Blog Posts

February 2010

• 2010-02-23

  Computers are still so hard to understand…

  Dave Winer wrote a bit recently called “What we don’t understand” that lists all the ways in which computers are still so confusing, not only to our elders but also to many others who’s brains are not just wired that way. I (we) am not talking about when your computer breaks, fails to print, hangs or crashes. That’s a different problem, also pretty unacceptable.

  It’s just all the simple simple things. I agree with all his examples. Here’s one: how do you add a contact to the Address Book application on Mac? Oh click that tiny “+” icon. Oh not that tiny plus icon. This one over here. Or, how do you expla...

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• 2010-02-21

  Handy site for Boston area techies

  I came across VentureFizz. It’s a broad resource for Boston area techies: “VentureFizz can help you see what’s buzzing in Boston’s tech community” Particularly useful is their Event’s calendar, which as far as I can see is one of the better ones. An analogous site is Greenhorn Connect, which is trying to achieve something similar but seems more focused on up and coming entrepreneurs.

  #places
• 2010-02-19

  Ebert, in his own words

  A beautifully written comment (positive) by Roger Ebert on the article about him in Esquire that I mentioned the other day: “Well, we’re all dying in increments. I don’t mind people knowing what I look like, but I don’t want them thinking I’m dying. To be fair, Chris Jones never said I was. If he took a certain elegiac tone, you know what? I might have, too. And if he structured his elements into a story arc, that’s just good writing. […] I knew exactly what he started with, and I could see where he ended, and he can be proud of the piece.” (from Roger Ebert’s Journal)

  

• 2010-02-18

  [insert your title here]

  “I am so disappointed in the government” “Are we driving off a cliff with two sets of hands on the steering wheel?” “What is wrong with those people!” You can pick your own headline, depending on your political leaning. I remember my father, living in Curaçao 30 years ago, would admire the US Congress noting that it was the ‘worlds greatest deliberative body'” No more. No more.

  ...

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  #politics
• 2010-02-17

  Roger Ebert: Essential

  You may or may not remember Roger Ebert who not very long ago was co-host with Gene Siskel on the best movie review program anywhere. It was called something like Siskel & Ebert. Well Gene Siskel has since passed away, and here’s an update about the challenges that Gene Siskel has been having. It’s quite a story.

• 2010-02-15

  Real time chat: gtalk? skype? wave? buzz? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  I just accidentally pinged someone over wave who I wanted to chat with, thinking that it would go over gtalk, of course normally I talk to him over aim, except sometimes I also see him on Skype. See the problem?

• 2010-02-14

  What’s a carrotmob?

  A Carrotmob is a network of consumers (?) who buy products in order to reward businesses who are making the most socially responsible decisions.

• 2010-02-12

  All is not lost in Venzuela…

  [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xXNx7ccgD0&w=456&h=277]

  

• 2010-02-11

  It’s hard to cancel Wall Street Journal Online

  Who would think that an august publication like the Wall Street Journal would pull something like this: I was paying for access to their online edition. I decided to cancel it. Their very rich and sophisticated web site lets me change just about anything, but there’s no mention, anywhere, including FAQ and help, on canceling. Oh, and wait, there’s more: there is an 1-800 number to call. But guess what, they too can’t cancel. They have to forward you to someone else, and wait again, who then tries to talk you out of canceling. Geez.

  

  #culture #science
• 2010-02-10

  JetBlue: Summary cancellation

  I was supposed to fly from San Fransisco to Boston today. Monday (2 days ago) I got an email from JetBlue saying, more or less: “Sorry to tell you, but your flight has been canceled. Please call 1-800-xxx to make a new reservation or get a refund.” No explanation of why. I was taken aback, but I guess it happens all the time. After spending 30 minutes on hold, I was able to make new plans which had me leaving a day early (yesterday.) Back safe and sound now. To JetBlue’s credit for the moment, they are waving all change fees and more importantly, any fare differences. From their web site it seems like the flight was canceled due to ‘weather.’ While indeed tonight at 10pm we’re supposed to be in the middle of a blizzard here in Boston, on Monday, when they canceled, the weather today was predicted to ok. I guess they have better weather forecasters than the weather channel!

  

  #places #culture #science
• 2010-02-08

  When news breaks, we fix it

  That was the old slogan of Jon Stewart’s Daily Show. This morning, while I was in a meeting, my cell phone reported the following ‘breaking news’ from CNN: “– An explosion at a Connecticut power plant near Hartford has caused “mass casualties,” authorities say.”

  Pretty scary. What was it? What’s going on? Well it turns out, now, 6 hours later, that “at least 5” people died, and 12 injured. Still a serious accident but how can CNN justify that kind of sensational report sent out on their ‘breaking news’ text message?

  I was talking this weekend to someone with a lot of experience as a journalist and he said, to my surprise, that news organizations don’t even bother ‘fact checking’ stories now. Gone are the days I remember from ‘All the President’s Men‘ when every story had to be confirmed independently by one, maybe two other sources.

  

January 2010

• 2010-01-29

  Sophsiticated (odd) paywall at the Wall Street Journal

  So I am trying to decide whether I should renew my subscription to Wall Street Journal online. I read an article hear and there in the journal probably every day but certainly not the whole paper. So I’ve been paying a little more attention to what that subscription gets me. Here are some interesting findings:

  If I go to www.wsj.com (not logged in) and click on “Apple’s iPad Changes the landscape for App makers” I get a partial article with a message that I should subscribe if I want to read the whole thing.

  If I go to google and search for “...

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• 2010-01-28

  Wolfram on Computable Knowledge

  Stephen Wolfram is a genius. (Ok, he’s also a bit grandiose, self-promoting and arrogant, but I think he’s amazing. Kind of like I feel about Ray Kurzweil, another genius IMHO.) Wolfram|Alpha is his latest product, and it’s a fascinating experiment. I can only imagine the work that has gone into it, both the Mathematica foundation and the data collection, cleansing and organization. In my own experimentation with the site, I have had mixed results. It’s still growing up. I see the promise, and I am rooting for it. But for now it i...

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• 2010-01-19

  Interesting old article by Marvin Minsky

  Just came across this odd link somewhere. He’s a good and clear writer, enjoyable to read whether you agree or not: Why People Think Computers Can’t by Marvin Minsky.

  #ai
• 2010-01-19

  Ruby and Rails job boards in Boston

  I get asked from time to time to recommend ruby, rails, and other developers in the Boston area, either for full time or part time gigs. I’m developing a list of good local job resources – started so far with the help of pal Brian D:

  Dave Beisel‘s WebInno Job Board:http://jobs.webinnovatorsgroup.com

  Boston Ruby group’s job board:http://bostonrb.org/jobs

  Tom Summit‘s Genotrope: http://www.genotrope.com/genotrope/HitLists.html

  Working With Rails national job board:http://workingwithrails.com/browse/jobs/recent

  

  #programming #places
• 2010-01-18

  The new, now cancelled, Jay Leno Show

  Finally I found someone expressing what I have been thinking about the fracas about NBC, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien etc. etc. And while I didn’t know then what I know now, I did eagerly tune in for the first Jay Leno @ 10:00pm show, hoping to see the payoff to all the hype that preceded that first episode. Do you remember all the promos and the hints and speculation? Then, on that first night: ...

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  #culture
• 2010-01-15

  Stop treating Americans like idiots and cowards

  An excellent article in the Wall Street Journal about the way the media and politicians want us to react to the recent Christmas Day attempted terrorist attack. “No amount of statistical evidence, however, will make any difference to those who give themselves over to almost completely irrational fears. Such people, and there are apparently a lot of them in America right now, are in fact real victims of terrorism. They also make possible the current ascendancy of the politics of cowardice—the cynical exploitation of fear for political gain.” (from ...

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  #politics #internet
• 2010-01-14

  Frank Rick (again): The other plot

  Ok, I am on a Frank Rich binge, but he does have one thought provoking article after another. In his column recently he wrote about The Other Plot to Wreck America: “If they all skate away yet again by deflecting blame or mouthing pro forma mea culpas, it will be a sign that this inquiry, like so many other promises of reform since 9/15, is likely to leave Wall Street’s status quo largely intact. That’s the ticking-bomb scenario that truly imperils us all.” (from “The Other Plot to Wreck America”)

  I just just finished reading the rare business/economics book (I usually skip them) called ...

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  #politics #business
• 2010-01-13

  Fillibuster: Congress is totally broken

  Thomas Geoghegan has a fantastic column in the New York Times explaining the mess we are in because of the perversion of the fillibuster rule. I don’t know how we are going to get out of it, but… come on! You should definitely read the whole thing. Here’s a key quote. Doesn’t it make your blood boil? ...

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  #politics #culture
• 2010-01-12

  About our credulousness: another great Frank Rich article

  Another great column from Frank Rich — Tiger Woods, Person of The Year. I recommend reading the whole thing. Here’s a telling quote: ...

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  #politics