Interesting Links for April 2009.

• Diet Books: Fat On Profits, Skinny On Results? – About diet books. By Lynn Neary. I’m a bit partial to this one because she quoted me.
• The Microsoft discount – An opinion piece about the Microsoft “Apple Tax” advertising strategy by Dan Miller on Macworld.com. I couldn’t agree with this comment more: “But for the benefit of my Windows-using friends, I will say for the record: I don’t use a Mac because it’s cool. I use it because it works better for me. I use it because it doesn’t stink.” Thanks to @danfrakes for tweeting the link.
• The Poor Man’s Mac: Microsoft’s recession-era ploy to get you to buy a PC instead of a Mac – By focusing only on price, Microsoft is telling us only one thing about the Windows logo: It’s what you look for when you’re settling. By Farhad Manjoo on Slate Magazine.
• How Navy snipers saved captain – I am really glad we put our foot down and did this. We shouldn’t be taking any shit from pirates. Bravo, Navy! On the Seattle Times Web site.
• Microsoft conjures imaginary ‘Apple Tax’ – The age-old battle between Microsoft and Apple is heating up again, and this time, Redmond is cheating. On The Register.
• We Didn’t Start the Flame War – Definitely not work safe, but very funny in a crude, college humor sort of way. Takeoff on the Billy Joel song. On CollegeHumor.com.
• TweetSig, simply converting your tweets into an image. – A way cool tool to generate a Twitter-based signature line for use in e-mail and forum posts. Thanks to @Firgs for sharing the link.
• Palin’s New Disaster – Apparently, the inability to properly vet nominees is a common problem in the Republican party. On TheDailyBeast.com. Thanks to @hilldygottlieb for tweeting the link.
• The Amazon Fail and the WAY bigger fail – She has an excellent point here. Why do we wait for big biz to screw up before supporting small biz? On FluentSelf.com. Thanks to @PattyHankins for tweeting this link.
• May 2009: Phoenix to Seattle Helicopter Excursion for Two – A special offer for a one-of-a-kind trip. Please help me spread the word. On FlyingMAir.com.
• Help, My Degree Is Underwater In the recession, does advanced education really pay off? – In the recession, does advanced education really pay off? By Emily Bazelon in Slate Magazine.
• On Twitter, mindcasting is the new lifecasting | Technology | Los Angeles Times – Another article about real-life uses of Twitter. On the Los Angeles Times blog.
• The International Space Station Comes Together – Flash animation of the components of the International Space Station, added one-by-one. On USAToday.com.
• Finding Utility in the Jumble of Tweeted Thoughts – NYTimes.com – Good article on the New York Times about putting Twitter to good use. Thanks to @mjvalente for sharing the link.
• A Visual Guide to Where Your Federal Tax Dollars Go – A fascinating look at the Federal Budget. Thanks to @god on Twitter for sharing this link.
• 10 Most Extraordinary Twitter Updates – Excellent post that gives real examples of how Twitter is used. On Mashable.com.
• The History of Everything Timeline – Science vs. Creationists. You’d think god would get bored. Thanks to @mjvalente on Twitter for sharing this link.
• Switch From Print To Web: Where To Start? – Interesting article that provides some tips and ideas for switching from print to Web-based publishing. On Smashing Magazine.
• Infinite Photograph — As Seen On Earth – What makes up our world? Dive into this photo-mosaic portrait of the Earth to see it through the eyes of users like you. It’s made up of hundreds of photos of the natural world, each submitted by users to My Shot. On The Green Guide.
• The 50 Most Brilliant Atheists of All Time – Interesting article listing information about atheists. I think the list might have some surprises for everyone.
• A Visual Guide to Twitter – Interesting diagram showing how Twitter can be used.
• Operating System Interface Design Between 1981-2009 – Interesting history, with screenshots, of GUI operating system development. On Webdesigner Depot. Thanks for @god on Twitter for sharing the link.
• An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country. – A graphic representation of the geography of job gains and losses in the United States over the past two years.
• Melting Ice: Glaciers and Ice Shelves – Great then and now images of glacier and ice shelf melting. On the DenverPost.com blog. Thanks to @mjvalente on Twitter for sharing the link.
• Human landscapes from above – The Big Picture – Boston.com – Incredible aerial photos. Thanks to @jenniferwhitley on Twitter for sharing the link.