Have you ever been hit by the feeling that the world around you has just gone crazy? Personally, it happens to me all the time (perhaps a reflection of the fact that I am crazy? But that's not what this blog is about...). Yesterday morning I woke up to discover that what I consider to be [...]

I'm going to take a break this week from my favorite websites and voice an opinion on something that is bugging me. I'm a pretty liberal-minded citizen, but I'm really disappointed in our liberal media at the moment. I'm sure many of you have seen the commercials for high fructose corn syrup and how it's not evil; it's actually completely natural, "and like sugar is fine if used in moderation." Who honestly uses anything in moderation anymore? Because foods are packaged with more than one serving per package, not many people even know what constitutes a serving of anything. I …

The NSA is currently working on modifications to the IPv4 and IPv6 that would require extensive origin-identifying information to be included in each packet. If such a system were ever to be implemented, it could quickly result in a well-indexed database of every site you or I visit, as well as what links were clicked, [...]

As I sit here hand-writing a "thank you" note to my grandparents, I realize something: I've officially lost any skill involved in handwriting. Thank heavens this blog is digital.

I hear all the time that people (and Americans in general) are far less empathetic than the preceding generations have been. A story breaks about a tragedy overseas, and most of us think "Oh! How terrible!" for about three seconds before returning to our normal, daily routine. I just did a quick search on Google news for "murder," and found ~135k stories posted in the past hour. The past HOUR. And yet, I'm not even slightly perturbed. I'm surprised on an intellectual level, but I'm not even slightly worried, concerned or paranoid. My apathy, frankly, is overwhelming.

Part 2 in my short series on favorite websites: Dailylit.com - Here is a site for both those of us who love literature, and those of us who put off reading for pleasure because "we don't have time." People today check their e-mail several times a day and probably spend an average of an hour, give or take, reading and answering messages. So why not double up and fit some good old-fashioned literature into your daily routine? At this site, you can pick out a novel you've always wanted to read, or been told you should read, and subscribe. …

Here at the university, I have a job that deals heavily with telecommunications. Naturally, it requires sophisticated means of communication amongst all the employees. We must have ways to collaborate on projects, share files, and communicate ideas. Fortunately, Google has answered those calls. If you already thought Google was taking over the world, brace yourself. Google [...]

With the onset of my new job, I've become very aware of certain Luddite leanings I have. I don't like that my initial reaction to technological innovations is resentment and contempt. Yet, since I've been working in a media-heavy environment, I'm forced to face my my fear and reservations on a daily basis. At [...]

I have a game that I like to play sometimes in public. It's a game that combines some of my favorite things: people watching and technology. The game is called "Bluetooth or Crazy?" and here's how you play: When you see someone walking alone and talking to seemingly no on, you have to guess whether [...]

his week I'd like to start a series on my favorite websites. Why should you care about my favorites? Because I'm extraordinarily picky about where and how I spend my leisure time. I spend vast amounts of time on the Internet doing research and writing papers, so any website that I would visit during [...]