Friday, May 02, 2008
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Mitchell Report
From the Mitchell Report [6.5MB PDF], page 219:
When the Boston Red Sox were considering acquiring Gagné, a Red Sox official made specific inquiries about Gagné’s possible use of steroids. In a November 1, 2006 email to a Red Sox scout, general manager Theo Epstein asked, "Have you done any digging on Gagne? I know the Dodgers think he was a steroid guy. Maybe so. What do you hear on his medical?" The scout, Mark Delpiano, responded,Unbelievable that we traded Kason Gabbard and two minor league outfielders for him after that.
Some digging on Gagne and steroids IS the issue. Has had a checkered medical past throughout career including minor leagues. Lacks the poise and commitment to stay healthy, maintain body and re invent self. What made him a tenacious closer was the max effort plus stuff . . . Mentality without the plus weapons and without steroid help probably creates a large risk in bounce back durability and ability to throw average while allowing the changeup to play as it once did . . . Personally, durability (or lack of) will follow Gagne . . .
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Kitten pictures are up
These are the kittens on Day 2. We still haven't named them, but we're getting to know them, and they're acclimating to their new home faster than we expected. In a couple of days, I think they'll be ready to explore the living room. And they are both female.
I also have a newfound appreciation for fast lenses. It was hard enough taking pictures without a flash and without any natural light. They would have come out terrible if not for this 50mm prime (thanks Eugene).
The whole album is available now.
Kittens!
Yesterday we brought home a new pair of kittens! One of them is an all black DSH female, and the other is a brown mackerel tabby with white socks. We thought that one was male, but the medical sheet says female. Hard to tell at this age without veterinary training, I guess. It also says DLH, but I'm thinking this is a DSH cat. They're not from the same litter, so the mackerel is two weeks older than the black one, but it's the shy one all the same. No names yet; we need a couple days to learn their personalities.
We set up the guest bathroom as a safe room, and are confining the kittens there until they're ready [PDF] to explore a little more of the apartment. And since it's been 13 years since I last had kittens, I've been brushing up on training and kitten care by plowing through a couple books. Though, one of the authors goes a little overboard. I mean, homemade meals?
I think it's great that we brought home a black cat on Halloween.
More to follow!
We set up the guest bathroom as a safe room, and are confining the kittens there until they're ready [PDF] to explore a little more of the apartment. And since it's been 13 years since I last had kittens, I've been brushing up on training and kitten care by plowing through a couple books. Though, one of the authors goes a little overboard. I mean, homemade meals?
I think it's great that we brought home a black cat on Halloween.
More to follow!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Postparty Depression
I've seen some pretty weird day-after-a-party away messages before, but this one takes the cake:
If you're missing one of the following items, please contact me:
1) A Digital Camera
2) A Make Up bag
3) Handcuffs?
4) An Indian Headress
5) A Plastic thing that looks alarmingly phallic
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Forcing the Location Bar to Display in Firefox
Do you drive at night with your headlights off? Probably not. But many people do it on the Internet all the time.
Have you ever noticed how some popup windows seem to hide all the toolbars you're used to seeing in your web browser? That's because JavaScript's window.open() method gives developers a great deal of control over the look of their new window. Sometimes this feature is used correctly by a website to provide a clean interface, but it can be used maliciously as well.
For example, let's say that on a certain bank's website, clicking Login opens a new window for you to check your balance, make transfers, and pay bills. The popup code hides the address bar to make the user experience more sleek. Now suppose the website gets hacked, and the attacker changes the popup code to point to his web server. The login prompt looks exactly the same, but now your password is being sent to a criminal instead of to the bank. Congratulations, you're broke.
Popup with menu and location bar removed.
Internet Explorer turned this on by default in version 7. Users can disable it through the program's settings if they choose, but websites can't force it to hide under the default settings. This is a good thing, and I'm surprised Firefox hasn't followed suit.
You can enable this feature manually in Firefox by opening a new tab and typing about:config in the location bar. This is the command and control center of Firefox, and it's possible to break things if you're reckless, so click with care. The filter bar at the top of the page lets you quickly navigate the hundreds of internal Firefox settings. You are looking for dom.disable_window_open_feature.location. I found that just typing location narrowed the list down enough to find it. Double click on the entry in the list so the Value becomes true. That's it.
Now when you open a popup, the URL will always display, even if the web developer intended to disable it.
The location bar will always display now.
The additional security of knowing where you are more than outweighs the drawback of a slightly messier user interface.
Don't drive at night with your lights off.
Have you ever noticed how some popup windows seem to hide all the toolbars you're used to seeing in your web browser? That's because JavaScript's window.open() method gives developers a great deal of control over the look of their new window. Sometimes this feature is used correctly by a website to provide a clean interface, but it can be used maliciously as well.
For example, let's say that on a certain bank's website, clicking Login opens a new window for you to check your balance, make transfers, and pay bills. The popup code hides the address bar to make the user experience more sleek. Now suppose the website gets hacked, and the attacker changes the popup code to point to his web server. The login prompt looks exactly the same, but now your password is being sent to a criminal instead of to the bank. Congratulations, you're broke.
Popup with menu and location bar removed.
Internet Explorer turned this on by default in version 7. Users can disable it through the program's settings if they choose, but websites can't force it to hide under the default settings. This is a good thing, and I'm surprised Firefox hasn't followed suit.
You can enable this feature manually in Firefox by opening a new tab and typing about:config in the location bar. This is the command and control center of Firefox, and it's possible to break things if you're reckless, so click with care. The filter bar at the top of the page lets you quickly navigate the hundreds of internal Firefox settings. You are looking for dom.disable_window_open_feature.location. I found that just typing location narrowed the list down enough to find it. Double click on the entry in the list so the Value becomes true. That's it.
Other components you can force to always display.
Now when you open a popup, the URL will always display, even if the web developer intended to disable it.
The location bar will always display now.
The additional security of knowing where you are more than outweighs the drawback of a slightly messier user interface.
Don't drive at night with your lights off.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Blog Action Day: Recycling Your Old Electronics
This post is part of Blog Action Day, a movement where over 20,000 blogs committed to post about the environment on October 15, 2007.
Why Recycle?
Despite their simple, sleek exteriors, modern electronics actually contain several dozen different substances. Many of these materials are toxic or carcinogenic, including significant amounts of:
Recycling prevents these toxins from affecting the environment, and also allows manufacturers to reuse materials. Lead, tin, copper, aluminum, iron, zinc, gold, mercury, silicon, nickel, cadmium, and lithium can all be extracted from recycled electronics, purified, and reused.
Governments are starting to increase recycling by doing what they do best: legislation. In Maine, all televisions and computer monitors must now be recycled. California has started assessing an Electronic Waste Recycling Fee on devices with screens and monitors. In September 2006, the European Union declared that rechargeable batteries become hazardous waste when discarded. More regulations and incentives are sure to follow.
How Recycling is Done
First, huge stockpiles of electronic waste are gathered together.
The parts are ground and reground until all that's left are tons of e-dust.
This guy melts it all down. What a pal!
And with the magic of extractive metallurgy, the various metals are isolated and turned into ingots! This one is amateur.
The metals are then sold for profit. I can't source it, but I heard that a computer motherboard has about $1.25 of recyclable metals in it, and it takes about 80 cents to extract them.
How to Recycle
Today's consumers are more scrutinizing than they ever have been, and companies know this. In recent years, most of the major computer manufacturers have adopted recycling practices that make it easy, and often free, for consumers to get rid of old equipment cleanly. Look for the
icon in this post for solutions that won't cost you a cent.
Computers and Computer Equipment
Printer waste was the first type of equipment that many manufacturers recycled, and today almost all inkjet and toner cartridges can be recycled. Most of the time, the packaging for new cartridges comes with either an prepaid envelope or prepaid shipping label. For small inkjet cartridges, you simply put the old cartridge in the envelope, seal it, and throw it in the mailbox. For laser toners, peel the label and slap it on the outside of the toner box. You'll also have to find a pickup location for the courier.
This one is easy. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is a non-profit organization that runs a program called Call2Recycle™, which collects old cell phones and rechargeable batteries at no cost to the consumer. Simply drop any cell phone, Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Li-ion, or small sealed lead battery in a drop box. The RBRC has managed to place 30,000 free drop boxes nationwide by partnering with major chains, including:
Other Options
If you have old equipment from a manufacturer with a poor recycling policy, all hope is not lost! Staples has a program called Staples Soul, which accepts any brand of computer equipment at all Staples stores for a small fee. Each large piece of equipment (computer, monitor, laptop, printer, fax machine, etc.) costs $10 to drop off. Accessories like keyboards, mice, and speakers are free. At this price, a standard computer with monitor and printer would cost $30 total to recycle, with no shipping hassle.
State of the Industry
Overall, it's a mixed bag. Some companies really get it, and offer free and easy recycling, while others have merely paid lip service to the environment. Dell's policy is head and shoulders over the competition, with free recycling of all Dell-branded equipment, free recycling of any equipment with the purchase of a Dell computer, and online shipping label printing. Apple's policy comes close, too. In the printer space, Dell, HP, and Lexmark have great practices. The RBRC has cell phones and batteries covered. And Staples' cheap and simple service covers all the rest.
Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, Canon, and Epson should take a lesson from these examples and clean up their acts. It should be free whenever possible, and it has to be easy. Anything less is just patronizing the consumer, and promoting a useless policy with hollow words.
Large corporations don't do anything unless there is money in it. Dell and Apple have realized that spending a little more on their recycling program is offset by the boost it gives their corporate image, resulting in more sales. Corporations, especially public ones, can't really be blamed for this, so an extra push is needed to encourage more complete recycling programs from them. This is where the government comes in.
I predict that over the next few years, we will see:
Why Recycle?
Despite their simple, sleek exteriors, modern electronics actually contain several dozen different substances. Many of these materials are toxic or carcinogenic, including significant amounts of:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Cadmium
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (carcinogenic)
Recycling prevents these toxins from affecting the environment, and also allows manufacturers to reuse materials. Lead, tin, copper, aluminum, iron, zinc, gold, mercury, silicon, nickel, cadmium, and lithium can all be extracted from recycled electronics, purified, and reused.
Governments are starting to increase recycling by doing what they do best: legislation. In Maine, all televisions and computer monitors must now be recycled. California has started assessing an Electronic Waste Recycling Fee on devices with screens and monitors. In September 2006, the European Union declared that rechargeable batteries become hazardous waste when discarded. More regulations and incentives are sure to follow.
How Recycling is Done
First, huge stockpiles of electronic waste are gathered together.
The parts are ground and reground until all that's left are tons of e-dust.
This guy melts it all down. What a pal!
And with the magic of extractive metallurgy, the various metals are isolated and turned into ingots! This one is amateur.
The metals are then sold for profit. I can't source it, but I heard that a computer motherboard has about $1.25 of recyclable metals in it, and it takes about 80 cents to extract them.
How to Recycle
Today's consumers are more scrutinizing than they ever have been, and companies know this. In recent years, most of the major computer manufacturers have adopted recycling practices that make it easy, and often free, for consumers to get rid of old equipment cleanly. Look for the
icon in this post for solutions that won't cost you a cent.Computers and Computer Equipment
- Dell – Of all the major computer manufacturers, Dell's recycling program is the most comprehensive. They will accept any Dell-branded equipment for free, at any time, and pay shipping. After filling out a form online, a prepaid DHL waybill can be printed out, and DHL will come straight to your doorstep to pick up the boxes. It's that easy! Dell also allows you to recycle non-Dell equipment for free when you purchase a Dell computer. The shipping waybills are automatically included in the packing for the new computer, and you can just reuse that same box.
- HP/Compaq – HP's recycling program is straightforward, but not free. They charge between $13-$34 per item, and you can order the waybills online. I quoted a standard PC, monitor, and inket printer in 3 separate boxes at $59.
- Sony – Sony will allow you to return an old Sony notebook computer to them in exchange for store credit, but the age of the laptop affects the amount of the refund. The company has also partnered with Waste Management to accept Sony electronics at any of its dropoff locations (PDF) at no charge. This sounds like it would also include Sony televisions. It was disappointing that I couldn't find any recycling information directly from Sony's online store.
- Toshiba – Although it is advertised as a recycling program, Toshiba's solution is just a glorified trade-in program through the logistics contractor DealTree. If you have decent, working equipment to trade in, you can get a refund on the purchase of a new Toshiba computer, but the website is so clunky I'm surprised they even bother. Older equipment with "no trade-in value" is accepted for the price of shipping.
- Gateway – Like Toshiba, Gateway contracts with DealTree to trade in old Gateway-branded equipment. Same difficult interface, and you must provide a proof of purchase for each item you trade in.
- Lenovo/IBM – For $30, Lenovo will give you a single shipping label. By the description, they somehow expect you to fit a PC, monitor, keyboard, and printer into a single 26" cube box. Good luck.
- Apple – Apple will pay shipping to trade in of any brand old computer and/or monitor with the purchase of new Apple one. You print a confirmation email and take the boxed equipment to an authorized FedEx shipping location. The company also offers 10% off any new iPod when you recycle your old one. Finally, all Apple stores will recycle iPods and all brands of cell phones at no cost.
Printer waste was the first type of equipment that many manufacturers recycled, and today almost all inkjet and toner cartridges can be recycled. Most of the time, the packaging for new cartridges comes with either an prepaid envelope or prepaid shipping label. For small inkjet cartridges, you simply put the old cartridge in the envelope, seal it, and throw it in the mailbox. For laser toners, peel the label and slap it on the outside of the toner box. You'll also have to find a pickup location for the courier.
- HP – Most inkjet cartridges come with a prepaid USPS envelope in the box, and most laser toners, fuser kits, and transfer kits come with prepaid UPS labels. You can also order prepaid collection boxes that hold many cartridges from their website.
- Epson – There is a recycling program for general equipment like printers and scanners, but it costs $10 per item. There doesn't appear to be any support for recycling printer cartridges. At least one third party has attempted to recycle Epson ink cartridges without success.
- Canon – Canon has recycled 110,000 tons of copier toner cartridges since 1990, but they don't accept regular inkjet or laser toner cartridges. A Canon account is also required.
- Dell – All Dell-labeled equipment is free to recycle, and printer supplies are no different. Inkjet cartridges come with prepaid envelopes, and prepaid waybills for laser toner can be printed from Dell's website.
- Lexmark – Like HP, both inkjet and laser toner cartridges come with prepaid envelopes or labels, and you can request free additional envelopes and labels online. You can also ship them old Lexmark printers with no additional fee; you provide the shipping in that case.
This one is easy. The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is a non-profit organization that runs a program called Call2Recycle™, which collects old cell phones and rechargeable batteries at no cost to the consumer. Simply drop any cell phone, Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Li-ion, or small sealed lead battery in a drop box. The RBRC has managed to place 30,000 free drop boxes nationwide by partnering with major chains, including:
- Best Buy
- Circuit City
- The Home Depot
- Lowe's
- Office Depot
- OfficeMax
- RadioShack
- Sears
- Staples
- Target
Other Options
If you have old equipment from a manufacturer with a poor recycling policy, all hope is not lost! Staples has a program called Staples Soul, which accepts any brand of computer equipment at all Staples stores for a small fee. Each large piece of equipment (computer, monitor, laptop, printer, fax machine, etc.) costs $10 to drop off. Accessories like keyboards, mice, and speakers are free. At this price, a standard computer with monitor and printer would cost $30 total to recycle, with no shipping hassle.
State of the Industry
Overall, it's a mixed bag. Some companies really get it, and offer free and easy recycling, while others have merely paid lip service to the environment. Dell's policy is head and shoulders over the competition, with free recycling of all Dell-branded equipment, free recycling of any equipment with the purchase of a Dell computer, and online shipping label printing. Apple's policy comes close, too. In the printer space, Dell, HP, and Lexmark have great practices. The RBRC has cell phones and batteries covered. And Staples' cheap and simple service covers all the rest.
Toshiba, Sony, Lenovo, Canon, and Epson should take a lesson from these examples and clean up their acts. It should be free whenever possible, and it has to be easy. Anything less is just patronizing the consumer, and promoting a useless policy with hollow words.
Large corporations don't do anything unless there is money in it. Dell and Apple have realized that spending a little more on their recycling program is offset by the boost it gives their corporate image, resulting in more sales. Corporations, especially public ones, can't really be blamed for this, so an extra push is needed to encourage more complete recycling programs from them. This is where the government comes in.
I predict that over the next few years, we will see:
- More legislation mandating electronics recycling.
- Tax incentives and/or penalties to promote better recycling programs by companies.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Trending your Google Search Habits
I recently stumbled upon Google Web History, which uses the Google Toolbar to record and make your every move on the web searchable by you (if you desire). Alternatively, it can be set to just record your Google search history.
That's cool, especially because you can delete individual searches and visits from your history if you don't want them to show up. But the most interesting feature to me is the Trends feature. In addition to showing your most common queries, sites, and pages, it also aggregates your history by month, day of the week, and hour of the day.
Here at work, our flagship product is a web application, and our traffic logger can also calculate these statistics, so I decided to overlay them (N ~ 8.5M) against my own Google search history (N ~ 6K). The two series are normalized to have the same total area.
As you can see, I do the vast majority of my searches during the week. This is for a few reasons:
This one is a bit more interesting. The blue series shows usage peaks during the late morning and early afternoon, with the typical lunch break in the middle. Our customers are entirely within the United States, and almost everyone is done using our site by 6PM EST. The overnight tails are primarily internal use from our Asia operations.
I'm not exactly an early riser, and usually my day begins by responding to email, so there is a significant lag between our site's activity and my own Googling. There is definitely a lunch break in my sample, but I think the jaggedness of the midday is more due to sampling error than anything else. The drop at 20 (8 PM) is probably because I usually have a later dinner. Then the activity picks back up.
I wonder what I searched for at 6 AM? Wait, Google can tell me! Turns out most of my crack-of-dawn searches are for WBZ and maps: must have been traffic reports and driving directions for early departures.
What's in your search history?
That's cool, especially because you can delete individual searches and visits from your history if you don't want them to show up. But the most interesting feature to me is the Trends feature. In addition to showing your most common queries, sites, and pages, it also aggregates your history by month, day of the week, and hour of the day.
Here at work, our flagship product is a web application, and our traffic logger can also calculate these statistics, so I decided to overlay them (N ~ 8.5M) against my own Google search history (N ~ 6K). The two series are normalized to have the same total area.
As you can see, I do the vast majority of my searches during the week. This is for a few reasons:
- I use Google extensively for my job.
- I use my computer less on the weekend.
- I rarely work over the weekend (thankfully).
This one is a bit more interesting. The blue series shows usage peaks during the late morning and early afternoon, with the typical lunch break in the middle. Our customers are entirely within the United States, and almost everyone is done using our site by 6PM EST. The overnight tails are primarily internal use from our Asia operations.
I'm not exactly an early riser, and usually my day begins by responding to email, so there is a significant lag between our site's activity and my own Googling. There is definitely a lunch break in my sample, but I think the jaggedness of the midday is more due to sampling error than anything else. The drop at 20 (8 PM) is probably because I usually have a later dinner. Then the activity picks back up.
I wonder what I searched for at 6 AM? Wait, Google can tell me! Turns out most of my crack-of-dawn searches are for WBZ and maps: must have been traffic reports and driving directions for early departures.
What's in your search history?
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