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10 Jan 2010 11:41

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Tech: The Skiff newspaper e-Reader: Half-baked or wholehearted?

  • Is Skiff the future of the news? As with any of these e-Reader devices, it’s too early to call, but it’s closer than most. TechCrunch says it’s an attempt to put the genie in the bottle again. We like the fact that it does nice newspaper layout. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Dec 2009 20:54

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Music: Our Saturday Mixtape wants to live in Montreal or something

  • 1. This song has been embedded in our brains for approximately two weeks. Montreal’s Think About Life, who come out on paper as a combination of TV on the Radio and Chromeo, is somewhat hit-and-miss, but when they hit, as on “Havin’ My Baby,” it’s a sugar rush you can’t ignore.
  • 2. Land of Talk – a fellow Montreal band fronted by Elizabeth Powell who comes off as a guitar superhero live – mixes the low-key and the guitar-smashers deftly. The centerpiece of their new “Fun and Laughter” EP, “May You Never” mixes calm and chaos (and the gift of hazy atmosphere) into a tasty stew.
  • 3. Disclosure: Plants and Animals will be in the mixtape two weeks in a row, because their 2008 album “Parc Avenue” is that good. “A L’Oree Des Bois” has this way of starting out loose and then expanding slowly.
  • 4. There’s a few obvious picks that can go on this list: Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Wolf Parade, and so on. Handsome Furs are sort of on the cusp of that, but we admittedly like Dan Boeckner’s non-Wolf Parade band a little more than the main act, especially on “All We Want, Baby, Is Everything,” which manages to come across as unpretentious dance-rock. At least it’s less pretentious than Toronto’s Crystal Castles.
  • 5. The Lovely Feathers have a little of the Arcade Fire rising hugeness going on with “Lowiza,” but what’s really interesting is that the chorus sort of breaks into a group oy-style endeavor. It’s like they’re the Dropkick Murphys doing “Neighborhood #1.” (Well, kinda.) It’s pretty awesome to hear, actually.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2009 21:06

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Tech: Roomba Pac-Man is officially the nerdiest thing ever

  • Someone with more time on their hands somehow made a fully-functioning Roomba-based version of Pac-Man. Laugh now, but when these Roombas are human-sized and get a taste for human blood, you won’t be laughing anymore.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

07 Nov 2009 14:17

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Offbeat: Awesome blog: “Bank Notes: A collection of bank robbery notes”

From mean to deadly to nice and meek, bank robbers have different ways of handling notes. This guy’s kinda sinister. (Hat tip Andrew Sullivan) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

04 Nov 2009 10:37

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U.S.: Neat: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush debating in NYC next year

It’s kind of like a charity boxing match. In one corner, a popular former Democratic president. In the other, Dubya. Stakes? Nonexistent. But fun to watch. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Oct 2009 20:50

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Offbeat: Bacon fans: Get your own custom-cured bacon named after you!

Someone give us $50 so that we can get some ShortFormStrips from The Ethical Butcher. We’re vegetarian, but amused. (Hat tip Good.is.) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Sep 2009 10:46

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Tech: The Washington Post is becoming more like Facebook

When breaking news goes up on the Washington Post site, this little alert pops up. You can opt out, but why would you want to? It’s a neat idea. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

27 Sep 2009 10:40

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U.S.: Please forgive them: Last statements from death row inmates

  • Could you please tell that lady right there — can I see her? She is not looking at me — I want you to understand something, hold no animosity toward me. I want you to understand. Please forgive me.
  • The last words of a Texas death row inmate • Compiled by author Claire Cameron. Many of the quotes are bizarre, sad and compelling, like this one above. Our favorite? “Kick the tires and light the fire. I am going home.” (hat tip to Andrew Sullivan) • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

31 Aug 2009 10:57

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U.S.: The wildfires: A perfect opportunity for amateur photojournalism

Station Fire over La Cañada Flintridge
  • With a fire this big and menacing looking, it’s a natural draw to good photography. Nature’s destruction kind of allows for it. Here’s a Flickr array of all the recent shots: Smoke, fire, scariness, beauty in destruction.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Aug 2009 22:07

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Tech: Got a Fwix on a big story? There’s an iPhone app for that

  • Journalism now fits in your pocket. With a new iPhone app coming this week, hyperlocal startup Fwix is ready to get in on the journalism-as-it-happens game. The app allows regular people to file news reports (which can include photos and videos) onto the company’s Web site, allowing for a kind of journalism that Twitter kind of allows already, but pushed even further. Are we replacing professional journalists with iPhone apps? Good question. Maybe a necessary one to ask. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 
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