prolonging life

... battery life that is. As per an email convo I've been having with Samantha about MacBook battery life (and MacBooks in general), I did a little reserach about "how to maximize macbook battery life". I figured I'd post the choicest linkage here. (Even though the below links are results 1, 2 and 3 respectively from a google query with the above quote ... maybe having these in one place will be helpful to someone.)

Apple - Batteries - Notebooks [apple.com]
Maximizing iPod and MacBook Battery Life [methodshop.com]
MacBook Pro Battery Life [theappleblog]

the mary tyler moore posting

(As in, love is all around no need to waste it. ok as far as titles go that's a stretch, but then again so are all those leggings the girls are wearing these days.)

yes, this post is about love. sort of. not really. actually just me walking in the spider-www's

Everyone loves Cory Arcangel. jeez.
But ya know what? I think I do too. And that's not anger, its just jealousy. The Super Mario Bros clouds piece sounds amazing. I have to go check out his current show.

Everyone loves 37 signals. But that doesn't mean you should go stalking them. This Web2.0 thing is getting a leeetle beet scary.
Stalking 37 Signals [stanhansen.biz]

Urban Lobster gets no love from anyone. (Somehow a flier for this place ended up at my office. "Urban little neck clams"?? no thanks.)
Urban Lobster Makes Me Crabby [gridskipper]

LES locals get no love from Schillers.
Schiller's, I hardly even know you any more. [gridskipper]

And I'm not sure exactly who or what this Kathy Fagan woman loves, but this is a nice poem about it that my brother sent me. hmm ... still chewing on this one.
"There's just one little thing: a ring. I don't mean on the phone." — Eartha Kitt. By Kathy Fagan [slate]

fact vs. fiction

Let's take a moment to seperate the wheat from the chaffe in the blogosphere today ...

Curbed follows up on the hipster homeowning howto session to report on all the deluded would-be real estate buyers it created.
Hipsters Get Schooled, Lied To [curbed]

I've been researching Parkinson's quite a bit these past few days (due to an extended family member's diagnosis) so I find this Rush Limbaugh thing to be eerily timely in addition to disgusting and offensive. But I still couldn't resist watching the video of his immitation today -- I'd previously only heard the audio. Go Rush. what a scumbag.
Olbermann Gives Us The Visual To Limbaugh’s Attack On Michael J. Fox [crooks and liars]

popbitch made this claim today in its email:

The word trivia comes from the Latin tri + via =
three streets. In ancient Rome an information
booth was situated where three streets met

which reference.com contradicts in its etymology of trivial.

Falsities abound as the email went on to cite OJ Simpson's new alleged hypothetical confession book ... which turns out to be a hoax.

And the Observer reports on this fascinating little technique the Times is using to distinguish objective and subjective reportage. This seems like something I would've heard about from kottke ... but alas, this is via the 37signals blog.
Times Draws Ragged Line Between Fact and Opinion [observer]

morning reading, anti-antibacterial edition

yo i been saying this for yearrrs:
Why You Don't Need "Antibacterial" Soap
its dr bronners for me. all the way. eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree ... of ye I shall never tire.

Speaking of germs and such ... this LA Weekly article addresses new resistant strains of staff infection that are spreading through the LA area ... this does not bode well for the health care situation in our nation in general -- particularly in regards to our obsession with antibiotics. This article will freak you out and make you a germaphobe.
The Scourge of Skid Row [laweekly]
WARNING: some reeeealy naaaasty pictures in there

and speaking of problems our country is facing ... here is James sounding off about democracy and capitalism. (I've been catching up on old blog posts thanks to the google reader.) Preach brother:
Democracy and Freedom [full metal blog]

and, this post reminds me of that great long article about Christopher Hitchens in the New Yorker recently. Everyone know there is seriously a problem with the left in our country. But I just want to say I whole-heartedly agree. It just seems to be addressing all the wrong issues. Completely unpragmatic. frustrating.
A view from the Right [full metal blog]

Tuesday evening : New York City edition

... spent today reading a bunch of NYC-focussed stuff for some reason.

I've always loved this building ... from the day I moved into the neighborhood. Before I moved actually -- as I looked at a place right next door when I was searching for housing.
11 Spring Street [wooster collective]

This Times account of a protest at an UWS Victorias Secret is a really nice NYC slice-of-life.
Memo to Future Protesters: Don’t Block the Lingerie [nytimes]

Reading the Village Voice story of the above got me thinking about this term I've heard a few times now. Interesting little meme.
freegan.info

And another NYC scene.
The Last Night of 184 Kent: 'Vague Fist Pumping,' Beer [curbed]

Tuesday morning

An article about Hell House. I'm going to see it on Thursday.
There's No Winking in Hell [villagevoice]

Article about a melting glacier in a former tourist town in Switzerland. Think this glacier was featured in An Inconvenient Truth?
Frozen in Memories, but Melting Before Their Eyes [nytimes]

art. modernism. ... A review of a show (“The Société Anonyme: Modernism for America”) at the Phillips Collection in DC. I'm visiting Miki in a few weeks so I'll get to check this out!
Lights From the Dawn of Modernism [nytimes]

I've grown tired of the Harpers Weekly Review, but this week's is pretty good.
Weekly Review 2006-10-24 [harpers]
highlights:

The Maine National Guard has been offering “Flat Daddies” and “Flat Mommies,” life-size cardboard cutouts of deployed service members, to spouses, children, and relatives waiting for them to return.

Tony Snow compared the President to “one of those guys at the gym who plays about 40 chessboards at once.”

The Boy Scouts introduced a new merit badge for learning how copyright law applies to pirated movies and music.

and, A Massachusetts elementary school banned tag.

you-inthearmynow-tube

At my brother's suggestion I finally got around to doing some youtube searches for Iraq footage. This shit is amazing, intense, addictive, voyeuristic etc etc etc.

From the so-called Mullet Mafia. Kinda nice actually. a glimpse into soldiers passing the time and not being too assholish.

ok, craziest thing here to me was this advertisement for RAID insurance. Imagine purchasing insurance for protection in the event that your HOME gets RAIDed ... by the ARMY. Just kind of drove home the sad absurd reality for people trying to live a normal life in Baghdad.

I'll just say "pouch, human remains". sad.

just some soldiers acting acting like assholes. sad that our nation is being represented by people like this.

Some marines crushing a car with a tank. This short is slightly Michael Moore-esque. But still sad as hell.

This is just awful and really graphic. (which of course means engrossing and fascinating.)

This is just a bunch of guys shooting off some roof but its pretty intense. They are just up there blasting away at some shit for what seems like forever.

... ok I cant watch this crap anymore.

suck norris

It is safe to say a small dream has died today for many a internet humorist. Not only has Chuck Norris never counted to infinity, but it turns out his tears don't cure cancer, and he is a jesus-loving weenie who can't take a joke. well maybe. but not very well. Chuck Norris weighs in on himself. Choice quoteage:

There was a man whose tears could cure cancer or any other disease, including the real cause of all diseases – sin. His blood did. His name was Jesus, not Chuck Norris.

That's heavy brother.

On Chuck Norris 'mania' sweeping the Net [wnd.com]

Monday -- late edition

A friend of mine is one of the founders of this project (The Empty Vessel) and I am so endlessly impressed. She is a major project-accomplisher -- so hopefully we can collaborate on something in the near future.
A Ship of Freethinkers, Hemmed in by Landlords [nytimes]

ugh. There is just too much wrong here -- I don't have the patience to ellaborate ... but I encourage you to click through the reference links.
Hipster real estate coaching [curbed]

Excellent op-ed by frank rich on Barack Obama. Times Select. sorry.
Obama Is Not a Miracle Elixir [nytimes]

And also, David Brooks on Obama yesterday, replacing his usual blustering douchebaggery with some sensible thoughts on why he should run. (Also Times Select)
Run, Barack, Run [nytimes]

Some random technology pron, this new camera uses lllaaserrz to take 3D pictures. I'm impressed.
3D Video Camera [the other full metal blog]
(sorry James, I found it googling for your's)

This is what I was googling for ... James chiming in on the "ghetto latte" phenom:
The Ethics of Lattes [full metal blog]
I find moralistic debates against this to be totally absurd. What I am earnestly concerned about though is how this will affect the whole "currency of lattes" concept that has found its way into funraising attempts everywhere. I'm sure you've heard it before: "For the price of just X lattes per <time period>, you can ...." save an orphan in africa? help get a senator elected? switch from traditional to solar power? not any more. These ghetto lattes may change the way people pull at our society's purse strings.

Monday morning reading

"Photographer Clifford Ross shared his list of the necessary ingredients for invention and art at PopTech." [kottke]

More Bad News For Broken Angel [gothamist]

I was just talking to my cousin yesterday about the history of Harlem and how city policies can be racist, and here is a posting about a very relevent recent NY Times article:
Riverside Park inequality [gothamist]

"National Park Service have done some serious upgrading to the park finder." [lifehacker]
This looks really cool -- I want to take advantage of it soon.

Despite that I despise the word "ginormous", this is an interesting post about downloading free music at the internet archive. [lifehacker]

And finally, a post about an interesting list of ways to keep your kids safe online. [lifehacker]
Despite the horrible blog name ("Cool Cat teacher blog" instantly destroys this guy's credibility if you ask me) and one of my petpeeve grammatical mistakes (peruse/browse -- see "Usage Note"), I find this quite fascinating. I'm interested in anything related to the ways the internet and technology are profoundly and quietly changing our lives -- particularly with generational issues.

random you tubeage

'sturb. but hilarious. transgendered sketch comedy music video about some psychologically abused chick who's got lots of 'sues (get it? "shoes")
shoes. [youtube]

more 'sturb. but in a different way. also hilarious. cool illustrations. still image montage of chuck norris joke style humor about one of our nation's illustrious founding fathers
washington, washing-TON [youtube]

what i'm reading today ...

Cringely on the "Google" shipping container data center -- which he predicted a year ago, and is actually being built by Sun.
A Tradition of Empty Boxes [pbs.org]

At least Catholics aren't hypocrites on one issue: after criticizing Islam, the Vatican proves itself to be more tolerant -- at least on the whole "representing religious leaders as cartoons" issue:
Cartoon tribute to Pope John Paul [bbc]
links to the trailer
... now if they could just reconcile that whole "don't have sex unless its with 15 yr old boys" thing.

Speaking of which, could you think of a worse headline than this???
Priest's Relations With Foley To Be Probed [cbsnews]

whoa, what's going on today? This one isn't much better:
Foley scandal no excuse to tear holes in Republicans' `big tent' [mercurynews]

Also ...
Teen Questioned Over Bush Threats on MySpace [aol news]
So ridiculous. Glad to see our nation's investigative bodies are using resources wisely. Osama bin Who? Let's crack down on high schooler myspace terrorist cells.

Also, miscellaneous musings on how to succeed in the office world.
Steer well clear of all meetings [guardian]
I'd like to add my own:
21. Waste all day blogging. whee.

annnd ... this is just bizarre and sad and scary.
Preschool Puberty, and a Search for the Causes [nytimes]
Someone call Rodger D Hodge, this is Harpers Weekly fodder.

And finally, a crazy pic ... at least for me personally. This is exactly the spot where i took a nap 2 Saturdays ago during my london stop-over on my way back from rome.
Park visitors sit on deck chairs in central London's Hyde Park [activate]

kottke on Brian Eno

some great stuff on kottke today about Brian Eno and PopTech. Ryan was telling me about this Cory Archangel piece that he saw the other day.

Love this quote: "Art is created by artists so that the viewer has the opportunity to create something."

Steven Reich to Brian Eno to Cory Arcangel

It's all in your head

77 Million Paintings, a generative artwork by Brian Eno.

plus this really cool random thing about a compositte of world webcams:
Netlag: infovisualization of the world made of exterior web cams over time.

chris floyd is afraid of science

ok, Chris Floyd at truthout going all alarmist and conspiracy theorist (was going to link to New Yorker's article last week on this subject but can't find a link) about some funding that was given to a research project at Cornell and other schools. This is tangentially related to some stuff I do at work. Saying that this program should not exist is kind of like saying that we should stop companies from making faster microchips or something ("but the Bush administration might use them to more quickly stifle civil liberties!") Science shouldn't be stifled just because we have a repugnant would-be fascist regime in charge. This is a cool project that will advance human knowledge. Now lets get a new administration in office that doesnt laugh in the face of checks and balances.
Sentimental Education: Academia Signs Up to Track Down Dissent [truthout]

This is fascinating ... I'm of course no evolutionary biologist, but this seems of questionable science. "Chins would recede, as a result of having to chew less on processed food." ?? What does that have to do with natural selection or evolution? weird.

An evolutionary theorist has predicted that humans may split into two sub-species [kottke]

bye bye boobies

ok, that isn't that funny of a title ... but It'd be hard to beat what Gawker came up with. hilarious. the three highest frequency blogs in my kinja list all chimed in on this w/in minutes of each other.

Thanks for the Mammaries [gawker]
Boob loss leaves SoHo bereft [gothamist]
Deboobing [curbed]

more daily emails

from today's NYT Style email:

Dear New York Style Reader,

In the next few weeks, New York Style will be replaced by Urbanite, an improved guide to the best of New York each day. You can receive Urbanite every weekday or just once a week, as you choose. Click here to receive this new daily update on what's special in New York - arts and culture, nightlife, dining, fashion, style and more.

Otherwise, as a New York Style subscriber, you'll receive Urbanite Weekend once a week, on Fridays.

bummer. So soon I'll have another daily email with recomendations of questionable quality to contend with. ugh. I liked the Style email: weekly, no pressure, and some really good stuff. I hope they don't sacrifice any of the slideshows. from todays:

yo i've been craving a couple good cardigans for a while now
stupid people going crazy over stupid trends
I like the last one here

the sartorialist does saks

hilarious. Sartorialist taking over. I've been a fan of his for a while now. Cool to see him blowing up.

Fashion Blog Steams Up Saks Windows [nymag]

... though I think this is more a case of "fashion industry guy with blog" than "a blogger breaks into the fashion industry" ... just before anyone goes and gets too excited.

linkage

good stuff from the interweb today:

i think i could write a song about this:

jen bekman linking to nyt elephants article

from drudge:

look out, 8000 music industry lawsuits

the 200,000,000th american now has a posh corner office at his law firm. go usa!

from lifehacker:

useful thing for family n friends tech support

on making todo lists more effective

from gawker:

rapper fabolous arranges to get shot for publicity. so sad

also sad: 6-yr-old girl obsessed with dick

and kottke:

personal account of rich dude putting his arm through a picasso

and back to work.

cool. I should really get some books off here ... and the book-binding link seems really cool too:
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/ebook/the-top-100-free-gutenberg-project-books-207623.php

also:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101306R.shtml

maybe i should become amish

people have too much money to spend on crap these days:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/12/garden/12scent.html?8dpc

amish people seem to deal w/ tragedy with grace:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Amish-School-Shooting.html
... no crying in front of cameras etc etc

is god green

interview with bill moyers about evangelicals and environmentalism:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/100306Z.shtml

... contrast with:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101006R.shtml