Whoa…. looks like the New York Post just launched a redesign. Sneaky bastards.

If you ever used the old Post site, then you know how much of a miracle this really is. It was a big stinking pile of crap. Blinking font tags, insane numbers of banner tags (sometimes, they’d even prevent pages from loading fully), and a tacky design that smelled like 1996.

But here’s my favorite new feature. The Page Six Star Map. It’s got Google Maps integration so now you can see exactly where your favorite celebrities were spotted. Our first victims… I mean celebrities: Bill and Melinda Gates!

What I like

• Layout optimized for 1024 x 768
• Improved branding — the website design is now almost identical to the print version of the paper. Big fonts and images. They even add faux scuff marks on the edges of the layout. I love it.
• Better ad placement — advertisements are now tastefully presented and no longer overwhelm site content
• The site isn’t valid HTML 4.01 yet, but the markup is reasonably well-formed. Believe it or not, the Post (126 errors) is more valid than the New York Times (479 errors). Do conservatives write better markup?

What I don’t like

• News articles are broken into “pages”. Can you say “we need more pageviews”?
• The main stylesheet is bloated with lots of repetitive declarations
• Some of the Flash content has classic bad UI design, like tiny unmarked paginators. (Are next and previous buttons really so bad?)
• Do we really need a weather bug in the header? Cute, but unnecessary. Removing it would let the other elements in the header breathe a bit.
• The search “Go” button in the site header is too small and illegible.
• The Opinion section could use a more contextualized layout, with more prominent placement of editorial headlines and bylines
• The Post is still a shill for the Bush administration

Final word: it’s not quite as good as the new Vinh Khoi powered New York Times, but this is a solid redesign.

Everybody says how much the JBL Creature II speakers look like Darth Vader.

So here’s how to do it for real.

MATERIALS

• Vader mask image (I used this one.)
• Printer
• Scissors
• Roll of tape

INSTRUCTIONS

Print out the Vader image and then follow the diagram below.

RECOMMEND USAGE

• Don’t own these speakers? Try pranking a friend or office buddy.
• Try playing Star Wars music or Vader sound clips — Vader on Vader!
• Print out “little Vaders” for the satellite speakers

CREDITS

• Thanks to Eric Miller for being my first victim
• The Vader image is from an auction on eBay.

In the spirit of the Argon Express, I’m taking the train to this year’s RubyConf.

I know a couple of other sd.rb people are going, so if you live near L.A. or one of the other stops on the route, hop on board!

WHEN:
October 18 - October 19.

Total trip time is about 1.5 days. We’re leaving from San Diego at 3pm. If you’re leaving from Los Angeles, you want to catch the 6:45pm Southwest Chief. We’ll arrive in Denver around 10:25pm the next day.

WHERE:
The Southwest Chief on Amtrak, heading from Los Angeles to Denver.

COST:
Using Amtrak discount code ‘H571′, one-way tickets from LA to Denver are $80. And roundtrip tickets are $160. (Airfare runs about $250 - $400, so this is a sweet bargain.)

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Hack out with other Rubyists before the main conference. (I’m planning to build a new Rails app from scratch during the trip.)

• Stay online with EVDO-enabled WIFI (where coverage allows)

• Check out the scenery from the observation car

RIDERS:

• Patrick Crowley
• Nick Zadrozny
• Kevin Clark

FAQ:

• Are you taking rail the whole way? Sadly, the last four hours of the trip is a bus ride from Raton, NM to Denver — but it’s a direct route with only two stops. (Hey, we didn’t build the rail system… there some places they just don’t go.)

• Are one-wayers welcome? Absolutely. I’m going roundtrip, but one way is cool too. Take the train out to RubyConf, then fly home in style!