Favorite Feeds Updated

I'm renaming my "Favorite Blogs" to "Favorite Feeds", since it has some non-blog sources of content as well.

I'm removing:

• As the Apple Turns — Haven't read it in ages. Doesn't really offer much that you can't get by osmosis from the various other decent sources of tech and Mac news. Was mostly a novelty.
  
• Geek Patrol — Sometimes has decent content, but not often enough to be worth it.
  
• Pejmanesque — This blog was discontinued, and its successor, while high-quality and possessing an image of a Goban in its logo, just hasn't kept my interest.
  
• VodkaPundit — Sometimes I think bloggers feel the need to blog even when they don't have something unique to say. Unfortunately, Stephen Green often seems to feel this way.

• Charles Krauthammer's Washington Post columns — He absolutely never fails to write a lucid and insightful essay, week after week. Two superb highlights from the past month: on gasoline "price gouging", and Iran's existential threat to Jews.
  
• Mere Rhetoric — I discovered this one after Sharon's cerebral hemorrhage. It had excellent coverage of that, as well as invaluable analysis of the Israeli political terrain right through the March 28th election. It can get a little too LGF-ish when discussing other topics — i.e., angry, uncreative repetition. But there are enough gems to be worth keeping up with.
  
• Reddit — A collaborative content filter. Does an excellent job of filtering out the crap and showing you high-quality content, both new and old, personalized to your own interests based on what previous stuff you've liked. Beats the hell out of Digg for the quality of its content, the intelligence of its community, and the individually-tailored recommendations. Has a nice, libertarian-leaning, pro-capitalist community that consists in large part of Lisp programmers. A positive side-effect of reading Reddit is that you won't miss anything Paul Graham writes. Good discussion threads are possible, too.

• Belmont Club — Still the best contemplative geostrategic analysis online, with a military focus. I must confess to not reading it much these days, but that's mainly because I've been interested in other things.
  
• InstaPundit — I don't read it on a daily basis anymore, but when major news events happen and I want to see what's abuzz, I know I'll find a diverse summary of the quality posts and articles that are online.
  
• Setting the World to Rights — The hub of critical rationalist libertarian hawks, by the people who brought us Taking Children Seriously.
  
• Woty Freeman — Hasn't been updated in a year and a half, but hey, it's Woty.

Bad ET Atari Game

This music video is pretty funny. (via Digg)

Juggling DDR Freak

Perhaps the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

UPDATE: Until this.

UPDATE: Or maybe this.

Comment Spam Neutralized

Some of you may have noticed that spammers figured out how to spam pMachine comments. Well, I've written a script to identify and destroy those comments. Hopefully it'll be easy to stay a step ahead of the spammers.

A poem

Though have’th in thy Birth of one mane,
But two men can’t take—
What three can’t becometh.

On ver’ time,
For dearths an’ Births—
Where Fore entreguing, thence,
An’ mane canneth eviance!

Save Bernd?

Pretty sick. (via Peeve Farm)

Jack & Bobby Update

Sunday's episode was good. Jeff Harrell is liking the show too.

Virtual Memory

Here's a bible game show Mac users will find hilarious (via As the Apple Turns).

Jack & Bobby Review

I watched the first two episodes of Jack & Bobby, a new WB show about two brothers in present-day 2004, one of which will grow up to become president of the United States. The premise is pretty interesting and promising, and the pilot episode wasn't bad (though I had some gripes with it). But I thought the second episode was really good.

It may surprise some, but I was pleased when they showed Grace (their mom) chairing a college Democrats meeting, with everyone sporting Kerry/Edwards paraphernalia. To me, it was a foregone conclusion that a Hollywood-created political protagonist would be a Democrat, so I was glad that they were actually willing to give the characters substance and relevance (hey, it does take place in 2004). This stands in contrast to the remake of The Manchurian Candidate, which, though clearly hinting at the political parties of its characters, never actually went out and said it. Was still a good movie, however.

In any event, it turned out that despite the political persuasion of Grace's mom, Jack & Bobby did not present an unfair caricature of Republicans, and in fact even poked a little fun at the traditional anti-Republican bias in Hollywood. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I was very pleasantly surprised that after the college Democrats metting, it is revealed that some of the main characters turned out to be "axe murderers [Republicans] coming out of the closet", and there was reasonable and meaningful depiction of political, educational, and familial issues in this episode.

I'm hoping this series keeps up its promise, and doesn't degrade into another Dawson's Creek, as Roswell did. I recommend you try to catch reruns of the first two episodes, and watch the third episode next Sunday at 9 pm.

Favorite Blogs

I have updated my list of favorite blogs at right. Gone are Andrew Sullivan (who I still read occasionally but seems to have gotten a defeatist attitude and his priorities mixed up), and Steven Den Beste (who has gone on a long-term hiatus).

New are:

• As the Apple Turns — Apple/Mac news and rumors, formatted as a soap opera.
  
• Geek Patrol — Mac and techie news, but only the good stuff.
  
• Pejmanesque — Interesting political commentary from a Jewish Iranian American.
  

Best Toilet Ever

Best Toilet Ever

Google Ads

I'm trying out Google Ads to see if they make me any money. You can see the ads at right. Just noticed an ad for Michael Moore books, heh.