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Main page November 30, 2007mp3s: Arcade Fire's 4 Christmas songs 5 years agoArcade Fire: A Very Arcade Xmas, Arcade Fire [no label, 1CD] At BigOWorldwide. The holiday season is upon us and to help readers get into the mood, here are the Arcade Fire spreading that holiday cheer. These four tracks were recorded at Win's 2001 Christmas party and featured Win, Regine, Dane, Brendan, Sean, Anita, Kirsten and Kyla). These tracks were given as a gift in 2002. Go there to get 'em for your annual holiday collection,. Posted by Sheila Lennon Facebook retreats, won't publish users' purchases and activities without their consentFacebook and advertisers will still collect data on what users are doing and what they buy, but the latest version of the retreat the giant social networking site floated tonight lets the user decide whether to make that information public. If the user does nothing, the information languishes, nagging perhaps, but not publishing with their profile photos alongside advertising related to their activity. On the Times Bits Blog (The Evolution of Facebook’s Beacon), Louise Story reports, Thursday night, late edition: Facebook executives tell reporters that users who ignore the alert boxes will no longer be considered to have said “yes,” even after two days. If users ignore the alert box, Facebook says it will not post the news of their purchases to their friends. This is a big change, if implemented correctly. Users will still be hassled by the alert boxes from Facebook on its partner sites, but ideally they can ignore them now and not worry about their purchases being shared. You can read Facebook's entire statement in this post at Dean Takahashi's Tech Blog: Facebook caves to pressure. There is still no way to opt out of the Beacon tracking program. Sam Gustin at Portfolio explains (Fog Over Facebook's Beacon) what's making Facebook wriggle over this one: Facebook is in a tough position, because it is counting on Beacon to drive revenue growth for the company - which expects to earn only $30 million this year. Microsoft recently paid $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake which valued the company at $15 billion. In a story for today's New York Times (Facebook Retreats on Online Tracking), Story and Brad Stone note that "Two privacy groups said this week that they were preparing to file privacy complaints about the system with the Federal Trade Commission. Among online merchants, Overstock.com has decided to stop running Facebook’s Beacon program on its site until it becomes an opt-in program." This would seem to leave Facebook's experiment in monetizing the reader in something of a shambles. Still later: TechCrunch has a screenshot of the new notification, with its "Remove" link, and finds a way to opt out on a per-advertiser basis (Facebook Beacon 2.0: What You’ll See):
Opt Out Found via the “External Websites” section of the Facebook Privacy page, this allows users to permanently opt in or out of Beacon notifications, or if you’re not sure be notified. The downside is that there is no global option to opt out of every Beacon affiliated program; it has to be set per program. Better this than nothing I suppose. When I followed the privacy-->External Websites path, I see, Show your friends what you like and what you're up to outside of Facebook. When you take actions on the sites listed below, you can choose to have those actions sent to your profile. But there are no sites listed below. Apparently, I can't act till one pops up, like Whack-A-Mole. Sidebar: Who signed up for Beacon? On Nov. 17, Dustin Coates of Austin, Texas, published 41 Sites Using Facebook Beacon--Facebook to Know Your Porn Viewing?. I wanted to know which sites used Facebook Beacon. I couldn't find the information easily on the Facebook site, so I took to Google. It didn't seem as if anyone had compiled a list, though I did find a Facebook press release mentioning participating websites. Below is the full list and, when available, what information the websites send to Facebook. The one entry I found the most interesting was the one for Redlight. As I mention below, I couldn't find any site that went by that name that wasn't an adult site... Among the sites he found: CBS Sports, The New York Times, the NBA, Blockbuster, Travelocity, Hotwire... And there may be more than these 41. Strangest of all on this list: "eBay- -eBay will send your auction listings to Facebook, beginning in 2008." eBay operates with aliases, Facebook with real names, which could be awkward. Best, of all, Facebook could tell your friends that you sold the gift on eBay that Facebook told you one of them bought for you this week. Related: Privacy Groups Ready FTC Complaint Against Facebook. Wendy Davis at Online Media Daily. Posted by Sheila Lennon Deal: Through Friday, more than 80 percent off gift certificates to 10 R.I. restaurantsUpdated Saturday: With a new month, all restaurants are again available, and there's a new coupon code to get 50 percent off; enter the word "NEW" in the coupon code field on your shopping cart to see the discount reflected. Dealnews reported Thursday morning (Restaurant.com coupon: 60% off gift certificates): Ending tomorrow, Restaurant.com slashes 60% off any gift certificate via coupon code "THANKS". This coupon cuts $25 dining certificates to $4 and $10 gift certificates to $1.20. Restaurant.com's gift certificates are redeemable at local restaurants across the United States. Some gift certificates have restrictions, like dinner-only or a $15 or higher minimum. (Each restaurant lists its individual restrictions.) Been there. Done that -- three times tonight. These look to me like 84 and 88 percent off face value, respectively. There are only a few available for Rhode Island restaurants -- just 16 -- and six have sold out of however many coupons they chose to offer this month. (If you're elsewhere, you may see more restaurants, or none..) You can select how many restaurants to view on one page, something I think every results page needs.. Some do restrict the coupons to lunch or dinner, others have minimums. Terms are clearly stated. Wickford Gourmet, for instance, offers a $10 coupon, "Valid with a minimum purchase of $25 for Catering, Gift Baskets, Cheese's. All services valid." Some do restrict the coupons to lunch or dinner, others have minimums. Terms are clearly stated. Wickford Gourmet, for instance, offers a $10 coupon, "Valid with a minimum purchase of $25 for Catering, Gift Baskets, Cheese's. All services valid." (Specifics: Crisp pappadums and three dipping sauces/relishes to everyone. We loved the mutton in savory brown sauce, bones and all and the surprisingly sweet-crusted and flavorful cauliflower. Leftovers were just as delicious tonight. Nan, too.) The restaurant.com interface offers info about each restaurant and its cuisine, with a photo and links to the menu and a map. Use a search engine to find out more, if you're unsure. The shopping cart is smart. Changes in quantity are reflected immediately. Typing the magic word "THANKS" in the coupon code field immediately applies the additional 60 percent discount to the already discounted price of the gift certificate, and tells you so. Even after doing that, using Firefox, I was able to use my back button to go back to the search results page for Rhode Island and continue shopping, with the cart remembering it all. Good thing, since the link back to the site from the cart leads back to the front door. Checkout offers an easy way to opt out of promotional emails , if you like (uncheck the box). After you pay -- PayPal is an option -- you get coupon links to print now or later in b&w or color. An email reinforces the certificate links, and they remain available in your account. Privacy policy says they don't share your personal info, but you'll probably be an anonymous blip on a demographic profile that includes your zip code. So far so good. This is as far as I've gotten. Some will be gifts. If you don't have much money, this could take you -- or people you wrap these for -- to some potentially funky eateries for not much. Me, too. Posted by Sheila Lennon November 29, 2007Good gifts: Board games
The defective yeti's all-time favorite Good Gift Games. These are board games, not computer games. He offers links to other roundups of best games as well, so if you're looking for a new way to bring the family together for fun, this is the place to start. The yeti -- Seattle programmer and board-game fan Matthew Baldwin -- also points to his annual roundup of good gift games for 2007, now up at The Morning News (2007 Good Gift Games Guide), and to those of earlier years. Posted by Sheila Lennon I'm avoiding sites that use Facebook Beacon -- how to block it with a Firefox extensionThe law of unintended consequences: I find myself avoiding Overstock.com (advertisers take note) because of the Facebook Beacon ads, even though I'm entirely passive at Facebook, just watching it, never inviting anyone. (Added later: I accept invitations from people I have connected with, on line or off. But some people I don't know have asked me to be their friend; perhaps which just baffles me. Perhaps that is in our future. These invites don't seem to expire.) No one on my Christmas list is a "friend." I just find it creepy that my activity on the web is tracked and published without my consent. Earlier in the month, Download Squad and other sites passed on Nate Weiner's (The Idea Shower) discovery of a way to block the ads. This should be better known outside deep geek circles: How to block Facebook Beacon - Download Squad Fortunately Nate Weiner figured out an extraordinarily simple solution (for Firefox users). Just install the BlockSite Firefox add-on and block Facebook Beacon. The steps: 1. Get Firefox The principle: If you look at the javascript that is used to make requests to Facebook, you will see that the requests are made to http://www.facebook.com/beacon/beacon.js.php so by blocking just the beacon folder, you are preventing the site from sending requests to Facebook without blocking the rest of Facebook. By using the asterisk in the URL you block variations with and without the "www."
While he played at online game site Kongregate, Nate found this popping into his Facebook profile:
Hi Nate - Comments on both sites are interesting and worth a look. Posted by Sheila Lennon November 28, 2007Shaolin monk photos; 13 indigenous grandmothers; On local newspaper ownership; Ben Bradlee today
Grasshopper: Photographer Justin Guariglia spent eight years documenting the secretive warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple in China. Exhibitions. More on Guariglia and his wife, Zoe Chen, at their site, Guariglia-Chen.
Purposeful: 13 Grandmothers Share Their Earthly Wisdom. Kristin Bender at Women's E-News, The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers came together three years ago as the fulfillment of a shared prophecy among female spiritual leaders. Since then they've been traveling the world, praying and offering home-grown advice.
I hold out hope that local ownership is a big part of the answer to the malaise that affects American newspapers. I am thankful that I work for a corporation that gave me a good dental plan, but I am willing to trade my teeth for a (local) owner who gets it.
Liz Donovan, who worked with Bradlee at the Post during Watergate, found this one.
Posted by Sheila Lennon November 27, 2007Are Facebook users men or mice?Facebook "friend": Find out what I'm doing! As I blogged a few weeks ago, Facebook is using your own browser's "cookies," acquired when you buy something online at a merchant participating in Facebook's Beacon program, to tell your "friends" about it.
Charlene Li blogged about her bad surprise: Close encounter with Facebook Beacon: ...this is the problem for Facebook -- they aren't in control of what their Beacon partners do to notify people that this is happening. Facebook can only control this from their own interface, when the information has already been transmitted between sites, and without my explicit permission. AP reported last week (Facebook Users Complain of New Tracking) that you have just 20 seconds to opt out of this when you buy something. Facebook's software is designed specifically to elicit information: Your real name, your age, your city, your email address, your alma mater, for starters. Incrementally, people tell their "friends" everything about their activities, likes and dislikes. It's the hated site registration on steroids, willingly volunteered by the user this time because they're telling their "friends" (and Facebook's servers). Now it's added what you're buying. (Pharmaceutical companies would love you to advertise you're purchasing their prescriptions, wouldn't they?) Doc Searls' project as a fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society is about "vendor relationship management," which aims to "provide customers with tools for engaging with vendors in ways that work for both parties": Doc writes, ...we can’t just tell Facebook to stop grasping. We have do deals on our terms and not just theirs. We have to have real relationships and not just systems on the sell side built only to “manage” us, mostly by minimizing human contact. In such a system, I could easily find the price of ground beef today at any of several groceries I shop at. I can't do that now. I'm looking for a new portable cordless phone/answering machine for the house, and spent several hours last night swimming in a disconnected sea of well-recommended unavailable phones and unrecommended newer choices. I went to bed confused, without buying. Myriad vendors offer choices; what consumer software streamlines options, recommendations and prices to make buying transparent and easy? Who's making the social network for us by us? Could its advertising model be a readiness to respond to, "I'm looking for this..."? Perhaps at Facebook "consumer power" starts with, "I'll reveal what I want to reveal; I don't want you revealing what I buy, willy nilly. Especially at Christmastime." MoveOn has a petition you can sign asking Facebook not to share without explicit permission and a Facebook Group on the same them. (You can't, of course, see the Facebook group unless you join.)
In a wacky column (Is Facebook banking that you’re a beacon of egomania?) at ZDNet, Chris Matyszczyk writes: It really is up to Facebookers to decide what kind of human beings they are. Are they ushering in the New Age of the Engineers, in which we’re all just chips off the old rational block? Or are they prepared to force advertisers to treat them in ways that are thoughtful, funny, witty and wise? And social. In an environment designed to make lives public, just what people consider "private" is interesting. From that AP story: Mike Mayer, for instance, saw a feed item saying his boyfriend, Adam Sofen, just bought tickets to "No Country For Old Man" from movie-ticket vendor Fandango. Wait till your real sins get out there. Related: At Webware, MoveOn to Facebook: We caught you red-handed. Moveon.org says "that early screenshots of Beacon posted by TechCrunch">posted by TechCrunch indicated that the advertising application once included a "global opt-out" that would allow members to block it entirely."
Notifications won’t be enough for MoveOn and many users who are seriously pissed off at Facebook right now. Facebook’s best move is to make the new Beacon service opt-in only. But that reduces the value of the service to third parties who supply the information to Facebook, and get free links in return. TechCrunch, by the way, picks up a cookie from my blog-stats provider, and lists me as a recent reader. You're in their sights: SocialMedia.com: We serve advertisers and developers of social media applications with advertising, monetization and analytical tools on newly emerging social platforms from leading social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace. Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the Web, rambles about all this in Giant Global Graph. He supports portable formats that allow him to share what he chooses wherever. In England, Facebook under fire for not deleting accounts. Responding to complaints, the government is investigating whether Facebook's policy violates the Data Protection Act, "which stipulates companies should not retain data for longer than is necessary." Update: Doc points to this demo of how Beacon notifies Facebook users that their purchase is about to be displayed. Posted by Sheila Lennon Links dump: Steve Outing's lessons from a failed site; Paris's guerilla monument restorers...Raw links: New media columnist Steve Outing quit his day job at Poynter Institute 18 months ago to start a citizen journalism site focused initially on mountain biking, the Enthusiast Group. Yesterday, at Editor & Publisher, he published its obituary: An Important Lesson About Grassroots Media "I learned -- the hard way -- some truths about grassroots content and online community. This is my attempt at preventing you from going through similar business heartache." Guardian: Undercover restorers fix Paris landmark's clock:: 'Cultural guerrillas' cleared of lawbreaking over secret workshop in Pantheon. They're a cross between the Apartment at the Mall: Website with video, photos and an artist's apology">Providence mall squatters and preservationists. Matt Taibbi on Mike Huckabee, Our Favorite Right-Wing Nut Job. Rolling Stone. How ‘What It Takes’ Took Me Off Course By MARK HALPERIN. Hard to Be an Audiophile in an iPod World Amazing Holiday Deals Online: We've found 20 sites to help you save money -- and avoid the crowds. Kiplinger. Posted by Sheila Lennon November 25, 2007Holiday TV listings; 2007 rollout of Christmas mp3s begins at music blogsNow that the turkey has gone off to the soup, music blogs are posting the holiday tunes they've been collection all year. Santas Working Overtime is trying to keep track of who has what and what's where, as well as putting out the Holiday TV Listings master list from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A Big Rock Candy Cane Xmas is a 114-meg mp3 at Big Rock Candy Mountain. Its 27 tunes range from The Wailers, The Sonics, Rufus Thomes, Isaac Hayes, Merle Haggard and The Everly Brothers. BongoBells is just getting started, but don't miss the bongobells2 archives of out-of-print shares from previous years. Antsy McClain & The Trailer Park Troubadours - Merry Christmas From The Trailer Park is leading at FaLaLaLaLa but it mines some of the same musical veins as Ernie. One more, just barely back for 2007: Musical Fruitcake " a collection of the worst Christmas music ever created." There'll be more as the season builds. (Actually, there was more here a few minutes ago, but Firefox crashed trying to play the Canned Heat clips with 43 tabs open. My penance was to write it all again. By now I should know to save often when sparks are flying off the wheels on curves...) Posted by Sheila Lennon November 23, 2007Make something: Origami CD case; Pats critic comes to senses: 'Pour it on'"Buy Nothing Day" sounds too eat-your-peas for such a lazy Friday. How about Pie for Breakfast Day? Coconut custard is a better quiche.
Click on the not-so-obvious "next step" link there to see the printable pdf and illustrated folding instructions.
Best line: "We can't hate them, because they're beautiful." Posted by Sheila Lennon November 22, 2007Buy Nothing Day (Winter Coat Exchange Friday); Library hoursBuy Nothing Day Coat Exchange, from Mary Grady's excellent Natural News Network blog. 10th Annual BUY NOTHING DAY WINTER COAT EXCHANGE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 10AM-2PM STATE HOUSE LAWN
Shopping is not one of the duties of citizenship. I have enough stuff and, while I'll equip the younger folks for the year, I'm out of the mall race. Socks and underwear is all my husband wants this year. Me, too. Libraries are open tomorrow -- if you're off work like me, why not borrow a book, then curl up with a turkey sandwich and read? Posted by Sheila Lennon My Thanksgiving rules; Jump-start your dinner conversation: 'Mayor Resigns, Claims Abduction By Satan Worshippers'I'm the family's matriarch now. Everybody comes to my house for holidays. After decades of dutiful daughterhood, I rule. These are my rules: -- Wear what's most comfortable. Small talk: Here's this week's goofiest story, if you need a conversation starter where you're going: The short version: Mayor Resigns, Claims Abduction By Satan Worshippers: CENTERTON, Ark. -- The mayor of an Arkansas town resigned on Wednesday, claiming he was abducted and brainwashed by Satan worshippers nearly three decades ago. Centerton is near Wal-Mart's world headquarters in Bentonville, Ark.
Double life: Centerton mayor is pastor who disappeared in 1980 And, by Joe Carlson, The Times of Northwest Indiana Missing ex-Hammond pastor found after nearly 30 years
From Benton's Being Don LaRose, how the secret came out: The connection between Williams and LaRose was made when a LaRose family member's Internet search turned up a Web site - www.donlarose.com. Earlier this year, the Web site's domain name was registered. The site claims to share a story "filled with excitement, tension, murder, intimidation and much more." Satanists, eh. Beats, "The pastor went out for a loaf of bread and kept going." That should get you through to dessert. Happy Thanksgiving, wherever you are. Posted by Sheila Lennon Free game today: Funky Farm Thanksgiving Edition
Funky Farm Thanksgiving Edition is today's Game Giveaway of the Day: -- Fill your Funky Farm with all kinds of animals such as delicious turkeys, fluffy sheep, evil wolves, and a really cute dog! It's the full version, registered, free today only. Read the download instructions carefully -- you must download and install it today (it checks.) Activate it before you install it. Then keep somebody busy while you cook and watch football. Or play the game while others cook and watch football. Happy Thanksgiving... Posted by Sheila Lennon November 21, 2007You can fix a bad Google Maps marker; The 121 words; New Yorker cartoon issueIf you're looking for them, here is the big list of Thanksgiving recipes from newspaper food sections.
The last time I threw a party, I used the My Maps feature of Google Maps to tell my friends exactly how to find my house. But if they'd just searched Maps on their own for my address and had gone to the marker location, they would have been partying in the middle of the street! The satellite maps have me living a few houses away, but I'm not sure I mind it being a little off.
The 121 words: The most interesting book excerpt ever? WHAT HAPPENED By SCOTT MCCLELLAN The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.
Posted by Sheila Lennon November 20, 2007Providence Geeks meet Wednesday night anywayIf you're going to somebody else's house or restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, tomorrow's Providence Geek Dinner may be just what you need to entertain yourself while the rest of America rassles with raw turkey and rolls pie crust. Providence Geeks co-founders Jack Templin and Brian Jepson set the date for the monthly gathering without reference to a calendar noting holidays, so this becomes the Thanksgiving Eve edition, separating the geek cooks and their helpers from those who merely show up at a plate. If you're not partying in your own kitchen around then, the place is AS220, 115 Empire St., 5:30-9 p.m. Details at this link. The featured geek demo is by Paul Badger, who teaches physical computing and electronic media at RISD, and owns the Modern Device Company. I'm double-whammied: Not only is the Big Dinner at my house, my kitchen is being painted this week. The painter promises it will be finished Wednesday afternoon. While the geeks close in on the meaning of sentences such as, "Open-source hardware is something of a new concept without a clear definition at this point," I'll be trying to find my pots and pans. As they munch tacos standing up, I'll be exercising my inner kitchen geek: My lifetime collection of spices, all in boxes now, must once again range alphabetically down a wall of vertical shelves before fine cooking can resume. On an earlier version of this item, the headline scrambled the calendar as well. We trust you know that tomorrow is Wednesday, not Tuesday. Posted by Sheila Lennon November 19, 2007When I'm 75 I shall... tap dance across Golden Gate Bridge? Football and art....
75-year-old tap-dancer shimmies his way across Golden Gate Bridge
As for football... “That was not a pleasant way to spend an evening,” said Bills coach Dick Jauron. “We ran into a buzz saw and we didn’t do much to slow them down.” -- Wrecking crew, Buffalo News. Is anyone else surprised that losing to the Patriots two weeks ago seems to have taken the stuffing out of Peyton Manning? Next Sunday night, I get to fall asleep to the Philadelphia Eagles in Foxboro. (The week after that, it's the Pats at the Ravens on Monday night. Sunday afternoon just isn't any fun this year.) SI's Peter King: "No one except maybe the '27 Yankees could beat the Patriots right now." And Don Banks: I'm starting to think these Dolphins, at 0-10, have a real shot at running the table in reverse, losing to a degree that no NFL team has ever lost before. How cool would it be if the Patriots and the Dolphins provided perfectly historic bookend seasons in the AFC East? You realize, of course, that no team has ever had either a 16-game divisional lead (as New England would) or a 16-game divisional deficit (Miami's potential fate). Posted by Sheila Lennon November 18, 2007Long-day, late-night Pats game blues; Kyle Eckel; Addicting game...
Sunday wait: Once upon a time, fall Sundays began with the family arriving shortly after noon in a festive mood. I miss those lovely days NBC took away. The Patriots game has been "flexed" -- allegedly an upgrade -- to begin at 8:15 solely for the convenience of TV. When NBC found that its preseason schedule left it with so-what night games as the season shook out, they reserved the right to move the time of the hottest games, a development the NFL inaccurately headlines, Allows teams to play their way onto the Sunday night schedule. Sunday night is way past my prime time. This long fall Sunday will now be filled with something else -- chores against a background of other games, but mostly waiting. Ken Lyon and Tombstone scheduled a DVD release party for Chan's tonight. I'm sure they thought the Pats game would be well over, and fans would be ready for some acoustic blues. Now they're competing with it. Meanwhile, the Globe has an interesting story about Patriots fullback Kyle Eckel, a favorite of Navy assistant coach Steve Belichick, Bill's dad. Eckel was separated from the Navy, which let him become a Patriot. There's a shade of scandal in Troubled waters: The Navy experience of Patriots running back Eckel wasn't exactly smooth sailing: The Pentagon said Eckel was involuntarily removed from the service through an administrative separation, a development first reported by the Baltimore Sun. But despite the furtive feel, it's equally possible that this just covers an old deal Steve made, honored posthumously. Nobody's talking.
Hint: Sell strong, sweet, creamy coffee at a ridiculously high price to get rich. Thanksgiving song: No, not Alice's Restaurant, but lyrics in search of a tune, apparently: A Turkey Sat on the Backyard Fence A Turkey sat on the backyard fence They just don't write 'em like that any more. First time in my ears: Bob Dylan "Gotta Serve Somebody" (Voodoo Jazz Reinterpretation). Haunting banjo and accordion. Posted by Sheila Lennon November 16, 2007Mp3s: LedZep '75; T-day at The Onion; Surfer explains universe; Neo Chinese hippie chick; Gitmo manual; Bush bookWeekend mp3s: Led Zeppelin, He Must Be Dazed And Confused [Empress Valley, 4CD set] Live at Earl's Court Arena, London, UK, May 24, 1975. One CD today, more Saturday and Sunday. Listening now, sound quality is extremely good.
Oceanic: Surfer dude stuns physicists with theory of everything. Kudos to UK Telegraph science editor Roger Highfield, who almost makes the theory comprehensible. Lisi's inspiration lies in the most elegant and intricate shape known to mathematics, called E8 - a complex, eight-dimensional mathematical pattern with 248 points first found in 1887, but only fully understood by mathematicians this year after workings, that, if written out in tiny print, would cover an area the size of Manhattan. Related: Wikipedia on E8.
...For a long time, the musical circle are wondering what Chunchun has to win, after the finale, because she is not the best at singing of ten finalist, nor she can dance well. Only that her voice is not a girl’s , makes her that special. Her fans all scream or weep while listening to her songs at show, not even hearing what she sings. She also never wear a dress or skirt at show, and that is how she wears as usual. A commenter there writes, "Do not think that this girls popularity is an overturning traditional feminity, it is just a widening of what popular culture embraces."
Editor's note: This is Part 3 of an excerpt from "The Fall of the House of Bush: The Untold Story of How a Band of True Believers Seized the Executive Branch, Started the Iraq War, and Still Imperils America's Future." Part 1 ran on Nov. 7; Part 2 ran on Nov. 8. For more information on the book, visit craigunger.com Posted by Sheila Lennon November 15, 2007Miami's been down so long Ricky Williams looks like upBest lines in the coverage of Ricky Williams' return to the Miami Dolphins after four months of rehab and a reinstatement by the NFL: AP: Ricky Williams to Rejoin Dolphins: "...it's difficult to imagine how Williams could sabotage a team that's 0-9, and so the long, strange trip continues." Jerry Magee, at the San Diego Union Tribune (Williams is reinstated; 0-9 Dolphins take look): The Miami Dolphins are 0-9 and Ricky Williams is 0-4, the Dolphins against the NFL, Williams against the league's drug policies. Obviously, these are parties that could use one other. No funnies at the Miami Herald, though, where Jeff Darlington's Ricky officially rejoins Dolphins quotes a Williams who's all about necessity: As was the case during his last attempt at the NFL, Williams admitted that his current return is still slightly motivated by money. He is financially responsible for four children -- and he still has a lingering debt of more than $8 million owed to the Dolphins as a result of his premature retirement in 2004. Of course, I could regret all these giggles if Reggie meets the Patriots with something to prove and plays David to Goliath. NFL Network ran a show tonight called, "Who can beat the Patriots?" Are we sucking all the air out of everybody else's season so bad that this is the only angle left? Posted by Sheila Lennon Updated: Thanksgiving recipes from newspaper food sectionsUpdated Nov. 15: I've added many more recipes from these newspapers: The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer Nov. 14. Wednesday is Food day in the newspaper world. Back when everyone tried at least one recipe from the Thanksgiving Food section, the newsroom was awash in samples and testings, cookies for all. Now some papers don't have food sections. Others have them, but are still leading with last week's recipes; they're waiting for the day shift to come in and make the Web Food pages. So this will be an ongoing project over the next week. I've visited newspaper food sections around the Web, and have begun bringing their recipe links here. So far, The Providence Journal Enjoy browsing the many links from these sources, and know there are more to come...
The Providence Journal Food Section Recipe: Rose’s High-Heat Turkey Projo Football Food & Spirits blog: Patriots Bye Week Thanksgiving recipes
The New York Times Thanksgiving Food Section TURKEYS AND STUFFINGSimple Roast Turkey45-Minute Roast Turkey Quirky Turkey Turkey Smoked Outdoors Deep-Fried Turkey Brined Turkey Haitian Turkey Porcini Bread Stuffing Rich Corn Bread Dressing Sausage Stuffing With Summer Savory Sausage Stuffing With Caramelized Onions Bread Stuffing Whole-Grain Stuffing With Kale and Dried Fruit Corn Bread and Squash Stuffing Rice and Nut Stuffing SIDE DISHESCranberry Orange RelishMashed Potatoes With Corn and Chives Corn Bread With Corn and Cheese Braised Brussels Sprouts With Pancetta and Toasted Bread Crumbs Mashed Sweet Potatoes With Maple Syrup and Chipotles Corn Pudding With Herb-Braised Chanterelles and Spicy Greens Creamed Red and White Pearl Onions With Bacon Roasted Parsnips With Orange Zest Winter Squash Braised in Cider Braised Celery Hearts With Tomato and Olives Jerusalem Artichoke Pancakes Mixed Mushroom and Sweet Potato Stuffing Braised Red Radishes Stir-Fried Cabbage With Cumin Seeds Wilted Chard With Pickled Red Onions "Far-Eastern Flavors Add Zip to Leftovers" "Winter Bonbons" DESSERTSShort PastryTwo-Crust Pumpkin Pie Sauteed Apple Pie Cider Pecan Tart Pumpkin Pots de Crème With Amaretti-Ginger Crunch Golden Apple Triangles All-Butter Pie Crust (With Variations) Brandied Pumpkin and Chestnut Pie THE WHOLE MEAL"Almost Homemade: A Cheat's Feast""In the Kingdom Of the Sweet Potato" "Give Thanks: In Three Hours, From Scratch" "Two Days Plus Many Memories" "A Blend of Town and Country" VEGETARIANWild Rice and Pecan Stuffed Onions With Cranberry-Orange GlazeSpinach and Brussels Sprouts Pie With Hazelbut Pastry Crust Roasted Squash With Corn Bread, Sage and Chestnut Stuffing and Vegetable Ragout
Butterflied Turkey and Stuffing
The Boston Globe Roast Turkey
Supersides to complement a Thanksgiving feast. Recipes for all these dishes on one page: Sweet potato Cecelia, Sweet Potato Balls, Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Caramel, Sweet Potato Pone, Mariah's Corn, Cornbread Casserole, King Style Scalloped Corn, Layered Wild Rice Broccoli Casserole, Connie's Wild Rice Casserole, Cranberry Ice, Glazed Brussel Sprouts, Spinach Balls, Holiday Spinach Salad, Baked 'Bagas, Winter Squash with Apples, Baked Celery with Almonds, Observer-tested recipes: High-Heat Roast Turkey, Turkey Gravy, Roasted Maple-Mustard Green Beans, Make-Ahead Mashed, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes With Ginger and Apple Cider, Sourdough Dressing With Apples and Pecans, No-Cook Cranberry-Orange Relish Leftovers: Roasted Bird Broth, Leftovers Shepherd Pie, Turkey Tetrazzini, Turkey and Blue Cheese Salad With Tarragon-Mustard Vinaigrette
The bird: Turkey al fresco (smoked, rotisserie and deep-fried) Braised hearts of celery with Parmesan
Helena (Mont.) Independent Record Hahn Family Recipe for Creamed Spinach with Sautéed Mushrooms "If you are like me and don’t really care for mushrooms, you still must use them in this dish. They act as sponges by holding in all the flavor of the butter, garlic and wine while sautéing. The mushrooms then release all those great flavors to this dish when the spinach is added. I suggest cutting them in larger slices which will make picking them out later much easier." Holiday recipes from 4 regions: Jerk Roasted Turkey, Pan Gravy, Skillet Pumpkin Apple Pie, Country Sausage and Sage Dressing, Garlic Mashed Potatoes , Sweet Potato Puree With Toasted Marshmallows, Washington Apple Salad With Beecher's Flagship Reserve and Holmquist Hazelnuts, Whole Salmon on the Grill, Sweet Fennel Butter Thanksgiving Spiced Layer Cake With Pumpkin Cream Frosting Sausage Stuffing
Lemon Curd Tartlets, Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie
Velvety pumpkin tart
Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel Cookies: Spumoni slices, Chocolate caramel pecan rounds, Fabulous Florentines, Espresso shortbread, Toasted cashew and orange cookies, Chewy molasses cookies Sage Feta Cornbread, Sauteed Carrots, Parsnips And Onions, Sausage Crouton Stuffing No. 2, Chicken Liver Mousse Appetizer, Butternut Squash Soup With Fontina And Fried Sage Leaves Pumpkin (Calabaza) Flan Posted by Sheila Lennon November 13, 2007Village Voice shooter's obit, with photos; Winning moustaches; Former pilots demand U.S. investigate UFOs
Obit: Fred W. McDarrah, 1926-2007 by Tom Robbins.
The link goes to a gallery of winners. Competition was stiff. Gerhard Knapp of Germany, pictured here, took just third prize in the "Full Beard Freestyle" category, coming in behind a pair of more sculptural entries. The Categories & Rules page defines the categories.
WASHINGTON (AFP) — UFOs may be fodder for comedians but there was no joking Monday when a group of former pilots recounted seeing strange phenomena in the sky and demanded the US government reopen an investigation into unidentified flying objects. Maybe not, if they're smart and peaceful and want to help us. If they look like giant insects, though, that would be tough to get beyond. Posted by Sheila Lennon BIF Summit videos are upI'm late with this, but videos of all the presentations and the interviews conducted by WSJ columnist Walter Mossberg at last month's Business Innovation Factory third annual summit (called BIF-3) at Trinity Rep have been posted at the BIF Innovation Story Studio. The Mark Cuban interview (Quicktime) is among them. (Background story.) It's the next best thing to having been there -- those links go to my roundups of bloggers' posts from both days.. Posted by Sheila Lennon November 11, 2007Good reads: William Gibson; Falafel trail; On Britney Spears; 'TheWire' guy; Fossett not found;William Gibson: The Rolling Stone 40th Anniversary Interview What are the major challenges we face?
In the kids' network, I've seen him build his character over time, dressing in ever more kingly outfits and grander swords. This grand sandwich board was bringing that persona into reality. "You look like an avatar," I said. "Avatar?" He brightened. He knows that word. Is there a downside to that blended reality? Or could it represent a change for the better? Resistance is futile. Facebook is Borg. Life online is Twitter: Broadcast a message to your friends and fans, 140 characters max. Twitter puts you in control and becomes a modern antidote to information overload. Baffling sentence, since the layer of information Twitter adds is everybody's answer, at all times, to the timeless question, "What are you doing?" Tech author Shelley Powers, who is quoted by the Times' Twitter story (The Global Sympathetic Audience), blogs something more: I'd rather be alone. I really would, rather be alone.
Like Hansel and Gretel hoping to follow their bread crumbs out of the forest, the FBI sifted through customer data collected by San Francisco-area grocery stores in 2005 and 2006, hoping that sales records of Middle Eastern food would lead to Iranian terrorists. On the bright side, your grocery purchases with those supermarket rewards cards also tell the cat food companies to send you coupons.
Smart rock criticism by Ann Powers |
I don't care for Doc's metaphor of Facebook as a "walled garden" -- which, to this gardener, means tranquility with leaves and flowers. Facebook is a closed society, a focus group, a controlled experiment with electronically tagged, trackable buyers, something of a triumph of social engineering, AOL made cooler.
Yesterday, at 
