Sunday, October 31

audiopost: Maroon 5/Sting

this is an audio post - click to play

Morning loggage

Barnett writes that the Europeans will be unhappy no matter who wins the election (about halfway down). No surprise. They don't want more Bush unilateralism (as we've seen in the links that the world wants Kerry to win), but if Kerry comes in they might actually have to put up for Iraq reconstruction, including peacekeepers. He's also got and interesting list from 'Die Zeit' ('The Times' in German, for those keeping score at home) of things we'd have to do to build a coaltion for reconstruction. They look doable to me, and even desirable.

Clearview: A New Typeface for US Highways. Interesting (to me) re: typography AND highways.

Thursday, October 28

Barnett again

Well, Barnett doesn't have anything of note today, so I'll have to make up my own. Notes from his talk on C-SPAN:
  • He worked on the worst case scenario for Y2K. Looked surprisingly like 9.12.01 and the Asian flu.
  • Wall Street intelligence is very impressive.
  • He looks at the military economically and as a business (sometimes). So he often analyzes military action in terms of 'billable hours'. This is personnel focused, and useful in many ways.
  • China and Japan haven't done much for the war in Iraq. But they finance out 2 or 3/5ths of our debt, and they have keen interest in Middle Eastern oil.
  • Go after the terrorist's strategic goals. Bin Laden wants the US out of the Middle East so he take the ME out of the world (i.e., disconnect it). Now we're in the ME in a big way. Most attacks have been in the ME since the invasion.
  • We can fight a war without reserves, but we can't win a peace.
  • His guess on Israel-Palestine: US peacekeepers on a wall to keep them apart, like Berlin and Korea.
  • We have been closing bases in developed countries (his Core, basically) and opening bases closer to the developing world (his Gap, basically). The Gap is the expeditionary theater for the 21st century.
  • Good News: our military is great at fighting wars and where they should be.
  • Bad News: our intel stinks and we're really bad at nation buidling. Rumsfeld is a good Secretary of War, but bad at everything else. Further, our military forces are designed to fight and win, not occupy and build.
  • B. says 'you show me a country that develops to >3000$/yr income and I'll show you a country that gets out of the violence business.
  • The average income in Saudi Arabia is going down. 'I guarantee mass violence.'
  • China is changing a lot. After SARS the WHO said 'straighten up or we'll stop travel there immediately'. And the WTO made them open to private investment.
  • The Bush Administration planned for the next big war (v. China) and wanted out of the nation-building business. They try to stick military unpreparedness on the Clinton Administration, but the demand by tax-payers for a 'peace dividend' began in GHB's administration, and GWB's administration made their own mistakes.
  • A big part of B's schtick is arguing for a 'Sys Admin' force that can occupy and stabilize and build and conduct civilian affairs.
  • B. assumes a hydrogen transportation solution in 20 years.

Wednesday, October 27

Google today (and OneLook)

OneLook is my new favorite crossword puzzle aid. It allows wildcards and even a crossword puzzle mode (which I have switched on). It's even got a reverse dictionary in beta. I've been wondering for some time why Google doesn't allow wildcards (though I did learn some handy tricks off of the Google Cheat Sheet today like ~ and *).

Can Google Answers teach me to whistle? I tried it for a little while, but not really in earnest yet.

Google bought Keyhole so its users can search the surface of the earth...literally. It's only a matter of time before the Googlebot has the location of my Superman shirt in its cache.

Barnett today

Says we should buy fewer F/A 22 Raptors at 258 Million $ per. Boy howdy.

We need multinational troops on the ground there and that's why you should vote for Kerry.

Bush's conservatism is really radical, so vote Kerry.

The price of oil is not that high (amazingly not a reason to vote for Kerry! ;-).

Tuesday, October 26

KidFilter

This is what happens when we teach our children to think and express themselves, to be in touch with their emotions, and when we give them stories:

Eric has a nice story about his son.

BarnettFilter

Since Barnett's voting for Kerry, I thought I'd explore that a little by searching 'Kerry vote' on his website. Some of what I found that interested me:

Barnett predicts that America will add up to a dozen new states, starting in Latin America by 2050. Wow. Off the top of my head, I could see this, if the US was a looser confederation, with stronger states' rights. It's hard for me to imagine adding to the current federal behemoth.

Bush and Kerry are pretty even in what they're saying about the war in Iraq. Specifically what we could do to make reconstruction more multi-national.

The real problem with Bush's 'Cut taxes and spend' approach.

Monday, October 25

The Pentagon's New Map

I can't believe I haven't come across Tom Barnett's ideas before. They're huge, encompassing war, economics, and globalism. In addition, he's audacious enough to think he's got the world figured out and to formulate a plan to best address the issues. kottke's link of Zuckermann's notes of Barnett's talk at Pop! Tech got me started. I love big ideas. And maybe this is the one I've been looking for. I Bloglined his weblog immediately. Heck, we've already traded email. Chances are you'll be seeing me link to him in the days to come. But where to start for you?

For a little taste, here's a post of his on oil prices.

So he's got a book out called 'The Pentagon's New Map'. I requested it from the library. He has me seriously rethinking my opinion that Iraq was the wrong war. Not that I think the Bush Administration is working out The New Map. But I think the global benefits may be worth having singled out this regime (somewhat arbitrarily). After all, as Barnett notes, most of the attacks have reverted to the Middle East after 9/11/2001 and the Iraq War.

If you really want to start getting into Barnett, you should probably start with the Esquire article that came out the month the war in Iraq began.
Show me where globalization is thick with network connectivity, financial transactions, liberal media flows, and collective security, and I will show you regions featuring stable governments, rising standards of living, and more deaths by suicide than murder.
He is not your standard neo-Con. In fact, he's voting Kerry.
Think about it: Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are pure products of the Gap—in effect, its most violent feedback to the Core. They tell us how we are doing in exporting security to these lawless areas (not very well)
I especially like his strategy of 'Shrinking the Gap'. Barnett calls himself an 'economic determinist'. He wants to globalize these underdeveloped countries so they'll stop killing people. It's be nice if the EU would take on the Balkans (since it's right in their backyard. Heck, their frontyard...). Hopefully China and Japan (who is providing economic mentoring to the former) can vector North Korea into sanity.

But he doesn't want Foreign Aid to do it. He wants Direct Foreign Investment. Central Africa is his paradigm for disconnected futility and I don't disagree.

He calls Israel 'the toughest bully on the block'.

You might say his view is very Ameri-centric. It may be. But he is an American after all (and so am I).

Friday, October 22

Fellowship 9/11

Michael Moore's searing examination of the Aragorn administration's actions in the
wake of the tragic events at Helms Deep.

I don't plan on watching it, but the webpage made me laugh. (via MeFi)

Wishlist

The function I most want is a del.icio.us add-on for Blogger.

I'd also like an app that helps me keep track of comment threads I'm involved in. Does this already exist? Anyone have a recommendation for how to best handle this? I don't trust my memory! Something within my regular web apps (Gmail, Blogger, Bloglines, and del.icio.us) would be preferred. Maybe I should post this to Ask MeFi...

A pony (not really ;-).

An iPod.

It's Creation!

John and I are discussing creation-evolution.

Thursday, October 21

Today's links

Go Sox!

My Little Justice League (via MeFi)

Matthew tells a few jokes (and gets a few).

I lust for satellite radio (but not as much as for an iPod).

My presidential platform

I started with this thread in MetaFilter. I took this survey and drifted between 45 and 67% Kerry. Then I took this survey and got 63% Kerry (and only 25% Bush).

Part of the vibe of the first test, I think, is that personality (and character) don't matter as much as the issues. I disagree. They matter. But I'm not sure how that affects my decision. That is to say, I'm not sure what I think of these guy's personalities and character. I sure don't like their campaigns.

I started my own presidential platform a while ago from the candidates' platforms (I looked at Nader's, too). Now I've rounded it out with some grist from these two surveys, so here it is, in all it's glory:

My presidential platform:

1.Responsible dealing with Iraq. Cultivate international cooperation, though the UN is very broken. Engage the UN, but expand NATO's role.
2.Fund independence of oil, especially Hydrogen Economy. Move toward paying the real price of gas at the pump. Consider Bio-diesel and ethanol. Phase out gasoline subsidies, leading to a greater market for fuel-efficiency.
3.Improve civil liberties – evaluate Patriot Act.
4.Fair Trade: Promote free trade. Factor-in environmental and human rights/labor. Help transition workers from dwindling industries (instead of propping up). This includes cutting farm subsidies to corporations and transitioning American farming toward market soundness.
5.Repeal the tax-cut for those who make >100,000$/yr
6.Balance the budget; cut government spending; reduce the deficit with repealed tax-cuts.
7.Reform taxes. Simplify radically.
8.Fund world AIDS relief
9.Universal health care: Medical savings for those who can afford it. Coverage for those who can't. Limit malpractice suits.
10.Fight terrorism by cultivating foreign good will. Not door mat, but fair.
11.Education: raise teachers' pay, create better teaching environments, more local decisions. Focus on traditional school time rather than HeadStart or after-school.
12.Environment: conserve public lands and National Parks, stop pollution and improve water quality. Mandatory Clean Air Emissions Standards
13.Gun control: background checks, required training and licensing, ban on assault weapons
14.Immigration is good for America. Encourage at reasonable levels.
15.Social Security: Work at SS solvency. Cap payments to wealthy.


Obviously, this could be shot apart. Please be a little courteous and constructive in your comments. But feel free to disagree amiably.

Wednesday, October 20

links from today

Jaq and Jess and I are having a fight about the Patriot's luck (check the comments, too).

Matthew's got a pretty interesting post about reading a book about corpses.

If you missed Neal Stephenson's interview at Slashdot, don't.

This pre-Halo 2 intrigue is crazy. I Love Bees. The weblog (I LOVE that they used a free service for this part!).

Let the Hobbit happen.

Tuesday, October 19

Carlson strikes back

Tucker tries to get his digs in after Stewart rode him on his own show. Stewart's not commenting, which seems like the better way to go. Carlson said:
"You're selling out," he said. "If you are a satirist or an acute social observer, and he is, and all of a sudden you suspend disbelief on someone or suck up rather than prod or poke someone, people will look at you and say, 'Even if I agree with you, I don't like it,'" he said.
Carlson's assertion is ironic. Stewart was arguing that Carlson was a sell-out because he's pretending to be offering useful debate, but just serves up partisan rhetoric that is unhelpful, which I, of course, agree with. On the other hand, Stewart's doing comedy.

Stewart's getting all the style points on this one. Carlson just looks cranky.

The Lambeth Commission

Brad posts an article that summarizes The Anglican Communion's decisions about the future of their church.

As a conservative, this report is mixed, to me. I line up with the Anglican conservatives who say there should be real repentance and who viewed themselves as justified in taking dissenting Episcopalian congregations under their wing. So, for the report to just ask for an apology AND to say the conservatives were out of line in their oversight, that's not optimal in my view.

Still, the Episcopalian Church USA is not apologizing for thier action, but expressing regret that it made people feel bad. (Sheesh. I'll give them this. They're playing it exactly right and have the whole time: not saying (usually) that conservatives are dead wrong but that they're 'different - not that there's anything wrong with that- and can't we just get along?)

Will the Anglican Communion stand up to them, or let this one go? This first report looks pretty wishy-washy...

The Mysteries of Catalhoyuk

Nice Neolithic link via thatwhichfalls at MeFi.

Monday, October 18

Today in the news

When SpaceShipOne took the Ansari X Prize, I looked around for information on Peter Diamandis. Where did he get his money? Turns out, he didn't. He doesn't have a lot of money, as near as I can tell, but got inspired to create the X Prize and to raise the money. Alright.

I agree with Dave Barry on dumb names for sizes (it goes for fast food drinks and fries, too).

Speculation about a Google IM client. (And speaking of dumb names, does news.com.com work for you?

Saturday, October 16

In the highways, in the hedges...

I'm currently reading 'Divided Highways' by Tom Lewis. It's pretty interesting, but sometimes a little slow. I'm a big-picture guy. Sometimes it's more detail than I want.

So I went to look for the website. PBS has retired it. What the heck? Why would you ever retire a website? Weird.

But Lewis' college is hosting it.

Turns out, it's not that great. Only one map buried deep in The Teacher's Guide.

More del.icio.us

Bloglines, Flickr, and del.icio.us make RSS delectable. I'm using most of these techniques already (except for Flickr, since I'm not that into digital photography yet).

But I don't think the title's focus on RSS is most pertinent. RSS is a tool. It can do a lot of things. But the common power here is open, $free networks and tags (metadata).

Tags still need work. I'm told Flickr has support for multi-word tags. del.icio.us would be better with a standard (i use hyphenation for multi-word tags. underscoring would work, too.)

I'm excited about the possibilites of pasta: posting my text to del.icio.us.

A great tool would be an additional field in Blogger to tag every link i put in there with auto-posting to my del.icio.us. Maybe I'll just start manually writing in tags, which could help with simple searching. I don't want to do the redundant work of posting everything in del.icio.us that i post in Blogger.

Can anyone help me sharpen these ideas?

tags: del.icio.us, web, rss, tags

Churches Installing Cell Phone Jammers

I have been recommending this solution for at least two years, ever since I read about the Israeli produced jammers in Wired.

Friday, October 15

Star Wars guys

And, from the sublime to the trivial (bot fondly nostalgic): Star Wars figures then and now.

Don't you just love those simple ones on the left? My brother, Kyle, and I used to call them 'Star Wars guys' and we were VERY into them!

ChildFilter

(or, No Child Left Unlogged)

Welcome to Aidan Walter Stokes, son of Interact-or and boss, Macon.

Subsistence

Jaq hacks me again (in a totally friendly way) about a quote from our past, over 12 years ago. I said:

'Maybe truth doesn't exist, maybe truth subsists.'

What I meant was that maybe truth is less robust than we think. I was thinking that 'existence' is more robust than 'subsistence'. Is there any reason to think that from their etymologies?

exist: Latin existere, exsistere, to come forth, be manifest : ex-, ex- + sistere, to stand; see st- in Indo-European Roots.

subsist: Latin subsistere, to support : sub-, sub- + sistere, to stand; see st- in Indo-European Roots.

I was trying to suggest that 'subsistence' is more subtle and that 'existence' is more tangible, more ex-ternal, more independent. Maybe 'truth could emerge from reality and exist therein, as opposed to an independently existing truth.

Not that I believe that today. Not that I was justified (my concept of the etymologies was vague). Plus, no one gets judged for undergraduate philosophy flights of fancy, right? :-)

Anyway, cheers, Jaq, and another public thank you for your kind words about the twins. Best wishes for you and yours, especially Quinn.

Stewart on Crossfire

OK, I'm a total geek. It started in the MeFi thread. I actually downloaded the bittorrent, and I'd already read the transcript. I thought it was really great that he held their feet to the fire for awhile. I agree with him. Partisan rheotoric is not honest. And people who engage in it must believe the ends justify the means because they're willing to lie to get their guy elected (Well, I guess it could just be for power, or they could be stupid, or...). I thought it got tedious when he was trying to shout down Carlson (who came off as a total jerk). Ultimately, we are getting the politicians we deserve. We let these things happen. We're so shallow that sound bites work on us.

Isn't it possible that Stewart could do comedy AND do politics better?

I object to all 'news as theater': Rush, Moore, and Crossfire. Because some people are thick enough to take their stuff seriously.

Stewart to Carlson: 'I'm not going to be your monkey.'

There's also the Salon article (you have to click through a short ad to get the free day pass. It's pretty painless.).

And Matt's take.

Thursday, October 14

Holey mackerel!

I knew it was coming, but I didn't know Google Desktop was going to get here so soon. I haven't used it yet, though I have installed it. I'm stoked. I have to wait for them to support Firefox (only Explorer right now). And though I use OpenOffice instead of M$, I think I can work around that by saving in M$ format, which OO can do. Some links:

Ballerina Bethy (in street clothes) with Ballerina Bear (downtown Hendersonville). Posted by Hello

My pretty wife with our twins. Posted by Hello

Big and cute! (Christine's fave) Posted by Hello

Bethy picture


Bethy this morning (because I'm wired, baby!) Posted by Hello

(Actually, because my mother-in-law was here with _her_ digital camera. I don't have one :-(

Munchkin

I played Munchkin for the first time tuesday night. It's a humorous, card-based simplification of Dungeons and Dragons. I enjoyed it and would liek to play again sometime.

pictures of children

I'm out of it for a few days and everyone posts pictures of their children. That's a good thing.

Jason's Clay [2].

John13's Fiona.

Jaq's Quinn (You've not seen nothying like the mighty Quinn...).

And all the dads start with J, too (at least Jaq's webname).

Sunday, October 10

Japan REU

My friend, Peter, is spending this semester in Japan. And he's keeping a photolog. Cool.

Saturday, October 9

Political post of the day

The grist

I do think Bush has made a major mistake in not owning up to some mistakes, especially when pegged in the debate last night.

More grist

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Bush has no room to talk on spending.

Prefab housing

Brad has a post on prefab housing. I'm trying to keep my eye on these developments. I wonder if they'll soon outstrip conventional construction?

Wednesday, October 6

Did you see Google Print?

Google Print. It's crazy. Search in the book, and, if you're a publisher, send them the book to scan in to add to their searches so people can find your book and click through to buy it.

Again, I don't see me using it much. But they are angling to rule the world.

del.icio.us links, again

tip of the day

Why use A9? Don't. Use del.icio.us instead. It's a lot simpler and easier.

Can you tell I've fallen in love with del.icio.us? It's such a robust, simple, elegant design. It's public. There are tags. That's about it. I'm starting to move bookmarks over there and have very few in my browser now. I'll just search del.icio.us when I want to find something I've noted before.

What if del.icio.us and Flikr merged (I don't use Flikr because I'm not into the whole 'digital photography' thing.)? The power of tags... What if they merged with Google? Bwa ha ha ha...

The top 885 rewind

link. I missed the first set.

704 EIGHT DAYS A WEEK by BEATLES
705 HOMEWARD BOUND by SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
715 IN A BIG COUNTRY BY BIG COUNTRY
719 BOY NAMED SUE by JOHNNY CASH
732 JANE SAYS by JANES ADDICTION
733 MR TAMBOURINE MAN by BYRDS
734 NOWHERE MAN by BEATLES
736 SCARBOROUGH FAIR CANTICLE by SIMON AND GARFUNKEL
744 REFUGEE by TOM PETTY
745 TAINTED LOVE - SOFT CELL
756 ROCKET MAN by ELTON JOHN
758 BLISTER IN THE SUN by VIOLENT FEMMES
762 LONG DECEMBER by COUNTING CROWS
763 LONG MAY YOU RUN by CSNY / NEIL YOUNG
765 PAPERBACK WRITER by BEATLES, THE
769 WHO'S GONNA RIDE YOUR WILD HORSES by U2
772 ITS THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT by REM
774 MONEY by PINK FLOYD
781 WEREWOLVES OF LONDON by WARREN ZEVON
799 BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE by NEW ORDER
808 WONDER by NATALIE MERCHANT
810 1999 by PRINCE
816 I FALL TO PIECES by PATSY CLINE
820 ONE OF US by JOAN OSBORNE
822 PINBALL WIZARD by WHO
829 YOU REALLY GOT ME by KINKS
830 BLUE MONDAY by NEW ORDER
832 DRIVER 8 by REM
834 EVENFLOW by PEARL JAM
847 CRAZY by WILLIE NELSON
850 HELTER SKELTER by BEATLES
863 DONT STAND SO CLOSE TO ME by POLICE
874 COME TOGETHER by BEATLES
875 THERE SHE GOES by THE LA'S
876 EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD by TEARS FOR FEARS
877 FIND THE RIVER by REM
882 PEACEFUL EASY FEELING by EAGLES

The top 885 (continued)

(link) Why am I doing this?

407 EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC by POLICE
410 SOUTH CENTRAL RAIN by REM
411 ALIVE by PEARL JAM
412 BE MY BABY by RONNETTES
414 PICTURES OF YOU by CURE
417 CRYING by ROY ORBISON
418 DONT DREAM ITS OVER by CROWDED HOUSE
427 HELP by BEATLES
441 CANT HELP FALLING IN LOVE by ELVIS PRESLEY
447 GOLDEN SLUMBERS/CARRY THAT WEIGHT/THE END by BEATLES
451 WE CAN WORK IT OUT by BEATLES
456 BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY by VERVE, THE
461 UNSATISFIED - THE REPLACEMENTS
471 BEAUTIFUL DAY by U2
475 FREE FALLIN by TOM PETTY
478 WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS
481 BORN IN THE USA by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
482 DONT GO BACK TO ROCKVILLE by REM
484 CONSTANT CRAVING by KD LANG
491 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE by BEATLES
492 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN by MAMAS AND THE PAPAS
493 CAROLINA IN MY MIND by JAMES TAYLOR
498 LOVE SHACK by B 52S
511 LOLA by KINKS

Hmm. These actually seemed thinner...

885 All Time Greatest Songs

link. My faves:

522 RUNNING ON EMPTY by JACKSON BROWNE
530 WALK ON by U2
537 LET DOWN by RADIOHEAD
538 PARANOID ANDROID by RADIOHEAD
543 DONT BE CRUEL by ELVIS PRESLEY
546 MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE by POLICE
551 BECAUSE THE NIGHT by PATTI SMITH
566 GET BACK by BEATLES
588 LAWYERS GUNS AND MONEY by WARREN ZEVON
594 TICKET TO RIDE by BEATLES
601 THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT by SMITHS
602 GLORIA by VAN MORISON
603 HURT by JOHNNY CASH
611 NO RAIN by BLIND MELON
620 BILLIE JEAN by MICHAEL JACKSON
627 WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS by THE BEATLES
628 AMERICAN TUNE by PAUL SIMON
650 I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU by DOLLY PARTON
654 NEW YEARS DAY by U2
660 NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE, THE by NEIL YOUNG
661 NOTHING COMPARES TO YOU by SINEAD OCONNOR
664 RUNNING TO STAND STILL by U2
665 SOMEBODY TO LOVE by JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
692 HOUND DOG by ELVIS PRESLEY
696 PASSIONATE KISSES by LUCINDA WILLIAMS

Tuesday, October 5

LinkDump

Here are the links I've been saving for the past two days:

Lots of new Gmail features including expanded Contact options (much needed), drafts (much needed), and an Atom feed (though i don't see it right now. But if I did, why would I use it?)

Which Palm should go on my wishlist? The one with 256 MB of flash memory (ca. 50 mp3s) and the cool display or the Smartphone, with integrated everything (but not much in the way of mp3 player and with that dumb keyboard and a camera i don't want or need)? I guess you can tell by my tone, though I'd still have to lug a cell phone around...

SpaceShipOne wins! This is Very Exciting. Sure tourism isn't that great, but the begining of commercial spaceflight is.

Have you seen Band of Sisters, wives of servicemen who oppose the war in Iraq?

Baby Quinn is home and Jaq says our health care system is inefficient.

I missed Jaq's post on Rachmaninoff and his huge hands when I was gone this summer.

Sunday, October 3

The strangest (Ask) MeFi thread of all time...

...and that's saying something.

A little girl has seen something she can't explain. And you won't believe the theories that come out. And then you really won't believe the resolution.

del.icio.us links

Why I like del.icio.us

And, from that post, extisp.icio.us, your brain on del.icio.us. Mine.

Saturday, October 2

Best Singles of all time

Let's take a break from all of this politics and so some music.

I was looking for archives of Billboard charts, but also found two lists of 100 greatest singles: All-Time 'Best Ever' Singles and The 100 Greatest Singles of the Rock and Roll Era. My thoughts, or just songs I like, beginning with the first list:

7, REM, Everybody Hurts. Love it.
9, Verve , Bitter Sweet Symphony. I really like this song and was surprised to see it ranked so highly on both lists.
10, REM, Losing My Religion. Of course.
16, Oasis , Don’t Look Back In Anger. If Oasis was this popular in Britain (3 in the top 16), they should have stayed together, at least for the money.
20, Derek And The Dominoes , Layla
22, Rolling Stones, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. Though I've dissed the Stones before, I do like this song (and Ruby Tuesday)
27, Radiohead, Creep. Not even close to the best Radiohead song.
29, Eagles, Hotel California. Ugh. Eagles. Gross.
36, Smiths, This Charming Man. Smiths good.
37, Police, Every Breath You Take. Great.
40, Joy Division, Love Will Tear Us Apart. What else can you say?
47, Underworld, Born Slippy. Go, Underworld.
55, LAs, There She Goes
59, New Order, Blue Monday
76, Smiths, How Soon Is Now?
94, Human League , Don’t You Want Me
100, Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl

runners-up from that list:
Dexy's Midnight Runners - "Come On Eileen"
Cher - "Believe". Guilty pleasure *blushes*

2nd list:
There is a Light that Never Goes Out, The Smiths
You Really Got Me, The Kinks.
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown, The Beatles
Changes, David Bowie
It Takes Two, Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
Kashmir, Led Zeppelin
Under Pressure, Queen and David Bowie. I've been thinking about this song a lot lately, for some reason...
Respect, Aretha Franklin
Be My Baby, The Ronettes
Hungry Like the Wolf, Duran Duran. I like them, but I'd pick something else, I think.
Been Caught Stealing, Jane's Addiction. Amazing album.
Fake Plastic Trees, Radiohead
1979, Smashing Pumpkins
Bizarre Love Triangle, New Order

Campaign links

Brad says both of the candidates are losers (regarding the 'debate'). I agreed.

Presidential debate analysis by counting of noun phrases, including the ones most used by each candidate. I didn't watch the debate. I haven't read the transcript. I've only read the news. And I haven't seen anything about North Korea, considering it was a highly tanked topic in both candidates' lists.

A MeFi thread on the president's lack of church attendance, along with a New Republic article.