February 2008
73 posts
“Sax refers to a few other studies that he says show that girls and boys draw...”
– Weil, Elizabeth. “Teaching Boys and Girls Separately.” New York Times Magazine. March 2, 2008.
“Washington, D.C., earned the third spot on our top 20 list of Cooking Light...”
– “Cooking Light Best Cities: Washington, D.C.” [from Cooking Light Best Cities Awards]. Cooking Light Magazine. Via the DCist, Feb. 29, 2008: “D.C. Ranked Third Healthiest City By Cooking Light.”
“find . -name ‘files_in_which_to_search’ -exec grep -i -H -n...”
Soba Noodles Recipe | Recipezaar →
'Stuff White People Like' Hits a Nerve →
Just over a month old, the controversial and provocative blog “Stuff White People Like” has almost 4 million hits. Lander says he started the blog as pure satire and was surprised to see it take off…
WatchDiebold Leaks 2008 Election Results
“Though they will never actually move to Canada, the act of declaring that they...”
– Lander, Christian. “#75 Threatening to Move to Canada.” Stuff White People Like. 24 February 2008.
“But during the second half of the 20th century, Chudacoff argues, play changed...”
– Alix Spiegel. “Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills.” Morning Edition [NPR News] 21 February 2008.
Merb →
Looking for a better web framework?
Ars System Guide special: it's easy being green →
How to build a PC offering decent energy efficiency as well as solid performance.
“Given these results, the researchers conclude that there is little reason to...”
– Kirsch I, Deacon BJ, Huedo-Medina TB, Scoboria A, Moore TJ, et al. ”Initial Severity and Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis of Data Submitted to the Food and Drug Administration.” PLoS Medicine Vol. 5, No. 2, e45 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0050045
North Korea Welcomes New York Philharmonic →
North Korea presented a lavish welcome on Monday to its latest visiting delegation, the New York Philharmonic, with a gala performance of traditional music and dance, and an endless banquet with quail eggs, roast mutton and pheasant-ball soup as American
“Pyon Su (or Penn Su), who received his B.S. degree in 1891, was the first Korean...”
– University of Maryland A to Z: MAC to Millennium (“Letter I”). University of Maryland Libraries.
“When [former Korean prime minister Chung Il-kwon] traveled overseas, he told...”
– Choe, Sang-hun. “Starship Kimchi: A Bold Taste Goes Where It Has Never Gone Before.” New York Times 24 February 2008.
Ancient text has long and dangerous reach →
Tacitus helped fuel Nazi propaganda with ‘Germania’
“So, why should Google be nervous [about a Microsoft-Yahoo merger]? The company...”
– John Timmer. “Why Google finds a Microsoft-Yahoo combination ‘unnerving’.” Ars Technica 22 February 2008.
The Cut-and-Paste Personality →
Lacking inspiration and a moral compass, some online daters are borrowing other people’s witty Web profiles.
WatchHugh Gallagher’s college admission essay has become one of the most-copied documents in the online dating scene. The Wall Street Journal’s Jennifer Saranow speaks to Mr. Gallagher about the use of his essay.
In a Vegetarian Kitchen: Asian Noodles →
When Pizza Gets All Dressed Up →
Pizza’s appeal is understandable: It’s inexpensive, goes well with beer and sporting events and is just a phone call â or a click â away. It’s available in the wee hours for students who are too busy “studying” to leave their dorm rooms. It’s customiz
Their Deepest, Darkest Discovery: Scientists... →
Black is getting blacker. Researchers in New York reported this month that they have created a paper-thin material that absorbs 99.955 percent of the light that hits it, making it by far the darkest substance ever made — about 30 times as dark as the gov
Tending the American Melting Pot: U.S. Promotes... →
When discussing lofty concepts such as ‘rule of law,’ it helps to use real-world examples.
WatchClark Boyd speaks on the difference between radio and podcasting. Boyd is technology correspondent for The World, a coproduction of the BBC and WGBH, and funded by Public Radio International.
Bananas, A Storied Fruit with an Uncertain Future →
Americans consume more bananas than apples and oranges combined. Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World, gives us a primer on the expansive history â and the endangered future â of this seedless, sexless fruit.
Jittery Baristas Compete →
A latte art championship in Washington judges nervous baristas on who can make the most beautiful latte. Joie Chen reports.
Negroponte: OLPC Machine Will Be $50 in 2011 →
Nicholas Negroponte, co-founder of both the MIT Media Lab and the non-profit One Laptop Per Child, delivered the last keynote speech of the 2008 American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences annual meeting in February.
LingNet →
The LingNet web site is a service provided by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. LingNet hosts materials developed at DLI by the Curriculum Development Division, including both the “Countries in Perspective” series and the Global Lang
Clever Organizers: Can the Clutter →
Tin cans are tiny containers just waiting to be put to organizational use. To recycle them into versatile storage, all you need is your imagination and a clean-edge can opener.
The Joy of Christian Sex Toys →
Joy Wilson went looking for something to spice up her marriage without compromising her Christian beliefs.
New York Times Plans to Cut 100 Newsroom Jobs →
After years of resisting the newsroom cuts that have hit most of the industry, The New York Times will bow to growing financial strain and eliminate about 100 newsroom jobs this year, the executive editor said Thursday.
Rejoice: Texas Ban on Sex Toy Sales Is Overturn →
A federal appeals court has overturned a statute outlawing sex toy sales in Texas, one of the last states — all in the South — to retain such a ban.
Candidates' Prescriptions for Health Care Reform →
If there’s one thing the presidential primary candidates agree upon, it’s that the American health-care system could use some treatment â if not a complete overhaul. Political scientist Jonathan Oberlander diagnoses the problems with the current system
“You know, there’s a great saying in Texas — you’ve all heard...”
– Hillary Clinton, addressing a rally at the University of Texas at El Paso, Feb 12. 2008, as reported by Dan Balz and Tim Craig. “Winning Streak Extends to District, Md. and Va.” Washington Post 13 February 2008: A1.
“The change we seek swept through Chesapeake and over the Potomac. We won the...”
– Barack Obama, speaking at an election rally in Madison, Wis., as reported by BBC News (“Obama wins primaries clean sweep,” 13 February 2008).
Belgium’s Identity Crisis--A Sign of Things to... →
How Sticky Is Membership on Facebook? Just Try... →
Some users have discovered that it is nearly impossible to remove themselves entirely from Facebook, setting off a fresh round of concern over the popular social networkâs use of personal data.
Oldest Girl Was Target of Mother's Wrath,... →
Banita Jacks, the Southeast Washington woman accused of killing her four children, referred to her eldest daughter as ‘Jezebel’ and got into at least two fistfights with the teenager, a D.C. police detective testified yesterday.
Obama Defeats Clinton in Virginia Race →
Senator Barack Obama won the Virginia Democratic primary on Tuesday evening, defeating Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, as he continued his winning streak and threatened to cut into her narrow lead in delegates.
“Clinton hopes to keep Obama from rolling up a big-margin victory in Virginia by...”
– Kenneth P. Vogel, Jonathan Martin, and Lisa Lerer. “Clinton badly needs Virginia victory.” The Politico 11 February 2008.
One Candidate Mastered Online Campaigning. Too Bad... →
Pick any Web 2.0 phenomenon and you’ll find Paul’s supporters exploiting it. The guy is wired. There’s just one problem with the Ron Paul story: Ron Paul.
The Little Tramp: Frequently Down, Never Out →
On the In Character blog: Bob Mondello explains what’s magical about the handful of feature films that starred Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp.
“[Amongst the so-called ‘Potomac Primaries’] Virginia seems to be...”
– Cornish, Audie. “Virginia Democrats Eager for Primary, Election.” All Things Considered [via NPR News] 11 February 2008.
“Turnout in Virginia was high and in some places voters had to wait 45 minutes to...”
– Sullivan, John [and confirmed by me today in Arlington, Va. — 45 minutes]. “Obama and Clinton Face Off in 3 More Races.” New York Times 12 February 2008 [and I have never before had to queue in an actual line at the polling place on election day].
WatchBarack Obama at Dunkin Donuts in D.C.: “No, no. I gotta pay full price, full price.”
WatchMaryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. residents discuss who they voted for in Tuesday’s Potomac Primary.
Korea Arrests Suspects in Fire That Destroyed... →
Police arrested a 70-year-old man suspected of setting a fire that destroyed the country’s top cultural treasure, the 610-year-old Namdaemun gate in Seoul, authorities said Tuesday.
Microsoft Signals Fight for Yahoo Isn't Over →
Yahoo officially rejected Microsoft’s $44.6 billion takeover offer on Monday, calling the bid too low, but Microsoft appeared to signal that it was gearing up for a long acquisition fight.
“[Clinton] tried to look past her weekend defeats in Louisiana, Nebraska and...”
– Kornblut, Anne E. and Dan Balz. “Clinton Replaces Top Aide Amid Losses: Campaign Manager Doyle Steps Down As Obama Wins Maine.” Washington Post 11 February 2008: A1.