Monday, August 25, 2008

Google Apps Annoyances

I made the mistake of installing Google Calendar Sync. Now, any time I try to create a new event, it complains that I have exceeded the number of edits I'm allowed. Funny how these productivity enhancing tools eat up more time than if I never bothered with them.

The other annoyance is Google Notebook. I guess they intended it for little snippets, because I often find that the note I'm editing loses focus in the middle of my typing.

Double-edge shaving update

In my move up to Washington, my Gillette Super Speed seems to have lost it's way. I didn't want to get another used rig, so I picked up a Merkur Classic. That has been working out splendidly, and I have been shaving with it exclusively now for about a month, now. Unlike the Gillette, it has no moving parts. A little bit more cumbersome to replace blades, but I have the assurance of no possible mechanical breakdown.

What defines organic food?

I was reading an article today about a new "green" pesticide that could be used on certified organic crops, and it set me to wondering. I used to use tobacco tea as a pesticide, but the recent onset of problems for honey bees made me reconsider the use of any wide spectrum pesticide. When I hear about "green" pesticides and "green" herbicides, I wonder about long term sustainability. I think we need another term, now. I think it would be more responsible to eat GM produce than that produced with wide spectrum pesticides, no matter how "green".

Monday, August 04, 2008

Corporate Shill

Andrew Keen seems to be a mouthpiece for the cable industry. In this post, he goes on about how broadband providers, who are already charging us exorbitant fees compared to other developed countries, apparently have the right to double dip as well, charging the consumer for access to the internet, and in addition charging content providers for tiered service. If I'm paying for 1.5Mbs, I expect to be able to access anything on the internet the same way, I shouldn't have to rely on Google also ponying up in order to do a search.