10.27.07
Posted in Blogs, technology at 9:42 pm by CMonster
As the internet has grown more popular, and advertising more ubiquitous, advertisers have had to search for new ways to push their products.
Enter the flogosphere. Astroturfing- an advertising practice in which fake grassroots support is generated through front organizations- has been with us for years. In more recent years, as people have learned to ignore the constant barrage of ads, some companies have responded by targeting word-of-mouth. For example, Microsoft has for some time been hiring students to preach their personal love of all things Redmond to friends and classmates; disclosure isn’t always necessary.
In turn, as people move online, bloggers have inevitably become trusted social sources for recommendations: candid, friendly, independent….. and paid.
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10.26.07
Posted in Politics at 7:06 pm by CMonster
The New York Times reported today that the current nominee for attorney general might soon face opposition unless he takes a harder- and more specific- line against terrorism. This is at least partly in response to recent reports that the justice department had created a subclass of “enhanced interrogation” procedures- that is, the definition of torture had been kicked up a notch.
As frightening as this is to someone raised with the ideals of international law as a protection against such treatment, however, it’s sometimes quite instructive to dip back into history just a few decades, when truth serum was the big draw. From mail covers to mind control, the Church Committee hearings dug up an amazing amount of dirt- and reminds me of how quickly we forget the things we denounced just a short span ago.
(In particular, I’d recommend tracking down the original report; some of this information is muddied by the large number of JFK conspiracy sites referencing the subject)
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10.24.07
Posted in Looking Snazzy, Such People at 7:16 pm by CMonster
While preparing for another academic presentation, I found myself wondering at the necessity of ironing. For all that we all expect to be dazzled by brilliant research- and not the ankles of the person presenting- these details often seem to make the difference.
And when a scholar is in doubt, they inevitably use the tools at hand. Following a link discussing the sociology of wrinkled pants (and how clever marketing of synthetic fabrics influenced our preference for ironing), I’m reminded that conspicuous consumption has been with us for longer than we give it credit. Kind of a scary thought.
…Related to the huge market for “things that help you brag”, I also got one of those annoying “be listed in Who’s Who among executives and professionals” letters today. When someone goes out of their way to be “proudly not associated with any other Who’s Who publication or organization”, that’s a good sign of trouble on the horizon. And when they invite someone like me aboard, I can only hope that other organizations are shunning them, too.
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10.23.07
Posted in entertainment, technology at 6:52 pm by CMonster
Scientists, alas, aren’t always the best groomed of people. Today’s entertainment comes from one of the various science blogs I’ve been adding to my reading list: Can you tell the difference between a programmer and a serial killer? I sure can’t.
Of course, in all fairness, lots of people seem to have that problem.
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10.20.07
Posted in Such People at 8:57 pm by CMonster
While purchasing a few choice ingredients earlier today, I came across a series of signs advertising “Sweetest Day”, a holiday I’d heard almost nothing of until recently.
Curious (and somewhat cynical), I did a bit of research, and found that long-held allegations were indeed most true: the holiday was literally begun as a promotion for candy makers. Apparently, sharing your halloween candy isn’t quite what the romantics of the world had in mind.
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Posted in Cooking at 8:37 pm by CMonster
A soft, crumbly holiday treat, the butter cookie is a deceptively simple recipe that provides exactly the reserves of fat you’ll need to hibernate through the long winter months.
Of perhaps greater relevance to the humans in the audience, they also taste great. Due to the crumbly texture, it’s best you prepare them on site, or else transport with care.
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Posted in Adventure, behind the curtain at 8:12 pm by CMonster
For many years, I’ve found myself wondering at the array of scientific results I see presented at conferences or in the press- while some are breathtaking masterpieces of creativity, others… well, aren’t.
But where do the small discoveries go? With a longstanding push to expand the scientific and academic enterprise, simple statistics argues there will be an increasing need for trivial, out of the way journals where people can bury the past four years of their lives and get on with getting a degree.
Into that niche enters the Journal of Bavarian Cookie Recipes and Occasional Science, a collection of everyday observations of the world around us. Since food for the mind is rarely appreciated on an empty stomach, these findings will be cheerfully accompanied by more mundane discussions- expect things involving frosting to feature prominently.
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