Austin will never be quite the same without you, Molly... thanks for reminding me to laugh at it all -- most especially in (these) times of despair.

.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 8:19 PM on January 31, 2007

. (!!!)
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 3:47 PM on December 16, 2005

Reminds me of the Coincidence Design stunt.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:47 AM on November 12, 2005

. :-(
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:57 PM on October 7, 2005

!
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:03 PM on May 3, 2005

The real problem is that time zones are decided by states when they should really just be decided by lattitude.

Surely, you meant longitude. And good luck with that.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 2:52 PM on April 29, 2005

.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 8:09 AM on October 11, 2004

What inpHilltr8r said. Even our ole human eyeballs are much better at perceiving luminance (black and white) than we are at chrominance (colors). Today's CCDs are not much different.

This article is worth a read: Digital Secrets: How Spirit Makes Great Photos

It's good to have some debate on this: Since most other astrophotography is colored by applying filters, I trust that there's always going to be a bit of professional judgment at work,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 7:15 AM on January 19, 2004

Intramural squads don't appear to qualify for this list, but I'd bet the Fightin' Whities would be happy to sell you a T-shirt regardless. And keep their scholarship fund climbing. (I've got no affiliation -- just heard their story a while back.)
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 7:16 PM on August 4, 2003

Hmm, another commodity added to the easyEmpire... I wonder how many more services he'll continue to tuck into his little orange portfolio.

I have mixed emotions about franchised discounting. I'll readily admit that I appreciated the easyJet flight schedule and the easy-to-find easyInternetcafes when I visited the UK last year ... but on this side of the pond, I'm getting really frustrated by the aggressive expansion of big-box blandness every time Wal-Mart, Home Depot,... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 12:12 AM on May 27, 2003

Good post, Miguel -- this is indeed a wonderful labor-of-love site that's been around since the dawn of the blogosphere. (The "Housewife" is, of course, more grrrl-metaphor than literal pronoun, but that doesn't ruin the fun...)

Nikol's "Welcome to My Neurosis" column is a highly personal journal that frequently hits it smack on the nose. The entries are infrequent these days, but try starting with some of her entries from 1999-2000 for impressive... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 3:58 PM on May 17, 2003

Oops, wrong "Neurosis" link. The column
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 4:00 PM on May 17, 2003

If you're willing to travel, consider GeekCorps. They plan 1-4 month placements in "emerging nations" [magazine interview]. Haven't applied yet myself, but I suspect this kind of volunteer post could be a highly life-rewarding experience.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:42 PM on May 13, 2003

While you're outfitting the blue jay way, make sure to pick up Jason Falkner's Bedtime with The Beatles (choice of blue or pink cover, natch) and give the li'l tyke a soundtrack to boot.

Not for everyone, but it beats bared-midriff teenster pop any day.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 8:17 PM on February 4, 2003

y2karl: Three members on ISS: Expedition Six crew (Google cache). No word yet on how this will affect them; a Russian cargo ship was to dock on Tuesday to bring supplies.

A sad day for spaceflight.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 7:22 AM on February 1, 2003

Matteo: Hadn't ever heard of Gawker (got my tip from BBC World on the AM telly), but I appreciate the link, esp leading to the NYTimes article.

Lisa G: Right on. Gaudi's rocket is shocking at first glance, but I have to agree that it's much more compelling than the ones commissioned by the LMDC so far.

Gawker points to a Salon piece about a new short by Richard Linklater. It sounds like he's found an even better idea from the wondrous... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:49 AM on January 22, 2003

Lots of chaff, but hearty wheat among the mix... If you enjoy coppin' other people's photos, PBase
and Fotki are two good photo-sharing sites to browse away an afternoon.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:20 AM on January 20, 2003

Somewhat closer-up overhead shots of AMARC can also be found in Baraka (1992) -- which should be required viewing for MeFites. (Baraka is a must-see on the big screen in its original 70mm format, but the DVD is a decent substitute. Go rent it, really.)
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:42 PM on January 6, 2003

The theater experience is losing some audience segments because of many things, not just DVD. Our attention budget is divided among many entertainment choices these days, such as too-many-cable-TV-channels and, er, weblogs.

Maybe I'm just getting old(er), but I'm frustrated with the ways cinemas disrespect their customers who put down $8+ for a ticket... they're losing my business because they've lost control of the filmgoing environment.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 3:23 PM on October 22, 2002

It's a fun work, but I think Dave Shulman's "Gateway to Heaven" diagram is more clever(erer), in a fluxus kind of way. [click on "Enlarge Image" to see it]

Shulman's style appears to be circa Seventies, but must be more recent ("SUV," "HMO," "soy milk"). Sorry, no ALT tag...
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 4:04 PM on September 17, 2002

Following these, Lee Greenwood's anthem "God Bless the USA" started to blare and by that point I felt so isolated I had to leave the vigil.

I had come to honor the memory of those killed, and honor those who risk their lives protecting us -- I'm one-degree from a firefighter who died at WTC -- and I simply couldn't accept how the podium was being used.

By contrast, the minister at the firefighter's memorial service that morning gave a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 7:45 AM on September 12, 2002

Thanks, Raya, for bringing this back around: I have no quarrel with believers of Christianity or other theisms, including atheism. I consider myself quite tolerant and therefore flexible on this -- perhaps moreso than some here, I'm even willing to accept a (small) amount of theism at events as part of human, or more correctly, societal nature.

My unease last night was largely due to the extent of the messaging, and its inappropriate... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 3:08 PM on September 12, 2002

Wulf: I was looking for opinions and I'm glad to have gotten healthy debate out of it. I respectfully dissent with the notion that government is 100% right as long as it acts in the will of the majority sect or faction.

As a member of a minority, I've felt these feelings as long as I can remember, at least back since Boy Scouts. I've long ago learned to accept that I will be occasionally be uncomfortable in a society of 'predominant Christian belief'.... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 4:40 PM on September 12, 2002

Please, f&m, cut it out. You're missing the point -- this has nothing to do with Christian theology.

Wulf: We're still apart, but I respect your stance. Here's hoping that new legislation is unnecessary -- but increasing public consideration of non-majority beliefs wouldn't hurt us as a nation, on many different fronts.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:33 PM on September 12, 2002

Little 'd' or Big 'D'? ;-)
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:45 PM on September 12, 2002

While we're celebrating the good doctor's work, let me confirm that the Cosmos DVD set is awesome: it includes "science update" segments he recorded around 1990, and a subtitle track adds more-recent updates, too, e.g. Mars Pathfinder.

While I never quite became a scientist, Sagan's lucid analogies on heavy topics greatly affected my thinking at 9 years old. I'll never be able to forget how a Vespa scooter zooming through a charming Italian town acted as a... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 4:53 PM on September 9, 2002

This is one case where the Web truly does an injustice to the work. Run, don't walk, to pick up a print copy of The Journey is the Destination to really appreciate the astounding, life-affirming and tragic stories told by Dan Eldon's unique use of image and design. For me, this book raised the "art of seeing" to its highest possible point.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:31 PM on May 22, 2002

A sad event for TiVo fans; RB's liaisoning will be missed, whatever the reasons.

The AVS TiVo community has become one of those amazing product terrariums where:
- company reps walk and talk (mostly) free among us regular joes
- risk-takers can freelance as QA testers
- curious onlookers can arm themselves with unfiltered pre-sales data
- customers freely input usability metrics and feature prioritizations
-... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 4:31 PM on May 13, 2002

Clango: What, are you nuts? OK soda tasted like liquefied moldy tangerines. Nifty ads, baaaad product.

Couldn't find a good site, but somewhere there ought to be a tribute to short-lived Pepsi products such as:
Pepsi Free
Pepsi Light
Crystal Pepsi
Pepsi Max
Pepsi XL

I slightly miss 7Up Gold. Now that was something -- spicy, hurt-yer-throat kinda swill -- at least, as far as sugared... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 10:21 AM on May 9, 2002

Reminds me of another riot... when Indiana was on the winning side.

I've never been to Bloomington, but having once spent four years in Syracuse, I can understand -- though certainly not condone or even sympathize -- that fans in otherwise sleepy, big-college towns can get frenzied when the local boys come home empty.

What I don't understand is how our society has placed so much value on sports events as to provoke such... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:40 AM on April 3, 2002

Having multiple monitors is a blast, enough so that I'm willing to put up with occasional quirkiness. I'd gotten really used to "dual-head" systems at work, so I recently bit the bullet to equip my home system with:

- one (large) screen for "active work" (design & development)
- one screen for "distractions" (web, PDFs)
- one screen for "communications" (email, IM)

I... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 3:18 PM on March 21, 2002

Music Has The Right... was awesome. I hope I don't get let down, Radiohead-post-OK-Computer-style.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 3:35 PM on January 14, 2002

Not bad, spec-wise. Decent value, esp when loaded with the SuperDrive. iPhoto might be the best new intro today, though.

However, I'd prefer to get my hands on a JVC Videosphere. Now *that* was cool ... in 1970.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 11:30 AM on January 7, 2002

Q. I am female and would like you to design a coincidence with a male subject. Can you do it?
A. No, sorry. The male-female dynamic doesn't work that way.

Haaa haa haaaaaaa!
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 12:35 PM on December 14, 2001

Ah, then, George'd keep good company with (Alan, Allen) Allan Smithee.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 10:41 AM on December 11, 2001

Have to agree. I can't count the times I've earnestly *tried* to use RealPlayer but quit in frustration trying to turn off all the ad-channels/spyware/registry settings.

Shame on them: Progressive Networks originally started out with a good product, and probably good intents. Looking now at how cluttered their product has become I have to wonder... geez, guys, could you not have restrained your Marketing & Sales staff a bit?

I won't be... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:02 PM on December 5, 2001

If memory serves, there are plenty of Lego films out there.

(Off-topic: I don't think anyone's mentioned the Lego Desk project previously.)
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 4:39 AM on December 5, 2001

It's not cheap by any means -- entry is $700 for a 10Gb model -- but the RioCar (formerly Empeg) has been my favorite travelling companion over the past 14mos.

I've since added a second 2.5" HD to bring it to 48Gb and it's about the most amazing appliance I've ever owned: *All* my music -- sortable, searchable, luggable, with Serial/USB/Ethernet for transferring audio. Available in the car or at my desk, with a great UI and quite capable software for managing... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 9:17 AM on November 27, 2001

Congrats, Zachs and others. I agree that the motivation can sometimes be tough to find. I usually early-vote, so I nearly missed this one altogether myself. It took me longer to park than to vote this morning.

I'm repeatedly surprised at how painless it is to catch up with the issues (thanks, League of Women Voters), skim through the alternaweekly for perspective, then check off each box after brief introspection. I always feel better for going... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 2:48 PM on November 6, 2001

NEST is referenced in the now-nearly-forgotten Cold War movie Special Bulletin, directed by Ed Zwick. Made for TV circa 1983, daringly filmed in a War of the Worlds style that I doubt would be allowed today. Highly recommended, so I won't give away the ending...

Yep, there are many possible scenarios in our common future -- and the nuclear ones are definitely not very pleasant. Still too early to gauge the risk of local-nuclear attacks, but it seems likely to be... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 2:08 PM on November 6, 2001

Another pic with Dabney Coleman, from the same year as 9-to-5:

How to Beat the High Cost of Living

Not an "office" film per se, but still a fun comedy about surviving the dollar chase.
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 11:36 AM on November 2, 2001

"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career.

I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed.

You know, as a career, I don't want to do that." - Lloyd Dobler
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 5:05 PM on November 2, 2001

Some of my favorites:
- The Mad Scientists' Club (and New Adventures Of) by Bertrand Brinley
- The Alvin Fernald series by Clifford B. Hicks
- The Danny Dunn series by Jay Williams
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Not age-matched, but similar great fiction for developing minds:
- The 21 Balloons by William Pene DuBois
-... [more]
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 10:52 AM on October 8, 2001

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the idea of a gulag per se...

FWIW, I came across this over the weekend and was stunned that anyone could promote an execution as something to be enjoyed "with the whole family":

"Cheering or Jeering?" (newspaper ad)

Thankfully it was rejected by the major dailies, but... !
posted to MetaFilter by skyboy at 7:39 AM on June 18, 2001