Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Grok Headline matches for Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - Middle
East
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - Middle
East
04/20/2004 11:13 AMnamed John Negroponte the new ambassador to Iraq .. Seattle
Post-Intelligencer: AP - Middle East .. Lovely ..
AP
seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apmideast_story.asp?category=1107
&slug=Iraq%20US%20Ambassador
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP -
High-Tech
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP -
High-Tech
12/04/2003 07:14 AMMusic industry targets even computer-less .. Hatch takes aim at
illegal downloading .. Lawmaker Defends Online Piracy Bill .. Seattle
Post-Intelligencer
seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/aptech_story.asp?
category=1700&slug=Downloading%20Music
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"Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S.:
Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis hall"
"Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S.:
Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis hall"
08/04/2004 08:19 PMSeattle Post-Intelligencer: Judge won't
let woman divorce while she's pregnant
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Judge won't
let woman divorce while she's pregnant
01/01/2005 08:33 PMJudge won't let woman divorce while she's pregnant .. it's true ..
Link:
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&s
lug=WA%20Divorce%20Denied
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S.:
Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis hall
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S.:
Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis hall
08/05/2004 06:05 PMdenied entry to City Hall after the Memphis city council chairman said
it was too dangerous to let them in .. Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP
- U.S.: Iraqis on tour banned from Memphis hall .. Link: ..
Sigh
seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&sl
ug=Iraqis%20Unwelcome
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"New York Magazine's intelligencer
column"
"New York Magazine's intelligencer
column"
04/21/2004 03:24 AMBlowback: The Cost And Consequences of
American Empire plus War And Conflict In
The Post-Cold War, Post-9/11 Era
Blowback: The Cost And Consequences of
American Empire plus War And Conflict In
The Post-Cold War, Post-9/11 Era
03/13/2003 10:25 AM Chalmers
Johnson is an provocative proponent of the
American Empire
theory, indeed. Here are excerpts from his
Blow Back: The Cost
And Consequences of American EmpireI heard Johnson
interviewed on Episode II,
War And Conflict In The Post-Cold War,
Post-9/11 Era of
The Whole Wide World
The Cold War and its central conflict - the physical and
ideological battles between the United States, the Soviet Union and
their proxy states - imposed a certain logic and consistency on the
world. Take that away and add the bloody wars in the Balkans, Africa
and the Middle East in the β90s as well as the terror attacks and
warnings of more recent times and you get a very confused picture of a
world at war. Is this breaking storm in Iraq about oil, democracy,
freedom, empire, culture, water, diamonds, modernizing Islam or nation
building in the Middle East? Some, one or all of these
things?It was an excellent program and well worth your
listen, either by RA now or mp3 later.
(From listening to the
radio) Belarus post to install public internet
access terminals in village post offices
Belarus post to install public internet
access terminals in village post offices
04/09/2005 05:19 AMDMeurope.com Apr 9 2005 9:28AM GMT
By accessing, browsing and/or using this
post, you acknowledge that you
understand and agree not to complain
about the content of this post or the
character of its author and his
intellect.
By accessing, browsing and/or using this
post, you acknowledge that you
understand and agree not to complain
about the content of this post or the
character of its author and his
intellect.
09/01/2004 11:08 PM
Fruity Seattle Go
Seattle Go
03/19/2003 10:26 PMSeattle Times just ran a nice little article on Go in
the Seattle area, which mentions the Microsoft Go Club. I
first got interested in computer algorithms for Go via Victoria
Livschitz, and I enjoy solving Go problems programmatically.
Competetive full-board gaming is not within a computer's grasp
(although getting better, as shown by "Smart Go", a product of an
ex-softie), but it is fun to look at small, narrowly-scoped Go
problems with a computer.
The rules and environment of Go are incredibly simple, and problems
are basically combinatorial graph/tree problems. The smallest
problems can be solved provably and deterministically, but even these
are challenging. While Go looks simple, analyzing a class of
problems thoroughly can be difficult. It is very rewarding to
finally distill the problem into an elegant function that solves the
problem. As the problems become larger, and involve multiple
captures, the challenge increases dramatically (and my interest wanes
proportionally).
After you understand a class of problems and have the running code
to prove it, it is always good to trawl the web to find out ways that
others have solved the problem more elegantly. I was recently
introduced to this discussion of "Benson's
Algorithm" by Ashley Feniello. Benson's paper develops on
the "Feng Yuan" algorithm. Feng and Ashley both work at MSFT,
and the recent AshleyF comments regarding Benson's on senseis Wiki are
a result of their conversations.
Sci-Fi in Seattle
Sci-Fi in Seattle
06/13/2004 03:26 PMSeattle
Seattle
09/24/2004 07:22 AM
I'll be in Seattle from October 3rd to October 5th. I don't
have any plans for
the evenings yet but I am sure something will come up.
Maybe I'll attend
a bloggers dinner. I'll be staying at the Monaco
Hotel downtown so I might
just stroll down to the waterfront to stuff myself with seafood.
Last time I was there, I had a bucket of mixed sea food. When
they brought the
food out, they just slapped down some newspapers on the table and
emptied the bucket
on top of it.There weren't any utensils either. Just a pile
of sea
food and some ale to wash down with. Yum. I hope I can
find the place
again 'cuz, while others might enjoy talking like a pirate for a
day, I prefer eating
like one.
"Seattle Times"
"Seattle Times"
04/20/2004 03:29 PMClueless In Seattle
Clueless In Seattle
06/19/2004 04:30 AMCan there be some psychological basis to Microsoft court behavior? By
Robert X. Cringely, PBS (via MyAppleMenu)
Five die after being set on fire in
Seattle
Five die after being set on fire in
Seattle
07/14/2004 07:05 PMGenerationLink in Seattle
GenerationLink in Seattle
03/25/2005 09:18 PMTechnology News Daily Mar 26 2005 2:02AM GMT
Cocoa SIG in Seattle
Cocoa SIG in Seattle
09/27/2004 03:24 AMLooks like there’s a new
Cocoa
SIG in Seattle meeting at the Apple store in the University
Village. Sounds like fun.
Gay man marries in Seattle
Gay man marries in Seattle
04/09/2004 04:08 PM
Maaawwidgge,
dat Bwessed Ewent "I don't know what a guy has to do
around here to get
the marriage license. But I guess
it's some consolation that I can get a meaningless one anytime I like,
just so long as I bring along a woman I don't love and my $54.
"
Seattle kicks my ass
Seattle kicks my ass
09/11/2004 09:17 AM
I know it's the anniversary of 9-11, and Hurricane Ivan is
pounding Jamaica, gearing up for Cuba, and destined for Florida;
but...
Last night driving back from a dinner party in Green Lake, I
got my first taste of heavy Seattle rain. It was especially
demoralizing, because 8 times out of 10 when I'm driving here, I'm
lost.
The other day I set out for an eastside Barnes & Noble hoping
to buy a detailed map of the Seattle area so I could study it. I ended
up 20 miles from my target, or so it seemed, until I turned a corner
and found I was at the intersection of 522 and 405, which is where I
started the search. Ouch.
No city has kicked my butt as thoroughly as Seattle has. I
expected to get lost in Boston when I was a newbie, but Seattle? Come
on, the streets are a grid. Hah. No they're not, it just seems that
way.
Anyway, it really rained last night. I sobbed as the traffic on
I-5 passed me at high speed while I was going 40 MPH, gripping the
steering wheel for dear life as my car almost hydroplaned 18 times. I
made it back okay, glad to be in bed as the the rain came down.
So far Seattle kicks my ass. Mostly in a good way, but on its
own terms, no matter what.
Say Cheese, Seattle
Say Cheese, Seattle
02/01/2005 10:00 PMAmazon.com Adds Photographs to Directory Online retail giant
Amazon.com Inc. is trying to become a bigger player in the
Internet’s crowded search engine market with a local business
directory that supplements address and phone number listings with a
photographic tour covering 10 major U.S. cities. The free service,
expected to be available Thursday from Amazon search subsidiary
A9.com, consists of 20 million street-level photographs that will be
displayed alongside local search results. Palo Alto-based A9…
Direct and Related Links for 'Say Cheese,
Seattle'
Verizon is hiring in Seattle
Verizon is hiring in Seattle
12/05/2003 03:14 AMLooking for a job? My friend Nick Paredes says that Verizon is having a
job fair in Seattle area next week.
Seattle Library Pics
Seattle Library Pics
09/03/2004 08:38 AMFlick
r: Photos tagged with library: We've talked about the Seattle Li
brary before. And about Fli
ckr. So it's only appropriate that we show you pictures of the
Seattle Library on Flickr. Some good ones.
Click here to comment on this entry
Seattle ferries to offer Wi-Fi
Seattle ferries to offer Wi-Fi
06/11/2004 07:59 AMSurf'n'ship
Seattle Library Tech
Seattle Library Tech
06/07/2004 02:24 PMThumbs up for new library's technology: A great
article on the technology behind the new Se
attle Public Library. Yeah, I think I'm moving to Seattle in the
next couple of days.
[...]as far as the library's technology is concerned, it's thumbs
up. Wi-Fi access is available nearly everywhere and, with 200
simultaneous addresses, is plenty robust.
[...] the library is jam-packed with IBM terminals. Fiber-optic
network links to the machines make connections lightning fast up to
a gigabit per second. It's generally quicker and more convenient
logging on to the terminals than booting up your notebook computer.
[...]
Some 400 desktop terminals are available in the library. Most have
one-hour limits, although a couple of "express" arrays limit users to
15 minutes. The express machines are aimed at lunch-hour users or
visitors who want to check their e-mail or briefly surf. The terminals
require a library-card number, but visitors can get a temporary
one-day logon. Wireless access, by the way, has no time limit.
Thanks to "Scott" who posted this link in a comment to our original
article.
Click here to comment on this entry
Seattle Settles WTO Lawsuit
Seattle Settles WTO Lawsuit
01/17/2004 11:21 PMReuters via Wired News Jan 18 2004 2:39AM GMT
Seattle Library Pictures
Seattle Library Pictures
06/01/2004 06:01 AM
040529 seattle library: 120 pictures of the new Se
attle Public Library. Love the lime green escalator.
Click here to comment on this entry
"Painters of Blight" show at Roq la Rue
in Seattle
"Painters of Blight" show at Roq la Rue
in Seattle
06/30/2004 01:12 PM
Seattle's Roq la Rue Gallery (2316 Second Avenue) is running a two-day
exhibit on Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10, featuring the work
of two dozen artists paying tribute to Thomas Kinkade and Jack T.
Chick. (click on thumbnails for enlargements. Painting on left is by
Jim Blanchard; painting on right is by Johnny Ryan).
As you probably know, Thomas Kinkade, the famous "Painter of
Light," has made millions of dollars with his customized prints of
day-glo cottages against backdrops of enchanted forests. He has a team
of "Kinkade-trained Master Highlighters" who go over reproductions of
his work with oil paint. For this show, artists Jim
Blanchard, Kamala Dolphin-Kingsley, Robert Hardgrave, Claire Johnson,
Charles Krafft, Pat Moriarity, Erin Norlin, Marion Peck, Benton Peugh,
Robert Rini, Bonni Reid, Mark Ryden and Kipling West have highlighted
pages
from the Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light with Scripture: 2004 Deluxe
Wall
Calendar, in their own distinct styles.
And Jack T. Chick is the famous artist-publisher of a series of
incendiary 3" x 5", 24-page religious comic book tracts. Loaded with
scare tactics and jabs at "enemies" of Christianity, Chick's comics
vividly depict the horrors of Hell for anyone who neglects to convert
to Christianity. Since 1961 Chick has created 175 proselytizing
tracts, which have had more than 500,000,000 copies published
in over 100 languages worldwide. Artists Tom Bagley, David R. Drake,
Jed Dunkerly, Nathan Eyring, Rod Filbrandt, Cliff Hare, David Lasky,
Deborah F Lawrence, Eric Reynolds, Johnny Ryan and Kamilla White have
each created work inspired by Chick. In contrast to the Kinkade
artists, they worked with no specific assignment, and came up with
equally diverse outcomes: David R. Drake reduced an entire tract to
its minimum visual information, creating 23 individual tiles still
closely correlated with the original, Eric Reynolds has painted an
original portrait of the reclusive Jack T. Chick, and David Lasky will
display the original art for an entire tract written by Jim Woodring
intended to be traded for unwanted religious pamphlets.
No link, but you can find out more about Roq la Rue here.
Coffeeshops in Seattle Say Free Wi-Fi
for the Masses
Coffeeshops in Seattle Say Free Wi-Fi
for the Masses
07/01/2004 12:31 PMMy hat is off to Winda Benedetti who has written the definitive
article on free coffeeshop Wi-Fi for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
This lengthy, funny, accurate article on the increasing number of
coffeeshops who offer free Wi-Fi as part of their basic business model
takes the cake--the coffee cake. It's the best piece written on the
subject. (Disclaimer: I write regularly for a competing Seattle
newspaper, and have written about coffeeshop Wi-Fi, too, so I'm crying
espresso tears as I praise this piece.) Benedetti extracts all the
different facets to the free-versus-fee battle in this realm,
including the expectations of the shop owners, the kind of traffic
they see (more anecdotal than dollars-and-cents), and some of their
righteous anger against competitors who have the temerity to charge
for a connection. There are some nifty subsections about the etiquette
that coffeeshops hope their customers engage in--like buying stuff if
they use the network--and whether paying for service buys you more
reliability than using free networks. The article ends with a long
list of coffeeshops in the Seattle area with free Wi-Fi. I now have
several within a two-mile radius of my office--two are within one
block, even....
'Hermes' and 'Troy' Descend on Seattle
'Hermes' and 'Troy' Descend on Seattle
05/04/2004 09:29 AMAt WinHEC in Seattle this week, a number of so-called "concept PCs"
are set to make their debut. We've got details on the new "Troy"
business concept PC and "Hermes" mobile concept system, both designed
jointly by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.
The Seattle Times: Seattle's new library
The Seattle Times: Seattle's new library
05/19/2004 06:01 AMPhoto gallery of new Koolhaas-designed Seattle Public Library ..
Photos de la bibliothèque de Seattle .. ©ͺ§¨§ §! ..
Seattle Main
Lib
seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/library/photogalleries/spl1
.html
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Seattle Traffic Dashboard Widget
Seattle Traffic Dashboard Widget
06/05/2005 10:57 PMRhonabw
y: “It’s completely unfancy, and doesn’t do half
the nice things you’d expect a proper ‘widget’ to do
really, but it’s there and available for those of us in Seattle
who want to see how the traffic is doing on the bridges.”
Seattle Themes 0.2 (Default branch)
Seattle Themes 0.2 (Default branch)
04/08/2005 10:31 AM
Seattle Themes provides wallpapers and themes for several Linux
applications, including KDE, Bootsplash, and GDM.
Changes:
This release adds new walls.
Austin's LessNetworks Presents in
Seattle
Austin's LessNetworks Presents in
Seattle
05/05/2004 02:04 PMJason Levitt of Austin's LessNetworks outlined the platform approach
to Seattle Wireless community networking group's monthly meeting: Last
night, Levitt discussed how LessNetworks has built (and is about to
release) an almost-turnkey system for enabling free hotspots. Less
works hand-in-hand with Austin Wireless City Project: Less handles the
software platform and back-end authentication operations, while Austin
Wireless develops the volunteer organization and contacts venues to
install and maintain free service. The Less software is based on
NoCatAuth, and one of the developers of that package, Rob Flickenger,
was in attendance as well. NoCatAuth requires command-line knowledge,
while the Less package is rebundles it into a full bootable,
installable distribution. With an old PC in hand, a venue or volunteer
can install the software, plug in an access point, and create an
account at Less's authentication server. The venue can customize their
local splash screen. Users create a Less account and agree to usage
guidelines, and then can log in for free at all Less-enabled venues.
Less has the software almost ready to go and is in technical
pre-release testing. When it's ready, anyone will be able to download
a CD-ROM ISO image which can be burned on any platform, and used to
boot a generic PC. Also at last night's meeting, Matt Westervelt and
Flickenger discussed the hardware that they're providing in kit form
through their new company, Metrix Communication. The goal of this firm
is to provide kits that put together the resources that formerly
required many trips to many vendors and bulk orders. The company is
working with undisclosed community networking partners, the principals
said. Peter Yorke of Seattlewireless TV was on hand to capture
Levitt's talk, which will be edited and aired during the next
broadcast. Many hands examine a completed Metrix box Matt Westervelt
shows models of their system Matt Westervelt and Rob Flickenger...
Seattle Sunset background image
Seattle Sunset background image
05/16/2004 02:52 PMHere's a picture of a Seattle sunset from my recent honeymoon. Click
on the image for a background image size (1024x768)....
Enormous Wardriving Maps of Seattle
Enormous Wardriving Maps of Seattle
02/05/2005 09:26 PM WiFiMaps.com releases massively large, detailed wardriving maps of
Seattle: In conjunction with a University of Washington course. I
can't describe it better than Drew: Dr. Philip Howard from the
communications department has been teaching his students about
technology, ideas, people, and how culture is affected by these new
concepts. Their project allows them to gain some practical experience
while exploring Wi-Fi as it pertains to them and the people around
them. Involving 100 students, this project is one of the largest
collective efforts to map Seattle's wireless landscape. WiFiMaps.com
is a website which provides interactive maps of Wi-Fi installations,
as seen by wardrivers. This collaboration served to create critical
mass for the website to provide printable maps, in addition to
on-screen maps that exist. Also, this paves the way for other
universities and groups interested in orgznizing detailed scans of
their city to have a way to actually accomplish this, and have visual
results. The files are BitTorrented because of their enormous size
(over 100 and 300 MB). [link via Slashdot]...
More photos of the new Seattle Public
Library
More photos of the new Seattle Public
Library
06/15/2004 05:02 AMspl.org/images/slideshow/NewCentralSlideshow.asp
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Seattle Public Library - Rem
Koolhaas/OMA
Seattle Public Library - Rem
Koolhaas/OMA
06/14/2004 03:51 AMPhoto gallery of the Koolhaas-designed Seattle Public Library ..
Excellent photos here
figure-ground.com/travel/image.php?spl
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Linux vs. Windows: Portland vs. Seattle?
Linux vs. Windows: Portland vs. Seattle?
02/10/2004 02:45 AMIf the Seattle area is synonymous with Microsoft Windows, could
Porland, Oregon become identified with Linux? This Willamette Week
story explains how it could happen....
Sousveillance in Seattle - Watching the
Watchers
Sousveillance in Seattle - Watching the
Watchers
04/14/2005 04:24 PMGrok Description matches for Seattle Post-Intelligencer
GrokA matches for Seattle Post-Intelligencer
seattlepi.com Buzzworthy: Cookie Monster
caves
seattlepi.com Buzzworthy: Cookie Monster
caves
04/11/2005 03:49 AMWe should respond with a massive cookie binge fest! .. Cookie Monster
caves .. change his
name
blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/buzz/archives/004630.html
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The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest
selling newspaper
The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest
selling newspaper
03/14/2003 12:58 PMFrench President Jacques Chirac stood accused last night of being a
blood brother of Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein .. Chiraq, Note to self:
Try not to piss off the British Tabloids .. London Sun .. Le Worm
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"The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest
selling newspaper"
"The Sun Newspaper Online - UK's biggest
selling newspaper"
05/18/2004 11:43 AMMore Than a Newspaper
More Than a Newspaper
04/15/2004 10:17 AMThe Washington Post Co. offers a lot to investors.
Distributing MP3 Via Newspaper
Distributing MP3 Via Newspaper
04/15/2004 09:05 AMStoring on
paper: This seems pretty useless, but very cool nonetheless. So a
lot like Ashton Kutcher, really.
Tokyo's Yomiuri Shimbun, Japans leading newspaper, has
been printing on the corner of a page a series of black dots, which
are not Japenese characters. These black dots are in a tight, uneven
pattern. From a distance it looks like a woven fabric, and closely it
looks like a snowy TV screen. When this page is fed through a scanner,
the true nature of the image is revealed: its software — a
computer data. In this way, the newspaper is sending music files,
video games software, etc., to its 10 million customers.
Here's the Web site of the
company that makes the technology. Some interesting reading
there.
I found this via a neat new blog called hypulp which I found via Metafilter.
Click here to comment on this entry
Love thy newspaper
Love thy newspaper
09/22/2004 02:02 AM'[T]hese partisans also will seize the exception and call it the rule'
.. Righties will use Rather flap as excuse to boycott big media ..
writes
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/21/EDGN58R2L51.
DTL
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Iran Newspaper
Iran Newspaper
06/06/2004 05:30 PM
§ § ¨§ © © ¨§ ͺ §§
©. ¨§ § ©§ § ’
ͺ
§ .. 6
§ § ¨§ §©§¨
¨§!
iraninstitute.com/iran/1383/830317/social.htm#s334083
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Newspaper Writers on the Election
Newspaper Writers on the Election
02/01/2005 08:32 PMIn a small room in Stanford’s history building, a small panel
discusses media coverage of the 2004 election. The guests…
Your town. Your Neighbors. Your
Newspaper.
Your town. Your Neighbors. Your
Newspaper.
01/18/2004 08:17 PMInstead of buying ad space on Amazon.com or Google, which many
companies think is the only way to advertise their product, go to
where the market is and sell ...
A Final Newspaper Column, and My Thanks
A Final Newspaper Column, and My Thanks
01/02/2005 02:09 PM(This is also my final Sunday column in the San Jose Mercury News.)
Wow, what a ride.
I moved to Silicon Valley a little over 10 years ago. I've been
constantly amazed by what has happened here since then -- a furious
rush of innovation and change.
I'm not smart or wise enough to predict in any detail what will happen
in the next decade. But I'm certain that, as always, it'll be
interesting, because innovation and change are still the coins of this
realm.
It didn't take long to learn what made Silicon Valley so special. The
combination of attributes was unequaled: the great research
universities, an astonishing collection of talent, a pool of investors
with enormous sums at their disposal and an ingrained culture of
risk-taking. (The weather's nice, too.)
The willingness -- no, eagerness -- to take risks has always been the
valley's most special quality. In most places, business failure leaves
an indelible career stain. Here, failure is often seen as an
education, provided one fails the right way, which is to say not
stupidly or sleazily.
The rise and fall of Apple's fascinating but flawed Newton handheld
computer, for example, helped spark the Palm Pilot, the true
breakthrough in the genre. I won't forget the shiver of excitement I
and others in a crowd of tech executives and journalists felt when we
saw the first Palm on the 1996 Demo conference stage.
We don't think of the Apple iPod or today's ever-smarter mobile phones
as more modern handheld computers, but they are. They're also a result
of the valley's relentless progress.
The chips powering not just PCs but all kinds of everyday objects are
making everything more intelligent. Even faster advances in storage
mean that all these intelligent things are gaining memory. And the
advent of faster data networks -- still retarded by cable and phone
companies, unfortunately -- means that we're connecting it all.
Those intelligent connections are bringing vast capabilities to the
people at the edges of networks. The long-range importance of early
Internet file-sharing was not the potential for copyright
infringement. It was the heightened ability of everyday people to
inform and help each other.
Along the way, we went through the bubble years, a time when greed
totally superseded all other principles and values. The prevailing
Wall Street attitude, which also pervaded the valley, was sickening.
When what's acceptable is what you can get away with, society has
turned rancid.
The bubble's deflation was hellish for those who became collateral
damage. But it was useful in reminding us that even in such a
fast-changing world, a few tried-and-true principles, economic and
otherwise, still applied.
In the past several years the valley has returned, in part, to useful
roots. Innovation and building great companies matter as much to
entrepreneurs as scoring big financially. And everywhere I look, I see
innovation.
But I also see competition where it didn't exist before. The rest of
the world has learned some of the valley's lessons and can provide
much of what we do here at a lower cost. This is the harsh dynamism of
the modern world at work. The fact that other regions are rising
economically is positive overall, even if it's not the best news
locally.
As noted, I'm not smart enough to tell you what's coming in any
specific way. But we can look together at the trends and imagine some
of what might be, if all goes well.
We will see breathtaking leaps in medicine, environmental protection,
and a variety of materials sciences and manufacturing processes. We
can thank advances in biotechnology and the emerging field of
nanotechnology. Information technology is at the heart of both as a
tool, and it will remain so.
The Internet and its progeny are still early in their development,
meanwhile. The Net is nowhere near as universal as it will be when we
enter an age of what some call ubiquitous computing, but the outlines
of its value are obvious today. For example, all media will eventually
move around the world in little digital packages, called packets, that
are the basic units of tomorrow's communications. The importance of
this -- in decimating old businesses while improving most people's
lives -- has not been sufficiently appreciated.
The risks are growing, too. When the ability to do great things
spreads away from the center, so does the ability to do massively
dangerous things. The power of one fanatic or small group to create
incalculable damage -- assuming we don't do it simply by mistake --
should worry everyone. But we should not allow that concern to stifle
progress.
And, as always, the people and institutions currently holding the
clout don't cede it willingly. Governments are clamping down on us in
all kinds of ways. Incumbent business powerhouses are trying to hold
back the tide as well, not just to keep their positions but also to
thwart new innovation that might threaten them.
These reactionary encroachments and retrenchments are not surprising.
They always occur in times of swift change and challenge. In the end,
they are almost always unsuccessful, because progress ultimately finds
a way around barriers, and because people challenge the reactionaries.
But we need to keep the pressure up, as citizens and people who want
the freedom to use these new tools and live in liberty. The stakes are
high, and liberty takes work.
This is my last column for the Mercury News. Starting tomorrow, I'll
embark on a new adventure, a project to help bring online grass-roots
journalism to more people and communities.
I leave a job that has been a constant challenge in the best sense,
often an outright joy. I leave colleagues whom I like and admire. But
this opportunity, to help create something truly new and valuable, is
too exciting not to try.
During these past 10 years I've enjoyed a privileged, front-row seat
-- not on a roller coaster, even if it occasionally seemed that way,
but a vehicle of exploration. I'm grateful for the opportunity to have
taken this fantastic ride.
Mostly, though, I'm grateful to you. This has always been about you,
the people who read what I write. I've tried to be on your side.
Even when you've disagreed with me, you've been on my side in a vital
way. You've challenged me to think deeply about technology and the
larger issues we must all ponder and deal with in this complex era.
You've always known more than I do, and I'm fortunate that you haven't
been shy about telling me.
Our conversation -- which I hope we'll continue as my new project gets under way
-- has been a constant source of inspiration. If it's meant something
to you, that pleases me more than I can say. Thank you all.
local Phuket newspaper
local Phuket newspaper
12/30/2004 08:41 AMde Phuket Gazette
phuketgazette.net
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just a geek's first newspaper review!
just a geek's first newspaper review!
12/19/2004 03:48 PMOkay, I'll admit it. I have a "Wil Wheaton" as a Google News Alert. I'd say it's an ego
thing . . . but it gets triggered so rarely, that's sort of
counterintuitive. It's actually a business thing, so I can be aware
press and stuff, but I'll be honest: I do get a little thrill when one
hits my inbox.
So about a week ago, I got a news alert because I was very kindly
mentioned in a brief bit about Sean Astin in the
Oregonian:
You loved him as loyal hobbit Sam Gamgee in the "Lord of the Rings"
films. You adored him in "Rudy." But to you, Astin will always be the
kid from "The Goonies," a film that is widely considered The Best
Movie Ever Filmed In Oregon. Hold onto your mithril, kids: Astin is
coming to Portland. Naturally, you will want to show him a good
time.
A Sean Astin autobiography? Well, sure. (Like you didn't
positively inhale the latest Wil Wheaton book.) Astin's opus,
"There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale," spills the candid scoop on
backstage antics during the filming of "The Lord of the Rings" and the
challenges of living the Hollywood way.
(dorky bolding is mine)
I was so excited, I sent a note to the reporter that said:
I just finished reading your OregonLive piece about Sean
Astin's impending visit to Portland ("Let's go!," by Chelsea Cain,
A&E, Dec. 3), and I wanted to thank you for kindly mentioning my book,
"Just a Geek." I've got strong connections to Oregon (I filmed "Stand
by Me" in Eugene, and my wife is from Portland), so even though I'm
from Los Angeles, I felt like I saw my name in my hometown paper.
Thanks for that! :)
See ya, Wil Wheaton Los Angeles
She wrote me back and thanked me for e-mailing, I wrote her back
again, (it's sort of like passing notes in class, without the possible
thrill of getting caught) one thing led to another . . . and she wrote
a story about me that is in today's
Oregonian! My three favorite bits:
- Since the success of his blog, Wheaton has published two
laugh-out-loud books and established himself as a fresh, funny and
self-deprecating writer. Much of his material comes out of his life as
a geek (he also pens a column for Dungeon Magazine, the must-read for
D&D players).
The Oregonian recently caught up with the ensign-turned-author for
a Very Serious Interview.
- Have you ever read any "Star Trek" fan fiction?
Just one . . . and in it, Lt. Worf traded my character, Wesley, to
a Romulan for a Romulan Ale and two packs of smokes. I haven't read
fan fiction since.
[I originally said that Wesley was Worf's Prision Bitch, but that
was ruled unacceptable for a family publication . . . which I guess
I've just determined WWdN is not.]
- Whose work do you read to get inspired?
David Sedaris and Stephen King are the two most influential authors
in my life. They both tell stories in ways that are engaging and easy
to read. David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day" made me want to tell
stories about my life, and Stephen King's "On Writing" taught me how
to do it.
Accompanying the story is the
very first mainstream media review of
Just A Geek! It's phenomenal, and includes the
following observation, which made me so happy, I peed a little:
"Just a Geek" is not a celebrity memoir. It is more a collection of
humorous commentaries with one essential theme: How does a grown-up
geek with two step-kids, a wife, and few job prospects make a go of
it?
[Wheaton's] sarcasm, honesty, heart and ferocious gift for dialogue
are a delight.
So far, I haven't been able to effectively communicate to people who
haven't read my book that it's
not limited to a Star Trek or
celebrity memoir-reading audience, and people outside that audience
may want to give
Just A Geek a chance. It has been the most
frustrating thing in the world, and it's severely limited the audience
that I can reach. To date, I haven't gotten any support to reach
beyond . . . well, you guys who read WWdN, so I've had to do it on my
own. I've felt pretty down about the whole thing recently (it's about
90% of the not sleeping well thing), because things are not going the
way I expected they would with
Just A Geek, but this fantastic
review is going to be a big help, and will hopefully open a lot of
doors for me.
Citizen Journalism: A Newspaper Goes for
It
Citizen Journalism: A Newspaper Goes for
It
12/19/2004 03:18 PMAs Jay Rosen explains in his latest
PressThink article, the local paper in Greensboro,
N.C., is turning its online self into a community square. Bravo. This
is a big deal.
And as Ed Cone
observes
-- Ed is a blogger of note and columnist for the paper -- this isn't
exactly rocket science. Anyone can do it. Almost every newspaper
should try.
New FeedDemon Newspaper Styles
New FeedDemon Newspaper Styles
05/24/2004 12:18 PMOver the weekend I created a number of newspape
r styles which I plan to include in the final release of FeedDemon
1.10. If you'd like to give them a try, just browse this page in
FeedDemon and click the links below:
"NY Times is a liberal newspaper"
"NY Times is a liberal newspaper"
07/26/2004 08:59 PMNewspaper Calls Gambling What It Is
Newspaper Calls Gambling What It Is
04/24/2004 09:08 PMNot once in this LA Times story (reg req) about
Native American casinos' gambling revenues -- and whether the casinos
should pay more to the state -- do you find the word "gaming," I'm
happy to note.
The gambling industry has tried to sanitize what it does by renaming
the activity into something that sounds totally benign. And the media
usually plays along. Not this time. A tip of the hat to whoever made
that decision.
Back to newspaper B.C. (before
computers)
Back to newspaper B.C. (before
computers)
03/27/2005 12:35 PMAP via Newsday Mar 27 2005 4:50PM GMT
Laying the Newspaper Gently Down to Die
Laying the Newspaper Gently Down to Die
03/29/2005 02:44 AMAnd keeping the spirit of journalism alive. Craig Newmark: "My guess
is that either me, personally, or my craigslist team, will promote
work which merges professional and citizen journalism, along with more
fact checking and more investigative journalism."
Newspaper xhtml redesign
Newspaper xhtml redesign
08/02/2004 01:35 PM
When
Wired
News redesigned as nearly standards compliant xhtml in fall of
2002, it was cause for a great deal of celebration. Since then other
prominent sites like
ESPN and
PGA have jumped on the standards
bandwagon, as have countless personal sites.
Today the SF Examiner launched a new
site design which does
validate as xhtml. More interesting to me are their
category archives and
date
archives, which mimic a weblog's simple and useful layout. Heck, I
even love
the
story pages which feature large leaded text (space between lines -
the amount of "double spaceness") which is also blog-like,
and makes for comfortable reading. As far as I know, SF Examiner is
the first, but will this start a new wave of bandwidth-saving,
well-designed newspaper redesigns? [via
veen]
Read all about it: Visitors to newspaper
websites lie
Read all about it: Visitors to newspaper
websites lie
06/15/2004 05:14 AMMiami.com - Tue Jun 15, 08:16 am GMT
"Is The New York Times a Liberal
Newspaper?"
"Is The New York Times a Liberal
Newspaper?"
07/25/2004 08:59 PMIs the New York Times a liberal
newspaper?
Is the New York Times a liberal
newspaper?
07/25/2004 03:44 PM(*)
nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html
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"Is the New York Times a liberal
newspaper? Of course it is."
"Is the New York Times a liberal
newspaper? Of course it is."
07/25/2004 03:44 PMDaniel
Okrent
nytimes.com/2004/07/25/weekinreview/25bott.html?pagewanted=al
l&position=
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making money with newspaper bl0gs
making money with newspaper bl0gs
07/23/2004 01:18 PMdetails on how the Spokesman-Review is starting to put ads around
their blogs
Newspaper Offers Obituaries for Pets
(AP)
Newspaper Offers Obituaries for Pets
(AP)
08/20/2004 06:04 PMAP - Yogi got to know a lot of people in his short life. He made
friends at the University of Vermont, and the Woodbridge Nursing Home,
and the state women's prison, where he made the rounds, and in
Plainfield, where he lived.
Iraqi PM Reopens Controversial Newspaper
(AP)
Iraqi PM Reopens Controversial Newspaper
(AP)
07/18/2004 10:29 AMAP - Iraq's interim prime minister issued a decree allowing a
controversial newspaper to reopen after it had been closed by U.S.
officials in March, setting off months of fighting between U.S. forces
and militants loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
"EditorandPublisher.com - Information
Authority for the Newspaper ..."
"EditorandPublisher.com - Information
Authority for the Newspaper ..."
05/25/2004 03:56 AMNeb. Newspaper Prints Edition Backward
(AP)
Neb. Newspaper Prints Edition Backward
(AP)
08/16/2004 08:41 AMAP - Custer County Chief publisher Deb McCaslin admits her newspaper,
at least for a week, was leftist. But not in the way most media
critics would presume.
how craigslist destroyed newspaper
classifieds
how craigslist destroyed newspaper
classifieds
06/03/2004 06:44 AMnobody in print journalism will talk about it, but craig's eating
their lunch
Wow, somebody types in the Fry's
newspaper ads and puts them on the Web.
Wow, somebody types in the Fry's
newspaper ads and puts them on the Web.
07/29/2004 10:29 PMWow, somebody types in
the Fry's newspaper ads and puts them on the Web. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
