If you were confused by the RSS feed talk today, check out this older post.  I have listed sites that I enjoy, as well as a video about setting up an RSS feed yourself.

I’d add Treehugger and Popmatters to the list.

Remember, comment below, telling me who you are (if it isn’t obvious from your name), which web sites you like to visit and anything else you care to share, like good music!  If you don’t have a site to share, click on a link that has been posted, have a look around, and report back.

Buy journals soon.  We’ll begin discussing T-DIDLS in class tomorrow.

Amazing first day!  Thanks, guys.

Scientists claim to have discovered, using mitochondrial DNA, a link between 95 percent of Native Americans and six women that lived around 20,000 years ago.  NPR Story

Remember the ballroom dancing documentary?  Bronx students learn Irish jigs (with video!): The Gothamist

There has been a mild uproar in the media over Fred Armisen (a white/Asian actor) playing Obama on SNL.  Is this an important discussion?  Newsweek Story

Mastadon skeleton for sale: $115,000.  Reuters Story

I just ran across this episode from This American Life; thought I’d share.  Entitled "Shouting Across the Divide," it is a compilation of stories describing people divided by misunderstandings.  Worth listening to.

Need to work on my alliteration.

I’ve mentioned this radio broadcast a few times in class, so I thought I’d post it. The contributors are from the University of London, Keble College at Oxford, and Cardiff University. It is an interesting overview of the history of faeries (or spirits, elves, demons, changlings…) from the ancient Hebrew demoness Lilith to Peter Pan. Good times all around.

. . . just articles to read for Tuesday. Read them and think about the questions that follow. We’re going to discuss them when we get back.

“You Are What You Own” from Guardian Unlimited
Where is the thesis of this article? What is the main point?
Who is the author writing for? How does he establish common ground with this audience?
Is this article persuasive? Can you find a more persuasive article?

“Would Orwell have Been a Blogger?” again, Guardian Unlimited
This is just for memorablename.
“The first time I used ‘weblog’, in a magazine story about Arnold Schwarzenegger in September 2003, The Observer had to place the meaning of this exotic term in square brackets. Six months later, ‘blogging’ was common. By 2005, some 60 new blogs were being launched every minute.”
This is interesting. I can’t remember where I read it, but someone commenting on a news story noted that communication technologies are becoming obsolete at an exponential rate: Movies lasted 100 years, video tapes around 50, DVDs around 15… How long will Blu-ray last?
Is the same thing is happening to our language?

“French Told to Try Smiling for Once” once more, from Guardian Unlimited
This just troubles me.

“Area Man Likes to Compare Circle of Friends to Cast of Lost” from The Onion
I know, not real news, but Klosterman does a whole essay on this phenomenon through The Real World. This is life imitating art. How does this fit with White Noise?

And finally, “Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails” from Slate.com
Agree? Disagree? Does your opinion have more than anecdotal evidence? See if you can find more information on this if you agree/disagree.

[Edit: Okay, one more. “We’re no Slaves to Our Senses” from Spiked-online.com]