Outdoor Concert with Patty and Emmylou

Tonight, my wife Jennifer and I will be attending an outdoor concert with Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin. I'm a huge fan of Patty Griffin and many think that Emmylou is one of the all time greats of country/folk music. Should be a good time.
Emmylou Harris, Bruce Cockburn and Patty Griffin

HDTV WONDER

If you have a decent computer monitor and wanted to get HDTV and a Personal Video Recorder for $200, then have a look at this offering from ATI. Install this card in your PC and you have an HDTV and can begin recording your favorite television directly to your computer. It's not a perfect solution, but is indicative of where things are going. HDTV WONDER - Overview

Yahoo! News - China Legalizes Electronic Signatures To Promote E-Commerce

The barriers to entry for e-commerce keep being eliminated. This market is going to grow rapidly and create a number of opportunities.Yahoo! News - China Legalizes Electronic Signatures To Promote E-Commerce

Bluetooth Enabled!

I just setup my USB Bluetooth adapter so that I can have a wireless connection between my T610 phone and my computer. Now I can exchange Outlook email, contact and calendar info and any data files easily. It's a truly great phone, particularly when you consider that Amazon and T-Mobile will pay you $150 to have it.

Sony Ericsson T610

Klausthaler Beer

A few months ago I discovered Klausthaler beer. It's a German non-alcoholic which is almost as good as a Heineken. If you enjoy a good lager, but don't want to be put into a coma give this beer a try.

ahhh...

This is just too cool!

A post on an indymedia website says activist Joshua Kinberg -- inventor of a wireless, bike-mounted, dot-matrix printer for spraying protest messages in the street -- was arrested yesterday at the RNC in NYC. At the time, he was reportedly being interviewed by Ron Reagan, covering the convention for MNSBC.


Kinberg's invention allows users to spray messages transmitted to the bike-printer by way of the 'Net or SMS. They're painted in a water-soluble chalk solution that washes away with water (not spray-paint, as misreported elsewhere).

The New York Times > Books > Sunday Book Review > The 9/11 Report: A Dissent

Richard Posner writes a review of the 9/11 Commission Report. Very good review and thoughtful commentary. Why we may not have got what we paid for or wanted.The New York Times > Books > Sunday Book Review > The 9/11 Report: A Dissent

Can Microsoft Beat iTunes With a Store of Its Own?

Microsoft is going to have to start re-inventing itself to remain competitive and profitable. The notion of the Internet as the platform and applications being the Ebay's and Amazon's of the world, would require that MS start creating it's own net apps. This may be MS's latest offering.The New York Times > Technology > Can Microsoft Beat iTunes With a Store of Its Own?

Jesse Who?

I'm always annoyed when I see Jesse Jackson as a spokesperson for democratic causes. He always comes off as opportunistic and after the revelations of his fathering children outside of his marriage, unprincipaled.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you haven't yet checked out the Wikipedia, it's worth a look. This is a community driven 'open source' like online encyclopedia. This is very representative of a new movement afoot to create information technology solutions through community. It will be interesting to watch as more of these 'network' applications emerge and evolve.Main Page - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coffee Starter Package

This is a great package, which I recently recieved from Gevalia. Gevalia Coffee will send you a stainless steel coffee maker, 2 1/2 lbs of coffee, two coffee mugs and a coffee scoop for joining their coffee club at $14.95. You can cancel right after recieving the package or continue to receive their coffee on a monthly basis.
Great Promotion

Time For Change

New York is expecting massive demonstrations for a change of leadership. My Way News Hopefully it will stay peaceful and send a sobering message that we are not happy with the Iraq, national secuity policy, the economy, our global competitive status (emerging markets in China and India), environmental policy, international affairs and health care to name a few.

IT Conversations - The Gillmor Group

The Gillmor Group discusses Longhorn announcement by Microsoft. Apparently the release date will be kept, but the major features are going to be scaled back.IT Conversations

Suite 101: Investing and Personal Finance

This community section of Suite 101 is hosted by Kirk Lindstrom. This site is visually busy and that's annoying, but there is some substance under the covers and I find the investing philosophy of the community at this site to be shrewd.Investing - Personal Finance - Suite101.com

New York Times Review of Medulla

Bjork's new album reviewed by New York Times Jon Porales. I'll download this album next week when it's available.
The Diva.

NOVA | The Elegant Universe | PBS

PBS is currently running this Nova series on the history and an science of advanced physics, based on the book by Brian Greene. It is a great book and should be an excellent series. NOVA | The Elegant Universe | PBS

Blockbuster.com Has It Again!

Once again Blockbuster has a DVD which Netflix does not. This is a film which I saw years ago and loved. If you appreciate the films of Ingmar Bergman, you'll probably love this Swedish story 'My Life As A Dog'.blockbuster.com - Search Results. It probably won't be long until I'll make the switch to Blockbuster, which has a bigger selection, lower price and includes to in-store rentals a month.

The Online Smart Home Store

Although there is not much at this store which would interest me, there are probably a few items which would be nice to keep in mind.SMARTHOME - X10, Remote Control, Lighting, Wireless Security
This section on Energy Saving Devices has zone heating, lights which go off automagically when someone leaves the room and smart thermostats.

Nader Would Give Bush the Election Today

Bush 46%, Kerry 44% and NADER 5%! I think it's time for people to gather in protest against Ralph Nader. At this point he shoud be the real target of outrage and dissent from those who want Bush out of office.DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2004�

Hamm Asked To Give Up Gold Medal

You would think that after the debacle's at the Park City Olympics in figure skating, that the Olympic commitee's would have found ways to prevent these types of incidents. From what I've seen, the judging in gymnastics is a disaster.The New York Times > Sports > Olympics > Gymnastics Group Asks Hamm to Give Up Gold

Are you irrationally exuberant? - Aug. 12, 2004

Robert Schiller, the Yale economist who predicted the .com bubble, is indicating that Real Estate may have the same burst soon. Good reading if you're an overly enthusiastic whom buyer. Are you irrationally exuberant? - Aug. 12, 2004

Grinds Beans, Filters Water and Voila...

Amazon has this Capresso C1000 automated coffee and espresso machine for 1/2 off at $599. It has a 4 1/2 star rating and looks like it could be a good investment for any cafe junkies out there. Only problem is that many of the reviews complain about the quality of espresso and that would be the clincher for me.

Capresso C1000

Put On Your B.S. Filter

Photo Highlight
A compact vehicle is sandwiched between a sport utility vehicle and a minivan on U.S. 101 on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2004, in Los Angeles. A public relations firm with automaker clients is trying to derail proposed stricter state clean-air regulations with ads warning that California's first-in-the-nation rules would force drivers to abandon SUVs for smaller cars that could endanger their lives.
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

So, I guess we should just all buy SUV's? Hey, global warming is a myth, right? Oh yeah, and ignore the studies which indicate that SUV's drivers are at a bigger risk to themselves than others.

Ulee's Gold - Peter Fonda

Listening to Terri Gross interview Peter Fonda tonight on Fresh Air reminded me of the excellent film that Fonda was in a few years back. Ulee's Gold was a favorite of mine in 1998.
Peter Fonda

My Launchcast Station

I discovered Launchcast from Yahoo! last month and was pleasantly surprised to find such a high quality Internet radio service. It provides a highly personalized radio station, based on your ratings and category preferences. It also has an excellent user interface. The pay version is pretty affordable and I would probably pay if I could hook up wireless speakers through out my house which piped Launchcast.My Station

Oregon Voters Are In Their Own Class

This article speaks of the independent thinking voters in Oregon. I'm registered independent and would not vote for a party, but instead the candidate.The New York Times on Oregon Voters.

I Think There's a Business Here

Wanted: Airstream Trailer


Craigslists 'items wanted' section is where you can specify something you're looking for and if anyone has that item and wants to sell it to you, the negotiations can begin.

I think there is a great business in this concept, which I call 'Personal Shopper'. The concept is that if you're looking for something to buy, which is not nescessarily easy to find (clothing sizes, antiques, art, certain price point, gifts...) the personal shopper will help you to locate this item for a cut. This example is a great one. It's a specialized, relatively high margin item which might have some geographic constraints.

The new workplace / Job reports can't track those who dropped off radar

The New Economy is producing a lot of non-traditional employment.The new workplace / Job reports can't track those who dropped off radar

Apparently Not a Pretty Win

The New York Times reports that the US Women's team looked choppy and outplayed, despite their win in overtime. I'm looking forward to seeing highlights of this game.

Gold Baby!

The Legacy of the Bush Administration

1.3 million more slide into poverty in 2003 with children and black Americans most effected. The number of US residents without health care rose by 1.4 million. The percentage of US population living in poverty rose for the third straight year. And we won't even talk about the record deficits...My Way - News

Reporting for Duty!?

RHINESTONES

RHINESTONES Julian Myers is an art critic, historian and teacher. His weblog is one to bookmark if you like eclecticism and artistic historical perspective. A truly great blog.

Wired 12.09: Mr. Craigslist, Master of the Nerdiverse

Interview with Craig Newmark (founder of craigslist.org) and how he's not going to sell out. I think craigslist is one of the best things going online and it's great to know that someone like Craig is still in charge.

Go Away Already

It does seem that Ralph Nader's ego is more involved than issues at this point in the campaign. I do support anyone's right to run for public office and believe that there is validity to some of Nader's views, but I am surprised that he doesn't hear the level of anger and disappointment people feel with his participation in the debate at this point. Maybe he should go away already.


go away already...

The Charlie Rose Show

Tonight Charlie Rose will have interviews with two experts on the crisis (swept under the rug by the media and US government) in the Sudan. If you want to understand the situation there, this would be a very good starting point.

A DISCUSSION ABOUT SUDAN with SAMANTHA POWER, JFK School of Government, Harvard University
JOHN PRENDERGAST, International Crisis Group

Blogging in Baghdad

Not sure if this is legitimate, but it appears to be the Salam Pax account of life in Iraq. He was silent for a while, but back in style now. Very interesting writing as well as photos.

New Yorker Film Reviews

If you're ever looking for reviews of current and not so current films, I would recommend the New Yorker Film Review archive. No thumbs going up or down and no stars, but reviews which are credible and intelligent, not unlike The New Yorker magazine. Another good site for more current and archived reviews is James Berardenelli Reel Views.

More Stuff 4 Less Bargain Blog

I've plugged it before, and now I'll do it again. The More Stuff 4 Less Bargain Blog is a great site for finding daily deals at many of the biggest Internet Retailers. Check back regularly since deals are updated 24/7.

A Great Storyteller - Scott Carrier

I'm a huge fan of This American Life and my favorite personality on the program is probably Scott Carrier. Running After Antelope is one segment (listen to it here) that he did for This American Life which is great story telling. He also has a book out with the same title, which is a collection of essays. Check it out too. Running After Antelope by Scott Carrier - Counterpoint Press

Bush for Clint Eastwood!

I often have the impression that George W. Bush believes that having a Clint Eastwood style persona and toughness makes him seem more credible. This picture is his best Dirty Harry look and he's got his sidekick there for backup.


i'm gonna get those evil doers...

What a Picture!

I just saw this demo'd at a DELL stand in our local mall. I'd love to have a monitor I could mount on the wall and see clearly, with HDTV built in. Ah well, keep dreaming at $2300.

Dell 30" Monitor/HDTV

Blueberries May Lower Cholesterol

This is a great way to deal with the new cholesterol recommendations which came out recently. Since I just had my cholesterol tested and was in the 'acceptable' range, I'd like to see if I can get into 'excellent'.
cholesterol lowering meds.

Can a Robot Save Hubble?

This is an exciting story and one that is on the right track for space exploration. For the first time two unmanned spacecraft will dock and one will repair the other. Hopefully this will be the direction for more of our journey's into space and other planets.

Artistic Rendering of Dextre and Hubble

Open Source Boxes for the Masses?

I listened to Tim O'Reilly (of O'Reilly Publications) on IT Conversations giving a speech here in Portland last month at the Open Source Conference. It was interesting as he described the 'net' as the platform (makes sense to me) and the next generation of 'apps' are Amazon, Ebay and Google API's for building out your own commerce widgets (interesting notion). He then talked about the open-source box becoming ubiquitous.

It would be interesting to see the Dell's and Gateways of the world begin to switch to Open Source boxes for the masses. I wonder what's holding things back right now? One thing for sure is that their is no Open Source marketing group. However, the Open Source model is one that will be an interesting concept to watch over time as it is adopted in various business models and technologies.

Peach Pecan Crisp Ala Mode

Tonight we're making Peach Pecan Crisp... and it will be served ala mode. Here's the recipe I use from Deborah Madison's 'Local Flavors' cookbook.

combine:
2 1/2 lbs of fruit (the recipe is apricot and cherry which is the very best)
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs minute tapioca
1/8 tsp almond extract (not important)
set aside in 2 1/2 qt. gratin dish

mix well:
cube of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon

I add about 1/2 cup of broken pecans.

put the crisp topping over the fruit and bake at 375 for 40 minutes...

When a Technology Lead Does Not Matter

Tim Oren and I worked at Apple at the same time. Now Tim is a VC somewhere on Sand Hill Rd. I found this blog posting interesting, particularly as VC's are scheduled to make an incredible number of investments in the next year. Where will they be sticking their money now that Social Software is a non-starter and Open Source is still on the critical path.

Amelia and Mama

Installing Stair Treads

This topic will not interest many, but this website is saving me countless hours of time and giving me a confidence that I would not have otherwise. It details every step in framing, building the stairs and laying tongue and groove boards for a victorian era porch. I just finished the framing section and now I'm moving on to the stairs.... I would have paid to have access to this, but with Google and Hammerzone there it was.

LOOKING FOR LADY WHO SOLD ME THE FRIDGE

There is something very ominous about this craiglist posting... I can almost imagine a new jersey italian accent speaking the words... ;>.

........
LOOKING FOR LADY WHO SOLD ME THE FRIDGE - $440
You and your husband sold me a refrigerator around 05-25-04. It was a white side by side Whirlpool with the ice and water. You guys lived around SE 20th and woodstock maybe? I need to get in touch with you in regards to it ASAP.
.......

Zuni Cafe Caesar Salad!

This time of year is Caesar Salad time... particularly on a hot evening when you don't want to turn on the stove. I have very high standards and have found that this recipe from the Zuni Cafe is flawless if directions are followed.

1. Get one large head of high quality romaine lettuce. Green and not too watery.
2. Combine 2 eggs, 1/4 cup wine vinegar, juice of 1 squeezed lemon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp coarse ground pepper, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp worchestire, 4 crushed garlic cloves (minimum).
3. Open a can of anchovies and run warm water over them at a trickle. After 3 minutes remove anchovies from the can and pat dry with a paper towel. Place anchovies on a cutting boards and crush with a knife into a paste. Add to the above combined ingredients.
3. Ensure that the romaine leaves are dry after washing and seperating. Pour dressing over leaves and add 1/3 cup of grated parmesan. Add 2 cups of croutons and mix all ingredients by hand.

This should be one of the better caesar salads you've had. Excellent with a good beer, gin and tonic or white wine.


ceasar

Review of the Starbucks Digital Italia Espresso Maker

I'm still trying to find a great espresso machine for around $200-$400. In the long run it would save me a lot of money and be more convenient than the ocassional romp down to Peet's Coffee.

I've seen multiple reviews suggesting that the Starbuck machines are very good in their price range. They're manufactured by the Italian company Seaco and pop up on eBay frequently.

The Digital Italia model is the most impressive and has the highest rating. New they are very expensive, so I'll be trolling craigslist to see if one emerges...

According to legend, Pheidippides was the first to run the course in 490 B.C. when he carried news of victory in the Battle of Marathon. He collapsed

and died at the end... These Olympics contain plenty of drama and in this case tragedy.

Olympic Gold

Trader Joe's Mud Pie!

The Mud Pie at Trader Joe's is a real score, for those who live on the West Coast. $7.50 and you can indulge yourself and friends in an incredible tasty treat.

mmmmmmmmm....

Audible.com - audio that speaks to you wherever you are

Here's the main reason I can see having an iPOD. Audible and IT Conversations are leaders in the emerging digital-audio content domains. I'm looking forward to winning my free iPOD and having the flexibility to listen to a lot of this great content.

I Read the Bible

The BBQ Bible is a truly great cookbook for gourmets or the novice. Steve Raichlen's book is packed with great recipes and an international range of flavors and ideas. From simple suggestions to very complex marinades, rubs and sides. We love this book and reference it regularly.

.

Sign the Petition to Re-Call the Bush Campaign Dirty Tricks

A front group for the Bush campaign called, "Swift
Boat Veterans for Truth" is continuing to spread their
lies about John Kerry's military record. Their
statements have been contradicted by official Navy
records, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the
Chicago Tribune and every man who served under John
Kerry yet George Bush refuses to condemn their
tactics. Through his silence George Bush is approving
their action. In fact, Bush campaign officials in
Florida are even promoting events for this front
group.

Today we're calling for all of you to join together
and stand with John Kerry. Tell George Bush: stop the
smear, get back to the issues.

Sign John Kerry's petition by Clicking Here.

Enough is enough. No matter what these Bush campaign
shills now say, John Kerry's commanders in 1969
remarked that "In a combat environment often requiring
independent, decisive action, LTJG Kerry was
unsurpassed." In fact all John Kerry's performance
reports (available on John Kerry's website) display an
absolutely heroic record of service.

John Kerry's campaign has just release a new internet
ad called "Old Tricks" which shows John McCain asking
George Bush to apologize for attacking his own heroic
record.

View the ad by Clicking Here

RealRhapsody - premium legal music subscription service - Real.com

So, I just burned my first 'pay for use' CD. I'm currently doing a trial of Real Rhapsody, which coincides with a review I read in the NY Times of a very promising new musician named Regina Spektor. I went to Real Rhapsody and learned that I could download and burn to CD her new album for $4.79. Seems like a great deal, particularly after reading this review of her music. Moscow on the Major Deegan

What's exciting about this service is that it's an alternative to Kazaa where artists are compensated and I as a consumer don't feel burned. I will be looking to see who offers the best pay to download services over the next months.

Shenanigans at the Olympics

It seems like each Olympics has it's share of shenanigans and this one is no exception. How does something like THIS happen?

a few burning man clothes

I'm a little too fascinated by some of the items and pitches that people make for their stuff on craigslist... Read this one.

Read/Write DVD for $29 after rebate...

Another great deal for anyone wanted to burn their own DVD's...Office Depot: Mad Dog Dominator DVD-R/-RW

Prime Suspect

This is definitely one of my best discoveries this year. Helen Mirren and the BBC series Prime Suspect are incredible. My wife and I are not the type's who seek out detective or thriller type of film or television, in fact usually the opposite, but when Masterpiece Theater played the last episode of the series we were riveted. We've since borrowed every episode from Netflix and were very disappointed to reach the end. It's wonderful to see such a strong female protagonist put into the macho male world of British crime investigation. The real strength of this series though is the writing and direction, which truly shame most of what's coming from Hollywood or HBO these days.

A Conspiracy In Our Midst?

In Bob Woodward's recent book 'Plan of Attack', he indicate's that oil prices will spike and then dip prior to the election to provide a significant boost to the economy. This will be engineered by the Saudi's to ensure their American president stays in place. While the spike has taken place, we have yet to see the dip. This article from Business Week indicates that high oil prices may not be all bad. The Good News About Costly Oil

Great Discovery

I really like the music created/produced by these three women out of Vanouver, B.C. Wonderful violin, mandolin and guitar work accompanied by great vocals and lyrics. I heard them first on E-Town. For a sample Click Here.

Great Deal on a Grill

Ducane 7100 Stainless Series Natural Gas Grill Head + Ducane 7100 Stainless Series Grill Base with Folding Shelf $375.00 Shipped.

Amazon has the Ducane 7100 Stainless Series Natural Gas Grill Head selling for $400.00 with free shipping and no taxes for most. Scroll down and use the Buy both and save button and they will toss in the Ducane 7100 Stainless Series Grill Base with Folding Shelf ($100 value) as a free gift. Apply coupon code AUGUSTPROMOS ($25 off $125 - exp. 8/31/04) at checkout and your cost drops to $375.00. Remember to select free super saver shipping.
The Grill Link

The Base and Folding Table

Grill Features:

503 Square Inches cooking surface, 28,000 BTU
Ducane's double-tiered LA-VA-GRATE® with overlapping runners hold and revaporize drippings to season food
Patented 304-grade stainless steel SEAR GRID® cooking surface sears meat quickly and easily to hold in juicy flavor
TOP-PORTED 304-grade stainless steel burners are fuel-efficient and long-lasting; One permanent stainless steel side shelf and one fold down shelf are big and beautiful

Base Features:

MicroAdvantage DVD R/W $39

R/W DVD Burner for $39 after rebate. Seems like a great deal!

Help me win an iPOD?!

My neighbor Alan just won an ipod by getting five friends and neighbors (me) to sign up for a free trial. I wouldn't mind having an iPod, so I'm asking you... Help Will win an iPod. The Real Rhapsody one is .99 and then you can cancel. It's fairly easy and you can download a few mp3 files.

Opinion: Stem Cell Battles

New York Times Reports. What a shame that this critical and incredible research has become one of the biggest political footballs in recent scientific history.

GOOG starts trading at $85

Yahoo Chart. I still think this is an over-valued stock (I'm far from an expert) and would imagine that within a year it will be around $45.

Amazon to Buy China Internet Retailer for 75 Mln

Yahoo Reports. On the face of it, this seems like a very good move by Amazon. The Chinese market is hot with it's rapid growth in online users.

Get Paid $150 to have this phone

My new cell phone just arrived and it's great. Amazon is still paying $150 to take the phone. It's smaller than I imagined and feels like a great overall phone with camera, PDA, bluetooth wireless and more.

The Republicans are starting to acknowledge the disaster in Iraq.

The New York Times: Retiring Congressman Says War Unjustified: "In addition to a massive failure or misinterpretation of intelligence. Bereuter said the Bush administration made several other errors in going to war despite warnings about the consequence. From the beginning of the conflict it was doubtful that we for long would be seen as liberators but instead increasingly as an occupying force he said. Now we are immersed in a dangerous costly mess and there is no easy and quick way to end our responsibilities in Iraq without creating bigger future problems in the region and in general in the Muslim world."

CBS MarketWatch.com - GOOG

THIS JUST IN FROM GOOGLE - "The offering price is now expected to be between $85 and $95 per share. If you have submitted a bid, you should access that prospectus and
carefully reconsider your bid(s)."

A major mis-calculation was made by someone in suggesting it would be between $108 and $130 a week ago.

Check Here Regularly. This will be an interesting page to watch in coming weeks. The SEC has suspended their IPO, but I'm sure the delay will only be temporary. I hope the GOOG can be as wise post-IPO as they have been to date. The fact that they didn't go public in 2000, focused on their core business and really brought in the best talent speaks to the wisdom of their business strategy to date. If they can continue on this trajectory with their billions from shareholders, we (the general public) should benefit greatly from years of new technologies.

Personally, I think of GOOG as the equivalent of the HAL 9000 series from the film 2001 a space oddysey. You can ask HAL (state of the art AI computer) a question and he would provide a reasonably intelligent answer. I rely on the GOOG in the same way. Only the GOOG is better, because it provides a range of expertise and cumulative answers to select from. I would imagine that five years out the GOOG will become a lot more specific in terms of it's ability to refine our questions to provide more specific and detailed answers.

Hopefully it won't meet the same fate as HAL.

Bjork - Medulla

Coming August 31st. I'm excited by the upcoming release of a new CD by Bjork. I find her to be an incredibly gifted musician and a true musical innovator.

U.S. Win Gold in 200 Meter Relay

The Men's Relay Team Win's Gold! What an exciting event this was. A true team effort by the U.S. team to beat Australia and the 'Thorpedo' in a 13/100 of a second win for Gold in the Men's 200 Meter Relay. Detailed Report at Boston Herald.

The Splendid Table

Program Listings August 2004 on The Splendid Table For those of you who enjoy time in the kitchen and the creative process of cooking, visit the Splendid Table website and listen to the program whenever you have a chance. It's very inspiring to hear the interviews with chefs and those deeply involved in the culinary world. Lynn Rossetto Kasper is an excellent host for this program as well.

The Oregonian Online Sucks

See for yourself. I think it's pathetic that a major metropolitan newspaper cannot commit the resources to create a reasonable online paper.San Francisco Chronicle's SFGate is far superior and the New York Times is the best thing going. L.A. Times, Washington Post and many other cities have quality online papers, but Portland is sadly lacking.

Digital Chocolate is Live

Digital ChocolateTrip Hawkins is entering the wireless apps domain with his new company. They received funding from Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers and seem to be in a great niche for the next generation of software solutions.

IT Conversation with Joi Ito

IT Conversations with Joi Ito - Memory Lane Listen to this great interview with Joi Ito.

This brings up a topic for discussion that I've been contemplating lately. What is the 'hype' with the iPOD about. Some say it's the design, some say the memory capacity and others say it's the cachet of being seen with one. From what I understand the Sony equivalent has it beat in all of these areas. Steve Jobs is a brilliant marketeer, but I really don't see the incredible innovation with iTunes/iPod. Where I would see great consumer value and utility is with the storage + PVR type functionality for radio/Internet. There is a lot of broadcast radio (Al Franken, NPR, Gilmour Gang...) which would be great to pre-program recording and then be able to listen when I want and skip ads. Give me that kind of functionality and I'll buy one right away.

Good Eats and More in PDX...

Hey, this is a real find.Culinary Blog and Portland Food Guide

What is the net of new economic efficiencies?

The New York Times > Technology > Ambitious Package to Raise Productivity (and Microsoft's Profit). While I'm sure MS Office does increase worker productivity and creates untold efficiencies (as this article outlines), I think it would be fascinating to understand how these new efficiences translate for the U.S. economy over time. During the .com era we anticipated that valuations corresponded to value, but the collapse of the NASDAQ contradicted that. Could it be that the real potential was to early to have created those valuations, but over a long period of time they would be realized for the U.S. economy. I would guess that it's possible if not probably. I'd be curious to learn what the macro-economics of efficiencies born of digital productivity tools, internet exchanges and commerce (ebay, amazon, craigslist), online services and information processing (to name a few). In the last five years we have seen a fundamental re-structructuring of our national infrastructure through the deployment of these technologies. How far out is the net economic benefit?

Alan Greenspan gave a speech on this subject at the height of the .com boom. It may be that the net of these efficiencies are realized in the same was as punctuated equilibrium (definition from the www.wikipedia.org).

Thomas Friedman is currently taking time off as staff editorial writer for the New York Times to write a new book on the economic threat to our National Security from India and China. As they agressively pursue and commit their resources to economic growth and opportunity we focus on waging military campaigns. How will this tip the global balance and who will benefit most from the U.S. innovations and efficiencies created in the past decade?

Looks like it could be Kerry's to lose...

Bush's Two Albatrosses (washingtonpost.com) David Broder does not see Bush being re-elected. It's my impression that this is the general sentiment from people in the know. I heard the publisher of one of Washington's most prominent lobbying newsletters on Charlie Rose say the same thing. Unless the economy dramatically improves and Iraq suddenly appears to be an ocean of stability (both extremely unlikely), it would seem that Bush's duck is cooked. Josh Marshall also outlines a number of points regarding the difficulties facing Bush's campaign in the months to come. Josh's comments. At this point the Bush campaign is probably going to need something dramatic to happen in order to shift the direction of undecideds before November.

I'm a New Member of the OEF

Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum Last night I joined the OEF in the hope of doing some networking and learning more about ventures in Oregon and particularly PDX. Reading through their outline of services made me aware of what a contrast the silicon valley/bay area is to Portland in terms of resources, innovation and risk-taking. My experience to date in Portland is that it's a very conservative business environment without a lot incubation taking place. However, I hope to have my perspective changed by more direct interfacing with PDX entrepreneurs.

Waste Deep in the Big Muddy

No Way Out - Is there any hope of avoiding catastrophe in Iraq? By Fred Kaplan. This report by Slate's Fred Kalpan is an insightful snapshot of the quagmire which is Iraq right now. While I feel hopeful for Iraq, particularly watching their smiling delegation march at the Olympic opening, I simultaneously believe that the policies and strategies concerning Iraq have been mis-guided and could take another ten years until the Iraqi people feel that the ground beneath them is solid.

Does Pressure-Treated Wood Belong in Your Garden?

Does Pressure-Treated Wood Belong in Your Garden? A very comprehensive article on the subject of pressure treated wood in the garden. Also, this issue should be considered for building sandboxes for children. It appears that the jury is still out on the level of arsenic exposure caused by leaching of pressure treated wood into a garden. Certainly something worth considering the potential risk when levels can reach 20 ppm in some studies. Apparently, Europe does not allow the sale of arsenic pressure treated wood (I've been told this is true by two neighbors). There is an alternative detailed in the article called ACQ, which is a little more expensive, but much more environmentally sound in it's creation and use.

Empty Olympic stadiums set off alarm bells

Despite the empty stands in Athens, it has been great fun to watch the Olympics on television here at home.Yahoo! News - Empty Olympic stadiums set off alarm bells

Iranian won't compete against Israeli at Olympic Games

My Way - News. What an incredible tragedy, if it's true that an Iranian Olympic athlete and the Iranian Olympic Committee can't see that the Olympics are not about politics and hatred, but instead an opportunity to speak to hope and our planet as a community.

this is a quite an image... speaks to the power of nature and how little we are sometimes in the balance...

The New York Times has a write up on one of my favorite musicians...

Patty Griffin.. who will also be playing at a concert I will see on August 31, here in Portland.The New York Times > Arts > Music > After a Long Wait, Harvest of Success. I believe that her first album 'Living with Ghosts' is a masterpiece.

Oliver Stone's ALEXANDER

Looks like this could be a good film. Oliver Stone generally produces films of substance and what a great subject he has in Alexander the Great.ALEXANDER

It's summer time and a great time to make Lemon Drops... In a martini mixer add one shot of good vodka (skyy), 1/2 a freshly squeezed lemon, teaspoon of fine sugar and ice... shake that pup until it's frosty on the outside and poor in a martini glass... oh yeah!

Romy's Ribs with Philipino Seasonings

Tonight we'll be making our favorite rib recipe. I'll provide the recipe and instruction here, for those who are inspired to create something amazing...

First, purchase baby back ribs and cut them into four to five rib racks. Brine the racks in salted water (1/4 cup salt to gallon of water) for 2-5 hours. You can add brown sugar and tabasco to the brine (1/2 cup and 3 tbs).

Create the marinade... 1/2 cup soy, juice and grated zest of 1 orange, 1 lime and one lemon, 2 stalks fresh lemongrass, 1 tbs fresh minced ginger, 2 cloves garlic minced... put everything into a blender until you have a smooth puree...marinade racks in this combo for 3-8 hours. DON'T CHEAT ON THE INGREDIENTS.

Create the rub... 1 tbs paprika, 2 tsp sichuan peppercorns, 2 tsps corriander seeds, 2 tsps cumin seeds, 2 tsps mustard seeds, 1 dried hot red chile pepper, 2 tsps light brown sugar, 2 tsps salt... after marinading ribs, pat try with paper towel rub above combined ingredients into ribs... should be a paste covering meaty part of ribs. DON'T CHEAT ON INGREDIENTS.

Put ribs on gas or charcoal grill and heat in-directly on low setting/temperature. Do not place over the flame or heat. Let BBQ for 3-4 hours and until ribs turn a dark color and the meat is clearly pulling back from the bone. The end result should be meat that pulls off the ribs with your fingers and is succulent, with no pink.

THESE ARE INCREDIBLE RIBS... serve with a cole slaw and thin sliced and roasted yams, or whatever else entices you.

Amelia Rose

Bush and Kerry in Portland

Bush and Kerry were both in Portland yesterday, Bush to speak to a screened group of business people and Kerry to address 30,000 people in River Front Park. I watched Bush on the local television station and found that his approach to campaigning by talking to individuals about their businesses was very compelling and made him appear to be concerned and a hands-on problem solver. From the description I heard of the Kerry rally, Theresa turned the mood of the overheated crowd from excited to agitated, by droning on for fifteen minutes about herself. I think Kerry's wife could turn out to be the worst thing going for their campaign and potentially hurt him over the next few months.

The New York Times Reports - Study: Tax Burden Shifts to Middle Class

Despite mounting evidence indicating that the middle class is absorbing the brunt of taxes and economic malaise, Bush still has 46% approval for his handling of the economy...The New York Times > AP > National > Study: Tax Burden Shifts to Middle Class Reading requires free New York Times signup, which takes two minutes and is the best news source online.

Help me win an ipod?!

My neighbor Alan just won an ipod by getting five friends and neighbors (me) to sign up for a free trial. I wouldn't mind having an iPod, so I'm asking you... Help Will win an iPod. All of these trials are either free or can be cancelled at any time.
Help me win a free iPod.

The North Face Mountain Tent

I have a North Face Mountain Tent for sale... never used and perfect for those intending to take on some mountaineering expeditions or back country excursions. $250 ... I bought this tent around 3 weeks after meeting my wife. Back then I was an avid climber and looking at taking on a lot of alpining in the Eastern Sierra. Well, my life has taken a detour since then and I don't climb anymore.

Google's Slow Search for a Good Share Price

It would seem that people learned a lesson about high-tech speculation frenzy in the late 90's. The GOOG will probably not be an exception, particularly when you consider the transcience of Internet search solutions. My former employer Inktomi was the king of the search hill for a while and was easily pushed off when a better solution and poor business decisions were made. It's not like trying to displace a company like Boeing, which requires enormous initiatives (including government assistance) and decades for a competitor like Airbus to emerge.The New York Times > Technology > Google's Slow Search for a Good Share Price

Dessert tonight from Recipe Catalogue at Epicurious

It is blackberry season and what dessert could be better than buttermilk cake with blackberries and beaumes-de-venise...EPICURIOUS: RECIPE: BUTTERMILK CAKE WITH BLACKBERRIES AND BEAUMES-DE-VENISE

NY Times reports on Ebay / Craigslist deal...

The New York Times > AP > Technology > EBay Buys 25 Percent Stake in Craigslist

Craigslist gets in bed with Ebay

SAN FRANCISCO & SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2004--eBay, The World's Online Marketplace (Nasdaq:EBAY) (www.ebay.com), and craigslist, an online community featuring classifieds and forums (www.craigslist.org), announced today that eBay has acquired a preexisting minority ownership interest in craigslist of approximately 25%. The resulting relationship will allow eBay and craigslist to share expertise, resources, and creativity on behalf of online communities everywhere.
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I was surprised that it took craigslist this long to put on some business shoes. After they announced pay for advertising jobs in the Bay Area earlier this year, it seemed that their non-profit community centric orientation would inevitably change. Let's just hope that they can continue to deliver the incredible content that makes them one of the best thing on the Internet.

Make m' at home...

Francis! Francis! X5 looks like the best thing in home espresso and cappucino... Saw it on eBay for $227. So, if I can avoid buying a cappuccino at peets twice a week for a year (52*$2.50*2=$260) I've saved money.

CoffeeGeek - Francis! Francis! X5 - Renee .......'s Review

blockbuster.com - Search Results

For what it's worth I just did a search on Netflix.com for a film which was referenced in a NY Times article and then did the same search on Blockbuster.com (the newest Netflix competitor) and the Blockbuster search was successful, while the Netflix.com search was not!blockbuster.com - Search Results Blockbuster's new service is $2 less a month and includes two movies a month at your local retail outlet... seems like the heat is going to be on Netflix.

The Opening Ceremony at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece... it must have been something to see in person.

What price would you pay?

You can find anything online. I'm about to embark on rebuilding our victorian era home's front porch. I found this set of web pages which details step by step, the process and requirements for this venture. Stairs, porch and rails with photos... It will probably save me a lot of money and time.

Blue Hole

Self-referrential links... Alan, thanks for plugging my blog. I actually had my first weblog back in 97' when I was running one of the first search engines dedicated to shopping. The weblog focused on ideas for online consumers and merchants.Blue Hole By the way, if you get any spam from Alan regarding an iPod, just hit the delete key... :>

If you like Zinfandel, you must dry the Ridge Lytton Springs

My wife and I had a bottle of this wine during our recent trip to Montana and were astounded by it's quality. When we returned I read this review of Dry Creek Zinfandels from the NY Times, where they gave it very high marks.The New York Times > Dining & Wine > Wines of The Times: Bold Enough to Look the Sun in the Eye
Dry Creek Zins

Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, PNW 548

If you're thinking about planting some veggies for harvest in the Fall, here's a handy dandy list my wife found this morning...Fall and Winter Vegetable Gardening in the Pacific Northwest, PNW 548

Found Magazine.

They publish discarded notes, lists and messages which are often funny, poetic or sometimes profound. Check it out

Found Magazine should get a hold of this guys 'Rob Bank' to do list...classic.

Newsday.com: Suspect Had 'Rob Bank' on To-Do List

Unlimited Broadband Phone Service for $19.95 a Month... I lingo!

My wife and I have a phone bill of $127 from quest for two dedicated (one for business) unlimited calling plans. It's time to cut the bill down substantially...Internet phone calls, internet phone service - Do you Lingo?

Iraq beats Portual in Olympic Soccer!

What an incredible upset and significant victory. Congratulations Iraq.The New York Times > AP > Sports > Olympics > Iraq 4, Portugal 2: Iraq Stuns Portugal in Men's Soccer

Very Serious Saw - PIX

Very Serious Saw - PIX I love craigslist, the way that many people love EBay. Take a look at this 'Very Serious Saw' and tell me if you don't agree...?

We'll pay you $150 to take this phone....

The Sony T-160 : Bluetooth, GPRS, Digital Camera, WAP, 65k Color Screen.... The MoreStuff4Less.com Bargain Blog pointed out this deal where between Amazon and T-Mobile you get paid $150 to take this phone. We had to extend my existing contract for service for a year, but since it's the best value I've been able to find, that was not a problem.

blockbuster.com - Membership Offer

So, Blockbuster has finally decided to cannibalize it's retail business and compete with Netflix and late comer Wal-Mart in the Net/DVD space. I can only hope it forces Netflix to reduce it's fees... otherwise I'm switching to Blockbuster, assuming the service is competetive.blockbuster.com - Membership Offer

My father-in-law, daughter and an afternoon on Oregon's Santiam River.

This is a pathetic excuse for a business. Of course they're based in Texas...

Forbes.com: Software company sees goldmine in patent cases

Ranching in Montana

Ross Mayfield's Weblog

Bush is the first president since the great depression to record an absolute loss in total employment during his administration... Yet a recent AP-Ipsos poll reports 46% of Americans 'approve' of Bush's handling of the economy. Who are these people and what have they been smoking? Fiscal mismanagement and misleading the public on jobs should be issues count this Fall!

Google

Google It seems to me that their could be good money to be made in shorting the GOOG IPO. If it really does go stratospheric, there is only one place that valuation will go afterward....

Critical Section - Home

Critical Section - HomeIt's tragic, but Ole' just does not seem to post anymore. One of the best blogs ever and all you see is his New Yorker comic.