Adding “leap seconds” to the atomic clock to correct the time could have far reaching implications for GPS navigation, including air traffic control, which can endanger planes. This is one of those articles I had to read a couple of times before I got it. In my defense, I have not yet had any caffeine this morning.
Basically, mythtv.org is an open source TIVO/ Replay TV program. You port your cable hookup through a PC equipped with a TV tuner card ($100) and a decent sized hard drive, set up the open source software on the PC, and connect the PC to a large monitor or TV & stereo. Then you use the software to record your favorite programs. There’s a web interface that lets you set our programs remotely, say, from work.
Rocker Ted Nugent injures self with chainsaw. Not a fan of the Nuge, myself.
A gay cowboy romance that is in in the works, directed by Ang Lee and produced by James Schamus and Diana Ossana for Focus Features, a division of Universal Pictures (In other words, a major studio release). Shooting on the movie begins this summer. It is currently in casting negotiations for the part of the two male leads: Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The screenplay is adapted from the short story, “Brokeback Mountain” by Annie Proulx, available in the collection Close Range : Wyoming Stories.
Keynes�s remark that �The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent� is paralleled by (ahem) Teresa Nielsen Hayden�s observation that �The Invisible Hand is not to human scale.�
Also, Hofstadter�s Rule, which states that everything takes longer than you think it will, even after you take Hofstadter�s Rule into account.
Over the long New Years weekend, my friend Cate, who was in from Germany, came over and we went to Dan and Doug’s New Years party (photos soon!) along with Kathy and had a good time. Cate and I went to the Catholic supply store downtown and got religious medals (I know, I know, I was just saying below that I’m not a fan of the Catholic church. I still like the saints, though. They never did anything to me.) and went to the 62nd Street antique mall. It was great to see Cate again, and I hope it’s not two years before I see her again. I’m hoping to visit my sister in England, though, and if so, maybe Cate and I can hang out in London.
I went to see House of Sand and Fog with Melissa. Deeply depressing. If you see this, do it on a bright sunny day, not a dark gloomy one like we did.
And I did more painting in my living room. I also read ALOT. I finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and read Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown, the guy who wrote the DaVinci Code.
Middlesex was excellent. Angels and Demons was good, but not off the charts good. If you liked the DaVinci Code, you’ll enjoy this. I had it figured out well before the end, though, and it basically followed the same formula the other: Langdon as hero, girl as intrepid side-kick, a race against time to solve a puzzle, with an anonymous, unknown bad guy who turns out to be someone familiar to you in a wild twist at the end of the book. The appeal for me is the idea of clues to mysteries hidden in plain sight, amongst objects you see every day, with a scavenger hunt like puzzle attached. And I love the idea of secret societies, unusual iconography, etc.
Someone who took a baby Jesus figurine from a church’s outdoor Nativity scene painted its skin black and then brought it back.
The figurine was accompanied with a note that said the darker paint more accurately represents his skin color.
“I thought I would point out that Jesus was not an Aryan but actually a man of color,” the note said. “Although you probably knew this but would rather not be reminded.”
American Gods
Author: Neil Gaiman
Between Girlfriends
Author: Elizabeth Dean
Charity Girl
Author: Georgette Heyer
The DaVinci Code
Author: Dan Brown
The Friendly Persuasion
Author: Jessamyn West
Jeeves In the Morning
Author: P.G. Wodehouse
Johnny Tremain
Author: Esther Forbes
Just Like Beauty
Author: Lisa Lerner
Life of Pi: A Novel
Yann Martel; Hardcover
McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales
Author: Edited by Michael Chabon
Neverwhere
Author: Neil Gaiman
Postern of Fate
Author: Agatha Christie
Revolutionary Girl Utena: To Plant
Author: Chiho Saito, Be-Papas
The Secret Life of Bees
Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Summerland
Author: Michael Chabon
100 Simple Secrets of Great Relationships
Author: David Niven, Ph.D.
ASPCA’s Complete Guide to Cats
Author: James R. Richards
Cascading Style Sheets: The Definitive Guide
Author: Eric A. Meyer
The Complete Guide to Personal and Home Safety
Author: Captain Robert L. Snow
Dear Friends: American Portraits of Men Together, 1840-1918
Author: David Dietcher
Designing with Web Standards
Author: Jeffrey Zeldman
The Dollhouse Murders: A Forensic Expert Investigates 6 Little Crimes
Author: Thomas Mauriello
Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution
Author: Dr. Atkins
Ghosts In The Bedroom: A Guide for Partners of Incest Survivors
Author: Ken Graber
The Great Big Book of Tomorrow
Author: tom tomorrow
Indiana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff
by Dick Wolfsie
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look At The Right
Author: Al Franken
Living History
Author: Hillary Clinton
Living Rooms
Author: Diane Dorrans Saeks
Outgrowing the Pain: A Book For and About Adults Abused As Children
Author: Eliana Gil
Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper Case Closed
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Slayer Slang: A Buffy The Vampire Slayer Lexicon
Author: Michael Adams, Jane Espenson
They Went Whistling: Women Wayfarers, Warriors, Runaways, and Renegades
Author: Barbara Holland
What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News
Author: Eric Alterman
Coming Summer of 2004, starring Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow & Jude Law. Thus guaranteeing that I, Doug and Amy will all be in the theater to watch. Very 1930’s Art Deco style movie, with Angelina in uniform, flying a plane. I will so be there. Gwyneth is a reporter. I wasn’t paying that much attention to Jude Law in the trailer, but I’m sure he was hot, too. For a boy.
My sister Stacy sent my brother Gary a t-shirt for Xmas that says “Mind the Gap” the famous phrase that is announced on London Underground platforms as the trains are coming in to warn people not to step into the gap between the train carriage and the platform. Here’s a website that examines the origin of the phrase.
People who have visited England’s capital city say ‘Mind the Gap’ to each other – often accompanied by knowing glances and subtle nods – while the rest of the world wonders what they are on about. This article introduces some little known facts about the phrase and its usage.”
And here’s the official London Underground’s website, where you can buy a “Mind the Gap” t-shirt or even the logo from your favorite Underground stop. Apparently, the trendy thing to do is wear your stop’s logo around so people can introduce themselves if they live near you.