I have heard Dean Shostak (one of your links) play the glass armonica in Williamsburg. It is a beautiful sounding instrument and he explains the history of it well.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:37 PM on December 23, 2006

I first met Leslie when we were on the same team in Cool-Site-of-the-Day's East vs West build a web site in a day contest back in 1997. Despite our best efforts, us East coast designers were beaten by the good team from the West.

I am very saddened to hear of her death. She was honest, direct, and sincere --just the way I like 'em.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:01 AM on December 13, 2006

My wife and I pronounce it "ant" but my 8 year old has decided she likes "ahnt." I think many of her friends use this pronunciation. So it's not just handed down from parent to child.

Sounds too pretentious to me.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:08 AM on May 30, 2005

I just saw a whole strip mall that was recently redone and every bit of signage was in Lithos. Remember how ubiquitous that typeface was when it came out?
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:27 AM on August 10, 2003

Washington Post: As Bush left Africa yesterday to return to Washington from a five-day trip overshadowed by the intelligence blunder, he was asked whether he considered the matter over. "I do," he replied.

We don't, Mr. President.

White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters yesterday that "the president has moved on. And I think, frankly, much of the country has moved on, as well."... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:04 AM on July 13, 2003

If you are in DC later this month or the beginning of July, be sure to come to the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival. One of the countries being highlighted is Mali.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 8:32 AM on June 10, 2003

There's a big difference between a federal agency and a QUASI-federal agency. Take it from me. Je suis le gouvernement quasi-fédéral!
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:21 AM on May 27, 2003

I live in a suburban school district. The NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND law allows students at schools with low test scores/high below-poverty levels to transfer to schools with higher test scores. Low scoring schools are matched with specific transfer schools.

Last year we had a meeting with the parents, teachers, and representatives of the school district to discuss this (my child attends one of these "low scoring" Title 1 schools). I concluded that this program... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:37 AM on May 23, 2003

Abba's Dancing Queen in Hindi is actually, uh, pretty good. It's the Song of the Week at work!
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:06 AM on April 8, 2003

Hey, I designed that site many years ago!! Thanks for the link. Hope you enjoyed the tour. Robert's work is really nice.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:39 AM on April 1, 2003

I was about to ask "is irony really dead??"

Then I saw all the entries (especially #23).
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 8:21 AM on March 4, 2003

Something similar happened to me. But he was not my twin. Just someone who looked VERY very like me. So much so that my students kept coming to him for their assignments and a woman got very mad at me at the checkout at Safeway when she said "How'ya doing Bruce?" And I told her I wasn't not Bruce.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 8:03 AM on March 4, 2003

By the way, what do you call the blog-ish things that produce original content (which are largely the most interesting, imho)? A lot of them are journal-like (or consist of some more elevated but still personal narrative type writing), but when it's punditry or creative writing, is it still a blog?


namespan, I think one would call it a site with good content. What else matters?
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:57 AM on February 27, 2003

It may be the 19th century where you live but it's the 1950s where I live.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:48 AM on February 27, 2003

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, home of some of the earliest smog alerts. Back then, they said that exposure to smog was actually good for you as it would build up your immunity.

Right.

And when I read stories like this I have to take in the greater context, that is, how this "report" will be used by polluters and governments to reduce clean air acts. Spewing chemicals into our air because it's cheaper to do so than creating... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:33 AM on February 27, 2003

I got a pedometer last year to see just how far I walk per day. Turns out it's about 10,600 give or take, which comes to about 5 miles/8 km a day. For this former L.A. "drive a block" boy, that's pretty good.

Took it to NYC to see just how far I do walk while in town. Always wondered. On a recent trip the longest was 9 miles/14.4 km.

Then it started to get conceptual: I walked 9,656 steps from my house in DC to my hotel in Austin, TX... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 4:50 PM on February 22, 2003

I put my personal demographics up for sale on eBay back in 1999. Back then, it was a new idea to sell something more ethereal than your grandmother's salt and pepper collection on eBay. But many have now done so, from selling all their possessions to auctioning off gallery space at Cal Arts.

So, the "surprise" value simply isn't as interesting these days. And, as everyone knows, new ideas come and go quickly on the net.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:16 AM on February 19, 2003

My father was part of the Skunkworks and worked on this plane. Although we only knew he was a Weight Engineer at Lockheed during his career (he measured parts of planes mathematically before they were built, to make sure they could take off). His penchant for secrecy fit his job very well.

When he died, I wanted to put a fitting tribute to him on his gravestone. I found an expression he would have used in his work and it is under his name on his stone.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:32 AM on February 15, 2003

Perhaps not, RokkitNite, but I don't think anyone can doubt urban culture's propensity for "not getting involved" when other human beings are in trouble.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:05 AM on February 15, 2003

Groovy, man.

...oh, and according to the quiz I'm only 43% hipster. Damn.

joedan, I'm "over the hill" and I scored a whopping 53%. Do you work for the federal government? -grin
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:24 AM on February 13, 2003

I've been a fan of TFOP for a couple years. Even named two of my blog categories after the show (is there any higher form of flattery?). The humor is suitable (and funny) for my children and hillarious for me.

Can't wait for the merchandise to start rolling in the stores! -g
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:28 AM on February 6, 2003

sebas, be proud and happy. TFOP would want it that way!
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:39 AM on February 6, 2003

One of my favorite hobbies is being the first to clap after a talk or performance.

When I was in my high school French class, we "applauded" by snapping our fingers. I thought, at the time, this was the French way of showing approval (silly me). It really was to keep the noise down in the school building.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:05 AM on February 4, 2003

Richie Valens went to my junior and senior high school (a bit before my time). He recorded one of the first "live" albums Live at Pacoima Jr. High. I got a copy on CD from Rhino (although i can't seem to find it on their site now).
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:54 AM on February 4, 2003

Regarding Mob Blogging, you might want to take a look at Howard Rheingold's book, Smart Mobs. He talks about the social ramifications of wireless networks.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:28 AM on February 3, 2003

Not posting photos with the article is one thing. Not making URLs hyperlinked *in the online article* is quite another.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:33 AM on January 3, 2003

Warhol: "The benefit of the DC area is that there's still room for new construction and the area has done a better job of realizing that there's a need for local infrastructure (like roads)."

You've got to be kidding. Yes, the DC area is growing and yes there is still land to be developed but one of our problems here is that building roads to that new construction isn't happening.

DC has the second most congested set... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:17 AM on December 28, 2002

I thought centering body text (and lots of it) was a nice touch. Form following function?

Marc seems to be winning the vote with a solid 25% at this moment.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:26 AM on December 27, 2002

Ever heard of irony?

A few years ago, we were told that irony was dead. I laughed. How could that be?

Now I can see that there may not be room, while traversing the public sphere, to be ironic. Things are coalescing into black and white, where every action and reaction is clear. No gray areas for interpretation. This, IMHO, is the real terror.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:11 AM on December 23, 2002

Why is it so hard to find out what platform it runs on (only Windows and installation comes on two floppies (??)?

And their Demo applet doesn't seem to be working right on IE for the Mac (but then I guess it wouldn't have to, huh).
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:41 AM on December 18, 2002

I was intrigued, being a former experimenter with the medium myself and a former photography teacher. But I agree with willnot. It's an interesting concept. But it's not necessary to try so hard. The beauty of photography is stating interesting points of view in the simpliest way.

Given the digital age I am jadded enough to wonder if his teeth were collaged in Photoshop. It's certainly possible with a pinhole camera and the depth of field is focused... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:45 AM on December 6, 2002

This is an example of why we online people advocate for the net! -grin
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:07 AM on December 6, 2002

Maryland is also one of those states. Sheesh. Coming from California, it's weird not to be able to buy wine in a grocery store. In Montgomery County, a bastion of liberal thoughts, liquor sales are HIGHLY regulated.

Retail outlets can only sell wine and beer in one of their stores. So, if we want wine from Trader Joe's, we have to go to Virginia (there are so many hoops a store must jump through to offer wine in one of its outlets, TJs decided it wasn't worth it to sell... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:42 AM on November 27, 2002

tpoh.org: "I never answer my phone."

May I add, at dinner time.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:40 AM on October 27, 2002

I can go to Yahoo, CBS, Fox or a kazillion other news sites and read it.

Some of us live in close proximity to these killings. If you want to discuss what it's like to live under these circumstances, maybe that's more appropriate MeFi material.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:52 AM on October 24, 2002

And, of course, if you want to get your news only from blogs, you might try Sniper Blog, which is MT powered to boot.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:10 AM on October 24, 2002

A co-worker of mine used to work for the federal prison system. She said that when/if the sniper was sent to prison he'd have a very bad time of it within the system. People who shoot at children are considered the lowest of the low in that subculture. Even rapists think as much.

So, maybe a life sentence would be a fate worse than death.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:10 AM on October 24, 2002

Since they were caught in Maryland, I think they would be tried there first.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:10 AM on October 24, 2002

In today's Washington Post, an article states this bombing was to Australia as 9/11 was to the US.

In both cases, a major event seems to have shattered a country's sense of security.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:29 AM on October 17, 2002

Well, that maybe it's not the best idea to post this kind of thing to Metafilter. Because 1) it's general news that's well-covered elsewhere, and 2) there's no end in sight.

I'd say that if we post new items that simply "report" of another shooting, I'd tend to agree with you. However, we are going through a process in this case, one that has a beginning and hopefully an ending. It's the process that is interesting and... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:48 AM on October 15, 2002

In part, I posted this link because I found his analysis interesting to a layman like myself. A lot of this wouldn't have occurred to me.

And, as long as I continue to keep my head down, I'm enjoying the process of speculation (despite the angst).
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:15 AM on October 12, 2002

Apparently, our Montgomery County police chief has a colorful past.

And, apparently, the shooter asked that his tarot message be kept out of the media. Even Daniel Shorr is having second thoughts (Real Audio) about the media's right to full disclosure.

I can't help but think of everyone living in that area of the country.

Thanks, littlegirlblue. Yeah. It's not much fun.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:53 AM on October 10, 2002

Hmmm, there are more boomers here than I thought. Bodes well.

Why did it seem like such a simpler place and time?

Kennedy Assasination 1 + MLK Assasination + Kennedy Assasination 2 + Vietnam War + Watergate... + 911 = loss of innocence.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 10:48 AM on October 1, 2002

Uh (scratching his head), maybe I'm looking at things askew, but I thought all of this was about content. Good, solid content, be it reporting, pov, or storytelling.

Our early 21st century culture tends to be in love with the next "it." When we stop debating the nature of the medium so much (I didn't say "stop" debating it as blogging will evolve and with it comes debate), then we'll know its entered the social... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 9:33 AM on September 4, 2002

I've used a Diana camera (a plastic toy camera) to make some nice images. Lots of light leaks make for some nice accidents. I've also used a Pentax 6x7 to make photographs (medium format: looks like a huge 35 mm SLR).

Just bought my first digital camera (Nikon 5700). My darkroom has been laying fallow for about 4 years. I'm looking forward to getting back to picture making.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 11:14 AM on August 7, 2002

Great parody from a very good writer! Congrats Chesh!
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 6:04 AM on July 26, 2002

I think there are two parts to good writing: the craft and the content. And it takes two different parts of my brain to work through each. There is an art to telling a story.

I started writing because, as an artist who has a full time job and a full time family, writing was relatively easy to fit into my limited time. And I found it could satisfy my needs to be creative.

I would agree that the more you write, the better you get. My... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:59 AM on July 21, 2002

I work right down the street and yesterday the neighborhood wafted with sounds of the James Bond theme as two Rolls Royces kept driving in and out. The huge red carpet was in place as everyone was practicing for this morning's ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Drop. Be discrete but pass it on.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 5:12 AM on July 19, 2002

Yeah, I noticed that too. Do you think they're funding any covert operations with admission revenue?
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 7:13 AM on July 19, 2002

Just walked over to the ribbon cutting. I just missed two repelling the side of the building and Chris Rock's 2 cents. Lots of media coverage from all over the world, from the looks of it.
posted to MetaFilter by Taken Outtacontext at 8:22 AM on July 19, 2002