Web Gems #1

The first in what I hope to be a series. A few things I’ve found scrolling  around the internet in recent weeks.

Jean-Paul Sartre's Blog.  I'm always happy to give a boost to my fellow bloggers. This blog, by playwright and philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, is on track to being one of the best blogs of 1959. For a taste, try this choice quote:

         Sunday, 12 July, 1959: 9:55 A.M.
         An angry crow mocked me this morning. I couldn’t finish my croissant, and fled the café in despair.
         The crow descended on the croissant, squawking fiercely. Perhaps this was its plan.
         Perhaps there is no plan.

How to Eat aTriceratops. For this one, I thank my friend Lucy Li. In a wonderful example of the exact opposite of service journalism, the scientific journal Nature published a very serious article on how other creatures ate triceratops. Scientists expect this will provide a breakthrough for nothing ever. Still, it’s kind of awesome, and written with such seriousness it sounds like the author hasn't grasped its ridiculousness.

The Latest xkcd Poster.  Randall Munroe's xkcd, one of the best comics on the web, gave us another fascinating graphic image last week: a graph of the ideological makeup of the US Congress. Few people are as good with data as Munroe. (For those who don't read xkcd, look up some of his old graphics, like his money comic.)

Beautiful Curves. This fascinating HTML drawing app from web developer Tim Holman allows the user to draw colored lines with random curves. If you've got time (or are looking to procrastinate), he's got a web site full of odd treasures.

This Wonderful Pro-Climate Ad. Entitled "Romney vs. Sandy," perfectly sums up my thoughts on this past election. It's passed, but it's still a relevant ad. For related literature, see my blog post on the presidential debates.