I am glad that Reeder for iPhone has joined Reeder for iPad and Mac in the “getting a major new update” camp.[^fn1] I am disappointed to learn, however, that those updates will not be available until after the Google Reader shutdown. On the bright side, I figured this would happen and have been setting things up Feed Wrangler-centric and Reeder-less workflow for a few weeks now.
[^fn1]: Especially since the first cut of Feed Wrangler support will apparently not include Smart Streams.
Just reading this makes me want to open up my copy of Scrivener and start writing.
As explained by Barry Petchesky at *Deadspin:*
> The other storyline, which has the back pages of both the *Daily News* and the *Post* this morning, is even juicier, and presumably comes from the Yankees. Rodriguez supposedly fears a lengthy, perhaps even a lifetime ban from baseball for his role in the Biogenesis PED scandal. To avoid that, the source claims, and to avoid forfeiting the $86 million he’s owed from 2014-2017, he could retire—citing the same hip injury that the Yankees seem to think is so crippling. If Rodriguez retires because he’s physically unable to perform, his remaining contract is guaranteed—but again, 80 percent would be covered by insurance.
Excuse me while I go pop some popcorn.
> Wednesday morning, Aaron Hernandez wore a poker face as police escorted him to a cruiser and as he was arraigned for murder and five gun charges. It was the New England Patriots who wore their guilt on a sleeve. Based on their reaction, Kraft and Belichick looked like the disgraced and petrified New Englanders who were no longer getting away with murder.
I can respect Whitlock for picking an angle on this story and writing a well-crafted column about it. I completely disagree with him, however.
> AAaron Hernandez could turn on the charm. There were times he would walk through the New England Patriots’ locker room, flash a wide smile and extend a sincere hello to a visitor before striking up a conversation. Friendly guy, it seemed.
> He really turned it on last August, after the Patriots had signed him to a five-year contract extension worth about $40 million, saying it was one of the best days of his life and how being with the Patriots had changed him. Sincere guy, it seemed.”
I still cannot wrap my head around this. The prosecution is saying he executed someone by shooting the person five times. The only word I feel I can use to describe this is “unbelievable.”
> Like Rome, America apparently can coast for a long time on the fumes of its wonderful political heritage and economic dynamism — even if both are little understood or appreciated by most who still benefit from them.
As always, VDH hit the proverbial nail on the head.
> It was a new comic by Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, creators whose past works I’ve enjoyed, notably their previous collaboration on Gotham Central. I was eager to sample a new creator-owned work from them, and the notion they might disappoint never entered my mind. And they didn’t disappoint, but they did take me off-guard. I was expecting something else, something more grounded, something more rooted in or at least connected to the crime genre, given their previous projects. But Lazarus is, if described in broad terms, a science-fiction book, or, more specifically, a dystopian book. It’s certainly a smart book, and it has some strong messages.
I was also surprised by the concept, but that does not take away from how good a book it is. I have already read it twice.
Robert Costa writing at *National Review*:
> Enter John Bolton. Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is being encouraged by several leading conservative power brokers to consider a presidential bid.
> Bolton, who briefly considered running for president in 2012, hasn’t made up his mind. But sources tell me that he is moving closer to giving the idea serious consideration — serious enough to travel to Iowa and New Hampshire.
Even though he is an intriguing candidate, I feel like he does not have the looks or charisma to win a national election.
Okay, I admit it: I am linking to this almost solely because the animated GIF he used is *amazing.*
(h/t [Shawn Blanc](http://shawnblanc.net))
One of the potential replacements for Google Reader is Shaun Inman’s [Fever](http://feedafever.com). Until recently, the biggest knock on Fever[^fn1] was that there was no good iPad interface for it. That is no longer the case:
* [Sunstroke](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fsunstroke%252Fid488564806%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^fn2], the first iOS app for Fever, and just updated.[^fn3]
* [Ashes](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fashes-for-fever%252Fid637978723%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30), my preferred Fever iOS client.
* [Mr. Reader](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fmr.-reader%252Fid412874834%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30), just added sync with Fever.
I cannot imagine this would have happened if Google Reader was not shutting down in a few days.
[^fn1]: Other than the fact you need to have a server to install it on.
[^fn2]: Affiliate Link, as are the other app links in this post.
[^fn3]: Gabe at MacDrifter says that [Sunstroke is by far the best way to read Fever on iOS.](http://www.macdrifter.com/2013/06/sunstroke-fever-reading-app-for-ios-updated-link.html). I disagree. I find Sunstroke’s sync time–which I would probably have to measure in minutes instead of seconds–to be unbearable.
I hope that, at a minimum, they release the pilot so we can see it. I have always thought Laura Ramsey as Becky Montcrief was a good choice and I want to see if I am right.
How do you make a great trailer?
1. You cast Idris Elba in your movie.
2. You base the trailer around him giving a speech that is capped off by him yelling “Today, we are cancelling the apocalypse!”
I am sold.
Ben Thompson writes the piece I have been meaning to write about the economics of television content and cable companies. It is worth reading if you are someone who asks “Why won’t HBO take my money?” Here are parts [two](http://stratechery.com/2013/why-tv-has-resisted-disruption/) and [three](http://stratechery.com/2013/the-jobs-tv-does/) for after you finish part one.
One of his reasons stands out to me:
> We do register our images with the copyright office, so if someone uses an image commercially without a proper license, it is an easy lawsuit. Easy. We’ve had many many wins (often which happen even before you go to court), but we can’t talk about them because it’s always in the paperwork. But there are many online articles you can find out about our lawsuits… everyone from Time magazine to the Sydney Newspapers.
Keep that in mind when you are trying to decide whether or not to slap some awful watermark on your photos.[^fn1]
[^fn1]: DISCLAIMER: This post may contain some discussion about legal issues, but (1) it is not legal advice, (2) it does not establish an attorney-client relationship, and (3) it is not advertising for legal services. The full disclaimer can be found on the [Disclaimer Page](https://johnkiv.us/disclaimer/).
Christopher Wilson writing at *Yahoo*:
> The NCAA also has issued an eighteen-month show-cause penalty on former Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, the who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. This means that it would be difficult for another college program to hire Kelly until after December, 26, 2014, which I’m sure is really bothersome to Kelly and his $32.5 million NFL contract.
It is almost like Kelly thought something might be coming.
From footnote 7 from Justice Alito’s dissenting opinion in *Hollingsworth v. Perry* about now-retired District Judge Vaughn Walker:
> At times, the trial reached the heights of parody, as when the trial judge questioned his ability to take into account the views of great thinkers of the past because they were unavailable to testify in person in his courtroom.
> And, if this spectacle were not enough, some professors of constitutional law argued that we [Justices of the Supreme Court] are bound to accept the trial judge’s findings – including those on major philosophical questions and predictions about the future – unless they are ‘clearly erroneous’….Only an arrogant legal culture that has lost all appreciation of its own limitations could take such a suggestion seriously.
That is some excellent legal writing.
It did not take long for [the Patriots to release him](http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/60610/patriots-release-aaron-hernandez) either.
Good tip from the guys at *TUAW*. I did it for my account and my fiancé’s last night.
[Countdone](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fcountdone%252Fid659428913%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D300)[^f5309], the new app from designer Elliot Jay Stocks, is now available in the App store. I really like the description:
> In case you’re wondering what exactly Countdone is, it’s essentially the essence of the Pomodoro Technique, distilled into a beautifully simple interface. Set time limits for your to-dos and watch as the timer counts down and the screen turns from green to red, motivating you to get things done by applying a gentle amount of pressure. For added motivation, turn on the optional sounds for a further indication of how much time you have left and hit that ‘done’ button as fast as you can!
[^f5309]: Affiliate Link
One of the most popular RSS readers for iOS, [Mr. Reader](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fmr.-reader%252Fid412874834%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^f1319], has just been updated to sync with a variety of Google Reader alternatives, including:
* Feed Wrangler[^fn1]
* Fever
* Feedbin
* Feedly
* FeedHQ
* BazQuz Reader
Mr. Reader 2.0 appears to be a free upgrade for existing users, and the developers have [posted a FAQ on their website](http://www.curioustimes.de/mrreader/faq/) that gives detail on some of the changes.
[^f1319]: Affiliate Link (as is the link post.)
[^fn1]: My choice to replace Google Reader.