Happy Thanksgiving! Back on Monday.
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Wednesday, November 27, 2002

Female turkey suffrage! OK, not quite, but this year's presidential turkey pardon was the first one to grant a stuffing-free life to a female turkey. Unaccustomed to the gender change, President Bush referred to Katie as "he" for his first few impromptu remarks until he got to his written speech. Katie and male alternate turkey, Zach, will join last year's pardoned turkeys at a farm. All previously pardoned turkeys have gone on to those turkey-safe woods in the sky.
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Here's a site for the tea connoisseur, 763 tea caddies collected by a Czech Republic resident. What? Your tea comes in a bottle with a "Snapple" label? Maybe you'd prefer a related site, World of Napkins, selections from a collection of over 13,000. That's a lot of napkins. (via Coudal Partners)
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Tuesday, November 26, 2002

Very nifty: a book design weblog. Most people don't think about how books get to look they way they do, but there's a designer behind the choice of fonts, layouts, cover art, author name placement, and all those other elements that can help convince us to pick up a book and keep on reading. (via Typographica)
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Expensive sparkly ice will be coming from Canada soon as high-class jeweler Tiffany & Co. begins production early next year on diamonds from the Diavik mine in the Northwest Territories. Tiffany used to get their diamonds the old-fashioned way by buying cut stones at the diamond markets in Antwerp, Tel Aviv and New York (most likely funding DeBeers' hefty cartel in the process). But with the bad press of African conflict diamonds and also their wish to control more of their jewelry manufacturing process, Tiffany has invested instead in Canada's mining operations. Not to be left out in the cold, so to speak, DeBeers also has invested in a Canadian diamond mine, but production won't begin until 2006 because of permitting delays. The negative publicity about conflict diamonds has certainly made an impact.
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Monday, November 25, 2002

Moved by my plea for fall apples, someone sent me information about the Apple Hill Growers Association. It's a group of ranches out near Placerville, California who banded together to market their apples. Now they also have wineries and Christmas tree growers in their ranks. (thanks Melissa!)
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My main reason for majoring in Computer Science in addition to Cognitive Science was to increase my employability. Potential employers would understand the C.S. degree instantly and I had taken the majority of the courses needed for a major anyway. I wasn't sure how marketable a cogsci degree was going to be, though I knew it would help me design better user interfaces. It's been ten years since then, and where has the Cognitive Science field gone? To the marketers. According to a bit in Wired Magazine, cognitive science departments are "filling up with profs who specialize in the psychology of acquisition and the science of material desire." They've found the money, and it's in the old trade of making people want something they don't know they need. Apparently "there’s a new push for relevance" in selling the field to students. I suppose this trend will further the eclectic mix at the cognitive science conferences.
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Friday, November 22, 2002

Charles (of six different ways) noted my mention of bookkey and suggests Powermarks as a better (though $25) alternative.
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At one of my first baby-sitting jobs, the toddler had not yet mastered how to build things with blocks, but his parents would build him structures so that he could knock them down. They demonstrated this skill to me with great pride. Sometimes I wonder if he grew up to be a building demolition expert. I think he would enjoy the ImplosionWorld site. It's all about controlled demolition. (via memepool)
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Thursday, November 21, 2002

A power plant may not seem worthy of preservation, but the NY Times reports that the Mechanicville Hydroelectric Station in New York is attracting attention from engineers and historians who believe it is worth saving. Built in 1897, the station generated power until 1997. Its seven cast-iron generators supplied power for General Electric, and were eventually purchased by a local utility company. Current owners Niagara Mohawk aren't interested in funding a restoration; the power it can generate wouldn't be worth the cost of operation. As time marches on, preservationists are realizing the value of the structures from our early industrial era. I have to wonder if my grandchildren will be taking field trips to nuclear power plant museums.
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Wanting the best of both worlds
After we had bought our house, I finally faced up to being a California resident. Forget that I had already owned a condo here for five years; I still felt temporary. Now I actually own land, not much, but enough. This fact is important because of a pronouncement I made a few years earlier when I realized I may become a transplanted New Englander forever. My statement was "well, if I have to live in California, at least I can have an orange tree." Lo and behold, our backyard came with an orange tree and a Meyer lemon tree. There are bushels of them ripening their immature green skins right now. But instead of being satisfied in the fruit tree department, my brain, raised on yummy New England apple cider, is off looking at the web site of the Sonoma Antique Apple Nursery (recently changed to the Trees of Antiquity) and their incredible selection of heirloom apple trees. There are close to 150 varieties on that page, familiar names (Jonagold, Braeburn, Cortland, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, McIntosh) and odd names (Black Gilliflower, Red Astrachan), varieties from Russia, Israel, Germany. It's a treasure trove of apple history. I need to go find some cider.
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Wednesday, November 20, 2002

Here's a true story with a classic theme. Teens who broke a $200 floodlight while skateboarding on the grounds of the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, CT were dragged into the director's office. Instead of calling their parents or the police, she listened to them complain about how they didn't have a place to skateboard and then educated them on the history of the mansion and its preservation. They were allowed back to skate on certain areas of the grounds and now consider it their after-school hangout. The boys eat food leftover from meetings and banquets, then help out director Deborah Moore with any odd jobs. She keeps them in line, converses with them on an adult level, and they stay out of trouble.
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While searching for historical photos of San Francisco, I stumbled across Groceteria.net (which I overlooked when it was a Yahoo Pick of the Week last year). The site chronicles supermarket history and architecture and is chock full of old photos of store interiors and exteriors. Do you miss the old supermarket fonts and logos from your childhood? Revisit the ol' A&P, go into depth on the history of Safeway, find out what happened to old market buildings. I discovered that the Michael's I go to in Sunnyvale used to be a Safeway, which explains the arched window treatment. There's also supermarket news and a listing of who owns who in the consolidating market of markets. I don't think any of my childhood supermarkets are still in existence, unless you count Stew Leonard's, which isn't really a supermarket as much as a food market Disneyland. But I can still remember back to when I could dangle my legs out of the shopping cart seat and watch the aisles go by.
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Tuesday, November 19, 2002

The International Children's Digital Library contains 200 books selected by children and scanned in for digital reading. It was created by The Digital Archive and the HCI Lab at the University of Maryland. The software that displays the books is a key component of the project. Children will probably accept reading books on a computer display, but they may enjoy having an actual book instead. The interface was designed to be kid-friendly and universally accessible. (via an NPR item)
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I've been wanting portable terminal access to my main computer for many years. The problem is, when I start envisioning how this would work, I always end up with a laptop with a Windows Terminal Services client. And then I wonder if I should just switch to a laptop. This week, Microsoft announced a wireless display that lets you use your primary computer from anywhere in the house. ViewSonic is selling the first versions of this device, which is marketed as an evolution of the display not the computer (which differentiates it from the Tablet PC which looks similar). At first glance I was excited about how well this matched up with my needs. But the price point is a problem. At $999 ($1,299 for a larger screen) I can buy a low-end laptop instead. A laptop is useful outside of the house. I think I'd be willing to spend up to $500 to have the terminal access device I've been envisioning. (via misnomer)
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Monday, November 18, 2002

I started this weblog three years ago today. I've done a bit of redesign to commemorate the occasion. Thank you to my regular readers, especially those who have written me words of encouragement.
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Japanese working late or taking trips can now feed their pets via the web using iSeePet. The device stores a few days of food and has a camera so that owners can watch the feeding process. I think for the next version they should add the ability to play back the sound of a can opening.
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A fellow Wellesley alum sent along this Boston Globe article that goes into depth on the racial diversity issues of the student extras in the movie ''Mona Lisa Smile." I completely understand their need for accuracy in casting mostly white students, but I know that if I were still a student there I would feel upset. My intellectual understanding of the situation (a multiracial student body in the movie would be as wrong as if they shot scenes at the modern Science Center) would conflict with my envy of fellow classmates. Hopefully we'd all come out ahead. The student extras would find it strange to be on campus in a manufactured world of Caucasians and those excluded would have a better appreciation for the opportunities available to them in the present.
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Friday, November 15, 2002

The creator of bookkey apparently suffered from the same bookmark bloat that I do: "One day I realized, that I had a folder Shopping within the main folder Computer and a folder Computer in the main folder Shopping." bookkey allows Windows users to organize browser bookmarks using keywords rather than the usual stiff folder hierarchy. I'll have to give this a try to save me from the neverending woes of bookmark cross-referencing. (via Nooface)
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Compare different digital pianos using a collection of mp3s generated from the same MIDI file. The first listing is a manual rendition of the MIDI file using an acoustic Steinway B. (via BrainLog)
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"Founded in 1995, FLAVORx is on a mission to take the yuck out of medicine." I heard about this on NPR (while I was driving of course since I always hear the interesting stuff when I'm unable to take notes). Luckily Mike Gunderloy linked to it. The creator of FLAVORx developed the system when his baby girl had trouble taking 4 daily doses of yucky medicine. When he made the medication more palatable her condition finally improved. The flavors have no sugars or dyes, and little or no alcohol so they do not alter the medications. There's a selection of sweet and savory flavors such as bubblegum, watermelon, tangy apple, bacon, cheddar, angus beef, and roasted lamb. Veterinarians can use the flavorings for animals. Over 2000 pharmacies in the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, Australia, and New Zealand have FLAVORx available.
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Thursday, November 14, 2002

Mmmmm, The Complete Works of Emily Dickinson, handbound in leather with gold tooling. It's built to last by the Harcourt Bindery, which still makes books the old-fashioned way. (via sorta-ex-co-worker and fellow ex-resident of CT Seth who's pursuing his bookbinding dreams)
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The Easy Bake Oven has had a marketing makeover for boys. Feast your eyes on the Queasy Bake Cookerator (I guess "oven" sounds too girly). In addition to the usual baking pan and mixing bowl, this comes with a bug/worm mold and recipe mixes with appetizing names such as Chocolate Crud Cake and Foaming Drool. Oh yum. Allow me to perpetuate a stereotype and profess my preference for the Easy-Bake Powerpuff Girls Bake Set. It makes the cutest little pink muffins! (100-watt lightbulb not included.)
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Wednesday, November 13, 2002

The home-brew robots battling it out on TV inspired Michael Mauldin to open a for-profit robot club of his very own. Mauldin founded Lycos and retired in 1997 (he's 43 now, so it was a profitable retirement). The Robot Club and Grille in Pittsburgh promises "The best meal you've ever had behind bullet-proof glass!" You can throw a birthday party with rental robots or learn how to build your own machine. There are three arenas built with Lexan and steel. (via memepool)
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"I've been smoking since I was 13 years old and during the Eisenhower administration I peaked at three packs a day. I'm not about to stop now." Margaret Phillips began her acting career at the time most people retire to Florida. Her portrayal of Ruth Ann on "Northern Exposure" garnered her a supporting actress Emmy nomination (she wore blue jeans and sandals to the ceremony). She died on November 7th from lung disease. She was 84.
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Tuesday, November 12, 2002

It's all relative
Here's a stunner for Joss Whedon fans: "Firefly has more viewers than Buffy or Angel, but it is also Whedon's most vulnerable show. That's because it airs on Fox, which has higher viewership expectations than UPN and the WB." (from a Houston Chronicle article) Firefly has more viewers than Buffy and yet it may not survive? Grrr arrgh!
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A lack of originality
I'm on a mission to give our bare walls some personality. I had the clever thought of putting up artistically formatted inspiring words and phrases on our office room walls. Oh yes, I am so creative and clever, thought I. Words on the walls, as art! Then I remembered that people have been posting calligraphy on walls for centuries.
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Monday, November 11, 2002

It's no surprise that the public payphone is a declining species. The SF Chronicle gathered some statistics on the numbers in the Bay Area. To break even, a phone needs to generate at least 500 calls a month. People with low incomes often depend on pay phones, and they likely live in neighborhoods where phones have been removed because of maintenance costs and ordinances to discourage drug dealing. The state provides a subsidy to encourage pay phones in areas of great need, but few people are aware of the program and PacBell claims the subsidy doesn't cover costs. Phone cards are becoming popular, but a phone is still needed to use them. A store in the Mission District offers free use of a phone if customers purchase phone cards there. Clocks behind the counter set to the time in various countries reflect the immigrant population who make use of this service.
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I have a friend whom I describe as "the opposite of a pack rat." I got my plentiful supply of hanging file folders from him. Despite the quantity, I will run out of them soon, which gives you an idea of my standing in the pack rat rankings. This friend would like to OCR all the paper that passes through his life and have a database of his documents. If he ever needed anything again, he could search for it. Regardless of my need for a tactile relationship with paper, I decided I'd also make good use of such a product. We had this discussion a few years ago. Last week I heard about Computhink on the radio. Their products aim for a "paperless office" and they even have a single-user product (discounted for tax season, with a scanner rebate). The basics of document imaging, indexing and retrieval all appear to be supported, plus there are annotations and security features. The next time I absent-mindedly look in vain for the search feature on my stack of manila folders, I'll remember there's an alternative.
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Friday, November 08, 2002

It's no fun hearing Mr. Gates saying unkind things about the Apple Newton when I know that many members of the old Newton team now work for Microsoft.
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Aubrey and Kathleen McClendon were shocked to see their own likenesses peering out as gargoyles on the Duke University dorm they had donated the building funds for. The artistic surprise was a gesture to honor the couple and they were appreciative, but they have asked that the gargoyles be taken down. I wonder if they would have been happier if the likenesses didn't look so much like bobble-head dolls?
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What's surreal? Finding out they are making a movie starring Julia Roberts as a professor at your alma mater. What's really surreal? Finding out that they are actually filming scenes on campus with Wellesley students as extras. What's not so surreal? Finding out that because the movie is set in the 1950's they had to use mainly white students for extras (almost a quarter of the student body is now Asian and almost half of the students are "ethnically diverse").
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Thursday, November 07, 2002

Another spiritual child of the Internet Movie Database, here's The Big Cartoon Database. (via memepool)
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It's the first rain we've experienced in our house, and it's bordering on torrential. With our spanking new roof, you'd think I'd be feeling comfortably covered. Instead, I'm remembering what the roofer said when I asked him how long the cedar would remain that beautiful orange-red hue, "after the first rain, it'll never be the same." And I'm also remembering that we were supposed to put extenders on the new gutter downspouts. Ah well, at least I won't need to wash my dusty car. Hello California winter.
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Will the critical legal documents of our lives ever go completely digital? A few banks are ready to push along this possibility. In October of 2000, FleetBoston, the big bank in New England, started offering online safe-deposit "boxes". I haven't found any verification, but physical safe-deposit boxes have probably been offered by banks ever since banks have existed. Bank buildings are already fortified to store valuables, and customers trust them to hold their money, why not their important papers as well (and long ago those important papers were their only "money")? People are becoming more comfortable with the security of online banking. Will people be comfortable with their legal documents in virtual form only? Of course, a digital safe deposit box is not entirely about the elimination of paper; it's valuable for any documents you may want to lock up and back up.
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Wednesday, November 06, 2002

I've finally taken the time to carefully digest Peter Gabriel's UP album. My friend Ned (who, incidentally, has cleverly programmed his cellphone with the Wallace & Gromit theme song so I have to appreciate his musical taste) lamented the lack of originality in this body of work, and I have to agree. I do like the album. But Gabriel put us in the unfortunate circumstance of having to wait ten years for a new solo album. What I've got in my CD player is something that he could have released a year or two after "Us." Back then I'd be more excited about it. I'm not the best judge of Peter Gabriel, having arrived late to an appreciation for the depths of his music, and I'm spoiled by my #1 rock hero, David Bowie, chameleoning through his entire career. So perhaps I shouldn't expect more than another usual Peter Gabriel album. This one is more than decent. He knows the sounds he likes, and he layers them on with vigor. The only problem is, as Ned says, "haven't I heard this entire album before?" It's variations on familiar themes, propelled along by a few good bass grooves. (read the BBC review; it's better informed and more forgiving plus, it mentions John Cusack)
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I have to thank reader Stewart for writing in and challenging yesterday's statement that most people in the world can't vote. Out of the people of average voting age, it is probably not true. The CIA World Factbook page on Suffrage only lists five countries with no voting rights. But Stewart and I agreed that even if there were a tally of the voting population, the end number would still be open to the questions of how many truly have free will when voting and how many votes are thrown away for convenience. Maybe democracy still comes out ahead. Maybe what works best for most of the population (democracy or not) comes out ahead, which would be OK too. One interesting concept I noticed from the Factbook is that there are countries where voting is compulsory. I'd hate to think that some of these laws have roots in evil enforcements (vote for us or else!), but it's an interesting idea. It probably isn't a good idea for the U.S. however. That Devo song said it well: "Freedom of choice is what you got. Freedom from choice is what you want."
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Tuesday, November 05, 2002

Written by Val Henson for The Linux Documentation Project, but useful for anyone working in the computer industry, HOWTO Encourage Women in Linux explains the difficulties faced by the female members of the Linux community and details do's and don'ts for encouraging their involvement. Come to think of it, you could apply most of the content to any business and male-dominated hobbyist community. (thanks Pavel)
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U.S. citizens: Vote today. Most people in the world can't. Voting Facts: Only Maine and Vermont have no voting rights restrictions for convicted felons. Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming allow election day registration. North Dakota is the only state without any form of voter registration. (source National Conference of State Legislatures)
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Monday, November 04, 2002

The NY Times Food Diary entry that you've all been waiting for has arrived at last. Well, maybe it was just me waiting for it. Amanda Hesser finally writes about her wedding to Tad Friend. The food, by Dan Barber of Blue Hill, included tomatoes filled with eggplant and anchovies, hamachi, lobster, and plum coupe. She doesn't mention a cake, but she does describe her dress: "little cap sleeves", "pink silk chiffon". Sounds as yummy as the food. (Saute Wednesday has a list of links to all the Food Diary entries.)
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A letter writing campaign may be in order. Gateway is ditching its rustic Holstein cow spots in favor of a sleeker high-tech image. Their new logo features a symmetrical spot, "designed to evoke 'cow' without saying 'cow'", and a "G" designed to look like an "on" switch. Gone are the barnyard accoutrements, replaced by images that convey "sleek, silver, high-tech competence". It's a brand overhaul that removes any cute or homespun feelings that may have been detrimental to their business and government customers. Dell needed the opposite effect when they went after the home market with "Steven" (aka Mr. "Dude, you're gettin' a Dell"). But they weren't abandoning such a well-established trademark as the Gateway cow look. While Gateway claims to be retaining the "essence" of the cow, their ad agency doesn't want people to even think "cow" when they see the new logo. Seeing a stack of Gateway boxes will never be the same. Moo! Bring back the cow!
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Friday, November 01, 2002

Here's an update to an update. I dreamed of a dockable purse that would recharge all my devices. A reader emailed me about the Splashpower wireless charging system, due out next year. Now Steve's pointed me to MobileWise's Wire-Free Electricity Base. The NY Times describes its technology as follows: The nubs are contact points that intersect with a discreet conductive patch on the back of compatible products (or for older devices, with an adapter). [...] The trick lies in some patent-pending technology that allows the base to communicate with compatible devices and deliver power only to the nubs that are in contact with a suitable receptor." Forget the purse, I want this for my Itty Bitty Booklite.
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Popular Science asked user interface guru, Jef Raskin, to test drive the BMW 745i, and, more importantly, the car's iDrive unit. As you may recall, the iDrive knob is BMW's answer to consolidating 35 gauges and lights and 66 manual controls. Raskin's main complaint is that the iDrive interface has too many modes. With 700 functions to accomodate, the simple knob is manipulated the same way for many different behaviors. And if you're driving there's minimal feedback possible to assist you. Perhaps the real problem is the need for the 700 functions to begin with. iDrive's interface designer reveals the reality that haunts all software developers and interface designers: "Marketers are features-driven people." Sure the designers wanted to keep things simple, but "if our marketing department says we need it, we design it in." It's a good thing that most people value their lives over changing the car radio station. Raskin pulled over every time he was asked to demonstrate a feature. (Bonus link: the BMW M3's Easter Egg. Fun with electronic transmissions. I wonder what sequence will bring up the programmer credits?)
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