It’s back, and all up in your grill, like so much propane. Taste the heat! NEWSISH:

• Vvvvvvaldez does Videos Without Scenarios. Watch the series so far, then wait for more.
• Via State29, Tax Update Blog give notice of some nice developments out east and other thoughts on corporate tax giveaways here in Iowa. As S29 notes, that last link on TUB should be an eye opener.
• More PAULAs issued after 21 vote – I personally did not care about the 21 vote, it was truly a non-issue. There were/are laws on the books already prohibiting the sale of alcohol to minors, all that was lacking was enforcement. The argument over the bars’ bottom lines was a cute distraction, but it’s nice to see that things are back to normal: students go to bars that serve them, police go after students, students get tickets to pay, bars keep their money, city gets some taxes. Doesn’t everyone win?
  PS – I am of the belief that the drinking age should be 18 and that parents should take a more active role in advising their kids EARLY on the responsibility required with consuming alcohol. It’s that idea of responsibility that seems to be sorely lacking…all around.
• Keep Separation of Local TV and Newspaper Ownership – Former FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson debates former DM Register editor Richard Doak on the important issue of media ownership consolidation. I bet you can guess who’s side I’m on.
• Cedar Rapids community rallies to buy art & UI considered selling most famous piece of art – Revenue is needed?
• What $100 Oil Means for Your Wallet – You can always turn your Suburban into a piece of lawn art.
• Online video bad for network TV, good for network web sites
• The AudioFile: Analog-to-digital conversion – A How-to from the folks at Ars.
• DARPA spies on analyst brains; hopes to offload image analysis to computers
• Plant goes off script – Salacious! Totally Not Surprising! While I don’t support Hillary for Pres [or anyone in the field, R or D], I hope the Cool Media Kidz do some digging into all campaigns, at least until OJ or Paris does something stupid.
• FCC’s fascination with cable regulation could lead to a la carte cable – I would say “good”, but then we’re still at just words: the regulatory ability implied is contingent on a specific amount of penetration [70%] and the only real way to get that number is from subscriber counts provided by the companies.

New feature! Regreaser’s Pile of Links

• Left Brain v Right Brain Test – Interesting mind trick, plus a shadowy naked woman.
• Judge to White House: Hold E-mails
• The Death of American Privacy – Because we the government need to protect you. From everything [but us].

Today’s vocab word: pericarp