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I’d be hard-pressed, if I somehow had a boy-child today, to not name him “Zediciah Oliver Omega Martin.” How cool is that name!? It’s got traditional stoicism in “Zediciah” or no-nonsense minimalism in “Zed.” It’s got the disarming warm tradition of “Oliver.” It’s got the modernist, space-age, sci-fi “Omega,” which could be the foundation for […]

The Bush administration admits it was wrong about Global Warming?
Is it possible? Or is it just another example of Bush’s lieutenants abandoning him as he goes on alone (as he has on the “surge” of troops in his war in Iraq). Yes, that must be it. So expect in the next few days that Dirk […]

This is an exciting new turn in my life. I’m not sure how far I’ll pursue it, but as long as I’m waiting for feedback on my dissertation proposal I figured I could wait-and-worry, or I do something good for my soul (I suppose there are other options, but this is a nice dichotomy.)
I’m jumping […]

Or at least in the few years I’ve been reading Metafilter, this article — Pray for Coal: The 10 most dangerous play things of all time by Paige Ferrari 12/13/06 — made me cry, for too long. I would recommend starting at the beginning and working your way through them, but if you […]

Big Mirrors.
Now hold on before you start planning the “John Saved the Planet!” parade. You should read through the rest of this to get a taste of its beauty.
The Problem: So the polar ice melts to expose the darker ocean, right? And the darker ocean absorbs the sun’s heat rather than reflecting it back to […]

Ugh. This happens semi-regularly. I’m all happy and fine, and *zoompoof!* I hit a wall and start feeling really heavy (emotionally). I’d not call it depression as much as much as a big need for a big sustained hug. Then I need redirecting, although sometimes the hug is enough to redirect.
Right now, I need help […]

I’d like an iPod. That’s all. Um … but a new one with a few extra features beyond what’s currently available.
I’ve realized that, although I love the radio because of NPR, some of my favorite shows (like WPR’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge”) are available as podcasts, so I don’t need a radio, although […]

An article in The Boston Globe mentioning Flying Moose and camps like it, and how they’re a dying breed:

By Larry Van Meter  |  December 7, 2006
EIGHTY YEARS AGO, boys attending summer camps in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont had much the same experience: a primitive existence without electricity, hot water, or other amenities. No soda, […]

Another sign of the impending aplaceolypse (yay! another new word under my belt!) is unveiled today on Ask.com. From the NYTimes article:
AskCity takes content from other companies, including some owned by IAC, and mixes it all into one site. If you search for a French restaurant in San Francisco, for instance, you will see a […]

From:
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2006/11/home-theater-regulations.html
“The MPAA is lobbying congress to push through a new bill that would make unauthorized home theaters illegal.”
“”Just because you buy a DVD to watch at home doesn’t give you the right to invite friends over to watch it too. That’s a violation of copyright and denies us the revenue that would be generated from […]

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6158935.stm
A survey found 43% of online networkers from the US felt “as strongly” about their web community as they did about their real-world friends.
It also revealed net-users had made an average of 4.6 virtual pals this year.

The survey, from the US-based Center for the Digital Future, of 2,000 individuals forms part of […]