1) Fidel Castro's decision to step down as Official Leader of Cuba may have surprised no one, but I confess disappointment at his methodology: He emailed the nation's top newspaper, which then posted it on their website.
This is how El Revolucion ends: No fiery speeches, no impassioned rhetoric, no placards or posters or teeming masses. Just an email.
Technology may be efficient, but it sure isn't very romantic.
2) Speaking of final acts, the high-def DVD format war finally ended with Toshiba's HD DVD officially losing to Sony's Blu-Ray. This may be a hollow victory at best.
Despite the increasing popularity of HD television sets, neither format has really caught on with the general public. While HD sets have come down in price, players and software for either high-end DVD format still represent a considerable investment. The videocasette era had a good long run, but DVDs have really only been commonly available within the last decade or so, and consumers might reasonably be reluctant to invest in a new technology that will be obsolete in no time.
After all, it's reasonable to assume the future of home-based movie distribution is online. Put it another way: Does anyone still buy CDs?
3) The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to hear arguments against a lower court ruling regarding the government's morally and constitutionally dicey wiretap program. The lower court had decided since the plaintiffs couldn't prove they had been spied upon--they can't produce evidence the Bushinistas won't let them have--there was no merit to the case.
Back in October, when it asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, the ACLU officially referred to the lower court's position as a Catch-22. To use similarly semi-brainy psuedo-lierary rhetoric, the Court's decision today could be referred to as Orwellian or Kafkaesque.
We're through the looking glass, people!
4) The Giant Ambulatory Penis is back, still seducing kids with the magic power of his cream:
5) Monika, curled up on the bed, purring faintly, was approached by Delmar, who sat quietly in front of her for a second, his half-tail limp, until he gently leaned down and pushed his forehead against hers. It was sweet, weird and creepy in equal measures, like watching some Amish mating ritual.
6) I just killed an hour and a half reading comments at three different sites regarding the trailer for the new Indiana Jones movie. That doesn't make me a geek, does it?
