Is (screen) real estate that tight?

The addition of a one-letter word (gets a shot) would make this so much less disturbing when you read the first line of this headline from MSNBC.com this afternoon.

Politics aside, this was unpleasant news.

I rarely critique headlines, it being outside my area of expertise, but it seems like one character more might have been worth the space.

The importance of clarity in written communication...

Not drinking coffee can be bad for you...

I was viewing a video of Kermit and Harry the Hipster talking about 'visual thinking' (part of a post on Presentation Zen). On the 'you might also enjoy' line that pops up after you view a video, there was something called 'Wilkins Coffee.' These are ads done by Jim Henson in the 1950s for Wilkins Coffee. The characters are 'Wilkins' and 'Wontkins.' I bet you can guess which is which.

I had to share these. They're hilarious and disturbing all at once.

Not to mention brilliantly short and to the point.

'Going viral' and spreading joie de vivre

If you haven't already seen this, I recommend it. And read the NYT article if you want to know more about the video and Matt.



TIP: If you double click on the video here, you'll go straight to YouTube where you can chose "watch in high quality" OR go to Matt's page with a vimeo version for higher quality.

Twitter saves someone's day

An interesting example of how being able to quickly reach many like-minded people can be extremely handy...

U.C. Berkeley student's Twitter messages alerted world to his arrest in Egypt

(Thanks, Twitter Blog)

fixie clarification

B has a fixed-gear bicycle, but he does have brakes.
LK has a single-speed bike (one gear, but I can coast), not a fixed gear. And of course I have brakes.

I just didn't want people to think we were tougher/crazier/more stylish than we really are.

For a little more on the phenom, there's this NY Times piece from last year. SFO was great fixie watching, too (if you're into that kind of thing).

Photo by veganstraightedge.

Want to learn more about Creative Commons?

I always knew YouTube must be good for something...

In my ipod

some new favorites...

WYNC's Radio Lab - this one is new to me, recommended by different people just days apart
On the Media (NPR)
Agatha Christie Radio Mysteries
Slate Political Gabfest - I discovered I could subscribe just to the Gabfest not the whole Slate Daily podcast (woohoo!), which I could never keep up on and I'm just plain not too fond of the guy doing the podcast now.

And just today I listened to a couple of NYT OpCasts on my way home, which are interviews with folks who have appeared on the NYT Op-ed pages recently. That may be added to my favorites, but I'll give it a few more 'casts before I decide.

About the 'twittering'...

Some of you may have been wondering about Twitter. You see "LK's Twitter Update" to the side here perhaps and think to yourself, Gosh, what is this Twitter thing?

Or maybe you don't, but here's a nice little illustration, in case you are curious.

It's more interactive and less time-consuming than email or blogging. And -- like all social media -- it is especially fun now that more of my friends are joining in.



From Common Craft

A funny thing happened on my way to the printer...

I'd just read the latest entry on "The Penguin Blog" --the blog for Penguin Books UK, and there was a small segment of it I wanted to print out as an idea relating to a new blog we are starting up at work. So I highlighted the paragraph I want and print the selection.

I walk out to the printer and pick up the pages that are waiting there.

Imagine my surprise when, instead of my Penguin blog excerpt, I'm looking down at THIS.

Apparently, through a remarkable coincidence, another user of the same printer had just printed out this image from The Nature Conservancy's 2007 Photo Contest Finalists.

My printout was the second page.


Frankly, I'm still feeling a little shaken up.

Oh yeah, me too.

I was amused to see this message from Flickr recently when they were off line for a bit:

That is totally what I'm doing every time I'm off line too...

PSA: Consumer Reports Blogs

I was introduced to the Consumer Reports blogs through a very funny bit that we were shown at the Stanford Publishing on the Web course (by a speaker from Consumer Reports). In addition to their Health blog (where this video is posted), they have many topical blogs worthy of note: Safety, Health, Cars, Money, etc. I'm sure Q-Olin readers will find something of interest there. (Sorry, no birdwatching blog.)

But even if you don't start reading the blogs, be sure to watch this video from Consumer Reports AdWatch: Relief from restless legs hype.

An interesting follow up to this video is that a Restless Leg group has boycotted Consumer Reports as they are so outraged by the video and how it mocks this very serious condition. But surely an intelligent viewer (who is not bankrolled by large pharmaceutical companies) will see it is the advertising that CR is skewering, not the disorder.

nyt.com got user-friendly

For those of you who found yourselves turned away by the New York Times online with its "Select" (subscription) content in the past, you'll be pleased to know that their entire content is now open. I'm sure their advertisers are pleased. And I know I am.

One benefit is that this allows us blogger types to link away. And speaking of links to NYT, check out our brief write-up and links to info on no-knead bread over on Q-Eats.

Ghost Rider

A friend from ABQ sent me this which was, in turn, sent to him by his brother.





And people think bikes don't have a soul...

if:book and Orson Whales

One day at work when I was totally on-task, reading a Chronicle article that the head of our library sent me about the recent AAUP meeting, I was led to a lucky discovery. The article touched on the issue of digital monographs and I got all caught up in the subject before I knew it, just a couple of clicks later I found myself at the website of...[light from above and appropriate choral music]...The Institute for the Future of the Book.

The institute is "dedicated to investigating the transformation of intellectual discourse as it shifts from printed pages to networked screens" and their blog, if:book, is the record of their "explorations into a wide range of topics, all in some way fitting into the techno-cultural puzzle that is the future of reading and writing."

I'm sure I will mention them from time to time and I've added the blog to the links over there. And I've broken down and added a new topic label for entries, "digital media," because I keep coming back to this sort of thing. (Hey, this whole blog is "digital media," if you think about it, isn't it?) If you recall my posting on This Spartan Life, you may be interested that people involved in the IFB project -- Bob Stein, IFB director, and MacKenzie Wark, author of GAM3R 7H30RY -- have TSL interviews.) While some of the stuff gets a little goofy or abstract, these folks are dealing with essential questions about the future of publishing, writing, research, and even art.

And speaking of art [nice transition, eh?], here's something on the lighter side. If:book has posted a fabulous example of (literally) merging books with new media: "Orson Whales." (Sure makes me wish I had more hours in the day and iMovie...)


P.S. On a totally different subject: yes, we have been watching movies, but have again fallen behind in our reviews. We'll get back on that shortly...

Pie v Cake

Those crazy kids at Red v Blue have proposed January 25 to be Pie v Cake day.

I say 'pie.'

This Spartan Life

Being the public-radio-podcast-geek that I am, I listen to a wide variety of programming. Studio 360 is one of my favorites. One of the recent episodes included Kurt Anderson's interview with Chris Burke, host and creator of This Spartan Life. This talk show is filmed in an alternative...okay, "cyber"-universe: inside the online video game Halo 2. I was heretofore unfamiliar with Halo 2, but I can't help be fascinated by the concept. This game is so complex, that players are figuring out alternative activities to use it for--not just for actually playing the game. You can listen to the interview on Studio 360, and then you can watch the episode of This Spartan Life for the full effect.

Byrne blog

I just ran across the on-line journal of David Byrne. Thoughtful, artsy, literate, political, etc., etc.

I am dismayed to discover I'm already two years behind.