Positive and negative things about living in Beijing.
Author: Alesh Houdek
80s Baby
80s Baby (This is a person doing community service at my work.)
ebay and looting
ebay and looting: Archeologists were freaked out when ebay first appeared that the democratization of the antique market would lead to an upsurge in looting. But actually, looting has decreased over the years. Why? Because the massive growth of the market has instead fueled a boon for the antique forgery industry. Not sure whether this is good, bad, or funny. (via)
Not in defense of Twitter
One eye-rolling Maureen Dowd column and suddenly everyone feels like they need to defend Twitter. I say forget it — if someone’s not persuaded to try it, they’re not going to read your pleas, and they wouldn’t be convinced even if they did. Still, some nice arguments: In defense of Twitter (Bldg Blog), In defense of Twitter (Kottke). Then again, this is hardly untrodden ground
Sale price of homes in Miami continues to deline
“For the past year, the average sale price on Miami’s foreclosed homes has been falling by roughly 4 percent per month. The rate of decline hasn’t tailed off.”
I’m starting a blog
Torture on the Daily Show
HA!: Finally someone pointed out the 2-tiered question of torture that usually gets conflated — Jon Stewart on the Daily Show. Watch a 17 second excerpt or the whole episode.
Twitter vortex
Twitter vortex: So, Maureen Dowd has nothing particularly interesting to say about Twitter, but at least she said it to the company’s founder. (Then again, so did Colbert.) So then Rex linked to a post on the not uninteresting new site “The Awl” about Dowd’s dismissal, which actually summed up my own feelings pretty well. So then I noticed that Rex was using that post to compare the Awl to Suck, and Chorie quoted my complaint about The Awl, and everything got a little dizzy. All of which reminds me of my favorite editorial (mostly) about Twitter, Geoff Nunberg on Fresh Air last year (text):
The story was a natural for journalists. It combined three themes that have been a staple of feature writing for 150 years: “the language is going to hell in a handbasket”; “you’ll never get me onto one of those newfangled things”; and “kids today, I’m here to tell you.”
Hernan Bas’ show in New York
Images from Hernan Bas’ show in New York this Summer look spectacular.
Update: Extensive coverage, with lots if images and details. #2: Franklin reviews a retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum. Interesting perspectives from someone who is decidedly not a Bas cheerleader.
Developments around Florida returning to nature
Some of the last-sucker-in residential developments around Florida are returning to nature, maybe sort of like in the new show Life After People. Take the Turnpike south towards Homestead and it is just stunning, the rows upon rows of empty finished and unfinished developments.