Drew first hipped me to this really cool Christmas light display in my hometown of Cincinnati. Yep, that is all a legit light show, complete with synchronized music just like the WEBN fireworks! Queen City know-how at work.
Ever wonder about some of the awesome deals found on some Internet retailer sites? Ever gotten screwed hard by on online retailer? Ever wondered if the “blogosphere” has any real value in the “real” world? If so, look no further than Thomas Hawk and Don Wiss.
Hawks’ series of posts about the illegal/immoral practices of PriceRitePhoto.com brought the online retailer to it’s knees. It started with a simple post entitled PriceRitePhoto: Abusive Bait and Switch Camera Store, which was picked up over at digg.com. The DiggNation responded and the story broke big from there. For the most recent news on the evolving story, read PriceRitePhoto Update #21. This article references a photo essay by Don Wiss. The photo essay shows the storefronts of many of these “high-end” online camera retailers. For his trouble, Wiss received death threats from the retailers.
Keep up the good work gents! It is good to know others are out there keeping Internet retailers honest.
Bono, of U2 fame, took some time to answer reader questions in the New York Times. The read is interesting and thought-provoking regarding world hunger and AIDS. It also mentions one.org, which I encourage you to support. You’ll notice the white banner at the top of the site. Just click on it and find out more.
Well, LOST does not disappoint in the season opener. Creepy, interesting and well worth 40 minutes a week (with TIVO). If the pilot is any indication, My Name is Earl has a great promise. After all, it stars Jason Lee and Ethan Suplee, two View Askew alums. The jury is still out on Surface and Invasion, both of which seem to be trying to grab the creepy throne from LOST. Of the two, Surface looks like the best bet so far.
If you want to catch the best sci-fi show on TV, be sure to see Battlestar Galactica. It is currently wrapping up an excellent second season. Excellent writing and acting. Taut, intense and thought-provoking storylines. Feature film special effects. This is not your father’s Battlestar Galactica.
Last but not least, the heir-apparent to NYPD Blue is not a police procedural. Rather, it is Rescue Me, which is also wrapping up it’s second season. Dennis Leary is excellent as FDNY firefighter struggling with alcoholism, Catholic guilt and dysfunctional family members in post 9/11 New York. Equally hilarious, heroic and heart-wrenching, Rescue Me is the best straight up drama on TV, bar none.
Finally, you owe it to yourself to to check out Dies The Fire by S. M. Stirling. The first of a planned trilogy, Dies The Fire asks the interesting question … What would happen if electricity, gunpowder and combustion engines suddenly stopped working? I was first introduced to Stirling in the Niven/Pournelle Man-Kzin Wars series of books. His writing is very strong and I really enjoy seeing him working in a world of his own devising.
Since picking it up, I’ve had a terrible time putting it down. Others like Donald McQuinn (Warrior), Gordon R. Dickson (Wolf and Iron), Nevil Shute (On the Beach) and Walter M. Miller Jr. (A Canticle for Leibowitz) have written along very similar lines. I’ve read all of these books and think Dies The Fire may be the best of the lot.
Enjoy!
