Via Chas, we learn that PETA is using the hack lawyer stick on Gina Spadafori for posting that PETA killed 97% of the animals that they took in to their Norfolk facility in 2006. At issue? Not the number, but whether those animals were “in search of homes”. According to PETA, these animals were unadoptable. Sorry – doesn’t pass the smell test. Patrick suggests that the PETA death center in Norfolk VA be relicensed by the Commonwealth as a slaughterhouse – makes sense to me.
Enceladus – en-sell’-ah-dus
I look these things up so you don’t have to (OK, OK – you already knew – let me maintain what little dignity I have left *grin*).
03.26.08– NASA’s Cassini spacecraft tasted and sampled a surprising organic brew erupting in geyser-like fashion from Saturn’s moon Enceladus during a close flyby on March 12. *
For life to persist once it has been established requires an environment of liquid water, the essential elements and nutrients, and an energy source. At Enceladus, we have evidence for liquid water, but we don’t know its origin. We have observed simple organic chemicals there, and the March 12 close flyby indicates there are some complex organic chemicals, as well. An energy source of some sort is producing geysers. As Cassini’s exploration continues, we’re seeking to bring together more pieces of this intriguing puzzle. * (via Bruce Sterling)
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Enough to make a biophile like yrs truly do a little jig of delight.
I am not one of those folks with a gut-level aversion towards Senator Clinton, but if these sorts of things keep up, I could be persuaded.
Hillary – it’s over. The plus-sized dame has yet to sing, but sing she will. Get out, or if you can’t bring yourself to do that, cut the shit (or to continue w/ the title’s metaphor, at least stop peeing in the pool).
Update – another metaphor: the Tonya Harding option.
Yet another update – looks like I’m not the only one… (not that I’m in Kleiman or Drum’s league, blogospherically speaking)
Saying Turing died of “potassium cyanide poisoning” and leaving it at that is like saying Yukio Mishima died of unscheduled steel consumption. *
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From Adam Greenfield’s Flickrstream.
And I do mean blasts –
From the Hemmings blog, an ad for Dr. Old’s creation – the 442. I went as fast as I’ve ever gone (in a car) in a friend’s 1966 442 – probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done, but what are you gonna do? Lest we all wax too nostalgic, I read a comparo in Car and Driver matching classic muscle cars against the VW GTI/Civic Si’s of the world and the newer little thangs ate the old iron up. There’s a lot to like about the old stuff, but when gas hits $4/gallon here in the states this summer, well…
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From Make:, another vintage noisemaker – homemade Leslies! A Hammond B3 and Leslies – a pair that’s worth their own ‘Got a Match?’ post… Again, as a result of misspent youth – I’ll always associate Leslie speakers with the J. Geils Band (local boys make good – Mr. Faye Dunaway, though from the Bronx, will always mean early 70’s Boston to me).
The youtube of the homemade rig:
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And the J. Geils Band – couldn’t find anything era-appropriate that had the whole band going, so you’ll have to settle for Magic Dick:
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“27 more minutes, before I say bye-bye…”
Extending a couple blog-thematic elements:
Flowers as naughty bits (click to embiggen and read the little strip underneath – “The Tender Guy”).
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All hail our robot overlor protectors! (ht/ Danger Room)
I’m throwing a new category up in the right margin: Etsy. For those who haven’t encountered it, Etsy is a way for craftspeople, artists, makers, etc. to bring stuff to market. The category ties to some thinking I’ve been doing about markets and what’s getting bought and sold in a networked world – long tails, bespoke vs. commodity, content and provenance, gift/barter/cash economies – I’m still sorting through my thoughts and have had a draft post in various stages of disarray for months. Recent conversations with A Certain Design Student (he’s looking at fixy/single-speed bicycle options) have moved this particular pot closer to the front of the stove; perhaps I can wrap up something post-worthy relatively soon. In the meantime, read 1000 True Fans over at Kung Fu Monkey.
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Um, not quite – but it does seem like I’m up on a new platform. Will shake stuff down – there will likely be a burp or two over the next couple days. Loyal readers, please bear with me!
Update1 – RSS is back, but the feed address is a little different than the one I was using – http://www.hawkdog.net/wordpress/?feed=atom is working for me.
Update2 – I seem to have lost some comments (everything after Jan. 24?) – I’ll try to get them back this evening – time to hack away at the XML export file I used to restore the posts/comments.
Good news – the blog is mostly updated to WordPress 2.3.x. XMLRPC (a component that allows me to post from other blogging clients – see post below for an example) is functioning properly; it wasn’t working on the 2.0.x software I was using.
Bad news – RSS, comments and direct links in to posts still aren’t working. I’m working on it… If you see anything else boogered up and would like to let me know, I’d appreciate it: dr.hypercube at gmail.com.
I’m testing micro/mobile blogging from the N810, using WordPy (an offline blogging client). Still thinking about the best way to get pictures from my good digital camera to Flickr – without a PC – but I know I can email from the camera in my cell direct to Flickr…
I know it’s a sign of my advanced age, but every so often I just fall over in amazement. Five years ago, posting to the web from just about anywhere in the developed world using a phone and a gadget that’ll fit nicely in a pocket? Right.
Technorati Tags: moblog
I’m trying to wrap my head around the whole Bear Stearns thing. While I’m doing that – and trying not to see it as a precursor to a financial apocalypse – happy St. Patrick’s Day!
JPMorgan Chase & Co. agreed to buy Bear Stearns Cos. for about $240 million, less than a 10th of its value last week, after a run on the company ended 85 years of independence for Wall Street’s fifth-largest securities firm. *
Value of the office building BS owns?
The 1.2 million-square-foot, 45-story structure built in 2001 is worth about $1.2 billion, based on the average $1,000 per- square-foot that comparable office space in the city is currently fetching.
Um. Wow. So the rest of Bear Stearns assets are worth in the neighborhood of -$960,000,000?
Update – Nouriel Roubini:
The response of the Fed to this run has been radical and in the form of the extension of the lender of last resort support to non bank financial institutions. Specifically, the new $200 bn term facility allows primary dealers – many of which are non banks – to swap their toxic mortgage backed securities for US Treasuries; second, the Fed provided emergency support to Bear Stearns and following the purchase of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan, is now providing a $30 bn plus support to JPMorgan to help the rescue of Bear Stearns; finally, now the Fed is allowing primary dealers to access the Fed discount window at the same terms as banks.
This is the most radical change and expansions of Fed powers and functions since the Great Depression: essentially the Fed now can lend unlimited amounts to non bank highly leveraged institutions that it does not regulate. The Fed is treating this run on the shadow financial system as a liquidity run but the Fed has no idea of whether such institutions are insolvent. As JPMorgan paid only about $200 million for Bear Stearns – and only after the Fed promised a $30 billlion loan – this was a clear case where this non bank financial institution was insolvent. *
Trying to see what I broke w/ the unsuccessful upgrade attempt this AM…
Update – looks like I screwed up RSS.
