Not much to say, so I'm resorting to posting a few links

SA®AH! SA®AH! SA®AH!
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2011/02/02/protecting-the-palin-brand-sarah...
Palin is more than just a former mayor, governor, vice presidential candidate and political force. She has catapulted over most politicians to a status of entertainment icon. She has become a brand -- and she's trying to protect it by trademarking her name.

I'm not sure if this is really cool or really scary
http://www.state.gov/statecraft/tech/opensource/index.htm
The State Department is organizing a conference designed to convene those with an interest in government use of Open Source technologies and those who can envision an “Open Source future” that supports improvements to the world’s information infrastructure.

This one the other hand is nothing but scary
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/04/oysters-are-functionally-_n_818...
Oysters aren't disappearing from the dining table anytime soon, but they may be disappearing from our oceans.

A recent study published in BioScience has shown that the mollusks, declared "functionally extinct," are disappearing quickly as 85 percent of their reefs have been destroyed through disease or over-harvesting

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I can't remember the last time snow was such a constant presence on the streets in NYC. It's pretty but it sure is getting boring.