Stephen Mack

From the wiki article: "A gluten-free diet allows for fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and many dairy products. The diet allows rice, corn, soy, potato, tapioca, beans, sorghum, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, arrowroot, amaranth, teff, Montina and nut flours and prohibits the ingestion of wheat, barley, rye and related components, including triticale, durum, graham, kamut, semolina, spelt, malt, malt flavouring or malt vinegar." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

Jimminy, that wasn't the original discussion I saw but I think you are right. I just remember discussing the brownies on here in the past and getting a box and trying it and really liking it. I think the original discussion is so old that it is no longer in the buffer on here. :( - Rachel Lea Fox

From the document (http://www.fysh.org/~zefram...): "Allism is a congenital neurological disorder adversely affecting many areas of brain function. The condition is not widely known, having been only recently identified. This article is an introduction to allism, describing the mental and practical effects of the condition, and giving an overview of the current medical understanding. This article is aimed at the general public, though medical professionals may also find it a useful starting point." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

And more: "Unsurprisingly, such a serious problem with emotions affects social activity significantly. Allistic people are very vulnerable in social situations: the possibility for people to project emotions into the mind of the allistic person means that they are easily manipulated, wittingly or unwittingly. Some people have indeed used knowledge of allism to prey on the allistic, using the allistic person's weakness to manipulate em into making unwanted purchases, or worse." - Stephen Mack

(re http://blog.louisgray.com/2011...) - Stephen Mack

There's a GPS function exemption too, if I remember correctly. - Stephen Mack from iPhone

It costs a lot more to have clerks open mail and deposit checks manually, after all. - Stephen Mack

Sparky, I did some research at http://www.ehow.com/how_504... and http://www.highwayrobbery.net/ and while I think I'd have a decent shot fighting it, the video they have of me failing to stop while turning right on a red light is pretty conclusive. - Stephen Mack

Heh. - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

I want to be able to edit my comments! ARRRRRG. Also, hah. - joey

loved this episode so much. - Marie

Loved it as well. - Todd Hoff

Okay, that was agonizing but I loved the ending. - Kevin Fox

From the blog post: "The Burning Man organization recognizes that the ticket registration and random drawing process has caused many participants frustration and concern over whether they can attend the event this year." ... "We believe we need two weeks to let the dust settle to see how much redistribution happens. Even with that redistribution we know that key people and projects may not get confirmations in time to move forward with their plans. We are looking at options to keep that from happening." ... "Not everyone who wants a ticket this year will get one, that is clear — the demand clearly exceeds supply. But we are going to do everything we can in the coming days to ensure that we preserve and respect the community that supports and creates this event both in the short term and long term. We will be reaching out to you and working with you to make that happen. We recognize that we have work to do to repair the faith in the organization. We are very sorry for the frustration, anxiety and deep disappointment this year’s ticketing experience has caused for so many citizens of Black Rock City." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

Also, there have been competing events (4th of Juplaya and Burning Bush come to mind) that attempt to recreate some of what Burning Man is and was. The BLM is catching on though, and implementing special closures and controls to fight the proliferation of them. - Brian Johns

Fascinating. Some of the many things I didn't know about him: He was of Norwegian descent, a decorated combat pilot in WW2, a medical inventor (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...), and he wrote the screenplay for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

I have a collection of his short stories that includes a biography, fascinating guy. I think I've loved his writing all my life. One of his stories, The Man From the South, was an excellent episode of Alfred Hitchcock Theater, and also used by Quentin Tarantino in Four Rooms (I think that was the title). - Starmama from FFHound(roid)!

Now I'd like to request a "Thindercats" podcast where you two share your weight loss secrets. Make it so? - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

That's why they say "Ho" and not "Ho Ho." - John E. Bredehoft

(Image source: http://www.thefeltsource.com/New-Foo... -- this poster was on my daughter's doctor's wall; I saw it at her 4-year checkup this morning.) - Stephen Mack

But it sure is a cute graphic! =) - Yvonne from FFHound!

Some of my notes were cryptic and I'd come back later to expand on them so I wouldn't forget what I was trying to do. But I didn't need to expand on that one -- just seeing those words, I'd remember the idea fully. In some near-future short fiction, I'd work in a reference to Madonna being fifty years old, perhaps with a kid or two. - Stephen Mack

In my head at the time, it seemed like a neat twist: To take one of the most polarizing and successful figures in music -- a woman with exquisite business sense, no end of commercial success, an avant-garde and controversial style, a decade of hits, tremendous cultural relevance and youth appeal -- and project her into the status of a washed-up has-been playing state faires. That would... more... - Stephen Mack

I should have written "Madonna is one hundred." - Stephen Mack

From the article: "Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol and tobacco, contend a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In an opinion piece called “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” that was published Feb. 1 in the journal Nature, Robert Lustig, Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis argue that it’s a misnomer to consider sugar just 'empty calories.' They write: 'There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.'" - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

Which reminds me, sometime I need to watch the lecture by Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, that explores the damage caused by sugary foods: "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." http://www.youtube.com/watch... - Stephen Mack

Yay! No more unwanted phone directories. (I waited a week to post this because the site was unusable previously.) - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

I put my cell # in when I signed up (no land line), and didn't get any calls or anything. Also didn't get any stupid paper phone books (yay). - Stephen Mack

From the CBS news article: "Workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout California have gone on strike over contract disputes involving Kaiser’s mental health and optical employees. The National Union of Healthcare Workers says its 4,000 Kaiser employees are staging a 24-hour strike over proposed cuts to health care and retirement benefits. It’s their fourth walkout since contract negotiations started in 2010." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

The LAist cites it as one of the largest strikes in the hospital's history: http://laist.com/2012... - Stephen Mack

While management insists all facilities will be open today, if you have an appointment, it's probably a good idea to call ahead. - Stephen Mack

From Cristo, who said, "Spread the word to the people who don't subscribe to me." - Stephen Mack

Of course you can turn it off. :) - Louis Gray

I'm also open to using other dates, if you believe the world will end on some day other than 12/21. - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

^ - mina_sydney

From the Wiki article: "Lear does not appear to have had any firm idea of what the word 'runcible' means. His whimsical nonsense verse celebrates words primarily for their sound, and a specific definition is not needed to appreciate his work. However, since the 1920s (several decades after Lear's death), modern dictionaries have generally defined a 'runcible spoon' as a fork with three broad curved prongs and a sharpened edge, used with pickles or hors d'oeuvres, such as a pickle fork. It is occasionally used as a synonym for 'spork.' However, this definition is not consistent with Lear's drawing, in which it is a ladle, nor does it account for the other 'runcible' objects in Lear's poems." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

:) I meant that 'pobble' is not exactly a real word, either. - WoH: Minding her Botts

The money quote: "One day, when Marco and I were playing against two computer opponents, we forced one of the AI cycles to trap itself between its own walls and the bottom game border. Sensing an impending crash, it fired a missile, just like it always did whenever it was trapped. But this time was different – instead of firing at another trail, it fired at the game border, which looked like any other light cycle trail as far as the computer was concerned. The missile impacted with the border, leaving a cycle-sized hole, and the computer promptly took the exit and left the main playing field. Puzzled, we watched as the cycle drove through the scoring display at the bottom of the screen. It easily avoided the score digits and then drove off the screen altogether. Shortly after, the system crashed. Our minds reeled as we tried to understand what we had just seen. The computer had found a way to get out of the game. When a cycle left the game screen, it escaped into computer memory – just like in the movie." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

This technical FAQ from Wikipedia lists 5 circumvention methods (below) -- how many more can we come up with? - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

15. Wait until today. - Stephen Mack

New software update rolling out now to TiVo Premiere units. From this blog post by TiVo VP of User Experience Margret Schmidt: "We are pleased to announce the release of version 20.2 for TiVo Premiere, TiVo Premiere XL, and TiVo Premiere Elite. Some of you may have already received the update on your TiVo Premiere box, but if not, you will automatically receive the update by the end of the month. We’ve made significant changes to our HD menus to make them smoother and faster – but the most exciting news is the conversion of our video watching and Guide experience into HD, along with the addition of Premiere-to-Premiere Multi-Room Streaming. Here are some of the new things you’ll find: * Grid Guide and Live Guide are now in HD * Mini Guide * "New Info Banners * Multi-Room Streaming * Updates to the Discovery Bar *Search Improvements" - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

Special Weather Statement in effect: ... COLD TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED EARLY THIS WEEK... ... WET WEATHER PATTERN REMAINS LIKELY TO DEVELOP DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THIS WEEK... MUCH COOLER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST EARLY THIS WEEK. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL MOSTLY BE IN THE 50S... FROM 10 TO 15 DEGREES COOLER THAN WHAT HAS BEEN THE NORM LATELY. NIGHTS WILL BE COLD. PATCHY FROST IS LIKELY ON TONIGHT AND MONDAY NIGHT. THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE WEEK IS EXPECTED TO BE MONDAY NIGHT. WIDESPREAD FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST FOR THE INTERIOR VALLEYS LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO NEAR FREEZING ELSEWHERE. AFTER A PROLONGED DRY PERIOD... INDICATIONS ARE THAT A WET WEATHER PATTERN WILL DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AND ACROSS ALL OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA BY THE END OF THE WEEK. THE INITIAL WEATHER SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO SPREAD RAIN ACROSS THE NORTH BAY ON WEDNESDAY AND THEN SOUTH ACROSS MOST OF THE REST OF... more... - Stephen Mack from email

THF12 isn't quite gone here yet. Down to 25 at 7 a.m., and probably 32 where we were hiking. Brisk but, actually, pleasant. Now for some rain and moderating temps... - Walt Crawford

"Jed Brophy as Nori, Dean O'Gorman as Fili, Mark Hadlow as Dori, James Nesbitt as Bofur, Peter Hambleton as Gloin, Graham McTavish as Dwalin, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield (center), Ken Stott as Balin, John Callen as Oin, Stephen Hunter as Bombur, William Kircher as Bifur, Adam Brown as Ori and Aidan Turner as Kili in New Line Cinema’s and MGM’s fantasy adventure THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo by James Fisher)" - Stephen Mack

Holly, yes! http://friendfeed.com/zeigen... -- I was actually most excited by the Prometheus trailer, but The Hobbit trailer was a close second. It's definitely amazing. - Stephen Mack

So many commercials for this during football this weekend... - Brian Johns

Stephen, you have to finish the episode, if you don't like the concept after that, then no worries. But they still have a couple twists for you in this episode. - Rachel Lea Fox from iPhone

From the article that was published today: "DVR pioneer TiVo on Wednesday said its latest research shows that viewership of recorded TV programs and Internet-delivered content is surpassing live TV viewership. Looking at Web-connected TiVo devices, nearly two thirds of viewing on them is now driven by delayed TV or online on-demand content, it said. TiVo's audience research division, which tracks anonymous usage across 2 million TiVo devices on a second-by-second basis, said that only 38 percent of viewing is live." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

Ken: And we're so far out of the norm for your customers that I don't doubt that's true. The typical household in the U.S (outside California) uses around 950kWh/month, out of which the TiVo is insignificant--and that "5 hours a day" for the TV is probably also typical, and about 5 times our usage. (Hey, our 54" plasma uses 275 watts, which is damn good for a plasma...but we use it so... more... - Walt Crawford

1999 statement from the National Academy of Sciences: "Scientists, like many others, are touched with awe at the order and complexity of nature. Indeed, many scientists are deeply religious. But science and religion occupy two separate realms of human experience. Demanding that they be combined detracts from the glory of each." - Stephen Mack from Bookmarklet

Honestly, while I don't know how I feel about the concept, I must say I do love the elegance and poetry of Stephen Jay Gould's words, and I really just love the phrase "non-overlapping magisteria." - Stephen Mack

Like white on rice mutherfucker. - The Real sofarsoShawn from iPhone

:o - chaz2b

Don't do it yet! You have until 12th Night. - m9m, Crone of FriendFeed

I was just thinking how I miss my beautifully lit tree. Maybe we can make valentines day use a lot of lights too? - Todd Hoff

this is my favorite thing, right now - MoTO Bott

YAY! - Stephen Mack

(http://www.reddit.com/r...) - Stephen Mack

Brain hurts, Jon? - Stephen Mack from iPhone