Monthly Archives: May 2006

Being sick sucks…

Posted on 5/30/2006 by dave

I’ve got a whopper of a cold… and it’s 91 degrees outside. I was pretty amped up yesterday on Sudafed and got a ton of work done. But I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night, so I … Continue reading →

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Get ready for the Munger Potato Fest

Posted on 5/29/2006 by dave

14 years ago, Greta and I decided to visit the town of Munger, Michigan, along with 8-month-old Jimmy. It wasn’t much more than a few houses on the side of the road, but it’s cool to have a road sign … Continue reading →

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Guilty pleasures meme

Posted on 5/29/2006 by dave

From Dr. Free-Ride Here we go: Four Guilty Pleasures in Books/Reading: 1. MacRumors 2. Fark.com 3. The comics 4. PARADE Magazine, especially Maria Vos Savant Four Guilty Pleasures in Movies: 1. Star Wars 2. Anything with John Cusack 3. Dukes … Continue reading →

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How would a Patriot Act, part 1

Posted on 5/26/2006 by dave

I just got my copy of How Would a Patriot Act? and I’m now about halfway through it. The book has been much ballyhooed about the blogosphere as an “important” new book that will change how you view the Bush … Continue reading →

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What’s special about every number from 1 to 69?

Posted on 5/25/2006 by dave

This is cool. But 57 really could use some help. Is there nothing more special about 57 than this? = 111 in base 7. is a 20-gonal number. Update: actually the list goes up to 500! But they do skip … Continue reading →

Posted in InstaMunger | 3 Comments

iWork $30 surcharge

Posted on 5/24/2006 by dave

I just bought the iWork family pack — not a bad deal — just $99 for the whole household. However, I was frustrated to learn about the $30 surcharge. You see iWork requires Quicktime 7 to install. I’ve already paid … Continue reading →

Posted in InstaMunger, Technology | 2 Comments

What is the value of a life?

Posted on 5/24/2006 by dave

I was listening to the radio this morning and they were interviewing David DeLong, who’s written a book about how companies need to prepare for their baby boomer employees’ retirement and eventual death. His argument is that an incredible amount … Continue reading →

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My secret is out!

Posted on 5/23/2006 by dave

Like many workers, I spend a good portion of my day surfing the Web. Unlike many workers, I don’t have a boss, so my boss can’t monitor my web surfing activity. Businesses, naturally, are worried about employees surfing on company … Continue reading →

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Why hasn’t this issue gotten more traction?

Posted on 5/22/2006 by dave

I just read the first really decent explanation of Net Neutrality But even this article, well-written as it is, doesn’t really express how dire the situation is. I think part of the problem is the term itself: “net neutrality” sounds … Continue reading →

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A moment for self-promotion

Posted on 5/18/2006 by dave

My article The Economics of Conservation is up on Seed Magazine’s web site.

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Plagiarism in English class

Posted on 5/18/2006 by dave

Professors are worried about students plagiarizing essays about Emily Dickinson’s “Because I Could Not Stop for Death.” Here’s an idea: come up with an original paper topic and maybe your students will write original papers.

Posted in InstaMunger | 5 Comments

The Zero Energy House — now only $200,000

Posted on 5/17/2006 by dave

Rebecca Blood points to this article on a zero-energy house that was built for only $200,000. Some fascinating stuff comes out of this experiment — things you really wouldn’t expect. They’re doing this house on the cheap, and so clearly … Continue reading →

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The New York Times list

Posted on 5/15/2006 by dave

Okay, so Beloved was the best American fiction work of the past 25 years. That’s swell. Now I’m not one to flout the P.C. cause too much, but Morrison is only one of two women on the list. What’s up … Continue reading →

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Blogging and the golden rule

Posted on 5/15/2006 by dave

Today’s Cognitive Daily post got me thinking a little about what it means to ask someone for help. The post itself is a bit of a rant about students asking us to write their research papers for them, but the … Continue reading →

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Could Fox really swing to Hillary’s side?

Posted on 5/12/2006 by dave

I’m a little surprised the Murdoch – Hillary lovefest hasn’t gotten more press. How can Fox, that bastion of the Republican army, actually switch sides? Wouldn’t its viewers, you know, notice? Maybe making overtures to Hillary is just Murdoch’s way … Continue reading →

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Review — or press kit summary?

Posted on 5/10/2006 by dave

Peter Winkler sent me an e-mail about a couple posts he’s got up on the process of writing reviews. In the first one, he points to similarities between the Salon and Slate reviews of the TV show 7th Heaven. In … Continue reading →

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Vacationland!

Posted on 5/8/2006 by dave

Look where I’ll be heading this summer: America’s Vacationland! Actually, I’m headed to a slightly nicer part of the state, Swans Island. But I appreciate the sentiment of that first site.

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Why plagiarize?

Posted on 5/8/2006 by dave

Slate’s Jack Shafer has an article which purports to analyze the motives of plagiarists. Let’s see how he does. Ambition Often Exceeds Talent. This one holds the most water to me. As deadlines loom and the job isn’t done the … Continue reading →

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Build-a-meme!

Posted on 5/4/2006 by dave

Okay, here’s my attempt at a new meme: 1. A memory from before you started school: I can remember living in the housing projects in Seattle with my mom and dad — it was used as overflow married student housing … Continue reading →

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Self-portrait

Posted on 5/4/2006 by dave

I’ve been playing with some of the features of my new iMac. One of them is a built-in camera that lets you take pictures of yourself. Nora has insisted that I put this self-portrait on my blog. I’m not sure … Continue reading →

Posted in InstaMunger | 5 Comments