Links for July 23rd through July 28th

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Sometime between July 23rd and July 28th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

  • Sarah Palin’s Farewell Address — Full Transcript: I hadn't actually read this until just now, but it's a piece of work. Not a good piece of work, mind you. In fact, the best way to get a feel for it is through one of the best bits I've ever seen from the Conan O'Brien show: William Shatner reading from Palin's farewell speech. The perfect combination of performer and source material.
  • UW Probability Forecast: "No weather forecast is perfect; when a forecaster provides information about tomorrow's high temperature, there is a certain amount of inaccuracy implied in the figure. Variations in elevation, geography and terrain, in addition to the inherently unpredictable nature of the weather, all contribute to these inaccuracies. However, while any well-considered forecast attempts to land as close to the truth as possible, traditional weather forecasts include no information relating to just how accurate they can expect to be, or the likelihood of an outcome that, while not the most probable eventuality, could still have a significant chance of happening. The UW probcast web site attempts to address these omissions."
  • #EAFail Link Roundup: "#EAFail is a total clusterfuck of misogyny and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Here are a bunch of resources on it. (Last updated July 25 at 8:45 AM EST.)" (Regarding the Electronic Arts ComiCon 'game' from the Dante's Inferno team encouraging sexual harassment of the booth babes.)
  • EA Puts Sexual Bounty on the Heads of Its Own Booth Babes: "At Comic Con, if you commit 'an act of lust' with an EA booth babe and take a picture, you could win dinner with said babes, as well as a great big pile of prizes related to the upcoming Dante's Inferno. That's right, the babes won't just get the standard behavior and awkward advances–if someone is really obnoxious, they get rewarded for it, and then you get to see them again socially!" Worse: the EA flyer actually says any booth babe, not just EA's. So they're encouraging sexual harassment against every booth babe at ComiCon. Yeah…great idea, guys.
  • ReasonableAgreement.org | the Small Print Project: "READ CAREFULLY. By [accepting this material|accepting this payment|accepting this business-card|viewing this t-shirt|reading this sticker] you agree, on behalf of your employer, to release me from all obligations and waivers arising from any and all NON-NEGOTIATED agreements, licenses, terms-of-service, shrinkwrap, clickwrap, browsewrap, confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and acceptable use policies ('BOGUS AGREEMENTS') that I have entered into with your employer, its partners, licensors, agents and assigns, in perpetuity, without prejudice to my ongoing rights and privileges. You further represent that you have the authority to release me from any BOGUS AGREEMENTS on behalf of your employer."

Is there an editor in the house?

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Something seems wrong about this paragraph, taken from the ‘textbook’ (actually a CD of Microsoft Word-generated HTML pages and some PowerPoint presentations) for my Domestic Violence class. Can you spot the goof?

However, two years after the release of the original Minneapolis police experiment, it was replicated in six other cities. The results from these new studies were much more supportive of the deterrent effect of arrest on domestic violence. Researchers in Milwaukee concluded that while arrest deters repeat domestic violence in the short run, arrests with brief custody increase the frequency of domestic violence in the long run. On and again kick Tracey in the head. After, three more officers arrived, they still allowed Charles to wander about the gathered crowd and the other hand, these replicative experiments have also been criticized for several reasons, including the failure to properly replicate the Minneapolis experiment. Thus, although not conclusive, there is some support to suggest that arrest has an effect in delaying, if not deterring, further incidences of domestic violence.

Amusingly, apparently someone did notice this, as there’s a hyperlinked footnote that says, “Who Kicked Tracey in the head? This paragraph does not flwo together….Charles wandered the croud, which replicative statements?” Guess that got missed before finalizing the files for the CD duplication.

Links for July 22nd from 08:52 to 15:24

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Sometime between 08:52 and 15:24, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

  • 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know: "These are just ten ways that you can protect your privacy on Facebook. While there are a few other small things to keep in mind, these ten settings are most important. While you may not want to configure all of the privacy settings outlined, simply knowing how to do so is a great step in the right direction. By following the 10 settings listed above you are well on your way to an embarrassment free future on Facebook!"
  • CitySounds.fm – the Music of Cities: "CitySounds.fm lets you listen to the latest music from cities around the world. The most active cities and the list is constantly changing as new music is being created. Tracks and city information is fetched from the SoundCloud API – updated in real time as new tracks roll into SoundCloud. Additionally, images for each city are fetched from Flickr. Really nice! Go and explore!!"
  • 100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About: "There are some things in this world that will never be forgotten, this week's 40th anniversary of the moon landing for one. But Moore's Law and our ever-increasing quest for simpler, smaller, faster and better widgets and thingamabobs will always ensure that some of the technology we grew up with will not be passed down the line to the next generation of geeks."
  • The 10 Best Animated Movies for (Traumatizing) Kids: #9: The Incredibles: "Now, we're not for the dumbing down of American entertainment, but when your film' funniest moment is a montage of death scenes (where Edna demonstrates the danger of capes) you might want to reconsider marketing your film to children."
  • 88 Lines About 44 Women (Official Video): "In the 30 years since 88 LINES ABOUT 44 WOMEN was first recorded there has never been a video version authorized by THE NAILS. Of the dozens of videos on youtube that pay homage to the song, this is the only version created by a member of the band, me. So, here's the world premier of 88 LINES the video. Hope you enjoy it. I had fun making it." NSFW in, as Boing Boing put it, a "1950s National Geographic sort of way." (Or just go straight to the video on YouTube.)

Your Cellphone Can Kill

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I’ve had a guideline in my head for some time that I haven’t always followed as closely as I should. From here on out, I’m going to be making a much more determined effort to follow through.

If I can tell that you are talking to me on a cell phone while driving, I will hang up after asking you to call me back later.

I don’t care if you’re friend, family, job recruiter, Trent Reznor, or Barack Obama. Do not call me while driving. It’s stupid and dangerous to yourself and anyone around you.

There really shouldn’t need to be much explanation on this one, but just in case, here’s excerpts from two recent articles from the New York Times that essentially confirm what should be blatantly obvious to everyone.

Driven to Distraction: Drivers and Legislators Dismiss Cellphone Risks

Extensive research shows the dangers of distracted driving. Studies say that drivers using phones are four times as likely to cause a crash as other drivers, and the likelihood that they will crash is equal to that of someone with a .08 percent blood alcohol level, the point at which drivers are generally considered intoxicated. Research also shows that hands-free devices do not eliminate the risks, and may worsen them by suggesting that the behavior is safe.

Five states and the District of Columbia require drivers who talk on cellphones to use hands-free devices, but research shows that using headsets can be as dangerous as holding a phone because the conversation distracts drivers from focusing on the road. [Not to mention all the people in Washington who blatantly ignore the law and don’t even use hands-free headsets, because we wussed out and passed a watered-down, ineffectual law that is practically pointless. -mh]

[Simulation-based] research, showing that multitasking drivers are four times as likely to crash as people who are focused on driving, matches the findings of two studies, in Canada and in Australia, of drivers on actual roads.

The highway safety administration estimates that drivers using a hand-held device are at 1.3 times greater risk of a crash or near crash, and at three times the risk when dialing, compared with others who are simply driving.

Research also shows that drivers conversing with fellow passengers do not present the same danger, because adult riders help keep drivers alert and point out dangerous conditions and tend to talk less in heavy traffic or hazardous weather.

“There is zero doubt that one’s driving ability is impaired when one is trying to have a cellphone conversation — whether hands-free or hand-held, it doesn’t matter,” said David E. Meyer, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan.

In fact, some scientists argue that hands-free laws make driving riskier by effectively condoning the practice.

U.S. Withheld Data on Risks of Distracted Driving

[The] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration…decided not to make public hundreds of pages of research and warnings about the use of phones by drivers — in part, officials say, because of concerns about angering Congress.

The former head of the highway safety agency said he was urged to withhold the research to avoid antagonizing members of Congress who had warned the agency to stick to its mission of gathering safety data but not to lobby states.

Critics say that rationale and the failure of the Transportation Department, which oversees the highway agency, to more vigorously pursue distracted driving has cost lives and allowed to blossom a culture of behind-the-wheel multitasking.

“We’re looking at a problem that could be as bad as drunk driving, and the government has covered it up,” said Clarence Ditlow, director of the Center for Auto Safety.

Mr. Ditlow said that putting fears of the House panel ahead of public safety was an abdication of the agency’s responsibility.

“No public health and safety agency should allow its research to be suppressed for political reasons,” he said. Doing so “will cause deaths and injuries on the highways.”

Links for July 20th from 08:37 to 16:27

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Sometime between 08:37 and 16:27, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

  • Palin’s Resignation: The Edited Version: "If you watched Sarah Palin's resignation speech, you know one thing: her high-priced speechwriters moved back to the Beltway long ago. Just how poorly constructed was the governor's holiday-weekend address? We asked V.F.'s red-pencil-wielding executive literary editor, Wayne Lawson, together with representatives from the research and copy departments, to whip it into publishable shape. Here is the colorful result."
  • Woodstock Concert’s Undercover Lovers, Nick and Bobbi Ercoline, 40 Years After Summer of Love: The blanket-wrapped couple seen on the cover of the original Woodstock soundtrack album is still together. "They discovered it while at a friend's house listening to the album and passing around the gatefold jacket. First, Nick recognized the famous yellow butterfly staff in the left corner. 'It belonged to this guy Herbie,' Nick says. 'We latched on to him that day because he was having a very bad experience. He was tripping pretty heavily and he had lost his friends. After I saw that staff I said, 'Hey that's our blanket.' Then I said, 'Hey, that's us.''"
  • Best Correction Ever?: July 17, 1969, The New York Times: "Further investigation and experimentation have confirmed the findings of Issac Newton in the 17th Century and it is now definitely established that a rocket can function in a vacuum as well as in an atmosphere. The Times regrets the error."
  • Let’s Do the Time Warp Again! Offsite Time Machine Backups: "There's a new kid on the block with a different approach to offsite backup — Time Warp. This US$25 Mac application (free during the beta period) takes your Time Machine backups, compresses and encrypts them with 256-bit AES encryption, and then uploads them to your personal Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) account. "
  • We All Shine on in New Proof of Bioluminescence: "Next time that someone says that you're glowing, check that they don't mean it literally. Researchers in Japan have finally managed to prove the existence of the human body's bioluminescence with these first-ever pictures of the body's natural shine."

Links for July 16th through July 18th

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Sometime between July 16th and July 18th, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

  • ‘The Case of the Disappearing Orwell’ Is Not as the Blogosphere Would Have You Believe: "The idea that's spread through the Internet like wildfire is that this was an action at the behest of this publisher, who decided on a whim that they didn't want to publish it through Amazon any longer, and that Amazon caved and did what they asked. That's just not what happened, and it's rather unfair to Amazon for people to continue to spread the misinformation that says it is."
  • Seattle Gay News: Vogue Night at Neighbours Underground: "'A hidden gem on Capitol Hill.' That's the way a patron dressed in black describes Vogue Night, an '80s, new wave, goth, and industrial night of dance at Neighbours Underground. The party is authentic, fashionable, and very sexy"
  • Michael Jackson in 2000 in 1985: "What Ebony, in 1985, Thought Michael Jackson Would Look Like in 2000" Apparently, like Billy Dee Williams in Empire Strikes Back.
  • NASA Releases Preview Partially Restored Apollo 11 Video: "To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, NASA released partially restored video of a series of 15 memorable moments from the July 20 moonwalk. The source material for the restoration project is the best of the available broadcast-format video. Lowry Digital, Burbank, Calif., is significantly enhancing the video using the company's proprietary software technology and other restoration techniques. The video is part of a larger restoration project that will be completed in September and provide a newly restored high definition video of the entire Apollo 11 moonwalk. The completed restoration will provide the public with the highest quality video of this historic event."
  • Unidentified Biological "Goo," 15 Miles Long, Creeps Down Alaskan Coast: "A gigantic smear of gooey, black biological material is making its way through the Chukchi Sea between Wainwright and Barrow in Northern Alaska. Eyewitnesses say it's definitely a living entity, though unlike anything they've seen before. The blob was first spotted last week, floating in Arctic waters. Big chunks of it – some as much as '12 miles long,' according to the Anchorage Daily News, are drifting through the sea. A helicopter tracked the spread of the goop for 15 miles and saw no end to it."
  • Literary Mashups Meet Tentacles. Has All of Western Literature Been Leading Up to This?: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters: "As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels?"

Amazon Kills Pocketpedia

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For a while now, I’ve been using Bookpedia to catalog Prairie’s and my book collections, and DVDPedia for our movie collection. One of the handiest things about the system was the ability to sync our libraries to my iPod through Pocketpedia and have them available at my fingertips whenever we were out and about. No more trying to remember whether or not we’d picked up a particular book from a particular author or series, just check the iPod. It was one of my most-used iPhone apps.

Unfortunately, that’s not an option anymore: Amazon recently changed their API Terms of Service, and included the following clause in section 4(e):

You will not, without our express prior written approval requested via this link , use any Product Advertising Content on or in connection with any site or application designed or intended for use with a mobile phone or other handheld device.

Since the update to the TOS, Amazon has been aggressively enforcing that clause. I saw the writing on the wall a couple weeks ago when Delicious had their iPhone app pulled, and now Pocketpedia has been killed as well.

This morning we received an email from Amazon requesting the immediate removal of Pocketpedia from the App Store since the program is in violation of their license agreement. (A clause we’re pretty sure didn’t exist when Pocketpedia launched with the App Store in June last year but TOSBack only tracks Kindle and MP3 music service terms of use.)

We’ve logged a request with Amazon that Pocketpedia be exempt from the mobile clause (this is stated as a possibility in the license agreement) but it seems others have tried this before and were shot down so we’re not holding our breath for a favourable response. Hopefully the future will bring a positive change in their policy and we can all go on competing in the App Store.

Pocketpedia Not Available

Unsurprisingly, I — and a number of other previously-happy customers — are none too thrilled with Amazon about this. I’m hoping that some workaround can be found, and that Pocketpedia can continue on (even if that means gutting it to remove all data ever retrieved from Amazon). All I can do now (aside from dropping Amazon a quick complaint e-mail, which I’ve already done) is wait and see what happens next.

Update: Hooray! As of today, Nov. 10th, 2009, Pocketpedia is back! You can download the new, Amazon-free version right here.