Leigh has an interesting post up that takes the recent discussion around comments in a different direction. Rather than an emphasis upon ‘who owns what’ or where comments should lie, she instead seems to argue that comments are linked in non-linear networks across different locations and, instead of only belonging to a particular post, form one of a number of ‘texts of identity’ – an idea I am also currently struggling with.

Toronto writer/author Russell Smith tackles the future of the book and argues that we usually descend into two extreme options: the growth of a new digital age that makes books easily and instantly accessible; or a new era in which copyright, authorship and artistic sense will be shot to hell. Yeah yeah. But most interesting is the end, where he describes the hand-wringing as “debating the best methods of decorating an empty church” i.e. will people actually read? When I was out drinking with a friend recently, he suggested that the persistent, omnipresent ‘text’ of the internet will return us to a sort of oral culture. Discuss.

A great piece by Kottke on the beginnings of film criticism. The critics who did not simply dismiss the new form instead struggled to articulate what they were witnessing – as in “Photography has ceased to record immobility. It perpetuates the image of movement.” Cool huh? Also, it’s things like this that reinforce my belief that those who dismiss video games are totally missing the point.

I don’t know either what the subject of this picture is or what the context is. I can quite safely say, however, that it probably will result in the end of everything.

Hey book nerds! Admit it – you feel like this too, don’t you? It’s alright, don’t be embarrassed – I do too.

A great, if perhaps unoriginal quote from kick-ass plus-sized model Velvet D’Amour about our notions of health.