only snow
"If on New Year's Day 2007, consumers turn on their TVs and see only snow, that could also be the end of many of our congressional careers." - Rep. Eliot Engel, Democrat, New York.
September 2002
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September 26, 2002
September 13, 2002
Big sticks
"I have one message, I think it's time for us as Americans to put down our big sticks and pick up our books and read about other people and read about what they believe before we jump to conclusions."
First ever smiley found
First ever smiley found?: "The original smiley, or emoticon, invented in 1982 by Scott Fahlman but subsequently lost, has been retrieved through the efforts of Microsoft researcher Mike Jones and facilities staff at Carnegie Mellon University... It has now been restored in all its glory here, and the full thread from whence it came can be viewed here."
On the Community Memory list, Brian Dear disagrees: "The Microsoft Research people are not correct. Smileys were already widely in use on the PLATO system a decade before the Scott Fahlman made his smiley proposal at CMU... On the PLATO system, emoticons were much richer -- made using multiple characters displayed on top of each other. It was possible to type, say, a single character, then press SHIFT-space (which moved the cursor exactly one space backwards), then type another character. The second would display on top of the first. You could keep doing this for multiple characters and create many different faces, beer glasses, martini glasses, all kinds of things. And people peppered their emails and notesfile (PLATO's newsgroups) postings with them all the time..."
September 12, 2002
Long-term consequences
"You know, you cannot exercise your powers to the point of humiliation for others. That is what the Western world -- not only the Americans, the Western world -- has to realize. Because they (the have-nots) are human beings too. There are long-term consequences if you don't look hard at the reality in 10 or 20 (or) 30 years from now... I do think that the Western world is getting too rich in relations to the poor world. And necessarily, we're looked upon as being arrogant, self-satisfied, greedy and with no limits. And the 11th of September is an occasion for me to realize it even more." Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien reflects on September 11th, but not all Canadians agree.
September 11, 2002
Today in History
In a book written in 1981, Ernest L. Martin claims that the famous Star of Bethlehem appeared in the sky on September 11th, 3 BC, thus placing the birth of religious leader Joshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) on this day. Martin's book is The Birth of Christ Recalculated.
The first demonstration of remote computing occurred on this day in 1940. George Stibitz, a scientist at Bell Labs, developed a digital calculator using dry cell batteries, metal strips from a tobacco can, and flashlight bulbs. His binary adding machine, called the Model I Complex Calculator, was used at Bell for the next nine years. Stibitz demonstrated the machine to the American Mathematical Association at Dartmouth College. He asked mathematicians to propose problems, which he transmitted to the computer in New York via a teleprinter. The answers returned over the telephone line hookup within a minute.
Despite Arab protests, a British mandate was proclaimed in Palestine on September 11th, 1922. The mandate came into effect at the end of September 1922.
The Mountain Meadows Massacre took place on September 11th, 1858, in Utah, forever changing the political landscape of the area. Almost a decade after the start of the California Gold Rush, people poured westward in ever-increasing numbers. Many cut southwest through Utah, much to the displeasure of the secluded Mormons living there. It came to a head when a wagon train from Missouri was denied the opportunity to purchase supplies in Salt Lake City and was told to exit the territory as quickly as possible. The Missourians reportedly taunted the locals and recalled how the Mormons had been run out of their state. In responce, a group of Mormon farmers and some friendly Paiute Indians caught up to the wagon train and slaughtered over 100 unarmed men, women and children. The raid caused an outrage and the U.S. government did indeed move in. The leader of the raid was hanged, but to the very end, insisted that he had been ordered into action by Brigham Young himself.
Construction of the Pentagon officially began on September 11th, 1941. The building was created in the midst of the Second World War to provide a temporary solution to the War Department�s shortage of office space.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the first head of state for Pakistan, died in Karachi on September 11th, 1948. Jinnah is still called "The Great Leader" and "Father of the Nation." Born on Christmas Day, 1876, he was schooled in London and later returned to build the nation of Pakistan. Jinnah, a Muslim, was a strong advocate for Muslim-Hindu unity.
Richard Melville Hall, better known as Moby, was born on September 11th, 1965. Happy birthday, man.
On September 11th, 1973, Chilean President Salvador Allende was killed in a violent military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet with the active support of the United States government. Allende was a socialist who was elected president in a free and democratic election. This didn't sit well with the CIA or their partner, Coca-Cola, so for three years, the U.S. worked to undermine Allende's government. Official reports stated that Allende committed suicide as forces led by Pinochet advanced on La Moneda, the fortress-like presidential palace in Santiago. Unofficial reports claim that Allende's body had dozens of bullet wounds in it, meaning that during his suicide, he would have had to pause several times to reload.
On September 11th, 1990, then U.S. President George Bush addressed Congress on the Persian Gulf crisis, vowing that "Sadam Hussein will fail" in his takeover of Kuwait.
Independent counsel Kenneth Starr's investigation into President Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky was released on the Web on September 11th, 1998. The posting of the report was viewed as a landmark event for the Web and focused attention on the Internet as a mass communication medium. Some three- to five thousand users per minute tried to access the report throughout the day, with many finding the site too heavily trafficked to get on at all.
Occupation: Cab Driver/Net Artist
Occupation: Cab Driver/Net Artist - Web interfaces have been used to control real world objects like robots, and real world gallery environments have been used to manipulate web sites. But never have London taxi cab drivers been involved... until now! 'Taxi Art' is a web site that receives real-time input from GPS tracking devices placed in taxis operating throughout London. Visit the site, select up to 4 drivers (you can even view their photos), choose your type of output (shapes, lines, etc.), and then watch as the cabs 'draw' your artwork. Rear view mirror air freshener not included.
September 9, 2002
Sept. 11 Families Criticize Bush on Civil Rights
Yahoo! News - Sept. 11 Families Criticize Bush on Civil Rights: "Stephen Push, head of the Sept. 11 Homeland Security Alliance, gave the Bush administration a "C-" grade on a report card in urging the government to temper military gusto with fair treatment of those placed under arrest... Push said he did not believe suspended judicial rights -- such as denying terrorist suspects access to a lawyer or expeditious trial -- were needed or desirable."
September 6, 2002
Sony Sheds Light on Fully-Networked PlayStation 3
Sony Sheds Light on Fully-Networked PlayStation 3: "Sony, which has continued to paint convergence as the grail of the consumer electronics industry, has shed a bit of light on the future PlayStation 3 game console, a fully-networked device that could be capable of delivering as much processing power as a supercomputer by dividing tasks among networked machines ... Reuters Friday reported that a Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) spokesperson said the company is not thinking about hardware when it comes to the next-generation console. Instead, he said, the ideal solution would involve an operating system common to various home appliances, allowing them to run game programs."
Greece makes computer games illegal
In Greece, use a Game Boy, go to jail: "The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country, including those that run on home computers, on Game Boy-style portable consoles, and on mobile phones. Thousands of tourists in Greece are unknowingly facing heavy fines or long terms in prison for owning mobile phones or portable video games." Yes, this is real.
The Small Matter of Our Humanity
Simon Cooper, Arena Magazina - The Small Matter of Our Humanity: "Often enough we find that attempts to grapple with 'posthuman' - technologies such as cloning, genetic engineering, personality-altering drugs - tend to avoid the ethical question altogether. At the moment it is still possible to remain sceptical about whether science can actually deliver its promise of human cloning and miracle cures. Alternatively, one can claim that bio-technologies simply continue the Enlightenment project of progress through knowledge and are thus inherently ethical. And while the attempt to patent the human genome project, the DNA of Icelanders, or rice in India is enough to remind us that the growth of knowledge is not always beneficial, it is easy enough to make someone else sound less ethical than you by asking them whether they really want to prevent people overcoming diseases/living longer/having children and so on."
99.9% of Websites Are Obsolete
A new article by Web guru Jeffrey Zeldman suggests that "99.9% of all websites are obsolete" because they were not created using the most recent Web stadards such as CSS2, HTML 4, and XHTML.
While I'm very supportive of open standards for the Internet, people will switch to 100% XHTML/CSS when it is advantageous to do so and not before. Adaptation of new technology is not driven simply by ideology but by practicalities as well. If there are not clear advantages to XML, XHTML, and CSS over old HTML then people will not use the newer tech.
I have a particular problem: I'm leading a team that is creating a Web site for international development researchers. Our site needs to be compatible not just with the latest Web browsers, but with old (sometimes very old) Web browsers in very many southern countries all around the world. It would actually be silly for us to suggest to someone in rural Kenya using expensive dial-up access to download and upgrade to IE6 so that our pages will be legible to them. Instead, I'm going to use CSS for text formatting (which degrades fine) and tables for layout.
September 4, 2002
Hack attacks
From the BBC: "The number of hacker attacks was up to 5,830 in August -- the highest monthly number to date. Security firm mi2g, which reported the findings, sees the rise as a trend that will continue, and predicted that 2002 could have as many as 45,000 total hack attacks worldwide. DK Matai, chairman of mi2g, told the BBC that the chaos in cyberspace could worsen if the U.S. invades Iraq, as the western world may encounter a barrage of counterattacks from Arab, Islamic fundamentalist and anti-American sects." Okay, so what is a "hack attack"? Does port-scanning count?
September 3, 2002
China blocks Google
China has blocked access to popular U.S. Internet search engine Google amid government calls to tighten media controls ahead of a major Communist Party congress.
The emergence of the netizen - 1992/1993 - 2002/2003
In 1992 Michael Hauben coined the term netizen to refer to "people who care about Usenet and the bigger Net and work towards building the cooperative and collective nature which benefits the larger world." Ten years later his partner Ronda Hauben would like to document the further development and application of the concept of netizen, and of the vision of the future of the net. They are seeking seeking submissions, including articles, poems, cartoons, stories, plays etc. that develop or explore the concept of netizen. Hauben died in 2001.
MOST PATRIOTIC THEME PARK
"It's the MOST PATRIOTIC THEME PARK in America! Due to the overwhelming public demand, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey have decided to use the site of the World Trade Center for America's number one theme park, Twin Towers over Ground Zero™! Expected attendance for the first two weeks alone is estimated at 100,000 people!"
September 2, 2002
The New Rationalism
The New Rationalism: "Good article in Cre@te Online... It's an interview with Bill Moggridge of IDEO -- genuine design legend, and the man who coined the phrase 'interaction design' ...Moggridge noted that the aesthetics recede as behaviour becomes more important -- that behaviour is the aspect people actually engage with."
September 1, 2002
When 'Director's Cut' Is a Contradiction in Terms
Rock On? Yeah, in Chairs
"We were about to see the legendary Rolling Stones, the greatest rock band of all time. The lights went out. We heard the distinct hiss of smoke pots, and then a pop. Fire spurted on either side of the stage. The lights blew on in full glare, and there he was. Mick Jagger! In spangled pants! Singing! Look, there was Keith Richards, playing guitar! And the other guys! For two minutes, I found myself thoroughly entertained. For 10 minutes, I was at least amused. But my heart gradually chilled as I realized what I had really paid for -- a two-hour set of golden oldies, accompanied by flaccid pyrotechnics. The Stones trudged mechanically through the horrible songs from their horrible ''Steel Wheels'' album. They played their greatest hits, just like on the radio, only with worse backup singers. I stopped cheering. Then I stopped applauding. I didn't say it that night, but I knew the hard truth. The Stones were boring." Rock On? Yeah, in Chairs: Neal Pollack for the New York Times.
