Saturday, May 07, 2005

hva en akademiker egentlig gjør hele uken. I had no idea what working as an academic was really like when I was a student. Heck, I didn’t even know what the job really entails three years ago, when I was finishing up my PhD. Uh, or even two years ago, when I’d been working fulltime for a semester. Torill explains a lot of the work in detail, and I think if more students and academics actually realised how much is crammed into those hours we’d all — well, I dunno what we’d do really. Throw up our hands in horror, perhaps. (in Norwegian) [jill/txt] 5:33:55 PM    comment []

Nashville. Shame on Canadian government that allows the US government profiles people based on their birthplace. Do I have a Canadian passport or not? Anyway, I missed my direct flight to Nashville yesterday because US Costumes doesn't have a office in Nashville so I could register out when leaving the US. The guy asked me to rebook my return ticket so I could go through a bigger airport in a larger city, which obviously was impossible. So I missed my ticket and bought a whole new one with a stop in Chicago both ways, hopefully to be paid by the BlogNashville... [Editor: Myself (English)] 12:28:12 PM    comment []

Mint Juleps and Milkshakes. The Kentucky Derby is on again as a classic American oddity. [NYT > Opinion] Hunter S. Thompson reflected well on both the odd and the classic in his sterling "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved." 8:17:57 AM    comment []

Human Rights Watch feeds. [Scripting News] 8:17:54 AM    comment []

Court Nixes 'Broadcast Flag'. The FCC exceeded its authority by requiring consumer electronics makers to help restrict copying of digital TV broadcasts, a federal appeal court rules. Michael Grebb reports from Washington, D.C. [Wired News] 8:08:00 AM    comment []

California Dreaming: A True Story of Computers, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll. John Markoff makes a convincing case that for the ubergeeks in the 1960's, approaching drugs as they might any other potentially helpful tool was only natural. By ANDREW LEONARD. [NYT > Technology] Markoff will be in The Well's Inkwell conference next month to discuss the book, What the Dormouse Said: How the 60s Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer. 8:07:54 AM    comment []

Dave: I cancelled my Audible subscription this morning. I hadn't used it in a few months yet was still paying the monthly fee. I stopped using it because both the computer I used to download books and the iPod I used to listen to them developed difficulties. I've replaced both the computer and the iPod but the Audible service doesn't transfer because of the DRM limits. I think they assume that I'm "stealing" the books. This has always been the problem with copy protection and nothing has changed. The same thing happened with the app I used to digitize CDs, and to record my podcasts. I had to buy new licenses just because I had a hard disk crash. I don't know who to blame, but I'm tired of footting the bill. No point continuing to pay Audible because I can't use their service. They won't let me. However I'll give them credit for making it obvious and easy to opt out. 7:35:00 AM    comment []

Password for Latte? Oh, Sure. VeriSign claims it persuaded "85% of survey participants" to compromise their computer passwords for a $3 Starbucks cash card, according to this story in Information Week. Among the questions I wish the reporter had asked: Did VeriSign verify that these logons and passwords actually worked? Or did most of these people just give out a phony password? I've put in a call to VeriSign PR and will let you know what they say. [Dan Gillmor on Grassroots Journalism, Etc.] 7:32:44 AM    comment []