Archive for June, 2009

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and … a BBQ?

Monday, June 29th, 2009

What’s a Fourth of July picnic without … wine? Apparently, if it comes in a jug, it’s less pretentious and it will be imbibed. Jug wines used to mean low quality. But, Wall Street Journal “Tastings” columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher have found several brands that break the stigma and come out on top. [...]

Celebrating the Year of the Gorilla :: 2009

Monday, June 29th, 2009

This year is not only the Year of the Ox, it is also the Year of the Gorilla (YoG). Many organizations* have banded together to focus on saving gorilla populations in the wild and in their habitats by: Raising awareness about gorillas Educating the general public about the threats gorillas face Implementing gorilla conservation projects, [...]

What were they drinking?

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

Unusual or strange architecture wouldn’t seem to be abundant given the cost and the time needed to complete the projects. And yet, there are many examples. The four structures below represent part of a collection of 40 buildings that are traveling around the web. I chose my favorite four to round out the curious g’s [...]

Change of habit

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

This is a repost from the BBC’s World Have Your Say site. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The burqa is no longer welcome By Ros Atkins From our newsroom – ‘The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has said the burqa – the full-body garment worn by some Muslim women – is not welcome in France. In a major policy address [...]

What color is your betta?

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

It’s time for the annual color forecast sponsored by Pantone (for non-designers, that’s a color matching system). The May 2009 issue of Graphic Design USA showcases Pantone’s new 2009/2010 colors for fashion, home decor and interiors. Assuming we could apply this luscious palette to everything, let’s pick a bettafish. If you could custom color a [...]

It’s all about J.D.

Friday, June 19th, 2009

It’s ironic that a man who seeks absolute privacy and writes an iconic book is known for being “famously litigious.” Follow up to All is fair in love and literary circles.

All is fair in love and literary circles

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

Quick recap of the latest “fair use” dispute: The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger has sued author, Fredrik Colting (writing under the pseudonym John David California) for copyright infringement. Colting’s book, 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye, has been published in the UK while its publication is pending in the States. Salinger [...]

Curious about the simple complexities of Twitter?

Monday, June 15th, 2009

Having just celebrated my two-month anniversary on Twitter, it’s time to share my accumulated knowledge. Briefly, Twitter is a free social networking site designed to get people talking about the answers to this question “What are you doing?” in real-time. Members answer this question or post their own “tweets” or updates containing 140 characters or [...]

Answer: One in a million

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Question: What are the odds?

You be the judge

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

…or jury or plaintiff or defendant. It’s all court/all the time at Instant Jury, The Court of Public Opinion, where you can settle grievances in no time. For each case you bring, there’s a mock jury of your peers standing by, ready to weigh in with the verdict. They choose the winner and you accept. [...]