Brent Simmons makes some great points in his essay on the role of zealots in the software industry. I especially relate to his observation that zeal, or the mere impression of it, can repel somebody from what might otherwise be an attractive technology. In particular, Brent confesses that before he ...

Peggle, the PopCap pseudo-pachinko casual addictive-as-heck hit, has been available on the PC for a good long while, but last week it came out on the Nintendo DS, and this week it hits XBox Live Arcade. It’s an incredibly fun game and I urge everyone to give it a go, but is it a casual game, o...

I've never yet heard of anybody being offended by kosher salt, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Bonus? I've finally found out why kosher salt is. WHAT a silly waste of time this all is. Oh well, fools and their money. (That's gotta be in the Bible somewhere, right?) Also, while I gra...

She also dealt with sexual cleanliness, whatever that means. The person who posted that link thinks Purity Balls are sweet. I took it without credit, because I happen to think they're just a little creepy. The boy's version is *less* creepy, but only because it has that lovely double standard going ...

You have a great website, nicely optimized, easy to navigate and you have conducted a good solid general link building campaign. Your page rank has increased and you are happy with the flow of visitors to your site. What is next? How can you maintain your online reputation and continue to build good...

Here's the article But first - definitely check out the slideshow. Go carefully through those pictures, remember that this is NYC, and ask yourself - "What is wrong with these photographs?" A Girl’s LifeBy A. O. SCOTT TO paraphrase Henry James: It’s a complex fate, being an American girl. You gr...

Dharma in the Dirt It comes with a slideshow AS a proudly Birkenstocked Zen gardener, Wendy Johnson can mindfully muster up affection for many of the earth’s species, with the possible exception of persimmon-devouring gophers. But poison hemlock holds a special place in her heart. Without the pres...

Children running outside in the snow. Nearly naked. Not that surprising when you consider that I know several very young children who would jump at the chance to do just that. What is it with kids and taking off all their clothes the second they can? They can practically see their breath some days, ...

A Clash Between Popular Culture and Orthodox Piety For thousands of Orthodox Jews, the “Big Event� — a concert featuring the popular Hasidic entertainer Lipa Schmeltzer — was supposed to happen next Sunday at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. But fans and organizers were shocked to ...

In Orphans’ Twilight, Memories of a Doomed Utopia In Orphans’ Twilight, Memories of a Doomed UtopiaBy DINA KRAFT TEL AVIV — They are in their 80s now, the last living links to Janusz Korczak, the visionary champion of children’s rights who refused to part with his young charges even as they ...