Lifehacker.com has been on my list of (almost) daily blog reading for quite a while now.

It satisfies my technology jones, but also manages to spill over into other areas of life, the universe, and everything. From their About page...

What does the word "lifehacker" mean?

Here a "hack" is a clever shortcut or a lesser-known, faster way to get something done. A hacker believes that information-sharing is a powerful positive good, and that it is a hacker's duty to share her expertise—so we will. The "life" part comes in because while the hacks you'll find here will focus mostly on technology—like how to automatically back up your hard drive, they'll also extend to things like how to re-purpose a shoe-holder to organize your gadgets or build an air conditioner for under 30 bucks.

Lots of interesting stuff to be found here.

In fact sometimes the sheer amount of information published each day can be overwhelming, so Lifehacker even provides a detailed explanation of how to subscribe only to the topic(s) that interest you. If you're like me, that might include Windows downloads and tips, but not Apple or Linux so much.

Check it out.

This is quite possibly the most adorable photo I have ever seen...

Happy Valentine's Day.

(via Cute Overload | Flickr)

After months of rumors, Microsoft has finally confirmed the cancellation of the Marvel Universe Online MMO...

"If you really look at the data there's basically one [MMO] that's successful and everything else wouldn't meet our level or definition of commercial success," he said. "And then you have to look [and say]: 'Can we change the business model for that? Is that really viable given how far we are in development? And so forth. Does Marvel want to do that?' There's a whole bunch of factors [in canceling the game]."

So basically, they were intimidated by World of Warcraft and didn't feel that they would be able to replicate its success (or profits). And they're probably right.

I just wish they weren't so short-sighted. Trying to buy WoW-like success is definitely not a winning strategy, but innovative (and fun, of course) gameplay alongside superhero legends like Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, and the rest of the Marvel line-up would draw a dedicated (possibly rabid) subscriber base and make a decent amount of cash for Marvel and company.

Hopefully, the DC MMO will come to a more satisfying finale.

I neglected to post a Sunday site last week and considered listing two today, but I decided not to so that I wouldn't detract from a terrific site...

dooce.com is a glimpse into the life of blogger and stay-at-home-mom Heather B. Armstrong. A very honest glimpse. In her words...

This website chronicles my life from a time when I was single and making a lot of money as a web designer in Los Angeles, to when I was dating the man who would become my husband, to when I lost my job and lived life as an unemployed drunk, to when I married my husband and moved to Utah, to when I became pregnant, to when I threw up and became unbearably swollen during the pregnancy, to the birth, to the aftermath, to the postpartum depression that landed me in a mental hospital. I’m better now.

See what I mean?

In addition to her exceptional writing, Heather is also one of the best amateur photographers on the Web. In fact, dooce.com is currently nominated for no less than five Weblog Awards ("bloggies"), including Best American Weblog and Best Photography of a Weblog.

I highly recommend you put dooce.com on your list of daily visits.

Author Steven Brust has written a free e-novel named "My Own Kind of Freedom" based in Joss Whedon's Firefly universe (prior to Serenity). For Browncoats (like me) looking to get their Firefly fix, the further adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and crew can be downloaded here.

(via io9)

This starts off a little slow (literally), but it is so worth watching the entire way through...

(via dooce)

As the saying goes, "Welcome to the Midwest. If you don't like the weather now, just wait fifteen minutes and it'll change."

Case in point...

This graph, courtesy of Accuweather.com, shows the temperature readings here in Springfield, Illinois for the past twenty-four hours.

Let me summarize it for you... At noon today, the thermometer read 60 degrees and I went out to get lunch without a jacket. It was a little breezy, but perfectly comfortable. A few short hours later, the temp has plummeted to 15 degrees (-12 wind chill) and my ears are practically frostbitten as a result of the two block trudge to my parking spot.

That's a fricking 70 (SEVEN ZERO!) degree drop in wind chill, people! In about five hours.

Ugh.

Holy crap, does this look incredible...

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is coming this spring. Unfortunately, it's only for the consoles at this point.

<In my best Yoda voice...>Hmm, an Xbox360 in my future, there may be...

Paige Davis returns to a new and improved Trading Spaces starting tonight at 9:00 PM central. Ratings for the show tanked after Paige was unceremoniously dismissed in 2005 when the producers wanted to "take the show in a different direction". But since then new management has taken over at TLC and one of their highest priorities was to return the show to its glory days.

Should be interesting to see how it works out. Good luck Paige!