The Null Device
2002/1/23
In an ABC interview, Robert Putnam (author of Bowling Alone) asserts that "More Americans watch Friends than have friends". (via FmH)
An article on the development of artificial wombs; it's by neo-Luddite Jeremy Rifkin, and as such warns darkly about the evil and dehumanising consequences of such technologies. Though, as the Plastic thread about it points out, one thing the development of an artificial womb would do is forever end the abortion debate, or marginalise it to the lunatic fringes.
Bizarre story of the day: A man who showed up at a Vancouver hospital two years ago suffering from total amnesia may in fact be a French porn star.
When you pirate software, you're downloading communism terrorism:
According to Microsoft, software pirates are funding terrorism. Coming up next: Hillary Rosen, with how each ripped MP3 you download helps Osama Bin Laden kill Americans.
Ever wonder why bestselling novels all read the same way? It's because they're written in the No-Style, a writing style designed for snappy, easily digestible McNovels for today's stim-hungry TV-conditioned audiences. Successful exemplars of the No-Style include the likes of Stephen King, Tom Clancy and Janet Evanovich. Are Strunk & White to blame?
A secular humanist look inside Christian Rock, in cartoon form, by ex-Suck cartoonist Peter Bagge.
Ever wondered what ultra-violent young malchicks do when they grow up and reform? How about writing an advice column... (via Found)
Dear WORRIED
Your little malchick is doing a yumyumyum bit of the ol' in-out in-out and I don't see why you are so oh-oh-oh about it. It's nature, baboochka, remember it? You can teach him about Bog and the Good Book all you like, but when a malchick sees a fine devotchka, he gets a pan-handle and he wants to do some lubbilubbing with her. At least he's not a gloopy prestoopnik, always in trouble with the millicents and being dragged off to the Staja. Let him and his little ptitsa do the in-out in-out. Next you'll be all razdraz about him smoking a cancer.