Sunday, December 15, 2002

I also noticed that the comment link goes away in several of the themes. It's also interesting to note that you have to select the theme and then confirm it twice before it actually takes effect. (an undocumented feature?) 10:57:41 AM    comment []

Well now that we've completely confused the Radio Userland server with testing out some new themes, I've returned to the default theme. The others just don't look pleasing and easy to read as does this one. 10:55:46 AM    comment []

Mitch Kapor vs. Wired.. Mitch Kapor vs. Wired. [Hack the Planet] 10:08:34 AM    comment []

iPod headset! Bose TriPort: Hi-Fi Ear Armor At A low-Fi Price : My requirements: Real noise reduction, crisp sound, and none of that bulky, ring-around-the-ears feeling. (Business 2.0 via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] 10:07:11 AM    comment []

Alfred North Whitehead. "If a dog jumps in your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer." [Quotes of the Day] 10:03:51 AM    comment []

If your in Houston this is a don't miss event, on a monthly basis. Chris and Synthia are good friends and great people. Contact them if you want to attend. Summary of Salon and Course Dates December 19                                 Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]: Houston                                       Bird by Bird  by Ann Lamott                                       http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/masteryoflearnin 20-22                          Being Creative[dot accent]: Houston 28-29                          Visual Organizing[dot accent] Weekend: Houston January TBA                             Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]. Houston                                      Mastery by George Leonard                                      http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452267560/masteryoflearnin                                     Mastery by Joan Evelyn Ames                                     http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915801701/masteryoflearnin 10-12                         Mastery of Learning® Weekend: Houston February TBA                             Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]                                      The Mind and The Brain by Schwartz and Begley                                      http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060393556/masteryoflearnin TBA                             Mastery of Learning® Weekend Course TBA                             Advanced Visual Thinking ************ PLEASE FORWARD THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO OTHERS ************* WELCOME to the Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] online newsletter: an informal, monthly e-letter featuring book recommendations, events, courses, and other announcements for Mastery of Learning® and BizNavSys[dot accent] course graduates, clients and friends. SALONS:  Join us at Courses, the restaurant at  the Art Institute of Houston on Thursday, December 19. See the Upcoming Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] Events section below for details on future Salons. COURSES! COURSES!     Coming up next: Mastery of Learning® Weekend,  Being Creative[dot accent] and Visual Organizing[dot accent].  See the Upcoming Course Section for information and dates.   FUN STUFF:  Take a course, broaden your horizons. ************ UPCOMING SALON FOR CURIOUS READERS[dot accent] EVENTS ************* WHAT IS THE SALON?  Love to read, but can[base ']t find intelligent conversation? Join us for a fun evening of lively and informal discussion over a gourmet meal as we explore how we learn how to learn...and discuss ideas from a book selection and how it relates to our lives, our businesses and our futures. Although you're encouraged to have read the book, it's not necessary - your curiosity about learning how to learn more effectively and an interest in the topic at hand is all that's required. Cost is $30; contact me for location and mailing info.  Note: space is limited, so please register early by sending your check to reserve your space. LAST SALON: Thanks to all who attended the November Salon held at Courses, the restaurant at the Art Institute of Houston. Welcome to newcomers Margaret Reich, Henry Gilbert, Tom Young, and Liz the mystery woman from Australia. Another savory and nutritious meal was prepared and served by Chef Larry Perdido and his students under trying conditions. First Course Pecan Smoke Squab Fingerling potato salad, aged balsamic vinegar Second Course Pancetta Crusted Seabass Braised Fennel, Oven-roasted Tomatoes Third Course Raspberry-Lime Sorbet Fourth Course Herb Seared Lamb Medallions Potobello Risotto Fifth Course Peach Melba The November Salon book was The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke.     http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316117048/masteryoflearnin *********************UPCOMING SALON BOOKS******************* December Salon: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is my favorite books on writing. Anne Lamott is has a very twisted sense of humor and way of writing. She is one of my favorite authors. It is hard to speedread her books because she can have you laughing and crying in the same sentence. Amazon.com Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/masteryoflearnin January Salon: The theme to start out the new year is mastery. There are two books for the month. The first book is: Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment by George Leonard. I read the book when it came out in 1992. It still holds up. The second book is Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remakable People by Joan Evelyn Ames. The book as the name implies is a set to interviews with 30 people who the author feels are masters in their fields. The Leonard book could be considered the text and the Ames book could be considered the field book. Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment by George Leonard  From Amazon.com, Ingram: The author of The Ultimate Athlete has spent much of his life seeking to master the ancient and demanding martial art of aikido, in which flaws are magnified and the quick fix is impossible. He soon learned that mastery is a journey, and that the master must have the courage to risk failure. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452267560/masteryoflearnin Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remakable People by Joan Evelyn Ames From Amazon.com, Ingram  This collection of personal, thought provoking interviews with some of the world's most accomplished artists, scientists, athletes, and thinkers, including Walter Cronkite, William Styron, Janos Starker, and George Plimpton, presents readers with a rare glimpse into the minds, thoughts, and hearts of individuals who have attained mastery in their fields. 35 photos.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915801701/masteryoflearnin February Salon: We are getting back to neuroscience for February. The book for the month is The Mind and The Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, MD and Sharon Begley. Don[base ']t  be put off by the title. This is a very readable book about how the brain reorganizes itself as a result of stimulation. I don[base ']t agree with all of what the authors have to say and there is a lot of good research in there. From Publishers Weekly Schwartz (A Return to Innocence), a UCLA psychiatrist and expert on treating patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), teams up with Begley, a Wall Street Journal science columnist, to explore the mind/brain dichotomy and to discuss the science behind new treatments being developed for a host of brain dysfunctions. Building on the work presented in Schwartz's first book, Brain Lock, the authors begin by demonstrating that OCD patients are capable of rechanneling compulsive urges into more socially acceptable activities and that, by doing so, they actually alter their brains' neuronal circuitry. By presenting a wide array of animal and human experiments, Schwartz and Begley show that similar neuroplasticity is possible in stroke victims, often leading to a return of function previously thought impossible. The medical results and treatments they summarize are exciting and deserve widespread attention. In a chapter entitled "Free Will and Free Won't," the authors turn to the philosophical, examining the implications neuroplasticity might have on the differences between mind and brain; they also discourse on the existence of free will. Unfortunately, their integration of quantum mechanics and Buddhism into a search for a mechanism to explain the patterns scientists have been discovering is too superficial to fully engage readers. Nonetheless, a great deal in this book is sure to motivate discussion and more research. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060393556/masteryoflearnin *********************UPCOMING COURSES ********************** Just contact Chris (chris@masteryoflearning.com) if you would like more information on these upcoming courses: Mastery of Learning® Weekend   Are you growing as fast as you would like? The most important skill to acquire today is the ability to learn. The Mastery of Learning® Weekend is an experiential workshop designed to help you rediscover the joy of learning and your natural ability to learn. In just two days and one evening, you can acquire the eight new integrative learning skills required for greater success, growth and creativity in today's fast-paced world.  Expand your ability to learn anything more quickly and with more ease, and become more comfortable with stepping outside your comfort zone.  If you follow the easy, step by step instructions and engage fully in the exercises, you will at least double your reading speed with equal or better comprehension by the end of the course.  Includes study tips and strategies for students. Ask about CEUs for Texas accountants. If you want to save time and become more effective, this is the course for you! One evening and 2 days.  $750; Full time students only $595; Reviewers $375. Houston: January 10, 12 Being Creative[dot accent] Most courses on creativity just talk about it. Here, you will gain direct access and experience "being creative." Life is a Work of Art and this course is for all [base "]artists![per thou] No matter what level of artistic background you currently have, our unique, fun and transformational processes will provoke a deeper level of creative self-expression to emerge. Past participants have discovered new ways to access and express their creativity, resulting in refreshingly new directions, business ventures, products, and works of art...and many have started selling their creative works. $750. Houston: December 20 [^] 22. Visual Organizing[dot accent] Weekend:  Bring your personal organizers to this course! We'll cover Visual Organizing[dot accent] principles and then apply them step by step as you build a series of visual displays to schedule and track your 2003 goals, projects, cycles, important dates, work commitments, and time off. Learn how to create organizing systems that work [^] and how to adapt them as your needs change. Results include a completely new way to see managing action in time, plus new distinctions in seeing when to delegate, when to build a team, when to leverage off of natural rhythms, and when to let go. $500.  Houston: December 28 & 29 ****************FUN STUFF********************** Take a course. Learn something new instead of sitting in front of the TV. Here a couple of places I have tried in Houston that produce create courses. The Art Institute of Houston, Center for Professional Development: http://www.aih.aii.edu/cpd.asp Rice University School of Continuing Studies: http://WWW.scs.rice.edu/scs/ I have attended courses given by both organizations and I highly recommend them. **************************THE SALON BOOKLIST********************** The complete list of all of the Salon books is available as an Excel attachment. To request a copy of the book list please e-mail me at chris@masteryoflearning.com *******************  WHO WE ARE  **************************** Business Navigating Systems[dot accent], Inc specializes in the human side of change. We apply natural science, chaos and complexity models to transition, learning, growth strategies, creativity, high performance and wellness in organizations and individuals. BizNavSys[dot accent] is the home of the Mastery of Learning® Course Series, offered since 1979.  For more information on our proprietary techniques and models, consulting services, in-house training courses, and executive coaching programs, contact Synthia Smith at sesmith@biznavsys.com. ***************************************************** RU a CPA?  Ask us about receiving CPE credit hours for our courses. ©2000 Mastery of Learning® Inc., Houston, Texas.  All rights reserved. "BizNavSys" and "Art of Transition" title and course description ©2000 Business Navigating Systems Inc., Houston, Texas.  All rights reserved. WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED BUSINESS AND REFERRALS!  Contact me at chris@masteryoflearning.com if you would like to be added or deleted from this distribution list.   Thank you! ***************************************************** 9:47:26 AM    comment []

If your in Houston this is a don't miss event, on a monthly basis. Chris and Synthia are good friends and great people. Contact them if you want to attend. Summary of Salon and Course Dates December 19                                 Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]: Houston                                       Bird by Bird  by Ann Lamott                                       http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/masteryoflearnin 20-22                          Being Creative[dot accent]: Houston 28-29                          Visual Organizing[dot accent] Weekend: Houston January TBA                             Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]. Houston                                      Mastery by George Leonard                                      http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452267560/masteryoflearnin                                     Mastery by Joan Evelyn Ames                                     http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915801701/masteryoflearnin 10-12                         Mastery of Learning® Weekend: Houston February TBA                             Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent]                                      The Mind and The Brain by Schwartz and Begley                                      http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060393556/masteryoflearnin TBA                             Mastery of Learning® Weekend Course TBA                             Advanced Visual Thinking ************ PLEASE FORWARD THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO OTHERS ************* WELCOME to the Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] online newsletter: an informal, monthly e-letter featuring book recommendations, events, courses, and other announcements for Mastery of Learning® and BizNavSys[dot accent] course graduates, clients and friends. SALONS:  Join us at Courses, the restaurant at  the Art Institute of Houston on Thursday, December 19. See the Upcoming Salon for Curious Readers[dot accent] Events section below for details on future Salons. COURSES! COURSES!     Coming up next: Mastery of Learning® Weekend,  Being Creative[dot accent] and Visual Organizing[dot accent].  See the Upcoming Course Section for information and dates.   FUN STUFF:  Take a course, broaden your horizons. ************ UPCOMING SALON FOR CURIOUS READERS[dot accent] EVENTS ************* WHAT IS THE SALON?  Love to read, but can[base ']t find intelligent conversation? Join us for a fun evening of lively and informal discussion over a gourmet meal as we explore how we learn how to learn...and discuss ideas from a book selection and how it relates to our lives, our businesses and our futures. Although you're encouraged to have read the book, it's not necessary - your curiosity about learning how to learn more effectively and an interest in the topic at hand is all that's required. Cost is $30; contact me for location and mailing info.  Note: space is limited, so please register early by sending your check to reserve your space. LAST SALON: Thanks to all who attended the November Salon held at Courses, the restaurant at the Art Institute of Houston. Welcome to newcomers Margaret Reich, Henry Gilbert, Tom Young, and Liz the mystery woman from Australia. Another savory and nutritious meal was prepared and served by Chef Larry Perdido and his students under trying conditions. First Course Pecan Smoke Squab Fingerling potato salad, aged balsamic vinegar Second Course Pancetta Crusted Seabass Braised Fennel, Oven-roasted Tomatoes Third Course Raspberry-Lime Sorbet Fourth Course Herb Seared Lamb Medallions Potobello Risotto Fifth Course Peach Melba The November Salon book was The Day the Universe Changed by James Burke.     http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316117048/masteryoflearnin *********************UPCOMING SALON BOOKS******************* December Salon: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is my favorite books on writing. Anne Lamott is has a very twisted sense of humor and way of writing. She is one of my favorite authors. It is hard to speedread her books because she can have you laughing and crying in the same sentence. Amazon.com Think you've got a book inside of you? Anne Lamott isn't afraid to help you let it out. She'll help you find your passion and your voice, beginning from the first really crummy draft to the peculiar letdown of publication. Readers will be reminded of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg and will be seduced by Lamott's witty take on the reality of a writer's life, which has little to do with literary parties and a lot to do with jealousy, writer's block and going for broke with each paragraph. Marvelously wise and best of all, great reading. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385480016/masteryoflearnin January Salon: The theme to start out the new year is mastery. There are two books for the month. The first book is: Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment by George Leonard. I read the book when it came out in 1992. It still holds up. The second book is Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remakable People by Joan Evelyn Ames. The book as the name implies is a set to interviews with 30 people who the author feels are masters in their fields. The Leonard book could be considered the text and the Ames book could be considered the field book. Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-term Fulfillment by George Leonard  From Amazon.com, Ingram: The author of The Ultimate Athlete has spent much of his life seeking to master the ancient and demanding martial art of aikido, in which flaws are magnified and the quick fix is impossible. He soon learned that mastery is a journey, and that the master must have the courage to risk failure. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0452267560/masteryoflearnin Mastery: Interviews with 30 Remakable People by Joan Evelyn Ames From Amazon.com, Ingram  This collection of personal, thought provoking interviews with some of the world's most accomplished artists, scientists, athletes, and thinkers, including Walter Cronkite, William Styron, Janos Starker, and George Plimpton, presents readers with a rare glimpse into the minds, thoughts, and hearts of individuals who have attained mastery in their fields. 35 photos.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0915801701/masteryoflearnin February Salon: We are getting back to neuroscience for February. The book for the month is The Mind and The Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force by Jeffrey M. Schwartz, MD and Sharon Begley. Don[base ']t  be put off by the title. This is a very readable book about how the brain reorganizes itself as a result of stimulation. I don[base ']t agree with all of what the authors have to say and there is a lot of good research in there. From Publishers Weekly Schwartz (A Return to Innocence), a UCLA psychiatrist and expert on treating patients with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), teams up with Begley, a Wall Street Journal science columnist, to explore the mind/brain dichotomy and to discuss the science behind new treatments being developed for a host of brain dysfunctions. Building on the work presented in Schwartz's first book, Brain Lock, the authors begin by demonstrating that OCD patients are capable of rechanneling compulsive urges into more socially acceptable activities and that, by doing so, they actually alter their brains' neuronal circuitry. By presenting a wide array of animal and human experiments, Schwartz and Begley show that similar neuroplasticity is possible in stroke victims, often leading to a return of function previously thought impossible. The medical results and treatments they summarize are exciting and deserve widespread attention. In a chapter entitled "Free Will and Free Won't," the authors turn to the philosophical, examining the implications neuroplasticity might have on the differences between mind and brain; they also discourse on the existence of free will. Unfortunately, their integration of quantum mechanics and Buddhism into a search for a mechanism to explain the patterns scientists have been discovering is too superficial to fully engage readers. Nonetheless, a great deal in this book is sure to motivate discussion and more research. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060393556/masteryoflearnin *********************UPCOMING COURSES ********************** Just contact Chris (chris@masteryoflearning.com) if you would like more information on these upcoming courses: Mastery of Learning® Weekend   Are you growing as fast as you would like? The most important skill to acquire today is the ability to learn. The Mastery of Learning® Weekend is an experiential workshop designed to help you rediscover the joy of learning and your natural ability to learn. In just two days and one evening, you can acquire the eight new integrative learning skills required for greater success, growth and creativity in today's fast-paced world.  Expand your ability to learn anything more quickly and with more ease, and become more comfortable with stepping outside your comfort zone.  If you follow the easy, step by step instructions and engage fully in the exercises, you will at least double your reading speed with equal or better comprehension by the end of the course.  Includes study tips and strategies for students. Ask about CEUs for Texas accountants. If you want to save time and become more effective, this is the course for you! One evening and 2 days.  $750; Full time students only $595; Reviewers $375. Houston: January 10, 12 Being Creative[dot accent] Most courses on creativity just talk about it. Here, you will gain direct access and experience "being creative." Life is a Work of Art and this course is for all [base "]artists![per thou] No matter what level of artistic background you currently have, our unique, fun and transformational processes will provoke a deeper level of creative self-expression to emerge. Past participants have discovered new ways to access and express their creativity, resulting in refreshingly new directions, business ventures, products, and works of art...and many have started selling their creative works. $750. Houston: December 20 [^] 22. Visual Organizing[dot accent] Weekend:  Bring your personal organizers to this course! We'll cover Visual Organizing[dot accent] principles and then apply them step by step as you build a series of visual displays to schedule and track your 2003 goals, projects, cycles, important dates, work commitments, and time off. Learn how to create organizing systems that work [^] and how to adapt them as your needs change. Results include a completely new way to see managing action in time, plus new distinctions in seeing when to delegate, when to build a team, when to leverage off of natural rhythms, and when to let go. $500.  Houston: December 28 & 29 ****************FUN STUFF********************** Take a course. Learn something new instead of sitting in front of the TV. Here a couple of places I have tried in Houston that produce create courses. The Art Institute of Houston, Center for Professional Development: http://www.aih.aii.edu/cpd.asp Rice University School of Continuing Studies: http://WWW.scs.rice.edu/scs/ I have attended courses given by both organizations and I highly recommend them. **************************THE SALON BOOKLIST********************** The complete list of all of the Salon books is available as an Excel attachment. To request a copy of the book list please e-mail me at chris@masteryoflearning.com *******************  WHO WE ARE  **************************** Business Navigating Systems[dot accent], Inc specializes in the human side of change. We apply natural science, chaos and complexity models to transition, learning, growth strategies, creativity, high performance and wellness in organizations and individuals. BizNavSys[dot accent] is the home of the Mastery of Learning® Course Series, offered since 1979.  For more information on our proprietary techniques and models, consulting services, in-house training courses, and executive coaching programs, contact Synthia Smith at sesmith@biznavsys.com. ***************************************************** RU a CPA?  Ask us about receiving CPE credit hours for our courses. ©2000 Mastery of Learning® Inc., Houston, Texas.  All rights reserved. "BizNavSys" and "Art of Transition" title and course description ©2000 Business Navigating Systems Inc., Houston, Texas.  All rights reserved. WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE YOUR CONTINUED BUSINESS AND REFERRALS!  Contact me at chris@masteryoflearning.com if you would like to be added or deleted from this distribution list.   Thank you! ***************************************************** 9:07:28 AM    comment []

I woke up yesterday morning with Eric Clapton's, "If I Could Change the World" playing in my hear. This morning, its Rod Stewart and "Mandolin Rain." I must be in some sort of "Classic Rock" Wake up mode. 9:03:25 AM    comment []

This is why we have the boys around, for comic relief. Autotrader. David: we should go get a AutoTrader ME: why....just look it up on the internet David: I don't want to Me: but it's easier and we don't have to pay for it David: I'll just go buy one...it's like the internet without all the clicking [Adam's Mile High Blog] 9:00:53 AM    comment []

Wireless Woos Doctors If it's secure, I'm all about 'boosting the number of patients served'!"Healthcare network executives are discovering that wireless access to data can have a dramatic effect in boosting the number of patients served, improving quality of physician diagnosis, and speeding payments and billing cycles."... 8:54:50 AM    comment []

Saturday, December 14, 2002

Come on Dan, you're just finding this out? CNN Hones Propaganda Skills [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] 10:05:32 PM    comment []

Mozilla Drops Support For OS <X [MacSlash: A daily dose of Macintosh News and Discussion] 10:01:42 PM    comment []

Slashdot | Your Rights Online - SBC-Yahoo Partnership Cuts User Privacy. simeonbeta2 writes "The San Francisco Chronicle is running a story about Pac Bell's dsl partnership with Yahoo. Initially touted as a new service, Pac Bell is apparently now mailing existing dsl customers to urge them to install additional client software that will enable 'incredible new features and services'. While SBC's privacy policy is not excessively intrusive, use of the new software is covered by Yahoo's privacy policy, which is just a bit more Orwellian." --- The story's a little overblown - Yahoo's privacy policy reads that way because they offer financial services and the like, where they may well need financial information from you to provide the service. The reporter needed to investigate this new software DSL users are being asked to install, and find out what sort of user tracking it enables. [Privacy Digest] 11:44:39 AM    comment []

Adelphia's Cable Modems Compromised [Slashdot] 11:41:16 AM    comment []

Turn about is fair play? Discuss Keeping Track of John Poindexter. Online pranksters have turned the tables on the man behind the government's controversial Total Information Awareness effort. They are posting his personal information on hundreds of sites. By Paul Boutin. [Wired News] 11:36:28 AM    comment []

Blog on blog. Even if you're not new to all ... this... Weblogging Resources has some interesting links, and advice to go with them. [The Doc Searls Weblog] 11:31:56 AM    comment []

New Web-based Wi-Fi discussion forum: In conjunction with the launch of my book on wireless networking (see upper left of this page), my co-author and I have launched a discussion forum for Wi-Fi issues, as well as issues from the book. I've been longing to set up a simple threaded forum for quite a while, and finally found the right package and approach. Join us! [80211b News] 11:29:29 AM    comment []

Building The Hotspot Infrastructure in Europe. Here's how Wi-Fi public access start-up Megabeam plans to beat the big boys in the battle for Europe's hotspot market. [allNetDevices Wireless News] 9:39:08 AM    comment []

English countryside doing it for themselves: This story by Ben Hammersley, written in October for the Guardian (but missed by me), tells of how rural areas in England are prompting entrepreneurial efforts, often involving Wi-Fi, to bring high-speed connections to areas that British Telecom says are too far below their radar. In Wales, a community effort inspired by Dave Hughes is rapidly transforming the picture of connectivity, and the secondary effects are apparently already cropping up. What better way to unite people spread out geographically for common cause than access? [80211b News] 9:33:14 AM    comment []

Wi-Fi Powers Activate! Shape of a package! Form of a UPS Driver!: UPS merges a Bluetooth "ring" with a Wi-Fi belt attachment to speed package handling and tracking. [80211b News] 9:29:12 AM    comment []

DIRECTV Broadband Shuts Down [Slashdot] 9:28:27 AM    comment []

Update - Fire As mentioned the other day, (scroll down for all you other folks), I downloaded this to give it a whirl. Well it whirled right into the trash this morning. The interface is crappy, and the overall working isn't very intuitive. I had to keep clicking on various things to see if anyone was on-line, as there were no audio or visual indicators that someone on my lists had come on-line. 9:18:09 AM    comment []

Friday, December 13, 2002

A great essay by Tim O'Reilly on piracy. Read it. He clearly knows what he's talking about. [Scripting News] 8:40:18 PM    comment []

The Personal Telco WiFi van [bOing bOing] 8:39:34 PM    comment []

Mac Fraud Bust: The Inside Story : The arrest is the result of extraordinary perseverance and pluck from a 21 year old New Orleans student, aided by the online Mac community. (The Register via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] 8:28:01 PM    comment []

Books: Unix For MacOS X Visual QuickPro Guide [MacSlash: A daily dose of Macintosh News and Discussion] 8:26:25 PM    comment []

WebCam Driver 1.0 allows Macs to use USB cams [The Macintosh News Network] 8:24:52 PM    comment []

I picked up my new toy yesterday, first one on the road in Holland! [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog] 8:25:05 AM    comment []

InfoWorld - White House: Privacy, IT challenges in DHS. Securing huge volumes of new information, protecting the privacy of citizens and migrating to a unified technology architecture are just a few of the problems confronting the Bush administration and the federal government in setting up the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to Robert Shepherd, director of information integration in the White House Office of Homeland Security. Shepherd gave the opening keynote address at the Infosecurity 2002 show Wednesday in New York City, taking the place of scheduled speaker Steven Cooper, CIO of the White House's Office of Homeland Security, who was not able to attend. The Bush administration is currently in the process of creating an "enterprise architecture" for the new department that will define the way information is stored, handled and distributed within the new department, according to Shepherd. [Privacy Digest] 8:24:05 AM    comment []

ZDNet: How to keep your private data safe from prying eyes. When I was in school, I shared a computer with several housemates. This arrangement meant there was little to no privacy when it came to our files, so I copied mine to a floppy disk and stored it in a safe place. Now I have my own computer, so I'm usually the only one looking at the contents of my hard drive. Still, for those times when friends and family come over to use my computer--and to protect myself should my PC fall into the wrong hands--I like to keep things like my journal and financial records in an extra safe place. These days, instead of copying my files to disk, I use software that encrypts or password-protects selected folders on my computer. Here are three programs you can use to protect your personal data from prying eyes. [Privacy Digest] 8:22:32 AM    comment []

John Ruskin. "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it." [Motivational Quotes of the Day] 8:20:14 AM    comment []

Sunrise. Remember something.......no matter what arises during the day and no matter how overwhelmed that you feel the sun ALWAYS comes up on another day. [Adam's Mile High Blog] 8:19:36 AM    comment []

Josh Billings. "Laughing is the sensation of feeling good all over and showing it principally in one spot." [Motivational Quotes of the Day] 8:17:03 AM    comment []

I just downloaded this so will report. Fire IM client updated [MacCentral] 8:16:24 AM    comment []

Verizon cuts back on complex wireless. "Verizon Wireless has scrapped plans to build a next-generation data-only cellular network for complex tasks such as video conferencing."It was too good to be true anyway.... [Lockergnome's Bits and Bytes] 8:08:53 AM    comment []

Seasons Greetings. James Duncan Davidson:. As forwarded onto me from an unknown source... Please accept with no obligation, either express or implied, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of a holiday on or near the date of the winter solstice, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious and/or secular persuasions of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, inclusive of the choice not to engage in the practice of any religious or secular traditions. May you have a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted Western calendar year 2003, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose diverse contributions to society have helped make America great. (This statement made without implication that America is of relatively greater value than any other nation, country, kingdom, realm, emirate, sultanate, principality, or geopolitical state of any kind, whether or not officially recognized by any other nation, country, kingdom, realm, emirate, sultanate, principality, or geopolitical state, or that the United States of America is the only "America" in the western hemisphere, and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, gender, physical ability, religious faith, or choice of computer platform of the wishee.) By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others. This greeting is void where prohibited by law, subject to all Federal, state, and local taxes, and further is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher. [Sam Ruby] 8:06:56 AM    comment []

I've known folks who've spent time on the ice. We have a son who is considering going to the ice for some scientific research, and besides, the article mentions a relative of mine, Sir Earnest Shackelton. UD Students Ready For Antarctica : Heading for the continent at the bottom of the world. (Delaware News Journal via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] 8:03:43 AM    comment []

Thursday, December 12, 2002

Random NetNewsWire screen shot. This new screen shot of NetNewsWire Pro shows a few different things, including the current states of the Weblog Editor and the Notepad. A public beta is getting closer and closer. I’m hoping for Monday, but it’s entirely possible it will be later. [inessential.com] 9:18:17 PM    comment []

FCC Begins Inquiry Regarding Additional Spectrum for Unlicensed Devices.. FCC Begins Inquiry Regarding Additional Spectrum for Unlicensed Devices. Can't complain about more bandwidth. [Hack the Planet] 9:12:10 PM    comment []

FCC Seeks More Spectrum for Wireless. Agency proposes rule to allow unlicensed wireless devices, including Wi-Fi networks, to share space with TV broadcast spectrum. [allNetDevices Wireless News] 8:57:33 PM    comment []

Broad overview of social use and hot spot market: Wi-Fi isn't just for geeks, but is rather employed in hot spots and other venues as a tool for simple continuous high-speed access for an audience that otherwise be missing personal and professional opportunities. [80211b News] 8:45:27 PM    comment []

Bare Bones' Online-Rights Donation : Bare Bones Software is donating $10 from every online sale of BBEdit 7.0 to the online civil-liberties group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). (Macworld UK via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] 8:37:53 PM    comment []

Apple's Mail Tops Online Poll : Mac OS X Mail email program is the most popular among Macworld Online readers, a poll has revealed. (Macworld UK via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] 8:36:58 PM    comment []

Wardriver bumper-stickers [bOing bOing] 8:01:54 AM    comment []

Journalism 3.01b2 -- The Readers Collaborate [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] 7:56:22 AM    comment []

Weblogs in Meatspace [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] 7:42:52 AM    comment []

I've used this a week or so now and it's pretty good. Now I need to download this final version. Opera Releases Opera 6.0 Browser Final : Opera today posted a final version of its Opera 6.0 browser for Mac OS 8/9/X. (MacNN via MyAppleMenu) [MyAppleMenu] 7:41:03 AM    comment []

Follow up on our attempted meeting with Rageboy, of course a busy media, blogging mogul such as the aforementioned, had something come up so he cancelled. Never fear, we'll go for it again. 7:39:09 AM    comment []

Wednesday, December 11, 2002

When you miss an important email because your mailbox is full of spam, you can send a letter to Alan Ralsky, 6747 Minnow Pond Drive, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. He's one of the leading suppliers of spam services, and runs a very profitable business according to the Detroit Free Press. Thanks to Jason Levine for collating the info. I plan to send Ralsky a hand-written letter tonight, and any other time I have something to say about spam. Finally, there's someone to complain to about this. [Scripting News] 8:06:31 PM    comment []

Snow Day. Another School Using Manila and RSS "Here we go...very cool concept using, guess what...Manila (check out the yearbook link). Note the high school site and the news site: 'Who maintains this site? Volunteer editors. Each dynamic site is constructed and maintained by one or more editors. Look in the about area of each site to find the names of the editors.' AND 'Why are we using a content management system? It requires far less technical knowledge to publish a good looking site. The value of our network will grow as more and more people use it. Publishing is a simple way to start the ball rolling.' Definitely an addition to the rolls!" [weblogged News] I followed the link to the news site and came upon the following entry for December 5: "WSAZ is reporting that Eastern (along with most other local schools) is closed today. Yea Baby, it[base ']s the first snow day of 2002. This is a friendly reminder to drive safely and watch this page for the posting of snowdance lessons to be offered in the elementary cafetorium. Dates and costs to be posted at a later date. [^] Chad Griffith - goto" This is exactly what I want from the kids' school - a current news page that I can go to in the morning to see if school has been cancelled. I shouldn't have to wade through the scrolling ticker on TV, and while there are web sites out there that are aggregating closings, it would be far easier for the principal or the secretary to post a quick message to the school's site. Even better if it appears in my morning aggregator read. [The Shifted Librarian] 8:05:15 PM    comment []

Another Catalog of the Blogosphere. Steven Cohen has come across yet another blogosphere aggregator - Janes' Blogosphere. The "Janes" in the title is David Janes, a Canadian blogger (eh). Naturally, David is maintaining a blog to highlight changes, endorsements, and improvements, but here's a description straight from the site: "Welcome to Janes' Blogosphere, a web-based microcontent aggregator for blogs (and soon newspapers). If you want to dive right in, go to BlogTrack -- and read your favorite blogs in a fraction of the time it would usually take. If your blog is not listed here, please use our Template Rewriter to mark up your blog's template and then send me a note! You can also register by creating a login. This is a beta test of this software -- I've been testing it for the last two months, but obviously there still may be bugs. Please mail me if you have problems and I'll try to fix them as soon as possible. This website has only been tested against Internet Explorer 6 and Mozilla/Phonenix running on Windows. It should be moderately well behaved on other Version 4 and higher browsers, though if you have a problem, I'd appreciate hearing about it." Offhand, I don't see a count of how many blogs are being indexed at the moment. It's an interesting twist on an online aggregator (reloading external content in a frame), plus a mix of the various ecosystems and Technorati. My favorite feature so far, though, has to be the geographical breakdown of those blogs indexed in the database (although it looks to be a subset of those currently indexed). Could dovetail nicely with political initiatives, meet ups, and business/social networks in the big "B" Blogosphere, although the obvious barrier here is the onus on bloggers to sign up and add code to their templates. Another great find, Steven! [The Shifted Librarian] 7:54:31 PM    comment []

We had to do this as our current DSL provider Qwest is unable to provide us DSL service at the new house. Of course their current ad campaign in the RockyMountain News says they provide it all including DSL.....not so guys... Placed the order today for ATT Broadband in the new house. We'll see what the comparison is to the DSL. [Adam's Mile High Blog] 7:44:05 PM    comment []

The apple doesn't fall to far from the tree in this family. -- Working on a case of Breckenridge Brewery's assortment which includes their Pale Ale, Christmas Ale, Oatmeal Stout, and their Avalanche Ale. Good stuff. Dan is here and whenever Dan is around you can be sure that there is going to be a good amount of beer drinking going on. Hopefully we will be hitting the slopes later this week. Who knows....been awhile since I have been drinking any beer. Maybe down to Rock Bottom later. [Adam's Mile High Blog] 7:39:42 PM    comment []

Book Excerpt: Web Graphics for Non-Designers, Pt. 2. Our series of color-basics excerpts continues with a look at potential sources of inspiration when selecting a site's color scheme. From glasshaus. 1209 [WebReference News] 6:52:09 PM    comment []

More on Cometa's business plans from Business 2.0: As I wrote yesterday, and even after reading this article, I continue to believe that Cometa is not building out its estimated 50,000 hot spot network on its own dime. I believe they will be seeking infrastructure dollars from any venue they build into. [80211b News] 6:47:52 PM    comment []

Wi-Fi Spreading Fast But Lacks Profits [Slashdot] 6:46:46 PM    comment []

Compal's smartphone gets FCC OK. Questions still remain about which carrier will sell the device [InfoWorld: Top News] 6:44:13 PM    comment []

Shop hard. Andrew Goodman in Traffick: Brand Bullies' Scorched-Web Policy: A Dissent. Good piece. Sources Cluetrain & its authors extensively, too. [The Doc Searls Weblog] 6:42:42 PM    comment []

The Village Voice: Nation: Nat Hentoff: We'll All Be Under Surveillance. Without any official public notice, and without any congressional hearings, the Bush administration--with an initial appropriation of $200 million--is constructing the Total Information Awareness System. It will extensively mine government and commercial data banks, enabling the FBI, the CIA, and other intelligence agencies to collect information that will allow the government--as noted on ABC-TV's November 14 Nightline--"to essentially reconstruct the movements of citizens." This will be done without warrants from courts, thereby making individual privacy as obsolete as the sauropods of the Mesozoic era. (Intelligence from and to foreign sources will also be involved.) Our government's unblinking eyes will try to find suspicious patterns in your credit-card and bank data, medical records, the movies you click for on pay-per-view, passport applications, prescription purchases, e-mail messages, telephone calls, and anything you've done that winds up in court records, like divorces. Almost anything you do will leave a trace for these omnivorous computers, which will now contain records of your library book withdrawals, your loans and debts, and whatever you order by mail or on the Web. As Georgetown University law professor Jonathan Turley pointed out in the November 17 Los Angeles Times: "For more than 200 years, our liberties have been protected primarily by practical barriers rather than constitutional barriers to government abuse. Because of the sheer size of the nation and its population, the government could not practically abuse a great number of citizens at any given time. In the last decade, however, these practical barriers have fallen to technology." [Privacy Digest] 6:40:15 PM    comment []

Laptop Supports Three Wireless Technologies. The new GoBook II from Itronix supports 802.11b, Bluetooth, and wireless WAN technologies such as CDMA 1xRTT, CDPD, and GPRS. [allNetDevices Wireless News] 6:37:02 PM    comment []

Draft Dodging. Will wireless networking companies releasing products based on the draft version of the 802.11g specification mean a brighter holiday season for retailers or a confusing New Year for consumers? [allNetDevices Wireless News] 6:36:11 PM    comment []

Rageboy tonight Boulder. Details later. 6:31:29 PM    comment []

A home full of folks here in the holiday season and so, bodies all over the living room floor. 6:29:21 PM    comment []

Mobile Migration Manager Moves Data Wirelessly From Laptops to Tablet PCs. New software from Mobile Automation allows desktop and laptop users to wirelessly transfer data and settings to a Tablet PC. [allNetDevices Wireless News] 6:25:32 PM    comment []

One Answer To Spam: Sell Your Interruption Time [Slashdot] 6:15:50 PM    comment []

Tuesday, December 10, 2002

Popdex is like Blogdex and Daypop, but they plan to weight the links, as Google uses PageRank to give value to links. [Scripting News] 8:18:55 AM    comment []

In Other Words, The "Heavenly Jukebox". Sterling's decade-ahead-of-its-time librarian talk "Bruce Sterling's 1992 speech to the Library Information Technology Association is eerily prescient -- the "Information Economy" is bankrupt, and it's taking the public domain down with it. 'Ladies and gentlemen, there's a problem with showing Mr Franklin the door. The problem is that Mr Franklin was right in 1731 and Mr Franklin is still right! Information is not something you can successfully peddle like Coca-Cola. If it were a genuine commodity, then information would cost nothing when you had a glut of it. God knows we've got enough data! We're drowning in data. Nevertheless we're only gonna make more. Money just does not map the world of information at all well. How much is the Bible worth? You can get a Bible in any hotel room. They're worthless as commodities, but not valueless to humankind. Money and value are not identical. What's information really about? It seems to me there's something direly wrong with the 'Information Economy.' It's not about data, it's about attention. In a few years you may be able to carry the Library of Congress around in your hip pocket. So? You're never gonna read the Library of Congress. You'll die long before you access one tenth of one percent of it. What's important --- increasingly important --- is the process by which you figure out what to look at. This is the beginning of the real and true economics of information. Not who owns the books, who prints the books, who has the holdings. The crux here is access, not holdings. And not even access itself, but the signposts that tell you what to access --- what to pay attention to. In the Information Economy everything is plentiful --- except attention.' " [Boing Boing Blog] [The Shifted Librarian] 8:09:47 AM    comment []

Richard Rybolt. "There will be a time when loud-mouthed, incompetent people seem to be getting the best of you. When that happens, you only have to be patient and wait for them to self destruct. It never fails." [Motivational Quotes of the Day] 7:23:04 AM    comment []

Month With A Mac [MacSlash: A daily dose of Macintosh News and Discussion] 7:21:51 AM    comment []

The Art of Blogging-Part 2. As promised George Siemens posted part 2 of the Art of Blogging. It is basic but offers some simple advice: The best way to learn to blog is to blog. It goes on to list examples and resources. As John Robb once put it: Pick a topic. Own it. Blog it. I couldn't find the exact link but it was something like that. (Sorry John.) [Craig Burton: logs, links, life, and lexicon] 7:18:59 AM    comment []

Fink 0.5.0a. The long-awaited Fink 0.5.0a for Mac OS X Jaguar is available. Don't be fooled; the "a" doesn't stand for alpha; it stands for, uh--just go download it. [Hack the Planet] 7:17:58 AM    comment []

Health-Care Provider Aims To Add Telecommuters, Cut Costs. "BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina plans to upgrade network to let more customer-service reps work from home."Sounds like a great idea to me!... [Lockergnome's Bits and Bytes] 7:15:14 AM    comment []

Intersil and Cambridge Silicon Radio combine Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for smart results: This combined 802.11b/Bluetooth design allows shared information between the two protocols vastly increasing throughput even in the worst cases. Exactly what's needed moving forward with both standards. [80211b News] 7:13:12 AM    comment []

No more ink stained hands. Now will they make a screen that is readable to wade through the Sunday paper, and will it be as heavy as the Sunday N.Y. Times? eNewspaper Format Proposal. Tablet PCs and e-Newspapers: The Next Step in the Digital Transformation of the Newspaper Business (PDF) "KENT Format: Sponsors: Adobe Systems and Los Angeles Times... Designed to take full advantage of pen-based tablet PCs... Graphically rich, magazine-size pages. No scrolling Can be read offline or online Business model more like the printed newspaper than the Web... Can include video and audio elements... Ads juxtaposed with editorial content... Ads can have additional layers of information... Ads cannot be 'zapped'... Ads can include interactive forms" [via The Buzz Machine] So is this PDF on steroids with audio and video embedded? As long as this format can handle constant updates in an always-on, wireless-everywhere world, I can see why newspapers would be interested in this format. However, I don't see why consumers would want to be locked into PDFs when HTML or RSS is open and works pretty well on a tablet PC. Something to keep an eye on.... [The Shifted Librarian] 7:09:44 AM    comment []

Now My Hair Won't Fall Out..... Internet Soapbox (requires Flash) "Want a memorable way to dispel all those Internet Rumors?" (via my Mother)..." [LibraryPlanet.com] [The Shifted Librarian] 7:07:16 AM    comment []

Laurence J. Peter. "The incompetent with nothing to do can still make a mess of it." [Quotes of the Day] 7:04:35 AM    comment []

Matt Croydon posts from his WAP phone to his Radio weblog. [Scripting News] 6:58:08 AM    comment []

Handspring offers holiday pricing for Treo 180 Communicator [MacCentral] 6:48:49 AM    comment []

Monday, December 9, 2002

Solar Warrior.  A great story about one man's fight to connect his high output solar system to PG&E's grid (to allow him to contribute during the day and draw during the night).  Very interesting legal battle.  Of course, PG&E is acting like the proverbial dinosaur.  Low cost solar contributions, during peak usage hours, should actively encouraged (thanks Jiri). [John Robb's Radio Weblog] 7:07:31 AM    comment []

The Mac Observer - Secure Some E-Privacy: NetShred Gets OS X Release. The Mireth Technology Corporation has released an OS X version of NetShred 3.0.1. NetShred is an internet privacy utility designed to prevent a history trail being created in a users browser and email. The OS X version includes all the features previously found in the Classic version. According to The Mireth Corporation: Mireth Technology has released the OS X version of NetShred, it's popular privacy utility. NetShred X 3.0.1 for Macintosh shreds web browser cache, browser history files, email trash, IE download cache and Apple junk mail. It supports several Web browsers and email applications, and runs automatically when you quit from your browser or email application. [Privacy Digest] 6:04:12 AM    comment []

Duke Ellington. "I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues." [Motivational Quotes of the Day] 6:00:47 AM    comment []

Wi-Fi intelligence gets boost. Wireless vendors shift focus from security to smart, location-based tools [InfoWorld: Top News] 5:58:04 AM    comment []

Cell-Phone Ban Not a Good Call. The rush to pass laws preventing drivers from talking on their cell phones is more about politics than public safety. The real goal should be to enforce laws already on the books. A commentary by Lauren Weinstein. [Wired News] 5:53:45 AM    comment []

Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts. - Steven Wright 5:35:22 AM    comment []

It's Monday and back to the grind. 5:32:02 AM    comment []