NY'ers: Save your cellphone!
Do you live in NYC and is your cellphone frequently running out of battery? I just figured out why. The whole time you are out of cell range (i.e. in the subway), your phone is trying to find reception using the maximum power it can transmit at, which uses up your battery quickly and may even damage the transmitter over a long period of time. It could also damage the longevity of the battery. In order to avoid this, turn off your cell phone when you go underground.
I unfortunately realized this about a year into my current cell phone, which thinks it runs out of battery after one or two calls.
mike sold out at - 14:52
12.27.2006
Tonight! On FOX!
I have been really sick this week, which has dropped my voice by about an octave and a half. I believe that I will be taking up a new career as the dude who announces TV shows: "On an all new House, House goes head-to-head over a leprosy patient against the ultimate faith-healer... Jesus Christ. Tonight! On FOX."
Lil' Sis has passed along the following photo of our family cat, Kit-Kat, in a bundle of wrapping paper. Apparently nothing brings out the fang-bearing spirit in her like the holidays.
In all truth, she was yawning when the picture was taken, but this is how it came out.
mike sold out at - 21:41
12.23.2006
Wow.
The Agape Choir and a Gift That Keeps Giving
mike sold out at - 14:57
12.22.2006
Funny
An email exchange between the communications director for a Republican member of Congress and some random "hackers" he found on a bulletin board, in hopes of trying to get the hackers to changes his old college grades at Texas Christian University. Read the whole thing- it gets good at the end. The "hackers" never actually did anything- they just messed with him to see how far it would go.
Going Postal
mike sold out at - 11:54
12.21.2006
Bedford Bike Plan Moving Forward
Finally. DOT talked about doing this in 2004 and it's probably the worst point in the city for bike parking congestion. But that's not the only reason this is mentioned in word up (read the whole thing)...
New York Daily News: It's a lock!:
Cyclists in Williamsburg and Greenpoint will have a place to lock their bikes at the L train's Bedford Ave. station by this summer - soothing tensions over bike-clogged sidewalks that had prompted police raids with chain cutters.
The city Transportation Department announced plans yesterday to widen the sidewalk at a subway entrance at the corner of N. 7th St. to provide at least 25 spots for bikes.
mike sold out at - 08:55
Credit where credit is due
12.18.2006
School's in for the winter
As some of you know, I am applying to grad school for some sort of urban policy/planning degree. The applications are a bitch and a half, but a small price to pay for a master's degree. It's nothing like adding Esquire to the end of my name, but still probably a good move in the long term. For a while I've wanted to break out of the deep immersion in the two issues I've worked on since college (Court reform and industrial retention through land use policy) and get more general experience, particularly in housing, transportation, and site planning.
In the meantime, I will be using this space for writing out my thoughts that will make their way into my (already too long) personal statement. So apologies for the wonkery. More funny soon, I promise. In the meantime, this was the funniest thing that came up on the search "pirate monkeys". Kind of weak for such a promising term.
mike sold out at - 23:18
12.12.2006
Take that, conventional wisdom!
Talking Points Memo:
From TPM Reader JM (good initials) ...Just to put things in perspective... with public approval solidly in the 20s, the war in Iraq is now less popular than a bevy of social issues that have long been considered political poison for Democrats. Imagine if a Democratic president and Congress had made any of these issues their #1 priority, as Bush has with Iraq.
And they wonder why they lost the election?
The Iraq War is less popular than gay marriage, legalizing pot, banning handguns, and rescinding the death penalty.
mike sold out at - 23:33
Credit where credit is due
12.06.2006
Changes for the L & G
AMNY: MTA to boost L, G lines service
Starting next spring, New York City Transit will run more trains on the overcrowded L during both peak and off-peak hours. Then in 2008, the G train -- long called the "step child" of the MTA -- will begin running south to five more Brooklyn stops.
Beginning in 2008, the G train, which normally stops at Smith and 9th Sts. will continue down the F tracks five more stops to Church Avenue. Rival "hip" neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Park Slope will now be connected with a one-seat ride.
But before riders can rejoice, New York City Transit warns that the service upgrade may be temporary. The G service could be cut again after 2009 once track upgrades near the Smith-9th Sts. stop are complete and trains can use it as a turn-around again.
This is great news. I'm a little worried that this will actually reduce the frequency of G train service if they don't add more trains to the line.
mike sold out at - 10:28
Credit where credit is due
12.05.2006
List of Administration Folks In Trouble
It's pretty astounding...
Our Great List of Scandalized Administration Officials
mike sold out at - 14:35
Credit where credit is due
12.03.2006
Not to over-do the robots, but
I wish I could reveal the results of an art project Josh, Kristin, and I did today for Josh's B-day invite, but instead, I will direct you to part of our inspiration:
"The most extensive collection of images and information on Victorian-era robots to be found in the whole World Wide Web":
History of Robots in the Victorian era
Yeah, it's awesome.
