Tozai Todd

Thank You, BlockSite. Thank you.

todd — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:00:57 +0000

Was telling Scott the other day how nice it would be to have something that blocked you from certain sites so you could get work done. I dumped my RSS reader a couple of months and haven’t looked back. It’s been great. But there are still a tiny handful of sites that I’ll check patholigically, almost to the point that I wonder if I’m sick in the head, or suffer some kind of self-inflicted OCD. For example, I may step away from the desk to get a glass of water, go to the bathroom, whathaveyou, and when I come back, before I can get any work done, I have to hit a few sites. Just have to.

No more, thanks to the BlockSite addon for Firefox. Install, add the sites you want to keep yourself from, and you’re on your way to serenity and hopeful productivity. Wonderful.

Apparently, you do want most what you cannot have.

todd — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:30:32 +0000

Diabolical hotdog: Out of stock.

Rocketbird: Same. Sold out.

I’ve got time. I can wait.

We are criminals that never broke no laws.

todd — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 20:11:04 +0000

A Personal Touch

todd — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:58:57 +0000

Paul Newman is dead at 83. There’s much that can be written about him for his obituary, and was, but in the Times’, this one bit stood out:

In 1982, as a lark, he decided to sell a salad dressing he had created and bottled for friends at Christmas. Thus was born the Newman’s Own brand, an enterprise he started with his friend A. E. Hotchner, the writer.

For Christmas gifts one year, he made salad dressing for friends. It’s an extraordinary detail and such a touching, unassuming, selfless gesture.

Redrawn Chart of Obama Tax Plan vs McCain’s

todd — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:14:39 +0000

Redrawn Chart of Obama Tax Plan vs McCain’s , originally uploaded by tozaitodd.

Based on one that appeared in the Washington Post, but redrawn to scale. Read the post on Chartjunk for a better description of the differences between the two. The chart speaks volumes for both candidates, but more Americans would benefit from Obama’s plan.

I have that?

todd — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:45:20 +0000

I like the new grid view in iTunes 8. It’s a great way to rediscover stuff in your library, even something I might have just as well have left forgotten.

In 1987(88?), I paid good money for the cassette of Winger’s first album, and I listened to it, but mostly just the first side, if I remember correctly.

It’s Official: Obama Loves Wilco

todd — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:09:12 +0000

With some cogent comments from Jeff Tweedy as well.

What have I done to deserve this fate?

todd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:12:07 +0000

pete7356 sums it up in an atypically insightful YouTube comment:

Suggs and co are the only band that can make me feel good no matter how shit my life is

I love this song. Definitely Top 10 most loved songs material.

On the Nature of Community Organizers

todd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:05:14 +0000

Listener “Cynthia” in an email to Diane Rehm cuts to the quick:

“As a committed Christian, I was deeply offended by Sarah Palin and the Republican delegates mocking and belittling community organizers the other night…Jesus was a community organizer. Pontius Pilate was a governor.”

From about 26 minutes into Hour 1 of the Diane Rehm show from September 5, 2008.

Thanks, Cynthia, whoever you are.

Have you hugged your robot today?

todd — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:03:27 +0000

Awesome.