Firefox persona

I almost always setup one of the Firefox "skins" and then discard it after a few days because it's too distracting or too dull.  May have found one that works perfectly: Stormy Sunset.

Meteorite video

The British presenter is a dope, but the footage is incredible.  I never thought I'd see a meteor on film like that.

Antibiotic use in meat still increasing

Haven't heard anything good about factory farming in the last few years so this wasn't a surprise. The concern is that creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria hurts everyone.

The cat tells u what's up

Thanks cat.

(Note, this is a "GIF sound," which traditionally tends to fail after a few months.)

How to maintain privacy now

Although I wish the article would go into better detail, this article gives a good overview of many steps I would recommend.

Conservatism and why nothing's changed

Really enjoyed this David Frum article addressing the calls of "Socialism" that led up to (and ultimately didn't win) the recent American election.

Cloud storage Achilles Heel

Unfortunately, when you upload your information to a server outside of your computer, the US doesn't think you have any expectation of privacy.  Of course, you can encrypt that data, but it's still sad to see and something that's going to prevent widespread cloud service adoption.

Endorsement based on Climate Change

Really surprised by Bloomberg's endorsement.  I don't know that the recent hurricane was caused or worsened by global warming, but this could potentially be the biggest instance of a climate-based endorsement pushing a major election.  That could make it the most important news item all year.

Romney's Zombie advocacy

At first I thought "no way" and then Joss Whedon of all people said "way."

Again, not Microsoft

I had recently considered switching my email over to Microsoft's web email service ever since they updated their email client, added new features, and have a better overall privacy reputation than my Google service (including the Blogger service this is getting posted to).  Unfortunately, Microsoft backed off that policy today, to more or less match Google's.  Very unfortunate.

Debate scripted as much as possible

I found this amusing, although -- if memory serves -- much of it seems directly related to the Obama-McCain town hall meeting, where McCain looked a uncomfortable or stood in places that looked weird on TV.

Wired Infographic on US Military activity since 9/11

Fascinating stuff.  I had no idea how little a presence was in Afganistan and how much defense spending has spiked. (thanks silver)

Trampire? Really?

An outstanding article giving a breakdown on a celebrity breakup I don't care about to talk about something I do: how young women view themselves in a culture increasingly hostile to mistakes and rape victims.  One that's also blindly ignorant of the creepy double-standard we have for men in the same position.

Also odd see something of a gossip wet blanket from the Huffington Post, frequently a sensationalist Hollywood vampire.

Animal adoption

Two very sad dog rescue stories that really got to me.  Dogs that may seem to have behavior problems as a result of abuse can still make great pets.