random link dump

I haven’t had as much time to write the past week as I had hoped, but it doesn’t mean I have stopped finding cool things. There are some bigger topics that will get their own posts, but here is a random assortment of links you might find interesting:

Spank your cat. He might just love you for it. The amazing video is above and, shockingly, there is a new website devoted to the topic, and they have footage of 7 more kitties. (via Thomas Hawk)

Improve your PowerPoint. Potentially effective presentations are often ruined by bad animation and too many words. Seth discusses common pitfalls and how to avoid them, and Guy Kawasaki gives great advice with the 10/20/30 rule. 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30 point font (or bigger). His recommendation was for funding meetings but it is universally applicable.

fresharrival – “one amazingly cool thing, everyday” for times when (at least) one cool thing is publishling less regularly. fresharrival is a group blog written by 5 authors with collectively good taste, and their coverage is eclectic. The one major drawback: navigation. It should be easier (and faster) to view previous days posts.

Win bar bets. The site wisebread has videos from Alex, Jess and Paul explaining how to hustle “drinks off your mates” using the proposition bets. There are 5 at wisebread and each is amusing, but the magic whiskey trick is the best. (via the consumerist)

Remove objects in Photoshop. This tutorial walks you step-by-step through the process of making perfect background edits to photos using Photoshop CS. If you are like me and still use an older version that does not have the amazing Vanishing Point perspective tool, it is still helpful as you will learn more about basic operations. (via lifehacker)

Finally, read about military commissions and Guantanamo detainees. Vanity Fair has a detailed profile on Charles Swift, a Navy lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Corps, who, with Neal Katyal, litigated the Hamdan case. Note: their victory was short-lived. See Tuesday’s ruling in Al Odah v. USA for the latest.