October 8, 2008
Links 35
1. The Boston Globe posted a few of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's photos seen in the Earth From Above exhibit. To see more, visit Arthus-Bertrand's site or his other site. (Don't ask me why he has two sites with nearly identical URLs.)
2. Sad Guys on Trading Floors - a new photo blog. So far, this entry is my favorite.
3. Eleven things the next president should do for science
5. A creepy WP article about Palin's campaign rallies, with excerpts like these:
Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."
...
"One of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," she said. ("Boooo!" said the crowd.) "And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, 'launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,' " she continued. ("Boooo!" the crowd repeated.)
"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience.
08 Oct 13:48 | Link | Category: Libraries & Digital Information, Link Dump '08, Photography, Politics, Science
October 4, 2008
Links 34
1. Sorted Books - Book spines arranged into stories.
2. Dark Roasted Blend judged Socotra Island the most alien-looking place on Earth (beating out places like Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni):
3. 41 Hilarious Science Fair Experiments - I'm not sure which is my favorite... there are so many to choose from. Maybe "Crystal Meth: Friend or Foe?" which I dearly hope was an observational study, not an experiment.
4. Dove Evolution Parody - If you ever saw the original Dove Evolution commercial, this one is parody of it, in reverse:
5. Jesus Is My Friend by Sonseed:
They're good, but no one can compare to the Faith Tones:
04 Oct 17:11 | Link | Category: Humor, Link Dump '08, Video
If this is true, we're screwed
In the midst of headlines about the economic meltdown and the latest political silliness, I noticed a news item that, if true, could be a harbinger of events that will make the other issues seem like small fry: Preliminary findings suggest that massive deposits of sub-sea methane are bubbling to the surface as the Arctic region becomes warmer and its ice retreats.
As a greenhouse gas, methane is about 20 times more potent than CO2. Scientists "fear that its release could accelerate global warming in a giant positive feedback where more atmospheric methane causes higher temperatures, leading to further permafrost melting and the release of yet more methane."
People have been worried about arctic methane for years because there's a "lid" of permafrost over it (sub-sea and terrestrial), preventing escape to the atmosphere. Now one group of scientists say they have, for the first time, "documented a field where the release was so intense that the methane did not have time to dissolve into the seawater but was rising as methane bubbles to the sea surface. These 'methane chimneys' were documented on echo sounder and with seismic [instrument]." At some locations the concentrations of methane were 100 times the background level.
The research hasn't been peer-reviewed or published yet, so take this news with a grain of salt. It may prove to be more hype than substance. If, however, it's true and the methane release instigates a positive feedback loop, we're f***ed. Eat drink and be merry...
04 Oct 16:34 | Link | Category: Science
Can it get any crazier?
I've been too busy to post all the crazy political links I've collected. You've probably seen many of them anyway, so I think I'll skip posting them here. Typing in my rants & raves on each one will just raise my blood pressure. They range from the important but underreported (McCain Makes Sharp Right Turn on Stem Cells) to the unbelievably absurd (Greta Van Susteren's awkward high-school crush on 'First Dude' Todd Palin).
Perhaps my favorite tidbit of craziness: "Palin told him that 'dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time,' Munger said. When he asked her about prehistoric fossils and tracks dating back millions of years, Palin said 'she had seen pictures of human footprints inside the tracks,' recalled Munger"
The remaining month before the election promises to be long and painful -- especially with news that the McCain camp plans to pull out all the stops and play dirty (which will necessitate the same strategy from the other side).
Meanwhile, the state of the nation becomes increasingly precarious.
"Jefferson I think we're lost"
04 Oct 16:10 | Link | Category: Politics
September 28, 2008
And the winner is...
For my final ACL entry, I present the winner for the best show I attended during the festival:
David Byrne
Runner up: The Black Keys
Honorable mentions go to Gillian Welch and Scott H. Biram.
That's all, folks.
We now - very regretfully - return to regular programming...
28 Sep 22:39 | Link | Category: Austin, Music
ACL, Day 3
- Scott Biram - Biram is an Austin local whose music is a loud blistering dirty heavy can of whupass. I had been told his live show was ten times better than his records. It's true! This was a great show even if it was outside during a nice sunny day instead of late at night in a sketchy dive. I hope to check out his live show more now that I live here. (From the ACL guide: "Biram doesn't croon and strum the kind of pretty, sensitive singer-songwriter elegies that clog the mainstream radio airwaves with cloying melodies, or that commonly end up sandwiched between John Mayer and Death Cab for Cutie on co-ed mix CDs. Instead, he growls, hollers, snarls, barks, stomps and even occasionally yodels his way through the kind of dirty blues that goes down best with copious amounts of whiskey and nicotine in the kind of backwoods juke joints most folks probably wouldn't feel comfortable visiting alone.")
- The Kills - For some reason I'm still not really sold on The Kills, but this show was really good. I enjoyed it far more than their recorded material.
- Gillian Welch (photo above) - I've never seen her live. I wasn't expecting the show to be so energetic. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are both incredible musicians. She played lots of crowd favorites (Revelator, Miss Ohio, I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll) that all sounded much better live (which I always appreciate) along with a couple of new tunes (plus a short visit from Alison Krauss who was at ACL with Robert Plant). Welch and Rawlings were as upset at having to end the set as the crowd was.
- Neko Case (photo below) - Also very good, but not as fun as Gillian Welch. Neko has such a great, powerful voice that it's always fun to hear her live. She played a couple of new tunes, too -- most memorably a depressing Harry Nilsson song ('Alimony') she said will be on the next album. As always, I was mesmerized by the pedal steel. What's my problem?
- I had to leave at this point to go home and work on school projects & reading (real life sucks) so I missed Okkervil River (not crying any tears but it might've been fun), The Raconteurs, Gnarls Barkley, and more (Band of Horses, Foo Fighters). So it goes.
28 Sep 20:58 | Link | Category: Austin, Music
September 27, 2008
ACL, Day 2
- Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings -- I was late (again) and missed most of it. Argh.
- CSS - OK. Not that great, but then I like their stuff on a song-by-song basis only. The ones I liked were pretty good. Nice for the middle of the day, but certainly not unforgettable. I was amused by the way the singer complained about the heat over and over. "It's so fucking hot! It's the hottest show ever in the universe!" I can relate. She should've been here in August. It wasn't even very hot today... Doesn't it get really hot in São Paulo? (To be fair, the stage was in the sun, and in that weird floral spandex thing she was in - not to mention the pompadour worthy of an FLDS wife - it would've been impossible to cool off.)
- Les Frères Guissé - I've never heard of these guys before, even though I'm a fan of other Senegalese music exports (Youssou N'Dour, Baaba Maal, etc.). These three brothers put on a very interesting and entertaining show that grabbed my ear as I walked by and hooked me. It was a total breath of fresh air.
- MGMT (blurry photo below) - I've been very curious to see this band live. I think "Oracular Spectacular" is such a great album, but I've had a sneaking suspicion these guys will be a flash in the pan (ditto for Vampire Weekend). So I sat in this huge crowd full of obnoxious kids to have my curiosity satisfied. It was worth the pain, I think. It wasn't the greatest show and they have the hipster thing (pejorative) going big time, but I was surprised to find they actually play very well. Some of their songs even sounded better live, which is always a good sign. Andrew VanWyngarden's vocals are better when the producers can pump up the mix and add reverb and effects, but for the most part it was a good show. So I now expect more great albums from them. Time will tell if I'm correct. (The huge contingent of obnoxious young people doesn't necessarily bode well.)
- John Fogerty - Caught a bit of this show. The guy's a legend so obviously it was worth seeing.
- The Black Keys (photo above) - Kick ass show. These guys are amazing. Dan Auerbach is a genius. Definitely the best show of the day. And way too short.
- Beck - Beck's great but I have to be in the right mood. I'm not sure I was in the right mood this time... my feet and back were hurting and I was mostly thinking about dinner and the bike ride home. I didn't manage to get very close to the stage, either, so I enjoyed it but never really got into the show.
27 Sep 23:53 | Link | Category: Austin, Music
September 26, 2008
ACL, Day 1
As promised (not 'officially', but through e-mail to several of you) here is my very brief report from the first day of the 2007 Austin City Limits Music Festival
- Vampire Weekend -- Fun, but disappointing. Like having someone blast their records really loud in front of a huge crowd. Technically fine but I like bands that do something different or take it to another level live. But not bad. They had strings for 'M79' and it was fun to sing along to 'Walcott' and 'A-Punk' (hey! hey! hey! hey!)
- Del tha Funkee Homosapien - Fantastic show; the crowd really got involved. A-Plus even treated us to some '93 til Infinity'. Good stuff.
- M. Ward - I was worried about this one, but I'm glad I took the risk and skipped Gogol Bordello. It was very energetic, and the songs (often so mellow and nuanced on the albums) translated wonderfully to the venue. Matt's guitar work is simply incredible.
- David Byrne (photo below) - Highlight of the day (possibly the festival; we'll see). I can't say enough good about this show. (I managed to get a spot in the front few rows, which helped.) Byrne is a legend and genius who never disappoints. I don't know how he does it. No one knows how to put on a show like he does. Very few musicians understand how much movement and visuals contribute to the show. Musically, Byrne always tweaks the songs and takes them to new levels live. He started out with 'Strange Overtones' from the new Eno-Byrne album. It's a great tune, but the live version was different from - and I think better than - the album. He followed up with 'I Zimbra' (one I've never heard live), belted out a stirring rendition of 'One Fine Day' (from the new album), and then completely shocked me by doing a version of 'Help Me Somebody' from the first Eno-Byrne album. A cool song from a legendary album... Byrne did the vocals of the crazy preacher guy sampled in the original and somehow made it work. He also did the creepy 'I Feel My Stuff' from the new album, three of my favorite 'Remain In Light' tunes, and 'Life During Wartime'. It was a total shame that the show had to end.
- Antibalas - I love afrobeat, so I thought it was a great show, but sadly I only caught part of it because it overlapped with Byrne's.
- Manu Chao - The crowd really got into this show, and Manu does a good job of revving people up when their excitement starts to fade. I've always felt that his albums can get quite repetitive. The show was no different, but it was still a great way to end the day.
26 Sep 23:59 | Link | Category: Austin, Music
September 25, 2008
Austin City Limits Music Festival
I've been so busy this week I haven't had time to chill with anyone or check my e-mail (or, for that matter, eat or sleep or do laundry). So if you're going to ACL and I don't know about it, call/text me.
I don't think I'll have time to stay all day on any of the days, but I have a 3-day pass so I'll be there for a while each day. I'm thrilled that I can bike to and from the event, even though it's a pretty decent jaunt.
No decision on exactly which shows I'm going to check out, but here's sort of a tentative schedule. I will definitely be seeing David Byrne on Friday, and probably Manu Chao. On Saturday I'll almost certainly go to MGMT and The Black Keys. I don't know which ones are must-sees for Sunday. Scott Biram and Neko Case probably... Okkervil River maybe not (last time I saw them live it was very underwhelming). Dunno about the others . We'll see how I feel by then... and how much reading and homework I need to catch up on.
25 Sep 23:04 | Link | Category: Austin, Music
September 18, 2008
I want to be like this guy someday
From a story in the Houston Chronicle about a 67-year-old man who decided to stay home during Hurricane Ike:
"I’m just a crazy old hardhead," Wilkinson said Saturday while sitting on the front porch of his apartment on Fort Velasco Boulevard. "I didn’t say I had all my marbles."
"I just saw all kinds of goodies floating away, like my refrigerator downstairs," he said. "I watched automobiles floating by," like a Volvo that traveled for several blocks before ending up in a ditch.
Wilkinson said that he felt his home shaking badly in the fierce winds as he sat there drinking beer, but the gusts were so loud he couldn't hear much else.
He was never scared, just entertained. He did not pray for help.
"I figure I put me in this position and God couldn't get me out," he said.
Though he came through unscathed, Wilkinson didn't think others should follow his example.
"I don't advise it unless you're nuts," he said.
18 Sep 17:54 | Link | Category: Current Events, Humor
September 14, 2008
Sunday Funnies
Below are some stupid bits of web humor and oddness to brighten your Sunday afternoon:
- New Texting Acronyms for the Elderly
- Pre-Game Coin Toss Makes Jacksonville Jaguars Realize Randomness Of Life:
(Classic. One of their best since Bullshit the Number One Issue for Voters in 2008.)
- Super Mario Rescues The Princess (the way it really would've happened):
- Adam Savage inhales sulfur hexafluoride, channels Penn Jillette
- The Stairway Suite - "Stairway to Heaven" as Schubert would have written it (and Beethoven, Mahler, Miller, etc.)
14 Sep 13:22 | Link | Category: Humor, Video
September 1, 2008
Links 33
1. Surf like a Bushman - I just noticed this great article in my bookmarks list (which is finally shrinking to a more manageable size after 33 entries). I thought I would never find it again, so I'm pleased to be able to share it. Foraging theory is a useful, powerful way to investigate and explain animal behavior -- and (though some might disagree) a wide variety of human behaviors as well. Most humans now live in environments remarkably different from the one(s) in which we evolved, but it is reasonable to assume our brains still use the machinery and 'rules' shaped throughout our evolutionary history. Many of us now spend time browsing through text and images on the web rather than browsing through the woods looking for a particular plant or food source, but might modern humans 'forage' on the web in the same way we would forage for food as hunters & gatherers? From the article:
Imagine you're a financial analyst looking for data about an investment company. You've found a useful site on the Web, but it's starting to feel a bit stale. You'd like to move on, but you know that a search will take time and there's no guarantee that other sites will be any more useful. When should you abandon the dwindling supply? This, Pirolli and Card argue, is analogous to the problem faced by hunter-gatherers. And it can be solved in the same way.
The article (originally published in New Scientist) is a great read. This sort of research could have a significant impact on how we design information retrieval systems, although the authors note there are some limitations:
The analogy between food and information looks like being a big help to Web designers. But at some point, Pirolli says, it's likely to break down. For one thing, there's the question of evaluating costs and benefits. Biologists and anthropologists can always draw up an energy balance sheet for a foraging behaviour in joules. The value of information isn't so easy to measure.
2. How It All Ends - You've probably seen this guy before. If not, take some time to watch this video. It's slightly obnoxious (more so than his previous videos), but his arguments regarding global warming are very well-reasoned. If you really get into it, you can visit an enormous list of related videos in the 'More Info' box of the YouTube page.
3. Aboriginal archive offers new DRM - Short but intriguing article from the BBC (via John Hawks). It's difficult to overstate the importance of preserving the history and culture of indigenous groups, especially given that they are increasingly being subsumed by cultures around them and disappearing. Providing access to the information can be complicated by cultural rules, a lack of computer skills, and the like. For example, the archivist in the article encountered the following issue when displaying a slideshow of preserved photographs:
After loading them onto her laptop, she took them back to Tennant Creek and set up a slideshow - where she noticed that people turned away when certain images came up on screen.
For example, men cannot view women's rituals, and people from one community cannot view material from another without first seeking permission. Meanwhile images of the deceased cannot be viewed by their families.
These are issues we might not immediately think about. (I wonder how well some of our 'social software' might translate to other cultures.) The solution to this particular problem was to design a system that restricted access by requiring individuals to input name, age, sex, and standing within their community -- what the article describes as "a new take on DRM." Interesting stuff.
4. Did You Know - a video on globalization and the information age. Interesting, but long... and I'm not sure I trust their numbers. It would probably be better as a web page with proper citations.
5. Google to Host Terabytes of Open-Source Science Data
6. MIT Entrance Exam, 1869-70 - from the MIT Archives & Special Collections. Take the exam and see how well you do. You can also try your hand at the 1876 exam.
01 Sep 13:40 | Link | Category: Human/Primate Evolution & Behavior, Libraries & Digital Information, Link Dump '08, Science, Technology & Computing
Links 32
1. 35 Greatest Works of Reverse Graffiti
2. Remember 'go outside and play?' - As children, my siblings and I spent countless hours playing outside, unsupervised. In retrospect, there were many times when we could have been injured or gotten into some other serious trouble. Had my rather nervous mother really known what we were sometimes up to, she would never have let us go outside again. But luckily she did let us go out, and I can say those hours were perhaps the happiest in my life. From the editorial:
Reader, if you're much over 30, you probably remember what it used to be like for the typical American kid. Remember how there used to be this thing called "going out to play"?
For younger readers, I'll explain this archaic concept. It worked like this: The child or children in the house -- as long as they were over age 4 or so -- went to the door, opened it, and ... went outside. They braved the neighborhood pedophile just waiting to pounce, the rusty nails just waiting to be stepped on, the trees just waiting to be fallen out of, and they "played."
"Play," incidentally, is a mysterious activity children engage in when not compelled to spend every hour under adult supervision, taking soccer or piano lessons or practicing vocabulary words with computerized flashcards.
An article from the Daily Mail explores the trend over four generations and maps the decrease in roaming area. Having said all of this, I'm completely sure I would not let my own children wander very far unsupervised! I wouldn't even give them the same freedom I enjoyed as a child. So, have the risks really changed, or have our perceptions simply changed? Is it a little of both? This issue fascinates me.
3. The Critics Need a Reboot. The Internet Hasn't Led Us Into a New Dark Age - One perspective among many, but worth sharing (mainly because you don't encounter it very often).
4. Some E-Cards - 'For when you care enough to hit send':
5. On the Limits of Memory - another strange and lovely photo gallery from the wonderful Square America. Take some time to browse through the whole site. There are lots of gems, many quite hidden. (Definitely check out Square America and In The Booth.)
01 Sep 10:22 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Link Dump '08, Photography
August 31, 2008
Praying for Rain
Before Obama's speech, some of James Dobson's wingnut followers were praying for the event to be rained out:
"But if God decides -- and it's always up to God to decide -- that rain of Biblical proportions would be a good and proper meteorological condition for that evening, we'll see it, and we'll say that it is good. And if He decides it's not really necessary, I'm OK with that. I'll still trust in His wisdom and I'll rest peacefully knowing that lots of us offered up a humble prayer request. Would it be so wrong if we asked people to pray for rain?"
No word from God (whom we can presume has better things to do), but it does look like Mother Nature has readied a statement on Republican policy and may upstage the convention. (It could be good, bad, or both for them.)
I really shouldn't approach this issue so facetiously, so let's be completely serious for a moment. It's eerie to look back at the post I made here right before Katrina hit. Like everyone else, I dearly hope Gustav ends up being far less destructive. If you're into praying about the weather, this is something you should pray about. By the way, the offer of a free place to stay still stands. And this time I'm in Austin, Texas - where we already have evacuees - so it's actually a reasonable offer: You are welcome to crash in my shoebox apartment for as long as you need.
31 Aug 17:04 | Link | Category: Current Events, Politics
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