Matt Alldian

Ernest Hemingway believed that good writing shouldn't rely on pre-planned symbolism, preferring instead to focus on realism to evoke deeper meaning. via kottke.org

Jason Kottke shares a link to a website that generates names by combining first and last names from the 1990 US Census. via kottke.org

This article outlines actions the author believes the 44th US president should take upon taking office, including closing Guantanamo Bay and ending signing statements.

An examination of the economics behind high-end prostitution, explaining the expenses, risks, and services that justify steep fees. The article notes that escorts often provide companionship beyond sexual services and includes a link to a more detailed piece on the subject. via kottke.org

Speculation surrounds a photo of Dick Cheney wearing sunglasses taken from the White House website. via kottke.org

Jason Kottke thinks this list of the 50 Greatest Comedy Sketches of All Time will take hours to get through. The list, hosted on Nerve.com, often includes videos of the sketches.

Tyler Cowen's blog post from April 9, 2008, shares data on average starting salaries by college major. via The source of this content is Marginal Revolution.

Improv Everywhere staged a major league experience at a local little league game, complete with a Jumbotron, commentary, and even the Goodyear blimp.

via kottke.org

This is the ninth installment of a series on kottke.org that provides updates to recent posts, including active threads about helicopters and mispronounced words.

This blog post shares a few different stories of how people caught thieves, including someone stealing Netflix DVDs, a car thief, and people who tricked others into stealing for them. via kottke.org

A new Coen brothers comedy film, "Burn After Reading," starring John Malkovich, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, and Brad Pitt, is set to release on September 12, 2008. via kottke.org

A 1968 article made predictions about life in 2008, getting some things right, like computers being central to our lives, and others very wrong. via Marginal REVOLUTION