Author Archives: Jeff Porten

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
Oh, the NYT had to go and quote Rob Enderle again, who is apparently an expert on things. nyti.ms/SU89BT

Jason Snell @jsnell:
@GlennF I saw that and was so disappointed. He is so terrible, and his quote in there is a joke.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jsnell WTF does Enderle know from global supply chains? Why would you quote him on manufacturing?

@GlennF @jsnell Starting to wonder if he’s so often ridiculed that the word Enderle by itself has SEO value.

Dan Frakes @danfrakes:
Customer review of Bluetooth speakers: “Horrible! Still need to plug them in for power.”

@danfrakes “However, my ears did indeed receive the music wirelessly.”

Lex Friedman @lexfri:
Are there any Hannuakh iOS apps that aren’t dreadfully awful?

I’m really asking.

@lexfri What, exactly, should a Hanukah app do? (Aside from extending the battery for 8 days.)

Lex Friedman @lexfri:
@jeffporten Ha. Good question.

John Scalzi @scalzi:
The can was closed. Because: Look on wife’s face if I had to explain spilling soda on the stairs. IT STILL COUNTS.

@scalzi You wouldn’t have this problem if you had switched to Crystal Pepsi.

John Scalzi @scalzi:
@jeffporten I would have other problems then, like being trapped in 1993.

@scalzi 1993. Those were good times. We had hair, for instance.

Peter Cohen @flargh:
Enough about an Apple-made television. After hearing Tim Cook talk about the Jetsons, I want Apple to build me a Rosie the Robot.

Moltz @Moltz:
@flargh Worst. Sexbot. Ever.

@flargh The hell with that. Ask for a platinum duplicate from Kiln People.

Peter Cohen @flargh:
@Moltz Takes one to know one.

Moltz @Moltz:
@flargh I don’t have to take that from someone who wants to bang Rosie the robot.

Peter Cohen @flargh:
@Moltz All I’m saying is that it’s gotta be better than a Roomba with a Fleshlight.

@flargh @moltz If I’m considering a Roomba with a Fleshlight, I think I *want* that to come with an Apple walled garden.

Peter Cohen @flargh:
@jeffporten @moltz Hey, public sex is a turn on for some people.

@flargh @moltz Considering my usual style of being at the bleeding edge of technology, I’ll wait until the sexdoll goes more mainstream.

@flargh @moltz Note: bleeding edge in this case should not actually bleed.

Lex Friedman @lexfri:
Fire! Fire! Oh geez, I’m on fi—oh, my MacBook Pro is on my lap.

@lexfri The trick is to build up callouses with a PowerBook 5300ce.

Serenity Caldwell @settern:
When Lego turns your hobby into a mini fig, you know you’ve made it. minifigures.lego.com/en-us/Bios/Def… Derby Girl

@settern Does it come with adorable little bloodstains?

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
Mr @lexfri answers the question: is there a password so filthy one cannot bear to type it in?

@GlennF @lexfri Now that you mention it, PaulRyan4President would be an excellent password to confound anyone who even slightly knows me.

Philip Michaels @PhilipMichaels:
@GlennF @lexfri ClownSexGingrichNude

@PhilipMichaels This is the secret password to get a Sad Mac icon on OS X, right? @glennf @lexfri

Adam C. Engst @adamengst:
@ShawnKing The reason might be that it was inconsistent UI to start with, since it conflicted with a menu. Perhaps there’s a new shortcut?

Shawn King @ShawnKing:
@adamengst Well in 9, that key command showed selected file in the Finder. In 10, it changed. In 11 it’s removed. *That’s* inconsistent. :)

Adam C. Engst @adamengst:
@ShawnKing Cmd-Shift-R displays files in the Finder, even though it’s not listed in the contextual menu. Also inconsistent UI. :-(

@adamengst @shawnking Wait. You can check for app updates in iTunes 10? Yeesh.

Shawn King @ShawnKing:
@jeffporten @adamengst LOL Yup. You could.

@ShawnKing @adamengst Good thing I haven’t upgraded yet, then. MWAH HA HA HA! (Don’t know why I’m evil laughing, just seems apropos.)

Amanda C. Becker @acbeckr:
There was a time I used FB chat to flirt or talk shit with friends. Now I use it to discuss the Fed. Torts Claim Act and parental immunity.

@acbeckr You’re only in trouble if discussing torts becomes your preferred method of flirting or talking shit with friends.

David Chartier @chartier:
I just saved a whopping penny ordering an Apple Keyboard via Amazon Prime. Movin’ on up: pic.twitter.com/utWORp6z

@chartier With that penny, you could buy my book. amazon.com/Jeff-Porten/e/…

David Chartier @chartier:
@jeffporten ✭ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ SHOULD BE FREE

“@OEDonline: OED Word of the Day: ramentum, n.: oxford.ly/10M6keX” // the fecal urgency that typically follows a meal that cost 25¢

Andrew Laurence @atlauren:
Pro tip: If you can’t connect to your computer, via VPN, iCloud, or LogMeIn… maybe you closed the lid and put it to sleep. Dumbass.

@atlauren Try upgrading from Power Nap to Crystal Meth.

Dan Moren @dmoren:
@jsnell @TheMagazineApp That sounds both tortuous and torturous to me.

Dave Wiskus @dwiskus:
@dmoren @jsnell @TheMagazineApp I had to read that three times, and then I learned a new word. So thanks!

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@dwiskus @dmoren @jsnell @TheMagazineApp Taught me a new word, too!

Jason Snell @jsnell:
@GlennF @dwiskus @dmoren @TheMagazineApp Tortuous is really not used enough.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jsnell @dwiskus @dmoren @TheMagazineApp Nor, as I look it up, tortoni.

@GlennF @jsnell @dwiskus @dmoren @themagazineapp Now I have a craving for tortellini.

Todd Elliott @toddbert:
@Moltz @jsnell @glennf Unfortunately for you (and other atheists), [Richard Dawkins] has become your defacto spokesman.

Jason Snell @jsnell:
@toddbert @Moltz @glennf Gotta say, the spokesmen for most major religions are not really doing a good job. Dalai Lama excepted.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jsnell @toddbert @Moltz Have you ever read what he actually teaches and believes? Vaguely horrifying.

Lex Friedman @lexfri:
@GlennF @jsnell @Moltz I wish Dawkins were less abrasive, but I love him nonetheless. Great teacher, brilliant insights. Too angry, though.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@lexfri I can’t cut thru his bullshit to accept truth from him.

@GlennF @lexfri Stick to his books. Much better arguments.

Lex Friedman @lexfri:
@jeffporten @GlennF Yes. That.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jeffporten @lexfri I don’t buy into the “message not messenger” situation. Also, Dawkins bores me in his books, too.

@GlennF @lexfri And I don’t buy exactly why you find him so horrible. But if he bores you… well, that can’t be helped. Hitchens chaser?

@GlennF @lexfri (That is, I hear your objections, but I’m not as bothered by them, and unsure why you are.)

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jeffporten @lexfri He’s horrible because he ignores and equates social dominance and abuse with religious crap

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jeffporten @lexfri He’s boring, because he defines himself in opposition to religion, which is a form of religion itself.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jeffporten @lexfri He defines terms and behavior in a manner that requires one “believe” his assertions.

@GlennF @lexfri Like I said, I disagree with both, esp. your definition of Dawkin’s “religion”.

Glenn Fleishman @GlennF:
@jeffporten @lexfri Brittle inability to go beyond precepts that must be accepted as valid as a shibboleth or you don’t “count.”

@GlennF @lexfri I’m glad he’s in the debate, for the same reason the liberals need Kucinich and Nader. Establishes a reasonable center.

Alex Abboud @alexabboud:
Great piece by @richard_florida on why casinos are bad for cities. Hope you’re reading #Toronto & #Ottawa zite.to/U5ABjL

@alexabboud Reason why the piece is weak: replace “casinos” for “bars” and it’s as strong an argument against legal alcohol.

@alexabboud As for how it affects cities: local management is key. AC had horrible government; Vegas was much better.

@alexabboud Good argument about diminishing returns, though; it’s unclear that multiple gambling destinations can be supported.

Alex Abboud @alexabboud:
@jeffporten do bars produce a similar amount of disorder?

@alexabboud I strongly suspect similar arguments could be made about concentration in lower economic areas & ancillary economic impacts.

Alex Abboud @alexabboud:
@jeffporten that’s fair. But wouldn’t that be more of an argument against concentration than defense of casinos?

@alexabboud Don’t know. AFAIK, only Nevada has large number of tiny casinos. Elsewhere it’s big megacasinos.

@alexabboud But if the problem is excessive gambling, need a solution that deals with upcoming online, state lotteries, etc.

@alexabboud I’d say the problem is more one of math education.