December 2007
48 posts
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Christmas Weather Air Travel Delays
My chances of getting out of New York City tonight on a flight to Flint are slim and none.
La Guardia Airport (LGA) - FAA Status: Advisory Due to WEATHER / WIND, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving La Guardia Airport, New York, NY (LGA). This is causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 1 hour and 45 minutes. General Departure Delays:...
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“Due to WEATHER / WIND, departure traffic destined to John F Kennedy...”
– Air Traffic Control System Command Center
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As Earth Warms, Virus From Tropics Moves to Italy →
Aided by global warming and globalization, Castiglione di Cervia has the dubious distinction of playing host to the first outbreak in modern Europe of a disease that had previously been seen only in the tropics.
“This is the first case of an epidemic of a tropical disease in a developed, European country,” said Dr. Roberto Bertollini, director of the World Health Organization’s Health and...
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Foster an Elephant
This year, in an effort to teach my niece and nephews something more important than materialism and capitalism, not to mention giving very unique presents to three kids who literally have *everything*, I donated money to the World Wildlife Fund and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in their names.
For my niece, Karli, I adopted a Chimpanzee because monkeys are her favorite animals (even though...
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“Rather than a lot of words, say a few words; Rather than a few words, say good...”
– Master Cheng Yen
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Why We Shop →
Holiday shopping is underway, sparking a lot of discussion about the tension it causes. Some call the buying frenzy vulgar, given how much hunger there is in the world. Some express an opposite anxiety — that Americans might not shop enough to fuel the economy.
Tense? Oh, I’m tense, I still have shopping to do for 4 people on my list. Economy? I’ve decided to donate money to...
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Phrases You Wish You Could Say During Those Tense... →
How about never? Is never good for you?
I see you’ve set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
I’m really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me.
I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter.
You are validating my inherent mistrust of colleagues.
I’m visualizing placing duct tape over your mouth.
Thank...
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The Views From the Back of the Plane →
I understand that the airlines need to make money, and I’d actually be fine without the meals, or even the blankets, pillows and entertainment. But I think that most people don’t really get as angry about this stuff as they do about the basic indignities air travelers routinely face: broken or dirty seats, broken or dirty restrooms, a lack of courtesy and information (about delays, etc.) from the...
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Board Approves Subway and Bus Fare Increase →
The base subway and bus fare will remain $2, but an overwhelming majority of riders — who use unlimited-ride MetroCards or get a discount for buying multiple rides at once — will have to pay more, starting on March 2. The costs of unlimited-ride cards will rise to $81 from $76 for the 30-day card and to $25 from $24 for the 7-day card; a new 14-day card will be sold for $47.
Andrew B. Albert,...
Pandora →
Whenever I visit my friend’s apartment, he always has the best music playing. And when I ask what it is, his response is always the same - it’s Pandora.
Pandora - radio from the Music Genome Project. They have a single mission: To play the music you’ll love - and nothing else. Well, that’s pretty ambitious. But lately I have been listening to the site throughout my work...
“It may seem absurd to believe that a “primitive” culture in the...”
– Helena Norberg-Hodge, in Three Cups of Tea.
Because Data is Important
Thanks to help from Jared Moran, I’m now collecting detailed statistics about the visitors to my tumblr site with the powerful and free Google Analytics service. I love good data and I love to analyze it even more. I have high expectations of Google’s service. Now all I need are some visitors…
Thanks again Jared!
Currently Reading: The Name of the Rose
The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco. The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate. When his delicate mission is suddenly overshadowed by seven bizarre deaths, Brother William turns detective. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the theology of Aquinas, the empirical insights of Roger Bacon - all...
“If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot...”
– Shantideva
Duelity →
A split-screen animation that tells both sides of the story of Earth’s origins in a dizzying and provocative journey through the history and language that marks human thought.
“We are in the midst of a process of massive change. The world is coming to grips...”
– Al Gore, The New York Times
The David Byrne New York Times Visit Follow-up →
After David Byrne showed an interest in The New York Times, he was invited for a tour and a talk. This is what he had to say. Interesting. I really admire all of the time and energy that he has put into his thoughts on our business.
“The universe is the stage on which you dance, guided by your heart.”
– Yogi Tea Bag
Ubuntu →
Ubuntu is an African word meaning ‘Humanity to others’, or ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’.
It’s also a new OS that you can run on a PC or a Mac.
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The 53 Places to Go in 2008 →
The travel choices for global nomads have never been more varied.
Super cool travel feature compiled by my colleague at The New York Times, Denny Lee.
“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the...”
– Rachel Carson
David Byrne was in the office today.
It was a day like any other day on the 8th Floor of The New York Times Building. I was sitting at my desk, catching up on email, when I looked up and there was David Byrne being escorted into my colleague’s office. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, and walked by the office just to be absolutely certain it was him before I started spreading rumors. It was, without a doubt, David Byrne (who just...
CSSSite is a gallery showcasing the best designed... →
Somehow my web site was hand picked by CSSFirst and is currently listed in their gallery. I feel very honored to be sitting next to the likes of Jason Santa Maria, D Keith Robinson, and Naz Hamid. However, I must thank the author of my slightly modified CSS template, Kyle Neath, who is the magnificent creator of Hemingway, the Wordpress theme that I use for my site. Without him, I doubt that my...
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“SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You won’t believe how talented you’re...”
– Rob Brezsny Astrology
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The Green Tree in Rockefeller Center
We can all dream of a green Christmas this year thanks to Tishman Speyer, the development company that manages Rockefeller Center. I’m talking about that beautiful tree they hawl in every year from somewhere, string thousands of light bulbs on in front of an enormous crowd and crown the illustrious title of The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. The first Rockefeller Center Christmas tree...
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Kitty Wigs →
The latest craze in cat accessories - wigs! I love the cats’ expressions, worth more than the wig. Just what I needed to end my Monday.
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A Photo Seminar by National Geographic
Yesterday I attended a travel photography seminar, entitled A Passion For Travel: Photos that tell a story from National Geographic Traveler, at FIT. I still haven’t decided whether or not the 7 hours was worth $195, for that price they could have thrown in a nice glossy photography book, however, the secrets, tips and new techniques that I learned were worth something. Here are the notes...
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Passion For Travel →
The reason why I am up so early on a Sunday - getting ready to attend a travel photography seminar by the folks of National Geographic Traveler magazine at FIT. I am really looking forward to the unique opportunity to gain new tips and techniques from the photography masters.
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Acute Bronchitis →
I’m pretty sure I have it after reading about it at the Times Health Guide. Going to the steam room now to treat it.