NetNomad 12

Bad Art for the Few (http://www.badart.com/)It is a horrible pun, but we are sure the folks at Bad Art would enjoy it: It turns out there is in fact an art to producing bad art. We're not talking about art produced by people who simply can't draw, but the sort of "appallingly bad" art that screams out for the dustbin. The 'curator' of Bad Art has actually purchased many of these 'works,' for $5.00 - $10.00, but he is more than willing to make them available to collectors for a healthy markup. His and our -- favorites include "the exquisitely bad Carousel Nun, the bummer-trip Eye-yi-yi and the grotesquely sentimental Orange Maiden." You'll also want to keep your eyes open for Angry God and the remarkably awful Carousel Nun. Don't say we didn't warn you. Seriously. This stuff will stay with you like a really bad meal.What a Character! (http://www.what-a-character.com/)We see them all the time, in movies, commercials and TV shows. They are called character actors and their faces often look sort of familiar, but we can seldom remember where we might have last seen them. Let alone remember their names. If you have ever suffered this short term loss of memory, you'll love the What a Character site. Here you'll find a listing of hundreds of actors and actresses, with photos and a detailed biography of each. Now some of the names will be familiar (Jason Alexander from Seinfeld, for example) but others are nothing short of rare treats. Check out the likes of Slim Pickens, Dub Taylor and Joe Santos for starters.Virtuetv.com (http://www.virtuetv.com/music/index.html)There are plenty of sites on the Internet that offer a combination of virtual radio, tv and film channels, but Virtuetv is exceptional on many counts. Of particular note is the radio section. Here you'll find a wonderfully eclectic mix of exclusive concerts featuring Blur, Stacey Earle, Billy Bragg, Gomez, Travis, Ash, Ocean Colour Scene and Bap Kennedy. To name but a few. Our only complaint is that it is not necessarily easy to find any of the above. Make sure you check both the Radio and Music/concert sites for these and other artists. It is a bit disorganized but the concerts are wonderful and well worth the effort.Built to Flip (http://www.fastcompany.com/online/32/builttoflip.html)There was a time --so we are told -- when business executives young and old cared more about creating an enduring legacy than turning over a quick profit. Those sentiments have been replaced with a "built to flip" philosophy. What the bigwigs of corporate finance want now are ideas "that you can do quickly and that you can take public or get acquired within 12 to 18 months." The author of this article was responsible for the Built to Last craze of 1994 and here he compares both schools of thought. Whether one will be more or less destructive than the other remains to be seen, of course.E-Nough Already (http://www.persistence.com/e-nough/)Subtitled: "The Society for the Preservation of the other 25 Letters of the Alphabet," this site features a collection of news releases and articles detailing the latest of fads, the love affair with the letter e. It began innocently enough with e-mail, of course, but has since taken on e-commerce, e-leaders, e-virtual, e-bay and the current champ, eemail. If you are not yet ready to rise up in defense of the letter e, be forewarned that there are indications that the lowly i will be next. It might well be too late for that one as well.