prosaic*2010-02-14T17:59:02Zpro.sa.ic (adj.) matter-of-fact; straightforward.tag:prosaic.nu,2010:/now//3Movable TypeCopyright (c) 2010, chriskill or replace2010-02-14T17:59:02Z2010-02-14T17:53:36Ztag:prosaic.nu,2010:/now//3.26402010-02-14T17:53:36ZThe music blog I write (maybe curate is a better word) with my New York bound friend Mark has been...chrischris@prosaic.numy life
is anybody still listening?]]>
Anti-healthcare activist seeks healthcare2009-08-10T22:39:02Z2009-08-10T22:37:09Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26352009-08-10T22:37:09ZFrom the department of are you fucking kidding me: an anti-healthcare activist involved in a fight outside a forum is...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
are you fucking kidding me: an anti-healthcare activist involved in a fight outside a forum is asking for donations to cover his medical costs because he lost his job and doesn't have health insurance. via daring fireball
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Separatist2009-05-28T17:05:54Z2009-05-28T17:05:41Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26302009-05-28T17:05:41Z"What we need," Gruber told Berkeley faculty members, "is a no-fault, amicable divorce, because all Californians need state government that...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
"What we need," Gruber told Berkeley faculty members, "is a no-fault, amicable divorce, because all Californians need state government that is closer to the people, and state government needs constituents who have more similar needs, who have a more common purpose."
This entirely reasonable assessment of California's self-induced identity (...and fiscal...and social) crisis comes from a sometimes kooky article in the sometimes kooky SF Bay Guardian. But it has some inherent truth; when even The Economist is calling your state ungovernable, it's time to pay attention to some of the kooks. Wouldn't smaller states give us better representation? More consensus? Less struggle and strife? I love my state, and can't quite imagine cleaving off where I grew up from where I live now, but they are about as different from one another as two places can be. What do we do when a marriage no longer works?
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More on the meltdown2009-03-24T20:15:53Z2009-03-24T20:14:38Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26282009-03-24T20:14:38ZI realize I haven't been blogging much (anywhere) recently, so I thought I'd at least catch you up on what...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
Warning: confusion and general despair ahead.)
NPR's Planet Money: the blog is pretty good, but the Podcast (posted M/W/F) is essential.
The New Yorker's Balance Sheet blog: James Surowiecki is my favorite of the financial reporters, by far. Level-headed, straight-forward, and very clear. Although less frequently updated than most, and all commentary, I think his blog is one of the best places to go for more information about this whole mess.
Baseline Scenario: very wonky economist blog, but if you can decipher the text, it's worth it.
NYTimes Paul Krugman: easy to understand, excellent commentary, but cranky as hell. Don't go here if you're looking for optimism.
NYTimes Joe Nocera articles: Joe Nocera has some great non-commentary coverage of the financial news. And he offers commentary as well..
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Low introductory rates!!2009-03-24T19:48:54Z2009-03-24T19:48:48Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26272009-03-24T19:48:48ZI've heard this idea whispered around the edges of the commentariate since the beginning of the financial crisis, but NPR's...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
securitized credit card debt. Basically, it's the same exact thing as the chopped-up-and-repackaged-mortgages that took down the banks when people started defaulting on payments. Only these are made up of our credit card debt. Which is much, much easier to give up on and walk away from than a home that you can no longer afford. In other words, take a pass on that next "Low low introductory APR!" offer and hang on to your hats.
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User re-training (suck it, driver's ed)2009-02-06T15:36:30Z2009-02-06T15:36:22Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26252009-02-06T15:36:22ZHope springs eternal that features like this wont remain Japanese-market exclusives, thankyouverymuchglobalwarming. Honda's new, revamped InSight (Remember the first mainstream...chrischris@prosaic.nuTechnology
this wont remain Japanese-market exclusives, thankyouverymuchglobalwarming. Honda's new, revamped InSight (Remember the first mainstream hybrid, the nerd-mobile with the rear wheel cowlings? That was the original InSight; now it looks exactly like a Prius) features a "driving assist" eco-mode. Through fairly simple to understand feedback system, the car will tell you when your driving is more or less eco (-logical or -nomical, really).
This really gets to the heart of the current problem of mainstreaming environmentalism. It's not that people aren't willing to change (though some, decidedly, are not) but simply that they need to be retrained. All of us need to be retrained. To bring reusable bags to the store (offer a discount), to drive better (give real-time feedback), to take the bus or train more often (congestion pricing), to use less electricity (higher standard rates or enticements for efficiency), etc. So good job, Honda. Now just try not to chicken out on the failing US market. The old rules (SUV RULZ!!!) no longer apply. We need this kind of change in thinking, and we need it yesterday.]]>
White-out2009-01-22T19:54:20Z2009-01-22T19:54:15Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26242009-01-22T19:54:15ZTurns out the White House kinda sucks. Hard to believe a quick executive order can't remake some of the technology...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
sucks. Hard to believe a quick executive order can't remake some of the technology shortcomings, even in a financial crisis. At least it would stimulate the technology sector...
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Google Tea2009-01-12T20:35:55Z2009-01-12T20:35:48Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26232009-01-12T20:35:48ZArs Technica has a fairly well-thought analysis of recent reporting about the environmental cost of using the internet. They touch...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
analysis of recent reporting about the environmental cost of using the internet. They touch on, but fail to firmly grasp, my most favorite topic in environmental reporting: the lack of common methods of calculation and units of measure in evaluating carbon footprint. Maybe we can add this to the sky-high pile of unrealistic expectations we've setting for the incoming Obama administration.]]>
Airport Express FTW 2009-01-11T02:32:31Z2009-01-11T02:01:56Ztag:prosaic.nu,2009:/now//3.26222009-01-11T02:01:56Z After 3 and a half hardy years of nearly non-stop work, my trusty Airport Express (b/g, for the record)...chrischris@prosaic.nuApple/Mac
After 3 and a half hardy years of nearly non-stop work, my trusty Airport Express (b/g, for the record) has finally been put out to pasture. The little guy served me well, not only pushing tunes to my stereo (so magically and wonderfully) but also serving as the only router for an expanding household that eventually grew from humble beginnings (1 laptop) to yesterday, when it was pumping out a (surprisingly) reliable wireless connection for 2 laptops, 2 iPhones, a TiVo and a Wii.
For the last two years, the little guy has lived in our media console, the NORAD of our tiny apartment. The combination of electronics silently humming away in that cabinet and the massive amount of data the little power-plug router was streaming combined to produce an over-heating that sometimes pushed it over the edge. On a few occasions in the last 6 months, the box would become non-responsive; it was so hot that I would have to unplug it and stick it in the fridge for up to 10 minutes before I could revive it.
Today, it was finally retired to a leisurely life of streaming music, serving as an adjunct to the new wireless network hosted by the Time Capsule I just purchased. It may seem silly to be posting an homage to a piece of electronic gear the size of a power adapter, but this one has served me so well, it's deeds could not go unrecognized. Working better, under constant abuse, and lasting longer that I had ever imagined, this little gizmo will go down in my personal history as one of the best purchases I ever made.]]>
The Big Picture: SoCal wildfires (Nov 08)2008-11-17T21:18:55Z2008-11-17T21:18:49Ztag:prosaic.nu,2008:/now//3.26202008-11-17T21:18:49ZReally amazing collection of news shots from the horrifying Southern California wildfires, assembled by the Boston Globe....chrischris@prosaic.nuNews
collection of news shots from the horrifying Southern California wildfires, assembled by the Boston Globe.
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People In The Middle2008-10-29T16:19:28Z2008-10-29T16:19:21Ztag:prosaic.nu,2008:/now//3.26172008-10-29T16:19:21ZA new website featuring brief interviews by Errol Morris with "people in the middle" (moderates, independents, republicans) who are voting...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
People in the Middle for Obama]]]>
Blow-by-blow: the credit crisis2008-10-03T02:32:21Z2008-10-03T02:32:15Ztag:prosaic.nu,2008:/now//3.26142008-10-03T02:32:15ZJoe Nocera of The New York Times published yesterday an amazingly detailed, thrilling account of the run up to the...chrischris@prosaic.nuNews If you haven't been able to wrap your head around this thing yet, or don't understand why the credit market's problems are such a big deal, please read it.
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Damn...GMail2008-08-25T14:54:14Z2008-08-25T14:54:07Ztag:prosaic.nu,2008:/now//3.26122008-08-25T14:54:07ZI just realized that I had my mail client on my Mac configured wrong; for the last 6 months I've...chrischris@prosaic.nuApple/Mac
actually deleting them. Shit.]]>
Arts & Graphs2008-08-21T14:48:13Z2008-08-21T14:47:53Ztag:prosaic.nu,2008:/now//3.26112008-08-21T14:47:53ZI really hate the self-importance of statement-art (a fact that the recent Whitney Biennial brought into clear relief for me)....chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
sculptural graphs, presenting scary stats as abstract, but still quite humane works of art, are something else entirely. It skirts all of the things I hate about modern art and delivers all of the things I love about it. [via]
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Make Brain Waves2008-08-14T19:06:27Z2008-08-14T19:03:27Ztag:prosaic.nu,2008:/now//3.26082008-08-14T19:03:27ZA few weeks go, The New Yorker published a really fantastic article on the study of insight — how our...chrischris@prosaic.nuLinks/Commentary
here.]]>