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May 27, 2005
In search of... summer reading
Summer is almost here and you may be thinking about expanding your reading list. With all the choices out there, it's hard to find a good book just by browsing through enormous categories like "mystery" or "novels." You may be in the mood for something funny, or dark, or challenging; you may want to read a story set in the Caribbean, or a book with a lot of plot twists, but how do you find a book that fits this mood?
I recommend giving whichbook.net a try. It's a web site developed by Openlibraries Ltd and Applied Psychology Research Ltd with the help of public libraries in the United Kingdom to help people find less well-known books by describing the kind of book they're looking for. The site features sliding scales for book mood and content, as well as plot and character descriptions. The main page uses Shockwave's Flash plug-in, but there is also a simple HTML-based version that replaces the sliding scales with drop-down lists.
Here's a look at how it works. Let's say I'm looking for a book with a young, female main character, set in the Mediterranean, with a plot that features a revelation. My search page would look like this:
I can stop here and click "go!" or continue to refine what I'm looking for. The above search example, by the way, came back with "The Birth of Venus" by Sarah Dunant, described as "a fascinating insight into early Renaissance Florence, this is an intensely imaginative novel, with a strong and captivating heroine."
The database does not include the biggest best sellers, but instead concentrates on books people might not find on their own. These are fiction and poetry published in English in paperback form since 1995. Entries are created by a team of 150 trained reviewers chosen by the libraries and literary organizations. Lists of the books included can be found here.
I usually cross-reference the book titles that are recommended with Amazon.com to get a more detailed description and reviewer comments. Using these sites together gives me lots of great book ideas.
Happy reading!
Posted by rigd0003 at 2:04 PM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2005
Another cool search engine
I heard about another great search engine through the Internet TOURBUS. This one calls itself a "visual meta search engine" and has all the visual benefits of Grokker, but does a better job of naming the categories and provides them to you as both a visual graphic and as a list.
It's called KartOO, and it's got lots of bells and whistles, but many are presented in an understated way so they don't distract from the information.
When you type in a search, like "Bayesian data analysis", you get a graphic on the right and a list on the left. In the graphic, the larger the page icons, the more relevant the search. Icons are color coded for source type (.net, .com), and tell you if the page is a web page, a home page, a file (like PDF, Excel, or Word), or multiple web pages affiliated with a single site. Turning your attention to the list, you can further refine your search by clicking on any of the subheadings or categories that were identified by the meta search.
Another cool thing is that in most instances you're not limited to just one graphic -- to just one representation of the search results. At the lower right-hand corner of the graphic is a link to display the next map, which gives you another categorization scheme of the same search.
They also provide a toolbar you can download, but it only works for Internet Explorer.
Give it a try and see what you think!
Posted by rigd0003 at 5:11 PM | Comments (1)
May 16, 2005
Search engine for visual thinkers
As a visual thinker, I find most search engines frustrating because the results are returned as a long list of links, with no indication of relationships. Often it takes a bit of trial and error find relevant content. It would be nice to have these results mapped out for me.
That's why I'm intrigued by a different kind of search engine tool called Grokker. It produces search results as a group of circular maps, combined by type or source of information. (The NY Times published a nice article about it last week.)
I don't see myself using Grokker to visualize searches like "pizza in Minneapolis" or to find a particular company's web site, but it could be really useful when I'm trying to understand a concept like "Bayesian analysis" or doing research on "lupus."
Do you grok it?
Posted by rigd0003 at 3:20 PM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2005
California central coast trip
Our vacation along California's Route 1 highway was a beautiful tour of sea, sand, coastal wildlife, and very twisty roads. By camping our way up the coast from San Luis Obispo to San Francisco, we had access to some of California's best beaches and parks on the cheap. This is definitely a "must see" experience!
This was the view from our solo camp site at Monta�a de Oro State Park, near San Luis Obispo. By far the best view we've experienced in our long years of camping.
Dining with a view... We've got this sunset all to ourselves. Interested? You can reserve it online (it's the Deer Flats site)
MdO also had amazing tide pools, easily accessible from their coastal trail.
Our drive up the coast was gorgeous... and hair-raising. Hwy 1 up to Big Sur gives new meaning to those yellow "caution: winding roads" road signs.
Paying $9 per night to camp at Andrew Molera gave us access to its beautiful beaches, plus all the state parks nearby. Here's a great shot of coastal redwoods in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Monterey Bay is a spectacular and special place. We saw lots of marine life on our whale watch tour, including a huge pack of Risso's dolphins.
Lots of wildlife, big and small. This voracious snail was part of a large group that emerged after a long rain to snack on the lovely garden in the Mission San Luis Obispo de Toloso.
Posted by rigd0003 at 4:23 PM | Comments (0)
Class in America
Interesting article in the NYT today, Class in America: Shadowy Lines That Still Divide. It's long, but very good, especially around the ideas and ideals of "meritocracy":
A paradox lies at the heart of this new American meritocracy. Merit has replaced the old system of inherited privilege, in which parents to the manner born handed down the manor to their children. But merit, it turns out, is at least partly class-based. Parents with money, education and connections cultivate in their children the habits that the meritocracy rewards. When their children then succeed, their success is seen as earned.
Check out how class rankings work and see where you fit in using their interacitve tool.
Posted by rigd0003 at 1:22 PM | Comments (0)
May 13, 2005
Do you really think Hillary could do it?
Just finished reading this NYT story, Oddly, Hillary and, Yes, Newt Agree to Agree, and it got me thinking. Do you really think Hillary could go all the way to become president?
One the one hand, there's a lot of vehement loathing for her on the Republican side. That kind of hate, like many Democrats' hate of g. w., seems to have a life force of its own. It's going to be another very polarized election, and the conservatives' anti-Hillary rallying cry is sure to bring out lots of folks.
I have to admit, I never thought she walked on water like many liberal women did during the Clinton era -- and still do. But I've gotta tell ya, I'm a bit giddy at the thought of a liberal woman in the White House. (I'm sure my brother is having an apoplectic fit at this point -- sorry, D.)
How many other women feel this way, I wonder? Enough to put Hillary in the White House in '09?
Discuss...
Updated to bring you -- Bonus Round Questions! (thanks to Emily)
Q1: Do you think being a woman would make it harder or easier (or no difference) for her to win the Democratic nomination?
Q2: If nominated, do you think being a woman or being a liberal (or both, or neither) would be the biggest hindrance to winning the presidency?
Posted by rigd0003 at 1:08 PM | Comments (3)
May 10, 2005
BakePacker field test
Just got back from an amazing trip to California's central coast. I'll be posting some pictures soon, but in the meantime I thought I'd give an updated review. A while back, we purchased this cool-sounding camping gadget called the BakePacker that purported to cook -- and bake -- great meals in your camping pot with no dishes to do.
Our field testing resulted in mixed reviews. We used the BakePacker to cook meals we bought from Adventure Foods, which creates dishes especially for the BakePacker.
It turns out that cooking with the BakePacker is a bit of an acquired skill. The first night I think we had the burner flame up too high because a little hole developed in the bottom of our cooking bag, getting baked ziti sauce all over the BakePacker and pot. So much for the "eliminates dish washing."
The next night, we turned down the flame but didn't cook our Potatoes au Gratin long enough, leaving the grated potatoes a bit crisp. Both nights I think we added too much water (even though we followed the directions) because both dishes were pretty soupy. Both of these dishes were fairly good, just not as tasty as the stuff we normally bring camping (which is really yummy organic backpacking food from Mary Janes Farm).
But where the BakePacker performed quite well was, understandably, with the baked goods. We made some honey cornbread and a big potato pancake, both of which turned out pretty well, although they were a bit dry. All-in-all, the BakePacker was pretty cool, but it took some adjusting to get the desired results and I think it works best for baked items. Part of my disappointment was probably with the food we selected for the BakePacker and not the cooker itself. The BakePacker comes with some recipes and tips for experimenting, which I might try instead of relying on pre-mixes from Adventure Foods.
One last note: one item from Adventure Foods that was a total hit was the Mud Pie Bar. The web site says "Wow!" and it really is amazingly good. Just add a tiny bit of water to the mix, knead it a bit, and press it into a bar shape. It's a gooey chocolate, caramel, and nut slice of heaven. This is the one luxury you've got to pack on your next hike! (Of course, depending on your definition, you might label toilet paper a "luxury item"... but not me, babe, I'm not that gung ho!)
Posted by rigd0003 at 4:23 PM | Comments (0)