October 16, 2007
Austinites Lead Charge for Open iPhone
A current Business Week article notes the growing pressure to open the iPhone. William Hurley loves his iPhone. But he'd love it even more if he could write software for... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:33 PM
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Austin, Technology
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September 10, 2007
Alex Jones Busted
I'm surprised the local news outlets haven't picked this up: local conspiracy theorist and media star Alex Jones was busted in New York City for...well...being Alex Jones. Apparently Alex led... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:07 PM
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Austin, Current Events
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July 03, 2007
Drupal Presentation to 501 Tech Club
On July 16 I'm going to do a presentation to the local 501 Tech Club on the Drupal content management system. The 501 Tech Club is a networking group for... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:40 AM
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Austin, Community Technology
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June 19, 2007
Mom and Dad Come to Austin
Joe Bob Briggs came to town last weekend and screened Mom and Dad, an infamous exploitation "sex hygiene" film. Its infamy accrued from its sensational marketing campaigns, not its... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:33 AM
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Artsy and Fartsy, Austin
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June 16, 2007
Pet Adoptees Need to Chill Out
I just read that the Austin Humane Society lost their AC system two days ago and things are really heating up in there. I feel badly for the pets... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:53 PM
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Austin, My Happy Life
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April 05, 2007
Hello from Denny's
I'm posting this blog entry from the Denny's at Burnet and Anderson—simply because I can. Isn't free wifi great? I haven't been here in a long time. I was surprised... (read more)
Posted by chip at 09:58 PM
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Austin, The Net
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March 16, 2007
Jury Duty in Austin
I've never served on a jury before. Monday I go downtown to see if I get selected to serve. I've already done the online impaneling. Monday, I report to court... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:33 PM
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Austin
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December 20, 2006
Lincoln Properties: Talk to the Hand
Last week, Lincoln Properties, the owner of the Northcross Mall and the developer who plans to put a record setting mega-box store in the middle of our neighborhood, announced a... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:22 AM
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Austin, Current Events, Holidailies 2006
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December 15, 2006
The Wal-Mart Doomsday Device
I recently re-watched Doctor Strangelove with my wife. The movie introduces the idea of a doomsday device. Unfortunately, it all goes horribly wrong because the Russians never tell the United... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:47 AM
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Austin, Current Events, Holidailies 2006
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December 03, 2006
Why Regal Cinemas Suck
If you want to know what's so wrong with the movie business today, go look at somebody who is doing it right. That's easy here in Austin, because we're home... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:36 PM
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Artsy and Fartsy, Austin, Holidailies 2006, Rants
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November 02, 2006
Austin Technology Matters time change
A quick update to my previous post about my new access television show Austin Technology Matters. I just checked the posted programming schedule and the time has been bumped half... (read more)
Posted by chip at 06:31 PM
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Austin, Community Media
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November 01, 2006
The Corner Cheesesteak Store
We've got cheesesteaks in our neighborhood. Yay! Texadelphia just opened their 9th local store, and it's a short walk from my house. The location seems nice. There is a... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:26 PM
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Austin, In Your Face
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| Comments (2)
October 31, 2006
Austin Technology Matters premieres Thursday
I first mentioned the Austin Technology Matters television show early this month. And now, it's really, really happening. This Thursday (Nov. 2) at 8:30pm, tune into cable channel 10 to... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:54 PM
to:
Austin, Community Media
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| Comments (1)
October 21, 2006
At the imPACT Awards
I'm down at the PACT studios, helping set up for the first annual imPACT Awards. The awards happen tonight. They celebrate the best of public access television in Austin.... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:55 PM
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Austin, Community Media
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September 28, 2006
Recently, in a Smoky Bar
One recent night, I dropped into a local bar for a beer. There were two people there, one on either side of the bar. There was a pack of cigarettes... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:08 PM
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Austin, Current Events
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September 20, 2006
Freddie Steady in Galveston
Since there wasn't a lot of music happening in town last weekend (ha! ha!), I thought I'd drive down to Galveston to catch Austin's own Freddie "Steady" Krc at... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:55 AM
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Artsy and Fartsy, Austin
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August 21, 2006
Patent Troll Forgent threatened with Delisting
According to the Austin Business Journal, local company Forgent Networks has been threatened with delisting from the NASDAQ. Forgent's main product is lawsuits: threatening people who use standard JPEG image... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:35 PM
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Austin, Technology
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| Comments (0)
Last Call for Jean Caffeine
Long time Austin artist/musician Jean Caffeine is pulling up stakes and heading off for the great white north. She will be doing a farewell show this Wednesday evening (Aug. 23)... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:36 AM
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Artsy and Fartsy, Austin
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| Comments (0)
July 27, 2006
Endangered Access TV
Tonight, I sat down with Ruth Epstein of the local ACLU to record an interview on threats to public access television. The topic of the session was "Endangered Access TV."... (read more)
Posted by chip at 08:53 PM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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July 06, 2006
Chronicle runs protest photo, neglecting to mention Scientology connection
On page 15 of this week's Austin Chronicle, there is a photo of an anti-psychiatry rally. It's unfortunate they didn't assign a journalist to do some...you know...journalism. If so, they... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:14 PM
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Austin, Current Events
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July 04, 2006
Community Media Forum a Success
The Austin Community Media Forum happened recently. It was a great success. About 46 people showed up to discuss the future of public access television. The Austin Chronicle wrote about... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:58 PM
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Austin, Community Technology
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June 19, 2006
Austin Community Media Forum
This weekend, help build the future of community media in Austin. On Saturday (June 24) there will be a free day-long workshop. The Austin Community Media Forum seeks to include... (read more)
Posted by chip at 10:03 AM
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Austin, Community Technology
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April 30, 2006
A Visit to Austin Computer Stores
"[H] Consumer" has an interesting article on the computer buying experience at various national electronics stores. It's especially interesting in that the visits happened here in Austin. The article on... (read more)
Posted by chip at 07:07 PM
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Austin, Technology
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March 23, 2006
Putting the "Community Technology" into "Telecommunications"
I serve on the City of Austin Telecommunications Commission. We are trying to change our name to "Community Technology and Telecommunications Commission" and reorient our charter away from regulated services... (read more)
Posted by chip at 08:26 AM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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March 11, 2006
Jesse Taylor, or Why I Moved to Austin
I moved to Austin sixteen years ago because of Jesse "Guitar" Taylor. Jesse passed away this week. When people ask how I came to Austin, I usually explain how back... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:37 PM
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Artsy and Fartsy, Austin
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December 18, 2005
Scootanon
My favorite coffee shop in Austin is undergoing a change, and change makes me nervous. Trianon the Coffee Place has three locations around town. The Bee Caves Road location is... (read more)
Posted by chip at 07:33 PM
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Austin, Holidailies 2005, In Your Face
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December 17, 2005
Since When is Getting Reamed a Benefit?
If you are a Texan, you probably can't forget the dueling ad campaigns between the phone companies and cable companies during the last legislative session. In the end, a telecom... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:46 PM
to:
Austin, Holidailies 2005, Tech Policy
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| Comments (2)
December 10, 2005
Stupidity-Induced Internet Outages in Austin
The two biggest broadband Internet providers in Austin have had major, stupidity-induced service outages this week. First, SBC changed their DNS servers (for user client queries) without telling anybody. They... (read more)
Posted by chip at 10:57 PM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy, The Net
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| Comments (2)
September 08, 2005
Katrina-IT-Volunteers Mailing List is Active
A new mailing list has been setup for coordination and communication among the IT volunteers in Austin. If you are interested in participating, please consider joining the list. You can... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:30 PM
to:
Austin, Hurricane Katrina
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Jasmina Tesanovic at Austin Convention Center
Boing Boing has posted a report by Jasmina Tesanovic on her experience in the Austin Convention Center. This center for refugees is well-organized, compared to my ex Yugoslav experience. It... (read more)
Posted by chip at 09:04 AM
to:
Austin, Hurricane Katrina
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September 07, 2005
Katrina Relief: Fusebox Programmers Urgently Needed
There is an urgent need for Cold Fusion/Fusebox programmers to help develop automation tools to support the Austin shelter for Katrina evacuees. If you know anybody who can help, please... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:44 PM
to:
Austin, Hurricane Katrina
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September 06, 2005
Austin Linux User Group Pitches In
In the article A LUG pitches In, Austin-based tech journalist Joe Barr describes his experience—and that of other Austin Linux Group members—assisting with the IT needs at the Convention Center.... (read more)
Posted by chip at 04:26 PM
to:
Austin, Hurricane Katrina
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September 03, 2005
austinhelpingneworleans.org, and More
A new portal has been setup for Austin-area people who want to help with the Katrina aftermath. It's called austinhelpingneworleans.org. Additional shout out to Ray in Austin, who is covering... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:47 PM
to:
Austin, Hurricane Katrina
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August 29, 2005
Genuine Joe Coffeehouse
This liveblogging coming from the newly opened Genuine Joe Coffeehouse, 2001 W. Anderson Lane. Finally, an evening coffeehouse choice comes to north-central Austin. They are open until 10:00pm. I would... (read more)
Posted by chip at 09:35 PM
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Austin, In Your Face
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| Comments (3)
August 26, 2005
Adventures in Label Reading: H-E-B Coffee
I was at the local H-E-B yesterday to pick up some coffee for the office. While reading the side panel of the store brand Columbian coffee beans, I was surprised... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:20 PM
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Austin, In Your Face, My Happy Life
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| Comments (3)
August 11, 2005
No! No! No!
This November, Texans have an opportunity to enshrine bigotry in our state constitution. The No Nonsense in November PAC has just launched their web site to oppose the marriage constitutional... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:04 PM
to:
Austin, Current Events
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August 10, 2005
Birch Telecom Leaves Austin
News reports yesterday indicate that Birch Telecom is performing massive layoffs. Birch will terminate a third of their workforce. The company will close their Texas sales offices in Austin and... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:54 AM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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| Comments (1)
May 18, 2005
SB 408 Telecom Frankenbill is Dead
I recently wrote about how Rep. King tried to attach his bad telecom bills as amendments to SB 408, the otherwise innocuous PUC sunset bill, thus creating a dangerous telecom... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:26 PM
to:
Austin, Current Events, Tech Policy
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May 13, 2005
Texas Lege Nears Home Stretch
We are in the final month of the Texas legislative session. Midnight this morning was a key date in the legislative calendar. Any House bills that have not had their... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:47 PM
to:
Austin, Current Events, Tech Policy
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May 12, 2005
Letter to my State Rep. on Bad Telecom
Here is the letter I just sent to Texas state Rep. Elliott Naishtat on the bad telecom legislation currently in the Texas house. This legislation would do terrible things like... (read more)
Posted by chip at 08:50 AM
to:
Austin, Current Events
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May 08, 2005
Back to the Bars
This weekend, Austin voters went to the polls. A referendum was held to extend the current smoking ban in restaurants to nearly all establishments, including bars and bowling alleys. The... (read more)
Posted by chip at 08:47 PM
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Austin, My Happy Life
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March 23, 2005
Thank You, Todd Baxter
Today, the Texas House approved a telecom bill that puts troublesome limits on community Internet. It could, however, have much worse. Several representatives stood up and championed a bold vision... (read more)
Posted by chip at 10:57 PM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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| Comments (1)
February 20, 2005
Ask Todd Baxter to Support Public Wireless
Mar 23 update: Todd Baxter came through! This week, the Texas legislature will hold committee hearings for the anti-wireless bill. The committee members will determine whether the provisions to outlaw... (read more)
Posted by chip at 10:21 PM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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February 14, 2005
Gregg Knaupe, Spammer for City Council
Gregg Knaupe is running for a seat on the Austin City Council. Gregg Knaupe is also a spammer. Greg scraped the City of Austin web site, downloaded the list of... (read more)
Posted by chip at 08:24 PM
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Austin, Spam
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Texas Telcos Want to Kill Municipal Internet Access
Better enjoy your free wireless access in Austin parks and libraries while it lasts. It might not be around much longer. Adina Levin has noted that the omnibus telecom regulation... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:33 PM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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| Comments (1)
January 29, 2005
Public Hearing on Public Access TV
Austin was one of the first cities in the nation to develop public access channels on the local cable network. The public access channels are granted to the city, as... (read more)
January 01, 2005
Highland Galaxy is Out of this World
I hope the rest of 2005 is as nice as the first day has been. My girlfriend and I just returned from a low key—but nice—day around town. Everybody seemed... (read more)
Posted by chip at 09:06 PM
to:
Austin
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November 08, 2004
A Day at the Collector's Expo
This weekend, I visited the Austin's Collector Expo. There wasn't any kicking or screaming involved, but I didn't much enjoy it. The Crockett Center was full of tables, with vendors... (read more)
Posted by chip at 05:44 PM
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Austin
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| Comments (1)
October 23, 2004
Rail to Nowhere
Next month, my girlfriend and I are travelling east. We'll spend a few days with my sister in central Massachusetts, and then head into Boston for the rest of our... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:09 PM
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Austin
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September 04, 2004
Laptop Waste
Some people are surprised to learn that wiener, my trusty old Inspiron 7000 laptop, runs on electricity, not coal. Amazing, but true. Even more amazing, until recently, it was running... (read more)
Posted by chip at 10:34 AM
to:
Austin, Technology
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| Comments (4)
July 25, 2004
Austin Music Network Plans Move to Austin Access
The Austin Music Network (AMN) has had a difficult—sometimes troubled—past. At last week's Telecommunications Commission meeting, we heard a proposal to merge AMN into Austin Community Television (ACTV). We approved... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:54 PM
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Austin
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| Comments (3)
June 03, 2004
ISO Good Windows Support Person
A friend's mother suspects her computer has been badly infected by malware. She's tried to get it cleaned up, but believes expert assistance is required. So, she's in search of... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:43 PM
to:
Austin, Technology
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| Comments (5)
May 26, 2004
Promote Wireless for Underserved Communities
Today, I appeared before the Austin City Council Committee for Telecommunications Infrastructure to promote wireless technology. That's a topic that's received significant attention around Austin. The Council Committee directed the... (read more)
Posted by chip at 08:24 PM
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Austin, Technology
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| Comments (2)
May 25, 2004
MeFi Meetup
A meetup for Austin-area MetaFilter users has been scheduled for June 3rd. I think I may go. Anybody else? More info here.... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:20 PM
to:
Austin, Blogging 'bout Blogging
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| Comments (1)
May 17, 2004
Spam with your Salsa
Recently, I ordered a gift box of salsa from Jardine's Foods (of Buda) for my mom. Jardine gave me an extra little present that is causing me indigestion: they started... (read more)
Posted by chip at 05:16 PM
to:
Austin, Spam
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| Comments (1)
April 28, 2004
Terra Toys Resurfaces
We've watched the growing gentrification of South Congress consume those places that created its character. The saddest news of all was reported earlier this year, when it was announced that... (read more)
Fresh Air and Wi-Fi
I'm currently sitting in the Council Committee for Telecommunications Infrastructure meeting. Jay Stone of Austin Parks and Recreation Department just announced that the city, in cooperation with a number of... (read more)
Posted by chip at 04:09 PM
to:
Austin, Technology
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| Comments (1)
April 27, 2004
Wireless Shenanigans at the Hideout
Up until now, it's been a frustrating afternoon here at The Hideout. I was sitting in the back trying to use my laptop to do some work online. Wireless connectivity... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:40 PM
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Austin, Technology
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April 23, 2004
Happy Happy Waffle House
Only twice have I begged my girlfriend for something. I begged her to get a cat. She refused, saying maybe someday. I'm still begging her—been at it for months. She... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:51 AM
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Austin, My Happy Life
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| Comments (14)
April 20, 2004
KNVA Broadcaster of Bigotry
In the wee hours of this morning, I happened to be playing channel clickey with the television remote. I switched onto KNVA channel 54 and saw one of the most... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:19 PM
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Austin
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April 15, 2004
Cool Tools Community Goes Live
Link: Cool Tools for Change Community Forum. Last month, the LBJ School sponsored a Cool Tools for Change workshop. This workshop brought together people from the technology and non-profit sectors,... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:59 PM
to:
Austin, Technology
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March 17, 2004
SXSW: Lunchtime Roundup
Rosenthal's Corollary to Godwin's Law as applied to weblogs: the chance of a blogger posting a "what I had for lunch" entry approaches unity with time. In fact, this blog... (read more)
Posted by chip at 04:09 PM
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Austin, In Your Face
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Copyright and I.P. for Geeks
Tomorrow evening (March 18, 7:00pm), CACTUS is presenting a talk on copyright and intellectual property. The presentation will be by noted author Siva Vaidhyanathan, so it could be pretty cool.... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:27 AM
to:
Austin, Tech Policy
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March 13, 2004
SXSW: The $85 Blog Entry
The sickly batteries in my aged Dell Inspiron laptop won't hold much more than fourty-five minutes charge these days. I brought it with me to SXSW, thinking maybe I could... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:10 PM
to:
Austin, Technology
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| Comments (1)
March 09, 2004
Do Something for Democracy: Support Safe Electronic Voting
What's worse than a Florida-style election that degrades into a recount quagmire? How about an election that can't be recounted at all? When it comes to election integrity, "just trust... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:47 PM
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Austin, Current Events
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March 08, 2004
Austin Bloggers Status
The Austin Bloggers web site has been unavailable since last Friday. The problem is that the domain has lapsed and gone on hold. It's moved into a redemption period where... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:22 PM
to:
Austin, Blogging 'bout Blogging
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| Comments (1)
February 24, 2004
Phooey for Bad Eats: Manny Hattan's
I'm gonna have a pastrami on white bread with, uh, mayonnaise and tomatoes and lettuce. -Annie Hall I recently had one of my worst dining experiences in Austin at the... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:21 AM
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Austin, In Your Face
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| Comments (3)
Hooray for Good Eats: HPB&G
I recently had one of my best dining experiences in Austin at the Hyde Park Bar & Grill. Sad to say, I've lived in Austin for over a decade, but... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:20 AM
to:
Austin, In Your Face
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| Comments (1)
February 07, 2004
The Road to Wigan Pier
In the mid 20th century, George Orwell visited the English mining town of Wigan. He witnessed and wrote about the difficult lives of the coal miners. In The Road to... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:17 AM
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Austin
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January 30, 2004
Ruiz Library Grand Opening
This Saturday marks the grand opening of the Daniel E. Ruiz branch of the Austin Public Library. The festivities begin at 10:00 on January 31. The official press release notes:... (read more)
January 29, 2004
Disposable DVDs are Dumped
If you shop at H-E-B (and if you're a Texan, you probably do) you may have noticed the EZ-Ds (link to Flashturbated website omitted) display at the checkout. These are... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:17 PM
to:
Austin, Technology
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| Comments (2)
December 20, 2003
Austin Considers Open Source Software
Link: Austin tests desktop Linux waters. Two words that make any technology manager tremble: software audit. These audits examine every computer with a fine-toothed comb, ensuring every installed program is... (read more)
Posted by chip at 02:40 PM
to:
Austin, Software
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| Comments (2)
November 18, 2003
On the Road: Bubba Ho-tep is Coming
Last week, I was disappointed to see that Lost in Translation had left the Alamo Village before I had a chance to see it. I was quite pleased, however, to... (read more)
Posted by chip at 12:35 PM
to:
Austin, My Happy Life
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| Comments (2)
November 11, 2003
KGSR: Attack of the One Hit Wonders
It's been ages since I've listened to radio for long periods of time. Maybe I'll catch ten minutes here or there while driving around town. When I'm at home, I... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:10 PM
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Austin
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| Comments (1)
October 10, 2003
A Tale of Two Auto Shops
The little red brake light was going blinky, blinky. Last time I saw one of those it involved pads and turned rotors and hundreds of dollars. I was getting the... (read more)
Posted by chip at 07:10 PM
to:
Austin, My Happy Life
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| Comments (5)
September 24, 2003
Barf!
Late night carousing can wear a person down. I'm not looking for the rarefied atmosphere of some swanky Warehouse District martini bar. I just don't want to be completely grossed... (read more)
Posted by chip at 01:29 AM
to:
Austin
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| Comments (1)
August 19, 2003
Surf's Up
I heart trashy instrumental guitar music. Now, I can get a weekly dose, at the Hot Rod Surfin' Party every Monday night (9-12) at Beerland, Texas. This surf showcase is... (read more)
Posted by chip at 03:47 PM
to:
Austin
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| Comments (1)
August 07, 2003
News on the Texas Spam Law
Link: Legislation signals round one in the battle of spam. (News 8 Austin) In the linked story, I talked to News 8 Austin about the impending Texas spam law. Regular... (read more)
July 30, 2003
Pack my Bags, I'm going to JournalCon
Last week, I momentarily overcame my fear and trepidation and submitted my registration application for JournalCon Austin. Shortly thereafter I returned to my senses, and ever since I've been saying,... (read more)
Posted by chip at 11:19 PM
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Austin, Blogging 'bout Blogging, My Happy Life
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| Comments (7)