You’ve probably seen this by now, but if not: WFMU’s Beware of the Blog: Faust’s Lost Album V + TV footage
WFMU has the all-around best mp3 blog around. Definitely worth poking around for tons of tasty audio tidbits and obscurities.
The final nail in the coffin of privatization around Social Security?
And Now, a Word From Chile … – New York Times
The shining example of privatized social security is encountering serious problems taking care of their elderly who don’t have enough to live on. Now, hopefully it is obvious that the idea of privatization of social security was, at best, a well mannered (but poorly planned) desire to reduce government spending (and taxes) and, at worst, a cynical attempt to enrich the few on the backs of the many with no regard to the welfare of the most vulnerable in society.
If the debacles around medicare haven’t killed the privatization monster, hopefully this will (although, I kinda doubt it, the right always believes that they know better than anyone else).
A charming elegy from Paul Theroux
America the Overfull – New York Times
This was just a lovely written piece on the less crowded times in America. I feel it especially poignant as I look out my window across downtown Seattle, whose skyline has changed dramatically just in the last 12 years I’ve lived here and open spaces (and quiet) are getting harder and harder to find.
I love the Uptight Seattleite
Uptight Seattleite (Seattle Weekly)
For those of you who wonder what it is like to live in Seattle, this gives you a good idea. Although, there should be another column (probably in the Stranger) called “Ask a sullen hipster” which would be the ying to the Uptight Seattleite’s yang.
When does video resolution make a difference?
[via The New York Times]
1080p Does Matter – Here’s When (Screen Size vs. Viewing Distance vs. Resolution)
This is a nice, simple, explanation of how the interaction of screen resolution, screen size and viewing distance all come together around the perceived quality of the TV image. The practical upshot is that maybe you don’t need the full 1080p unless you want to move your chair up to a couple feet from your TV (which just happens to be how you’ll see the set in the showroom).
Wow! UrbanGhost.com
These is a photoblog from an Toronto based guy who calls himself the UrbanGhost, almost exclusively of people, going about their lives. It reminds me of some of my favorite photos from Gary Winograd. Just awesome site.
Dr. Dobb’s | Microsoft Seeks RSS Patents; Blogosphere Worries
Dr. Dobb’s | Microsoft Seeks RSS Patents; Blogosphere Worries | December 22, 2006
This isn’t really so surprising actually. I was at the Gnomedex where MS announced the big RSS features in Vista (didn’t really hear to much about them after that). It makes sense that they would file some patents around that stuff. However, the patents seem pretty broad given how late they came to the RSS game.
The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Regarding our iPhone
The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Regarding our iPhone
This is a quite funny sendup of the Apple product design process, except for the part where different parts of Apple actually talk to each other. When the different actual product groups meet, they probably have to be on different sides of an opaque screen with voice modulators going or something…
All the secure operating systems step forward… not so fast Vista
Some comedy for your XMas Eve
This is a video of Rob Paravonian doing an awesome bit. I was going to try to describe it, but just click the play button and enjoy.