Entries from October 2005The Posts You Asked For

If desperate-for-a-conspiracy folks can see malice in a USA Today photo of Condi Rice, I wonder what they’ll make of this photo that ran in The Roanoke Times of Angela Lansbury:

(If you’re wondering, I propped up the paper, shot the image with my camera, and cropped it — no Photoshopping of any sort beyond that.)
Reality: [...]

» Click to read... «

Note: I write a weekly technology column for USAToday.com.
There’s a growing controversy about an AP photo of Condi Rice in USA Today that’s being called “doctored.”
It’s obvious why. On the left, the original. On the right, what ran:

So I decided to play with Photoshop to see what it took to make that happen. Did it [...]

» Click to read... «

When we talk about spending a billion dollars here or $200 million there, the numbers don’t mean anything. We have no perspective, or we’ve simply become dull to it all.
Congress and the President have spend like madmen in the last five years, pouring millions and billions of tax dollars around the world. We don’t think [...]

» Click to read... «

» Click to read... «

From the Fincastle (Va.) Herald’s October 19 edition comes this public service announcement:

When I told people there really was a conference called “Is Islam a True Religion?” they didn’t believe me. So there you go.

» Click to read... «

When installing software, most of us click “Accept” when presented with the End-User License Agreement (EULA).
But Aaron McKenna over at TG Daily started reading them and found some interesting clauses.
For example, if you use Apple’s iTunes, you have to not only agree to the EULA, but also any changes Apple makes from here to eternity:
Apple [...]

» Click to read... «

sweet hom alabama

» Click to read... «

» Click to read... «

Yes, EasyCleaner is freeware. Here are some places to download it. Also: An alternative free PDF maker.

» Click to read... «

Have you heard about this new phenomenon called “blogging”? Don’t worry — neither had ABC News in L.A. But as soon as the station discovered it (this week, in fact), it aired a story by Ric Romero.

Anyone with a computer can become their [sic] own publisher on the internet [sic].
You can create your very own [...]

» Click to read... «

Sometimes it’s fun to watch university public relations. Having worked in one such department, I understand the constraints of needing to A) be politically correct, B) seem open to new ideas and dissenting views, and C) maintain your reputation.
It’s often a juggling act. You don’t want to offend anyone or challenge someone’s right to express [...]

» Click to read... «

I think doctors can work miracles; we’ve all seen it done. But I’m also a huge skeptic — I think there are a large number of them who are clueless or sloppy or both.
For example, my wife’s physicians in Cincinnati — Drs. William Buckley and Dennis Reed — would have, we are sure, killed our unborn [...]

» Click to read... «

Here’s a shot of a column by the Oregonian’s editor, Mike Arrieta-Walden, about misspelled names in the paper.

Maybe it’s me; maybe I’m picky. I would think that a column about misspellings is one that should be double-checked, especially, oh, the very first word.

» Click to read... «

Back in January, 2004, I wrote a column called “Memory technology promises a whole new kind of PC” about the potential for magnetoresistive random-access memory to revolutionize data storage on a computer.
Instead of hard drives, we’d use a variation on flash memory, which is much, much faster. I suggested that a PC could boot up [...]

» Click to read... «

I’ve got what I think is a neat story about the latest fun-filled scam being perpetrated by the good people of Nigeria. It’s at Roanoke.com.
There’s a fun backstory to this piece, but I’ll get to that a little later.

» Click to read... «

New entry under USA Today Follow-ups on metadata.

» Click to read... «

You don’t just put metadata in a file for reference. You can use it, too.

» Click to read... «

I misplaced the key to my car the other day, and had to switch to my emergency backup key.
My car has one of those fancy security systems, where there’s a transponder in the key that allows the car to start. I can’t just go to Lowe’s and get 10 copies made.
My backup key is [...]

» Click to read... «

The slogan for the Grand Challenge is “Harnessing American Ingenuity.”
Perhaps it should read, “Harnessing German Ingenuity.” See Stanford, which won the event, has a team with a large contingent — perhaps a majority — of German-speaking Volkswagen engineers.
Deutschland

» Click to read... «

132 miles in about seven and a half hours.
A-mazing. [applause]
Oh, I can say that Stanford wins because it’s clear that no other team will be able to beat its time. (Well, barring a miracle.) So it’s not about being first over the line, although Stanford did that, too.

» Click to read... «