« Previous Day | Main | Next Day »
9 August, 2004
The Value Of Having A Good Blog Name
Here's a blog that caught my attention because of its name: If you don't have cable and your library card has expired.
It's run by an amusing 28-year old in Kentucky who goes by the name of Fiat Lux. She describes herself like this:
So, things you should know about me, A) I'm the queen of non-sequiturs. And 2) I like to mix things up on purpose to see if people notice. Otherwise, it's just your average country upbringing, I was born in the wagon of a travelin' show. My mama used to dance for the money they'd throw. Papa would do whatever he could, preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Doctor Good.
Some of her posts are very funny. Example:
I just got in from mowing the yard. It's pretty humid out there. The worst part wasn't the sweat rolling in my eyes or the grass pieces clinging to me or the various bugs swarming around me. Nope, it was that Chips Ahoy song that's still knocking around my brain. It's not even that effective an advertisement. It doesn't make me want to go buy chocolate chunk cookies, it makes me want a monkey. That dances. And wears a hat.
Nothing better than a dancing monkey in a hat. Unless he's also wearing lederhosen. Then again that may just be the heat stroke talking.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
King Kong's Girlfriend Dies
It wasn't the beast that killed the beauty, it was old age. "King Kong" star Fay Wray dies.
Fay Wray, the shrieking blond beauty who earned fame as the frightened girl stalked by King Kong up the Empire State Building, has died at age 96.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Life Is Like...
Life is like... (fill in the blank). Then see what others think about life.
(via Sarcasmo's Corner)
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Seat Data
Seat Data -- A site that has seating charts and views of sports venues throughout the U.S.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Bad Art
Get yerself some culture, dude. Visit the Museum of Bad Art.
The Museum Of Bad Art (MOBA) is the world's only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms.
Shown
here is Sarah Irani's "Mama And Babe."
The flesh tones bring to mind the top shelf liqueurs of a border bistro. With an astonishing emphasis on facial bone structure, the artist flirts with caricature and captures features of Mamma's face which remind us of a former First Lady. The upright marionettish pose of the babe hints that the early bond between mother and child is as formal as it is familiar. Good old fashioned parental respect is at the center of this celebration of color and contour.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
String Quartet Tributes
String Quartet Tributes by Todd Mark Rubenstein. Did you ever wonder what Bob Dylan's songs would sound like played by a string quartet? Check out the sound clips.
Other artists that are covered include Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, Warren Zevon, REM, AC/DC, The Beatles, and even Dr. Dre!
I listened to a few samples, and I was impressed. I think these would make very decent background music. These aren't pure string quartet recordings. Some of the songs include other instruments such as drums.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
KKK For Teens
About a year ago, I linked to the Ku Klux Klan's "KKK For Kids" site. I wanted to check it out again, but I discovered that it is no longer available. The Klan, however, does have a special page for Teens and Young Adults.
Today it's hard, real hard to say you are White and proud. Your parent's may think you are crazy. Hopefully they made the right decision when they were young and now they can be looked upon as heroes by this generation. They are heroes because they taught you to be compassionate toward your white brothers and sisters and to be proud of your roots and your history.
Unfortunately these types of parent's are in the minority not the majority. Their complete generation was almost won over. So if you are White and proud more than likely your parent's are freaked out thinking you are going to start sporting the latest in camouflage and buying hand grenades instead of denim and CDs. Don't blame them. Remember they are victims of a one-world, one-color philosophy.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Standards For Dissatisfied Customers
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops standards for a variety of activities. Last month, the developed a set of standards for satisfying dissatisfied customers.
When the ISO 10002 complaints-handling process is implemented, the customer will benefit from responsive treatment of his or her complaint, while the organization will benefit from the focus on problem areas pointing to opportunities for improvements and savings.
It'll cost you 97 Swiss Francs to read 'em. That's way to expensive! Who can I complain to?
(via JOHO The Blog)
Posted on 9 August, 2004
A Spyware Story
This is pretty interesting: Follow the Bouncing Malware.
On July 20th, after investigating some adware/spyware/malware that had been loaded onto a machine without the user's knowledge, I decided to try an experiment. I wondered just exactly how easy it really was to get an unpatched machine compromised, and what it would look like to "Joe Average" computer user. I set up a VMWare image of a fresh install of Windows XP Home Edition, and headed out on the internet to see just exactly what happened. My trip was an enlightening journey into the dangers lurking out on the 'net for the unwary, and along the way I've learned some interesting things about the spyware/adware industry.
To give you a little "preview", I'll say this: I discovered that as far as the adware/spyware industry is concerned, you may be the one that plunked down a grand at your local consumer electronics store to purchase your PC, but THEY own it. They'll do whatever they want, whenever they want, and you don't get a say in the matter
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Bid On A Text Ad
Steve Garfield set up an eBay auction to sell a text ad on his Off On A Tangent blog.
The starting bid is $0.01.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
More On Biosphere 2
A few days ago I mentioned Biosphere 2. Author Kevin Kelly saw the post, and sent me a link to one of the chapters in a book he wrote. The book is called Out of Control (1994), and Chapter 9 deals with Biosphere 2: Pop Goes the Biosphere.
Kevin wrote to me:
I feel it is the most sympathetic reporting on the scientific aspects of the experiment (vs. the social and cultural aspects -- well covered by others.) I feel the place is still a great laboratory that has been wasted.
I wish I had read this chapter before I visited the site.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Quiet American
I've linked to this site before, but it's worth another look: Aaron Ximm's Quiet American.
The world makes its own music, but we rarely listen with naive ears. Quiet American is the manipulation of sounds I hear and record.
The project began as I grappled with what it meant to be a tourist in another culture. It continues as I grapple with what it means to be a tourist in my own.
The opportunity, the thrill, and the risk of travel is being present to the world. My goal with Quiet American is to sketch in sound the experience of being in an unfamiliar place.
The work on this site is not a replacement for travel. But if you are willing to listen, you may be transported.
Also from Aaron: 30fpd: a day, a week, a year.
On January 8, 2003, I began making a movie of my life, one second at a time.
I carry a small digital camera with me everywhere I go. I document everything I encounter: the banal, the sublime, the beautiful, the stultifying, the grotesque, the familiar.
Every day - so far without fail - I take at least thirty digital pictures. These pictures become exactly one second of film.
(Thanks Ed)
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Nicholson Baker: Checkpoint
On Saturday I received an advance copy of Nicholson Baker's new novel, Checkpoint. It's a mere 115 pages long and has no plot to speak of, so it hardly qualifies as a novel. It's more like a play, actually.
The book consists of a hotel room dialog between Jay and Ben. It
doesn't take long to learn that Jay is a bit on the psychotic side and he wants
to shoot President Bush. Ben, on the other hand, is the voice of reason. The
conversation sometimes resembles a serious debate, and other times it's more
like a therapy session. Fortunately, there are occasional touches of comic
relief. For example:
BEN: Consider this: You kill him and boing, Cheney's driving the truck. He's twice as bad.
JAY: Well, once you do down that road, man -- that's a slippery slope, let me tell you. You start to think, Okay, I know I've got to get rid of Bush, oh, but wait, Cheney's twice as bad, got to take him out, too, maybe some kind of tiny scorpion that climbs up his leg just as he's being sworn in, bites him, he slumps. The scorpion has no memory of what it's done -- the Manchurian Scorpion.
And this:
JAY: It's helpful to have a hobby. I have a hobby, too.
BEN: Jay, assassinating the president isn't a hobby.
JAY: I'm sure not getting paid for it. It's pro bono all the way.
During the course of the conversation, the characters discuss a variety of topics. As you might guess, most of these topics deal with George W. Bush and his cronies. But the conversation also drifts to other subjects, such as Wal-Mart, abortion, photography, ordering steaks, and even free range chickens. I will admit that I did learn a few things about Bush et al.
Checkpoint has already been described as "controversial." Frankly, I don't understand why. It's fiction, and it really contains nothing that can be described as shocking. The assassination methods described are comic rather than practical.
Baker
is certainly not advocating Bush's assassination. Rather, it seems that he's
advocating doing nothing at all. The message, as I see it is this: All
politicians in high offices are (and have been) self-serving crooks, and there's
nothing the average citizen can do about. That pretty much sums up my own
philosophy when it comes to politics.
I was pleased to see the topic of blogs come up in the conversation. At one point, Jay mentions that he spends a lot of time reading blogs. In fact, three blogs are mentioned by name: Daily Kos, the Agonist, and Talking Points Memo. Oddly, there is no mention of the J-Walk Blog,
As usual, Baker's writing is a pleasure to read. The conversation moves along quickly and it seems very realistic. By the way, there's also a surprise appearance by a third character, but I won't spoil it for you.
Here's one of my favorite passages, in which Ben describes Bush. Anyone who has watched Bush at a news conference will recognize it.
He's go that sudden smile that he makes when he's answering a question. Have you seen it? It looks like he's not sure how he's going to finish the sentence, and there's a second of panic, his brow furrows, and then -- ah! -- he thinks of a word that he can plug in there. A big presidential word. He says it, and he flashes that childish smile of relief. It's a little moment of price -- "I made it, guys."
Although I enjoyed reading Checkpoint, I'm not really sure what the purpose of this book is. I suppose Baker could have made the same anti-Bush points in a 5-page magazine article, but there are dozens of such articles and none of them gets much attention. A "controversial" novel, on the other hand, will cause people to take notice. But it's likely that the market for this book will consist primarily of those who already dislike Bush. And the Bush supporters who do read it will certainly not change their minds. So maybe it's really designed to sway the "undecided" vote? Or maybe Baker just needed a way to vent his anger, and decided that he might as well get paid for it. Who knows? Who cares? Fact is, I like Baker's writing and I'll read anything he puts out -- even if it deals with politics. But it would sure be nice if he returned to the style of his earlier work.
One other thing worth noting. Baker's other novels will all stand the test of time. Checkpoint, however, is meant to be read now. In six months this novel will be old and out of date -- and probably available on the discount remainder tables.
For the record, here's my list of Baker novels, ranked in terms of my favorites:
- The Mezzanine
- Room Temperature
- The Fermata
- A Box of Matches
- Vox
- Checkpoint
- Everlasting Story of Nory
Here are some links to other Checkpoint reviews.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Obits
Obituaries 101 has links to the obituary columns in hundreds of U.S. newspapers -- and lots of ads for funeral flowers.
(via Bifurcated Rivets)
Posted on 9 August, 2004
What Are You Wearing?
In an effort to get to know some of the J-Walk Blog readers, I've been asking a series of questions. Last week, I asked What Do You Hear? and also What Are You Working On?
Today's question: What are you wearing?
Me? I'm in my typical garb: light colored shorts with an elastic waist. My favorite light blue "Maui" tank top with the frayed edges. Well-worn black flip-flops that have about 1/8 inch of rubber remaining on the soles.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Whole Wheat Radio Photos
Here's a huge collection of interesting photos from Whole Wheat Radio's new Wheat Hall (or whatever it's called). The photo below shows Jim working outdoors during the construction phase.
Warning: Very graphics intensive. As Jim says:
Please forgive me dialup users, for I have sinned.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
He Sells Garbage
Welcome to I Sell Garbage.
I scour New York City streets pickup up trash. After filling bags with subway passes, Broadway tickets, and other NYC junk, I carefully arrange plastic cubes full of the stuff. Each box is unique and won't leak or smell. The cubes are then signed, numbered, and dated, making them perfect for anyone who wants their own piece of the NYC landscape. Just get one now before they clean up this city.
Unfortunately, he's not accepting any regular garbage orders right now -- due to "recent overwhelming demand."
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Shopsin's Menu
Shopsin's is a restaurant in New York. I think they may have the most extensive menu in the world -- or maybe in the universe. Click here to see it (direct link to PDF file).
They also have four rules:
Everyone's go to eat
No cell phones
No smoking
No parties larger than 4
(via Boing Boing)
Posted on 9 August, 2004
List Of Lists
Here's a huge collection of links to software tools: List of Lists.
Dedicated to the wonderful people in the GRC newsgroups, without whose help these lists would not have been possible.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Aerial Photos
firq calls this site a mindblowing collection of gorgeous aerial photography. I have to agree.
I can't even believe that the image below is a photograph.
(via firq krumpl j-w.a.l.k.e.r.s.)firq krumpl j-w.a.l.k.e.r.s.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Guitar Center
A story about what happens when a Guitar Center comes to Kalamazoo: Local stores tune up to compete with Guitar Center National chain.
Some call Guitar Center the Wal-Mart of retail music stores because it packs a triple whammy of competitive pricing, breadth of merchandise and heavy marketing that, in some other markets, has been hard for smaller players to withstand. The chain has grown from 30 stores seven years ago to 130 stores, and just last month posted second-quarter-earnings increases of 97 percent and a revenue increase of 16 percent.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Tour Bill's House
Take a closer look at Bill Gates' House.
The Gates family's 11,500-square-foot inner sanctum is surprisingly modest, with four bedrooms and quarters for a nanny. A four-car garage is attached. The lower levels include a techno-playland family room and an exercise facility that is better appointed than many health club,
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Spiritual Plumber
If something is clogged up but you don't know what it is, try calling the Spiritual Plumbers.
Since
1999, clients of the Spiritual Plumber's have made rapid transitions from
feeling sick, hopeless and trapped to feeling full of life and free. When
spiritual, emotional and physical challenges shift at the same time, extreme
relief and progress is possible. Life threatening and chronic conditions often
move into spontaneous remission. Our clients experience dramatic releases from
physical pain and emotional distress.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Rattler, Aisle 6
This happened in the Home Depot that's about three miles from our house: Oro Valley woman, shopping, meets rattlesnake.
This week, Rural Metro dealt with one unusual call from the Home Depot Garden Center at Oracle and First in Oro Valley.
An emergency crew had to rush the woman to Northwest Hospital for a rattlesnake bite. She says the encounter happened inside Home Depot.
Posted on 9 August, 2004
Aircraft Carrier For Sale
If you've always wanted your very own aircraft carrier, this is for you: 1953 690' Air Craft Carrier.
Sure it old. but...
This air craft carrier has been refitted in 1960,1980,1987 1993 and 1998 and is operational.
Price? $6.45 million.
Posted on 9 August, 2004