"Just two weeks after a major sports paper reported that magazine photos could be used to fool vending machine age-verification cameras, an even more surprising flaw has come to light. The portraits of Hideyo Noguchi and Yukichi Fukuzawa printed on the 1,000-yen and 10,000-yen bills can be used to trick the high-tech machines," - Shellee via Bookmarklet
Other than the usual stock tips and who wins the next few super bowls, I'd probably remind myself that I will never be surrounded by so many friends as you are in your last year of college. I'm sure some old guy told me that back then, but I didn't listen, perhaps I'd believe myself. Then we'd discuss the grandfather paradox... - John Honeck
Leave the Army. Now. Don't stay for silly reasons of misguided loyalty - get out. Right now. - Patricia Hanrahan
lol. husband Just came in, grabbed a flashlight and headed into the backyard. I'm married to the crazy neighbor! Shhhhhh. There's a raccoon out there! - Shellee
"Come summer, you see retailers around the city leaving the doors of their stores propped wide open in the hopes of enticing shoppers in with blasts of frigid air conditioning. In protest of this decidedly carbon-non-neutral trend we bring you, This Store Blows, highlighting the city's worst offenders." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
"“If Beethoven were alive today, he would probably be a video-game composer… he was always ahead of the curve,” says VGL co-creator Tommy Tallarico." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
"In a sound installation piece called "Three Pieces" technicians created an environment that responded to environmental sensors to "play" 12 chimes and a traditional Chinese dulcimer." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
"In many ways “Dancing” is an almost perfect piece of Internet art: it’s short, pleasingly weird and so minimal in its content that it’s open to a multitude of interpretations. It could be a little commercial for one-world feel-goodism. It could be an allegory of American foreign policy: a bumptious foreigner turning up all over the world and answering just to his own inner music. Or it could be about nothing at all — just a guy dancing." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
"This movie seemed more realistically in touch with what troubles America this year than either the substance or the players of the political food fight beyond the multiplex’s walls." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
you'd be surprised Geoff - if several other people do the same they take notice - faxing a personal letter isn't a bad idea either - Marco
That's incredibly thorough and well-written. Since I've recently read Madison's notes on the federal convention, this is particularly horrifying. They knew they needed an Executive to give the law effect but were very careful to make sure there was oversight at every twist and turn. How have we become so comfortable with something so different? - Shellee
@shellee it's the unfortunate tendency of successful republics to flourish, overreach, stumble, then shackle themselves to authority out of fear. - Madsimian
Absolutely. Part of the wisdom of the American system, however, is that we have this written Constitution to facilitate a recurrence to our first principles...if anyone is still interested in that. Keep writing, Geoff, and the rest of us need to join you! - Shellee
Feinstein and others will do what they must, as politicians. As a citizen, it is completely unacceptable to not include specific protections of our collective ability to *hold accountable* our executive branch and the powerful corporations they enthralled (in the old school sense of the word). My votes and voice will always be consistent on that. So, although I can empathize with Feinstein, the bill remains unacceptable. We can't compromise on the constitution, per @shellee. - Madsimian
She is claiming this modernizes FISA when, actually, I think it's using a very outdated understanding of intelligence gathering and pointing it at a completely different animal. I'm not buying this explanation either. Modernize it, please. But seems that would be fundamentally different from what's proposed. - Shellee
I was struck by the fear-mongering "Nation goes bare in mid-August" language. This is the same lie we've heard from Republicans. - Jason Wehmhoener
This was an awkward moment on The Daily Show. The premise was..."if I had to watch the same news you all watch in the states, I'd blow my brains out." Awkward until I realized I'd often contemplated random acts of violence while watching cable news. - Shellee
Once you go BBC, you never go back... - Chris Reed
Logan also announced today that she's pregnant.... http://www.mediabistro.com/tvn... ... actually a nice story in that she didn't think she could get pregnant after losing a tube in an ectopic pregnancy... - Chris Reed
OK... Will do.. Step 1: Find Cinder Block... Step 2: Crush it in bare hands, or hit over head as alternative .... Step 3: ? .... Step 4: Profit! - Chris Reed
yeah. plus my allergy season has begun. i'd like to twist my ears inside out and run boiling water through them. and then i'd like to take out my sinuses, run them under very cold water, and then wring them out. putting my eyeballs in a cold rinse cycle wouldn't be bad, either. - edythe
This is fantastic! Turning into one of my favorite classic SNL skits, Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest's "I hate it when that happens..." - Shellee
I would argue that one season of SNL was the best single season in show history. My favorite sketch: Jackie Rogers Jr.'s $100000 Jackpot Wad.. It's a lion you moron! Chocolate babies. - Chris Reed
@Chris: Nice underpants gnomes business plan reference. Strangely enough, its the second reference to that I've seen today. - Kelly Fox
@Kelly: Once put it up the underwear gnome business plan on the white board to liven up a meeting, but later had to explaint to someone from accounting that no, we weren't planning on convincing the higher-ups to start an underwear business. - Chris Reed
"Khelil said the weak dollar and geopolitical worries are responsible for 60% of the rise in crude prices, but also said that "the intrusion of bioethanol on the market" was alone responsible for the other 40%." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
I trust we will keep this respectful and PG-rated :D. And this was inspired, by the way, by a study I recently read stating that women find men with a bit of stubble to be FAR more masculine than men who are clean shaven. My lazy self is desperately hoping this to be true! :-) - Adam Lasnik
I cannot think of anything to say that wouldn't be too obvious or too abstract... The question may need to be more pointed. - Michael W. May
Okay. I'll be selfish and blunt. Women, do you like stubble on a guy? Sorry, Michael, no great questions for the male species at the moment :P - Adam Lasnik
Erm... it really depends whether it's suitable for a guy. I find it sexy on some guys, but not on others. Not helpful for you, eh? - BeeLing Poh
Feminine = female names ending in 'a' - especially certain elegant sounding Hispanic / European names ... - Patrick Jordan
Masculine: taking risks. Feminine: laying eggs - Andy Roberts
Stubble looks good on *certain* men - use with caution; but...if on the right guy - yep, very cool! and if on the wrong guy -yikes! - Susan Beebe
Dotting your lower case i's and j's, etc, with hearts is feminine. Usually. - Michael W. May
Wow, thanks for this Adam! While you contemplate stubble, I'm learning a lot about being more feminine...must lay eggs and dot my i's with hearts. Stubble is generally a good look but it might take more effort than you'd imagine. Sexy stubble is different from unkempt. <3 - Shellee
Okay, no definitive answer. Guess I'll have to be brave and do surveys or something. No, I am NOT posting comparative photos online, though :p - Adam Lasnik
I try to participate and see what happens? - Michael W. May
The Nikkei business daily said Toyota would equip solar panels on the roof of the high-end version of the Prius when it redesigns the gasoline-electric hybrid car early next year, and the power generated by the system would be used for the air conditioning. - Kelly Fox via Bookmarklet
They're now aiming for the Mars Phoenix look? The Prius will be even more "eclectic looking" and there will be no way to stop the smug that will roll into the city. Can't wait for the Southpark episode! - Shellee
Let me get this straight... McCain hires Giuliani's campaign manager to revive his campaign... The architect of the "let's just campaign in Florida" campaign strategy? "Amid staff shakeups, McCain recently hired Steve Schmidt to manage the campaign's day-to-day operations. In his first move as campaign manager, Schmidt has hired former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's campaign manager, Mike DuHaime, to the position of political director." - Chris Reed via Bookmarklet
Schmidt had already become one of mccain's most trusted advisors and Duhaime was already working as the campaigns liaison with the RNC - McCain couldn't have two better people in those roles - if anything is going to shore up some of the problems they have had lately those two can do it - Marco
He He - love Chris's comment but don't think its as bad as it sounds. Mike Murphy is about to sign on as the campaign strategist so Duhaime will be limited, not plotting big picture strategy. - JMaultasch
I am beginning to suspect that Republican insiders know that they have little chance of winning the coming election and that John McCain is a throwaway candidate. His candidacy is beginning to feel as unreal as Giuliani's. - Sean McBride
McCain needs to quit making news for campaign shake ups and this is the season to get your team in order for November. I have a lot of respect for Mike Murphy. It's no small task but I'd really like to see Team McCain run a strong campaign for the general election. Winning by default isn't healthy for anyone. Next thing you know someone is dancing around talking about their mandate! - Shellee
You'd think after 8 or 9 years of this, people would watch previous reality shows and realize "not here to make friends" means you lose. There's an interesting article about this and playing to win by David Sirlin, pro-gamer turned game developer: http://www.sirlin.net/Features... and http://www.sirlin.net/Features... - Mark Trapp
Mark: The "no make friends" crowd is almost entirely made up of people who don't learn lessons from *anything*. They're possessed of some warped version of self-esteem that makes them invulnerable to all external input. - Roger Benningfield
"The hip-hop and R&B producer Jermaine Dupri has discovered best-selling acts like Kris Kross and Da Brat, has produced hits for Mariah Carey and Jay-Z, and now runs the urban music division of the Island Def Jam Music Group. He’s also looking for fresh talent for a new label financed by a company new to the music industry" The new player? Procter & Gamble. - Robert Seidman via Bookmarklet
I feel conflicted about deals like this. So P&G spends millions of dollars to an artist to get people to pay attention to....a bar of soap? From the article: "We don’t just want to talk to people,” said Anne Jensen, a brand-building director at Unilever who works with Caress. “We want to give them something that adds value to their lives.”" Huh? shouldn't the value be in the soap? Maybe I'm too old-school, but I don't know why companies like P&G try to build tenuous emotional connections to soap. - Ginger Makela
Ginger, this is just an extension of all the life-style commercials currently on tv... how many commercials actually tell you what's good about the product? S'all about brand recognition, it seems. But I'm conflicted, too. I think, it's ultimately a bad trend for music - too much mixing of editorial and advertising. - felix
Is it a good thing that advertising doesn't talk about the product itself? That lifestyle advertising tries to get people to buy into vague feelings rather than more rational thoughts? I guess I'm suspicions of companies/products that are going for "loyalty beyond reason". - Ginger Makela
Ginger, I'm with you on the "tenuous emotional connections to XYZ". I'm not sure what the value is. Coke built an emotional connection with me when I was like 7 years old with its "I'd like to teach the world to sing" campaign" and I never forgot it, but my brain tells me Diet Pepsi tastes better so, sorry Coke! But one part of the sometimes insidious nature of effective advertising: it plays to our irrational sides, not our rational ones. - Robert Seidman
While the record labels continue to fight new media, these brands are going where the people are. The music industry is so backward-looking, musicians need the cash so this is an opportunity that works for brands and bands. I don't like it either but deals like this are going to be what keeps music on the road. - Shellee
If your products are basically indistinguishable from your competitor's, or the distinction is all a matter of taste and preference, then loyalty beyond reason would be all that's left in your marketing. I mean, isn't this what brand advertising is all about? - ⓞnor
It's not the best solution but at least it is an attempt at -a- solution. An interesting question is whether "fame" works in the same way it did 15-20 years ago. If you sponsor a Vampire Weekend concert, for instance, will that have any real value when the fickle tastes of music lovers move onto the next big thing? - Shark At Large
"The first high-resolution map of the human cortical network reveals that the brain has its own version of Grand Central Station, a central hub that is structurally connected to many other parts of the brain. Scientists generated the map using a new type of brain imaging known as diffusion imaging. The technique maps the largely inaccessible tangle of the brain's white matter--the long, thin fibers that ferry nerve signals between cells. Scientists hope that using the noninvasive method to study neural connections in people with Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and autism will shed light on how changes in brain architecture are linked to these complex diseases." - Kelly Fox via Bookmarklet
Did you catch this part? I think they're saying the singularity is near. "Network studies in other fields, from the Internet to protein interaction networks, suggest that these kinds of highly connected nodes tend to be very important for determining what the network does as a whole." - Shellee
"The interior and exterior landscape of the building contains a variety of constructed native northern Ohio ecosystems that not only provide food, but also provide responsible stormwater management and storage. The unique landscape ecosystem houses an onsite ‘living machine’ that naturally cleanses and recycles wastewater for reuse." - Shellee via Bookmarklet
A good friend asked a group of friends to each recommend ONE book for him to read. If you were going to recommend only ONE book, what would it be? Lifehacker has a pretty good list. - Shellee via Bookmarklet
""The bureaucracy which had stubbornly refused to open the crown is finally moved in the right direction," Weiner said Friday. "Today's news means that America is one step closer to providing what everyone wants: safe access to the heights of Lady Liberty."" - Shellee via Bookmarklet
Good news. When my daughter was much younger, she climbed every step to the top of the Statue of Liberty. We've been back since, but the crown has been off limits. - Ontario Emperor via fftogo
