Excerpt:

Salon.com… Books | The blogger who loathed me
To be clear: Some bloggers, such as Wendy McClure, also happen to be terrific writers. They use their blogs to undertake the honest labor of self-reflection. The improvisational form activates their love of the language. More power to them.

But there are also bloggers who […] are simply too lazy and insecure to risk making art, to release their deepest emotions onto a blank page with no promise of recognition. So they launch a blog instead.

I can understand the temptation. It’s one I feel every day. […] horrifies me precisely because he represents certain desires that live inside of me: the desire to avoid the solitude and humiliation of sustained creative work, to choose grievance over mercy, to find a shortcut to fame.

Yet more proof that chocolate is good for everything! :)

Excerpt:
Dark Chocolate Helps Diarrhea: Study Confirms Ancient Myth
History shows that the use of cocoa to treat diarrhea dates back to the 16th century by ancient South American and European cultures. Until now, no one knew exactly why the cocoa bean appeared to be a remedy. “Our research successfully proves that this ancient myth is really based on scientific principals,” said Dr. Illek. For more than a year, scientists tested cocoa extract and flavonoids in cell cultures that mimic the lining of the intestine. All of the cultures reported lower fluid levels. Consequently, the tests confirmed that cocoa flavonoids are a possible remedy for diarrhea.

As usual, good stuff from Kathy Sierra.

Creating Passionate Users: “Dignity is deadly.” – Paul Graham
What goes away when a company moves past the start-up phase? Living only on take-out and caffeine. Working in a [small] living room. Crazy, stupid, unprofessional behavior. Wearing nothing but shorts and ripped t-shirts.

Is this a good thing?

Very handy!

Boing Boing: Database of voice-jail shortcuts to speak to humans at big companies
Database of voice-jail shortcuts to speak to humans at big companies
The Find-a-Human database is a collection of touch-tone recipes that get you through big companies’ voice-jail systems and through to a live operator.