October 2007 Archives

I keep forgetting to put this up here, but my impending move to New York means that I won't need my car anymore. I'm looking to sell it in the local DC area. Here are the details: * 2002 BMW 325i, Sapphire Blue, Grey Interior * 2.5 liter engine, Steptronic automanual transmission. It's wicked fast and ridiculously fun to drive. * 71k miles, for me pretty much all highway driving between DC/PA/NY. ~33 mpg on the highway...not a guzzler. * Premium Harman/Kardon stereo system. * Power sun/moonroof. * 8 way power seats with memory; heated seats. * Premium package, sport package, cold weather package. * Sport tires. Basically the thing is loaded and is a fantastic car. I'll miss having it, but just don't need it anymore. Get in touch with me if you're interested. Here are some photos:

• US Congress drupal module (drupal.org)
  (tags: drupal congress)
• Hepburn papers record fiery temper | Lifeandhealth | Life and Health
  (tags: culture)
• HarvardScience Oct.30.07
  Very cool drupal site.
  (tags: drupal)
• Messing Around With Metadata - Open - Code - New York Times Blog
  For a data geek like me, this is fascinating.
  (tags: programming tags data)
• Subtraction: If It Looks Like a Cow, Swims Like a Dolphin and Quacks Like a Duck, It Must Be Enterprise Software
  (tags: software design)
• Jessica Hagy (kottke.org)
  (tags: interview publishing blogs)
• Political text analysis: The Times counts debate words | The Open House Project
  This is an interesting post by Josh.
  (tags: politics elections)
• Senate to Hold Mukasey Confirmation Vote Tuesday - washingtonpost.com
  (tags: congress)
• Digg 'will grow by letting others copy us' | Technology | Guardian Unlimited
  (tags: technology)

Kenny Barron & Stan Getz, Live in Copenhagen - I Remember Clifford. One of the most beautiful, moving pieces of jazz I've ever heard.

I got into the Airdig beta today (I suspect it's fairly public by now). I've got a handful of invites. If you travel a lot and are interested, drop me a comment and I'll send you an invite...but you've got to promise to let me know what you think. See, there's a catch! Of course, I just booked a bunch of tickets last week before I was on the site, but I'll be traveling a lot and am looking forward to giving it a try.

• Redoable | deanjrobinson.com
  This is a pretty cool add-on for Wordpress.
  (tags: wordpress software)

Has anyone else experienced incompatibilities between Leopard and Last.fm's Scrobbler? Even after re-installing Last.fm, I can't get the scrobbler to start correctly. Instead, I get two copies - one works, one doesnt, and it won't scrobble from my iPods anymore. Any hints? Update: Looks like (as expected) Last.fm is on the case and working on fixing the issues. Though I have to say I agree with the "Is this what passes for professionalism in Web 2.0" comment (check the Last.fm thread and you'll understand). Update II: This might fix things, but I'm not near a Mac to test right now.

• After Succeeding, Young Tycoons Try, Try Again - New York Times
  “All of a sudden, you have the luxury — or the curse — of being able to ponder the meaning of life,” Mr. Hong said. “You ask yourself, ‘Why am I not happier given how lucky I’ve been?’”
• Organic food is healthier: study | Science | The Guardian
  (tags: food health environment)
• Why the iPhone Will Beat the Blackberry
  Now here's an interesting perspective that's making me think. I'm looking forward to meeting Tim in December. (On a personal note, I like being able to touchtype with my Blackberry, but will be switching to an iPhone once I leave Congress.)
  (tags: technology mobile)

So I have a new version of Gmail (maybe everyone does?), but it really doesn't seem all that different. Anyone know what the deal is? Update: Ok, I spoke too soon. In addition to the new refinements, the address book is all new. (See this post.) Update II: The new Gmail is, at best, underwhelming. Other than the new address book, I'm not seeing and productivity or workflow enhancements, which is what I'd hoped would come out. The UI is tighter and the whole product is much faster, both of which are welcome enhancements. But the changes seem to be merely cosmetic, and frankly I think that despite the fact that Gmail is a great product, it's starting to show its age. My number 1 feature request would be a "merge contacts" button so I could select 2-3 contacts that are actually a single person and merge them. Apple's address book does this fairly well and it's a heck of a useful feature when you've got thousands of contacts, some of which are clearly duplicates. What's your number 1 request for Gmail?

• Reason Magazine - The Worst Mayor in America
  Saw this on Kottke, but the entire article is even more ridiculous than advertised.
  (tags: crime politics funny)
• Nancy Scola: Waxman's Committee
  I'd like to say something about this (something nice, Nancy), but it will have to wait for a bit.
  (tags: politics congress)
• The Social Media Marketing Blog: New Media Douchebag: Are You One?
  Yeah, I know he's renouncing the video, but I found it hilarious.
  (tags: humor funny media video)
• A survival guide for expat kids in Britain - International Herald Tribune
  "The report placed Britain bottom for children's overall unhappiness and negative family relationships. It found the alcohol abuse rate for British children was more than double the average."
  (tags: uk)
• Some housing pictures - Paul Krugman - Op-Ed Columnist - New York Times Blog
  This is a must-read that explains the housing crunch fairly well and explains why it's bigger than most people and the media would have you think.
  (tags: economics)
• Linux.com :: New York Times opens up code
  Cool.
  (tags: technology journalism)
• DC's Best Cheap Italian Restaurants - Gridskipper, the Urban Travel Guide
  (tags: food restaurant)
• Supercapitalism == super (Lessig Blog)
  (tags: books capitalism economics policy)
• Personality, charity help drive participation on niche media websites
  (tags: media)

• The Big Picture | 2/3rds Americans Say Recession is Likely
  This is an interesting snapshot of how Americans are viewing the economy right now.
  (tags: economics)
• hitherto.net » Blog Archive » Relocating, Part II (”arriving in America”)
  Very interesting post, especially because I was considering the opposite move.
  (tags: america)

Worked like a charm, and yes, Leopard is faster than its predecessor. I'd like to see someone claim that about Vista! Right now I'm waiting for the first Time Machine backup to complete (42gb takes a while).

• Yanking (the Chains of) the Ivies - Chronicle.com
  I don't really see the point of either this article or Gladwell's call to shutter the Ivies.
  (tags: academia)
• "Alert: A mega-scandal in the making" by Ken Silverstein (Harper's Magazine)
  Oh wow. This WellCare thing could be big.
  (tags: health politics)
• A No-Nonsense Style Honed as Advocate - New York Times
  (tags: politics presidency)
• TAP Talks to Paul Krugman | The American Prospect
  (tags: economics politics)
• Mailplane - Home
  I'm thinking about trying this, but the first step is installing Leopard tonight!
  (tags: osx mac google email productivity)
• A Catastrophe Foretold - New York Times
  (tags: economics)
• Washington Wiener
  "But hot dogs, consisting of both bread and protein, are a meal, so now the mpaa will only allow waiters to pass hors d'oeuvres. One lobbyist describes the attendant chaos. "You have these starving children running around," she says."
  (tags: law washington)

So I'm taking the plunge and installing OSX 10.5 Leopard tonight. I'll let you know how it goes. (Also, comment: Apple did a fairly cool thing on their online store. They didn't talk about shipping times, costs, etc. They just said "Ships free. Arrives October 26." And it did, even though I ordered it yesterday.)

• Gmail: What Gmail IMAP Means for You (and Your iPhone)
  Oh fun...yet another reason I'm going to get an iPhone in a few months.
  (tags: email google mobile technology)
• White House Feels Waxman's Oversight Gaze - washingtonpost.com
  (big smile)
  (tags: congress)
• ANTI-WAR PROTESTER ACCOSTS CONDOLEEZZA RICE
  What I'm in for today...
  (tags: congress politics)
• Carl on (Re)Defining the Public Domain (Lessig Blog)
  (tags: todo)
• Under Waxman's Surveillance - washingtonpost.com
  (tags: congress politics)
• 'We are headed for billions in lost wealth' | | Guardian Unlimited Business
  (tags: economics)
• They’re back for one more bender: Withnail and I get together again - Times Online
  Must download this immediately.
  (tags: todo film)

Ann, Kingston Lighthouse and the Hudson River cruise looks like *so* much fun and such a beautiful place. I think I'm going to try to head up there next spring and give it a try.

I have no idea what Heather and Braydon are feeling and experiencing, but I find just the thought to be horrifying:

Over the past week or so Braydon and I have had a series of encounters with overt racism. Of course we encounter various forms of racism regularly. Nevertheless, that doesn't make it easy. It is horrifying. Racism has always been something that has horrified me. But it takes on a new level of horror when you're raising black children. I remember talking about this once with a black friend of mine. He told me that racism had always been the dark side of life for him, but when he became a father racism was suddenly in "all caps" (racism became RACISM). Not being black myself, I surely don't even know the half of it. But I'll go out on a limb and say that as a mother, racism is no longer racism... it is RACISM.

• A Celebration of Tex-Mex, Without Apology - New York Times
  This makes me hungry for lunch!
  (tags: food)
• How to Cool the Globe - New York Times
  This fascinates me, but I can't decide if it makes sense.
  (tags: environment)
• Revealed: the little-known device used to block Democrats in the House | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
  (tags: politics congress)
• BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Three if by internet
  I'm excited about Guardian America's launch as well.
  (tags: journalism)

• Do we realise what we're doing? | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
  The Guardian defends its style guide.
  (tags: writing journalism)
• The Seven Secrets of Inspiring Leaders - Yahoo! Personal Finance
  I usually find these sorts of articles a bit goofy, but this one is worthwhile.
  (tags: business communication)

• Fearing Crime, Japanese Wear the Hiding Place - New York Times
  Hahahaha Japan is so ridic!
  (tags: urbanism japan)
• With Democrats Like These ... - New York Times
  "Every now and then, we are tempted to double-check that the Democrats actually won control of Congress last year. It was particularly hard to tell this week." WOW. Go Times go.
  (tags: politics congress)
• Suicide Is Not Painless - New York Times
  (tags: war work congress)
• Valerie Plame, Telling the (Edited) Inside Story - washingtonpost.com
  This is a good review and makes the book sound like an interesting read.
  (tags: politics)
• The Future Is Drying Up - New York Times
  (tags: environment)
• Just Here to Say Hi. And to Lobby for My Corporate Clients. - The Board - Editorials - Opinion - New York Times Blog
  (tags: politics congress)
• Supercapitalism - Robert B. Reich - Books - Review - New York Times
  “Keeping supercapitalism from spilling over into democracy,” he writes, “is the only constructive agenda for change.” All else is “frolic and detour.”
  (tags: economics)
• Five Easy Ways to Go Organic - Well - Tara Parker-Pope - Health - New York Times Blog
  Milk, potatoes, peanut butter, ketchup, and apples.
  (tags: environment food)

My friend Heather Johnson just got tenure at Lehigh. Congratulations, HBJ! Here are her boys, Kyle and Owen:

• Congressional District Database for the 110th US Congress includes congressional district code, city name, county name, county FIPS code, state FIPS code and city Place FIPS code for every ZIP+4 (9-digit ZIP code) in the entire USA
  I think we might need to buy this at some point...
  (tags: writeyourreps civicresearchgroup)
• Big Holder Sells Stake in Times Co. - New York Times
  He said Mr. Elmasry “has given up on trying to change the fundamental governance of The New York Times Company, which preserves The Times’s traditional focus on journalism ahead of profit.” Great!
  (tags: journalism)
• More Amazon Shenanigans? - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog
  Oh wow, this seems big to me. I've always maintained that Amazon's ratings are skewed upwards to encourage purchasing behavior. If everything you see on the site gets a good review, what's your excuse not to buy?
  (tags: economics commerce)
• DoWire.Org - Democracies Online Newswire - E-Democracy, E-Government, and Politics Online - Hosted by Steven Clift, Ashoka Fellow
  (tags: toread)
• MediaShift Idea Lab . To What End? Introducing Democracy Online | PBS
  (tags: toread)
• AT&T, other telecoms, buy victory in lawsuits - Glenn Greenwald - Political Blogs and Opinions - Salon
  If Dodd acts toward telecom companies the same way he acts toward the credit card companies he regulates, we should all expect that telecoms will get amnesty.
  (tags: politics law)
• It Only Tuesday | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
  HAHAHAHA
  (tags: humor)

• Greenback Blues: Financial Page: The New Yorker
  (tags: economics finance)
• Serving Pasta? Forget What You Learned - New York Times
  (tags: food cooking)

• Phone Companies Refuse to Provide Data on Spy Program: Bloomberg.com: Politics
  "Our company essentially finds itself caught in the middle of an oversight dispute between the Congress and the executive." Nope, sorry Verizon. Not really. The Bushies asked you to break the law, you did, and now you don't want to pay the consequences.
  (tags: politics)

Here's a simple idea that would improve my online scheduling experience with Tivo: When you schedule a recording, you can request e-mail confirmation when the recording is scheduled (or when Tivo finds a conflicting recording). So today, I scheduled tonight's Frontline for recording and received an e-mail with the subject "Status of your request for 'Frontline'". How much better for users would it be if that subject said "Success! Your Tivo will record 'Frontline," as requested."

Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill wrote a great column in today's Times about healthcare reform. What I like is that he doesn't rule out nationalized healthcare (indeed, by calling for a national risk pool, I think he's acknowledge that the future is in universal care). But what I like even more is this:

In the end, we cannot look at insurance coverage, medical costs, quality of care and information technology as separate issues. As we strive to make sure every American can get necessary treatment, we must look at every aspect of our health care system. We can do much better, and we should start now.

That's what's not being talked about in great enough detail. Healthcare reform has to be more comprehensive than just "cover everyone."

• Spies, Lies and FISA - New York Times
  "Ever since 9/11, we have watched Republican lawmakers help Mr. Bush shred the Constitution in the name of fighting terrorism. We have seen Democrats acquiesce or retreat in fear. It is time for that to stop."
  (tags: politics)
• Molly Gulland, Christopher Gaston - New York Times
  Congratulations Molly and Chris!!!
  (tags: life)
• Corruption - Lessig Wiki
  (tags: toread)
• Right Brain v Left Brain | Herald Sun
  Seen on Kottke...now completely fascinated. Check out this optical illusion.
  (tags: cool)
• Media Blog - Mixed Media by Jeff Bercovici: Why Arianna Should Make HuffPo a Non-Profit - Portfolio.com
  I like this idea.
  (tags: politics journalism)
• The day I joined a website looking for no strings sex | the Daily Mail
  Delicious suggested "dating" as a tag for this...I don't think it's quite on the ball.
  (tags: culture)
• Roanoke.com shares lessons from TimesCast | News Videographer
  This is interesting, but I'm especially interested in the product launch discussion.
  (tags: journalism video webdev internet product.development)

My friend Ann moved into a new studio at the Banana Factory. Check out her blog for some great photos of the new place. I can't wait to come visit and see it in person!

John posted this to the Open House Project. It's a fantastic lecture - well worth the hour.

• The ‘Good Germans’ Among Us - New York Times
  "As the war has dragged on, it is hard to give Americans en masse a pass. We are too slow to notice, let alone protest, the calamities that have followed the original sin."
  (tags: politics war iraq)
• Sometimes Networking Is Just Saying Hello - Shifting Careers - Small Business - New York Times Blog
  The importance of this cannot be overstated, in my experience.
  (tags: career)
• BuzzMachine » Blog Archive » Editing the Times
  GO JEFF!
  (tags: politics)
• The Beltway Establishment's contempt for the rule of law - Glenn Greenwald - Political Blogs and Opinions - Salon
  "The Telecom Immunity law that Congress seems well on its way to enacting is one of the most conclusive pieces of evidence yet not only that our Royal Beltway Court is corrupt and decayed at its core. It also proves that they no longer care who knows it."
  (tags: politics congress)

• Mysql tuning. Tools, tips, and links on optimizing mysql for Drupal | Web Design & Drupal Development
  Gave this a try - lets see if it helps.
  (tags: drupal mysql)
• American Journalism Review
  Why did reporters for years end their stories by writing “-30-”?
  (tags: journalism history)
• A VC: In Rainbows
  So he paid 2gbp for Radiohead's album? That seems cheap to me. I paid 6.50gbp because they're a good band and I think it's worth that much.
  (tags: music)

I've followed Lessig's work for years. He's a broad an inspirational thinker and he's now turning his efforts to ending political corruption in the U.S. He announced it a few months ago, but I caught this video on BoingBoing; they're right, it's inspirational.

• "WaPo’s Continuing Editorial Slide" by Scott Horton (Harper's Magazine)
  Just fantastic. Loving this post.
  (tags: politics journalism)
• John Edwards' dark leftist America - Glenn Greenwald - Political Blogs and Opinions - Salon
  "Who could even fathom an America plagued by habeas corpus, search warrants, and a military that fails to beat, freeze and mock-execute its detainees?"
  (tags: politics)
• Seth's Blog: How to create a great website
  Note to use this list in a few months...
  (tags: internet webdev)
• ABC Reshapes the Evening News for the Web - New York Times
  Very cool. This is the type of project I'd love to be involved in.
  (tags: journalism)
• Features : Radar Online : The New Yorker's Hendrik Hertzberg on Bush, blogging, and what's wrong with the Washington Post
  Great interview of one of my favorite New Yorker journalists.
  (tags: interview people journalism politics)

• Picky Eaters? They Get It From You - New York Times
  "Over in New Jersey, the Bakers changed their November family vacation to accommodate Sasha, an 11-year-old so averse to fruits and vegetables that the smell of orange juice once made him faint." Give me a break!!
  (tags: food)
• Too Timid for Tax Increases - New York Times
  (tags: taxation congress)
• Seattle’s Recycling Success Is Being Measured in Scraps - New York Times
  (tags: environment)
• Boom Times for Dentists, but Not for Teeth - New York Times
  “Dentists make more than doctors,” said Morris M. Kleiner, a University of Minnesota economist. “If I had a kid going into the sciences, I’d tell them to become a dentist.”
  (tags: health)
• After Years of Being Out, the Necktie Is In - New York Times
  (tags: clothing)
• A starving man's diary prompts new look at Japan's welfare system - International Herald Tribune
  (tags: japan)

• Acquisitive Craigslist Post Reddens Faces All Around - New York Times
  Hahahahaha
  (tags: humor money)
• I Officially Give up On the Democrats | Air America Radio
  I don't think he's alone on this...
  (tags: politics)
• IEEE Spectrum: Cracking GO
  Hmmm
  (tags: games math programming research)
• Huffington Post is all about news, views now: USATODAY.com
  Arianna talking about HuffPo: "There were so many naysayers back then — "This will never work," they kept telling me. But if you have a vision for something, you need to stay with it, even if many around you don't believe it."
  (tags: business)
• Electronic Technology in the House of Representatives: Office of the Clerk
  Cool!
  (tags: congress technology)

• Democratic Concessions Are Expected on Wiretapping - New York Times
  Giving retroactive immunity could be one of the worst decisions made by this Congress. Fight it!
  (tags: congress)
• Item! Big discount on luxury hotels in Sri Lanka! | FP Passport
  Hahahahaha.
  (tags: travel)
• Same Old Party - New York Times
  (tags: politics)
• Shabu-Shabu - Featured on BuzzFeed
  YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
  (tags: food)

• Tim Ferriss: The Top 5 Reasons to Be a Jack of All Trades - Living Now on The Huffington Post
  This is easy to say, but tough to get across to potential employers. Trust me on that one.
  (tags: career)
• Hide-a-Pod iPod protection » Introducing Hide-a-Pod
  HAHAHAHAHA
  (tags: comedy satire)

• Landscape of constituent communication | The Open House Project
  This is interesting, but there are things brewing...
  (tags: congress technology)
• blog.pmarca.com: The Pmarca Guide to Career Planning, part 1: Opportunity
  I hate the idea of "career planning." It even sounds dull, no?
  (tags: career)
• Why not single-payer? - Paul Krugman - Op-Ed Columnist - New York Times Blog
  "In an ideal world, I’d be a single-payer guy. But I see the chance of getting universal care, imperfect but fixable, just a couple of years from now. And I want to grab that chance." Makes sense to me.
  (tags: health politics government)
• reportonbusiness.com: Malcolm Gladwell talks about our working future
  "...Business leaders should get more involved in education policy debates, Canada should consider other countries' models for teaching advanced mathematics, and hiring managers should stop looking for a perfect fit when scouting for employees."
  (tags: business interview society)
• Silicon Alley Insider: Microsoft's MSN: Still Sucking Wind After All These Years
  MSN == f'd?
  (tags: advertising technology)
• Generalists v. Specialists: What Happened to the Renaissance Man? : Olson’s Observations
  This is an interesting commentary.
  (tags: business career)

• RSS Best-Practices Profile Up for a Vote | Workbench
  Very nice work on this document.
  (tags: toread work)
• M: How BMW Spells Performance in Just One Letter - New York Times
• Samuel K. Blumenthal | Company executive, 93 | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/05/2007
  "After earning a bachelor's degree from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., he joined Blumenthal Bros. Chocolate Co. in Frankford. The company, established by his family in 1910, produced Goobers, Raisinets, Sno-Caps and Malties candies."
  (tags: lehigh.university)
• Employee Evolution - What a Gen-Y needs to know before working in politics — Continued
  My only comment is that politics is more than campaigns these days, but I have been enjoying Joe's posts.
  (tags: politics)

If you are going to offer a downloaded software service, please make sure that downloads are (1) reliable and (2) fast. I'm on a super-fast government network and getting 50 kb/second off of your servers.