Aside

‘We all joke about race in here. But there are things said off the cuff that I don’t interpret as being funny. They are funny to him and [comedian] Jeff Foxworthy, but not to Milton Bradley.’ — Milton Bradley, speaking about the Dodger clubhouse and referring to Jeff Kent

Welcome back, Dave.

Macworld Podcast #6: Mac Gems By Cyrus Farivar If you spend any significant time in front of your Mac, it’s a pretty safe bet that you do—then you probably have at least one or two small applications that you use constantly to improve your productivity. Senior writer Dan Frakes keeps tabs on low-cost Mac software and wrote the “50 Mac Gems” article in the September 2005 issue. In this podcast, he explains how he picked them and what some of…

X-Rays Reveal Ancient Text By Cyrus Farivar Wired News 02:00 AM Aug. 24, 2005 PT Using a technique called X-ray fluorescence, a team of researchers at Cornell University has revealed ancient inscriptions carved into stone that had faded away over the centuries. Scientists fired high-energy X-ray beams at the 2,000-year-old inscriptions using Cornell University’s synchrotron, exposing trace elements left over from paint that dried up and faded away centuries ago. Concentrations of those elements can then be mapped along the…

Slashdong: Amazon Sells Sex Toys: A Sex Toy Modder’s DREAM 79 CENT VIBRATORS. 7 FUCKING 9 CENT VIBRATORS. Who CARES if you fuck it up, the motor inside the thing is worth more than 79 cents! Buy a bunch! Mod your brains out! AND YOU CAN BUY BACON THERE TOO! Bacon and Sex Toys, together at last! Also of note: SF Chron (Aug. 19, 2005) on Amazon selling sex toys. Regina Lynn on Slashdong. (June 3, 2005)

University of Arizona: The current warming trends in the Arctic may shove the Arctic system into a seasonally ice-free state not seen for more than one million years, according to a new report. The melting is accelerating, and a team of researchers were unable to identify any natural processes that might slow the de-icing of the Arctic. Such substantial additional melting of Arctic glaciers and ice sheets will raise sea level worldwide, flooding the coastal areas where many of the…

Bold means I’ve already bought tickets. Sept. 7 Bimbo’s 365 (SF) Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Sept. 11/12 The Fillmore (SF) The Decemberists Sept. 27/28 Bimbo’s 365 (SF) The New Pornographers Oct. 15 Bob Hope Theater (Stockton) Cake Oct. 25 Yoshi’s (Oakland) Arturo Sandoval Oct. 29/30 Mountain View Amphitheater (Mountain View) Bridge School Benefit Nov. 11 Warfield (SF) Death Cab for Cutie Nov. 11 Zellerbach Hall (Berkeley) Youssou N’Dour

Sweet! East Bay Express: But from a powerpop standpoint, it’s the New Pornographers’ world to create or destroy as they see fit, and Twin Cinema succeeds primarily because it doesn’t come on too strong at first. Pop tends to overwhelm people with its saccharine exuberance — as fabulous as Fountains of Wayne are, you can’t really blame people who flee the room in terror when “Stacy’s Mom” cranks up — and the first couple Pornographers albums are similarly daunting. Whether…

Casual Car Pool News: Evening car pools leave San Francisco from Beale St. between Howard and Folsom. These car pools run every weekday from San Francisco to the East Bay. Between 3:30 and 7 PM, passengers and drivers can meet on Beale St. between Howard and Folsom in San Francisco. Signs are posted on Beale St. for different East Bay destinations — passengers and drivers can meet at the appropriate spot. The most popular East Bay destinations are Richmond, Hercules,…

LA Times is podcasting now. The good folks at Slice have gotten even cooler, with their Google Maps hack of their NYC pizza review database. Maybe this will push me into doing proper reviews of Bay Area pizzerias. NYT has a massive article on the whole “intelligent design” hoo-ha. Xeni pointed me to the latest in Pastafarianism, the parody of these ID guys. And for those of you who’ve followed my work closely since my Daily Cal days, might remember…