Forbes.com | Original Gin 04/24/2004
Posted by thaadsma in tangents.add a comment
Forbes.com | Original Gin: “Gin is essentially a clear distilled grain spirit flavored with various ‘botanicals,’ the most prominent of which is juniper. The production is a two-stage process. First, grain alcohol is distilled to a very high proof and totally flavorless spirit. This is then diluted with demineralized water and distilled a second time with the botanicals.
These botanicals vary from brand to brand and the different combinations give each its distinct character. Juniper is always predominant but other ingredients may include coriander, sage, cassia, nutmeg, rosemary, caraway and angelica root. “
Forbes.com | The Best Single Malt Whiskies 04/24/2004
Posted by thaadsma in tangents.add a comment
Forbes.com | The Best Single Malt Whiskies:
“For lovers of single malt Scotch whiskies, this is a dram good time to be alive, a veritable golden age of plenty where tavern shelves groan under an ever-expanding selection of bottles.
The range of single cask whiskies from independent bottlers is increasing constantly, and the big distilleries, having woken up to the commercial potential of the liquid gold lying heretofore unappreciated in their cellars, have begun offering an expanding range of limited production, special-edition bottlings of their own.”
A pet project of mine is to establish a brand-new/old distellery combining the talents of the Scots, the Florida/Bama moonshining locals, and talents, assets and raw materials from those bourbon makers from up north in Tennessee and Kentucky. Target year: 2012.
Intellectual Capital | Trademark Bidding on Google 04/23/2004
Posted by thaadsma in google.add a comment
Intellectual Capital | Trademark Bidding on Google:
“Google’s opening up trademarked keywords for bidding is one more piece of power shifted away from corporations and toward consumers. I imagine corporations will waste little time heading to court to protect their property. In the long run, I doubt the corporations will come out on top”
A9: The Future of Information Access? 04/23/2004
Posted by thaadsma in Amazon, development, web, web services.add a comment
A9: The Future of Information Access?:
“We go online to find things. Amazon’s earlier decision to provide access to Web search alongside its integrated product search was a major recognition of that fact. Unlike those goofy ’search the Web’ boxes some sites use that take you off the site, A9 combines search in the digital (Web) world with search in the analog (book) world. Because A9’s Amazon searches can take you, literally, ‘inside the book,’ the search becomes a much more valuable a tool than simply searching the Web would have been.
Perhaps A9 is the beginning of deep Web integration with algorithmic Web search in a way that recognizes how people search.”
One nation under Internet Protocol | Perspectives 04/12/2004
Posted by thaadsma in broadband, web.add a comment
One nation under Internet Protocol | Perspectives | CNET News.com:
“While an all-IP world may not happen immediately, over the next 10 years, our communications networks will very likely follow the lead of the aggressive rollouts in Korea and Japan.”
HOT Topics! Article: mental models 04/07/2004
Posted by thaadsma in tangents, user interfaces.add a comment
“[Interviewer:] So mental models are not only for understanding what there is now, but also for being able to cope with unexpected, unfamiliar situations?
[Norman:] A good question to ask is ‘where is the mental model needed?’ It’s used in learning. I believe that if you have a good conceptual understanding it gives you a framework for learning. And it’s of use in unexpected novel situations. But for normal performance you don’t need it. Normal performance you do by rote memory. You just simply know that when this happens you do that. Mental models are almost no use for operating a device for routine operations. In fact mental models might get in the way. If you had to derive everything you did it would slow you up. “
Programming Contests, Software Development: Topcoder 04/05/2004
Posted by thaadsma in development, web.add a comment
Programming Contests, Software Development, and Employment Services at TopCoder:
“Over 30,000 developers are competing to build your next application. Learn how TopCoder delivers high-quality software at a lower cost than the competition.”
