The Ole filter makes a pass...

But first, a quick review of our little wither DVD survey; currently Blu-Ray and online downloads are tied.  I think that reflects the general view of the market.  I can't wait for the new AppleTV direct movie rental feature to become available; I suspect whether it succeeds will determine when online downloads is viewed as the clear winner.  I don't think anyone seriously doubts that eventually online downloads will win; the question is when. 

The general reaction to Super Tuesday, especially now that Romney has withdrawn, has been that it is bad for Democrats.  The reasoning is that McCain can now start running for President, while Clinton and Obama have to continue running for Democratic candidate for President.  I think that's right, but there is another factor; Clinton and Obama are going to get a lot more press in the coming weeks than McCain, helping the winner this fall. 

Did you realize the Space Shuttle Atlantis took off?  Amazing how commonplace shuttle launches have become.  The picture at right shows astronauts inside the shuttle, getting ready to dock with the International Space Station on Saturday. 

The fight for the second click - a great post from Dave Morgan, who runs AOL's Platform A.  About how Google, which now dominates the first click, must begin seeking the second click too in order to maintain their growth.  "Of course, what they don't say is that once they have monetized all of the first clicks that they can, they need to start chasing second clicks. They need growth. Wall Street and their stock price demand it; paying off their heavy capital investments demands it. They need more clicks -- many more clicks."  Click. 

I, Cringley weighs in on the Microhoo deal: The men behind the curtain.  He feels Microsoft aspires to become G.E., and opines "killing Google isn't the point for Microsoft".  If you work for Yahoo, or are a Yahoo customer (as I am), this is a rather more hopeful take than others'; it implies Microsoft might leave Yahoo alone.  I hope so, because the acquisition appears inevitable. 

I saw where Joshua Lederberg has died.  The father of bacterial genetics, a true scientific pioneer.  This follows the recent passing of Judah Folkman, another scientific pioneer who discovered the now-common technique of treating cancer by cutting off blood flow to tumors.