Google Maps vs. Bing Maps

When I Googled “Microsoft Live Maps” I figured there was a 50% chance it no longer existed. Turns out it’s now bing maps and (more surprising) it looks pretty great – better colors, smarter labels, more accurate paths, better (I’d argue) 3D hinting, much more legible overall.

Before we jump to any conclusions, though, keep in mind that Google Maps is probably a lot more interested in mobile applications than desktop browsing. Check out how the two compare on an iPhone.

Lessons? Google values function over form, and bing values good-looks because it gave up on functionality a long time ago. Seriously, it took me about 3 minutes to navigate to this view on the bing app. The next challenger?  Apple, of course.

What’s in the bar

Grace and Josh visited this weekend, and brought with them the most delicious part of Philadelphia.  Root is a “rustic spirit inspired by a potent 18th century Pennsylvania folk recipe.”  Made by Walter Benjamin-inspired arts-collective-ists Art In The Age, “it is an alcoholic version of what eventually evolved into Birch or Root Beer.”  It is fantastic, especially when mixed with ginger beer, but especially when it’s Barritt’s ginger beer.

A long waltz on the beach

Here’s a little album for all you folks out there wondering where the sunshine went.

Go ahead and click for the full-length stream.  Lean back.  Imagine you’re on the beach.

It’s 1961, and everything is still in black and white.

A Box of Matches

“But then it all died down again. This happens sometimes. When it does, you must take a moment to appreciate the unburning fire. It’s still hot – it still has the means of its own regeneration. Blow on it several times, long steady gulf-streams of oxygen, and a flame sprat will pop up again somewhere. Then adjust the logs slightly to give that flame some encouragement, and the fire is loping off on its own again.”
-Nicholson Baker, “A Box of Matches”

Christmas Shopping

Disproving every stereotype about in-laws, the Cusack family has been nothing but a blessing – building friendships, extending generous love, and inviting me into their big and beautiful diagram.

iPhone app-athon

Long story short: R & I got iPhones yesterday and are Embracing The Future.  I am soliciting suggestions about apps to get – I just picked up Pano, which helps you take panoramic pictures.  Here’s a shot from (the other) Walden Pond in Massachusetts, where we ended up on accident (-1, iPhone).

So huge.

Architectural Salvage foraging

As is the case every summer at the West End Market, we are ending the season wishing we had found a better system for organizing, storing, and displaying tshirts.  We’ve tried it all – on hangers, rolled and tied, in stacks, in bins – all of which, based on the evidence, turn out to be too high-maintenance to keep consistently well-stocked and tidy.  At least by the likes of us.

Enter: this puppy.  Columns for color and style.  Rows for sizes – XS on the bottom and XXL on the top, because tall people can reach higher.  It wouldn’t solve all our problems (and would probably creates some of its own), but I think it’s imposing enough to be useful / organizing, but still beaten up / un-precious enough to be approachable.

Post Office Mail Sorter, up in Vermont, $1295