A digest of the top blogger thoughts and ideas - The A listers

Well, I had a wonderful, link-filled post about Alberto Gonzales' manipulation of the system written and ready to post, but it disappeared into the internet ether.  I suspect that I am being watched by the FBI...

So in lieu of that, Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, is calling bullshit on fossils.  Fossils?  Yep.  I don't really understand his thinking and he uses this Newsweek article to support his claim that fossil evidence is BS. 

Funny, cause I have a whole different take on that article.  The fossil record (as related to human evolution) has always been conjecture and the DNA evidence is now allowing scientists to more specifically match the fossil record to the steps in our evolutionary history. 

The most interesting thing to me, is that all the available evidence points to a plethora of potentially human-ancestorial primates whose genetic line didn't survive.  In other words, there were lots of candidates for human evolution, and only one survived until this day.  Fascinating and humbling, isn't it?

By the way:  if you have lots of time, the comments to Scott's post are worth taking a look at. 

Apparently Twitter has taken SXSW by storm and lots of people are blogging about using it and how to use it.  Fred over on AVC was enamoured by it until his Blackberry wouldn't stop buzzing with gems like these:

• Jason Calacanis boasting about the weather in LA and that he made valleywag again.
• Jason Chervokas was listening to classical music
• Charlie O'Donnell was leaving sxsw

Jordan McCollum points out some good posts about using Twitter, including Chris Pirillo's 5 Ways to Use Twitter for Good and Li Evans' How Twitter Could Become Useful to Business.

BL Ochman admits being addicted to Twitter:

"I don't know about you, but I have too many feeds in my RSS reader and I have a hard time keeping up with them all, not to mention the email newsletters and other stuff I am obsessive about reading. But unlike all of those, Twitter is quick, short, and to the point. It has to be when you have only 140 characters per post.

And, it's fun."

If you want to try Twitter for yourself, I highly recommend Slacker Manager's Several Habits of Wildly Successful Twitter Users. 

In her SXSW presentation, Kathy Sierra told her audience "you don't need to be here", reminding them in the age of interactivity and streaming video that going to a conference may be passe.

But there is a reason to be at a conference in person, says Kathy as posted by AdRants:

"...there are still elements that exist as the missing link between computer interaction and human expression. Responsiveness to software was compared to the likes of Asperger's syndrome, unintentionally rude and often narrowly focused."

Plus, let's face it, the after-hour bar sessions are impossible to duplicate via streaming video.

Britain is making exit plans for Iraq in the same way a teenager tries to sneak out of the house with chores undone:  "Where do you think you're going, mister?  You know we still have work to do up north, right?"

Lithuania is considering pulling their 53 troops, Denmark is leaving and the Italian premiere is resigning because of continued public resistance to Italian troops in Afghanistan. 

Meanwhile the Iraq insurgency is getting some organization.  First they start shooting down helicopters, now they are aiming for mass destruction with chlorine gas bombs. 

I saw last night that the "coalition of the willing" is down to  about 21 - from around 37 at the height.  Anyone know who remains? 

Businesspundit quotes a report that has just validated my own findings:

Talented people often choke under pressure because the distraction caused by stress consumes their working memory, a psychologist at the University of Chicago has found.

This explains why the busier I get, the stupider I feel... 

Our money quote of the day:

Is it any wonder that an organization that thinks flip-flops are made safer by passing through the X-ray machine is incapable of managing to secure its own servers?

Methinks the TSA is manned by graduates of schools similar to those some teenagers at my gym go to.  They were having a heated debate about the "state" of Canada when one girl declared:

It's a state of its own, like the Yakama Indian Nation.  Not a regular state like Washington or Oregon.

 I'm very happy I don't have kids in the public school system.

It is already a strange day.  Ain't It Cool News reports that Universal may be making a Milli Vanilli movie.  Apparently they want a "respectful and serious film".  Insert your own snarky comments here.

 Thanks for Xeni at Boing Boing for pointing out this strange and wonderful video of Smeagol/Gollum singing Barry White.  

 Michael Smerconish on the state of American celebrity (via Huffington Post):

It doesn't matter that Britney can't sing or Paris can't act, because news is what happens when you stumble out of a nightclub at 4 a.m.

 And an update on my own personal goal:  I lost another 3 lbs for a total of 36!

Well, my chest pain scare yesterday turned out to be one of those "we don't know what it is, but it doesn't look serious, let's do a lot more tests" sort of thing.  I'm thinking that chest pains two days before Valentines means I'm probably not getting a journey diamond necklace that everyone is selling.

Claire Carroll shares the story of her "candy store" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) over at Blogcritics, including what her husband is getting for Valentine's Day.

Hugh has a cheery look at romance:

Why I'll never again use the mini coffee maker in a hotel room.

I was actually planning on writing much more, but I'm suddenly feeling quite ill - and not because of the photo, above.  I've been having palpitations and a strange heaviness in my chest since last night and now I feel quite dizzy and sick, so I think it is time to call the doctor... 

I stopped in at Starbucks yesterday between appointments and the barista told me breathlessly - "Did you hear Anna Nicole Smith died?"  It was easy enough to think drugs, but here's a great murder theory (watch for it on CSI soon):

One of A.N.S.'s lovers - either Stern or the other guy, manipulates his way to become the father of A.N.S.'s baby.  As soon as said baby is born alive, they off previous son, Daniel, so that A.N.S. has only one heir.  Then they off A.N.S. herself.  The father (whoever finally he ends up to be) now controls baby's money.

Of course, it would work better if they'd have waited until the Supreme Court case and paternity were decided.

But seriously, Defamer has the best round-up. His description of Wolf Blitzer/Dr. Gupta's coverage is good for a laugh.  If you are morbid, then Splash breathlessly says they will post a video Tuesday of CPR being administered to the dead celebrity.