Legal Content for a Typically Illegal Channel [Legal Torrents]

BitTorrent, is a popular P2P protocol used to share a large amount of data. It's a great way to download and share data quickly and efficiently. Its primary usage is to share/download illegal content. With a judge recently found Piratebay, a huge index of BT content, guilty of copyright infringement,* and countries cracking down and making arrests,

This is very unfortunate because it's such a great channel. LegalTorrents, is one of the few places trying to turn the tide. Their content is open-license (Creative Commons) and the control over the torrents are held by the site. Check it out and see what legal content is available for your consumptive pleasure!

* Note, there's been some recent controversy over the case (namely the judge is a member ofthe Swedish Copyright Association and the Swedish Association for Industrial Legal Protection).

A Peephole into the White House [Voyeurism]

The White House now has an official White House flickr stream. If you can't enough of Barack, Bo, Michelle, and the rest of the White House party, check out the stream.

I'm curious, does the White House have to pay the $24.95 for a flickr pro account? Or can they buy a bulk 4 year subscription fee?

OLED [Technology]

You may have already seen Nokia's concept nano phone. Turns out that we may see something like that sooner than we think.

Check out the Youtube video of Sony's full-color OLED:


Source: JMG-galleries

May Beats [2009 Playlist]

Well, I can't believe how fast its been, but I've just completed three months in California. Something about the sun or maybe the food, but my tastes but at my April 2009 list, I've realized that I'm become more mainstream. My eclectic tastes from the margin seem to becoming the main.

I rather be open and host then try to built "indie" cred. That is why I've included guilty pleasures like Lady Gaga (please don't gag, I am trying to be completely honest here).

So, with that disclaimer, I present you with my April list:

1. MGMT - Kids Oracular: It's thick, its uplifting, its fun. I can't help but continue to bring MGMT back to my list.
   
2. Lady Gaga - Just Dance (Trevor Simpson Radio Edit): I don't know why I like this song. But its uplifting and full of energy.
   
3. A.R. Rahman - Paper Airplanes (DFA Remix): From the slumdog millionaire soundtrack. I started listening to MIA after her kick-ass performance at the grammys.
4. *The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name (LA Riots Remix): More mindless club-type remixes. It has a tinge of Yelle and some Darude blended together.
5. Company of Thieves - Pressure: Taking it down a couple notches, company of thieves is a Chi-town band. A little indie, a little alt rock makes a great song.
   
6. Death Cab For Cutie - A Diamond and A Tether: We all know death cab for cutie... and I love 'em. 'Nuff said.
   
7. *Elke - Blue Dream Lover (Christopher Robin Walkthrough): Thanks to the Internets, I'm discovering a ton of Australian bands. Electrorash has a couple of their remixes of their EP.
   
8. INXS - Never Tear Us Apart: Can I call this a classic? I find this song most impactful when during my bart ride home with the sun setting as I zip through Oakland. Yeah, sometimes we all want to live a pop song life.
   
9. Janelle Monáe - You Are My Everything: I found a copy of an unreleased version floating around the Internet. Very simple background, which accentuates her beautiful voice.
   
10. Jeniferever - The Sound of Beating Wings: Nothing like a little atmospheric post-rock ambiance to round out the top ten list.
    

* Click for download

In This Downturn, Google Hires Goats [Environment]

Over the weekend, I went up to Sonoma for winetasting. On the way back, I learned that Google hires goats on a monthly basis to trim the lawn.

The LA Times flushes it out LA Unleashed today:

When fields at the company's Mountain View headquarters needed brush and weeds cleared to reduce the fire hazard, it was decided that a herd of goats would be rented rather than using gasoline-powered mowers.

California Grazing provided approximately 200 goats, which spent about a week on the job. Not only did the animals clear the area, but they also fertilized it as well.

"It costs us about the same as mowing, and goats are a lot cuter to watch than lawn mowers," Google director of real estate and workplace services Dan Hoffman wrote in a posting on the company's official blog.

Read more here.

Milk and Honey in the Heartland [Chicago Food]

Last week, I went back to Chicago to visit K. While I <3 SF, a part of me is a bit sad that I won't be spending another summer in Chicago.

I find it always refreshing to be back in the heartland of Chicago, where the portions are.. well.. hearty. I've always wanted to check out Milk and Honey over on Division whiled I lived there. But, every time I walked passed it during the weekend, it was brimming with people.

Given the fact that its cafeteria style, hunting down seating is always rare when the place is full. I got a chance to check it out last week. The weather was a bit brisk, but warm when sitting outside--like San Fransico. K ordered the Crabcake with Chipotle Mayo and Shredded Lettuce. There was a nice kick thanks to the Chipotle mayo. I got the grilled Pastrami and swiss with horseradish-mustard spread on Dark Rye.

All is all, a great place to brunch!

Milk and Honey Cafe
1920 W. Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
773.395.9434

The Mile High High Wi Fi Club [Southwest Wi-Fi]

I'm on my way down to San Diego, CA for a couple days. We originally had plans to check out a couple places on the border, but given the current flu concerns, my plans have shifted a bit.

What is exciting, is the fact that I'm currently at cruising altitude writing this. I'm pretty stoked. For an hour flight, that means that I can be connected to all of you for another 45 minutes or so.

I've posted a screenshot of the landing page immediately after connecting to wi-fi. It's a bit busy, but there are a couple gems above the fold.

1. Updated Flight Information - The bar above the map shows your progress. Hovering over it allows you to read ETA, speed, and estimated time of arrival
   
2. Weather @ Destination - 'Nuff said. Always important
   
3. Trip Planner - The rest of the items are dedicated to helping you explore the city. From top recommendations to upcoming events.

I just learned how to perform a screenshot for a mac, but not sure how to add bubbles to highlight the image. Suggestions?

Now, if only they had an outlet for me to charge my laptop...

Update: As I start to descend, I wanted to provide a quick update on the speed. The speed is definitely a lot faster than I would've thought. Mind you, back in 2000 when I was working at a startup in Boston, we had 3 computers sharing a dialup connection. This is significantly faster. I was hoping to get in a hulu test. I was able to clock it via rietta and here are the results:

Start Time:	1240876274630
End Time:	1240876275271
Download Time:	0.641
Data Size:	508.466796875
Raw Speed:	793.2399327223088
KBPS:	6472.8
K BYTES/s:	793.2

Aged Well in Berkeley [Cheese]

The great thing about being in the bay area is the communal aspect of food. I was reading through Corby Kummer's earlier articles and came across an article on cheeses. There's a sidebar on Artisan cheeses. Lucky me, Corby highlights Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley.

Can't wait!

Image Source: Marxfoods.com

Do Re Mi [Choreographed Flash Mobs]

I went to my first Bring Your Own Big Wheels (BYOBW) event last weekend on potrero hill and left a happy, happy customer. While there, I heard of DJ Amandeep Jawa's Flash Dance events (Flash Mob + Dance Party).

View Larger Map

SF seems a bit zany and irreverent. I can't wait till I get a tweet from deepasaurus for the next dance party.

On a related tangent, have you seen what happened at Antwerp's Central Train Station in Belgium:

Barefoot Coffee Roasters [Coffee Shops]

Within miles of strip mall deserts, Barefoot Coffee Roasters is an oasis of different between a sleep train and a bed, bath, and beyond.
Barefoot is an "artisan" coffee shop. For a premium you get a dose of fair trade coffee with a dash of creativity.

I visited it over a weekend afternoon and found the staff really helpful in helping me navigate through the unique menu. He readily walked through each item. In the end, I settled with the "whim," which put my taste buds squarely in the hands of the barista.

While I'm not sure it's advisable to take off your shoes and prop 'em on a table, it's definitely a nice place to go with friends and catch-up.

Maybe I'll go back down during another weekend to check out their coffee and tea tasting classes.

Barefoot Coffee Roasters
5237 Stevens Creek Blvd
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 248-4500

Google Map

Image Source: Bradley Allen

Obama and Me [Presidential Similarities]

It's nice to see that Obama is also a bit depressed that BSG is now over. Maybe I can pick up gardening.