Today's New Blawg

Nomination Nation turns the microcontent microscope on the judicial nomination and confirmation process. Another illustration of the niche so readily filled by weblogs: this topic has a high wonk factor, a small but passionate following who recognize the importance of getting and keeping good people in the judicial branch, and the political cyclones that surround that process. A group of knowledgeable bloggers can quickly become a, if not the, definitive source for information in this kind of area. Let's hope they do. NN's "Senator Spectator" reminds me that things should really heat up for them, as far as interesting related events, around and after the elections.

Mood Lighting

From Andy Smith (via the offical Conference Coverage page), pics from last night's Google Lounge. Also, Lobby Crashing Web 2.0; LobbyCon.

Cubisms

It's tough to blog at dinner (unless maybe you're at the EFF table at Digital ID World), but Mark Cuban tonight at Web 2.0 was his usual razor sharp self. Some highlights:

• Mark was saying that if he learned one thing in the NBA, it's that a general manager's job is to keep his job. It's a good life, who would want to give it up? So if something goes awry, there's always Shaq to blame. Piracy is Hollywood's Shaq.


• Cuban is backing search engine IceRocket (no "r"), and he made the point that often, you don't actually care about getting the "most relevant" search result. If you're familiar with the subject matter, you already know the most relevant related site. What you want to know is what's new. Here's the IceRocket blog. He also suggested searching your name in IceRocket Images. You might be surprised what comes up.


• "CNBC has turned into QVC for stocks." Chortles all around.


• When asked for a Rorschach test response re David Stern: "Nice guy. Too much of a lawyer."


• Cory Doctorow, in a question from the audience premised on how high definition displays are more pervasive than most would think: "TVs are just like dumb laptops that are hard to carry around."


• Cuban, on the slower penetration of broadband in the US vs. elsewhere — it's politics: "Had there not been a DMCA, there probably would have been alot more bandwidth coming into the home."

The Price You Pay

John Battelle (after Jeff Bezos, Bill Gross): "I really want to be blogging right now."

Aggregation Hits

Feedster's Web 2.0 aggregator.

Saw Rojo demo'd this afternoon. Aggregator+social software — more interesting than it might sound. Hoping to try it out in beta.