Man, I need to re-order this list, and put some sense back into it.

Blogs

Don Blaheda's Blog
CS Prof, knitter, ballroom dancer, and all-around cool guy.

Mark's Blog
Father, electric guitar player, and also all-around cool guy.

Free Speech Issues

Eldred vs. Ashcroft
Thanks to the Sony Bono Copyright Extension Act (and no doubt future extensions), many works created since 1790 may never enter the public domain. See who's doing something about it, and why it's important.


Campaign Against Censorship of the Internet in Britain
Read about how free speech on the Internet is under attack in the United Kingdom. This worries me. There are already reports of various sites in the UK being shut down because they may, at some future date contain potentially libelous material. Sheesh.


freelance h.q. Comment Policy
Just In case you were thinking the above is a fluke, think again. Another prominent ratings site has drastically changed their posting policy in response to the Demon lawsuit. It'd be easy to hate Laurence Godfrey (and call him the ass he is), but this probably would have happened sooner or later, without him.


Chilling Effects
Find all the stuff search engines like Google has been asked to de-list from their indexes.

The Risks Digest

This is all about the new risks that crop up with the use of computers and technology, and how we sometimes overlook those risks until disaster strikes. Everyone who administers computers should be required to read this. Everyone who uses a computer should also check it out. If you are reading this, this means you!

PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility

Founded by the moderators of the Risks Digest and the Privacy Forum, this is a voice of reason about Internet policy.

Life

43 Folders
Merlin talks about Getting Things Done.


The Hidden Side of Happiness
Pleasure only gets you so far. A rich, rewarding life often requires a messy battle with adversity. By Kathleen McGowan.


Technology Links

Big Ball of Mud
Fun book on software architecture... or the lack thereof. Metaphor-heavy.


Solve problems by writing a note to yourself
It is the kind of common sense which I need to remind myself of frequently.


Practical Common Lisp
By Peter Siebel. Pretty good so far.


Fanwing
This is a new concept in low-speed aircraft.


Bruce Schneier's Crypto-Gram
Bruce is an acknowledged expert on computer security, and usually quite an interesting read.


groklaw.net
Started in 2003, with extended coverage of the fiaSCO perpetrated by the SCOundrels.


Slashdot
News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters. Seeing as how I read the site almost everyday, I guess it wouldn't kill me to list it here. Link to my journal on Slashdot


EurekaAlert!
Late breaking news in science, technology, and medicine. It makes you appreciate the rate of change these fields are undergoing.


Foresight Institute
Nanotechnology will change all our lives, and sooner than you think.


Security Focus
This is an archive of a security and bug mailing list. If you want to find out the latest in security problems (and perhaps their solutions) check this site out.


GNU Privacy Guard
Now there is a publically available, free implementation of strong crypto for personal use in mail and Usenet news. Way to go GNU!

The NASA Homepage
Just a lotta cool stuff. Be sure to check out the JPL page too.

EFFweb - The Electronic Frontier Foundation
EFF is dedicated to the preservation of our freedom on electronic media like the Internet.

Concensus at Lawyerpoint
Unusual name for a blog discussing the implications the the media companies' push for embedded DRM in every consumer electronics device and computer.


Coyotos
This is quite an interesting idea in operating systems, with security based on capabilities instead of access control lists. It has the potential to be easier to secure and more resistent to break-in attempts. It's not self-hosting yet, but they're working on it.


League for Programming Freedom
Get information on software patents, and why they are bad.


The Written Word
Open source software compiled for various platforms like Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, etc. Very handy.


Professor Vernor Vinge

He is one of the most visonary and intelligent SF authors of all time. He's one of the few people that truly attempts understands the effects technology will have on our society. He's also a CS prof at the University of San Diego.

Professor Vernard Foley

Prof Vernard Foley is a very cool history professor at Purdue University. Unfortunately, he doesn't have his own site yet. But you may have seen his articles on ancient technology (catapults, Greek triremes and such) in Scientific American . His most recent article is on-line about Leonardo and the Wheellock.

Comics & Cartoons

Dexter's Labratory
I wish I had his stuff as a kid. How does he afford to build giant robots and do genetic experiments on Monkey when he's just a 10 year old kid?


The Powerpuff Girls
Sugar, spice, everything nice, and a jar of Chemical X. So why was Dr. Utonium trying to make little girls in his lab, instead of doing it the old fashioned way? Shouldn't he just get married or something? In an episode or two it is alluded to that he was widowed or divorced. But still.


Fun / Odd Stuff

Inside the Monkeysphere
How do you relate to the people you don't know and personally care about?


Tucker Max
I'm glad I don't live quite as interesting a life as this guy.


Outpost Nine
Some interesting editorials by a Japanese school teacher.


Patently Silly
All kinds of wacky patents issued recently.


Elena's Photo-journeys
Photo-essays from Ukraine. Be sure to check out the Chernobyl pics. Creepy.


Evil Masterminding for Idiots!
The title says it all.


The Lord of the Rings: The RPG
D&D came from LotR. But what if the reverse happened?


Bug Reports Encouragement
Letting you know why you should always file bug reports.


The Brainfuck programming language
And you thought Perl was hard to read...


All I ever needed to know I learned from Blake's 7
There are other rules, but you'll find out what those are when you break them.


The Big List of RPG Plots
Pretty much covers most action/adventure shows as well.


Dance Dance Ressurrection
Score well and save your soul!


Institute of Holistic Computer Wellness
Computer Homeopathy, 'nuff said.


C'est Need To Know!
The fortnightly high-tech sarcastic update for the UK.


The Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord
I'll definitely be checking this list when I take over the world. Yes, that's right: when, not if.


The Darwin Awards
Instructive lessons for those of us still swimming in the gene pool.


The Parking Lot is Full
Just as funny as the Far Side, but even sicker and more twisted, as if that was possible. Not for the easily offended, however. You've been warned.


Crank Dot Net
The Internet lets anyone easily put up their views and opinions for public view. Some of these people don't have too tight a hold on reality. This is the ever-expanding guide to them.


The Straight Dope
If you ever wondered about pouring salt and slugs, Jerry Lewis' popularity in France or how to stay drier in a rainstorm (walking vs. running), then this is the site for you.


International Date Format Campaign
Trying to get us all to use the more sensible YYYY-MM-DD format for printing dates. This avoids ambiguities like March 5th, 1999, which is commonly written 3/5/99 in the USA, and 5/3/99 in Europe.


Where Are the Toons Now?
Ever wondered what happened to Fat Albert or the Transformers? Now you can find out. I hope you're ready to deal with it...


Computer Stupidities
The best of the worst, when using and abusing computers.


Audiophile BS
Audiophiles start sounding like proponents of alternative medicine when they're talking about improving their systems.


Reference Section

Wikipedia
The world's first (and best) on-line encyclopedia where anyone can add to the content. It is informative, and lots of fun.


Acronym Finder
Very hand for looking up DWIM, IANAL, and so many other of those acronyms that you run across while on-line.


Skeptic's Dictionary
Now you too can learn about Post-hoc fallicies and such! Wow!


Blueprints for Babel
A comparison of various artificial languages.


Disinfopedia
Get info on who's saying what, and why with regards to PR corporations and politics.


junkfax.org
A site with information on how you can easily sue people that send you junk faxes.


Stuff to Read

Accelerando, by Charles Stross
Any guy who can put this in his book is way, way cool by my standards: "He slips his glasses on, takes the universe off hold, and tells it to take him for a long walk while he catches up on the latest on the tensor-mode gravitational waves in the cosmic background radiation (which, it is theorized, may be waste heat generated by irreversible computational processes back during the inflationary epoch; the present-day universe being merely the data left behind by a really huge calculation). And then there's the weirdness beyond M31: According to the more conservative cosmologists, an alien superpower, maybe a collective of Kardashev Type Three galaxy-spanning civilizations, is running a timing channel attack on the computational ultrastructure of space-time itself, trying to break through to whatever's underneath."


Bruce Sterling Online Index: Wired Magazine Articles
Links to all the writings by Bruce in Wired Magazine.


Manna
A Novel by Marshall Brain. In the Terminator series of movies, Skynet becomes self-aware, takes control of the nuclear missles and killer robots, and then destroys human civilization. In contrast, with "Manna" we see humanity subverted and supplanted by a fast-food restaurant computer. Non-violently at that.


The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect
A novel by Roger Williams, with an interesting take on the Technological Singularity. Very interesting. Warning though: lots of graphic violence and sex. Lots. Not kidding. Not for children, nor many adults for that matter.


Toasty Frog
Anime got you down? Just don't get the plot? Let Toasty Frog explain it all to you.


Baen Books
Check out the free library. Good stuff.


Metaphysics of Quality
Robert M. Pirsig's two books (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Lila) introduce a different approach to metaphysics (thinking about thinking).


ZNet
ZNet and Z Magazine. Interesting stuff on social policy, among other things. Check out the Noam Chomsky archive.


Travels with Samantha
Intersting tales and people. Nice pictures too.

Politics

opensecrets.org
Money and Politics. Hmmm... Time to read up on your favorite candidate!


The Hidden Costs of Channel One
Channel One broadcasts a news show (with 2 minutes of commercials) to middle and high school students across the country. In exchange, the schools get to use the AV equipment for other purposes. Even without considering the educational value of Channel One (which is questionable), the costs seem to far outweigh the benefits.


The Lessons of 9/11
It seems so simple. Why does the USA need to make it so hard?


Games

Diablo II
D2C and D2X (the Lord of Destruction) have consumed many more hours of my life than I'd care to admit. No really, don't ask. Yes, I had a life, but not any more.


HomeWorld
Real-time Strategy goes to outer space in full 3D.

Remember those space battle scenes from the end of Return of the Jedi? Now you can command the fleet. It looks very cool, but you need a fast computer.



Half-Life
This is currently comsuming much more of my time than is strictly necessary. Especially Team Fortress Classic.


Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Turn-based strategy at it's finest by the acclaimed master.


Sports

Ultimate Chicago
The place to for news on games and leagues around the Chicago area. I try to get to the Camelot Park pickup games in Arlington Heights every week.


Music

Lesley Byers and the Jazz Cats
She's got a great voice, and knows a how to deliver a tune. If you're into jazz or swing, I encourage you to give her a listen.


Clemson University Percussion Ensemble and Steel Drum Band
The steel drum band did a great performance on What Do Ya Know? on January 24th, 2004.


David Morales
I'm a big, big fan of David Morales' mixes. Some of the best ones he's done are with Mariah Carey. If you go to clubs or listen to dance music on the radio, you've heard his stuff.


David Morales at 8M
Here's another fan site that has a discography and some club pictures.


The Official Bangles Home Page
Well, they finally put up an internet site. At least they're working on a new album. Unfortunately, the site is pure Flash. Gah.


The Bangles Unofficial Home Page
Someone's in the process of moving Clare's site to here... but it's not done yet. It was/is/will be a nice set of pages.

Open Source OS Links

OpenBSD
This may be one of the more secure and reliable OSs available, free or commercial. It integrates cryptography and more security protocols into itself than any other free OS.


RedHat Linux
Probably the best Linux distribution you can buy (or download for free, for that matter).


Debian GNU/Linux
This distribution is popular with developers. The release process is a little slow for my tastes, however.


Real Time Linux
A very interesting extension to the standard Linux kernel that enables it for use in hard real time applications.

Beowulf Project at CESDIS
Linux is now being used with common networking hardware to create powerful parallel processing supercomputers. Neato.

Last update: 2004-5-18

James C. Graves, Jr. / (ansible@xnet.com)