Today's Links
William Gibson's Blog has a good quote from H.L. Mencken today:
"...the larger the mob, the harder the test. In small areas, before small electorates, the first-rate man occasionally fights his way through, carrying even the mob with him by force of his personality. But when the field is nationwide...the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre... The presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people... On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a moron." (1920)
Seems the MPAA isn't suffering in the battle against movie 'piracy' - the American movie industry has posted a 6% increase in revenues ($64 billion) for 2003. And the music recording industry isn't suffering either - revenues were flat - but didn't decrease.
World Sunlight Map - created dynamically using satellite data.
The Price of a Gallon - very interesting data. Wish they had it in metric...
Nature's Canvas: Cassini-Huygens captures Saturn's moon Mimas nestled its rings..
Yale pulls off one mother of a prank on Harvard. Harvard Sucks!
LifeGem - provide them with some ash particles from your dearly departed and these guys will send you back a diamond created by pressurizing from the cremains.
Band Aid Dilemma - "You want this record to succeed...However, you hate this recording and feel your musical ego looming and refusing to be bruised.
Buy as many copies of Do They Know It's Christmas by Band Aid 20 as you can afford.
Destroy them in amusing ways, on camera.
Send us the pictures.
Charity. Violence. You know it makes sense."
Ken Jennings: The Wikipedia Entry. His fame is secured.
New York Changing - a collection of photos that mimic and update the work of Berenice Abbott in "Changing New York", by Douglas Levere.
Boris Vallejo, fantasy artiste extraordinaire. Official Site. A great online collection of his work.
Eigenradio's A Singular Christmas. "This season, as a present to friends worldwide, our system listened to as much Christmas music as it could handle. When it was done it synthesized these sixteen new timeless classics."
David Byrne (of Talking Heads) - has a blog.
My Neighbour's Wife - awesome little film.