J. Shirley :: Blog

Don't bother with FoxSoccer.TV

2009-10-06T20:30:25Z

FoxSoccer.TV used to use Vividas as the platform, and while it wasn't spectacular it worked. It didn't work well, but it worked. Then, come August they shut off the service and replace it with a countdown to August 15th. All new things, and now...

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Smiling on the Job

2009-07-06T20:26:50Z

The Telegraph has a story about a smile-meter being deployed in Japan (for railway workers on the Keihin electric express). It's interesting to see the discussion on the internet and the immediate reactions. I think a lot of people who react neg...

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Learning to windsurf, part I

2009-07-05T15:36:42Z

I suppose it could be my age, or maybe having kids. Whatever the cause, I'm finding myself eager to try all the things I told myself I would try as I grew up. One of those ambitious goals was set probably 15 years ago when I first went camping i...

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My desire for "sharecropping"

2009-05-05T23:42:56Z

I'm not a green advocate, and I'm certainly no environmentalist. My car gets an average of 17mpg in the city (though I have hyper-miled it to 28mpg over a 3 hour drive just for experimentation) -- and I'd happily sacrifice fuel economy for perfor...

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Japanese Railway Operators are fallible, and don't commit suicide

2009-04-21T00:20:20Z

As a cultural introduction, there are several sacred things in Japan. One, of the most paramount importance, is the railway operators. These are the descendants of the Gods that created Japan, and are infallible. Rigorous training, punctuality ...

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Where has customer service gone? Not to United!

2009-04-08T06:19:35Z

For those in the know, you may know I'm in Japan. For those not in that category, now you know. Now that we've got that out of the way, I'd like to write about my trip here. To begin, a context enlightening preamble. My mother-in-law, who is a...

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Tony Shirley-Tecumseh, Rest in Peace.

2009-02-24T18:37:24Z

Today I am writing a message I never thought I would write, and wish I never had to. I'm writing it for myself, and for anybody who reads it; perhaps so they converse with their family and re-prioritize their lives and habits. A week ago, on Feb...

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PSA: Tires and Snow, they matter!

2008-12-26T16:45:18Z

This winter has dropped record snowfall for December in our area, and while the amount of snowfall isn't exactly impressive it is very refreshing. I certainly miss the snow, and am enjoying the White Christmas. However, in this area, snow is a m...

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Tom & Jerry: Snowpocalypse Deux

2008-12-25T02:18:57Z

As I sit here enjoying the snow (far more than I should) and seriously contemplating a move to lands that get covered in snow and have more desirable summer months, my thoughts inevitably drift off to sitting in front of a window while I watch the...

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Helping Ford: One blog entry at a time.

2008-12-13T04:38:23Z

This past weekend I was attending the NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill (and my own photo gallery of said event), an absolutely insane endurance race of epic proportions that is great fun. If you happen to be within driving distance of Willows, CA (a ...

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