4 - 2006 | ***Dave Does the Blog

Bumper crop

The original intent of license plates was to demonstrate that someone had purchased a state (or county or city) license for their vehicle. Eventually, they became a handy law enforcement…

The original intent of license plates was to demonstrate that someone had purchased a state (or county or city) license for their vehicle. Eventually, they became a handy law enforcement tool to identify vehicles, at which time, they became larger and significantly more legible — clean, raised letters and numbers on a contrasting background.

Of late, however, states have realized that license plates can be politicaly popular and profitable. The result? Legibility is way down (as is, frankly, the aesthetic quality).

(via kottke)

Tell me it’s just a dream, please …

A movie version of Dallas? Starring John Travolta as J.R. Ewing? And Jennifer Lopez as Sue Ellen? Oh, the pain ……

A movie version of Dallas? Starring John Travolta as J.R. Ewing? And Jennifer Lopez as Sue Ellen?

Oh, the pain …

Doctor Who

I’ve been avoiding talking much about Doctor Who here, because (a) some folks haven’t been watching it (but will be, dammit, once I get the DVD set in July), and…

I’ve been avoiding talking much about Doctor Who here, because (a) some folks haven’t been watching it (but will be, dammit, once I get the DVD set in July), and (b) other folk have already been seeing the next series (damned Canucks and Brits) and so it would all be old hat to them (or a temptation to say, “Oh, hey, well wait until you see the episode where the Daleks …”).

That said, I’m so enjoying this series. It captures the kind of bizarre cheesy charm of the old bargain-basement-budget originals while still working for modern dramatic sensibilities. Christopher Eccleston is a faboo Doctor, like Tom Baker after too many cups of coffee, but with a dark, fragile side, too, as if we’re about to see him crack if he’s pushed too hard in the wrong spot. Indeed, the only down side to this show is the knowledge that Eccleston only stuck it out for one season (and, yes, I’ve heard his replacement is quite fine, and I even believe it, but …).

Billie Piper makes a great Companion (not that kind of Companion, Doyce), intelligent, spunky, independent, yet with clear emotional attachments and troubles. She, too, is a worthy successor to that particular role.

I’ve only seen a part of the series, of course, but the “Dalek” episode was exquisite (except, perhaps, for a weak denouement), and Adam’s tale thereafter was masterful for its B-plot as much as for its A-plot.

I really want the DVDs to come out. Really soon now.

Back to back to back to back …

… being pounded by meetings, all of them Drop-Dead Critical, with Strategic Importance and Major Management Deadlines on Friday. While still trying to (a) carve out time for a dentist’s…

… being pounded by meetings, all of them Drop-Dead Critical, with Strategic Importance and Major Management Deadlines on Friday.

While still trying to (a) carve out time for a dentist’s appointment, (b) get out to lunch (at least to walk), and (c) not be on the phone until 7 p.m. tonight.

Rrg.

Psych!

April snow in Denver. The weather gods here delight in freaking out the populace — many of whom were busy last weekend buying annuals down at Home Depot and Costco…

April snow in Denver. The weather gods here delight in freaking out the populace — many of whom were busy last weekend buying annuals down at Home Depot and Costco and planting them. Psych! It’s still April! We can still get snow, sometimes in massive amounts …

Really, not more than an inch on the grass and wet pavement (a leeetle slushy on overpasses) on the roadways. Temps today in the low 40s again, but I expect that most of the snow will be gone by the time I leave the office.

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UPDATE: Doyce’s commentary on the weather of the last week.

All your media are belong to us

If I weren’t already overworked and undergruntled today, I’d be waxing long and apoplectic over the latest volley in the copyright wars. Congresscritters at the behest of Big Media are…

If I weren’t already overworked and undergruntled today, I’d be waxing long and apoplectic over the latest volley in the copyright wars. Congresscritters at the behest of Big Media are cutting the Gordian Knot of how to balance Fair Usage and First Purchase rights vs. We Paid Money To See This Made So It’s Ours Forever by simply making copyright uber alles. Given that copyright now extends and indefinitely length into the future, the direction our Representatives are taking us is to say that if Company X has the intellectual property ownership of Medium Y, you will never own more than the narrowly defined stake they decide you can own. Buy a CD? Cool, but don’t expect to be able to rip it to your iPod, or (in the future) listen to it more than the defined times/inside the defined period the media makers (and media player makers) decide you are allowed to.

In the latest effort, we not only don’t get a rationalization of the DMCA, but the DMCA gets expanded and all sorts of cool criminal penalties latched onto it. Woo-hoo!

For the last few years, a coalition of technology companies, academics and computer programmers has been trying to persuade Congress to scale back the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Now Congress is preparing to do precisely the opposite. A proposed copyright law seen by CNET News.com would expand the DMCA’s restrictions on software that can bypass copy protections and grant federal police more wiretapping and enforcement powers.
The draft legislation, created by the Bush administration and backed by Rep. Lamar Smith, already enjoys the support of large copyright holders such as the Recording Industry Association of America. Smith, a Texas Republican, is the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees intellectual-property law. A spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee said Friday that the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006 is expected to “be introduced in the near future.” Beth Frigola, Smith’s press secretary, added Monday that Wisconsin Republican F. James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the full House Judiciary Committee, will be leading the effort.

This is all necessary because, of couse, people burning copies of their favorite music track as an MP3 file and passing on to their friends for a listen to are, naturally, in cahoots with Osama bin Ladin.

During a speech in November, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales endorsed the idea and said at the time that he would send Congress draft legislation. Such changes are necessary because new technology is “encouraging large-scale criminal enterprises to get involved in intellectual-property theft,” Gonzales said, adding that proceeds from the illicit businesses are used, “quite frankly, to fund terrorism activities.”

Of course, the DoJ and the RIAA haven’t been getting much press for putting the screws to Big Copyright Violating Criminal Enterprises. But what we have heard a lot of is the RIAA suing the snot out of individual citizens — who will now find, under the suggested law, that they can be wiretapped by the Feds, server logs concerning anywhere they’ve been can be examined, and the PC they used to make a copy of some music can be confiscated.

The proposed law scheduled to be introduced by Rep. Smith also does the following: […] Creates civil asset forfeiture penalties for anything used in copyright piracy. Computers or other equipment seized must be “destroyed” or otherwise disposed of, for instance at a government auction. Criminal asset forfeiture will be done following the rules established by federal drug laws.

Because we all know how well that’s worked out.

As it’s put in the Ars Technica article:

Piracy isn’t the issue here. With the federal government’s help, the labels and studios are aiming at is complete content lockdown. It’s worth quoting Ken’s article on the analog hole from last fall:
These laws aren’t about piracy, and anyone who thinks they are needs to stop, look, and listen. Once the MPAA and pals have their way, you’re going to pay through the nose for even the most basic of Fair Use rights. You’re going to pay for the right to rewind and “re-experience” content. The Copy Prohibited Content class, complete with its asinine insta-delete feature is nothing but a back door into attacking what the content industry hates most: your ability to timeshift content. Yes, Jack Valenti said the VCR would destroy Hollywood, and while these moonbats no longer believe that, they do know that the rhetoric works.
To put it bluntly, the claims of the content creation industry do not add up. Here’s what the equation really looks like: Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2006 + analog hole legislation + the broadcast flag = zero Fair Use rights + pay multiple times for the same content. If you don’t like that math, it’s time to get in touch with your congressperson and senators.

Feh.

(via Les)

Party time in America

Had the first of two pretty-close Margie Gras parties on Saturday. Stan, Randy, John B., Doyce, Kate, and a couple of Kate’s friends, Timothy and Jennifer. More food than could…

Had the first of two pretty-close Margie Gras parties on Saturday. Stan, Randy, John B., Doyce, Kate, and a couple of Kate’s friends, Timothy and Jennifer. More food than could be et, and more drink than was intended for drinking, and a fun time.

The theme this time out was retro to Margie Gras’ origins — identify a drink or liquor you’ve been curious about and have wanted an excuse to try. Some very fine concoctions were tried, and some not-so-fine ones.

One new “discovery” was Redcliff, a touted, oddly, as “America’s Liqueur.” It comes in a very attractive bottle with a lovely label and all sorts of intriguing text on the sides, similar to this press release.

Arcella Premium Brands, LLC, announces the introduction of its Redcliff Liqueur, the first premium American liqueur.
With 15 distinctive blended ingredients, Redcliff Liqueur offers a truly unique American taste and has a southwestern look and feel, according to Frank Arcella, owner of Arcella Premium Brands of Las Vegas, Nev.

Trying out Redcliff established a few things:

It smelled like it was going to burn through your gullet, though in the tasting it was a lot less harsh.
It still tasted pretty awful, with an odd finish that most of us defined as Root Beer, but is evidently supposed to be Cola. “It tastes like … burning …” was the common joke. Along with, “Maybe it’s George Bush’s America, but it’s not mine.”
The labelling text — and the publicity — focuses a lot more on the bottle and label than on its contents. Probably wisely

Indeed, on that last point, looking around the Internet, Google couldn’t find much about Redcliff, and almost nothing about Arcella (except they also make a premium tequilla). Lots of publicity, very little in the way of actual reviews or company info.

The closest is this page, which lists several (awful to think of) Redcliff mixed drinks one can make, and offers this description:

Cola-flavored Redcliff is a premium liqueur of uncommon complexity and character.
A combination of 15 secret ingredients, this versatile spirit is perfect for shots, shooters and mixed drinks. At 65 proof, “it gets you where you want to go but doesn’t beat you up on the way.”
Redcliff is produced in the U.S.A. and packaged in handcrafted bottles with depictions of Southwestern vistas and rugged topography.
In flavor and style, Redcliff embodies a place rich in spirit, culture and intrigue. Redcliff promotional efforts encompass bars and clubs that attract college students of legal drinking age, country and western fans, stockcar racing fans, military personnel, rodeo attendees and sports enthusiasts.

Which description prompted the observation that it was really Red State Liqueur, and that the George Bush’s America joke was closer than it seemed at first snark. I mean … stockcar racing fans? Like this is going to get them to quit drinking Jaegermeister, Southern Comfort, or Bud?

Elsewhere, another (packaging company) press release notes:

We are targeting our new premium liqueur to heartland America, people who enjoy rodeo and country music, as well as younger adults who live full, active lifestyles, says Arcella.

I’m not sure what sort of full, active lifestyles they’re talking about here, but I’m afraid that, even with a passing fondness for country music on occasion, I clearly no longer qualify in some of the target categories. Or, if I do, then they’ve missed the target.

Meanwhile, back at the party, after snarking on Redcliff and eating and drinking our fill, we retired to the family room to ~~watch rodeos~~ ~~listen to country music~~ ~~live full, active lifestyles~~ watch Galaxy Quest and chit-chat.

A very nice evening, unfortunate liqueur explorations aside.

South Carolina boldly tackles its biggest problem …

… the sale of sex toys. The South Carolina bill, proposed by Republican Rep. Ralph Davenport, would make it a felony to sell devices used primarily for sexual stimulation and…

… the sale of sex toys.

The South Carolina bill, proposed by Republican Rep. Ralph Davenport, would make it a felony to sell devices used primarily for sexual stimulation and allow law enforcement to seize sex toys from raided businesses.

Because, of course, that’s the greatest challenge facing the people of South Carolina today — stores being able to sell vibrators. Best clearly identify such miscreants as felons and lock them up in the stocks. Then the people of South Carolina will be able to sleep safely again.

(via BoingBoing)

Flaming April

Katherine sacked out in our bed during Margie Gras. this post enabled by airblogging.com….

Katherine sacked out in our bed during Margie Gras.

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Artiste

Katherine’s latest. Translation to follow. UPDATE: Der Mom I HAD A GrAt Tim At Skaat SiDY I Hop You HAD A GrAt DAy. Love KAtherine Dear Mom. I had a…

Katherine’s latest. Translation to follow.

UPDATE:

Der Mom I HAD A GrAt Tim At Skaat SiDY I Hop You HAD A GrAt DAy. Love KAtherine
Dear Mom. I had a great time at Skate City. I hope you had a great day. Love, Katherine

Nice work with drawing the letters, then “thickening” them. And I love the picture, which is Katherine running up excitedly to her mom. Nice.

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A new Star Trek flick?

Word has it that a new ST movie is on the way for 2008. The as-yet-untitled “Star Trek” feature, the 11th since 1979, is aiming for a fall 2008 release…

Word has it that a new ST movie is on the way for 2008.

The as-yet-untitled “Star Trek” feature, the 11th since 1979, is aiming for a fall 2008 release through Paramount Pictures, the Viacom Inc. unit looking to restore its box-office luster under new management, the trade paper said.
The project will be directed by J.J. Abrams, whose
Tom Cruise vehicle “Mission: Impossible III” will be released by Paramount on May 5. Abrams, famed for producing the TV shows “Alias” and “Lost,” will also help write and produce.
Daily Variety said the action would center on the early days of “Star Trek” characters James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock, including their first meeting at Starfleet Academy and first outer-space mission.

It may be that, by breaking away from ties to a particular ongoing TV show (or cast thereof), they might be able to do a decent job. How they will go about recasting Kirk/Spock (and how they’ll do so without drifting into Shatneresque self-parody) will be interesting to see.

(via GeekPress)

I would certainly put a number of these on my envelopes

Worth1000 showcases people’s ideas for new USPS postage stamps. Triffic stuff. (The Brady Bunch is a natural here.) (via BoingBoing)…

Worth1000 showcases people’s ideas for new USPS postage stamps. Triffic stuff.

(The Brady Bunch is a natural here.)

(via BoingBoing)

Monkey girl

She’s a swinger! UPDATE: We went to White Fence Farms, since (a) we love fried chicken, (b) Katherine had never been there, and (c) Margie’s old boss was playing banjo…

She’s a swinger!

UPDATE: We went to White Fence Farms, since (a) we love fried chicken, (b) Katherine had never been there, and (c) Margie’s old boss was playing banjo with a group there. Good food, good fun, and Katherine got to play on various things afterwards.

I can remember when monkey bars like this were way beyond her. Now she’s like Spider-Man, swooshing across …

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One man’s ice cream is another man’s poison

Okay, I’d seen the Ben & Jerry “Black & Tan” ice cream on the shelves, and not given it much thought. It’s a drink, right? Layered, half ale (preferably Bass)…

Okay, I’d seen the Ben & Jerry “Black & Tan” ice cream on the shelves, and not given it much thought. It’s a drink, right? Layered, half ale (preferably Bass) on the bottom, with stout (preferably Guinness) on the top. B&J’s concoction was a bit different, consisting of stout ice cream (!) with chocolate swirls and a foamy stout head — not anything I’d jump for, but there’s a lot of ice cream flavors that aren’t my cuppa (or cone-a).

Then I read a short article in a British paper on the way home. Seems B&J will be renaming this concoction, introduced this past March “in time for St. Patrick’s Day” because — well, some Irish don’t recall with much fondness the original Black & Tans, a reservist para-military formed to bolster the Royal Irish Constabulary during 1920-21:

Members of the Black and Tans were paid the relatively good wage of ten shillings a day plus full board and lodging. With minimal police training, their main role was to strengthen the military might of police posts, where they functioned as sentries, guards, escorts for government agents, reinforcement to the regular police, and crowd control, and mounted a determined counter-insurgency campaign. Because of these duties they were viewed by Republicans as an army of occupation. They soon gained a reputation for brutality, as the RIC campaign against the IRA and Sinn Féin members was stepped up and police reprisals for IRA attacks were condoned by the government. Many of the atrocities attributed to the Black and Tans were probably actually committed by the far more brutal Auxiliaries, but most Republicans did not make a distinction, and “Black and Tans” was often used as a catch-all term for both groups. Over one-third of the Black and Tans died or left the service before they were disbanded along with the rest of the RIC in 1922, an extremely high wastage rate, and well over half received government pensions.
[…] The Black and Tans sacked Cork city, the centre of which was burned out, and Balbriggan. Terence MacSwiney, the Lord Mayor of Cork, died after a 78-day hunger strike in Brixton Prison, London. The Black and Tans’ campaign was little more than state-sponsored terrorism, with very little pretence being made at promoting law and order and great emphasis on crushing Irish separatism, whether violent or peaceful. On the other hand, some British politicians (including Oswald Mosley) and the King made no secret of their horror at the behaviour of Crown forces which made international headlines, damaging British credibility. There is no doubt as to the ferocity of the fighting and that atrocities were committed, and feelings continue to run high regarding their actions. “Black and Tan” or “Tan” remains a pejorative term for Englishmen in Ireland. One of the most famous Irish Republican songs is Dominic Behan’s Come Out Ye Black And Tans. The Anglo-Irish War is often referred to by modern Irish republicans as the “Tan War” or “Black-and-Tan War”.

The above quote, from Wikipedia, shows both the schizoid nature of that source over controversial topics, as well as a sense of how passionately some Irish still feel about the Black & Tans and the Troubles of less than a century ago.

And comments here and here show that through even more clearly in terms of folks objecting to this name for an ice cream, innocently intended or not That includes an amusing list of flavors that B&J will come out with next: Sinn Fudge, Waffle-SS, Kharamel Rouge, Gulag Archipistachio, or (my favorite, in context) Bloody Sundae.

At any rate, the article indicated that B&J were going to drop the flavor because of Irish objections, which is probably just as well — it’s certainly not meant to be a political statement, it’s a new flavor name without its own history. I haven’t been able to find confirmation on Google or B&J’s pages as of yet, and it doesn’t yet show up in the “Favor Graveyard,” but presumably the article was correct. I’ll mention something if I find out more.

Once again, we see the consequences of being geo-politically incorrect in this globalized age …

Not exactly the BoingBoing Effect

My brief mention on the CBS News site didn’t exactly send a gazillion people to my blog. The news item was on the 19th. As you can see, that day…

My brief mention on the CBS News site didn’t exactly send a gazillion people to my blog.

The news item was on the 19th. As you can see, that day didn’t even match the traffic on the 20th.

Ah, well. National attention and recognition is, I’m sure, way overrated. 🙂

Mystery box

I have no idea what the mystery metal boxen under the seats are, but they demolish both leg room and luggage capacity on this 777. UPDATE: I was more comfy…

I have no idea what the mystery metal boxen under the seats are, but they demolish both leg room and luggage capacity on this 777.

UPDATE: I was more comfy on the little puddle jumpers between Manchester and Glasgow than I was on this 777 back in steerage class. At least I had an aisle — way in the back, though, where the plane and the aisle begins to taper off. Thus, what was immediately in front of my feet was the brief case of the person to my left, the legs of the seats in front of me, and the mystery box.

I suspect, in retrospect, that it might be something to do with the video system, but, damn, it’s really awful.

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Multi-media

I actually select about three or four hours on the plane back, which worked out nicely. And, in the meantime, got to watch: Good Night, and Good Luck: Triffic story…

I actually select about three or four hours on the plane back, which worked out nicely. And, in the meantime, got to watch:

Good Night, and Good Luck: Triffic story about Edward R. Murrow and CBS taking on Sen. Joe McCarthy. More of a mood piece than a tight narrative, but great nonetheless — and worth watching in these days of battling the ~~Communist~~ Threat. Expect a longer review elsewhen.
Decided to sleep rather than watch Serenity. Heretical, I know. Flipped the box over to Doctor Who on one of the TV show channels, and went to sleep as the Doctor confronted the last Dalek.
Woke up to find the channel had cycled back to Doctor Who, so I watched the episode properly. This ep was what showed up last week in the US (is it a coincidence that it’s now showing up on the plane?).
Creature Comforts: Nick Park does his Wallace & Gromit claymation, but with various animals being interviewed — said interviews being actual ones with ordinary Brits. Great fun, terribly distracting, and I need to see if the show or shorts are on DVD to share with Margie.
Walking With Monsters: The Walking With Dinosaurs folks tackle earliest life, not to mention the “e” word (“evolution”) showing all sorts of crazy early critters, how they developed from competition (“Hey, light sensing organs! I can find food easier!” “Whoa, I can get away from the crazy Giant Scorpions by slipping across the beach and into these fresh water pools!” “Yay! Teeth rock!”). Really fascinating, just a scosh too technical (or maybe scary) for Kitten, otherwise I’d grab a copy for her.

And then we landed in Chicago. Yay!

On the way home

The Muse nearly made me late for my flight, but I’m on and ready to head home. And, maybe, sleep … UPDATE: That’s a picture of Queen Elizabeth on the…

The Muse nearly made me late for my flight, but I’m on and ready to head home. And, maybe, sleep …

UPDATE: That’s a picture of Queen Elizabeth on the cover of the paper. Her 80th birthday is Sunday, I believe, and all sorts of talk about how much they like her, how she doesn’t plan on ever retiring (much, no doubt, to Charles’ chagrin), etc.

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Dave Does the CBS News!

Okay, so I didn’t get interviewed by Dan Rather (and, perhaps, just as well). But I did get mentioned on the CBS News site in Melissa P. McNamara’s Blogophile column….

Okay, so I didn’t get interviewed by Dan Rather (and, perhaps, just as well). But I did get mentioned on the CBS News site in Melissa P. McNamara’s Blogophile column.

The third most popular blog post over the weekend was “How Not To Get A Job” on Meyerweb, and it gained steam Monday, becoming the top blog post.
The post provide an amusing list of responses from vice presidents and personnel directors of the 100 largest corporations when asked to describe their most unusual experience interviewing prospective employees. And according to this list, if you’ve ever challenged your interviewer to an arm wrestle or thought about bringing your dog to an interview, you wouldn’t be the first to do so.
Most blogs simply linked to Meyerweb’s list, but one blogger, Dave, writes, “Those actually searching for work should take note, if only as an example of what not to do (or of what is seen as notably unusual by interviewers). Also, proofread your resumes…”

Which is not, perhaps, the most profound thing I’ve ever written, but the first time I’ve been quoted, in some fashion, on the CBS News.

The column is described thusly:

With millions of sites floating through the blogosphere, who really has time to peek at even a fraction of them? Blogophile reads them for you and presents a weekly roundup of the buzz on must-read blogs.

I guess that makes me … a must-read blog? Spiffy!

To all my millions of new readers — welcome! Enjoy the must-read and be sure and hit the tip jar. Or not.

(I’ll be checking my site stats tomorrow to see how much of a “buzz” the Blogophile actually gave me. But, what the hell, CBS News, baby! And I’m not talking an ambush interview by Mike Wallace, either!)

Potpourri for GBP 250, Alex!

Bits and pieces from the trip: Had the 2-seat side of my little puddle-jumper, Manchester to Glasgow, to myself. Which was nice. Remarkably enough, did not have to remove my…

Bits and pieces from the trip:

Had the 2-seat side of my little puddle-jumper, Manchester to Glasgow, to myself. Which was nice.
Remarkably enough, did not have to remove my laptop from my briefcase when I went through the x-rays at Manchester airport.
While Terminal 5 at O’Hare is a naked expanse of gates and not much else (e.g., no shops or food), the waiting area in Terminal 3 at Manchester is full of both shops and food. I must remember this for the future.
Very nice dinner at Etain, here in Glasgow, tonight. Actually, fancier than my taste, but still yummy. Recommended.
Today’s vocabulary lesson, part 1: “bespoke” = custom-made, often used in reference (at least here in the UK) to custom-modified or home-grown code.
While the BMI flight attendants do provide the cheerful advice of how to take on the crash position (or, as they call it, the brace position) during their pre-flight spiel, I also notice that the life jackets they have require the user to tie the cords into a knot, rather than clipping them onto a ring in front. Score one for the Yanks.
Today’s vocabulary lesson, part 2: “chump” = a cut of meat (most often seen with pork or lamb), usually in chops or steaks. It resides between the loin and leg (and appears to be more commonly called “rump” in the States).
What are the chances that I’d travel from Denver to Chicago, change planes, then travel from Chicago to Manchester, then go to a different terminal, sit down for breakfast, and then discover that sitting behind me is an English youth in a Denver Broncos jersey? Pretty good, it seems.
Today’s vocabulary lesson, part 3: “apple-pie bed” = short-sheeted bed, where the sheet is doubled over (like an apple turnover?) so that someone cannot lie full length under/inside of it.
Today’s vocabulary lesson, part 4: “dogging” = British slang for voyeuristic/exhibitionistic sexual activity. I’m not quite sure how it came up in conversation during dinner.

That is all.