Tao’s Blog

Listened to some Radio Netherlands and BBC documentaries. Something about Soldiers, and Mississippi River Rats. Also, a BBC Go Digital interview about a French blog site, Agoravox.

Cablevision carries Music Choice channels. There are about 45 music channels, but I’m only interested in the Soundscape (833), Classical Master Piece (834), Opera (835), Light Classical (836), and Show Tunes (837).

Read some internet posts, unanimously indicate that Music Choice has better sound quality than XM satellite carried on DirectTV. Recently, DirectTV dumped Music Choice for XM, and a lot of subscribers are not happy about the change. Here is a review of satellite technology in Ars Technica.

Finished listening to Studio 360, episode of December 22, 2005. There is an interview of Diane Keaton and her new movie, The Family Stone.

Read about the Pepper Pad. It is more expensive than the Nokia 770, but with more features. I havn’t read the reviews in detail yet, but the hardware qwerty keyboard is a big plus comparing with Nokia 770’s software-only onscreen keyboard. Also read other technology news on the web.

I like the design of Pepper Pad better than Nokia 770. However, Nokia 770 is almost half the price of the Pepper Pad. If I buy one of them, I will definitely go for the Pepper Pad. I always salivate for such a device, it suits my need like a glove. Although I have my PDAs and iPod, I still cannot resist a device like Pepper Pad.

On my way home, listened to the Lopate show about Abortion in New York. New York now is the abortion capital in the United States, according to the New York magazine. Also, some BBC documentary about China. Not very interesting. Deleted when I got home. Downloaded the new On The Media episode from iTunes.

Read a review about Nokia 770 internet tablet in Ars Technica. A wonderful hardware review.

Downloaded and installed MouseZoom for Mac OS X. This preference pane enables me to increase the optical mouse speed. It is very handy, because the Mac OS mouse preference maximum is still way too slow for me. Now I can enjoy my new optical mouse and mousepad satisfactorily.

Listened to Two Vincents on Euroquest on my morning commute. Interesting story.

Also, from the same show, learned something about stupid British National Archive films. Very funny indeed.

Several months ago, heard about Jonathan’s New York Theater Diary podcast from the October 10th episode of BBC GoDigital podcast.

Read The Rembrandt Code in December issue of Wired. If have time, I’m going to check out this professor Dan Rockmore.

During the morning commute, listened to Radio Netherlands’ documentary, about a place in Iceland, Solheimar, a place in the Sun. It’s a place founded by an extraordinary woman named Sesselja Sigmundsdottir.

Also, heard about the movie Mrs. Henderson Presents on the Lopate Show of December 1, 2005.

December 14, my birthday.

Read about Truman Capote. Several weeks ago, I heard about a movie about him on Lopate Show. He’s the one who wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Also, heard about Alan Alda’s memoir on Lopate show podcast a couple of months ago.

Another Lopate show, about the book Accidental Masterpiece by Michael Kimmelman.

Origin of Whole nine yards is a very interesting etymological dig-up.

Also, a couple of months ago, while listening to Rushdie’s interview on Lopate show, I learned that he actually appeared in the movie Bridget Jones’ Diary

For God and Country, James Yee’s story

Learned something about Newton’s Dark Secrets

December 12, 2005

Read December issue of National Geographic magazine.

Page 63, When monsters ruled the deep by Virginia Morell is very intriguing. The 3D model is on the website.

The article Man of letters by Alec Wilkinson in the 12/05/2005 issue of New Yorker is about a famous type designer, Matthew Carter. Typography is a rather interesting trade.

Read about Lord Macaulay, nineteen century British poet, historian, and politician.

Listened to Radio Netherlands documentary Diary of Otto van Eck long time ago.

Radio Netherlands’ Euroquest Blog

Yesterday, on my way to Chinatown, I listened to Lopate show podcast about the Darwin show in the Museum of Natural History. If have chance, I am going to have a visit.

Quartet New Generation, a recorder quartet. Recorder in an intriguing instrument.