Category: observations

now with WordPress 2.5

the auto-updating plugin manager doesn’t without typing in a lot stuff (like the ftp URI of the updates)…. well formed XML/an RSS feed seems like a logical way to handle and not all plugins work and likely won’t until I feel like upgrading them by hand as well.

Coulda been a seamless upgrade if I had been more awake. But it seems to work.

Quibbles:

  • the design UI doesn’t really know what theme you have selected.
  • the auto-updating plugin manager doesn’t without typing in a lot stuff (like the ftp URI of the updates). seems to be a well thought-out plugin manager/registry would have all that information. well formed XML/an RSS feed seems like a logical way to handle it d’oh, looks like it actually wants an inbound ftp connection. Hmm, that’s actually worse. Why not fetch it over http?
  • and not all plugins work and likely won’t until I feel like upgrading them by hand as well.

I wondered about this too

It recently occurred to me, though, that I have no idea what the energy usage or environmental impact of keeping a pound of strawberries frozen for a year, as compared to shipping them fresh from Mexico in February, is…. Similarly, those bagged salads look convenient, but they have kept at a constant temperature of 34° from picking, through trimming and prep and packaged, to shipping and storage.


On the other hand, we buy frozen berries all the time, and this seems perfectly reasonable to me. Pick it when it’s ripe, and freeze it — it won’t be fresh, but at least it’ll have some flavor. It recently occurred to me, though, that I have no idea what the energy usage or environmental impact of keeping a pound of strawberries frozen for a year, as compared to shipping them fresh from Mexico in February, is. It seems perfectly possible that I’m pluming myself on eating low-impact, while actually doing more environmental damage. Anyone have any idea how the math works out on this one?
[From Unfogged]

The same question applies to seafood and fish. I suspected the frozen variety has lower costs that the out of season tran-shipped version, with the added benefit of better taste and texture. Similarly, those bagged salads look convenient, but they have kept at a constant temperature of 34° from picking, through trimming and prep and packaged, to shipping and storage. Better to buy whole heads and trim: compost the trimmings.

hey, why’s it gone all dark?

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.
[From Google]

We observed it here in Seattle. Even the big light towers at our local sports park went off at the stroke of 8. It was interesting to sit around by candlelight . . . .

nicely put

I could have used this when the CEO of my last tech company openly complained that the lack of a calendaring system was “killing the company.” Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings– they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

I could have used this when the CEO of my last tech company openly complained that the lack of a calendaring system was “killing the company.”

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings– they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

[From The Disavowed]

news flash: speed traps aren’t about safety

If you ever need an example to demonstrate that security is a function of agenda, use this story about speed cameras…. [From Speeding Tickets and Agenda ] As for the proposed solution, it depends on the problem you’re trying to solve.

Slightly off target: this is actually an example of law enforcement as a function of revenue.

If you ever need an example to demonstrate that security is a function of agenda, use this story about speed cameras. Cities that have installed speed cameras are discovering motorists are driving slower, which is decreasing revenues from fines. So they’re turning the cameras off.

Perhaps a better solution would be to raise the fines to the remaining speeders to make up for the lost revenue?

[From Speeding Tickets and Agenda]

As for the proposed solution, it depends on the problem you’re trying to solve. If you’re trying to pull in revenue, that dictates one approach. If you’re after safety, that suggests another.

More wisdom from Ike

He may not have been one the greatest occupants of the White House, but he knew a few things about the human condition. “When you are in any contest you should work as if there were – to the very last minute – a chance to lose it.”

He may not have been one the greatest occupants of the White House, but he knew a few things about the human condition.


“When you are in any contest you should work as if there were – to the very last minute – a chance to lose it.”

[From Dwight D. Eisenhower]

threatened tribalism

This racist energy had for a long time been at least partly directed towards “the Communists” but now that it isn’t it is pretty much clear that Islam is now the designated nigger. [From One of Instapundit’s favorite blogs speaks on race – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com ] Movement conservatism has always needed an Other to focus it’s adherents’ minds on. Communists, liberals, muslims, it’s always changing.

One of Glenn Greenwald’s commenters gets to the bottom of it:

Don’t be fooled into thinking that this applies only to African-Americans. The sense of threatened tribalism is at the root of movement conservatism, and always has been.
[…]
Take almost any one of their “thoughtful” screeds about Islam and do a global search/replace from “Islam” to “niggers” and the text becomes instantly recognizable. This racist energy had for a long time been at least partly directed towards “the Communists” but now that it isn’t it is pretty much clear that Islam is now the designated nigger.
[From One of Instapundit’s favorite blogs speaks on race – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com]

Movement conservatism has always needed an Other to focus it’s adherents’ minds on. Communists, liberals, muslims, it’s always changing. “Standing athwart history and shouting stop” is about right: never thinking, never examining, only standing in the flow and hoping to turn it back.

does anyone not know this?

“The 15-to-25 age group, they’re not actually that concerned about ownership as such,” said Omnifone’s Lewis. “What they’re interested in is downloading something, trying it, discarding it, sending somebody a playlist, receiving a playlist — essentially the process of exploring music and improving their musical taste.”

I don’t the kids of today are the completists we were in my day: some are, but not many.

“The 15-to-25 age group, they’re not actually that concerned about ownership as such,” said Omnifone’s Lewis. “What they’re interested in is downloading something, trying it, discarding it, sending somebody a playlist, receiving a playlist — essentially the process of exploring music and improving their musical taste.”

[From Celestial Jukebox Arrives, But Is It Any Good? ]