A Bit Techy

John's Tumblr: Steve Jobs

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:48:48 -0400

Like many of us, I’ve been thinking a lot about Steve Jobs the last few days — thinking about the man and his legacy. I’ve been having some trouble even understanding the way I feel, let alone being able to put it into words. Lots of folks have asked me what I think, and have been surprised that I…

"You wanna add another candidate? It’s like the Republican primary is like a season of American Idol..."

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:40:27 -0400

“

You wanna add another candidate? It’s like the Republican primary is like a season of American Idol in reverse, where every week, you just add another idiot. …First you guys wanted (Michele) Bachmann, then (Rick) Perry — now (Chris) Christie? You know what, Republican base? Meet me at camera three!

(To camera three.) Have you ever considered the possibility that maybe your candidates aren’t the problem — maybe it’s you? You’re hard to please or figure out! You’re unrealistic! I mean, you’re pro-life, yet — (rolls tape of GOP members applauding Texas’s death penalty) — what was that? You’re afraid of ‘death panels,’ yet for uninsured coma patients — (rolls tape of GOP members shouting ‘YEAH!!!’ when Ron Paul was asked if a patient without health insurance should be allowed to die) — that’s the crowd: ‘YEAH!!!’ You guys ‘support the troops’ — well except for Captain Creatine over here (rolls tape of gay U.S. Army soldier who asked GOP candidates if they’d repeal DADT — and was booed by GOP debate crowd).

It’s like the Republican base is at war with its own talking points: ‘I want someone who’s gonna cut taxes — and balance the budget! Someone who’s a skilled orator — that doesn’t talk all fancy! The child of poor immigrants — who will build a fence to keep them out of this country! Someone who’s strong enough for a man — but Ph-balanced for a woman!

…It’s like your ideal candidate is a rare, super-heavy element that can only exist in a particular particle accelerator. And even then, only for a fraction of a second. Before you all remember how much you hate science.

You guys need to take a long, hard look in the mirror, and not come away thinking ‘Hey, there’s something wrong with this mirror.’

”

- JON STEWART, on media-fed rumors that New Jersey governor Chris Christie may enter the GOP presidential race — as well as the hypocritical sentiments of the Republican party — on The Daily Show (via kerishma)

loridorn: At what point does the need for security eclipse...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:58:54 -0400

loridorn:

At what point does the need for security eclipse human dignity and compassion?

Yesterday I went through the imaging scanner at JFK Terminal 4 for my Virgin America flight to San Francisco. Evidently they found something, because after the scan, I was asked to step aside to have my breast area examined. I explained to the agent that I was a breast cancer patient and had a bilateral mastectomy in April and had tissue expanders put in to make way for reconstruction at a later date.

I told her that I was not comfortable with having my breasts touched and that I had a card in my wallet that explains the type of expanders, serial numbers and my doctor’s information (pictured) and asked to retrieve it. This request was denied. Instead, she called over a female supervisor who told me the exam had to take place. I was again told that I could not retrieve the card and needed to submit to a physical exam in order to be cleared. She then said, “And if we don’t clear you, you don’t fly” loud enough for other passengers to hear. And they did. And they stared at the bald woman being yelled at by a TSA Supervisor.

To my further dismay, my belongings, including my computer, were completely out of sight. I had no choice but to allow an agent to touch my breasts in front of other passengers.

I just didn’t understand why these agents were so insensitive to the situation. I would have been happy to show her which bag was mine and have her retrieve the card, but she did not allow even that. I have been through emotional and physical hell this past year due to breast cancer. The way I was treated by these TSA agents added a shitload of insult to injury and caused me a great deal of humiliation.

I understand the need for safety when flying, but there is also a need for those responsible to be compassionate and sensitive to each situation. These agents were neither.

I can only comfort myself with the fact that Karma is always circular.

UPDATE: Laughing Squid has a round-up of media coverage on this story.

Jim Rohn - He Always Said It Best.

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:05:00 -0400

Don’t wish it was easier; wish you were better.
Don’t wish for less problems; wish for more skills.
Don’t wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:05:00 -0400

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

This is the quote that should be inscribed on the Martin Luther King memorial, not a paraphrased quote that the memorial organizers made up.

Stowe Boyd: The Rise Of Ronin and The Liquid Economy

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 08:43:00 -0400

Stowe Boyd: The Rise Of Ronin and The Liquid Economy:

stoweboyd:

Sara Horowitz, the founder of the Freelancers Union (through which I get my health insurance, by the way), makes the case that we are moving into a new US economy where rōnin (or freelancers) are becoming a significant force:

Sara Horowitz, The Freelance Surge Is the Industrial Revolution of…

"Once it’s in place, though, the Webb [Space Telescope] is quite literally expected to unlock a..."

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:46:39 -0400

“

Once it’s in place, though, the Webb [Space Telescope] is quite literally expected to unlock a universe of discoveries. Positioned so far from the Earth and shielded from outside infrared interference, the telescope will be able to see things the Hubble never could. Chief among them: seeing back in time. Since light only travels so fast, the further you look out, the further you look back. The Webb is expected to be able to peer into some of the universe’s earliest moments, before even stars existed. This could give insight into how the cosmos came into being.

On top of that, the Webb is going to be looking at how the first galaxies were formed. From observations from Hubble and other telescopes, we know know most galaxies have huge black holes at their centers, but questions remain about how this symbiotic pairing of black holes and stars emerges. The answer likely has to do with “dark matter,” the term for the missing matter in the universe that scientists can observe the gravitational effects of, but can’t see directly. By looking into the formation of galaxies, the Webb may unlock the secrets of this mysterious substance.

Finally, the Webb may help answer the question of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe. The telescope will be able to see better than ever before planets in other star systems and more importantly—which ones have water. A planet with large amounts of water is a prime candidate for life, and the Webb could point us right to them.

”

- What We Could Lose if the James Webb Telescope Is Killed (via crookedindifference)

laughingsquid: Practical Storage System Hidden Understairs

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 19:00:16 -0400

laughingsquid:

Practical Storage System Hidden Understairs

chels: mellifluous-ephemera: This is...

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:37:41 -0400

chels:

mellifluous-ephemera:

This is fantastic.

wilwheaton:

In May of this year, Pixar animator Austin Madison kindly hand-wrote the following open letter to aspiring artists, in a bid to inspire them through times of creative drought. It’s a lovely, eloquent letter, and in fact contains advice valuable to people in many a creative field. It was written as a contribution to the Animator Letters Project, an admirable effort by aspiring animator Willie Downs — mentioned on Letters of Note previously — to collate letters of advice for fellow would-be animators, penned by those who have managed to break into the industry. Although only a few letters strong at present, it’s a fantastic idea with great potential. (via Letters of Note: PERSIST)

In a word: PERSIST. This is so heartening. I was just talking with a friend about creativity and that 3% of the time, and how to get more of it. Here’s how.

Matt Richman: A Consequence of Losing the PC Wars

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 21:01:48 -0400

Matt Richman: A Consequence of Losing the PC Wars:

mattrichman:

Apple brought in $4.976 billion in revenue from the sale of 3.76 million Macs last quarter. Divide the $4.976 billion in revenue by 3.76 million Macs and you get an average selling price of $1,323.40.

A June 1st research note from Peter Misek of Jefferies & Company pegged Mac gross margins at…

Google+

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:24:48 -0400

Trying out the Google+ beta. Nice site. Very few users obviously but it looks like it could become a good alternative to FB.

laughingsquid: Google opens up, then closes Google+ invites due...

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 13:19:52 -0400

laughingsquid:

Google opens up, then closes Google+ invites due to “insane demand”

Bank of America Will Make Amends for Destroying Economy by Paying Billions to Other Banks

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 21:29:59 -0400

Bank of America Will Make Amends for Destroying Economy by Paying Billions to Other Banks:

Bring on the fees! Bank of America hurt their customers — and everyone else — by damaging the economy. Now they can charge their customers fees to pay off settlements like this.

"One of the challenges of a small business and probably one of the most important is saying “no”...."

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 18:40:00 -0400

“

One of the challenges of a small business and probably one of the most important is saying “no”. Saying “no” to potential clients. Saying “no” to ideas. Saying no to features. Saying “no” to growth. Saying “no” to scaling back. Saying “no” to low prices. Saying “no” to high prices. Saying “no” to distractions. Saying “no” when it just doesn’t feel right. Now don’t get me wrong. Almost every time we have said “no” we have done what we could to make sure the interaction was beneficial. And more times than not, everybody has been more grateful for us being honest upfront rather than wasting something even more valuable - time.

But there are just many times when it is necessary to say “no” and it is often times hard. Fear and guilt are two very powerful motivators to saying “yes” that you have to watch out for. Being a small company, you constantly are faced with keeping things afloat. And the pressure of keeping the work coming can cause you to squeak out the word “yes” even though you know deep down that it probably wasn’t right.

We have over the three years of being in business said “no” to a lot more opportunities than we ever said “yes” to. I am ever so grateful that we have. It allowed us to stay focused on our initial clients. It allowed us to sharpen our skills. It allowed us to start growing our company in a way that felt right. Because ultimately, what you choose to do defines you and shapes your future.

”

- - Garrett Ross, Saying No

And, what you decide not to do defines you and shapes your future, more so than indiscriminately saying yes.

(via underpaidgenius)

alanvanroemburg: Time for some admin work.

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:56:49 -0400

alanvanroemburg:

Time for some admin work.

Passwords & Internet Security

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:37:00 -0400

An unused blog account I had was hacked because I used a very weak password. My browser warned me that hackers turned it into a phishing site so I deleted it. This is a new one.

There are stories in the news about this kind of thing daily; some of these guys are pretty adept at emptying bank accounts and causing people all sorts of online havoc. Protect your accounts!

don’t use the same password on multiple sites
use strong passwords with numbers, capital letters and randomize it - nothing easy or guessable
change them often
keep Adobe Flash and your browser updated
never never store passwords in your Yahoo or Gmail account

The password I used for the blog account I deleted was one that I used to use on a whole bunch of sites (for years) but fortunately it’s the last account that I used it for. Now I use different passwords for different sites every time.

I get it - we all have about 30 website passwords to remember. Anyone who is active online does, but using the same one repeatedly is a terrible idea. Buy a password manager like 1Password or something similar to keep track of them.

They had me at scratch & sniff packaging

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:00:00 -0400

New York Times: Schick Uses Scent to Give Men’s Razor a Competitive Edge

Defying conventional wisdom that men would reject scented razors, Schick is selling what it says is the first men’s scented razor, the Xtreme3 Refresh.