My new system is ordered. Behold: From Newegg

• ASUS A8N-E NF4U 939 Motherboard
• AMD64 3500+ CPU
• 4 512M DIMMs
• Case and Power Supply
• Western Digital 250G SATA HD
• SATA Cable
• Sony DVD burner
• nVIDIA GeForce 7600GS
• Gyration Airmouse

From Amazon:

• Hauppauge WinTV PVR-350
• Turtle Beach 3430-01 Catalina Soundcard

Am I forgetting anything? I don't need a monitor -- this is meant to connect to my TV, and I still need to pick out a speaker system (initially, I'll just use the TV as the speaker). For the keyboard, I plan to use one of the spare One True Keyboards I have. It's been awhile since I put together a system, so if there's anything obvious I'm lacking, let me know.

Some random late-night links:

• Nothing like good art critique
• This is poking fun at some people who whine about not getting their way on Wikipedia, right? It's not just a particularly odd whiner, right?
• The news on Darfur never puts it in the context of the kulturkampf in northern Africa between those who would instate Sharia and moderates, christians, and others. This is unfortunate.
• Yay China!
• On Nepal's Maoists -- I am pleased to see royal power weakened (although it won't really be over until they lose all title or are killed) by fellow Reds. I am very bothered by the party demanding that families in areas they control send members to rallies -- it is dishonest and disturbing to manufacture rallies that way. There is a world of difference between the unpleasant things a communist (or indeed any) government must do, especially in inception, to survive, and the ritualised dishonesty that can choke a society and kill progress.
• This article about the North Pole's historical climate is interesting.