tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153476882024-03-07T16:35:16.608-05:00Note to self:Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.comBlogger757125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-35094540888009379292012-07-22T21:00:00.002-04:002012-07-22T21:03:02.234-04:00Chile!Here there! I haven't posted for quite some time. But...
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCfOl6lpBsPL9pZj06ItvKz4I4_ix41r49uwyb0NFiWc0zG4Djzb1iTe8ewVVPXfyD9KreTq6S8blDzEOtknY4sOYoguq6Glh2Hql_GzOPmMOfoJfy7Pzck7ibgV1hLKBU0j3oQ/s1600/snowball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCfOl6lpBsPL9pZj06ItvKz4I4_ix41r49uwyb0NFiWc0zG4Djzb1iTe8ewVVPXfyD9KreTq6S8blDzEOtknY4sOYoguq6Glh2Hql_GzOPmMOfoJfy7Pzck7ibgV1hLKBU0j3oQ/s400/snowball.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
...if anyone is still following the blog, here are some <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53672340@N00/sets/72157630511930516/with/7542515628/">photos</a>
from my recent trip to Chile. I went to visit Davin and Molly (pictured above) for a couple weeks. We spent the first part of that in Santiago, where they'd been living for several months. Then we went south, jumping off from Puerto Montt via ferry to the Carretera Austral, a highway through part of Chile's southern frontier. There were bumpy roads, tiny towns, snow, and a 5.1 earthquake. It was pretty awesome.<br />
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I will try to post some more details later. I'd also note, for those still reading, that I do intend to post other stuff as well, despite my recent radio silence. For instance, I will be checking off my 49th state next weekend when I visit Michigan with Catherine, and that seems an occasion worth of a blog post.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-27643001451133195972012-04-30T19:57:00.003-04:002012-04-30T19:57:33.854-04:00Long time no blog. I've been meaning to post about a few things, including my parents' visit to DC a few weeks back. I'll write again soon, but for now, I'll leave you with what I believe to be a rather adorable picture of them near the Washington Monument.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRr3M3-toMLt52R5Fv4C0I1NbUb6HilJ74oUkm-99sxV6L5iIRMYcCWHtWl9UdcJOk0P8SYrlIcGJHd9NNRBtHqi56JcsXMOsi2WMiwZ4eLEv107ng0bsRfPXw2LW7sqvougpCw/s1600/mom+and+dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRr3M3-toMLt52R5Fv4C0I1NbUb6HilJ74oUkm-99sxV6L5iIRMYcCWHtWl9UdcJOk0P8SYrlIcGJHd9NNRBtHqi56JcsXMOsi2WMiwZ4eLEv107ng0bsRfPXw2LW7sqvougpCw/s400/mom+and+dad.jpg" /></a></div>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-74881559822423023052012-03-24T11:58:00.001-04:002012-03-24T11:58:00.082-04:00Songs of the Moment (An Occasional Feature)> Songs:Ohia - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONkIqqya1to">Blue Factory Flame</a><br />> TV on the Radio - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szQhCgGQSJ8">You</a><br />> Arcade Fire - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awHWColYQ90&ob=av2n">Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)</a><br />> The Books - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Govn12j_0">All You Need Is a Wall</a><br />> Wye Oak - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGZ8JfgX1HQ">Plains</a><br />> Grizzly Bear - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ4jZeGUFzI">While You Wait for the Others</a><br />> tUnE-yArDs - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ1LI-NTa2s&ob=av2e">Bizness</a><br /><br />Don't let the crazy caps put you off -- definitely check out that tUnE-yArDs video, and stick around for the second half.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-39014056989032713312012-03-22T22:50:00.003-04:002012-03-22T23:45:17.313-04:00Car2GoI'm pretty excited about a new carshare service that's rolling out in DC on Saturday, called <a href="http://www.car2go.com/washingtondc/en/concept/">Car2Go</a>. Why would I be excited about this if I already have <a href="http://www.zipcar.com">Zipcar</a>, you ask?<br /><br />All their cars are tiny Smart FourTwo hatchbacks (the company is a subsidiary of Daimler, the maker of the Smart). Unlike Zipcar's half-hour increments, Car2Go charges by the minute. But here's the big difference: You don't have to reserve a car in advance, and you don't have to commit to a time that you'll return the car. Just use it until you're done, and that's what you'll pay for. And, like <a href="http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/">Capital Bikeshare</a>, you don't have to return the car to the same place you picked it up. Even more impressive, you can leave the car in <i>any legal parking spot</i> in the city -- even metered spots. Car2Go has an arrangement with the city to pay for all parking. There are only a few areas of the city, like Rock Creek Park, where you're not allowed to leave the car. You'll be able to see the locations of available cars in a smartphone app, or you can just come upon one on the street and swipe your card. One nice touch: If you end up having to put gas in the car, not only do you not pay for the gas, they will give you a credit to your account for the time spent filling up.<br /><br />While it might be a little hard to envision how this will be useful, I can think of lots of situations in which it will be great. Consider, for example, that Car2Go will cost slightly less than a taxi for most one-way trips ($0.38 per minute, maxing out at $14 per hour). Not to mention that stopping to pick something up on your way home isn't really an option in a taxi. Likewise, if you take bikeshare or Metro to meet up with a friend, and want to head somewhere together afterward, you can just hop in a car. Furthermore, Car2Go happens to be a great complement to Zipcar. You're not going to pick up a dining room table from Ikea or go hiking in Shenandoah in a Smart FourTwo, and Zipcar rates are lower, but small trips that are currently a pain with Zipcar (<i>"Will this take less than 60 minutes?"</i>) will be much easier with Car2Go.<br /><br />They've been operating in Austin, TX and a number of European cities for a little while, and apparently the cars have stayed fairly well distributed across the city. There will be 200 cars in DC to start; I'll be interested to see how it goes. It all adds up to making the city a place where it's much less essential to own a car. Hopefully that will lead to more articles like <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/23/business/media/to-draw-reluctant-young-buyers-gm-turns-to-mtv.html">this one</a> about how auto manufacturers are struggling to get young people excited about buying cars.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-38213398658085796432012-03-09T01:16:00.003-05:002012-03-09T01:35:44.005-05:00Blinky lives!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh3vnRlfwv2V3d8G25nDYX7H_24v4jOsKuE92G8-Ex8Wea6K7JHIDajji9S4iAj94wAPrWsUE-4kCVgNFBpd-3YGn0M1VLP9uJSrGieKmsmYM0w6SB_jBHox8YPDJ6FT861bGOw/s1600/blinky.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNh3vnRlfwv2V3d8G25nDYX7H_24v4jOsKuE92G8-Ex8Wea6K7JHIDajji9S4iAj94wAPrWsUE-4kCVgNFBpd-3YGn0M1VLP9uJSrGieKmsmYM0w6SB_jBHox8YPDJ6FT861bGOw/s400/blinky.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717782019611071746" /></a><br />I was riding downhill on 16th Street this evening in the 70-degree (!) weather when I hit a pretty big rut in the pavement. I heard something fall, and turned my head just in time to see my rear blinker light smash on the pavement, the several pieces of it scattering across a lane of traffic. Crap. Those suckers cost about $30, and I don't want to take the time to go find a new one.<br /><br />I doubled back on the sidewalk at the next intersection; a passing jogger said "Bummer, dude." Figuring I'd pick up the pieces and salvage the two AAA batteries, I dashed out to grab them during a break in traffic. Strangely, none of them appeared to have been run over. And when I put them back together, it worked! It's a blinky miracle.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-28020350673518146742012-03-06T23:59:00.000-05:002012-03-07T00:37:41.415-05:00Chicago<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzvS4oMyuYLYvbGifGjTeTzpuj_Rak-TLNnkv8k1Pq9ROF0wHJbKpqhB8D3ZSiQwyo6YRCEYYdCCOvlhmPieejJPIYUWyYa47MOcWLupy_9MaWOkY7wl37xlpT5D2lTDTWjdp5A/s1600/loop.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzvS4oMyuYLYvbGifGjTeTzpuj_Rak-TLNnkv8k1Pq9ROF0wHJbKpqhB8D3ZSiQwyo6YRCEYYdCCOvlhmPieejJPIYUWyYa47MOcWLupy_9MaWOkY7wl37xlpT5D2lTDTWjdp5A/s400/loop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717022260924795618" /></a><br />Alex and Alissa moved to Chicago at the end of last summer. I made a quick visit this past weekend -- good to catch up, and nice to see a bit of the city, since I haven't spent much time there. We did some of the typical tourist things, and ate at a very trendy (and very good) <a href="http://longmanandeagle.com/eat/">restaurant</a>. (There was both pigeon and wild boar, but I must say the gruyere-filled doughnuts with fig jam and honey were particularly notable.)<br /><br />I put up <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53672340@N00/sets/72157629166217652/">a few pictures</a> on Flickr (but none of doughnuts).Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-2582932940100088552012-02-21T22:45:00.002-05:002012-02-21T22:45:00.375-05:00Songs of the Moment (An Occasional Feature)> Soul Coughing - Blue-Eyed Devil<br />> Warpaint - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wATcZvB6rs">Warpaint</a><br />> Neko Case - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXl870NoF4E">People Got a Lotta Nerve</a><br />> Broken Social Scene - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQz7wOVqH7Q">Fire Eye'd Boy</a><br />> Spoon - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lmy2Ckxlto">I Could See the Dude</a><br />> Fujiya & Miyagi - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozoio7Y6M4Q">Yoyo</a><br />> The Weakerthans - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygzMqc7MUlo">Anchorless</a><br /><br />The Warpaint video, which I like a lot, somehow seems very 1990s to me, even though it's recent.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-11272341742035260672012-02-20T23:54:00.000-05:002012-02-21T00:34:28.415-05:00CaBiMy Capital Bikeshare key fob stopped working a couple weeks ago. This was perhaps not too surprising following a grueling 18 months on my keyring. After calling to request a new one, I identified the problem -- the two halves of the plastic shell had become slightly separated at one end, and the little RFID chip had come loose and was sliding around inside. Here's what the little guy looks like:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rGwj_HXj3vId69Lc0V-13tbR-seEKcDnM5plQnqTwTcwBGg2fwtR9f9z2nY4SyCc_sam8BHD6AmsT3IOMrCxF_ZgcTot-YhyL9wGug-JFTVuBCcXg_M__Q-y3JTsFOflI7uJpA/s1600/cabi+chip.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7rGwj_HXj3vId69Lc0V-13tbR-seEKcDnM5plQnqTwTcwBGg2fwtR9f9z2nY4SyCc_sam8BHD6AmsT3IOMrCxF_ZgcTot-YhyL9wGug-JFTVuBCcXg_M__Q-y3JTsFOflI7uJpA/s400/cabi+chip.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711443828158719186" /></a><br />I don't actually know anything about RFID, but it looks like the chip itself is the encased in that little bubble; there are wires running around the perimeter of the square that probably serve as the antenna.<br /><br />CaBi continues to be awesome, as I've <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2010/10/capital-bikeshare.html">written previously</a>. This seems like a good time to mention some stats available from my account, which shows that I've taken 245 trips since becoming a member in October 2010 -- about one every other day. The system tracks data on your 200 most recent trips (for me, that's trips since January 18, 2011). Here are some summary stats on those:<div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><ul><li>240.34 miles traveled. However, they measure this using as-the-crow-flies distances between the stations, so the actual distance will almost certainly be longer -- for instance, my route from the station nearest home to the station nearest the office is 3.3 miles, but CaBi counts this as 2.5 miles. If we assume this ratio holds true across all trips, I've probably covered about 320 miles on the CaBi bikes in the past 13 months. (That's similar to the distance covered in my <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2009/10/arrived.html">bike trip to Pittsburgh</a>.)</li><li>10,334 estimated calories burned. That's based on CaBi's assumption of 43 calories per mile.</li><li>1 day, 12 hours, 47 minutes and 48 seconds of riding.</li><li>If you take the time elapsed and my estimated distance above, it indicates an average speed of about 8.7 mph. Given traffic lights and the conservative gearing of the bikes, that sounds about right.</li></ul>There's lots of really interesting analysis to be done with</span> data that CaBi <span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13327/capital-bikeshare-releases-anonymous-trip-data/"></a></span><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13327/capital-bikeshare-releases-anonymous-trip-data/">recently released<span class="Apple-style-span"></span></a>, which anonymously show all individual trips taken on the system during certain periods.</div></div>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-23311533309190142602012-02-12T23:30:00.001-05:002012-02-12T23:40:11.552-05:00Sound happeningsTwo audio-related items to note:<br /><br />A couple weeks ago I got an opportunity, as part of the <a href="http://www.dclisteninglounge.com/">DC Listening Lounge</a>, to visit a cool and mysterious place -- the abandoned trolley station underneath DC's Dupont Circle.<br /><br />A little background: Dupont Circle is one of the city's most vibrant neighborhoods, with many restaurants, bars, stores, the city's biggest weekly farmer's market, etc. Most people don't even realize that beneath the eponymous <a href="http://g.co/maps/d8dcy">circle</a>, there's a station from the days when streetcars were the primary mass transit in DC. (Metro's present-day Dupont Circle station is significantly deeper below.) The station and accompanying underground track tunnels were built in the 1940s, in an effort to ease congestion in the circle. An automobile <a href="http://g.co/maps/ngkax">underpass</a> to allow Connecticut Ave to bypass the circle was also built at the same time. The streetcars were abandoned in favor of buses (sigh) in 1962, exactly 50 years ago. The station (actually two stations, wrapping around both sides of the circle) was reserved as a fallout shelter for a time, but fully abandoned in the 1970s. A small part of the facility was turned into a food court in the 1990s, but an unscrupulous developer and claustrophobic design doomed it in short order.<br /><br />Jumping to the present, a group calling itself <a href="http://www.dupontunderground.org/">Dupont Underground</a> is trying to develop the entire underground area -- the stations plus adjoining tunnels -- as a retail and arts space. They've been at it for a few years now, and have recently secured an exclusive agreement with the city to negotiate for a lease on the space. They are working to build support for this effort, and are giving various interested parties tours of the space. We met two reps from the group on a street corner near the circle, walked down the narrow curb alongside the vehicle underpass, and went through a metal door in the side of the underpass, and entered the dark tunnel. Here's a sound recording I made as we went in:<br /><iframe width="350" height="267" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-TC16nT9Sjs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />It was pretty cool being in a totally abandoned (and mostly forgotten) space underneath one of the busiest places in the city. I took a few <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53672340@N00/6810508301/in/set-72157629152757205">pictures</a> with my phone in the station portion where there was lights, but you'd probably be better off looking at some more professional pics of the space posted by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ep_jhu/sets/72157628125083226/with/6343280845/">this guy on Flickr</a>. We brought a few noisemaking implements (including a violin) with us to explore the acoustics, which were echoey in an unusual way, with all the bare concrete and connecting tunnels. In any case, the group has a lot of work ahead of them to realize their vision, but if they can make it work, the space has the potential to be a very cool addition to Dupont Circle.<br /><br />- - -<br /><br />Also in the sounds-in-striking-settings department, a band that my friend Jocelyn is in, <a href="url">The Torches</a>, played a gig this afternoon at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It was in the Luce Center, which is a gorgeous three-tier atrium on the top floor of the museum. The band got to select a piece of art from the collection (<a href="http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=77520">a painting entitled "Life Mask"</a>), and a staff member gave a short talk about it before they started their performance. Seeing a band I've seen several times in small clubs play an "unplugged" set in such a stately setting was neat, and definitely changed how I perceived the music. This is part of a <a href="http://americanart.si.edu/calendar/event.cfm?trumbaEmbed=seriesid%3D665302%26view%3Dseries%26returnUrl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Famericanart.si.edu%252Fcalendar%252Fevent.cfm%253FtrumbaEmbed%253Deventid%25253D93087786%252526view%25253Devent%252526-childview%25253D%252526returnUrl%25253Dhttp%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Famericanart.si.edu%2525252Fcalendar%2525252Findex.cfm%2525253FtrumbaEmbed%2525253Ddate%252525253D20110515">monthly series</a> the Luce Center is putting on, so I may try and check out some future shows.<br /><br />Here's the Luce Center, with the band setting up at the far end.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyAebSXCHv-kgbdxhGw-DgEkytA7RCODh_QcPnjMJR8X5APS1bo4eLfRuXfOBG4lfBmKU910WQ_502wMmIyEqdGlI1mT19rngZ9ui58OaineaL7-rVtgjAXkMoAb6RsVf7_pDrQ/s1600/luce+center.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyAebSXCHv-kgbdxhGw-DgEkytA7RCODh_QcPnjMJR8X5APS1bo4eLfRuXfOBG4lfBmKU910WQ_502wMmIyEqdGlI1mT19rngZ9ui58OaineaL7-rVtgjAXkMoAb6RsVf7_pDrQ/s400/luce+center.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708468201975760978" /></a>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-49820137485902559272012-02-02T23:59:00.002-05:002012-02-03T01:27:37.612-05:00Omnibus updateHaven't been blogging much recently, mostly because I've been busy. Here are a few things worth mentioning:<br /><div><ul><li>Davin came to visit last weekend, prior to his move to South America. I failed to take any proper pictures, but did snap one on my phone when we <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53672340@N00/6810507469/in/set-72157629152757205/">hiked Old Rag</a>.</li><li>After great disappointment at not getting tickets for LCD Soundsystem's farewell show at Madison Square Garden last spring, I have to say I'm pretty pumped to see the film that was made about it, <a href="http://youtu.be/_FAUyrFWDvw">Shut Up and Play the Hits</a>.</li><li>I've restarted my <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2011/01/potluck-best-practices.html">Potluck Initiative</a> this winter, and have been reminded how nice it is to have people over for dinner.</li><li>I was proud of installing <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/53672340@N00/6810537439/in/set-72157629152757205/">this lamp</a> in my apartment on my own. (To be clear, there was a different lamp there before, so it's not like I did any real electrical work.) I also fixed the leaky shower, but I'm debating whether replacing the leaky kitchen faucet is within my ability.</li><li>Relatedly, after complaining bitterly for years about my mother's unwillingness to turn on the heat, I have said to myself more than once this winter that "52 degrees isn't so bad if you put on a hat." (But much of the winter has felt more like spring.)</li><li>I got to go in an abandoned underground trolley station here in DC yesterday. I'll do a separate post about it later, but it was pretty awesome.</li></ul><div>Heading to Greensboro this weekend (via train!) to visit Matt and Risa (and the local <a href="http://vimeo.com/7907281">Mountain Goat</a> population), which should be great.</div></div>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-42491304347482916552012-01-08T11:56:00.002-05:002012-01-08T11:56:00.128-05:00Songs of the Moment (An Occasional Feature)> Peter Wolf Crier - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLimauIdtvI">Settling it Off</a><br />> TV on the Radio - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFs9TZPKObU">No Future Shock</a><br />> Broken Social Scene - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uev2J_cBHjQ">7/4 Shoreline</a><br />> Moonface - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVB7tVLNqJw">Loose Heart = Loose Plan</a><br />> Wilco - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXVWAn_ZlxE">Dawned on Me</a><br />> Battles - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV4G428zES0">Sweetie & Shag</a><br />> Wye Oak - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmjMFPSLXI4">Holy Holy</a><br /><br />That Wye Oak video is quite well done, I think. Being a sucker for synchronization of visual elements with the music, I particularly loved the sequence of cuts at about 2:05.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-88116075769160236492011-12-31T19:37:00.003-05:002011-12-31T20:16:11.039-05:00Happy New Year from Nyan CatTo ring in the new year, I would like to point your attention to a video meme from 2011 that I have belatedly run across, known as "Nyan Cat."<br /><iframe width="350" height="267" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QH2-TGUlwu4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />Yes, it's a cartoon cat with a Pop Tart body flying through space accompanied by an over-caffeinated repetitive soundtrack. (According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyan_Cat">Nyan Cat Wikipedia entry</a>, "The Japanese word for the sound cats make, 'nyā' [にゃあ?], is the equivalent of the English language word 'meow'.")<br /><br />It's not bearable for more than a minute or so, but somehow, I find it hilarious. I think the fact that it has had tens of millions of views is part of what makes it funny, because viewing it makes you think of all the tens of millions of other people who have taken the time to watch such a willfully pointless (and annoying!) video. Pulling on that same thread of humor, the website <a href="http://nyan.cat/">Non-Stop Nyan Cat</a> allows you to tweet how long you've spent watching their Nyan Cat knockoff.<br /><br />Also, I must add that the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaEmCFiNqP0">Smooth Jazz Version</a> of the meme is amazing.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-84157297419099122442011-12-27T22:26:00.002-05:002011-12-27T22:44:16.601-05:00Postcard from the pastI was poking around in my parents' basement while home for Christmas, and found this postcard:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJSywcczF9TmuHZ-JQ37VXc6lYH6IQg1h_tnbRZBDDyFYB3AJetbKIRVZY6F54E8Y7u3_dCoN90aZnsGBNRd_CD65I-MABO_8ovD4Qz9yO9cvLJ2PGfLVU5rj_4GXEs77JRu9dQ/s1600/PostcardFront.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnJSywcczF9TmuHZ-JQ37VXc6lYH6IQg1h_tnbRZBDDyFYB3AJetbKIRVZY6F54E8Y7u3_dCoN90aZnsGBNRd_CD65I-MABO_8ovD4Qz9yO9cvLJ2PGfLVU5rj_4GXEs77JRu9dQ/s400/PostcardFront.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691010127807224530" /></a><br />It caught my eye because it looked familiar. Not the postcard itself, but the view, from Glacier National Park. In fact, I took almost the exact same picture on <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2011/09/glacier.html">my own trip</a> to Glacier this past September:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaN4BzM8SGCR2XwAaXNKJmxO4Pmn3LY-yYnQXKCJ26HUwq-QSTabWnRuGtBeH6RS2EHmcqLHdYPO3V2MSkCXpgohyphenhyphen9IrL0fovCU_rlWxd5X5mJ22G_WLkm4x_mTzvrNNt5Q-Ar7A/s1600/P1020760.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaN4BzM8SGCR2XwAaXNKJmxO4Pmn3LY-yYnQXKCJ26HUwq-QSTabWnRuGtBeH6RS2EHmcqLHdYPO3V2MSkCXpgohyphenhyphen9IrL0fovCU_rlWxd5X5mJ22G_WLkm4x_mTzvrNNt5Q-Ar7A/s400/P1020760.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691010143491644066" /></a><br />The postcard was from my paternal grandparents, sent in September 1984 -- almost exactly 27 years before I inadvertently took the same picture.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q8UNjckdqoq6UlDW1f8vZlS0i0Ao3BT-JZm0-czrzFW0zYnOpaEoQLK_Cpsk4o4zCOEnNQAqv4ULjW0FEv6SS2x7DYFIUMTtRB7BIUd4c9z0sA7BZS1paJRo1BQHh952_hcXEw/s1600/PostcardBack.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q8UNjckdqoq6UlDW1f8vZlS0i0Ao3BT-JZm0-czrzFW0zYnOpaEoQLK_Cpsk4o4zCOEnNQAqv4ULjW0FEv6SS2x7DYFIUMTtRB7BIUd4c9z0sA7BZS1paJRo1BQHh952_hcXEw/s400/PostcardBack.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691010135826579234" /></a><br />I must admit that <a href="http://www.fivebadideas.com/2011/06/send-me-letter-real-old-fashioned-dead.html">Doug is right</a> -- there's something special about physical postcards, compared to all the different flavors of instantaneous electronic communication. If I had run across an old email, it wouldn't have been quite the same, never mind that emails won't just hang out in a box for a few decades to be stumbled upon later.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-5409901739270692152011-12-27T01:09:00.002-05:002011-12-27T01:15:06.056-05:00Warmth of homeI've enjoyed being at home for Christmas. I didn't take any pictures of the family get-togethers, but here's a picture of the ash basin underneath my parents' wood furnace. It does actually feel a bit like winter here, although still unseasonably warm. Heading back to DC tomorrow...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjysQhK_eHDlJYTkwYjIJNIa5ZxmvoZ6mNcBIqGhvf_TeW83hCnCxOktsN8vQdblJncOTZ4uIH1eZI4Y0RBxAV7jkNw1KMhQT0OdyQ2A6VjJnjiPemeg5dUW0qzLQzXfOXEsks7w/s1600/fireplace.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjysQhK_eHDlJYTkwYjIJNIa5ZxmvoZ6mNcBIqGhvf_TeW83hCnCxOktsN8vQdblJncOTZ4uIH1eZI4Y0RBxAV7jkNw1KMhQT0OdyQ2A6VjJnjiPemeg5dUW0qzLQzXfOXEsks7w/s400/fireplace.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690687723443982946" /></a>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-36596986643285317862011-12-04T12:51:00.001-05:002011-12-04T12:52:43.731-05:00The DC I knowI thought it'd be interesting to map out the <a href="http://g.co/maps/d82w6">parts of DC that I'm familiar with</a>. It would be cool to see many different people's version of this map, as the shape of their DC would probably have a strong correlation with their demographics and lifestyle. For instance, I bet my friends who live in the District (nearly all of whom, naturally, live in areas I'm familiar with) and use their bikes to get around would have a very similar shape. Someone in their 40s, however, might be familiar with a different set of neighborhoods.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-73791837453296237082011-12-01T23:10:00.002-05:002011-12-01T23:10:01.308-05:00Songs of the Moment (An Occasional Feature)> Wilco - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTqEB0MyGdY">Born Alone</a><br />> Dismemberment Plan - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMLiFpecgVg">The City</a><br />> TV on the Radio - <a href="http://youtu.be/YFkLmLipCV4">Caffeinated Consciousness</a><br />> Modest Mouse - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEj4nF1AsY8">Guilty Cocker Spaniels</a><br />> Broken Social Scene - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JRsyIXzsU8">Ibi Dreams of Pavement</a><br />> Gorillaz - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se7u-WqwBZc">DARE (DFA remix)</a><br /><br />That Wilco track is from their new record, which I like a lot.<br /><br />My interest in "The City" was rekindled by listening to the remix on "A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan," but the original remains the best. I think the synth line makes the song. (Okay, probably the drums, too.)Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-65993037655231443512011-11-29T21:00:00.002-05:002011-11-29T21:00:02.422-05:00New old lacesMy great grandmother, who emigrated from Finland at middle age, kept lots of stuff. In fact, even though she passed away a number of years ago now, it has taken the family all that time to clean out her house, which was next door to my grandmother's house. Many of the things she kept had to be thrown out, but some are neat mementos of her life. (I had previously posted about the <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2009/07/greetings-from.html">vintage postcards</a> she kept from her time traveling with a wealthy family she and my great-grandfather worked for.) Some of the things left in the house are even useful -- for instance, we came upon a cache of old but unused men's shoelaces, which I took with me.<br /><br />Last week, one of the laces on my brown work shoes snapped while I was tying them in the morning. So I re-laced them with these, which I would guess date to the 60s. I don't think anyone will notice how retro-cool I am, though...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdzu5frM2rFRyylLhOx-HSDwk-Wp3kWMVy68_cPAYhnqpgIG_7MDSpSoRpMHV_G0hu1nFf1IvuFi4VGdIqLzRhfF9Ynt98FlgQE89rMgOk3yaQS9r32msH6-yEInAD1MXPedrSQ/s1600/photo.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdzu5frM2rFRyylLhOx-HSDwk-Wp3kWMVy68_cPAYhnqpgIG_7MDSpSoRpMHV_G0hu1nFf1IvuFi4VGdIqLzRhfF9Ynt98FlgQE89rMgOk3yaQS9r32msH6-yEInAD1MXPedrSQ/s400/photo.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679846664718994802" /></a>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-64421674858447265082011-11-28T22:07:00.003-05:002011-11-28T22:07:00.247-05:00Stacking Your DeckIn a fit of nesting instinct, I spent a few minutes yesterday afternoon browsing a website called Lamps Plus. As you may have inferred, I was looking at lamps -- I clicked through a few styles made by one particular manufacturer, and then wandered off somewhere else on the internet. Shortly afterward, I was on an unrelated web page and saw an advertisement for Lamps Plus. I sighed at the reminder that my online activities are being tracked.<br /><br />As I was again browsing online last evening, I saw another Lamps Plus ad -- this time featuring photos of four lamps I had looked at earlier in the day. Even though this only added a little bit of specificity beyond the targeted ad I had been shown earlier in the day, it violated some subconscious sense of my personal space online, and I felt a bit creeped out. It was as if a salesman I had talked to at a furniture store suddenly tapped on my bedroom window and held up a lamp I had considered purchasing.<br /><br />From the perspective of marketing efficacy, the problem here is that they weren't subtle enough. They'll probably refine that over time, as they have access to plenty of data regarding the rates at which various strategies lead people to make a purchase. But even if they figure out how to avoid creeping me out, I'm not sure that makes it better -- it's probably worse, actually, since subtle techniques may have the ability to influence my decisions without me realizing it. Marketers have obviously been influencing our decisions for quite some time, but the vast new quantities of data and targeting/tailoring techniques now available change the game, and make this more insidious. As I've <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2008/01/reverend-billy.html">written about before</a>, it's not an entirely fair fight if marketers spend all their time identifying the factors that can influence your decision so that they can control those levers, while you make a decision without being aware of many of these factors that are influencing your decision. At the same time, scientific understanding of what goes into our decision-making processes is getting more advanced, which adds to the number and effectiveness of the tools of influence that marketers have at their disposal. (For example, the blog I had linked to in that previous post recently had an entry about <a href="http://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/facial-monitoring.htm">"facial coding" of expressions</a>, where webcam views of faces as people consume content record where eyes look and what emotional reaction people have to the information they're receiving.)<br /><br />This may seem like a lot of paranoia touched off by a slightly over-eager lamp seller, but I do think the cumulative effect of all this scheming to influence our decisions can be insidious. To take a more overtly problematic example, in a recent Planet Money podcast, they featured an interview with a former economics professor who is now <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/11/15/142366953/the-tuesday-podcast-from-harvard-economist-to-casino-ceo">CEO of casino operator Caesar's Entertainment Corporation</a>. He talks about how they use data from loyalty cards to actively monitor their customers and intervene to make them more likely to keep gambling. If someone loses a lot of money in their first 30 minutes playing slot machines, management can see this and, for instance, give them a free drink. The company is actively experimenting to see what freebies, and what points of intervention, are most effective at keeping people in the casino. The CEO frames this as making sure everyone has a good experience, but of course the goal here is to make sure customers part with as much of their money as possible. Casinos are already fairly sophisticated about manipulating psychology, and this is just taking it to the next level using data with a level of granularity that hasn't been available in the past. The type of information gathered by Facebook, furthermore, is far beyond what Caesar's has -- if marketers want to tailor their approach to single women from 25 to 30 who like Maroon 5 and have no religious preference, they can do that.<br /><br />As marketers' ability to target us individually grows, it will require greater awareness on our part, and hopefully some new rules to address the changes (and I don't mean new Facebook privacy settings).Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-16882035867517325272011-11-27T23:59:00.006-05:002011-11-28T01:36:20.798-05:00What Shall I Be?While in Connecticut over Thanksgiving, I played Scrabble with my parents one night. Their copy dates to 1968, and an insert in the box advertises other games by Selchow & Righter (Scrabble's publisher at the time), including this pair: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32E4roTEOEJxV_6elCx_wF9hQXC2rVhlRGx5etuNa1imBTN4M57Dm2EbzlDrT2_f4lGwWep1OOsy_adBZTaqKGfVOt-l-S_6KEnsouVKSyPc3BS71DL0ekOuZwD1uEqkIPQKVfw/s1600/what+shall+I+be.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 362px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh32E4roTEOEJxV_6elCx_wF9hQXC2rVhlRGx5etuNa1imBTN4M57Dm2EbzlDrT2_f4lGwWep1OOsy_adBZTaqKGfVOt-l-S_6KEnsouVKSyPc3BS71DL0ekOuZwD1uEqkIPQKVfw/s400/what+shall+I+be.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679924541910408354" /></a><br />Here's the text of the caption:<br /><blockquote>WHAT SHALL I BE? An important question for children when they think about their future . . . . Our two What Shall I Be? games, one for boys, the other for girls, teach youngsters about planning careers while having loads of fun. Boys follow the career road to becoming an astronaut, doctor, scientist, lawyer, pro football player, or engineer. Girls reach for careers in dancing, acting, teaching, nursing, modeling, or as airline stewardesses. These are really different games for boys and girls. Here's to your children's future!</blockquote><br /><i>These are really different games for boys and girls.</i>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-42817177216233599042011-11-14T23:59:00.000-05:002011-11-15T00:14:16.985-05:00GotchaEvery fall I make sure to catch at least one leaf before it hits the ground. Here's this year's, caught last night while biking up 11th Street:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2wNljU6EWPWDyxaHSyGujcyoBldu3DQKUdsKNbpBrP4Dl6O0MzME-uwbJh71K9vcsLyKuRxCL1x0jdRfJI7DZcKCjoG9ZWv28keohCZu2orK9UDB6eZCvqY_oXrGwBU9AYPG9A/s1600/leaf.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2wNljU6EWPWDyxaHSyGujcyoBldu3DQKUdsKNbpBrP4Dl6O0MzME-uwbJh71K9vcsLyKuRxCL1x0jdRfJI7DZcKCjoG9ZWv28keohCZu2orK9UDB6eZCvqY_oXrGwBU9AYPG9A/s400/leaf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675086161022916722" /></a><br />I believe this is the second time I have caught my annual leaf while biking, but I do not have a photographic record of the previous occasion, in Minneapolis.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-64933179515021327532011-11-01T23:12:00.001-04:002011-11-01T23:12:00.284-04:00Songs of the Moment (An Occasional Feature)> Dr. Dog - <a href="http://youtu.be/jhxQWiCmxfg">Heart It Races</a> (Architecture in Helsinki cover)<br />> M83 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX3k_QDnzHE">Midnight City</a><br />> Pinback - <a href="http://youtu.be/3h9QFXviJ2E">Good to Sea</a><br />> John Vanderslice - <a href="http://youtu.be/mNNzGhzIAVo">Exodus Damage</a><br />> The Octopus Project - <a href="http://youtu.be/2K9QlnsWb44">An Evening with Rthrtha</a><br />> Dr. Dog - <a href="http://youtu.be/9_4_By9NJOc">Shadow People</a><br /><br />Two doses of Dr. Dog might be a bit much, but I'm really loving both of those tracks right now. The <a href="http://youtu.be/9_4_By9NJOc">Shadow People</a> video is great, very earnest and well-done.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-33778115433652459072011-10-31T23:48:00.002-04:002011-11-01T00:05:40.897-04:00Halloween updateThe snow that I <a href="http://teaguelyons.blogspot.com/2011/10/october-snow.html">mentioned</a> was purely of the "conversational" variety here in DC, but as you probably heard, it hit hard in Connecticut. My parents have been without power since Saturday, and have been told it could be a while yet before they get it back. This is only two months after losing it for a week because of hurricane Irene!<br /><br />Meanwhile, it's unusually brisk for Halloween here. Nevertheless, I saw plenty of costumed kids walking around on my ride home. Sort of disappointed that I don't get to hand out candy this year (having moved into an apartment), but it meant I didn't have to feel bad about getting home as trick-or-treating hours were ending.<br /><br />I did, however, put together a costume this year for the first time in a while, for a party on Saturday. I was Boris Yeltsin's agent. It required some explanation, but gave me ample opportunity to practice my Russian accent.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-69284751994824727332011-10-30T13:25:00.003-04:002011-10-31T00:01:26.457-04:00Kickin' mouse padThe weather has turned cold, and I'm putting off turning on the heat. I've always been annoyed by how cold my mouse-using hand gets while sitting at the computer, so I googled "microwaveable mouse pad," thinking that maybe someone had made a mouse pad that you can stick in the microwave to warm up.<br /><br />My search did not turn up any such thing. But I did find an <a href="http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM227882697P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM227882697">"I [heart] microwave risotto" mousepad</a> being sold through the Sears website. I realize it's from some tiny outfit with an affiliate deal with Sears, but still, I have some questions: Does anyone actually love microwave risotto? If so, at what point does that person say to him/herself, "Hey, since I really like -- no, love! -- microwave risotto, perhaps I should get a mousepad that says so"?Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-34112830033685833992011-10-29T17:06:00.003-04:002011-10-29T17:25:17.306-04:00October snowIt was a cold rain coming down when I ventured out to the farmer's market in the morning, but this is what it looked like outside by late afternoon:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQGkooQ56y5tGtdUNs1AJxLYu73_nvr5Xz6YWSn1ezXuqAUw2EbMohbZZ7iU5lwFqqs2FqbrxyqLZ624A43qFlhnEOW1HF6KlOa-4sRxDuohC2SPbU9aLGFQBVvUL5odb4if4og/s1600/october+snow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFQGkooQ56y5tGtdUNs1AJxLYu73_nvr5Xz6YWSn1ezXuqAUw2EbMohbZZ7iU5lwFqqs2FqbrxyqLZ624A43qFlhnEOW1HF6KlOa-4sRxDuohC2SPbU9aLGFQBVvUL5odb4if4og/s400/october+snow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669026046764148754" /></a><br /><br />I remember when it snowed on October 1 my first year at Carleton. That was pretty early, even in Minnesota, but the end of October is <i>really</i> early in DC. While looking out the window at the snow, I saw a flurry of people coming outside to take pictures.Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347688.post-16231144443114919412011-10-18T20:09:00.003-04:002011-10-18T21:59:17.977-04:00Miscellany<ul><li>This <i>Post</i> article on <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/google-takes-street-view-to-amazon/2011/10/13/gIQAzSPptL_story.html">Google Street View in the Amazon</a> seems like a good real-life example of the now-you-can-talk-to-a-kid-in-Africa utopian visions from the early days of the internet in the 1990s.</li><li>An interesting <i>NYT</i> column on an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/opinion/nocera-we-can-all-become-job-creators.html">initiative from Howard Schultz</a>, the Starbucks CEO, to provide small business financing in $5 bites from consumers. I think there's the germ of a good idea here, but it also sounds kinda wacky.</li><li>Bad restaurant reviews are always more fun to read than good ones, and the latest <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/opinion/bruni-dinner-and-derangement.html">Frank Bruni</a> column in the <i>Times</i> is a doozy. He reviews a restaurant that appears to be a parody of itself, and wisely broadens the critique to the fetishistic tone that has crept into some corners of our increasing obsession with food.</li></ul>Teaguehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09459066358653082806noreply@blogger.com1