Microlog: August 2005
Google Talk is live Wed 24 Aug 2005
So this is the big surprise everyone’s been talking about. Shame there’s no Mac client, but I’ve got the IM set up through Adium. If anyone wants to chat, I’m macdara(dot)conroy(at)gmail(dot)com.
Making Sections In Text Files With SubEthaEdit Mon 22 Aug 2005
Invaluable advice, inspired by this article (also noted at 43 Folders). My current system involves three .txt files — one for blog drafts, one for linklog stuff, and one for thesis notes — which I could well see merging into one mega-file, yet for the time being keeping them separate but using LaTeX syntax has made navigating my notes so much easier.
Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity With New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory Mon 22 Aug 2005
Gravity didn’t make that apple fall on Newton’s head — the Flying Spaghetti Monster did it!
Wikipedia entry for the Flying Spaghetti Monster Mon 22 Aug 2005
See also: Touched by His Noodly Appendage
Boing Boing's $1 million Intelligent Design challenge Mon 22 Aug 2005
They’re willing to pay out to anyone who can provide empirical evidence that Jesus is not the son of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Brilliant!
What is a "graphic novel"? Mon 22 Aug 2005
This answers the question cleary and concisely. And in pictures!
Comic Relief Mon 22 Aug 2005
It was written by committee, so caveat lector.
The Marvel Database Project Mon 22 Aug 2005
In Memoriam: Joe Ranft of Pixar Mon 22 Aug 2005
He was the voice of Heimlich in A Bug’s Life. I loved Heimlich!
Devo Middle School Mon 22 Aug 2005
The only place for all you spudboys and girls. I hope you get a flower pot hat at graduation.
What motivates citizen reviewers? Mon 22 Aug 2005
Lots of ideas to get my head around here.
LibriVox Mon 22 Aug 2005
An open source project to produce audio versions of books in the public domain. Why didn’t I think of that?
Foreword: A Book Design Blog Mon 22 Aug 2005
To the girl in the pink Killers shirt at the Killers concert Mon 22 Aug 2005
Funny stuff. I’m tempted to say that it serves him right for going to a Killers concert, but I’ll hold my tongue.
South Africa tops road rage list Mon 22 Aug 2005
I’m not surprised. They drive far too fast and never slow down for pedestrians. But in a way, you can’t really blame them. I mean, who wants to get carjacked?
PHP Manual Mon 22 Aug 2005
I’m going to learn this some day, I really am.
The Comprehensive LaTeX Symbol List Mon 22 Aug 2005
Filing this for future reference.
Mo Mowlam: A moderniser, but never an apparatchik Mon 22 Aug 2005
Mo Mowlam, 1949-2005 Fri 19 Aug 2005
Why do all the good ones have to go?
Southern Records' John Loder passes away Tue 16 Aug 2005
Scroll down through the comments for tributes from friends, colleagues, label partners and band members.
SA fears Zimbabwe 'failed state' Tue 16 Aug 2005
Too late: it already is.
Elephants storm Zimbabwe resort Mon 15 Aug 2005
“A team from Zimbabwe’s National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is trying to find out why the animals seem to be moving closer to people’s houses.” You want to know why? I’ll tell you why — they’re trying to get away from being shot at in the national parks, that’s why!
Israel begins Gaza Strip pullout Mon 15 Aug 2005
Also, readers give their views (most of which are typically blinkered).
Victor Meldrew in the stars Wed 10 Aug 2005
I don’t believe it!
Sun lounger law rules towels illegal Wed 10 Aug 2005
Got Game? Sun 07 Aug 2005
A History of Role-Playing Games Sun 07 Aug 2005
I had the AD&D Player’s Handbook when I was younger, but I didn’t have anyone else to play with. That, and I couldn’t make head nor tails of it.
Flying cats! Sun 07 Aug 2005
They’re cats! And they’re flying!
Review of The Disappointment Artist Sun 07 Aug 2005
Dan Chung's photographs of Niger Sun 07 Aug 2005
Forget the words. The pictures say it all.
The Fall of the House of Saud Sun 07 Aug 2005
Note to self: Print this out.
Robin Cook: 1946 - 2005 Sun 07 Aug 2005
You never expect these things to happen. At least he went out while he was living the life he wanted.
Logos by the Numbers Sun 07 Aug 2005
I had no idea there was a classification system for logo designs. Wonders never cease.
Poets, dadaists, and word nerds: Rejoice Sun 07 Aug 2005
Some useful hints, tips and exercises here.
Revealing Chicago: An Aerial Portrait Sun 07 Aug 2005
Podcast of the BBC's Reinventing Radio presentation at ETech 2005 Sun 07 Aug 2005
On Current TV's on-air graphics Sun 07 Aug 2005
It all seems so impatient; always looking forward to the next item before you’ve even considered the one you’re watching. Watching the news shouldn’t be like using an iPod. (Douglas Rushkoff has a more detailed critique.)
We Are the Web Sun 07 Aug 2005
Wired’s special edition celebrating 10 years of the world wide web.
Plagiarism Test Sun 07 Aug 2005
I scored 90% first attempt. I wish they’d tell me what I got wrong, though.
Yummy! Personal PDF Library Sun 07 Aug 2005
It’s like del.icio.us, but for PDFs. Now if only they could do something about the downtime…
Try Before You Buy Fonts Sun 07 Aug 2005
Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
Garrison Keillor appreciates his mobile phone Sun 07 Aug 2005
As do I. Most people, you see, just don’t know how to use them. I’m getting tired of people complaining about their phones always ringing, the ‘never being out of contact’ thing or whatever — no one ever said your phone has to be on all the time!
Banksy at the West Bank Barrier Sun 07 Aug 2005
I’m amazed he wasn’t shot to pieces.
Morning Hike Sun 07 Aug 2005
My, Corvallis is beautiful country.
Learn to Program (with Ruby) Sun 07 Aug 2005
Something else to read when I finish my thesis.
JSAN: JavaScript Archive Network Sun 07 Aug 2005
A comprehensive resource of JavaScript goodies.
Nvu: The complete web authoring system for Linux, Windows and OS X Sun 07 Aug 2005
Looks great, but you get what you pay for.
Obscenities Uttered by Jesus Christ Sat 06 Aug 2005
“Holy Mom, mother of me.” Ha!
Gavin O'Reilly thinks participative journalism is a "dangerous precedent" for the newspaper industry Sat 06 Aug 2005
Sure, if you’re lost behind the times, maybe…
The message of Hiroshima Sat 06 Aug 2005
I’m preparing a longer entry to mark the 60th anniversary of the bombing. In the meantime, here’s something I wrote two years ago.
The Big Fish: The story of Suck.com Sat 06 Aug 2005
A fascinating look at what went on behind the scenes on the web before I first logged on; I didn’t catch on to Suck until just before it closed forever.
Smart City Radio Sat 06 Aug 2005
Lots of great stuff here to fill up my iPod with.
Brian Eno on Working with Strict Structures Sat 06 Aug 2005
Eno speaks the truth. One could write an entire thesis on how limits foster creativity. Not me, though; I’m busy with my own one.
Electron Band Structure In Germanium, My Ass Sat 06 Aug 2005
Boy am I glad my thesis hasn’t turned into something like this!
Talk Digger Sat 06 Aug 2005
Handy tool for checking linkage across multiple tracking services. Could do with some better icons, though.
John Gruber's Notes on Notes Sat 06 Aug 2005
I like sidenotes, I do. Wish there was an easier way to implement them, though.
Robust CSS Drop Shadows Sat 06 Aug 2005
I’ll definitely be experimenting with this.
Idiot Toys Sat 06 Aug 2005
A gadget blog with a sense of humour. Excellent!
HopStop.com Sat 06 Aug 2005
Filing this for future reference.
Flickr images now rated by 'interestingness' Sat 06 Aug 2005
Amputator Sat 06 Aug 2005
Nice. Requires template edits to set it up, but it’ll save me the trouble of hand-coding the bloody things.
Astronomers detect '10th planet' Sat 06 Aug 2005
Seems like these discoveries are happening all the time now. For a name, Matt Webb suggests the distinctly un-Roman-god-like ‘daes’. Also: Farewell Pluto?
Patent Room: The art of industrial design Sat 06 Aug 2005
The proprietor also runs the interesting Adventure Lounge. Now, if only there were more hours in a day…
Ask MetaFilter thread on sprawling post-modern novels Sat 06 Aug 2005
Yet another list, I know! As for this one: I’ve got a breeze-block sized paperback of Infinite Jest waiting to be delved into.
South Africans' long wait for land Sat 06 Aug 2005
See also: Land reform or revolution?: Africans and others give their views.
We are all threatened by this plague Sat 06 Aug 2005
I find it more than sad that HIV/Aids is only posing a threat now that it’s registering as a ‘national security concern’.
SA minister cleared in Aids row Sat 06 Aug 2005
In all seriousness, what the fuck?
The making of internet terrorists... Sat 06 Aug 2005
Blair's two faces of terrorism Sat 06 Aug 2005
The rest of the piece pretty much whitewashes over the conditions that brought the Provos into being — it almost insinuates that the oppression of Catholics in the North is a mere belief in the minds of Gerry Adams and co. — but the point made here is spot on.
Nick Sweeney on Scientology Sat 06 Aug 2005
Simon Waldman on Wikipedia's success Sat 06 Aug 2005
An old piece that’s been floating around in my tabs for months, but well worth a read. Librarians and other information professionals should pay close attention.
Although I Like a Good George W. Bush Joke as Much as the Next Guy, Some of Them Seem Gratuitous and Mean-Spirited Sat 06 Aug 2005
“Did you hear that Bill Clinton hired a new intern? It turns out that his old intern had to go home and spend time with her family after her brother was killed in Iraq.”
Michael Palin's travel books online for free Sat 06 Aug 2005
Nice one! I always liked the TV series. Now, to copy and paste…
100 songs in 78 minutes and 19 seconds Sat 06 Aug 2005
Don’t worry, the majority of these are from bands and independent labels who won’t sue you indisriminately.
For the Music Sat 06 Aug 2005
A short feature on John Zorn’s new live venue in Manhattan. It’s child-friendly too, which is a refreshing change. I’m all for educating the young folk.
lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven! Sat 06 Aug 2005
An Irish music blog that — shock horror! — actually looks beyond the Irish music scene?! It must be some kind of trick…
The Daily Mail Watch Sat 06 Aug 2005
Because somebody needs to keep an eye on them. I can’t even touch the rag myself; their newsprint has cooties.
What if they had a protest and everyone came? Sat 06 Aug 2005
On Live8 and the logic of protest.
An open letter to Jan Hommen, chairman of Reed Elsevier Sat 06 Aug 2005
Like Leuschke says, another reason to despise Elsevier.
Is Knowing The Cultural Reference Better Than The Culture Itself? Sat 06 Aug 2005
On Terry Pratchett's feelings for JK Rowling Sat 06 Aug 2005
I tend to side with Pratchett on this one. Rowling misunderstands the genre, and just appropriated the imagery and iconography; Pratchett, however, is the real subverter.
Birnbaum v. Camille Paglia Sat 06 Aug 2005
I won’t get around to reading this till my thesis is done. It’d be great if there was a recording, too.
Internet companies that should have been bigger, but weren't Sat 06 Aug 2005
I think Blogger did pretty well, actually. But they didn’t adapt fast enough to deal with their popularity, and targeted the service towards novices at the expense of their older, more experienced users.
PingMag Sat 06 Aug 2005
A Tokyo-based magazine about design and making things. Not bad.
Summer Reading Assignment Sat 06 Aug 2005
Another reading list! Though most of my reading so far this summer has been research for my thesis… not that I’m complaining.
What the papers say about George W. Bush's support of 'intelligent design' Sat 06 Aug 2005
Whatever happened to the separation of church and state?
About Going Solo Sat 06 Aug 2005
Some of these tips apply for freelance journalism, too.
The Reactionaries Wed 03 Aug 2005
Oh happy day! Merlin and Mat, I know you’ll both appreciate this one.
Five simple steps to designing grid systems Tue 02 Aug 2005
If you like that, Part 2 is here.
information aesthetics Tue 02 Aug 2005
A weblog tracking things that look really fancy.
The New York Times explains the editorial process for Op-Ed columns Tue 02 Aug 2005
Treating their readers like equal partners, eh? That’s refreshing. But I have to ask, would we be seeing this today if not for the Internet?
Newsmap Tue 02 Aug 2005
A graphical representation of popularity of news stories via Google News. (more info here). Nicely done.
GIGANTICIDE Tue 02 Aug 2005
It’s a bit like Schott’s, but not quite. If you read it you’ll see what I mean.
Star War: The Backstroke of the West Tue 02 Aug 2005
Long time ago in the faraway galaxy…
Did Penn Jillette invent the Aristocrats gag? Tue 02 Aug 2005
It’s been pretty much confirmed that he didn’t… but I wouldn’t have put it past him.
Mat Honan on Apple's mounting security concerns Tue 02 Aug 2005
And so it begins…
Ryan Adams vs Pitchfork II: The Rematch Tue 02 Aug 2005
That Adams guy’s one crazy damn fool, yo.
Legal Guide for Bloggers Tue 02 Aug 2005
I haven’t read this yet. I really should.
Space shuttle to get critical fix Tue 02 Aug 2005
This comes after Nasa announced that they’d been “playing Russian roulette” with their shuttle crews since launches began 24 years ago.
The Non-Exciting, Non-Adventures of Han and Chewie Mon 01 Aug 2005
“No Chewie, those were my sandwiches.” Ha!
Make the Web Mobile With IYHY Mon 01 Aug 2005
Very handy tool. See, for example, how this site looks stripped bare.
Barbelith discusses political correctness Mon 01 Aug 2005
Ooh, hot button! My own view on political correctness is simple: it’s only a problem when people take things out of their intended context, and that happens pretty much constantly. Idealogical chauvinism and all that.
Bursting the magic bubble Mon 01 Aug 2005
How the audience lets itself be tricked by magicians.
Steve Bell's cartoons Mon 01 Aug 2005
Vision on Mon 01 Aug 2005
For anyone interested in the context of popular music, this is a must read — and a great taster for Reynolds’ book.
The Chalets play 'Feel the Machine' Mon 01 Aug 2005
Yes, the very same Chalets who’ve been gigging around Dublin for the last couple of years. They’re not too bad, actually. Great video, too.
Introducing: Yacht Rock Mon 01 Aug 2005
Thank Jebus for Channel 101. Where would we be without House of Cosbys?
Variations of the Letter M Mon 01 Aug 2005
Oh boy! I love this! I’m such a closet transport geek.
Shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture 2005 Mon 01 Aug 2005
Nice to see an Irish entry in the list. Shame it’s in Cork, though…
Yat-Kha play post-punk Mon 01 Aug 2005
I don’t know what to say, really.
Online Papers in Philosophy Mon 01 Aug 2005
On Hamburgers Mon 01 Aug 2005
Last month I made burgers just like that, too. But I used ketchup, not mustard. Next time I’ll use mustard. Dijonnaise, maybe. I love dijonnaise.
Electronic Games of the '80s Mon 01 Aug 2005
I had Caveman when I was younger (the Tomy version). It lasted well into the ’90s, too… They don’t make ‘em like they used to.
Philosophomon Mon 01 Aug 2005
I like Descartle. Needs more work, though.
Throwing Tables Out the Window Mon 01 Aug 2005
Tables will always be a necessary evil for certain layouts until IE bites the dust or starts supporting universal standards. And that’s never gonna happen. Still, it’s nice to dream…
Story of a street Mon 01 Aug 2005
I love stories like this.
Sigur Ros have a Flickr account Mon 01 Aug 2005
Why Bugs Don't Belong on TV Mon 01 Aug 2005
I’m rarely bothered by on-screen idents. In fact, I quite like some of them (the BBC’s in particular) and am disappointed that other channels didn’t keep theirs (like Channel 4, who experimented with them for a while on late-night programming). But some are just eyesores. Like the National Geographic Channel (the yellow window should be enough!) and CNBC Europe (it takes up about 5% of the screen space, far too big). Thankfully we’re not plagued by the animated ones over here; only music stations and kids channels use them, to my knowledge.
Manhattan Portage Bags Mon 01 Aug 2005
I need to get me a new bag soon. These look nice. Expensive, though.
Where did all the money go? Mon 01 Aug 2005
Not to the Iraqis, that’s for sure; it was their money in the first place!
Ernest Lehman, 1915-2005 Mon 01 Aug 2005
As a tribute, here’s Lehman’s working script for a true noir classic, The Sweet Smell of Success (c/o MetaFilter).
Blogging the beat Mon 01 Aug 2005
Another link for my thesis.
Blog Day is coming Mon 01 Aug 2005
That’s 3108. Get it?
Is Not Magazine Mon 01 Aug 2005
What a novel idea: a magazine as a fly-poster. But why can’t they provide a PDF version?
Popular books in the blogosphere Mon 01 Aug 2005
You’re all nerds!
Michael Chabon's Fantastic Four Mon 01 Aug 2005
Far Flung Magazine Mon 01 Aug 2005
Looks interesting.
Underground typography Mon 01 Aug 2005
You know what else has great typography? The London bus network. From the destination scrolls to the bus stands, the standard font is just superb. It’s something so simple, and yet so effective. Dublin Bus should take note (though I’m sure they won’t).
On the buses Mon 01 Aug 2005
I love stories like this. And I love London buses, too.
The Last Days of Fulton Fish Market Mon 01 Aug 2005
I love stories like this.
About
This is the personal website of MacDara Conroy, a (no-longer) 20-something production editor living in Dublin, Ireland. Read more »
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This page is a reverse chronology of Microlog entries by MacDara Conroy published in August 2005. You will find many more in the Archives.