Rock Star alter egos are growing in numbers "You're forming a fake band -- that's what you do," says Sadri, calling the game "the best part of karaoke, adding in a drummer and guitars."
The Magpie Developer Jeff Atwood is one of the best programmer/writers around. I love reading his stuff, some I agree wholeheartedly with, other stuff we disagree, but this post is about a dead-on as they come. This idea has been floating in my head for a long time, but it is hard for me to conceptualize it in words, Atwood does a brilliant job at it. Must read for any developer.
Andy Olmsted's Last Blog Entry. (Warning: Pretty rough) No matter how you feel politically about the war, this reminds you that each number people throw around as statistics is a human life. This is extremely well written, and pretty rough on your soul towards the end, but something everyone should read. Its a shitty situation all around, but there is always a human face behind the statistics and I want to make sure I never forget that.
To preserve his body during the voyage home, the second-in-command stored Nelson's body in the ship's vat of rum and halted all liquor rations to the crew. Not a bad idea, but when the ship reached port, officials went to retrieve Nelson's body and found the vat dry.
Disregarding good taste (in every sense), the crew had been secretly drinking from it the entire way home. After that, naval rum was referred to as Nelson's Blood.
making vodka pills in 24 hours Recently, Chef Fabian was experimenting further with the Adria/Torreblanca technique of making 'vodka pills.' I use this word to describe the process of making liquid-filled candies by pouring flavored alcohol syrups into cornstarch and letting it set until a hard outer shell forms.
Strategy Letter VI - joelonsoftware.com As a programmer, thanks to plummeting memory prices, and CPU speeds doubling every year, you had a choice. You could spend six months rewriting your inner loops in Assembler, or take six months off to play drums in a rock and roll band, and in either case, your program would run faster. Assembler programmers don’t have groupies.
Entire Article is Dead On. A must read for anyone in the software biz.
Quite Possibly, (from a video Game consumer's point of view) this is one of the most consise and most agreeable posts I have ever read on the 'used video game market'.
Raph�s Website ? First sale
We went and saw The DaVinci Code tonight. First off, I am a huge fan of the book, I do not think that the book was overrated even with all the commercial success it had (Ask Bobafred how long he had to wait for a paperback version). A friend of mine Tosh suggested I read Angels & Demons first and I must admit I did enjoy that novel about as much as Davinci, but with the popularity of DaVinci I totally understand why they made it into a movie first. I still have Digital Fortress sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be read.
Ok. I enjoyed the movie. It did not blow me away by any means, but I would have no hesitation suggesting it is worth the $20 to go see it at the movies on the big screen. The Actors: Although Hanks kinda seemed like he was on a double dose of Alavert the entire movie (aka a little groggy, but still there, but just enough groggy to notice) I do think that he portrayed Langston very well. I admit that I had always heard the 'Harrison Ford in Tweed' description of Langdon and always envisioned Harrison as Langdon, but I think that Hanks pulled it off well. It isn't an Oscar winning performance a la Gump/Phillidelphia/Apollo/Road to Perdition but he is certainly good for the part, and any actor who has been in so many big name films that can just sink into a role like that with the crowd barely noticing its the same actor from Saving Private Ryan, deserves to be recognized. Iam McKellen was great (as always), Paul Bettanie was a great choice for Silas. He looks kind of fuk'd up to begin with, when you turn him into an albino with a penchant for masochism without the actual sex, then he just seems all the more freakier. Now to my fav character Sophie, played by Audrey Tautou. She WAS the exact person I had in my mind for Sophie Neveu when I read the book (probably because her, Julliet Benochie (sp?) and Sophia Marceu are probably the only three French actresses I can remember). And Audrey Tautou is waaaaaaay more smokin than the other 2. I loved Amelie and I think that is probably the reason that I thought of her when I was reading this. She was THE choice for this movie ( similar to Patrick Stewart for Professor X) and I am glad she was in it. Did I mention she was smokin'? She has a very regal/classy look to me, that almost seems like it belongs in the 40s ala West/Hepburn. The actor who plays Fache (Jean Reno - had to look it up) has been seen as multiple bad guys in other movies, but does a great job with Fache. I seem to remember a lot more development of Fache's character in the book, but that leads me to probably the one thing that I didn't like about the movie was the speed of it. I wish it had a good 3 or 3:30 for the entire story because it isn't really rushed, I just don't think that people who have not read the book are going to get all the reasoning behind some of the character's decisions towards the end of the film. I think that is one of the reasons I really enjoyed the book was that you think that an object or idea means something to someone then the character will surprise you with an action, then you will realize that either a.) the action was a ruse or b.) a more rooted feeling took over and made them make the decision to take that action. It is kinda hard to explain, but if you read any of Dan Brown's novels you will see that each of the main characters is very fleshed out and very memorable, each with their own goals.
One thing about the movie that really surprised me was the freedom that the screen writer and Ron Howard didn't take with the script/movie. Howard is in his own right a pretty good director, he could have had some licence to change some of the book around for movie purposes, but he really didn't. The movie stuck VERY close to the book all the way till some small changes at the end but they even left in a lot of Brown's jokes. Which in hindsight I am actually glad about, but the movie doesnt really stand out as a Ron Howard movie, it really seems like any director could have pulled this off with these elite actors.
All in all I would give it a 7 out of 10. It is a good movie. Very Very close to the book, but nothing absolutely amazing. Pros: Audrey Tautou Cons: Lack of "Ah-ha!" moments like in the book.
Brainstorm it:
I waited 3 years and 10 days.
Digital Fortress and Deception Point are both worth the read, btw.
I haven't seen the movie yet - but I will (likely this weekend). I pikced-up the paperback in CDG Airport in Paris about 18 months ago - and really enjoyed it. Since then, I've read all of Dan Brown's other books - and all are worth the read. Admittedly, they are not great works of literature - but are enjoyable reads. As for Jean Reno - he is one of my favorite actors. If you haven't seen the Professional (with Natlie Portman) you've got to rent it - great movie.
I've got about 60-100 pages left in Deception Point. It's a good read but after reading the rest of Brown's novels I give it an "ehhh" rating so far. Still worth a read though.
Here is my prediction. My favorite show on television, LOST, the one new creative show that I have not missed an episode of for the last 2 seasons (there from the beginning), that has one of the most talented writing crews, skilled actors and actresses, and probably the biggest online presence for a TV show known to man, will much to my sincere dismay, jump the shark in between season's 2 finale (Wed night) and the beginning of next season.
This sucks.
I love this show! Why do I think this? Let me explain, here towards the end of season 2, I have really enjoyed the Lost experience... to a point. I really played around with sublymonal.com a bunch. Then I started reading about how the color coordination and message "Obey" and other small tidbits are because the site are sponsored by Sprite. I know people have to make money, and I know this thing is a cash cow for abc, but incorporating things into the story for money? please...
Then comes last weeks letthecompassguideyou.com sponsored by Jeep. At least they are pretty strait forward and are not trying to hide anything with this site, but man it really drags the story down. I held the writers in such high regard. Nods to literary pieces all but forgotten, great spins in the show that keep everyone (sometimes even the actors) in the dark till Wed nights. Man, it was all I could have asked for in creativeness.
Then came the sponsored stuff from the Lost Experience. Bleh.
Now?
A Lost video game (maybe even a MMO to boot). I am a huge MMO fan, I play them constantly and have been since their earliest incarnations (muds, meridian 59, etc) now a Lost MMO? Lame. I am all for episodic content, but a.) who keeps all these stories strait? and b.) why on earth do they need to move into that form on media? Especially something that might get ported to consoles?
I am starting to lose faith in Lost. I am still very excited for this season's finale, but I have a feeling that by next season we will be saturated in Lost paraphernalia. Don't get me wrong I know Lucas had tremendous success with that route, but it really is losing it steam with all the commercials. I know, I know ABC wants to licence the shit out of it, and I understand where they are coming from, and it will probably get more people to watch/pay attention to the storyline. It's a buzz kill for me personally though.
I also wonder if they are going to spread the ideas surrounding the main storyline to thin. Avg Joe that really likes reading the msg boards and keeping up with the storyline is already OD'ing on info as it is.
Get 'Lost'In New Video Game.
Brainstorm it:
You...you...you don't want another MMO on the market? I don't even know you anymore!
You changed teams. For someone who never watched T.V. because he was too intrested in his EQ game...
Now, just because your "married" and have a "wife" and a "house" and a "job" you have switched teams. No longer do you play your MMO's all night long. No, you get your entertainment from 1 hour snippets on Television.
traitor.
Now, instead of just floating silently into the noiceless background of people who fall off the gaming wagon...you strike.
You strike a blow, Cyanbane. A cold, television oriented blow rife with ABC ands NBC.
Are family ties are cut. And if i see you on the battlefield, you traitor, i'm sending a fireball and a conjured spirit your way. But wait, your probley just log off and go watch television, won't you?
As Cyanbane's wife, I can assure you that he does in fact play MMO's all night, and all day on the weekends. He is no traitor.
By the way, did you mean to say "Our family ties..." instead of "Are family ties...". Maybe you should stop playing MMO's all night and hit the books. Just a thought from your favorite sister-in-law. Of course you know I'm giving you a hard time.
Okay - here's the deal. LOST is a MMO - that's the secret. All of the people on the island are simlpy avatars of themselves in a HANSO foundation MMO experiment.....or maybe not.
I just got done watching the trailer for World Trade Center by Oliver Stone.
I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing that Sept 11 was the scariest day of my life up until now. Seriously, I personally don't know what it was like for a New Yorker that day, but I do know what it was like for someone working in one of tallest buildings in downtown Atlanta that day and looking down and seeing people stream out of the building on the bottom floor because the FAA still had "unaccounted planes in the air". I remember the oddest silence on Marta as me and my wife rode it back up to the North Springs station (with countless others who just wanted to get away from the downtown section of a major US city). It is weird but personally that is what I want to remember. A part of me wants to remember that day and how I, as an American living in America, felt invincible, but to be honest, I am not going to sugar coat a damn thing, it changed the way I live, it changed the way I think. One single instance of what I heard on the morning radio show changed my view of life forever. For that Osama (NOT SADAAM MIND YOU) won. I will concede that, But it made me personally want to understand a US citizen�s role in the world . It made me focus more on international issues rather than local and state issues. It made me focus on news much much more. It honestly made me understand what place I assume I have in the world and what that really means.
Now someone is trying to make money off of that. Even if 100% of the "profits" [define how you like] go to some cause. I think that someone, somewhere is making money. That's why I really have ABSOLUTLTY NO WANT to see any film related to 9/11. The feelings and emotions are already engrained on me to the core. They are untouchable. ANYTHING as a dramatic interpretation that I see on 9/11 is going to be cheesy, specifically because I felt such mass emotion that day. Therefore, I personally am boycotting any movie about 9/11 till 2056 (when I am 78), because at that point in history, my personal feelings aside, I can probably actually *imagine* a feeling I have for the main actors of the film, think my generation and the Affleck/Hartnett/Gooding-Jr. Pearl Harbor.
link:
World Trade Center trailor @ Apple
Brainstorm it:
Couldn't agree more. I've no desire either. I guess, maybe for posterity - for generations yet to come - but, for those of us with it still etched into our memories - I don't see the point in re-living that day.
"In India, the government Tuesday put a temporary hold on the movie's release because of complaints, The Associated Press reported.
In South Korea, which has 13 million Protestants and 4.6 million Roman Catholics, a court ruled Tuesday that a Christian group's request for an injunction to block screenings lacked merit. The Christian Council of Korea, an umbrella group of 63 South Korean Protestant denominations, said it respected the ruling but would lead a boycott of the movie, which it said defiles the sanctity of Jesus Christ and distorts facts, AP reported.
In mostly Hindu India, which is also home to 18 million Roman Catholics, Joseph Dias, head of the Catholic Secular Forum, began a hunger strike in downtown Mumbai and said other people were joining him.
'We want the movie to be banned,' he said."
I LOATHE this administration. But if done correctly (and I will not claim to have any idea what the correct 'middle ground' is) then this could be the one thing he gets right (and probably the one thing he might actually get remembered for in a good light). This may be the first time that what President Bush needs (a boost in ratings) might actually be what the people need (better security/immigration policy and a method to enforce it). This might be one of the first times our goals and the President's goals are along the same path, and his motivation is not some form of big business collusion.
Brainstorm it:
Im with you on this one, Bush has done terrible, the admin has been crooked and power hungry, and has taken away all good "state powers" and created a massive beuracracy. But if he can get this one passed, a may actually clap.
Still, Hurricane Katrina will always loom over him.
I may be the only one but I don't place full blame on Bush for Katrina. FEMA was the one who dropped the ball. That and the complete idiots who lived in New Orleans at the time shooting at the helocopters trying to get in there to get people out and supplies in didn't help. Let's not forget the wonderful local police department and mayor who fabricated the names of a hundred or so police officers to get more money. The list goes on. The only thing that makes me angry is that they're rebuilding it. Just stupid in my opinon.
I'm not so sure. While immigration reform is defiantely necessary - I'm opposed to using the National guard in any role. Not only is the Guard not designed for this type of mission - it has been severely stretched (almost to the breaking point) over the last few years. While the administration has claimed this is not a militarization of our borders - it sure seems that way to me. And that's the problem, once again we are taking a step down a path I'm not sure is in the long term best interests for the country. You'd think that someone would have learned by now that in a democratic society, the end doesn't justify the means.
I'm personally astounded that we, as a society (influenced by the media rather than our own ideas), can fall prey to Bush's immigration crapola. We have an illegal war in Iraq, the cost of oil is through the roof, the environment is going to shit, there is genocide/starvation in Sudan, New Orleans is a mess, wages are in shambles, the poor keep getting poorer, and there's 45 million people without health insurance. Who gives a fuck about immigration?
Of course, all of this would be okay if we can ammend the constitution to ban homos from getting married. (sarcasm BTW)
Breath, just breath. You know, Faith Hill is teh hotness.
Yes, but you have to relize that the people left in the city were all Lower class citzens with no cars, no money, no where to go, no money for a place to stay, and surrounded by all there stuff that if they let they would never see again. If one was to think about the responciblities of our government (not meaning just federal), It is there job to assure us "protection". Under my perception, "protection" involves making sure lower end citzens are able to get out of a city about to be demolished. Nagin, Blaco, Chertoff, Brown and Bush were well aware that the levy was going to break. FEMA was petitioned for 900 buses, they sent 100. Bush put brown in control, knowing he was unexpeirenced. So yes, it is Nagin, Blanco, Brown Chernoff's problem, but Bush put someone in power who sucked. So Bush=mess up.
Oh, and thye are rebuilding because they want to turn the once Black-Democratic state/city into a white/republician strong hold, not to mention all the money that can be made as a vacation spot and Gambling arena. And, guess who is making those investments? Think about it, Hurrican Katrina was the largest splut up of Africian Amercians sent to civil war. The republicans are ready to strike.
"5/9/06 - a newspaper ad appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe (page A4), Washington Post (May 10, page A7), and presumably among other major papers, placed by The Hanso Foundation. Claiming to be from Hugh McIntyre, the ad is entitled 'Don't Believe 'Bad Twin'', and states that 'The truth about the Hanso Foundation is available at www.TheHansoFoundation.org and not on the pages of Gary Troup's 'Bad Twin'.'
I saw this over at aVC and thought man, Youtube (and Gvideo and all it's like) just started a year or so ago, but could have HUGE impacts on local midterm elections. Amazing to think about. This guy (I agree with some of his thoughts) is brilliant though, he has found a great way to deliver his message in a viral style, with out TV regulation. It is almost like an election in the wild west.
I got a X-box 360, total cost me like half a G... The bitch overheats if you play it for more than and hour or so. Makes me want to punch bill gates in the mouth. You can bet when that mod chip comes out im opening it up, putting in a water cooling system and a mod chip, and laughing all the way to blockbuster. that Wii looks seriosuly cool for group fun tho.
I finished Gary Troup�s The Bad Twin over the weekend, and here are my thoughts. I have a spoiler warning a little below, so if you only want to understand why the book is important then read until then, if you want to know what the book discusses and my feelings on it read below the spoiler.
First off a little background about the book, the book is a media element spin off from the TV show Lost (which I first wrote about right after Episode 1), and subsequently have wrote atleast 30+ posts on see links below). Below this post is a link to all my lost posts that should catch you up on how much I love/watch the show. The book is written by �Gary Troup� who was supposedly lost on Oceanic 815 (the plane where all the lost castaways are from). Both Hurley (season 1) and Saywer (season 2) are seen reading a manuscript called �The Bad Twin� that comes from someone on the plane. In this last episode (Season2 ep20) they are a little more blatant with it (I am sure to help book sales). Spread across the net are 3 interviews with �Gary Troup� (remember he isn�t real he is fictional in the Lost storyline) which my wife has links to some of them which I will also post at the end of this write-up. So the book is a direct spin off, but also is a story until itself (it has some elements of people/places from Lost) but is not about any of the specific characters on the show. I have seen speculation that the author is actually Stephen king (a known follower of the show), but in all honesty it did not read like a Stephen King novel, although I will admit I have only read a handful of King�s novels.
SPOILERS AHEAD *************
Ok, so I thought the book was fairly good. At it�s heart, the story is a crime mystery and references multiple crime mystery novels throughout the book. I would not put the storyline on an Elmore Leonard level, but it also was not bad by any means. You follow the main character Paul Artisan through the search for a missing brother of the man who hired him (the missing brother�s identical twin). The premise of the book is that you never really know who the �bad� twin is. Is the client trying to find his twin to take him out? Is the other twin (Zander) running because he knows his brother (Artisan�s client) is about to get whacked for the rights to the family fortune. Has the twin brother already killed the client (or the man who would have been the client) and is now taking the place of his dead brother as the head of the company and needs to lead Artisan on a wild goose chase to show everyone that he is trying?
So what does this have to do with Lost you ask?
Ok so a few things: (Major spoilers)*****
a.) At the beginning of the book is a series of letters from Gary Troup to someone who works for Hyperion publishing (the real company who published the book) that detail Troupe heading to Australia. It also talks about how Troup has a fondness for one of the flight attendants on Oceanic airlines and tries to travel her flights when possible. He also model�s one of the characters in the story (bad twin) around this flight attendant named Cindy. Sound Familiar? (Cindy Chandler)
b.) The major setting for almost all events in the book is �an island�. Every single place where a major event happens in the book (even places inland in California [Luna]) are described as islands. Not necessarily islands in the sense of geography but sometimes islands of social groups not of the norm. Also a lot of the books happens on actual islands (Pasqual, NY (sp?), Cuba, the keys, Australia, etc).
c.) On the board of the major company (Whitmore) throughout the book there are discussions of board meetings from the company. On the board sits a newcomer to the board from the Hanso Foundation of course well known to the Lost universe. Alfred Hanso used to sit on the board (one of the major characters in the book actually describes him as a noble man, but with some faults) but now there is another man on the board of this company that I will have to go back and verify but I remember it being a foreign name and I want to say it was Mittlewerk (CTO of Hanso) but I can�t remember for sure if it is him Thomas Mittelwerk or not, I will try to look it up later. One of the more interesting thins is that there is also someone connected to the story who owns a large company that works on cement and building large cement structures.
d.) One thing that plays throughout the book also is literary flashbacks in the form of an older/wiser man that plays somewhat of an oracle role in the book who is friends with the main character. He quotes everything from The Turn of a Screw (which was in a Lost episode earlier in season 2 with Desmond in the hatch) to King Lear. Quite interesting character, and in the end was my favorite character from the book.
e.) One thing that I think is interesting and most certianly something that needs to be invesigated further is the previous book (conviently out of print) that Troup wrote called 'The Valenzetti Equation' Couple of searches on Google bring up the fact that the Valenzetti equation was devloped by Enzo Valenzetti which based the equation on human life times (and thus extending them). The first site that pops (http://www.valenzettifoundation.org/) looks almost like a plant (and reads like one too) which maybe part of all these other media viral tie ins (book/hando commercial during Lost/etc). Also it is noted that the words Valenzetti and reference to his equation can be found on the blast door at the bottom left hand side (click for larger version)
f.) There is a large amount of people who feel that there are actually two twins (or at least brothers) already part of the story line (well 2 sets if you count the pirate dudes on the boat in season 1 who looked like twins). Claire's baby's daddy draws spookily similar art to the art that is on the wall and looks remarkably a lot like "Henry Gale". I don't admit this sounds very plausible, and I am not near believing it at 100% yet.
g.) Now, the biggest thing that really stuck out in my mind after the book was by far the number of times that the idea of purgatory is brought up. It is brought up multiple times in the story line and plays somewhat of a part in the end (I won�t give away the ending, but the person that goes to jail is kind of in a purgatory state before the end of the books events happen),
Also Purgatory is an anagram for �Gary Troup� we also know that those Lost guys love their anagrams �Ethan Rom = Other Man�, �Henry Gale = Angry Heel ?� Henry Gale Minnesota = �See an other Man Lying� etc.
All in all was a good book, that I probably would have enjoyed had it not been Lost tie in, but probably not one that I would have just picked up to read except if I needed something to read on vacation. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to any Lost fan. If you discover anything I missed also please post in the comments. I started out reading the book looking for Lost clues, but ended up looking for clues to the book�s storyline towards the end (the story was very involving) so I am sure I missed some things.
Other Links:
My Other Lost Postings on Cyanbane.comGary Troup Interview Part #1Gary Troup Interview Part #2Gary Troup Interview Part #3
Brainstorm it:
This is freakin awesome. I love how the creators of the show are using other forms of media to push the agenda of their show. It's really pretty groundbreaking. Now if they could just write some episodes that answered more questions than it created ;-)
I'm surprised not much has been mentioned about the Hanso Org commercial that was shown during the commercials of last week's episode. Pretty freaking cool. The even gave a phone number for more information: 1-877-HANSORG (1-877-426-7674)
Oh my wife and her work collegues have torn that answering service appart looking for clues. Biggest thing that surprised me from the voicemail messages was about the Korean Project with 'Paek Industries' (Sun's Dad's company)
Microsoft has been in talks with Yahoo! about potentially acquiring a major portion of the company, according to a report published Wednesday.
Members of the company's top management are considering a deal despite Microsoft's history of winning over major technology markets - think Web browsers - on its own, The Wall Street Journal said.
Throughout our history, Microsoft has won by making big, bold bets," Ballmer wrote to employees in an email obtained by several newspapers, including the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which ran excerpts on its website.
"The 'products of the mind' for which the record labels claim to seek protection are the products of our minds. The legislative proposals that would facilitate lawsuits against our fans or increase the labels' control over the enjoyment of music are not made in our names.
It is the government's responsibility to protect Canadian artists from exploitation. This requires a firm commitment from Industry Minister Maxime Bernier and Canadian Heritage Minister Bev Oda to programs that support Canadian music talent and a fresh approach to copyright law reform. The continued growth of Canada's vibrant music scene requires policies that priorize musicians, not outdated business and the corporate bottom line.
Why won't American Artists Band together to do this? This is an extremely good read. It makes me jealous of Canadian music and Canadian artists.
(I guess that ok because I already hate most American record companies and American Radio)
Kudos to them though. I can honestly saw that this will influence myself to listen to these artists more. (even Avril).
A Barenaked guide to music copyright reform
Would a U.S. Postal Worker, whom had never traveled internationally, have a distinct advantage over any other U.S. citizen (non postal worker that also had never traveled internationally) in a car race through the streets of London at 3pm on a Wednesday afternoon?
Travis - The Boy With No Name Travis is back. I wouldn't say I hated 12 memories, it was meant to be very political, I just thought it went a little overboard and was somewhat preachy. Then when the greatest hits CD came out to be honest I was really hoping it didn't mean the end to one of my favorite brit bands. Boy With No Name is everything they were capable of. Supurb CD all the way through. Every song is brilliant. Big Chair is probably my favorite song and the opening to the CD on 3 Times is as good as it gets in music imho.
Pop! Why Bubbles are Great For The Economys (Gross) One of the better economic books I have read in while, where the author gets their premise across in a well written, clear and concise manner. Basically Gross believes that the infrastructure left over after economic bubbles, provides companies with the ability to move forward (maybe more than the original bubble did). Not a hard read, I would definitely suggest it for a day and the beach/lake.
Feist - The Reminder I CANNOT GET "I feel it all" OUT OF MY HEAD. Period. Great album, angelic voice.
Catan - Xbox Live Arcade I am hopelessly addicted to this board-turned-video game on the xbox360. I had never played the board game but had seen it being played in some comic shops growing up. Click the Pick and play the demo, it isn't the 360 interface, but same game.
Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worse Nightmare No Sophomore slump here. Just as good (if not better) than Whatever they Say.
Beautiful Evidence (Tufte) Tufte reads like a text book, most people would say bleh, but the information about "information" that he can deliver is top notch. My first Tufte book was "A Visual Display To Quantitative Information" and it was extremely well done, albeit confusing at time. I think beautiful Evidence is a little easier of a read (I am still only half way through it) and a little easier for myself to understand the ideas he is presenting..
Fountains of Wayne - Traffic and Weather Fountains of Wayne are the Gods of pop music. If Welcome Interstate Managers was a collection of short stories in song form, then Traffic and Weather is an even better collection with more humor. I already feel like CNN has the hottest female anchors, imagining them throwing their lust around like the Title track to the CD makes it even better.
Game of Thrones (Martin) I started this book assuming it was going to be a high fantasy novel. Elfs, Dragons, Magic and the like. It isn't. It IS fantasy but more surrounding the politics and cunning of a few high ranking families. Incest, Murder, Intrigue, unscrupulous midgets. It has it all and more.
