"We currently have built this Aquasar system that's one rack full of processors. We plan that 10 to 15 years from now, we can collapse such a system in to one sugar cube—we're going to have a supercomputer in a sugar cube." —IBM scientist Dr. Bruno Michel, talking about the much smaller and far more energy efficient machines he plans to build with his method of cooling processors with water (very tiny tubes of water) rather than with fans like most computers use today. "Aquasar" is an awesome name for something. Now here are five music videos.

Early during my freshman year of college, in 1989, I was sitting in the student center when a reporter from the school paper walked up and asked me whether I would be interested in talking to her for an article she was working on about the social life on campus. I made the mistake of agreeing, on record. Her story was about the dangers of underage drinking, and what might be done about the problem. One of my own roommates had spent a recent night in the hospital, having his stomach pumped to avoid alcohol poisoning. But I used the opportunity to mount an attack on the school's policy [...]

Hello. It’s August. When we know that, despite the fact that there is a large headline across the top of today’s New York Times, nothing ever happens.

This is a strange situation for a month with such a robust name. August! Named for a king, hinting of a strong wind, carrying portents of a heady future.

But no. There is not a strong wind. There is a hot, fetid calm. There are the doldrums.

True sailing is dead.