marijuana.
-t
("Cut, and dry.")
Friday, March 19, 2010
Ramblings Insane Ramblings
In the last ten minutes work has slowed dramatically. In order to still appear as a productive member of the staff I've opened a text message window where I will be narrating a portion of the day.
I am currently looking out over the cubicles on the floor and am noticing that the majority of the guys in this office have recently had their hair cut.
I ordered sunglasses yesterday, finally pulling the trigger on the expenditure after being both eager (for new shades) and reluctant (to pay the asking price) for some time. They should arrive after a few short weeks during which the manufacturers will, no doubt, be selecting individual grains of volcanic silica suitable for melting into UV-resistant shaded glass; mining and separating aluminum ore from the dangerous and exotic caves beneath Machu Pichu (the only known, terrestrial, source of eyeglass-frame-grade aluminum ore); and grinding the volcanic lenses to my exactingly unique specifications.
I am also drinking the world's largest coffee, the Starbucks Venti. Peace! I am aware that the verysame Starbucks has announced the "Trenta," and, at 31 oz. you're hollering at me now that the Venti is only second in the world of giant coffees. Let me reassure you. The Trenta is, in fact, the world's largest coffee *cup* but not in fact the world's largest coffee, as the Starbukiristanians must in fact pour a Venti, and then a little bit more, in order to fill it. The scientists among you are cognizant of this fact, and I repeat it here for my none-sciencey readers, "It is physically impossible to pour a coffee larger than 23 oz."
I am currently reading a Mary Shelley classic, "Frankenstein" on a decidedly non-classic e-book for the iPod Touch.
I am not blown away by the story so far. Stoker's "Dracula" was much better.
Halfway through my coffee and it has become apparent that caffeine does not aid my concentration in any way. So I'm posting this now, if for no other reason than to increase the spam comment count here and prove (to myself, anyway) that blogging has not been beaten, murdered, and replaced by micro-blogging. (But we all really know that it has. I blame the whale.)
-T
I am currently looking out over the cubicles on the floor and am noticing that the majority of the guys in this office have recently had their hair cut.
I ordered sunglasses yesterday, finally pulling the trigger on the expenditure after being both eager (for new shades) and reluctant (to pay the asking price) for some time. They should arrive after a few short weeks during which the manufacturers will, no doubt, be selecting individual grains of volcanic silica suitable for melting into UV-resistant shaded glass; mining and separating aluminum ore from the dangerous and exotic caves beneath Machu Pichu (the only known, terrestrial, source of eyeglass-frame-grade aluminum ore); and grinding the volcanic lenses to my exactingly unique specifications.
I am also drinking the world's largest coffee, the Starbucks Venti. Peace! I am aware that the verysame Starbucks has announced the "Trenta," and, at 31 oz. you're hollering at me now that the Venti is only second in the world of giant coffees. Let me reassure you. The Trenta is, in fact, the world's largest coffee *cup* but not in fact the world's largest coffee, as the Starbukiristanians must in fact pour a Venti, and then a little bit more, in order to fill it. The scientists among you are cognizant of this fact, and I repeat it here for my none-sciencey readers, "It is physically impossible to pour a coffee larger than 23 oz."
I am currently reading a Mary Shelley classic, "Frankenstein" on a decidedly non-classic e-book for the iPod Touch.
I am not blown away by the story so far. Stoker's "Dracula" was much better.
Halfway through my coffee and it has become apparent that caffeine does not aid my concentration in any way. So I'm posting this now, if for no other reason than to increase the spam comment count here and prove (to myself, anyway) that blogging has not been beaten, murdered, and replaced by micro-blogging. (But we all really know that it has. I blame the whale.)
-T
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Re-Trilogy
I really would have done a better job on this, but for have been subjected to multiple reruns of that show about the orange shiny people and have lost a significant amount of cognitive function. The point is, Culchie's trilogy diagram was a little bit off, so I changed a few ratings.
I changed Indiana, Matrix, Jurassic, Spiderman, Die Hard, Blade, and Terminator
Oh my God I seriously cannot function. This show is the worst thing I have ever been exposed to. I apologize for the low quality of this post. And the graphic. I really feel like my brain is bleeding out of my ears.
I changed Indiana, Matrix, Jurassic, Spiderman, Die Hard, Blade, and Terminator
Oh my God I seriously cannot function. This show is the worst thing I have ever been exposed to. I apologize for the low quality of this post. And the graphic. I really feel like my brain is bleeding out of my ears.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Still Not Enough
Still sort of working on a way to auto-update here via twitter, so those of you who aren't following me will still be appraised of whatever strikes my fancy.
The fact that most of my pertinent (and not-so-pertinent) thoughts can be condensed to less than 140 characters is, frankly, not at all surprising.
Also I've been reading this and it's hilarious if you are either (a) a fan of the Big Lebowski or (b) a fan of Shakespear or (c) both.
[spoiler, the above sentence pretty much covers the last week of my twitter feed]
The fact that most of my pertinent (and not-so-pertinent) thoughts can be condensed to less than 140 characters is, frankly, not at all surprising.
Also I've been reading this and it's hilarious if you are either (a) a fan of the Big Lebowski or (b) a fan of Shakespear or (c) both.
[spoiler, the above sentence pretty much covers the last week of my twitter feed]
Monday, December 14, 2009
Man Awakes From Blog Coma
That's right, I've broken my blogging silence! But only to mumble the following to those few readers who've chosen to sit patiently by my bedside:
Reading - Fake Steve Jobs should be a member of the Obama cabinet:
And Listening to - Warrocket Ajax Podcast
I wasn't actually a fan of this week's guest and shut it off about at the 30 min mark, but the first ten minutes are about #chrisvstwilight wherein Chris Sims reads Twilight one chapter at a time and live tweets his reactions.
-T
Reading - Fake Steve Jobs should be a member of the Obama cabinet:
So let’s talk traffic. We’ve got people who love this goddamn phone so much that they’re living on it. Yes, that’s crushing your network. Yes, 3% of your users are taking up 40% of your bandwidth. You see this as a bad thing. It’s not. It’s a good thing. It’s a blessing. It’s an indication that people love what we’re doing, which means you now have a reason to go out and double or triple or quadruple your damn network capacity. Jesus! I can’t believe I’m explaining this to you.
And Listening to - Warrocket Ajax Podcast
I wasn't actually a fan of this week's guest and shut it off about at the 30 min mark, but the first ten minutes are about #chrisvstwilight wherein Chris Sims reads Twilight one chapter at a time and live tweets his reactions.
-T
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Reading
This 'pie crust the super easy way' article (from kottke) intersperses CAPS for yelling.
With all the YELLING about PIES it sounded a lot like an Amazo post to me. (Which is, apparently, all the Amazo we can expect these days)
-t
With all the YELLING about PIES it sounded a lot like an Amazo post to me. (Which is, apparently, all the Amazo we can expect these days)
Today's Dining section brings a roundup of holiday dinner recipes for you wussbags who are too lazy or scared to make desserts with crusts. "Is it Thanksgiving if there is no traditional pie with a traditional filling and a crust that the cook obviously fussed and worried over?" asks Florence Fabrikant. The answer is obviously: NO, YOU HORRIBLE MONSTER, IT IS NOT. (link)
-t
Monday, November 16, 2009
Happy Dan Goldin Day!
Happy Dan Goldin Day 2009, everyone! I hope you're all reading this post from home with a drink in front of you, or over a pint at your local watering hole, having skipped out on work to honor the decision by the Boston University Trustees to grant a day off to the students of Boston Uniersity after awarding, and then rescinding, a contract to ex-NASA Mr. Dan Goldin, and obligating themselves to payout $1.8 million for breach of that contract. (full career summation here)
For those readers interested, here is a partial list of cities celebrating DGD '09: (east to west)
Boston, MA
Stoneham, MA
Manchester, NH
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore, MD
Birmingham, AL
Milwaukee, WI (observed 11/20/09)
Arlington, TX
Lawton, OK
Seattle, WA
Te Anua, NZ
Mackay, AU
London, GB
Dublin, IE
Celebrating in a city not on the list? Let me know in the comments! We're still missing Eastern Europe, South America, all of Africa, Asia, and I'm still waiting to hear from you Antarticans!
Too ditching work, and getting paid!
-Tom
For those readers interested, here is a partial list of cities celebrating DGD '09: (east to west)
Boston, MA
Stoneham, MA
Manchester, NH
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore, MD
Birmingham, AL
Milwaukee, WI (observed 11/20/09)
Arlington, TX
Lawton, OK
Seattle, WA
Te Anua, NZ
Mackay, AU
London, GB
Dublin, IE
Celebrating in a city not on the list? Let me know in the comments! We're still missing Eastern Europe, South America, all of Africa, Asia, and I'm still waiting to hear from you Antarticans!
Too ditching work, and getting paid!
-Tom
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Because Matt Nathanson Covered Romeo & Juliet By Dire Straits
How I spent my day:
coverlaydown.com
It's a blog dedicated to collecting and promoting folk and bluegrass covers of popular songs (and also other folk and bluegrass songs). Covers are awesome.
Covers can be hilarious. Who can forget The Gourds Gin 'N Juice? (cue illicit youtube copy!)
Or the classic Dynamite Hack version of Boyz N Da Hood!
BUT, those are just for starters. The real magic starts when good artists cover good songs. There's a reason Dire Straits' Romeo & Juliet has been covered eight hundred times: it's a Great Song. (Incidentally, it's also got the best ending to a music video ever:
Right?) (Yes, that was a parenthetical video embed)
Anyway, here are some favorites which are included in the coverlaydown archives. (In reverse chronological order) (and I'm not hyperlinking, you'll have to click though to the oringal post (which all have plenty of other covers))
-Elanor Rigby, The Beatles covered by Butch Ross
-Chelsea Hotel No. 2, Leonard Coehn covered by Regina Spektor
-True Colors, Cyndi Lauper covered by Caroline Herring
-Atlantic City, Bruce Springsteen covered by The Band (the post has 7 other Boss covers)
-Come Sail Away, Styx covered by Jonathan Rundman (not especially great, but I'm including here it for Donny)
-Jump, Van Halen covered by Mary Lou Lord
-Oops, I Did It Again, Britney Spears, covered by Laura Tsaggaris
-Nothing Compares To You, Prince covered by Ben Taylor (son of James Taylor)(saddest song on the list)
And, the best cover I found today:
-Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin covered by Dolly Parton.
-t
coverlaydown.com
It's a blog dedicated to collecting and promoting folk and bluegrass covers of popular songs (and also other folk and bluegrass songs). Covers are awesome.
"Sometimes you hear something and you think to yourself, 'That song is so good, I wish I'd written it' and that's why the cover was invented" -Rob Thomas
Covers can be hilarious. Who can forget The Gourds Gin 'N Juice? (cue illicit youtube copy!)
Or the classic Dynamite Hack version of Boyz N Da Hood!
BUT, those are just for starters. The real magic starts when good artists cover good songs. There's a reason Dire Straits' Romeo & Juliet has been covered eight hundred times: it's a Great Song. (Incidentally, it's also got the best ending to a music video ever:
Right?) (Yes, that was a parenthetical video embed)
Anyway, here are some favorites which are included in the coverlaydown archives. (In reverse chronological order) (and I'm not hyperlinking, you'll have to click though to the oringal post (which all have plenty of other covers))
-Elanor Rigby, The Beatles covered by Butch Ross
-Chelsea Hotel No. 2, Leonard Coehn covered by Regina Spektor
-True Colors, Cyndi Lauper covered by Caroline Herring
-Atlantic City, Bruce Springsteen covered by The Band (the post has 7 other Boss covers)
-Come Sail Away, Styx covered by Jonathan Rundman (not especially great, but I'm including here it for Donny)
-Jump, Van Halen covered by Mary Lou Lord
-Oops, I Did It Again, Britney Spears, covered by Laura Tsaggaris
-Nothing Compares To You, Prince covered by Ben Taylor (son of James Taylor)(saddest song on the list)
And, the best cover I found today:
-Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin covered by Dolly Parton.
-t
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
I REALLY Love Science
We are going to live to be eight hundred years old
http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/10/switch-to-reverse-biological-clock.html
-t
http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/10/switch-to-reverse-biological-clock.html
-t
Drunk Physics Work!
I love science (via xckd) because ideas as drunk-sounding-crazy as the space fountain have a realistic grounding in physics. Screw the moon base. I'm building a space fountain over Disneyworld.
-t
-t
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Repost Reader Participation Week!
I invite new readers to the blog and twitter followers to enjoy this marvellous movie meme and submit your answers! I still can't believe no one has answered #5!
Originally posted here!
Quotes Game (via Eileen)
(a) Post one quote from each of your 15 favorite movies.
(b) When a reader guesses the movie correctly, post their name and strike the quote.
(c) Memory/guesswork only.
01.I can be in the NBA. I'm tall, I like to wear shorts. Hook! Hook! Dunk! Dunk! Baby, I'm all about three points [Good Will Hunting] Eileen
02.Tell me about an ambush. I ambushed you with a cup of coffee! [Ronin] Hetherjw
03.Watch out, the yellow ones don't stop! [Elf] Eileen
04.Metaman, express elevator! Dynaguy, snagged on takeoff! Splashdown, sucked into a vortex! No capes! [The Incredibles] Laura
05. I believe it our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives.
06. Three-two-six three-eight-two-seven!
07.Now when I created the World... [Newsies] Zoe (!)
08.So you're telling me there's a chance! [Dumb and Dumber] Eileen
09.'La ola es mia.' 'the wave is mine'...I spoke Spanish in my dream! [Airborne] Dan
10. With friends like you who needs friends?
11. Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's *not* a genius? Do you especially think I'm *not* a genius? You didn't even have to think about it, did you?
12. Only when I cease to breathe will I be dead,
13. I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American...
14.We were taxiing out to the runway, right? And we, you know, we kind of hit a moose. No, the moose is fine, but we gotta make sure that the plane's all right, so some of the boys are pushing it back so these guys can take a look at it. Patti, the moose is okay. He ran off. I saw it. [Miracle] Heather
15.Now get back to the stands before I shave off half your mustache and shove it up your left nostril.[Bad News Bears] Dan
[Bonus quote: same movie as #15: "Those Yankees are real turds."]
-t
Originally posted here!
Quotes Game (via Eileen)
(a) Post one quote from each of your 15 favorite movies.
(b) When a reader guesses the movie correctly, post their name and strike the quote.
(c) Memory/guesswork only.
01.
02.
03.
04.
05. I believe it our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives.
06. Three-two-six three-eight-two-seven!
07.
08.
09.
10. With friends like you who needs friends?
11. Why would a reviewer make the point of saying someone's *not* a genius? Do you especially think I'm *not* a genius? You didn't even have to think about it, did you?
12. Only when I cease to breathe will I be dead,
13. I may not make an honest buck, but I'm 100% American...
14.
15.
[Bonus quote: same movie as #15: "Those Yankees are real turds."]
-t
Dan Goldin Day Prep
We are two months away from DGD '09 and I want to make sure everyone is ready!
For a brief history of Dan Golding Day please refer to the previous posts on this blog (here). I would direct you to Dan Goldin's wikipedia page, but the "editors" keep deleting my updates. [UPDATE - holy crap! "Dan Goldin Day" is a sub-head on the wikipedai page!]
In brief: DG got paid for, basically, not showing up for work as BU prez, and we, the students, got a day off from school for his parade, even after it was cancelled, which gave me an extra day to study for an insane math exam, which I then passed, allowing me to graduate, then get job, buy things, etc.
To celebrate, simply take the day off work, and have a drink in Dan Goldin's honor, to commemorate those times when not showing up for work works out the best for everyone involved.
This year November 17th falls on a Tuesday, so the official observation of DGD will be Monday, October 16, 2009.
For those of you who cannot take a day off, feign sickness, or call out, I recommend a long lunch instead, heavily lubricated by alcohol.
One final note on the expansion of DGD internationally, this year we expect to be celebrating not only in the DGD bastions of old (Boston MA, Milwaukee WI) and new (Philadelphia PA, Baltimore MD), but a few new American cities (Lawton OK, Seattle WA) and at least one international city (Dublin IRE).
For those readers celebrating in a town I have not mentioned above, please drop me a line in the comments and I will be sure to add your city to the DGD roster. (I'm talking to you Londoners, Kiwis, and Antartic Station researchers who love reading the blog and skipping out on work for the flimsiest of reasons.)
Happy Dan Goldin Day 2009, everyone!
-t
For a brief history of Dan Golding Day please refer to the previous posts on this blog (here). I would direct you to Dan Goldin's wikipedia page, but the "editors" keep deleting my updates. [UPDATE - holy crap! "Dan Goldin Day" is a sub-head on the wikipedai page!]
In brief: DG got paid for, basically, not showing up for work as BU prez, and we, the students, got a day off from school for his parade, even after it was cancelled, which gave me an extra day to study for an insane math exam, which I then passed, allowing me to graduate, then get job, buy things, etc.
To celebrate, simply take the day off work, and have a drink in Dan Goldin's honor, to commemorate those times when not showing up for work works out the best for everyone involved.
This year November 17th falls on a Tuesday, so the official observation of DGD will be Monday, October 16, 2009.
For those of you who cannot take a day off, feign sickness, or call out, I recommend a long lunch instead, heavily lubricated by alcohol.
One final note on the expansion of DGD internationally, this year we expect to be celebrating not only in the DGD bastions of old (Boston MA, Milwaukee WI) and new (Philadelphia PA, Baltimore MD), but a few new American cities (Lawton OK, Seattle WA) and at least one international city (Dublin IRE).
For those readers celebrating in a town I have not mentioned above, please drop me a line in the comments and I will be sure to add your city to the DGD roster. (I'm talking to you Londoners, Kiwis, and Antartic Station researchers who love reading the blog and skipping out on work for the flimsiest of reasons.)
Happy Dan Goldin Day 2009, everyone!
-t
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Dan Goldin Day On The Emerald Isle
In preparation for my impending trip to the Emerald Isle I am trying to immerse myself in all things Irish, and, as the trip came together very last-minute I wasn't left the time for some long-term study or prolonged build-up of materials, instead I'm doing as much as I can as fast as I can. Like the night before an exam.
Modern technology, it turns out, is the perfect tool for this sort of high-speed, last-minute, cultural skimming.
So, I've changed my homepage from google.com to google.ie, following random twitter feeds published by anyone within two degrees of longitude of Limerick (oconlan), subscribed to a number of blogs authored by Dubliners (like Eclectic Micks) and non-Dubliners as well (culch.ie)
[Which is where I heard this cover of The Beatles Come Together which I had never heard before.]
I've also been creating new Pandora stations seeded with Irish bands, specifically The Dubliners, and The Young Dubliners, where I found this, hilarious, song:
I'm going to read the collected works of James Joyce tomorrow.
-t
Modern technology, it turns out, is the perfect tool for this sort of high-speed, last-minute, cultural skimming.
So, I've changed my homepage from google.com to google.ie, following random twitter feeds published by anyone within two degrees of longitude of Limerick (oconlan), subscribed to a number of blogs authored by Dubliners (like Eclectic Micks) and non-Dubliners as well (culch.ie)
[Which is where I heard this cover of The Beatles Come Together which I had never heard before.]
I've also been creating new Pandora stations seeded with Irish bands, specifically The Dubliners, and The Young Dubliners, where I found this, hilarious, song:
I'm going to read the collected works of James Joyce tomorrow.
-t
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Past Glories
I'm pretty sure there's a whole section of my brain devoted solely to being awesome on IM.
Consider the evidence.
I'm also convinced this part of my brain shuts down when I'm not IMing. I believe an entire quarter of my cranium has been dark since March of 2008.
*UPDATE* -- Ok, ok, ignore the above link and just jump to this comment thread, which is a better summary than I could give.
-t
Consider the evidence.
I'm also convinced this part of my brain shuts down when I'm not IMing. I believe an entire quarter of my cranium has been dark since March of 2008.
*UPDATE* -- Ok, ok, ignore the above link and just jump to this comment thread, which is a better summary than I could give.
-t
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How To Find Awesome Pictures Of Things
I was browsing my RSS feeds, as I usually do when I get to work, and began to read this article on the isb.
Which led me here: ...
Ok, I closed the window I though had led me places, but, turns out, nothing linked to where I thought it did. It could have started anywhere along the line.
Click around online and you're bound to find an awesome picture of something. Case in point:
-t
Which led me here: ...
Ok, I closed the window I though had led me places, but, turns out, nothing linked to where I thought it did. It could have started anywhere along the line.
Click around online and you're bound to find an awesome picture of something. Case in point:
-t
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Big Brother Update
Gmail was blocked, ages ago - and along with it, gchat - but, with google widgety things on the google homepage I could, at least, still view my inbox (the 10 most recent emails received, which is better than nothing).
Then, they blocked twitter.
Today, however, when I signed into my personalized google homepage (with Batman theme!) the gmail widget was blocked! Unbelievable.
I can't even read the subject line of the first ten emails in my inbox anymore!
And when I mentioned it to a coworker they informed me that youtube is also blocked! And not the homepage, either. Get this: You can access youtube.com and you can type a query into the search bar, and search, and view search results, but, if you click on a video to watch any of your results, BAM! BLOCKED!
due to
not kidding
"violence"
Which, maaaaybe makes sense for the NFL video the coworker was trying to watch (not really, it was Michael Vick's press conference, but it could be all NFL=violence)
it does NOT make sense for the next video he tried to pull up: THESE ADORABLE KITTENS!
which I can't embed because the access through youtube is blocked.
Google video is still available, which is why I can post this
[brief aside: Every one of the crazy protestors should have been handled in this same way. Testament to the first amendment, indeed!]
In conclusion: I fear it is only a matter of time before igoogle itself is blocked, and then, most worryingly, google reader. And after that? Who knows.
Which sucks, because this is not the economic climate I want to be in while looking for a new job.
-t
Then, they blocked twitter.
Today, however, when I signed into my personalized google homepage (with Batman theme!) the gmail widget was blocked! Unbelievable.
I can't even read the subject line of the first ten emails in my inbox anymore!
And when I mentioned it to a coworker they informed me that youtube is also blocked! And not the homepage, either. Get this: You can access youtube.com and you can type a query into the search bar, and search, and view search results, but, if you click on a video to watch any of your results, BAM! BLOCKED!
due to
not kidding
"violence"
Which, maaaaybe makes sense for the NFL video the coworker was trying to watch (not really, it was Michael Vick's press conference, but it could be all NFL=violence)
it does NOT make sense for the next video he tried to pull up: THESE ADORABLE KITTENS!
which I can't embed because the access through youtube is blocked.
Google video is still available, which is why I can post this
[brief aside: Every one of the crazy protestors should have been handled in this same way. Testament to the first amendment, indeed!]
In conclusion: I fear it is only a matter of time before igoogle itself is blocked, and then, most worryingly, google reader. And after that? Who knows.
Which sucks, because this is not the economic climate I want to be in while looking for a new job.
-t
Thursday, July 23, 2009
More Than A Mortgage
House buying is going well. We are mere days away from closing, and giving away a significantly smaller percentage of my money than I thought would be necessary (100% of all my money).
Tonight we're going over to make some final measurements and to make sure that my ping pong table and couch will fit through the basement door. (Sam has still not come around to the idea of a ping pong table in the dining room)
Once we close the fixing up can begin! Upcoming changes:
(1) cut grass, trim hedges, tend garden
(2) replace the electrical service/circuit breaker
(3) rewire the kitchen
(4) buy this
(5) play this, this, and this:
And play as loud as we like.
-t
Tonight we're going over to make some final measurements and to make sure that my ping pong table and couch will fit through the basement door. (Sam has still not come around to the idea of a ping pong table in the dining room)
Once we close the fixing up can begin! Upcoming changes:
(1) cut grass, trim hedges, tend garden
(2) replace the electrical service/circuit breaker
(3) rewire the kitchen
(4) buy this
(5) play this, this, and this:
And play as loud as we like.
-t
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