Ilk

by Chris Bodenner

A reader writes:

Whenever I read about Cheney and her ilk's galling demands that the government abdicate due process of law because they're more frightened of people in caves than our forebears were of the Soviet Union or Axis powers, I always think of John Adams and the Boston Massacre. I can only imagine what would be said today of someone who defended alleged terrorists if they were to run for high office. Adams' infamy over defending, and winning, a case for the hated British was eventually seen for what it was: a defense of liberty.

I couldn't find a clip of the courtroom scene from John Adams, the HBO miniseries, but the speech above hits all the right chords. And below is a diary entry of Adams recounting his feelings about defending the eight British soldiers - murder suspects that no other lawyer in Boston would represent. It's a must read for anyone interested in learning from a true Tea Party patriot:

Before or after the Tryal, Preston sent me ten Guineas and at the Tryal of the Soldiers afterwards Eight Guineas more, which were. . .all the pecuniary Reward I ever had for fourteen or fifteen days labour, in the most exhausting and fatiguing Causes I ever tried: for hazarding a Popularity very general and very hardly earned: and for incurring a Clamour and popular Suspicions and prejudices, which are not yet worn out and never will be forgotten as long as History of this Period is read...It was immediately bruited abroad that I had engaged for Preston and the Soldiers, and occasioned a great clamour....

The Part I took in Defence of Cptn. Preston and the Soldiers, procured me Anxiety, and Obloquy enough. It was, however, one of the most gallant, generous, manly and disinterested Actions of my whole Life, and one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country. Judgment of Death against those Soldiers would have been as foul a Stain upon this Country as the Executions of the Quakers or Witches, anciently. As the Evidence was, the Verdict of the Jury was exactly right.

This however is no Reason why the Town should not call the Action of that Night a Massacre, nor is it any Argument in favour of the Governor or Minister, who caused them to be sent here. But it is the strongest Proofs of the Danger of Standing Armies.

Here, in just 17 words, is why it's so hard to take the traditional media seriously.

During yesterday's online chat with the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz, a reader asked why Jim Bunning's (R-KY) "filibuster was flying below the radar" on the Sunday talk show circuit. Kurtz responded by saying that the story had received a "fair amount of coverage," but that:

I'm surprised it wasn't part of the Sunday chatter, especially given the obscenity he uttered when challenged.

Seriously? The fact that Bunning uttered the word "shit" is what should have made the story newsworthy in Kurtz's eyes?

Let's review:

Note to Howard and his ilk: obstructionism that adversely affected millions of Americans is newsworthy. Tut-tutting a swear word is (bull)shit.

by Patrick Appel

Ryan Blitstein reports on musical AI:

Emmy was once the world’s most advanced artificially intelligent composer, and because [David Cope] managed to breathe a sort of life into her, he became a modern-day musical Dr. Frankenstein. She produced thousands of scores in the style of classical heavyweights, scores so impressive that classical music scholars failed to identify them as computer-created. Cope attracted praise from musicians and computer scientists, but his creation raised troubling questions: If a machine could write a Mozart sonata every bit as good as the originals, then what was so special about Mozart? And was there really any soul behind the great works, or were Beethoven and his ilk just clever mathematical manipulators of notes?

Cope’s answers — not much, and yes — made some people very angry.

Blitstein has a couple beautiful tracks from Emmy's daughter program embedded in his article. An AI composing program doesn't make me angry; David Cope is the composer, not the computer. He says it well:

[Cope] just thinks of [Emmy] as a tool. Everything Emmy created, she created because of software he devised. If Cope had infinite time, he could have written 5,000 Bach-style chorales. The program just did it much faster.

“All the computer is is just an extension of me,” Cope says. “They’re nothing but wonderfully organized shovels. I wouldn’t give credit to the shovel for digging the hole. Would you?”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Apple’s ban on some sexually-suggestive content in the iTunes App Store was due to an increasing number of complaints from women’s and parent groups, the company tells the NYT. But the policy is selective, as not all apps featuring scantily-clad women have been bannished. For example, Sports Illustrated’s free Swimsuit app is still available for download—though Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) asks that users certify they are over 17 years of age before loading—as is a related game app. Playboy (NYSE: PLA) has several paid apps still on sale in the App Store.

An Apple rep explains why those apps remain available, while others, such as On the Go Girls’ 50 adult-themed apps, have been blocked. “The difference is this is a well-known company with previously published material available broadly in a well-accepted format,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s head of worldwide product marketing, tells the NYT.

In the meantime, makers of other banned Apple apps such as Dirty Fingers and others of that ilk still have a place in Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Android’s app store, allowing users to flag certain items. Google also reserves the right to remove apps that violate its terms, but at this point, considering the Android app store is still much smaller than Apple’s, it will exert a much lighter touch on what sort of material gets removed.

Email doesn’t need postage, right? Is that old hoax about the postal service charging per message finally coming true? Not really. But PostageApp and and their API may be a service worth paying for if you want to send email from your application.

In many web programming languages, such as PHP, it’s already easy to send email. However, making a user wait while the code sends out a dozen emails to their friends means your site seems slow. Plus, your email may be plain text and boring. And who knows whether your host’s server has been blacklisted by the actions of your more shady developer brethren.

Plus, unless sending out emails is a core part of your application, it makes more sense to let someone else do it for you. As PostageApp says, let “your app do what it does best… be awesome.”

Right now the service is in an open beta, though the company has announced pricing plans are in the works. There are some limits during the beta period, especially if you’re using PostageApp’s SMTP server. But there’s certainly enough functionality to tell whether it will work for you. And if you program in Ruby, there’s a how-to video (embedded below) to show you the way.

We’re seeing more of these sorts of services, which plug into a very specific feature that many apps have. These services save developers time, which is something many are willing to pay for. Look for PostageApp and its ilk to find plenty of interest, as building apps becomes more about focusing on your core competencies, rather than trudging through those annoying-but-necessary elements.

I bet that shiny, new “Brooklyn 4 Life” badge doesn’t look as hot when someone steals your fancy iPhone, does it?

As Foursquare and its ilk spreads across the techie crowd like digi-herpes, a key detail has been gleefully overlooked during the lovefest over geolocation services . (Gowalla and Google Buzz count, too.) When everyone knows you’re pounding jello shots at Down the Hatch on E. 4th Street, anyone exposed to that information also knows you’re not chilling at your crib a thirty or so minute subway ride away in Greenpoint. Even if you don’t publicly announce your check-ins, when you become “mayor” of a venue of Foursquare, it auto-updates everyone using Twitter. What could possibly go wrong?

While that insight hasn’t entirely escaped those who embrace location aware services, everyone sat up and paid attention today with word spreading of a (probably inevitable) newer, possibly more sinister application in the same “share and share alike” vein. PleaseRobMe, whose header features a stock-style burglar with a striped shirt, mask and sack of stolen goods, arrived on the scene to aggregate the location of “all those empty homes out there.”

So, are PleaseRobMe’s founders out to get us all raped, robbed or worse? Not according to the site’s founders, who say they just want to “raise awareness” of the security issues inherent in this kind of social networking:

Don’t get us wrong, we love the whole location-aware thing. The information is very interesting and can be used to create some pretty awesome applications. However, the way in which people are stimulated to participate in sharing this information, is less awesome. Services like Foresquare allow you to fulfill some primeval urge to colonize the planet. A part of that is letting everyone know you own that specific spot…

The danger is publicly telling people where you are. This is because it leaves one place you’re definitely not… home. So here we are; on one end we’re leaving lights on when we’re going on a holiday, and on the other we’re telling everybody on the internet we’re not home. It gets even worse if you have “friends” who want to colonize your house. That means they have to enter your address, to tell everyone where they are.

It’s hard to say what the best practice is here- if you’re in agreement with the founders of PleaseRobMe, then you really should eschew all location aware apps and services at all times. If the whole point is people not knowing where you are when you’re there, Foursquare and Gowalla are pretty much out. But then again, your computer is at home so if you’re on Facebook or emailing, then you’re pretty obviously at home or at work, and anyone can come in and rape you with an and iron. And if you’re using your work email, you’re most likely at work so some disgruntled ex-employee can come in and target you in an instance of workplace violence.

Where do we draw the line? Should you forgo all location aware services and, to hell with it, the whole internet? Personally, I like PleaseRobMe’s suggestion the best:

Now you know what to do when people reach for their phone as soon as they enter your home. That’s right, slap them across the face.

I bet that shiny, new “Brooklyn 4 Life” badge doesn’t look as hot when someone steals your fancy iPhone, does it?

As Foursquare and its ilk spreads across the techie crowd like digi-herpes, a key detail has been gleefully overlooked during the lovefest over geolocation services . (Gowalla and Google Buzz count, too.) When everyone knows you’re pounding jello shots at Down the Hatch on E. 4th Street, anyone exposed to that information also knows you’re not chilling at your crib a thirty or so minute subway ride away in Greenpoint. Even if you don’t publicly announce your check-ins, when you become “mayor” of a venue of Foursquare, it auto-updates everyone using Twitter. What could possibly go wrong?

While that insight hasn’t entirely escaped those who embrace location aware services, everyone sat up and paid attention today with word spreading of a (probably inevitable) newer, possibly more sinister application in the same “share and share alike” vein. PleaseRobMe, whose header features a stock-style burglar with a striped shirt, mask and sack of stolen goods, arrived on the scene to aggregate the location of “all those empty homes out there.”

So, are PleaseRobMe’s founders out to get us all raped, robbed or worse? Not according to the site’s founders, who say they just want to “raise awareness” of the security issues inherent in this kind of social networking:

Don’t get us wrong, we love the whole location-aware thing. The information is very interesting and can be used to create some pretty awesome applications. However, the way in which people are stimulated to participate in sharing this information, is less awesome. Services like Foresquare allow you to fulfill some primeval urge to colonize the planet. A part of that is letting everyone know you own that specific spot…

The danger is publicly telling people where you are. This is because it leaves one place you’re definitely not… home. So here we are; on one end we’re leaving lights on when we’re going on a holiday, and on the other we’re telling everybody on the internet we’re not home. It gets even worse if you have “friends” who want to colonize your house. That means they have to enter your address, to tell everyone where they are.

It’s hard to say what the best practice is here- if you’re in agreement with the founders of PleaseRobMe, then you really should eschew all location aware apps and services at all times. If the whole point is people not knowing where you are when you’re there, Foursquare and Gowalla are pretty much out. But then again, your computer is at home so if you’re on Facebook or emailing, then you’re pretty obviously at home or at work, and anyone can come in and rape you with an and iron. And if you’re using your work email, you’re most likely at work so some disgruntled ex-employee can come in and target you in an instance of workplace violence.

Where do we draw the line? Should you forgo all location aware services and, to hell with it, the whole internet? Personally, I like PleaseRobMe’s suggestion the best:

Now you know what to do when people reach for their phone as soon as they enter your home. That’s right, slap them across the face.

From A Hamburger Today

[Photographs: Damon Gambuto]

The folks behind Square One Dining might just have well called their restaurant Square One Brunching. The menu and the hours (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) are squarely focused in that lovely liminal space between the most important meal of the day and the end of my hangover. Pancakes, French Toast, and omelets are served all day, and come 11:30 a.m. sandwiches and salads join the party. For all of my intents and purposes this means there is only one menu, though I imagine lots of folks actually show up before lunch starts.

Despite my late to bed and late to rise habits, I'd found myself so enamored of Square One's breakfast options that I'd never actually looked beyond them. That was until recently when a friend mentioned that Square One had a burger worth a closer look.

Square One is located on an odd strip of Fountain Avenue in Hollywood. The street itself is largely residential, and for me (and a number of other savvy commuters) mostly thought of as a good East-West artery during rush hour. Years on in its life, it's still the only establishment of its ilk on a block that offers a smattering of storefronts that service the working class residents to its south.

As is often the case in Los Angeles, there is more to the story. Directly north of the restaurant is a neighborhood that could be called "Scientology-wood." The seemingly ever-expanding real estate empire of the religion started by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard is headquartered across the street from Square One. I don't know if the Church of Scientology was considered a target audience for the restaurant, but it can't hurt to have hundreds of potential customers who exercise early-morning routines just around the corner.

The burger is a hefty eight-ish ounces of Harris Ranch beef served on a bun that lacks the sponginess I am looking for. And it's heavily seeded—we're talking sesame, poppy, and sunflower. It's the kind of seeding that frustrates because it makes me think "health food" when I am looking for something bad for me. While that's not exactly Square One's motif, it points to what they're up to. Square One boasts their commitment to locally sourced and natural ingredients. Of course good ingredients are the makings of a good burger, but it's the cooking that makes the meal. This is where the Square One burger is undone.

I was surprised to find that a restaurant that manages the most sensitive of ingredients—the egg—so deftly, was so ham-fisted when putting together their hamburger. The patty lacked fat and was finely ground. Along with a seasoning regime that (sadly) moved far beyond just salt and pepper the meat had the whiff of meatloaf. It was properly cooked, but even a little extra fat, from the aioli couldn't overcome the dry and unappealing texture.

To salvage the meal I filled up on the excellent roasted potatoes that came along with my burger. This was the kind of execution I expect from Square One: Perfectly roasted and beautifully salted and peppered; the potatoes are a quality ingredient properly handled. The potato salad, which I also ordered, was interesting with a vinegary kick, but not to my taste.

As is too often the case, my high burger hopes were dashed by the reality of another restaurant that can't seem to manage the delicacies of making this delicacy. The bad news is the burger at Square One just isn't worth much attention. The good news is that they serve breakfast all day.

The Windows 7 iPad alternative?

Review  If you are Chinese then 2010 is the year of the tiger, but if you are a geek then it is the year of the slate or tablet. Obviously, most people are thinking about the iPad when they start banging on about such things, but the newest consumer targeted device of this ilk to hit the shops is the 9, the first attempt at a genuine UMPC device from French PMP maker Archos.…

An interesting tidbit:

Ali Mottahari recently called on opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi to stop calling for protests for a bit and let government insiders like him take care of Ahmadinejad and his ilk. 

In the interview he seemed to be auditioning to replace them, echoing their calls to restore civil liberties. "The government should respect social freedoms and stop its press bans," he said. "The government should also take action to secure the release of political prisoners and create a climate of friendship and affection."

Know hope.

Filed under: Macworld, Graphic Design

On the last day of Macworld, I caught up with the guys from TypeDNA to take a look at what I soon realized was going to be a revolutionary bit of software magic for designers of any ilk. TypeDNA is a series of plugins for Adobe CS4 applications (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) which makes finding the right font a simple matter.

It has several methods for navigating font collections, starting with a search by name, which is handy on its own. The functionality expands from there, doing such things as automatically offering suggestions for similar fonts and font harmonies. The harmonies feature is especially interesting, and the suggestions it offered while they were demoing it were very good. You can pick a font from the suggestions and search for similar fonts to find exactly the right typeface for your project. TypeDNA always offers a variety of suggestions, and recognizes that font choice is entirely subjective ... you make all the decisions, it just helps you navigate a large font collection quickly and intuitively.

I'll be doing a more in-depth review as soon as the demo version comes out (soon). The full version will be available in March, and will run $59US per plugin, or $89US for a full set (3 plugins) and two licenses so you can use them on two separate machines.

TUAWMacworld 2010: TypeDNA originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Filed under: Macworld, Graphic Design

On the last day of Macworld, I caught up with the guys from TypeDNA to take a look at what I soon realized was going to be a revolutionary bit of software magic for designers of any ilk. TypeDNA is a series of plugins for Adobe CS4 applications (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator) which makes finding the right font a simple matter.

It has several methods for navigating font collections, starting with a search by name, which is handy on its own. The functionality expands from there, doing such things as automatically offering suggestions for similar fonts and font harmonies. The harmonies feature is especially interesting, and the suggestions it offered while they were demoing it were very good. You can pick a font from the suggestions and search for similar fonts to find exactly the right typeface for your project. TypeDNA always offers a variety of suggestions, and recognizes that font choice is entirely subjective ... you make all the decisions, it just helps you navigate a large font collection quickly and intuitively.

I'll be doing a more in-depth review as soon as the demo version comes out (soon). The full version will be available in March, and will run $59US per plugin, or $89US for a full set (3 plugins) and two licenses so you can use them on two separate machines.

TUAWMacworld 2010: TypeDNA originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.