You’ve seen them here and there, and you’ll see them even more frequently in the future – those black-and-white squares that look like a dying dot-matrix printer spit them out. They’re QR Codes, and they’re tiny gateways to all kinds of good stuff. QR Codes (the “QR” stands for “Quick Response”) were created in Japan… Continue reading Digging the QR Code
Random Thursday
Oh, boy…the first Random Thursday of 2011. I hope it’s a good one! (See, I never know what I’m going to write until it happens, and the words flow like the aftereffects of a bad batch of shrimp.) Let’s wax nostalgic for a bit. Remember when ordering from an out-of-town company meant getting a paper… Continue reading Random Thursday
A Cornell Professor Writes About “A Death in Texas”
I received an email yesterday from Josh Wallaert, the web editor for Places, which is described as an interdisciplinary journal of contemporary architecture, landscape, and urbanism, with particular emphasis on the public realm as physical place and social ideal. Josh wanted to draw attention to a new essay by Cornell University architecture professor Jim Williamson. I was… Continue reading A Cornell Professor Writes About “A Death in Texas”
Traffic Light Sync System on Holiday?
Contrary to my earlier opinion, the synchronization of traffic lights IS apparently rocket surgery.
Netflix No DVD Plan: What’s Missing
We’ve just switched our Netflix plan from the “3 DVDs out at-a-time” plan to the “Watching instantly (no DVDs)” plan, thereby saving money ($19.99/month vs. $7.99/month). We don’t watch enough movies on DVD to make the rental plan worthwhile. If Netflix has disclosed how many movies and TV program episodes it has available for “instant… Continue reading Netflix No DVD Plan: What’s Missing
Clueless Participant in Aggie Football History
The year was 1970. I was a freshman at Texas A&M, a clarinet player in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band, a member of the Corps of Cadets, and the epitome of cluelessness long before that term had become entrenched in our cultural vocabulary. There was nothing about being at A&M, in the band, in the… Continue reading Clueless Participant in Aggie Football History
Best Laid Plans
If you’re seeking reasons not to make New Year’s resolutions, look no further than what happened to us last night. We can’t be assured that our plans for the next four hours will succeed, much less those for the next 365 days. We had planned to bring in the new year at a dance, but… Continue reading Best Laid Plans
New Camera: Canon S95
Wired has published its 10 Most Significant Gadgets of 2010, and there aren’t many surprises. Apple landed three devices on the list: its iPhone 4, the MacBook Air, and the iPad (Wired’s #1 pick), which seems to annoy some of Wired’s readers to no end. But what really caught my eye was the inclusion of… Continue reading New Camera: Canon S95
Random Thursday – The EOY Edition
Welcome to the last (yay!) Random Thursday post of 2010. Unfortunately, while I tried to save the best for last, that plan didn’t work out so well, as you’ll soon see. Nevertheless, we lunge forward through the fog… 2011 might seem like a pretty lame number for a year – it’s not a round number,… Continue reading Random Thursday – The EOY Edition
My Personal Year in Review
It’s the week after Christmas, a time when news reporters attempt to recover from the holiday stress by putting it on autopilot and running a series of “Year in Review” articles. I’ve never understood why they do it so soon, though. What if Major News occurs during this week – like, for instance, Hilary Clinton… Continue reading My Personal Year in Review