When you’re fired, fall back on what you do best

General February 25th, 2008

Marc shared me this article, and it’s great. Well worth posting yet again today.

I guess when you get fired, and are trying to figure out where to go next with your life, you fall back on what you know best.

Sampson texts players after win (IndyStar.com)

Just minutes after Indiana held on for an 85-82 victory over Northwestern on Saturday night, the text messages started arriving on the players’ phones.

They were sent by former IU coach Kelvin Sampson.

Blogrolls, metablogs, hosted?

General February 25th, 2008

For my wireless class, we’re interested in creating a wireless spectrum policy metablog (or aggregate blog, more commonly seem to be called planet blogs.) I’m trying to find the best way to post/support/run this metablog. Assume I can do anything (webhosting with perl/php/python/whatever support) — but what I’m really looking for is a way to leverage hosted tools (blogger, digg, *ici.us.)

I think we’d want blogroll capabilities, where the blogroll blogs’ syndicated content is loaded into this blog. (That’s kinda how we’re defining a metablog.) Even better would be categorization and tagging, but that’s not necessarily required.

So, my web weary friends — any software/hosting recommendations?

ha ha ha (xkcd, fruit)

General February 25th, 2008

In the make-me-laugh-outloud category. In this order,

1) Reading about today’s xkcd at the xkcd blag (before seeing the comic)
2) Viewing the discussed xkcd comic
3) Reading the title of the comic

Genius.

I give it 72 hours before someone does a flash app to let you place your own fruit choices on the map, compare with others, find soul mates that both think pomegranates are overrated, etc.

Cat spay/neuter on the cheap

General February 25th, 2008

The Champaign county pet organizations are planning a “Cat Nip/Tuck Day” (www.cuhumane.org) that will spay or neuter your cat for only $10. I think that’s great, and I’m all for encouraging responsible pet ownership, especially for lower-income families that have (or want) pets but can’t really afford their vet care.* I don’t like the name (Nip/Tuck) because I’m pretty sure having your balls cut off is more than a “nip,” but I can play along. Also, when the pet is under they can do other things, like vaccinate, micro-chip, dental care, etc.

Obviously, they’re subsidizing the surgery with volunteer veterinarians and donated supplies. One of the listservs I’m on solicited us for supply donations for the events, including:

o Bleach
o Large garbage bags
o Paper towels
o Distilled water
o Duct tape or masking tape
o Used Towels (clean please)
o Rubbing alcohol
o Hydrogen Peroxide
o Q-tips
o Cotton balls

It’s kinda gross to think how masking tape, bleach, and large garbage bags helps spay your kitties, but I guess every little bit helps. I just read that list and wondered how MacGyver would neuter cats with only used towels, duct tape, and an endless supply of Q-tips.

* Yes, yes, yes… I know. “Pets are expensive and poor people shouldn’t have them”**. But assume they do, and need to take care of them cheaply. It happens.
** I don’t really feel that way… Pets are theraputic and everyone should have them. But they are a burden.