WTFbrb

For a while Firefox 2.x on Mac OS 10.4.y was my main browser. I often called Firefox 2 the “second worst browser”. It would hang for tens of seconds at a time, it crashed at least once a week, and it was all around slow in loading/rendering pages.

I eventually downloaded Opera. A couple config options and I began using this for casual internet browsing: Google Reader, Reddit, etc. I used Firefox 2 for work and websites that did not support Opera.

Around the same time I was also becoming a little more security conscious, I decided to set up Camino (which I had already installed) to not remember anything between sessions. I used this for online banking. As an added bonus, I can have other people who need to check their email on my computer use this, so I don’t accidentally log into their email later on.

Now I’ve upgraded to Firefox 3 and it is pretty fast and pretty awesome; however, I’ve already learned a secret. The browser is not truly the new OS, yet. Its the main application I use, but switching between them is even easier than switching between various unices, or even various linuces.

I now use Safari 3 for some flash applications because it is more likely to balance resources better when those flash applications decide they want 120% of my CPUs but Quicksilver is trying to get 100% as well.

So if you’re ever frustrated with your browser, start using another one for the things that frustrate you. It might get better.

To start you’ll need an Aeropress, and a grinder equivalent to Capresso’s Infinity conical burr grinder. A normal burr grinder or even a decent blade grinder would probably do just fine, but you might end up with a smokier taste.

You’ll also need a way to boil water, a sixteen ounce mug, and of course, some coffee beans (probably at least 1/8 lb to be on the safe side).

1. Set up the Aeropress on your mug
2. Now, bring the water to boil.
3. Once it begins boiling, turn off the heat. If you leave it boiling, the water will be to hot when you brew.
4. Grind on the finest “fine” setting on the infinity (not extra fine) for 25 seconds (#5 on the infinity), and pour grounds into the Aeropress.
5. Now, fill the Aeropress the measuring cup/plunger to right between 2 and 3 cups.
6. Trickle some water into the grounds, and then follow with a full pour
7. Work Aeropress’s magic. (you know, stir for 10 seconds and then plunge for ~20)
8. Remove the press and add skim milk until the volume is about halfway up the mug.
9. Fill rest of mug with heated water
10. Wash Aeropress
11. Enjoy!

I suggest not adding any sugar, so you can get the taste of the bean. Trust me, give it a couple tries if you’re used to sugar. If you use this method your coffee will not be very bitter—only the natural bitterness of the bean which is much less than you’d expect.

This method seems to work well with anything from half city to darker full city roasts. I haven’t tried a French roast (I just really don’t like them). If you use a very light roast, your coffee will sour after about 20 or 30 minutes, but anything darker will be fine for at least an hour. It won’t go bitter at all!

I got a chance to see a screening of Outsourced (link plays music). The producers are experimenting with completely independent distribution, as opposed to just independent production. In support of the model, and because it was very good, you should try to see it. Unfortunately its not playing in theaters everywhere, although they seem to be screening it wherever and whenever possible. Try to hunt down a showing if you can. They are also selling DVDs, which I am considering purchasing as gifts or such.

Anna, of The Annalog writes a story every day. Aside from a couple breaks, she has been doing it for almost two months straight now. I’ve subscribed to her RSS feed, so I get a daily dose of fiction prose mixed in with my news and webcomics.

The stories are to novels what The Far Side is to Achewood. They quickly draw you into a world that is familiar and yet bizarre: sometimes the mailman becomes too involved in your mail, and other times city dwellers live out their somewhat bohemian fantasies. In a few hundred words—a minute or two of reading—the story of someone’s life has come and gone, you’ve met and lost a friend, given in to hope, and felt despair at the human condition.

Since looking up vehicles by VIN is (umm, well…) the point, I believe Carfax was just granted a patent on one of the most common uses of the “WHERE” clause in SQL. For you non techies, it is indeed as simple as it sounds, WHERE looks up things in a database, WHERE a specific thing is true. (For example WHERE TitleStatus=’Clean’).

I think I need to file a few patents. Say looking up movies based on genre, or books based on publication date, or computer hard drives based on manufacturer. Or anything that anyone would ever do when trying to segment data ever….

Via http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/005300.php