January 2008
117 posts
Universcale →
Try Nikon’s Universcale and experience the sizes of various objects.
Yahoo Users, You've Got OpenID →
Yahoo has launched its new OpenID provider service. Yahoo’s 248 million worldwide users now have a way to login to any site that supports OpenID. To get started, just head over to the new OpenID page and set up your OpenID preferences.
Republicans make Fox News sick →
When the GOP catches a cold, everybody at Fox News is ailing. No wonder its ratings are in the pits.
Google Launches Korean-Style Web Search Engine... →
Google is taking another step back from its “simpler is better”’ strategy in South Korea, reshaping its Web search engine service into a categorized, graphic-rich style that serves the Korean users’ taste.
Fixing US broadband: $100 billion for fiber to... →
A new report from EDUCAUSE calls for a national broadband strategy that runs fiber past every home and business in the country and offers at least 100Mbps. We could have it all for $100 billion, and only two-thirds of that would have to come from taxes.
Did Hillary Clinton really win in Florida? →
She trounced Obama by 17 points — but in an outlaw primary whose delegates won’t count. Or will they? It all depends on Feb. 5 — and Democratic Party rules.
How to shave like your grandpa (and save the... →
Proper shaving has become a lost art. Today’s average male has no clue about the fine art of the traditional wet shave that their grandfathers and some of their fathers used to take part in. Instead, they’re only accustomed to the cheap and disposable shaving products that companies market
U.S. Rep. Davis to Retire, Ending 14-Year Tenure... →
U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said today he will retire from Congress at the end of the year, bringing to a close a 14-year stint in the House of Representatives during which he rose rapidly through the ranks of Republican leadership.
Prince Charles 'Appears' at an Energy Summit →
Prince Charles gave a keynote lecture at a summit meeting on advanced energy technologies in Abu Dhabi on Monday — not in the flesh, but as a three-dimensional hologram. By not flying there and back, he avoided adding about 20 tons of carbon dioxide to
WatchRichard Prior, Chevy Chase, Race Relations
“In standard Japanese, the yen is pronounced ‘en’ but the spelling...”
– “Japanese yen.” Wikipedia.
Blue eyes result of ancient genetic 'mutation' →
Frank Sinatra, Stephen Hawking, Marie Curie and Stephen Fry all owe their blue eyes to a genetic mutation that likely occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, researchers say.
Copy a CD, owe $1.5 million →
The Copyright Office sponsored a recent roundtable on the PRO-IP Act to talk about its proposed changes to the statutory damages formula. Do copyright owners need even more cash from lawsuits?
Helvetica →
Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year) as part of a larger conversation about the way type
House Approves Stimulus Package →
The House today overwhelmingly approved a $146 billion shot in the arm for the nation’s ailing economy, sending a stimulus package to the Senate with a bipartisan appeal to senators not to slow the bill with significant changes.
Small Claims Court Procedures →
Infamous Anniversary Has Germany Confronting... →
Most countries celebrate the best in their pasts. Germany unrelentingly promotes its worst.
Exercise May Hold Off Aging, Study Says →
Physically active people have cells that look younger on a molecular level than those of couch potatoes, according to research that offers fundamental new insight into how exercise may help stave off aging.
Northern Virginia is a Hotbed for the Sad and... →
Amazon.com has put out a list of what they’re calling the country’s “Most Romantic Cities” (just in time for Valentine’s Day promotional product tie-ins!) — except by “most romantic” they actually appear to mean “most in need of more romance”.
Young Men Stuck in Adolescent-Adult Limbo →
In a recent op-ed, Kay Hymowitz argues that it’s time for 20- and 30-year-old guys to put down the X-box controller and grow up. Mid-twentysomething males linger happily, Hymowitz writes, “in a new hybrid state of semi-hormonal adolescence and responsible
Our first black president? →
It’s worth remembering the context of Toni Morrison’s famous phrase about Bill Clinton so we can retire it, now that Barack Obama is a contender.
Apparently living in the romance capital of the country.
Get Ready for the State of the Union! →
Humorist Brian Unger presents a promotional announcement designed to get you excited for all the laughter and unfinished business in Bush’s remaining term. Just remember — “everyone wants to be loved.”
Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler →
A sea change in the consumption of a resource that Americans take for granted may be in store â something cheap, plentiful, widely enjoyed and a part of daily life. And it isnât oil. It’s meat.
The Billary Road to Republican Victory →
In the wake of George W. Bush, even a miracle might not be enough for the Republicans to hold on to the White House in 2008. But what about two miracles? The new yearâs twin resurrections of Bill Clinton and John McCain, should they not evaporate, at la
7 Abandoned Wonders of the Former Soviet Union [w/... →
There are abandonments all over the world, but the former Soviet Union has some of the most interesting, unique and strange abandoned buildings. The complex political, military and social history of the country has led to everything from almost-finished buildings abandoned before actual use and entire abandoned cities to chilling gulags.
People Don't Read Books Anymore, Says Steve Jobs →
When Mr. Jobs was asked at the Macworld Expo what he thought of Amazon’s Kindle, he heaped scorn on the book industry: “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the product is; the fact is that people don’t read anymore.”
Dumb and Dumber →
The U.S. Army is lowering recruitment standards to levels not seen in at least two decades, and the implications are severe — not only for the future of the Army, but also for the direction of U.S. foreign policy.
Bush Urged to Renounce Torture, Restore 'Moral... →
Delivering what they called a ‘prebuttal’ to President Bush’s final State of the Union speech, congressional Democratic leaders called on Bush to chart a new direction for the U.S. economy and restore America’s ‘moral authority’ abroad, notably by publicl
Around the World, the U.S. Campaign Is Close to... →
To look at the reams of coverage in newspapers outside the United States or to follow the hours of television news broadcasts you might conclude that foreigners had a vote in selecting an American presidential candidate â or, at least, deserved one, so
America's Richest Counties →
Fairfax County, Va., Loudoun County, Va., and Howard County, Md., top the list of America’s richest counties, which we based on median household income data from the 2006 census
Spotlight Hits Fairfax County from All Directions... →
Dulles Rail Project All but Dead: With Federal... →
The federal government will not fund the Metro extension to Dulles International Airport without drastic changes, officials said yesterday, effectively scuttling a $5 billion project planned for more than 40 years and widely considered crucial to the regi
Group Links Gang Activity in Va. to Illegal... →
Illegal immigrants are responsible for much of the gang activity in Virginia, and the relationship among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies should be strengthened to better address the problem, according to a study by a Washington think tan
Whisperers Anonymous →
Virginia's Sangria Ban At Issue in 2 Hearings →
A Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control agent conducting a routine inspection in 2006 cited La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria for violating an obscure 75-year-old state law:
“Can someone please tell [Sen.] Jay Rockefeller [D-W.Va.] that we don’t...”
– Glenn Greenwald. “Jay Rockefeller’s unintentionally revealing comments.” Salon.com. Jan. 24, 2008.
Hillary and Wal-Mart: A Love Story →
Even Wal-Mart, the largest and arguably most powerful corporation in the country, is no match for the triangulation, pandering and obfuscation of Hillary Clinton. With Wal-Mart rating as public enemy number one among many liberals, progressives and just regular voters, Clinton is finding her past ties to Wal-Mart too hot to handle so, presto, over the side the Beast of Bentonville must go.
“During the conversation, [a friend] told Arrington [drunk-driver convicted of...”
– “Laughter over death leads to longer sentence.” MSNBC.com via the Associated Press. Jan. 24, 2008.
Growing Up Chinese American, Graphically →
Graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang has created a groundbreaking read in American Born Chinese. It’s the first graphic novel to be nominated for a National Book Award.
Filibuster, Baby! →
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) gave a rousing speech this evening against telecom immunity, and will continue the fight in the morning.
Be Kind to Your Grains →
The science of nutrition seems to take a step backwards for every two steps it takes forward. When the study of vitamins was in its infancy, researchers realized that white flour lacked the nutrients that nature put into whole grains. One of these researchers was Dr. Weston Price.
“I think the group of Democrats who now hold power in Virginia look far more like...”
– Robert D. Holsworth, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, to the Washington Post (“Democrats Savor New Majority Status” - Jan. 23, 2008: B1).
Minority Students Become the Majority: Area's... →
Maryland may be majority white, but its public schools no longer are.
Va. Student's Snow-Day Plea Triggers an Online... →
Snow days, kids and school officials have always been a delicate mix.
Bill Clinton: 'I'm Running for President' →
After spending two months accompanying his wife, Hillary, on the campaign trail, former president Bill Clinton announced Monday that he is joining the 2008 presidential race.
Last.fm frees the music →
As of today, you can play full-length tracks and entire albums for free on the Last.fm website. Additionally, Last.fm will start paying artists directly for the music they stream!
From CNN's Democratic Debate in South Carolina,...
BLITZER (CNN): And I wonder if you want to respond to that notion that it may make a lot of African-Americans feel good to vote for you, but it might not necessarily be the best thing for the United States.
OBAMA: Well, first of all, Charlie's absolutely right that African-Americans should vote for what's best for them, their children, and this country, and the same way that I think Hillary...
[APPLAUSE]
OBAMA: ... you know, Hillary feels that women should vote for what's best for them, their children, and their country.
EDWARDS: Would you mind saying that...
OBAMA: And the same way that John...
EDWARDS: Say that a little more often.
OBAMA: Absolutely. Same way that John, I think, he wants white males to vote for...
[LAUGHTER]
EDWARDS: And women and African-Americans.