September 2009
1 post
Yep, done.
I should have expected this… I pretty much have zero interest in updating this blog, so I’ll probably delete it. Hopefully this will be my last aborted attempt at a personal blog. I’m still interested in blogging, but I think I just prefer different formats.
Next time around I’d like to write some longer posts and tie together the random bits of information that I tend...
July 2009
2 posts
Help Save Greencup Books →
I hate to say it, but we, like everyone else, are having financial difficulties. This economic downturn and the rise of the big box booksellers are killing us. We never intended to make a profit, that’s why we have always been a 501c3, now nationally recognized. Unfortunately due to fiscal irresponsibility in our local government there is no money in Jefferson County for grants, and since we have...
Not dead, just busy
Sorry for the lack of updates — mundane life has made an unwelcome intrusion into my free time. I’ll start posting again once I’m done moving and (even more pressing) after I finish the paper I have to write for my degree.
June 2009
3 posts
A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods →
This site contains an overview of nearly every visual mapping tool out there, categorized by purpose and with examples included. It is a great reference for anyone who needs to represent an idea without falling back on the same tired charts and graphics.
Use GMinder to access Google Calendar in Offline... →
Birmingham police shoot dogs in Southside, owner... →
Wow. This is incredibly sad; I’ve met Leisa and she’s a great person. I can’t believe they arrested her for “cursing police” after they shot at her dogs.
Forget what I said before… it looks like Birmingham is having some of the same law enforcement problems that everyone else is. I hope that this doesn’t become a trend down here.
In the meantime, my...
May 2009
4 posts
tweenbots | kacie kinzer →
Little cardboard robots helped along to their destination by people. Description from the site:
Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach...
A Model of The Creative Process →
A visual map (downloadable PDF) of the creative process. Would probably make a nice poster.
Birmingham police beating video: Five officers... →
This is shameful, but it is encouraging to see the police administration handle it properly. Even Langford came down on the right side on this one.
My feeling is that Birmingham may have a lot of problems, but the scars from the civil rights era have prevented the blatant abuses we are seeing in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and other US cities. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I just...
IMAPSize →
A nice Windows utility for automating local backups of IMAP mailboxes. I use it to keep local copies of my GMail mailboxes just in case the service goes down. I could just use a full-featured mail client, of course, but I like the GMail web interface too much to switch.
April 2009
9 posts
Lifehacker - Make a Quake-Style Command Prompt... →
Look in the comments for a version that includes tabs for PowerShell and Cygwin. I can’t believe I haven’t had anything like this before — definitely a time saver. For those of us who miss the scriptability of Linux, AutoHotKey is a godsend as well.
Federal agency warns of radicals on right -... →
This article is particularly interesting for a few reasons. First, it looks like the DHS is trying to curry favor with the new administration — instead of “anarchists,” now we’re supposed to be scared of right-wing militias. Next, the Obama administration has distanced themselves from the report (and good for them). I’m not sure what this means, but hopefully DHS...
What's playing at your favorite theater? →
This is awesome. Generate RSS feeds for any theater indexed by Google.
Coworking Space Coming to Downtown B’ham →
A new space for independent workers to come together and collaborate and create is opening in May on 2nd…
Coworking in Birmingham? I didn’t expect this anytime soon!
App to Synchronize Google and Facebook Contacts →
I have been wanting something like this for a long time. Tried it and it works really well (although some photos get scaled improperly).
Spam Haiku
Got this in my email today:
your time is too important such as blocks and dolls, of the events in your
—Laverne Peoples
There was no link or anything else.
Bham Job Sprawl Causing Array of Environmental... →
Oh, weird! You spend time and money making the roads bigger and better to the suburbs, all the people are going to move out there and then all the jobs are going to follow them. Then everyone…
Bill Would Grant President Unprecedented... →
The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 introduced in the Senate would allow the president to shut down private Internet networks. The legislation also calls for the government to have the authority to demand security data from private networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule or policy restricting such access.
This is not right. I’m supportive of some aspects of this bill,...
Omegle →
This site lets you talk to an anonymous person at random. You know, I used to talk to people I didn’t know on the net, but now it just feels extremely strange.
March 2009
2 posts
Riley signs film incentives into law →
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Governor Riley had finally signed HB69 into law, creating tax incentives for the entertainment industry in Alabama. It was drafted and…
Particles Have Free Will →
Originally posted in ct2
Everything in the universe has some degree of free will. Even quantum particles. An elemental particle “decides” which way to spin. A cosmic ray decides when to decay….