Libeskind Plan Chosen for World Trade Center Site

Libeskind Plan Chosen for World Trade Center Site

Darn.

WTC Design Selection

Panel Makes Unexpected Choice for World Trade Center Site -- Unexpected, perhaps, but it's the one that I liked. The Think team's soaring and evocative latticework ghost towers along with the idea of a "world culture center" combine to make for a fitting tribute to those lost in the attacks -- far more fitting than the "excavated pit" of the Libeskind proposal. I hope the pols go along with the recommendations of the committee they appointed, so there is once more a heroic view from my New Jersey side of the Hudson. (from NY Times, free registration may be needed).

A Cook's Tour

A Cook's Tour -- The latest addition to my VCR programming list. Fetal duck egg and beating cobra heart in Viet Nam. Ganja tea in St. Maarten. The French Laundry in Napa Valley. Yakitori in Tokyo. This guy gets around.

Doesn't Ashcroft Have Anything Better To Do?

My initial reaction to this was to wonder (like Dave Winer) whether our Attorney General didn't have more important things to worry about. But then, after I thought about other things he's been doing, it's a relatively harmless use of his time.

A Possible Future of Cell Phone Courtesy

Japan Media Review -- A New Set of Social Rules for a Newly Wireless Society -- via Ming -- As an aging 52-year-old American, I haven't really gotten into the text messaging features of my cell phone. But things are different in a yonger cohort in Japan...

"Among college, high school and middle school girls who own keitai[cell phones], keitai e-mail use is effectively 100 percent. Boys are not far behind with 88 percent; in the middle school and high school group and 96 percent among college students...Before initiating a call to a keitai, they will, almost without exception, begin with a text message to determine availability; the new social norm is that you should "knock before entering." By sending messages like "Can you talk on the phone now?" or "Are you awake?" text messagers spare each other the rude awakening and disruption of a sudden phone call."

Ah, the civility of the next generation. Check out the full article...an interesting sociological study.

Teoma Search:

Teoma -- An interesting search engine. Note the "Refine" suggestions and "Resources" collections of links associated with the search terms. It probably won't replace Google for me, but I will check into it from time to time.

Ready, Set, Gov

Ready, Set, Gov -- Advice for the duct-tape crowd. On point and funny.

Slow As Possible

I do need to slow down. I wonder if this 639-year composition by John Cage will fit on my iPod. But since the first three notes wil last for a year and a half, I may be tethered to a power source. Here's a RealMedia interview on the piece. (via memepool.com)

Scared Stupid?

A nice follow up to yesterday posting, Wired News asks, "Are You Scared Stupid?" -- First (even before 9/11) it was swabbing laptops at O'Hare and nowhere else. Then we move on to walking through airports in stocking feet, followed by submission to gropes by ovezealous security folks. Not to mention the Pentagon coming down on wireless networks and that TIA thing (thanks for waking up , congress). and the latest duct tape silliness. (Although I will admit, with today's blizzard blowing hard here in The Garden State, a bit of DT around my windows might have been useful to block a few drafts.)

A few days ago, I blogged about awards. The Wired piece talks about Privacy International and their latest announcement of the the Stupid Security Competition. The envelope please...

Got Duct Tape?

Homeland Insecurity: Duct Tape and Cover -- From The Joy of Tech

BBQ culture

mmmmmmmmmmmm.......barbecue
-- This is why Pravochol exists. Better living through chemistry.

West Wing

Dave Winer points to a review of last night's episode of West Wing and interprets the "Bartlet Doctrine" as anti-genocide. Actually, when I listened to my fictional president's justification for getting involved in Africa, I thought it was the most eloquent and convincing rationale for the real president's plans for Iraq. Someone needs better writers.

The End of The World as We Know It

The End of The World as We Know It -- The Big White Guy reports that "Hong Kong hospitals have confirmed there are now 10 local cases of the mysterious pneumonia-like illness from Guangdong that has local residents in a tizzy," and points out that "the world is long overdue for a global pandemic."

Hey -- I've got some spare plastic film and duct tape if they think it'll help.

Men Are Pigs

Men Are Pigs -- some cogent observations about "public social hygiene" and the male of the species.

yeah -- but what my wife tells me about the conditions of the stalls in most "ladies' rooms" and of the need to suspend oneself above the seat (which I guess can lead into a causal loop) makes me glad I can stand, even if the floor is a bit sticky.

along these lines, I recently saw somewhere a "favorite quote" that said something to the effect of "no matter how you shake or how you dance, the last two drops go in the pants."

Awards

Everyone knows it's awards season, with the Grammys and the Oscars. But there are also the Bloggies and the Photobloggies for the best of weblogging. Check them out for the best of the genre.

Give Something Back Foundation

Give Something Back Foundation --

"The Give Something Back International Foundation is a non-profit educational organization incorporated in Florida in 2002. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide life- changing, quality education to needy children, young adults, and teachers around the world that will have a lasting impact on their future lives and that of their families."

Founded by my sister and her husband.