June 2007 Archives

Normalize Your Top 50 Artists List on Last.fm

JUNE 22, 2007

This script looks at another database to find the average track time for each artist and adjusts accordingly. Punk bands go down, jam bands go up. [via frankko]

Quick Post link: http://www.associativetrails.com/stuff/normalisefm/

Posted in Quick Post at 12:57 pm.
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Fuel News You Can Use!

JUNE 21, 2007

This is more like a thematic quick post roundup than a real post, but the main section of the blog was feeling stale. Here's some potentially important new that came out today:

• Senate Finance Committee Approves $28 Billion in Tax Breaks for Renewable Fuels: If approved by the Senate (there was a vote, but they didn't get the 60 votes needed to end debate), it will go to any energy company that is working with renewable sources with lots of it going towards clean-burning coal. Sadly, a provision to promote diesel fuels made from coal was shot down. I actually don't know if that's bad, but I've been all amped about diesel fuel since Honda announced the 2009 Accord Diesel that gets 52 miles per gallon and burns clean. Yay Honda!
• Senate Approves Stricter Fuel Standards: All cars and SUVs will be required to get 35 mpg by 2020. That's a really long ways away, but it's a start.
• Researchers Find a Way to Turn Fruit Into a Biofuel 40% More Efficient than Ethanol: While it's a much better option than ethanol, they haven't been able to test the long term effects of this fructose and sucrose based fuel on the environment. Even if it doesn't work out, at least the scientists who did the work are from my alma-mater, UW-Madison. If this solves our energy crisis, I'll buy you each a case of Sprecher Root Beer.

Posted in Culture\Politics\Law at 11:32 pm.
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Beautiful Shelves Built by Pratt Students

JUNE 21, 2007

They built these for the office in Dwell's Building Green series.

Quick Post link: http://collectivefour.blogspot.com/2007/05/dwell-harlem-house-opening.html

Posted in Quick Post at 8:42 pm.
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Helvetica (the Documentary) will be at the IFC Center Starting September 12th

JUNE 21, 2007

Finally, I'll get to see it. w00t.

Quick Post link: http://www.helveticafilm.com/blog/2007/06/21/new-york-cinema-run-announced/

Posted in Quick Post at 7:30 pm.
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Safari's New Web Inspector is Looking Nice

JUNE 21, 2007

Unfortunately, you can't actually edit any of the code like in Web Developer. If they iron this out and have a good way to sync open tabs like Google Browser Sync, I'd consider switching back from Firefox.

Quick Post link: http://webkit.org/blog/108/yet-another-one-more-thing-a-new-web-inspector/

Posted in Quick Post at 5:24 pm.
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Your Next Computer Will Be a Big Ass Table

JUNE 21, 2007

Great send-up of Microsoft Surface [via waxy]

Quick Post link: http://secondverse.wordpress.com/2007/06/20/mocking-surface/

Posted in Quick Post at 2:05 pm.
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Video: Japanese Human Tetris

JUNE 15, 2007

A game show where people have to fit in specific holes. When people fail, hilarity ensues. [via defective yeti]

Quick Post link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgqOKj1hdXM

Posted in Quick Post at 8:36 am.
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First Clouds, Then Sun: 1963

JUNE 12, 2007

I love this photo from Shorpy, the 100 year-old photoblog

Quick Post link: http://www.shorpy.com/node/1014

Posted in Quick Post at 6:43 pm.
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Video: Trailer for SuperBad

JUNE 12, 2007

Another Apatow project that looks phenomenal; better than the Knocked Up trailer looked. Also: Here is the red-band trailer, which is doubly awesome but requires age verifcation via DMV records (or you could just download the flv file)

Quick Post link: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/superbad/

Posted in Quick Post at 3:27 pm.
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A Very Believable Explanation of the Final Sopranos Scene

JUNE 11, 2007

I won't give details, but this guy has a great memory and it most likely contradicts with my theory.

Quick Post link: http://screens.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/sopranos-solved-or-i-guess-you-never-hear-it-coming-when-its-your-turn/

Posted in Quick Post at 5:58 pm.
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Threadless reprinted their Mario-inspired "Ceci n'est pas une pipe" shirt

JUNE 11, 2007

I just bought one.

Quick Post link: http://www.threadless.com/product/543/This_is_not_a_Pipe?streetteam=capn

Posted in Quick Post at 11:59 am.
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iTunes Movie Rentals Coming in the Fall?

JUNE 11, 2007

$2.99 for 30 days is the rumor. I hope this is the first of many tidbits to come out during today's Stevenote.

Quick Post link: http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/06/10/apple.in.video.rent.talks/

Posted in Quick Post at 10:46 am.
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My Take on the Sopranos Series Finale

JUNE 11, 2007

Before you begin, here is your serious spoiler warning (duh). I will be talking about the ending, mostly.

Are all the time-shifters gone? Good.

Everyone seems to be pissed off about how the series ended. After some thought, I'm totally at ease (and I kinda called it, too). While he didn't get whacked, didn't end up in jail and he didn't, well, he didn't end up doing anything, the man was at peace. With the potential threat of jail time, someone trying to kill him, A.J.'s mental health, Meadow's uncertain future and an inept family (blood and otherwise), he ordered some delicious onion rings.

Halfway through the episode Tony self-diagnoses himself in front of A.J.'s shrink and seems pretty easy going about it (he wasn't tense and confrontational, like in his normal sessions). Before the final, nerve-wracking scene, we see Tony visit Junior and he appears to have accepted that Junior is sick and it's time to move on. When we get to the final scene Tony puts on the karaoke classic, "Don't Stop Believin'", and I assume the chorus is meant to be taken somewhat seriously. So, despite not knowing Tony's actual fate, we know that Tony is finally a man in a comfortable place, even if he is a sociopath.

The show has always been about the way people deal with the world ("feelins") and just happens to be set in the world of crime. Gangsters will always shoot, bone and plunder and that should be understood. While it's corny, Tony's inner peace is what gives the show closure. If not the show, then at least me.

Posted in Music\TV\Film\Media at 1:33 am.
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NYMag: The Local Sound

JUNE 10, 2007

Editors ask people on the street what they're listening to. I had this idea as a daily/weekly feature for Capn Design but never made it happen. I'm glad NYMag did.

Quick Post link: http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/the_local_sound/

Posted in Quick Post at 11:48 am.
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WiFind

JUNE 6, 2007

Halfway down the page you'll find an $8 Mac Utilty that shows signal strength and password requirements for wifi networks in your menu bar. Ridiculously useful. [via Pogue]

Quick Post link: http://www.tastyapps.com/

Posted in Quick Post at 10:52 am.
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Mukesh Ambani is Building a Sixty-Story Mansion for his Family

JUNE 6, 2007

There are only five family members but there will be 600 staff members, six floors for parking, mini movie theatre, health center and three helipads. That seems totally reasonable. [via Core 77]

Quick Post link: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?Page=article§id=15&contentid=20070530022210718d7460de5

Posted in Quick Post at 8:27 am.
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Diesel Sweeties: Bands I Like, Bands You Like Venn Diagram

JUNE 6, 2007

It's funny cuz it's true

Quick Post link: http://www.dieselsweeties.com/archive.php?s=1762

Posted in Quick Post at 8:25 am.
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What the World Eats: A Photo Gallery

JUNE 6, 2007

I guess it's all similar nuclear families, but I want to see someone who eats out more or who is really wealthy. It seemed like it was only middle-income families from that particular region.

Quick Post link: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1626519_1373664,00.html

Posted in Quick Post at 8:23 am.
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