  Kickoff The upside of socialism: urlLink BBC to Open Content Floodgates The downside? Stagnating economies, insufficient routine health care (gotta love the catastrophic coverage, though), rigid social stratification, etc... Tumbleweeds More thoughts on the new Seattle Central Library: I like this place more and more with each visit.
There are some glaringly boneheaded errors (the architect just assumed that everybody would much rather wait for a crowded elevator to go everywhere rather than take stairs or escalators - duh. ), but the overall flow of the library is functional beyond all previous conception. I know this may sound weird, but the entire library is actually designed to make it easy to find books according to the accepted cataloging standard!
I know, stand back. Also, the book return slides are cool, very retro-future. It's a shame that they will have to take them down after the second or third rugrat loses an arm. Oh, and the CD collection still sucks, unless you have an undying love for showtunes and christmas compilations. NerdAlert Another pre-historic remnant has been found, this time in the Atlantic off the coast of Berlin. urlLink Ratfish My favorite part is that the species was named Hydrolagus matallanasi after the Spanish scientist Jesus Matallanas. Can you imagine working your whole life in a specialized field, finally becoming a world-renowned icthyologist (with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto), and they name a freaking Ratfish after you? I mean, thanks guys, but wasn't there some cool new shark or piranha, or even a boring old species of carp that needed a name?
It had to be a ratfish? Now Spinning urlLink Balaio by Richard Boukas & Jovino Santos Neto (in honor of the brazilian ratfish) 
