BatesLine linkblog

Language Log: Modal deafness

Trouble telling the difference between a major and minor triad? You're not alone. It's hardest when the chord isn't inverted.

IEEE-754 Calculators

Because sometimes you need to know the hexadecimal representation of a floating-point number.

Mako Snark

A new blog of funny political Photoshops from a conservative perspective. (Via The Other McCain.)

Why aren't my videos getting more web traffic? : Ft. Hard Knox

Good advice on how to help websurfers find your videos. It's all about providing descriptive text that search engines can grab.

Poetry related to US History and Geography

Poems for school children about Peter Stuyvesant, Peregrine White and Virginia Dare, Pocahontas, Forty-Niners, Columbus, DeSoto, Miles Standish, Coney Island, and Niagara Falls, among other topics: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3. (Found in a search inspired by Dawn Summers' blog recitation of "O Captain, My Captain."

Territorial evolution of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Step-by-step chronological account of the development of US international and interstate boundaries, the creation of territories, and the settlement of disputes -- not only what boundaries changed, but why, with links to further information. A good example of what Wikipedia does best.

Library of Congress - Indian territory: compiled under the direction of the Hon. John H. Oberly, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, by C.A. Maxwell.

Map shows boundaries of tribes and territories in 1889, with colored outlines and numbers to indicate areas that were ceded back by the tribes to the Federal government following the Civil War.

The 11 Best Foods You Aren't Eating - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Swiss chard for aging eyes; beets to fight cancer; cabbage to "boost cancer fighting enzymes".

New York Magazine: Saint Elizabeth and the Ego Monster

A stark, profanity-laced portrait of Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth, excerpted from the new 2008 campaign book Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.

Michael Fumento reports: "The Negative Side Of Positive Thinking"

A review of Barbara Ehrenreich's book Brightsided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America: "Unhinged optimism is pervasive, but the real culprits are those who profit from it: motivational speakers and writers, "life coaches" and various gurus, as well as the 'pastorpreneurs' of the 'prosperity gospel' movement. These chuck aside Christ's teachings to declare that 'God wants us to ... have plenty of money to fulfill the destiny He has laid out for us.'" (Via Fausta, who has links to related stories on runaway self-esteem.)