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Today’s daily WTF: a draft spec web API for zero-polling two-way communication in HTML and JavaScript. Because nothing says “cool” like having some server be able to ram data down to your browser unrequested. … Actually, scratch that. Nothing says “insecure” like having some server be able to ram data down to your browser unrequested.
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Executable file format hacking for fun and … profit? Seriously, if you’ve ever wondered how it’s possible to get self replicating code to be small enough to fit inside a single UDP packet (SQL Slammer, e.g.), now you know what some of the tricks are.
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Best Alex Chilton anecdote of all time.
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Memories of Alex Chilton.
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Great post and series of photos of the Massachusetts March flood.
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Another good voice is gone. I had hoped that there would be a day before he died that Big Star would be playing on everyone’s iPod. I guess that day is going to be tomorrow.
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A brilliant media put-on from Devo that reads like a lot of posts I’ve read on Pho recently.
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I find it interesting that very few of the anti-health-care folks I hear from online address the effects of the exchanges, or the tax cuts.
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Thought provoking survey of Eastwood’s career on the cusp of 80.
Day: March 18, 2010
Alex Chilton RIP
I was startled and saddened last night to read about the passing of Alex Chilton, lead singer for Big Star (and the Box Tops). I came to the music of Big Star late, but became a full convert after arriving at the band via a Chris Bell recording. Big Star was really the band of the 2000-2009 decade for me in a way; I spent weeks with “#1 Record/Radio City” on repeat, put songs by the band on no fewer than 14 mix CDs, and posted a gushing love letter to the band on Blogcritics (where I was rightly remanded for my callowness).
It’s hard to believe he’s gone. I know he was a completely different artist after the first two albums–hell, even their third album is a completely different experience–but listening to “Give Me Another Chance” he seems like he should be immortal.
Other posts: Joe Gross on Alex Chilton’s passing; another link to an article about the recording of the classic Radio City album.