December 2008 Neatlinks

We turned on the radio during our epic drive last weekend and all we heard was auto-tune (great piece on NPR here). Particularly enjoyed Kanye’s Love Lockdown and The Game’s My Life (0 comments)

Better late than never I guess… “Prop 8 – The Musical” also: Protect Marriage, Protect Children, Prohibit Divorce (wait for the ending) (0 comments)

I finally found what I’m getting for EVERYONE in my family this Christmas:

The ‘caganer’ literally ‘defecator’ is a feature of Catalan nativity scenes. The figure is usually tucked away in a corner of the model, far away from the manger itself, for children to find. The caganer represents fertility and equality.

I wonder if they ship to the US? (1 comment)

Fun Wikipedia finds: Hippie trail and the Banana Pancake Trail (0 comments)

This amused me WAY more than I thought it would: The Angry Video Game Nerd reviews Ghostbusters for the Nintendo (0 comments)

This is so hot: XXX Porn for Women (0 comments)

Weekend project: making Applesauce (aka what to do when you’ve gotten apples in your veggie box the past two times and you don’t want to eat them as is) Verdict: surprisingly tangy (0 comments)

This is pretty cute: Feist on Sesame Street (1 comment)

Neat: Today I installed Debian on my [T-Mobile] G1. (0 comments)

I can’t think of a better person to help guide the future of HTML: Sam Ruby has been appointed as a new co-chair [of the HTML Working Group] by the W3C Director, Tim Berners-Lee (0 comments)

How surreal: Brad Pitt in yellow (0 comments)

Thank you Boing Boing:

the world press has rushed to tell us that throwing shoes is a really bad thing in the Arab world. Not like here in the west, where it’s a gesture of affection.

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The homeless in San Francisco have been on my mind lately (generally on my walks to and from work), so I had this idea the other week about building a shopping cart that transforms into a portable shelter. Wouldn’t you know it, someone invented one: EDAR (Everyone Deserves a Roof) More info here.

Statistic that I find appalling:

The cost of building or refurbishing a traditional shelter is approximately $100,000 per bed created.

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For future reference: Photography on Simply Recipes (0 comments)

What a breath of fresh air:

“His appointment should send a signal to all that my administration will value science,” said President-elect Barack Obama at a news conference. “We will make decisions based on the facts, and we understand that facts demand bold action.”

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To eat at later: Zuni Cafe (on Market between Franklin and Gough) (2 comments)

You stay classy, James:

One of [Richard] Cizik’s fiercest critics has been Focus on the Family, the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based evangelical group founded by James Dobson. Last year, Dobson and other Christian conservatives unsuccessfully pressured the NAE to silence Cizik about global warming.

Who could have imagined that the environment would become a wedge issue for the evangelical-set? (0 comments)

Something I learned after listening to a talk by Matt Flannery, CEO and co-founder of Kiva:

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi banker and economist. He previously was a professor of economics and is famous for his successful application of microcredit – the extension of small loans. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Yunus is also the founder of Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank. In 2006, Yunus and the bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.”

Apparently Grameen is going to start a microfinance program in NYC. (1 comment)

For future reference: the Art Direction WordPress plugin allows per-page custom CSS and JS (0 comments)

Three loosely-related things worth noting:

• xkcd’s comic: Our relationship entered its decline at this point
• Joy of Tech’s comic: Love knows no bounds, please repeal prop 8
• Something called the Courage Campaign, an “online hub for progressive Californians” (that I’ve never heard of, so I don’t know how legitimate it is) and their “Please don’t divorce us” photoset on Flickr

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Good to know:

NYPL Express opens the renowned collections of The New York Public Library and the vast resources of research centers linked with the Library throughout the world. Whether it’s searching the Internet, contacting a trade association, or finding facts from books, journals, government documents, or online databases, our professionally trained information specialists know the quickest way to find accurate information…from seconds ago or centuries ago.

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The Cheese School of San Francisco’s Winter 2009 Class Schedule is out (0 comments)

When are the youths of Israel and Palestine going to finally say, “Enough is enough!” (0 comments)

A sentiment I am sure is shared by many:

I am…supremely eager to send 2008 packing and wish peace and prosperity and good health to all in 2009.

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Nice Marlboro parody:

Google’s not just a brand; it’s a habit, and unlike cigarettes, a generally good one.

—Quote from Danny Sullivan’s Tough Love For Microsoft Search (0 comments)

Bug of the year:

There is a bug in the internal clock driver causing the 30GB [Zune] to improperly handle the last day of a leap year.

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