Category: Automobiles

Strange Indeed

Kyle

One of the very, very few reasons I regret not having a car is that getting to Madison’s east or west sides for movies hardly seems worth the investment in bus-riding time (we miss you University Square, you of the $4.75 student admission and reasonably priced beer).

This week I’m doubly bummed due to this weird convergence:

“If you are in the mood for a movie about the rejuvenation of an aging, widowed college professor — and don’t pretend you aren’t — then this is a weekend of rare and unexpected abundance. By some miracle of film industry serendipity, two such movies are opening today in limited release. Even more bizarre: each is pretty good.”

Of course, The Visitor isn’t even playing here, and Smart People is at the slightly-easier-to-get-to-(though-astronomically-priced) Sundance Cinemas, so I may very well get a chance to catch it. I miss seeing movies easily, is the general point here. Would someone please open another student-oriented theater downtown?

Thanks, A.O.: Smart People, The Visitor

Ambivalence

Kyle

First, some Sunday Judgment bonus content: ambivalent does not mean apathetic. It means you have mixed emotions, not none. That drives me crazy.

Here are two stories I’m ambivalent about:

(1) “Nielsen Looks Beyond TV, and Hits Roadblocks” — This article kinda scares the hell out of me. On the other hand, I think a more holistic picture of exactly what media people are consuming will help us better vote with our dollars and eyeballs. In the end, I think it’s good news for fans of good content. For instance, I think Aaron Sorkin suggested that Studio 60 would have had a better shot at sticking around if Internet viewing (and re-viewing) stats had been more important to NBC. If it means Aaron Sorkin shows will have a better shot at surviving, I’m all for it–pretty much regardless of the consequences, I think.

(2) “Fewer Youths Jump Behind the Wheel at 16” — Part of me was thinking “what the hell is wrong with these kids?” But part of me was thinking that a little un-romanticizing of this rite of passage, and the main activity that goes with it, is probably just what the atmosphere needs.

Miscellany

Kyle 1 Comment

Apologies for the week-long absence. I’m sure it doesn’t seem to bode well for the future of this blog, but I’m honestly just trying to enjoy my last couple weeks of relative sanity before the new semester starts. And again, that means we’re pushing back the anticipated release of the CSC Sunday column. (Conveniently, that gives me more time to figure out just what the hell it’s going to be.)

Plus it was my birthday. More on that in a second.

First, here are a bunch of news items that caught my attention in the past week:

Financial Times: Green activists concerned over People’s Car

This has been in the news quite a bit and is a little worrying due to the pure numbers involved.

Science Daily: Mysterious Explosion Detected In The Distant Past

Includes some brilliant science writing:

Most bursts fall in one of two categories: long bursts and short bursts, depending on whether they last longer or shorter than three seconds.

New York Times: Digital Tools Help Users Save Energy, Study Finds

One of the (relatively few) John McCain ideas I can get behind is his point about wanting to inspire people to be willing to make sacrifices for something bigger than themselves (see David Foster Wallace’s excellent “Up, Simba!“). I think efforts like this could turn into our generation’s version of victory gardens and the like. Then again, my roommate and I have been talking about finishing up that insulating-plastic-on-the-windows thing for a couple weeks now (ever since we got our first real winter electric bill to go with our frickin’ hotel room heater), so it’s not like I’m tearing it up on the being-part-of-the-solution tip.

New York Times: Running and Fighting, All to Save Her Son

Why have my roommate and I been watching “Terminator: The TV Show”? (1) I love robots. (2) It’s writer’s strike good:

I propose circumventing the problem with the creation of two temporary critical categories: strike-good and, well, just plain good. To the second denomination I submit “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” a new Fox series that begins on Sunday.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I should add that I don’t think Michelle’s actually interested in the series, it’s just that we only have one TV.)

Science News: Small Infinity, Big Infinity

In other David-Foster-Wallace-has-written-a-book-or-essay-or-something-about-it news, here’s a neat little Cantor article. Set theory, meet game theory.

The Chronicle Herald: Another way to fly: blimps

No energy- or technology-related insight here, I just think it would be cool to fly around in blimps.

New York Times: Team Creates Rat Hearts Using Cells of Baby Rats

One of those “I didn’t know we could do that” moments. Well, something like that. Until recently, we couldn’t.

Times West Virginian: ‘Kids think it’s a game’

Another “Officials noted there may soon be a shortage of engineers” sighting.

Waco Tribune-Herald: Hewlett-Packard CEO visits Waco, talks about U.S. technology field

And another.

New York Times: Ford and Chrysler Unveil Their Redesigned Pickups, G.M. Buys Stake in Ethanol Made From Waste, Toyota Will Offer a Plug-In Hybrid by 2010

Thought it was interesting that all three business articles in my NYT email this morning were about auto makers. By the way, if you’re interested in “the alcohol economy” (as an energy, not intoxication source), check out Energy Victory by Robert Zubrin.

New York Times: American Cut Back Sharply on Spending

I don’t want to sound like a total economics ignoramus, but I really want to be excited about this news.

whatsnextblog.com: We Can Use Salt Water as Fuel Right Now

I’m not sure you should believe the hype, but this is interesting. I’d heard about this guy’s “radio”therapy stuff but not the burning salt water.

Lake Superior State University 2008 List of Banished Words

Great leadoff: “perfect storm.”

See, I wasn’t totally neglecting my blogging duties this week. Anyway, here’s a few pics from my birthday Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came out; it was terrific to see you all.


My parents came into town and brought a stadium cake (we were all sitting around watching the Packer victory). Not a good thank-you line: “Wow, did Rachel make it?’

Sarah and co. had just come from a rodeo (well, bull riding only).


The next day, Sarah brought over another cake, one Emily’s mom made. She (Sarah) went a little overboard with the candles.

Sorry about the ratio of pictures of cake to pictures of people. Apparently it’s no longer a good idea to post pictures of adults drinking beverages they’re legally allowed to drink.