If you have an iPod Photo: You now have a place where you can download subway maps.

(Thanks, Shannon)

I can’t believe Steve Gillmor is giving away secrets: I find most non-residents of the blogosphere perceive it as something that takes up time, rather than saves it. I’ve decided to perpetuate that myth as I’ve come to believe it is a competitive advantage to have others in my line of work continue to slog through information overload and communication chaos while I speed-read through highly organized RSS news feeds, converse via gmail and IM and let bloggers I trust filter out the noise.

So I couldn’t believe it when I saw Steve Gillmor giving away such trade secrets as how he uses blogs & RSS to clear the fog and provide free time:

“Thanks to RSS, I let the Times and Journal feeds accumulate, then throw out the chaff periodically, then throw out the stuff I’ve already been pointed to in the Rojosphere, then throw out the stuff Michael Gartenberg thinks is important, then focus in on anything Jason Calacanis considers a threat to his business, then wash, repeat, and watch Big Brother.

Great, Steve. Keep that up and people will start figuring out why “simple” is RSS’ middle name.

Salon’s future: (from cnet news.com) “Salon intends to shift from something akin to a print magazine with articles posted online to a more interactive Web site.”

They also plan to sell The Well.

Auto giants pushing for product placement in advertising press: (From AdAge.com) “A controversy over the editorial coverage of a big advertiser’s rock band has further unscored the behind-the-scenes war raging over product placement in print magazines.”

Fortunately for the advertiser, the AdAge RSS feed of this story included another placement of the product — as did the story — thus providing a multiplier effect of the original placement.

my son & Vassar 4.20.03

Buddy Spicher, my son & Vassar 7.30.02

Vassar Clements, RIP: A genuine Nashville (and national) treasure died today. If you don’t recognize the name, you’ve still probably heard his fiddle. For example, on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” (Or with Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby, Hank Williams Jr., the Byrds, Woody Herman, even the Monkees.)

That both of my children had the chance to jam with Vassar Clements on several ocassions is one of those gifts living in Nashville provides. With young fiddlers, Vassar was always eager to do what he could to insure the circle be unbroken.

His music will live on, not only through the vast number (over 2,000) of recordings he performed on throughout his life, but also through the play of hundreds of fiddlers he inspired and influenced.

More magazine cover parodies from Andrew Hearst: “Here’s what no one’s noticed yet: For some time now, George Lois has been happily recycling his old Esquire covers for a bunch of other magazines. No fewer than four are on the newsstand right now, including Radar.”

(via: kottke.org)

Shameless vanity post: I must admit that I had somewhat of a Navin R. Johnson moment when I saw this, but the rexblog is #404 on the new Feedster Top 500. I have no idea how a weblog with only seven readers could make such a list but I’d like to commend them on their outstanding scientific methods and want to encourage them to not mess with their approach. I’m sure they’ll be getting plenty of encouragement to do that from 14 million other bloggers.

Update: Jeff hates lists. I do too, except for this swell new one from Feedster. Also, I like his ideas about segmenting blog lists by category. Bottom line: On the newsreader I have sitting on my desktop (I use NetNewsWire), I have a folder called “My A List.” Frankly, it’s the only “top list” that matters to me.

Update II: Jason loves it and says the Feedster list is closing in on his $50,000-in-advertising prize. (Read the comments on his post and you’ll pick up why other believe Jason loves the list.)

Of course, now that my ego is boosted, I have my personal benchmark by which to judge all other lists. If my weblog carried advertising, I’d add $5 in advertising value to Jason’s prize.

(Also, while I’m thinking about it, No Need to Click Here - I’m just claiming my feed at Feedster feedster:6d77696b2c19e4f7eaa351075bd119cf)

(via: #56)

A9 does maps: And it’s especially cool if you’re looking up an address in a city where the “block view” feature works, as you can see a street-level photo that corresponds to the point on the map.

(via: John Battelle)

Morning coffee: I just noticed an article in my newsreader about a problem a certain group has with one of the quotations on a Starbucks cup that’s part of its “The Way I See It” program.

I’ll forego pointing to the controversy and point to an earlier post here on the rexblog that notes Starbucks is promoting motherhood with a wonderful controversy-free quote from a friend of mine, Alice Randall.

Road to Rehabilitation: (From the Tennessean) “The Titans and first-round pick Pacman Jones agreed in principle on a five-year contract last night and the cornerback could be on the practice field as early as today.”

Prediction (pick one): 1. By the third year of his contract, he’ll be the most popular Titan and parents will be dressing their little kids in Pacman Jones T-shirts. 2. By the third year of his contract, he’ll be in jail.

I’m hoping #1.