Sunday, July 06, 2003

A Frequent Traveler's Thoughts. I've been doing so much traveling lately that a colleague suggested I do a column about how the road (air,... [Dan Gillmor's eJournal] 9:57:26 PM    comment []

An Analysis of Netflix's DVD Allocation System I have determined that Netflix uses the number of movies you rented in your previous billing period or periods combined with your disc plan (3 out, 5 out, etc.) to determine your priority in getting movies. As your cost-per- disc to Netflix increases due to more frequent rentals, you will have less of a chance of receiving a low- availability movie compared to an individual who has a lower cost to Netflix. 11:15:08 AM    comment []

Traffic Tickets' Silver Lining. A study showed that a driver's risk of being involved in a fatal accident fell by 35 percent in the month after receiving a ticket for a moving violation. By Matthew L. Wald. [New York Times: Business] 10:34:43 AM    comment []

As part of FRONTLINE's 20th-anniversary season, PBS and WGBH are offering full-length streaming video of several FRONTLINE "Classics" as well as some recent reports. Shows include "The Farmer's Wife," "Cyber War!" "American Porn," "Dot Con," "The Merchants of Cool," and the amazing, must-to-see "Abortion Clinic." 10:33:39 AM    comment []

The Knives Are Out: The creator of ‘Survivor’ is back with a reality show set somewhere even scarier than the Amazon: a restaurant. By Devin Gordon, Newsweek. 10:29:26 AM    comment []

The Lure of Data: Is It Addictive?. The ubiquity of technology in the lives of businesspeople and consumers has created a a brewing tension between productivity and freneticism. By Matt Richtel. [New York Times: Technology] 10:28:29 AM    comment []

'Our Own Devices': Smothered by Invention. Edward Tenner's new book of essays on examples of what he calls body technologies might have been called "Why Things Bite Back II." By David Pogue. [New York Times: Technology] 10:25:38 AM    comment []

How Much Does It Cost Not to Go to the Gym?. The loss of income from irrational confidence is quickly becoming significant for many households. By David Leonhardt. [New York Times: Business] 10:23:55 AM    comment []

NSA Crypto Phones Site June 23, 2003. Condor [Cryptome] 10:12:25 AM    comment []

Report: Internet Under Suveillance /J June 23, 2003. IUS [Cryptome] 10:11:21 AM    comment []

Further cleaning-out results: glassdog Overheard from May, 1999, which includes the line, I don't think anyone ever died from people looking at them carrying an umbrella on a sunny day, and a more or less witty response. I'd forgotten about Overheard, and now I find I miss it. On the other hand, I'm noticing that I do a lot less of that ridiciulous printing out of e-mail or stuff I find on the Net (in part because the blog serves as a searchable archive). 5:14:07 AM    comment []

Two years ago today, Happy birthday, Christine! Recent searches updated. Sort of jumbled-but-upbeat story on tech in the schools: Students Embrace Technology Safe harbor? 'Secure' U.S. Site Wasn't Very This sounds like The Onion, but it's not: Report: Bush Stunned by U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Size Web Radio Signals a Comeback The Death and Life of Free Radio: We're listening to the sound of a man kicking in a door. Preachers and Pirates. From Microsoft Word to Microsoft World: How Microsoft is Building a Global Monopoly The Trasngender Menace Next Door In an unbelievable indication of how the White House manufactures news, the AP apparently ran a story that detailed Dick Cheney's Monday morning activities in the White House, in the past tense, more than six hours before a later story indicated that he actually arrived at the White House. Tales from the Underground. The most amazing of the extremophiles are the lithotrophs, or "rock-eaters," which live off of the rock itself. They obtain their carbon from carbon dioxide gas in a process that is similar to photosynthesis in some ways. However, unlike plants, lithotrophs are in the dark, so they must find an alternative to solar energy to power the uptake of carbon (and to power other life functions). It is only recently that we have discovered that the lithotrophs derive their energy by stripping off electrons from the atoms of inorganic minerals in the surrounding rocks, or from hydrogen atoms of hydrogen gas in the environment. This is a unique and amazing talent, one that allows lithotrophs to survive completely independent of the sun, organic food sources, and surface life. 24- hour day-care centers The Muzzle Awards: Ten who undermined freedom of speech and personal liberties 5:14:02 AM    comment []