Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Is Your Doctor Dangerous?

I enjoy learning facts that destroy popular beliefs. This entry on Overcoming Bias explains how many medical doctors are a danger to their patients.

Link.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Fight Corruption with Lawrence Lessig

Larry Lessig has an entertaining new presentation on Corruption. My brain was bent several times by the clarity of his points. I wish I was half as good at presenting as the professor is.

Link. Via Boing Boing.

Here is a link to the Sunlight Foundation, mentioned in the presentation.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Movie Trailers. From Hell. With Commentary.

Are you looking for an entertaining way to waste more time on your computer? Check out Trailers From Hell. On the site you can watch old trailers (that is, movie previews) with commentary from various directors.

The film previews run the spectrum from b-flicks to classics. Sometimes the commentators critique the film, sometimes they talk about its history, and sometimes they discuss the gossip. In any case, this site should excite both film buffs and MST3K junkies.

Link. Via Boing Boing.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Negotiating Everything

Negotiating a price down feels great. Unfortunately, asking for a better deal feels uncomfortable in most situations. If you feel rude when you try to make a deal, read this. Tom Chiarella writes about his crazy experiences haggling for everything.

My favorite trick for getting a deal is requesting a customer loyalty discount. I do this every time I have work done on my car. I've never been turned down.

Link.

Via Kottke.org.

Card Catalog for the Planet

Cool Tools just reviewed an amazing website that lets you search for books, articles, and other media in libraries around the world. WorldCat not only tells you which libraries have a particular book, but they also often link to that library's online catalog. In the case of Austin's public libraries, this means you can view the status of the book and which branch has it.

The site also has some other interesting features like reading lists, reviews, and links to buy on Amazon. Libraries are a great way to save money and prevent clutter. WorldCat should make it easier to find and read the books you want without buying them.

Link.