by design

 I've finished Jakob Nielsen's Homepage Usability in record time. It reminds me of arguing with my best friend in college: it's difficult to differentiate smart-dumb from dumb-dumb. Nielsen tediously repeats the same thing over and over, but I have to admit that after I finished the book, he made me hate all of the websites I'm affiliated with because he's right: most web design is bad.

 Speaking of arguing with college friends, it's been fun to watch Chuck's musical taste change through the years. Sure, it happens to everyone, but seeing him write about Suzanne Vega and the Vaselines a decade after the fact makes me grin.

 My roommate once knowingly purchased a laptop computer online for $100 because there was a glitch in the checkout pricing. It created one of the most enjoyable ethical debates I've ever had (is it stealing? is it entrepreneurship?). This debate came up again when Amazon accidentally sold a $300 camera for $40. Metafilter has a great thread about it.

 Chuck Palahnick (the guy who wrote Fight Club) has penned a piece about 9/11: The View From Smalltown, USA.

 For your MP3 pleasure (amazing what Grokster yields): Beck Vs. AC/DC.