| |
 |
Thursday, October 10, 2002 |
Hey, Robert Scoble! Yeah, You! This Means You!
Two or three times a week, Robert, you post something on your blog that I'd like to post and comment on. But your posts, as they show up in my Radio aggregator, are generally far too long. Maybe you should think about using stories more for the longer stuff and providing your main blog entries as shorter pieces? I know, I sometimes have 2-3 paragraphs in my blog entries and that may also be too long, but some of yours are really, really long! That makes me not want to publish them. I suspect others feel the same way.
Just tryin' to be helpful as we learn this stuff together!
Consumer hostile bloggers. Mark Pilgrim: let me say here and now that no, in my experience, RSS content producers pay virtually no attention at all to what their content looks like or how difficult it is for content consumers to consume. [Sam Ruby]
10:32:37 PM 
|
|
Maybe Picking the Giants in Six Was Too Conservative
When this NLCS started, I picked the Giants to win it in six. The Cards, of course, are favored, which is why they have home field advantage.
Now the Giants have swept the first two in St. Louis and are headed for the friendly confines of Pac Bell Park. This could be a sweep, but that's not too likely. My wife has been saying the Giants would do it in five and that is certainly a strong probability. I would love to see the series end without having to travel back across the country because that sets up the Giants in better shape to win the World Series.
I can't believe I just typed "Giants", "win" and "World Series" in the same sentence.
But it could happen. In fact, I think now that it's likely to happen.
Go, Giants!
10:21:23 PM
|
|
Republicans Just Don't Know When to Quit, Do They?
The Clintons have been out of the White House for a while. Still the GOP dogs them. These people are obsessive, merciless, and completely out of touch wih what's important in the world.
Oh, wait. That's the definition of a Republican leader. Doh!
G.O.P. Inquiry Lists Gifts to Clintons in White House. Documents released by investigators show the Clintons were given roughly $1 million in previously unreported gifts. By Raymond Hernandez. [New York Times: Politics]
2:11:55 PM
|
|
Experts Don't Know Any More Than We Do
Experts offers differing opinions on Apple's future [MacCentral]
Read the comments from readers. They're more insightful than those of the so-called experts.
Here's how analysts look at Apple in my experience.
Analyst: "Apple Computer cannot continue to be a viable stand-alone business spending the high percentage of revenues it lavishes on R&D."
Headline: Apple Reduces R&D Expenditures, Focuses on Near-Term Sales
Analyst: "Without the ongoing R&D budget support that allows it to be leading-edge and different, Apple is a 'me-too' company. Given that it's outside the mainstream of Windows, it can't survive without spending much more on R&D."
Substitute for R&D spending whatever your favorite Apple target is: pricing, manufacturing, industrial design, market choice.... It's always the same story.
Analysts don't know squat. They're making SWAGs that aren't very S most of the time. (Scientific Wild Ass Guess).
My advice? Ignore them, just as Apple has learned to do.
2:09:36 PM
|
|
I'd vote for Aaron Sorkin for President Tomorrow!
I agree with Dave Winer (below). Aaron Sorkin, who writes this show, is a genius. No doubt about it. Not a week goes by but I don't turn to my wife some time during or immediately after The West Wing and say, "What I wouldn't give to have a President half as smart as Jed Bartlett." But, as is so often the case in the real world, the smarts behind President Bartlett is Sorkin's amazing writing, grasp of issues, ear for dialogue...
Or maybe it's just guys named Aaron who write? Aaron Swartz is kicking up quite a storm today with his writing about the Supreme Court, according to what .
I love The West Wing.  Almost needless to say, another kickass West Wing last night. It's like a great movie, every Wednesday night. I mean a really great movie like Any Given Sunday or Fail Safe. Best line. Camera zooms on McGarry after hearing that the Israeli Foreign Minister's plane was shot down over Lebanon. "Now why didn't I see that coming?" Runner up. CJ says that Ritchie would have to set his podium on fire to lose the debate with Bartlet. (She actually says it in the inverse, he wins if he doesn't set his podium on fire.) And of course, the closing line, where Bartlet gets ready to drill a new one for Ritchie, the twinkle in his eye is what makes you want to tune in next week. What a great show.
[Scripting News]
1:53:54 PM
|
|
OK, I'll Buy This, But What DO We Have to Sell?
The problem with charging for content. You must have noticed it - the fast-growing trend among content sites to start charging for content. But just because it works for some, it won't necessarily work for all, and there appear to be a lot of site owners who have not grasped that yet. [WriteTheWeb]
1:19:06 AM
|
|
Dusty Must Stay
Joan Walsh's piece in Salon about the tension between Dusty Baker and Peter Magowan is a very insightful and well-written feature. She sounds like she knows what she's talking about.
But I don't think it's fair to characterize her article as taking the position that Magowan is "on the verge of letting [Baker] go." And I doubt that's the reality, either.
Clear the field. Dusty Baker is the greatest manager in San Francisco Giants history. So why is team owner Peter Magowan on the verge of letting him go?
[Salon.com]
1:12:39 AM
|
|
1 million books salvaged from the copyright assassins
Brewster Kahle, whom I know slightly and admire greatly, has a new thing going on that's worth your attention and support.
Riding along with the Internet Bookmobile. Angered by a law that extends copyright terms for 20 years, a crusader named Brewster Kahle wants to use the Internet to make books available to everyone. [Salon.com]
1:02:48 AM
|
|
Yep, Lofton Overreacted Alright, But NYT Doesn't See Whole Picture
A benches-clearing melee erupted when Giant Kenny Lofton took exception to a high-inside pitch. I agree with Murry Chass of the New York Times--it was an overreaction to a pitch that was a brushback but not a beaner.
On the other hand, if it's true that the Cards felt they should retaliate against Lofton for watching his homer a couple of innings earlier, then they overreacted worse. Come on, people. Who gives a rat's ass if the guy watches his home run? Where's the disrespect in that? Particularly if he's only hit three all year; he was probably more stunned than disrespectful.
Then, too, the Cards hitters who clouted homers tonight stood and watched them, too. I didn't see the Giants hitting those guys.
The bad guy in all this? Tony LaRussa, my personal favorite for NL Manager of the Year. He encourages his guys to pitch tight to batters who are hitting well. That's just old-school baseball. There's no place for it today.
Overreaction to Pitch Sets an Angry Tone. Batters are so unaccustomed to having pitches whiz by their noses that they take offense when they do. By Murray Chass. [New York Times: Sports]
12:58:33 AM
|
|
© Copyright 2002 Dan Shafer.
|
|
|
|
|
