B-List

"The Two Things"
  <http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/thetwothings.html>
"You know, the Two Things. For every subject, there are really only two
things you really need to know. Everything else is the application of
those two things, or just not important."

The page hopes to sum up various topics by identifying "the two things".
I'm not sure I totally agree with the premise, but it's an interesting
idea.

Stretching the "two things" theme a bit, here are some related pairs ...

1. Looking back at attempts to look forward to the year 2000

* Postcards Show the Year 2000 (circa 1900)
  <http://paleo-future.blogspot.com/2007/04/postcards-showing-year-2000-
     circa-1900.html>
The blog is dedicated to past looks at the future.

* Predictions of the Year 2000 from The Ladies Home Journal of
  December 1900
  <http://www.yorktownhistory.org/homepages/1900_predictions.htm>

2. Best and worst of technology

* "The 50 Best Tech Products of All Time"
  <http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,130207-page,14-c,technology/article.html>
"From breakthrough hardware to time-honored software, we salute those
 amazing products that changed technology--and our lives--forever."

* "Don't Believe the Hype: The 21 Biggest Technology Flops"
  <http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&
     articleId=9012345>
"We fondly recall 21 overpromoted products and technologies that utterly
 failed to live up to their hype -- and we give you a chance to choose
 the biggest flop of all."
Poll results:
  <http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&
     articleId=9017160>

3. A couple of recent new stories

* "French workers biggest whingers: study"
  <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1922880.htm>
"French workers are the world's biggest whingers, according to a study
 which also says the Irish complain least about their lot"

* "Italian prefers prison over mother's arguing"
  <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1921542.htm>
"A 24-year-old Italian man under house arrest called for police to
 take him to jail because he could no longer put up with arguments
 with his mother and stepfather"

4. A pair of interesting clocks

* Verbarius electronic clock
  <http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/verbarius/>
"Verbarius spells out the time in a different way every minute. It's
 either forty-five minutes past four, or fifteen minutes to five, or
 four forty-five, or a quarter to five."

* Clocky
  <http://www.nandahome.com/products.clocky.html>
"The alarm clock that runs away and hides when you don't wake up.
 Clocky gives you one chance to get up. But if you snooze, Clocky
 will jump off of your nightstand and wheel around your room looking
 for a place to hide."

5. Two Flash time-wasters

* Mouse movement
  <http://www.1-click.jp/>
What happens behind the screen when you move the mouse and click.
Responds to clicks, changes in speed and stopping.

* Attractors
  <http://www.thecleverest.com/content/attractors.html>