Stephen Colbert took President Bush behind the woodshed last night and gave him his whuppins. If you haven't seen this, I can't possibly do it justice. Just watch it. I mean, he's busting George Dubya, who's sitting ten feet away. Amazing. Oh, the transcript is here, in case you can't get video. Enjoy.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Helpful: Jane Jacobs and used boxes
Moving boxes are expensive, and if you don't have a car, they're a pain in the butt to collect and bring home, even if you can snag them for free. Luckily, and just in time for my move, someone in Chicago figured this out. (The link goes to a craigslist ad which isn't permanent, but if you search "used boxes Chicago" I'm sure you'll find others.) This particular service picks up "gently used" boxes from the people who have moved in, then delivers them anywhere in the city for a flat fee. Brilliant.
It's just another example of how, in a big city or big company, smart people can take waste and turn it into profit. 3M didn't plan to make Post-It's--they wanted to make sandpaper. Turned out, the leftover glue from the sandpaper was more valuable than the sandpaper itself. Jane Jacobs, a social activist and prolific writer in economics and urban issues, wrote about this concept of economic advancement in her book "The Economy of Cities," which I'm just now finishing. Jacobs died this week at the age of 89; if you want to have just a little taste of what urban planning program is about, read Jacobs' book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" from 1961. RIP, Jane.
It's just another example of how, in a big city or big company, smart people can take waste and turn it into profit. 3M didn't plan to make Post-It's--they wanted to make sandpaper. Turned out, the leftover glue from the sandpaper was more valuable than the sandpaper itself. Jane Jacobs, a social activist and prolific writer in economics and urban issues, wrote about this concept of economic advancement in her book "The Economy of Cities," which I'm just now finishing. Jacobs died this week at the age of 89; if you want to have just a little taste of what urban planning program is about, read Jacobs' book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" from 1961. RIP, Jane.
Helpful: Find a poem
Need to find that perfect poem for a romantic evening, a wedding, or Kwanzaa? The Poetry Foundation can help.
I recommend this one. That Lord Byron sure was smooth.
I recommend this one. That Lord Byron sure was smooth.
Monday, April 24, 2006
Helpful: How to find a new apartment in two hours
1) Look at ads on Craigslist
2) Find great-looking ad; call number.
3) Reach agent on first ring; tell her you will be there in 30 minutes.
4) Head to the 'L' platform; catch a train with no delay.
5) Get off at Argyle; walk by a dozen Asian markets and restaurants.
6) Get to apartment on Winnemac right near Clark St. in Andersonville; see that it is same rent as your current apartment but way, way nicer.
7) Realize that you have met the agent before--you bumped into her at a friend's garage sale where they were all drinking margaritas.
8) See one other apartment; realize that it can't compare to first one.
9) Call agent; set up lease signing for Wednesday. Done and done.
2) Find great-looking ad; call number.
3) Reach agent on first ring; tell her you will be there in 30 minutes.
4) Head to the 'L' platform; catch a train with no delay.
5) Get off at Argyle; walk by a dozen Asian markets and restaurants.
6) Get to apartment on Winnemac right near Clark St. in Andersonville; see that it is same rent as your current apartment but way, way nicer.
7) Realize that you have met the agent before--you bumped into her at a friend's garage sale where they were all drinking margaritas.
8) See one other apartment; realize that it can't compare to first one.
9) Call agent; set up lease signing for Wednesday. Done and done.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Interesting: Flickr overload
Flickr was always a procrastination danger for me, but the fact that they have a separate stream of interersting pictures for Google Homepage absolutely sealed my doom.
Friday, April 21, 2006
Helpful: Google Calendar
I've gone through a lot of gadgets and software on my path of Getting Things Done, from a Palm III to Outlook to Yahoo! Calendar to Microsoft Entourage. But I think I've found my home. This Monday, Google released their long-awaited Calendar, and it took me all of 60 minutes to adopt it 100%. Last year, I had read about how you could use GMail as both e-mail and to-do list, and with GMail open in one tab, GCal in another, and the personalized Google homepage in the third, nothing gets past my kung-fu force field.
Oh, and Evite, your days are numbered. Google events in Calendar are faster to set up and respond to, way easier to use, and don't have annoying registration nonsense or big ad pages. Happy.
Oh, and Evite, your days are numbered. Google events in Calendar are faster to set up and respond to, way easier to use, and don't have annoying registration nonsense or big ad pages. Happy.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Interesting: Growing into a Democrat
Between running, applying for jobs, and watching the European soccer championships today, I read this article by Kos that expresses why he's a Democrat now. I didn't serve in the armed forces, but instead, it was moving to a big city seven years ago that helped wake me up to an important article of my faith: we're all in this together.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Interesting: Kos is short
Just got back from Kos' book-signing tour. I only bought the book today, so pics and a review are on the way. Good times.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Interesting: Protests
Here's I pic I found on flickr from today's pro-immigration rallies. So I guess The Onion was right...
Helpful: Open Space
Today was so warm in Chicago. 70 degrees, not a cloud in the sky. I don't have class on Mondays, so I went for a run and took care of some errands.
One thing I've learned in my urban planning classes so far this year is how valuable parks are, even when it's too cold for anybody to use them. The weather turns, the people come back, and urban life carries on.
This pic is from the baseball fields in Central Park when it was 30 degrees out on a Tuesday morning. It makes me smile to imagine what they will look like this weekend.
One thing I've learned in my urban planning classes so far this year is how valuable parks are, even when it's too cold for anybody to use them. The weather turns, the people come back, and urban life carries on.
This pic is from the baseball fields in Central Park when it was 30 degrees out on a Tuesday morning. It makes me smile to imagine what they will look like this weekend.
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