Mac Net Journal

For all of those in the U.S. today, a happy Thanksgiving! Here in Puget Sound country we are enduring another wet and blustery day. This is the wettest November on record in this area, with more than 12 inches of rain falling so far in the month. Forecasters are confident that this will turn out to be the wettest month ever for Puget Sounders. But there is a different edge to the weather today, with snow mixed in the rain and the possibility of wet snow off and on over the next few days.

Back to the cooking!

Bird flu not living up to the hype?
Monday, November 20, 2006, 10:18 PM

Weren't we all supposed to be huddling in our homes with four weeks worth of food as the world around us suffered through a flu pandemic by this time of the year? Given the tenure of the widespread news reports about the impending arrival of bird flu earlier this year, you would think so. Scientists are starting to reconsider their earlier predictions, as noted today in the BBC News: Bird flu: Is it still a threat?

My latest tool - decidedly analog
Monday, November 20, 2006, 9:36 PM

Tomorrow I will receive my newest writing tool - a decidedly analog Namiki Vanishing Point fountain pen. I have been a fan of fountain pens for a couple of decades. In fact, during my days of doing freelance work for dot com companies during the 90s, one of my "frivolous" purchases was a $350-plus Waterman Carene fountain pen. Much to my dismay about a year ago I misplaced that pen. I have been getting by with a True Writer fountain pen from Levenger. It's time to try one of the vanishing point models, and later a higher-end pen like a Pelican.

From one obsession to another...

Lifehacker: Essential tools for the paperless office
Monday, November 20, 2006, 9:18 PM

I am a little late in pointing this one out, but Lifehacker has an excellent post from earlier this month about Essential tools for the paperless office.

Recycling chip heat for more battery run time? Brilliant!
Monday, November 20, 2006, 8:53 PM

Laptop Makers Investigate Heat Conversion Chips - A chip that turns waste heat back into useful electrical power promises to significantly extend laptop battery life. By James Murray, IT Week [myapplemenu]

Need a good reason to buy a digital SLR?
Tuesday, November 7, 2006, 11:28 PM

The Tech Lounge offers its list of 10 reasons to buy a DSLR camera. Among my favorites: no shutter lag and instant start up. The down sides - most obviously, size and weight.

A new Tinderbox tutorial about the Map view
Tuesday, November 7, 2006, 11:04 PM

Mark Bernstein: A new Tinderbox video debuts on the Tinderbox screencasts page. This one looks at Tinderbox map views.