Be Careful If You Threaten Boing Boing
Last night Cindy asked me what I was reading as I pored over my laptop on her kitchen table. I find the most amusing things to read. It was a story from Wired News about a man who had a high powered magnet implanted in his ring finger. The effect […]
Sicily on Film and Press Coverage for GoNOMAD
Today I firmed up plans with my friend Rick Newton for the next extravaganza at the cafe–a photo exhibit with a multimedia twist. We’re going to show off photographs shot on film in Sicily by UMass students. Rick takes students to this lovely island each year, and they shoot glorious […]
We Used to Charge Extra for that…
Brett Arends writes in the Boston Herald about the NY Times vaunted “Times Select,” where people pay extra to read the big name columnists like Friedman, Krugman and Dowd. There are 482,000 who have signed up for the service so far. “However, the paper further admits that 62 percent of […]
Head for Humping Hill
In Horea, Romania, there’s a new hot tourist spot, particularly if you’re into … well, “humping”. I found this item on the ‘net this afternoon. “The Romanian village of Horea has become a tourism hot spot thanks to a “humping hill” which is said to help childless couples conceive. Corneliu […]
Stephanie and her Five Friends at Dinner
Sunday night’s dinner was with interesting company. My pal Joe had us over for dinner with Stephanie and her five girlfriends. I had not spent time with this many young women in a long time. The vivacious 30-something gals were vibrant and energetic. We talked about the cafe, and my […]
Coffee with Shoul and Bronze Mustache in China
Today I met my friend Paul Shoul at Northampton Coffee. What a comfortable place: strong coffee, deep china mugs, a window to look out of. We talked about Paul’s upcoming blog, (watch for a link to it here) and then I read the NY Times. Found a story about “online […]
Customers and Neighbors Dropping by the Cafe
It’s a crappy grey day at the Cafe. Yet the customers, slowly but surely, are coming in the door. It was a treat today to man the counter for a while, and talk to a young couple who had come in for the first time. “How long have you been […]
GM Deserves to be Swallowed by Toyota
I sat outside the cafe today, rain threatening, since reading the paper out there helps bring people in. The Republican had Thomas Friedman’s column about the Big Three automakers, again, making a mistake. He chided them for their recent ad campaign, where they give away gas cards to keep the […]
Marshall Refused to Laugh at FDR’s Jokes
Love that afternoon TV in the basement. Where else but on the History Channel’s “Five Star Heroes” would I be able to learn about the life and times of General George Marshall. Marshall went to Virginia Military Institute, his brother thought he’d flunk out. He couldn’t get into West Point. […]
Pumpcam Man Startles Motorists
Got home late tonight. Was working on a proposal in collaboration with another website. Very high profile client, good sized proposal. Talking to the west coast late into the night. Later, on the Tonight Show, there was a funny bit called Pumpcam. The scene was from the survelliance camera in […]
Alphonse D’Arco Sang Like Nobody’s Business
Alphonse D’Arco, born July 28, 1932, grew up near the Brooklyn Navy Yards, a neighborhood of heavyweight mobsters _ some his relatives. His childhood, D’Arco once recalled, was “like being in the forest and all the trees were the dons and the organized crime guys.” AOL had the story behind […]
Baghdad ER Shows the Horrible Effects of the War
Tonight we returned from NJ and watched a tape of HBO’s documentary called Baghdad ER. It was a graphic depiction of life in the MASH unit of this stupid war. Every day soldiers are medivac’ed in, almost all of them suffering the effects of IED’s, the dreaded roadside bombs detonated […]
RFID Tags Could Mean No More Lost Luggage
CNN reports today about using RFID tags on luggage. It’s being tested in Hong Kong Airport. “If you have a misplaced piece of luggage today, someone has to physically stand next to it, or the bag has to pass in front of the reader before we know where it is,” […]
Get the Digital Issue of Nylon, Click the MySpace Links
Poring over the NY Times again while visiting Steve Gilbert’s big house in Lambertville, I found this short article about MySpace providing a spot on the web for Nylon magazine. It’s an ingenious idea: The music and fashion magazine will publish a digital June/July issue, which readers can download, that […]
What You’ll Do With Your Cellphone Some Day
Wired News had a story about an Australian entrepreneur who has started a new cell phone company called Amp’d. “Here’s how Peter Adderton sees the near future: You’ll be asleep in your house, and your wireless entertainment device will wake you up. It’ll be voice-activated, so if you want some […]
Armless Man Stopped for Speeding
The AP had this story today. “An armless man stopped for speeding was driving with one foot on the steering wheel and another on the pedals, a policeman testified in court. Colin Smith, who was born without arms and has never held a driver’s license, appeared in court Thursday charged […]
A Treasure Trove of Reading at Nat and Val’s House
We woke up late today at Nat and Val’s house in Blawenburg. The season is ahead of our colder New England climate, so her garden is in full bloom. One thing I’m always amazed about when I visit here is the smorgasbord of reading materials at hand. The New Yorker, […]
Anticipating the Holiday Weekend
It’s already a steamy day, a Friday, a day of travel and anticipation. We’re on our way down to visit the family in Jersey, a ritual done at least every six months, but one that always excites me. I am the only member of my family who lives far away, […]