July 31, 2013
Google Whiz Visualizes Beach Boy Harmonies
Featuring the vocals-only mix of the Beach Boy's You Still Believe in Me from their masterpiece, Pet Sounds. Here's the original Wired article....
May 23, 2012
Rent a Fake Internet Girlfriend
It's convenient, hassle-free, and an oh-so-reasonable $250 a month. For the basic package....
May 14, 2012
37 Saddest Failed Kickstarters
Read 'em and weep....
January 10, 2012
The Pathway of an Amazon Order
Thanks to My Name Is Not Matt...
December 13, 2011
Louis C.K. on Reddit
If you are a fan of Louie, his FX comedy, or his standup, then you probably already know that Louis C.K. is now offering an original hour of standup via his website for $5. To help promote the concert, Louis...
December 08, 2011
Teddy Wayne's Tragic Facebook Romance
Novelist Teddy Wayne chronicles his messing with a Facebook scammer for three months....
March 16, 2010
Best of Chat Roulette
February 22, 2010
It Finally Happened
Today, Amazon sent me an email saying I might be interested in reading the following book:...
February 17, 2010
News for TV Majors...
...is the unlikely name of a useful compendium of TV links posted by Christine Becker, associate professor at the University of Notre Dame. No gossip here, but plenty of timely and valuable stuff about the business of television, including overnight...
February 13, 2010
The Best TV Criticism Around...
...isn't in print, even though it's from magazine writers, Michael Slezak and Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly. I've raved before about Entertainment Weekly's website, especially PopWatch. Nothing on the site is as consistently perceptive and funny as Idolatry, in which...
September 29, 2009
Who Is Grady Harp?
Ever wonder who those top reviewers are on Amazon? Garth Risk Hallberg susses them out....
September 15, 2009
Fast Flip
Google introduces another toy....
September 04, 2009
Visuwords
It's kind of a dictionary. It's kind of a thesaurus. It's kind of fun....
August 19, 2009
Let's Get Mani Tolkow on Google
My friend has a 21st-century kind of problem. As far as Google is concerned, she doesn't exist. Let's see if this is enough to eradicate her embarrassment. Google, please come and get Mani Tolkow....
August 16, 2009
Rat Musicians
Blow, rodents, blow. [Thanks to Mark Evanier]...
August 09, 2009
de-classified
It's been awhile since I've seen a website as intriguing as de-classified. New York photographer Mark Andrew finds personal ads on Craigslist and then asks the posters if they would like to be photographed at home. Most of the subjects...
August 07, 2009
Some Came Running
If you are a film buff and don't know about Glenn Kenny's blog, you should go there right now. Kenny, the former editor-critic of Premiere Magazine until its demise, is nothing if not opinionated. For example, check out his sort-of...
August 03, 2009
How To Fix Facebook
Considering how popular it is, Facebook's interface is putrid. Everyone I know who uses Facebook grumbles about the design. In his Slate column, Farhad Manjoo offers a few modest suggestions....
July 30, 2009
So We Don't Think You Can Dance
We present, for your edification and enjoyment, White Guy Dancing, featuring none other than Arthur Kade today....
July 09, 2009
Awful Library Books
That's the name of the blog. We kinda like most of the books, though....
June 19, 2009
Dixie Does Yoga
Watch at your own risk. [Thanks to List of the Day]...
May 25, 2009
Happy Memorial Day
But I do have one sad piece of news: Not everyone loves horses....
May 18, 2009
Behold the Average
You may be familiar with the horrors of FML. But MyLifeIsAverage, which we heard about at Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch blog, is more our style....
May 12, 2009
Beatles Tube
Want to have access to every Beatle song on video in one place? Try Beatles Tube, which includes lyrics to each song. Want to browse by album? Or watch one of the Fab Four's movies? No problem....
April 29, 2009
The Grilled Cheese Invitational
My kind of festival! This was featured in a charming food blog, gas.tron.o.my...
April 12, 2009
Fix Rumer
Among the more obscure blogs I've ever stumbled upon: a site devoted to photoshopping the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore....
March 28, 2009
New Math
Yeah, it's a bit of a homage/ripoff of Indexed, but New Math is not uncool....
March 26, 2009
A Dress a Day
I know next to nothing about fashion and up until I became engrossed in Project Runway, I had no interest in fashion either. I've tried to educate myself by reading the fashion coverage of the runway shows in the New...
March 25, 2009
PopWatch
Continuing Website Week on Imponderables.com, I had to include my current favorite popular culture website: PopWatch, part of Entertainment Weekly's site. Popwatch includes a mix of breaking news, commentary, videos, interviews, and not a few blog entries written by performers,...
March 24, 2009
F*** You, Penguin
Cute animals are a bane on our society. I know of only one blog that is dedicated to letting them have it....
March 23, 2009
ArthurKade.com
I thought each day this week I'd highlight a website that I love. It's only appropriate that I start with the best website in the world, ArthurKade.com At age 30, Arthur Kade left a cushy job at American Express...
February 25, 2009
Jurassic Web
I enjoyed Farhad Manjoo's look back at the lay of the land on the Web circa 1996. For the record, in 1996, I was addicted to Prodigy, and didn't dream that it would bite the dust not that much later....
February 24, 2009
Take That, Coldplay!
The latest musical sensation is Mark Gormley. Here's the essential interview; And his greatest video:...
February 19, 2009
Surfin' the Alps on Your Wii
February 15, 2009
The Rise and Fall of "25 Random Things About Me"
Via Slate....
January 12, 2009
By Popular Demand
The Evolution of Dance Guy is back....
January 11, 2009
Satire Is What Closes Saturday Night
So sayeth George S. Kaufman. But satire is alive and well on Amazon.com. Introducing the wit of Ari Brouillette......
June 07, 2008
The Evolution of Tech Logos
Neatorama strikes again....
June 01, 2008
For Political Polling Wonks, Only
I've raved several times here about Mark Blumenthal's work on Pollster.com. If you are as obsessed about the presidential race and all the complexities of trying to poll voter preferences as I am, you'll also love Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight.com...
May 24, 2008
You Park Like an [NOT SAFE FOR WORK]
Beware, errant parkers. You are no longer safe. [Thanks to John DiBartolo]...
May 18, 2008
Solitaire
What's Microsoft's most used application? According to this article, it's solitaire! Here's an interesting rumination about the humble little game....
May 17, 2008
If It Looks Like a Duck
It probably isn't....
May 05, 2008
Fun with Google Maps
What with the price of gas and all, perhaps a nice long drive isn't the greatest idea. That hasn't stopped one intrepid blogger from finding the longest routes on Google Maps (be sure and read the comments from readers, too)....
April 29, 2008
Sneezecount
I just hope this guy doesn't get a book or movie deal....
April 25, 2008
YOUNGME - NOWME
You can go back again....
April 07, 2008
Time.com's First Annual Blog Index
Time picks its 25 favorite blogs and asks us to rate them. Although many of the usual suspects appear, including Indexed (as this is written, rated #1 by Time readers), I'm now subscribed to a couple of blogs I hadn't...
April 03, 2008
April Fools Day on the Web
How's this for a niche: a compilation of the myriad April Fools stunts on the Web. [Thanks to Gin Petty]...
March 23, 2008
Things for Sale That I Will Mail You
Someone will think about you for a minute -- a bargain at one dollar. [Thanks to Paul Fryd]...
January 18, 2008
Rube Goldberg meets the Netherlands
You can't beat an Online Winkelin. [Thanks to Mark Evanier]...
January 15, 2008
The 7 Most Bizarre Celebrity Blogs
According to Cracked, anyway......
November 30, 2007
Google Reader Has Gotten Better
One of the blogs that I subscribe to on Google Reader is The Official Google Reader Blog. Today's entry is a plug for the Discovery Page. Based on what you've searched for and the websites you've visited, it suggests blogs...
November 25, 2007
The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks
I thought I was the only one who got a kick out of the proliferation of misused quotation marks. Not true. [Thanks to James Gleick]...
October 29, 2007
Heroes of the Writers Strike
What will writers do if the Guild strikes?...
October 03, 2007
Missed That TV Show?
Forgot to videotape that show you wanted to watch? Did you suffer from a DVR malfunction? Relief might be on th way. TV Guide has launched Online Video Guide, a roundup of where you can find previously aired shows online....
September 25, 2007
Free Popcorn
Well, sort of. Dale and Thomas, one of the best purveyors of "gourmet" popcorn is offering two bags for the reasonable shipping cost of $2.95. The deal includes some of D&T's most popular flavors, including Chocolate Chunk 'n Caramel, Butter...
September 23, 2007
The MC Hammer School of English
[Thanks to Susan Thomas]...
September 20, 2007
Refund Please
I've bought so many items online that were "protected" by a price guarantee. But I've never received a penny compensation when a price gets lowered. Why? I've been too lazy to check. Refund Please has come to the rescue....
August 11, 2007
Movie Pulchritude Morphing
Beauty through the cinematic era. [Thanks to Mark Evanier]...
August 01, 2007
Song Tapper
Search for the name of a song by using your keyboard. Well, actually, just by tapping on the space bar. As Gloria Estefan would say if the lyrics to her wrong were slightly different, the rhythm's going to get you...the...
July 24, 2007
Darn It!
I thought I was the greatest author in the world. But I was so wrong....
July 18, 2007
Cashing Checks with the Stars
Few showbiz-oriented blogs break more stories than Nikki Finke in her Deadline Hollywood Daily. Even if she is a little smug about her accomplishments, at least she has something to crow about. Yesterday she linked to a list (originally compiled...
July 15, 2007
FormatChange.com
Arguably the most important oldies record station in the country, WCBS-FM, switched to the "Jack" format several years ago. Jack was a quasi-alternative format that didn't stick to a particular genre of music, and flattered its listeners with promos indicating...
July 11, 2007
Skull-A-Day
For those who have heretofore only seen five skulls a week -- here's the solution....
July 08, 2007
Why Do [Most] Forks Have Four Tines?
Good Imponderable. But actually I wasn't asked this. Bram Cohen, creator of BitTorrent, has some thoughts on the subject on his blog. The comments by his readers are worth a look, too....
July 07, 2007
Google Maps Trick
My pal Dave Friedman writes: Go to Google Maps and do driving directions. When you get your route back, drag a point on the route somewhere else. Pretty cool. Cool, indeed....
July 05, 2007
It's Always Something
If you're going to have two mishaps, why not do so within one minute?...
June 28, 2007
Bringo
Trapped in "phone tree hell," unable to find a human at the bank, or the airline, or the hotel chain? Bringo rides to the rescue. In concept, it sounds great. Have any readers of this blog had a personal experience...
June 19, 2007
25 Web Sites To Watch
At least, that's what PC World thinks....
June 14, 2007
Triumph Does the Tony's
And nobody does it better....
May 31, 2007
Finally, the Answer to Gilligan's Island
The Professor did us proud. As we posted yesterday, the Profesor posed an Imponderable question and teased the answer. Our intrepid reader, Sondra Harris, whose name has adorned many an Imponderables book with her wit, was the first to spot...
May 24, 2007
Is This the Cutest Cow in the World?
Ree thinks so. [Thanks to Monkling]...
May 23, 2007
Google's HOT TRENDS
What's new? Google knows....
May 17, 2007
100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers
Here's a keeper from YouTube....
May 02, 2007
Google Reader
I am an unabashed fan of Google's latest masterpiece, Google Reader. I've tried other RSS feeds, but Google's is so simple and elegant that it's the first time I've preferred the blogs coming to me instead of me going to...
April 29, 2007
Critical Metrics
Somehow, this very cool website has eluded me until I read about it in the Wall Street Journal. Here's how the site describes itself: Every week, artists, DJs, music tv networks, newspapers, magazines, retailers, and bloggers recommend hundreds of their...
April 23, 2007
The Rejecter
I love websites that give aspiring writers solid advice. If you are contemplating a life in publishing, as a writer, an editor, or an agent, you might want to read this blog. The Rejector is written by an anoynmous assistant...
April 22, 2007
The Best Book Promo Website I've Ever Seen
Miranda July's. [Thanks to Malcolm Mead]...
April 15, 2007
You've Had a Little Work Done
One video you probabl won't see on MTV. Or CMT....
March 21, 2007
K-Yahoo
This is not a joke. I think....
March 20, 2007
Associated Content
Associated Content is a hybrid of MySpace and Wikipedia. Users can publish videos, essays, poetry, photographs, or audio, and get paid for their contributions (submissions are screened by AC's staff). AC calls itself "The People's Media Company," although the interface...
March 07, 2007
How Google's Search Technology Really Works
Maybe this is really why you never see baby pigeons. [Thanks to Neala Schwartzberg]...
March 01, 2007
Jimmy Wales
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is not only trying to make a few bucks with his Wikia, but is challenging Google with an open-source search engine. Good luck! Money/CNN profiles Wales and what he's up to: good reading....
January 27, 2007
Can You Save a Man from Hanging?
How's your hangman? [Thanks to Agnes from France]...
December 31, 2006
Newseum
Today's newspaper headlines. Today!...
December 23, 2006
Stationery Movies
For those who love quizzes. And movies. And stationery....
December 03, 2006
Are You in the Target Audience for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip?
The Studio 60 Flowchart will tell all....
November 29, 2006
RinkWorks
Don't have time to watch movies these days? How about a movie-a-minute? A book-a-minute can save you even more time. Plenty of other stuff to check out at RinkWorks, and I especially recommend the All Movie Talk, a weekly podcast...
November 27, 2006
Sploofus
Because there aren't enough ways to waste time on the Internet. A very cool trivia site....
November 18, 2006
I Thought Daniel Craig Was James Bond
But evidently I was wrong....
November 10, 2006
Dull Men's Club
These are my soulmates. This site revels in National Fig Month (you do know that this is National Fig Month, don't you?). It studies the direction in which carousels around the world rotate. And it includes a book review section...
November 09, 2006
OneBee
I stumbled onto this blog while researching Gerard Mulligan, former headwriter of The Late Show with David Letterman. I liked Jameson's take on Gerard, so I started reading other entries. Good blog, especially the musings on television....
November 02, 2006
Thriller...
...with Legos!...
October 25, 2006
The Other Ballgame
The World Series isn't the only game in town, at least for me. I'm also an election junkie. I'll leave out my own political views, and focus on the best place to view the how the horse-race is shaping up...
October 24, 2006
Product Placement on the Web
The world has gotten a little less innocent. The next time you see a blog recommending a product, a service, or another website, you have to think: Is it real, or is it PayPerPost?...
October 21, 2006
Like Visual Quizzes?
I don't think you'll find any better than Margaret Nissen's at Modesty Panel. [Thanks to Jack Estes]...
October 18, 2006
Spiked
What is Spiked? It's an excellent online magazine based in England. So what? It's free and worth checking out, especially for a fascinating poll of many of the world's top scientists, asking them: If You Could Teach the World Just...
October 17, 2006
How Many David Feldmans Are There in the U.S.?
According to this website, approximately 284. Watch out for those annoying flashing banner ads -- they could blind you. [Thanks to Newton Caldwell]...
October 15, 2006
Piero Scaruffi
Piero Scaruffi is a man obsessed, and the New York Times wrote a profile of him yesterday. He's interested in many subjects, but one of his obsessions is making "best of" lists of rock music. He shares them at his...
October 06, 2006
Iggy Pop's Concert Rider
One of the great features of The Smoking Gun is the collection of concert riders. Iggy Pop's is not the most demanding, but it is certainly the funniest....
September 30, 2006
Mouseprint
Today's New York Times's What's Online column included a link to a site, mouseprint.org, that explores the fine print in all kinds of ads and commercials. The latest post is about how Scot toilet paper has retained the standard of...
September 06, 2006
It's Jerry Time!
And it's about time....
August 31, 2006
The Simpons vs. Star Trek
Nobody's a winner....
August 28, 2006
Slo-Mo Home Depot
Molasses and Home Depot. A great combination....
August 24, 2006
The Top 200 Singles of the 1960s
Pitchfork is one of the better pop/rock music sites on the Web, and often features irresistible lists, such as the "Top 100 Albums of the 1980s." But here's the latest. I must confess that one of the reasons I enjoyed...
August 10, 2006
Hair Makes the Woman
Imagine taking a photo of your face in the same position every day for three years, and then assembling a video of each photo in quick succession. That's what Ahree Lee has done in less than one minute's worth of...
August 07, 2006
Build It and They Might Not Come
This morning, Mediaweek Online reports: "OfficePirates.com—Time Inc.'s much-hyped answer to the viral video-blogging phenomenon, is struggling to build an audience, and some Time Inc. insiders are speculating that its lifespan may be short. The site, launched in late February, has...
August 03, 2006
Bedazzled
The amount of video online is staggering, and a trip to YouTube can induce a migraine and overload. So it's always great when someone with an astute sensibility and an archivist's soul filters a part of what's "out there." Such...
Jon Stewart Is Not God
But not everyone agrees....
July 31, 2006
The Answer Is: Today's Link
The question is: Where can I find the Jeopardy Archive? [Thanks to James Gleick]...
July 26, 2006
Wikipedia
In the current issue of the New Yorker, Stacy Schiff writes a balanced article about Wikipedia (I hope this link works indefinitely). I was particularly struck by this passage: "Wikipedia functions as a filter for vast amounts of information online,...
July 24, 2006
Obsessed with Wrestling
I'm not, but I started watching professional wrestling when I was four years old. My grandfather informed me at that tender age that it was "fake," and then proceeded to yell his tonsils out at the grapplers on his black...
July 23, 2006
Google Without the Ads
We're here to help. [Thanks to Malcolm Mead]...
July 18, 2006
Video Blog of the Day
You can keep your music videos. You can keep your porn. I want to watch a white guy eating foreign foods. [Thanks to Jim Cypher]...
July 05, 2006
Celebrities Have To Eat, Too
Even if they are photographed doing so....
June 30, 2006
Favorite Blog Title of the Week
And a pretty cool blog, to boot....
June 26, 2006
Obsessed with "Lost"?
Some of my friends think that I'm obsessed with all televsion shows, but for whatever reason, Lost just doesn't grab me (even though I used to be pals with Matthew Fox's wife when they lived in New York -- she...
June 25, 2006
KeepVid
Want to know how to find that video that you liked on YouTube or Google Video? Why not keep it?...
June 24, 2006
Televisionary
This is a cool blog about television, written by, of all people, a young TV development executive....
June 08, 2006
Was the 2004 Election Stolen?
In the current issue of Rolling Stone, Robert Kennedy, Jr. concludes that the answer is yes. During the 2004 election, I was riveted by the Mystery Pollster blog. After the election, he wrote extensively about why the exit polls that...
June 07, 2006
Gervais Meets David
Perhaps the two funniest writers on television meet. And talk. We're all winners....
June 01, 2006
"Let Me Go the Right Way"
A user on YouTube has posted a slew of vintage 60s Supremes video, including my favorite song of the group, Let Me Go the Right Way. It was a superb single that didn't break out in the pop market. This...
May 18, 2006
The LibraryThing
Care to eavesdrop on other people's book collections? Care to share yours? If so, try this Thing....
May 16, 2006
TV Upfronts
May is always a big television month. It's the all-important May Sweeps (which is why series finales are more common than pollen) but also the upfronts, when the networks announce their new Fall lineups. Aaron Barnhart, the Kansas City Star's...
May 11, 2006
I Can Digg It!
Still sick, but better (thanks for the virtual chicken soup from blog readers!), thanks. But I had to pass along this tip from John DiBartolo -- Digg.com....
May 03, 2006
Geek Love
Dave Loves Elizabeth....
April 11, 2006
Make Him Watch TV
Go ahead. Make his TV day....
March 15, 2006
Google Mars
Very cool. But Google Maps won't give us driving directions on how to get to this beautiful place. [Thanks to John DiBartolo]...
February 10, 2006
Zillow.com
Want to know how much your home is worth? Want to know how much your enemy's home is worth? You can find your Zestimate here....
February 07, 2006
Website of the Day
Candy's World....
January 26, 2006
Net Disaster
Hate a website? Why not deface it? [Thanks to Gin Petty]...
January 16, 2006
Kitten War!
Now you know why I'm not a betting man. Not too bad. I went 2-2 on my playoff picks. Maybe it's because I'm distracted by a more important battle. [Thanks to Dave Friedman]...
December 30, 2005
Best of Best Ofs
Like year-end best lists? So does this guy....
December 24, 2005
Christmas Time for the Jews
I'm finally imbued with the Christmas spirit. The subways are running again in New York, last night Darlene Love once again performed a transcendent version of "Merry Christmas (Baby Please Come Home" on David Letterman, and I saw Robert Smigel's...
December 18, 2005
Google Music Search
Try typing "Bob Dylan" into the Google search box. Here's what you get......
December 14, 2005
The Award Season Is Here
No, I'm not talking about the Golden Globe nominations. We're talking about the 2005, but the 2005 Crunks, from the addictive website, Regret the Error....
December 13, 2005
You've Been Reading Too Many Blogs...
..if you get most of these jokes. [Thanks to Jeremy Osner}...
December 12, 2005
World's Worst Weathermen?
The first one will do until a worse one comes along....
December 11, 2005
Top 10 Words Most Searched at Merriam-Webster's Website
Evidently, Pamela Anderson and Britney Spears aren't in the dictionary....
December 10, 2005
Jersey Boys Soundtrack
I don't have a "theater" category on the blog, because it usually requires a crowbar, a free ticket, and some medication to drag me to a Broadway show. I haven't seen Jersey Boys, the show chronicling the Four Seasons. But...
December 08, 2005
The Carpetbagger
New York Times reporter David Carr has just launched The Carpetbagger, a blog chronicling the race to the Oscars. Carr portrays himself as a newcomer to the madness (he is) but the site is full of fun links. This is...
November 26, 2005
There Is a Worse Website Than Mine
And it's right here. And if you hate frames, make sure you check out the links on the left....
November 21, 2005
Pandora.com
Do you listen to music on the Web? Perhaps to a streaming radio show? Why not create your own station that plays the music you like best, and the music you didn't know you like best?...
October 28, 2005
TV Squad
Here's a cool blog, written by a group of TV fans, full of tips, news, and annotated listings of what's worth watching every day. [Thanks to Laura Tolkow for the tip]...
October 26, 2005
Good News on the Spam Front?
It looks promising....
October 18, 2005
Where Does the Caffeine Go?
In Are Lobsters Ambidextrous? (originally published as When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth?), I discussed what happens to the caffeine that's taken out of coffee. Now in a four minute photo-essay on the National Geographic site, you can see...
October 16, 2005
The 62-Pound Hamburger and Other Great Moments in Junk Food
The Junk Food Blog is devoted to chronicling the latest development in arterially-clogging and cavity-inducing foodstuffs. We were sent there by another cool site, Strange New Products, that let us know that the world is no longer without candy corn...
October 10, 2005
Screen Shots from Pete's Pond
For those of you didn't heed my earlier call to visit Pete's Pond, another website has scores of screen shots from the webcam -- zebras, elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, vultures, monkeys, and much more. [Thanks to Ruth Bavetta]...
October 02, 2005
Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn, leader of the Byrds, keeps one foot firmly in the past (he loves traditional folk music) and one foot securely in the future (he was an early adapter of the Internet and loves technology). Does that mean he...
September 27, 2005
Judd Apatow's Diary
This week, the auteur behind Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, and The 40-Year-Old- Virgin is posting a journal on Slate.com this week. His first entry is about reality television, and I like his taste. Any fan of Rock Star INXS can't...
September 26, 2005
Wild Cam Redux
We've received a few complaints that the Wildcam site is down. Yep, it's popular -- if the other link is busy, try this one as well....
September 24, 2005
So You Want To Be Cool?
Are you sure you want to be cool? I know only one way to assure that you will be cool. You can learn how by watching this video....
September 22, 2005
WildCam
Now THIS is a reality show. [Thanks to Jerilyn Dufresne]...
September 20, 2005
Two New Sitcoms and a Modest Proposal
Four new sitcoms have come with buzz, and two of them debuted Monday night: How I Met Your Mother and Kitchen Confidential. My main constructive criticism applies to both: Relax and stop trying so hard. Both shows have attractive casts...
September 15, 2005
Google Strikes Again
It was inevitable. Not content to let Feedster and Technorati carve out a franchise, let's welcome Google Blog Search to the worldwide web....
September 06, 2005
Beatles Timeline
Since I've been plugging Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, how about some love for the Beatles. The Beatles Timeline site is a lot of fun -- and educational, too!...
August 31, 2005
The Writing Life
My friend Beth Amos is a terrific suspense and mystery writer, but like many talented novelists, she's had her shares of bumps in the road to commercial success. Her official website is full of tips for aspiring suspense novelists. But...
August 30, 2005
This Is Not the Worst Blog in the World
I'm proud to say that others agree....
August 19, 2005
More Kept Blogging
An eagle-eyed reader of this blog (O.K., it was me) noticed that the blog of Seth, the winner of the reality show Kept, links to the blog of his pal and runner-up's, Austen. Austen is more articulate than Seth, only...
August 18, 2005
Kept Blog
On the off chance that any of you followed the VH1 show, Kept, the winner, Seth, has a blog. Seth is 34, but his blog chronicles a life not unlike a parody of frat life....
August 13, 2005
You're Rich!
Can I have a loan? I know you can afford it....
August 10, 2005
Jossip
There are scads of blogs on the web devoted to media news and gossip. I visit too many of them. My latest main squeeze is Jossip. What I like least about it is its snarky tone. It's not as well...
July 31, 2005
Bustamove.com
You don't know how to do the electric slide? Help is on the way. [Thanks to Simone Cox]...
July 30, 2005
Logogle
Tired of your logo? Why not rip off a good one?...
July 29, 2005
Mark Evanier on Hold
The hell that is "on hold" with customer support is chronicled in real time in yesteday's entry at Mark's wonderful site, News from Me. (Be sure and read from the bottom up, as Mark's entries are time-stamped). Yesterday, the villain...
July 25, 2005
Joel on Software
Although I've been on the Internet since the Paleolithic Era, I'm not in the least bit technical. I don't know how to program, I'm not interested in learning, but am in slavish admiration when I find a program I like....
July 22, 2005
I'm Not Happy About the Name of This Website
And no, I'm not THIS David Feldman. And for that matter, I'm not THIS Michael Feldman....
July 21, 2005
My Idol
Here's someone who has/had a bigger vinyl collection than me, and finally did something about it (my bedroom has a "wall of vinyl," containing nothing but 45s and LPs). The seller on this Ebay auction, Marty Pekar, produced was a...
July 20, 2005
Google Moon
Google's mapping everything these days. Make sure you zoom in all the way. Thanks to Dave Friedman for the tip....
July 10, 2005
This Is Broken
That's the name of a cool website that documents visually some of the products and services provided by big corporations that just don't make sense....
June 21, 2005
No Redeeming Social Value (Part 2)
A few months ago, I admitted that I was known to frequent a gossip site called The Superficial, which is going as strong as ever. But I surprise even myself, someone with zero interest in fashion, that I find myself...
May 31, 2005
I Ain't Nothin' But a Chowhound
Like a dog, I'm always thinking about when and where my next meal is coming from. I like to think I'm a bit more discriminating about what food I shovel in my mouth than the average canine. I've always been...
May 19, 2005
Next Fall on TV
What will the Fall line-up look like? I like the way Laurel Krahn designed her grid to indicate new shows, programs that have changed time or days, and those standing still. And you can do worse than using her daily...
The Wait Is Over
The hamburger has finally gotten its due....
April 09, 2005
Need a Ride? Right Now?
Google strikes again. [Thanks to David Friedman for the tip]...
March 27, 2005
No Redeeming Social Value (Part 1)
When I'm not researching why pirates wore earrings, or poring over EPA emission standards, I must admit I save a minute or two for checking out websites that offer little but pointed and scathing gossip about celebrities. One of my...
March 09, 2005
You Are Liked
Yes you are. Thanks to Jim Cypher for the "referral."...
March 07, 2005
Steve, Don't Eat It!
We've got to help Steve! He's suffering for us. Thanks to Jeremy Osner, major domo of Readin blog....
March 06, 2005
Dancing With Cats
Better than the Broadway show....
March 01, 2005
The Name Game
Baby Book -- please meet Casey Kasem....
February 25, 2005
Eradicating Social Problems...
...one step at a time....
February 15, 2005
So You Want To Publish a Book?
I stumbled onto the Everyone Who's Anyone website via a Google link and I couldn't stop reading it. Gerard Jones has assembled a gigantic directory of literary (and Hollywood) agents and editors, along with their email addresses and whatever correspondence...
February 09, 2005
Google Maps
Ho-Hum. Google has a new Beta program, and it already beats the established map and directions sites. Make sure and play with the zoom -- it's great fun. Thanks to John D. for the tip....
February 07, 2005
What Time Is It?
It's Human Clock time! [Thanks to Myrna]...
February 04, 2005
Query Letters
When I worked at NBC-TV, I read more than a few horrendous pitches for television shows. After I left NBC and worked on the proposals for what became my first two books, I did a little consulting and read even...
January 29, 2005
Don't Get Me Started!
Please, don't let me buy this!...
January 25, 2005
Google Strikes Again
Now Google will let you search for video and television. What's left to search?...
January 09, 2005
The Long Tail Blog
In a previous post, I recommended an article in Wired called "The Long Tail." Publishers noticed it, too. Chris Anderson has received a big advance to turn the essay into a book and he's started a blog with the appropriate...
December 26, 2004
Why I'm a Big Man (Part One)
My friends and family know me too well. Most of the gifts I've received this holiday season have been edible. And so have most of the gifts I've given. I thought I'd share some of the best stuff that can...
December 20, 2004
flickr
Salon Magazine touts a photo-sharing service that is currently in beta: flickr (you might have to sit through an ad to read the article for free). Here's the home page of flickr and flickr's official blog....
December 14, 2004
Libraries Will Never Be the Same
Google is at it again. "This is the day the world changes..."...
December 02, 2004
Books That Stand the Test of Time
There aren't many blogs that I read every day. One of them is Mark Evanier's News From Me. Today, Mark cites a fascinating Top 1000 list . Do just as Mark says, and please scroll slowly until you reach number...
November 18, 2004
Google Scholar
Google keeps getting better. My friend Neala Schwartzberg, major domo at Offbeat Travel, alerted me to the latest Beta. I googled my own name (of course!) and stumbled upon some old academic articles I had written. Unfortunately, it would cost...
November 14, 2004
Dayton Allen, R.I.P.
One of my comic idols, Dayton Allen, died last Thursday, a largely forgotten figure. Mark Evanier, who writes one of my favorite blogs in the blogosphere, news from me, posted a wonderful anecdote about Allen. Allen is best known as...
November 13, 2004
Amazon Shorts
Go to Amazon's home page and you'll see the introduction of "Amazon Theater." Click on the link and you'll watch Portrait, the first of five shorts to run for a week each leading up to Christmas. "Portrait" was directed by...
October 25, 2004
Ashleegate Revisited
If you just can't get enough of the SNL scandal, visit this brand new Australian website that is covering the cover-up. Or the frame-up. Won't the lessons of Watergate and Milli Vanilli ever be learned?...
October 20, 2004
Google Saves a Life
In Iraq, of all places....
October 19, 2004
Two Potential Problems with Google Desktop
I've downloaded the beta of Google Desktop and like most Google services, it works flawlessly. But there are two big caveats: 1. Google searches Outlook (and Outlook Express), AOL chat, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Word. If you have a different...
October 06, 2004
There's Annoying, and Then There's ANNOYING
I'm sorry for implying in my last entry that Apprentice Jen's website was in the same universe of annoyingosity as the official website of Gorilla Glue's. Thanks to pal and papermaker supreme, Gin Petty, whose life is diminished by having...
You're Wired!
She got fired from The Apprentice. She got fired from her real estate job. She was taped making anti-Semitic remarks. But nothing should shame Jennifer Crisafulli more than her annoying website....
October 05, 2004
Following the Horse Race
With the presidential polls all over the map this election, some websites are trying to provide perspective. If all you're interested in is the horse race, a site like electoral-vote.com offers an easy-to-read map with state-by-state data. So does Daly...
September 22, 2004
Your Personal Baseball Highlight Reel
Mark Sinclair, the illustrious webmaster and designer of this website, emailed me today about a cool feature of Major League Baseball's website. A day or so after a baseball game is played, some of the numbers in the box scores...
Your Personal Baseball Highlight Reel
Mark Sinclair, the illustrious webmaster and designer of this website, emailed me today about a cool feature of Major League Baseball's website. A day or so after a baseball game is played, some of the numbers in the box scores...
September 16, 2004
A9 Debuts
Google receives its first serious competition in a while with the launch of A9.com. The question is: Do users care much about managing the results of web searches after they've found the website they were looking for?...
September 13, 2004
Malcolm Gladwell Strikes Again
Ever take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test? Most big corporations and some colleges use this personality test to assess the suitability of employees for possible positions. I took the test my freshman year in college, and it drove me nuts....