On the old blog, Sarah posted something about this Economist article about T9. That post is mysteriously gone, but I’m re-running my follow-up, because I love quoting myself:

Perhaps underscoring the difficulties associated with using (or learning, more to the point) T9, the article cited in the previous entry makes this statement: “Abbreviations such as ‘can’t’ and ‘won’t’ are difficult to type.” Leaving aside, of course, that the writer meant “contractions,” s/he must have been using a different T9 layout from the one I have, since “can’t” and “won’t” are no harder to type than any other five letter combination, and each is the first guess for its sequence.
There’s also no mention of the fact that T9 was not designed for cellphones, as such, and works better when freed from the phone keypad mapping.

One wonders if wandering radium is a bigger problem than previously suspected, but is only noticed when we’re on the lookout for radiation.

Radium has been attractive to the indigent in the past.

Acid is cool. I mean, how else can you temporarily simulate such interesting brain damage?

If you’ve been looking for a good source for non-latex condoms with non-spermicidal lubricant, try Shop in Private. They have a variety of other products as well. Yes, they sell questionable items (including herbal supplements), but they mostly seem not to claim that anything that’s bullshit isn’t bullshit. I’d feel better if they warned against using benzocaine for anal sex.

Cory Doctorow talks about how he conquered back pain using the power of the mind. I trust Doctorow enough to run and get the books. He describes it thusly:

“Your mileage may vary, but after more than a year of this, I’m ready to start talking about it. Like Atkins for weight loss and hypnosis for smoking cessation, Sarnoid back-therapy feels something like getting root on my body, like being able to move into user-controlled space stuff that the OS was badly mismanaging in the background.”

I would very much like to get root on my body, how about you?

The thing I learned from the BBC’s obituary for the Jennicam (aside from the fact of Jennicam’s demise) is that Paypal doesn’t deal with anything having anything to do with sexuality (or even simple nudity). Sounds like a huge market opportunity.

Today’s Phrase that Pays™ is “Rimed with Frost”

Yeesh.

Wow, how could I have lived this long without Kaiju Big Battel? All the best features of giant monsters and wrestling, hurrah!

At the Central Asian and Southern Caucasian Freedom of Expression Network, we have what appears to be a plea for sanity in blocking of suspected-pornographic websites by an Uzbek ISP. It’s interesting to see the same concerns raised in a former-Soviet republic as should be raised more frequently here. Also, the English is, well, challenging.

Holy sizing chart, Batman! Ursula and I were just discussing the fluid nature of women’s clothing sizes through time, and here NIST has put together an exhibit on just this topic!