Funny

This video from The Onion is just about the funniest thing I have seen in a long, long time. I'm still laughing.

Why it sucks to be a progressive

A thorough and (as usual) eloquent summary by Glenn Greenwald of the "powerlessness of progressives." A quote:

Why would anyone in Washington -- surrounded by powerful lobbyists and people whose threats are actually credible -- ever take seriously or listen to a person who thinks and behaves this way (I'll support anything you want even if you ignore me, as long as I get a single crumb), and even proudly announces it in advance? They never would listen to such a person -- and they don't -- because that's the sure path to self-imposed irrelevance.

Interesting or Not?

Bruce Schneier points this out as interesting research, and it is. But is it really surprising? It seems to me that it has always been a feature in our society that we look with disapproval upon those who trade their core beliefs for some material advancement. In fact, it seems that some of the current malaise we feel today is due to the fact that although we disapprove, we see it happen more and more.

Just How Much?

This is a problem of a lack of perspective in the media, especially around numbers and percents.

Microsoft Courier

From Google Buzz ...

I had assumed this was vaporware, but it is starting to look legit. It is also pretty cool. Perhaps my next toy...?

The "Earth" in Earthquakes

I didn't know this before, that earthquakes can alter the rotation of the Earth. Way cool!

Tsunami Update

A look into why the tsunamis generated by the Chile Earthquake weren't as bad as expected.