The Daily Loper – December 1, 2008

Hula of Shame Edition

Todays links of interest:

• U2 scrap Rick Rubin tracks on new album
  Right. Looking forward to these showing up on the internets real real soon. Maybe they won’t be as inspired as the legendary "Achtung Baby!" outtakes that were widely available even before that album came out, but the guess here is that they’d still be pretty cool to hear.
• Blockbuster, Microsoft team up on mobile services
  Blockbuster AND Microsoft? Together?!?! This one is doomed from the start.
• James Callis on ‘Battlestar Galactica’ finale: ‘You can’t be disappointed’
  We can’t hardly wait.
• Repeat Ad Nauseam: TV Spots Risk Driving Consumers Away
  Yes.
• Sold-Out Kindle Selling for 00 on eBay
  People — it’s an electronic device that is temporarily out of stock. Get a grip.
• It’s official: We’re in a recession
  Wow. Talk about some people being the last to the party. What we all knew to be true is confirmed. You may now go about recovering at your own pace.
• Facebook Aims to Extend Its Reach Across the Web
  After taking a step back and thinking about the best way to extend friendships made on Facebook, the company reaches out to third parties to "Connect" friends. But in a hopefully smarter way this time.
• Why You Might Be Suffering From Quality Show Fatigue
  Is it possible that there’s too much good television? And how do we solve a problem like "Mad Men"?
• Sci-fi: A monster TV success story
  Why is science fiction so popular on British television? Let’s just say that the obvious answer goes unexplored.
• Rosie O’Donnell Scraps Future Variety Shows
  There is a Santa Claus.
• Amid Chaos, Citizens Spread Word on Web
  The Wall Street Journal looks at how new media is changing the way news is reported and disseminated…leading to the question of how we learn to separate fact, fiction, opinion, and noise.
• Bush: ‘I’m sorry’ the economic crisis is occurring
  Well, isn’t that special?
• J.J. Abrams Star Trek Footage Presentation Breakdown
  One of your ‘lopers was recently asked by another website to see a JJ Abrams-hosted "sneak preview" of footage from next year’s Star Trek film. Here’s his report.
• Put change.gov Under Revision Control!
  And don’t stop at change.gov. ALL public documents should be under revision control.