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Chris Anderson has written an article, book, and blog about an economic shift in the marketplace he calls the Long Tail, referring to the end of a Parteto distribution. Product sales generally follow this curve. The rare blockbusters make the head and the tons of unpopular items make the long tail.
Because the Internet eliminates the overhead in having unlimited shelf space, sellers can now offer the non-hits to an eager market. Music listeners can forgo Mariah to get obscure songs from the Web. This new selection will fragment markets and it has already begun with books, movies, and music.

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I saw Anderson present last night at the NY public library. He’s an entertaining speaker and he makes a good case, but my opinion on the Long Tail is mixed. Anderson said the the days of the blockbuster are over and that the dollars are being spread down the line. I think Mariah and Wal-Mart are going to be just fine, and that the Long Tail only offers a new market, not a replacement. However, that’s music. When it comes to news, I no longer get my info soley from NBC and the Times, I get it from over a thousand different websites. So he’s right on that one. Like most economic theories, I think it is true sometimes and how so will only be apparant in hindsight.

Rats have long tail and they don’t surf the web. Somebody get on that.

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Sites of the Day:
– From Tyler, a really excellent set of Flash puzzles.
– The catchiest song and video I’ve heard and and seen in a long time, the Scissor Sisters’ “Don’t Feel Like Dancing.” A little too disco, but worhtwhile.

Good morning. Have you ever woken up early, made coffee, listened to NPR while you checked the weather and news online, did the dishes, gathered up the laundry, and left for work early and thought, “Wow, I’ve really got my shit together today!” Then, I realized that it was the first such day in memory, which must mean that on practically all days I don’t have it together. Oddly, I’m just fine with it.
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Site of the Day: M&Ms created a really cool flash game to accompany their launch of dark chocolate M&Ms. A beer to the first person who can identify the artistic style the game emulates.

I just posted my first rant on Craigslist:

Does anyone know a guy–late 20’s, Caucasian, about 5’10”, 150, short dark hair, very noticeable bald spot–who lives on the southwest corner of Prince and Mulberry AND loves to play with a really loud gas-powered RC car? He was out last night at 1AM running his toy up and down Mulberry, only pausing to yell challenges back to the people in the windows who were yelling at him, “If you can yell from a window, you can fight me!”

If you know this guy, please shoot him in the face. Thanks.

I can only hope I get lucky. Please note, today’s pic is not Evil Soho RC Car Guy, but instead the Web’s best efforts at an artist’s representation. Do not shoot that guy in the face.

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Site of the Day: The next gadget I need to own, the Sony Reader.

In response to my obsessive football hobby, my gf has taken up crocheting, taught by my mother. Apparently, the hobby is somewhat addictive and every time I leave her alone for 3-4 hours to get drunk and watch a game, little yarn squares spring up everywhere. Like webs.
I don’t have the patience for hobbies like crocheting, but I wish I did. I think I would make Mac-sized laptop cozies and sell them for $20 a pop at the Bedford L stop. I could quit my job in a week.

Does anyone else out there crochet or knit? Is it as soothing as people say?

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Sites of the Day:
– From TWS, The Top Ten College Pranks of All Time

I just wanted to say that with that pic.
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Remember last year when I raved about San Genaro? Well, this year it is a different tune. Hate it. Hate the noise, the smell, the carnies, and the wandering slack-jawed yokels that pour in every night and spend money on re-fried food and games of chance.

The insult dunking clown had the abrasive insanely loud laugh that he spews after every contestant toss. He works politically incorrect and last night I heard him tease a man of Asian descent saying that he should turn his head sideways to improve his aim. The man got quite angry and thus bought five more balls.

The majority of the food is fried–smoke stack cakes, empanadias (more hispanics in the hood than Italians), donuts, mozzirepas (sweet pancake mozerella sandwhiches), and tons of fried onions. The aroma that waifs up can grease your glasses. I have been keeping the windows closed.

All the excess food and grease gets piled in leaking garbage bags on the corner at the end of the night, leaving a fetid black stain the teams with cockroaches after the trucks leave. I’m reminded of Templeton the rat’s ingestion orgy at the fair. San Genaro must be like Christmas to the neighborhood vermin.

Still, the blinking lights, closed streets, and miriade of bizaar people make for an interesting evening stroll and I do walk down the center for a bit every night. But it’s a short walk as I leave the whole area to sleep somewhere else.

The authorities don’t allow alcohol anymore, so I can’t recommend stopping by, but if you insist, give me a call. Last day is Sunday.

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Site of the Day: From My Robot Friend, a funny video about a man and his Winnebago (warning, some swear words).

Complimentary confections at the Gotham Grill, great with tawny port. Life is hard.
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Sites of the Day: Boing Boing links this fantastic idea, double AA batteries with built in USB recharging. Genius.

During the debacle that was Monday Night Football last night, this note flashed on the screen at the end of the game. My guess is that someone in the booth was a Steeler fan like me and also severely dissappointed with their performance. “Aaaaaaaaaagggg,” is right my friend.

Today’s shot is what I spent all of last week doing, entertaining my 18 month old nephew. My family and I rented a house on Lake Anna in Virginia. Here are some random images from Flickr:

Lake Anna is the divided down the center by dykes, like a McDLT, one side is known to the locals as the cool side and one is the hot. The hot is the outpouring from the Lake Anna Nuclear Power Station. Boats cannot get from one side to the other, but fish can and they like the hot water. So did my nephew and me. We may wake up with three eyes like Blinky, but it beats shivering.

We really did nothing the entire week but swim, read, cook, eat, drink, and watch the nephew. There was no internet service, no cell, and I never turned on the TV. It was awesome.

Here’s the recipe for a salad we tried to cook one night that failed miserably:
Grilled Romaine Lettuce
It fell apart, but still tasted good. I’d like to try it again.

Today’s pic was taken at about 9:30 from the front of my office looking down at the huge gaping whole in the sky where the World Trade Center used to be. I took it at the last minute rather than put up a black rectangle or some other silly gesture. The morning light is absolutely perfect just like it was five years ago. The shot is the vantage I had on that day, which I still consider the worst in my life, even though I was very fortunate not to lose anyone close. I don’t really like to talk much about it, but I did record all my memories and tuck them in a box somewhere for the grandkids.
One thing I do remember from those days was the overwhelming happiness I felt each time when I next saw any friend or loved one. That’s an emotion I should try and recapture.

Peace and love,
Sean

On behalf of everyone in the world who lives in a highly touristed spot, I ask the rest of the people to chill out. People live here. Please be quiet when you leave the bar and walk back to your mom’s car. Don’t make us start mugging you again.
Today’s pick is a door on Jersey Way, the tiny alley from Mulberry to Crosby.
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Site of the Day: Have some fun this weekend and talk like someone from the 19th century Don’t be graveled if I perchance ask you to set a bit and pray you to help me quaff a pipe of wine entire.