RSS, catalogs, Koha, and more. We've put together an RSS porthole into the DB sitting behind Koha.  At this point, we've only got a proof of concept, but I'd love to hear peoples ideas about how to use this more effectively. To see some additional information (with screen shots, and links to RSS), please point… Continue reading RSS, catalogs, Koha, and more

Help Larry Lessig re-populate the public domain. Each time Congress passes a law extending the term of copyrights it means that works that might otherwise pass into the public domain (where they can be used for free by our information-hungry citzenry) don't.  Only a very small percentage of the works that get these perpetual extensions are… Continue reading Help Larry Lessig re-populate the public domain

An expert film critic's review of the Matrix Reloaded. I'm a bush league amateur when it comes to film critique.  Adam Gopnik's explantion of flaws in the Matrix Reloaded nails it: “Matrix Reloaded” is, unlike the first film, a conventional comic-book movie, in places a campy conventional comic-book movie, and in places a ludicrously campy… Continue reading An expert film critic's review of the Matrix Reloaded

'Our Final Hour': Global Warning. After considering bioterror, nuclear war, asteroids and nanoparticles, Martin Rees gives humanity only a 50-50 chance of surviving the 21st century. By Dennis Overbye. [New York Times: Books]

'A Short History of Nearly Everything': Bill Bryson's Universe. Bill Bryson actually fulfills the promise of his title: presenting the basic facts of science with clarity and concision. By Ed Regis. [New York Times: Books]

'God's Secretaries': Blessed Are the Phrasemakers. Adam Nicolson recounts the story of a committee that actually accomplished something: the King James Version. By Christopher Hitchens. [New York Times: Books]

Slayage. The International Journal of Buffy Studies. Issue 8 is now available. [Mark Bernstein]

Six Tips for Improving Your Design Documentation. “If you are a designer or product planner, you probably create documents of some kind to capture your design decisions and solutions. Documentation is a crucial component of successful product planning and implementation, so it's important that it communicates as effectively as possible. Good organization, complete information, and… Continue reading Six Tips for Improving Your Design Documentation

Harry Potter at the Witching Hour. Plan to Potter Around Oak Park Next Month “But you don't have to be a wizard, and you don't have to be in London to pay a visit to that fabled alley. Just go to Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street in west suburban Oak Park on Friday, June… Continue reading Harry Potter at the Witching Hour

NY Times on White House theatrics. They hired people from ABC and Fox to stage events for them. The pic of Bush in front of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt at Mt Rushmore is beautiful, and frightening. [Scripting News]