Author Archives: skierpage

web: when it comes to paying, backward USA! backward USA!

Posted on 2018-11-14 by skierpage

Someone asked me to donate to the Center for Youth Wellness, a worthy cause. Give Lively, a free fundraising system, organizes the donations at https://secure.givelively.org/donate/center-for-youth-wellness/friends-name . The donation page’s “Suggested donation method” is “Donate by bank account” because “We get … Continue reading →

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software: how electronic medical records could be better

Posted on 2018-11-06 by skierpage

On an Ars Technica story on AI in hospitals, “goofazoid” commented There are so many things that have set this environment up, mostly having to do with hospitals attempting to save money (nursing is usually the largest expense in a … Continue reading →

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music: Look Now, a great Elvis Costello album

Posted on 2018-10-18 by skierpage

Slate’s Carl Wilson said it well “Elvis Costello’s New Album Is His Best This Century” Yes it is. Look Now has the horns and backing vocals of Punch the Clock, more Bacharach collaborations like Painted from Memory, varied production that … Continue reading →

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music: Corduroy transcends Acid Jazz

Posted on 2018-09-22 by skierpage

I somehow found out about Acid Jazz in 1992 entirely through a few compilation CDs. One of them (100% Acid Jazz) contained an effervescent funky pop song called “Mini” by Corduroy, about… the Mini car. I like the way your … Continue reading →

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Minox James Bond off-hours camera

Posted on 2018-09-22 by skierpage

Minox was moderately famous for making a tiny spy camera using 16mm film. But they also made the smallest 35mm camera in the world (100 x 61 x 31mm or just 2.4″ tall), and I owned several as each broke … Continue reading →

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music: compare and contrast

Posted on 2018-07-01 by skierpage

The most excellent Brandon Harris asked his followers for musical “must pick one” binary choices. My thoughts (I refuse to pick!): Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson or Prince Both choices are earthshaking performer vs. musical creator. MJ delivered … Continue reading →

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disintermediation: The end game for retail, and how you can profit

Posted on 2018-05-23 by skierpage

It doesn’t make any sense for 50 merchants to be selling the (allegedly) same battery or memory card through Amazon. Most ship through Amazon or even commingle items, so the robot pulls your order from one shelf filled with all … Continue reading →

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computers: my legendary Herman-Miller Levity standing desk

Posted on 2018-04-06 by skierpage

For months I tried to give my old adjustable desk to a museum, or at least to someone who has a use for it. It’s the Levity by Herman-Miller, an impressive piece of late 90s office design. It goes from … Continue reading →

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science: how can DNA do so much?

Posted on 2018-03-05 by skierpage

Every time I’m in a doctor’s office and see an anatomical poster showing the shape of the bones in your ear, or the five layers of the cornea and the custom oil ducts that keep it lubricated, or the name … Continue reading →

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music: stupidly great and in love

Posted on 2018-02-14 by skierpage

Happy Valentine’s Day! Setting up a global guarantee One of the sweetest love songs is “Wonderful World,” written and performed by Sam Cooke (who rewrote the original Lou Adler & Herb Alpert song). Go listen: Don’t know much about geography … Continue reading →

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