Blogcritics Author: Phillip Winn

Twitter Is...

Phillip Winn — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:43:09 EDT

Twitter is many things, but primarily it's a revolutionary, or perhaps just evolutionary, way of communicating online.
Blogger, SimplerEvan Williams revolutionized blogging in 1999 by making it simple. His software, Blogger, asked for only one thing: text. It was easy for anyone, and blogging quickly became an activity more popular than many had believed possible.Other blogging software adds more and more features, and even Blogger allows for optional titles, but...

Dianetics vs The Church Of Scientology

Phillip Winn — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 09:38:40 EST

One is a religious philosophy, one is an organization. It's like Christianity vs. The Roman Catholic Church.
As Anonymous battles against the Church of Scientology, some people sympathetic to the Church of Scientology raise the issue of religious freedom. What those who protest the Church of Scientology should keep clear is that they are protesting against an organization, not a system of belief. The distinction is commonly lost when people outside of a...

The Translation of Dr. Apelles by David Treuer [Review]

Phillip Winn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:31:07 EST

There are two stories One is resolved traditionally, while the other ends in a bit of post-modern trickery.
There are two stories in The Translation of Dr. Apelles. One is resolved traditionally, while the other ends in a bit of post-modern trickery. Both, however, end well. Author David Treuer even manages to tie the two stories together, though it seems impossible at first.The novel hints right at the beginning that things will be non-traditional. A...

A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz [Review]

Phillip Winn — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:47:33 EST

Toltz peels back layers of absurdity from modern life, showing us how life could be from slightly left of normal.
There are more than 500 pages in Steve Toltz' first novel, A Fraction of the Whole, and yet one can turn to nearly any of them and find something worth reading aloud. It has the weight and complexity of a life's masterpiece, but reads as if it was written in a stream of consciousness style. But what consciousness!The novel begins during a...

Each Birthday Brings Joy And Sadness

Phillip Winn — Fri, 1 Feb 2008 13:32:35 EST

We spend one day each year stopping to smell the roses, and every year they smell just a bit less sweet.
My oldest child, Grace, turns ten today. The clichés have flooded through my mind for days now. Yes, they really do grow up too fast. Yes, I really would give very nearly anything to freeze her in time. (No, I wouldn't. Yes, I would. That's a cliché too!) Yes, I look at my daughter and feel as if my heart might burst, even as...

Macworld 2008: MacBook Air, Apple TV, Time Capsule, iPhone, iTunes Movie Rentals

Phillip Winn — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:22:55 EST

The banners read "There Is Something In The Air," and the theme of over-the-air and light-as-air was a common theme during the Stevenote.
Every year since 1997, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has given the opening keynote address at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco. These speeches have come to be known as "Stevenotes," and generally feature Jobs in blue jeans and a black turtleneck reporting on the previous year and announcing new products, promotions, and...

I Don't Have A Crush On Ron Paul

Phillip Winn — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 09:27:42 EST

There's nothing wrong with the man as an idealogical figurehead, but some people thing he might become President!
Ron Paul is an internet phenomenon. On any given day, stories about Ron Paul represent roughly half to two-thirds of the most popular links on any of a dozen or more link-aggregation sites. Ron Paul has the most YouTube subscribers. Ron Paul is the top search engine candidate. Ron Paul set a single-day fund-raising record. Given how often Ron...

Countdown to 165: Week 20 - The End

Phillip Winn — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:34:42 EDT

At last, the end, and a happy ending at that -- 70 pounds lost in 20 weeks.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007, I woke up and stepped on a scale. I knew the number would be high, since I had weighed myself a few days before, but seeing it on the scale and realizing I would have to record it and display it for the world to see helped to strengthen my resolve. It was two pounds higher than Saturday. Having posted my initial weight of...

Countdown to 165: Weeks 18-19 - The Final Stretch

Phillip Winn — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:45:11 EDT

With one week to go, I know the effect a single high-carb meal can have.
With one week to go, it is more difficult than ever to stay focused. For example, I'm taking my family on a hayride Saturday night, and the highlight every year -- for me -- is s'mores by the bonfire. I believe s'mores made by a bonfire taste different than s'mores made on my grill. The singed eyebrows and burnt fingers add to the...

Countdown to 165: Weeks 16-17 - The Home Stretch

Phillip Winn — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:02:57 EDT

Finally I can buy pants and not have to worry about shrinking out of them! I've bought my final belt, too.
I've lost 66 pounds and dropped more than a dozen inches around my waist, and people have noticed. Even people who have managed to resist asking me questions before this week have finally start to quiz me for details now that I've begun wearing better-fitting clothes! I've had to come up with a set of recommendations and advice.What I...