Archive for August, 2010 | Monthly archive page
A gushing review from Steve Goodey
Well, the reviews are in: Wellington property spruiker and US tax liens “educator” Steve Goodey tackles the complex and intellectually demanding task of identifying the raison d’être of www.thePaepae.com. (If the name is familiar, I discussed some of his past … um … ‘activities’ in this post Property spruiker Steve Goodey: let’s join the dots.) […]
Poster boy Jim Parsons WINS!
How cool. Asperger’s poster boy Jim Parsons has won an emmy for his role as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series. I applaud this talented comic who has been a real ambassador for geeks and people with Asperger’s everywhere. Along with the cast and creators of the […]
Paranoid (?) but a whistleblower
Over the weekend I read a fascinating profile of WikiLeaks.org founder Julian Assange in a recent TIME magazine. (It’s available online at TIME here.) Here’s a bit that struck me (emphasis mine): Assange has retained a hacker’s mentality. He works from secret bunkers on major leaks and is convinced he is under surveillance from government […]
When ‘gurus’ attack — HOW you do it is important
From a review of The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life … It’s full of tips and advice but the one I like best comes from Buffett via Dale Carnegie, author of How To Win Friends and Influence People: “Criticism is futile, said Carnegie. Rule number one, don’t criticise, condemn or complain.” … […]
A fragment …
This document fragment found itself to my office fax machine. At the top of the first page was a handwritten note … This is much too pointed… could even be inflammatory! TONE IT DOWN, please … don’t waste ‘straight-talk’ on this rubbery character. – M.K. [fragment begins] == D R A F T _ O N L […]
Well said, that man.
Sometimes you see what someone else has written and think: “Wow. I couldn’t say that any better.” This, from a rally in support of religious freedom in New York City does it for me… Thank you. One day it could be my freedom under threat from bigots with loud voices.
How is this clearer in any way?
Spotted on a bike ride with my son yesterday … Gee, what was wrong with ‘Howick Police Station‘? Is this newspeak really better? “Run, Jimmy! Run to the Community Policing Centre!” Er, nope. (…and what, I wonder, do they call a Fire Station these days?) Any other examples? + Update: A thought occurs — maybe […]
Facebook leaks like a sieve (Part 2)
Sorry if this reads vaguely like an echo chamber, but it’s a point that bears repeating. Everyone has something to hide — or to keep private, which is not quite the same thing. This article Tracking the cyber footprint by the NZ Herald’s David Fisher sets out to reveal something of perils of posting information […]
More good Jon Stewart on NYC controversy
Bless this guy and his team for showing the frailty of the hypocrisy and falsely alarmist nature of the ‘claims’ by the religious right … and pulling out Charlton Heston’s principled speech… … showing their attempted selective application of the ‘founding principles’ of the US Constitution so well. Watch the video below the fold…
‘The problem with Google is that Eric Schmidt is creepy’
Not just for geeks: Here’s a really thoughtful post about Google, culture, and information privacy. From John Gruber. Well worth your time to read. And I like the way he’s unafraid to mention the FACT that people’s personality, ethics and character can lead their decision-making. Good on him. – P
The future of publishing?
I had the pleasure a week or so ago of accompanying one of my authors Olly Newland on a visit to the interest.co.nz offices. The Auckland-based e-publishing business seems like a success story by any measure. Its nearly ubiquitous host, journalist Bernard Hickey provokes ALL sorts of comment — good and bad — on a […]
Wedge issue
In what’s showing up as a litmus test in the run up to the US November elections, my hero Senator Al Franken author of Lies – And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them is, as expected, speaking to uphold and defend the US Constitution.* Franken said conservative opposition to the mosque is “one of the […]
Another con
In my in-box today … Does this con actually work? Have you heard of anyone falling for it? Really? Hi, Its me Mike I really don’t mean to inconvenience you right now, I made a little trip to UK and I misplaced my passport and credit cards,please I know this may sound odd, but it […]
Right/wrong vs Can/should
Oh boy. John Stewart (in fine form) revs up on the plan to locate an Islamic community centre (Mosque) two blocks from the site of the World Trade Centre. I like his take, as usual … and his roasting of the Fox News phoneys on their lack of consistency. And then there’s a squirmy/bad taste […]
