Ratatat, LP3

I’m kind of ashamed to say this, because I dislike the name of the band so much, but I’m currently digging LP3 by Ratatat. It sort of defies description, but I like the way it’s constructed and the influences I’m hearing.

Netflix for the iPhone

From the It’s about Freakin Time Department: a Netflix app for the iPhone is coming, according to the current WWDC stream.

Vacant building tax headed to full city council vote

I don’t live in Baltimore City anymore, but I think the idea of a vacant building tax for properties that are owned but abandoned is fantastic, and long overdue.

To Develop Young Tastes, Look Past the Children’s Menu

From the New York Times: To Develop Young Tastes, Look Past the Children’s Menu.

“If you don’t ask your children to try things, how will they ever know what they’re capable of?” Mr. Marzovilla said. “And isn’t the same true of us?”

Amen, brother. I’m fully aware and anticipating Finn’s shrieking reluctance to try new foods or to suddenly refuse to eat things she formerly enjoyed, but that’s not to say we’re going to stop trying.

Portal.

Steam for the Mac went live a couple of weeks ago, so I downloaded the app and set up an account to poke around. They’re offering Portal for free for a few weeks, so I downloaded that and played with it for about a half an hour last night. What an awesome, addictive game.

Uglydoll T-Shirts

I’d love to buy Finn one of these T-Shirts, given her love of all things Uglydoll, but $25 for a toddler size is a bit spendy. And, I’d like it more if we could add her name or a custom icon instead of the fifteen or so included.

Hudson Hornet Special

Holy Mary, Mother of God, this 1954 Hudson Hornet Special is beautiful. There really isn’t anything bad about this car, even though the paint is peeling, the upholstery looks like it was dug out of a casket, and the engine resembles a 1950′s robot monster. I would drive it exactly as you see it.

Let’s Create a Carburetor!

Wow, here’s a fantastic new repository of info for a shade-tree n00b like me: Secondchancegarage.com.  I followed a link for interpreting a vacuum gauge and stayed for Let’s Create a Carburetor!.

Steam for Mac goes live – Telegraph

File this under “horrendous timesuck”: Steam for Mac goes live. I will eventually sign up for this, when they release the Half-Life Yellow Box.

How To Rebuild An American V-8 Carburetor

From Jalopnik.com, a bit of timely information: How To Rebuild An American V-8 Carburetor. I’m in the process of buying a couple of 2-barrel Holley 2300′s for rebuild and tinkering so that I can become both familiar and adept at working with them.

An Indelible Cold War Symbol

Here’s some fascinating reading: The complete history of the Fallout Shelter sign.

NPR Humor.

Who says National Public Radio has no sense of humor? The first music bumper on Marketplace this evening, after the lead story on the stock market hiccup, was “Wave of Mutilation” by the Pixies.

Six Things You Need to Know About Facebook Connections | Electronic Frontier Foundation

I have a Facebook account, and I do try to keep it as minimal as possible, because the company’s continuing policy is to erode as much privacy from user accounts as possible. The EFF just published Six Things You Need to Know About Facebook Connections, which is a handy guide to seeing exactly what they’re sharing (everything) and how. Remember, to Facebook, you’re not a user, you’re a product. Your personal information is bought and sold every day, and there is no “privacy”.

At least with a weblog, I can choose to share what I want with the world.

Thoughts on Thoughts on Flash.

Steve Jobs wrote a love letter to Adobe today, and predictably, the internet is losing its mind. It seems like people land on one side of this argument or the other: Flash is a security hazard/resource pig/aging dinosaur, and Apple is closed/proprietary so this is the pot calling the kettle black. Personally, I’m agnostic about Flash either way, but I do know that it slows my Mac to a crawl (when it doesn’t crash my browser) and chews up battery power like a pothead in a convenience store. Adobe’s claims to the contrary are pitiful.

Police Seize Jason Chen’s Computers

This is getting funny. Police Seize Jason Chen’s Computers. To recap: this guy is an editor at Gizmodo, which bought a prototype iPhone that someone mistakenly left at a bar, from the original finder, who never really meant to did a piss-poor job of attempting to locate the original owner. These guys (Gizmodo) bitching about “invalid police procedure” is just humorous.

Gay Couples Get Hospital Visitation Rights.

Another bit of good news: Obama wants to give gay couples hospital visitation rights on par with married couples. Hallelujah, amen. I’ve seen the incredible healing power of having a loved one at bedside; I can’t fathom the idea of being kept away from a sick wife, child, or family member for any reason. Maybe someday this country will grow up completely.

Goldman Sachs Charged with Fraud.

Today the U.S. Government charged Goldman Sachs with fraud for their role in the financial meltdown. What took them so long?

Emeco’s 111 Navy Chair

This is a great idea, but with one fatal flaw. Emeco’s 111 Navy Chair is made from old Coke bottles, 111 of them to be precise. Of course, because it’s being sold at Design Within Reach, they want $250 for one.

For the record, I love the design of the Navy Chair. But there’s no way in hell I’d spend $250 for one made from soda bottles; $25 is more like it. (via)

Ehrlich announces run for Md. governor

Oh, goody, just what I was hoping for. I was less than pleased when this Gingrich mouthpiece used his first governorship for nothing besides spouting Republican revolution rhetoric. Now he has a fantastic plan for revitalizing the economy! Cutting the sales tax. That will help fill the budget deficit. Good luck, douche.

Did The V Countdown Clock Actually Disrupt Your Lost Viewing Experience? – Lost – io9

Did The V Countdown Clock Actually Disrupt Your Lost Viewing Experience? Yes.