• mindlocker.net - This looks very cool, a bliki built on django. The interesting thing is it is backed by github and evernote rather than a traditional db. The idea reminds me a bit of yaki … then again the implementation is really just a stub. *le sigh*

• Github Explorer - As I’ve said before I’m a sucker for visualization of complex data. Between github’s api and a cool graphing tool the pictures of different open developer communities become striking.

• Gephi - I’m dying for a chance to play with this a little bit. It’s cool (see above) and it’s tagline makes me want to start collecting data: “Like Photoshop for graphs.”

• Kottke - Jason Kottke continues to earn a place in my google reader (big honors I know), recently these two posts struck me but I haven’t had a chance to do more than share them … so I’m sharing them again I guess?

             - I am an American conservative shitheel
             - The iPad, the Kindle, and the future of books

A while ago Rands posted about books and what they say about their owners.

What I’m learning during this stalking is my deal. The intricacies of my assessment aren’t the point. You are decidedly and blissfully not me, which is why I’m standing, wine glass in hand, totally and completely lost in your bookshelf. Dr. Seuss and Calvin and Hobbes… interspersed on single shelf. That… is fucking brilliant.

He posted it shortly after I had bought my kindle2 and sold nearly all my paper books. If Rands came over he’d see a handful of Calvin and Hobbes and a couple books I received as gifts. This bummed me out to an extent and has prompted me to start a graphic novel collection.

I haven’t come to a resting place on this set of thoughts yet. I know there are books that are worth owning, I have a few in my collection. However, there is a vast pile that I don’t need to lug with me every time I move, I don’t need to pay $200 sq/ft to house them in the city, and I don’t need to own. I haven’t found a good way to articulate these thoughts especially with bibliophiles like @wjhuie around. I think that Craigmod has done the best job yet of describing this.

As the publishing industry wobbles and Kindle sales jump, book romanticists cry themselves to sleep. But really, what are we shedding tears over?

We’re losing the throwaway paperback.

The airport paperback.

The beachside paperback.

We’re losing the dredge of the publishing world:disposable books. The book printed without consideration of form or sustainability or longevity. The book produced to be consumed once and then tossed. The book you bin when you’re moving and you need to clean out the closet.

These are the first books to go. And I say it again, good riddance.

I don’t have many problems with what he says except the dividing line he draws. That formless content goes digital and definite content goes print or iPad. Then again I don’t get paid the big bucks.

Turbo tax tries to screw you out of the $19.95 e-file fee for state taxes. Just mail your state taxes in, only e-file federal. The only downside is TurboTax makes it difficult to do it. This is how you make it work:

• E-file federal don’t file State
• Once complete click on Print & File again
• On the first page it will ask if you want to e-file federal, choose file by mail
• The next screen says it can’t because you’ve submitted already
• Continue on to print out state paperwork

Dicks.