Wes Phillips

Ali Farka Touré, R. I. P.

Wes Phillips Mar 07, 2006 First Published: Mar 07, 2006

Mali's proto-bluesman dead at 66. I loved his guitar, true—but I really loved his phrasing as a singer. If you haven't heard his duet with kora-player Toumani Duabaté, you're missing one of the great records of this century.

Wes Phillips

Last Friday's Cephalopod Blogging

Wes Phillips Mar 07, 2006 First Published: Mar 07, 2006

I missed Pharyngula's picture of planktonic octopus paralarva from last Friday. It's not cat-blogging, but it sure is pretty.

Wes Phillips

How to Price Merchandise Incorrectly—Just Like the Big Guys

Wes Phillips Mar 07, 2006 First Published: Mar 07, 2006

I'm not an economist, so I can't vouch for how accurate this is, but I loved the wild ride. First it teaches classic B-school pricing philosophy and then it tells you that everything you just learned is wrong. It does seem to explain a lot.

Wes Phillips

The Seed Oscars

Wes Phillips Mar 07, 2006 First Published: Mar 07, 2006

Seed rates 2005's science-based movies. It's a tough room.

Wes Phillips

What Is It That's You?

Wes Phillips Mar 07, 2006 First Published: Mar 07, 2006

If you answered "my consciousness," then what happens if you wake up one day and it's not the same? This is a strange and frightening essay.

Wes Phillips

Here's Your Problem

Wes Phillips Mar 07, 2006 First Published: Mar 07, 2006

The biggest problem with many consumer products these days is that the people who make 'em never figured out what they needed to be. That's why I have an all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machine I have never figured out how to send a fax with. I could read the manual I suppose, if I ever figure out which pile of papers it's under.

Wes Phillips

About Last Night

Wes Phillips Mar 06, 2006 First Published: Mar 06, 2006

Apparently there was some sort of awards ceremony in LA last night, but news of it has only just reached Brooklyn. I stopped caring about the Oscars years ago (pretty much around the time I became a voting member of NARAS and realized how little the Grammies had to do with musical quality), but I never cease to be amazed by how much they seem to matter to other non-film-industry people. Mark Evanier has a nice essay about the post-ceremony media frenzy—and he totally pwns Tom Shales.

Wes Phillips

"Motion Denied Because You're an Idiot!"

Wes Phillips Mar 06, 2006 First Published: Mar 06, 2006

I do so love The Smoking Gun.

Wes Phillips

Eating Tea With Chopsticks

Wes Phillips Mar 06, 2006 First Published: Mar 06, 2006

In zero-G, doesn't everybody?

Wes Phillips

The Aural Equivalent of Trainspotting?

Wes Phillips Mar 06, 2006 First Published: Mar 06, 2006

My friend Jeff Wong sends this "Beatles Anomalies List," suggesting that it's the audio analog to other obsessions for geeks who need a life—people like me, in other words.