About a year ago, Marco Arment mentioned in a blog post that he’d completely blocked the website TechCrunch from ever showing up in his browser. I loved the idea, but didn’t know how to pull it off… until OpenDNS came into my life. Matt Koidin mentioned OpenDNS on Twitter last week, and I put it to work immediately. Koidins are never wrong. So now I’ve blocked TechCrunch too. I’d wish I could more specific types of content, like Boston Globe articles written by Dan Shaughnessy, or the extremely liberally biased “objective” reporting in the New York Times and CNN, but the technology doesn’t work that way… yet. I also dream of a day where I can block certain TV shows from my cable box, to protect myself from the gluttony :-) I sort of like the idea that TechCrunch isn’t getting my page views, although I’m sure they don’t miss me, but I really like the idea that I’m not losing any time to their drivel.

About a year ago, Marco Arment mentioned in a blog post that he’d completely blocked the website TechCrunch from ever showing up in his browser.

I loved the idea, but didn’t know how to pull it off… until OpenDNS came into my life.

Matt Koidin mentioned OpenDNS on Twitter last week, and I put it to work immediately. Koidins are never wrong.

So now I’ve blocked TechCrunch too. I’d wish I could more specific types of content, like Boston Globe articles written by Dan Shaughnessy, or the extremely liberally biased “objective” reporting in the New York Times and CNN, but the technology doesn’t work that way… yet. I also dream of a day where I can block certain TV shows from my cable box, to protect myself from the gluttony :-)

I sort of like the idea that TechCrunch isn’t getting my page views, although I’m sure they don’t miss me, but I really like the idea that I’m not losing any time to their drivel.

iTunes event in SF today. If this had been a week from now, it’d have been a pain to commute to from Palo Alto. Apple’s a fun place to work, BTW.

iTunes event in SF today. If this had been a week from now, it’d have been a pain to commute to from Palo Alto. Apple’s a fun place to work, BTW.

The approach taken by lexicographers when documenting a word’s uses and limitations can be prescriptive or descriptive. The method used with irregardless is overwhelmingly prescriptive.

I try not to be a huge grammar weeny at work, but I broke down yesterday when someone used “Irregardless.”

It turns out to be a hotly contested issue in linguistics, and if you believe it’s a lexicographer’s job to describe a language, you allow the silly word, and if you believe it’s a lexicographer’s job to detail how a language should be spoken, then I was right.

According to Wikipedia, though, “ain’t” is a different problem altogether.

Red Band Trailer

This Diablo Cody interview series is fantastic, and really well produced for something on the Internet.

I’d love to see her get a talk show. I think of writing comedy and improvising as separate skills, but she’s got them both down pat.

Two Common Mistakes of Millennials at Work - Andrew McAfee - Harvard Business Review

This essay perfectly reflects what I’ve experienced lately at work: folks comfortable with social media at home DO tend to treat sharing differently at the office. I look forward to a future where this is common, but it causes problems today.

To put yourself forward as someone good enough to do interesting things is, by definition, to expose yourself to all kinds of negative judgments, and as far as I can tell, the fact that other people get to decide what they think of your behavior leaves only two strategies for not suffering from those judgments: not doing anything, or not caring about the reaction.
Another incredible Clay Shirky essay.
My buddy, James, from b-school, pointed out this awesome bar in Scotland called “The Alexander Bain.” There’s some debate around whether it’s named after me, my awesome Canadian doppelgänger, or the inventor of the fax machine (who happened to have grown up in the same small town where the bar is located). We may never know. From what I can tell online, it’s a little like a sports bar, they have wifi, and they’re friendly to children. If I find out they serve wheat beer, I’m booking my next vacation.

My buddy, James, from b-school, pointed out this awesome bar in Scotland called “The Alexander Bain.”

There’s some debate around whether it’s named after me, my awesome Canadian doppelgänger, or the inventor of the fax machine (who happened to have grown up in the same small town where the bar is located). We may never know.

From what I can tell online, it’s a little like a sports bar, they have wifi, and they’re friendly to children. If I find out they serve wheat beer, I’m booking my next vacation.

iChat: Chatting Outside the Bubbles

Mac users that use iChat: I’m hooked on this tip I discovered through Neven Mrgan.

Lisa discovered that our new place is a walker’s paradise :-)

Lisa discovered that our new place is a walker’s paradise :-)

A game that is circled is one that has lower betting limits than a typical game. Games are most often circled because of uncertainties, such as weather conditions, injuries, or suspensions.

Was looking up the lines for UFC 118 this weekend, and learned the term “Circled.”

Like CB lingo, it seems like you could have fun with this one out of context: “I usually get home ~6PM, but this Friday is circled because I have a big meeting at 5 that’ll probably go long.”

I can follow simple directions, but this is dinner we’re talking about. There’s no margin for error. How does she expect me to make a whole meatloaf by myself? What are the odds I get this right? [Her iPhone autocorrected Tabasco to tobacco, BTW]

I can follow simple directions, but this is dinner we’re talking about. There’s no margin for error. How does she expect me to make a whole meatloaf by myself?

What are the odds I get this right?

[Her iPhone autocorrected Tabasco to tobacco, BTW]

“People think it’s a law of nature,” said Mr. Shiller, who teaches at Yale.

For the first half of the 20th century, he said, expectations followed the opposite path. Houses were seen the way cars are now: as a consumer durable that the buyer eventually used up.

From the NYT’s Real Estate’s Gold Rush Seems Gone for
Good.

It always seemed funny to me that everything else you buy goes down in value, but homes don’t. It’s really hard to argue that homes fall into the antique or colectible category of items that appreciate, so what else would make them rise?

This isn’t unlike the market for diamond engagement rings. They didn’t use to be the default, but a combination of social pressure and great marketing have completely changed our culture. With homes, the government enables our addiction with the tax breaks.

I can’t even imagine how different things would be if people didn’t treat homeownership with such reverence. It’d sure free up a lot of capital for other investment instruments.

We were told that drinking a Guinness a night has a positive impact on the baby’s “food”, so we’ve been trying it for the last week. Lisa doesn’t have a strong opinion on the matter. Personally, I can’t say I’m producing more or less milk, but I’m enjoying the experiment :-)

We were told that drinking a Guinness a night has a positive impact on the baby’s “food”, so we’ve been trying it for the last week.

Lisa doesn’t have a strong opinion on the matter. Personally, I can’t say I’m producing more or less milk, but I’m enjoying the experiment :-)

Wait, let me finish…

  • Me (to a co-worker yesterday): SLRs are so good now, that a professional wedding photographer's main contribution is their willingness to stay sober on a Saturday night. The camera does all the work.
  • Co-worker: My sister's a wedding photographer.
  • Me: Yeah, um, but I sense that there's a new breed of photographer out there that approaches the craft differently. Um, shoot.
  • Co-worker: Wanna try again?
  • Me: With obesity on the rise, photographers have to Photoshop folks back to healthy BMIs in the finished product. They can't just snap the shutter. Mine returned me to my college waistline. Eh?
  • Co-worker: Good save.
We’re moving to the ‘burbs! The Bain fam is bringing the party to the people of Palo Alto starting Labor Day weekend. Some things we’re psyched about: Proximity to the legendary Levys. We’ll be fewer than 2 blocks from University Avenue, so we’ll have quick access to great restaurants/bars/coffee, plus a post office, convenience store and other amenities. It’s funny that we’ll have easier walking access to these sorts of things from a suburb. CalTrain - I can still commute to Apple without driving, but my commute will be ~15 minutes, instead of 75. We’re a block away from Heritage Park, which will provide great space for picnics, games of catch, and a fantastic playground. Perfect weather every day, year round. Our place is a little bigger than our current pad. We’ll have a wood-burning fireplace, and the O-Zone will get his own room. I oughta be able to get back in shape. The shorter commute, the perfect weather, and the abundance of sidewalks and spots to run should give me far fewer excuses. The community feel. Lotsa families, play groups, etc. Access to Stanford sports. Lisa’s an alum. I’m not, but I like to pretend I am. We’ll be at every football game, we’ll be regulars at Maples for hoops, and Oliver may even grow up thinking everyone shows up at Stanford fencing, volleyball, and water polo events :-)

We’re moving to the ‘burbs!

The Bain fam is bringing the party to the people of Palo Alto starting Labor Day weekend.

Some things we’re psyched about:

  • Proximity to the legendary Levys.
  • We’ll be fewer than 2 blocks from University Avenue, so we’ll have quick access to great restaurants/bars/coffee, plus a post office, convenience store and other amenities. It’s funny that we’ll have easier walking access to these sorts of things from a suburb.
  • CalTrain - I can still commute to Apple without driving, but my commute will be ~15 minutes, instead of 75.
  • We’re a block away from Heritage Park, which will provide great space for picnics, games of catch, and a fantastic playground.
  • Perfect weather every day, year round.
  • Our place is a little bigger than our current pad. We’ll have a wood-burning fireplace, and the O-Zone will get his own room.
  • I oughta be able to get back in shape. The shorter commute, the perfect weather, and the abundance of sidewalks and spots to run should give me far fewer excuses.
  • The community feel. Lotsa families, play groups, etc.
  • Access to Stanford sports. Lisa’s an alum. I’m not, but I like to pretend I am. We’ll be at every football game, we’ll be regulars at Maples for hoops, and Oliver may even grow up thinking everyone shows up at Stanford fencing, volleyball, and water polo events :-)