February 2009 Archives
So Steven Page has left the Barenaked Ladies and we're all shocked and sad. And then the Netwerk Label producer Terry McBride goes and disses Page in what seems like an attempt to comfort fans that we'll still have the BNL we've grown to love.
- http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=e0226101A
Dude, are you a raging idiot? That makes you look like a dick, and puts both the band and Page in an awkward place moving forward. Instead, he should have expressed sadness that this had happened, expounded the virtues of Page as an artist, entertainer and contributer, wished him well and moved on.
Idiot.
http://www.iconarchive.com/images/hotlink [DOT] gif
"Recently, a lot of new non-relational databases have cropped up both inside and outside the cloud. One key message this sends is, "if you want vast, on-demand scalability, you need a non-relational database"."
- http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/is_the_relational_database_doomed.php
- http://valleywag.gawker.com/5158699/i-tweet-therefore-i-am?skyline=true&s=i
- http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/20/did-lastfm-just-hand-over-user-listening-data-to-the-riaa/
"Techcrunch are full of shit"
- http://blog.last.fm/2009/02/23/techcrunch-are-full-of-shit
http://www.paulgraham.com/13sentences.html
- http://www.cbc.ca/arts/books/story/2009/02/21/nolan-writer-obit.html?ref=rss
"Make sure you know, before you go, the dance floor bro/ho ratio"
Making Friends
with the Browser
Ajax, Back Buttons and Bookmarks
Mapping the future by saving the historyhttp://labs.pathf.com/ajax/tae2008boston/
"Going forward, we've decided to take a new approach towards developing our terms. We concluded that returning to our previous terms was the right thing for now. As I said yesterday, we think that a lot of the language in our terms is overly formal and protective so we don't plan to leave it there for long."
http://blog.facebook.com/
Simple pleasures I guess, when all else is chaos, it's the little bits of control that make you believe you're alive.
You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.
Thanks Yan and Mashable and the consumerist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_type
This highest O+ is in Saudi Arabia while the highest percentage of O- is in Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Amazing the information at the fingertips.
"Mexican actress Salma Hayek and French billionaire businessman François-Henri Pinault celebrated Valentine's Day by tying the knot in Paris, according to local officials."
- http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2009/02/16/hayek-pinault-wed.html
"The recently released desktop app Google Earth 5 contained a little surprise for many Mac OS X users — it installed Google's automated Update Engine without clearly asking.
Worse, the latest version of Google Earth won't work without the Update Engine running in the background.
We mentioned the new update policy in our initial review, but given Google's lack of transparency, or what users perceive as a lack of transparency about the update, it bears a closer look.
Sneaking an auto-updater into a software package without clearly pointing it out during the installation process is a bad idea, one that Google has promised to change with a new, more informative splash screen. But, offering no way to turn the update software off is downright evil, according to many upset users in the Google Earth Group."
- Wired Magazine
"It was enough of a concern that the North American Aerospace Defense Command -- better known as NORAD -- called the Canadian government to let them know that a piece of space debris was headed towards Calgary.
And the debris was big: a piece of an unmanned Russian rocket, 10 square metres in size."
- http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090214/debris_calgary_090214/20090214?hub=SciTech
"Numerologists believe that events linked to the time 11:11 appear more often than chance or coincidence. [1] This belief is related to the concept of synchronicity. [2] Other authors believe it is an auspicious sign, [3] and others that it signals a spirit presence. [4] [5]
Although not an originator of the concept, Uri Geller has spoken repeatedly about 11:11, [6] and the belief that it has mystical powers has also been adopted by many believers in New Age philosophies. [7] However, some skeptics say that Geller's examples of 11:11 phenomenon in world events are examples of post-hoc reasoning [8] and confirmation bias."
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=8506515
"As unbelievable as it may be, this phenomenon is one of the major indicators that our planet is in a state of ascension from the 3rd dimension into the 4th dimension (where we are now) and finally into the 5th dimension. Everything else pales by comparison."
- http://www.phenomenon1111.com/
So is it a coincidence that this movie is up by 111% or some cosmic message of hope and hi jinks? You decide. (or sign up for a 14 day imdb pro trial and discover the truth... either way)
- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406492/
It's pretty simple to install the plugin and get going (if you have a squeezebox and slimserver already... obviously).
1. Download the SqueezeScrobbler
2. Expand the zip and move the entire folder into the Plugin Directory of the SlimServer (System/Library/PreferencePanes is where mine was)
3. Restart SlimServer
4. Put in your username and password from Last.fm
5. Giver Shiver
Notice from the pics that it publishes (if you want) the songs you've played back to Last.fm. You can also vote your LOVE or HATE back to Last.fm from your SqueezeBox.
Awesome.
Ideas are a dime a dozen. The money is in the execution.
Need proof? For Seth Godin's Alternative MBA program, this week the nine of us came up with 111 business ideas each. But ideas are only valuable when someone (like you) makes something happen.
What follows are our 999 business ideas, free for the taking."
|
"Researchers at Canada's largest children's rehabilitation hospital have developed a technique that uses infrared light brain imaging to decode preference – with the goal of ultimately opening the world of choice to children who can't speak or move.
In a study published this month in The Journal of Neural Engineering, Bloorview scientists demonstrate the ability to decode a person's preference for one of two drinks with 80 per cent accuracy by measuring the intensity of near-infrared light absorbed in brain tissue."- http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/uot-csr020909.php
Read full study
Thanks Engadget
(image stolen from this dude)
Seth, are you forgetting about "The Princess Bride" by S. Morgenstern. Abridged to only the good parts version by William Goldman? Ahhh, the good parts version. Thanks Mr. Goldman for skipping the 80 useless pages of wedding preparations.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/02/which-parts-are-you-skipping.html
"The latest source of my dilemma is Twitter, which lets you spit out real-time reports about what you're thinking and doing. It's fun to track the digital ejaculations of selected Twitterati. But a couple thousand people signed up unsolicited to follow my tweets. And I feel guilty when not serving this hungry crowd—remorseful when I am.Since I don't know many in this mob, I try not to be personally revealing. Still, no matter how innocuous your individual tweets, the aggregate ends up being the foundation of a scary-deep self-portrait. It's like a psychographic version of strip poker—I'm disrobing, 140 characters at a time."
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
<b>52:29:08</b>
I hate squats. Tomorrow is going to suck.
http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/004403.html
http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/000881.html
Read it all at http://www.newsweek.com/id/183670
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longest_word_in_English
The identity of the longest word in English depends upon the definition of what constitutes a "word" in the English language, as well as how "length" should be compared. In addition to words derived naturally from the language's roots (without any known intentional invention), English allows new words to be formed by coinage and construction; place names may be considered words; technical terms may be arbitrarily long. Length may be understood in terms of orthography and number of written letters, or (less commonly) phonology and the number of phonemes.
| Word | Letters | Characteristics | Dispute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methionylthreonylthreonyl...isoleucine | 189,819 | Chemical name of the largest known protein | Technical; not in dictionary; disputed whether it is a word |
| Lopado...pterygon | 183 | Longest word coined by a major author[1] | Coined; not in dictionary; Greek transliteration |
| Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis | 45 | Longest word in a major dictionary[2] | Technical; coined to be the longest word |
| Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism | 30 | Longest non-coined word in a major dictionary[3] | Technical |
| Floccinaucinihilipilification | 29 | Longest nontechnical word | Coined |
| Antidisestablishmentarianism | 28 | Longest non-coined and nontechnical word | |
| Honorificabilitudinitatibus | 27 | Longest word in Shakespeare's works |
Finding good help has become more of a pain than it is worth.
"Why don't you go an talk to your shrink about this?", I said as she walked out of the room. "Go tell him that your boss is an ass who treats you like shit!". I can't believe how mad I am. "And stop fucking coming into my office! Use the damn intercom!".
I don't think she heard me, but it doesn't matter. I'm just trying to get this book finished and she doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'do not disturb'. She's like a puddle of sour milk in the middle of the kitchen floor. Absolutely useless.
Mr. Sir, there's a telephone call for you on line one, she said walking into my office, I think it's your publisher. Something about missed deadlines.
Like i care.
Mr. Sir, there's a gentleman here who has a question about a set of encyclopedias. They're really nice, you should come see, again, walking into my office instead of using the fucking intercom like I've asked her a thousand times.
Mr. Sir, I know you're a talented writer, but I was wondering if you could explain why you have such a problem with proper punctuation.. That's when I lost it.
I'm not a bad guy really. I'm just tired of people. People are a necessary evil and if it was up to me, which it almost never is, I would hide myself away in a place that people could never find me and I could never find people. They are ingratiating and relentless. They talk when you want silence, they are silent when you want words, they are slow when you need them to be fast and they are too fast when all you want in the world is for the person giving you directions to slow the fuck down!
Now I'm too wound up to write. I hate this. I hate my life sometimes. Not really hate, I guess, it's more like I despise the current circumstance and rage against my inability to rise up out of the shit.
I hate happy people because I'm sure they aren't really happy. They are like the person who's staked a claim on being right and when found to be wrong dogmatically claims to still be right. Not naming names but they're the kind of people who force a convincing smile in the worst of situations just to prove that they can. They laugh too hard, they sing too loud and they smile at me like deserve it.
I don't know why I'm as angry as I am. But to be honest, I don't really care. Anger can be a good thing even if it can be a bad thing. What I do care about is finishing my book. I've been working on this little beast for nearly a decade and I need it to be as good or better than my last one. I'm not a one hit wonder, as some have accused me.
"Mr. Sir, I'm sorry", she was in the office again. She had only been in my employ for 3 weeks and I was already planning her exit strategy. She did not understand simple instructions. She was too happy... all the time. She was perky and tall and red-headed and ... too happy damnit!
"What!", I yelled even while trying to keep my voice down. "What is so damn important that you have to keep walking into my office! What could be so important that you are unable to follow one simple fucking instruction! What is it that makes you feel like you are the center of the world and must walk into my office to shed your sordid happiness on me! What the hell you do want!"
"It's your wife sir,", her smile was gone.
"What have I asked you, no TOLD you about walking into my office!"
"But sir, I think...", her looked straight at the floor.
"I don't pay you to think!", this was unbelievable. "Get the fuck out of here and use the stupid little intercom"
"But sir, "
"What the fuck don't you understand about me? Are you too stupid to use the intercom? Does, 'Push to speak' have too many words? Are you a complete and total idiot! USE THE FUCKING INTERCOM!"
She turned to the door and left. I've never felt better while feeling so bad. "Holy crap that was annoying".
A few seconds later the intercom buzzed.
"What!." I yelled.
"Sir, I'm sorry, it's your wife."
"Fine, put her through", I said breathing a sigh of relief.
"No, sir, you don't understand. She's not on the phone."
"What do you mean?"
"She's dead".
she's there in the back
with her hands in her lap
and her brown hair all tied up in bows #curls
he's off on the side
where he's trying to hide
and he's hoping that nobody knows
she's talking with friends
and she's laughing again
her smile a sunflower bloom
he's standing alone
wishing he was at home
and he takes one more look at the room
her heart skips a beat
when by chance their eyes meet
and she hopes that there just might be more
his legs turn to lead
and he can't feel his head
but he takes that first step on the floor
People love to masterbate
Clot Throw Sank Oh
Even when they contemplate
Oh teenagers, they don't/can't remember
and my neighbours, they shovel december
So, my car doesn't drive
But, then, at least I'm alive
Says See It Oh
I never like it when I'm late
Show New Wave Oh
Being late, and making wait
Same teenagers, playing with their oiuji board
Different neighbours, writing out a christmas card
Go, then, change all your thoughts
Oh, you know what thou wrought
You Know Dose Trace Clot Throw Sank and Oh
dollars, cents, pennies pence, making pennies rolling dough
You Know Dose Trace Clot Throw Sank and Oh
dollars, cents, pennies pence, making pennies rolling dough
So, my car doesn't drive
But, then, at least I'm alive
Four tiny toys
breaking apart
Four tiny toys
broken apart
http://www.cbc.ca/canadawrites/onlinechallenge/?section=0
