tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-262614802011-11-10T12:54:24.366-08:00My memories - articles, stories and fun!Johnnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-8797967794500404632008-11-21T14:40:00.001-08:002011-08-12T11:19:12.337-07:00

The feature set included with your home VOIP phone varies greatly from carrier to carrier, so as you are comparing different offerings, make sure you are comparing apples to apples in terms of the feature set. Let's look at some of the standard features, then we can look at some of the features that some carriers are offering, which for your needs, may not amount to a hill of beans.Unlimited

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-67311284093506556162007-04-11T02:55:00.000-07:002007-04-11T02:56:39.908-07:00

As the Internet grows ever larger and can be found in increasing numbers of homes across the world, the communities in which we live are shrinking in terms of contact ability every day. As more contacts are made among people globally, there has been a strong demand to improve conversational abilities beyond the capacity and cost of the traditional phone market.One technological innovation that

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-9791265644843659562007-04-09T09:12:00.000-07:002008-12-11T09:47:01.620-08:00

CUPERTINO, California—April 9, 2007—Apple® today announced that the 100 millionth iPod® has been sold, making the iPod the fastest selling music player in history. The first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, in November 2001, and since then Apple has introduced more than 10 new iPod models, including five generations of iPod, two generations of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-53291331627816604662007-04-07T06:07:00.000-07:002007-04-07T06:10:54.909-07:00

BERKELEY, Calif. -- If video killed the radio star, will the iPod take out the DJ? Not quite, but if wedding-planning message boards are any indication, more and more people are considering the cheap and convenient alternative to hired entertainment at weddings and other events.Adam Love and his wife, Jennifer, were looking at trying to keep their costs down and their ceremony intimate when they

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-16594249179781068522007-04-07T05:59:00.000-07:002007-04-07T06:05:21.052-07:00

TrendHunter: Levi’s invented jeans and Diesel turned them into a fashion item. Now DENIM CODE is taking jeans into the interactive digital communication era. DENIM CODE, the new French brand of jeans, has come up with a revolutionary concept consisting of making it possible to access an audio/video recording free of charge from a pair of DENIM CODE jeans.”Simple and glamorous:- The consumer can

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-41043618266166642462007-04-03T11:04:00.000-07:002011-11-10T12:43:08.969-08:00

Sony Ericsson W880i: the Walkman gets slim and sexy Walkman phones have been successful in creating a reputation for being a nice bundle of features. But in order to put in as many features as possible, manufacturers have somehow overlooked the 'fat' size of the phones. With the rise in popularity of fashion solution and the growing clout for slim phones, it was, but obvious for Sony Ericsson to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-27610043877857185232007-04-01T14:10:00.000-07:002007-04-03T11:17:53.157-07:00

The idea of purchasing a personal computer may be appealing to a lot of people, however they may feel undecided as weather to go for a traditional desktop computer or for a light weight portable notebook. Several aspects should be taken into consideration as for the purposes of such acquisition. If the main purpose of buying a computer is for occasional use, regardless if it is for work or

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-91168306307913554012007-04-01T11:16:00.000-07:002007-04-03T05:19:10.433-07:00

After spending your hard earned cash on a notebook pc, and relying on it in a variety of ways, some time should be spent looking after your investment to make it work more efficiently, and to prolong its life.The ScreenSome notebooks come with their own cleaning cloth. If not, ask your local pc store about a spray or what is best for cleaning the display. Do not use household domestic cleaners.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-44703155105547553522007-03-27T04:22:00.000-07:002007-03-28T10:53:43.812-07:00

Yoga blog - simple keys to harmonious and successful living, health tips and advice, as well as the inspiring philosophy of life and ancient wisdom...For instance: Relieving Cold & FluAs hard as you try, you can't always keep the colds and flus of winter from stuffing up your head and slowing down your body. Before you know it, you're wondering if you should attempt your regular yoga practice or

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-50429874753632378202007-03-23T11:51:00.000-07:002007-04-01T12:46:00.162-07:00

When digital cameras were first released on the market, everyone was excited. Finally, here was an easy way to take and store photos. No more would our closets be plagued with boxes and envelopes housing a hodgepodge of unorganized photographs. What we didn't realize was that soon, our computers would be filled with a hodgepodge of unorganized photographs.The explosion of home computers and the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-194890212111724412007-03-22T11:04:00.000-07:002008-12-11T09:47:01.899-08:00

Singapore Scotts Tower is one of the scariest and at the same time good looking buildings in the world that will be built in Singapore in the near future. It was designed by OMA - Office for Metropolitan Architecture - and its numbers are pretty notable:153 meter tall68 apartments20,000m² of built floor area36-storey residential high-riseBesides the numbers it is the design that will certainly

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-58052751378921109482007-03-21T13:20:00.000-07:002007-03-21T13:29:11.174-07:00

HUDSON, N.H. -- An order of double cheeseburgers turned into an unhappy meal over the weekend at a Hudson McDonald's restaurant.Hudson police said Thomas Lee Reagan, 45, complained about the quality of the two double cheeseburgers he ordered at about 8 p.m. Saturday at the McDonald's on Derry Road."Apparently Mr. Reagan was served a hamburger that was not up to his standards. After he complained

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-60920308607174818642007-03-21T12:49:00.000-07:002007-03-21T13:07:21.304-07:00

SALT LAKE CITY -- SkyWest Airlines apologized to a passenger who said he wasn't allowed to use the restroom during a one-hour flight and ended up urinating in an air-sickness bag.James Whipple said he had two "really big beers" at the Boise, Idaho airport. While on a flight to Salt Lake City on March 7, he drank a soft drink. He then wanted to use the cabin restroom. The captain had declared it

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-37291084620436503622007-03-08T13:13:00.000-08:002007-03-21T13:16:00.211-07:00

ORANGE, Calif. Mar 9, 2007 (AP)— A $25,000 diamond was found stuck in a shower drain at the prison housing the man accused of stealing it two years ago. Bret Allen Langford, 39, allegedly asked the owner of a Jewelry Express store to show him a 2-carat colorless diamond in April 2005. Langford then grabbed the diamond and sped away, said sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.Langford was arrested

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-24257952557150244402007-03-07T02:41:00.000-08:002007-03-28T02:48:50.956-07:00

The agenda is the key to a successful meeting – it is the roadmap, the guide, the plan. Studies have shown that up to 70% of meetings either have no agenda or have a poor agenda which is not helpful. In this article, you will see that there are some steps which you can take to make sure your agenda will contribute to making your meeting more productive. There are also hidden advantages. If the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-5269914783098205532007-03-06T02:57:00.000-08:002007-03-28T03:02:19.338-07:00

If there was a way of relaxing quickly and easily in any situation would you want to know what it is?Ancient cultures knew this secret, and followers of Hawaiian Huna used it to access altered states. In more recent times martial artists used it as a way to develop relaxed alertness, and today photo readers use it to relax before reading books at speeds of 25,000 words per minute.What is the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-83027271984662620222007-02-20T14:04:00.000-08:002007-03-21T14:11:24.760-07:00

ST. PAUL -- A couple from Washington state faces charges after auto workers found more than 150 pounds of marijuana in their pickup's jerry-rigged gas tank and alerted police.The 48-year-old man and 62-year-old woman were being held in the Ramsey County jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. They told investigators they were driving from Yakima, Wash., to Chicago, according to

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-32434432839459421842007-02-15T13:18:00.000-08:002007-03-21T13:19:39.517-07:00

SOUTHBURY, Conn. -- A man's plans to bail himself out after a drug bust went more than a bit awry over the weekend.With the aid of a drug-sniffing dog, police found 48 grams of cocaine on the 32-year-old man after pulling him over for speeding, police said.The suspect then arranged for his aunt to bring a small safe which he claimed contained money for his bail. But when his aunt opened the safe

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-39457233269658574682007-02-07T06:05:00.000-08:002007-04-07T06:06:46.179-07:00

Washington Post: Whenever his cell phone rings, which is a lot, Delvon Murray, 18, hears "My Boo," the Alicia Keys-Usher duet. Whenever his girlfriend's cell phone rings, she hears "In Love Wit Chu" from hip-hop artist Da Brat.These days, your cell phone identity goes beyond whether you get free weekend minutes or an expanded nationwide calling plan.It's in the model of the phone you choose -- a

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-9823993562340054132007-01-27T11:29:00.000-08:002007-04-03T05:19:10.440-07:00

When people think of computer security they think of things like Trojan Horses, viruses, spyware, worms and other nasty things that hackers can send to you over the internet. No matter how many blocks you have in place, or how many firewalls you erect, though, there is a type of security that you are probably forgetting when it comes to your laptop.With huge numbers of people using laptops both

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-86306112982710131652006-12-12T09:15:00.000-08:002007-04-01T11:13:13.549-07:00

Video blogging is the next generation of posting ideas and products over the internet. Everybody knows about text blogging. Now they use videos for a better way of expression. This form of communication may entail a lot of resources, but it is all worth it. If pictures say a thousand words, video blogging exceeds that by far.A video blog requires larger disk spaces on websites, a faster server,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-51875151099666334712006-12-08T05:51:00.000-08:002007-03-28T10:50:25.688-07:00

Hiring baby sitters for your youngster can be a frightening prospect. There are hundreds of stories of caretakers who have neglected or worse yet abused the children in their care. Selecting a baby sitter does not have to be a challenging task however, and can be very safe, provided you consider a few key steps before hiring someone.First and foremost, consider asking family members if they will

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-4145279431377226612006-11-10T04:02:00.000-08:002007-04-06T04:06:23.165-07:00

Many small businesses tend to lag behind their larger counterparts in their use of new technology. Those that do may be doomed, not only to remain small and fail to realize the growth that their initial potential may have promised, but also to lag behind their smaller competitors. In fact a VoIP small business solution can not only save small businesses money, but also significantly increase

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-25523367114378222262006-10-06T04:06:00.000-07:002007-04-06T04:12:00.192-07:00

In spite of the growing popularity of IP telephony, there are still many people who do not know what a VoIP phone is. What is the difference between a VoIP phone and an ordinary phone?As far as you are concerned, probably not a lot. You can still use your own land-line phone if need be, though in it's simplest form there is no VoIP phone handset as such. Just a microphone and speakers will do.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-20651099131046751672006-09-09T11:12:00.000-07:002007-04-06T03:00:41.788-07:00

Calling Cards and Prepaid Phone CardsMany have heard of the VoIP phone service, but are unsure what the term VoIP stand for. VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. “Great, but what does that mean and how does it affect me?” I can hear you say. I though the same when I first heard the term.In simple terms what the VoIP service does is to convert an analogue audio signal into a digital audio

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-68004122367273173042006-08-24T05:16:00.000-07:002007-03-24T05:52:56.283-07:00

Copyright © 2006-2007 Darlene ArechederraYou work hard for your money. And chances are, you work even harder to "save" some of that money. But what happens when a year later you're not any closer to achieving your savings goal?That's exactly what happened to Heather. See if you can relate to her experience during rush hour on a sweltering, humid evening not too long ago......Heather dragged her

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-40635651898483361652006-05-24T14:56:00.000-07:002008-12-11T09:47:02.160-08:00

Two of the biggest brands in the world came together today in New York to announce a partnership for a new product. Nike and Apple - who wasn't content just with opening a store on 5th Avenue - announced the Nike+iPod - a wireless system that can track your running progress and allow you to choose a "PowerSong" to pump you up when you hit a wall. The sensor fits into a special compartment under

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-28558513725027339482006-03-10T02:40:00.000-08:002007-03-25T02:41:35.993-07:00

David Marcks discovered a lucrative business opportunity when he used his dog to solve a problem that he constantly faced working at a golf course - the proliferation of geese. Geese love to inhabit open spaces that provide them with water and plenty of food (such as short, tender grasses). While adding a "natural look" to golf courses, no one would want to play in a golf course where the grass

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-32586246196550791022006-03-04T04:08:00.000-08:002007-03-28T04:16:58.158-07:00

In a world where people are more mobile than in any previous generation, travelers have come to expect many little, and not so little, extras from the airlines. From a young mother keeping her attention focused on small children, to a business person experiencing their own particular pressures, the challenge of time spent traveling can be daunting. Even ten years ago the actual time in the air

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-52831559293596888362006-03-01T02:34:00.000-08:002007-03-25T02:36:07.009-07:00

Debra Cohen StoryAfter buying their first home, Debra Cohen and her husband faced the unenviable chore of finding reliable home improvement contractors. Fed up with blindly picking names from the Yellow Pages and waiting for contractors who didn't show up, it occurred to Cohen that if she and her husband were having trouble finding contractors, other homeowners in their community must be facing a

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145536687651688462005-02-07T08:24:00.000-08:002006-04-20T05:38:07.660-07:00

I'm not in my own household, so instead I have something from where I am staying!I am staying in a house so crammed with unusual objects that it is a little bit of sensory overload.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145391411104173842005-02-06T22:45:00.000-08:002006-05-04T12:33:04.546-07:00

Walking back up to Adams Morgan tonight after dinner with a bunch of friends, it really hit me: it's so strange to be back. Everything here is so familiar, so laden with memories. DC is not the place I have lived longest as an adult (that's Boston) but it is long, and recent, and so it feels very comfortable. In Houston I'm "that guy from DC." I know, having up and moved somehwere new before,

Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145391481393183642005-02-06T16:37:00.000-08:002006-04-21T18:12:54.730-07:00

Up in Collin County, the wealthiest county in Texas, how do they take care of health care for people with no money? They ship them next door to Dallas and let Dallas County taxpayers pick up the tab, the Houston Chronicle reports.This is the usual Republican "I don't want to pay taxes" crap: everyone must be self reliant, except me!Read the quotes from the Collin County commissioner in the story.

Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145391607674124262005-02-06T15:51:00.000-08:002006-04-19T06:31:24.876-07:00

I certainly couldn't hope for better weather for a February visit to Washington. Both weekend days have been gloriously sunny, temperatures around 50, and all of DC running outside to play.Last night began with a fun party to celebrate Maslenitsa, aka Butter Week, courtesy of the fabulous host Veronica. After having my fill of blini, salmon, vodka, champagne and King Cake (it was multicultural so

Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145453471924541322005-02-04T23:39:00.000-08:002006-04-19T06:31:11.933-07:00

John Whitmire - my idiotic state senator - apparently has the Texas Legislature confused with the Houston City Council. In the Chronicle, Rick Casey sums the story up well. As far as I can see, Whitmire is into grandstanding, rather than governing. What a putz.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145483005326198822005-02-04T17:00:00.000-08:002006-04-19T14:43:25.333-07:00

Margaret Spellings may be fairly new in her job as Secretary of Education, but she's wasting no time in proving that she can be a hatchet man for the administration. The lastest in the flap over "Postcards from Buster" getting in trouble with DOE for taking their grant money and, well, doing exactly what the grant said they were supposed to do: the producer of the show has been uninvited from

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1145536829920618722005-02-04T14:02:00.000-08:002006-04-20T05:40:29.923-07:00

One last note before I leave the cybercafe and trudge up the hill to Ivycliff for some lazing around the house with magazines.I love Apple, I really do. But. I was having an issue with my bluetooth mouse and when I went to their support site to look for help, I found that they were demo-ing something new: a web chat applications that lets you chat online with a support agent 24/7. At the moment

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146776827779098302005-01-27T13:13:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:14:03.044-07:00

So... would you vote?Background on threats to Iraqi voters from yesterday's New York Times.I mean the question seriously. If you were an Iraqi, would you vote, given the threats of violence at polling places and retribution for those who participate? Remember that the insurgents are already identifying people who work for Americans or the new government, and killing them and their families.I

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146776781195357242005-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:15:43.581-07:00

Sixty large companies are joining forces to offer group health coverage for the uninsured, the New York Times reports. The idea is simple: by putting all of these people into a risk pool together, it becomes possible to offer more affordable insurance than they could buy on their own.The logic of the idea is quite simple. Individual health coverage is expensive and unreliable because the insurer

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146776552078853832005-01-27T12:02:00.000-08:002006-05-04T14:02:32.080-07:00

By now I'm sure you've seen some of the nonsense about Buster the Rabbit and his TV show on PBS, in which the cartoon rabbit visits kids around the country and shows the audience how they live. In a new episode, Buster visits kids with two moms. The show is not about that - it is about the kids going out to collect maple syrup from trees in Vermont - but no matter, the depiction (even as a

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146776410494557242005-01-27T08:56:00.000-08:002007-04-03T00:17:13.857-07:00

Staring at me from the front page of the Chronicle this morning, an only-in-Texas story about Metro's ban on guns on the transit system. (Short version: it's going away.)For those who don't know: Texas has a "concealed carry" law, which means you are allowed to carry a handgun around as long as it is concealed. Metro (like many other transit systems in the state) had a ban on guns on the trains

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775863324448262005-01-25T17:35:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:15:56.685-07:00

Last week, the Houston Chronicle ran a series of articles about the lax control of chemicals emitted by Houston's cluster of petrochemical facilities in the eastern part of the city around the Houston Ship Channel. (You can read it here. It was a pretty solid set of articles; I didn't think there was a trace of "chemical companies bad, people and puppies good" in it. It raised reasonable

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775816649156072005-01-25T15:57:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:50:16.650-07:00

Today I emailed a letter to the editor of the Economist, which I may or may not comment on later here. Usually when you send a letter to the editor of a publication it's a bit like pissing off a cliff. I immediately got a replay stating:The Editor wishes to acknowledge your email with thanks.Which is not a major deal, but they actually bothered to acknowledge it. With thanks. There's something

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775626357586022005-01-25T09:23:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:10:09.855-07:00

iTunes has a mind of its own.My default listening mode is to have it randomly shuffle through my entire library. This is fun because I have nearly 9000 songs, and over 2000 of them have a play count of zero - that is, I popped an old CD into the Mac and imported it but never actually went back and listened. So when I start it up, I usually scroll down to the stuff I've never heard, pick something

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775495878433912005-01-24T16:45:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:44:55.880-07:00

Meet James the Doorman. James has no doors to hold open in my house, so he is currently vacationing on a shelf.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775241020619122005-01-24T13:25:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:11:27.875-07:00

From the business section of today's New York Times, a report on Silicon Valley that may be a sign of where we are going: venture capital investments are up, profits are healthy, R&D funding is booming, and the job situation still sucks.Why? Productivity improvements. Companies are doing more with less. That means, no, there are a not a bunch of new jobs to go with all this good news, and life in

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775204138182572005-01-23T22:40:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:40:04.143-07:00

I know I'm not exactly going to get sympathy from my largely northeastern readers, but damn it was cold today. And it made me simply unable to leave the house. Despite it being brilliantly sunny outside, the temperature never crept above the mid-40s. And yes, I know this should be no big deal to a New England native, but you know what? Mid-40s is very cold.So I woke up late, putzed around the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775163113176842005-01-22T14:44:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:39:23.116-07:00

That was today's ride, more or less. From here to Galveston and back, accompanied by a guy I'd never met before but chatted with online, who rides a Honda Shadow 1100, one of those bikes I've always really loved. It's a very pleasant day in Houston... however, this was the first time I've ridden any significant distance on a freeway since removing the windscreen from the bike.And it's a breezy

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146775098381794542005-01-22T07:33:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:38:18.383-07:00

(This is a post I just wrote for Shelf Space, the blog on language that I write along with David and Jeff. It actually ranges from language to the state of current political discourse, so I thought I'd post it here too.)Yesterday I finished reading John McWhorter's The Power of Babel. It's an absolutely fascinating book, and there are so many topics in it to talk about that it's hard to know

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774864965606622005-01-21T12:40:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:13:41.882-07:00

So, GOP members of Congress are "seething" because the confirmation hearings for Condi Rice weren't a rubber stamp.Well, let's see. The administration put forth a candidate for secretary of state who played a central role is missing the intelligence that warned of the 9/11 attacks, the screwed up intelligence that proved the rationale for attacking Iraq a total lie, and who has contradicted

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774582621941552005-01-20T23:13:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:29:42.626-07:00

I don't know much about John Whitmire, Democratic state senator from Houston (though not my state senator). I'm new in town, I'm still getting to know who all these folks are. But here's what I do know:When the Democrats were trying to block the GOP/Tom Delay "let's get rid of everybody we don't like" gerrymandering plan last year, Whitmire apparently undid the effort - after the Dems all left

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774457215521542005-01-20T22:55:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:27:37.216-07:00

This "Economic Scene" article from today's New York Times is worth a read. It talks about the great myth that small government is good for business, and good for us all. This is, of course, the mantra of today's Republicans.As Jeff Madrick points out, traditionally it's when government has taken an active role in the nation's business and economy that businesses - and the country - have

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774320521223882005-01-20T11:02:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:00:48.310-07:00

I'm avoiding news sites today in order to avoid seeing coverage of the GOP love-fest in DC. I hate to see my former home overrun with these weasels. But I will finally comment on the Not One Damn Dime! thing.The idea, in case you've missed it, is that we will all show our outrage by spending no money today.Boycotts are a powerful tool. Boycotts, as part of the overall activism about South Africa

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774193992832872005-01-19T14:32:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:23:13.993-07:00

So, the feds don't want to reimburse DC for $12M in security expenses for the coronation, I mean, inauguration, but they have found $12M for a think thank at University of Maryland to figure out why people become terrorists.Maybe we can help them and free up some of that money for DC. Some hypotheses we might want to look at:People become terrorists because they they see the US supporting

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774125527096192005-01-18T10:12:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:02:53.358-07:00

This is how not on the cutting edge of the trendy gay urban lifestyle I am - I was kept up late last night by, of all things, a book. And I love it - finding a book that you just don't want to put down is one of life's fantastic pleasures. In this case, the book is The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language by John McWhorter.Now, I'm the kind of person who would sit around all day studying

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146774044339644432005-01-17T16:45:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:20:44.340-07:00

From today's Chronicle: State Senator Harold Dutton, Jr., a Houston Democrat, has introduced a bill into the legislature to "protect" parents who use corporal punishment on their children. (Dutton filed the same bill in the 2003 session. I am glad that the Texas legislature only convenes for a few months every other year; the less they are in Austin, the less trouble they can cause.)Now, some

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773975564278422005-01-17T16:11:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:19:35.566-07:00

To nobody's great surprise, Texas is one of the states that will be considering an amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. There are actually two amendments out there. One would simplyk define marriage as being between a man and a woman. The other is a Virginia-style horror that would eliminate all kinds of legal contracts between same-sex spouses that are designed to get around the lack of

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773787299654752005-01-17T07:02:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:16:27.300-07:00

Since I am such a nice guy, I drove my friend Mark to the airport this morning at 5:30. Coming back, traffic on 59 was already getting a little heavy - at quarter past six it was solid but moving heading back into the city. Do people really get up in those predawn hours to drive downtown, just so that they can have a bigger yard? I'd live in a smaller and place and sleep an extra hour,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773650895286432005-01-16T17:35:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:14:10.896-07:00

Transit and smart development may be new ideas for Housto, but even in the Washington area where such things are old news, really stupid ideas can come along: Dulles Rail Foe Proposes Substitute (washingtonpost.com)The idea: make I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road bigger. Because the last widening of the toll road really reduced congestion, didn't it? And all those cars in traffic will do wonders for

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773509436406142005-01-16T17:18:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:18:22.654-07:00

Today the New Yorker reported that the US has been conducting covert operations in Iran to identify potential nuclear, chemical, and missile targets. An aide to the President (you know, the president who told us that there were WMDs in Iraq) says that the article is "riddled with inaccuracies." It's unclear what those inaccuracies were, and whether the substance of the article was wrong.Question:

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773376329613842005-01-15T18:35:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:19:57.343-07:00

I just finished reading Naomi Klein's No Logo, which had been sitting around here forever. It's pretty provocative and quite thoughtful. I was interested in what she had to say about consumer branding, but the book really just uses that as a starting point to draw links between the encroachment of advertising into every facet of our lives and our public space and our current "manufacturing system

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773334129629962005-01-15T14:56:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:08:54.130-07:00

Charles Graner, now that he's been convicted of torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib, now has a stunning anouncment: he knows says that he acted wrongly.Nice going Chuckie! We're glad to see that you're making such progress in your comprehension of the world around you, but you may have heard that a lot of people - including those who convicted you - already figured that out.The Reuters story that

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773260917065522005-01-15T14:39:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:21:56.648-07:00

I've resisted saying anything about the official end of the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq because, after all, what can I say that hasn't been said? And how can I talk about it without noticing that the majority of Americans don't seem to really care one way or the other that they were duped by their president?But I will point out what others have said that's worth a look.If it

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773173449095562005-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:20:50.055-07:00

Demonstrating once again that the GOP is the party of big, federal control of your private life, and massive intrusion into local affairs, a Virginia member of Congress has reintroduced a bill defining marriage for people who don't live in Virginia, the Washington Blade reports.The hypocrisy is obvious. When I lived in DC I always wondered, when is this stuff all too much for people in DC, our

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146773074250399962005-01-14T23:27:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:21:12.868-07:00

Houston's city planning commission is trying to change the rules for new development inside the 610 loop, the Houston Chronicle reports today. This is a welcome sign; development in the Midtown area has been disappointing because true urban developments are currently illegal. Unless a developer goes through the costly process of getting waivers, they've got to build suburban-style crap with

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772965122538282005-01-14T13:47:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:31:48.286-07:00

So this week in DC it's Mid Atlantic Leather weekend. Now, despite the name (which those unfamiliar with the event may find intimidating) and the copious amounts of cowhide, this event is basically a bunch of people gathering in DC and having a very good time, and in a world full o' crap that is a good thing indeed. I always found the event a bit odd though - mostly because it seemed like a great

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772903698181112005-01-14T10:22:00.000-08:002006-05-04T13:01:43.700-07:00

Last night I was watching Do You Speak American, an interesting PBS program on the regional dialects of the United States and how they have developed and changed over the years. Near the end of the program, Robert MacNeil is sitting with members of the San Francisco gay pride day committee talking about how words like "queer," "fag," and "dyke" have gone from being pure epithets to some kind of

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772819748768862005-01-14T08:58:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:29:32.026-07:00

BuyBlue.org has a new, updated list of companies to help you support corporations that give their money to progressive political candidates. Sounds great, right? Well, it's a nice idea, but after browsing the list a bit, I can't really recommend it.There's more to being a socially conscious shopper than this issue. I went to their listing for Starbucks, which is rated highly for their political

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772749031064482005-01-13T15:57:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:32:16.980-07:00

This next step in product placement was inevitable: vendors eager to place their ware at high-profile weddings.Yes, now you can have your jewelry featured at Donald Trump's wedding, your gown adorning Tori Spelling's bridesmaids, your food at the table when Britney Spears ties the knot again. On one level it's innocuous - everyone knows the world will be watching these weddings (I know, why?

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772613826172382005-01-13T09:33:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:34:44.345-07:00

Interesting story from MacCentral about the reaction of competitive flash MP3 player makers to the iPod Shuffle.I think they are missing the point. The players these folks have made are solid products, but they are geek products - heavy on the features, not so heavy on simplicity or coolness. Whereas Apple's no-screen, oh so primitively simple player will likely be popular because it's just so

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772490026381542005-01-12T08:36:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:24:46.399-07:00

Last night I went to see Hotel Rwanda, which opened here in Houston last weekend. I'm always a bit wary of "big event" or "big issue" movies, because they can have some problems. First, they can make major events seem small. Second, they have a tendency to let us off the hook, as viewers and as citizens. They do this by offering up the heartwarming story that takes the focus off of the events or

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772325941930722005-01-11T14:29:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:27:25.069-07:00

Lots of announcements at MacWorld today, including the new flash ROM iPod. When I started reading the description, I thought, "Ugh" - no display? it only works in shuffle? - but by the end I decided I liked it. I use my iPod in shuffle mode 99% of the time, and it is so freakin' tiny that it would be perfect for taking to the gym, or running/walking, etc. 12 hours of battery life and it weighs

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146772120190956622005-01-10T18:43:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:40:04.054-07:00

I have an entirely new reason to dislike James Lileks. I'm not going to complain today about his insufferable whininess, his arguments with liberal straw men, his tendency to talk about political issues without letting a single fact of actual opposing view come into play. No, none of that. I will not even comment on the questionable taste he showed relating a dream about being caught in a tsunami

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146428483895365182005-01-10T12:20:00.000-08:002006-04-30T13:21:23.896-07:00

It's not just the biggest natural disaster, it's a great opportunity! That's how some Christian groups see the devastion in southeast Asia:"In Krabi, Thailand, a Southern Baptist church had been 'praying for a way to make inroads' with a particular ethnic group of fishermen, according to Southern Baptist relief coordinator Pat Julian. Then came the tsunami, 'a phenomenal opportunity' to provide

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146428126935343852005-01-09T13:29:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:42:36.461-07:00

Saturday's mail included a package from Pete in Boston. Pete's presents always come late but are generally worth the wait. This year he sent me what is perhaps the most homosexual gift I've gotten in ages: a set of Madonna Nesting Dolls.They are fabulously absurd. They came in a box informing me that they are hand painted (with a photo of a hand painting them) and are part of a special limited

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146428088692995872005-01-09T13:02:00.000-08:002006-04-30T13:14:48.696-07:00

Reading the New York Times article about the train wreck and chlorine gas release in South Carolina, a number of thoughts crossed my mind.First, I noted that the Times has been writing about the terrible state of our rail system and the inability of the federal government to oversee it. And now this - nine dead at last count, plus injuries and the evacuation of a town.The second thought was the

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427932170434362005-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:43:29.324-07:00

This article on the indictment in the 40-year old "Mississippi Burning" case (the murder of three civil rights workers in Philadelphia, Mississippi) and this piece on the reactions of the mothers of the victims to these developments are worth reading.This case remains one of most horrifying examples of political murder in recent US history. And while it's an old case that's related to a fight

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427831758408932005-01-07T14:25:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:37:03.421-07:00

Well, if you were thinking maybe with the election over Bush might try to neutralize the crazed Christian part of his base, check out his new appointment for domestic policy advisor. Claude Allen has, in the past, worked to defeat providing health coverage to the poor; accused political opponents of being linked to "queers;" promoted sexual ignorance among youth; and been a leader in witch hunts

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427767667452292005-01-07T09:37:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:39:48.606-07:00

Today Mark Morford at the SF Chronicle asks (rhetorically), do SUVs make you stupid? Well, based on the driving I observe, yes...The conundrum I can't figure out: Here in Houston, we have lots of at-grade railroad crossings. This means that you have to drive over the tracks. It's a little bumpy - about the same as a medium-bad DC pothole.What I can't figure out is why the people with the badass

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427738675849732005-01-07T08:40:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:41:18.780-07:00

Marc Fisher, Metro section columnist at the Washington Post, has always been one of my favorite writers at that paper. He's also one of the few who seems to get passionate about the city, and give me hope that someday they might decide to actually cover local events in DC with something more than the perfunctory crap they publish now. He also strikes a good balance between writing about the city

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427698748596182005-01-07T08:31:00.000-08:002007-04-03T03:46:08.244-07:00

I finally got around to watching Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism. While it's not the most organized of documentaries, it's well worth watching. I think we all know that Fox News is anything but "fair and balanced," but the creators of this film have spent a lot of time identifying the many ways in which Fox has abandoned the very concept of journalism and become a GOP propaganda

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427621257235782005-01-06T13:25:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:27:12.882-07:00

In a story on red light cameras, the New York Times comments on an unintended consequence of the devices - an increase in rear end collisions. The story opens with the story of a Baltimore motorist who slammed on her brakes to stop at a yellow light (she knew the intersection had a camera) and was rear-ended.Not to dismiss the problem, but let's keep in mind what the root of the problem is:

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427516440745642005-01-06T13:05:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:24:57.072-07:00

Quick response from technical support that illustrates why I'd never suggest that my parents get an internet phone service:"Some fax machines use the T.38 codec standard, to communication between themselves, the Lingo device does not support this standard. A common symptom of T.38 fax relay problems is a voice call that is established where a fax tone is heard, but the fax negotiation is not

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427459154524862005-01-06T09:56:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:24:13.772-07:00

A bit of weirdness with the voice over IP line today - I cannot send a fax over it. The fax machine works on the land line, and phone handsets work on the VoIP line, but no fax sending.The provider's service has been good & I imagine they'll sort this out for me, but VoIP is, it seems, not quite ready for prime time. I have enough technical aptitude to sort through this stuff, but I can't imagine

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146427386159284222005-01-06T08:38:00.000-08:002006-04-30T13:03:06.166-07:00

The smarmy little troll with the bow tie is gone, with his particularly unenlightening show soon to follow. It can't be good to be fired and have the CEO of your network making sarcastic comments about how crappy your program was. But it couldn't happen to a more deserving person (outside of everyone on Fox News, I guess).

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146226186816878992005-01-05T23:54:00.000-08:002006-04-28T05:09:46.816-07:00

Just got home from seeing Cachorro (Bear Cub), a Spanish film about a gay man who winds up being the guardian of his nephew. It was quite good, and was one of the first times I saw a gay movie in which the gay guys are mostly all bear types. There's a party scene that looked like happy hour at Windows in DC. And if you appreciate non-skinny guys with facial hair, the lead is a hunk.

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146225954061775952005-01-05T10:03:00.000-08:002006-04-28T05:05:54.063-07:00

A few new things:I came across an interesting new local Houston blog, Roman Candles, which I've added to my list of things to check regularly.Via Roman Candles, I found Practice What You Preach, the blog of a group gearing up to fight against the proposed Texas "marriage protection" amendment. Yes, it's one of those amendments designed to keep marriage "traditional" but not too traditional - you

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146225871828623292005-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:19:51.978-07:00

Calling CardsSome time ago I signed up for internet phone service - where your voice gets turned into data that goes out over the internet and then back into the phone network, rather than going via those old fashioned wires. After a few setup hiccups it seems to working nicely and I'm expecting to cut my SBC service back to a bare minimum (for net $$ savings).Prepaid Phone CardsI noticed this

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136976806520992005-01-04T13:27:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:34:34.094-07:00

The whole neighborhood smells like burnt toast, which I am guessing is related to the nearby bakery outlet. I feel a bit better after getting out to do a couple errands and spending an hour at Cafe Artiste finishing up Krakatoa. In light of the events of the last few weeks, it's fascinating reading.The eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, in the same neighborhood as December's earthquake and tsunamis,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136897359740902005-01-04T09:27:00.000-08:002006-04-27T04:21:37.360-07:00

I have a cold. It's hovering in that "you're not quite sick but your throat feels weird and you feel generally gross, but well enough that if you laid around watching 'Ellen' and 'Oprah' and Soap Network reruns of 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' you'd feel guilty" kind of realm.I am not good at "sick." I get cranky and testy and impatient and am not the most fun to be around. So you are all warned: I'm

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136858060816282005-01-03T23:40:00.000-08:002006-04-27T04:20:58.060-07:00

Enough with the airplanes! I am glad to be home in warm muggy Houston. With a cold coming on, still, not helped by an afternoon in the flying tin can. No plane trips for a month. In fact no trips for a month though I'm pondering a little road trip to New Orleans. But that's practically local.I should just go to bed but I'm complete caught up in reading Krakatoa (thank you - you know who you are)

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136695104783092005-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:002006-04-27T04:18:15.106-07:00

Another lovely day - I've been quite fortunate with weather. It's sunny and supposed to get up to 60 today, which is amazingly nice for Washington in January. I'm at Cyberstop answering a few emails before retrieving my bag and heading to lunch with an old friend in Arlington, then the airport. It's been a nice visit. For all the things that I grew to dislike about this town, it remains the place

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136644549562862005-01-03T09:59:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:29:01.065-07:00

I went to see Sideways yesterday. It was a good movie, but after the build-up the critics gave it, I was a bit disappointed. It wasn't a great movie. It had some brilliant moments. But one of the year's best? I don't think so.I notice today that Andrew Sullivan agrees. (Scroll down a bit, he still is lumping three to five posts into one permanent link.) I got a chuckle out of his comments through

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136438406702502005-01-03T06:36:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:28:24.883-07:00

I don't know how happy the New Year is going to be for DC Mayor Tony Williams. Yesterday the three new members of the DC City Council were sworn in. They were all elected, to some degree, out of frustration with Williams' vision (or lack thereof) for the city, including the ball park debacle. It's hard not to see their presence - particularly Marion Barry's return to public life - as a sign that

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146136752252876252005-01-03T01:33:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:32:24.712-07:00

There's apparently now free WiFi at National Airport.So, I've been thinking of changing the blog settings to not allow anonymous postings. I'd been thinking about it for a while, mainly because it makes me a little nuts to get an interesting comment from someone and have no clue who they are, and no capability of responding privately. Also, today I got a nastygram - that in itself is not so bad,

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146007399483145392005-01-01T16:15:00.000-08:002006-04-25T16:23:19.483-07:00

What a glorious day to be here! A lovely day with temperatures near 70 - I feel like I bought the weather with me from home. I slept in, had a lovely late lunch/early dinner at a friend's house, then we walked around Dupont/Logan. This is the kind of day that can make me miss DC. Settling in for a nap and then probably going to the movies.I'm here till Monday, those who know me, feel free to call

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146007093373595222004-12-31T06:48:00.000-08:002007-04-03T01:42:38.695-07:00

First, the insane: the charming folks at Westboro Baptist are thrilled by the tsunami because it killed lots of "fags and dykes," as well as an even worse breed of people: Swedes. (These are the folks who picket funerals of gay people, including Matthew Shephard, with signs reading "____ IS IN HELL.") Just once I would like to hear of a mainstream Christian pastor preaching a sermon about how

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146006970892278372004-12-30T21:33:00.000-08:002006-04-25T16:16:10.893-07:00

Like everybody else, I've been watching the news and seeing the photos and reading the newspaper articles about the devastation in Asia, and mostly feeling numb horror. Today, sitting reading the New York Times, it suddenly was very hard not to cry reading about it. Maybe it just takes time for something like this to sink in. Maybe it never actually does.The Times today ran a set of before and

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146006933748504982004-12-30T15:00:00.000-08:002006-04-25T16:15:33.750-07:00

The New York Times has been diligently writing about the state of our nation's rail system and how dangerous it's become, thanks to poor oversight by the federal government and the carelessness of commercial rail carriers. This is not a glamorous story or one that capture headlines around the country, but it is an important one.In previous articles they've written about the system in which Amtrak

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26261480.post-1146006845834581912004-12-30T08:38:00.000-08:002006-04-25T16:14:05.836-07:00

Okay, it' s not like I expect great feats of mental acuity and reasoned though from Phyllis Schlafly, but this piece on how evil secular left-wing destroyers of all that is good are "censoring" information on creationism is interesting because it's a handy summary of everything that is wrong and stupid about people who can use the term "creation science" without irony or humor. (Thanks to Jeff

Johnnoreply@blogger.com0