xkcd in NYT

Randall Munroe, creator of the oft-linked-here online comic xkcd, was interviewed by Noam Cohen of the New York Times. The resulting article appeared online today (link below).

Link By Link - This Is Funny Only if You Know Unix - NYTimes.com

The rise and (please, come quicky) fall of Microsoft

It's obvious that Microsoft won't be a big technology market force forever, and here's a great piece from the New York Times detailing their inevitable (and, in some senses, current) state of decline.

The Computer Industry Comes With Built-In Term Limits - New York Times

Another comic link

I know I've linked to a lot of Webcomics of late, but when there's a talking musical instrument I'm just compelled to share it...

Wondermark by David Malki ! - 406: In which there's a Problem in the Orchestra

Malki does it again

Today's Wondermark is great... especially, of course, the mouse-over text.

Wondermark by David Malki ! - 402: In which Martin could rethink his Pastimes

Andy Ihnatko's Pearls of... Something

Andy noticed something new in his grocery store, and (wouldn't you know it) he just had to write something witty about it.

Nature's Most Perfect Food on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

My interest in Grisham novels: an obituary

For some time now, my “guilty pleasures” have been found in reading the novels of John Grisham. I'm almost embarrassed to partake in them: the writing is itself not spectacular, and I’m sure that any resemblance to the reality of practicing law in America is of the sort found by comparing Timothy Dalton’s portrayal of James Bond to the actual operations of the British secret service.

Nonetheless, I have found joy in much of his writing. In large part, it has been due to the obviously-invented intricacies in the plot lines: the mysterious informant in The Pelican Brief, the terror-stricken life of The Broker, and (of course) the web of lies exposed by the naïve law-school graduate who finds himself hired by The Firm. Many of his books have also made excellent movies, though of course Hollywood’s abbreviated version never truly does justice to the 300-plus-page written story.

I’ve actually read almost all of his books. I never got around to Skipping Christmas, and I just saw on his Web site that last year he published a new football story called Playing for Pizza, but I’ve managed to find and devour every “legal thriller” he’s concocted. Lately, though, I’ve been less than thrilled. A couple of years ago he wrote a non-fiction account of a baseball player’s legal troubles in The Innocent Man. Don’t ask me how that one turns out; I quit reading after just a few chapters due to his obvious and blatant bias toward one perspective of the story.

And today I finished reading his most recent work of fiction, The Appeal. Suffice it to say that I’m no longer a fan. My interest in his writing has dramatically waned, mainly stemming from the fact that I now find him bludgeoning me over the head with his personal point of view. When I read fiction, it’s for fun; I don’t want my entertainment to be wrapped around a heavy dose of someone else’s ideology. Whether I agree with his moral stance is immaterial: I’d rather be entertained by suspense, drama, and intrigue than be immersed in the intricate details of litigating and political campaigning from either side of the fence.

In short, I don’t think I’ll be anxiously awaiting Grisham’s next novel. Whether he goes the fiction or non-fiction route, I’m not enjoying the road he’s taking. And since I had been turning to his writing explicitly for the enjoyment of it, all reason for partaking in this “guilty pleasure” is now gone.

TED's "T" falls over, Robin Williams brings the funny

At the TED conference (Technology, Entertainment, and Design), a technical glitch caused some "dead air" that was promptly filled by actor/comedian Robin Williams, who was in the audience.

Since I'm no longer sharing things via Google Reader, there'll be a lot more link-bloggish stuff like this on this blog...

Robin Williams Saves the Day at TED When Tech Fails | Epicenter from Wired.com

I thought *we* had it bad...

Here in San Diego, gas can get between 3.25 and 3.50 per gallon. However, an AP photo today showed how things are going in Los Angeles:

L.A. gas prices photo

Webcomics Extravaganza

First, a pair of strips from Wondermark, the second of which actually made me laugh out loud. Thank goodness I got in earlier than everyone else this morning so nobody could hear me...

Wondermark by David Malki ! - 383: In which a Fortune is sought
Wondermark by David Malki ! - 384: In which are tried Unconventional Methods

And, since xkcd expressly allows republishing, here's today's strip (this one speaks to me very personally, of course):



As usual, check the text you see when you hold your mouse over the images for all three strips.

Goodbye to Google Reader

Well, it turns out that my stint with Google Reader only lasted a couple of months this time. I liked the fact that it was integrated with my other Google services, but the whole time it felt like I was making too many compromises... mostly because I couldn't see the actual post times of items and I couldn't see when items were updated.

It seems like Google Reader is a great solution for somebody who skims lots of RSS, but it just won't cut the mustard for somebody like me who follows all the content in a carefully selected list of feeds. Back to Bloglines I go... and the beta version of that service is getting pretty slick by now, too.

βloglines (Beta)