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February 28, 2005
It's Coming
The snow is coming. Trust me. It's just started here in Arlington.
This is the first winter storm forecast that I've been confident in. There will be a minimum of three inches in the immediate area, but my hunch is we'll get more than that.
I'f you're home, settle in, light a fire and make some hot chocolate. That's what I'm doing!
Posted by Samer at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2005
One of the Great Ones
Jef Raskin has passed away. He died of cancer last night.
Who is Raskin, you ask?
Raskin is probably the person who has had the most influence on your daily life with out you ever having heard of him. In the early 1980s, Raskin started a project at Apple Computer which he later named for his favorite apple, The Macintosh. That computer, along with Raskin's Human Interface Desgin guidelines, made computing accessible to everyday people.
Jef Raskin was one of the Great Ones. He will be missed.
Posted by Samer at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
Cupcakes
I'm not a baker, not by any means, but every now and again, I see a recipe that makes me want to spend some time messing up my kitchen. This month's Cook's Illustrated has a very good adult cupcake -- deep dark chocolate -- with a decadent children's vanilla icing.
Not only did the cupcakes turn out quite nicely, the pictures did too.
Posted by Samer at 08:14 AM | Comments (2)
February 22, 2005
One Moment in Time
Ever wondered what a moment in time looks like? Jonathan Harris did, and he did something about it. He created, among other things, 10x10. It's a site that takes news every hour and finds the 100 pictures and words that are most common (okay, so a lot of the pictures overlap).
I don't know quite what to make of it. It's part art, part information mapping, part oddity. I'm not really sure of the value of looking at news in the way, but it does bring a different view to the news. Picking up the most interesting words and seeing where they intersect is, in a word, very interesting. Wired has the story.
Posted by Samer at 11:43 PM | Comments (0)
February 21, 2005
Turn Signals
Seems that people in this area really have a hard time figuring out how to use a turn signal. It's almost to the point where I wonder if some dealers have turn signals as an option on cars.
There's no information up on their web site, but Nissan has demonstrated technology that will control cars that swerve out of their lanes and pull them back into their own lane. I'm sure Nissan's thought through the various possibilities for foul ups there, but my favorite part of the article was this quote:
Lane Departure Prevention combines a camera and computerized devices that control braking for front and rear wheels that nudge the car in the right direction. No decision has been made on when the new system will be available.
The feature turns off when you hit the turn signal, so you will be able to change lanes or make turns without the system kicking in.
I'm guessing that if you move the car deliberately, it won't pull you back into your lane. But the system will, it seems, set off a buzzer to warn you of drifting before it pulls the car back. Perhaps with this we can train people in a Pavlovian way.
Posted by Samer at 11:23 AM | Comments (0)
February 20, 2005
Veiled Conceit...
... Or: "Bobby Flay is an Ass".
I've been meaning to post about Veiled Conceit ever since a friend brought it to my attention. It's witty, funny, cutting and, sometimes, cruel. The concept is pretty simple, and has been done on various morning and drive time radio shows: take the local paper's wedding announcements and make fun of the silly pictures and prose in them. The main difference between those radio shows and Veiled Conceit is that Veiled Conceit's local paper is the New York Times, and the "making fun" part is often times tear inducingly hysterical.
Also, most radio shows can't tell you Bobby Flay is an ass. Well, not and actually say the word. Today's entry has it all: ranting and raving, taking apart the victim, comedy, links to other criticism, etc. It also made me nod in agreement and sums up why I dislike this man, as well. An excerpt from "Bobby Flay is an Ass":
If you've got a year-or-so on your hands, go to Flay's "Ask Bobby" feature on his homepage. It's admirable that he would take the time to answer his fan mail, but when you think of it, it's obvious. Of course he loves reading letter after letter proclaiming how "hot" and "talented" he is, even if the letters are clearly written by ignorant, tasteless, Applebee's patrons who clamor for anything with grill marks on it and the word "southwest" in the description. The worst are those writers who applaud his "creativity." Bobby is one of the least creative chefs I know of. Take meat or trout, add ancho chili sauce, serve with mango relish and voila! you have mastered the art of Flay. If you really want creative, look up Ferran Adriá, or Wylie Dufresne. But Bobby Fucking Flay? Hardly. I've seen menus at Chili's with more creativity.
This may not be the best of Veiled Conciet, but it's the one I like the most.
Cheers!
Posted by Samer at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)
February 18, 2005
Sushi
"Huy!" Screamed the waitress at Miyabi after we gave her our drinks order. "Huy!" and off she went to get them.
She comes back, a bundle of energy, drops them off and yells out "Ta Da!". And I thought to myself, "dinner and a show, excellent!"
In between exclamations of "huy!", Law-Rah and I had some of the best sushi I've had in this area. Miyabi is a newish place near Clarendon, but off the beaten path in an apartment building. The blinding "SUSHI" neon sign does not do the place justice. The decor on the inside is very refined, all light woods and greens. The plates and cups were really quite nice, clay pottery and nicely done. The word "miyabi" apparently means "elegance" in Japanese, and this place fits the bill.
The food was just as good as the decor. The salmon tempura roll was like crack. just warm and crispy on the outside, salmon goodness on the inside. The tuna roll was nothing to write home about, but the Maryland roll (with crab) was excellent. The eel and the mushroom nigiri were quite good, the mushrooms especially. I enjoyed the sea urchin, but while the taste was good, the texture was a cross between a really soft oyster and nothingness.
I'm definitely going to have to go back there again. Even if the food was only "passable", the waitress yelling out "arrigato" and "huy!" is not to be missed.
Miyabi
3000 N Washington Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
+1.703.243.7799
Posted by Samer at 10:49 PM | Comments (0)
MacOSX Hint
My first MacOSXHints.com hint has been published. It's the one about the GMAP plug-in for Address Book! Go me!
Update: MacMerc made my hint the top Freeloader Friday item!
Posted by Samer at 09:28 AM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2005
Life on Mars?
Space.com has an exclusive story about a couple of NASA scientists that have submitted a paper to the journal Nature on the existence of life on Mars currently:
WASHINGTON -- A pair of NASA scientists told a group of space officials at a private meeting here Sunday that they have found strong evidence that life may exist today on Mars, hidden away in caves and sustained by pockets of water.
The scientists, Carol Stoker and Larry Lemke of NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, told the group that they have submitted their findings to the journal Nature for publication in May, and their paper currently is being peer reviewed.
What Stoker and Lemke have found, according to several attendees of the private meeting, is not direct proof of life on Mars, but methane signatures and other signs of possible biological activity remarkably similar to those recently discovered in caves here on Earth.
I don't know what to make of this, but I can't wait to see if Nature publishes this and what the scientific community will have to say about it at that time.
Posted by Samer at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
February 16, 2005
Mr. Lebanon
A couple of days ago, the former prime minster of Lebanon was killed by a huge car bomb. He was buried today, at a mosque that he built to replace one that had be destroyed by years of civil strife.
Rafik al-Hariri was, mostly, a good man. He put his money where his mouth was and built up the country and Beirut after the civil war. His billions were made in the construction industry and it seemed fitting that his money went into rebuilding.
No one is really sure of the motives for his killing. Responsibility for the assassination was taken by a little known group claiming to have murdered him for his support of the Saudis (his wealth and business got it's start in Saudi Arabia). But many also blame Syria and the Lebanese government.
Whatever the motives, whatever the reasons, the people who do these acts rarely think on their impact. They've got a target and they eliminated him. No thought is given to the grieving wife, the brother or sister, the four children. No thought is given to those relatives left mourning him. No thought is given to the hundreds of thousands that showed up for his funeral. No thought is given to the dreams and aspirations that this one man managed to bring back to defeated and torn country.
He was known as "Mr. Lebanon", a title fitting for a man who had the means to live anywhere he chose to, but came back to his country to help put it back on it's feet. Let's hope Mr. Lebanon's violent passing does not spell the end of the Lebanese dream.
Posted by Samer at 11:24 PM | Comments (0)
Moon Panorama
Panoramas.dk has some great panoramas of the moon. Stitched together from NASA images of the moon's surface taken by astronauts and overlaid with commentary from the radio transmissions of the astronauts, they are really fascinating to look at. Fire up your QuickTime and head on over there.
Posted by Samer at 08:15 AM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2005
Doughnuts are too good for them
The lights at 14th and H streets were blinking red all the way around today. Maybe it was a Valentine's thing, but it didn't matter. I've got little love for the useless cop who was at the scene.
There was a bit of confusion, it seems not everyone learned that flashing red means stop. More importantly, it's hard to synchronize four or so lanes of traffic in one direction and three by three lanes on the other side. It's even harder when you add into the mix pedestrians who have the right of way at four way stops.
So, mid-morning (and this had been going on since before I got to the office at 10) I went out and was crossing the street. Lo! Over yonder! A police officer. He was a bicycle cop, and was dismounted and standing on the corner. He seemed to be watching the traffic, but not doing anything to direct it.
As I approached, I said, "nice job you're doing." He sorta smiled and went back to looking at the traffic. When I added, "really nice job," he turned, hopped on his bicycle and sped off. Thanks, Mr Policeman!
And, yeah, before any of you write in -- I don't care what branch he was with. If they are allowed to patrol DC streets looking to keep us safe, they can dismount and direct traffic. His outfit was yellow and said "police" on it. He could be DC or he could be Secret Service, I'm not sure and nor do I care. Part of patrolling a beat is that you make sure everything that needs police action gets police action, especially when you are just standing around doing nothing.
Posted by Samer at 10:39 PM | Comments (0)
Happy Valentine's Day
It's that time of year again. And, thankfully, we have the Onion to protect us.
They've created some pretty funny love coupons taking the piss out of traditional love coupons that people give out (or is it that marketers and sappy books hope people give out?).
.
Posted by Samer at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2005
Levante's
Went out to Levante's last night. Smack dab in the heart of Dupont Circle is a Mediterranean implant. It looks pricey, but the food is moderately priced and quite good. I don't really have much of a review here, other than to say go try it. The food is well prepared and some of it is quite excellent.
The reason I wrote this is their logo. It bugged me all night and into today. I've seen it before, and I've seen it on something else. You know how something gets into your head and you can't do anything else until you've figured it out? Like a lyric or a trivia answer? Thats how this was.
Finally, I found it. Very very similar to the Islandsbanki logo.
Find Levante's at:
1320 19th St NW
Washington, DC 20036
+1.202.293.3244
Google Map of Levante's
Posted by Samer at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2005
Google Maps Address Book Plug-Ins
So you want to use the great Google Maps with Address Book? Why, just go get and install GMAP and you are off to the races.
It is a collection of two Address Book plug-ins that will give you two new menu items to get maps using Firefox. Since Safari is not yet supported by Google Maps, you must install Firefox for this to work.
In order to get directions, you must have set your own card. To do this, select your card in Address Book, then choose "Make This My Card" from the "Card" menu. The first address in "My Card" will be used.
I was inspired to do this (and used some of the code from) this hint at MacOSXHints.com. If you want to learn a bit about how to make an AppleScript plug-in, just read the code samples from the site and tinker. I added a bunch of comments that try to make clear what's going on where.
Thanks to UnixJunkie and MikeD.
Posted by Samer at 06:01 PM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2005
One by one
For years I've been singing the praises of the Macintosh and of Apple. Mostly no one listens, but when they do they tend to get religion. Recently, my boss (JCA) started listening. He asked a few questions here and there, and then watched the SteveNote from MacWorld. That renowned reality distortion field bit and he bought an iBook for his wife and daughter.
He loves it, as you can tell:
Well, there is nothing I don't like about it. It is the embodiment of
"living right" and the ease with which tasks are performed only
reinforces how idiotic the Windows world is.
There's no good place to start or finish, but I fired up iSync and it
did everything a sync utility should do. The first time. Using
Bluetooth. No questions asked.
For that matter, Bluetooth just works. No negotiating, no setup. It is
no wonder that BT had such a rocky start with 97% of first impressions
being on PCs. I almost gave up myself.
Safari rocks -- is is faster even that FireFox? And within 30 minutes
or so I got the feel of where settings were and how to customize.
The girls just LOVE the profile swapper. And trying that on XP is ...
well I promised myself I wouldn't cry.
There is a lot of junk on my sidewalk right now. It used by be my
Windows network. I'm definitly getting a Mac mini and might let [my daughter]
keep it.
And then I start thinking about me ...
And then I cound the days until Dashboard.
This from a man who was a diehard Windows user and could run circles around most people's daily use of that operating system. Why don't you join the Cult?
Posted by Samer at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2005
How do they do it?
Following yesterday's post about Google Maps, I ran across this website where a web developer takes apart what Google is doing and shows how they do some of the magic they do. It is pretty damn impressive, if you can follow along.
Thanks bOINGbOING.
Posted by Samer at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2005
Maps
Google is going to take over the world, and as further proof I present the latest from their incredible Labs, Google Maps.
I'm sitting at home, sick, playing around with it because it amuses me. It's really well done. Click on it and drag the map around, or use the plus and minus keys, as well as the arrow keys to navigate. Type in an address, then type in "pizza" for a list of pizza places near by. Try doing a directions search, too.
You want to know how good this is? It does not work with Safari, yet, but I will launch FireFox just so I can look at these maps.
Simple and elegant. Another impressive offering.
Posted by Samer at 09:11 AM | Comments (0)
Trackbacks
So, the spammers are winning. I've turned off trackbacks until I have the time to configure my site to de-spam them. It really is out of control.
And, I'm going to try to post a few times a week, again...
Posted by Samer at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)