Why groupware is a bad idea – The question developers (apparently) need to ask themselves is, “how will this software get my uses laid?” Thus, Hula was born!

Democrats can use the Social Security issue to retake red states – And fairies and pixie dust and happiness all around.

Report calls No Child Left Behind “flawed, convoluted, and unconstitutional” – Its funny because that’s basically what everyone was saying before the law was passed. Instead of listening to the experts and crafting a useful bill from the start, politicians give us a load of crap and we have to wait a few years until the investigations and testimonies and reports verify what we all knew in the first place. Only then can we make a few changes to mollify the critics a bit, but no more. Meanwhile, who suffers? The children! Won’t you think of the children?!?!

Why do all the cool people have Nikon D70s? Not saying I need one, mind you.

And then the FCC was like, “what do you mean we’re going to stifle free-speech with prior restraints?” – And then what good remained of broadcast television began to melt away…

One of the freakiest pictures you will ever see – Specifically, a baby with two heads.

How the politics of Federalism shifts based on specific advantage – If you have a better chance at the federal level, you go there. If you have a better chance at the state level, you go there. Straight forward self-interest.

Publius says the Summers affair shows why politics would be better conceptualized as a quadrant – I completely agree, and would point him here. Also, this is all much more fun for me now that I have a connection with Harvard! 🙂

An overview of Larry Summers’ remarks and how they have been misrepresented – Sexism! Sexism!

A tuxedoed restroom attendant in the Times Square McDonald’s

Rumsfeld is a dick to Republicans, too – I’m glad he’s in charge of our military!

Supreme Court to hear arguments in Grokster case – And that’s the end of Grokster, and, possibly, commercial P2P! It will be interesting to see how the Court rules on this…there is little doubt it will be on the side of the MP/RIAA, but how, and what type of compromise they reach, is an open question.

Criminals were able to access the massive ChoicePoint consumer database by posing as legitimate businesses – See how much I’m not surprised? ChoicePoint runs a massive database of consumer information, SSNs, credit reports, buying habits, etc, and sells it to businesses and the government, without asking consumers for permission. What is more interesting is that the fraud occured in October, and we’re only hearing about it now, and only California citizens whose data was accessed are being notified, because there are no legal disclosure requirements in any other state, and ChoicePoint sees no reason to tell people if they are not legally obligated to do so. Isn’t that sweet? Hey, come on, its not like having your credit report messed up causes any problems, oh no.

Son Mistakes Parents’ Sex For Domestic Abuse (via Kevin)

Modified HIV can track down cancer cells

Barlow on the loss of distance and the intimacy of voice – Internet telephony is new enough that people are still calling up others at random just to say hello. That is so cool.

Info on the four year old who drove to the video store

Photographing American landmarks at 4 gigapixel resolution – That’s big. That’s really big.

Don’t take pictures in Chicago’s new Milennium Park – the artwork is copyrighted! – I’d say copyrighting public space is becoming a trend. First the Eiffel Tower, now this. Put away your cameras!

Recovering from illness, finishing up Battlestar Galactica, preparing to catch up on homework.