tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30736135804682682302024-02-19T00:36:28.961-05:00The Convergence CafeRobb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-64253417401158824942007-10-27T20:53:00.000-05:002007-10-27T21:13:03.358-05:00The death of subscription-model newspapers?The question is simple, would you pay for your online news? Even though some are willing to fork over the modest subscription free for a physically printed copy of their favorite rag, I'd venture to say few would do the same for internet news (even the good stuff).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bTiiKn8h1lLLC8izFEBOWJwJ-t1RB0TtP-iVQurpzi6tJVWbrhiIPJtL08RV0qn8mjOVvkuL3URO97aQ0vg1HQAjXEJM_C7zNcdASz12kzAxmti8zofYNwZNeCpExP7N_7sERqYr1cuU/s1600-h/77324602_bf6cc07a4d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bTiiKn8h1lLLC8izFEBOWJwJ-t1RB0TtP-iVQurpzi6tJVWbrhiIPJtL08RV0qn8mjOVvkuL3URO97aQ0vg1HQAjXEJM_C7zNcdASz12kzAxmti8zofYNwZNeCpExP7N_7sERqYr1cuU/s400/77324602_bf6cc07a4d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126204126690210210" border="0" /></a>On Slate today, there was an article by Tim Harford covering the debate, in response to the recently announcement by <span style="font-style: italic;">the </span><em>New York Times</em> saying almost all its online news material would now be free. Apparently, they believe that ad revenue would more than make up for the loss of the quickly diminishing subscription money. I'm still skeptical.<br /><br />You can read the article (which is only available in digital form) <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2176626/fr/flyout">here</a>, or visit Slate's homepage <a href="http://www.slate.com/">here</a>.Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-24782174758372005462007-10-25T10:37:00.000-05:002007-10-25T10:48:28.995-05:00Before Calvin and Hobbes, There Was...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cimages/ckenyon08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cimages/ckenyon08.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I was checking out one of my favorite blogs, Boing Boing (you can find the link in the sidebar) today when I came across a link to these scans of early Bill Waterson cartoons.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />For those of you not familiar with the cartooning legend, Waterson is the genius behind Calvin and Hobbes. He is also an Ohio native, who got his start drawing for the school newspaper at Kenyon College, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Kenyon Collegian</span>.<br /><br />You can check out the cartoons <a href="http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cbillart.html">here</a>.<br /></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-53032469236418793902007-10-17T14:02:00.000-05:002007-10-17T14:09:22.943-05:00He's Doing ItIn a feat that is shocking no one, Stephen Colbert has chosen to throw his hat into the ring and compete for the office of President of the United States. Seriously, no joke. Colbert first announced that he was considering running on the Daily Show last night, only to follow up with an official announcement on his show some 15 minutes later that he will be running only in the state of South Carolina. Below is a clip from the show.<br /><br /><br /><embed flashvars="videoId=118597" src="http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/video_player/view/default/swf.jhtml" quality="high" bgcolor="#cccccc" name="comedy_central_player" allowscriptaccess="always" allownetworking="external" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" align="middle" height="316" width="332"></embed><br /><br />On a side note, that hat must be pretty big to fit on his swelled head. I can't wait to see how this one turns out.Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-72441956537077444902007-07-16T18:19:00.001-05:002007-07-16T18:19:51.259-05:00I'm Not There <div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/VyWgzUGOliw' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/VyWgzUGOliw'/></object></p><p>Here is a preview clip from the highly anticipated Bob Dylan biopic titled "I’m Not There." This is the first preview of the film that has been leaked, and wouldn't you know it was on YouTube.The black-and-white clip depicts the first meeting between a young Dylan (portrayed here by actress Cate Blanchett) and beat poet Allen Ginsberg (played by comedian David Cross). As many of you may or may not know, Blanchett is just one of six actors who will be playing the main role, calling forth their inner Bob Dylans to tell the singer/songwriter’s story from the different perspectives of his life. Richard Gere, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Marcus Carl Franklin and Ben Whishaw will also play the role. I can't wait til it hits theaters on September 21.</p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-54047948938196121742007-07-10T11:15:00.000-05:002007-07-10T11:28:42.087-05:00Apple Plans Cheaper iPhone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL8QSFOrP9Y2BA5PMGCTx9UqnAHdZH5FsQWOPPvz4ADUCYM1-MU81TgyyHvHxOlUURsl3f-CI5qAzeERbSnv2QfcGug0rwiSJi3znQGHTLxzXmnCwGGD0tem8MRKI6q6irfU9LEutQr-w/s1600-h/iphone.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170.061px; height: 154.118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifL8QSFOrP9Y2BA5PMGCTx9UqnAHdZH5FsQWOPPvz4ADUCYM1-MU81TgyyHvHxOlUURsl3f-CI5qAzeERbSnv2QfcGug0rwiSJi3znQGHTLxzXmnCwGGD0tem8MRKI6q6irfU9LEutQr-w/s320/iphone.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5085605684538227906" border="0" /></a>According to the Reuters news organization, Apple Inc. plans to launch a cheaper version of the iPhone near the end of this year that could be based on the ultra-slim iPod Nano music player. The information, released via a JP Morgan report, cites<span id="articleBody"> a patent application document dated July 5 that refers to a multifunctional handheld device with a circular touch pad control, similar to the Nano's scroll wheel.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="articleBody">Kevin Chang, a JP Morgan analyst based in Taiwan and author of the report, sees the addition to Apple's mobile lineup as a logical one. </span><span id="articleBody"> "We believe that iPod <a itxtdid="3802407" target="_blank" href="http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201000328#" style="border-bottom: medium none; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; padding-bottom: 0px; color: rgb(0, 51, 153); background-color: transparent; cursor: pointer;" classname="iAs" class="iAs"><nobr></nobr></a></span><span id="articleBody">Nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod Nano," he said noting that the new phone could have "rather limited functionality."</span><br /></div><span id="articleBody"><br />For all of us (myself included) who didn't manage to scrape together the $600 to buy an iPhone when the product began selling late last month, there is still hope. We too may one day be able to join the smug throngs of Apple's loyal, electronics-addicted devotees.<br /><br />You can read the original Reuters story <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201000328">here</a><br /></span>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-29304977016860483332007-07-06T20:10:00.000-05:002007-07-06T20:16:29.446-05:00How do you feel?<p class="normal"><br /></p><p class="normal">I came across this neat little web app today called "We Feel Fine," and I thought that you all might find it intriguing.<br /></p><p class="normal">"We Feel Fine" is a data collection engine that automatically scours the Internet every ten minutes, harvesting human feelings from a large number of blogs. Blog data comes from a variety of online sources, including <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">LiveJournal</a>, <a href="http://spaces.msn.com/" target="_blank">MSN Spaces</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/" target="_blank">MySpace</a>, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" target="_blank">Blogger</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>, <a href="http://www.technorati.com/" target="_blank">Technorati</a>, <a href="http://www.feedster.com/" target="_blank">Feedster</a>, <a href="http://www.icerocket.com/" target="_blank">Ice Rocket</a>, and <a href="http://blogsearch.google.com/" target="_blank">Google</a>.</p> <p class="normal">More specifically, , the system searches the world's newly posted blog entries for occurrences of the phrases "I feel" and "I am feeling" every few minutes. When it finds such a phrase, it records the full sentence, up to the period, and identifies the "feeling" expressed in that sentence (e.g. sad, happy, depressed, etc.). Because blogs are structured in largely standard ways, the age, gender, and geographical location of the author can often be extracted and saved along with the sentence, as can the local weather conditions at the time the sentence was written. All of this information is saved. </p> <p>This process is repeated automatically every ten minutes, generally identifying and saving between 15,000 and 20,000 feelings per day.</p>I thought this was great because it really helps to show that their is a connection we share with one another while blogging, surfing, etc. that is often overlooked because of a lack of physical connection.<br /><br />You can visit the website and run the app by going <a href="http://wefeelfine.org/index.html">here</a>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-35084600399205979312007-06-26T20:12:00.001-05:002007-06-26T20:12:53.150-05:00Back in ActionSorry for the long overdue update to the CC. Hope you didn't miss it too much.Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-79645338297724341312007-06-26T20:08:00.000-05:002007-06-26T20:37:56.362-05:00Not your average family jewels<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp16niut6M9hFi56humrVIWJXaVF3v_X3f1fvgJi1-hCGb0pYGWIRNHVCcpO2dk3S8hodsoZQVMD2LgFv8xGGE0Ut1YY_6Wug4z526JxB_QMIOmekWKqtdlcxe6X_dLEmw6CmeG641erzc/s1600-h/90444609_5e8eec884f_m.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCdzvnJXAX9ruAv4FHEQ9XLtQMHs88ibrCyl_cArYEvonlBnA2BBfKiGp0LUzrKnn49f4YaPnkK427xgqiD1ku0VT7IgLq5yX2FnnaGduYmIO_NAztD6DCEcKeqabTxBai-pRImG90F1v/s1600-h/hayden.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5080552028449258674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvCdzvnJXAX9ruAv4FHEQ9XLtQMHs88ibrCyl_cArYEvonlBnA2BBfKiGp0LUzrKnn49f4YaPnkK427xgqiD1ku0VT7IgLq5yX2FnnaGduYmIO_NAztD6DCEcKeqabTxBai-pRImG90F1v/s320/hayden.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today the CIA did a weird thing. It told the truth. Due to numerous requests citing the Freedom of Information Act, the usually very secretive goverment agency released hundreds of pages of internal reports detailing all of the things "outside the legislative charter of the agency." Apparently the law establishing the CIA barred it from conducting spying inside the United States. Hmmm.... interesting. Also, perhaps more interesting, is the activities reported about in the released documents detailing such clandestine operations as assassination plots against foreign leaders (such as Cuba's Fidel Castro) and the secret testing of mind-and-behavior altering drugs like LSD on unwitting U.S. citizens. So all those spy flicks weren't too far off...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The George Washington University archives has a copy of the 703 page report that you can read <a href="http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB222/family_jewels_full.pdf">here</a> </div></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-9792372724029536042007-04-04T13:42:00.001-05:002007-04-04T13:43:10.104-05:00Alanis Morissette sings "My Humps"<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><object height="350" width="425"><param value="http://youtube.com/v/W91sqAs-_-g" name="movie"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://youtube.com/v/W91sqAs-_-g" height="350" width="425"></embed></object></p><p>Hearing this song sung seriously just shows how really stupid it is in the first place.<br /></p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-8840231027660270992007-03-26T01:14:00.000-05:002007-03-26T08:59:39.215-05:00What the internet is good forI was doing the internet rat thing this morning, clicking on link after link, when I found this supposedly high-end tea <span class="sans">from the 1960's</span> for sale, called <span class="sans">Guang Yun Beeng Cha Pu-erh Tea. The tea is sold by this </span><span class="sans">company called <a href="http://generationteas.com/">Generation Teas</a>, and you should check out their website. </span><span class="sans"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.generationtea.com/store/images/ironcake70%20003216.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 184px;" src="http://www.generationtea.com/store/images/ironcake70%20003216.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="sans">They have all sorts of different types of rare teas, and unless you </span><span class="sans">mind buying your tea a little in bulk, or you can't justify spending a decent chunk of your paycheck on something sweet to drink, I'd recommend you pick some up.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Idea: Maybe I'll start a new series of reviews on different types of teas/coffees etc, so you don't have to buy 2 pounds of green tea from China only to find out that it tastes like dirt. Let me know what you think...</span><br /></span>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-48995754132450798522007-03-25T14:16:00.001-05:002007-03-25T14:16:13.605-05:00Instant laser coffee<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/OYvynmK0Slo' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/OYvynmK0Slo'></embed></object></p><p>Check out this interesting video the tech blog MAKE recently linked to. This guy uses a 2 kilowatt laser to heat up some instant coffee, and I've got to admit, it's pretty sweet. I wonder if it could be used to brew real coffee, and not that rot gut.If so, I could see Starbucks jumping all over something like this. </p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-55390103661296471532007-03-21T17:25:00.000-05:002007-03-21T23:09:09.382-05:00NEWS FLASH...apparently soft drinks are bad for you<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.livescience.com/images/070321_drink_03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 332px;" src="http://www.livescience.com/images/070321_drink_03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>There's an article released today on the website <a href="http://livescience.com/">LiveScience</a>, which goes over some recent scientific evidence which proves pop is bad for your teeth. Holy crap! Call the president or something! Anyone whose ever drank a pop probably knows that the sweet carbonated tingle on their teeth isn't strengthening their enamel.<br /><br />According to the article, <span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span>the latest research, published in Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) journal <em>General Dentistry</em>, reports that drinking any type of soft drink hurts teeth due to the citric acid and/or phosphoric acid in the beverages.<br /><br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span>The study measured the acidity, or pH, of 20 commercial soft drinks, including Coke, Pepsi, 7 Up and their diet versions, immediately after cans were opened. Then slices of enamel from freshly extracted teeth were weighed before and after being immersed in the soft drinks for 48 hours. Many of the teeth were reported as losing up to 5 percent of their total weight.<br /><br />You can read the rest of the story <a href="http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/070321_soda_teeth.html">here</a><br /></span></span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span></span></span>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-57420003162988702112007-03-19T22:10:00.000-05:002007-03-19T22:24:59.941-05:00Facts are in...<span style="font-style: italic;">If you haven't watched the video directly below, do so before reading this post.</span><br /><br />It didn't take long to find some of the numbers behind the claims made by the Starbucks representative interviewed below. Apparently, the rumor is true. They do buy fair trade coffee. In 2006, Starbucks actually bought 18 million pounds of green (unroasted) coffee beans, which is a lot, unless you knew that they bought a total of 155 million pounds last year alone. Let's see, that accounts for about... 6% of their total beans as being fair trade.<br /><br />There is a high note though. They did contribute over $36 million to charities last year, not including a total of 383,000 hours of volunteer work.<br /><br />I'm sure this debate could probably go either way, which is why I'm not going to go into it too much. All of this info came from a publication put out by Starbucks themselves called their Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report. If you want to read the whole thing, check it out <a href="http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/csrannualreport.pdf">here.</a>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-91842202823250756232007-03-19T22:08:00.001-05:002007-03-19T22:08:34.643-05:00Starbucks talks about coffee farmers in Africa<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/dteTrEM7mlM' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/dteTrEM7mlM'></embed></object></p><p>I know that Starbucks gets a pretty bad rap, but you have to give them at least a bit of credit-they did start somewhat of a coffee shop revolution. Go all over the web and you'll find blog after blog of people complaining about the company, but you never get to hear from the big guys unless it's via a news story or press release. In this video I found streamed through YouTube, a Starbucks Coffee Team leader named Dub Hay gives an interview and discusses some of the company's fair trade practices. I'd like to see some more numbers and statistics to back up the claims he is making before I'm converted to the dark (roast) side, but it is always interesting to hear firsthand the other side of the story.</p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-52388577517451202982007-03-18T21:59:00.001-05:002007-03-18T21:59:31.668-05:00Mmmm... Caffeinated Art<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/BLL4khimqrw' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/BLL4khimqrw'></embed></object></p><p>Check out this great, short video of barista art.</p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-40623922791467416452007-03-16T09:19:00.000-05:002007-03-16T09:26:12.686-05:00Here's one for you coffee snobs<span style="font-family:georgia;">Think you have the kind of refined palette that could</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">identify a fine coffee from the local diner's rot gut?</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">Are you the kind of bean nut that can differentiate</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">between Sumatran and Ethiopian just by smell? Well then</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">I found the coffee for you, o great coffee snob. It's</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">called Kopi Luwak, and it'll definitely makes you think</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">rethink your preference for expensive coffee beans.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCAuT020ubueEGdvAKukLnuf_b7KyR-UF4laVqt6esALs1DGB78PBl9baMZgozuU8gLrT1O2McjbebcxtPc4LU18XGekCYqXK2VYyoFTs6Meu7QAzalTcBRMdw6D608ywctnLaGIcoH_J/s1600-h/coffee+beans.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCAuT020ubueEGdvAKukLnuf_b7KyR-UF4laVqt6esALs1DGB78PBl9baMZgozuU8gLrT1O2McjbebcxtPc4LU18XGekCYqXK2VYyoFTs6Meu7QAzalTcBRMdw6D608ywctnLaGIcoH_J/s320/coffee+beans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042528492061116354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">There is a type of nocturnal</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">cat called the Luwak that</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">roams around in Indonesia and</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">eats only the best, perfectly</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">ripe coffee cherries. After</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">the cherries pass through the</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">Luwak's digestive system (read:</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">are crapped out), the locals</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">collect the Luwak's droppings</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">and wash them off,</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> recovering</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">the coffee beans still encased</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">in their protective endocarps. Apparently, this is a process</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">which must happen anyway, so having the coffee cherry pass</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">through a Luwak's GI tract isn't that crazy. Before roasting,</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">beans are just hulled as usual.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />Kopi Luwak, or as I like to call it "cat-crap coffee," is very</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">hard to get a hold of on the world </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">market. Annual production</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">is super limited, so this one is left for you serious coffee</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">people out there (although if you're really cool you probably</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">already knew about it). This stuff sells for anywhere from $100</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">to $300 per pound and is chugged down by the gallon in places</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">like Japan and Sumatra. So, the next time you're looking for an</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">expensive cup o' joe, think twice about the one with the extra</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">nutty aroma, except you, you coffee snob you (drink til your</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;">heart's content).</span>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-9663121332847073122007-03-05T13:12:00.000-05:002007-03-05T13:26:14.283-05:00Java Wand<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LaKz1fcghpMKLw1EQ3MpyFsi-uvYWXrXdnbHpWXoxZ98IczFjASEy6_bnKjDytaTddLqhL0N2G6VzwLrbAQUb69GGm90wGUk-UNUalo73Z58MHW9jnjf8baQGsxkxwHo6lyL0dIdeUSB/s1600-h/java+wand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 207px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LaKz1fcghpMKLw1EQ3MpyFsi-uvYWXrXdnbHpWXoxZ98IczFjASEy6_bnKjDytaTddLqhL0N2G6VzwLrbAQUb69GGm90wGUk-UNUalo73Z58MHW9jnjf8baQGsxkxwHo6lyL0dIdeUSB/s320/java+wand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038508219212244066" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I can now feel good about using that word "brews" in my title image.</span><br /><br />Here's a really cool little gadget that lets you brew a cup of coffee in the mug. It's a mini French Press filter attached to a hand crafted, glass straw that brews and filters coffee, tea leaves, herbs at your convenience. <p>Simply add hot water to your medium coffee grinds, brew, build flavor and in seconds sip to the very last drop.</p><p>Visit the website <a href="http://wisdomwands.com/">here</a><br /></p>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-82768428264513641802007-03-01T11:23:00.000-05:002007-03-01T11:33:13.456-05:00Think you have it bad<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIqYN3VQZCc2ppXXRwGArEKODj5w79brqy2LE_fGP5DQf3CMlzP2qL6cvkgqpmlzsfiHdRjN73kckTGeytFE2MV9KFZAF5F8Ec-wQ2Wei8f9aUzZFFRpPmnvr7dGhW3vovjRe2mk4F-wp/s1600-h/chairs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 139px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqIqYN3VQZCc2ppXXRwGArEKODj5w79brqy2LE_fGP5DQf3CMlzP2qL6cvkgqpmlzsfiHdRjN73kckTGeytFE2MV9KFZAF5F8Ec-wQ2Wei8f9aUzZFFRpPmnvr7dGhW3vovjRe2mk4F-wp/s320/chairs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036994599514128642" border="0" /></a>According to Reuters, exam supervisors at a German university stuck to rules so rigidly that a man with a bladder dysfunction had to urinate in a bottle in front of 120 fellow students because they would not let him go to the toilet.<br /><br />Apparently, the man suffered from a weak bladder as a result of recent traffic accident, which had left him on crutches. When the student had to go to the bathroom, the supervisors insisted he stay seated, obviously thinking it was some trickery (on a side note: that would be a great idea). After a while of arguing, including many protests from fellow students, the bladder-weak student was able to urinate in a bottle that another classmate had emptied out.<br /><br />How embarrassing.<br /><br />Original story <a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyid=2007-03-01T134246Z_01_L28153808_RTRUKOC_0_US-GERMANY-EXAM-TOILET.xml&src=rss">here</a><br /></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-19878751903837802732007-02-27T21:12:00.000-05:002007-02-27T21:28:49.627-05:00When Pigs Fly...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGxHUQv4hjzguBwAdSTl9llnz5UeSeEZUig5jFEQ9F6GUXxRiRzC5vHw5sewUR29bdW3nzHpvC2PG6MntUo89krkmZpK4RtFEIC0YWX-lui1XS5HdmyMdRih8EUjZ453liKC0-MNoYIHZ/s1600-h/rush.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 356px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGxHUQv4hjzguBwAdSTl9llnz5UeSeEZUig5jFEQ9F6GUXxRiRzC5vHw5sewUR29bdW3nzHpvC2PG6MntUo89krkmZpK4RtFEIC0YWX-lui1XS5HdmyMdRih8EUjZ453liKC0-MNoYIHZ/s400/rush.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036404982108766450" border="0" /></a>On Feb. 1, the Landmark Legal Foundation, a leading conservative public interest law firm in the United States, nominated nationally syndicated radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously. Quit laughing, I'm not joking.<br /><br />According to foundation president Mark R. Levin, the group nominated Limbaugh fir his "nearly two decades of tireless efforts to promote liberty, equality and opportunity for all humankind, regardless of race, creed, economic stratum or national origin. These are the only real cornerstones of just and lasting peace throughout the world."<br /><br />"Rush Limbaugh is the foremost advocate for freedom and democracy in the world today," explained Levin. "Everyday he gives voice to the values of democratic governance, individual opportunity and the just, equal application of the rule of law -- and it is fitting that the Nobel Committee recognize the power of these ideals to build a truly peaceful world for future generations."<br /><br />Somehow this news story escaped me the first time around. Unbelievable.<br /><br />Read the rest of the story <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20070201/pl_usnw/landmark_legal_foundation_nominates_rush_limbaugh_for2007_nobel_peace_prize">here</a>. Feel free to laugh now.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Thanks to MH for the story</span></span>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-54640496726976868502007-02-25T14:39:00.001-05:002007-02-25T21:27:30.532-05:00Jack Kerouac reads "On the Road"<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/jBILjdzkpzU' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/jBILjdzkpzU'></embed></object></p><p>This is by far one of the coolest videos I've found on YouTube, so I thought I'd share it with you. I had never seen Kerouac read his own work before; that combined with the subtle jazz piano in the background made it a surreal experience. Enjoy</p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-18905164565948008062007-02-23T14:30:00.000-05:002007-02-26T01:16:08.944-05:00Nabaztag-a-ma-jigger<a name="022332"></a><span class="rss:item"><a name="022332">Some reactions of people who first saw the Nabaztag:<br /><br /></a></span><a name="022332"></a><span class="rss:item"><a name="022332"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Oh...cool."</span></a></span><a name="022332"></a><span class="rss:item"><a name="022332"><br /></a></span><a name="022332"><br /></a><span class="rss:item"><a name="022332"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Awww...look at the cute bunny."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Is that Apple's new iRabbit?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"What the heck is it?"</span><br /><br /></a></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://store.nabaztag.com/us/images/_bigger/tagtag.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 201px;" src="http://store.nabaztag.com/us/images/_bigger/tagtag.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a name="022332"><br /></a>Meet one of the newest WiFi toys. With this little bunny your friends and family will have a totally new way of keeping in touch: through the web, text messages, their phone or email. It includes plenty of different ways to send you messages, music, MP3 files that it reads out to you… or sing out, or even dance (if that's the kind of stuff you're into). Your friends will no longer be confined to the depths of your computer or phone: they'll come alive in your home, in the noble guise of a rabbit. <a name="022332"><br /></a><span class="rss:item"><a name="022332"></a></span>This bunny can teach you tai chi, it can read you your e-mail, report the weather or tell you the latest stock quotes. He has the ability to play messages or any audio feed for an <strong style="font-weight: normal;">unlimited period of time</strong> and the ability to play p<strong style="font-weight: normal;">odcasts</strong> and <strong style="font-weight: normal;">MP3 web radio</strong>. Anything you can pull an RSS feed from, he can read that too.<br /><br />Oh yeah, and it tells the time.<br /><br />You can check out the website and buy it online <a href="http://www.nabaztag.com/en/index.html">here</a><br /><br /><br /><strong style="font-weight: normal;"></strong>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-76827778391370545342007-02-20T19:15:00.000-05:002007-02-21T00:15:41.887-05:00Blair Decides It's Time To Go<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcebh6wat3P7QnaDdgaD-t66Acy7oo0t9Gz9Fx-tRP9s-yCP1sf-qAhO3FJfF6a5p5gEpCEulPsV0rh8PS7FYOiAhvlMvPuCCzZuWKMxF1005sDdi07H8s7Tkp6XVY9acJMXDxnA4M0v0m/s1600-h/blair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcebh6wat3P7QnaDdgaD-t66Acy7oo0t9Gz9Fx-tRP9s-yCP1sf-qAhO3FJfF6a5p5gEpCEulPsV0rh8PS7FYOiAhvlMvPuCCzZuWKMxF1005sDdi07H8s7Tkp6XVY9acJMXDxnA4M0v0m/s400/blair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033774520565895586" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />According to BBC International, British Prime Minister Tony Blair is going to announce tomorrow that he is implementing a new time table for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq, including an estimated 1,500 who are expected return home in several weeks.</span> <p>"Blair will also tell the House of Commons during his regular weekly appearance before it that a total of about 3,000 British soldiers will have left southern Iraq by the end of 2007, if the security there is sufficient," the British Broadcasting Corp. said, quoting government officials who weren't further identified.</p><p>This is certainly an interesting turn of events, and even though Britain only currently has 7,500 troops deployed to Iraq, President Bush will undoubtedly be making a statement soon.<br /></p>For the full story, go <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6380933.stm">here</a>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-78198928421676041932007-02-18T16:34:00.001-05:002007-02-19T16:20:48.326-05:00Culture Jamming 101<span style="font-style: italic;">The past few days I've been slowly compiling a list of the different terms, resources, etc. related to the concept of urban activism</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. Keep in mind, this list is obviously not complete and certainly editable. If you have anything you'd like to add, feel free to e-mail them in. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLh_6p_uo3ivdEMJfcSRSptG3I_Cu1ymxiDkZXoJrV9sWMpkrbvcYrT5R4zcIJxvNx4Fdjkjfe4cK4gv7ZlPjHFRx4sybd_m6XMOWXa0FCNyGmrzTElbePl43c5e5OdJ7IqWD2QJD1S7m/s1600-h/subvertising.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLh_6p_uo3ivdEMJfcSRSptG3I_Cu1ymxiDkZXoJrV9sWMpkrbvcYrT5R4zcIJxvNx4Fdjkjfe4cK4gv7ZlPjHFRx4sybd_m6XMOWXa0FCNyGmrzTElbePl43c5e5OdJ7IqWD2QJD1S7m/s400/subvertising.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033358226565763458" border="0" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming">Culture Jamming</a><br />The act of transforming existing mass media to produce negative commentary about itself, using the original medium's communication method.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.adbusters.org/home/">Adbusters Culturejammer Headquarters</a><br />Adbusters is probably one of the best known groups dedicated to culture jamming (you may know them from their magazine, published under the same name). Their site was "designed to help you turn the drab number cruncher you're staring at right now into the most versatile activist tool ever reckoned with. From cyberpetitions to Critical Mass tips, from disseminating corporate propaganda, to downshifting your lifestyle and treading lightly on the planet, this site will inspire you to move -- upon your return to the real world -- from spectator to participant."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.antiadvertisingagency.com/">Anti-Advertising Agency</a><br />An artist run media-literacy campaign that "co-opts the tools and structures used by the advertising and public relations industries, calling into question the purpose and effects of advertising in public space. Through constructive parody and gentle humor the Agency’s campaigns ask passers by to critically consider the role and strategies of today’s marketing media as well as alternatives for the public arena.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artivist">Artivist</a><br />Term for one who combines art with activism. Artivism developed in recent years while the anti-globalization and antiwar protests emerged and proliferated. In most of the cases artivists attempt to push political agendas by the means of art. Yet this is not political art as it was known before, in the sense of artworks being political. The artivist is often involved in Streetart or Urban Art, Adbusting or Subvertising.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.banksy.co.uk/indoors/index.html">Banksy</a><br />Probably one of the most well-known individual culture-jammers/anti-consumerist performance artists in the United States, mostly because of the extended news coverage of his work. In September, he replaced over 500 of Paris Hilton's<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVV_azWTxRYBYjple0G3XdZ3dF6BGR4idTT2BIDzHJaJW_7gqIGe9qdDaQ7dTpu7lFhxMJ5MOu95Ikch97u3N4yriXWNCLFMoO1YP1eCfk2DprRYl65_VZzTie1L1iDdDoJQJe6aNsvBz/s1600-h/banksy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVV_azWTxRYBYjple0G3XdZ3dF6BGR4idTT2BIDzHJaJW_7gqIGe9qdDaQ7dTpu7lFhxMJ5MOu95Ikch97u3N4yriXWNCLFMoO1YP1eCfk2DprRYl65_VZzTie1L1iDdDoJQJe6aNsvBz/s400/banksy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033004948325798258" border="0" /></a> CD's with a new version bearing different song titles such as "Why am I Famous?," "What Have I Done?" and "What Am I For?" He's also a well accomplished graffiti artist, even once decorating Israel's controversial West Bank barrier with satirical images of life on the other side.<br /><a href="http://www.travelistic.com/video/show/2369"><br /></a><a href="http://www.travelistic.com/video/show/2369">Shopdropping</a><br />A tactic used by artists and activists to clandestinely place altered or recreated objects into retail stores. Handmade labels were printed out for students to color, cut, and paste. The intent is to reconnect the labor with the product.<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvertising"><br /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvertising">Subvertising</a><br />The practice of making spoofs or parodies of global and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics" title="Politics"></a>political advertisements in order to make a statement. This can take the form of a new image, or an alteration to an existing image. A subvertisement can also be referred to as meme hack and can be a part of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_hacking" title="Social hacking"></a>social hacking or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming" title="Culture jamming"></a>culture jamming.Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-14108050809819133582007-02-18T16:05:00.002-05:002007-02-18T17:40:59.158-05:00DVD Review: "Jesus Camp"<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: italic;">Here's another user-submitted DVD review from MH:</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br />At the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, “Jesus Camp,” a documentary directed by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing - the creators of The Boys of Baraka, made its debut to a shocked audience. The film guides viewers through highlights of the <st1:placetype>camp</st1:placetype> <st1:placename>Kids</st1:placename> on Fire, a summer retreat at Devil’s <st1:place><st1:city>Lake</st1:city>, <st1:state>North Dakota</st1:state></st1:place> for Evangelical youths and their families held in 2005.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CpBxQUf4VS8/RdjBnaG-EWI/AAAAAAAAAEI/6NFCnqR73e8/s1600-h/jesus+camp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CpBxQUf4VS8/RdjBnaG-EWI/AAAAAAAAAEI/6NFCnqR73e8/s400/jesus+camp.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5032985466354143586" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">"Jesus Camp” paints a very vivid and disturbing picture of the modern radical Evangelical movement and its training, mobilization and indoctrination of children. The film follows three children, Victoria, Rachel and Levi in their immersion into the Evangelical religion. These children, despite their age, are very motivated, dedicated and emotional about their faith, routinely approaching strangers, handing out literature about the Evangelical Gospel. They have been taught through home schooling and their youth pastor Becky Fischer, who runs the Kids on Fire camp, that the responsibility for ending abortion and other “worldly sins” rests squarely on their generations collective shoulders. Other “facts” that the children are taught by Becky Fischer are that global warming does not exist, the earth is only 6000 years old and the science can not prove anything, ironically presented on a PowerPoint slide.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>Levi, who has aspirations of becoming an Evangelical minister, delivers a sermon in a John Hagee-esque style to his peers stating that he believes, “we are the key generation to bringing Jesus back.” <span style=""> </span>During the camp session, children are coerced into praying to a life sized cardboard cutout of George W. Bush urging him to appoint “Righteous Judges” to overturn Roe v. Wade.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span>The most ironic moment in the film comes when the directors visit the <st1:placename>New</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Life</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Church</st1:placetype> in <st1:place><st1:city>Colorado Springs</st1:city>, <st1:state>Colorado</st1:state></st1:place>, which was headed by recently disgraced pastor and former president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Ted Haggard. During their visit, Pastor Ted delivers a sermon on homosexuality and the importance for Evangelical Christians to vote conservative to ban homosexual marriage. From sermons like these, it is hard to determine whether the Evangelical Right is a religious movement, or a political puppet for conservative republicans and with 25% of Americans describing themselves as Evangelical Christians Jesus Camp doesn’t seem so far fetched. <span style=""><br /></span></p><span style="font-style: italic;">Here is the trailer<br /><br /><div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/6RNfL6IVWCE' name='movie'></param><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/6RNfL6IVWCE'></embed></object></p></div>Robb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3073613580468268230.post-4993609763379824912007-02-16T22:28:00.000-05:002007-02-18T17:41:35.413-05:00The Look For LessSo you may have noticed that the website has been changed around a bit. Being the crafty little web rat that I am, I've begun learning HTML so that I can make this site be the best it can be (at least while it's still on the Blogger server). Hopefully, one day I'll be able to move to a nice little 3 bedroom domain name with a white picket fence and a new server with a terabyte of storage, but until that day, enjoy the new colors (or lack thereof).<br /><br />RSRobb Stutzmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17245630692106523626noreply@blogger.com0