Air XX:
What do Michael Jordan and Bayer Aspirin have in common? They've both lost their individual identity to the market. Today, kids don't remember Michael Jordan, but they're still buying Air Jordans. (And who was Bayer, anyway?)
« January 2005 | Main | March 2005 »
February 28, 2005
AIMing low:
AOL is releasing what sounds like helpful, but also seemingly intrusive software that will scan Microsoft Outlook address books for AIM users. I guess managing AIM contacts from within AOL isn't considered the only way to go anymore since, one day soon, nobody will be using the AOL interface.
Heirloom:
You can sell or buy anything on eBay. 70 year old cheese in a Crisco can for $50, for instance.
Keepin' it real:
With stock prices more than tripled, it now looks like going to jail was good for the Martha Stewart brand.
Populist economics:
Hmmm. A Democrat stands up for Wal-Mart and the right of working class people to get a good deal at a good price. This is the kind of stuff that could win a few red states back.
Scoop:
Anarchists come out against the government. Stop the presses!
Competition:
As a former Jordan Marsh time-card puncher, the corporate merger of Filenes and Macy's (formerly JM) is like the falling of the wall. It's like the joining of McDonalds and Burger King; the Beatles and the Stones; OS X and Windows. It's big, and it's the end of an era.
February 27, 2005
Three sixty:
More cars and technology: Is this cool or what? If I lived out in the desert or somewhere like Nantucket, I'd NEED one of these. It would even come in handy getting into a city parking spot.
February 26, 2005
Technology moving forward:
With apologies to Carpundit, I have to admit that I'm not a car guy. Cars, for me, are a way to get from place to place and somewhere to store all my old Dunkin' Donuts cups and candy bar wrappers. But being a technology fan, maybe it's time to reassess. Maybe I'm missing out. From today's WAPost:
Guys who would have been banging under the hood with oily wrenches a generation ago are now more likely to work their magic with lines of software and a serial cable. The goal is the same -- to wring as much speed as possible out of an automobile -- but the computerization of cars has permanently changed what it means to work on your car.
So having a well tuned computer and a well tuned car turn out to be the same thing these days. Throw a mini Mac in the dash and you've sold me. I might even clean out those coffee cups.
Imagine:
David Brooks is off on a Lennon-esque bout of wishful thinking on the Mideast. I hope he's right.
Mittcentric:
All eyes are on Mitt these days. When will the announcement come? Potential challengers want to know so they can get their own campaigns going. It doesn't seem to be a question of if he's leaving, but when. And just when the Globe was warming up to him.
In the meantime, Kerry and Kennedy want Romney to come over to the the Democrats' side for the state's sake. The logic seems to be that that would help us gain influence with the, ah, Republican controlled Congress and White House? Maybe it's one of those, "First we confuse 'em," strategies.
February 25, 2005
After all is said and done:
I've come to the sad conclusion that the pre-Big Dig Roxbury off-ramp from the old Southeast Expressway was much more efficient than the current multi-billion dollar configuration. The old ramp layout was simple and it worked.
A newly improved version of the latest setup has taken things from bad to worse after a minor lane adjustment has led to nightly backups and a requirement that a dozen cops pull bumper-to-bumper traffic each night to keep it from being completely gridlocked.
And they're not done with us. Apparently there are more improvements coming.
February 24, 2005
Downstream:
Disquiet is a blog covering ambient and electronic music. Downloads are available.
Too clever for his shirt:
I hate to link to Alex Beam, an old media guy if ever there was one. But he has an article on the new book by Kurzweil, (who is sounding more and more like just a very smart crackpot. But I do like that life extension stuff.)
Oh, and as an added bonus, Beam tacks on a sonnet parody about Larry Summers. If you like the Capitol Steps, you'll love this.
Disconnect:
Catholic churchgoers are up 250 million in the US while the number of priests is down 10,000. If those numbers are right, they raise some pressing questions about the future of the church and about its ability to inspire modern-day parishioners.
An op-ed argues for married deacons as a solution. An interesting idea, but I'm guessing that it would seem to the Vatican too much like the transitory first step down the road to married priests. (Which, by the way, I think would be a good thing.)
Insult to injury:
This guy must have wanted to get caught. If you promise someone a couple of Rolex's after taking $10,000 from them, the least you could is to send them a knockoff or something.
February 23, 2005
cassettePod:
Why didn't someone think of this sooner. The perfect MP3 player for the car, or at least for a car with an old stereo.
Going up:
A proposed space hotel is billed as having "Five-Billion Stars." It won't be cheap. But a continental breakfast should be included.
Report-o-matic:
Would this concept work for local news reporting?
Pulled punch:
The Bostonist is all over the story of the Sox deferring to the Yankees' by not rubbing the ring ceremony IN THEIR FACES.
Full circle:
Reentry programs are the subject of a CSM article this morning. One of the first structured, community-based re-entry programs in the country came out of the Boston Police Department, in case you didn't know. And it's still going strong.
Scott Peterson syndrome:
There's some interesting data from a CDC study on homicide rates for pregnant women.
Thin wall:
Bernard Lown and Prasannan Parthasarathi make some sobering points in an op-ed on the bio-lab proposed for the South End. I'm not opposed to the lab. I think ongoing research will strengthen our defense against bio-weapons. But the potential for screw-ups with a lab like this can't be minimized.
Real deal:
I remember, a few years ago, watching a movie crew set up to film a PSA about homelessness in an ally near the Pine Street Inn. The first thing they did was to call the police to clear out the real homeless people so that they could position the actors dressed up as homeless people.
I was reminded of that by this story about an Olympic Committee tour of New York's diversity that did all that it could to avoid actual people.
World class cities:
We may not be in the top ten, but we're still ahead of Cleveland.
February 22, 2005
Oetzi:
The New Yorker had an interesting article a while back about the shoes worn by the Stone Age hunter found frozen in the Alps in 1991. (the article isn't available online, but here's a news summary.) Meanwhile, it seems that there are rumors of a curse on the people who found the frozen mummy. Mr. Hlavacek better watch his step.
Looking ahead:
The new frontier of technology: windshield wipers.
Sub-way:
It's a train, it's a bus, it's... stuck. The Silver Line never really sounded like a real transit line, and it's proved to be the fraud that many predicted.
Delusional:
Ray says he's responsible for hip-hop in Boston. Hmmm. But now he want's to leave all that behind and boost his national profile with a new record attacking Eminem. Yeah, that might work.
Railroaded:
Bankruptcy has been hovering over Amtrak for years, but this time it appears serious. How many failed turnaround schemes have to pass before the ax finally falls. It would be unfortunate for those of us that like to take the train to New York (but good news for the LimoLiner people.)
There have to be ways for the system to raise money other than selling off stations. How about naming rights. Next stop: Bank of America Station?
Can't get there from here:
It was never easy navigating between the old and new courthouses. It seemed that you had to use out-of-the-way stairwells or corridors to get to where you needed to go. The floors didn't match up. To get to the fourth floor of one building to the fourth floor of the other you had to go down to the third floor and then up a half floor.
As bad as that was, this sounds worse.
February 21, 2005
Suede denim secret police:
Jerry Brown has been all over the map politically, but as mayor of Oakland it seems he's settled into a role as urban mechanic. Now he's blogging. His first post advocates for probation curfews and strategic policing. This should be interesting.
Pushing their luck:
Reading in the Globe yesterday, about the parents complaints of overly harsh punishment in the Milton Academy statutory rape case, I was going to write that expulsion should be the least of their worries. Carpundit beat me to it.
Brainiacs:
Apparently some things have to be precisely spelled out or people would screw them up.
Two sides of the same coin:
It's about time that Sinn Fein admitted its role in running the IRA. And if they won't, at least someone is willing to talk about it. Agreements built on a premise that everyone knows to be false, simply won't hold up over time.
Gonzo:
February 20, 2005
Pop-under:
If your popup blocker has been failing lately, you aren't alone. (I tried Drudge using Safari set to block popups and sure enough, an ad window was waiting underneath. Not good.)
February 19, 2005
Cosmic:
A magnetar has unleashed a blast of gamma rays, the strongest on record. It shouldn't have any negative consequences for us. The next thing to watch out for is a supernova from a red giant like Betelgeuse. Now that would be a show.
Less than appetizing:
Clothing optional dining? All I can say is, I hope there are low-fat selections on the menu.
Downloads:
Disssolved has posted an online EP. It has a nice crisp ambient sound.
Here's more downloadable music from the site.
Doohickies:
What do the Pez Dispenser, Pocket Fisherman, Etch a Sketch, Dustbuster, the Clapper and the Apple Powerbook all have in common? They're in Mobile PC magazine's top 100 gadgets of all time. Remote controls, the Sony Walkman, transistor radios and the original iPod were in the top 25. The Powerbook 100 came in first. (I had one of those for a while. It was a great writing computer but not much else.)
I remember that original metal case Walkman. It cost about as much then as an iPod Mini does today. It's depressing to think how much money I would have now if I put it in the bank (or Microsoft stock) instead of buying these things when they first came out.
Millions-wise and trillions-foolish:
David Brooks weighs in on the prescription drug benefit. Some Republicans suggest that the costs should be capped and they're proposing to adjust the original program.
But the White House is threatening to veto anything they do! President Bush, who hasn't vetoed a single thing during his presidency, now threatens to veto something - and it's something that might actually restrain the growth of government. He threatens to use his first veto against an idea he himself originally proposed!
What seems like politics for a bizarro world is, as Brooks notes, simply the boomers using their numbers and clout at the expense of the weak. So much for the social contract.
Safe harbor:
Thanks to homeland security money, there's less chance that members of Al Qaeda will try to sabotage any of those yachts headed to Martha's Vineyard this summer.
February 18, 2005
Shiny gadgets:
Tough crowd:
The commenters are restless in a Bostonist discussion of Happy Hour spots. (I know, I know... there's no real legal Happy Hour around here.) My two cents: I used to be a regular at Foley's on Kingston but don't get in as much these days. But it's still a good take. Great atmosphere, friendly, central location. Stick with the beer.
And while we're on the subject, attention bartenders: A traditional martini is NOT made with vodka. If I say martini and I don't say vodka, I expect gin. Got that? Good.
Trace evidence:
Don't forget to zero-out your hard drives before swapping them out, or sledge-hammering them if you're not going to use them again. Unless, of course, you want someone snooping around your old stuff.
Prima facie:
If you live in Italy and rip CDs to MP3s, you better hold on to the original CDs.
Whoopee cushion:
The lawyers have spoken. You can't make this stuff up.
Carving hieroglyphics:
Howard Kurtz's column is chalk full of interesting stuff from gender wars on the op-ed pages to Novak and Plame to Maureen Dowd's press credentials to Peggy Noonan's column on the blogosphere.
(So to recap: There are the folks who are actually doing things in the real world. Then there are the people who write about the things those people do; reporters and columnists. And there are the people like Kurtz and Kennedy who write about the people who write about the people doing things. And, of course, now I'm writing about them. Where does it end.)
February 17, 2005
Getting up there:
There'll be 195,000 candles on our birthday cake this year, 50,000 more than last year.
Shooting Ernest Borgnine:
Just who is that chubby guy on the shooting range targets? There are more than a few theories.
Ignorance is bliss:
Faster:
Intel has made an advance in laser amplification for data transmission. This is another one of those small cumulative developments that will have a big impact down the road.
Boink:
This sounds like good clean college-age mischief. Hell, they could be messing around with politics!
Symbiotic:
High school hockey has the game but not the spectators. Professional hockey has the spectators but not the game.
On the bright side, the Bruins remain undefeated this year.
Zipping around:
Interesting. Street workers responding to urban shootings in Zipcars. I wonder how long before someone would steal one from a crime scene to use in a drive by.
UPDATE: Penny, commenting over at Universal Hub, tells us that Zipcars have a pretty reliable remote anti-theft system. I'd always wondered how the Zip system dealt with the theft issue.
February 15, 2005
Nanosteps:
We're one step closer to quantum computing.
In the mix:
It would be easier to take the concerns of MAMLEO (the minority law enforcement group) seriously if they didn't have such a direct self-interest in the process. In an city like Boston police leadership should reflect the community, but it's the community that should be the judge of that -not the people vying for promotion to that leadership.
(And on the subject of conflicted interest, is it my imagination or have the folks who usually cover the police beat not been reporting