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Archives for June 2004
Biting the Hand That Feeds You
I followed the announcements from the keynote speech at the Apple World Wide Developers Conference today regarding Tiger (OS X 10.4).
Apple really does a fantastic job of sticking it to the companies that develop innovative software for their platform.
- Spotlight is a (significantly improved) ripoff of Launchbar.
- Dashboard is a lame ripoff of Konfabulator, which is lame to begin with.
- Automator screws over QuicKeys.
- Safari’s upcoming RSS support screws over NetNewsWire.
Don’t even get me started on what Apple has done to Adobe.
This is why I’m reluctant to develop Mac applications.
Something Incredible
I went to the National Gallery with a friend who was visiting from Connecticut over the weekend. While viewing the the lower-level sculpture gallery in the west wing I noticed an wonderful new acquisition to the permanent collection–a white marble statue from the mid-nineteenth century by a Milanese artist named Pietro Magni. The work, aptly titled The Reading Girl, left me absolutely speechless.
Every detail is executed perfectly, from the way the fabric pulls from the stitching on sides of the figure’s dress to the folded page in the open book she holds.
The pictures here don’t really do it justice. It’s something you need to see in person.
Gehry’s ‘Mulligan’
I’m generally a big fan of Frank Gehry’s work, but I’m with Mike Ulmer of the Toronto Sun when it comes to Gehry’s new rendition of the World Cup of Hockey championship trophy:
Today was the soft launch for [Keyfiler][1], a new service offering of PJ Doland Web Design, Inc. that enables users to store, organize, and access serial numbers and software keys securely over the web. It’s designed for both personal and business use, with subscription options designed to meet anyone’s needs. Feel free to [take it for a spin][1]. [1]: http://www.keyfiler.com/When Gehry pulled the covering off the trophy, it was like someone had tugged the burlap bag off the Elephant Man.
…All I Said Was Come On In
Over a thousand Grateful Dead concerts are free and legal for the taking online as lossless audio downloads.
Have fun, kids.
Tennis Anyone?
Last year I sponsored a collaborative music project on Yayhooray. I started by uploading an original composition. Various users added to and changed the composition, one at a time, until it was completely unrecognizable.
You can download the tracks from Audio Tennis Version 1.0 below in MP3 or SHN. Each contributor is listed next to their links.
- pjdoland | mp3 | shn | 2003.08.28
- easement | mp3 | shn | 2003.08.29
- mobcarmedia | mp3 | shn | 2003.09.01
- feedmewithyourkids | mp3 | shn | 2003.09.11
- desc0n0cid0s0y | mp3 | shn | 2003.09.12
- zero | mp3 | shn | 2003.09.16
- polyfonken | mp3 | shn | 2003.09.16
- elektronaut | mp3 | shn | 2003.09.19
- da5id | mp3 | shn | 2003.10.06
In Final Tribute from a Grateful Nation
When I began at GWU in the fall of 1996, I distictly remember having a discussion with my new conservative and libertarian friends about Reagan. We had all assumed that he would pass away sometime during our four years as students in DC. We were resolved to pay our respects when it was finally time for him to lie in state. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, he suffered much longer than any of us would have imagined or expected.
My friends who no longer live in DC returned this week. On Tuesday night we stood in line for almost seven hours to see his flag-draped casket in the Capitol Rotunda.
The week has felt a little like The Big Chill, only without any of the funny business. I hated that movie.
But it’s always good to see old friends. It’s just like they say, “weddings and state funerals.”
Dead Men Write No Letters
You may remember that two years ago I took a tour of the “Founding Church of Scientology.” I’m happy to report that I still receive hand-addressed letters in the mail, inviting me to “overcome the blocks to using [my] mind’s full potential.”
The letter I received today bore the xerographically-reproduced signature of L. Ron Hubbard.
The man has been dead for over eighteen years. He must have been cursed to an eternity in the direct marketing level of hell.
Better Than Warm Spit
John Nance Garner, who was vice president of the United States from 1932 to 1940 under FDR, once said the vice presidency wasn’t worth a “bucket of warm spit.”
It seems that John McCain would agree. He had some choice words about the position when he appeared on Conan O’Brien’s show last week:
I spent several years in a North Vietnamese prison camp, in the dark, fed with scraps. Do you think I want to do that all over again as vice president of the United States?
