4. January, 2002 - Is it the weekend yet?

• More fun today. I stopped by JCPenney to get a minor repair made on my glasses. After making the repair, the counter gal went to clean the glasses and snapped 'em. Grumble. Drove about 5 miles looking through one lens to Rose Fashion Optical where they have an optician who solders frames. Took him about ten minutes and they're very nearly good as new. Highly recommend them if you're in the Twin Cities and need a pair of glasses fixed in a hurry.
• Software Update 3. January, 2002 talks about the recent changes I've made in the software that's driving Dave's Picks.
• Y'know how Apple was saying "Way beyond the rumors sites" on Wednesday? They didn't count on Crazy Apple Rumors Site. [backupbrain]
• Davezilla has Winter Driving Tips for Southern Drivers. Remember that SUVs tend to adopt a "tires-up" position in winter.
• Poland's small farms stunt EU aspirations and are causing many Poles to wonder if membership in the EU is the best idea. [instapundit]
• Economist.com - The triumph of English as a lingua franca is due to its flexibility and the fact that there's no Ministry of Language trying to nail it down. The Internet probably doesn't hurt, either. Of the world's 6,000 or 7,000 languages, a couple go out of business each week. That's a shame from a cultural point of view, but perhaps the increased ability to communicate with outsiders is worth it.
• Days of our Globe compares the relationship of the US, USSR and the EU to a cowboy, his gal, and a bisexual who can't decide which of them she wants more. National Review's getting a bit racier, in spite of their grumping about porn last month. [instapundit]
• Hail, Switzerland! a quiet, peaceful place that still practices isolationism and a very decentralized federalism. Don't hear much about 'em. They're just living their lives in an orderly and peaceful fashion. [endwar]
• The Threat of National ID is that it can (and probably will) bring together too much data about you under one handy number. [daypop]
• The Declaration of Independence in American by H. L. Mencken. Good reading. [metafilter]
• Are we really less free? This article argues that we've got more freedom, in spite of a larger, more intrusive government. I remain dubious, but I'm a white male, so I think I have to be. Except when I'm busy oppressing people.

Copyright 2008, Dave Polaschek. Last updated on Sat, 05 Jan 2002 18:08:30.