Auroras as Seen from the ISS

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Kevin

Here’s an amazing video of auroras generated by a geomagnetic storm on September 19th, 2011, as seen from the International Space Station:

More information on spaceweather.com.

Posted in Interesting, Science | Leave a comment

Restore “Bounce Message” functionality to OS X Lion Mail.app

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Kevin

For some reason, Apple decided to remove the ability to bounce email messages from the OS X Lion version of Mail.app UI. They did, however, leave the API exposed, and it can be called via AppleScript.

Instructions on how to create an Automator service that can execute the AppleScript (copied here just in case):

1. Open Automator.
2. Create a new service.
3. Configure the service so that it has “no input” in “Mail”
4. Drag “Get Selected Mail Messages” into the workflow
5. Drag “Run Applescript” into the workflow
6. Use the following AppleScript, then save the workflow with a name like “Bounce Message”.

on run {input, parameters}
   tell application "Mail"
      repeat with eachMessage in input
         bounce eachMessage
      end repeat
   end tell
end run

7. In Mail, select the message you would like to bounce. Then from the “Mail” menu, choose “Services”, then click on your new service. The message will bounce.

Posted in Mac | 34 Comments

Google+

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Kevin

I’ve moved from Facebook to Google+. My profile is accessible via http://gplus.to/jarnot. Leave a comment on this post if you need an invite.

Posted in Personal, Tech | Leave a comment

Start Up Guys

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Kevin

This is sadly accurate.

Posted in Amusements, Tech | Leave a comment

They could not have found a better narrator

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Kevin

Go the F–k to Sleep Audiobook. Be sure to listen to the sample.

Posted in Amusements | Leave a comment

Starbuck and Starbuck in Starbucks

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Kevin

Posted in Amusements, Geek | Leave a comment

Last “new-book” bookstore remaining in downtown Boston to close

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Kevin

Wow, I never thought I’d see this day. The Borders bookstore on Washington Street here in Boston is closing, or has possibly already closed.

While I buy 90% of my books though Amazon, and have for over 13 years, there’s still something special about wandering around a real-world bookstore, browsing book covers to find something that you would not have found via a website.  In the past, I would spend hours in Waterstone’s (the greatest bookstore ever) off Newbury Street, but it closed years ago.  I have recently been relying upon Borders for my browsing.

To quote the Wikipedia page for Newbury Street:

Once famous for a wealth of bookstores, Boston, like its neighbor Cambridge, has suffered a steady decline in the number and quality of independent booksellers. The beloved 150,000-volume Avenue Victor Hugo Bookshop on Newbury Street, one of the last holdouts, closed in 2002. (It did, however, outlast the comparably short-lived Waterstone’s, the British chain whose giant, well-regarded store just off Newbury Street was a source of pressure on the independents. When Waterstone’s closed, a Boston Globe staffer opined that “the Athens of America feels a bit more like Elmira.”) Today, the youthful Trident Booksellers and Café on Newbury Street is amongst a small band of independent bookstores still remaining in Boston.

Sad.

Borders Books at Downtown Crossing is closing | Universal Hub.

Posted in Interesting | 1 Comment

2011 JP Morgan Corporate Challenge – Boston

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Kevin

I ran the Corporate Challenge here in Boston yesterday. Did fairly well – less than 34 minutes for the 3.5 mile race. Next year I want to get it down under 30 minutes.

Posted in Personal | Leave a comment

Hate-driven Development

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Kevin

Quote of the day, c/o Jamie Zawinski:

“These days, almost all of my software is written out of anger. I used to program for fun, and then for convenience. Now, it’s motivated almost exclusively by rage.”

via Hatefuck hacking | jwz.

Posted in Amusements, DeepThoughts, Tech | 1 Comment

Sounds like…fun?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Kevin


 

The Euthanasia Coaster would kill its passengers through prolonged cerebral hypoxia, or insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain. The ride’s seven inversions would inflict 10 g on its passengers for 60 seconds – causing g-force related symptoms starting with gray out through tunnel vision to black out and eventually g-LOC, g-force induced loss of consciousness. Depending on the tolerance of an individual passenger to g-forces, the first or second inversion would cause cerebral anoxia, rendering the passengers brain dead. Subsequent inversions would serve as insurance against unintentional survival of passengers.

via Euthanasia Coaster – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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