urwhatu

A Presidency Based on Dishonesty?

In this Esquire article, Ron Reagan, Jr. examines the current administration's trustworthiness. On first read, the thesis that secrecy and lies are not only a part of this administration, but thematic of it, seems to have legs. Another article that attempts to discern facts about the current administration.

SOS and Tameshite Gatten

"SOS" and "Tameshite Gatten" are Japanese television shows that we watch every week on KTSF. Unlike most American television shows, you learn something amazing every week watching these shows -- they are chock full of useful, surprising information that could come in handy in the most unusual circumstances. E.g., I have learned things like the ideal temperature at which to brew English tea (95 degrees) and what the ideal container looks like (round and large because of circulation patterns) and that you should use soft water not hard because the tannins bind to the minerals in the water), that if you lose your glasses, you can look through the back of a mesh baseball cap as a stopgap, that if the lines described by the two inside and outside of your foot are more than 15 degrees different, you are likely to have to take special precautions to prevent long term foot problems, that socks are better than shoes or bare feet if you need to cross a strong current, and that if someone is suffering from heat stroke, you should use alcohol (e.g., vodka) rather than ice water to cool them down. It's unfortunate, but unsurprising that there aren't shows like this in English. If you're not lucky enough to have someone to translate for you, try "Good Eats" as a substitute - you'll at least get the same kind of background on food that "Tameshite Gatten" provides.

A Presidency Based on Faith?

I just finished reading Ron Suskind's illuminating article "Without a Doubt" in the New York Times. Finding myself firmly in the camp of people who are "reality based" and, according to Belief-o-matic, a secular humanist, I'm horrified that this might accurately reflect the state of our presidency. People believe that Bush was sent to lead us by God?! Why not Al Gore? After all, at least he studied divinity at the Vanderbilt School of Religion...but as a nerd, I think I continue to miss the point -- this is a popularity contest and Bush is a likable guy when he isn't scowling at those who disagree with him. Seeing where it all leads (more "crusades"...?) helps me understand why some people are anarchists - and though I've usually thought of myself as centrist, there's nothing like a holy war to bring out the libertarian in me. Didn't the world learn anything from the last crusades?

Web 2.0

I am very fortunate to have been given, by Looksmart, the opportunity to attend Web 2.0 this week. I'm looking forward to getting to see the faces behind the blogs, papers, books, and companies that have shaped so much of this industry. Get excited!

New Furl Toolbar

Although I'm biased because I work at Looksmart, I think the Furl acquisition is one of the best things we've done in years. Mike Giles is a superstar and I personally really like using Furl...I can't honestly say the same for some of our other products. I heard through the grapevine today that a new Furl toolbar was released - apparently, it solves a few nagging UI issues and lets you search using many different sources. It's not exactly rocket science, but I can now search not only Furl, but also the rest of the usual suspects.