January 2009
58 posts
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WatchThe Times Of Harvey Milk (Hulu)
This is the documentary upon which the film, “Milk,” is based.
In many ways, I think it’s better than the 2008 Hollywood version. I’d forgotten that Milk’s audio recording only to be played in case of assassination was not a Hollywood contrivance but something that Milk actually recorded.
December 2008
30 posts
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The Torture Report →
It’s time to consider bringing criminal charges against Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and others for revising rules of conduct to allow torture of prisoners. (N.Y. Times)
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How a Gas Tax Increase Can Help Economic Recovery →
It’s time to implement a heavy gas tax to encourage a fuel-efficient car and truck fleet. (Fractals of Change)
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No Furnaces but Heat Aplenty in Innovative... →
I would love to have a house like this. (N.Y. Times)
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CIA Uses Viagra to Win Friends in Afghanistan →
The CIA uses some out-of-the-box thinking to get information and help in Afghanistan. (Washington Post)
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You’re Likable Enough, Gay People →
This is the best opinion piece on the Obama/Rick Warren controversy that I’ve seen. It’s still shocking to see such insight about gay politics in the mainstream media. (N.Y. Times)
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As Duties Weigh Obama Down, His Faith in Fitness... →
My mother, fitness fanatic, has another reason to like Obama: his workout discipline. (Washington Post via N.Y. Times)
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Park Your Mercedes in the Belly of Your RV →
Just when you thought America learned its lesson about oil-dependence, this comes along. (Gizmodo)
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Exotic and Shabby, Tangier Now Also Gets Stylish →
I’d love to visit Tangier, Morocco some day.
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Extinction-Level Television Event →
The end of network television as I once knew it. (N.Y. Times)
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Weekend in Ho Chi Minh City →
If you’re rich, this article can tell you how to have fun in Saigon, Vietnam. (N.Y. Times)
This reminds me of my 2002 trip to Ho Chi Minh City, which at the time wasn’t very tourist-friendly.
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Music Industry Drops Effort to Sue Song Swappers →
The RIAA finally figures out that it’s not a good idea to sue your customers. Instead, they are getting ISP’s to cut off service if violators don’t stop illegally sharing music. Weirdly, the RIAA will continue to pursue court cases that it already started. (N.Y. Times)
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The Bus-wait Formula →
“Should I stay or should I go?” has been the bus-waiting question for decades. Now, some game-theorists at harvard and Cal Tech have the answer: You should wait. (N.Y. Times)
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The Holiday Welcome Is Warm; the House Is Frigid →
Susan Stellin writes about how the frigid temperatures in her family’s winter cottage makes her feel at home. (N.Y. Times)
After 15 years in my previous, overheated apartment where I had the windows open all winter and could still walk around in shorts, I’m looking forward to a cooler winter.
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Where Ski Lifts Cost Less →
There are lots of places with cheaper ski lift prices. (N.Y. Times)
I might check out Crystal Mountain in Michigan this winter.
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Gene Makes Some People Aggressive Drunks →
Drinking is found to increase the risk of impulsive violence among individuals born with a highly active version of a certain gene. (Telegraph via Towleroad)
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Brain-Boosting Drugs 'Not to Be Feared' →
Drugs that can enhance concentration, such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Modanifil, and that are found to be safe and effective for healthy humans, should be welcomed and not feared according to a group of neuroscientists, psychiatrists, and ethicists. They argue that a safe pill should be seen as no different than other strategies to improve our minds. (Nature via New Scientist and Towleroad)
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'Dead Water' Slows Ships, Maybe Swimmers Too →
A layer of warm water over colder, saltier water can cut a ship’s speed by up to 80%. Now, research is being conducted to see if swimmers can be similarly affected. The researchers are considering the possibility that drownings of strong swimmers in fair weather may be the result of this “dead water” phenomenon. (New Scientist)
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“Milk… is one of the few movies that has nailed an authentic romantic...”
– David Carr in “Romance is Dead” (N.Y. Times)
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A Ballot Buddy System →
Red and blue states of similar size should pair up and pass state laws to apportion their electoral votes by district. This could break the impasse to a more democratic presidential electoral college. (N.Y. Times)
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Billy Elliot’s Gotta Dance, but Does He Gotta Fly? →
Billy Elliot on Broadway is a bit cloying. (N.Y. Times)
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“How good is this? I am at the GQ Man of the Year awards as Sportsman of the Year...”
– Matthew Mitcham, Olympic diving gold medalist, as quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald (via Outsports)
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“Blagojevich’s alleged crimes pale next to the larger scandals of Washington and...”
– Frank Rich in “Two Cheers for Rod Blagojevich” (N.Y. Times)
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Hidden Travels of the Atomic Bomb →
A new book argues that all nuclear arms proliferation leads directly or indirectly back to the United States — and that it is not impossible to stop new nuclear states from establishment.
“Russian spies deeply penetrated the Manhattan Project. Stalin was so enamored of the intelligence haul, that his first atom bomb was an exact replica of the weapon the United States had dropped on...
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