tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57975912011-09-17T11:01:48.046-05:00following wherever my fancy (and short attention span) leads meStoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.comBlogger1481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-49881574850052585742007-02-27T10:34:00.000-05:002007-02-27T10:43:04.428-05:00

on the one hand, the idea of having one website where you can find a subway map for any city in the world is really rather awesome.on the other hand, the Boston map doesn't show the complete green lines -- you'd never know that a B, C or D line existed. The E line is shown, but isn't labelled. If the other maps are missing similar information, then they're really not that helpful....

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1164904738077142052006-11-30T11:35:00.000-05:002006-11-30T11:38:58.210-05:00

Hanne Blank recommends the Before You Know It software from Transparent Language. Apparently you can download a free Lite version in any of 41 different languages. I need to give this a looksee, since i suspect that would mesh nicely with my tendency to study a language for a few lessons and then get bored and wander off. :)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1155829093012817362006-08-17T10:36:00.000-05:002006-08-17T10:38:13.023-05:00

The Cat Came Backthis was one of our favorite songs in elementary music class. and then, just after high school, I went to an animation festival and saw this film based on the song and thought it was glorious. i never saw it again.... til now! ye gods, i love the internet!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1155151897211017272006-08-09T14:29:00.000-05:002006-08-09T14:31:37.223-05:00

How many metros around the world have you been on?sadly, there are many cities that i know i've been in, but that i cannot actually remember whether i've been on their subway or not. like, say, Vancouver, which i visited only LAST SUMMER. i know i took a bus; i know we drove a lot; i have no idea if we actually went underground. sigh.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1155131281631170452006-08-09T08:45:00.000-05:002006-08-09T08:48:01.646-05:00

this is a lovely combo of Google Maps and the MBTA -- verrrrrrrrrrry useful. heck, it's even got the Silver Line on it, which i'm pretty darn clueless about, so yay for that!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1154010274924455462006-07-27T09:21:00.000-05:002006-07-27T09:24:34.936-05:00

readings of various stories/poems -- i'm most looking forward to listening to the Beowulf and Canterbury Tales stuff, but some of the later things also look cool.recordings of songs included in various Shakespeare plays

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1151069055575631962006-06-23T08:22:00.000-05:002006-06-23T08:24:15.586-05:00

a REALLY big page.(if you view source, you'll see hidden messages that you probably wouldn't come across unless you've got a LOT more time on your hands than i do....)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1149181782772424182006-06-01T12:07:00.000-05:002006-06-01T12:09:42.846-05:00

pi10K - lets you choose 10 musical notes, assigning each one to a digit between 0 and 9, and then plays the first 10,000 digits of pi. not exactly melodic (well, not the notes I chose!), but i like it.found via The Math Less Traveled

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1148612974171222702006-05-25T22:08:00.000-05:002006-05-25T22:09:34.180-05:00

Make your own pinhole camera!it gives you not only a pdf of everything you need to cut out, but also a video showing how to put it all together! how cool is that???

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1148308795055715412006-05-22T09:37:00.000-05:002006-05-22T09:39:56.083-05:00

while looking for birthday gifts for my parents, i came across the Melting Snowman Canisters. so not what they'd want to get from me, but aren't they cool??

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1142352655795534712006-03-14T11:07:00.000-05:002006-03-14T11:10:55.806-05:00

I know there's some people who read this blog (you know, on those rare occassions i actually update) and don't visit the LiveJournal version. But today i think you should go over there and answer my poll about which classic books are worth reading. Because I've apparently missed a lot of them, but i have no patience for what i think of as "stuffy must-reads", so I want to know which ones are

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1138590477237399792006-01-29T22:04:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:07:57.246-05:00

I've started playing with the LibraryThing, which seems like a great way of (1) keeping track of what books you own when you're not near your bookcases and (2) potentially a good way of finding new books to read. My list isn't nearly complete yet, but a decent start has been made. i've not been terribly stringent about making sure I've listed the exact edition -- i haven't wandered into that

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1135280691032599972005-12-22T14:41:00.000-05:002005-12-22T14:44:51.043-05:00

Old Tyme Radio Christmas broadcasts in mp3 format. I'm planning on downloading and burning some to CD for my drive home. I'm especially intrigued by the "It's a Wonderful Life" and the Charlie McCarthy pieces. We'll see how many i can grab while frantically wrapping presents tonight... :)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1134683652934453702005-12-15T16:46:00.000-05:002005-12-15T16:54:12.946-05:00

I just grabbed the following links from laurashapiro at LJ. I can give no better descriptions than she does:I want to offer this extremely helpful overview of typography (.pdf) to any type junkies out there (lo, I am one of your number) or other interested people. If you've ever wondered what makes some fonts better-looking than others, or what to call the little bit that hangs off the bottom of

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1134484893167074002005-12-13T09:40:00.000-05:002005-12-13T09:41:33.176-05:00

Paper Stoats! in both summer and winter varieties!I so gotta print me out one or two of these. i think they'd look nice on my desk at work which is sadly devoid of decoration at the moment...

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1134071761606361532005-12-08T14:41:00.000-05:002005-12-08T14:56:01.640-05:00

I just found a page chock full of Christmas Hymns. I've been craving more traditional hymns like the Boar's Head Carol, the Wassail Song, In the Bleak Mid-winter, that sort of thing. and this seems like it might be a fine resource for new arrangements for my singing group. yay!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1133904247255925922005-12-06T15:57:00.000-05:002005-12-06T16:24:07.340-05:00

Who doesn't love Richard Scarry? But have you perused his Best Word Book Ever recently? I thought not. Luckily someone has -- and has pointed out a bunch of differences between the 1963 version and the new and [one assumes] improved 1991 version. Be sure to hover your mouse over the images -- many of them have notes pointing out the specific changes.I know it's not PC, but i do miss the little

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1133902223798829102005-12-06T15:40:00.000-05:002005-12-06T15:52:27.166-05:00

I've not-infrequently thought that it would be nice to be able to search for a tune on the web -- not by the name of the tune, but by the tune itself. but it seemed to me that describing a tune would have a bunch of difficulties. Even if you had notation for describing the pitch and duration of the notes you were thinking of [and making that user-friendly seemed to be no small task], how would

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1130645355873128972005-10-29T23:08:00.000-05:002005-10-29T23:09:15.883-05:00

If I were ever to start knitting (and admittedly, that's a big if), i think this would be what i'd want to make.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1130277655419199642005-10-25T17:00:00.000-05:002005-10-25T17:00:55.423-05:00

Thicky pointed out that today is St. Crispin's Day. (or St. Crispian's. Or both. Take your pick. [There's really two of them -- brothers! who knew??])So, in honor of this mighty day, and because it really can't be invoked too often, I give you the Crispin's Day speech:Henry V, Act IV, Scene iiiWESTMORELAND. O that we now had here But one ten thousand of those men in England That do

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1130276675577484652005-10-25T16:44:00.000-05:002005-10-26T13:56:21.280-05:00

An abundance of riches! A plethora of intriguing sites!Getting ready for Halloween? Feeling a little tentative about your carving techniques? Try out your designs before touching a knife.The Dynamic Einstein Picture Generator. There is no end to the joy this can create. well, not until you crash the site. (thanks to snideclown for this one)They claim it is useful. I'm not so sure. But it

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1124230595157355692005-08-16T17:15:00.000-05:002005-08-16T17:16:35.166-05:00

Sony is making a commercial which involves dropping thousands upon thousands of little bouncy balls down a hill in San Francisco. and there's no CGI involved -- they really did use actual balls!Photo set #1Photo set #2and it sounds like they thought ahead and put up lots of netting to catch the balls and covered over grates & manholes and hired 100 people to go thru the bushes to pick them all

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1124227612239985702005-08-16T16:25:00.000-05:002005-08-16T16:26:52.243-05:00

well, over 1 town actually. but that's neither here nor there. i think this run-down of steps for moving should prove pretty helpful, since right now my brain is refusing to get organized about this.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1124130604273459262005-08-15T13:28:00.000-05:002005-08-15T13:30:04.273-05:00

Someday, when i'm feeling ambitious, i just may try to convert some of my LPs (and maybe even a cassette or two) to mp3s. and when that day comes, i'll be glad i found this how-to guide.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1121379954392986792005-07-14T17:11:00.000-05:002005-08-19T15:44:38.900-05:00

Because i use these links more than i care to admit, here they are nicely categorized.Red Sox scheduleRed Sox newsRed Sox official siteBoston.com Red Sox pageCBS SportsLineYahoo news for Red SoxYahoo news of BellhornDiehard MagazinePawtucket Sox official siteRed Sox MediaYahoo images for Red SoxESPN Red Sox photosYahoo images for BellhornYahoo images for WakefieldTop Plays Video Archive at

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1120752267451331312005-07-07T10:52:00.000-05:002005-07-07T11:04:27.466-05:00

Ok, i can't claim that i actually cared much about the Live 8 concerts. But i stumbled across a page that has videos of all of the performances. And the Toronto concert caught my eye, since it had Great Big Sea, The Tragically Hip and Barenaked Ladies (pay no attention to Bryan Adams; nothing to see here). and now i've discovered Les Trois Accords (a little on the hard-rockin' side of life),

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1118341481212856662005-06-09T13:23:00.000-05:002005-06-09T13:24:41.216-05:00

They've combined Craiglist with Google Maps. The perfect way to look for a place to live in a particular neighborhood. I love the Internet!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1117805482316176432005-06-03T08:30:00.000-05:002005-06-03T08:31:22.320-05:00

Doo doo doo doo doo!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1115737307898200162005-05-10T10:00:00.000-05:002005-05-10T10:01:47.903-05:00

but it is one of the coolest clock displays i've seen. I guess since i've got the dual monitor thing going on at work, i could dedicate one to this clock and one to the rest of my windows....

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1115735007769410582005-05-10T09:17:00.000-05:002005-05-10T09:23:27.833-05:00

I haven't tried it myself yet (or even set eyes on it), but thicky says that Blokus is a fun game. More description here. Huh, it's a French company, who'da thunk? Maybe next time i'm out SpaceCrime way, i'll pick it up.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1114440216742399812005-04-25T09:42:00.000-05:002005-04-25T09:43:36.743-05:00

My friend Matt has been travelling the globe interviewing people about their Weber grills. He's the one on the left in the red sweater who doesn't say anything during the videos. And he's much funnier than these videos would suggest. :)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1112484062019364922005-04-02T18:16:00.000-05:002005-04-02T18:21:02.020-05:00

If you're tired of states & countries, but want more mapping games, how about sticking a little closer to home?The BBC has a whole bunch of interactive games where you can figure out where everything fits in your body -- organs, muscles, bones and bits of the nervous system. They even have it broken out by gender. so cool!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1112477550801354272005-04-02T16:23:00.000-05:002005-04-02T16:34:30.896-05:00

and already a coworker has been asking me for details on how a new Pope gets elected. So i'm going to collect a few links.Catholic-Pages.com: How is the Pope elected?Slightly more detailed recap at PopeChart.comA similar rundown from Time MagazineGotta include wikipedia's take on thisUniversi Dominici Gregis: On the Vacancy of the Apostolic See and the Election of the Roman Pontiff (official

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1112465254017655932005-04-02T12:59:00.000-05:002005-04-02T13:07:34.016-05:00

I found a link to Banksy that talked about how he managed to hang his own artwork in some of the top NY museums. And that's pretty darn cool -- especially since some of the art managed to stay up for a couple of days.but what i really like is his graffitti art. He's got a rats motif going on , and one with some bobbies chasing a stick figure (4th pic on page) that made me giggle madly.(via

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1108565460312889862005-02-16T09:48:00.000-05:002005-02-16T09:51:00.313-05:00

Think you're pretty knowledgeable, huh? Think you've got your American history down pat? Ok then. Identify the president by their haircut.I only got 3 out of 7. No pride left here.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1108505044629372232005-02-15T17:00:00.000-05:002005-02-15T17:04:04.630-05:00

The NYTimes has an article on an MIT professor in the new field of origami mathematics. There's also a link to his own website. I still need to give the article a thorough reading, but it looks intriguing.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1108155730261827762005-02-11T15:56:00.000-05:002005-02-11T16:02:10.263-05:00

Go find your name in the BabyNameVoyager. See how popular (or not) it's been in the US over the past 100+ years. it's a very cool interface -- overlapping layers showing multiple names at once, narrowing down as you type in more letters.oh yeah -- mine's on an upswing, tho it had its peak back in the 1950's. it's never cracked the top 500, so it's fairly uncommon but not uberfreakish, which is

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1107980152804538882005-02-09T15:14:00.000-05:002005-02-09T15:15:52.806-05:00

I am inspired by the concept of FlipWalks -- where you let the flip of a coin determine which direction you shall walk at every intersection. Seems like a good way of discovering neighborhoods you never knew about. I think i'll wait til after the blizzard season is over tho.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1106860781836131032005-01-27T16:15:00.000-05:002005-01-27T16:19:51.423-05:00

Duck Tape or Duct Tape? Apparently both. When i was little, I liked ducks, and thought it sounded like "duck" and thus believed it was "duck". Then, when i was older i realized it logically should be "duct" and wasn't I silly for getting it wrong all these years? And a few years after that, I saw it in a store labelled as "Duck tape" and figured the universe was just messing with my head.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1106252319091918872005-01-20T15:15:00.000-05:002005-01-20T15:22:08.556-05:00

This morning i was dreaming up elaborate stick figure scenes (don't ask), so it seems very appropriate to have stumbled across the box doodle project. Not that my eventual entry will necessarily have stick figures on it -- but there's no better phrase for conjuring up mental images of my artistic attempts than "stick figures". (via Everyday Matters)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1106071681831911362005-01-18T13:05:00.000-05:002005-01-18T13:08:01.833-05:00

Cup Stacking, aka "Sport Stacking" Seriously, check out this video. it all seems to be in real time (one scene includes a clock) -- it's pretty durn amazing. (link via papa_funk)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1103649371713739112004-12-21T13:10:00.000-05:002004-12-21T12:16:11.713-05:00

I've never been one to get excited about sending flowers as a gift. It's probably partially because my family so rarely did it -- it seemed like a "can't think of anything else" sort of gift. But it's also because i can't personally deal with most bouquets -- the smell, while pretty, gives me an insta-headache. Now, someone has found the way to grab my flower-ignoring segment of the

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1103143728814799782004-12-15T15:41:00.000-05:002004-12-15T15:48:48.813-05:00

Remember back when i was waxing poetic about purty bridges? Well there's a new one to add to the list: the Millau bridge. The French can now lay claim to not just a stunning piece of architecture but to the tallest bridge in the world. It's actually taller than the Eiffel Tower (and was built by the same construction group). The clouds floating underneath it just make it look spectacular.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1103085828040447732004-12-14T23:41:00.000-05:002004-12-14T23:43:48.040-05:00

BBC does history. I'm totally stoked about this just for the Northern Ireland timeline. And somewhat disturbed that the word "stoked" came so easily from my fingertips...

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1102979962468140902004-12-13T18:14:00.000-05:002004-12-14T23:55:27.300-05:00

Try your hand at placing all of the states correctly within an outline of the USofA's borders. While i feel a bit bad about not getting Iowa and Wisconsin placed correctly, i have no shame in not being able to pinpoint North Dakota (the 2nd state i was given, after Washington). there's just too much wide open plains for me to be able to figure out where it should go -- and really, 78 miles

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1102014883140842942004-12-02T14:11:00.000-05:002004-12-02T14:17:45.293-05:00

I'm not, but still, this is a great resource: a site that tells you where all the bad seats on the plane are. Want a lot of leg room? Don't want to be deprived of the storage under the seat in front of you? just want a quick path to the lavatory? All that information (and more!) is waiting for you here. Just choose your airline and plane type, and you're set! snagged from a Washington Post

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1100812531144962562004-11-18T16:09:00.000-05:002004-11-18T16:15:31.143-05:00

LepperJ pointed me at this cool and yet very freaky "Responsive Face" demo which, in turn, lead me to the American Museum of the Moving Image which i'd never heard of before but now i really want to go to. and one of their online exhibits is about Presidential Campaign Commercials, which should keep me enthralled for ages.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1099596710387096042004-11-04T14:31:00.000-05:002004-11-04T14:31:50.386-05:00

Just a link to a map where the presidential vote is broken out county by county. not a single county in my current state went red. wacky. (but some individual towns sure did) my home county (the one of my formative years) went red. this surprises no-one. my dad has often suggested that he is registered Democrat just so his vote will have more weight in the primaries. turns out that's the

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1099075410196353852004-10-29T13:40:00.000-05:002004-10-29T13:43:30.196-05:00

As part of your ongoing celebration of all things Sox, go read about Theo. and if you're at all curious about why it was a good thing to trade Garciaparra for Cabrera, Mientkiewicz and Dave Roberts, then go read Moneyball by Michael Lewis. As an added bonus it explains why Bellhorn rules, even if he's got a lot of strikeouts under his belt. ;) No, but seriously, it's a fascinating book, even

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1098388021004835482004-10-21T14:46:00.000-05:002004-10-21T14:47:01.003-05:00

An article about the sutures they used to keep Curt Schilling's ankle together during Game 6. Cool science & medicine stuff, but i'm still sorta creeped that they would go to such lengths for what is, when you get down to it, a game. Don't get me wrong; Schilling is a trouper, and what he accomplished is amazing. But it just seems a little, well, short-sighted to me. I'm a firm believer in "

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1098297793254766422004-10-20T13:39:00.000-05:002004-10-20T13:43:13.256-05:00

I'd like to think that this didn't completely sum up my thoughts on the upcoming election, but i think i'm kidding myself. (no, really, this won't turn into an all-politics-all-the-time blog, i swear. umm.... GO SOX!!!)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1098224768102127362004-10-19T17:17:00.000-05:002004-10-19T17:26:08.103-05:00

So Amazon just recommended "The Surrender: An Erotic Memoir" to me. Why? Because i gave the original cast recording of My Fair Lady 4 out of 5 stars. ooooooooookay then. yeah, it shows a little more initiative than its usual effort of telling me "you liked a book by Steven Brust? hey, then maybe you should read another book by him!" but come on....

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1097944480970557032004-10-18T17:41:00.000-05:002004-10-20T16:07:11.660-05:00

but how can i not record my love for Jon Stewart and his appearance on Crossfire? The transcript is great, but you'll realize that it doesn't do it justice when you watch the actual video of it. He's just so angry and disappointed and articulate about why he feels that way, even when the moderators try desperately to cut him off. Yes, Jon, I'm with you. If i thought that the news media

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1097848462517598792004-10-15T08:55:00.000-05:002004-10-16T10:39:48.996-05:00

The websites referred to in this week's Doonesbury strips have been collected online in the Doonesbury FAQ. Just in case that page gets updated, here's the links listed out Monday: John Eisenhower: Why I will vote for John Kerry for President Tuesday: WSJ reporter Fassihi's e-mail to friends Wednesday: Why conservatives must not vote for Bush Thursday: Going to war in Iraq was a mistake

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1097091364458094922004-10-06T14:34:00.000-05:002004-10-06T14:36:34.950-05:00

not for myself. oh no. as a gift for my many friends who will soon be in a place to appreciate it.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1096904374258024352004-10-04T10:28:00.000-05:002004-10-04T10:39:34.263-05:00

I'm so disappointed in myself that i passed up the opportunity to use one of the nominees for America's Best Restroom. Yes, just this past summer as i was wandering around Charlestown, I noted the existence of one of these Germanic beauties -- i even walked all around it, peering at it, noting the strangeness of it -- but did i venture inside? no, gentle reader, i did not. and for that i am

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1096638464885925632004-10-01T08:42:00.000-05:002004-10-01T08:47:44.886-05:00

this is just a nifty cool idea with a sweet interface and that's enough for me. Ranking of the 86,800 most popular words in English fyi, stoat comes in at 44411. In fact words 44408-44411 are "megabyte hampering questing stoat", which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. My actual given name comes in at the low 18000's. which is way higher than i expected. surely more people have to be

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1096464812756233802004-09-29T08:28:00.000-05:002004-09-29T08:33:53.190-05:00

actually, if i were an English teacher, the world would be seriously off-kilter. But in that off-kilter universe, i would be soooo pleased to have the National Association of Comics Art Educators site which is chock full of study guides and syllabi and lots of other resources for treating comics like any other art form. as it is, i think i'll be spending a chunk of time browsing thru their

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1094826050905431502004-09-10T09:14:00.000-05:002004-09-10T09:20:50.906-05:00

I always thought the words "jail" and "prison" were interchangable. Not so, explains Neil Gaiman: Jail is the place that you hold people who are awaiting trial Now, not that i am one to not trust the esteemed Mr. Gaiman, but i felt the need to check this out with my equally trusty on-line dictionary. And yes, Merriam Webster does generally agree: JAIL: (1) a place of confinement for persons

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1093725478030367312004-08-28T15:37:00.000-05:002004-08-28T15:39:52.230-05:00

Two links to explanations of Foucault's pendulum. I've been trying to comprehend this for years. i've had moments where it all seems clear, but never more than moments. Hopefully i'll be coming back to this post and giving it some real thought at some point.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1093625433069506752004-08-27T11:24:00.000-05:002004-08-30T08:29:56.210-05:00

And the winner is..... Men's Handball. i caught it this morning during breakfast, and now i'm hooked. it's enough like basketball for me to know what's going on, but it's got enough soccer aspects to make it feel new for me. plus it looks about as rough & tumble as rugby, so what's not to love? I've fallen for the Croatian team who were just flashy & fabulous during this morning's win over

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1092711077354084322004-08-16T21:23:00.000-05:002004-08-18T10:21:29.226-05:00

about a month ago i mentioned that i'd be seeing The Cherry Orchard at WTF... well, i'm sad to say that this production now holds the title of the worst production i've seen at the Festival (and i saw Death Takes a Holiday back in 1990, so it's not like i haven't suffered in that theatre before). I suspect the direction is mainly to blame -- tho the actors have to be held at least somewhat

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1092708466703574352004-08-16T20:57:00.000-05:002004-08-17T08:49:14.146-05:00

I just happened on these recordings of American musicals in Hebrew: My Fair Lady The King & I Hair These would go great with my Cats (auf Deutsch) album and my tape of El Hombre de la Mancha...

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1092161578482520802004-08-10T13:10:00.000-05:002004-08-10T13:12:58.483-05:00

Didja know that Fanta has Nazi roots? No, really. The Nazis wanted to get rid of Coke since it was "a menace to European civilization" [never mind the fact that it was kosher]. So the local bottler had severe marketing issues, compounded by the prohibition on importing many key ingredients. German ingenuity came to the forefront and Fanta was born! now instead of being associated with

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1092159328340238882004-08-10T12:20:00.000-05:002004-08-10T13:04:10.146-05:00

I'm responsible for shattering someone's world view. we're running low on sodas, and have a severe dearth of Coke & Pepsi. M came in, announced the problem to the world, as well as his decision to settle for a Fresca. the following conversation ensued: Stoat: M, i never pictured you as a diet drinking man. M: This is Fresca. Stoat: Yep. It's diet. M: No it's not. It's Fresca. Stoat: I'm

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1091828618404490592004-08-06T16:38:00.000-05:002004-08-06T16:43:38.403-05:00

You know those posters of XYZ's View of the World? Like the New Yorker's view of the world or the Californian's? Well here's a composite map of the world that is being morphed to fit people's misconceptions about the world due to lack of knowledge or lack of caring. very cool. makes me feel more geographically aware than i really am. via Boing Boing

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1091581105587401272004-08-03T19:52:00.000-05:002004-08-03T19:58:25.586-05:00

Fresh Air has an interview with the writers of Avenue Q. In between a few song clips Bobby Lopez and Jeff Marx riff on the perils of composing in public, being straight in the musical theatre, and The Greatest American Hero.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1091542310820667202004-08-03T09:10:00.000-05:002004-08-03T09:11:50.820-05:00

Prove Dave Sim wrong

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1091040132999059722004-07-28T13:37:00.000-05:002004-07-28T13:44:01.160-05:00

It was being mocked over at Design Observer, but personally, I think i'd quite enjoy the "Humble Masterpieces" exhibition over at MoMA. It'd be like going to Black Ink or the Museum of Useful Things but having more informative placards all over the place. Mmmmm....

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1090597482155840582004-07-23T10:43:00.000-05:002004-07-23T10:44:42.156-05:00

I keep forgetting to blink pointed out by the esteemed SnideClown

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1090433714592386402004-07-21T12:58:00.000-05:002004-07-21T13:15:14.593-05:00

As per usual, the 'rents and I will be meeting up in Williamstown this summer to take in a show at the WTF. We were denied our first choices (imagine - a LaChiusa musical with Audra McDonald selling out! the new Terence McNally play being equally popular! the shock!) so we settled for the production of The Cherry Orchard (figuring that you can't go too wrong with Chekov). Well, Playbill

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1090424563906244452004-07-21T10:24:00.000-05:002004-07-21T10:46:09.986-05:00

You know, it was ok when there was no Krispy Kreme in Boston -- we would get the occasional delivery of day-old donuts when someone came back from a business trip (nuke 'em for 8-11 seconds, depending on your microwave), and that was that.  Frequent enough to make life feel good, not so frequent as to worry about my clothes still fitting. But not only have they opened THREE locations in the

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1089831355283302032004-07-14T13:53:00.000-05:002004-07-14T13:55:55.283-05:00

YAY! Can we just take the legal rights & privileges you get from marriage and attach them to some other term and leave the word "marriage" for the religions? i think it would make everyone so much happier in the long run...

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1089380664536895542004-07-09T08:38:00.000-05:002004-07-09T08:44:24.536-05:00

... and now i've found a non-theatre activity for myself: going to the Corvettes to Cuisinarts: Six Decades of Diversity in Industrial Design exhibition at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery. It'll be there til July 31, and then show up again at the Schafler Gallery on Pratt Institute's Brooklyn campus from Sept 21 to Oct 15.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1089327896350017462004-07-08T17:47:00.000-05:002004-07-08T18:04:56.350-05:00

Per usual, this stems from a lunchtime conversation, this one starting from a comparison of Pepsi Edge & C2, the two new "low carb" sodas on the market. What sweeteners are in which: Pepsi Edge: high fructose corn syrup &/or sugar, sucralose [Splenda] C2: high fructose corn syrup &/or sugar, aspartame [Nutrasweet/Equal], acesulfame [Sunette/Sweet One], sucralose [Splenda] The deal with

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1089313139400975282004-07-08T13:48:00.000-05:002004-07-08T13:58:59.400-05:00

yeah, AMR got me to hang some pics up [finally!] but the walls are still very asylum-invoking. I'm verrrrry tempted to shell out some money for these oh-so-colorful removable wall decorations pointed out by MoCoLoco. Tho, i have to admit, the kid in me is torn between this and this. not that i was terribly huge into video games or matchbox cars when i was little. but how can i resist them???

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1088441804336252772004-07-07T07:08:00.000-05:002004-07-07T07:13:36.546-05:00

This post is thanks to Discover magazine. Last year i switched my subscription to it from Scientific American (which is a cool mag, but takes more brain power than i have in the morning, which is generally when i read magazines). And the May issue has just the coolest comparison of bridges! Of course there's our local pride & joy, The Leonard Zakim Bridge which does a great job of running with

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1088776142665404462004-07-02T08:44:00.000-05:002004-07-02T08:49:53.463-05:00

The US national anthem 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is set to the tune of the English song 'To Anacreon in Heaven' which was the 'constitutional song' of the Anacreontic Society, a gentlemen's music club in London. That means a little more if you know that Anacreon was a Greek poet who was noted for his songs in praise of love and wine. yup, the Banner is a drinking song. it boggles the mind --

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1088195354691791562004-06-25T15:28:00.000-05:002004-06-25T15:29:14.690-05:00

From an alumni newsletter: The Board of Trustees has voted to name the new student center in honor of a donor who wishes to remain anonymous for the time being.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1087569217483285282004-06-18T09:33:00.000-05:002004-06-18T09:33:37.483-05:00

Card game + Sluggy = Potential for Pure Genius

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1087421678169711172004-06-16T16:32:00.000-05:002004-06-16T16:34:38.170-05:00

Thanks to languagehat, i've found me yet another intellectual distraction (doesn't that sound better than "time waster"?): the OED Newsletter archive. today i don't have much time to spare, so i can't say that i've read anything in it, but just the titles of the articles look so appealing....

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1087214268423946472004-06-14T06:54:00.000-05:002004-06-14T06:57:48.423-05:00

I got a digital camera for Christmas, and i've been having lots of fun playing with it. I've even taken quite a few shots that i felt rather proud of and have been thinking of redoing my website to show them off. and then I took a look at Dave's photo album and came back down to earth about my photographic prowess. He has such an eye for scenery pics, it almost makes me weep. Go look at the

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1087179538340242662004-06-13T21:13:00.000-05:002004-06-14T06:52:11.870-05:00

K & I were at Mystic Seaport for the day, mainly to catch the Sea Music Festival they were having. We didn't know anyone on the schedule besides Tommy Makem, but how wrong can you go with sea chanties? we are Great Big Sea groupies, you know. Well, it turns out we are now great big Le Vent du Nord groupies as well. All their songs are in French, so it's not like we could understand a single

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1086616964796337482004-06-07T07:51:00.000-05:002004-06-07T09:15:22.330-05:00

Avenue Q WON! Not just for book, not just for score -- for BEST MUSICAL! This just may be a sign of the apocalypse, but if so, it'll be the happiest apocalypse ever! i only wish that one of them had thanked the Children Television Workshop for not suing them. ;-) I was very glad to see my boy Hugh win, even if it meant that John Tartaglia didn't get a Tony of his very own. Raul, you're

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1085597299403285102004-05-26T13:39:00.000-05:002004-05-26T13:48:19.403-05:00

I'm only seven lines into this rewrite of Henry V in the voice of Damon Runyan, and already i'm pretty certain i need to read this at home because i'll be laughing too loud for work hours. and we're pretty liberal here about expressing mirth at loud volumes. take into account that Henry V is one of my most favoritest movies and that Guys & Dolls is way up there in the list of best musicals, and

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084892306100077082004-05-18T09:54:00.000-05:002004-05-18T10:19:02.670-05:00

Generally I'm not one to get worked up over politics (or even read much about them in the paper -- I'm a lousy citizen that way). But I just have to say (belatedly) that i'm very proud to be in Massachusetts these days -- and that the last photo in this blog posting pretty much sums up my feelings on gay marriages.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084827291438593122004-05-17T15:52:00.000-05:002004-05-17T15:54:51.436-05:00

...but the original version of Why Does the Sun Shine? is worthy of many giggles. I haven't yet checked out the other songs from this series of albums, but i'm sure there's another gem in there somewhere.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084805974002370552004-05-17T09:52:00.000-05:002004-05-17T09:59:34.003-05:00

I'm sure it's been like this for a while, but i just now noticed that i no longer have hardly any remnant of the callus on the middle finger of my right (writing) hand. i remember thinking that it was so built up it would never go away. and yet, here i am, a mere 10 years out of school (being a math major, there was MUCH pencil writing in those days), and it's melted away to practically nothing

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084560926944860032004-05-14T13:51:00.000-05:002004-05-14T13:56:54.536-05:00

I just overheard thru the cube walls the use of this word: disambiguate Pronunciation: "di-sam-'bi-gy&-"wAt Function: transitive verb : to establish a single semantic or grammatical interpretation for I had no idea that word existed, and i've been speaking English all my life. My cubemate has been speaking it proportionally some number of years less than that, and yet it just rolls off his

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084473824392901942004-05-13T12:22:00.000-05:002004-05-14T08:08:13.586-05:00

This year's nominations for the Tony's are out, and I'm quite the happy camper for the following reasons: My man Hugh, to no one's surprise, is up for Best Actor. Tho it is a surprise that Boy From Oz got a best musical nod; I guess it's hard to fill 5 slots for every category. Taboo itself didn't make it, but the wonderful Raul Esparza is up for Best Supporting Actor. You go girl! Both Avenue

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084468887566181082004-05-13T12:06:00.000-05:002004-05-13T12:21:43.380-05:00

And there's two things going on there. One is the sense that, if God made the universe, and he made it good, and he loved the universe so much that, as the Christians believe, he sent his only son, it's up to us to honor and respect and get to know the universe. I think it was Francis Bacon who said that God sets up the universe as a marvelous puzzle for us to get to know him by getting to know

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1084467653031929352004-05-13T11:58:00.000-05:002004-05-13T12:05:58.236-05:00

"we" = my group of friends, particularly the WARP alums. "things like this" = staging book signings by Antov Chekov this may very well trump our long standing plan of going to a T station and playing "Pop Goes the Weasel" on kazoo & slide whistle until people pay us to stop. (via Uncertain Principles)

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1083350275136211322004-04-30T13:37:00.000-05:002004-04-30T13:41:02.106-05:00

That there's eventually a word for everything. Today's word? flexitarian (fleks.uh.TAYR.ee.un) n. A person who eats a mostly vegetarian diet, but who is also willing to eat meat or fish occasionally. —adj. (Flexible + vegetarian.) apparently it was coined way back in 1992 -- it's taken me over a decade to hear of it. this must be a reflection of the number of carnivores i tend to hang with.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1082568233723096602004-04-21T12:23:00.000-05:002004-04-21T12:26:51.810-05:00

Apparently, bananas are not long for this world. Bananas are one of those foods i simply cannot stand -- they provoke the gag-reflex in me. i blame it on an elementary school lunch, where i had left my metal lunchbox near the heat all morning, causing the whole lunch to acquire a thoroughly banana smell. i went ahead and ate it (skip lunch? unheard of!), and of course felt pretty darn ill

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1081519916870206412004-04-09T09:11:00.000-05:002004-04-09T09:14:42.936-05:00

Just spent some time talking about Holy Week (which it currently is for us Catholic types) with my co-worker MPL, and he pointed me to a whole mess of links compiled by one of his ubercool profs at Holy Cross. It's chock full of intriguing stuff, especially for someone like me who would prefer to attack her doubts on religion via scholarship (since, you know, that's how i've been trained to

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1081362005308014572004-04-07T13:20:00.000-05:002004-04-07T13:22:49.420-05:00

This is yet another time waster, oh, i mean brain teaser. "Sokoban" is in the Puzzle Game category at this site. The objective is to cover the marked squares with crates. The postman can move only one crate at a time, and he can push but not pull. I've finished level 3 so far, and have high hopes of someday hitting double digits. The math geek in me is very happy with this game.

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1081179314617631792004-04-05T10:35:00.000-05:002004-04-05T10:37:56.530-05:00

The world is coming to an end. No really, it is this time. The Fairfax Count School Board has declared that the movie 1776 is unfit for middle schoolers because it's too risque. Ok, we watched that in elementary school for many years, and the only reactions i remember my fellow students having were (1) boredom (2) mild happiness that any film was being shown rather than doing "real work" or (

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1081118966738735162004-04-04T17:49:00.000-05:002004-04-04T17:53:24.046-05:00

I was shopping for picture frames the other day and saw some great colorful artwork on display. Turns out, there's this guy going around the boston area leaving cool little pieces of artwork which are free for the taking -- as long as you promise to start smiling more often at random people. it's a very cool idea -- i've noticed myself that i'm much less friendly to random people i encounter

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1080776899063496332004-03-31T18:48:00.000-05:002004-03-31T18:50:55.936-05:00

Check this out -- its a graphical representation of the current top news stories. The more articles there are about the topic [looks like they're scanning Google news, so that's who you're depending on for partiality], the more space it takes up. And it's all color-coded, and you can choose what country you want your news coming from, and what types of articles you care about... Newsmap may

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5797591.post-1079540079785726052004-03-17T11:14:00.000-05:002004-03-17T11:17:03.373-05:00

I'm just pleased to report that Googling the phrase "more than you can stick a shake at" provides 6 whole hits, only one of which bears no reference to me. Yay for (almost) uniqueness!

Stoathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11371088260313633470noreply@blogger.com0