Microlog
Microlog entries posted in July 2005
Postwar Japan’s exploding subculture
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Paper Forest: a papercraft blog [c/o Boing Boing]
Looks a little fey for my tastes right now, but the whole concept of paper craft impresses me. Permalink ·
The Onion A.V. Club interviews Negativland
Don’t say I told you this, but you can get the ‘forbidden’ U2 single right here. Sshhh! Permalink ·
First Monday Special Issue: Music and the Internet [c/o del.icio.us/cityofsound]
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The Lost Generation: How UK post-rock fell in love with the moon, and a bunch of bands nobody listened to defined the 1990s
I actually have read this one. It’s a bit too Lester Bangs for my liking, but there you go. Permalink ·
New York Rock: A Critical History [c/o MetaFiler]
I’ve yet to read this, I’m posting for later reference. Check the MetaFiler thread for some context. Permalink ·
An independent investigator for the UN says racism in Japan is deep and profound, and the government does not recognise the depth of the problem
They do have a very insular society, and nationalist activism is increasing. But such attitudes aren’t in tune with most citydwellers, from what I’ve seen and heard. Permalink ·
How To Fix An Underexposed Photo
Note to self: take more photos so I might actually have use for tips like this. Permalink ·
How to style a restaurant menu with CSS [c/o kottke.org]
Or style anything else, for that matter. Permalink ·
Daniel Clowes: A comic book hero
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Acme Novelty Archive: The Chris Ware database [c/o LinkMachineGo]
I’m reading Jimmy Corrigan at the moment; it’s as much as I can do to keep the tears from flowing. Amazing stuff. Permalink ·
Quick start your design with XHTML templates [c/o del.icio.us/merlinmann]
Filing this for future reference. Permalink ·
“We’re taught in school, in our families, or at work to feel guilty about failure and to do whatever we can to avoid mistakes.” [c/o kottke.org]
Very true. There’s a real stigma about trial-and-error, but that’s the essence of creativity. Permalink ·
NYC walking tour tips [c/o del.icio.us/gleuschk]
Filing this for future reference. Permalink ·
Aisle of Averages [c/o sippey.typepad.com]
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Scientists predict brave new world of brain pills
Modafinil scares me. It’s the amphetamine of the 21st Century. Permalink ·
Technorati: A New Public Utility
It’s certainly going that way. Who would have thought folksonomy would take off so fast? Permalink ·
Design In-Flight’s final takeoff
I recently purchased every issue for the princely sum of ten dollars. Permalink ·
Who killed Richard Cullen?
A harrowing story. And the reason why I pay off my credit card bill every month, and never want to take out a loan. Permalink ·
The “Vinegar Boy” Saga, as told by Aaron [c/o MetaFilter]
This guy is my new hero. Permalink ·
Guide to Grammar and Writing [c/o del.icio.us/merlinmann]
A handy reference for those without a style manual. Permalink ·
Writerisms and Other Sins
I’m guilty of many of these. Permalink ·
Online PDF converter
Handy for short documents if you don’t have PDF conversion built-in. Permalink ·
Turn a Zip case into a Hipster PDA [c/o 43 Folders]
Very nice, but probably more trouble than it’s worth for me. Permalink ·
Create Gapless CDs and AAC Files with iTunes 4.9 [c/o del.icio.us/jack]
Filing this for future reference. Permalink ·
The Observer Music Magazine Poll
Some intriguing findings here. And others not so. Permalink ·
A level-headed review of The Question of Zion
Might be worth a read, but that cover has got to go. Permalink ·
Sigla’s Feargal reads The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
I don’t agree with him — I thought it got much better after the first 100 pages, and I didn’t feel cheated at the end — but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. Murakami’s books are strange ones. They either click or they don’t. Permalink ·
Disney to close last hand-drawn animation studio [c/o ArtsJournal]
The craft isn’t going away, it’s just shifting to a different industry; all of the trainee animators I’ve ever known wanted to be comic book artists. Permalink ·
Flipbook [c/o MetaFilter]
Be warned, it’s very addictive. There’s some excellent examples of what can be done, too. Permalink ·
Two of America’s major photographic houses have launched a joint venture to provide one of the largest freely available archives of pictures on the internet
Now that’s what I call a resource. Permalink ·
The Cartoons of Mr. Fish [c/o del.icio.us/mathowie]
They’re funny in a ‘what if Raymond Pettibon were more accessible’ sort of way. Permalink ·
MetaFilter reponds to GoDaddy’s dodgy domains privacy policy
With this coming after the Gitmo controversy, I think I’ll be taking my business somewhere else when the time comes. Permalink ·
Live8: All Rock, No Action
Wise words from the grass roots. Permalink ·
How the housefly evades ambush
Funny, I always thought it was because their ocular senses are faster than ours. Permalink ·
Interesting MetaFilter thread on The Situationist International
Like many great ideas, it’s probably better thought about than executed. Permalink ·
How to make enhanced podcasts [c/o Asterisk]
Filing this for later reference. Permalink ·
Preparing your images with iPhoto
I never really got into iPhoto, and it feels like it’s too late now. But I’ve got so many unprocessed pics on my drive… Permalink ·
Architecting CSS [c/o Asterisk]
Filing this for later reference. Permalink ·
Family Guy’s Chris Griffin jets yanked into an A-Ha video
Priceless! Permalink ·
James Doohan, 1920-2005
Scotty beams up for the last time. Permalink ·
Ten CSS tricks you may not know
I have the strangest feeling I’ve linked to this before. Permalink ·
We Have Liftoff, Baby, Yeah!
Oh dear, that’s an unfortunate photo. Permalink ·
Weasel Words Ripped My Flesh!
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Fascism is on the march!
Yes, apparently the Gestapo have already taken over our streets with their scary leather coats and such. And by the way, isn’t it cute how people are convinced we Irish don’t have a constitution? Permalink ·
On the CIA’s evil genius, Dr Sidney Gottlieb
Fucking hell. This is precisely why you should never trust authority. Permalink ·
If our favorite movies and TV shows are so easy to find, will we still enjoy watching them? [c/o kottke.org]
Some? Definitley. Others? Not so much. Permalink ·
The Onion A.V. Club just got a redesign
If you haven’t already noticed. I’m diggin’ the new logo, the sidebar menu and the colours. But the main page is far too busy, and the emphases are all wrong. Permalink ·
Caring for Your Introvert
I don’t really need this, since Benitha feels the same way as I do. Isn’t it great when you’re compatible? Permalink ·
The World Is Round [c/o del.icio.us/cityofsound]
A sound rebuttal of Tom Friedman’s defense of globalism, in book review form. Permalink ·
Putting for the Fences [c/o WaxyLinks]
Miniature golf reportage — this is great! I’m starting to like the New York Times again. Permalink ·
Lock and Load
Sarah Vowell contrasts the Arizona minutemen (boo!) with San Pedro’s own Minutemen (yay!). Permalink ·
The Onion A.V. Club interviews Dinosaur Jr
I love that passive-aggressive tension between J and Lou, even after all these years. Permalink ·
Etiquette and the Singularity [c/o del.icio.us/ObserverBlog]
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Extreme tension in Kenyan village
Markham has published his own take on the situation. Permalink ·
Zimbabwe slum demolitions resume
Kofi Annan doesn’t seem in any hurry to get there. Why is Mugabe being appeased so much? Permalink ·
South Africa presses farm land reform
I see this working if training (business schooling included) comes with the package. It might even improve rural conditions by empowering the impoverished. Otherwise it’ll just be a disaster, a la Zimbabwe. Permalink ·
Police Debate if London Plotters Were Suicide Bombers, or Dupes
Or, it could be one big double-bluff. But some good points made all the same. Permalink ·
Guardian Newsblog: The BBC and ‘terrorism’
It just goes to show that words don’t often have a clear and precise meaning. Derrida was right, ha! Permalink ·
Suicide Bombs as Viral Media
He’s right, too. This makes more sense than anything I’ve read lately. Permalink ·
Newspapers warn of threat to America from ‘Londonistan’
The Guardian Newsblog also comments. Is it really so hard for the American media to accept that London is a multicultural society? Permalink ·
Is London Londonistan?
Only to someone who still gets scared by black people. You know I’m right. Permalink ·
Dialogue is the only way to end this cycle of violence
But it’s hard to have a dialogue with someone who doesn’t want to talk with you. Permalink ·
NY commuters face random searches
Random my arse. Permalink ·
New York apologises after Britons seized in security scare
So looking vaguely Muslim is enough to attract suspicion, then? That’s a new one… Permalink ·
Dozens killed in Egyptian blasts
With this, on top of the bus bombing in Turkey last week and the attacks on London, the western hemisphere’s going crazy lately. Permalink ·
Man shot dead at Tube station
Breaking news here: bomb suspect shot at close range by plain-clothes police at Stockwell station. (The BBC News site has more info.) Permalink ·
Is this journalism? Or a despicable, disingenuous attempt at character assassination?
When you read the nanny’s reply, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s the latter. What’s worse is that the New York Times printed that trash, and won’t retract it; my confidence in them is waning. Permalink ·
Mice gang up on endangered birds
At this rate, killer rabbits won’t be far behind. Permalink ·
Philosophy Tilt-a-Whirl: The major philosophers, rated [c/o kottke.org]
He’s not very fair to Wittgenstein (who rose considerably in my esteem knowing that he spent much of his time at Cambridge watching westerns at the cinema). And I don’t agree with his offhand dismissal of Derrida, but I admit his work is better talked about than read. Permalink ·
Seven arrested over Kenya attack
Let me get this straight. This was “based on disputes over access to water and pastures”? I’ll say it again: what the fuck is going on? Permalink ·
Fundamentalism is often a form of nationalism in religious disguise, writes Karen Armstrong
A thousand words that pretty much sum up everything that’s wrong about the Western perception of Middle Eastern terrorism. Permalink ·
James Naughton: Why I have serious doubts about the ‘citizen reporters’
He finds it ‘macabre’ that the first thing someone does after an explosion is to photograph the scene, but isn’t that what photojournalists do for a living? What message does that send: if you’re an amateur you’re being ghoulish, but if you’re getting paid for it you’re providing a public service? I understand the point Naughton is trying to make, but really, what precludes someone who doesn’t work as a journalist from reporting like one? Where’s the line that separates a freelancer from a ‘lay’ person? It’s a fair question. Permalink ·
President Mwai Kibaki has vowed to hunt down those who carried out a massacre in a north-east Kenyan village
This is just totally fucked up. What the fuck is going on? Permalink ·
Warm Planet: Global warming news from all corners of the Earth
My buddy Mat’s new blog, keeping track of this important issue. (Read this post to see why he’s doing it.) Permalink ·
Roger Mosey, head of BBC TV News, defends their coverage of the London bombings
Seems reasonable to me. I stand by my opinion that the BBC had the best coverage on the day; they refrained from spreading rumour, and in turn broke the facts faster than the others. (By the way, here’s a link to that Fox News opinion piece Mosey mentions, which is pretty much what you’d expect from that ignorant, self-important, morally-corrupt Bill O’Reilly.) Permalink ·
Mammatus clouds over Hastings, Nebraska [c/o Boing Boing]
These are creepy. It’s like some sort of horror movie chemical gas attack. Permalink ·
TransFormers finally rolling out
I linked to this two years ago, but now it’s finally happening. Pity we’ve got to wait another two years before we see it. Permalink ·
40 Things That Only Happen in Movies
I’m sure there are a few more. Permalink ·
The Guardian’s Toon Tester quiz
I got 9 out of 10, no cheating. Booyah! Permalink ·
Spin’s 100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005
My opinion? Slint (94), the Meat Puppets (86), Soundgarden (84) and At the Drive-In (83) should be far higher than they are. Permalink ·
Salon interviews Bruce Campbell
Some more Brucey love for you. Permalink ·
“As far as Evil Dead (yawn) 4. Sam Raimi is too busy making wheel-barrels of money right now.” [c/o del.icio.us/kfan]
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“The problem’s with the dog, not the fences.”
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What does the G8 agreement mean for Africa?
General concensus? A good start. But it doesn’t correct the imbalance of trade, or solve the problem of leadership. (See also: Can G8 be considered a success?) Permalink ·
Q And Not U to Disband
They never bothered to play here, the buggers. Permalink ·
Do US visa requirements for journalists cover bloggers?
Better question: do they cover freelancers? Looks like I’ll have to apply for an ‘I’ visa when I eventually make it Stateside. Permalink ·
NHL and Players Reach Agreement [c/o Airbag]
I hope a clause in that agreement was ‘no more whiny bitching about money.’ Permalink ·
Building a weblog engine with Ruby on Rails (MOV) [c/o plasticbag.org]
I know feck all about programming, but this stuff looks remarkably powerful and easy to learn. Permalink ·
When Jonathan Safran Foer was eight years old, he was caught up in a cataclysm that he has found impossible to talk about for 20 years - until now
Gripping reading. Permalink ·
Arial or Helvetica? [c/o kottke.org]
I got 8 out of 10. Not bad for an amateur. (Here’s a tip: look out for the ‘a’.) Permalink ·
What must I see/do in NYC?
Some excellent suggestions here; to note down for when I eventually make the trip. Permalink ·
The Hall & Oates Test [c/o del.icio.us/magnetbox]
Let me guess… you’re an Oates? Permalink ·
Worst “journalism” ever
Read the article Matt links to; it really is disgraceful. And people say blogs have no quality control? Permalink ·
News Media vs. Journalism
Lots of thinking here. An important idea to discuss in my dissertation. Permalink ·
Mordechai Vanunu’s long walk to freedom
This is an old one, it’s been in my open tabs for ages, but it’s worth a read. Permalink ·
Discovering art in plain sight: the resurgence of street photography [c/o Gulfstream]
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WorldEar [c/o Airbag]
A device to provide ambient sound connections between cities in multiple time zones on public transportation. My only reservation? Public transport might be too noisy for this to work without headphones. Permalink ·
Two gardaí hospitalised after Dublin stabbing
This happened just around the corner from me. The garda helicopter was hovering over the house for ages last night. Permalink ·
“Can we drop the 7/7 bullshit, please? Branding is for cars and clothes, not loss of life.”
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London Bombings: The Unread Newspaper
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‘We had 50 images within an hour’: MediaGuardian reflects on a momentous day for journalism
In contrast, Tim Porter argues that citizen journalism has jumped the shark. Permalink ·
The Guardian and London’s day of terror
A good insight into the production of a daily paper amid the chaos of last Thursday. Permalink ·
Weblogs prove their worth
To cite for my dissertation. Permalink ·
London bomb suspects: key facts
Busy day today for the anti-terrorism hunt. Those Brits sure do work fast. Permalink ·
Serbs turn their backs on their past
The Guardian marks the 10th anniversary of the massacre at Srebrenica. Permalink ·
“I’m proud to live in a city - to be part of a city - which has taken that directly on the chin … and then just picked itself up, dusted itself down and got back to business within about a day.”
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London hurts? Hardly [c/o Boing Boing]
That thing I said about “Today we are all Londoners”? This is exactly what I meant. Permalink ·
Fox News again: “These people are, If necessary, prepared to spill Arab blood in addition to the blood of regular — of non-arab people living in London” [c/o plasticbag.org]
That’s Fox News. Voted ‘News Channel of the Year’ by the Ku Klux Klan. Probably. Permalink ·
Fox News slammed over ‘callous’ line
What do you expect? It’s Fox News. Permalink ·
Roundup of Guardian Newsblog coverage of the terror attacks on London
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NewsDesigner surveys the British and Irish front-page reactions to the London bombings
Plus more from Canada, and the Americas. Permalink ·
Design Clichés [c/o del.icio.us/magnetbox]
Recipe for the ultimate logo: a lightbulb-embedded compass on a globe set over shaking hands. Permalink ·
Mellel — The word processor for Mac OS X
Might be handy for writing my thesis, if I don’t decide to set it in LaTeX instead. Also, you’ve gotta love their honesty in the reviews section. Permalink ·
Secrets to creating Wordpress themes
Cornerhost upgraded my hosting plan this month, giving me a couple of mySQL databases to play with. So I might just migrate to Wordpress one day, if I can get to grips with the PHP. Permalink ·
Subway in green
This isn’t too far from where I stayed in Toronto (on Bathurst, about a mile north of St Clair West) but I never rode the eastern side of the horseshoe beyond Bloor-Yonge so I missed this wonderful view. Another time, hopefully… Permalink ·
Dan Hill on Stephen Gill and photographing the everyday invisible
Stephen Gill’s work was a focus for the piece I wrote for my Explorations in Journalism module, which I will post here soon. (After I’ve rewritten it a bit. You know me.) Permalink ·
How Japan grew bored with love
A barely-related story: I used to IM with a Japanese girl, a high school maths teacher. She got married last year and disappeared offline shortly after. She always wished me and Benitha well, so I hope she’s doing fine too. Permalink ·
Malls of America: Vintage photos of old shopping malls of the ’60s & ’70s [c/o The Morning News]
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Abandoned buildings in Russia [c/o del.icio.us/jack]
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A compilation of summer reading lists (plus The Guardian Review’s hot reads, and The Observer’s summer essentials list)
Must… stop… adding to my book queue… must… resist! Permalink ·
Booksellers Ponder the Future of Browsing [c/o ArtsJournal]
I don’t see browsing going anywhere. But America is always different about these things… Permalink ·
Colour Palette Generator [c/o del.icio.us/magnetbox]
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Some printable paper rulers [c/o del.icio.us/gleuschk]
You never know when you’ll need something like this. Permalink ·
About
This is the personal website of MacDara Conroy, a production journalist and mediavore in Dublin, Ireland. Read more »
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This page is a reverse chronology of Microlog entries by MacDara Conroy published in July 2005. You will find many more in the Archives.
Continuum
↑ August 2005
→ July 2005
↓ June 2005