links for 2008-12-17

a good look for val

yes, this is as absurd as it sounds

"To get to the gym at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, one has to go through the casino, and at 5:05 a.m. on Thursday I was reminded that the dark 1995 film "Leaving Las Vegas" was nonfiction. There were hundreds of Nicholas Cage characters at the tables and slots, glasses half-full, cigarette smoke engulfing the walkway." – why i hate Vegas, in a nutshell

doesn't make up for last year's snub, but good to see nonetheless.

this shouldn't have shocked me, but did

fighting the good fight

so i'm not the only one bullish on rail

"Rather than jump in to the hype [around cloud computing] out of the gate — you can't pick up a newspaper or a technology magazine today without reading about the cloud — we have been very deliberate over the past nine months, assessing where we think the cloud can help us", Hogan said.

"Missing from the article, however, is the evidence that my view is a "shift" or "soften[ing]" of earlier views. That's because there isn't any such evidence. My view is the view I have always had — whether or not it is the view of others in this debate."

i've got a sense of humor, so this is funny to me. still not going to buy J.C. Penney, but at least i mentioned them.

i should do this.

once a month.

interesting. telephony on top of EC2.

what about Sumerian cuneiform tablets?

excellent news, as echoed elsewhere. everywhere, actually.