Archives for October, 2009
Google Street View: How long from field work to web?
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 Months, it turns out.
The Hausers want Courts Out of the Picture
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 Remember Daniel Hauser, the child who was busy dying of cancer while his parents kept real doctors away and treated him with homeowooatherapy and stuff? The Hauser family would now like everyone to go away again.
Why Fox News Isn’t
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 I love the fact that the tide is turning on Fox. (That might not be the best analogy.) In any event, this is a great example, from Rachel Maddow, of how life is more complex than much of our discourse allows for. And she does it with Walter Cronkite, and all the others on her…
Golden Eagle # 49 has Entered the Building
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 You know the drill: Someone claims to see a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) but then some wise-ass bird expert has to tell them that “Immature bald eagles are often mistaken for golden eagles. You saw a bald eagle, not a golden eagle.” Reminds me of the bird expert lady in The Birds (which we watched…
Trumpet-Playing Legislators
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 Now, what you should probably appreciate is that bar bands in the suburbs are by and large cover bands. This band doesn’t really have a repertoire of their own compositions, but they do classic rock, folk rock and alternative rock. Tom joined them for their version of “Margaritaville.” Very good, but I don’t think Tom…
Which one of these is Apple, which one of these is PC?
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 10:1 the DSCC gets spanked by Apple Corp for infringement. In the meantime, enjoy this, there will be more to follow, or so I hear:
Britains got … a lot of singers who sing like this, apparently.
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 Greg Pritchard – Britain’s Got Talent – Show 5 – The most amazing videos are a click away
The question every man needs to know the answer to …
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 Do Individual Females Differ Intrinsically in Their Propensity to Engage in Extra-Pair Copulations?
Oscar J. Polaco has died
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 From his colleague, Eduardo Corona-M, via the Zooarch list server: He was a great researcher at the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia and taught zoology at Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas in the Instituto Politécnico Nacional. In 2006 he received the Fryxel Award by the Society of American Archaeology. For many year he promotes…
Brother Mike Drinks the Kool Aid
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 My blogging brother Mike Dunford steps in to save poor old Apple Corporation from me and a few others who consider building corporate ads into an operating system to be evil. He’s wrong, I’m right, but if you must go read his post and decide for yourself.
The Public Option … OMG … Holy crap. From now on we’re doing it this way, no kidding…
Posted by Greg Laden on October 26, 2009 You must watch this. You. Simply. Must. Watch. This.
Religion Hunter Bites the Dust
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 Heather Rosa: Five days a week I’m a news junkie. On weekends I take a complete break. Come Monday morning, I’m again ready for the news, catching up on whatever happened over the weekend. The first thing that slapped me in the face Monday morning, even before the every-five-minute repeat of the weather, was this…
Opinions Void of Facts are Just as Valid as Those Based on Facts
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 … well, that would sure make things a lot easier… Sean Hannity’s … feigns dismay at the idea that Christians don’t have any signs up in the NYC Subway system. I am trying to imagine the outrage, because it isn’t happening. There are pro-Christian signs all over the NYC subway system. It shouldn’t take too…
The Power of the Pentatonic Scale
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.
The corporation = one of the best documentaries ever.
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 I first watched The Corporation when it was first shown around, at the Minneapolis Film Fest, with the producers and the director. The Corporation could be termed a forensic personality profile of the American Corporation, but I viewed it as an insightful ethnography of the most important tribe to emerge in human history. The most…
Ubuntu 9.10 RC Released
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 Move Over Windows 7!
Today’s Sunday Bible Reading Ezekiel 25:17
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 Thanks for the suggestion.
How to keep your server’s hard drive from filling up with log files.
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 Log files are good because they log stuff, so you can find out what’s been going on and troubleshoot. But they tend to accumulate and can actually fill up your hard drive. Most Linux distros have automatic log file management for common system logs, but if you are running something on your server that keeps…
Some great Sunday reading.
Posted by Greg Laden on October 25, 2009 A number of items for you to read, starting with this at Effect Measure, a take down of a recent Atlantic anti-vax article: Journalists sink in The Atlantic article on vaccines Excellent news for OpenSource: White House uses Open Source technology for its web site. I’ve been waiting for them to figure out how to…
H1N1 Vaccination Hysteria in Two Parts (so far)
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 H1N1 Vaccination Hysteria Part 1: Is the Swine Flu Vaccine Safe? and H1N1 Vaccination Hysteria Part 2: Should I get the shot? At Urban Science Adventures.
So, are you sure you want to beleieve that Apple Corporation is not fundamentally evil, like the rest of the corporations?
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 Earlier today a pending non-provisional utility patent application assigned to Apple Computer published. This application, US Patent Application 20090265214, is titled Advertisement in Operating System, and covers exactly what the title implies; namely an operating system that is capable of displaying a variety of advertisements to users. You are likely to have heard of the…
Save the Public Option NOW!!!
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 Go here and sign this petition too.
Which is better at providing computer technical support: Cats or Dogs?
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 Cats: Dogs: Bonus: Cat – Dog Interaction
You want to be my friend on Facebook? Are you f@#%$$ kidding me?
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 This is hilarious. A slightly different experience than mine.
Pawlenty: Minnesota will not have a public option.
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 hat tip: Ana
Weekend Diversion Links
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 Chicago Coalition of Reason Erects Offensive Billboard!!!11!! 99 Stunning Photographs Earth and Jupiter in the Same Photograph!!! Ubuntu SE Edition (SE = Satanic Edition)
Minnesotans Need A Public Option
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 So go sign the petition.
UFO’s on Quiche Moraine
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 Among a certain class of people, the term “Rumsfeldian” is used to describe a style of leadership that prizes bureaucratic turf-protecting, dissent-quashing through barely concealed intimidation, an inflated sense of self-importance, and the inability to incorporate possible long-term consequences into the decision making process. This class consists primarily of policy wonks, especially the left-leaning ones…
Swine Flu is Officially a National Emergency: Republican Outrage in 3 … 2 … 1 …
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 President Barack Obama signed an order last night declaring that the swine flu is a national emergency. This allows the implementation of emergency plans. So, what is an emergency plan?
Isis the Scientist and Pal MD on Bloggheads.TV!!!
Posted by Greg Laden on October 24, 2009 What will they say? How will Isis maintain her anonymity on a thing where you display your head??? Will PalMD be so gaga in the presence of the Goddess that he babbles inarticulately? If these questions interest you, just watch:
, which is now available for the 
