A few random links I have been meaning to post lately:

C.W. Nevius blogs “Zune reinforces Microsoft’s dorky image.”

On the opposite side of that fence, Salon’s Farhad Manjoo provides an interesting commentary on the “seemingly uncanny alignment of technology, design, culture, and media” which is the iPod. The piece is actually a review of Stephen Levy’s book, The Perfect Thing. Despite the title, neither the book nor the review posits that all is well in iPodland. Manjoo writes, “If you've spent enough time with the iPod -- over the years, I've had four, and there is a new Shuffle in Shanghai with my name on it -- you must recognize the vague worry of which I speak. The iPod is so good. But I can't be the only one who sometimes wishes it hadn't been invented at all.” I thought it was a really interesting rumination on the extremely personal role of music in our lives; unfortunately you do have to sit through a commercial to see the whole article.

Thanks to Joey for sending this in an email—possibly my favorite lead sentence in a news story ever: An Austrian village called Fucking will not change its name despite sniggering Brits making off with its roadsigns.

I saw this Flash movie maybe last year and completely forgot about it until a couple nights ago when a friend and I were talking about Jon Stewart’s height, or lack thereof. It’s sort of oddly cool to compare your own body size with that of various celebrities. Well, okay, maybe it’s not.

Stewart, btw, is 5'6". I actually thought he was shorter. Guess I’m just jealous.